gold painting on their wings. The patterns danced as they flew, tessellating back and forth from images of leaping fire to stars that spangled across the white feathers.
Vidarian sat toward the front of the carry-basket, Ariadel's emerald lifted high in his left hand. With his eyes closed he explored his new Sense, trying to focus and nurture it as quickly as he could. Now and then he experienced an intense urge to do more than simply take in the “surroundings” painted before him by his new ability—an urge to move the ripples that pulsed in his mind. Determinedly he shoved these aside, keeping his metaphysical hands behind his back, and the sweat that beaded along his forehead with the effort grew icy cold in the high-altitude winds.
In remarkably short order the basket began to descend, and he remembered to work his jaw as pressure began to mount in his ears. The gryphons dropped swiftly, at times seeming to plunge almost vertically downward, and Vidarian wondered every few hundred feet if his stomach had been left behind among the clouds.
They landed in the courtyard of Sher'azar Temple, and such was the control of these gryphons that they made his previous landing at the mountain's foot seem a child's first stumbling walk. As the great creatures removed their harnesses he recognized the leader as Thalnarra—and if his guess was right, the rapid flare-and-pin of her pupils only very thinly disguised a smoldering anger. He followed her blazing gaze to a collection of three priestesses that stood hesitantly at one of the many temple archways.
Finally one of them approached, reluctance emanating from her body language. “Thalnarra,” she said, bowing, “It has been—quite some time since you visited us here…” Then she caught sight of Vidarian and inhaled sharply. “You …”
// Priestess Alshandra , // Thalnarra growled, punctuating each of her words with biting anger. // May I introduce Captain Vidarian Rulorat, whom our goddess delivered to the Temple of Kara'zul. //
“Sharli…” The priestess backed away a step, her eyes going wide. “We thought…”
// You thought she would kill him , // Thalnarra finished for her, sitting down on the gravel and coiling her tail snakelike about her feet. // You sent him up the mountain at night knowing that the goddess permits no mortal uninitiated to see dawn on Kara'zul Peak. //
“W-we thought he was an interloper—”
// You did not think, girl, at all. // Thalnarra's mental voice rose to a crackling thunder and Vidarian winced at the sudden pain in his head. // Gryphons bore him to you, yet you did not send any of your messengers after them. The temple was unattended or they would have spoken with you themselves. Have you any idea who this man is? //
The priestess did not answer, and Thalnarra pounded relentlessly on, each of her words more forceful than the last. // He is the sole assigned protector and sole remaining hope of Ariadel Windhammer, if we ever do see her again since her fall into Vkorthan hands. //
It was too much for the chastened priestess, and she broke into tears. “Thalnarra, please don't send me to…”
// Oh, do shut up, girl. // The gryphoness sighed, lifting her beak and giving a tiny disgusted shake of wing feathers that glittered golden in the pale sunlight. // I will be reporting the misbehavior of the priestesses here to the high temple, and they will be responsible for you. Perhaps they will send you up the mountain to see what the Dawn Goddess thinks of your actions. In the meantime, I have escorted the captain to Sher'azar to see that he has the proper equipment for his journey. I will be accompanying him on his quest and both of us will need proper provisions. //
Vidarian started at her words, but could not argue—and strangely enough, all of the priestesses of Sher'azar were suddenly extremely cooperative.
That evening they were back in the air again, Thalnarra leading with two hand (claw?)-picked gryphons
Vidarian sat toward the front of the carry-basket, Ariadel's emerald lifted high in his left hand. With his eyes closed he explored his new Sense, trying to focus and nurture it as quickly as he could. Now and then he experienced an intense urge to do more than simply take in the “surroundings” painted before him by his new ability—an urge to move the ripples that pulsed in his mind. Determinedly he shoved these aside, keeping his metaphysical hands behind his back, and the sweat that beaded along his forehead with the effort grew icy cold in the high-altitude winds.
In remarkably short order the basket began to descend, and he remembered to work his jaw as pressure began to mount in his ears. The gryphons dropped swiftly, at times seeming to plunge almost vertically downward, and Vidarian wondered every few hundred feet if his stomach had been left behind among the clouds.
They landed in the courtyard of Sher'azar Temple, and such was the control of these gryphons that they made his previous landing at the mountain's foot seem a child's first stumbling walk. As the great creatures removed their harnesses he recognized the leader as Thalnarra—and if his guess was right, the rapid flare-and-pin of her pupils only very thinly disguised a smoldering anger. He followed her blazing gaze to a collection of three priestesses that stood hesitantly at one of the many temple archways.
Finally one of them approached, reluctance emanating from her body language. “Thalnarra,” she said, bowing, “It has been—quite some time since you visited us here…” Then she caught sight of Vidarian and inhaled sharply. “You …”
// Priestess Alshandra , // Thalnarra growled, punctuating each of her words with biting anger. // May I introduce Captain Vidarian Rulorat, whom our goddess delivered to the Temple of Kara'zul. //
“Sharli…” The priestess backed away a step, her eyes going wide. “We thought…”
// You thought she would kill him , // Thalnarra finished for her, sitting down on the gravel and coiling her tail snakelike about her feet. // You sent him up the mountain at night knowing that the goddess permits no mortal uninitiated to see dawn on Kara'zul Peak. //
“W-we thought he was an interloper—”
// You did not think, girl, at all. // Thalnarra's mental voice rose to a crackling thunder and Vidarian winced at the sudden pain in his head. // Gryphons bore him to you, yet you did not send any of your messengers after them. The temple was unattended or they would have spoken with you themselves. Have you any idea who this man is? //
The priestess did not answer, and Thalnarra pounded relentlessly on, each of her words more forceful than the last. // He is the sole assigned protector and sole remaining hope of Ariadel Windhammer, if we ever do see her again since her fall into Vkorthan hands. //
It was too much for the chastened priestess, and she broke into tears. “Thalnarra, please don't send me to…”
// Oh, do shut up, girl. // The gryphoness sighed, lifting her beak and giving a tiny disgusted shake of wing feathers that glittered golden in the pale sunlight. // I will be reporting the misbehavior of the priestesses here to the high temple, and they will be responsible for you. Perhaps they will send you up the mountain to see what the Dawn Goddess thinks of your actions. In the meantime, I have escorted the captain to Sher'azar to see that he has the proper equipment for his journey. I will be accompanying him on his quest and both of us will need proper provisions. //
Vidarian started at her words, but could not argue—and strangely enough, all of the priestesses of Sher'azar were suddenly extremely cooperative.
That evening they were back in the air again, Thalnarra leading with two hand (claw?)-picked gryphons
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