6: Rochelle Goyle:
If you are ever caught between a rock and a gargoyle, take the rock thrice over. I cannot tell you how many young monster hunters who thought they were 'all that' that I've witnessed go directly against a gargoyle or worse: what a gargoyle protects. I would say they came out of it in pretty rough shape… but they didn't come out of it at all.
Gargoyles are an ancient race bred for one thing: to protect at any cost. There's a reason they made it so far. Most gargoyles are known for guarding grand buildings such as churches or cathedrals. People feared them with good reason, and even the cruelest hearts wouldn't break a truce under the gargoyle's gaze. They would kill in a heartbeat, and no mortal could stop them. The only thing that would stop them from taking over the world was their own sense of duty and pride to rules and traditions. They were guardians, not rulers. The old, deep rooted fears of gargoyles has been forgotten in the modern age. The ruthlessness of the past has become just that: the past. Younger gargoyles, while still bound the same rules that guided their ancestors, are more likely to ask questions first and then kill, if necessary.
There's this illusion that the modern age has brought along with all it's propaganda, the illusion that both monsters and humans have moved away from their primal roots and all are equally the same at heart. This illusion tells us that background has no effect on the now. This illusion is a trap. Gargoyles have not lost there need to protect, nor their will to go to great lengths to protect it. People associate them with always guarding buildings, but that isn't the half of it. The gargoyle protects first and foremost those who are closest to it. And that's what make this one so dangerous.
Now, at this point you are probably wondering what exactly makes a gargoyle so powerful. Beyond will, anyway. To put it bluntly, they are made out of stone. That means they are bullet proof, electric proof, temperature impervious, and immune to the gorgon's stair. They are strong/heavy enough to break bones, and their claws are razor sharp. One swipe from those things and your throat is gone. Did I mention they hold grudges and will track down someone for years on end if necessary? (Word of advice, never punch a gargoyle.)
By now I probably have you pretty convinced that there is no beating a gargoyle. It is true that they are almost undefeatable, but there is one way to hold them back. Remember how I said the only thing holding them back from world dominance was their binding pride? That still applies. A gargoyle will not break a rule unless absolutely necessary, but an oath is something they'll cary to the grave. This next bit of instruction is not to be utilized by any other than a seasoned expert. It exceeds the definition of dangerous.
The best, and possibly only, way to truly subdue a gargoyle is to force them into an oath not to harm you. The way to do this is perilous, fatal is messed up. You must directly attack and threaten to harm someone they care about dearly. You're probably remembering back to where I said harming what a gargoyle protects is beyond stupid. It is. But I also said that they will protect at any cost, and that can be a weakness. If a gargoyle fears that you will kill someone before they can stop you, they will not attack. Force them into a carefully worded oath, then let the hostage go. There are many things that can go wrong with this, so I'll only address the most common mistakes. Threatening to kill and using torture to put emphasis to the threat is fine. But actually killing is the worst thing you could do. You lose the only thing standing between you and a very slow, drawn out death. Another mistake is breaking your end of the bargain. You break your oath, the gargoyle feels no shame in breaking theirs.
Now that I have told all the extremes, I'll admit that I highly doubt such measures will be necessary for this situation. Rochelle Goyle is but a young gargoyle who focuses on looking after the well being of those in her school. As I have no plan to directly harm the building or any individuals, I am fairly safe. She is still a sentinel, though, and I won't be quick to forget cation when she's in the same room. I also charged Crabgrass with getting me a list of students she seems closest to. I'd like to avoid any possible… ah… negativities between us.
CloudLoud: Close, but not quite! One is spot on, one is barely off, and the other much more so. Cant give specifics here! If you get it right next time, you can see an exclusive look of Lagoonafire's in-progress story. (Provided you have a safe gmail) And yes, Posa is the daughter of the sea god. Aparently she feels the need to water her underwater plants.
Till Next Time,
RainStorm