HOME Fexs' cheeks were starting to hurt. Happiness and excitement followed him all the way back from the holy pilgrimage to Avos since receiving the fantastic news from his wife, though now with his home planet in sight it required great effort not to jump and shout for joy. It took almost 5 years of painfully saving avos money to afford the trip to see the Great Temple. After all, Fex was only a poor fisherman and had always been. He learned everything from his late father and his father learned from his father before him. Every unit he stored away could have been better clothes for his daughters, a better net for the fishing boat or a more satisfying meal for his great family. A great family, indeed. Twelve daughters to be exact, all as brilliantly white feathered as the next just like their parents. He would swell with pride as he and his wife marched their flock together through the temple and markets. Their clothes would be second hand and poorly fit but he was certain that no family in the entire village was quite so beautiful and faithful as his. Despite this, there was always something missing, Fex felt. On his fishing boat he would watch as the other fishermen showed their sons the ropes of netting and catching. He'd watch as they laughed and learned together. Each night he returned home with nothing but a smile for his daughters who flocked around him offering their affections despite his fishy odor and to his wife who prayed with him every day for a fair catch. Regardless of how poor they were, he couldn't complain. Kluex was good to him and his family but... What he wouldn't have done to be given a son. Tears of joy welled in his eyes as the interstellar vessel reached the colony port. Finally... after so long he would return home and find his flock with a new addition. A son. Fex bowed and bid farewell to his fellow brothers and sisters whom he'd accompanied on the pilgrimage, anxious to shorten the gap between himself and his cliff side shack. The walk was long and there were many distractions along the way. He'd march past the markets of the wealthier villagers, passing by their great cottages and beautiful temples, stopping only to be greeted by familiar faces and receive congratulations for completing his holy journey. The greatest distraction, however, was the one on his own mind. His head filled with dreams and wonder, imagining his son who was a mere hatchling growing up on the boat with him, teaching him to wield a shield and spear and even... He wiped the tears from his eyes as he pictured his son immaculately dressed in priestly robes, his white feathers glowing in the light of the Aether. By Kluex... He would see his son grow to be a holy man. Eyes bleary with tears and wonder, he almost didn't see the avian before him, stopping just short of walking right into him. "Hold, Fex!" The jet black avian commanded hautily, wearing the gleaming, brilliant armor that belonged only to the captain of the guard. There was alcohol on his breath, Fex smelled... He had no love for this man, having grown up along side him he only knew the black avian to be brash, abrasive and and ill fit to be in charge of a duty as important as the villages safety. No other avian in the settlement was so pitch black as he and he wondered if it were a representation of his faith... He wondered even if the man was truly faithful to Kluex at all. "Krum, I am only just returning from my pilgrimage." Fex stated patiently, expecting nothing but the same demeaning comments he'd grown up hearing from the man. He was not disappointed. "Yes, I've heard all about it!" Krum stated loudly. "Leaving your wife and daughters here alone for so long is certainly what Kluex would have wanted. You should keep a closer eye lest another eye them for you..." He finished suggestively, his cheeks rising in a smile. Fex tensed, fighting the urge to grow combative. He knew this was what Krum wanted and he wasn't about the give him the pleasure of shouting him down here on his first day back. He forced his cheeks to rise, standing straight up as tall as the black avian. "My family was given the appropriate provisions and I, unlike you have made the pilgrimage. Take care, Krum. There is duty for you to perform." He said nonchalantly as he moved around the captain, walking back down the path that lead to the poorer district. He wanted to break into a sprint towards his humble home but he refrained, settling for a brisk pace as he passed the many orchards and avesmingo fields until finally reaching the coast. He heard the waves crashing on the cliffside and smelled the salty breeze of the ocean as he walked along the dirt road, looking up to see... His sore cheeks rose again. After what felt like centuries, he gazed upon his shack in the distance, seeing what could only have been many of his beautiful daughters playing on the hills, white feathers gleaming in the sunlight. They started shouting gleefully to him as he approached. "Papa!!! Papa!!!" They sprinted towards him, Fex not being able to help but laugh, overjoyed as he scooped up his daughters in his arms, being showered with affection. "My loves!" He beamed, taking a moment to rest there on the dirt path with his daughters. They talked for a while about their trivial activities before starting back down towards the shack, Fex more than happy to listen to the dull prattling that young children could only offer until... "What? She named him?... Without me?" Fex suddenly felt a twinge of disappointment. His wife knew how much naming his first born son would have meant to him. Perhaps the girls were only coming up with names on their own? He sighed, picking up the pace towards the shack, his little daughters tiny feet scurrying after him as he threw open the door. "Mira..." Fexs' voice came out a faint whisper after his eyes fell upon the woman he'd married all those years ago, his wide gaze dropping down to the swaddled bundle in her arms as their many daughters crowded around the two of them. He felt his chest puff out in pride, his wife only standing there with a smile on her face, a hint of fear in her eyes that he did not see in his joyous state. He took her in his arms, holding her tightly for a prolonged moment before letting go. His eyes would return down to his son, feeling a flutter in his stomach as he returned his gaze to Mira expectantly. "Well, Mira? I'm dying to see him!" He said cheerfully though impatiently. She laughed, the sound lined with nervous tension as she stretched the bundle out toward Fex for him to take hold of, he eagerly pulling back the cloth to find... Fexs' beak gaped, eyes darting over the jet black feathers of the sleeping hatchling. No... Nonono it couldn't be! His eyes darted up to Mira as she spoke in a quiet tone. "His name is Herx..."
SHAME The sound came echoing off of the cliff sides. POP!! POP!!POP!! POP!!POP!! Fex looked about anxiously, wide eyes scanning the cliffs over the water his boat floated on as if expecting some grounded brute to be holding a smoking gun, though there was nothing, Kluex be praised. "SKEEEEEK!!!" The wail of a hatchling cried out in distress before he looked out towards the bow of his boat, leaping to his clawed feet and passing the heavy mast to gaze only upon- "Herx!!! Boy!!!" He cawed loudly to the black feathered hatchling looming aggressively over the coral feathered boy, clutching his eye with one talon and splaying the other out towards Herx in submission. The standing hatchling, with his feathers a jet back turned immediately on the spot, his aggression quickly melting into a look of fear and surprise as he looked to Fex, the man he called his 'Pa.' Strangers always gazed upon the pair. Fexs' only son... Fex had brilliantly white feathers as did all 12 of his daughters. It was a point of pride for the old fisherman. It always had been until... "Herx!" He called out to the hatchling again, who couldn't have been more than 6 standard years. "You- You do NOT strike your fellow brothers!!!" He squawked angrily, watching as the dark feathered hatchling shrunk in shame at the scolding. "Ho, Fex!" A young, well muscled avian of coral feathers cawed, looking upon the scene with fishing net in his talons, confused and dumb faced as though he didn't understand what had happened. Fex eyed him momentarily with a stare of disbelief before looking back to the black hatchling he'd raised for what felt like a lifetime. That day the fishing felt like it lasted an eon. He had to show his wifes seemingly aggressive, bastard child what he didn't already know about being a fisherman after already suffering the merciless squawking of his deckhands complaints against the boy. 12 beautiful, white feathered daughters... Then the sin of his wife he wore every day on the boat, in the markets, at the temple and at home in the form of jet black feathers. His shame. The catch was fair enough. The best Fex could have expected this time of year. The migratory schools of sea creatures on this planet had not disappointed and had given him what he and many of his fathers before him already knew would come. By the time he had hauled his share of the catch onto shore and into the markets the streets were already bustling. There were merchants selling bolts of cloth, grains, idols to the Sunborn and the meats of hunted beasts as well as anything else a villager would need in this back wood, low end part of the avian colony. Another day of sales. Average at best, though disappointing. As the sun began to set, Fex found himself selling his catch for lower and lower prices. He would try not to complain. It paid for his great families meal, praise be. Perhaps it would pay to patch his daughters tattered dresses too... The walk back to the cliffs where his shack stood was long. He wished so much for a moment of private reflection but... 'pat pat pat pat' came the sound of feet on the dirt road next to him of the little black feathered avian. The boy he tolerated. The boy he raised. Fex felt his mood darken, trying to focus on anything else. Not the stares of the other villagers who would double take at the black and white duo. Not at the occasional look of worry and uncertainty he felt cast onto him by Herx and not by the memories of love and loyalty his wife of almost 30 years had given him until... "Herx! Keep up, boy!" He commanded as the pattering of little feet grew more and more faint. Finally, upon reaching his families cliff side shack there was a hint of the days before. As always, his youngest daughters crowded around him upon arrival, showering him with affections and chattering to him. A moment of happy familiarity. As the day wound down and his wife and children laid themselves to bed, he would finally find himself for the most part alone in thought... Alone with his prayers to Kluex. Prayers for health and happiness. Prayers for full bellies and enlightenment but usually, they ended just one place... Shame. Oh, the hurt. His eyes would fall upon his children as they shared the cramped beds of the humble shack. A sea of white with a smudge of black. Each night there was conflict in his heart, but... No. It wasn't the boys fault. Kluex! Each day he felt anger and each night he felt shame. For what? Fex would lay himself to rest with brows wrinkled in worry. He deserved better...
FEAR Fexs' boat drifted into the bay. Beyond the rocks the winds and waves crashed upon the broken shore as the day was finished early. Spawning was in full bloom among the sea creatures as it was this time every year. Fex knew where every school of this beast and that mingled based upon the signs taught to him by his father, grandfather and fathers before him. He knew much, though he attributed his catch this day as he did always to the will of the Sunborn. He prayed to them in the predawn hours with his wife before he sailed off and in the moments after making the catch. This, what he and his ancestors had been doing had been only based upon their will, after all. He patted the backs of the new fisherman who were aboard his ship as they were queasy by now. Having experienced so much turbulence, these calm waters upset their balance, he understood. It was just part of developing sea legs. Even Herx, a sensitive boy managed to overcome the roiling waves before too long. It was something that impressed and took Fex by surprise. He looked up along the vacant docks, seeing... Fex sighed in relief. Yes. Herx was there as he usually was this time of day when he was made to study. Most days the black feathered boy worked the ship with him but he needed days devoted specifically to study. He perched upon a massive slab of rock that fell from the cliffs above ages ago. It was his favorite place to sit since he was barely old enough to walk, Fex knew. Every day Herx was given time to sit and reflect he always chose to perch there. It terrified he and his mother since Herx had always been an atrocious swimmer but that didn't discourage the boy any. Sixteen standard years had passed since he'd hatched and now he was nearly done developing. He and Mira were concerned since he's started fledging so young, though looking at the boy you might not know he did at all. Most boys his age were growing strong muscles but Herx was... He looked starved, malnourished even though he ate an alarming amount. As the ship drew nearer, Fex could make out the boy scribbling away at a piece of parchment. Whether he was studying or drawing as he often did, Fex couldn't tell. He did however spot the mint colored feather Herx used to scribble away with. His eyes narrowed as he thought on it. A trend had developed in the colony among young adults who would often share feathers with their lovers. An irritating way of showing off, he suspected. Fex cringed to think what Herx might be getting into, though he didn't have the stomach to bring the subject up. "Fex!" The voice came from behind, he turning to address the deckhand who'd called to him. The nets needed to be cleaned, of course... It was tedious work, something he'd let his apprentices take care of but today, it was he. The work only took a few minutes and when he finally looked back up to the great slab of rock on the shore... Herx had disappeared. This day it was not Fexs' turn to take the catch to the market, Kluex be praised. It gave him the opportunity to spend time with what few daughters remained under his roof. It was nice having more space in the shack though it hurt seeing his many daughters grow up and be married off. He sighed as he walked down the cobbled streets, passing the market stalls and cottages as he was passed by two armored guards. There he found himself as he so often did, lost in thought. Was Wena doing well in Avos? Is Keeti keeping up with the other spear-bearers? He thought of each of them, oldest to youngest until finally he'd reach... Where had Herx gone off to? He half hoped to stumble upon the boy as he walked the streets back home but he was no place to be found. It wasn't likely he'd returned to the temple, he thought to himself as another guard marched past him. Fex paused, brows rising when he'd looked upon the prestigious assemblage of fellow brothers and sisters before him. Amongst them was Sun-si, perhaps the wealthiest villager nodding his head quickly as he listened to the angry ranting of... Fex was shocked to see the bellowing coming from Priest Malka, talon tightly grasping the arm of his youngest daughter, a fledging, mint colored avian named Zari. She was almost hysterical by the looks of it, occasionally trying to interject in her fathers angry squawking with a squawk or whine of her own. The three were surrounded by guardsmen. Fex had little time to gawk before one of the guards had seen him, pointing and twittering something to the group. His heart sank. What had Herx done? Fex thought he'd be struck by the way Priest Malka stormed over to him, squawking all the way with Zari in his talon. Everything happened in a blur... He hardly heard a thing in the confusion as a cacophony of harsh, angry squalling was passed around him. Herx was a word he heard a lot in the noise. Bastard, punish and sullied were a few more. His ears began to ring. "Y-Yes, Priest Malka!" He threw in a time or two. "I will take responsibility for- Yes! I understand!" By now, every eye in the streets were upon them and the verbal beating did not let up, even as Sun-si and the guards in tow tried to calm him. Nothing stopped the shouting until- "Priest Malka!" Came a familiar voice. Fex felt his feathers bristle. "Your immaculacy, please." The shouting ceased and there, all eyes turned to face the man... Guard Captain Krum. Fex dared not click his beak in vexation at the jet black avian who, until Herxs' hatching was the only villager with such incredibly dark feathers. All other villagers were variants of mint and coral, lilac and white. His feathers made him unique and for the longest time, well sought after but his behavior and attitude to those he deemed lesser... Fex dared to dream of harming the man for years even before discovering Krums role in his last sixteen years of doubt and shame. "You won't have to worry about the boy bothering your family again. That I can promise you." He said with an almost exaggerated tone of sympathy. Fex stood with his beak agape, brows furrowed in uncertainty at just what he'd meant by that. Fear gripped him as he blurted out- "Where is he??" There was a faint desperation in his voice, one Krum seemed to have picked up on as Fex might suspect by his slowly rising cheeks. "You put a-a-" Priest Malka, in his fury struggled to find the words. "-a LEASH on that runt, Fex!" He stated finally, apparently satisfied with Krums words as he turned and marched off with his sobbing daughter still in his clutches. Fex was speechless, shocked as was written on his face. Krum chortled. "You come and retrieve that menace of yours, hm?" Krum whistled smoothly, seeming quite pleased with himself as he turned back towards the guard barracks. 'MY menace?...' Fex thought to himself, trying his best not to click his beak angrily. The last thing he wanted was to give Krum more reason to be smug. He remembered walking these same streets in the years Herx was still a hatchling. The boy would stare for so long at Krum as he patrolled. Oh how he longed to talk to the Guard Captain but the boy was too timid, too meek. Krum refused to even acknowledge he existed until now. It saddened him to think. Herx knew who his father was... Fex sighed, wrinkling his brow in worry as he continued behind Krum into the barracks. He'd been here a few times before though never had he seen it so crowded. The rabble of guards, huddled together were all chirping and cooing among themselves, though once Guard Captain Krum had stepped into the building with Fex in tow, they all went quiet. Fex felt the eyes upon them, his own eyes widening as he realized something was very wrong. "This isn't- Krum where is my boy??" Fexs voice almost quivered as he looked to the black avian. Krums only response was to lift a hand, pointing into the crowd of guards before them. The guards, seeming to understand stood back only to reveal to Fex... He gasped, his heart skipping a beat as he threw himself forward to the fledgling on the floor. "Herx!" He squawked with dread in his voice. "It's okay boy, I-" Fexs beak gaped, seeing the blood staining Herxs tattered clothes and feathers. With wide eyes, Fex only stared. Kluex, what have they done... There were no words, his fears had come true and as much as he wanted to take the boy and leave, he felt glued to the spot. "He's grounded, you know..." Krum said flatly, arms folded as he gazed upon the two kneeling avians with callous eyes. Fex would rise upon these words, a look of disbelief and rage on his face as he turned and stared with blood on his talons. "He is studying to be a PRIEST!!!" Fex cawed furiously. "He is PIOUS and he is your BLOOD!!! You DARE to lay hands on your own???" "Lower your voice!!!" Krum squawked back. "He is a menace and a disgrace to our kind! He'll stand trial to determine the legitimacy of your claims! Until then he stays here!" Fexs wife Mira would sob bitterly, his daughters would squawk and protest. Oh that smug look on Krums face... It was more than Fex could stand. "You SUB-AVIAN BEAST!!!" Fex screamed, feeling the fury overtake him as he tore a spear from the talons of a guard, quickly taking a wide swing out, Krum and guards alike jolting back a step to stand clear of the raging old avian. A cacophony of squawks and caws went out in protest though Fex persisted toward Guard Captain Krum with spear in hand, jabbing this way and swinging that. Fex was no slouch where handling a spear was concerned but he simply could not match the elder guard captain. Krum dodged everything that came at him flawlessly, ducking and side stepping every attack. Fex made another wide swing but this time Krum did not dodge, catching the shaft of the spear in an open talon and ripping it from Fexs grasp. As quickly as his outburst started, it was quelled... Fex was thrown off his feet by a graceful sweep to his ankles from the spear now in Krums possession. He landed hard on his back and before he had a moment to respond. CRACK. He felt the blunt end of the spear smash into his face. CRACK CRACK. He saw only black now...
