The fire slightly grew weaker. Max put some more logs and paper into the fireplace and it all set ablaze again. He sat back down on his chair, carried on with his reading. An hour passed… two. Max decided it was about time he finished with his story and went to sleep because a long day awaited him. He went upstairs, brushed his teeth and went to bed.
Outdoors, the hailstorm was beating on the windows, bringing him to the dead lands where orcs and elves were battling to the sound of the drums. It lulled him to sleep. The night was peaceful, only disturbed by the slight squeaking of the rats in the village.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore the sky in half, and the wind blew like it has never done before. Its blowing was more and more violent and the windows opened in a big crash. Max was not woken up by the windows smashed to pieces but by a shriek that almost burst his eardrums. He got up and quickly headed to the windows, paying good attention to the bits of glass on the floor. He gazed at the sky, the horizon… nothing. Perhaps it was just a dream. He went back to bed when he heard another cry. He ran to the windows, forgot the glass and grazed his feet.
He was so focused on the sound he heard outside that he did not pay attention to the pain he must have been feeling. He was observing the sky, waiting. Another lightning struck and max was able to notice a form flying in the starry sky. He was knocked for six, and dumbstruck. He could not believe his eyes that were still fixed on the creature in the sky. Max knew it too well for having seen it in lots of books. It was no more, no less than a griffin.
‘But griffins only exist in fairy tales,’ Max murmured to himself.
Yet, it was definitely a griffin; he could not be wrong about that. He took his mobile phone and immortalised the beast in a picture. The photograph was a little blurred but you could see the creature perfectly. Max was excited and scared at the same time by this strange discovery. He wondered if other people had seen the animal as well or if it was not just another dream. He took a look at his mobile screen. No, it was not a dream, undoubtedly.
He ran downstairs, took a warm coat and went out. He followed the creature when the latter dived to the ground to disappear behind the woods a few metres away.
Max went in the same direction and entered the forest. He was alert to any suspect sound. He advanced through the woods and reached the clearing beyond. The griffin was there, drinking at the pond. Max made an approach but he stepped onto a branch that cracked under his weight. The sound caught the beast’s attention and it was now facing him.
Max stood motionless, keeping his eyes on the beast. He could not stop shaking with fear and excitement. Suddenly the griffin started to move steadily but determined towards the man. Soon he was only a few inches away from Max. The man moved closer, reached out a hand slowly. The creature backed off, then moved forth again and sniffed the hand. As it smelled no apparent danger, it let him caress it. Then, the beast leaned down as to let Max climb on its back. The latter held on tight to the animal’s feathers which gave a slight shriek. Then they flew off, above the storm. Max was clung firmly to the beast in order to not fall or be blown away by the caprices of the wind.
They flew for such a long time that it became impossible to tell which day it was. The griffin stooped down and landed in a sort of vast and verdurous valley that was unknown to Max. He looked around and noticed a glimmer in the distance. He headed to it, followed by the griffin. The light seemed so close and yet was so distant and Max was wondering if he would reach it eventually.
After a few hours, the glimmer grew brighter and brighter and Max was able to see where it came from. It was a lighthouse that revealed a gigantic city, so big you could not see the end. Max was speechless. He knew that place. He has never been there but he saw it in a book.
He recognised the legendary city of Arkhos and its Greek architecture. He could not believe his eyes; he was in his story, the story he was reading that night. He entered the city and, all of sudden, he felt strangely uneasy. Then, he remembered. Yes, he remembered what happened to Arkhos, besieged by the orcs and trolls. He looked closer and saw that numerous buildings and monuments had fallen into ruin. The griffin recoiled and its feathers began to stand on end.
A crack followed by something growling was heard and the griffin, frightened, flew away as far as it could. Poor Max was left alone and at the mercy of some monster.
All of a sudden, the ground quaked and nearly made Max fall several times. The tremors became stronger and stronger and he was wondering what could possibly make the ground tremble like that. Then, as to answer his question, he saw the blaze… the blaze of hell, for he could see an immense balrog standing in the distance. The enormous creature glared at the man for a moment and the latter could not help shaking with fright. The monster gave a loud growl that almost burst Max’s eardrums.
He was dangerously coming nearer and poor Max started to succumb under the unbearable heat.
Soon, he was quickly surrounded by the flames and cried in pain. He fainted
The hours went by and Max finally awoke. He looked around him and noticed with astonishment that he was not in Arkhos anymore but at home, in his room. He sat up when he smelt something burning. It came from outside the room. Max hurried downstairs.
The living-room was engulfed in flames. Max went and picked up the extinguisher to put out the fire. He called the firefighters, even so, to inform of the damage. He was interrogated on the nature of the fire. He recalled the balrog and shrugged in ignorance. The firefighters returned to their office after reported the disaster.
Despite the situation, max decided to go back to bed, vanquished and tired. And out there, under the moonlight, a creature was flying… a griffin.
