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Prologue2,019 words
The next morning.1,773 words
Awoken!1,630 words
Noble Factions.2,030 words
Alarming Griffonstone2,143 words
The Battle in Griffonstone (Part I)2,536 words

The Battle in Griffonstone (Part I)

Zip.

Cluck.

Thump.

A high heeled boot stomped on the wooden floor. Mara Sov gave her uniform a last few checks, slightly unsheathing her shock dagger from a strap on her right thigh. Beside it was a holster with its gun missing, probably from when her ship crashed landed here.

She recalled what happened just a few minutes ago. She sat there on her bed, watching another one of her videos, this time was when herself was introducing how she first use arcane magic which was first discovered by the Royal bloodline when they first settled in the reef. She was merely halfway through when a hasty series of knocks came from the front door. With her door ajar she peeked to see Gruff walking to answer the door with a frown on his face. What was interesting was that, when he returned there was a mix of emotion coming from his face: concern, conflict, and hesitation which immediately changed to determination a long with his face. He disappeared shortly, only to check on her before nodding then off to where he was needed. He was dressed for battle, with a blade, an Iron Claw, and a Helmet, Mara does not know what he plans on doing with that layout but she knew one thing. Trouble was descending to this slum of a city. Trouble that she must avoid to keep her existence a secret from the superiors of this species, who knows what they might do to her, without most of her memories she would likely lose to some Lord.

Mara walked casually towards the front door, completely equip with everything she had before coming here – minus the shock pistol. She took a deep breath then twisted the doorknob only to stop when the door was slightly opened. She stood there for a moment before closing the door and going back to the corridor of the house. She opened one of the four doors in the corridor. It was a room with a small bed, beside it was a nightstand, next to is was a small bookshelf, with a few books. Most were stories of fiction, but some where histories about the old Griffon country, and the ancient Griffon Kingdom. A pot was placed on the inside ledge of the window. A flower with white vertices and a yellow centre, a daisy.

The griffon cub, why does Mara care about her? She asked that herself. Her mind flashed back to how ecstatic the young griffoness was about helping her in anyway she can. Just like that time she insisted on washing Mara's clothes despite her protests. The struggle on her face when she set up her armours and uniforms outside to dry, despite how heavy the armour was due to how little the cub was she still has that wide grin plastered on her face.

She sighed. Mara then walked back out of the room and onto the front door, twisting the knob and opening the door. As she walked out, she uttered a few words to herself.

"Never say, Mara Sov, does not pay her debt."

Despite with the sun high up in the sky, the Griffonstone wet market was filled with griffons of all kinds of breeds. Merchants shouts rang through the air to get the attention of potential customers. While others bargain in exchange with goods or money, a small griffoness cub sat in the middle of a busy crowd, staring at a stall that sells modern and herbal medicines, mostly the latter. She eyed the stall owner with her precious emerald eyes, sweat made her brown crest and darker brown fur greasy, but still she kept a careful watch. As soon as the owner turned and the waiting customer was preoccupied, the griffoness swiftly snatched a handful of herbs from the table and run into the dense crowd.

She could hear the stall owner shout as he realised he has been robbed. "Hey!"

The cub spared a glance behind her to see the owner shoving through the thick crowd. She gasped and quickened her pace, breathing heavily thanks to the heat of the sun and the cramp space around her. As she weaved her way through, the griffons behind her who's been protesting from the stall owners shoving was quickly getting louder, meaning the owner was gaining on her. And then she spot the alley she was looking for, she accelerated her pace even more.

She was about to get away when she heard the stall owner's voice behind her. "Oi, think you're going to get away?"

The cub closed her eyes shot and bullheadedly shoved her way. She anticipated for the owner to grab her but then...

"Get back here – Oof!" The owner bumped into a mercenary, who held his shoulders.

"Halt! You must evacuate into the ancient castle." Said the female mercenary.

The cub hid a round a corner to catch her breath, she glanced and saw why the stall owner was not able to grab her. But, she also so him glaring at where she was, making her dash back to cover. But she stayed long enough to hear what the mercenary told the owner next.

"Get your claws off me, there's a thief I'm after!" Snarled the crow bred stall owner.

"Griffonstone is under attack! I insist you move or else you'll be killed. I am under orders but I can't waste my time with one griffon, I must warn the others." The mercenary protested.

"How am I suppose to know you're with that–"

"Aaaagghh!"

"Kyaaaaaaah!"

Then the cries were heard throughout the market, of a griffoness who stared with wide eyes at the horrifying scene in front of her. Where a griffon with the same age as her was covered with blood, the Crimson liquid of life, squirting and flowing from a gash brought by a curved sword. Twelve Goldenclaw footmen stared maliciously at the crowd in front of them.

"What are your orders, sir?" Said a lower ranking footman.

"Regi and his squad are taking over the housing residence." The better ranking footman chuckled. "Plunder the place, take anything and do anything you like, just don't cause too much destruction, by the captain's orders."

Chuckles were letted out around the squad as they advance toward the shocked and confused crowd, only to bring havoc around them. As the crowd came to their senses they quickly dispersed causing a stampede.

The better ranking footman laughed. "Ha! Look at them run!"

The mercenary, however, tried to tell everyone to head towards the ancient castle as she, herself, escape the clutches of a clear death encounter with the Goldenclaw's.

"Mum! I brought some medicine!" The dark brown furred cub said as she burst open the door to a small house. It was a simple one for the city of Griffonstone, after all the city and it's inhabitants were poor, but what the residence didn't have was the rich culture the capital city still holds.

"You did not steal it did you?" Said by an older griffoness with a rough voice, she was laid on a bed with no sheets. Her head was rested on a soft pillow, made by her daughter herself.

"Uhhh... No!" The Maya bred cub replied. "A merchant had so much of these that he gave away some to me!" She smiled sheepishly.

"Don't lie to me, Helena. Tell me the truth." The griffoness said calmly as she gave her daughter a weak smile.

"He did gave it to me." The cub muttered, pouting, as she turned her head away sulkily.

"Helena," her mother cooed. "You know I told you not to steal. The cursed of the Griffon blood might come to you. Our greed is almost comparable to dragons, and it is almost as important as honour, glory, and loyalty, to most griffons. If one kept stealing and hoarding material things then they will just keep on going, that's the curse that is more ancient than the lost kingdom."

"But you're sick mum!" The cub cried, tears threatening to fall down from her eyes.

"I know," her mother smiled and nodded. "that's why I am thankful for you to take care of me. But remember what happened to your father and most of our families, Helena."

"Yes, mum." The cub wiped her tears away with her forearms. Then, making her way towards her mothers bed. Their bed.

Their house was only a small one, with only a single room. In this room they had a bed, a table, a couple of chairs, an almost barren bookshelf, and an old nightstand with a glass of water with her mother's favourite flowers. Roses. Helena went and took the wet towel off her mother's forehead to replace it with another one. She then proceeded into stashing the medicine she took.

Cough... Cough, cough.

Helena quickly fetched a glass of water to give for her mother. She passed the glass to her mother, who gratefully took it. As her mother gave the glass back, the doors was kicked open. Helena gasped.

"Lookie, here! A cub and her mum!" A male voice said, as he laughed.

"Are you sure the captain or the sergeant would approve of this?" His companion nervously asked.

"They said we could do anything we want! Not like we're causing destruction now, are we? No? Now help me get off this armour."

The cub trembled against her terrified mother.

"No!" Helena cried.

Mara couldn't believe she was actually doing this. She was ill prepared with no past experience to help her, thanks to her memory loss. This is a stupid act; Nonetheless, she kept on going. Carefully sneaking pass walls, avoiding terrified griffons and a large amount of armoured troops who seemed to be pillaging the city.

Bam!

Dashing to an alley, Mara quietly watched as a couple of armoured griffons stormed a house. She unsheathed her shock dagger and held it close. She had found it when she reflexively took hold of it's hilt when she first met Gilda, she had also known its capabilities when she watched herself explain some of the fallen upgraded techs that the Awoken possess.

She stood there, watching as one of the armoured griffons stood watch at the door while the other went inside. She had to stay here, her goal was to rescue Little Squick and keep her safe. That, until a shout of a female cub came from inside.

"No! Stop!" The cub cried.

As if on instinct Mara ran from cover and headed straight for the enemy occupied house.

"No! Get away from her!" A much older griffoness shouted from the inside.

Thinking that she might be too late, Mara was running at first then disappeared. Leaving a small amount of black mist that faded quickly from the dark.

Laica watched helplessly as the stripping Goldenclaw footman slowly advance towards her and her daughter. Her heart was beating a mile a second at what was about to happen. She knew it, the lust in the eyes of this sick bastard was so intense that she could do nothing but cry. Except, it was not pointed towards her but to her daughter. And the thought about it filled her with dread. She could not help the tears going down her cheeks as her daughter trembled in fear beside her.

"Mum..." Her daughter, Helena, muttered.

She held her close, resting her daughter's head against her chest, whilst trying to keep her from looking at the monster in front of them.

"Ooooh..." The footman smiled maliciously, "I'm going to have so much fun with you." He cackled.

"No!" Liana cried. Holding unto her daughter with everything she has. The bastard griffons was now fully uncovered by his armour and was now unhindered from his evil desires. Then something happened.

Laica could see pass the bastard and at the door. A rift emerged with white thread like light flowing at its edges. While a strange creature in a strange armour came out all balled up. The creature then unfurled with a dagger in hand stabbing the griffon bastard's companion in the head. The blade effortlessly piercing the iron helmet. The momentum of her impact also broke the door down, with the footman's dead body on topside of it. This got the other one's attention. He quickly grabbed his sword and charged at the strange creature.

"Damn you, freak!"

The creature twirled and kicked the griffon with the back of its boots. Surprisingly making a decent mark on the wall. The griffon took his head out of the wall and gave it a few shakes before opening his eyes to a blade that brought a burning experience through out his body. Then he fell like a rag doll on to the floor.

The creature, who Laica guess was a she stared at them before she spoke.

"It is unsafe here. You must find a better place to stay." She said.

"B – but mum can't move! She's sick." Helena said.

Laica smiled. She felt blessed with being gifted with a child like her. "I'll be fine, Helena, go."

"No! I'm staying with you mum!"

"Helena, you can't carry me. I am too heavy, I'll just burden you and we'll both get caught."

"I said, I'M NOT LEAVING!" The cub shouted.

"I would help, but I have other things to do." Mara walked out as the mother and daughter held each other. The queen found a griffon who's a couple of years older than Little Squick. She grabbed him and pulled him inside. "You!" She said, pinning the griffon on the wall whilst staring straight at the young griffon's terrified eyes. "Help the cub get her mother to safety, or else we'll see each other after this." Mara then runs off to her objective.

The griffon stood there for a moment, hyperventilating, before coming to his senses. He was about to make a run for it as Helena helped her mother out of the bed. The griffons hesitated. Somehow, something ignited inside him that made him clutch his chest. He turned around and took one of Laica's forearms.

"Come on, let's go." He said, as he positioned himself. While he did so, Laica's thoughts were back on the creature when she first saw its eyes, while Helena had her claws upon her chest. A feeling that she never felt before filled her with excitement and Determination.

Author's Note:

Really, I had this whole chapter done just because I've been contemplating pieces and scenario until the final scene stitched it together. It was fun. But 00:04? The tags were updated 'yesterday' teehee.

Anyway, I wanted to ask you guys, what do you think about this different perspectives? Are they confusing? This changes in perspective, I don't really know if there's a word for this kind of Point of views but I've been watching a lot of game of thrones and it just struck me how they changes scene and characters all the time like who the heck is the main protagonist here again?

Also, I found a few typos on the last chapter hehehe... It's still not completely edited and trimmed to exceptionally good quality.

Again this chapter was not professionally edited and is a rough draft straight from the notes. If you see any typos and grammatical errors please send me a message for I will quickly fix it. Also if you want to clear something up, feel free to ask.