He trudged through the blinding snow, trying to get home as quickly as he could before he got frostbite. By the time the storm had descended upon him, it was already too late for him to turn back and return to town. Now, he had to worry about the freezing cold and making sure he made the right turns down the maze-like route back home. The wind sent the cold, wet pelts of snow into his face, obscuring his view to three feet. Hot steam came out of his nose and mouth as he huffed and puffed, attempting to keep warm in the subzero temperatures.
He had no idea how long he had been walking; it could have been minutes; it could have been hours. It was hard to tell; everything looked the same. The sky was a dark, ominous grey, the pure white snow crunching beneath his feet, and plants were nothing but black, spooky shapes whipping around him in the chill of the wind. His teeth chattered as he continued to walk further into the onslaught of wind and snow. He didn’t notice the signs until it was too late. The cliff came out of nowhere. He let out a yell as he fell, a yell that he knew far too well would go unheeded, but there was one call that might not, and quickly prayed to God and his guardian angel to save him. But he knew not what could save him, as no one, and nothing, was out in this horrendous weather. Yet, he landed on something soft, and his descent quickly became ascent. He held on tight to the creature that had saved him and uttered a prayer of gratitude to both God and his guardian angel.
The creature landed in front of the man’s house. The snow was falling gently here which allowed the man to get a good look at his rescuer. He tumbled off the creature’s back in surprise. It was a peryton! It was certainly magnificent to behold, with the head, body and legs of a stag and the wings, tail, and eyes of a phoenix. It was pure white, except for its antlers and hooves which were golden. Its jasper eyes locked onto the man before glancing at the house. The man nodded nervously; he understood the peryton’s meaning. It wanted him to head inside, get warm, and let his family know that he was alright. But he boldly walked up to the peryton and thanked it for saving his life. The peryton just snorted and flew away, leaving the man astonished that such a creature, the steed of angels, had saved him.
***
She watched the night sky, looking for something more specific than stars or comets. Though, what she had in mind could look like a comet at first, until you notice the flight pattern, but by the time someone notices, it would have already flown past. It was for this that she kept her eyes peeled, one was supposed to be flying by amidst the meteor shower that night, and she aimed to see it without fail. The meteor shower was not to start for another few minutes, allowing her time to try and visualize what she wanted to see most of all.
It wasn’t too hard, there were people who had seen it, this creature that could live in outer space, this creature of the stars. Steed of the angels it was called, steed of the genies, even, as only genies have ever been able to approach it without fear. But she could not understand, what was so scary about it? It was best described as having the head, body, and legs of a deer with the four wings, tail, and eyes of the phoenix. Its body was covered with something akin to a mix of fur and feathers that was as white as a pearl with a soft glow surrounding its body. Its antlers and hooves were of a golden color, the antlers coming to a sharp point in groups of seven or nine points. And its eyes, though like that of a phoenix, were the color and consistency of jasper, each peryton having a different hue.
But the more she mused upon it, the more she convinced herself that she would not be afraid upon seeing it, that she could not be afraid of it. All depictions of the peryton were the same – a half deer, half phoenix creature of magnificence and grace, quite like the angels they were often depicted with. What was so scary about that? Yes, like the angels, there were stories of perytons being quite fierce in war, fiercer than even a unicorn. But she saw no such fierceness depicted, even in scenes of battle. Like the phoenix, it burned with love for God, and like the deer, it yearned to ever be in His presence. But though they preferred solitude over all else, they obeyed their Creator and helped the angels in caring for the universe.
A sudden noise broke the stillness of the night, bringing her attention back to the task at hand, and returned to her vigilant watch. It wasn’t long before she saw what she was looking for, and came to understand why those who saw it in person grew afraid. It was as magnificent as everyone said they were, but its presence, its aura as it flew over created quite the impression that this creature was not one to be trifled with, not even lightly. Its antlers shone in the night sky like swords cleaned and prepped for battle, a wonder and a warning.
As soon as it came, it was gone. But the impressions it left in its wake, the feelings, the thoughts, would last for a lifetime.