Fall 2021 Inklings

pulling his thin jacket close to his miniature body. Snowflakes stick to
his shaggy brown hair. Frosty winds chill his nose and fingers. Goose
honks fade into the distance. Smoke billows out from log houses as
people, his friends, run around screaming for their loved ones. Alone
and without a family now lost in the fire, Aves watches on unsure
of what to do. Suddenly, a large hand clamps on his shoulder blade.
“You cold?” A kind voice ponders.
Aves looks up, only to be met by warm round eyes. He isn’t given the
chance to respond before the man starts shrugging off his thick fur
coat. With a smile, he drapes it over Aves’s shivering frame. “Where’s
your family?” he asks. Aves doesn’t answer because, at that moment,
he understands he was looking at it.
The man, William, takes him to the Hunters’ Lodge where he trains
him in the ways of the Goose Hunter. Hunting geese is not a simple
task, you see. They are dangerous creatures. But somebody’s gotta do
it.
Eventually, Aves enrolls in the Academy. William tries to hold it
together as he takes photos of Aves standing outside the school gates
with his new uniform and acceptance letter. But Aves knows that as
soon as he pulls away in the car, William will be crying to some sappy
love song on the radio. When they hug at the entrance, neither of them
know it will be the final time.
Months go by. They try to keep in regular contact but as school life
progresses, Aves finds less time to call. He excels in every subject in
school and soon finds he is eligible to graduate early. As soon as he is
handed his diploma, Aves decides to go surprise William.
Once he gets back to the Lodge, he learns William left with a group
on a mission to capture a villainous goose in the west. Confident in
his abilities, Aves tracks him to his site and attempts to join the battle.
Instead, he is forced to watch on as this impossibly mighty goose
tears through their flanks. He stares from the sidelines, hidden in the
brush. The creature launches from body to body, showing no mercy
for any soul. Then Aves spots William. He watches as his beloved
mentor pulls out his goose saber from his hip, only to be stopped midaction.
Aves tries to run to William’s aid, but he’s too late. The beast
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