Zhaneel Windfeather

The Gryphon

Must.. run.. faster!
Her heart racing, Zhaneel tore through the foliage of the trees, shout and clanking of swords too close behind her for comfort. She trembled, claws scrabbling for purchase on the ground beneath her, tawny feathers catching the watery light that sprinkled down through the leaves of the trees.
Why me? Why was I born like this? What have I done in a former life to deserve this? No answer was apparent as her efforts redoubled at the sound of the nearing mob. Gritting her beak, she ran on.

***

Zhaneel Windfeather had been born to a community tied closely with birds. A Falconer community that usually htought more of its birds than its women, forcing them back into their houses to do the "dirty" work while the men would hunt. Her village didn't take to strange or different people among the ranks - they had been through far too much to tust anything they didn't understand, so no understanding would be had of things they didn't know - ESPECIALLY magic. They hated magic.
Lucky or no, Zhaneel had been born with a special gift. A gift that made her different from the others. She knew what trouble this would cause, especially because she was a woman, but it ached like a fire inside her, making her stand up for herself in a lot of circumstances that would have otherwise been wise to submit in. In a way, it made her bull-headed (Which, through her wanderings, she has found to be true of ALL Gryphons. *G*). She was a gentle, tender creature, with a slender frame and long, thick brown hair interwoven with feathers and bells and wide violet eyes with flecks of gold sprinkled within. To most of the other Falconers, she wasn't too terribl beautiful, as they cared not for females, but suitable for a wife.. if it weren't for the fact she spent so much time alone.
This was her curse, she knew. She lovesd to go out and wander on her own without the intrusion of others, for while she was on these long walks, she discovered her terrible secret - she possessed magic. No ordinary magic, either, for at will, she found her shape would shift into a half falcon, half lion creature. Later on, she experimented with flight, though unbeknownst to her, her first few poor attempts at flight were seen by one of the local Falconers. A hunt for the Beast he saw soon began as mayhem ensued, as usually does when a strange creature is sighted and the people begin a mad hat of supposition.
Little known to them, their creature hid in her usual form in her home, fighting the queasiness that always came over her before a shift. She knew, with a great amount of dismay, that she could not control these shifts, anymore than she could stop the rain. But she knew the Shift was upon her, perhaps brought about by the stress. Either way, her parents found a gryphon curled where their daughter had been moments before.
They hauled her to the town square, where her secret was publicly revealed, and the Falconers made quick to kill her, when something within her just snapped. A feral nature overcame her senses and a scream tore from her throat - half roar, half falcon shriek. She fought, and, in their surprise, they let her free. Soon enough, however, they were tearing after her, swords and spears at the ready...

***

She knew she couldn't fly.. but that was her only real choice, if she didn't want to be killed. Beak hanging open as she panted in exertion, finally emerging out of the forest that marked the edges of her people's terrtory. They were hard and fast behind her, but she paused as she skidded to a halt on the sliff that over looked a massive plain.. a massive plain filled with other viallages and cities. The view covered several miles, she knew.. and there, at the very tip.. she could see.. and almost smell.. a massive lot of water.. a sea! Her falcon's sight carefully took in what she could, before a rustle in the bushes behind her caused her to squawk and scarmble towards the edge.. the Falconers were emerging from the brush behind her.
Seeing no other choice - she leapt, fanning her wings and beating them in a vain attempt to stay aloft. She tumbled downwards until the same fire that had freed her in the viallge brewed and overflowed, guiding her wings to do what was right as the spears and arrows rained through the air around her. Her wings carried her as far as they could before she tumbled down into the earth, her form once more becoming human. She trembled and lay there, at the foot of a new forest, shaking.. wondering what to do NOW...

***

Zhaneel had a lot of problems controlling her shifts, as was explained earlier, and only through the help of a man named Kyle Griffin (See my friends page for a link) who is, by nature, the Gryphon God (It's a LONG story.. check his page for it ;) and who gave her the strength to control her shifting - as well as another gift. The gift of a silver gryphon pin which would tie her to him, if she ever needed his help again. Shyly, she pinned his mark on her shoulder, over her loose robes of violet over matching pants, and hasn't taken it off since, a symbol that not everyone wants to kill her..