The night passed quickly, and the shine of the rising sun signaling a new day crept into Aiken and Luna’s room slowly waking the both of them.

It was morning which meant breakfast and Luna was excited to eat. Aiken put on his gear and the two of them went downstairs where they found the ogre, behind the bar leaning its face on its hands with its eyes closed. The tavern was empty excluding the three of them, which for the ogre meant a few moments of sleep and quiet early in the morning. But Luna was hungry, yet Aiken didn’t want to bother the resting ogre so, the two of them continued on outside.

As the morning sun glared fiercely, Uni's buildings offered little respite, forcing Aiken to shield his face with his hand. The streets were quiet, except for the drunken town folk staggering back home from the nearby brothel. Aiken’s eyes couldn’t help but follow those coming from that direction, part of him expecting to find the doctor wallowing in his woes trying to distract himself with dirty pleasures. But the doctor wasn’t amongst the crowd.

“Why don’t we go back and check merchant road?” Luna howls and rushes ahead.

Merchant Road, marks Uni's entrance, bustling with groups of merchants vying to sell their goods to those embarking into Uni. Even, grouping up in hopes of garnering a big sale. But amongst those merchants were also townsfolk selling food.

Though on the early rise for the day Merchant Road was quiet. Many of the Merchants had seemingly moved on from Uni and continued their travels, while those who have made Uni their grounds slept amongst there goods in chosen spots along the road. Each covered by a small black tent, giving them a small personal space to sleep in similar to a box. At the farthest point along Merchant Road, Aiken caught sight of a familiar face, busily preparing food at a humble stall, asking only a few gold coins for the fare. A familiar face he met last night, a father with a daughter affected by the griffin’s appearance.

“Morning, George.” Aiken waved his hand while Luna happily bounced ahead, putting her paws on the stand, breathing heavily with her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth.

George lifts his sunken face, his dark eyes falling onto Aiken and Luna. “Huh… Oh, Hello swordsman.” His voice devoid of energy and effort.

“What’re you selling?”

“Rice bowls with roasted rabbit bits.”

“A personal recipe?” Aiken holds up two fingers and George slowly nods his and begins prepping the food.

“The wife’s personal recipe…” George bangs together two oversized wooden spoons and dumps both white rice and the rabbit bits together into a sizzling hot pot filled with herbs and spices his wife keeps at home. “Since the whole thing happened with our daughter. The wife stays at home caring for her and I take her spot selling food.”

“What about your job?”

“Well, I fix floors so I just attend any scheduled jobs after selling some food in the morning.”

“That sounds like a lot to do in just a single day.” Aiken said.

“The plan was to stop selling food entirely but that wasn’t a choice my wife was ready to make. She loved bringing happiness with her food, it was what she called her passion in life and I didn’t have the guts to rip that away from her. But our daughter needed someone to take care of her while we figured out what was happening and we couldn’t do without my income, and while I’m no cook like her I made the decision to extend my working days and cook in her place even if only in the mornings.”

Aiken nodded his head. “Keeping her passion alive.”

George smiles at Aiken’s words. He lifts the cooking hot pot off the fire and pours the contents inside into two wooden bowls. Handing one to Aiken and placing the other onto the ground for Luna.

“Thank you so much.” Aiken digs the wooden spoon George gave him into his food and started eating. Aiken relished in the tender, garlic-infused rice that delicately spread its flavor across his palate, while the rabbit pieces, soft and earthy, melted upon his tongue. “This is delicious.” Aiken exclaimed.

For a moment George’s eyes lit up and another smile filled his face. “My wife would be ecstatic to hear that.”

“I’d love if you passed my words along George.”

“Oh, I’ll be sure to tell her tonight.”

Aiken dug in his satchel and fished for a lot more than the few gold coin price slapped on the front of George’s stand. “I don’t mean to bring up bothersome thoughts but what did the doctor say to you last night?”

George stared at the wooden spoons in his hands, a long and full breath falling out of his mouth. He slowly lifted his head, his glossy eyes staring down Merchant road. “He said that my daughter as well as all of the other kids who were outside that day were now deaf. That’s why she wouldn’t answer our calls for her at home. That’s why she would only lay in bed, unsure of what to do because she couldn’t hear anything…” A pair of tears fell down his face as he stared, unable to look at Aiken directly as he spoke. “Did you know the truth?”

Aiken pulled out a handful of gold coins from his satchel and handed it over to George. His words stumbled, unsure of whether he should take this much gold or not but Aiken raised his hand and nodded. “I don’t like to involve myself in others personal business, especially those I may work with. I’m a stranger and those words aren’t meant for me. But I did find your situation interesting, a bustling town without a child in sight. I heard one version of the story from the ogre down in the tavern, and I heard the other from the doctor. I had a hunch but I wasn’t sure that was the truth… I couldn’t allow him, a man who dedicated his life to save others hide behind his lie. But to be honest I didn’t expect him to admit it... I’m sorry this happened to you… to everyone it’s effecting.”

George pursed his lips together, his pale skin flushing red. “Thank you swordsman.”

Aiken signals Luna with a whistle, and the two meander along Merchant Road, making their way toward the forest bordering the town's left side. George watched them walk as he quietly weeped about his daughter’s fate, wishing Aiken good luck in his endeavor with the black griffin.

Past the tavern, opposite of the brothel was an opening leading into an ambush of low hanging branches and clumps of green leaves cluttering the path into the forest. Aiken pulled, yanked and tossed, everything obstructing their way in. Standing at the entrance, Aiken snapped his fingers twice. Luna dashed ahead, eagerly sniffing the fallen leaves. Her paws crushing the tougher ones, each step accompanied by a loud 'crunch'.

The forest sprawled before them, a verdant tapestry woven with towering trees that reached toward the heavens. Shafts of golden sunlight pierced through the spaces in the leaves, dappling the forest floor with patches of warmth. The air hummed with life, a symphony of rustling leaves and the gentle sway of overgrown branches. Ferns unfurled their delicate fronds, while moss blanketed rocks and tree trunks in a lush, emerald embrace. Birds flitted between branches, their songs weaving through the air, as the scent of damp earth and pine intermingled, creating a rich, intoxicating perfume.

Luna's ears pricked, her nose detecting a scent to her left. A whisper of a growl escaped her, and in one continuous move, she sprints, vanishing behind the bushes. Aiken shocked at her sudden rush, stumbled forward over the clutter of fallen leaves and broken branches, running after Luna. Her attractive white fur peeping through the bushes made it easier to follow her path. But she didn’t go very far, stopping her rush almost instantly. Hiding behind shrubbery, Luna crouches near the ground, poised to strike, then cautiously slides her face between the two bushes she's hiding behind.

Aiken catching up, noticed Luna peeking through the bushes in front of her and peeked over them.

“Hahahaha!! We’ve finally caught one of those human girls for ourselves brothers!” An unsettling raspy voice could be heard in the small space of the forest they were in.

“What do we do with her elder brother?!” Another voice in the same tone responded excitedly.

“I say we have fun!” Another screeches out.

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“We’ll do whatever we want! Hahahahahaha!”

Five goblins clothed in shabby leather armor gripped wooden swords with their wrinkled, grey hands, encircling a bound, unconscious girl with brunette hair and brown skin. Dressed in high black boots and skin-tight leggings, she sported a purple skirt that billowed like a floral bouquet. Her attire included a black and gold silk shirt layered with a long-sleeved, thick white undershirt. A purple cape fastened at her chest, complemented by a black circular necklace beneath it. Beside her laid a wooden staff intricately ridged, crowned with a prominent purple gem encased at its peak.

Aiken, his face marked by irritation, tilted his head and sighed. Goblins, those hideous creatures with pointed ears, elongated noses, and black claw-like nails, harbored a sole desire: to wreak havoc and torment others for their own pleasure. According to the papers, about half of Fastela's crimes were attributed to Goblins, a fact despised by most people, Aiken included. Despite his disdain, he refrained from drawing his sword. Instead, he ducked behind the bushes and settled down beside Luna, crossing his legs.

“This one is all you.” As Aiken spoke, he stroked her pristine white fur before swiftly snapping his fingers twice.

Luna pounced from behind the bushes and bit into the throat of the goblin that was closest. The others immediately yelped in shock and tried to raise their wooden swords in defense but were to slow. Luna tore open the first goblin's throat and immediately leaped at the next one, dispatching it in a similar fashion to the first. The black blood of the goblins splattered onto the vibrant green grass and bushes. The remaining goblins banded together and charged at Luna, but her strength prevailed. She swiftly disabled them by tearing through their small legs before using her teeth to rip open their throats. Her white fur stained black by their splattered blood.

“Always so messy.”

Aiken sits up and steps through the bushes. He rubs Luna’s head for a job well done and picks up the unconscious girl that laid in the middle of Luna’s massacre.

“Make sure you grab her staff. The Griffin is going to have to wait a bit longer. “

Carrying the girl and her belongings, they headed back to Uni. Already renting a room in the town's Tavern, they settled the girl in their quarters, allowing her to rest while they waited for her to awaken.

***************

A few hours of daylight slipped by, the sun, though still lingering, was preparing to say goodbye for the day. Aiken leaned against the window of his room and watched as the townsfolk of Uni hurried home after long days of their own. With most of them having to care for their newly deaf children. Luna sleeping at his feet as they waited.

On Aiken's bed behind them, the girl they rescued from the goblins shuffled around, her hands patting the sheets as if searching frantically. The abrupt noise drew Aiken's attention, prompting him to glance back at her. The girl, wide-eyed and bewildered, rose to her feet, searching for something that should have been within her reach.

“Looking for this?” Aiken’s voice, immediately caught the girls attention and when she turned around, she saw her staff gripped tightly in Aiken’s hand.

“Give it back!” The girl yelled and stuck out her hand, almost as if expecting for the staff to fly back to her but instead it stayed unmoving in Aiken’s hand. “How are you—” Confused at what’s happening the girl stepped closer and peered into Aiken’s face. She reached her hand out for Aiken’s hand but was stopped in her place by Luna’s growls. She lowered her head and a breath of shock escaped her lips. “A Balvin? But how?”

Her words caught Aiken’s attention. “You’re the first person who’s ever identified Luna properly.”

“Well of course, I’m a mage. If anyone could tell it’d be me.” The girl stated confidently. She crouched down to Luna’s face, but the growls from Luna only intensified.

“Luna!” Aiken snapped his fingers and Luna’s growls ceased immediately.

“But how?” The same words fell from her mouth.

Aiken unsure of what she was doing, tapped the top of her head with the purple gem encased in her staffs peak. “Your surprise is fine and all but don’t you think you should be explaining why as a mage you were almost goblin prey?”

“Give me my staff back!” She jumped up and reached for her staff but Aiken, using his height was able to hold it away from her. Frustrated she, again stuck her hand out, in hopes that it would fly back to her, but like the first time she tried, it sat still in Aiken’s hand. Upset, her eyes moved, falling onto the weighty sword hanging on Aiken's back. “What’s it matter to a mercenary anyway?”

“It doesn’t, but it’s the least you can answer after being saved from them.”

Arms crossed and pouting, the girl acknowledged that Aiken's words held some truth. “I’m here on a job from Salem.”

Interested, Aiken digs further. “Any chance that job is about a griffin that was sighted in this area?”

The girl turns her body to face Aiken, a look of confusion on her face. “How do you know that?”

“Just a hunch, but an easy one to guess since I’m also on the hunt for that griffin.”

“How do you know about the griffin?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

The girl tuts disapprovingly. “Is it, like your thing to be cryptic? Are you traveling around, and accepting jobs being this mysterious mercenary.”

Aiken furrows his brows and grins angrily. “Are you trying to piss me off?” Noticing his raised voice being much louder than intended, he cleared his throat before continuing. “If you must know, I just don’t overshare when it isn’t necessary. Silence and success leads to a fruitful life as a mercenary,”

“Right, fruitful and boring.”

Aiken huffs. “Brat.”

“Anyway… since we’re chasing after the same thing, maybe we ought to help each other out.”

“Is that so? Then, what’s the mage think we should do?”

“Well, we can start by saying why we’re looking for this griffin.”

“And back to the beginning.”

The girl sighs and raises her hands in defeat. “Fine, I’ll share first.” She leans her body back and plops onto Aiken’s bed, crossing her legs and leaning her arms over her knee. “Days ago, there was this dark and uneasy feeling that filled the air of Salem. It gave us this sickly feeling in our stomachs and we all gossiped about it, some of us even went around showing off the goosebumps we couldn’t get rid of. It wasn’t something we could explain but every mage around could feel it. The elders panicked, trying to figure out what was happening, until they eventually called a meeting. Apparently they had received a letter from the Vagabond Robin in Calavad, requesting that the elders send someone to investigate the disturbance and almost immediately all the mages in Salem refused.”

“Except for you.” Aiken said.

“Exactly, I raised my hand as they all stepped back.”

“Why?” Aiken asked.

“Because I wanted to see the world outside of Salem.”

Intrigued, Aiken raised his eyebrows. “You say that as if you’re trapped there.”

“Well, in some ways it does feel that way. We aren’t allowed to leave Salem on our own until we’re 18, otherwise it has to be supervised by someone who can leave.”

“How old are you?” Aiken asked.

“16.” She said.

“That’s an odd rule, don’t you think?”

“I certainly feel that way but it’s an age old rule that everyone follows.” She said.

“In a way, that’s something most parents follow anyway though it’s not something they can always control out here.”

“Well, in Salem that is something they can control and it’s something they do control.”

“But if they needed someone to investigate why didn’t one of the elders do it instead?” Aiken asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but after I volunteered one of the elders tried to step in and offered to go herself but the rest of them shot down her words and said they’d send me since I was so eager.”

Aiken furrowed his brows. “So, your elders are cowards then?”

“I’d say so.”

“And what about your parents?”

“They also tried to step in, but it was me who shot them down, because I was determined to see what Fastela was really like outside of our books.”

“All in the name of adventure I guess.”

“Yup.” She smiled.

“And the Vagabond Robin, who are they?” Aiken asked.

“They’re a group of powerful mages that reside in Calavad and work alongside King Daw.”

“And why don’t one of them do this instead?”

“Because it’d take them a few days to make the trip and by then they could lose the trail they picked up.”

“Sounds like excuses to me…”

“Maybe, but you’re wasting your own time condemning for things they should’ve done themselves because regardless of how much truth sits in your words. I’m still here.”

Aiken chuckles, acknowledging the truth in her words, and gazes out the window, taking in the sight of the deserted streets of Uni.

“What do you know about this griffin?”

The girl paused, leaning her face against the palm of her hand for a moment. Resting her body against her thighs. “Before I left, they mentioned that the disturbance had reached this town called Uni, where we currently are, and that it settled here. There wasn't anything else beyond that.”

Aiken’s eyes gazed at the deserted streets of Uni, a town that should rustling with commotion and chatter until the late hours of the night. “For some reason I expected you to know more but the truths of what happens in the world are never that simple.”

“The only definite thing I can say about all of this, is that the elders were visibly scared during our conversation..”

Aiken turned back and stared at her. “Scared of what?” But she could only shrug her shoulders at his words. Disappointed, Aiken sighed. “Well, since you shared it’s only fair that I do the same.”

“Let’s hear it!”

“According to some of the residents and the town's doctor, a few days ago a black colored griffin emerged over Uni, letting out a deafening screech that caused the children in town to lose their hearing. It then swiftly turned away and disappeared into the nearby forest.”

“Wait a minute, what do you mean it caused the children in town to lose their hearing?”

“Exactly how it sounds.” Aiken said.

“Do you know how much magical force a shriek has to have, to create a sound wave strong enough to destroy the hearing of multiple children?”

“No, but I’d guess a lot by the urgency in your voice.”

The girl nodded her head in quick succession. “We need to handle this griffin now! Whatever magic was used on it, is incredibly powerful and who knows what else it could be capable of?!

Aiken sighed, easing the tension in his body with a stretch.. He pressed his lips together and let out a soft and eerie whistle. Luna’s ears bounced up with the sound, swiftly rising and hurrying towards the door.

“I was going to wait till the sun rises but it sounds like this is something we shouldn’t wait on.” Aiken quickly stepped towards the door. “If we’re going to fight together, then I think we should introduce ourselves.”

Again, the girl nodded her head in quick succession and quickly hopped up off the bed. “I’m Selina.”

Aiken smiles and throws the mage's staff to her. The loud smack of the wooden handle hitting her palm echoed throughout the room, signaling to Aiken that she caught it. “I’m Aiken.”