“Maylon wake up. Wake up Maylon.”

A faint voice rang out in the distance. Maylon could not see who was calling out to her – the vicinity was too bright to see anything clearly. She felt like she was standing on the sun…but the light wasn’t hot rather it was gentle. Maylon could feel tenderness in the light.

“Grandfather is that you? Maylon asked as the love and care feeling emanating from the light reminded her of her grandfather.

“Grandfather?” Maylon called out. Her voice was trembled…the light that encompassed her was fading rapidly.

“Grandfather? Where are you!”

As if the scenery around her moved, without taking a single step forward, Maylon was transported to the edge – the boundary of light and darkness. Maylon gasped in shock, in front of her was the Abbe. He was kneeling on the boundary line.

Why was he kneeling? Why is he here? Maylon could not reason – she could only feel the approaching danger.

“Grandfather come over here!” Maylon called out. Her vision became blurry with salty tears.

The Abbe looked at her with a smile.

“Maylon…” Before the Abbe could say anymore – two hands stretched out from the void and decapitated the Abbe. A fountain of red burst forth, drenching Maylon completely as she stood in shock.

“Grandfather!” a scream escaped from her lips moments later. Maylon fainted while her scream echoed in the background.

***

With silver hair tied back in a bonnet, an old lady resembling a native American Indian granny comforted Maylon. “There…there…” She whispered as she pressed a folded wet cold cloth against the sleeping Maylon’s forehead as she lay drenched in sweat. Maylon was writhing in pain.

She seemed as if she were fighting a strange illness or a terrible nightmare in her sleep. Her body was burning up as if it were on fire…it was only natural under such circumstances for her body to profusely sweat.

The old lady was deeply concerned about her patient. She did not know who the girl was or where she came from. Maylon appeared on her doorstep completely out of the blue. When she was found, she was lying unconscious on the doorstep – her body was trembling and weak.

Ordinarily, anyone would have kicked a sleeping stranger of their doorsteps but this lady was different. No, it would rather be better to say she could sense something was different. Her tribe had graced her with the title Grand Healer – it could not be coincidence that Maylon was left on her doorstep. There was another reason why the Grand Healer took Maylon in quickly; Maylon was covered in feathers. Not ordinary dove or chicken – bird feathers, but massive feathers easily as long as ones arm. If it were anyone else than the Grand Healer, chances were slim they would recognize the feathers. However, the old lady had experienced much in her lifetime – she easily recognized which creature the feathers belonged to – the Griffin; a powerful beast assumed to have gone extinct in these lands.

Just seeing the feathers brought tears into the old lady’s eyes. The Griffin was amongst the five beasts worshipped by her tribe. These beasts are worshipped like Gods. Furthermore, the Griffin was said to be her tribe’s ancestor. The Grand Healer took this as a sign from the heavens that the girl lying on her door steps needs to be saved and thus took her in.

That was over a week ago. Not once did Maylon open her eyes during that period – her body continues to weaken as her fever continues to grow worse. The Grand Healer looked worryingly at the young girl.

[You are much too young and beautiful to die so soon! Wake up young one!] The Grand healer transmitted her thoughts to Maylon however she was met with a stiff resistance.

The old lady sighed, even in this weakened state this young frail child maintained a mental barrier of unimaginable proportion.

“Still trying to heal her?” A young man asked as he entered the room. He appeared much like a native American Indian wearing buckskin – a brown leather sleeveless vest with the tips of the quills adorned with loosely hanging bird feathers and other trinkets. He kept his vest open to flash his perfectly toned six pack abs – much to the dismay of the tribe elders who found it repulsive.

The Grand Healer ignored the young man – it was her useless grandson.

“Makes you appreciate the women of Azmen more, doesn’t it?” He said as he bit into an apple. “They aren’t so frail as her but much more sturdy. I’d like to see a fever knock one of our women into such a state…”

“One would be a fool to mistake the child as weak…” His Grandmother, the Grand Healer muttered.

“Looks pretty weak to me, Grandma…”

“I didn’t need a fool with button for eyes for his opinion.” The old lady retorted.

The remark stunned the young man – his grandmother rarely got angry.

“You know – this isn’t some fated child. Those feathers could belong to the Giant Eagle…”

“Says who?” The old lady asked quickly.

“The chieftain…”

“The chieftain is a fool.” She muttered.

The young man kept silent – other than his grandmother no one else had seen a Griffin before. So no one could recognize the feathers – they only had his grandmothers words to go by.

“If she is a fated child, then why is she so weak?” The young man asked irritatedly – by his grandmother’s standard the world was filled with useless fools.

“No…this child is not weak….she is very strong…maybe too strong for me to heal….” The old lady said as she changed the washcloth.

Her words piqued the young man’s interest in Maylon. “Strong enough to be my wife?” He asked with a smirk.

His grandmother slowly turned around to face him and show him her face of disgust – much similar to the face anyone would make if served feces for a meal.

“This girl would be wasted on you…” She said as she looked towards the heavens asking forgiveness on her grandson’s foolish remarks.