Chapter 8: Returning Griffins

I was relaxing at my table in the Grinning Cat as Dragon stretched out with a full belly. Griffin and the drakes were stuffed and laying on top of each other. I was watching Teresa with several young street children. Her miniatures had the group mesmerized as she told the proud owners of several new miniatures how to handle them.

I sighed and glanced at the door as Jasmine walked in with Silver. The other patrons in the room continued to talk or watch the tiny magical creatures as they crossed to my table. I took Jasmine’s hand as she sat beside me and Silver chuckled, “That is the tenth set you bought and just gave away.”

I looked at the children, “It was worth it.”

I turned at the soft song that started above the fireplace and smiled at the pair of phoenixes. I looked at Silver, “I thought you were working on some fancy spell?”

He frowned, “It did not work.”

I waited and he shrugged, “I need a few more things.”

I smiled and glanced at the children. Jasmine put her head on my shoulder, “Wishful thinking?”

I smiled and turned my head to look at her, “Yes.”

She grinned, “I can help with that.”

Silver cleared his throat and I looked at him, “Do not tell me you want me to find your spell ingredients.”

He smiled, “No. I do need you to ste ... acquire something though.”

I grinned as Jasmine snorted, “What?”

Silver glanced around and leaned towards me, “Do you know merchant Cartier?”

I looked at him and frowned, “Everyone in the city knows merchant Cartier.”

He nodded and glanced around, “He recently brought back several artifacts from the east. One is a large carved box about six feet long and four feet wide.”

I shook my head, “I do not steal bodies.”

He smiled as Jasmine snorted, “It is not a body. He has not found a way to open the chest which is a good thing for him. Inside the box is another box roughly two feet by two feet.”

I shook my head, “Six by four by two and it only has a box two by two in it? That does not sound right.”

Jasmine grinned, “Because it is not. The rest of the box is filled with spirit gems.”

I grinned, “That sounds promising.”

Silver waved his hand, “The gems are not important, the other box is.”

He looked around and leaned forward, “It has two real griffin eggs in it.”

I looked at him, “Dead?”

He shook his head and I sighed, “What are you going to do with them?”

Jasmine sighed, “Griffins were hunted until they were all killed.”

Silver nodded and smiled, “I am going to make them smaller so they will not be a threat.”

I sat back, “How much smaller?”

He looked under the table at the two cats sleeping there, “As small as your cats.”

I glanced down at Sapphire and Emerald and smiled, “And what are you going to pay me?”

Silver frowned and sat back, “What do you want?”

I shrugged and then grinned, “A bag that is bigger inside than outside.”

Jasmine laughed and bumped me, “Let me guess, before you do the job.”

Silver looked at her and she grinned, “The gems?”

He blinked and then grinned, “I do have an old case you could use.”

I thought about it and finally nodded, “I will need the case before it gets dark.”

I looked at Jasmine, “Now about helping me...”

I shifted the large pack with mostly just the case before nodding to Dragon. She, Griffin and the drakes flew into the darkness as I carefully walked across the narrow plank. I had started on a new warehouse and moved to an old abandoned one and now I was crossing to merchant Cartier’s.

He had men walking around the warehouse constantly so I was using the rooftops. I silently moved towards the back, ignoring the many clear skylights. I knew a canny man like Cartier would not leave a tempting artifact out in the warehouse. I stopped and knelt beside the only vent house and began working.

Several minutes later I was setting the vent screen on the roof. I pulled the pack off before pulling the light rope ladder out. I unrolled it down the shaft and secured the two clawed hooks to each side of the vent house. I pulled out the short rope that was fastened to the pack and lowered the pack after hooking it to my belt.

I slipped into the narrow vent and silently climbed down into darkness. It was a long way down before I stepped off the ladder at the bottom of the vent. There was a slight glow from the inner vent slats. I knelt and looked through each before pulling a small tool out. It took a little longer but I finally pushed the vent screen out and quietly laid it on the floor.

There was a iron money chest to one side and the large carved chest in the middle of the room. I opened my pack and pulled out the case. I picked the lock on the money chest and opened it. I sorted through the stacks of coins and took all the gold. I finally turned to the long chest like box, Silver had explained how to safely open it.

The feeling I got when I slipped the lid to the side and carefully set it down was eerie. It was like there was someone there watching me. I looked at the thousands of the large fist sized spirit gems to see ghostly images of griffins looking back at me. I hesitated before starting to remove the gems and set them in the case.

I was almost surprised when all they all fit. I pulled the large silk bag I was carrying out and lifted the smaller box. I slipped it into the bag and tied the top before putting the case back in my pack. I put my pack back in the vent shaft and then the silk bag. I replaced the lid on the chest before moving into the vent.

I pulled the screen closed and began the task of replacing the bolts that held it. Next I tied the short rope to my belt and secured the bag and pack. The climb up was slower because I had to make sure the pack and bag did not bang around. On the roof I closed and secured the vent screen before silently making my way towards the board I had left.

I set the box down and pushed the board across before picking up the box and crossing. I pulled the board back and picked up the box again. I slowly made my way to the new warehouse that was empty. It was easy to lower the box down into the dark warehouse and follow it. I slipped out a side door and moved through the shadows as I made my way home.

Dragon dropped onto my shoulder before I had gone a block. The others swirled around me before flying ahead. I came in my back door and set the small box on the kitchen table before removing the pack. I woke to Jasmine shaking me and opened my eyes. She smiled and pulled on me and I moved Dragon and Griffin off my chest.

I climbed out of bed, “You are up early.”

She grinned and led me into the kitchen, “Did you know the spirit gems hold the spirits of griffins?”

I nodded as I crossed to the stove and hopefully hot water, “Yes.”

I made tea and went to sit at the table, “I saw them last night.”

She kept looking into the bag before looking at me and I finally sighed, “What?”

She nodded to the box for her father, “Now that I have felt real griffins I could used the spirit gems to ... create real griffins like the ones my father wants.”

I smiled, “You want the gems.”

She nodded and I sipped my hot tea. She slipped into my lap, “Please? It would make bringing the griffins back easier.”

I held her on my lap, “And what are you going to give me?”

Jasmine wiggled and kissed me and I sighed, “Okay but make sure they hatch out of the city.”

She slipped off my lap and grinned as she grabbed the bag and headed towards her workroom. I watched her and then called after her, “I want the bag back!”

I finished my tea and took the box before heading for Silver’s shop. I went in through the kitchen and glanced towards the hall before setting the box on the table. I glanced at Dragon, Griffin and the drakes as they swooped in from the open window. Dragon scolded me as she landed on my shoulder and folded her wings.

I grinned and scratched under her chin before going to start water for tea. I was sitting in the study reading with Dragon, Griffin and the drakes draped over me when Silver walked in. The merchant Cartier was with him and snorted, “How can he read with them all over him?”

I looked up and smiled as I caressed the drake draped on my left forearm and wrist. Silver crossed to sit in the other chair, “I told you your storeroom was not safe.”

I looked at him as Cartier sighed, “Fine but did he have to take all the gems?”

I closed the book I had been reading and looked at Silver, “It better be good.”

He nodded, “Cartier came to me as soon as he came back. He told me what he had found and I knew what was inside.”

Silver looked at Cartier, “The gems were worthless.”

Cartier snorted, “I could have sold them.”

I smiled, “I had to surrender them to a higher power.”

They looked at me and then Silver grinned, “My daughter.”

I nodded and sighed and he laughed. I shrugged, “The spirits inside the gems were griffin. She is going to make bodies and return the spirits.”

Silver sat up as Cartier looked at him, “What is she going to use to...”

I raised an eyebrow and he waved, “Never mind.”

He looked at Cartier, “Ask him.”

I looked at Cartier and he shrugged, “There was a map that came with the boxes. The legend says there is a vault here in the city below the broken mage tower.”

I held out my hand, “The map?”

He pulled it out of his shirt and handed it to me. I unrolled it and Dragon moved to lean against my head as she looked with me. I traced the hallway in the tower, “These ways are collapsed with a lot of rubble.”

Dragon made a purring chirp and the drake on my arm lifted its head to look before moving onto my hand and reaching a paw out to touch a spot on the map. I looked at what they were showing me to see a air shaft for the lower floors, “Maybe.”