Boom.
Griff's eyes fluttered behind their lids. He was still in that half-awake state when you are trying to decide if the thing that woke up is worth your attention. The decision was made for him when a wave of water washed over him. Growling Griff shook his head to get the water off. Nick was thrown into the sea treading water trying to get back onto Griff's head.
"What happened?" he cried, but his voice was drowned out by another boom. Searching the horizon, Griff was able to make out a shape of a ship in the East backed by the rising sun. Bringing himself upright the cannonball whistled past the two of them right where his head was a moment ago.
"We need to get out of here!" Nick cried as another ball splashed closer to them. As obvious as that sounded there were a few factors against them. They were up to their shoulders in water with a set of wings not strong enough to propel them into the air. Not to mention if Griff was healthy enough to haul his massive body from a standstill in the water there was no guarantee that Nick would not go flying off in the process.
He was nothing more than an overgrown crocodile at this point.
Crocodile.
He was thinking too much like a human! Griff opened his jaws wide to scoop Nick out of the sea. The man instinctually started to scream inside Griff's toothy dragon mouth. When enough water had drained out leaving Nick plenty of air he closed his lips before diving headfirst into the water. He swam downwards to get some distance between him and the surface. Overhead he could still hear the ships cannonballs hit the water. Underneath the waves, the world became muffled. Schools of fish flashed silver before disappearing into the darkness. Following suit Griff barely knew which way was up as he swam further down.
Already he was starting to feel his lungs begin to burn for air. Trying to ignore the need to mull Nick around like a tasty morsel Griff turned back towards the surface. Time seemed slower under the water as several more cannonballs violently splashed into the water. Sinking to the sea floor they seemed harmless as the drifted lazily past them. He flattened his limbs to his body as a crocodile does. There was a second of calm free of cannon fire or movement before there was a burst of motion. Every muscle moved as a unit to propel Griff out of the water into the air.
Griff shot of the water right into the morning sky. Completely clear of the water he unfurled his wings sending the water still clinging to them in every direction. Not waiting for the sailors to get their wits back Griff headed for the shore. With a strong wind beneath his wings and a surprisingly good night’s rest, he felt so energized they might make it to the middle of the desert midday!
Griff did not hear the cannon over the whistling of the wind. He only felt the solid iron ball strike his left wing. Groaning through gritted teeth he fell out of the sky. With Nick still rolling around in his mouth, Griff was feeling his human side being overrun by his animalistic side as his vision began to blur a little. People screamed in terror as Griff landed hard on the streets of the seaside town. Breathing hard he lowered his head enough to allow Nick to roll safely onto the ground. Not waiting for his friend to recover he looked around for a place to hide. The pain in his shoulder was causing his vision to go a little hazy. Spotting the vast desert beyond the town he headed in that direction. Going off pure instinct at this point he knew he had to go somewhere the sailors could not follow.
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Nick knew something was wrong the second he was spat out. Too focused on Griff to realize the spit he was covered in wasn’t igniting. All around people were falling over themselves to not be trampled by the lumbering beast. Staggering down the street the dragon didn’t flinch when he stepped on one of the abandoned carts. Following the trail of destruction, Nick tried to catch back up to Griff.
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When the human side of his brain kicked back in he was waking up to soft blue light. When the sun faded, Griff saw that it was Nick using the Philosopher's Stone. Noticing his friend was awake Nick explained, "Since you are already a dragon I figured it would be ok to heal your shoulder." Rotating his shoulder, Griff noted that he was feeling much better than before he passed out. Speaking of which, where were they anyway?
Stretching his neck up there was no sight of civilization to speak up. The two of them were in a small oasis with two palm trees provided them little shade. With great effort Griff was able to claw his way towards the water, the stone healed his injuries but not his fatigue. Using his long tongue, he was able to sedate his thirst a little bit. Nick took a swig of his drink leaning up against Griff's side under one of his wings. Partially satisfied Griff flopped his head back onto the sand still tired. He was just going to rest his eyes for a few more minutes.
When he opened his eyes again, the sun was setting over a dune. Nearby Nick had drawn symbols in the sand, with a glass vessel filled with crystal clear water that seemed to shimmer. Picking up the vessel he swirled the water around squinting at it in the dimming light. He even went so far as to sniff it.
"You're awake." Nick smiled setting down the vessel. Griff tilted his head a little then jutted his chin at the vessel. "Oh, this? I was experimenting with the sand to see if the Stone could create glass instead of just gemstones. Just making a list of what the stone is capable of like we supposed to be doing before the council." Nick trailed off to take a deep calming breath. "No use fretting over missed opportunities. For now, all we can do is keep moving forward with our research. Speaking of which," He picked up the chalice again to stare intensely at the contents. "What do you think we should do with this? I thought of pure water, but I ended up with this."
The obvious answer was: toss the liquid as far away from the pool of water as far as possible. That would make sense to Griff and most normal thinking people at least. Apparently, Nick didn't rationally think as he wandered over to a nearby bush to pour the substance over the drying plant. In an instant, the bush turned just as green and vibrant as any in the many forests in the North. Right in front of their eyes several purple flowers began to bloom.
"When you use the stone on water it creates a sort of healing tonic instead. Very interesting, got to have to write this down." Nick had teased some of the papers from the waterskin only to remember he did not pack anything to write with. With a chuckle at his lapse in thinking he set the bag down again. Frowning he realized that had been happening a lot lately. “Griff, I’ve been thinking.” Nick was not looking at him as the alchemist put away the parchment again. In response, he made a noise to signal he was listening. “I think…maybe.” The man took a deep breath before turning to face Griff fully. “I think we should travel separately for a while.”
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All the dragon could do was stare blankly. So the truth was finally out. Nick didn’t want Griff around in the first place, but they were forced together due to their circumstance. Now that they were out of Europe he didn’t need Griff around anymore. He knew it. All that talk about becoming Nick’s permanent assistant and working in the library was just lies! He really was as useless as everyone said. This was the torrent of ideas whipping around him Griff’s head anyway. Over the din of his thoughts, he could barely make out Nick suggesting maybe he’d be safer away from humans and meeting up during the full moons. Nick’s explained how the last two days proved just how terrifying humans could be even to even the most powerful creature. Griff on the other claw rose to his feet in a bit of a stupor. Behind him, he could hear Nick calling out to him asking where he was going. Thrown to the ground by the kicked up sand from Griff’s wings Nick tried to call out. The last thing he could make out was Nick pleading to meet back up at the library by the next full moon just before Griff took off towards the desert.
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Without any landmarks to speak of Griff had no idea how long or far he had been flying. Looking down he was searching for maybe a camel or some goats to feast upon. What he really wanted was to find the Hall of Record. Still searching the ground below for food he began to fantasize. He never did hear why the Hall was so important to the Gods. He had theorized and ideas sure, but since Nick abandoned him he will never find out the truth. Glancing up from looking at the ground he was met with the sight of a fast approaching wall of sand. Wondering how on Earth he missed that coming at him he descended to the ground to take cover.
Just like with the cold weather Griff curled around himself to brace against the storm. Not having to worry about Nick compounded just how alone he truly was out here. Trying to focus on the storm raging outside his wing shield proved to be in vain as his thoughts began to wander. He started to pick apart every conversation he had with Nick trying to pick up the signs he hated him. Maybe it was when Griff read through Nick’s notes perhaps.
The alchemist didn’t seem too cross with him though. They even had conversations about some of the topics Nick had written about. Oh, how Griff would have loved to go to the Hall of Records. He had daydreams about it while trying to sleep. It would have shelves as high as the sky, built from the strongest of wood or even, sandstone if he was feeling silly. The lighting would be as gentle as the sunlight through a cloud, not so bright nor too dim. He could solve the Sphinx’s riddle no issue, he hoped. While Griff was lost in thought, the storm had stopped. Tentatively Griff pulled his back wing to get a good look around. He was met face to face with a woman’s face much larger than Griff’s.
She had a manic smile on her face like a cat who was about to eat a trapped mouse. She bent her front legs to become face to face with Griff. All Griff could do was stare up at the woman's face as she stared at him with her unblinking yellow gem eyes. When Griff didn't move she extended her right paw to bat at him a little.
"Are you the one who summoned me little dragon?” The woman inquired her paw still resting on Griff's side. The push knocked some sense into him as his brain finally realized what exactly he was looking at. Against all logic and reason, he was under the paw of the Sphinx from legend. Looking at the paw Griff could tell she was made from limestone rather than the flesh and fur he originally imagined.
"Your thoughts are French, so I assumed you'd be human. How fascinating." When she said 'fascinating,' she rolled Griff a little closer to her face. More out of a sense of self-preservation he got to his claws in hopes she would stop treating him like a toy. He made a noise as he did with Nick showing her he could not communicate normally.
"Well, that does make things more difficult doesn't it? No matter. If you want to enter the library you must answer my riddle. This one I picked just for you," she smiled before straightening her back to stare down at him. Her eyes turned from the yellow to orange.
"Everyone wants more of it to feel special, yet the more you have of it, the less special you feel. What am I?" Her voice resonated through his entire head. Like the riddle was spoken to his very soul leaving no room for misinterpretation. Griff could only stare again. Even if he did know the answer how was he supposed to say it?
"I can read your thoughts. Well," she giggled "the loud ones at least. By the way, there is no time limit." She rolled onto her back scratching it on the desert sand. "I have all the time in the world."
'Right. Special. What do I know about being special? Not once in his life had he ever felt special. He had no money or power. Mother passed on after she was afflicted with Devil's Fire when he young. The only time he had ever felt special is when Father taught him the ways of a Scribe. From a young age, he was taught to carefully copy the symbols like they were drawn in the scrolls. He learned about the letters and how they made words. The looks and sound of the letters that turned into words that soon became ideas. Ideas from people Griff were sure possessed by the Gods themselves doing their work on the moral realm.
That's when Griff felt common again. With each new scroll, he'd copy ten seemed to take their place. He wanted to read each one, but whipped for taking too long. Many a night he would stare at the fire as his sister treated his back trying to figure out a solution. One such night he noticed the sewing supplies she had set aside to treat him.
“What are you working on?” He asked out of boredom.
“Embroidering circles. Master says if I want to earn my keep I need to improve on them. Soon I will be working people.” She explained gently rubbing the salve over the many cuts on his back.
“Why would anyone want to embroider a person? People wearing clothes with other people on them. Ridiculous.”
“Some tapestries tell a story. Like the ones you are supposed to be copying.” Stressing he was shirking his duties as a scribe she pressed on one of the wounds. Completely at her mercy, he gritted his teeth to ride out the pain. When the pain subsided he went back to staring blankly at nothing. The only circle he was interested in was the ones he kept seeing in his work. Magic circles designed to change the world around them. Closing his eyes he could see them. The various symbols and what they meant. One of his person favorites was the one used in seer mirrors.
‘What if you could use part of that circle to copy scrolls as well?’ Like a bolt of lightning, he had his idea. Fully recharged he drew the symbol in the soot in front of him.
“Mélodie, go get me a scroll.” Griff tried to sit up. He ripped the scroll making two pieces to place them around the circle. His hands moved seemingly on their own as he picked up a piece of the sparked off charcoal. He drew a star on the left scrap, placed the remaining bit of charcoal on the top of the circle, and set the remaining blank scrap to the right. Griff had never attempted magic for but he had a good feeling about this. The light was brighter than their pathetic fire causing both to go blind for a second. Blinking the bright spots away get gave a laugh when he saw the second perfectly copied star.
“What did you do?” Mélodie gasped picking up both scraps to compare the two. In doing so she smudged the magic circle. That wasn’t good; if he was planning on using this symbol he needed something more stable. He could carve it into his desk. Looking around he tried to see what he could do that with. His eyes fell on his sister sewing supplies again. Sure he could use her needle but then what would she use to practice her circles with?
“Hey. Can you sew this?” He asked tapped the ground next to the design. Mélodie looked between the circle and her sewing supplies.
“If it will help with your work I suppose I could spare some cloth for you. But that doesn’t mean you get to slack off.” She pressed on the tender spot again causing Griff to cry out. “Papa going to be so proud when he hears you can do magic.” Griff was too excited about the prospect of all the time he just freed up for himself. He had no idea that Papa would send him off to the academy the second Mélodie told him about Griff’s new found ability. Papa said it was to help him have a better life. Mélodie stuffed the nicest handkerchief bearing his circle into his hands as she hugged him for the last time. Thinking back Griff could not remember when the last time he saw them was. Had it been twelve years?
"As interesting as your story is there is still the matter of my riddle. Or do you not want to enter the library?" Still, on her back, the Sphinx stretched her lion's paws to the sky before letting them flop back to her side. Griff quickly closed his eyes trying to avoid the burning sand to strike his eyes. Right he was trying to think about what makes people special.
All he wants out of life is to read. Nothing more, nothing special.
Griff eyes flew open as a thought occurred to him.
Knowledge.
When he was younger he felt so special he could read and understand the scrolls but the more he read, the less special he felt. Sensing the flurry of excited thoughts, the Sphinx righted herself to sit properly to receive Griff's answer.
Looking at the stone woman who would kill him in an instant is he answered wrong right in her eye Griff spoke the words clearly in his mind, 'Knowledge. My answer is knowledge.'
The Sphinx raised her right paw as high as she could skyward leaving it there for a brief second. If his blood could go any colder, it would have. She brought the massive stone paw down so hard it shook the sands. The very sands they were standing on shifted under Griff's claws. Instinctually he flattened himself as much as he could hoping to ride out the shaking. The shifting sand gave way to solid stone, and the shaking stopped. Stretched before he was stone steps large enough for Griff to descent into a dark tunnel below where the Sphinx stood.
"A word of caution before you leave me," the Sphinx said in light before still deadly serious tone. "You would be wise to leave all texts in the library below. Failure to do so could prove to be-" Her eyes shimmered blood red for a moment as she stressed her final word, "fatal." Fearful he would anger her if he took too long Griff made his way quickly down the stone steps he realized she created especially for him.