Tributes | An-Yue & Olympia: Galyx Tribute | Feast

The cool night air rustled through An-Yue's feathers as she glided silently through the forest, her talons grazing the tops of ferns and moss. Up ahead, she spotted a rare patch of glowcap mushrooms nestled at the base of an ancient tree. An-Yue landed gracefully, careful not to disturb the delicate fungi. She murmured a prayer of thanks to the spirits who nurtured such bounty. 

 

Meanwhile, Olympia wheeled above the treetops, her sharp eyes scanning the shadows for signs of prey. A flicker of movement caught her attention and she dove, talons outstretched. With a single swift motion she snatched up a plump hare, breaking its neck cleanly. In no time, she was able to catch two more.

 

Dyera clung tightly to her back, his grey eyes sparkling at the thrill of the hunt.

 

An-Yue gathered the mushrooms in her talons thanking each little life for its sacrifice. She made her way back through the woods as Olympia landed beside her, presenting the hare.

 

"Well done," An-Yue preened. She smiled at Dyera, ruffling his hair with her beak. "This will make a fine feast for Galyx."

 

The boy nodded eagerly. Together the three continued on towards the clearing where the young boy had set up his cooking space.

 

Dyera slid down from Olympia's back, gathering kindling and herbs for the fire. His hands moved swiftly and precisely as he dressed the hares and skewered them over the flames.

 

An-Yue watched the boy curiously. Though not a stryx, Dyera had a quiet wildness to him like he belonged among the trees and streams instead of the human-made villages and paved roads. She would've thought him to be a child of the forest.

 

His gift for song wove its own magic, connecting him to the spirits as he spoke to the woods through his melodies.

 

"Tell us again about the stars," Dyera said as he turned the spits.

 

An-Yue's feathers rustled, a soft sigh escaping her. "As Galyx wills, the stars burn and blaze overhead. Some are born, others die, but all move to the moth's eternal rhythm." 

 

She went on, recounting the myths and histories written across the night sky. Dyera listened, enraptured. Olympia preened her hunting companion's feathers while she listened, settling into a relaxing rhythm.

 

When the feast was ready, the three friends ate together under the stars while Dyera plucked gentle tunes from his instrument.

 

An-Yue blessed each morsel, thanking the lives given.

 

As the embers crackled and faded, a hush fell over the clearing.

 

Dyera's notes hung crisply in the air, resonating with the energy of the forest. The trees seemed to sway in time with his melodies as if joining in a silent dance.

 

An-Yue tilted her head back, gazing upward. The vastness of the cosmos glittered above them, humbling in its scope and beauty. Somewhere in those distant lights, the great moth watched over them and saw all.

 

"It is time," An-Yue murmured.

 

She unfurled her wings and took flight in a graceful ascent. Olympia followed, powerful wings beating steadily.

 

Dyera watched the stryx become dark silhouettes against the stars. Then he too was airborne, cradled securely in Olympia's talons.

 

Higher and higher they climbed, the wind rushing past them. The world below became a patchwork of shadow and silvered landscape.

 

They circled above the clouds, the full moon bathing them in ethereal light. This was the domain of Galyx.

 

An-Yue sang out in the ancient tongue, her voice clear and resonant. Olympia joined the hymn while Dyera provided a simple melody as a backdrop, offering their tribute of gratitude to the stars.

 

As the last notes faded, a hushed reverence filled them. They had transcended the boundaries between their kinds. Here, they were one with the moth, the earth, and each other.

 

Olympia banked gently, angling back toward the earth. Dyera took a long look at the moon, imprinting this moment in his memory. He knew that while their journey would continue, this experience would bind their friendship forever.

 

The descent was slower, almost reluctant. But the cool rush of night air and familiar forests rising to meet them was comforting.

 

They touched down in the circle of trees where their fire had been. Olympia folded her wings and lowered Dyera to the ground with care before settling beside An-Yue once again.

 

For a time, no one spoke, each lost in their own thoughts. Then Dyera moved to stoke the embers of the fire, bringing it back to life. Its flickering light pushed back the darkness.

 

"Thank you for bringing me with you," Dyera said softly. "I'll truly never forget this."

 

An-Yue clicked her beak in a gentle chuckle. "It was you who brought us together with your music and cooking. Our journey would not have been the same without you."

 

"Yeah, you can make the food taste like no stryx can." Olympia added with a large laugh.

 

Dyera ducked his head, suddenly shy. "Then...we'll keep going on together?"

 

"Of course little human." An-Yue brushed her wingtips over his hair. "You've helped us this far. You might as well see these sets of tributes through."

 

Olympia nodded resolutely. "Wherever this path leads, we walk it together."

 

Dyera smiled and began to hum a new tune as he simmered some berries and nectar over re-ignited fire. He didn't think stryx usually partook in desert, but he figured it'd be his little gift to them, for being his friends when no one else would.

 

He often felt self-conscious of his snow-white hair, and didn't know why it was so hard to let others in, but in this moment, nestled between these two beasts underneath a swatch of stars, he couldn't have felt less lonely.

 

The fire crackled merrily, while the stars shone bright with promise.

 

Dyera's tune shifted to a lively melody as he stirred the bubbling nectar and juicy berries over the fire. The sweet aroma mingled with the earthy scents of the forest, creating a soothing symphony for the senses.

 

An-Yue closed her eyes, bobbing her head gently to the music. A contented sigh. "Your songs never fail to uplift the spirit, young one."

 

"It's true," Olympia murmured in agreement, her feathers ruffling in a stretch before settling comfortably on the ground. "With you here, this journey has been...different. Better."

 

Dyera's cheeks flushed at the praise. "Well, I'm happy I can add something. You two are so wise and skilled already."

 

"As are you, in your own way," An-Yue replied kindly. She peered at the simmering pot. "That smells divine. Is this something humans usually eat?"

 

Nodding, Dyera gave the dessert a final stir before portioning it out into hand-carved wooden bowls. "Usually after dinner, sweet treats like cookies or berries with honey are prepared with tea or coffee as a dessert."

 

He presented a bowl first to An-Yue, who dipped her beak in delicately.

 

"Mmm, delicious," she pronounced, eyes shining.

 

Dyera grinned and handed the next bowl to Olympia, who wasted no time in gulping down the treat.

 

"Hey, save some for me!" Dyera laughed. He scooped the last of the dessert into his own bowl and settled between the two stryx.

 

Together they gazed up at the vast expanse of stars, a comfortable silence settling over them. In that moment, it was as if the universe itself rejoiced in their union - different beings united by friendship and a shared desire to walk the same path, wherever it led.

 

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