by Logan Jacobs
I ducked instinctively as I felt the shadow pass over me, but the gryphon wasn't focused on me. No, there was much easier prey here, and they knew it. The creature dove low toward the group of afflicted, and Maruk barely reacted in time as he shoved the person he'd been grappling with to the ground and covered them both with his shield.
The gryphon landed on top of them, and I could hear the scrape of its talons as they ripped into the metal shield.
I yanked my dagger from my belt and summoned the bright blue mana blade to it, though I didn't know exactly what I planned to do with it yet. Before I could figure that out, another gryphon barreled into the first and knocked it off of Maruk. This second gryphon, unlike the others with their white wings and gray spotted pelts, was pitch-black and had bright green eyes.
It was Merlin.
The first gryphon took to the air again in an attempt to lose its new attacker, but Merlin had plenty of flying experience and trailed it easily as it flew above the treetops.
I was grateful for the puca's help, but there were still four other gryphons for the rest of us to deal with. Two landed on the other side of the path from the afflicted, and for a moment, I wondered why they weren't attacking. That was when I noticed the thin smoke I'd originally taken to be fog was actually pouring out of a small glass jar Lena must have rolled onto the trail between the gryphons' feet. I glanced to the side and found Lena crouched among the bushes along the path with another jar full of pale smoke still clasped in her hand.
Whatever the smoke was, the gryphons didn't like it. Their flat owl-like faces were scrunched up in almost comical expressions of disgust, but despite their obvious displeasure, they didn't seem to be able to move away from the haze. I was briefly reminded of the way beekeepers used smoke to subdue the bees in their hives and wondered if this was some sort of magical equivalent.
I didn't have long to wonder, however, because at that moment, the final two gryphons swooped down through the trees toward our group. Maruk and Aerin moved in to cover the afflicted as best they could while Lavinia drew another arrow, but there were still only the three of them against the gryphons, and the two Lena managed to distract had begun to recover.
My mind raced, and at once, I realized we were in too close quarters for any of us to be effective. With the gryphons on top of us like this, Lavinia risked shooting one of the afflicted instead of the gryphons, and Maruk and Aerin couldn't defend themselves and the ill people at the same time. I knew what I needed to do. Really, it wasn't all that different from our original plan to confuse the afflicted.
I just hoped I could make it work.
I picked up a rock the size of my fist from the trail and threw it at the nearest of the gryphons. Right as the creature whirled to face me, I projected my mana and willed it to take on my form as I ducked away.
The gryphon leapt for my clone, but of course, its talons sliced right through the illusion. Already I could feel the drain the spell was having on me, but I wasn't done yet. I created another clone and another, repeating the spell until there were five of me along the path, five perfect replicas of my body, though they shimmered a bit around the edges with the blue light of my mana. If anything, that quality seemed to draw the gryphons, and without my having to do anything else, the remaining three followed the first and lunged for the clones.
If the gryphons weren't so terrifying, and if my head wasn't already pounding from the focus it took to uphold the illusions, it might have actually been funny. Like cats chasing after the light of a laser pointer, the gryphons were drawn to the mana clones, and they were perplexed when their talons passed right through the clones' bodies.
With a wave of my hand, I directed the clones down the path, and they drifted along like ghosts as the gryphons trailed them and snapped their beaks.
Lavinia didn't need my signal, and as soon as the gryphons were far enough away that she could get a clear shot, she sent an arrow into each beast's feathered flank.
We'd barely had a moment to breathe out after the gryphons fell dead when there was a startling crash off in the woods to the right, and we all turned at once as Merlin, in his natural form again, limped out of the underbrush. For a moment I was worried that perhaps he'd broken a limb in the fall, but then the puca gave himself a vigorous shake and made a beeline for Aerin's pack on the side of the trail in search of food, so I turned back to the others.
The afflicted were gathered together on the path, and thankfully, I realized, none of them appeared to have sustained more than a few scrapes and bruises. Furthermore, none of them were attacking us, and for a moment, I felt hopeful the curse had been impaired somehow by the attack when I recognized the thin fog around their feet. Just like the gryphons, the afflicted were compelled to stand still in a daze while whatever concoction Lena unleashed upon them did its work.
The alchemist met my eye as she returned the now-empty jar to her pack and offered me a small smile. I wanted to ask her about it, but I knew that fog would wear off in a matter of minutes, and we had better be out of the ill people's way by then.
"Is everyone alright?" I asked.
Aerin, Lavinia, and Lena answered affirmatively.
"Maruk?" I prompted when the orc said nothing. I knew he had been in an especially difficult position, pinned between the gryphons and the sick people, and I'd seen him go down when that gryphon attacked. He frowned deeply around his tusks as he faced me, and for a moment I was afraid he'd been seriously injured.
"Be honest," Maruk said firmly. "Did I get mud on my cloak?" He turned so we could see his back and looked over his shoulder expectantly. In his furry cloak, now covered in pine needles from his fall, Maruk looked like a giant porcupine.
I sighed and shook my head, but I couldn't help the relieved smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth.
"You're fine," I said dismissively and waved my hand.
"Really?" Maruk asked. "Because if there is any mud, I really must scrape it off before it dries."
"Relax," Lavinia told him. "You managed to get through the near-death experience with a flock of man-eating pigeons without ruining your finery. Truly, a crisis was averted today."
"Actually, I think they're part owl," Lena chimed in as she walked carefully up to one of the dead gryphons to examine the corpse. "That would explain why they were able to fly silently."
"If no one needs medical attention, we need to get going before the smoke wears off," I said with a nod toward the group of clanspeople.
Their eyes were half-shut and their mouths hung open slightly, and for a moment I felt a surge of pity for them. Between the curse and whatever was in the smoke Lena used to drug them, I was sure they'd all wake up to killer headaches when they finally came to once more. I comforted myself with the thought that at least they would be healthy and free again, and that time would come sooner rather than later if I had anything to do with it.
Chapter 15
"So, Lena," I said as we continued up the winding trail north through the foothills, "what exactly was the stuff you used back there?"
I hadn't seen those jars before, nor had I ever heard of any substance like the smoke Lena used, magical or otherwise. It looked like regular smoke or mist, but it stopped those gryphons short and even managed to affect the clanspeople despite the seemingly unbreakable influence of the curse that drove them on their own mysterious journey.
"The vapor?" the alchemist replied, a little shyly. "It's nothing, really." When I looked over at her, a light blush tinted her cheeks and she tucked a strand of her honey-blonde hair behind one pointed ear. "It makes any creature who smells it stay in place for a little while. I invented it so I could catch these flying beetles that live off the eastern coast of Morelia. They're very difficult to capture ordinarily, but their wings can be used for all sorts of medicines and potions and things, so I figured out how to make the vapor to keep them still."
"You invented that yourself?" Lavinia asked, one eyebrow arched.
"It's amazing," I s
aid truthfully. "Have you ever thought about selling the vapor?"
"What?" Lena's violet eyes became round. "That? I mean, that was just something I threw together for the beetles. Do you think anyone would buy it?"
"Are you joking? You could sell over a hundred jars of the stuff at the charter office in Ovrista alone!" Aerin answered as the redheaded elf's eyes sparkled with avid interest. "Smoke that paralyzes your enemies? Guilds would pay through the nose for even a small vial. You could charge anything you wanted."
"Well, it doesn't exactly paralyze--" Lena started to say, but Aerin began to run through a list of questions in rapid-fire.
"Does it really work on all creatures?" the healer asked. "What sort of tests have you run? What's the volume of vapor per the target's pound weight ratio that you'd need for it to work effectively? How much does it cost you to make a jar? Could someone replicate the recipe? Wait, you have patented this, right?"
Lena just looked lost.
"Slow down, Aerin," Lavinia said with a faint chuckle. "You're scaring her."
"She's been walking around all this time with this goldmine!" Aerin replied before she turned back to Lena. "Does anyone else know about this?"
Lena blinked and shook her head. "I never really bothered to mention it before. I mean, it was useful to me, but I didn't think anyone else would really be interested. I figured most people don't really need to catch beetles--"
"You've got to be kidding me," Aerin said as she put her arm around Lena's shoulder. "This goes way beyond catching beetles. This is a truly incredible business opportunity. With the right marketing, this could be the making of us, I mean, you, but I'll help. You definitely need my help."
"Oh, okay," Lena replied with a shaky smile. "Thanks."
"It was really helpful to us, Lena, thanks," I said before Aerin could start to badger her again with business questions.
"I'm glad there was something I could do," she replied, and her smile broadened.
At my feet, Merlin chattered irritably, and I reached down to give him a quick scratch behind the ears.
"I didn't forget about you," I told him. "You were very brave."
Aerin fished out one of the acorn cakes with berries that we'd gotten from Corulin's clan and broke off a piece to give to the puca. As she held it out to him, however, he ignored the small bit he was offered and instead leapt up the length of Aerin's arm to grab the rest of the cake. From Aerin's shoulder, he jumped up into the branches of one of the pine trees overhead and let out a cheerful trill before he stuffed the entire cake into his mouth.
"Why, you little--" Aerin gasped, and Lavinia laughed.
"That's right," the ranger said. "It's not as cute when it's taking your stuff, is it?"
"Cute," Merlin echoed from the tree. Then, either for effect or simply because he liked the sound of it, he kept repeating it while he swished his long tail. "Cute, cute."
"Wonderful," Lavinia groaned. "It learned a new word. Can't wait to see how this plays out at three in the morning."
"He just likes to tease you," I said with a laugh.
"Oh, believe me, I'm well aware," the ladona woman said flatly. Then she adjusted the strap of her quiver over her shoulder as she turned back up the path. "Well, at least our little impromptu party back there told us one thing: we must be going the right way. I mean, Aurelius or whoever placed this curse on these people is obviously trying to bring them somewhere specific."
"Right," Aerin said as she wrapped her cloak tighter around her shoulders. "I just wish we knew why. If it is Aurelius, and I think we can assume it is, why would he do this now? He's been out here for over twenty years, after all. And why would he target this clan specifically?"
"Maybe he's not," I replied. "We don't know what's going on in any of the other clans or even where they are. It's possible they've been affected as well."
I let out a sigh as I continued. "As for why Aurelius is doing something like this now after having spent so long in hiding, I’m not sure." It was possible it had taken him this long to figure out how to do it. I didn't know much about curses, but I imagined something like this must have been difficult to develop.
"What do we know about the medallion?" I asked then. "We know the Stewards' information suggested Aurelius has it, but did he always? Did he take it with him when he fled all those years ago?"
If that were the case, I wondered why the Mage Academy hadn't undertaken a more direct approach toward retrieving the medallion, and sooner. The arch-mages were fairly comfortable with letting guilds volunteer to do their leg work for them, that wasn't unusual in itself, but I would have expected the medallion to be a different case. After all, it was supposed to be able to cure any ailment. I would have expected the authorities in the Mage Academy would express a little more urgency when it came to retrieving something so powerful, especially if they knew it was in the hands of a man like Aurelius.
Aerin retrieved the bounty documents from her pack and skimmed them again as she walked.
"Hmm, it says the medallion 'was last seen in the possession of the rogue mage, Aurelius Gellen,'" she read with a frown. "Nothing about when that was, though."
"But he must have always had it, right?" Maruk asked. "At least, he must have had it before he was tried and imprisoned. He's been a wanted criminal for years. It's not as though he could have just walked into the Arcane University Tower and taken it whenever he wanted."
"True, but we don't know the Mage Academy had it before, or that Aurelius took it directly from them," Lavinia argued. "He was just the last person anyone saw with it. It could have changed hands hundreds of times before he managed to get it."
"Even if he's been hiding out here?" I asked.
"The rogue mages have networks of their own," Lavinia replied with a shrug. "I'd bet some other asshole traded it to him at some point, and then when the Mage Academy caught up with that guy, he tried to bargain with information and ratted out all his old friends."
"Oh, Lavinia, when did you get so cynical?" Maruk teased.
Lavinia's theory seemed plausible, though, and it made sense that the various rogue mages across the realm would have some contact with one another. After all, I'd seen how busy the black market in Ovrista could get. People didn't stop trading and communicating with one another because what they were doing was illegal.
"Do you think he's using the medallion now?" Lena asked. "Could he have manipulated the enchantment somehow to create this curse?"
"The enchantment on the medallion would be incredibly powerful," Aerin answered. "It would have taken several highly skilled mages to create it, and I don't think even someone like Aurelius would be able to alter it or break it on his own. He could have created the curse to test it, though, to see if it really can cure any illness, or the two could be unrelated. It could just be a coincidence we caught up with him right as he'd begun to curse these people."
After that, a contemplative silence fell over our group. There were more questions than answers at the moment, but there was one thing I was sure of.
Whatever Aurelius was up to, we were going to put a stop to it.
The hike was quiet and calm for a while then, and it was a sharp contrast after the chaos of the battle mere minutes before. I tried to take the opportunity to focus my senses in the hope I could detect Aurelius' magic the way I'd sensed the gryphons earlier, but we were still too far away from the mage for me to be aware of him on that level.
After some time, I gave up and fell into step beside Lavinia. The ranger kept a steady pace all morning in her usual determined fashion, but I noticed she slowed slightly when I stepped up to her side, and then she cast a curious glance in my direction.
"Those were some good shots with the gryphons," I told her.
The corner of the ladona woman’s mouth quirked up. "Thanks."
"I mean it," I said. "You were great. You could be a professional gryphon hunter. I’m sure Aerin could handle your marketing. You’d be famous in no time."
; "The mysterious dragon woman who roams the mountains and hunts gryphons with only a bow," Lavinia mused, her brows raised. "That sounds like something you’d hear from a woodcutter in a tavern after he’s had a few too many drinks."
"It makes a good story," I replied with a shrug. "At least you have some options on the table."
"Are you planning on disbanding our guild or something, Gabriel?" Lavinia asked with a short laugh.
"Of course not, but once we’ve proved we’re the greatest guild of all time, you know, in a few months or so, you’re going to need a hobby."
Lavinia chuckled and punched me lightly on the arm.
"Glad you’re looking out for me. Are you going to have my back when I’m doing all this perilous gryphon-slaying, too?"
"I wouldn’t have it any other way," I replied with a grin.
The morning passed steadily as we continued slowly but surely north, and around noon the temperature had risen enough that we could continue comfortably without our cloaks. The thick cloud cover that persisted since dawn did well to obscure the precise position of the sun, but the weather had no effect on my stomach, and I knew it had to be close to lunch time.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who took notice of the hour.
"We can stop for a rest soon," Lavinia said. "We're far enough ahead that those sick people won't catch up to us anytime soon."
"Sounds good," I said, and the others echoed the sentiment. I no longer experienced the debilitating fatigue I'd first experience when I used my powers, but practicing magic still took something out of me, and we had been hiking more or less steadily uphill all morning, so I was looking forward to a break and some food.
When we finally did stop beneath a particularly large pine tree with branches that hung low over the trail, we decided not to bother with a fire. We wouldn't be here long, and we had plenty of dried rations from Corulin and his clan, so we weren't pressed to cook anything. That was probably for the best, I thought, as I realized I still hadn't seen any animals. I wondered if the curse kept most of them at bay in the same way it drew in the sick humans. That might explain why they hadn't been attacked by predators before the gryphons caught up to them.