The Short Flight of Nikos the Shepherd

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300 Footsteps

Its true, Nikos thought. His breath came out of him in ragged gasps. Your life does flash before your eyes. He could hear the footsteps behind him. They could have caught him long before now, he knew. They want me to run

Two Weeks Earlier

Herding sheep was boring, day after day. Oh, there was always the possibility that one of the sheep would wander too close to the edge of the pasture, get swept up by the wind, and take a short trip to Orbis. It had only happened a few times, but a sheep landing on someones house always made a terrible mess.
The closest Nikos ever came to excitement was occasionally spotting an eagle that caught an updraft and shot up over the islands edge. Seeing that reminded him that his greatest dream was to fly away from Chryse.

Thats what made the stranger in the black robe so exciting: anything to break the monotony.

The man approached him in the pasture. This place is amazing. A whole island floating above Orbis. Extraordinary. I havent seen many humans here though, the stranger said.

There arent any except me and my family, Nikos replied. My parents moved here 20 years ago but they didnt want to live with the giants.

Oh? the man asked. Are they hostile? Ive seen patrols, giants marching with weapons.

Them? Nikos laughed. Thats just tradition. Theyre supposed to be guarding the Core, but theyd be worthless in combat.

The man nodded. Well, Ill be on my way. Thank you young man. Then the man had stared at him and offered a twisted smile. I believe your dream will come true, Nikos, he said. And then he walked away.
The next day Nikos wondered how the man had known his name.

150 Footsteps

Somehow he had known he was going to end up here. The creatures were herding him back to the place he knew. Every tree, every blade of grass, every rise and fall of the land, he knew it like the back of his hand. He knew how this would end.

One Week Earlier

It began with the blood. The sheep count was two short when he took them out of the pen to pasture. The blood in the pen was still fresh when he bent down to touch it.

Reports came from other farms. Animals were vanishing all over Chryse. Sometimes there would be blood, sometimes the creatures just vanished. They never found the bodies.

Ten Footsteps

He pulled up short, just a few paces away from the edge. There was nowhere else to run. Slowly he turned around and looked out over the pasture where he had spent so much of his life.
They surrounded him on three sides, slowly closing in. All of them shared the same feral eyes. They glowed red and hot, filled with both intelligence and hate.

One Day Earlier

This was what he had wished for his whole life, wasnt it? Nikos begged to go with the team to investigate the Core. It sounded like a marvelous adventure, but his father said no, it was too dangerous.

So Nikos made his own plan. For six nights he slept in the sheep pen. Then on the seventh night, the creatures came back. When they began to leap over the pen, Nikos actually laughed. These were what everyone was afraid of? These soft, furry things were terrorizing his home?

They heard his laugh and turned on him. Then he saw the eyes and all laughter drained away.

One Step

The things came closer. They drew out the tension, enjoying his fear. Behind him, he could hear the roar of the wind. Somewhere in the distance, an eagle cried.

One Hour Earlier

They tied him up in the pen and dragged him to the old Coliseum. It had been abandoned for years and was falling apart. Someone was using it now, though. He could see the orange glow of fires.

They showed him to their leader. He was enormous. His eyes glowed redder than his minions and he had large horns that curled back over his head. He examined Nikos.Untie it!

As his bonds were loosened and he stood up, at first he thought he might be freed. Then the leader looked around at his followers and shouted, We shall have a hunt! A chorus of bloodthirsty cheers erupted. Then the leader looked back at him coldly and said, Now. Run, human.

Dreams Come True

The things were getting tired of their game. He could hear then whispering to each other. Some were arguing over which parts of his body they would get. He was trapped. There was no place to go.

He heard the eagle cry again and realized that there was one place to go. He could make his dream come true. He looked back at the monsters that had chased them and gave a laugh of contempt.

And for a brief, glorious moment, Nikos the Shepherd flew.