Carry a Ride (Otherwise Untitled)
#197 of Short Stories
The trio of travelers find a ride.
~ The entire bridge of the ship was a scattered mess of disassembled terminals and flickering lights, as the elderly gryphon stood firmly in the circle he'd cleared out at the center. With his remaining wing flared, he ducked his head low to inquire, "If y'folk come to a retiree like me, y'must've found yourselfs a diviner and a strong need to be elsewhere.", his beak held open slightly in the manner of a bird intending to express a grin.
~ The phoenix who'd located the gryphon replied with a matter of business, "We're all strapped in..", glancing over to Jake and Randy who each motioned towards their fastened harness with a thumbs up gesture, ".. and yes, we would all like very much to be off world now."
~ The old buzzard of a gryphon kept to his posture, closing his eye as he reached out with magics into the ship, "Welp. I tend not to pry, I confess. Good way to live long enough to retire.", his stance tensing up as dozens of glowing glyphs appeared in the vicinity of his arms, wing, and region where a wing would have been. "Ya' know what they called me, back in the war?"
~ The ship lurched in place as Marie replied, "No.. I wasn't around for that..", the phoenix steadying herself against an arm rail as the ship continued to shudder into motion. The view screen in front of the gryphon was a flicking projection of the grassy plains outside overlaid with collections of error messages and warning symbols.
~ As the ship steadied itself in the air and the began to rise towards orbit, the glow of the glyphs around the retired gryphon were ablaze with a steady glow. He explained, "Nothin'. I weren't enough of a fool to not hide through the worst of it, and run from the best of it." A soft chortle from his beak as he flung his arms forward and the ship into faster than light travel.