Slash POV

I started my journey to find my father by following his scent through the forest, but it quickly faded as I followed it through the brush and grass. I kept walking forward hoping to find something at all, but I wasn’t finding anything until I picked up a scent. It smelt like fish and...griffins. I knew I had to be careful. I followed the scent through the trees and pushed through the foliage to finally see the place I had sniffed out.

It looked like a simple village: wooden buildings, cobblestone pathways, and a town square. I also noticed a monastery at the very edge of the town that towered over everything. Wait, monastery’s are religious places, and religious places have books, meaning there should be a map there.

“Welp, if it’s the only way in.” I sighed. I take one step out of the tree line onto the thin green grass, my black armor glistening in the bright sun. I decided to keep my helmet off, letting it hang off my waist from a leather strap.

I’ll have to act like a tourist, since Griffins are more open to people. I walk slowly to the town, trying to calm my nerves. I reach the stone path leading to a network throughout the town. I take a deep breath and step onto the path, slowly striding into the town.

Walking near the outskirts of the town it was pretty desolate, but that all changed when I reached the town’s center. It was busy, crowded, and bustling with activity. Groups of different species littered the town square. Many different smells hit me at that moment. I glance around, taking in my surroundings.

There are a bunch of red brick buildings tilted to form a circle around the town’s center with four symmetrical pathways through the buildings. The whole center was covered in cobblestone, and in the very center they had a huge fountain made of pale blue crystal. It lightly spewed extremely blue, clear water into the circular pool below it.

“Hello there friend, are ya lookin at the sights?” a voice behind me asked.

I turn around to see who asked me the question, a typical white and brown griffin. He looked like a typical adventurer. He wore a leather backpack and a brown belt with a scabbard attached to it and what looked like the hilt to a rapier.

“Uh, yes,” I reply dumbly.

“The name’s Gabriel, Gabriel Gull, but you can call me Gabe. Nice to meet ya,” the griffin said, holding his claw out for me to shake.

“Uh, my name’s Slash,” I say nervously, taking his claw. It was a small shake, though he did have a firm grip.

“You’re not from around here, are ya?” he asks, looking me up and down.

“Uh no, I’m not from here,” I say, feeling nervous about him sizing me up.

“I see that you have fine weapon, Slash.” He motions to my scabbard.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

“Do you mind if I take a look at it?” he asks, curiously.

“No!” I shouted, gripping my sword’s handle before composing myself. “I mean, I never like to draw my sword whenever i’m not in a fight,” I lie.

“...Ok, I can respect that,” he says, still surprised from my sudden outburst. “So, where you headed?”

“I’m not sure, I was actually going to look for a map,” I say,

“Ah, well why didn’t you say so? You could use my map,” he says, pulling off his backpack.

“Uh, no that's fine, but thanks for the offer,” I decline, smiling.

“Do you even know how to read a map?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“...”

“Exactly, now you can see my map and better yet i’ll come with you,” he said, grabbing the map from his backpack, standing on his hind legs, and rolling the map out in his claws.

The map looked nice and the paper wasn’t stained too much.

“Alright come here,” he told me, motioning with his claw.

I walk over behind his shoulder to get a better look at the map.

“So, where are ya trying to go?”

“What town are we in now?” I ask, looking around.

“Griffinville,” he replied pointing it out on the map.

“Um, I suppose that one,” I say, pointing to a castle that's closest.

“Hm, Beak Barrow. Alright then, we should make it in about a day.” He packed up his map. “Welp, we better get a move on,” he said before marching in the direction of my destination.

I quickly followed behind him. He’s weird: I’m a complete stranger, yet he goes and helps me. Heck, he even is leading me there. I...like him.

Outskirts of Beak Barrow

It was almost dawn. We had set up camp near a tall tree. Gabriel had set up a fire, so I wasn’t too cold. It was the end of Gabriel’s night watch as I woke up.

I yawn as I groggily got up from my slumber.

“Ah, I see you’re awake,” Gabriel said.

I blink a few times to clearly see him and try to get the sleepiness out and notice he’s cooking something over the fire.

“...What are you cooking?” I ask as I slowly sit up.

“I caught a rabbit,” he said, slowly rotating the burned carcass.

“Is it almost done?” I asked, scooting up to the fire and feeling its warm embrace shield me from the cold dawn.

“Actually, it’s done now,” he said, placing his bag down and pulling out two metal plates and a dagger.

He took the spit away from the fire and slid it onto his plate, then he cut it in half with his dagger and slid the piece onto my plate before handing it to me.

I stare at the steaming charred meat in hungry anticipation. I take a whiff. it...smells...AMAZING! I’m taken aback by the alluring aroma. I lean in, preparing to eat it.

“Now be careful, it's hot,” Gabriel warned.

I ate it all in one bite.

“...Seems like you have quite the...appetite,” he said, shocked at my display.

“Well, finish yours up so we can go.”

“Alright, just give me a second,” he said, annoyed, before he quickly gobbled it down and stood up. “Alright! Let's do this thing!” he yells, running down the hill to the town.

“Wait up!” I yelled, chasing after him.

Beak Barrow

“So...what are we lookin’ for?” he asks.

“...You ask now?” I say, “I’m… looking for my father.”

“Well, you got any other information?”

“...His name is Khyax, and he was imprisoned, I believe.”

Gabriel scratches his beak for a little while. “Hm, I believe I can manage,” he says. “Alright, let's split up, but when it gets dark we meet back at that hill,” he said, pointing to the hill where we were camping.

“Ok,” I reply.

“See ya then,” he says, flying off in his own direction.

“Now, let's get to that castle,” I say to myself as I walk along the concrete road towards the castle.

When I made it to the castle the guards wouldn’t let me in, because of an “only authorized creatures allowed” policy or something. So I needed another way in. I slowly traced around the castle when I thought I found it. A balcony! I could probably climb in and sneak into the castle.

I grip the wall, digging my claws into the giant bricks, and slowly summit the structure.

“Ok, try not to kill...too much,” I say to myself, knowing there might be some blood.

Climbing in through the balcony, I walk into an empty room –probably a guest room. The walls were red and etched with gold carvings and designs. Silently I stride to the wooden door of the room. I turn the yellow knob, cracking open the door and peeking through. I don’t spot anyone and only see an empty hallway. Stepping through the door, I walk onto a red carpet that extended down both ways of the hallway.

“Mm, which way to go?” I asked myself, eyes darting from left to right. “Well...right is always right,” I say, cautiously going in the right direction of the hallway. But then I hear the shifting of armor echoing down the hallway. I quickly retreat back into the room, forgetting to close the door and looking for a place to hide.

The sound of clinking metal getting closer urged me to find a place to hide. Looking all around the room I couldn’t find a place to hide. “Im screwed!” I nearly shriek, fearing my demise. Desperately looking around for a place to hide my eyes land on the ceiling.

“Hello, anyone in there?” a voice just beside the open door say.

I gasped for air as my stomach dropped at the sound of the voice. I quickly scrambled up the wall and latch myself on the ceiling. Trying to calm my ragged breaths, I wait for the Griffin.

A few...long...agonizing seconds passed before the Griffin poked his metal covered head into the room.

The Griffin’s head suddenly turned left and I flinched at the sudden action. That caused a small crack to form by my claw that began tearing its way through the ceiling in front of me.

The web of cracks finally stopped a few feet in front of me, and a small piece of the ceiling broke off and fell to the floor shattering into even smaller pieces.

His head jerked at the piece and he moved further into the room to inspect the debris.

Okay his back is turned now all I have to do is kill him. Alright im gonna kill him now...ok NOW!

...Several more seconds passed while I was still frozen in shock.

Come on this is just like the war. Just kill him, like what Slapshot said, kill him before he can kill me.

He leaned down a little to see it.

Come on! He is right there!

Suddenly, he looked up, eyeing the ceiling and tracing the cracks, before his eyes landed on me.

Everything felt...slow as his eyes slowly widened. He took a step back and got in a wobbly stance before drawing his sword. Hearing the sound of the metal sliding against the leathery sheathe, my instincts kicked in.

In an instant I dropped off the ceiling and charged towards him. He swung the sword at me and it collided with my armor bouncing off. I hit him with all my force, knocking him over and onto his back. He lost grip of his sword as he fell over, hitting the floor with a thud, groaning loudly in pain.

I stood over him drawing my sword, raising it in preparation. His time had come to an end.

“Wait! Please don’t kill me!” he begged, covering his face with his arms.

I broke out of my blood lust as I looked into his eyes. They were full of fear, welling up with tears.

“Please! I have a family!” he babbled, “I have a brother that I need to feed and my mom to take care of,” he continued, “She is really sick and im trying to get enough to save he-

“Silence!” I yelled, tears rolling down my face. “I don’t want to know about your life, your excuses, just shut up!”

He stared at me in shock and confusion, glancing to the right. He suddenly jerks his body, reaching for his fallen sword. I react quickly, plunging my blade into his neck before he could even raise his sword.

He gurgled up blood as he started squirming in pain trying to utter a scream, before he finally slowed and fell still.

Another deafening silence wrapped around me before it was broken by my sobs. I threw myself to the floor crying and coughing.

I ended a life. I just blinked him out of existence. This wasn’t like the war, this time I knew who I killed. In the war I didn’t give killing much thought at all. What will happen to his family, now with no one to take care of them or even help them!

Slapshot’s words started coming back to me in this moment.

”Everyone has reasons to kill, you just need to find yours,” his voice echoed in my head.

I know Slapshot, but what about his reasons to not die!

”Killing isn’t easy, I know, but you’re fighting to protect what you love.

So was he! Im sorry, Im so sorry! Please forgive me, I didn’t want to!

”What’s the point in crying over another life? Everyone dies at some point.”

Who am I to decide when someone dies?! What gives me the right to kill someone?!

”We all deal with death in our own ways, if you can’t accept death then go home and abandon everything and everyone.”

I finally stop my constant sobbing and start to collect myself, wiping my tears. I start to realize my surroundings. I feel...wet and...warm, I glance down and reel back in horror.

Blood, blood was all over me, I was covered in blood. His neck was oozing blood. I wanted to vomit. It was so disgusting, but why am I so disgusted i'm a xenomorph! First born of...Khyax...that’s right he’s the reason i'm here in the first place. He is my reason to fight, why I fight and kill. I know what I want to do.

I stand up, blood dripping off of me. I take slow steps towards the griffin’s bloody corpse. I quickly pluck the blade from his neck and sheathe it. I waste no time in turning around and walking to the door and out into the hallway.

Blood stained the carpets, wall, everything that I touched. The blood started to stain my armor and my body. I was feeling sticky with each step I took. I felt the need to vomit again and felt...dizzy. I felt so disgusting like the scum of the planet. I felt like dirt, no worse than dirt and I smelt horrible. I wanted to gag at the stench I was giving off.

After a little while of stumbling through the hall there was a turn. Creeping up to the corner I hear the sound of clinking metal. Also, I smell a stronger scent coming this way. Quickly I climb to the ceiling and wait.

A few seconds pass and two brown griffin guards pass below me and march past me. Once they turn the corner, my eyes widened as they stopped before running down the hall shouting.

They must have seen the blood. I unlatch from the ceiling and make haste down the hall. Passing several doors and windows I stop to listen. I hear...clinking, heavy clinking...getting louder.

Once again I try to climb the wall, but my claws couldn’t get a grip. I desperately tried to climb anyway but ended up just scratching at it helplessly. So I did the only thing I could do: I made a run for it.

I was sprinting through the halls, everything a blur as I ran turning aimlessly through the never ending maze. I couldn’t seem to find end to it until the hall came to an end and I came bursting through a pair of double doors.

I stopped in the my tracks as I analyzed the situation I was in. I had just barged in on some sort of meeting between nobles. “...Why me?!” were the only words I could get out, before several spears were pointed at me.

Author's Note

Hello guys, sorry for being dead for so long. I have been trying to finishh but lost steam on the way. I'm trying to test myself a bit and am juggling several stories at the same time. Finally i've managed to get something out. I don't say this is my best work but im trying to learn. So please help me with critsism. Anyways, thanks for reading and see you next chapter hopefully.