scoured the horizon. Ralti too woke and scanned around along with a few of the others. It was a dull humming sound mixed with a chomping or chewing sound.
Azrak stood silently next to Ralti and Brigdon. Brigdon was quite muscular for a gryphton. His head was a bit larger than average and he usually didn't say much. What he didn't say in words he said on the battle field.
"Ralti send out a scouting party. We need to figure out what is making this noise," Azrak said.
"Yes, sir," Ralti said, "Brigdon, take your soldiers and make a sweep of the area."
"Sir," Brigdon growled.
Brigdon’s copper feathers ruffled slightly, rippling down his neck and shoulders. He turned sharply, his long tan tail swished back and forth as he crept away quietly. Brigdon nudged three of his comrades awake. The four worked their way through the rest of the army quietly.
Jaxton had a way of understanding him when others had no clue. The night's frost softened and turn into dew as the sun slipped higher over the mountains casting more rays over the trees. They carefully stepped over fallen and broken branches. Sometimes having to duck under moss covered logs and climb over large boulders.
"Shhhh, do you hear that?" Jaxton asked.
Brigdon nodded, his ears twitching. He crouched onto his hind legs and lowered his center of gravity. Jaxton followed. Brigdon's deep blue eyes scanned around the trees looking both up and down for several moments. He silently crept a few more feet forward toward the edge of the trees.
"What do you suppose it is?" Helios asked.
"Dunno," Brigdon replied.
Brigdon moved sideways, stepping one paw over the other, until he was shaded under the last tree in a line over a mile long.
"What are those structures?" Jaxton asked.
"Dunno," Brigdon said again.
"They're ancient ruins," Helios said, crouching next to a boulder near them.
"How do you know?" asked Jaxton.
He didn't particularly care for Helios. He was always rambling on about this or that. It made his head hurt.
"I studied them at the academy before becoming a warrior," Helios said.
"I thought those were only stories for children," Jaxton said flicking his ears. They heard another crack and then more of the chomping sound.
"It is most certainly real, and it's a shame that warriors are not taught in the art of the ancient lore. Not understanding what is in the past keeps us blind to the future. For example the human mages that are now on the Ebonhoards side." Helios said.
He was indeed intelligent for his kind. Many soldiers wondered why he was even accepted into the armada instead of spending his time in the academy for scholars.
"Ok, so what does it say about them then?" Brigdon asked.
"These are the Ruins of Basete, a once large and powerful city of the Bairr Tiornect. A civilization deep in the earth that used its minerals to forge weapons."
"What happened to them?" Jaxton asked.
"They were destroyed by a Necromancer and shadow magic. He left their ruins to be inhabited by the Selket."
"The what?" Pontos asked, sidling up next to Helios.
"An ancient race placed on this earth by the God of Glory as a way to punish his children for fighting each other," Helios said
"Puhhssh," Jaxton and Pontos scoffed.
"Come on let's keep going," Jaxton said pushing past Helios.
He crouched onto all fours and left the protection of the trees. The others followed, except Helios, who stood seething with anger. He hated that no one listened to what he had to say. Brigdon turned back and growled under his breath. Helios rolled his eyes and fell in behind them. They moved quickly and quietly. At times the chomping sounds grew louder and then softer.
Each time they heard it they felt a rumbling under their paws. As the early morning slipped into bright sun, they crossed the open valley of green grass. Small bushes were dying from the shortness of water. How can that be, the grass is still soft but these bushes are dying? Helios thought.
Loud clacking noises echoed from
Azrak stood silently next to Ralti and Brigdon. Brigdon was quite muscular for a gryphton. His head was a bit larger than average and he usually didn't say much. What he didn't say in words he said on the battle field.
"Ralti send out a scouting party. We need to figure out what is making this noise," Azrak said.
"Yes, sir," Ralti said, "Brigdon, take your soldiers and make a sweep of the area."
"Sir," Brigdon growled.
Brigdon’s copper feathers ruffled slightly, rippling down his neck and shoulders. He turned sharply, his long tan tail swished back and forth as he crept away quietly. Brigdon nudged three of his comrades awake. The four worked their way through the rest of the army quietly.
Jaxton had a way of understanding him when others had no clue. The night's frost softened and turn into dew as the sun slipped higher over the mountains casting more rays over the trees. They carefully stepped over fallen and broken branches. Sometimes having to duck under moss covered logs and climb over large boulders.
"Shhhh, do you hear that?" Jaxton asked.
Brigdon nodded, his ears twitching. He crouched onto his hind legs and lowered his center of gravity. Jaxton followed. Brigdon's deep blue eyes scanned around the trees looking both up and down for several moments. He silently crept a few more feet forward toward the edge of the trees.
"What do you suppose it is?" Helios asked.
"Dunno," Brigdon replied.
Brigdon moved sideways, stepping one paw over the other, until he was shaded under the last tree in a line over a mile long.
"What are those structures?" Jaxton asked.
"Dunno," Brigdon said again.
"They're ancient ruins," Helios said, crouching next to a boulder near them.
"How do you know?" asked Jaxton.
He didn't particularly care for Helios. He was always rambling on about this or that. It made his head hurt.
"I studied them at the academy before becoming a warrior," Helios said.
"I thought those were only stories for children," Jaxton said flicking his ears. They heard another crack and then more of the chomping sound.
"It is most certainly real, and it's a shame that warriors are not taught in the art of the ancient lore. Not understanding what is in the past keeps us blind to the future. For example the human mages that are now on the Ebonhoards side." Helios said.
He was indeed intelligent for his kind. Many soldiers wondered why he was even accepted into the armada instead of spending his time in the academy for scholars.
"Ok, so what does it say about them then?" Brigdon asked.
"These are the Ruins of Basete, a once large and powerful city of the Bairr Tiornect. A civilization deep in the earth that used its minerals to forge weapons."
"What happened to them?" Jaxton asked.
"They were destroyed by a Necromancer and shadow magic. He left their ruins to be inhabited by the Selket."
"The what?" Pontos asked, sidling up next to Helios.
"An ancient race placed on this earth by the God of Glory as a way to punish his children for fighting each other," Helios said
"Puhhssh," Jaxton and Pontos scoffed.
"Come on let's keep going," Jaxton said pushing past Helios.
He crouched onto all fours and left the protection of the trees. The others followed, except Helios, who stood seething with anger. He hated that no one listened to what he had to say. Brigdon turned back and growled under his breath. Helios rolled his eyes and fell in behind them. They moved quickly and quietly. At times the chomping sounds grew louder and then softer.
Each time they heard it they felt a rumbling under their paws. As the early morning slipped into bright sun, they crossed the open valley of green grass. Small bushes were dying from the shortness of water. How can that be, the grass is still soft but these bushes are dying? Helios thought.
Loud clacking noises echoed from
Similar Books
