FSE

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Chapter 17

The rest of Leon’s day had been filled with training, various exercises to test the body and the mind. That was after he had convinced Hekate to cure Titus of his sudden case of paralysis, she hadn’t entirely believed the story that the Ceullus had done this to himself by accident as he studied the half-elf’s weapon, but she hadn’t pressed any further. The gryphoness had merely rolled her eyes, insisting the lot of them were thick.

Thankfully, his bribery bought the silence of Krantor and the little ones, prompting a trip down to the town center to visit the gryphon Evander. His shop was filled with a multitude of candies, colors bursting with life from every shelf and begging to be eaten. He had cookies, cakes, muffins and even lollipops, though most of the flavors were far too spicy for the human tongue. Evander’s Every Flavor Spheres were easy enough to find, at Evander’s sweet shop that had a carved image of a bright blue gryphon smiling away with a wink. They advertised any flavor, Leon just wondered how true that was. While he shoved a satchel of the hard, multicolored, transparent candy into Krantor’s hands, he enjoyed what the gryphons called a ‘human’ friendly lollipop. As the gryphets sang in delight, bitterness of being here faded to the depths of his mind.

When he was not wrapped up in his training, his time interrupted with gryphet antics. He eventually succumbed to their cuteness, chasing them around the field waving his arms. This unfortunately was ended by Krantor tackling him, the gryphon all too proud that he’d hunted the half-elf. The smugness on his beak drained what sympathy Leon had when he flipped round and kicked the gryphon square in his balls. To his dismay his friend’s whines were not to go alone, as Krantor made sure to pay him back right in kind.

By nightfall they were swept inside by Agate, her calls carrying through the field and beyond. Leon trotted in with a growling belly, feeling like a kid again coming into enjoy a home cooked meal. Against his better judgement he smirked, quick to make sure no gryphon had caught sight of this. Once inside the tavern his senses were assaulted by the spices used in the food, strong enough to water his eye. The tables had been maneuvered so that each gryphon could fit, settled upon their bellies so they might reach the plates of food before them.

Songs and chirps were tossed back and forth, fueling a haze of good cheer and happiness that was too powerful to resist. He soon found himself thrust into a seat with a merry trill, planted right beside Hekate and Krantor. Wandering eyes traveled across every gryphon under the roof taking in the mass of lavender feathers and fur, finding that he was the only two legger here. He grunted and rolled his eyes at that fact as he was subjected to what he imagined was common at family get togethers.

His ears never could rest as the questions came of his time in adventures and what trials he’d passed. His replies, though limited and vague, were more than enough for the dozens of curious ears lent his way. There was an honesty here, across their beaks that he couldn’t fathom within Olas’ fancy party, it warmed the half-elf’s heart, willed him to continue on with delight. He hardly noticed the lord’s absence when the food arrived.

Upon the cheers of starving gryphons, Agate and Helios pushed out carts littered with food, stacked high as to satisfy the demands of the ravenous flight. It sizzled and crackled, the sinful scents wafting through the air to weaken resolve and tempt the gryphons to leap upon them as if they were a pack of wolves. They were kept in check by the gryphon cooks, clacking their beaks, swatting with talons, even threats to castrate should anyone touch.

Eventually the hoard of stomach growling gryphons was quelled, waiting patiently for their helpings to be plopped down upon their wooden plates. Roasted brussels sprouts were topped with a nine hell’s sauce, grilled lamb was adorned in a layer of spice so thick it resembled orange snow, it was of course completed with biscuits, that Leon could spy bits of bell pepper within. The helpings were far too large for him, more suited for a gryphon’s belly. They must have read his face, as several of the flight offered to gobble down his leftovers.

“Mother, is this alright for Leon to eat?” Hekate asked, tapping her talons on the table, “Or are his insides going to burn as the foods coming and going?”

“What the hell Hekate, that hasn’t happened in a moon’s age!” Protested Leon as Helios padded about, pouring tankards full of a dark, crimson liquid. His cheeks burned the same shade, “And can we not go telling your mother about…. that.”

“Oh dear, your father has fed two leggers before, we can’t have every customer screaming to the gods when they pass their meals!” The motherly gryphon squawked with laughter before she reared up, grabbing a pitcher of the same liquid as her mate, “Gryphon’s delight Leon?”

“That fruity stuff?” He sniffed, getting a hint of apples, oranges, and some form of berry. “Don’t you have anything more…bitter?”

“Up here in Chios? Dear, everyone here adores the fruity stuff. You want mead, ale or wine with a bitterness, go guzzle down the dwarven swill.”

“Don’t call the dwarven people’s alcohol swill dear.” Helios said over the table, “I don’t want a reputation building. Last thing we need is a protective brewer to swear a blood feud or gods forbid a grudge.”

“But that’s what it is! Better off using the swill to clean stains! Have you tried it?” She fluffed up her feathers as the half-elf relented, filling up a scratched up wooden tankard.

“I have and it’s wonderful! Not everything should be as sweet as you.” He laughed, joined by several boisterous trills from the others around him, “Listen to them fluffy butt, they agree!”

“Sometimes I don’t even know you anymore” She groaned, “And of course they agree, they’re your family.”

“Our family dear.”

Leon accepted the offering of wine, “Sounds like your husband is onto something, I know plenty of people that call gryphon drinks little more than bitch drinks.”

“Bitch drinks? Bitch drinks?” Agate clacked her beak at the amused half-elf, “Listen here young man, the gryphon tongue is far more refined than yours could ever be. Our drinks are bitch drinks? What sort of sludge are you guzzling on the road? Why, I bet, you couldn’t identify good taste if it bit you in the haunches!”

“Getting pretty defensive over a simple drink.”

“She does that after a few.” Helios called from across the table, trotting back around to refill his pitcher, “Isn’t that right dearest feather butt?”

“Don’t you dearest feather butt me!” Agate squawked, nearly spilling her tankard all over the plate of lamb, “Standing there, all handsome, insisting drinks that taste like a dwarf’s bottom has any merit.”

“Mother, how do you know what a dwarf’s bottom tastes like?” Hekate perked up, only for her mother’s ears to splay.

For a moment she said nothing, causing laughter to fill the space. She gave an irritated chirp before returning to her work, lashing her tail against Leon’s side.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Leon leaned back, sipping upon the fruity concoction offered to him. It seemed to dance on his tongue, tickling his tastebuds and honestly leaving him open for more.

“Must you tease her?” Hekate groaned, pushing him back with a hand, “You know how she can get; she’s going to spend the rest of the night scowling and squawking about it.”

“That just makes it more fun when she does…Hey!” He had to spin round, swatting the gryphoness on the beak as she caught his hair within it. “What gives?”

“She’s my mother you buffoon!”

He tugged, wincing as the gryphoness pulled him nearly out of his chair. Her family merely laughed at their antics, “Hekate, come on, do I look like a chew toy?”

“Do you really want an answer to that?” Krantor rose his tankard, “You spend most of your time with gryphons, you should not be surprised when you catch one preening your hair.”

“This isn’t preening!” He managed to fend her off, catching mischief in her eyes, it wasn’t done. At least she wasn’t actually upset. “Hekate, don’t you dare.” A thrust of a finger warded away her smirking beak, “Think of it this way, if she’s angry, she can’t exactly be tricking you into making eggs.”

“He has you there hun.”

With his gryphon attack thwarted, Leon was left to enjoy the meal provided. It was spicy that much was certain, but not that it would leave him incapacitated, desperate for milk to quell the raging inferno within his jaws. The meal put an end to the gryphon’s chatting back and forth, their warbles and trills soon replaced with ravenous grunts and pleased, thumping tails.

It was not long before drink had tickled his senses, began to erode the grip in which he kept over his expressions. Once conversation began back up and merriment resumed, he found himself singing along to the gryphon ballads, getting compliments that his hindered mouth was almost forming the proper sounds. He got several slaps on the back from wings for that, it even caused him to smile. He forgot all that Olas was supposed to be here.

“So let me get this straight.” Krantor hiccupped, sharing Leon his second tankard of gryphon’s delight, “You decided to be here, instead of getting pampered at Olas’ fancy shindig?”

He knew it might have sounded strange, the several, drunken gasps that followed confirmed it, Leon merely scoffed, sipping his drink. “And miss all this, drinking with friends and family? Come now, how could that even compare to some rich assholes party?”

“So, you’d rather stay here and listen to my analysis of the weather and effects on our crops?” Hekate beamed, ears perked, “Oh Leon, I never knew you’d taken an- “

“No. Don’t give me that look, only you and your cult of Fureen would care about that sort of thing.”

“Magicians would care!” She replied, rolling a hand, “Your boyfriend would care.”

“Oh, shut up he’s not my boyfriend.” Leon replied with red cheeks, as his mood began to change. Despite his boundaries given to the lord, Olas had not taken him up on it. There had been no message, no spell sent to inquire, it was as if he didn’t matter to that feather head. “What we have is more…a mutual fuck contract. He doesn’t actually care.”

Hekate nipped him on the hand.

“Oi! What have we said about that! Look Hekate, I tried what you wanted. But let’s face the facts here, the blue blooded, magic wielding gryphon couldn’t be bothered to pull himself away from his party.”

Now that shifted her expression, the pain must have sneaked through his voice, eyes of steel instantly softened. The gryphoness pulled back, “Leon, you must have faith, I’m sure he had a reasonable explanation for his absence. He’s a busy gryphon, for one such as him, sneaking away from a party isn’t the same as it is for us, people hang off his every word, they’d notice if he were missing!”

“What do you mean he can’t get away? He’s the most powerful gryphon around, people practically kissing his paws.” Laughed Krantor, flopping on his wife with a wing, “Sweety if he wants it, he gets it. I bet, if he told them to get on their paws and sing for him they would…. or lift their tails so that he might breed them.”

Hekate gave a keening cry, swatting her drunken husband with her wing, “Could you not remind him? I’m trying to raise his spirits!”

“Well, you’re not doing a good job of…hey!”

“You’re not helping!”

The onyx and blue gryphon stumbled back to a bout of laughter, “I’m just saying, If I was married to our illustrious friend, I would have dropped everything to be at his side. Dearest, I’d have moved everything away, for nothing else mattered in my life.” He nuzzled at the underside of her beak with a soft coo, “Just as I left my home for you.”

Hekate’s fury was halted for a moment as she warbled, crown feathers raising one by one as she returned his nuzzle, “That’s sweet baby, but running away from the family horse farm isn’t the same as a lord slipping away from all the stuffy nobles hanging off his feathers.”

“He still could have sent him a message. Doesn’t he have the bracer or spells?”

“I’m sure it merely slipped his mind.” Hekate wheeled about, hiding her sprawled out husband with a wing. “Leon, he invited you, handed out a suit, he wants to see you. I wager all my feathers that right now, he’s aching to have you there, and that every minute is dull and lifeless by comparison.”

He wanted to believe her, truly he did, it wasn’t like she ever meant him ill. History had taught him otherwise, that perhaps her words were nothing but sweet lies to spare his feelings, protect him from the cruel shadow of reality. He quieted down for now, sipping his drinks as the gryphons continued with their squawking, singing, and telling of stories of events long since passed. The atmosphere that had once comforted him now was dull, bitter, cold seeping into every breath as he dwelled on the missing lord. He’d thought he’d show up, the foolish, naive part of him. That Olas would come in, slamming down the door, and demanding to see him, a romantic dream he knew, but it would have been nice.

Though he should be relieved, shouldn’t he? That this was all just a mutual fucking on the lord’s part, that there were no strings other than that? The mercenary grunted as his insides stung, why did the handsome lord have to be like all the others; wielding his power to live out whatever fantasy took him. The only comfort he had now was to lift his drink to his lips, let the fruity concoction replace what was drained of him. The haze it brought was a shield against the weight resting upon his heart, the one that wished only to be held tight by the rust feathered lord, lips ever close to his beak.

“You chose right you did, nothing different up at the mayor’s house I bet.” Krantor scoffed, nudging the half-elf as the others got a game of gryphon poker going. The onyx gryphon pulled up his head, doing his best impression of a smug aristocrat, “Pish posh, hand me the pickled sardines, blah blah, what about the land holdings again? Oh look, they’ve started our form of dancing, hardly moving while we scoff at the commoners.”

That made him chortle into his drink, “Olas wasn’t like that, at least not to the face.”

“Oh?”

“He was sweet, in his own way, when he wasn’t trying to get me to mount him or vice versa.”

“Why are you here again?” Krantor rose a brow with an amused chirp, “Sounds like a good deal, spend the night flirting with a sexy lord, get fed free food and lodging. I must admit Leon, his rump looked rather humpable.”

That’s not what he wanted, to be paraded around like some toy, used whenever the lord fancied himself a fuck. He scoffed as Hekate offered a concerned eye, “Yea, is what it is, perhaps I prefer the company of you jerks.”

“Or was it that you couldn’t play a game of who has the prettiest feathers? I imagine Olas would have let you win…even with your deficiency.”

“Yes, cause that’s the reason Krantor, you caught me.”

“Knew it.”

“Maybe next time, you’ll listen to me.” He eyed Hekate, gently brushing away the drunken nuzzling of her mate. “When I say I have a person pegged.”

“Pegging?” Krantor perked up, eyes wide.

“Not now dear.” Groaned Hekate, “Go back to your game.”

“Right.”

So it was, the rest of the evening passed in a despair ridden, alcohol fueled haze. Leon downed drink after drink, ever building the overpowering ogre of despair that rattled around in his chest. Joyous wings and songs meant to lift spirits did nothing to drag him out of his mood. Eventually even they were growing tiresome, prompting his retreat to the hearth. There he rested as the gryphets were brought to bed, pleading to stay up as they fought to keep their eyes awake; a battle they were losing.

The crackling flames winked from the hearth, captivating the mercenary’s eye. It danced, forming shapes of gryphons and humans locked in a most passionate dance. He blinked, knowing they were he and Olas, swept away in his romantic fantasy. He grimaced, a stab of cold coursing through him as he took note of the gryphon sized space he’d left beside him, one perfect for a certain rust-feathered gryphon to snuggle close.

He knew better than to get his hopes up, yet he’d done that anyway. The next few days would not be pleasant, getting used to the sting of rejection; he knew the routine well enough that it would leave him weak, closed off, a shadow of his former self. He only prayed the games would prove an adequate distraction from his morose, aided by the welcoming atmosphere that Hekate’s family provided. His eyes traveled to most of the gryphons still down within the tavern’s hold, most asleep, slumbering away to the occasional chirp.

Though were they what he needed? He’d always touted he didn’t need any of them, that he should survive on his own merits. This gryphon family, Hekate and Krantor, were just fleeting things, a moment of his life that would come and go, leave him but dust in the wind. This atmosphere of comfort, their aid, it could all be snatched away. His gaze fell to those still clinging to the waking realm, downing his drink like water.

Helios was busy reading a tomb, soft warbles leaving his beak as he flipped the thick pages resisting his sharpened talons. At his side was his dearest mate that he would occasionally nuzzle with a soft warble, Agate in the while was working away to knit an overly large sweater. Her eyes were locked on it, tail thumping away. Hekate was chirping with Krantor in hushed clacks of her beak, the onyx gryphon’s ears were splayed, his tail tucking between his legs as if he’d been scolded.

Yet even when his body threatened to be more drink than man, he could not push the handsome, sinful face of his obsession. The gryphon lord that haunted him, sang to him, made his blood burn to be in his embrace. All the mercenary’s history warned him, shouted for him to pull away as if the gryphon were a predator seeking to devour him, but he wanted nothing more to be cuddled up in his feathers, eyes lost on one another till nothing else mattered. He’d lose his agency, his sense of self, but would that not be worth it?

“No!” His eyes shot open, pulled from that image. A dream, that’s all it was, nothing but an illusion, the fantasy of a dreamer who knew not when to quit. He’d walked this road in his youth, ever unaware of the world’s dangers and predators seeking prey like him. If he was not careful, he might give himself over to another undeserving creature, this time a gryphon with enough magical power to practically own him if he wished.

“How do you feel about a sweater Leon?” Agate’s happy chirp cut through Leon’s darker thoughts like a sword, her amber eyes bouncing in delight, “You look ever so cold without fur or feathers of your own.”

“She makes one for all of us.” Hokota groaned over her mom’s shoulder, currently sporting a thick brown one with a rampart gryphon. “My theme was kingdom pride.”

“And what theme might mine be?” Leon had to ask, only for gryphon mother to beam with delight, holding up a sweater matching Olas’ colors to perfection.

“I figured it would be cute to have you in his colors!” Agate gave a beak parted smile, her tail thumping with glee, “I’ll even make one for your boyfriend when he gets here, unless he’s too good for one of my sweaters!”

“No one is too good for your sweaters my lavender dove.” Helios nuzzled at his mate’s cheek, leaving with a gryphon kiss. “I imagine he’ll be begging for one when he sees Leon’s.”

“Of course, he will, cause our dearest Lord Olas has impeccable taste! I mean, look at his taste in men!” She gave Leon a wink, “He certainly hunted himself a cutie.”

The mercenary grumbled and averted his gaze, unwilling to give back a response that would give Hekate reason to bite his hair or thump him on the head with a wing. Instead, he sipped more of his drink, letting the pleased gryphoness sing at how her work was going to get him some tail.

“And he beds himself a Lord.” Helios chuckled at his mate’s pleased song, “Your charms good half elf appear to be spoken for.”

He nodded and shifted, hopefully those two were satisfied as he enjoyed the heat from the hearth. Would the games tomorrow distract him, he certainly hoped so. The question remained whether he could find the strength to tell the gryphon lord off, or merely let this adventure with him run its course; enjoying the perks that came with it.

“Mind going to the larder for me?” Hekate chirped to Krantor, but her voice carried onto Leon, “I do believe we need some crackers and cakes.”

“Don’t want so have some of Evander’s Every Flavor Spheres?” Krantor procured a crimson, transparent orb from his satchel, popping it between his beak. “Cinnamon.”

She rolled her eyes, “I’m surprised you’re sucking on those.”

“Why not, they’re tasty!” Trilled her mate, rolling the candy across his tongue, “And every so mouthwatering.”

“His orbs.”

“Yes! I can’t get enough.”

“You like sucking on his orbs?”

“Hekate, do you want one or not, they have practically every flavor!” He held open the satchel, “But watch out for the purple ones…I think that’s mushroom, or was that grape I don’t remember.”

“No, no, I wouldn’t want to get in the way of you suckling on Evander’s orbs.”

“Fine, more of his orbs for me.”

“And…the larder?” She cooed, brushing against his chest with a hand, “When you go, could you take Leon with you? He looks like he could be a bit of help and needs the company.”

“Right.” Krantor’s ears splayed, “Leon, did you want to- “

“I heard her.” Groaned the mercenary, gathering himself to stand. If he didn’t do what she wanted, he was certain he’d never hear the end to her chirping and squawking. Why she wanted him to go was a mystery, but by the concerned look in her eyes it was important to her. Who knew that cake and crackers could be that valuable? “Besides, I could use some water anyway.” He burped, tipping over his tankard to reveal its lack of contents.

“Nice. Learned your lesson from last time to not match drinks with a gryphon?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” He held his stomach as it gurgled in phantom pain, “Did you remember to dodge from that?”

He clacked his beak, “You could remember to not vomit all over my feathers!”

“Then get out of the way damn it!”

“Have fun in the pantry boys.” Hekate waved her wing, blowing the pair of them a kiss.

“It’s just the pantry.” Leon rolled his eyes as Krantor fluffed his wings and returned the gesture to his beloved.

“I love you dearest!” Sang Krantor.

“And I love you my onyx cutie!” Replied Hekate.

“Come on before you make me sick.” Grumbled Leon, pulling Krantor by the ear toward the larder.

The larder was spacious enough to house two gryphons with just enough room that they were not pressed in like kobolds in their tunnel filled dens. Shelves were packed with grain, flowers, vegetables, and dried fruit, each stamped and labeled with dates. Barrels of wine rested in the coolest sections; a bright orange ox painted on their wood. A lantern hung already lit, painting long shadows across the hard wood floor. Krantor padded his way to the far back, reared up, his tail swishing as his head maneuvered to three different shelves, searching across all the gathered goods.

“What could you need my help for?” Leon asked.

“You got hands and an upright posture.” Replied the gryphon, giving the man a beak parted smile, “Lucky we folks have you around.”

“That can’t be the reason, spill it Krantor.”

“You think I’d trap you in here for what…. a prank?” Scoffed the onyx gryphon.

“Yes.” He replied bluntly, “And I don’t trust my balls around you.”

“I’m not going to hit them Leon.” Krantor groaned, but noticeably moving his tail to shield his balls from any potential attacks.

“You couldn’t possibly need the help.” He peered at a shelf, finding trays of gryphon shaped cookies, fruit stuffed tarts, baked gold to perfection, and jars upon jars of different flavored jams.

His feathers fluffed as he whirled around, nearly smacking Leon in the face with his tail. Krantor stood tall for a moment, before letting forth a long groan, “Alright you caught me.” He padded over to the half-elf his ears splayed; his usual silly nature dimmed. “Back there, it might have been pointed out to me that I wasn’t being helpful, bringing up our missing gryphon.”

“Oh, by the gods, don’t tell me you’re apologizing.”

“And I didn’t want to hurt your feelings exceptionally hard, specifically since you liked Olas something awful.”

“Oh, come off it.” Scoffed Leon, shoving the gryphon against the shelves.

“I’m trying to make it right.” Squawked the gryphon.

“I don’t need anyone fussing over me like a child. I’ve managed this before in my life, I’ll continue to do so, it won’t be killing me. It’s just another asshole to get over, what else is new?”

“But- “

“And before you give me the whole, more fish in the sea speech, you got lucky with Hekate, she’s something special- “He was silenced with a wing to the mouth, Krantor rushing up to lift him up and press him against the shelves in a singe motion.

“Sorry, but you’re just going to keep wagging your tongue and I need you to listen. When you and Hekate found me, I was on a farm, and would have spent my life doing that. Yes, I liked raising the horses, but you two showed up and showed me there was more to that, a life of adventure, new experiences, a new color that I’d been missing.” The gryphon’s eyes dazzled, reliving the old battles. “I knew love, loss, friendship, even if you’re a miserable asshole at times.”

“Yea, well it wants company.” He growled, managing to fight back his onyx feathers, “Could you let me down asshole, before I stab you?”

“Not until you’ve heard what I have to say. I don’t give up.”

“What idiot taught you that?”

“You.”

He grimaced, “Yea that’s about right.”

The gryphon clacked his beak inches from the man’s nose, “Do you think I should have given up? Do you remember down in the foggy mountains, chasing after those hags? They burned off all my feathers with a miscast spell, do you know how much I was embarrassed, wanted to die? Everything was my fault, you and Hekate were almost eaten. Look, I still made a pass afterwards, If I hadn’t, I would have missed out on the love of my life!”

“Again, she is something special. Most people aren’t- “

“I’m sick of this nihilist gloom that you seem to spread!” He shoved a talon into Leon’s chest, “I’m not going to sit here and let my friend wallow in his own despair, how could you expect me to?”

“With a drink?”

“Leon!”

“Krantor.” He grabbed hold of gryphon’s scaley forearm, his eyes narrowed and sharp, the drink twisting his words. “Leave me alone, go back to your mate. She is your concern not me, have fun with her family, have gryphets, don’t lie to me and tell me everything will be better. Eventually you and her will tire of me, stab me in the back of simply leave, it happens every time. It might not be today, or tomorrow, but it will happen.”

“If you’re being like this, I can see why others ditched you. Who would want this around?” The gryphon held him firm, trying to keep a calm about his tone, “But still, we would never leave you. Don’t you know the loyalty of gryphons? We pick the people we care for carefully Leon, it’s not just some whim. How could you look at Hekate’s family, me, and not feel some kinship?” The gryphon sighed, ears splayed, “Can you not see they treat you like one of the flight?”

“Practice that one? You almost had me convinced.”

“How stubborn are you? Not everyone is lying to you, not everyone wants to hurt you. Leon, can you shut the fuck up for just a moment and let us help you?”

That stilled his tongue, getting trapped in the icy blue eyes of determination. If Krantor was lying, he was certainly good at hiding it. For a brief moment, Leon believed him. “I wanted to believe in him.”

“And so what if Olas didn’t show up tonight, so what if he’s an asshole?” Krantor pressed firm on Leon’s chest, tail lashing, “It doesn’t have to be him, this isn’t the end. We’d be there for you to catch you when you fall idiot, that’s what flights do. If you need someone to dull the ache- “

“I don’t need you to play match maker” Leon growled, grabbing Krantor by the feathers, “Put me down.”

“How about that Ceullus fella? He seemed nice and liked you back if his knicker was any indication. I bet we could get you too shacked up, smooching on one another. I mean, the way you were eating him up with your eyes, clearly you loved the idea of getting yourself a little Ceullus action.”

“Krantor.” He grit his teeth, blood starting to ignite, the gryphon’s amused look not helping one bit as dark memories came rushing to the surface. The catbird was wadding into things he had no clue about.

“Oh, for you and ceullus, is it like a switch thing like you and Olas have? Or is it you bend them over or do you play the mare?”

His answer was a jar slammed over Krantor’s head, at least that shut the gryphon up when the glass shattered. The man grunted as he struck the floor to the sound of a surprised squawk.

“You hit me over the head you fucking bastard!” Screeched Krantor.

“I told you to let me go!” He grunted, picking himself up and heading to the exit, there was no way he was going to stay here. Escape was cut off as Krantor recovered, using his wing as a wall.

“I wasn’t finished talking you ungrateful cunt waffle.”

“Seemed fairly done from where I was standing!” Leon grabbed hold feathers and yanked down, but the gryphon held firm. His next move was met with a steady hand, shoving him back onto the shelves.

“What in the gods has gotten into you?” Krantor’s beak clacked inches from his nose, “I’m trying to make things better and this is how you repay me?”

“Get out of my way Krantor.”

“Why, so you can sulk some more? Tell yourself we’re going to leave and just brood in your sadness? Real mature there, sending everyone away than complaining that no one is around. Did you ever stop and think the problem was you? People can only take so long before they get sick of you. Know what I think your problem is?”

“What?”

“That you’re nothing but a coward! So, you piss and moan, blaming everything else instead of trying to get things sorted. Leon, people like you, how can I get that through your thick skull? Hekate and I like you, quite a lot, for some gods unknown reason! Is it because Titus wasn’t attractive, what did I do wrong?”

“You don’t know anything.” He growled as he found leverage behind him. “And I warned you.” He launched himself towards the gryphon with all the strength he could muster. Fingers found feathers as a surprised yelp rang through the tavern. Momentum carried him forward, pressing the onyx gryphon back. Scaly hands snapped to the man’s waist, dragging him with the catbird to the floor. There they slammed, a disorganized mess of feathers, fur, and limbs.

“Why did you go and do that?” Shouted the gryphon, as all eyes fell upon them.

“I said, let go of me!” With a grit of his teeth, he punched the gryphon right below the eye.

“That’s it, you ungrateful shit!” Krantor’s beak clamped tight on the man’s shoulder, not enough to kill, but certainly enough to draw blood.

He shouted as the gryphon squirmed beneath him, hands like a vice holding him firm. With pain coursing through him he repeatedly slammed his fists at Krantor’s cheek, eventually opting to instead poke him in the eye. That bought him a few precious seconds to try and slip free, earning sharpened talons down the side as Krantor flailed back and screeched about his precious eyes. Clothing tore, flesh was cut, leaving rivers of crimson to dribble down Leon’s side. It didn’t matter, he was going to be free.

“Oh no you don’t, not after that!”

Krantor grabbed his leg in the blink of an eye, putting an end to his retreat. With a yelp he slammed to the ground. Spinning round the catbird had risen to all fours, advancing upon him like a ravenous beast, eager to devour its latest catch. The mercenary kicked hard as he could, connecting at the base of the gryphon’s beak.

“Leon, Krantor, the fuck is going on?” Hekate screeched as her mate proceeded to thrust his beak downwards as the mercenary rolled out of the way.

Stay put and he’d be skewered, he’d seen more than enough times what that beak could do. Head spinning, Leon managed to stay just ahead of its deadly embrace. He cursed when it nicked him, drawing blood, but it managed to create enough time to grab hold of the gryphon’s feathers. He wrapped his arms around the catbird’s neck, legs coming swiftly after. Gritting his teeth, pain flickering through his body he began to squeeze tight as he could. When Krantor stuttered and wheezed he shifted to the gryphon’s back, using his position to stretch out the neck and test its limit.

“Leon, stop, you’re going to kill him!”

Was that his intention? The gryphon’s struggles on the ground didn’t stop his hold. What did was the onyx bastard lifting his head and slamming it back down. As Leon’s grip faltered, the catbird flipped up and around, swatting him away with a scaley forearm. The mercenary was struck square in the face, sent reeling to the floor, only for the gryphon to carry through and press down upon his chest, talons digging into the flesh.

“I…can’t believe you choked me.” Krantor wheezed, his eyes blood shot and brimming with hate.

“You bit me!” Leon roared back, starting to feel the lingering ache of his wounds starting to crack through the adrenaline. “Right on the bloody shoulder!”

“You slammed a pot on my head!”

“You clawed me! Ruined my shirt!”

“It was ruined going on you!”

Their bickering was silenced by a keening cry, one from Hekate that shook the very inn. The gryphoness was trembling, a tempest bottled within desperate to be unleashed. Without a word further she trotted to their side, tearing them apart with a screech and clacked her beak at both. They were left on their backs, arms and legs tucked, the fuming female looming overhead.

“Are you both stark raving mad? Killing each other in front of my family?” Hekate lashed her tail, “What in Hades’ name has gotten into you both?”

Krantor’s ears pinned, gesturing to Leon with a talon, “He started it.”

“That’s utter shite and you know it!” He snapped, grabbing the gryphon by the jaw, only to be pressed back by the defensive lavender mate. “You wouldn’t let me go!”

“Can you believe this hun?” The onyx gryphon settled onto his haunches, “All because I tried to help him with the Olas problem?”

“I didn’t need or ask for your help asshole. I could manage it on my own!”

“Oh yea, totally looked you were handling that on your own. You were going to let things fall apart!”

Hekate screeched and silenced their wagging tongues, “What…happened?” The words were sharp as her talons. “I asked you to apologize.”

Krantor rolled a hand, “Well, I did go about doing that. Then he made it clear that Olas wasn’t for him, so I made the offer to hook him and Titus up. I thought they’d look sweet together, don’t you think? But no, he then goes and attacks me like an animal, an animal Hekate.”

“Hook him…up with Titus?” The gryphoness seemed to hardly believe the words as she shook, she grabbed her head, tail lashing, “I told you to mend things about Olas, not send him into the arms of another man!”

Faced with possible death by gryphoness’ talons, Krantor was reduced to his eyes wide, beak opening and closing. “Well…he was being difficult.”

“And then you smacked him in the face? Look at it, it’s starting to swell!”

Was it? Leon touched his face, wincing at the pain that found him.

“He had that bit of purple to it before.” Krantor turned away with a chirp, “But you saw him choke me, right? He also smashed a jar over my head!”

That shot Hekate’s beak straight to Leon’s chest, “You cracked a jar over my husband’s head?”

“And poked him in the eye, punches his cheek…Not to mention- “

“After…he tried to help you?”

Leon scoffed, pressing the gryphoness back with a soft touch. “Tell your husband if he wants to have a chat with folks, don’t lift them up and slam them against the wall. He’s lucky I didn’t stab the shite out of him.”

“He has to when the two legger he was sent to cheer up is being an asshole!” Krantor squawked.

It swiftly devolved into nothing more than bickering and accusations, insults ran like water between lips and beak. They were once more right at each other’s throats when Hekate separated them with an aggravated squawk.

“Want a bigger piece of me Leon? I got two big ole balls with your name on them!” Krantor laughed, “Maybe you can kiss them instead of lusting after Olas!”

“Maybe I do, scooch a bit closer, I’ll show you how tender I can be!” Leon growled, forming fists.

“Alright, both are you are done.” Hekate gave a keening cry, “And lose your drunk privileges.”

Both snapped to her, eyes steeled.

“Why, I did literally nothing wrong.” Krantor rolled his eyes.

“And this asshat provoked me!” Leon said.

She clacked her beak, pressing their maws shut with her wings. “Both of you are acting like idiots, ranting like children, you’re supposed to be friends!”

“We’re coworkers at best.” Leon countered, only to get Hekate’s deadly stare.

“And that’s why you’re losing your privileges, nothing but poison from both of you.”

Krantor rolled a hand to his chest, “Besides, we were squabbling like gryphons not children.”

She sighed, what patience she had clearly depleted and loosed to the wind. Up she rose without another word wasted on these two, her arms spreading out, digits dancing as if to a song. Her wings flared wide, careful to not catch table or chair, letting them thrum with power as she spoke the draconic words of power. Golden ribbons sprung from her scaley limbs, caressing them as if they were lovers. At her gesture these strands flowed from her to the gryphon and half-elf before her.

Leon blinked, a warmth spread across his very being, almost beautiful if he stared at their shimmering surface. What comfort was shattered with her final verse, letting the spell finally do its intended work. In the blink of an eye, the haze that his drink had cast upon him was ripped away, pulled as if poison from a wound. Senses exploded with pain, he recoiled with an agonizing groan, a giant might as well have placed its foot upon his skull.

“Why hun?” Whimpered Krantor, as the gryphon collapsed at his side, wing flopping over the mercenary like a feathery blanket. “I did nothing wrong.”

Together, gryphon and half-elf were united in spasming pain, clutching at one another for what comfort it would bring. Leon grit his teeth, buried his face in those onyx feathers, hating to admit that it was better than not. Nor did he resist when Krantor squawked and pulled him tight against him, holding him as if he were a treasured stuffed animal.

“You deserve it, the both of you!” Hekate’s voice came booming, consuming their very thoughts until their brains shook within their skulls. “Honestly I’m embarrassed for you.” She strut around their quivering forms, taking in every spasm, every groan, “I should let you sit there, wallowing in your pain you know, causing such a ruckus, ruining my mum’s night.”

“Oh, dear they were not ruining my night.” Replied Agate, returned to her sweater making, “The amount of times we’ve had to break up rough housing.”

“Or repair a broken table.” Sighed Helios.

“A staircase.”

“That fire that one time.”

“Oh, and you kicking that blue gryphon’s ass that one time.”

Hekate’s ears splayed as she sighed, shaking her head, “Mother, could you grab some tea for these idiots, it will help with their immediate hangover.

“Suppose I could brew a pot or two.” The elder female shook her head with a pleased coo, “Lapsang wing, hot?”

“You know me too well.” Replied Helios, nuzzling up along her cheek, when she set aside her goods and slid to the floor the cheeky male groped her haunches. “What?” He whistled, giving her a wink.

“Again, apologies mother.” Hekate sighed, planting herself onto her haunches, “They typically don’t fight like this.”

“Just the booze young feather.” Agate strode past, running her flank alongside the younger female’s back, “You should see me after five tankards myself, I’ll throw down with the best of them!”

“Believe her.” Laughed Helios, “I saw her try to match blows with a group of rowdy minotaur, then a ceullus, should have seen them!”

“I don’t think it ended that badly.” Cooed the elder female, “Ceullus was fairly fun.”

She clacked at her mother’s tail, only to get a taunting chuckle in return, “I’m being serious.”

“And so am I.”

“Could you not talk so loud?” Leon groaned, their words like drums within, filling every sentence with flickers of pain.

“I actually agree with him on something.” Krantor squawked, his wing flopping back and knocking a chair to the floor with a clatter.

With a roll of her eyes the lavender gryphon gathered the two with her own wings and pressed both down with her hands, “Now stay put.” She clacked her beak, “And be lucky that I’m here to heal you.”

In a few moments the ache was gone, soothed away by her tender ministrations. Hekate’s spells were brought with gryphon songs, warming the light that stitched wounds, quelled pain, and set everything at ease. All that was left of he and Krantor’s encounter being ripped clothing and sour memories.

She had Leon and Krantor swiftly sitting upright, next to one another, looking like scolded children as the puffed up gryphoness maintained her steel like gaze.

“Now, I want apologies out of both of you.” She hissed.

“You can’t be serious.” Growled Leon, nudging at Krantor, “We’re alright, aren’t we?”

The onyx gryphon’s ears perked up as his tail thumped, giving his previous enemy a convincing nudge in return, “Of course…sorry about the face, also biting you.”

“I’ve had worse.” He gave a fake laugh, brushing off the spot where the beak has struck, “And I’ve been bit before.”

“By a gryphon beak?” Krantor rose a brow.

“Yes.” Leon groaned, “And I’m sorry about trying to strangle you, alright?”

“Definitely alright.”

“Could you not!” He was wrapped up in onyx forearms, pressed against a prison of feathers.

This however was not good enough for the lavender mate, “No, this isn’t good enough. You two need to do the dance of apology.”

Another dance? Leon grunted, “But I look like an idiot.” He tried to protest but was met with a snap and a growl.

“I don’t care.”

Emotions churned in his gut, reddening his cheeks, dragging out an exasperated sigh, there was no escaping it. His arms extended, he bent his knees and turned to face the equally annoyed gryphon. Krantor’s wings were slightly extended, his stance low, tail flicking in preparation.

Leon leaped to one foot, prancing across the floor like a deer. Arms flapped in place of wings as he announced himself with a shrill shriek meant to emulate a gryphon’s cry. Krantor passed behind him doing the same, except he had front and hinds to bounce and interchange. Hands caressed fur, wings grazed over Leon’s side as the pair continued their ritualistic dance.

His cheeks burned, if other two leggers could see him now, looking like a positive fool; but at Hekate’s gaze, all of that melted away. Within her pools were pride and satisfaction, more than that, hope, hope that they would make up. Leon swallowed his pride and slid along the length of Krantor, nuzzling at the catbird’s cheek with his own.

They ended, panting, blood warm as he wrapped an arm around the gryphon’s neck and a feathery wing trapped him against the onyx beast’s chest.

“There we did it, satisfied?” Leon grimaced as Hekate gave a smirk of victory, crown feathers raising one by one.

“You actually did fairly well, even for a two legger, I could feel the sincerity.”

“To that I agree.” Krantor chuckled, pulling Leon tight, “I think we’ve about turned you into a gryphon.”

“He even sounded like one!” Agate laughed from the kitchen, “Sure he isn’t one in disguise?”

“I don’t know if screeching like a dying cat is a compliment or an insult.” Leon replied, pushing himself free and then batting away an insistent onyx beak that pursued him. It would appear as though the fight between them was done. “Could you not?”

“Looking for a tail or signs of magic, perhaps a coin?” Krantor pulled a silver piece from Leon’s backside before snapping back, hands over his beak as he gasped, “Leon when they say that’s a hidden coinpurse, you don’t have to actually use that as your only coinpurse.”

“Learned it from watching you and your mate, smart ass.” He waved off the gryph as Agate returned.

She was pushing a cart between her beak, where a steaming pot of tea rested with cups, ready to be had. Leon was sat, close to the onyx gryphon on request of his lavender mate. She took the other side as Agate poured the tea.

“Did you add the lemon?” Helios mate asked.

“Yes dear.” Agate chirped.

“And the shavings of oranges?”

“Yes,”

“And maintained the proper heat?”

“Yes! I know how to make tea!”

“That remains to be seen my dearest.” Helios chuckled, his tail thumping as his wife shot him a sharpened glare. “Feel lucky that I even let you rummage around my kitchen!”

She gave an indignant squawk was she poured Leon’s tea, her limbs shaking as nearly spilling the scalding liquid all over the man.

“Hey, don’t give me that, you have your hobbies and I have mine! My place is the kitchen!”

“Keep that up and you won’t be getting any of my tail!” She turned with a clack of her tail, swishing her tail in a seductive manner as to show her rump, “So play nice!”

The elder male gulped, eyes shooting to his mate’s backside before swiftly issuing his apology and turning back to his book. Clearly the price was too high to keep up this little squabble.

The tea was warm and soothing, going down smooth. It had a tangy taste that stuck to the taste buds, with hints of orange and lemon. It warmed the bones, soothed the flesh, setting those it held in its swat at ease. Leon shivered, warmth springing to his fingertips. What aches he had seemed trivial, concerns were nothing more than a gentle summer’s breeze, all he needed was this steaming cup, and the two gryphons pressing in on either side of him. For a moment he smiled, all right with the world as he appreciated their hospitality. He didn’t deserve them if their word of loyalty was true.

He stared down into the brown surface, catching his own, tired reflection. Could what Krantor have squawked about be true? Would they actually not leave him behind, be loyal friends to the very end? It seemed counter to everything life had taught him, from mountains to ocean, everyone was living for themselves, willing to cheat, backstab and lie to get what they wanted; but not these two featherheads currently chirping to one another about the air speed velocity of the flying salmon.

Could it be that in all his travels this is where he needed to find warmth and kinship? Not out there in the world but here back in his own lands, in the embrace of the feathers and fur of gryphon kind. He soon found himself laughing along when they mentioned jokes, and when he was dragged into Krantor’s side he didn’t resist, nor when Hekate nudged at his side and began to preen his locks.

“See, he likes it?” Krantor’s ears perked up as the half-elf laughed at whatever joke had slithered out of the gryphon’s beak.

“Finally, smiles.” Hekate sighed, returning to sipping her tea with a pleased “I solved the situation” look upon her beak. “And people say that Fureen doesn’t provide. Leon how’s the head, feeling any better?”

Now that she mentioned it, beyond the pain of the night being lost to the winds, he could feel himself brimming with energy. It bottled within, waiting to be released, like he’d managed to get a full night’s rest in merely the time it took him to finish half the cup of tea. “Did you drug this?” He asked bluntly with a narrowed gaze.

“Nothing too serious.” Chuckled Hekate at his and her mate’s expressions, “Just some Fureen herbs of rejuvenation. They fight anything from common aches, colds, to even curing hangovers.”

“And say goodbye to sleeping after that!” Helios warbled, “Last batch she tried on me, couldn’t sleep for a week!”

Krantor squawked, his feathers ruffling, “Hun, did you try to sabotage us cause you can’t join the games?”

She scoffed with a wave of her wing, “Please, if I wanted to do that, all I’d have to do is tell you that you have a few feathers out of place.”

“Do I?” His beak shot to his flank, swiftly searching for any perceived imperfection.

“See?”

Leon shrugged as the gryphon ignored his wife’s insistence that she was joking, “I don’t know Hekate, that seems to be for most gryphons.”

“Not all.”

He gestured to her flank, “You have a coffee stain from earlier today in your flank fur.”

“WHAT?” Hekate shrieked, flopping to the ground, and beginning her desperate search.

“See, both of you are not so different!”

“It’s not funny Leon, do you know how embarrassing it is to have a stain in your fur or on your feathers?”

“I don’t know, seems funny to me.” He chuckled, taking a sip of tea as Krantor finally composed himself, running a hand through his chest feathers.

“Alright, they are all in place. Good.” Breathed the gryphon slow, talking more to himself than anyone else.

Eventually the cleric concluded that there had never been a stain, despite the many pleadings by her mate and Leon. She glared at them with an indignant squawk, before playfully nibbling at Leon’s hair and Krantor’s tail. It eventually devolved into laughter, warbling, and two gryphons dragging the half-elf to the floor, trapping him between two walls of feather and fur.

“So…what happened?” Hekate finally asked, her hands securing Leon in place.

Leon didn’t move the scaley limbs, nor when Krantor’s joined hers right above his waist. He could have tried to struggle now, but he was a prisoner, the gryphons his jailor. Gritting his teeth, he hated to admit it, but this close, their warmth was ever so intoxicating to the soul. He just wanted to lean back or forward and simply fall asleep to such comfort. Instead, he maintained his demeanor, meeting Hekate’s large eyes with a shield of apathy.

“You know, in the pantry.”

“I know what you meant, also what you’re doing.” He tried to avoid her eyes, large as the saucers they’d had dinner upon, “And you’re going about it the wrong way.”

“Wrong way, ridiculous.” She chirped, ears splaying, “We only tried to help an injured friend. Leon, I’m a priest of Fureen, this is what I do. I see little, cute, hurt things like yourself and only want to mend them.”

He growled, “I’m not always cute, nor do I always need help. I can do it myself.”

“But you don’t need to.” Krantor chirped softly, “You have us to lean upon, you don’t have to suffer alone.”

The mercenary rolled his eyes, “Fuck you Krantor.”

“Well, if you insist!”

“Not when they need to make gryphets!” Roared Helios, starting a series of laughter that spread through the gaggle of gryphs.

“Look, both of you, the gryphon way isn’t going to work here.” Leon pushed away playful beaks that had bombarded his chest, “You smothering me isn’t going to help.”

“We haven’t tried that.” Hekate nodded.

“Although if you’re dead, it certainly solves the entire issue.” Krantor chuckled, “Unless you for some reason wish to live.”

When Hekate moved in next to nuzzle at his cheek, Leon caught her face on either side. She didn’t resist as he guided her up to his eyes, there he searched through the sea of concern within. His heart stretched at such honesty; it was a shame her idea had not worked. Olas’ face flashed for a moment, like a dagger to the soul. “We tried it your way Hekate, it didn’t work out. We gave the boundary- “

“You just have to give it more time.” She replied softly.

“I’m done wasting time on people like that.” He snapped back, but kept his ire in check, he wasn’t going to fly off the handle on them again, “Those that wear a mask and hide their true feelings. Finished being led along like a puppet, I am no one’s pet.”

“Leon, are you sure?” Krantor asked, his ears splayed, “He did seem ever so happy to see you. You too seemed happy.”

Leon gulped down the lump in his throat, hoping he had the strength to tell all of this to their employer, “Yea, I don’t need to be chasing after the tail of some rich jerk that uses me as a plaything to satisfy himself when the misses makes him sad.” He gestured to Agate and Helios currently nuzzling up on one another, cooing and warbling to the other, lost in their own little world. “That’s what I want, and I don’t think Olas feels the same.”

“Call him.” Hekate insisted, gently stroking Leon’s jaw, “Don’t be so rash, talk to him if he’s so important. The Leon I knew doesn’t leave a stone unturned, especially one as important as this one.”

How sweet of her, he guided her hand off, “I’ll get over it, don’t you worry.” To them both he gave a fake smirk, to hide the ache that he knew telling Olas off would bring, “Just don’t go hooking me up with any Ceullus.”

“Bad history?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fair enough.”

“So…” Krantor rolled a hand, ears starting to perk, “Is this the last you want to hear about our Lord Olas?”

He sighed, “I suppose that’s- “

There was a thunderous knock at the door, an army slamming its battering ram at the waiting city’s gates. Floorboards whined and shook as it happened again, leaving a thin layer of dust to fall. All heads turned, silence fell, a terrifying moment passed between them all before the entrance flung itself open, ripping right off its hinges.

Before them was a tempest of emotion and magic, a rust-colored gryphon with his wings flared wide. The hearth went dead, candles blew themselves out, lanterns darkened. The imposing gryphon strode in, his eyes glowing a piercing blue, filled with a fire that sought to ignite the very air and all who they fell upon. “LEON!” Olas roared, talons tearing up the wood below him. When his tail lashed, crackles of bright magical power followed.

“Hey look who it is.” Krantor tapped excitedly as a phantom wind caressed both feathers and hair alike. “Olas!”

Leon was speechless, frozen in his seat as Hekate hugged him tight, making sure he could not look away. He had come like she said he would, sure he was late, fuming, lightning crackling off his hands, but he was here. His heart skipped a beat as Olas’ beak snapped to him, the mercenary finding himself the sole attentions of a vengeful god. It was hard to quell the smile that threatened to spread to his lips, he’d come.

* * * * * * * * *

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