Home Not Sweet Home

by CitreneSkys

Miserable

In the earliest time of life, all Gallus could remember was ice and snow. Griffonstone was known to be a harsh place to live, and even harsher to live in when it was winter. Especially when you don’t have a house or parents for that matter.

The blue griffon couldn’t even remember a time he had a parent. He only remembered the lonely nights on the streets of Griffonstone. There was barely any positive emotion within the community, Gallus spending most of the time alone. Any interaction with other griffins would either be through stealing their stuff or in fights. He himself didn’t like stealing, the thought of taking something from someone that sold things for a living to make money sounded wrong, but living on the street and starving? He had to rely on stealing to even get by on a daily basis.

“Get back here you little brat!” Gallus could hear the angry call of an older griffon for behind him. He didn’t even turn around, having gotten what he wanted, and now he had the flee. He ran as far as his tiny legs could carry him, accidentally running into a dead end. Hearing steps behind him, Gallus used his small wings to lift himself off of the ground and took off into the skies. He was clumsy, having only used his wings a few times in the last month, but quickly got the hang of things before gliding done into the familiar alleyway he had come to know. It was messy, even by griffon standards, but it was the perfect place for little Gallus. Quickly, he ducked around the broken plank wood and fallen debris, wincing when he’d stepped on sharp pebbles.

Gallus climbed into a large cardboard box, the same box he’d remember growing up in for ten years of his life. It was a sub-par shelter, being exposed to the rain and snow, but it wasn’t like he could do anything about it. It was the only home he knew.

Quick talonsteps clattered on the stone pathway, nearing Gallus’s hiding place. The young griffin held his breath, not letting himself make a single peep as hee waited for the worst.

“Where’d did that fledgeling go off to?” Gallus winced when he heard the older griffon’s raspy voice, really hoping she didn’t look into the alleyway.

Waiting a few more moments, the sound of a grumbling griffon and talonsteps faded away. Gallus let out the breath he was holding, turning to the little wrapped up treat he’d stolen. Using his tiny talons, he ripped the white papery fabric off, revealing the white, stone-like, scone.

Not wasting a moment, he dug his beak into the nearly inedible treat. He never liked the taste of scones, but when you live on the street, beggars can’t be choosers. The scone cracked and crumbled underneath the force of his beak as Gallus chewed the best he could before swallowing. The scone scratched his throat, but Gallus was too hungry to care.

The little bit of food had been devoured within seconds, not a single crumb had been left behind. Gallus’s stomach was not satisfied in any way possible, but he really couldn’t do anything about that.

He sat there in silence, tired from the hunger. There wasn’t much a little griffon like him could do, he was too young to get a job so couldn’t earn the bits needed to buy decent food, let alone get shelter or leave Griffonstone entirely. Gallus dreamed of leaving the cold, starving life behind, but where would he go? What lay beyond the small griffin town? Would he even survive long enough to see?

Cold wind rushed past him, sending shivers up his spine. His feathers ruffled and the young griffin began to shiver. Looking up at the sky, Gallus started to watched the first snowflakes fall gracefully through the air. It was mesmerizing watching the snow shimmering in the light, but Gallus knew better than to trust it. Soon, the annual snowstorms will set in, and sickness would ravage the town of Griffonstone. There were no affordable doctors in the town so there was no real way of treating the illness. The best he could do was wait out the illness, or die from the lack of treatment.

Every year Gallus had caught the virus and every year he suffered horribly. He remembered not being able move because of the raging fever and couldn’t feed himself to recover faster. The pain he’d endured from the illness never fully went away, the feeling of his lungs suffocating and the angry migraines was forever engrained into his memory. He never understood why he survived every year, he was sure each year that he’d be the first to die.

The young griffon loathed the others that got that pass.

Maybe the stars would be kind to him this year and kill him with hypothermia or starvation before the plague would settle onto the the griffin race. That would be quicker than enduring the suffering of the plague.

Gallus sighed, watching the snow brushing against the ground, filling air with chills. Who was he kidding, he was never lucky. Perhaps the sickness would kill him this year, or he’d live with the illness for a few months before it went way again.All he knew was that, whatever the stars had in mind for him, it wasn’t going to be in his favor.

He felt to wind pick up, swirling the snow into the air, dancing in the wind. It’s deathly pirouette swept the streets of Griffonstone, driving every griffon inside. Well...every griffon that had a house went inside.

Gallus curled up into a tight ball, trying to stay as warm as possible, which was nearly impossible to do when you still have baby feathers. Winter winds were here, and all he could do was try to survive it until spring.

“I hope it’ll all be over soon,” Gallus sighed, watching his own breath turn into white gas in the cold air.

This winter would be a long one.

Author's Note:

This is my first story, so contructive criticism Is welcome.

Comments

[Pete100]

Every year, Gallus had caught the virus, and every year he suffered horribly. He remembered not being able move because of the raging fever, and couldn’t feed himself to recover faster. The pain he’d endured from the illness never fully went away. The feeling of his lungs suffocating and his angry migraines was forever engrained into his memory. He’d never understood why he survived every year, he was sure every year that he’ll be the first to die. The young griffon loathed the others that got that pass.

So he will forever feel it?

[CommanderApplejack]

I'll pull the story into a G-doc and put some pointers in there tomorrow. Makes editing way easier and clear than the Fimfiction comment section