Galaxy Unleashed: Trust in the Unknowing

     The breath from my lungs escaped and I felt faint. Right here, right now, I was talking to my long lost twin sister. She looked at me with her intense, green eyes. "Um...are you alright? Arica?" I snapped out of my trance and looked away, embarrassed. Swan chuckled "C'mon. My father will want to speak with you as soon as possible. Commander," the commander stood erect, a head taller than Swan, "find out where all the Gara came from and divide the soldiers to each Region that they live in. Have the soldiers take them there by nightfall."
     "Yes, your majesty. But what about the human? She does not live in any of the Regions."
     "I and two escorts will take her back to Pespendawa, to Castle Gorge." Swan turned back to me with an adventurous gleam in her eye. Then she looked at my mud caked boots and dust covered attire. "Woah, yeah, you need to change when we get there. I'll have Oticka get you some more formal clothing." I looked at my clothes, assuming I wasn't appropriate for royalty what so ever. Swan nodded off the commander, we followed behind. 
     I broke the silence, desperate to know more about my sister. "So where is Castle Gorge?" I asked.
     "Passed the Drucla sea. Up north is an island. Tiny thing, it's made up mainly of markets and a harbor. The stores themselves are houses." 
     "Am I gonna get a chance to see it?" I asked, thirsty for more conversation from Swan.
     "Actually, yes. I assume some of the Gara live there. Plus we have to stop for supplies. Royal Batting soldiers rarely ever visit the castle." As we walked, the darkest slowly became lighter. Like the moon rising in the tunnel. Until we made it to the tunnel entrance. My eyes stung from the morning sun. I was momentarily blinded by it's beauty and was deafened by chirps and squawks. When I recovered my vision, I saw strange bird things all around us and I was startled by them. "Wha-what are they?!" I said, backing into the commander. "They're griffins...have you never seen one?"
     "In books!"
     Swan chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll get used to them." Swan strolled up to a griffin with golden feathers. It was as big as a horse, and very tamed. It's face looked like a hawk's and it's eyes were a threatening yellow. I was very distracted by it. It's wings we huge and muscular. Cautiously, I walked up beside Swan as she stroked the griffins mighty beak. 
     "She's pretty, isn't she?" She asked.
     "She? Sh-she is. And she's big."
     "She does a lot more flying than the griffins that the soldiers have. Here name's Iadecka" I looked toward the other griffins. All of the other griffin weren't near as beautiful as Iadecka. Dull shades of gray, white, and brown clashed with the shiny metal armor they wore. 
     I was so distracted by the griffins, that I barely noticed that I, my sister, and the soldiers were on a cliff. Slowly, peered over the edge and witnessed a magnificent sea all around the pillar of stone. "If you're wondering, we're on Hatcha's Stone Tower." Said Swan.
     "Who's Hatcha?" I asked
     "There's an old legend that a witch lived here named Hatcha. She had murdered the man she lived because he cheated on her. She fled here and killed herself in agony. Now her spirit crawls through these very tunnels in search of suffering souls like her own." Said a soldier that I didn't know.
     "Don't fill her mind with rotten Myths, Pyder. Unless you want to spend the night with Hatcha' lost soul." Warned Swan. The other soldiers laughed at Pyder's unsuccessful attempt at scaring the princess. 
     Swan handed Iadecka's rains to me and climbed on her. Iadecka was very still while Swan climbed onto her back. Though, I still didn't feel very safe. "C'mon. Give me your hand and I'll pull you up." Said Swan, with her hand outstretched toward me. This the was one of the scariest moment of my entire life. But for some reason, I felt a sense of trust in her. Even though I had never met her until this day. 
     I grabbed Swan's hand and she hoisted me up like I weighed nothing. When Iadecka moved I grabbed Swan and didn't let go.     
     Swan announced some thing in the strange clicking language that the Gara used. I'm not sure what all she said, but when she was finished, the prisoners started cheering loudly. Swan made a swiping motion towards the edge of the cliff. Iadecka and the other griffins took off over the magnificent ocean.