//------------------------------// // The Border: Talons of Terror // Story: Loyalty in Brass: The First Encounter // by Mr BHunt //------------------------------// The sounds of heavy footsteps echoed through the empty streets, a squad of Brass Knights were patrolling the streets of Griffinstone. At the head of the patrol was a knight with a large yellow stripe down the right side of it's faceplate, the Sergeant felt something in the air. He turned and held a fist in the air, the squad stopped immediately and waited for their Sergeant. "Something isn't right, you two scout ahead, the rest of you get your weapons." The Sergeant barked and two knight jogged ahead of the group, the Sergeant and the rest of the squad pulled swords from their sheaths and watched the two Brass Knights. They turned around and shrugged, suddenly one screamed and put a hand to his throat while the other was tackled by a dark shape. The squad rushed forwards, the Sergeant at the head again. "For Talon!" A voice yelled out and another black shape tackled the rear knight of the squad and slashed his throat with a long dagger, the next knight raised his sword but another figure leapt onto his back and slammed an axe into his head. The Brass Knight fell to his knees and reached up to the axe, but soon fell to the stone path. The remaining four knights and the Sergeant hundled into a ring and faced outwards, the sounds of footsteps approached. Suddenly a large group of dark figures charged at the squad, from the rooftops and the streets. After a brief skirmish the Sergeant finally fell, as it dissolved into ash the group of figures took to the skies. But not before stabbing a note on a wall. Grerro walked out of his house and took one look to the side, he growled and tore the dagger from the wall and grabbed the note. He angrily read through it and ripped it into pieces, the griffin flew into the air and dashed into town, but then his little head voice decided to pipe up. "Filthy abomination, leave our land." Seems a bit intense... Grerro growled. "That's the seventh one this month!" He said quietly, then a sudden explosion caught his attention. A cloud of red was drifting from a marketplace, he swooped down and landed a few metres from the explosion. He saw a dozen griffins, most were writhing in pain while a few were ominously still. All had a strange red mist surrounding them, one saw Grerro and roared. He dragged himself from under a large pillar and rose to his feet, his eyes were glowing a bright red. The griffin leapt at Grerro, but just before he slammed into him, a large brass fist uppercutted the griffin. Then the Brass Knight grabbed Grerro and sprinted down a side alley, all the while Grerro's mind raced. Suddenly another griffin tackled the knight, they wore a black leather cuirass and a full face metal helmet. The knight dropped Grerro and he rolled under a cart, he watched the feet of the Brass Knight move as the griffin attacked with a war cry. The knight tried pulling out his sword but another griffin smashed into his back and sent the large soldier stumbling, then the first griffin slammed a sword through the knight's head. The knight crumbled to ash and the two griffins stood in front of the cart, slowly Grerro moved his hand to the knight's sword which had slid halfway under. "So the serum works well?" One of the griffins asked the other, Grerro's talons near the sword. "Yeah, almost all of the traitors succumbed to the serum's effects." The other replied, Grerro's talons touch the grip of the sword. "But now that we know it works, I guess we have to kill this abomination now!" The cart was thrown to the side and Grerro slashed upwards with the sword, the griffin in the black cuirass grabbed his axe while the other griffin tried to stop the bleeding from the wound on his throat, it didn't work. The other griffin yelled and slammed his axe down at Grerro, he rolled out of the way and stabbed the griffin's talon. He dropped the axe and leapt onto Grerro, who wrestled with the griffin for his sword. The griffin punched Grerro and tore the sword from his grasp. "Say goodbye, traitor! Talon sends their regards!" Suddenly a large knife imbedded itself into the side of the griffin's head, he stumbled away from Grerro and turned slowly to see who threw the knife. A Brass Knight walked towards the griffin and smashed his head into the wall of the alley, the knife dropped to the path as it was pushed through his head. The griffin's head and helmet were crushed and blood gushed down from under the helmet, the knight turned and looked down at Grerro. "Thanks, I didn't think I would've made it without your assistance." Grerro says, slightly out of breath. "We are under strick orders to protect you G-01, we will follow them." The Brass Knight saids and turns around to walk away. "Who were these guys?" Grerro asks and the knight stops and looks over his shoulder. "Talon, a group of rebels. They're hunting you, that's all you need to know G-01." The knight walks away and Grerro looks at the bodies, then he remembers the crazed griffins in the market. They are already dead... "What?" Grerro asked as he runs back to the marketplace, to find a squad of Cleaners burning the griffins and stalls. "Oh... well I'm gonna go back home, no need to be here any longer." Grerro flies into the air and swoops down to his house, he reaches for the doorknob. Suddenly a large club was swung into the back of Grerro's head, he stumbled into the door and fell over. A griffin in a lightweight tunic dropped the club and whistled loudly, a pair of buff griffins appeared from the shadows and picked up Grerro, soon the three griffins and an unconscious Grerro were running down an alley and passed through a wall. They didn't notice the knight though, who was standing at the entrace to the alley, he turned and marched towards a squad of Brass Knights and reported the situation to the Sergeant, who had a red zigzag across his helmet. "Acknowledged, go to the barracks and alert the Captain. We'll handle these rebel scum." The Sergeant says and marches through the alley and through the illusionary wall, the squad followed. But they too were followed, a single griffin with a fringe and a brass axe followed the squad in. Under Griffinstone A number of griffins in patchwork black armor were practising with weapons as the three other griffins dropped Grerro in a corner of the large room, one of the griffins with better armor walked up to the small griffin. "This is him?" The small griffin nods. "Good, go alert the Alpha, we'll watch over him." He says and the three griffins walk down another corridor, as he turns around he hears something. The sound of footsteps. "Damnit! They found us! Get your gear together and scatter, you two grab the target! Come on!" The entire room erupted into chaos as the griffins grabbed their weapons and personal belongings and rushed down random tunnels, a squad of four griffins grabbed Grerro and pulled him down the first tunnel. Just as the Captain grabbed his sword, the Brass Knights skidded into the room. All the remaining griffins locked eyes with the knights until. "GET THEM BOYS!" "ELIMINATE THE REBELS!"