by Terry Spear
“Oh,” she groaned under her breath.
Once, her spacecraft had lost its stabilizers. The ship had dipped and dove precariously toward a distant planet. She’d lost her morning meal and her lunch, too.
Even with their fight in the sea with the mermaid, the rocking of the boat had made her ill. But this was ten times worse.
She shouldn’t have eaten such a delightful wild boar stew right before flying. Too late to think of that now.
Though she hadn’t meant to open her eyes, because every time she chanced it to get a look at the scenery way below her, her stomach rolled, but the griffon’s screech forced her to look.
The sphinx was nowhere in sight. Why wouldn’t the sphinx have made it clear to the griffon that they were only passing through the area to help the sphinx?
“Where is the sphinx?”
“Her wings are not as large as the dragons. They cannot slow down their speed for her to catch up, nor can she fly at our speed.”
Great.
One griffon, its body that of a lion like the sphinx only it had the head of an eagle, signaled to the others. “Attack the dragons and their elf riders!”
She called to them as the dragon she rode twisted its head around as if it thought a griffon had latched onto its back. “We come in peace! We journey to see the sphinx to help them concerning the roc!”
The lead griffon, its head feathers grayer than the others, motioned to the others with his wing.
Immediately, the griffons circled them, while the dragons flapped slowly, hovering in place.
“Please,” Persephonice pleaded. “We don’t mean to trespass, but the sphinx, named Leona, is behind us and she has requested our assistance.”
The griffon blinked its golden eyes. “What manner of creature are you? A mermaid without—”
“A fishtail.” She avoided rolling her eyes. “Yes, I’ve heard this before. Will you let us pass?”
“The rocs hunt our people. What do you intend to do for the sphinx? Annihilate the roc with your dragon fire?”
“We come in peace. I’ll try to negotiate with the roc.”
The griffon tilted its beak up. “The rocs do not negotiate. How will you be able to make them understand?” Then he shook his head. “How do you speak our language?”
“A gift.”
“I know of no creature who can understand us other than the sphinx who share our half-lion heritage.” He twisted his head when another called to him.
“Alacron, the sphinx, Leona, is flying this way.”
Alacron stared at Persephonice, twisting his head this way, than that. “We hear what the sphinx has to say.”
“The queen have mercy, dragons fly fast,” the sphinx said, soaring high above them. “They are with me, only they lead the way. But truly, Alacron, they are on a mission to help us deal with the roc.”
“We will come with you, as we have had the same trouble.” He blinked his golden eyes. “If the mermaid creature will permit it.”
Persephonice noticed the elves all waited for her to tell them what was going on.
“Yes, of course.” She only hoped she’d have success with the roc. If she didn’t, there would go her overseer job. And whatever strides she’d made with the sphinx and now the griffin would be for naught.
“Then we will lead the way,” Alacron said. With a roar, he gave his orders and the griffins formed a “v” and headed north.
“We’re to follow them,” Persephonice said to the elves.
As soon as the dragon she rode on swooped after them, Persephonice gasped and tightened her hold on Dracolin, at the same time clenching her teeth to fight the nausea that took hold again. With her eyes shut, she hoped the journey wouldn’t take much longer.
“You’re missing the beauty of the region,” Prince Cronus shouted to her.
She groaned in response.
“I can’t believe you can talk to the griffon,” Prince Zorak said. “You will be the greatest treasure my people have ever seen.”
This time Dracolin groaned.
Within the hour, they arrived at a golden palace built high into cliffs of the same kind of gold-colored stone. The sunlight glinted off the rock, nearly blinding her.
Male and female sphinx guards stood on various points of the parapets, then one pulled a rope and a bell sounded. Persephonice assumed it was a warning system, alerting the populace of their arrival.
As soon as they landed on the large roof of the palace, sphinx armed with swords and lances greeted them with a wary eye.
Alacron spoke first. “Leona is behind us, but she found a mermaid, who will speak to the roc on our behalf.”
One of the sphinx stepped forward. “What are the elves doing here?”
“We are Persephonice’s guard,” Dracolin said, helping her off the dragon.
She immediately pulled free and ran for the wall that ringed the top edge of the roof.
“Persephonice!” Dracolin ran after her as some of the sphinx kept watch over the other elves, and three dashed after the elf and the mermaid.
She grabbed the top of the stonewall and leaned over it all of a sudden.
Had she wanted to throw herself off the…
She threw up her last meal. He raised his brows. He’d only seen three elves not take well to flying on a dragon before.
He ran his hand over her back, soothing her, then handed her his blue cloth.
“Oh, what must you think of me?”
“I think you are not used to flying. That’s what I think. No one will care.” He glanced back to see the elves grinning. Well, maybe they’d be slightly amused. To think this remarkable creature could swim, fall from several feet without suffering injury, could melt metal, and could converse with many creatures, but couldn’t hold her meal when flying…
“Is the female going to be all right?” a sphinx asked in her human voice without riddles, drawing closer.
“Her stomach’s just a little upset with flying.”
The sphinxes, who were close enough, laughed. Then one said, “Come, the queen expects to see you at once.”
Leona landed on her lion’s paws without a sound. “Is the mermaid all right?”
Dracolin held Persephonice’s hand. “Your cheeks have lost their color.”
Persephonice nodded. “I’m…I’m all right.”
Suddenly a new bell sounded, one with a different tone.
Immediately, the sphinx shouted orders. “Get the overseer inside!”
Archers sent a volley of arrows into the air as the sky darkened. The magnificent white birds spread their wings forty feet wide and dove for the roof.
Dracolin ran with Persephonice, holding her hand firmly as he dashed toward a gray door in the side of the mountain wall.
Griffons took flight to fight the roc as the sphinx remained on the rooftop, attempting to secure safe passage for the elves.
A sphinx opened the door to the castle and motioned for them to hurry.
But Dracolin knew in his heart the rocs would attempt to grab the redheaded mermaid that everyone tried to protect.
Though he ran as fast as he was able, Persephonice’s smaller stature forced her to take twice as many steps. She couldn’t keep up. Twice she’d stumbled when he’d tried to push her too fast.
Zorak climbed onto a dragon and took him into the air where dragons did their best fighting. Balon and Cronus ran after the other dragons to do the same.
Almost immediately, blue flames shot across the sky.
When Dracolin and Persephonice were halfway across the roof, a roc dove for them. Dracolin grabbed Persephonice up in his arms and darted away from the door. The bird switched direction while chaos reigned on the roof.
Several sphinxes battled with two rocs that had landed. No one seemed to see the difficulty Dracolin and Persephonice faced. His sword could never strike a fatal blow to the gigantic bird without having others to aid him. And he feared if he let Persephonice down, the creature would soon take her in hi
s talons.
Again, it swooped, this time knocking Dracolin down. He and Persephonice scrambled to their feet.
“I can run!” she yelled at Dracolin.
“No, he’ll grab you.” He lifted her again in his arms, determined to get her to safety. But before they’d run for more than a couple of paces, the roc seized Dracolin in its strong talons.
“Dracolin!” Persephonice screamed, as he still clutched her tightly. They were carried high over the mountains and faded from the sight of the battle.
“Hold on tightly to me, Persephonice. Whatever you do, hold on tightly, and don’t let go. And don’t look down.”
She clung to him with all her strength, and he knew then as important as she was to their people, she needed a warrior to protect her always, and he was the only one for the job. Though at the moment, he felt at a loss as to how to get them out of this mess.
“Can you talk to him? Tell him we only wish to speak with them?” he asked, his words urgent.
Chapter 15
To Dracolin’s surprise, Persephonice said, “No. I’m sorry, Dracolin, I can’t talk to the roc.”
How could a creature as remarkable as she, speak with every creature they had encountered, but not this one as much as they needed to communicate with the beast?
Had she just realized this now? Unless Zorak and his companions could find the roc’s dwelling, one shadow elf and a magical mermaid had no hope of escape.
“Are they too difficult a species to understand?”
“None have made a sound. Not one. As we ran for the safety of the castle’s interior, I tried to concentrate on the sounds made over the battle cries of the griffon and sphinx. But not once did I hear a roc make a bit of noise.”
“They say they sound similar to the griffon.”
“I have to hear their calls to be able to mimic their speech and translate what they have to say.”
When he heard flapping behind them, he’d hoped the elves had pursued them, but to his disappointment, only five of the rocs joined them. Three had arrows poking into their wings, but he imagined their healers could soon mend them.
What had caused the friction between the griffons and sphinx and the roc?
If Persephonice couldn’t speak with them…
He took a deep breath and held her tighter. He should have said no to her aiding the sphinx. She’d have been better off with the elven kind…well, not the river elves. Yet her heart seemed so cheered to help the sphinx race.
He kissed her cheek. “How are you doing, Persephonice?”
She stared blankly at his chest. “I’ve let everyone down. And now even your people have been dragged into this conflict with the roc. The king of the high elves and of your own shadow elves will want me burned at the stake if their sons die in battle.”
“We chose to go. Fighting for a good cause is noble. That’s what we do.”
“What about your father? He’ll be angry with you for coming after me in the first place.”
“You are the most unique creature I’ve ever encountered, Persephonice. My king has great need for an overseer.”
She smiled sadly.
He just hoped they lived long enough so that he could return her to his people and prove what he said was true.
***
After a couple of hours, the roc set down on a high top plateau. The others joined him as a few white feathers floated in the air like an early brushing of winter snowflakes.
“What are they doing?” Persephonice asked, clinging to Dracolin.
They had to stay together at all times, otherwise he feared they’d leave him and take off with her. “I think they’re waiting to see if any more of their kind are coming.”
For an hour, Dracolin held Persephonice in his arms, trying to keep the two of them warm as strong icy winds swept over the top of the red rock plateau, dusty and without a scrap of plants to curb the biting wind.
Four specks flew toward them as the roc readied themselves for battle, stretching their wings and craning their necks.
Dracolin remained hopeful they were elven-led dragons, but as the winged creatures grew close, he could see they were more roc.
The four finally landed on the plateau, two of which were wounded. Bloodied wings showed they’d fought hard, but Dracolin assumed it would take a lot more power to defeat an airborne fleet of roc.
“They’re not making a sound,” Persephonice said under her breath.
The roc watched her with their hazel eyes, but none made a move for them for a good hour. Then the one, who’d carried them before, seized Dracolin. With another scream from Persephonice, they were flown high above the plateau and headed north.
“Have you ever been this way before?” Persephonice asked.
“No. Our kind doesn’t venture this far north. The snow giants live in the snow-covered mountains here.”
“Giants.”
“Yes. Do you know their language?” He still couldn’t believe any creature could speak so many languages just by listening to their speech once.
“I have never seen a giant before.” She rested her head against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her. “I have never seen your world.”
“How did you come to be in our lands, Persephonice?”
He waited for her answer, but when she didn’t respond, he tilted her chin up. Her eyes were shut and her face was cloaked in sleep.
Patience. He had to learn patience with the mermaid.
When the last sunlight had faded from the sky and the silver streaks from the double moons lighted their way, the roc landed in a courtyard. Because of the size of the birds, the building that surrounded them was of gigantic proportions.
He felt like he was but a tiny insect in an elven palace.
Under large overhangs, roc slept on nests. Two greeted the others, their beaks touching and their necks nuzzling.
Then a sphinx hurried out from a doorway, his back legs manacled. He motioned to Dracolin to follow him.
“Are you one of those from Leona’s palace that was captured?” Dracolin asked, as he carried Persephonice.
The sphinx stared at him, then nodded.
“Will you speak with me?”
The sphinx vigorously shook his head.
“Very well.”
A roc walked after them. Then when they reached a cell, the sphinx motioned to it. The roc cawed at the sphinx and motioned with his wing to Persephonice. The sphinx didn’t seem to understand, but Dracolin believed the roc wanted to separate him from Persephonice and that he wouldn’t agree to.
The roc hit Dracolin with his talon. Dracolin fell, but held on tightly to his precious magic mermaid.
The sphinx tried to separate them, but Dracolin cursed him and stomped on his paw with his boot. The sphinx yelped in pain. But he quickly reacted by extending his claws.
The roc shook his head, squawked, and stood between the sphinx and Dracolin. Then the roc moved out of the cell and poked a button with its beak.
The grate door rumbled close.
When the roc sauntered off, Dracolin considered their surroundings. Four beds, all covered with brown woolen blankets, rested in a row.
He laid Persephonice in one of the beds, but didn’t trust the roc to try and separate them when they slept. He removed his belt, then slipped hers from around her waist. After tying them together, he climbed into bed with her and tied the belts around their waists. With her back to him, he wrapped his arms around her and like that, he hoped they would sleep peacefully the rest of the night.
The sphinx snickered.
Dracolin opened his eyes and found the sphinx reclining on a bed watching them.
“What is the female, elf?”
“An overseer.”
The sphinx shook his head.
“You wouldn’t speak to me before.”
“We’re not permitted. If we talk, they fear we’ll revolt.”
“Why did they take you hostage?”
“Several of us tried to
find out what had happened to our offspring. The rocs steal them whenever they’re able. They decided we could care for them, rather than kill us like they might have done. But we still don’t know why they take them.”
“How long ago did this begin?”
“Two months. Then the soothsayer said our savior could be found in Darkland Forest. Of course, none of us believed it. What’s there but woodland nymphs and shadow elves?”
“And an overseer,” Dracolin said, running his hand down Persephonice’s arm.
“She’s the one?” the sphinx said, his eyes wide.
“Leona’s said she was.”
“What can she do?”
“She has the gift of language, only she hasn’t heard the roc speak. When she does, she can converse with them. Maybe she can find out what has caused the rift.”
The sphinx closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His mouth curved up. “You think they will steal this gem of yours in the middle of the night?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.”
“You are right.”
“I’m sorry for stomping on your foot.”
The sphinx chuckled. “It still throbs, but if I were in your place and wanted to protect my female, I’d have done the same thing.” He opened his eyes and looked at Persephonice. “I’m surprised your king, or your father even, would permit you to marry a creature not an elf. She is a different kind of a mermaid, no?”
Chapter 16
Early the next morning, Persephonice woke to find Dracolin snuggled against her back with his arms around her. When she couldn’t move, she realized he’d tied them together with their belts. Now, he snored softly against her hair.
She glanced at the bed next to them occupied by a male sphinx. His unbound golden hair trailed over his muscular shoulders but didn’t hide his equally muscled chest. Like Leona, he had amber eyes, a slightly larger lion’s body, and a tail that whipped back and forth, slapping the mattress every so often on its downward path.
He watched her curiously.
“Good morning,” she said, wondering why a full-grown male sphinx would be in the roc’s domain. Or had she and Dracolin been rescued and—