Memories of the Reaper

Chapter Thirteen

Derek Grey couldn't keep up with the reapers.

Over the seventh hill, he was losing speed and falling even farther behind the others. He clutched his stake and bag in his hands and the weight was just heavy enough to keep him grounded in his thoughts.

The fledgling tried to remember the last time he had run across any hills. He couldn't recall a point in the last year that he had gone for a run. Or a workout.

A gut instinct told him that he would get into shape whether he wanted to or not.

As the sun drifted down from the sky and kissed the landscape, the water melded into the orb of light, crystallizing like glass at the edge.

At its edge, Reynold waited for him.

Shaking off the surprise, he sprinted to meet the reaper at the base of the pooling water. The sound of the waterfall increased in magnitude as he approached, and the spraying mist collected in his hair. He stopped at the lagoon's edge, collecting his breath and admiring the beauty of the falls before realizing its strangeness.

For all of its beauty, there were no creatures at the waterfalls.

"Hey, Reynold... Why is this place so deserted?"

The reaper raised an eyebrow at him as if not understanding the question. "Deserted?"

"Why is nobody else here?" Derek asked him again, straining his voice to be heard over the waterfall. "It's just so breathtaking. So, why aren't there any tourists?"

"Few people venture this close to Elysium... Most of the natives in this area fear the Falls."

"Why? What are they afraid of?" Derek asked, looking around for some unseen predator.

"Do you remember Jasper?" Reynold asked.

"The gryphon that tried to kill me?" Derek asked as the answer dawned on him. "Oh, please don't tell me that thing lives here!"

"The gryphons watch and control the perimeter of Elysium—these Falls are the northern boundary of our land," Reynold told him.

"You said gryphons. As in, plural? It's got friends?!" Derek asked. He tensed up, looking over his shoulders as if expecting the creature to be there.

"She and five others," Reynold told him, his expression souring. "Do not refer to them as it. They find it disrespectful. Female gryphons are not to be taken lightly." He raised his chin. Derek glanced up and saw a silhouette prowling at the top of the falls. It's watching me, he thought, shuddering.

Reynold put a hand to his mouth and let loose an ear-ringing whistle. A silhouette burst into the sunlight, magnificent in the rays of the dying sun. It beat its wings before diving toward them in a corkscrew pattern.

Shit, Derek thought, swallowing the bile that threatened to rise in his mouth.

"Don't worry, Derek. She's friendly," Reynold added.

"Friendly? That thing tried to tear me to pieces last time I saw her!" Derek whispered harshly to Reynold. He pointed at the stake that was still in his hand. "This... This is what I stabbed it with!"

"Since you have beaten her in combat and spared her life, Jasper will treat you as an equal—as will the others. She respects you now. However, you must be careful. Trust and respect work both ways. Disrespect them and they will kill you."

"That's reassuring," Derek growled, refusing to take his eyes off of the beast.

The gryphon landed at the reaper's side, flapping its wings to keep from crashing into the dark soil. The wind blew Reynold's hair backward, leaving Derek envious. The reaper scratched Jasper's head, and in turn, she nuzzled the Lord of Life.