The Spirit of the Realm

by Rachel L Brown

  “In my home country we use horses; Sodervia is the only country to use griffins.”

  “Oh, but you are missing out on how romantic a griffin ride can be!” Lady Janel sighed, becoming lost in some memory.

  Emira decided against telling them about the time she saw a griffin tear a man’s head off, so she told them of Vaste’s demise and her many near deaths.

  “Not to worry, Your Majesty. The Head Griffin Keeper is the best in the realm! Not to mention you have all the Vestrals there to ensure you stay alive,” Lady Janel said, her voice shimmering with joy. Her mood had not been dampened at all by Emira’s tales. Emira shared a glance with Lady Ethelbright.

  “At least King Olric’s arrival has been delayed till tomorrow morning,” Lady Ethelbright said with a soothing tone.

  Emira could not stop the sigh that escaped her lips. “Which only means more chances to look like a fool at the tournament.”

  “Oh, come now, Your Majesty! Don’t let Lady Ethelbright fool you. Everyone makes gaffes all the time! Why even Queen Isobel—I mean the Dowager Queen—has done something foolish in her day,” Lady Janel said.

  Lady Ethelbright glared at her and held up a small scroll. “I was going to tell you this after the choosing ceremony, but seeing you are in foul spirits, I’ll do so now. I have news of your parents.”

  “Are they all right?” Emira asked as Lady Ethelbright glanced at the small paper.

  “Yes, they are fully healed and will be at your coronation,” she said, and Lady Janel clapped excitedly.

  “This is a good omen Your Majesty!”

  “They also send their love, and they express their regrets they cannot be here at the Rite of Choosing.” Lady Ethelbright’s mouth turned downward as she continued to read, her voice getting quieter with each word. “They also regret they cannot send you your trident so you may have an easier time slaying the griffin, and the entire ceremony is a waste of the gold they have given for taxes.”

  “What!” Lady Janel exclaimed and Lady Ethelbright pinched the bridge of her nose. Emira couldn’t stop herself from laughing as she imagined her parents’ faces when Lord Ethelbright told them about the ceremony.

  “Not to worry, Lady Janel. I think my husband has told them a torrid amount of tall tales,” Lady Ethelbright said once Emira had stopped laughing.

  Emira smiled and turned her attention to the window when she heard the cheer of a crowd, a throng of well-wishers lined the road as they headed through a large gate. Her stomach tied into knots while she waved. Choosing a griffin to ride? She could barely ride a horse, and they wanted her to ride something in the air? This entire thing was madness.

  The carriage stopped and Emira gasped as she stepped out, they were standing on a courtyard that had been carved into the cliff side, overlooking the valley below. Overhead a large wall-like structure jutted out from the cliffs. It, too, had been carved from the rocks. She wondered how the entire structure didn’t collapse onto their heads.

  “Welcome to Griffin’s Nest, Your Majesty,” a man said as he bowed and swept off the small cap he was wearing. His long beard swept the ground like a broom. “I am Archibald, the Head Griffin Keeper.”

  “Thank you,” Emira said, unable to keep her voice steady.

  “Good, you’re not full of fake confidence. Most people shart their undergarments the moment they see a griffin flying at them,” Archibald said and ignored the pointed glares from Lady Ethelbright and Lady Janel. “Course I would expect nothing less from one who has spent time as a fisherwoman. You’ve already got a healthy respect for them.”

  “Respect is not the word I would use,” Emira mumbled.

  “You’ll be fine, Your Majesty!” Lady Janel said, her tone bright as she and Lady Ethelbright were escorted away by a couple servants.

  “I wish I had my trident,” Emira muttered while Archibald led her through a small door. The hall was busy with people running about with dried meat and glowing runes, moving in out of the many doors that were along the hall. She looked up and saw hundreds of stone bridges. Each one went from the rough stone of the cliff side to the smooth stone of the enormous building. Large columns tilted sideways, anchored the structure to the cliff face. Thousands of runes glittered on them as the light from the torches hit them.

  “My fellow griffin keepers,” Archibald said. The few who noticed them paused and bowed their heads before resuming their tasks.

  Emira heard a griffin screech somewhere high above her. It was lower pitched than that of a sea griffin’s, it sounded more like a lion.

  “Ah, that’s Berserker; he’s always growling about something,” Archibald said. “Right, so the griffins live in the small caves on the cliff face, and the arena is the building connected to us.”

  “So how does this work? Do you want me to jump on a griffin’s back? Corral it with a net?”

  Archibald threw back his head and laughed. “Gods, no! Though I might use those ideas for another Rite of Choosing. It’s not that dramatic. You will stand in the runic circle and wait for the griffin to choose you.”

  Emira exhaled. “I do not have to ride it?”

  “No, a griffin cannot be ridden until it has bonded with its rider, and we must break the griffin in before you even put your foot into the stirrup. If you tried to ride a wild griffin, you’d become a snack.” Archibald raised an eyebrow. “The Royal Council did not inform you of this?”

  “I’ve been preoccupied with other things, I’m afraid,” Emira said. She’d been told by the Royal Council to keep quiet about the issues they were having with the Western Marshes.

  “Ah, this about the war then?”

  “There will not be a war!” Emira snapped. She sighed when they paused next to a door. “How do you even know of it?”

  “You’ll soon learn that no secret is safe in Avemdal for long. Once news of Prince Felix’s actions broke loose, what other option is left?” Archibald said and led her into a narrow hall, lit only by a few torches.

  “Peace, I hope,” Emira whispered and Archibald nodded.

  “A good thing to aspire to, but just in case, let’s get you a griffin!” he said as two men flung open the large wooden doors at the end of the hall.

  The roar of the crowd greeted her as she stepped into the sunlight. A low stone wall encircled most of the large stone platform, save for the edge that looked out over the valley. On either side of the stone wall was a bunch of tiered seating, filled with cheering commoners waving small black and white ribbons. Against the cliff face was the royal dais, filled to the brim with nobles. Unlike the common folk, the nobles were protected from the sun by canopies. Emira estimated at least fifty canopies, meaning that nearly all the grand houses of the realm were there.

  Emira’s stomach dropped as she took in the crowd’s cheers. She wasn’t sure if she was more terrified of the griffins or the amount of people there.

  Archibald led her over to a large circle with colorful runes. Emira recognized one word for protection, but the rest of the words were meaningless scribbles.

  “Now, no matter how close the griffins come, do not leave the circle. I don’t care if you pee that dress of yours; the moment you step outside the circle you are dead,” he said gravely then laughed when Emira’s eyes widened. He pointed to the Vestrals that were walking out and lining up along the arena wall. “If you get into trouble, we’ve got backup. Now have fun and try not to faint.”

  “Wait!” Emira cried as he ran toward the royal dais, the crowds roar caused the stone to vibrate. No one had told her how she would know when a griffin had chosen her.

  “Good day gentle folk!” Archibald cried while the Vestrals held up small glowing runes that amplified his voice above the crowd’s cheers. “Today, it is my esteemed honor to welcome Her Majesty as she takes part in the oldest and most sacred ceremonies of our noble families. The Rite of Choosing!”

  A flurry of trumpets sounded and the High Vestral entered the arena with a small retinue of Vestrals behind her. Each
one was carrying a divine rune of the living Gods; they were about the size of a dinner plate and looked to have been carved from pure silver. The High Vestral paused in front of Emira and held up the rune for the Spirit of the Realm.

  “Please pay your respects to the Gods and the Spirit,” the High Vestral said.

  “Of course, though I would like to start with the Goddess of the Sea.”

  “It is tradition to start with the Spirit of the Realm,” the High Vestral snapped.

  “And it is my tradition to start with the Goddess who has kept me safe for all these years,” Emira shot back. She brushed passed her and walked to the Vestral holding the rune for the Goddess of the Sea.

  “I ask of you for your protection in these times of turbulence,” she said and brushed her fingers along the rune. She moved up and down the line, paying her respects to each God and Goddess. When she returned to the High Vestral, the woman was simmering with rage.

  “I thank the Spirit of the Realm for its service,” Emira said curtly and stepped back into the runic circle. The High Vestral’s eyes narrowed but said not a word when she turned and left the arena.

  “May the Gods and Goddesses watch over you!” Archibald shouted.

  A low-pitched screech came from the cliffside, Emira resisted the urge to cover her ears and curl into a ball.

  “First up, the mountain griffins! You know them well; give them a big cheer!” Archibald shouted and three griffins flew out of caves high on the cliff side. Each of which were at least twice the size of a sea griffin. Instead of the silvery-blue feathers and fur Emira was used to, these had white feathers and brown fur. Even their tails were different, these griffins did not have the sharp, spear-like claw on the tip. But they didn’t need it; their sheer size was enough to stop the hearts of the bravest men. A few of the runes in her circle lit up as magic absorbed the strong winds from the griffins’ wings.

  They flew around the arena and one of them swooped down and glided by Emira, close enough that she could see one of its yellow eyes. Her body tensed, waiting for its talons to strike at her. Instead, the griffin flew around her twice, letting out a low screech each time it did so. Then without warning it joined the two encircling overhead. With a last roar they flew back into their caves.

  “Next up we have the plains griffin!” Archibald sounded and a single griffin flew out over the arena. It was no smaller than the mountain ones, the only difference was its feathers had a golden tinge to it. It flew around the arena and didn’t even swoop down to make a pass. Without a screech it quickly flew back into its cave.

  Emira felt a bead of sweat trickle down her back. Even from here she could see Archibald’s posture had changed slightly, like a great weight were sitting on his shoulders. The crowd of commoners, however, hadn’t lessened at all in their enthusiasm and were now shouting at the griffin caves, calling them cowards for fearing a commoner. Emira could not help but smile at their words, and she joined in.

  “Come on then! Are you going to make me wait all day? I have things to do!” she shouted. The crowd of commoners went silent for a moment at her words and then erupted in applause and continued shouting. Emira didn’t dare a glance at the royal dais, she figured the nobles were glaring; Gods forbid she try to have some fun in this ridiculous situation. They were not the ones staring down these massive beasts with only a circle of magic to protect them.

  Her hands flew to her chest where Thomas’s ring was nestled safely under the layers of her dress. She wondered what he would have thought about all this.

  “Next up is the forest griffin!” Archibald shouted once the crowd had died down a bit.

  Shouts of excitement swept through the crowd as a griffin, that was about half the size of a mountain griffin, swoop down from the clouds. This griffin had light brown feathers that shifted to green in the sunlight. The griffin let out a scream that sent chills down Emira’s spine; it flew so low to the ground that its front talons scraped the stone, causing sparks to fly. Runes around Emira lit up and prevented them from setting fire to her dress.

  It circled around her a few times testing the magic in the runes. She backed up as its talon swiped at a glowing rune. Her hands shook as she saw a few Vestrals hold up their rune stones. Then, the griffin took a sharp turn up into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

  “Well... I guess she became shy...” Archibald’s words faded while Emira stared at the clouds, wondering where the griffin had gone.

  “Your Majesty, look out!”

  The crowd screamed and Emira whirled around to face the open edge of the arena. The griffin was flying towards her, its wings tucked tight to its body as it shot toward her like an arrow. Its talons opened and closed while it let out a screech that sounded like a dying man.

  The entire runic circle lit up when the griffin’s talons came close to slicing her head in half. The magic tugged at the griffin, yanking it back with enough force the griffin slammed onto the ground. Sparks flew into the air while it tried to dig its talons into the stone to keep itself from slamming into the wall. In the blink of an eye, the beast had righted itself.

  Again and again, it flew at Emira. It didn’t seem to mind being shoved away by the magic protecting her. It took every ounce of willpower Emira had to keep herself from turning and running into the safety of the building. She glanced over at the Vestrals, all of whom seemed more focused on keeping the crowds safe from the griffin than what was going on with her. She turned to look at Archibald; he had retreated into the safety of a doorway under the royal dais and was yelling at someone in the shadows.

  The runes in the circle caught her eye, one by one they started to go out. It wasn’t long before she was standing in a circle with no magic to protect her.

  “Vestrals!” Emira screamed into the winds that now assaulted her. She could barely hear the crowd now. The Vestrals glanced at her and then turned their backs to face the wall. Emira screamed a stream of curses into the wind at their cowardice.

  Now with the beast bearing down on her, she had no choice but to run. She turned on her heel and gathered her skirts. She took a couple steps then she was knocked back by a gust of wind. The griffin had flown over her and blocked her path. The beast landed on its paws. Emira dove to the ground as it swiped at her with its talons. Its tail swung at her and knocked her onto her back when she tried to stand.

  “Goddess of the Sea do not let me die here!” Emira screamed, the griffin flew into the air and encircled her again. The beast was playing with her like a cat who was hunting a mouse. She’d never seen sea griffins do this. Perhaps the forest griffin had more lion in them.

  The beast knocked her over with one of its wings and pinned her down with its tail. As it raised a talon to strike, the high-pitched scream of a sea griffin pierce through the wind. No sooner had she heard the screech than a silver-blue blur slammed into the forest griffin. The beast rolled a few times before it stood upright on its back paws.

  The sea griffin let out another high-pitched scream while it carefully stepped over Emira. Its tail arched over its body, the sharp end glinting in the sunlight.

  The forest griffin answered with a low screech and pawed the ground a few times with its talons. The two griffins hissed and snarled at each other as Emira stood. The forest griffin looked as if it were going to strike at Emira again, but it let out a shriek and flew back up into its cave.

  The sea griffin glanced at Emira and bowed its head before taking off after the forest griffin.

  The winds died down, and she collapsed in a heap onto the ground. The arena went dead silent while Archibald shuffled out from his hiding place. He ran over to Emira and bowed before helping her stand.

  “The griffins have spoken! The Gods have blessed our Queen with a sea griffin!” He shouted and a Vestral hastily held up a rune to carry his voice. The crowd of commoners was silent for a heartbeat before they erupted in cheers that shook the stones around them.

  “Where were you? I could have died!” She snapped at A
rchibald. He ushered her towards the door. He said nothing until they were out of earshot from the Vestrals.

  “Your Majesty, I had everything under control... on my side,” he said when they passed under the royal dais. Emira saw that most of the nobles, save for a few, were not clapping.

  Emira didn’t get the chance to press him further as a tall man in black pants and a silver tunic stepped into the hall. A crown that had silver vines interwoven with gold sat atop his head. His dark hair curled ever so slightly at his ears.

  “Presenting His Majesty, King Olric of the Western Marshes,” a herald shouted.

  “It is an honor to meet you,” the King said, walking toward Emira with a smile on his face.

  She took a step forward, trying to remember what the exact protocol was for greeting a foreign king. Her legs buckled, and her vision went dark.

  EMIRA GASPED WHEN SHE awoke.

  The draped curtains of her bed chamber were the first thing to greet her. As she sat up, she saw the Royal Physician rise from a chair that had been placed near her bed. His eyes were red, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

  “What happened?” she asked and let a maid place a pillow behind her back.

  “T’was the shock of it all, Majesty,” the physician said, sounding relieved. “And that damn forest griffin got one if its tail barbs into your back. You’ve been asleep for two days.”

  Emira leaned forward and ran a hand up the small of her back. “I felt nothing.”

  “Ah, you wouldn’t, as the barbs are tiny... but they are also poisonous.”

  “Poisonous?”

  “Yes, but you will be fine in a few days. I recommend strict bedrest.”

  Emira shook her head. “Make me a tonic. I cannot lie in bed while the King of the Western Marshes is here.”

  “Your Majesty, the High Vestral said you must rest. The Royal Council will handle everything.”

  “I do not care what she said!” Emira said. “Make me a tonic so I might not faint!” A couple maids and Lady Janel hurried over with a black dress with a silver leaf brocade.