Chapter 349 - Griffin

"They keep on coming…" sword drawn, posture firm, greyness of the sunless sky made seeing clearer. Not contemplating the brightness, the mind, and eyes could relax and focus. Massive stone-walls were erected along the slope. Its gates had spikes facing outwards. Untouched and unbreeched, said fortress seemed as if a goal too far to reach. 

Beasts of varying sizes, normally bigger than the average man, stood with growls. A humanoid icy body that resembled golems. Guardians of the fortress. The heads weren't circular or oval. It was of a cup, one with the edges pointy as if teethes. The arms and legs were as big as tree trunks. Some bore weapons whilst others were lighter and faster. The battle had taken place in front of the walls; a makeshift magical barrier prevented any unwilling escape. A confined space where the outside could come in but never leave. 

"Seriously," a heavy upward swing had four of them pushed back. No damage whatsoever. The ground suffered more than the beasts themselves. Cut marks parting the frost and exposing the rocks under. *Clang,* slower and more preservative, the sound of a battle had the heart race.

*SMACK,* a brick of ice came from the fortress. The projectile hit its mark in a flash. *Spat,* blood dirtied the floor, Oenus wiped his mouth with the torn sleeves.

"I ain't going down yet," he jumped into the fray yet again. An indomitable fighting spirit, the will to never give up. 

"Master!" the words faded as he sprouted wings and flapped out the cave. The gust extinguished the fire and nearly broke the tents. A single flapped cause so much destruction. Magra and Kearen stood in awe.

"Are you going to join him?" asked Magra to Serene who watched silently. 

"No," replied Intherna, "-he said that he'll handle the situation. Let's just get the camp set-up."

"I agree with Intherna," said Serene with a click of the tongue. "We had our fun fighting up the mountain," she stared the mess around.

"Suppose we ought to get a meal ready for when he returns," grinned Achilles with a flushed face. The altitude and lack of air made her body yearn for the sun. Memories of a warm bed riddled her mind, exhaustion from the steep climbed didn't help either.

'Looking out for your team,' thought Intherna as she nonchalantly conjured a blazing inferno of crimson-pink hue. 'Who says you're coldhearted.' 

"Excuse me," spoke a quieter voice.

"Yes?" returned Intherna with a curious tone. 

"The hue of your flame, is it Therna, the everblooming tree of Rah?" 

"Yes, I'm surprised you noticed, Magra."

"I knew it," she smiled, "-I only heard of it being used by the Sun-God's descendent. How can you have it?" 

"I am his daughter after all?" she laughed.

"Are you sure?" she paused, "-please, I've no time for jests."

"Ahh, so thou think I speak nonsense," she faced away defiantly. "Words that come out of my mouth are always of truth. I think this conversation has outlasted it's welcome," she gestured for her to leave. 

"I a-apologize," she left with a bitter taste. Intherna's smug and pride personality made it hard to hold a conversation. She always replied with superiority. Thus, was the reason why Serene disliked her guts. A mutual feeling that was overshadowed by respect. They saw the other in a differing light than most. On that, the camp was rebuilt in stride to accommodate the new guests. 

"Adete," hovered, "-can you smell it," asked Staxius with a surprised grin.

"I don't sense anyone cooking on this big rock."

"No," shaking his head, "-have you always been this airheaded?"

"Give me a break, I was sleeping a few moments ago. Someone had to go and wake me up, what do you want?"

"Nothing," he peered downwards, "-I'm just excited. There's this feeling in my chest, one of nostalgia. Tharis and Orenmir are vibrating; I've longed to fight. It has been so long – the monsters look tough too." Given no time to reply, he landed with a heavy shock. It sent back many o' beasts who had cornered the tired Oenus. 'Let's begin,' no magic nor incantation. Hands wrapped around Orenmir; he took a low stance. The eyes shut, everything turned into white misty outlines. 

"Be free, spirits," unsheathed, a whirlwind of screaming souls escaped. They latched onto anything that moved and breathed. Left, right, center, the frost giants fell as if the lowest-tiered monsters. They seemed as weak as the goblins. It took less than five minutes and the barrier was cleared off the giants. Barely tired, he slid to a stop in front of the gates. "Oenus, go tell the team to get ready to move. We'll be staying in this fortress tonight." *Snap,* the Void conjured. Water fell onto the ground. Blue-goblins hid above the trees. They were responsible for throwing the projectiles at the fighters. Eyes shut, he peered over the beasts. The slow agonizing turn from the unknown figure had them yelp. *Void Aspect,* Tharis unholstered, "-have a taste of judgment," a beam shot out which vaporized the treetops. A flawless diagonal cut leaving nothing in its wake. 

'They seem to be intelligent,' facing the door again, footsteps scurried above. Without notice, boiling oil was poured, *Death Element: Magical Barrier,* the eyes opened to the liquid hovering in the air. 

"Surely," he smiled, "-surely you didn't think this would work, now did you, commander?" said as if knowing who was responsible, he sidestepped away. 

"Adete, get ready."

"Alright," half-awake, *Blood-Arts: Bloody Mary,* hands pressed together, she waited fondly. *Slash,* four strokes cut into the fortress wall. It exposed a courtyard with forces ready to fight. Goblins in armor, a griffin perched on the back wall with a humanoid figure. The battlements were riddled with Stingers, a sub-species of spiders. Those monsters could fire endless barrages bullet-like projectiles. It was the same as a firing-squad, lined, and ready to fire per command. 

'Rasu spoke the truth about them having a commander. Even if it was in jest, they're too organized to be called mindless. If this is the evolution of monsters, I'm not far off to think that the day where monsters form their nation will rise.' Flames burnt deep, he walked with a thirst for killing bubbling inside. 'Get ready to die.' 

The monsters charged without mercy; frost giants leaped from the side of the mountain. An all-out assault with the Commander watching. 'Know thine place,' throwing a glare, *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads,* blood was drawn from Oenus who remain baffled. Beheaded to be converted into the Crimson Aura, a force of 50 goblins died in an instant. Stringers fired to no avail; the projectiles stopped shy of their targets. *Snap,* it returned with twice the force breaking the battlements. The giants in the air held spears that had his head in the line-of-sight. *Sprak,* moments away from the target, they got turned into mincemeat to then be burnt. 

At the back, the Griffin sprawled its wing to retreat.

"No, thou art not fleeing," each step resounded death, the more forces that came, the quicker they died. A mixture of Blood-Arts and the Death-Element. The latter being the defense and the former being the attack. The triangle on the right-hand lit dimly. It forcefully kept the symbols of power as well as the mana from going out of hand. *Death Element: Hand of God,* no gestures, only a firm stance, the beast stuck in place. Flapped as mighty as it could, all was for naught. 

"So, you're the commander," stood with one foot on the beast's head, the one responsible quivered. Legs and arms shook, the figure was humanoid. Long hair, beautiful eyelashes, and a blue complexion. Her eyes yearned for forgiveness. "Maybe one day," said monotonously, "-the day where you and us can live together. Monsters and the natives." Tharis pointed at her forehead, "-for now, it's only a dream, nothing will come out of this carnage. People will die, and it's my duty to relieve them from the shackles of life."

"P-p-plea-se s-s-save t-the g-g-girl," *BANG,* her brain matter scarred across the gravelly path. 'The monster spoke,' he thought, '-why can I sense their souls. Monsters have souls?' the goblins weren't unique, they felt cloned. Still, there was a soul, a staple of being alive. The commander, a humanoid with unique features, one resembling a sea-creature – most notably, the ears. They held a slight resemblance to fins. 

*I command thee whomst I've defeated, I curse thee, soul, to be bound to mine; Box of Soul – Soulfeld.* The soul which came off its body was soon to be trapped in his growing army of souls. 'I'll summon her as a ghoul later.' 

"Master?" footsteps came from the opening in the walls. Staxius stood in the middle with a legendary beast at his feet. Bodies of countless monsters laid about to then turn into dust. The first layer of the fortress was cleared for it hosted more the next gate after. 

"Hey, hey, hey…" voiced Rasu loudly, "-WHAT HAPPENED HERE?" no sign of life, the fortress was conquered.

"You're here," stepped off the beast, it straightened itself with a growl.

"GET AWAY FROM IT!" shouted Magra who held a staff. It cawed at the sight of the weapon. 

"GET AWAY," she screamed readied to fire. The beast roared to take a stance beside Staxius.

"Cut it out," he said whilst caressing the beast, "-Griffins are not monsters. They are noble beasts from the days of old. It won't attack since I've killed its master."

"What are you going to do then?" asked Achilles who walked up to the beast.

"Lore says that if a Griffin loses its master, either it will die or revert to being an infant. That is because they are loyal creatures who will never share their strength with another. Death is the most likely case."

"Why though?" asked Intherna, "-such a beautiful creature to perish because of a weak master."

"I suppose it's their decision. Dying to not fall into the enemy's hand," warmly gazing the griffin, it cawed and rose it's talons to then land again. 

'Nightwalker,' spoke a voice as they locked eyes again.

'You are?' 

'I have no name and no master. My purpose is to fulfill my duties. Now that she has been slain, I have no use for this life.'

'Are you sure about that?'

'What are you referring too?'

'Your master is alive. I have her soul.'

'Nonsense, no vampire is god.'

'God is I for I'm the Death Reaper.'

'I sense no lie. What is it that you offer?'

'Serve my name. Be reborn anew and swore to me as did your master.'

'We are prideful. Changing masters even if one has died isn't loyal.'

'As you wish, noble beast, I shall slay thee instead.'

'Thank you.'

*Slash,* the eagle head fell to the floor leaving everyone astonished. 

"WHY DID YOU KILL IT?" screamed Serene, "-HE WAS BEAUTIFUL!"

"Watch closely," opposed to blood, a sparkle of light had the beast shrunk. It changed from massive to as tiny as a puppy. "I killed the griffin to give it a chance at rebirth." Body of a lion, front feet talons, head and wing of an eagle, the cub like Griffin was soon to run and perch itself on Staxius's shoulder. It meowed instead of roaring.

"A legendary beast you say?" laughed Achilles.

"Should have expected that much," facepalmed Serene.

"I've had enough with your spontaneous personality," sighed Intherna, "-don't tell me you're going to take care of it," paused, "-look, the mighty king has a pet," a remark which had the others in laughter. 

"That somewhat hurt," grinned Staxius who petted the baby-griffin. "I'm not going to become its master. That role has been assigned to the commander. The sea-like monster who spoke." 

"…" Silence, a monster who spoke. The words he spoke held more implication than was first thought. 

"A monster who spoke," smirked Intherna, "-please tell me you have its soul?"

"Is that something to even ask. I'm still recruiting for the army, don't forget," facing the Griffin, "-this little guy here has its soul bounded to hers. He's the conduit for her into the mortal realm. Which means," *Snap,* it vanished into smoke. "I can conjure him whenever I want."