Chronicles of Yugure: Plummeting into Uncharted Depths

Day Twenty-Two

"What's so special about this book of yours?" Hotaru pipes up after seeming completely uninterested in our talk. He hops down from his perch and wanders a few steps closer to us and lies back down again.

"'Tis m'journal that I've been writing in. It has just 'bout every species cataloged by the gryphon society including new species that I've been studying along the way. The League of Mist wish to use it 'gainst the inhabitants of Yugure as they plow through the realms, conquering them. This cannot get into their hands," I say, waving the book with emphasis. Hotaru's blazing eyes watch the book carefully as I hold it.

"Then why not burn it? Wouldn't that save everyone a whole bunch of trouble?" Hot looks at me contemptuously, playing with a rock.

A sigh. That would be the end of my troubles, for now at least. "B'cause, there is information 'bout the Mist in here as well. Wolfwyres, shadones-they're all in here right along with the rest of the creatures of Yugure. B'sides, a lot of this info can be found right in the gryphon archives."

"And you mean to tell me that the Mist hasn't figured this out yet?"

I shake my head in reply. "I'm 'fraid that the gryphon absence in Yugure's culture the past few hundred years has left a toll on the realms. Not many creatures remember who we are and what we can contribute to the world. The Mist probably doesn't know one iota 'bout the First Realm."

"So, what is your plan after - if - you escape?" Hotaru inquires.

I yawn, stretching out my hind legs and let my hands grasp for air as my arms reach ahead of me. "Head to the Spires and find the one Lady Asha sent me to find. Unfortunately, she gave me no name. I just hope they know I am coming." I say with uncertainty. I haven't thought that far ahead, to be quite honest. With no name, I'll be wandering the Spires aimlessly looking for a phantom.

"Pfft, well that seems like a solid plan," the lava dragon says sarcastically.

I go to reply but he wanders off toward the tunnel exit out of his domain. "Hey, where are ye going?" I call out to him. He waves his hand violently at me to be quiet and he hastens out. I feel as if I should follow him, but before I can go out something comes back in. A bright orange dragon is thrown out of the mouth of the tunnel and lands a few feet away from me. It's Milah.

"You!" I cry out in agony. This is the first time my good judging of character was ever wrong, and now I'm stuck in a pit for my mistake. The traitor jumps up in surprise to see Sendaar and I standing together in this unpredicted scenario.

Hotaru circles up from behind him, like an animal hunting its prey. Milah falls to his knees, "Please, you must hear me out. I had no choice. There were innocent lives at stake. My neighbors, my friends, they were going to use them as carriers- breeding partners to their dastardly genetics program! I couldn't say no to them. I know now that it was the wrong thing to do, but that's why I'm here. Please, you must believe me, sonny. I'm here to break you out."

We all look in shock as Milah explains what has all went down since they hired, so to speak, the palm dragon and what they've been up to. Milah explains in depth the plans to enslave the larger species of the realms into their breeding program, making their captives into what Milah says they call carriers. Females will be taken from their homes and bred in a barbaric fashion with the wolfwyres to produce unholy offspring which the Mist will use as their army. I am starting to gain back the faith I had in the palm dragon, but my past experience has made me wary of him. Sendaar seems rather indifferent to the creature; he is just happy to hear this escape plan. Hotaru puffs a cloud of smoke from his mouth, probably eager to get the three of us out of his mane.

"So we'll look like your prisoners, being taken to see the general in command?"

"And we'll all walk right out."