Legacies
 

This story is between myself and Kirin Rosenbaum: - no others allowed.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/99flfqcH6Ps/0.jpg

The new moon slowly gained a sliver of light. Her 24 hours as a human vanished in a flurry of flying feathers. Stretching, Larissa extended her wings and took to the sky. The magic in her throbbed with power. Every new moon she lost all abilities as a gryphon. Her form, her magic. She became a very vulnerable maiden cursed to survive in this world defenseless. However, she was adapting to this fate. Having found a tranquil glade, she would rest here for that one day until once again her mighty claws and sharp eyes returned. Now she headed out of the mountain retreat back towards the valley. The furthest end harbored a human settlement. She stayed away from there. Humans were stupid and superstitious. She didn't need their greed for power to taint her life more than it already had - every new moon.

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs7/i/200...mweaverno1.jpg This minus the wings is my character.
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Kirin, a young mage, walks through the valley. He is from the human settlement, but doesn't truly fit in there. This morning finds him on a hunt for ingredients. Though he does enjoy the fresh cool air. Fall was his favorite time of year. He had heard stories of a gryphon who, on every new moon turned human. He didn't know if those stories were true, but if they were he'd like to help out.

Larissa coasted along silently beating her wings. Her sharp eyes picked out a deer that looked particularly tasty. No babies in sight, she felt confident that taking this deer would not bring hardships on others. That was one of her rules of hunting. No going after mothers or fathers. It just made life harder for another animal. She pulled her wings in and tucked her talons up against her. Diving on it, she skillfully twisted through the wooded area and pounced down on her unsuspecting prey. One fine supper coming right her. She felt almost like preening with the thought of her pleasurable meal.

Kirin sees the gryphon and watches as it dives. He is in awe, never had he seen anything like that before. He had been a bit away from the gryphon when she had gotten her supper. He moves through the trees wanting a closer look at the gryphon. He moves silently, as only a mage can.

Larissa gulped down the deer with greedy tearing of its flesh. She was done quickly and settled where she was. Slowly, she began preening her feathers. Getting any stray bits of meat or blood cleaned out of them and out of her talons. She was a majestic creature. Several colors of gray, she missed the days when she had a trusted group of humans. In those times, they had enjoyed tipping her feathers in blue paint. It had added to her allure at the time. There was some stain of the paint left, but it was barely visible.

"You are truly magnificent." Kirin whispers in awe from the tree line. He had truly never seen another creature as magnificent as this gryphon.

Her sharp ears shot up and turned towards the tree line. In a mighty jump, she was up and facing the unknown shadow hiding there. Talons digging into the ground, head lowered, body crouched and ready to spring. She felt her muscles rippling with anticipation as she growled, "Who are you?"

Kirin jumps a bit when she jumps towards him. His heart races. "I am but a simple mage. I mean you no harm." He does his best to calm his racing heart.

She rose her head high above her shoulders and walked up to him with grace movements but a stiff attitude. He obviously didn't know her specifically or he would never have said he was a mage. Humans could be so stupid and careless with that which was around them. She walked towards him until she stood with her head above his. "Mage. You don't know your place. What is your intent?" She kept a close, distrusting eye on him. If he used any magic now, she would see and kill him instantly. She wouldn't take a chance. Not again. It didn't help that he resembled the traitor that had brought her so much misery. With his blue tinted hair and deep blue eyes, she would easily have assumed the past had come to meet with her once again. She did have to give him kudos though. Despite his stupidity for coming near her, he had excellent fashion sense. That was something any vain gryphon could appreciate.

"I only wished to admire you." He says. "I have never seen a gryphon up close." He resists the urge to reach out to her. He knows he would be hurt if he did.

She felt a sense of pride at his words. Gryphons were the creatures for admiration. Or at least that was so in a gryphon's mind. Still, mere words would not take down her walls so easily. She stepped back, keeping an eye on him. "You've seen. You've admired. Now be on your way." She narrowed her eyes at him and hissed. Humans were so easily scared. Even mages were not immortal. His voice was gentle though. She rather liked listening to the deep strength that rested in his words.

Kirin knew that he should leave, knew that this gryphon didn't like him. Though he can't bring himself to leave and he does wonder why they gryphon had such animosity towards him. He had done nothing to warrant it.

Larissa glared down at him and wondered why he didn't leave already. He just stood there, neither looking afraid or determined. It was as if he wasn't scared by her stance. He should be. She was one to be feared. She was a gryphon. "Why do you just stand there. There is nothing for you to gain here. You're a mage. That alone is enough for me to not wish for your presence."

"What do you have against mages?" He asks. He is just curious. He wants to know everything.

"Your a curious one. Asking questions isn't in your best interest. Begone." She hissed at him again. There was no way she was going to tell a mage her greatest humiliation. Being lowered to the level of a mere human. It was more than her pride would take. She took several steps away from him. Curious indeed. And perhaps a bit naive. What was he doing out here by himself anyway?

Kirin just stands there, unable to leave. There is so much he wants to know. He had always been curious, ever since he was a small child. He now wishes he hadn't mentioned his being a mage, but there was nothing he could do about it.

She blinks at him and finally sighs. Pacing back and forth she asks, "What is it you want? Why are you here alone? You would be happier in the comfort of your species. The pesky humans." She might as well get some answers if he was going to stand there. She wouldn't fly away first. That would mean facing her back to him.

"I came to gather ingredients, but I saw you flying. I am an outcast among humans." He says. He really didn't want to bring up his past, but he would tell her if she wanted to know. No matter how much it made him sad.

She paused. Outcast. She wasn't exactly an outcast among gryphons. They took care of their own. However her pride wouldn't allow her to seek their help. She felt like an outcast in that sense. Interesting. "Why are you an outcast mage?"

"It is for nothing I have done." He says. He takes a shuddering breath. "My father is the reason that I am an outcast."

She turned and gave him her full attention. It was the shuddering breath that did it. He was miserable deep inside. She wasn't sure she wanted to ask. This human was just a blip in her world. He held no importance to her. Yet she asked anyways, "How is he a reason for you to be an outcast?"

"When I was little, he did things, that angered the towns people. I was just five, I had had friends. But then all of a sudden their parents wouldn't let me play with them." He says he looks at his hands. He hadn't thought about this for a long time.

She looked at him for a long moment. Then wondered if she was going mad. She was actually considering being nice to him. What had gotten into her? Gruffly she asked while looking a little to the side, "What things? Was he a mage too?"

"Yes, he too was a mage. I don't know exactly what things. He never told me. I just know that from that point on I've been an outcast. I've thought of moving on, but this the only home I know.

She frowned at that. His father was a mage. His father was evil. Humans didn't trust either of them. He went and became a mage. Everything about this said flee. She really wanted to as well. "If your father, whom caused you so much hardship, is a mage. What possessed you to follow in his steps and also to become a mage?" Maybe his brains only went as far as fashion and no further.