Sam immediately looked at Vance for his reaction. The doctor’s eyes were locked on Cernunnos, who met his stare. “Now, now, everyone. Before you grow too excited, I must reveal an awful secret. You see, my loyal subjects, this is not the claw you believe it to be. If I were to crush it to dust in my hand, Phylassos’s unjust curse would not be lifted. For it is a fake. Another one of the gryphon’s many tricks.”
“I wonder then, Lord Cernunnos, why would you steal it?” Vance asked.
“Borrowed. And I needed some way to summon you here,” Cernunnos explained. “The gryphon is concerned about the claw, is he not?”
Vance said nothing.
“I will tell you this: whoever is conspiring against your king would not be fooled by this trinket or the others. They would know that the real claw is—”
Cernunnos was interrupted by a growing disturbance near the rear of the cavern. Heads turned toward the commotion as the redcaps drew their axes to the ready. Sam maneuvered his line of sight to see what the fuss was all about and spotted a cynocephalus striding down the middle of the aisle toward the altar. He was young, the same breed as Chase, and wore a long-sleeved gray polo shirt, charcoal-colored cargo pants, and a matching beret. The logo on the left side of his shirt had the image of a gryphon with the words “Ranger Service” beneath it. He caught Vance’s eye and winked.
“ ’Ello, mate. You should have called, told me you were planning a detour,” the dog-man said with a British accent.
“It wasn’t planned. And word to the wise, Chriscanis, old Green Bean is extra touchy today,” Vance remarked.
“Of course,” Chriscanis said. He turned his attention to Marzanna and bowed his head. “I request an audience with Lord Cernunnos.” She eyed him suspiciously.
“What do you want, traitorous dog?” Cernunnos asked.
“I formally ask that you release the humans known as Vance Vantana and Sam London into my custody. Immediately.” There was a spate of laughter in the room.
“No,” Cernunnos responded matter-of-factly.
“I ask that you reconsider,” Chriscanis added.
Vance whispered, “You’re going to get us all killed.” Chriscanis waved him off.
Cernunnos paused, as if actually contemplating the request.
“No, again,” the creature replied to even more laughter. “Anything else? Do you want a bone?”
“Not right now. Thanks. Though I must inform you that by refusing this act of good faith, I am bound by my oath to the Agency for the Welfare of Mythical Beasts to place you, Lord Cernunnos, under arrest for violations of the laws of human interference and theft of a historical artifact—” Before Chriscanis could finish, the room exploded in protest. Vance shook his head in disbelief while Cernunnos snarled through his teeth. He silenced the crowd, then glared at the ranger.
“You, arrest me?” Cernunnos asked as he walked toward Chriscanis. The room became deathly quiet. Cernunnos leaned down toward the cynocephalus, getting inches from his face. He whispered loudly, “You’re going to need an army.”
“I thought I might,” Chriscanis answered. He grinned, then let out a howling whistle that reverberated through the cavern. It caught Cernunnos by surprise, as did the chaos that followed.
The cavern was suddenly invaded by dozens of creatures. There were small humans with scrunched-up faces who were descending from tunnels they had dug out of the cave walls. Their heads emitted a bluish flame as they held swords that crackled with fire. They charged at the redcaps with abandon, calling out with terrifying war cries. Near the back of the hall, more creatures were pouring into the cave. They were cynocephali, but these dog-people weren’t like Chase or Chriscanis. They were Chihuahuas. Man-sized Chihuahuas! If the situation weren’t so dire, Sam would have jumped up and shouted a celebratory “Woo-hoo!”
Sam could immediately recognize that it wasn’t just the difference in their breeds that set them apart from the two cynocephali he had already met. These dog-people were fierce. They carried themselves like true warriors—they were strong, intimidating, and completely fearless. They marched into the cavern gripping chains attached to nightmarish beasts with the upper bodies of monkeys and the lower bodies of wolves.
As Cernunnos attempted to digest the sudden turn of events, Vance grabbed Sam’s hand.
“Follow me!” he ordered. The doctor weaved through the fray and the two took cover behind a large boulder. They both peeked over the top of the rock to get a glimpse of the battle.
“Who are those little guys on fire?” Sam asked.
“Bluecaps. Nasty little miners. That’s miners with an ‘e.’ Lucky for us, they absolutely despise redcaps,” Vance replied. “And those monkey-wolf-things over there are the shug monkeys. Very loyal, surprisingly trainable, and totally lethal.”
“Those are Chihuahua cynocephali,” Sam said as he pointed excitedly to a cluster of the dog-people who were fighting off a horde of the horse-headed giants.
“They’re considered the warrior class of cynocephali. Real tough hombres,” Vance revealed. “It’s not safe for us here. We need to find a way back to the surface.”
At that very moment, a body soared over their heads, slammed into the cave wall, and crumpled to the ground. It was Chriscanis. He shook off his dazed expression.
“This is your idea of a rescue mission?” Vance asked the ranger.
As Chriscanis got to his feet, he smiled and replied, “This is my idea of a fun rescue mission.” He booted back a charging redcap, then spun to face a sidhe. The creature screamed her awful scream, but Chriscanis was unaffected. When the sidhe realized its scream wasn’t working, it quickly retreated. Chriscanis tossed something to Vance: earplugs.
“We call them banshee busters. Never travel to the Celtic lands without them,” Chriscanis said. “I’ll have some of my mates clear a path for you. Just get yourselves up top and wait for me there. It’s a bit of a dog’s dinner down here, and I should probably clean it up.”
“How ironic,” Vance quipped. Chriscanis barked at the Chihuahua cynocephali, who shifted their attack and began clearing a path to the exit.
“Let’s go,” Vance ordered, and the two made a beeline for the opening.
* * *
Sam London and Dr. Vantana awaited the arrival of Chriscanis and his ragtag army near a series of government-issued jeeps parked along the roadside.
“You all in one piece?” Vantana asked Sam.
“I think so,” Sam replied. “Who was that guy?”
Vance told Sam about Lord Cernunnos and the creature’s belief that he was the real protector of magical creatures.
“But I thought Phylassos was the protector,” Sam remarked.
“There are some who believe the gryphon isn’t up to the task,” Vance responded. He took a moment to peer around, then continued, “Sam, the balance that was struck is tenuous at best. Cernunnos was right when he said that fear is what has, in a sense, kept the peace.”
“What about the curse?” Sam wondered.
“The curse keeps them hidden, but there have been a growing number of incidents between humans and mythical creatures. Now, it had always been the fear of reprisals from Phylassos that helped curb these incidents, but as the years passed with no sign of the gryphon, many creatures that abhorred the arrangement grew more brazen. Of course, there was still Dr. Knox,” Vance explained.
“What do you mean?”
“It was widely believed that Dr. Knox was in communication with Phylassos. He wouldn’t talk about it, but there were instances when a lawbreaking creature would be captured or cornered and suddenly just disappear. Mind you, Phylassos never made an appearance. Knox would somehow get the gryphon a message and he would handle the situation.”
“And now that Dr. Knox is gone?” Sam inquired.
“Since he went missing, things have gotten increasingly more complicated. That is, until you came along,” Vance said, his smirk returning. “See, kid, you represent that connection to these creatu
res. The fear and the hope. It’s why you’d be so important to someone like Cernunnos.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the return of Chriscanis and his Chihuahua warriors. They looked the worse for wear.
“How’d it go?” Vantana asked as the cynocephalus grabbed a canteen of water out of his jeep and rehydrated.
“He called back his minions and we agreed to a truce,” Chriscanis revealed. “In exchange, we forget the whole thing.” The dog-man eyed Sam. “You must be Sam. I don’t believe we’ve formally met. The name’s Chriscanis.”
“Good to meet you,” Sam replied. Chriscanis moved to shake Sam’s hand and realized he was still holding the claw cup.
“Oh…right, we reclaimed this. As well as this.” Chriscanis pulled Vance’s knife out of his back pocket and handed it over. “I’ll make sure the cup gets back to where it belongs, and with better security.”
“Thanks. And thanks for showing up. Impeccable timing,” Vance said. “How’d you know?”
“My investigation into the museum theft uncovered evidence that it was the work of a banshee. There’s only one egomaniacal forest creature who surrounds himself with the sidhe,” Chriscanis explained. “When you failed to show at the dvergen subway station at the scheduled time, I suspected something might be amiss. I have to confess, I’m a little thunderstruck by his recklessness. Cernunnos has always proven to be a bit of a, well, pain in the proverbial backside, but this is troubling.”
“I agree,” said Vance.
“Is the cup really a fake?” Sam interjected.
“It is,” Vance confirmed. “One of the many claw relics spread around the world to keep creatures like Cernunnos guessin’, and to give us a heads-up when someone or something started getting unhealthy ideas about ending the curse themselves.”
“So now we know it was Cernunnos who was behind it. That’s good, right?” Sam suggested.
“Not entirely, I’m afraid,” Chriscanis answered. “This wasn’t the first relic stolen.”
“What are you talking about?” Vance inquired.
“After the claw cup was taken, I reached out to other rangers around the world to warn them the relics in their regions may be in danger. I learned that nearly all of them had already been stolen.”
“What?!” Vantana exclaimed. “Why wasn’t the department notified of this?”
“It was. Apparently, they spoke directly with Dr. Knox and he told them to keep it a secret. But with Knox gone and the gryphon returning, they felt it was time they said something. I believe we may be dealing with a growing insurrection.” Dr. Vantana sighed deeply.
“Sam, would you do me a favor and wait in the jeep?” Vance asked. “I just need a moment with Chriscanis.”
“Well, why can’t—”
Vance interrupted Sam’s protest. “I’ll explain later.”
Sam wasn’t happy about being sent to the jeep. This is what adults do, he thought. Send you out of the room when they have “grown-up” things to talk about. Sam believed “grown-up” things were code for “more interesting.”
“Fine, I’ll go. But first tell me: if that cup was a fake, then where’s the real claw?” Vance and Chriscanis exchanged discomforting looks. “You don’t know….”
“It’s complicated, Sam,” Vance replied. “Please?” He gestured to the jeep.
Sam rolled his eyes and trudged to the vehicle. “Whatever!” he said with as much of a whine as he could muster. He climbed into the jeep and watched as Vance and Chriscanis walked a few yards down the road.
Moments later, he spotted one of the Chihuahua cynocephali passing by. “Excuse me?” Sam called to the creature. The cynocephalus turned toward him. “I’m Sam. Sam London,” he said, trying to establish a line of communication. “The boy who saw the gryphon?” The human-sized Chihuahua appeared unimpressed. “In the cave back there, we found out the claw cup wasn’t the real gryphon’s claw. You know, the one that was cursed. I was wondering if you could tell me where the real one is.”
The dog-man eyed Sam for a moment, then turned and started to walk away. Sam wasn’t about to give up. “Gosh, I don’t know why everyone is so scared to talk about it.” The cynocephalus stopped and spun back around.
“I am not scared,” the creature said in a deep, coarse voice with an irritated, insulted tone.
“Well, you certainly act like it,” Sam countered. The cynocephalus snarled at him, and for a moment Sam thought he might have gone too far.
He backed off. “Hey, I’m just sayin’. I asked a simple question and no one wants to answer me. So they either don’t know or they’re too freaked out to tell me.”
The Chihuahua stared at Sam for a few moments. “There are many claws. And many stories.”
“Which story do you believe?”
“According to the oldest of legends, the gryphon’s claw rests in the possession of the Guardians.”
“The who?” Sam asked.
“An honored group of magical warriors who are sworn to protect the claw with their lives. If the tales are true, they are the most formidable force on earth.”
“Where are they? Where can we find them?”
“You don’t find them. Those who have sought out the Guardians have never returned,” the cynocephalus said. “We do not speak of such things. Phylassos would not approve.”
Sam attempted to follow up, but the Chihuahua walked off. A moment later, Chriscanis climbed into the driver’s seat of the jeep and Vance approached the passenger side.
“Listen, Sam. Chriscanis is going to take you to another dvergen subway and then escort you home.”
Sam was surprised to hear that word. “Home?” he asked with a mix of shock and dismay.
“I am glad to have met you, Sam London. Perhaps we’ll cross paths again.” Vance continued, “You can let Nuks know he’s free to go.”
“Wait. I’m going with you,” Sam replied adamantly.
“No, you’re not. It’s too dangerous. I’ve already put you in harm’s way enough.”
“But I have to go. I’m the one who saw the gryphon, remember?” Sam protested. “He picked me for a reason. Carl said so.”
“I’m sure he did. But where I’m going, you can’t follow. It’s that simple.”
Sam met Vance’s gaze. “You don’t understand, Dr. Vantana. I have to go. I have to see this through,” Sam pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion. “This…this might be my one thing. The thing that makes me special. I can’t give up. I have to know for sure.” Sam could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. It was as if his entire life had come down to this moment. Vance looked away.
“I’m sorry, kid,” the doctor said guiltily. He turned to walk away, escaping Sam’s disappointment. Sam bit his lip and thought hard. This couldn’t be the end of the adventure. He had to know what was so unique about him that he was the one chosen by the gryphon.
An idea began to form in his head. He was tapping into the same deviousness that had gotten him on that bus to Death Valley a few days earlier. He knew very well that what he was about to do wasn’t entirely ethical. But his desire to determine his one special trait was just too strong to ignore. He owed it to himself. He owed it to the gryphon.
“Ready for another ride in the dwarven death trap?” Chriscanis asked with a smile. Sam jumped out of the car. “Guess not,” he heard the dog-man quip.
“You’re going to seek out the Guardians,” Sam called out to Vance. The doctor froze but didn’t turn to face him.
“Who told you about them?” Vance asked.
Sam swallowed. The point of no return, he thought.
“Phylassos,” Sam replied.
Vance spun around. “You’re lyin’.”
Sam shook his head. “He told me there existed an honored group of magical warriors who protect the claw and that I needed to seek them out. He gave me a message for them. I didn’t tell Carl because I wasn’t supposed to talk about it.”
Vance marched toward Sam. “What was the messag
e?”
“I have to deliver it. In person. I promised.”
“This isn’t a game, Sam. Where I’m headed, people don’t come back. You could die. Do you understand that?” Vance asked sternly.
“I understand,” Sam responded. Vance didn’t like this one bit. Sam could tell by the way he grimaced and loudly sighed every few seconds. The doctor seemed to be having quite the vigorous internal debate.
“If you’re lyin’ to me…,” Vance started. At that point, Sam knew he had him.
“I have to go,” Sam asserted. “You know I do.”
Vance paused for a moment and then muttered something that sounded like “Come on,” in a defeated tone.
As they walked back toward Smoo Cave, they heard a voice call out, “Wait up!” Chriscanis ran to join them.
“Oh no. Heck no. Not you too,” Vance declared.
“If the human child gets to go, I get to go,” Chriscanis replied defiantly.
Vance was exasperated. “I am not responsible when we all die, are we clear?” he said bluntly.
“No worries, mate. If we’re dead, we won’t be able to blame you,” Chriscanis remarked with a grin. He nudged Sam. “I love a good field trip. Especially ones that’ll likely prove fatal.”
* * *
SL001-180-60
FD-11
DATE: ********
Art teacher and single mom Odette London wasn’t sure who the boy was who had returned from the hospital in Bakersfield, California, but she was certain he was not her son. He was her new and dramatically improved son. Ever since the fiasco in Death Valley that had left several cars totaled and a “lucky” gas station in charred ruins, Ettie had noticed a distinct change in Sam’s behavior—a change for the better. The first and most welcome example of Sam’s transformation was his exceedingly affectionate nature. When Ettie dropped Sam off at school before the accident, a simple hug or—God forbid—kiss on the cheek would be met with impassioned protests and embarrassed whines of “Mom!” But since their return from Bakersfield, Sam refused to get out of the car or even open the door without a proper kiss and hug. She could even spot him in the rearview mirror standing on the curb and waving as she drove away.
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