Whiteriver

“That’s a big bird,” I said.

The eagle-like monster before me was about the size of a medium-sized plane, and all geared up with straps, reins, and a saddle. More than just a giant eagle, it also had the hind legs and tail of a lion.

“This is a griffin,” said Master Croghan. “We had this one hypnotized, and it will drop you to the battlefield from the sky. Use your runes when you fall to soften the landing.”

I reached out to pet its peak, but the creature struck with a sharp bite towards my arm. I barely could retract me in time.

“It is hypnotized, but it is still a monster,” said Master Croghan. “Do not get careless.”

“Will I ride it?” I asked.

“What? No, no,” said Master Croghan. “It takes years of training to do that. I doubt it could carry you on the back anyhow. No, it will be Sybille who takes you there.”

Sybille jolted her back straight.

“Yes, sir!” she said.

“Now,” continued Master Croghan, “it will grab you with its claws, and then send you to the field. They are sending some drakmars. Your mission will be to kill all the monsters there and then report to the town leader. Sybille will help smooth things out.”

I looked up to the sky.

Maybe I wasn’t a bird, but this got close.

“Let’s do this,” I said.

***

Sybille held the reigns to the griffin, dashing through the clouds of the sky as we went on our way towards the town besieged.

“Bastion!” she called me, going through a telepathic link. “Are you alright?”

I was being grasped by the frontal claws of the griffin, with myself all curled up like a ball.

“I am fine,” I said. “Are we almost there?”

At the distance, Sybille caught on to the sprawl of the town we were going to protect.

“It is there!” she said. “Are you ready?”

“You bet,” I said.

“Then…”

She dove down. The griffin descended like an eagle going after its prey, its shadow cast all through the town, and then, it flung me. I fell down like a comet to the field of battle, and crashed right in the middle of the road, where the drakmars were.

It was now time for battle.

I fought against the drakmars, finally for real. I was almost used to this. I assisted the local guard and fended off against the creatures. What caught me by surprise was the broodmother. Sybille had told me about them before, but this was the first time I had ever seen one.

That fire-breathing blast did catch me off-guard, though.

I was almost knocked out of it.

Where am I? I thought.

After the fight, I could barely make heads-or-tails of where I was, and what I was doing. It was as though I had woken up from a dream. A bunch of guards from the town came to surround me, with some going down to their knees to pray.

What are you doing? I wanted to ask.

I turned around to see the captain. He was shaking at the sight of me, and he was so small. He was full grown and tall for a man, but I… what was I?

“Stone man,” said the captain. “Just who are you?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

Sybille’s griffin came landing near us, fluttering with the gale of its wings spreading dust through the field.

“Bastion!” she called me.

Ah, that was right. That was how I went these days. After all, I am now…

“You,” said the guard captain, “you are the apprentice of that mage!”

Sybille leapt down from the griffin and hurried over to me.

“Bastion, are you alright?!” she said.

She grabbed my arm to inspect me and touched the molten pieces of my body.

“This is bad…” she said.

She wasted no time in casting her restoration spell to undo the damage of the molten areas.

“I’m fine,” I said.

“You’re not!” retorted Sybille, and continued healing me.

The guard captain raised his voice.

“Hey!” he said. “Tell us what is going on. Is this thing some kind of new golem?”

Sybille looked down at the ground, hiding away her glare.

“Bastion is not a thing,” she muttered.

“What?” said the captain.

“Nothing,” said Sybille. “Uhm, we were sent by Master Croghan to help defend this town. Is the captain here with you?”

“I am the captain.”

“Then, my Master asked me to give you this…”

She reached into her satchel and produced a scroll. The guard took it and spread it out but read it in silence.

“I see,” said the captain. “Well, I will pass this on to the count. He will not be happy.”

I turned my gaze to the captain.

“I apologize,” I said. "Did we do something wrong?"

“You did not,” said the captain. “You saved the town, that much is true. However, now that old Croghan is going to charge us an arm and a leg. Anyway, you two should…”

An agonized scream struck through the field. It was coming from around the gates. We hurried over and saw a guard on his knees next to another on the ground.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry Jason, I…” pleaded the one kneeling.

The guard next to him was dead. He was pierced by an arrow.

“Cadet, what happened?” said the captain.

“I… I aimed for the drakmars,” said the cadet. “Then my bow, it slipped, then, I heard someone fall, and then…”

The cadet was hyperventilating.

The surrounding guards stood in silence as they surrounded the cadet. The captain knelt beside the cadet and gave him a pat in the shoulder.

“Is there something I can tell your family?” said the captain.

Tears flooded out from the cadet, with his face contorted in pain and horror.

“Tell Jason’s I didn’t mean to,” said the cadet.

Then, he fell over face-first, slamming the cold and hard ground with his whole body.

“What happened?” I asked.

He was not moving at all. He did not seem like he was even breathing. Those eyes…

The panicking cadet just fell over and died.

“It is the rebound,” said Sybille. “In this world, people cannot kill each other. It is the Divine Law. Whatever damage you do to another person, it will happen to you too. If you kill someone…”

Then you die too.

Air flooded into my lung chambers, then left.

“Well, at least the casualties were low,” said the captain, standing up. “Things would have been really bad if you two didn’t get here. Get yourselves over to the bar and have some rest. It is on the town.”

Sybille looked up towards the guard.

“Are you sure?” she said. “I mean, Master is already charging…”

The guard shook his head.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “After what that old geezer is extorting us, a couple beers and a meal is nothing.”