Civil War
By Robert M. Durden
Balls of white shattered against Statler’s ice blue skin as he laughed with glee. He loved winter snow. When he lived underground with his clan he never got to experience it. His clan was always stuffed into the dark caves and hallways of the underground world and they never saw anything as beautiful. The first time he saw the feathery material, the first touch of chill from the tiny crystals, the first time watching this substance cover the ground like a blanket, he was hooked. Because he loved the snow, every chance he had during those snowy winter months he, played in it like a school boy. Of course it was a strange sight to see a grown gargoyle in the first place, but playing in the snow? It was just about too much for some people to take, especially when he had more important things to do, but he didn’t care. His thoughts where interrupted by another snowball hitting him square in the face.
“ Hey, Statler. You want to try to find the meaning of life later, the snow doesn’t last that long?” his brassy female friend said as she tossed a snowball in her hand.
“ Ha, ha, Jenna” Statler replied as he gathered his snowballs from the ground “but now you have to face all the snowballs that I made while trying to find this life’s meaning.”
“ Oooh! we’re soo scarred!” said Jenna’s young brother who looked almost identical to Jenna, even having the same white hair. With this Statler started tossing the icy spheres and used his leathery wings to block any that came his way.
“ Hey, no fair!” the young boy cried as he launched a full scale attack throwing every snowball he found.
“ Life isn’t fair, Ryland, but I’ll give you a better chance.” Statler said as he took his wings back down. As soon as the wing were down, he was pelted from both left and right by the two. Statler fell to the ground and called “ Okay, time out, time out!” Tired from the fun he laid on the ground and saw one of the many attendants from Fourdunes Castle coming toward them.
“ Time to go Ryland. Your father has been waiting.” the middle aged man said looking down at the kid who was nearing his thirteenth birthday.
“ Ah man.” Ryland said as he looked over to Jenna and Statler “ See you two later.”
“ Later, Bro.” Jenna said.
“ Later my friend.” Statler added. Ryland walked off towards the castle while the attendant stayed there looking down at the gargoyle. Statler picked himself up dusting the snow off and looked back at the man.
“ This message came for you while you were playing. The gargoyle said that I should immediately give it to you.” the attendant said with disgust.
“ Thank you.” Statler said as he took the message. The attendant quickly walked away as Statler looked over the note.
“ What is it?” Jenna said as Statler looked down from the message.
“ It’s a invitation inviting me back to the clan.” he said as his memories of the day he was told to leave suddenly filled his mind.
He was young then and a lot more spirited. He was raised to do what was right but often had to do what others told him to. He seemed to be under someone’s constant control and it was bothered him. He remembered standing in his quarters in the underground castle that he lived in when there was a knock on the door. Statler opened the door to find his older brother Clayton standing there with a note in his hand.
“ What is it brother?” Statler said and all his brother could do was hand him the note. Statler read through the note and sat down on his bed in shock as his brother left him there.
“ Let me see that?” Jenna asked bringing Statler back from his thoughts. She looked at the note and then looked back at Statler saying. “ If you’re being invited back then why did you get kicked out?”
“ For standing up for what I believe in.” he said as he sat on a nearby rock as if all his energy suddenly left his body.
“ Are you going to go back?”
“ Yes, I will, but I can’t make this journey alone. This will bring back too many memories for me to handle on my own.”
“ What ever you need I’ll be there for you.” Jenna said as she placed her arm on his shoulder.
“ Thanks my friend.” he said as he put his claw-like hand on hers. He was glad he had a friend like Jenna that he could trust through these rough times. He had been with her through her times of need. Now the most important event in his life had come and he would get the support that he needed. When he was just a cub his parents gave him and his two brothers all the love they could muster and taught all three of them to do what they thought was best. After his parent’s death it was always what his older brother thought was best. Statler was forced into so many positions that he quickly tired and started to rebel. Somehow the brothers still managed to stay together until Statler did something so drastic that he was kicked out of the clan for what he thought would be forever. The clan never allowed anyone come back no matter who was wrong. When he was thrown out he was lucky enough to get a job guarding one of the many entrances to the underground but that position was taken away from him when the clan found out he was interacting with a human. But it he had to, the young girl visited the grave of her father everyday and cried. It was too much for any creature to bear, including a gargoyle. One time she came and he comforted her, since then he had been friends with the girl, and when he did lose the position of guard duty, he never left her side for long. Jenna still was very much a friend and if he was going to the underground, he knew he would need her.
“ I can’t ask you to come Jenna.” Statler said after thinking it over for a while. “ It would be too dangerous for a human to go through the underground even if I was there to guard you.”
“ Hey I’m not your ordinary human though. I did go through Quagmire Woods by myself didn’t I. Besides the gargoyles can’t do anything that I haven’t seen already, especially since my mother’s married to that jackass emperor.”
“ You have a point there.” he said as he got up again “ Then we’ll leave in the morning, but right now I need some rest.”
“ After this I think we all need some rest.”
That night Statler couldn’t get to sleep, his memories kept surfacing keeping him from the stone sleep he needed, but he kept going back to that day in his life where everything fell apart.
“ Time to get up, brother,” Statler heard his brother said as he turned over in his bed. The note that he got yesterday shocked him so much that he couldn’t get any sleep.
“ I’m not doing this, brother.” Statler said as he put the pillow over his head.
“ You have to, Stat. Everyone is doing their part.” he said as he tried to pull Statler from the bed.
“ Yeah, but if they were all running to their death I wouldn’t go to lead the charge or be at the end either, I’m not going!” Statler said kicking him away.
“ This is war, brother. We all have to do things we don’t want to, that’s life.”
“ Well life suck’s.”
“ Life does suck so you can either die with honor or live with the knowledge that the clan no longer wants anything to do with you.” Clayton said as he dragged Statler brother from the bed.
“Statler, Are you okay?” Jenna said as she came into his room waking him from the sea of memories flooding his mind. “ I’ve never seen you laying on a bed, I guess you couldn’t get to sleep either.”
“ No I couldn’t, but since we’re awake we might as well go ahead and get this over with.” Statler said. He still wondering why the clan was breaking the oldest tradition by inviting one back that was “dishonorable” so long ago. Statler gathered his things that he had packed last night for the journey and they were off. They walked quietly through the empty streets of Siphion and headed for the closest exit from the domed city. Jenna walked beside Statler quietly as he stared down at the ground not really paying any attention to where he was going.
When they got outside to the snow, Jenna walked in front so Statler could see her feet as he continued to look down behind her. He knew she knew the way to the Gargoyle underground. She’d been there so many times before to morn at her father’s grave. He remebered asking her as a child what would be the point for someone to guard a graveyard he remembered her two answers which brought a smile to his face. He forgot how inquisitive a little girl she was asking how his wings worked, wondering if he ever made a funny face before he went to sleep so it would stay that way all night. He would always laugh at these questions which in turn would make her laugh, then he’d try to answer the questions as best as he could. As she got older the questions got harder and more difficult to answer until he finally had to tell her the truth which got him kicked out of the “graveyard shift” as it was called. He didn’t care though he hadn’t seen any gargoyles since he had been baned form the underground and he wanted to spend more time with Jenna because there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He loved her like a brother and a father and he would do everything in his powers to protect her in any way.
They reached the graveyard about midday but it seemed like an instant to Statler. He looked up from the ground very few times on the trip and when he did this time he saw Jenna go over to the grave of her father and dust off the snow that had gathered on top of it. Statler pulled out a white rose from his pack and placed it on the grave then went over to a burial vault and knocked on the door. After a few seconds he heard locks and bolts being unlocked, and Jenna came to stand beside Statler. Behind the vault door was a marbleish red gargoyle with bright red wings which looked like a cloak covering his body.
The gargoyle saw the two and said “ The human must stay here.”
“ Either the human goes or we both stay here.” Statler said.
The gargoyle looked at the two for a second and said “ Very well but it’s her funeral.”
“ Not if I can help it.” Jenna and Statler said simultaneously and the gargoyle closed the door they entered through and opened what appeared to be a casket in the center of the vault. The casket had a staircase leading to the underground in it and they both started to walk down the stairs, Statler making sure Jenna was first so he could keep an eye on her. The casket was closed behind them as they continued down the long flight of stairs. After what seemed like hours they finally reached the bottom of the now cavernous stairs. At the bottom was a long twisting tunnel with torches lining the walls. They followed them to a door guarded by two large gray gargoyles. One was frozen in stone on the left of the door and the other was sitting on the ground. As soon as he saw the two he stood up.
“ Good evening, Statler. We’ve been expecting you, but not really anyone else. Good evening madam. My name is Tristan.” he said as he gently kissed her hand.
“ Thank you. My name is Jenna.” she replied.
“ Jenna! You have grown since the last time I saw you, well I should say the first time I saw you since I haven’t seen you since, until now that is.”
“ What are you talking about?” Jenna said.
“ Tristan here was the other guard of the cemetery. He was very rarely there when you were there though.” Statler said making sure Tristan didn’t trip over his words like it seemed he always used to. “ So they moved you to a better post Tris.”
“ Not really Stat. I stay here all day and hardly get any sleep because this statue takes it all.” Tristan said pointing to the stone gargoyle.
“ Well don’t worry it could always be worse.”
“ It usually is.” Tristan said as he opened the door “ Be careful inside though not many people like humans still.”
“ We’ll be all right.” Statler said as they entered the door into the caverns.
“ I never knew there was someone else guarding the cemetery with you.” Jenna said as they started walking through the caves.
“ Well I didn’t either until I got kicked out of that position for talking to a human. It was more the fact that they didn’t trust me than that they needed more than one person guarding the graveyard.”
“ Then why did they even let you keep the job in the first place?”
“ Because you keep your friends close and your enemies closer, or so that’s what I’ve heard. But to me if you keep your enemies closer then the easier chance they have of making your life miserable.”
“ Well that could be the same reason why the RAM is in the almost in the same town as the emperor, because it’s easier to watch an enemy close at hand then far away.”
“ Your probably right.” Statler said, but bringing up the statement made him think again of the past.
Statler and his older brother Clayton were walking down the corridors to the meeting hall where all types of meeting, including war matters, took place. As they entered one of the older gargoyles stood up and said “ Here is our head general, General Clayton of the Avalon Valley Clan.”
“ Thank you.” Clayton said as he entered the room and centered himself in front of the table. “ With my expertise I plan on dividing the northern clans up striking when they least expect it.” After this Statler started to dose off not really paying much attention to the conversation but the last thing he remembered his brother saying before they left was “…we need to keep our friends close and our enemies closer.”
“ Hey Statler,” Jenna said “ We’re here.” Statler rubbed his eyes and saw the buildings for the first time in a long time. Most of the buildings seemed to be carved right out of the walls so to make the dwellings stable. There were about four or five rows of houses laying on top of each other, and it didn’t look like it from here but the inside of the houses would make the people above ground jealous. There were ladders leading up to the higher floors but most of the stair cases were carved right out of the stone just like the buildings themselves. Statler grabbed Jenna’s hand and went to one of the houses on the ground. Inside the house was a long hallway leading to a living room. Statler looked around remembering every little detail of his former living room when another gargoyle entered the room.
“ Brother. Is that you?” he asked.
“ Magnus?” Statler said looking at the gargoyle.
“ It is you.” the young orangish gargoyle said grasping hold of Statler in a bear hug. “ I heard you were coming back and I knew you were going to come here so I waited for you.”
“ So how is my baby brother?” Statler said.
“ Great. Just great.” he said as he spotted Jenna “ Who’s this?”
“ I’m sorry, brother. This is Jenna.” Statler said as he pointed to her “ and Jenna this is my younger brother Magnus.”
“ Nice to meet you.” She said shaking the hand he extended.
“ Likewise,” he said in an almost unpleasant way.
“ So what’s all this about, brother.” Statler asked breaking up the odd silence that entered the room.
“ The council has revoked your banishment because of what you did.” he said as if Statler already knew.
“ What do you mean because of what I did?” Statler asked.
“ Didn’t anyone tell you? Because of you standing up to our brother there was a revolution and the war ended soon after that.” Magnus said.
“ That happened because of me.”
“ You know what they say ‘ A tiny ripple can make a giant wave’. We better hurry up though, they have set up a ceremony for you since you are the first gargoyle to ever be returned to the clan.” he said as he started walking away. He then looked back at Statler who was standing in one place and grabbed him saying “ Come on!”
“ Coma on, brother you have to do this.” Clayton said as he was forcing armor on Statler.
“ No I don’t!” Statler said as he was ripping it off.
Clayton grabbed his sword and said “ I’ve had enough of you, brother. Now put on the armor and let’s get moving.”
“ No!” Statler said as he grabbed his own sword.
“ Fine have it your way.” Clayton said as he slashed the sword at Statler. Statler brought the sword up just in time for the block then a slice at Clayton’s legs. Clayton jumped in the air and over Statler, as Statler rolled on the ground so he could prepare for the next attack. Statler had no idea why he was even trying to fight his brother because he was in no way even close to Clayton’s ability in sword fighting but he did learn form the best and he was using every single trick that his brother taught him.
“ Brother here’s some note’s on what they want you to say.” Magnus said as they were being rushed to the same place that ended Statler’s life in the clan. The place he was heading was the same one that he and Clayton finished their fight in The Halls of the Clans. In this hall way was a shield of every living member of the clan unless they were banished or deemed dishonorable. Statler’s family shield was at one time on a wall all by itself which meant that the family was most honorable then it was taken down because of him and the fight.
“ Come back here, brother.” Clayton said as he chased Statler into The Halls of the Clans. Clayton finally caught up to Statler a swung his sword directly at his head. Statler ducked and kicked down Clayton as he continued to escape. Statler eventually ended up in his families hall, a fitting end to a almost worthless fight. He understood why he was fighting, because he was standing up for himself by refusing to go to war, but also he didn’t want to fight his own clan members in something stupid, which the war was most likely about. Clayton entered the room his shadow spreading darkness throughout the whole room.
“ This time, brother, you either fight or yield.” Clayton said, his eyes a dark red as he slowly walked into the room.
“ I’ll never give up.” Statler said pointing his sword at his brother. By this time a crowd of people were gathering behind Clayton as he approached Statler.
“ Then you’ll die.” Clayton said as he knocked the sword away from Statler and picked it up. He got the two swords and put them together like cutting sheers right at Statler’s neck.
“ Go ahead, brother, kill me like you would have killed hundreds of our kind for some purely stupid reason! Go ahead slice my head off, it would’ve happened sooner or later in that stupid war! Go ahead get it over with brother!” Statler said as tears started running down his stone cold face. Clayton dropped the sword from his neck and took a few steps back then stopped. Clayton stare at Statler for a few seconds then with all of the anger he had stored up he fling the sword directly at Statler. Statler Ducked and it landed directly in the center of the family shield, and as the shadow left the family shield was laying on the ground in pieces.
Statler stood facing this exact position as he saw there was a covering over the whole area. Statler faced the people that had gathered behind him and spoke. “ I know the last time I was in this position was not one of my favorite but it had to be done. All my life I was told to be myself, to stand up for what’s right, to never give up in what I believed, and that night twenty years ago I didn’t but it cost me everything I loved at that time. I had to do that though. I was not about to start a war that I first of all had no idea was about and second of all fight my own kind for. Now I know that all creatures have to fight one another for some reason or another. That’s why I vowed to myself to never lead anyone in a battle they don’t want to fight, never go to war unless the reasons fit the cause, and never let anyone tell you what’s right and wrong when you can see it with your own two eyes. I can truly say that being back here is a honor and I will come back as often as I can but I know have another life that I must lead, but I hope that I’m won’t be the first and only gargoyle ever to be returned to the clan. Thank you.” Statler said as the cover came off and the wall with his families shield hung there. But as he looked he noticed that half of it was in the light while the other half was in shadows. He shook his head then joined Jenna and Magnus for the party that followed.