//------------------------------// // ch. 6 part 3: writing of a bygone age (end) // Story: The Unexpecting Journey // by dquiroga //------------------------------// Writing of a bygone age It was late in the afternoon, and most of the griffons had already returned to their respective homes. Cure had allowed us another night to rest in her abode, providing us another good night’s sleep. However, there was something that needed to be attended to first. We all gathered at the dining table, staring at the item which occupies it. “alright, before we read what’s inside. I want to talk about what happened.” Gaining the attention of everyone, I looked towards the four, “I know it’s a sore subject, but we all want to know what happened in there.” The room fell silent, as the rest of us payed mind to what is going to be said. Ember closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the tale. “once you all left, the fight didn’t change much. They attacked us, and we defended ourselves. Wave after wave, it all ended the same… that is until she came.” She opened up her eyes, staring into nothing, “I couldn’t see much. She wore a shroud with a hood, and bore a scarfed mask, covering her nose down. The darkness masked the rest. We demanded her surrender, but she refused, saying that she will not allow us animals to ruin her plans. Everything went wrong after that.” She paused while contemplating the evets that followed. The rest of us simply tried to put together what was said. However, there was something I wish to ask. “so what are we dealing with here; another griffon?” “no… she was bipedal… and from what I’ve seen she looked more human in stature.” The room fell in an earie silence, “she was skilled and was capable of using dark magic. If it wasn’t for my fire magic, we would have perished.” Everything I heard only shows how much we don’t know. She said that she used dark magic. Does that mean she has an amulet to, and how come Cortez never said anything about it? However, dwelling on it won’t get us anywhere. I decided to move on, thanking Ember for her cooperation. Looking down at the book, I began to flip the cover. ‘let’s see what everyone’s after.’ once I regained the spot light, I began to read. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ November 2nd, 1149, near the shores of Terragona (Chant of the Templars - Da Pacem Domine) For years I have trained and served under the banners of the Templars, and now I’m on a voyage back to my homeland. Even though it’s a national relations mission, it’s good to be back. With my fellow brothers fighting for control over the holy lands and the constant struggle to maintain what cities we do have, the support for the war effort is crucial to our success. My regiment was tasked to uphold a request from the king, whatever it may be. For the Templars to bestow me a full four thousand, tells me that this is no simple mission. I will not fail my brothers. With what strength god had bestowed upon me, I shall meet my challenge head on, and, with my trusted lieutenants by my side, we cannot fail… we are nearing port. Lord give me strength. Let me show my people the great servant you have made me. December 8th, 1149, Atlantic Ocean The request was a strange one. I have been deployed under a rumor that there are lands unknown across the ocean. Any scouts they have sent never return, and they fear a hostile force had settled themselves there. We are to investigate and annihilate all who oppose us. Like I said before, strange, but I must do what is asked of me. The journey is long, and it almost seems that we may run into the lands of the east. Now that I think about it, we may be one of the few who have crossed such oceans. Maybe I will be written in history books. That’s just wishful thinking, the world is more concentrated towards Jerusalem, not some convoy blindly traversing the seas. The men have been quite patient, but sea travel can weigh on a man’s spirit. My lieutenants have done well to maintain the peace, but four thousand is too much to look after. I pray that we make land soon. December 28th, 1149, unknown Praise the lord for he has shown mercy to us. After countless days at sea we have finally reach land. Though grateful, I have come to realize that these lands are different. The trees, the flora, and even the wildlife are unfamiliar to me. It seems as if the rumors of a new land were true, but I have not yet encountered any hostile colors or any of the scouts. I must stay alert. The unload was quick as the men were eager to leave those bouts. I’ve ordered my best lieutenant to handle it, while I take a platoon to scout the area. Our search only proved that we were in uncharted lands. There were no signs of civilization as far as I could see. After unloads were complete, we decided to do inventory. It has come to my attention that we are dangerously low on supplies. There was no way we could do the voyage back, so we are left with one option. Humorous as it is, I’ve always wanted to be an explorer since I was young. Now I get to live my fantasies. May the lord guide us. January 1st, 1150, unknown Before I begin this entry, I would like to explain the happenings of the day before. Our search was proving futile as we continue to traverse the wildlife. We may come by a spring here, a simple orchid there, but they are far few. We almost wished the Turcks were here to combat the loneliness. I am grateful that I have not lost anyone, but some of the men have grown sick. I fear that if I didn’t encounter civilization soon, I would have to arrange burials. Feeling that we traveled far enough for the day, we rested near a canopy for the night. Now that leads us to the present day. What I am about to write may sound blasphemous, but there is no other way to explain it. When we awoke, we were greeted with a different landscape. The trees were no longer green and lush, but dark and murky. Vines and moss clung to the trees, leaving them as husks. Even the air feels heavy. What I wish to say is that we have been transported to a different location. To say we were frightened was beyond the truth. My training took over and I ordered the men to hunker down into a defensive circle, and sent out a few scouts. If this was a work of some witchcraft, I would gladly put a stop to it, and bring the wrath of god upon them. It has been some time since, and not a single word has returned to us. There were roars of creatures I am unfamiliar with, and others that seem uncommon in such terrain. I hope the- …they have returned, and it seems we are not alone. Lord watch over us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After reading the last entry, I closed the book, and pondered on what I just read. It was clear that the journal was written by Cortez, but, other than that, there was no information for our situation. In fact, it only added more questions. I was really getting tired of this routine. “wait, that’s it!” Taphy said, looking like he was going to freak out. “yeah, the rest is just maps and sketches.” I flipped back through the journal, showing what little it had to offer. “can I have a look?” since there was nothing more to be read, I slid the book across the table towards Jordan. Feeling a sudden wave of fatigue, I leant back on my chair and ran a hand through my hair. “what the pluck; we risked our lives for that!” Gilda shouted. “Gilda language!” Hans attempted to berate her but she was already past patience. “first we hauled our plots through this muddy forest, which we got separated because you fell off a plucking cliff!” “yeah but- “then we almost got crushed by magical, spiked rocks that were able to climb walls because, magic!” “well how was I- “oh wait there’s more! We almost got murdered by those freaks, again!” Gilda wouldn’t allow me a single word in through her bantering, causing a small headache to stir. While rubbing my forehead, I noticed that Gilda was silent. Looking up, she was keeping her claws clenched on the table, attempting to calm down. “…you done?” she crossed her arms and huffed in frustration. Taking that as a yes, I decided to continue. I asked Jordan if he found anything of interest. He stated that the sketches were the old maps of Spain and Europe, during the second crusade. Furthermore, instead of going east like most crusaders, the maps seem to be conjugating west towards America. However, due to the fact that there was no knowledge of it, there was no information of where they landed. Seeing that there was nothing more to be said, it was time to reach a conclusion. “alright its getting late. We’ll plan our move tomorrow. Most likely we’ll be heading back to the capitol, so rest up.” Everyone mostly agreed as they departed to their respective rooms. Making my way towards my quarters with book in hand, I began to feel disappointed. ‘we’ve come this far and still no answers.’ Once I got there, I placed the book on the nearest shelf and began to prepare for bed. ‘hell we’re not even close to finding a way home.’ Disrobing to a simple undershirt and drawers, I climbed into bed. Looking out the window, I began to think about our reptilian friend. ‘maybe it wasn’t a complete waste.’ With that last thought in mind, I dosed off to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hans To say that the past few days were interesting would be an understatement. Creatures of black lead by an unknown figure, records of old written by somegriffon of a distant past, and all seem to revolve around the humans. Looking back through the scroll, I made sure the report is up to par and my concerns known. With a nod, I went towards the window. After making sure it was clear, I opened it and began to inscribe the symbols of the spell I wish to cast. Once I finished the inscription that was in a circular pattern, I placed the scroll in the center and grabbed the candle from the shelf. Placing it next to the circle, I quietly chanted the incantation. Just as I remembered it to work, the flame was plucked away and dispersed between the symbols. They began to emit a green glow that converged to the center. Igniting a small spark on the scroll, it was soon engulfed on a green flame. Just as fast as it came, it dwindled till there was nothing but ash. As the spell intended, the ashes was whisked away into the air and out the window towards its destination. Seeing that my job was done, I closed the window and prepared for bed.