Having discovered that jumping from rooftop to rooftop was a bad idea, Colt found himself dashing through the maze of streets. He used one particularly tall building, some sort of old church whose steeple stood tall and proud, to centre himself. The sound had come from behind the building, so that was where he ran.

The closer he got to the sound, the more Colt felt its presence. While most buildings appeared to be crumbling from age, some had clear signs of combat damage. The ground was full of gaping holes, entire sides of buildings were missing as though a missile had hit, plumes of dust rose from everywhere. Whatever had happened here was recent. Colt spun as he heard the roar again. He was close. The next block, if his guesstimating was right.

Not wanting to go in blind, Colt risked taking the rooftops. When he came into view of the creature, he could not believe his eyes. Of everything it could have been, not once did the idea that the creature was a Griffin of all things cross his mind. Though Colt did have to admit it explained the sound of the roar. It's eagle-like wings were spread wide and strong, a clear sign of aggression. Its lion's tail swished this way and that as it reared onto its back paws, slashing at its target with black talons. Colt dared a glance at who was being attacked.

His jaw dropped. "That is impossible . . ."

Despite not seeing her for a long time, Colt recognised the woman immediately. She had dark skin, frizzy black hair and obsidian eyes. She wore a long, sleeveless, figure-hugging linen dress covered in a variety of beads. On her arms were golden bangles, on her ankles were golden anklets, and she wore no shoes. Around her neck was a simple lapis pendant of the Eye of Hours. In her hand was a short, wooden staff topped with a head made of clear quartz and lapis lazuli.

Her name was Bast, and she had died long ago.

Colt watched on in awe as his childhood friend fought against the griffin. She dove out of the way as claws came down, raining sand over her. Colt grimaced at the attack.

Bast took up a defensive position and yelled in Kemetic, "If anyone can hear me, I really need some help!"

The griffin reared back again, letting out a piercing cry. Bast gasped as it came at her, beak wide—

Cot jumped from the building, golden power flaring at his fist. He punched the griffin square in the head. It fell to the ground in an explosion of dust. Not dead, not even unconscious, just stunned.

Colt jumped down to where Bast knelt and held out a hand. She accepted it gratefully. "Are you okay?" he asked in Kemetic.

Bast, wide-eyed and trying to get a handle on her shaking, nodded. "Yeah, thank you." She looked around. "Was starting to think no one was here."

"No one is here," he said. "This place looks like it was abandoned centuries ago."

"Oh." She cocked her head. "You are not from here either?"

"No." Colt rubbed the back of his head. "I walked into a rift accidently. Well, almost accidently. I was looking for a rift but it was sooner than intended." He managed a sheepish smile as his old friend laughed. "How did you get here, Bast?"

Her laughter stopped. Colt watched as her guard was immediately raised. "How do you know my name?"

Colt blinked. "You don't . . ." He trailed off with a groan. "New body, right. You would not recognise me like this."

Bast crossed her arms, still holding her small staff. "We have met before?"

"Wait, I can prove it." Colt snapped his fingers as he thought. "Something only we would know . . . Oh! When we were seven, I was almost bitten by a snake. It jumped out a tree and tried to attack me. You grabbed it and threw it out of the garden, and I asked if you were possessed by the spirit of Horus."

Bast stared, dumfounded. "Assar?!"

The griffin stirred.

The pair spun toward it.

"As much as I would love to hear this story," Bast said, "I think we have other things to worry about."

"Should I ask why you are being chase by a griffin?" Colt asked.

"I might have landed in its nest."

"What!"

"Oh, right, I knew I was going to be dragged into a magical portal and spat out on top of a chimera. Fuck you."

"Alright, alright!" Colt looked around. He wrapped an arm around the surprised Bast's waist and said, "Hold on." Golden light flickered around him. The pair took to the sky.

Bast looked down in wonder. "I did not know you could fly."

Colt chuckled. "A lot has changed in recent years."

"I bet." She glanced over her shoulder. "Company."

Colt didn't need to look behind to know she was talking about the griffin. Its wings shook the sky. He could feel it even from several metres away. "Which way to the nest?" he asked.

Bast pointed ahead. There was a stone mountain surrounded by dead trees. "You see that massive lump in the branches? That is the nest. Do you have a plan?"

"Do I ever have a plan?"

She gave him a foul look. "Just don't get me killed."

* * * * * * * *

They landed on the edge of the nest, the griffin not far beyond. Colt looked down. The thing was massive. Massive and empty. Assuming the griffin chasing them was a mother, shouldn't there be babies in the nest? It was the only reason Colt could think of for the griffin to think Bast was a threat. With a thoughtful hum, Colt dropped into the nest.

"What are you doing?" Bast hissed.

Colt waved her off. He picked up a small eagle's feather, twisting it between his fingers. Colt closed his eyes, the golden aura returning around him. He focused it on the feather. His eyes, now glowing with a bright golden light, shot open. He looked around until he spotted the unique footprints of griffins. They were small, clearly young ones. The children? Colt followed them to the other side of the nest and looked over the edge. They'd jumped from here.

"Seriously, what are you doing?" Bast called. "And why are your eyes glowing?"

"Busy," he murmured. There had to be a way down. Yes, Colt could fly, but only when he was focused. Right now, his focus was elsewhere. The tracking spell used just as much power, for now anyway.

The drop to the ground was huge. There were a few rocky ledges on the way down, but nothing large enough for a baby griffin to stand on. Then again . . .

Colt leapt over the edge of the nest.

Bast ran to the other side, bracing her hands on the sticks. "Assar!"

"Fine!" he called, dangling by his hands. Colt let go of the nest. He dropped to a large branch growing out of the stone cliff. It shook but took his weight. There were golden griffin prints on it. Colt stood and called, "You can come down now!"

Bast let out a string of curses which reminded Colt just how vivid his mother tongue was. "You are insane! There is no way—"

"Would you rather be griffin food?"

Bast looked behind her, grimaced, and climbed back onto the edge of the nest. Arms spread, she balanced, murmuring even more curses which Colt could hear from down below.

"I will catch you," Colt said. "Jump!"

A final glance over her shoulder. Bast jumped, screaming the whole way down. Colt moved forward, arms outstretched, and caught her. Bast opened her clenched eyes. She looked at Colt, at the drop below the branch, and back to Colt. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said with a smile, putting her down.

"So, what are you doing?"

"Looking for baby griffins." Colt walked along the branch, following the golden footprints. They stopped near the edge. Looking around, Colt found the footprints along the stone directly across from them, heading down into the gorge. "This way."

Bast followed reluctantly. "Why are you looking for baby griffins?"

Colt turned to his friend. "What makes any good mother go crazy?"

"Oh, her babies are missing!"

"Ten points to the dead magician! We will be talking about that later, by the way."

"Among other things," Bast said, pointedly looking over him. "I see I have missed a lot."

"You have no idea." He nodded to himself. "They must be down there."

"Griffins have wings." Bast crossed her arms, following Colt's gaze down into the gorge. "Surely they could fly out."

"Can young birds fly the first time they jump from the nest?" he countered.

"Point taken. How do we get down?"

"Easily."

Colt pulled a gun from his belt. He flicked a small switch. The top turned into a hook. He pulled the trigger. The hook shot into the wood of the branch, a long, thin wire connecting it to the gun. Colt looped the wire around his belt and clipped the gun back in place.

"I was ready to go when I was pulled through the rift," he explained to Bast who watched on in wonder. "It may not look strong but it is."

"Suppose I will have to take your word for that." She glanced nervously at the wire but held onto Colt. "Just get it over with."

"You and heights," Colt said with a fond shake of the head. "You never did explain."

As they walked to the edge of the branch, and over to its side, Bast laughed nervously. "I like the view. Going down is another story—" She shrieked as she lost her footing.

Colt held her tightly with both hands. "I have you," he assured her. "Trust me."

Bast gulped, gripping him as tight possible. "If you really are still Assar, and I am assuming you are, then I have nothing to worry about."

"Good."

As one, the pair stepped off the branch.

* * * * * * * *

It took five minutes to reach the floor of the gorge. Colt purposely went slow. He didn't want Bast to panic any more than she already was. While a Lyriumian grappling wire could lower some to the ground—from the branch, it was about twenty metres—it usually took no more than a minute once one had the hang of the technology. The wire could stretch a maximum of fifty kilometres—anything more and the wire would be so thin it couldn't hold any weight—so long as one didn't break it.

Bast fell to her knees as soon as her feet hit the ground, panting. "How . . . Do you not freak out?"

Colt shrugged, unclipping the gun from his belt. He pressed a button on the side. The hook in the branch unclipped, the wire wrapped itself back inside the gun, the hook resting on its nozzle. A flick of the switch and the hook folded down. He gun was reclipped to his belt. The whole thing took less than thirty seconds.

"I have never had a problem with heights," he said, answering her question.

"Right," Bast said, tugging her hair. "Did you ever have any fears?"

Colt shrugged. "Everyone has fears." He knelt beside Bast, placing a hand on her back. "Okay?"

She let out a breath. "Okay. Shall we search for some babies?"

"If we ever hope to leave here in one piece, we have no choice."