Crush: Chapter 1

Jade sat perched on one of the many large branches of Sanctuary’s tree base, watching the ground where Neo and Skyla removed the binding on Orca’s wings and let her back into the wild. Orca wasted no time in taking off, flying as fast as she could away from the area.

Jade couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion in her chest, something she didn’t know how to describe. Which felt strange, because she’d never felt it this powerful before, or if she had it hadn’t been enough to notice. She hardly heard the familiar wingbeats approaching behind her. She was startled when her sister Medusa landed on the branch beside her.

“So this is where you’ve been. Been looking all over the place for you.” Medusa remarked, quickly noticing her sister’s distress.

Jade jumped a small bit, sighing when she recognized the body beside her.

“Yeah, sorry, just had to find a place to clear my head.” She replied, shuffling a bit on her feet. Medusa continued to examine Jade, who continued thinking.

“You alright? You’ve been a bit… off.” Medusa asked, snapping Jade out of her thoughts again.

“Hm? Oh yeah, I’m fine, just thinking I guess.”

“No, I mean all day. Thinking doesn’t take all day. Actually, now that I think about it, you’ve been acting strange for a while now. Since we found Orca.”

Jade refused to look at her sister at this point, feeling the tension in the air between them. Jade had a feeling she knew what these emotions were, but she refused to admit to them. They probably weren’t true, anyway. She was most likely just tired from the last few days’ events is all.

“I’m fine, really. Just tired.” Jade muttered.

“You like her, don’t you?”

That sent Jade’s head into a tailspin, throwing all other thoughts out the window as her sister’s words echoed in her mind. Do I like Orca? No, no, no, I don’t, I don’t. I can’t like her; I’ve hardly known her for more than 3 days. We’ve hardly spoken during that time. Besides, she seems to hate me. Hate anyone trying to help her, in fact.

Medusa nudged Jade with her wing. “Come on, it’s not a bad thing to have a crush on someone! We’ve all been through it.” Jade continued to look away.

Medusa sighed. Jade, no matter how much she thought she was unreadable, she was like an open book at times.

“I’ve got to go, Neo probably needs me.” Jade finally growled, taking off before Medusa had a chance to respond.

Neo had in fact not needed Jade to help her with anything, explaining that she was just going to check in with everyone before she headed inside for the night. Jade had tried to make up excuses as to why she would need her around for now, but none of them could sway Neo’s mind. Jade sulked away after Neo had suggested she go organize a nocturnal hunting party.

Jade only got halfway to the stables before she spotted Medusa saying goodnight to her mate and children, who were all ones who slept during the night while Medusa stayed awake. Jade tried to backpedal and duck out of sight, but she was a second too late.

“Jade! Get over here.”

Jade cringed at her own slowness, but put on a neutral face for her sister. She wasn’t looking forward to the jabs about her feelings from her.

“Hey.” Jade’s voice was quiet, which Medusa seemed to notice, but she said nothing about it.

“Let’s go hunting together, just me and you.” Medusa offered.

Jade wasn’t sure what her sister had in mind for this trip, but knowing Medusa, it was probably something to do with their conversation earlier. Reluctantly, she agreed. If Medusa truly cared for her, she wouldn’t purposely try to hurt Jade.

“Great! Let’s get going.” Medusa wasted no time in taking off, leaving Jade to sigh and follow her.

They headed in the direction of the coastline, silent the whole way, save for the occasional wingbeats. Jade didn’t have much to say, either. That’s a lie, she had plenty to say. Just nothing to her sister right now.

The two arrived shortly, Medusa taking the lead and diving over the cliff face towering over the slim coastline. She landed with a soft thud in the dunes of the beach, Jade touching down a second after. She avoided her sister’s gaze as Medusa looked back at her.

“So, shall we do some fishing?” Medusa asked Jade, who took a second to respond. She eventually nodded lightly.

“Good. Come on.” Medusa motioned for Jade to take her place in the sky above the crashing waves.

The moon reflected beautifully off of the water, they were even able to see the faint reflection of the stars, the sky was so clear. Jade’s instincts kicked in, pushing all thoughts out of her mind and forcing her to focus on the shoal of fish tucked under a jagged rock beneath the water. Jade dove down silently, spearing a few fish on her talons. She glided over to the shore and dropped them in a pile.

The two Harpias did this for quite a while, at least until they had a good number of fish in the pile. Medusa was the first to call it quits, gliding back to shore and planting herself next to their catch pile. Jade promptly followed. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Medusa finally spoke.

“Jade… I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I was only trying to make light of the situation, but it clearly made you upset, and that wasn’t my intention. I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Jade refused to look at her. Although she was apologizing, Jade felt something… strange again, something triggered by thoughts of that damned Silken.

“It’s ok to like someone, Jade. Even if they’re of the same gender, it doesn’t matter. It’s better to be happy with who you love, instead of trying to fit in with someone you don’t.” Medusa consoled further.

Tears threatened to fall from Jade’s eyes. Medusa was right. As much as Jade would like to believe she didn’t like Orca, it was undeniable; she was in love with her. But how could that be possible, they’d only just met! If you could even call it a meeting, it was more of an insult-toss. Regardless, it was all so confusing to Jade. Orca clearly didn’t have any romantic interests either, at least, she didn’t seem like she could ever get anyone to put up with her long enough to develop feelings for them. So why would Jade be any different?

“…Did you hear me?”

Jade shook her head, finally registering that her sister had been talking to her this whole time.

“Sorry, what?” Jade’s voice was quiet.

“I just asked if you’d be interested in finding Orca, to maybe talk to her? Possibly tell her how you feel, it wouldn’t hurt to try.” Medusa repeated her question for Jade to hear.

Jade contemplated it for a moment, the thought of seeing Orca again making her stomach flutter. Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad idea…

“Alright, I suppose so.” Jade finally responded.

Medusa smiled softly.

“I know some Stryx that can help you track her down, maybe we could go back to base and do that now?”

Jade nodded. The two took off again, leaving their pile of fish behind.

Two hours later, Jade was out on a mission with a Harpia from Banshee Hollows, Blue Jeans. Most just called him Blue for short.

“See anything?” Jade asked.

Blue shook his head. Jade rolled her eyes. Some tracker…

Suddenly, Blue slowed down significantly, beginning to hover. Jade circled back to him, following his locked gaze to the ground. There was something moving down there. Something big. Maybe this time wasn’t wasted after all!

Jade wasted no time in spiraling silently down towards the ground, trying to spot the movement again. She landed in a small gap in the tree cover, looking around again. She could hear rustling nearby.

Suddenly, something leapt out at her. It was a large Silverback, one that looked angry. Jade had probably landed in its territory, causing it to try and chase her away. Jade went on the defensive, flaring up her feathers and hissing at it. The silver back readied to charge, but before it could take the first step, it was blasted with a bright bolt of lightning, singing the fur on it’s left shoulder. The Silverback grunted in pain, before turning abruptly and fleeing into the thick undergrowth.

“Damnit!”

Jade’s head whipped around towards the direction of the sudden voice. She spotted a burnt hole in the shrubbery nearby, icy blue eyes peering out at her. No, it couldn’t be…

A large Harpia emerged from the bushes, smoke still swirling from her nostrils. She had presumably fired that beam of lightning at the Silverback.

“Orca!” Jade exclaimed in disbelief.

“Oh shut it. You scared off my meal!” Orca growled, towering over Jade. She looked angry.

Orca had probably been hunting that Silverback, and had shot it in an attempt to kill it before it ran away from Jade after charging. That obviously hadn’t worked out, and it got away.

Jade felt kind of bad. There had been many times that she had lost a few hunts to unfortunate circumstances like that herself, so she could imagine Orca would be angry at her.

“What are you even doing here? You and your friend there.” Orca tilted her head up at Blue Jeans, who had stayed hovering above the trees, watching the whole incident. Jade furrowed her brow.

“You can go now, Blue. We found her.” She watched as Blue acknowledged her statement, turning and heading back to his base. Jade turned back to face Orca, who looked quite unimpressed.

“So, explain. Why are you here ruining others’ dinner plans?” Orca said angrily.

Jade instantly felt nervous again, remembering why she’d come after Orca in the first place.

“Well.. I was looking for you.” She managed to say, albeit quietly. Orca raised an eyebrow.

“Me? What could you possibly need me for? You must be quite desperate if you’re coming to me for help.” Orca huffed. Jade tried to find the words to say what she needed to say.

“Orca, there’s something I needed to talk to you about.” Jade finally said. Orca rolled her eyes.

“Well, out with it already! I don’t have all night, I need to go find new food.” Orca snapped.

Jade felt a feeling of dread in her chest. She was going to be rejected so hard.

“I… really like you. Like, a lot. I know we haven’t known each other for long, actually hardly at all, but-“

“Hmph. Pretty low standards, don’t you think?” Orca cut her off. Jade’s mouth was still half open, brain trying it’s hardest to decipher what Orca meant by that.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

Orca huffed, rolling her eyes at Jade.

“It should be obvious. I’m not exactly your type, and neither are you my type. You need someone who’ll be around to care for you constantly, someone to heal your wounds, someone to lean on. I don’t need that, nor am I able to do that for you. I need someone strong. Someone with relentless willpower, someone who I can trust with my life. You’re not that Stryx, Jade.”

Jade didn’t even try to hold back her tears this time.

“Orca, I-“

“You’re less than average. Someone who gives up when it gets too tough for them. Someone who likes the easy way out. Someone weak. I need someone dependable.” Orca cut her off again. Her words felt like Jade had been impaled, over and over by a rusty, serrated spear. Orca had rejected her. Not only that, but she had completely crushed her, leaving her broken soul for the wolves. Jade growled, squeezing her eyes shut as tight as she could.

“Hmm. I suggest you get yourself back home, Jade. I have things to do, after all. And they have nothing to do with you.” With that final blow, Orca turned and left, silken tail feathers sweeping under Jade’s chin.

Jade watched Orca leave until she had taken off into the night sky, and was barely visible against it. She stayed in place a bit longer after that, trying (and failing) to process what had just happened.

Maybe she was weak. Maybe she was just average. Maybe she was just disposable. She thought about what Orca had said for so long that by the time she snapped out of it, her mind felt weary and her muscles were achy. She had to get home. She couldn’t sleep out here, something would surely attack her. She reluctantly took flight, trying to focus on only her breathing the whole way back.

By the time she arrived home, the sun had begun to rise. Dawn activity parties could be seen setting off, and nighttime Stryx were returning or settling in for the morning. Jade swerved towards her branch of the hollow tree that centered Sanctuary’s base, landing outside the entrance and making her way inside. She collapsed miserably onto her bedding, curling in on herself and trying to keep her thoughts at bay.

She hardly heard her inner door open as someone quietly made their way over to her. She flinched when a hand was placed on her head. She looked up to see Neo looking at her with concern in her expression. Jade didn’t want to speak to anyone right now, but didn’t have the heart to push Neo away. She couldn’t ruin this friendship too. Neo sat down next to her, placing Jade’s head on her lap and petting the feathers on her head. Jade merely chirped quietly in thanks.

Neo could sense that Jade was hurting, but wasn’t entirely sure why. Whatever had happened, she would be there to console her. She always would be. No matter what.

Jade 5519

2347 words-43

Extra Stryx (Medusa)-3

Personal-3

Total= 49 AP

I'll figure out counts for others later.