> The Unexpecting Journey
>  by dquiroga
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Location: Europe, Bialowieza Forest 

Who would have thought we would have ended up here? Bialowieza forest one of the world’s largest forests. The place is filled with lush green sceneries and harmonious noises from the local wild life. Everything almost seemed perfect, except for one little problem. ”Daniel, we’ve been walking for over 5 hours, admit it, we are COMPLETELY lost!”And there is our dilemma. 

Well let me start with introductions. My name is Daniel, Navy veteran and explorer. I am quite a cook and very good with animals. When I was young I’ve been known as a traveler, and I have participated in many different activates including: wake boarding, skydiving, horse riding, paint balling, martial arts, etc. The one who yelled at me was Jordan. Also a navy veteran, he can be quite the jokester sometimes; however he could never stay still. He is always doing something. The last of our company is Tapheal, but he prefers to be called Taphy, for short. He can be quite passive and lazy at times, but if he sets his mind right he can do close to anything. He’s quite cheery and sarcastic, personality wise, but that’s why we love him. Jordan and Taphy are my best friends, and I will always count on them to have my back. 

We are just three tourists who heard mysteries about what lay deep in the forest. Rumors have it that there is a mysterious power that prevents travelers from entering a certain part of the forest. A heavy fog falls upon the unwary. Then they end up twenty miles from their previous destination, with little to no memory on how they got there. I was able to convince my friends to go check it out. We gathered up our hiking gear, which consist of rope, tomahawks, a knife, energy bars, water jugs, instant coffee brew and food, metal cup, some matches, blankets, and flares. I and Jordan also brought our 9 mm pistols three magazines each just for our protection. Then, we set off to challenge this phenomenon. With what leads we were able to gather we began to tread the landscape. 





Location: Within the outskirts of the forest, two miles from the nearest compound

One could truly get lost in amazement of the lush green environment. The trees span quite high and their leaves cover the land from the sunlight. The grass and moss covers almost all the land making green the prominent color. Even the fallen trees add to the uniqueness of the environment. I began to lose myself as I walked through the forests. ‘What secrets does it hold’ I thought to myself ‘what challenges will you bring’. 

“Hey Daniel.” Taphy’s voice interrupted my train of thought.

I didn’t turn to face him but I answered. "What?”, 

“If we do reach the place where the fog hits, how do we get around when we can’t see anything?” I didn’t ponder on the question much, because I already have a plan to counter that problem. 

“Don’t worry Taphy I made sure to prepare for such a situation”, I said with most confidence,”If the fog really gets that thick, I brought enough rope to connect us so we won’t get separated. I also brought a GPS, a map, and compass for good measure.”


We traveled the forest for at least three hours in search for this phenomenon, but we had no luck in finding it. It’s about five in the afternoon and its going to get dark soon. 

“Hey, not that I don’t like the views or anything, but I believe this mysteries a bust.” Jordan’s comment left me a bit disappointed. 

'Could this mystery truly be a hoax to encourage tourists?' The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got, thinking I wasted my time. 

 “Daniel, I think Jordan right, we should head back.”, said Taphy trying to sound sincere.

I turned to my friends already seeing the lack of confidence in their faces for our excursion. I paused a bit, before reasoning my way to convince my friends to keep at it for just a little longer. I wasn’t going to give up that easily. 

“We still have time, if we can’t find anything within the hour we’ll head back.” Jordan and Taphy took a second to look at each other before nodding in agreement. 

I’m sure they didn’t want to continue on, but they noticed that I wanted to give it one last shot, so they decided to endure. 

“Thanks.” I said before I continued on our current path. 

“Yeah, but when this is over you owe us a drink.” Jordan said demanding competence for his extra mile. 

“(heh) Fine, drinks on me.”. I was glad they were willing to stay, but their assumptions still lingered in my mind. Yet something is telling me that there something out there, waiting for us. 

Already, half an hour has passed, and there was still nothing. We stopped to rest our feet and eat to regain some energy. I knew we had miles before we hit the other side of the forest’s boarders, but, based on all the rumors and information I was able to gather, we should have encountered this fog by now. I was about to call it quits so we won’t waste anymore time. Then, all of a sudden, a heavy gust of wind began to blow in front of us carrying a light fog that began to consume our feet. I got off the rock I was leaning on to look at the direction the wind came from. In my surprise I see a small layer of fog begin to increase as it goes deeper in forest, consuming the roots of the trees.  My spirit began to lift with anticipation, for we have possibly found our mark. I turned to my friends and they were already on their feet. Jordan looked surprised, thinking that the myth could actually be true. In the other hand, Taphy looked a bit nervous, probably because of the fact that he can’t see the ground that’s covered with fog. I began to set my plan in motion and grabbed my rope that I kept in my bag. I looked at my friends with a rope in my and a grin in my face, I spoke. 

“Its show time.”

> chapter 1 The Medallions part 1: the great wall of fog/ bridge to nowhere/ beasts of the night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

the great wall of fog


We began to gather our gear and pulled out our night equipment. It consisted of a flash light, a jacket with reflective coating, a watch that glows with a tracker, a couple of flares, and a hat with lights attached to it. I also grabbed the extra rope I’ve brought for this occasion. ‘Time to put this plan in motion.’ I turn to look at my friends to see if they finished putting their gear on. Jordan has already finished putting his gear on and along with his backpack, and Taphy as well finishing by putting the clips together from his pack. 

“Hey Jordan, Taphy; come here!” I yelled waving the rope in my hand, “Give yourselves a little slack, and then wrap it around your waists. If this fog gets as bad as they say at least we won’t get separated.” 

We gave ourselves at least a yards worth of room between ourselves and fastened the rope tightly. Then we headed towards the direction where the fog came from. 

We carefully continued on the path, trying not to trip as the fog rises towards our knees. I may have almost tipped over four times, the third being close to falling. I can’t say the same for my friends. 

“Crap.” I felt a quick tug on the rope after I herd Taphy screamed out from his misfortune. 

“You ok.” Jordan asked while signaling me to come over and help with his hand. 

“Yeah, my foot just got caught on a log.”, Taphy said rubbing his leg to relive the pain, “Daniel, this is getting ridiculous I can’t see where I’m stepping.”

I understand Taphy’s annoyance towards the situation, but I rolled my eyes at him. 

“Taphy, we’ve been through a lot worse than this.” I said giving him the look telling him to suck it up, “Yes, our visibility is becoming more limited as we go on, but we already knew about this before we started this trip.”

“I know, it just makes me feel better complaining about It.”, Taphy said turning his head away from us. 

Jordan and I laughed a bit towards Taphy’s predicament.

“Alright ladies, sleep times over; let’s get a move on.” Jordan said with a instructors tone. 

Taphy got up from the ground and we continued on our way. It didn’t take long to break the silence though. 

“So, where are we anyway?” I began to pull out my GPS so I could answer Taphy’s question. 

“Well, that’s easy we are-“, I stopped answering when I looked at the GPS. 

To my surprise, the GPS was experiencing static as the image is being distorted. 

“Well.” Jordan asked also wnating to know our location. 

“There is something wrong with the GPS.” I said shaking the device in my hand, “Maybe there is magnetic distortion in the area.”

“Check your compass.”  I grabbed my compass from my left strap, and then I put the GPS in its place. 

I opened the compass only to see the arrow spinning in circles like a slow propeller.

“Now that’s weird.” said Jordan looking at my compass.

 “Hey guys I think you need to see this.”  I looked in Taphys direction, only to see him looking behind a large bush. 

Jordan and I walked towards Taphy to see what he’s looking at. Nothing was going to prepare us for what we were going to see. A wall that consist nothing but fog clouds as far as we could see.

“Wow.” I said as my eyes with amazement. 

For some reason the fog wall is perfectly lined flat. None of the fog is spilling, but it is moving in its place like a cloud. I felt tempted to tamper with it, but yet I couldn’t bring myself to reach out. 

“I have a bad feeling about this.” said Taphy with a concerned look on his face.

I’m sure he was thinking about how hard it was to see at first, but in this fog he probably can’t see what’s in front of him. 

“Daniel, I don’t think I want to go in there.” 

“I’m going to have to agree with Taphy on this one.” said Jordan giving a hint of concern. 

I looked at both of my friends feeling a bit disappointed. 

“What’s wrong with you guys, don’t bale on me now. Look how far we’ve gotten, and now, when we’ve reached the front door, you guys just want to give up.”  Jordan and Taphy just looked at each other, but they still weren’t convinced. “Listen, a lot of people had tried to uncover this mystery and failed, now this is our chance; so come on we can do this. You guys with me.”

I didn’t mean to make things sound cliché, but, to hit the ball out of the park, I brought out my hand for a fist bump. My friends only looked at me for a few seconds before they finally submitted. 

“(sigh) Never walk alone right.” said Jordan bringing out his fist.

“Let’s do this.” Taphy said doing the same. 

After our fists collided, we marched through the wall of fog with our heads up and our spirits high. “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” -Euripides  

__________________________________________________________________________
bridge to nowhere


Our progress was greatly hindered by the low visibility. The fog was so thick my hands only look like shadows in the fog. My friends also look like shadows. I reached out making sure I don’t walk into anything, and I slowly stepped forward one foot at a time, to make sure I don’t trip on an obstacle or fall into a ditch.  However, the lights within our hats easily bleed through the fog, showing the trees that were close to us. We were slow but we were still moving. We kept it up for at least twenty minutes until the wind hit us hard from the side. The wind cleared up the fog, only a little, but enough to let us see each other and the first obstacle in our path.

“Hold up guys.” I said holding my hand out behind me, trying to signal them to halt, “I think I see something up ahead.” 

“What is it?” said Jordan leaning to the side trying to see what I’m looking at. 

I took a few more steps forward, still being careful in where I place my feet, only to see two logs straight up from the ground. Each one had a two ropes tied on it, one top and the other bottom, leading deeper within the fog. The bottom rope seemed to tie a group of planks on it. I made sure I knew what I was looking at before I gave my answer.


“It’s a bridge.” 

“A bridge… no one said anything about a bridge.” Taphy stated with a little concern. 

“Which means we are making progress.” I said with delight. 

As we walked up towards it, I noticed that the logs were covered in moose and algae, probably from old age. 

“It doesn’t look very safe.” Jordan said putting his hand on the log testing how well anchored it was. 

“I say we find another way around.” Taphy suggested hinting the fact that he doesn’t want to go through the bridge. 

“No, we have no idea how far this cliff goes, and we don’t even know if there is another way across. Also, I was not given any information about a bridge, which means we got farther than anyone else had. I say we go forward.” I said with determination.

“I was afraid you’ll say that.”

As I stood in front of the bridge, I reached my right foot to test the plank. After I placed my weight on the first plank, I went to the second, then the third. Once I was confident that the planks were able to hold my weight, I turned to my friends to tell them the game plan. 

“I think the planks are able to hold our weight individually. If we keep ourselves spaced out, the bridge will hold.” Jordan and Taphy nodded in conformations, but I could still see a little of concern in Taphy’s face. 

We then began to walk across the bridge keeping our distance, as the rope allowed us, from each other. The bridge continued to creek as we took each step across. I can feel the tension in the atmosphere as we continued on. 


“This is crazy!” I snickered at Taphy’s comment for our situation. 

“I would say, ‘don’t look down’, but the fog keeps us from seeing how far this cliff goes.”  I laughed after I said that.

I didn’t turn to look at Taphy’s reaction, but I’m sure he didn’t approve of it.

“Come on guys, let’s keep going. The faster we get through this bridge, the faster we reached to safe ground.” Jordan said.

We continued on for some time, yet we still couldn’t see the other side of the bridge. It felt like this bridge could go on forever. ‘At least the bridge is still holding’ (SNAP) ‘oh shit, that’s what I get for jinxing it.’ the ropes began to stretch as the snaps and creeks fill the air. 

“Hold on to something!” I turned and yelled at them hopeful that they executed my command.

Then the ropes finally gave. I grabbed on to the rope of the bridge as hard as I could. As I felt the gravity taking its toll on my body, I could hear the screams of my friends, along with my own, as we fell with the bridge. I could feel that the bridge is about to make impact with the earth, and so I braced myself for the inevitable crash. (CRASH) the impact was fierce, but was not enough to knock me out of my holding position. I could say the same for my friends as well, because I don’t feel any extra weight on the rope that ties us together. 


“You guys alright!” I said looking down trying to see the state of my friends. 

I was glad to see that they both were holding onto the bridge. 

“Just peachy!” I chuckled a bit at Jordan’s comment, which was trying to make the situation less dire then it was.

Then a heavy gush of wind began to blow against us. The wind was strong enough to push the bridge to the side and the fog out of the clearing, but luckily not strong enough to push us off. When the wind stopped, I looked up to see the other side of the bridge. Luckily, we weren’t that far from the other side. 

“Alright guys… start climbing; I can see the other side!” I said adjusting myself for the climb up. 

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Jordan said wanting to get off the bridge as fast as possible. 

The climb up wasn’t hard. We used the planks to pull ourselves up like a ladder. We kept a decent pace and we were only a couple of feet away from the top. ‘So far, so good’ (CRACK) ‘I really have to stop doing that.’ I heard one of the planks gave way below me, hearing a scream afterwards. As soon as I heard the screams, I felt a heavy tug on my waist, pulling me down with excessive force. I was able to hang on to the bridge, but I could feel the pain as my arms were being strained to its limits. Have you ever had your arms suddenly be pulled by over 400 lbs. of force, yeah not fun. It’s a good thing that the military training pays off, but I don’t know how long I or the plank can hold. 

“G-grab on… to something!” I yelled feeling my arms losing their grip.


Within a few seconds, I could feel the weight lift off of me. My friends were able to re-latch themselves to the bridge. I regained my grip and tried to use my legs to push myself up to give my arms a rest. I took a big breath and ordered my friends to keep climbing. ‘Ok, I better hurry before any more surprises come around’ I thought making my way for the top. Before I realize it, I was at the top. ‘Thank god, land.’ I struggled a bit getting up, but I did it. I turned to help Jordan up. I winced a bit, pulling him up with my right hand. May arms were still sore from the ordeal. As we waited for Taphy to reach us, I could hear him cursing a bit, probably from his misfortune. As Jordan and I grabbed Taphy from each arm, we pulled him up and then the three of us lay on the ground to gather ourselves. 


“That (huff) was to close.” Jordan said with his heavy breathing cutting in. 

“Damn you, Daniel (huff)…” said Taphy not bothering to look at me keeping his face on the ground. “I told you (huff) it wasn’t safe, but does anyone (huff) listen to Taphy, NOPE!”

“I know, I know (huff)… but we made it, (huff) that’s what matters, right.” I looked around to notice that most of the fog had cleared up, making the ground visible once more. 

The other side of the cliff is still dominated by the fog. ‘Maybe the maps work now.’ I reached into my pockets to grab my GPS and compass. To my surprise they were still in their unusable state. 

“They still don’t work.” I stated.

“What, why? We're not in the fog anymore.” Jordan said looking at me confusingly. 

“I don’t know, but we can’t go back now…” I said putting the devices away, “All we can do now is keep moving forward.”  

Once we were able, we got off the ground; we removed the ropes from our waists, and then moved farther into the forest. ‘I think I may have bite off more than I could chew here.’ I thought feeling that the forest is leading us towards our next obstacle. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________
beasts of the night

With the fog mostly gone our movement was restored. However, the forest was getting darker, making the lights in our hats very crucial to our visibility. In this situation, it would have been best to use our flashlights, but something was telling me to save the batteries for later.

“Daniel, we’ve been walking for over five hours, admit it, we are COMPLETELY lost” (déjà vu anyone.) Jordan said probably nervous of his surroundings. 

The atmosphere felt empty, yet it feels like we are being watched. I could tell that my friends felt the same, seeing their lights move towards every snap of a twig and the rustle of bushes. My hand continues to twitch towards my pistol, which is holstered on my left leg, every time I hear the noises. 

“You feel it to.” Jordan said with a quite tone but loud enough for me to hear. 

He probably had seen my hand move toward the direction of my pistol. 

“That we are being followed.” I said tuning my gaze to Jordan. 

I could see Taphy looking around after he heard my response. 

“Lets keep moving, but be watchful; we are not alone here.” I said trying to stay quite. 

Jordan nodded in agreement, and then we continued on. 


As time went on, I noticed a foal scent in the air. It smells of blood and decay, which only made my anxiety escalate. Then, all of a sudden, multiple bushes behind us began to sway and crack. Jordan and I already had our pistols out and Taphy retreated behind us. We held our positions, willing to face any manner of beasts that dare confront us. Then, the bushes stopped and the forest went quite. We stood there for a while. I gave a glance at Jordan and he did the same. 

“What was that?” Taphy said breaking the silence.

“I don’t know, but I think it’s gone now.” I responded. 

“Oh, well…” Taphy said turning as he spoke, “I don’t want to be around when it comes ba-“  

Out of nowhere, a large creature pounced onto Taphy, sending him to the ground. It then leaped off in front of us and stood in an aggressive stance, snarling at us. 


The creature looked like a large wolf, with intense black fur, large claws, and deadly sharp teeth. The one feature that frightened me the most was its unnatural red eyes that glowed in the dark. Jordan and I stood our ground pointing our weapons at it, trying not to not to show any fear. Taphy quickly stood back up and already pulled out his combat knife, which is his only weapon of defense. The wolf then leaped towards Taphy, trying to kill his prey. I then pulled my trigger finger (BANG), hitting my target in the air. Taphy then dodged the incoming obstacle, letting it hit the ground. Jordan then took the initiative to finish it off with two more rounds to its head. As soon as the fight was over, we began to hear multiple snarls, of the same intensity, in all directions. Then multiple red eyes began to shine through the bushes. We began to make a defensive circle as the wolves begin to surround us. 


“This is bad.” Jordan said stating the obvious.

“What do we do?” Taphy asked giving the question to anyone who is willing to answer.

‘There is no way out, so we’ll just have to make one’ I thought before answering. 

“Defend yourselves!”  Once I said that, the wolves began to charge at us.

I was able to take down two, before one of them pounced on me at the side. It was able to knock my pistol out of my hand. With my right arm I was able to push the wolf away from biting my face off. With my left I quickly went for my knife. Once I had it, I went for its neck. When I felt its weight beginning to lift, I pulled out the knife and stabbed it repeatedly in the gut. I stopped when I finally got it off me, and then quickly searched for my pistol. After getting it, I gave a quick look around to see my friend’s status. Jordan was easily wiping out the wolves that attacked him, using his quick reflexes to dodge and shoot. Unfortunately, Taphy wasn’t doing so well. One of the wolves had him on the arm where he had his knife, keeping him from using it. He was trying to use his other hand to beat it off him, with no luck. I raised my pistol and shot three rounds at the beast that had my friend in its jaws. Once it dropped, I quickly ran towards him. I shot another two rounds at a wolf that tried to beat me to him, making it roll in the ground. I grabbed Taphy on his uninjured arm, helping him up while Jordan was covering us. I looked behind me to see a large opening in the forest. 

“Come on! Lets go!” I yelled signaling Taphy and Jordan to follow me. 


We began to run through the forest with the wolves’ right on our heels. Jordan and I keep making pop shots to keep the wolves from reaching us. While we were running, I was able to see a large spire peering above the trees in the distance. ‘An outpost!’ I thought. 

“This way guys, up ahead!” I yelled, telling them our possibility of escape.

The closer we got to it, the more I was able to identify our possible sanctuary. It looked like a large building, a castle to be more exact. I didn’t question it at the time, because I knew it was our only chance to escape. 

“Inside, get inside!”  I yelled. 


When we got to the entrance, we pushed one of the doors with all our might. Once we got inside we quickly began to push the door to close it. We were able to close the door right in the nick of time. We backed away pointing our pistols, when we heard the wolves scratching on the door. They did that for a few seconds and then the scratches begin to fade. The howling of the wolves was the last to go. I began to lower my pistol giving a sigh of relief. 

“They can’t get in here…” I said putting my pistol away, “we’re safe here for now.” 

I turned to see Taphy sitting down next to the wall, holding his injured arm. I quickly grabbed the first aid kit from my pack. When I got to him, I could see the full extent of the injury. I could see the bite marks where the teeth sank in. I sat next to him, and opened the kit to grab the alcohol. 

“What the fu#@ were those things?” Taphy asked obviously still in shock. 

“I don’t know…” I said grabbing the bottle alcohol, “They looked like wolves but something about them didn’t seem right.” 

Taphy winced as the alcohol touched his wounds. Once I finished cleaning I told Jordan to finish up. He nodded and grabbed the bandages from the kit. I then proceeded to dig in my bag. I then pulled out a large black case from my backpack.

“What’s that?” Taphy asked as I laid the case on the ground.



> ch. 1 part 2: the castle of doom/ the gladiator/ the artifacts (end)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

the castle of doom

‘One could never be too prepared.’ I thought as I opened the case. What I kept inside was a modified version of an MP5, done by yours truly. Well at least the parts to put it together. 

“That isn’t what I think it is, is it?” Jordan asked as I began to assemble the weapon. 

“Yup, I don’t usually do this, but for some reason I felt that I may need it…” I said putting the last piece together, “I guess I was right.” 

I couldn’t really pack that much ammunition, because the case could only hold three clips. However, each clip is able to hold fifty rounds each, which I modified to do so. I also change it to be able to shot higher caliber bullets, but I didn’t really like bringing those kind of rounds, especially if their considered illegal to have in public. Yet, I brought one clip filled with them.  I placed the two clips on my belt buckle, and the other inside the gun. (CHICK- CHICK) the sound echoed as I loaded the first bullet in the barrel. 


“I suppose you wouldn’t have another one of those would you?” I looked at Taphy shaking my head side to side in response.

I presume he asked that question so I would have the consideration to give him a better weapon. Jordan had already finished patching him up, and was packing up the aid kit. I put the strap of the gun over me; so I could free one of my hands. Then closed the case and placed it back in my bag. I turned to see that Jordan was digging in his bag, probably to find more clips for his gun. Taphy just stood where he was, keeping an eye out. I could see his bandages through the blood stained holes of his sleeves. ‘With that injured arm, he won’t be able to defend himself very well.’ 

“Taphy, come here.” I said detaching the pistol holster. 

When he got to me, I passed him my pistol and holster.

“In these kinds of situations, I rather have everyone properly equipped.” I said giving him what pistol clips I had.

“Thanks.” He said putting the holster on. 

Being that he is already injured, I’m sure he’s glad that he doesn’t have to depend on his own strength to defend himself. I then began to dig within my bag once more, looking to acquire my flashlight. The light in my hat is still ok, but the flashlight has distance, which I may need for this place. Jordan and Taphy also had the same idea. 


“So what’s the plan?” Jordan asked testing his flashlight. 

“Well, I don’t know how many wolves are left out there, but we are in no shape in taking on a whole pack…” I said trying to make going outside not an option, “So, just like last time, our only way to go is forward.” 

“Daniel, not to rain on your parade, but we have no idea what this place is, and the further we go the worse things get.” Taphy said making his point clear.

“And what do you suggest we do, wait here till the wolves leave, and how do we know this isn’t their front lawn.” I said proving my point. 

Taphy just glanced away now having a better understanding on how dire our situation is. 

“Listen, as crazy as this sounds, but for some reason I feel as if all the challenges that we went through brought us here on purpose…” I said trying to put reasoning in my decision, “So I believe that this is our last challenge, and if we complete it we can go home.”

“I do agree that it does sound crazy, but that also sounds way too simple.” Jordan said putting my reasoning to the test. 

“Look that’s all I got, what this forest wants us to do is in this castle…” I said knowing that it sounds absurd, “(sigh) Complaining about it isn’t going to get us anywhere, are you guys with me or not.”

Jordan and Taphy only sighed in frustration. 

“Yeah, we’re with you, but I still don’t like this.” Jordan said while Taphy nodded in agreement.

I then attached my flashlight to my gun, and then we proceeded into the castle, unknowing of what we will find. 


When we were walking, I began to examine the images that were carved within the walls. Some of these images were what I expect to find in a European castle: griffins, dragons, knights, and soldiers. However, there were some images I didn’t really expect to see. There was an image of a horse and a human shaking hands, or hand and hoof, as you would do in agreements. After that, there are images of horses and griffons doing things along with humans like: pottery, farming, construction, clothing, etc. I’m sure my friends are also questioning these images. Then, we came upon an image of a town that was being attacked by beasts and human like figures, covered in black. The next image shows that the horses, griffons, and humans took arms to fight against these creatures. We stopped walking to look at what seemed to be the last image. It showed that they were victorious, and the ones who, what seemed, to had led this victory was a horse with a crown and a human with a necklace.  


“Okay…” Jordan said prolonging the vowels to emphasize his confusion, “[color=brownIf it wasn’t for the fact that we were close to death twice in one day, I would say that someone is pulling a prank on us.” 

‘You know these images remind me of something.’ I thought trying to think back of when I would have seen these profound images. My mind then clicked, bringing me a memory of a show that I used to watch in my younger years. It was a kid’s show named ‘My little Pony’, and, as the name implies, it’s about a group of ponies who go through many adventures and find something new about friendship. ‘Nah, that’s just ridicules’ I thought pushing that thought out of my mind. My brain began to conjure up a better reason for these images, and all it came up with is that there was cult that was quite fond for mythology. ‘Yeah, that sounds more reasonable.’ I ended my thought there. 

“Come on guys, let’s keep going.” I said. 


Other than the exit, there was only one other door that lead out of the hallway, that we were in. I raised my hand to push the door open, but it didn’t budge. ‘Great, it’s stuck.’ I thought with a little irritation. I then backed up a bit, and gave the door good front kick. (SLAM) ‘God I love doing that.’ 

“Daniel, let’s try not to break everything while we’re here.” Jordan said giving me an unapproved look for my actions.

“Yeah, whatever.” I said rolling my eyes.

We entered to what seems to be a large chamber of some sorts. In the other side was another door, with a lever next to it. 

“Hmm, for a large castle, it’s quite linear.” I said as we continued to walk forward, “You know, corridors like these, we should look out for-“ 

“Look out!” Jordan yelled pulling me back. 

Before I hit the ground, a blur of grey swayed in front of my vision. When I hit the ground, I could see a large pendulum, swaying back and forth.

“Traps.” I said finishing my sentence that was, gratefully, interrupted. 

The pendulum swayed two more times before locking back in its hiding spot.

“Thanks.” I said while I was getting up.

“No prob.” 

I began to examine the room from my position to see if I could find any other traps that are waiting for their chance to spring into action. Unfortunately, the webs and algae cover most of the room making it impossible to see the other traps. 

“Well, now what.” Taphy said probably wanting to get this whole thing over and done with.

I then looked at the lever that was next to the door. ‘Maybe only one of us has to get through.’ I thought. 

“Here, hold this.” I said giving Jordan my MP5. 

“What are you doing?” Jordan asked.

“I believe that lever shuts off all the traps in this room.” I said giving Jordan a hint of my plan. 

“Oh no, that’s insane.” Jordan said as I gave my bag to Taphy. 

He isn’t really saying anything. I guess he’s just glad that he doesn’t have to do this. 

“I know and that’s why I’m perfect for the job.” I said twisting my hat backwards.

Before my friends could stop me, I ran into the booby-trap, infested chamber.


I could say I had a ‘Leroy Jenkins moment’, but I didn’t really think about saying it. Instead, I was humming the Indiana Jones theme. I ran passed the first pendulum that tried to slice my face off, but then two more pendulums activated in front of me. They fell in opposite sides to close in scissor formation. I dived across, dodging it right in the meek of time, making a prefect roll, landing in a kneel position. I then began another sprint towards the direction of the door, only to notice that the walls, in my area, are opening little holes all over. I quickly noticed there was a gap between the floor and the holes in the wall; so I took my chances. Luckily, I was low enough to evade the darts that were shooting out from the holes. As I crawled under the swarm of darts, I could see the line where the darts ended. Before I could reach the end, the darts stopped. I halted in confusion, but I didn’t stay there for long. I flinched when a spear pierced out from the ground next to me. Reacting to this, I rolled away from the spear, luckily dodging another spear that came up where I previously laid. I quickly got up and tried to anticipate where the spears will rise. Somehow, I was able to dodge four spears. The last one was the closest one to get me, coming up only centimeters in front of me. ‘Fu#$ it!’ I began to run straight for the door, hearing multiple spears come up from behind. I was almost at the part of the door where the lever was, when I see a log of spikes falling straight for me. Like a boss, I slid right under it, dodging the chambers last attempt to stop me. 


I made it to the door, and I reached for the lever that was on the right. I pulled down the lever and turn to see the traps in the room. The mechanisms that held the pendulums were released and they swayed until they hung motionless, The holes on the walls began to close up, preventing anymore darts to come out, The spears that were activated began to descend back into the ground, and the spiked log remained at its unstrapped position. 

“Hah, now that’s how it’s done.” I said crossing my arms and leaning on the side wall.

I could see Jordan and Taphy walking in my direction, keeping themselves distant from the traps. I waited for them, keeping a sneer on my face. 

“Daniel, you are one crazy son-of-a-bit#@...” Jordan said with annoyance, yet with the hint of relief that I’m not dead,”, but I’m glad you made it.”

“Aww, I didn’t really think you cared about me.” I said jokingly. 

“No, I was just worried I would have to carry your dead @ss around the rest of the way.” He said tossing my MP5 back to me. 

We all laughed at Jordan’s comeback. I knew what I did was a little rash, and I probably gave my friends a heart attack. However, I made it without a scratch, and the way I pulled it off would have made Indiana Jones proud. 

“Come on let’s keep going.” I said after I got my backpack back from Taphy. 

My friends nodded, showing that they didn’t want to overstay their welcome. 	


I reached out to open the door; fortunately it wasn’t stuck. I noticed that we were outside once more, but we weren’t outside the castle. We walked over to a ledge that contained a stair case, which lead to our next challenge. What we were looking at was one of the largest mazes we have ever seen. The maze contained stone walls that were high enough to keep from climbing over, without help. The moonlight allowed us to see the multiple twists and turns of the maze, and also we could see in the distance another stair case that lead towards a double door entrance. However, the maze was too large to map out the correct directions, to the other side. With a long sigh I finally gave out the words that expressed my feelings towards our next challenge. 

“Well that’s just great.”

“This is going to take us forever to get through.” Taphy said also expressing his thoughts. 

“I guess we better get started then.” I said hearing a groan of displeasure. 

We made our way down the stairs, and entered into the maze. We were prepared to take it on, but nothing could have prepared us for what waited inside. 

________________________________________________________________________________________	
the gladiator


I’ve been in mazes before. However, there is something unique about this one. Don’t get me wrong, I knew I would get lost pretty quickly; going around aimlessly hitting dead end to dead end would do that to you. Yet, it feels like everywhere I turn, it’s always something different. Even when I turn back to get my bearings, I end up confronting splits that we haven’t encountered. It’s as if the maze is changing on its own. If my hypothesis is true, then that means that the maze is herding us, but where. We made another turn and what did we find. ‘Another dead end’ 

“God dam#it, this is getting us nowhere!” Taphy yelled obviously getting annoyed that we aren’t making any progress. “Why won’t we just climb over?”

“Taphy, that is considered cheating,” I responded with a suave voice, “and cheating is frowned upon in our community.” 

“Cheating…” Taphy said unenthusiastically.

“Yes, and I don’t want to risk breaking the rules.” I said a little firmly this time.

I began to head back not wanting to continue the conversation. When I made the turn, I could see that the maze had changed once more, leading us into a four way split.

“Alright now what?” Jordan said no longer being surprised by the shifts.

I turned to him, preparing to answer. Only to be stopped to see a large shadow on the wall in the corner that we came from. Something was coming, and it was big, very big. Jordan and Taphy looked at me with a confused look and turned to see the very shadow that caught my attention. The owner of the shadow came forth into our sights, only for him to turn and stop to face us. 


What stood before us was a warrior, a gladiator to be more precise, that stood ten feet tall from head to toe. He wore a golden breastplate armor that bore a symbol of two lions facing each other on their hind legs. He wore golden gantlets with a unique design. On his left side of his waist was a large sword with a golden handle that was large in size to match his. His legs were covered with golden armor that resembled what Greek soldiers would wear. He held an incredibly large shield that bore a dragon face on its center. His helmet could be best described to be similar to a centurion from the roman era. However, his face was non-existent, looking a lot like slender man as a roman soldier. 


He doesn’t have a face, but I could tell that he was looking at us, somehow. We stood there for a few seconds, in silence, taking in his features. Then he spoke. 

“I am the guardian of this place…” it said with a loud and deep voice, “and the protector of the very secrets it holds.”

We stood in awe to what stood before us. I took a deep breath before speaking.

“Do you have a name, and what are you protecting it from?” It stood there in silence for a few seconds. 

“I have no name, but a purpose…” it responded, “and my purpose is to keep the unworthy from passing.” 

Unless the sword is used as a shaving tool, I doubt it; I can see what’s coming next. 


“Well, I guess we’ll take our leave then.” Taphy said turning away not wanting to continue this conflict. 

Before he could leave, a wall instantly burst from the ground from one of the exits, which Taphy was going to go out from. We turned in shock back to the guardian, knowing what transpired was his doing. 

“Whether or not, you wish to continue is beyond your decision…” the guardian said in a harsh tone, “For you have already entered into my domain.”

His right hand gripped the handle of his sword, and he was slowly unsheathing it, only to quickly jerk it out making a loud screech. In response, we grabbed our guns, preparing to take aim.

“Very few were able to get this far, but none were able to surpass me. Now, it is your turn to try.” He said pointing his sword toward us.

‘Man this guy talks to much.’ “Lets get this over with.” I said signaling my friends to attack.

We took aim and began to lay hell fire on our target. When the bullets made contact, there was no reaction. I ceased fire, using up half of my clip. My friends also ceased lowering their pistols in shock. The guardian only stood there as if nothing has happened. Our bullets barely made a dent on his armor. He then brought up his shield in front of him, and he brought his sword out away from his side.

“My turn.” He said charging at us afterwards. 

For being as large as he was, he was surprisingly fast. He then brought up his sword and plunged it down, intending to cut my in two. I quickly dodge role to my right, his sword missing hitting the ground. The impact caused the ground to shake, creating a large crater where he hit. ‘Holy sh#$’ I quickly got up and retreated where my friends fell back to. 

“Alright, new plan…” I said as I stopped in front of my friends, “RUN!”


Without hesitation, we ran for our lives, again. I could hear the stomps of our attacker chasing us in the maze. Making quick turns and a few pop shots, we were able to evade his attacks. The next turn led us to a four way turn, giving us three separate escape points. 

“Alright, lets split up; he can’t chase us all at once!” I ordered. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea!” Jordan countered. 

“Don’t argue with me just do it!” I ended. 

We then parted our separate ways. Jordan took to the right, Taphy made his way left, and I just kept straight. I could still hear the stomps of our pursuer, and it wasn’t fading. ‘Great, of course he’ll come after me.’ I continued to make my turns. ‘Surprised that I haven’t hit a dead end yet.’ I immediately stopped at a turn only to find a wall blocking my path. ‘Crap spoke to soon.’ I quickly turn to see a sword coming straight for me. I swiftly rolled out of the way, having the sword pierce through the wall. I quickly got up and tried to escape, but a wall burst through the ground, preventing my escape. I turned back to see that the guardian had already removed the sword from the wall. He turned to me holding his sword at my direction.

“There is nowhere left to run mortal.” The guardian said wanting to end me. 

“Fine, I was tired of running anyway.” I said jokingly, trying to brush off the fact that I’m going to have to fight this guy by myself. 


‘Jordan, Taphy, where are you guys.’ The guardian then took a battle ready stance and I did the same. He then began to charge at me. I began firing my weapon, but, like before, it had no effect. He brought up his sword and strikes down. I rolled again, dodging his strike, but then he shifted his sword swayed it in my direction. All I could do was drop on my back; as the sword swayed above me, scratching the wall behind me. He then brought up his left foot, intending to stomp me on the ground. I quickly rolled out of the way; as his foot met the ground, making a small crater. ‘Jesus Christ, I’m in trouble.’ I began to reload my gun with the armor piercing rounds, knowing that normal rounds are ineffective. ‘If these don’t work then I’ll be F.U.B.A.R.ed’ I decided that I’ll try to disarm him. Once again, he lifted his sword and brought it down towards me. I shifted to the side dodging the sword. Then I began to lay fire on his hand. ‘Booyah!’ successfully, I was able to disarm him, hearing him grunt by my attack. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention to his counter- attack. I heard something coming from behind me. I turned to see his shield coming at me, but I could not react.  


The shield hit me hard on my side, sending me flying towards the wall. As I made impact, I could hear the cracks on the wall. My body instantly fell to the ground. I clenched on my side feeling the pain intensify.

“S-son-of-bi#$%” I said under my breath; the pain was making it hard to speak.

I looked up to see the guardian pick up his weapon, griping it tightly in his hand. I couldn’t move. My body was still trying to collect itself. He was walking towards me, only to stop two feet away.

“I am impressed mortal…” he said tapping the sword on the ground, “I almost forgot what pain felt like.” 

He then flipped the sword, making it point down towards me.

“As amusing as it was, I believe it is time to end this game.” He said slowly lifting his sword up. 

I turned my head to face his, and gave a glare of defiance towards him. If I was going to die, I’m going to die with dignity. 


“Leeroy Jenkins!” a loud voice from above, making us pause to look up.

It was Jordan, jumping from the wall behind me. With the momentum of gravity, he was too quick for the guardian to react. With the knife on his left hand, he slashed at his face, making him draw back. Jordan rolled on the ground, spreading the pressure of his impact. When he stopped, he began shooting his pistol at the guardian, attempting to keep his attention. I heard another thud next to me, only to see Taphy.

“Are you alright, you okay!” he yelled examining for any visible injuries. 

“Where the fu#$ were you guys!” I said with annoyance.

“Stuck in traffic.” He responded pulling me up.

I grunted still feeling the effects of the Guardian’s attack. I turn to see that Jordan was still keeping the Guardian’s attention, dodging his attacks. 

“He won’t hold out for much longer.” Taphy said also looking at the scene.

“I know, but our regular rounds are useless against him, and I don’t have that many high caliber rounds either.” I said trying to think of some way to defeat this advisory. 

“But Jordan was able to cut him with his knife.” Taphy said pointing back at the events beforehand.


My mind began to ponder on that. How could a knife be able to do damage while the bullets could not? It then hit me. The reason why the normal rounds did no damage was because they were too small, which is why the higher calibers were more effective. Also, Jordan’s momentum from his fall gave him enough speed to cut him. ‘That’s it! If the knife can be thrown with enough momentum, it could easily pierce through him.’ the only problem with this plan is that there is no possible way any of us could throw that hard. I then looked at my gun, which had given me another thought. ‘If you can’t increase the power, then add pressure.’ I then began tell Taphy a rundown of my plan. 

“That sounds crazy enough that it just might work…” Taphy said not wanting to argue, “But how do you intend to get him to stay still?” 

“One problem at a time.” I responded. 


I could see Jordan struggling to hold out, having problems fighting back while dodging every blow. 

“You can join any time now!” Jordan yelled dodging another blow. 

Taphy and I just looked at each other. I shrugged my shoulders, and Taphy just nodded in agreement. ‘Alright, round two.’ Jordan jumped out of the way from another blow. He was slowing down, probably from exhaustion. However, the guardian was not. He was about to throw another blow; until a wave of bullets stopped him from doing so. He then turned to see Taphy and me pointing our guns at him. He then waved his sword, blunting the handle of the sword to the wall, probably was getting annoyed from the multiple interruptions. Taphy flinched at his action, and tapped on my shoulder. 

“He’s all yours buddy.” Taphy said before running to the side, wanting to get out of the picture. 

I just rolled my eyes at him. I checked the clip I had in my gun. ‘Crap, one round.’ I sighed placing the clip back into the gun. ‘Oh well, I only have one chance at this anyway.’ 

“Hay Jordan!” I yelled keeping my eyes on the guardian. 

“What!” he yelled back.

“You still have that knife?!” I asked for the item that was crucial to defeating our enemy. 

“Yeah, what for?!” he asked oblivious to my plan. 

“Just pass it to me when I give the signal!” I ended putting my full attention to on my opponent.
“Alright buddy, lets finish what we started, shall we.” I said getting into my fighting stance.

He then tilted his head and got into his battle stance. He charged and I did the same. Everything felt it was slowing down, once my adrenalin kicked in. He then sliced his sword down at me. With my speed, I slid under him, dodging his attack. Luckily, Jordan took that as the signal, and he threw the knife towards me. I grabbed it with my right hand, and threw it as hard as I could at the direction where the guardian’s head would be. I then aimed my gun at the direction where I threw the knife. With only a second to aim, I took my shot. 


With the adrenalin still affecting my senses, I could see the guardian turn to see the knife coming towards him. He tried to lift his shield to block it, but then my bullet hit its mark, pushing the knife giving it a devastating velocity. Now there was no way for the guardian to block the projectile, bringing the inevitable. The knife swiftly pierced through his forehead, bursting through the other side. Through the hole on his head I could see the knife resting on the other side of the wall. ‘I did it… Jesus Christ I did it.’ I’m guessing my friends were also stunned, because the whole area went silent. 


The silence was broken by the loud clang of the sword, falling from the owner’s hand. Then I could hear the rustling of his armor, as he began to tilt backwards. (THUD) his body then met the ground, making dust clouds as he made impact. After watching the body lay limp on the ground, I finally got up from the ground to walk towards it. My movement probably snapped my friends from their trance, because I could see them doing the same thing. We cautiously approached the body making sure our target is truly dead. 

“Did we kill him?” Taphy asked breaking the silence. 

“Maybe, poke him.” I said in response. 

“I’m not poking him, you poke him.” he responded.

I was about to include Jordan into the conversation, until the body began to glow. Being surprised, we quickly fell back a small distance. 


The body began to take a white glow, starting at the wound on his head. As the glow intensifies, it then begins to consume the body. When the guardian was nothing but white, white sparks began to levitate from the body dissolving the guardian. As we continued to look in awe to what is transpiring, the body continued to dissipate, till there was nothing left. We stood there for a few seconds, looking at the crater where the guardian once was; until Jordan broke the silence. 

“Hmm looks like his death was… lightly exaggerated. (Yeeeeah)” Jordan punned, breaking the ice. 

“(sigh) Jordan, you watch too much CSI.” I said.

We all laughed a bit until the room fell silent once more.

“So now what?” Taphy questioned stating the fact that we are still trapped in the maze.

Before I could respond, a loud voice interrupted me. 

“Congratulations young warriors, you have passed the final test.” The voice of the guardian began to emanate all around us. “Only the chosen ones were worthy enough to defeat me.” 

‘Chosen ones?’ I gave Jordan and Taphy a look of confusion, but they shrugged, telling me that they were as confused as I am. 

“So what, are we in the matrix or something, are you going to let us chose between the red and blue pill, and show us how far the rabbit hole goes?” I said sarcastically, making references intentionally. 

“No…” he said unamused,  “but you will have a choice.” 

The wall behind us lowered, and revealed the other entrance that we were trying to get to.

“Now go, and for fill your destinies.” He ended. 

We just stood there, confused by the sudden revelation of our hardships. 

“Well if that destiny is me going big in the NBA, then yes, let’s go.” Taphy said making Jordan and I roll our eyes at him. 

We then continued on towards the stairs that lead out of the maze to the double doors. When we were going up the stairs, I couldn’t stop thinking about what the guardian told us. ‘Chosen ones, choices, destinies; Jesus what have I gotten ourselves into?’ 

____________________________________________________________________________________________
the artifacts 


We opened the double doors to enter into a circular chamber. In the center was a square altar, containing three artifacts above it. The rest of the room was covered in moss and algae. We stood at the entrance, not knowing whether to approach or not. 

“Are we going to walk up or am I going to have to do it myself?” I asked seeing that we aren’t going anywhere.

My friends just stood there looking at me. After a few seconds I sighed in annoyance and began to walk towards it. I slowly made my way to it, making sure there aren’t any hidden traps. When I reached the altar, I could see three medallions. 


The medallions were covered with dust and cob webs, but yet I could see that it was made in solid gold. There was a chain on each, also covered in gold. I could see that the altar contained writing. I began to wipe off the dust revealing the text that was inscribed on the altar. 

“Can you read it, what does it say?” Jordan asked seeing the writing on the altar. To my surprise, it was written in English. I began to read the text out loud so my friends could hear. 

“Three treasures, one characteristic. / Three warriors, one bond. /Three powers, one responsibility. / This is where your journey begins.”

“What does that mean?” Taphy asked confused of what he heard. 

“No idea…” I said then looking back at the artifacts, “but I do know that these babies are probably worth millions.”

I began to rub my hands, examining the altar, trying to find any hidden traps. I then waved my hand over the artifacts to see if anything happens. When I see that nothing happened, I began to ponder whether to just snatch it. I made up my mind and took a deep breath. 


I swiftly grabbed all the medallions, frantically looking at all sides seeing if I activated anything. Like before, nothing happened. 

“Hmm, that was easy.” I said relaxing myself, holding the medallions in my hand. 

I then turned and walked back towards my friends. “Look what I got here; there is enough for all of us.” I said showing them the artifacts.

I then passed my friends their fair share. They began examining the artifacts that they acquired. I began to wipe off the dust from my share, showing the gold that it’s made of. There was no real design on the medallions. It was just blank from front to back, but I didn’t care. Design or none these artifacts were worth millions. I began to smile at the fruits of our labor. 


Before I looked away, the medallion glistened a bit. I took another close look at it. Before I could react, the medallion burst into a ball of light. Jordan’s and Taphy’s did the same. I tried to let go, but for some reason I couldn’t. Soon we were engulfed by the light, seeing only white. Then our vision went dark. Then there was silence. 
_

“I wish you good luck warriors, your journey will be long, and you will face many challenges, but as long as your bond of friendship is strong, there will be nothing that you can’t overcome. Farewell.” 

END ch. 1




> chapter 2 The guide part 1: the dream/ a whole new world/ first encounters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The dream


As I begin to regain consciousness, I felt a sharp pain in my head and a burning sensation on my eyes. ‘sh@# that was intense.’ I placed my hand on my head covering my eyes. As my senses return to me, I felt a strange feeling, like something was wrapped around my body, holding me. However, I wasn’t bound. With my other hand, I try to feel what’s around me. To my surprise, there was nothing, not even the ground. I was floating. 


With this realization and the burn in my eyes dissipating, I moved my hand away from my face and slowly opened my eyes. All I could see is blackness. Yet, it wasn’t dark because I could see my hand, as if it were daylight. I then examined the rest of my features. To my relief, my body was intact and I had all my gear. The only thing out of place was that I was wearing the amulet that we found. Thinking about the other two, I desperately began searching for my friends. 


I then see Jordan on my left about a yard away, and Taphy on my right about the same distance. They were also wearing their amulets as well. With my best sense of judgment, I decided to wake Jordan up first. I swayed myself forward, trying to put myself straight in proportion. However, I had no idea how to actually move around. Using every movement I could think of, I was slowly levitating to Jordan. ‘Man this is embarrassing.’ After running, swimming, and swaying, I finally made it to Jordan. 

“Jordan,” I said, attempting to wake him up, “Jordan wake up.” 

I could see Jordan pained expressions, while regaining his consciousness.

“(groan) My head.” Jordan moaned clenching his hand over his forehead, probably feeling the same pain I felt.

“Good morning sleeping beauty.” I said jokingly. 

He then removed his hand from his forehead, and slightly opened his eyes, looking toward my direction. 

“Daniel?” he asked probably haven’t fully regained his vision yet. 

“Yeah, it’s me buddy.” I replied, putting my hand on his shoulder. 

“W-what happened?” he questioned, obviously still disoriented. 

“I don’t know,” I replied, “and before you ask I don’t know where we are either.” 

I could see that he was regaining his vision, because he was opening his eyes, examining his surroundings. I then helped him straighten up; so that we were both upright. Luckily, he wasn’t panicking, but he sure was confused.

“Jordan, I know this is weird, but I need your help with Taphy.” I requested.

Jordan looked at me for a few seconds and nodded. We then moved slowly to Taphy. 


We placed ourselves on each side, and then I began to try to wake him up.

“Taphy, Taphy get up.” I said, shaking him a bit.

“I don’t want to go to school…” Taphy moaned turning away from me,” Five more minutes.” 

If I had a gallon of water right now, I would have dumped it on him. Inhaling large amounts of air, I decided I would bombard him with words instead. 

“TAPHY, GET YOUR LAZY @SS UP!”

Taphy then squirmed a bit in surprise, only to stop to hold his head in pain. I probably gave him a migraine. 

“Sh#t you didn’t have to yell.” Taphy said with a pain expression, probably still hearing the ringing. 

He tried to push himself up, but he noticed there was no ground to do so. Before he could panic, Jordan and I quickly grabbed him so he wouldn’t try to tread. 

“Taphy, look at me…” I said trying to keep his attention instead of the fact that we are floating in a void, “You have to stay calm.”

Taphy just kept his gaze at me, not wanting to look down. 

“Where are we…” he asked breathing heavily, “A-are we dead?”


“No, you’re not.” A voice answered before I could. 

Startled, we turned to the direction it came from. My eyes then locked on a figure that stood two yards from us. It looked like a knight from the medieval era. It bore silver armor covering his body from shoulder to toe. His Brest plate had a symbol that looked like the sun. His helmet, which is also silver, was made in a way to mask his face. His sword was sheathed in his belt on his right side, and his shield was tied to his back. What truly caught my eye was that he wore the same golden amulet that we were wearing. However, unlike ours, his contained a symbol. 


We grabbed the handles of our weapons, preparing for another fight.

“Clam yourselves young warriors,” he said calmly, “My name is Sir Nathanial Cortez, and I am not here to fight you, but to welcome you.” 

We floated there unknowing how to react to his greeting. 

“May I ask what your names are?” he asked.

“My name is Daniel…” I answered relaxing myself a bit, “and these are my friends Jordan and Taphy, and before we can continue; can we stand normally, instead of floating.” 

Seeing that he was standing told me that there is some sort of ground to lay our feet on. 

“Of course.” He said, raising the palm of his hand.

When he closed his hand, the feeling that was around my body was gone. We suddenly fell to the ground that the knight was standing on. Jordan and I landed on our feet but, unfortunately, Taphy was still in his laying position (THUD). 

“Ow.” Taphy said still laying on the ground from the sudden drop. 

After Jordan and I helped him up, we then compose ourselves from the awkward moment. 

“Thanks, so where are we welcomed to?” I continued. 

“I welcome you to the world known as Europa…” He said waving his hand making a map appear out of thin air. “In fact, you would be here, in the country of Gryphonia.” 

He pointed at a certain spot on the map to show the location. ‘Europa, really.’ 

“Ok?” I said confusingly. 

I turned to my friends to see their reaction on this revelation. Jordan just shrugged at me, and Taphy just stood there dumbfounded by this information. 


“I know this information is a lot to take in,” Nathanial said, “but you must understand you three have been chosen for this. Those three medallions will give you power to help you stop an evil that will try to plunge our worlds into darkness.” 

“Wait power, evil, I don’t understand?” I said confused by the amount of information.

“You will in due time…” he answered, “Your journey will be long, and you will make many friends and companions along the way.” 

He then lifted his hand to the map. It was then rolled up, and he waved his hand towards me, making the map float to my direction.

“Take this; it will serve as your guide for now.” He said as I grabbed it.


A light from behind us caught my attention. I turn to see a large hole that exceeds a white glow.

“Farewell, young warriors.”

I turn my gaze back to Nathanial, only to see him raise his palm towards us. We were then pushed by an unknown force, into the worm hole. Once more, our vision was white; then black again. 




A whole new world


I slowly opened my eyes to see the same roof of the previous room we were in. However, this time I didn’t feel any pain, but my body felt a little stiff. Slouching myself to a sit up, I groaned as my body aches. I noticed that I was holding the very map the knight Nathanial had given us. ‘So it wasn’t a dream… wait and that means we are in-‘I began to examine the chamber once more. Everything looked the same except for one little thing. ‘Where are the doors?’ 


I examined the room thoroughly, but I still couldn’t find the doors. Before I got up, I could hear Jordan and Taphy wake up from their slumber. 

“Did you guys dream about a knight who talked about other worlds, gave us a map, and pushed us into a worm hole?” Taphy asked rubbing his head with his hand. 

I only responded by showing the map. 

“Oh, well that answers my question.” He said.

“Good, now answer mine; I spy something that’s not here anymore.” After hearing my question they began to examine the room. 

Their eyes begin to open widely and turn to face me. 

“The doors!” they both yelled in unison. 


We began examining different corners of the room, searching for any possible exits. I was on one side of the room, Jordan was on the other, and Taphy was examining the altar, searching for any hidden buttons or latches. Ripping away the moss and algae, I could see that the architecture was quite plain. It was pretty obvious the exit was hidden, but how to reveal it was unclear. I ripped away another patch of moss to reveal an image of a hand. It was carved in a way that it left an imprint on the wall deep enough for another hand to fit into. 

“Hey guys, I think I found something.” I said examining the hand print.

I decided to place my right hand into the palm print. Within a few seconds, my hand began to glow white on the wall. I jolted my hand away, hearing the echoes of hidden mechanisms from the wall. My hand continued to glow, but my attention was fixed on the wall. It began to rumble and roar as it rises from its place. After the loud sounds and dust clouds from the stone walls rubbing against each other, it finally stopped to reveal a cave. At the other end, I could see a light, probably sunlight. 

I then looked back at my hand. The glow was fading away, and, instead of being fearful, I was curious. ‘How did that happen?’ 

“Well that was weird.” Jordan said once the glow dissipated from my hand. 

I began to remember what Nathanial said about our medallions. ‘The medallions will give you power-’ I began to dig in my jacket for my medallion. When I pulled it out, I noticed there was something different about it. It had a symbol on it, but it wasn’t like what Nathanial had. ‘What does this mean?’ I could hear Jordan and Taphy digging for theirs to see if they were any different. When we examined the other two, they both had symbols, but all three were different. 


“Well, they’re not blank anymore,” Taphy said stating the obvious, “but I have no idea what these markings mean.” 

“Neither do I, but right now, let’s just get the hell out of here.” I said putting the medallion back into my jacket. 

“Amen to that!” Jordan said.

We walked out of the empty chamber and into the cave, making our way towards the light of the other side. After walking a couple of feet, we could hear the rumbling of the wall, closing behind us. We glanced back, but, seeing that there was no danger, we continued at our regular pace. Once I heard the wall close, I took a deep breath. 

“Looks like we’re not going back that way.” I said after exhaling. 


The walk out of the cave was uneventful, but the comfort of daylight was well appreciated. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I could feel the cold breeze of the wind and the warming heat of the sun-rays. I took a view of the scenery, and I was amazed by the different landscape. Based on our altitude, I could see a forest of large oaks. In the distance, I could see mountain plains surrounding the area. It was obvious, we weren’t in Bialowieza anymore. 


I decided to check the compass and GPS once more. The compass was no longer spinning, instead it was pointing north. However, the GPS was still showing static. I wasn’t surprised that it didn’t work though. In matter of fact, it confirmed the suspicion that we are not in our world anymore. 


“So, now what?” Taphy asked. 

“Well, we can start off by getting of this rock,” I said putting the two devices and the map in my backpack, “then we will look for a town to gather information and restock our inventory.” 

We then walked toward the edge of the cliff to see how far of a drop we need to make. 

“Doesn’t look that far, we can easily rope down.” Jordan said. 

“Good, lets just hope the locals are friendly.” I responded. 




First encounters 


I always enjoyed the isolation. To be able to stop and think, relax and not worry, or just to get away from it all. They always expect so much from me, but does anyone ever ask what I want? Everyone sees me as the daughter of the royal family, and so they react with respect for my title. Yet, I want every gryphon to see me as me, and I want to earn that respect, not given to me as if it were mandatory. (SIGH) I just want to have my own life. 


I continued to preen my feathers, trying to enjoy the quiet. (SNAP) ‘So much for being alone.’ 

“Who goes there, show yourself!” I demanded aggressively.

“It is just me, my lady.” A gryphon guard appeared from the bushes.

“You couldn’t leave me alone for five seconds.” I groaned, by the sudden intrusion. 

"Forgive me, my lady, but it is my sworn duty to protect the royal family.” He said still keeping his posture. 

“How many times do I have to tell you guards to stop calling me lady. I have a name you know…” I said harshly,” Now I hope you have a good reason in disturbing me.” 

“I apologize, Miss Gilda, but I strongly suggest we continue on to Highfeather. The king will be worried for your safety.” He responded.

“For your information, I can fend for myself. I am not a cub anymore,” I retorted, stomping on the ground with annoyance, “and my father can handle me being gone for an extra day.”

I then turned my back on him and sat down.

“If there is nothing else important you wish to say, then leave me be.” I ended, going back to preening my feathers. 

“As you wish, Miss Gilda.” He groaned, growling under his breath. 


Once I knew he was gone, I took a deep breath to try to calm my nerves. I knew he was just doing his job, but the fact that I’m being watched like some new born cub just irritates me. I’m sure he wasn’t enjoying it either. Every time I try to do something for myself, my father would keep an eye on me, by sending his guards to keep watch. I know he does it to protect me, but I’ve trained in combat. I was able to best all of the recruits, and was awarded for being best in class. Yet he treats me like I can’t hold my own. 


After a few minutes, I was finally able to regain the peace I was experiencing before. However, it did not last long.

“AHHHHH!” 

I heard a scream in the distance. It came from the direction where the guard left and there was only one thing that I could think of, that can bring such trouble. ‘Bandits!’ It’s strange to think that bandits would get this close towards Highfeather. Yet, this place is quite isolated, making it a good hiding spot. 


I quickly rushed to the aid of my fellow griffon. 

“AHHHH!” 

The scream was close, and I could tell it was one of agony. I slowed down to try to stealthily intercept. I ended up reaching towards an open clearing. In the middle, I could see the guard, and He was badly beaten. Without thinking, I quickly rushed to his aid. 

“What happened, who did this to you?!” I said, examining his wounds. 

He was bleeding badly on his right shoulder, and he had multiple bruises all over. I noticed he still had his sword in his belt, which told me he was ambushed. 

“N-no, you h-have to… get away… it’s a trap.” his warning was said to late. 

Three projectiles, possibly arrows, came out of the bushes on my right, and I wasn’t fast enough to react. However, the guard swerved his hind legs to trip me. The projectiles swooshed passed my head, stopping at the trees.	Regaining my balance, I placed myself in a fighting stance, being ready to fight. 

“Come out and fight you cowards!” I yelled out, trying to intimidate these bandits.

After I said that, the bushes began to shake, as the attackers emerged from the shadows. Only they weren’t bandits, I didn’t know what they were. They were black as night, bipedal, had two arms, and they did not carry any weapons or armor. What disturbed me the most was that they had no faces either. It was blank and black. One of them had blood dripping down its arm. I guess that was the one that caused the injury. 


There were only three, and, seeing that they had no weapons, this could be an easy fight. 

“My lady, you must flea, they are too dangerous.” The guard pleaded, finding the strength to get up. 

“Dangerous, they don’t even have weapons.” I said chuckling at the thought of them being dangerous. 

“Don’t let their forms fool you, I’ve seen what they can do…” he said, “Please my lady you must try to escape. I will try to hold them off.” 

I was confused, what did he see that made him fear these creatures? Before I could ask, one of them began to charge at us. 

“Run, my lady!” the guard yelled, drawing his sword. 

He began to swing his sword against the creature, yelling for every time he swung. Unfortunately the creature was too fast and his injuries were slowing him down. Before I could help, I witnessed the danger the guard warned me about.


After maneuvering to the side, the creature’s arm began to change form into a lance like structure. It strikes, piercing through the guard’s chest. I watched in horror as the lance pierced out the other side. With the guard’s final effort, he grabbed the lance and pierced his sword through his opponent’s chest in the same manner. The creature’s arm reformed back into its previous form, causing the creature to go limp on the sword. The guard then pulled out his sword, which is now covered with black liquid, and allowed his opponent to fall to the ground. The ground was now stained black from the creature and red from the guard. He then dropped his sword as the blood continued to drip down his body. 

“Forgive me, Gilda.” He said before falling limp to the ground. 

The guard had fallen, taking one of those creatures with him, and now I stand alone against two. The next creature finally made the next move. It charged at me, turning both his arms into lancers. I was able to dodge his attack but he was relentless. I was able to find an opening and clawed him, but doing so left me open as well. Unfortunately, my attack didn’t prevent him from striking. I could feel intense pain on my back from his lance cutting across it. I jolted away, putting myself back into a defensive position. I could see the claw marks I left on its chest. I grinned at my achievement, but my accomplishment was short lived. Simultaneously, his wounds were fading until there was nothing there. I couldn’t even see a scratch. My mind began to race, because my situation just got worse. I can’t beat them with just my claws. I needed a weapon. ‘The sword.’ I could be able to knock him down, but I don’t know about the other one. Luckily, it was just standing there during the fight, but I doubt it’ll continue to stall much longer. I had no choice; I have to get that sword. 


The creature charged and strikes at me again. I used this moment to grab his lance and throw him. I then proceeded to run towards the guard’s sword. I could hear the other creature beginning to charge at me. I was quick enough to grab the sword, and block the creature’s attack. I stumbled back, trying to get my footing. It tried to attack me from above, but I easily blocked it. However, I could hear the other creature, trying to flank me from behind. I dodged his strike, and used my wing to disorient him. With the opening he left, I mercilessly sliced off its left arm, spilling his dark blood on the ground. Unfortunately, the other creature took the opportunity to take a slice at my wing. The pain was unbearable, that me screams couldn’t measure up to. Luckily, it did not slice my wing off, but it stunned lock me for a moment. The other creature was quick to bounce back from my attack, and slashed at my arm that had the sword, disarming me. He then kicked me on the chest, sending me towards a tree. I gasped for air, from the sudden attack, but, before I could react, I was kicked in the face, leaving me disoriented. Then the creature took a grasp at my neck, and plastered me into the tree trunk. 


The creature’s grasp was so strong, that I had hard time breathing. It then raised me until we were eye level, if he had eyes. I was gurgling from the strain he was putting on me. My vision was fading, but I could see the creature bring up his other arm, which was already in lance form. ‘This is it; this is my end, to die by the clutches of these monsters.’ I took a glance at the one I disarmed, literally. If it had a face, it would have looked quite upset. I smirked at that thought, hoping to piss them off. I could see him retract his arm, preparing to end my existence. ‘I’m sorry dad.’ (BANG)


The side of the creature’s head exploded, after the sudden bang. I was released and plummeted to the ground. My vision was fading. I could hear more bangs, seeing the other creature react as if he were being hit by multiple projectiles. He fell to the ground just like the other one. After a few seconds, three more figures appeared from the brush. They seem similar to the creatures that attacked us, but they looked different. One of them was coming towards me, but my vision was going blur. It was trying to communicate with me, but his attempts were muffled in my state. Then my vision blurs to darkness, and then I passed out.  


> ch. 2 part 2: first encounters part 2/ setting up camp/it only takes one word
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

First encounters part 2
(Sometime earlier) 


It didn’t take us that long to rope down the cliff, and boy was I glad to be outside again. The fresh breeze was welcoming, the smell of the oak was relaxing, and the noise of the wildlife was music to my ears. It was a welcoming change from the fog infested, wolf inhabited forest we started in. yet, that was exactly our problem. This isn’t our world. The GPS doesn’t work, and we vaguely know where we are in the map we were given. 


My plan was simple: find the locals, and get information and supplies. It was simple, but extremely flawed. The possible problems stick out like a sore thumb. Knowing that this world isn’t the one we know, how do we know if the locals are even human, what if there aren’t any humans? If the population are griffons, can we communicate with them, does English even exist in this world, are they friendly, or will they attack us on sight. The flaws just keep coming, making every scenario a total disaster. 


‘Well at least it’s nice and quiet.’ 

“Ahhhh!!!” 

‘D@mn you Murphy.’ 

“What was that?” Taphy asked.

We already had our weapons out, but we were extremely low on ammo, making us vulnerable. 

“Trouble…” I responded, “Let’s keep going, but keep your guard up and stay quiet.” 

They nodded in agreement, and we continued with our guns out. 

“Ahhhh!!!” 

This time, I was able to pinpoint the direction where the cries came from. 

“It’s coming from that way.” I said facing toward the direction.

“Should we check it out?” Jordan asked.

I knew this could be our first contact with the locals. If we help one of them, it could benefit us, relationship wise. 

“Let’s check it out, but don’t engage.” I decided. 


We made our way, trying to keep low and quiet. I knew we were getting close, because I could hear clangs of metal hitting metal. Then I heard a scream and a loud thud, making us duck down even farther. I waved my hand for us to continue. I could see that we are reaching toward a clearing, and so I brought my hand up for us to stop. I then directed Jordan and Taphy to different places of cover. I placed myself behind a tree trunk, and took a peek. What I could see was unpleasant. I see several black human like creatures, one lying dead on the ground next to what looks like a gryphon in armor, the other one was missing its arms, and the last one seemed to be occupied with another griffon. There were puddles of black and red all over. There was a fight going on, and the gryphons were losing.


One of the gryphons was still alive, but not for long. One of those things had its hand on the gryphon’s neck, choking it. The other arm was shaped as a lance. It was going to kill it. 

“Lets waste these f$%kers.” I ordered, aiming my weapon.

I aimed for the head of the creature that was about to kill the gryphon. I pulled the trigger (BANG), and the creature’s head exploded from my shot, spilling black ooze instead of red blood. Before the other one could react, Jordan and Taphy wasted him, putting multiple rounds to his chest. Once both targets were down, we made our way into the clearing.

“Someone check him!” I ordered pointing at the griffon that was lying on the ground.

I made my way towards the other one. It wasn’t moving from where it fell, and I was getting worried. ‘I hope I’m not too late.’ 


When I reached it, I placed my MP5 on the ground and began to remove my pack. 

“Don’t worry buddy your safe now…” I tried to communicate with it but it wasn’t responding, “Just stay with me buddy, just stay with me.” 

I began to examine the damage, and this griffon was really in bad shape. It had cuts on its right wing, back, arm, and on its face above its left eye. Also, it had multiple bruises all over its body. I noticed that it closed its eyes, so I checked its neck for a pulse. When I felt one, I sighed in relief. 

“Daniel, the other griffon is dead.” Jordan said crouching next to me.

“This one is still alive, but not for long. It needs medical attention.” I said, trying to find any other wounds of concern. 

Jordan began digging through our packs to gather all our medical equipment. ‘Don’t worry buddy, we’re not going to let you die.’ 




Setting up camp


It took us a couple of hours and a hell of a lot of materials to patch the griffon up. It lost quite a bit of blood, but not enough to be fatal. It hadn’t woken up yet, but its heart rate and breathing was normal. I figured it will be fine for the time being. The other griffon was not so lucky. It had a gaping hole on his chest and shoulder. It was dead before we even got here, and, if it were still alive, it would have been beyond help. I can’t say much about the three other creatures. When we tried to examine them, they began to disintegrate to ash, leaving black spots where they lay. It was quite disturbing, but at least we didn’t have to deal with the bodies. 


Knowing that the situation is under control, I begin to marvel that we had encountered a creative from Greek mythology, and I had the chance to treat it. I never would have thought I would do this in any of my years, and I’m sure my friends would have thought the same. Seeing their equipment, I could tell they were intelligent. It would have taken some skill to make that armor and weaponry. However, I still had no indication of language. The genders are still unknown to me as well, and I don’t feel comfortable to go under to check. I’m sure it wouldn’t be happy about that. 

“Alright, let’s clean this place up, and we’ll set up camp here.” I said.

Taphy tried to clean out the blood, and I called Jordan to help me with the other griffon. Its armor was damaged but still useable, and it’s also possible to repair it. I asked Jordan to help me remove it. 

“You sure that’s a good idea?” he asked me, questioning such actions. 

“We’ll just give it to the other one, or give it back to its family…” I said, justifying my actions, “tHis armor to bulky for us to use, but we can’t just leave it here to rust either.” 

Luckily, the griffon wasn’t too heavy for one of us to lift him, and the armor’s straps were easy to remove. All it had was a breast plate, guessing it wasn’t planning for a fight. It wasn’t right to just leave the body; so we buried it. We marked the burial spot in case the family wanted the body. 


We returned to the clearing, carrying the armor with us. Most of the blood has already been cleared out, and Taphy had already started setting up one of the tents. 

“Taphy, why can’t you work this hard all the time?” I said jokingly.

He just gave me his annoyed look, making me chuckle a bit. 

“Anyway, how’s our special guest doing?” I said unpacking another tent. 

“It hasn’t woken up yet, but I was wondering. What are we going to do, when it does?” he responded. 

“We’ll just give it water, food, and some space. It’s been through a long day so let’s just let it recuperate.” I answered. 


We finished setting up the tents, and the sun is already going down. We then checked our inventory: couple of flares, strands of rope, one medical pack, not a lot of ammunition, flash lights, climbing gear, and two days worth of food and water if rationed. 

“It’s not much, but it will have to do…” I said after I finished counting stock, “Let’s get a fire going and make us some dinner. I don’t want to face a griffon with an empty stomach.” 

‘Let’s hope it likes quick meal soup.’ Starting the fire took some time. Oak tends to be hard to light, but the results are worth the effort. Before we started cooking, I decided to place the griffon inside one of the tents. Luckily, the tent was large enough for it; so we gently placed it inside.


Quick meals do live up to their name, but they sure do taste kind of bland. We decided on making beef stew, but it’s just liquid that has a beef like flavor to it. However, we had a long day, and we were starving. That beef stew smelled quite good. We all had bowls to serve ourselves. I decided to grab two extra bowls to fill up with stew and water, to give it to the griffon. I filled up the bowls and went for the tent. I decided to just lay them next to it, hoping it won’t tip them over. I entered inside the tent, only to stop in my tracks. It was awake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilda 


I begin to wake up from the faint smell of food. My body ached and my head felt like someone placed a bucket on it and started hitting it with a hammer. Yet, I’m still alive and that’s a good thing, I think. As I regained my senses, I examined myself and the things around me. To my surprise, my wounds were already treated and bandaged up, and I was in what looks like a tent. I tried to recall the events that happened. The last thing I remembered was that one of those creatures had me by the neck and was about to kill me. Then its head suddenly exploded, dropping me as it fell. The other creature was also brought down somehow. Then three more creatures came out, but they looked different. I could hear crackling of a fire outside my tent. ‘Is this a campsite, who or what took me in?’ I then heard something coming towards me. I braced myself for what was coming.


I was paralyzed in what I was looking at. It had a similar shape as the creatures, but its looks were completely different. For one, it had a face; complete with a mouth, two eyes, and, I think, its version of a nose. It had a patch of black fur on its head, and, instead of black, it had tanned skin. It had clothing from the shoulders all the way down to its legs. The top half was white with red patches and blue stripes, and the bottom half was mostly blue. It was holding two silver bowls. The last thing I noticed was that it was looking right at me. 


We stared at each other for a couple of seconds, not knowing whether to attack or to flee. 

“Uh, don’t worry, it’s alright, I’m not here to hurt you;” It said trying to sound friendly, “I’m just here to give you some food and water.”  

It placed the bowls in front of the tent. One of them contained water and the other looks like soup. I wasn’t scared but amazed. This creature knows how to speak equestrian. 

“Ok, I’ll be going now.” It said, walking out of the tent slowly. 


I couldn’t say anything. My mind was filled with disbelief. ‘Did it just give me something to eat and drink; was it the one that treated my wounds, what just happened?’ all these questions and the only answer I got was a rumble in my stomach. I decided to take the items the creature offered me, cautiously testing it. One of the bowls was surly water, but the other bowl tasted like meat stew. Yet, there was none in it. My hunger kept me from questioning it further. 

“Hey Daniel, you alright?” I heard another voice that was different from the creature that came in my tent.

‘Dear Celestia, there’s more of them?!’ before I begin to freak out, I decided to finish the bowls. I knew I couldn’t escape. I am too injured, and, knowing there is more of them, leaves me lesser chance to escape. ‘Well at least these ones seem friendly.’ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel 


‘Well that could have gone better.’ I was hoping we would feed it first, before trying to communicate. The gryphon looked more confused than aggressive, probably just woken up. I knew I had to stay calm and act friendly towards it. It was the best actions I could think of, that probably won’t let things blow up in my face. I’m not sure if it understood what I said. Also, I’m not sure if it would like the soup, but at least it had water. 

“Hey Daniel, you alright?” Jordan asked, having another bowl of soup in his hand. I put my finger on my lips, making a shushing sound. Now I had Jordan’s and Taphy’s attention. I quietly walked up to Jordan to acquire my share of the meal. 

“It’s awake.” I quietly said, accepting the bowl from Jordan. 

They kept quiet, while I made my way to sit down. I found a comfortable spot in the grass near the fire and sat down. 

“So?” Taphy asked, wanting to know how it went. 

I took a spoonful before I answered. 

“Nothing really happened, probably to tired or confused to do anything…” I said, taking another sip of my soup, “It just kept its eyes on me.” 

We continued to eat our dinner trying to stay quiet so we don’t frighten the gryphon. 

“So, what do we do when it starts doing something?” Taphy asked.

“I highly doubt it. We may have patched it up, but its wounds are still pretty bad…” I responded, having concern for it, “Let’s just make sure it doesn’t hurt itself.” 





It only takes one word


My body doesn’t ache as much anymore, but my wounds still hurt. The soup was not as appetizing for my liking, but I still consumed it. I still felt conflicted though weather to feel grateful or scared. I knew these creatures weren’t here to hurt me. If they were, why would they save me, treat my wounds, or even feed me. When it spoke, its words were kind and gentle, showing no sign of aggression. However, they were able to take out the other two creatures with ease. I didn’t know how, but it is enough to know that they are just as dangerous. 


Here I am, in a tent with two empty bowls, and without a clue of what my saviors are. (GRUMBLE) suddenly, my stomach acted up, telling me that the two bowls weren’t enough. I could still smell the faint scent of the soup outside my tent. After the creature offered me food, I haven’t heard from them since. ‘I have to at least say thanks for saving my life.’ I finally mustered up the courage to confront these creatures. I staked the bowls together and picked it up with my beak. ‘Alright, here I go.’ I took a deep breath and walked out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel


“Man what a night.” I said, looking at the sky.

We already finished eating, and tried to relax ourselves. The night sky was illuminated by multiple stars and a majestic moon. The air was filled with the smell of burned oak, and the sounds of the campfire were relaxing. The night was calming, but we still kept our weapons close. We were extremely low on ammo. Jordan only had eight rounds, Taphy had fourteen, and I had forty nine for my MP5. We knew if we don’t find any ammo soon, we will have to find different weapons to defend ourselves. We decided to use our guns for emergency situations only. 


I heard a bit of shuffling from one of the tents, and turn to see the gryphon come out of its tent. It had the bowls in its beak, and was walking slowly towards us. It looked nervous, but I find it kind of cute. I decided not to move; so I won’t scare it off. Luckily, my friends did the same. We quietly watched it find a spot near the campfire and sat down, placing the bowls on the ground. ‘At least it likes the soup.’ We all sat there in silence, waiting to see who would break it. I decided to clear my throat, breaking the ice. 

“Well, glad you can join us…” I said, “I hope you enjoyed your soup.” 

I didn’t know if it understood me, but I continued, trying to sound as friendly as possible. 

“I didn’t expect you to come out so early.” (GRUMBLE) I was going to say something else before the sound of the gryphon’s stomach interrupted. 

The gryphon began to blush with embarrassment. Chuckling, I didn’t really think it can do that, but I’ll be lying if I didn’t find it adorable. 

“Well, I guess that explains why you came out. Let me just get your bowl and I’ll give you some more.” I said, slowly reaching for its bowl. 

It didn’t shy away from my reach. I gave the bowl to Jordan so he could fill it up. After doing so, he gave it back to me, and I placed it in front of the gryphon. 

“There you go, enjoy.” I said as I went back to my spot. 

“Thanks.” It said.

“No prob-“ I stopped mid-sentence to realize that the gryphon just spoke. “What did you say?” I asked, with a confused look on my face.

I knew exactly what it said, but I wanted to see it talk this time. 

“Um, thanks.” It answered, scratching the back of its head in embarrassment. 


‘Well I guess reality and reason got together and decided to ditch out, because there’s a mythical gryphon talking to me.’ my mind was blown. It was already exciting enough to know such a creature exist, but for it to be able to communicate in English was outstanding. 

“Oh, well your welcome.” I finally said, trying to keep myself from losing it. 

Going back to my spot, I took a glance at my friends. Jordan sat there with his eyes wide open, and Taphy had his mouth opened and eyebrows wrinkled. We were all taken aback by the speech. I noticed that its tone was high pitched; so I’m guessing it’s a female. She also gave me hope for my plan. 


We patiently waited for her to eat her soup. I had no idea how she was able to eat with that beak. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you?” she asked in between gulps. 

“Oh, where are my manners, let me introduce myself…” I said politely, “My name is Daniel, and these are my friends Jordan and Taphy.” 

My friends said their hellos, after I called their names. 

“And to answer your question, we are humans.” I ended.

“Humans?” she looked at me with a confused look.

“I take it, you haven’t heard of a human before.” I said, assuming our existence in this world is close to none. 

“Well all I know is that humans only exist as myths or in fairy tales.” She answered. 

“Hahaha, you know, I would have said the same thing about your kind, who knew.” I said, laughing at the irony of it.


I would say that the ice was officially broken. I was able to get her to chuckle. I’m sure these myths about our race would be interesting to hear, but I’ll save that for another time. 

“So what’s your name?” I asked. 

“The names Gilda.” She answered.

‘Hm, the name sounds familiar.’ I knew if we’re able to befriend the gryphon, we’ll be able to get an upper hand on the locals and a possible guide in our journey. 

“Hey what kind of soup is this anyway…” she asked, “It smells and taste like there should be meat in here, but I don’t see any.” 

“This is what we call a quick meal, and yes it taste like beef stew. Yet, it’s just liquid, and the reason that it taste like that is because it contains some spices that make it taste that way.” I responded. 

“Oh well thanks for letting me have some.” She said taking more gulps of the soup. 

“Its nothing, you probably need it from what you went through today.” I said with a smile on my face.

I then watched her facial expression turn to a frown, from the memory of past event. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.’

“Hey, it’s alright, your safe now…” I said reassuringly, “You just enjoy that soup ok.”

“Thanks.” She said regaining a little of her smile. 


> ch. 2 part 3: watch duty/ Onward to adventure (end)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Watch duty 


The night was getting late. Even though Gilda was passed out most of the time, she looked as tired as everyone else. 

“Alright, I think it’s about that time to get some shut eye.”I said, yawning a bit.

Gilda yawned as well, and you know what they ‘It's contagious’. 

“Gilda, you can sleep in the same tent you were in before,” I said,” and don’t worry my friends and I will take shifts in keeping watch; so you can sleep well tonight.” 

“Heh, you know what, you guys are alright.” She said, getting up to head to her tent. 


“Well, I think that went rather well.” I said, after Gilda left. 

“To be honest, I still can’t believe that just happened.” Jordan said, while packing up the soup.

Once we finished packing the soup and added more wood to the fire, we began to decide how watch duty is going to work. Fortunately, our watches were still functional; so we decided to switch off by the hour. 

“So who is going first?” I asked. 
We were all tired, and we all wanted our sleep. Therefore, none of us volunteered. 

“Alright, let’s do this the fair way…” I said bringing up my fist, “rock, paper, scissors.”

We brought up our fists and began to chant the words of the game. 

“Rock, paper, scissors, shoe.” 

It ended as a tie with paper; so we tried again. Again, we tied with paper. Now I was getting annoyed. We decided to go at it one more time, and it ended as a tie with rock. 

“Forget it; I’ll take first shift, Jordan you take second, Taphy you take last…” I blurted out in frustration, “Now go to sleep so when the time comes, I can get some sleep.” 

My friends didn’t argue, and they just went to their tents to get some sleep. I found a nice spot near the fire and sat down. I took out my I-phone and earphones, and decide to listen to some music to pass the time. ‘Thank god for apple.’ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GILDA


I was still baffled by what just transpired, but I’m glad to know that their friendly. My saviors are supposedly humans, but their nothing like the stories describe them. The one who I met first was named Daniel, and I was guessing he was the leader of the group. The other two, Jordan and Taphy, had the same body form, but they had different features. They were darker in skin tone, and their personalities were different. None of them were anything like those creatures that attacked me. I didn’t ask about them, but I’ll ask about it tomorrow. 


I yawned a bit, feeling the exhaustion taking effect on my body. Wanting to see what the humans were doing, I took a peek out of my tent. The humans were gathered in a circle, and they were doing something, shaking their fists up and down. Feeling too tired to continue watching, I went back inside my tent. ‘These humans are kind of weird.’ I padded down the blanket, and then laid down. 


I began to think about the items they carry. They had knives strapped on their legs, and other than that they had no other weapons. However, Daniel was carrying something that looked alien to me. It was black with shades of grey, it was metallic in texture, but it wasn’t sharp. If it were a weapon, I had no idea how it works. Whatever it does it must be powerful, remembering how the creatures went down by some unknown force. The other item they carry was some sort of straps on their wrist. It had circular glass on top. ‘I’m going to have a lot of questions for these humans tomorrow.’ 


I yawned once again and felt my eyes getting heavy. Even after the life threatening situation I went through, I wasn’t scared. For some reason, I felt safe around these humans. When Daniel told me that I was safe, I felt like I could trust him. His words were sincere, and I could tell through his eyes that he wasn’t lying. With that thought in mind, I began to drift off to sleep. 





Onward to adventure


The sun was shining bright in the sky, and a few clouds are spread out through the blue canvas. ‘Man what a beautiful morning.’ Gilda hasn’t woken up from her sleep yet; so we decided to leave her be till she does. While I sent Taphy out to collect more water, Jordan and I were packing up the tents. The night shift routine went quite well. Fortunately, there were no unwanted visitors, and we were all able to get enough sleep. During my shifts, I couldn’t help but think about the situation we are in. we were in a world that is not our own, our kind doesn’t exist apart from myth and legends, and to top it off we have no idea how to get home. My friends didn’t say anything about it, but I’m sure they thought about it. Sooner or later, they are going to bring it up. ‘(sigh) I’ve lead us up a creek without a paddle and there is no possible way to make a U-turn.’


“(yawn) You guys up already.” Gilda said, while coming out of her tent. 

“Good morning to you to Gilda…” I said, while strapping the rolled up tent to the backpack, “I’m guessing you’re not much of an early bird huh?” 

I chuckled a little at my intended pun. 

“Ha ha, no I’m usually up early in the morning,” she said, scuffing off my joke,” but I guess I was a lot more exhausted then I thought.” 

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t blame you…” I said, “Anyway how your wounds feeling?” 

“A lot better, but I’m still a little sore though. It’s nothing I can’t handle.” She responded.

It’s good to hear that she’s doing better, but I’m probably going to have to change some of those bandages. 

“So what’s for breakfast?” she asked me.

“Yo Jordan, what do we have for breakfast?” I asked not knowing myself.

He began digging through his pack for our requested meal. 

“We have a couple of strawberry Granola bars.” He said bringing one out to show me. 

‘Of course.’ He threw two at me and grabbed one for himself.


I opened one up for Gilda and grabbed a canteen of water. 

“Here you go…” I said, giving her the bar and canteen, “I know it doesn’t look like much, but it’ll do the job.” 

She thanked me and took the items. She looked at it curiously, before taking a bite. Noticing that it’s a bit dry, she took a couple of gulps from the canteen. 

“So where is your other friend, Taphy is it?” she asked, after taking another bite.

“Oh, he’s off getting some water. He’ll be back soon.” I answered. 

Not long after she asked, I hear a couple of clanks from multiple canteens, signaling his arrival. 

“I got the water guys.” He said, holding multiple canteens of water. 

“Hey Taphy, catch!” Jordan yelled, throwing a granola bar. 

Taphy tried to catch it. However, he had too many canteens and no room for the bar. 

“Oh snap!” he yelled in desperation, trying to catch the bar and dropping the canteens at the same time. 


When Taphy had the bar in his hand, he had already dropped most of the canteens. ‘At least they were closed.’ We all began to laugh, while Taphy just looked at us with an annoyed expression. 

“Oh Taphy, you just make things to easy.” I said, while wiping a tear from laughing to hard. 
After that fiasco, I decided to take out the med kit, to get started on replacing Gilda’s bandages.

“Alright, let’s take a look at those wounds…” I said kneeling in front of her, “Can I please have your right arm.” 

After removing the bandage, it had some stitches where the wound was, and the fur was a bit messy from the blood.

“Do you know what those things were that attacked me?” she asked, while I was cleaning her arm with water, alcohol, and cloths.

“Sorry your guess is as good as ours…” I said while wrapping her arm with new bandages, “Their bodies disintegrated before we could take a good look at them.” 

“Disintegrated?” she said confusingly.

“Yup, melted away like butter on a hot pan.” I said, going for the wound on her back next.


After patching up her back, I went for her wing. I would say that it was the worst of the wounds she had, and the hardest to treat. The wound was deep, and it will impede her from flying. After washing off the blood with water, I began to dab it with alcohol. 

“Ouch! That hurts.” She yelled.

“Sorry, should have warned ya ahead of time.” I said, apologizing for my lack of communication.

She continued to wince from the dabs of alcohol, and under consideration I tried to be quick about it. 

“What are you going to do now?” she asked, probably trying to ignore the pain. 

“I was going to ask you about that. What’s the closest town from here?” I asked while wrapping up her wing. 

“Leafwood Village, it’s down a mountain pass that leads into this forest.” She responded. 

“Than that’s where we’re going. So how far is Leafwood from here?” I asked.

“Not long, if we were flying, but seeing that you don’t have wings and mine are badly beaten to fly any time soon. It will take at least two days time to get there.” 

It was our luck that we had enough supplies to make the journey.

“Then I guess we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.” I said, finishing up with the wound on her head.


We finished breakfast and packed up the campsite. Also, I’ve gotten Gilda to pinpoint where we were on the map, and indicate which route we were going to take.

“Alight guys, gather around…” I said getting everyone’s attention, “Here’s the plan. It’s pretty obvious we’re not in Kansas anymore. However, Gilda was generous enough to offer us her assistance to be our guide. Our first destination will be Leafwood Village, about two days from here. Let’s try to get there without any trouble. Once there, we’ll get our supplies and decide our next move. Any questions?”

Everyone stayed quiet, indicating that they had none. 

“Good, Gilda, if you may be so kind, lead the way.” I ended. 

We began our journey to Leafwood Village. 


> chapter 3 the village part 1: Learning the mythos/ the under-toll booth/ under-toll to under-brawl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Learning the mythos 


I was pretty glad we were able to gain a guide so early in our journey. However, I would have wished it were under better circumstances. We needed her to be able to get an upper hand with the locals and to give us direction. She needed us, most likely, for protection, because of her vulnerable state. The things that attacked her were unknown to us, but they did remind me about the portraits we seen in the castle. The portrait seemed to have portrayed some kind of war against these creatures, but Gilda said she’d never seen such creatures before. The portraits must be images of the past. I knew they weren’t portraying the future, because there were multiple humans in them and only three of us. I’m guessing that those events happened so long ago, that all records of it had been lost in time. I began to think about the knight Nathaniel, when I remembered about the one human that had a necklace in the portrait. ‘He had a medallion. Could he be the one in the pictures?’ the evidence does seem to match up. ‘Who was that horse that was next to him?’ Nathanial was the one who could have told me about these past events. ‘Wait, Gilda said that there are myths about humans.’ 


“Hey Gilda, you said that humans exist only as myth. Mind telling us what those myths are.” I asked.

“Well, there’s not much to say.” She said, trying to remember the tales she had heard, “humans existed a very long time ago, but suddenly disappeared somehow. There was no found evidence that they truly existed, but it is said that they are dangerous and chaotic.” 

This vague image of humanity was quite interesting and somewhat true. Humanity does have the ability to create chaos, but we also have the ability to bring order and stability. With our understanding of right or wrong, we tend to balance ourselves in the matter. 

“So do you think we are?” I asked.

“Are what?” 

“Chaotic.” 

“Well I haven’t really known you for very long, but, as far as I can tell, you’re not so bad. After all, you did save my life.” She answered.

“It was a pleasure.” I said, with a smile. 

She laughed a bit from my gesture. 

“Hey, you said where you come from I’m considered a myth to, care to tell?” she asked, curious at what I had to say. 

“Hmm, where do I start? Griffons are considered creature of nobility and majesty. They are also considered as guardians of the divine or priceless treasures.” I said trying to recall what I know.

“It is said that they have healing abilities with their feathers or talons.” Jordan added. 

“Anyway, carvings, portraits, and sculptures of griffons were dated back to ancient times, but any evidence found for these creatures were either false or misinterpreted.” I ended. 

“Wow, I… I don’t even know what to say about that.” She exclaimed. 

The view on humanity is quite, concurringly negative. ‘This could make conversations pretty awkward.’ I decided to change the subject.

“Hey, since we are going to be acquainted, mind telling us more about yourself?” I asked. 

“Well, if you really want to know, I was born in the city of Highfeather, but I was raised for sometime of my cub life in Cloudsdale.” She answered.

It suddenly hit me. The mention of Cloudsdale, and the fact that her name sounded familiar was beginning to stitch together. ‘Holy sh#t, no wonder her name sounded familiar, she’s Gilda from that show.’ Memories of the show began flooding in, and the one episode she was in as well. She was supposedly childhood friends with a Pegasus named Rainbow Dash, but they had a bit of a disagreement about Dash’s friends and broke up. I knew there was more to that episode, but I was trying to keep myself from proclaiming my knowledge to the world.

“I came from a rich family, and we are placed in high esteem…” she continued, “I had considerable training in the military, and I was best in class.”


Hearing about her background was intriguing, but she didn’t give many details about it. ‘A military type huh.’ I picked up the pride in those words. 

“So let me get this straight. You’re from a family of nobles and was given the opportunity to train in the military without actually joining.” I said, putting things in simpler terms. 

“Well, I guess you can say that…” she said, sounding a bit unsure about my details,” So what about you guys.” 

“My friends and I were raised in the state called Florida. I could also safely say that we were all brought up in humble, moderate wealthy families. Jordan and I also trained in the military, but we served our years. During that time, Taphy went for college to study- uh.” I stopped, trying to remember what he went for. 

“Business management and tech engineering!” Taphy blurted out.

“Oh, well he was quite successful. When we finished our service and Taphy’s career was stable, we all met up and decided to start exploring the world.” I finished.


I’m sure Gilda was impressed, because I knew I would be. A life of adventure and excitement is a good one, especially with friends. 

“Wow, you guys sound pretty cool.” She said, with a hint of jealousy.

“Heh, I guess we are…” I said, “hey what were you doing out here anyway?” 

There was a bit of a pause before she answered, probably trying to think of what she wants to say?

“I usually come here to relax. Whenever I feel stressed or if I want get away from things, I come here, like a vacation spot…” she finally said,” but this vacation trip went down the drain.” 

I laughed at her last gesture, but I’m sure she wasn’t as amused as I was. ‘We all had those days.’ 


We continued our trek, taking breaks now and then. The sun was beginning to go down; so I decided to call it a day and make camp. We made the tents, started the fire, and began to boil another batch of quick meal soup. I began to think back on our trip so far, while waiting for the soup to finish. The wildlife here is no different from back on earth. You have your birds, squirrels, and raccoons, but their textures looked a bit generic. Gilda told us that the forest was called Leafwood because of the consistency of it being lush and rich. The place is supposedly protected from settlements, making it a treasure to the country. I wouldn’t blame them, for it is everything they praise it to be. 

“Soups ready everyone.” Jordan said, after tasting it. 

We all grabbed our bowls and acquired our share of the soup. We all sat in our respective corners near the fire and enjoyed our meal. I noticed that Gilda was looking at my MP5, again. She’s been eyeing it now and then, during our trip. I decided to indulge in her curiosity. 

“I couldn’t help but notice that you want to know what this is.” I said, grabbing my weapon and placing it in view. 

“I know it’s a weapon, and I’ve seen what it could do…” she said, examining my weapon,” but I can’t put a claw on how it works.” 

“Well you are right, that it is a weapon. It is a range weapon that is capable of shooting projectiles called bullets…” I said, explaining the parts of the gun,” it shoots it in such a high velocity, that it can be able to pierce through its target. There are many versions of these weapons in our world, with many different capabilities, but its main purpose is to kill or destroy. Like any other weapon, it must be used with care and responsibility.” 

I tried to emphasize the dangers of such weapons. 


Her fascination for my weapon was not lessening by my warning. 

“I’ve never heard of such a weapon.” She exclaimed, acknowledging its capabilities. 

“For what I can put together, our world is a lot more technologically advance then yours.” I explained.

“Well you don’t have to rub it in.” she ended.

I chuckled a bit and continued to enjoy our soup. Once we finished our dinner, we decided to do the same routine as last night. 


I took first shift again, giving me some time alone to think. Apparently, we’re in a world of a kids cartoon, and our guide is an actual character from the show. I didn’t know how to explain this to my friends, but I believed it was best to keep my knowledge from the locals. I pulled out my I-Phone and began to listen to music. While I was trying to remember what I can from the show, I noticed that the battery on my device hasn’t changed since we got here. The battery should be close to dead by now. It then hit me. One of the biggest things in this world, that ours doesn’t have, is magic. Maybe magic flows here like a natural energy source. I began to think if humans are even capable of wielding magic, but there is no magic in our world; so there’s no real way of knowing. However, if we can, the possibilities could be endless. ‘This trip just got more interesting.’ 




The under-toll booth 

‘These humans are a lot more then I originally expected.’ Hearing about their advance weaponry, had left me in awe. Our latest advancement can’t even match such weaponry. I can’t even imagine what else these humans have in their world. However Daniel was quite serious about the dangers of such weaponry. I wanted to know more, but I decided to leave it for another time. Based on how close we were to the mountains, we were getting close to the underpass that leads into the village. Daniel told me to warn him ahead of time, when we’re getting to it. 

“Hey Daniel, we are about an hour or so before we reach the underpass.” I said, informing him of our destination.

“Good to know, alright guys hold up…” he said, holding us up to dig in his bag, “knowing that humans have kind of a bad rap, I think it’s best to try to keep our identities hidden.” 

He brought out a tent cover and began making knots, turning it into a makeshift cloak. 

“Subtle, no one’s ever going to suspect the strange cloaked creature in any way.” I said sarcastically.

“Hey, the best course of action for these kind of scenarios is to lay low…” he retorted,” we’ll be the center of attention either way so might as well keep them guessing.” 

Daniel’s friends took out their tent sheets and made make shift cloaks of their own. 

“Hey, do you think you can make one for me?” I asked, feeling I should need one.

“Oh, now you’re starting to like the idea, huh. Why?” he said, demanding motives.

“A wounded griffon won’t look good for publicity and we griffons have a reputation to keep.” I answered.

He paused for a bit, stroking his chin in thought.

“Fair enough, I’ll bite.” He finally said.

He asked Jordan to make a cloak for my size. I silently sighed in relief. I knew, that he knows, it was more to it than just reputation. Honestly, I don’t wish to let the other griffons know that I’m their princess. Such news could bring unwanted attention. However, there was one griffon I was able to trust with my identity. 


His name was Handel or Hans for short. He owns “Oak Taverns” in the village, working as the keeper. He was really the only one who understood my plight. If there was any griffon I could talk to, it was him. I met him, when I ran away for the first time. I was going through a lot and I just wanted to get away from it all. When I came to the village, he found out who I was, but he didn’t turn me in. instead, he took care of me, and convinced me to return. He said if I did, he promised that if I ever wanted to get away. He’d be happy to offer his services, will be willing to listen to what I had to say, and give the best advice he could. He’d been my get away ever since, and a good friend. 

“There you go…” Daniel said, holding up a makeshift cloak,” it should be large enough.” 

He gave me the cloak and I wrapped it around me. It was a perfect fit, covering my wounded body. I thanked him and we continued on. The underpass was used by few, but it is close to abandoned now. Now and days griffons just fly over the mountains to get in and out of the forest. Within time, the guards had stopped patrolling around that area. It was deemed a waste of time, and was encouraged to not use the route. We should be able to travel freely without any problems. At least, that’s what I’d hoped. An unguarded passage way leaves opportunity to unwanted occupancy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel


We were approaching the entrance to the mountain underpass. It was a natural trail that paved between the mountains. The road, that leads in-between the mountains, is littered by debris of rocks that come from the mountain tops. Gilda told us that, once we get this far, we are only but a few hours to Leafwood village. She’s also told us that the route was technically abandoned, due to their ability of flight, which means we shouldn’t encounter any griffons along the way. Yet, why do I feel like we’re not alone here? The place did look abandoned and quiet; a little too quiet. Looking at the rock formations from above, I noticed a faint shadow that disappeared behind the rocks. I instantly moved my hand to the side, preventing Gilda and my friends to go any further. 

“What, what is it?” Gilda asked, confused by my actions.

“We’re not alone.” I said, bringing my hand back towards me. 


“Perceptive aren’t ya.” A voice irrupted behind one of the rocks, revealing a griffon.

I could tell he was male out right based on his tone of voice. His coat was of a dark brown, and his feathers were grey. He was wearing what looks like leather armor and helm. He was armed with dual swords crossed on his back. The last thing I noticed was that he wasn’t alone. As soon as he revealed himself, other griffons began to appear from their hiding spots. They all had similar leather armor, but they had a variety of weapons, from swords, axes, and spears. They even had griffons with crossbows, taking their positions on the high edges of the mountain. 

“Hello travelers and may I say isn’t it a wonderful day we’re having.” He said, having a smug face. 

I could already tell he was bad news, just by his expression alone. 

“Be careful, these guys are bandits, and they are nothing but trouble.” Gilda said, warning us of their possible mischief.

“Now,  now ma'am we are just honest griffons who thought that keeping these roads safe would bold well for our services…” the griffon said, with a sly tone,” unfortunately, such services do not come cheap, and so we must collect fees from all those who wish to use this path; griffons and non.” 

After he mentioned the cost of their gracious services, all the other griffons begin to laugh maniacally. I could already tell where this is going. This was going to go out in two ways. Either we’re going to surrender all our belongings, which isn’t going to happen, or we’re going to have a brawl with a couple of bandits. 

“So what’s the fee?” I asked in curiosity.

“As always, twenty bits per traveler.” He answered.

From what I remember, bits were golden coins used as currency in Equestria, and it seems to also apply to this nation as well.

“Sorry to say, but we’re kind of broke when it comes to bits.” I said, knowing this information won’t change our situation.

“Well that is quite unfortunate,” he said, walking up towards me,” but I’m sure we can reach to an agreement.” 

Once he reached me, he pulled out one of his swords, confirming that we’re not getting out of this easily. 

“Let's see what in the bag.” He demanded.

I stayed quiet, ignoring his request, and I could tell he was quite upset about it.

“I’m not going to say this again…” he said, reaching for one on my straps of my backpack,” give me the ba-“ 

Before he could finish, I grabbed his claw and twisted it, making him yell in pain. I then gripped on his chest armor and pulled him in, giving him a knee to the stomach. I then threw him back towards the rest of his goons, making him slide on the ground. Seeing that I wasn’t bombarded with arrows, I must have left the other griffons stunned by what I did. 

“You’ll pay for that…” the griffon growled, pushing himself up,” what are you bird brains standing around for, GET THEM!”




Under-toll to under-brawl 


We began to split up so we won’t be such open targets for their crossbows, and to force the griffons to split their numbers. After dodging a few arrows, I see two griffons charging towards me; one armed with a sword and the other a mace. The one with the sword tried to strike me multiple times, but I manage to sway away from his slashes. When he tried to slash me on the side, I grabbed his arm, and punched his neck, stunning him. I then kicked the one with the mace, who was trying to attack from behind. I then gripped both my hands on the griffon I stunned, and threw him at the one with the mace, knocking them both to the ground. I turn to see another griffon, trying to slash me from above. I then grabbed his arm, and then used his momentum to drive his arm to my shoulder, hearing the snap of his arm as it bends in a way it shouldn’t. After his shriek, I threw him to the ground and left him to contemplate his broken arm. 


I begin to look around to see how everyone else is doing. Jordan was being attacked by two other griffons. They try to attack at the same time, but he quickly intercepted one of them. He grabbed the griffon’s sword arm and threw an upper cut, dazing him. Then he used his sword that’s still in his grip to block the other griffon's attack. He then proceeded to kick the griffon away, and elbowed the one he was holding in the stomach. He then swung his elbow towards the griffons head, knocking him out. The griffon he kicked tried to swing at him again. He dodged his attack by ducking to the ground. He then spun around sticking out his leg to trip the griffon to the ground. Once the griffon hit the ground, he quickly slammed his elbow, using the momentum of his spin to boost the impact. Seeing that he was doing well, I continued to look around. 


I see Gilda holding out, using her sword. She blocked many of her attacker’s swings, showing her skills gained in her training. One of the griffons tried to swing at her once more, but she blocked it and guided it to the ground. She then slid her sword towards the griffon’s arm, cutting it. The attack forced the griffon to drop his sword, disarming him. She then punched him, knocking him down. She then went for her next opponent. She attacked first with great ferocity, giving her opponent a hard to defend himself. ‘If she fights this well when injured, I could only imagine when she’s at her prime.’ I then searched for the last one in our company.


Taphy isn’t exactly the best fighter out of all of us. He still has some skill as a fighter, or at least has the knack for dodging hits. A griffon furiously tries to slash at him, while he ducks, jukes, and leans away. Eventually, he backed himself into a tree, giving the griffon the opportunity to strike at him again. When he swung at him, Taphy ducked, making the griffon drive his sword into the trunk of the tree. He tried to pull it back, but it was stuck. Seeing this, Taphy threw a heavy uppercut, knocking the griffon out cold. 

“Yeah, what, what!” Taphy yelled, celebrating his victory. 

However, it was short lived, when a griffon came from behind him and started to strangle him with a spear. I decided to take the initiative to help him. I ran up to them and grabbed the griffon on the back, making him let go of his spear in surprise. I then threw him hard onto a tree, and watch him comically slid down the trunk. I turn to see three more griffons angrily charge at us. 


Taphy and I decided to team up on this round. I quickly dodged the first griffon entirely, making him an open target so Taphy could lay an easy hit. I then dodged the slash of the second griffon, and punched him in the stomach, making my way for the third. I dodged two slashes, putting myself to his side. I then gave him a four hit combo, throwing the last hit to his head. The griffon that I punched in the stomach came at me again. As he swung at me, I grabbed his sword arm, and punched him in the face, dazing him. 

“Taphy!” I yelled, as I threw the griffon towards him. 

Taphy threw a left punch, and, with the momentum of my throw, the griffon went straight to the ground. 

“Nice.” I said, congratulating on our team work.

“Daniel, behind you!” Taphy yelled. 


I turn to see a griffon, who’s already on my heals. Before I could react, the griffon gripped his claws on my neck, chocking me. I grabbed his arm, struggling in his grip, as his talons dug into my neck. During my struggle, I spotted a griffon with a crossbow in the sky, pointing it right at me. In reaction, I kicked the griffon in the knee, making him loose his balance. After the griffon in the sky shot his arrow, I dragged the griffon in the way, to act as my shield. Once the griffon was hit, his grip on my neck wayed as he slowly fell to the ground. Seeing that his arrow didn’t meet the right mark, the other griffon desperately tried to reload his crossbow. Before he could take his second shot, I quickly took out my knife, and threw it at him. Unlike his arrow, my knife made its mark, hitting him in the chest. He flunked to the ground, making one less bandit to worry about. 


“Retreat!” yelled the griffon that we first encountered. 

Those who were left flew away. Some of them were carrying their wounded, leaving us with only their dead. 

“Yeah you better run!” Gilda yelled out.

Once the griffons were out of sight, I went to the griffon, which had my knife stuck in his chest. After I acquired the knife, I turn to examine the area. There were only a few dead griffons, and many discarded weapons in the area. Jordan was going to body to body, to see if they were really dead. Taphy was holding one of the swords examining it, giving it a few swings. Gilda was going through one of the dead bodies, probably trying to find anything of value. 


“Well this wasn’t exactly what I meant by laying low.” I said, knowing that we’re going to have to watch out for vengeful bandits. 

“No, but you guys sure did show those punks who’s boss…” Gilda said, congratulating on our success, “I’ve never seen such fighting before. I have to say you guys got some moves.” 

“Yeah well, even though our generation of military is focused on ranged weapons, melee combat is still essential, teaching their soldiers martial arts…” I told Gilda, indulging her with insight of our military,” those who excel would be moved up in more advance combat. The fighting style is known as Pencak Silat; a very deadly and effective way of fighting. However, this fighting style is rare and difficult; so they could only teach us the basics, but it’s enough to bring anyone down. Afterwards we were given a chance to learn more in melee. I decided to learn the art of Capoeira, a Brazilian fighting style. Jordan tried to continue learning Silat.” 
While I was talking, we were all searching through the bodies trying to find anything of value.

“So how did Taphy learn how to fight?” Gilda asked, knowing that Taphy wasn’t in the military.

“When Jordan and I finished our military career, we thought it will be great to take some martial arts so we could bond and give him some encouragement.” I answered.

“Ah-huh right, all you guys wanted to do was beat the crap out of me.” Taphy exclaimed, giving an idea of how his training went.

“And that to.” 


We finished checking everybody, and we were able to acquire, that was of value, were a couple of bits. Their weapons probably had some value, but there was no way to carry them without slowing us down. We decided it was best to leave them be. We placed the bits within a pouch, that we found, and allowed Gilda to hold on to it. Once everyone was ready, we headed into the underpass. I was eager to get to the village, and I’m sure everyone else felt the same. 

> ch. 3 part 2: Oak taverns/ Hans story (Flashback)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Oak taverns 


After an hour or so of walking, we finally reached Leafwood village. It’s a small village and was filled with humbled griffons, trying to make a living. All of the buildings were made of the oak wood from Leafwood forest. The streets were occupied with a couple of griffons and a few trading carts. "Oak Taverns" was in the center of the town, acting as the village’s place of social interaction and to gain outside news when travelers come by. It’s also an inn for travelers who wish to spend the night.


“Looks like a nice enough town.” Daniel said; probably glad to find rest from our trip.

“"Oak Taverns" is in the center of town…” I said. Informing my human companions,” we could head straight there, if you guys want.” 

“I think that would be best.” Daniel said.

“Yeah, and my feet are killing me.” Taphy added.

Even though the trek didn’t take that long, the fight with the bandits really took a lot out of us. I’m sure the comforts of the tavern would be a nice change. 

“Alright, I wanted to see a friend their anyway.” I ended, wishing to see Hans.

We then headed into town.


The town’s folk had given us many looks of curiosity. Even with the cloaks to hide their identity, their forms are still strange to the inhabitants. We were trying to reach the tavern as fast as possible, without attracting more attention to ourselves. Luckily we haven’t encountered any confrontations among the locals. When we made it to the tavern, it was already late in the afternoon, meaning that the tavern should be occupied. We entered to see the tavern to be occupied with many griffons. Many were too busy drinking and conversing to notice us and those who did paid no mind. The atmosphere was welcoming, as the sounds of the conversations and bard music filled the tavern. 

“Could you guys sit over there while I go find my friend.” I asked, pointing at an empty table in the corner.

“Yeah sure, take the time you need.” Daniel said.

“Thanks.” 


I went up towards the bar table and took a seat. Hans wasn’t around yet, probably tending to some customers. I begin to wonder what to say to him. A lot had happened from the monsters that attacked me, my new human companions, and the bandits that occupied the underpass. ‘Gilda, how are you going to explain this?’ 

“Sorry to keep you waiting…” I looked up to see Hans cleaning a couple of tankard cups,” what will it be.” 

“Hello to you to Hans.” I said cheerfully.

He immediately stopped what he was doing and looked at me in surprise.

“Gilda, is that you?” he whispered.

Instead of answering him, I moved my hood enough for him to see me face.

“By my beak, if it isn’t my favorite run away…” he said cheerfully, as he continues to clean the cup,” if I knew you were coming, I would have given you a ‘Royal’ welcome.” 

I chuckled a bit from his statement.

“You know how much I don’t like special treatments.” I said.

“Well it’s always good to be prepared.” He stated.


“So what will it be young las?” Hans asked.

“The usual, as always.” I answered.

“A cup of honey mead it is then.” He said, grabbing a clean cup to use for my order. 

As he went off to get my drink, I grabbed the pouch of bits that we collected, and grabbed five bits, which is the usual cost for a drink. 

“Here you go.” He said, sliding the drink towards me.

I gave him the five bits and thanked him. The sweet taste of honey begins to fill my taste buds, as I was drinking my mead. 

“When did you get hurt, las?” Hans asked, with a hint of concern.

He probably had seen the bandages on my arm, when I was drinking.

“That’s what I wanted to talk about…” I said, taking another gulp,” I was traveling through Leafwood forest, when I was ambushed.” 

“By what, bandits?” he asked, while I was talking more sips from my drink.

“No, to be honest, I don’t know what they are…” I said,” they were bipedal creatures, whose skin were as black as night, and had arms that could change into lancers.” 

Hans looked at me with utter confusion, as I was describing my attackers.

“They were fast and had the ability to regenerate minor wounds.” I said, telling what I learned through my encounter.

“I’ve heard of many strange things in my time, but nothing as strange as this.” He exclaimed.

“We didn’t stand a chance. They easily took out my guard and I took a pretty bad beating…” I said, stopping to take another drink,” they were almost going to kill me, but I was saved.”

“By whom?” he asked, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

“I was saved by a group of humans.” I answered.

“Humans, but their only an old myth.” He said confusingly. 

“Well, they’re real, and they saved my life…” I said reassuringly,” they patched up my wounds and gave me something to eat and drink.” 

“Heh, I was wondering who were those strange fellows you came in with. Never would have guessed they were human…” he exclaimed, laughing a bit,” so, what happened after that?” 


I told Hans that, because of my wounds, we made a two day trip to get to the village. I also told him about what I’ve learned from my human companions. I’d mentioned their kindness and hospitality towards me. I told him about the bandits we encountered at the underpass, and how we fought them off.

“It sounds like these past few days were quite eventful,” Hans said,” but I’m not surprised that these bandits decided to occupy themselves in the underpass. A small group of bandits tend to come here now and then to buy supplies or to get drunk.” 

“Why hasn’t anyone report this to the guard?” I asked, surprised of how far the bandits had taken root in the area.

“Because they do not give us a reason to. They do tend to get a bit rowdy, but, as long as they don’t cause any trouble, we don’t pay mind to them. They buy what they want and they leave…” he said,” The guard would not bother themselves for just suspicious characters.” 

“Well, I’m sure their establishment in the underpass will not be taken lightly.” I said, taking the last sips of my drink.

“I’m sure, they have shown restraint, but this incident in the underpass will bring great concern for this village; not to mention these other creatures.” He said. 


Knowing that the bandit establishment here had spread so far, it had brought many questions to mind. ‘How long have they been taking root, right under our beaks?’ 

“Well enough worrying for now…” Hans said, trying to change the subject,” it is getting late, and I’m sure you and your company are in need of rest. There is an open room upstairs you can use; free of charge.” 

His expression changed from seriousness back to his cheerful self. 

“You know I would have argued with you about that, if I wasn’t so tired.” I said, sliding my empty cup towards him.

He grabbed it and placed it under the counter. He went towards one of the back cabinets, where he kept the keys of the rooms. He then came back with the key for the room he offered us.

“Before I give this to you, I wish to have a talk with one of your… companions; Daniel is It.” he said, before giving me the key.

“Sure, I’ll send him over.” I said, grabbing the key.




Hans’ story


We took a seat at a table near the corner of the tavern. Gilda went to see her friend Hans, who is the owner of this establishment. She’s probably going to tell him everything that happened so far, and to try to get us a room. ‘I just hope he’s the optimistic type.’ 

“How you guys holding up?” I asked my friends.

Thanks to our little scuffle at the underpass. Getting to the village took a lot more energy than intended. 

“Alright I guess. I’m a bit tired though.” Jordan said

“Same here.” Taphy said. 

“You know, other than the fact that we are surrounded by griffons, it feels like we’re in a ‘Back to the Future’ special: medieval times.” Jordan joked, making us laugh a bit. 

What Jordan said was kind of true; it sort of does feel like we’re in the medieval ages. However, seeing that this is a forest based village, I’m guessing their trying to keep things traditional. What I remember from the show is that this world does have some sense of technology, but very far behind compared to ours. The one thing the show didn’t reveal much of; were the other races in the world. 


When it comes to griffons, there have only been two in the whole show. Now, seeing all these griffons here gave me a better understanding of their appearance. Other than some being bulkier then others, their looks are quite generic. Their furs and feathers seem to come in colors of tan, black, white, and brown, with many shades of these colors. When they are on all fours, their height only reaches to my chest, but, if I had to guess, they could be two or three inches taller, if they stood on their hind legs. Seeing that no one is paying any attention to us, I decided to tell my friends what I know. 


“Jordan, Taphy, I think there’s something you need to know.” I said, leaning in towards the table. 

Taphy and Jordan did the same, waiting to hear what I had to say. I took another peek around, making sure no one’s ease dropping. 

“I know this sounds crazy, but I believe we’re in a world of a kids show called ‘My Little Pony’. “ I whispered. 
My friends were silent, giving me stone faces. 

“Was that supposed to be a joke.” Jordan said sternly. 

“No no, just hear me out.” I said.

I begin to explain how I came to my conclusion. When I first heard Gilda’s name, it sounded familiar to me. However, I brushed it off, thinking it was nothing. When Gilda was talking about her past, she mentioned a city called Cloudsdale. Then it hit me. Cloudsdale was a major city in the show, and Gilda was in one episode of the show. With these connections, I came to believe that it was more than just coincidence.

“Now, I don’t know how much of the show is true or if any of it is actually relevant.” I added. 

“So, does this mean you know where we are or know anything about this place?” Taphy asked. 

“Not exactly, the show took place in Equestria, and, from what I remember, we’re in Gryphonia…” I answered, “I know close to nothing about this country.” 

“Where is Equestria anyway?” Jordan asked.

“I’m not sure. I’ll have to check the map.” I said. 

“Do you think that’s where we’ll find our way home?” Taphy asked. 

“Again, I don’t know, maybe. Listen let’s try to take things one step at a time. For all I know Equestria could be miles away, maybe even farther.” I ended. 

Jordan leaned back and sighed in exhaustion. Taphy just put his hands over his face, trying to come to grips from what he heard. Now I felt horrible. 

“look, I’m sorry guys…” I said apologetically,” I didn’t mean for things to-“ 

“No, it’s alright…” Jordan said, interrupting me,” there was no way you could have known that we were going to another dimension.” 

Jordan’s understanding was well appreciated, lifting my spirits up a bit. 

“At least we have something to go with, right.” Taphy added. 

“Yeah… but let’s try to keep this information to ourselves. I don’t think we want people to think we’re crazy, telling them their whole lives are a television show.” I suggested.
They both nodded in agreement.


“Hey guys, I got us a room.” I turn to see Gilda, making her way towards us.

“Great, I’m beat.” I said, getting up from my seat. 

“Oh and Daniel, my friend would like to talk to you.” Gilda added. 

“Sure, why not…” I said, “You guys go on ahead. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” 

Gilda went to Jordan and gave him a key, probably to our room. 

“The rooms are in the second floor. You can take the stairs over there…” she said, pointing at a corner where the 
stairs are,” we’re in room four.” 

Jordan thanked her and took the keys, but he paused to look at me. I nodded at him, expressing that I’ll be fine. He nodded back and went off with Taphy. I then followed Gilda to the taverns bar table. Behind it was a griffon, with a grey coat and white feathers. 

“This is him?” he asked, cleaning a tankard cup.

He was examining me with stern eyes, probably guessing my appearance.

“You must be the friend Gilda keeps mentioning…” I said, lifting my hand up for a shake,” the names Daniel.” 

“Hans…” he said, returning the shake,” Gilda told me a lot about ya.” 

I’m glad to know that some greetings are still relevant, or else this would have been quite awkward.

“Sadly, I can’t say the same.” I said.

“Don’t worry about it. It can easily be fixed…” he said, waving his claw with reassurement,” Gilda, I would like to have a one-on-one talk with him, and don’t worry. I’ll send him up when I’m done.” 

“Oh… alright. Don’t go scaring him off.” She said, leaving us to talk.


“Please, have a seat.” He requested. 

I respectfully complied and sat down on the stool. 

“So, how much has Gilda told you about me?” I asked.

“Enough to bring my attention.” He replied.

“So, you already know?” after I said that, his expression became quite serious. 

He didn’t answer me, but I already knew the answer. He placed his cup down and leaned in towards me.

“I don’t know what your motives are, but I promise you. If you ever hurt Gilda in any way, I would hunt you down, rip your limbs off, and feed you to a manticore…” he whispered, meaning every word,” I recommend you heed my warning.” 

His change in attitude and tone took me by surprise. I took a deep breath before I responded. 

“Noted.” 

He then backed away and grabbed another cup to clean.

“If I’m not mistaken, you must really care about her.” I said.

“Yes, I do. I’ve known her when she was a young las…” he said, giving a comforting expression,” she’s a tough 
girl, but she still has much to learn.”

Seeing his change in expression, I know his feelings for her runs deep. His words almost sound like what a mentor would say. 

“So how did you two meet?” I asked. 

He kept cleaning the cup, probably thinking whether or not to tell me. 

“I’d say you’ve earned your right to know.” He finally said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hans
Flashback


“That should be it.” said the griffon merchant.

My order of drinks and food were piled in crates behind the tavern. 

“When will my next shipment come in?” I asked, while paying him the bits I owed.

“In the next five months, if I don’t run into trouble along the way.” The merchant said.

I gave him the rest of the bits, and then he left in his carriage. I began taking the crates one by one into the storage room. 


It’s been two years since I retired from the ‘Black Talons’. I was able to establish a business in Leafwood Village as a tavern owner. When I first brought this building, it was quite a fixer upper. After four weeks of repairs, I was able to get this business going. Thanks to location and the small community, the tavern became quite a hit, becoming the town’s place for social interaction. Being close to Highfeather, I was able to make decent shipment plans. Life as a tavern owner isn’t as exciting as a life of a soldier, but it still feels good to finally settle down. Not to mention, hearing interesting stories and news from travelers near and far. Interesting things happen now and then in this town. 

“Why won’t you guys just buzz off!” 

‘And here comes one now.’ 


I looked over to the other side of the road to see a group of griffons, ganging up on one. 

“Oh, come on girl. We just want to have a bit of fun.” Said one griffon.

I could tell he was drunk, based on the vibe of his voice. 

“I swear, if you dweebs don’t get out of my way, I’ll throttle you!” said a griffon with a cloak.

‘That griffon sounded like a female.’ 

“Playing hard to get, I see. I like that.” The griffon said, walking toward the one with the cloak.

Before he could do anything else, she quickly threw a punch at his face, making him stumble back. 

“Looks like we are going to have to teach you some respect.” He said angrily.

The two other griffons that were with him began to gang up on her. ‘I better get in there before things get out of claw.’ 


“I’m warning you!” she yelled, as they closed in on her. 

“Hey, I suggest you do as she says; if I were you!” I yelled, stopping the griffons in their tracks.

“I suggest you stay out of this gramps.” The griffon said, annoyed by my intrusion.

“This is your last warning lad; turn around and walk away.” I said, giving him a stern look.

“No griffon tells me what to do, especially an old geezer like you!” he yelled, charging at me with blind fury.

I stood my ground, annoyed by his aggressive foolishness. When he threw a punch at me, I quickly leaned to the side and countered him, giving him a heavy punch to the face. He was sent flying back toward the rest of his group. The other two griffons stood there in shock, seeing that he was knocked out unconscious. I decided to take the opportunity.

“You two want to join him.” I said with all seriousness. 

They frantically shock their heads no in response. 

“Then take your friend and walk away.” With that said, they quickly took their friend, and, instead of walking, they hauled it out of here.


Once I knew they were long gone, I went to check on the clocked griffon.

“You alright las?” I asked.

“I’m fine.” She blurted out. 

Her words were harsh, but, within those words, I could also sense a hint of sorrow. She didn’t look at me, but I heard her sniff a bit, trying to hold her tough exterior. 

“You should go home las. It is not safe for a cub to be wondering about at night.” I said sternly. 

She immediately looked at me in pure anger.

“I am not a cub! I could have easily taken on those jerks without your help…” she yelled, while tears were building up in her eyes, “I don’t need anyone’s help.” 

Before I could say anything, I heard the sound of thunder in the distance, telling me it’s going to rain soon.

“Looks like theirs a storm coming. I own the tavern over there. You can stay inside till the rain is done, unless 
you don’t mind getting soaked by the rain.” I said, walking back to the tavern.

She was hesitant at first, but she came around. 


The storm came by a lot faster than I expected, bringing with it a blanket of heavy rain. However, I was able to bring in the rest of the boxes before it did. I left the girl at the bar table, and I gave her something to eat and drink. She didn’t want to admit it but she looked exhausted. While I was organizing the supplies in the back, I began to think. ‘She looks familiar; have I met her before.’ I thought, remembering back when I seen her face. ‘Her attitude reminds me of someone, but could she really be her. I guess there is only one way to find out.’ After I finished organizing, I decided to confront her. 


“I see that you enjoyed your meal.” I said, seeing an empty plate and cup.

“Yeah… thanks.” She said half heartedly.

“So, you didn’t tell me why you don’t want to go home.” I said, cleaning her plate. 

“Why do you care?” she retorted.

“(sigh) Alright then, tell me why I shouldn’t bring you back to the castle princess Gilda.” I said, inspecting her reaction.

She instantly looked at me in surprise. 

“H-how did you know?” she asked. 

“I didn’t. I just had a hunch…” I said, grabbing her cup to refill,” but thanks for clearing that up for me.” 

She only sat there, putting her head down for revealing her identity so easily. After I refilled the cup, I placed it in front of her ad stood there with my arms crossed. 

“Well princess?” I asked. 

She looked at me for a moment before she sighed in defeat. 

“You promise me you won’t take me back?” she asked. 

“You have my word.” I said assuring her. 


She began to tell me how much she hated her life of being royalty. That it forces others to respect her just because her father is the king, even though she didn’t earn it. She told me that she used to live in Cloudsdale when she was younger. When she attended school there, only the staff knew of her origins. The students were oblivious, seeing her just as regular griffon. She told me that she made a good friend there. She never told her friend about her status and she wanted to keep it that way. She said that she actually felt normal for once in her life. She told me that, almost a month ago; she went to Equestria with her father for royal business. During that time, she decided to go to a town called Ponyville to see her friend again. She said things were going alright at first, but then her friend had other friends, that she didn’t know. Therefore, she couldn’t hang out with her friend as much as she wanted to. She was very jealous of these other friends for taking her friend’s time away from her. She decided to try to push these other friends away; so she could have her friend all to herself. However, doing so also pushed her friend away as well. They eventually had a fight, which then ended their friendship. When she left, she was angry at those other friends for taking her friend away from her, at her friend for rejecting her, and at herself for losing the only normal friend she ever had. After that, she said that she had enough of it all and ran away. 


Gilda continued to try to keep her tough exterior, but tears already began dripping down her face. ‘Hans, what have you gotten yourself into this time?’ 

“It's alright young las.” I said, as gently as possible. 

“It's just not fair.” She said.

I took a deep breath and placed my claw on her head.

“Life isn’t fair. It will try its best to bring us down, but we mustn’t just give up because life isn’t treating us the way we want it to…” I said, lifting her head up to me with my claw,” tell you what, if you promise to go back home, I promise to be here for you whenever you need me.” 

“Really?” she asked.

“You have my word.” I answered. 

I was able to see a faint smile on her face, making me smile in return.

“O-ok.” She finally said. 


The rain was dying down, but it was still late. I decided to let Gilda stay for the night. I lend her one of the rooms in the tavern so she could rest. Feeling a bit tired, I decided to lock up shop and get some shut eye. In the morning I gave Gilda some breakfast and prepared her for her trip back home. 

“Well that should do it…” I said, giving her a small amount of supplies,” you should hurry along. I’m sure the king will be greatly worried.” 

“Yeah yeah, I’m going.” She said. 

Before she took off, she turns towards me with a smile on her face.

“Thanks.” she said. 

“Until we meet again.” I said with a nod.

She then flew straight to the clouds towards the direction of Highfeather. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Present


I told Daniel my story, leaving out details of Gilda being a princess. 

“That was quite a story…” Daniel said, rubbing the back his head,” I can see why you’re so concerned for her.” 

“Well I told you my story. It’s time for you to repay the favor.” I said.

He stayed silent for a bit, tapping on the table as he was thinking it through. 

“Fair enough…” he finally said, leaning in to speck,” before we met Gilda we were just doing some traveling. We heard rumors about strange activity happening in a well known forest, and, being close to that said forest, we decided to check it out. We encountered the strange phenomenon and then we got lost. After we got attacked by wolves, we ran into some sort of castle. We went through a couple more obstacles, and then we found this.” 

Daniel reached within his cloak to pull out what looks like a golden medallion, with a very odd symbol on it. 

“There were enough for each one of us, but once we took it we were transported here into this world. We then came out of a cave in Leafwood forest, and that’s when we met Gilda. I think you already know the rest of that story.” He then put the medallion back into his cloak and returned to his regular position. 


“So, what do you plan to do now?” I asked.

“With all honesty, where’re just trying to find our way home.” He said.
I had to go see to some customers, so I told Daniel to stay put. Doing so gave me some time to think. His plans were vague, but he wasn’t lying. These humans don’t seem so bad. After all, they did save Gilda’s life. The day is running late, and I’m sure the human would wish to get some rest. 

“Well Daniel, it has seems you have gained my trust…” I said, as I walked back to him,” and I am thankful that you saved Gilda.”

“Well I’m glad we were able to do some good in this whole mess…” Daniel said, getting up from his seat,” may I go now?” 

I nodded in approval. 

“If it means anything, I hope you find your way home.” I said before he left. 

He looked at me and nodded. He then went to join the rest of his group. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel


I gave a few knocks to the door of the room we were given. I could hear footsteps coming to the door. 

“Who is it?” asked a voice behind the door.

“Jordan, it’s me.” I answered.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who me is, care to elaborate.” Jordan said jokingly.

“Jordan, open the door. I’m too tired for this.” I said with annoyance.

Jordan instantly opened the door giving me a disappointed face. 

“You’re no fun.” He said. 

I walked in to see a room with four individual beds and one bathroom in the corner. ‘Well this is convenient.’ In the other end of the room, I could see two windows, showing the view of the town. Jordan, Taphy, and Gilda already chose their beds, leaving the bed in the right corner near the window. I took off my cloak, boots, and shirt, and placed my bag in the corner. As I laid my back on the bed, I could feel my exhaustion taking over my body. 


“So how’d it go, he didn’t scare you did he?” I lifted my head to see Gilda, looking at me on her bed in the opposite side on me.

“No, he was just concerned is all…” I said, laying my head back down,” we were able to get things straighten out.” 

“Oh, well that’s good. I’m glad he’s cool with it…” she said,” so what you guys going to do tomorrow?” 

“The plan hasn’t changed. We’ll gather supplies and information. After that, it only depends on the information.” I answered.

“Oh, ok then.” She didn’t say anything after that.

As I lay there, I took a glance outside, seeing the bright moon in the night sky. ‘What a beautiful night.’ With that thought, I began to drift off to sleep. 

> ch. 3 part 3: Guess whose back/ Bar fight/ Princess Gilda? (end)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guess whose back

I woke up to the rays of the sun, hitting my face through the window. Groaning a bit, I pushed myself up from the bed. I noticed that Gilda wasn’t in hers, and I could hear the spray of water coming from the bathroom. Jordan and Taphy were still sleeping in their beds. I stretched out my arms, stimulating my muscles a bit. While doing so, I could smell a faint stench in the air. I took a whiff of myself, only to locate where the foul stench is coming from. I guess a few days without a shower would do that to you. I got up and took a look out the window, making sure no one sees me from the other side. I could see a few stands selling food products. A couple of griffons were walking about, and a group of younger griffons, cubs I believe, playing with a ball. Seeing those kids play around, it really does bring a smile to my face. 


“What are you looking at?” I turn to see Gilda, already out of the shower with a rolled up towel over her shoulder.

“Ah nothing really, just admiring the town.” I said, looking back outside.

I wasn’t really a big city kind of guy, and seeing this small community reminds me why. I turn to look at Gilda only for her to turn her gaze away from me. ‘Is she blushing?’ 

“Y-you need to take a bath, you wreak dude.” She quickly said. 

I chuckled a bit by her suggestion.

“Yeah, I guess I should.” I said, walking my way toward the bathroom. 

The design of the bathroom is what you expect from a cabin. Everything was mostly made of wood except for the faucets, handles, and shower head. The sink was placed on the left side, and the shower and toilet on the right, giving you room to walk in the middle. There were a couple of towels and some bottles, probably shampoos and ointments. The shower was a tub with a faucet and sprinkler. There was a handle between them, probably to control the water flow. 


“So how do you get hot water?” I asked.

“You just twist the lever down. The further down you go the hotter it gets.” Gilda said.

“That’s what she said!” I heard Jordan blurt out.

I rolled my eyes from his comment, and I don’t think Gilda knew what he meant by it. Taking another look at the shower, I noticed it was kind of small compared to regular showers back home. After taking off the rest of my cloths, I entered into the shower and twisted the lever down. ‘Sh#t cold, cold!’ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilda


I had no idea what he meant by ‘that’s what she said’. I’m sure it was some sort of human joke. Jordan was on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head. Taphy was still sleeping, seeing some of his limbs hanging from his bed. Feeling a bit bored and seeing that these humans may take some time to get ready, I decided to head down to see Hans. 

“I’m heading down to stretch my wings.” I said for whoever is listening.

After heading down, I could see that the tavern was quite empty.

“Good morning las, I hope you rested well.” I turn to the bar table to see Hans cleaning it. 

“Hey Hans…” I said walking towards him, “thanks for giving them a chance.” 

“I was willing to give them a benefit of a doubt,” he said, putting the cloth away,” but their appearance and the appearance of these monsters is beyond coincidence.” 

“What do you mean?” I asked in confusion. 

“I mean, I believe there is more to this story then we know, and it’s probably isn’t good.” He answered. 

“Hans, now your sounding ridicules.” I said, chuckling a bit.

“Gilda, this is serious…” he said, sounding more concerned,” I have lived long enough to know that there are things here that are beyond any of us, and I’m afraid we’re going to find out what it is soon.” 


We stood there in silence, feeling the gloominess of the conversation take hold. ‘I have never seen Hans this serious before.’ 

“What are the humans doing right now?” he asked.

“They’re just taking a bath. They’ll be down soon.” I said.

“Did they tell you what they are going to do?” I looked at him a bit confused by his question.

“Didn’t he tell you?” I asked.

“He was vague, but I would like to know what he told you.” He answered.

“They were going to gather supplies and information, but, other than that, they don’t know where else to go.” I said. 

He only stood there, stroking his beak in thought.

“I would suggest you take them to your father…” he finally said,” I’m sure he can provide better help then I.” 


I had almost forgotten about my father. I have been gone for at least four days now. I’m sure he had sent out the entire guard in search for me. I’m not sure what he’s going to think of the others, but I’m going to have to convince him that they are no threat to the kingdom.

“I’m not sure if my father would be as accepting as you were.” I said.

“Just tell him the truth las. That is the best advice I can give you.” He said. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel 


Taphy was the last of us to get ready. Jordan told me that Gilda was already downstairs. We decided to leave our gear in the room, seeing that we won’t need it for the time being. Taphy was to gather as much food as we can carry, while Jordan and I consult with Hans to see what information we can gather. We put our cloaks on and headed down. 

“Ah if it isn’t my special guests…” I turn to see Gilda and Hans, at the bar table,” come, come!” 

We complied and took our seats at the bar. 

“Can I offer you something to drink?” he asked.

“No thanks. Gilda do you still have the bag of bits?” I asked. 

“Yeah, right here.” She said passing it to me. 

“Alright Taphy, you know what to do.” I said giving it to him.

He nodded and went out of the tavern.


We spent more than an hour looking at a map, and Taphy hadn’t come back from his errand. Apparently, Equestria is another continent across the ocean. The only way to get there is by boat. Therefore, I decided to put the idea on going to Equestria on hold, seeing that we’re not going there any time soon. Our next best bet is to go to Highfeather, Gryphonia’s capital. We can be able to get help from the king, that’s if we can convince him that we’re not a threat.

“So how do we do this? We can’t just simply walk through his front door.” I asked. 

“I can help with that…” Gilda said,” my family has…’connections’ with royalty. I can get you guys to meet with the king.” 

“Well that takes care of that. Now all we have to do is get on his good side…” I said, rolling up the map,” it’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taphy 


The multiple market stands were selling products ranging from breads, fruits, vegetables, and even meats. Many of the griffons were eyeing me curiously, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. I decided to go for the fruit stand first. As I walked up to it, the owner was examining me, seeing his eyes move up and down. 

“Can I help you sir.” He asked when I got there.

The stand had a display of apples, pears, bananas, and watermelons; all organized to make it easier for customers. 

“How much for the apples and bananas?” I asked.

“Apples are three bits while bananas are only two.” He answered.

“I’ll have six apples and eight bananas.” I ordered. 

“That will be thirty four bits.” he said.

While I was counting what I owed, he began putting the apples and bananas inside a brown pouch. 

“Here you go.” I said giving him the bits.

“Here you go sir.” He said, giving me the pouch of fruits. 


Luckily the pouch had a strap to it, letting me carry it on my shoulder. After I left the stand, I began to count the bits I had left. ‘Man, that bag of fruits cost me a lot of cash. I better be careful on what I buy next.’ I looked up to see a group of griffons across the street, wearing the same leather armor, like the ones we fought at the underpass. I quickly hid behind an alley, hopeful that they didn’t see me. I peeked through the corner and was relieved that they didn’t spot me. ‘D@mn who the hell are these guys?’ I then see another group going towards them, and some of them were wearing the same armor. ‘I have to warn the others.’ Keeping my head down, I moved quickly to warn my friends that we got company.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel


(Knock knock knock) “The tavern is closed; come back later.” Hans yelled, after we heard knocks at the door.
(Slam) we turn to see the door had been forcibly opened, breaking the inner locks. A group of griffons began walking in, and some of them were wearing the same leather armor the bandits at the underpass wore. ‘Uh oh’ 

“What is the meaning of this?!” Hans yelled in anger.

“Oh please forgive us for our ‘intrusion’, but we couldn’t help but over hear that there were a group of interesting travelers, that were staying in this very tavern…” said one of the griffons, whose tone was familiar,” did you truly believe you’ve seen the last of us?” 

“No, but I expected you would have brought a little more than just five guys.” I said mockingly. 

As if on cue, some more griffons came through the door, a lot more. ‘Oh dear’




Bar fight


The griffons began spreading out, blocking all routs of escape. 

“Thanks to your actions at the underpass. you have angered quite a few griffons,” said the griffon, who I assume is the leader,” including me.” 

His expression became more serious after he said that. 

“Now remove that hood of yours and tell us who you are.” He ordered.

I knew that our identities would have been revealed eventually; so I might as well have fun with this. I slowly brought my hands up to my hood and pulled it down, revealing my head to them. I kept quiet and my expression neutral. Looking at the faces around me, their expressions of seriousness and anger turn to ones of confusion. 

“I am Daniel and, if you’re wondering, I am a human.” I said, with all seriousness.

“Did he say human?”

“What is a human?”

“Aren’t they supposed to be like a myth?”

The griffon bandits were mumbling among themselves, questioning the very being that stood before them.


“Heh…heh heh… heh hahahaha,” I looked at the leader to see him laugh profusely,” you know, I thought that a group of nobodies came to sabotage everything we had here, but for those nobodies to turn out to be the humans of myth, that’s something.” 

His sudden outburst caught me a bit off guard, but I still held my ground. 

“Who are you?” I asked.

He gave me a bit of a smirk before he answered. 

“The names Ringgold, but you won’t live long enough to remember it…” he said, showing that sly grin he had before,” I may not be as mad about it, but I still want your heads.” 

The other griffons began unsheathing their weapons, replacing their looks of confusion with malice. 

“You think we can take them?” Jordan asked, getting up to stand next to me.

“We’ll soon find out.” I answered.


Before they could do anything, Taphy burst through the door. 

“Guys we have a problem…oh. (music)” Taphy stopped to notice a group of bandits in the room. 

I was guessing he was going to warn us about them. It’s too bad they found us first. Taphy began walking slowly backwards toward the door.

“Heh oh look at the time. I think I should be going-“Taphy was instantly stopped by a griffon, slamming the door on him.

“Oh, but you’ll miss out in all the fun.” Ringgold said.

I took the opportunity to grab the stool behind me and chucked it at him. He quickly ducked, letting it hit the griffon behind him. Using the distraction, Taphy made a run for the stairs. Jordan and I went to grab a chair from the nearby tables, and we began swinging them wildly, to keep the bandits back. After dodging a slash from the side, I swung the chair at his back, causing the chair to break on impact. I then turn to see another griffon, trying to slash at me with his sword. I quickly grabbed his sword arm and punched him in the gut. I then threw him at another griffon. I then backed away from a large group that was coming at me. 


I slid over a table and kicked it toward the group of griffons that were after me, stopping two in their tracks. Three other griffons just ran around them. I was now frantically dodging swords of two griffons. After kicking one griffon away and ducking past the other, I was suddenly hit on my back by a chair, sending me to the ground. I looked up to see a griffon prepared to impale me to the floor. I rolled away from the strike, hearing the crack of the floor as the sword penetrated through it. I got up, trying to ignore the pain in my back. A griffon came at me, swinging his sword to hit the top of my head. I grabbed his arm and fell backwards, using his weight as leverage to throw him. After doing so, I rolled back up, only to be greeted by another sword. I backed away in time from the strike, but I got kicked in the chest, pushing me to the wall behind me.


My back hit the wall pretty hard, but I quickly ducked, after seeing a sword being thrust toward my head. I rolled away, but the pain on my back kept me from getting up entirely. I looked up to see my attacker to be Ringgold himself, pulling out one of his dual swords from the wall. 

“I’m going to enjoy seeing my blade pierce through your body, human.” He said, getting into a fighting stance.

I looked to my side to see legs from a broken chair. ‘(sigh) It’s better than nothing.’ I grabbed two and got into a duel stance of my own. I heard him chuckle a bit before he came at me at full charge.


I had to give him some credit, for he was quite skilled as a duelist. Being unconfident of the woods durability, I was degraded to meager blocks and avoiding heavy attacks, while the lighter strikes were chipping away at the wood. Eventually, the wood could not withstand the beating. He gave two more strikes, slicing each leg into small stumps of wood. ‘Oh cr@p’ He smirked at the pitiful sight that stood before him. Before he could give the final blow, a sudden bottle of glass exploded on top of his head, causing him to fall into unconsciousness. I looked up to see Jordan with a broken bottle in his hand. 

“Thanks.” I said, tossing the two sticks at the unconscious body. 

“Don’t thank me yet.” Jordan said, looking to his side.
I turn to see a group of twelve griffons surrounding us. ‘Oh come on; give us a f#cking break.’ 


A sudden scream had adverted all of our attention towards Taphy. He had a chair in each hand, and he was swinging and yelling like a mad man, keeping the griffons around him at bay. Using the sudden distraction, Jordan and I charged at the griffons in front of us. We jumped in the air and dive kicked two griffons, which were to slow to react. After knocking them down, we went back to back, and prepped ourselves for a counter. Once they gathered themselves, they charged at us. Jordan and I poured all of our skill and might in trying to swiftly knock out as many griffons as quickly as possible, before their numbers overwhelm us. The griffons were able to get a few shots in, giving us some cuts and a few extra bruises. However, the adrenalin that kept us going in this fight helped our bodies ignore the pain, pushing us to our very limits. We threw strikes, grapples, and counters; everything that we learned in our training was used in this fight. 


After minutes of brutal fighting, we stood victorious, leaving griffons on the ground around us with bleeding beaks and broken bones. Taking multiple heavy breaths of air, the adrenalin was beginning to fade away, while pain and exhaustion were taking its place. I took a knee with one hand on the ground to keep myself from falling. Jordan was leaning his back on the wall, using it as leverage to keep him up. Our bodies were littered with cuts and bruises. 

“Jordan, Daniel!” I looked over to see Taphy running up to us, with Gilda and Hans behind him. 

They all had their fair share of cuts and bruises, but luckily they weren’t as bad as we are. 

“Jesus, you guys look like sh#t.” He said, after he got to us. 

“What (huff huff) can I say? (huff) We know (huff huff) how to throw down.” I said in between breaths. 

“Not to say you are not deserving of a rest, but they will not stay down for long.” Hans said, lending me a hand ‘or claw’ to help me up.

As much as I would hate to move around right now, Hans was right. They may be down, but they’re not out.

“Taphy, how many did you see outside?” I asked.

“I saw a few groups hold up around town. There could be more.” He answered.

‘Damn, did he bring a whole army with him? He must have been pissed.’ 

“Taphy, go upstairs, grab all our gear, and meet us outside. It looks like we’re going to have to bail.” I said.




Princess Gilda? 


We went out through the back of the tavern, thinking that the front entrance is being watched. My body was in quite a bit of pain while moving around, but I pressed on. We waited in the alley way for Taphy to bring our gear. Hans decided to take the time to look around, planning our escape route. Within a couple of minutes, Taphy came through the back door carrying three bags, my MP5, and Jordan’s pistol. 

“We better hurry. The guys inside are starting to get up.” Taphy said, passing the gear to their owners. 

“Hans, we’re going to have to move.” I said, putting my bag on and placing the strap of my gun over my shoulder. 

We gathered behind Hans, waiting for him to give us the go.

“We’ll have to move through the alley way. I do not see anyone out there; so we can go across unnoticed. Let us just hope that we can stay that way.” He said. 

With a wave of his claw, we began to move.


We tried to move as quickly as possible, trying to stay undetected. At first, the groups of griffon bandits were ideal, probably waiting for their leader to give them orders. However, I heard yelling in the distance, and whoever it was sounded pissed. ‘Looks like Ringgold is finally awake.’ Afterwards, we begin seeing griffons hovering in the sky, and groups searching around, harassing the locals on their attempts to be thorough. I could hear shattering of glass, crashing of furniture, and the screams of families being threaten. 

“Those b@st@rds are tearing the town apart…” Jordan said, looking through a corner that leads to the street,” we have to do something.”

“And what are we going to do? Need Me to remind you that we’re out numbered twenty to one.” Taphy said.

“Jordan’s right, but I don’t know if there is anything we can do; there’re just too many to fight.” I said.

“Did you hear that?” Afraid that our conversation was overhead, we remained quiet. “It was coming from over here.” 

“Hide.” Jordan frantically whispered. 

We withdrew within the shadows, hiding behind barrels and crates. “Look around; they couldn’t have gotten far!” I clenched on my MP5, hearing footsteps coming toward us. Looking through a gap between the crates I hid behind, I could see two griffons walk by, with their swords at the ready. Unfortunately, Taphy wasn’t in the best hiding spot. He was behind a single barrel, and, if one of those griffons turned around, they could easily see him. My sight was then blocked by another griffon, standing in front of the crates. At this point, I had no choice but to take him out. I slowly lifted myself up, trying not to alert him. I lifted up my gun, preparing to blunt him in the head. He began turning back around, only to discover Taphy behind the barrel.


Before he could do anything, his head met the backside of my gun, causing him to drop to the ground. “Hey!” Was all one of the bandits could say, before being tackled to the wall by Jordan. He then grabbed his head and slammed it onto the wall, making a loud crack. Hans took care of the other one, grabbing him and holding onto his beak to silence him. He then threw him onto the ground, and kicked him on the face to knock him out. Our attack was swift, but, unfortunately, was not left unnoticed. “They’re here!” We looked up to see a griffon in the air, pointing to our location.

“Run!” Hans yelled. 


We darted through the corners of the alley way, hearing the yells and footsteps of the bandits behind us. Seeing a group of bandits on the other side, we were forced out into the street. “Don’t let them escape!” We were apparently in the market area of the town. The bandits were pouring in from all directions. We were surrounded. We had our guns out, but we held our fire. 

“Congratulations…” I turn to see Ringgold with his arms crossed and having a neutral expression, “how you are able to elude us this far, whether it be by skill or mere luck, baffles me.” 

“Well I’m glad I was able to amuse you.” I said jokingly.

He glared at me after I said that. 

“Kill them all, but I want him alive!” he commanded to his men.
They were slowly closing in around us, but I kept my gun pointed at Ringgold. If we were going to die here, I’ll make sure he dies too, with a bullet to the head.


I was almost about to pull the trigger, but then a griffon swooped in next to him. He began to whisper in Ringgold’s ear, having a bit of concern in his eyes as he spoke.

“What!?” Ringgold yelled, making all the griffons stop in their tracks. 

The anger in his eyes was intense. He took a deep breath, keeping his eyes fixed on me. 

“It seems the odds are still in your favor…” he finally said, “everyone fall back, now!” 

The other bandits were confused by his order, but they followed it none the less. 

“This. Isn’t. Over.” With that said, he took off into the air with the rest of his bandits.

Within a few minutes, they disappeared into the distance, leaving us in confusion. 

“Um, what just happened?” Taphy asked. 

“No idea.” Jordan answered, putting his pistol away. 

Relaxing myself a bit, I took a look around. The local griffons of the town were coming out of their homes, examining the damage that the bandits did. 

“You alright?” Gilda asked me.

“(sigh) This wasn’t their fight, yet they still suffer from it.” I said, seeing the sad faces of families whose homes were butchered. 

I felt a claw on my shoulder, and turn to see Gilda looking at me. 

“They won’t get away with this,” she said, “but if it means anything you were quite awesome out there.” 

I chuckled a bit, having a small smile on my face. “Halt!” 


We turn to see a griffon with golden armor and helm. There was also a group of griffons that appeared around us. All of them had the same kind of armor, except their color was silver instead of gold. ‘These must be the king’s men. No wonder Ringgold left in such a hurry. Wait, why are they looking at us like that?’ 

“As captain of the Griffon Elite, I place you under arrest for kidnapping the princess. Now, I command you to release her at once!” ‘Heh, sounds like another female, interesting.’ The griffon in golden armor yelled, unsheathing her sword.

The ones in silver did the same. 

“Wow, hold up now. I think you got the wrong guys here. We didn’t kidnap a princess.” Taphy said, putting his hands up. 

“Captain Taloniana, put you weapons away.” Gilda said. 

“But princess-“ ‘Wait what?’

“I said stand down captain.” The captain stood there unsure, but she sheathed her weapon as commanded.

“Princess Gilda, you have been missing for four days. The king had feared the worst.” Captain Taloniana said. ‘Wait…WHAT?!’ 

“I was… held up, but I’m fine thanks to these guys. They saved my life, and your way of thanking them is by throwing them in the dungeon.” Gilda said, with anger. 

The captain was a bit shocked by this news, eyeing the three of us.

“M-my apologies princess for my rash conclusion, but I still have my orders to bring you back.” She said. 

Through out the conversation, I was at a loss. ‘Gilda was a princess! How did I miss that?!’ completely ignoring them, I looked at Hans.

“D-did you?” I asked, gesturing at Gilda. 

He nodded his head in response. ‘So that’s what she meant by “connections”, who knew?’ as my mind was coming back to me, I turned back around to see Gilda and the captain, looking at me. 

“What?” I asked nervously. 

“The captain asked if you wish to join us to Highfeather, to receive a proper reward.” Gilda said. 

“Oh, uh sure; why not. Right guys?” I said. 

Jordan and Taphy also accepted the invitation. 

“I’ll have to decline. I have a tavern to clean up.” Hans said. 

After he said that, another griffon in silver armor appeared. 

“Captain we were able to subdue the fire.” He said, saluting to his superior.

“Wait, what fire?” Hans asked. 


> chapter 4 the kingdom part 1: royal welcome/ here to impress/ looking for hire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Royal Welcome

“Sorry about your tavern Hans.” Gilda said apologetically. 

“(sigh) It’s alright. I was thinking about doing renovations anyway.” He said, trying to look at the bright side of things.

Apparently, the bandits weren’t exactly happy in their loss at the tavern; so they decided to burn it down to ease their anger. If it wasn’t for the soldiers, it would have been turned to ash. The frames had been dangerously weakened, and most of the roof had already collapsed. Most of Hans’ supplies had been destroyed by the flames.

“It’ll be months before I can repair the tavern.” Hans said. Knowing that he won’t be going back to work anytime soon, he decided to come with us.

Since the fact that humans can’t fly and Gilda’s wing has not fully recovered, the griffon soldiers had provided us a carriage to transport us to Highfeather. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing I rode in, but it was descent for being right on the fly. They had to buy it off from one of the locals. It took two griffons to get us in the air, and it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. Jordan and I didn’t mind it, but Taphy was quite tense, clenching on his seat. He was a bit skeptical on riding it at first, but it was the fastest way to get to the city. 

“You alright.” I asked him.

“Yeah, never better…” he sarcastically said, scrunching for every bounce the carriage makes, “how much further till we get there?” 

“We should be there in about four hours.” Gilda replied.

“Four hours.” He repeated, undoubtedly wishing it would end sooner.

Hearing this, I decided it was a good time to clean my wounds. I grabbed two sets of alcohol, bandages, and cloths. I used one for myself and gave the other to Jordan. I removed my cloak and shirt to examine my injuries. Luckily, most of the cuts were minor, seeing only a few deep ones. ‘Could have been worse.’ Feeling a bit bored of the silence, I decided to strike a conversation, while cleaning my wounds.

“So Gilda, you’re a princess.” I said.

“yeah.” She acknowledge, rubbing her arm a bit.

“That’s probably an important detail to bring up. Mind telling me why you didn’t?” I asked. 

I could tell that she dreaded that very question. She turned her gaze away from me, feeling a bit ashamed for lying to me.

“I didn’t want to tell you, because I was afraid you’ll treat me differently.” She said.

“What do you mean by that?” I questioned.

“I really don’t want to talk about it.” She ended.

I knew I hit a touchy subject, because Gilda kept her mood in a depressed state. It really does hurt my heart to see her sad. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up.’ 

“Hey, if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, but if you’re afraid that I’ll treat you differently because you’re a princess, I won’t…” I explained, “I don’t judge a person by his title; only by his actions.” 

After I said that, she looked back at me with all expressions of sadness replaced with astonishment. Before anyone could say anything else, the carriage began to shake bit.

“W- What’s going on!?” Taphy asked, startled by the sudden turbulence. 

“We are descending into Highfeather! You’ll be landing soon!” the captain yelled outside the carriage.

Wanting a change of scenery, I decided to open a slide window that’s on the right side of the carriage. What I could see was a sight to behold.

Highfeather lies within the mountain ranges of Gryphonia. The city was built on a valley where the mountains completely surround it like a protective wall. The capital seems to be made up of three parts. The outer section seems to be made up of farms and small houses. The next section must be the main part of the city. It consisted of many houses, markets, shops, and inns. Both sections are separated by a stone wall. Most of the buildings are made of wood and were built in different sizes. I’m guessing that the sections are separated by class, having the outer section your lower class and the second your middle. Now that leaves us with the last section, which is the castle. It is in the center of the city, towering over all the other sections with its majesty. 

The last section is also separated into three parts. At the front of the castle you have the living space for the higher classes. Behind it is probably where they train their soldiers, because I could see what looks like the training grounds, a few buildings with smoke coming out, which I believe is the armory, and multiple barracks. All the buildings are made of the same hard stones like its walls that surround it. The castle itself is a square foundation, two towers that protrude from each side, and the superstructure that is built in the middle. The superstructure has the highest peak of the castle. I could see multiple columns and balconies that make up the building. The multiple mirrors on the castle gives it a beautiful shine whenever the rays of the sun hits it. On the very peek of the castle there is a spire that holds Gryphonia’s national flag, presenting it with glory for all to see.

“Wow…” I said in wonderment, “now that’s what I call a city.”

Jordan leaned I next to me; so he can take in the same view that I was seeing. I could see multiple small figures within the city and above it, probably the local griffons that live in the capitol. Suddenly, my view became blocked by the captain who was flying right next to the carriage.

“We’re going to descend into the castle! It’s going to get a little rough…” she warned us, “I suggest you stay seated until we land!”
Not wishing to get and further injuries, we took our seats and braced for the coming turbulence. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
King Feran

I was in my studies as usual. My desk was littered with documents, letters, and reports, but paid no mind to them. My eyes were fixed to a picture of my family. It was taken a long time ago, and Gilda was just a cub then. I took a deep breath, as I continued to hold the picture in my claw. 

“Still worrying I see.” I looked up to see Alisa, my wife, holding a cup in her claw.

“It’s been three days Alisa. Three days and not a single word has come about her.” I said, looking back at the picture. 

“Gilda is close to being an adult now. She knows how to take care of herself…” my wife reassured me, placing the cup of drink on my desk, “drink some tea. It should calm your nerves.” 

My wife’s words were soothing, but it was not enough to get rid of this distress that I feel.

“Things were so much simpler back then.” I said, remembering the times I carried my daughter over my shoulders.

“Yes times were simpler, but cubs grow up…” she said, leaning her head on my left shoulder, “she reminds me of her father; ambitious, energetic, rebellious.” 

She emphasized the last part, reminding me of my younger years.

“Heh, and she also has her mother’s looks.” I added.

I placed the picture down and took some sips of the tea. The warm taste was sterilizing, and I could also taste a hint of honey to sweeten up anyone’s day.

“You always seem to know how to make me feel better.” I said, taking more sips of the tea.

While drinking, I looked back at the picture, and a thought popped up, that I had to address.

“Alisa, am I failing as a father?” I asked my wife.

“Oh Feran…” she responded, with concern, “you are a good father, but you also have duties as king. I’m sure she understands.” 

“But I also have duties as her father, and I feel that I am not full filling them.” I said with guilt.

“You sent the entire guard in search for her because you care for her. Any father would have done the same. You had been there for her, protecting her, and teaching her. There will come a time when she’ll have to fend for herself.” She said.

“That’s what worries me.” I continued.

“We raised a beautiful, smart griffon. She had been given everything to be able to hold her own, and she will find a wonderful mate. She will have a family of her own, that we can be proud of.” She said, giving me a kiss in the end.

(knock, knock, knock)

Hearing a knock on the door, I placed my cup down and regained my proper stature. 

“Come in!” I said, to whoever knocked.

Who came in was one of the griffon of the guard. 

“My king, I bring news of princess Gilda.” He said, while saluting. 

I immediately stood up from my chair, wanting to hear everything the guard had to say.

“Speak!” I said, with anticipation. 

“The princess is safe and is being escorted into the castle as we speak.” This was the very news I was waiting to hear for the past few days. 

“If that is all soldier, I would like for you to prepare for her arrival. I would like to see me daughter.” I ordered. 

“Actually my king, there is more.” He said, sounding a bit unsure. 

‘What has Gilda gotten into now?’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel

“Alright, let me do the talking.” Gilda suggested, “My father can be quite protective.” 

“Most fathers are.” I said jokingly. 

The carriage shook making a loud thud as it made contact with the ground. Soon the carriage made a complete stop. I looked back to Gilda, and noticed that she seemed a bit uneasy. She must be nervous about seeing her father. I don’t blame her. She had been missing for three days, and I’m sure that doesn’t sit well with him. I could hear a lot of commotion outside, probably preparing for the princess’ arrival. Then all of a sudden, everything event silent. Gilda was the first to get out of her seat. She waited at the door still looking a bit uneasy. 

“Hey, everything is going to be fine; don’t worry about us. We can handle ourselves.” I said, trying to reassure her. 

“I hope your right.” She said with worry.

The door then opened letting in the sun light. It blinded me for a bit, but, once my eyes adjusted, I could see two columns of griffon soldiers in silver armor on both sides of the carriage. Gilda took a deep breath and walked out. Hans followed suit, leaving my friends and I in the carriage.

“Remember guys try to keep it smooth and friendly.” I said to my friends. 

Getting out of the carriage, I began to take a look at my surroundings. We were in some sort of courtyard in front of the main doors of the castle. I also noticed that there were a lot more soldiers here. The other soldiers were wearing brownish armor. ‘They must be regular troops.’ They were stationed on the walls, probably for guard duty. 

“Talk about rolling out the red carpet, huh.” Jordan said, looking around.

I then heard loud creaking sounds and looked over to see the main doors opening. 

Once there were fully opened, I could see two griffons coming through. One had a light brown coat and white feathers, looking a lot like Gilda. The other griffon was a lot taller than the other, almost as tall as me, had a dark brown coat, and white feathers. I’m guessing their rulers of this kingdom (A.K.A. Gilda’s parents). I noticed that the king had a keen eye on my friends and I. ‘oh boy, here we go.’ We all began to approach the front doors, but Gilda’s parents meet us half way. Gilda’s father approached first, walking up to Gilda. To her surprise, he embraced her with a hug. 

“I was so worried about you Gilda.” He said, holding his embrace.

Soon the mother joined in, making Gilda blush with embarrassment. 

“I’m sorry, I got held up.” She finally said.

“Gilda your hurt.” The queen said, looking at Gilda’s bandages.

“Yeah that’s a log story, but, if it wasn’t for these men, I wouldn’t have made it back.” Gilda answered, making sure to mention our good deed.

The king looked at us once more, peering at us with judging eyes. I decided to be in a military resting position, with my hands behind my back and legs shoulder width apart. Jordan and Taphy just followed my lead, being in the same stance. When the king approached us, we stood in attention and saluted, like any soldier would. 

“Your soldiers?” the king asked. 

“My name is Daniel. These are my friends Jordan and Taphy. To answer your question sir, we are ex-military.” I said, bringing down my salute. 

“I am king Feran, ruler of Gryphonia, and Gilda’s father…” he said proudly, “I thank you for bringing my daughter safely home.”

“It was an honor to be of assistance, sir.” I said, with upmost respect.

“Whatever your motives, you have my gratitude. Now come, I wish to discuss your award inside.” The king ended, making his way back into the castle. 

Without hesitation, we followed behind him. Walking past those front doors, I only had a single goal in mind, having a good first impression. 




Here to impress

The castle’s interior was exactly what I expected it to be, very medieval like. Guards were littered all over the castle, wearing the same brown armor like the soldiers at the wall. The many servants in the castle were wearing clothing from the 1700’s. The male griffons had brown or grey vests with Gryphonia’s national flag on the right of their chest. The females only wear white vests, with the same ensign. They gave us looks of confusion, but dared not approach us. I wouldn’t mind it as much if it wasn’t for their constant whispering. I was able to make out some of their conversations, hearing questions about our appearance and why the princess is injured. I decided it was best just to ignore them and continue to follow the king. 

We enter into a hallway with a luxurious, red carpet, portraits with different locations and griffons, and antiques that range from swords, shields, and the armor. ‘These griffons seem to enjoy the traditional look.’ The griffons in the portraits seemed to either be those of royalty or military background. The locations would either be events of great importance or of battles that have come to pass. There was one image that caught my eye. It looked like an aftermath of a siege battle. The landscape was covered in snow and littered with dead griffons, armaments, and siege weapons. The fort was in bad condition, showing its walls battered and main structure covered with holes, producing black smoke in some of them. As dreadful as the image was, Gryphonia’s national colors was still posted above the fort. It was damaged but it kept its stance. 

“Battle of arrow fort.” I turned my gaze toward the sudden outburst, only to see king Feran eyeing the same portrait. 

He probably noticed my interest in it and wanted to indulge me in its significance. 

“Talahad Mountains acts as a natural wall for the capitol, having only a few entrances. Arrow pass was one of them. A long time ago, during Gryphonia’s second civil war, the rebel forces mounted a full scale siege towards the capitol. Most of Gryphonia’s forces were scattered all over the country, and were beyond communication. The only thing that stood between them and the capitol was arrow fort.” The king paused and went towards a window that was behind us. 

Through it, I could see an amazing view of the capitol; all the way to the mountains that protect it. 

“The passage way got its name for its shape, looking like an arrow, having the entrance at its point. The fort was built to guard it. The fort had the strength of 500 griffon soldiers, led by King Leo himself. He knew that, if arrow fort falls, Highfeather will fall with it. The assault on the fort lasted for days. As countless rebel troops continue to storm the fort. The king’s men held their ground. They would rather die than to allow their enemy to take the capitol. For three brutal days, they held out against their enemy. On the morning of the fourth day, Gryphonia’s main force had arrived, attacking the rebels from behind, and the battle was won.” The king then went towards a portrait of a griffon wearing royal garments, “300 brave griffons gave their lives to defend their home, and King Leo and the 500 had been labeled as heroes of Gryphonia. A memorial was made in the fort in their remembrance, and their actions had been recorded in history.”

I could have never imagined that this world could have such conflicts. Then again, what I know of it came from a T.V. show. I have always been interested in military history, and hearing about Gryphonia’s battles, had sparked my interest in its history. 

“Sir may I ask, this event happened during Gryphonia’s second civil war; how many did this country have?” I asked, curiosity taking the best of me. 

“Gryphonia had endured three civil wars. These conflicts and beliefs had threatened to separate this country, but it was through these conflicts that made our country strong. We are proud of our military heritage, and we will do everything in our power to defend it.” The king answer, with great pride. 

Through his answer, I had a new found respect for the griffon nation. I could see why they preferred the traditional look.

“As much as I indulge in speaking of Gryphonia’s history, I believe we should continue on. I am sure you are all hungry from your journey; so I requested supper to be prepared for us.” The king said. 

The thought of food alone had made my stomach growl. 

“We would be honored.” I said. 

“Splendid, come now; we shall eat.” With that said, we continued on our way. 

We didn’t walk for very long, before we stopped at a double door entrance, with two servants posted on each side. After they opened the door for us, we entered into what I believe is the royal dining room. The table was of a rectangular shape, having the capacity of ten guests. There was a luxurious red cloth draped over the middle of it. The room is decorated with portraits of different locations. ‘Heh never thought we’ll be eating with royalty.’ The griffons had already taken their seats, leaving us humans left. The king had taken his seat at the end of the table, and the rest of us had taken our seats on the sides. The seats were actually quite comfortable, and the cushions were something one could get used to. 

A minute later, the door from the side of the room opened up, allowing multiple servants with dishes to enter. They were carrying all kinds of foods ranging from fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of meats.

“I was unsure of your eating habits; so I ordered me chef to serve us one plate of every food group.” The king said as the dishes were being placed on the table.

They had brought everything that they had considered edible and I mean everything. I think I can see flowers and hay in one of the dishes. 

“Thank you for your consideration…” I said, trying to be polite, “but, to save you some trouble of asking, we are omnivores; so we can eat both sides of the spectrum.” 

The king only nodded in conformation. Once the food was set, we began to dig in. 

I took a couple of fruits and vegetables that I know is edible for humans, but I was a bit cautious around the meats. Don’t get me wrong; the food looked appetizing. However, I do not know the cleaning measures and cooking styles of griffons. Being carnivores by nature, the condition of the meat doesn’t have to be as sterile or cooked under human standards. Checking some of the meats, I noticed that most of them were cooked medium- well, and some of them actually had seasoning on them, making it acceptable to humans. Taking a couple of bites out of it, the seasoning was either a bit weak or just too much, but, other than that, it tasted great. I glanced at Jordan and Taphy and it seems that they are enjoying their meals as well. 

“I take it the food is to your liking?” the king asked.

“It’s good sir; a lot better than quick meals that’s for sure.” I said, taking another bite. 

“You can say that again; I can only eat so much of those things before my stomach says enough is enough.” Jordan added.

“I see.” The king kept his eye on us, probably still judging whether or not we’re bad news to his kingdom. 

“May I offer you some red lilac, sir?” I looked over to my side to see a griffon servant holding a vase. 

‘Hmm red lilac, I haven’t heard of that drink before.’ 

“May I ask what it’s made out of?” I asked curious of the drinks contents. 

“Red lilac is made with the finest grapes, strawberries, and watermelons, smooth, lush honey from the best maple trees, and a hint of fairy dew collected by the best growers in Gryphonia.” He explained, in great detail. 

‘Fairy dew; haven’t heard of that before.’ I decided to give it a shot, nodding my head in approval. He poured the drink into a silver grail cup and placed it next to my plate. I examined the liquid, and, as the name implies, it was surely red; like wine. I’m not much of a drinker, but I was much too curious to let it slide. ‘Well cheers then.’ Letting the liquid flow down my mouth, I could taste the sweet flavors of the fruits and honey, but a bitter taste was able to subdue the flavors from overwhelming my taste buds. These ingredients shouldn’t be able to mix together so gracefully, but there is also the fairy dew, which could be the culprit of the bitter taste. ‘Not bad’ seeing that I didn’t belch out the drink, my friends also accepted it. 

“Now, I have questions that need to be answered…” the king asked with a stern face, “Gilda why did you not come back, what happened to the guard I assigned to you?” 

I looked over to Gilda who seemed to have anticipated such questions. Putting down her eating utensils, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

“I didn’t come back because we were attacked at Leafwood forest. My guard tried to protect me, but they were too quick. He died fighting, only to succeed on killing one of them.” She said, remembering the horrific events of the past.

“Who were they Gilda, who attacked you; assassins, bandits?” the king pressed on.

“I don’t know what they were. They were black, had no face, able to regenerate, and were able to turn their limbs into sharp weapons. I tried fighting them off, but they were to fast…” Gilda was beginning to tear as she spoke, “I- I couldn’t hold my own. If it wasn’t for them, I could have- could ha-“ 

Unable to continue, her tears began to roll down her face. Her mother went over to her to try and comfort her as best she could. I don’t blame Gilda for breaking down. After all, she almost died because of these creatures, and I'm sure that would have left some sort of traumatic affects. 

The kings expression became sorrowful. For a father, to see your daughter in such a state is heart breaking. 

“sir Daniel, is there anything you can tell me about these ‘creatures’.” The king had placed the question upon me, wishing to no longer have Gilda linger on the subject. 

“I wish I could, but even we don’t know what these things are. Their bodies disintegrated before we could do any close examinations…” the king’s brow arched, hearing that their bodies just disintegrated, “what we were able to see was that they had the same body structure as a human, but they are far from human.” I ended, disappointed that I wasn’t able to provide any useful information. 

The king began to meditate about this unknown enemy that threatened his daughter.

“(sigh) It is clear that there is no use on continuing on. However, these creatures had threatened my family and so threatening the kingdom itself. We will find the one who sent them and he will be brought to justice.” The words of a protective father can never be so true. 

After Gilda stopped crying and her mother got back to her seat, the king decided to move the subject along. 

“I am sure you know the stories of your kind, sir Daniel, and I assure you they are not pleasant…” the king said, referring to the stories the Gilda told us about, “rumors will soon spread. So I must know now; are they true or not.” 

I was expecting this very question, but I still ponder on an answer. I glanced over towards my friends, hoping to get any suggestions. Taphy looked at me unsure on the answer, but Jordan had a stern look. As much as I’d like to argue on humanities defense, we both knew about our kind’s dark side. Thinking that I stalled long enough, I decided to give my answer. 

“Yes and no…” I could see the king raise his brow by the contradicting answer, “humanity can be quite chaotic with our sinful desires and conflicting beliefs that could lead to arguments, separation, and even war. However, there is some good in humanity. We could set aside our differences and focus our efforts to keep the peace and hope for a prosperous future.” 

The king was silent in thought. His eyes loomed on us and his gaze turned to his daughter. He then took a deep breath and stood up from his chair, getting everyone’s attention. 

“I have decided that you are no threat to my kingdom. Your words and actions have proven that to me. As part of your reward, you have been deemed welcome to my halls.” He then turned to one of the servants in the room and ordered him to go get the captain. 

He then went up to his daughter and placed his claw on her shoulder.

“Anyone who is willing to place themselves into harm’s way to protect my family is a hero to Gryphonia and shall be treated as such.” After he said that, the captain came in, removing her helmet in respect. 

“You summoned me, my lord?” she asked.

“Yes captain, I would like you to accommodate these heroes to their room and to fulfill any of their desires.” The king ordered.

“As you wish.” She replied, putting her fist on her chest in some sort of salute. 

“Now, if you may excuse us, I wish to have a word with my daughter.” He ended. 

We nodded in thanks and followed the captain, leaving Gilda with her family. ‘Well that went a lot better than I thought.’ 




Looking for hire 

After the others left with the captain, my father took me to his study room. The room was quite a mess. There were scrolls and documents that were spread out on the desk and a couple of books out of place around the room. 

“Gilda.” My attention was brought back to my father, keeping his gaze outside the window, “your human companions have proven so far to be of no harm, but those other creatures concerns me. Now, you are in need of a new bodyguard.” After he said that, he went to his desk and pulled out a couple of documents. “There are a couple of griffons who have proven themselves worthy.” 

He began to give me small details from each griffon who wishes to be my guards. Each guard had their own skill in combat and had shown themselves truly loyal to the crown. Yet, their all still the same; my father’s way to keep me under surveillance. 

My father looked at me, and I could see his gaze falter, probably from seeing my disapproval. 

“Gilda, I know how you feel about this, but there for your protection. If it wasn’t for the humans’ intervention, you would have been killed.” He said, with a bit uneasiness, “I could never forgive myself if such a thing happened to you. Therefore, you will be accompanied by guards at all times, and, before you reject to anything, I will allow you to choose who will be your guards.”

I was going to protest on the whole idea, but a thought came to mind, when he said I could chose who my guards will be. ‘It’s a long shot, but maybe I can make it work.’ 

“I know who I want.” I said, with a bit of glee in my voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel

“And this is where you’ll be staying.” The captain let us into a room filled with four separate beds, few wardrobes with mirrors, a balcony, and another door that I presume is the bathroom. 

I felt that the room was just arranged to accommodate us, but the room looked so kept that it almost seems like it was always like this. 

“If there is anything else you need, just call upon the closest guard or servant.” Once she said that, she finally left us on our own. 

“Now this is more like it!” Taphy exclaimed, wasting no time in making himself more comfortable. 

He dropped his stuff next to one of the beds, and laid himself down. He placed his hands behind his head and allowed his body to sink into the sheets. 

“Oh yeah I could get used to this.” he said enjoying the comforts of the bed.

The rest of us chose our beds, and laid down our gear. 

After I laid my gear down, I went out to the balcony to get some fresh air. I was able to get a good view of the city, hearing the capitals population going about their day. 

“Enjoying the view?” I looked over my shoulder to see Hans, coming out to join me, “when I first gazed upon this city, I to was amazed by its beauty.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure the city will have that kind of effect with every newcomer.” I said, with a chuckle.

“I’m surprised you all are tacking the whole situation pretty well, being in another world and all.” He said, making it sound like a question then a comment.

“Well the whole situation is quite strange almost even overwhelming at times, but that’s what makes this adventure that much more exciting.” I said, with a smile on my face.

Hans began to laugh uncontrollably, surprising me a bit. 

“You know lad, you remind me a lot of myself when I was young and curious.” He said with envy, “oh how the years gone by.”

I truly did not know how old Hans was, but he spoke as if he’s been around for some time. However, I feel as though there is more to him then he’s letting on. As much as I would like to ask, I felt that now wasn’t the time for such a question. I’m sure we will find out at some point. After all, there is a time and place for everything.

(knock, knock, knock)

After hearing a few knocks, I turned my attention to the front door. 

“You can come in!” I yelled to whoever wished to enter.

“I am sorry to disturbed you…” said one of the male griffon servants, as he entered, “, but my king requested a meeting with you humans.” 

‘(groan) And I just started to get comfortable.’

“Fine; can you tell us why though?” I asked.

“I cannot say other than he wished to speak with you for something of great importance.” 

“Alright then, we’ll be out in a second.” With that said, the servant bowed his head and went out the door. 

We decided to leave everything except for our cloaks, seeing that there was no need for the guns here. 

“Yo Hans, take care of our stuff will yea.” Jordan said as we left the room. 

The servant led us to the castles’ military section. The multiple griffon troops gave us glances towards us, but continued on with their training afterwards. It consisted of combat and survival to flight formations and maneuvers. The soldiers looked brave, determined, and willing to fight for their country. 

“Brings back memories doesn’t it.” Jordan said out loud, referring to our days in the military. 

“oh yeah, short sleeping hours, constant excursive, and unforgettable bombardments of insults that our instructors gave us… yeah, good memories.” I said sarcastically. 

Jordan just laughed at my comment. However, Taphy didn’t say anything. Unlike us, he didn’t join the military; so he couldn’t relate to our experiences. 

We entered into the castle once more. The room was very large, that could fit a couple of divisions in here. It was decorated with many flags with emblems on them. One of them was Gryphonia’s national flag, however I was unfamiliar with the others and what they were supposed to represent. Above the national flag was a balcony that overlooks the whole room. I could see the king up there along with Gilda and the captain. 

“You wanted to see us king Feran?” I asked.

The king stayed silent for some time with questioning eyes. 

“I have seen many great warriors enter this chamber. They were called upon to prove their skill in combat and to show their loyalty to their people.” He finally said, with great pride, “Only the best earn their titles and positions in Gryphonia’s military. You have earned my trust, now you must prove your worth.” 

The king’s words were stern and unwavering. ‘So this is an arena… wait, then that means… oh dear.’

> ch.4 part 2: Battle Royal/ Daniel vs The Paladin/ Jordan vs The Dualist
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Battle royal


He explained that we were to be tested through combat. We would fight individually, and, if we pass, we will have one last match as a group. The king didn’t really say why we are being put through this, other than he wished to test our skills. We weren’t given a chance to object or even ask for an explanation. He gave us some time to prepare ourselves before our challengers arrive. Waiting behind a wall near the arena, we huddled up to discuss the situation. 

“Daniel, what are we going to do?” Taphy asked, not being stoic of the situation. 

“We didn’t sign up to be part of some mortal kombat sh#t.” Jordan added.

I was rubbing the back of my head, unable to say anything. This whole situation came at us unexpectedly.

“Heads up.” Jordan said, getting our attention. 

I looked up to see Gilda gliding down towards us. When she landed, she began to flex her injured wing, wincing a bit in the process. 

“At least your wing is healing up nicely.” I said, getting her attention. 

“Heh, you shouldn’t expect anything less…” she said confidently, “give it a day or two and I’ll be flying like nothing ever happened.” 

“Not to burst your bubble, but mind telling us what’s going on?” I asked, crossing my arms.

Gilda’s ears began to drop backwards from hearing my question. 

“Oh… well… uh…” she was stumbling between her words, obviously knowing the answer, “you see, my old man told me that I need new bodyguards, and that I could choose who I want so-“ 

“So you decided to have us as your bodyguards.” I said, finishing her sentence. 

“Yeah.” She said, lowering her head a bit.

I began to understand why the king wanted to test our skills in combat. He wishes to know if we’re capable of protecting his daughter, by having his best fighters go against us. I shook my head in disapproval of the situation.

“Look I’m sorry ok. I just… I just thought that-“ she tried to explain herself, seeing our disapproval. 

I rose my hand to signal her to stop. Understanding my gesture, she stayed quiet. 

“Gilda, I’m not sure what you intended, but it would have been nice if you would have asked us first before volunteering us for guard duty.” I said, voicing my opinion.

“By any chance, we can settle this without fighting?” Taphy asked, aiming for a less aggressive approach. 

“No, not really… unless you wish to live the rest of your life behind bars. This isn’t a request; this is a direct order from my father. Refusing it without good reason will be completely disrespectful…” she said, with all seriousness,” what are you guys so afraid of anyways? I see you take on like thirty bandits at once, with just your bare claws.” 

“Gilda, just because we can fight doesn’t mean we should. I was always against unnecessary fighting, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Also, to be fair we fought under self-defense; we were never the aggressors.” I said, annoyed by how simple minded she’s being.

Nothing more was said after that. Gilda only dropped her head in shame, making me feel bad. Unable to see her so sad, I sighed in defeat and went to kneel down next to her. Her head jerked up hearing my sudden approach. 

“Hey what’s with the long face? We all make mistakes, but we learn from them. Like my father’s father says ‘you never stop learning until the day you die’” I said making eye contact, “Just promise me that you’ll be more considerate next time.” 

I lifted my hand, offering her my occasional bro fists. She looked at me a bit puzzled at first, but, when she understood my gesture, she then gave me a smirk. 

“Yeah yeah, no need to get all philosophical on me.” She said, bumping my fist with her claw.

We begin to hear trumpets and cheers, coming from the arena.

“The fight is going to begin soon. You guys better get going.” She said, keeping her smile. 

“You heard her boys, let’s go kick some @ss!” I yelled, with random confidence. 

Jordan began to crack his knuckles, having a very neutral look on his face. Taphy looked more annoyed than anything else, probably from being forced to fight once more. 

“Let’s just get this over with… and you know this is going to cost you double.” Jordan said nonchalantly.

I looked at him, with a confused face. 

“Double?” 

“Yeah, as in double drinks for both of us. You still owe us for the first one.” He elaborated.

“What, oh come on!” I yelled, lifting my arms up. 

“You know the rules; extra work means extra pay.” He said, with a smirk on his face.

“Wow you guys are killing me.” I said, giving a light complaint on their demands. 

My friends only laughed at me for my inconvenience.

“Come on, let’s go give them a show.” Jordan said, wrapping his arms around my neck. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilda


After they left, I begin to make my way back to the balcony where my father would be. On my way there, I pondered about what Daniel told me. I guess I should have asked them first about all of this. They weren’t exactly happy about it, but luckily they agreed to do it. The threat of imprisonment probably had something to do with it. Regardless, I’m glad they are going through with it. I don’t know what it is, but I actually feel like I could be myself around them. Even after they found out about my royal status, their attitude towards me didn’t seem to have changed. Their friendship is something that I truly admire. It almost reminds me of an old friend of mine… or use to be friend. ‘Dash…’ 

I still haven’t forgiven myself for what I did. I only wanted to hang out with her, to feel normal again, just like old times, but she had other friends. I tried to push them away, but, through my selfishness, I was pushing her away instead. I was so angry, frustrated, and jealous, that I couldn’t see that I was losing her. Before I knew it, I snapped, saying such horrible things. I then forced her hoof to choose me or her friends. She didn’t choose me; so I ended our friendship. With a burst of anger, I spat out one last insult and flew away. Once I realized what I’ve done, I broke down. I lost the only normal friend I ever had. Even now I can feel the guilt of it all, like a wound that never healed. 

I begin to feel myself drag a bit, remembering my past mistakes. Suddenly, I remembered what Daniel told me. ‘We all make mistakes, but we learn from them.’ I begin to feel energy flow through me once more. ‘No, I’m not going to let this chance slip by me. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice; you can count on that!’ I ran for the balcony, hoping that I can make it to the tournament before it begins.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel


As we got closer to the arena, the eager cheers of the crowd were growing louder. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. When we finally reached the entrance, we stopped. I took a deep breath before I said one last word of encouragement. 

“Alright guys, all or nothing… let’s do this.” 

We finally entered into the arena and were mesmerized by the sight of it. There were hundreds of griffon soldiers, roaring in excitement of our arrival. ‘Jesus, this must be quite an event to have this big of a crowd.’ As we made our way to the center, they began to make a path for us. We continued on until we reached a square clearing, which was actually quite a descent size. After looking around a bit, I decided to look at the balcony. I could see a few griffon elites posted there along with the captain. I could also see the king, looking at us patiently, and another griffon that I didn’t recognize. I can’t really see any distinctive features other than his dark brown fur and lighter brown feathers, but he wasn’t wearing any armor. ‘Hmm, could be an advisor.’

The doors to the balcony opened, revealing a very tired Gilda. The king began to speak with her, probably asking if she’s ok, but she seems to be brushing off his concerns, looking at us in relief. ‘Congrats Gilda, you made it just in time.’ I begin to grow a small smile on my face, nodding in Gilda’s direction. She smirked and nodded back. I then noticed the king walk up toward the edge of the balcony, causing the whole room to be silent. Instantly, all the griffon troops begin to salute their king, with their balled up claw to their chest. The king rose his claw up in acknowledgement, causing the troops to drop their salute. 

“Soldiers of Gryphonia, you are all gathered here today to witness yet another group of brave warriors to become guardians of Gryphonia’s royal family.” The king said, making sure everyone in the room could hear, “the ones who have been chosen are not ordinary warriors, but the very mythical humans themselves. They have done many great deeds and have shown worthy of our nations respect. However, under recent events, my daughter is in need of new protectors, and she had chosen these humans to fit the role. They have graciously accepted the offer, yet there are others who wish to earn this right. Therefore, all challengers will have a chance to prove their skills in a one on one battle with the humans, and, in the end, should the humans succeed, they will face one last challenger. May the best fighter win.”

The ground beneath our feet began to shake as the square space in the middle of the arena began to rise. I would say that we rose about three to four feet above the ground. Once the arena finally settled, the crowd began to cheer once more. Looking around, I could see the ring more clearly. ‘Almost looks like the ring from dragon ball Z… fun.’ 
“The first match will begin! May the following challengers stand ready!” the king yelled, announcing who will be in the first match. 
The three of us stood there eyeing the crowd in anticipation. ‘Right let’s see who goes first.’




Daniel vs. the Paladin 

The crowd’s cheers were soaring in excitement, but I ignored them. I wanted to hear what the king will say. 

“The first contenders will be Andor from the Talon guard, against Daniel the human!” the king finally announced. ‘Why is it that I always go first?’

I took a deep breath and made my way towards one of the corners of the ring. I noticed that my friends took the initiative to follow; so I kept walking till I reached the edge. I turned around to look at them. They looked at me with concern in their eyes. 

“You ok?” Jordan asked.

“Yeah… just a bit nervous is all.” I said, shrugging a bit.

“Hey don’t worry about it. It’s just like the spar sessions we had in basic.” Jordan said, patting me on the shoulder. 

“Or like the martial arts tournaments we did back then.” Taphy added. ‘Heh, count on my friends to have my back.’

Before anything else could be said, I took sight of a figure on the other side of the ring. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better look at it. My friends turned around to see what I was looking at. I could see a griffon with sliver clad armor.  His breast plate had Gryphonia’s national symbol on its center. The shoulder blades had a wing on one side and flat on the other. He had gantlets that covered his claws and reached all the way up his arm, but still looked as sharp as a griffon’s talons. He even had shin guards to protect his hind legs from any low attacks. A dark green cape covered his back, hiding his wings. I could also see a handle of a sword on his side but the rest of it was hidden under his cape. The armor that covered most of his body was of high quality, and the high craftsmanship was indeed unquestionable. 

The griffon himself had black feathers, and, the exposed part of his armor, I could see tannish fur. His eyes were fixed on me, analyzing his opponent. He then turned away to look towards the king and saluted. Doing so, I could see a symbol on his cape. It was the same symbol as one of the drapes under the balcony. ‘Must be the talon guard symbol.’ Once he dropped his salute, he returned his gaze towards me. Taking that as the signal that the fight will start soon, I decided to tell my friends that now was a good time to get off the arena. They gave me a few more words of encouragement, which I smiled and nodded in return. Once they got off the ring, I begin my way towards the center. My opponent did the same. ‘Alright, time to put my game face on.’ 

Standing on the center of the ring, I was now face to face with my opponent. However, he was still on all fours, making me tilt my head down and making him tilt his up. Just like most of the griffons I’ve seen, his height only seems to reach to my chest, but I’m sure, if he stood on his hind legs, he would easily beat me on height. As if on cue, he decides to stand up, showing me his full height. He towered me in a few inches, but that didn’t change my demeanor. 

“Right.” I quietly said, bobbing my head up and down. 

“You are Daniel, one of the human warriors who defended the princess against all manner of foes and brought her home to safety?” he asked, in a neutral tone. 

“So you heard of us. I guess news travels fast around here.” I said, crossing my arms.

“News of your presence has only gone as far as the military district, but your deeds will not go unnoticed for long…” he said, now looking at me with a questionable look, “do you not have a weapon?” 

“Ah well, I don’t have a sword or axe, but I seem to be doing well without them so far.” I said nonchalantly, shrugging my shoulders a bit. 

He stayed silent after I said that, probably in thought. ‘Yeah we made it this far without using any weapons, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a sword or even some daggers. I almost got beaten in that last fight.’ 

“Very well then…” Andor said, while unsheathing his sword, “let’s see if your skill is as good as you say.”

After pulling out his sword, he took a step back and stood in an aggressive stance. At the same time, I took a couple more steps back and took a defensive stance. Taking the time to examine his weapon. Andor’s sword was a bit larger than the other swords I’ve seen. It was a double edge sword with an arrow tip. The handle was large enough to use with two hands, in his case claws. The weapon’s design seems to match fluently with his armor. ‘Alright, armor looks thick with little to no exposure except for his head; so my hits won’t do much damage unless I aim high. However, his armor also looks heavy, which could make him slow. Now his weapon has a good reach; so I’ll have to be careful, and I’ll have to watch his wings as well. He could use them to trip me up.’ The arena was silent in anticipation, waiting to see who would make the first move.

To my surprise, he charged at me with great speed. He then twirled his sword to slash me on the side, but I jumped back in response, seeing the sword miss by an inch. He didn’t give me a chance to recover, as he swung a multitude of strikes at me. ‘Crap, he’s way faster than I originally thought.’ I decided to roll away, hoping to get some distance. It worked but only for a moment. He quickly turned to my direction, getting back to his battle stance. He came at me again, making me dodge another flurry of attacks. When he swung diagonally, I was able to side step away and pull his arm forward, placing me behind him. Before I could attack, he quickly used a vertical strike while turning around. I backed up just in time to see the sword smash the ground where I was, making a loud clang.

He looked at me with a smirk on his face then gave a small grunt, probably thinking that the match was in his favor. ‘I can’t keep doing this. He’ll beat me at this rate.’ He went for another diagonal attack; so I side stepped, but, to my surprise, he swung his fist right afterwards. Desperately dodging it, I became unbalanced. With a strong flap of his wings, he lunged at me. He slammed his shoulder against my chest, pushing me to the ground. The momentum of the impact sent me across the arena, stopping right at the corner where my friends are. 

“Hey Daniel, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but I think he’s kicking your @ss.” I looked over to see Jordan, mockingly staring at me with a raised brow. 

“Oh really, well I suggest you keep your comments to yourself.” I replied bitterly back, only for him to chuckle in response. 

"Look out!" Jordan yelled, grabbing one of the soldier's sword that was next to him. 

He quickly tossed it to me and I grabbed it on each end, hoping to block my attacker. Apparently, I had a lucky break, because Andor was swinging his sword downward. Both swords collided with great force, as I mustered all my strength to hold back his strike. Without thought, I kicked him on his side to daze him and rolled away. The crowd was in an uproar from the sudden intervention. 'I don’t think what Jordan did there was legal.' I was worried that I got myself disqualified for cheating, but, as I was getting up, I noticed that Andor wasn’t looking at me but towards the king. I decided to do the same keeping the sword in my hand. 

The king held his claw up to silence the crowd. We all waited for his judgment, making me feel uneasy. I could also see Gilda looking at him with worry.

"I will let this pass, just this once..." he finally said, "but anymore and I will disqualify you from this tournament." 

I gave a sigh of relief, and turned my gaze back towards Andor. He was already looking at me, giving me quite a glare. 'Sorry buddy, but I believe the playing field is even now.' (Song dance of eternity [stop at 4:28]) I gave the sword a couple of swings to get the feel for it; then laid it on my shoulder. Continuing to glare at me, Andor was in his fighting stance once more. 'Alright let’s try this again.' 

Just like before, he charged me, but this time I was ready. As he tried to swipe me from the side, I swung my sword to deflect his attack. I was quite successful, using my speed to equal out his strength. He continued to throw attacks at me, but they were either deflected by my sword or missed entirely by my maneuvering. In mere frustration, he screeched, while swinging his sword down at me. I jumped to the side to watch the sword hit the ground. The stone ground shattered upon impact, leaving an imprint where the sword hit. 'Dear lord, it’s a good thing I dodged that one. I probably wouldn’t be able to block that.'

Seeing Andor leave his guard open, I decided it was my time to attack. I swung at him as fast as I could, hoping to hit my mark, but he was able to bring his sword up to block me. I then began to throw my own flurry of strikes. Unlike Andor's attacks that had a chopping effect, the extent of damage my attacks would give are more cutting in nature. It may not be as powerful but it's swift and continuous, forcing Andor to move backwards while blocking. I was able to get him a few times, but his armor was too strong for my attacks to deal any damage. 'This isn’t working. I need to find another way to beat him. Maybe if I get rid of his sword...' before I knew it, Andor flushed one of his wings at me, fazing me a bit. When I regained myself, I noticed he was coming at me with an uppercut of his sword. I tried to block it, but I was slow. With great force, he knocked the blade right out of my hand, sending it across the arena. 'Sh#t... yeah that sword needs to go.’

I could see a bit of a smile on Andor's face, after he disarmed me, and now I was back to square one. He wasted no time and started attacking me, swinging his sword furiously to take me down quickly. My speed and agility was my only defense, but I couldn’t keep it up forever. 'I need my sword.' as Andor tried to hit me overhead, he left himself open for a counter, and I went for it. I quickly grabbed his sword arm and gave him a good hook to his head. After dazing him, I brought down his sword arm on my shoulder, causing him to drop his sword and squawk in pain. I then threw him over me, getting a good distance even with the heavy armor. Taking the opportunity, I ran for my sword, while he was down. 

I ran with all my might, hoping to get my sword in time. The crowd was in a frenzy, seeing the fight escalate this far, but there was something else I could hear other than the crowd. It sounded like wings, and, to my dismay, it was getting louder. 'Crap, crap, crap, crap! He’s catching up.' my sword was only a couple of feet away now; so I dived for it. I grabbed the sword, while rolling over it. I heard a loud crash behind me, probably from Andor smashing his sword where I was. Taking no chances, I decided to keep running. I looked over to see Andor holding his stance towards me. 'Alright, I hope you’re ready, because I’m coming right for ya.'

I continued running, curving around him to see how he react. He turns with me, refusing to allow me to be behind him. I eventually made my move and began to sprint towards him, keeping the sword behind me as I ran. As Andor began to brace, I leaped into the air, rotating my body in a three sixty spin. As I came down, I brought my sword at him. He was ready to block it, but, thanks to my momentum with the spin, my attack was a lot stronger then he realized. The impact caused him to kneel down, giving me the opportunity to attack again. I continued to strike down upon his sword, throwing more force within each attack.

My assault kept him from doing anything other than blocking; so, when he least expect it, I swung my sword in a under hook. To his dismay, I swatted the sword out of its defensive position, leaving him wide open. I backed elbowed him in the face, forcing him to the ground. 'Here’s my chance.' as he was desperately trying to get up, he held his sword at me. Holding my sword with both hands, I swung it like a baseball bat at his, knocking it out of his claw. 'Homerun!' Andor was now unarmed, but he wasn’t defenseless. As thoughts of victory ran through my mind, I instantly felt a sharp pain against my side. 

I fell back, grunting in pain. Looking down, I could see three cuts on my side, evenly spaced out and bleeding. I then see Andor with his claws up. One of them was dripping with blood, my blood. 

"Right, claws." I grumbled, as I held my bleeding side with my hand. 

Without warning, Andor leaped at me, holding his claws out to swipe at me. I was now dodging these vicious talons, occasionally blocking some with my sword. He screeched and swiped, and his eyes were filled with determination, unwilling to surrender. However, I saved the best for last. Using my skill in capoeira, I dodged one of his swipes with a back flip. Half way into it, I kicked him below his beak with my strong leg. Time seemed to have slowed down a bit, as Andor's head recoiled away from the impact. When my legs touched the ground, I spun forward with a back leg swipe, making him fall on his back. Seconds after he hit the ground, I was bringing my sword down on his head. Thanks to my momentum, the whole process was like a blur. Then I stopped. 

My blade was only inches away from impaling Andor's head to the floor. I knew he was stunned because he didn’t move from his position. In fact, the whole arena fell silent, showing that the crowd was to bewildered by the outcome of the fight. 'And that's how it’s done.' taking in a deep breath, I stood up, bringing the sword away from him. I then offered my free hand to him. He looked at me and my hand with such confusion in his eyes, as if my actions were conflicting with his reasoning. 

"Come on, the fights over." I said with all seriousness.

He opened his beak, probably to protest, but he couldn’t say anything. Eventually, he sighed in defeat and accepted my helping hand. Bringing him up wasn’t easy, he was still heavy and I was tired and hurt. The wound on my side stung bitterly, making me wince a little. 

Once he was on his paws, he just looked at me, still a bit bewildered. 

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?"

"Why didn’t you end the fight? You had me at the point of your sword, yet you retracted it before I claim surrender. If it was considered an act of mercy, then why humiliate yourself as to assist me?" his questions had earned him a chuckle from me.

Before I answered, I had a small smile on my face. 

"As far as I know, the tournament was meant to prove who had the better fighting skills, not a fight to the death." I said, trying to clarify my actions, "what I did was not an act of mercy, but of respect. You fought with courage and determination, unwilling to back down, and I respect that. For what I understand, the moment my sword was above your head, I had won. So instead of claiming your admittance of surrender I decided to do something better." 

"And what would that be?" he asked, curiously. 

"The right thing." I said, lifting my hand up for a shake. 

Based on the look he was giving me, I knew I had to explain. 

"It’s a human gesture. Opponents would shake each other’s hands after a match as a sign of respect." before he responded, he looked at me for a few seconds, making me think he wouldn’t accept. 

"Hmmm... very well." he finally said, smiling while shaking my hand. 

"The winner of the first match goes to Daniel the human." we both looked over king to the king, who announced the victor of the first round. 

Even though the crowd was bewildered by the events that past, they began to cheer in respect. After looking at them, I looked back at Andor to see that he was back on all fours. He bowed and saluted me, and I bowed my head in return. We then departed towards our respective corners of the arena. As I looked over to where my friends are, I could see them cheering along with the crowd. Once I got over, they begin to congratulate me for my victory, giving me compliments and pats on the back. I was able to earn us a small victory, but we still had three more fights ahead of us. I would have to place my faith with my friends; for they need to earn their own victories.




Jordan vs. the Dualist


I had to say, that first fight was quite intense. If I hadn’t tossed that sword to Daniel, he probably would have gotten his butt whooped. Yeah sure, the soldier had some complaints, but he aint complaining now. Once the fight got going, everybody went silent. It was so exciting, that I was about to scream. However, I did my best to keep silent and watch, but let me tell you; it wasn’t easy. When Daniel finally took that griffon down, I was about to burst with excitement, but something happened. Daniel drew back and helped him up, but that wasn’t what got me. It was the fact that the whole arena fell into an eerie silence, making it seem like he did something wrong. 

I couldn’t hear what Daniel said to him, but I didn’t care that much. My attention was on the king, A.K.A. Gilda's father. He didn’t look upset, but actually interested, like he wanted to see how the events unfold. I brought my attention back to the arena. Daniel still seems to be conversing with Andor, while he stood there with a confused look on his face. Eventually, they shook hands... claws... claw and hand, giving the indication that the match was over. Then the king announced that Daniel was the winner, and boy did I let out a cry of approval. 

"Daniel, you crazy son of a gun! You almost gave me a heart attack!" I yelled, when Daniel finally came over to us. 

"Well what can I say; I know how to put up a show." he replied, with a smug on his face.

When he got down though, he winced a bit in pain, clenching his side. 

"Yo, you alright man?" Taphy asked, coming over to assist. 

"Yeah, he just got me real good there with his claw is all." he said, still holding his side. 'Yeah that’s right, he got ya there that time. Darn it Daniel, you have to be more careful.' 

"Alright, let’s see the damage." I demanded.

Daniel rose his arm in compliance, being a bit slow so he wouldn’t feel as much pain. The injury was as clear as day; three red streaks across his waist. It was still dripping with blood, staining the cloth around it. 'It doesn’t look that bad, but I don’t have a med kit to treat it.' 

"You’re lucky it’s just a scratch, but we're going to have to disinfect it later." I said, once I was done analyzing the wound.

"Oh don’t worry. I can take care of that." I turned around to see a griffon, carrying a large brown pouch. 

She also had an armband on her shoulder, displaying a red cross.

"Now let’s see here." she said, looking at Daniel’s injury.

We all looked at her with a bit of confusion.

"The names Nova, if you were wondering." she said, while picking through her pouch, "I’m part of the medical team that works in the castle, and I was assigned to take care of any injuries, that you may sustain in the tournament." 

Now understanding her presence, we weren’t confused by her intrusion. She didn’t seem as big as all the other griffons; so she was probably young. She had blue eyes, white feathers, and a black coat with a pitch of white on her chest. 

"So, is this your first time working on humans?" Daniel asked, while the rest of us waited patiently for her to finish. 

We all knew the answer to that, considering our race was nonexistent in this world.

"well to be honest, this is kind of my first assignment." she admitted, with a embarrassed smile, "I just came out of training field, and ,wanting to earn experience, I took the first job out there." 

"I’m guessing that was being our medical doctor for the tournament." I said. 

"Yeah... I heard the rumor that there were humans in the castle, but I just scoffed it as a hoax. When I got this assignment though, I didn’t know how to feel about it, whether to be frightened or excited. Eventually, I knew that this was the best way to earn experience under my wings." she said, finishing the bandage. 

"Well I don’t know about you, but I say you work like a professional to me." Daniel said, flatteringly. 

"Oh... uh, why thank you." she replied, blushing through her feathers. 'Still don’t know how they can do that.'

Before the second match started, the soldiers brought us a series of weapons for the tournament. 'I guess they didn’t like it when I pitched in that sword.' the pile consisted of spears, swords, daggers, and maces. We were quite grateful for their gifts. 
"I shall now announce the contenders of the next match!" the king yelled," Falco from the sky rangers vs. Jordan the human!" 'I’m next huh... alright, I got this.' 

"Going up against Falco huh. He’s one of the best sky rangers out there." Nova said out loud. 

"So, who are the sky rangers?" I asked, looking through the pile of weapons. 

"Oh well unlike the Talon Guard who are your typical soldiers in the Gryphonian military, the sky rangers specialize in air combat. They are light, fast, and agile; perfect qualities for a flyer. Oh, and if you are wondering, there is a third group; the sorcery guild. they're the ones who possess the ability to do magic. I don’t really know much about them, other than their the smallest of the three, since it’s a rarity for griffons to do magic." Nova said, informing us to Gryphonia’s military. 'So there is magic in this world after all. Daniel did say there would be, being in a show and all... man this is weird.' 

I ended up equipping myself with a sword and a dagger as a sub weapon. I put the dagger under my belt for quick access. Daniel and Taphy wished me good luck, as I got up on the arena. Making my way down, I could see another griffon gliding down towards the center. The crowd was cheering as usual, showing their interest for the next match. Once we finally met in the middle, I gave him a once over. His armor was lighter than the other competitor, only having a breast plate, gauntlets, and shin guards. The breast plate was mostly leather armor with iron plates on the chest, sides, and back. The gauntlets were also leather with iron plates in certain areas to allow more movement. They seem to cover all his arms except his claws. The shin guards were leather with two iron plates. One covering the thigh, while the other covers the leg. His armor type made since, knowing he was trained to fight in the air then the ground. I could also see two swords on each side of his waist. 'Dualist, fast, agile, likes to be airborne. This is going to be interesting.' 

His features as a griffon were pretty simple. He had white feathers with a bit of red shading around the eyes, and his fur was of a lighter brown. His height was the usual, being above my waist. 

"So your one of the humans everyone’s been talking about. Well I am honored to have this match with you, and a fellow dualist to. Ha, this will be an interesting match indeed." Falco said, with a bit of excitement. 

"So you must be Falco; heard you’re quite a flyer." I said, returning the gesture. 

"Well I don’t like to brag but I am one of the best sky rangers in the force..." he stated with pride, 

"I’ve heard you guys are pretty good fighters, if that last match proved anything."

"Heh, will I aint one to brag, but I guess we are pretty good." I replied back, showing a little pride in it.

The crowd was becoming restless, roaring for action. 

"Well I guess that concludes our conversation." he said. 

"Yup... may the best fighter win." I concluded, receiving a nod from him. 

(Song Magdalena) we both took a couple of steps back, keeping our eyes on each other. I stopped and reached for my dagger, pulling it out real slowly. Falco did the same for his two blades. Once our weapons were out, I crouched a bit keeping my blades in front of me, while he had one in front and the other by his waist.

Then like a slingshot, he thrust his wings and dashed towards me. He thrashed both his swords at me, one coming after the other. I intercepted his attack, making two clangs for each sword. The fight continued as our blades came in different directions, but, as I dodged one of his strikes, I tried to slash at him. He quickly leaped back and took flight, hovering above me. He then began to dive straight towards me, making me brace myself. Once he was close enough, he swiped his swords at me, but I rolled out of the way. He then went back up in the air and hovered.

He flew at me again, but this time I tried to counter him. I swung my blade towards his, with the other following suit. However, the momentum powered his strike with such force, it almost knocked the sword out of my hand. I stumbled back a bit trying to prevent myself from falling. Before I could turn to face my opponent, I felt a shock of pain on my back with a gust of wind blowing against me. I looked over to see Falco looking back with a smug on his face. I only glared at him, knowing he swiped at me while I was disoriented. He came at me again, but this time I decide to just dodge and think. 'I need to get him on the ground.'

After a cycle of air raids, I decided it was best to change tactics. I sheathed my dagger and tossed my sword some ways behind me. Falco looked at me confusedly but decided to ignore the fact and to attack, while I was unarmed. However, I brought my hands back up and knees bent, bracing for his attack. He then proceeded to bring down his blades at me, just like I hoped he would. I then grabbed his arm with both hands and twisted my body towards the ground, throwing him off. Just like I predicted, the momentum was so strong it threw us both to the ground. As I rolled passed him, I begin to crouch keeping one hand on the ground for balance as I slid. While I was sliding, I reached out with my other hand and grabbed my sword. I held it in reverse keeping the blade behind me. 

Once I came to a stop, I began to charge him. He was still on the ground, slowly getting up, but, when he noticed me, he frantically got up to collect his swords. I thrashed the sword I had in reverse, twisting my body to gain momentum. He desperately tried to block me, but my attack broke his block, leaving him open. I then switched the grip of the sword to the correct position and slashed in the other direction, without pause. I sliced at his chest making a mark on his iron plate. I then punched him square in the face, sending him back to the ground. 

He lifted his sword straight at me, in attempt to keep me back. I decided to back off for a bit to let him get up. He spat at the ground, staining it with blood, and then glared at me. 'You aint smiling now aren’t ya.' as he was getting up, I went back to my stance, bringing my blades up and knees bent. I then proceeded to taunt him by waving my hand, telling him to come at me. His glare intensified after that, seeing his grip on the blades tighten. He screeched and charged at me, slashing his blades wildly when he got in range. I maneuvered myself to dodge the blades, deflecting some attacks with mine. Falco got more frustrated as I continued to dodge and block. To me, it was just a better chance to find an opening. 

after awhile I decided to make a move, I dodged and spun around him with a strike of my own. however, He seen me coming, so, instead of stopping to turn, he spun around and tried to counter with one blade and attack with the other. I blocked both blades with one, using all my strength to hold it. I then pushed forward to get closer to him. Our blades were shaking, trying to overcome the other, but it was about to come to an end. 

"Sorry to say, but I win." I said, with a smile. 

"What are you talking about!?" he grunted. 

My smirk only got bigger, while he was trying to understand what I meant. Suddenly his eyes began to grow wide in realization and looked down. What he could see was my dagger pointed right at his stomach. 

He took a deep breath before he eased off. Once the stress between the swords subsided, I drew back my sword and dagger.

"Well played human; well played." Falco said, as he sheathed his swords. 

"Heh, you really gave me the run for my money there..." I contemplated, sheathing my weapons as well, "if that match lasted any longer, you probably would have beaten me. After all, you did do a number on my back." 

“haha, I guess I was to confident then." he joked, scratching the back of his head. 

"Maybe next time." I said, reaching out my hand for a shake.

"I’m looking forward to it." he replied, laughing a bit while retuning my shake. 

Although another of their champions have been defeated, the crowd still cheered on. 

"The winner of the second match is Jordan the human!" the king finally announced.

The crowd flared in approval. 'Well that’s that then.’

We both gave a respectful nod and parted ways. I got back to my friends, receiving fist bumps and congratulations. Nova immediately came to treat my wounds, but not after expressing how awesome that match was. Noticing the looks we were giving her, she stopped in embarrassment. At that point, we couldn’t hold it in; we began to laugh to our hearts content. She pouted in disapproval, and asked what was so funny. Once we stopped, we apologized for our outbursts and explained how adorable she looked. She obviously disapproved, giving us a scowl. We promised that we wouldn’t do it again, but we all know it aint true. 'Laughs aside, Taphy should be next. Good luck to ya man, and we will be right here to back you up as best we could.'

> ch.4 part 3: taphy vs the warrior/ three vs one (end)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taphy vs. the warrior 


Trust me when I say this, these guys are going to kill me one day. I mean Daniel’s like "let’s check it out." or "come on guys; just a little further.", so we agree and tag along. it was supposed to be a short trip, a in and out, but oh no; we get sucked into another world, go through many life threatening situations, and now I’m in some sort of fight club arena, going against griffons. Why is this happening to me; did god decide to say "Taphy you’re going to fight mythical creatures today and you’re going to like it." I’m not mad though. Daniel couldn’t have known that any of this could happen, but I know one thing. When this is all over, I’m going to find a nice hotel in Hawaii, with a nice pool, good service, and wonderful food, and I’m going to stay there until I forget that any of this ever happened. 

"Don’t worry about it Taphy, I’m sure you’ll do fine." Daniel said encouragingly. 

We all knew I was next on the list, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

"Daniel's right, I mean you have improved in your fighting skills since we first entered into that dojo." Jordan added. 

"That’s because I barely had any, and you guys keep beating me up until I actually beaten both of you." I said begrudgingly. 

"Hey, if you can beat us, you can beat them to." Daniel continued on with his encouragements.

"I can also take care of any injuries you may obtain." Nova said, with glee.

"See Taphy, free health care; so there’s nothing to worry about." Jordan said. 'Yeah I feel so much better right now, if I get beaten into a pulp, there’s a doctor waiting for me.'

"Our next contenders will be Thrain from the Talon Guard verses Taphy the Human." the king announced. 

"(Sigh) well if I’m going out there, I’m going out with style." I said while i went to search for my weapon. 

"That’s the spirit Taphy." Jordan complemented. 

Looking through the stash, I ended up choosing a sword and a dagger. Feeling a bit satisfied, I climbed up on the arena. 

"That’s right Taphy, give him hell!" "You can do it man!" I heard my friends say.

When I got up there, I was getting my swagger on. I had the biggest grin on my face, giving a few possess to raddle up the crowd. I had to say, they were booming after each pose, and I’m actually liking it. 'This must be how it feels to be in the NBA.' I spun around and shot my hands up, making the crowd go wild. 'ha, I feel like I can take on anything.' all of a sudden, a loud crash, followed by a gust of wind and the ground shaking a bit, came from behind me. My grin was slowly deteriorating along with my arms going down, as I turned around. My eyes began to guide up, looking at the biggest griffon I’ve ever seen. 'You’ve got to be kidding me.' 

Being so close, I could easily identify his features. His armor looked pretty standard: chest plate, gauntlets, and shin guards. It was all just in a bigger size. He had dark brown fur with grey feathers, but his height was where he stands out. He was on his hind legs, towering over me by at least two feet. His weapon was hidden behind his back, only seeing the handle behind his shoulder. My facial expression was neutral and my body was stiff, as I continue to just stare at him. 'Oh dear lord, I’m going up against the goliath of all griffons... oh lord have mercy.' he continued to look down at me, practically analyzing his prey. Feeling that I stayed quiet long enough, I decided to break the silence. 

"I don’t know what they been feeding you, but your too damn big." I said, voicing my opinion of him. 

He raised his brow, confused by my sudden comment. 

"Are you insulting me, human?" he asked sternly. 

"Ah na man; you see, these other griffons seem to average out at a certain height, but you, on the other hand, seemed to have hit that growth spurt since you were five." I explained. 

He just stayed quiet after that, but he kept looking at me the same way.

"Man, you must have played a lot of sports..." I continued, "The names Taphy, you probably already heard. You know, saved a princess and all that." 

"..."

"You’re not much of a talker." 

"I am not here to make pleasant conversation." he gruffly said. 

I was taken aback by that, giving him a scowl afterwards. 

"Oh ok, I see how it is. You think you’re so big and bad you can’t have a simple conversation." I said, letting him know how I feel.

He continued to stay quiet, making me heat up in frustration. 

"Alright; alright, you want to do this; fine we'll do this..." I said, pulling my sword out, "come on; come at me bro." 

"About time, you were starting to bore Me." he exclaimed, reaching for the sword handle on his back. 

"WHAT! Oh you gonna get it now. I’m gonna- oh my lord ((boondocks metaphor remix)" I stopped talking, when Thrain took out his sword.

It was almost as tall as I was, making mine look inferior in comparison. 

"Hey man, you know I was just playing; ma-maybe we can start over?" I said, hoping he didn’t take what I said literally.

He swung his sword at me, making me juke out of the way. He came again with a horizontal strike, but I ducked under it, missing me by an inch. He then threw his sword down at me, putting a lot of force in this attack. I swiftly rolled out of the way, hearing the ground break by the collision of the sword. I quickly got up to face him, only to see him stand at the ready, with both claws on his sword. I charged him, keeping my sword ready to strike. He swung at me when I got close, but I dodged it and went for an attack of my own. However, I had forgotten about his wings, which hit me square in the face. I fell to the ground, feeling a bit dazed. I noticed he tried to stomp me; so I quickly rolled away, hearing a loud thud as his foot hit the ground. 

After I got up, Thrain decided that it was his turn to strike. He swung his sword at me many times, forcing me back after every swing. When I thought I've seen an opening, I tried to counter, but he blocked it with his sword. With a free claw, he grabbed me by the chest and hoisted me up. 

"Hey come on man, can’t we just talk about this?" I asked, desperately trying to save myself.

He responded by throwing me further across the ring. I shrieked until I landed on the hard ground. 

"You can do it Taphy!" "Yeah just remember your training!" I heard my friends yell out to me. 'Oh yeah, these guys are going to kill me one day.' 

I slowly got up, feeling the pain of the impact set in. before I got up all the way, I noticed a shadow covering me. I realized what it was and rolled out of the way. I heard a loud crack from where I was. I turned to see Thrain with his sword half way in the ground. Seeing him struggle to remove the sword, I took the opportunity to strike back. I ran up to him and gave him a good hook to the face. His head turned away from the impact, but he still stood his ground. He slowly turned back to look at me, giving me quite the glare. He stood up, completely ignoring his sword. 'Uh oh.' he opened up his claws, showing me his sharp talons. With a loud screech he swiped at me. His attacks became a lot quicker, and I was struggling to evade them. 

I eventually lost my balance and fell. He then brought both his claws up, clenching them, and brought them down at the same time. I quickly rolled backwards, saving me from the sudden death blow. As his claws hit the ground, it gave way to multiple cracks around it. My face dropped, seeing the force he placed on his attack. Regaining myself, I decided that I backed down enough. I charged and swung at him with full force. He swiped back, intercepting my sword. The impact was too much for my hand; so I lost my grip. The sword flew off away from my reach. He chuckled at my sudden predicament, but I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. 

"You know what, I don’t even need that sword. That’s right, come on!" I said, putting my fists up.

I charged him again and tried to punch him. However, he grabbed my arm and hoisted me up.

“Do I have your surrender?” he asked, as I dangled under his grip.

“Fat chance!” I said in defiance. 

I then swung myself up, pushing myself on his chest, and kicked him right under his beak. He dropped me and staggered back, giving me ample time for another strike. I kicked him on the shin where I knew it really hurt. The armor took some of the force, but he still reacted in pain, bending down to try to relive it. I then ran up and jumped, giving him a good kick on the chest using my body as leverage for force. The impact caused him to fall back and stop me in place, hitting the ground quite roughly. I hurt my back in the process but I continued on regardless. 

While he was on the ground, I took my dagger out and went for him. I jumped right on top of him, and, before he could react, I brought it down, yelling with force. The dagger landed right next to his head, making a loud crack. ‘I won… I won!’ I began to breathe heavily as the adrenalin wore off. Thrain looked at my dagger; then at me, showing a neutral expression. 

“I have underestimated you, human. I admit defeat.” He finally said. 

I accepted and backed off. He got up and gave me a small smile.

“You have earned my respect.” He said, bowing his head down.

“Hey (huff) it’s cool bro (huff) you aint bad yourself.” I said, giving him my respects.

“The winner of the third match is Taphy the human!” I looked around as the crowd cheered on. ‘Heh, at least I got some respect around here.’ 

Looked back at Thrain, only to see him where his sword was. He gripped it and pulled with all his might. The sword yanked out of the ground, going back to its owner. He placed the hilt on his shoulder, letting his body take the weight. 

“Until we meet again.” He said.

“Yeah, see ya around.” I returned. 

We both parted ways, ending our confrontation. As I was heading back, my back felt like someone swung a bat at it. I tried to act slick about it, hoping to keep what respect I had from these griffons. ‘Come on Taphy, keep it cool. You’re a world star now.’ 

I looked over to my friends, and they were going nuts as if their minds were blown. 

“That’s how it’s done Taphy, that’s is how it’s done!” “You went off on him and that move was sick!” their praises were humbly received.

As I slowly got off the ring, the gang was already there to continue their congratulations. 

“Well you shouldn’t expect anything less from me.” I said with pride. 

“Heh alright, just don’t let it get to your head.” Daniel said. 

He gave me a pat on my back, but it wasn’t received well. I wailed in pain, while holding on to my back and slowly falling to the ground. 

“Uh sorry… Nova I think you should check on him.” Daniel suggested. 

“Right.” She went to work immediately, checking where the pain was. ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to need a long vacation.’




Three vs. one

“See, what did I tell ya; their practically unstoppable.” I said out loud. 

I’ve been spectating the past few matches, along with my father and his adviser. They haven’t said anything other than announce the competitors and winners, and I was so enthralled in the tournament that I couldn’t help but wish to go down there to get a better look. Match after match, my confidence with the humans had grown substantially. After all, they all fought one on one with the best our military had to offer. There were a few times I felt a bit nervous, when fights were getting nasty, but they seem to find a way to turn the tables and win. I could go as far to say that the last match was already won. 

“I will admit, your confidence in their abilities have been proven true…” my dad said sternly,” but they lack a certain ability that is quite relevant.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean; they kicked tail out there.” I said defensively. 

“I will not deny that their physical capabilities are impressive, to say the least, but there is more to battle than physical strength and skill. “ ‘What does he mean by that; more to it than physical strength… wait he doesn’t mean?’

My eyes shot wide open in realization on who the next opponent is.

“If the humans cannot overcome this next opponent, then they can’t defend you against all matter of enemies.” His words had given me a bad feeling about the next match. ‘They haven’t faced anything like that before.’

I looked back to the ring to see the opponent that could bring the humans winning streak to a close.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel

“How you feeling buddy?” I asked my semi injured friend.

“A little better.” Taphy replied, looking more relaxed then hurt.

His back was pretty bruised up from the match, but Nova was able to treat it by using a healing ointment that dulls out the pain. However, it looked like she was giving him a massage than anything else. 

“There you should be good for the rest of the day, but, if you feel any more pain, please let me know.” She said, putting away her supplies. 

“You know, now that you mention it…” Taphy said with a devious smile.

“Taphy! She’s a doctor; not a Mie sues.” Jordan said sternly.

“Hey you can’t blame a brother for trying.” Taphy said jokingly.

Tahy’s match was a bit nerve wrecking. He isn’t as good of a fighter as we were, and our opponents were no joke. We tried to give some motivation, but we still had our doubts. However, when Taphy turned the tables with that move, we couldn’t help but feel awestruck. It didn’t stop there though, he did something we thought he never do. He knocked him down. We were going nuts, and, when he went for the final blow, no words could describe how blown we were. When he was coming back to us, I knew he was beat. His attempts to hide it didn’t fool me. During his treatment, Jordan and I discussed a plan for the last match. All three of us would be joined up against one griffon, which gives me the impression that the next match would be different than the others.

Once Taphy was finished with his medical attention, we decided to lay our concerns with him. 

“Alright, this is our last match, and they are allowing us to do it together. As far as I know, we are facing one griffon. The odds seem to be in our favor. However, I doubt they would make it that easy for us; so this griffon must be something special.” I said.

Taphy just looked at us with concern in his eyes.

“What do you mean by special?” he asked. 

“Daniel thinks that we may have a magician in our hands.” Jordan answered.

“Nova mentioned a third branch, sorcery guild right…” Nova nodded in response, “I believe that our last opponent will be from this branch. I’m not sure what kind of magic they have, but we’re going to have to be ready for anything.” 

We were all getting a bit uneasy. After all, we didn’t have to face an opponent that could use magic before. ‘If he has telekinesis, I hope it doesn’t affect us personally or else we’re screwed.’ 

“Uh guys.” Nova said, getting out attention.

We looked toward the arena to see a griffon in a black robe with a hood. There was a wooden staff on his back that seem to contain a gem on the top. ‘Just as I thought, a magician.’ 

“Hey uh Nova, what can you tell us about the guild.” Taphy asked, sounding more nervous than before.

“Not much I’m afraid. I haven’t really given much interest in the guild, but what I do know is that it’s the smallest of all the branches, since most griffon can’t do magic. Those who can would be taken in and be trained to hone their skills. Magic, that can be taught, is limited, but they are the most powerful of all the branches.” She informed.

I took a deep breath and began to search in the pile for a sword.

“Well, it’s now or never guys. Let’s just grab our weapons and hope for the best.” I said, grabbing the sword that suited me. 

My friends went off to collect their previous armaments.

“Oh um, I suggest you take range weapons; I think it’s best to keep your distance.” Nova recommended. 

Upon that note, we began taking as many knives and daggers we could carry. Sadly, we were limited on range weaponry. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Taphy said, making his way up the arena. 

As we got up, the griffon continued to stand there, expressions hidden under his cloak. ‘Hmm, what’s with magicians and robes?’ 

“For our final match, it will be Ember from the Sorcery Guild, versus the three victors!” the king announced. ‘Ember; interesting name… I wonder.’ 

The crowd began to cheer once more, waiting to see the outcome of the last match. We were now face to face with our opponent, but we just looked at each other. We continued to stay quiet for some time, waiting to see what the other will do. ‘What are we waiting for?’

“Heh, if somegriffon told me that I would be facing mythical beings, I would have laughed at it thinking it was a joke, but here I am, fighting humans.” The griffon spoke, having a female tone. ‘Wait our opponent is a girl… well this is awkward.’ 

“Join the club lady. We’ve been saying that ever since we got here.” Taphy said. 

She chuckled at that and gave us the pleasure of revealing her face. She had white feathers with a shade of red around her eyes. 

“I’ve been waiting for an opponent that could actually match me.” She said casually, “you’ve shown some promise. I may actually have to try, for once.” 

She equipped her staff, giving us a devious smile. 

“I wish you the best of luck, because you’re going to need it.” She proclaimed, “Shall we begin?” 

We unsheathed our swords and began to surround her. However, Ember continued to stand there, smirking with confidence. Getting tired of her zealousness, I decided that we would make the first move. I grabbed one of my knives and threw it at her. My friends proceeded to do the same, having projectiles come at her in three different directions. The gem on Ember’s staff began to glow red, casting a red sphere around her. Our knives just bounced off it, not leaving a single mark. (Bad situation- naruto) ‘cr@p, she knows how to cast shields.’ 

“Really now, is that how you want to start this off. Heh, weak…” she said shaking her head in petty disappointment, “oh well, my turn.” 

She rose her staff then brought it down. Once it hit the ground, the sphere burst in flames. It turned into a raging inferno, causing us to draw back in fear of getting burned. 

I looked in amazement toward the display of magic that is being performed before us. ‘Elemental magic… and of course hers is fire, it matches with her name.’ I was brought back to reality, as the inferno shot a large fire ball at me. I dived out of the way, hearing the fire ball swoosh past me. I looked over to my friends, noticing that they moved from their positions. A line of black ash stained across their previous spots, showing that they too had to evade the flames. ‘She can throw more than one at the same time… great. Talk about a game changer.’

The inferno suddenly subsided, revealing the caster within. 

“Your move.” She taunted, having a grin on her face. ‘Range weapons won’t work. She’ll just use her shield to deflect them. If we try to get close, she’ll just burn us to a crisp.’ 

The match just went from bad to worse. Any maneuvers or attempts on attacking could end in complete disaster. Unsure of what to do, I continued to stand there. 

“I hope you’re not thinking of surrendering, because I was only getting started.” She continued to taunt us, looking at her talons just to increase the effect. 

Feeling that I waited long enough, I decided to act. I charged her, seeing how far I can get. She smiled at the thought and balled her claw up. The gem glowed red again, and, when she opened up her claw at me, a burst of flames appeared and spurted out towards me. ‘cr@p.’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilda

As I continue to watch the match escalate, it was pretty clear who had the upper claw. Daniel’s attempt to attack was easily repelled by Ember’s fire spells. He was able to get out of the way in time, but she continued to throw more at him. Taphy and Jordan weren’t favoring any better. Jordan tried to throw more knives, while dodging her fire blasts. However, they were either blocked by her magic shield or missed entirely. Taphy was barely able to do anything but run around, trying not to get fried. 

“As I predicted, they don’t fare well against magic.” My father said, already believing on how the match will end.

“The match just started. I know they can pull through. Just give them some time; you’ll see.” I said in defense.

“Hmm, sir Gizzard, what is your take on this?” my dad asked.

“I cannot say. The princess is right that it hasn’t been long since the match started. However based on the current situation, the humans seem to be at a loss.” He said. 

Gizzard is my dad’s chief adviser and also the head scholar in the castle. He doesn’t usually come to these events, but, when he heard news of humans competing, his curiosity got the best of him. I’m surprised he hadn’t said anything for a while. 

“They can do this. I know they can.” I said, looking back towards the match. ‘I hope.’

The situation continued to look bleak, as Ember held dominance over the ring. As time went on, the humans became more daring, maneuvering closer to her to throw their knives. She continued to cast her fire magic to hold them back, but they keep advancing.  I begin to feel a tinge of hope that they could actually pull it off. However, little did I know, the match was about to escalate on both sides.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel

The match had practically turned into a hit and run fest, desperately trying to conserve the knives and daggers. We weren’t able to get close enough for a sword, but, little by little, we were closing in. ‘she isn’t letting up, and she doesn’t even look tired.’ I noticed that, before she casts her spells, the gem on her staff glows. ‘Hmm, the gem must be some sort of amplifier.’ If what I believe is true, then removing the gem from the equation would truly weaken her. ‘If we could just get close enough.’ Checking my reserves, I only had three knives to spare. I knew it wasn’t enough, but I had to take out that gem. My friends probably don’t have that many left either, seeing that they’ve been holding back with them.

Ember was getting to impatient, being more and more aggressive as time went by. Her facial expression told me that she’s close to done playing around with us. With quick precision, she cast a fire ball right in front of Taphy, pushing him to the ground.

“Taphy!” I yelled out in concern.

He laid there fazed by the explosion, making him an easy target. Ember knew this and she was going to take it. I ran towards him to try to aid him, but Ember was already preparing to cast her next spell. Jordan and I desperately tried to distract her by throwing what knives we had left. It worked for a little while, making her cast her shield to protect herself, but she then absorbed her shield into her claw, creating an inferno. I didn’t have enough time to get him out of the way, but I did have enough to get in the way. 

Ember threw one of the largest fire balls yet. Without even thinking, I rushed in-between Taphy and it, literally willing to take the heat for him. Before I met my fate, I noticed something happen. A faint glow begin to appear below my vision, while feeling a strange sensation around my body. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by flames, hearing a loud blast from the impact, but something was off. I didn’t feel like I was burning, nor do I feel the heat of the flames. I actually felt good; I can’t really describe how, but the closest thing I could think of is like an adrenaline rush but more intense. 

The flames begin to subside, allowing me to see my surroundings once more. The first thing that came to view was a very astonished Ember, who was looking at me in pure shock. Jordan came next, having the same expression as her. The rush I felt disappeared, but I still felt energized. I begin to check myself for any damages, but there was none to be found. 

“Daniel, y-you’re alright… but how?” I could hear Taphy talk out loud, probably feeling the same way as everyone else. 

I ignored him, looking at my hands, unsure on how to feel. As I begin to clench them, I felt a compressed sensation on them. As I increase the tension, the sensation intensifies as well. When I opened my hands, a pair of flames appeared on my palms. ‘Wow…that’s new.’ 

The flames weren’t burning me, nor do I feel any heat. In mere curiosity, I thrashed my hand out on one direction and the flames shot away like a sling shot, bursting upon impact on the wall of the building. Feeling extremely impressed by the impossible, I had realize that I had cast a fire ball. I looked at my other hand, seeing the flames was still there. ‘I think the tables are turning.’ I looked back at Ember, who was completely baffled by what she’d seen. ‘I’m not sure how I’m doing this, but I won’t let this opportunity slip by my fingers.’ Realizing my intent, she regained herself from her shock and braced herself. (Run around) 

I thrashed my other hand, sending a ball of fire towards her. She immediately cast a shield to protect herself. Upon impact the ball exploded, engulfing the shield in flames. While she was blind, I took the opportunity to charge her. As if she knew I was coming, she cast her own flames at me, causing me to maneuver around it. She then swung her staff, summoning a gust of wind to extinguish the flames. Without hesitation, she swung her claw towards me a few times, throwing fire balls after each swing. I dodged each one with ease, and threw my own set back at her. For once in the whole match, I got her to move from her position. She took off into the air to escape my attacks. Then she cast a blaze to try to keep me back. Without thinking I threw a fire ball right at it. When the two attacks collided, it caused a massive explosion.

I stopped, using my arm to shield my eyes. The arena was covered with blinding smoke, keeping us from seeing each other, but I remembered where she was. While the smoke slowly dissipated, I kept my eye on the area. For a split second, I caught a glimpse of her. I cast my fire ball towards her, causing the surrounding smoke to clear. Being caught off guard, she tried to cast a shield, but she was too late. She only had a little bit of the shield to protect herself; so my attack didn’t cause as much damage, but it was strong enough to knock her down. 

She fell hard to the ground, causing a bit of dust to rise where she landed. I decided to give her the opportunity to get up. As she did, she gave me quite a scowl, snarling in the process. ‘You mad, bro?’ I chuckled at her, seeing that the tables had turned on her. Her staff’s glow intensified, as she began to summon another fire spell. Unlike the others, she was putting a lot of energy into it, causing a fire ball to expand above her. When she felt confident of its power, she threw it right at me, grunting in the process. I decided not to dodge it, remembering the effect upon impact. I prepared a smaller fire ball, and, when it got close, I threw it. It ended the same way, except with a bigger bang. 

Predicting that she believes her spell made its mark, I decided to close in on her. There was enough smoke to cover the distance between me and her. ‘Think fast.’ I drew out my sword with every intent to hit my target. As the smoke began to clear, I could see my opponent in a short distance. I leaped up at her, bursting through the smoke. She looked at me in shock, but, before she could react, I swung my sword at the gem on her staff. It shattered upon impact, causing a small burst of light. Being unprepared to resist the force of my attack, she fell to the ground. She only had enough time to realize what happened, before my blade was drawn in front of her. 

She looked at me in pure disbelief.

“I- I lost… but how did you-“ 

“Life is full of surprises, Ms. Ember.” I said, cutting her off mid-sentence. 

I pulled my sword away and showed her my other hand to help her up. She looked at me for a moment, still shocked by the previous event. She then finally took my hand accepting her defeat. Using her staff for more support, she got up from the ground. 

“Sorry, if I was too rough on ya. You didn’t really make it easy for us.” I said earnestly. 

To my surprise, she began to laugh uncontrollably. 

“Rough ha, I never had that much fun in ages.” She said with a grin. 

I chuckled a bit by her statement. ‘Well I had to say, that was pretty intense.’ 

Realizing I wasn’t the only one on the ring, I looked around for my friends. When I found them, they were looking at me with dumbfounded faces. In fact, everyone looked really shocked. All of a sudden, I began to feel a little dizzy. 

“Hey, you alright?” Ember asked, noticing my change of posture. 

“y-yeah, just feeling a bit woozy is all.” After I said that, I started to feel really exhausted, as if all my energy was sucked out of me. 

Feeling m body shut down, my sword slipped out of my hand. I fell to the ground as the world around me began to fade away. I could hear someone trying to talk to me, but it sounded too muffled; so I couldn’t hear them. My vision began to blur, and my eye lids felt too heavy to keep open. Once my eyes were closed, I finally lost all consciousness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilda

I stood there completely dumbstruck. I didn’t think anygriffon seen that coming. When Daniel got blasted, I thought it was over, but something happened. The flames began to revolve around him. When it subsided, he was still standing. In fact, he wasn’t even scathed by it. Then, out of nowhere, a group of flames appeared on his hands. At that point, I thought I went insane, but I didn’t. ‘When was he able to do magic?’ as far as I knew, it didn’t seem like they were capable of doing magic. I think he was just as surprised as I was.

The match then went to a whole new level. Daniel almost seemed like a natural with fire magic. My mind was practically blown out the window by what I’ve seen. Jordan and Taphy just stood there on the sidelines, watching their friend do the impossible. When the match ended with Daniel holding the title of victor, my father couldn’t even announce it. Both his adviser and he watched the whole spectacular in pure amazement. However, with the humans claiming victory on all the matches, that meant they have earned their right to be my personal guards. When that came to mind, I was about to jump and scream in excitement, but that was put off when Daniel fell limp to the ground. 

Feeling extremely worried, I took off from the balcony towards him. His friends already got to him before I did, screaming for assistance. All the medical griffons for the tournament answered his call, carrying what medical supplies they had. When I got there, Jordan was already checking him over. 

“What happened!?” I asked in concern.

“I don’t know princess. He was fine one second; then he just dropped the next.” Ember replied, allowing the medical teams to do their job.

“What’s the situation?” asked one of the medics.

“He’s unconscious, has a low pulse, his breathing is shallow, and he’s heating up; possible fever, reason unknown.” Jordan said with up most seriousness, “Nova, he needs immediate medical attention.” 

“Right!” she replied with urgency. 

They placed him on a stretcher and began to haul him away. I Followed along with his friends wanting to do anything to help. As we rushed towards the medical chambers, the rest of the griffons began to make way for us. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Location: visitors living quarters

After the events of the tournament, something began to glow within Daniel’s backpack…


> chapter 5 The Quest: power of the chosen/ magic is dangerous/ newly appointed
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Power of the Chosen

My head was throbbing and my body felt like it went through a grinder. I placed my hand on my forehead, moaning in discomfort. ‘Man, I feel like sh#t.’ I tried to push myself up, but there was nothing beneath me. ‘Wha- what the… oh not this again.’ Just like before, I opened my eyes to see the blackness of the void. Looking around, I noticed that I was alone this time. Maneuvering myself upright, I began to feel irritated by my current state.

“What was his name… uh, Cortez; yeah. Cortez!” I yelled out, looking around for him. 

“Yes.” My head whipped in the other direction to see Cortez’s helmet right in front of me.
I jerked away in surprise, almost losing my balance.

“Don’t do that!” I said in frustration.

“What? You called for me and I answered.” He said puzzlingly.

“Well don’t just appear right in front of my face…” I griped, “And can you please let me down.” 

“As you wish.” He complied, waving his hand. 

I landed on whatever ground he was standing on, but my body still felt sore; so I winced a bit after I landed. Regaining myself, I looked back at Cortez to see him waiting patiently.

“Why is it that, when I get here, I’m levitating?” I asked.

“I thought it would be more comfortable that way.” He responded.

“Well, for now on, let us wake up on the ground; alright?”

“Very well…” he said, agreeing to my request, “I am sure you have a lot of questions for me.”

“Heh, you think…” I responded brashly, “you practically threw us in a whole other world with nothing but a map and a brief explanation that didn’t make any since.”

He began to chuckle a bit toward my antics. 

“I suppose I would be upset as well if I were in those circumstances to, but all will be explained in due time. Right now, you are here because you were able to use the power of the chosen.”

I’m now conflicted with more questions than answers. ‘Great here he goes again about the chosen ones.’ 

“Look you’re not making this any easier to understand. Why are you calling us the chosen ones, and for what?” he simply looked at me, after I asked those questions.

I couldn’t tell his expression with his face hidden behind the mask.

“(Sigh) you must understand. I truly wish to tell you everything, but I am limited on what I can tell you. I can only explain what you have discovered.” He said, sounding sincere. 
I couldn’t really argue any further with him on the matter; so I decided to hear what he had to say.

“When God created man, he used the elements of the earth to bind him.” when he said this, images began to form from his words.

A picture of earth was shown, and then the many ecosystems it contains. Afterwards the dirt of the earth began to rise, forming an image of a man.

“No other creature was more in tune with the earth than man. We could manipulate it, mold it to fit our needs.” the one man became two, then four; they kept multiplying until there were hundreds of them. 

They began to do things like construction, agriculture, science, and engineering. 

“In this world, magic seems to be the key element that binds all the others. The inhabitants of this world are all connected to this magic, but are limited in its use weather working the soil to grow and harvest, or manipulating the very element of magic to their will.” The humans soon disappeared, being replaced by images of other creatures such as griffons, ponies, dragons, Minotaur, and dogs. 

They were doing some of the same things the humans did, but some were using magic to complete their tasks. 

“The chosen ones are humans who are gifted the ability to control this magic and all other elements in ways you can only dream of.” A human came into view radiating a light in his hand.

He then began to manipulate the four elements in ways that can only be considered supernatural.

“However, there is a price. Whatever you take, you must give back. The human body is comprised of natural energy from the earth; magic is an unfamiliar energy to our bodies. Therefore, it is considered unnatural. When combined, the body is filled with unspeakable power that can be used.” The outline of the human body appeared, filled with a blue stream that resembles its veins. Then a purplish mist began to flow within the body, merging with the blue. Once combined, the veins becomes an intense white hue. 

“When expelled, the body loses its natural energy, leaving it empty. If you lose too much, the body will stop functioning and you will die.” When the white hue leaves the body, the veins slowly turns grey.

As the process continues, the grey soon turns to a deep black, leaving the body hollow. The images then ceased, indicating that Cortez was done with his explanation.

I stood there taking in all that he said. ‘So that explains what happened in the arena.’ His words answered a few questions, but there was one that I still wanted answered. 

“Ok, so how does this necklace fit into all this?” I asked, showing him my amulet, “I noticed that, whenever something unnatural happens, it glows.” 

“Ah, the amulet. The chosen are capable to do magic, but, because magic is nonexistent in the human world, it is difficult for them to harness it. The amulet acts like a bridge between the natural and magical energy. It will glow when needed.” Understanding its true purpose, I looked at my necklace with wide eyes.

All of a sudden a white light begins to pierce the blackness of the void. It grew larger and larger, becoming blinding to my eyes.

“It appears our time is up.” Cortez said. 

He then turned towards the light and moves to it. 

“Wait! I still have questions!” I pleaded. 

The light was consuming the void, and it was getting harder to see.

“Then follow the map. It will lead you to your answers.” He ended. 

The light was too much for my eyes to bare; so I closed them, feeling myself fade into the blackness once more.

(BEEP) I begin to feel myself come to again. 
(BEEP) my body still felt sore, but the headache was no more. 
(BEEP) getting tired of the darkness, I slowly opened my eyes. 
(BEEP) my vision was a bit blurry, while my eyes were trying to adjust. I felt that I was on a bed, with blankets draped over me. 
(BEEP) once I could see clearly, I noticed that I was in a white room with medical equipment. 
(BEEP)




Magic is dangerous 

“What do you mean you don’t know what’s wrong with him!” I yelled in annoyance.

“Forgive me princess, but we couldn’t find any reasons for his spontaneous illness. His conditions seemed to have gone back to normal, but he’s still unconscious.” The griffon nurse pleaded, looking a bit nervous towards my mood. 

I groaned in disapproval of her answer. ‘How could he be ok? He barely had a heart beat when we brought him in.’ I was going to continue my protests, but Jordan stopped me, placing his hand on my shoulder. He had a blank expression on his face, but I knew he wanted me to let it go. I sighed and looked down, accepting her answer. 

“Thank you mam; please let us know if anything turns up.” He said, 

The nurse simply bowed in response and left towards Daniel’s room. Once she was gone, Jordan went back to the waiting room, and sat next to Taphy, who was covering his face with his hands. They both looked quite exhausted. After all, they did just come from a fight, and now their friend is lying unconscious on a medical bed. 

“How could you guys be so calm?” I asked.

“(Sigh) if there’s one thing I learned is that panicking won’t solve anything. It would only lead to more problems.” Jordan said in a mildly sad tone, “however, I think we all know what the real question we should be asking.” 

I knew Jordan was talking about the fight and how Daniel was able to use elemental magic to win it. 

“Is it rare for humans to do magic?” I asked, thinking that humans’ use of magic is similar to griffons.

“Ha! Rare, more like impossible.” Taphy blurted out.

“What he means to say is that magic doesn’t exist back where we come from. Yeah, we have those who could do tricks and illusions, but that’s all they were.” Jordan said, explaining the significance of what Daniel did.

So many questions began to fill my head. ‘magic doesn’t exist where there from, but how was he able to do it; could it be the cause of his illness, will he be able to do it again, if he does, will the effect be worse…’

Before anything else was said, the nurse from before rushed into the room. We all gave her our undivided attention, thinking that something happened to Daniel. Breathing heavily, she looked at us and smiled.

“He’s awake.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                                    
Daniel

Apparently, I was in the castle’s infirmary. The griffon doctors examined me and asked a couple of questions about my health. I was told that, after the fight, I completely passed out and became ill fevered. However, after a while the fever disappeared. They didn’t know the cause of my sudden illness, but I did. In my unconscious state, Cortez explained to me what happened. ‘So I’m able to do magic… neat, but that catch. I’m going to have to be careful using it… how did I use it anyway?’ I didn’t really ask Cortez on how to use magic. It just happened. ‘Hmm I guess I could figure that out later.’ I was snapped out of my thoughts as my friends and Gilda came in the room.

"Well hey guys; I was wondering when you’ll come around." I said jokingly. 

They just looked at me, as if I was going to do something drastic. 

"You alright Daniel?" Taphy asked, cautiously. 

I was completely set back by his question.

"Umm, yeah." I replied, looking at him confusingly.

"You sure... you’re not going to self-combust, are you?" he asked, continuing with his antics.

"Self-combu- oh come on! I had one incredible moment and now you look at me like I’m going to explode in any second." I said, completely flabbergasted. 

"You shot fireballs out of your hand! How did you think we're going to take it, because that aint natural." Taphy reasoned.

I begin to understand their concerns; so I thought it would be best to tell them what I learned.

"Alright alright, I’m sure your all wondering what happened out there." they all shook their heads yes in response, "well get this, when I was out, I met with Cortez again. You know that guy who sent us here in the first place." 

My friends exactly knew who I was talking about and began to listen intently. However, Gilda wasn’t with us when we met Cortez; so she looked at me confusedly. 

"He told me that humans can do literal magic in this world." my friends just briefly looked at each other, unsure on how to take that news, "with these necklaces, we can harness this world's magic and use it at will. There’s a catch though, using magic will be draining, leaving us weak. If we're not careful, it could kill us." 

My friends just looked at me blankly, making me wonder if they were listening or not. 

"Ok backup, one did you hit your head at some point, two what the heck are you talking about, and three did you say using magic can kill us?" Taphy asked, obviously lost within my explanation. 

I took a deep breath before I decided to start over, trying to explain in more detail this time. They continued to stare blankly at me, while Gilda was completely lost from it all. after a while, Taphy looked at me as if I were going crazy and Jordan just pondered on what I said. 

"So what is our limit?" Jordan asked curiously.

"Not really sure. I’m certain we'll get some sort of early warning when we're reaching our limit." Jordan just looked away, obviously pondering about the risks magic imposes. "I don’t think we would be using it often; maybe for emergencies." 

Jordan began to nod in agreement, but Taphy was still lost for words. 

"Jordan you can’t be serious. Magic; am I the only one who hasn’t gone completely insane here." I didn’t really blame Taphy for his outburst; God knows he's been through a lot already. 

However, crazy or not, magic could come useful for us in the future. 

"Ok you completely lost me here. Who’s this Cortez guy?" Gilda asked, wanting to be filled in on the loop. 

"Well I can’t really tell you much because we don’t know either." I answered, "as far as we know, he’s a human knight who's actually familiar with this world and sent us here to do something. I think it was to stop an evil force or something."

We were still unsure of the details of us being here, in a world that should not exist. 

"Uh huh...so what else did he say?" 

"Well I wasn’t able to ask him many questions, but he said that the map will lead us to the answers. Speaking of maps, where’s ours?" 

"It’s still in our room." Jordan replied.

"Well I think we should have a look at it when I get out." I was sure something happened to it, and I was eager to find out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
King Feran

I looked out the window of my study chamber, pondering on the recent events. (Knock, knock knock) 

"Come in." I said to whoever is at the door.

As the door creped open, I decided it was best to get started. 

"It has been a while old friend. I know that you are retired, but I am in need of your services once more." I turned around to see my guest eye to eye, "what can you tell me about these humans?"

"I’ll tell you all I know, my king." 




Newly appointed

It took a while for the infirmary to let me go. If it wasn’t for Gilda, I probably would have been stuck there. They gave me the spiel of, if you get sick again that I should come back. Before we got out, we ran into Nova, organizing her medical pack. She looked very relieved that I was ok. We said our thanks for her assistance in the tournament. She returned it for the experience. Then we parted our separate ways. As we were headed towards our room, the guards stood at attention after noticing us and the servants bowed as we walked by them. 

"Hey Gilda, why is everyone treating us so differently?" I asked in curiosity.

"They’re just being respectful; after all, you guys are my personal guards." she said amusingly.

"Oh yeah, that's right." I almost forgotten our new job assignment of protecting royalty.

As we got to the room, I entered and quickly looked into my bag for the map. To my surprise, something was glowing in my backpack. Digging through, I found out that the glow came from the map. 'Ha, called it.’ I laid it on a table and opened it. Gilda and my friends gathered around to see. The light exploded out but it simmered down, leaving a small glowing dot on the map. 

"Gilda, do you know where that is on the map?" I asked pointing at the dot. 

She looked closely inspecting the area around the dot.

"Yeah that’s Mukpud Forest." she replied.

"So what are we going to find there?" Jordan asked.

"Hopefully some answers." I replied, rolling up the map.

"Leaving so soon?" I looked up to see Hans at the door.

"Hans, where have you been? We missed you at the tournament." 

"Ah well, sorry about that. I had to do some errands," he replied, rubbing the back of his head, "but I heard it was quite exciting." 

"I guess you can say that." I said, putting the map back in the bag. 

We began to gather our belongings, making sure we didn’t leave anything. 

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked.

"Mukpud forest."

"Mukpud?" he looked at us with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, there's something there that requires our attention." I tried to keep things brief; I didn’t want them to know the truth just yet.

"Well I don’t want to dampen ones thirst for adventure, but I think yall should see the king first." Hans suggested, "Don’t want to miss the ceremony."

I stopped and looked at him, showing him my confusion. 'I wasn’t told of any ceremony. Then again, we're going to be personal royal guards.' 

"He’ll be waiting for ya at the throne room. Oh, and a wee suggestion; wash up before ya get there." with that said, he left us alone.
I gave myself a once over, seeing scruff marks and dust stains, and I don’t exactly smell like a pot of roses either. I’m sure my friends were in the same condition. 

"Well, I’ll see you guys over there, and Hans right. You guys need a bath. I don’t want my new guards looking like they came from a homeless institute." Gilda pestered while heading towards the door.

Once she left, I thought it was best that we all take a shower. Afterwards, we'll use the wet towels to try to wash off the grime on our cloths. We made sure that everything was packed up and ready; so, once the ceremony was over, we could head out. When everything was packed and we cleaned ourselves as best we could, we made our way out towards the throne room. After getting lost for some time and asking for directions, we finally stood in front of the throne room doors. Two guards were posted there, holding their spears at attention. 

"The king is waiting for you inside." one of the guards said. They both opened the doors for us, letting us in.

The throne room was what you expect from traditional middle age setting, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a spectacular sight. The room was grand in size, leaving a descent path from the entrance to the actual throne. There was a red carpet that starts at the entrance leading to the throne, and there were griffon elites posted on the sides of the room. The walls were decorated with drapes containing emblems on them. Some I recognize from the arena; the others were unfamiliar to me. The throne itself was made of wood carved to perfection. There were two other thrones on the sides. They weren’t as grand as the main, but were authentic enough to symbolize its status. Above the throne were two balconies on each side, and there was a guard on each. In-between was a larger drape with Gryphonia's symbol on it. 'Now this is legit.' 

The king was sitting patiently on the throne with Gilda and the queen, keeping his posture sharp. The room also had other guests which included the captain and some other griffons who probably are of high status. We made our way towards the throne, trying to look regale as possible. There were murmurs between the other griffons, but I ignored them for the task at hand. When we felt we were close enough, we stopped and bowed.

"It is good to see you well, sir Daniel." the king said. 

"Thank you king, what happened to me was a minor setback." I replied. 

He smiled and nodded in response. His demeanor soon returned to him and got up from his throne. We all bowed at this.

"For years Gryphonia had come across many worthy warriors who had proven themselves in combat of all fields. now, for the first time in Gryphonia’s history, a group of human warriors had proven themselves before all of us." the king then looked down upon us, earning a lower bow from us, "before I bestow the title of royal guard of the elite, will you vow to protect my daughter from any kind of threat that seeks to do her harm?" 

"With our lives." I said without hesitation. 

"Then let it be known throughout all the kingdom, you are now royal guards of Gryphonia. May celestia’s sun shine bright upon you, as you serve with dignity and pride."

One of the griffon elites came to us and gave us each a cloak with Gryphonia’s symbol on it.

"Please take these as my gift to you. Let it be a symbol, that no matter how difficult your road may be or how alone you may feel, Gryphonia will always be with you." he said, while we were putting it on. 

They reached all the way down above our ankles, easily capable of obscuring anything we held.  The fabric felt soft and cool in the inside, while the outer layer was made to be resistant to harsh climates. 'Hmm not bad.'

"All hail to Gryphonia’s newest guards." the king commanded.

The room boomed in acceptance, and, before we knew it, the ceremony was over. The king wished us to go to the castles library, saying that someone was wanting to meet us there. Still being new to this castle's layout, I didn’t wish to walk around without a guide; so we waited for Gilda to meet us.

"So, what do you think?" I asked her, posing to show off the new cloak.

"I think you still look like a dweeb with new cloths." she said jokingly. 

I just playfully scowled at her, then waved off her comment.

"I’m just kidding. You guys look pretty good for a bunch of humans." she said, walking right passed us, "well come on. I remember my dad wanting you guys at the library, and I know you still don’t know your way around; so don’t worry. I’m willing to hold your claw so you don’t get lost."

I rolled my eyes at her, while we followed behind. The trip there wasn’t long, and every soldier or servant we passed either bowed or saluted. 
"Well it’s about time I got some respect around here." Taphy exclaimed, enjoying the extra attention.

"Don’t let it go over your head." Jordan suggested.

"Hey it’s good to feel appreciated once and a while." Taphy protested.

“Hey we appreciate you. I mean who's going to take my petty jokes." I said teasingly.

"Or be the guy to collect our supplies." Jordan added in.

"Or, most importantly, be the guy we can depend on." I said with utmost sarcasm.

We began to laugh after that, except for Taphy.

"Tsk man." Taphy groaned.

> ch.5 part 2: an advisor and a scholar/ just a bit of fun/ subtle agreements
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

An advisor and a scholar

Once we got to the library, we were greeted by a maze of books and scrolls. The room was stretched high above the ground, and the bookshelves were just as high, making it only reachable by ladder or with the ability to fly. Looking around, the genres ranged to history, myths, biographies, and even titles of possible novels. 'Talk about a wide selection.' reading the titles on the spines, I suddenly realized that I could read them without needing a translator. 'So they wright in English to. I wonder if that applies to all other nations.' we continued to wander, wondering who wished to see us.

"Ah, your here! Please excuse me; I’ll be there in just a moment." I looked up to see a griffon placing some books back on the higher shelves, "I had to say, you truly sparked my interest in you."

He began to hover back down, landing right in front of us.

"But where are my manners; my name is Gizzard. I am the king’s chief advisor and renowned scholar."

I realized that gizzard was the other griffon that I’ve seen on the balcony, during the tournament. 

"Daniel, and these are my friends Taphy and Jordan. It’s a pleasure to meet you." I said, giving him a respectful greeting.

"The pleasure is mine, and it’s good to see you to my lady. I hope you’re catching up on your studies."  I heard Gilda groan in annoyance by his statement.

"No Gizzard, I haven’t. If you haven’t noticed, but I have a lot on my claws right now. Who wants to read those books anyway; their lame and, not to mention, boring." it was Gizzard’s turn to feel annoyed.

"(sigh) those lame and boring books contains your heritage; so I suggest you find an interest in those books." Gilda continued to groan in disapproval, "oh hush now; you act just like a cub sometimes." he said.

Gilda briefly stuck her tongue out at him before turning away with her arms crossed.

My friends and I just waited patiently as Gilda and Gizzard went back and forth with each other. 'Hmm, I’m sensing a student and teacher relationship.' Gizzard continued to tell Gilda how important her studies are, but Gilda would have none of it, saying that it’s all irrelevant.

"Should we say something?" Jordan whispered. 

"nah." 

While they were debating, I began to look around at the books surrounding us. I believe we were at the mythical section of the library. The titles ranged from "mysteries of the first age", "Old legends and forgotten myths”, and so on.

"(Groan) I don’t even know why I even try." Gizzard said, giving up on the pointless debate.

"Ha, Gilda one, egghead zero!" Gilda proclaimed in victory.

Gizzard just rolled his eyes in annoyance and proceeded to ignore her. 

"My apologies that you have to witness our debacle." he said.

"It’s alright; we were the same with our teachers." I said jokingly.

"Really?" Gizzard asked distastefully.

"No... In fact, if our parents found out we were failing, our punishment would have been beyond sever." I truthfully said.

"Ha, if my mama found out I was failing any class, she would have slap me so hard; I would have ended up in the hospital." Jordan added.

Gizzard just looked at us questioningly, wondering if we were just joking or not.

"So you wish to speak with us?" I asked, wanting to continue on.

"Ah yes, I wanted to refresh my knowledge on humans before we have this conversation, but, to my disappointment, I couldn’t find a single book that contained extensive knowledge on your species."

He explained, pulling out one of the books from the shelves, "it’s almost as if you've never existed... yet here you are." 

He then proceeded to make his way to a door across the room. 

"Is this going to be a thing, because this is kind of getting old?" I said, while we followed him.

"what did you expect; a species that is considered non-existent just decides to show up out of nowhere." he exclaimed, while 
unlocking the door, "I suggest you get used to this subject, because ,as long as your here, it will not go away anytime soon"

When he opened the door, it creaked loudly, reviling a staircase that leads to a lower level. He grabbed a touch that was next to the door, but, instead of cloth and oil, the tip had a red jewel on it. When he blew against it, it began to glow just like a flame would. 

"Well come on then." he exclaimed, while going down.

We followed him, keeping close sense he had the only light source. 

"unlike Equestrians, we don’t have the magical ability to increase storage space; so the library is separated by three floors." he explained, "the first floor is open to all in the castle, to access the second floor, you must be given authorization by any high ranking griffon like myself, and the last floor is off limits to all except for the royal family. The only exception is that the king had given you his royal seal, but that is a very rare occasion."

We stopped at another door that required another key. After entering, we noticed that the room was dark, having no light source to speak of. Gizzard told us to wait for a second, as he flew off to the center of the room. When he got there, his light revealed the same gem that he had on his torch but larger. It was connected to the roof, to act like a lamp for the room. When he tapped both gems together, the larger one began to glow, illuminating enough light to navigate ourselves. This floor was very similar to the first, but the books were more like journal entries or actual recorded research. Gizzard told us that we were free to look around while he goes to acquire a certain book.

Looking through many journals, I’ve read about expeditions or research on the magic arts, but none of them had captured my interest. However, I came across another door with blue glowing symbols on it. Taking a closer look at it, I noticed that the symbols were beyond my comprehension. 

"I see you found the entrance leading to the third floor." I quickly turned around to see Gizzard, holding a book in his claw.

"What are these markings?" I asked, pointing at the glowing symbols. 

"ah yes, that is a locking rune." he answered, while adjusting his glasses, "most races are unable to do magic, but there is a skill known as enchanting where one can transfer magical energy into objects. We may have a couple of griffons with that skill, but the true masters are the zebras."

I began to meditate on what he said. From what I know about runes and enchantments, they seem to work similarly. However, the idea that zebras are enchanters, truly made me want to look into it. 'There was a zebra in the show, but she was more of an herbalist than anything else.' I decided to put it off for later, remembering that Gizzard wanted to discuss something first.

We all gathered at a table near the center of the room, where there's more light. Gizzard began to flip through the journal that he had.

"These are the entries of Falio, an explorer during the second age. These were written during his expedition in the swamp lands; now known as Mukpud forest." our interests began to perk up when he said the very location we were planning to go, "while exploring a cave, he found an imprint on a wall. He wrote that it looked like a claw similar to a small dragons or Minotaur, but it wasn’t. He also states that there was some sort of magical essence around the imprint, but he couldn’t find out why. It was left as a mystery from a time long ago."

He then showed us the very entry he was taking this from. Under the entry, there was a picture of the very imprint. To my dismay, the imprint looked just like the one that we encountered in the chamber.

"I had a feeling you would know what that is." Gizzard said, seeing our reaction to the picture.

The room fell silent, having the picture the center point of our attention. There’s no doubt this cave is where the map wishes us to go.

"Well sir Daniel, what can you tell me about that mark?" Gizzard's question was not an easy one to answer, being that I don’t truly know the answer myself.

"Not much I’m afraid..." I finally said, leaning back in my chair, "all I know is that it acts like some sort of locking mechanism that, as far as I could tell, only humans could open."

Gizzard began to ponder in thought, humming while rubbing under his beak.

"So it takes a human to unlock the secrets of that marking..." he said aloud, "which means there had to be humans there to use it." 

The thought alone had been surprising, but the fact that they left something of theirs locked away behind walls in caverns was beyond exciting. Therefore, an idea came to me that could help us get to our destination. 'They’re going to find out anyway, might as well make it a request.'

"There’s something else as well." I said, getting Gizzard's attention, "we have in our possession a map that I believe has magical properties. It actually marked itself on the same location which probably leads to that very cave."

I knew Gizzard understood where I was trying to get at, but he still seems to have that questioning look.

"So you wish to go to Mukpud forest then?" I nodded my head in response, "why ask me? This is something that should be taken to the king." 

"Well, for starters, we just got initiated into service, so leaving in such short notice, would probably upset the king." I said, trying to sound as serious as possible, "however, if you try to order us there on an expedition mission, we may gain the kings approval."

Gizzard began to hum in thought, while looking at the journal.

Finally he perks up, giving us an approving smile.

"Very well, I will request this expedition to the king, but under one condition." 

"And what might that be?" I asked, listening intently for the answer.

"You will allow me to study all your findings." I began to grin widely, offering a hand shake in agreement. 

"Agreed."

With that the deal was set.





Just a bit of fun

It had been three days since Gizzard placed a request for an expedition, just as he promised. During that time, we decide to prepare for the trip. Acquiring the latest map of the area, we discover that it seemed very dense with trees. Hills and craters cover the landscape, making it very difficult to get around.	

It has been known that the area exhibits excessive rain storms, leaving it damp just as its name implies. Putting it all together, traveling by air would only take us so far. We would have to stop at a village nearby, before we continue on foot.

Searching for the cave would also be a challenge, since Falio’s journal doesn’t say where the cave is exactly. Based on the map, the forest is quite large and may take a few days to search it all. We had to take to account of low visibility from the rain and would be hindered by the muddy roads. The trip itself will be difficult; so we must be highly prepare for it.

The day after we conversed with Gizzard, we decided to go to the tailors in the castle. Wearing the same cloths all the time can get quite unpleasant. The griffons there were shocked after seeing us, but they relaxed when they heard our request. In a way, they almost looked excited. The first thing they asked us to do was strip down so they could take some measurements. Of course we said “Hell to the no” to their request. To be fair, clothing here is considered formal and unnecessary, but we’re human and we have standards. In the end, we compromised by undressing to our trousers and having blinds for privacy.

The process was quite uncomfortable, to say the least. The consideration for personal space was completely thrown out the window. They were measuring every part of my body, from head to toe. I made sure they stayed well away from the goods. They only huffed in annoyance by my reluctance. I couldn’t help but label them as pervs for that, but I digress. ‘(Sigh) at least the blinds give some since of privacy.’ Oh how mistaken I was.

“So that’s how a human looks like without cloths.” My head quickly jerked to see Gilda analyzing me like a predator.

“Gilda, what are you doing!” I shrieked, trying my best to cover myself to save what dignity I had left. 

“Sheesh clam down, I just came to check on you dorks.” She said as she walked closer, disregarding my protests, “not sure why you guys wear cloths all the time. It’s kind of lame.” 

While I was trying to recollect my cloths, mainly my pants, I could hear snickering behind the blinds. I’m sure they knew Gilda was coming in, but decided against warning me to get a good laugh. ‘I’ll get you back, just you wait.’ 

When I was getting my clothes on, the tailors protested wishing to get more measurements. However, my patience was completely worn out; so I told them that they had enough to get the basics down. They were a little disappointed by this fact, especially Gilda, but they accepted what they got and went to work. When I got out, I could see my friends in their respective places, trying to hide their laughter fruitlessly. 

“So, (snicker) how it went?” Jordan said trying to compose himself.

“Oh, it would have been better… if you warned me that I was going to have a guest.” I said unamused. 

“Oh I didn’t- (snicker) didn’t see her come in… but I’m sure you were a sight to behold puff ahahah…” Jordan and Taphy couldn’t hold it any longer and busted out with laughter.

While they laughed, I simply smirked and shook my head.

“Ha ha very funny, I’ll get you guys back.” Then one of the griffon tailors came out and requested for their next client.

The laughter ceased and was replaced with a glued silence.

“And now’s the time.” Jordan grimaced at the thought, but he got up anyways and went behind the cover.

“So do you want me to bring a bucket?” Gilda asked obviously wanting in on the prank.

“Nah, I got something much better.” I began digging through my pockets for my weapon of choice. 

Once I felt it, I pulled out a black box with silver edges, a glass screen, and a sliver apple imprinted on the back. 

“Uh, not to be a drag here, but how is a small box going to pull off a prank?” Gilda asked, looking at the object in my hand. 

“This my dear is my handy dandy I-phone, and don’t worry. It can do a lot of things.” Even though there wasn’t any phone connection, the camera was fully functional.

After I turned it on, I switched it to camera mode and set it to record videos. In the corner of my eye, I could see Gilda looking at my device with awe. I pressed the red button for the phone to record, and began creeping my way to the covers, moving the phone in a way to represent that. 

“Oh Jordan, looks like the world want to see you.” I said romantically.

Lifting the phone over the cover, I could see an undressed Jordan. 

Looking at it in shock while the griffon tailors just looked confused.

“Hey, stop playing man!” Jordan wailed trying to get his cloths on

“Don’t worry Jordan, I’ll be sure to post this so the whole world could see, and, with those griffons in the background. You’ll be a world star in no time.” I cheered, exaggerating the situation.

I began to laugh manically, feeling the satisfaction of my revenge. I was so wrapped into it that I didn’t notice Jordan throwing a cushion at me. The phone was knocked out of my hand, making a loud clatter as it hit the ground. ‘Noooooo!’ I cursed while I went to pick it up. I was relieved that it was still in one piece. ‘Thank god for hard cases.’ 

“Hey man you almost broke my phone.” I said while I placed it back into my pocket. 

“You had it coming.” Jordan replied jokingly. 

“Well guess what Jordan, I still have the video.” Feeling that I’ve done enough, I left Jordan be. 

When it was Taphy turn to go, he already knew about the phone, so it wouldn’t be enough. So I decided to team up. 

“Hey Gilda.” I quietly called.

“Yeah?” 

“Get the bucket.”





Subtle agreements	

“Bwahahaha…” at this point, everyone, or everygriffon in this case, had a confused or amused expression. 
“Ha ha p-play it again.” I humbly obliged to Gilda’s request as we continued to laugh our way through the corridors. 
I replayed the video that I recently recorded, and held it out so we could both see.

(Recording
“You got the bucket?”

“Yeah (snicker) oh man this is going to be sweet.” 

“Shush, he’s going to hear us.” As the screen was showing a blinder, you could hear whispers in the background.

The image began to scroll up, revealing a very unamused Taphy. 

“Did you really think you can get me with the same prank?” 

“No… but that’s why I brought this.”

“Brought wha-“ Taphy’s confused expression became one if shock, as a splash if water appeared on the screen towards him. 

(SPLASH) 

“You mother ahhh!” Taphy shrieked as the ice cold water made contact, making him spaz out. )


The screen became a blur as you can hear the yelling and laugher from it. In fact, we both laughed at the humorous video once more, earning more stares from the castle staff.

“Hahaha its (sniff) it’s funnier even the third time around, hahaha!” Gilda proclaimed, earning her a glare from the videos victim.

“Har har, yeah guys very funny.” Taphy was able to dry himself, but he had to acquire a new set of cloths to replace his soaked ones. 

His new set wasn’t as artistic as his old ones, being just a white, short sleeve shirt and tan pants. It was nice to know that clothing, though bland, can be made for us.

The rest of the trip was quiet with nothing but the occasional snickers and small laughter. We were making our way towards the king’s study since we were given a request to meet him. I wonder if this is for the supplication Gizzard pitched in. it was a few days ago that the request was sent, and, for the most part, we were ideal. The trip to the tailor was mostly for uniforms, soon after the measurements would be sent to the armory so they could construct us a set of armor. Now that I think about it I should stop by to give some designs for it. Regular cloths had to be requested since it wasn’t part of the main issue. 

“Here we are.” I was snapped out of my thoughts, as Gilda was indicating towards a door in the hallway. 

There weren’t any guards posted in front of them, but there were a few patrolling the corridor. ‘Better safe than sorry.’ I went up to the door and gave a few knocks.

“Come in.” we entered into the king’s study, only to see that it looked more like a personal library. 

There were shelves of books and scrolls on both sides of the room. On the other side of the entrance there was a table that was littered with literature. ‘Hmm, not bad… I could take some design notes from this place.’

Wanting to focus on the task at hand, I stood by looking towards the king, who was sitting at the table reading a scroll in his claw. 

“You called for us sire?” I asked, stealing a short glance from him.

“Yes, there is a certain matter that has come to my attention, concerning some expedition that was requested to me.” ‘Oh boy, here we go.’ “I am sure you have been informed about this?” the king gave us a deadpanned stare, obviously knowing our involvement in this.

“Yes sire, Gizzard had personally asked us to conduct an expedition in Mukpud forest.” 

“I’m sure he has.” He looked back at the scroll again, thoroughly reading every line.

He then closed his eyes, placing the scroll down on his desk. 

“I’m curious; why were you so eager to accept this assignment and completely neglect your duty of protecting my daughter?” opening his eyes, he glared at us, showing his distaste of the prospect. ‘Oh cr@p.’

I was lost for words. This was backfiring way to fast, as I forgotten to implement Gilda into the equation. 

“Well?” 

“y-you see sire-“ 

“That’s because I’m going with them.” I was cut off by Gilda, who took front stage. 

The king was almost as shocked as we were.

“G-Gilda… you can’t just-“

“Listen pops, you told me I need to see the world more; so going on this escapade would be a start.” It was the kings turn to be lost. 

Even I didn’t see that coming. 

The king then looked down and pondered on the idea. 

“Gilda, what are you doing?” I whispered to her.

“Saving your flanks, dweeb.” 

The king just sat there in thought while we waited for his response. He then sighed deeply and stood up from his chair. We stood more firmly in respect, giving him our complete attention. Before long a warm smile appeared on his face. 

“The fact that you reminded me of myself still sneaks up on me. Very well, I will allow this expedition, under one condition.” The king then gave us a stern look, “under no circumstances will my daughter come to harm.”

Gilda groaned a bit from her father’s demand. 

“Dad please-“ 

“No Gilda, these are my terms.” Even with Gilda’s protests, the king didn’t waiver, but I wasn’t too concerned by it. It was our job after all.

“You have our word, sire.” I said with a quick salute. 

He gave us a nod of approval.

“I am glad you approve… however, I’m still curious. What do you expect to find in that forest?” I knew I had to state the purpose of all of this, but I was still deciding on what should be said.

“There is this journal, written in a time long ago by an explorer named Falio. He conducted an expedition in the swamp lands, now known as Mukpud forest. He wrote about a certain marking he found in a secluded cave deep within the heart of the forest. It was left a mystery, but we believe it is a door that only humans can open. What is hidden inside, I cannot tell you for I do not know.” The king looked uneasy about this information.

“And you know this how?” ‘Alright Daniel, be careful in what you say here.’

“The journal presented a picture of it, we’ve encountered such markings before and how to unlock them.”

“If what you say is true, then…” the king began to ponder for a minute, while we wait, “So you don’t know what’s inside that cave?”

“No sire, we don’t.”

In all honesty, I told him the truth. I had no idea what’s in that cave, but I do know one thing. The map is pointing in that direction, which means finding that cave is first priority. The king just stared at us. I could tell he had many questions, but knows that we may not have the answer for any of them.

“(sigh) very well, gather what you need, I will have a detachment ready first thing tomorrow.” With that said, we took our leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
King Feran

I sat back down in front of my desk, with many questions bombarding my mind. I looked down at the scroll. It was the request Gizzard made for the expedition. Deciding that I looked through it enough, I placed it aside and looked at the journal that started it all. There was a marker in it; where the page that had the picture. Opening to it, I began to look at the mark, giving me a very unsettled feeling. ‘Back then it looked meaningless; just another mystery… but now…’ I could not bare these feelings anymore, so I closed the book and placed it down. ‘I hope this wasn’t a mistake.’

> ch.5 part 3: on the road again/ over the meadow and through the mud/ over the meadow part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the road again

As I adjusted the straps on my backpack, I begin to feel excited for this expedition. We all made sure to pack everything the night before. We properly stowed our gear and weapons, along with the new cloths, so they can be easily acquired if needed. However, thanks to the lack of ammo, we decided it was best to use our guns for life threatening situations. Checking myself over and searching my bed in case of any items I may have missed, I nodded to myself and looked over towards my friends. Jordan was just resting on his bed, and Taphy was sitting on his, messing with his phone. ‘Probably seeing what still works.’ 

“Well guys, it’s about time we head out.” I said, getting their attention. 

“About bloody time!” Jordan yelled, getting up from his bed.

“Oy Taphy, come on lets go.” 

“Yeah, give me a second.” He said, twiddling some more on his phone. 

“Taphy, get your lazy bum up and let’s go; I’m tired of laying around!” Jordan commanded. 

“Alright, alright I’m going. Sheesh.” Taphy said while putting his phone away and picking up his bag.

We walked down the hall towards the courtyard, where our caravan will be waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilda

“Pluck, pluck, pluck, I’m going to be late!” I screeched, frantically searching around my room, trying to get what I need for this trip. 

I knew I should have packed ahead of time, but forget that. I needed my sleep… and now I’m starting to regret it, but only a little. I stuffed my saddle bag with a pouch of bits, a blanket, hygiene supplies, and some other things I thought were important. As I was closing my saddle bag, I heard a few knocks on my door. 

“Who is it?!” I asked as I continued to dart to every corner of my room for important items. 

“It’s me. I came to see you off.” I peeked over my shoulder to see my dad walk into my room. 

I didn’t really pay much mind to him. I was too busy searching for my cloak in the closet. 

“I see you had quite an early morning.” Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I could hear his amusement in his voice. 

“Yeah, I know dad.” I said halfheartedly. ‘Where is that darn cloa- ah here it is.’ 

“Gilda, no matter the reason I am glad you are doing this, but I’m still concerned with the company you keep.” 

“Dad these guys saved my life.” I reasoned while I fiddled with the neck straps, “besides I know how to take care of myself.” 

“I know I know, just… be careful.” There was a pang of worry in his voice when he said that. 

“Don’t sweat it dad, I’ll be fine.” I said, finishing my strap and grabbing my saddle bag, “I was top of my class in combat school after all.” 

“I know… but still.” 

“Whatever dad, got to fly, see ya!” I yelled running out the room with a loose saddle bag. 

“Are you forgetting something?!” I heard my dad yell out. 

I began to check myself over. ‘What is he talking about now? I already have everyth- oh pluck, my sword!’ 

I quickly ran back in, ignoring my father’s chuckles, and grabbed my sword. 

“This changes nothing!” I yelled as I ran out… again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel

After wandering into the courtyard, the search for our carriage wasn’t hard. In fact, it just looked like one big box chariot with a door on the back and windows on every side. ‘Hmm, must be your common transport chariot.’ I could also see a few griffons around it. ‘No, it can’t be.’

“Well well, if it isn’t the princess’s champions, finally coming to join us.” Falco said, gleaming towards us.

“I’ll be d@mned, didn’t think I’ll see you guys so soon.” I said smiling back. 

“Aye, don’t pay them much mind. They’ll be acting as escorts for this trip.” I turned to see Hans coming from the other side of the carriage. 

“You mean acting as the king's insurance.” Hans chuckled a bit, knowing full well that I was right. 

“Could you truly blame a father protecting his daughter?” 

“Nah, it’s alright, I understand …” I said, waving my hand defensively, “however, he did choose an interesting lot.”

Andor was sitting down nearby cleaning his sword, Falco was laying on top of the chariot, and Thrain was leaning against the side. Every one of the competitors were here, except for one.

“Is Ember going to be joining us?” I asked.

“Aye she will, the las is just running a bit late is all.”

“Heh yeah, she isn’t the only one though. It seems Gilda's also late for the party.” 

“Aye that be true… but there is also one more.” I looked at him confusedly, knowing there were only four competitors.

“Who?” 

“Don’t worry; after all, you did meet her at the tournament.” ‘We did…but…then who…’ 

“Hi!” I looked behind me to see an excited young griffon next to a cloaked one. 

“Nova, what are you doing here?” 

“Please, when I heard there was an expedition, led by no other then you guys, in need of a doctor. I didn’t hesitate to sign myself up.” She cheered, gleaming at us.

“I found her on my way here, and she’s right… but she wouldn’t stop talking about it.” 

(Not long ago
	“-at first I was like, ‘expedition what expedition?’ then I read the post on the board and by my beak it was led by the very humans that came here; you know the ones that were at the tournament and won, well I guess you would know cause you were there, anyway I ran up to the front desk and was like ‘where do I sign up!’ and she was like, ‘you got the job.’ And I was like, ‘OH MY CELESTIA!’-)

Ember grumbled as she walked passed me. I took a glimpse at her staff. She already replaced the fire stone with another. ‘Well it’s a good thing those gems aren’t rare or else she would have been more pissed off at me.’ 

“We’re flattered that you’re willing to join us in our quest to find… the hand on the wall!” I said, exaggerating it to epic proportions. 

“Wait is that what this is about?” I looked at her, as if she just blurted out complete nonsense. ‘You got to be kidding me.’ 

“Did you even read what you were signing up for?” 

“Nope!” she replied cheerfully. 

Silence fell upon us as I just looked at her. ‘Well, at least we have plenty of time to explain.’ 

“Hey, what’s a han-“ 

“Anyways…” I continued, cutting her off, “that just leaves us one more-”

“LOOK OUT!” I was interrupted by a loud shriek from behind me.

I tuned to see a blur, making a head on impact on my gut. I was pushed off my feet and landed hard on the ground.

“Oh… my head…” I heard a very familiar griffon groan, “ok who’s the dweeb that got in my- oh… pluck, sorry about that.” 

She quickly got off me, leaving me motionless on the floor. 

“Uhhhhhhh ow.” I softly said.

“BWHAHAHA, oh yeah, I say this trip got on a great start.” Taphy said, his words laced with satisfaction. 

Once I got back on my feet, we sorted ourselves out so we could take off. Andor and Thrain would fly the carriage while Falco would be playing as escort. The rest of us would be inside for the duration of the flight. Before entering, we were informed that the king had graciously offered us weapons and were stashed within the carriage. Looking inside, there were three sets of weapons neatly arranged on each seat. In fact, they were similar to what we used in the tournament, except they were custom made. The handles of the blades were made to easily fit our hands, the blades looked so sharp that even the simple touch could cut you, they were also enchanted with runes that was meant to increase their durability, and let’s not forget their design. It was obvious that the weapons were pure steel, but the handles were coated in gold. There was also an emblem above the grip with the kings seal etched on it. ‘Talk about sparing no expense.’ 

The trip was quite long ,and it didn’t take much time to explain to Nova of its purpose. We were pretty quiet for the rest of the way. Some of us tried to get some sleep, while the rest occupied themselves in any way they can. Jordan, Hans, and Ember were the sleepers, Nova seemed to be occupied with a book, Taphy was fiddling with his phone some more ‘probably trying to ignore the fact he’s in the air.’, and Gilda seems to be comfortable looking out the window. However, I noticed she occasionally glances at me. I wasn’t too bothered though. I was too busy inspecting my sword. You can’t blame a man for admiring a fine piece of work. 

“You look like a cub who found a new toy.” I looked over to see Gilda, looking at me bemusedly. 

“Hey, any guy back home would kill to have something like this.” I said indicating my sword, “you jealous or something?” 

I smirked at her, hoping she’ll play along.

“Ha, jealous of a dweeb like you, please.” She scoffed, looking back out her window.

I chuckled a little then returned my attention to the sword. ‘Hmm, I wonder if I could get a bow. Royal ranger… I like the sound of that.’ 





Over the meadow and through the mud

(The shire) After landing in a town named Oakinshire, we began to suit up for our trip into the forest. The locals were quite curious about us, but, when they’ve seen our cloaks, they respectfully gave us some space. However, the younger ones were a little more awed by our presence. Hiding behind fence posts near by, I could hear them questioning each other about our appearances. ‘Heh kids.’ 

“Nice town.” I commented, eyeing the curious cubs. 

“Aye, Oakinshire is an old establishment.” I heard Hans say behind me, “In truth, they tend to call this place the Old Oak.”

I continue to watch the children peek through the fence. They suddenly realize I was on to them and hid themselves. I chuckled a bit at that. ‘Kids will be kids.’

“So how old is this town anyway?” I asked. 

“Oakinshire been around long before the civil wars broke out. Since merchants are hard to come by, it’s always been independent. Just humble griffons trying to make a living.” I turned my attention back to the kids, only to find one of them trying to sneak toward us. 

This one looked smaller than the others. It had a dark brown coat with light brown feathers. The feathers around his head had black smudges on them. The cub froze when I laid eyes on him.

“Why hello there.” I said, trying to sound friendly.

He shrunk a bit, looking up at me with a bit of fear in his eyes. ‘I know I’m tall but d@mn; am I really that intimidating?’ I slowly knelt down to try to be close to eye level with the youngster. 

“Hey it’s alright; I’m not going to hurt you.” He seemed to ease up a little, but he still had his head down between his claws. ‘God he looks adorable.’ 

“I- I’m sorry… I d-didn’t mean to-“ he finally spoke, but it was more like a stutter.

“Hey now, don’t be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I said trying to ease him out some more, “what’s your name?”

“L-Lewy.” He muttered in a soft tone.

“Well Lewy, your real brave for a kid. The names Daniel.” I said slowly offering my hand for a shake.

He was hesitant, but he eventually reached out to return the gesture. His fear was subsiding, while he examined my hand in awe. I could hear the other cubs, whispering amongst themselves in astonishment. 

“Hey Lewy do you know those guys?” he turned to see what I was looking at. 

“Oh yeah, there just the other cubs in my class.” He said, sounding more relaxed now.

“Oh, so they’re friends of yours?” 

“Well, not really.” He said, looking a little down.

“Is something wrong?”

“No… they just…. (sigh) they bet me that I couldn’t get close, saying that I was a scardy cat.” He said, drooping his head down. 

I looked at him in sympathy. Seeing that he looks like the smallest compared to the others, he may have been picked on a lot. ‘Another victim of peer pressure, poor guy.’

“Hmm listen, don’t mind those guys. You don’t have to prove them anything. The fact that you’re here and they’re there shows that you got more courage than they do.” He seemed to beam up with what I said. 

I begin to dig in my pocket for something as I got up.

“Here take this.” I tossed him a pouch filled with quite a bit of bits.

When he caught it, you could hear the jingle of the coins inside. After looking inside it, his eyes widen in surprise. 

“These are…” he didn’t finish what he was saying. ‘Probably never seen that many bits before.’ 

“Take this as a reward for your bravery… and a little bragging right for your class mates over there.” I said with a smile.

He said a quick thank you and pranced off with the pouch in his beak. I could hear the coins bounce around as he made his way back to the others, having more pride in his step. ‘Heh, kids.’

“I didn’t know you were good with twerps.” I felt Gilda punch my shoulder teasingly. 

“Eh I don’t know about that. If a guy gives a kid money to buy candy, people will see that as very kind or very creepy.” I said with a shrug.

“Or a guy, whose race is known for chaos and destruction, shows a bit a kindness for a cub isn’t?” I scrunched up a bit at that.

“Touché.” Taking a minute to look up, I could see dark clouds moving in. ‘and here comes the rain.’ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The weather started off as a light sprinkle, but, as we went on, the shower turned into a full out storm. We all already had our hoods on but the cloaks can only do so much in the heavy rain. Thrain was the only one who was strong enough to pull the wagon by himself; so we gave him the job. The rest of us were posted around it as lookouts, except for the ladies. They were inside having girl talk to pass the time. I didn’t mind though.

I considered my sword a very conservable weapon, but I couldn’t help but take out my MP5 as well. I have it strapped on me, hidden under my cloak, for quick access. However, due to the undeniable fact that I was extremely low on ammo, only one clip to be exact. I have to choose my shots carefully. I sighed at that thought.

Our movement was slow but steady. The rain, mud, and constant shifts in the path didn’t help either. As we treaded on, I was humming a theme from one of my favorite movie series. (Misty mountains) I continued to hum, keeping a weather eye on my surroundings. It soon went to a soft whisper on the first verse. I then got a little louder to fit the cue of the song. Little did I know the curious stares my griffon companions were giving me? As I came to the last verse, I begin to hear a rumble from above. (BOOM) I was startled by the roar of the lighting strike that came down some ways ahead of us.

“Ok am I the only one who thinks this is too dangerous.” Taphy complained, who was also startled by the strike. 

“Yo he’s right. This is getting too much.” Jordan chipped in.

“I must agree with sir Taphy. These conditions are far too dangerous to travel in.” Andor said.

They were right of course, but, other than the carriage, there isn’t much else to shelter us from the storm. 

“Let’s see if we can find a dry spot somewhere. Falco, you’re on me, we’ll look ahead.” 

As we went on, the clouds were getting a bit darker. 

Further along the path, there was a large trunk blocking the way. 

“Well that’s not good.” Falco said, stating the obvious. 

It looked too heavy for just the two of us to move and was too large to maneuver around. I took a deep breath knowing the work load it will take to move it. 

“Hey go get the others, but leave one to guard the carriage.” I said.

“Got it, be right back.” With that he took off, leaving me with the trunk. 

As I looked at the stump in which the trunk came from, I noticed the strike was way too precise to be a coincidence. It was placed on the right spot to have it be a complete obstruction. 

(Snap) I suddenly heard the crack of a twig, making me grip my gun upon reaction. I looked around through the thick trees of the forest, but I couldn’t find anything that stood out… until I caught a glimpse of a dark figure behind a tree. When I looked back, it was gone. ‘What....’ 

“I’m back!” I flung around to see Falco, walking up to me with my friends and Andor behind him. 

I turned back to look through the forest again, but there was nothing out there.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, looking where I was staring. 

I stayed silent for a moment, unsure if what I’ve seen was real or not. 

“… It’s nothing.” I finally said.

Though difficult, we were able to move the trunk, and the carriage arrived when we finished. As we continued, I couldn’t help but feel a little jumpy. I was still unsure of what I’ve seen, but I did see something. Now I’m looking around more intently, keeping my grip on the handle of my gun.





Over the meadow and through the mud (part 2)

We stopped near a cliff to give ourselves a rest. Surprisingly, the rain subsided, but the path was still muddy. Annoyingly, we still haven’t found a single cave. Standing near the edge of the cliff, I looked out at the vast forest. Doubt was running through my mind, if we were even going to find it. I pulled out my map, hoping for a clear direction. To my disappointment, the map hasn’t changed. I sighed deeply and placed the map back into my backpack. I looked out to the forest again, thoroughly examining the area. ‘This place is way too big to be walking blindly.’ 

“Hey, Mr. Explorer.” I turned around to see Gilda, holding one of the bags we put together to ration our food supply, “well are you going to take it, or are you to busy admiring the trees.” 

“Heh, says a griffon who likes to hang out in a forest.” I said, implying where we first met. 

“I had my reasons; now are you going to eat this or not.” She spat back defensively. 

“Alright alright, sheesh.” I grabbed the bag and pulled out a piece of bread.

I continued to look out the landscape while eating. 

“Hey um… can I ask you something?” Gilda said, standing next to me. 

“Yeah what?” 

“What was that song you sang?” I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Song?”

“You know, the one you sang along the way.” It took my mind some time before it clicked. 

“Oh that song, I uh heard it from a tale back at home.” I noticed that Gilda looked at me expectedly, indicating that I should continue, “it was about a group of people that were forced out of their home by a ruthless dragon. After years of waiting, a small band of brave warriors set out to reclaim their home again.”

While I was giving her a brief summary of the movie, in which the song came from, Gilda moved her gaze from me, looking at the landscape ahead. 

“So did they do it?” I stopped to look at her, feeling a little annoyed for the interruption. 

“Do what?”

“Take their home back.” I turned my head and chuckled a bit at her question.

“Now now Gilda, one does not simply skip to the end without knowing the beginning and middle.” I said, taking another bite of my bread.

“Hey, how am I supposed to hear about it, if it’s only where you’re from?” Gilda scoffed, scrunching her face at me. 

“Hmm that could be a problem… maybe I could tell it before we call it a night, like a camp fire story.” Gilda just looked at me unamused, “what?”

“You’re such a dweeb.” Gilda then went to the carriage. ‘Heh, oh yeah she’s looking forward to it.’ 

I was about to take another bite before I heard a rumble in the sky. Looking up, I could see a few volts appear, colliding in one area above. Before I knew it, a surge of electricity began to converge on that spot before blasting a bolt towards us. I quickly ran towards Gilda and pushed her away from the strike. (BOOM) I had no time to get away as the bolt exploded in front of me, pushing me over the cliff. After the white flash cleared my vision, I could see the edge of the cliff quickly becoming smaller as I rushed to the ground. Very soon my vision went dark as I crashed through the foliage of the trees. All I could hear were the snaps and cracks of the branches before it all stopped with a loud thud. Then I blanked out. 

“…iel!” I began to wake up with a swirly headache. “Dan…” I could hear a small sound, muffled by my disorientation. “Daniel can you hear me!” while I was regaining my focus, the noise I began to hear became more understandable. “Daniel!” I groaned a bit as I felt the multiple impacts I received during my tumble down the hill. I slowly got up, fighting through the pain I was feeling. The fact that I was able to meant that I didn’t break anything.

“Hey!” I yelled, looking up from where I’ve fallen. 

“Oh thank God, Daniel are you alright!” I heard Jordan yell from above. 

“Yeah, just a little bruised up is all!” 

“Are you sure, can you move at all?! Wait no, don’t move, are you hurt?! On the scale to one to ten, how much does it hurt?! Whatever you do, don’t go towards the LIGHT!” Nova shrieked in a state of panic. 

“Calm down, I said I was fine!”

The tree line above me prevented me from seeing the cliff. Though, I did take quite a fall. I’m guessing the branches slowed me down, or at least that’s how I felt it did. 

“Daniel, there’s no way of getting to you without flying, but the storm is too unpredictable; so it’s too dangerous to get to you!” I cursed under my breath for my predicament. 

I looked at my surroundings, pondering on what we should do. 

“Alright, this is what’s going to happen! Look ahead of you! I’m going for the center; just meet me around that area!” there was a brief silence before they complied, “if I get in trouble, follow the gunshots!” 

“We’ll do the same… just be there alright! Stay safe!” 

“Yeah you to!” with that said, I checked my rifle and made my way through the murky forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jordan

I looked over the area of the forest that Daniel wanted to meet us at. ‘That’s a lot of area to cover.’ 

“(Sigh) you better be there.” I said under my breath. 

“What now?” Taphy asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I stood up and made my way to the carriage, passing everyone who stood near the cliff, “we rendezvous in that area.” 

“You’re joking right?” Falco said, “Looking for him there would be like looking for a feather in a hay stack.” 

“Let us not forget lads. The sun is going down.” Hans added in.

The day was running late, and the darkness was already creeping in.

“We should hurry then, while we still have the light.”

We all quickly set up to move again, except for Gilda who was still looking over the cliff. I didn’t blame her. After all, Daniel saved her from that strike from hitting her, causing him to fall off. 

“Hey, we got to go.” I said, after walking up behind her. 

She stayed quiet, looking over the edge.

“…Gilda?” 

“This is my fault isn’t it?” she said with a bit of frustration.

“Don’t blame yourself; he’s still alive out there.” I went up to her and placed my hand on her shoulder, “come on, let’s go find our friend.” 
Her ears perked up a bit after I said that. 

“Right, no more lying about.” She began to walk to the carriage with utmost determination. 

I looked back to the forest one last time. ‘Don’t worry buddy, we’re on our way.’ With that, we left with as much speed as we could muster.

> ch.5 part 4: Scales, claws, and a helping hand, building bridges, building bridges part 2 (end)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scales, claws, and a helping hand 
	
(BOOM) Not long after we got separated did the rain begin to pick up again. It was heavy and the lighting was frequent. However, there was one more problem. It was dark, not just faded darkness either; it was, I can’t see pass ten feet, darkness. The occasional flash of lighting revealed the path ahead of me, if only for a few seconds. I tried to keep a constant pace, but it was slow and I tend to trip over the occasional roots that grew a little over the ground. My clothes were damped, my body was shivering, and my legs feel weighed down. Also, I couldn’t get over the feeling that I was being watched. I knew I’ve seen something back there, and now it was following me. 

The sound of rain and the splashes from my feet, were the melodies that I continue to hear, through my walk of eternity. However, it could not calm the growing anxiety I felt. Every time I heard a snap or a rustle, I couldn’t help but stop to look, gripping my weapon by reflex. I tried my best to see through the darkness, but I found nothing hidden within. After I released the breath that I didn’t know I was holding, I continued on, trying to let the sound of rain calm me down. ‘I really need to find shelter and fast. I’m about to lose it out here.’

(ROAR) I flinched at the sudden noise in the distance. ‘What was that!’ as I pulled my gun up to my shoulder, I frantically searched my surroundings, hoping to spot whatever made that sound. (ROAR) it sounded more like a wail this time, and it was coming from above. I searched the skies to find anything out of the norm. It was difficult to see through the rain, but I was determined. Before I knew it, I took sight of a large figure soaring through the skies. Its wings were large, its tail was long, and the neck was half that length. ‘Could it be?’

Before I could identify it, I noticed it was heading to the ground at an alarming rate. I soon lost sight of it, then heard a loud crash later on. Without hesitation, I began to sprint towards the crash site. Whatever it is, it needed help. I tread through the mud and muscled through the bushes. I knew I was going the right way, because I eventually encountered broken trees and a dragged path from the impact. The creature wasn’t in sight though. However, at the end of the path I could see small puddles of blood that lead into the forest. It was injured and the amount of blood it seemed to leave behind was concerning. 

I followed the trail, trying to stay quiet, so I would not scare it off. As I continued on, the puddles seem to get bigger, indicating that it was slowing down. After a little while, I soon spotted an opening to a small clearing. I leaned up against the closest tree and took a peek. It was exactly what I expected. It had large, sharp claws, and thick, glassy scales. It… was a dragon. ‘A real fire breathing dragon!’ all my anxiety seemed to have been pushed away with excitement, as I looked upon this beautiful creature. Soon after, a flash of lighting revealed to me the dragon’s true condition. Its left wing was torn. The wound was seeping blood, descending down its body onto the floor. There was also a gash on its left back leg, as well as other cuts around its body. 

I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to do something; I had to help. Before I could even make a move, the dragon craned its neck back looking towards the sky. I was able to see its eyes, but I was confused. Within, I did not see any anger, confidence, or even defiance. What I see is fear. The dragon tried desperately to get up, but an arrow whooshed by and impaled itself on the dragon’s shoulder. It roared out in pain as it fell back to the ground. Upon seeing it, I took the safety off my weapon, looking around to find the shooters. I didn’t have to look long as a group of griffons swopped down and surrounded the dragon.

There were five of them, and they wore the same outfits as the bandits we fought back in Leafwood but in a black color scheme. Some had crossbows with large pouches filled with bolts, and others with spears. 

“Nice try scaly, but it ends here.” Said one of the griffons, who was reloading his bow.

The dragon looked upon the griffon in fear and pain. 

“Don’t worry, I know someone who would pay a good price for those scales of yours.” Another griffon mocked, showing no pity. 

From there, I knew what they were. ‘Poachers.’ Scum willing to kill or capture anything for money, and this dragon was their target. ‘Not on my watch.’ Once the griffon finished loading its weapon, it took aim at the dragons head, unknowing that I was doing the same at his.

“Time to join your friends scaly.” The griffon uttered the last words to the dragon… or his last words. ‘Right back at ya.’ 

(BANG) the side of the griffon’s head exploded, as my round penetrated it. Before the griffon’s body fell limp, I moved my sight to the next griffon (BANG), then the next (BANG BANG), then the next (BANG), and the last (BANG). I didn’t give them time to recover, as I dropped them all to the ground. Each shot was fatal, except for the last, hitting only the shoulder. The last griffon wailed in pain, clenching its wound with its claw. 

I stepped out of my hiding spot, approaching the wounded griffon. The dragon obviously seen me, but I didn’t care at this point. I still had one last target to take care of. After all, I don’t like letting wounded animals suffer. The griffon desperately tried to reach for its crossbow, probably hoping it will bring him salvation. When the griffon finally gripped the bow in its claw, I stomped my boot on top of it, holding it down with my weight. The griffon was shaking now in pure fear. As it slowly raised its gaze, it spotted the muzzle end of my gun pointed right at him. He continued to shake, as he stared at the unknown terror in front of him. Finally, his gaze met my own, and what I see is beyond fear. 

“w-what are you?” he hopelessly asked without thinking. 

“Human.” (BANG)





Building bridges 

I stood there, staring at the motionless body that laid before me. There was a small hole on its forehead where my bullet penetrated, and a large one on the back where it excited. It was a complete mess. ‘I may have gone a bit too far there.’ I then began to count, in my head, the number of shots I used. I estimated forty-three rounds left in my clip. I sighed at the thought of no ammo. ‘Just have to make it last.’ I thought as I flipped the safety back on. I then remembered about the dragon that witnessed this massacre. I turned my gaze to it, only to see the unchanged, fearful look it gave me.

We were silent, only hearing the drops of rain around us. ‘Crap… what should I do… ummm… uh…’ we stared at each other for what feels like ages. I couldn’t even blink, feeling that any movement could lead to disaster. ‘Um do something.’ we still stood there, ‘say something?’ unmoving ‘come on Daniel; don’t just stand there.’ like stone sculptures. ‘Speak you fool!’ 

“Uh-“ that was all I was able to put out, before the dragon whipped in the other direction. 

In the process, its tail lashed out towards me, slamming me on the side. The impact pushed me off my feet, hitting the muddy ground with a loud splat. 

“Not again.” I groaned, feeling my body ache from the impact. 

I slowly flopped myself over so I could use both my arms and legs to push myself up. 

“Well… that could have gone a lot better.” I said, while I was getting up.

Afterwards, I looked over where the dragon fled. I also noticed a trail of blood, leading in the same direction. ‘A trail of bread crumbs.’ I took a deep breath, checked my gun, and then followed the trail. ‘It’s pretty badly injured. I can’t just leave it alone like that.’ I continued to follow the blood trail, hoping the rain wouldn’t wash it away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jordan

The path down the cliff lead us to a narrow opening, into the forest. As we got deeper, it only seems to get denser. The rain and the mud was not helping in the slightest, as the movement of the carriage was coming to a drag. It became too much to pull that we strapped Andor and Falco on it to give Thrain some relief. Gilda and Ember took their positions as escorts, trying to maintain the same level of protection. The search for the cave was still going, but finding Daniel was main priority. However, the light of the sun was long gone, leaving the forest into a dark abyss. We had lanterns strapped onto the carriage, but its radius only goes so far.

He’ll see us long before we see him. ‘We’re practically walking blind here.’ I made sure to keep a look out for whatever else the light could attract. 

“Hey.” I shifted my head a little to see Ember walking next to me. 

“What’s up?” I asked. 

She stayed quiet for a bit, making me question if she heard me or not. 

“Do you remember when-“

“If this is about that fight, I’m sorry but I can’t give you any answers. It’s just as much of a surprise to us as it is to you.” I said, interrupting her mid-sentence.

“… rude much?” she huffed.

“(sigh) sorry, it’s just been a long day and… I’m kind of worried about him.” I said apologetically.

“Its fine; don’t worry about him so much. I can tell he can take care of himself.” she said, trying to cheer me up.

“Yeah, but don’t go telling him that though. He’ll probably do something stupid afterwards.” After I said that, I earned a bit of a chuckle from her.

“I’ll remember that, but I’m still left to wonder. I was only a cub when others discovered that I had the potential to do magic. I soon found my specialty in elemental magic. It took me years of training to control it, and years more to use it in combat. Yet, in one go, your friend was able to do what took me years to accomplish.” I turned my head to her curiously. ‘Where are you going with this?’

“I guess, if you put it that way, it makes sense to be curious.” Her experience with magic had lead me to wonder. ‘Is magic really that difficult? Daniel didn’t seem like he had any trouble… but he was hospitalized afterwards; so what do I know.’ 

“Do you think your friend is interested in becoming an apprentice?” ‘Say what now!?’ Ember’s question got me through a loop. ‘Apprenticeship, we’re still trying to get pass the fact that he can do magic.’ 

“Well uh, we never really thought about that.” I said honestly.

“Shame… but if he does, do tell him that I am willing to take him under my wing.” She said with most sincerity. ‘(Sigh) I guess we can add magic school on our things to do list.’ 

(ROAR) A loud roar could be heard in the distance, making us stop upon reflex. I put my hand on my pistol, while searching for the source of the disturbance. 

“What…was that?” Taphy asked, sounding a bit uneasy. 

“Dragons.” Ember answered.

“Dragons! Oh hell no!” if Taphy was unsettled before, I’m sure he’s on the verge to freaking out. 

“Are they going to be a problem?” I asked.

“They only attack when threatened; so, as long as we can keep our distance, we can avoid them.” ‘Alright that doesn’t sound so-‘ (Bang… Bang… Bang Bang…) ‘oh crap.’ 

As I faced the directions where the shots came from, I pulled my pistol out and flipped the safety off.

“I never heard that before.” Ember said, sounding a bit curious. 

“It’s Daniel.” With that said, I took off into a sprint. 

I could hear the others trying to keep up. ‘We’re coming buddy, just hang on.’ (Bang)





Building bridges part 2

‘sixty-eight bottles of bear on the wall, sixty-eight bottles of bear, take one down, pass it around, sixty-seven bottles of bear on the wall…’ now, one may be wondering why I’m not extremely focused in tracking down this dragon. With the broken branches, beaten path, and a blood trial, this dragon is literally paving the way for me to follow. ‘Thirty-eight bottles of bear on the wall…’ it may not be able to hide its tracks, but it sure can keep its distance. I know I’ll catch up with it though. It will stop due to exhaustion or blood loss. I just hope it’s the latter. ‘Twenty-two bottles of- ah there you are.’

The trail eventually lead me to a cavern which the dragon may be using as a shelter. I carefully snuck up towards the edge of the entrance, trying my best not to make myself known yet. I looked down at the trail, leading into the cave. The blood trail looked less like puddles and more like brush marks. This dragon is just dragging itself at this point. ‘Ok, let’s think about this. There is an injured, very afraid, and possibly an extremely, dangerous dragon in a dark, one way in and one way out, cave. Due to my actions, I probably look like the bogyman to it. However, this dragon needs immediate medical attention and I am the only one around to do it… well it could be worse.’ I tilted my head to get a quick peek into the cave, only to quickly jerk back as a burst of flames shot out from the entrance. ‘I really need to stop saying that.’

“G-go away or else!” I heard a shaky voice yell from inside. 

“Can we at least talk about this!?” I asked, keeping well away from the entrance. 

“n-no, just stay away from me you monster!” ‘Now that’s just uncalled for.’ I knew I had to tread carefully, if I wanted to help this dragon. 

“I know you’re scared of me and you have every right to be, but please hear me out! Those griffons were going to kill you, and, if I didn’t do what I did back there, you would be dead right now!” I stopped to let what I said sink in a bit, “all that doesn’t matter right now! What matters is that you are bleeding out and need medical help! I have medical supplies, and I want to help you, if you let me!”

“…”

The dragon said nothing, and, the longer I wait, the more blood it loses. ‘Now or never.’ I removed the strap of my gun and my sword, and slowly moved them towards the entrance of the cave.

“Please, do not attack me!” I said, taking my slow step of faith.

I made sure to keep my movements slow so to not startle it. So far I haven’t been turned a crisp yet, so I continued on. Soon I was entirely exposed in front of the entrance. Looking inside, it was way too dark to see. However deep within the darkness, I could see two glowing, blue reptilian eyes, staring right back.

“I am putting my weapons down.” I said slowly kneeling down to the ground. 

I kept my voice more calm but loud enough for the dragon to hear. After placing them down, I slowly made my way to the dragon, keeping my hands up in a defensive manner.

“That’s it, I mean you no harm.” I know I’m sounding repetitive here but it’s keeping the dragon calm, or at least that’s what I’m hoping.

During my walk, my eyes were adjusting to the darkness and, soon enough, the dragon was coming into view. I still can’t see it clearly but I can get the gist of its features. Based on what understanding I have with dragons in this world, which is close to nothing really. The dragon doesn’t seem fully grown, but it’s not a baby either.

I was now a foot away from it, and I could tell by just looking at its eyes. It was terrified. I slowly knelt down, trying to look less intimidating. Its eyes never left me during all this, watching for any signs of deceit. 

“Alright, I’m going to check those injuries.” I said in a whisper.

I slowly reached out my hand to touch its claw, and at that moment its eyes darted to my hand. Its claw began to retract away from me upon reflex. 

“Its ok, it’s ok…” I lightly repeated. 

I had to make first contact; it’s the only way to break the tension for the both of us. ‘Almost there…’ the anticipation was killing me, as my hand got closer. ‘Almost there…’ my hand was just about an inch from touching. ‘Almost-‘ (BOOM) 

Suddenly a loud blast of lighting lit up the cave with a white flash, causing us both to recoil back in fear. I landed on my backside, but the dragon must have agitated one of its injuries because it screamed out in pain. Without thinking, I rushed up, grabbed its claw with one hand, and began to rub its shoulder with the other. The dragon immediately gasped in shock and tensed up.

“Shh, shh, its ok, it’s alright…” I continued to voice out as many gentle words as I can in hopes to calm it down.

Its breathing was erratic and the tension on its arm was extensive. However, I kept trying to sooth it.

To my relief, its breathing was slowing down and the tension on her arm was waning. Once its breathing became normal and the tension was gone, I looked over. My heart fell from what I see. Tears were flowing down the dragon’s face. At that point, I knew I had to do more; so what came to mind was to hum a very familiar tune. (misty mountains) just as I began to hum, I could hear the dragon sniff trying to hold back the tears. Then it leaned closer, and I could feel its claw clenching my hand. As painful as it was, I let it do as it wishes. God knows what it’s been through. Soon enough, its tail wraps behind me, trying to bring me as close as possible. Eventually, it could not hold the tears away any longer. Its head pressed against me for comfort. I continued to hum and rub its shoulder for support. As much as it needed medical attention, it needed this more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
???

I ran; fear gripping me, as I heard the screams of my kin behind me. 

“After it!” I ran, hearing the screeches of my pursuers.

“You can’t escape!” I ran, pushing deeper into the darkness.

“You can’t run forever!” as if in some twisted fate, I had tripped on something.

I fell on the invisible floor below me, feeling exhaustion taking over me. ‘I-I have to keep running.’ I tried to push myself back up, but it was already too late. A black silhouette of a griffon stood before me. I could see white pin pricks, peering down at me from those black voids where the eyes should be. I then looked down and see a sword in its claw. It rose it up above itself; ready to swing down at me. 

“die.” It said, in a very dry and raspy voice. 

“P-please… don’t-“ I begged, hoping for it to spare me, but my pleas fell to deaf ears.

I froze as I watched the sword come down upon me. However before the sword struck me, a loud bang could be heard as the griffon’s head exploded, leaving its body to drop to the ground. Behind it was another creature. It was strange, foreign, and above all terrifying. It was still the same silhouette as the griffon, with the familiar pin pricks in its eyes. What I assume to be its weapon, was now pointed at me. 

“Plea-“ (Bang)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My eyes shot open as my head jolted up in mere shock. I looked around to see that I was in a cave which was miserably lit by a small fire. ‘Was that… just a dream?’ I thought hearing the rumble of thunder from the strike that woke me up. Seeing that I was in no danger right now, I began to calm myself down. Once I was able, I tried to push myself up, but I instantly regretted it, feeling a sharp pain on my hind leg. I looked back to see my injured leg that was already mended. ‘What… how did-‘ Suddenly, memories of what happened not long ago came flooding in. I ran into this cave, hoping to hide, since my pain and exhaustion started to take a toll on me. I thought I lost it, but my hopes were crushed as that… creature appeared at the entrance. However, what happened afterwards caught me by surprise. It spoke to me and wanted to help me. 

‘I guess that explains the bandages… but where is it now?’ I looked around once more, but all there was is a campfire and a bag. ‘It must be the creatures; so it’ll be back… but do I want to be here before it does?’ I begin to ponder on what I should do. The creature has done nothing but shown me kindness, which is very rare for my kind. Then again it was able to kill without any remorse, and not to mention that weapon of his. Images of that horrific scene flashed before me, making me feel a bit uneasy. I then looked down at the fire, unsure of what to do. ‘Why save me?’ however, before I could decide, I looked over to see it standing there. It held a pile of wood in its claws, and it was staring right at me.

“Uhh… hi?” it said with uncertainty, “please don’t freak out, your wounds were pretty bad and I don’t want you to make it worse.” 

It spoke to me again, but I remained silent. I couldn’t help but notice its eyes; they weren’t pin pricks like in my dream, but they actually had detail to them. However, they were still unique. I was soon snapped out of my trance by the roar of thunder outside. 

“Heh I have to say, Mukpud sure earned its name.” I looked at the creature again and notice him walking slowly towards me. 

Panic begins to rise as he got closer, and I’m sure it caught on, if my heavy breathing was any indication.

“Wow now calm down. I’m just adding wood to the fire.” It said defensively. 

Only now did I notice the branches in its claws. Once it got close to the fire, it began to slowly feed the wood to it.

“It wasn’t easy finding wood dry enough to burn.” It said as it fed another stick, “I’m surprised I was able to get one started.” 

Placing the last branch in the fire, it turned back and made its way to its bag. Looking at its cloak, I noticed a large insignia on its back. ‘That’s a Gryphonia symbol… it works for the king?’ to my surprise, it removed its cloak revealing a fully clothed figure beneath. However, the next thing I see made my blood run cold.

Hanging under its shoulder was the alien weapon that had brought the demise of my pursuers. It was black as night, and seemed to be metallic in nature. That was all I can get from looking at it, anything else is just a mystery. He removed the strap that held the weapon under his shoulder, and placed it next to the bag. It soon came back and sat right in front of the fire, revealing one of the strangest faces I’ve ever seen. Other than a patch of fur on the top, the rest was just skin. It didn’t even have a muzzle; it was just flat. 

“Ah there’s nothing better than a warm fire on a cold rainy day, huh.” It said, looking at me expectantly, and, just like before, I stayed quiet, “not much of a talker I see.” 

It lowered its gaze, but suddenly beamed up in realization.

“Oh how rude of me! I didn’t even introduce myself yet.” It said, springing itself up off the ground, “the names Daniel, newly appointed personal guard for the Gryphonian royal family… or at least for one of its members.” 

It then looked at me again with glee, hoping that now it will sport a response. As seconds tick by, its demeanor began to weigh from the lack of interaction. 

“Uh… what’s your name?” it’s asked in one last effort.

Luckily for it, it paid off. 

“A-Amethyst… my names Amethyst of the Kasai tribe.” I said uneasily.

“Amethyst, that’s a nice name. It suits ya pretty well.” It said with much satisfaction.

After that, we just stared at each other. So many things were going through my mind. ‘What’s going on, why am I still here, why am I talking to it… well I can’t consider it an it anymore, since it has a name, but still. What is he, why is he here, why didn’t he kill me like the others?’

“…your wing?” I was snapped out of my thoughts, as he tried to talk to me. 

“What?” 

“Your wing, how is it?” he asked.

I looked over to my bandaged wing, feeling a spike of pain as I tried to move it.

“It still hurts.” I said as the pain dulls to a throb.

He looked a bit saddened, after I said that.

“Sorry to hear that. I did the best I could with what I got, but your wounds were pretty bad.” He looked away from me and stared at the fire.

“Oh, i-it’s alright.” I said assuring him, “thank you.”

He seemed to smile a bit after I said that. An awkward silence fell upon us again. However, I couldn’t help, but notice him fidget in place. ‘Is he nervous?’ I couldn’t help but feel confused. Here’s a being that I know nothing about, was able to kill five griffons within seconds, and now he’s sitting across from me looking like he doesn’t know what to say. 

“Are… you ok?” I didn’t know why I asked that, but I felt like I needed to.

“Uh, yeah, yeah I’m fine… sorry if I’m making this seem awkward. It’s just I’ve never really met a dragon before, let alone talk to one.” He said scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, “well knowing how most conversations go, you’re probably wondering what I am?”

I only nodded me head in acknowledgement.

“Alright… promise me you won’t freak out when I tell you though.” I didn’t really know why he would say that, but I nodded anyway, “ok, I’m a… human.” 

As the word ran through my mind, I was confused at first, but then it hit me.

“I’m guessing you heard of us?” he asked, after seeing my reaction.

“Well only stories my father used to tell me.” I said, digging through my mind for those tales. 

“Well let me be the first to say that we’re not as bad as those stories say.” He said defensively.

I begin to ponder on what he said. My father told me of stories of humans deceiving and hurting others, showing no remorse. However, this one saved my life, he treated my wounds, and watched over me while I slept. ‘He doesn’t seem evil to me. He’s actually pretty nice.’ 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what was up with those griffons back there?” after he said this, painful memories began to run rampant through my mind.

He must have noticed, because he said I didn’t have to answer. Yet, he saved my life. He at least had the right to know.

“I came from the west; just passing by as it were. I wasn’t alone either; I was with two others. We were tired and decided to take shelter in the mountains east of here. That’s where they attacked us. I was able to escape but the others… after a while, some of them caught up with me. I-I tried to lose them, but I was so tired. (sniff) T-they attacked me with their s-swords and arrows. (sniff) I-I tried… I d-didn’t…” I couldn’t help but hear the screams of the others in my head.

I immediately closed my eyes, and tried to push those thoughts away. I couldn’t help but stifle a whimper, as I tried to control my emotions. I let out a gasp, as I felt something touch the side of my head I recoiled back and looked over to see Daniel kneeling next to me with his arm stretching out towards me. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just… you looked troubled and I thought…” he began to pull his hand back, after I realized what he was doing. 

Knowing that he was only trying to comfort me, I allowed him to do so. I slowly nudged my head back towards him, and soon enough I felt those strange appendages graze the top of my head.

His touch felt strange. Unlike claws, it felt soft and smooth. I could also feel some warmth resonating from it. I felt myself lean closer into it.

“I’m sorry for what’s happened you.” He said softly.

Much to my disappointment, I felt his touch leave me. He then proceeded to sit down next to me. I didn’t feel as nervous anymore. Somehow through his touch, I could actually tell that he meant no harm; that he wanted to help me. For a dragon, it’s hard to find such kindness, even amongst our own kin. 

“Thank you.” I said in a low whisper.

“no te mencionarlo.” 

“…what?” he threw me back a bit when he said that.

“It’s ‘don’t mention it’ in Spanish.” He explained. 

“Oh.” ‘…what’s Spanish?’ 

I decided to push that question aside for now, since there was something else I wanted to know. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Yeah.” 

“What were you doing out here by yourself?” I asked curiously.

“I didn’t come here by myself. I just got separated is all.” ‘There’s more humans out there?’ he looked at me and noticed that I was staring, implying that I wanted to know more. 

He took a deep breath, and adjusted himself to sit more comfortably. 

“A couple of days ago, me and my friends came across this legend…”


> chapter 6 the book: reunion, opening doors, play ball
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reunions

The rain had finally stopped, but the rumble of thunder could be heard within the darkened sky. However, my attention wasn’t above me but what’s below. Inspecting the ground, I found your occasional foot prints, but there was one set I was unfamiliar with. They were large, claw like, and seem to take more of a reptilian shape. Putting two and two together, the answer was obvious. These were dragon tracks. It wasn’t the tracks that worry me though, but the blood that seem to trail in the same direction. 

“You found something?” I looked over to see Taphy.

“A path to follow.” I said, after getting up. 

I went back into the clearing, where we found a group of dead griffons lying about.

Andor and Falco were looking through the bodies while the others kept watch. I went up to Andor, who was looking at a griffon with a gashed hole on its head.

“Know who these guys were?” I asked, looking down at the corpse. 

“Dragon hunters, most likely an independent group. Gryphonia placed laws against such practices, since dragon migration patterns tend to cross these lands, but dragon scales are quite valuable. They probably thought they could earn a quick sum… it seems it didn’t turn out that way.” He began to look around at the other bodies, looking a bit concerned, “these wounds. I’ve never seen anything like it. Swords, arrows, not even claws could cause such injuries.”

I already knew what kind of wounds these were and who dealt them. Hearing that these guys were the poaching sort, I wasn’t surprised that they met a quick end. I went to go see how Falco is doing. He seemed to be scavenging whatever these griffons had, seeing that he was rummaging through one of their pouches.

“Anything interesting?” I asked, looking down at a pile of loot.

“Nothing much; just a couple of bolts, crossbows, some hooks, daggers, and a few bits here and there.” He said tossing the pouch back to its owner. 

“Alright, put everything we don’t need into the carriage.” He nodded and gathered up the loot. 

I took one of the daggers from the pile, inspecting it. ‘Not as fancy as my sword, but could be useful.’ I tucked it under my belt, and proceeded to help move the loot into the carriage.

Once we gathered everything, I told everyone about the tracks I found. The path was too dense for the carriage, so we had to continue without it. We took some supplies and some lanterns, and hid it with some undergrowth. We then placed a marker down near it and went on our way. The trail was relatively easy to follow, with the tracks, blood, and beaten down path as our guide. Also, with the lack of cargo we were carrying, our movement improved significantly. ‘About time we picked up the pace. If we’re lucky these tracks will lead us straight to him… I just hope we don’t have to deal with this dragon.’ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel 

“After we got separated, I came across you, and you already know the rest.” Amethyst just looked at me with pure wonder. 
Not once did she interrupt, nor did she look anxious around me. I’ll consider it a good sign that she’s warming up to me.

“Any questions?” she seemed to perk up a bit. ‘Oh boy.’

“So… you’re from another world?” 

“Yeah.”

“And it’s because of that necklace that you’re here?”

“Well as far as I know, yes.”

“And it grants you the power to do magic?”

“Uh, kind of. I’m still not sure how it really works.” She began to ponder to herself, probably thinking of more questions.

“You said you were here to search for a cave, but what made it so important?” she asked.

“Well there was this journal from an explorer long ago that wrote about a marking he found in a cave. It wasn’t anything he recognized and almost seemed out of place. He took a picture of it, and, when I looked at it, I knew what it was. A human hand print.” Once I finished my explanation, she began to give me a puzzled look. 

“So you’re just looking for a cave?” she repeated.

“Yeah.”

“… You know we’re in one, right?” I stayed silent, as I began to make the connections.

It soon clicked, and I realized where we were. I immediately got up and went to my bag. Amethyst was a bit shocked by my sudden movements, but thankfully not enough to frighten her. I dug up my phone and flipped the light on, proceeding to examine the walls. 

“Do you need any help?” I looked over to see Amethyst walking towards me. 

“You sure? I mean, you’re still kind of hurt.” I said, having concern for her injuries.

she began to glare at me, making feel a bit nervous. 

“I may be wounded, but not helpless.” She huffed, “now tell me what we’re looking for.”

I was pretty perplexed by her change of attitude, but I guess that rest did her more good than I thought. 

“The imprint should look like this.” I gestured towards my hand as a reference. 

She simply nodded and began to search. I was about to ask if she needed a torch but I remembered that she had night vision. ‘Man wouldn’t that be useful right now.’ Looking at the walls around me, I could see that most of it was covered with moss. They seem to be dripping with water, probably from outside, leaving the walls a bit damp. ‘I sure hope it didn’t get eroded.’ We searched high and low, examining every crevasse.

“Hey, I think I found it!” I pointed the light towards her, seeing her ripping the moss off the wall.

Once I got to her, she finished removing the last bits of it, revealing, to my relief, a faded imprint of a hand similar to the one in the picture. 

“That’s it alright. Way to go.” I complimented, giving her a pat on the shoulder. 

She stiffened up a bit and I immediately corrected myself. I apologized but she seemed to shrug it off. 

“So what’s so special about this hand anyway?” she asked, seeing no real significance. 

“When we first got here, we were trapped in some tomb with no visible doors. We eventually found this marking, opening the way out for us.” I explained. 

“How does it work?” 

“Well it’s simple.” I raised my hand towards it, preparing to make contact.

However, Amethyst gasped and turned towards the entrance. I

“What’s wrong?” I asked worryingly. 

“Something’s coming.” She whispered, showing a familiar sense of fear in her eyes.

I cursed under my breath and quickly ran towards my gear. I grabbed my gun, and then proceeded to stamp out the fire. 

“Stay low behind me.” I silently commanded, kneeling next to the wall into a firing position, “close your eyes to cover up the glow.”

I wasn’t sure if she listened, but it didn’t matter. I promised no more harm would come to her.

I kept my sights on the entrance, taking slow breaths to keep my aim straight. Soon enough I begin to hear rustling near the entrance. My grip tightened, as I could feel my index pull on the trigger. However, I quickly removed it when I noticed who peeked in.

“Daniel, you in there?” the voice was so familiar and welcoming to my ears.

“Taphy?” soon enough, his head perked up when he heard my voice. 

“Oh thank god; hey guys he’s here!” he excitedly yelled. 

He began to make his way towards me, probably not noticing the dragon behind me. 

“Yo man we were looking all over for ya.” He said, as he gave me a bro hug.

“Glad to see you to man.” I returned the gesture in kind. 

“We were getting kind of worried; you see we heard this drag-“ suddenly Taphy’s demeanor changed completely. ‘Here we go.’

“dra- dra- dragon!” he screamed and pointed behind me. 

I tried to calm him down, but, before I could, he bolted for the entrance.

“Run for your lives!” once he got out, he dived right into the bushes. 

Soon enough, I see the others with their weapons ready, and Jordan leaning in with his pistol aiming right at us. 

“Daniel, get over here; I’ll cover you!” after he said that, Amethyst tried to get closer behind me, fearing for her life.

“No no no, don’t shoot! She’s friendly!” I pleaded, trying to stop the situation from escalating. 

They seemed taken back by my accusations, causing them to pause and slacken. “… you sure?” 

“Yeah I’m sure, and please put the gun down! You’re scaring her!” I felt a bit relieved, when they began to lower their weapons.

With that settled, I looked over my shoulder to see Amethyst right behind me with her head tucked under her claws.

“It’s ok to get up now.” I said, trying to ease her. 

“y-you’re sure they’re not going to kill me?” the fear she was expressing was unbearable to watch.

“You have my word.” I promised, smiling for assurance, “now come on. I want to introduce you to my friends.” 

She still looked uneasy, but she reluctantly got up and followed me. As I walked out the cave, I could see the whole crew, waiting to greet us.

“It’s good to see you’re ok.” Jordan said, greeting me the same way Taphy did.

Before I could say anything, a certain black griffon burst through the bushes and flew straight for me, carrying a large duffle bag. 

“Ok please stay calm and answer a few questions as best as you can. Do you have any broken bones, did you sprain yourself, do you feel any pain anywhere?” Nova desperately asked, prodding almost every part of my body. 

“No nova, like I said before, I’m fine.” I groaned, causing her to slouch to the ground.

I begin to see her eyes water and her beak quiver, making me roll my eyes.

“b-but I brought all these medical supplies.” She whined, showing off her bag. 

Looking into it, I could see all kinds of first aid equipment, ranging from antibiotics to your standard gauze wrap. There were enough to supply a whole squad.

“Thanks for the gesture, but I don’t need any medical attention.” I patted her shoulder to try to ease her disappointment, “hey, I do know someone who does.” 

Her ears perked up after I said that. 

“Really?” she eagerly asked, wanting to get to work.

before telling her who, I see Gilda, stomping up to me with a stern look on her face. 

“Hey Gilda.” I said, earning me a very hard punch to the arm, “gah! Ow, what was that for?” 

“You know exactly what that’s for you moron! What in Tartarus were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that?” She screeched, grabbing my collar to pull me closer to her, “I swear to Celestia that, if you worry me like that again, I’ll throttle ya!”

I could hear Jordan snicker a bit from my predicament. 'Darn it Jordan I thought we were friends!'

“Alright alright ok, I’m sorry.” I pleaded, putting my hands up in surrender.

I then noticed a shadow, looming over us. Before I could see what it was, we were both snatched up.

“Haha, it’s good to have the group back together again!” Hans cheered, putting us both in a head lock hug.

“Get off of me you old geezer!” she vented, squirming in his death lock.

Soon enough, he let us go. I gave him a thankful nod while Gilda glared at him in annoyance. I turned and looked around, noticing Amethyst was missing. I guessed she didn’t work up the courage to exit the cave, making me feel a bit bad for leaving her there. 

“Hey guys, I want you to meet someone.” I said, getting everyone’s attention. 

I walked back to the cave entrance and leaned in a bit. I could faintly see amethyst, just standing there.

“Come on out, don’t worry. They won’t hurt you.” I whispered.

Not long afterwards, I could hear thumping, coming closer to the entrance. I stepped back and leaned out of the way.

“Guys, I would like you to meet Amethyst.” I announced, turning back to see everyone else. 

I then heard her walk out the cave and stood right next to me. Both Taphy and Jordan watched in awe after she appeared, but the others seemed tense. 

“Oh and Nova, she’s the one who needs medical attention.” I added, seeing her shove Jordan and Taphy out of the way.

“Really! I’ve only studied a little on dragon anatomy but I never thought I’ll actually treat one. Oh my Celestia, wait till the griffons back in the ward hear about this!” she squealed, bouncing up and down in excitement. 




Opening doors


We decided to take a break, mostly because most of the group haven't rested since we’ve separated. We built up a fire pit and passed around what rations we had left. You could say that we earned it, since we finally found the cave we were looking for. However, Nova’s been medically treating amethyst ever since they got here. It took some time to convince the dragon to accept the treatment, and, even then, I had to sit next to her to ease her anxiety. It was a good thing she brought all those medical supplies. Almost every wound required some sort of disinfectant. Once I felt that amethyst would be fine alone, I went to join Jordan who was standing in front of the mark on the wall. He took a bite out of an apple he was holding and hummed in thought. 

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, looking at the hand on the wall as well. 

“Whatever's behind this door?” He took another bite off his apple, leaving me to ponder on this thought. ‘What could be behind this door? Hidden treasure, knowledge of some distant past… must be important, since it was sealed with a magic lock that only humans could open… but what if it’s closed for a reason?’

“Did you try to open it?” I was pulled out of my thoughts, as Jordan looked at me expectantly.

“I was about to, but you guys came before I could.” I said, crossing my arms while briefly remembering the whole ordeal. 

“I’m glad you didn’t.” He said, taking yet another bite. 

I looked at him with a raised brow. “Why?” 

“When we opened that last door, we found a whole new world. I really doubt this door will do the same, but, what if… what if there’s something bad waiting for us on the other side.” For a moment, we just looked at each other, but nothing more needed to be said. 

He took one last bite of his apple and tossed it aside, wiping his hands on his pant legs to get rid of any residues.

“We’ve gotten this far; I don’t see any reason to turn back now… you ready?” after he asked that, any since of doubt was pushed to the side. 

“Let’s do it.” Jordan simply nodded back in response. 

Once everyone else was ready to go, we all gathered in front of the wall with our weapons at the ready. Amethyst and Nova were the farthest ones back, since one is injured and the other wasn’t trained to fight. I took the liberty of opening the door, after all, I did open the last one. I stood in front of the imprint, and slowly stretched my hand towards it, pausing just as it was an inch away. Taking a deep breath, I pressed onto it.

Just like before, my hand began to glow, hearing the groans of old gears turning. The ground began to rumble as the wall spilt in two. I quickly backed off and aimed my gun at the entrance. Within seconds, the door was open, showing only darkness within. We waited, listening for any disturbances, but there was only silence. I then slowly moved my hand to the flashlight attachment on my gun, pressing the button to turn it on. The light revealed nothing, as the cave only goes deeper. 

“So who wants to go down the creepy tunnel first?” Taphy asked nonchalantly. 

“Andor, Thrain, bring the lanterns.” They complied and gathered the ones they've brought. 

We then entered the cavern; Jordan and I taking point while Andor and Thrain covered the rear. Step after step, it seemed that the cave was angling downwards. 

“I don’t like this.” Taphy whined, as we continue going deeper, “how far down are we going?” 

“Until we reach the bottom.” I said.

“Of course.” He grunted, feeling a bit anxious.

After walking a bit longer, my light shined on a pair of doors. They were dull in detail, but made up for in size. Without hesitation, I attempted to push them open, only to find myself struggle in the process. Noticing my struggle, the others assisted me, and together we pushed open the double doors, hearing the grind of old wood and stone. 

Immediately after we entered, large gems on the walls began to glow, revealing the room to be a dome. The ceiling seemed to be eight stories high, and the room was wide enough to fit two soccer stadiums. Jordan whistled as he took it all in. 

“Well this place puts all the other caves we’ve been to shame.” I simply agreed with him. 

You could fit a whole base in here, yet it seems to be devoid of anything. 

“Look; there’s something there.” Falco said, pointing ahead of us. 

I tried to see where he was pointing at, but I just couldn’t see that far. “Where? I don’t see anything.” 

“Right there, in the middle.” I continued to concentrate on the center, straining my eyesight. 

Soon enough, I could see a small distortion on the ground.

“You can see farther then I can, so tell me what we’re looking at.” I said, as we all stared at it. 

“It looks like a… pillar?” he guessed.

“That’s a pretty small pillar.” Nova added.

“It could be holding something.” I said, making my way towards it.

I only took a couple of steps before the whole cave began to tremble. ‘What the-‘ just as it began, it stopped. I looked around me, seeing if anything changed. To my disdain, large gaps had appeared all around the dome, I stood stock still, in hopes that I wouldn’t trigger anything else. Unfortunately, I began to hear rumbling behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see one of those holes above the entrance. As the ground began to shake, the sound only got worse. Suddenly, a large boulder, that’s a size of an elephant and covered in spikes, came rolling out towards me. 

“Oh sh#%$#$t!!!” I screamed, running for dear life. 




Play ball


‘Oh god why me?!’ as I ran for the pillar, I could hear the boulder getting closer. I pushed my legs even harder, hoping to outrun the instrument of death, but then it hit me. ‘Why am I still running straight?’ I had to act fast, since the boulder was almost upon me. I desperately leaped to the side, hearing the boulder zoom past me. I unceremoniously hit the ground, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I looked back at the boulder, and at that moment my whole body tensed. (Devil may cry- battle 2) It unnaturally changed direction, doing; an immediate 180. It slid back a little from its current momentum, mauling the ground like a deranged dog. Soon enough, it began to move towards me, and, within seconds, it regained its speed. 

“No! That’s not fair, that’s not fair!” I quickly got up and ran the opposite direction. 

I quickly glanced over where everyone else was. They just stood there petrified by what was going on.

“Don’t just stand there! Help meeee!!!” I pleaded, hearing the boulder closing its distance to me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jordan

I watched bewildered, as the boulder just turned around by itself. Once more, pursuing Daniel like a wild animal. 

“Don’t just stand there! Help meeee!!!” I was snapped out of my trance by Daniel’s cry for help. 

“Taphy on me! The rest of you stay here!” I grabbed Taphy, as I ran to my friend’s aid.

“yo hold up, what’s the plan?!” I heard Taphy ask, as he kept up behind me. 

I thought about it. If one of us could divert the boulders attention, the other could take some time to rest. Once we get a rotation going, it should give us enough time to figure out how to stop it. ‘Yeah, that should work.’ 

“Try to get its attention!” I yelled back.

Before we could even get close, two more boulders emerged from the other side of the dome, and they were charging right at us. 

“New plan! Run!” I immediately stopped my advance, and turned a different direction.

Taphy did the same, but went the other way. I looked back to see the boulders spilt up to chase us both. ‘Oh god. How do we get ourselves into these situations?’ I pushed myself to go faster, as the boulder was catching up to me. I looked back ahead to see that I was getting close to the wall. An idea went through my mind as I made a bee line towards it.

I ran as fast as I could, trying to beat the boulder in my race for survival. ‘Go,go,go,go!!!’ I chanted to myself, hearing the boulder getting closer. Fortunately, I made it, and commenced my plan into action. I ran as far as I could up the wall, putting a lot of strength with every step. Once I got as high as I could, I pushed off, doing a back flip. My efforts were met with success, as the boulder rammed right into the wall below me. The force of the impact pushed me further up into the air, causing me to fall painfully onto the ground. However due to my adrenalin, I pushed myself up to one knee, and looked over to see the boulder wedged right into the wall. ‘Heh, it worked.’ I chuckled under heavy breaths, but my victory was short lived. More rumbling could be haerd from the crater yards away. ‘You’ve got to be joking.’ Just like before, another boulder emerged from it and redirected its course towards me. ‘d@mn.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilda

I was impressed with Jordan’s stunt, causing that hunk of rock to crash into the wall, but I was mortified to see another one of those things emerging from it to take its place. Daniel wasn’t doing any better, taking sharp turns to evade the boulder’s path, and Taphy… he’s just running and screaming. 

“Pluck this! I’m going in there!” I yelled in irritation. 

“No princess, it’s too dangerous!” Andor tried to stop me, but I wasn’t having none of it.

“For the last time, don’t call me that!” I angrily spat back, jabbing him with my talon, “they need our help, and I’m not just going to sit here on my plot and watch them get killed!” 

I then flew into the fray, hearing Andor desperately trying to call me back.

As expected another boulder came out of the wall. Seconds later, more began to spill out, probably going after the others that followed after me. 

“Gilda get back to the entrance, now!” I scoffed at Andor’s plea to run.

“Calm down, I’ll be fine. After all, we can fly. Those rocks can’t reach us up here.” After I said that, I noticed that they seemed to have lost interest in us, and were approaching the walls. 

To my confusion, they began to grind on them, but then my eyes widen. They literally climbed the walls and are rolling towards us. ‘Well that’s just great.’

I quickly banked away, trying to keep my distance, but they were already on top of us. I looked over my shoulder to see it right above me. Suddenly, it flung itself towards me. ‘Oh pluck!’ I quickly barrel rolled out of the way, having it miss me by an inch. It slammed onto the ground, rolling in place. It then rolled away towards the wall again. Using this precious breathing room, I tried to think of a way to stop this thing. I looked over my shoulder to see Daniel still running from his pursuer. I looked back at mine, as it was already starting its climb up. I then thought of an idea that just might work. ‘Alright stupid rock, come and get me.’ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel

My legs felt like they were on fire, and the pain in my chest is almost unbearable. However, I couldn’t stop. My life depended on it. From what I’ve seen, the others don’t seem to be faring any better. If we don’t end this soon… 

“Heads up!” I looked ahead to see Gilda flying towards me. 

To my dismay, I could also see one of those boulders on the ceiling behind her. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them grew wings. 

“Jump out of the way when I say so!” she yelled.

I wasn’t really sure what she was planning, but I’ll take anything, if it means stopping this ball of doom. 

“Now!” we were only a few feet away from each other, before I leapt out of the way.

I heard a loud crash, seeing rubble fly all around me. I looked over to see both boulders had crashed against each other, leaving them motionless.

“It worked; (huff huff) dumb rock.” Gilda said, after landing next to me, “you alright?”

“Yeah (huff) thanks (huff huff) but more will come. (huff huff) we have to get to the pillar.” I pointed at the object, that was untouched through this whole ordeal, “We have to (huff) hurry. The others won’t last much longer.”

Just as I was getting up, two more boulders appeared on the other side. 

“What do you have in mind?” she asked.

Going around them would take to long, and I don't have the strength anymore for such efforts. :Like they say "if you cant go around it, you go over it."

“Just help me dodge this one, and I’ll get to the pillar.” Gilda chuckled as she prepared to take flight.

“No sweat.” We then took off towards the pillar.

I was running on fumes at this point, but I have to push just a little longer. 

We charged head on towards the boulders with everything we got. Once I felt we were close enough, I yelled at Gilda to grab me, while jumping in the air. She snatched me with her claws, and, with all her might, tossed me further up. I watched as both boulders rolled right under me, leaving me a clear path towards the pillar. After I landed, I immediately sprinted towards my objective. ‘Come on, come on!’ I could hear the boulder do its course correction, as I got closer towards the pillar. At this distance, I could see another hand symbol on top of it. ‘That’s it!’ I felt a surge of energy wash through me, after seeing our possible salvation. 

‘Come on!’ I could hear the boulder getting closer, and my legs feel like they were about to fall off. Yet, I kept running. I wasn’t going to let this rock beat me; I’m not going to let my friends die here. I screamed out, putting everything I could into this, and, thankfully, it was all I needed. The pillar was right there in front of me. Without hesitation, I slammed my hand on the symbol, causing it to explode a wave of energy. I watched as it passed through the boulders, forcing them to crumble and fall into heaps of pebbles. I was just in time to see some of my companions coming close to being crushed. ‘Heh, that was clutch.’ That was all that went through my mind before my body went limp. 

> ch.6 part 2: a looming shadow/ shoot to kill/ back to normalcy 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A looming shadow

I groaned in discomfort, feeling a familiar ache around my body. ‘I got to stop waking up like this.’ I slowly began to move my arms down to push myself up, but, before I could do so, I noticed that the ground was completely black. I began to look around and I realized that was surrounded by total darkness. ‘This again.’ I sighed in annoyance while pushing myself up. ‘At least I’m not floating this time.’ Once I got up, I began to search for Cortez, knowing he likes to appear at random. 

“Greetings, my friend.” I turned around to see the knight himself, sitting down on… something. 

He was calmly sharpening his sword, using one of those shaving tools. 

“I take it, my map was of great use to you?” after he said that, I simply glared at him.

“Oh yeah, GPS worthy of navigation. My only gripes with it, is that it led us straight into a DEATH TRAP!” I bantered out, clearly showing my frustration.

I was then rewarded with a fit of laughter. “Well we could not leave such secrets unguarded, but I can admit, he can be quite excessive.” 

“Wait, who’s he?” I asked, getting frustrated for being left in the dark. 

“Everything will be explained in due time, but right now I must warn you.” He completely stopped what he was doing and looked at me with a cold stare, “they have been following you, lurking in the shadows. Prepare yourselves, for they intend to strike soon.” 

The darkness began to consume him, while I felt myself losing consciousness again. 

“WAKE UP!” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Come on man, wake up.” I slowly opened my eyes, only to see blurry shapes in front of me, “that’s it, nice and easy.” 

The shapes began to come into focus. One being Jordan on my left and Nova on my right. I noticed that Nova had a wet cloth in her claw, padding my forehead with it. The cool moisture felt blissful to the raging heat of exhaustion that my body endured. 

“Wh- what happened?” I asked, as I tried to jog up my memory. 

“Well when everygriffon was running for their lives, you and Gilda were able to make it to the podium. I’m not really sure what you did, but it caused an explosion of magic, turning all the rocks into dust.” Nova explained, waving her arms around to elaborate it, “after that… you kind of passed out.” 

I chuckled a bit by how anti-climactic it was, but at least it was over. 

“There’s one more thing.” Jordan said, drawing my attention to him, “when all that magic disappeared, the podium opened up, with this inside.” 

I felt curious as to what it was. After all we’ve been through, I knew whatever was inside must be extremely valuable. However, what Jordan showed me wasn’t what I expected. 

“A book… we went through all that for a book!?” I groaned in disappointment.

“Yeah, I felt the same way to.” He said, examining the book. 

I massaged my forehead, trying to calm down my minor headache, but then I remembered the warning that I was told when I was out. 

“Sh#t, we got to get out of here!” everyone looked confused as I tried to get up. 

Before they could ask why, a sudden rhythm of clapping echoed all around us. It was slow and unsettling, and to make matters worse the glow of the gems seem to wane while darkness floods in. By the time the clapping stopped, there was barely any light left. I couldn’t even see the walls anymore. 

“I have to say, your performance was quite amusing to watch, but your methods are ludicrous at best.” A voice echoed out to us within the darkness.

It was female for sure, but the tone was cold and callous. We all looked around but it was pointless. 

“Who’s there; show yourself!” Andor screeched.

“Now is that any way to speak to a lady tsk tsk, how rude.” The voice reverberated in all directions, “I don’t have time to deal with you pests. My business is with you three.” 

At this point, I was clenching my MP5, fearing that we’re going to have a bad time. 

“What do you want from us!?” Jordan demanded, pulling out his pistol. 

“Oh nothing much. That book for starters… and your lives.”

Suddenly, black humanoid figures began to walk out of the darkness and into the light. I realized that they were similar to the ones that we took out when we first got here. However, we don’t have the element of surprise this time, and there’s a lot more of them. We all drew our weapons and formed a defensive circle. 

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t think they’re the friendly type.” Falco quipped.

“You have no idea.” Gilda growled, sensing the hate in her words. 

“Let me guess, these were the ones who attacked you?” after Ember asked that, Gilda clenched her sword even tighter as memories of that day came to her. 

“Oh, so you’re the one who interfered.” The voice chimed.

Gilda roared out in anger at this. “Interfered; your goons tried to kill me!” 

“Yes an unfortunate dilemma. You see our intentions were to kill the chosen, but I did not account for any witnesses. My failure to do so had cost us our opportunity.” 

I was completely lost at this point. There were just too many questions, and little to no answers. How did they know about us, why do they want us dead, how did they know where to find us? 

“Why do you want to kill us?!” Jordan asked, wanting to get some answers. 

“You would like to know wouldn’t you, but telling you won’t benefit me in any way.” She retorted.

“Neither is attacking a member of the Gryphonian royal family, which makes you an enemy of all of Gryphonia.” Andor declared.

“… A member of the royal family you say?” I could already hear the malevolent scheming, coming from her tone. 

“I don’t think you should’ve said that.” I could already tell where this was going. 

“Don’t worry about it. We can take them. After all, they don’t even have swords.” Falco said assumingly. 

However, all the creatures took an aggressive stance, and, to my surprise, their arms shifted into blades. I could see Falco wane a bit, probably from disbelief. “You were saying.”

“w-what do we do now?” Nova asked shakenly. 

We were surrounded, the exit is still a distance away, and, not to mention, there’s also an injured dragon under our care. I looked back at Amethyst to see that she was taking a defensive stance like the rest of us, but I could tell she was shaking. I knew she could see through the darkness, and I’m sure what’s still hidden isn’t pleasant. Nevertheless, we could put her sight to our advantage.

“Amethyst!” she quickly looked over at me, “how many of those things are at the door way?” 

She scanned that general direction, counting the numbers. “Two dozen at best.” 

‘We could work with that.’ I gave an approving nod, and prepared myself. “We’re making a run for the exit. Andor, Thrain, Falco cover our approach. The rest of you; don’t fall behind.” 

Everyone shouted their approval, and with that we made our move. (.hack- bridge01) Thrain immediately charged forward with great ferocity, raging a battle cry while doing so. The rest of us began to follow behind. The creatures held their ground, but they couldn’t stand up against Thrain, as their lines were crushed by his charge. Andor and Falco took the opportunity to attack the staggered ones, swiftly downing them with one blow. However, they were able to reorganize themselves and began to congregate toward the exit. The numbers were too great to punch through, so Thrain took out his sword and swung at them. He swung in wide arcs, taking out many after every swing. One of them leaped over and tried to strike from above. Before I could take the shot, Gilda lunged at the creature, piercing it with her sword in midflight. Once she brought it to the ground, she pulled out her sword only to bring it back down for the finishing blow. 

“That’s for before you freak!” she screeched. 

While she was relishing in her revenge, another one of those things was charging right at her. I took aim, but, yet again, I was beaten by a stray dagger that flew right into its head, killing it instantly. 

I looked over to see Hans, looking at Gilda with urgency. “Now is not the time to celebrate!” he then slashed at another enemy, cutting its throat, “that comes later.”

With the entrance in sight, we were close to pulling this off. However, there were a lot of those things in our way. To my surprise, Amethyst ran ahead towards the center. She then spewed out fire that engulfed all who stood in our way. The creatures were madly waving their limbs in attempts to remove the flames, but to no avail as they slowly burned to their deaths. 

“Good work Amethyst, come on, the way is clear!” I yelled as the opportunity arisen. 

Without hesitation, we all made a beeline towards the exit. Jordan and I turned around to cover our escape. We noticed a large number of them closing in on us. Taking well placed shots to conserve ammo, we were able to down some of them, but they were coming in to fast. Before they could reach us, a wall of fire erupted in their path. 

“Go we can handle them!” I turned around to see Ember, raising her staff that glowed bright red. 

We immediately turned around and ran out, but I stopped next to Ember, looking eye to eye. “You better be right behind us.” 

She simply nodded and turned her attention back to the battle. I took one last look before retreating back to the surface. 




Shoot to kill

I kept my sight ahead of me, hearing the sounds of my footsteps over my heavy breathing. Within seconds a small light appeared ahead, growing brighter as I came closer to it. Before long, my vision was engulfed in light, forcing me to clench my eyes shut. As I allowed them to adjust, I slowly opened them to see everyone outside and out of breath… except the four that stayed behind that is. I turned around towards the entrance, to see if they were coming, or if any of those things got through. However, neither came. 

“It’s all clear up here.” Taphy proclaimed after checking our perimeter, “where are the others?”

I looked back at the cave, only seeing blackness within, and the eerie silence is making me uneasy. 

“Those lads didn’t follow?” I shook my head, making Hans look back in the cave with worry.

“They stayed behind to try to fight them off.”

“We got to go back down there.” Gilda said, while moving back towards the cave. 

She was halted by a wing in her path. “Wow las, I aint gonna let ya go back in there. Not after what we been through to get out.”

“We can’t just leave them!” she protested.

From what I’ve seen, they seem to be handling themselves well enough, but I have no idea how many of those things were down there. They could easily get overwhelmed if they weren’t careful. 

“No, we’ll go.” I said, picking myself back up, “you guys cover the entrance. If we’re not back within the hour, get the hell out of here.” 

I could see that Gilda wanted to protest, but I already went on ahead. Jordan followed close behind and, reluctantly, so did Taphy. He tried to argue that they may need more hands to cover the entrance, but we paid no mind to him, causing him to groan in annoyance. 

“Good luck lads!” that was the last thing we heard, before the darkness consumed us once more.

The jog down the cave was mostly silent. Either the fighting was taken away from the exit, or one side had won already. ‘Jesus this silence is killing me.’ (KA-BOOM) ‘That’s not what I wanted to hear.’ We stopped as the cave shook around us, followed by a gust of wind and dirt. As the cave calmed, my anxiety began to escalate. 

“That can’t be good.” Jordan exclaimed, practically stating what we all thought. 

“Taphy switch up with me.” I said, passing my gun to him. 

“Uh… sure.” He took it and gave me his and its holster. 

“Alright here’s the plan, Jordan and I will escort them out of there, killing anything that gets in our way. Taphy, I want you to provide fire support at the exit.” I stated, strapping the holster on, “remember, we’re scarce on ammo so make it count.”

We trudged on, hoping that we weren’t too late. Once we passed the doors, I could see that the situation was a lot worse than I had hoped. Andor, Falco, and Thrain were down. Ember was the last one standing, if only barely. A group of those things surrounded them and were slowly closing in. (devil may cry- battle music 1) ‘crap, we got to get in there!’ 

“Taphy!” I yelled as Jordan and I charged forward. 

“On it!” I heard him acknowledge, probably taking aim right at the closest hostile from the group. 

One of those things got closer towards Ember, but she was too weak to do anything. It rose up its spear like arm, preparing to strike her down. (BANG) its head jerked violently to the side, as the bullet pierced its skull, and then fell limply to the floor.

The others turned their attention towards us, seeing us as more of a threat then the fallen soldiers. I pulled out my sword with one hand and kept my gun in the other. ‘Come and get some!’ they decide to charge us as well, meeting half way. When one of them was close enough, I stopped and pointed my pistol at its head. After pulling the trigger, I watched as black liquid sprayed out from the back. It then slumped to the ground, sliding a little from its momentum, but I couldn’t stop there as another came close behind it. 

It lunged its spear arm at me, but I quickly deflected it with my sword, sending my attacker off balance. Seeing the opportunity, I slashed at it , lodging my sword between the neck and shoulder. I aggressively yanked it out, spilling its blood on the floor. I then rammed it with my shoulder, sending it to the ground. I looked up to see two more coming at me. (BANG) make that one, as the other’s head exploded. ‘Nice, keep it coming Taphy.’ Unlike the last ones, this one took more of a careful approach, stopping in front of me. It quickly threw jabs at me, concentrating on speed then strength. I deflected most of them, but I had to take steps back to dodge the rest. I then juked to the side and elbowed it in the gut. I looped around it, hoping to get a hit while it’s disorientated. 

To my surprise, it quickly rolled away from my strike, and recovered just as fast. It came at me again, just as aggressively. Seeing that the conventional way isn’t cutting it, I decided to up my game. After dodging its next blow, I kicked its shin, causing it to stumble. I then jammed my sword into its chest, forcing him to his knee. just to be sure, I then cracked its head with the blunt end of my pistol. I jerked my blade out of its chest, then slit its throat to finish it off. It fell to the floor forming a black poodle of its own blood. 

I continued on towards Ember, closing the distance between us. I noticed the lack of numbers of those things on my path. Hearing the gun shots and the occasional sword clangs, I’m sure Taphy and Jordan are keeping them busy. Once I got close enough, I could see the state the group was in. Ember was horribly bruised, and covered with gashes and lacerations. Her cloak was no better, being reduced to burnt rags. The others were either similar or worse. 

“Ember!” I quickly grabbed her before she fell. 

She looked at me with half lidded eyes; ready to pass out in any second. 

“what are… you doing here.” Her speech was ragged, as she struggled to keep consciousness. 

“we’re here to help, and it looks like you’re going to need it.” I looked over to Jordan to see that he was still holding out. 

Every one he takes down; a couple more takes its place. ‘Jesus, how many are there.’ 

“you should… protect the princess.” 

“don’t worry, she’s safe up top.” I said, keeping an eye on our surroundings, “can you still walk.” 

She slowly pushed herself up, using me and her staff as support.

“barely… I can still move on my own… but Thrain…” I looked over to see that Thrain was the worst off out of all of them, and, to add on to our problems, he’s unconscious. ‘cr@p, I was afraid of that.’

I quickly went to the others, nudging them up and assisting if needed. 

“come on, we’re getting out of here!” I went up to Thrain and wrapped his arm over my shoulder. 

I sheathed my sword so I could hold him in place, but I kept my pistol out in case any of those things got to close. I pushed myself up, successfully pulling him with me. ‘man, your one heavy son of a gun.’ We then slowly made our way towards the exit. However, our escape attempt did not go unnoticed as a number of those things were coming down on us. 

Without hesitation, I aimed my pistol and fired away, doing my best to conserve ammo. Unfortunately, with all the weight I’m carrying and the constant wobbling, my shots didn’t always make their mark. ‘why won’t you guy’s F off already!’ even with my best efforts, they were still closing in. I took a couple of shots at the closest one, but they jerked away so quickly that they missed by an inch. I tried again and again, but it dodged each one almost effortlessly. ‘what the hell, are they getting faster!’ without warning, it leapt into the air. I was startled by how far up it was able to get. Once I realized it was going to land on us, I aimed my gun at it. Before I pulled the trigger, another one of those things rammed into it. 

“keep going!” I looked over to see Jordan, waving towards the exit. 

He had his sword out, but instead of his pistol, he had a dagger. I’m guessing he ran out, or he’s trying to save what ammo he has left. One of those things tried to stab him in the back, but he quickly dodged it, coming back around to slice its leg. Once it was down on its knee, he jammed his dagger right into its skull; then roughly pulled back, yanking the weapon free and slinging the body away. Another tried to charge him, but he threw his dagger at it, lodging it in its shoulder. It staggered to a stop and reached for it to try to pull it off. He took the opportunity to charge at it himself, tackling it to the ground. He then impaled it with his sword, causing it to go limp. After he removed both weapons from the body, he began to follow us out. 

Looking ahead of me, I could see the exit in sight with Taphy posted next to it, taking shots at our pressures. Looking at the amount of shells under him, I say he still has half a clip left. I was impressed of his aiming skills, hitting every target without fail. Once we made it to the exit, I called out to Andor and Falco to carry Thrain the rest of the way. 

“that’s some nice shooting Tex!” I said, positioning myself in front of the entrance.

“when did you learn how to shoot?” Jordan asked, taking the other side. 

“if we survive, I’ll tell ya.” 

Things were going better than I had hopped. The rest of the group is safely heading to the surface, we’ve quelled quite a bit of their numbers, and, even though we're low on ammo, we could force them into a bottle neck in the cave. ‘looks like we won this one.’ However, something wasn’t right. The attacks had stopped. I knew they were still there, hiding in the darkness. ‘what the hell are they waiting for?’ 

(devil may cry 3- devils never cry) “how humiliating.” The voice from before echoed in the cavern, sounding slightly annoyed, “I’ve waited so patiently, arranged this whole stage, only for it all to go to waste… what a pity.” As she was speaking, the darkness in the room began to dissipate, taking those creatures with it. “I know when I’m beaten… but there is one more thing I could try.” 

The doors behind us suddenly closed, and, when Taphy went to open them, they wouldn’t budge. We’re trapped in here. ‘not good.’ I darted my sight left and right, keeping guard in case of a surprise attack. What happened next put me through a loop. 

All the rock debris in the dome began to glow in a dark hue, and, to my surprise, proceeded to move on their own once more. To my confusion, they were piling up in the middle, almost gluing themselves together. 

“I haven’t casted a spell like this for an age, but, with the original enchantment placed upon the earth, it won’t be difficult to manipulate it to my favor.” The pile grew and grew, forming into… something.

Within seconds, the ruble began to form claws. Four of them to be exact, but what really got me was that they were moving. One of the claws slammed into the ground, piercing it with its talons. 

This thing proceeded to push itself up on all fours, while the ruble continued to flow up its legs. After what I presume to be a tail with spikes on its tip had formed, I realized what it was taking a shape of. My eyes widen in shock, as the neck and head had taken form. 

“it’s a…. it’s a… a dragon.” Once the final pieces came together, the dragons eye sockets began to glow white and moved its head to look at us. 

Without warning, it roared, causing us to flinch and stumble as the whole cave shook upon its wake. 

Once I regained my senses, I looked back to see the dragon leap towards us. 

“Scatter!” I yelled while running out of its way. 

Within seconds, I heard a fierce crash behind me. The blast literally threw me to the ground, sliding forward by the force of it. After pushing myself to one knee, I looked over to see it whip its head towards me. It roared in anger to see its kill unscathed. It began to stomp towards me, while I slowly backed away. ‘how are we going to fight this thing. It’s made of rocks for Christ sake.’ 

The dragon got closer, shaking the ground with every step. All I could do was back away, seeing no possible solution. Suddenly, loud bangs were heard, as small chips of rock were removed from its head. I looked over to see both Taphy and Jordan shooting at it, but to no avail. They only managed to anger it even further. It roared at them, changing its attention away from me. Upon noticing this, they ran, turning around only to take a few shots. Seeing my friends in danger, my fears and doubts were pushed aside, deciding to take action. What was my plan you may ask? To charge it head on of course. I aimed for its legs, hoping that I could cripple it somehow. Unfortunately, it had no effect. It turned its head to snarl at me, but I didn’t notice its tail, swaying towards me. 

For the second time, I was swatted away, but, this time, I flew. My body rolled around on the ground like a rag doll, before slowly coming to a stop. I quivered on the ground as pain flooded through my body especially on the side where I took the hit. 'Christ that hurt..’ I clenched my teeth, as I slowly force myself up. I then heard a growl, and looked up to see the dragon with its mouth wide open. It glowed bristling red and radiated extensive heat. Once I realized what it was doing, it was already too late. A lake of fire spewed out of its mouth towards me. I reflexively closed my eyes and raised my hand in front of me. I knew it would do me no good. I was going to be incinerated.	

However, instead of a burning alive, I felt relief. All the pain was gone or was numbed out. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see the flames surrounding me. I could also see a faint glow below my peripheral. Looking down, my medallion was glowing. Within seconds, my body felt energized, as if I’ve taken multiple adrenalin shots. It then clicked in my mind. ‘this is just like before... then that means.' Once the flames subsided, I looked back at the dragon, who almost looked shocked. Seeing the opportunity, I got right back up and stowed my pistol.

Cracking my knuckles, I looked at the dragon smugly. "that was good, now it’s my turn." 

Without hesitation I casted a fireball right at him. The dragon wasn’t fast enough to dodge it, hitting him square in the face. It staggered back, shaking its head to clear the smoke. I grinned at the burn mark plastered on its face. 'didn’t expect that huh.' I looked over to see Jordan and Taphy, running towards me.

"Do you just have a knack for cheating death or something?" Jordan asked begrudgingly as they took positions beside me. 

"What can I say? I like to live on the edge." I shrugged nonchalantly, pushing off the fact that I could have died… again. 

The dragon continued to snarl at us, taking carful steps forward. 

"Any ideas?" I asked, knowing my fire blasts won’t do much good against its rocky form. 

"There is something; before the dragon flamed you, I noticed that part of its chest below the neck glowed red. I’m guessing there is something vital there, and, like any boss, aim for the glowing parts." Taking Jordan’s observation to consideration, we all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. 'it’s go time.' 

Jordan and Taphy began to shoot at its head, covering me so I could get closer. The dragon shook its head from the barrage it was taking, but it did not distract it for long. When it rounded its head to the side, I noticed the glow Jordan was talking about. Therefore, I knew what was coming next. It unleashed another blaze, moving in an ark motion to cover the area in front of it. However, I was just close enough to dodge it, sliding right under the ring. 

Taking notice of this, the dragon tried desperately to crush me with its claw, but I rolled right out of the way, hearing the crash behind me. I then rushed right under it, hiding from its line of sight. Hearing another volley of gunfire, the dragon once again staggered back, roaring in frustration. I looked over to see Taphy taking some shots before fleeing to a different location. The dragon must have notice him too, since it was moving towards him. 

"Aim for its chest!" I yelled out, hoping they would hear. 

Luckily they did, and, soon enough, they started to wreak havoc on it. The dragon wailed out in pain, pushing itself up on its hind legs to use its front to protect itself. 'perfect.'

With as much concentration I could muster, hoping to deal a heavy blow. In one thrust, I casted my attack onto one of its legs, hearing an audible crack as it made impact. The dragon toppled over to the ground, leaving it on its back. 'time to finish this.' I swiftly climbed on top of it and pulled out my sword. I then gave out a war cry ,as I leapt forward towards the exposed chest. Without mercy, I pierced through the rock armor, seeing the area furiously illuminate upon impact. The dragon screeched as I twisted my sword deeper. Yet, it was still struggling. In a desperate attempt, I casted a continues blast of flames into its chest. 

The strain I was putting myself in was obviously over my limit, as I felt my strength fade away. Fortunately, so did the dragon's resistance. Eventually, the glow in the dragon's chest faded away, and, soon after, so did its struggles. Realizing this, I stopped. The dragon then went completely limp, seeing the glow of its eyes go black. Then there was silence. I pulled out my sword, seeing it radiate heat along with the molten rock. Without warning, the dragon began to crumble into pieces, causing me to fall on a pile of rubble. 

Shaking away the daze from the fall, I looked up to see Jordan above me, lending me his hand. "I hope you had your fill of dragon slaying for the day." 

"more then you know." I happily said, accepting his help.

Looking back at what’s left of the dragon, I felt a twinge of pride inside me. Once again, we were able to overcome as a team. 

"Hey guys you know what this calls for." my friends looked at me curiously, "a selfie!" 

They cheered in agreement as I pulled out my phone. We all huddled together and Hollered the title of the photo. 

"dragon slayers!" that was all I remembered before I completely blacked out... again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
???

I watched as my targets escaped from my grasp yet again. Fleeing back to the surface to join with the rest of those filths. Although, I could only blame myself for this failure.

"I believe its time for a different approach." I contemplated, returning into the darkness. 





back to normalcy

(lord of the ring- 03 bag end) 'oh the ache, when will it end?' Coming back to consciousness was as smooth as body slamming on a wall multiple times. 'I really need to get this magic thing in check.' However, there was something else I felt. It was soft to the touch, and my body was practically wrapped in its comfort. I almost forgot about the pain I was in. 'am I in heaven?' Curiously, I forced my eyes open, adjusting to the light. The first thing I see was a window. Beyond it, was a couple of buildings made of wood. I could even hear some bustling outside, ranging from birds chirping to random chatter, and even some occasional hammering of something. Without moving my head, I looked over myself to see bed sheets covering me. 'so I’m not in heaven... eh close enough.' 

After everything I’ve gone through, I might as well consider this as such. A comfortable bed, leaving me in a soothing embrace. It was just enough to lull me back to sleep. That is, until I felt something rub against my side. My face scrunched up in confusion, and turned my head over. What I see was a brown little fur ball, nudged against my side. Whatever it was, it’s moving slightly in a breathing motion. I also see what looks like wings. After a while, I realized that it was just a griffon child. I moved my arm towards him, giving him a little nudge. I was awarded with a pair of claws, trying to paw my hand away. 

"I don’t want to go to school." I raised my brow, as he slurred himself back to sleep. 

He adjusted himself towards me, edging deeper into my side. Doing so actually gave me a quick view of the rest of his body. 'wait I remember this kid.'

"Lewy?" his body jerked from the sound of his name, and he slowly raised himself to a sitting position. 

After he yawned and rubbed one of his eyes, he began to look around. Once he made eye contact, he simply just stared at me with half lidded eyes. Waiting to see who would react first, we stayed in that position for some time. Honestly, I just wanted to see how the kid would react once he realizes what's going on. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to wait long. After his eyes snapped wide open in shock, he screamed out in panic and leapt right out of bed. He literally did a whole one-eighty before landing unceremoniously on the ground. I cringed a little, feeling sorry for scaring him.

"you alright?" I pushed myself up to a sitting position, so I could see him better.

He was slowly getting up, seeing that the stunt caused him a bit of pain. 

He looked at me with worry. 

"I’m sorry, I was only... I didn’t mean to..." he spoke in a very panicked state, as if he was caught in the act. 

"wow kid, slow down. it’s alright." I attempted to calm the child only succeeding slightly. 

He continued to cower on the floor, expecting me to lash out at any moment. I sighed in disappointment, knowing that his fears are misplaced. I decided to do what I believed is best; start up a conversation. 

“hey are we in Oakinshire?” he slowly nodded in response, “hmm mind telling me how I got here.”

“w-well, you were here since yesterday. I was playing ball with my friends, before I heard loud noises coming from the forest. When I got there, I couldn’t believe what I see; a dragon. It was my first time seeing one. It was hooked up to a carriage, that was guided by some griffons. They were all covered in dirt and mud, and looked very tired. They asked for help and a place to stay, but no griffon did anything. That is until my mom came. She’s the local herbalist. She brought all of you here in our home, and you’ve been here since.” Picking pieces from that information, I was able to put together the events that happened while I was out. ‘well that explains things… wait did he say yesterday?’ 

“Lewy, how long was I out?” I knew the answer, but I felt like asking it anyway. 

“you were asleep for like a whole day. Mom said that you were just really tired from your fight, and she also gave you some medicine to help with your fever. I’m not sure how she did it or how you were able to swallow that stuff.” He began to scrunch up in disgust of the thought.

I chuckled at his reaction, reminding me of my younger years.

“I guess it was a good thing I was out for it, huh.” Lewy smiled and bobbed his head in agreement. 

Taking this time to get more comfortable, I pushed myself back, so I could rest on the wall of the bed frame. “so, what happened after that?” 

“after my mom gave you the medicine, she also told me to keep an eye on you, and to let her know if you woke up. I’ve been standing watch since.” He puffed up his chest in pride at the last part. 

“…so are you going to tell her?” he looked at me confusedly. 

After some time, he realized what I meant and gave me a surprised look. 

“that’s right; I have to go tell that your awake!” he said while bolting out of the room. 

I chuckled a bit at the display, hearing the kid cry out for his mother down the hall. I looked back outside, taking in the whole scenery. After what we’ve been through, it was quite soothing. Thinking back about it, we did a decent job for our first quest. ‘score one for the good guys.’ I felt my smile grow a little after that thought.

Once Lewy came back with his mother, she introduced herself as Cure essence, and, like he said, she was the local herbalist and acting doctor for the village. She was just as tall as most adult griffons, having a gray pelt and white feathers. As she spoke, she had quite a motherly tone in her voice. She was almost born for the role. She gave me one last examination before giving me the thumbs up. She even told me that the rest of my friends were waiting for me downstairs. Apparently when they tried to pay for her services, she refused. She explained that we paid more than enough by giving her son the bag of bits that one day. Helping to mend our wounds was the least she could do for showing such kindness to her child. God bless her soul. They couldn’t leave it at that though, so they decided to help out around the shop. After all, one good act deserves another.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(undertale- shop) once I got downstairs, I see almost everyone cleaning or arranging while the others were helping mix herbs. 

“about time you woke up.” I looked over to see Jordan carrying a basket of small pouches, “you thought you could just skate off while the rest of us work, huh.” 

He looked at me with an accusing glare, while I put my hands up in defense. 

“hey cut me some slack. I was in a coma for goodness sake.” He kept it up for a few seconds before he completely dropped the whole façade. 

“I’m just messing with ya. It’s good to see you up and about.”

After giving him a playful shove, I looked into the basket of sacks. “what are those?” 

“what, these? they’re just healing ointments.” He said, before moving the basket to its appropriate shelf, “since miss Essence used most of it on us, she had to make some more. In fact, she had to use a lot of supplies. We offered to pay, but she refused.” 

“and yet, you resort to labor in attempts to repay me.” I heard cure say from another room. 

“it was the least we could do for all you’ve done for us!” cure soon came by, along with her son. 

She was balancing a container filled with a refreshment while the other was holding cups. 

“as grateful as I am for your assistance, there was truly no need. You’ve already paid for most with the bits you’ve offered to my son.” She said while filling the cups with the refreshment. 

“well one good act deserves another.” Jordan courteously said. ‘hey, that’s what I was thinking.’

“yeah and I rather do this then lay in some bed all day.” Falco chimed on while dusting one of the higher shelves. 

After chuckling a bit, I felt a tug on my leg. I looked down to see Lewy holding up a cup towards me. I gratefully accepted it and gave him my thanks. I asked him about its contents, but, looking closely at it, I’m guessing its lemonade. 

“it’s lemonade!” he chirped, ‘knew it.’ “it’s been freshly squeezed from the lemons mom buys in the market.” 

He looked at me expectantly, as I gazed at the cup. I then took a swig of it and swallowed slowly to savor the taste. ‘hmm a little more sugar then usual, but not bad.‘ I began to nod my head in approval, causing his smile to grow wider. 

“this is good. you made it?” I asked. 

“yep… well mom helped with all the cutting but I squeezed and mixed it myself.” He puffed up his chest with pride from the compliment. 

Everyone else gave their thumbs up, after getting their own. 

It felt good to see everyone made it alright. Although, the uniforms from the three are currently missing from the equation. Their most likely either gathered in a sack some where, or in a dumpster.  However, I noticed that someone was too missing. 

“where’s Amethyst?” I asked, seeing that she was not among us. 

“she’s most likely sleeping in the carriage. I would have given her a room, but the beds were much too small. I insisted to move some of the furniture around to accommodate her, but she refused saying it would be easier to sleep outside. Poor dear stayed up all yesterday, keeping an eye on you. She posted herself outside your window like she was guarding it.” I raised a brow at that, ‘did she really?’ “she would come in time to time, asking how you’re doing. Then she would go back to the window.” 

I felt a bit touched, while looking at the door leading outside. Feeling bad that she wasn’t here, I decided that I should go see her. After all, I don’t want her to miss out on good lemonade. 

I asked Lewy if he wanted to come. I had to say, he seemed thrilled with the idea. He was practically begging his mother for her approval. She smiled warmly, telling him it was fine. He cheered in excitement and ran to collect the jug. Once we headed out, I followed whisk as he led me to the carriage. It was parked at the side of the building, along an alleyway. As we got closer, I could hear subtle breathing. ‘I guess she still sleeping.’ Once we got next to it, I told whisk to wait by the entrance. He nodded obediently and with that I went in. 

Looking inside, I see amethyst curled up inside. The carriage must have been emptied, because she practically took the whole space. I quietly entered, hoping not to disturb her just yet. However, upon closer inspection, I frowned at what I see. She was beyond calm. Her body wouldn’t stop shaking, her head would jerk side to side, and her breathing was heavy. She was having a nightmare. Unable to bare it any longer, I tried to ease her awake. 

“amethyst… amethyst wake up.” I whispered while slightly nudging her neck. 

She immediately went wide eyed and recoiled from my touch. I quickly brought my hand back, after seeing her panic, but I didn’t stop trying to calm her down. 

“it’s ok, its ok… it’s just me.” She continued to stare at me fearfully, but, soon enough, she came back to her senses. 

“Daniel?”

“yeah, its me.” I said with a smile. 

Her confusion soon turned to joy as she quickly nuzzled her head on my chest. I was caught off guard by this and found myself sitting on the ground from the impact. 

“oh thank goodness; you’re ok. When they pulled you out of that cave, I thought that… that you…” she couldn’t continue after that as tears began to stream down her face. 

It broke my heart to see her like this, but I understood why she felt the way she does. She lost a lot of friends just a couple of days ago. Losing another would be to much for her. 

I began to calmly pet her head while whispering comforting words. Soon enough, she calmed down, eliciting short sniffles. After a while, I asked about her dream. She was hesitant at first, attempting to skim over the conversation, but I was having none of it. I moved her chin towards me and I asked again. After keeping eye contact for a while, she eventually broke. She dreamt about that night again, seeing her kin die one by one. She couldn’t do anything, being frozen in fear. Eventually the screams became too much for her, as she tried to block them out. To her, it felt like it went on for hours, till it all went silent. She opened her eyes to see me, lending her a helping hand. Seeing my reassuring smile, she wanted to accept it more than anything. Without a second thought she reached out, but she paused, seeing a black silhouette appear behind me. she couldn't say what happened next, but she didn't have to. I could easily guess what happened next.

She buried her face into me once more, failing to hold back the tears. I began to rock a bit on instinct. 

“all that was just a dream. I’m still here, and those… things are gone. I made a promise that I would protect you. Haven’t I done that?” I gave her one of the widest smiles I could. 

To my content, she smiled back. However, I realized the reason why I came here, and that whisk was waiting outside the whole time. 

“hey there’s someone who wants to meet you.” she gave me a curious look as I give her a reassuring smile, “he also has something for you to try. Hey Lewy, you still out there?!” 

soon enough I see the little guy poke his head out from the corner of the entrance. His eyes wide in awe, after seeing the dragon next to me. 
Taking the initiative, I went up to him and helped him up, by taking the jug off his back so he could climb freely. Thanking me, I placed the jug back and he followed me to meet Amethyst. His nervousness was quite noticeable, if clinging onto one’s leg was ever an indication. 

Amethyst didn’t fare any better. After seeing the little guy come closer to her, she tried to keep some composure as to not frighten him. 

“amethyst, I would like you to meet Lewy. I’m not real sure if you two were acquainted at all, but this is cure’s son.” She looked down at the fur ball who was still behind my leg. 

“so you’re the cub who stood watch over my friend.” He shook his head in confirmation, “therefore I thank you. You see I was quite worried for him, and knowing that such a brave griffon as yourself would look after him puts me at ease.” 

After hearing the praise from the dragon, Lewy began to perk up. Inching out of his hiding place, Amethyst began to feel more at ease, seeing that he was becoming less frightened of her. However, this is taking longer than I expected, and there are things I wish to discuss with my friends. I nudged him slightly forward, causing him to gasp in shock. After looking at me questionably, I mouthed the words “go on” so he could give her the contents on his back. 

Nodding, he carefully grabbed the jug, and tensely held it up to her. “I made this with some help from my mom. I would like you to have some.” 

Amethyst seemed taken back by the sudden offering, if her bewildered expression was anything to go by. 

“o-oh, for me… that’s so sweet of you.” She took the jug in her claws, eyeing the liquid before taking a swig, “hmm, What is it?” 

“it’s lemonade!” amethyst looked at the contents more thoroughly. 

“huh, I haven’t drank lemonade since the last migration years ago.” It was Lewy's turn to look at her bewilderedly. 

“you never drunk lemonade for that long.” Amethyst nodded with a saddened look. 

“well you see, nothing really grows in the ashen mountains where my kind thrives in, but, during the migration, we leave to go to the tribal meeting grounds. I tend to enjoy exploring the plains and forests of which we do not have. The lemons I had found weren’t as sweet but they were still enjoyable.”

I listened to her tale with much interest. ‘the ashen mountains are where the dragons live, but it’s not in any of the maps I’ve seen. Also, these meeting grounds in which the dragons gather during migrations. Could it be that gorge from that one episode… nah, to easily found for something that important. It could have been a stopping point.’ I was about to ask her to elaborate, but I stopped myself. Lewy was practically gawking at the dragoness, while she just enjoyed his company. I decided to leave it be and allow them to enjoy themselves. Taking a seat on the wooden bench, I got as comfortable as I could and allowed time to go by. ‘maybe another time.’ 

> ch. 6 part 3: writing of a bygone age (end)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

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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.