Artemis had always thought it strange, how men were found of the saying that night had fallen. It had always seemed to her, as she watched the horizon, that the night rose instead, its dark fingers creeping upwards from the earth until seeping out over the sun and blanketing the sky in inky blackness. The moon was only half full tonight, and it's waning light did little to illuminate the makeshift camp tucked away in the looming shadows of the forested glade below. Artemis fumbled in the dark, her strong hands shuffling through her small doeskin pack with as much hush as she could muster while her fingers sought the tiny scrap of flint that would allow her to spark a fire.

Artemis was tall, and draped in wolfskin and leather, sunkissed skin stretched over hardened muscles and long, powerful limbs. A cruelly hooked warhammer hung easily from it's straps on her back, it's colossal weight borne effortlessly by the warrior. Silvery battle scars, some fading, some fairly fresh, wired their way across her massive frame, displayed proudly by their owner in place of heavy plated armor, each one crossing and twisting to weave into a story of survival. The sight of such an obviously capable warrior had granted Artemis a solitary journey, most bandits and the occasional goblin giving her a wide berth, seeking easier prey.

It had been three days since Artemis had seen her Arisen.

Her fingers finally closing around the flint, Artemis held her breath as she began to spark the small pile of twigs she had gathered, and finally exhaled in a sigh of relief as the spark caught in the dry sticks, and with a little gentle coaxing, finally sparked into a stubborn flame that cast flickering shadows over Artemis's comely face, highlighting the reddish brown hair that hung loose over her shoulders. Artemis squatted by the fire, drawing a long pull from her waterskin, and tried to ease the aching tension in her chest, the unnameable pull of unidentified emotion that spurred her steps. She had not slept, had not stopped since her Arisen was lost from her; was singularly driven to find her Master above all, to the point where she oft would forget to eat or rest along the way.

She was not dead, her Master, of that Artemis was certain. Few know of the inner sense of myrmidons, and even fewer know what force creates and holds that unshakeable and unknowable bond between Arisen and pawn, but Artemis could tell you, as sure as she was breathing, that her Master was still alive. She world search until she found her, and that was that. There was no room for doubt in Artemis's mind, no room for anything but that insistent urge to be reunited at all costs, and so Artemis searched. The last three days had been fairly fruitless, the road turning up no sign of travelers, the wilderness showing no signs of a struggle. Yet Artemis had carried doggedly on. She was single minded in her purpose, all other facets of the pawn's life narrowed to thoughts of finding her Arisen, unwavering in her search, openly questioning passerby in a way most unlike her subservient kind.

Three days, and not a single sign. A strange feeling choked into Artemis's throat and hung heavy about her shoulders, and if she had known better, she would have called it worry.

The fire flickered and danced, sputtering as the dry wood cracked and popped in it's welcome heat. Drowsy despite herself, Artemis's mind wandered sluggishly to three days ago.

*
Gracefully, a young doe tip-toed her way to the cool spring, her hooves silent in the lush grass and damp foliage that blanketed the earth. The air still held the heavy scent of the morning's rain, and the doe tested it quickly, nostrils quivering and sucking in the air. Satisfied, the deer bent for a cool drink, oblivious to the arrow pointed at its throat.

"Steady, Artemis," the Arisen whispered, noticing the warrior crouched behind her in the brush begin to shuffle and breathe faster in excitement. The deer was fat, it would bring enough food for weeks and enough hide for a few new pairs of gloves and hopefully, thicker boots
before the winter came. Used to grasping the hilt of a sword, the Arisen's hands fumbled with the bow, but managed to nock and draw back the arrow, the bowstring creaking softly in the silence. The Arisen could feel Artemis's breath on the back of her neck as the warrior crept up ever closer, and, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding in, the Arisen loosed the arrow.

Miss! Startled by the whiz of the arrow that zipped past it's throat, the doe startled, whipping it's muzzle around to find the source of the danger. A second more, and the deer turned and fled, swift and surefooted. Cursing, the Arisen stood up, and after a moment, Artemis stood and slapped the Arisen on the shoulder good-naturedly, her loud laugh ringing out in the clearing. "Tis nothing to be ashamed of, Arisen," she remarked good-naturedly, her light eyes sparkling with mirth. "This pawn could never get the hang of a bow, either. Come, let's set a few traps. Plenty of rabbit around, and those'll make some gloves at least."

The Arisen sighed, and smiled at her pawn, before turning her feet back to the road.

They'd been walking only a few moments when the raucous cawing of crows taking flight startled the wandering pair. "Huh," remarked the Arisen, watching the flight of the black birds as they winged erratically across the sky. "Wonder what that could be."

"Looks like it came from further up the road, Arisen." Artemis said slowly, her pace quickening on the incling trail and her hand slowly creeping towards her weapon. As the Arisen started walking faster towards the rise, Artemis started, moving swiftly and underlying grace to block her path. "Master, please let this pawn go first. It's been a long day of travel. I can handle anything that might be trouble."

The Arisen nodded, and Artemis quickly breached the cover of trees, looking down off the rocky precipice to the road below and the source of the noise. Her soft leather boots made no noise on the thick grass, but it became obvious that silence was far from necessary as into view marched a column of armed Gran Soren knights, their heavy chainmail clinking and clanking and polished shields gleaming to reflect the midday sun.

"Knights, Arisen! They're on the march!" Started Artemis, excitement and curiosity overtaking her voice. The warrior pawn was seldom given to fear, and before she realized it, her feet had already started towards the knights, intently curious as to what could have set them on their march.

"Arisen," Artemis pleaded. "Let's go see what they're about. It's been days since we've seen anyone on the road this far west, not to mention a full party of armed knights."

"Fair enough," the Arisen conceded after a moment's hesitation, her own curiosity piqued. It had been quite some time since the pair had been back to the capital, and she was hungry for news. She scurried to keep up with the ground-eating stride of her pawn, and as they neared on the company of knights, the men slowed and finally stopped at the approach of the two travelers.

A middle aged man with a scraggly auburn beard and a nose that had seen a few breaks approached the Arisen, who stopped a few paces away and raised her hand in a gesture of welcome and goodwill. "Hail!" She called out, "My pawn and I have been traveling along the road without sign of the capital for days now. What brings it's men so far west today?"

"Griffin, m'lady." grunted the knight in response, tossing his head up and to the side as if to point its direction in the sky. "Full grown male. Spotted the great bastard early this morn, shriekin to wake the dead and pickin' off with the Duke's oxen wot he pleased. We been sent to bring him down."

Artemis only half-heard the knight's words, excitement rising in her throat and creeping onto her face to split into a wide grin. A griffin! She'd only seen them in paintings, only heard tales of them at the inn in Gran Soren after ale loosened the lips of old adventurers. For one to be so far south was a sight in itself, but to see one up close?

And to not only see it, but to slay such a fabled beast? It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Artemis turned to her Arisen excitedly, but stopped mid-sentence, her mouth still hanging slightly open on her words.

A closer look revealed the source of her hesitation. The men that shuffled behind their broken-nosed captain, though cloaked in the armor of the capital, on closer inspection showed signs that begged askance. The armor that gleamed from the road was ill fitted and worn, and hung from shoulders that lacked any breadth or strength. The swords that clanked in their scabbards were worn and dull, and their chainmail that shone in the midday sun was peppered with holes and patched with dirty cloth. The eyes of the men behind dented and oversized held were scared, and some were clouded abd unfocused by age or drink. These were no knights. These were common peasants, civilians stuffed into armor and sent to kill a monster.

These men were marching to their death.

The Arisen's brows furrowed, noticing at last the curious behavior of her pawn. "Artemis?" She questioned, and Artemis shook her head sharply.
"Arisen, we should help these men. A griffin is a threat to all of us."
"Now hold on, Artemis. This isn't some mindless hobgoblin rabble or even cyclops, this is a griffin. We shouldn't go rushing in unprepared."
Artemis let out a sharp laugh, throwing back her shoulders and flexing her lean muscles. "With our help, they're twice as peepared, Arisen. Take a closer look at these 'knights.'"
The appointed leader of the men snorted through his battered nose. "Al'right, awright, have your fun, pawn. So we're the chosen few sent to slay the mighty beast out of legend, and maybe we're a bit untested, but we've got as good a plan as any and there's more then a few men here 'as got a personal stake against a griffin that goes around killing livestock and terrorizing towns. Come along if you'd like, but we've got a job to do and a good bit of coin n' glory coming our way for it's head. We can't afford to stand around flapping our gums."

The men turned and continued their solemn march, and after a moment of hushed deliberation, were followed by the Arisen and her warrior pawn.

--

Sharp braches and scratchy leaves poked into Artemis as she huddled in the bushes atop the hill, trying to ignore the rattling and shuffling of the ill equipped knights as they huddled with her. A goblin corpse, already starting to reek in the high afternoon sun, was laid out as bait for the griffin in plain sight in the field below while the knights huddled under their leafy cover.

"Do you think this'll work?" Artemis found herself asking the Arisen once again, fighting the urge to wipe the beads of sweat that had begun to roll down the back of her neck. The Arisen hushed her, her eyes still carefully scanning the clear blue sky. "It'll work."
"Have you ever seen one?"
"Hmm?"
"A griffin. Have you ever seen one, Master?"
"E-er, y-yes Artemis. Once."
Excitement shone in the warrior pawn's eyes at the Arisen's fib and she shuffled closer, her hands nervously fidgeting and grasping the edge of her Arisen's tunic. "What was it like?"
"Artemis, please, I'm trying to concentrate."
"Was it bigger than a cyclops? Smaller? Did it run like a chimera orr did it fly? How many of them have you killed, Master?!" continued Artemis, excitement creeping to overtake her voice.
"Artemis, for the maker's sake keep it down, I've got to keep an eye out for the-"

"GRIFFIN!"

A knight let out a deep, baritone bellow, one she would not thought capable of coming from such a narrow and weak chest, and heralded the arrival of the beast of legend. Artemis stood quickly, leaves and sticks shifting and flinging with her ascent. Ignoring her Arisen desperately tugging at her belt to get back under cover, Artemis threw her head back to the sky, squinting and throwing up one hand as the sun's beams poured into her eyes. Her eyes could see nothing but clouds and endless blue, until finally a small shape began to float into view. With steady wingbeats it flew, closer and closer, until Artemis finally got a clear view of the griffin.

It was huge, every bit the storied beast she imagined. An enormous wingspan with stunning snow white feathers blotted the sun, rowing the griffin powerfully through clear skies. A thick pelt the color of copper pennies shone in the bright rays, wicked talons grasping and clutching at cloud cover, regal raptor head and cruelly hooked break scanning the ground below. Lower and lower it flew, until finally the great wings collapsed tight to the leonine body, and the creature dived for the open field. Artemis held her breath as the griffin swooped down in its decent, faster than an arrow shot from a bow and with the wind whipping around it's sleek and streamined form, clapping around as the griffin cut through the air, like the banners that the men hung from the towers of Gran Soren. A picture of years of perfect evolution and deadly hunting grace, the griffin pulled back and snapped it's wings open as it neared the ground, the thunderous boom echoing in Artemis's ears and causing several knights to clap their hands against their heads. The wind buffeted against Artemis as the griffin powerfully beat the air with it's enormous wings before landing on the ground gracefully, one haunch and powerful paw testing the ground before dropping to all fours with a final thud. This close, Artemis could see the blue of it's intense raptor eyes, which now scanned the area intelligently for threats. He stood several hands taller than the greatest oxen at the shoulder, his wings, now folded against his body, stretched greater than the sails of the fishing boats back home.

He was the most beautiful thing Artemis had ever seen.

With a roar torn from a dozen desperate throats, the knights charged. Arrows were hastily strung, a torch passed quickly to light the oil dipped cotton rags they wrapped around a chosen few. Great iron grappling hooks and nets were thrown, as the knights hurriedly tried to wing the great animal. Artemis felt a dim appreciation for this, but it was soon swallowed in the song of her own blood, roaring in her ears and coursing through her veins. The griffin turned it's gaze towards the warrior and screamed, it's high pitched cry shattering the air and piercing Artemis's eardrums.

Artemis drew her sword, her veins swept up in a fire that sparked below her gut and licked their way up her ribcage, immolating hesitation and doubt in an inferno of berserk warrior rage. Blood pulsed rapidly behind her eyes, turning them hazy and rose-tinted as the world narrowed, narrowed and shrank to  herself, and the enemy before her. Her sword glinted, the griffin flexed it's mighty talons.

The battle was begun.

The knights heaved themselves at the griffin, some clinging to it's legs as the beast lashed out, tearing up great gouges in the earth with it's claws and swatting the knights away like annoying gnats, screaming and shrieking at this interruption. Cruel hooks found their way into the beast's snowy wings, tearing at tissue and feathers until blood started to churn into the grass and dirt below, and the griffin swept out with the powerful appendages, futiley seeking the safety of the sky, knocking knights over backwards as the great wings slammed into them bodily. The griffin shrieked and bucked, spinning in a circle that sent dirt and grass flinging into Artemis's eyes, and she shook her head as she charged forward, her sword seeking purchase in the heaving, sweat soaked flank. The griffin saw her approach and spun with a grace that belied its bulk, swiping forwards with a powerful talon the size of Artemis's torso. Artemis dived to the side, meaning to tuck her body into a roll, but the griffin's claw caught the size of her leg and flung her spinning away with a sharp, searing pain. Artemis could feel a hot rush of blood pour down her thigh, but in her fury ignored the white-hot pain and staggered to her feet, dirt clinging to her face. The griffin wheeled again, it's attention now given to the knights who flung arrows at its wings, screaming and rending
The air with it's fury. A knight breathed his last as the wickedly hooked beak snapped downwards, and with sharp, jerking pulls, tore the screaming knight limb from limb. Another second, and a brave soul joined him, running bellowing into the fray after his friend and meeting his demise at a single kick from the bucking griffin's massive back paws. Artemis shook, and scanned the wind-beaten battlefield. Here and there, mangled bodies dotted the one lush, green grass, their lifeforce spilling into the uncaring earth, never to breathe or laugh or battle again.

Inside her, Artemis felt something start to swell, and -push-.
Her rage, her fury, her pain, all rose at once in her and shifted, an overwhelming tidal wive that swept through her fire and blanketed it in cool, calm determination. Artemis felt like something ticked inside her head, felt like a lock had slid into place and opened a new path. Everything in her pushed her towards that path and that feeling, swelled within her and coursed through her strong arms, and she lifted her greatsword over her head, it's weight inconsequential in her new vigor. Her feet started towards the griffin on their own, as the thing inside her pushed and swelled and screamed for attention. It became a slavering dog within her, this focus of rage and determination, snarling and snapping and biting at the bars of it's earthly cage to be released. Just a little bit closer. One more step. One more. The griffin reared into view, and seeing the approaching warrior, spun back around to face her, mantling it's wings in a final show of agression and power. Her arms raised above her head, Artemis's sword shone and flickered once, catching the sunlight for one brief, spinning second.

The beast inside her roared, split her head like an orange. Let me out, it cried. Let me out. One second. One second more.

NOW!

Artemis unleashed her power and with a scream to defy the griffin's own, brought her greatsword down into the griffin with a clang as though the very world was being dropped into the beast. Stars exploded in Artemis's vision as her blade felt resistance and PUSHED, slicing thigh tough hide and bone. The beast roared inside her, a tidal wave of and power channeled into the stroke surged through her blade like a battering ram, and with a great, heaving cry, the griffin was brought slamming down into the unforgiving ground in a shower of rocks, dirt, and blood, it's wings flapping and dragging into the mud.

Artemis tilted her head back and screamed in primal victory, the knights around her stopping and staring at such a feat. The griffin shuddered, and then lay still. Artemis walked up to the creature, saw it's white feathers stained with blood and gore, and allowed herself a few slow, shaky breaths as exhaustion started to replace her earlier, frenzied state.
"Boys, we've done it!" Shoured the broken-nosed captain, who lived despite a nasty gash that poured gore into his left eye. "Say huzzah for-"

The blue eye of the griffin snapped open. Artemis started quickly, raising her sword, but the griffin shifted too quickly, rising to it's feet and snapping open it's near-ruined wings, beating frantically at the air. The wind pushed Artemis back, and she covered her face and nose from the assault of grass and dirt and gore flung by the griffin's wingbeats. A moment later, and the griffin had taken to the sky, and despite the arrows flung half-heartedly at its retreating form, disappeared into the sprawling blue after a few moments.

Artemis did not hear the disappointed cries of the remaining knights, did not hear the moans of the injured, couldn't care less about the retreating griffin and whether it lived or died. Her eyes searched the battlefield frantically, running up the the fallen and flinging them carelessly to identify them. A second longer, and she began to cry out, her voice cracking from her earlier battle, but becoming increasingly distressed and high pitched as her search continued.

"Arisen? Arisen!! Master, where are you?"

*

The flame fickered, sputtered, and died, and Artemis was shook out of her memory. 3-days it had been. But she'd search three more. She'd search until time ended and the stars blinked out, one by one. She would find her master. She had to.
As the deep night threw shadows over the ashen remains of the campire and wrapped it's fingers around Artemis, she was suddenly afraid.

A will o'the wisp blinked fiendish light in the distance, and Artemis could see a shift in the shadows below it's pale light. Sighing, lamenting the lack of a good night's rest in Gransys, Artemis gathered her pack and headed toward to the disturbance. Her great strides crossed the earth quickly, and she soon found herself faced with a curious sight.

There, hidden in a rocky outcropping, hung a thick, iron studded trapdoor, and on closer inspection, from the rusted iron handle hung a battleworn, familiar scrap of cloth.

Artemis clutched the fluttering scrap of cloth, bringing it to her face. Excitement rose in her chest, and she heard her breath quicken as she wrapped both hands around the handle and pulled. "Arisen?" She called out, heedless of her voice's volume in the dark.

The door crealed, groaned, and finally swung open. A fetid breeze, heavy with scent of death and decay, poured through the opening, and what little moonlight there was illuminated a set of rotting and moss covered stairs, leading down into a pitch black expanse below.

Without even a moment's hesitation, without even stopping to light a lantern, Artemis charged down the steps, her feet finding purchase on their slick surface.
"Master?"

"Master!"