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// Chapter 1 how i got here  
// Story: The merchants new life 
// by Jade Copperfield 
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The mountain path to Griffon stone 


The normal merchant trade routes to Griffon Stone a bustling town on the well trodden dirt paths that during this time of year are packed with Produce from farmers so that they can live through the winter and ultimately keep their farm. This I have known since I was a small child and probably younger than that since after all when you grow up traveling most of your life you tend to listen to what your parents say. So with that being told to me every year we tend to avoid the main path, and take a different route one that has been used by everyone in my family and fellow traders that were able bodied enough to take the dangerous cliff side path that has a few times taken the lives of said traders. 

I opened my eyes to see the path ahead of me it was a path that was suspended above a steep drop that if fell down would have few people surviving. It was a small path also, it had only room for one person at a time or risk falling to your death. I grabbed my huge pack that was sitting next to my paws and began the perilous journey to town so I can sell what I can and restock on some supplies to continue to the next town and the next. 

Yeah life can get pretty dull doing this most of the year but you can get an odd sense of fulfillment from doing it. But I really should stop thinking to myself and focus on this path or I may fall to my death and frankly I don't want to die by falling I'd rather die in a bed. I was walking the path slowly checking my footing after every step to make sure it wouldn't crumble away as I continued onward. 

When I reached the bend that was jutting out of the mountain I was extra careful making sure that my back was to the mountain in case I fell. A section of the path crumbled underneath my right paw and I let it hang there for a second until continuing onward. When I finally turned the bend I saw a section of the once majestic town, it had been growing recently and along with that came new items like a very recent thing being guns. 

I checked under my thick coat real quick to see mine, in its leather holster. I have to admit that without I would probably be dead after all lone merchants are a very common target for thugs and bandits. After my short musing about old times I continued on the now safer path at least I thought I was on the safer path. 

I accidently walked close to the edge and it crumbled so I quickly grabbed the side and now I found my self hanging on the side of a mountain. I tried pulling myself up but the more I tried the more I felt the dirt and rock crumble beneath my weight so I did the worst thing possible, I panicked. 

I started clawing at the edge to try and get myself up but that only made it crumble away and now I felt weightless falling to my death with an odd clarity but my mind raced with " I'm going to die". When I was sure I was about to hit the ground I heard a whoosh noise and I turned around in air to see a black portal open right in front of my eyes and I shouted one thing before I entered it " fuck"!



I awoke with a jolt and pain consuming most of my form, similarly to if you slept wrong in a bed but except it being in your joints it is everywhere. After a few moments I started to get up from the grass and dirt I have found myself laying face first on. After I got up I started to try and make sense of all this shenanigans after all it is not everyday that you fall from a drop that will kill you and be saved by a dark vortex.

"Just what the hell happened, I have seen a lot of crazy shit but a portal that so happened to have saved my life, now that is something that just should never happen. Well good thing I didn't get portal". My insides now started to hurt similarly to getting cramps in the legs but twice as bad and I started to vomit up what I had for a pitiful excuse for a breakfast on to the dirt at my feet as I held my sides. 

" I spoke way to soon". After I have stopped puking and my insides stopped trying to crush itself I walked over to a tree and dropped my pack on the side of it. I then collapsed similarly how a dead body word while leaning on the tree. I sat there a little bit until I heard the sound of rushing water. I got up slowly and started limping over to the water leaving my pack and canteen seeing as the water should be just beyond the bushes.

When I got to the river I collapsed at the edge and saw my reflection while I was drinking greedily. My head was white along with a few light blue feathers on top slick back but unkempt with a few feathers loose, similarly to a sweaty alcoholic. My beak was dull yellow and fairly small compared to most male gryphons. My claws or talons wear yellow except for random spots of black on them near my wrist and palm. 

When I finally stopped drinking and took a breath I decided to look into my eyes. they are a golden shade of yellow and they had a tired weary look to them. I noticed I was missing my ushanka fur cap." I must have dropped it when I fell of". I growled at myself and said out loud for the first time" Stupid idiot I should have stopped thinking about that stuff". I smacked the side of my head as I said that. 

After a short time I got up from the side of the river and started walking back to my pack and hopefully my hat. I also started patting my claws all over my body checking in case I dropped anything else. When I got back to my pack I checked the small area for any signs of my cap and it was right next to all my vomit. I sighed and hoped that none of my vomit got on it. 



After I have cleaned my cap I started making a fire grabbing dead or dry plants, and sticks to set it up and finally lighting it with a match. It was not nearly as cold as the mountains actually it was very warm out but I knew it would get cold when the sun disappeared. After what felt like an eternity that didn't help my self esteem issues the finally set and it was quite dark out. 

So I started to grab my food out of my pack to eat something after my nudge with death. I stopped when I heard what sounded like panting and branches getting pushed out of the way. I forgot about my dinner and grabbed my revolver that was under my coat and pointed it at the direction of the noise. The noise got louder and eventually the thing making all the noise ran into my camp and I didn't quite know what I was seeing. 

I saw what I could only identify as a hairless female monkey that was wearing a t shirt and long pants but was visibly covered in blood as it stained some parts of her brown long hair and basically most of her body. I looked at her with some concern as she was terrified beyond belief with a face that showed great fear and she was staring at me with said look. 

I lowered the gun and slowly walked over to her but I stopped completely in my tracks as her eyes widened even more. So I brought my arms up around my head and said" Are you okay"? in a gentle tone. her reaction was not exactly what I was suspecting. 

"A-a-are you a d-demon"? I looked at her and said" If I was a demon you would be dead and I wouldn't be talking".

That didn't get the effect I wanted as she fainted wear she was standing and I had to move quickly to catch her head. I slowly dragged her to a tree that was near my pack and where I was planning to sleep at so I could keep an eye on her. When she was leaning next to the tree I grabbed my blanket and draped it around her. I walked back over to my tree and ate a couple morsels of dried meat as my dinner. As I kept watch during the night I could only think of one thing. 

" I am nowhere near home aren't I, well if I am nowhere near home Fuck you universe but also thank you if I'm not dead but if this is suppose to be hell, heaven or purgatory well yeah this is a sick joke."