Tales of the Forgotten: Prelude

Not all is as it seems.

Greetings everybody, just as a note it has been almost a full year since I have written anything so please don’t tear me a new one for any errors that might be in here, I’ve yet to get back into the swing of things after boot camp and combat training. Even using a keyboard is awkward for me still.

July 25th, 2017 12:06 A.M.

Sharptalon, Sayona

No sooner did I see the flames burning against the night sky did I take off in a full sprint with Gale and Beamplume at my heels. I reached the town within a matter of minutes but continued to run towards the inn that I had left from where Rainfeather would be staying until my return. My heart sunk into the pit of my stomach as I saw the inn, it was nothing more than a pile of burnt wooden rubble. I immediately went to digging through the ash to try and find any survivors, if there were any to be found. I found the charred bodies of three gryphons luckily all were male.

I sifted through the rubble for about an hour before I found something that gave me a small bit of hope, a cellar door under the rubble that came crashing down behind the old bartop. “Gale! Come help me move this log!” I yelled to him. We immediately went to work as we moved the debris from atop the cellar door. I opened the cellar door but the stench I was met with told me nothing was alive down there, or if something was it was more than likely wounded.

“Is anyone down there?!” I yelled into the cellar as I heard shifting from the inside followed by muffled crying as if someone were holding a hand over a child's mouth. “It’s okay, come on out we will not hurt you. I promise.” I tried to reason but no response came. “Gale, stay up here with your wife I’m going to see who's down there.”

I quickly descended the staircase into the cellar as the putrid smell of death almost made me lose what little food I had in my stomach. I ripped part of my sleeve off and tied it around my mouth and nose to try and filter the smell. I stopped in my tracks as I stepped in a pool of dark liquid. Blood. Zeke appeared by my side as he put a hand on my shoulder, “Looks like they made sure no one survived.”

I ignored his comment as I yanked my shoulder away before hearing the muffled sounds of crying again. It came from the opposite end of the cellar near the left back corner. I started walking towards the sound as it got louder before they stopped trying to hide it altogether. I was about to ask who it was but a talon struck out at me before I got the first word out of my mouth. I jumped back in surprise before I got into a defensive stance. “Easy! I’m not here to hurt you.” I stated, “Whoever or whatever did…” I gestured to the dead corpses in the middle of the room “this, is gone.” It didn’t take much convincing as the gryphon who attacked me visibly softened.

“A-are there any survivors?” They stammered out, the voice was clearly female but it wasn’t Rainfeather. I shook my head as she deflated once again. “My family...my friends…” she whispered as she looked down in disappointment.

“I don’t know your name miss but we need to get out of here and soon. The whole town is on fire and I’m not sure you noticed but we aren’t exactly fire retardant.” I tried to make light of the situation as she stifled a small giggle at my stupid joke.

She turned around and grabbed the child who she had been hiding, I was surprised to find out it wasn’t a gryphon but a young kirin. “He won’t hurt you Venia, he’s here to help us.” I knelt down to get on eye level with her as I grabbed something out of my pocket. I brought my hand up and opened my palm revealing a cloudy quartz stone, a treat I kept specifically for young dragon-kin in emergency situations. Most gemstones are used as sustenance but others such as cloudy quartz were used for medical purposes. This one acted as a natural anesthesia to put dragons into a state of deep sleep.

“Eat this Venia, it’ll help.” I told her with a smile as she nodded and ate it out of my hand. The quartz quickly took effect as she fell asleep standing up. I picked her up and carried her as if she were a toddler. “Let’s get out of here, I have some bad news to deliver.”

We quickly exited the cellar and made our way to the outskirts of Sharptalon before looking back at the still burning embers of the once beautiful town. “I’m sorry Rainfeather. I hope you can rest in peace knowing that your family is alive.” I whispered as Gale and Beamplume embraced each other with tears streaming down their faces. I turned to the gryphon who had been keeping Venia safe, “What is your name? And do you have any affiliation with this child?” I asked her bluntly as she looked down.

She shook her head at the question, “No I do not, I have seen her countless times on the streets but as far as I know she’s a street urchin with no family whatsoever. My name is Cynthia, my family died in Sharptalon, they were among the dead in that cellar.” she held back tears but you could tell by the way she spoke that she wanted to cry. I placed a hand on her head and smiled at her.

“It’s okay to feel pain Cynthia, thank you for staying strong for this child and saving her not even knowing who she really was. Do you have anywhere you can go?” I asked her but she shook her head again. “I see…” I looked away as I started to think but was cut off as Zeke stood in front of me and nodded his head in agreement on the matter. “I can take you and Venia with me but I cannot guarantee your safety. My job isn’t exactly one to take lightly and while you travel with me I expect you to keep yourself in a good physical condition. You must be able to follow my orders to the letter okay Cynthia?” I offered her as she looked up at me as she teared up before nodding in agreement.

“I have nothing left here, no family, no friends. No one. Not even a home to call my own. I’ll go with you on one condition, you promise to protect Venia if something should ever happen to me.” I smiled at her and held out my hand to her to solidify the agreement.

“I would defend her even if you hadn’t asked Cynthia.” I stated as she used her wing tip to shake my hand. Gale and Beamplume had stopped hugging but couldn’t stop watching the embers of Sharptalon. “I’m sorry you two, there’s nothing we could have done.” Gale snapped around to me and glared at me with killer intent.

“Leave, that’s what you can do.” He hissed at me.

I turned around and started walking, “Be like that Gale, I hope you meet the same fate as your child.” I stated coldly and without remorse as Cynthia followed behind me. Venia shifted slightly in my arms into a more comfortable position for both of us. We had walked for hours in silence before the sun started to crest over the horizon behind us.

“Robert, can I ask you something?” Cynthia said as she stared up at me. “Why did you say what you did back there?”

“I gave up a good portion of what I’ve saved up over the past six months for my essentials to get them out of Eclipse. I wasted the money I live on to get them out of slavery and back to their daughter. I could have let them die, but I didn’t. I could have kept them as slaves, but I didn’t. If they want to be ungrateful like that, then let come to them what might.” she mouthed an oh before asking a new question.

“What are you?” She asked as I smiled at her.

“Curious as to who and what I am are we?” She blushed at my prodding as I chuckled. “I am a human, not a human from this world's old legends but one from the planet Earth. For all I know Earth is in either a different galaxy or different universe altogether. All I know is that this is my life right now and I intend to live it.” I said as I began to see a building in the distance. I recognized it as an outpost on the border of Mirador and Sayona.

“You sound almost happy you aren’t there anymore. Do you enjoy living in Equus more?” she asked as I nodded my head and stopped in my tracks. She stopped right after me and stared at the outpost as we could see it in its entirety now. “Is that where we’re going?”

“It is Cynthia, one question for you though. Are you afraid of minotaurs?” she shook her head at me. “Good, then let's get going.”