Twas the night before Stryxmas: Chapter 1

It was four days til Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the fireplace with care in the hopes that Saint Nicolas would soon be there. The residents laid snug in their beds with visions of treats dancing through their heads. Siren in her snuggie and Avi in her cap had settled into bed for a long winter's nap. 

 

When all of a sudden there arose such a clatter that they both lept out of bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window Avi ran like a flash, tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash. The moon shone on breast of the freshly fallen snow and brightly lit all objects below. What to her horrified eyes should appear but Krampus stood on the roof to corner her stryx as they let out a most terrifying hiss.

 

 

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" she cried in frustration. With Naomi at her back and Nico at her heel she flew to the barn her senses keen. She shouldn't have been surprised by these stryxmas holiday capers; not after her meeting with Rudolph. Her tokos arrived first snarling with teeth bared trying to be brave for the tyto and corva who were so clearly scared.

 

Bad stryx. No good. They bad, now mine, no get close! the gryph hissed. Now Avi was livid and downright pissed.

 

Birdlady! Horus and Morri cried with joy. We knew you would come, we knew you would save us!

 

"Listen here you overgrown buzzard: these stryx are mine, my friends, my companions. You alone can't decide to take them from their home!"

 

 

The gryph tilted their head this way and that trying to figure out if this was some strange rhyming trap. This bird...human...something was weird. She could talk to them, stand up to them, she showed no signs of fear! They'd show her who was the real boss here. With an angry squawk they took off from the roof and landed in front of the birdlady they deemed most uncouth. 

 

Make  me leave them alone then strange birdlady! Krampus not scared, I not a 'fraidy! To her they sounded almost like a child caught doing something naughty as well as sounding just the tiniest bit nutty. She resisted temptation to roll her eyes just in they were in the business of taking lives. Wild stryxes were unpredictable, dangerous even and she wanted to live, it was her job to survive.

 

She with the fire of a thousand suns she looked him straight in the eye. She wasn't going to give up her stryx without a good old college try. They were her friends, and sort of like her children, to not fight would be a sin that couldn't be forgiven. "I'm not scared of you either you overgrown turkey. I am the birdlady and nobody messes with my birdies."

 

'Horus and Morri are our friends! We'll defend them along side her until the end!' Nico said though the only thing Avi heard was a fierce growl and a bark. That was her baby defender of the home she knew she could count on him, and Naomi, to make sure she didn't go through this alone.

 

Krampus was clearly NOT happy about this at least if one judged by the hiss. They spread their wings wide in an intimidation display; they'd give them one last chance to see they weren't there to play. This was their season, their night, how dare they take this from them! They were worse than Saint Nick! Not seeing quite the reaction they expected they charged forward, nothing would stop them, they now had one hell of a bone to pick. 

 

Avi dodged to the right her Tokotas taking taking to circling the stryx, they wouldn't let them hurt her. Scared as they were even her stryxes joined in. Krampus may have been scary but this had turned into a situation most hairy. Nico and Naomi dove in to bite at their heels while Morri did what corvids did best and grinded their gears. Avi and Horus took to the skies with the hope that Krampus' attention would soon be fried.

 

Krampus roared in irritation; did this human really think herself above her station? She wasn't the first to interrupt their plans nor would she be the last but why did she have to be such a pain in the ass? 

 

"Look," she called down from above, "we don't want to hurt you, but you threatened my stryxes, attacked me and my tokos. We won't sit down and take this lightly. Getting past us? Not bloody likely."

 

Very likely! All the likely! They crowed but there were just too many to fight all at once. They stretched out their wings and snapped their beak but he soon found these enemies too hard to defeat.

 

Leave now! Horus cried. Not that bad!

 

Some pranks sure but there was fun that was had! Morri added from her side. Krampus struck out at her clipping her wing. She cried out in pain and Avi decided that enough was enough: she'd end this thing.

 

With the screech of a raptor she called out to her birds in the rafters. They're threatening our home, your siblings, during this most lovely of holiday seasons!

 

From the trees and the barns nearby rose a black cloud of feathers birds of all shapes and sizes flew up screeching their angry chorus taking their lead from their brother Horus. The game was up and survival instincts took over, nothing was worth getting this screwed over.

 

Krampus screeched as they took to the skies vowing that someday, some how, they'd come back. This wasn't concession just getting a confession. Avi rolled her eyes as they flew out of sight, sweet daius that was one hell of a fight.

 

"Would it kill anyone for me to have one normal holiday season?"