FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 8

"Why have you followed me?" Garrick whispered softly as his arm rose to block the morning sun stabbing his eyes through the canopy of thick oak trees. They had been searching all morning for the little valley that Eugene had described, the little haven that was supposedly hidden within the countryside that rose and fell like the chest of some great beast caught in the deepest of slumbers. The vibrant greens of the trees gave way to the greys, the reds, and even the salmon colored stone that reached out for the sun with little fingers of hardened rock. Among such things he had even spied the landmark that had been described as Jess' ass. To which he had to give the old man credit, if he stood at the right angle and tilted his head, he could see it. He had rolled his eyes with a sigh, setting his thoughts back to the task at hand, and the mountain of blue scales that awaited him on the distant cerulean horizon.

He pat Gryphon's side that warmed his fingers through the leather gloves on his hands. He grasped tight the saddle below him as the construct carefully brought them over the root encased forest floor. Though they tried their hardest, the lichen covered wooden serpents never tripped up his mighty metal creature. For Gryphon seemed to know where they were, hardly paying them any mind but always avoiding them with each stride of his powerful limbs. They crested over one of the numerous hills, the land spreading out before them like some vast quit made up of all the greens imaginable. They only broke as the reached down to greet them. The blue expanse kissing the tops of trees as if some tender lover. The knight's eyes drifted from tree top to tree top, catching sight oaks, pines, maple, and even the white bark of birch trees poking out among the green. There they sat for a minute or two until he found what they were looking for nestled between two mountains that seemed to be more tree then stone.

The small canyon of dark grey stone was covered in the speckles of various browns and almonds. He felt his blood start to quicken with its pumps as he pictured the blue dragon before him, towering over him like some great giant with inquisitive slitted eyes and a cocked head.

He didn't kill the old man. He didn't kill you.

The oddity of the situation repeated over in his mind for what seemed to be the fifteenth time this day. It had to be a sign from the gods themselves. Not just some fluke he could toss out as dumb luck luck. This was now two humans that had crossed intimate paths with this dragon and not a single one lost a limb.

He's planning something...I just know it. The idea of what that could be coiled around his mind like a grasping hand, squeezing and kneading his thoughts to make sure they strayed from nothing else. It even permeated his stomach, a knot soon forming that brought a grumble from the knight.

Could it be another attack like Peloris? Some scout to make the way for the invading dragon army?

His body shivered as the smell of burning flesh and wood wrinkled his nose. To ease his mind he focused on a pair of green birds playfully darting over the canopy. They spun and hugged the leaves, chirping away without a care in the world.

"Armor mode." He said sternly as a breeze washed around them He dismounted and stepped into Gryphon when the construct rose up onto it's hinds, the familiar compartment opening with a small hiss. Ease wrapped around him like a fine warm cloak as he slipped inside, sighing when the doors closed him in with a click.

"Any sign of the dragon?" He spoke hastily, eyeing the screen that sprung to his eyes to showcase the area. He took a step without a thought, even before the construct could answer.

"No life forms of sufficient size to be that of the blue dragon." Gryphon replied flatly, ears extending with a click and starting to swivel around. "This unit will inform you when such a detection has been made."

Good one less thing to worry about. All he had to do was focus on his surrounding, and how with each stride the trees seemed to press in bit by bit until it seemed they were trying to ensnare them with low hanging branches. It was like the forest itself was trying to funnel him towards the rocky valley Eugene spoke of. He came to a hault when he noticed the man's foot prints left with his no doubt swift departure. He kneeled, resting an armored hand on the soft ground. His lungs started to feel faint, his breath feeling short. With a mere thought he could imagine the old man, red faced with lungs burning as he tried to scramble his way through the forest, praying to the gods to keep him safe.

Just like you did. The distant whisper of that of a thousand voices drifted on the wind and raked at him with icy talons. Shaking the voices away he forced his next step as his blood started to turn to ice, eyes befalling to something he had expected. The telltale sign of a dragon pawprint. It would appear as though Eugene had been telling the truth after all. Garrick's hands tightened as he took his next tentative step on the ever-rising earth, brushing aside the minor nuisance of a branch.

They crested the top of another rising hill until the trees parted and gave way to a boxed in canyon below of crackled and bumpy stone. It was like an eyesore among the tapestry before him of greens and browns. There was a lake that caught his eyes within the canyon, as light sparkled off it's surface like a treasured gem. Clouds reflected lazily overhead, thick and greyed. The human glanced up, tasting in the air that it was going to rain. Somehow, he always knew when it would.

Though out in the vast sky there was no sign of the dragon. Not a single scale, wing, horn, or even glint of a membrane through the sections not dominated by the billowing darkened clouds. Perhaps it was out gleaming the countryside as if a dinner tray for its next to quell its ravenous hunger. If true it would certainly make things easier.

Or it moved on. You missed your chance because you were a drunken fool.

"Only one way to find out if it has." He muttered, easily sliding down the rocky landscape with Gryphon's assistance. With his guidance the pair practically bounded downward, and whenever something went to slip them up, Gryphon compensated and kept them righted. Any rocks that lay before them were trampled underfoot as Gryphon helped him retain his footing. With each thud he could feel his heart beating ever faster, the anticipation coursing through his veins. What would await for him if the dragon_was_ here? Could it be communicated with? That alone would be worth checking out.

"Any movement?" He asked more out of habit than anything else as he strode next to a twisted river that coiled around the trees and filled the air with the soft sounds of running water.

"None to report that corresponds with given parameters."

Well what did you expect?" For everything to suddenly come out of nowhere and attack you?

"Good, keep me informed. I want to know the second that dragon shows it's snout."

"Affirmative."

Would he kill the dragon? Having one lurk around the town would spook people eventually. Sooner or later others would be sent out to deal with what he could easily. Death of the humans and possibly dragon because of his inaction. He bit his lip as the ground went to collapse underneath him, Gryphon and his combined weight proving too much to the crumbling ground. The river must have worn this section away to the point of disaster, he was simply the final straw on the camels back. Luckily, he was too swift for nature's trap, leaping to the side as nearly half the riverbank collapsed into the rushing water with loud splashes and plops.

The moment his metal clad feet touched the ground he was frozen in place, straining to hear any sign of his larger quarry. Birds chirped loudly on the air, insects buzzing out symphonies and the faint sound of a wood pecker pulverizing a tree for it's morning meal. No sign of the dragon

And yet why are you so on edge? Is that what you were trained to be?

The best had proven to be unwilling to attack villagers or uninterested in killing humans. He stared down at the metal claws, admiring the sharpened talons glinting in the sunlight trickling down through the tree above.

And why am I so nervous?

"Anything wrong knight? You have ceased movement and are staring at your hands for several minutes. Have you lost consciousness? Do you need this unit to return us to the settlement of humans?"

"No." He stuttered, setting his arms to his side as a phantom smoke drifted up in the distance. "Just steeling my nerves is all."

"Your heart rate is elevated, and your breaths are coming closer together. This unit suggests that your calming method has failed to arrive at the expected vector. This unit offers a simple fact that you are protected inside. No harm shall come to you whilst this unit still functions."

Loyal Gryphon to the end. "Thanks Gryphon." He sighed, raising a hand to caress his metal armored chest. Was his heart truly beating that fast? "Gryphon..How many dragons attacked Perloris the day it burned?"

"A great deal. This unit counted four hundred and sixty seven after you activated this unit. Although you mentioned seeing much more than that. You said there were thousands."

Well that wasn't much help. "Why did I even bother asking you?" He spat the words like poison as his armored hand traced the long scratched form of a solid rock, claw marks left from the dragon's talons. The recesses were torn into it and covered it like some hastily applied paint. The residue of the thing was spread around like a dusting of snow, complete with the tracks of the larger reptilian beast.

The dragon was here.

"Sorry this unit cannot be more helpful."

"Never you mind Gryphon." He snapped, clenching his hands into fists to block out the whispering voices trying to plague his ears once more. When this was over, he was going need a drink. Something bitter tasting ale or wine to drown his sense into a state of inebriated bliss. But that would come after he had found the dragon.

From the pawprints he tracked the beast's movements to the running and splashing river, no doubt drinking its morning water. The prints came to a worn section of stone underneath a makeshift cavern that rested below an aged cliff made of a dying tree. Its roots could be seen springing from the ceiling of earth like little worms dangling down to make a makeshift blind. It looked as though the dragon was staying here, but why though? Why get this close to humans?" Paw marks could be seen here among the dirt to form a large circular disc to sleep on. The dragon had been staying here, but why?

Tentatively he took his first few steps, sluggishness giving way to confidence until he was touching the cavern wall. Just like the rock before there were claw marks drawn into the surface, but these seemed to be more methodical. While the ones on the rock had been wild and untamed, these ones seemed organized into groups. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the dragon was writing something down.

But dragons don't write do they? His hand rested as the thought teased his mind_._ If they wrote, then they could be reasoned with, communicated with, they weren't just dumb beasts that ate humans willy nilly. Course if they were intelligent why did they still eat humans like mere prey? Was it better or worse if they had a reason?

"Gryphon." Has there ever been a record of dragons communicating with humans?" He turned back to the open valley, slowly striding with his head held high. He caught the image of a thousand birds flying over the treetops together, like some great swimming school of fish of every color.

"None during the time this unit was activated and spent with you. All records show that interactions between humans and dragons ends with disinterest or disaster."

Just what I thought. "Oh, then we wait for the beast to come back. See what this one is up to and why. Why it strayed this close, why it camped this close to human lands, and see if we have to convince it to leave. Hopefully without having to kill it. I think that will be the best. It won't get killed and others won't get foolishly killed when they try to make it leave."

"Affirmative." Gryphon replied without a hint of resistance as Garrick explored the rising and falling terrain, passing through some bushes filled with the brightest red berries that glistened with morning dew, begging to be eaten. The wind whipped by in one large gust, bringing with it a high pitched whine that sounded like the wailing of distant screams. He crouched while near the bushes, feeling rather silly as he no doubt towered over them. Still though, perhaps the brown of gryphon would intermix with that of the hardened bark of the trees around him. He sighed, taking in the lingering smell of the oak trees, and the traces of vanilla that stuck to him like glue.

"And now we wait." He said softly, resting his gaze to the surrounding valley when he had found an area below a tree to stand under. He admired how calm the area looked. How peaceful, like it wasn't playing home to some dragon that could tear a man to pieces with its powerful jaws. He found himself following the curves of the rocks around him, like that of a human fallen over and resting their head. The stone was wrapped in a blanket of scattered moss and lichen, even some vines flowing over them with some sprouting yellow flowers. Despite being a valley of sorts, the place had numerous trees that lurked at the base of the towering rocks, branches spread out in all directions that played home to little squirrels, chirping birds, and even some butterflies that drifted on by without a care.

Time seemed to slow down in a near crawl, dragging a thorn over his temple. How many times during training did he hate to sit and wait? For hours on end to drill in the patience that would be required to save humanity. How he hated it with every fiber of his being. How was that supposed to help humanity? Especially when the rest of them were cowering in the dirt or in little rink dink towns such as that?

'Is this what you wanted?" He whispered with a snarl as a ghostly image of a well grizzled man appeared in a pristine soft blue tunic, holding a glinting sword close to his own nose. The man didn't reply, only nodding his wrinkled brow and glancing to him with warm and inviting blue eyes.

"Remember Garrick, One day it will be your job to search out ways to aid humanity. To help reclaim what was once lost in the sundering." The words from long past came from the specter's mouth, sounding just as warm and sweet as they did all those years ago.

"Does that mean we have to kill the dragons?" Came the voice of his younger self. When he was all happy and naive and thinking things could change. Before the fall of Perloris, before his flames died.

The older knight sighed, "Some would have you think that. Like the templar for instance my boy." He shook his head with closed eyes. "They focus too much on vengeance. Striking back at what was once ours. We are something greater apprentice. We don't seek out petty things such as that. Those are crimes from ages long since passed. We work for the future. The brighter one. Whatever shape that takes."

"What about the dragons? You didn't say!" Protested the younger Garrick, sounding like he was crossing his arms and giving the elder man a not amused look.

The elder knight chuckled, stowing his sword by his side. "They are part of nature my boy. Dangerous and deadly, but not to be wiped out. They like the rest of us have a stake to this world. Remember that Garrick. Never lose sight of who you are."

The moment lingered for a time before everything began to slow. The man that had been filled with some semblance of life turned a blackened grey, and the smell of burning flesh wafted along in the breeze and stung at Garrick's nose.

If you remembered, why did you let him die?

"I didn't!" Garrick shook his head, clenching his eyes as if that would shield him from the tormenting voices.

But you did my boy. You took your little Gryphon and then fled to the hills like a coward. Thanks to you, everyone you ever loved or cared about went up in smoke to drago-

"Knight." Gryphon's voice cleaved through the coming screams like a righteousness blade. In one deep strike they were gone, and Garrick's senses came back to life.

"Where.?" His eyes sprung open to desperately stare at the screen, searching for the blue scaled beast.

"Closing in 300 meters." Gryphon's dull voice lingered in his ears as a red thin line suddenly circled in the air, drawing attention to a section of clouds that had burst to reveal the magnificent form of the blue beast of legend. "Dragon sighted."

"I can see that." Garrick gasped, admiring the sun painting his blue scales in a honied glow as the dragon spread his vast membranes into a glide. The wind ruffled the thin membranes as the beast descended slowly, the limp corpse of a stag dangling from his jaws. The dragon folded his ice edged wings and went into a stiff dive, only to level off and circle around the canyon at a steep angle. It swooped over Garrick with a loud whoosh, cresting upwards and lettings it's powerful back-wing cushion it's descent until it planted it's mighty hinds onto the ground, scattering rocks and loose dirt caught within the powerful gust.

It was him. The one from the city that had watched with interest as the wyrmling had played with him. Garrick could tell by the scars that lined his scales, the horns a dull-offwhite, the ice tinting to his scales to the intelligent filled amber pools as the beast wandered around it's claimed area with a confident stride and twist of its tail. The dragon circled the area, head swaying back and forth as curious sniffs sounded through the air. It was if the beast was searching for the perfect spot to enjoy it's grisly meal.

Sure enough the dragon found such a section of grass that was for the most part undisturbed from its own paw prints. The blue plopped down with a rumble, crossing it's forepaws across the ground and started to tear into the stag with its sharpened teeth. The first savage rip sent a thick spray of crimson paint to coat the ground. The beast rumbled, tapping its tail and greedily ripped off more sections to devour in bloody chunks.

Garrick stood transfixed as the reptile made gruesome work of its catch. Bones cracked between powerful jaws, blood splattered and drooled from the dragon's maw like crimson rivers. Muscles tore like over stretched rubber bands. These sounds combined with the dragon's pleased coos and deep rumbles to form a strange cacophony of sounds. How many people had he watched get eaten in the same manner of this? No different than that stag before the dragon's got their claws into them.

But not this one. He hasn't killed you yet. Garrick's eyes tore themselves away from the blood splattered snout and scanned the blue's scales marred with numerous scars. Then how did he get so many scars?_The knight lingered on those spots of darkened pink, almost looking like a tiger's stripes along the large scaled body of blue tipped with ice. _Were they from hunts gone wrong? Infighting with the dragons? The human's neck started to tingle and itch the longer he stared. Some of those scars looked large enough to be from such means. However the beast had gotten them, they were on every inch of him. His forepaws, the long flow of his tail, and even around his wing joints. The ones in those places were no larger than a hand in width. Perhaps gotten from swords or spears.

"Should we dispose of this one knight?" Gryphon's voice pulled him from his stupor. "To protect the village from the dragon."

"No."..We wait awhile longer. When we're ready we'll head out and confront him. If it's hostile, we'll end it. One little bout with the blaster and our shield should do the trick...Always has."

"Affirmative. Leaving shield and weapons in warm-up mode." There was a faint blue icon that appeared under the bar for tracking mana. It was a display of a sword and shield in vibrant crimson.

Then the dragon stopped its devouring of the stag. It's ears suddenly flicked up as the beast's head rose, dripping to pool on the ground below. The dragon's nostrils flared, taking a huge intake of air as his body rippled and tail flicked across the earth.

Could he smell me? Garrick shifted his weight as the dragon's head swiveled around the area, sniffing with little grumbles. Before he could contemplate further the curious snout stopped right at his hiding area. Those amber pools staring right at him. Then to his surprise the blue's head cocked to the side with his ears shooting up. The dragon made a hiss like noise that wafted in the air like a blade. The blue shifted to its haunches, wiggling its tail as it watched, waited, as if wondering what the knight might do. He saw those inquisitive eyes look him up and down. Not afraid, not worried, but taking in every inch of Gryphon's form.

"What are you waiting for?" He whispered as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He fought the urge to move, even when the dragon gave him a loud call that sounded like a thunderous marf, followed by its head cocking to the other side and accompanied by a casual tail flick. Part of Garrick yearned to activate Gryphon's blaster, charge up the weapon and be rid of this dragon. To not look deeper beneath the surface of this towering beast with such curious amber eyes that reflected in the sun like dazzling glass. That part was only a passing moment though, a mere drop of water in a raging river of possibilities. Thoughts danced around his head as the dragon shifted its weight from paw to paw, eyes darting to the remainder of the stag.

The dragon's maw let out a softened coo, gesturing to the stag with a sudden nosing of its long snout. It was almost as if the dragon was trying to tell him something. Then came a low guttural sound of the dragon's rumble. Like that of stones tumbling down a rocky hill, and a stomp of a paw on the ground. When it was clear that Garrick wasn't moving the dragon took the meat in his jaws, and with a thrash of his neck had tossed it roughly midway between the two. The corpse landed with a dull thud, the dragon looking to him with a marf and devilishly innocent eyes.

Does he want me to eat it? Garrick took a slow, careful step as his eyes never strayed from the blue's powerful form. It was hard to not focus on such claws that could easily cleave into a man, or the teeth that could make short work of his skin. He steeled his nerves with a breath and prepared for the worst. Even if he had inklings of hope for this encounter, one could never be too careful. Not when one swipe of those large paws could send him flying, and while Gryphon could lessen the impact somewhat, it would still leave him injured.

The dragon rose its head back, wrinkling its snout with a snort. His claws kneaded the grass, eyes looking to the stag, then back to Garrick with a tap of his paw on the ground. "Grgugandan" The beast rumbled, cocking his head to the side.

Yeah. Definitely wanting something. He snuck a quick glance to crimson soaked mess of the once stag. Strips of flesh having been torn away by the hungry dragon just laying casually caked in dirt. He couldn't eat that. But did the dragon know that? He would need to clean it with his knife, construct a fire and cook it to safely devour the dragon's offering. But would the beast attack him when he left the safety of Gryphon's insides? Would he be insulted if he didn't eat the offering right here and now? There was only one way to find out. He sighed as the dragon's eyes traveled to the stag and then back again to him.

With a sigh, Garrick straightened his back and stood tall before the dragon at least three times his size. He paused when the blue gave a snort, rising too all fours and nosing at the corpse with its snout. Those amber pools lingered on him for a moment as the beast gave a whine and waved it's tail back and forth. The best flipped it over towards the human, backing away with a barking sound and ears swiveled towards him. Once a suitable distance the dragon wheeled around and settled down onto its haunches with a marf, tail curling around his hinds. "Gristanisk." The blue hissed, gesturing to the stag with a forepaw.

"Gryphon?" Garrick voice came softly as an idea began to take shape. It just might have been crazy, but he had to try something. If not only for himself, but for that of humanity. Here was a dragon interested in communicating and he didn't want to pass that up.

"Yes knight? It appears as the dragon wants you to eat the food. Does it perhaps believe you are a hatchling to be fed and taken care of?"

Well that was a thought. "Who knows. But I am going to go out and cook some of that meat. Going to need your help in getting some wood and keeping an eye out for me. "

"What for?" gryphon almost sounded curious, disbelieving in his decision. He'd imagined that some knights from long ago would question his decision as well. Probably deem him mad.

"In case our dragon friend there proves to be otherwise. I'll count on you to distract or disable it, so I can get away. Until that time, I think I'm going to be conducting a little negotiations. Show the dragon that we accept it's offering and cook it. Maybe it's the start of something bigger Gryphon. Can you imagine? What if we could communicate with them?" He was surprised by his own hopefulness. The excitement brimming in his fluttering heart. Perhaps he had truly gone mad afterall.

"Well..." He watched the dragon's chest just rise and fall, its tail tapping the ground as it's gaze focused squarely on him. If it was growing impatient, he didn't know. "Let's get this plan over with, shall we?" With his peripherals on the dragon he stomped out towards the trees, "Sword on." He said sternly. Gryphon's arm folded open with a series of clinks like it did with the blaster. Steam shot from the joints as the limb roared to life and a single transparent blade of lavender light sprung into being with a hiss. The dragon gave a coo, pulling it's head back with a fluttering of its wings.

"One fire coming up." He found a knocked over tree covered in brown mushrooms and nearly consumed by moss. He swung the magical blade, easily carving up the discarded tree like a thanksgiving roast. Slice, slice, slice. In a manner of moments, he had a nice stacked pile of easily burnable wood. When the weapon had refolded back into his arm he spun around, striding towards the stag with draconic eyes watching on. He grabbed the bloody mess, dragging it towards the makeshift fire and plopping it onto the ground. That's when the dragon followed him with a sway of its haunches, but never getting too close. It rumbled in the back of its throat, eyes transfixed on just what he was up to.

"Ready the cleaning knife." He spoke, casting his thoughts from the inquisitive blue.

"Affirmative. Shall this unit light the flames or will you be using the flint and steel you like so much?"

"Time is of the essence, I think. Let's light those flames." He snapped his view to the gathered wood, twin lights of bright purple springing forth through the open air and towards the dried wood faster than lightning. When struck, the chunks sizzled and burned, fire springing forth in a matter of seconds. Soon it was crackling away, orange-red flames dancing in the open air.

The dragon bounded away with a mighty trill, its wings flaring out wide. It landed back, tail smacking against the ground as its noises filled the air with many curious grunts and hisses. When Garrick spun around at the commotion the blue's ears were up, head was shifted to the side, and it was inching closer with eyes locked on the crackling flames. It lowered its serpentine neck with its next step, gesturing to the flames with its wings and rumbling something. It was hard to not feel a crack in his usual hard heart as the dragon wiggled its haunches and flicked its ears possibly in excitement. Course now came the leap of faith.

"Gryphon. Prepare for my exit. I shall be carving the meat outside by the fire. If the dragon goes to attack, feel free to defend myself. Use warning shots, try to scare it. We don't want it dead."

"is this wise knight? That course of action is highly dangerous. You're safe while inside of this unit."

"I know what I'm doing Gryphon." He lied with a hiss, ignoring the constructs further protests with a firm command. "Just do it Gryphon. Prepare for my departure."

"Affirmative." Gryphon's usual flat voice suddenly seemed to contain a hint of irritation. That was impossible, though right? The construct had no feelings and always did what he was told. Garrick laughed to himself as Gryphon's form shifted, steam sprung from the vents lining his body like an underground collection of lava ready to burst forth. Gryphon's doors opened with a hiss, letting the sun flow in and warm the man's cheeks.

Gulping, Garrick took a large intake of air until his lungs tingled. Like little butterflies were fluttering away inside of him. It was now or never. He had gone this far, might as well take the final plunge. With one last intake of the pine scented air he stepped out into the afternoon sun. He flashed the dragon a look, who had settled back down onto its haunches with head cocked to the side. Its eyes locked onto the human, a small rumble flowed through its neck. The dragon's head pulled back into the shape of an S and its eyes widened.