Fable - Ask Necromancy By Any Other Name

[Selene]

In the hollow places between the forest and the Spine lies a sprawling steppe where many tribes roam but none call home.

---

The wind whistled low through the bones of boulders. Rustling grass and dead, creaking trees added their rhythms to the accompaniment. Twin vultures circled far above and even further above, stars gleamed dimly through the patches of mist.

It was the third night that Selene and her party of knights had spent in these sparse lands, traveling light and running swiftly to keep up with the quarry they were tracking. Their horses had been left behind on the first night, terrain too rocky and moons too dim to risk the faithful mounts.

"They say griffins used to roost in this land," Perorin Dale called out to the party from a ways ahead. He stood upon a taller outcropping, waiting for the others to catch back up. The hooded man was not a knight nor a squire, but an elven hunter who liked to do guide work, for a modest price. "That you can still hear their cryings in the cliffs above at night."

"They also say that orcish criminals will flee the forests for these hills, to avoid capture," Selene responded from some distance behind the ranger. She leaned heavily on her staff as she picked her way across the rocky, perilous trail. "Considering how difficult it's been to track down our man, I'm inclined to believe that rumor more than yours."

The elf ranger harrumphed, his breath steaming out and mixing with the mist. "You know, for a wizard, you don't have much of an imagination. What's this guy in for, anyway? Must be pretty nasty to warrant the Dusk Captain herself."

"Gross misuse of constructs, encouraging corruption in unwilling hosts, and attempted ritual summoning," Selene list off. She made her way up the boulder the elf stood upon and gazed out at the same barren landscape he was surveying. The hills were squat and numerous, the trail hard to pick out between crevasses and scrub brush. Not a living tree in sight, but still plenty of places to hide. "And a few suspected kidnappings, but the evidence for that is thin."

Perorin hummed again, clearly enjoying himself despite the cold night air the weariness slowing everyone down. "Doesn't sound much different than one of yours," he teased. Stirring to action again, the elf began to pick his way down the outcropping. His boots slid expertly atop a patch of loose scree as he skipped to flatter ground.

"Not one of mine," Selene responded sternly. She followed after, less gracefully.

 

[Wroc Flintson]

Oh, it felt great to finally get out of the monastery. It had taken some convincing to get Selene to let him go on this assignment, but he had some decent tracking skills so she eventually gave in.

The ground beneath them was not the easiest to traverse, but for Vos it was just like any other day. The harder part was maintaining the speed, while also still trying to look for tracks or signs of their prey.

"If we do see a griffon, then I think I'll try to tame it. It would definitely be better than any old horse...Although, I doubt Cheese would like to be replaced like that...I'm sure he'll understand."

Vos continued offering little comments and talking about really anything that came to mind, but his eyes still watched the surrounding area tentatively. Now that he thought about it. Vos was not very good with his pursuit of death...Fighting ghosts or something would be pretty difficult. That just means he'll have to find the actual necromancer quickly.

"So what are we looking at when we catch them? Are they more of a skeleton person, or zombies, or maybe ghosts?"

 

[Selene]

"What type of person...?" Selene pondered the question in earnest. "Oh, you mean what sort of reanimation do they practice. Demons, my boy. Our criminal creates demons." The Knight-Captain seemed more concerned by the ground in front of her than the implications of her own statement.

Perorin laughed from up ahead. Much of his elven fairness was obscured by the grime and fatigue of hard travel, but the sound of his mirth was still clear and bubbling in the night air. "Don't worry Vos, the lords of the mountain will protect us! Your Captain might not believe in griffins, but I've heard them with my own ears."

"You heard the wind." One of the small blessings of this trip was that Perorin, by some miracle, did not mind the constant chattering of her young squire. Selene was glad not to have to do damage control between the two, and simply let the conversation wander where it may. She might have even been having a good time herself, though her expression did not read that way. "And I do believe in griffins. In Oban, to the far west. Not here."

Just then, a lone and ghostly call wailed high about them, distinctly -- but not definitely -- griffin-like. "The wind, she says!" Perorin called out triumphantly at the sound.

Startled by the timing, Selene found herself craning her neck up, squinting at the shadowy sky. She saw nothing but stars and mist. She also didn't see the rock that slammed against her soft-soled shoe. The fall was only broken by her walking staff, as she stumbled forward in the dark.

Perorin was all sympathy, even forgoing the chance to utter another I told you so. Instead he reached out and steadied the Dusk Captain with a hand. "You've been running that detection spell for too long. Call your bird back and let's rest."

"I can keep going."

"But you shouldn't." The elf hunter looked past the Captain, to the young squire. "Vos, pick us out a good spot to camp. We're stopping for the night."

 

[Wroc Flintson]

Vos' eyes shot to the sky when he heard the wail. Most people his age, in the dark mountains, would be scared but Vos just had a grin on his face. Griffins were here, and that meant that he was going to ride one. He was taken from his grandiose thoughts when Captain Selene tripped. He looked worriedly at his mentor, before giving a quick nod to Perorin.

"I'll be back in a flash."

Vos took off into the darkness heading towards a rock outcropping. He quickly scrambled up the structure like some sort of wily squirrel. When he made it to the top, he looked around and performed a small spell to let him see in the dark a bit better. He saw it. Just as quickly as he arrived, he was climbing back down.

"I think I found something. A little way up ahead. It's clear, with a little rocky overhang, and most importantly, it's flat."

 

[Osuin]

Once it was made known to him that Vos had been assigned, the Knight Pursuant Osuin volunteered himself for the mission as well.

Some of the others might not have so much patience, he worried, and it would be a shame if the young squire was stuck with someone who'd only discipline him. Granted, he needed a fair share of that too but moreover he needed to reach his potential. He was a clever squire and he did hold promise, there was no doubt about that. To scold him without nurturing that potential would do nothing for his development.

Osuin could relate. He was far from the best behaved lad in his younger years himself, though the lessons he learned and the experience he gained had shaped him into the Knight Pursuant he now was. Hopefully, the mission would be a fitting opportunity to help guide him.

Or at least keep him out of trouble.

* * *​

He'd heard of the legends, but had never seen a gryphon himself. As the two bickered, Osuin was rather uninvested. Either they live here or they don't, and whichever fact holds true has little bearing on their current task to bring a criminal to justice. Selene was right about that, but she was also rather blunt about it too. With the conversation soured and without any interest in the debate, he was content to continue on without an uttered word, until a noise caused him to stop and listen.

He heard nothing either, aside from Selene's staff against the ground as she saved herself from the shame of tripping. With that out of the way, it was time to make camp. Which meant Vos would scout out a good place to do so first. It took hardly any time at all

“Sounds like you found us a good spot – let’s go.” Osuin met his announcement with a warm remark. It sounded like Vos was proud of finding such an ideal location so soon, which he should for a good job. Minor a duty as it may seem, diligence to the minor things enabled diligence on greater matters.

 

[Selene]

Of course the Knight Captain was loath to be the one that stopped the party for the night. She felt like curling up inside her robes and wallowing for a bit in her own failings as a mage and a leader, but that wouldn't help morale, nor her pride. Selene had at least enough decorum to keep her head held high as Vos led them to a campsite. It was a good spot, flat and sheltered like the squire had promised.

No, it was more than good, Selene realized as she ducked her head underneath the shallow overhanging. This was the first solid lead they'd had since setting out.

Perorin noticed too. "Someone was here before us, and recently." The trail was well covered, but little traces could be seen through the dark. Scattered ashes mixed in with the pale dirt, overturned rocks, muddy scuffmarks from boots scraped against stone. The elf squatted low to the ground and went about the work he was being paid for, reading the tracks left behind.

He picked up something thin and pale and jagged, a bone fragment. Selene leaned over the hunter, all suspense. "What did you find?"

The bone fragment was lifted up to his nose, and he sniffed at it. Then he tossed it back into the dirt. "Just dinner, some unlucky hare probably," Perorin said, disappointed. "Not a hint of dark magic. And I would know the scent, seeing as you reek of it, Captain."

Selene sighed, more frustration than relief. A false alarm. "Not our quarry, then." Black eyes squinting in disdain, she stopped her leaning over and took a couple of steps away from the rude hunter.

"Well, we should still set up a watch while we rest." The mild suggestion was hardly a solid order. Helena would have assigned shifts and outlined a steady perimeter with precision and grace, but Helena was not here. Besides, she knew Osuin was well practiced at these sort of things. Selene nodded to her Dawn counterpart. "I'm afraid I'll have to rely on your strength on that front, Osuin. I can't stretch my magic any thinner, at the moment."

 

[Wroc Flintson]

Vos was rather pleased with himself for finding such a good camping site, and that sense of importance only grew when he was led to believe that he had also helped find the criminal's tracks. Of course, those dreams were quickly squashed and he frowned in failure for his sudden goal.

While everyone else was getting associated underneath the overhand and preparing camp, Vos had climbed on top of the rocky outcrop and was now sitting atop the overhang. It was a good vantage point to look around the area.

"Hey, Sir Osuin, I can take first watch if you want. I'm not very tired."

That was part of the reason, but Vos had more secretive designs for the night. The sound from earlier was still ringing so he was very much hoping for the chance to see a griffon if he stayed up late. A small part of him said that he should go down there and help Captain Selene since her journey so far had been much tougher than theirs...but the griffon.

 

[Osuin]

“A fine spot it is.” Osuin remarked as they approached, and he too noticed that others prior had agreed with the sentiment. The earth still carried signs of the disturbance they caused, and by the time he was close enough to see them clearly, Perorin announced such to all.

"Someone was here before us, and recently." he remarked. He suspected the presence of others was recent, but Perorin was a hunter and would know better than he did. Osuin remained still and left him to his work. Ultimately, rather than confirm the lead they had hoped for, Perorin instead concluded that whomever had been here were not the ones they were searching for.


"Well, we should still set up a watch while we rest." said Selene, to which he could well agree. An eye out for potential threats was essential for security. It meant less sleep, but allowed for what shut-eye they got to be sounder without said worry.

"Hey, Sir Osuin, I can take first watch if you want. I'm not very tired." Vos spoke, volunteering himself for the first shift. The first and last watch were ideal, as these offered the greatest amount of uninterrupted sleep. But the he had earned it, and given that Osuin intended this mission to be one to teach and train Vos, it would be better for him to be well-rested that he might better learn.

“Still full of energy. I’m not sure if you ever run out, Vos.” replied Osuin with a grin.

“But no, I don’t mind if you take first watch. You’ve done good work, and you’ve earned your choice in shift.” Osuin continued in his jovial tone. He didn’t state that he wanted it, but to tell a squire that you didn’t mind it was essentially the same thing.

“I’ll set up and get to ground; wake me when your shift ends and I’ll take over.” Osuin continued, before breaking away to help set up camp.

 

[Selene]

"Vos Fleetwood!" The Dusk Captain used the squire's full name so that he would stay still long enough to pay attention. But if he looked, he would not be met with a stern gaze. Instead Selene's all-black eyes were lighted with something like mischievous. "Sometimes, you travel for a very long ways, and you never find what you are looking for. But that doesn't make the journey a waste. Stay vigilant."

Spotting a chair-sized rock, Selene lowered herself down upon it slowly, bracing her weight against her staff. When she landed, she let out a heavy breath. With it went her magic, as she released the sensor spell she had been keeping up for most of the trip. An invisible tension in the air eased all at once. It felt like thousands of twisting silver strands, like miniature leylines, snapped and curling in on themselves. She grew a little less weary with each returned piece of herself.

The handful of provisions they had brought with them were spread out, and then Perorin slipped away quietly to gather dry brush for a fire. Selene watched as Osuin did this or that to help make their rocky shelter more comfortable. She waited on her perch, until she thought Vos was out of earshot, and then she spoke.

"If we find this criminal, we will have to kill them," Selene said in her usual unreadable way, neither restless nor comfortable with the possibility. "Osuin, you know the squire best. Do you think he's ready for that outcome?"


Osuin Vos Fleetwood

 

[Wroc Flintson]

Vos stopped mid-step and cringed when he heard his full name. His teachers only used that name when he was in trouble. Thankfully, that did not seem to be the case, this time. At least, he did not think so. In truth, he had no idea what Selene had just said. It was some kind of metaphor, but he did not really get it. He understood the vigilant part.

"You can count on me."

Vos scampered up an even higher rocky outcropping to get a better view of the surrounding area. He would need some help to see in the middle of the night. He attempted to cast a dark vision spell, but the first attempt just made everything change colors, but it did not actually improve his sight.

He cursed under his breath before trying one more time and actually getting the spell right. With his vision problem solved, he found a good spot on a rocky ledge and began to look out over the surrounding area.

 

[Osuin]

Not a moment after he had set off did he hear Selene speak Vos’s name, recited formally and completely in a tone that implied the recruit had found himself in some hot water. The reaction garnered Vos’ immediate concern, and to a lesser degree Osuin himself. He was here to mentor the lad. Providing him with guidance was among his primary motivations for the trip, and with Selene’s initial words he couldn’t help but wonder if he had missed something. For Selene to give him correction implied that Osuin had neglected to do so, and caused him fret that he had faltered in his duties to that end.

He continued to set up camp, but was quiet as he did to better hear the conversation between the two. Wondering what detail he might have missed that Selene had caught, it was to his relief that she merely had words of support and encouragement to offer. Perhaps it brought Vos comfort; it certainly brought Osuin comfort to toss out worry that he himself had erred.

“I’m sure he is, I haven’t sugarcoated our task to him at all. I hope we might see him prove himself on this task.” came his reply, looking up from the corner of the half-built tent he was still setting up. Vos had been dutiful thus far, and Osuin had faith that the squire would do him proud. He was ready, and to return home successful after purging Arethil of the one they sought would be bettered if Vos played an integral part to it.

 

[Selene]

At the Dawn knight's reassurance, Selene nodded solemnly, taking his words in. "Proof of steel is not the only desirable result," she said cryptically, and then said nothing else on the topic, too tired to keep up the conversation that she herself had started. There was a dreadful feeling in the air, and it took her a moment to realize that the source of it was her own apprehension. She reigned her gloom inwards and settled more comfortably into the flat rock she was perched on. Even so, something didn't sit right with her.

Perhaps she had gotten her advice mixed up again. Perhaps she should have said, 'Osuin, we might not find this criminal now, but that is alright, because we will not stop looking.' And likewise she could have told the young squire, 'Vos, this will not be a kind mission, are you ready to watch your mentor, who cares so much about you, take a life?' But overthinking it would not change the outcome, and so she kept these considerations to herself, letting the worries lull her into something adjacent to dreaming.

There was a tent yes, and Perorin had come back and started the fire, but Selene was clean out before she could enjoy either of those luxuries. Robes wrapped snugly around her, her head leaned back against the cold stone outcropping - and in the beat of silence that accompanied everyone's work, she fell solidly asleep. Slow, soft breath escaped her, smoothing over the back of her throat in a steady rasp.

Waking her up from a sleep like that would be akin to waking the dead. Not impossible, but very messy if attempted.

---

Out in the cold night, another high wail broke through the clouds. A feather would drift down from the heavens some few feet in front of where Vos was sitting. It was pristine white, shining enticingly through the light mist that had settled over the rocky landscape.

And it was bigger than the biggest eagle feather, by far.

Vos Fleetwood Osuin

 

[Wroc Flintson]

No fucking way.

Vos had nearly fallen over when he heard the wail, but he watched that beautiful majestic feather land perfectly to the ground. This was it. The moment in the stories where Vos met a super-powerful griffon, and then he went on to become a legendary hero. That's how it worked.

Without a second thought, he would run over to the feather and pick it up delicately. He studied the feather more carefully than probably any book his instructors had even tried to make him read.

This had to be it. It was too big for an eagle but so white in the darkness of the night. Vos took a moment to collect himself before casting a basic Wild Magic spell. It was his favorite since it did not force his will on another creature. Instead, a nice aroma could be detected around Vos. The smell was meant to attract any and all animals nearby, while also indicating that he was friendly. It was the best way to make friends with the horses at the stables...They were all drama queens.

Selene Osuin

 

[Osuin]

Osuin paused at Selene’s response, pondering the further meaning behind it. She was often mysterious and indirect with her words, and noticeably so with what she said. Osuin had believed the opportunity for Vos to prove himself to be a desired goal, yet Selene hinted that he had, in fact, missed something. But if success and proving his worth was not the goal, then what was? He kept a stoic face as he considered the meaning behind her reply, but his reflection brought him no immediate wisdom. Neither did Selene expand on it, speaking no further and falling asleep before Osuin could bring himself to inquire further.

The thoughts were an ample mental distraction as he continued the work of setting up camp, digging tent pegs in while others assembled the frames. Setup always took a fair bit of work, but it didn’t last long, and at least he’d get to have a nap immediately, with Vos keeping watch on the first shift.

Though he reflected on Selene’s words throughout the task, musing over them brought no further clarity. Osuin would continue to wonder, both on what she meant and on what wisdom he might be missing as a Knight pursuant. But concern could only last so long, for soon sleep overtook it. Osuin laid down, still in his armour, and nodded off in place moments after.

Selene Vos Fleetwood

 

[Selene]

The fire crackled, heating the underside of the outcropping and giving the camp enough warmth to afford everyone a bit of sleep. Perorin did not settle in like the two knights, however. At some point, after he was sure the fire was burning well, he slipped away wordlessly to set out on his own hunter's vigil.

In the camp and beyond it, the world was still. Enough time passed by uneventfully to get boring.

No other sign of griffons would cross Vos's path in that time. The young squire's spell, while masterful, would not attract anything except a stray mountain marmot. The squat rodent sniffed about the ground, inching ever nearer to the appealing scent until it was so close to Vos that it was nearly curled up on his lap.

Then, something startled the marmot, and it bolted away into the sparse brush. A whoop echoed through the night, but this time, it was a man's voice - or rather, a particularly excitable elf.

Perorin Dale was standing tall upon a boulder, silhouetted against the chilly glow of moonlit mist. And he was hollering. "Here he is, boy!" Raising his arms up to the sky, the hunter arched back like a sapling trap unsprung. "Come and greet the lord of the mountain!"

A mighty gust would come from the east, a cold wind from off the top of the mountain. And with it a sleek, galloping form, outlined in ashen white. The griffin was flying low. The gale of feathers and muscled mass passed so close to Vos that it would ruffle the dark hair on his head. For an immeasurable moment, the creature's piercing yellow eye would gaze into the young squire's.

But something was wrong. A streak of feathers on the griffin's side were mottled red, and when it passed by it left drops of blood on the rocks. Something was off about its noble gait. Hard as the griffin beat its wings, it could not gain altitude. It continued to fly low, until it was swallowed by a crevasse in the distance, disappearing from sight.

The elf's joy turned into a desperate cry. "After him, now," he called out to Vos even as he stirred into action, leaping off the rock and running in the same direction as the griffin. "Track where he lands!"

---

Deep in her slumber, Selene dreamed of feathers. There was a nest that rotted and festered, a restless corpse curled around the thorn that stuck in its side. A thick coil of roots tangled tighter and tighter around the site of the thorn, obscuring a form that was familiar to her. Selene reached into the tangle and grasped at the form. She tugged on something solid, and the whole mess came apart in a burst of pallid feathers. Then she was falling, falling, overcome by the heavy-weightless feeling one could only get in dreams and in death.

One sharp breath had her reeling back into the waking world.

"He's here," she exhaled, dark eyes searching the shallow camp and finding nothing but the flickering fire.

A rough and hurried movement had her parting the canvas flap of the other knight's tent and leaning in. "Osuin!" Her voice was full of urgency, or resentment. It was hard to tell. "I found the bastard. Get out here."

Selene turned to leave. With the same careful, perilous meter that she had started the night out with, she picked her way back out into the open. The difference now was that she seemed to know where she was going, her eyes focused intently on something in the middle distance. A shimmering, heaving mass of silvery white feathers, clawing its way into some hole.

Not a griffin, no. Not anymore.

Vos Fleetwood Osuin

 

[Wroc Flintson]

It did not work. At least, that is what Vos guessed after a moment of silence. He sensed movement and quickly turned to reach for his short bow, but stopped when he saw the small creature that his spell must have attracted.

Vos smiled sweetly at the creature before reaching into his pack and pulling out some small berries. He had picked them earlier in the day in hopes of giving them to a griffin when he found them, but the griffin was not here and this little guy was.

"Here you go, buddy. Eat up."

The marsupial inched closer in hesitation and was just about to take the last step and enjoy his sudden bounty when something startled it, and a voice startled Vos.

What happened next was sudden and Vos struggled to react quick enough to everything. The only thing that slowed everything down was the moment when he locked eyes with the majestic creature. It felt like minutes and not seconds.

Then Perion snapped him out of his daze and he sprinted after him towards the direction of the griffin. He was running as fast as his legs would carry him. The only thing he could think about was the bloodstain. The pain in the griffin's eyes. There was only one thing that mattered.

The griffin was in pain...and Vos Fleetwood was going to save them.

Osuin Selene

 

[Osuin]

He’d taken to sleep moments after he had laid down to rest, and another moment after a dream would overtake him. He found himself back in his quarters, making his way outside on route to the temple. He knew he had to get there, but in his dreaming state he did not know why. The lack of rationale gave him no pause, his dreaming state had determined it to be unimportant. Obedient to the imaginations of his unconscious mind, he travelled on with not a soul in sight. Once again, this oddity escaped him entirely, and Osuin obligingly continued.

His brisk pace came to a halt only when he heard a strange whoop from behind him. Turning around and revealed nothing; the place remained empty, with not a soul who could have made it. But next, he heard his name shouted out. And within an instant, he was taken from his dream and roused back to consciousness.

* * *​

"I found the bastard. Get out here." Selene called out, and Osuin complied promptly.

"On my way."

Nodding off so soon was fortunate in a way; he didn’t bother to doff his armour, and so was already prepared to take action as soon as he’d woken up. Once he’d left his tent, he’d see Selene departing towards a destination he did not know. Osuin moved quickly, catching up to her without a word. Even his motions were relatively silent, at least for a man of his size in plated armour.

He remained primed and ready as the two moved in, energized by the anticipation of catching this foul sorcerer.

Selene Vos Fleetwood

 

[Selene]

It was much worse than Selene had thought. When she arrived on the scene, the beast was landed and doubled over in pain, its long wings spread weakly across the ground. But Selene was not looking at the griffin. In a flurry of starlit robes she reeled on the spot, searching for anything, anything. Why couldn't she sense anything!

Behind her, Perorin was the first to reach the griffin. He fell to his knees at the creature's side, burying his hands in the bloody mass of feathers there, feeling for the wound. "Who did this to you..." Tears were beginning to fill his eyes as he took in the depth of the injury.

"I fear the answer." Though fear wasn't quite right. Selene was furious. Knuckles were tightening around her staff, squeezing the wood until the leather of her gloves creaked. "Do you know what our quarry could summon if he got his hands on griffin's blood?"

"Something big, something verrry big..." Came a voice from higher in the cliffs above. A gaunt skeleton of a man, with long, greasy strips of blond hair leapt down and landed in front of the knights and the squire. He wasn't wearing a shirt. Runework was smeared across his pallid skin, painted in a red that could only be blood. Selene had a good guess about where it had come from.

"Keh heh." The man laughed, and coughed up something black. "Are you here for the show?" He took a step closer, the needle point of his knife gleaming in the moonlight. "Or maybe you want to meet my master early? Well you'll have to be patient, patient -- its not TIME yet!" He shrieked the last bit, a horribly human noise, and behind them the griffin wailed out low and in pain. In that flurry of sound the man sprung his attack, leaping at Selene.

The knife chunked into the wood of her staff as she blocked the blow, but when the crazed man's arm bounced away, he was already shifting his weight for another swing. Defensively, Selene thrust an open palm out, and though she did not touch the man, he doubled over and recoiled as if he had been struck in the gut.

Stumbling backward, the sorcerer coughed, and then he laughed, his lips stained black.

Osuin Vos Fleetwood

 

[Wroc Flintson]

Vos arrived shortly after Perorin, but stopped himself from entering the small clearing that had been created by the creature fall. He stayed to edge near the trees, looking on in shock at the wounded creature before them.

It was the opposite of what he had envisioned, such a beautiful and graceful creature was no subject to such pain and humiliation. Vos felt warm tears run down his face. He was angry. He did not have to wait too long to figure out where to direct his anger at.

The culprit appeared with runes over his body...those runes, that blood. It was the griffin. A scream got caught in Vos's throat as he pulled out his bow and arrows. He would make this man pay for what he did.

"Hey, asshole!"

He fired off an arrow aimed at the man's chest. He wanted to end this now. Earlier in the day, he had worried if he would be able to kill someone. That thought did not even pass through his mind. This piece of shit deserved to die.

Selene Osuin

 

[Osuin]

Osuin did not need to travel far before the cause for alarm became clear. A silhouette of a giant winged creature was visible above the twisting branches of the trees, and as the Knight Pursuant drew closer he could see that it belonged to a griffin. So they did dwell in these lands, and this one was gravely wounded. It appeared to be an omen, and it could not possibly be good. Despite the indifference from his ignorance on the subject of griffins, he knew immediately that he was witness to a tragedy.

"Do you know what our quarry could summon if he got his hands on griffin's blood?" Spoke Hawthorne.

Though he had no idea exactly what havoc might be wrought, he needn't an active imagination to know it must be truly terrible. It took little more for Osuin to connect the dots, and upon doing so concern for the wounded beast grew into concern for them all. With the cause of the wounded griffin's presence hinted at, Osuin reached for his sword with a gloved hand. Suspicion and fear overtook him. If what Master Hawthorne alluded to was correct, their quarry was already upon him.

He needn't wait for concerns to be confirmed.

"Something big, something verrry big..." uttered a voice from behind, and in an instant Osuin spun around with his sword drawn from the scabbard at his hip. Bright crimson was streaked across the thin man's chest. Old and decrepit, he wouldn't have appeared to be much of a challenge, were he not versed in the arts of the arcane.

And had he not just stabbed a griffin and smeared runes upon himself with its blood. After a taunt came his attacked; aimed squarely at Selene, of course. No one ever seemed to attack Osuin first.

While unable to come to her defence in time, she effortless parried the knife with her staff, countering with a blow that left him prone upon the ground - in addition to an arrow sticking out of his chest and choice profanities shouted by Vos as a war cry.

The lad did not hesitate; he had the mettle of a true warrior that Osuin did not doubt. Elation at the display of bravery was tempered by Selene's cautionary words.

"Proof of steel is not the only desirable result"

He still had no idea what was, and by all that was holy, he had run out of time. The taunt that followed from the sorcerer further implied that he was far from finished. With a snarl of frustration, Osiun took the only action obvious to him and stepped forth, sword in hand to impale the foul sorcerer with a downward thrust.

If this would not stop him, may it at least silence him.

Vos Fleetwood Selene

 

[Selene]

A gurgling cry escaped the sorcerer as Osuin's sword found its mark. From behind, the griffin echoed the cry, rearing up in pain. As it shook under its own weight, two new wounds bled through pale feathers - an arrow-sized hole in its chest and sword gash along its back.

The man was not dead yet. Though the blow ought to have been a final one, his muscles still surged with strength. His limbs squirmed for purchase even as Osuin pinned him to the ground. Th old man squawked out something that could not be heard with his face in the dirt.

"Using your own body as a conduit for corruption, I thought you too craven for such tactics," Selene said to the man as she came to stand over him. "That was my mistake." Shimmering dark tendrils of not-light wrapped around Selene's hands. She raised her arms and braced herself. "Hold him there, Osuin, I will seal his magic away before he gets a chance to achieve undeath."

"Wait, Selene!" Perorin pleaded from beside the dying beast he still tended. His hands were stained red, his cloak in tatters, a futile attempt to wrap the griffin's wounds and quell the bleeding. "The griffin is part of the spell, too. Kill that man now and it dies with him. Don't pretend you don't know that!"

That made Selene pause. "That is true." She bowed her head slightly, perhaps in apology. Her hands did not lower though, still charged with dark magic. She could stop the evil from mutating in front of her, or she could save the dying beast. She didn't think she could do both. "There is no right answer here. Osuin, Vos, I want you to have confidence in what we do next. What say you?"

Osuin Vos Fleetwood

 

[Wroc Flintson]

What? They couldn't kill the griffin. It was the lord of these lands...more importantly, it needed their help. A knight unwilling to help those in need wasn't a knight at all. The griffin's connection to the old man was the only thing that kept Vos from reaching for another arrow.

"Isn't there a way we can sever the magic? Water might wash off the blood." Vos suggested weakly. Magic rarely worked that simply, but it was worth a try.

Vos rushed over to the griffin's side. Healing magic was never a specialty of his, but maybe he could slow the bleeding down. He locked eyes with the griffin for a moment.

"You're going to be ok."

Vos's hands felt clammy, the intensity of the situation and the potential for the death of innocent life. Vos was responsible for it. At least, he was one of four people that might prove to be the difference. The pressure was definitely new to Vos, but he gripped his hands together in an attempt to stop them from shaking.

Osuin Selene

 

[Osuin]

His sword remained buried tip-down into the sorcerer’s chest, the blade plunged between ribs with a steady outpouring of bright red blood seeping from the wound. The griffin let out a cry, shrill and pained. Given the sorry state Osuin had witnessed it in, such an outcry seemed well warranted, though louder and more distressed than it ought to be.

Osuin turned around while keeping his sword in place, taking note of the two additional wounds unwittingly inflicted upon it with regret. The sign told that the creature was bound to the impaled sorcerer, and in wounding him they had certainly and unintentionally inflicted further anguish to it. The man himself had explanation that would go unheard with the ground muffling his voice. Osuin had succeeded in making him shut up, at least for the time being.

"Using your own body as a conduit for corruption, I thought you too craven for such tactics," Selene spoke of the very suspicions Osuin held as well.

"Hold him there, Osuin, I will seal his magic away before he gets a chance to achieve undeath." she continued, and with a glare at the captured quarry caught beneath his broadsword he placed more weight on it, as if the additional effort was needed to help keep him pinned down. But before Selene could do so, Hawthorne had further input to give:

"The griffin is part of the spell, too. Kill that man now and it dies with him. Don't pretend you don't know that!" he warned. Though it did not get Selene to back down, it was reason for her to pause and assess her options.

"There is no right answer here. Osuin, Vos, I want you to have confidence in what we do next. What say you?" Selene asked him, and Osuin paused in contemplation of how he might respond. It was a true dilemma he faced. The one they accosted was of evil and malice, evidence of which could be plainly seen by the blood and wounds bore by the griffin. Arethil needed to be purged of his existence, but to do so would also kill the majestic creature bound as conduit.

Neither option was appealing, but in the end he would rather not bring harm to the griffin, even for a goal so noble.

“What other options do we have?” Osuin asked the question in desperation, with a look given to Selene, Hawthorne and even the griffin itself as he made his search for an answer vocally clear.

Vos Fleetwood Selene

 

[Selene]

Hesitation. Steadfast in their duties, both Osuin and Vos grasped for another answer, a third option that would bring about a better end.

Selene closed her eyes, and let a breath escape her. A bad habit of hers, when she was thinking deeply about something. The trembling form of the squire occupied her mind, the tears rolling down his cheeks not dry yet. Neither of them might be able to say it, but their voices betrayed them. To let the griffin die would be to kill something inside of themselves, to betray their oath as knights.

"No other option," she responded. There was another option, actually, but Selene would not say it. The price was too high."The only way to sever the connection is to let the spell complete. This man and his victim will be entwined until then."

Opening her eyes, Selene shook the magic out of her hands, tendrils of shadow wisping away into the air like smoke. "Our objective has changed," she said, her voice firm and her head held high. "We will tread the unknown path and take this criminal alive." And with that new resolve, she turned and walked towards where the hunter and the squire were hovering over the griffin.

When she reached them, Selene knelt down next to Vos and reached out an open palm to him. "Vos, may I see one of your arrows?" Unhurried, Selene would wait for him to hand one over. Closing her fingers around the shaft, she whispered a spell low under her breath. The metal of the arrowhead changed ever so slightly, a dark sheen clouding its surface that never seemed to catch the light. She handed the enchanted arrow back to Vos. "I will heal the griffin," she said. "Go and aid Osuin in his fight. If it looks like the sorcerer is going to escape, use that arrow. It will buy us some time."

Selene pushed up the sleeves of her robes and turned her focus onto the beast that lay dying. It was like a bucket tipped over inside of her, and whatever dark magic had been steaming off of her before was now bright and dripping with Life. Kneeling there in the dirt, she chanted something ancient. A pale glow softened the beast's white feathers, and the tension in its body eased.

A cackle escaped the sorcerer as Selene began her work. It sounded like he'd found his voice again. "You should have told me you were so eager to visit my master. I would have cleaned up more." The blood pouring out of the sorcerer's wounds was congealing into black, thickening across his skin like sap on bark.

Selene's eyes narrowed. "Back up, Osuin," she called out without so much as a glance at the bloody scene behind her. "I need to close this chest wound."

"WEEELLLL," the sorcerer shrieked out long on the vowel. He cackled again, and then cut his own cackle short. The crazed man sobered up startlingly fast, uncanny yellow eyes training on the Knight looming over him. With a sharp burst of strength, he slapped his palms against the blade of Osuin's sword, pushing upwards, and despite Osuin's bulk, the blade slid out of his chest by a finger's width. "You heard the lady."

Osuin Vos Fleetwood

 

[Wroc Flintson]

Vos had his shaking hands pressed against the wound of the griffin, trying to stop the bleeding. His vision was blurry from tears. It was only when he felt the presence behind him and heard the voice of Selene behind him that he felt his tears begin to stop. The Knight Captain of the Dusk provided a reassuring presence to him and most of the others in the order. Both the Knight Captains did.

His hands stopped shaking when he handed over the arrow. Selene had a plan and that was good enough, but he did not know exactly how he was supposed to accomplish the plan but he was going to do his best. He took the arrow and got to his feet.

"So we capture him, and no hurting him...easy."

He tried to bring some of his light-hearted tone back to get himself back into the right mindset to take on this challenge. Yeah, he was going to win because that was what heroes did.

Osuin Selene