Silverfeather Keep

[Gingy]

Post moar!!!

I wannna know what happens next

[Feathers]

=D *discovers and bookmarks* I don't have time to read this now, but...project for tomorrow! *huggleglomp*

[Chuckeh]

Wow, I want more!

[NepetaLeijon]

Moar Pleez!
This is getting exciting, makes me want to draw it if I weren't so terrible at drawing people.

[Ricansea]

ohmigosh readers! Thanks, guys!!!!!

Chapter 5 will be up tomorrow, I hope you like it! *buckles down to write*

And silver, draw anything you like if you wanna! I'll toss you stuff for it X3

[Munin]

I really like what you have written so far, especially because you take the time to insert some "filler" episodes that give your characters more time to develop and have a nice mix of serious story telling and humor. I´m also absolutely happy Talvi found a place in this story, he really comes to life through it.

There is only one thing that bothers me about the story at the moment.. it only has 4 chapters so far ;P

[Ricansea]

Thank you, Munin! And an extra bucket of thanks for giving me Talvi in the first place

~
and sorry for the wait, everyone! My computer was checked into the computer ER today... I'm currently at a stinky library and I don't have my stuff saved on a USB. :'( but when I get it back (supposedly tomorrow!) You'll have a hopefully fresh and exciting chapter to read!

[Ricansea]

Phew! After much blood, sweat, and tears *cough*not really *cough*, here is Chapter 5!

Chapter 5

~*~

The castle had disappeared; it was completely engulfed in a black fog. Tentacle-like coils of smoke darted out from the mass, lashing out at the magi surrounding it like a deranged mutant kraken. Though the fog covering the castle was black and opaque, the tentacles were lit by a strange whitish inner light. Multicolored beams of energy lanced towards the fog at every side, but I could see no return fire. Magis darted to and fro, but there was no enemy running between them; it was a single united front against the fog.

My gaze was wrenched away from the battle below us as Arje panicked and tried to bolt. He rocketed upwards towards the hazy layer blanketing the scene; seconds later we were nearly thrown off as Arje collided painfully with the barrier. It was as though he’d try to charge a brick wall, not a cloud. I knew air magis could temporarily harden the air around them, but this was something else… not even Thane could do something of this magnitude. I tried to control my unbridled panic as Arjeyoun desperately slashed at the impossibly solid wall with his claws, to no avail. It seemed beings could enter but could not leave… We were trapped!

Left with no escape route, Arje swooped downward, looking for a safe place to land. With two people on his back, he couldn’t fight properly in the air; I knew that safely on the ground with no passengers, he would be a formidable foe.

Talvi squirmed about in my cloak, but I kept it firmly fastened and didn’t let him look out. Talon was flying inches above my shoulder, keeping as close to Arje as he could. But then Arje stopped diving and climbed upwards again, budging up as close to the smoky haze as he could. Confused, I peered downward, wondering what had changed Arje’s course.

Nothing appeared to have changed. As before, the magis of the Keep were shooting bolt after bolt of energy into the fog. It didn’t seem to be doing much; though every manner of spell was being thrown at it, I could see damage being done. Most just disappeared, and the few that penetrated seemed to rebound. Even as I watched, a particularly potent fire spell bounced back at the magi, singing several cloaks and setting a great swath of grass on fire.

The fire continued to burn, and the magi were much too busy to put it out. I watched the flames, expecting an ice phoenix to soar over and take care of it; but none came. In fact, there was something distinctly strange about the battlefield… I could not see a single creature attacking with them, not one. It made no sense – the creatures of the Keep were not such cowards. Though the creatures kept inside the castle were surely having a tough time of it, scores slept outside. I myself had several hundred gryphons who called my Keep home – they’d been outside when I’d left. Why weren’t they helping??

“Go check on the other gryphs, Arje. Keep as high as you can.”

He did so immediately, his wingtips brushing the smoke with every beat. I was quite glad that the spell-fog above us was apparently defensive only – we had not yet been attacked by it. And a good thing, too – we were so close, it could have overpowered us in seconds. I didn’t feel comfortable with the proximity, but what choice did we have?

Arje reached my side of the keep within a matter of minutes, and I gasped involuntarily as Arje let out a screech. I’d kept my gryphons and other creatures in a vast screened enclosure – it wasn’t to keep them in, but rather to keep others out. We’d spent months on it, making it as sturdy as possible so even the young ones could sleep without fear. But it clearly wasn’t as sturdy as we’d thought… the enclosure was empty, the magically-reinforced screens ripped to bits and scattered about. The walls had toppled over and had gaping holes in them. There was not a single creature left… not one.

Arje started to dive downwards, but I yanked hard on his feathers, pulling his head up and leveling him out. “No!” I shouted to him as he fought my grip. “Do you want to end up like them? Stay up!” His slick feathers slipped about in my hands as he struggled; I accidentally pulled out a few before he shook himself roughly and leveled out, barreling upwards again to regain the height we’d lost. Despite my words to Arje, I didn’t want to believe that something had happened to my creatures. I desperately hoped they were just inside the castle somewhere, trapped but alive. I had to believe that, or I would lose it right then and there.

The silvery light of the moon threw the wreckage into sharp relief, also revealing the twisted remains of other enclosures, destroyed and empty just like mine. I forced myself to look up and away, feeling unusually potent magic coursing down my arms. It would do no good to attack, as much as I wanted to – but the anger and need for revenge was surprisingly hard to resist. Nevertheless, whatever was attacking the Keep was clearly aimed after our creatures, our friends and companions. They hadn’t noticed us yet, and I wanted to keep it that way.

“Why aren’t we helping?”

The terse voice came from Sorras, who’d I’d almost forgotten. A chill ran down my spine at the venom in his voice.

“Call me a coward,” I hissed, “But doesn’t it strike you as strange there isn’t a single creature down there? I don’t want to risk Arje or Talon!”

Arje didn’t seem to like that very much and loosed a hoarse roar, fighting my grip as I laced my fingers though his feathers again. Sorras snapped, “Then attack from up here!! Would you prefer to sit and watch as your friends get slaughtered?” Before I could reply or stop him, he shot a crackling orb of energy from his hands, the bright obsidian shine of his magic heading straight for the heart of the fog.

It quickly disappeared below the roiling mass, making no damage that I could see. Sorras quickly shot another, then two more. Still nothing. With a shout of fury, he snatched his arm out of my restraining grip and attacked with a pulsing globe of energy, stronger and larger than I’d ever seen him cast. We both watched as this, too, disappeared beneath the smoke.

At first there was nothing, and then an enormous crack was heard, sounding like steel on stone. Seconds later a grey mass appeared from inside the fog, falling quickly towards the ground. I nearly screamed as I saw a spire – a tower was falling. Instead of rebounding like all the others, Sorras’s had made it through… and had done nothing but hit the castle. We both watched with horror as the enormous turret plummeted towards the scattering magi. From our great height, we could not perform the delicate spell needed to stop the fall… we were helpless.

~*~


All will be explained soon, I promise. It feels so good to have a working computer and be able to type again!

[Gingy]

More more more! Yay new chapters finally ^^

[Lunaheart]

I really like this very much. I adore Talvi and Talin. I would like to see Sorras' character develope more and I really want to know what happens next