Chapter 2-6

Nothing further attacked them that day, nor the day after. Soon enough they saw signs of civilization—farms and hamlets below them, though Zakhin'Dakh flew high enough not to disturb them.

“Ah... I feel I should ask,” Garkhen began, “How have you found yourselves... accepted?”

Almonihah snorted. “Depends. Mostly Zakhin'Dakh stays outside of towns 'ways. 'Self, 'm used t' the looks, 'nd if they don't want me...” he shrugged.

Garkhen nodded slightly. “I am, at least, known to some degree in this area of Ferdunan now, so we should be able to travel into the town together... though Zakhin'Dakh may still best stay outside.”

Said griffon screeched disappointedly, and Garkhen reached forward and patted his neck. “I suppose we simply need a greater reputation,” he suggested, with a hint of a grin. “Then they will be glad to see the great Zakhin'Dakh coming to town.”

Zakhin'Dakh's screech this time was more cheerful, and Garkhen chuckled a bit. At first, he had not realized it, but he was learning quickly that the griffon was far too intelligent to be a simple beast—rather, he seemed his own person, particularly since Almonihah could apparently speak with him. A thought occurred to Garkhen: Was there not a spell-prayer for understanding languages? He recalled having once heard of it, though it was little used with the universal prevalence of the Common Tongue. Perhaps he might see if he could find it.

He had been lost in thought enough that Almonihah's sudden words in the strange, bird-like language he spoke with Zakhin'Dakh startled him. Garkhen looked down and saw that they were descending, heading for a hill that had no signs of cultivation. They did indeed land where he had thought. 

 

“Zakhin'Dakh'll meet us here when we're done. Couple hours' walk from here to that town you talked about.”

Garkhen nodded. “That is most likely prudent.” He looked about. “I believe I recognize the area. We need to go that way, do we not?”

Almonihah nodded. “Let's go.”

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Another short post, I know. I'll try to do a longer one next week. 

Chapter 2-5

They flew in silence for a few minutes, alert for any further attacks. Finally Garkhen decided to speak.

“It was almost as if it was waiting in ambush for us.”

Almonihah growled. “Javni'Tolkhrah don't plan. They're chaos-touched. Mad. Can't think intelligently.” After a moment, he added. “'nd I hate t' think it was.”

Garkhen shook his head slightly. “Nonetheless, I think we must admit the possibility. Whatever this amulet is, it has certainly attracted their attention, and we cannot deny that such behavior is unusual. Who can say that they are not also capable of cunning, despite their madness?”

The bronze half-dragon growled again and shook his head, but couldn't say anything to deny the point. Zakhin'Dakh, however, screeched a boast in Great Eagle. Almonihah snorted in amusement. Garkhen half-turned, as if to ask, and the Ranger translated.

“He said it doesn't matter. We'll beat them all.” Though really, it had been more like “Not matter! Me beat!”, but Almonihah could fill in for his friend.

Garkhen laughed. “Indeed? Well, I am glad to have such mighty friends in this undertaking.”

“Not your friends,” Almonihah growled.

The half-blue dragon sighed. “Perhaps not yet, but I hope we can become such.”

Almonihah snorted derisively, but didn't deign to answer.

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 Well, it's a short post, I know. I've been distracted by other characters recently.

Chapter 2-4

They flew out of the camp on Zakhin'Dakh's back, Garkhen again riding in the saddle while Almonihah made do with holding on. They were headed south, back towards Ferdunan. Garkhen was very conscious of what lay in the bottom of his pack... as were Almonihah, and even Zakhin'Dakh. 

 

“I believe the mages I know have moved back to the capital,” Garkhen said, after several uncomfortable, silent minutes had passed. “It should not be too hard to...”

Suddenly Zakhin'Dakh shrieked, Look!

 

Almonihah followed his big friend's gaze, and saw something flying towards them. It didn't take long for him to realize what it was.

“Javni'Tolkhrah,” he spat, then growled, “You're in the way, blue. Have to do this differently.”

The half-bronze dragon released his grip and jumped, spreading his disused wings. He winced a bit as unfamiliar muscles got to work, but Almonihah welcomed the distraction from the thoughts of just what the wings meant. If he used them to take out Jivenesh's twisted minions... He pushed that thought aside, too.

Meanwhile, Zakhin'Dakh had altered his flight path, angling so as to come at his foe from above. He shriek-roared a challenge at the Madness-Touched, which roared its own challenge back. It was a big creature, its individual pieces too mingled to recognize. It had a long neck, scales that seemed vaguely crocodilian, huge wings that were only partially feathered, and a half-dozen differently shaped legs. A long tail ended in a bizarre amalgam of spikes and stingers.

Garkhen began chanting as the griffon and his prey neared one another. A few moments before they met, he finished his spell-prayer, and a lance of holy light shot forth from his outstretched palm and blasted the Javni'Tolkhrah in the face. It roared as it flinched, Bahamut's power searing its eyes and flesh... which gave Zakhin'Dakh the opening he needed to slam into it. His talons sank into its shoulders as his beak sought its neck, but it recovered quickly.

As it flailed at the griffon with its variety of claws, Zakhin'Dakh decided holding on was unwise. He pushed it away from himself as he flapped powerfully with his wings, narrowly avoiding a swipe of its tail as they separated. Garkhen began chanting another spell-prayer as the griffon ascended.

Then Almonihah dove past, slashing at the Javni'Tolkhrah's wing as he dropped below it. His wild flight meant he caused it only superficial damage, and he struggled to turn and climb again. 

 

The wings, Zakhin'Dakh! He shouted.

Okay! The griffon screeched back, turning for another attack.

Garkhen wondered what they were saying, but had no time to ask. Instead, he finished chanting, this time flipping his holy symbol up and breathing lightning through it. The now blessed lightning coursed through the monster below him, and it flailed wildly at the air in pain and rage. Again Zakhin'Dakh took the opportunity to attack, this time diving to one side, seizing one of his foe's wings in his talons and holding on as he continued dropping. 

 

The two great beasts tumbled crazily through the air, Zakhin'Dakh managing to remain just outside of the reach of the Javni'Tolkhrah's claws. It snapped at him with its fangs, but he warded it off with his beak. Then it lashed its tail at him. Garkhen saw it coming, and managed to lift an armored arm to ward it off. He still saw one spine scratch Zakhin'Dakh's wing, but it did not seem to bother him. 

 

Almonihah managed to fly by again, this time slashing a great rent in the monster's other wing. Let him fall! He shouted as he pulled away.

Zakhin'Dakh waited until the Javni'Tolkhrah tumbled under him, then again pushed away with a defiant shriek. It dropped, struggling to right itself with its rent wings. Somehow it managed to regain control. Almonihah growled in frustration. 

 

Then Garkhen chanted another spell-prayer, this time directing the searing light of his god at its less-damaged wing. The beam struck bone and burned through, and finally the monstrosity dropped, roaring in defiance until it struck the ground.

For a little while, none of them spoke. Almonihah made his way back over to Zakhin'Dakh, but it took him several tries before he was able to grab onto the saddle and pull himself back onto the griffon's back. 

 

Need practice! Zakhin'Dakh declared.

Almonihah nodded and sullenly agreed, I need practice. The wind seemed to be laughing at him. He growled at it in Draconic, Quiet, Jivenesh. I won't listen to you.

Garkhen started slightly, but after a moment, decided to say nothing.

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For more epicness, listen to one of these while reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VbLTGy0TFk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJDyv-YVPgw 

My brother and I joke about how Zakhin'Dakh is the monster other monsters are scared of, the one that makes them look up and watch the skies. :D

Chapter 2-3

It took three days to prepare something that the Ranger druids deemed would be 'safe enough' for carrying the amulet. It was a deceptively plain wooden box, just large enough to fit the amulet and its chain. Despite its plain appearance, however, powerful magics were woven into the very fiber of the wood, and bound in runes carved into its inner surfaces. 

 

Almonihah had spent the time getting acquainted with the differences between the Southern and Northern Ranger Orders. There was less ground to cover here in the south, but he learned that the Rangers also had to patrol the waters, for Jivenesh's madness would twist the creatures of the sea as well as those of the land. Yet for all that, they were much the same.

Zakhin'Dakh, for his part, enjoyed meeting new people, and impressing them with his intelligence and size. Almonihah found himself dragged in to provide translations for the curious more often than he would like... though he had to admit he was just a bit proud of how quickly his friend was learning. 

 

Garkhen, however, was ill at ease. He worried about how long he had carried the amulet, and what it meant. He aided in the construction of the carrying box, and asked the druids if they knew anything of it as he did, but they did not. This only increased his concern—how long had this chaos amulet existed, and what had it done? How was it related to what had happened in Ferdunan? And why was it attracting Javni'Tolkhrah?

It was clear even now that more of the Madness-Touched were attacking then normal, and that they were trying this place. The Ranger Commander (she never shared her name) showed no concern, but Garkhen could see the strain it was placing on the Rangers, and so he worked harder to help prepare to remove the artifact.

At last all was ready. Carefully, without touching it directly, they placed the amulet in its box. For a moment its swirling colors grew brighter, but then they dimmed, and Llitthos shut the box with a final prayer to Naishia.

“It will not last forever,” he said, carefully picking up the box and handing it to Almonihah. “But it should be enough.”

“Where will you go?” The Commander asked.

“I became acquainted with a few mages in Ferdunan,” Garkhen replied. “While they may not have the skill themselves to unravel this mystery, I trust them enough to begin with them, and they will likely at least know how we may begin."

The Commander nodded. “Then may all the goodly gods be with you three. You'll need the help.”

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Another short post because of Beyond Earth. :D