Thankfully, the flight was much shorter than Sam had anticipated. Though speedy, it was not as quick as the dvergen subway. Somehow Sam felt safer in that metal contraption, hurtling at inhuman speeds through tunnels carved thousands of years before he was born. The sentiment perfectly encapsulated Sam’s true feelings about traveling with the roc. Approximately two hours into the flight, Tashi sprang from her meditative state.
“We are getting close,” the Guardian announced. “I will let the roc know he may land.”
“Wait a moment,” Chase interrupted, his eyes now open. “I don’t imagine this bird knows the area where we’re headed. He could wind up dropping us a hundred miles from our destination. Let me take a look.” He peered between the roc’s talons to the ground below and studied it a few seconds. “We appear to be approaching Haut-Languedoc; it’s a natural park in the northern part of Hérault. Looks like he does know where we’re headed. Smart bird. Tell him he can land us at the opening to the gorges, where the river forks. Right outside town.”
Tashi nodded, placed her hand on the roc’s talon, and closed her eyes. Several seconds later, the bird began its descent. Sam’s stomach took a short trip to his throat, but he resisted the urge to throw up. Puking on the roc might spur it to drop them.
“You look a touch green, my friend,” Chase said with a smirk. “Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. You’ll be fine.”
Sam followed Chase’s suggestion and the nausea subsided. Twice on this adventure he had almost lost his lunch. The first time was on the dvergen subway, and now this. He was starting to miss good old-fashioned airplane travel.
The roc flapped its mighty wings and hovered a few feet from the ground. He then opened his talons just enough for the three to climb out. Sam felt relieved to be standing on solid ground again. The feeling was akin to stepping onto a dock after a rough boat ride. Sam’s body could still feel the movement of the flight. It was several moments before things were back to normal. When they did stabilize, Sam took in his new surroundings. They were spectacular.
The roc had released them at the edge of a forest that led into a vast canyon. But this wasn’t the kind of barren desert canyon found in the American Southwest. These massive rocks formed elaborate, breathtaking gorges that carved their way into the landscape, as if sculpted by hand. In the distance, Sam could see that the gorges led to a mountain range. The most stunning characteristic of these formations was how vividly green they were. The valley was carpeted with chestnut and oak trees and winding streams that fanned out in every direction like thin blue fingers reaching out to grab hold of the earth.
Sam spotted a small village on a hillside at the fork of a river. The houses were constructed of colored stone, and at the crest of the hill sat an ancient church. The outer part of the town featured remnants of fortifications from what appeared to have been a castle. Sam was absorbing the extraordinary sights when Chase sidled up.
“Mons la Trivalle. ‘Mountain of the Three Valleys.’ ” As he spoke, the cynocephalus pointed to the three valleys that branched out from the town. Sam suddenly noticed the unique geography that marked the town’s location. “And you see the mountain range in the distance?” Chase asked. Sam nodded, eyeing the sharp, jagged summits. “That is Caroux-Espinouse, the central massif—where the earth’s tectonic plates push together. The canyons it formed are the Gorges d’Héric.”
“It’s incredible,” Sam said, scanning the terrain. His attention was pulled away when he spotted Tashi walking toward them, the roc taking flight behind her. “Did you thank him for the ride and for not dropping us?”
“I expressed our gratitude,” Tashi replied. She looked at Chase. “He told me he spotted something unusual as he made his descent.”
“Oh?” Chase responded, curious. “What does a giant mythical bird categorize as ‘unusual’?”
“A gathering of some kind. There were magical creatures there, but he couldn’t get a good look.”
“How far?” Sam asked.
“About a kilometer north, deep into the gorge,” Tashi answered.
“Great,” Sam replied. “We’ll start there.” And with that, Sam tightened the straps of his backpack and charged into the woods.
“Oh no, Sam London. I will be leading the way,” Tashi announced as she hurried to get in front of Sam. He grinned—having Tashi around made him feel like he had his own personal secret service.
The trio followed a stream that wound northward into the gorge. They hiked steep rocky terrain, pushed through thickly wooded forest, and traversed sandy mud with a viscous quality that sucked their shoes into the earth. It was thoroughly exhausting. Tashi took point, with Sam in the middle and Chase covering their tails. The Guardian showed no sign of fatigue and pressed on with an almost superhuman tenacity. Sam did his best to keep up and managed to persuade Tashi to allow a few breaks for water and rest.
“I do not want to be in this canyon when the sun sets,” Tashi would remind Sam with every stop. Sam didn’t want to either, and it was always enough to motivate him to continue moving, although he would still freeze at every sound that emanated from the surrounding forest.
“Did you hear that?” Sam would whisper whenever he heard the slightest noise. Tashi would pause, listen, and say, “It is nothing to be concerned about.” And she would continue.
Sam’s paranoia led him to recall what Trevor mentioned about this area. After hearing a rustling that Tashi dismissed, Sam looked at Chase. “Was it true what Trevor said?” he asked with trepidation.
“About the Beast of Gevaudan?” Chase replied. Sam nodded. “I have heard its wound is fatal,” the cynocephalus confessed. “Though the stories of its rampage were revised by history and those who wish to keep it secret. The tales you’ve likely heard bear little resemblance to the truth.”
“Why would the gryphon want to keep the real story a secret?” Sam wondered.
“Because it was a beast that defied the gryphon,” Chase answered.
Defied the gryphon? Sam thought. This was sounding more interesting by the moment.
“How?”
“It attacked humans without remorse. It was a hybrid of two beasts—one magical, one not. These are the most dangerous.”
“What kind of hybrid was it?” Sam asked.
“A lion and the mythical black dog,” Chase replied. “Some believe it was an experiment gone horribly wrong—or right, depending on who you ask.”
Sam had heard of black dogs before; he read about them in one of his many books on mythical creatures. They were phantom canines that roamed Europe. Legend claimed the creatures were the result of evil spirits; they would haunt areas where terrible things had occurred. They were known to stalk and slay lone travelers. As such, a sighting of such a creature was considered an omen of death.
“You said these types of hybrids are the most dangerous…why?” Sam inquired.
“Because the gryphon’s curse is theirs to toy with as they please,” Chase revealed. “They can choose to be seen…or not.”
“And that’s how it was able to do such harm,” Sam concluded. Chase nodded.
“Those poor humans never saw the beast coming. The descriptions of it were given by those with the sight. Some hid its real appearance out of fear or simply out of disbelief that such a creature could exist. They claimed it was a wolf. But those who had seen it described it very differently, insisting quite correctly that it was no wolf.”
“If I remember the story right, the Beast of Gevaudan was finally killed by a hunter,” Sam said.
“No human could ever have hurt that creature,” Chase corrected him. “Phylassos was enraged by the Beast’s behavior and punished it by returning it to Gaia. But some believe that because it was a hybrid, it could not suffer a magical fate and roams the forests to this very day.”
That thought sent a shiver up Sam’s spine. “Returned to Gaia…Cernunnos mentioned that when he had us in his cave,” he recalled. “What does it mean exactly?”
<
br /> “It is when a magical creature moves on to the next plane of existence,” Tashi answered, her interjection taking both Chase and Sam by surprise—she had been listening this entire time. “They become one with Gaia. They return to the earth.”
“They die?” Sam asked.
“Not quite,” Chase replied. “At least, not the way humans conceive of death. It is not a permanent separation from this world. Our energies are absorbed and live again in other ways, other forms.”
“Did Phylassos try to do that with the Beast?” Sam inquired.
Chase nodded. “He did, but the creature was not entirely magical, so it proved useless.”
“Why didn’t the gryphon just kill it? Like, permanently?” Sam asked.
“Because the gryphon cannot kill a magical creature. It is the ‘protector’ of such creatures. To kill is not in its—” Tashi abruptly stopped talking. She put her finger to her lips, silencing her companions, then pointed upward. Sam looked to the sky and spotted what Tashi had heard. A dozen gargoyles flew overhead, followed by a few aswangs and several other creatures Sam didn’t recognize. They looked like birds, but Sam could have sworn they had hideous human faces.
“Harpies,” Tashi whispered. When the creatures passed, the Guardian turned to Chase and Sam. “We must be close. I recommend that we tread extra carefully from this point forward.” Tashi started moving again, then halted at a loud rustling in the trees ahead, along with the distinct snapping of branches. Whatever made that noise had to be quite large, Sam concluded.
“You stay with Sam; I’ll scout ahead,” Chase whispered to Tashi.
“No,” Sam said. “We should stick together.”
“That is not a wise strategy in this circumstance,” Tashi asserted. “One should scout and one should stay with you.”
“I know you will not leave his side,” Chase added. “So I will go.” Chase started toward the noise.
“Wait. Take this—” Sam handed Chase the banshee weapon. “I have Tashi,” Sam explained. Chase nodded and took the gun. He ventured forward and disappeared into the woods.
“Come,” Tashi said to Sam, gesturing for him to follow.
“But we should stay here,” Sam replied. “So Chase can find us.”
“We require cover. We will be able to see when Chase returns,” Tashi explained as she led him to the edge of a stream, which widened close to where they stood. A large cluster of rocks sat on the bank of the waterway. The center boulder was large and sloped inward on its southern face—an ideal spot for concealing themselves. Tashi crouched behind the rock and Sam followed suit.
“What are we going to do when we find them?” Sam asked the Guardian.
“We will come up with a plan and execute it,” she replied matter-of-factly.
Sam eyed his bodyguard. “How old are you?” he asked. He had been wondering but never had a moment to inquire. He continued, “I mean, I’m twelve. And you look like you could be twelve too. You’re a little taller than me, but I’m short for my age. The thing is, I don’t know any kid who talks like you or can do what you do. It’s like you’re some kind of an adult trapped in a kid’s body.”
Tashi faced Sam, surprised by his question and ensuing explanation. “We start our training before human children even begin to form memories.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Sam noted, at which Tashi simply turned away. “And I guess you won’t.” The two sat for a few more minutes, and Sam had another thought: “What if we’re outnumbered? It seems like we’re always outnumbered. And you saw those things that flew over us. That’s probably just a small sample of what’s waiting.”
“That is why we will make certain we are unseen,” Tashi responded.
“Oh, yeah. We go stealth for sure. But I still—” Tashi pressed her hand over Sam’s mouth, silencing him. She gestured to the woods behind them; Sam nodded, and she released her makeshift muzzle. Sam gulped down a dozen of those nervous butterflies that had taken up permanent residency in his stomach—it felt like they were multiplying by the second.
Tashi leveled her shekchen at the thicket of trees and let loose a small electric charge. The burst of blue energy shot out from the weapon and went careening into the woods, where it quickly dissipated amid the vegetation. At that moment, Sam heard something rustle in the bushes.
“For the love of Labradors!” a voice called out.
Tashi let loose another charge before Sam could stop her. This burst of energy had a wider spread. A millisecond later, a body sprang from the forest in a somersault and leapt to its feet.
“Chriscanis!” Sam exclaimed. The cynocephalus appeared shocked to see them.
“What in the bichon frise are you doing in France, Sam? And you”—he pointed to Tashi—“you nearly killed me.”
“I was being cautious,” the Guardian explained.
“Cautious is good,” Chriscanis replied. “But being cautious should have kept you far away from this place.”
“We’re here to rescue Dr. Knox and Dr. Vantana,” Sam revealed. The cynocephalus eyed him.
“And that, my friend, is precisely why I’m here. But this is not a place for you, Sam. These woods are too dangerous.” Chriscanis turned to Tashi. “You must take him far away, immediately.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Sam protested. “I have the claw. I’m the only one who can do this.”
“You have…” Sam nodded, and Chriscanis’s face went grim. “Good greyhound, Sam. Now you must go. Before it is too late.”
“We can’t. Chase is scouting ahead.”
“Who?” Chriscanis asked.
“Chase. The man you replaced,” Sam replied.
“He’s here? With you?” Chriscanis asked anxiously.
“I am indeed,” Chase answered as he emerged from the forest and approached. “My successor…good to see you.”
Sam and Tashi stood up and walked out from behind the rock formation to join the two cynocephali. Sam noticed that Chriscanis was unnerved by the sudden appearance of Chase and even shifted into a defensive posture.
“It took me some time to piece it all together, but it was always so clear,” Chriscanis began.
“Whatever are you talking about?” Chase remarked with the slightest of smirks.
“The gargoyles. I kept returning to the gargoyles. That’s what did it in the end, to have fallen into your pool in that random little town. The chances were…astronomical.”
Sam was instantly interested in their conversation. His ears pricked up at the mention of the gargoyles and Chase’s pool. He remembered that night vividly, and now he was trying to process what Chriscanis seemed to be implying.
“What do you mean?” Sam interjected. “What about the gargoyles? It was my fault….I caused them to drop me.” Sam recalled squirming in the grip of the creatures, which he assumed had triggered his fall.
“No, you didn’t,” Chriscanis revealed. “They let you go. On purpose.”
“But that would mean…,” Sam started.
“Well done, young pup,” Chase said as he fired the banshee weapon with three rapid shots. Sam felt the screeching wave of sound slam into his body and ripple across his skin. His muscles seized up and he was instantly a statue. It might not have been as painful as a real banshee scream, but it was just as effective. Sam could see Tashi struggling out of the corner of his eye. Try as she might, she could not move an inch. Chriscanis was on the other side of Sam, stiff as a board.
“It doesn’t freeze the eyes, now, does it?” Chase mused aloud. He held the gun up, admiring it. “But Penelope has built a most delightful weapon. I hear it keeps its victims like this for several minutes. More than enough time, I would think.”
“Tashi!” Sam exclaimed in muted fashion through stiffened lips.
“Sam…,” the Guardian muttered in response, battling the effect of the weapon.
“Now, now, don’t fight it, children. It’s more painful that way,” Chase advised. Sam had to agree. Whenever he tried t
o move or speak the pain would intensify. It also seemed to linger longer the more you fought it. “I’ll be taking that claw now, Sam.”
Sam was still coming to terms with the shocking revelation that Chase was the mastermind behind everything. Sam was furious with himself. How could he not have seen this? Never mind the pain, he had to speak. “You…,” Sam started, fighting the discomfort.
“Me,” Chase replied as he approached him. He unzipped Sam’s backpack and reached in to retrieve the claw. Sam gathered all the strength he could to move, but only managed to flinch. “I can tell you’re upset,” Chase chided him. “Wondering why you didn’t realize it sooner?” Chase pulled the claw from the pack. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You couldn’t have known the gargoyles were working on my orders. But I simply had to meet the boy who saw the gryphon. The plan was already in motion, and you, my young friend, were a curious wrinkle. Fortunately, you aided this cause more than you know. And will help it a great deal more before this historic day ends.”
Chase walked back around to face his prisoners. He held the gryphon’s claw in his hand and studied it. “A bit smaller than I imagined. Especially for something so powerful it can render an entire species blind to the world around them. No matter, it appears easy to destroy. Your species is in for a big surprise,” Chase sneered.
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