I.

Two griffins met in a field of boulders at the foot of Mt. Fenghári and exchanged gifts. One gave the other a basket of wild berries. The other gave the first a Huawei Mate X3. Taking the device, she held it in her talons, the screen glowing softly, half-unfolded like a blossoming flower. They exchanged words, simple formalities of gratitude and respect, and shortly after parted ways. The one carrying the basket of wild berries went into a cave in the side of the mountain and was never seen again.

II.

A dead body was discovered on the steps of the Hieron, dressed in a simple robe. Although bearing the appearance of an old man, with wrinkled skin, white hair and beard, a gaunt and bony frame, post-mortem examination revealed the body to have no genitalia whatsoever, or orifices of any sort. When the lips and teeth were pulled back, cracking the jaw in the process, there was no throat to be found within. When the eyelids were pulled back, two basins of smooth polyurethane returned the pathologist’s stare. The body was thrown into the open sea, and sank without a trace.

III.

A flock of crows landed at the summit of Mt. Fenghári after becoming disoriented in the summer mists. As they hopped between stones and debated the direction of the sun, a new sense of order took hold among them. That night, a young shepherd who had run away from his family found them still hard at work, scratching algebra into a rock face. Seeing this, he was convinced to return home. His absence had been noticed, and although he was asked many times where he had gone, and what had made him come back, he never spoke of what he had seen. Sixty-five years later, the secret died with him.

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David C. Porter is an only child from New York. His work has appeared in surfaces.cx, Apocalypse Confidential, BRUISER, and other publications. He also writes the fiction and ephemera project Garden Scenery. His hybrid collection A Hollow Shape was recently published by Feral Dove Books. He can be reached on Twitter @toomuchistrue or via his website.