Guardians of the Gryphon's Claw

by Todd Calgi Gallicano

  “That is a kapre,” she said, gesturing to a tall, dark-skinned man with a long beard. He was squatting and smoking a long pipe that emitted a thick black smoke. “They are from the same area as the aswang. Not usually aggressive, but then, perhaps it is just some of their kind.”

  “Like the cynocephali?” Sam suggested.

  Tashi nodded. “Yes, there appear to be factions within various species that are seeking to end the curse.”

  Sam spotted other bizarre creatures, including one that was part snake and part human, as well as a translucent figure with fangs and wings.

  “The yetals,” Tashi noted. “From India. They are ghastly creatures, forbidden by the gryphon to leave their dwellings.”

  As Sam scanned the crowd of fantastic beasts, his eyes stopped on one particular creature. “Vance!” Sam exclaimed. Dr. Vantana was being held toward the front of the ruins, near the stage. He was guarded by two large, angry-looking gargoyles. Sam could immediately discern that the doctor was in a weakened state. He could barely look up at them as they approached.

  “Sam…,” the doctor said in a strained, whispery voice. “I’m sorry….”

  Sam raced to Vantana and embraced him. The gargoyles growled, but Chase waved them off.

  “A family reunion of sorts,” Chase quipped. “Just like the kind you humans love, no?” he asked mockingly. “Though I am certain this reunion will end quite differently than what is customary.”

  Sam released the doctor from the hug and looked him over. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”

  “Mostly my pride, kid,” Vance replied with his best attempt at a smile. “You?”

  “I’m fine. But Chriscanis…he…”

  “Returned to Gaia,” Tashi interjected as she joined them. The doctor could see that Sam’s eyes showed the signs of recent tears.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. He was a good friend.”

  Sam looked at the ground and nodded softly.

  “Where is Dr. Knox?” Tashi inquired. “Did he escape?”

  “No…no, he didn’t,” the doctor replied solemnly. He then gestured to the stage. Sam and Tashi followed his pointed finger and froze at its target. Dr. Knox was imprisoned in an iron cage, the bars bent in as if fashioned by hand—likely the work of magic. He appeared to be unconscious and was chained by his ankle to the stone floor. Sam was horrified by the scene. He charged the stage, but was pulled back by Chase.

  “Calm yourself, child,” the cynocephalus warned.

  Sam glared at Chase with fury in his eyes. “Let him go!” he demanded.

  “I will do no such thing,” Chase responded firmly. “Miss Capiz, can you control your student, please?”

  “With pleasure,” the aswang hissed from the shadows. She emerged from the crowd and moved up behind Sam. She clutched his neck with her long, bony fingers and dragged him back to where they were holding Dr. Vantana.

  “Sam London, we meet again. And under more agreeable circumstances,” the aswang said slowly in her menacing tone. Sam shook her off and gave her a scowl, then turned to Vance.

  “What are they doing to him?” he asked.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” the aswang snarled. Sam looked at the creature with contempt.

  Dr. Vantana shrugged. “I really don’t know. They’ve had him like that since we got here.”

  “When did you arrive?” Tashi asked.

  “Two days, three, maybe more? Last I remember we were ambushed by a horde of aswang. They made a beeline right for me and only me,” the doctor revealed. “Now I reckon they wanted to use me as leverage to get Henry to surrender. I recall them threatenin’ my life and then things went a little—well, a lot black. I woke up here and saw Henry up in that cage. I don’t think he gave them what they wanted. Might be why you’re here,” the doctor said, looking at Sam.

  “Do you have any idea why Dr. Knox gave me the gryphon’s claw?” Sam inquired.

  Vance looked sideways at Sam. “Come again?”

  “The claw was in my bag when I returned home. Now Chase has it,” he explained.

  Vantana sighed. “Then it’s over. He’ll destroy the claw and end the curse once and for all. You can’t put that genie back in the bottle.”

  “But…why not just destroy it, then? Why do that to Dr. Knox?” Sam wondered. Dr. Vantana shrugged.

  “You can never explain crazy, kid.” Sam couldn’t argue with that. But he still believed there had to be a reason. Chase wouldn’t just imprison an old man in an iron cage for fun—he was evil, but he was also purposeful. If he already possessed the claw, what else would he be seeking, and how could Dr. Knox help?

  “Didn’t you say Dr. Knox could communicate with Phylassos?” Sam asked Vance, an idea forming in his head.

  The doctor nodded. “I’m pretty certain he can.”

  “Well, maybe Chase wants to summon the gryphon. Bring him here to witness the claw’s destruction,” Sam theorized. “And he thinks Dr. Knox can make that happen.”

  “Perhaps,” Tashi said. “But that would be very unwise. The gryphon is a powerful creature.”

  “And it’s not like Henry has Phylassos’s phone number,” Vantana added.

  Sam shrugged. “It’s the best theory I’ve got.”

  “Looks like we might be able to prove that theory right quick,” Vantana said, nodding toward the stage.

  The creatures in the audience were growing louder, the various vocal outbursts creating a cacophony of strange roars and animalistic calls. Chase climbed onto the stage, and with a wave of his hand silenced the gathered horde.

  “I wish to bid you all welcome,” the cynocephalus announced to another round of roars. “We have gathered in this place to witness a momentous occasion. What you and I do here and now will be remembered for the ages, for it will right an ancient wrong—a blight that has persisted through fear and trickery. I tell you this day that we have nothing more to be afraid of. From this time forward, our kind will no longer be relegated to the shadows, forced to hide our true selves. Now is when we step into the light. Are you ready, my brethren? To end the curse and kill the gryphon, once and for all?” The audience responded with their resounding cheers of approval.

  Sam looked at Dr. Vantana and Tashi, who appeared just as shocked as he was by Chase’s declaration. “Kill the gryphon?” Sam asked the two. “Is he serious?”

  Tashi calmly replied, “Even if he is, he is not capable.” Sam tried to take solace in her confident tone, but the possibility made him queasy.

  “Well, then,” Chase continued with enthusiasm, “on with the show!”

  The cynocephalus walked toward the cage that imprisoned Dr. Knox. He was lying on the floor, barely conscious.

  “It is time to expose the lie, old man,” Chase proclaimed. “Tashi, Guardian of the gryphon’s claw, step forward. Your services are required.” Tashi remained still. “Come now, Guardian. Let’s not make this difficult for you.” The two gargoyles guarding Dr. Vantana gave Tashi a shove forward. She stumbled but quickly spun around, ready for a fight. “That would be suicide.”

  “I do not fear death,” the Guardian reminded him defiantly.

  “Oh yes, I know. But you need not die now. There is no honor in that. Just hear me out,” Chase offered. Tashi eyed the cynocephalus, then stepped toward the stage. Chase gestured for her to join him. She did, cautiously. When she reached the stage, Chase smiled. “Thank you. Now I want you to use your weapon—your shekchen—on Henry Knox.” She stared at Chase, outraged by the notion.

  “I shall do no such thing. And you may do what you wish to me; I don’t—”

  “Fear death, yes. We are well aware. Oh, my dear girl, your warrior prowess cannot hide your naïveté. You don’t see the whole picture, now, do you? Your death is meaningless to me,” Chase explained. “I have no intention of harming you. After all, you are committed to giving up your life to protect the gryphon and the curse. The question is whether you are willing to give up the boy’s life as well?�
� Chase nodded to the gargoyles, one of which grabbed Sam from behind and pulled him into a tight, almost suffocating grip. The creature pressed a long, razor-sharp talon to Sam’s throat. “I’ve wondered in these last several days how the child fit into the picture, and I’m beginning to realize that you, Knox, and Vantana don’t have the foggiest idea either. So why don’t I create a reason? Do what I ask, Guardian, or Sam London dies.”

  Sam struggled against the gargoyle’s grip. The creature’s talon bore into his skin, sending a stream of blood trickling down his neck. Tashi appeared utterly helpless. She looked at Dr. Knox, then at Sam, then back at Knox.

  “Why do you insist on hurting this old man?” Tashi asked, trying to wrap her mind around the impossible situation. Chase shook his head, as if disappointed in her. He gestured for the gargoyle to continue. The creature readied its hand to slash.

  “Wait!” Dr. Henry Knox cried.

  Everyone froze.

  “Then she must do as she is told,” Chase insisted as he waved off the gargoyles.

  Dr. Knox crawled to the side of the cage. He grabbed onto one of the iron bars and spoke to the Guardian. Sam strained to hear, but it was barely a whisper. Whatever Knox did say to Tashi appeared to have an enormous impact. Sam had never seen the stoic warrior look so dumbfounded. She appeared conflicted, then resigned. Tashi touched her shekchen to the stone stage, and Sam watched as electrical energy surged through the earth and crept up the side of the stage, darting across the stone floor until it converged on the shekchen and disappeared. Sam looked at Vantana, concerned.

  “She’s not going to—” Before Sam could finish his sentence, Tashi raised the shekchen, twirled it above her head, lowered it, and touched the tip to the doctor’s frail hand. The entire surge of blue energy flowed through Knox’s body. It jolted the old man, sending him convulsing across the cage.

  “Nooooooo!” Sam screamed in horror.

  Dr. Vantana struggled against his restraints, desperate to save his mentor and friend. Sam was again overcome with emotion. His eyes had not yet recovered from the cry he’d had earlier and promptly began shedding tears. He could see Dr. Henry Knox crumpled on the ground. His seemingly lifeless body lay still. Sparks of blue energy rippled through his skin. The entire audience was on the edge of their stone seats, leaning forward in wonder and curiosity. Chase was the only creature who appeared unfazed. He caught Sam’s eye and winked. Such evil arrogance, Sam thought. Chase’s eyes shifted back to the cage and Sam followed his gaze.

  It was then that Sam London of Benicia, California, bore witness to the most startling sight anyone had ever seen. Though it was hard to believe anything could be more shocking than what he had already encountered these last several days, this moment put it all to shame.

  Dr. Henry Knox began to change. The famed scientist’s body twitched and shuddered, and then it grew. Slowly and steadily, Henry Knox expanded in size. His once-thin legs thickened and extended. His arms followed suit, lengthening and enlarging. His skin undulated before sprouting thick tan fur.

  “What in the name of Sam Hill?” Vantana uttered in disbelief.

  For a moment, Sam wondered if Dr. Knox was a tanuki. But that theory was quickly disproven when instead of fur on Knox’s chest, feathers burst from his skin. Beautiful white feathers that encircled his head and covered his face…a face that was no longer human. Knox’s nose shot forward, transforming into a majestic golden beak. Wings unfolded from Knox’s sides, hitting the sides of the cage. His hands and feet morphed into paws with sharp, curved claws. There was no denying what Sam had just seen, nor could he ignore the unbelievable conclusion: Dr. Henry Knox wasn’t just a friend of Phylassos. He was Phylassos.

  Tashi of Kustos stood on the amphitheater stage and peered down upon the frail human named Henry Knox. How could she strike this defenseless old man with a deadly weapon, as Chase had demanded? A shot from a shekchen would likely kill a human being. It would surely kill one in the doctor’s weakened condition. Yet Sam’s life was of paramount importance—this she had learned from her meeting with the gryphon during the Age of Mortality ritual. She could not let the boy die at the hands of the gargoyle. She had to act, but how?

  The Guardian contemplated the alternatives. Her mind ticked quickly through a variety of ways she might extricate her human companions from this situation. She toyed with the idea of simply attacking and killing Chase before anyone could come to his defense. Perhaps with their leader dead, the crowd would acquiesce. Tashi worked out the scenario in her head. She would charge the shekchen and send a massive bolt of electricity into the cynocephali. As his minions prepared to retaliate, Tashi would leap forward, flipping in the air above Chase and touching down right behind him. At that precise moment, she would charge her weapon and strike the fatal blow. She was convinced this plan would work and was prepared to move forward with it when she heard Dr. Knox call out to her.

  “Tashi?” he whispered. “Come closer.” Tashi stepped toward the cage as Knox slowly pulled himself to meet her. He gazed up at the Guardian, locking eyes with her. “It is okay. I will be all right. Please…for Sam’s sake, you must.”

  “But you will not survive,” Tashi explained. “How can I choose one life over another? I can—” Tashi was poised to reveal her plan to the doctor when he said something totally unexpected.

  “Do you not remember, Guardian?” Knox began. “I warned you such a day would come. A day that you would be forced to choose between my life and the boy’s. That day is here, Tashi of Kustos. And you must choose Sam.”

  There was a twinkle in Knox’s emerald-green eyes as he revealed this. Tashi’s mouth dropped open as if in slow motion. She didn’t surprise easily, but this was certainly worth her shock. The gryphon had warned her. He cautioned her that she would have to choose, but how would Dr. Henry Knox know of this? Of course, Tashi thought. The gryphon could change shape. After all, it was by changing his shape that he was able to trick Alexander the Great and curse humanity. It was always right there in the story….Alexander gave an old man a gift—an old man he believed to be his god but was actually Phylassos. It was at that moment that Phylassos took advantage of Alexander’s folly. Namely, the often-forgotten magical rule that warns “Never give a gift to your enemy, for it can be used to gain power over you.” The gryphon used his disguise to receive the gift and curse it.

  Tashi knew the truth—a truth she should have realized years earlier. Henry Knox had visited the Guardians before. In fact, up until the day Dr. Vantana, Chriscanis, and Sam had entered the village, Henry Knox had been the only human visitor to Kustos. It made her wonder if any of her fellow Guardians knew Phylassos’s secret. Yeshe must have known, she concluded, though he never let on.

  The thought of Phylassos strolling about Kustos in human form this whole time was unnerving to the young warrior. She tried to recall any interactions she had with Dr. Knox that would have been disrespectful, given his true identity. This revelation continued to spur numerous questions. How long had Phylassos been in human form? Why had Dr. Knox disappeared? Why would Phylassos allow himself to be captured by Chase?

  Those questions and the many others swirling in her head would have to wait for answers. Tashi had an order to obey. As a Guardian of the gryphon’s claw, she could not refuse the gryphon’s wishes, no matter the cost. Tashi had to strike Phylassos with her shekchen—the very weapon he had created for the Guardians to protect him and the curse. Although she knew it wouldn’t kill the gryphon, she was unsure what sort of damage it might inflict.

  When she touched the staff to his hand and sent the charge into his body, Tashi speculated on how the earth’s energy might affect him. Energy from Gaia had a way of disrupting magic. She knew this from her studies. That was why it was such an effective weapon for the Guardians. Magical creatures, no matter how powerful, were not immune from Gaia’s life force. As the charge pulsed through Knox’s body and sent him crumpling to the ground, she wondered if the energy would interfere with his disguise
and return him to his original form. Indeed it did…and in dramatic fashion. Tashi dropped the shekchen and kneeled in reverence.

  Chase had discovered the gryphon’s secret and sought to reveal his true form: to out Phylassos, once and for all. It would no doubt send the creatures in attendance into a frenzy. What then? Tashi thought. Would Chase destroy the claw? End the curse? Kill the gryphon? Whatever the cynocephalus’s plan, Tashi was running out of options. She knew the Guardians would sense the danger but doubted they would reach her in time to help rescue Phylassos or maintain the curse. She did not enjoy this feeling of helplessness. It was the second time she had experienced it—the other was when she had briefly died after healing Sam. Tashi held tightly to the hope that there was a way out of this situation—and that it would come to her in time. The question was: would it come too late?

  —

  Upon the transformation of Dr. Henry Knox into the gryphon known as Phylassos, the gargoyle holding Sam released his grip. Apparently, it was just as stunned as Sam by the revelation that the world’s foremost authority on mythical creatures was also a mythical creature himself. With the gargoyle’s talon off his throat, Sam glanced over at Dr. Vantana to catch his reaction. The top ranger of the Department of Mythical Wildlife had been weakened by his time spent as Chase’s prisoner, but at this moment he was totally alert and understandably taken aback.

  “I had no idea, kid,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “No idea.”

  “Behold!” Chase declared with a flourish of his hand. “The gryphon’s trickery laid bare. The mighty Phylassos has been masquerading as a human. The so-called King of All Magical Creatures lowered himself to that pathetic form to appease the lesser beasts.”

  Phylassos roared and pushed against the iron bars, causing them to shimmer with a silver spark. Sam recognized that spark. It was the same phenomenon he had experienced on the dvergen subway ride to England. The subway car had passed through a silvery shimmer that caused it to speed up and ultimately led them to Smoo Cave in Durness, Scotland. It meant an enchantment was being used to keep the gryphon imprisoned.