Characters: Atmis, Fareme, Tserisa
Artist: Atmis

An excerpt from my NaNoWriMo novel-in-progress. Elder Longwhisker, a very old feline, and current leader of the cats, tells a folk tale. As this is from NaNoWriMo, it is largely unedited. Most of my novel isn’t this pretentious. Hehe.

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The elderly cat settled his old bones on a soft patch of moss on the Longtooth Cat’s stone head, which alone was three times the size of any cat Velvetwing had seen, fangs the length of a cat from tip of tail to tip of whisker. Velvetwing’s tail stood straight up and she shivered in excitement. She bounced back toward her mother and Nestsettle, and nestled at their black paws.

“O Cats of the forest, kindle of the Queen, we gather once each season to remember, to set our paws to trails long past, paw steps in the prints of our ancestors. We remember our heroic, long-past kindred in the Stories, until such time the Queen renews the world.

“Long, long ago, the Bright-Eyed Queen had not yet created the sun. All creatures moved at night, for only night abode. We were closer to our Cousins, then, O Cats, the match of Catamount, Bobtail, Lynx, and Ocelot — larger, wilder, fiercer, longer of tooth and claw.

“All creatures moved at night, but few moved as skillfully as we, O Cats, sons and daughters of the Night Herself. There were others, though, who cherished the night, and dwelt comfortably in darkness. The darkest of these were the Itsumesk.

“They were called Venin Wyrms and dwelt in the earth, burrowing away from the Bright Eye’s gaze, and She did not know them. They were no creation of the Queen, but of some other, corrupt Power. Where they passed, the world withered, and the pale, slimy beasts left a trail of venom and oil in their wake. Their eyes held a poison of their own, and creatures caught in their gaze found themselves weak and docile. The Itsumesk despited light, and forever hungered, O Cats, for famine dwelt always in their bellies and hearts.

“Even our Great Black Queen must sleep, and as often as her Bright Eye is full and round, it is closed and dark, the nights we call Mother’s Rest. The Itsumesk poisoned the cold earth, where they hid in the soil, and emerged only when Mother slumbered.

“And on those nights they poisoned, and they ate, and ate, and would have consumed the world, but for Clawstrike Twotails, King of the Cats.”

A hurrah went up from the listening cats for a favorite champion of the old Stories.

“Clawstrike Twotails ruled the Cats with wisdom and strength for countless generations from the Riven Tree at the center of the Tangled Wood. The vast tree stood split but living, and Twotails made his throne in the broken trunk. Clawstrike Twotails, King of Cats, rivaled our terrific and terrible Cousin, the tuft-eared Lynx, in size, larger than any other of our formidable ancestors, and his tail, like the Riven Tree, forked in twain.

“Once per turn of the Mother’s Eye, the Itsumesk crept from their cold, wet burrows, and ravaged the land. They hunted and slithered through the forest, and they hunted all the forest’s creatures, and great tracts of forest blackened and died in their trail. No animal was safe from their mouths bristling with venomous fangs, or their clutching, cragged claws. Each night that the Great Mother slept, numberless died. Clawstrike Twotails grieved for the Cats that the beasts killed, and he called to the greatest of his champions to fight the Venin Wyrms, and save his people.

“Two renowned Cats came forward to his summons — the dapple-coated queen Everrun, swiftest Cat in the forest, who alone had seen the edge of the world; and Fireslayer, Twotails-Son, who had diverted the bottomless Lake of the Alastyn to douse the nest of Salamanders, burning in their Mountain, and defeated the Wolf Frernrrar, driven mad by the tooth of the Cockatrice, enemy of Wolves whom she had defeated in battle, which worked its way to her heart to poison her.

“They left the hunting grounds of Clawstrike Twotails and his kin, and sought the place where the the Endless River went to ground, to thus find a way into the earthen lairs of the Itsumesk. They journeyed for many seasons, over mountains and through hidden grassy valleys, following the River’s path. They met many strange creatures and had many adventures, but those tales are for another telling.

“Finally, a spring Eye half-opened above them, they found the den of the River, the land about it dead and wasted, and descended into the darkness.

“Down they went, and the earth was cold,” First Elder Longwhisker chanted. “Down they went, and with whiskers wide to feel the way sought a path through the lightless subterrane. Down they went, and knew not how long they padded in the dark.

“Fireslayer noticed a foul, acid scent in his nose, and the two Cats crouched in the darkness, backs against the rocky wall of the cavern. Ahead of them they heard a hissing, and made out sibilant words.

“‘My Itsumesk, my legions, minions, come, come, be glad, for our Clutch nears its time,’ hissed a venomous voice. ‘I am Worldfoe, your master and king, and I bring about Light’s ending.’

“Fireslayer and Everrun heard a multitude of Itsumesk shriek in acclamation, bodies slithering and twining with the wet sucking sound of slime and poison.

“‘Our adversaries, our assassins, the Dragons are abolished. We have devoured the forest, my servants, and now noursle the end-bringers. Soon, soon, soon, Itsumesk, our spawn shall hatch, and swarm from our burrows, our prisons, and put out the Cursed Eye forever,’ spake Worldfoe. ‘Endless darkness, endless hunting, the world ours to lay waste.’

“The Cats crouched in the darkness for a long, long time, until the Mother above went to sleep, and the Itsumesk finished their celebration and slithered past them toward the surface, spreading leathery wings while they skulked out for a night of murder and destruction. Then Fireslayer and Everrun stepped forward, and Fireslayer struck a claw upon the stone, for he had learned from the Salamanders the secret of fire, and a flame lit the cavern.

“In the belly of the earth before them, O Cats, lay countless soft, grey-shelled, muculent eggs. As numerous as the trees, as many as stars in the Great Queen’s pelt. Fireslayer and Everrun saw the ruin of the forest in the issue of the Itsumesk, and set to destroying the viscous eggs, slashing with claws and teeth to spill the unborn beasts onto the cold dark soil.

“The eggs were mired in poison, and Fireslayer and Everrun grew tired and ill, but still they worked, breaking egg after egg and flooding the cave with the acrid stuff. But there were too many, and the night too short, and before Fireslayer and Everrun had destroyed the last pawful of eggs, Worldfoe and his Venin Wyrms returned.

“They hissed and roiled in the flickering light of Fireslayer’s flame, until they saw before them the ruin of their nest, at which their master set upon the Prince of Cats.

“Fireslayer was weakened by the poison of the Itsumesk’s brood, but still he matched the King of Itsumesk tooth and claw. They fell upon each other in a storm of teeth and talon, and the battle raged across the nesting cavern. Worldfoe stung Fireslayer again and again with his tail-barb, and wounded him sorely with venomed bite and piercing claw, and still Fireslayer battled on, tearing at the beast’s slimy, noxious flesh. Worldfoe oozed black blood from broken, pale skin which hung in tatters. Fireslayer, a clever Cat, drew the Itsumesk to the remaining unbroken eggs, and rolled Worldfoe Itsumesk King upon them, crushing the last beneath his enemy’s own body.

“Worldfoe, realizing the end of his young, summoned his Itsumesk to him in a rage, and all fell upon Fireslayer. Beneath the whipping, thrashing bodies of the evil beasts, Fireslayer fell, and did not rise again.

“Thus Fireslayer, King’s Son, champion of Cats, who had freed the Eagles from the sharp-tongued Serpent Fandrifala, and led the Cats to the Radiant Pond, sacred location of the Conclave, succumbed and fought no more.

“Everrun saw the Itsumesk fly at Fireslayer, and saw her fellow fall. She took to her paws, swiftest cat born, and fled the caverns. She ran the dark tunnels, she flew from the River’s den. Through the forest she ran, over mountain, across meadow, beneath the Great Queen’s Star-Speckled Pelt, knowing that the Itsumesk must be stopped before they destroyed all the world, that she alone could not, and must seek help.

“First, Everrun found the Wolverines, vicious hunters and fearless fighters, and sought their warrior princess, Izzlegrist Broadclaw.

“‘Please,’ cried the dappled queen, ‘We must destroy the Itsumesk, for they mean to end the earth.’

“Izzlegrist Broadclaw shook her heavy head, black eyes glittering. ‘We are fierce,’ said the Princess of Wolverines, ‘but the Venin Wyrms are poison to our teeth, and to kill them is to perish as well. We can not help you.’

“Everrun cried aloud, and ran from the Wolverines. She came next upon the Horses, who lived in the grasslands of the plateaus, and struck hard with stony hooves to protect their herds.

“‘O Horses, hear me!’ pleaded Everrun, paw-swift and brave. ‘We must slay the Itsumesk, for they will bring the world to ruin.’

“The lead stallion of the Horses shook his long silver mane and champed his teeth. ‘We defend our kind,’ said Gallops as Thunder, Sovereign of the Horses, ‘but there is death in the Itsumesk’s eyes, and we fall before we can strike. We can not help you.’

“Everrun hissed in grief, and hastened on. She found the demesne of the immense and dangerous Bear.

“‘I entreat you,’ said Everrun to the King of Bears, ‘help to fight the Itsumesk, who wither and consume the world.’

“King Bear of Stony Mountain rose to his hind paws, towering over the diminutive Cat. ‘We are large,’ rumbled King Bear of Stony Mountain, ‘but the Itsumesk come in swarms and surround us. We can not help you.’

“Everrun yowled her frustration and took to her paws. Her flight brought her to the aeries of the Eagles, beholden to Fireslayer for their freedom. She found their monarch, Sheirak, clutching at her perch with wicked talons and gnashing her hooked beak, for the Itsumesk had savaged the Eagles’ nests during the dark of the Eye.

“‘Please, Sheirak Eagle Queen,’ cried Everrun, ‘come to our aid as my kin once came to yours! The Itsumesk are rising, and will desolate the land.’

“Sheirak dropped her head to her golden breast and keened her sorrow. ‘The Itsumesk are swift in flight and sharp with bite and poison sting. Neither Eagle nor Cat can stand against them.’

“Everrun ran her claws against the lofty rock face in fury, O Cats, for none would join her to challenge the Itsumesk.

“‘Fear not, O Cat, kin of the Serpent-Slayer,’ spake Queen Sheirak, ‘for I shall help you. I will fly to the hidden aeries of my kin and yours, and beseech the Gryphons to come. For the Gryphons have been blessed with the strength to taste the Venin Wyrm’s poisonous flesh and survive, and the skill to resist the death in their eyes.’

“The Gryphons had retreated to their secret aeries long ago, after they warred with the Peryton. Their craggy home was inaccessible to paw or hoof, and only the Eagles and Rocs, feathered kindred, knew the location of their concealed shelters.

“Queen Sheirak flew on wings made swift with sorrow and sought the ruler of the Gryphons, Tkarssi Burnished-Wing, and their healer, Riskia Wind-Rider. Sheirak implored the Gryphons to fly from their aeries and fight the Itsumesk.

“Everrun ran again to the Cat’s home in the heart of the forest, and sought Clawstrike Twotails at the Riven Tree.

“‘O King,’ she said, ‘your son the Prince has perished. The Itsumesk fell upon him and he did not rise.’

“Twotails’s grief was great, O Cats, and he tore at the ground with his claws in anguish, and he vowed revenge upon the Venin Wyrms.

“Tkarssi, Queen of Gryphons, and Sheirak, Queen of Eagles, came to Clawstrike Twotails at his seat in the center of the forest, and with them a host of Gryphons.

“‘Clawstrike Twotails, King of Cats, my furred kindred, we have come to aid you in your fight against the Itsumesk,’ said Tkarssi Burnished-Wing, bronze feathers shining in the Bright Eye’s light, blue eyes shaded in anger. ‘The Dragons, ancient enemy of the Venin Wyrms, were driven away long ago. Now the Itsumesk are many, and we can not hope to defeat them alone. Seek the Unicorns, who secret themselves away in the wildest parts of the forest, and who etch the sky with their horns.’

“Clawstrike Twotails bid Everrun find the Unicorns and bring them to battle. Then he led a score of his Cats and Tkarssi led a flight of her Gryphons, and they sought the Itsumesk to make war.

“The Cats and Gryphons gathered in the black, wilted meadow at the mouth of the Endless River’s den, wherein the Itsumesk hid.

“Tkarssi Burnished-Wing stood before the dark ingress and spread her wings beneath the Mother’s Bright Eye. Her shining feathers caught the light of the crescent Eye and she blazed like fire, sending light forth from her wings into the Venin Wyrm’s lair.

“‘Itsumesk come forth! I am Tkarssi, Queen of Gryphons, Light-Herald, and by my wings, I burn you.’

“In their burrows, the Itsumesk thrashed and shrieked, their refuge invaded by the reflected light from above. Worldfoe called his Itsumesk to him, and they broke from the cave.

“The Great Queen’s Eye was open, O Cats, and She saw them, and She burned with anger, for She knew them as the murderers of so many of Her children. So great was Her rage that a fire started in Her breast, and She tended it as a kitten.

“The Itsumesk emerged from the darkness of their lair and sprang upon Tkarssi Burnished-Wing. Her flight of Gryphons attacked, and the battle filled the meadow with flashing bright wings and writhing oily bodies. Wicked beaks ripped noxious flesh, and sharp talons raked pale bellies, while tails barbed with poison stung and venomed teeth tore. The Cats joined the fray, and scratched and bit, though they were small and the Itsumesk’s poison sickened them grievously.

“King of Cats, Clawstrike Twotails saw the master of the Venin Wyrms and knew him the assassin of his beloved son. He yowled his grief and attacked Worldfoe, claws unsheathed and sharp teeth bared.

“The creatures battled on the banks, and the Endless River ran black and red with gore and blood. The Itsumesk, muck and poison, brought down many great Gryphons and fine Cats, for the Venin Wyrms were strong, and many, but still the people of Twotails and the people of Burnished-Wing warred on. They fought, and fought, and fought, so long that the Eye above them opened wider, and the burning in the Queen’s heart grew brighter. They fought, and fought, and fought, and for every Itsumesk that fell beneath claws and teeth and talons and beaks, more Gryphons and Cats perished.

“Clawstrike Twotails and Worldfoe clashed on the banks of the River. Their thrashing bodies dug furrows in the soil and churned the River to a muddy, poisoned froth. Twotails, crying desolation for his lost son, used his sharp, curved claws to shred the wings of his enemy. The two creatures struggled from the shallows of the River to the fringe of the forest and down again to the entrance to the cave, and where the Itsumesk’s flesh touched, the land blackened and rotted. Worldfoe bit at Twotails’s head and tore one of his ears away. Clawstrike Twotails grew frail from the Venin Wyrm’s poison, but still fought on.

“The Gryphons were failing; though they suffered no ill effects from the venom of the Itsumesk, the claws and teeth of the beasts still rent their flesh and spilled their blood. Few Gryphons yet stood and fought. Riskia Wind-Rider, Gryphon Healer, died beneath the claws of Itsumesk. Most of Clawstrike Twotails’s Cats had perished, trampled into the mud by those yet warring.

“Clawstrike Twotails saw his kindred fall and howled his rage and mourning. His teeth found the throat of Worldfoe, master of Itsumesk, and met within, and sundered the Venin Wyrm’s flesh. Worldfoe thrashed, three times, spilling boiling black fluid and spattering stinking poison, and then lay still, to move never more. Clawstrike Twotails had brought down the Venin King.

“Still, the other Itsumesk fought on, and would end the challenge against them, but the war was long, and the Queen above opened Her Eye to its brightest and nursed Her anger. The flame of it burning within cast a dim, yellow light over the world beneath Her. The Itsumesk fought with fury and fear, for they despised the light, and they were strong with their terror and hate.

“And Everrun came running from the hills, and with her brought the Unicorns, silent moving, brightly shining. The Unicorns, like glowing shadows sliding through the trees, came down to the field of battle.

“Lord of the Unicorns, Dreamer of Other Sky, galloped down among them, and trumpeted a battle cry, brassy and musical. He set his horn to the air, and with it rent a hole there. The fissure loomed, a dark scar against the now dusky world, lit by our Mother’s fury.

“The other Unicorns, luminous and silent, lowered their long sharp horns before the Itsumesk, and pressed the beasts before them.

“‘Drive them to the breach,’ cried Lord Dreamer of Other Sky, dashing the air with his sharp cloven hooves, ‘and force them from this world.’

“Clawstrike Twotails, and his remaining Cats, and Tkarssi, and all her Gryphons, wheeled and beat at the Venin Wyrms, but the Itsumesk resisted, for even against all the Unicorns and Gryphons and Cats, they were strong, and poison, and many.

“But the Bright-Eyed Mother above watched Her children below, and saw them failing. She released Her rage, and it burst from her breast, now grown bright and hale. Her wrath was the sun, and it blazed in the sky, so bright Her Eye was hidden, though She watched still, and saw more for the light.

“The Itsumesk coiled and flailed, for the light was baneful to them. The Unicorns advanced, and drove the Venin Wyrms before flashing horns. The Gryphons spread shining wings, and the Cats unsheathed their claws, and the Itsumesk fled before them. They took flight to the Lord Unicorn’s breach, which hung as a welcome darkness for the dark creatures.

“The last of the Venin Wyrms disappeared through the fissure, and with his splendid hooves, Lord Dreamer of Other Sky struck it closed.

“The Itsumesk passed from this world, O Cats, and every day, the Queen’s sun burns in the sky, lighting our world so that She may better watch us, a scourge upon the Venin Wyrms and all fell creatures who would destroy Her creations. The ground of battle at the River’s den is forever dead and blighted.

“The Gryphons retreated again to their secret aeries, to nurse their wounds and mourn their dead, for many perished in the war. The Unicorns passed again to hidden places of the forest, and walk silent and unseen in the wood.

“And Clawstrike Twotails, King of Cats, took his people back to the center of the forest, to no longer fear Mother’s Rest, and to bask in the light of the Bright-Eyed Queen’s sun.”

First Elder Longwhisker dipped his head and closed his eyes. “So ends my tale.”

Volunteer art I did for Raine Sunwing, who didn’t get her art for the September Gryphon Exchange round (which was a lyrics-themed round). Raine Sunwing is a Yellow Warbler/orange tabby Gryphon, and the lyrics she chose are “Sons and Daughters” by The Decemberists.

And I couldn’t help but make the boat pea-green. Hehe.

– By Tserisa

Tserisa passes out candy to Trick-or-Treaters. It’s so sad when you pass out a fellow Guilder.

– By Oura

Tserisa returns to the Guild after shopping for Halloween candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Halloween is a daaaaangerous time for velvety candy bearers….

– Comic by Stormphyre

Here it is, the somethingeth incarnation of The Gryphon’s Cry, the official e-zine of The Gryphon’s Guild!

Using Wordpress, contributors will be in charge of their own content, with an editor overseeing submissions and making things run smoothly. The Cry needs gryphon-related stories, poetry, art and more! If you are interested in contributing, please contact Tserisa (VelvetDragon) via private message on the Board. Please include your e-mail address.