Peregrination- Chapter 3

There was a cold silence through must of the ride through out the fields to the forest with, of course, the occasional mumbling of "what have i got myself into?" or "ohh geez". But other than that they were silent. They crossed 2 small streams, one of which Blastride was scared to cross, mkaing him buck, and Eric getting all wet. But that was there one and only humor relief of the day, because after that things went down hill. When setting out the land scape and deciding where to go Anneliese forgot about one important thing to look into: the creatures that live and protect the forest. Her mistake was about to become very prominant when suddenly-


"Oh my gosh, what was that-?" Serena said looking around, there had been a large shadow that had passed of the quartet. The hair on her neck now standing.


"Thats probably nothing, just a cloud..." Bard started "that was moving pretty fast." He finished gulping thinking of all the worse things in the world it could possibly be.


"Or it could be a GRIFFIN!!!" Cried out Eric as Blastride came down recognizing danger, he started to buck. The group scattered about trying to get away from the griffin that was swooping down amongst them. Serena dodged the griffins claws just as it started heading to, Sereward Anneliese.


NO! Serena thinking quickly jumped off Spinnweather heading toward Anneliese who was on the ground curled up trying to protect her self from the griffin that was picking at her. Taking her sword, Serena stabbed the griffin taking off a talon. The griffin screeched backing off of Anneliese who was now covered in blood. Both hers and the griffins. Serena ran toward a windbreak, knowing the griffin wouldn't be able to get under the trees. Screeching the griffin was slwoing down because of blood loss. When Serena turned around with sword in stab position running full blast at the now landed griffin. She stabbed it, but only hard enough to wound it, but not kill it. The griffin laid there breathing heavily. Going up to the griffins head Serena looked at him saying: "You foul pitiful beast! Why doesth thou attack innocent people?" The griffin replied through telekinisis, "It has been my duty for many years to protect anyone from going into the Forbidden Forest, because of all the dangerous that lie there. When the Coppice stone disappeared the dryads and nymphs, including all the plants with any source of life started to over run the forest trails, where it was unsafe for anyone to get even close." Serena bowed her head as she kneeled all the way down to the griffin. "It is our mission to retrieve the Sophia Stones, and it requires us to go through there. Will you please allow us to pass?" The griffin closed his eyes as if to sleep and replied: "You may go ahead, but I must warn you, you will most likely not com out alive. Dauphiness, I am old in my years, will you do me a favor?" Serena leaned closer to listen. "remember me as Euphraim, protector of the Forbidden Forest, King of the Skies." Serena knodded silently, then said: "I will remember you, and we shall hold you a place of honor in the kingdom, Oceanus." Euphraim smiled as he laid down his head and fell into a deep sleep that he would never wake up from.


Serena returned to the group mourning the griffin.

"Well did you get rid of him," Anneliese asked nursing her arm where the griffins talons had cut her.


"He died, but he will be remembered in the Oceanus kingdom for eternity."


Questions popped up on the others faces. "He was the forest guardian protecting us from what was inside." Then suddenly they understood. They took a moment of silence before entering on into the woods.