blitzkreig50889: continuing on with the next chapter for my current fic, here's chapter two. I hope this fic goes a bit better as the chapters continue, so I really do encourage you to review soon, if you haven't already. Anyway, on to other matters. Here's chapter two. The usual disclaimer is posted in the prologue and as always, enjoy the chapter! Oh, and there will be some Spanish and what I think is Japanese (at least according to a friend it is).
Chapter Two
As I mentioned last time in my writing (or should I call it typing instead?), the teams to later become known as the Majestics and Black Thorns, and eventually the Imperial Knights, all began the day Robert was born and Griffolyon called for advice from Salamolyon and Unicolyon. However, at this point, things become rather difficult to explain. After all, I wasn't alive then and Robert didn't have coherant thoughts yet. It's at this point, that I'm going to allow memories from Griffolyon, Salamolyon, and Unicolyon to take over. So if you're not currently sitting (although why you wouldn't be is beyond me), I suggest you do so now, for this may be a bit lengthy.
(Flashback)
October 15, 1984, Berlin Germany
Griffolyon hadn't the slightest clue in the world as to what had called him. One moment he'd been asleep, quite peacefully for a change, and the next he'd had an earsplitting sound enter his range of hearing. In fact, it sounded like a human woman screaming.
Although he wasn't meant to act as a search and rescue party, Griffolyon uncoiled from his relaxed position in his blade and left it in the smallest physical form he could manage. After all, if there really was some danger, he didn't want to scare off the person or possible persons he was trying to help.
Quickly and quietly, he followed the faint echos of the screaming woman. He could tell she was in pain and quite a distance from the castle in Berlin. After several minutes, about half an hour, Griffolyon found himself standing almost invisibly outside one of the most prestigious hospitals in Berlin.
Baffled, Griffolyon sat down and tried to figure out why he'd been drawn to the hospital. It didn't make sense for him to be drawn to a screaming woman when she was already in the best place she could be for any injury she might have. That thought made him wonder is one of the females he was charged with guarding was inside the hospital. It might explain why he'd been drawn there.
Interested but still confused, Griffolyon jumped into the air and searched for a possible open window. At first, he didn't see any, but the sudden sound of a woman screaming a second time led him to the only open window of the building. A quick glance inside showed him exactly why he'd been drawn to the hospital. The lady of the castle, the wife of his most recent master, was giving birth to her sixth and seventh children.
That thought brought him up short. Giving birth?
The idea made him shudder. Still, he knew he'd have to go in as soon as the nurse currently in the room left. Then he'd be able to attend to the master's wife. His master would be rather displeased if he didn't make sure she and her children were alive and healthy. The memory of what had happened last time after the last difficult birth was enough to ensure that Griffolyon entered the hospital room through the barely opened window.
The smell of the room insulted Griffolyon's rather weak sense of smell. Although it shocked Griffolyon to be able to smell anything when that had been the last thing he was meant to do, he walked up to the woman sitting on a nearby hospital bed in obvious pain. The master's wife was most certainly in pain, more so this time than any of the other times. Griffolyon felt an odd sense of pity for the woman run through his veins. It was sad that she'd been forced to continue having children thanks to a stupid dumbass of a doctor telling her not to get her tubes tied. "Asshole," Griffolyon thought venomously.
Gently, Griffolyon jumped up onto the bed. The lady was most certainly having difficulty giving birth to what Griffolyon knew to be twin boys. Carefully, he walked along side of her left leg and up to her hip. It was as far as he could go without possibly stepping on her arm. Then, just as carefully, he slowly laid down beside her, keeping an ear on alert for any sound of an approaching nurse as he did a quick check on the babies' health. Both were fine, healthy boys despite the length of time it was taking to deliver them. Pleased with the results, Griffolyon started to move away from the woman, only to be grabbed roughly by what he recognized as his master's hands.
"Get out of here," the master snapped. Griffolyon started to obey, but again he was grabbed. This time the lady had grabbed a hold of him, but she had wrapped her fingers in his feathers/fur gently. He hesitated in his leaving motion, not wanting to cause her any harm.
"Please don't send him away," she pleaded with her husband. "He was only making sure the boys were okay, and..."
"And?" her husband prompted.
"For a moment, when he was examining them to make sure they were healthy, the pain went away. I was finally able to breathe without having to do so between clenched teeth. When you tried to send him away, the pain returned."
The master frowned, as if he really didn't want Griffolyon anywhere near his wife as she gave birth. But, after a pleading glance from his wife, he relented and allowed the griffin to stay next to his wife. After all, the less pain she was put through, the better.
His wife smiled slightly before wincing as the first of the twins began to move towards the birth canal. "Here we go," she hissed out. Her husband rushed from the room to grab a doctor and a nurse, all three of them rapidly returning once he'd done so. At the sight of Griffolyon sitting calmly beside the laboring woman, the doctor raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Griffolyon, he knew, had been here before. Five times before.
Finally, after thirty agonizing minutes, both twins had been born. Griffolyon found himself wrapped up in a grateful hug from the lady and receiving an appreciative pat on his wings from his master.
"Here, take a good look at them," the lady whispered in the griffin's ear. "After all, you helped me birth them."
Griffolyon wasn't sure if he wanted to go that far with the amount of aid he'd given her, but he didn't correct her. He took a very cautious look at the youngest child, which she was holding. She'd been holding the older child before she had handed him to her husband to hold, wanting to be the first to hold both of her children. The one she was currently holding was to be named Orion. The older was Robert. After a moment, she switched children, passing Orion over to his father in exchange for Robert. As he had with the other child, he took a quick cautious look as this child as well. There however, was a small problem. With this child, he found he couldn't seem to force himself to look away. A sigh from his master finally managed to give him the will to look away from the newborn.
"So that's the way of it, enh?" the master said quietly. "Well, I knew it had to happen sooner or later. Take Robert's left hand and place it directly over Griffolyon's heart, dear," he suddenly instructed his wife. Griffolyon jerked upright in shock. It couldn't be!
While Griffolyon was distracted, the lady placed the newborn's left hand against the griffin's now rapidly beating heart. A soft light illuminated the crystal that sat in his armor. It most certainly was.
Terrified, and oddly excited, Griffolyon let loose a mental call to his Western European brethren in Scotland and France. "Salamolyon! Unicolyon! Help!"
The salamander and unicorn answered immediately. Griffolyon, after a quick glance at his soon to be former master and the master's wife, excused himself from the hosptial room and its shocked staff. He darted out the window and back to the castle as fast as he could go before finally answering back the salamander and unicorn's calls. "Get to the castle immediately. I have something to tell you."
In a matter a moments, Salamolyon and Unicolyon arrived, both using the aerial link Griffolyon had magically sent them in order to arrive quickly.
"What's wrong?" Salamolyon inquired instantly. Despite being as small as he was, he overlooked Griffolyon's still glowing crystal in his armor.
"I'd say that glowing crystal is, Salamolyon," Unicolyon answered, having seen Griffolyon's glowing crystal. "And I think that's why he called us here."
Salamolyon took a good look at it before staring at the crystal in shock. "Dios!" the salamander exclaimed in spanish, his shock evident now in his face and voice.
Griffolyon nodded is head in agreement. "My thoughts exactly. My question for you two is what in all living hell do I do now?!"
"Well, for starters, I'd stay calm," Unicolyon advised. "You won't help your future and final master out if you keel over."
"Thanks for the support," Griffolyon muttered sarcastically. "Anything else you'd like to add, such as something that I don't know that can be used to make this situation easier."
Salamolyon and Unicolyon exchanged looks. "Good question," Salamolyon mumbled. "To be honest with you, I don't know what to tell you Griffolyon. Unicolyon's advise is what I would've told you as well."
The griffin muttered a few nasty german explitives under his breath, causing Salamolyon and Unicolyon to wince.
"Ouch," Salamolyon murmured. "I'd hate to be whoever you just cursed out." Griffolyon glared at the salamander, but he didn't say anything. There was just flat out nothing to say.
"Now what do we do?" Unicolyon queried. "With...what was the child's name Griffolyon?" Unicolyon asked the question after a swift pause. He wanted to say something else, but he couldn't say it without knowing Griffolyon's new master's name.
"It's Robert," Griffolyon supplied as he started to pace. Salamolyon groaned at the griffin's pacing, knowing Griffolyon wouldn't stop until he calmed himself down, giving the salamander a headache in the process.
"Robert," Unicolyon repeated quietly before continuing on with his earlier thought. "What I was trying to say earlier was that with Robert your new master, Griffolyon, that you might want to stay in the background for a little while. Maybe in a few days, weeks, months, heck, maybe even years, you'll know what to do. After all, Robert is human, and it'll take him awhile to be able to communicate with you. I look at it as an unfortunate trial and error situation. You're going to have to try things before you'll know what you can do with or around Robert."
"That's not very comforting, Unicolyon."
Strangely, Unicolyon managed a shrug. "I know that, but what else can I tell you? I've never been in your particular situation, and neither has Salamolyon. We're both completely at a loss."
"So now what?" Griffolyon queried.
"Now, we unfortunately wait," Salamolyon grumbled. "Here's hoping we don't screw things up."
"I'll second that," Griffolyon agreed as Salamolyon took his leave and went back to Scotland. Unicolyon nodded his head in agreement.
"It's all we have," the unicorn said sadly. "We're just going to hope it's the right thing to do." With those words, Unicolyon went back to France.
"I know," Griffolyon murmured after the unicorn's departure. "I know."
(Two years later...)
"Griffolyon!" Salamolyon yelled. "Advice. Now. Please!"
Griffolyon jerked awake at the frantic cries coming from Salamolyon. "Salamolyon, what the-"
"Get to Glasgow. Now!" Salamolyon ordered before refusing to say anything else. Griffolyon sighed and made himself move. He arrived in Scotland to see his salamander companion almost running around in circles and muttering odd oaths under his breath in Gaelic.
"Salamolyon, what the he-"
"Look!" Salamolyon interrupted as he stood long enough for Griffolyon to see what was distressing the salamander. The tiny emeralds embedded in Salamolyon's back scales were glowing brightly. Griffolyon's eyes widened slightly.
"Does that mean...?"
"What are you today? A baka? Yes it means that!"
At Salamolyon's outburst, Unicolyon finally arrived. "What in all heaven and earth has gotten into you, Salamolyon? You could wake the dead with your mental shouting."
"Shut it," Salamolyon snapped. "And just look for yourself." He quickly turned his body so Unicolyon could also see the glowing emeralds.
"Well," Unicolyon managed after a moment. "That now makes two out of the three of us."
"Exactly," Salamolyon hissed. "Why do you think I woke you two up in the middle of the night? Griffolyon, if you have any advice, I need to hear it now, or I'll likely kill the poor kid."
Unicolyon and Griffolyon shared a mental chuckle. Leave it to Salamolyon to over-worry about this situation.
"Relax, Salamolyon," Griffolyon said immediately. "That's the first step. You know that. You also know you're just going to have to sit back and stay out of sight for awhile."
"Yeah, I know that, but what happens if you save said new-master-to-be's life?"
"Pardon?" Unicolyon said in shock. "Did you just say "save" and "life" in the same sentence?"
"Yes, I did," Salamolyon snapped.
"Do I want to know why you interfered with the birth?" Griffolyon asked. Bit beasts were not supposed to save lives.
"I don't know why!" Salamolyon exploded. "I just know I had to do it. Just as I knew he was struggling to keep his heart beating, as if something was wrong with the heart."
"Uh-oh," Unicolyon murmured. Griffolyon shared Unicolyon's state of mind on this situation. It was at that point, that the rest of Salamolyon's words sunk in.
"Wait a minute. Did you just say something was wrong with the child's heart?" he queried. Salamolyon nodded.
Griffolyon exchanged a look with Unicolyon. "I think your theory needs revised again."
"I unfortunately agree." Unicolyon shook his head after a moment of intense thought. "Salamolyon, how did you know something was wrong with the child's heart?"
"I don't-wait, yes I do know," Salamolyon said suddenly. "It was almost as if there was a sudden mental connection, much like the one we use when communicating with one another over long distances. It seems as if he was calling to me, asking me to help him."
"And the child's name is what?" Griffolyon prompted, wanting a better understanding of what was going on.
"Jonathan. Seriously though, it was as if we had connected somehow."
"Interesting," Unicolyon whispered. "Very interesting." After a moment he shivered and shook his head again. "I think we're going to have to just..." Unicolyon paused as he searched for a way to finish his sentence.
"Be very, very, very careful?" Griffolyon supplied. Unicolyon nodded his head.
"Exactly."
"That's what I was afraid off," Salamolyon groaned. "I'm doomed." The salamander gently banged his head off of a nearby tree as Unicolyon and Griffolyon watched on.
Griffolyon glanced to the sky after a moment of watching Salamolyon bang his head off the tree. He could see the sky beginning to brighten. And if it was brightening here, it was most certainly already daylight back in Germany, which meant he had to get back and keep an eye on Robert.
"Hate to be an ass, but..."
"I get your point, Griffolyon. Get out of here before you get in trouble," Salamolyon ordered. "I need you alive if I'm to have any way of keeping Jonathan and myself alive."
Griffolyon grinned as Unicolyon chuckled. Salamolyon glared at them, before a sudden thought entered his head. "Oh! I almost forgot. Do you have any mental connection with Robert yet, Griffolyon?"
The griffin nodded. "Barely, but yes."
"Good. Now, get out of here."
Again, Griffolyon grinned before leaving. Unicolyon immitated the gesture, before he too left. Alone, Salamolyon looked back at the Glasgow mansion. Things were about to change, and the salamander wasn't sure if they were for the better, or the worse.
(End Flashback)
As you can tell, Griffolyon and Salamolyon weren't the least bit prepared for their final bladers. They also didn't know about Celina, who'd been born just seven months after Robert, and her very distant bit beast-to-be, Jess, who had yet to enter the human world despite her age and connection to Griffolyon. Obviously, Salamolyon succeeded in keeping Johnny alive and healthy, otherwise the sarcastic Scot that's my teammate wouldn't be around today. And of course, just two years later (okay, two and a half years), Enrique, Jayse, and I had our lives added to the mix.
Still, it wasn't until Robert was five, Johnny three, and Enrique, Jayse, and I were a year old that things really started to change for our bit beasts, and our destinies were actually mapped out.
blitzkreig50889: wow. That's all I can think right now. As always, please leave a review to let me know what you think of the fic and I'll update ASAP. Oh, and a quick layout for the next chapter/s goes like this: Chapter three consists of the incident that brings the Majestics into contact with one another. It also preludes to the topic of the next chapter. Chapter four will consist of a particular memory that is aptly described in two other fics, Hidden Memory Book One: The Calling, and Sea Storm Unity. Chapter five then bounces back to Europe, in particularly, Italy, and the arrival of Amphylyon.
Note: You may have noticed that Griffolyon does not name is master before Robert or Robert's mother. This is due to a lack on knowledge on Griffolyon's part and a lack of creativity on mine. I couldn't think of any names, hence, why none are give. In the state of the translations, "Dios" means "God" in spanish, and "baka" according to a friend of mine, is supposed to mean idiot in Japanese. As to Johnny's heart issue, it's just something I tossed in to make the fic more interesting and I hope you enjoy the twist I tossed in on the Scot's life. As to the crystals glowing on Griffolyon and Salamolyon, that too is a twist I tossed in to make the story more interesting. In this fic, a glowing crystal, whether on armor (as in Griffolyon's case) or on the bit beasts actual body (as in Salamolyon's case) signifies they have reached their final master. Once the final master passes on, they do as well. If there's any questions to anything I may not have clarified, please let me know and I'll try and explain them to you as best as I can.