It took time to explain everything. Partly because there was a lot to explain, mostly because people kept interrupting Nic with questions. Guards wanting to know specific faces, attendants demanding absurdly specific details about everything. Nic quickly put together that they were chroniclers, historians wanting to get the events down while they were still fresh. … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.18 →

Nic coughed raggedly, struggling to breathe through the dust in the air. He lay prone on the ground, alive somehow, the egg clutched tight in his arms. The thing shook again, the first sign of life it had demonstrated in some time. It was beaten to seven different hells, the pristine shell long gone, replaced … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.17 →

It seemed Nic hadn’t quite used up his supply of luck for the day. Of all the things he had thought would happen after being cornered, a hologram appearing to exonerate him hadn’t even been on the list of possibilities. Not that lucky meant safe by any stretch. The sudden eruption of violence had left … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.16 →

Parties were going to be the death of Nic. Every single time he went to one he somehow ended up neck deep in trouble. Not usually to this degree of life and limb granted, but still. One would think that eventually Nic would recognize a pattern. Some other day perhaps. In the here and now, … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.15 →

In hindsight, this had been a bad plan. Truly, Nic could be referring to any number of things with that statement. The taking of the egg, the sneaking around in the vents, everything he’d done since setting foot on that flying brick pretending to be an airship, it all qualified. Do first, regret later, that … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.14 →

It surprised Isabella just how little attention she was being paid. Her glamours were good, she’d programmed them herself, but that didn’t explain how literally everyone seemed to be ignoring her. She suspected it had something to do with the decision to swap out Harakin troops with the Judai. Easy to lose track of who … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.13 →

Enemy for life, whoever had built this place. While less cramped than the vents had been, the halls of Harakin Aerie were no less winding, and in some ways were much worse. The main passages were simple enough, large and spacious for things twice the size of a griffon. This also made them completely impossible … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.12 →

“What do you think’s taking them so long?” Isabella glanced at Arthur where he stood at her shoulder. She would forever be amazed by his ability to precisely locate her, even when she was actively trying to avoid people. She let none of that show on her face, instead giving a demure shrug. “It’s a … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.11 →

Nic bit back a yelp as something sharp dug into his shoulder. He had no time to stop and check if it was bleeding, already moving too slow from having to be careful with the egg. His flight through the tunnels had not been gentle and he’d accidentally bashed his charge against the walls more … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.10 →

One thing that Nic could say about Harakin Aerie: whoever had designed it now had an enemy for life. While its long, winding maintenance tunnels probably made perfect sense from an engineering standpoint, that was of precisely zero help to Nic right now. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d almost gotten stuck … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.9 →