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Chapter 88: Beware the Griffen

Night was approaching as the magenta dragoness stood next to the noble wyvern. He turned to face Equinox and opened up his beak slightly to let out a strange caw towards her. She cocked her head and took a step back.

"What was that?" Equinox asked with a heavy chuckle. Guardian lowered his head in embarrassment.

It symbolizes trust among my kind. Forgive me for that. He turned away and flapped his wings. Equinox did the same.

"Where will you take me?"

There are places in the Spine that no man has seen before, Equinox. Only us wyverns have touched its tender surfaces.

"What is it?"

The question you must ask is "where?" Guardian chuckled and leapt up into the night sky; Equinox followed closely behind him. Arian and I have been the only ones to see such places, except a few have been viewed by the entire wyvern race.

"What is it?" Guardian banked to the East and flew straight towards the moonrise. "Guardian?"

Hmm?

"What are these places?"

They are all signatures of nature, my dear dragon. Every place I will show you is her masterpiece.

"Oh," Equinox murmured as she flew in closer to her feathery friend. "How did you know that I like things of that sort?"

It started when I noticed a few gems in your room last night…?

"You were in there?" Equinox growled. "My parents know not of my collection, and I prefer it to stay that way."

Why? They are beautiful stones, Equinox, and it is customary for females to grow attached to shinny objects…at least the human females are. Where did you find them? Equinox looked down at the darkening soil far below them.

"I go to villages," she replied, "and I ask for them."

Those are cut jewels, yes?

"Cut?"

They are unnatural. Equinox, the things I will show you are natural creations that no being besides my kind have touched. The gems by your bed are nothing compared to the wonders that I have to show you. Equinox's eyes brightened as she turned to look at him. Do you know the names of the stones that you hold?

"Why yes, I do," she replied confidently. "I have two sapphires, a topaz, two garnet stones, and one emerald."

Emerald? Guardian asked. That must have been it.

"I am sorry?"

The stone that matched the color of your eyes, Guardian said shyly. I have never seen a gem like that before.

"Have you seen the other ones where you are taking me?"

Yes…them and more.

"Like?"

There is an entire cavern filled to the brim with fresh crystal. Have you ever seen water glisten off of an uncut crystal, Equinox? She shuttered with excitement and shook her head.

"I cannot imagine, Guardian." He lifted his head up confidently as they flew into the Spine. In one quick motion, the wyvern tucked his wings in and dove down through a cave in the mountainside. Equinox followed cautiously and touched down in the dark cavern beside him. "I can't see a thing."

You must be a dragon. They both chuckled, remembering the words that were exchanged between each other when they first met. He inched closer to the dragoness and nudged her neck with his beak. Can you breathe fire?

"Yes."

Toss it out. Equinox growled uncertainly and shook her head. She kneaded the cool dirt underneath her claws and lifted her head. Suddenly, she opened her maw and spat out a large jet of flame. As the fire spread, it ignited against some torches that were nailed through the cavern's sides, illuminating the cavern completely. The fire spread further down the cavern, creating a glimmering walkway down into the end.

"Wow," Equinox gasped. She looked around to see that the entire cave was made out of the milky white of quartz and the greenish-blue of topaz. The walls that lined the cave were smooth and were clear enough to show Equinox's reflection. She placed her snout to the wall and snorted as she saw her emerald eyes flicker in the glimmering light. "This is beautiful."

It gets better, Guardian snickered. He shifted his head towards the pathway and waited for Equinox to take the lead. She growled pleasingly and stepped forward.

"I have never seen anything like this," she sighed admirably. The colors of the gems seemed to grow brighter as they made their way deeper into the cavern. Suddenly, the walls seemed to vanish on the right side, revealing an astounding waterfall with crystal visible through the clear liquid. The fires that were lit on the torches seemed to dance on the shiny rocks as the water flowed over them and down fifty feet into the cold pool below. Equinox stepped over to the edge and dipped her snout in to see the floor of the pool lined with uncut ruby stones.

You can take one if you like, Guardian said with a soft chuckle. They have been there since this was discovered. Equinox let out a cheerful growl and dunked her head in to scoop up the largest stone that could be reached. The water was as cold as ice, nearly freezing her scales as she dove in, but Equinox was too fascinated in the overall beauty to complain. She emerged with a large stone in her mouth that was coated in gold and ruby and was also as large as a dragon egg.

Is that a…? Equinox set it down in front of the wyvern and nudged it.

"It certainly looks like one, does it not?"

How? Only wyverns have been here! Better yet, is it even alive? Equinox shook her head.

"That water is far too cold for it. If it survived, it is a miracle." Equinox sniffed the golden egg and cocked her head at it. "Guardian, something is not right about this. It smells…evil."

Hmm? Guardian stepped closer and placed his beak to it. You are right. Equinox quickly scooped it up in her mouth and tossed it back into the water.

"I will not take something like that home, regardless if it is alive or not." She watched with a pleasing snort as the egg sunk back to the bottom of the clear water. She turned and began to walk back down the pathway with the wyvern following.

This was where our race began, Equinox, Guardian began to explain. Our ancestor, Gideon was born in this very cave several ages ago. From him, we all emerged. Equinox turned to look at the torches that lined the walls and then glanced over to her friend.

"Where did these come from?"

They have been there ever since Gideon arrived, Guardian explained. I was unsure that your fire would have lit all of them…this has never happened before. They came to a split in the cave and Guardian stopped. We must go left.

"Has anyone been the other way?"

Well no…?

"Where is your sense of adventure, friend?" Equinox chuckled to herself as they began to walk down the other pathway.

This is uncharted, Equinox. We could get into trouble…?

"Was it not you who said no one has been here?" Equinox shook her head and growled. "You flip your words a lot."

Sorry.

"I like it." He cocked his head at her. "It makes me feel wiser." She smiled to herself and continued to walk, amazed by the shiny crystals that hung from the ceiling of the cavern. Suddenly, she tripped over an odd yet familiar object. Her feet fell out from under her as she tumbled on the cold ground.

Are you okay? She looked down to see the same dragon egg that she tossed into the water…right in front of her nose. Uh…didn't you get rid of that thing?

"I did," Equinox whispered. She picked up the stone once again and placed it to the side of the cavern. "Let's go further." They continued to walk until they ran into a dead end. There was an inscription on the far wall:

BEWARE THE GRIFFEN

Equinox and Guardian turned to look at each other and faced the wall yet again. Right in front of it was the same evil stone.

Take me…Mother.

Oh…mystery.

PEACE!