FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 26

They were falling through the void, Leon clutching tight to Hekate’s forearms as they plummeted towards their doom. His heart was racing as the stone barreled passed them, wind buffeting his face. Above him Hekate and Krantor were holding on tight, putting their trust in his eyes, just as he put his life in Hekate’s spell. Worry squirmed in his gut as his nerves stood on end, he spied the dull metal below, pointed spikes that would end them.

“Now!” Leon shouted, his voice cracking, this was it.

“You can do it hun!” Krantor squawked, pressing his head against his mate’s back.

He squeezed his eyes tight as he heard her chirp, expecting there to be a sudden stop and piercing through his flesh. Instead, he felt a warmth wash over him, like the comforting breeze of a summer’s day. Delerium or her spell? He counted the moments, focusing on his shallow breaths, they had gone on for far too long if they were going to be dead. Slowly he opened his eye, finding they were laying across the metal spikes, their points no more dangerous than marshmallows.

“You did it, you did it!” Cheered Krantor, nuzzling at the lavender gryphons cheek, then right onto her neck as he continued to sing her praises, “The best of the best, my lovely mate, take that gravity!”

Leon couldn’t help but collapse his head with laughter, relief coursing through him. Moments away from death and they’d managed to escape it yet again. He grabbed hold of her belly fur and nuzzled himself against it, relishing the sense of safety provided when she held him tight.

“Alright you two, get off, before we’re skewered.” Laughed Hekate, nuzzling at her boys before raising up a hand to summon forth a ball of light between her digits. It painted the grim, weathered stone around them in golden rays, highlighting a section devoid of the trap’s metal spikes. “The spells not going to last that much longer.”

Right, he’d forgotten. He shifted, sliding between the cold metal, noting the pristine nature of the steel. Had it just never been used before? This could also be used to describe the platform devoid of spikes, it was like the trap was brand-new, not even a cobweb, speck of dust or grime could be found. He crouched down, sweeping a finger across the stones as the gryphons laughed in good cheer.’

“Alright, we fell gods know how far.” Krantor peered up into the darkness above, giving one relief filled laugh, “Bastards probably think we’re idiots and fell down the trap, if they suspect we fell.”

“They’d be half right.” Leon stood tall, playfully shoving the proud of himself gryphon. “I can’t believe that worked.”

“Not all my ideas are bad.”

“Just most of them?”

It was Hekate to bring them back to focus, asking the question that should have been stated, “How are we going to get out of here?”

“Already though of!” He gestured to a section of the stone wall, “See those tiny divots that sort of look like a door?”

“Sort of?” Leon wrinkled his brow, only able to create the image after it was pointed out by the blue and black gryphon.

“Well, that’s a door.”

“Why would they have a door in a trap?” Leon brushed them aside, unslinging his energy crossbow, “Stand aside, I’ll deal with this.”

“Leon wait!” Hekate squawked in alarm, but it was too late.

He belted out a trio of energy blasts, crackling with crimson light. Each struck the door as was intended but rebounded off the surface like rubber. With a shout he dove to the ground, the gryphons following suit, leaving his attacks to splatter against the wall behind them, blowing several chunks away.

“The hell?” He shouted in disbelief, “Since when does stone do that?”

“I’m surprised myself. Is your weapon broken?” Krantor cocked his head.

“I don’t think so.”

Hekate sighed, gesturing both their gazes to a section of the door. There, plain as day was an engraving in the shape of a rune, “It’s got something to ward off magical attacks.”

“Who the hell puts that in a trap?” Squawked Krantor, Leon joining him with a growl, “That’s crazy!”

“So, I guess blasting our way out isn’t an option.” Grunted Leon, stowing his weapon.

“You can leave this predicament to the trap and lock picking master of me, Krantor the magnificent!” Krantor’s chest swelled as he rolled a hand to his chest, fluffing his wings for added effect as Hekate gave him the whispered roar of a distant crowd. “Don’t worry your pretty heads none and let me work.”

“With our luck, it’s a trap in a trap.” Replied Leon as the gryphon pressed past him, planting himself before the door on his haunches.

“Oh, come now Leon, what sort of crazy madman would do that?” Hekate laughed, running her body along the length of her mate, only to nuzzle at his cheek and grace him with a gryphon beak kiss, “I wasn’t sure of the whole pit trap plan, but it worked out.”

“Course it did.” He scoffed, “It relied on you two, I trust you both more than anyone to get things right.”

Leon nodded, blushing from the compliment and averting his gaze, “Just get the door open, then we can leave this place behind. Olas is going to get quite the earful.”

As the gryphon plucked out a few lock picks, chisels and oil, Leon was left to gaze out to the traps. Though this entire assault had gone tits up as far as he was concerned, it looked as though the immediate danger had passed. Perhaps he wasn’t going to be as cursed that they would escape this danger unscathed. He sighed, thanking the gods that for once, he hadn’t ruined his friends lives.

Hekate planted herself down beside him, giving a wistful sigh as she held her hand aloft. The light still spread forth, casting long shadows over the spikes. Her tail flicked around him.

Without words he could feel the tension, yesterday’s shadow lingering upon them both. His insides twisted and gnawed at him, until he was rubbing the back of his neck, “Hekate…I’m sorry for the other day. I didn’t know what I was saying, it was stupid, I know you only care about me.”

“If I got angry every time you spoke like an idiot, we wouldn’t be friends.” She replied softly, “I can tell how scared you get, even if you hide it with shouting and insults.”

“Am I that easy to read huh?” He unhooked his waterskin, taking a swig of the warm water, “Still, you don’t deserve it.” He offered her some, peering at the now whistling Krantor as he tapped at the stone, “Honestly, you and he are the better people I’ve met. I’ve…ruined far too many lives too count.”

“Maybe this time it deserves to be different?” She offered a comforting nudge before opening her beak to let him dump the waterskin’s contents inside, “You’ll have to work harder than that if you want to ruin our lives.”

They chortled, only for the silence to return, her ears still pinned. The tension lingered until Leon took back his waterskin, “For all it’s worth…I’m sorry you got dragged into this. You were supposed to stay safe- “

“If we wanted safe all the time, you think we’d have followed?”

He gave her a weak smile, “Still, I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

The gryphoness dismissed the idea with a wave of her wing, “We’ve got out of stickier situations than this, I’m not worried.”

Comfort came to soothe the doubt gnawing away at him. His hand rested upon her neck, fingers gliding through the feathers as she gave a soft coo. He bumped his forehead to hers when she dipped her beak. “This inn of yours, where are you going to set it up?”

“Who knows yet, we have a few places narrowed down.” She laughed, “There’s Deet, a small place on the edges of the kingdom, they say a dragon is around there but who knows. Then there is Trost, nice gryphon place south of Entis, then if you want more dragons there is Drakenburg, the entire place has a legend about a guardian dragoness.”

“I sense a common theme.”

“Please.” She scoffed, “Those are only the first three that come to mind, we also had idea for north, maybe Juktas, closer to Krantor’s family.”

They exchanged several more places, the target market, even some dishes that might draw in a crowd. By its end they were laughing, Leon swallowing his pride and giving the gryphon a great big hug. She cooed and chirped softly, nuzzling at his face, getting her earthy scent all over him. They held there for several moments, simply relishing the closeness between them, but both understood, they were good now.

“You better not be giving her scratches back there without me.” Krantor squawked, his face nearly pressed to the stone as he worked.

“Jealous?” Leon countered, holding Hekate’s face and pressing her forehead to his.

“When I’m done, I better be getting some pets or Leon, I swear to the gods there will be hell to pay.”

Hekate chuckled as they let the catbird work, shifting their attention back to the immaculate room.

“Wonder why they even have a pit trap in their base.” Leon crossed his arms, “Seems like a working hazard.”

“They should contact someone.” She thumped her tail with a smirk, “But I can think of a dozen actually, Repurposed dungeon, murder slide, party room- “

He rolled his eyes as she listed off more fantastical answers, dangerous broom closest was his favorite. “Bigger question is…why is it so clean?”

“Maybe they’re all exceptional clean freaks?” She shrugged as Leon tapped the steel.

“But we saw the cobwebs before, the blood, the bloody trophies, this doesn’t make exceptional sense.”

“Maybe they never got to use them?”

“But then there would be something, this all looks practically brand new.”

“Maybe they got a very good crafter?” She dipped her head, eying the pristine stonework below their feet, “I think it might be dwarven, but I’m by no means an expert.”

“I don’t think now is the time to discuss the craftsmanship.”

She gave a laugh, “We’re in the bottom of a pit with nothing to do, all we have is time.”

“So, good news and bad news.” Krantor chirped, his ears splaying as they lent him their eyes. “I know this can get us out, but it’s trapped.”

He squeezed the bridge of his nose, “You got to be kidding me, who puts a trap in a trap?”

“Someone who thought of this happening.” Hekate gave a cheery smile, “Whomever made this was a genius.”

“Don’t compliment the enemy while we’re trying to escape them. Krantor, tell me you can disarm it.”

Krantor looked to the door, then back to them with a nervous laugh, “It’s a fine crafted one, but I should be able to.” He then gestured for them to stand back with a wing, “Just in case, sweety, can you get ready your healing magic?”

Rolling her wrist, the gryphoness nodded and dragged Leon to the edge of the spikes. “Alright sweety, good luck.”

With a resounding trill and look of determination, the blue and black catbird pressed on to disable the trap. For minutes he focused, using deliberate movements that filled the air with tiny scrapes and clicks. The only hint that he was having trouble were his ears that had flattened against his back and his tail hadn’t even flicked.

“Don’t worry, he has it.” Hekate whispered.

“I’m not worried.” He lied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Fuck!” Krantor squawked in alarm as a thunk echoed through the closed confines. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“Sneaky beaky, talk to me.” Hekate reared up, keeping light in one hand, summoning a white flame to the other. “What happened.”

Leon could only guess, gritting his teeth as it was confirmed, he had set off the trap. His heart began thundering, joining Hekate in trying to figure out just what would come; a swinging axe, poisonous gas, perhaps the walls would squeeze in until they were flattened? No, upon the wall, twin lime green slimes exuded from the wall, each the size of a gryphon as they plopped to the ground.

Their bodies flowed around the metal spikes as though they were not there, appearing to be made of gelatin. Inside their forms were various objects, metal and fractured bones of long forgotten victims. Guided by an inhuman will or just by instinct, they formed into two cubes and began sliding towards them.

“Gelatinous cubes!” Leon barked, pulling out his energy cross bow and blowing several chunks out of the one sliding towards him with the sound of wet meat. If the creature could feel pain it didn’t seem to mind that he painted the floor with its insides.

“Of course, they use them to keep the trap clean!” Hekate laughed, conjuring her spiritual gryphons once more. As their beaks began to peck and rip through the cubes, she grabbed Leon and positioned him close as could be to Krantor’s back. “How long can you pick that thing sweety?” Her ears splayed as the cubes began to reform, slinking below the spirit’s reach.

“Since when can they reform?” Leon held firm his weapon, instead switching the rune to stun. If he could not kill or destroy them, perhaps he could stop them in their tracks. His next shots slowed down the cube but didn’t stop it. Dread gnawed at his soul, what now? Dropping the energy crossbow he pulled the staff of Quo, igniting it’s electric tip.

“Err…Just give me a minute or two.” Krantor replied, his voice laced with dread. He gulped as Hekate maintained her desperate glance, “Don’t worry, I can do it.”

“You heard him, two minutes.” Hekate raised her hands with magic and forged a wall of light. It closed them off from the approaching cubes, connecting side to the other with brilliant, shimmering rays. The mindless beasts battered against the hard light surface, forming pseudopods and slamming with all their might.

“Can they get through that?” Asked Leon, brandishing the staff of Quo, it’s electricity crackling from it’s tip and raining down sparks to the cavern floor.

“It won’t last the entire time.” She said softly, holding a quivering hand outward, focusing her effort on maintaining it. “Plenty enough time for you, right Sneaky beaky?”

“Working sweety!” Krantor replied, not even looking over his shoulder.

“Not exactly the best of days is it.” Leon bitterly laughed, staring into the quivering mass currently filling the air with its violent outburst, slapping, slamming and crashing against the light wall to no avail. He started to wonder if the weapon’s ability to hurl people backwards would even work on these things, they were recorded on average weighing over one thousand pounds.

It was then, staring down at their potential doom that Hekate merely widened her eyes, tossing back her head with laughter.

“Um…Hekate, have you broken?” He rose a brow, “Why the hell are you laughing.”

“Cause we’re idiots.” She wiped a tear from her eye, giving him a satisfied smirk.

“Alright, I’ll admit that, but what are we not seeing.”

She rolled her eyes, “Lander’s bestiary of magical monsters volume seven. You know, page one hundred and five?”

He squeezed the bridge of his nose as she waited, clearly expecting him to know. “Spit it out please, before we die.”

“Their weakness of course!” Hekate lashed her tail, letting the wall of light fade away as she drew a circle through the air with her hands.

“Hekate, the fuck!” He screamed in horror, nothing between him and the acid touch of these gelatin monsters. What had possessed her? He stabbed out the staff of Quo, only for the gryphoness to give a keen cry.

“Sini Sutan!”

Light as bright as the sun, gathered within her scaly hands. It surged out in the blink of an eye, enveloping the pair of cubes with white, crackling flames, hungry to devour whatever they touched. It’s embraced boiled and bubbled the monsters before them, melting their surfaces before their eyes. They tried to retreat in pain, sloshing along back to the spikes but Hekate would not let them.

“No you don’t!” She laughed, fluffing her wings as she repeated the spell again. This time, what remained of the beasts was nothing more than bubbling pools of lime green fluid and all the scattered, bleached bones they’d contained within.

Leon blinked, just like the tension had been drained. Certain death had been turned aside, the monsters where not even reforming. He found himself cheering with Hekate as she turned to him, bounding on her paws, ever so proud of herself.

“See, they are weak to fire! I can’t believe we forgot. That’s like, basic stuff.”

He hugged her tight, kissing her on the beak, “That’s why we bring you along!”

“Oh, shush you, I know it.” She giggled, as the man caught himself, pulling back and dusting off his armor.

“Right.” He cleared his throat, “Way to take care of it. Krantor, how are we looking on that door?”

“Almost have it.” He groaned, “Though honestly, fire? That’s it? Doesn’t it feel rather anti-climactic? I thought I was going to be the big hero, getting us out of here.” He gave a wistful sigh, “Now it’s just you waiting for me to be done.”

“Are you complaining that we no longer have a date with danger?”

“Would that be so bad? I’m all fired up.” He gave them both a beak parted smile, “I like it when things get heated, though I guess I’m just annoyed you so easily melted their plans.”

Hekate gently batted him over the head with her wing, her voice blunt, “Just focus on the door.”

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Once free of the pit trap, they returned to the multitude of corridors within the base. With their map in hand, the trio of adventurers made their way through the complex, eyes ever glued to the location of not just themselves but that of their pursers. It had turned into a game of gryphon and mouse, their enemy shifting along with them, almost as if they knew their exact location. This was troubling to say the least, it even had them contemplating if they had a map of their very own.

Sooner or later, they were going to be caught, even with the time they’d bought with their unusual detour. With hearts heavy they made a break back to the room with the ropers, their only chance to escape. Hopefully once outside they’d be able to take flight and surge onward to Olas and demand he take action against this den of evil.

Sprinting and galloping, they carried themselves as though their lives depended on it. Hekate had whispered some charms to reinforce their stamina, give energy when they would be depleted. It allowed them to push themselves to their limit, but even then, by the time they were rounding the last corridor, it was going to be close; and to make matters worse, the dots were closing in.

“It’s going to be close!” Leon shouted, nearly tripping over himself as he averted his gaze from the map. He recalled the hewn stone, the cobwebs, he wouldn’t need the map for the rest of the way. He was the one trailing the pair, they’d always been faster.

“I can see the turn!” Hekate happily chirped, her voice tired and strained, “Just keep pushing guys!”

“You don’t need to tell me, last thing I want is their hands on my haunches.” Krantor laughed, trying to wear a brave face, but his feathers were all pinned, eyes wide with fright.

He could hear them, the thunderous noise of boots and claws scrabbling against the stone, their shouts soon coming after. Lungs close to bursting, his muscles ached, still he pressed himself, knowing he was going to be destroyed when this was done. One more step was what he kept repeating to himself, one more step to his freedom.

Hekate turned the final corner, her tail whipping around the stone. Victory had never seemed more certain, but it wasn’t meant to be. The walls shook and trembled, melting like water before their eyes. Guided by an invisible hand, it reshaped itself to block their escape. Krantor slammed into it with a surprised squawk, his talons swiftly determining it was just as hard as before.

“Hekate!” Krantor screeched through the thin path that remained, far too tight for either Leon or himself, all he could get through was his beak.

“Move aside!” Leon snarled, casting away his disbelief, his despair as he slung free his energy crossbow, “Hekate, clear away!”

“Why what’s the?” She returned only to have eyes wide with horror, realizing what was instore.

Thankfully she ducked back as he fired, Krantor sliding behind him with a squawk, spreading his wings and daring anyone to approach. Leon aimed and fired, blasting chunks of stone from the wall. He scattered rocks the size of his fist across the ground, it wasn’t going to be fast enough.

“Leon!” Krantor shouted, his voice shaking. “Can you get it?”

Words wouldn’t come as the pit in his stomach grew. He wasn’t going to be making it out of this, neither was Krantor. When Hekate put her beak around to look, desperation within those orange eyes he nearly broke. He grit his teeth as a cry came from behind him, Krantor was starting to fight. “You have to get out of here!” Leon started to slide his bracer off his arm, the one Olas had gifted him.

“You can’t be serious!” Her eyes traveled along the molded stone, gears in her head turning, trying to figure if she had a spell to change the outcome. “He’s my mate!”

This was going to be the hardest part, maintaining his composure, while everything was falling apart. “Go, take this, contact Olas, tell him what happened.” He pressed it through the stone, the metal scraping at the sides.

She grabbed it, tears in her eyes, drifting back to Krantor.

“Go.” He kept her to task, away from the terror seeking to consume them. “If there is a chance, we make it through this, it’s all on you. You need to go now!”

“L-Leon…I- “

“Hekate!” Krantor roared, panting from the effort. He was surrounded by bandits at his feet, arrows stuck within his flank, bleeding from his beak. Talons were slathered in the guts and the crimson gore of his enemies. “I need you to run my love!”

“I love you!” She sobbed, stashing away the bracer as Leon turned with his weapon raised.

“Now get out of here, we’ll slow them down.” He said bitterly, loosing a pair of bolts, exploding two of the assassins in rapid succession.

The last they saw of her she shouted to them, tears running down her beak, wearing a look that could kill. “I will be coming back for them! By the light of Fureen they best be alive.”

Now wasn’t that something to move his heart. Leon grimaced as Krantor was brought down, slammed against the stone, not to get up. Beyond the gryphon at least a dozen of the enemy were approaching him, complete with the elven woman from before. She was wearing a satisfied grin, her prey finally caught. Up went her hand as she whispered something he couldn’t hear, at its end his world begin to spin, his balance lost to the wind. The last thing he recalled was slamming into the ground before his whole world went black.

* * * * * * * * * *

Thank you guys for being patient, things have come up here and kept me busy or delayed me from posting in a timely manner. Rest assured I am still hard at work for book 3 stuff, getting it edited and things, I hope you guys will be good with it. I'll be posting the cover art soon enough so you can get a gander.