regrets collect like old friends // tsiuri

It wasn’t Eulalie who I first encounter in the woods. It was not even human at all. Golden eyes glowed behind the trees as the only source of light for a mere second. Gone as soon as it came, carefully I reached for my spear behind my back. Afraid that much like the spiders if there was one, many more were to follow.

As I placed one foot in front of the other the eyes blinked again. This time a little further back. It would have been unwise to follow it any further, but my wisdom was not infinite, and curiosity got the better of me.

It slowly turned into a game of chase, glowing orbs beckoning me to follow. With a little luck, I slowly got a glimpse of its red scales. A deep color resembling blood. Just like my ability to see the creature, my mind showed me momentary images of the puddle of blood leaving Revel’s corpse. When the beast stopped, for a short moment I could have sworn to see fresh blood in the corner of its mouth. Gently I held up my hand, stained in red much like the color of the creature. Our eyes both reflecting an ungodly lonesomeness and comfort in the dark. Spikes of bone sprouting from its head, an ironic similarity to my spear tip facing the sky behind my head.

“Hey…” I approached it slowly. “I won’t…I don’t…I don’t usually bite” A silly thing I used to say. A stupid remark that had always made Marcus laugh. Now I know better, I was willing to tear someone’s head off if I had to.

(Tsiuri tries to tame a wyvern)

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“No…no. It won’t be mine” I grinned devilish. A childish laugh for a matter there was nothing to laugh about. But when things got rough, it was never right to lay down and die. This time I saw the bite coming and I moved to the side before it could come for my neck. Was this how Revel felt? My sharp blade quickly stabbing towards my target. I could see their helplessness in it all, and I felt my desperation. Taming the beast in the woods and whatever monster I had yet to come.

“C’mon…just you and me” It had to have led me here for a reason other than death. That could have come quick in the dark. No need for this game we were playing…maybe it needed a little entertainment or maybe it needed to know I was being serious.

“Is it this?” I reached for my spear before laying it down on the ground. I too would be weary of that I did not know, but it was those who were familiar that should scare the beast even more. “There…see I am not going to hurt you”

(Tsiuri tries to tame a wyvern)

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“My name Tsiuri” I continued talking. It seemed to have taken a liking to my voice; I could feel the tension leaving its body as I spoke only to return when the silence took over. For a second I thought it would allow me to give it a stroke of confidence, letting it know for certain that I was done being a killer for the day. Only it shuffled itself a little to the right as I raised my hand. A reaction I had seen in those all too accustomed to violence, trauma being the universal factor. I too a little too quick to reach for my weapon when I thought danger would be near.

“Do you have a name?” I asked wondering how it could possibly respond. Was it to naïve to think that it would if it could?

“Back home in eleven I have a dog…well a friend of mine had a dog and I took care of it, but I never gave it a name and I regret that.” This creature was not dog, but it just like dog…it did not belong to me. We sat in each other’s comfort two different creatures with two different stories to be told.

“What about rouge?” the red powder my mom would wear on her cheeks on a special occasion. She said it would make her beautiful even if she did not need it.

(Tsiuri tries to tame a wyvern)

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Finally, I believed we had come to an agreement, the creature was not yet mine to claim. I was beginning to question what I was doing chasing after it to begin with. It was some stupid strike of insanity following a giant winged creature around on the floor, playing cat and mouse for an explicable reason. It could have taken off, flown away and never looked back. I believed it wanted to be with me, it just was not ready. The same way I was not ready for a lot of things to happen.

I was not ready for a person’s life to be in my hands, and I was not ready to be the one to end it. Maybe the creature was not ready to be at someone’s side but too tired of being alone. Both of s stuck at a crossroads as I tried to figure out the mind of something I could not possibly begin to comprehend.

“What is that you want from me?” A question I called out into the dark, targeted at anything and anyone that would be willing to listen. The creature cocked its head turning around to come back towards me. “I’m tired of guessing, what is that you want” I repeated myself in a softer tone, one not clouded by frustration.

Tsiuri tries to tame a wyvern (pretty please)
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