Caleb’s words hung in the silence: All three of us come from completely different worlds.

“Thou hast my attention,” Shaw finally said. He lifted his proud eagle’s head and cocked it at Caleb in curiosity. “Mayhap this is from thine affliction? Thou canst glimpse knowledge like our world of origin?”

“Not quite, though we’ll come back to my affliction in due course.” Caleb let out a breath and rested his hands on his knees as he spoke. “I just noticed a few things in what both you and Tavia have said since I’ve met you, that’s all.”

“Go on,” Tavia urged. “You’ve got my attention as well now.”

Caleb gestured towards her. “All right, let’s start with what you said when we first found Grimshaw chained up back in the dungeon. You advised me against releasing him because griffins were ‘unintelligent and savage’.”

The unicorn’s golden cheeks reddened. “I spoke wrongly.”

“No, you didn’t. You spoke from experience.” He let out a breath before continuing. “On your world, I think that griffins are unintelligent animals. After all, you were genuinely surprised that Shaw could talk.”

Tavia chewed that one over for a moment before finally nodding.

“That is true. My world is called the Morning Land, and the griffins there are fierce, dangerous creatures. They are no more intelligent than any wild beast.”

“And what about humans?”

“We unicorns are the dominant species,” Tavia said, with a touch of badly-concealed pride. “Humans are our partners in protecting our world from outside threats. They are the junior partners, it is true, but we are used to working alongside them.”

“Outside threats?” Shaw asked. “Wouldst that include griffins?”

She shook her head.

“No, nothing like that! The threats are more...” Tavia scowled. “My order, the Knights of Kirren, were founded in part to protect against...something. I can’t remember what, though. How odd that is!"

“I think you’ll find that’s a common element between us,” Caleb observed, before turning to Shaw. “You said that griffins have long known about unicorns, and vice-versa. And that they were...I believe it was ‘treacherous’.”

“T’was, as you say, from prior experience,” Shaw said, before looking over to Tavia. “Thy present company has made me think otherwise. Thou art a most courageous and comely mare.”

Interesting choice of words there, Caleb thought to himself with a chuckle.

“I come from the world of Andeluvia,” Shaw continued. “No one species rules over any but their kind. Humans dwell in their realm, unicorns in theirs. We griffins have several aeries along the coastal regions, where we trade our services to other species for goods or magic as needed.”

“What kinds of service are we talking about here?”

A shrug. “We are a warrior society. So it is not uncommon for a drake such as I to find work in martial fields. For many years, ‘twas my luck to be part of a human kingdom’s Air Cavalry, where I...”

“Yes?”

“My mind has gone tricksy once again,” Shaw said, as he put a paw to the side of his head. “‘Tis a patch of fallow in my memory now. It could be that I left due to the added weight of my age. I find my night-sight and endurance a good deal less resilient compared to my youth.”

That would explain what I saw on Grimshaw’s sheet, Caleb realized. He cast his mind back to it.

Existing Buff / Debuffs: Physical Abilities Reduced by 25% from Age-Related Limitations.

“And what of your experience with my kind?” Tavia asked. “Good or bad, I wish to know.”

“Unicorns are powerful users of magic,” Shaw answered. “They live amidst a blasted winter wasteland of a forest and remain apart from the world at large. Their spellcraft often seems fair, but it always comes with a sting in its tail.”

Tavia turned to Caleb. “That brings us to you. What does your world know of our species?”

“Honestly, nothing. Well, almost nothing,” Caleb amended. “My world’s got the most boring name – Earth – and it lacks magic, magical creatures, the lot. At least for right now.”

“Right now?”

“Well, in my world, we know about magic, griffins and unicorns. But they’re considered fables. Made-up stories about fantastical beasts that never existed.”

Shaw snorted at that. “Mine own fur and feathers feel real enough.”

“As do my hooves, mane, and horn,” Tavia put in.

“If I had to guess, my world had these things but lost them. Perhaps they persist only as ancient memories, and inaccurate ones at that.” Caleb gestured towards Shaw’s forepaws. “For example, most depictions of griffins in my world show eagle claws and legs where you have leonine ones.”

“Methinks that would be a strange design,” Shaw said, as he flexed his forepaws. His feline, razor-sharp talons extended and retracted as he did so. “I prefer mine own as they are.”

“In regard to unicorns,” Caleb said to Tavia, “In our stories, most are depicted as pink or ivory-white, and rather shy. They’re usually associated with rainbows and, uh, female innocence.”

Tavia’s blush returned, even as she let out a musical laugh.

“How odd. And...rainbows? Really?”

“As for the people here, in the world of Jaladri, I’m not sure.” Caleb admitted. “They were pretty scared of you two when you first appeared, and they didn’t know what you were. So they just called you ‘monsters’.”

“They have plenty of humans, though,” Tavia sighed. “Perhaps many are from your world.”

“I don’t think so. So far I’ve only met four out of the dozens of humans I’ve encountered.” Caleb listed them off on his fingers. “Komtur Malum Kane. Inquisitor Draymon. Seeress Ravencrow. And Lord High Captain Delacroix.”

Shaw growled. “Then thy world must be a breeding ground for monsters.”

The griffin’s comment made Caleb wince inside.

How true is that statement? Do I want to know?

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to any of them for long,” Caleb said. “The first tried and succeeded in murdering me. The other three threw me into the dungeon in order to have my soul drained. But in the process, they did share some interesting things with me.”

Tavia blinked. “Did I hear that correctly? One tried and succeeded in murdering you?

“Yes, but I’ll come back to that in a second. Here’s the main point: Each of those four died in my world, then were resurrected here. And the same thing happened to me. So I need to know: How did the two of you end up in Jaladri?”

Both unicorn and griffin’s brows furrowed at that question. Tavia’s golden tail swished back and forth agitatedly as she thought. Shaw also looked troubled as he cast his mind back.

“I was on a mission for my knightly order,” Tavia finally said. Her voice wavered as she went on. “I...the unicorns in my party were under attack. From someone or some...thing.”

“Any idea what it could have been?”

“Whatever it was had tremendous power. I remember being struck, falling from a high place, a bright flash.” She let out a surprised whinny. “I died, Caleb. Just as you did!”

He leaned forward. “What happened next? Did you see anything? Did anyone talk to you?”

“I...just woke up. I was in a forest of some kind. I don’t think I’d done more than take a few steps before the Myrkur showed up with cudgels and nets. I was weak, I could barely fight back.” She shivered as she added, “They chained me up in that dungeon. Three nights, they fed and watered me, then every evening they tortured me, draining my energy until Kirren sent you to my aid.”

“My tale is much the same,” Shaw said, once Tavia had fallen silent. “‘Ere I fell, I was part of a great battle against a dark foe. ‘Twas a high price I paid for victory. I recall flying high into the heavens, my daughter by my side, until all was bright and glorious...”

“Then what?”

“As with the unicorn, I simply woke up. The Myrkur were waiting for me. I too was weakened by my journey, for I was only able to kill three of them prior to my imprisonment.” Shaw let out a low, satisfied caw. “They treated me the same as the mare, though two more were stupid enough to come with range of my claws. ‘Twas the only satisfaction I gained down there prior to your freeing me.”

“And what of you, Caleb?” Tavia said. “Was your death, your journey similar to ours? Were you on some noble quest, as I? Or did you fall in battle against a dark foe?”

Caleb’s mind went back to the burning yacht. The dead woman with the jacket labeled DEA AGENT. The men scrambling over the boat, trying to gun him down.

“I don’t know if I’d call my death in service of anything noble,” he hedged. The griffin and unicorn traded a surprised look, so he pushed on. “Let’s put a pin in that for now, okay? But there was something different in my case.”

Caleb proceeded to explain about the appearance of Lir and Danu. His two companions sat raptly as he went through meeting Lir and Danu. Then discovering his ‘condition’ with screens that only people from his world could see.

He stopped and went to the far side of the cabin. He had to reach up and around Tavia to grab a pair of loose parchment sheets, a quill pen, and some ink. Next, he pulled up both her and Shaw’s character sheets, copying them into a form they could see. He did the same with his own, laying all the information out for them on the floor.

Name: Octavia Morningstar Class: Paladin Alignment: Lawful Good Unicorn-Specific Specialties: Light Spells, Purification Spells, Enchant Object, Horn-to-Hoof Combat… Paladin Sub-Specialties: Dark Magic Resistance, Deep Healing, Armor Enhancement Existing Buff / Debuffs: Magical abilities Reduced by 99% from soul draining and continued use of magical abilities. Physical abilities Reduced by 25% from soul draining and fatigue. Potential Buff / Debuffs: Oath-Related Violations will Cause Weakening of Magical Abilities. Name: Grimshaw of the Reyka Pride, Reykajar Aerie Class: Barbarian Alignment: Chaotic Good Griffin-Specific Specialties: Flight, Swimming/Diving, Wilderness Survival… Barbarian Sub-Specialties: Persistent Rage, Intimidating Presence, Unarmored Attack Existing Buff / Debuffs: Physical Abilities Reduced by 25% from Age-Related Limitations. Physical Abilities Further Reduced by 10% from multiple torture sessions, multiple soul drainings, and fatigue Potential Buff / Debuffs: Ennui.

Finally, Caleb went over what happened at The Quiet Sailor, meeting Malum Kane, taking his revenge, and escaping his cell. When he finished, Tavia moved her lower jaw as if chewing everything over. Shaw idly tapped his talons against the floor in contemplation.

“Thou art special,” the griffin finally stated. “Very special.”

Tavia let out an equine snort. “That is a bit of an understatement! I doubt that you or I have an additional life or lives ahead of us should we perish.”

“Nay, I meant that those from Caleb’s world are special. ‘Tis why he and the four others have been given this special ‘condition’ with these screens. To settle which course this world shall take.”

Tavia thought about that. Finally, her horn bobbed as she nodded agreement.

“Grimshaw has it right. This world’s destiny is in flux. Myr calls some souls to Jaladri, while Lir and Danu call others. And it sounds like Myr might be winning over those from your world.”

“What makes you say that?” Caleb objected. “From what I can see, Myr picks those who are evil.”

“Perhaps, but consider another option: that Myr’s been better at swaying them to his side,” Tavia said. “Lir said that those from your world ‘haven’t worked out well’. Danu had to convince him to give you a chance. I don’t think that would’ve been the case if they were winning this spiritual war.”

Myr’s been better at swaying them to his side. The words hit Caleb in the gut, for they had the ring of truth.

He got up and began to pace. It wasn’t a particularly satisfying exercise. The cramped cabin only let him take three steps before needing to turn around.

“The way to gain power in this world bothers me,” he finally said. “I need to acquire gold to activate my higher-level spells, to gain knowledge that gives me an edge. I found a small bag of it in the Myrkur captain’s wardrobe and vaporized it in exchange for the spellcraft that got us away from Delacroix.”

“‘Twas a fair enough exchange,” Shaw rumbled. “At least it seems as much to me.”

“This time, yes. But now I have an incentive to collect even more gold. And that’s just for spells. If I want to reach even higher levels, I need to complete quests, engage in what some on my world would call ‘risky behavior’.”

“But does reaching these higher ‘levels’ really make you more powerful?” Tavia queried. “You’ve gone up three levels since we made your acquaintance. From my observations, you’re no stronger or faster than before.”

“I don’t think it’s a matter of raw power,” Caleb stopped and rubbed his chin. “It’s probably why that’s one of the few things I can’t see in an opponent’s character sheet. But achieving a higher level gives you more options. More spells, more skills to tap into, and a more potent Individual-Specific Specialty.”

“Thy other fields also puzzle me. Such as ‘class’ and ‘alignment’,” Shaw said, as he pawed at the sheet Caleb had left on the floor for him. “Mine own table manners are lacking, ‘tis true. Yet all griffins, be they drake or reeve, have the ability to both read and ruminate. Wouldst thou really consider us ‘barbarians’?”

“Only during a fight,” Tavia said. “And that is a very useful quality.”

“She has a point,” Caleb acknowledged. “I don’t think your class is like a job title. It’s more of a category that certain skills fit into. You can fight unarmored, channel your rage, and you’re sure as heck intimidating. Those are all qualities that fit a ‘Barbarian’ warrior in the games from my world.”

“Then there is the question of what this ‘alignment’ means,” the unicorn pointed out. “It strikes me as odd that one cannot just be placed as ‘Good’ or ‘Evil’.”

“In that, we are of like mind.” Shaw thumped the floor with a forepaw. “Also, why am I listed as ‘chaotic’? Verily, my personality is most steadfast.”

“The games in my world consider how likely one is to follow the law,” Caleb explained. “The knightly order Tavia belongs to has a specific code of conduct. I don’t know its details, but it definitely prohibits violence against the innocent.”

“True, true.” The unicorn bowed her head a bit as she added, “Yet you have made me rethink the bounds of what some would call ‘innocent’.”

“Now, let me ask you something,” Caleb said, turning to Shaw. “Which is more important: Making sure the law is followed, or doing the right thing, no matter the cost?”

“I would always strive to do what is right!” The griffin declared. “‘Tis up to the old hens on the Council of Elders to pass judgement afterwards, if they so dare.”

“Yet you are neither Lawful, nor Chaotic,” Tavia observed, as she indicated the line on his parchment sheet.

Alignment: Neutral

“Your alignment differs from ours,” she said. “Neutral, and without any prefixes. Why might that be?”

“I just don’t know,” Caleb admitted. “Maybe it’s because I’m trying to figure things out myself. The visions of my past tell me that I haven’t been a pillar of society. Yet what I saw at The Quiet Sailor, what I learned from Malum Kane and the others...to me, the Myrkur are evil. The need for gold to advance one’s power is bad enough. But that’s not the worst of it when it comes to advancement in this world. You know what I mean.”

“Murder,” Tavia said. “Soul draining.”

“Someone wanting power at all costs would pay a very high price. Those running this cult of Myr have justified it by lumping anyone not from my world as an NPC. A class of people whose lives don’t matter.”

Caleb quit his pacing. He sat back down on the bed and let out a breath before going on.

“Unspeakable evils have taken place in my world when that mindset takes hold. Slavery. Genocide. That might be what we’re dealing with here in Jaladri.”

“‘Tis prudent to run for now. Yet after the running is over?” Shaw asked, before letting out a wide-beaked yawn. “Mayhap it is worth contemplating on the morn. I find both wings and eyes getting heavy.”

Caleb found the same wave of adrenaline that had kept him upright starting to ebb. He put the back of his hand to his mouth to cover his yawn in turn.

“I won’t argue the point. We all need some shuteye.”

“I still need to pray to my war-god,” Tavia reminded them. “Or my magic shall not be replenished.”

“As long as you can do it quietly, I’m fine with it.”

“Then a good-night to both of you.” She dipped her horn and let the light from it dwindle to a candle-like flicker. “I shall pass on thanks that I received a new pair of worthy companions in my time of need.”

Shaw settled his head back upon his forepaws.

“While thou art in converse,” Shaw added sleepily, “kindly ask Kirren to send us something more substantial to fill our bellies than pottage.”

“Yeah, I’ll second that.” Caleb kicked off his boots and lay back on the bed, not even bothering to pull the covers back. “Sleep well, you two.”

Almost instantly, the dull rumble of griffin snores filled the cabin. It melded with the low murmur of words from the unicorn. Caleb cracked an eye to take a look.

Tavia remained sitting upright, her face at peace, her eyes closed. Her horn glimmered as she quietly recited a litany of words. From what he could make out, it sounded like Latin.

Kirren karissime deus, da mihi potestatem in tua misericordia pro me et amicis meis...

He closed his eyes again. The gentle creak of wood under pressure from wind and water made a nice counterpoint. It combined with the gentle rocking motion of the ship to relax him more deeply than he’d dared to hope.

Definitely the worst – and best – day of my entire life. Lives, maybe.

Darkness – a soft, subtle kind like the fall of a summer’s evening – enveloped him. He saw stars revolving in the heavens in patterns both strange and familiar. A shower of meteors crossing the sky in silent burning glory.

He felt himself falling, falling through that dark sky. Weightless, yet he felt the buffeting of a great wind against the back of his head, his hands, his legs.

Danu’s matronly form materialized before him, her green-blue gown glinting along its length with pearls and carved mother-of-pearl. Her voice was unmistakably feminine but filled with the rumble of surf upon the shore.

Caleb found himself holding his breath as he heard what she had to say.