Aspiron looked back at the home of the harbinger. “See you soon old friend”, he said and then walked away. Dragus and the others were already mounted and ready to fly, and as for the ones left in Aprions party they had found the horses and got them ready. They were going to be short on the ride back, but their venture was not in vain. This had been eye opening for certain. Now they had something to come back with and talk to the keeper about it. There was need for more attention.
“Stay alert on your way back, at least until you clear the woods. Those creatures are sure to be patrolling”, said Dragus. “We will for certain, strange creatures they are”, said Asprion. “Indeed, but this fog can create almost anything creature wise, and most are unnatural for that is certain”, said Dragus. “I’ll report to my people what has happened, maybe it is time to reinitialize the guard front here”, questioned Asprion? “Maybe, we will take to the sky and follow you all till it is safe. See you at the next meeting Asprion”, said Dragus. “Thanks, and you as well”, said Asprion.
Dragus heeled his Griffin and its wings opened slamming the wind down and taking flight. His company followed and soon they were sky bound. Asprion and the others gathered on their mounts and started to leave. Their pace was quickly, as they did not want to risk having yet another run in with the creatures. It would take some time to reach their home, and from there they would regather and the march back, this time prepared.
The guard font had been decommissioned after the Great War was over. The fortifications still stood, but were going to need some upgrades, and be re maned in order to be effective. The forces were not going to have to be at full strength but a company would be needed to assure that nothing would become strong enough to get out. If those creature they fought, were to get out, they could cause serious damage, but the fog didn’t seem to have that kind of power yet. It would take great magic to create creatures that could survive outside the Darkwoods domain.
“The Phantom forest”, said Asprion. “What was that my lord”, asked one of the soldiers? “The Phantom forest, the name we gave the Darkwood when it had been overrun with the fog. It created what we deemed phantoms, and if someone was to get caught in the fog was washed away to a totally different forest. A place of darkness and ever changing façade. Creatures were created from the very air. At first the creatures could not venture beyond the fog, then they started to venture to the border of the Darkwood, then finally they got strong enough to move independently and wonder out in the lands. These creatures were total phantasms. They were created to hunt and kill, and that was their only purpose. There was no reasoning with them, and they never stopped, till it was killed. It took years to finally push them back and get the guard front up and then stopping them. Even then we had times that the front was weakened extremely. It was dark times and many thought it was going to be impossible to end it on a good note”, said Asprion. “What changed it my lord”, asked the soldiers? “The Harbinger for one. He was able to traverse the terrain and take out the beings creating, and stabilizing the fog, but it seems that those creatures are back, or there is something else at work here”, said Apsrion.
Asprion was looking back as he and his group was starting to part the forest and get into the wide open fields. The mountains of the forest loomed in the far distance reaching up and piercing the clouds. The purple haze of the fog gathering at the base of the towers. He had a concern for his comrade, but knew he would be okay. He heard a Griffin call from high above and saw that Dragus was waving them off. They flew off towards the north, while Asprion was heading south. Soon they would be convening with the Keeper at the dark fortress.
Asprion and his band did not stop many times. Skipping breaks and pushing their mounts hard. They rested only when it was dark, and during the day only rested the mounts for water. They were trying to cut down at least a day of travel. Their mounts were being pushed to their end. At last they could see the Blue Sapphire towers of their home.
Dragus and his companions flew in an organized path. Their trip was going to be faster than that of Asprion, but could be just as dangerous. Dragons could be about, their movements had been pushing their boundaries lately. Going beyond the fire nest of their home, things had started to get a little testy. The dwarves of the north had even been seeing outlines in the sky and mountain tops that hadn’t had a shadow of a dragon in years.
Dragus’ formation had him leading and with two on each side. There was one behind him and then two on each side of him. As things were the air was quiet and there wasn’t much in the skies at the time. Dragus and the other flew in silent as he led the way. The outside fliers were responsible for watching the above and sides, while the inside flier’s responsibilities focused on underneath.
Their home was in sight and they were going to land soon. Dragus raised his arm and made a circle in the air. Falling in line, the other riders started to fall back behind Dragus as they began to lower. The griffins they rode were very well trained and could handle the updrafts and down drafts that flowed through the mountainous region. To the left in the distance some wild griffins came to inspect the company as it started to land. They were harmless to the Draksin, as they had formed a bond and were able to freely move about their air space and land at will. Some of the griffins there were even old mounts for the Draksin. Those that got to a certain age were freed to live their life. Their age was still young enough reproduce and keep the bloodline going. Some however, stayed even after the rider released them. It was a Draksin’s privilege to be able to pick a Griffin in his life. It wasn’t something that all Draksin’s got to do, so when the time came they were truly honored at the deed. The griffins bonded to their mounts and they had to choose their rider. Dragus and his griffin were a different story though. Their bond was formed over an entirely different manner.
When Dragus was young and only starting out as a warrior, he was in a company that was patrolling the nesting grounds. This company was one that most of the new riders were selected due to their closeness with their job. Dragus and his company had taken shelter to wait out a storm that had blown in. The lighting blew and thunder shook the ground that they stood on. The griffins were built in nicely to the rock faces of the mountain. They used their extremely hard beaks and claws to chip away a hollowed out hole in the side and then formed a nest there. The Draksin patrolled the nesting ground against, intruders and predators of all sorts. Griffins only give birth to a single egg in their lifetime, so making sure their baby lives was a high priority. The Draksin also wanted to insure certain blood lines of the beast was well looked after.
Dragus and his company had to do this many times when on patrol. An old hollowed out nest was where they made home. They had done this so many times that the hollow had become a headquarters of sort. On Dragus’ watch he was looking out into the dark abyss and thought he saw something moving in the dark. It lurked on the ground as if some snake, but bigger than himself. IT also seemed to walk on four legs, something no snake be able to do and here in this location was not suitable for snakes. He looked back at his company commander and nodded his head towards the outside. The commander shook his in agreement and let him go. He wanted to send two, but Dragus said it’s probably nothing. Off he went into the night.
Walking quickly and quietly through the pouring rain and lighting Dragus made his way through the rocks and boulders that littered the ground about the floor of the mountain. He took no torch as he could see using a bit of cloth that had been endowed with a spell. He wrapped it around his face over his eyes, and when you looked through them, everything was illuminated from the dark. Draksin had learned this trick from the Mystics in the South East. It was very useful in allowing movement at night but without the attraction of fire light. This also aided in not disturbing the Griffins as they nested.
Dragus went to where he had though the creature had crossed in his sight range. Looking at the ground he could tell something large had moved on through. He followed the trail and saw that it was heading towards a new Griffins hatchery. He moved quickly as he started to recognize the foot pattern. IT was that of a Fire Drake. A large Drgon like creature that was born without wings, but could spew fire just the same. It was a vulture of the ground, but preyed on hatchlings and such of griffins. They were more common among the dragons home, than here, but they were known to be in this part of the mountains as well as other creatures as well. He moved on thought eh cracks and had to move on through caves that the creature was using to move about the mountains feet. Luckily for Dragus, since the creature was bigger than him, it made moving about the trail easy for him.
Finally it came to an open area that led directly to a griffins nest, and Dragus was right in his assumption. It was a new mother. She was nesting and had a between her front and back legs, as she cradled it, and then had a wing laid over top it, to keep it warm. Dragus looked about trying to see the drake and where it might have went to, but in the clearing the rain had washed away all signs. Taking out his sword he made his way straight to the nest. The Griffin raised its head as he approached. Even though they had trust with the Griffins, approaching one that is with egg was risky. They were very protective and would fight anything that came near, even the father.
Dragus knelt down and bowed to the Griffin to show that he was indeed a friend and meant no harm. Placing his sword on the ground he placed arms out as wide as they cold to show submissiveness. The griffin nodded its head in agreeance, allowing Dragus to stand back up no problem. He approached and rubbed the head of the new mom Griffin. It chirped softly enjoying the rub. Dragus then went back to the edge of the nest and looked out in the way he had come. That Drake was still out there moving about.
Suddenly and without warning a spew of fire shot out at Dragus. He only managed, thanks to the cloth catch a glimpse of light flaring up from the mouth of the drake, but that moment was all that he needed to make a move and dodge the firery liquid. The mother griffin leaped up and roared its siren call displaying its wing span in a threating manner. The drake moved closure, as it was getting ready to spew again. Its drool was lite up by that excess amount of fuel it had to use. A second stream shot out towards the griffin this time, but from another direction. It was a second drake. Dragus took up guard in front of the nest to protect it. The mother jumped out and went on the attack towards one of the drakes. The battle was fierce as roars from the griffin and fiery liquid shot out here and there in the night. Dragus Pulled himself away from that battle as the second drake was making his way to the egg. It started to approach when Dragus jumped out slashing out at it. The drake didn’t know he was there, luckily. The other drake had gotten the surprise on him, but the mother griffin had jumped on that one. This one was not in his view range. Jumping back trying to pin point Dragus, was reading another spew but was having a hard time tracking him. Dragus was using the cloth and night to his advantage. He was able to maneuver around to the back of the drake with ease and without it seeing him. He climbed a small rock and laid flat on it. As the Drake was moving by, he then jumped up as high as he could. Taking the sword pointing it down he drove it into the creature’s head, then the weight of him and the height of the jump brought the creature immediately to the ground. With a drake you had to be quick if you didn’t kill it with an instant death, more than likely it would start spew all the fire it had everywhere.
Just then Dragus looked over and saw that that mother griffin had managed to get on the back of the other drake, but as it was being torn apart from the claws and beak, it started to spew fire all about. The liquid was not like normal fire. It caught things on fire that would not be put out by water. By now the ground was roasting in some places that the creatures had spit out. The random spew caught the mother griffin of guard and she was tagged by some of the fire. Her wings caught a blaze as well as one of her front legs. The griffin roared out in pain and anguish. Just then from behind Dragus heard a noise. Turning he saw a third Drake had come and was about to get into the nest. Taking his sword he thought it. Aiming for a kill shot in the neck. The sword struck true and the drake flew to the ground scratching at his neck trying to remove the object. Soon the liquid fire melted the sword and it fell out but, the liquid along with blood was pouring from the wound. He could not spew any more, and the neck injury was fatal. It slowly died laying on the ground bleeding out.
Dragus’ commander and company had heard the commotion, even in the rain, and had come to inspect. They found Dragus standing by the mother griffin. It was too badly wounded to fly and walk. The company aided in what it could do to help it back to the nest. Once there they went back and got medicine that they had created to help with such injuries. The Draksin had become very well versed in the caring for griffins. The mounds however would never allow this griffin to fly again. Taking charge on his own, Dragus made it his duty to help the mother, till the baby was born, and even then stay and look out for them. Griffin had a high societal structure. The father would return and from there look after the mother well into his and hers dyeing days, but she was going to need help with food and other things till then.
The moment finally arrived and the egg hatched. The little griffin was named Tragoon, by Dragus, and from that moment as much as Dragus was around Tragoon was latched onto him. Even mother griffin was latched onto Dragus. Dragus was able to move Tragoon and his mother back to his home from easier care, as Tragoon grew up and through all of that, a bond stronger than any was formed. Tragoon had been with Dragus longer than any before, with rider and mount. Mother griffin was even still alive and lived in the castle walls. She finally regained enough in her leg that she was able to walk again, but she could never fly again as the damage was too much to heal from.
Dragus dismounted from Tragoon, and patted him on the head. Time was of the essence, there was need for a call of council and company formed to get on the march right away to the guard front, something that Asprion would be doing as well. Both Asprion and Dragus had thoughts of good wishes for their men and the harbinger. They hoped all was going well and that they could find out what was causing the fog to return.