When he woke up he was on the softest bed ever. He felt like he was in a sea of blankets. He didn’t remember his bed ever feeling so big….wait....

He looked around the room and that’s when he sat up.

He was in a giant room, with tall ceilings and windows. Next to the bed was Phill.

“You! Where am I?!”

“You are at our house and this is my room”

He looked to see if he had any weapon on him but he found nothing. Only his plain old clothes.

“What happened to my city? Is it destroyed?”

The man grabbed his cup of coffee from the nightstand.

“All civilians are dead, the King is also dead. We made sure everyone lost their 3 lives”

The man took a sip from his coffee and Antok couldn’t stop staring at him in disgust. He said it so nonchalantly. 

“Why am I here?”

“You said you wanted to meet your father right?”

“But not at the expense of my city-“

“Stop feeling like you betrayed your city. You fought us and lost. I took you forcefully here, it’s not like you abandoned your city mid-fight. So you can relax”

Antok felt bubbling rage but what else could he do? His city is gone, and his friends are gone. He could play hero and try to avenge all those lost souls but then he’d die and for what? 

Nobody would know what happened to him.

He looked at the blonde man and he decided he would look at the positive in this situation. He was already here and there was no need to fight.

“Okay, I’m here now. Now what?”

Philza took another sip of his coffee.

“I have another son”

Antok wanted to say, and? But he said nothing.

“He has black wings like mine. We are the only known winged creatures in this earth and I have been here for thousands of years. My son is who I think your father is”

Antoks eyes widen. 

That meant that this man could be his grandfather and Tactzo would be his uncle….

He shivered at the thought.

“I will call him in and we can ask him some questions to figure it out.”

Antok nodded “Okay….is he like…..tactzo?”

He laughed, “No he is quite the opposite, he’s a book-smart type of child. He gets along with everyone and I’m sure he’ll take a liking to you”

The thought of his father liking him made his heart flutter. If his father wasn’t like tactzo then he could bear the thought of being part of this family.

Who was he kidding, deep in his heart he wanted a true family. He hadn’t come to the realization yet that he wouldn’t care if his father was a murderer as long as he loved him and cared for him he would bat a blind eye to their evils.

“Okay Will, come in please”

His heart was beating. This wasn’t how he imagined his meeting with his father to look like.

In came a tall man, taller than Phill but shorter than Tactzo. Black wings dragged behind him. He had Black hair and blue eyes.

And the cherry on top, he looked no more than 20 years old.

His eyes took in all of this and his heart immediately felt disappointed.

“You made me wait forever out there….so this is the guy you wanted me to meet?”

Phill nodded.

“Okay hey, my name is Will what’s yours?”

“Antok” he whispered.

The guy shook his hand.

“Nice soooo what now?” Will asked.

Phill cleared his voice “Will have you done any one-night stands in the last…hmm…16 years?”

Will blinked at him and then he let out a laugh.

“A lot why do you ask? This is such a random question”

Phill rolled his eyes “Well do you remember ever sleeping with a fox woman?”

The man- no Antok couldn’t call him as such because he looked too young to be one but too old to be a teen…he was just a guy.

The guy tapped his chin.

“Hmmm maybe?”

“In the city of Maryland, there is a fox woman by the name of Foxan Redlight. She worked at the Martin IN as a prostitute” Antok said almost robotically.

“Oh Foxan! Yes, I remember her but that was ages ago why?”

Antok pointed at himself “I’m her son and when was the last time you’ve seen her?”

“Hmmm maybe 16 years ago?” Will shrugged.

“I was born 16 years ago,” Antok said.

There was silence in the room. Antok harshly stared at Will while Will took a step back in disbelief. Will looked at Phill and Phill nodded.

“No way I got her pregnant- I- sorry-“

“Son he is is your son,” Phill said.

The guy shook his head “No way how do you know?”

“He has black feathers coming out of his arms and back and his mother said his father was a black-winged man- come on don't try to deny it,” Phill said with a disappointed voice.

“O-okay so I’m your father so? Nice to meet you I’m leaving-“

“Will you have to take responsibility-“

Will shook his head “No way! He’s grown now- 16 years old right? I can’t be a father I’m too young! I don’t even know how to be one!”

“Will relax! 16, 20, 50, 5000 years old it doesn’t matter, he is still your son and you have to take responsibility. You don’t see me not being responsible for my children no matter how many hundreds of years have passed”

“B-but that’s different!” Will looked at Antok, “Listen dude the least I can do for you is be like an older brother or friend or mentor! I-I don’t know how to be a dad nor do I think I’ll ever be the dad you are seeking for!”

In all of this Antok's shoulders dropped and he felt more and more disappointed.

Phill noticed it and cleared his voice.

“Will, could you wait outside I need to have a word with Antok”

“Fine but I’m warning you I cannot be a father!” The guy walked off.

Antok wanted to cry but he didn’t. 

“I know you are very disappointed but please excuse my son. He met your mother when he barely turned 20 and even if 16 years have passed his body and mental state is still very much like that of a 19-year-old who has just turned 20. If he was human he would have been 36 but he simply doesn’t have maturity. Now think how strange it must be for him now that he is a father to a 16-year-old at the age of 20! Mentally you two are just 4 years apart!”

Antok didn’t say anything and Phill let him enjoy the silence.

“I wish it was you,” Antok said.

“What?”

“I wish you were my father”

The man ruffled his hair.

“I may not be your father but I am your grandfather. I’ll try to support you”

“How old will he be before he matures?” Antok asked.

“Long after you and your great-grandchildren die and their great-grandchildren die. It takes thousands and thousands of years” 

Antok sighed. Perhaps he could never gain a father but Phill was right he is his grandfather and that had the word father in it soo…..close enough.

“Will come in”

Will came back in. “Show him around, tell him about yourself and get to know each other. Even if you aren’t ready to be a father you do have the responsibility to be in his life”

Will sighs.

“Okay man come on, I’ll show you around”