Wehmutstau und Sturmgesang

1. A New Home

And while all the kingdoms mourned him, the trees, the stars, no one mourned him as much as the family Seonghwa left behind.

A rush distinct from the agitated waves trickled into Yeosang's ears. He looked up in time to spot the black raven settling on the rough bark of his shoulder. Its orderly beak brought its feathers in order, hiding the faint blue hue in the dress of ink. Grateful for the distraction, Yeosang lifted an arm to morph fingers adorned by the softest freshly sprouted leaves. He caressed the raven's chest lightly, earning an approving purr in response to being spoiled.

"Hello, Onyx. Looking dashing as ever," the dryad smiled as the raven huddled into his favourite spot. He was a prideful creature, but intelligent as much as he was beautiful. Though no magical being, he scoured the area for nearby dangers to report back to them. Today, as well, it was tranquil.

Thankfully. Yeosang had a lot to protect in this place.

Since his melancholy got disrupted by his feathered companion, Yeosang lifted off the rock he perched on. He found it healing to sit there, one with nature, even if the loneliness haunted him with the ghosts of his past. Once, he had a friend to relish this together.

But no more. Nothing was the same anymore.

Yeosang entered the cave behind him, and the wind abruptly fell silent. As his cramped-up flowers and mushrooms unfolded to their unabashed beauty, Yeosang left the blanket in a crate near the entrance. Onyx thrust off his shoulder to sail ahead to the source of the light dancing over the curving walls.

This tunnel was spacious. Enough to walk comfortably and enough to house the gryphons which lived in this web of dens. Though, compared to most nests laid in with straw and animal skins, this place was homier. Warmer.

Yeosang stepped around the corner to the heat of a dancing fire over two magical stones. The furniture knitted itself from singular branches to serve as shelves, tables, and chairs. A meal simmered in the pot over their fire and books were strewn over the ground cushioned by furs.

The nest nearest to the entrance was of hay, but the large bed tucking into the corner boasted linen sheets and downy pillows. A girl huddled before it on a fur, sighing in boredom as she flicked through a storybook. Her black hair was tucked up into two buns, one donning a streak of blinding white.

Two sets of horns curled from her skull. Once arched over her head, the other one rounded her temples to point at her forehead from the sides. The arch of her light grey ears was tall and elegant, glowing so subtly with her heritage of glittering light.

"Is the stew done yet?" Yeosang asked when he came in, and she readily discarded the book. Her eyes were doe orbs of all black, leaving no whites or irises. The shine of the fire reflected in them, making their stars glow like embers.

Even a stranger from a different continent could have guessed who she was born of. With such unfathomable beauty.

Morana came springing over to sit next to Yeosang before the fireplace. They checked the pot together and Morana groaned when it still needed more time.

"Wooyoung said he would bring fish before it's finished," she remembered, and Yeosang caressed her pouting cheek. She wore her black dress today, her favourite. It had ruffles and lace trims, yet she sat in it cross-legged.

Smiling when he imagined a scandalised Seonghwa, Yeosang assured her.

"Let's wait a bit longer."

She went to Onyx, who perched on the bed and whispered to him once he hopped onto her thigh. She still looked so small on the far spread of the sheets. How much time had passed? Yeosang lost count of the years. But with every day, she grew, became stronger and more beautiful. She was so alike to Seonghwa it sometimes hurt to look at her. To see the elf growing up all over again.

Another sharp caw followed by the screech of wings disrupted their ocean ambient. This one was louder. Larger. Eager talons patted inside and a moment later, Wooyoung hopped off of Mulberry, his gryphon twin. He beamed from ear to ear and held up a net with five big fishes wrangling for water. His hair was wet and Mulberry shook himself before he went over to nudge his beak into Morana's chest. Giggling, the girl fell over to coddle him. The intimidating size of the creature never deterred her.

Wooyoung also shook out his wings and Yeosang shot him a glare for getting water everywhere. But when those talons clicked to his side, the promise of food made Yeosang forgive him easily.

"All in?" Wooyoung made sure and Yeosang held the lid for him. Mulberry already had his fill during their hunt in the stormy sea. As the fishes boiled with the vegetables and potatoes into a hearty meal, Wooyoung dropped onto his backside next to Yeosang. His grey wings created a dome to catch the heat and warm up his shivering form.

Nonetheless, his boyish grin was full of joy.

"We caught the best ones today. Mulberry almost didn't want to go back since we were on a roll," he recounted, and the gryphon flicked his prideful head on the way to his nest. While he huddled down to unwind, Morana clambered into Wooyoung's lap to listen to his tales of grand adventures.

She was still too young to go hunt with him. Barely halfway to adolescence in mortal years. Yeosang could tell her body was changing ever so slowly by now. Was taking a soft and feminine shape, if never as fragile as if she were pure-blooded. Her demon half made her strong and sturdy, aged her quicker, but she was still a child. Still, the person Yeosang needed to protect as the memory of his lost love.

Wooyoung was her friend as if he were her age. Played around with her and let her take sips from his never-emptying horn of ale he always carried around. Boasted with stories of reckless adventures until she demanded to do the same.

Yeosang was their voice of reason. He cooked for them while Wooyoung exaggerated the size of fishes and the wind whirling him through the skies.

This was everyone. Their cosy little family. The two animals, Wooyoung, Morana and Yeosang. The Cliffs of Zephyr under Chieftain Hlin's rule had become their haven, but they often stayed among each other to reminisce about a life forever lost.

Yeosang listened to the two bicker with a smile while he stirred their meal. Neither knew how to cook, even when Yeosang was the one who didn't eat in their group. As Morana argued she would fight much bigger fishes than Wooyoung could ever imagine, Wooyoung snarked back how he already fought beasts bigger than Mulberry.

It was calm. It was home. Yeosang knew he should be grateful for what he had. For their survival that night when the dragon razed everything to the ground. For the peculiar magic carrying their hurt bodies to safety and mending them.

But something was amiss and left a gaping hole in his heart. One that couldn't be filled with what he had now.

Yeosang tried to overcome his grief, but he never did. He knew Wooyoung was the same, as he often heard the gryphon-born sob to himself late in the night, hugging his own frame as the loneliness ripped him apart.

They held each other, and they held Morana. Hoped to give her the home she needed. But she knew it was off. That she didn't belong here. And the older she got, the harder it was to find an excuse.

Seonghwa was gone. No one would rule upon them anytime soon. None of his loving smiles would grace their eyes again.

Yeosang opened the pot to check on the soup.

"It's done, you two," he interrupted their warfare and instantly, they scrambled for their bowls. Held them on top of each other to be first.

When Yeosang chose Morana, Wooyoung shot him a betrayed look. A moment later, his smile was back since Wooyoung was better at this. At smiling despite the pain in his heart. At being there for Morana.

Yeosang watched them eat and commented on their conversation occasionally. When Onyx hopped over for more caresses, Yeosang petted him with a mossy palm.

After dinner and once Morana and Wooyoung were done with their burping contest, they washed their dishes and crawled into bed. Yeosang slept closer to the cave entrance, protecting them from the occasional gusts of winds reaching for them with icy fingers. Morana was in their middle, clinging to Wooyoung and his splaying wings as they snored with each other.

Yeosang blew out their candle while Mulberry snoozed with his beak tucked into his wing.

Another day passed.