//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 - Celebrations and Vassalization 
// Story: Banners of Griffonia 
// by GardenCanary 
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After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lord Silas and his war party joined us inside of Blackwood. Despite them having been too late for the battle proper, there was a sense of relief in the air seeing the soldiers walking among us. We had already done our bleeding for our homes, and could turn things over to the professionals.

Overall, the entirety of our casualties amounted to a mere four dead and nineteen wounded. I knew that we had gotten off very lightly in the grand scheme of things, but that didn’t ease the knowledge that I had led people to their deaths. I just kept repeating to myself that whatever else happened today, it could have been far, far worse for us.

As we began dismantling the defenses around the village, I looked over to where the mass of wounded was laid out in the village square. The more fortunate among them were upright and talking, while others just lay there on their sheets with only the faint rise and fall of their chests telling that they still clung to life.

It was the ones who were awake and crying out in agony that sent a chill down the spine of anyone listening. Felian had reserved the limited supply of sedatives for those in the worst shape, and that left a handful of the wounded awake to suffer.

At least we were fortunate enough to have actually have a real healer to take care of injuries. I had a wretched feeling in my guts that the death toll would be much higher if we didn’t have Felian to bring them back from the brink. Even the one who had fallen onto the barricades had lived, saved by the application of a magical poultice that had managed to knit together his innards. Chances were still slim for some of them, but it was a chance nonetheless.

Far better off than the bandits. Not one of the mob that had come here had survived. Instead, their bodies littered the streets and the surrounding fields, lying wherever they had fallen.

When I had first taken in the sight of the fields of the dead, it sent me retching as the adrenaline from the battle had worn off. I had never seen so much blood in my life. Whether or not I would ever be cut out for the battlefield was something I couldn’t say at this point. Something would have to be done about the bodies before long, before they began to fester.

There were those here who seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal. Most of the villagers wore grim expressions as they surveyed the carnage. The knights on the other hand laughed and joked as they went to retrieve their packs from the woods they had stashed them in, completely indifferent to sights of violence.

As that was being done, Lord Silas approached Gunther and I as we began to organize the battlefield cleanup. He took a seat on nearby stump, chainmail clacking as he listened in.

Gunther gave him a nod of acknowledgement before sitting back up, stretching his claws out in front of him. "Right then, I'll go and round up some folk still in working order. Get out there and deal with all those bodies. See if we can't get 'em all dealt with by nightfall."

“Oh… but can’t such a thing wait until the morn? You’ve fought and won, you’ve earned a rest. Let the bugs and worms feast on them, as we feast ourselves!” Silas complained. This drew raised brows from the both of us. That was a rather... childish opinion to take. Best to fix up a mess before it gets worse, and from what I tell Gunther was in agreement.

“I’m afraid not, Lord,” Gunther replied with a deep bow. “Better deal with it now, rather than risk us all get sick in a couple of days.”

“Ah, very well. I suppose you are right dear eldergriff,” Silas capitulated immediately, waving off his previous complaint with a laugh. “I do tend to get caught up in the moment sometimes. But I worry that there will not be enough time in the day to both deal with the fallen and the celebrations of the victorious. It has been a pleasant distraction to go gallivanting through the countryside to deal with pests, but I must return to the city as soon as time permits.”

There was a sudden gleam in Silas' eyes before he pumped his fist in the air excitedly. "Ah! I see the solution here! My soldiers and me will assist in the cleanup. In doing so we will both complete the duty faster, and be able to compensate for our inability to arrive earlier to assist in battle." 

Silas then suddenly lowered his head and thumped a fist to his chest in salute, surprising the two of us. “And I must apologise for the fact that your village was besieged. I had not thought it likely that the scum would try and gather together a force to oppose me. In a way, ‘tis my fault that your village was attacked. And for that, I beg for forgiveness.

To the victor go the spoils however, so not only are you entitled to salvage rights to their equipment, any that can have a bounty tied to them is yours to claim as well. Consider this as some recompense for the suffering you were subjected to. It will not bring back those who perished, but mayhaps it will improve the livelihoods of this noble village.”

Despite the constant left turns Silas kept throwing into the conversation with his wild way of talking, that was some good news coming from the whole ordeal. It looked like a trip north to the city would be in the cards soon for the market and those bounties. More arms and armor would be helpful if any more attacks were to happen, but the resale would give us the chance to replace lost livestock virtually free.

But before we could think about the future, we had to deal with today. We gathered up all those sitting idle, and moved out into the fields to deal with the corpses. One more grim task ahead of us, and then we could put the bloodshed of the day behind us.







Stripping the dead of their belongings was a deeply unpleasant work. Getting up close and personal with the bodies like this meant that you became intimately aware of how exactly they died, and felt the blood seeping from wounds stain your claws as you peeled amour off bodies and searched through pockets.

While most of us trawled the fields, others had been sent to collected material together for a set of pyres. They had built four smaller ones, each holding the remains of one of our fallen villagers lain with care overtop. And a dozen paces away, a larger pyre had the bodies of the bandits piled haphazardly on. Twice it had to be expanded, as more and more corpses were dropped on top of the heap of wood.

After a few hours of grim work the fields had been swept of the dead, and we were all called together to witness the funerals. Forming a loose circle around the five pyres, Gunther then stepped forwards to begin the ceremony. Speaking solemnly, he addressed the crowd of griffons.

"We gather together on the field of battle in order to witness the departure of these souls from the world, and to be the ones to send them on their final journey as they return to the skies." Everyone present bowed their heads respectfully as he proceeded.

"To the fallen warriors of Blackwood, your valiant spirits and determination to defend your homes and families will not soon be forgotten. And to those who came to us with cruelness in your hearts, may you find a new path in whatever awaits you next, free from the sins you have committed on this world."

The knights formed a loose circle around the front and saluted to the pyres, as Gunther stepped forwards with a torch in his claws. With him came four other torchbearers, the kin of the fallen.

“And as we light these fires, may the ashes of the fallen take flight once more, and bring them on a journey to lands beyond.” With that, the torchbearers set the pyres alight, the flames swirling upwards and surrounding the bodies atop them.

Fires cracked and popped, roaring up to the skies as the bodies burnt away. As they did so, the gazes of those watching were drawn upwards. I watched as the ashes twisted and turned in the smoke, lifted by the updraft into the cold northern skies.

So this is what a griffon funeral was, a return to the skies, and an end to the cycle. It really was an incredible sight to behold, a sort of finality and disconnect to the world below. 

Once the villagers corpses had been immolated, the crowd began to return back to Blackwood. The bodies of the bandits would burn without witness. We had provided face enough with the pyres, and none were willing to stand vigil for them as they burned.

As I walked, I couldn’t help but keep looking upwards at the sky. I was suddenly acutely aware of the bandages that remained on my wings. Watching those blackened flakes swirl through the breeze, I was once again eager to fly myself.

Tomorrow, it would time to remove that splint, and find someone who would be willing to teach me about a core part of what it means to be a griffon.







The solemn atmosphere remained as we returned to the village, but quickly turned to raucous celebration as soon as the first jugs of wine were brought out. Lord Silas and his war party had brought a treasure trove of wines and meats with them, and the villagers were eager to taste the luxury of the nobles for themselves. One of the last pigs of the village was slaughtered as well, and became the centerpiece of the burgeoning party as it roasted on a spit. 

The celebrations had rapidly come to resemble a miniature festival, with various games and music popping up as the evening carried on. I found myself fascinated by the archery contest, watching as Cyril managed to best one of Silas’ knights. The knight accepted her defeat with grace and passed a handful of coins off to the young griffon, much to his delight. Cynthia had participated as well, making into the top five, but there were some good shooters amongst the soldiers who overtook her.

The intensity of the party remained as long as the suns light remained overhead. Joyous griffons chatted excitably and played card games at tables, and everyone ate their fill from the piles of food scattered throughout the village.

As the sun sipped down towards the edge of the horizon, the party began to quiet down. In the fading evening light, griffons made hushed conversation over wine at tables lit by torches and fires.

I was sat at one of those isolated tables nursing a cup of wine, when I found myself approached by Silas emerging from the gloom.

“So, I have heard that you are the mighty warrior responsible for organizing the defense of this village,” Silas said as soon as he sat down opposite me. “A remarkable feat to face off against a superior foe with so few dead. That, well that is something rarely seen.”

“I suppose that’s true. Wouldn’t exactly call myself a warrior though. That was the first battle I’ve ever been a part of.” Being praised for my ability to kill made me uncomfortable.

“Oh, what would you call yourself then?” Silas raised his brows. That clearly wasn’t the answer that he had been expecting.

“I... I’m not sure to be honest. I’ve only been here for a month at most, and my life has changed so drastically it's completely unrecognizable to me.” I took another swig from my wine before continuing. 

“I mean if someone had told me a month that I would be fighting off a horde of murderous bandits in a little village of griffons, well I would have thought they were insane," I concluded with a chuckle.

"Oh? Pray tell, what was your life before? You have piqued my curiosity," Lord Silas asked, leaning in towards me.

"I'd just been a junior engineer, set to carry on the family legacy. That was before I woke up in the woods here, without a clue how."

"Ah… a learned griffon then." Silas nodded in understanding. "An education is always a valuable thing to have, though I must confess I am unsure how overtly useful it is for a small village such as Blackwood."

"Yeah, but that's pretty much all I'm good for here in the village. I teach some literary lessons to the villagers, and a few other classes for those who care to attend. Basically just wander about the rest of the day. Got a few coins that I'm slowly burning through paying for food and board." As I spoke I came to a realization.

"Probably will need to find something else soon or move on, eventually that money will run out after all. Never tried farming, might end up being alright at it."

Silas considered my words for a minute before asking another question. "What led to you deciding to stay and defend this place? From what I have gathered, you have no great ties to this place. Yet you, someone unused to the horrors of battle and ignorant of the art of war, stayed and fought for those you have barely known."

I furrowed my brow as I came up with answer. That was a bit of an odd question to ask, but I guess it was a bit strange to risk myself like that.

"Well, they took good care of me when I had nowhere else to go. They're a good bunch of people, and I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I just left them all to die. I had a few ideas from history that I thought could help out and protect the village, and so I shared them." At least that was the way that I saw things. Apparently Silas thought differently.

"But you didn't just 'help out', as you put it. I have heard from some of your compatriots that you were the one who personally fought and slew the enemy champion. You helped plan the defense certainly, but you also fought on the front as well. Those are hardly the actions of someone just helping out," Silas insisted.

"In fact Geralt, I am convinced that you are a most honorable and humble individual. Your actions may have been the saving grace of this village, along with everyone in it."

I frowned as Lord Silas continued talking. Where was he headed with this?

“And as such, I am led to believe that you would make an excellent knight for this village.”

My mind came to a screeching halt as I processed what just happened. That was pretty much the last thing I expected to hear. At least I didn’t do a spit take, and was able to choke back my drink.

"Wha... what?" I nearly shouted at him in protest. “But… I’m no noble! Why would you make someone like me the knight of the village!?”

Silas waved off my protest dismissively. “Ah, no need to fret over that. While indeed it would be a cause for concern among the rest of the peerage if I were to gift a commoner dominion over a town or other larger fief, especially one with subordinate Lords, it will raise no issue to assign a mere village to an impressive commoner.”

“Wha… are you sure about that?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The idea that someone would simply give dominion over a place like it was a party favor was completely alien to me. 

“Yes, Indeed I am! You see, my lovely sister Elaine, well she has told me that I need to find some respectable griffons outside the current political circles to raise up and take ownership of the unclaimed fiefs directly outside my city. Something about the risk of allowing others too close to home. I trust her judgement in the matter, and as such I confess a ulterior motive to my travels the past few days. I have been searching for individuals just like yourself.” Silas began talking excitably now, as he dumped out what were most certainly political secrets to anyone listening in.

"But... what about Gunther though? He has been the village eldergriff for years! He was the one who had saved me when the bandit boss nearly killed me? Why choose me over him if you are going to pick a knight?"

"Gunther is a mighty warrior and a skilled leader in his own right, that much is true." Silas leaned back humming, before sitting straight once again. "But I have been told that he cannot read, and that is a unfortunately a great issue when it come to the peers. You on the other hand, you have an education and have near certainly spent some time in formal circles. I am confident that you will have a far easier time navigating the wyverns nest that is the court, and as such lend your aid to me more easily."

“In summary,” Silas fixed me with a steady smile, "you are educated, honorable, and already have formed a connection with the people of this village. I can think of none better suited to take the prestigious position of Lord of Blackwood." He thumped his fist to his chest in salute before going even further.

“As such, I make this oath to you. I will see you made a peer of the realm, as commendation for your skills and honour.” Lord Silas leaned in pretty much straight across the table, and I could smell the reek of alcohol on his breath. The lord was drunk. That explained a lot. Oh good lord what had I just gotten myself into.

I was in a stupor as he toasted to my achievement once more, before Silas disappeared once again, presumably to find more to drink. 

That left just me sitting at the table in the dim evening light.

Alone.







As the sun rose the following morning, my mind felt hazy as I stirred awake. The memories of last night were murky amid the dull throbbing in my skull.

The first of thing that came to mind was my injury. My wing should be well and truly healed by this point, and I was eager to see for myself. Unwrapping the linen bandages, the splint that had been on my wing for almost the entire time I'd been in this world finally came off. Flexing my wing, it was nice to have a full range of motion of all my appendages again. Felt like progress.

As I grabbed a handful of dried fruits and nuts for a light breakfast, I remembered what Silas had told me last night. Right, he had sworn a drunken oath to me to make the Lord of Blackwood. Best to go deal with that first, there was no way that he  was actually committed to what he had said, right?

But the moment that I stepped out of the door, I was immediately greeted by Silas' smiling visage. He rose from where he sat nearby. Had he just been waiting outside for me to wake up?

"Ah, Geralt!" Silas immediately approached me and threw his claw over my shoulder. “Are you prepared for the ceremony? We must begin soon. I'd like to spend as much time on the road today as possible.”

“My apologies, Lord Silas.” I bowed in greeting as soon as I recovered from the shock of being ambushed. “I thought that you would have changed your mind in the morning.”

“What, and make myself an oath breaker? I think not!" Silas replied with a little bit of indignation in his voice, but that was quickly smothered as he continued talking. "While my decision was certainly rapid, I am of course still confident in your abilities, young Geralt.”

Silas looked like could be only a few years older than me at most, and he was calling me young? He soon dragged me away towards the center of the village.

Upon our arrival, we found the whole of the village had been assembled once again. Everyone stood gathered in the village square, murmuring quietly amongst themselves. The mood in the crowd this morning could best be described as lukewarm. Everyone was still tired from the late night, and didn’t seem to have a clue why they had to gather again this morning.

The assembled knights and soldiers stood at attention in a neat row behind Silas. From the proud looks that they threw my way, it seemed that they at least had figured out what was about to occur.

As we entered into the square, Silas directed me to kneel before him. Doing so, he then raised his voice to address both me and the assembled griffons. 

“Geralt, you have proven yourself to me as an honorable and capable individual. As is my right as Lord over these lands, you shall be rewarded for your actions.”

The crowd took a greater interest in the proceedings at the mention of a reward. The conversations in the crowd began to intensify, but a raised claw from Silas drew attention back to the matter at hand, and silence took hold. All eyes were forwards now.

“As such, I have decided that you shall be conferred the title of Lord of Blackwood, and raised to the status of a knight of my court.” The onlookers began glancing at each other in shock, confused by the sudden appointment.

“But with the giving of this gift, I must demand an oath of fealty from you.” Silas straightened up, and took a moment to mentally review his script before speaking to me again.

“Do you, Geralt, solemnly swear to uphold the laws of the realm, to act as a arbiter and leader to those under your wings? Do you swear to defend your liege and their lands, to be the shield against the horrors of the world? Do you swear to be forever honorable and virtuous, to stand as an exemplar to the world of dignity and grace?”

“I solemnly swear.” With that I brought my fist to my chest in salute, and tried to hide my nerves from the onlookers. No backing out now.

“Then I, Lord Silas of Griffenheim, accept your oath and welcome you as a peer of the realm. Arise now Knight Geralt, Lord of Blackwood!” 

As I stood, I realized I had now officially entered the world of medieval politics, the halls of nobles and knights. If I had ever wanted a quiet and unassuming life, I had just lost the chance to do so. I looked to the people I had just been given command over, to see what their faces showed me about their thoughts on the whole matter.

The reactions from the villagers were far more muted than I had expected. They spoke quietly amongst themselves, but seemed generally placid about what had just happened. Their faces betrayed a little concern and wariness, but nothing like what I had initially feared to see. Felian even seemed to be slightly amused by the whole situation.

The only ones who had any stronger reactions were Gunther and Cynthia. Gunther was visibly frustrated, while Cynthia seemed worried. That was unexpected, and honestly a little concerning.

I resolved to try and get to the bottom of their reactions as soon as possible, and to see if I could nip whatever the problems they had with this in the bud. Those two were the ones I would consider myself closest to here in Blackwood, and I wasn’t going to let things all fall apart between us without trying to fix it first.







After the knighting had taken place, I searched around for my housemates. I found Cynthia just off the square, assisting in the cleanup of the victory celebrations. Her head was down to the ground as she worked, and was oblivious to my approach.

“Is there something that you want to talk about? You seemed pretty upset this morning," I asked.

Cynthia damn near jumped out of her feathers when I spoke. “Oh! Uh… It’s nothing Gera-, Lord Geralt.”

“Uh huh. For some reason, I doubt that,” I replied, entirely unconvinced.

There was an awkward pause, as she took a moment to consider her reply. “It’s just that... you’re our sworn Lord now. It’s kind of a lot to think about. It changes things, and I... I don’t know exactly how yet.” Cynthia refused to meet my gaze as she spoke.

Ah, that explained things. And the thing was, Cynthia wasn’t wrong either. At the end of the day, with my ascension to knighthood, Silas had placed an immovable barrier between myself and the rest of the village. 

I sighed before responding. “It does change things, I’ll say that. But I don’t think that it will be nearly as much as you seem to think. It’s not like I’ve been crowned king or anything, I’ve just stepped onto the lowest rung of the nobility ladder. There isn’t that big a gap between us.”

I went on to explain, “I’m still the same person I was last night, who I am hasn’t changed. My role and purpose for being here, yeah I had no idea that this was going to happen. I had never intended to become tied down here like this.”

“So what, you planned on just leaving us behind?” Cynthia's tone turned sharp, and suddenly met my eyes for the first time this morning.

“No, nothing like that!” I shook my head vigorously. “I just… I don’t know how to say it properly.”

“Try.” Cynthia fixed me with the same hard stare that Gunther often wore.

“Alright.” I took a deep breath before trying to voice my feelings. “What I meant is, I didn’t think that I would be forced to take on responsibilities here like this.”

“I’ve never seen myself as someone to take on the role of a leader, you know? I’ve always been more of a drifter through life. But now here I am, I’ve somehow become the one who's supposed to be running the whole village. It’s a lot to take in, and I don’t know what is going to happen,” I said with a sigh.

“I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I never came here seeking to become a Lord. Silas didn’t even ask me if it was what I wanted, he pretty much just foisted it on me. But now I am, and I’ll try to do the best that I can for everyone here in Blackwood. But no one rules alone.” I fixed Cynthia with as steady a gaze as I could manage.

“I may be the Lord now, but I will still need the help of you, Gunther, Felian, and the rest of the village.” I waved my claws around as I spoke, trying to make myself as clear as possible. "I don't know how to farm, and I don't have a real clue how you live. I have some ideas for things that might improve things, but it's not like I'm some omnipotent god who can solve everything on my own. Progress takes time, and I need help if I can make whatever I dream up into reality."

“And I will keep teaching of course. I’ve had a great time teaching people here, and I don’t want that to stop now.” I chuckled as a thought occurred to me . "Hell, maybe now that its the Lord teaching the classes, more will show up to try and win me over."

That put a small smile on her face. Cynthia had been loving the classes, and I knew that she was happy that those would continue. Maybe she would like to try and teach someone herself.

“Speaking of teaching, I’m going to need to let you in on a secret.” I leaned in conspiratorially to whisper to her. “I don’t know how to fly.”

“What!” Cynthia recoiled in shock at my statement, and stared at me wide-eyed. I guess to a people who were half bird, someone not being able to fly was inconceivable. “But… wuh? How could you have never learned to fly!?”

I shrugged noncommittally before replying, “I just, never did. I’ve spent most of my life indoors with my books, and flying down a hallway doesn’t seem like the greatest idea in the world.”

Cynthia just stood there and blinked at me.

“Yeah, well that’s my secret revealed.” I said as I ran my claws through the feathers on the back of my head. Well, a part of a bigger one anyways. Better to ease into the life-changing revelations though.

“So what do you say? Would you be willing to teach me to fly? It’d mean a lot.” 

Cynthia appeared astounded that I would ask her for something like that, but after a few moments of consideration, she finally gave me an answer. “Yeah, yeah, I can do that. I can teach you how to fly, Lord Geralt.”

“You can drop the ‘Lord’ with me Cynthia, we’re still friends after all. Besides. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it feels strange to hear that coming out of your mouth.”

“I can do that.” Cynthia smiled at me earnestly this time.

“Thank you Cynthia.” At last I had found a solution to one of the first problems I had in this world. And taken the first steps to mending my friendship at the same time.

There was one more thing I could offer while I was here though. “Do you want any help with the cleanup while you got me here?”

“Oh! Umm... yes actually, I could use some help with moving the tables back.”

As we heaved the heavy wooden tables back to the homes they came from, I reflected on the impact this day would undoubtedly have for the rest of my life. Whatever happened next, I had linked myself with the fate of this village, and had lost the chance to disappear quietly back to earth if I ever even found a way to do so. My life had been a constant chaotic ride recently, but it seemed that everything would work out alright in the end anyways. 

Now I just had to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do now.