Uplifting, Fantasy, adventure

    Jett snuck through the woods, fidgeting with the fabric straps on his backpack, and taking extra care to not step on any twigs. The mountain air was sharp and cold, just like his father’s words. “You will never be enough.” They rang in Jett’s head like an alarm clock that didn’t have a snooze button. His heart filled with anger, not at his father, but at himself. He should have been better, should have tried harder. As Jett scrambled over a fallen tree, his mind flashed back to the night his father had kicked him out. The evening was warm and muggy, the kind where you feel wet but are actually completely dry. He could still remember the thump of his backpack being thrown out the front door, and the hard shove on his back. His father’s words cut through him like a knife cutting butter. “What does he know anyway?” Jett grumped, “Besides baseball, that is.” He could still remember the hours of throwing and catching and drilling in the yard during the summer as his father trained him for baseball tryouts in the fall. The memory warmed Jett’s heart, but its warmth certainly didn’t reach his skin, which had started to turn an unhappy red from the cold, blustering winds. A small pit of resentment towards his father had settled in Jett’s stomach, although he didn’t want to admit it. 

    Jett decided to focus on his mentor, Elder Woodson’s, words instead: “There is a creature, high up in the mountains, who hoards a great deal of jewels and gold. Legend says, whoever successfully steals the treasure from the creature gets to tame it and keeps the treasure.” Jett knew that if he achieved possession of the treasure, his father would surely take him back. He hiked higher and higher, his legs burning, but didn’t stop until nightfall. Just when the sun touched the horizon, did Jett finally pause and rest. Illuminated in the golden light of the setting sun, he could see a stone cave nestled into the side of the mountain.

    “I’ll go tomorrow.” He decided, settling down into the crunchy leaves and laying his head on his backpack, his stomach growling from hunger. “I know, big guy,” he said, patting his stomach. “Don’t worry. When I’m rich, you’ll be full of as many biscuits as you can fit. Which is a lot, I know.” And with that, he fell asleep.

    When Jett woke up the next morning, he was filled with excitement. Today, he would earn back his father’s love. He scrambled up, adrenaline pumping through his body. The wind was cold but refreshing. After eating the last of the leftover crackers he’d saved, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and continued his ascent to the huge cave above. When he reached the stony entrance, a small flicker of fear flashed through him, but he squashed it deep down. He set his backpack aside, and felt the rough stone wall with his fingertips. A deep sense of resolve settled in his stomach, and Jett quietly marched in the cave. He snuck through the tunnels, squinting in the dim light. After an hour of wandering through the cave, he heard a deep guttural noise to his left. 

    His heart skipped a beat, but he followed the sound. The small tunnel gave away to a huge cave with a small hole in the top which let in a small beam of sunlight. Streams of water trickled down the cave walls, merging into a small pool below. As Jett gazed around the room his eyes landed on an enormous beast which was snoring next to the pool. Its huge, feathery tail dipped gracefully in the water. Its body was the size of a small truck and covered in chocolate brown feathers. The creature’s beak was a stark yellow, like the sun, along with its claws, which were curved like crescent moons. Wings sprouted from the shoulders of the creature, large and majestic. Its tail was also covered in brown feathers and was as long as a lion’s. Jett stood still, his breath catching in his lungs. Having grown up in a poor town, this creature was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. He recognized the creature, a gryphon, from the elders’ stories. The gryphon’s eyes were closed, but Jett imagined them being yellow, like its claws and beak. Its soft snore echoed through the cavern, sending shivers down Jett’s spine. His hands trembled and his eyes grew huge as he saw the mountain of gold and treasure behind the gryphon. Tons of golden necklaces, bracelets, rings, plates, cups, and bars rested behind the gryphon, twinkling serenely in the morning sunlight. Jewels were scattered throughout the pile. Rubies, emeralds, sapphires and even diamonds were in the mound of treasure.

    Jett frantically brainstormed how in the world he would get this treasure back down the mountain to the town. He was so absorbed in his pondering, that he didn’t notice the gryphon’s eyes opening slowly, its yellow pupils fixating on Jett like a lion finding its next dinner. Only when the gryphon rose, tall and menacing, did Jett finally shake out of his stupor. He felt his short brown hair part as the gryphon roared. An awful stench of rotten fish filled the cave, making Jett nauseous. 

    “Well, that’s one way to wake up a gryphon.” He thought dimly. Despite the blurriness in his eyes, Jett ran towards the mountain of treasure, ignoring all the alarm bells in his head. He reached for a single gold ring, the gryphon’s roars shaking his confidence as well as the cave ceiling. The ring would be for his father, just enough to finally get his attention again. Jett closed his hand tightly around the cool golden ring before stumbling out of the cave. He clutched the ring tightly as he heard the gryphon roaring behind him, the beast’s claws clicking on the stone floor. His hair stuck to his forehead and sweat dripped into his eyes. 

    “This is way worse than cross-country, and I hated cross-country.” He groaned, his feet aching. Jett wound his way through the tunnels, desperately trying to remember the way out. Before long, he heard the chirping of birds, barely audible over the gryphon’s loud panting. Jett burst out into the sunlight, running as fast as his legs would allow, and grabbed his backpack, rubbing his fingers along the smooth fabric straps. 

    The gryphon roared and Jett looked back to see the beast barreling towards him like a bullet train.

“Okay, what do I do? Duck? Dive? Pray?” His mind screamed at him as his muscles seized, panic taking control. The gryphon was getting closer; Jett could see the saliva dripping from its mouth. 

Jett didn’t wait for his mind’s approval. “Backpack, don’t fail me now!” He thought. Just as the gryphon lunged towards him, Jett swung his heavy backpack at the beast, hoping to knock it out. Its claws tore through the fabric like paper, but the force of the impact knocked the monster off course. The gryphon landed with a thump next to Jett, who was fully and absolutely prepared to die, but to his amazement, the creature didn’t attack. Instead, it rose unsteadily and lowered its huge head. 

    “Uh, I think I broke it,” Jett panted. “Does this mean you trust me now?” He asked, his legs shaking from exhaustion. The gryphon snorted, as if to say,

    “Duh.” Out of breath, Jett sat down on a tree stump, realizing that he, the kid who always screwed everything up, had actually tamed the thing. Desperately trying to regain control of his shaking hand, Jett gently stroked the gryphon’s back, who didn’t seem to mind being touched in the slightest.

    “What should I name you?” He murmured, gazing at the gryphon in wonder. The gryphon nuzzled Jett’s other hand, which was still tightly closed around the golden ring. “Ring?” Jett asked, “You want to be named Ring?” The gryphon snorted and stamped his paw. “Alright, alright.” Jett said hastily, “Nice to meet you, Ring.” The gryphon’s tail swung happily, like Tarzan on a vine. “So, you don’t mind if I take the rest of your treasure? I need it to make my father love me again.”

    “No, you do not.” A voice behind Jett spoke quietly, a hint of pride resonating in the words. Jett turned and his eyes fell upon his mentor, Elder Woodson, a tall man with a long gray beard, and kind twinkling eyes that hold the kind of oldness of someone who has lived too long and seen too much. His deep voice said proudly, “I have been waiting a long time for that gryphon to trust someone. I tried— many years ago— but failed. Your father failed you, Jett. He abandoned you for the sake of money. Yes, he will be pleased if you come home, but only because of the treasure and new life you might bring him. I know it hurts, but you cannot force him to love you. However, you have a nice companion now, who I think might be able to help you get that treasure into town.” He winked at Ring. Jett’s chest tightened with sorrow, but he knew that Elder Woodson was right. He couldn’t force his father’s love, but he could learn to live alongside it, just never crossing paths. Jett thought long and hard and decided to take the treasure to town. As he hoisted the huge sack of treasure onto Ring, he thought to himself, 

    “Well, if I have back problems later on in life, at least I’ll know why.” Together, Jett, Elder Woodson, and Ring made their journey back to town, where Jett decided to live separately from his father, choosing a modest house to share with Elder Woodson instead. As he settled into bed for the night, he couldn’t help thinking, “Holy crap. I’m rich.”