Chapter 85 - Defiance

Everything was wrong. As Calasylara was slowly forming it all became clear. If Talessia knew they were attacked by the green and violet dragons of the old world, then Calasylara would too. He saw Hendosphyre’s eye on him, concern in their depths. Groyven glanced over to Antrandis, to see him with a hand on Talessia’s arm, holding her back. He met Groyven’s eyes and nodded in support, a faint stormy gleam catching the light. Groyven nodded back and faced the quickly solidifying gryphon.

Hendosphyre set himself after watching the exchange. He could feel the determination in Groyven and Tiffaniel’s refusal to leave. He kept his eyes on the ghostly agitated visage of his mate, one who he had not seen since the battle that laid her low those many thousands of years ago. He dug his large claws into the ground, tampering his hind legs in preparation, watching her assume a battle stance.

With an ear-piercing shriek, Calasylara was finally solid, her enraged cry tearing throughout the clearing and forest. Hendosphyre quickly stepped in front of Groyven and Tiffaniel, shielding them with his wings as the wild female gryphon charged out of the dissipating violet light, crashing to the ground as she rammed heavily into her male counterpart. A wild look was in her eyes as she reared up, wings out, and a shrieking battle cry coming from her.

Without hesitation, Hendosphyre met her head on, deflecting her talons as she lashed out. Buffeting her with wind as he called out in return. Frantically twisting around, she turned, attempting to launch herself into the sky, he quickly leapt atop of her, pinning her down. Again another shriek as she threw him off. Squaring off against him she lashed out with beak and claw, tearing his shoulder and flank to ribbons as he forcibly pushed her back.

Blood dripping freely from his wounds, he squared off again, his left wing hanging limp from the battering, refusing to attack and offering his body as a shield to his wards and master. Calasylara shifted sideways, looking for an opening past the rapidly failing male in front of her.

Sian stood beside Groyven and Tiffaniel, her voice ringing out loudly, “Calasylara! Stand down!”

The gryphon turned, hearing Sian’s voice and menacingly moved towards her, before Hendosphyre shifted into the path, favouring his left side.

“Calasylara! The war is over! Stand down!” Sian yelled, pointing to the amulet in Groyven’s hand.

The sword shrieked in defiance, rearing up with her wings spread, lunging at Hendosphyre. Again, he repelled her at a cost, his right wing now tattered. The sounds of Tiffaniel crying at the demonstration of savagery. Silvast looked to Antrandis, meeting his eyes as he watched the spectacle calmly, he nodded in response to her questioning glance. Looking at the bloodied and locked gryphons, she stepped to the twins, Tiffaniel crying quietly and Groyven at a loss.

“Sian!” Silvast said, getting her attention.

Sian quickly held her hand out, backing towards them, keeping her eyes on the one-sided fight.

“Children, take Sian’s hand, both of you. Quickly!” Silvast said, resting her hands on their shoulders.

“Ven, you have to stop them, she’s killing him!” Tiffaniel screamed through her tears.

“No.” said Groyven calmly.

Tiffaniel looked at him in anger, “Ven, she is going to,”

“No Tiff. Not yet.” he said, his eyes still watching Hendosphyre as he was taking hit after hit, his blood staining the churned up grass.

She gripped his arm, watching his passive but intense expression, “Ven, we have to.”

“I can sort of hear him Tiff, he keeps telling me to wait, not yet.”Groyven said calmly, his eyes on Hendosphyre.

“He wants us to wait while he gets torn apart? Ven!” Tiffaniel said.

“Children, take Sian’s hand.” Silvast said forcefully.

Groyven looked to Antrandis, noting the blue glow in the Hithren’s eyes. He shook his head.

“No. But, thank you. Let us try first.” he said to Silvast, his blue eyes meeting her bright silver.

She smiled warmly, seeing his resolve, “As you wish, young one.” Silvast shared a brief glance with Sian.

Groyven stood silently, Tiffaniel still grasping his arm, both watching the gryphons locked in a close embrace. Hendosphyre still managing to defend himself despite the ferocity of his mate.

“Ven?” Tiffaniel said again.

Without turning his eyes from Hendosphyre, Groyven spoke to her, “Calasylara died protecting her master, watching her die as she fought to protect her. Her rage and grief is playing out.” he looked to the almost static, wrestling gryphons, wincing at the slow arcs of bloodied feathers that flew through the air.

“Tiff, we both have to act to make her submit, she still is in the heat of battle.” he quickly glanced at her, meeting her eyes, “Can you do enough to slow her down or drive her back?”

Tiffaniel suddenly understood, her brother’s request clearing her mind, “Enough to distract her. Maybe.”

“Tiff, are you sure, last night you,” Groyven said, his face close to hers.

She winced, “I can slow her down, maybe more, you know what to do.” she said quietly, “I have enough to maybe even hold her in place.”

Tiffaniel noticed that Groyven had removed his makeshift jacket and had readjusted his belt. She quickly looked around the clearing, both Sian and Silvast were behind them and Antrandis had joined them. Winter and Talessia were at the tree line, but somehow Talessia was armoured and with a gleaming shield.

Before her, Hendosphyre was reaching his limit, staggering under the onslaught, maimed and broken, though still holding his mate off despite his injuries. His head turned momentarily and she caught sight of his amber eye.

“Tiff?” said Groyven.

“Ven, now.” she whispered.

Immediately her eyes started to glow, the blue sharpening with inner white, the air around her cooling crisply while she approached the gryphons with her brother at her side. Dark circles started to show under her eyes as she drew on her power. Looking back to their saviours, she saw Antrandis’s smile despite the distance.

“Tiff, thank you.” Groyven said quietly, his blue also flickering to flame.

Sian gave Antrandis an uncertain look while the twins approached gryphons, “My love, this, they are just children.”

He shook his head, “They will be fine, think what they would have done alone if Hendosphyre could already communicate with Groyven, and then they would have known of the female.”

Sian shook her head watching the twins ready themselves, “They would have broken them up using their powers.”

Silvast watched intently, “I missed out on the show last night.” a hint of regret in her voice.

“I will show you later, sister.” said Sian without missing a beat, “Watch.”

Tiffaniel continued to gather her power, now fluid and easily manipulated after the use the night before.

“Ven, I need your help.” she said, straining, still lacking rest.

He nodded slightly his eyes already flickering with inner fire, understanding her need. Without looking, steam started rising off the surface of the river and started compressing in the air around them, increasing the humidity rapidly.

Tiffaniel nodded, walking toward the struggling gryphons, ice forming in the air around her.

“More, Ven.” she said quietly.

She closed her eyes, concentrating, white light leaking from her lids as steam rose from her breath.

“Ven.” she said simply, frost suddenly carpeting the ground around them.

“Hendosphyre, Now!” Groyven yelled.

The large male dug his claws in and pushed off, shoving heavily against Calasylara, tumbling her back a short way before falling, his leg failing him. Instantly, a heavy, icy wind built around them, hail and sleet putting the sword on the defence, forcing her to shield herself with her wings, shrieking in rage. She tried to push back against Tiffaniel’s blizzard.

“Stop attacking Hendosphyre!” Tiffaniel screamed as she unleashed a heavier blast of arctic wind before she started to waver.

“Ven, I can’t.” Tiffaniel cried, her vision blurring.

“I will take it from here. Go to Hendosphyre.”

Groyven ran forward and stood in Calasylara’s path, flames spitting from his eyes while watching her recover from Tiffaniel’s attack, attempting to shake the ice out of her wings. She reared, tensing then flapping her wings hard, breaking the ice, letting it fall to the ground.

“Calasylara, stand down.” Groyven said quietly.

She pulled her head back and reared again, letting out a piercing shriek and dove forward, beginning a charge. Almost instantly, Groyven’s arms burst into fire, his eyes bleeding flame then a sharp click. The air between them exploded and formed into a semicircular wall that made Calasylara pull up short, her wings beating the air, pulling herself back and clear of the sudden flames. She peered through the roaring fire, looking at the boy that dared order her to stop. She shrieked even louder and charged the flames, seeking to burst through them. Instead there was another sharp click, then a sudden concussive blast that physically threw her back through the wall of fire and sent her tumbling toward the tree line, feathers smoking and singed.

Scrabbling back to her paws and claws after she stalled her tumble, she looked back at the wall of flame to see the boy with eyes of fire walk though without a care, the ravenous fire licking off him, yet not burning. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the black amulet hanging from his neck. She shook her head, screeching and rearing again in a demonstration of defiance. She was immediately rewarded with the flames roaring higher, the fire’s tongues bending over like long fingers reaching out to grab at her.

Shying away from the sudden overwhelming heat, she could hear his voice, calm and clearly over the screaming din of the flames.

“I know you were hurt, you tried your best, but the world has moved on a long way since then. Calasylara, stand down and we will explain.” Groyven said quietly his burning eyes on hers.

She glared at the child, fighting the compulsion to shriek at him despite the heat.

Groyven stood before her, within striking distance, “Calasylara, my sister and I are the only remaining descendants of Alehra of Desil, your last Mistress. Your name was lost to time in our family, until now. I will only ask of you once more, stand down so that we can attend to Hendosphyre.”

Calasylara felt a tugging at the back of her mind, noting the amulet with a curious expression. Looking again into those burning eyes while squaring off, she readied to launch herself.

“Stand down, Calasylara. Or I will defeat you and leave you trapped in the amulet as you have been for so long.” he said calmly.

Sudden movement caught her eye, a woman walked though the boy’s fire, long silver hair hanging down her back, her bright silver eyes cutting into her. Despite the flames pouring off Groyven, she showed no concern before patting his bare shoulder, unaffected by the searing flames.

“Master Groyven, she is not listening is she?”

“More time, I just need more time.”

“Time is up, dear boy. Your sister is trying to calm Hendosphyre, he is bleeding out, and I can not abide such stubbornness in a blade my father smote.” Silvast said quietly to him.

Her eyes continued to bore in to the gryphon, she raised her voice, “Calasylara, mount and sword of the Aletere, what use is a blade that does not recognise its master’s hand?”

Silvast took a step closer, “The boy summoned you, did he not?”

The gryphon watched as the woman’s skin started to shimmer, reflecting the flames that spread hungrily up into the sky, fencing her in. The silver in her eyes started to glow, the woman took another step forward.

“Do you not recognise my kind? Your mate did, the moment he saw me.” the woman said, her voice low, “He shows due respect to the dragon that still protects the people you serve.”

The silver woman continued to advance, the fine scales shimmering and dancing with the fire.

“The war you fought is no more, your master is here, before you, a child who needs you, and his sister.”

Calasylara, stomped her claw down hard, shrieking defiantly, searching around the fire, her eyes being drawn repeatedly to the boy with flaming eyes. Quickly glancing at the silver woman, she lowered herself deceptively.

Groyven let out a sigh of relief as Calasylara seemed to calm, he shared a look with Silvast, allowing the fires to dwindle. Turning his gaze back to the gryphon, she was hunkered down submissively. He relaxed his grip on the flames and let them die, Silvast patting him on the shoulder and nodding with a smile.

He turned, his eyes on his sister and Hendosphyre as he stood, bloodied and beaten, “Tiff, Hendosphyre, it’s alright now, come.” he frowned, their eyes looking past him.

Shadow of the Eclipse: Chapter Timeline

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