Scales and Honor: Darkened Skies

  Chapter 7: Taste of Darkness

  Athenais swooped low over the dimply lit waters. The stars reflecting in the calm surface of the moon lit sky. They shimmered and sparkled like a treasured gem before she dipped in a talon, the water spraying up and misting her feathers. She scanned out to the surrounding dark trees, the calmness of the night bringing a near smile to her beak. For they had heard the rumors of what was going on throughout Drenedar, how undead and roaming orcs marauded across the land. It was nice to hear the relaxing sounds of the night. From the steady hoots from owls, to the whispering noises of the many insects, and to the lone wolf offering its howl.

  She flapped her wings, scattering water in her wake as she climbed above the lake and passed above the tree-line. She extended her limbs wide into a glide, the night wind rustling her earthen feathers as she set her sight to the surrounding rocky hills. Compared to the beautiful waters they looked rather plain, covered in jagged stones every which way. Little sections of nothing but pebbles split up the mounds of sturdy earth and tall grass. They had found this out when they had landed. Axton had caught his foot on one such patch and was nearly swept away down the side of the rocky expanse. He had been caught and brought to safety, his heart pounding away in shock. Soggu had shaped them a more suitable place to rest for the evening, solidifying the so that it would not crumble away, and still looked as though nature had a little to do with its formation.

  The wind caressed her cheek like a lover as she soared higher through one of the many clouds and sending the dark fluffy things spiraling beneath her wings. Out of the corner of her eye she spied a small flash of brilliant light in the distance, and the rumbling cry of thunder not to far after. She dipped a wing with a sigh, searching the mound of darkened grey among the fields of multiple shades of green. It looked as though nature herself was trying to put an end to her flight, make her land among her friends and prepare the camp for the coming rain. She didn’t mind rain, it brought with it life and allowed the land to flourish and grow anew, but it did soak her feathers something awful. The thought of her shivering, soaked to the bone brought a low grumble to her throat, thankful for having tents and ways to shield herself.

  The hills passed below her at her next pounding of the cool night air, passing over twisted shrubs, rocks that jutted every which way, trees that stood like sign posts directing her flight to her friends, and animals that scattered at the mere sight of her approach. She soared passed a bat who had its little mouth open to snatch a fluttering moth from the air. She startled the mammal in her wake, a small cry calling to her as the creature dived away. It was then she spotted the tents atop the makeshift earthen area. They surrounded a lone crackling fire, the orange flames flickering and dancing to an unknown beat. It illuminated the area with it’s warming light to reveal her friends sitting around it, holding their hands and claws out for its soothing embrace.

  Nigel had insisted they needed their sleep for the continued road ahead, even if the man didn’t seem to need it himself. She found this rather odd at first during their early days, even made her question time after another if the man was even human. He seemed to be more of an elf if she recalled correctly, especially when he would sit cross-legged and meditate for several hours. It was much similar to how their people would enter a trance like state. When he was like this the restless man looked almost peaceful, like his usual cold and piercing eyes had faded. He would do this while beside the silver dragon, never getting closer to her friends or the fire, and never interacting with them besides normal pleasantries. He was truly an island among them.

  She angled her wing and entered a bank, lazily drifting down towards her companions. Her eyes found the wizard, already in his trance besides the metal behemoth of a dragon. It had been an oddity throughout the travels. She had thought with the magical crystal powering it that the construct need not be worried by fatigue or stress, but Nigel insisted that it did. When she had asked why he only said that the crystal was fighting him, and that the unit was damaged with it’s battle with the adventurers it had in the city. He had gone on in a droning sort of way how it had its head cut off by a magical sword, and blasted wide open by a ship’s mana cannons. The beast if you could call it that was now laid down on it’s side. Its segmented metal plates had dulled from their usual rune glowing self, and its orange eyes had closed with it’s head in it’s metal claws. It almost looked like the being of metal and magic was sleeping. That would have been crazy though. She shook the thought from her head as she righted her beak to her friends. Constructs couldn’t sleep.

  When she neared the camp the alluring smell of roasting meat on an open fire wafted into her nostrils. Like a temptress of the night it attracted her beak, made her gaze to the campfire where there were makeshift sticks for cooking. Spinning on the sticks were two birds her friends had found, and several of the fish she had caught for them an hour or two ago. The scales of her catch had been stripped away so that only the bright pink flesh remained. She almost considered it a waste as she usually liked her fish scales and all but had accepted it as Garroth and Axton didn’t do well eating the hardened things. She passed over the dancing flames, letting out a keening cry as her friends waved to her in welcome.

  “What a most delightful smell. You’d think we had stumbled across a kitchen in all of this wilderness.” She chirped happily, landing with a scattering of little rocks that crashed into others with little clacks. “You never told me what skills you had at cooking lizard. I think you might spoil us.” She chuckled, refolding her wings and striding over towards the blue scaled lizard with a smile.

  “Oh, you know me little bird.” The siigonis grinned, showing off his rows of sharpened teeth that gleamed in the firelight. “Picked a few thingsss from the humansss…Like ssspices.”

  “Don’t let your people find out about that. They might think you’ve been turned into a pampered human which just happens to have the scales of their people. Might even think the scales have gone as soft as their skin too.”

  He offered her a snort as he snapped his snout shut, his stare smoldering as he took a fish off the pike and bit into it slowly.

  “See?” She ruffled up her feathers as she settled down onto her haunches. “Your silence, as always, speaks volumes.” She opened her beak, gliding it through her feathers as she started to preen herself, humming away a pleasing tune that her mother had always done. She was reminded about the female gryph’s words, how it was important for her to clean herself in such a way to attract a mate. She shrugged, finding she just liked the sensation that wiggled under her fur each time she did it. She curled her tail around her until she finished her cleaning with a clack of her beak and a happy chirp.

  “Here.” Soggu handed her the stick with her cooked fish. Apparently during her cleaning everyone else had gobbled away at the meal. She eyed the blackened thing for a moment, hoping that the lizard hadn’t burned it out of his lack of taste buds. She even admitted he mightlike the meat seared to black. She bit into it, quickly gobbling up the offering in a blinding frenzy. It tasted like the lizard had tried using pepper, perhaps adding a pinch of salt and lemon juice. Each flavor was a bit different as she chewed away on the moist chunks. She swallowed them down, bowing her head in thanks. Her beak parted into a smile as she rubbed her stomach in content, gazing up to the star filled sky. She spotted blue streaks flash across the cloud dotted black expanse, coming into life only briefly before vanishing in the snap of a talon. She lowered herself against the ground, flicking her tail as she shifted and wiggled her hind end to a better, more comfortable position as she watched the clouds with the dancing lighting creep ever closer. Reminded of the storm she curled her head back to her friends, was going to tell them about the incoming rain and lightning but they had already beaten her to the punch. They had set up tarps to funnel the water away from the tents and allow it to run off the rock to the hills below. She grinned at their resourcefulness. Something that the city dwelling gryphons never seemed to have.

  Stretching out with a groan, her limbs begging her to fall asleep and rest them. She winced as a dull ache rose up through her wings and reminded her how much she had been using them. She flopped to her side with a heavy sigh, working the ache away with a few flaring and refolding of her wings.

  “So how long till we get this dragon you figure?” She cast her eyes to Garroth, who was sitting on a rock with a stick held tightly in his grasp. The human was holding a knife and cutting away at the bark stripped wood, whittling with eyes locked to his work. “Probably not long with us on his claws. I bet we have him by the end of the month.” She flicked her ears back and forth as the cacophony of night sounds wrapped around them. “With the way the metal dragon flies at least.”

  “Been meaning to talk about that.” The man cut a chunk of wood from the stick, it flew out to scatter to the ground. “Didn’t know the constructs could talk. If you ask me, the notion sort of sends shivers right down to my boots.”

  Athenais sighed, splaying her ears at the memory of how they had been constructed. How each one was made from a criminal. “Especially if they are made from people.” She gave a snort as she settled her head onto her scaled limbs. “You think they might still be alive in there?”

  “Whatever do you mean?” Soggu tilted his head to the side, giving her an inquisitive look with his large eyes. He pulled out a long wooden pipe from his pack with tribal engravings on it’s surface.

  “Like if the mind can stay intact. If it could think.” She raised a single claw, dragging it through the dirt. “If it could still plan. Would be hell I imagine.”

  “I can see the appeal to do such things to our criminals.” Garroth turned over the wood in his hands, the beginning of a dragon’s face carved into the material. “But to have them suffer eternally over something? That might be pushing it a tad too far.”

  “Says the man who would do almost anything for money?” She gave him a teasing look as the man glared back at her.

  “That is just one line I’d rather not like to cross.”

  “So, what do you think lays in store for a person who has committed treason then? When we find and capture that friend of yours and his gryphon?” She rose her brow as she watched him shift in his seat, her words seemingly making him uncomfortable.

  There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes before he glanced down to his work. “I’d rather not talk about that. Perhaps they will find some circumstances that pardon him. Either way…” Garroth’s knife easily glided through the wood. “Going to have to capture him if we want to save Lumara from the dragon army.”

  “Not this again.” She snorted with laughed, smacking her talon gently on the stone. “You believe that prophecy?”

  “Never stopped.” He grunted, growing silent soon after as he focused intently on his work.

  She sighed, wiggling her tail as she basked in the flame’s sinfully good warmth. It cast away any cold that might have been lingering in her bones and made her tongue want to lol out of her beak in delight. It felt like a mother’s embrace after many long years as the seducing flames brought little sounds of pleasure from her throat. Soft coo’s and near trills as she closed her eyes in bliss.

  “You might want to be careful..Don’t want to get too pleasssed by the fire. Might get too clossse and burssst into flamesss.” Soggu chuckled, “Alwaysss enjoyed watching you be content thought. Remindsss me of thossse cat creaturesss.”

  She rolled her eyes under her lids as she rose her claws and gestured to her fur and feathers with a wave. “Then get a good look lizard. Admire me. I will not smack away your eyes.” She extended a single digit, holding down the rest. “Though be careful. I do claw lewd males. Especially the ones who try to get a good look under my tail.” She creaked open her eyes, giving theshaman a wink.

  “Will keep that in mind gryphon. Never thought of it.”

  “Sure.” She snorted, “No male ever does.” She chuckled in the back of her throat as she thought she saw blood rush to the lizard’s blue cheeks. The idea that he was blushing almost left her speechless. She nearly teased him as Garroth continued his cutting but decided to let him have his pride.

  “When I get my hands on that dragon.” Garroth began to mumble, his eyes filling with flames. “He’ll get what’s coming to him. For everything he’s done, and all the people he’s taken.” The way he mumbled and grumbled as he worked almost sounded like he had an unhealthy obsession with their red quarry. She pushed the words from her mind as her ears twitched, her tail thumped, and she set her eyes to the little human who had remained so silent thus far.

  Axton was hunched over around the fire and way from the others. He had his hands out and seemed to be clutching something in them. Whatever was held must have been very important cause his eyes were locked onto it. Seemingly transfixed on his little bauble.

  Curiosity got the better of her, she felt it rise within her chest and bounce between her twitching ears. She pushed herself to all fours as Garroth went into a grumbling rant about the red dragon’s evil deeds. She creeped slowly towards the human child, watching how the boy’s hands trembled and shook. He brought them to his fore-head, his eyes closing softly. She saw his body shiver and not from the cold wind that kissed his cheek, it didn’t take an expert to know he was hurting somewhere within that head of his. So, she crawled all the way to the boy that looked as though he needed a hug.

  “What’s on your mind human?” She circled the boy and laid around him with a curled tail. Thankfully she found a section of ground with no jagged rocks. Nothing to jab into her underbelly.

  “W-what?” His eyes bolted open, like he had been caught in some mischievous affair. The lad instantly stashed whatever had been in his hands beneath his robes, his face turning a slight shade of scarlet. “Uh, w-what do you mean?”

  “What do you mean what do you mean?” She gave him a cracked beak grin. “You’ve been utterly silent each night this far on our travels. While the others tell stories and cook away with laughter, you huddle close by but never talk. You hold whatever that is and stare at it.” She thrust a talon to his pouch, ignoring how his face only grew redder. “I can see that whatever flames flicker inside your heart are dying as your hands tremble away.” She cocked her head to the side, lowering her beak slightly so that she could stare at him eye to eye. “So yes, I think somethings on your mind.”

  There was a momentary pause as a look of thought passed over the boy’s face. He ground his boot into the dirt as though her question brought great discomfort. “Its just.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping as his head drooped. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” She snorted, rolling her eyes. “What else did I expect from a young one as yourself. Never wanting to talk about their feelings.” She poked the boy’s chest firmly with a talon. “Bogwosh boy. Nothing can’t make you stare with pained eyes at your quivering hands. The look that the world is falling around you, like sand that you grasp only for it to slip through your talons. She picked up some earth, letting it fall from her talons to illustrate the point. “So, don’t insult me by telling me that it’s nothing. You should never run from your problems or the past.” She nodded with a quick clack of her beak as the boy’s eyes drifted from her. “It’s what my father always used to say, and it’s never steered me wrong my entire life.”

  “You..have a father? A mother?” Axton’s voice came softly as his head shifted to the fire. She saw his skin visibly tremble before her. Like he was lost within a cold winters night. His voice cracked, as if he was struggling to summon forth a response.

  “Of course, I have those boy. Who on this earth doesn’t?” She smirked, but instantly regretted her actions with splayed ears as the boy’s walls crumbled away. His wavering blue eyes sprung tears as they dripped down his cheeks with a low sob. One filled to the brim with despair and squeezed at the gryphon’s heart like a vice. She scolded herself for such misplaced words. “Hey.” She wiggled closer. “Hey.” Her voice calm, like the eye of a storm as she wrapped a claw around the boy’s back. Her eyes widened for a moment as he instantly wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling his face into her fur. She paused for a moment. Surprised but not hating the touch as he shivered and clutched at her. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She curled her head around his back, sighing as she felt the weight bear down on her shoulders. “I should have seen the signs little one. From the bottom of my heart and to the marrow of my being, I’m sorry.” ruffling his hair with a talon and pulling him tighter against him. She closed her eyes, making soft cooing sounds that her mother would make when she was a little hen.

  “Who did you lose?” She asked after a minute of his crying and trembling. Axton gave a final sniff, wiping away his rolling tears with his sleeve. Though his tears might have been gone, his mountain giant like grip maintained around her neck.

  “My…Mothers.” He finally said, the words seemingly forced from his throat. She could feel the pain lacing them, it lingered in the air as the boy swallowed forcefully and pulled her tighter than before. “My human one, and my adopted one.”

  “Adopted one?” She asked with a gentle stroke of his back. “That is dreadfully unlucky and cruel to a boy such as yourself. A fledgling should not have to lose both of their parents.”

  “Yeah.” He said flatly, pushing himself off the gryphon with another long sniff and wipe of his misting eyes. “Thanks, I nee-“

  She shut his mouth with a talon and wagging it in front of his nose. “No problem little fledgling, you should never apologize for needing a moment to cry. Accepting your feelings doesn’t make you lesser in any other way.” She flicked her tail knowing that sounded rather corny, but it was the best she had. Something else her parents used to tell her when she was huddled close at night listening to the mountain sounds in her youth. It seemed to do the trick as Axton gave her a slow nod, his expression softening and his eyes losing the sheen of impending tears. She gave him a beak cracked smile, just glad to see his tears had ceased.

  “Have you lost anyone before?” He leaned up against her, nuzzling close against her fur. She sighed, wrapping her limb around his chest. If he needed the attention in his moment of insecurity, then she was going to provide it. She stared into the fire with him, seeing all the memories of her past reflected in the flickering orange glow. She heard a faint scream in the distance, one she knew wasn’t real. Just an echo from long ago lingering around in her mind.

  “Once before.” She splayed her ears, her tail quivering at the words. “When I was very little.” She watched as the flames became a gryphon with fur like that of a brown diamond, a yellow beak with a flash of blood oozing as the pained male took his final desperate gasps of air.

  “What happened?” The boy’s words scattered the image to the wind as she held him closer. The ice of that memory wrapping around her heart and tugging firm.

  She sighed heavily, the human had opened slightly up to her. Might as well give him some information to help his grief. “My family decided to visit Entis when I was a little hen. See all the wonders that it held. That other gryphons had uttered with great glee to my mother and father. She extended a claw to the fire, sweeping it slowly as she pictured the twin rising fortresses that floated over Entis. “The floating castles, gryphons that dotted every rooftop! The human boats that could float happily with the clouds.” She hated herself for this moment, as a small jolt of wonder radiated underneath her skin and captured the amazement she had experienced when she was small.

  “Sound great.” Axton grumbled, folding his arms as she held him closer.

  “But it wasn’t meant for us I suppose. My family was mugged by some scrawny looking gryphons who had little to eat and were very young. They got scared and panicked.” Her ears quivered as her head drooped, she could feel the ache around her heart tighten. “One accidently killed my brother in the scuffle. I had trembled and squirmed as it happened. Too little to do anything to help.” Her breath came hard as she remembered his raspy gasps of air, blood running from his beak to join the pool of red that formed below his feathers. “I watched my brother die that night.” She clacked her beak, rising her head to follow the embers that would flicker and fly away from the fire like little bugs. “I made a promise to be a survivor after that. Never be like that again. Unable to help the ones I care about, nor be desperate enough to strike out at an innocent family and take from them.” She felt the seldom remembered pain poke at her sides and drag her head to the skies above. She looked to the stars twinkling in between the growing swarm of clouds. “Another thing my parents told me Axton. Is that if I continue to tell his story. He will truly never be gone. That goes for all our loved ones that are not with us.” She tapped Axton’s chest with a gentle grace. “They will keep living in your heart.”

  The boy’s face fell, a storm of emotion swirling around in his eyes as he dug into his pouch and procured a blackened dragon scale, one that smelled like the night breeze. He held it out within his palm, the smooth thing as black as the midnight sky.

  “A dragon scale!” She chirped in surprise, her feathers standing up as her head tilted to the side. “Where did you get that?”

  “From my mother.” He mumbled, rubbing his thumb across the surface.

  “I don’t see scales or wings, so I will assume that’s your adopted mother then?” She nuzzled the human as she saw the flame within his heart start to waver the longer the scale held his vision. “Tell me about her. I would love to hear about this dragoness that raised you.” She internally chuckled at the idea of something so strange.

  “It’s true.” He mumbled, words soft as if he could tell she doubted him. “She was brave, strong. Had scales like midnight.” His lips parted into a small smile, spreading his arms wide. “Really big wings with the nightsky beneath her membranes.” He stood up, slipping from her grasp like an eel and flapping his outstretched arms. “She could fly really fast, quick as lightning.” He placed a finger to his head to look like a horn. “Had spines that lined her back, used them to ward off attackers.”

  She laughed at his cute display, covering her beak and gesturing him to continue as he suddenly grew silent.

  “And..and.” The boy slumped as the brief reprieve from his grief came crashing down.”She died.” He hung his head and sat back down. He rested back against her form, her wing’s coming to wrap them both tightly.

  Her ears flicked as the thunder in the distance sounded, couldn’t be more than a few miles off now as it practically shook the rocks around them in it’s fury. She parted her beak and started nipping at the thin fibers of his black hair. She got a sudden giggle to leave his mouth almost making her smile in pride.

  “What are you doing?” He asked, not moving or resisting in the slightest.

  She worked her way around his head, humming to herself as she tapped her tail. “What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m preening you human.”

  “Oh! I thought you were eating my hair. Some sort of gryphon thing.”

  “Clossse enough.” Soggu gave a raspy laugh, grinning before taking a long drag on his runed pipe. “You ssseem to have confusssed the boy. Typical for a gryphon.”

  “Oh yea?” She pulled back her beak, tossing the smirking lizard a furious glare. “I don’t eat hair! It’s called preening you soft scaled shaman. It’s used to clean feathers and fur. For mates, parents, and friends to do to one another. It’s a sign of friendship and bonding.”

  “Thatsss not all they do for bonding.” The lizard puffed out a long pume of white smoke, that lazily rose up from his features. He started to cackle away with little hisses, so she tossed a pebble at him. “Hey!”

  “Shush that snout of yours then.” She gave him a snort, going back to preening the human’s hair. “As I was saying Axton. It was meant to soothe you.”

  “She used to lick me to do that.” Axton giggled as her attention must have caught a tickle spot near his neck.

  “Lick you?” She chirped, chuckling as she pictured the slimy tongue of a dragon dancing all over the boy’s face. “Must have been pretty gross.”

  “Not really. It always helped me.”

  “If you ssstill need cheering up after the gryphon’sss hair eating come here.”Soggu patted the moss covered rock next to him.

  Athenais raised a brow, releasing Axton when the boy pulled to go free. She watched him slide over to the blue scaled siigonis and took a quick seat. Questions bubbled to the surface of her mind as the lizard offered Axton an affectionate smile.

  “I know how to sssoothe a trouble hatchling better than you. Jussst watch.” The shaman held up a claw to silence her open beaked retort. Soggu reached into his leather pack and rumbled around within. Athenais found herself leaning closer towards the pair, eyes begging for a good look.

  From the dark confines of his leather pack suddenly came light. All at once a soft white glow that radiated through the air. A small orb of brilliant light floated out, gliding effortlessly through the air towards them. She found the urge to pull away as the radiant sphere playfully darted around her and Axton’s heads. She watched it float and glide easily above them, it was almost restless. Like if it were to stay in place it would cease to be. Axton reached out as it got closer, the little thing suddenly stopping at the motion. Athenais opened her beak to protest as it drew nearer. Her instinct to bat it away pounding in her skull.

  “Soggu.”

  “Jussst watch.” The siigonis snorted, eyes locked on the boy’s out stretched fingers. “I think it likesss him.”

  Axton;s mouth parted in astonishment as the orb grazed the tip of his finger. A giggle escaped his mouth as the light pulled slightly. It suddenly darted away to circle Athenais’ beak instead.

  “What is it?” Her eyes followed the swirling orb of light, swatting it out of instinct with her claw. “And how do I get it to stop circling my beak?” She tried batting away at the thing as it circled her. The gryphon found herself flipping over onto her back with a startled squawk.”

  “Ssshowing off gryphon agilenessss again?” The smug siigonis laughed as the orb glided around her hinds and torso, lighting up her brown fur.

  “Never mind you about gryphon agileness.” She stuck out her tongue, warding off the mischievous orb with a kick of her hinds. “I’ve seen your tail do more damage in a lifetime.” She flipped over, raising to sit onto her haunches. She sighed at all her ruffled feathers. Preening was going to take forever to get rid of all these smudges of dirt. She glanced to the storm clouds in the distance, considering the rain to be the quicker of the options.

  “What is that thing?” Axton chuckled, as the orb of light flowed around his shoulders. The boy rose his arms, so the thing had enough room to follow. Once it reached his fingertips it stopped moving, hovering for a moment before going back the way it came.”

  “That my inquisssitive human isss a forest ssspirit.” Soggu nodded happily, raising his pipe to grace his lips once again with a tap of his tail upon the rocks.

  The gryphon cocked her beak. “Forest spirit? Arn’t those the things you bend to your will?”

  Soggu’s eyes suddenly narrowed. He slowly shifted his snout to her, eyes staring daggers at her. “That isss a grosss exaggeration of what my people do.”

  “Sorry.” She quickly muttered, her ears flicking as her tail curled. “Then what do you do then?”

  “We guide the ssspiritsss back to where they belong. They are naturally drawn to onesss sssuch as I.” The lizard smirked as the spirit whirled around Axton’s head and descending to circle the boy’s chest. “Though it ssseemsss to be really attracted to you. Are you perhapsss a ssspirit ssshaman in disssguissse?”

  “I don’t think so.” Axton laughed as the spirit grazed just underneath his chin. “I’d know if I was, wouldn’t I?’

  “We are trained to be such ways. But spirits can already sense the gift.” Soggu rose up, lowering his eyes to stare into Axton’s own.

  “Uh..”The boy squirmed nervously, returning the stare. “What are you doing?”

  “Giving you a good look!” The siignois circled the boy, making hmms and soft snorts as his eyes traced every inch of Axton’s form. “Ssseeing if the flame flickersss inssside you sssomething bright!”

  “Oh.” Axton cupped the spirit in his hands, it’s light dimming softly before his eyes, then as if lit by a sun it exploded outward. Brilliant beams of light pierced the night. It was so intense that Athenais had to shield her eyes from the pain.

  She was left gasping, blinking away the sea of purple dots that had formed in her vision. “What was that?” She groaned, rubbing her eyes with a talon as everything melted back into focus. When it did her beak hung open as a shiver worked its way down her back. For held within the boy’s hands was no longer a glowing orb of light. Instead was a small red scaled dragon with purple membraned wings. The little onyx clawed thing leaped to his shoulders, rubbing up against the boy with a soft purr.

  “It’s a dragon!” He gasped, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. “How is it that?”

  “I can sssee with my two eyesss yesss.” Soggu lowered his snout, only for the little dragon to raise its own and sniff at him with a swaying tail. “I sssaw thisss one could take on variousss ssshapesss when I found it. When we firssst met it wasss in the ssshape of a panther. It appearsss as though it can read your heart and took on a form to sssoothe you.” The shaman pulled his head back with a quick nod.

  “Where did you get it from then?” Axton asked, scratching the little dragon’s chin.

  “Yes. Do tell us the tale.” Athenais continued to stare at the little dragon that was now resting in Axton’s combined palms. She shifted her sight to the pleased with himself siigonis. It wasn’t usual for him to be this way. Something was stirring beneath his eyes she just knew it.

  “Back in Entisss, when we were hired to protect the cassstle. We got a tip that they were making a move on the royal vault. Would have gotten them if not for a clever ssspell by their minotaur.” Soggu clenched his claw, releasing it with a sigh. “But thisss little beauty I found being help captive by a dwarf. Where ssshe came from Idon’t know, but ssshe had thisss ssspirit in tow.” The lizard sighed, taking a seat beside them with a thump. He rose his head, eyes lingering on the small dragon that had now closed its eyes and appeared to be sleeping.

  “So, this dwarf was kidnapping the spirit?” Axton asked softly, his voice almost a whisper. “How do you even do that?”

  “Plenty of waysss my child. But the fact wasss it was following the dwarf around..”

  “If she stole it where did the spirit come from?” Athenais rumbled, starting to preen her feathers with long strokes of her beak.

  “A foressst to the sssouth. I gleamed it while ssstudying it with my ssspellsss. The ssspirit ssshowed me imagesss, tastesss, sssoundsss. It was not hard to figure where it was from.” The lizard’s head drooped, his face darkened. It was as if a blackened cloud had wrapped itself around him. His tail squirmed as his claws dug into the stone beneath him. Flames suddenly sprung forth in his eyes making her twitch her tail in surprise as a growl escaped his maw. “The foressst thisss ssspirit remembersss isss vassstly different now.”

  “How so?” Athenais crept closer to the lizard, who was now holding his arm to stop it’s trembling.

  “The ssspirit was a heart to that foressst..Without it, the green treesss and plantsss that had held the cradle of life now lay sssickly or withered away in a pale grey. Animalsss that usssed to roam in abundance now avoid the place that claimed many of their kin. The magic in the air runsss foul and leavesss me with ragged breath. Vile twisted thingsss like necromancy have taken root upon it’sss departure. They feed on the void left behind.” Soggu sighed, letting his words linger in the air. “I would have never thought I would be the one to find sssomething that had been missssing over one hundred years ago. Blesss the ssspiritsss that guided me to this moment.” The siigonis bowered his head with closed eyes, letting the crackling flames be the only sound to grace their ears. It wasn’t until an owl swooped down nearby to latch onto it’s evening meal did Axon make another sound.

  “That’s a fantastic story.” He slowly pushed his palms out with the spirit to Soggu. “Here you can have it back.” But when the sigonis held out his claws the little resting dragon cracked open a lazy eye. It gave a maw parting, tongue curling yawn before nestling into Axton’s palms. It gave a harsh snort, as if to make a point that it wasn’t moving.

  “Well, It appearsss though you get to hold onto it for a while longer.” The lizard crossed his arms, tail tapping the rocks behind him. “Appearsss asss though the ssspirt isssn’t ready to leave you quite yet.”

  “That’s okay, Its’ not unpleasant.” The boy giggled, pulling back his offering. He cuddled the now purring dragon with his chest. The sound teased at Athenais’ ears, making them swivel towards the sound, and her heart longed to hold that cute little bundle of scales tightly against her fur. “Probably should name it though. I’d rather not keep calling it spirit or it.”

  “Spirits don’t have names in the way that we do.” Soggu shifted on the stone.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Still though. I think I’ll call it Celes. That’s a cute name for a dragon. Course makes me wonder if it’s a boy spirit or a girl spirit…”Axton tilted his head, eyes glaring at the sleeping red dragon.

  “Don’t go peaking. It’s rude.” She nudged the boy with a laugh as his face started to take on a reddish hue. “Though it looks like that dragon there took on the image of a female dragon. You can tell by the horn there.”

  “How’d you know that?”

  “Just a guess.” She shrugged, staring at one of her claws that gleamed in the light. “She looks similar but different to the male we are hunting. So, I just figured.”

  “Oh.” Axton shifted his eyes back to Celes, a smile tugging at his lips. “She’s still cute though.”

  “That we can be in agreement on.” She found herself smiling as the boy’s demeanor had all been shifted to one of wonder and delight. No longer did the cold seem to clutch at him and leave him shivering like a soaked cat. She rose her head, eyebrow raised as Soggu gave her a smug look on his snout. His eyes gleaming in delight, like a cat that had just caught the canary some humans would say. “How on this earth did you get good at soothing the aching heart of children?”

  “You find thisss odd?” The cheeky lizard looked away, almost as if the idea didn’t interest him. Though the smirk he still bore on his snout said otherwise. He reached back for his pipe, taking a drag and summoning up smoke rings from his mouth with small puffs. The white smoke lingered around the fire, lazily twisting and climbing like a dragon into the sky.

  “Damn right I find it odd.” I don’t see any little ones running around for you.” She perked her ears up with a tail swishing laugh. “Unless you got a mate back home with a clutch or something to call your own.”

  “No mate, only tribe does the youngling raising. They do it in a community, as in everyone raises all the younglings.”

  “Wait…” She cocked her head to the side, ears twitching as curiosity grabbed at her senses and held firm. “You mean to tell me that you don’t know who your sisters or brothers are?” She chuckled at the idea as Axton stuck out his tongue with a long whining “Ewwww.”

  “That’s.” The lizard gave a snort, punctuated by a thrash of his tail against the stone. “Not exactly a problem for us as you warmbloods.”

  “Well that’s a relief for you I suppose.” She nudged Axton with a beak parted grin. “And here I thought it was because he chose a female’s job.”

  Soggu dropped the pipe, the wooden thing clattered as his eyes widened into slits. “That’s..not-“ He crossed his arms, snorting out smoke as she continued on with her cackling chirps.

  “See?His people divide certain things by gender. The hunters, the warriors, the elementalists. Those are generally done by males of his tribe. Meanwhile the healers, druids, and mystics are generally all done by the females. She beamed at the siigonis as daggers seemed to be loosed from his eyes. “See how he’s just siting there with crossed arms and eyes that could kill? It’s because he knows it’s embarrassing. You can see it in how he shifts and how his tail twitches.”

  “You never had a complaint about my choice of skills when I’m stitching you back together. Especially when you’re hurt.” The lizard’s eyes filled with mischief as he tapped a claw to his chin. “Infact..” He slid next to the pair, his tail wrapping around them both. “The last time that she was so hurt I had to stitch her in the field. Had to shave off sections of her fur to put them in.

  “Soggu!” She squawked, ruffling her feathers as the memory came into focus.

  “And we called her patches for over a month. She was so cross at that!”

  Axton stifled a laugh as she smacked the hissing shaman over the head with a wing.

  “Hey!” He cackled, half-heartily holding up his arms as the wing taps got more frequent.

  “I hated that name you scaly brute!” She swatted him again as Axton’s wall crumbled, and the human let out a loud burst of side splitting laughter.

  She rolled her eyes, letting out a long groan as the lizard fell back to his seat, but she glared at him with narrowed eyes. “I’ll remember that of course when I’m watching your scaled tail. Maybe a rock or two will smack you upside the head.”

  “You watch my tail now?” The siigonis snapped his mouth with a grin. “Whatever is up your feathers gryphon. I didn’t know you had a fascination for scales!” He shrugged with a teasing smile. So, she plucked a small pebble from the ground and tossed it at him before pouncing the man with a laugh.

  “Oh yea?” She grabbed him with her talons, rolling the cackling lizard to his back and pinning him with his arms to the side. “How do you like being pinned lizard boy?”

  “Kind of like it actually.” His tail swished beneath her as he poked her fur with a claw.

  “You’re horrible, making this joke really hard to pull off.” She sighed, giving him an irritated chirp.

  “That kind of tends to happen around here. Perhaps you shouldn’t be pinning innocent shamans?”

  She rolled her eyes as he thought himself so clever. She pushed herself off his smirking form and slid back towards Axton and settled down onto her fours. Though as she turned around she made sure to smack the snickering lizard with her tail. She went back to her preening with several soft chirps, ignoring Soogu’s chuckles and hissing laughter.

  “Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?” Axton suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

  “W-what?” She choked nearly at the same time as her lizard companion. “What gave you that idea?”

  “We’re just friendsss is all.”

  “Just that there was this couple in my village. They would go back and forth with their playful teasing and pleased glances.” The boy shrugged, shifting his eyes from the shocked gryphon and siignonis. The boy looked down at his boots as he wiggled them against the dirt. “Just reminded me of them is all.”

  “I don’t think ssshe actually hasss a thing for ssscalesss.” Soggu hissed, snickering then looking to her feathers. “Alwaysss ssseems to rub her the wrong way. Never in the right way.”

  “You’re one to talk.” She waved to him. “You’re the one glancing at my feathers whenever you get a chance. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have a secret diary in that sack of yours. Scribbles and scribbles of how your heart longs for me something awful.”

  “That would be the day wouldn’t it?” The lizard snorted.

  From there stories were shared. Each one a rousing tale brimming with adventure and excitement that brought smiles and life to the boy’s face. Axton listened with wide eyes the entire time, the spirit held snugly against his chest like a dear pet. Athenais described how Soggu had sounded like a woman for several weeks because of a curse he had gotten from wrongly opening a door. The lizard had chuckled and counted with one where she had collapsed through the roof of a hut that lacked a reinforced celling. They cackled away with clacking claws, smacking of tails, and side clutching laughter. It was only Garroth that didn’t join in with their good cheer, the human’s eyes on his steel blade as he continued to sharpen it with a stone and sending sparks springing forth to coat the ground.

  It was when the flames began to die down, their orange dancing body slowly ebbing away into little flickers. Axton yawned, stoking the fire with a stick as Soggu picked out a log and tossed it into the pit with a grunt. She was going to make a joke about wood when she caught the slight glint of something metal from the rocks around them. Her eyes adjusted, and she got the sight of a dragonpowder rifle. “Down!” She shouted out, pushing Axton and Soggu down as a thunderous explosion sounded off through the night. The flash of light that followed brought life to the dark rocks around them, seemingly like little bolts of lightning. She felt two balls of metal enter her hind legs as her ears hurt from the cacophony of rifle fire. She winced and gasped as her blood splattered against the stone, landing with Axton with a thump. She made sure to be below him, as to not crush him with her weight.

  “Youse missed boys!” Came the loud shout of an orc. It’s owner stepping out into the light with gleaming tusks. His scarred face was lit up with the shimmer of light from the fire, bathing his eyes in a red glow. “How’d ya miss! They wuz so close!”

  She pushed the pain from her mind, leaping up with a snarl. Quick as a cobra, Her talons sliced into the orc’s chest, catching the man by surprise. She heard Garroth let out a warcry, one that resonated from him and brought a soothing warmth to her feathers. He must have sunk his sword into something because she heard the pained groan of an orc soon after.

  The orc she had struck backed away from her follow up horizontal slashing talons, pulling out an ax to swing at her with a harsh roar. Instinct took over as she leaped to the right, the head striking a rock where she had been. Her hinds pushed her off the ground and toppling over the warrior as she collided with his side. She heard a groan as they crashed into the stone, her weight cracking a few of his bones. She grabbed his now bloody head and smashed it against the ground as two others emerged from behind rocks with spears and knives held within their fists. She pounced back away from the leather armor clad warriors, avoiding the spear aimed for her neck. When he struck again she smacked it away, talons slicing right through the wood and leaping forward to rip out that orc’s throat with a crimson spray. With an angry squawk she let that orc fall, spitting out the taste of coppery blood as she flared out her wings, knocking two other greenskins to their asses.

  She spun around, her hinds catching one more in the chest, sending the surprised orc stumbling backwards into the fire. He cried out into the night as flames licked at his clothes. She felt a blade knick at her side, making her body ache and spasm from the pain.

  It will pass. She muttered to herself, roaring out into the night her defiance. She eyed her attackers as she heard Soggu start to utter spells, the dark air being lit by a great spectral lizard with a large club. The ghost like being swung his club down in a near blinding speed, crushing two orc warriors as if they were bugs beneath a boot. With it’s job completed, the spirit burst into thousands of little lights as the warriors opposite of her made their move.

  Another blade sliced a feather from her wing as she shoved his clumsy partner into another orc with a surprised grunt. Garroth appeared in the corner of her eye, cutting down any orc that was approaching him as though wheat before the scythe. Blood sprayed with each swing, painting the man’s face with crimson ooze.

  But still they came.

  Like an unrelenting wave they climbed and clamored over rocks and dirt. More green skinned warriors to shout cries of battle to their fellows. She cursed herself as she was smacked to the ground, a rock stabbing into her side like a thorn. The wizard was supposed to be keeping watch, wasn’t he? How did this gaggle of warriors get this close? Had they not seen the metal dragon that was laying nearby? She gasped as her muscles began to ache and scream in rebellion as she rolled away from an ax determined to taste her lifeblood. She tapped the band that Nigel had given her, a thin golden thing engraved with lightning bolts of blackened onyx. She felt the air around her spark and tingle with life as electricity crackled and swirled around her wings. She smirked as even the bolts found their way to her eyes, making her hide tingle. A mere thought was all it took for bolt after bolt of near blinding electrical light to loose towards the orcs surrounding her.

  Her attackers wore surprised faces as the arcs of death struck each one of them. Their bodies twisted and fell with pained cries. Weapons clattering against the ground as their owners were taken from his world. She was left gasping as at least ten of the attackers had fallen smoking to the ground, their skulls smacking against stone with sickening thuds. She pulled back to her friends, thankful that wave was at least over. Her watchful eyes scanned the un-moving bodies. The sounds of combat rang around her, Garroth’s blade clanging off of orcish shields and sending the defenders sprawling backwards. Soggu was struggling to get a spell from his lips as four orcs with spears kept trying to jab him with the sharpened metal tips. The lizard dodged and weaved, the tips grazing off his scales at times, but she didn’t know how long he could keep up such an agile dance.

  Up to me then.

  She growled forcing her body to obey as she leaped to Soggu’s defence. She didn’t even get to raise a claw before a confident orcish voice broke through the roars of combat.

  “Okay you lot. Throw down ya weapons before we cut da boys head clean off!”

  Athenais froze, snapping her attention to a smirking orc who clutched Axton roughly by the shoulder, a metal dagger pressed tightly against his throat and glinting in the camp light. The spirit was hovering in the air, eyes narrowed at the orc’s hands.

  “Now I’d best do what’s I says. I mean business!” The orc pressed a fraction of an inch down, drawing forth a single drop of blood that dripped down the boy’s neck. The action caused Axton to wince and cease his struggles. “That’s right. I know ya don’ want ta hurt da little one.” The warrior grinned as he and Garroth locked eyes. The other orcs chuckled and laughed at their apparent victory, as if it was some great play they had made.

  Athenais glared at the orc with a fury of which she had not known for years. A flame within her chest swirling around and begging to be unleashed. She scanned the orcs all around her, looking for an angle she could exploit, something that would turn the tide in their favor. She glanced back back to Axton and sighed. Without hurting the boy there was no victory.

  “Dats right birdy. Take it all in. ya lost. Now look right here. We dun want ta hurt ya.” The orc pointed towards their packs resting by the fire. “We jus want ya tings and probably some of dat food ya got as well.”

  “Dun forget about da loot boss!” An orc shouted who was missing his left eye.

  “Ah yes…The loot of course. See I didn’t forget at all!” The blade holding orc laughed, the sound being echoed from his brethren.

  “Let the boy go and we will comply with you.” Soggu hissed with narrowed eyes as orcs brandished spears towards his snout.

  “Nah. I tink dis be the best strategy for me to employ. Dat way. We gets what we wants!”

  “Dun forget about da loot boss!” Shouted the orc from before, saliva dripping from his jaw. The lead orc rolled his eyes as silence fell over the warrior band.

  “Someone smack Gerald for me will ya?” He grinned as a smack resounded through the night and the orc named Gerald was thrown to the ground.

  “What’d I do? I just reminded him ta get da loot!”

  “Movin on!” The orc holding Axton pressed the blade tighter against the boy’s throat, whose eyes had widened in pure terror.

  “You’ll pay for this you know. Don’t know if you know who your dealing with.” Garroth hissed not releasing his sword. “The moment you cut that kid’s throat we’ll drop all of you. Each and everyone of you will die by our hands.”

  “True, but I don’t care if da boy dies, but she does.” The orc jerked his eyes to stare right into Athenais’ own. His face filled with smugness. One that she wanted to claw so badly, make him match his buddy Gerald when she was done. “So, as I was sayin before I was rudely interrupted by ya. Throw down ya weapons..Maybe we evens eat the bird on account of yer…disobedience.”

  “I will make sure you meet your ancestors tonight if you try.” Soggu hissed his voice taught as his claws shook with an unspoken fury. The orcs didn’t laugh as their leader held Axton firmly, and Soggu was prodded with spears.

  “Not too much choice ya got lad. We got ya by the balls.”

  “I think THAT is enough of your intellectual drivel for one day. “Feyalenar gevilden jorst” Came Nigel’s voice that sprung from every surface around them. Every rock and pebble that littered the area boomed his voice for all to hear. The orc’s eyes filled with surprise and wonder as their heads spun in all directions looking for the source. The leader’s head suddenly came to a jerking stop, almost as if he had frozen in place. Athenais watched as each orc seized up, limbs froze, and the surrounding area looked like a bunch of statues had taken root. She took a tentative step as a warm breeze swept through the camp, it sent shivers down her spine as her body finally started to pull heavy against her mind.

  Nigel emerged from behind one of the many larger rocks, his confident stride full of purpose as his hand caressed the stone like softly. His face was calm, almost like he was the center of a raging hurricane. The man bent towards a frozen orc, extending a single digit and running it under the green-skinned warrior’s chin. “And not a single douse of willpower among you.” He clicked his tongue, standing straight and cupping his own chin. “I hate to admit it’s rather…Unsurprising. I at least thought ONE of you would be able to resist my charm.” The wizard gave a heavy sigh and roll of his shoulders. “Oh well I suppose.” He gestured to Soggu with a flick of his hands, then pointing to Athenais with hardly a glance. “Lizard. I do believe that your gryphon companion needs your skills. She seems to have taken some bullets to her flank.”

  Soggu nodded, moving aside the spears frozen at his head. His snout went to each orc, eyes filled to the brim with suspicion, and a spark of surprise lingering in his darkened slits.

  “Now..What…ever where YOU thinking my braindead warrior?” Nigel slunk over the stone to Axton, almost as if his feet did not touch the ground. He rose his hand, easily plucking the blade from the frozen orc’s grip. Concern flashed in the wizard’s eyes as they descended to the boy, a genuine look that made her tail twitch. “Are you okay my boy?”

  Axton nodded without a word, clutching at his throat where a thin red line had been cut.

  “Run to the lizard. He can patch you up with a quick spell. It may hurt now, but nothing a quick cure wounds spell can’t take care of. “He swept a hand around the boy’s shoulder, gently pushing him towards the shaman. With the boy creeping towards Soggu with a color drained face, Nigel crossed his arms with an evil smirk. His piercing eyes glanced around to all the frozen warriors, as if taking each one and committing them to memory. He seemed almost positively joyful that all the previous smug warrriors now glanced to him with eyes filled with terror. She imagined they would be quivering in fear if they were able to be.

  She dragged a claw through the dirt, rocks catching against her talons as breaths pushed hard through her. Each one brought a lingering pain that prodded needles beneath her hide. Her ears pinned back against her head as Soggu hastily made his way to her, his claws finding her flesh as rocks slipped around his feet.

  “You’ll be alright.” His voice came softly, more caring than she usually heard him hiss. He licked his nose with his tongue, cracking open his leather pouches. He procured several glass bottles, each one containing a near translucent red liquid sloshing around within their confines. “Healing potionsss and you’ll be light as rain.” He uncorked them and brought the first one to her beak. She parted it with little effort, already wincing before the vile tasting concoction met her tongue.

  “Grah.” She squirmed, swallowing down the drink that reminded her of spoiled milk. Her limbs quivered and shook as her stomach felt like it had just completed a loop. Her eyes clenched shut as she willed herself to swallow every drop of the magical liquid.

  “That’sss it…brewed thessse to be ssstronger than usual..Won’t sssay much for the tassste.” He rubbed her throat gently, the tender touch of his scales at least bringing comfort as her hide went flush and warmth found her. It twisted round her limbs like a snake, pulling tight her chest as breaths came quicker and her heart suddenly felt as though a horse had bolted free of a gate. The heat grew and rose up, till it felt like fire had suddenly found her body. She thrashed her tail, curling in on herself as she felt the alien sensation of flesh suddenly growing to seal her open wounds, the soft clink of metal on stone as the bullets were expelled from her body like a poison. Her vision behind her eyes exploded into thousands of lights, each one near blinding in its intensity. It only lasted for a fraction of a second, but she was still left gasping for air. Her lungs thanking her for the cool, the fire slowly dying as sound began to make sense once more.

  “Oh, how rude of me. I must have forgotten.” Nigel spun around, inspecting the orc that had grabbed Axton as though he was a piece of meat. One to be carefully checked out before a butcher started his work. “Siignois.” He turned to Soggu with a mischievous grin, one that reminded the gryphon of devilish imps from the hells beyond. The wizard gestured to the frozen orcs with a crack of his neck just as the shaman had brushed over Axton’s wounds with a glowing claw. “Would you bind theses….these..” He waved his hand, “Barbarians, have them tied up or shacked, something to prevent them from moving. Would be dreadfully embarrassing to have our guests suddenly regain their motor functions again without our expressed permission.”

  “But-“ The Siigonis’ words were laced with concern, shifting his sight to his gryphon and human patients.

  “It looks like you’ve tended to them nicely. I think they will last a tad bit longer now that the worst of it has been taken care of. I can certainly assure you they will get worse if our new-found friends break from my magical bindings however. Now don’t give me that look. I can assure you I know what I’m talking about when it comes to this.”

  Soggu’s eyes narrowed without a sound as he crouched, drawing sigils on the rock with a talon before raising his head to turn to all the frozen greenskins. Rocks rose from the very earth, like little serpents made of stone. They wrapped and binded around legs, waists, catching any loose limb that had the misfortune of being too close to the ground. With a snort and final hiss of displeasure the siigonis turned back to her, his eyes hastily searching for any more wounds along her fur and feathers. He muttered words under his breath that sounded like simple hisses or snarls as he caressed her neck with a delicate touch. She moved her leg and got a jolt of fresh pain, as though someone had plunged a dagger into her flank and twisted.

  “Oh, don’t give me that hiss.” Nigel chuckled, crouching low to inspect the stone. He gave it a rap with his knuckles. “Hmm..Certainly looks as though you did a fantastic job.” He righted himself, his face growing cold and stern once more. “So.” His voice came like ice, cutting through Athenais’ mind like a knife. “You were the one that decided that in your esteemed wisdom that you would attack our camp.” The mage stuck a boney finger to the orc’s nose. “One that I might add had a child, and a giant metal dragon to defend it! I am wondering if you are simply blind or lack brain cells to rub together between those ragged things you call ears.”

  The orc struggled against his bindings, his face twisting at the effort. The only headway he made was a slight twitch of his arm before once more it was frozen stiff.

  “Up here.” Nigel touched the orc’s face twisting in agony.

  “Grah…” Grunted the orc as the green of his skin started to drain, sweat forming on his brow.

  “I am the focus of your attention orc. As to my question, which one was it?”

  “We didn’t see da dragon ya ole git.” The orc spat, spraying spittle against Nigel’s face.

  “Quite.” The wizard wiped it away without another word, pulling his face away as his eyes turned to ice. “I suppose stupid shall be the answer I record for my log books as it were.”

  “If ya spooky git going ta get ta killin me and da boyz. Just git on wit it.” The orc chuckled, a flame of resistance in his blackened pools. “Dun waste me time wit talk.”

  “Quite the charmer you are. Though if I suppose I wanted to have a chat with you I would probably get next to nothing of valuable information. Something about fighting and looting I’m sure.” The wizard sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. “If I wasn’t pressed for time orc I would have had you strapped to a table in my home. Perhaps some enjoying music being played by some bards. I’d have had my knives and all the time to personally teach you each spot that can induce mind shattering pain.”

  Athenais shivered at the threat spoken with hardly an inflection of emotion. As if doing such a thing were simple business to the cold mage before her. She clenched her eyes as it felt like coals had been pressed to her, air escaping her beak in a hiss.

  “Hold in there and it will pass.” Soggu stroked her head, his words calming and cool. “You are healed.” With a final touch of his claw all the pain passed into nothingness. All the heat, dull ache, and sharp stabs gone. She plunged her head into his chest, nuzzling the siigonis as her tail thumped the ground giving proof to her happiness. “Folks would kill for your bedside manners.”

  “It getsss the job done.” The lizard hissed. “Couldn’t let them get away with hurting you.” The lizard glared to the orcs as Nigel went on and on about just what he would do the orc leader. Each description was blood curdling in its description, often involving organs being removed while the current orc was awake and alert of what was going to happen.

  “Regardless!” Nigel strolled around the orc with a raised finger. “It was you who had the blade to my boy’s throat. That places you in a special place in my books.” Nigel glided over to Axton, tapping the boy on the shoulder and guiding him closer to the frozen warrior. “I would like you to apologize for your merry band of misactivities. I would also want you to grovel before my apprentice. Convince him why your boys should survive the night.”

  “Ya want me ta beg?” The orc’s brow stitched together as his eyes locked onto Axton, shooting flames that seemed to ignite the air.

  “If that’s what you want to call it then yes. I would like you to beg to my young mage here. YOU have the power as of this moment to save some lives.” Nigel’s lips curled into a smile, one that left Athenais cold, shivering, and to her horror, curious.

  “No I tink not spook boy! When da big boss learns of ya, yer fancy trick won’t save ya. E’s the biggest and the baddest orc around!”

  “Ah.” Nigel frowned, raising up and letting Axton go. “Very well. I suppose that decision was yours to make. Pity that it was a poor one.” The mage rose his hands through the air as though he was closing a cabinet. The orc’s jaw suddenly snapped shut with a click and muffled groan. The defiance in the orc’s eyes began to waver as he struggled with a renewed purpose against his bindings. With the orc subdued the wizard smiled down to the nervous looking Axton, placing a hand gently onto his shoulder. “Look at this my apprentice. Test subjects! Look at all of them, we couldn’t have asked for a better gathering of candidates to test your potential!”

  “M…My potential?” The boy squirmed, voice cracking as he looked up at the gleaming mage.

  Athenais pushed herself to all fours as Garroth returned quickly inspecting her for wounds. With an insisting chirp she pushed him away and quickly snapped her attention back to the boy dripping with worry. The young mage had been whisked even closer to the orc that had him at blade point. The young human’s hands clutching tight a book held within his hands as Celes leaped onto his shoulder.

  “This will be the first one to test this advanced spell. The one that I have had you preparing each morning since this journey started.”

  “That?” Axton gulped. “Are you sure?”

  “Of that I can be certain!” The wizard snatched up a loose stick, drawing sigils on the ground around the frozen warrior. “You are quite the bright boy. Learning magic that it took others years to learn. I do say that given enough time you will be stronger than even me one day.” He gestured to the symbols that he was drawing through the dirt. “This spell requires more preparations than simply preparing the spell ahead of time. It is an ancient art that was once taught by the dragons of long ago to fuel their vast empires.” The wizard circled the orc, finishing his last sigil with an evil grin. By the way the firelight shown off his teeth he looked to be some sort of joyous demon. One that was holding onto a secret that he so wished to tell. “Now…” The wizard waved his hand in a circular fashion to the orc. “What was your name again? It’s not needed information, but it does help us identify who has brought this particular path tonight.” Nigel snapped his fingers.

  “Grutak.” The orc spat, trying a final yank with his arm and achieving nothing but a groan.

  “Very..enlightening.” Nigel leaned forward, mouth whispering something into Axton’s ears that made the color from the boy’s face vanish in an instant. The young man’s eyes filled with dread as he looked around to all the orcs. “You can do this my boy. I contribute this progress to your time spent at the tower. I shall remember how to improve such methods in the future.”

  Athenais’ hide shivered as the air tingled with horror around her. By the way Axton gulped and quivered she doubted the spell in mind would be a simple thing. If it was anything like the arena she was going to be watching some twisted massacre play out before her.

  “Now Axton. I want you to reach out with your hands and feel their life force.” Nigel extracted a blade from his leather belt, twirling the sharp, gleaming surface in his hand as he eyed the frozen greenskin. The knife sparkled like the sun as the fire struck its surface, moments before he plunged the blade into the orc’s side. His victim groaned, his eyes clenching tight at as his blood seeped from the wound like a river. As he did this Axton rose his trembling arm, cupping his fingers.

  “Can you feel it Axton? His soul twisting and turning within him? The flow of his energy as it radiates off him?” The wizard pulled the dagger free, letting the tide of blood gush from the wound.

  “Yes.” The boy’s words came slowly, as he began to swish his arms through the air. It was like he was trying to weave the very air around him with his movements, as a chill spread through the air. He preformed a wiggling of his fingers, his other hand drawing a circle in the air of a dark crimson. Even the light of the fire seemed to be rejected from it with black swirling lines. The boy’s eyes turned black, glossing over like marbles. “Gratavia.” Axton spoke, his voice low and terrible, making Athenais’ ears pin against her back as the orc screamed.

  The warrior trembled and shook against his bindings as pain found voice within him. It echoed across the hills and seemed to shake the ground with it’s terrible might. Rocks and pebbles rose from the ground around the orc as sweat started to drip from his brow profusely. Though Athenais gasped as dread wrapped around her heart. That wasn’t sweat she was watching curl down his skin; the sweat was green. Her fur stood on end as her mind came to grasp with what was happening before her eyes.

  The orc is melting

  The warrior’s cries began to die as his body drooped, flesh falling away in large chunks. It plopped onto the ground as though it was melting wax, eventually his emerging bones preforming the same ritual. Muffled cries sounded out among the orcs as they watched their brother slump to the ground, his eyes still darting every which way as his head caved inward on itself. But then everything stopped. The orc stopped melting, the pool of green stopped growing. Axton thrust his hand out, but nothing happened as the chill of the air faded away with the next night breeze.

  “Ah.” Nigel sighed, looking to the still squirming pile of misformed flesh. “You did very well…Although it looks as though you lost the spell at the last moment.” He left the boy to circle the orc, whose eyes still were consumed by pain, although he now lacked a mouth to voice that pain. “It looks as though he is still alive.” The wizard chuckled, prodding the soft skinned orc with his stick. The once melting flesh clung to the wood like puddy before dripping back down to the ground with a sickening plop. “I could not have asked for a better reward for you Grutak then to be stuck in this form, experiencing mind bending pain such as this.” Nigel retreated to Axton, grabbing the boy gently and ignoring his apologies.

  “Nothing to apologize for boy. You almost had the spell, just a readjustment of your stance and hand movements and I think we have it. Although.” He shifted the boy’s view to the others around them. “We will wait before finishing on your would-be assassin. I think he has earned the reward of spending the rest of his life like that. Perhaps until a hungry predator comes by and decides that orc flesh shall fill their belly for the evening.”

  Athenais’ body could take it no longer; her stomach voiced her opinion on the matter. Everything that had been sitting inside of it was loosed onto the world through her trembling beak. She gagged and coughed as the pile of flesh’s scent wafted into her nostrils. It was revolting, almost as if someone had left rotten eggs to sit within a vat of vinegar. Her ears pinned back as Soggu stroked her neck, telling her things were going to be alright. She lurched again, getting nothing but a sharp pain as her body contracted and a vile slime oozed from her mouth. She knew that mana crystals had been made from people, but she never imagined that the spell was so messy. Somehow, she had pictured a flash of light, billowing smoke and that was it. Nothing like the horror she had just witnessed.

  “Much to learn Axton, might as well try it again.” Nigel smiled, striding over towards the next closest orc who still had his spear clutched firmly overhead in frozen hands. The greenskins eyes widened in dread, unable to voice his terror. “Very good luck that we have so many test subjects.”

  “Is this really necessary?” Athenais blurted out, wiping away the last of her vomit with an extended rag from the shaman. “To make him do that? Can’t you see how the boy trembles and shakes at such things?” She snapped her beak round to glare at the frowning wizard. The man regarded her with an almost disappointed sigh as he folded his hands across his chest.

  “How else would I be able to show him this spell? It’s not everyday that you have a band of villainous orcs handed to you on a silver…well rocky platter as it were. Do you suggest we just leave them here to go about their business?” The old man raised a brow as he took a slow step forward. “That they should wander across some other gathering of travelers and let them rob and or murder them?”

  “No.” Her ears splayed as she looked away, blood rushing to her face as the wizard made his factual point. “But why must the lesson be so…Grusome. Is there not some other way to dispose of them?”

  “The spell sadly is not a clean one my gryphon friend-“

  “Acquaintance.”

  “Acquaintance.” Nigel corrected himself, raising a finger to the air as he spun on his heel. “I would love to have another way to demonstrate the spell, but there is simply no other way to go around it.” He strode around the frozen orc with a confident swagger, “It’s like..It’s like.” He waved towards Soggu, “For instance his people teach their young to gut and clean their kills.”The wizard pointed to all the orcs. “Simply think of these maurading orcs as our kill for the evening.”

  “It’sss not that sssimple.” Soggu hissed, “We don’t teach our younglingsss to be executionersss.”

  “Right you are.” He gave the shaman a smile. “I never did say it was a perfect analogy, did I?” Nigel skirted the mound of writhing flesh, making sure his boots didn’t sully themselves with the red crimson gore. “Now, if there are not any more suggestions. We are going to go back to disposing some of these villainous orcs like any good hero of any story worth some salt. Unless you have an opinion, you’d like to share Garroth?”

  The warrior looked up from his resting place, rag cleaning his blood smeared sword. Garroth looked to Axton with hardened eyes, ones that contained a hint of sympathy. “We all have to grow up sometimes, some faster than others. The world isn’t a nice place where you can’t keep your hands clean. Kids got to learn that.” Garroth thumbed to a warrior directly behind him to his left. “If the roles were reversed I don’t imagine our greenskinned friends here would be having this conversation. Besides, death by spell or death by sword, it’s all the same in my book.”

  “Well said. I knew hiring you was the right course of action!” Nigel clapped his hands together. “Such an enlightened head on your shoulders Garroth. Perhaps you missed your calling as a scholar in life? And how about you my concerned mother hen. What say you?” The mage snapped to her, eyes locking onto hers and sending a chill through the very air.

  Athenais couldn’t believe it as she ground her talon against the ground, thrashing her tail with an irritated chirp. She glared into the man’s cold piercing eyes, wanting to simply tell him off. To shout and fluff up her feathers, to thrust a talon at him and demand he go to the nine hells. She parted her beak, readying herself to do such when her inner fire suddenly flickered. There was a glint in the man’s eyes, something filled with enough murderous intent to make her skin crawl. The world around her faded away except for his intense stare that made her feel for the lack of a better word, small. She could sense it, he wanted her to challenge him, and her mind whispered words of warning as cold lapped at her feathers. What consequences could this twisted mage come up with if she did? Would she end up like that pile of flesh that had been an orc? She splayed her ears as her fire snuffed out and she looked away with a hiss. She wasn’t ready to push him, not yet, her mind too fearful of what consequence he would dream up. “None.” She hung her head, “You may continue with your lesson.”

  “Very well!” Nigel spun around, warmth finding his voice as he wrapped an arm around Axton’s shoulder. “Now focus again on the spell my son. Let’s truly get it right this time!”

  Athenais limped away in shame as the boy trembled and nodded, holding an arm up towards the second orc. She ignored the flickers of pain that coursed through her side as Soggu followed her with a hiss.

  “Stop your moving!” He scolded, almost slipping on a rock.

  She winced as the gurgled half scream of the orc warrior, it was blood-curtling, like offal being strained through a sewer grate. She only guessed the wizard let them talk to fuel his need to make them suffer. She tried to bring her mind to a happy place, one with bright skies, warm breezes, and shining sun. Surely that would wipe away the spine tingling horror of an orc melting before her eyes. She slunk around a horse sized rock, covering her ears as a chorus of screams soon followed the first. It was as if Nigel had suddenly done that dark magic on all of them at once. She heard their pleas echo through the night, their begs, their groveling that the wizard had asked from the first. Though clearly by the cacophony of pain he had ignored them.

  “Mossst vile magic that isss.” Soggy plopped down beside her, his tail brushing her hinds. His eyes filled with concern as he placed a claw onto her fur. “How are you holding up? How’sss the woundsss?”

  “Healed for the most part.” She sighed, looking to the reknitted flesh. “Still stings when I move, but otherwise it feels fine.” She scooched closer towards him, almost demanding the closeness after what she had just seen. “Do you think I’ve gone soft? I can stand ripping out a man’s throat, cutting his arms clean off, but this? This un-nerves me to my core.”

  “Ssslaughter isss what it isss.” The lizard nodded, scratching her fur. “And with sssuch glee he enjoysss it.” Soggu glanced back towards the camp. “Dark magic. You could sssee it in the boysss eyesss as he cassst the ssspell. Makesss my ssscalesss itch sssomething awful.”

  “Makes me wonder what will happen when we find the dragon…. Might want to cut ties with the man soon after…Just thank your spirits that he’s on our side of all things.” She hung her head, thrusting it firmly into the lizard’s embrace. Her ears fluttered as she focused on his steady beating heart and his careful breaths, their comforting sounds casting away the blood curdling screams from behind them.

  “My aren’t you all cuddly tonight.” The shaman’s words came softly as he only appeared shocked for a moment before wrapping her tightly with his scaled arms. His claws found their way to her ears and chin. It was rather awkward at first as if he was caressing some valued treasure he was afraid of breaking. The emotion was there however, reminding her they were friends, and that was all she needed for the moment. “You haven’t gone soft. Though your feathersss and fur cccertainly are. Onccce we are done we can take our fortunesss and ditch that wizard. Possibly even travel to thisss foressst to reunite the ssspirit with its home.”

  “That would be nice”, She sighed, her world focusing on his damp smelling scales. She felt his limbs tremble as another shriek of agony echoed through the night.

  “Hopefully there won’t be more nightsss of thisss butchery.”

  She nodded almost instantly, praying that the incoming storm from above would cast away the blood that littered their camp with its heavy rain.

  Like a sign from the gods a bolt of forked lightning lit across the sky, the air cracking in it’s wake as an earsplitting roar shook the very ground and scattered any creature that heard it. The dark clouds opened, the first droplet hitting her beak and making her laugh. More came after the first, a slow trickle at but soon picking up in its shear intensity. It was not long before they were sitting in a torrential downpour, like the skies were mirroring her soul.

  They sat there for quite some time, the heavy pattering of rain against stone ceasing all other sounds. She shivered, content to let the waters of nature wash away the grime and blood that coated her fur. Despite her claws begging her to leave the rain and get dry she reminded herself it was better to remain here than spend one more second within that terror show back with the mage. She wrapped a wing around the siigonis shaman as the wind picked up, ruffling her fur and biting her to the bone. Soggu said nothing as scales pushed up against fur, her touch simply being enough to calm both her and his concerned hearts. It brought stability to this night, and somehow made the prospect of so many gleaming coins as her reward seem less worth it. Her ears flicked back as a clattering of rocks pierced the air and made her snap her beak round.

  Axton came around the rocks, stumbling and leaning against the grey stone for support as water ran down and coated his fingers. He held a glowing mana crystal in his left hand, the warm light spreading from his fingertips. She could see his face was pale, a speck of dried blood on his cheek, his eyes still wide in shock. The poor boy looked to be as petrified as they were. His hair was ruffled as though the human had been running his fingers through it and pulling taught. Though with the rain pelting his black strands it wouldn’t be long till that detail was washed away with everything else. The lad was mumbling to himself as his hand shot out, catching himself as his foot slipped on a wet rock.

  She released a small chirp, one that might be considered concern for her people. She had expected perhaps a look of smugness, possibly a hint of that wizard master lurking behind those icy blues, but all she could see within them was horror, terror, and horrible realization of what he’d been forced to do. As he stumbled again he looked up to her, eyes misting and full of pain. How could she resist such a face in their shared grief? She extended a wing and gestured to him to join them.

  “He…made me.” Axton collapsed against her wet fur, his whole form shaking and quivering. “Said..I was a natural.” His words came slowly, like they were even a surprise to be leaving his mouth at all. “I didn’t want to…I never…”

  “Nonsense.” She shook her head, pulling him closer against him into a wet, soggy hug. He didn’t resist as his quivering face was smushed against her, a choking sob being released into her chest. “You don’t have the eyes of a sadistic killer, no matter what he says.” The boy didn’t offer any other reply then salty tears running down his cheek, getting lost within the storm. She offered soft coo’s as both siigonis and human hugged her tight, even Celes joining in with their close embrace. She rose her head as the sound of rocks shifting once more caught her ear. In the distance and through the falling rain she could see two burning orange eyes among the dark, the metallic dragon staring at them intently, almost as if contemplating what to do. Athenais hugged the two within her grasp tighter, ignoring the malfunctioning creation.

  Constructs don’t think.She reminded herself as the metal being cocked it’s head. Its eyes were locked onto Axton’s shivering form, and for a moment she wasn’t so sure.