//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Realms of Magic: The Realm of the Gryphons // by TheEighthDayofNight //------------------------------// Kathranis floated in nothing, his entire body writhing in agony. Even though he felt his throat vibrating, he couldn’t hear his screams, almost as if his ears had ceased working, yet at the same time a low buzz seemed to echo all around him. He tried to open his eyes, only to be blinded by a brilliant white light. Regretting his decision, Kathranis tried to scrunch his eyes closed, and when that didn’t keep the blinding white out, he did his best to cover his burning eyes with his arms. The motion brought out another wave of pain as every muscle in his body clenched and unclenched. Arcs of energy raced up his arms, drawing forth another unheard scream of agony. As more and more pain coursed through his body, a soft noise began piercing through the buzzing in his ears. Time passed at a snail’s pace, yet the noise slowly crescendoed in Kathranis’ ear, and he recognized it as a song, a very familiar one. The song, as it built, clearly formed into Kathranis’ morning prayer to Sylvanus, but it was strange to listen to from the other side. A distinctly female voice sang it, and the words were just slightly changed, almost as his goddess was replying. She only rarely spoke directly to him, and then it was only the shortest of statements, usually to ensure he stayed on the right path. This was different however, it was almost as if she was trying to make their connection closer, but why did it feel like he was being pulled away from her power? Kathranis listened carefully as the song reached its peak, then everything stopped, and a small pop echoed in his ears. The pain, the blinding light and the buzzing all vanished, leaving only the sensation of floating and the song, which began to decline. Kathranis felt completely at peace for a moment, and he let out a breath of relief, only to have it driven from his lungs as he slammed spine first into a tree. Kathranis hit the dirt with a grunt. His limbs twitched as true feeling filtered back into them, and Kathranis simply took long breaths as he tried to get a bearing on his senses. He started with the least physically demanding, his spiritual connection to Sylvanus. Whispering a short prayer, Kathranis asked for the smallest of boons, the growth of a single dandelion. A warm feeling passed through his body regardless as his goddess softened the pain that hammered away in his head, while also causing the yellow flower to grow in front of his eyes. Kathranis sent her a word of thanks before groaning as he pushed himself up to his hands and knees. ‘You look as bad as I feel,’ Secil said as he limped up beside Kathranis. The now normal sized cat plopped down with a huff next to Kathranis. With cat close to Kathranis’ ear, the elf could hear a faint wheezing, and he mentally asked the cat if he was alright. ‘I didn’t like that. It hurt, and my magic hurt, and I never want to do that again.’ Kathranis nodded and rolled over, flopping on his back again. “Agreed.” Above the pair stretched a tall canopy of redwood trees, doing their best to block out a clear blue sky with their branches. Bird song rang out in the air, which held an edge of cold to it. It was warmer than the ridgeline had been, but Kathranis could tell that the nighttime would not be so forgiving. He let out a long breath of air as he rubbed at his face. Taking a moment to ensure that he wasn’t crippled in any way, Kathranis sat up, flipping his legs around so that he could lean against the tree he had slammed into. He inspected each part of his body in detail, checking for wounds of any kind. The only thing he found was a small cut on his hand that healed before his eyes as Sylvanus’ healing magic ran its course. Next, he checked his gear, starting with his armor, then checking through his weapons; two daggers, two swords, a quiver of arrows, and his bow, and upon finding everything where it was supposed to be, Kathranis pushed himself slowly up the tree. His vision swam for a moment, but with his hand on the tree, his sense of balance returned quickly, and though he felt a bit tired, Kathranis was whole. Whatever spell Tam had cast, it hadn’t killed him, just moved him. Secil let out a grunt as Kathranis looked about and stretched. The trees stretched as far as the eye could see in all direction, and the air lacked the normal smells of civilization. No cooking fires, no piles of garbage and feces. It was clean, quiet, a paradise for Kathranis, if he had the faintest where he, or any of his brethren were. He was alone, that much was clear, had only he been teleported? Kathranis had no idea, and he knew of only one way to find out. First however, he needed to make sure he was ready to travel. Kathranis slid the bag from his shoulders and easily flipped over the flap to reveal books. Books. Kathranis stared at them blankly for a moment, then it clicked in his mind where he had gotten a bag full of books from. The elf threw his head back and let out a loud groan as he stared at the bricks of paper. “What in the nine hells am I going to do with a bag of books?” Kathranis asked the treetops. Secil snorted. ‘You could try learning a few spells.’ Kathranis gave the cat a look, which provoked another snort. ‘Don’t look at me like that. Most blademasters were bladesingers, and while you have a few useful spells from Sylvanus, those are borne of her, not you. You need to balance out the warrior. Tatiana helped a lot to make you a capable diplomat, but in combat, you’re just a fighter. I don’t think it’s a huge leap to think that you could learn a few cantrips.’ Kathranis shook his head and grumbled under his breath, but he merely closed the bag of books and re-slung it over his shoulder. He looked to the sky again and found the sun, checking its angle to find north. “Come on, we need to find some shelter before nightfall. The air has a bite to it, and I do not wish to be exposed when it sets. Secil matched his grumble and rolled over. Standing up, the cat deftly climbed up Kathranis’ body to rest on the elf’s shoulders. With his gear and familiar secure, Kathranis set off to their east. Most of the living lands of Thay were toward its coasts, so logically, he would hit water, and therefore people at some point. With people would come information, and then Kathranis could set to work on figuring out what had happened. His short-term goal in mind, Kathranis quickened his step, determined to cover a few miles before dark. ***** Steel rang against stone as Kathranis’ dagger struck the stone again and again. The pile of tinder below the blade gave no hint of smoking as he struck the dagger again, sending showers of sparks onto what should have been an easy to start fire. Kathranis mentally cursed himself for becoming complacent and dependent on his flint. At least Fordred had the easier method and if he was alone, he would be able to figure out how to start a fire. ‘Or if he was as smart as everyone thinks he is, he could just use a fire spell,’ Secil noted. The black cat watched Kathranis’ struggles with bored eyes, his ears twitching with each strike of the steel and stone. Kathranis put a bit more muscle into his next attempt, and he grinned as he was rewarded with the smallest of embers on a leaf. Cupping his hands around the orange godsend, Kathranis lightly blew the heat onto other dry bits of leaf and tinder. As more if it caught fire, Kathranis began the process of feeding it larger and larger pieces of wood until a healthy blaze warmed the small cave the pair had found. It was no more than a dozen or so feet deep, but with a tall overhang, it made perfect shelter, especially given the wideness of the opening. Kathranis had also searched the entire cave for signs of animal life, ensuring that he wasn’t trespassing on some innocent bear’s sleeping grounds. When he found nothing but cave dust and a single dripping stalactite, Kathranis had claimed it as their temporary home, at least until morning. As the fire reached an appropriate size, Kathranis stepped away, using his cloak and the bag of books to make a pillow against one of the cave walls. Secil perked his head up and growled at Kathranis. ‘Aren’t you going to get us some food?’ Kathranis chuckled at the cat as he closed his eyes. “I’ll hunt for something in the morning. We were blessed to find this cave and I am loathe to leave it. Besides, what happened to the mighty hunter? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to hunt your own prey?” Secil gave him a deadpan look. ‘You well know that feeding me was a part of this whole familiar deal. I protect you in battle and give you someone to talk to, you feed me, groom me, and keep me happy. It’s just how it works.’ Kathranis smiled widely. “Fear not then Secil, because you will get plenty of grooming and feeding with the dawn. Now, are you going to sit over there where its cold, or are you going to come next to me?” The cat growled but rose, moving over to plop down next to Kathranis. The cat rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes, scooting a bit closer to Kathranis as a cold gust of wind filtered into the cave. Kathranis rested his hand behind the cat’s ears, scratching away, which made his familiar relax fully. Kathranis smiled again as Secil began to purr softly as he fell asleep, and Kathranis quickly joined him, falling into Reverie. It felt like only a moment before a piercing, human-like shriek woke them from their rest. Kathranis was on his feet in an instant, with his hands drifting instantly to the hilts of his scimitars. The fire had burned low, and though a chill had not quite crept into the air, it was cold enough that Kathranis decided to focus his vision to see heat patterns rather than light. The air outside the cave was nearly black, and only using the senses of his familiar would he be able to navigate the night. Another shriek tore through the silent air, and as his ears attuned to the sound, Kathranis drew his bow and left the cave at a sprint. As he followed the continued shrieks, Kathranis noted Secil’s large, loping beside him. With a single motion of his hand, the panther sprinted ahead, scouting the source of the shrieking. Kathranis slowed his sprint to a jog, ensuring that should a fight come, he would be prepared. Through the trees, Kathranis spotted a tight group of heat signatures, as well as a light of some kind. He stopped for a moment, waiting for Secil to give him an accurate report of the situation. His familiar didn’t disappoint as he allowed Kathranis to see through his eyes. The panther was above the light source, likely remaining unseen in a tree, but it allowed Kathranis the perfect view to get a full grasp of the source of the shrieking, or rather, yelling. A group of nine humans had trapped strange, tall creatures. Secil stared at the creatures, giving Kathranis a better look. Though they were humanoid, each was covered in fur, and each creature had wings, similar in shape to a gryphon’s. Their hair was non-existent, and was instead replaced with a plate of feathers. The largest one, a tall creature in silvery armor, clutched at a gut wound as he tried to ward off the humans. The second tallest, what looked like a male, was the source of the shrieks, what Kathranis imagined were supposed to be warnings, or war cries. The third and smallest, a creature Kathranis suspected was female, stood at the back, doing her best to retie a broken bow string. The humans laughed at the creatures, and Secil’s head turned, giving Kathranis a better look at his soon to be opponents. The humans were odd as well, and in truth, they reminded Kathranis of wild goblins more than civilized people. Most of them were dressed in scant rags, covering only their essential areas. They carried wooden spears and shoddily made axes of stone. Instead of Common, they spoke in some sort of garbled orcish tongue, so strange that Kathranis almost didn’t identify it. Either way, their intention was clear as the circle began to close. Kathranis cut his connection with Secil, telling the cat to wait for his attack. Kathranis then crept through the brush, nocking an arrow as he moved in silence. He doubted the humans were paying attention either way, but surprise would win him the day without issue. Getting to the edge of the firelight, he spotted Secil’s position in the trees by the glint of his eyes. The armored griffon growled and tried to swing his sword, but collapsed for the effort. The humans, sensing weakness, let out a cheer and began moving forward. The arrow left his bow without a thought, killing the rearmost human without a sound. Secil loud out a loud howl as he plummeted from the trees, pouncing on the human closest to the feathery creatures. The humans froze in panic and began to turn away, only to find an elf with shining swords charging their backs. Kathranis knocked the first human’s spear out of line, then quickly killed him with a slash to the throat. Kathranis used the falling body as a weapon, shoving it at two of the retreating humans. They caught their dead fellow, but dropped their weapons in the process. It was simplicity to cut their throats. One of the humans, backed into a corner as Secil snapped the neck of his prey, roared at Kathranis and charged him with his axe raised. Kathranis waited calmly for the strike to descend, then dipped around it, punching the man in the throat. The human’s eyes bugged out, and he clutched at his collapsed windpipe. Kathranis didn’t let him suffer though, and he quickly plunged a scimitar into the man’s heart, ending his weak gasps for air. Secil let out another howl, sending the remaining humans into a panic. Tears of terror streaked down their faces as they dropped their weapons and ran, their cries splitting the air. Secil moved to pursue, but Kathranis waved him down. If they were some sort of tribe, they had already lost six warriors. Balance dictated that they didn’t need to lose them all. Kathranis sheathed his scimitars and looked the feathery creatures, only to find a gleaming sword pointed at his nose. Kathranis blinked at the feathery creature as it glared daggers at him. The elf put on his best smile and held his hands in the air. “There’s no need for that friend, I’m here to help.” The creature snorted. “After what you weird humans have pulled, do you really expect me to believe that? On your knees, I won’t ask twice.” ‘Neither will I,’ Secil growled in Kathranis’ mind. The bloodstained panther crept into the feathery creature’s peripheral, just enough so that the creature knew he was there. The sword wavered for a moment, and the creature’s eyes flicked away from Kathranis for a split second. A split second was all he needed. Kathranis dipped around the sword tip, clasping one hand on the hilt, while the other pushed the creature way. The feathery creature squawked as the blade disappeared from his grip, and he fell flat on his rump. Secil tensed up to pounce, but Kathranis waved him down. The elf offered a hand to the feathery creature. “Now, I don’t know of these “weird humans” you speak of, but I assure you, I mean you no harm.” He flashed another smile. “I wouldn’t have intervened on your behalf otherwise.” The feathery creature scowled at him, but one of the other ones, the female creature, looked at him with wide eyes. “Can you help our guard? I think he’s dying.” Kathranis dropped the other creature’s sword and moved around him, kneeling next to the female creature. The injured creature, on closer inspection, was clearly older than the other two. If Kathranis had to guess, he would put the creature nearly twenty years the other two’s elder. The creature had a spear shaft imbedded deep between two plates of thick, steel armor. Blood seeped thinly from the wound, but a glance at the creature, and a quick check for its pulse told him that it was indeed dying. Taking a deep breath to steady his hands, Kathranis grasped the spear shaft firmly, before quickly ripping it free, causing a river of blood to flow free from the wound. With a single fluid motion, Kathranis whipped the knife from his boot and cut off a lock of his hair, then took the holy symbol from his neck. He pressed the hair into the creature’s wound, then began whispering a prayer for a minor healing spell. If he could seal the interior damage, he could nurse the creature back to health with poultices and herbs. It would take time, but Kathranis knew how to be patient when it came to healing others. Instead of the small spell he asked for, an incredibly powerful healing spell flowed down his arms and through his hands, sealing the wound completely. Kathranis blinked in surprise as his holy symbol glowed a bright green over the wound, before fading back to its regular state. He didn’t question the gift Sylvanus had given him however, and he sent her an additional prayer of thanks as he pulled back from the armored creature. With its wound healed, it began to stir, and the female smiled widely at Kathranis. He studied her with a glance. Unlike the two males, who had brown fur and white head feathers, she had golden coloration from top to bottom. Even her eyes were flecked with gold, and Kathranis couldn’t help but return her smile as he opened his mouth to introduce himself. He shouldn’t have looked away from the armored creature. Perhaps it was the surprise of coming back from the brink of death, or the fact that when he had been stabbed, he had been fighting humans, but the creature took one look at Kathranis and lashed out with a fist, catching the elf clean in the jaw. Kathranis staggered back from the force of the blow, and he was completely unprepared when another followed. A fist slammed into his jaw again, causing him to instinctively bring his arms up to protect his face. A third fist planted itself in his ribs, and when his arms drifted down, the fourth slammed into his cheek. He needed distance, needed time to think. Kathranis leaped backward, and Secil ran interference for him, yowling at the creature as he rose to his full height. The creature drew steel, but with a second to breathe and focus, so did Kathranis, drawing both of his scimitars. Secil retreated to the elf’s side, while the smaller male creature picked up his sword and stood with the armored one. The two pairs faced off against each other, waiting for the other to act. Kathranis had half a mind to vanish into the trees, but he had no idea how functional the wings on the creatures’ backs were. Going into the treetops might serve to give them an advantage, something Kathranis couldn’t allow. The armored one was incredibly fast, faster than Kathranis, which was a rarity by itself. With his superior height, and the look of the armor the creature was wearing, Kathranis wasn’t actually confident he could beat him in a duel, let alone if he was fending off two more. The female creature came to his aid however, and she spread her arms wide before Secil and Kathranis. “Zefuris, that is enough. Are you really going to try to fight the creature that just saved your life? Without this human, you would have bled to death! Shame on you!” The armored creature glared at Kathranis over the female creature’s shoulder. “Princess come away from the human. You have seen what they can do, and it does not bode well to find one this far away from their camp.” “I’m not a human,” Kathranis said. “I’m an elf, and if I wanted to harm any of you, I would have done so. Why are you treating me like some kind of enemy?” The smaller male creature scowled at him. “You are an enemy. All humans are enemies to peace, and stability, especially now that they have found the intelligence to be little more than tribal animals.” The female creature took a step toward him, puffing out her wings in what Kathranis imagined was an intimidating manner. “He already said he wasn’t a human Valan! He’s different! Why would he help us otherwise?” The armored one sighed. “Princess, he likely thinks he can use us for a ransom of some kind. No doubt his fellows are waiting in ambush for when we let our guards down.” “Then why didn’t they ambush us when you were still down?” the female shot back. “Why would he heal you at all? He could have let you bleed out without a thought, yet here this not-a-human is, helping us in our hour of need! It gives truth to the rumors of a different tribe of humans that live in the forests and who know peace.” The sounds of curious woodland creatures began reaching Kathranis’ ears. Wolves were fast approaching, likely drawn by the scent of blood. They needed to leave, to let the animals distract themselves on the corpses of the humans. Kathranis patted Secil and waved him toward the woods. ‘Ward them away, but do not fight. They can have their prize once we are gone from this place,’ Kathranis said mentally. The panther bolted into the trees without question, and while the male creatures flinched at the great cat’s rapid departure, the female either didn’t notice, or didn’t care. What she did seem happy about was Kathranis’ sheathing his scimitars and spreading his hands again. “Please, we do not need to fight. I have a camp not far from here, you can rest there for the night, then perhaps we can talk in the morning?” The female smiled at him again, but her turned head distracted her enough for the armored creature to grab her wrist and drag her back, while the smaller male advanced with his sword flashing. “I know not what game you are playing human, but we will not be deceived. I will take pleasure in killing you, and freeing the world of your venomous words, and murderous swords.” Kathranis lowered his hands, but didn’t draw his scimitars yet. The female smacked the chest of the armored creature. “Zefuris, let me go! Quit thinking with your sword, this human can help us!” Zefuris shook his head silently and took a step back. “Come along my prince, let us leave this place. You can keep your life human, but know that if our blades ever cross, you will die.” The smaller male looked back at the guard and growled. “No, we end this now. We cannot let these animals simply roam about our lands! We must deal with him, now!” Kathranis used the moment of argument to slip backward, easily departing the torchlight. Once in the shadows, he scaled a tree, moving fast and silent as the smaller male let out a panicked squawk. Kathranis climbed high, finding the smallest branch that could bear his weight, then crept out on it, staring down at the creatures with a frown. He didn’t know why, but he had a fascination with them. Clearly, they did not live in the forest, they blundered about too much, and were far too loud, but they were also clearly at home with their weapons. Even the female was wearing a previously unnoticed dagger on her hip. Their clothes weren’t dissimilar to the usual human hunting garb, and a quick scan around the clearing found a dropped quiver, as well as a shattered long bow. Hunters, which meant they had to be coming from somewhere, perhaps a town? If he tailed them, he could learn more, and even perhaps find a place to start his search. He just hoped that other members of their species were not nearly so aggressive on first contact. ‘They need to leave,’ Secil called. ‘The wolves fear me, but there are larger creatures afoot, and they hunt in pairs. I cannot drive them away.’ Kathranis frowned. The creatures were arguing in some strange, birdlike language. It was a series of rapid caws and chirps, something that he imagined only they could speak. Still, the general nature of their argument was clear, they were debating what they were going to do to wait out the night. The more time they wasted, the more danger they put themselves in. He couldn’t well follow them to their town if they died, and Kathranis doubted that another intervention would be better received. No, he needed to get them back to the cave he and Secil had found. The elf thought for a moment, then slipped into an adjacent tree. ‘Come to the winged creatures, try to lure them to the cave. I will drive away these beasts you speak of.’ ***** Secil, still in his panther form, jogged into the torchlight. For a moment, they seemed to be focused on their argument, so Secil huffed, then growled loudly to attract their attention. The two males whirled on him, and the younger of the two jabbed a talon at him. “It’s the human’s cat! Zefuris, kill it!” The armored creature, Zefuris, Secil assumed, brandished his sword and cautiously moved toward the panther. Secil calmly sat and waited as the creature approached. Once he drew close, Secil moved back a few feet and again sat down. Zefuris stopped and looked back at the other two creatures. He looked back and forth between Secil and the younger creatures a few times before he turned around and took up a guard position closer to his apparent charges. Secil snorted with mild frustration. He had made it clear he wanted them to follow. ‘Mortals,’ he thought with contempt. ‘They have thicker heads than Kathranis sometimes.’ Unfortunately, their apparent lack of ability to follow directions made his job more difficult. Growling softly, Secil again approached the creatures. When Zefuris waved his sword at the cat, no doubt in a feeble attempt to ward him away, a plan hatched in Secil’s mind. He crept inside the range of the sword and waited for the creature to swing. Ducking under the sweep of the steel blade, Secil pounced on the creature’s clawed hand and nipped the creature until he dropped the sword. Secil then caught the handle in his mouth and dragged it towards the trees. The cat smiled to himself. ‘Even a boneheaded moron could understand now!’ Zefuris called out as he pursued Secil to the edge of the torchlight, but he again stopped, looking back toward his still charges once more. Secil paused and looked back, growling softly as the feathery creature hesitated. Though Zefuris looked angry that his sword had been stolen, he didn’t move beyond a certain point in the clearing. When Secil didn’t move any closer, the creature sighed and turned away again. Secil huffed in frustration, and spat the sword hilt out. He looked to the smaller creatures with narrowed eyes. He could do things the hard way… Secil slipped into the shadows and moved with all of the skill and grace an alpha predator could, keeping his eyes on Zefuris as the armored creature moved to reclaim his sword. If Secil was capable of grinning, he would have laughed as the other male followed the armored one in trying to peer into the dark. That left the smallest, the female, exposed. Secil set his paws just right, then took a deep breath; he needed to strike perfectly to accomplish his task. Like an arrow, Secil flew through the air, pouncing on the female. His claws stayed in their sheathes however, and he did his best to grab her scruff gently with his teeth. The two males let out loud cries of alarm, but as fast as they were, Secil was faster. He wasn’t some cumbersome bipedal elf; he was a panther! A magically enhanced one at that! He sprinted to the edge of the clearing, gaining ground quickly as he made for the cave. Normally, Secil could have left any creature in the dust with the speed his sleek, well-muscled body gave him, but he intentionally held back, always just barely keeping in the sight line of the male creatures. It took him a bit of time, especially when he had to avoid a scouting pack of wolves, but he led the trio of feathered creatures to the cave. Before he could be proud with himself, Secil thought about his chosen captive. The she-creature hadn’t made a sound since he had grabbed her, had he hit her too hard? It would sabotage Kathranis’ plan, and while Secil didn’t particularly care about anyone other than his master, he knew that the elf needed to find his kin. It was the only way he wouldn’t lose his mind to worry. Secil put on an extra burst of speed as the trees parted before him. Sprinting into the edge of the clearing, he lightly placed his captive on the ground, giving her a few careful sniffs. One eye cracked open for a brief second, then closed again as Secil sniffed her face. When the she-creature didn’t respond further, Secil snorted into her ear, making sure it was good and wet. She recoiled and squealed, shoving his chest lightly. Satisfied that he hadn’t damaged her, and with the males finally catching up, Secil moved away from the she-creature, sitting calmly just outside the cave entrance. The she-creature sat up and gave him an odd look as the two males came crashing through the trees “There’s the beast!” the smaller male called, pointing the tip of his sword at Secil. The cat watched impassively as the feathery creatures began approaching him with clearly malicious intent, but then the she-creature was on her feet. She put herself between them with her arms outstretched. “Wait! It isn’t trying to hurt us!” Zefuris stopped dead in his tracks, while the other male tried to scoot around the she-creature. When the female moved with him, the male stopped and scowled at her. “Did you hit your head Aquila? That thing attacked you, then snatched you up like it was going to eat you! Of course it’s trying to hurt us!” The she-creature; Aquila, looked over her shoulder at Secil, who stared impassively back. “It’s fine Valan, I think… were you trying to lead us here?” Secil blinked at her, then nodded slowly, making sure the movement was exaggerated for the she-creature. Aquila smiled widely. She turned around fully and crouched directly in front of Secil. “You can understand me?” Secil nodded again, keeping his eyes on the males. Zefuris looked nervous at Aquila’s close proximity to Secil, but the small one; Valan, looked like he still wanted a fight. While Secil had no doubt in his mind that he could take the feathery creature, he knew Kathranis wouldn’t want that. Secil snorted mentally. ‘Great, the elf’s foolishness is rubbing off after all this time,’ the panther thought to himself. Secil huffed externally, and nodded his head toward the cave entrance. Aquila looked in the direction he gestured with a curious expression on her face. “Zefuris, what’s in there?” The armored creature sheathed his sword and advanced on the cave entrance. He poked his head inside and looked around for a moment before shrugging. “Nothing really; just a burnt-out fire and a bag. I can check it for food I suppose, or maybe something to relight the-…hey!” Secil bounded off the armored creature, leaping clear over the fire pit to slam down on top of the bag. He spun around and growled loudly as all three creatures made their way to the entrance of the cave and stared at him. He didn’t care about the risk he was taking of driving them away, the books were dangerous in the right hands. The creatures were clearly intelligent, and if any of them had capability for magic, then the so-far useless tomes would be of immense use in either capturing or killing Kathranis. That, Secil would not allow, plan be damned. Aquila entered the dark cave first, ignoring the protests of Valan and Zefuris. Secil scooted back as she approached, keeping his body tight against the bag. His growls became deeper and more feral as she reached out a taloned hand. Just as he bared his teeth and pulled back his neck in preparation of a strike, she simply laid her hand on his head, stroking his ears lightly. Though he didn’t relax fully, and he certainly didn’t let her anywhere near the bag, Secil stopped growling, going so far as to lightly nuzzle her hand as she found the sweet spot behind his ears. If she thought he was going to roll over like some kind of dog however, the creature had another thing coming. She didn’t try anything though, and instead, Aquila merely settled against his body, laying her head on his spine. The feathery creature was incredibly warm, and when she did nothing else, Secil felt comfortable enough to express his satisfaction at her scratches. Even Kathranis, the expert he was, couldn’t quite dig in enough to make the scratches truly satisfying, but this creature, Aquila, she was a master. He let out a deep purr, relaxing just a bit more as she continued to scratch. Secil kept one eye cracked as the pair of males settled on the other side of the burnt-out fire. Zefuris pulled flint and steel from a pouch on his belt, while Valan glared daggers at Secil, his eyes frequently flicking toward the panther’s belly. Before Secil could make moves to deter the creature, Aquila spoke up. “I don’t see a lot of wood in here, Valan, could you go get more? We don’t need a big fire, but this burnt out stuff won’t last very long.” The young male snorted. “And leave you alone with this beast? I think not. We need to see what’s in that bag it seems so keen to protect. I, for one, say we should kill the beast and then take the-…” Valan let out a yelp as Zefuris slapped the back of his head. “The cat could kill you before you could draw your sword, now listen to your sister and get firewood. She seems to have pacified the beast enough, and this is clearly its cave. If it’s willing to share, I’m willing to leave the bag alone. Now get going before you piss it off.” Valan whirled on the elder creature and snarled. “How dare you strike me? How dare you give me orders? I am a prince damnit! I could have your head for this!” Zefuris looked up calmly. “Yes my lord, you could, but then you would be at the mercy of the “beast”. While your sister has been intelligent and made friends with the cat, you keep running your stupid mouth, and if I’m irritated at you, I can guarantee that the cat is sizing you up for dinner. Now do as your told, or you walk home alone.” Valan withered under the threat, and he grumbled something as he got to his feet and trudged out of the cave. Secil followed the young male with his eyes until the creature was completely obscured by darkness, then he settled back down, closing his eyes to enjoy the scratches of Aquila, and to wait for the return of Kathranis.