Hero or Not

         A high pitched scream, mixed with a beastly roar, pierced the night so clearly that they reached the ears of Braal and his lackeys. Instantly their light-hearted conversations and laughter ceased. The jet black minotaur always took great comfort knowing that his hideout was tucked away so deeply into the South Haven Woods that any law enforcement official trying to recover their plundered goods could walk right over the cave’s entrance and be completely unaware. In fact, the cavern system that lead to their underground den was so extensive, only one guard was ever needed, and then only during the day when someone with a badge was likely to be looking.
         But those sounds hadn’t come from outside the caves. They hadn’t even come from very far up in the caverns. They were close.
         Unlike many of their unruly ilk, Braal was a rather heroic leader. His followers stuck with him not only because of his planning ability or skill in combat, but also for his inspiration. They were a rather impressive band of thugs, headed up by a skilled commander. Under different circumstances, they would have made a rather impressive army, headed up by a skilled general.
         Braal took this opportunity to, once again, show his gang the quality of his leadership. The moment the foreign sounds reached them, he stood from his seat and grabbed a nearby battle axe. Silently, he pointed to a dark elf and a kobold who were each near the entrance to the den. They nodded, grabbed their weapons, and followed Braal up the tunnels.

         The Mage Lord Vers chuckled as he held the shimmering green crystal sphere that gave him control over the gryphon. He’d been after this half-giant girl for months. Her ability to manipulate magical energies had been enough to keep him from being able to detect her. That is, until Vers started to use magic to control creatures to hunt her down. Those, she couldn’t affect.
         “I really must thank you.” Vers smiled a crooked grin as he taunted the girl. “If it hadn’t been for you, I never would have needed to learn to control these beasts. Once the orc chieftan has that gem you’ve got hidden inside you, I have plans for this new skill.”
         There was a dull, almost moist sound, immediately followed by another roar from the gryphon. Vers looked down to see an arrow protruding from his chest. Knowing his control of the gryphon was broken, and his life was quickly draining, he looked up to see who, with nothing but a simple arrow, had ended his life. Braal and his men stood a short distance further in the cave. The dark elf’s left arm was extended, holding the bow that had just fired that arrow. The kobold, with his twin short swords, ran ahead to stand between the half-giant girl and the dying mage. Braal’s focus was on the gryphon. It didn’t like being controlled, and was looking for something to attack. It found a target in the kobold.
         The gryphon swiped a front talon, aiming for the little kobold’s head. Before the swing could be completed, Braal charged and rammed his horns into its side, knocking it off balance. Braal backed up a step and pointed back into the caverns.
         “The mage is dead. Take her to the den. I’ll get rid of this thing.”
         His men didn’t hesitate for an instant. They helped the girl up from the ground, and led her through the caves to the safety of their den.
         Braal didn’t have time to watch them go. The gryphon was back on its feet in an instant, now more enraged than ever. It leapt forward, stretching both front talons out in an effort to impale the minotaur. Braal braced himself and thrust the handle of his battle axe into the waiting talons. The gryphon clutched on instinctively, and Braal was able to pull himself up and ram his horns against the underside of the creature’s beak. The impact dazed the gryphon for a moment, and it released the weapon.
         Without looking back, Braal hit the ground and rolled toward the exit. He knew the gryphon wouldn’t be able to fly in the caverns, but that wouldn’t stop it from being able to run. His only goal was to get it out of the caves and away from his men.
         Knowing the caverns as well as he did had saved his life a couple of times in the past. That was never more true than now. Three times the gryphon nearly caught him, and all three times Braal was able to use a set of stalagmites, a hidden passage or a large puddle of water to gain a few yards on the furious creature. When he finally made it outside the cave entrance, he ducked into the nearby underbrush and waited. When the gryphon erupted out of the caves, with a single mind of destruction, Braal was silent. The beast searched for only a moment. The lure of the open skies was soon too much to ignore, and it let forth an eagles screech before leaping into the air and taking flight.

         When Braal came back through the entrance to his gang’s den, he was met with thunderous applause. He gave a grateful wave, praised the dark elf and kobold who had assisted him, and went to go see the half-giant girl sitting by the well.
         “Thank you, sir. You saved my life.” The girl sounded exhausted.
         “I heard the mage. What’s the deal with the gem?” Braal responded.
         “It’s a spirit stone. Enhances magical abilities. It was imbedded in my chest at birth. I’ve been hunted for it my whole life.”
         Braal nodded. “You’re welcome to stay here, if you don’t mind living amongst thieves.”
         The girl looked around. Nobody seemed surprised by his offer. Most seemed to be excited to hear her response. She looked at Braal and smiled. “I’d be happy to.”