Errant stepped out from the bounds of The Camp, trotting calmly along the packed trail that led towards the Rift, aiming to get out of the Camp's Interdictions.
A large winged creature with a dark head spiraled down out of the sky ahead of him, clearly aiming to intercept him at the edge of the safe zone. The Griffons of the Stormcrest Crown were helping the allies here with patrols and other things, occasionally swooping into a fight with flying Warp mutants to vent their ire upon them.
They had a great deal of experience with Interdiction zones and knew how fearsome losing the ability to fly could be, and very wisely shirked their limits. Errant was heading out to meet one personally he had been referred to in Marktell, a proud young griffon called Darkbolt, who prided himself on being the fastest of his Crown, and whose wing had been saved a few weeks back by Sama.
He was waiting as Errant stepped out of the Interdiction, a saddle and a couple other things piled up on his Disk as he walked fearlessly up to the haughty eagle-headed, lion-bodied creature.
"Good morning. My name is Errant, and I'm a Heavenbound Warlock. I'm here to request your services as a mount in the service of Heaven."
Wrath burned up around him, golden glory suffused with the power of the celestial realms. Despite himself, Darkbolt's golden eyes widened at the nonesuch sight and power of it, an ancient calling burning in his soul.
"Griffons are the sacred animal of Aru. When the greatest knights of Aru ride to battle, they call for griffons, no lesser steeds." Errant looked up the darkly feathered eagle's head above him. "I would like to show you why griffons ride with Heavenbound."
The griffon's head tilted sharply in a birdlike manner, and almost despite himself, shrilled a curious assent.
"I am going to saddle you." He jerked a thumb at his own back. "As you can see, I'm wearing a pack, for the exact same purpose. It's a more comfortable way to carry something. I'll take the saddle off when we're done, and I'll also show you how to take one off." He picked up the oversized saddle, as the griffon was significantly larger than most horses, and the griffon watched closely as he set the blanket on, dropped the saddle, and cinched it tight with the griffon's reluctant approval.
He also fixed two greaves along the raptor-like forelegs of Darkbolt, who chirruped unhappily at them, while Errant's Disk folded up in leaves and went back into his Masspack.
"Say 'lion'," he said calmly, stepping back and crossing his arms.
Darkbolt chirped something, and there was a flowing golden light. His raptor's forelegs transformed into the muscular legs and paws of a great lion, matching those of his hindquarters.
Darkbolt squawked in alarm, bouncing up and down, lifting up one paw, then another in surprise and fascination.
"Try running and jumping around. You'll find them much more comfortable for walking then talons," Errant said patiently.
Darkbolt did just that, prancing back and forth for a few minutes, sprinting fifty yards, leaping to and fro, dodging back and forth, finding the experience interesting. Indeed, it was much easier to get around like this on the ground.
"Say 'eagle'," Errant told him, and a shriek later, his talons were back as they were before. Chirps and shrieks interchanged as Darkbolt watched his forelegs change back and forth.
"Now, let me get up on you." The griffon didn't move as Errant fluidly set himself up into the saddle. "Now, I'm going to speak a terrible truth to you, which you already know." He pointed back to The Camp. "Griffons can't fly." The griffon looked back at him with a turn of his hand. "If you don't believe me, go forty yards that way. Nothing that uses magical means to fly can stay airborne... not griffons, not pegasi, not dragons, not manticores, giant bats, or whatever. But a simple, ordinary bird has no problem flying there."
Darkbolt protested the unfairness of it, but looked away. All the Griffons had experience with the fields, Sama had insisted they know what it felt like to be in one of them. It was frightening being forced into a power glide that barely slowed their descents...
"What this means is that you are magical, especially your wings. And Heavenbound can share their Whim with their mounts." Errant shifted his position as he concentrated, sending a flow of Wrath down his tailbone.
Darkbolt jumped five feet into the air at the sensation, his great dark wings snapping out in alarm... and they were sparkling with golden light in between his feathers.
"First application of Angel Walk, Light as an Angel. Jump for as much height as you can."
Darkbolt obligingly tensed down, and with a shriek bounced for altitude.
The shriek became a little wild as he shot up, nearly weightless, over a hundred feet above the ground in only a second, far, far higher than he expected, in only a single beat of his wings.
He felt like he weighed nothing. Shrieking in glee, he beat his wings, and his body bounced around like a fledgling.
-Come to a halt, and put your feet down,- Errant /told him calmly in Marktell, now that they were touching. The Marked griffon looked at his mental image, and there was a ripple in his mindset as he beheld the burning purity of a Senior Heavenbound. Errant wasn't Sage Sama, but there was something both grim and glorious behind him that she didn't have.
Heaven...
He looked down, his dark wings aglitter with gold, and found himself standing on the air, faint golden mist curling away from his feet. Hesitantly, he paced forwards, and found his progress sure and easy, the air like a steady road under his claws.
Slowly, he picked up speed, wings out to glide, kicking forwards, moving faster and faster with ease, no effort behind the motion at all.
-Angel Walk. As long as I ride you, you can walk on air, and hover endlessly as a result. You can also stand on vertical surfaces... see that section of the Ring? Go land on it.-
The mental instruction was clear and precise, and Darkbolt went winging down in delight, feeling his increased agility and speed. He pulled up at the sheered-off section of stone, set his feet against it, and found himself standing easily on the cloven stone face at a ninety-degree angle. Errant, still on his back, was also perfectly fine, not dragged down.
The griffon turned a few circles, careful to keep most of his feet on the stone at all times, his tail swishing as he pondered the odd view from this angle.
-Makes for good hunting ability, flatten against a tree or hill, waiting for things. And even works upside down. -Darkbolt squawked enthusiastically. -It works on water, too. Go head over to the Worm and try it out.-
Eagerly, the griffon did just that, winging the half-mile or so there fairly quickly, taking the long loop around the Wards of The Camp. He swooped down upon the translucent silver waters and alighted atop them easily, sliding a bit, but the waters were heavy and barely stirred up under wingbeats and his landing.
He pranced around a bit in interest. He would never have to worry about drowning like this, would he?
-No. If you find yourself underwater, just activate it and you'll go right to the surface... and it'll dry you off, too.- Darkbolt was naturally delighted to hear that. Griffons couldn't fly if their wings were wet.
-Get some altitude, and I'll show you a power dive and pullup you won't believe.-
Impossibly light, he shot into the air, soaring a thousand feet into the sky in mere breaths, feet pawing at the air to move straight up in a vertical without effort, heart pounding at the speed and power of the ascent.
They were a mile in the sky within a minute, an impossible rate of ascent in any normal circumstances. Who needed thermals?! Just have a Heavenbound!
-Now, dive, and don't pull out. Trust the Heavens!-
Darkbolt screamed his eagerness, and dove.
Six gravities surged, and they dropped faster than any stone ever. Golden flames blazed around his head, and the wind howled past them as they built up speed, incredible, how fast, curling into a dive, the ground was coming up on them, and the anthem was soaring in his head and he didn't pull up, he knew if he tried to brake at this speed, his wings would rip right off.
Faster than an arrow, they dropped down from the skies. Anything he hit at this speed would likely kill both him and his target. The ground was leaping at them, how fast, never so fast ever-
His head was a foot from the ground when the Arms of the Angels caught them and dispersed all their momentum in a ripple of light.
Darkbolt called out in disbelief as he reached out and landed gentle on his foreclaws, the rest of his body falling softly to the ground and alighting easily there.
-You cannot crash while a Heavenbound rides you!-
Darkbolt's heart beat crazily with the thrill and the release. Speed! Safety! Agility! He thought it was the finest flier in his crown, but what did he know? This, this was what it meant to soar in the heavens!
-Would you like to fight with me, Darkbolt? We will soar over the world, and show them the power of Heaven!-
The griffon screamed his ready assent to this. Great lands spilling forth before them, soaring with the heavens behind him... what more could a griffon ask for?
Errant's mere thought turned his head to the Rift nearby.
-A Warlock must fight, and a Heavenbound even moreso. We must be blooded, and learn how to fight together, and no better way to do exists then to pit ourselves against the creatures of the Warp. Are you ready to fight?-
Darkbolt shrieked enthusiastically. Glittering wings spread, and he picked up speed, prancing ahead, kicking off, and shooting across the ground, only a few feet above, hind legs driving him forwards at an increasingly fast clip. Errant nodded at nothing and limbered Grace in her scabbard. His sister and the girls were getting ready to fight with the Jadeiron Company, and he'd be joining them in the battle.
With Feist watching over the girls, he wasn't worried about them. The hyn Master was a deadly foe, and the girls had proven themselves repeatedly to be canny and instinctual fighters. But a battlefield was different from an ambush or a delve, and they needed this kind of experience as well.
They'd cover the miles in just a couple of minutes. The Warped were about to get another unwelcome surprise, courtesy of Heaven...