Fitz hung his head, covering his face with his hands. “When he returned, he told us he’d found his solution. He brought the guild council to a location he’d set up for a demonstration. That location turned out to be a small village near where Antalia is located now. He’d built a tower much like this one, and set up a mirror at the top. He’d left the corresponding mirror back at the Mages Guild. The distance would normally require a full portal, but he claimed he could span it with a mirror.”
The wizard took a deep breath. “We weren’t expecting what came next. He spoke the words of a spell, and the entire village below lit up. He’d drawn some kind of ritual symbol around the village itself, and was activating it. There were screams from the village as every man, woman, and child were murdered. Forty citizens killed, their souls drained from their bodies for the magic they held. That power was channeled through the symbol, into the tower, and funneled into the mirror. The device showed us the main hall at the Mages Guild, where Rizzo had left the other mirror.”
“Oh my god,” Beatrix whispered. “I’m sorry I asked. All those poor people.”
“Aye. We were stunned as well. Rizzo took the silence that followed to explain. ‘You see? We can use captured prisoners or local peasants to power long range teleports in emergency situations!’ he boasted. He was proud of himself. He went on to explain that he’d studied necromancy, learning to drain the life force of the living in such a way as to triple the magical energy you’d normally get from a soul gem upon their death. It involved extreme pain and terror at the moment of passing. There was more, but I stopped listening.”
“That bastard. Did you kill him right then and there?” Lainey growled.
“No. To my great shame, there were a few among us who saw a use for his discoveries. They protected him, insisting upon a trial to be held after further investigation. The trial was eventually held, after nearly a year. When the sentence of death was finally passed down, Rizzo tried to escape.” Fitz looked up at the group gathered around him. The look on his face made several of them take an unconscious step back. “I made sure he did not survive the attempt. His head sits in a jar at the guild. As a reminder and a warning.”
Alexander had been focused on one part of Fitz’s tale. “Baron Dire is a necromancer. He had several mirrors set up and linked to the keep’s command center. That can’t be a coincidence.”
“One of many things I intend to make him explain,” Fitz growled.
“Let’s clear this tower, then get downstairs and clear that, too. This place is starting to give me the creeps.” Sasha motioned at Brick to lead the way up the stairs. Fitz stood to clear the path.
Based on the interior dimensions, Alexander figured the tower to be about eighty feet in diameter at the base. That made the ground floor room roughly five thousand square feet. It tapered slightly as it rose toward the top. He wasn’t yet sure how tall it would be.
“Fitz, how did they fit an entire army in here? Especially if they were retreating and had wounded,” he asked the wizard as they climbed.
“There were usually more floors below ground than above. Units could move into the tower and down toward the portal, filling lower levels as they waited. Wounded were teleported directly to the portal room and carried through.”
Brick reached the second floor of the tower. There was a short corridor that ran off the stairway landing directly bisecting the tower. On each side of the hallway there were four doors. Brick took the left side, Lugs the right. They opened each door and examined the rooms, finding no enemies. All eight rooms appeared to be living quarters, with a bed, desk, bathroom, and closet. Sasha ordered them to hold off on looting, but to check carefully for hidden rooms or doors. Fitz and Jules followed Lugs into each room to check it, while Kai and Max took the other side behind Brick.
It took only about fifteen minutes to clear the floor. Having cleared the final room, they moved back to the stairs, and once again Brick led the way up.
The third and fourth floors were much like the second. The types of rooms varied, some being living quarters, others being workshops or laboratories. Most of the rooms had been stripped bare of equipment. There was a small library on the fourth floor that still held a significant number of books, preserved through some type of stasis spell. Alexander had the group pause to gather the books, and he teleported them to his study at the keep.
Having cleared the fourth floor, they once again moved upward. When they reached the fifth floor landing, there was no corridor, just a simple door. Just as before, the door was magically sealed. Fitz laid a hand on the door, breaking the seal. He opened it himself, thinking it highly unlikely anything would be found on the other side.
He was wrong.
As soon as the door opened, there was a deafening sound, somewhere between a roar and a squawk, that shook the tower beneath them. A body the size of a pickup truck moved with a flurry of feathers and claws. Within two seconds the group found themselves face to face with an angry beast. It had the body of lion, only about six times the normal size. It had wings that were currently half extended as its head pushed forward. The head was that of an eagle, with sharp eyes and an even sharper beak that could slice a man in two with ease.
Currently, both those eyes and the beak were focused on Fitz. The creature dug its claws into the stone floor of tower’s roof. Its back legs bunched as if preparing to pounce.
“Stand back!” Fitz commanded “It is a gryphon. I will handle this.”
Fitz put one hand up, palm out toward the monster. He spoke several words in a language that Alexander did not recognize. The beast let out another monstrous cry, though this one sounded more confused than angry.
Fitz spoke again, both hands up this time. He took a step forward toward the gryphon as he spoke. The creature tilted its head to one side, lowering its wings and sitting on its haunches. One massive forepaw took a half-hearted swat in the wizard’s direction. Alexander noted that the claws had been retracted.
Taking three more steps, Fitz moved within reach of the creature. It lowered its head so that its eyes were level with the wizard’s. Fitz reached up and began to scratch its head between the eyes, which crossed in an almost comical manner as the gryphon tried to follow his hand. After a moment, the group could hear the deep rumbling sound of the gryphon purring.
Patting the large creature on the neck, Fitz turned to the group. “He remembers me. May I present Braxis. Former Alpha of the Gryphon Corps.” The gryphon bowed its head slightly, and not wanting to offend, the members of the group all did the same.
Sasha, who was standing at the front of the group, made a little curtsey. “Nice to meet you, Braxis. You’re really quite beautiful. And scary!” She smiled up at the beast.
Braxis nosed the wizard aside, taking two long steps forward to stand in front of Sasha. He lowered his head, and bumped her with his forehead. Though he clearly intended to be gentle, Sasha was nearly pushed off her feet. She latched onto the gryphon’s head for balance, and when she’d steadied herself, she scratched in the same spot she’s seen Fitz scratch. The purring recommenced, and the gryphon settled down onto its belly, forepaws tucked up under it like a housecat.
“Ha!” Fitz exclaimed. “Looks like you’ve made a friend. Braxis was ever a sucker for pretty girls.”
As if on cue, Lainey, Jules, and the other ladies in the group stepped forward to surround the beast, each of them finding a spot on its head or neck to pet and scratch. Braxis closed his eyes, and the purring seemed to grow louder.
“BWAHAHA!” Brick slapped his knee. “I’d purr too if all them lovelies was pettin’ me!”
Kai, who had remained back on the landing to guard the stairs behind them, stepped out through the door. He spoke a few words to the gryphon that had the tone of a greeting.
The beast’s eyes popped open, and it immediately stood, brushing off the group of ladies. It squawked quietly, then lowered its majestic head to the floor. It almost seemed to be bowing to Kai. The dragon spo
ke again, stepping forward to lay a hand on Braxis’ head. Seeming satisfied, the gryphon settled back onto its belly and nudged at Sasha in a clear demand to continue. The ladies laughed and stepped forward to resume their new duties.
Fitz explained, “Gryphons and dragons have a special relationship. Braxis was simply paying his respects to the prince. Eons ago, the original dragon king and queen were the only dragons on Io. This was a much more dangerous place, back then. When the queen became pregnant and could not hunt for herself, the king had a dilemma. He needed to hunt, but he could not leave his queen unprotected. The mountains were filled with wild trolls, orcs, and worse.
So, the king used his magic to create a hunter to serve them. He used the lion for its strength and speed, giving it wings so that it could more easily bring prey up to the roost for his queen. He altered its body with the head of an eagle to match the wings, and for better eyesight, so that it might spot prey from above. Gryphons are creatures of magic, blessed with long life and great power. Much like dragons, they rarely reproduce. Many were killed during the wars, and it is rare to find one on Io now. Braxis here was Rizzo’s mount when he commanded the mage battalion. As Alpha, Braxis commanded a pride of twenty-four gryphons.”
Braxis stopped purring at those words, instead beginning a low keening sound in the back of his throat. He squawked once, quietly, then laid his head on the floor.
“Only three survived that last war. Braxis and two females. We set them free, in hopes that they’d find a way to restore their species. It seems Braxis took up residence here,” Fitz observed.
Alexander finally took a moment to look around. They were on the roof of the tower. It was a flat stone roof with pillars set at each cardinal point that supported a conical roof about ten feet above the floor. It was slightly narrower than the base of the tower, being about sixty feet in diameter with a three-foot-high crenellated wall around the outside. There was a large nest in the center of the floor, made up of branches, sticks, and bones. The inside was lined with bear and wolf hides, and scattered with golden-hued feathers that must have been shed by Braxis himself.
Sasha hugged the gryphon’s head, her arms not able to wrap even halfway around. “But where are your females now?” she asked him.
Braxis let out a series of squawks, and Kai translated. “They live on a mountain, not far away. They have been breeding, and a young male has replaced Braxis as alpha. He is old, even for a gryphon, and has come here to live out his remaining days in peace.”
“That’s unacceptable!” Jules declared. “Braxis, you will come home with us. We will take care of you. No one should be alone like this!” she practically shouted, tears forming in her eyes. Alexander stepped forward and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Of course, you can come with us, Braxis. If that’s what you’d like. We have a tower you can roost on, or we can make you a roost up on the ridge above. There’s a forest full of wolves and boar you can hunt. Or we can feed you if necessary. You’ll have company any time you want it.” Alexander bowed his head to the majestic gryphon.
Braxis squawked again in a questioning tone. Again, Kai translated, this time with a smile on his face. “He’s asking if there are any gryphon females there.”
Beatrix spoke up, her tiny voice coming from under the beast’s neck, where she’d been scratching. “I’m sorry, Braxis. All we have is a moat monster. But if you want to bring a female from your pride, she would be welcome!” She looked at Alexander, who nodded.
Braxis scooted backward a bit and tiled his head so that he could see the tiny gnome who’d spoken. Laying his head on the ground next to her, he was close to eye level. He squawked quietly, and she reached out to scratch his head, which she’d had no hope of reaching before.
“He would not be welcomed by his pride. Once an alpha is replaced, they are shunned. The new alpha would attack him if he returned. But I will go and speak for him, see if any wish to join him,” Kai said. He jogged toward the roof’s edge, beginning to change form as he went. Leaping off the wall, his transformation completed mid-air, and he rose above the trees in his smaller dragon form. He turned to get his bearings, then headed toward a nearby mountain.
Alexander checked his map. The area immediately around the tower had filled in when they’d emerged onto the roof. He could see forest for nearly a mile around, and a river roughly a hundred yards to the east. Looking up from the map, he turned in a circle, observing the forest around him. The trees had clearly grown taller since the tower was constructed. They were now taller than the tower, and limited his view. Looking east, he was barely able to spot the sparkling of water through the trees where the river should be.
A crunching sound caused Alexander to turn back toward the gryphon, just in time to see him swallow what was left of a dire wolf carcass that Lainey had pulled from her bag. He chirped what Alexander assumed was a ‘thank you’ and head-butted Lainey.
“Braxis, now that you’ve had a snack, can you help me figure out where we are?” Alexander asked. The gryphon chirped again, nodding his head.
“Do you know the human city, Stormforge? Do you know which way it is?”
Braxis nodded his head again, then pointed a forepaw past Alexander, toward the south.
“It’s to the south. Thank you. Do you know how far?”
Braxis tilted his head as if in thought. He squawked a few times, then lowered himself to the floor, being careful not to crush Beatrix.
“Gryphons don’t do well with distance or time. He says he will show you. Climb up on his back,” Fitz said.
A bit hesitant, Alexander set his left foot upon the gryphon’s leg and grabbed a handful of fur upon his back. Then with a push, he heaved himself up and onto the beast’s back, situating himself just forward of Braxis’ shoulders.
The gryphon quickly took several steps toward the edge of the roof, diving over the crenellated wall and spreading his wings. With two massive beats, they were rising above the trees. Alexander grabbed two handfuls of mane and gripped tightly with his knees as Braxis banked by lowering one wing and raising the other. He quickly leveled out, and they were gliding southward over the ancient forest. The river ran parallel to their path on Alexander’s left. Beyond the river was more forest, rising into the slope of a mountain. From this vantage, Alexander could see they were above a whole range of mountains, running in a curved spine from west to east.
In less than ten minutes, the trees began to thin out, and Alexander could see the river more clearly. Ahead of them, it seemed to drop off a ledge and disappear. A moment later, Alexander recognized that this must be Dire Falls. Just as the thought occurred to him, the land beneath the gryphon dropped away, and Alexander was looking down over Dire Keep, the lake, and the forest of his Dire Lands.
Without prompting, Braxis tilted into a dive, heading down the several hundred feet to the forest below. He circled above the keep once, then moved off toward the west. Alexander could see the logging crew working, as well as the dwarves still planning the dig site at the quarry. The gryphon followed the ridge line to the west, showing Alexander the mine entrance, and after a few minutes, the entrance to the demon cavern. Alexander saw no signs of activity, nor any sign of his hunters.
Alexander patted Braxis on the neck, and shouted, “Okay, thank you. Take us back whenever you are ready!”
Braxis turned closer to the cliff face, and expertly caught some kind of updraft. Wings spread wide, he allowed the current of air to lift them both up until they were well above the top of the ridge. Then with a few beats of his wings, he turned them back northward and headed for the tower. Navigation wasn’t an issue, as they could just follow the river northward.
Just under half an hour after they left, the pair landed once again on the tower roof. Alexander slid off the gryphon’s back, then patted his side. “Thank you, Braxis. That was amazing!”
Braxis settled down on his belly again with a large sigh, and looked at Sasha as if demanding more scratches. He didn’
t have to ask twice.
Chapter Nineteen Barbarian at the Gate
The group did not have to wait long before Kai returned. Flying beside him were three gryphons, two females and a male. The male looked young, and much smaller than the others. He was maybe half the size of Braxis.
Kai landed on the conical roof above the tower, quickly changed back to human form and slid down to swing under the eave and land among the others. The gryphons simply landed and gathered around Braxis, squawking and ruffling their wings. Kai explained as the gryphons talked among themselves.
“The new alpha, whose name is Tlark, is not popular. He takes a larger share of the food for himself, and has begun demanding to couple with any female he chooses, even those who are mated to another. The two young ones here are newly mated, and she did not want to be forced to couple with the alpha. The other female is one who wanted to mate with Braxis before he was removed.”
The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands Page 51