Gryff Boxset

by Sloss, Marcus

  Sure enough, the hallway buckled under the pressure and the drop came to an immediate halt as the mountain’s impact tore through the ship. I felt myself being healed and broken at the exact same moment. As sudden as the crash had started, well, there was an eerie silence. Unknown healing washed over me, far more powerful than I’d ever seen before. My shattered feet became whole instantly.

  I groaned, and found my feet were wobbly. My boots were a shredded mess that I tore off. Walking barefoot, and with a shell shock haze clouding my mind, I went to the sound of urgent voices.

  “Help me!” A harpy demanded as he hoisted a board from what looked like a cafeteria. He flung it against the wall in rage. All the tables were stacked on top of each other and he wanted to get to the bottom of them.

  The problem was, the ship may have halted its crash and found a median resting point. But it was tilting again, as if to right itself. There was a deafening crack of wood tearing apart under immense pressure. The ship lurched to return back to horizontal with increasing speed as the planet’s gravity tugged it down.

  “Fly to me hurry!” I shouted to the harpy and those he was helping. There was no time besides for him and his wings.

  The ship jolted, returning to horizontal and the dozen or so helpers were consumed by the stacked tables. They rolled and crashed over the team as gravity reverted the other way. I stood in the doorway and was able to arrest the harpy’s charge to safety.

  “Damn, that was close,” he proclaimed. He saw under my hood and frowned. “Are you from one of the other ships sent for boarding action against the target?”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t get off in time with the others, we started sinking so fast,” I lied. Now, I was all for everyone wearing a truth orbs. Honestly, it was probably dumb not to have one in ever. But we were in the middle of a battle. Of all the dead Justicars I had looted, not a single one had a truth orb. “You okay?”

  He grumbled and shook his head no. “Look, I’m vital. Like almost as important as this ship. I’m Daschon, Admiral Uchina’s portal master.” He saw me grow confused. “Not the air kind. The ground kind. We have to get him out of here. We never should have arrived this soon, or by ourselves. It’s as if the creator led us into a trap. These trapped souls will be saved by others, we must get to the bridge. Will you help me?”

  I nodded in understanding, so far he hadn’t tried to deceive me. That didn’t mean I was in the clear, he could be playing mind games with me. I decided to keep my words short.

  “I can help move stuff,” I said and that seemed to work as he mulled about taking me with him. His nod said he made up his mind.

  He poked his head out of the hallway before saying, “Follow me, the ship’s broken in two. Can you jump far?”

  I peered down the broken hallway to see a ten foot jump separating the parts. “Sure,” I replied trotting over broken boards, fallen paintings, and fake candles. I ran toward the opening and at the last second empowered my jump.

  My eyes darted down and I saw I was over a few hundred feet of craggy mountain. The ship had indeed broken into two or more pieces from the crash. I soared over the gap, clearing the distance without a problem. My feet slammed into a downward hallway that threatened to speed me up.

  I quickly tugged on a door handle to slow my momentum. The handle snapped from my power, but I did halt my speed. The harpy casually set down beside me, immediately rotating into a jog. He set a pace I struggled to keep up with. For every turn or twist of wreckage we had to navigate, he had wings to help his mobility. Me, well, I had to slam into things.

  “Great work sergeant,” he said encouragingly.

  I kept my mouth shut, noticing the sergeant stripes on my collar for the first time. I didn’t need to pretend I was struggling to keep up, I actually was. This was closer to the impact point and the hallways were getting worse.

  “Help me move this door,” Daschon said when he struggled against a reinforced door. Hmm… this meant we were getting close to the important part of the ship. Maybe even the bridge. I bent over and pretended to struggle with the door. “You must be part of those elite boarding parties, surprised you heal your scars.”

  I grunted as if I was giving all I could and wrenched the door out of the clog.

  “Damn, we need more of you guys around. Those dvaren above are as good as dead,” Daschon said and I gave my best fake smile. He patted my shoulder before worming through the opening I created.

  My eyes saddened as I followed him. He was, without a doubt, correct. Among the dead dvaren was probably Groz, best guess I could fathom was him lying in a pool of blood. I should have ordered him to stay put, especially with how this was turning out.

  A drop, blend in, and let the enemy take me to their leader strategy was nothing unheard of. I also expected to be figured out soon enough. No way the admiral didn’t know the harbinger or suspected harbinger was a seven foot tall human.

  Which meant Daschon’s time was likely running out. While I navigated a shattered corridor with a step down of sorts I tucked my dagger into my sleeve. At least this portal guy knew where he was going. I would have been lost a few turns back.

  Unfortunately, even with his expertise, we hit a dead end. We couldn't clear this part because it was literally part of the mountain. There was a side door that Daschon tried to get open. When he failed he gestured for my help. He was pulling on a push door. I sighed, and honestly, I wasn’t that shocked. There were plenty of times where non-combat folks became idiots in combat.

  My big boot smashed against the door. The hinges creaked and moaned before bursting from the impact. He rolled his eyes at his stupidity. His eyes seemed to be contemplating something.

  “After you, Sir,” I said and he grimaced, but grew determined.

  He led us into a private chamber of what looked like a cartographer’s residence. Rolled bindings were strewn across the oddly tilted room; their home cubbies emptied from the angle. A mousy man with long whiskers and moon shape ears was in the kitchen area. Dead glazed eyes stared in shock. A section of splintered ship was buried in his neck.

  I paused as Daschon went for a broken balcony door. This guy, this dead map maker was not my enemy, and yet he was. We all made our choices, some of those carried consequences more severe than others. I shut his eyes for him and noticed Daschon watching me.

  “I’ve seen enough death, to know to respect it,” I grumbled and he nodded in agreement.

  The balcony door was yanked from its hinges and sent crashing into the living room. The broken balcony had just enough space for us to crawl out of. When I exited I gulped at the sight.

  The Gorilla was looming over the back half of the flagship. A fierce fight was being exchanged and because my side had the siege weapons with the high ground, it was a slaughter.

  Due to my height advantage I saw what was likely the admiral and his retinue up the mountain staging a defense on the outside of a cave. Daschon never saw them grouping and was fixated on reaching the bridge. I smirked knowing his time was at an end.

  “Oh shit, we gotta hurry before that dvaren army finds the admiral. I can’t believe we have to climb on the corpse of the ship I’ve called home since I was a child,” Daschon said. He caught my pretend shock as if I cared. “I was an errand boy to the cook master, then the navigator. After I hit twenty thousand in levels from serving during sieges I was promoted and entrusted. I’ve been a Justicar since I was born, and there is no more -”

  I lunged, catching him mid monologue. My left hand covered his mouth while my right used my dagger to punch through the back and then the front of his rib cage. There was a lot of force required to pull off the feat, but I literally held his heart in my hand on the other side of his body. The last thing his stunned eyes saw was me holding his still beating heart.

  When I retracted my hand back through his body the heart turned into orbs. Sure enough a portal orb had survived the culling. I tossed it into a pocket and noticed the shit
had a legendary truth orb. He had been planning to turn on me all along. His shorter height had been his downfall. A few more inches or a flap of his wings would have saved him. Well, score, I got an upgrade, bloody and all.

  I tossed the body to the wreckage I stood on and glanced back at the battle. Correction, the rout. Gemini and Orion were methodical in their siege of the defending foe. Between the wyverns, the destroyed ship, and the lack of any central defense they were falling quickly.

  I saw a few shields defending an organized clump where the resistance was the stiffest. Best if I let the others know I was alive.

  My spear spawned in my hand, feeling the weight I aimed at the Justicars. I unleashed with a fury and I was certain when the weapon broke the speed of sound those on the Gorilla rejoiced. The only thing better than knowing the boss was alive was when the defending Justicar’s air shields popped from my throw.

  I launched a second spear without ever watching it land. I knew if anyone put a second air shield up, they better avoid my spear. I had a big juicy admiral to slay that simply meant the others would have to finish mopping up this mess.

  When I spun back to the wyvern cavern there were a dozen or so guards, the admiral, and a trek up a loose mountain terrain ahead of me. I knew subtlety was out the door since I just hurled spears, alerting the entire mountain I was here.

  My trek up the gravel was intercepted by a wyvern the size of a small blimp. I’d been so stinking focused on the admiral I allowed a dungeon mob to surprise me.

  A steel gray wyvern with forest green wings moved quicker than I ever expected. I tried to twirl my way out of a winged rapid strike and failed. A hooked claw caught my thigh with a tremendous pain, causing stars to fill my vision. Next thing I knew I was sent flying back into the wreckage of the flagship.

  “You dragon wanna be!” I shouted. Most of my cursing at him was nonsense, but that one was a decent zinger. I healed the gaping wound in my leg mid-flight. This was going to hurt, and the worst part was this big wyvern was following me.

  “Pathetic adventurer, you dare come to defile my nephew. Who is audacious enough to rob a life still in the shell!” the voice boomed out over the battlefield.

  I slammed into a smooth section of deck that luckily angled uphill. My momentum literally skidded to a halt when I slammed into the remains of some special siege engine meant for city warfare.

  The wyvern slammed down mere feet from me. By this point I realized fighting a legendary dungeon solo was asinine. I held up a winded hand and managed with only wisps of breaths to say, “I challenge the dungeon master.”

  The head shot forward until the stench of the breath between clenched teeth assaulted my nostril. There was a snarling growl. I bunched my muscles ready to tango, but the head retreated peacefully.

  “Pathetic human, I smell that you’re different somehow. Did you just challenge me while you lay there broken and battered?” the wyvern asked. Okay this was the uncle.

  I cast a heal, fixing my winded sensation. “Oh, hey, about that. I’d like to take your nephew out of the dungeon,” I said, regaining my feet. If the wyvern that was capable of probably killing me, was going to let me talk… I’d talk. When he snarled I spawned a spear in my hand and stood defiant. The giant wyvern eyed me cautiously, his head swaying as he thought.

  “Rubbish, while I sense that you can remove him from this vile place, it is still a bad proposition. If he submits to you, he will be but a child warrior,” the uncle said, his eyes flaring white at his mistake.

  “I challenge the dungeon master,” I said without threat or dire need. My tone was even and certain. “Which is your nephew. Correct?”

  The uncle was set to give me a scolding when a flight of wyvern came flying out of the mountain. While they soared for me, the Gorilla was finalizing the fight against the last of the resistance. I moaned at the fact the dvaren with magical support were already heading for the admiral in neat battle formations.

  While I desperately wanted to tell the admiral that jumping his flagship on top of my dirigible was a horrible idea, I knew staying here was my most prudent course of action. I figured someone else could lecture the lesson to him while I dealt with the dungeon.

  “How are you today?” I asked the uncle. He shot me the oddest glare that resulted in a long snort.

  “Tired, I was expecting four more hours of sleep before I died again, being sapient in this dungeon is the worst. The guards, they’re robotic. At least young Yingor is a good conversationalist,” the uncle said with a long fiery exhale. He torched a fractured siege engine in his frustration. “Why do you care? Be honest too, I…”

  I rolled him my old truth orb. He inspected the device before ingesting it.

  “If I lie, I go red. For example, my name is Gryff. And that should have triggered nothing because I was honest. And here is the lie. You did not surprise me earlier,” I said in a lie.

  “Ah you flared red,” he said, noticing my deceit.

  “Exactly how it works. Now, since we can talk openly, as to why I want your nephew, let me be honest. I do not. I have zero desire to subjugate and enslave an army into an orb besides to help me get home. I’ve heard from the others I’ve used, that they enjoy the time in there,” I said, holding up a finger. “Let’s ask an army I have around my core. I was planning on using them in the big final boss fight, but honesty will serve me better and that fight is in the bag it seems.”

  I was eyed speculatively as I summoned the mermen.

  The army poofed into existence with a colorful display of baby blue magic. They were upright for a fraction of a second before they flopped on their sides. Every single one of them floundered on the deck of the defeated ship like fish out of water. They were trying to right themselves while yelling angrily at me.

  “Return us please! We’re water only!” The army shouted in about ten different ways. I hurriedly returned them to my core. So much for that example.

  “Idiot,” the uncle said with a huge grin. “Let me see the orb.”

  I hesitated. “Well… Glad I didn’t use them expecting them to help. Talking about useless…” I shrugged, noticing he really wanted the orb. “Will you give it back?” I asked, scratching the back of my neck.

  “Do you have to have it back?” he retorted and I furled my brows.

  “I’m not sure, I certainly do not personally need it besides to help me get home. I am supposed to get your nephew and the Ogres of Orginia,” I said, coming to a decision as the prince and his guards arrived. I ejected the mermen orb before rolling it to the uncle.

  There was a precession as the prince’s egg was set down on a big pillow not twenty feet away. The uncle talked in rapid tones with the guards and the uncle argued. Eventually a little section of mountain was cleared of debris about a hundred feet to my left. Magical water was generated and I understood what was going on.

  I walked over to the egg, every wyvern’s gaze laser focused onto me. When I reached about five feet away, I sat myself down cross legged staring at a golden egg. Inside the shell a shadow swirled within the yoke. A face was clearly defined when it pressed against the shell, I noticed it was unafraid of me.

  I wanted to talk with the prince, but a dvaren runner approached. My swift departure from my seat to my feet startled those around me. I put myself between the egg and the runner whose eyes flared white when the guards went aggressive.

  The dvaren’s hands went into the air defensively and everyone relaxed, slightly. “Out with it,” I commanded. To be fair to the poor runner, I was being overly cautious. To be fair to me, I was sick of traitors.

  “Admiral Uchina wished to surrender to you officially,” the dvaren said between panting breaths.

  “Excellent, have him wait, and tell the army to get ready to leave at once,” I said.

  The dvaren bolted away from the big wyverns that seemed unperturbed by my presence. The water had filled and the mermen were spawned. This time they were tightly packe
d in a small makeshift lake. I watched them bob in the water while talking to uncle. The egg was scooped gently off the pillow and placed among the mermen.

  So, I’ll be the first to admit, I was a bit perplexed by the situation. I simply had to take what was occurring at face value. The egg was wanting to know what being an orb army would be like. Would it be better than getting smashed every day for eons? I could safely assume, yes, yes it was. Especially if he went out of his egg.

  Would he go in as an egg and then spawn dramatically every time he was summoned? Would he hatch for the first time and then go and become an army orb? His uncle was a deep gray slate color with forest green wings; was that what he would look like? All these questions ran through my mind as I zoned out. There was a giant poof of magic that startled me out of my thoughts.

  “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle,” I muttered noticing I was suddenly very alone.

  Two orbs, the green mermen, and a legendary wyvern army sat at my feet. They’d made the decision without me. In the wyvern orb a saw a young golden prince soaring in front of a thousand wyverns of all types trailing him in formation. Oh… that would be a mighty summon if there ever was one. Especially for aerial combat.

  I bent over to snatch each orb off the ground and tuck them away when a commotion caught my attention. The air a half mile in front of the Gorilla rent open in a whoosh. A wave of energy washed over me and right there in the middle of the skyline was a massive green portal. I grew confused. Really freaking confused. Then time froze and I was transported away from my friends, family, and more importantly my ride home. As I was being pulled elsewhere I screamed, “No!” In a long drawn out manner. I was so close.

  CHAPTER 20

  My anguished cry of “No” faded when I arrived in a futuristic boardroom surrounded by views of a technologically advanced city. I awkwardly inspected my surroundings while regaining my composure. A table generated a rendering of Thur that a dozen black robed Justicar councilmembers sat around. The group stared daggers at me as if I were expected, and I think I was, since my arrival hadn’t even startled them.