Twin Feathers

Chapter 3

"Welcome to my palace, Kusarel," Elkeri said in an uppity voice, beak pointed snootily toward the roof of her den. "Where would you like to sit? Perhaps some tea or fancy appetizers will suit you?"

Kusarel couldn't help but laugh as she squeezed into Elkeri's den, though the situation was anything but funny. Still, seeing her friend joke around like this helped calm the massive headache that had been brewing all day. Scrunching up her brow deep in thought for too long wasn't good for her, apparently.

"You doing ok, Elkeri? I'm...sorry I left you earlier." Kusarel lowered her head, drooping her ears in apology.

"You're fine. It's your mother who should be apologizing. You know I can't stand your family. Or mine, for that matter," she added with a snarl. "All 'family name' this and 'honor' that. Drives me mad."

The tense knot in her stomach began to unravel a little. Seeing Elkeri back to her usual self filled Kusarel with relief, so much that she hardly had the energy to rebuke her for being rude.

"But, this den is...really something," Kusarel said, trying to change the subject before Elkeri could go on one of her rants.

The single den Elkeri had been given was nothing like the dens of their families. Rather than sturdy stone, these shelters had been constructed out of of a paper-mache material, so thin the rays of the sun shone through in places. The scuffling of other gryphons could be heard through the shared walls, destroying any semblance of true privacy. Kusarel tried to stretch out her hindlegs, feeling a cramp setting in, but the back of her calf slammed against the wall near the entrance.

"Careful there, Kusarel. If you stretch too much, you could knock down a wall," Elkeri said with a roll of her eyes. "This heavenly palace is not nearly big enough for two gryphons, you know."

And now she had led Elkeri down another possible route for ranting. Kusarel would have slapped herself with her tail, but she was pretty sure she'd accidentally hit Elkeri in the process with how tightly they were packed in.

"Well, at least the village gave you a den! You don't have to sleep outside or anything. That's good, right?" Kusarel pawed at the dirt beneath her talons, so different from the smooth marble flooring in her family's dwelling.

"Cut the act. Your optimism can be cute, but I don't get it at all. Like how you always defend your mother, for instance. She threatened to cull you today, didn't she?"

Kusarel dug her claws deep into the dirt, keeping her tail as still as possible. "How'd you know that?"

Her friend leaned over to embrace her with her wings, only to jam her horns against the ceiling. A chunk of paper-mache fell away, exposing the sky above. "Oh, for the love of...I'll fix it later. But anyone would know that, Kusarel. Your family's pretty predictable. Honestly, I'm surprised you even visited me. Thought for sure you would've been scared away with your reputation at stake."

"I'm not that bad, am I?" Kusarel said in a small voice. The guilty feelings from before sank back in, remembering what a terrible friend she had been earlier.

"Aw, I didn't mean it that way," Elkeri nudged her on the forehead, placing a claw over hers. "You're a good friend. You've just always been so straight-laced. I get worried about you sometimes, doing whatever your family wants."

"But that's how it is, Elkeri. You know that."

"Oh trust me, I know it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," Elkeri sneered, brows furrowed as she snapped at the air. "Screw the Empress with all her rules and hierarchy. I hope the Godslayer offs her for us!"