Chapter 3
1945 Words
3
I looked at the deep cracks and swallowed the lump in my throat before I lifted my eyes. My gaze met the terrifyingly cold eyes of the griffin. It opened its beaked mouth and let out a squawk that rattled some of the nearby bookcases and their books. The beast stalked toward us. Xander slipped in front of me and growled at the creature.
The griffin squawked and leapt at us with its claws splayed out. He grabbed the wrists of its outstretched eagle arms and dug his heels into the ground. Its lion hind legs hit the floor and pushed against him so that he slid back. I lunged out of their path and hit the railing hard as the two combatants passed by me.
I whipped my head to Crates who stood in the center of the end of the platform and glared at him. "Call it off!"
He smiled and shook his head. "I think you will find this rather interesting."
The screech of the griffin forced my attention back to the fight. The creature had pushed Xander against one of the bookcases and leaned forward so its snapping beak nearly bit off his nose. He clenched his teeth as he turned his head to the side to avoid its monstrous jaws.
"Xander!" I yelled.
A green light appeared around his hands, wrapping them in a bright glow that forced the griffin to lean back away from him. Xander turned his face to stare into the eyes of the ghastly beast, and the color of his eyes was a brilliant sea-green. His hands tightened their grip on the griffin so that the creature cried out in pain. He released it and slipped beneath its long, thick body. In one quick movement he lifted the griffin by its stomach and threw it across the chasm and the long path.
I ducked low as the griffin tumbled over us and crashed into the bookcases. Books toppled onto its head, burying it beneath pages and covers.
Xander held his hands out in front of him and studied them with wide eyes. "By the gods. . ." I heard him whisper.
A soft snort came from Crates. "Hardly."
A shrill screech echoed over the library. The pile of books exploded outward and the griffin raised itself from the mess of paper and leather. It lifted its head and let loose another screech that made the walls and floor tremble.
Xander took a step toward the griffin and curled his lips back in a snarl. His hands at his sides transformed into claws and his wings burst from his back. They were thicker and longer than I remembered.
The griffin spread its own wings and flew across the chasm. Xander leapt into the air and the pair collided above the round platform. The griffin slashed at him, but Xander dodged the blows and gave the creature a few hard punches in the beak. The beast lost its flapping timing and nearly tumbled back. Xander grabbed its long neck and flew downward, slamming the beast into the balcony to our right.
The griffin slowly climbed to its feet, but it wasn't unscathed from the tussle. Its wings were limp and its feathers were ruffled. The fur on its behind had patches missing and its tail hung limp behind it. The injured creature, however, raised its head and spread its wings wide, causing Xander to tense and dig his feet into the floor.
My jaw dropped open when the griffin took a step forward and bowed its head to Xander. He furrowed his brow, but force of habit made him return the gesture. The griffin leapt up into the air and disappeared into the heights of the library, leaving behind a mess of books and feathers.
"What the hell. . .?" I whispered.
A noise in Xander's direction forced my attention back to him. He'd take a step toward me, but lost his balance and stumbled into a bookcase to his right.
His clothes were shredded, but his flesh was unscathed. He took a deep, shaky breath and the glow in his hands disappeared. His wings slipped back into his back and his claws changed back to hands.
I scrambled to my feet and rushed over to his side where I propped him up against me. "Are you okay?" I asked him.
His face was pale, but he nodded. "I believe so."
The sound of a slow clap came to my ears. I turned to see it was Crates who did it as he walked up to us. The librarian stopped three feet away and stopped his clapping as he smiled at my exhausted Dragon Lord. "An admirable fight, Lord Xander. I did not expect you to defeat my champion so swiftly."
I narrowed my eyes at our homicidal acquaintance. "So you were trying to get him killed?"
He returned my glare with a smile as he shook his head. "On the contrary, I wished to prove to you both how exceptional was Lord Xander's new skills."
"Was it you who granted me such strength?" Xander asked him.
He shook his head. "It was not I who changed you, but the Sæ. With the powers of your admirable mate-" he nodded at me, "-you were able to absorb the infusion of ancient energy and yet remain yourself, and in doing so you became the fulfillment of the tenth generation of Dragon Lords."
I arched an eyebrow. "So you're saying Xander has the power of the ancient Dragon Lords?"
Crates nodded. "Yes."
Xander straightened and turned to Crates with pursed lips. "Then it is with these powers alone that we may defeat these gods?"
The librarian shook his head. "Not merely with your abilities, but with your mortal lives."
I wrinkled my nose. "Come again?"
He chuckled. "Your mortality gives you a strength no god can fathom, for only a mortal can understand what it means to fear death and love life. That strength, that determination to fight against death and love life to its fullest is a power no god can defeat, and you, both of you, hold that power in great quantity."
My shoulders drooped and I ran a hand through my hair. "You've got a way of flattering people into taking suicide missions."
"Then you will accept the task?" Crates asked me.
I pursed my lips and looked up at Xander. "Well?"
He smiled down at me. "It seems the fates have decided to give us another adventure, and-" he held up his normal hand and furrowed his brow, "-I wish to see the extent of this new power so I might control it."
I returned my attention to Crates and sighed. "It looks like you've got yourself a Dragon Lord and Maiden."
He smiled and bowed his head. "Excellent. Now I have something for you. If you will come this way."
Xander and I arched our eyebrows, but followed Crates over to one of the long glass cases that lined the center of the balcony. Atop the case was a small wood box, but it was inside that interested us most, for in the glass case atop a velvet pillow lay a familiar sword with a blueish tinge to its thick blade.
"Bucephalus!" Xander whispered.
Crates smiled as he gave a nod. "Yes. I asked Valtameri to retrieve it from the sea and bring it to me." He opened a small panel in the case and drew out the blade which he handed to Xander. "Beriadan himself imbued it with a greater power than before so that its blade is now as sharp as the point of a new needle."
"With this power will Bucephalus be capable of vanquishing the gods?" Xander asked him.
Crates shook his head. "No. Its power lies in protecting others from the gods, especially when placed in your hands. I have something else that will assist you in evicting the gods." He grasped the wood box atop the glass case. It was of a plain birch bark with a hinged lid. He opened the lid and held it out to us. "It is this."
Xander and I leaned forward and looked inside. There, nestled atop a nest of soft, pure white cotton, lay a bell that shone like silver. On its top was a short handle of wood that glistened like polished stone. The light above us caught the smooth surface of the bell and reflected our curious faces.
"Can I try it out?" I wondered as I stretched out my hand.
I yelped when Crates snapped the lid shut inches from my finger. "When the time demands it," he scolded me as he shoved the box into my hands.
I glanced down at the box before I looked up at Crates. "So now that we've got all this stuff what do we do?"
Crates shook his head. "That is a task I cannot help you with. You must decide your own course of action."
"But we know nothing of these gods," Xander pointed out.
"Then you had best start your journey and learn," Crates replied as he stepped toward us. He spun us around, placed his hand on our lower backs and shoved us down the walkway and toward the door that was the typical entrance to the library. "I wish you a good journey, and happy hunting."
"Wait!" I yelped as I dug my heels into the floor. Crates had prodigious strength for an old man so that we continued our slide toward the door. "What do these gods look like? How many of them are there?"
"Five of the gods remain, and they are able to change their appearance so any description I could give you would no doubt prove useless," he told us. "I can, however, advise you to listen to those voices and heed them well."
We arrived at the door which opened on its own. Crates slid us onto a dirty path, and before us stretched the majesty of the lake. We spun around to face him as he stood in the doorway of the temple that graced the small peninsula of the lake.
I hugged the box tight to my chest and glared at him. "Can you even tell us how we're supposed to find them?" I questioned him.
"I would suggest you consult books, ask your friends, or-" his eyes flickered to me and he winked, "-inquire of family members for that bit of information." He stepped back and smiled at us as he grasped the side of the door. "Good day, and good luck." Xander and I jumped when he slammed the door shut in our faces.
I blinked at the doorway before I glanced up at Xander. He held an equally confused expression. "Why do I get the feeling we just got volunteered by a used car salesman to sell his cars?" My modern analogy was lost on my medieval Dragon Lord. "Never mind. . ."
Xander grabbed the handle of the door and opened it. Inside was the expected interior of the temple. He shut the door and looked down at me with a furrowed brow. "The librarian is a rather peculiar fellow."
I snorted. "You only know the half of it. Anyway-" I looked down at my treasure, "-he forgot to tell us how to use this thing."
Xander held up Bucephalus and studied the blade. "Both of these fine objects are worthless unless we are able to learn who can lead us to the gods."
"I think that's going to be the easiest part of this mess," I argued.
He arched an eyebrow at me. "Then you know to where we must travel?"
I looked up at Xander and grinned. "He told us to go see family, and for me that's only one person. Are you ready to see your mother-in-law again?"
A sly smile slipped onto his own lips. "She is not an unpleasant face to see, especially as she takes after her daughter."
"Nice save. Now let's go."
- Writer
