Okay, well the good news is that Mom's home. The not so good news is that she absolutely hates that back brace. She has to wear it from dawn to dusk for six weeks which means she'll likely be able get around without it sometime near election day.
Well, who knows.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SPYRO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.
Chapter 52: A Question of Duty
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Below the aircraft, on the ground, shells from the naval bombardment, artillery, and mortars created holes that dotted the landscape. It made what was once a verdant green field look more like something from out of this world. A alien terrain where the soldiers used the holes for cover when they weren't moving towards enemy positions.
Even from this height, Voss could see the formations of Rotarian troops, his countrymen, arrayed against the Syllian forces marching towards them little by little. Judging from their formation, the Rotarian's had been slowly moving toward the mountain behind Cardis. There were several black dots flying this way and that as a much lower altitude, tangling with the Syllian dragons that had accompanied the troops. He knew they were dread griffons and he knew now what they were searching for.
The only known silver griffon in existance.
These rare and illusive creatures were once the rightful rulers of Rotiart back when it had been a mighty empire. With the death of Tharsis the White, it became a human-controlled nation where knowledge of the history was outlawed upon pain of death, slavery was legal, and war with other nations was constant. It was said the the ancient human ruled empire shed enough innocent blood to have drowned itself dozens of times over. Those leading the slaughters were these black and red feathered monstrocities.
Voss knew that if the dread griffons found the silver griffon first, the war would not end until Rotiart had drowned itself in blood once again, only this time, it would cease to exist, carved up into territories of the victorious nations, if not outright abandoned. What hurt worse was that he had been raised near near griffons and he knew the stories but was always too afraid to repeat them.
Rotarian laws (and the dread griffons reinforcing them) was too much of a deterrant.
His twin engine aircraft soared through the skies, onward towards the place that, (he hoped) would be the nest of the griffon elder Tivars, the griffon who had spirited away the young silver griffon before the war began. A war to find the silver griffon and kill her before knowledge of her was known. A war that already had cost the lives of so many. If the knowledge of a silver griffon did get out, would it make much of a difference?
Worse case scenario would be that Mechanos would demand the return of her to Rotiart and arrange a convenient 'accident' for her on the way and blame it on the Syllians, effectively extending the war and potentially creating a blood feud between the nations that could last until the next century. Best case scenario is that half the Rotarian army up and defect overnight, thus ending the war before year's end but also possibly starting a civil war. Personally, Voss, along with Dieter and Wolff, were hoping for something in between.
Giving his gauges another glance, Voss angled the plane to sweep the first likely spot on the mountain.
"I'm at the first spot. Dropping low for first sweep; south face."
Dropping in low and cutting power back on the engines, Voss scanned the side of the mountain. He made special note of the cliffs and caves along the side. After a moment he looped around and made a second pass. Still nothing. The radio crackled for a moment.
"Voss, have you seen any sign of them?"
"That's a negative Dieter. If anything did live in there they're long gone. I'm going to move to the next side."
"Attention E Squadron, Dracocorps has informed us that several dread griffons have broken away from the fight and are heading for the mountain." Voss swore.
"Can a group intercept them?! We can't allow them to get here!"
"Brimstone's group is closing with them but the battle will be on the cliffs. I'd suggest you look quicker." Voss glanced around and suddenly was struck with an idea.
"Is there anyone monitoring Rotarian radio traffic?"
"Affermative. Why? What are you thinking?"
"The gold griffons are tangling with the Dracocorps, what if we let the cat out of the bag? The human units may or may not do anything but the Griffon Corps WILL respond to any kind of alert."
"That is if the ground units decide to relay the information."
"Don't worry about that, the humans assigned to the Griffon Corps are people raised near griffon colonies and grow up listening, if only in passing, to griffon tales and legends. They'll pass it along. Just make the transmission sound convincing. I'm heading to the east face of the mountain, I see a plateau on that side of the mountain that, if possible, I can land and explore the trails on foot. Also looks like an old wooden bridge on that side."
"Well, since there's no chance to stop you from doing so, you have been given permission to land there. Just make sure you can take off again. I'm switching over to the Rotarian frequency."
Voss angled his plane down to the plateau and switched his radio over just to listen in. What he heard was as good as anything a playwrite could have created.
"E Squadron, come in! RNV Leviathan to E Squadron! For goodness sake, someone respond! We have reports of Rotarian dread griffons breaking away and heading for the mountain! We can't get other units there to reinforce you! Find that griffon and get her the hell out of there before those bastards swoop down on you!"
"Uh... this... uh... This is E Squadron escort, w-what kind of griffon are we looking for again?"
"Jenkins? That you? Figures. Remember the briefing ham head? Reports from the area pre-invasion indicate locals having reported a griffon with silver fur and feathers in the area. Based on information we intercepted, those dread griffons are not there to support the Griffon Corps, they are there to hunt down and kill that griffon. I don't know why their orders are to do so, but Lieutenant Voss seemed damn determined to save it before they got to it." Then the kicker.
"RAWLINS! Check your damn radio! You're transmitting on the wrong frequency!"
The radio went silent as the conversation ended. Voss lowered his landing gear and grimaced as the plane landed roughly on the stone formation. He then killed the engines, unfastened the sidearm and carbine from the bailout compartment in the cockpit, opened the canopy, leapt out and started running for the nearest cave system. A squawk overhead got his attention and, glancing up, he saw a flash of gold dive at him.
He dove out of the way in the nick of time and, rolling into a crouched position, he brought the carbine up to the attacking griffon but stopped with his finger on the trigger.
The griffon was old, the once lusterous golden fur dull, the feathers had a similar appearance. The biggest note, was the scar that ran from the neck to just below the beak as well as a tarnished silver pendant that hung around the neck. The pendant was worn only by griffon elders, and the scar, Voss remembered, had been inflicted when a young griffon thought he knew better than the older griffon and had challenged him for the right to lead the local Griffon Corps branch. Voss switched to Griffonspeak, remembering that the griffon only spoke a smattering of human words.
"Elder Tivars! Stand down! It's me! Manfried Voss, Christof's son, from Tenret!"
Tivars jerked midair as if stunned and angled back towards him. He hovered above Voss, looking over him with his eyes before speaking, his once booming voice now muted with age.
"Manfried Voss. Huh, changed your uniform from Rotarian black and grey to Syllian blue. Before this war I would have disapproved but now I prefer the change. Means I can trust you. So, why are you here?"
"Werner told me everything. I know his sister is a La-Nee and that you're protecting her. But now the Re-Neesa are coming, and she is no longer safe here." Tivars landed and narrowed his eyes at him.
"If what you say is true, then how exactly can you safeguard her, if there in fact is a silver griffon?"
"We have a carrier, the RNV Leviathan. Her captain is Joshua de Launces-"
"DE LAUNCES?! As in the family of dragon shapechangers?! YOU would have ME take the only glimmer of hope our nation has had in over six-thousand years into what is essentially a dragon's lair?!" Tivars was angry, of that there was no doubt but Voss raised his hands, stopping Tivars.
"I know. I know what you're thinking but the de Launces are different! They want to protect the child until Mechanos can be overthrown! There are STILL people who believe in the Tales of the La-Nee! People still hope that our nation isn't too far gone to be saved! You yourself once told me: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Our enemy is Mechanos and his Re-Neesa. The enemy of the Syllian dragons are primarily Re-Neesa. You don't have to like it, but please, give them a chance!"
Tivars watched Voss as if trying to find any deceit in his words when his thoughts were interupttedby a loud screech that pierced the air. Voss looked up and paled at what he saw.
"Re-Neesa! Tivars, watch out!" Voss angled the carbine at the incoming dread griffon and fired but the bullets seemed to be doing nothing but making the large creature flinch. Suddenly, out from around the mountain, a roar echoed and Voss looked to see a large fire dragon hurl around from the south face with a wing of twelve others behind him. He angled at the dread griffon and tackled it midair, snarling indignation.
This dragon looked to be somewhat out of shape but still, the way he fought, he used his size and wieght just as effectively as he used his claws, fangs, tailblade, and firebreath.
Breaking away, he rose, folded his wings, and dove downwards, tackling the dread griffon and pressing his immense girth onto the creature, forcing it downward and crashing into the plateau, effectively snapping the griffon's neck and crushing the ribcage and creating an impressive crater in the stone. The dragon rose and glanced over to Voss and Tivars and gave a grunt.
"Name's Gojani. Dracocorps Regional Commander, Sanijo. Lieutenant Voss, I would strongly recommend you conclude whatever buisiness you have here quickly. The information leaked and now there are over three hundred dread griffons winging their way here as of now." Voss paled.
"Three hundred?!" Gojani nodded.
"My force and I will hang around overhead for a while longer but we barely have fifty dragons in the area, and only twelve here at this moment. I enjoy a good fight as much as I do most other things in life but I will not risk my dragon's lives needlessly."
"You won't have to dragon." Gojani, Voss, and Tivars turned to see a gold griffon with a human on it's back land lightly on the plateau. The human, dressed in the grey uniform of the Griffon Corps, leapt from his mount and hurried over the Voss and saluted sharply before turning to Tivars and kneeling (much to Gojani's surprise).
"Elder Tivars. I am Commander Johann Strauss of the Colgore branch of the Griffon Corps. We overheard an accidental broadcast on our frequency and I flew here as fast as I could. Is it true? Is there a young La-Nee?" Voss watched in amazement as the young commander's eyes showed a begging light and his voice held a note of pleading.
Tivars looked over to the griffon the commander had ridden on and it's eyes held the same pleading light within them. Then he looked back to the commander and to Voss and Gojani and back to the commander.
Then the edges of he beak curled into a smile and he nodded, his eyes showing with a vibrant light. Commander Strauss surprised Gojani, and the dragons who were landing upon the plateau seeing a gold griffon do the same, by dropping to both knees and weeping. The griffon was likewise weeping but was evidentally fighting it and came up to nudge it's, her, rider.
"Come now Johann, you're the commander of the Griffon Corps. Please, show some decorum when before an elder. It's undignified." Strauss started chuckling and looked up to the griffon.
"I know Flora, but... I just can't help it. A silver griffon. I just can't believe it."
"Believe it young knight. Now then. What is your reason for being here?" Strauss looked to Voss and Gojani.
"I have two-hundred and eighty gold griffons under my command here. I am ready to task them all with protecting the silver griffon from the dread griffons." Voss looked to him sharply.
"You realize this means you're going against Mechanos' orders, right?" Strauss nodded.
"Lieutenant Voss, I always suspected that you and Major Muntz defected for some reason. I only regret that we picked up on it too late. Besides, this is not a question of duty. It is a matter of honor. My soul is clean in this decision." He turned to Tivars.
"Now, though, now the Griffon Corps has reason to hope. We have a way to restore our beloved homeland. Lieutenant Voss, we will take care of the dread griffons, you get Elder Tivars and the young silver griffon to safety." Tivars shook his head.
"No, I refuse to be carted to safety like an old man. I'm still strong enough to help in the fight." Voss looked to him.
"Alright then, where's the silver griffon? I'll take her to the Leviathan." Gojani nodded.
"Alright, and once we're through roasting these dread griffons, we'll be returning to the dragon carrier. Along with the Griffon Corps, if they wish to." Strauss nodded and then remounted Flora and lifted of with a battle cry. Tivars turned to Voss and motioned for him to follow.
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Tivars led Voss to a cave close to the plateau yet hidden in shadows from large monolithic rocks. He entered slowly after Tivars and heard him muttering softly in griffonspeak to something still obscured by shadows. Venturing closer, Voss saw a small makeshift bed of animal furs, scavenged cloth, and other soft materials. As Voss came up beside Tivars, the bundle shifted and let out a 'coo' that sounded more from a dove than a griffon child.
Chuckling, Tivars clutched the edge with his beak and pulled back softly revealing a young griffon, almost a year and a half, with a mane of silver-tinged white fur, silver fur along the body, and white-tinged silver feathers. The youngling looked up to Voss with wary eyes and looked at Tivars and cooed again to which Tivars made a sound deep in his throat that sounded like a cross between a purr and a growl and glanced at Voss and back again.
One more 'coo' and another purr for reassurance was all the little one needed to crawl completely out of the bedding and come up to Voss who scooped her up into his arms. She was roughly the same size as an adult basset yet she was far lighter. She also showed evidence of having to eat a fugative's diet. She was thin, her fur was somewhat matted, her feathers in dire need of trimming, but she smelled clean.
Embracing her tightly, yet gently, Voss nodded to Tivars who guided him out of the cave. He couldn't help but smile as the little one burrowed deep into his embrace.
Outside, Voss was greeted with a shock. Gold griffons and dragons were a blur of a whirlwind fighting the larger and fiercer dread griffons. The soldiers on griffonback used their carbines to shoot at the enemy griffons and also used special 'bolo' ropes to try and fowl their wings and occasionally hurling an unbound barbed harpoon used for hunting at them. There was an undignified squawk from a dread griffon as Gojani managed to set his tail on fire and he plummeted downwards into the large lake at the base of the mountain. Voss shared a glance with Tivars and broke into a flat-out run for his plane as Tivars took off and flew a CAP around him.
Tivars was joined by Gojani and Flora who, upon seeing the silver griffon clutched tightly in Voss' arms, gave out a trill that got the other gold griffon's attention and, once they were sure the rumor was true, redoubled their efforts against the dread griffons. The dread griffons, also hearing the trill and glancing down, redoubled their efforts to break through the traitorous gold griffons and dragons to get at either Voss or his means of escape.
With his hands full of struggling silver griffon, Voss was unable to use his sidearm or his carbine so he presented a very vulnerable target to the dread griffons. One young dread griffon actually dove straight at him trying to perform what was known as a 'flying guillotine'. The maneuver was ended however as Gojani sprang forward quicker than his size suggested was possible, caught the dread griffon's head and neck in his powerful jaws and shook like a terrier with a rat, breaking it's neck.
He then made a retching sound and spat out the griffon and looked up to a certain light dragon.
"Illuma, you are absolutely wrong about these dread griffons! They taste absolutely nothing like chicken!"
Voss didn't hear the retort but could catch something along the lines of 'you gotta roast them first'. The gold griffons, ordinarily, would have become foul-tempered at such a statement, but now that the dread griffons were their foes, they shared a laugh at the dread griffon's expense, even going so far as to tap into that playful nature of their's and started taunting them with insults such as 'chicken legs', 'seed brain', but finally settle on a very... strong insult in griffon speak that did not disapoint.
Under the cover of insults, three gold griffons, and four dragons, Voss made it to the plane and opened the second canopy and fastened the silver griffon in, telling her in griffonspeak to stay still and don't touch anything. He then closed that canopy, climbed into the pilot's seat and started the engines and the radio.
"Attention, RNV Leviathan, this is Voss. I have the package and am returning to base. Requesting escort back."
"Voss, this is Dieter, we can't get to you! We have encountered a flight from the 312 Squadron and are unable to break away. Get in the air and make a bee-line for the carrier."
Voss didn't hesitate. He pushed the throttle to full power and started off along the plateau. Dread griffons, seeing him move, dove through their opponents, insults forgotten and ignored, and tried to get at his plane to rip it apart or knock him off the edge of the plateau. Thankfully, the griffons and dragons who had protected Voss while he was running now protected him while he was taking off.
Tivars tackled one and knocked it off course so that it crashed into one of those large rocks. Gojani grabbed two, one in each foreclaw, and slammed them into the cliff face and unleashed his firebreath at close range. Flora scrabbled with one long enough that when the dread griffon went to shriek, Strauss tossed a grenade down into it's mouth and disengaged before the blast.
Clear for the moment, Voss pressed hard on the rudder pedals and angled the plane so that the plateau was like a runway. He flipped the switches engaging the superchargers to the engines and felt himself get pulled back in his seat as the plane rumbled down the improvised runway. The plane hit the edge of the plateau, dipped as it went of the edge for a moment but then righted itself and started to fly.
"This is Voss, I am airborne. Turning to one-seven-five. I am returning alone." There was a burst of static.
"Oh no Lieutenant Voss, you're not returning alone. You're not returning PERIOD. By order of Emperor Mechanos, you are to be executed immediately for treason, sedition, and a few other things that I'm sure we'll be able to make stick. After all, you won't be around to defend yourself." Voss recognized the voice and paled, keying the radio.
"Dieter, this is Voss, I've got an element of the 666th coming at me. It's Marks."
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To Be Continued...