Aberrant: The Middle Children of History - The last delivery

[Wakinyan]

The warm scents of spring flooded his nose as he flew. Wakinyan inhaled and reveled in the variety it offered. Honeysuckle, wildflower dominated with the fine pollen of plant sex so thick in the world that it coated everything in a dusty like covering. He barrel rolled in the warm May sun enjoying his sun, his world and slowly coming to accept it was not just a dream.

Tucking his wings he fell earthward before catching himself in a burst of rushing air and landing as gentle as taking a step. Tina was home he could smell her. Mike was at work and the kids... The kids weren't really kids anymore, one was in college and the other graduating later in the month. Wakinyan wondered if Tina needed more company now that her nest was emptying. He made a note in his mind to visit her more often.

"Well well looks like I get a personal visit from the risen god." Tina said looking out her open window at the approaching Nova. Despite the smart comment the look of affection was easy to see in her round face. "Nice to see you as well." He rumbled as she came outside. The two embraced the heavy woman doing her best to wrap her arms around the big neck of the griffin while he put a paw on her back. "It's good to see you and I am still glad you are back." She sighed before taking him by his beak and staring him in his eyes. "And it better be you. I don't want to be scammed by some shapeshifting conman with a Node!"

"I told you Tina it's really me!" He grouched. "How many times do I have to promise?" She smiles and let go of him with a deep belly laugh. "A few more times. You don't get off the hook for a decade of playing dead." He was defeated, he could never win against her anyway. "So did you come to watch soap operas all afternoon with me or just to have me bitch at you for not being around?"

Wakinyan sat back on his haunches and idly scratched the back of one ear. "Actually I am here for the delivery."

"You have got to be kidding me?" She glared at him with a shocked look. "That damn thing has been sitting out in the barn for ten years and you remembered it?"

"Well yeah. My friend put a lot of effort into it. So, it's time to put it to some use." Tina threw up her hands as she stormed out of the yard in the direction of the barn. "Well you can have it. Mike never wanted to move it or even tell anyone about it. He thought they would make some holy relic out of it or some nonsense." They might have Wakinyan thought as he fell in step behind her. She wouldn't let him help her push the large barn door open and when he followed her inside he saw the delivery stuffed into one of the unused stalls. A dark case with a foil UPC and identity tag. His name and address to his old home near Pine Ridge with the Emblazoned logo of HinoCorp dominating the upper length of the case.

"We only opened it once. I cannot believe she made that for you." Tina said as she watched the giant creature that she treated like a little brother pull the case out into the open. "Well she loves to make things." He answered with a grin. "The last Pow-WoW before I left she was drinking a lot of Sake one night and going on and on about how she could do it. So I challenged her by saying she couldn't" Wakinyan smirked as he found the releases on one side of the case. "And well.. You met her.. You know how she is. You challenge her like that and she puts her honor on the line."

Wakinyan opened the case, dust and straw slid off one side of the lid that had long been gathering.

"Wow." Was all he managed in his deep and thunderous voice.

[Wakinyan]

"And don't forget Waki-Kun the Quantum charge directly corresponds to the tension applied. So uh, be careful ok?!"

Wakinyan watched the automated hologram of his ever cheerful and very pink clad friend wink off. He picked up the user manual pad and slid it back into the case with one paw as he hefted the large Recurved bow with the other. Large was an understatement, no one of human size could hold it correctly even if they had the strength to pull it.

"You had her make you a bow?!" Tina said incredulously all the while shaking her head. "Why do you need a bow? You freaking shoot lightning!!!"

The corners of the big Griffins mouth turned upward in amusement at Tina's ridicule. "Hey give me a break you know grandpa and I used to shoot them all the time. I kind of missed it and.. Well, I can't use any normal ones anymore."

"Dan..." She paused placing a hand on her little brother's shoulder. "Wakinyan, I didn't realize." For his part the big griffin just nudged her. "Hey it's alright.. Besides.. It's a great symbol isn't it? I am all about the symbols these days.. Plus this way I can have a fun toy that Ptesan-Wi won't click her tongue at."

That broke Tina from her downturn and she brightened with a smile. "Ok sure.. But what are you going to shoot at with that thing? Not hay bales that's for sure. And you can't hunt with that thing. The arrows she packed into the case are longer than I am tall!"

Wakinyan withdrew one of the arrows and examined it's alloy shaft. Once again SakuraTech amazed him, it wasn't just that she implied that they were all but indestructible but each one down to its Eufiber feathering was almost art in it's craft. A testament to her craftmanship even though he doubted she had ever did any Bowyer or Fletcher in her life up to the moment she decided to make this.

Wakinyan nocked the arrow and let it rest across the side of the bow. Slowly he focused and let the Wakan flow from him into the bow. He wondered how many little tricks she included in it and was actually looking forward to going through the manual in it's entirety that evening. "How about that hill over there? No one lives over there right?" He gestured over the rolling field in front of the barn.

"Nah there isn't anyone that way for almost ten miles and that hill is over a mile away." Tina replied, not doubting that he could get the arrow that far.

Wakinyan stood upright on his hind legs, he did not do it often, not because it was hard, more that usually all four paws on the ground seemed to fit him better. He drew the bow and took aim gingerly holding the arrow. The resistance was light so he let more power flow from his node until he felt the bow stiffen to a comfortable pull.

He wasn't sure of the drop on a mile long shot but he was smart enough not to aim the arrow over the hill hoping it would drop onto it. Luckily that wisdom served him as he released. The arrow went from a standstill to supersonic in a instant. The air thumped and cracked causing him to flatten his sensitive ears as his sharp eyes followed the arrow as it went straight into the side of the distant hill striking it like a bunker busting bomb. "Oh shit.." He muttered as a cloud of dirt and debris rose into the sky.

"OW!" Tina bellowed holding her aching ears as she went over and kicked her little brother in the side. "I am done playing with you today!" She said overly loud compensating for the ring in her ears. "I am going back inside to watch my shows. You go clean up your mess! Now get!" She said shooing the monster out of her barn.

Wakinyan pulled the bow over his head letting it rest against his shoulder and under a wing then picked up the case. "I like it.." He declared with an all to happy glimmer in his eye.