Set in a world of predatory mammals and griffins, a prominent assassin is offered a chance at redemption from the king. The problem is he has been assigned a Griffin to work with, one who has a troubled past of her own. |
The Art of Redemption
Characters involved: Exsohs & Nyra (Pages on Oppidum)
Writing Type: Open for writing by other people Status: Right now it's entirely written by me, but I'd like it if I could get a few pieces written for it. |
One
The blue-furred stallion narrowed his eyes in suspicion of the over-looming structure; it's impeding presence had his fur stood on end. Caution exuded from his every pore and his tail slowly cocked in preparation for the unknown. At his side trotted another animal of blue fur, this one a wolf. She, unlike Exsohs, approached the jail confidently and waited. After a moment she let out two shrill calls, like that of a raven, almost startling Exsohs' into an early death. When the doors swung open with a deep, ominous groan, she turned back to the stallion,a pompous smirk spreading across her maw. “Home sweet home, Assassin.”
Li's paws drummed on Exsohs's back in warning, and the large stallion decided not to respond to the wolf's jibe. Instead, he busied himself with studying Fera's newest and most impenetrable jail. It was as if the building had risen out of the ground itself, built with blocks of solid stone; the surrounding areas were forests that anyone could spend days getting lost in, although that was common in Feris. The place was called Purgatory by the prisoners and, uncreatively, just “The Jail” by the guards. This was the place, Exsohs had been told, where the worst of the worst the world had to offer were held.
“So this is where we will find my new partner, eh?” he asked Winter.
Not long ago, Exohs had never known the purple-blue wolf and had been trying to make a normal life for himself. He no longer wanted to kill, and being an assassin had left a bitter taste in his mouth. But Winter had tracked him down; she had told him that the world needed him and that he could use his skills to receive a full pardon of his crimes from the king. All he had to do was kill those who killed others. He would need to murder prominent assassins, murderers, thieves, anyone who committed heinous crimes. Now this did not sound like too bad of an idea at the time,and Li' had even said that it may be a chance to repent for his sins. However, when Winter had mentioned the word partner, Exsohs had almost balked. All he had ever needed was himself, and Li' of course, another would only slow him down and complicate his mission.
Then, when Winter said they'd find his partner at The Jail, he came within a tail length of calling it quits again. He wanted to back away even now; there was no way he was going to deal with the scum in here.
“Indeed. I'll hand you off to Jai, he's the warden around here. He'll show you who you’re working with, and they you spread your murderous wings and do what you’re best at.” Winter looked up at Exsohs, flicking her tail as a playful light gleamed into her eyes, “I hear they’re giving you a real psychopath.” Then, with one of those half smirks Exsohs hated but knew he was he going to miss, she left before Exsohs could thank her or sever her head from her body.
From behind Exsohs came a little cough, one to get his attention, and he saw someone who could only be Jai. The warden was a large tiger with beady little eyes that gleamed out of his golden fur. Fresh claw marks marred his flank, and one eye was swollen shut. Jai's wide stance spoke volumes, and Exsohs knew that he was one of those that you’d cross the street to avoid.. “Good for this place here, I suppose.” Exsohs thought with a grimace, dipping his head to the golden tiger before addressing him. “Winter said you would assign me a new partner.”
Jai regarded him for a moment with a long, silent stareJust as Exsohs felt the hairs on his back stand up, the feline spoke. “Yep, got her righ upen' the Chill. She in there to be taught a lesson, mind you. Got some mouth on that pretty lil' body of hers'” It took Exsohs a moment to decipher the tiger's thick accent, which seemed to indicate that he was from up north. Probably somewhere in the mountains of Snowdinn.
“Are you from the Slahnin?” The stallion asked, lengthening his stride to match Jai's quick pace. He drew his tail blade up into a ready position as he noticed the stone cells with only slabs of glass holding back pacing prisoners. The tiger's mouth curved into a pleased little smile, and he nodded.
“Born and bred, my kin's still up there. I got bigger dreams, you know, otheren' being a farmer on a mountain that snowing half the time. You from the mountains in them south-west? Sound like it. Met a group of tigresses up there once, hardly understood a dang thing they said!” Exsohs nodded at the guards words, surprised by his insightfulness. Maybe he was more intelligent than his manner of speech let on. “Yeah, I am. Where's, uh, my partner coming from?”
The golden tiger let out a soft growl that might have been a chuckle, “This autah surprise you, she from Ales.”
Exsohs tried to still his sharp intake of breath. The only sentients species that lived on Ales were griffins. Was it possible that he was going to be working with one? He had never met a griffin, though he had seen depictions of them in drawings. The children of Odrissil usually stayed away from Terra. The number of griffins in the stallion's homeland were also severely lessened by the fact that the king killed any griffin who strayed from Ales. How had his new found partner left her home? And why was she in The Jail? “What's her story?” He asked hesitantly, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.
“Don't know much, all says on her file Nyra- Murderer of Snowdinn's mayor's son. She's really somethin' though, never seen anyone fight like her. Never seen anythin' like her really. She's absolutely insane though'. Had to separate ‘er from the rest of the folks; She would gouge them fella's eyes out if they some much as looked at her wrong, and she screams at night. Has terrors that sacred my night guard half to death! Screams about some Maven.. I don't knowin' what that is.” He rounded another corner; Exsohs noticed that the air chilled slightly and the rows of prisoners in cells had disappeared. Jai took note of Exsohs's concern and acknowledged it with a small smile. “Welcome to the Chill.” He said in a voice that seemed to lack his accent, “We put the prisoners that take to actin' a fool here, your lil' partner has been down here for around six months.” The cells here where dug halfway into the ground, metal bars reaching up from where they were sunk into the stone to form a high half dome. Unlike the main hallway of cells, these lacked beds and there were no adornments whatsoever.
The cell that Jai led the stallion to seemed empty when he first looked down, but a with a second glance he realized that this was a griffin he was dealing with and he had to look up. When Exsohs did so, he had to hide a second sharp intake of breath.. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. The griffin hanging from the iron bars at the top of her cell took the stallion's breath away. Her face had the delicate features and coloration of a barn owl that fanned out into a snowy coat of silky fur. Her wings sported the same coloration as her head, and her long tail was fringed with feathers of tawny and spotted with black. But the fact that she was a prisoner was evident, a straight jacket laced her front talons to body and one of her wings were restrained as well. Suddenly, her obsidian eyes flew open as she felt the assassin's gaze and Exsohs was filled with a strange emotion.
Embarrassment.
Exsohs quickly reprimanded himself; he should never feel any emotion towards this alleged psychopath and definitely not shame! She would never be his equal. Never.
“So it is true.” Nyra used her beak to hold herself as she traveled across the top of her cage until she was at eye level with Exsohs. “I've never seen a Shamir Stallion before. You truly are blue.” She looked straight into Exsohs's eyes for the longest moment, and he fidgeted with tension. Suddenly the griffin threw herself at the bars in a flurry of activity that startled Exsohs into taking a step back. Still in her cell, Nyra cackled madly, looking horribly satisfied at Exsohs's expense.
“I'm glad you're so amused with yourself.” Exsohs growled. Li's warning pats on his back did nothing to ease the stallion's temper.
“Oh yes!” Nyra laughed, cocking a brow as Exsohs raised his tail a fraction of an inch. “You want to come in and play, big boy?”
It was only when Exsohs was about to break down the iron bars of the cell and beat Nyra's head in with them did Jai step in. “No one going to be playing with you, dearest. Last time someones in your cell they came out withn’ one less eye.” Jai bared his teeth in a savage sort of smile. Exsohs had to wonder what had transpired between the griffiness and the golden tiger.
“Yes, and you would know all about that wouldn't you, Jai.” She sneered, her demeanor shifting as quickly as the wind. Exsohs realized that the claw marks on the guard's side would perfectly match that of a talon.
The tiger's smile dropped ever so slightly, “Careful, darling. I'll be getting that jacket covering the rest of you.”
Nyra clacked her beak and her eyes narrowed in defiance. “I'd like to see you try, but unfortunately,” she said, turning to Exsohs, “I believe I am leaving soon.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The jail truly had everything Winter had spoke of, including his first target: Salem, an assassin from the northern point of Snowdinn. Exsohs had heard of him only by reputation.
Jai had left him in a room only a few yards away from the exit of The Jail. The room was covered in papers and safe boxes that seemed to all lie in a mismanaged heap; documents lay askew and keys left scattered about. However the warden was able to find an insignificant looking file which he then carelessly tossed at Exsohs with a grunt of, “Your targets.” After scanning the list, Exsohs realized there had to be over fifty people, some of which he knew. There were assassins and known murders alike. After a moment or two spent studying the extensive list, he noticed the name at the very top had a note scrawled across in Winter’s handwriting.
Take out one of the prominent ones and the lessers will flock to The Jail. I've already been having my spies spread the word that the end is near. All we need is Salem's death to break the dam.
“This wouldn't be easy,” The stallion muttered to himself, pawing through the papers in the file that Jai had given to him. The golden tiger had gone off to release Nyra. “Bad idea”, the assassin thought.
Jai had Nyra taken out of the cell with what seemed to be over the top theatrics. The griffiness had been yanked out by three guards, then chained by the neck and dragged over to the room where Exsohs and the warden had been residing. Nyra had cursed and spat at the guards and then laughed as they released her and jumped back. All this safety seemed to be a bit over the top, as she was restrained. Full realization, however, began to set in when he saw her practically slide out of the straitjacket. It hit him that he was standing within arm’s reach of a murderer, but then he again realized that he was also one and the same.
She met Jai's eyes with a curved smile lighting her beak, “I need my stuff, “ She growled, looking from Exsohs to the warden. “Now!” She screeched after a few seconds lingered in silence.
Jai nodded at one of the guards, who unlocked a safe, took out a container, and handed it to Nyra.
The griffiness removed a single item from the box, the only object that Exsoh's believed to be in there. Her talons deftly opened the satchel and she peered inside. After a moment of consideration she looked up.
“Where are my blades?” She asked, slinging the satchel across her left wing and right foretalon.
“Check the box.”
Nyra's clever little talons slid back into the box, feeling around for a second before they reached what they were looking for and a crooked smile spread across her face.
“Much obliged, Jai.” She said as she pulled twin crescent blades from the box and slid them into her satchel. The daggers were beautiful, even to Exsohs's trained eyes. They were made of pure obsidian with ebony wood handles; long strips of white leather laced around the handle, securing the blade to the hilt. Nyra had rightfully made a fuss over them, considering how expertly crafted and expensive they must have been.
A tad annoyed and a bit fearful with the griffeness beside him, Exsohs nodded his farewell to Jai and stalked out of the room.
Their exit was uneventful, and despite Nyra's ever increasing glances at him, Exsohs felt relaxed, even happy to finally be dealing with the task at hand. The sooner the better, and there was always that ticking clock that rushed him in all he did. The thick forests that surrounded The Jail offered shelter from the cold winds of Ruris, and blocked the slight drizzle that had begun to fall.
It was a few hours after departing The Jail before the duo stopped. Actually, it was Nyra who stopped them to shake out her wings. She examined her feathers with a scowl as the first drops of rain began to break through the tree's leaves before she turned to Exsohs,
“I apologize for our earlier meeting, unpleasant as it was. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Nyrienah, Daughter of Seewen, Ear to the King, Traitor to the North.” She paused, swallowing a laugh, “Well, Ex Ear to the King, I suppose. Or I wouldn't have been in my previous predicament.” The grifiness's eyes glinted with a curiosity that told Exsohs she knew nothing about him.
“And let's keep it that way.” He thought.. Despite the titles that Nyra had given herself (which sent a flurry of new questions cascading through Exsohs’s head),he nodded.
“Yes, I am Exsohs.” He turned slightly before adding, pointing at his adviser with the tip of his tail blade, “This is Li'.” Li honoured the agreement they had between them of not speaking to him in public, only nodding and then – Exsohs thought – sighed.
“Friend, pet, or lunch?” Nyra asked with a smile. Exsohs scowled, but she turned to Li' regardless and gave a little bow, “Here's to many years of friendship, Little Lion.” Without a second glance at Exsohs, she resumed walking and the Assassin had to race to keep up with the murderer.
Li's paws drummed on Exsohs's back in warning, and the large stallion decided not to respond to the wolf's jibe. Instead, he busied himself with studying Fera's newest and most impenetrable jail. It was as if the building had risen out of the ground itself, built with blocks of solid stone; the surrounding areas were forests that anyone could spend days getting lost in, although that was common in Feris. The place was called Purgatory by the prisoners and, uncreatively, just “The Jail” by the guards. This was the place, Exsohs had been told, where the worst of the worst the world had to offer were held.
“So this is where we will find my new partner, eh?” he asked Winter.
Not long ago, Exohs had never known the purple-blue wolf and had been trying to make a normal life for himself. He no longer wanted to kill, and being an assassin had left a bitter taste in his mouth. But Winter had tracked him down; she had told him that the world needed him and that he could use his skills to receive a full pardon of his crimes from the king. All he had to do was kill those who killed others. He would need to murder prominent assassins, murderers, thieves, anyone who committed heinous crimes. Now this did not sound like too bad of an idea at the time,and Li' had even said that it may be a chance to repent for his sins. However, when Winter had mentioned the word partner, Exsohs had almost balked. All he had ever needed was himself, and Li' of course, another would only slow him down and complicate his mission.
Then, when Winter said they'd find his partner at The Jail, he came within a tail length of calling it quits again. He wanted to back away even now; there was no way he was going to deal with the scum in here.
“Indeed. I'll hand you off to Jai, he's the warden around here. He'll show you who you’re working with, and they you spread your murderous wings and do what you’re best at.” Winter looked up at Exsohs, flicking her tail as a playful light gleamed into her eyes, “I hear they’re giving you a real psychopath.” Then, with one of those half smirks Exsohs hated but knew he was he going to miss, she left before Exsohs could thank her or sever her head from her body.
From behind Exsohs came a little cough, one to get his attention, and he saw someone who could only be Jai. The warden was a large tiger with beady little eyes that gleamed out of his golden fur. Fresh claw marks marred his flank, and one eye was swollen shut. Jai's wide stance spoke volumes, and Exsohs knew that he was one of those that you’d cross the street to avoid.. “Good for this place here, I suppose.” Exsohs thought with a grimace, dipping his head to the golden tiger before addressing him. “Winter said you would assign me a new partner.”
Jai regarded him for a moment with a long, silent stareJust as Exsohs felt the hairs on his back stand up, the feline spoke. “Yep, got her righ upen' the Chill. She in there to be taught a lesson, mind you. Got some mouth on that pretty lil' body of hers'” It took Exsohs a moment to decipher the tiger's thick accent, which seemed to indicate that he was from up north. Probably somewhere in the mountains of Snowdinn.
“Are you from the Slahnin?” The stallion asked, lengthening his stride to match Jai's quick pace. He drew his tail blade up into a ready position as he noticed the stone cells with only slabs of glass holding back pacing prisoners. The tiger's mouth curved into a pleased little smile, and he nodded.
“Born and bred, my kin's still up there. I got bigger dreams, you know, otheren' being a farmer on a mountain that snowing half the time. You from the mountains in them south-west? Sound like it. Met a group of tigresses up there once, hardly understood a dang thing they said!” Exsohs nodded at the guards words, surprised by his insightfulness. Maybe he was more intelligent than his manner of speech let on. “Yeah, I am. Where's, uh, my partner coming from?”
The golden tiger let out a soft growl that might have been a chuckle, “This autah surprise you, she from Ales.”
Exsohs tried to still his sharp intake of breath. The only sentients species that lived on Ales were griffins. Was it possible that he was going to be working with one? He had never met a griffin, though he had seen depictions of them in drawings. The children of Odrissil usually stayed away from Terra. The number of griffins in the stallion's homeland were also severely lessened by the fact that the king killed any griffin who strayed from Ales. How had his new found partner left her home? And why was she in The Jail? “What's her story?” He asked hesitantly, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.
“Don't know much, all says on her file Nyra- Murderer of Snowdinn's mayor's son. She's really somethin' though, never seen anyone fight like her. Never seen anythin' like her really. She's absolutely insane though'. Had to separate ‘er from the rest of the folks; She would gouge them fella's eyes out if they some much as looked at her wrong, and she screams at night. Has terrors that sacred my night guard half to death! Screams about some Maven.. I don't knowin' what that is.” He rounded another corner; Exsohs noticed that the air chilled slightly and the rows of prisoners in cells had disappeared. Jai took note of Exsohs's concern and acknowledged it with a small smile. “Welcome to the Chill.” He said in a voice that seemed to lack his accent, “We put the prisoners that take to actin' a fool here, your lil' partner has been down here for around six months.” The cells here where dug halfway into the ground, metal bars reaching up from where they were sunk into the stone to form a high half dome. Unlike the main hallway of cells, these lacked beds and there were no adornments whatsoever.
The cell that Jai led the stallion to seemed empty when he first looked down, but a with a second glance he realized that this was a griffin he was dealing with and he had to look up. When Exsohs did so, he had to hide a second sharp intake of breath.. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. The griffin hanging from the iron bars at the top of her cell took the stallion's breath away. Her face had the delicate features and coloration of a barn owl that fanned out into a snowy coat of silky fur. Her wings sported the same coloration as her head, and her long tail was fringed with feathers of tawny and spotted with black. But the fact that she was a prisoner was evident, a straight jacket laced her front talons to body and one of her wings were restrained as well. Suddenly, her obsidian eyes flew open as she felt the assassin's gaze and Exsohs was filled with a strange emotion.
Embarrassment.
Exsohs quickly reprimanded himself; he should never feel any emotion towards this alleged psychopath and definitely not shame! She would never be his equal. Never.
“So it is true.” Nyra used her beak to hold herself as she traveled across the top of her cage until she was at eye level with Exsohs. “I've never seen a Shamir Stallion before. You truly are blue.” She looked straight into Exsohs's eyes for the longest moment, and he fidgeted with tension. Suddenly the griffin threw herself at the bars in a flurry of activity that startled Exsohs into taking a step back. Still in her cell, Nyra cackled madly, looking horribly satisfied at Exsohs's expense.
“I'm glad you're so amused with yourself.” Exsohs growled. Li's warning pats on his back did nothing to ease the stallion's temper.
“Oh yes!” Nyra laughed, cocking a brow as Exsohs raised his tail a fraction of an inch. “You want to come in and play, big boy?”
It was only when Exsohs was about to break down the iron bars of the cell and beat Nyra's head in with them did Jai step in. “No one going to be playing with you, dearest. Last time someones in your cell they came out withn’ one less eye.” Jai bared his teeth in a savage sort of smile. Exsohs had to wonder what had transpired between the griffiness and the golden tiger.
“Yes, and you would know all about that wouldn't you, Jai.” She sneered, her demeanor shifting as quickly as the wind. Exsohs realized that the claw marks on the guard's side would perfectly match that of a talon.
The tiger's smile dropped ever so slightly, “Careful, darling. I'll be getting that jacket covering the rest of you.”
Nyra clacked her beak and her eyes narrowed in defiance. “I'd like to see you try, but unfortunately,” she said, turning to Exsohs, “I believe I am leaving soon.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The jail truly had everything Winter had spoke of, including his first target: Salem, an assassin from the northern point of Snowdinn. Exsohs had heard of him only by reputation.
Jai had left him in a room only a few yards away from the exit of The Jail. The room was covered in papers and safe boxes that seemed to all lie in a mismanaged heap; documents lay askew and keys left scattered about. However the warden was able to find an insignificant looking file which he then carelessly tossed at Exsohs with a grunt of, “Your targets.” After scanning the list, Exsohs realized there had to be over fifty people, some of which he knew. There were assassins and known murders alike. After a moment or two spent studying the extensive list, he noticed the name at the very top had a note scrawled across in Winter’s handwriting.
Take out one of the prominent ones and the lessers will flock to The Jail. I've already been having my spies spread the word that the end is near. All we need is Salem's death to break the dam.
“This wouldn't be easy,” The stallion muttered to himself, pawing through the papers in the file that Jai had given to him. The golden tiger had gone off to release Nyra. “Bad idea”, the assassin thought.
Jai had Nyra taken out of the cell with what seemed to be over the top theatrics. The griffiness had been yanked out by three guards, then chained by the neck and dragged over to the room where Exsohs and the warden had been residing. Nyra had cursed and spat at the guards and then laughed as they released her and jumped back. All this safety seemed to be a bit over the top, as she was restrained. Full realization, however, began to set in when he saw her practically slide out of the straitjacket. It hit him that he was standing within arm’s reach of a murderer, but then he again realized that he was also one and the same.
She met Jai's eyes with a curved smile lighting her beak, “I need my stuff, “ She growled, looking from Exsohs to the warden. “Now!” She screeched after a few seconds lingered in silence.
Jai nodded at one of the guards, who unlocked a safe, took out a container, and handed it to Nyra.
The griffiness removed a single item from the box, the only object that Exsoh's believed to be in there. Her talons deftly opened the satchel and she peered inside. After a moment of consideration she looked up.
“Where are my blades?” She asked, slinging the satchel across her left wing and right foretalon.
“Check the box.”
Nyra's clever little talons slid back into the box, feeling around for a second before they reached what they were looking for and a crooked smile spread across her face.
“Much obliged, Jai.” She said as she pulled twin crescent blades from the box and slid them into her satchel. The daggers were beautiful, even to Exsohs's trained eyes. They were made of pure obsidian with ebony wood handles; long strips of white leather laced around the handle, securing the blade to the hilt. Nyra had rightfully made a fuss over them, considering how expertly crafted and expensive they must have been.
A tad annoyed and a bit fearful with the griffeness beside him, Exsohs nodded his farewell to Jai and stalked out of the room.
Their exit was uneventful, and despite Nyra's ever increasing glances at him, Exsohs felt relaxed, even happy to finally be dealing with the task at hand. The sooner the better, and there was always that ticking clock that rushed him in all he did. The thick forests that surrounded The Jail offered shelter from the cold winds of Ruris, and blocked the slight drizzle that had begun to fall.
It was a few hours after departing The Jail before the duo stopped. Actually, it was Nyra who stopped them to shake out her wings. She examined her feathers with a scowl as the first drops of rain began to break through the tree's leaves before she turned to Exsohs,
“I apologize for our earlier meeting, unpleasant as it was. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Nyrienah, Daughter of Seewen, Ear to the King, Traitor to the North.” She paused, swallowing a laugh, “Well, Ex Ear to the King, I suppose. Or I wouldn't have been in my previous predicament.” The grifiness's eyes glinted with a curiosity that told Exsohs she knew nothing about him.
“And let's keep it that way.” He thought.. Despite the titles that Nyra had given herself (which sent a flurry of new questions cascading through Exsohs’s head),he nodded.
“Yes, I am Exsohs.” He turned slightly before adding, pointing at his adviser with the tip of his tail blade, “This is Li'.” Li honoured the agreement they had between them of not speaking to him in public, only nodding and then – Exsohs thought – sighed.
“Friend, pet, or lunch?” Nyra asked with a smile. Exsohs scowled, but she turned to Li' regardless and gave a little bow, “Here's to many years of friendship, Little Lion.” Without a second glance at Exsohs, she resumed walking and the Assassin had to race to keep up with the murderer.
Two
Freezing winds blew outside of the tavern in Snowdinn, winds that could chill a full grown stallion and make quick work of anyone without proper winter fur. It was beginning to snow, and the streets were deserted. Well almost; a solitary figure stood outside of the tavern – waiting . The griffin stood with her wings folded close to her sides, picking up one leg and then the other in an attempt to get warm. She was peering inside, watching the ruckus and listening to the lively music flowing out into the night. The building was bustling with life, filled with laughter and scents of food, but most of all it seemed warm. She could feel the warmth radiating from the building, and her patience was wearing thin.
“This will only take a minute, he said! We'll be gone before you get cold, he said!” Nyra's frustrated voice filled the night, her black eyes scanning the deserted sidewalks, “ Like that's possible, you're always cold in this god forsaken place!” she hissed, her head swinging furiously around as if she could chase away the cold. Her mind turned back to what felt like hours ago when Exsohs has slipped into the tavern, promising to be back shortly. Hadn't he gone in when the sun was still up? Her ticket out of The Jail had been nothing but infuriating since the day she had met him. He refused to talk to her, let alone give any information about himself. He only ever spoke of their mission, which was to kill people for Udar's Sake! On top of it all, and where she found the highest point of contention, was the fact that he didn’t trust her! After almost a month of being together, he and his pet took turns during the night keeping watch. Nyra could swear up and down that she wouldn’t harm a strand of fur on his hide, but it would be no use.
“Why don't you leave?” Echoed a voice in the back of her head. “You could slip away right now and come home, no one's here to stop you. Or... you could slit his--”
“No! Shut up! Shut up!” Nyra shouted to the empty sidewalk, as a flicker of red feathers flitted across the edge of her vision. “He's not here.” Nyra told herself, grateful that today was one of the days when she could actually tell. Thankful that things were less fuzzy and muddled than usual.
“Go deal with your own problems,” she growled, sinking down onto her stomach. She felt the chills creep into her body through the feathers that came in contact with the snow. “and leave me alone with mine.” Nyra pressed her ears down to her head, staring more fiercely into the tavern. “Oh, I'd rather stay with you, Nyree...” Nyra flinched at the sound. Nyree Sounded like an annoying shorting of Nyra's full name actually translated from the griffins old language, roughly into 'My everything'.
“You know not to call me that, not anymore.” She growled, her eyes stubbornly fixated on the tavern. A figure manifested to the right, just slightly outside of her clear field of vision, and he shrugged. “You should go in.”
“No.”
“You used to be more fun.” “And you used to be more than a figment of my imagination.” Nyra turned in a circle, glaring at the empty streets around her, the figure disappearing like mist. “Nyree, Nyree, go inside and tell that stallion to hurry!” Nyra pressed her ears to her head and waited, her eyes fixated on the door, trying to drown out the voice of her long ago friend. She knew he wasn’t actually there, and hadn’t been for a very long time.
What seemed like hours later, Exsohs emerged from the tavern with Li' perched on his back. Both looked rather infuriated and Nyra was glad she hadn't gone in. She took a brief glance around, wondering where Maven had suddenly gone. Exsohs followed her eyes and frowned, “Was someone else here?”
“No, not really.” Nyra said, her gaze finally landing on the stallion, “Find anything useful?”
Exsohs looked down at her and frowned harder, “Yes, Salem is where I thought him to be. A smaller town up north called Obsain. It's about a weeks trek from here. We will hit another town in about two days before our intended point. The town, Revea, is smaller than here and I assume we will not run into any trouble. I am to meet one of Winter's contacts there, to get information on Salem's whereabouts. As he may have moved in our time getting there. We will stay at my house tonight and head out tomorrow morning.” He began to walk away from the tavern, his tail swinging.
“Where do you live in this town?” Nyra asked, with the underlying question of Will I need my blades?
“It's not too bad, just be cautious.” Came the stallion's reply, and Nyra slipped her blades out of her bag with a smile on her beak. She trotted in front of Exsohs,
“You know,” she said, looking up at the blue stallion, “If you talked more, I might learn to like you.” As she turned her back, she thought she heard Li' laugh. Between the howling of the wind and her own hearing problems, she wasn't too sure.
Exsohs house wasn't as bad as Nyra had expected for a Terra resident; it was well lit,clean and sensibly organized, if not a little damp. But wasn't everything outside of Ales? Some time during their walk, Maven had returned and Nyra felt relieved when she heard his voice slither back into her head. Then she had felt incredibly angry at herself, at everything he had ever done, and of course that her mental psychosis was not miraculously cured, “Why are we doing this again?” “Me.” Nyra muttered, not wanting to be heard by Exsohs and Li' who had wandered off into another room and had supposedly left her to her own devices. She knew that they were in there likely talking about her. However, Nyra had continued on as if they were not watching and had taken to writing down the last two days’ events in her journal. “Not we. Me.” Maven settled down on the rug, uncomfortably close for Nyra's taste. “'Maven continuously bothers me, and I keep reminding myself that he is not here?' I'm offended.”
“Right, well, you're back in Ales,” Nyra stated, looking down at her journal and signing it with a flourish. She heaved a deep sigh as she turned to look at Maven. He had disappeared yet again. It was normal. She heard him, felt him, and caught glimpses of him, but never really saw him. “You're insane,” Nyra chucked to herself, smiling. “Finally you start talking sense Nyree,” “Shut up,” She quipped, not really to the point of annoyance yet. Maven seemed normal today, almost like when she had begun to talk to him when they were imprisoned together. Nyra actually enjoyed him when he was like this.
“Wait...” Nyra looked down at her journal. There was something she was forgetting. Something important. Something about Tharah. “I can't remember.” “Must not be too important then?” “No, it is.” The griffiness turned and looked at her satchel, “I'll have written it down right?” She muttered, mostly to herself. An uneasy chill crept up and down her feathers. It was something about Maven... and Tharah. “Don't look at that.” Nyra had pulled the sketchbook out and flipped to the back, where almost everyone she had ever encountered had a small sketch with a paragraph about them. When she landed on Maven's page, she flipped it and closed her eyes, breathing rapidly, “Don't look at that!” Maven snapped.
Nyra slammed the book shut, “I don't need it to remember.” she whispered, trying to hold back a wail. How could she have forgotten? Maven was a monster. The mad king's son. Mad himself. “He is no longer your friend. He never was your friend. How could he have done that to Tharah?” She whispered to herself, everything that Maven had done in the last seven years came rushing back to her as if they were never gone at all.
An image of Nyra's wingsister clearly registered in her mind, the latter's indigo feathers and golden eyes, how she laughed at everything and had a burning passion that applied to anything she put her mind to. She could never forget Tharah, or how her claws slid across her own neck on the night they were to flee to Fera together. How she was expecting a nestling with Maven, which she would have never agreed to. He must of forced---
Nyra threw her sketchbook at the wall to keep the thoughts away. After a few moments, she stood up to retrieve it and carefully picked it up to slide it back into her satchel. She reopened her journal and began to write how she had almost forgotten everything again.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _
“And so, our pace is relentlessly slow and our destination endlessly far. In other less miserable news Maven has been gone for three days, hopefully I've cured myself of him.” Nyra paused, looking at the page in her journal in which she had been writing, something was missing, “Ah yes, the weather has cleared up nicely, with the rains beginning to slow and the clouds leaving. Revea is a day away, (So Exsohs says.)” Nyra looked again at the page, silently rereading it. Once she was satisfied she signed her name with her usual flourish, and looked around their campsite.
The past three days had proved uneventful. The trio had not been faced with any new threats and the days passed uneventfully. Her mind had stayed clear for the past days, making her wonder if Exsohs and Li's presence was making a difference. Darkness had fallen over the lands of Fera, and Li's gentle snores flooded the night, despite herself she was beginning to come to like her traveling companions though she was sure the feeling was only one sided. A slight smile on her beak Nyra set her head down letting sleep come for her, hoping that her dreams would stay clear like they had for the past days. However, the dream that came was unsettling to say the least. It was a memory, but not just not hers. She and Tharah, like all wingbrothers and sisters, were capable of sharing certain thoughts and emotions with each other. In some special cases when much effort was used whole memories could be transferred; that was exactly what came for Nyra now.
Tharah had been captured for weeks now, maybe it was less she wasn't sure, as far as she knew she was the only one of her rebels left she didn't know why. When she thought about it too long it hurt to think that she was alive while all her comrades were dead, and Nyrienah, what had happened to her wingsister? The griffiness remembered the last letter she had received from her. “I know not if you'll ever receive this letter. I thought I could help him, I thought I could reach him. He was like a fledgling that was falling out of the nest, one that always fall faster that you can dive and you shout at, "Hold on I'm coming to help.", but It was he who was diving and I falling. He has changed me, and I don't know the way back. I thought I did but I don't know how to find my way back to the nest. When we killed the king, when he was laughing with the king's blood on his red feathers, I realized that my wingsister was right. That you were right. I am in love with a madman and he has driven me mad as well. I as I write this I am hiding in the forest, I know that if Maven finds me... and I kill the general. If that happens your wingsister is dead. You must promise to kill me next time you see me.” At the time the thing that had scared her the most about the letter was that it was signed Nyra. The wingsister Tharah knew never shortened her name because her birth name was all that connected her to her mother. At the time, that was the worse thing about the letter. Why couldn't it of stayed the worse thing?
The old general had died, at her wingsister's hand apparently, leaving Tharah in his place, so what of her wingsister? Was she alive or dead? The indigo griffiness hoped that Nyrienah was dead, because if she was alive it meant that she was a traitor.
Tharah paced the cell, trying to forget about her wingsister Nyrienah had been gone for years Tharah had troops now to think about. Troops who were her responsibility. She had to get out of here and help the rebellion flee to Fera like she had ordered them to, because if they stayed the king would surely kill them all. The king! Loathing flooded Tharah's thoughts. The king, formerly the mad king's son, now sat on the throne instead of an elected government. He was insane, that Tharah knew, and her wingsister (if she could trust the letters) was in love with him. It was hard to believe. Her gentle friend who refused to kill a prey animal without a prayer to Udar in love with the King who murdered their friends for pleasure. It was a stark contrast, that caused Tharah rage just thinking about it. It was even harder to imaging Nyra letting him touch her. One of the reasons Tharah loved Nyrienah was that she hated things like that, attraction because of her beautiful plumage. It was impossible, her wingsister was dead. Tharah would give no more thought to the matter.
A patter of talons down the rows of prisoners caused Tharah to break from her pacing and thoughts, three griffins by the sound of it. An escort, they were probably here to drag her to her death. Well Tharah was not going to come meekly, she would go down with her talons covered in the king's men's blood. The thought allowed the first smile in a long time to whisk over her features. Two guards approached her cell, only two! The king thought she was a unworthy opponent, maybe she could escape after all. The griffins unlocked the cell and Tharah prepared to lunge when the sight of red feathers just to the left of her cell stepped into view.
“No bow for me Tharah?” The king asked, his voice had an oozing like quality that sounded at points like a throaty cat purr, “I remember when you were an architect here for my father. It's a surprise you don't like me better, father's other architect likes me much more than you seemingly do.” He paused for a second, letting the full impact of his words hit home with Tharah. Was he talking about Nyrienah? “Well she didn't like me too much in the beginning either.” He beckoned for Tharah to come walk by his side, and she did. What had he done to her wingsister? The thought of killing him wasn't even in her mind anymore, not until she had answers.
Tharah stared at him, he was so unlike anything she had ever seen. His feathers were not the right color for royalty, and his eyes reminded her of the forest. His fluid movements had a contradictory jerky quality to them, that made her think of an animal with rabies. The griffiness could only think of all the horrible things he had done to her wingsister before her death. “What did you do to her?” she asked, her voice breaking. She sounded like a fledgling protesting the inevitable move out of the nest, “What did you do to Nyrienah?” Tharah tried again, her voice a little more demanding, a little more general like.
The king paused midstride, and his eyes flitted up to her face making eyes contact for a moment before he started to walk again, “Nothing, she is quite a pleasure as she is. In fact we're going to see her right now. I think,” he looked at one of the guards following a talonstep behind them, “she is in the throne room, with some of your rebels.” He laughed, his eyes glinting, “Well if we hurry. If you continue to walk slowly, Nyra will have finished with them. Maybe.” He looked confused for a second, and closed his eyes briefly, “I think I gave her permission to kill them. I'm not too sure, if I didn't they'll be dead anyways.. Nyree doesn't listen too well, might have to discipline her for that later.” He looked down again, cocking his head slightly at the floor, “You're her wingsister, right? I wonder if she will remember you.”
“What?” Was all the former general could manage. Nyrienah was alive! Tharah was practically crying for joy, although her reasonable side told her that this was a bad thing. She was able to glean from the king's ramble that at least some of her troops were alive, and that Nyrienah was calling herself Nyra now at the king's insistence. Or something. The griffiness thought that the king might actually care for Nyrienah or Nyra, but she wasn't sure if a murderous madman could have feelings.
From up ahead Tharah head a scream, and then a laugh, and then a few words obscured by the doors to the throne room. Had the king kept Nyrienah alive for years just to kill her in front of Tharah? She raced ahead of the king and pushed open the doors, and clamped her beak shut to hold back a scream of horror. Her wingsister was surrounded by about a dozen of Tharah's troops chained and battered looking, only four of them still alive. The rest were on the floor lifeless, murdered by... No, it wasn't possible. But as Tharah was learning a lot of impossible things were coming true today. Nyra, for Tharah was sure that the person before her was not Nyrienah her wingsister, had killed the troops. Her troops. Tharah could not fit this new Nyra and her wingsister Nyrienah into the same griffin. From somewhere behind her she heard the king approach, and mutter, “Oh good, we're in time.”
Tharah watched from the entrance, Nyra fiddle with the blades in her talons, and she was immobilized. Shocked. “Where's the old king?” Nyra shouted pacing the shabby line in front of her, “What do you do with him?” Tharah realized that she had never heard her wingsister raise her voice before. A troop found his voice, one that had been in Nyrieah's division before she had been captured, “Commander,” his voice plead, and Tharah at once remembered who he was a griffin by the name of Severin whose whole family had given their lives to the war effort. She stepped forward, intending to help in some way, but the king thrust a red wing in her way, his intention that she stop clear. Tharah prayed that she was wrong about the whole situation. “Hum, I don't think that is a location.” in a quick movement she lashed out, catching Severin in the throat. He crumpled to the ground, and Tharah blinked. She accepted that Nyrienah was dead, and all that remained was this new mad griffiness to match the king. He was the one who had murdered his father not them! She whipped her head around and focused her gaze on him, the king however ignored her or simply didn't notice. His whole intent was focused on watching Nyra, a smile played on his beak.
“Are any of you going to talk?” Nyra asked looking at the rest of the troops, Tharah noticed that there was a hard glint in her eyes. What was it that she had written to her right after her capture? “This place does things to the mind?” Tharah shook her head, this was hopeless. But she had already accepted her death, so long as she could convince the king that the troops he had captured where all that remained. “Take them back to the cells!” Nyra said, addressing the guards seated behind the throne, “Let them starve to death, or be battle practice.” She laughed, as if a joke had been told instead of three of her former friends being sentenced to death.
At Tharah's side the king let out a sharp whistle. Nyra, who had turned away from the entrance, raised her head higher, pricked her ears, and turned back. As she caught sight of Tharah and the king a delighted smile crossed her face. For a split second Tharah thought that her wingsister would rush over, tackle her with a smile, and say, “What took so long for a rescue operation?” However, Tharah quickly realized the look of delight was for the king instead of her. “Maven!” she said, as she crossed the room, her voice sounded different to Tharah, but she couldn't quite place why, “I decided to ask the prisoners why they had killed your father so I could just kill them.” Nyra looked down, and couldn't quite meet the king's eyes. She looked ashamed, “I really was going to wait for you, but I...” Her voice drifted off as she looked at his face. And Nyra, Tharah's proud wingsister hung her head. Something, again, Tharah had never seen her do. Who was this griffin? Because it sure wasn't the Nyrienah she knew.
The king, Maven Tharah thought with disgust, had the audacity to act as if Nyra had done something wrong. “We'll deal with that later.” He said, glaring down at her. In light of his scorn Nyra seemed to shrink into herself, and looked pitiful. It was a look that she had whenever she was reprimanded, Nyra at least had Nyrienah's dislike of disapproval.”No matter, I brought you something.”
“Really?” Nyra asked her voice and demeanor shifting quickly, “What?”
Suddenly Tharah knew what that something was, Maven was going to leave her fate in the talons of her wingsister. Wingsister. Tharah could of spat the word out by now, the whole meaning of the word was that you trusted the griffin with the title to hold your life in their hands. How ironic. Tharah glared at Nyra, and the latter fidgeted as she looked her wingsister up and down. Tharah realized in horror that Nyra couldn't remember who she was. “It's just a terrorist prisoner.” Nyra said a bit disappointed sounding.
“No this is their new general.” The king answered. Tharah wanted to kill him.
Nyra cocked her head, looking back and forth from Tharah and Maven. “Don't you want to kill her?” At Maven's shake of the head, she looked indecisive once more. “I feel like I know you.” she said softly, “Hum what an odd feeling.” She closed her eyes, then suddenly they popped back open, “Tharah?”
“I'm supposed to kill you, Nyrienah.” Tharah told her wingsister, tears welling up in her eyes. Maybe, just maybe, she could help Nyra. Something was wrong with her wingsister, and as as good friend she was supposed to help her, surely?Nyra smiled, a little 'I'm not too sure what is going on, Tharah' smile and Tharah smiled back. Her smile said, 'Let's see how Maven fairs when he goes against both wingsisters.'
The light of dawn caused Nyra to open her eyes, she could still taste the air of the palace she had spent most of her life in and feel the sunlight of her feathers, she wondered for a split second where she was. This foggy, moist land couldn't be Ales. Then she came to her senses. Exsohs, the mission. The feeling of heaviness that came whenever she thought of Tharah took hold of her and she sighed. The pain was like a physical wound, and it was doubled by the fact that her wingsister had hated her in the moment Nyra had dreamed of. Then there was the fact that Tharah, for a split second, thought Maven loved her, even after everything it still made her heart beat faster. “Oh Tharah,” Nyra whispered, “I'm so confused with everything. I wish you were here to help me, I wish you were here to tell me not to go home. Because you're gone, and I feel like Maven's all I have left. And I know it's not right, but I still love him. I need you to tell me what to do, because I don't know how much longer all of this can last.” She turned her head to the sky, almost expecting a response, but when there wasn't one she lowered her head, “I just want to go home, to Ales. To Maven, because sometimes it's just easier. And I'm one for the easy way... And you're the one who always goes the hard route, right Wingsister?” Nyra dropped her gaze down to her talons, stay here with Exsohs, she told herself. Just stay here, she tried to imagine Tharah saying it.
“Who's Tharah?” A voice asked, and for as second Nyra thought Maven was back. Then she realized there was something talking on her wings. She scrambled to her feet, shaking the strange creature off. And she prayed to Udar that she wasn't imagining this because it would look really bad to Exsohs and Li' if she was shaking imaginary things off... Wait...
A triumphant smile crossed Nyra's face, the creature was Li'! “I knew you could talk,” she told the little lion like creature, “I mean, I imagine a lot of things but Exsohs constantly talking to someone is something I don't think I have the commitment to imagine.” She smiled at him, then suspicion crept into her mind, “Wait... What were you doing sleeping on my wings?” Nyra shook her wings out, wondering if the little creature (Li' she would have to start calling him by name because he was capable of speech) shed.
He blushed, as much as one his size could Nyra assumed, and looked guilty. Nyra wondered what she had said in her sleep, and if he head heard her prayer to Tharah. “Well Exsohs got mad at me last night, and told me to get away from him. It's really cold without, you know, a house so I came up to you. After a while I realized your wing feathers are really soft.” His voice had dipped down in what Nyra had soon realized was embarrassment. “You couldn't feel me?” He asked after a second, a confused look crossing his face, “I mean, I know I'm light but really? You must be a heavy sleeper.” Li' offered her a smile that Nyra sent back a little less whole-hardheartedly, “Exsohs always sleeps like he's dead too. Not last night though, I'm not sure if he'll even talk to me today.”
The little creature, Li' Nyra screamed at herself, looked so dejected that Nyra felt she didn't even have to justify the lack of feeling in her wings. Which for the rerecord couldn't feel anything since Maven had broken them, she wasn't even sure she could fly anymore. “Wait,” Nyra said dramatically, hoping to cheer Li' up with some humor, “Exsohs has feelings?” She was pleased when he laughed, hopeful that the Tharah topic was fully behind them. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a friend in Li' as it seemed like the trio would be together for a long while on the task that Winter had assigned them.
“He sure does, when is mad he's scary.”
Nyra took this into consideration, the thought crossed her mind again of what Exsohs had done before her. She had been with him for a month and not once had he offered up any personal information. Well, neither had she but that was because no one had asked. Thinking about it, maybe she should tell Li' about Tharah. He had asked. “Do you really want to know about Tharah?” She asked him, not allowing herself to logically think the situation.
He looked up at her, “I mean that's the question, you were talking about her a lot last night. Also whose Maven?” Li' stopped suddenly, probably because he had seen the look on her face, and he rushed on,“You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to that is.” He curled his tail around his paws, causing Nyra to study him closely for the first time. His came to about the knee of her foretalon, making him about the size of a small cat. His structure was also much like that of a cats, but more stocky. Li's fur color was that of an otter's, a dark brown with areas of lighter fur symmetrically swirling his face and body. He also had a lion like mane of golden fur. But to Nyra the most startling attributive was the russet horns on the top of his head, they were much like ears in the way they curved back, in stark contrast against his mane; even stranger still he had seven spikes lined up on his back the same color as his horns, the longest at the front and getting shorter as they neared his tail. Li' was, in Nyra's opinion, adorable and she was quite distracted now. What was it they were talking about? Oh yes, Tharah.
She looked at him, there was no way she was telling Li' about Maven, at least not yet. She would tell him about her wingsister though, because mural trust builds relationships. Or at least that was what Tharah used to say, or maybe not maybe it was just Nyra had thought just now. She twisted around to readjust her satchel, then she flipped it open and started to look for Tharah's page, it was somewhere after her first impressions of Maven. There. She showed the image to Li', which she had always felt didn't capture her wingsister's personality. She had always had two sketchbooks, one for you know drawing in and another dedicated to important people she had met. The one she showed to Li' was the latter, and about a third of the book was Tharah, another third being Maven, and the rest for others. She handed him the book, so he could flip through all of her sketches of her wingsister. “Tharah is, was my Wingsister.” She told Li', her voice faltering.
Li' flipped through the pages, his face a mixture of awe and curiosity, “So like the Griffin form of a sibling?” He had landed on one of her favorite images of Tharah, a painted one of her and Nyra standing together. She had painted it right after Tharah had been named a Commander and neither of the two could keep from smiling. The image was greatly helped by the fact that Nyra had also had adequate art supplies, she had painted it with oil. “Wow,” Li' said, touching the image gently, “you can really draw, this looks real.”
She smiled, remembering the day fondly. Tharah had been so excited, “We're going to make a difference Wingsister!” she had shouted, so full of conviction that anyone would've believed her. Nyra looked down at Li', wondering how to explain a wingsister to a nongriffin, “No it's a griffin who is not related to you but you're meant to be. Does that make sense? A Wingbrother or sister bond is stronger than a blood or love related one, their a griffin who you would gladly trust with your life.”
He nodded, “That's kind of like Exsohs and I. I'm his Slmorthi in our language, which means lifelong adviser. We're bound by birth though so some bonds don't work. But ours does,” He smiled, “So what caused you guys to not be Wingsister's anymore?”
In a second it clicked with Nyra, Li' thought that Tharah had disowned her instead of being dead. “She didn't disown me as her sister,” Nyra said, “I'm not even sure if two griffins can stop once the vows are taken. Tharah is dead.” She said simply, as if observing that the sky was blue.
“Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I would do if Exsohs died.” His words brought a fresh wave of self pity down on Nyra, he was right. Li' didn't know what he would do. He could never know the grief or gilt she did. He could never know how much she wished she was dead instead of Tharah. Nyra shook her head, not wanting to tell Li'. He on the other talon, had landed on another page, one where Maven was screaming at Nyra and Tharah had stepped in to block the blows. She never knew why she drew that moment in her life, it was always one that she hated. She had hated Maven in the moment for proving to her that Tharah was right and that he was harming her and she had also hated Tharah for being right. She looked at Li' trying to gauge his reaction. He touched the page again, peering at it, a small crease formed at the top of the page from where his paws had gripped it before, “What,” he asked, “Who... What's going on here?” Li' looked at the page again, and then up at Nyra, “You look different here, before you where...” He drifted off, pausing to look at the page again.
Nyra knew what he meant, she was different in the two pictures. There was a wildness in the way she drew herself after she had met Maven, purely for the fact that she was unable to create the gently curving line she once had. Nowadays she drew herself in a calmer way, but still not like she had once. Privately she admitted to herself that she did this because she had changed once she met Maven.
A shift in the sunlight caused Nyra to look around, and she realized that the shift had been caused by someone gazing down at her and Li'. Exsohs. Like Li had said Exsohs seemed in a worse mood than usual today, and Nyra found herself reminded of Maven in the way the stallion glowered down at her. “At this rate, we will never even reach Revea. Hurry up and let's get going.” He huffed and walked away, not seeming to care if she or Li' followed. Without a word Li' handed Nyra's sketchbook back to her and began to walk. She hastily shoved the book back in her satchel and followed after them, wondering what the two had argued about and if it pertained to her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Everything hurt. Her talons hurt. Her legs hurt. Gods even her feathers hurt. Exsohs had snapped at her hours ago to quit complaining but Nyra was not one to quit at anything. So she had continued talking until the stallion had literally got in her face and threatened to kill her. As anyone could tell her day was going great.
Sometime around midday Li' had stopped walking and decided to reside on Nyra's feathers. Apparently he and Exsohs were still being unfriendly towards one another. So she had to carry him on her back. It had started as a good thing, she had thought that this sealed the deal and they were now friends, but as anyone knows too much of a good thing turned rotten pretty quick. In the last hour Li' had gone from feeling like a feather to being about as heavy as a full grown Griffin. She wasn't sure how that was possible, all she knew was that it was true. She couldn't breathe because it was so humid. She could barely walk because Li' felt like a pile of stones. She couldn't speak because she would be killed! This was truly hellfire on Oppidum as they said. “Li',” She said, her pace faltering. Apparently speaking and walking was not in the realm of possibility for Nyra anymore, “Tell me something, anything. I'm going to die in this silence.”
From somewhere on her back she thought she heard a laugh but she wasn't certain. “I don't think you're going to die,” Li' said slowly, “I mean, I'm fine.” Now she was certain, her feathers shook with his laughter.
“I hate you, you know that right?” Nyra turned her head to glare at him. He looked perfectly content, and he smiled from the spot on her back, “For hours you've just sat on me, I think you even slept! I think I'm going to fall over and die. Then you'll have to walk on your own. How does that sound, Little lion?” She glared at him, but even anger took too much effort so she turned her head back focusing on trudging down the path ahead of her. From up a little ways she saw one of Exsohs's ears twitch back no doubt listening in on her. She hated him. How could he have so much energy?
“Fine.” Li' said, probably just patronizing her, “Fine. Um, whose Maven?”
She sighed, another reason to hate Li' his memory was quite good. He hadn't forgotten his interest in her life from earlier, and he kept pestering her. “I'm going to eat you.” Nyra said, trying to glare at him without looking back, “I bet you taste good under all that fur.” From behind her she heard an 'Eww, gross' before she fluffed up her back feathers, probably smothering him. She would have to draw that one, even though she hadn't seen it. That was one thing she liked about Li' though, he was easy to talk to. She had only known him for about half a day, yet talking to him was almost as easy as talking to Tharah. She appreciated it, but she still wasn't going to tell him about Maven, he didn't need to know. He was probably better off not knowing. “Of all the questions?” She asked Li', “He's a... friend. A fellow soldier.” Nyra closed her eyes imagining Maven as just that. There had been at time, when she had first met him, that she believed that was all he was. After she had been captured, her brigade slaughtered, and imprisoned for four months.
A slam of a gate jolted Nyrienah from sleep, which was her favorite pastime since the had taken her diary away. She quickly scrambled to her feet and looked around, her cell seemed normal so whatever the commotion was it was not directed at her. Nyrienah's ears perked at the sound of approaching talonsteps, two by what she could decipher. Another prisoner?
"I want to know who authorized this!" A voice shouted, a slight tremor to it and Nyrienah decided it was a he, probably about her age. Something seemed vaguely familiar about it, but Nyrienah wasn't sure, she prayed it wasn't someone she knew. If it was it meant that more of her fellow rebels had fallen into the king's talons, "This is unacceptable, I have things I should be doing and, um things to organize and-"
"Not anymore." Snarled another voice, male and older. Nyrienah cringed as she realized it was the warden. He was an awful griffin, and Nyrienah hardly thought ill of anyone. The warden chuckled, “Your father's practically disowned you now that his wife is expecting another child.” He laughed and Nyrienah could almost imagine a wicked smile spreading across his beak. “So I'm to leave you here and let you rot. Have fun with the griffiness beside you, bet you've met her on the battlefield before.” There was a slam of the metal gate and the guards leaving footsteps. From what she could gather the griffin to the left of her cell was male, her age, fought for the king, and for some reason involving his father was being treated like a traitor.
A slight whimper came from her left and Nyrienah tried and failed to hold back the increasing sympathy she felt for her fellow inmate. She sat down on her bed with a thump, trying to figure out who he was. She has studied most of the important griffins in the war, the prisoner beside her had to at least held some importance to escape being killed on the spot. Nyrienah tried to match voice and age with anyone and everyone but came up blank. “Parents, huh?” She asked settling for a new conversational partner, even if one that would usually be her enemy. She added a slight teasing to her voice, “Turn you back for a second and their trying to kill you.”
A semi amused huff came from the cell beside her, and Nyrienah felt a twinge of happiness about not being alone anymore. “ It seems like it with my father.”
Nyrienah rolled over and touched the wall with a wing, “I'm Nyrienah, Daughter of Seewen.” She thought for a second, wondering if she could add anything else to her title. If he was a fellow rebel she could include her former battalion she had lead or her command number, but that wouldn't matter to a kingsman. Maybe she should add enemy of the king,“Probably not much else. I may be able to add former architect to that but, oh well.”
The voice laughed again, and Nyrienah waited again for an answer. “Pleasure.” He uttered, not offering a name of his own.
“And you are?” Nyrienah promoted, if he had been in front of her she would've glared at him. Every griffin knew that once someone introduced themselves you were to respond in turn, maybe he thought that a rebel was unworthy of knowing his name. Although he was talking, so maybe that wasn't the reason.
“Merrious the Eighth, formerly the next in line for the Throne of Ales.”
Nyrienah snorted, then laughed. A new inmate with a sense of humor, what a surprise. “Right, and I'm the Queen of Terra”
“Hey, you never know. It could be true.” The voice responded.
She looked at the wall, her interest sky high now. Who was he? “So Maven,” she teased, the shorting came naturally as many claimed Nyra came to hers. “How about getting me out of here?” Nyrienah flared open her tail feathers, wondering what it would be like to touch the sky again. No response came from the cell to her left for a while and she began to wonder if he was offended, well if he was then it was his own fault.
A slight patter came from the wall and Nyrienah realized he was moving closer to her cell, as she had to his, “I'm offended that you don't believe me Nyra. I really am the king's son.” He paused, “Although Maven does have a ring to it doesn't it? You can call me that if you'd like.”
From his tone she got the distinct impression that he was joking. Nyrienah didn't protest being called Nyra as she normally would have, she was intuited to say the least (and she also like to here him say Nyra although she wasn't ready to admit it yet) who was he? She, like any great book fan, was draw into the mystery. She realized that she had immediately taken to him, “I wish. Then you could get me out of this Udar Damned place, ” Nyrienah responded a smile playing on the edge of her beak.
“We don't have to be royals to escape this place.”
“I suppose you have a plan?”
“Maybe.”
“Than do tell, your majesty.”
Nyra shook her head chasing away her memory, Maven wasn't that griffin he never was. She looked back at Li' who was still staring at her intently, “I mean that's who I thought he was when I first met him, but he's not who I thought he was. He's just insane.” She shut her mouth to keep from letting everything flood out of her mouth. Li' say anything for a while, so Nyra continued to follow Exsohs silently left only to wonder what he was thinking. After minutes of silence she added, “He's the griffin in the painting. The one with the red feathers.”
“Are you in love with him?” He asked after a while, causing Nyra to wince. Of course she was. She would never be able to not be. That was why she wanted to avoid thinking about him, when she thought about Maven things got muddled and she was confused because she should hate him because of what happened to Tharah.
She flicked back one of her ears, wondering how Li' had come to that conclusion. Was she really that easy to read? It called her back to a time when Tharah had said, “Wingsister, you sound like a lost fledgling when you talk about the King. Just stop already.” Nyra smiled, “Not anymore.” She said with as much conviction as she could muster, although she believed the lie was pretty easy to spot.
She sighed and continued to walk in science for the next half hour. After a while she got bored of watching her talons step down on unsuspecting grass and she looked up ahead towards Exsohs. What she saw stopped her in her tracks, instead of seeing the stallion she was faced with about two dozen Ferllin wolves. She turned around in a quick circle, scanning for her partner. Suddenly, she felt his weight against her hindquarters. Back to back.
“Wolves are the most dangerous animal in Fera,” Nyra remembered Tharah saying, “Highly territorial, they can snap a Griffin's foretalon in an instant. Let's stay away from those, deal?” Her gaze swept the pack, they looked deadly and ready for a fight. Oh wingsister, deal broken.
“Exsohs,” Nyra said lightly, “No one told me there where wolves here.”
“This will only take a minute, he said! We'll be gone before you get cold, he said!” Nyra's frustrated voice filled the night, her black eyes scanning the deserted sidewalks, “ Like that's possible, you're always cold in this god forsaken place!” she hissed, her head swinging furiously around as if she could chase away the cold. Her mind turned back to what felt like hours ago when Exsohs has slipped into the tavern, promising to be back shortly. Hadn't he gone in when the sun was still up? Her ticket out of The Jail had been nothing but infuriating since the day she had met him. He refused to talk to her, let alone give any information about himself. He only ever spoke of their mission, which was to kill people for Udar's Sake! On top of it all, and where she found the highest point of contention, was the fact that he didn’t trust her! After almost a month of being together, he and his pet took turns during the night keeping watch. Nyra could swear up and down that she wouldn’t harm a strand of fur on his hide, but it would be no use.
“Why don't you leave?” Echoed a voice in the back of her head. “You could slip away right now and come home, no one's here to stop you. Or... you could slit his--”
“No! Shut up! Shut up!” Nyra shouted to the empty sidewalk, as a flicker of red feathers flitted across the edge of her vision. “He's not here.” Nyra told herself, grateful that today was one of the days when she could actually tell. Thankful that things were less fuzzy and muddled than usual.
“Go deal with your own problems,” she growled, sinking down onto her stomach. She felt the chills creep into her body through the feathers that came in contact with the snow. “and leave me alone with mine.” Nyra pressed her ears down to her head, staring more fiercely into the tavern. “Oh, I'd rather stay with you, Nyree...” Nyra flinched at the sound. Nyree Sounded like an annoying shorting of Nyra's full name actually translated from the griffins old language, roughly into 'My everything'.
“You know not to call me that, not anymore.” She growled, her eyes stubbornly fixated on the tavern. A figure manifested to the right, just slightly outside of her clear field of vision, and he shrugged. “You should go in.”
“No.”
“You used to be more fun.” “And you used to be more than a figment of my imagination.” Nyra turned in a circle, glaring at the empty streets around her, the figure disappearing like mist. “Nyree, Nyree, go inside and tell that stallion to hurry!” Nyra pressed her ears to her head and waited, her eyes fixated on the door, trying to drown out the voice of her long ago friend. She knew he wasn’t actually there, and hadn’t been for a very long time.
What seemed like hours later, Exsohs emerged from the tavern with Li' perched on his back. Both looked rather infuriated and Nyra was glad she hadn't gone in. She took a brief glance around, wondering where Maven had suddenly gone. Exsohs followed her eyes and frowned, “Was someone else here?”
“No, not really.” Nyra said, her gaze finally landing on the stallion, “Find anything useful?”
Exsohs looked down at her and frowned harder, “Yes, Salem is where I thought him to be. A smaller town up north called Obsain. It's about a weeks trek from here. We will hit another town in about two days before our intended point. The town, Revea, is smaller than here and I assume we will not run into any trouble. I am to meet one of Winter's contacts there, to get information on Salem's whereabouts. As he may have moved in our time getting there. We will stay at my house tonight and head out tomorrow morning.” He began to walk away from the tavern, his tail swinging.
“Where do you live in this town?” Nyra asked, with the underlying question of Will I need my blades?
“It's not too bad, just be cautious.” Came the stallion's reply, and Nyra slipped her blades out of her bag with a smile on her beak. She trotted in front of Exsohs,
“You know,” she said, looking up at the blue stallion, “If you talked more, I might learn to like you.” As she turned her back, she thought she heard Li' laugh. Between the howling of the wind and her own hearing problems, she wasn't too sure.
Exsohs house wasn't as bad as Nyra had expected for a Terra resident; it was well lit,clean and sensibly organized, if not a little damp. But wasn't everything outside of Ales? Some time during their walk, Maven had returned and Nyra felt relieved when she heard his voice slither back into her head. Then she had felt incredibly angry at herself, at everything he had ever done, and of course that her mental psychosis was not miraculously cured, “Why are we doing this again?” “Me.” Nyra muttered, not wanting to be heard by Exsohs and Li' who had wandered off into another room and had supposedly left her to her own devices. She knew that they were in there likely talking about her. However, Nyra had continued on as if they were not watching and had taken to writing down the last two days’ events in her journal. “Not we. Me.” Maven settled down on the rug, uncomfortably close for Nyra's taste. “'Maven continuously bothers me, and I keep reminding myself that he is not here?' I'm offended.”
“Right, well, you're back in Ales,” Nyra stated, looking down at her journal and signing it with a flourish. She heaved a deep sigh as she turned to look at Maven. He had disappeared yet again. It was normal. She heard him, felt him, and caught glimpses of him, but never really saw him. “You're insane,” Nyra chucked to herself, smiling. “Finally you start talking sense Nyree,” “Shut up,” She quipped, not really to the point of annoyance yet. Maven seemed normal today, almost like when she had begun to talk to him when they were imprisoned together. Nyra actually enjoyed him when he was like this.
“Wait...” Nyra looked down at her journal. There was something she was forgetting. Something important. Something about Tharah. “I can't remember.” “Must not be too important then?” “No, it is.” The griffiness turned and looked at her satchel, “I'll have written it down right?” She muttered, mostly to herself. An uneasy chill crept up and down her feathers. It was something about Maven... and Tharah. “Don't look at that.” Nyra had pulled the sketchbook out and flipped to the back, where almost everyone she had ever encountered had a small sketch with a paragraph about them. When she landed on Maven's page, she flipped it and closed her eyes, breathing rapidly, “Don't look at that!” Maven snapped.
Nyra slammed the book shut, “I don't need it to remember.” she whispered, trying to hold back a wail. How could she have forgotten? Maven was a monster. The mad king's son. Mad himself. “He is no longer your friend. He never was your friend. How could he have done that to Tharah?” She whispered to herself, everything that Maven had done in the last seven years came rushing back to her as if they were never gone at all.
An image of Nyra's wingsister clearly registered in her mind, the latter's indigo feathers and golden eyes, how she laughed at everything and had a burning passion that applied to anything she put her mind to. She could never forget Tharah, or how her claws slid across her own neck on the night they were to flee to Fera together. How she was expecting a nestling with Maven, which she would have never agreed to. He must of forced---
Nyra threw her sketchbook at the wall to keep the thoughts away. After a few moments, she stood up to retrieve it and carefully picked it up to slide it back into her satchel. She reopened her journal and began to write how she had almost forgotten everything again.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _
“And so, our pace is relentlessly slow and our destination endlessly far. In other less miserable news Maven has been gone for three days, hopefully I've cured myself of him.” Nyra paused, looking at the page in her journal in which she had been writing, something was missing, “Ah yes, the weather has cleared up nicely, with the rains beginning to slow and the clouds leaving. Revea is a day away, (So Exsohs says.)” Nyra looked again at the page, silently rereading it. Once she was satisfied she signed her name with her usual flourish, and looked around their campsite.
The past three days had proved uneventful. The trio had not been faced with any new threats and the days passed uneventfully. Her mind had stayed clear for the past days, making her wonder if Exsohs and Li's presence was making a difference. Darkness had fallen over the lands of Fera, and Li's gentle snores flooded the night, despite herself she was beginning to come to like her traveling companions though she was sure the feeling was only one sided. A slight smile on her beak Nyra set her head down letting sleep come for her, hoping that her dreams would stay clear like they had for the past days. However, the dream that came was unsettling to say the least. It was a memory, but not just not hers. She and Tharah, like all wingbrothers and sisters, were capable of sharing certain thoughts and emotions with each other. In some special cases when much effort was used whole memories could be transferred; that was exactly what came for Nyra now.
Tharah had been captured for weeks now, maybe it was less she wasn't sure, as far as she knew she was the only one of her rebels left she didn't know why. When she thought about it too long it hurt to think that she was alive while all her comrades were dead, and Nyrienah, what had happened to her wingsister? The griffiness remembered the last letter she had received from her. “I know not if you'll ever receive this letter. I thought I could help him, I thought I could reach him. He was like a fledgling that was falling out of the nest, one that always fall faster that you can dive and you shout at, "Hold on I'm coming to help.", but It was he who was diving and I falling. He has changed me, and I don't know the way back. I thought I did but I don't know how to find my way back to the nest. When we killed the king, when he was laughing with the king's blood on his red feathers, I realized that my wingsister was right. That you were right. I am in love with a madman and he has driven me mad as well. I as I write this I am hiding in the forest, I know that if Maven finds me... and I kill the general. If that happens your wingsister is dead. You must promise to kill me next time you see me.” At the time the thing that had scared her the most about the letter was that it was signed Nyra. The wingsister Tharah knew never shortened her name because her birth name was all that connected her to her mother. At the time, that was the worse thing about the letter. Why couldn't it of stayed the worse thing?
The old general had died, at her wingsister's hand apparently, leaving Tharah in his place, so what of her wingsister? Was she alive or dead? The indigo griffiness hoped that Nyrienah was dead, because if she was alive it meant that she was a traitor.
Tharah paced the cell, trying to forget about her wingsister Nyrienah had been gone for years Tharah had troops now to think about. Troops who were her responsibility. She had to get out of here and help the rebellion flee to Fera like she had ordered them to, because if they stayed the king would surely kill them all. The king! Loathing flooded Tharah's thoughts. The king, formerly the mad king's son, now sat on the throne instead of an elected government. He was insane, that Tharah knew, and her wingsister (if she could trust the letters) was in love with him. It was hard to believe. Her gentle friend who refused to kill a prey animal without a prayer to Udar in love with the King who murdered their friends for pleasure. It was a stark contrast, that caused Tharah rage just thinking about it. It was even harder to imaging Nyra letting him touch her. One of the reasons Tharah loved Nyrienah was that she hated things like that, attraction because of her beautiful plumage. It was impossible, her wingsister was dead. Tharah would give no more thought to the matter.
A patter of talons down the rows of prisoners caused Tharah to break from her pacing and thoughts, three griffins by the sound of it. An escort, they were probably here to drag her to her death. Well Tharah was not going to come meekly, she would go down with her talons covered in the king's men's blood. The thought allowed the first smile in a long time to whisk over her features. Two guards approached her cell, only two! The king thought she was a unworthy opponent, maybe she could escape after all. The griffins unlocked the cell and Tharah prepared to lunge when the sight of red feathers just to the left of her cell stepped into view.
“No bow for me Tharah?” The king asked, his voice had an oozing like quality that sounded at points like a throaty cat purr, “I remember when you were an architect here for my father. It's a surprise you don't like me better, father's other architect likes me much more than you seemingly do.” He paused for a second, letting the full impact of his words hit home with Tharah. Was he talking about Nyrienah? “Well she didn't like me too much in the beginning either.” He beckoned for Tharah to come walk by his side, and she did. What had he done to her wingsister? The thought of killing him wasn't even in her mind anymore, not until she had answers.
Tharah stared at him, he was so unlike anything she had ever seen. His feathers were not the right color for royalty, and his eyes reminded her of the forest. His fluid movements had a contradictory jerky quality to them, that made her think of an animal with rabies. The griffiness could only think of all the horrible things he had done to her wingsister before her death. “What did you do to her?” she asked, her voice breaking. She sounded like a fledgling protesting the inevitable move out of the nest, “What did you do to Nyrienah?” Tharah tried again, her voice a little more demanding, a little more general like.
The king paused midstride, and his eyes flitted up to her face making eyes contact for a moment before he started to walk again, “Nothing, she is quite a pleasure as she is. In fact we're going to see her right now. I think,” he looked at one of the guards following a talonstep behind them, “she is in the throne room, with some of your rebels.” He laughed, his eyes glinting, “Well if we hurry. If you continue to walk slowly, Nyra will have finished with them. Maybe.” He looked confused for a second, and closed his eyes briefly, “I think I gave her permission to kill them. I'm not too sure, if I didn't they'll be dead anyways.. Nyree doesn't listen too well, might have to discipline her for that later.” He looked down again, cocking his head slightly at the floor, “You're her wingsister, right? I wonder if she will remember you.”
“What?” Was all the former general could manage. Nyrienah was alive! Tharah was practically crying for joy, although her reasonable side told her that this was a bad thing. She was able to glean from the king's ramble that at least some of her troops were alive, and that Nyrienah was calling herself Nyra now at the king's insistence. Or something. The griffiness thought that the king might actually care for Nyrienah or Nyra, but she wasn't sure if a murderous madman could have feelings.
From up ahead Tharah head a scream, and then a laugh, and then a few words obscured by the doors to the throne room. Had the king kept Nyrienah alive for years just to kill her in front of Tharah? She raced ahead of the king and pushed open the doors, and clamped her beak shut to hold back a scream of horror. Her wingsister was surrounded by about a dozen of Tharah's troops chained and battered looking, only four of them still alive. The rest were on the floor lifeless, murdered by... No, it wasn't possible. But as Tharah was learning a lot of impossible things were coming true today. Nyra, for Tharah was sure that the person before her was not Nyrienah her wingsister, had killed the troops. Her troops. Tharah could not fit this new Nyra and her wingsister Nyrienah into the same griffin. From somewhere behind her she heard the king approach, and mutter, “Oh good, we're in time.”
Tharah watched from the entrance, Nyra fiddle with the blades in her talons, and she was immobilized. Shocked. “Where's the old king?” Nyra shouted pacing the shabby line in front of her, “What do you do with him?” Tharah realized that she had never heard her wingsister raise her voice before. A troop found his voice, one that had been in Nyrieah's division before she had been captured, “Commander,” his voice plead, and Tharah at once remembered who he was a griffin by the name of Severin whose whole family had given their lives to the war effort. She stepped forward, intending to help in some way, but the king thrust a red wing in her way, his intention that she stop clear. Tharah prayed that she was wrong about the whole situation. “Hum, I don't think that is a location.” in a quick movement she lashed out, catching Severin in the throat. He crumpled to the ground, and Tharah blinked. She accepted that Nyrienah was dead, and all that remained was this new mad griffiness to match the king. He was the one who had murdered his father not them! She whipped her head around and focused her gaze on him, the king however ignored her or simply didn't notice. His whole intent was focused on watching Nyra, a smile played on his beak.
“Are any of you going to talk?” Nyra asked looking at the rest of the troops, Tharah noticed that there was a hard glint in her eyes. What was it that she had written to her right after her capture? “This place does things to the mind?” Tharah shook her head, this was hopeless. But she had already accepted her death, so long as she could convince the king that the troops he had captured where all that remained. “Take them back to the cells!” Nyra said, addressing the guards seated behind the throne, “Let them starve to death, or be battle practice.” She laughed, as if a joke had been told instead of three of her former friends being sentenced to death.
At Tharah's side the king let out a sharp whistle. Nyra, who had turned away from the entrance, raised her head higher, pricked her ears, and turned back. As she caught sight of Tharah and the king a delighted smile crossed her face. For a split second Tharah thought that her wingsister would rush over, tackle her with a smile, and say, “What took so long for a rescue operation?” However, Tharah quickly realized the look of delight was for the king instead of her. “Maven!” she said, as she crossed the room, her voice sounded different to Tharah, but she couldn't quite place why, “I decided to ask the prisoners why they had killed your father so I could just kill them.” Nyra looked down, and couldn't quite meet the king's eyes. She looked ashamed, “I really was going to wait for you, but I...” Her voice drifted off as she looked at his face. And Nyra, Tharah's proud wingsister hung her head. Something, again, Tharah had never seen her do. Who was this griffin? Because it sure wasn't the Nyrienah she knew.
The king, Maven Tharah thought with disgust, had the audacity to act as if Nyra had done something wrong. “We'll deal with that later.” He said, glaring down at her. In light of his scorn Nyra seemed to shrink into herself, and looked pitiful. It was a look that she had whenever she was reprimanded, Nyra at least had Nyrienah's dislike of disapproval.”No matter, I brought you something.”
“Really?” Nyra asked her voice and demeanor shifting quickly, “What?”
Suddenly Tharah knew what that something was, Maven was going to leave her fate in the talons of her wingsister. Wingsister. Tharah could of spat the word out by now, the whole meaning of the word was that you trusted the griffin with the title to hold your life in their hands. How ironic. Tharah glared at Nyra, and the latter fidgeted as she looked her wingsister up and down. Tharah realized in horror that Nyra couldn't remember who she was. “It's just a terrorist prisoner.” Nyra said a bit disappointed sounding.
“No this is their new general.” The king answered. Tharah wanted to kill him.
Nyra cocked her head, looking back and forth from Tharah and Maven. “Don't you want to kill her?” At Maven's shake of the head, she looked indecisive once more. “I feel like I know you.” she said softly, “Hum what an odd feeling.” She closed her eyes, then suddenly they popped back open, “Tharah?”
“I'm supposed to kill you, Nyrienah.” Tharah told her wingsister, tears welling up in her eyes. Maybe, just maybe, she could help Nyra. Something was wrong with her wingsister, and as as good friend she was supposed to help her, surely?Nyra smiled, a little 'I'm not too sure what is going on, Tharah' smile and Tharah smiled back. Her smile said, 'Let's see how Maven fairs when he goes against both wingsisters.'
The light of dawn caused Nyra to open her eyes, she could still taste the air of the palace she had spent most of her life in and feel the sunlight of her feathers, she wondered for a split second where she was. This foggy, moist land couldn't be Ales. Then she came to her senses. Exsohs, the mission. The feeling of heaviness that came whenever she thought of Tharah took hold of her and she sighed. The pain was like a physical wound, and it was doubled by the fact that her wingsister had hated her in the moment Nyra had dreamed of. Then there was the fact that Tharah, for a split second, thought Maven loved her, even after everything it still made her heart beat faster. “Oh Tharah,” Nyra whispered, “I'm so confused with everything. I wish you were here to help me, I wish you were here to tell me not to go home. Because you're gone, and I feel like Maven's all I have left. And I know it's not right, but I still love him. I need you to tell me what to do, because I don't know how much longer all of this can last.” She turned her head to the sky, almost expecting a response, but when there wasn't one she lowered her head, “I just want to go home, to Ales. To Maven, because sometimes it's just easier. And I'm one for the easy way... And you're the one who always goes the hard route, right Wingsister?” Nyra dropped her gaze down to her talons, stay here with Exsohs, she told herself. Just stay here, she tried to imagine Tharah saying it.
“Who's Tharah?” A voice asked, and for as second Nyra thought Maven was back. Then she realized there was something talking on her wings. She scrambled to her feet, shaking the strange creature off. And she prayed to Udar that she wasn't imagining this because it would look really bad to Exsohs and Li' if she was shaking imaginary things off... Wait...
A triumphant smile crossed Nyra's face, the creature was Li'! “I knew you could talk,” she told the little lion like creature, “I mean, I imagine a lot of things but Exsohs constantly talking to someone is something I don't think I have the commitment to imagine.” She smiled at him, then suspicion crept into her mind, “Wait... What were you doing sleeping on my wings?” Nyra shook her wings out, wondering if the little creature (Li' she would have to start calling him by name because he was capable of speech) shed.
He blushed, as much as one his size could Nyra assumed, and looked guilty. Nyra wondered what she had said in her sleep, and if he head heard her prayer to Tharah. “Well Exsohs got mad at me last night, and told me to get away from him. It's really cold without, you know, a house so I came up to you. After a while I realized your wing feathers are really soft.” His voice had dipped down in what Nyra had soon realized was embarrassment. “You couldn't feel me?” He asked after a second, a confused look crossing his face, “I mean, I know I'm light but really? You must be a heavy sleeper.” Li' offered her a smile that Nyra sent back a little less whole-hardheartedly, “Exsohs always sleeps like he's dead too. Not last night though, I'm not sure if he'll even talk to me today.”
The little creature, Li' Nyra screamed at herself, looked so dejected that Nyra felt she didn't even have to justify the lack of feeling in her wings. Which for the rerecord couldn't feel anything since Maven had broken them, she wasn't even sure she could fly anymore. “Wait,” Nyra said dramatically, hoping to cheer Li' up with some humor, “Exsohs has feelings?” She was pleased when he laughed, hopeful that the Tharah topic was fully behind them. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a friend in Li' as it seemed like the trio would be together for a long while on the task that Winter had assigned them.
“He sure does, when is mad he's scary.”
Nyra took this into consideration, the thought crossed her mind again of what Exsohs had done before her. She had been with him for a month and not once had he offered up any personal information. Well, neither had she but that was because no one had asked. Thinking about it, maybe she should tell Li' about Tharah. He had asked. “Do you really want to know about Tharah?” She asked him, not allowing herself to logically think the situation.
He looked up at her, “I mean that's the question, you were talking about her a lot last night. Also whose Maven?” Li' stopped suddenly, probably because he had seen the look on her face, and he rushed on,“You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to that is.” He curled his tail around his paws, causing Nyra to study him closely for the first time. His came to about the knee of her foretalon, making him about the size of a small cat. His structure was also much like that of a cats, but more stocky. Li's fur color was that of an otter's, a dark brown with areas of lighter fur symmetrically swirling his face and body. He also had a lion like mane of golden fur. But to Nyra the most startling attributive was the russet horns on the top of his head, they were much like ears in the way they curved back, in stark contrast against his mane; even stranger still he had seven spikes lined up on his back the same color as his horns, the longest at the front and getting shorter as they neared his tail. Li' was, in Nyra's opinion, adorable and she was quite distracted now. What was it they were talking about? Oh yes, Tharah.
She looked at him, there was no way she was telling Li' about Maven, at least not yet. She would tell him about her wingsister though, because mural trust builds relationships. Or at least that was what Tharah used to say, or maybe not maybe it was just Nyra had thought just now. She twisted around to readjust her satchel, then she flipped it open and started to look for Tharah's page, it was somewhere after her first impressions of Maven. There. She showed the image to Li', which she had always felt didn't capture her wingsister's personality. She had always had two sketchbooks, one for you know drawing in and another dedicated to important people she had met. The one she showed to Li' was the latter, and about a third of the book was Tharah, another third being Maven, and the rest for others. She handed him the book, so he could flip through all of her sketches of her wingsister. “Tharah is, was my Wingsister.” She told Li', her voice faltering.
Li' flipped through the pages, his face a mixture of awe and curiosity, “So like the Griffin form of a sibling?” He had landed on one of her favorite images of Tharah, a painted one of her and Nyra standing together. She had painted it right after Tharah had been named a Commander and neither of the two could keep from smiling. The image was greatly helped by the fact that Nyra had also had adequate art supplies, she had painted it with oil. “Wow,” Li' said, touching the image gently, “you can really draw, this looks real.”
She smiled, remembering the day fondly. Tharah had been so excited, “We're going to make a difference Wingsister!” she had shouted, so full of conviction that anyone would've believed her. Nyra looked down at Li', wondering how to explain a wingsister to a nongriffin, “No it's a griffin who is not related to you but you're meant to be. Does that make sense? A Wingbrother or sister bond is stronger than a blood or love related one, their a griffin who you would gladly trust with your life.”
He nodded, “That's kind of like Exsohs and I. I'm his Slmorthi in our language, which means lifelong adviser. We're bound by birth though so some bonds don't work. But ours does,” He smiled, “So what caused you guys to not be Wingsister's anymore?”
In a second it clicked with Nyra, Li' thought that Tharah had disowned her instead of being dead. “She didn't disown me as her sister,” Nyra said, “I'm not even sure if two griffins can stop once the vows are taken. Tharah is dead.” She said simply, as if observing that the sky was blue.
“Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I would do if Exsohs died.” His words brought a fresh wave of self pity down on Nyra, he was right. Li' didn't know what he would do. He could never know the grief or gilt she did. He could never know how much she wished she was dead instead of Tharah. Nyra shook her head, not wanting to tell Li'. He on the other talon, had landed on another page, one where Maven was screaming at Nyra and Tharah had stepped in to block the blows. She never knew why she drew that moment in her life, it was always one that she hated. She had hated Maven in the moment for proving to her that Tharah was right and that he was harming her and she had also hated Tharah for being right. She looked at Li' trying to gauge his reaction. He touched the page again, peering at it, a small crease formed at the top of the page from where his paws had gripped it before, “What,” he asked, “Who... What's going on here?” Li' looked at the page again, and then up at Nyra, “You look different here, before you where...” He drifted off, pausing to look at the page again.
Nyra knew what he meant, she was different in the two pictures. There was a wildness in the way she drew herself after she had met Maven, purely for the fact that she was unable to create the gently curving line she once had. Nowadays she drew herself in a calmer way, but still not like she had once. Privately she admitted to herself that she did this because she had changed once she met Maven.
A shift in the sunlight caused Nyra to look around, and she realized that the shift had been caused by someone gazing down at her and Li'. Exsohs. Like Li had said Exsohs seemed in a worse mood than usual today, and Nyra found herself reminded of Maven in the way the stallion glowered down at her. “At this rate, we will never even reach Revea. Hurry up and let's get going.” He huffed and walked away, not seeming to care if she or Li' followed. Without a word Li' handed Nyra's sketchbook back to her and began to walk. She hastily shoved the book back in her satchel and followed after them, wondering what the two had argued about and if it pertained to her.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Everything hurt. Her talons hurt. Her legs hurt. Gods even her feathers hurt. Exsohs had snapped at her hours ago to quit complaining but Nyra was not one to quit at anything. So she had continued talking until the stallion had literally got in her face and threatened to kill her. As anyone could tell her day was going great.
Sometime around midday Li' had stopped walking and decided to reside on Nyra's feathers. Apparently he and Exsohs were still being unfriendly towards one another. So she had to carry him on her back. It had started as a good thing, she had thought that this sealed the deal and they were now friends, but as anyone knows too much of a good thing turned rotten pretty quick. In the last hour Li' had gone from feeling like a feather to being about as heavy as a full grown Griffin. She wasn't sure how that was possible, all she knew was that it was true. She couldn't breathe because it was so humid. She could barely walk because Li' felt like a pile of stones. She couldn't speak because she would be killed! This was truly hellfire on Oppidum as they said. “Li',” She said, her pace faltering. Apparently speaking and walking was not in the realm of possibility for Nyra anymore, “Tell me something, anything. I'm going to die in this silence.”
From somewhere on her back she thought she heard a laugh but she wasn't certain. “I don't think you're going to die,” Li' said slowly, “I mean, I'm fine.” Now she was certain, her feathers shook with his laughter.
“I hate you, you know that right?” Nyra turned her head to glare at him. He looked perfectly content, and he smiled from the spot on her back, “For hours you've just sat on me, I think you even slept! I think I'm going to fall over and die. Then you'll have to walk on your own. How does that sound, Little lion?” She glared at him, but even anger took too much effort so she turned her head back focusing on trudging down the path ahead of her. From up a little ways she saw one of Exsohs's ears twitch back no doubt listening in on her. She hated him. How could he have so much energy?
“Fine.” Li' said, probably just patronizing her, “Fine. Um, whose Maven?”
She sighed, another reason to hate Li' his memory was quite good. He hadn't forgotten his interest in her life from earlier, and he kept pestering her. “I'm going to eat you.” Nyra said, trying to glare at him without looking back, “I bet you taste good under all that fur.” From behind her she heard an 'Eww, gross' before she fluffed up her back feathers, probably smothering him. She would have to draw that one, even though she hadn't seen it. That was one thing she liked about Li' though, he was easy to talk to. She had only known him for about half a day, yet talking to him was almost as easy as talking to Tharah. She appreciated it, but she still wasn't going to tell him about Maven, he didn't need to know. He was probably better off not knowing. “Of all the questions?” She asked Li', “He's a... friend. A fellow soldier.” Nyra closed her eyes imagining Maven as just that. There had been at time, when she had first met him, that she believed that was all he was. After she had been captured, her brigade slaughtered, and imprisoned for four months.
A slam of a gate jolted Nyrienah from sleep, which was her favorite pastime since the had taken her diary away. She quickly scrambled to her feet and looked around, her cell seemed normal so whatever the commotion was it was not directed at her. Nyrienah's ears perked at the sound of approaching talonsteps, two by what she could decipher. Another prisoner?
"I want to know who authorized this!" A voice shouted, a slight tremor to it and Nyrienah decided it was a he, probably about her age. Something seemed vaguely familiar about it, but Nyrienah wasn't sure, she prayed it wasn't someone she knew. If it was it meant that more of her fellow rebels had fallen into the king's talons, "This is unacceptable, I have things I should be doing and, um things to organize and-"
"Not anymore." Snarled another voice, male and older. Nyrienah cringed as she realized it was the warden. He was an awful griffin, and Nyrienah hardly thought ill of anyone. The warden chuckled, “Your father's practically disowned you now that his wife is expecting another child.” He laughed and Nyrienah could almost imagine a wicked smile spreading across his beak. “So I'm to leave you here and let you rot. Have fun with the griffiness beside you, bet you've met her on the battlefield before.” There was a slam of the metal gate and the guards leaving footsteps. From what she could gather the griffin to the left of her cell was male, her age, fought for the king, and for some reason involving his father was being treated like a traitor.
A slight whimper came from her left and Nyrienah tried and failed to hold back the increasing sympathy she felt for her fellow inmate. She sat down on her bed with a thump, trying to figure out who he was. She has studied most of the important griffins in the war, the prisoner beside her had to at least held some importance to escape being killed on the spot. Nyrienah tried to match voice and age with anyone and everyone but came up blank. “Parents, huh?” She asked settling for a new conversational partner, even if one that would usually be her enemy. She added a slight teasing to her voice, “Turn you back for a second and their trying to kill you.”
A semi amused huff came from the cell beside her, and Nyrienah felt a twinge of happiness about not being alone anymore. “ It seems like it with my father.”
Nyrienah rolled over and touched the wall with a wing, “I'm Nyrienah, Daughter of Seewen.” She thought for a second, wondering if she could add anything else to her title. If he was a fellow rebel she could include her former battalion she had lead or her command number, but that wouldn't matter to a kingsman. Maybe she should add enemy of the king,“Probably not much else. I may be able to add former architect to that but, oh well.”
The voice laughed again, and Nyrienah waited again for an answer. “Pleasure.” He uttered, not offering a name of his own.
“And you are?” Nyrienah promoted, if he had been in front of her she would've glared at him. Every griffin knew that once someone introduced themselves you were to respond in turn, maybe he thought that a rebel was unworthy of knowing his name. Although he was talking, so maybe that wasn't the reason.
“Merrious the Eighth, formerly the next in line for the Throne of Ales.”
Nyrienah snorted, then laughed. A new inmate with a sense of humor, what a surprise. “Right, and I'm the Queen of Terra”
“Hey, you never know. It could be true.” The voice responded.
She looked at the wall, her interest sky high now. Who was he? “So Maven,” she teased, the shorting came naturally as many claimed Nyra came to hers. “How about getting me out of here?” Nyrienah flared open her tail feathers, wondering what it would be like to touch the sky again. No response came from the cell to her left for a while and she began to wonder if he was offended, well if he was then it was his own fault.
A slight patter came from the wall and Nyrienah realized he was moving closer to her cell, as she had to his, “I'm offended that you don't believe me Nyra. I really am the king's son.” He paused, “Although Maven does have a ring to it doesn't it? You can call me that if you'd like.”
From his tone she got the distinct impression that he was joking. Nyrienah didn't protest being called Nyra as she normally would have, she was intuited to say the least (and she also like to here him say Nyra although she wasn't ready to admit it yet) who was he? She, like any great book fan, was draw into the mystery. She realized that she had immediately taken to him, “I wish. Then you could get me out of this Udar Damned place, ” Nyrienah responded a smile playing on the edge of her beak.
“We don't have to be royals to escape this place.”
“I suppose you have a plan?”
“Maybe.”
“Than do tell, your majesty.”
Nyra shook her head chasing away her memory, Maven wasn't that griffin he never was. She looked back at Li' who was still staring at her intently, “I mean that's who I thought he was when I first met him, but he's not who I thought he was. He's just insane.” She shut her mouth to keep from letting everything flood out of her mouth. Li' say anything for a while, so Nyra continued to follow Exsohs silently left only to wonder what he was thinking. After minutes of silence she added, “He's the griffin in the painting. The one with the red feathers.”
“Are you in love with him?” He asked after a while, causing Nyra to wince. Of course she was. She would never be able to not be. That was why she wanted to avoid thinking about him, when she thought about Maven things got muddled and she was confused because she should hate him because of what happened to Tharah.
She flicked back one of her ears, wondering how Li' had come to that conclusion. Was she really that easy to read? It called her back to a time when Tharah had said, “Wingsister, you sound like a lost fledgling when you talk about the King. Just stop already.” Nyra smiled, “Not anymore.” She said with as much conviction as she could muster, although she believed the lie was pretty easy to spot.
She sighed and continued to walk in science for the next half hour. After a while she got bored of watching her talons step down on unsuspecting grass and she looked up ahead towards Exsohs. What she saw stopped her in her tracks, instead of seeing the stallion she was faced with about two dozen Ferllin wolves. She turned around in a quick circle, scanning for her partner. Suddenly, she felt his weight against her hindquarters. Back to back.
“Wolves are the most dangerous animal in Fera,” Nyra remembered Tharah saying, “Highly territorial, they can snap a Griffin's foretalon in an instant. Let's stay away from those, deal?” Her gaze swept the pack, they looked deadly and ready for a fight. Oh wingsister, deal broken.
“Exsohs,” Nyra said lightly, “No one told me there where wolves here.”