22nd of Heat

I will be including some personal observations in this log in the hopes that future readers may benefit from my perceptions.

Soon after we leave Sea Breeze we notice that DeVal and the horses are uneasy. Raven asks DeVal what is wrong but all he is able to convey is that there is something wrong, unnatural here. I sense nothing unusual and call to Moondrop. When she arrivers I explain the uneasiness of the animals and ask her if she can sense anything unusual. She sniffs the air and says she has a bad feeling about this place. It reminds her of a druid circle just south if the crystal chapel that has been desecrated. As we travel another hour or so out Raven says she feels it as well. She describes it as a smell, an unnatural hint in the air. I make a warning mark on the road in the hopes that if we miss some threat the wagons will not be caught off guard.

The road begins to rise and switches back on itself. We are climbing from about 150 feet above the shore to what seems like close to 600. The view is great but the road is very narrow and a wrong step could be disastrous. Luckily must of us have some protection case of such an event.

A canyon cuts the cliffs up ahead. It slices deep into the mountain chain with a small river running in its depths. Spanning the gorge is a chain and timber bridge. It seems very old and sturdy. Its size is deceptive at first but as we approach we see its true dimension. It is only about 5 feet wide but runs for at least 900 feet. It rings of Dwarven or perhaps Giant construction. We check this side of the bridge for soundness and traps. Finding none, Stephen then start to cross alone explaining that he is better suited to look for tampering on the far side.

I keep a watch out for any threats and unfortunately something soon catches my eye. I see a shadow in the sky. It starts small but grows very quickly. Its flight is steady and it seems to be heading for Stephen. It is stouter than a dragon in flight and I only know it from my studies but I believe it to be a Griffin, a magnificent beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. I dread having to kill it. I call out a warning to Stephen who quickens his pace across the bridge, but unless something diverts the creature Stephen will be an easy target for the beast. I ask Moondrop if she could do something to distract the Griffin and she immediately takes off heading directly toward the beast. As we prepare out range attacks I look closely at the skis and the valley for signs of additional threats when a white flash draws my attention. The Griffin’s flight is disrupted and I think that the flash is Moondrops attempt at blinding the attacker. But its flight becomes more erratic and I can now see smoke rising from it. It begins to fall and hits the wall of the canyon with such force that it had no chance of surviving. I am shocked that Moondrop could wield such powers as to drop a Griffin in mid flight. When she returned I ask her how she managed such a feat. She said that her headband could focus the power of the sun into a sudden burst. I asked how she came by such an item and she said it is something she acquired long ago. The crystal in the band seemed dimmer now and Moondrop said it would take at least a day before it could be used again. She added that her experience with Griffins is that if you don’t kill then early they can become very difficult to deal with. I tell her how impressed I am and that we are all honored to have such a great adventurer traveling with us.

With the thread behind us we all cross the bridge, Raven and Jaden taking the horses and Élensûl and I staying behind until they are safely across. We decide to stay and let the wagons close the distance between us since this seems to be a natural place for an ambush. Again Raven mentions that something smells wrong here. As we waited for the wagons Stephen starts to sing. As we enjoyed his song a lovely counter melody joins in. Stephen stops his song, stands and stars walking straight toward the cliff. Raven makes a quick grabs for him and he snaps out of his trance. Immediately we see a harpy fly up from below the cliff, continuing her song. As the battle starts six more of the disgusting creatures join the combat. They don’t appear to be very strong and with the help of a rousing song from Stephen our first attacks seem to be very effective.

As I readied a second volley of arrows and took aim at the harpy in front of me I took a deep breath to steady my hand. I paused for a moment as I heard a melody. Ah, Stephen he must have changed his song. I have not heard this piece before it seems quite different. His usual songs tend to blend with the celestial choir we heard at the Wind Shrine but this one seems to have its own verve. I let the new music enter me it seems oddly soothing, not something I would expect Stephen to call upon in battle. Perhaps it is to pacify these creatures.

I refocus my attention on the harpy but it is gone! How could it move so fast? Time seems to be going so slow and my vision seems blurred. The song seems to grow stronger and I focus on its source. It is not Stephen! It is something else. I lower my bow and for the first time I see the singer. She is an angelic woman with the most mesmerizing voice I have heard. I cannot break my attention from her, but why would I want to. A fog has drifted in and all else is obscured. I do not hear my comrades. The battle is over. She must have dispatched the enemy we fought. She calls to me in her song. I must thank her. She praises me with her words though I do not understand them. The fog has lifted us and we float together in the clouds. She has a sensuality enhanced by her sparsely clothed form. A longing grows in my heart. I want to be with her. To hold her, but she is just out of reach, to just hold her hand and feel its warmth. Her eyes show a longing. As I gaze into them I seem lost in the search for her sole. It is now the search that is important, to look for the person inside. My mind reaches out, hunting through the vastness between us.

A wind is now blowing the clouds. They swirl around me. The song has stopped. I am pushed away by the wind and all I see is white. I am aloneÉ. I am coldÉ. I am lostÉ In a flash the haze is gone but wind still claws at me. I AM FALLING!

In the sudden terror of the situation I do not notice Moondrop frantically trying to slow my fall. She has me by the collar and is exerting all her straight to cushion my fall into the crashing waves below. The next thing I know I am floundering in the serf and my gear is pulling be under. I use all my remaining strength to try and stay afloat but I feel the cold bite of the sea at my face as I try and breathe. The salt-water stings as it enters my lungs and I feel the reflex to cough. As I use the last of my air to expel the fluid there is nothing but water to replace it. A wave crashes and I see the light of the surface for an instant. I quick gasp a breath but it is the last I will be able to cherish for what seems an eternity. To conserve my energy and the air in my lungs I go limp and let the waves caress me as my mind drifts again into dream.

The next thing I remember is being back on the road surrounded by my friends. I am dazed and confused. Was it all a dream? No, the harpy corpses litter the road and I am sodden with the sea. I am told that Raven and Stephen followed me down. Raven in the form of an eagle and Stephen using feather fall at the last minute to soften his fall. But when Raven called for assistance using Natures Ally hoping for a creature of the sea to help me to shore, what appeared was a great earth spirit who lifted us all back to the road.

Raven thanks the spirit and ask if it could bless this place. Moondrops eyes open wide with amassment as what sounds like children all around us start humming. Moondrop is flying about weaving in and out of the invisible entities. As they sing the smell of fresh earth and pine increase along with the fragrance of camphor. As I look around I can see the change in this area. Grass is growing from every crack and the wrongness has been replaced with the clean earthy fragrance of life. I look at Raven with amazement and wonder how she was able to call upon the spirit and convince it to bless us with such a gift. Raven again thanks the spirit and decides to spend some time to mark this place with a shrine. We all assist in is creation.

Entered into the official Journals by Steven Blackhawk Fox