Fly Away From Here

The hot summer days seem to be never ending and, to the boy who has lost all sense of time, it seems like an endless circle. Since the meeting where Medusa had named him a Memory, the restriction to the Tar Pit had been lifted but Enki still preferred to linger in the familiar land. Truthfully, his memory had been lapsing and the boy will often find himself lost and with no memory of how he got there, which… is very disturbing. Part of him knows that something is wrong but the answer to exactly what it is, still eludes him.

However, Medusa trusts him enough to allow the boy more freedom and Enki is determined not to take advantage of that. The heat is almost oppressive as the pale pink form of the boy slips silently through the willow-laden land. Eyes blink sluggishly as he moves and the boy’s mind is far from this place while his body seems to move on its own accord. Even though Medusa had taken the rank of Curse away from him, the boy knows that is exactly what he is. The moment he was born, the boy had brought with him some foul curse with him.

Yet, he dares not take his own life because he made a deal with Medusa. The woman had honored her word to release his siblings and the boy is determined to live out his end of the bargain. Paws hit a pool of cool water and Enki startles into awareness, eyes blinking rapidly as his brain suddenly receives the input of what he is seeing. Shit, he had done it again. Gone out of pack lands without even realizing he was walking. The boy turns his soft blue eyes down to look as the small stream of water that happily weaves its way through the willows, giving life to the trees and animals that live here.

The boy realizes that he is, actually, very thirsty and reaches down to satiate his body’s need. Up, above the tall, dropping willow branches, a sharp-eyed hawk watches the pale pink boy with interest. Its body tenses as it plans a course of attack, perhaps thinking that the young boy is weak from disease or… something. It is true that Enki’s movements are stiff and not the normal fluid actions for a wolf but his illness is in his mind and not his body. The eagle shifts from foot to foot as it awaits the perfect moment to strike, keen-eyes keeping track of the boy. Just as the boy bends down to drink, the wedge-tailed eagle spies its time and leaves it perch.

Tongue flashes out, lapping at the water as the boy greedily drinks, unaware of the eagle and its thoughts. A sudden flapping of wings, draws the boy’s attention upward but not in time to avoid the talons that seek the back of his neck. A howl of pain escapes as he instinctively drops and rolls away from the pain, quickly regaining his paws to face his attacker. The eagle screams its outrage that Enki did not simply give up and die as it repositions to strike again. Lips pull back to reveal sharp, white teeth as the boy growls dangerously at the winged attacker, ready to fight.

The eagle screams and dives in again, ready to fight the long fight if it meant getting rid of the wolf. But Enki fights back, teeth flashing in the afternoon light as he reaches up for the bird. It shifts away, buffeting him with air as it pumps its wings to get clear of the wolf’s mouth. He snarls at the eagle as it raises higher than he can jump, readying itself for the next attack. The boy quickly sets his defenses as he knows this fight is going to drag on. Without warning, the eagle tucks its wings and dives at him hoping to catch the boy by surprise. It does not work and, with his defenses set, Enki is able stand and swat at the bird as it nears.

The raptor screams in rage his paws hit the bird’s head and it is sent off course. It struggles to regain control as Enki’s paws return to the earth and, sensing a shift in the tide of the fight, the boy quickly attacks again. Since the eagle is still reeling from the hit, the boy coils his muscles and smoothly release the energy in the form of a jump. He rockets skyward, jaws open as the eagle finally regains its senses. However, it is too late for the bird as the boy’s maw snaps closed around the body of the bird. It screams as he drags to the ground, his grip never faltering even as it attempts to peck his face.

Once his paws hit the ground, the boy lowers his head, with the eagle still in his mouth, and plants a paw on the struggling head. Twisting the bird’s body to the side, there is the familiar sound of bones snapping as the neck gives and the eagle stills. He drops his kill, panting from the exertion and pain that the scratches in his scruff cause. Looking at the dead bird of prey, the boy decides not to waste the kill and, instead, offer it to Medusa. Maybe she would like it. Grapping hold of the now dead eagle by the neck, Enki quickly moves back toward pack lands with the offering in his mouth.



WC: 917 / 800


"Enki Klein"