Dax And The Angel

Mable the ferret had five children and they were gorgeous. Dax, her eldest son, was exceptionally handsome with his snowy coat that caught silvery swirls against the light of the sun. Her babies had been given the best all through their younger years. Now they were magnificently sheltered little beasts, itching to explore the wonders of this world they'd come to know as Reahwood Forest. Reahwood, luxurious with its perfect balance of fields, forests and streams, offered everything one needed to forage, hunt, and live out a lucky little ferret life. But when Dax came of age, his heart wasn't satisfied to stay. To his mother's dismay, he'd spend hours staring out at that spooky stretch of road that twisted like a mangled serpent through the blackest of trees; the road that came to be known in Reahwood as Old Stone Path.

No ferret dared- nor did any other creature of limited stature- to tread across Old Stone Path. There had been stories of violations and the grossest of gross infractions upon those who touched its jagged edges. This didn't sway Dax. He was determined he was going to venture down its treacherous terrain one day. In an effort to thwart her son's hypnotic obsession, Mable had showered Dax with everything he'd asked for throughout his life with her. He slept in a bed of soft, silken webs. He ate the finest delicacies she could acquire, slowly washing them down with the nectar of sweet poppies. He was lovingly spoiled and untouched, absolutely swallowed up by grace. But that dreaded morning did come. Mable woke up to the gentle song of sparrows above the hill, singing the story of her son's departure as she'd slept away the darker hours of morning.

Dax stood on the edge of the road, every warning he'd ever heard carving their nightmares into his head like the melody of a siren's curse. He understood Old Stone would be quite a trial, as he'd always been respectful enough to listen and heed the advice of his elders. But the brazen courage of youth would soon force his feet ahead of his mind.

Days and days and days passed... his skin hardened against icy winds and he learned to guard himself from the attack of starving predators... 

***********

Father Time sat still upon his throne of glass, looking down at Dax one year after that fateful day he'd decided to walk down Old Stone Path. Time's face was motionless. Just watching. Waiting. Ever so patient, his eyes reflecting the static of the cold marble floor he was planted on.

***********

Dax woke up to a sharp crack not too far in the distance. He could see the top of a giant oak swinging in his direction, cautioning its crash to an earthen grave. He was exhausted with all the dark things he'd encountered over the past year, and wondered why he'd ever left his comfortable bed and rosy life in Rheawood. "I was young and stupid.." he muttered as he pulled his sore body out of the snow and onto the rocky trail. His mind stayed on a thin boundary of delusion and attention lately, making him wonder if he should abandon his instincts and attribute them to paranoia. He was just about to give up his soul to this idea when he happened upon a nervy black crow blocking his path.

"So why did you?" Cawed the crow. Dax questioned his sanity again as he noticed the bird shift to the right and start to grow...

The crow grew and grew, until his wings looked like they could dust the ceiling of a cathedral and his dark feathers spun themselves into black, fine hair trailing down his back. Crow looked like a man- no- he looked like an angel..

"My name is Aavon", his voice thundered. "Before you toss your mind and an entire year of your life into the abyss of insanity, why don't you think about the gifts I've given you."

"What have I got? Nothing! I've suffered, everything I once had is gone. I'm lost in this cold place and the road doesn't end!"

Aavon stepped back cordially and smirked at him, leaning on a nearby tree to rest. "Oh, come now. Are you that quick to cry victim and ignore your own intelligence? Do you really believe in some sort of guilt soaked humbleness preached by fools? There's no one here but you and me. Let me remind you." And with that, the Angel Aavon laid down his song..

"There is no greater power than that obtained from the pact of knowledge, pain and love. This gives birth to compassion. One can't possibly earn this if one has not suffered sizable horrors. In order to obtain the strength to serve and protect those in need, you absolutely must travel the Old Stone Path and learn what true suffering is. This is my realm. I give you pain so that you may feel those in need. I give you misfortune so that you may use your fortitude to serve others who need you. If you've walked this far, have grieved this deeply and are still sane, then you do know the strength it takes to lift yourself up again. No man who has been sheltered from despair can do this in any honest degree. It belongs to those who had the courage to step onto Old Stone and walk courageously into the eye of their own Hell. You did this, you never stopped, and you survived. Now accept your gifts with graciousness and move on."

And with that, Aavon vanished into the air. Dax watched the sky as a subtle shadow of wings moved past gray storm clouds. He looked down at his thin body. He'd lost his baby fat, but he wasn't weak. He had nothing in his possession, but he had his wits. He wasn't paranoid. He was tuned in. Dax looked up ahead of him and noticed a break in the dead trees on the side of the road. His perception of the reality around him came into focus with a newfound excitement that only comes after a challenge has been satisfied. As he approached the break, he saw the door- the door that would finally lead him off the road and into a new place.