Arad stood there, staring at Jack and Lydia, “What are you doing?”
Jack looked at him blankly for a moment, “Aella went to bait the griffon. So it comes here, and so she can save you.”
Arad lifted one hand, “Hank only killed one. Its mate should come at night, he said.” With that realization, “Aella is about to face a pissed-off griffon. I need to get to her.” Arad turned around without thinking.
“Hold up. Will go with you.” Lydia grabbed him.
Arad looked back. He can’t let Lydia see him transform. “You two stay here, do whatever you were doing earlier.” He then stared at Jack, “You know what I mean, I count on.”
Jack smiled, “Got it, Chief. Shout if you need us to charge in.” He grabbed Lydia, “Let him go.”
“You were against sending Aella alone a moment ago, and now you turn around.” Lydia stared at him.
“My take never changed. Cheif can be alone, and we cannot.” He pointed back at the trap, “We follow the plan and kill the griffon here.”
“I’m counting on you,” Arad rushed back into the forest, running as fast as he could.
“Are you sure?” Lydia stared at Jack. “Even if he could escape, he must be exhausted.”
“I can’t deny that I’m worried, but it is Arad we’re talking about, and I have a gut feeling that he will survive.” Jack smiled, walking back toward the horse and patting it. “You might live to see tomorrow,”
THUD! THUD! Arad ran across the trees, pushing pushes left and right.
VAM! His body started blinking as he used [Void walk] to teleport forward, gritting his teeth as his legs reached their limit. ^I can’t run faster,^
After just a few seconds, it clicked in his mind, ^I’m not running the right way^
His body vibrated, morphing into his draconic form. ^This feels better! This is my nature!^ With each step, his body waved like a feline across the woods.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! One paw forward and one to the back, his claws dug deep into the ground, giving him support as the muscles of his wins pulled on his front legs.
Arad’s wings clung close to his back as he still couldn’t fly, but his tail extended, shaking from left to right as he waved between the trees.
^It isn’t enough. Faster, faster!^ It didn’t take Arad long to reach his speed limit. He couldn’t make sense of the pain slowly building in his chest. His teeth start aching, and his shoulders tingle.
“There is a route paved across the forest, which led up the mountain. But that thing takes a long time.” Arad growled, “Gotta climb the cliff. Those claws of mine should hold.”
Arad took the impossible route, a straight cliff with very little to hang on. Just a blank board at the side of the mountain where he is an easy target for aerial predators.
CLACK! CLACK! CLACK! Arad’s claws sunk into the stone like hooks on wood, giving him a steady grip to pull his body up.
^It isn’t as easy as running, but I can do it!^ Arad growled, using [Shadow walk] to leap from one big stone to another, aiming directly at where Hank said the griffon nest was.
***
Back at the trap, Lydia and Jack stared at the sky, awaiting the beast’s appearance. .
“Do you think it was the griffon picking up people around here?” Jack asked, hiding beside Lydia.
“You’re talking about my quest?” she stared at him. “Probably not. Griffons usually don’t attack humans for food unless they have a horse.”
“Ah, shit. I really don’t want to fight a werewolf around here,” Jack sighed.
“You’re leader wants to get him for a cure, right?” Lydia replied, looking at Jack with a smile.
“That doesn’t make him any easier to fight. Too much sense to sneak around.” As a rogue, Jack hated anything that could spot him while sneaking. Especially fast and agile creatures like werewolves, where he won’t have much time to react.
“Look at you shaking. Can’t you just set a trap?” Lydia stared at him with a teasing smile.
“They can spot it most of the time. My sister hunted one before, and she almost died.” Jack said, “She said the werewolf would pretend he was oblivious until she got close for a sneak attack to counter her,”
“But they won, and she survived.” Lydia stared at him.
“No, they failed. And sister lost a chunk from her left chest and left a nasty scar on her back.” Jack sighed, “From her words, that thing was a nightmare to deal with.”
“Then didn’t you chief wrestle two of them?” Lydia added after getting taken aback by Jack’s story.
“Those are rabiesed werewolves.” Jack looked at her, “They are rotten in the jar up here,” He knocked on his head.
“A sane one who can think and use tactics is far more dangerous?” Lydia stared at him, “Like the difference between a swordmaster and an idiot who just swing like an ape.”
“Exactly.” Jack replied, smiling, “I hope we can make a deal with him first.”
CRACK! As they sat, they heard the faint sound of something shattering in the distance, and Jack looked at the ground. “If I hear one fucking howl.”
AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
“Damn it,” Jack growled, turning around toward the village.
The beast stood at the top of the church’s bell tower, glaring down at the village as the moon lit the sky.
CLING! Lydia pulled her blade, but Jack grabbed her hand, “Sheath it. If we two died now, Arad and Aella would have even less chance against this thing.” He glared at her.
“We can’t let him harm innocent people,” Lydia glared back at Jack.
“One death today, and we can end him tomorrow,” He glared into her eyes, “Attack him, and we will have three deaths today and even more tomorrow.”
Lydia ground her teeth, “He’s right there.” She growled.
“Sadly, we don’t have enough power to face him,” He turned toward the city, “You stay here at the trap. I will sneak around and see what he’s up to.”
Lydia grabbed him by the shoulder, “You just warned me, idiot.”
“We can’t leave the trap, and having you with that heavy armor will attract more attention.” Jack looked at her, “And it will give people hope that we came to save them. We can’t have that and then let them die.” He rushed toward the city as Lydia watched. “Damn it. I should have brought more people.”
***
CRACK! Aella managed to reach the mountaintop, staring directly toward the griffon’s nest that rested on a massive stone surrounded by trees.
^I’m here, and it’s there,^ Aella sighed, seeing the griffon’s feathers on the nest. ^Is it sleeping? No, I smell blood.^ She started to get worried.
Without waiting a moment, she opened her pouch, reaching for the blood bottle. [Gust]
From Aella’s palm, a gust of magical wind blew, pushing the blood scent toward the nest. ^This should pull its attention.^ Aella tucked the bottle back in her pouch and looked at the nest, waiting for the beast to move. But even after a minute, it didn’t budge.
^Should I get closer?^ Aella looked around, sneaking behind the trees. Touching the long grass could make a noise that alerts the griffon. She needs to be careful with each step.
As Aella circulated around the nest, she noticed the griffon missing a leg. It was then that she got alerted, boldly approaching it.
^It’s dead, gouged,^ Aella gasped, seeing the beast’s guts spilled on the shattered eggs. ^It’s hard to tell, but those wounds belong to an axe.^
Aella inspected the nest, unable to find Arad even in the beast’s torn stomach. “Those wounds belong to a strange axe, A wood chopping one from the shape of the bones.”
As Aella looked at the griffon’s corpse, she heard the grass crackle behind her.
Thud! Aella immediately turned around, pointing her bow with three arrows loaded.
A griffon double the size of the corpse in the nest prowled behind her like a lion stalking his prey, keeping his eyes fixed on her with its wings tucked down.
GRGRGRGRGRGRGRG! The beast growled, a deep crackle escaping its golden beak. Aella pulled her bowstring, taking a deep breath. ^A male? Was this his mate?^ She took a step back, and the griffon took one far wide than her.
^I need to get some distance. I would die before I knew it at this range.^ Aella gulped.
THUD! The griffon’s front talon pushed into the ground as he was about to lung forward with all his might.
BAM! BAM! BAM! Aella released the three arrows, aiming at the eyes.
The griffon didn’t leap and pulled his right wing over his face to protect it. CLAN! CLANG! CLANG! The arrows bounced right back.
As the griffon looked ahead, Aella already leaped back several meters while aiming at him.
GRGRGRGRGRG! The beast growled, glaring at the nest and then at Aella. THWACK! In an instant, snapping his muscles in a single jump, the griffon charged at Aella, closing the distance and swinging his right claw at her. SCREECH!
With a screech of absolute rage and disgust, the griffon was out for blood.