Eternal Beasts

A Light from the Vision

He wasn't sure how long he laid there, exhausted, battered, and sick. Only when cold rain from the storm that chased them out across the channel lash his unprotected body did Jared stir. Slowly at first, his body protesting every move. Then, when the enormity of his loss bit deep into his soul:

"SAAAAAM!" he screamed, exploding off the sand in a flurry of motion.

Twisting towards the column of light that blasted into the water a kilometer offshore, he frantically felt for the bond. And nearly dropped to his knees in relief when he found it still there. His griffon was still alive. Hurt, unconscious, but still alive. 'Hold on, sweetheart,' he grimly thought. 'I'm coming for you!'

With the shush of something massive moving through water, the seaweed and barnacle-encrusted bulk that had attacked them in the water came to the surface three hundred meters from shore. And, through his sensitivity to the Eternal Beasts, Jared felt its attention focus on him. It was a dank, fetid thing, a leviathan's attention. It was almost ironic that it allowed him to sense that the giant Beast hadn't been corrupted by Harbinger magic, as logic suggested.

It was just plain evil.

"Give my griffon back," the big man grated. "Or I will fucking kill you!"

Somehow sensing Jared's words even at distance, the massive Beast lifted itself out of the water to emit a defiant roar. And before he could stop himself, Jared had his sword and dirk in his hands and combined them to summon his bow. A whispered word of griffon magic and the bow lit up with golden light. Then, in a smooth motion, he knocked and drew.

Before the rider could release the arrow at the Beast, a soft voice spoke through the hissing rain.

- Jared! You must get off the beach! - the voice of the woman from the tower came into his mind to urge. - Now! -

Teeth grit in defiance, he drew the bowstring on the powerful bow back once again, staring hard through the downpour at the leviathan's bulk, the column of light in the background. So help him, he was going to ...

- Please, Jared, - the voice quietly pleaded. - I cannot bear to lose you. Not when you are almost in my arms! -

Jared growled low in his throat as he continued to state at the leviathan.

"And why should I?" he tautly asked out loud. If she could see him, then she could hear him.

And he frowned when he was met with silence. So he refocused on the Beast.

- Maker, - the voice returned without warning. - Your voice. I ... I can feel it in my chest. -

"Still waiting for that reason, lady," He pressed.

- Sorry. Getting to actually hear your voice ... so powerful and intense, I ... - the voice stammered.

"And?" he hissed.

- Right. My father has a full company of soldiers on the beach. If you fire, Jared, they will see and move to capture you. And if my father finds out you're here for me, he'll ... -

"Kill me?" Jared pulled the bow apart before sliding both blades into their sheaths. "He'll have to take a number. And my griffon? I'm not just going to let that thing keep her."

- We'll figure that out, Jared, you have my word on that. I just need you off that beach. You can't get Samantha back if you're dead. -

The big man grimaced. The lady had a point.

"Copy that. Give me a direction," Jared said, turning to look inland.

- Due west from your location, - she directed.