I lean against the edge of the rooftop, glancing at the towering structure of the nearby Holy Church. Its ornate spires and luminous windows stand in stark contrast to the darkening sky. Lysandra is next to me, visibly bored, slumped on the ledge like a ragdoll that lost its stuffing.
Eira is fiddling with a holographic screen, her fingers dancing in a ballet of taps and swipes. She clicks her tongue, seemingly dissatisfied with something she sees. Then she taps on her glasses, and they fold into a neat hair accessory with a barely audible whir.
"Yo Kael, are you sure there's going to be something fun?" Eira grumbles, her eyes flicking towards me as she closes the holographic display.
I grin, twirling a small, ball-like object in my hand. Eira had given it to me earlier, saying it's capable of restraining pretty much anything. "Hehe, don't worry, we're going to get you some rare materials. You're going to make me something cool, right?"
Eira rolls her eyes. "Maybe. I still don't know why you brought me out here, though. And where the fuck is that psychotic bastard?"
"Zeke is handling a task at the moment," I say, a small sigh escaping my lips. That bird better thank me for this. "As for why I brought you here, it's so you can do some exercise. Being cooped up in that office of yours isn't a good thing, ya know?"
The atmosphere is quieter than a graveyard at midnight, a telltale sign that Zeke successfully diverted the attention of the city gate guards.
Lysandra breaks her silence, shifting uneasily. "Ugh, I'm bored out of my damn mind. Just why the hell are we here?"
I look at her, then back at the Holy Church. "We're going to take advantage of a party that will unfold here soon. Why waste money on materials when they'll rain down from the sky."
"Rain down from the sky? What the hell are you saying?" Lysandra ponders.
My eyes flicker upwards, locking onto the sky above the Holy Church. "Oh, they're here. Both of you, look up."
Dozens of griffins sweep into view, an array of golden, brown, white, and even a few rare black ones. 'Hehe, they're finally here. Now it's time for the party to begin.'
"Look at them, there's dozens, and they're not even the same kind. What do you think, Eira?"
Eira bites her nail, clearly perplexed. "Why the hell are there so many griffins near the center of the capital? And why are all the different species together? I thought they only stayed with their own kind. Yo, Kael, how the hell did you know they were going to appear here?"
I sigh, pausing to choose my words carefully. "A bit before we first met, Queen Celeste and the Holy Church kick-started a project. I'm not sure how, but they stole hundreds of griffins eggs. Obviously, the griffons fought back, and I'm sure you heard about them trying to break through the city defenses. These griffons here aren't from the same group; they must have sent out a distress call. They've been waiting patiently for the young griffons deep in the Holy Church to grow until they can fly."
Lysandra lets out an exaggerated yawn, her interest minimal at best. "Uggh, yo Kael, can you cook one of those chickens?" she asks, pointing at the griffons in the sky.
Eira stands up, her gaze sharp. "So what now? We're going to take them down and take their feathers?"
I grin, feeling a wave of anticipation rush through me. "Nah, if I'm right, we'll get something good if we help them out. We're going to break into the Holy Church and release the kiddos while they're busy fighting." Hehe, this is going to be a pain in the ass. but if it means getting Eira something to work with, I'll gladly do it. Should I help out that small group? They saw when all the eggs were taken and got imprisoned.
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I glance at Eira and Lysandra. "Alright, let's go. Make sure to stay out of sight; these griffons will kill anyone they see running around the church. Oh, and Lysandra, if a griffin approaches us, use your dragon aura to scare them off. Even if they're stronger than you, their instincts kick in when they sense a dragon."
Lysandra smirks, puffing out her chest. 'Good, at least they realize which species is superior.'
Leaping off the rooftop, I land agilely on the next building, heading toward ground level. Eira and Lysandra are right behind me, keeping pace. Let's see, the best place to enter is through the third entrance, that's where the least amount of holy knights should be.
Eira lands next to me, exhaling dramatically. "Ugh, I never thought I'd be breaking into the Holy Church. Hehe~ It's a good thing I brought my toy with me."
I suppress another sigh. I hope she's in the academy. I don't want to encounter the Saintess in training. Zeke should be dealing with any messenger they send out to the guilds and the queen. We should have a bit over 20 minutes before reinforcements arrive.
Finally, we reach ground level and sneak a peek at the chaos unfolding at the Holy Church. Knights, saints, and even some mages are throwing everything they've got at the griffons, who are attacking in a furious swarm.
We move undetected, skirting around the perimeter to the third entrance. I look at Eira. "Hey, go ahead and try out your toys. Ain't this the best chance? Just try not to kill them."
Eira's eyes sparkle behind her newly reformed glasses. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a black mask with white runes engraved on the cloth. Pulling her hoodie up, she now looks like a middle schooler hiding her identity. Well, given her stature, it's not a stretch. I think, a bit amused.
Eira strides up to a group of Holy Knights, panting as if she's just escaped danger. Most Holy Knights are either B-rank, with some being A-rank. What is she up to?
One of the knights rushes toward her. "Kid, you have to hide! Where's your family?"
Doing her best to sound terrified, Eira replies, "I-I don't have one, I-I'm all alone."
The knight sighs and ushers her closer to the group. The moment they're all clustered together, Eira pulls out several balls from her pocket and smashes them on the ground. A light green smoke envelops the knights, who crumple instantly.
As Lysandra and I approach, Eira whips out another device that sucks up all the lingering smoke. She removes her mask and observes, "Hmm, it could be better, but for now, it seems that sleeping gas works well against B-rank knights."
Now to break into the heart of this sacred hellhole.' I move ahead cautiously, my senses stretched to their limits to detect any stray knights that may be inside the entrance. "This is going to be one hell of a night."
"What's that?" I ask, watching Eira jam a few devices into the walls near the entrance we've just breached.
"They're just sensors. If the knights wake up or if any other person enters, we'll know," Eira explains, grinning behind her glasses as they briefly flicker, syncing up with the devices.
Lysandra then walks up to the sleeping knights and delivers a swift karate chop to each of their necks. "Now they won't wake up."
I shake my head. "Well, that's one way to ensure security. Let's get moving; we've got to go deep into the church. The entrance should be near the bookshelves."
My eyes scan the rows of ancient, leather-bound tomes. I have no clue what could be the trigger to a hidden entrance, but then again, that's why I've got Lysandra. "Hey Lysandra, can you go ahead and make a hole right here?"
Lysandra groans, reluctantly making her way to the bookshelf. She throws a punch at it. Nothing. Another one. Still, no effect. Gritting her teeth, she finally manages to punch a big-ass hole into it.
"Fuck that bookshelf," she curses, brushing dust off her knuckles.
Eira snickers, "Great job, you sure love to make noise, huh?"
Lysandra clicks her tongue, about to retort, but I don't give her the chance. "Enough, you two. Let's go." I stride through the gaping hole, prompting them to cease their bickering and follow. Down the hidden staircase, we go.
Once we arrive at the bottom, I turn to Eira and Lysandra. "Both of you head down to the next floor. You'll find all the griffons there. I'll be there soon; I need to check something out."
I know they'll be fine. Eira's a tech genius, and Lysandra can handle herself in a fight. Eira may grumble, but when push comes to shove, she's reliable.
Leaving them behind, I sprint through the dim underground, glancing into each cell as I pass. Finally, I spot him. He's chained to the wall, head drooping forward. A once-proud leader reduced to this sorry state.
I pick up a loose stone and chuck it at his head. He wakes up with a groan, rubbing his temple. "You shitty holy bastards, what's the big— Wait a minute, you don't look like a bastard," he says, eyeing me cautiously. His golden-white hair frames his gray eyes, and I know immediately: this is the guy.
I rub my chin, "Well, if not looking like a bastard is a compliment. So, who the hell are you?"
He smiles. "I can tell you're not a bastard because you don't sound, smell or look... forget that, you just don't fit the criteria. As for my name, just call me Argos."
He stands up, chains rattling, and smirks. "Today must be my lucky day"
Argos is on the verge of becoming a filler villain in this world. It's not that he's evil or some sort of con artist. His mind snapped when the church fucked, tortured, and murdered his team right before his eyes, rendering him helpless, they made him choose who will get to live and he saw all of his teammates begging him to let the others die. They didn't even let him close his eyes while it happened, and all that just because he cursed at the archpriest. Now that I think about it, I made some parts of this story kind of dark. Well, I can't afford to have a guy like him going off the rails.
I touch the cell bars. These are reinforced with mana, just how serious is the crime of cursing at the church? Fucking bastards, they use their power to do whatever they want. The Saintess is the only one unaware of this.
Argos shifts uneasily. "...umm, you can't break that. It's heavily reinforced with mana, I think—"
I cut him off, focusing on my glove. It morphs into a perfect key, fitting into the lock seamlessly. With a soft click, the door swings open.
"You're going to pay me back," I tell him as I step inside to remove his chains.
Argos stretches and rubs his arms, "Of course, nothing in this world is free. But what are you doing down here? You can't be down here unless you're part of the church."
I grin. "There's a massive fight with griffins outside. I'm taking advantage of the situation and releasing all the young griffins locked down here. We have 10~15 minutes before reinforcements arrive from the guilds so we got to move quickly."
Argos clicks his tongue, a mix of irritation and admiration. "Tsk, I told those retards it wouldn't end well. Although we can't really talk to them, griffins are damn smart. Hey, help me release my team. Skylar was blessed with a skill by the Hunting Goddess; she can calm animals. I'm sure she'll be of help."
Of course, I'm going to help you. Otherwise, you'll just get captured again. He's easier to work with than expected, especially given that he's only a couple of years older.
We dash down the hallway, our footsteps barely making a sound on the cold stone floor. We arrive at the other cells. Four in total. I make quick work of their locks. The team bursts out, exuberance filling the air.
"Guys, guys, we're saved!"
"Is it really you, Argos?"
"Yeah, it's me, and this is... our savior. No time for a reunion. We have 10 minutes before reinforcements arrive. Let's hurry up and get to the lower floor, he's here to get the griffins out, and I promised we'd help him out."