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Literature Text
The lights flicked on. "Today was the worst day."
"You say that everyday."
"Today was the worst day." Myst tossed his parka onto the headrest of the couch and plopped down onto the cushions. "I feel so dirty!"
"Part of the job," Ryne answered, removing his own parka and tossing it on the floor. They were both bats, but Ryne was a brown bat, while Myst was a fruit bat. "I'm going to go shower."
"I'm next," Myst said before shaking his shoulder length hair. He hated how greasy it felt. "And don't use all the hot water."
"Yeah-yeah," Ryne droned. He was shorter than Myst by a fair amount. Fruit bats were always taller than brown bats.
"You ever think about going back?" Myst asked his friend, whom had grabbed a towel and entered the bathroom.
"No, stop asking," came Ryne's voice. The shower and vents turned on.
"I do," Myst sighed. They had rented this small apartment room a month ago when they had nothing more to their names than the clothes on their backs and dreams. It was just a pre furnished one bedroom place in a three story complex. The kitchen adjoined the living room. It was by no means spacey. The walls were drab tan and the carpet floor was almost matching in color. The old tiles in the kitchen were a tan and white checkered mix. Even their bedroom was all tan.
The bat grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. Maybe he could pass another night with whatever garbage they had on for their late viewers. Talk show, talk show, drama, talk show. Normally he'd love to watch, but he just wasn't feeling it tonight. Man, he needed a hobby.
"Bathrooms ready," Ryne said as he walked out, using his towel to finish drying himself off.
“Remember when we left the colony?" Myst asked as he turned his gaze to the ceiling.
"Not this again."
"You didn't want to come at first. You were too afraid of the unknown."
"Oh come on," Ryne started as he put on a shirt. "Your parents were traders. You already had a good understanding of what was out there."
"Yeah, fun and neat things." Myst rose from the couch and slinked over to the towel closet. "We could have gone anywhere."
"What's wrong with this place?" Ryne asked as he dried out his ears.
"I just...feel like this isn't the life we were meant for."
Ryne had taken Myst's spot on the couch. "Oh come on, this is the first step. First fry cook, then we go get the education this society needs, then we move on up. We're lucky to even have gotten this place and a job."
"You're lucky I can translate for you," Myst added before disappearing into the bathroom.
"Well, once I learn the language I-" The shower kicked on. Ryne didn't bother continuing his argument. He hated repeating this every week. They were moving on into an actual society worth living in. No more caves and mass boredom. It was all the high life from now on! Yet Myst never saw the fun in it, for whatever reason that the brown bat would never understand. They had left the caves for a reason; to live a new life. Myst just wanted more forests, apparently.
"I just think we jumped into this too quick," the fruit bat said as he left the bathroom.
"The offer wouldn't be around-put some pants on!" Why did he always do that!?
"You look ‘cause you love it," Myst replied with a smug grin as he went to the kitchen. There were some apples in a basket that would serve well tonight. He could hear Ryne groaning from the couch. "We should take another trip to the woods! I love it out there."
"We go every weekend," Ryne droned as he burried his head in a magazine.
"Yeeees," Myst hummed as he examined his dinner, "but we always go towards home. I thought maybe we could go out towards the mountains in the distance. That would be fun."
"Why? It doesn’t matter where you go, a tree looks like a tree."
"C'mon, Ryne!" Myst placed the apple down and walked over to the couch, leaning over the headrest to stare at his friend. "You need to stay in touch with your roots."
Ryne didn't seem to notice Myst. "I was born in a cave, not a tree."
"Don't be a smartass. It's good for you. We'll get to spread our wings, maybe fly a bit."
"If I say yes, will you put some pants on?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Whatever. We'll go on our next day off."
Myst almost leaped in joy. "Will I have to resort to stripping to get you to do anything?" the bat asked coyly as he waltzed back to the bathroom.
"You are way too comfortable doing that," Ryne said, putting the magazine down.
Myst walked out wearing nothing but a pair of pants and a smile. "And you are not comfortable enough with yourself."
"I'm plenty comfortable with myself!" Ryne shouted back.
"Does that explain all the used tissues?" Myst asked with a devilish grin.
"Why did I move out with you!?" Ryne groaned, burying his face in the cushions of the couch.
"Because you'd hate not being with your bestest friend ever," the fruit bat hummed as he started rubbing the back of Ryne's head.
The brown bat quickly swatted his friend's hands away. "I can do fine alone!"
"I bet there's not even a handful of people in this town who speak Squickish," Myst said playfully. Ryne grumbled back an incoherent answer. He didn't have a good reply to that. "Oh don't worry, I'll teach you."
"You were supposed to teach me weeks ago," Ryne grumbled as he turned back to his magazine.
Myst had returned to the kitchen to munch on that sweet, sweet apple. "And I keep getting caught up in managing my recent depression streak with fancy ice cream and cheap alcohol. Speaking of which, we're out of cheap ice cream and fancy alcohol."
"Oh, I'd go," Ryne said with disinterest, "but I still have yet to learn the common language in the last two minutes, so you know...."
"Yeah-yeah," Myst hummed as he finished his snack.
"And put some more clothes on," Ryne added without looking away from his magazine. "They'll kick your dumb ass out if you go in without a shirt again."
"Those rules should be optional," the fruit bat said as he headed for the bedroom to find a clean shirt.
"Oh, and can you pick up more fly logs? I finished my last box today. Maybe also some milk." Myst had returned with a red and black checkered shirt. It wasn't his favorite shirt, but it would do. "Could also use some more cereal." The fruit bat walked to their tiny balcony. "And a new magazine."
Myst stopped as a sudden realization shot through his head. "Wait a minute!" He waltzed to the couch and snatched the magazine from Ryne's hands, much to his protest. "This is in English! You can't even read it! Why am I getting you a new one?"
"Because," the brown bat growled as he snatched the magazine back, "I like looking at the pictures. I've nothing else to do. It's not like there’s a squickish channel on TV."
"I should pick you up some sort of study book," Myst said as he turned back to the balcony, rolling his right wrist in the air. "One with simple pictures."
"Oh blow me," Ryne said with disinterest.
"I will later," Myst laughed out as he climbed onto the balcony railing and hopped off.
The sun had set hours ago when the two were still on shift. Such a horrid job. The roads were lit by street lights. It was a fairly sized town; boasting a population close to ten thousand residents. It helped create a fair amount of diversity, which was one of the few things Myst liked about living in the town. Everything else was just a nightmare to him. He missed the freedom he had back at the cave. It wasn't so rigid or strict as it was here. So many stifling rules. You didn't have to toil every single day or be tossed into the grinder. This was a very selfish society. There wasn't the same establishment of community that there was back home. It's why he loved going to the forests whenever he could. It was a way for him to relax and remember what he had left behind.
There weren't many places open at this hour. Thankfully, there was a convenience store just down the block that carried the items he wanted and was open all night. The bat could fly most of the way there. It was relaxing to let himself flow on the ebb of the air; to take in the smell of the cool night. It was saddening that the stars were hidden by the lights, for it would have really been icing on the relaxation cake.
He landed next to the brick building that was the convenience store. Light battled the darkness from the full windows that lined its walls. A few individuals roamed inside, searching for whatever addiction helped them make it to another day.
The slam of a dumpster lid drew Myst's sudden alarm. A rat girl glared back at him. "You dun 'ear nuthin'!" she shouted before scurrying off with some sort of discarded item of garbage. The bat let out a sigh of relief. He had seen her hiding every so often, or rummaging through garbage for a meal. He wished he could help her, but she was always so aggressive towards anyone who approached. Such must be this society. It was a thought that brought him back down.
The doors chimed as he entered. The white floors and walls seemed to reflect as much light as the fluorescent bulbs made. A disinterested tabby cat worked behind the counter, texting to whomever in between bouts of serving customers and chatting to the goat that wouldn't leave the side counter.
What did he need to pick up again? He knew what he was here for. Oh yes, that's right. Ryne needed something to eat. It was a shame that they couldn't share meals. They were both bats, but both had very different diets. Myst grabbed a box of those fly logs Ryne liked. They looked as horrid as they sounded, and he couldn't have imagined them to taste any better, either. Next he searched for a cereal for his friend, but he was fruitless on that adventure. The selection was so limited here. He then picked up the more common items; his ice cream, a bottle of milk, and a case of apple ale. He'd pick out a magazine up front; something easy and educational. Maybe a children's magazine? That seemed like a good choice.
He took his selection to the counter and placed them down for the girl to scan. Her lack of enthusiasm hadn't gone anywhere, nor did the goat. She would scan his items intermittently between gossip sessions with the young goat. It was lackluster topics such as how bad school was and how boring work is. Myst didn't say anything to speed her up. He didn't really want the confrontation at the moment. He didn't really know what even he wanted. That was a lie. He knew what he wanted.
Once everything was bagged and paid he headed out. There wouldn't be any flying this time around. As he left the store he almost bumped into another fruit bat. "Sorry," the young lady squeaked.
Myst had almost dropped his ale. That wouldn’t have been good. He merely smiled awkwardly as he backed away from her. "S'okay," he squeaked back. She only smiled at him as she nearly skipped into the store. Myst had already turned to head home. He only had to wait a week. One long week.
---
"Hurry up, Ryne!" Myst cried out as he paced back and forth around the room. It was the weekend now, and the bat had been counting the days till their hike into the woods.
"In a minute," the brown bat mindlessly commented as he read his magazine. While Myst was ready to go, Ryne was barely dressed to leave.
"I want to go before it's too late!"
"Why do I have to go with you?"
Myst stopped by the couch and stared through annoyed eyes at his friend. "This used to be our thing! You used to love the woods!"
"When have I ever?"
"All the time!"
"Never ever!" Myst ripped the magazine from Ryne's hands. "Give it back, asshole!" the brown bat shouted as he shot up from his reclining position.
"Get ready and you'll get it back!" the fruit bat demanded.
Ryne reached out for the magazine, only to be pushed back by Myst’s only available arm. After a couple dozen seconds of stalemate pushing, Ryne finally conceited. "Okay, fine!" the bat jumped up from the couch and stomped into the bedroom. Myst would congratulate himself for the victory with an extra bottle of apple ale tonight. It took a few minutes before the brown bat returned wearing something more geared towards a day in the woods: Plain clothes.
"You look so handsome!" Myst exclaimed as he clasped his hands together.
"Are you mocking me?" Ryne grumbled as the fruit bat drew closer.
"Of course not, stud!" he laughed as he ruffled the brown bat's hair.
"Stop that!" Ryne barked as he slapped his friend's hands away. "Let's go before you get 'touchy' again."
"Hey, don't you worry! Today is a fun day!" The fruit bat hopped giddily towards the tiny patio and opened the sliding glass door. A refreshing breeze immediately wafted into the tiny apartment. The sky was partially filled with fluffy clouds. Its blue glow was his freedom. He quickly leaped off the balcony and took flight, leaving Ryne to close up the apartment. There were a few other fliers out today; mostly birds, though. Myst circled the apartment until Ryne could take flight.
"Let's get this over with," the bitter bat called out as Myst caught up with him.
"Oh, I bet you secretly can't wait for this!" the fruit bat shouted back, holding in a laugh.
"Stop fooling yourself!"
The two departed for the mountains west of town. They passed over businesses and homes all intermingled about the streets. It was mystifying to see the border between the houses and the forest line immediately behind them. It was amazingly different than on the east side of town. The other side was all farmland, growing a variety of vegetables and grains. Yet in this direction it was untouched for miles. He knew why though; it was the mountains. Myst had overheard gossip about how it was a dragon hive, and it always made everyone uneasy when it was brought up. He never told his friend that. Ryne hated even looking at pictures of those creatures, let alone hearing about them. The fruit bat could only suspect his friend had developed a phobia despite never meeting a single one.
On the subject of Ryne though, the fruit bat couldn't quite peg how he had gotten so miserable of the forest. He could remember all the time breaking the colony's curfew to run around the trees near dawn. They had done that countless times, and had been punished for doing so just as much. He was always so eager to climb trees or hide in the bushes when they played. Nothing came to mind when he tried to recollect what could have changed Ryne's disposition towards nature. Maybe it was adulthood? Maybe when they decided to leave the colony? Maybe it was that accursed town that had done it? Someday he would find out. They had flown deep into the woods, and it was majestic.
"Oh look, these trees look like all the other trees!" Ryne shouted out sarcastically.
"Where did your sense of home go?" Myst shouted back.
"To my new one!"
The fruit bat returned his disappointed gaze back to the forest. There was so much to see and take in, yet Ryne would have none of it. There were the trees, the flowers and shrubs, the animals, that dragon. Dragon!? "Ryne! Dragon!"
The brown bat almost entered a freefall as he began spastic flapping. "Where!?"
Myst pointed downward towards a break in the canopy caused by a fallen tree. A red drake was slowly stalking his way towards the log. The bat's heart sank when he saw another bat hiding behind that log. "Ryne, do you see that!? There's a bat down there!"
"Every bat for themselves!"
"No! We have to help him!"
"Fuck that! We'll just be the next ones to die!
"Not listening!" Myst shouted as he dive bombed the canopy.
"This! This is why I hate the forest!" Ryne shouted as he watched his friend disappear behind the leaves of the trees.
Myst had to be careful. He also had to get an idea of what he would do. How in the world was he going to stop a dragon? He descended down the branches as quietly as he could. The trees were thick. That dragon wouldn't be able to run! That was it. Now he just needed a way to stop the beast for just a moment. Upon reaching the forest floor he hid behind a tree and peeked out from the side. The bat had stood up and was yelling at the beast, though he couldn't make out the words. Though he did see the bat wasn't a man, but a courageous girl. She was staring death in the face and wasn't even flinching! The dragon grinned, showing off his razor sharp teeth. Myst had to act! A sturdy branch rested on the ground. He had found his weapon.
---
Sanny closed the distance to the log. This was too easy. Did she not realize she left a scent trail? She didn't even try to cover it up! "Twisty," he called out playfully. "Where are yooouuu?" The drake rested his claws on the log and extended his neck over its length. Twisty was lying on her back, staring up. She squeaked when she saw him. "Found yooouuu."
"Not fair!" she whined as she sat up. "You always go for me first!"
"That's 'cause you're the easiest," he answered as he pulled back from the log. The bat stood and tried to climb over the fallen tree, with little luck. "Having trouble?" the drake asked with a laugh.
"You hush." She stopped trying to climb the log and instead stared up at her scaly friend. "Just you wait. Once Anna teaches me how to hide my trails, you'll never be able to find me!"
Sanny grinned. "She can't teach you if you can never find her."
"I don't see you finding her," the bat said as she crossed her arms.
"I will. I've been doing this longer than both of you have been alive."
"Oh, look at Mr. Perfect Killer," the bat said mockingly.
Sanny would have responded, but he was distracted when the scent of a second bat had graced his nostrils.
---
Myst had to give it everything he had. He would only get one shot at it. He charged the drake with the branch, whom had turned his curious gaze towards him. The fruit bat brought the branch down onto the dragon's head so hard that it actually snapped in half. It seemed to work, because the drake roared in pain and seemed to recoil from the blow.
The other bat had covered her mouth in shock, no doubt surprised by Myst's valiant rescue. He hopped over the log with ease and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from the beast. She shrieked in protest.
"What are you doing!?" she squeaked in a mixture of anger and surprise.
"What does it look like!?" he squeaked back mid-run. "Saving you!"
A terrifying roar attacked his ears. The dragon had recovered, and even worse, had given chase faster than he had anticipated. "Stop!" the brown bat screamed.
"No stopping now!" Myst shouted back. He pulled her as best he could, even if she was for some reason trying to pull away, dodging around trees in order to slow the monster down. They were fortunate; the thick tree growth kept the dragon at bay, and even allowed them to gain ground. Sadly, he didn't think the next part of his plan through. How long would this dragon give chase? How far did they have to go before it grew tired?
"Stop!" the brown bat again shouted out, panting as she grew tired.
"Can't!" Myst again shouted. "Dragon!"
"I! Said! Stop!"
It wasn't her shouting and pulling that stopped him; it was the snow leopard that was suddenly blocking her path. "Going somewhere," she growled to the fruit bat, readying her fists to deck him in the face.
The brown bat finally pulled her arm free. "What are you doing!?" she squeaked angrily.
"But...the...the dragon...." Myst was stupefied. Why were they not scared? A horrendous hissing and growling sound came from behind. The dragon had reached them. His left eye was was bloodshot. It seemed Myst had made a good hit.
"Who do you think you are!?" The bat seemed to be getting more furious every passing second.
He couldn't comprehend what was going on. He was in the right, wasn't he? "I...I was...the dragon...."
"Is my friend," the brown bat finished as she wrapped herself in her wings: The bat equivalent to crossing their arms.
"I...thought he was going to eat you."
"Getting eaten will be the last thing you have to worry about," the dragon seethed. "I'm going to tear you apart!" The viciousness of his voice and brutality in his words drew the concerned looks from the two girls.
Myst began to tear up. What had he done!? Ryne was right! He should have ignored this. He shouldn't have tried to be a hero. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"That won't help you!"
The cat rushed over to the dragon and wrapped her arms around his snout in a hug, rubbing her cheek near his wounded eye. "It's okay, calm down," she cooed. "Don't do anything too drastic."
"Please, I'm sorry!" Myst clasped his hands together as he pleaded to both of them. "I really, really thought you were going to hurt her! I'm sorry for attacking you!"
"You should be," the brown bat grumbled. "I've never seen him this angry before."
"It's okay," Anna continued to coo. "We'll go home and wash your eye out and make it better."
"He hit me," the dragon growled out.
"I know, I know. If you hit him back you'll do a lot worse to him than he did to you."
"I want to."
"No you don't." She tightened her grip on his snout and gave him a peck on the cheek. He never took his eyes off Myst.
"How can I make this up to you?" Myst asked the dragon, daring to take a step closer.
"Leave," he grumbled.
"You've apologized," the brown bat squeaked. "Now just leave us alone." She turned and stepped up to the dragon and patted his head. In a hollowing silence they turned and walked away. Myst wiped the tears from his eyes. How horrible he felt. He should never have interfered. They hated him, and the dragon wanted to maul him to bits. Yet he didn’t. He couldn't let it end like this. Even if it was the last thing he would ever do, he would make things right. He will earn their forgiveness.
"You say that everyday."
"Today was the worst day." Myst tossed his parka onto the headrest of the couch and plopped down onto the cushions. "I feel so dirty!"
"Part of the job," Ryne answered, removing his own parka and tossing it on the floor. They were both bats, but Ryne was a brown bat, while Myst was a fruit bat. "I'm going to go shower."
"I'm next," Myst said before shaking his shoulder length hair. He hated how greasy it felt. "And don't use all the hot water."
"Yeah-yeah," Ryne droned. He was shorter than Myst by a fair amount. Fruit bats were always taller than brown bats.
"You ever think about going back?" Myst asked his friend, whom had grabbed a towel and entered the bathroom.
"No, stop asking," came Ryne's voice. The shower and vents turned on.
"I do," Myst sighed. They had rented this small apartment room a month ago when they had nothing more to their names than the clothes on their backs and dreams. It was just a pre furnished one bedroom place in a three story complex. The kitchen adjoined the living room. It was by no means spacey. The walls were drab tan and the carpet floor was almost matching in color. The old tiles in the kitchen were a tan and white checkered mix. Even their bedroom was all tan.
The bat grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. Maybe he could pass another night with whatever garbage they had on for their late viewers. Talk show, talk show, drama, talk show. Normally he'd love to watch, but he just wasn't feeling it tonight. Man, he needed a hobby.
"Bathrooms ready," Ryne said as he walked out, using his towel to finish drying himself off.
“Remember when we left the colony?" Myst asked as he turned his gaze to the ceiling.
"Not this again."
"You didn't want to come at first. You were too afraid of the unknown."
"Oh come on," Ryne started as he put on a shirt. "Your parents were traders. You already had a good understanding of what was out there."
"Yeah, fun and neat things." Myst rose from the couch and slinked over to the towel closet. "We could have gone anywhere."
"What's wrong with this place?" Ryne asked as he dried out his ears.
"I just...feel like this isn't the life we were meant for."
Ryne had taken Myst's spot on the couch. "Oh come on, this is the first step. First fry cook, then we go get the education this society needs, then we move on up. We're lucky to even have gotten this place and a job."
"You're lucky I can translate for you," Myst added before disappearing into the bathroom.
"Well, once I learn the language I-" The shower kicked on. Ryne didn't bother continuing his argument. He hated repeating this every week. They were moving on into an actual society worth living in. No more caves and mass boredom. It was all the high life from now on! Yet Myst never saw the fun in it, for whatever reason that the brown bat would never understand. They had left the caves for a reason; to live a new life. Myst just wanted more forests, apparently.
"I just think we jumped into this too quick," the fruit bat said as he left the bathroom.
"The offer wouldn't be around-put some pants on!" Why did he always do that!?
"You look ‘cause you love it," Myst replied with a smug grin as he went to the kitchen. There were some apples in a basket that would serve well tonight. He could hear Ryne groaning from the couch. "We should take another trip to the woods! I love it out there."
"We go every weekend," Ryne droned as he burried his head in a magazine.
"Yeeees," Myst hummed as he examined his dinner, "but we always go towards home. I thought maybe we could go out towards the mountains in the distance. That would be fun."
"Why? It doesn’t matter where you go, a tree looks like a tree."
"C'mon, Ryne!" Myst placed the apple down and walked over to the couch, leaning over the headrest to stare at his friend. "You need to stay in touch with your roots."
Ryne didn't seem to notice Myst. "I was born in a cave, not a tree."
"Don't be a smartass. It's good for you. We'll get to spread our wings, maybe fly a bit."
"If I say yes, will you put some pants on?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Whatever. We'll go on our next day off."
Myst almost leaped in joy. "Will I have to resort to stripping to get you to do anything?" the bat asked coyly as he waltzed back to the bathroom.
"You are way too comfortable doing that," Ryne said, putting the magazine down.
Myst walked out wearing nothing but a pair of pants and a smile. "And you are not comfortable enough with yourself."
"I'm plenty comfortable with myself!" Ryne shouted back.
"Does that explain all the used tissues?" Myst asked with a devilish grin.
"Why did I move out with you!?" Ryne groaned, burying his face in the cushions of the couch.
"Because you'd hate not being with your bestest friend ever," the fruit bat hummed as he started rubbing the back of Ryne's head.
The brown bat quickly swatted his friend's hands away. "I can do fine alone!"
"I bet there's not even a handful of people in this town who speak Squickish," Myst said playfully. Ryne grumbled back an incoherent answer. He didn't have a good reply to that. "Oh don't worry, I'll teach you."
"You were supposed to teach me weeks ago," Ryne grumbled as he turned back to his magazine.
Myst had returned to the kitchen to munch on that sweet, sweet apple. "And I keep getting caught up in managing my recent depression streak with fancy ice cream and cheap alcohol. Speaking of which, we're out of cheap ice cream and fancy alcohol."
"Oh, I'd go," Ryne said with disinterest, "but I still have yet to learn the common language in the last two minutes, so you know...."
"Yeah-yeah," Myst hummed as he finished his snack.
"And put some more clothes on," Ryne added without looking away from his magazine. "They'll kick your dumb ass out if you go in without a shirt again."
"Those rules should be optional," the fruit bat said as he headed for the bedroom to find a clean shirt.
"Oh, and can you pick up more fly logs? I finished my last box today. Maybe also some milk." Myst had returned with a red and black checkered shirt. It wasn't his favorite shirt, but it would do. "Could also use some more cereal." The fruit bat walked to their tiny balcony. "And a new magazine."
Myst stopped as a sudden realization shot through his head. "Wait a minute!" He waltzed to the couch and snatched the magazine from Ryne's hands, much to his protest. "This is in English! You can't even read it! Why am I getting you a new one?"
"Because," the brown bat growled as he snatched the magazine back, "I like looking at the pictures. I've nothing else to do. It's not like there’s a squickish channel on TV."
"I should pick you up some sort of study book," Myst said as he turned back to the balcony, rolling his right wrist in the air. "One with simple pictures."
"Oh blow me," Ryne said with disinterest.
"I will later," Myst laughed out as he climbed onto the balcony railing and hopped off.
The sun had set hours ago when the two were still on shift. Such a horrid job. The roads were lit by street lights. It was a fairly sized town; boasting a population close to ten thousand residents. It helped create a fair amount of diversity, which was one of the few things Myst liked about living in the town. Everything else was just a nightmare to him. He missed the freedom he had back at the cave. It wasn't so rigid or strict as it was here. So many stifling rules. You didn't have to toil every single day or be tossed into the grinder. This was a very selfish society. There wasn't the same establishment of community that there was back home. It's why he loved going to the forests whenever he could. It was a way for him to relax and remember what he had left behind.
There weren't many places open at this hour. Thankfully, there was a convenience store just down the block that carried the items he wanted and was open all night. The bat could fly most of the way there. It was relaxing to let himself flow on the ebb of the air; to take in the smell of the cool night. It was saddening that the stars were hidden by the lights, for it would have really been icing on the relaxation cake.
He landed next to the brick building that was the convenience store. Light battled the darkness from the full windows that lined its walls. A few individuals roamed inside, searching for whatever addiction helped them make it to another day.
The slam of a dumpster lid drew Myst's sudden alarm. A rat girl glared back at him. "You dun 'ear nuthin'!" she shouted before scurrying off with some sort of discarded item of garbage. The bat let out a sigh of relief. He had seen her hiding every so often, or rummaging through garbage for a meal. He wished he could help her, but she was always so aggressive towards anyone who approached. Such must be this society. It was a thought that brought him back down.
The doors chimed as he entered. The white floors and walls seemed to reflect as much light as the fluorescent bulbs made. A disinterested tabby cat worked behind the counter, texting to whomever in between bouts of serving customers and chatting to the goat that wouldn't leave the side counter.
What did he need to pick up again? He knew what he was here for. Oh yes, that's right. Ryne needed something to eat. It was a shame that they couldn't share meals. They were both bats, but both had very different diets. Myst grabbed a box of those fly logs Ryne liked. They looked as horrid as they sounded, and he couldn't have imagined them to taste any better, either. Next he searched for a cereal for his friend, but he was fruitless on that adventure. The selection was so limited here. He then picked up the more common items; his ice cream, a bottle of milk, and a case of apple ale. He'd pick out a magazine up front; something easy and educational. Maybe a children's magazine? That seemed like a good choice.
He took his selection to the counter and placed them down for the girl to scan. Her lack of enthusiasm hadn't gone anywhere, nor did the goat. She would scan his items intermittently between gossip sessions with the young goat. It was lackluster topics such as how bad school was and how boring work is. Myst didn't say anything to speed her up. He didn't really want the confrontation at the moment. He didn't really know what even he wanted. That was a lie. He knew what he wanted.
Once everything was bagged and paid he headed out. There wouldn't be any flying this time around. As he left the store he almost bumped into another fruit bat. "Sorry," the young lady squeaked.
Myst had almost dropped his ale. That wouldn’t have been good. He merely smiled awkwardly as he backed away from her. "S'okay," he squeaked back. She only smiled at him as she nearly skipped into the store. Myst had already turned to head home. He only had to wait a week. One long week.
---
"Hurry up, Ryne!" Myst cried out as he paced back and forth around the room. It was the weekend now, and the bat had been counting the days till their hike into the woods.
"In a minute," the brown bat mindlessly commented as he read his magazine. While Myst was ready to go, Ryne was barely dressed to leave.
"I want to go before it's too late!"
"Why do I have to go with you?"
Myst stopped by the couch and stared through annoyed eyes at his friend. "This used to be our thing! You used to love the woods!"
"When have I ever?"
"All the time!"
"Never ever!" Myst ripped the magazine from Ryne's hands. "Give it back, asshole!" the brown bat shouted as he shot up from his reclining position.
"Get ready and you'll get it back!" the fruit bat demanded.
Ryne reached out for the magazine, only to be pushed back by Myst’s only available arm. After a couple dozen seconds of stalemate pushing, Ryne finally conceited. "Okay, fine!" the bat jumped up from the couch and stomped into the bedroom. Myst would congratulate himself for the victory with an extra bottle of apple ale tonight. It took a few minutes before the brown bat returned wearing something more geared towards a day in the woods: Plain clothes.
"You look so handsome!" Myst exclaimed as he clasped his hands together.
"Are you mocking me?" Ryne grumbled as the fruit bat drew closer.
"Of course not, stud!" he laughed as he ruffled the brown bat's hair.
"Stop that!" Ryne barked as he slapped his friend's hands away. "Let's go before you get 'touchy' again."
"Hey, don't you worry! Today is a fun day!" The fruit bat hopped giddily towards the tiny patio and opened the sliding glass door. A refreshing breeze immediately wafted into the tiny apartment. The sky was partially filled with fluffy clouds. Its blue glow was his freedom. He quickly leaped off the balcony and took flight, leaving Ryne to close up the apartment. There were a few other fliers out today; mostly birds, though. Myst circled the apartment until Ryne could take flight.
"Let's get this over with," the bitter bat called out as Myst caught up with him.
"Oh, I bet you secretly can't wait for this!" the fruit bat shouted back, holding in a laugh.
"Stop fooling yourself!"
The two departed for the mountains west of town. They passed over businesses and homes all intermingled about the streets. It was mystifying to see the border between the houses and the forest line immediately behind them. It was amazingly different than on the east side of town. The other side was all farmland, growing a variety of vegetables and grains. Yet in this direction it was untouched for miles. He knew why though; it was the mountains. Myst had overheard gossip about how it was a dragon hive, and it always made everyone uneasy when it was brought up. He never told his friend that. Ryne hated even looking at pictures of those creatures, let alone hearing about them. The fruit bat could only suspect his friend had developed a phobia despite never meeting a single one.
On the subject of Ryne though, the fruit bat couldn't quite peg how he had gotten so miserable of the forest. He could remember all the time breaking the colony's curfew to run around the trees near dawn. They had done that countless times, and had been punished for doing so just as much. He was always so eager to climb trees or hide in the bushes when they played. Nothing came to mind when he tried to recollect what could have changed Ryne's disposition towards nature. Maybe it was adulthood? Maybe when they decided to leave the colony? Maybe it was that accursed town that had done it? Someday he would find out. They had flown deep into the woods, and it was majestic.
"Oh look, these trees look like all the other trees!" Ryne shouted out sarcastically.
"Where did your sense of home go?" Myst shouted back.
"To my new one!"
The fruit bat returned his disappointed gaze back to the forest. There was so much to see and take in, yet Ryne would have none of it. There were the trees, the flowers and shrubs, the animals, that dragon. Dragon!? "Ryne! Dragon!"
The brown bat almost entered a freefall as he began spastic flapping. "Where!?"
Myst pointed downward towards a break in the canopy caused by a fallen tree. A red drake was slowly stalking his way towards the log. The bat's heart sank when he saw another bat hiding behind that log. "Ryne, do you see that!? There's a bat down there!"
"Every bat for themselves!"
"No! We have to help him!"
"Fuck that! We'll just be the next ones to die!
"Not listening!" Myst shouted as he dive bombed the canopy.
"This! This is why I hate the forest!" Ryne shouted as he watched his friend disappear behind the leaves of the trees.
Myst had to be careful. He also had to get an idea of what he would do. How in the world was he going to stop a dragon? He descended down the branches as quietly as he could. The trees were thick. That dragon wouldn't be able to run! That was it. Now he just needed a way to stop the beast for just a moment. Upon reaching the forest floor he hid behind a tree and peeked out from the side. The bat had stood up and was yelling at the beast, though he couldn't make out the words. Though he did see the bat wasn't a man, but a courageous girl. She was staring death in the face and wasn't even flinching! The dragon grinned, showing off his razor sharp teeth. Myst had to act! A sturdy branch rested on the ground. He had found his weapon.
---
Sanny closed the distance to the log. This was too easy. Did she not realize she left a scent trail? She didn't even try to cover it up! "Twisty," he called out playfully. "Where are yooouuu?" The drake rested his claws on the log and extended his neck over its length. Twisty was lying on her back, staring up. She squeaked when she saw him. "Found yooouuu."
"Not fair!" she whined as she sat up. "You always go for me first!"
"That's 'cause you're the easiest," he answered as he pulled back from the log. The bat stood and tried to climb over the fallen tree, with little luck. "Having trouble?" the drake asked with a laugh.
"You hush." She stopped trying to climb the log and instead stared up at her scaly friend. "Just you wait. Once Anna teaches me how to hide my trails, you'll never be able to find me!"
Sanny grinned. "She can't teach you if you can never find her."
"I don't see you finding her," the bat said as she crossed her arms.
"I will. I've been doing this longer than both of you have been alive."
"Oh, look at Mr. Perfect Killer," the bat said mockingly.
Sanny would have responded, but he was distracted when the scent of a second bat had graced his nostrils.
---
Myst had to give it everything he had. He would only get one shot at it. He charged the drake with the branch, whom had turned his curious gaze towards him. The fruit bat brought the branch down onto the dragon's head so hard that it actually snapped in half. It seemed to work, because the drake roared in pain and seemed to recoil from the blow.
The other bat had covered her mouth in shock, no doubt surprised by Myst's valiant rescue. He hopped over the log with ease and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from the beast. She shrieked in protest.
"What are you doing!?" she squeaked in a mixture of anger and surprise.
"What does it look like!?" he squeaked back mid-run. "Saving you!"
A terrifying roar attacked his ears. The dragon had recovered, and even worse, had given chase faster than he had anticipated. "Stop!" the brown bat screamed.
"No stopping now!" Myst shouted back. He pulled her as best he could, even if she was for some reason trying to pull away, dodging around trees in order to slow the monster down. They were fortunate; the thick tree growth kept the dragon at bay, and even allowed them to gain ground. Sadly, he didn't think the next part of his plan through. How long would this dragon give chase? How far did they have to go before it grew tired?
"Stop!" the brown bat again shouted out, panting as she grew tired.
"Can't!" Myst again shouted. "Dragon!"
"I! Said! Stop!"
It wasn't her shouting and pulling that stopped him; it was the snow leopard that was suddenly blocking her path. "Going somewhere," she growled to the fruit bat, readying her fists to deck him in the face.
The brown bat finally pulled her arm free. "What are you doing!?" she squeaked angrily.
"But...the...the dragon...." Myst was stupefied. Why were they not scared? A horrendous hissing and growling sound came from behind. The dragon had reached them. His left eye was was bloodshot. It seemed Myst had made a good hit.
"Who do you think you are!?" The bat seemed to be getting more furious every passing second.
He couldn't comprehend what was going on. He was in the right, wasn't he? "I...I was...the dragon...."
"Is my friend," the brown bat finished as she wrapped herself in her wings: The bat equivalent to crossing their arms.
"I...thought he was going to eat you."
"Getting eaten will be the last thing you have to worry about," the dragon seethed. "I'm going to tear you apart!" The viciousness of his voice and brutality in his words drew the concerned looks from the two girls.
Myst began to tear up. What had he done!? Ryne was right! He should have ignored this. He shouldn't have tried to be a hero. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"That won't help you!"
The cat rushed over to the dragon and wrapped her arms around his snout in a hug, rubbing her cheek near his wounded eye. "It's okay, calm down," she cooed. "Don't do anything too drastic."
"Please, I'm sorry!" Myst clasped his hands together as he pleaded to both of them. "I really, really thought you were going to hurt her! I'm sorry for attacking you!"
"You should be," the brown bat grumbled. "I've never seen him this angry before."
"It's okay," Anna continued to coo. "We'll go home and wash your eye out and make it better."
"He hit me," the dragon growled out.
"I know, I know. If you hit him back you'll do a lot worse to him than he did to you."
"I want to."
"No you don't." She tightened her grip on his snout and gave him a peck on the cheek. He never took his eyes off Myst.
"How can I make this up to you?" Myst asked the dragon, daring to take a step closer.
"Leave," he grumbled.
"You've apologized," the brown bat squeaked. "Now just leave us alone." She turned and stepped up to the dragon and patted his head. In a hollowing silence they turned and walked away. Myst wiped the tears from his eyes. How horrible he felt. He should never have interfered. They hated him, and the dragon wanted to maul him to bits. Yet he didn’t. He couldn't let it end like this. Even if it was the last thing he would ever do, he would make things right. He will earn their forgiveness.
Here we finally have the official introduction of Myst and Ryne! This was looking to be a two chapter deal, but it seems it too has gotten out of hand and will be longer than anticipated. I will just go ahead and assume that about all future stories now.
Next Chapter: TALES: Two Best Friends Part 2
Previous Story: TALES: Spring Thaw
The preview image was drawn painstakingly by , which can be found here!
Twisty is of course
Anna is
Why, even makes an cameo.
Sanny is of course myself.
Next Chapter: TALES: Two Best Friends Part 2
Previous Story: TALES: Spring Thaw
The preview image was drawn painstakingly by , which can be found here!
Twisty is of course
Anna is
Why, even makes an cameo.
Sanny is of course myself.
© 2014 - 2024 Sanoon
Comments15
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I haven't read everything yet, just about halfway through. I'll read the rest later today when I have more time ^^
What I wanted to say, I really like your writing style. And grammar. Not only do you correctly spell words (funnily enough you don't see this often), but you also use the grammar in the appropriate way. This makes it easy to read and understand
I really like how you, in the beginning of the story, already decided to set up two very different characters. One is very accepting of himself and feels confident. And while one likes the new life, the other doesn't. Very nicely done. You also make it clear that they are also the same main species bat, they are different species of bat, perhaps that is indeed one of the reasons why they look differently at the world.
Anyways, keep writing, it's very enjoyable to read
What I wanted to say, I really like your writing style. And grammar. Not only do you correctly spell words (funnily enough you don't see this often), but you also use the grammar in the appropriate way. This makes it easy to read and understand
I really like how you, in the beginning of the story, already decided to set up two very different characters. One is very accepting of himself and feels confident. And while one likes the new life, the other doesn't. Very nicely done. You also make it clear that they are also the same main species bat, they are different species of bat, perhaps that is indeed one of the reasons why they look differently at the world.
Anyways, keep writing, it's very enjoyable to read