But right now Daku was priority number one. They walked along the waterfall for a hundred yards before turning left on a barely used and easily missed game trail. It went twenty yards deep before opening to a small, very small clearing. It was maybe twenty feet wide and a dead end. Fresh grass and moisture gave the area a mind calming sense of clarity and the rushing water was barely a trickle in the dense forest.
In the center were three exquisite wooden carvings standing. One did on its own while a second required a stand. The one on the right was a male griffin standing tall and proud, its wings up and outstretched, all four feet firmly locked and bunched. Beside it was a sleek and sensual female with her wings tucked. Her fur wasn’t as long as the male’s and she didn’t have the bulkiness the male, nor the obvious scrotum and phallus, but a very adorable flower. The detail of the four foot tall griffins were nearly lifelike. Beside the demure female was what looked like a smooth teardrop falling. It was three feet long, fatter and rounder at the base while it narrowed almost to a point on its top.
Daku sat beside the figures and said “Cage, when you were taken I was justly angry and when I had had enough of the dragons and your flock, I needed time alone. I believed you would most certainly return, but it was difficult to face anyone, especially the three of you.” He said to the women and placed a furry hand on the carving. “But in the event I were to die I left a message beneath my nest Ananna occupied as we departed. In it were directions to this place. My distraction was to leave behind something.
“Griffins are not like humans or dragons. We lived simple lives. We flew on the wind. Ate and slept as we saw fit. Made love, had cubs and relished battle. We had no need to leave behind objects or required the need to build monuments. Few were artisans in the flock. My ice palace was the only building meant for the white kings and queens, till I tore it down. But because we made nothing, we were easily forgotten in humans. Only recently have I been remembered, but I am alone. There is no denying that.
“I came here to be alone and carved these with my claws.” Daku chirped. “I had time and it eased my anger. And if I were lost I wanted to offer these to be remembered. I sculpted this after me, the female after what most appeared.”
“But what about the drop of water?” Meeka asked. “It is beautiful…”
“No, it is not water at all. This is in fact what a griffin egg looks like. No other species had an egg quite like ours. It is unique for certain. The shells are harder than a dragons’ egg, but unlike a dragons’, a griffin’s egg can last many… many millennia before hatching under the right conditions and be as healthy as ever. I wanted to give this as a memory so everyone could see what my kind looked like as well as an actual representation of our eggs. But its size is deceiving for when a cub breaks out, it will be no larger than a newborn kitten a housecat might birth. The cub will have all the memories of his or her ancestors already, but will not understand or grow their own personality for a year. We mature faster than any other species… Cage, what is that look for.” Daku asked when he felt a disturbing shift through their bond.
Cage’s head was tilted and his eyes narrowed, but it was clear he wasn’t looking outwards, but thinking. “I’m having the strangest sense of déjà vu… uh, I mean it’s like I know something, but I can’t quite remember. That smooth carving of an egg… I get the feeling I’ve seen it somewhere or something of the like.”
“Explain.” Daku said curiously and took a few steps closer.
“That’s the thing, I don’t know how to. It’s like when you want to say something and it’s right on the tip of your tongue and you know it’s somehow important, but then it is suddenly gone. That is what I’m telling you. Give me awhile to think, I know it’ll come back to me.” Cage shook his head.
“I understand.” Daku said. “It happens often to everyone, especially as you grow older. Much of the mundane is forgotten and when you want to recall it, it is gone. So, what do you all think?”
“They are exquisite.” Meeks said as she knelt. “You say you did all this with your talons?” the griffin nodded. “You do have talent in this. They are beautiful. What did you do with all the shavings?”
“The larger pieces were what I brought back to our nest. The rest I simply threw aside.”
“How would you feel if I sat the pair outside the front door and put the egg out on the railing of the bridge that crosses the waterfall?” Cage offered.
“Cage Love, can you make it so they do not rot or stain. They are so beautiful.” Brooke said.
“Give me awhile to think on it.”
“Do what you will.” Daku said. “I am going to see Rena and spend the night with her. You four have a great night. I will return at first light to continue training.” He got a few hugs and a pat before raining down a few sticks as he shot through the trees above.
“I will go begin dinner.” Tohka said and gave a quick kiss to her loves while Cage lifted the pair of griffins and Brooke, the egg.
And so the days progressed. Spring came in faster and faster and now the whole forest was thrumming with life once again. Trees were no longer weighed down by snow though frost still coated the mountain for a few hours each morning. More and more flowers bloomed and made the paradise below their home as beautiful as ever. Birds returned to their southern home, some much younger that had been hatched in the more northern tropical climates of the Laqura Empire. At night wolves could be heard howling at the large moon. Meeka had a hard time keeping caterpillars from eating her medicinal herbs till she finally spoke with her man and not long after did her herbs flourish without devastating insects. The nondestructive ones were allowed to come and go from her crops as they willed.
On the fourth day of training did Cage finally master the very first page and the very precise movements. Only years of dedicated study in martial arts and a natural talent make such possible. Cage knew he got it right when it all felt as easy as breathing. Daku said nothing, but the look in his eye spoke volumes. The next page required the use of a sword and Ghosts Bane finally got some use after a long time trapped and useless. The task required very precise movements, much more then the first page’s sequence, but the sword technique wasn’t offensive. The delicate dance, if used against an enemy was meant a distraction for in the left hand allowed the buildup of energy that when connected by a punch had completely destroyed a pine tree when it was selected. The sight of a huge tree being blown up from too much mana was a sight to behold. Without the first page’s movements and techniques, Cage knew right away a mistake could cost the wielder of the very power being used a great deal of harm. It made him giddy.
Sean also progressed with his new spear and fought against his dad with it and made him proud by not following through by attempting any deadly mistakes. Besides close range combat, Cage made up a wooden dummy and taught Sean the proper way to throw the weapon since it was used for both and the boy enjoyed the spell that with the simple word of “Return to my hand.” the spear always returned to its master to be used over and over without the need to waste energy by walking back and forth all morning long.
Rena spent some time home on the fifth day and showed off her new colt, a young chestnut male who followed his mother loyally. Elder Shania was the mare’s owner and therefore accompanied the very young priestess and spent the day with the four Utala protectors.
Ananna finally was no longer shy with her new parent and sometimes eagerly sought him out to be carried, but none was near her favorite to cuddle with than Daku, which he too obviously enjoyed. When not observing training the ancient king played with the children. Usually getting in trouble or playing dirtying tricks which required baths. It was his favorite time of day and he would never want anything more than to be with them. He loved children and telling stories.
Many hours of exquisite lovemaking came at every convenience. None felt they were left out or got more than the other. Many times they made love outside together, under the sun where it was warm and open. Sometimes even
under the stars so long as they brought a fire outside. Tohka though finally found herself no longer needing to be aroused for a quarter hour just to take her man to the hilt and celebrated the accomplishment over and over again. For fun, Cage would silently surprise them when they were busy and they enjoyed his surprises and sometimes returned the favor.
They had so much sex they were all raw, needing a different way to be together without joining and so to keep their skills honed and deadly they fought against him. Brooke was a dancing destroyer and by far the most offensively aggressive. Her polished tomahawks flipped around her smoothly from years of practice or twirled around her wrists while hacking away or was used as a distraction for a powerful kick by her long legs. Meeka became more deadly now that she used two daggers instead of one, hers and her fallen brother’s. Her own knife handling skills had improved considerably and natural flexibility only a woman has was a lethal combination. It made him proud at how far she had advanced since their initial encounter. Although not a fighter, Tohka wasn’t helpless at all. She knew her knife as well as her artfully tattooed body though she was defensive in her methods.
Together they all assaulted their man and it was child’s play for him now. Instead of strictly act and react, he could plan. His new mind easily dodged all their blows and allowed him to always come out unscathed. The ascension didn’t make him think or react any faster than before, but he could process a tremendous amount more. There was almost no challenge to it anymore till he made it so by doing the most complex ideas that popped into his head.
After that first fight, Daku made a challenge and proved he had been holding way back in all their previous sparring sessions. Daku’s speed doubled and his strength did as well. Cage laughed as they pummeled each other to a bloody mess. The first challenge lasted maybe a minute, but it was amazingly brutal. Cage lost his entire right pectoral muscle from a sharp beak that bit down and the razor thin edges peeled the flesh like a sharp knife through a ripe banana. Daku though ended up with a broken wing and a missing eye. They laughed together while it took only a few seconds of healing to be whole once more.
The current house was large, but not large enough for his current needs so he began growing and expanding his home and within a day it doubled in size. Several more small crystals were safely trapped in the walls to better protect Cage’s interests both connected to the island’s wards and separate at the same time. His office alone was much freer to walk around, but with the new girth of his home he had enough space to grow an entire new room adjacent to his spacious study that to access it one must know the phrase only he guarded. Up on the second floor, two more luxurious rooms were also added. The family especially loved the extra space and storage capacity. Beneath the now monstrous home Cage made the ground much denser, actually fortifying the entire cliff. An inch or two might have been lost in the process, but it would be much safer and natural erosion would find it practically impossible to do any damage. The cliff remained as natural as it always had, rough and impressive, but on the surface he left four feet of loose soil for plants to still grow though the tree’s roots anchored deep underground.
In the new special room Cage made he took out all the weapons from the Stronghold. Late on the sixth night, when no one was about, except for one of the soldier dragons who watched over the island, Cage summoned all the shields he teleported away since they couldn’t be fitted inside his pocket. The hundred thin and extremely sturdy shields came from a secret place off island since they couldn’t be sent directly through the wards right away. He snuck back in with his new treasures and went right home while levitating them. Once inside the safety of his own home, Cage went right to his weapons room and hung all the shields around while all the other weapons leaned on racks. Each weapon was already marked with the symbol of the warlock. Infinity. Some were bold and on others you had to hunt, but each one had the mark. Now that he had the time he counted each weapon and shield, setting aside just a few for personal reasons. Rena’s rapier and something wicked for Tohka. And as he removed each prize from his ancestors he dedicated a small part of his consciousness into spelling all the top quality crystals with wards. Each took about fifteen minutes apiece though there were over five hundred individual items. It sure made life more active now that he could do so many things at the same time without being overwhelmed.
Also, Meeka let Cage modify Nolan’s dagger just like hers, folding it magically over fifty times to strengthen it and mold it to an identical match of hers. Tohka likewise wanted her dagger folded and shiny like a mirror, but asked if he could give it another inch in the blade’s length while thinning it, which took no time at all.
Megdline kept far away when Cage trained from the manual, but when he wasn’t training or spending time with his family she came with periodic updates. Apparently after the revelation with the rainbow scaled dragons’ latest prophecy to unite, much tension resulted between the five colonies and Twilight. A new first class sorcerer has been selected two weeks prior to Cage’s escape and replaced Raul and seems to have been instrumental to forging negotiations between human and dragon. All Megdline learned from Zikon is that thousands of years of separation weren’t banished in a day. Many of the eldest dragons especially have a difficult time combining forces with a younger race that hasn’t evolved to use magic as a whole, which has been against Draconian law for billions of years. All she knew and explained was Zikon said they were waiting for something before all dragon colonies made a final decision. Whatever is being negotiated would settle matters for good or for continued separation. Only time would tell.
And for a surprise, the three beauties held a small family celebration. It was around this time that Cage arrived on Raliea and they felt that his coming marked a day of new birth and made it his twenty ninth birthday and filled it with song, dance, retelling of their favorite stories of him and much more loving. Sean had been practicing with his ocarina and became rather skilled, and his dad played too when Meeka gladly found a great song that would be perfect for the music and her perfect soprano voice was wonderful. Meeka and Tohka danced and the fun of the day didn’t once weaken their smiles.
On the morning of the seventh day after Cage’s return Brooke walked upstairs and opened their bedroom door to find Meeka softly singing with Tohka’s head using her woman’s soft lap as a pillow. Meeka stroked Tohka’s long, silky hair while they enjoyed each other’s company. Upon Brooke’s entrance the pair smiled happily and it was returned. “It seems our reprieve is at an end. Cage and Daku are waiting for us downstairs. We’ve got company again. Our new friends and five new dragons we’ve not met, but Mox Shadowscales is there too.”
Tohka sighed as she sat up. “It was so wonderful while it lasted, right my loves?” Meeka and Brooke snickered. “Before more endless days of questions I need to go brush my teeth. Meeka Love, can you weave my hair again?”
“Only if you do mine too.”
“Deal.”
They walked into the bathroom together and Tohka finally liked the toothbrush and minty flavor of the paste. It took no time at all to be accustomed to the fast vibrations the bristles spin at when one squeezes the handle. As she cleaned her teeth and ridded morning breath she felt her hair being tugged and wrapped tightly into a thick braid. She spat the tiny bubbles out and said “Ah, much better.”
Meeka hummed until she finished and switched places. She brushed her teeth as her golden mane was tightly wrapped.
They moved downstairs, but not till after Meeka strapped her pair of thigh sheathes to either leg to hold her daggers and strapped on her leather bracelet that protects others from her kiss and Tohka strapped on her lone thigh blade. The spacious living room was empty and silent so they walked to the front door and opened it to find Daku supporting Brooke, Sean and Ananna while Cage spoke with Megdline and Fill who they could not understand in his yowling, birdlike voice. Off in the eastern direction they spotted the tiny glittering forms of dragons standing on the beach. The pair moved closer a
nd saw Cage wearing his green robe, but it had recently been changed, something they just now noticed.
Cage now carried the white blade, Ghosts Bane, sheathed at his back in a slight diagonal angle, the hilt and round pommel sticking up just over his right shoulder. But now the pale Tiaxm leather sheathe could no longer be seen as Cage fitted it between the spider silk layers. The only part visible of the ancient treated skin was a lone inch just above the shoulder blade. It was the best location for it so it didn’t tangle in his legs if he had to run and the diagonal placement allowed for easy unsheathing by his long arm while also not interfering much if he had to move twist or dodge. Plus, if anyone somehow managed to attack from behind the durable leather would slow or even stop a slash from slicing him in half.
Tohka interrupted the conversation between him and the magic woman. “Cage Love, why do you wear your clothes?”
“Just because they are dragons I’ll not go completely unprepared. If I must fight I need some advantages since it is only me and Daku who can stand any chance. And I can’t just hold onto my sword all the time, but I’m not leaving it out of my sight either. Since I’ve fused it to my robe, all the better. For all I know, they have another place like The Deep and that many dragons might have a way to sneak past my wards that now prevent me from being sent anywhere, unless I do it myself. If I wasn’t wearing my robe back then I would have died from thirst, starvation or without the tools I keep on me. I’ll not be lax in my own home, especially when there are others as powerful as I and have more numbers.
“The only ones I trust are Ulon and Poli for they didn’t hesitate to blend our individual powers into one when we learned of the tidal wave. That one moment proved they are loyal friends. If they had hesitated for even a fraction of a second I would have not seen them as loyal.” Cage replied.
Ascension of the Warlock (Book 4 of the Death Incarnate Saga) Page 46
