Griffin Quest

Part I:

An Unlikely Band

Prologue

Spring was gone. Summer had disappeared. Snow would not grace the desolate landscape, and the trees were bare. It was not autumn, but it was nothing else. A curse had been put upon the land of Damona, by the dread demon known only as Eclipse. For three summers, the once fertile valleys were wastelands. The peasant farmers could grow nothing, and the livestock diminished. There was barely anything to eat; the villagers ate either their sickly cattle or had to venture three days walk to the next town, and those who dared make the journey scarcely returned. The peasants' sorrow gave power to Eclipse, but deep within the mountains of Mac Cacht, in the springs of Borvo, there lay a noble warrior, young in years but skilled in all combat. There stood a shrine in his honor, holding his body in a dusty glass coffin for all to see. For the decade that he lay there, his still body had not aged one day nor decayed. There was no life in him; his heart had ceased to beat, his skin could be mistaken for stone, his complexion held nothing but white marble. The caves of Mac Cacht had but one entrance, yet that had been overrun by blackthorn shrubs and was not visible to the nonchalant. Runic symbols ringed the mouth of the cave, and only one with magical knowledge could understand their significance, but no one dared to venture close to the Mac Cacht, for the stronghold of Eclipse sat on the crest of the mountains.

I

Bevan stumbled up the barren hillside, clutching his arm. Blood seeped from between his fingers and over the back of his hand. Pain shot through his nerves with every step. He collapsed at the base of a naked tree, his breath ragged. Looking up through his mess of light brown hair, he saw a swarm of crows. They were the same ones that had followed him across the valley, swooping in to see if they could scar his flesh. Unfortunately, one of the larger scavengers had hit its mark, and, sensing freshly spilt blood, the others followed in its lead, creating a tattered gash in Bevan's arm which reached from his shoulder to his elbow. As he watched his attackers circle in the air, he knew he didn't have a lot of time to call for help.

"Cathal!" His voice was strong and given wings by the wind. It took but a few seconds for a shriek to be heard in reply. Out of the sky flew a great shadow. It screeched loudly and attacked the scavengers, driving them back to the mountains from whence they came.

"Cathal, help me up." Bevan's voice was faint from fatigue, but the blur of protection heard his friend's plea and landed softly next to him. Its hind quarters were that of a lion, golden furred, powerful, and possessing dangerously sharp yet retractable claws. Its wings were gently folded by its side. The rest of it was that of a bird of prey, with sharp eyes and a curved beak. Altogether it stood seven feet tall and had a wingspan of twenty feet.

Bowing his head, Cathal helped his injured friend to his feet, then up and onto his back. Bevan's head drooped onto the griffin's neck. Worried by this unusual movement of his companion, Cathal quickly took to the skies and headed to the nearby village of Damona, hoping there was a healer there who could help.

II

Bevan awoke, startled by the noise of running water. His eyes shot open only to see a young girl about his age sitting next to him. She had long black hair that was tied back in a braid. Her eyes were almost silver, and her hands worked at her task with great dexterity. She was wearing a comfortably fitting green dress. She was ringing the water out of a cloth and into a bowl that lay on a small table next to her. She smiled at him and put the cool cloth on his forehead. There was a faint smell of roses.

"Glad to see you're awake," she said, her Gaelic accent ringing in his ears. "You've been asleep a long time, almost a moon's cycle." She stood and went to the window. Cathal could be seen there, his head inside the small building. The girl went to stroke the griffin and, alarmed, Bevan cried out hoarsely, trying to stop her. To his surprise, a cat-like purr emitted from Cathal's throat as the girl's fingers smoothed the feathers on his head.

"Your griffin is very nice," she said, looking back at Bevan. "When he brought you here, I didn't know what to expect. It's not every day that a large aerial creature brings an injured person to my door." She scratched Cathal under his chin as she spoke. "It almost looked like he was crying."

"Who are you?" Bevan's voice was weak.

"Ssh," she whispered, walking towards him. She sat down next to him and took the cloth from his forehead, placing it in the bowl. "My name is Aislin. And you are?"

"Bevan. My griffin's name is Cathal."

"Nice to meet you, Bevan." She replaced the damp handkerchief and muttered some words that he couldn't understand. His strength was returning rapidly. Turning her attention to a bookcase next to the bed upon which he was laying, she pulled out a thick tome and began to flip through its pages. By the time she had finished and put it away, Bevan was sitting up on the edge of the bed. He placed the cloth on the table next to the water bowl. Rose petals were floating on the surface.

"What did you say?" he asked as he got up and stretched. There was no more pain in his arm, and there was also no more gash; just a thin scar. "I couldn't understand you."

"Just some words of healing," she said with a smile. "I am a healer, you know." Sighing, she went to the window. Cathal had pulled his head out and was now sitting under the window, looking around, waiting anxiously for Bevan to come out.

"If only I could heal the land," she whispered under her breath. "There is a way, but I can't do it alone." By now she was talking more to herself than to Bevan, who was still examining his arm. At these words he looked up at her, shocked.

"You know of a way to stop Eclipse?" His voice was full of excitement. She turned to him and nodded, then went to the bookcase.

"I am more than just a healer," she said, her sweet voice interlaced with her Gaelic accent. "I am a priestess in training." She withdrew three tomes from the shelves. Each one had leather bindings and a different rune on the covers:

She passed them to Bevan.

"What do they mean?" he asked, confused.

"Eolh," she said, pointing to the first one. "Luck and protection." She pointed to the second one. "Beorc, for healing and renewal." Touching her index finger to the third sign, she murmured, "Thorn, for destruction and power."

"With these we could destroy Eclipse." Bevan was awed.

III

"You know of the old shrine, right?"

At dawn, Bevan and Aislin were airborne, flying through the clouds on Cathal's back towards the Mac Cacht Mountains. The barren valley lay beneath them, and Aislin was searching the ground for something.

"Yes, I know of what you speak," said Bevan in response to Aislin's question. "I don't know where it is, though. I thought its location was lost." He looked back at Aislin, who was sitting behind him, her arms encircling his waist. She had put her braid up into a bun so that it would not be whipped around by the wind. Also, she had changed from her green dress to brown cotton pants and a cream colored shirt, so she could sit astride Cathal. Aislin looked up at him, peering into his copper colored eyes. She smiled and broke their gaze, looking down at the landscape again. A large cluster of bushes caught her eye. The bushes and the area around it were green and full of life, very odd due to the death curse that Eclipse had cast upon the land.

"Land there!" she cried excitedly as she pointed. "By those bushes!" Bevan nudged Cathal's side and the griffin started his spiral descent. They landed on the wasteland, a few yards away from the green grass and shrubs. Aislin jumped off of Cathal and half sprinted to the bushes, ecstatic to see greenery for the first time in three years.

"This is the place," she said, breathless. "He's in there, beyond those bushes. I would bet my life on it." Bevan vaulted off Cathal, and the two of them walked over to her.

"In where?" asked Bevan. He saw nothing but the mountain side and the bushes. There were thorns on those bushes, too. "Who is in where?"

"The warrior," explained Aislin. "The warrior is in that cave! Don't you see it? Can't you see the—" She stopped short, her eyes caught on a glitter on the stone. "Runes," she murmured, barely audible.

"What? Where? I don't see any."

"They're around the mouth of the cave, which is hidden by the bushes and the power of the runes."

"I don't—"

"I know you don't see it. That's okay — you'll see it soon enough." She stood in front of the blackthorn shrubs and clasped her hands together at chest level, all fingers folded down except for her indexes and thumbs. When she spoke, her voice was otherworldly, ethereal.

"EOLH! TYR! BEORC! LAGU! SIGIL!" She called out the names of each of the runes in turn, and as she spoke, the runes lit with a silvery glow. The cave entrance shimmered. Bevan gasped as the mouth of the cave became visible to him, and Cathal took a step back. Aislin continued to speak.

"BLACKTHORN PART! ETHEL PEORDH NYD!"

There was a small rumbling from the bushes. Swaying with an imaginary breeze, the blackthorn shrubs parted, giving Aislin and her companions a clear path into the cave. She started to move ahead and then realized that Bevan and Cathal weren't following her.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Her voice was back to its sweet tone, as if nothing had happened. "Aren't you coming? We have to wake up the warrior."

"What!" Bevan was surprised that she would even suggest doing something like that. "Go it there? After that? How do I know it's safe?" He took a step back and laid a hand on Cathal's neck, eyes wide.

"I promise it's safe," Aislin said sweetly. "Nothing will hurt you." She reached out her hand to him. Bevan looked up at Cathal and then reluctantly took Aislin's hand. The three of them went into the cave, and the shrubs closed up behind them, making the entrance all but invisible once again.

The runes glowed silver.

IV

"Tell me again how we are going to wake up the warrior?"

Bevan followed close behind Aislin, who was lighting the way with an amulet that hung around her neck. He was more in tune with the minds of the creatures that inhabited the world than he was with the raw energies and was full of questions that Aislin patiently answered.

"For the third time," Aislin said, smiling at her friend's interest and forgetfulness, "it's all in the books, which are in the riding bag on Cathal." The griffin squawked happily, having heard his name.

"We're here," she said. She held up the amulet and spoke one simple word.

"LUMINA!"

The light from the amulet burst forth, sending sparks dancing across the room in the shape of faeries. With the light in every corner, they could see quite clearly. The room was expansive, and in front of the far wall stood a statue of a knight. At the foot of the statue was a glass coffin, and within was the young warrior. On either end of the coffin was a torch, yet they had gone out years ago with no one to watch after them. Aislin took some pieces of straw from the ground as well as bits of cloth that she had packed from Cathal's bag. She filled the torches with these and directed a faerie-like spark to each one. The torches were ablaze in seconds and gave more light to the shrine. A glitter on the coffin caught Bevan's eye.

"What's this?" he asked, going over to it. There was an inscription in silver on the coffin lid. He couldn't read the words. He reached out and put his fingers on it lightly. The next thing he knew, his head throbbed, his eyes were clenched shut, and he was on the ground. Aislin was kneeling down next to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worriedly. Bevan stood, his head still pounding. He heard Cathal let out a growl.

"What happened?" He opened his eyes and found that he was nowhere near the coffin. In fact, he was against the far wall across from the coffin.

"You touched the protective seal and it reacted." Aislin looked over towards the coffin. She stroked Cathal's neck to soothe him, then reached into the riding bag and withdrew one of her books.

"Beorc," she murmured, "for healing and renewal. As she flipped through the pages of the tome, she paced the room, one of her spark-faeries following her to shed light on the words within. Minutes passed, pages flipped, and Bevan and Cathal sat patiently, as far away from the coffin as possible.

"And she said it was going to be safe," Bevan whispered sarcastically to the griffin. Cathal cocked his head to one side. Bevan's head still pounded.

Snapping the book shut and letting the spark-faerie go on its way, Aislin declared, "I know what we have to do." She began to rummage through the riding bag, looking for the ingredients that she needed. "I need a griffin feather," she said to Bevan. "Could you please ask Cathal if I may have one? He is your griffin, not mine, so I shouldn't ask." Bottles clinked together inside the bag and Aislin extracted those that she needed, putting them on the ground near the coffin. After a bit of coaxing and pleading, Bevan had the feather from Cathal, but only after promising the griffin that he could eat a fresh cow after the ordeal was over, if they lived to the end of it. Aislin looked at Bevan when she heard this and raised an eyebrow, but Bevan only shrugged.

"How else was I supposed to get the feather for you?" he asked, smiling. Aislin smiled back, laughing as well.

"Oh well," she said, rolling her eyes. She turned her attention back to the glass containers in front of her. She placed them on top of the coffin, being careful not to touch the silver seal. With different colored powders she made five runes on the seal. The runes began to glow as she finished them, until the whole coffin was glowing inside and out with rainbow hues. She removed the bottles from the coffin lid and put them back in Cathal's bag. She took out a white candle and lit it from one of the torches. She let the wax drip on the coffin in the shape of a sixth and final rune. This, too, began to glow as she snuffed out the candle with her fingertips. She replaced the candle in the bag and clasped her hands in front of her again, at chest level. Bevan and Cathal stepped back.

"NYD! UR! BEORC! LAGU! SIGIL!" Her voice was again ethereal.

"NYD! UR! BEORC! LAGU! SIGIL!" She spoke louder this time.

"NYD! UR! BEORC! LAGU! SIGIL!" Flinging her hands out in front of her, she raised them to the warrior statue that stood before her.

"HAEGL! HAEGL! HAEGL!" She grasped the griffin feather in her right hand like a knife and brought it down so the tip touched the glass lid, as if to pierce it.

A cool wind blew from nowhere.

The lid began to crack, spreading from where the feather touched it.

The warrior in the coffin opened his eyes.

V

Bevan gasped, making sure to stay back. He had heard the cracking of the glass case, and he was even more surprised when the whole coffin shattered. Pieces fell to the floor in small and large chunks. His eyes grew wide at the events that were unfolding before him.

Aislin was holding her hand out to the warrior, who was now breathing and blinking. His chest rose slowly as he savored the cool air that filled his lungs. He took Aislin's hand and sat up. She held out the griffin feather to him.

"Your grace," she said, not knowing what else to say, "please accept this griffin feather as a token of those who have awoken you."

He took the feather from her and laced it in his belt, next to his scabbard.

"My name is Calhoun," he said. His voice was deep, his eyes were blue, and his hair was blond. "You have called upon me for what reason?" He surveyed his company within the cave.

"Please, lordship," began Aislin.

"Just call me Calhoun."

"Calhoun, the demon Eclipse has put a curse upon our land and we desperately need your help in defeating him." Hearing the name Eclipse jolted Calhoun's memory, and he stood quickly.

"I know of this demon," he said, cracking his neck and his fingers. "We must vanquish him quickly." He began to walk out of the cave, but stopped. "How long has this curse been upon your people?"

"Three summers," said Bevan, who was now next to Calhoun. "And he gets stronger every year. He has made his stronghold on the peak of these mountains."

"Let us go," said Aislin. "I don't want to waste another minute." She called her spark-faeries back to her amulet with a word and led the way out of the cave. The bushes at the entrance opened so they could pass and then immediately closed behind them.

"I am Aislin," she said to Calhoun as they climbed onto Cathal's back, "apprentice priestess."

"I am Bevan, the griffin rider." He was already mounted and held a hand out to Calhoun. Calhoun took his offered hand and sat behind Aislin. "This here is Cathal. He's a great friend." Bevan nudged Cathal in the sides and they shot into the air.

VI

They landed on the peak of Mac Cacht, right in front of Eclipse's stronghold. Assessing the situation, they rose again on Cathal's back to a large balcony that overlooked the barren land. The railing along the edge of the balcony was made of bones and skulls.

"How fitting," Aislin murmured quietly. They dismounted and crept towards the blood red curtains that billowed out from the room within. Calhoun drew his sword, Bevan unsheathed his daggers, and Aislin pulled a few small vials of liquid from Cathal's riding bag.

Pulling the curtain aside, the four of them entered the dimly lit chamber.

"I've been waiting for you!" The voice came from nowhere and reverberated off the walls. It was deep and menacing. The dim lights went out. Fire burst from behind them. They turned around to see Eclipse standing, or rather levitating, there. He was a shadow, engulfed in flames, his eyes glowing red. "Now you die!" He lunged towards them, shadowed arm outstretched. Claws grew from the flames. He slashed at Calhoun. Calhoun blocked with his sword and kicked. To his surprise, he connected with something solid. However, his pant leg caught on fire and he had to jump back. He put it out just in time to see Eclipse come towards him again. This time he didn't have time to block. Eclipse attacked, his claws ripping down Calhoun's chest, burning his shirt and his skin. Calhoun's blood steamed as it hit the floor. Bevan came around from behind him and threw his daggers into Eclipse's side and back. Eclipse shrieked. The sound was worse than a banshee's wail. He turned to Bevan and attacked, raking his claws down Bevan's back, ripping his shirt and tearing at his skin. The smell of burnt flesh rose from the two young men on the floor. Injured as they were, they struggled to their feet, weapons raised.

Cathal spread his wings and rose off the ground, planning to hit Eclipse with an aerial attack. Looking up, the demon spotted the griffin just as he began to dive. Holding one hand out towards Cathal, Eclipse sent a fireball in his direction. Cathal barely got out of the way; the fireball grazed his left wing tip and exploded against the far wall. The griffin landed next to Bevan, to steady him as he pulled yet another throwing knife out of a hidden sheath. Aislin rushed over to Calhoun and pulled out a small bottle. She uncorked it and held it to his lips. As he drank it, she murmured, "Lagu…Ur…Eoh…" He felt his strength returning. He dashed around Eclipse with lightning speed, assaulting him mercilessly.

Meanwhile, Aislin tended to Bevan, giving him the same potion and speaking the same words that she had to Calhoun. Soon, he was full of fighting energy. He joined the battle, running around Eclipse in the opposite direction that Calhoun was. Small yet effective throwing knives left his fingers at amazing speed and each one hit their target dead on. Eclipse screamed out in frustration, taking a swing at Calhoun. He parried, ducked and stabbed. Bevan took advantage of Calhoun's attack and hit the demon hard in the back with five knives. Cathal was airborne once more. He added his fierce aerial attacks to the fray, shrieking out each time he hit his target.

Eclipse grew weary of the oncoming assaults. He bent over and covered his head with his arms. Confused, Calhoun and Bevan stood their ground, not knowing if the demon had given up or was merely faking it. Their two seconds of delay gave Eclipse all the time he needed. Screeching loudly, he burst forth, throwing his arms out to his sides. The fire that surrounded his body formed a sphere that grew rapidly in all directions. It wasn't scalding hot; the quick movement of energy exploded around him and blew all his foes off their feet. There was no time to react. By the time the sphere had formed, it was already gone.

Calhoun and Bevan were laying flat on their backs, the wind knocked out of them. Cathal was out cold, having hit the ceiling, and was dropping fast. Aislin, who was also on the ground, caught sight of Cathal. She grabbed a handful of powder from a small bag tied to her belt and threw it into the air. As the griffin and the powder met, she cried out, "LAGU! BEORC! TYR!" Cathal opened his eyes and spread his wings, barely making the landing. He skidded to a stop and almost fell over. He shook his head and sneezed once, getting the powder out of his nostrils.

Eclipse was still engulfed in a small sphere of flames. As the warrior and the griffin rider stood, laughter could be heard emanating from the sphere. Within seconds, fireballs shot out in every direction. Aislin and her companions dropped to the ground again, to avoid being incinerated. The curtains, however, caught on fire. As they raised their eyes, they could see Eclipse, now in his true and most powerful form. He was no longer levitating, but slithering across the floor. From his waist down was a long serpentine body. His tail split in three, and at the end of each branch was a scorpion-like stinger, each one poisonous and deadly. His torso looked human, though from head to stingers he was covered in black scales. His arms were muscular, and he had sharp horns of bone protruding from his elbows. Atop his head was a crown of spikes, which traced their way down his spine. His claws were even deadlier, and his eyes themselves seemed to be on fire, just as his body was still surrounded by the flames from Hell.

Calhoun screamed an oath as he rose to his feet and attacked. Bevan followed, belting out a war cry. Cathal was again assaulting Eclipse with aerial attacks. Aislin searched her small pouches for a specific vial of liquid, on that she knew would give Calhoun, Bevan and Cathal the upper hand. Her fingers clenched it just as Eclipse let loose another wave of fireballs, knocking all to the ground except Aislin.

She held the vial of liquid in one hand, concentrating hard on her purpose. The words came to her as she raised it above her head to throw it.

"THORN PEORDH IS!" The words sprang from her lips as the bottle left her hand. It flew through the air and hit Eclipse in the chest. The vial shattered and the liquid splashed over his body, transforming into long tentacles as it spread. Eclipse screamed, writhing, trying to pull off the liquid limbs as they dowsed his fire. With a shriek, he slithered towards Aislin, claws aimed at her throat. She jumped back and hit the railing of the balcony. Death was staring her in the face and coming closer, and oblivion was to her back. Eclipse rushed her, hurtling both of them over the edge of the balcony, breaking the railing. He had one clawed hand around her neck while he tried to break free with his other hand. She was losing consciousness. With only one chance left, she raised her last assault vial and smashed it into his face. He screamed as the glass cut into his eyes and the potion burned like acid. He let her go, trying instead to wipe his face clean of the liquid that ate away at him.

Aislin stopped falling. She was suspended in mid air, not knowing how that had come to be. She still did not know how to levitate and was too numb to even try. She heard a friendly squawk from above her and realized that Cathal had caught her as she was falling. Her grip on consciousness grew and she smiled up at her griffin friend. Bevan and Calhoun were astride Cathal, waving down and her. They flew over the cliffs of Mac Cacht. Sure enough, Eclipse lay on one of the rock faces, still and lifeless. He had finally been defeated. With him gone, the curse was lifted and the valley began to grow green again. They could see the colors spreading as they flew over the forests and valleys. With one last vial in hand, Aislin whispered a few words.

"Ethel…Jera…Ing…Wynn…Lagu…Eoh…Beorc…Haegl…" She let the vial drop to the earth, where she knew that it would help to restore the fruitfulness of the land.

"Let's go home," she called to Bevan. Cathal shrieked with delight as they headed back to Damona; he was going to get his cow after all.