Grimacing, Lanek turned to face Idril, dreading her reaction to what must have been very drastic and rapid growth of her child due to Lanek’s actions, not to mention his disappearance when Lanek died. The gryphon looked down at him, features predictably difficult to read, before approaching him slowly.
“Uh, hi Idril. How’s it going?” Lanek asked hesitantly. A moment later the massive creature rushed at him, head pushing into his chest and what he could only describe as a cooing sound coming from her chest. Completely baffled, Lanek looked at Eldros who only shrugged, his smile becoming larger.
Hello, Lanek. Why so nervous? Idril’s voice echoed in his mind, an amused tone evident. Please, be at ease. I can guess why you would be nervous, but I’m not angry. Thanks to you, my son has grown strong quickly, which is a boon in this forsaken world we find ourselves in. I went from grieving his loss and locking us away to watching him become powerful enough to fend for himself and with a long life ahead of him. If anything, I owe you.
“No, you don’t. I’m glad that I could help. I’m just sorry that you lost him again, even if it was only briefly.”
Lose him? You mean when you passed? I didn’t actually lose him. When he started to weaken and fade, Eldros intervened to keep him from disappearing, although it cost the Primordial dearly and accelerated his decline. Regardless, my son is on his way here to greet you. He will be joining you on your journey from here on out.
“What? That’s not necessary. My life has been one danger after another and I don’t want to risk his life. Why not keep him with you?”
It may not be strictly necessary, but he will only become stronger if he travels with you. Also, it is what both he and Eldros want and I will not stand in the way of their wishes. I would love nothing more than to keep him with me, but he is left alone frequently while I perform my duties. It would be better for him to be with companions and friends while I am away.
“If you’re sure, I will take him with me, but I want you to know that you are always welcome at the monastery. Please don’t hesitate to visit, the pavilion where the two of you slept will always be reserved for the two of you.”
You have my thanks, I will take you up on that offer at every opportunity. Now, Maximilian approaches.
A moment later, a large figure emerged from the trees, easily the size of a warhorse. It walked with an easy gait, its pelt a stunning contrast of black and gold. The little demigryph had definitely grown a staggering amount in such a short time.
Maximilian
Demigryph lvl 15
Demigryphs are mighty creatures that are closely related to gryphons. While a demigryph is incapable of flight, they make up for this by being stronger and more muscular than their airborne kin. A demigryph is a capable and relentless hunter that can track its prey for days without needing rest and is capable of explosive bursts of speed when the time comes to bring their prey down.
“Good lord, you got massive! Hello, Maximilian!” Lanek called out.
After a moment’s hesitation, the demigryph bounded to Lanek, before his face. Maximilian exuded an aura of satisfaction and happiness at being physically reunited with the presence he had felt in his soul. Through the bond they shared, Maximilian had felt the pain and other emotions Lanek had experienced over the past few months and had felt powerless to help. Now that they were together, the demigryph had no intention of feeling that way again.
While Lanek and Maximilian got to know one another, Sanguineus and Kazuma approached the pair. They greeted their new brother and the three of them were soon bounding around the grove happily, playing and just generally celebrating their growing family. Lanek could feel Idril’s contentment at the sight, but called Sanguineus and Kazuma back to him as she approached her child. It was clear to him that she needed to return to her work and was saying her farewells, a process that he did not want to intrude upon.
While he waited, Eldros spoke. “Don’t worry about them, they were not pressured into this. The young one has been begging his mother to allow this since he felt you fight the Warden. For her part, Idril has also been considering this on her own, she wants him to be as strong as possible to avoid another tragedy.”
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“As long as this is what they want, I’m okay with it. I just hope I can keep him safe.”
“Calm yourself, I’m sure you can. Now, it looks like Idril is ready to go and we both have things to do. Good luck, my Herald.” With that, Eldros nodded to Idril who took flight even as the Primordial faded into the trees.
“Alright, guys. I guess we need to get me some equipment. Ready to go?” All three of his animal companions nodded in assent before the group departed. The tomb Eldros had mentioned was only a short distance from the grove, so the group reached it less than an hour after departing the grove.
Along the way, Lanek had discovered that Maximilian wasn’t too difficult to ride, his feathers and fur being strong enough for Lanek to grip without having to worry about tearing any of it out. However, Lanek could already tell that he wouldn’t be able to ride the demigryph into battle, a saddle would be needed. This suited him just fine as he wouldn’t be comfortable riding into battle without making sure that the demigryph was wearing barding anyway.
Approaching the tomb, Lanek saw that it was a cave with glowing green runes carved around the cave mouth. Leaving his companions to guard the entrance, he entered the cave and found no darkness waiting for him, but rather green light emanated from an ornate stone door. The light came from images of trees and wildlife that had been carefully and intricately carved upon the door. With a start, Lanek realized that he recognized the scene as the grove he had just left.
Following Eldros’ instructions, Lanek approached and pressed his hand to the door. The lights from the carvings flared briefly before words appeared on the door itself.
Welcome, Herald.
The words quickly faded from view, the door opening slowly with a rumbling and scraping sound. Coughing at the newly disturbed dust that filled the air as the door opened, Lanek entered the tomb itself. He found himself in a circular room with a single stone pedestal jutting from the center.
He approached the pedestal, finding a simple green crystal resting on it. Lanek, trusting that Eldros would have warned him of any traps, reached for the crystal but stopped just short of picking it up when a System notification appeared in his vision.
The Mark of the Herald (Wild) has acknowledged your right to wield it and wishes to bind itself to your soul. Do you accept?
Lanek accepted immediately. Eldros had not steered him wrong yet and was responsible for many of the good things that had happened to him upon arriving in this world, such as giving him his class and companions. Also, this mark was specifically for the Herald of the Wild, which he supposed was exactly what he was at this point. With his acceptance, the crystal rose from the pedestal and shot toward his chest, passing through his flesh with ease and leaving no mark behind. However, Lanek could feel its presence, much as he could with his companions.
You have bonded with the Mark of the Herald.
He felt a tingling running down his arms and across his chest, but no pain. When he looked at his hands and bare torso, he saw highly detailed images of tree roots running from the back of each hand, up his arms, and culminating into an image of a large tree in the center of his chest. Okay… The Mark of the Herald gave me tattoos… Is that all? I don’t feel any different.
Lanek walked around the chamber, looking for the gear that he had believed would be here, but found nothing. The chamber was not large, so unless the gear was hidden somehow, there was little chance that he had overlooked it. After an hour of searching the room for any hidden rooms, compartments, or doors, he exited the tomb with a perplexed look on his face. Did someone steal the items without Eldros knowing about it? Maybe they were destroyed or disappeared due to Eldros’ fading power? I don’t think Eldros misled me, but this is definitely odd.
Lanek called to his companions as he exited the cave, preparing to return to the grove before deciding on his next steps in order to inform Eldros of his discovery. However, the second he came into view of his companions, they immediately faded from view and were recalled into his soul.
Calibration commencing.
What the hell is going on here? Lanek thought as the world went dark around him, leaving him floating in a void once more. Damn it all, not again.