User:CaptainJae/sandbox/BlackGryphonedited

Plot summary
As the book begins, Skandranon Rashkae, the Black Gryphon, creeps into an enemy encampment. A Seer has warned Urtho of a new, magical weapon that has caused the capture of one of Urtho's key garrisons. Skan grabs one of the weapons and leaves, hotly pursued by makaar, creatures created by Kiyamvir Ma'ar to match Urtho's gryphons. After a long chase, Skan crash-lands in friendly territory.

While Skan is recovering in the Healer's tent, Urtho makes a visit to his friend and "son." He tells Skan that the weapon has been analyzed and that a counter to this weapon is already being created. Urtho then offers to give Skan a reward for his work, his choice in a mate and the ability to make offspring. During Urtho's visit, a commanding officer of Urtho's army appears and asks Urtho to reward another gryphon for her ability to take on three enemies single-handedly. Skan is immediately interested in meeting this female and demands that she be brought to the tent. The commander brings in a timid and shy gryphon named Zhaneel. After her account of the battle with the makaar, Urtho rewards her with a coin that can be traded for any service around the area. Skan suggests that she use her coin for the services of Amberdrake, because Skan believes that Drake is the only one that can help her get past her shyness.

Zhaneel's visit with Amberdrake do not go according to Drake's plans. After meeting Zhaneel, Drake realizes that this "gryfalcon" needed a boost in confidence and encourages her to use her hands for things that a human usually would. She takes his advice and creates her own training course. With the help of Gesten, Amberdrake's hertasi, and Vikteren, a mage, she develops a training course with many traps and dangers.

The gryphons have obeyed Urtho out of love, but also because he alone holds the secret to their procreation. No longer content to rely on him for the right and knowledge to mate, Tamsin, Cinnabar and Skan decide that the gryphon's should make those decisions for themselves. Vikteren gives Amberdrake a set of "mage keys" that will unlock any mage locking spells. While Urtho is away dealing with the mages, Amberdrake, Cinnabar, Tamsin, and Skandranon, go up into Urtho's tower and seek out the formula for gryphon mating.

While Skandranon is in the library, he discovers another gryphon, Kechara a "misborn" gryphon is kept in the room because of her deformities. She is childish in nature, and has wings that are too large for her body. She attacks Skan at first, but after a while they start talking and Skan learns a lot about her and she recognizes his form among the models in the sky. Skan realizes he must leave, but promises Kechara that he will return some day.

Skan begins spreading the information that has been obtained of the mating formula. He also begins training on Zhaneel's training course, another attempt to get close to the interesting gryfalcon. With the information gathered by Skan on his trip at the beginning, Urtho has created a box that can diffuse the weapons of Ma'ar. With her special hands, Zhaneel is chosen to fly this box into the battle. Amberdrake plans a "victory" feast for Zhaneel's return from her first mission. He invites Skan and Zhaneel, but doesn't tell either of them that the other was invited. After the celebration, Skan talks with Zhaneel and they learn of their mutual feeling for one another.

The final battle between Urtho and Ma'ar's forces final begins, leaving mass destruction in its wake. Amberdrake is brought into the healing also and ends up over-exerting himself in the healing. Cinnabar at one point helps Winterhart to heal a gryphon. Cinnabar tells her that all in all she is starting to look much better, and that all she lacked now was to get rid of Conn Levas. Winterhart confesses to her true name and history to Amberdrake, and why she had been hiding the entire time. Amberdrake reveals to Winterhart that Ma'ar had implanted a device that threw off negative energy causing those without shields to have a large amount of fear. It was too late for the king because he was already dead, but Urtho sent Skan to retrieve the device and destroy it. This revelation of the events caused by Ma'ar, helps Winterhart to understand that it is not her fault that she deserted the palace in its time of greatest need.

Meanwhile, Urtho has decided that he will try to convince Ma'ar to attack him in the tower. Urtho knew he was dying and that if he died and Ma'ar happened to be there then he'd die as well. Urtho opens a gate and starts taunting Ma'ar enticing him to come fight. While Urtho is doing this, Kechara, Skan, and Aubri come into the room from the secret passage surprising Ma'ar. Skan sets the device and Kechara flies towards Urtho, with Aubri and Skan right behind her. With the last of his strength, Urtho opens a portal so his gryphons can escape; Vikteren holds the gate open long enough for Skan to make through, but he does not appear as the once Black Gryphon, but as the White Gryphon. After the collapse of the gate, the mages have to put up shields to protect the people because of the mage storm created due to the death of both Ma'ar and Urtho.