Anansi's Web

We flew on our griffins to the east, hoping to find Cara. Ember said that she was moving, running from something, but she couldn’t say wat because the connection cut off.

The blue sky blurred past as we rushed as fast as possible to try and spot Cara. I was riding behind Vince on his griffin, because Joseph was still recovering, and Vince’s griffin was a massive beast, so it was strong enough to carry both of us. I watched the griffin’s broad, pointed wings as it soared.

The wind slapped my face as I looked at the ground, trying to focus, and see if I could see Cara. Ember didn’t have time to get the exact location but according to her Cara wasn’t far.

I heard a small noise come from below, almost like a scream. Ember began to dive, and naturally the other griffins did as well. Joseph was the exception, but when he saw what the others were doing, he dived as well.

When we got close enough I could see Cara, a small human shaped speck running, and making almost no progress from my view point. There were two other specks chasing her, but they were bigger, and had wings it looked like. They weren’t too far behind Cara, and they could move much faster than she could.

Vince moved one hand, and took his gun out of the black bag which had been flapping loudly in the wind. He tried to aim the gun, but we were moving, and so were the two winged people, so it must have been difficult. Ember had a hand raised, ready to use some magic, but we were still too far.

We were eventually just above Cara’s head, following her on our griffins. Cara’s griffin was nowhere to be seen. The two winged people noticed us, and tried to get out of our way, and follow Cara at the same time, but that wasn’t possible.

The two winged humans went around us, and were now in front of us. Cara was far behind us with how fast we were moving. Vince shot a blast of energy at one of the flying people. He dodged it, and turned around briefly. He had brown skin, and short black hair. He looked in his thirties, but that was all I could tell because he was a moved so quickly. The one next to him was a girl, because I saw her long black hair flowing behind her. They both had long, rounded black wings with soft feathers. They’re wings beat against the air constantly unlike the griffins.

We were in an aerial chase. Ember shot a spell from her griffin, but the two flyers dodged each blast. Ember cursed, and we constantly shifted positions, trying to get a better shot, struggling to follow the flyers agile, yet aggravating twists, and turns.

Wind whistled in my ears, and everything was a blur. The two would turn sideways, and maneuver around ledges. We lost sight of them several times. Our griffins could only soar, and they had to tone down their speed or they would fly right past the two.

They shot magic at us when they were out of our sight, but we dodged clumsily. I could sense the griffin’s fear, and excitement.

Joseph was graceful and swift with broad movements. I watched him dive in, and distract the flyers every now and then. Vince got a lucky shot, and the guy I saw earlier was sent tumbling down to the dirt. His wings were flailing long streaks from his back. Just before he hit the ground, he extended his wings, and glided away from the fight, watching from a safe distance as his female friend desperately maneuvered away from us, trying to follow him.

Ember hit her with a bolt of energy, and she spiraled away, feathers coming loose, and spraying in all directions.

The girl somehow slowed her fall, and regained balance, but she flapped her wings quickly, flying high above our griffins. As she flew above us, I saw her. She had cracked glasses on, and she looked in her twenties. There were several strange bracelets decorating her forearms. I watched her disappear into the clouds, and we flew higher, searching, but they were gone.

My blood was pumping, and I was excited despite the fact that we could have died, and I did nothing the entire time, but it was amazing to experience. I felt like I just went on a roller coaster.

The griffins turned, and flew back to Cara. They descended, and landed on the ground where Cara was standing with her arms crossed, looking at us like we went overboard.

“Well that was impressive.” She said. Her hair was even crazier than usual, and dirt was smudged on her face. She looked more tan, and her clothes were all smudged up. But in a strange way she didn’t look dirty, she looked more like some kind of fairy…did I really just say that? Is there time to take it back? That was really weird to think. I started to blush.

Ember walked up, and hugged Cara without replying. Eventually we each joined in for a huge group hug in the middle of the mountains.

When we separated Ember asked, “Cara, what happened to your griffin?”

Cara’s looked past Ember, and I followed her eyes down the path she had was running on when we caught up to her. “Sleeping. I was attacked, and he was asleep. I guess we have to go back and get him now?”

“No, don’t worry about that, I can just hex him to find us. Once he’s here, we can fly to Sraff. I don’t think there will be anymore interruptions.”

Vince got onto his griffin, and looked at the sky. “They were Amunites; probably started the storm yesterday. Must’ve followed us from the farm. We might have another enemy, thanks to me.”

“No Vince, we needed you, so don’t blame yourself. The Farmer’s house gave us some important clues about what the director was doing.” Ember said.

Cara and I exchanged glances when Ember said ‘important clues’.

“I guess, but we should leave before something else happens.”

Ember got onto her griffin. “I agree. I’m calling out to Cara’s griffin now.”

I got behind Vince, and Joseph stood up, getting ready to fly again. Cara tapped her foot on the ground, stirring up some dirt.

When Cara’s griffin arrived, we all backed up, and began to fly off. We headed south west back to the entrance of the mountains, where the field that held the train tracks was. From there, we would fly back to Sraff.

We stopped in the mountains on a large ledge after a few moments of flying.

“Why are we stopping?” I asked.

“Vince needs to heal your griffin remember? We don’t have the time to make it out of the mountains before the medicine wears off.” Ember said as she got off her griffin, and walked around to stretch her legs after the ride.

I got off my griffin, and sat down on the lumpy ground, picking up small pebbles, and tossing them across the dirt while I watched Vince take supplies form his bag, and slowly un- ravel Joseph’s bandages.

Cara sat down next to me, and watched Vince too.

“So how did that happen to your griffin...And what the heck happened to your eyes?”

I explained the story to her in as little detail as possible, and she sat there in awe.

“What about you? What were you doing?”

Cara snapped out of her trance, and looked at me with her bright green eyes. “Oh, I was asleep for a while. When I woke up, my griffin was asleep, and those two weirdos were flying towards me. I was running for a long time before ya’ll came along.”

“How long is a long time?”

“It was a while, I can’t remember.”

I nodded, watching Vince work on Joseph, who looked annoyed.

“I need some time to cool off. I don’t really feel like going straight to Sraff.” Cara said.

“Same.” I sighed.

Ember walked over, and at next to us. She was darker than when we met, and her hair was tangled, and unruly from all that flying. Somehow though, she seemed to keep all of her beauty. It was strange.

“Things really haven’t been going our way have they?” She said with a short laugh.

I smiled a half smile, and wondered what might happen next. Another troll could attack, or maybe even something worse. As I thought, I remembered the paper that had the plan of the director on it.

I wasn’t sure if I should bring up the fact that I want to go to Othal later. Well, it wasn’t as bad as following the director. What was the harm in telling her that we know the director’s plan, and want to let the king know?

“Ember, uh, Cara and I found this paper in the farmer’s house, and I wanted to tell you what I think we should do.”

Ember looked intrigued, but not angry. “Go on.”

“Well, I wanted to take the paper to Othal, and tell the king and queen about it, but we don’t have to stay there like we did in Neptia, we could just tell them and leave.”

Ember considered the plan for a moment, and said, “Sure. But I’ll take it by myself. You two can go back to your families. If you thought this was some way to get some more adventure, you’re wrong.”

“Oh c’mon what’s the harm in taking a letter to the castle?”

“You know what the harm could be very well by now.”

I wanted to tell her that she was being too cautious, but I thought against it. It was just a short little trip to the castle, nothing more, and here she was just being over protective.

Next to me Cara shrugged. I crossed my arms across my chest, and waited for Vince to finish patching Joseph up.

Meanwhile, huge golden hawks soared above, beating their huge winds, blasting air down onto us. Their shadow made it difficult to see anything, but eventually they passed.

“I’m glad they’re passive creatures.” Ember said.

When Vince finished up, Joseph looked agitated, but he had on new bandages, and looked ready to fly. As I got behind Vince on his massive griffin I wondered if Joseph’s feathers would grow back.

We took off from the little platform, and in several minutes we were just above the green plain. I watched as the train racks passed below me. It almost looked like the tracks moved themselves.

I looked ahead. I couldn’t see Sraff, but I knew it was close; I just had to be patient. I would be near my parents soon. I could visit them. And I knew one thing, and that was that if Ember tried to stop me from visiting them, I would go anyway.