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The entire text of this story is now included in Chapters 2-4 of Gryphon in Light, volume one of The Kelvren's Saga series.

Story now included in Chaoters 2-4 of the novel (2023).

Story now included in Chaoters 2-4 of the Gryphon in Light novel (2023).

Overview[]

Injured in battle,[1] drained of his magic and neglected by the locals, Kelvren's condition seems hopeless until Treyvan comes up with a desperate idea to save him.

Characters[]

Main character[]

  • Kelvren Skothkar - gryphon injured in brave defense of human troops, mortally weakened by using up all of his magic to heal a dying man; now dying himself

Major characters[]

  • Valdemar Guard Officer Hallock Stavern - Kelvren healed him and saved his life by expending all of his own magic
  • Treyvan - famous gryphon, mage, and ambassador to Valdemar
  • Jeft Roald Dunwythie - local village boy hired for unwanted or risky jobs, such as "feeding" a gryphon

Minor characters[]

Referenced characters[]

  • Farragur Elm - greedy leader of a "secessionist" movement
  • Genni Stavern - Hallock's wife
  • Mage Firesong k'Treva
  • Skandranon Rashkae - legendary gryphon and hero of the Mage Wars
  • Kuartes - legendary gryphon
  • Usteca - legendary gryphon
  • Tusak Kael the Elder - legendary gryphon

Places[]

  • Military command post and "hospital"

Referenced Places[]

Terminology[]

Story description (Warning! SPOILERS!)[]

In Haven's military headquarters, Elspeth and Darkwind receive news of an unknown gryphon injured in battle and now near death from expending his mage energy to heal someone. Gryphon Treyvan recognizes that the unknown gryphon's depleted magic energy could kill him. The government of Valdemar is in a bind because the military clash is internal: thug businessman Farragur Elm and his friends seized all of the local resources in Deedun, declared they were seceding from Valdemar, and hired a Mercenary company to defend them. Valdemar doesn't want to be seen as oppressing their own people just for dissenting. Meanwhile, there are no healers to spare from the conflict, so Treyvan agrees to go see the gryphon.

Injured gryphon Kelvren has been stuck in a shabby tent in a muddy field far away from the nervous locals' livestock. Demoralized, neglected and underfed, he is in pain and getting weaker despite the best the healers could do. A gaunt village boy brings a sack of meat discards to "feed" him like an animal. Kelvren learns that the boy gets all the undesirable, filthy or risky jobs, like this one. He has often been told he's lucky to be alive, and he is philosophical about it. He works to support his mother, but if he dies, they'd get someone else to do his work, and he expects he would not feel hungry and cold on the other side.

Field promoted due to his Captain's death, Stavern checks the dispatch office to see if anyone is sending help for the gryphon. There is no news, so he limps off to check on his wounded troops. They are uneasy about fighting fellow citizens.

The boy wakes Kelvren for his next feeding, of worse food than before. Kelvren discovered he has a name, Jeft, but nobody calls him that, just "boy." Kelvren is indignant on Jeft's behalf, and then realizes that he himself does not have to accept the mistreatment he is getting. He heads for the town, Jeft in tow.

Stavern hears an uproar in a tent and finds the Mayor vomiting into the sack of "food" he had sent for Kelvren, surrounded by jeering wounded soldiers. The troops are also contributing their own food to a tray in front of Kelvren, who is visibly weak. After he eats, Stavern and the soldiers support him to a decent tent of invalid troops, to await the healers rounds.

They cannot risk giving him drugs, so Kelvren continues to be awakened by pain. However, his morale has improved from the attention. Jeft's mother Ammari comes to tend him, and mentions the glimmering paint she made from a substance she discovered in the local Changecircle. She had invested all of their money in it, but when the fighting came, there was nowhere to sell it. Kelvren has lots of visits from the soldiers, who want to touch him and think he is good luck. He knowns he is dying, but would like to have some legacy. He decides to have Ammari paint feathers for the soldiers as luck pieces. And he tells stories about White Gryphon, Skandranon, and even Treyvan and Hydona, so that knowledge of the heroism of gryphons will spread.

Treyvan arrives and realizes that Kelvren is dying of Hirs'ka'usk, a fatal condition for gryphons who have lost their magic. The Mage Storms have dispersed the old concentrations of magic that could have been used to heal him. So he comes up with an idea to use the magic of the local Changecircle and a half-remembered historical process to try to restore Kelvren's magic. It is just as likely to kill him, but Kelvren agrees the risk is worth it. Treyvan mysteriously prepares the Changecircle, digging tunnels all around the perimeter. When Kelvren lies atop the mound, and Treyvan activates the spell, the magic overwhelmingly surges through Kelvren. He flies straight up in the air, as instructed - unexpectely glowing like the sun from every feather. Rather than landing, he flies towards Deedun, leaving a glowing trail on the road, and brands the traitors' headquarters with a fiery mark. Then he flies over the local allies cities and keeps, before heading home to k'Valdemar Vale.

Chronology[]

This story takes place shortly after the previous story. The entire miniseries takes place after The Darian's Tale series, aka the Owl Mage trilogy.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ↑ His battle, injuries and friendship with Stavern are detailed in "A Perfect Day in Valdemar", now included in Chapter 1 of Gryphon in Light.
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