FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 8: A heart less ordinary.

War was like a great beast, swallowing lives and crushing homes where ever it went and the war on Titania's borders was no different. GahlByrn had wasted no time in unleashing his foul hounds upon the border villages. Agrok and Tensaih both found themselves with little time to recover or rest from their ordeal before they were called into the defense of their homelands. Kertesk had been lost before the defense forces could arrive, only a small handful had managed to escape the carnage. The Legion was showing their presence in the war with every fiber of their beings, giving fierce opposition to the Titanian defenders when they arrived.

Agrok herself found a tough opponent in a drake who moved as quick as she did, meeting every strike with a block and countering in much the same style as she had learned from Saltriss. She had to focus, she was a different species with different physical traits she could use. The drake would not let up his attack for even a moment's thought, slashing at the gryphoness with expert talons. Agrok dodged and blocked with every bit as much speed and skill, but she just could not find an advantage in her own style. Thankfully the drake couldn't either, this fight was likely to be won by who found an ally first if something didn't break the stalemate.

If only Grenz were close at hand, his raw strength would be greatly beneficial in over powering this foe while he was trying to evade her speed. That was it, she couldn't beat the drake fighting like herself, but what if she fought like Grenz? She was slightly larger and stronger than her opponent, but was she enough to make the broadwing's power style work? There was only one way to find out. The drake made another quick lunge slash at her neck. Agrok shifted her left shoulder back as she deflected the strike down to meet her harness instead as she countered by stepping into her opponent and striking with all her weight behind a wing. The gryphoness broke her style and followed through, stepping past the drake to push her strength against his balance. It worked, the drake gave a coughing grunt as the breath was forced from his lungs under the vicious blow and the power of the follow through carried him off his feet to sprawl out and scramble desperately to right himself. His limbs flailed without strength as he gasped to recover his breathing as well, leaving him helpless for just a brief moment.

"Follow through, your opponent is down, don't let them recover, press the attack," Malehk's voice rang in the back of her head as Agrok pounced on her helpless prey.

The gryphoness sank her hind claws into the ankles of her downed opponent to cripple his feet while her foreclaws pinned his arms. She stared down into the eyes of the blue tipped drake with a fury born of one who had seen her people slain. He struggled, knowing there would be no mercy from this female who held him down. Agrok wasted no time, leaning in with a snake like strike of her beak to sink the sharp hook into the drake's neck. Blood sprayed and splattered when she made that initial penetration, but that was not the end of her merciless fatal strike. She jerked her head back with all her might, tearing the throat from her victim and spitting it back to the ground next to it's owner. He gurgled and gave a pathetic cough beneath her as he bled all over the ground, trying to howl in agony and anguish at his inevitable death.

Agrok left him to die and charged to her next fight, a pair that seemed odd in an armored warrior with an ax and a robbed man behind him with a dagger on his belt as the only weapon. The gryphoness readied herself as the man with the wicked two handed ax charged. She waited until she seen the right moment, that point in time where he was committed but not yet readied to strike. As soon as she seen that moment, Agrok lunged and pounced on the armored foe with all her might. The speed of her counter strike caught the brute off guard as all four of her claws struck his chest and shoved to drive him back over his own center of gravity. He fell hard on his back with a loud crunching thud as his armor ground stones into the dirt and made it impossible to hold onto his ax She was quick to scoop up the weapon and give an over head chop down onto the man's neck where the shear weight of the weapon pulled it through his under mail and his neck to decapitate the fallen fighter. With the armor down, she turned her attention to the lightly armed man in the robe. Something about him made her rather leery of him, he had to be hiding something to be so lightly armed and yet so confident.

Agrok stalked closer, letting the breeze give cadence to her steps as it lightly waved his black hair. His cold brown eyes held her with a look that almost seemed amused by her approaching him.

Agrok sprang and made an attempt to gut the human with a lunging slash of her right foreclaw, but she found herself reeling in pain as she limped back from the bright blue explosion of energy that reacted to her talons touching the unseen shielding. A mage, and he was prepared to deal with physical combatants by the looks of it. The scent of ozone and charred leather and feathers told her that she had just been struck with some sort o lightning based counter attack by his shielding Her harness was already growing back over the burned portions to cover the nasty electrical burn on her shoulder. Agrok was in trouble now and she knew it, she had nothing to deal with that shield and now she was hobbled by her injury. She had no hope of simply dodging his arcane attacks and wearing down his energy reserves with her shoulder so badly burned and tingling as her nerves tried to recover from the shock.

"Stupid birdy, trying to strike the great Kain with mere talons. It's a wonder you were able to lay a filthy claw on GahlByrn, perhaps he will reward me for your head," the human spat as he hurled a bolt of energy that froze the air around it.

Agrok jumped to her left to keep from landing on her bad forelimb as she dodged the frost bolt, thankful for the slowing effect of the harness Kahlah had crafted for her. Kain had taken a page right out of Malehk's combat book and laid into her with a whip of fire from his right hand. The gryphoness darted and ducked around each attack until she was forced to roll out of the last move, a maneuver that brought her weight over the burned patch on her shoulder and gripped her in an screech of agony. Her eyes opened just in time to see a yellow bolt of energy not more than half a wing from her face. It never struck her as a blue bolt of cold inducing spell struck it and canceled both spells in a burst of mingled blue and yellow light.

"I would say something about my need to hold back for the sake of fair play, but I don't believe you were going to give my dear friend the same courtesy. So you think you are strong because you can shield yourself against mundane fighters? Let's see how strong you really are, come now and face the power of a Vyrekai," Tensaih growled from behind the wounded gryphoness.

The man known as Kain stared at her for a moment with disbelief before he laid in with a desperate volley of various arcane attacks, fireballs, lightning bolts, more of those yellow balls of energy, ice bolts, all flying in a frenzied assault as he tried in vain to overcome the more powerful mage. Contrary to his own defenses, Tensaih was shielded against arcane attacks of every kind he could muster. Agrok watched as the spells crashed against her shields with no effect what so ever. A Legion footman rushed at Tensaih from behind and Agrok cried out and tried to struggle to her feet to meet him, but she would never make it. A huge black shape slammed down on the human from above and it was only when his huge foreclaw closed like a slow merciless vice over the helmet clad skull did Agrok realize that it was Grenz. The enemy combatant screamed as the massive male broadwing slowly crushed his skull in his own helmet.

The huge male tossed the corpse aside and moved to help Agrok steady herself, "We have to get you off this battlefield, Tailflicker."

"No, there's still a fight to be won and an enemy to push back, I wont leave this field until they are gone," she replied with a hard shake of her head.

Grenz gave a little growl of frustration as he pulled her close to his chest and began to unbuckle her harness, "Fine, but let's at least get some painslayer on that so it's bearable while you fight. The second this battle is in the bag you are off to see Rio, even if I have to haul you off myself. Do you understand me?"

"Fine, I give you my word, when they are down for the final blow, I will have Tensaih gate me out," Agrok grudgingly agreed to her rival's terms.

Tensaih twitched an ear at the conversation behind her, "I will hold you to that hun, so don't get comfortable out here. As for you, Mister journeyman, I sense a rather fatal flaw in your defenses."

Kain had fallen to a kneeling position, one hand on his knee as he gasped for breath, "It wouldn't be that I am facing a mage several ranks above me would it?"

"No, but that certainly isn't helping," Tensaih replied with a dangerously sweet tone just before the ground sent a small pillar of stone up to strike the human in the chin and knock him flat on his back, "You mages of the Soul Legion sure have a habit of not guarding against the ground and below. Some one with geomantic spells could just dance all over your structures and your personal beings, as is the case here."

The man started to try and stand again as Agrok and Grenz took up defensive positions on either side of Tensaih, keeping her safe form physical attack while she dealt with the lesser mage. Tensaih was quick to act, bringing a great claw of dirt and stone to grasp around the dome of his shield and squeeze slowly. The lightning shield crackled and sparked as it lashed at the lifeless claw that was squeezing hard on the barrier. Agrok was shocked to see the boundaries of the energies in the shield, as well as seeing that boundary shrink as her dragoness friend slowly crushed it with the very earth beneath her foe's feet.

"Let's see how strong this barrier really is," the silver female spat as her enchanted earthen claw continued to squeeze with unimaginable might.

Kain began to breath heavier and heavier as panic began to set in with the growing brightness of his shield as it was compressed. The mage tried desperately to reinforce his shield, but the Vyrekai was relentless in her disembodied grip. It wasn't long before the shield started to show cracks in the woven energies, much like a slowly shattering dome of glass. Finally the energies burst apart as the shield imploded, the shards of stray energy dissolving back into the unseen flows of magic and other energies all around every living thing. Kain screamed as the claw came down on him, gripping him tight in the slowly increasing pressure. His joints began to pop one by one as his limbs were compressed into his body with a cruel slow pace.

"Please, you must have some code of honor that demands mercy," Kain gurgled is pathetic plea

Tensaih's eyes grew wide for a moment before they set in an angry scowl, "Mercy? You were delighting in the pain of my only friend You were going to put her through as painful struggle as you could before you finally killed her, why would I show you mercy? Friends are as close to family as I can get because of people like you, I wont let you take all that I have again."

The human screamed as best he could as the air was slowly squeezed from his lungs. Agrok couldn't stand it any longer, she turned and lunged with a full force strike. Tensaih gasped in shock as her fisted foreclaw struck the silver dead in her jaw and shattered her concentration. The claw fell to loose dirt and stoned around the severely injured human as the dragoness fell to her side with a furious gryphoness standing over her.

"I will not watch you become one of them in the name of vengeance, do you hear me Tensaih," Agrok hissed in the face of the fallen dragoness, "I will not watch you destroy your own heart by trying to hurt others as much as you have been hurt. That is not the kindhearted mage that saved my life at the cost of her own hardship This certainly is not the actions of the female that helped me tend to Ronin this past week."

Tensaih stared up at her for a moment before tears started to fall from her eyes, "Oh god, you're right. Please, I'm sorry Agrok, I.."

"Hush now, was he the last of their arcane forces here," she demanded.

The silver female gave a nod.

Kain tried to crawl away in the confusion, but Grenz was not so distracted as the ladies, "Hello there, did I mention that Agrok is like my baby sister?"

"Mercy, she demanded mercy," the human wailed as a huge foreclaw gripped his head and hauled him up to stare into the great amber eyes of the broadwing.

Grenz gave a savage grin, "There are many forms of mercy."

That would be the last sound that the human would hear as the massive gryphon whipped his foreclaw back and snapped it back to his chest to snap his neck like a twig.

Agrok stroked Tensaih's swollen cheek with a tender foreclaw, "Grenz, do you think the commanders have everything in hand here?"

"If Tensaih just took out their last magic wielder, we have that advantage over them now. We should be fine without you two, I'll let Krinzehl know we had a pair of debilitating injuries," he replied as he tossed the mage's body aside like a discarded bit of leather.

The dragoness shook her head, "My cheek is not debilitating, I can easily cast with this throbbing."

"Tensaih, my love, I am not talking about your cheek," Grenz countered, "I'm talking about your heart and mind. We can't have you going all war whacky on us, that would be a tactical nightmare and it would wreak havoc on Agrok."

Agrok reached down to try and help Tensaih up before she hissed in pain at her shoulder. Grenz gently shouldered her aside and picked the dragoness up in his foreclaws as though she were as light as a small child.

"Thank you Grenz, we are going to see Rio, and we are also going to talk with her. No protesting, this needs to be addressed," the gryphoness declared.

Tensaih nodded as Grenz set her down gently before him, "Yes hun, and please don't get the wrong idea about me Grenz. You are handsome and all, but I could never.."

"Oh stop it, it's not a real declaration, it's a teasing nick name," he gave her a pat on the shoulder, "Now off with you, I have more Legion to kill."

Agrok rubbed tenderly at her shoulder through her harness, "Can you get us back safely, Tensaih?"

"Yes, but a quick parting gift before we go," the silver placed a hand on Grenz' harness for a moment, "There, it is a quick selection, but that should protect you from fire, natural or arcane in origin, and lightning."

Grenz gave a nod, "Thanks, now get going, those guys over there told me they want to see what I can do. Surely you heard them say, 'Please tear us to shreds Grenz!'"

"Clear as day, my dear feathered knight," Tensaih opened her gate before she turned her eyes back on Agrok, "If he enjoys this too much do I get to see you hit him?"

The gryphoness smiled gently as her new friend began to sound more like herself, "No, we pretty much keep him around to hit stuff, it's all he's good for."

"Shut up and leave already," Grenz huffed and turned to stalk his new prey.

Agrok giggled at his mock irritation and turned to step through the gate with a nod of her head to motion Tensaih to follow, "Come on, we need to get you and I back in one working piece so we can get to saving his butt."

"Let us hope he will be fine, I kind of like him," the dragoness admitted, "He could make an interesting friend. I am uncertain about his teasing though."

The wounded warrior shook her head and made her way slowly toward Rio's large primitive medical structure, "His teasing is a good sign. Grenz is an odd fellow, his emotional armor is heavier than that of our heavy infantry. To let you in close enough to risk teasing you is a sign that he is willing to extend a tendril of trust to you. teasing you means you might tease back and he is trusting you to see and respect the line between teasing and true personal attack."

"But why would he call me his love," Tensaih asked as she walked beside the gryphoness, her wings notably sagging and her head held lower than normal.

Agrok was not sure if that was a posture of shame or dejection among dragons or if Tensaih was just tired from her bout of arcane combat, "Well, he knows what happened to you and even in your short time here, you have shown discomfort under the eye of a male. So he is likely testing the waters to see if you are strong or if you need a bit of sheltering. At least that is what I can guess,"

"He would shelter me? How would he do that," the silver female cocked a glistening brow.

The gryphoness winced as she found a low spot in the grass and jarred her shoulder a bit, "I am uncertain, I know he protects me a bit from being taken advantage of or being brow beaten out of my confidence in my own skills and abilities. If he has decided to keep you safe as well, we should likely discuss your preferences with him. Grenz is a lot more tender and caring than he seems, understanding too."

"Are you to say he would likely keep other males from sniffing about my tail and looking for a way beneath," Tensaih inquired as they neared the entrance of Rio's makeshift clinic.

Agrok paused at the door and shrugged before she pulled the door flat back, "I can't say, all I do know is that he would never let anyone disrespect you in earnest, whether or not he has decided to protect you or let you stand on your own strength. We will discuss this later tonight after we address the larger problems that took you off the battlefield today."

"What's this now? Did some one get hurt," Rio asked as she extracted herself from the small knot of humans and taperwinged females who were her designated nurses.

Agrok limped into the leather walled building and nodded to her stepmother, "Yes, I ran afoul of a mage shielded against physical attacks and Tensaih is in need of tending as well."

"Tensaih was injured," the drake looked shocked, "What on earth injured a Vyrekai out there?"

The gryphoness laid her ears back sheepishly, "I do believe that was my doing, but it is not physical injuries she needs tended."

"I, I lost my head out there and Agrok snapped me out of it," the silver female admitted as her snout angled down toward the floor with a shamed expression.

Rio gave a nod and waved at her nurses, "Off with the lot of you, I can handle Agrok on my own and I think it's best a counseling session take place between trusted ears only."

"Yes master Rio, we shall continue preparations for incoming wounded then," a faded brown gryphoness with a white cloth draped over the base of her neck spoke up.

The drake gave a nod, "Yes Jilian, you are a true healing student, you take command of the preparations in my stead. You'll need to be able to do this for yourself when you're done learning the arts."

Agrok cocked a brow, she had not heard of Rio teaching gifted healing to others in their ranks. The drake reached out and grasped the straps and buckles of the finely tooled harness to begin loosening it so she could get a look at her stepdaughter's injuries. Tensaih settled herself down nearby and seemed to turn a darker eye inward at her own self. Agrok did not like what she was seeing.

"There we have it," Rio announced as she loosened and freed the last strap, "Let's peal this off and see what you did to yourself. My dear dragoness, if you don't start talking I am going to have to declare you mentally unfit for service on account of emotional instability."

Tensaih looked up at the drake for a moment as if she had just woken up to find her near by, "What is there to talk about? I lost it, I was slowly and cruelly killing a foe who couldn't begin to fight back, just like those savages who's ranks he came from."

"There's more to this than that, you may want to start with what set you off to feel so blood thirsty toward this particular being. I've seen you around Ronin and I know that you are not just heartless; Oh my word! Agrok, this is horrid," Rio gasped as the harness was pulled away from the partially charred flesh of Agrok's shoulder, "I'm glad you were bright enough to come back home with this rather than trying to finish the battle. I don't even need to scry this to tell you that it would have been near certain to have hobbled you for life."

The gryphoness laid her ears back, "I was going to fight on it, Grenz is the one who forced the painslayer on me to at least numb it. I came back because I had to stop Tensaih."

"Well you can thank him for sparing you the scars," the drake replied with a bit of a snap, "You need to be more careful sweetheart, one or two large victories doesn't make you invincible. Now hold still while I patch this back up. Thank the pantheons of all the realms for the healing properties of painslayer."

Agrok nodded sheepishly as Rio set to work on her shoulder, pouring her energies into the wounded section to force the live portions to separate from the dead flesh and skin and regrow quite rapidly. The throbbing intensified for only a second's time as the injury healed to a more sore stage and past that to the stages that the pain began to fade. She noticed Tensaih watching with a strange expression, somewhere between frustration and self loathing.

The drake did not look away from her work as her attention shifted back to Tensaih, "You should be happy that some one cares so much for you that they would set their own pride aside to make sure you are well. Such a thing is rare and what ever had you set off like you were, you should always remember this personal sacrifice Agrok made for you."

"That is part of the problem," Tensaih swallowed hard as she braced herself to reveal her secret once more.

Agrok placed a foreclaw on her hand and nodded, "It's okay, Rio is a good soul. She can be trusted not to judge you."

"This is a bit big then, I promise to look at this from a professional angle if it is something I may not agree with. The patient's well being above my own views, always," the drake smiled warmly as she carefully guided Agrok's muscles to regrow in the right shape.

The silver female gave a soft sigh, "Very well, I am what the humans call a lesbian. Agrok is aware of the fact that I am attracted to her, but she also knows I am content to have such a wonderful friend. The fact that she was hurt by an arcane force she could not fight back against set off old pains of losing my entire species to the Legion's Nine Powers. I got nearly all my taste of vengeance in that great battle by slaying seven of them and badly wounding GahlByrn's soul. But I was not there for most of the battle, I was summoned late by the humans from my place of exile. Agrok got hurt because I was late to return back to her to deal with that last mage and it just made everything flood back through my heart like a wall of magma burning with the need to show them the pain they cause in a way they could understand."

"This is a rather tricky situation indeed, and you do need to get this under control," Rio nodded gently as a new layer of surface skin grew over Agrok's former wound, "There you go sweetheart, you are patched up at least. I can't force feathers to grow, but I was able to nudge at the signals for your body to prepare to molt. It should only be a week or so with that bald patch. I'll see about having you a vest made to keep you from losing body heat and to pad your harness until then. As for what I want to do with Tensaih, I'm going to talk to Malehk and Reyfis to have you taken off active duty for a few days to recover from this little episode. After that, it is my professional opinion that you should face this demon head on in a manner that will let you also remedy your fear of losing Agrok to another mage. I'm going to see about having you paired together as a single unit."

Tensaih nodded gently, "I think I can deal with that much better than I have dealt with this first battle. I do refuse to remain idle during my leave, I will instead focus all my attention on constructing the national shielding that Tahkra has requested."

"That is acceptable, so long as you aren't out in the field without a dire emergency that requires a Vyrekai mage," Rio nodded in acceptance of Tensaih's terms, "This is also not over, you and I will talk in private later tonight. I sense that there is more to this that you can't or simply are not ready to discuss even with Agrok. You will talk to me and I will remain confidential about what you say, but you will tell me everything, are we clear on this?"

Silver lips pulled back in a thin tight smile, "I never question the orders of my healer, especially when it's my best friend's step mother."

"Good, now I want you two to help my nurses get supplies in order, we have wounded on their way and you have eaten enough of my time for now," the violet tipped female grasped Tensaih's hand and placed it on one of Agrok's harness straps, "Don't get too cozy as you dress back up. That report was only two minutes before you arrived, so any second now."

Agrok gave a nod, "Of course, even if I agreed to an intimate arrangement with Tensaih, I would never put such interests in any priority to potentially harm others like that."

"I have to agree with you on that one," Tensaih lifted the harness and tucked it neatly beneath one of the raised beds, "I do not think that will be necessary to handle wounded troops from our own side."

The gryphoness gave a wry grin, "You just want to see me working naked, you wicked wicked thing you."

"Agrok, focus. As friendly as that may be with Grenz, it may not be best for Tensaih right in this moment, nor do we have time for it," Rio gave her a soft tap on the beak with the tip of her tail, "Get this place and yourselves ready, I wont ask you again."

"Yes ma'am," both gryphon and dragon replied quickly and sprang into action to gather medical supplies and surgical tools.

* * *

Grenz was starting to think he had made a mistake in his selection of prey while he was flying solo in the current battle. The heavy fighters were easy enough, all he had to do was avoid their swings and knock them down. He had not accounted for the light infantry that was with them, much quicker and more agile in their leather armor than the lumbering plate wrapped juggernauts. It was these fellows that were putting the heavy footed broadwing through the courses, if he could get a hold of one he would demolish the poor sap. He was going to have to rethink his tactics and that had him sorely wishing that Agrok was at his side again. Her speed and agility would have made quick work of the slippery little buggers and he wasn't sure his heavy muscular body could follow her agile fighting style to throw them off. Tensaih would have even been a blessing as her frost breath would have at least made enough ice to trip them up. A narrow miss with a well placed hand scythe seemed to cut the cloud over the gryphon's mind, he had the answer already; Tensaih. She had crafted some sort of weapon for him to try out prior to the battle, what had she said though?

Red, fire, incendiary, yellow... what the hell was yellow?

He struck at an opening with a powerful foreclaw strike, only to fall into the trap. Another of the light fighters darted in toward his stretched flank and attempted to pierce his flesh with a thin bladed rapier. That was not the only trap set as Grenz had anticipated the trap to begin with. His own strike was not a committed one, and he easily turned his strike into a backhanded slash that caught the human in the ribcage where his talons easily punctured the leather armor. The wicked curved claws of the massive broadwing glided through the flesh along the bones, tearing and ripping with ease as they shredded skin, muscle, and lungs until he reached the sternum where he griped tightly.

Grenz had a new gruesome weapon, but the heavy fighters had managed to close in during the maneuver. The closest, a short stocky figure so heavily armored that Grenz could not make out hair or even skin color, took a swing with his sword. The gryphon blocked with his lifeless flesh shield and the leather armor did the trick, however it was severely damaged by the blow. He couldn't block such a swing with the corpse again. The light infantryman that had returned was another story, his hand scythes were easily deflected with the body of his own partner. The second block gave Grenz momentum, and an idea. He followed through with the swing to jerk the scythes from the lighter fighter's hands and sent the corpse crashing into the heavy fighter, toppling the man and making an overturned turtle of him. The gryphon moved quickly and snatched up the hand scythes, ripping them free with a shower of gore as his strength forced them through the flesh of his shield. He slammed one down onto the throat of the heavy fighter, hoping to pierce his mail beneath. The gryphon heard a solid thunk instead of the sharp chink and gurgling he should have. A gorget, the bastard went as far as to add a gorget to his armor somehow.

No wonder his chest plate looked too big, well no big deal. There's always one place that can't be armored.

Grenz raised the second hand scythe an brought it down with a mighty swing directly into the visor of the helmet only to be rewarded by the short lived screech of pain and terror along with the wet shlink of the blade sinking into an eye socket. One heavy and one light down, the count was one gryphon still against one more heavy and four more light fighters. A roar pierced the sky and brought all eyes up for a brief moment as a smaller breed of some sort short furred dragon winged over the battle field with a splash of some sickly green liquid. Screams of pain and the acrid smell of potent bile told Grenz that the beast was spitting a highly corrosive acid onto their troops. The mages probably expended most of their energies by that time, so there was only one being on the field with a chance at stopping the beast. He left his opponents behind as he leaped to the air to pursue a beast more than four times even his great size. The gryphon had no idea how he was going to beat the thing, but he was the only one with any kind of chance at fighting it.

The white furred beast landed on a pack of footmen and raked at the humans with terrible claws and snapping jaws. Grenz eyes went wide at the destruction that was laid out upon his comrades, and at the same time he was inspired at a risky method of dispatching the small wyrm. Anatomy lessons from Saltriss echoed in his head as he was taught to fight drakes and similar draconic creatures, there was a thick loop of bone in the cheek where the jaw muscles connected to the lower jaw. He had to hit it just right if this was to work. The broadwing took a deep breath as he took aim and tucked his wings to launch into a power dive right at the most likely place where the next bite would come. Another gryphon joined the fray and leaped onto the thing's back to try and claw at the base of it's neck. The dragon bucked and tried to curl around to snap at the other gryphon. Grenz couldn't back out of his dive anymore, he swore under his breath as he knew he was going to die under the jaws of the furry serpent. Just when hope was gone, the dragon threw the other gryphon form it;s back and reared it;s head back to ready an acid attack. The attack would never land where it was intended, for his head had reared right in line for Grenz to make his strike, grassing the beast by that boney cheek and clinging tight with his powerful foreclaw. The momentum wrenched his forelimb quite badly, but he held on even as he felt the limb leave the shoulder socket. His speed and force began to transfer into a swing beneath the dragon's neck, with his firm grip on the cheek ring it's head twisted with that same swing. Grenz felt himself stop too soon and landed on the side of the beast's neck. He refused to give up and grasped tight to the monster's neck to pull with every ounce of strength in a tug of war that would leave the loser dead. He pressed his attack through the blinding pain in his left shoulder as he puled until at long last there was a loud wet crack beneath him.

Grenz had wrenched victory right out of the Legion's hands with his bare foreclaws, but he was injured and spent after that battle of strength and will. He hit the ground hard next to the other gryphon as he scrambled away. The heroic broadwing was not so able bodied or lucky as the gryphon he had saved, as the body of the dragon slumped on top of him to cause several more crushing bone fractures. With their ace in the hole laying dead on the ground, the Legion had spent far too much in resources to justify the village they had come to raze and began to retreat.

The pain was so intense that Grenz could not make any sounds or sights out clearly. He knew the other gryphon was trying desperately to free him form beneath the body of the dragon. Others were joining the effort, but the pain forced his eyes closed and brought a ringing in his ears that dulled all the sounds around him. The weight of the dragon was finally lifted or rolled off his back just before dozens of hands and foreclaws grasped him and started to lift him up off the ground and igniting every damaged portion of his body in blinding pain.

He could just make out the familiar voice of Saltriss as he felt soft feathers against strong muscle take the weight under his belly, "Sorry lad, but we have to get you out of here if you're to live through your stupid move."

"Sh.. should have thrown Tensaih's balls at it," he managed to croak out before he slipped into unconsciousness

* * *

Raizehl was hard at work weaving a new basket for Abigail's toys, mostly to keep herself occupied while the hurried counter offensive took place with some of the few people she knew. They didn't really need the basket, but it was something to keep her mind off the heat of battle and the bottomless gullet of the war that was surely growing fat on the lives it would swallow that day. Abigail herself had thankfully taken to a sound nap that kept her from noticing that some of her favorite grown ups were missing. The elder female gave a soft sigh, being a mother at her age would have been difficult enough with her mate, but she was finding it quite overwhelming on her own. She was too old to start a new relationship, especially with a child in tow. Her only saving grace was the many friends of Agrok and Tahkra who adored the gryphlet and generously offered to aid in watching her from time to time so Raizehl could rest or conduct chores she couldn't with an energetic little ball of fluff and adorable mischief dashing about.

Abigail started to stir and squirm restlessly in her sleep. It was but a moment before she was thrashing in her now troubled sleep right before her mother's eyes. Suddenly the gryphlet sprang to her feet with a terrified and heart wrenching cry. She sniffed and whined at her favorite comfort item, a single wing feather from Agrok's rival and soul brother, Grenz. Abigail turned a sad and questioning look on her and pipped a pathetic little plea of inquiry.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, Grenz went to go fight the bad people and make them leave," Raizehl cooed softly to her tiny daughter.

That answer did not seem to satisfy the gryphlet as she responded by darting over to the door of their dwelling and sniffing about the flap.

"Oh Abigail, come away from there," Raizehl called as she started to stand.

Her daughter was not listening as something was driving her, some force that the gryphoness could not understand. The gryphlet slipped out of the dwelling with a calling keen, like a lost gryphlet searching for it's parents. Raizehl struggled to gain ground on the sprinting gryphlet as she made her way to the gathering dwelling that she had first met Grenz in. The gryphoness thought she had her cornered as she came upon the Abigail nosing about the most common laying spot for the huge male.

"Abigail you stop right this instant," she pounced on her daughter and grasped her in a foreclaw.

She gasped as the gryphlet squirmed and bit her foreclaw with all her might in an attempt to escape. Raizehl cried out in pained surprise and dropped her daughter in the shock. Abigail darted off the instant her tiny paws hit the ground, heading toward the outer edge of the village. The elder female shook off the pain of her bleeding foreclaw and charged after her daughter, already showing signs of being winded as her age began to show. She caught sight of her again as neared the dwelling Jirri shared with Grenz. Thankfully the priestess had just come out of her dwelling to catch the interest of the gryphlet as she sniffed at the forepaws of the black feathered female.

"Abigail? What are you doing way over here," Jirri asked the gryphlet softly as Raizehl used the pause to close the distance.

"Jirri, help! Something has Abigail all wound up and she wont stop dashing about, please grab her," the elder mother pleaded as the gryphlet let out a frustrated little trill at the priestess.

Before Jirri could manage an attempt at grabbing her, Abigail slipped inside her dwelling and began to search and sniff about. Raizehl felt some relief that she was inside a dwelling again where she could be cornered and some embarrassment that she had invaded that dwelling in such a manner.

"Raizehl, be calm please. There has to be a reason she is doing this and that reason should help us calm the child," Jirri placed a forepaw on Raizehl's shoulder to calm her friend, "She is inside the home of good friends, she is safe in there."

The elder female gave a gentle nod, "Right, but what could she possibly be doing? She woke from a fitful dream and started dashing about like mad. She bit me when I caught her."

"Let's remain calm and observe her behavior to see if we can discern what she is looking for," Jirri suggested gently as she pulled the door flap aside to offer entry, "I have a theory, but I need to see more of her actions to be sure."

Raizehl tried hard to calm herself as she stepped into the dwelling to find Abigail sniffing at one of the rugs in the greeting chamber, "What do you think she is looking for?"

"Not what," the priestess corrected gently as she stepped inside as well to sit and watch the gryphlet, "It's who."

Abigail cheeped at the two elder females for a moment before she sniffed at the rug again and began to sniff her way through the chamber until she nosed past the flap leading into the sleeping chamber. Both the adults followed along quietly, finding the gryphlet sniffing at one specific side of the sleeping mat where she let out the most pathetic little frustrated whine and flopped down for a moment.

"I am almost certain now," Jirri said softly, "That's the side Grenz sleeps on, and that was his rug in the greeting chamber, she is looking for him."

Raizehl laid her ears back firmly, "But why would she be looking for Grenz?"

"She has taken quite a shine to him over any other male, she has likely imprinted him as her father in the absence of Muktuh," the priestess explained her suspicions.

Abigail's ears perked and her head came up off her tiny foreclaws as she began to sniff at the air again. She gave a sharp cheeping squeal before she exploded into a full run and scampered out of the chamber and the dwelling altogether. Raizehl gasped and turned to pursue her daughter with Jirri close behind. The gryphlet was running at full trot with her nose to the air, following some scent the two elder females had not picked up. Her little legs carried her like a shot from a crossbow as she homed in on what ever it was she was following on the wind. Raizehl gave a bit of a gasp as the gryphlet darted into the entrance of Rio's make shift hospital. All the other people about the entrance had been too busy to take notice of the tiny body streaking by. The two adult females were a bit harder to ignore as they pushed their way through after the gryphlet. Jirri politely asked for forgiveness and excuse for their hurried press through the people rushing about their work.

"Abigail? Oh no, Jirri I've lost sight of her! Abigail? Abigail," Raizehl called out frantically as she searched about desperately for her daughter.

An excited and triumphant squeal caught her ear as Jirri caught up to her. The frantic mother pushed her way quickly toward the source of the sound only to find her daughter circling and pacing about one of the larger sturdy tables meant for gryphons where Rio herself was working on a large black and iron gray lump of feathers. Abigail stood up against one of the table legs and tried to jump up, only to fall flat on her back. She looked about for a moment before she found a way to get higher, climbing a lower table nearby and crouching for a jump.

"Abigail, no," Raizehl whispered in a bit of a hiss as she reached for her daughter.

Jirri grabbed her foreclaw and shook her head at her friend as the gryphlet made her attempt at leaping the space between tables. She made it, but only just, her tiny foreclaws grasping the edge as her hind quarters swung and kicked about frantically, knocking over the tray of medical tools that had been standing next to the table where the drake had been working on the great broadwinged male.

"Oh? What's this now," Rio blinked away the haze of a deep healing trance that had been broken by the crashing of her tools on the floor, "What are you doing here Abigail?"

The gryphlet gave a little chirp as she managed to haul herself up and sniffed at Grenz' neck and cheek. She gave his cheek a few soft licks before climbing over his powerful forelimb and curling against his neck with a little sympathetic whimper. The drake smiled and stroked the little one's back and wings as she absorbed the heart warming scene before the three of them.

"You have good timing Abigail, I was just about to break trance for the day and I see you have brought just the lady I wanted to see as well," Rio smiled at Jirri, "Your brave bird has taken a dragon to the back it seems, as Sal taught him how to kill them but not how to land the body safely. He had some internal bleed and several fractured bones. I've patched most of that up, but his shoulder is a concern, it seems he has wrenched it from the socket and done a real number on the tendons and muscles. I will have him walking tomorrow morning, but he's not going to be fighting fit for at least a week."

The priestess nodded gently and smiled warmly as she stroked Grenz' neck, "Thank you so very much Rio. He is a brave soul, but often reckless about it, but he does give every ounce of his strength to help and protect others. But I believe there is another big concern for Raizehl that needs addressing since Grenz is now fine."

"What do you mean," the elder gryphoness asked as she settled as close as she could to her daughter.

"Abigail has chosen her papa, and she is quite strongly attached if she came here in defiance of you, before either of us knew that Grenz was hurt. I know you wish for her to always know that Muktuh was her daddy, but I am sure he would understand if you let Grenz fill the gap of the father figure for Abigail. She has already imprinted him as such, and I am sure that Grenz wont mind being the male influence in her life," Jirri stated her case to her older friend.

Rio look to them both and nodded her goodbye, "I'll leave you two to discuss this, I do have quite a few patients after this latest battle. Hopefully we can make sure there are much fewer letters for the generals to write."

Raizehl didn't move as the drake collected her tools and left them by the fallen warrior, her eyes stayed locked on some unseen point beyond the floor. She fought inside herself with the idea of letting another male step up as a sort of foster father to Abigail. Part of her felt as though that would betray her fallen mate, but she also needed to raise their daughter to be as happy and healthy as possible to honor his memory as well. It was a rather difficult scale to balance and the single mother was finding it impossible to address with everything else she had on her plate with raising Abigail.

"Jirri.. I.. I just can't," she started to reply but lost her voice in her own tears as the pressures of being a single mother and the grief of losing her mate the way she had came crashing down on her heart.

The priestess held her friend as she finally broke under all the pressure, weeping against the black feathered shoulder that had cared for so many others with the love of the Consorts.

One of Rio's nurses arrived just then to check on the large male, only to find himself being warned off by a furious gryphlet hissing and slashing at him in an impressive threat display for her tiny size. The human attempted to sneak around her several times, nearly catching a nasty bite at every attempt.

He finally heaved a sigh and looked at the two females, "Would you please get your child under control before I am forced to sedate her?"

A deep rumbling growl cut off any response anyone would have had, "Abigail, enough," Grenz gave the stern yet gentle order that calmed and cowed the gryphlet instantly, "She is not a stupid animal, there's something about you that she doesn't want near her injured papa Seeing your behavior, I don't blame her. Since healer Rio was just here with me, what ever you were going to do can't be that important so feel free to leave. But before you go, you make sure it is well known that if anyone, for any reason, ever lays an aggressive hand or talon on my Abigail they will be losing that limb and more."

"B-but healer Rio sent me to check your vitals to make sure she hadn't worn you out too much with her healing," the brown haired human sputtered in protest.

Grenz gripped the table, expressing his strength even while he was injured, by digging his talons into the wood and causing it to crack and splinter, "You go back out there and let her know this task will not prove instrumental to your dreams of a long and healthy life."

Abigail gave a smug little chirup to the human as Grenz burned a hole in him with his angry gaze, forcing the man to leave to face the wrath of the angry drake as opposed to facing the massive aggressive broadwing.

The gryphlet purred her little head off when Grenz reached his beak down to tenderly nuzzle her cheek, "Thanks squirt, but I think I can handle getting myself into trouble all too well on my own."

Raizehl couldn't believe what she was seeing, Jirri was right in her theory of Abigail's imprinting the huge male as a father figure. That only made her inner battle all the more fierce as a guilt joined in with her twin feelings of betrayal.

"Abigail will stay with me tonight, she seems to need it, and frankly, so do I," Grenz spoke to the two females before he turned his eyes to them, "You two can get to work on bringing Raizehl and Abby's stuff to our dwelling to move them in. Muktuh was rumored to be a good soul deep down and fought hard to protect his people and his daughter, I wont dishonor his memory by letting his mate fail their daughter with confused and mixed emotions. The greatest honor is ensuring his legacy grows and carries on with Abigail, strong and healthy as her father was in life. She WILL know him through story and shared memories from her mother, but she will not live with need of a papa of her own. Are we all in the same point of understanding?"

Raizehl bristled a bit at his harsh and brash words, who was he to tell her what would happen with her and her daughter's lives? This male was simply barging in to take the place of her mate and.. and..

Her heart stopped in her throat, he wasn't taking over, he was doing what a close friend of brother would have done; this strange male to her was taking care of the fallen chief's family. He wasn't challenging anything she would have done out of a desire to take control, he was protecting Abigail from her indecision. The more he thought about it, he was giving up far more than they would have been by having them in his home with his mate and himself still early in their union, and still not having consummated their bonding at all. This young warrior was not ready to produce children of his own, but he was taking up the mantle of a father for the young gryphlet who lost her own father just before she was born.

Raizehl was flooded with such a rush of mingled and confusing emotions that she couldn't tell what she felt, all she could do his stare blankly at the injured male with tears falling from her eyes to roll down and soak into her feathered cheeks. There was just too much happening too close together for her to cope with. A huge foreclaw fell gently on her shoulder and something inside her almost expected to see Muktuh when she looked up.

Her mate was not who she seen, instead it was the living form of Grenz, "Hey, we're doing this to help. You've been through a lot and we don't want to see it all crush your spirit. Abigail needs her mother in one stable piece to help her grow and develop into a lady of equal strength and beauty. For now, she can look to Papa Grenz and Aunty Jirri to help her with what she needs until you recover enough to take the bulk of her care. Okay? You just come and recover from everything that has happened and we'll make sure Abigail is just as healthy and strong in mind and body as sh can be right before your eyes."

Raizehl finally gave in to the offered help and nodded gently as she finally made a decision. She would do everything she could for Abigail, even if that meant letting another male stand up and act as her father. Grenz was a good male and in a lot of ways, he reminded her of Muktuh, stubborn, head strong, smart, quiet, focused, and loving. The seemingly gruff and irritable male was actually showed a lot of care for people in general when it really mattered. Only those who knew him in a close level or were close to his close friends ever seen enough of him to witness enough of those moments to see the real heart beneath his shell. The elder female was finding herself within that circle of close friends to see this warrior for the big softhearted bird he really was and it was that soft heart that made her trust him enough to allow his terms to hold.

"She will need to eat again before she beds down for the night," Raizehl finally replied as Jirri held her.

Grenz gave a gentle nod, "That is fine. I will let her have her fill of my own meal, she can't possibly eat that much anyhow, can you squirt?"

Abigail gave a dismissive little 'harrumph' as she lay with her head held high and turning to identify every noise in the hospital structure. She was busy keeping watch over her wounded papa to be bothered with such worries as sharing food. It warmed Raizehl's heart to see her daughter so deeply bonded with a strong father figure that she acted to protect him while he was down.

"Thank you love," Jirri finally entered the conversation as she curled a wing around Raizehl, "I do believe we can manage to take care of the move and getting our new roommate settled in and comfortable."

He gave a nod and settled his head down next to Abigail as the two females made their way out of the hospital structure. Raizehl couldn't help but think about how unusual the massive broadwing was, and she would have to be dead to not realize he was a handsome fellow. If she had met him earlier in her own life, he might have made a good match, but he was her best friend's mate and quite young for her. Grenz did make for a fitting savior and capable stand in for Abigail's slain father and for that, Raizehl had a feeling she would always be grateful

* * *

Dinner was a rather quiet gathering that evening as everyone had their own private thoughts to dwell on and Rio was no different. The battle was won for the Titanian defenders, but it came at a heavy cost in terms of wounded and no mere handful of dead. The village of Kertesk had been turned from a major defeat into a narrow victory, leaving the ruins of the once large village in the hands of the defenders. So many wounded came in that Rio herself was afraid she would not have seen the end of them by the next evening's end. More disturbing were the ones who would never fight again, either by her inability to save them from their wounds, or the impossibility of repairing the damage to their bodily functions, such as mobility or, in one case, sight. The drake was not finished with her medical duties however, there was one last patient to see. Tensaih, the silver scaled beauty Agrok had brought home, was still rather damaged in her heart and it was effecting her mind. Such a situation was very dangerous when that mind controlled the knowledge and experience of a Vyrekai class mage who was rumored to have defeated GahlByrn. The heart was something she wasn't sure how to heal, granted she was fairly good at counseling, this was a bigger problem that she knew she would need a more focused professional to fix.

"Tensaih," Rio finally spoke into the silence, catching all the eyes in the room, "I was going to ask Jirri to sit with us when we talk and see if she can add any insight of wisdom from the consorts to help heal what may have wounded your heart. I hope that is not too uncomfortable for you?"

The dragoness looked down at her plate for a moment before she looked back up to answer, "I do not believe it will be too large a burden, a priestess is a safe person to talk to about anything. If I can not discuss the matters in her presence, then this problem has poisoned my heart far beyond repair."

"I would be honored to aid the lady who saved Agrok's life," Jirri smiled her same serene smile that seemed to have been etched into her beak by her profession, "One must remember, no one is beyond help if they open their hearts to another, be it the gods, or a kind soul willing to listen."

Reyfis cleared his throat gently, "I will assist Raizehl with little Abigail's things to bury myself while you ladies talk, so our dwelling will be open to you."

"Thank you love," Rio smiled at her mate and kissed his cheek, "I believe I myself am finished with my meal. I will await your arrival at my home."

The violet tipped healer stood and walked slowly from the new gathering hut toward the old, that now properly housed herself and Reyfis. she didn't make it far from the structure, only just out of hearing range, when Agrok came rushing up to her.

"Rio, wait up," the gryphoness called out to her.

She stopped and waited for her step daughter to catch up, "Yes sweetheart, what is it?"

"Please be gentle with Tensaih," Agrok asked softly with real concern in her eyes, "I mean help her, but please be gentle. I know she is a bit fragile and I don't want to see her hurt any more than she already has been."

The drake looked the younger gryphoness over for a moment with narrowed eyes, "You love her don't you? No, it is certain, but how is the question. I see the problem in that situation at least. Fear not, I will do my best to keep her safe from herself and from anything in my heart that would cause her harm."

"Thank you Rio," Agrok smiled and threw herself at her step mother for a tight hug.

She could not resist the urge to hold her right back, "Oh stop it you, you already know that I would never hurt anyone intentionally. Especially not some one you care about."

"I still thank you Rio, especially for being understanding about her preferences," Agrok leaned back to smile at her.

Rio shook her head gently, "Sweetheart, I would be the greatest hypocrite to walk the realms if I found fault with her preferences. I am not too different myself you know."

"But, you are with my father as his mate, how could you be the same as Tensaih," the gryphoness asked with a bit of shock in her eyes.

The healer shook her head and poked her step daughter's beak, "I said not too different, not that I was the same. You see, I am bisexual, meaning that I have a desire for both males and females, so I understand her hungers quite a bit."

"Bisexual, I have never heard that term before," Agrok admitted her ignorance of the term with no shame, proving her comfort and trust of the drake as her step mother, "I know bi is meaning something about two or both."

Rio smiled at her, "Yes, there are similar terms for those like Tensaih who desire the same sex, and for those who desire strictly the opposite sex. Those would be homosexuals and heterosexuals. Yes, those are in order dear."

"Wait, so with what you and Kahlah were like when you freaked out over being with my father," Agrok started to ask around the real question.

The drake touched her cheek, "Things with myself and Kahlah are rather complicated, but at one time, yes we did, but just once. She and I are more like sisters currently and she herself decided that she did not have a taste for females."

"I see, well I should let you go prepare for Tensaih," Agrok replied with a gentle nuzzle to her cheek, "You've given me more to apply to the problem I have with Tensaih."

Rio smiled gently, "It may be bad of me to say this, but I hope you can come to some arrangement to be paired. You two are simply beautiful together."

"Rio, you are bad," the gryphoness gave her a gentle wing tap before she started on her way back to her own home.

Rio shook her head and laughed softly to herself, she shouldn't have been thinking about that at all with Tensaih coming for counseling She needed a mind that was free of personal agenda outside of seeing her patient recover from her emotional scars. Although Jirri could have easily acted as a buffer against anything that Rio might have been thinking right at that moment. Time would tell, she had to get to her dwelling and get set up first and then she had to wait for Tensaih and Jirri to arrive. No one was about to see her, so the drake gave a nimble leap into the air for her wings to carry her into the sky with a powerful down stroke. She only c,imbed just high enough to make a quick glide to the dwelling she and Reyfis shared. A nimble landing at the door brought her eyes up to see the stars, strangely familiar and yet so alien and unknown to her. It was the curse of those who traveled the realms to see other worlds, to never know the stars overhead.

Rio's mind wandered to the gryphon's deities, would they have approved of her and Reyfis? Could they have really accepted her as a fine daughter to match with their strong and proud son? Perhaps she would ask Jirri before the night was through, first she had a heart sick dragoness to heal and that normally started with tea. She had a fine blend that Krinzehl had given her as a peace offering after her jealous stance over Reltuh. It was a marvelous blend of mint and caramel flavors that came from a single plant that grew in the inner plains. It was called jemgiri and it had a slightly medicinal soothing effect at least as strong as the weaker drugs she had seen applied in her trade. It was a perfect choice for such an evening of in depth talk about embarrassing and just plain painful subjects.

Rio entered her dwelling and quickly set her small copper brazier to heat a small pot of water as she made a quick search for the fine tea. It didn't take long for her to locate the small leather pouch and measure out the proper amount for her straining container. The aroma of the dried leaves hit her nose with a pleasant swirl of sweet and earthy scents that only grew stronger when it was submerged in the heating water. The very smell of the tea was starting to bring a calm and soothing feeling over her as she settled what cushions she had for her guests. The stage was set, now she just needed her patient and co-counselor to arrive. Rio found herself with one of those rare moments in which she had nothing else to do, so she reached under her sleeping mat and pulled out an old book she had been trying to read since before she ever arrived on Eldarohnd. A strange tale of a brave little child knight who sought to protect his family from an invading band of pirates. She did not get far into her reading before there was a soft tap against the door support of her dwelling.

"Rio, are you here," Jirri's voice called softly from the other side.

The drake called out her reply, "Yes I am, please do come in. I have a tea heating already."

"That is good," Jirri pulled the door flap back to reveal that she was not alone, "I have brought a troubled young dragoness with me. Perhaps we can do something about lifting the weight on her heart and healing old wounds."

Rio nodded gently as she stood and motioned for them to enter, "Yes, that is the goal here tonight, please do come in so we may begin. We have some ground to cover and some deep dark places to explore."

"Yes, of course," Tensaih nodded, though her silver ears were folded tightly back against her head as she entered the dwelling.

Jirri followed quietly into the soft light within the dwelling before she shut out the night, "Tensaih, it would make me more comfortable delving into such personal things about you if you could somehow sound proof this dwelling so I know that no prying ears can wiggle their way in."

"Of course priestess Jirri," she replied as the sounds of the night disappeared without so much as a ripple in Tensaih's energies that the drake could sense.

This unnerved Rio more than anything, even the most skilled mages she had ever been around showed some energy feedback when blending as many spells as it took to create the silence bubble that Tensaih had just created. The ease with which she could cast was a testament to her power as well, and that power was in the hands of a heart sick dragoness with an unpredictable trigger. They needed to work hard and fast at healing that heart and restoring Tensaih to a stable state that would allow her to be a force of good that even GahlByrn himself would tremble at the mere mention of. That wasn't even taking into account what a stable Tensaih could mean for Agrok, especially if the two worked together along side a tough bird like Grenz.

"I still can't believe the awesome power you hold, even by the standards of the greats amongst the Vyrekai," Rio started the conversation with that observation, "Surely the path to such power was instrumental in your current state of heart ache."

Tensaih nodded gently, "It was, when my father exiled me for being a tailnuzzler-"

"No Tensaih, not a tailnuzzler, that's a dirty word to the gryphons. You are a homosexual, or a lesbian, not a tailnuzzler," Jirri stunned them both with her interruption and knowledge of the terminology.

The dragoness gave a nod, "Right, when he exiled me for being a homosexual, I had nothing but magic to turn to for any kind of comfort or companionship. I learned every arcane secret my people had ever recorded, and even developed new spells and variants of existing spells. I knew my power had grown but I would never know how much so until that horrid day."

"Yes, please go on, I have not heard of this day you speak of," Jirri urged gently as Rio found a cup to pour the dragoness some of the soothing tea.

Tensaih took the cup with a nod of thanks before she took a deep breath to continue on, "The Legion had fallen upon my world and the dragon clans all agreed to stomp the invaders flat with a show of force from all the clans at once. This would prove to be a grievous mistake as the nine generals of the Legion all showed and made easy work of all the Ketzialan defenders. I was summoned late by the humans to join the battle, and when I arrived it was just my father left at the ruthless talons of GahlByrn. He was slain, and I had little choice but to make a stand. I defeated the nine, killing seven of them, and severely wounding GahlByrn himself. My new spells and my raw power was too much for them. I can no longer go home as I have locked the realm to a key that not even I can perform. All this time I have had nothing but vengeance and the hope to one day see the Legion fall."

"That is a bit of a dark companion to hold on to," Rio observed as she poured herself a cup of the strangely yellow green tea, "You have never had any other friends or allies to find any companionship with? No lovers, even fleeting or passing flings?"

The silver female shook her head, "Never, I never trusted anyone enough to reveal myself. The risk was always too high to really be known at all. Being exploded for my body or my power would have only pushed me farther over that edge I seem to be looking over and made a monster of me. I have helped others and even walked amongst the dragons of Skanshial and Alderon, blending in with other ice dragons as just another silver scaled wyrm. I do believe it was Kahlah who has known my unseen aide in the past, having smashed arcane defenses of those besieging her and her comrades at that outpost. But when I found Agrok and her family, I witnessed a beautiful creature with such grace and courage in her heart. As I watched, I learned that she was proud to wear that heart on her shoulder for all to see. I could not help but wish to know her first hand, to be known by such a beautiful heart within such a beautiful lady. She only became more beautiful when she took to her combat training like she was born for it, she gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, I had found a potential ally who had a chance of stopping the Legion dead in their tracks. If I could help these strong and proud gryphons to face the Legion, then the defeat could be a shattering blow that would crumble the foundation of GahlByrn's foul dogs. Then she faced that fiend herself, knowingly giving up her life to protect her people by diving in the path of GahlByrn's wishes right before his eyes. I couldn't let her be lost like that so I sacrificed myself to his custody, knowing full well it was only a matter of time before he took what he did."

Rio wrapped an arm and wing around the heart sick mage as she curled in on herself and started to shudder with silent tears. Jirri settled herself closer to their patient to offer the soft warmth of her presence as well as that of the Great Mother. Neither of the counseling pair said a word for the longest of time, simply staying close to the wounded female and offering a sheltering presence.

Jirri finally cooed softly into her ear, "It was a most bold and selfless sacrifice you made for the life of another and the hope of a fledgling nation. Arsiel herself could not ask such a harsh fate of her daughters for the good of so many, and you gave it freely. That was such a beautiful act of heroism, we can only hope to deliver the absolution of all this that you deserve and bring that beast to justice once and for all. I know we, nor the Consorts can ever repay you for the price you paid, but we will always stand at your side and support you from this day forth. The Daughters of Arsiel shall know the name of Tensaih Shieldra and what she gave for our people. Never will you find a cold shoulder amongst our sisterhood."

"Thank you, priestess," Tensaih replied at last, "But my actions were not completely selfless, I have fallen quite firmly in love with Agrok during my time scrying her and her sister. I couldn't let her go, because she was my only chance to ever feel happy again. Even if we only ever became friends, I could be content just to know and be held in any good regard by such a heart. Then that bastard of a hedge wizard used the most focused magics that he could to specifically kill mundane fighters with no enchanted weapons or arcane protections. He wanted to hurt the friend I longed for all those decades. He was Legion too, an extension of GahlByrn's will, I could not bring myself to show any mercy. I had to show him the deepest fears I could subject him to, inflict as much pain as possible to return all that he caused. I was out of my own control and I forced Agrok to attack me to save my own soul. A downfall of which I am most ashamed and disgusted with myself for. I do not think your goddess would approve of such a beast trying to seduce her strongest daughter to nest with a female."

Jirri shook her head gently, "While the Consorts do not condone homosexuality, they do not condemn it either. It is their wish that every last gryphon live happy with some one to love, even if that union does not produce a child like they would prefer. You are not so bad off to the eyes of the Consorts, and certainly not in the eyes of Arsiel, the Great Mother. You are a strong female to have overcome what you have and that is something Arsiel respects quite firmly."

"But what about my loosing control when the Legion hurts my loved ones," Tensaih asked with a troubled look in her eyes.

Rio smiled at the silver female, "We are here to help you with that, and I think working directly with Agrok will help that quite a bit. You'll be there when she needs you and it will be your job to make sure she's okay. That will hopefully ease the fearful reactions of over protecting her in more ways than one. You'll be in place to protect her and you will get to see first hand just how well Agrok can handle herself."

"That does sound like a most effective solution to this problem," Tensaih admitted, "But what about our commanding officer, are you so certain he will go along with it, or that he will wish to separate us so that I may not know when Agrok is in trouble?"

The drake gave a toothy grin, "You let me deal with your commanding officer, you'll be partnered before this night is over. Even if I have to pull rank on him."

"You hold higher rank as the chief healer," the mage asked with a tilt of her head.

Rio laughed softly, "Oh heavens no, I out rank Reyfis as his mate."

"I had forgotten just who was our commanding officer in the midst of all this," Tensaih blushed softly under her scales.

Jirri smiled and raised herself back to her feet, "It has been a tough day for everyone, it is understandable if a small detail slips through the cracks here and there. I do believe we have been up a bit late though, rest is something we will all need quite a bit to recharge after the exhausting day the Legion has put us through."

"Agreed," Rio stood and gave her patient a pat on the shoulder, "Sleep, a heavy dose, healer's orders."

The dragoness gave a huge smile, "Far be it for me to disobey my healers."

"Now if only the rest of the fighting forces could behave so well," the drake groaned as she thought of the headstrong behavior of most of her patients, "At any rate, off with you and give Agrok a big hug and a kiss for me."

Tensaih blushed softly again as she nodded and slipped out the door into the night, "They've kissed before I see."

"So it would seem," Rio turned her eyes back to Jirri with a bit of a smile, "What do you think, shall we meddle a bit in this one and help dear Agrok become more, shall we say, comfortable with other females?"

Jirri thought for a moment and nodded, "This notion feels right, it is the will of Arsiel that Agrok bring Tensaih into the Great Mother's nest as her mate. I can only hope they are not going to see a subtle nudge as a reason to pull away from one another."

"We will watch them closely then and make sure we are not driving them apart," the healer smiled at her feathered friend, "Now I have to figure out how to prepare Reyfis for his daughter the lesbian."

Jirri shook her head, "Don't. From what I have seen of them, Reyfis will adjust much easier if he sees things growing between Tensaih and Agrok rather than bracing for it. Now I do believe he would be accepting of them either way, but he will step up himself and make sure Tensaih feels welcome as his daughter in law much more strongly than if he is waiting for something he has a chance to see the down sides of."

"You know what, you are right, but he does also have a right to know," Rio countered.

The priestess smiled warmly, "Then we wont keep it from him, rather we will send him to talk to Agrok and Tensaih about what may or may not be happening. It is a matter of privacy after all."

"Sneaky, but technically true," the drake admitted, "So we have an idea of what we will do about Agrok and Tensaih, but what about you and Grenz?"

Jirri cocked a brow with elegant grace, "What ever do you mean?"

"I was in the same structure when he spoke up to Raizehl," Rio replied flatly, "You realize that taking her into your home like that and having him act as Abigail's father figure essentially puts him in the role of her mate."

The priestess smiled to herself and nodded, "Yes I do."

"And you are perfectly fine with that," the drake asked dryly.

Jirri opened her eyes once again and looked Rio dead in the eyes, "Why would I be concerned? He is playing the part of her mate, but it is my feather on his ear, I love and trust him to no end. If he wishes to raise Abigail with Raizehl, then so be it; I get to watch her grow and learn before my eyes, as well as being a part of her life as well."

"I understand you trust Grenz and I have seen no evidence of underhanded behavior on his part, but what is she starts to feel he is her mate and starts to want certain things more as time goes on? He is a very attractive male after all, and she is certainly not beyond her fertility," the drake pointed out the obvious concerns she herself was having.

The priestess reached out a forepaw and rest it on Rio's shoulder, "Raizehl has been my friend since I was a fledgeling, we are sisters in heart and soul. If she is so very much in need that she would consider some one so much younger than herself as Grenz, then I am glad to share what I have with her. She would never try to take him away, she cares too much for me to do that. Besides, many of my duties to the Consorts will keep me busy at some rather inopportune moments. I would rather she take care of him if he is in need than to know he suffered discomfort while he waited for me to be free and of good strength to tend to him."

"That is both beautiful and strange to me," the drake admitted with a shake of her head, "I could never bring myself to share Reyfis with anyone, not even Kahlah."

Jirri smiled, "Well that is a matter of difference in personal feelings and upbringing. I was groomed for priesthood before I could fly, always taught that what I own is gifted to me only through the grace of the Great Consorts and should be shared with those I know and love as though it were theirs as well."

"So if you share everything you have, what about.. you know," Rio gave a wiggle of her hips for emphasis.

The priestess almost burst into giggles, "Oh dear not any more! Not that anyone had the gumption to ask, but I would have if that was truly what I felt they needed. Now it is no longer mine to give, it belongs solely to Grenz and I do not believe he is keen on sharing. To be honest, I am glad of that for I have a very understandable reason to refuse."

"Well, I'm glad that your lovely bird gives you that protection," the drake gave a bit of a smile, "I am even more glad to hear that everything can only be well between you three in that house. Speaking of which, you should get over there and free my mate from his ill suited job as a mover so that I may tend to the inevitable strains and pulls he will be trying to cover up."

Jirri finally gave in to her giggles, "Oh stop, Raizehl does not have that many things and certainly not any furniture large enough to ruffle a well fit male like Reyfis. Never the less, we part here my friend as I go to return your mate to you so we may move on with our wicked plans of sweet tender unions. Besides, I must commune with Arsiel about a particular subject."

"What subject is that, if I may ask," Rio cocked a scaly brow at the priestess as she stood to leave.

Jirri looked back over her shoulder with a smile, "I must speak with the Great Mother about you."

Before she could respond the gryphoness disappeared into the night, leaving her to think about a great many things.

* * *

Morning, it was different now, not the same hopeless dawning of a new day of exile and sneaking about in an endless stalk of the Soul Legion. The warm feathered body pressed against her side was a very welcome presence as she became more aware of the sensations around her. Agrok had found a security blanket in Tensaih and the dragoness had found she had the same effect on her in return. Neither of them complained about nightmares of their torture and abuse at the hands of the Legion. Tensaih refused to indulge in the warmth and lovely feel of the gryphon's sleek form when they curled up together each night, it was not for her personal pleasure in holding her so tight and she would not take advantage of being able to do so. Instead she just lay there and let her feathered friend rest, making sure to keep her own warm form against the odd bald spot that her injuries had given her. The accommodations that Rio had suggested seemed to point to an all too easily lost body heat through the uninsulated patch of skin.

Agrok began to stir and yawned with a wide gape of her beak, "Good morning silly dragoness. You don't have to wait for me to wake up to start your day hun."

"I did not wish to wake you, and your bald spot was against my chest," Tensaih explained, "I figured you would appreciate the warmth if I stayed put."

The gryphoness smiled and gave her a soft nuzzle, "I do, thank you Tensaih. I do believe there will be some sort of debriefing or general meeting with our wing regarding the attack and defense of Kertesk. Would you like something for breakfast?"

"Oh just some coffee if you have any around," she replied as she extracted herself from the warm tangle of scales and feathers that was their snuggled mass.

Agrok blinked for a moment, "Coffee? What in the blazing pits is that?"

"Hmm? Oh, you must not have it on this world. It is a bean that is usually ground and boiled to make a stimulating and rather bitter drink. If you don't have it here I can make do with tea," Tensaih found herself remembering she was not on her own world as a rather home like feeling had started to settle in her heart.

The gryphoness stretched her lean and well toned form before she shook herself and stepped out of the nest of bedding, "I do believe I have some tea. Oh my, it is quite late in the morning. I hope Kahlah has already collected Ronin for her studies today."

Tensaih let her energies extend into the house to search and scry for the human girl, she did find fresh traces of Kahlah's arcane presence to indicate precisely what Agrok had suggested, "I have residual traces that mark Kahlah's recent presence, so you are likely correct that she has taken the girl to her tutors."

"Oh thank goodness," the gryphoness heaved a sigh of relief, "I would hate to see her get behind because I did something silly like sleeping in."

She smiled at her beloved friend and collected her harness to offer it to her, "Well shall we get started with our own day of responsibilities then to make up for Ronin's missed morning?"

"Okay, you win," Agrok conceded with a playful gryphon smile, "Help me into my harness?"

Tensaih turned the harness around and held it up, "Very well, but mind you, I have never dressed a gryphon before so don't fault me for broken feathers."

"Oh I trust you are more than bright enough to figure out how to put a harness on with the feather grain," the gryphoness replied as she turned and slipped a forelimb into the harness before she raised the other to shrug into the leather chest guard

Tensaih used a hand to gently push a few feathers down flat beneath the harness before she reached for the buckles and straps, "You never know, I am bright in arcane physics and spell casting. This is something that requires physical action, very much not the basic spell casting."

"Are you trying to make a joke now? Because I just hear a lot of self abusing excuses," Agrok grinned at her as she pulled the first strap through it's buckle and tightened it down.

The dragoness gave a snort as she buckled down the strap, "I think you secretly enjoy this, making me work for you and put my hands all over your sides and chest. Such a bad gryphoness you are to take advantage of a poor dragoness like me."

"Oh you are loving this, don't act like you aren't," the gryphoness gave a little poke to her nose, "Besides, you have gentle hands that make your touch rather pleasant as opposed to some big strong male that would rather display his strength by crushing me in his grip. You know I couldn't take advantage of you eve if I wanted to, I simply do not know how. I supposed I could get creative with a little rubbing in some strategic places, or possibly pretend I'm a male and use my tongue, but can such an interaction between bed mates really only involve foreplay?"

Tensaih felt her hands shaking and shuffled her feet a bit as she felt a familiar warmth below her belly, "Agrok, can you please stop talking like that?"

"Like what," the warrior asked with a tilt of her head.

The mage heaved a soft sigh, "All obliviously seductive about a rather pleasant topic such as that was, it does have an effect on me. Even more so while I am touching you and trying to put your harness on for you."

"I thought you were all about that sort of thing, unless you are a virgin," Agrok asked as she couldn't seem to understand the dragon's discomfort.

Tensaih shook her head gently, "I am very much not a virgin, but think about the situation on the whole. I am indeed very attracted to you hun, you know that, and you are talking about things you could do to me in an intimate engagement. I have those thoughts in my head and my hands on you, the object of my arousal when I dare not make such an advance. It is maddening and awkward as a young male helping me while I instruct you on just how to tend to my body. The poor fellow wouldn't be able to hide his interests and be rather uncomfortable and embarrassed"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Tensaih," Agrok laid her ears flat and leaned her head in to give her a soft nuzzle on the cheek, "I just didn't think about that at all, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or tease you so."

Tensaih smiled at her, "It's okay hun, I can't be cross with you when you look so cute as you try to make things up to me."

"Well, I still need to find a way to find out more about how it's done, otherwise I am trying to weigh and measure something blindly," the warrior sighed as she looked over her harness and moved a bit to test the fit, "Oh hun, if the feathers are laid right could you tighten the straps a bit more? It needs to fit like my own skin."

The silver female gave a nod and grasped the straps to unhook and tighten them even more, "Sure, and I will write something up for you when I have more spare time so you can have a better idea of how things are done. Really it would be an experiment for me as well, as I have never been with a gryphon before."

"Well I'm sure that tail of yours would come in handy," Agrok grinned playfully as she nudged the dragon's tail with her foreclaw.

Tensaih shook her head, "No the tail does not come in handy. I may feel soft when you hug me, but these scales are as hard as your talons and they can lift when rubbed in reverse. You wouldn't want them lifting as they are being forced into some delicate places now would you?"

"I can't say that I would enjoy such an event," the gryphon laid her ears flat against her skull, "Well you got my harness right, so we should get moving so we can have that debriefing done and get on to our next assignments"

The mage gave a nod and turned toward the door, "Yes, that is a wise decision. I know I need to put more work into the nation wide wards that Tahkra has asked for."

"I thought shielding and warding spells were fairly easy to cast, at least that is what Kahlah says," Agrok cocked a brow as she mentioned what she had heard.

Tensaih shook her head gently, "it is not that these spells are difficult to cast as far as their base creation, it is the sheer magnitude of the area being shielded that is making this task a tremendous feat of arcane skill and power for one mage, even a Vyrekai, to perform. That doesn't even take into account that I am making several different shields and weaving them together to help them protect against different effects as well as guarding one another from being dispelled or tampered with."

"That does sound like a rather tall order that my sister has asked placed before you to fill. I'm sorry that Tahkra has placed this burden upon you dear," the gryphoness laid her ears back against her head.

The mage shook her head once again as they began to descend the stairs, "I understand her request, especially since she is a young queen who is setting all the standards for every leader to follow in her footsteps. A great asset has fallen into her paws and she wishes to best apply this resource to protect her people from the threat that has decimated some of the most powerful nations your world had to offer. This task may be tremendous, but it is a necessary burden."

Agrok fell silent as they descended the stairs, making Tensaih wonder if she were upset with her acceptance of of the task before her. Tensaih found herself hoping that she had not caused a point of friction between the warrior and her sister. The pair would need one another in the days to come for certain. The legion was going to test every fiber of Titania's strength and try to break them all. Every quiet step they took toward the front door made her increasingly uneasy as her fears ate at the edge of her heart.

Once Tensaih's hand touched the door knob she could no longer stand the silence and turned to face her friend, "Agrok.. why are you smiling like that?"

"After all that's happened you still think of the greater good of those who can't defend themselves against the arcane," Agrok had a strange little twinkle in her lovely eyes, "You don't want me to talk about things that make you warm in the belly, but you go and show such a wonderful heart like that? You keep being perfect and you are going to have to deal with some teasing and flirting more and more as I grow ever more fond of you. By the Consorts, if you were male there would have been nothing wrong with me to stop me from locking you away with me for weeks."

Tensaih felt her heart racing as Agrok stepped closer and rubbed her cheek against the mage's scaly cheek, "Agrok.."

"Hush, don't say anything is wrong with you," the gryphoness touched a talon to her lips, "It's me that has a problem, else I would have been yours already. Just let me deal with this personal issue, please hun? I don't want you to thunk you are anything less than beautiful in heart, mind, and body."

She could only nod to that as the talon stayed on her lips, she wasn't sure what would happen next in that moment or in their strange relationship. All she knew was that something was there and that neither one would let go of the other for anything.

* * *

Grenz grumbled to himself as he lay trapped in his pile of pillows and cushions, "I'm a warrior, I need a good sleeping mat not this frilly pile of comfortable clothy poofs."

"You are an injured bird and being comfortable will help you heal more comfortably and just a bit faster," Jirri countered as she donned her traditional adornments of her station as the village priestess, "Besides, you have a mate who is not a warrior that does enjoy being comfortable from time to time. Or do you not wish to sleep together any longer?"

He gave a snort, "Fine, I'll put up with it, but only for you and maybe Abby here. Maybe I can turn you into a tom boy so I'm not completely surrounded by girls."

The gryphlet gave a trilling chirp before she pounced his foreclaw once more. Even as hurt as he was, Grenz could not resist playing with the sweet little one that had captured his heart. He bit back the pain as he grabbed at her forequarters with his foreclaw and waved it about to keep her moving and trying to grab and bite at his digits. He had heard the humans about the village observe that gryphlet behavior was something of a combination of kitten and puppy antics with more than twice the energy. Grenz was uncertain exactly how accurate that was, because he had seen neither a kitten nor a puppy in his life as gryphons rarely kept any kind of pet.

His priestess smiled warmly as she watched the two at play, "It is comforting to know that you will make a fine father for our own children."

"That is something I look forward to," he rumbled softly with a deep purr as they both reached their necks out to rub cheeks, "I'm sorry you are having to wait sweetheart, just something doesn't feel quite right yet."

Jirri shook her head with a loving smile, "It is no worry love, I know you will be worth the wait when you find that balance at last. But this does remind me that I must speak to you of something else along those lines."

"What is on your mind," he asked with a hint of caution to his voice.

The priestess gave a deep sigh and closed her eyes, "It is one thing to feel it and to talk about it with Rio, it is quite another to face my own mate and say it, but I must let you know that I am aware that Raizehl is alone and that you will be in a rather close and potentially tender position. I just wanted to let you know that I am perfectly fine with anything that may happen, so long as you stay by my side as my mate. She is a close friend and I am not so jealous that I would not share with her what I have if she were in need, and that includes you."

"I, really don't know what to say," Grenz felt his nares burn a bit, more so at the dumbfounded and rather blank tone to his voice than the strange revelation from his own priestess, "I never really thought about her like that, I suppose she is still rather lovely in a mature sort of way, but I don't know. It's a weird concept to be absolutely honest. I suppose it is comforting to know if anything does come up."

She smiled and settled in at his right side to rest against him, "You are so absurdly adorable when you are at a loss for words. I do caution you though, I have only one thing I am adamantly jealous on."

"What is this one bad thing I must not do so as not to offend my beautiful priestess," he smiled as Abigail settled between their forelimbs to snuggle with both the adults.

Jirri leaned down to give the gryphlet a light preening to her neck before she gave her reply, "It is considered unacceptable if Raizehl finds out just what kind of lover you are before I do. Under no circumstances is she to have you before I do."

"I see, well it is easy enough for me to not let anything happen," Grenz replied with a flick of his ear, "But what if she gets a wild hair someplace and asks Agrok about me? I can't really stop that from happening."

She gave a snort, "Well, that we can't do anything about. As long as she doesn't get a wild Grenz somewhere, then you are fine."

"Alright, well I think I will be ready for you long before I start to think of her in any such way as that. Even if I am not, she certainly wont steal your sacred rights as my mate," he leaned his head against hers to nuzzle her cheek to cheek.

Jirri was about to say something when Raizehl herself poked her head into the family chamber, "Grenz, you have a visitor. I believe he wants to discuss some sort of business transaction or some official decision on a kill you made. I am not certain, he was talking fast and making ti a point to twist his words together so I couldn't gather his meanings. You know the type, so I'll be taking Abigail now since you have had her to yourself for most the morning now."

"A swindler, perhaps it's best you take her away now, as much as I hate to let her go," the huge male growled with irritation and pain as he wedged himself up to a sitting position to make sure this silver tongued fiend would not forget the power and stature of the warrior he was about to address.

The eldest female gave a nod and scooped up Abigail to carry her off, "You may come in and see him now."

"My my, such security here," the voice was male, and as irritating as Grenz could have ever imagined, "I thought the sacred den was open and obligated to welcome anyone."

He wanted to throw the snooty human out right then and there, but he decided to give the man a chance. When the human did emerge into the family room, he was a bit short and kind of round in the middle, a real rolly polly fellow with pale skin stained by the elements of his craft. His belt bore the tools of his trade, but they told Grenz very little about him, certainly not as much as the stains and the scent upon him. He smelled of leather, and of fresh skins with a tell tale hint of decaying flesh that easily marked him as a leather smith and tanner. The shining bald spot on top of the man's head fascinated the gryphon as he stared closely at it with his incredibly strong eyes.

Jirri fluttered her wings in irritation, "You were welcomed into the Sacred Den, but you have passed that into our private home. This place you are not free to simply enter because the Sacred Den rests before it."

The man looked offended that she had spoken to him and was about to say something before the snap of a rather large beak cut him off, "You are on a bad start swindler, don't get yourself killed before you have a chance to talk. I value the word of my mate far more than I value your life, let's keep that strait before you get disrespectful."

"My apologies," the human bowed, "I am Benjamen Greg-"

Grenz shook his head, "I don't wish to know you, on with the business"

"Be at ease love, it is only a polite formality," Jirri scolded him with a nuzzle to his neck.

Benjamen pulled his lips into a tight line and nodded, "Very well, it is regarding the dragon you killed, every one of rank is saying that it is yours since you made the kill. I was wondering if perhaps we could arrange to-"

"Hell no," Grenz snapped with a sharp clack of his beak to drive the point home, "I wont even let you say it, that dragon is to be burned with the proper respects."

The man looked shocked and angry, "You pompous fool! The leather from that beast would be thick and strong, not to mention how velvety that hide is. Many could benefit from the goods I would make from it."

"You come to my home, insult my mate and her practice by claiming she is not treating the Sacred Den properly, you call me a fool, and demand the right to butcher the remains of a once intelligent and sentient being," the massive broadwing roared with his fury at the tiny human before him, "You get the hell out of my home and don't ever come to this side of the damned village, no, this side of the plains ever again on pain of death by my very claws. We are not the Soul Legion, we will not butcher our fallen enemies for their parts. We are better than that and we will stand tall and proud above that sort of behavior as we put an end to them."

Benjamen glared at the gryphon as he backed away rather quickly, "This isn't over, those resources will not be lost to some bleeding heart sentiment. The beast knew it was doing wrong to begin with, it should be treated as the animal it was acting like."

Grenz stood quickly, suppressing the urge to keen in utter agony as he pulled several of his damaged joints back out with the quick action. Benjamen's eyes seemed to expand to the size of Grenz' own massive eyes as the presumably injured broadwing began to pursue with a rather angry expression and murderous intent in every line of his powerful form. A dark pattern spread over the human's legs as he wet himself in terror while he scrambled to escape the powerful warrior giving chase. As soon as he was only a bit of brown and white clothing and flailing limbs exiting the private portion of the dwelling, Grenz stopped his pursuit and collapsed under the intense pain he had re-ignited in himself.

Jirri gasped and rushed for the door with a shout, "Raizehl, Grenz just hurt himself again, I need to fetch a healer quickly!"

The elder gryphoness rushed out of the sleeping chambers with Abigail pouncing after her tail, "Go, I'll tend to him. Abby go lay down, poppa Grenz needs mommy's help."

He felt so stupid, to let his anger get the better of him like that, but he refused to let the people on the plains act like the savage beasts they were fighting, that would have nulled every sacrifice he had witnessed up to that point. Grenz just couldn't let that happen, and he would endure the pain and indignity of having to explain to his healers just what he did to himself.

Raizehl stood over him and curled a forelimb around his chest, "I'm sorry Grenz, this is going to hurt, but we need to get you back on your bed."

"Consider it my idiot tax," he winced as the female began to drag him back to the pile of cushions and pillows.

She shook her head as she struggled to move his heavy bulk, "I suppose I should take heart in knowing that Abigail will know what her father was like, you two share so many traits. Yes, the thick skull is on that list."

"I don't believe we are anything alike, I for one would never have wanted to be in charge," Grenz gave a bit of a snort before he hissed in pain.

Raizehl was quiet for a moment as she pulled him up over the pillows and resettled him in to make sure the padding was beneath him before Abigail settled between his forelimbs, "I suppose that is a difference, and I don't believe a life long friend would be around to manipulate you into some costly mistakes either."

"I wasn't going to bring that up, it would have been disrespectful," he looked up at the elder female.

Raizehl stared back at him with watery eyes, "It's the truth though and Abigail will need to learn from her father's mistakes. I wont let her live on lies and carefully crafted truths."

He had no words for that, it was the sacrifice of her own pain for the sake of Abigail. It was her right as a mother to do such a thing to herself for the sake of her daughter and it only made watching her do it even harder to do because she was right. Grenz felt his heart crack when the water in her eyes escaped to become tears.

"Hey now, if you're going to go and do that you need to lay down here with me so I can comfort you. As much as I prefer to look like a hard ass, I just can't stand to watch a lady cry," he reached up to her.

Raizehl stared at him for a moment before she finally moved forward and turned around to settle down against his right side. He wrapped the offered forelimb around her shoulders and held her tight against his side, despite the pain it caused him. She buried her head into his neck as she shuddered with her tears. Grenz made soft soothing purrs deep in his throat to help ease her pain in the warmth of a caring soul by her side. He added a bit of a physical touch by laying his beak over hers in a comforting protective posture. Abigail made a soft churr and snuggled against her mother to try and help comfort her.

They all three just laid there like that for the longest of times until Jirri returned with Rio, "Raizehl? We're back, is he stable?"

The drake was the first to push through the curtain that served as the door between the family room and the Sacred Den portion of the dwelling, "I certainly hope you didn't do more damage than you started with," The drake blinked as her eyes registered what she was seeing, "As you lay here and silently snuggle your roommate. You should be in agonizing pain right now."

"I can address my own pain later, right now a lovely lady is being wracked by a most undeserved wound upon her heart. As my father once told me, some things are more important than our own pain," Grenz replied without ever moving his head away from Raizehl.

"He is about to pass out and wants to look tough as well as show that he really does care about how she is feeling," Jirri translated for the healer.

Rio nodded gently as she moved to his side to begin scanning and working on his damaged joints and tendons, "Okay, got that down. I think I can work around you so don't you worry yourself about this big handsome softy Raizehl."

"Hey now, no one can ever know about this," He huffed, "I spent years building my reputation as a grumpy hard ass, thank you very much!"

Raizehl lifted her head slowly and looked him strait in the eyes for a moment before she gave his beak a tender little lick, "Do not fret, I shall not let anyone speak ill of you for any reason. Especially not to Abigail, she will know what a wonderful person her poppa is and just how tough he can still be."

Grenz could only smile at her in reply as he felt the cold iron that remained around his heart melt away. Between Agrok, Jirri, Abigail, and now these kind words from this lovely elder female who was the mother of his heart bound child, there was just none of the old coldness left to guard against his true heart being seen. Unfortunately for him it also let all the pain he was in strike his nerves and sucker punch his consciousness, leaving him in the dark oblivion of forced sleep.

* * *

"The fates be damned right to hell," Reyfis spat and slapped the written orders down on his command table.

Tensaih did not flinch or shrink away from the frustrated male as he shook his head and tried to sort out the massive tangled mess the recent attack had made of things, "You can see it is in the hand of your own mate. Certainly you recognize the signature of the master healer."

"I recognize it," he snapped before he shook his head and tried to fight off the stress he was feeling, "I'm sorry Tensaih, you don't deserve that. I am definitely down one of my top fighters and now I am to pair my other two together when one is to be on psych leave until she gets herself under control. That leaves me nothing but my average troops, granted they are the elites of this army, but next to you three they offer very little to one another's morale or fighting spirit."

Agrok placed a foreclaw on his, "Surely there is another who is every bit as good as we are, Grenz and I really aren't that much better than the others if you check our training course times against the others."

"Those times were taken in your presence," Reyfis replied bitterly as he turned his eyes up to those beautiful blue eyes that had always brought a bit of light to his heart in even the darkest of moments, "Every one of them performs about five to ten seconds faster when you or Grenz are present. They all fight twice as hard when you two are at the head of the battle, the soldiers at least believe in your skill and rally behind you. I just can't afford to be without the champions they put their hopes into, I can't grant this leave. I do have a bit of a compromise that might help ween the boys a bit. I'm putting you on direct orders to work on the National Shields, Tensaih. Agrok, you are to make sure any supplies she may need during her work are provided. If we have another attack, you have less than a minute to respond to the call to duty. Is this all understood?"

Tensaih cocked a brow at him quizzically, "But I am working on the shields even as we talk now, what am I to do while I work on them for my orders?"

"Rest to help keep your strength returning more quickly, I would recommend you pretend you are on leave, but don't forget that you are really on call," Reyfis replied flatly, "Asreigh, how is that shoulder holding up?"

Agrok stiffened as she stood at attention for her father, who was her commanding officer in that moment, "It's mostly okay, just a mild sore stiffness, sir."

"Good, I have some errands I need run, then you are to soak that shoulder in the springs nightly. When Rio gives the okay for Tensaih to return to full active duty, I want you both ready to tear through the Legion's lines singlehandedly and get a second round with that overgrown gecko at their head. Is that understood?"

Both females snapped to and nodded, "Yes sir!"

"Agrok, you will find the satchel with the orders that need distributing on the table by the door, they are all labeled," Reyfis started to raise a foreclaw to dismiss them before he paused, "Oh yes, I almost forgot. Rio and Kahlah has requested your assistance at the cook fire this evening, they both wish a little bonding time with you."

Agrok tilted her head, "Were you talking to me or Tensaih?"

"Yes," the elder gryphon smiled at his daughter and her friend, "Now off with you, I want you all done by lunch time."

Tensaih laid her glistening ears back, "That is a physical impossibility sir."

"Agrok needs to be done by lunch, you take the time you need to get your task done right," They both started to speak but he cut them off with a wave of a foreclaw, "Dismissed!"

Both females stiffened and stood a bit taller in as close to a salute as they could manage, Agrok because she was a gryphon and Tensaih because she just didn't know any salutes. They both turned and exited the command structure to carry out their orders, Agrok only pausing to take the satchel with the orders for the other commanders in the Queens Own Talons. Reyfis just sighed and stared down at his pile of reports and casualty lists. The war reminded them that they were not in for simple glorious victories, anything they had would be paid for and bought time and again with the blood of their fighting men and gryphons. He couldn't help but wonder how many families would be shattered as they tried to push back these alien invaders. There was also the question no one wanted to ask just yet; if GahlByrn was not defeated before the Legion was pushed off their world, would they join the larger effort beyond their world to end the Legion once and for all?

"Reyfis, you look frazzled and fried. Perhaps you should take an hour or two to visit with friends amongst the civilians to calm your nerves," General Lumere offered as he stretched at his own table that had been given the task of desk, like the others in the command structure.

The lieutenant gave a nod, "Perhaps you are right, I've not taken a moment to speak to Raizehl or any of the Kenjaya survivors since they arrived, at least not alone."

"Boy you sure do look through the most abysmal events for hope," the general gave a shake of his head, "How about some good news for a change hey? Those poor girls that held out so long as the last Dremdal, they seem to be very grateful for the boys from Hencaney and the word in the census department is that a good number of those ladies carry the bright future of the Dremdal blood lines in their bellies already. Hakarah and Rastak have even officially traded primaries. and announced her pregnancy."

Reyfis blinked for a moment, "When did Tahkra organize a census department?"

"I think you're missing the point, dreary buzzard," Lumere scowled at him, "Life is fighting and clawing back from the brink. The Dremdal were about as far gone as it can get with no breeding males amongst them."

Reyfis shook his head, "They have been absorbed by another tribe, they have not really bounced back. They only melded into their neighbors blood lines

"Isn't that the point of coming together to form the one great tribe that creates this nation and that banner you have been trying to defend," Lumere scoffed at him, "So what if they simply became one with the Hencaney, they survived to add their blood to the greater pool of the greater unified people of Titania. No matter what other blood flows with it, Dremdal blood will still flow through gryphon veins and life is fighting and clawing to continue on. Are you going to do the same or are you going to sink into frustration and dispair because we had one hard fight? Every last soldier in our ranks knew they would see a fair number of their friends and even some family fall when we engaged this foe, but we had no choice. Every last one of us fighting men, women, and gryphons knew we had to do this if we ever wanted to live and know what it means to be a free and unified people. People died, wake up Reyfis, it will happen again and again simply because this is war. We have been challenged by one of the most powerful forces the realms has ever seen, we have to fight back or we will disappear"

He shook his head fiercely, "I haven't lost my will to fight Lumere, this is the wrong lecture."

"Is it," the general cocked a brow at his colleague, "You have forgotten our post, you can't get frustrated and you can't afford to back down because some of the boys got hurt or killed. They did it because they had to, and we do it because we have to, never forget that Reyfis. Your people need you, just like they need every talon and sword swinger. Go, now, and take heart in those you care about, I can't make it an order. I'm pretty sure I can kick your ass if I have to though."

Reyfis gave Lumere a hard stare, "We'll have to place a wager on that another time, I've a friend to visit."

"I look forward to it! I do have to inspect a new weapon one of the young smiths is raving about, shall we depart together like the old friends we are not," the general gave him a grin, touching back on the very first time they had met as rivals in a tribal border skirmish.

Reyfis grinned back, "Oh indeed we shall, ladies first?"

"I know, that's why I'm waiting for you," Lumere shot back with a chuckle.

Reyfis shook his head as he left his 'desk' to exit the near empty room of the command structure. Lumere was good at what he did, but if he had to work closely with him it was going to be one long war. The aging warrior could only hope that the entire Soul Legion would fall on their own swords that very evening. It was a pipe dream, but he had to hold on to some hope to be able to avoid his old rival.

* * *

Carly sat nervously in the saddle of the horse she was allowed to ride on the journey to Titania, right alongside her Bizshra. The huge man had been quiet for most of the trip with no orders or requests for the young servant girl. The scouts and escorts had said they were entering the Ghostlands. She wasn't sure what was supposed to be out there, but she could feel a heavy sense of wrong as though an important piece of the life of the territory was missing.

"You feel it don't you? That nagging feeling that something that should be here is missing," the booming voice of Necrotai almost made her start as he spoke suddenly and directly to her.

Carly found it hard to find her voice, "Yes Lord Bizshra, like something should be all over this place and it's just gone. Maybe someday my mother will tell me about these lands."

"She will not, but you must know and remember these lands with shame in your heart for our people's hatred," his voice was string and firm, yet somehow felt as though a deep sadness lay at it's root as they came over a hill to the burned remains of a village with the bones of the lost gryphons bleaching in the sun, "These people, though many will call them blasphemous beasts, they did nothing to deserve this. Of a clan several hundred strong, a mere handful survived here. Halt! Men, volunteers to bury the dead with respect. We do not move on until these souls are given a proper resting place."

As the horses came to a halt and several of the dozen or so men pulled away to tend to the remains within the village, Carly felt a sadness grip her heart, "Our people did this to them? But why, Lord Bizshra?"

"Hate, many of our people have learned it so deep to the bone that they tell lies that they believe to be true, much like your mother has told you. The things that have been spread are mostly rooted in ignorance and twisted by those who want to hate so badly that they will believe anything that gives the smallest justification for their animosity," Necrotai watched the regular troops and his Blackguard work to give an appropriate grave to the slain gryphons.

One of the Blackguard who stayed behind shook his head with disgust, "To think I would have been one of those who took twisted pleasure in doing this. Look on with pride in our people little one, such great warriors that they had to ambush females and children while their warriors were away patrolling the borders. I hate to say it, but I am thankful for the opportunity the Soul Legion's invasion has given me. To see these birds as they really are, people just like us with a different shape. Fighting along side of them has been a great honor indeed."

"Listen well Carly, this man speaks great words of wisdom," the Bizshra gave the armored man a clap on the shoulder next to the handle of the heavy war ax that replaced the traditional custom sword every other member of the Guard carried.

She remembered her place and scrambled to find the water skin, "I'm so sorry Lord Bizshra, do you wish anything to drink?"

"You are not my servant," Necrotai replied grimly as his nostrils flared with a twinge of anger when the men burying the gryphons tenderly laid the small broken bodies of slain gryphlets into their graves.

Even the young girl could see the look of grief in the faces of the men as they handled the children, even those who seemed unaffected by the bodies of the adults. There was a code amongst the real fighting men of Grasolahn, even Carly knew it. Every child was sacred and innocent, even those of the most hated races. To see so many that had been cut down with no hope of escape or mercy from their assailants was something that churned the stomachs of every last one of them.

"Make no mistake , Carly, this is the current pride of the people of Grasolahn. Drink it in and taste the bile on your tongue," Necrotai spat on the ground, "let this rot in your gut and ask if this is really what you want to rest in your heart. This is the greatest driving force of the nobility of our lands, and the commoners alike. You really must ask if this is the kind of Grasolahn you want, if this is what you want our legacy to be."

Ice shot through her veins at his words as she realized just how horrid her people were turning out to be, "But, why must I decide if this is what I want our people to be? They already are like this and I'm just a servant girl, no one like me can ever change things."

"Don't sell any member of society so short, every person can effect those around them and even set change into motion for their people as a whole. But you, Carly, are more capable of doing so than any person in Grasolahn. You are no longer a servant, not since you started on this trip. The moment you climbed into the saddle, you were on the journey to learn how to hold the reins of your birthright," he didn't look at her, instead he looked int he direction of their destination and the gryphons on patrol in the skies as they came into human view.

She watched the great avians rapidly approach with a calm eye that had come from dealing with their king and learning how peaceful they truly were, "My birthright? But I am a peasant girl born to a peasant mother in the servant class, I don't even know who my father is my lord."

"I know who your father is, and you hold a great responsibility in that very name and bloodline," he replied quickly, "It is why you travel with me to foster with the queen and king of Titania, so you may learn to best handle these responsibilities and how it should be with a competent leader that cares for and guides their people with love and respect rather than fear and a heartless agenda."

Carly felt her heart catch in her throat, she had a father of high position, and her days as a servant were over and a new life of study and responsibility was about to begin, "Lord Bizshra, may I please know who my father is? Surely he is not one who could do something like this."

"No, he could never do something like this to anyone, I know that for certain and I hope that you will learn well of true courage and strength so you do not repeat these mistakes. I want my daughter to lead like I was only able to lay foundations for. That is why I am bringing you to learn how to be a kind yet firm leader from Tahkra, how to be strong and steadfast in honor and convictions like Agrok, and a deeper history and lore of truth about our new neighboring nation from Jirri. Hopefully you will be loved by your people so that they will listen when you speak the truths of our former enemies to them so they may lose their hatred in time. If those who want to hate too strongly try to force the rest with muscle and steel to hate our neighbors, you will hopefully have the strength, courage, and love for the whole of our people to strike them down and protect the rest of our people and the world from their short sighted fury."

Carly did not have time to reply as the black and brown broadwing landed lightly a short distance away to trot up to them, "Hail Bizshra Necrotai, we were informed of your journey. I'm glad we could spot your travel company and offer escort through the Ghostlands, it is an honor to meet you sir."

"Thank you good sir, but I must ask something of you that may decide whether or not we are venturing further into your lands," the Bizshra gave a nod of greeting to the gryphon pair.

The black and brown avian nodded gently as his gray partner landed a moment later to join them, "What ever answers I, Crousel, or my partner Tilt can provide, we will be happy to share."

"Tilt," Necrotai eyed the second gryphon for a moment.

The gray gryphon sighed softly, "I had a reaction when I was younger, to every sound I would tilt my head back and forth. My parents being rather lacking of creativity named me Tilt."

"To hell with the screwy name, after seeing you handle those Legion dogs, Tilt is a name of strength and pride in my book," the ax baring Guardsmen clapped a fist on his breastplate.

Tilt nodded his thanks, "I appreciate the sentiment, as I recall you put that ax of yours to good use on a fine number of them yourself. I have heard you men of the Blackguard have no names, so I think i shall call you by your weapon, Ax"

"Sounds like a fine replacement to me, We should have a drink sometime and trade stories of battle we are seeing on our different fronts," the newly dubbed Ax replied.

Tilt grinned, "If you have not come for me on the next blood moon, I will seek you on the sapphire eye."

"Ax, report to me if you are to leave for Titania on the blood moon, if you have not I will arrange passage for your new comrade on the sapphire eye," Necrotai replied with a casual tone, the closest the girl had heard to a happy tone from the grim Bizshra.

Carly couldn't hold back her question as she toyed with the terms in her head, "Lord Bizshra? May I ask what the terms bloodmoon and sapphire eye mean? I would not ask, but I think it may be important if I am to be what you think I will be."

"Child, there is no bad question to ask, all knowledge is strength and power of the mind," he replied with an almost gentle tone, "The bloodmoon is when the red moon of Askilt is in full while the blue moon of Keprah is in new phase, and the sapphire eye is the exact opposite."

Carly felt herself blush a bit, "Thank you, lord Bizshra."

"You are most welcome, now then, back to that request," Necrotai turned his attention back to Crousel, "Are either of you strong enough to carry a child?"

Crousel nodded gently as he realized what the Bizshra was asking, "I feel confident I can handle the lass, and I know Tilt could catch her if anything went wrong, is time truly of the essence to warrant such a rush?"

"I have Legion forces moving in on Tihkmahl," he replied with a grim nod, "If I leave strait away from here, I should just beat them to the place we are to try and throw them back from."

The gryphon gave a nod, "Shall I alert the king and have our forces on alert in case you need assistance?"

"Nay, what is coming is manageable, we have reserves enough to back ourselves up and my scouts are watching closely for other movements. From what I can see, they are trying to pull our alliance to my borders and hit Randulan while their troops are diverted. If we all stay put we should have them without opening up a weak point," the Bizshra gladly shared his intelligence with his allies who could pass on the information much more quickly, even Carly knew that.

The girl felt a nervous ball twisting and grinding in her belly as she thought about flying on the back of a gryphon warrior. It was both exciting and frightening at the same time. No one else had ever done it that she had ever heard of and she was not certain anyone else ever would. Her eyes looked over the powerful frame of the broadwing who had volunteered himself as her winged steed for the rest of the trip. He looked plenty strong to her, but his harness didn't even come close to any kind of saddle. As far as she could tell, there was nothing to hold her onto the gryphon or anything for her to really hold on to.

Crousel stepped up beside her horse and held his wings up a bit, "Climb on over little lady, just tuck your legs behind my shoulders right under my wings."

"But how do I stay on while you fly? I don't see any reins or anything," Carly asked sheepishly as she carefully removed her feet from the stirrups of her horse's saddle to transfer herself onto the gryphon's strong back.

Crousel gave a moment of thought before he replied, "That should be simple enough, just grip as tight as you can with your legs and hold tight with your hands to my neck rough. Make sure you get a hold of several feathers in each hand and don't worry about hurting me any, I'm a warrior I can handle a lot more than anything you would do by hanging on. The most important thing is to not inconvenience Tilt by making him dive after you and haul you back up to my back."

"Okay, I'll try to hold on as tight as I can," the girl gave a soft sigh as she settle herself as she was instructed with a tight grip around his ribs with her legs.

Necrotai approached her on his horse to remain relatively at her height, "Carly, I know tradition has kept me from being a real father to you, but is there anything I can do for you before we part ways once again?"

"Um, maybe I could have," she swallowed hard against her nervousness as it had not escaped her mind that she was talking to the Bizshra of Grasolahn, "Maybe a hug from my father?"

Necrotai unbuckled his gauntlets and removed them before he leaned over to wrap his arms around the girl in a tight embrace. His armor was warm with the heat of his body, but it was still hard and emotionless. Carly did find those tendrils of warmth in the two great hands that were not clad in armor as she held tight to the man who had sired her. She knew she would never get to know him as a girl should know her father, but in that moment she at least had a father and got to know who and what he was.

He pulled away slowly as he looked down at her with a bit of a softer look in his eyes, "My daughter, I pray that your life is happier than mine was and that you can make a difference in our people to break the cycle of hate and violence. May Hynegaht and the Consorts watch over you."

Carly fought hard to contain her tears as for that one fleeting moment, Necrotai was her father more than he was her Bizshra, "May the gods keep our Bizshra strong for many years to come."

He gave a nod and reined his war horse to turn about before he spurred the beast to send his steed into a gallop toward his next battlefield with the Blackguard close behind. The girl's eyes followed them for a long while before she turned them back to the pair of gryphons she had been left with. It was strange how a month ago she would have been frightened and wetting herself to be near one gryphon, and now she was astride one great broadwing feeling safer than she had ever felt in her entire life.

"A far greater man than we would have expected before this foul Legion fell upon us. All he wants is for his people to finally be at ease with the world around them so they may know peace," Crousel shook his head gently, "Well, Carly is it? Are you ready to make the first flight on gryphon back in our people's history?"

She gave a nervous nod, "I think so, should I lean on your neck?"

"That would be great, it will help reduce drag by a tremendous amount. And remember to hold on as tight as you can, I'm a tough bird," her steed replied.

Carly gave a nod of her head as she leaned onto his neck and clenched fist fulls of his neck feathers to pull herself as tight against him as she could, "Okay, I think I'm ready."

"Alright then, hold on girl, the take off will be the hardest part," Crousel cautioned before he crouched to ready himself for the initial leap.

Carly could feel the powerful muscles along his back and shoulders bunching up and quivering like powerful springs being forced down and held. She could almost feel the raw power of the great bird building beneath her before his legs gave their powerful push in an explosion of strength and upward thrust powered by raw muscle. His upward leap had raised them more than twice his full height off the ground before the huge broad feathered wings snapped open to flap in powerful strokes against the air around them as he fought for lift. He seemed rather labored in his attempt to climb with the weight of both his own body and that of the human girl astride his shoulders. Carly began to worry that she was too heavy for the powerful gryphon beneath her, but they were rising steadily until he reached a decent height to begin gliding on his massive wings. She wasn't sure what it was, but the gryphon seemed to be looking for something as they swept over the land at what felt like a lazy pace with no more than thirty times her height between themselves and the ground. All at once they started to climb with what seemed like no effort on the part of Crousel, although he had started to slowly circle one spot in the air.

"How are we going higher," Carly shouted her question over the rush of wind.

Crousel tilted his head a bit to both hear and speak to her more clearly, "It's a column of warm air, called a thermal, it's a whole lot lighter than the cooler air and provides lift to help us raptors climb."

"So how did you know it was here," she asked, tempting a peak over the side of his neck to see how high they had climbed.

The girl stifled a gasp as she could not longer guess how high they were by her own height. The plains of Titania rolled out beneath them as the gryphon circled, she could just barely see her father's party riding off in the distance as a black speck against the green grasses as they neared the shimmering snake that was the river between them and Grasolahn.

The gryphon nodded up at the clouds, "See those clouds, the ones that look like a big pile? Those are called cumulus clouds by our weather sages, they are made by thermals. Once we get close beneath them, there are feathers along the fur line of my belly that are sensitive to hot and cold that let me feel when the air temperature changes. Anything else you would like to know?"

"Um.. what's a weather sage," Carly started to feel as though she were getting annoying to the great bird with her questions.

Crousel smiled as he leveled off to soar over the plains at such a great height that the air was beginning to grow a little cold, "A weather sage is one with mage gift that is so very weak they can barely cast the simplest of spells. They use their arcane senses to read the changes in the arcane flows to predict weather changes and patterns. Real important stuff for those of us who.. fly.."

The girl felt her heart run cold with the jolt of ice that struck her body when she spotted what had made the gryphon trail off. It was another of the ruined villages, but this one was larger than the others. Crousel seemed to avoid the sight as he stroked his wings slowly to pick up a little speed that made the plains roll beneath them more quickly than her horse had carried her.

"The former pride of Grasolahn," Tilt spat into the winds.

Crousel shot his partner a hard glance, "That's enough, our guest doesn't need to hear things like that."

"No, he's half right," Carly felt tears of shame pressing at her eyelids, "This was the pride of the people, and it is also our shame. I have a lot to learn if I am to keep the changes that my father has worked so hard to make. That is why I am here in the first place."

Crousel turned his head to let a single brown eye stare at her, "How old did you say you were?"

"No one asked until now, but I am ten years past," she replied.

Tilt moved closer above them to look down at her, "You carry a heavy burden for one three times your age, to take this on at such an early age is almost madness."

"A Bizshra must be strong from cradle to grave, to know this monumental task whilst I learn is truly for the best. I can consider a plan of action in which to complete or at least continue the task of my father before me," Carly explained.

Tilt shook his head, "It seems you have done a lot of growing up in such a short time, but you're still a little human girl and you are still doing something no other human has ever done."

"What do you mean," the girl asked with a curious glance up at the gryphon above her.

He grinned down at her, "You are flying you silly girl, take in the freedom of the wind moving over your body and the glorious view of the world. We are leaving the ghost lands now and will soon be over Hencaney lands. You have time before your real lessons begin, enjoy being a little girl astride a gryphon! If anything should happen, I am close enough to catch you long before your fall becomes dangerous."

Carly nodded gently before she carefully loosened her grip on Crousel's neck feathers and slowly moved her arms back like a pair of gliding wings. The rush of the wind over her body gave her the most glorious sensation of freedom and safety as she closed her eyes to relish the sensations of flying. The girl tilted her right arm down, only to feel the broadwing beneath her slip to the right. She changed to holding her left arm down and caused the gryphon to slip to the left. His movements were so smooth, she could almost believe that her arms were controlling his movements, but she could feel Crousel's muscles adjusting beneath her. Carly still felt as though she were the queen of the skies, rushing over the landscape faster than any horse, free of any obstacle or challenge the terrain could have put before her.

The clouds themselves were not far above them and they caught the eye of the young heiress, "Crousel, have you been to the clouds, do you know what they are made of?"

"Yes I have been as high as the clouds and even higher," the gryphon replied with a bit of a grin, "We could show you what the clouds are made of, first hand."

Carly felt her heart pounding with both fear of the unknown and the excitement of a new adventure of discovery, "Could you please?"

The gryphon nodded and angled his flight to point his beak at an angle toward the cloud cover above. He beat his wings to fight gravity, climbing a bit easier than they had near the ground. It was almost as if the pull of the world was slipping at that great height , but Carly was observant enough to realize what was going on. The gryphon had turned his forward momentum to climbing, so each wing beat was only striving to help maintain that momentum rather than trying to generate it in the first place. With each passing moment the clouds came closer and closer to the trio and seeming to lose their solid look until they were all surrounded in a thick fog. Carly felt the air growing rather cold as they climbed, forcing her to press to the warm insulating feathers of the gryphon beneath her for warmth.

It felt like an hour before they started to pull through the top of the cloud and once they broke through her heart stopped in her chest. The view was something that no human on her world, or in her time could have ever imagined. Great plains of the purest white rolled out in every direction with great valleys and towering crags composed of the very same vapors they had just traveled through. She could almost believe that they had invaded the plane of the gods themselves on mortal wings. Carly began to shiver as the cold was forcing the heat out of her body, even with the help of Crousel's heavy body heat beneath her. She was about to say something when a jolt lanced through her body, causing every muscle to stiffen. Tilt keened in alarm and dived below his comrade in case she slipped from his back. The girl could not move, her body was limp against the alarmed gryphon's neck and shoulders. Crousel was working hard to keep his course while keeping steady so she wouldn't fall from his back.

"A noble and valiant effort in protecting this girl my sons. Stay your course and you will reach your destination. I will not let the cold take the child in my kingdom, nor will I allow her to leave my kingdom whilst I hold her spirit in my audience," the strange disembodied voice echoed in all their minds as the gryphons realized precisely who they had heard, which seemed to shake them more than the presence of the mental voice in the first place.

Carly felt massive talons closing around her limp body with an incredible power that seemed so restrained and gentle as they began to lift her from Crousel's back. No, they were not lifting her from his back, she could see her own body laying limp and comatose on the gryphon. Those massive talons had lifted her very soul from the back of the gryphon. Once the separation had been made, the girl was shocked to realize that she could see the talons around her, gleaming black against the yellow scaled skin of an enormous white feathered eagle beyond her scope of comprehension. The titanic bird turned eyes on her that were not amber, nor the warm browns of any ordinary eagle, but rater a true luminescent gold. The look in those eyes held an ancient intelligence and wisdom far beyond any mortal being, but even beyond that there was a deep rooted love and compassion for every living thing that made that divine figure feel safe. It was absolutely clear, Carly had found herself in the talons of a god. She was uncertain which god this was as she had not really been allowed to learn much about religion under her mother's iron fist.

"Skardesh, lord of the skies and mate to Arsiel, the great mother of the forests," he spoke into her mind once again to answer the question she had not yet voiced, "We are going home."

She had not had a chance to even think her next question before the kind deity answered it for her. Skardesh spread his mighty wings wide and gave one powerful thrust that drove them into the heavens at such speed that day turned to night with the heights they reached over the world and the entire space around them became something else altogether. It was as though they had suddenly flew through the floor of a great forest, though she could still see all of Eldarohnd beneath them. Tress of all kinds surrounded them, evergreens, broad leafed maple trees, and even the exotic trees of the fabled jungles of the second continent of their world. The giant leaves of the more exotic trees fascinated Carly as they flew by, rooted to a very odd bit of soil that she could see her world through and yet she could still see it like any other fertile loamy earth.

"That is so we can watch the world we were set to balance and protect, dear child," a new voice caressed her mind with such sweet loving tones and a decidedly female quality, "Please do forgive Skardesh for his lack of subtlety and explanation. He is the one who answers the warriors amongst our children after all."

Carly couldn't hold back a giggle at the small teasing jibe from the yet unseen goddess to her consort. Skardesh began to slow his flight, pulling his wings up as a most wondrous nest came into sight. The outer basket of the nest was woven of entire trees that were still rooted to the soil when they were twisted into the titanic bowl with clouds and the winking specs of stars glittering throughout the living surface. As they came over the edge, Carly could see that the trees had all grown their canopy of leaves on the inside to give it a soft interior that was further softened by a layer of large white feathers that could only have come from the Sky Lord himself and the silvery white fur of his mate. The goddess herself, or at least Carly assumed it was the goddess, lay on her right side with her hind legs casually stretched out to reveal the pads of her paws to the human girl as the great sky lord settled onto his empty foot in the nest with such grace and sturdy balance that only a deity could have matched. The great cougar goddess of the forests turned her head to bring her closed eyes to face the mortal in her consort's talons. Most of the lithe, feline form was that wondrously silvery white shade that was almost luminescent without the radiant power of the goddess, all but the markings along the sides of her muzzle, her nose, the outer rim of her ears, and those pads on her paws. All of these places were colored in the most beautiful shade of blue that Carly could never have imagined, nor had she ever seen in nature. The girl could only wonder what the eyes behind those closed lids looked like, part of her knew that Arsiel could see her even with her eyes closed with little effort.

"And your assumption would be correct, child. Skardesh, beloved, please do release our guest so she may feel more welcome than merely being allowed to view our home from afar," the goddess' sweet voice echoed in her mind.

"That likely means she would like a closer look at the adorable young mortal," Skardesh lowered the girl to the soft lining of the nest and released his talons from beneath her belly when she had her feet beneath her, "But we are not here for pleasantries, there are matters of the greatest importance that we must speak to you about, young Carly, Daughter of Necrotai."

The girl lowered herself to her hands and knees to press her forehead against the floor of the nest in the deepest of bows, "What ever you would ask of me, Great Mother, and mighty Sky Lord."

"First I would demand you get up, I do not allow my own daughters to grovel before either of us and I wont have a child that is not my own doing so. We let our children follow us by the love in their hearts, not the fear," Arsiel was quick, yet gentle in her correction of the gesture that would normally have irritated the goddess.

"I demand the same of my sons. They are strong and should have the courage to look anyone in the eye, myself included. Yes, we are aware that you have not yet been exposed to much of any of the paths we deities have placed before the mortal races," Skardesh added as he moved to settle next to his consort.

Carly stood slowly, a jolt of ice running down her spine as she fought hard for the courage to look up and stare the two deities in the eyes, "You likely have already read it from my mind, but it is rude for me to not say that I am sorry for my foolishness. It is little, but it is all I have to offer. I am ready to hear what you would ask of me, oh Great Consorts."

"We ask nothing of you, we intend to warn you of events that will unfold if the Soul Legion is beaten here on Eldarohnd," Arsiel replied with a gentle purr to help sooth the girl's nerves.

"There will be frightening events that may lead you to believe that you have failed your people, but it may just be the opposite of what it seems," Skardesh added, "You will become the Bizshra after your father and you will spread the opening of eyes to the misplaced prejudism of man. But you will not succeed in conquering your own people with this movement. You must spread this word as far and wide across your nation as you can, if you do not have enough loyal followers willing to believe in your learned truths, or at the very least willing to fight for their Bizshra, your people that you leave behind will grow bold. Tahkra is a kind queen, but she will show no hesitation in eradicating an invading army from Grasolahn once she hears of your departure. Lacking an army, what remains of the traitorous members of your nation will be easy prey for the displaced predators of their own kind. You must gain a strong enough front to beat them down enough that they do not feel so bold as to challenge our children so foolishly."

Carly listened to the sky lord explain the fated outcome of an inevitable civil war for her people with a heavy heart, "But how can I do this? How do I gain the hearts of so many of my people when they are full of hate for your children? How do I show them what I know of the gryphons?"

"You learn from our children. Jirri the priestess will teach you the history, culture, and our guiding word. Tahkra is young to her post and in years, but she is wise beyond her years, you will learn from her just what it takes to lead people in a manner that you will guide them while they love you for your care and guidance. Agrok, the warrior of heart and body, she will teach you to fight both your physical foes and your inner demons. All three of our brightest daughters will teach you one thing that will be most important above all things; how to have the strength of heart and will to do what it is you have to in order to lead and protect the faithful, the true Grasolahn," Arsiel replied as her eyes opened to hold the child in her gaze, revealing the stunning sky-blue orbs of the goddess.

Carly felt herself starting to tremble as her eyes watered and her knees started to buckle, "But my father couldn't do it with all his strength and courage, how am I supposed to do it? I'm just a little girl, this is just.. I'm scared."

Arsiel stood and slowly walked toward the girl, every step she took made the goddess seem smaller until she was only as tall as the child when she reached her. Carly looked the goddess in the eyes for a moment before one strong paw reached up to her back and pulled her to the silky furred chest. She could not hold back her frightened tears any longer as she buried her face in the warm furry shoulder of the Great Mother and cried. A warm loving purr battered against the tides of her own fear as the tender care of the goddess washed over her.

"Your father has made changes in the hearts of a number of your people, you are not taking a task that has not been started and you will not be the one to finish it either. This is larger than a few generations can achieve, you simply need to play your part in this young Carly. We cannot interfere more than we are now, but you will never be alone. Your father made a prayer to three of us here in the pantheon of Eldarohnd, and we will make sure that it is answered. We are uncertain of Hynegaht's cooperation, so we have stepped in to ensure the future of the Bizshra's," Skardesh explained with a new soothing tone to his voice.

Carly lifted her tear stained eyes from the shoulder of the goddess to look up at her and her consort in turn, "So it is certain that the three nations will beat the Legion?"

"That outcome is beyond the hands of the fates and the gods of any realm. GahlByrn has shaken free of his destiny and turned himself into something even we should be wary of," Arsiel answered with a sad tone.

The girl stiffened a bit at that, "But if the gods themselves can't stop him, how are we mortals supposed to stop them? We are not gods, we can't muster that kind of strength."

"You mortals are far stronger than even your dreams can imagine, it is why we normally do not even involve ourselves this much with our priestesses," Skardesh cut off her spiral of doubt with a stern tone, "When left to your own devices, you show so much more power in your simple ways than even we gods can inflict upon the realms. Even the most lowly of you can instantly climb to the top of a hierarchy, just like you did. You can topple the fates to march on and shape history how you see fit, and you can stand stronger than any force we can muster, when you stand shoulder to shoulder, hand in foreclaw. What you have now is the most powerful force Eldarohnd can ever know, even if we gods were to march together against the Soul Legion."

Carly felt a warmth in her chest she had never felt before, something that thrilled and excited her as much as it frightened her, "You are so confident in us, how can we possibly let you down? But Great Consorts, you are doing all this for me, and yet I do not follow your paths. What price will you exact for this aide?"

"We ask nothing," Arsiel purred softly and gave her cheek a tender motherly lick, "We do everything we do out of love and honor. We help because it is right, and I have welcomed you into my nest because I wish to welcome you as my own daughter, even if it is not our path you wish to take. You have impressed me young Carly, daughter of Necrotai. I give you the gift of my love, to shelter you from the storm of your enemies rage."

Carly couldn't place the feeling about herself, but she knew something was different. Arsiel wrapped her forelegs around her and held her tight to her soft chest as that feeling got stronger, as if she could feel the love of the Great Mother wrapping around her. She couldn't help but embrace that divine warmth with heart and arms alike.

Skardesh stepped forward and wrapped both his goddess and the girl in his great white wings, "My wings will always protect you from the fury of those who would hate you or cause you harm."

Carly felt a weigh on her left arm, but she could not yet open her eyes that she had only just realized she had closed. Her heart pounded in her chest at the absolute divine honor she was given to be embraced by both the Great Consorts. Tears of pure joy fell from her eyes as she was overcome by their loving warmth and power. The girl felt another weight tug at her shoulder as if a pack had been slung over her back.

"We do have a small task for you, simply to deliver the third gift to our greatest daughter of beak and talon. Agrok will need an appropriate weapon to meet the challenges ahead. We will not forge it, but what we have given you to deliver in our name will aide those who will," Arsiel gave her one last loving lick before her head started to swim once more, "Never forget, you are never alone. We love you, and we will always be with you."

A blinding light filled her vision, even with her eyes closed against it, Carly could not escape the brilliance. The soft fur against her chest seemed to change in texture to feel much more like feathers and the air grew colder. The sound of wind filled her ears once more as she took one gasping breath and began to breath heavily as though she had awaken from a very intense dream. It did not take her long to realize she was astride Crousel's shoulders once more, making her question of her whole encounter with the Great Consorts had truly been a dream.

"Carly! Are you okay," Crousel called back to her as her stirring caught his attention.

Tilt must have been close, the girl could feel the turbulence of his wings as he called out his thoughts, "She looks fine, but where did that armor and satchel come from?"

"What are you talking about Tilt, she doesn't feel any heavier," Crousel countered as the girl slowly picked herself up to look at her hands.

They were indeed wrapped in a shining armor that resembled large feline paws that rested over her hands. She noticed the shield on her left arm next, a pair of great silver wings spread his together to form the triangular shape of her protective plate. The light of day was fading around the trio, which caught Carly's attention next.

"How long was I gone," she asked, uncertain if the gryphons had been aware of her departure from her body at the talons of their great Sky Lord.

Crousel heaved a sigh of relief, "You have been out for hours, I thought I heard a powerful voice in my head so I stayed the course. We are almost to the village of New Beginnings, if you look you can see the fires in the distance."

Carly strained herself to see the dim glow of the central fires and nodded gently to herself, "We must make haste Crousel, we now bare a gift from the Consorts to Agrok Asreigh."

"That's where that stuff came from," Tilt faltered in his flight with shock, bringing him into her field of vision briefly before he corrected himself, "Beat those wings Crow, we dare not delay or risk losing a gift from the Consorts."

Crousel shook his head, "I wont risk my passenger, you power on ahead and let them know we are coming, I'll get Carly there before the sun sinks out of sight."

"Right, you two keep plodding on, I'll rouse the natives and have food and drink ready for you," Tilt didn't wait for a reply before he tucked his wings in a shallow dive to trade height for speed before he began to beat his wings hard and pull ahead of the pair.

Carly felt her heart pounding, she was making more of a fuss than she really wanted to, but Skardesh and Arsiel had warned her that she would make so much more of a commotion in the years to come. The girl figured she had better get used to it while it wasn't dangerous, she had a long future to prepare for after all.

* * *

Tensaih laid herself back against Agrok's soft feathered side to rest her head on the wing of her dear friend while Reyfis Asreigh showed his newly crafted weapons to his daughters and his son in-law. The gryphoness stared at her for a moment with a feigned look of annoyance; a look that was made entirely ineffective by the soft purring she could here rumbling in the lean form beneath her head.

"So I challenged the ranks of GahlByrn, held the bastard under my own talons, and now I am destined to be a mere pillow," Agrok huffed playfully and gave Tensaih a light bop on her nose with the tufted tip of her tail.

The dragoness waved away the protest, "This is penance for your bad behavior this morning. I will have to think of something else, you are enjoying this too much."

"Behave you two, or I wont let you have your little sleep overs anymore," Tahkra chided while Malehk held Reyfis' heavy bladed weapon in his foreclaw to test the balance.

Tensaih eyed the weapon with interest, the steel blade resembled a cross between a talon and a hand scythe with a heavy thickness that gave it some weight to each swing. Such weight would be difficult to a human to wield, but the large broadwinged gryphons that made up the Titanian fighting gryphons would have little trouble with the odd weapons. The razor sharp edge was along the inside curve of the blade, allowing the twin set to be used in a rather effective scissoring action that would likely snap a spear shaft, or even a sword with ease. The handles were hand carved to fit the owner's specific foreclaw's grip and at the very back was what caught the dragon's eye. They had a half hook that allowed them to be drawn and quickly twirled into the wielder's grip. Such an easily accessible weapon could easily be given some sort of spell breaking enchantments to solve the her own fears for Agrok's safety.

"Tahk, you are such an old maid already! Being in charge has really muddled that mind of yours in such a short time," Agrok tisked at her sister as she gladly seized the bait to fall into sisterly banter, "Making Tensaih and I sound like a pair of youthful fledgelings, honestly! Have you forgotten who it was that got us both grounded for a month before we could even fly?"

Tahkra huffed right back, the platinum tiara on her crest glinting in the light with happy little sparkles, "I recall some one not listening to my plan that got us caught. Besides, if you want this job, you can have it and all the headaches that come along with it. I'll just drag Malehk off and make good use of him with my new found free time."

"Oh no, you leave being queen behind, the king will have to take the new one, so Malehk will be mine with the tiara," Agrok countered with a bit of a smug tilt of her head to bring her beak up a bit.

Malehk blinked and stared at the two sisters with a blank expression that Tensaih considered the only smart one to wear, "Um.."

"The hell he will, you get your claws on something else," Tahkra shot back.

The two stared at each other with such a tense expression that Tensaih and the others in the room began to wonder of the spat was real or just sisterly games. It became crystal clear when both Agrok and Tahkra burst into laughter. The dragoness caught herself letting out a sigh of relief.

Agrok smiled at her sister and queen, "It's okay Tahk, you can keep the crown and Malehk, he wouldn't mesh up with me very well in a long term situation. I wouldn't mind borrowing him every now and then though, grrowl."

"I'll tell you what, you bring me something equal in trade and I'll swap with you for one night. But you will need something damned good to trade for my fine mate."

Tensaih felt sorry for Malehk as his ears were flat against his skull under the awkward conversation while Agrok gave her reply, "Well, you said equal trade, I don't have any males but I do have this amazingly gorgeous dragoness. She might be of greater value though, even if you don't fancy a female lover. I don't want to get screwed by the deal before I get my rental to my place."

"She looks fine from here, but I'll be the judge on how well she stacks up to my handsome male," Tahkra replied as she stood and moved closer to Tensaih, who was blushing madly as she came to be inspected with eye and gentle forepaw, "Hmm, yes I see it now, gorgeous form, soft yet well toned for a scholar type, and obviously intelligent if she knows such high magics as we have heard her describe. You would be losing out on this deal, except that I wouldn't be able to make any further use of her than what I already am."

Malehk shook his head gently, "You two are absolutely awful."

"Well, with a smart beak like that on him, I think I'll stick with Tensaih," Agrok gave a little bit of a playful huff, "At least she is nice enough to be a good sport about a little silly banter."

The dragoness cleared her throat gently, "Or perhaps I'm just a bit too embarrassed by your suggestions to speak up against them."

"I'm sorry hun, I would never trade you like that," the warrior curled her head back to nuzzle her scaly cheek softly.

Tensaih enjoyed the caress for a moment before she stood up and made her way over to stand next to gryphon king, "Who's to say I wouldn't prefer to go with Malehk anyway? I may not be able to treat him to the feminine delights that either of you can, but I am fairly confident he can perform like a lady for me and would be quite good for a warm embrace. He seems to treat me better than a trading token as well. We'll leave the two evil sisters to each other and have a good, if a little odd, union."

"Yeah, who says I need sex to be happily mated," Malehk took on a stern tone as he reached a foreclaw up to her hip and pulled her to his side.

Tensaih leaned her head a bit close to his, "Raise your foreclaw please, I'm not comfortable with it that low."

"Oh, sorry about that. I'm not used to holding some one with a waist," his nares darkened a bit as he raised his foreclaw to her ribs.

The dragoness gave a little giggle as she draped her own arm over the back of his neck, "It's quite alright, you didn't touch anything personal."

"You people do realize the father of half the people in this room is still sitting right here," Reyfis finally spoke up with a shake of his head.

Tahkra was about to speak when a lovely blue-gray feathered female gryphon pushed through the door flap of the queen's dwelling, "Queen Asreigh, courier Azreal with news of your fosterling's impending arrival. She is astride the warrior Crousel as we speak. His partner Tilt reports that they bring tidings and a physical gift from the Consorts for warrior Agrok."

"A gift from the Consorts," Tahkra's eyes went wide at that bit of news, though she recovered quickly, "Where is Tilt now?"

Azreal looked her queen in the eyes with respect, "He and his partner have flown long and hard, he was in need of food, rest, and drink."

"Thank you for that information, but that does not answer my question, courier. Where is he being given his meal and drink," Tahkra replied with a firm demand.

There was a flash of defiance in the other young female's eyes before Tensaih stepped forward, "Tahkra is a kind ruler, which is why I will strip the information she wants from your mind with the most painful spells I can manage for such a task. She may not have the heart to call you to task for this affront, but I do. Now out with it, where is warrior Tilt?"

"Tensaih," Tahkra snapped, "I thank you for your assistance, but I will request your services in such matters if I need them. Understood?"

The dragoness gave a nod, "Yes queen Asreigh."

"Tilt is at my dwelling," Azreal finally spoke up, "Only because I have company over, else he would have been with the healers."

Tahkra gave a nod as she reached for her basket that held a stack of paper and a writing stick to begin scrawling out a short letter, "That is all I wished to know, Crousel can fill us in on what happened when he arrives. Take this letter to Tilt and return here for your next assignment immediately after."

"Yes my queen," Azreal took the letter and slipped it into a thin compartment on the chest of her harness that Tensaih had not noticed before.

It was a clever design, simple a second layer of leather over the base of the harness that could be pulled slightly with a talon to allow a piece of parchment to slip inside and stay safely put. That extra layer of leather was adorned the image of Titania's banner. The courier moved with no signs of being hindered by her small cargo or a bulky carrying device.

Tahkra gave a gentle nod of dismissal to the courier before she turned her attention back to her guests, "I trust a bit of time assisting Tensaih with the border shields will calm her disposition a bit. Which reminds me, would you be a dear and send a message to Jirri to inform her that we shall need her services?"

"Of course, that would be no trouble at all," Tensaih replied with a smile as she started sending her message.

The young queen turned her attention back to her father and his newly crafted weapons, "These, gryphon scythes, can they be crafted and distributed with a fair bit of ease?"

"They are still an experimental design, but once we are certain they are of sensible combat use Master Smith Albre will begin teaching his fellow smiths and apprentices how to craft them. The wood smiths have already started spreading the handle design methods, as that has more than just a single application," Reyfis replied with a bit of a smile.

Tahkra nodded as she gave the floor a thoughtful stare, "I want you working with Saltriss to come up with an art for using them and teaching their use to others right away. If these are to be a gryphon tool, we gryphons need to know how to use them."

"Very well, I will speak with him tonight so we can both consider their use in the field and how to teach that," Tensaih watched as Tahkra's own father showed her the respect of her station.

The young queen shook her head, "You will see if Wood smith Alexander is awake and propose my idea of wooden practice scythes for our current crop of fledgling warriors. I want this mastered as quickly as possible, and I mean as absolutely possible. This could very well spare us some casualties and I would be no kind of ruler if I didn't do all I could to reduce the loss of my people's lives."

"Yes my queen," Reyfis dipped his head in a bow before he looked up and grinned at his eldest daughter, "But I will not depart until my girls give me a proper goodnight."

Both Tahkra and Agrok smiled as they moved like fleeting shadows to nuzzle the cheeks of their father who nuzzled them each in return. Tensaih was simply amazed as each member of the family shifted so seamlessly between the roles of political and family hierarchy. It was not something she had seen with her own father, he was always the clan patriarch at every moment he lived. To see Tahkra act as a daughter to Reyfis was something that just amazed the dragon. As she watched the warm exchange between father and daughters, a warm sensation spreading down her cheek caught Tensaih off guard with emotions she didn't even know she was at war with. A new thought and question crossed her sharp mind, one she needed to know the answer to. Did her father act as the patriarch, or was his sentence an attempt to protect her from others? As much as she needed to answer that question, she knew there was no way to ever get that answer.

Reyfis smiled and turned away from his daughters to head out on his errands when Tahkra caught Tensaih off guard, "Tensaih, I would like for you to take a walk with me. Just you and I so we can talk, Malehk can receive our guests if they arrive before we return."

"Of course, I can oblige such a simple request," the dragoness wiped her eyes quickly, "Where is it we are to walk to?"

Tahkra smiled at her and stepped toward the door, "Just around, this is mostly about the talk than the walk. We have some personal matters to discuss."

Tensaih gave a gentle nod and followed the young queen out into the night air. Tahkra did not speak as she lead the dragoness through the center circle of the growing village that had become far more than a mere training village. So many refugees had come to live amongst the young warriors in training that the village had become more of a small town with stone buildings beginning to pop up all around the leather dwellings. Wooden structures housed the workshops of many craftsmen of various types. All of this was not just showing up in New Beginnings, it was happening all over the plains. Tensaih wasn't sure if she felt good about the humanizing of the gryphon's villages, all she was certain about was that Tahkra was leading her to the outer edges of the village.

"Shouldn't you have a warrior or two to be on guard for you," she asked gently as they came within sight of the open plains beyond the village.

Tahkra shook her head gently, "You are a Vyrekai, you are for more potent than an entire regiment of mundane guards. I trust I will be safe in your presence."

"You are correct on both counts, forgive my poor advice," Tensaih replied as they stepped beyond the buildings to the long grass of the plains.

The two females fell into silence again as the queen lead the mage over a few small hills to a little bit of a clearing in the grass with a nice view of the village and the plains all around them. Tahkra sat in silence for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the twin moons. Tensaih noticed an eerie similarity to the hill that she had watched the queen and Agrok sit with their new lovers on the day the Legion arrived and changed everything. She couldn't help but feel that the past was a factor in the choice of location for the impending conversation.

"I'm not comfortable with it," the gryphoness spoke at last with her eyes locked on the moons, "The very idea of a same sex relationship just feels wrong to me, but that is likely because I am not likely to ever be in such a relationship. I know enough of how I feel to realize that what feels wrong is that I just wouldn't be doing it."

Tensaih let out a long sigh, "At least you are kind in your honesty in refusing to accept me. I will say that it is very wise of you to realize where you find things to feel wrong."

"Don't take my words wrong, being comfortable with something and accepting it can be different things," Tahkra countered, "I respect your courage and perseverance in keeping true to yourself, even in the face of such terrible consequences. I am not comfortable with your preferences, but I am very comfortable with you as a person. The one thing you do that I do not necessarily see eye to eye with you on doesn't hurt anyone. You and I could easily be the best of friends as things stand now."

The dragoness looked back toward the village, "So you can't bring yourself to be comfortable with the idea, but you accept it. That is a very hard concept to understand, especially when your own beloved sister is trying to decide if she could enjoy being like myself at least somewhat. What would happen if she did decide she wanted to try things and loved it?"

"I would throw the biggest party I could manage without wasting resources," Tahkra grinned and turned her eyes back to the dragon, "I know Agrok better than anyone else ever could, and I see something that makes me like you more than anything else about you. You make Agrok happy and make her smile in a way I have only seen once before in her entire life. That smile only crossed her face when she was with Kenten and now she shows that same deep running joy when she is around you. Whether she realizes it or not, I can see it in her Tensaih. It leaves me with a request for you, on a personal level, female to female, not queen to subordinate."

The dragoness stared back at the sister of her friend and companion, "What ever you may ask, I will do my best to fulfill if it is at all possible."

"Pursue her Tensaih. You already have her heart, now draw her in to your side," Tahkra grasped her arm, "I see it in her eyes and in the way she is so relaxed around you. The happiest she will ever be is with you and I want that for her more than anything. Agrok has done so much for me and gave so much to try and do her best for our people, she deserves a happy ending."

Tensaih pulled away from her grip and stared at her with a hard gaze, "I will not chase her. What you want for her is a huge change in the norm for her and such a thing must be felt inside on her own terms, not by being pressured into it. Believe me Tahkra, I wish she was like me, I would have done everything I could to try and be allowed at her side until the days of my life ended. If she takes me now, she must do so because she feels a need to have me in such a way."

"I understand your reasoning," Tahkra nodded softly with a sad and hopeful look in her eyes, "I just wish there was some way to make her more at ease with the idea so she would at least try it. I know she would just click into place and never leave."

The dragoness gave a wry grin, "Mmm..I hope she does just that, but why are you talking of such things with me now? Between the both of you, I'm going to have to find some sort of release eventually with all your teasing talk."

"Oh stop it you silly girl," Tahkra giggled and gave her shoulder a light push.

Tensaih only shifted lanes of banter at that urging, "You two are so mean to me, maybe I will take Malehk, I have enough arcane knowledge to make him female for play time. I bet he would adore such a thing, I might even be able to bring myself to let him play as a male on rare occasions when I feel bad about him being female for me so many times."

"He would enjoy that far too much," Tahkra replied dryly, "Why is it that everyone wants my mate all of a sudden? I could kind of understand Agrok, he is handsome and we are all close, but the lesbian dragon? Now things are just getting out of hand."

The dragoness grinned wickedly and gave the young queen a tender kiss on the cheek, "Maybe you will have to spend plenty of time with him and remind him just how good he has it behind closed doors. You know, so we evil temptresses don't whisk him away to bizarre relationships and bedroom games."

"Okay, now I know for certain you and he are in league together on this," Tahkra accused the mage, "But what could you possibly be getting out of all this?"

Tensaih smiled sweetly, "Why isn't it obvious? What male wouldn't be over joyed to have three females performing for him?"

"That would be what he gets, that doesn't explain what you get," Tahkra countered.

She reached out and caressed the soft feathered cheek, "I get both sisters, and I get to watch him in action. You see, I keep you busy trying to keep him firmly interested in your tail while I seduce Agrok and work on you and her as well to draw you both in to one another with myself. Of course you have a mate, so it just wouldn't be fair to leave him out, so he gets both sisters too and maybe a light taste of me."

"But you said yourself that you can't stand a male," the young queen narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Tensaih laughed lightly, "He wouldn't get to come in, but I can stand to perform some services for a male in the midst of such interactions as I described."

"I certainly hope you are joking about all of this," Tahkra stared at her with a flat expression, "Although, it might be interesting. Too bad it would be too weird for Ronin to ever find out about such things, and then the political backlash against me and Malehk. Certainly not worth the odd curiosity of it all."

The dragoness let out a singing trill of laughter, "Which is why I only jest about such things. I see you got curious instead of uncomfortable though, so we know your mind can change about my tastes."

"To be honest, I would do it in a heartbeat if I thought it would get Agrok into it for you," Tahkra replied, "If Malehk were to okay such an exchange of course."

Tensaih let her smile fade into a more serious expression, "All of this bonding banter aside, I do appreciate your approval of my interests in Agrok. It puts me more at ease with anything that might become of us to know that at least part of her family is happy with the possibilities that I desire."

"Well, I would rather have a new brother since I've never had one, but this isn't about what I want," Tahkra let her beak part in a real smile that tinted her pale amber eyes with a warmth that brought the truth of her words through, "This is about you and Agrok, and what would make you happy. If that is what brings the most joy and completes you both, then I am happy to have a second sister."

The dragoness shook her head gently, "Are you sure you would want that for her? Being like me, even partially, comes with a lot of social backlash in so very many cultures. People here are likely to be quite unpleasant towards the both of us and push for our exile or execution."

"I don't care what it takes, I would fight beak and talon to see my little sister that happy again," the young queen held her with a determined gaze, "Even if it cost me the tiara, I would rather lose my place as queen than set a precedence of hate and intolerance for our people. Let them see that the first queen fought for the right to love who your heart desires to the very end of her reign."

Tensaih couldn't help herself, she needed to embrace the gryphoness before her, "You have a strong and beautiful heart Tahkra, Agrok is so lucky to have a sister like you."

"Well I think I would be lucky to have a sister like you," Tahkra smiled as she returned that embrace, "Despite our difference in tastes, you are a pleasant person to know and work with."

The dragoness pulled back from the warm embrace to look back at the village once more, "Speaking of work, we should head back, Crousel is sure to have arrived by now. I'm fairly certain that you will want to greet your pupil before she retires for the evening."

"Yes, I would indeed prefer that, and I would like you to look over these gifts yourself," the gryphoness replied softly as she made her first steps toward the village that was their home, "If they did come from the Consorts themselves, or they came from a trickster of a mage, I figure you would be able to tell far better than anyone else."

Tensaih nodded gently and followed along side the queen, "You are correct, I can indeed detect the presence of divine or arcane energies. I may not be able to tell you exactly what properties a divine enchantment might have, the gods of Ketzial never gifted any of their people with such items."

"The funny thing is, neither have the Consorts," Tahkra replied with a flip of her wings in a sort of shrug, "This is the first time they've spoken directly to anyone or gifted any sort of artifacts. What ever their message was, it was vastly more important than any other message they have had to give before."

The dragoness gave a nod as the pair came to the first small structures on the outer edge of the village, "Yes, it is difficult to tell if this bodes well for us or if we have a dark omen on our hands. With the gods reaching out to us, things can go either way."

"You are quite right, which is why it is important for us to hear their message and witness their gifts," the queen replied with a nod of agreement.

There wasn't much else to say as they passed through the stone structures that had sprouted during the rise of the gryphon nation. They were few in number, but that count was growing every day and not just in their former training village. The masons spread through out the plains to begin building the sturdy homes for the people of Titania, both gryphon and human alike. There was another project that a decent sized team of masons and a few of the less combat oriented mages were working on in secret. They felt it was something important that the people would find strength and a real sense of nationality in rather than being left to feel like a collection of refugees hiding from the foe that had destroyed their homes. Tensaih had heard about it from Kahlah, who had distributed the mages to the cause after Tahkra reluctantly gave in to their requests. The project was handled by several of the nobles and kept expressly under the queen's radar. Tensaih had her suspicions as to where the project was being built, her scrying of the plains for the construction of her shield found a large collection of concealment spells toward the center of the plains.

A white and gray gryphoness stepped out of one of the leather dwelling a bit away and waved to the pair before she hurried over to them. Tensaih's blood ran hot in her veins as anger boiled in her heart at the sight of that particular female. She knew Krintahl by reputation and description and she knew what part she played in breaking Agrok's heart. Tahkra seemed no more pleased to see her than the dragon was.

"Tahkra, Lady Tensaih, please wait," she called out as she cut the pair off, "I need to talk to you about Agrok."

A lethal glare would have cleaved the poor girl in half if the young queen had physical force to her gaze, "I have business to conduct at home, I've not the time to waste on you."

"But, I've done nothing to you, why are you so angry," Krintahl asked with her ears back in a pathetic posture.

Tahkra refused to even look at her as she headed toward her dwelling, "Harming my family is far worse than anything you would or could ever do to me. Be glad I am the queen and must adhere to protocols of respectability and professional diplomacy, else you would learn just how hot my rage burns, bitch."

Krintahl stared after the queen in utter shock, "What have I done to deserve such hatred? At least you are civil toward me, maybe there is some hope-"

"Shut your beak you imbecile," Tensaih snapped at the gryphoness, "I am civil because Agrok has asked it, but make no mistake that I am not your friend. I will never be your friend or your ally, I just can't stand you."

"What have I done to you," Krintahl demanded, her privileged treatment showing through in her haughty body language, "Every one hates me and I have done nothing to any of you people to deserve this."

A deep growl rattled in the depths of the mage's chest, "You have hurt some one we care about quite dearly with your selfish disrespect of an existing relationship. You moved in on that fellow that Agrok was so close to and came on so strong that he was caught up in the moment, overcome by such intense interest during a short spot of shaky times."

"She was treating him like dirt, I showed him warmth and love when he was so very lonely with her at his side," Krintahl snapped right back, "That frigged little slut drew him in then stomped on his heart for her own amusement."

Tensaih felt her energy flowing through her as all her anger centers were punched quite firmly by the female before her, "That bastard knew she was going through some hard times and she needed space to address her own heart on her own terms. Instead of giving her that personal time as a supportive lover would have, he ran right to the first whore with a little bit of a shake to her tail. Just like every filthy male I have ever known."

Krintahl gave bit of a cry and pounced on the dragoness, bringing her down on her back. Tensaih was quick enough to grab her wrists before the gryphoness could get a hold of her. The two females struggled against one another in a display that would have seemed rather pathetic to a real fighter, but neither one of them was any sort of physical combatant. The dragoness could have easily ended the fight in an instant with any number of nonlethal spells, but such a petty squabble was not worth bringing her arcane might to bare against her opponent. Tensaih finally managed to get her feet under the belly of her foe and gave a mighty shove to throw her off before she rolled quickly onto her hands and feet to stand on all fours. Krintahl gave a grunt as she hit the ground and sprawled on her side for a moment while the dragoness removed a specific enchantment from herself. Tensaih's body grew rapidly, expanding to her full draconic size to tower more than fifty feet above the gryphoness. Angry sapphire eyes glared down at the offending female as the dragoness pinned her to the ground with one massive silver hand.

Tensaih drive her huge talons into the ground around her prey, "Do not think I am helpless without my magic, I am still a dragon of Ketzial and I am still capable of defending myself. Now you are going to listen while I tell you what I know for a fact. You never waited to see what her side of the story was, nor did you delve into his story beyond the portions you wanted to hear. You pursued him at the first sign of weakness in his relationship and his loyalty to Agrok. I know this for a fact because I watched you. Did you really think that you could have made it out of Legion territory with more than fifty civilians and not be found, even with the help of the other scouts? I trapped two patrols in a fold in this realm until you passed, then I dropped them on an uninhabitable world to die of the harsh conditions. You camped in the grove that I was using as a hiding place, where the druidic spirits were helping me to scry on the events unfolding on this planet while I was not yet a player in them. No matter how you try and justify the act, you stole Agrok's lover the night she decided to offer him a real mate-ship and you did it with no concern for anyone's feelings but your own. You are a selfish home wrecker and I want nothing to do with your kind. I may desire Agrok's heart, but I didn't want her to be available like that. I wanted her to be happy, even if it was with him."

"I..I..I didn't mean to hurt anyone," tears rolled down Krintahl's feathered cheeks as she stared up at the angry dragoness, "He just seemed so handsome and sad, I never thought there could have been any reason to justify how she made him feel.. I never realized.. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it all back."

Tensaih let a heavy sigh escape her throat before she released her captive and replaced the size enchantment back on herself, "Well, you can't and you can't repair the damage you did this evening. Agrok may want me to be civil, but you crossed the line when you attacked me. If I see you anywhere near my beloved gryphoness or our family, I will tear your heart out with my fangs while I hold your soul captive so you can enjoy every moment of your body dying. She may not return my feelings, but it does not change the fact that I love her and I will protect the ones I love to the most savage extremes. I have lost too much to let some naive brat tear their hearts apart."

There were no more words between the two females as Tensaih turned to walk away only to find a small group had gathered to watch the squabble, "Go home, all of you. There's nothing to be said here, just leave this whole thing be."

She had hoped it would die there but her hopes were dashed against the stone shores of people and their nature as the crowd began to whisper quietly amongst themselves, "Looks like that girl picked the wrong lady to mess with."

It was the only phrase she was able to pick out amongst the hushed jumble of words as human and gryphon alike began their gossip. Tensaih was thankful for her metallic scales as she felt her cheeks burning with a blush underneath them. She was not proud of how the exchange took place, but neither would she apologize for the way she had handled it. The record needed to be set strait with Krintahl and it was best that her temper flared with the dragoness who had a quick and easy way to subdue her rather than her blowing up at some warrior that was more likely to cause her real harm. Tensaih decided she would not tell Agrok and Tahkra about the incident until they were away from the child from Grasolahn. Such ugly matters were best kept away from diplomatic eyes and the eyes of children.

Tensaih shook the whole thing off as she neared the dwelling that Tahkra shared with Malehk, she would need a clear mind for what Tahkra would ask of her. When she pulled the door flap aside she found that general Carpenter had joined the lot as they examined a suit of armor that had been spread out over a sleeping mat. It was small enough to fit a child and the whole suit was stylized to take on the appearance of a humanoid cougar, from the paw shaped gauntlets and greaves, to the helmet that was simply a cougar's head with an over sized, open mouth in place of a visor.

"It looks more like silver than steel, but it seems to be much harder," Carpenter observed as he brushed a leather gloved hand over the helmet as though he were petting the large cat.

With out warning, the human drew his great sword and gave a mighty swing that brought the blade crashing down onto the chest plate to bounce off in a shower of sparks. The armor didn't even show signs of the tiniest scratch after the strike had blunted a portion of the blade against it.

"By the gods, it damaged my blade, but there's not even a scratch," Carpenter gasped as Malehk and moved in to examine the armor and blade as well.

Tensaih rolled her eyes and placed a hand on the general's wrists, "If you boys are done playing with your toys, I could have easily told you that the armor is carrying powerful divine enchantments. The only one of which I can identify is making that armor nearly indestructible."

"Huh, well I wish I would have known that before you let me bash my blade against it," Carpenter grumbled as he examined the flat spot on his blade.

Agrok shook her head at the human, "She didn't let you do it, you took it upon yourself to test it out before anyone had a chance to ask Tensaih anything about the armor. Don't you dare try to pin blame on her for your own blunder."

"Agrok, enough," Tahkra cut her sister off with a commanding tone, "Tensaih, what can you tell us about the armor and shield?"

The dragoness gave a small nod of obedience to her new queen before she turned her arcane senses upon the items for a long moment, "I can tell you they were created by two beings, the enchantments on the armor have a more feminine ring to them. They embrace and shelter the wearer of the armor like a mothers loving wings. Very subtle and gentle, while the enchantments on the shield have a more brash and masculine feel to them. Like the angry father, they radiate with a display to show they are here to destroy that which would hurt the sheltered wielder. The armor only shows that it is highly resistant to physical strikes, perhaps even magic. The shield is designed to break momentum of the attacks it blocks without transferring that force into the wielder of the shield, although it is only a small percentage of transfer. Spells blocked by the shield will shatter rather than completing their effect cycle."

"It seems you have a powerful gift, Carly, please show Tensaih the gift the Consorts gave to Agrok," Tahkra turned to the girl that Tensaih had overlooked beside the queen.

The former servant girl stepped forward and reached into a red leather satchel that stood out like a sore thumb against her gray padded shirt. The leather surface was covered in symbols of cougars and eagles that Tensaih took for holy symbols as she sensed divine energy residue on the item. Carly pulled her hand out of that satchel to reveal a large lump of metal that was very similar to the armor plates she had been wearing. Tensaih let her senses extend into the metal to feel out the weave of the heavy divine energies to try and determine what they were intended to do.

"My, the Consorts are a clever pair," she spoke more to herself than the others in the room, "This metal is a blank, divine in origin and charging, but very receptive to arcane enchantments. The energies in the metal are woven in strait strands along all the points that one would lay in an enchantment, meaning that they would bend and weave with the arcane energies, making a divine copy of the same enchantments. I believe the Consorts intended you to have some sort of weapon to be enchanted with properties that some clever mage could think of."

Agrok stepped forward to examine the metal herself, "A weapon, or some sort of armor? These are just lumps of metal without instructions hun."

"There's not nearly enough metal there to create any real useful bits of armor," Malehk pointed out.

Tensaih smiled warmly at Carly, "What did the Consorts say about this gift, sweetheart?"

"They said that Agrok would need a weapon to meet the challenges that lay ahead because the outcome could not be seen or fated," the human girl spoke up with confidence in what she had to say, even if she seemed nervous around the people in the dwelling.

The dragoness gave the girl a warm smile, "Thank you, I do believe that is all we needed to know about these lumps of metal."

There was a gentle tapping at one of the supports around the door flap announcing the arrival of yet another guest. Carpenter stepped over to the flap to draw it back and reveal the new arrival.

"It is an awful hour to be scampering about the village on a vague summons," Jirri huffed lightly as she stepped into the queen's dwelling, making things quite crowded, "I have a convalescing mate to tend to, as well as a new child in the home that requires assistance to her mother in caring for her."

Tahkra nodded to acknowledge her complaint, but made no move to apologize, "We need you to assess the tale of our young delegate here to determine if she was indeed brought before the Consorts, or if some other god has played a cruel trick upon her. The first evidence we have are the items they gave her."

"Very well, it is my duty to protect the image and sanctity of the Great Consorts," the priestess seemed to calm down considerably at the news of what she was summoned to do, her eyes examined the armor and shield for a moment, "I will wrap you in my love to keep you warm and safe from the world. My wings will protect you from harm. The consorts have never made items before, but these gifts make perfect sense to their most basic promises."

Carly seemed to harden in her stance and expression, "I know it was the Great Consorts, I was held in the warm embrace of the Great Mother herself."

"What do you mean? Our greatest ancestors have never been directly seen by mortal eyes since the first gryphons left their nest," Jirri replied with a gentle tone, careful not to sound as though she were accusing the child of lying, "I think you had better tell me all that had happened to I may accurately discern what this encounter means for the people of Eldarohnd."

The girl looked up at Tahkra who nodded gently to her with a touch of her forepaw upon her shoulder. Carly took a deep breath and gave a full recount of her encounter with the holiest of figures to the gryphons of Titania and their message to the young Bizshra in training. The tale started with her flight astride Crousel and ended with her return to his back. Tensaih found herself quite impressed with the deep loving nature of the Consorts even as they kept themselves mostly unseen and unheard. Most deities of such direct concern for their flock would have been more overbearing and aggressively strict in their guidance. The Great Consorts, on the other hand, were loving and trusting of their children to let them stand on their own four feet and face the world as it came to them.

Jirri nodded gently to herself as she listened to the child's tale, "This is indeed quite accurate to the teachings of our greatest ancestors. I do believe you have been given the greatest honor any being on our world could ever have received. This news is both heartening and disturbing all the same, the fate of the Legion's final chapter is in our claws. But this will not be anything but the hardest fight this world has ever seen, and even our champions need the aide of the gods to have a fighting chance. Agrok, the burden upon your shoulders is great. The Consorts have declared you the greatest hope for this world to survive and have chosen to arm you for that which you will face. Are you ready for such a heavy burden?"

Agrok looked around at everyone for a moment with a look that seemed to falter under such pressure until Tensaih grasped her shoulder, "She is ready, because she is never to be alone. I will stand by her, and so will Grenz. The three of us together will not fail the people of Titania."

"She's right, we will stand together and we will fight them until the last breath leaves our chests," Agrok looked her right in the eyes, something warm was alight deep in those blue pools, "No matter what it takes, we will not rest until the Legion is beaten and GahlByrn faces judgment for his sins."

Jirri reached out a forepaw and turned Agrok's beak to face her, "You have a double task to ensure the future of our people. This girl must be taught the ways of strength and courage of heart, as well as the strength and skill of body for her harsh future. You must make sure she is ready for what will come."

"Her first lesson is to never back down when she knows her cause is righteous, no matter how tough the challenge may be," determined blue eyes locked onto the warm brown eyes of the young heir, "It is far less to ask one person to fight hard and sacrifice of themselves for the whole than it is to ask the whole to be sacrificed for the individual."

Carly nodded gently at the gryphoness as she seemed to wilt a bit under the heat of Agrok's determination, "Y-yes ma'am."

"Tahkra, Agrok," Tensaih spoke up to both the leading females, "The hour is late for such a little one, she needs food and drink then I believe sleep is in order. We should be getting home as well to take our evening meal as I am expending quite a bit of strength on this shielding for the nation."

Tahkra gave a gentle nod, "Agreed, Carpenter, if you would be so kind as to fetch one of those in charge of food for us and have them deliver a meal for two gryphons and a human child?"

"Yes my queen," the human general gave a salute in the form of grasping his chest over his heart and bowing slightly, "Shall I send for a sleeping mat for your young pupil?"

Tahkra looked the girl over for a moment before she turned her eyes to Malehk with a twinge of pleading to them, causing the male to nod in answer to the unasked question, "No, she will not sleep on a mere mat while she is here. This girl has lived the life of a lowly servant for years, it is time to start learning what comfort is so she may seek that for her people. Carly will share our small nest of pillows until a proper bed can be constructed for her."

"Yes my queen," Carpenter nodded before he slipped out the door into the night air.

The young queen smiled warmly at the child, who was wide eyed and confused by the decree of her hostess, "Carly, give Agrok and Tensaih a hug so they can be on their way for the evening."

"W-what," the girl blinked at the gryphoness as though she had gone mad, "But, isn't that something family does? I am not family, I am just a poor girl who has a big responsibility ahead of her."

Tahkra's pale amber eyes seemed to glow with amusement, "This is one of your lessons that you will learn more of as you stay here. Love can make you stronger than anything out there, and the most basic source of love is one's own family. Since you lack your own blood-lines amongst our people, I will bring you into my own family as though you came from my own womb. I do not wish to replace your standing family by any means, I simply intend to make you feel as though you are a part of ours. As strange a family as that is."

The expression on the girl's face spoke entire tomes worth of her lack of experience with a closely bonded and loving family. Tensaih could not help but feel a bit sorry for the girl, even she had experience with a loving family in her childhood. The girl was still uncertain about making contact with the two non-human females. Tensaih made the first move in an attempt to calm the child's nervousness, stepping forward and kneeling to wrap her scaly arms around the girl. Carly hesitated for a moment before she wrapped her arms around the elder female's ribs.

"See? We're not so scary are we," Tensaih asked with a rather warm and motherly smile, "Next is Agrok and we'll be off to our rest."

The girl nodded and blushed softly as she detached herself from the dragoness and stepped to the gryphoness to wrap her arms around her soft feathered body, "Oh! You're to warm and soft!"

"Hmm..yes, the feathers and fur do make me rather soft and warm to the touch. You are a bit soft to hug on too, I would have thought you would have been tougher with your start as a servant," Agrok replied as she wrapped a single forelimb around the girl in a sort of gryphon hug.

Carly looked down as she backed away from the gryphoness, "I was never allowed to play, so my work only made me dirty and tired."

"Well kiddo, you have much to learn, but the days of toiling away with no hope a future are over," Agrok smiled with a sparkle in her lovely blue eyes, "I think you might get along real well with Ronin, my adopted daughter."

Tahkra smiled and rested a forepaw on Carly's shoulder, "We shall look into this tomorrow, dear sister, tonight has been a big night for our guest and I do believe a good night's rest is in order before we fully change her life."

"Agreed, I shall see you in the morning Tahk, I want to get that material to Albre to see if he can make something more dangerous than my talons," Agrok replied with a nuzzle to the queen's cheek.

Tensaih dipped her head in a bow, "I am nearing completion of the shielding for Titania. I think it will only be a day or two more before I am prepared to raise it."

"Excellent, now off to bed, both of you," Tahkra demanded in a playful dismissal.

Tensaih could not help but laugh softly to herself as Tahkra proved once again to merely be a person, living under her mantle with dignity and grace while never sacrificing the things that made her Tahkra. The dragoness fell into step along side Agrok as they left the dwelling together, walking quietly into the night air. Tensaih was pleased to see that the crowd from her tiff with Krintahl had dispersed, she really did not wish to burden Agrok with the details of that encounter. There was just too much for the both of them to worry about for that to be added to the pile. The gryphoness was oddly quiet as they walked toward the stone house they shared, with the exception of a soft purr. That purr was so soft that Tensaih was not certain she was hearing it for a moment, until they neared the wooden door of their home.

"Well, here we are again," Agrok smiled as her foreclaw grasped the handle to open the door.

Tensaih ignored the odd statement, but she did make a mental note of the out of place comment in her own mind, "Yes, we are indeed home again. Do you think Ronin will be back soon?"

"Hmm, maybe not," Agrok replied with a strange little smile as she seemed to flow to the stairs, "Kahlah has decided to have a long day of study with her, it could very well mean a sleep over."

The dragoness nodded quietly to herself as she seemed compelled to follow her companion up those steps and down their hall. Their hall, it was strange that she was starting to feel a shared ownership of the dwelling in such a short time. Something about living the way she was, with the people she was around, it just felt so right to be there. Agrok ducked into the room they shared, her tail sliding around the door frame slowly, making the dragoness feel a little warm inside. Tensaih felt the pull toward the lovely gryphoness tug even harder at her like a leash or a powerful magnet forcing her toward that slim, athletic figure. This made her heart pound in her chest, she knew this feeling and it was something she wished to hold in control, to hide and fight so she did not make any unwanted advances.

Even as she tried to fight the growing warmth inside, Tensaih could not fight the draw of that compulsion to follow the gryphoness into the bedroom. She was there, sitting next to the pile of pillows and cushions that was their bed. The tufted tip of her tail twitched back and forth, betraying some sort of agitation about the gryphoness. Those odd blue eyes locked onto her with a look she had never seen before, an almost hungry gaze that excited her.

"Would you do me the favor of laying on your back in our little nest," Agrok asked sweetly with a warm little grin.

Tensaih felt her heart in her throat at that request. Could this really be the moment she had longed for and dreamed about every time she closed her eyes? The dragoness nearly trembled with anticipation and no small amount of fear. She was afraid that she was reading the moment wrong and what would happen if she acted on it; but in the same vein, if this was what she assumed it to be, she could not afford to pull away and risk losing her one chance to come closer to the avenging angel she so desired. It was only a moment's pause before she decided there was no choice but to act and moved to the soft collection of cushions and pillows that was their bed and comply with Agrok's request.

Tensaih laid herself back and looked down her belly at the inviting smile of her closest friend, "Is this satisfactory?"

"Most satisfactory," Agrok purred as she slowly stepped over her, straddling the dragoness as she settled gently onto her.

Tensaih felt as though her heart were going to burst from her chest as she felt the heat of the gryphon's body against hers, "Agrok, what are you doing? This is highly unusual and possibly inappropriate."

"Hun, just relax and enjoy the warmth," the gryphoness cooed softly as a foreclaw caressed her scaly cheek, "You were amazing tonight, and every other moment we have been near to one another, and I just want to feel closer to you right now."

The dragoness felt her chest heaving with her deep breathing as she looked up into those blue eyes to meet a stare she did recognize, "So this is it then? Your heart and mind are made up?"

"I am still a tiny bit uncertain, but I am quite certain that I hold you strongly in my heart and I know that I find you so beautiful in form. The attraction is there hun, but I am uncertain if I can proceed to fully embrace everything it would mean and everything it involves," Agrok admitted, her body radiating warmth in the right places to bring undeniable truth to her words, "I want to try to proceed, but I do not want to work you up and disappoint you."

Tensaih felt a great tension in her heart, they may have been on the edge of completing one another, or they could have been at the crossroads that would decide for certain that they were to be apart, "I can easily survive a little sexual frustration, love, we will take this nice and slow so you may stop at the first moment of discomfort with engaging with a female," she hummed softly as she finally let herself enjoy the form of her closest companion, silver hands caressing along the sifting coat of the gryphoness, "I say with a female, because I already trust your words and know that there is nothing wrong with me beyond that."

Agrok did not reply, she didn't have to, the dragoness knew how she felt already and made the first intimate touch. Her hand glided back through feathers and fur until she found the hips of her potential lover, caressing over those strong hind legs near the gryphon's rump. The warrior responded with a tender nuzzle and very soft licks to her scaly neck, so soft were the licks that they were merely the slightest touch of her tongue. Tensaih gasped at the wonderfully warm feeling of those licks, knowing her body was also warming up to put her into her physically receptive state. A blush burned under her metallic scales when Agrok sat back, pressing their bodies together at a rather key point, revealing both their physical states to one another. The gryphoness burned dark red at her nares as she looked down into the sapphire eyes of the dragoness, her foreclaws caressing over her smooth scaled chest. Tensaih decided to make her next bold move of intimate affection, leaning her head in to the bald patch on the gryphon's shoulder. Scaly lips placed a soft kiss against the hot skin there, drawing a humming purr from her lover. The dragoness pressed the tender attack, gently rolling her hips against the body of the gryphon while she continued to kiss, gently lick, and suckle against the bald skin of the healed injury.

Agrok surprised her by rocking back against her as they began to stimulate one another with those motions, drawing even greater warmth and desire from both females. Tensaih pulled her head back when she felt the gryphoness leaning her head down, reading her signals so perfectly that it felt as though they were meant to be in such an embrace. She let her mouth open slightly as they both turned their heads in counter angle to one another so that beak and maw slid over one another to form a seal that entrapped their tongues together. The kiss was joined as each caressed the others tongue, the balance of domination within their mouths shifting back and forth as they took turns surrendering to one another while their bodies writhed together. Tensaih relished the kiss and decided it was time to attempt another step toward a full intimate encounter with her lover, yes she was now her lover for this encounter at the very least. A silver hand caressed under the gryphon's chest and slowly slid down her belly, seeking that final step she knew would bring them to the point at which neither would return from.

Agrok pulled back and grasped her hand gently, "I-I can't. I want to so badly, but I just can't take this last step yet. I'm just afraid Tensaih, afraid of what will become of us if we do."

"You mean you are afraid to take that step and become like me, because of what others will think," Tensaih caressed her cheek tenderly as she posed her question with a very gentle tone.

Agrok's eyes sparkled with tears as she turned her head away with shame, "Yes, I am afraid of what everyone will do to us if I step across this line. It's ridiculous, that I can stare down and attack GahlByrn with no fear, but I wither under the thought of what others will do about me embracing the female next to my heart. I never cared what people think about anything else, I just can't figure out why I care what others would think about this."

"Hun, this is actually normal when you discover these kinds of attractions inside yourself. It's a very scary thought to make those steps and admit to yourself and others just what you feel," the dragoness pulled her lover down to her to hold her in a tight embrace, "Don't feel guilty about stopping us, if you are not ready to make that step, it is not the time to do so. Even though I did not find release with you, I found something much better."

Agrok pressed her cheek against Tensaih's, "What was that?"

"Hope, I know that you want this with me, and I know that your heart yearns for mine. To have your heart is far better than having your body," she folded her leathery wings around the warm feathered form of the gryphoness, "We should just rest for the night, just like this. The morning will let us face a new day together, just like the past week."

Agrok purred softly and snuggled into her, "I think I would like that."

It had been a rather eventful day, both negative and positive, but Tensaih had to admit that it was a good day over all, with a most wonderful finish. Hopefully the perfect ending to a day was not far on the horizon.

* * *

The morning sun was unusually warm as it smiled down on Tahkra from it's low set in the western sky. Grave news was never good to carry, even on such a cheerful morning as fate had seen fit to mock her with. She needed to see her finest warriors and see to it that her troops were rallied, for her scouts had discovered a grim reality tot he attacks on Randulan and Grasolahn. Carly had to jog along side her to keep pace with the queen's fast walking in her urgent focused state of mind. She had a brief moment of doubt in bringing her along, but she decided it was best for her to see a queen dealing with a crisis with the grim future the girl had to prepare for.

Tahkra did not even pause when she reached the door of her sister's home, she pounded quickly at the wooden surface, "Agrok! Tensaih! Open up, it's Tahkra and I have important business!"

Tensaih opened the door and motioned the queen inside, "Come on in, Agrok isn't awake yet."

"Thank you, but we will need to wake her up, the scouts have discovered something quite awful and we will need our fighting forces active as soon as possible," Tahkra rattle on quickly before a thought struck her, "Didn't Krinzehl send a request for your presence at that project the masons were working on?"

The dragoness smiled warmly as she lead her up the stairs, "I am over an hour late, but it is important that Agrok does not believe I have just run off on her. I will be on my way as soon as I hear this news and give her a proper good bye."

"That is not an appropriate habit," Tahkra pointed out with a bit of an annoyed tone to her voice.

Tensaih shrugged as they came to the door of the room she shared with Agrok, "If this were a military summons, my response would have been immediate, this is merely a project by civilians that has little to no relevance to the war efforts. So they can wait while I take care of things at home."

"I see your point, but it is still a bit rude," the queen shook her head gently as she opened the door to her sister's sleeping chambers, "You'll have to at least inform them of the delay next time. I will hear of this you know."

"And you will simply tell them as I will, I am working on something huge for the defense of this entire nation against the power of the other Vyrekai on the other side of this war," the dragon shrugged the notions off casually as they approached Agrok in her nest.

Tahkra noted that she had taken preference for the nest rather than the human bed since her break from Altair, she had to wonder if the two changes where related, "Agrok, Aggy, wake up you lazy lump of feathers!"

The queen tossed a pillow at her sleeping sister who groaned with irritation, "You may be the queen, but you're still my sister, and I will still put your tail on your beak."

"Shut up and get up, this is important," Tahkra shot back, "And I have Carly with me, watch your behavior."

The queen turned and left the room to guide the Grasolahn heir back out to the living room with a gentle wing. The human girl looked rather confused about the entire situation, on one hand the queen was acting serious about the situation, even as she engaged in mild banter with her sister. Tahkra couldn't not afford to worry about that at the moment, she had a crisis to face for her people. She could only hope the girl was tougher than she looked, this was going to be one hell of a scramble to turn some good out of the coming encounter.

Tensaih arrived just behind them, much to Tahkra's surprise, "How late did you two stay up last night?"

"Agrok was not up very late at all, I was up quite late though," the dragoness explained, "Most Vyrekai are chronic insomniacs, mostly because all the energy we usually hold acts somewhat like nervous energy at times and it does help sustain us as well."

Tahkra shook her head gently, "That is rather unfortunate for you. I know I enjoy a good night's rest more than most things."

"Yes, sleep is precious and quite coveted. If you do find me asleep, hell would be a preferable place to be than in the position of the one waking me," Tensaih flipped her wings to make them shimmer in the low light of the candle they kept in the social table.

Agrok finally arrived on the stairs, her eyes quite glazed with her sleepy state of fresh consciousness, "Some could say the same about me most of the time."

"This is business," Tahkra snapped back with a tone of command, "The scouts have discovered that the attacks on Grasolahn and Randulan, while more than token and quite spirited, were merely a distraction. We are the real target."

Agrok nodded gently at her sister's words, "Then it is to arms for us. Are the generals already working on a way to counter this coming attack?"

"Malehk is with them now, I came to rouse you and Tensaih," Tahkra replied with a bit of urgency, "Grenz is down and I have to ask you to take on a new role in this particular engagement. We need you out there, but we need a field commander for his squad."

Tensaih nodded gently, "So I will cancel this meeting of mine with the masons and accompany Agrok to assist her with the logistics of command."

"No, you will keep your meeting," the queen rejected the dragoness' notion, "We need to keep the people calm and we need to prove to our mage corps that they can handle this without huddling behind our very own Vyrekai. They need to believe in their own talents and abilities, we can't just rely on you to win every battle."

Tensaih nodded gently, "So I will remain on call then?"

"Of course, be ready to drop what you are doing at a moments notice and if you can see a way a lesser mage can handle what looks to be a problem we can't figure out, point them to it and tell them how. I want you to be an inspiring figure to our mages, not the pillar they hide behind," Tahkra finished her commands.

The dragoness gave a gentle nod, "Very well, I shall keep a third eye on the battle to stay informed on what is going on so I may make these decisions before I am asked. It would be best to have n instant reply when the call comes, if it comes."

"Tahk, she will need to be briefed on the battle plan so she knows what is a ruse and what is a true fold in our lines," Agrok spoke up with her rather valid point.

Tensaih smiled gently as she proved her prowess in the art of preparation, "I already had that covered sweetheart. I am going to silently eavesdrop through your communicator insignia so I can hear the plans."

"A most splendid idea, excellent work Tensaih," Tahkra made it a point to praise her top mage for her clever idea, "Now get going, you have masons to meet with and Agrok has been ordered to report directly to her lieutenant."

Tensaih had a bit of a worried look in her eyes as she embraced Agrok and kissed her cheek softly, "You be careful out there without me. I don't want any bad news to come home to."

"I'll do my best, but I can't promise for certain that I wont meet my fate. This is war and all I can do is my best to come home with my troops," the warrior replied and shocked Tahkra with a gentle lick to her companion's cheek.

The queen let them have their moment before she spoke once more, "Vyrekai Tensaih, how close are you to completing the national shields?"

"I am close enough that we need to figure out where to center the hub of the spell," the dragoness replied.

Tahkra nodded gently, "I will leave that up to you, it is your spell and you know magic's very nature far better than any being on this planet. If you find a good place to centralize the hub, you have my backing and blessing in it's placement. In the mean time, I will have Krinzehl research the land and seeking a good position for such a spell so that we may discuss it with the nobility if you do not declare a place yourself before then."

"Yes my queen," Tensaih dipped her head respectfully before she turned to make her exit.

Agrok watched her leave the house before she turned her attention back to Tahkra and her fosterling, "So what are we to do with Carly and Ronin in this time? Your activity now suggests to me that you will be taking a more active role in this situation."

"Grenz is not combat fit, but he, Jirri, and Raizehl are more than capable of taking in the girls while we fight for our people," the queen replied with a firm nod to the human child who seemed a bit jittery under the tense situation around her.

The warrior nodded gently, "I will leave you to let Ronin know she will be staying another day and maybe night with them. I have to carry out my orders quickly, if an assault force is on their way, time is of the essence."

"That should be no burden on me, get going so we have a home left for you to come back to," Tahkra replied with a nod as both females turned as one to head for the door.

Carly jumped up from the couch quickly when she realized that the queen was leaving to tag along. The girl was quiet, yet Tahkra knew she was paying close attention to everything going on around her as the gryphoness handled her business as quickly and quietly as possible. It was a bit unnerving to have such a silent shadow watching her every move and hanging on every word she spoke.

The moment Agrok was out of sight the girl finally spoke, "Queen Asreigh? You let your sister talk to you like that and tell you what to do, but you give commands to her and she follows them too. Are you not the one in command or is she the one who commands you?"

"You may call me Tahkra, the formalities are for underlings or formal situations," the young queen replied absently as she considered her next moves, "Agrok speaks with the liberty of being my younger sister behind closed doors, in a public setting she speaks to me with the proper respect of my position. What seems like her ordering me around, is just how it looks when we work together to get things done. I trust her judgment and her ideas, and she trusts mine in return because we have been the best of friends and partners in everything since we were little fuzz balls."

Carly drank in every word as she rushed along with her, "So you do that even in front of other people?"

"No, only people we know, or people who are used to seeing us working together as sisters," she shifted her eyes for a glance at the Grasolahn heir, "Just because I am the queen, does not mean that I know the best possible way to do every last thing. I cannot afford to be so arrogant at the risk of others very lives or way of life. As a ruler I must maintain my place of power, yet be humble enough to listen to the word of those who may know more of a situation or subject than I."

The girl seemed to think that over for a moment, "It is best to listen and think over facts than to trust your power to make you right."

"Yes, and it is important to let those who have brought that information to feel their proper importance to the decisions we may make as a ruling figure. It builds trust and confidence in you when the people see you are taking all the facts and not just stealing credit for everything," Tahkra allowed herself a gentle smile as she finished off her very first lesson, both to Carly and to herself.

The girl thought to herself for a moment before she spoke up once more, "So the decision is ours to make and we take credit for that, but we do not let it be missed that others supplied the knowledge that was considered in reaching that decision?"

"How old are you again," the queen turned a critical eye upon the girl, "You seem far too smart for a simple servant girl."

Carly blushed a bit, "Bizshra Nec-.. my father, started having tutors see me when he separated from my mother. I also got to talk with Priestess Jirri when we last made a visit to your village. She is very kind and wise."

"Yes, a gentle caring nature is the way of the Great Mother, which is the path set for for a priestess of Arsiel. Teaching and tending to those who are most in need of such care is her task and her gifts to her blessed daughters," Tahkra explained as they neared the dwelling that Grenz and Jirri shared with Raizehl and her daughter.

The girl seemed to grow more curious with every bit of information as she pressed the subject, "What about Skardesh? Are there male priests who follow his path and perform the sacred duties he puts forth for them?"

"No, well, yes and no," the queen felt herself beginning to stumble in explaining the finer points of her people's faith to a girl who had met their gods, "Males are warriors, and in being warriors they defend their homes and families. That is the path of Skardesh, and thus every warrior carries out his sacred duties."

Carly paused as Tahkra raised a forepaw to tap gently on the support around the door. She knew she was beginning to step out of her knowledge and needed the aide of the resident priestess to help answer this new line of questions for the curious youngster. There was a long silence before the door opened to unleash a streak of downy feathers strait into the human girl's legs. Carly was quick to react however, and scooped up the gryphlet before she even knew what she had in her arms. Abigail stared at the new face for a moment before she gave a curious little 'pip'. The look on the girl's face betrayed how quickly her heart melted as she stared at the adorable little ball of fuzz and mischief.

"Oh thank goodness you were here to catch her," Raizehl breathed her sigh of relief as she opened the door fully for them, "She was so calm, then she just bolted for the opening like an arrow!"

Carly smiled and hugged the squirming gryphlet tight, "Oh she is just so cute! What's her name?"

"Her name is Abigail and she is no small handful of trouble," the elder gryphoness smiled at the girl holding her daughter, "She seems content with you, I'll let you keep a hold of her for now. What brings you to our home, Tahkra?"

The queen nodded to her old tutor, "The war is coming to our door once more and we need you three to keep an eye on Ronin and Carly while we deal with this latest crisis."

"That should not be too big a favor to ask," Raizehl smiled at the human girl as she cradled Abigail on her back and scratched gently at her chest and belly while the gryphlet purred her tiny head right off, "It seems the girl will be handy with the little one, quite a blessing rather than a burden."

Tahkra gave a gentle nod, "Thank you dear mentor, I must get back to the command structures to begin sending my couriers about and coordinating a quiet evacuation with Hakarah and Malehk."

"Excuse me, Queen Asreigh," Carly spoke up with a respectful tone, quite well practiced from her days as an underling, "If I am supposed to be learning from you, should I not see how you handle such a situation to learn what you do and how you handle yourself?"

The elder gryphoness turned an eye on the young queen, "The child is quite perceptive and quite correct sweetheart. This would be a prime opportunity to learn how a real leader commands her people in the face of an imminent attack."

"I really do not have time to tend to a child right now, there is so very much to do and no time to do it in. The enemy is on the march and we have nothing in their way as of yet. I have not yet had a chance to break the night's fast for either of us yet and I doubt I will have time to see to lunch either," Tahkra protested.

Raizehl looked between the two and smiled, "I will send Ronin to collect Carly when she returns from the hot springs with Grenz and Jirri. I'll send her back with food for you after she has eaten with us and I will do the same for lunch. I am certain that this girl is bright enough to know when to stay out from under foot and when it is okay to speak and question what she sees."

"Very well, but I may send her off to see Agrok for a time as part of her combined tutoring," the queen huffed a bit at her elder, "She will need to see a warrior prepare to head off to face her foes."

The elder female smiled warmly, "But of course, how else will she learn the true strength of a warrior's heart? Now run along and get your business sorted out, Titania needs you."

"Right, let Abigail go and we'll get on our way," Tahkra nodded at her pupil and waited for her to set the gryphlet down for her mother to scoop her up, "Thank you Raizehl, you have no idea how much this all means to us."

The elder female waved off her thanks, "It is the least we can do while you protect our homes and our families. I should be thanking you."

They both nodded to one another before the queen turned and lead her young charge back toward the command structures of their village. The morning was quiet, which was quite ominous to her with the crisis at hand. The mood felt very much like the calm before a great storm that would cause terrible destruction. She could only hope that the coming tide could be stopped and turned back on it's self before it consumed any more of her people. Tahkra began to doubt the former chief's choice in her as the queen of Titania as she could feel her strength beginning to falter under the weight of possible casualties. She was not a warrior at heart like Agrok or Malehk, who could accept the fact that some of their comrades may never come home. Tahkra was barely even a diplomat, such a harsh reality tore at her heart like a rabid beast. She fought to endure it, for her people and her family, for she alone was placed in the seat of the queen and charged with making decisions that trade some lives to save many more.

Carly was quiet as they walked, though she kept looking up at the queen of the allied nation. Something in her eyes told Tahkra that she had picked up on her distressed state despite her efforts to keep her outward appearance calm and composed. She needed Malehk at her side, for his comfort and support, but that was impossible with their split duties. He had to coordinate the defensive actions of their armies while she was left to see to the well being of the people while their warriors were off to battle. She had to find strength somehow and overcome the feelings of doubt and regret as she was about to send some of their soldiers to die at the hands of their enemies in order to save those who could not fight back.

As they neared the leather walled structure of the command building, a familiar voice called out to them from their right, "Tahkra! Azreal came to me this morning with news of an attack, what's going on?"

"The legion is on the march, our neighbors have only been lightly hit to draw attention, we are the real target and our scouts have confirmed a large troop movement heading strait for Tehngati," the queen replied quickly, "We will need to see to an evacuation as our troops set up a defense to push back the Legion."

Hakarah ground her beak for a moment, "We don't have any one place that can take in that many refugees, even on a temporary basis. Tehngati is one of our largest villages."

"We have no choice but to move them and then decide where they can go after," Tahkra flipped her wings and a shrug as Carly hung onto every word intently, "Bring them directly south to Karpelta and we'll split them up from there by choice to the surrounding villages by groups of what they can take and who wants to go where. I want to have supplies brought in from the more central villages to help handle the refugees until we clear the Legion's push."

The elder noble female nodded her head for a moment, "I believe Gepstun Is due to contribute something to the war efforts, they can at least offer a temporary hearth for displaced people whether they like this or not. Artrial of Shelington has requested a way to help as they had no warriors to offer, they would be glad to offer aide in this manner. I have a few others in mind of we can't fully split them up amongst those places."

"Very good, I will draw up an order of evacuation for Azreal to carry on to Tehngati," Tahkra nodded gently.

Hakarah tilted her head at her queen, "Why Azreal? Certainly Danriahl would be more suitable to such an urgent mission."

"Azreal is far swifter than Danriahl," she explained, "I want Azreal to prove her loyalty and sense of duty to me anyhow. Her defiant streak bothers me, even though she has followed orders up until now. She's damned good at this courier business and you know it as well as I, we just need to know that she can be counted on without question to perform the duties of her station. When the time comes to open the real function of my couriers, I need to know she can handle that weight of responsibility with a stern face of loyal honesty."

The former chief gave a nod to that, "I see your reasoning behind that, but are you absolutely certain that you want Azreal as a royal courier and not just a standard courier? Ever since the fall of the Kenjaya, she hasn't been the most pleasant girl to work with. There's a hell of a lot of anger in her and she is just letting it burn up everyone around her, including us."

"Perhaps a show of power is in order to impress upon her the importance of the people giving her orders. I will brief her on the messages to be carried and where they go, but I want her and her mysterious guest brought in by my talons. I want to know who it is she feels she can hide from her queen," Tahkra huffed a bit as she drew back the door flap of the leather command structure to let Carly and her fellow gryphoness in before her, "I will discuss the real functions of my couriers with her at that time."

Hakarah nodded to her young queen, "As you wish, Tahkra, I trust your judgment, I just hope you get through instead of igniting her anger any further."

"I hope so too," Tahkra replied with a small shake of her head as she slipped into the command structure to begin the work of protecting her people.

* * *

Agrok surveyed her temporary troops for a moment, a mere squad of twelve talons, six gryphons and six humans. They all stared back at her with a firm disciplined silence, every last one of them trying to make an assessment of their temporary commander. This made Agrok even more nervous, for she was a doer of deeds not a leader of men and gryphons. She knew she had to say something to them, the tense silence was getting to be too much for her.

"Good morning," Agrok started slow with the standard pleasantry, "As you all may know, your commander is down with injuries and I am to step in to take his place for this engagement. What you may not know is that the Legion is shoving a large force down our throats to try and make us a non-issue in this war from the word go. This is both good, and bad for us. It's good because it means they are worried about us, they see us as a real threat that needs to be taken off the board before we get to really dig in a fight. This is bad for the same reasons, for that means we will take heavy advances and always be on the defensive as they send everything they have to keep us down and bring a greater threat to our people and our families. We need to make this counter strike nice and hard to push them back with enough ferocity to take the wind from their wings."

A rather large broadwing, not much smaller than Grenz, stepped forward and cleared his throat, "With all do respect, ma'am, we don't need a pep talk. We know the gravity of the situation and we are eager to put their tails on their beaks. But I do believe I speak for the rest of the squad when I ask, why are we under the command of a female?"

"Because I out rank you and Grenz is down with his injuries so they needed a stand in," Agrok replied in a tone that was quite firm in the facts of the matter, "Any other questions?"

The slate gray male held her with a hard stare, his amber eyes boring into her with a touch of anger, "Why are we under the command of a female and not a real warrior? Combat is male's work."

"Because I have given my dues, I have completed my training and proven myself in the field along side Grenz. I have held GahlByrn under my talons and sent him back to spread the image of a gryphon holding the Soul Legion at her mercy. I have earned the respect of the generals, and that of our enemies turned allies. I have been decreed by the Consorts to be the greatest hope in this conflict as well," Agrok held the challenging male with angry blue eyes, "What, pray tell, have you done that gives you a greater measure and position than I have to question the decision of Lieutenant Reyfis and King Malehk?"

The big male only growled and stared back at her, his body rigid as he had no real argument while he tried to stand his ground.

"Name and rank soldier," she demanded as she returned his glaring stare with no sign of give in her position while the rest of the men and gryphons watched.

There was a long silence before the big male finally opened his beak to answer, "Terek, operative of The Queens Own Talons."

"Well Terek, a female is in charge of your unit while your commander is down, those are the facts of life. If you don't like it, you are free to go and file an official protest with Malehk; in the mean time, that is quite enough of that smart beak of yours. We all need to work together to survive the coming trials, can we agree on that," Agrok knew she had him in a trap, there was no way to argue her point without resorting to some variant of 'just because'.

Terek stood firm for a moment before he gave a nod, "You are correct, ma'am. I would like to go on record to say that I feel it is unwise to put a female in charge of a combat unit, but given the changes in our society and the current situation, I have no choice but to give you a chance. I would like to respectfully request that my outburst be forgiven."

"Get back in line and behave in a professional manner and I'll think about it. For now, the only order I can give is to ready your gear and say your goodbyes while I find out what it is we'll be doing out there, aside from the obvious of killing Legion.," she replied with a flick of her ear, "Go and remind yourselves of what you fight for and return here in one hour, I will call if I need you before then. Dismissed."

Every one of her borrowed unit tensed up at a tension before they turned and broke formation to head toward their homes. Agrok did not find comfort in knowing they all had some one to go see before they left to fight. It was hard enough to know that her orders may require a loss of life, it was even worse to think that there would be families to inform of the potential losses if she screwed up.

A male voice cleared it's throat to interrupt her line of thought, "Ma'am, I think I would like to accompany you to the briefing. If I go home my lady will keep me occupied for more than the allotted hour."

"Very well Terek, come along then," she felt a twinge of annoyance as he seemed to be keeping his eye on her, "Best to make sure the new female commander isn't screwing this up."

The gray male fell in line next to her as she made her way toward the command structure where the generals and lieutenants were going over the possible defensive strategies, "Quite the contrary, what I said and did wasn't right or fair and to make it worse for myself I ran my big stupid beak in front of everyone. So if I screw up my orders, it will seem as though I did it on purpose to sabotage you. I assure you that I would never do such a thing ma'am, which is why I am going to hear these orders myself to make sure I know what is going on."

"What's the matter? You don't trust a female to properly receive and distribute orders," Agrok asked with a quirk of her brow.

Terek shook his head, "No, despite my previous statements, I'm smarter than that. If I go and hear these orders myself, no one can argue if I speak up on your behalf about them."

"This is a rather odd turn of behavior. You have completely turned around on me," she observed as they neared the command structure.

The large male gave a snort, "It's common with me, I have a bad habit of letting my father's prejudices speak through me before my own brain takes over and sets things right. It really annoys me that I fall into the habits he hammered into me, especially when I find myself in speaking to an attractive female."

"Lost one or two to a roving beak I take it," Agrok found herself feeling a little bad for the handsome fellow, she herself knew what it was like to want to be something different than habit and tradition almost forced her to be.

Terek gave a bitter laugh, "Scores, I'm fairly certain three quarters of the plains are convinced I'm a chauvinist to a questionable degree. It's a lonely existence under this irrational fear of disappointing my father."

"You know, I kind of like this side of you, it fits your appearance so much better than your previous behavior," the small female smiled at her subordinate, "Come talk to me when I'm not in command, I'll let you have a second chance at making a first impression."

He blinked at her for a moment as he stopped dead in his tracks, "Did you just ask me out?"

"Hell no, a commanding officer who wished to keep her position in the military would never do such a thing," Agrok replied sternly before she shook her head to continue in a more gentle tone, "Besides, I have something that is up in the air that I will not jeopardize with competition for my attentions. I must know if it is right before I begin looking. Not that I wouldn't have otherwise."

She gave the male a smile before she slipped into the command structure to press into the gathered men and gryphons and find her father. She had already decided she liked the gray feathered fellow. He wasn't bad looking and he was mortal enough to make mistakes while being smart and humble enough to admit them. Perhaps he would have great potential for some lady if he were to overcome the pull of his father's undesirable conditioning. Not that she herself was looking, but her mind could come up with a few lovely choices for Terek.

Look at yourself girl, ready to try and help some one you don't even know deal with their problems so you can play match maker. There is a battle to be fought, Agrok, get your head back in the game, she scolded herself as Terek entered the structure behind her and made it a point to stay close while they searched for her father.

They found him near the map table, nearly shoulder to shoulder with with Tarse and Fredrick as they discussed the reported movements of the Legion forces as they advanced toward the plains.

"We have to hit them before they make the plains, we need to take ground from them to strengthen the positions of our existing settlements," Tarse tapped the map for emphasis before Agrok could even get a look at where the enemy was coming from.

Fredrick shook his head, "We can't make effective use of our gryphon troops in that brush cover, it'll only serve to hide their archers from you. We need to defend now and offend when we have the advantage, old Rexten is a cagey fellow by what our scouts report thus far. We don't even know where he is right this moment."

Terek seemed to be listening intently as he examined the maps along side Agrok while Malehk spoke up, "Fredrick is right, however, we cannot afford to sit back and play defender in this war. We have to start taking an offensive role against this threat or they will simply wait out our resources while they resupply and bolster their damaged numbers from off world. I have discussed this at length with Saltriss, the legion is best dealt with when they are on the defensive. They are conquerors, not defenders."

"They chose this road just for that," Terek spoke softly to himself as he examined the map and the places that they would have to engage the Legion at.

Lumere tilted his ear toward the faint sound of his voice and brought his eyes to follow, "You see something lad? Out with it."

"Oh, I was just saying to myself that they chose this path because of the limitations to the gryphon troops," Terek flattened his ears as the weight of the generals and king's eyes fell upon him, "We will either have to open ourselves up to heavy casualties and losses amongst our gryphon forces, defend with only human troops, or let them onto the plains to use our forces to best effect against them. However, if we let them onto the plains, they can easily slip small groups off in the confusion of battle and do real harm to our families while we fight the primary group."

Malehk examined the map and shook his head, "He's right, they are in complete control of this engagement, and all they have left us are decisions that will bring a heavy toll."

"Maybe not, sir," Terek nodded at the scene on the map, a single town that used to trade with the gryphons on the plains, set in the v of a fork in the road that lead to the plains through the forest in question, "The general is there, I know it. Everything we know about the Legion and their commanders is that they are cowardly with the facade of real strength and courage. That town is perfect for that, he is close and yet far enough away that he can make his escape on two different paths. That would make it only a fifty fifty chance of chasing him down the right path."

Tarse slapped a foreclaw on the table, "You can't expect us to go on a gut feeling boy, we need evidence that he is there before we can plan an assault."

"No, he's right, that is the perfect place to command his forces from," Malehk countered his general right away, "He can send messengers in either direction from there to bring supplies or reinforcements from either of the two closest towns. It would make no sense to slow a messenger down by making them route through the town to head beyond it. I think I have an idea now."

Agrok allowed herself a little bit of a grin as Malehk made use of Terek's observations. The gray feathered male did not seem to show any signs of being smug, he just seemed to be listening intently to what was being said. It was a good sign for a soldier like Terek to share information so freely and yet have no inflated sense of pride as his commanding officers made use of his information for a larger decision.

"Reyfis, I want three of your squads and any unattached infiltrators you have to head north of our primary forces, behind the Legion's advancing forces. They are to take that town and hold it. We will separate our forces into three parts; the standard human soldiers will hold the Legion back on the road in the forest while we split our gryphon forces in two. Half our gryphon troops will head north after the infiltration squads take the town and hold it, make sure they get a message back to the main forces that there is trouble at their command post. The other half of our gryphon forces will carry heavy caltrops and the crystalline devices that Tensaih has had our mages making over the enemy and drop them from above arrow range. I expect them to send a force back to try and defend their general, so when they send that initial message, I want to make sure they only see the infiltration force. My plan is to have a strong front ready and waiting to ambush the defense forces they split off. If they have any tactical sense, they should be expecting our advance forces to try and hit them from behind and attempt to guard their rear. That hit isn't going to come."

Agrok and Terek both held on to every word as their king explained his plan, watching every tap on the map and every gesture he made while he spoke, "What I intend is to let them weaken their forward defenses to devote that diverted force as a rear defense. Once those defensive units are split up we will pull back, hard, and reform while our magic resources are set against their defensive lines to smash them down. If we manage to do so, we can meet their footmen with a wall of shields and pikes that should just batter them down while our mages and gryphons dust them off. During the entire course of the battle, I want our mages working to take out any archers or opposing mages so that our gryphon units can consider closing and taking part in the ground fight directly."

Tarse stared at the map for a moment and shook his head, "So our plan is to give them what they wanted, a split up defense force."

"I don't believe they will be expecting things to work like this," Fredrick rubbed his chin gently, "I know I would be expecting a rear attack after seeing us use it several times to good effect. I think we can strengthen this a bit and add more plausibility to our ruse with the town. Once the secondary force splits off, our winged forces should focus their drops on them and let them think we're worried about how many are heading back. Let them think we have less back there than we really do."

Kahlah cleared her throat gently to call attention to herself, "I believe myself and a small handful of mages can afford to give the gryphons a better chance at hitting their marks without being blasted from the skies by the mages the Legion is likely to have amongst them. We can blur our bird to their eyes and even provide blurred illusions as well to keep their aim from being too true for our liking. We cannot forget, however, that the Legion does have access to flying troops of their own; drakes, harpies, and even dragons fill their ranks."

"Duly noted," Malehk nodded gently, "I want you keeping an eye on the skies, Kahlah, if you see something coming that is not ours; I want you to close up the battlefield with a wall of wind that is too strong to fly through. Archers and mages are to pick off what they can until our boys on the wing can shift their focus away to deal with them. Fighting in the air is something we gryphons know how to do quite well."

"I shall have them on the watch while we work. I am curious, what will our local Vyrekai be doing during this engagement," Kahlah asked respectfully.

The gryphon king cleared his throat gently, "Her presence was requested in the central portion of our nation by the civilian branch. Queen Asreigh has made it clear that she would like to engage this one without her help so that we do not become addicted to having that power at every battle and instead learn to handle these things without her. Tensaih will be keeping a third eye on the battle to ensure that she can be present if that level of power is needed. We want to learn to do without, but we wont let ourselves be defeated by that wish."

"Understood, I shall keep myself in communication with her to ensure that a distress call can go out quickly if we need a Vyrekai," Kahlah replied with a nod, "I will set to work on a cloaked gating device that will allow the Queens Own Talons to slip their footmen into range of their target."

Malehk gave the drake a nod of dismissal, "Reyfis, take your commanders and put together a plan of attack to take that town. I want that general's head separated from his shoulders early in this battle."

"Yes my lord," Agrok's father and commanding officer turned to her and Terek, "Come along you two, we need to get this thing put together."

Agrok and Terek both tensed and straitened their postures before they replied, "Yes sir!"

The elder male lead them toward the door with an unreadable expression and a beak that was silent until they had exited the command structure, "So who is this with you?"

"Terek Windtalon sir," the male replied.

Reyfis nodded gently as he guided the pair toward the dwelling he shared with Rio, "Are you the one Grenz finally selected to be second in command?"

"Not to my knowledge sir, we haven't even heard that he was measuring us up for such a position," Terek flattened his ears against his head.

Agrok cleared her throat, "Thank you for volunteering as such, Terek. You should do well in your new responsibilities, seeing as you have been the only one with the balls to question anything or to speak up for your unit's well being. You also have direct knowledge of the primary battle plan."

"Sounds like a good temp to me. With any luck, Grenz will have a good performance record to factor in to his decision. Now then, I was thinking of having Kahlah create a gating device that can get our foot troops in."

Agrok cocked a brow at her father, "Assuming she can make one?"

"Um, right," the elder male blushed a bit, "I keep forgetting that mages do have limitations, especially with those as powerful as Tensaih and Kahlah. If she can't make such a device, we'll need to borrow a mage capable of gating in our boys without wings. I know we need to take the town, but I have a specific assignment for your squad. That general needs to die before he sends home for reinforcements. If any message gets out, it only gets out to the troops at our gates. Is that clear?"

Both Agrok and Terek nodded their heads in unison and replied, "Yes sir."

"It wont be easy, he has likely surrounded himself with some sort of elite guard," Reyfis continued, "So be on your talon's tips with this one. You wont simply smash these men down as you have the regular troops in the past."

The younger male gave a bit of a snort, "Good, we need a real fight to prove the medal of our own elites and of the queen's chosen champion."

"Don't be so quick to send your comrades or even yourself into injury or death, son," the elder male countered the eager reply of the younger male.

Terek shook his head, "I want an enemy that can actually fight back, that way it's a fight. I feel like a bloody murderer when I fight some poor sap who never stood a chance."

"I understand the sentiment, but I would rather you come home feeling like a brute than on a cart with your comrades corpses around your own," Reyfis replied, "Enough of this line of talk, we have battle plans to discuss and a town to capture."

Agrok gave nod as they came within view of her father's dwelling, "Right, let us see what we can do about winning this thing."

Win the battle, fight the war, march on toward the outcome, it would be their existence for some time. She could only hope that defeat would be few and far between.

* * *

Tensaih stared at the results of the hidden project in awe of just what the masons and the non-combat mages had achieved in such a short time. The project was simply massive and though Tahkra would have forbidden it if she had been asked directly, this was indeed a symbol of Titania as a whole that the people would need in the coming days of war and bloodshed. The efforts of the masons and mages would bring a feeling of real solidarity and sovereignty to the people and make them feel like a real nation fighting for their homes rather than a collection of refugee camps, fighting to stay hidden. The dragoness was rather pleased to see that a fair number of stone homes and even shops had sprung up around the project as the people who were living near the site had already began to embrace the structure for what it was.

"Glorious isn't it? It makes me so proud to have played such a role in it's creation," a small, lean built taper wing gryphoness padded up beside her. The female's feathers were a soft gray with an attractively odd peppering of cream in her crest and neck rough that set off her light brown eyes very well.

Tensaih gave a gentle nod as she smiled at the gryphoness, "Yes, this is indeed a grand undertaking to have been a part of. May I ask your name and what it is that you need my assistance with?"

"Oh, sorry! My name is Gracie and I am the mage responsible for unearthing the materials and setting the floating island structures adrift. You see, those are what I need help with. I am very good with geomantic spells, but I am terrible at sustained enchantments. I simply have no idea how to keep the enchantments in place for those structures to stay aloft through the ages," her nares darkened around her falcon like beak as she admitted her short comings.

The Vyrekai thought for a long moment, "The problem is quite simple, we could make them self sustaining, but I think I have a better solution. I am going to tie the national shield into those very enchantments and have a rather large 'pull cord' that will refresh and essentially remake all the spells when a mage 'pulls' that energy cord tight again. Even with neglect, it should hold things together for a good five hundred years or so before things actually begin to weaken on a grand enough scale to be noticed. I am curious about one thing; where on Eldarohnd did you find this much alabaster and marble to construct such a large structure without opening a single quarry?"

"All over beneath Eldarohnd's surface," Gracie replied with a prideful grin that betrayed her pleasure in herself, even as she tried to flip her wings to shrug off the achievement, "I said before that I am quite proficient in geomantic magics. I mined up all the stones needed by shifting the soils and stones around them to draw them to the surface here while rebuilding the substructure in a manner that would continue to hold the overlaying surface and any structures above as if the stones I wanted were not missing."

Tensaih was utterly amazed by the statement, "That is absolutely astounding! Even for a Vyrekai that would have been a monumental task of balance and finesse. Please, tell me how far away did these stones come from?"

"Well, mostly right below us, but some of them, well, we have a second continent that no one that I have ever heard of has been to or even dreamed of. Did I do something wrong," the gryphon seemed to be hopeful that the higher ranked mage was pleased with her work.

This behavior tugged at Tensaih's mind and made her wonder what rank the girl really held, "You have done so very well here Gracie, but you need not seek my praise to know that you have. Who taught you how to use magic?"

"Oh, that was my grandmother, on my father's side. She was considered a witch amongst her tribe because almost none of them ever had magic," her tone told the dragoness much about what kind of teacher she was.

The gryphoness spoke as if she were telling a superior what was ordered of her, but her body language and reluctant tone showed hints that she would rather not speak of her grandmother in the light of such an achievement. The subservient behavior mixed with that reluctance spoke of a tyrannical instructor who was never pleased with her lack of skill in other schools of magic while she showed near limitless skill in one of the most underrated schools of magic. The girl had the potential to be very useful to the people of Titania in ways she likely never imagined.

Tensaih took a risk and voiced her feelings on the previous instructor, "You have done such amazing things, despite such poor teachings. This is an even greater triumph for you than anyone can possibly know. I think I might like to correct her mistakes and help you hone these skills of yours, properly. A geomantic caster is invaluable to a nation, especially one that is trying to build it's infrastructure from undeveloped plains, such as these. Of course, my wishes are only an offer, you are free to refuse-"

"Oh no! I would never refuse to learn from such a great mage," Gracie was so quick to respond that she nearly rushed with her words, right into Tensaih, "Oh, sorry! It's just.. you are a mage of the likes that our world has never been able to produce, in skill, power, and knowledge. If anyone can make me more than an apprentice, it's you."

The dragon gave a snort, "First lesson, you are no apprentice. An apprentice could never have performed such large scale casting as all this, while also keeping the earth beneath our feet stable enough to hold it's own weight. Now then, if you would be willing to assist me, it would make this task quite a bit easier as I blend the spells and make the recharging trigger. I would also like to know where you live."

"Oh, you want me to work with you? I-I'm not sure I am good enough for that," Gracie began to fold in on herself as she took a step back from the silver female.

Tensaih caught her forelimb with her tail as she began her alterations to the shield spell as she prepared to put it in place, "Nonsense, you know your own spells better than anyone else ever could. All you need to do is mesh them in the best way they can to the offered places amongst my own spells as I open them up to you. Very simple and quite a bit less stressful on myself as I perform the larger portion of this communal operation."

"O-okay, I think I can handle that," the gryphoness blushed deeply as she started to work with her own spells to mesh them with Tensaih's offerings, "To answer your other request, I live here, for now. I will likely have to travel again to find somewhere else that I will be useful once we finish this casting. It will simply be the end of the project."

The dragoness smiled a bit to herself as she worked, "This casting will take a long while to complete, but when it's done and you have finished your checks of the structure, you will come home with me and stay with us. I hope you don't mind children, Agrok has a little girl she has adopted."

"Oh, I m quite alright with children," Gracie parted her beak in a smile, "I just don't know much about caring for them."

Tensaih felt a twinge of mischief shock through her, "Well now, it looks like we will teach you more than just magic then. It will be good practice for when you finally accept the advances of a handsome fellow."

"Oh, that could simply never happen," the gryphoness withdrew her head back on her neck as her nares turned so red that the senior mage thought they had discovered a new shade of purple, "Who could ever want some one with such useless skills and homely looks as I have?"

Tensaih took a deep breath as they continued to mesh the many thousands of strands of energy together, "Look, it's not widely known about me thus far, but I would want some one who looks as lovely as you. You are second to only one other gryphoness I have met. Please do not take my statement wrong, I am not trying to court you. I am simply stating that you are an attractive young lady and if I were not in the midst of something with potential, I would be interested."

"I-wel-thank you," the younger female dipped her head and nearly lost her grasp on the spell strands she was handling, "Oh! Sorry. S-so females can like other females?"

The dragon sighed softly, she knew she had opened this can of worms herself, "Well, yes, but it is something that is somewhat rare amongst both our kinds. It is also something that a great many look down upon when a male or female loves one of their own sex as a mate."

"I see, well, I know I like males with how some of those warriors make my heart just pound in my chest.." Gracie dipped her head and looked shyly away.

Tensaih suppressed a light laugh and cleared her throat instead, "Yes well, we live in a training village. There is no shortage of strapping young male gryphons that would be thrilled to have the attentions of a lovely lady all to themselves. Be that as it may, you need to focus so we can get this done, such a task as this is quite large and will occupy the greater part of our day."

"Oh! Sorry, focus," the younger mage turned her attention to the task of twining the stray strands of their spells together with a rather pleased little grin on her beak.

Tensaih felt rather warm inside to work with such an adoring young mage, mostly because she just liked the girl. She could easily see her becoming like the little sister she had never had, but such things could wait until the tasks at hand were completed. There was a long lived and ever hungry enemy breathing down their necks and they needed some sort of shelter against the fiends. it was only too pleasant that she could let such a likable young aspiring mage be a part of building those defenses that would protect them all.

* * *

The air surrounding the quiet little town was disturbingly quiet and still, peaceful. To watch the tranquil scene would make it so very easy to forget that the people who lived there before had died at the hands of the current occupants, along with the name of their little backwoods home. A white hot ember burned in Agrok Asreigh's heart as she thought of all the innocent lives that were wiped out, just to give the Soul Legion an outpost on a crossroad that lead to the plains. Woodsmen, women, children, none of them were spared, and it was amongst their remains that she and her nine gryphon warriors held position and waited to hear word from the primary front before she would signal her two other squads and make their move upon the command position within the town. It was a grim and rather grotesque hiding place, but they needed to strike from the least likely place. At the very least they were spared the horrid fate of the people in the village she had found with Grenz on their first mission together.

She watched the sentries patrolling with a hard determined stare, they would suffer first. After they were dead, swift and brutal justice would be brought upon the men waiting to support them, and at last to their vile commander. The gryphoness spared a look back at their borrowed mage, a male taperwing not much older than she was. The poor lad was not used to combat or the horrors that the Legion was capable of. Being surrounded by their victims left his nares so very pale. She felt bad for him and fought the urge to break position and comfort him. If he were going to fight the Legion with the rest of them, he had to learn to fight first and mourn later. They had to be the instruments of justice for the fallen people of their world and bring the Legion to it's knees.

Agrok's ear twitched as she began to hear sounds of battle and orders being issued distantly before Carpenter's disembodied voice sounded in her ears, "We've engaged the enemy, begin your assault Talons."

"Right, we're engaging now," she replied before she traced a talon along her insignia to switch the connection of the communications to the other commanders in their small attack force, "The battle has begun, make your strikes at the first opportunity and infiltrate. We're going to get our ground troops in while you have the Legion engaged. Road guards, no messages escape down those rear roads, only the forward, at all costs."

There was no reply, there wouldn't have been one as all those listening were giving silent orders and creeping into positions to make surgical strikes on the sentries to gain deeper access to the town. Sharp blue eyes kept a close count on the number of men patrolling the streets between the small wooden buildings. As the numbers began to drop, the men that were still alive began to look nervous with hands resting firmly on their weapons at all times.

One of them passed within hearing range of the gryphons hiding amongst the dead, "Something isn't right at all, I should alert the captain."

Time was up, they had to move right that moment, the alarm was going to be sounded, so Agrok stood up right in front of the human and said a single word, "Terek."

The sentry tried to draw his broad sword, but the large male was already upon him to pin his arms to his sides with a pair of powerful foreclaws. The man had drawn a breath to scream in alarm and panic, but the gryphon slammed the smooth curve of his beak into the man's face, crushing his nose and shattering his teeth with a spray of blood. Like a spring loaded machine, Terek darted his head forward a second time, opening his beak to sink the sharp hook through the side of the human's neck and tear his throat out, preventing any further vocalization and starting the process of the man's death.

Agrok looked back at the mage and nodded, "What are you waiting for? Get our boys in here so we can take this town. Terek, get me a bird in contact with the other assault groups. Gerlen, Kisp, you two cover Herlen while he works the gating device. The rest of you come with me, we have Legion to kill."

The two large broadwings each gave a nod as they took defensive positions around the tan feathered mage as he began to cast the trigger and cloaking spells about the device Kahlah had made for them. Terek appointed one of the smaller and more swift warriors to make contact with the other assault groups before he fell in line with Agrok. The remaining warriors all stalked into the small roads between the structures and began to systematically burst into the houses and attack any soldiers they found within. Most of what they found were empty houses or sleeping men who were resting for night duty. They had to eliminate the threat these men posed as reinforcements to the day guard as they worked to secure the town. The work was going quickly until the alarm was finally raised, forcing the female to call her warriors into a more defensive group to make their advance.

It was a frightening sight to see so many large gryphons moving so silently through the streets as they sought the men who had conquered the town they now defended. Agrok and her warriors had the advantage over the human soldiers by the grace of their sharper senses. The earlier detection allowed them to easily outflank their opponents and turn each of their dozen or so encounters into minors distractions for the Titanian soldiers. Terek was one of the few to have already been outfitted with the new gryphon scythes that the master smith and master carpenter had developed. Agrok was quite impressed with the performance of the weapons against the swords and spears of the Legion troops as the heavy blades made short work of the wood and even steel when they struck from either side simultaneously. What weapons he didn't break were struck with such force by the massive strength of the broadwing that the owners rarely maintained a grip on their own weapons or kept their footing. The more Agrok seen the weapons at work, the more she liked their design and functionality. Terek dispelled her only concerns with them by sheathing and drawing them with such speed and ease that he never really slowed down in his movements. They were there the instant they reached a fight, and they returned to his sides the moment the engagement was over.

"You're going to have to teach me how to use those things, I do believe I am going to have to have a pair made for myself," she suggested as she wiped her talons on the shirt of her latest victim.

Terek gave a bit of a snort, "I would be happy to, but I wouldn't want to make anyone jealous now."

"My prospect is very secure in their position, thank you. I am serious about learning those weapons though, I have some material that the smiths will be working with when this is all done, we'll have to discuss some training sessions," Agrok shrugged off his teasing protest.

Her second started to grin before he lurched suddenly to his left to avoid the swing of an ax, "We have to survive first!"

Agrok was quick to react and pinned the weapon under a foreclaw while she swiped at the neck of the offending opponent. His throat tore from his neck with a crimson shower of blood and flesh while the man gurgled a cry of pain and fear. She let the dying body drop where it stood and faced the rest of his comrades as Terek engaged another who was wielding twin maces. The gryphoness found herself tangled with a spear wielding human who kept her well at bay with quick jabs and thrusts, forcing her to dodge his long weapon at a distance. The heavy weapons clashed near by as the heavy maces gave Terek's opponent an edge in facing the gryphon and forcing him to give a real weapons battle. She knew she had to break free and help him, his weapons were simply too new for him to have the experience needed to win such a fight. Agrok pressed toward her opponent, even as he thrust his spear madly at her, ducking an attack and finding an opening to parry and grasp the shaft of his weapon to finally use her body's size and strength against the lighter human. One strong tug jerked the man into her forelimbs, allowing her to wrap one around his head to twist his neck until it broke with a wet snap. She did not check her kill, dead or paralyzed he was out of the fight for good and that was all that mattered.

Just before Agrok could make a move on the mace wielding human, Terek fell for a feigned swing with the human's left. The more experienced mace wielder used the force of the gryphon's block to spin to his right and bring the right mace hard into his side. Terek's quick reactions were all that spared his life as he managed to turn his body so the heavy blow struck his battle harness. The strike shook the large male's frame to his very core, even with the heavy leather absorbing most of the impact. Agrok could not tell if anything had been broken, but she was certain that he was definitely hurt enough to tip the scales too far in his opponent's favor. The others around them were too engaged in their own battles to assist in dealing with the situation, which left her no other option. Agrok exploded in a full reckless pounce with her foreclaws outstretched at the man's neck. There was a rather large chance she could find herself under a lethal blow from those wicked maces, but if she had not acted she was for sure to watch another die. She could not live with that sacrifice and fate seemed fit to reward her for her selfless assault. The mace wielding Legion soldier was too focused on his victory on the armed gryphon that had been so devastating before that he did not see the commanding gryphoness charge at him. His eyes snapped up just in time to give her the perfect angle for wrapping her talons around the back of his neck to tear into his flesh only half a second before her hind paws struck his chest and gave a mighty kick. The shredding of flesh and cartilage in his neck and the force of the kick mingled together for the gruesome result of completely tearing his head from his shoulders to hang from a strand of his own flesh that pealed to a point beneath his chain mail.

Terek coughed as he regained his breath, still reeling from the massive impact, "Damn, I guess hell really hath no fury next to that of an angry female."

Agrok was about to say something when she heard three distinct 'thwangs' toward the center of the town. Archers, and they had sent arrows at the pair while Terek was still unable to dodge or cover. For the second time that day she risked her own body to protect one of her comrades, covering him with her spread wings and waiting for the painful impacts to come. All she could do was pray they did not strike anything vital when they struck, but that stinging impact never came. A new sound filled her ears before she opened her eyes to see the three 'thunks' had been the arrows striking a shield. When her eyes focused on the human carrying it, she realized he was in polished steel plate with a violet tabard that proudly displayed the banner of Titania. Her foot troops had arrived just in time as she had realized they were right at the edge of the general's secured command post.

"Ma'am, you can quit lovin' on that baggy bunch of feathers, I got your tails covered against the pin shooters," the shield-man spared them a glance from behind his helmet, "The sot might start to think he's good enough to attract a girl if you keep it up."

Agrok blushed and quickly extracted herself from her protective embrace on Terek as he chuckled, "Well, if I had known that getting beat up would make a pretty girl throw herself at me, I'd have thrown quite a few fights."

"Tcha, it would be the only way you could get some attention, quit bothering the lady with your failure and let her lead this thing. She could do much better than you, flea bag," the human scolded.

Agrok cleared her throat, fighting hard to soften her blush at the compliments mixed into their banter, "Enough, we have a job to do. Terek, that was a harsh blow, are you well enough to fight on or are you weakened by it?"

"I'm certainly sore, a little stiff, but otherwise okay," he replied as he rolled his shoulder to test the muscles in his side, "I feel up to killing more of these Legion scum."

She nodded gently as she scanned the square ahead for any signs of where the general himself might be, "Good, I need every able body I have at hand for this. We've reached the heart of the town, now we've got the tougher fighters on hand. Where is my messenger?"

"Here ma'am," the male that answered was a rare sight indeed, a hawk based broadwing of gray and burgundy markings on his wings, "Commander Telmar has two wounded and one dead, while commander Jahkra has two wounded, including himself."

Agrok shook her head at the report before she touched her insignia to issue her orders, "Alright birds and men alike, listen up. Telmar, you and your squad are going to come in on that north road and begin sweeping the streets. Jahkra, your recklessness has been noted and you are done for now, your second is to lead your squad down the south road and eliminate any Legion you find. Both of you, we have no room for prisoners in this little counter strike, so surrenders are to be treated as an attack, as much as it makes me sick to have to say that. Has anyone seen a messenger leaving for the forward forces yet?"

"Yes ma'am, one left not five minutes ago," an unfamiliar voice spoke over the arcane communicator line.

A brow slid up over a rather blue eye, "Who is this now?"

"Veleran, Jahkra's second," the unseen male replied quickly.

Agrok brushed aside the fact that he forgot to address her properly, "Excellent news, Aeyaron, beat wings over to Lieutenant Asreigh and inform him that we are working on the town square and that their runner is already out to summon help from the front, so we will need to close in and assemble asap."

"Yes ma'am, right away," the hawk based male hurled himself into the air and began to wing his way toward the forest where Agrok's father was waiting with nearly an entire wing of gryphons that were not deployed in the fight on the front.

The gryphoness turned her eyes back on the men that now joined her gryphons, "Where's Herlen? I need my mage here and now."

"Here ma'am," the taperwinged gryphon bobbed his head nervously as he looked ahead at the Legion's gathered forces.

Agrok gave him a nod, "Right then, you will be my archer since we lack any at all. Anything that looks like a bow in the hands of the enemy should draw a lethal spell from you like a magnet draws metal."

"B-but I'm no combat mage! I'm just good enough to use the device Kahlah sent for you," Herlen stared at her with wide eyes as he started to shuffle backwards and give the strong impression that he was only moments away from wetting himself.

She had no time for such a major tactical disaster and reacted by grasping the panicking male by the back of his neck and pressing the curve of her beak to his, "Listen well boy, piss yourself already and get the fledgling crap out of your system. Today you become a man and fight for your nation, and don't give me that crock of shit that you aren't a combat mage. If you made it far enough to use such a device as Kahlah supplied, then you know at least some spell that can turn a mundane archer into a pile of deadafied flesh. Now find your balls or I will bite them off myself and put them in your carry sack so you will always know where they are. Am I clear?"

"C-crystal, ma'am," the small male swallowed hard as his hind paws shuffled and his tail tip twitched with distress.

Terek blinked at her as she let go of the mage and turned her back on him to return to the front of the squad with an irritated flick of both tail and wings, "Deadafied?"

"Yes, deadafied, made into a dead thing, no longer living, dead," Agrok huffed a little, her mood quite a bit foul, "Is there a problem with my terminology?"

The big male shook his head, "No ma'am, just never heard that one before. I may have to borrow that if we make it home today. So what's our plan?"

"The others are likely waiting for their humans to reach them, so we'll spearhead this advance and take the brunt while the others flank the enemy, of course this means you and those blade breaking scythes of yours are up front with the shield-men to be our shield of meat and bone," she replied casually.

Terek raised a brow, "So what will the rest of you be doing while I'm busy avoiding anything that will take my head off?"

"The rest of us will be dishing out some damage to anything we can reach that you shield-men hold back," Agrok began to advance toward the enemy positions in the square, "Move that butt, we need to stare at it while you break up their formations, not the other way around."

The wounded male just shook his head, "Just make sure you deal that damage every second you can, there is no handy gifted healers to put me back together if something goes wrong. Besides, I'm hurt."

"You said you were okay, we don't have time for you to be a fussy fledgeling," she fired right back, "March soldier."

There were no more words, each member of the unit fell into their established roles as they marched toward the Legion's defensive positions. The enemy looked nervous as they stood their ground, obviously not expecting such a well balanced and well organized foe to be so far behind their own attack forces. The archers on the rooftops took aim at the advancing troops while Herlen breathed hard and fast as he thought over his spells. Agrok smacked his beak with the tip of her tail.

"Quit over thinking your attack and make one already," she barked her command as the bow strings buzzed and launched their missiles at the advancing Titanian forces.

The timid mage cried out as the gryphoness snatched an arrow from it's path, directly at his throat. He panicked and launched a fireball at the trio of archers, engulfing the men and incinerating them quickly. There was also the unfortunate side effect of setting the building ablaze as well.

Agrok growled as the shield-men kicked aside the other two arrows that had bounced off their shields, "Put that damned fire out and use something more sensible next time, we want to take the town not raze it. The rest of you, advance, we are here to kill Legion, not parade about the square."

Terek gave a grim nod and began to advance quickly toward the first knot of resistance to their advance with the rest of the shield-men close on his flanks. In all their ranks had swelled by eight shield bearers and two swordsmen with the arrival of the human troops. The wall of wood and steel that crashed into the Legion's own shield-men was more than they expected with the large armed broadwing at their center. Terek made a vicious strike at his opponent's shield, easily bowling the much lighter human over with his full forced swing. He quickly turned his weapons in an arch that caught the sides of the shields that the Legion troops beside his initial target were using against his brothers in arms. The Titanian soldiers both spun with fluid motion and grace as they kept their shields relatively in position to guard their backs as they turns the move into a thrust of their swords into the vital organs of their former opponents. The Legion's defensive line began to crumble in seconds as the freed men were able to force their way into the growing hole and flank the defenders on either side while Terek engaged the regular fighters behind them.

Agrok slipped through the hole with a few of her gryphons to assault the men on the other side, dodging a high swing with a duck and catching the swordsman's ankle in a foreclaw as she stood back up to topple the man over onto his back. Before he could recover from his fall she was on him, sliding his own dagger from it's sheath and driving it into his heart. More archers appeared on the roof tops while they were tangled with the foot troops. Agrok felt a ball of ice in her gut as they took aim at her, having realized that she was in command. Her current foe was fast, slashing with a twin set of wicked daggers like an unrelenting viper trying to sink poisoned fangs into her flesh and leaving her no room to dodge the archer's lethal aim. Her opponent made a quick attempt at a backhanded slash with his left hand that the gryphoness dodged with ease, though she seemed to be open for him as he deftly twirled the blade in his fingers to shift it into position for an attempted lunge at her heart through her side. He seemed to forget that he was fighting a winged creature, or he assumed she would not risk damaging the limbs, what ever was the case his move gave Agrok a prime opening. She struck with her left wing, smashing the leading edge right into her foe's forearm and forced his hand nice and hard against his chest. The impact sank the long fang shaped steel deep into his chest and let his crimson life pour from the wound like a cut wine skin.

The man fell just in time for her to see the arrow leave the archer's bow, streaking through the air in a direct path for her heart. The wing strike left her at an odd angle with no hope to dodge or deflect the deadly missile. The end of her life was no more than two feet from her when she seen what looked like a ripple in the air streak back along the arrow's path, shattering the deadly shaft and spraying the debris away from her before that ripple struck the archer and punched a large hole right through his chest and the top of his gut with an explosion of flesh and gore.

Herlen stared wide eyed at her, looking past her at the tumbling body of the archer, "I-I.. what have I done?"

"Your job and your duty to your nation and your brothers and sister in arms. If it bothers you to tear another being apart like that, use something that kills with less dramatic effect like an ice spell or steal the breath from their lungs or something," Agrok turned to pat the traumatized mage on his shoulder when she noticed the puddle forming beneath him, "Don't worry, I will make it a point to leave that part out of my report and so will the rest of the boys."

Kisp, the large golden tan feathered broadwing gave the mage a clap on his shoulder, "A fine kill, a little messier that needed, but that will sure teach those pricks to shoot at our little lady now wont it?"

"W-why was this one so hard when the fireball was so easy," Herlen's eyes watered as he was literally on the edge of tears.

The larger male shook his head, "It's the eyes and the effect, you could see it this time. Don't be ashamed of what you did here, it's normal to feel repulsed in making your first personal kill like that. If you did not use that precise spell though, our fine commander here would have given her life for her people. Remember that you traded his life for hers and it will help make this easier to stomach, hell I threw up after my first kill. Come lad, we have more to do and not a lot of time to do so. Their lives for the lives of our people, think of the females and the gryphlets that are safer for your actions here, they need you and so do we. I'll watch your back out here."

The taperwing nodded slowly as he moved along next to the larger male to seek out their next targets. Agrok took note that the archers had disappeared from the roof tops after that grim display of magic. She let her troops push back the Legion while she assessed the battlefield to see if she needed to make any changes to the current melee. Her sharp eyes scanned the positions of the Legion troops to see that they were all converging on the attacking unit while their defensive efforts were being focused on her gryphons and men. Beyond them she could see the other two units moving quickly toward the rear flanks of the Legion units. Agrok turned her attention back on the men before her, choosing carefully until she found the perfect opening to pounce an unsuspecting foe and drive the hook of her beak through his back beneath his spine before she ripped her head back with all her might. There was a sickening wet 'thunk' as a section of her victim's spine pulled free in her beak to leave the rest of him convulsing on the ground. A quick glance to her right showed her a fine pair of magic and talon working together to wreak true havoc on the Legion before them as Herlen fell into a fighting rhythm with Kisp. The gryphoness allowed herself a small sigh of relief as performing the task of dancing spell around talon seemed to be keeping the distraught mage focused on other things than his previous gruesome act.

A sharp cry of pain told Agrok that one of her birds had been wounded, driving her to act to protect the wounded warrior. She found herself facing a pair of fighters that brought too good a balance for her liking. The duo consisted of a rather strong built human with a heavy two handed sword of some type and some kind of humanoid cat creature with bladed claws strapped over it's hands. The cat moved too quickly and too often for her to tell if the black spots on it's light brown hide were markings or warpaint. All she knew was that she had to watch every move she made as the fast attacks of the cat were meant to either drive her into one of the heavy swings of it's partner or wound her so the human could catch her with a powerful slash. It felt like an eternity of dodge and evade at high speed, sapping the strength from her body rather quickly under the dual onslaught. Just when Agrok was sure the pair would wear her down and slay her at their leisure, the human's sword struck steel and froze in mid swing much to the shocked dismay of the man wielding it.

"Don't leave me out of this fun little dance," Terek grinned as he shoved the burly man back, "I got the muscle man, you handle the pussy."

Agrok found herself on much better ground against the cat as she was finally able to focus on it, "I would make a joke on that but it would probably feed some rumors I haven't heard yet."

The feline tried to press a flurry of slashing strikes, but she was fast enough to match each strike with a block and parry. It was in that moment that Agrok realized the most important factor in her current battle, the cat was not as fast as she was. Terek's engagement had apparently broken up the duo's entire fighting strategy. Without the heavy swordsman creating a lethal distraction, the cat seemed lost on how to address the foe at hand. Agrok was not so handicapped as to only be able to fight in one way and turned the tables on the feline with an advancing flurry of her own slashing talons and snapping beak. Terek seemed to be fairing just as well as the heavy armed human seemed puzzled as to how to handle a foe he could not overpower. The huge broadwing firmly blocked each of the slow, powerful swings of that massive blade with the heavy curved blades of his own gryphon scythes. Terek's powerful frame simply tensed on each impact and held strong. He easily had his foe beaten once he decided how to make that last lethal move.

It didn't take long for the large male gryphon to make his move, catching the flat of the heavy sword in the curve of his left scythe and rove it down with all his might as his right scythe cleaved upward to catch and snap the sword with the immense force of his scissoring strike. The heavy armored human cried out in shock as his beloved weapon was suddenly only a quarter the length is once was. Unfortunately for the Legion soldier, Terek was not done. His upward swing was intentionally arched to scrape the tip against the human's visor and cause a distraction while the gryphon lurched back with his left foreclaw and bring it back with a dreadfully powerful strike against the lower left of his foe's breastplate. The heavy scythe blade made for a perfect spike, causing the tip to pierce the armor under such a powerful impact and gouge deep into the human's belly. He shoved his foe off his scythe and released a heavy plume of crimson to wash over the man's armor as he stumbled back and sank to his knees as the life flowed rapidly from the wound.

The cat let out a feral scream as she tore herself away from Agrok and hurled herself at Terek in a grief stricken rage. The gryphoness was quick to react and caught the creature by the tail to swing it back with all her might and send it sprawling onto it's back with herself between it and the male. The feline was not finished, scrambling to it's feet again with blind rage written all over it's face as it flung it's self at the gryphoness with a hissing growl. Agrok scooped up the broken blade of the human's sword and raised it quickly for the cat to impale it's own throat on the sharp point in it's reckless attack. The impact forced the sharp edges of the blade along Agrok's foreclaw and into her flesh beneath the scales. The cuts were not very deep, but they did send a sharp stinging pain through her foreclaw and forcing her to hobble back from the mortally wounded creature.

The Legion soldiers seemed to pull back for a moment as a distant cry of alarm went up to announce the arrival of at least one of the other Talons squads on the flank of their opposing forces. Agrok took the moment of advantage to hobble to her downed bird and check on him.

"Jerohd, are you still alive," she asked as she examined the wounds on the still lump of feathers.

The gryphoness was pleased to feel the warmth in his body before he gasped a breath and replied, "Yeah, still alive and not enjoying it at the moment."

"How bad is it, can you tell," Agrok asked gently as she tried to trace the blood to it's source.

The wounded male groaned softly as her foreclaws touched smaller wounds and bruises, "I dodged that cat but the bastard human got a good stab in my chest, feels like he missed all my vitals. This is pretty bad though, very deep, I'm sorry to let you down on your first command but I believe I am out of this fight."

"Don't worry about it, you fought well and I am proud to have had you along for my first chance at being the alpha. My father is on his way with the regular troops as we speak, they have field healers along that will patch this up enough that they should be able to get you off the field to that well deserved rest," she replied as she searched her harness packs for the small jar of painslayer salve to apply to her fallen soldier.

Jerohd lay quietly as she worked on his wounds with the salve, keeping them from getting dirty and infected as well as allowing the natural painkillers in the extract sooth his pain to manageable levels. The brush of his feathers on her own wounded foreclaw reminded her that she needed to get herself dressed before she continued to fight. The injured male reached up and grasped her foreclaw in a tight, yet gentle vice of a foreclaw as he reached for the remains of the salve to spread it on her cuts.

"You are not going to patch me up and forget about yourself, go on and get that wrapped up so you can lead the boys to victory," Jerohd gave her a gentle nod before he lay his head back down and waited for the fight to end.

Agrok smiled warmly to the wounded male before she turned away toward Terek and the two fighters, "Thank you, Jerohd, I think those Legion warriors should have some sort of cloth I can- TEREK! What the hell are you doing!"

She could not see well, but her angle did allow her to see his back with a foreclaw holding the body of the feline with it's rump suspended by the tail as he worked on pulling it's trousers down, "Oh, I was simply curious, never seen one of these things before and I wanted to know if you fought a male or female."

"Terek.. we don't have time for this, nor is this really the way to go about such an investigation," she sighed and moved back toward the fighting, "Well?"

The male cocked an ear tuft in her direction, "Well what?"

"You already exposed the damned thing, you might as well share your findings," she huffed a bit as she used the pause as an excuse to take stock of her unit, finding the pleasant state of only having one wounded gryphon to that point.

Terek chuckled softly, "You will be pleased to know that you have eliminated the only competition for meanest female on this battlefield. Hmm.. she seems to have a heavy scent of the human about her."

"Terek, put that down and get back in the fight, that's an order," Agrok snapped with a shake of her head, "You're getting a little too interested in that corpse and it's starting to disturb me."

He shrugged and tossed the feline corpse aside, "Alright, let's get back to killing Legion. It's a pity though, that thing was kind of cute."

"Just about any female is cute from that angle," she shook her head and winced as she stepped on her wounded foreclaw.

Terek tilted his head a moment before he began to open a pocket built into his battle harness, "Come here, we'll get that wrapped up quickly so you can do this without infection ruining your victory."

"Thanks," Agrok watched quietly for a moment as her second in command wrapped a clean cloth about her foreclaw, "Terek, I'm sorry I snapped like that. You just really surprised me and shocked me with that strange behavior, I really wasn't expecting to see that."

He shook his head as he tied off her makeshift bandage, "No, it was weird to do, let alone to turn around and see like that. I just get intensely curious from time to time and everything seemed to be under control."

"Thanks for the glove, now if you promise to survive this, I promise to never mention this little cat incident," she smiled before she turned and charged back toward the fighting, "Come on boy, there's more work to do!"

Terek huffed a bit as he charged toward the enemy, "I am not some sort of canine!"

Agrok did not bother to give any kind of retort as she was already engaged with a fellow swinging and jabbing a poleaxe at her. The big male himself found a Legion soldier with a shield and spear combination that was proving problematic for his comrades. The ability to parry that spear opened it's wielder to attack with only the hoplon to protect his body from the gryphon's powerful strikes. The Legion soldier found himself overpowered by the big broadwing as Terek hammered at that shield, sending the spear-man stumbling with every strike until he forced him to the ground. Once he had his opponent down, Terek caught the edge of the shield and shoved it aside for a quick slashing strike at his victim's chest. The heavy blade made quick work of the leather armor and bone beneath under the gryphon's strength.

Agrok dodged the slow attacks with a nimble grace as she looked for the right moment to close the distance on her opponent. A prime opportunity presented it's self in a lunge with too much force behind it, which she dodged with ease only to shoulder the shaft of the weapon and force the owner to readjust his footing. The gryphoness lunged at her opponent with flashing claws that tore his light armor and flesh with ease, quickly reducing him to a bloody mess on the ground. Agrok was quick to make use of his fallen weapon, snatching it up and making a hard swing at the back of the nearest Legion soldier that was engage with another of her gryphons. The second fighter was caught off guard and cried out in pained surprise as the heavy head of the poleaxe sank into his back and severed his spine. The blade of her borrowed weapon lodged firmly in the body of her prey, making it more effort to retrieve than to leave it behind.

"Thanks for the assist," the tan feathered male nodded his thanks before his eyes widened, "Commander, your right!"

The warning gave her just enough time to see the sword swinging at her with just enough time to raise the shaft of the poleaxe to block the deadly strike. The gryphon she had helped just a moment before launched himself at the swordsman, catching his head with a shattering strike of his massive foreclaw. Although the talons sank deep into his neck and face, Agrok was certain that the force of the blow was what killed the human.

She gave a nod of thanks to the other warrior, "Now we're even, let's finish this up and catch our breaths before the larger force gets here."

"Right, looks like it's mostly a small knot under that statue in the square. They seem to be holed up pretty good," the male nodded toward the square just ahead.

Agrok scanned the situation ahead with her eyes. Sure enough, there was a small wall surrounding the statue of some old warrior that was giving the Legion troops a good defensive advantage. Her blue eyes locked on the huge pillar of carved and shaped stone towering over the men. An idea formed in her head as she looked about her troops.

"Herlen? Where is Herlen? If you're alive I need you front and center," she called out over the sounds of fighting.

The tapper winged male scrambled quickly to stand before her, looking for more secure than eh had previously, "Yes Ma'am!"

"The largest remaining opposition is under that statue there, I want you to bring it down on their heads," Agrok ordered with a nod of her beak toward the knot of resistance.

Herlen nodded and set to work, even as he made his reply, "I have just the thing ma'am."

Not a moment after he replied, Herlen's spell took hold on the base of the statue, turning the half facing the Legion troops into sand and toppling the heavy stone statue onto the fighters below. Those who avoided the crashing stone work were quickly picked off by the Titanian soldiers waiting for them at the end of their wild scramble.

The scent of blood was heavy in the air as Agrok surveyed her battlefield to take stock of her unit. She could see a few that suffered minor wounds, and only the one bird who would be out of the fight. There was only one task left to perform, they had to find and kill the general. Her eyes turned immediately to the town hall, it did make perfect sense to run things out of a building already meant to run the town.

"Terek, get the unit back in order and assemble the other squads. Kisp, Herlen, you two are to come with me, I believe I might know where our final target is," Agrok issued her orders as she started her rushed walk to the town hall building.

The three males all gave a nod and answered together, "Yes ma'am."

Herlen and Kisp both rushed to keep up with their substitute commander, "So we did it, we really did it."

"This was not that difficult a mission, nor is it over yet Herlen," she replied sternly, "Even a simple assignment can go so very wrong. We wont rest or congratulate ourselves until the general is dead and the legion forces are thrown back."

The small mage laid his ears back and ducked his head a bit, "Oh, right, sorry ma'am."

Agrok did not bother to try and restore his confidence, there was no time, they had reached the doors. She carefully raised a foreclaw to check the door handle, finding it to be locked.

"Well, that is a good sign that we are on the right trail," she announced, "Herlen, get me a scry on this door and the room beyond, I don't want any surprises."

Kisp gave a huff and shouldered her aside, "Pardon me ma'am, but we have little time before any kind of response from the Soul Legion. Best to just let me throw my weight around."

Agrok backed up quickly as the large male took a step back, "Kisp, wait, we don't know what's-"

The warrior lunged his shoulder at the heavy door to try and break it down as she spoke. The crashing and splintering of wood cut her words short as the door crashed outward along with the body of her comrade with only the quick glimpse of a large flash of metal as the only clue. Kisp rolled down the steps and began to convulse with the head injury.

Agrok turned her eyes back on the door to see a large, muscular minotaur heft a massive war maul up to his shoulder, "Aww, I broke your little birdy."

Herlen rushed to his fallen friend's side in a panic, trying to revive him desperately as Agrok stared darkly at the black furred beast.

"Herlen, stay back and keep everyone else back. I'll take care of this," she ordered at the grinning beast.

The minotaur shifted his massive hammer to the ready in his hands, "So the little girly bird wants to fight eh? Don't expect me to go easy on you, I really am curious if you taste like chicken?"

Agrok did not rise to his bait, she kept her focus and concentration tight on her task as she made her first lunge to draw out an attack from her foe. The general reacted as she had expected, taking a swing with that massive hammer. The gryphoness leaped backward to avoid the strike and made her real attempt to strike in the wake of that hammer, but her opponent was not so easily taken. The minotaur made a quick reversal of his swing with a grin. She quickly rolled under the high swing to land herself in a low crouch when she hit her feet again. The minotaur raised his maul and tried to bring it down on the gryphoness with an overhead smash. Agrok quickly countered the move by leaping backwards, a move that most other gryphons were not quite agile enough to perform. The head of that massive hammer smashed into the stone steps of the town hall. The gryphoness made a quick hop onto the head of the hammer before she launched herself at the head of the minotaur, grasping his horns with her foreclaws to flip herself down along his back so she could use the momentum to throw him over her and dislodge the maul from his hands in the process.

The general impacted the steps head first, stunning him for a moment. That moment was all it took for Agrok to scoop up the lost maul while the minotaur was struggling to regain his feet. A vicious upward swing caught the humanoid bovine square in the muzzle, caving in his snout and throwing him back against the ground. The gryphoness was quick to adjust her stance for a second blow, this one coming overhand to crash into the general's chest with a sickening wet cracking of ribs and a spray of blood from his mouth as the heavy strike burst his lungs. Agrok tossed the maul aside as she panted heavily with the efforts of the long battle taking their toll on her.

"Herlen, how is Kisp, is he," she began to ask as she turned to face the mage only to find that many more of their forces had come to watch the battle between their lead commander and the minotaur general.

The mage looked up the steps at her with a rather distressed look in his eyes, "He has a pulse, but his convulsions haven't stopped, nor has he shown any signs of consciousness."

"Do what you can for him, I'll report in with the news of the town's capture," the gryphoness turned her eyes away from the sad sight of the mage tending his fallen friend and touched her badge to open the link to her father, "Agrok Asreigh reporting in, we have dead and wounded, but we have taken the town and eliminated the Legion general. Requesting that the field healers be ready to tend to our boys and birds as soon as they arrive-"

Agrok found her words cut short as a large foreclaw crashed into the left side of her face , her assailant having come from behind with the sneak attack. There were angry shouts of surprise as more than one large body rushed to cut off her attacker. Once the stars cleared from her head and returned her vision, Agrok could see Terek standing firm and facing another broadwing.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing," he snapped at the other male.

Commander Jahkra glared at her as if Terek were not even here, "You bitch! I was fine to keep fighting and leading my squad, but you decided to humiliate me by putting me in time out like some kind of child! Get up, so I can tear you apart properly."

"Terek, back down, I can handle this," Agrok growled as she hauled herself back to her feet to glare at the offending commander, "Are you done, Jahkra? Perhaps you would like a moment to piss all over everything so we know it's yours?"

The commander growled as he held the smaller female with a hard stare, "what the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your macho bullshit, I made a command decision based on the stats brought to me by my own bird. No one asked you to agree with it, simply to do it. Would it have made a difference if I were a male? Would you have had the balls to walk up here and sucker punch Terek if he were the one in command?"

Jahkra just glared at her as everyone else around started to grin at one another and whisper teasing little jibes to one another about the offending commander.

"I didn't think so, let me make this perfectly clear," Agrok stalked forward with absolute venom in her voice, "The only reason I haven't stomped your face in or removed your pride and shoved it up your own tail is this I am busy getting this place ready for the pending Legion attack. I suggest you see what your second has for you to do for just that event."

Jahkra gave a snort, "So you're going to tell daddy on me now? We all know that is why you got this position in this operation."

"She got this position for her close work with the absent commander and exceptional field performance, otherwise I would have liked to apply her talents elsewhere. As fir telling on you, her com was already open with me when you pulled this stunt as she was giving her report, idiot. I wont be handling this myself for obvious conflict of interest, but I will place the matter in the hands of our fine generals to review and act accordingly," Reyfis spat over the communicator.

Agrok shook her head gently, "Jahkra, get out of my face and go see what Veleran wants you to do. He's in charge now until some one higher ranking overrides my orders. The rest of you, if you have field aide supplies on you, assist the wounded, the more severe the higher priority. I have to take stock of our surroundings and begin the planning of our defenses until the rest of the defense group arrives."

All the soldiers that were present all gave the customary "Yes ma'am!", but several seemed reluctant. Far more than she would have expected seemed to be fine with her orders and where they came from, she was earning the respect of her fellow warriors as both a warrior and a leader. She found that she liked that respect in place of an admiring gaze if she could not attract such looks. Part of her felt guilty at those thoughts, for there was one who already looked upon her with such an adoring eye and she was beginning to feel a bit beholden to her. Time would tell the outcome of that situation, just as time would tell the outcome of the battle at hand. Agrok could only hope she was strong enough to see both to an acceptable conclusion.

* * *

Chaos, that was the only way Kahlah could describe the primary front, even more so than a standard battle would have brought. They had under estimated the arcane strength that the Soul Legion had amassed at their borders and the limited arcane resources of the Titanian lines were stretched to their limit just to poorly defend their troops against it. The scouts had been pulled back only hours before the defense forces arrived, but in that time the enemy had gated in so many mages that they overwhelmed the Titanian defenders with ease. She found herself pounding against shields and squashing numerous minor mages, each one a trivial threat on their own, but they came in swarms. Their gryphon forces were kept on the ground by dozens upon dozens of wind barriers, making them entirely ineffective in the current battle. The Titanian archers had really saved the day and given them a fighting chance with bold hit and run strikes on the mage and archer nests that brought them within striking distance of the enemy.

"I'm calling in the scouts to help those archers neutralize more of their ranged forces, can you mages hold out until they get here to put that pressure on them," General Carpenter shouted over the roar of the battlefield.

Kahlah felt her physical strength fade for a moment before she found her strength once more, "I think we can, we really have no other choice."

Carpenter nodded and hefted his great-sword to his shoulder as he tapped the Titanian crest on his breast plate and began to issue his orders to the scouts that were watching their tails from Legion reinforcements. This was a desperate move and Kahlah knew it would leave them blind, but they had to do something to turn the tide of the battle. The drake mage worked feverishly to unravel and trace the source of each wind barrier to try and thin out the numbers of mages casting them so they could get their birds in the air and working on the ground troops. The number of barriers was dropping too slow to give any hope of bringing them all down in time to make a difference.

A frantic stream of orders brought her attention back to the fighting lines before her as a key position began to weaken under a hard push by the Legion. Kahlah had no other choice but to abandon her task to add her arcane might to the fighting men in that section. She quickly cast a rather complex spell, mostly to keep the lesser mages on the other side from being able to read and counter it. A large green ball of what appeared to be fire roared to life over the heads of the Soul Legion's troops before the ball exploded into a shower of small embers that dissolved armor and flesh on contact, proving them to be a corrosive form of energy rather than fire. The acid burst covered a rather large area, killing enough of the enemy to buy time for Tarse to reinforce the weakened position before they Legion forces could recover. Kahlah staggered for a moment as her strength nearly failed on her, panting in exhaustion. If she was so very drained already, she could not imagine how drained the lesser mages in their ranks must have been in such a desperate battle. They needed reinforcements for their mages, that much was absolutely certain.

"What are you fools doing? I sent enough of you to easily overwhelm the opposition, and yet they still defy you," a deep voice thundered over the sounds of battle with the kind of volume that could only have been achieved by a very large creature, "Must I do everything myself?"

Kahlah felt her heart drop into the tip of her tail as she spotted the dark green and blue scaled sky dragon standing behind the Legion troops. She knew him too well as the surviving twin of the pair that had taken Rio's mother. A Vyrekai had joined the battle on the enemy's behalf and she was in no shape to face another adept, let alone a stringer opponent. The time had come to call for help from their own Vyrekai.

"Tensaih," she screamed through her arcane channels, making no move to hide her desperation.

The calm voice of the silver female replied, "I see him, and I am already starting to raise the shields, I have something here to help the rest of your mages as well, just hold out for a few more seconds my friend."

"I wish I could say okay, but I think this one remembers me and we are all simply exhausted," the drake could scarcely conceal the panic in her mental voice.

Tensaih was quick to respond with a grim tone to her words, "I will aim my new weapon before the shield raises then."

The odd opalescent eyes of the opposing Vyrekai widened for a moment as he took in the battlefield with more than just his eyes, "I feel you out there, the little mage that slipped through my talons..it has taken me over a century, but I have learned your name! Kahlah, did you like what my brother and I did to that female who tried to protect you? You wont get to enjoy such honors today."

"Please hurry, I am too drained to fight him," she could feel herself trembling with a fear she had not known since she was a child as she waited for her distant ally to protect them from the monster from her past.

* * *

Tensaih frowned deeply as she scanned the battlefield and evaluated the strength of the Vyrekai who had arrived, "Kahlah is in trouble, one of GahlByrn's overlords has arrived. Not only that, they seem to have brought a whole lot more lesser mages than we anticipated."

"You'll be able to handle the situation from here," Gracie asked with no small amount of concern in her eyes.

The dragoness shook her shimmering head, "I am in the midst of raising the national shield, I cannot make so many attacks at once while performing such an energy intensive task. You, on the other hand, have no other tasks to perform. If you attack from below, you can catch the Legion mages by surprise as they are unaware that we know the weakness in their shielding."

"What can I do? I'm barely an apprentice and we are miles away from the battlefield," the gryphoness began to protest.

Tensaih shook her head at the protests while she fed her own power into the shields to force them to raise and manifest as a barrier about the nation's borders in a cascading chain reaction, "You can already scry and cast at such great distances if you can find and draw forth the living stone from the depths of the earth with as much precision as you claim. The process is no different, just side ways instead of down. Trust me when I say you can do this, it's not about power, it's about tactical opening and well placed strikes. You are most skilled at geomancy, and the Legion mages make dome like shields instead of spheres that leave their feet exposed to the earth. The earth that you are so very skilled at manipulating. I wont tell you how, but I will tell you that you need to strike as many as possible with the initial strike to have as large an effect as possible for our poor tired mages."

Gracie laid her ears back a moment as she started to shrink in on herself with the pressure and gravity of the situation, Tensaih pulled her back out with a few words of encouragement, "Heroes aren't always the biggest, the strongest, or the most powerful, often times they are just regular people who stand up and use what skills they have at the right moment. This moment was made for you, Gracie, prove what you and all other geomancers can do."

The gryphoness seemed torn for a moment before her eyes glazed with a nervous expression as she was obviously trying to scry the battlefield from their position before her face took on a hard look of determination, "Would it be okay if I killed all their mages?"

"So long as you get that Vyrekai, he would be the sky dragon at the back of their forces," Tensaih pointed out.

Gracie nodded grimly, "I can try, but I am not sure I can sneak by him to land an attack. What a kill that would be!"

* * *

Zarethek growled to himself as he watched the soldiers he had sent to assist General Rexten disappear from his own sight down the road. The worthless minotaur had gotten himself in the middle ground again, too close for safety and too far for cover. The pathetic fool would probably be dead by the time those troops reached him. No matter, he was not the true commander of that particular army to begin with. The brutish oaf would have lead them all to their graves with no effect on their enemies if he had let him pretend to be in charge. The dragon felt no guilt in hoping that the stupid cow really was dead when the reinforcements arrived. He was even tempted to do it himself and blame it on the Titanian forces.

Zarethek would have to wait for such delights however, he had the scent of another who had eluded him so long ago, before he had taken his own brother's soul for the power he gained from it. Sharp amber eyes scanned the back of the Titanian forces before him, seeking the flash of white scales that would mark the presence of his prey. A fireball struck his shields with no more force than a journeyman could have produced, such a pitiful attempt at attacking him. It was distracting, none the less, so Zarethek retaliated with a proper fireball that shattered the shields and consumed the body of the young gryphon mage that had made the attempt. A much more powerful bolt of electricity struck his shields and made them quiver under the power of the strike. He traced the spell back to it's source to find the determined violet eyes of a red tipped drake glaring at him from across the battlefield. Kahlah had stepped up to face him for the sake of her underlings, such a foolishly noble act. If she wanted to challenge him, he would be glad to show her exactly how foolish she was being.

"So be it, fool, I will gladly accept this challenge," Zarethek bellowed over the sounds of fighting below as he unleashed an intense pillar of fire in a horizontal arch toward the drake, "It makes finding you so much easier!"

Kahlah gave a sharp crying growl of effort as she forced all her might into her shields to weather the harsh attack. The dragon grinned to himself as it looked as though his spell was about to crumble her shields. That grin quickly turned to an angry snarl as the drake's real counter was revealed. She had hidden her own attack down the center of his pillar of flame, gutting it with a similar pillar of frost that squelched the flames and slammed into his own shields. The shields of the Vyrekai were for stronger than those of the drake, leaving him free to just laugh at her attempt to reach him. Zarethek unleashed a bright white ball of energy that shined violet around the edges. The sphere raced toward the drake as she braced her shields to take the impact of the spell .

The dragon kept his face perfectly strait until the ball split into four separate balls of energy that spun to either side of her and shot out a small beam of energy each to strike along the flanks of the lithe drake. Kahlah cried out as the energy struck her with a rather physical force that burned her scales and drove her to the ground. The adept was not finished by that spell however, and she struck back with a similar beam of forceful energy from her outstretched palm. Zarethek almost roared with laughter as he fortified his shields to prove the futility of her efforts against him.

"Guess again winged basilisk," Kahlah gasped out against the pain as her hidden spells struck their true target, reshaping his shields into something he could not identify before the beam struck them and turned them into an arcane hammer head that struck him square in the chest.

The impact drove the breath from his lungs and sent him sprawling on his back in an inglorious heap. The drake crumbled under her exhaustion, unable to even maintain her shields any longer. Zarethek gasped for a moment as he tried to regain his breath and his footing, unleashing a bellowing roar of pure rage once he recovered his stance and his breath. He simply could not wrap his mind around the fact that a mere adept had altered his shields into her own attack. She had made a fool of him on the battlefield and that was simply unforgivable. Kahlah had to die by his spells, in a display that would prove his power and wrath were not to be challenged. Crystal blue eyes scanned the battlefield once more as Zarethek searched for his opponent. The Vyrekai felt a sadistic glee well up in his chest when he spotted the crumpled form of the drake mage right where she had stood to attack him in the first place. The dragon did not hesitate or hold anything back as he unleashed a brutal storm of spells at his unconscious target. Bolts and balls of fire, ice, lightning, and even raw arcane energy raced toward the motionless form of the adept who dared to challenge him.

Just before his spells struck their target, a flash of enchanted steel struck the first fire bolt and cleaved through it as though it were a physical object, sending harmless sparks of dissipating energy everywhere. With lightning speed and expert skill, Saltriss swung his legendary blade to cleave, block, and parry every last spell as if they were enemy blades being aimed at his fallen mate. Once the last spell shattered into countless sparks of energy, the drake warrior stood firm in a ready stance with his blade, The Eye of the Drake, held firmly in his hands. The razor sharp edge of that enchanted steel pointed toward Zarethek while the tip pointed at the ground. The dragon was thankful that he had the pair pinned on the other side of the battlefield. A warrior like Saltriss with such a blade would have been quite the nasty foe to tangle with, especially for a sky dragon like him. His thin scales would provide little to no protection against the sword's edge and he lacked the awesome size of earth, fire, or ice dragons to overcome his lack of fighting skill. Granted, he did tower over the drakes, but not by enough to make a real impact on the lethal effects of The Eye. One good shot on the belly or the neck and he was finished.

Zarethek knew he would never get a spell past the skills of his new foe, but he had a trick under his wing. The Vyrekai unleashed a large amorphous blob of energy to streak toward the solid form of the drake warrior. Saltriss' eyes widened as he realized just what spell was heading for him. The drake steeled himself and dug in to face his fate, for the spell would burst into a blob of necrotic venom upon contact with any surface or energy. The choice was to let hit strike his mate, or to face it and be consumed himself. Zarethek grinned to himself as the lesser being chose to die for his beloved, even though he would finish her off the moment her mate was out of his way.

The dragon watched with glee until a sudden shimmering wave passed between him and the drakes, drawing a startled query from his throat, "What was that?"

The answer was painfully clear when his spell struck the space the shimmer had passed through and exploded in a shower venom that reacted to the obvious shielding shimmering under it by disintegrating. Several cries rang out over the sounds of the fighting below his position as something seemed to be killing his mage forces all at once. Instinct took hold of the frightened sky dragon and forced him to leap into the air with a mighty thrust of his massive wings. He had not gotten a single wing beat above the ground when the answer to what had slain his mages became horrifyingly clear to him. A thin lance of stone and dirt darted from the ground and plunged into his belly with such great speed that he could not even think of a reaction. A pain filled roar exploded from his jaws just before the lance it's self exploded into thousands more inside his body. The lance snapped under his weight and as he fell to the ground, dying, Zarethek witnessed stone and clay bodies rising from the earth it's self to aid the Titanian defenders. Geomancy, why had no one ever thought about geomancy as a weapon before? What a fool he had been, what fools they had all been. A bitter grin curled his lips; at least he did not have to worry about it any longer, his life was finished. The pain had already vanished and was replaced by the quickly closing blanket of blackness that blocked his vision for eternity.

* * *

Malehk watched the odd shimmering display as the strange spell struck the unseen barrier that could only have been the shielding that Tahkra had requested from Tensaih. He wasn't sure what else she had done, but it seemed that what ever it was had eliminated their swarms of arcane competition in one fell swoop. The gryphon king raised his head high to test the wind with his sensitive crest feathers. It had stopped completely to match the calm sunny weather around the battlefield. New movement caught his sharp eyes and pulled his attention to the odd sight. There was some sort of stone creature in a crude shape of a human attacking the Soul Legion's troops. Malehk's eyes began to dart around amongst the troops to see if there were any more of these odd creatures or if that was the sole individual. Much to his surprise, the golems were everywhere, mostly mixed in with the Titanian soldiers where they were in direct contact with the Legion. They weren't just stone either, several clay, sand, and even a quartz golem were mixed in the earthen swarm as they used club like arms, spiked bodies and even limbs shaped like blades to beat back the Legion troops.

Malehk looked at his gryphon generals who sat beside him at the head of the gryphon troops waiting for a break in the wind barrier, "Tarse, Lumere, get the birds ready fly once our boys have pulled back," he touched his golden crest upon his harness, "Fredrick, Carpenter, those golems appear to be a gift from a friend. Pull the men back and let them carry the line for a moment while our bids deliver their gifts to the Legion. The Consorts know those boys earned a breather and a chance to help their wounded. Kahlah, I need a situation report on our mages, are they in any shape to finish this fight?"

"Kahlah is down," Saltriss replied over the arcane communicator with a touch of worry in his voice, "We need to get her off the field and in the hands of a strong healer immediately or she wont make it. She drained herself completely in the fight with that dragon."

Malehk shook his head in irritation and sorrow, "Krinzehl, we have an emergency out here on the field, Kahlah is down, completely drained her reserves. Sal says she needs a healer right away and I need some one with an understanding of magic to assess and lead our mages, providing they have anything left to fight with."

"Right, I'm on my way to Rio's compound now while I scan our spell flingers. Saltriss, if you're still on the line, keep her warm as best you can until I get this gate up. I'm going to put it up right on Rio's toes and swap places with you," Krinzehl replied quickly, her voice echoing the bounce of her hurried steps.

Malehk let out a sigh of relief as he shifted the focus of his communication line while he watched the troop movements from his position on a small hill at the rear of their forces, "What ever you did to those mages pulled our tails out of the fire, Tensaih. Thanks again for saving our people."

"With all do respect, Lord Malehk, I didn't lift a proverbial finger to help you," Tensaih replied with a sly coolness to her mental tone, "I do admit to raising the national shield, but that only solved an individual problem. The mages and the golems were the work of a very underrated and very talented young lady whom I have had the pleasure to meet on my little trip."

The gryphon king shook his head as he knew that Tensaih was involved, even if she didn't do the casting, "You'll have to introduce this lady to myself and Tahkra so she can be given proper recognition for her part in today's events. That does remind me, what is the project we have heard only hushed mentions of?"

Malehk watched the troops moving about on his orders and on the finer tuned commands of the generals and lieutenants beneath him. The first wings of gryphons took to the air with their heavy metal cargo beneath them. The different golems were holding the line quite well, so well that he decided to hold off on calling the men back to the fray until they had a bit of a rest to recuperate while the constructs wore down the Soul Legion's troops.

"Carpenter, Fredrick, issue rations and water to the men. I want them rested and ready to fight before they charge back in, the golems are doing a fine job of holding things for now," he issued his new orders while he waited for Tensaih's reply.

Malehk sensed a bit of mischief in her voice when the dragoness finally did reply just before his generals did, "Sorry, I had to tack some things down, I can't say what the project is, but I will say that the people wanted it, needed it, and Tahkra will be angry."

"Orders are trickling through the ranks as we speak, Lord Malehk," Fredrick chimed in with his report, oblivious to the other conversations taking place over the same arcane lines of communication.

Krinzehl spoke up almost as soon as Fredrick finished, "Malehk, we got Kahlah off the field. She's pretty well drained, but it looks like she will pull through with some down time. Most of these kids are almost at that point, if you can manage without mages I would advise putting them away for now."

"I think we can manage now, Tensaih's companion has dealt with the Legion's mages. Good work Fredrick, have some one see to the mages, they fought to their limits today and need a bit of help recovering," Malehk gave a sigh and shook his head gently, "I wish everyone could wait their turn rather than talking all at once, it gets difficult to keep track of."

Tarse chuckled softly, "Welcome to command, pup."

The young king shook his head and flipped his wings irritably. Sharp eyes watched the events unfolding below as the first sets of caltrops rained down upon the Legion troops to deliver a crushing or piercing death to many of the men and strange creatures forced together by their formations. Malehk cocked a brow with interest as he spotted a few of the golems slamming their arms down onto the caltrops and using them as weapons on their limbs to deal even greater damage to their enemies. The Soul Legion was beginning to slowly defeat the golem army by shear numbers, but their own numbers were draining quickly under the construct's assault and the deadly rain the gryphons brought down upon them. The balance of power had shifted so quickly in the battle that it left Malehk with a sobering thought; if they could turn the tides of a battle in an instant, so could the Soul Legion. He would have to meet with the nobility, his generals, and their allies to discuss back up plans to keep civilians safe in the event their defenders were to ever fail against their mighty foe.

"I hope our boys and birds are doing well up at the town," Lumere mused absently.

Malehk found himself hoping the same, with the current battle well in their control, he had little else to do but worry about his family out there beyond the enemy lines.

* * *

Agrok's talons ached as she raked them through another throat, the tugging felt like fire as the flesh of her victim resisted her lethal strike. The stinging pain of the cut in her palm did not help either as the battle dragged on. The battle must have been going terrible for their comrades if the Soul Legion had spared so many men to retake the town. Reyfis and his men were not quite prepared for such a large advance, but they were well dug in and it didn't take much adjusting to have them ready to take the strong push. Agrok lead her more offensive squad in the task of pushing back the invading Legion reinforcements. Terek had joined her on the list of lightly wounded with a bolt from a hand crossbow in his left shoulder that had him moving with a mild limp. A bright flash of lightning reminded her that Herlen had stepped up to replace Kisp, even though his own duties had been fulfilled. The young mage felt the best way to honor his fallen friend, was to see his mission completed.

Something had snapped in Herlen that had awakened his fighting spirit, making him a frightening sight to behold as he seemed to feed off every Legion soldier he killed, gaining momentum with every spell that struck his targets. Even he was showing signs of tiring as they pushed hard against the Soul Legion's attempt to retake the town, although her squad was pushing hard enough to take ground from the Soul Legion, Agrok's squad was getting tired and that was dangerous for them. They were beginning to make small mistakes, and while most were easily corrected, every mistake in a battle could easily lead to a lethal miss-hap. Agrok was finding herself distracted with the thoughts of safety for her birds and men, she didn't like that at all. She was not cut out to be a squad leader, and she knew that only too well. Her conscience was too easily burdened by the well being of her troops that she was fighting hesitation in commanding them to risk their lives. The gryphoness had not lead her borrowed unit into any kind of ruin, but the weight of Kisp's grievous injuries dragged her heart down like the anchor of a great ship.

A new opponent stepped up to replace her last foe, this one lashed at her with a pair of heavy braided leather whips. Agrok found herself desperately trying to dodge the quick and surprisingly maneuverable weapons as she was quite out of her element against such attacks. The gryphoness kept her wits about her and used her opponents unrelenting assault to learn his weapons limits and applications, she simply kept her feet light and held her distance to make sure she had enough time to dodge any incoming attacks. Her opponent worked hard to keep his assault up against her, sweat dripped down his well structured face and off the tips of his blond hair. His blue eyes held firm to hers rather than picking out targets and giving away his strikes. Agrok could have easily called this man a handsome human, but his charming appearance would not sway her into any distraction. They would do nothing to save his life either as the gryphoness realized that she was entering the state of awareness that Saltriss referred to as, 'The warrior's temporal zone'. It was a state of senses and awareness that was so focused that they all sharpened and made time and the entire world seem to slow down around her while her conscious thoughts speed up to take in the sensory input. It was in this state that the whip's weakness was revealed to her, the attack was a two motion attack. First the arm brought the lash to the target, then it jerked back to send a shock of kinetic energy down the lash, giving the impact in it's tight area. Agrok knew exactly how to deal with this assault and finish off her opponent, but her timing would have to be perfect.

The human lashed with the whip in his right hand once again, forcing Agrok to make her move and strike with lightning speed. One strong foreclaw grasped the lash tightly at about the half way mark, preventing the backlash and rendering the attack harmless. She jerked the shocked man toward her and smashed the curve of her beak directly into his nose and mouth, breaking teeth and bone with the force of her strike. The man stumbled back and threw his hands up to his ruined face, opening himself up for Agrok's talons to spill the contents of his belly onto the ground.

Terek caught her as she began to sway on her feet, her quick and energetic fighting style took it's toll on her as exhaustion began to set in. The battle was taking longer than expected and the Titanian defenders were far worse off than their opponents, who had arrived at a leisurely pace while the defenders had been trying to build up defensible positions at a feverish pace. Agrok needed to assess the situation, which meant a higher vantage point to survey the battle zone from. The gryphoness stood up and grasped the low roof of a storage shed at what must have been some one's home. Without a word, Terek scooped his foreclaws under her hind paws and hoisted her up onto the roof. Sharp blue eyes scanned the area around them, bringing mixed news of the state of the battle. Many of the Soul Legion's men were trying to turn and run as their numbers dwindled, but one man drove them back to the fight with spells of pain that left their bodies undamaged. The black robed mage seemed to be the commander of the small regiment that had been sent to retake the town.

"Terek, get Herlen up here," Agrok called down to her second in command.

The mage pulled himself over the edge of the roof to join her not ten seconds later, "Yes ma'am?"

"That mage there is leading these men, can you do something about him, or is he beyond your abilities," the gryphoness kept her eyes on the enemy spell caster.

Herlen eyed the opposing mage for a long moment, obviously using more than his eyes to examine the robed human, "Not likely, he outranks me, I can't even make sense of the weave of his shielding."

Agrok frowned at the commanding mage, "There's got to be some way to get through his shields, he is breathing after all. Herlen! I have an idea!"

"If it will get me that kill, I'm all ears,"the young mage had a bit of an eager glint to his eyes.

The commander nodded her head gently, "It just might, if your aim is true, and if you can pull off the spell combinations."

"What did you have in mind," Herlen crouched a bit closer than she felt herself comfortable with, but the gryphoness held her tongue on the matter as it would destroy the entire plan if the enemy found out in any way.

Agrok spoke rather softly as she detailed her thoughts, "Well, he has to breath, which means air is passing through that shield unchallenged. I was thinking, if you could somehow wrap another spell around your wind lance, it may just pass through as the other spell is stopped by the shield. It will be a hard kill to watch, but we need to do this to break their resolve."

"Don't worry about me, just buy me a moment without these savages putting arrows through me while I cast this," the mage had an oddly dark and sinister expression on his face as he began to prepare his spells.

She decided she would ask Grenz and Krinzehl to keep an eye on him just in case that darker side of him began to spiral out of control. Agrok didn't have time to deal with the situation on the personal level right that moment, she had a battle to win with her comrades. The gryphoness edged to the side of the building and pointed to one of her shield men before she motioned for him to come up with her to protect Herlen. Terek and Aeyaron both helped the heavily armored human up onto the roof before Terek handed the man his shield.

"Keep Herlen protected while he casts this spell cocktail," Agrok ordered her shield man into position before she leaned over the edge of the roof to look down at the remaining men and birds, "Terek, you lead the ground efforts and keep the tides back, if anything looks like it can throw, shoot, or cast anything up here at us, I want it .."

Terek cocked a sly brow, "Deadafied ma'am?"

"Annihilated, I want it to be less than a memory in less than a second. We only have one shot at this, we need to get it right," she replied quickly before darting to the far side of the building to slash the face of a Legion soldier who had tried to climb the building, "Back to work boys and fledglings! Terek, don't just hold ground, take every inch from them and give nothing in return; not even their lives!"

Terek gave a nod and turned back to the rest of the unit, "You heard the commander, let's get to work on these bastards!"

Every man and gryphon under her command followed her second without question, they knew their lives were in his claws and his plans had to work to keep those lives burning hot against the shadows their foes were bringing upon them. Agrok put her trust in them as she worked to fend off the new wave of Legion troops trying to climb up the side of the building while they jabbed at her with spears and swords. There had to be at least a dozen men trying to take down the small gryphoness and reach her mage who was busy concentrating on the task that was difficult for one of his level. Agrok darted and dodged frantically as she also tried to deliver quick slashes to any opening she could find in the wall of leather, wood, and steal. There were a few near misses in which her harness absorbed the impact of a slash that would have cut into her flight muscles in her chest. She found an opening that was unexpected as her foreclaws wrapped around the shaft of a pike with an iron grip that no human could ever hope to match. The small gryphon lunged backward, pulling the man up with his weapon and knocking him into his comrades, sending blades and spears waving and falling in hand to cause a few minor to serious injuries and giving her a weapon of her own.

The sounds of arrows bouncing off the shield of her chosen man, she was pretty sure it was Burke, told her that the archers identified a mage in a casting roost. Agrok could not spare a glance for them, she had her claws full while Terek and the others clawed and hacked their way through the lines to try and push back their newest wave of assailants. Agrok jabbed madly at the men who were trying to get at her and the mage behind her. The stand off seemed to change momentum as the Legion troops were now trying madly to avoid the awkward jabs of her pike, which found flesh on a few occasions and even once sinking into an eye socket to leave the hapless man dead almost instantly with the damage to his brain. The efforts were soon thwarted as the rest of their unit began to chew through the left flank of the group trying to get at Agrok and her two comrades on the roof. One brave soul managed to get high enough to jam a dagger into the roof and tried to haul himself up, but the gryphoness was quick to strike. She snapped with her beak to latch onto his wrist and bite down with all her might. That powerful, sharp edged beak sank into his flesh with ease and snapped the bones in his arm to sever his hand and send him sprawling on his back just as the first footman reached his position to finish him off.

"Okay, I think I got it, but this is going to drain me completely. Once I cast this, you're on your own," Herlen announced as he reared up in preparation to launch the spells.

Agrok spat the portion of her victim's arm from her beak, "That's fine, just get that bastard and break their backs! Then you can lay down and rest."

Herlen nodded before he reached back like he was winding up a pitch and hurled a massive lance of blue white frost energy directly at the commanding mage. The more powerful caster read the spell heading toward him and gave a snort of distaste for what he felt was a weak attack. Terek and the rest of the Queens Own Talons kept a tight discipline and fought on through their foes, paying little attention to the spell other than to identify it as one cast by their own mages. The Legion troops were much less disciplined and turned their heads up to watch in awe as the bizarre spell flew toward their commander. There was almost no time for the Legion mage to register the lethal mistake of his arrogance in his own power as the massive frost lance struck his shields with no effect at all. The wind lance worked exactly as Agrok had hoped, with the spell pushing the air toward the target rather than integrating with the particles and carrying them. The deadly super sonic rush of air slammed right through the shields of the opposing mage and smashed his face to the back of his skull in an instant, sending crimson and gray gore flying in every direction. The arrogant fool had no time to even register his mistake as he fell with his collapsed face looking like some sort of human shaped balloon that had been deflated.

The gryphoness spared a glance at her young mage as he began to slowly wink to his belly, a small grin at the back of his beak, "I got him, I got that bastard. I hope that gets you guys through this, keeps you safe from him."

"You did good, Herlen, you stopped their mage. Rest now, we'll finish this fight," Agrok smiled partly to herself and partly to the mage who had gone through so much growth in only a single day which caused her to add the last word as a badge of honor, "Your job is done, soldier."

The small taper winged male lay his head on his forepaws, "Thank you ma'am, glad I could make a difference."

"Burke, by the Consorts I hope that was right, let's join the boys and finish this," the gryphoness hopped nimbly off the roof to help the shield man back down as the arrows had stopped coming.

"Do not fret, they are already breaking and starting to loose men into the woods. Those that have already run are finding the scouts and gryphons that have made it this far already. The day is won, it's just clean up now," Tensaih's voice caressed her mind with a tender, sweet tone.

Agrok smiled unconsciously as she concentrated for the lovely dragoness to feel her thoughts, "Thank you, sweetheart. I am so tired and sore right now, it is unbelievable."

"I'll tell you what, I'll ask Hakarah to watch Ronin so we can have a nice long soak in the hot springs together. I'll help you wash up and try my hand at massaging your muscles. Does that sound good," she knew the offer was half teasing and yet fully intended to be honored as Tensaih made it.

Agrok was thankful that Burke was human and would not notice the subtle changes in her body heat or the locations as she blushed softly and her heart beat a touch faster, "I have some loose ends to tie up before I am finished at home, but I think I would like that. Wait for me in the top tier."

It had been a long day of changes for her already, most of which had earned her the respect of some rather influential warriors as both a commander and a peer. Finishing the day the way she intended seemed like the best thing to do that evening. All she had to do was survive the final stretch of fighting and all she had to face was a broken and crumbling enemy. It had been a long day indeed, but now it was coming to a rapid close.

* * *

Rio slumped back in her chair, too exhausted to put forth a professional face even as the friends of her patient waited expectantly for news of his condition. She felt bad about her tired state, and not just because Agrok was among those awaiting news on the injured warrior by the name of Kisp. The fighting men and birds had all seen him take the horrid strike that had very nearly damaged him beyond her ability to repair. She knew her body language appeared as if she had little care about the poor lad, which was quite far from the truth. her news was grim and she had to deliver it while she was in such a state, which made her feel even more tired and drained as guilt sapped what little strength she had left.

The drake finally let out a long sigh and struggled to her feet, finding that the gathered soldiers were quick to aide her, "Thank you, and I must apologize for the way I seem to be acting. There has just been so many wounded today that all of us healers are simply wiped clean of every ounce of energy we have."

"Ma'am, we were out there fighting, we know how tough it was and what we were sending back to you fine folks who have had a hell of a battle against death and injury yourselves. We understand more than any others how tired you must be," Terek spoke up before anyone had a chance to make any sort of comment.

Rio looked around at the haggard faces of the warriors around her and gave another heavy sigh, "I wish I could tell you good things about Kisp, but all I have is that he is alive. His life is effectively over, I did all I could but there was just so much neurological damage that it was a stretch for me to restore his head and control of his diaphragm so he can breath. He will never fight, fly, or even walk again. Kisp will need a permanent caretaker just to continue existing from each day to the next until his eventual demise by old age or depression."

"I'll do it, Kisp was the closet thing I ever had to a friend, I can't thank him enough for that. It's only right that I repay that with taking care of him for as long as he wants to continue living," a young taper wing stepped forward with watery eyes.

He couldn't have been a year past reaching maturity for a gryphon and he did not wear the military insignia of those around him. Rio suspected that he was a mage that had been thrust into the mix at the last second for some specific task. The healer felt her heart break for the young lad as he stepped up to take care of his fallen friend. It was just too much, she had to do more somehow and that would require a request for research from her peers back on Skanshial.

Rio looked around at them all once more and rested a hand on the young mage's shoulder, "I normally don't like to give slim chances of hope like this, but there is some experimental research going on with a device that fuses arcane and healing energies to make an exoskeleton that works like a sort of external nervous system. It's still being worked on, but I am confident that we can at least get something out of it if I work with Tensaih on the project to give Kisp some sort of life. But it is a bit of a long shot for me to even get the research materials I need to even begin working on it. It's an unlikely long shot, but it is at least some hope to hold on to."

"Thank you, it means a lot that you are trying to do this. But, can I stay with him so he is not alone tonight," the mage asked softly.

Rio nodded gently and looked to her nurses who were lurking just outside of attention range, sending them off with a simple look to gather bedding for the heart broken mage, "Yes, I think that would be quite acceptable. I will arrange to have a meal brought to you as soon as my staff is available."

The mage simply nodded as his comrades all gave him pats and ruffles of his crest along with encouraging words. Agrok herself gave the lad a tight embrace as she whispered softly in his ear before she left without any further instructions to her men and birds.

One of the humans clapped the taper wing on the shoulder, "I have some books that made it out when we made our initial retreat from the Legion. I can bring them by to help you pass the time while you wait."

"I learned to read, but I have never had a book to practice the art with, I would enjoy the privilege of doing so," the lad seemed to perk up ever so slightly at the gesture.

A hawk based broadwing nodded to him before he left, "You wont be shouldering all this alone, Herlen. We will all pitch in to take care of Kisp when we have time, you are our brothers and we wont abandon either of you."

"All of you go now, I know you have things you all need to do," Rio announced with a gentle tone, "I can help Herlen settle in for the night, and I am certain your words of encouragement will sustain him through the night. I cannot have you reassuring him all night long, I have to get rest myself and my other patients need to rest and recover. Go and rest up so you can see them both in the morning."

The remaining men and birds all nodded and gave a collective, "Yes Ma'am," before they filed out of the waiting portion of the healing structure.

Rio gave an inaudible sight o herself as she lead Herlen back to the patient's recovery wing. It was a heart wrenching scene, but she knew she would have to become jaded to such things as the war was only going to intensify on Eldarohnd. The Legion found a much tougher opponent than they had expected, and they would fight back just as hard. The drake knew that a great deal more would face such fates before the conflict was over, but that was the nature of warfare.

* * *

Carly felt a cold ball in the pit of her stomach as she followed along side the noble gryphoness to leave the dwelling she shared with Tahkra and Malehk. This was not how she envisioned a people who had been victorious in defending their homes. There was no celebration, no songs and praises of the glories of their heroes. The people of Titania that ran the armies and healed the wounded were quite tired and solemn in their mood. This was so very different than what she had always seen, the men back home had always been so pleased and excited over victory. The people always showered them with praise and admiration for their strength in battle. Now she was seeing the things that the people didn't seem to know about, what they kept from the children if they did know. War was not something glorious and exciting to behold, it was a terrible and painful experience for those who had to deal with it directly. The people of Titania had won the day, but only just. Many soldiers were injured and more than anyone would like were killed in the great battles of the day. Tahkra read over the numbers with visible pain in her heart before she asked her friend Hakarah to look after her and Ronin for the evening. Carly realized something she had never understood until that moment; Tahkra loved her land and her people, and she had sent them to die in defense of that land.

The gravity of such a decision had never even entered into the girl's imagination. She believed all the stories and the songs she had heard as she grew. They never talked about the pain and the guilt of a ruler who cared about their people when they had to send their soldiers off to war. The queen had been a solid pillar of iron for the people when she announced victory, not happy but not emotional either. They would never guess that she wept quietly the moment she was done issuing orders and was alone in her dwelling with Carly and Malehk. The young Bizshra to be learned a very important lesson; it was important to be the solid pillar of strength and confidence the people needed, but it was also important to be a mortal being with a heart and soul when one leads a nation.

"Hakarah? How come we have to stay with you tonight? Why can't I stay with momma and Tensaih," Ronin asked with a bit of a complaining tone that Carly found irritating, even if it came from her newest and only friend.

The noble female only smiled warmly to the two human girls as they walked along side her, "Agrok has had a very long and stressful battle today and needs to rest before she can look into making sure you are well cared for. She has also seen things today that will shake her heart and mind, no matter how strong and tough she is."

"How come Tensaih gets to stay with her," Ronin gave a little pout as she protested the situation, "Tensaih could have watched me while momma rested and healed up."

Carly shook her head gently, "Tensaih lives with you, there would be no where for you two to go. Besides, I think Tensaih might be Agrok's safe person."

"Safe person," Ronin asked with a sudden change in expression as her curiosity took control of her emotional state.

The young Bizshra in training struggled to find the words to explain her conclusion to her friend who had not had the time to observe the things she had, "It's kind of like that favorite toy or blanket you want to hold close when you are scared. When people that others look up to like Tahkra or Agrok are scared or shaken by what they see, they have to be strong when everyone else sees them. When they get to be alone, they need some one who is like that favorite toy or blanket to help them feel safe and stay strong so they can do their job."

"That is quite the observation, young lady. You seem to be learning rather quickly, that bodes well for your people," Hakarah smiled warmly at her, almost motherly in her expression.

Carly was surprised by the praise for her words, "T-thank you, but how did you know why I was here?"

"You should have observed that Tahkra and I have become quite good friends since we met during that time of uniting the tribes. Now that my tribe is not dying out and Rastak runs our province, I have time to speak with our young queen who was thrust into her position, much like I was," the pregnant gryphoness replied gently.

The girl looked down at the gown she was wearing in place of her armor, "I should have noticed, I guess I got distracted by everything else I was trying to learn. I have to learn so much in so little time."

"Carly, Tahkra and I understand your position far better than you think. We're here for you sweetheart," Hakarah leaned her head down to give Carly's cheek a soft nuzzle, "We all have a whole lot to learn, and we would do best if we were to stick together."

Carly released the royal blue fabric and smiled up at the female of noble rank, "I think I would like that a whole lot. Things are already getting a little frightening to face."

"What about me," Ronin cut back into the conversation, "I'm your friend and I want to help too, you have a big pile of stuff to learn and I want to help you do it."

Hakarah gave a soft chuckle at the energetic red head, "Well of course you will be helping, every ruler needs a good friend they can trust who has no political ties to influence them. You will also teach Carly how to have fun and just enjoy life in it's more simple pleasantries."

Ronin seemed pleased with that response and continued to skip along with her friend and the elder gryphoness. Carly found herself sinking quietly into deep thought, something she had never done before she discovered her lineage and her destiny upon the throne of Grasolahn. The people in charge of Titania seemed to be the exact opposite of what she was used to seeing in people of power. These people barely knew her, and yet they cared so much for her already. Was this caring nature what her father wanted her to learn the most, and could it be the key to the true core of her people surviving the darker future ahead under her rule? Only time would tell; for now her immediate future was to attend a sleep over with her younger friend and a very kind gryphoness.

* * *

Hot water surrounded Agrok's sore body, flooding the spaces between her feathers as the water proofing oils began to break down under the heat. All the soreness and stiffness of her joins and muscles began to melt away as well, allowing the weary gryphoness to finally relax after her long hard battle. A gentle chime and ripple of the waters told her that Tensaih had arrived and joined her in the hot pool of water. Agrok's heart began to pound in her chest, for she knew what she wanted to do and just why she had chosen the top most pool of the hot springs.

"I hope you are not sleeping here in the waters, it is a very dangerous habit and I would have to scold you for it," Tensaih called out softly as she waded over to the weary warrior.

Agrok smiled and opened her eyes slowly to look at her lovely companion, "Now don't promise to punish me if you aren't going to follow through."

"No teasing now, you know it's not fair," Tensaih scolded as she slipped up along side the gryphoness, "Now where are you the most sore hun?"

Agrok rested her chin on the side of the pool, "My shoulders and back mostly, I did a lot of shoving and slashing out there today, and that does not count the leaping and darting back and forth."

"Poor thing, running yourself ragged to deal with the scum of the multiverse," the dragoness cooed softly as she began to rub at the stiff muscles in her companion's shoulders.

The gryphoness sighed as those magic fingers worked out the tension and soothed her muscles, "I'm more concerned about the bird that failed to follow my orders and lost his ability to ever walk or fly again today. I know it wasn't my fault, but I can't shake this feeling of responsibility for what happened. I was in command at the time and he was under my control up until the moment he stepped to his own impatience."

"It sounds like he was not in your command in the moment he was injured hun, you can't be held responsible for others mistakes. If that was your only loss, you did a fine job as a commander," Tensaih whispered softly in her ear, making her words feel just as soothing as her caressing hands felt to her muscles.

"Hmm.. I know, but I still feel bad for him. I just feel like there should have been more I could or can do. My heart just wont let me ignore it and move on. I just.. care to much," Agrok let out a long slow sigh as she couldn't help but lean into the warm, smooth scales of her companion.

Tensaih shifted and wrapped her arms around her to hold her close, "Well, that is a good thing, it means you have a heart and I like that about you. Just like you would be completely understanding if I had overstepped my bounds as a guest in your home and invited a young mage to come stay with us so I can teach her and undo the damage of her abusive grandmother."

"Tensaih, if you really did that, it's fine by me," Agrok took a deep breath as she prepared to take a most bold plunge into her heart, "I trust your judgment with who you bring into our home, it is your home too. You are only a small step from being my mate, what is mine is as good as yours and I know you would never let anyone close if you felt they could hurt Ronin."

The dragoness stared at her in a bit of shock, "Agrok, you mean.. you feel that way," she turned her head away as she closed her eyes, "That step is not a small one hun, and once you take it, you can never take it back."

"You treat me well, you respect my feelings and protect my heart before you seek your own desires, you love and care for Ronin and you get along well with my family. What better match could I ask for," Agrok asked as she shifted to rest belly to belly with the dragoness, straddling her as she raised herself to look down into her eyes, "I don't care that you are female, I love the person in this body and I can't stand to ignore it any longer. I almost died out there, if Terek had not shown up when he did, I would have fallen to a vicious team of warriors. I could never face eternity if I never told you how I felt because I was afraid of everyone else. Tensaih, I need to be true to myself, and to you. Please, take me in your wing and take me over that step. I want to be on the other side with you."

The mage stared up at her, sapphire eyes darting back and forth from her own eyes and to drink in the revealed form of her body as the wet feathers no longer hid her true frame, "Are you sure of this Agrok? I would much rather be a friend for life than have you regret this and not be able to be around me any longer."

"I am more sure of this than anything else in my life. I am going to try to make love to you, but I am uncertain of what to do. So I am quite sure this would be more pleasant if you stop making excuses to back away from your fears surrounding it and just teach me how this goes between females," the gryphoness did not give her lover a chance to protest by locking her beak with the dragon's muzzle so that her tongue could invade and draw her into a passionate kiss.

Tensaih did not resist her pull and simply dived eagerly into the kiss as they began to stroke and caress over one another's bodies. The dragoness pulled Agrok tight to her as their tongues danced and embraced one another in an ever stroking and coiling knot of passion and desire. Once more Tensaih's hands slowly stroked and caressed their way down along her form while she wrapped her forelimb's around the dragon's neck. They were coming so very close to that line like they had in their previous embrace in their nest. Agrok's heart pounded with both anticipation and fear for what it would mean to take a female as her mate. The dragoness' hands reached her thighs and caressed for a moment right at the edge of the line, teetering right at the edge. That was the last moment that Agrok could have stopped her, but she wouldn't do that this time. She needed it to happen, she needed the beautiful dragoness beneath her to be hers and to have her in return. The gryphon broke from the kiss and leaned her head back in a delighted gasp as Tensaih finally moved her hands and took her over that line into her world with such wondrous sensations of love and pleasure. Things would never be the same for them, in some ways they would be harder, but Agrok knew that over all things would be so much better for her and the dragoness as they embraced as true lovers.

* * *

The air as nice and cool as the sun gave off it's last orange and crimson light over the horizon. Grenz felt relaxed as he walked with Jirri down the trail to the hot springs for his nightly soak for his joint injuries. The broadwing felt a bit of the mood that nature was setting, giving his mate a glance and a smile.

"What was that about," she smiled back at him while pressing close to his side.

Grenz leaned his head over to rub his cheek against his mate's cheek, "Nothing, just appreciating the gorgeous female who so graciously accepted me as her mate. I wish I knew what felt so incomplete to hold me back from giving you everything I can."

"Do not fret love, I am quite content to have you at my side to share the warmth of your heart for the time being," Jirri purred softly as they slowly ground down the distance to the springs.

He grinned playfully at her, "Well, if you don't want to make use of me, I suppose I better look into whether or not there are 'personal aides' for gryphons."

"Oh I want it, I fully intend to drink deep of your passionate skills," the priestess had an odd sparkle in her eye, "So deeply that you will need to return to Rio to heal your injuries when I cannot use you any longer, then I will finish when your body is repaired."

Grenz blinked at his normally quiet and well mannered mate, "I don't think it would be possible to love you more than I do right now. I am also finding that mysterious emotional block weakening under such a glorious offer."

"Did you hear that," Jirri's ears perked up as she looked off toward the brush and trees that held the hot springs within.

The big male tilted his head at her and gave a grin that slowly faded as he seen her posture, "I would say I most certainly heard your offer, but I am sensing that it is another sound that you are referring to."

They both stood in silence and listened close for a long moment to try and catch the sound over the soft rustle of the trees in the soft breeze. It came once more and this time Grenz heard it as well, the unmistakable sound of a soft moan. He recognized the voice as well as the pitch and tone from personal experience. It was definitely Agrok's voice, and he had no doubt that she was in the midst of an amorous encounter. Grenz couldn't figure out who she would have had an interest in to take to the top spring, he had seen no signs of interest toward any one. The only person he knew that she had even spent any real time with was Tensaih. The thought was odd to him, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The whole notion was strange to him, but he still felt a massive bubble of joy welling up in his heart as it settled in his mind. Tensaih was a very nice and very lovely lady, who would take wonderful care of Agrok.

"I figured out what it was holding me back and I feel terrible about it," Grenz finally broke the silence between Jirri and himself.

His mate tilted her head a bit, "Why do you feel bad about it, love?"

"I needed to know Agrok had some one and that she was happy. You see, I used to take care of her needs before she met Altair, but that fell through about the time we met. I feel terrible that I have made my mate wait while I ensured another female was settled in with a mate in case I needed to take care of her," he laid his ears tight against his head as he lowered that same head below that of his mate.

Jirri reached a gentle forepaw beneath his beak and raised his head into a gentle kiss, "You loved her as much as one can love some one who they cannot have as a mate, she is family to you and you wanted to keep her safe. Why on earth would I be upset about that? It is that very same loving heart that has brought me to settle in and take to your side as your mate. If you were not such a warm soul, you never would have caught my eye."

"You just keep growing more beautiful by every passing day, I really don't deserve such an angel," Grenz smiled at the elder priestess who was most definitely aging quite well, "I do hope you plan to follow through with your offer, since I can't enjoy a good soak right now."

Jirri wrapped her forelimbs around his neck and pressed against his chest with a rather seductive look on her face, "I love you, and I am patient enough to wait as long as I need, but if that wait is over, this is quite over due."

"Grenz! Grenz, where is Agrok," a new voice shattered the moment with a very loud and agitated tone.

The injured male turned an angry gaze upon the intruding male, "She is up in the springs with Tensaih. What do you need Altair?"

Altair stormed up to the couple with anger burning clearly in his eyes, "Good, she has it coming too."

Grenz stepped quickly to cut the smaller male off and made a barrier of his own body, "You are not going up there. Now if you have a complaint about Agrok you can leave it with me and go home or take it up with Lieutenant Asreigh or General Tarse."

"Get out of the way Grenz," Altair growled while Jirri backed away nervously, "Tensaih roughed up my mate, and I WILL have retribution."

Grenz held the scout with a hard stare as if he were cowing a stubborn recruit, "You cheated on Agrok with and left her for that so called mate of yours, of course no one is going to be friendly with her. But I've read the reports, your mate started the altercation that Tensaih finished. I will tell you again, you can have Agrok kick your stupid ass all over the plains tomorrow but you are not going up there tonight."

Altair gave an angry growl as he charged the larger male, attempting to rake his talons through his throat. Grenz was still quick enough to deflect the talons, even with his injuries. He gave a heavy shove and sent the scout tumbling back to catch his footing once more. Altair lunged again, this time he made a feint to draw Grenz out and struck at his wing joint to sick his talons in deep. Grenz gave a mighty swing of his foreclaw, managing to remember to spare his foe by closing his foreclaw. The heavy strike smashed into the scout's chest with a frightening amount of force and shifted the center of his chest to the right of his body. The commander's eyes flew wide open as he realized what he had just done and gave another merciful blow to his opponent's skull before the pain could strike him. Both males sank to the ground as Jirri rushed to the heap.

"Jirri, get a healer quickly. I just broke his keel," Grenz gasped against the pain in his wing joint.

A broken keel bone was a very serious injury that could lead to death by virtue of bone shards getting into the heart and lungs, and Jirri knew this. Without a single protest, she took to the air and made a hard flight toward the healer's compound. As he watched her go, Grenz could only wonder what consequences the altercation would have for both him and Altiar.