Taking a glance out from the room to see if any of the hostile griffons have entered the foyer and to my fortune, they haven't.

With there being no presence of my enemies I decided that now would be a good time to go through the locked doors beneath the stairs. Moving to the nearest door I kept my ax ready in the event of an ambush of talons and blades, but it wasn't necessary because there wasn't anyone to stop me.

The first door I went to was the one that was closest to me and once I reached it I grabbed the key that I snagged off one of the dead griffon bastards and pushed it into the lock and with a gentle and slow twist I heard the tumbler unlocking and the door opening up.

Pushing the door in a slow, methodical manner I took a peek through the crack to see that the door I picked led down below the earth, my guess that it was a basement or worse a torture chamber. Seeing where this particular door led I then went to the other door, unlocked it with my key and took a peek through it to see that it led to the rest of the first floor.

'I wonder if the other bandits heard what was going on the second floor, I mean I was pretty fucking loud with the killings and yelling n shit. There is no fucking way that they didn't hear any of this crap.'

Thinking to myself that waiting on the other side of this door is a group of pissed off bandits wielding swords and axes n spears and whatever else griffons can use with their talons, and with a quick prayer to the big J man upstairs who might or might not be looking down at me to keep my ass safe from harm and butt rape, I rushed through the door and raised my axe in preparation to chop some unlucky bastard in half.

Turns out it wasn't called for.

On the other side of that door was an empty hallway with windows being pelted by rain, and one dead griffon that was impaled on the wooden barricade surrounding manor. Huh, I guess if some griffon saw this while I was killing up there then they must have alerted everyone else they could get their talons on and told them that shit is going down on the second floor.

The bandits must be either holed up somewhere on this floor or somewhere in the basement, waiting for me and Scrawny or whoever they believe to be coming after them. Well, they are right to be afraid, because if I am not the one that kills them then it will be the royal guards that came to rescue their princess from their evil clutches.

That or that they kill each other to spare themselves the brutality that is coming their way.

Either way, it works for me, but for the moment I am going to go through this door and clear out the first floor to make sure nothing stabs me in the back.

Taking my first few attentive steps into the unknown I kept my gaze on the dead griffon that lay outside the windows, the poor bastards blood was already seeping down the wooden barricade, its now glassy eyes staring back at me was a little unnerving but seeing how that the griffon was dead I don't have to worry about the fucker coming back from the grave to haunt my ass. Not like this world has zombies and other undead shit wandering around here.

The weather outside was steadily being cranked up a few notches as I saw the branches from the trees outside starting to sway and shake in the wind, it was almost as if the weather itself has a mind of its own and was picking up with what was going on inside this manor and was reacting accordingly. That or the griffons are capable of managing the weather with some sort of voodoo hoodoo magic bullshit.

Or a wind spirit was just fucking around during a storm.

Either way, I am sure that this isn't some sort of ominous sign or something, but for the time being I best be going back to walking, staring at a corpse that is being drained of its blood is starting to make me think of my own mortality.

Going back to creeping down the hall I stopped at the first door that I came across and with a jiggle of the doorknob to test it if it was locked and with my current mixed luck streak going on, the knob jiggled plenty and I know that it was unlocked and was perfectly fine for me to go in. Deciding to go in that particular room for the moment I brushed past it and continued on my merry way to check if there are any other rooms in this hallway.

Slinking on by the first door I came upon a corner that bends to the left and it revealed yet another door but this one seems to go to the same room that the other door was connected to. Going past that door to the one that was a little farther down the hall, I soon came upon it along with the end of the hall, I guess this particular section is under lock and key because it must have some sort of high value to these bandits.

Looking at the locked door I mulled it over in my head on whether or not I should either chop the door down with my ax or if I should kick it open with my strangely newly acquired strength that came from seemingly nowhere.

If I went with my ax then there is the possibility that it might get stuck in the door or worse, the head would get stuck or snap off the shaft and leave me with a useless stick. But if it works than the blade may end up a bit dull but still be usable enough to chop into some fleshy griffons to kill.

And then there is my new found strength, if I use it then there is the chance that I might accidentally break my leg on the wooden door and wall, or if it works than the door would break inward and reveal what is laying on the other side but my foot and possibly my leg would be sore.

Debating with myself on what I should do I decided that I might as well leave this to chance. Reaching into my left pocket I fished around in there and fished out my wallet and opened it up. Behind my ID card and driver's license was a lonely silver dollar coin, something that Two-Face would use whenever he couldn't decide on how to screw someone over.

Grabbing the coin I rolled it between my fingers, watching the silver coin tumble end over end before coming to a stop within my palm. Gazing at the silver head staring up at me I decided that heads would be kicking it down and tails would be chopping it down like in The Shining, just minus me saying 'Here's Johnny!'.

Flicking the coin into the air I watched as the low light from a nearby scone glance off the silver edges, giving it a nearly majestic look to it and as it twirled into the air before finally coming back down into my open palm.

With it in my palm, I glanced down and saw what my choice was.

Taking a step back away from the door I looked down at my foot, my shoes were still whole and not falling apart so I guess that this plan will work, I think it will work anyways.

With some distance between me and the door, I gave myself a silent pep-talk and willed myself to go through with my horribly thought-up plan.

Rushing towards the door I lifted my left leg up to my chest and thrust my leg forward, my shoe hitting the area beneath the doorknob and broke the lock. With the lock no longer holding me back I kept on pushing through the door with my foot and on the other side was something I was not expecting.

Through the broken door, I rushed through and saw that it was not an armory or even a loaded treasury.

It was a fairly large kitchen that was filled with an array of knives, pots and pans, even some kettles sitting on what looks like a stove. This kitchen looks like it is stocked with every single kitchen appliance that is currently available to this land and for the times.

Looking around I saw hanging metal circles with what looks like herbs and assorted spices. For a bunch of bandits, it would seem that they are able to afford the finer things in life such as good food and possibly a chef to cook it for them. Glancing around the kitchen I saw a door that was to the left of the door I kicked in and I can fairly guess that specific room is the dining hall, and the room on the right side of the room must either be the larder or some sort of food storage chamber.

On the other side of the door was a fully stocked and packed larder, the shelves are packed to the brim with salted meats and fish of varying species and sizes. I don't know what types of meats are here but if I were to guess I can safely bet that it is from around here so it must be safe to eat.

Well, safe to eat for the locals, I am not sure if it is safe for me to consume but it is better to be safe than sorry so I avoided taking a nibble from any of the shelved and hanging food.

Closing the door to the larder I turned around and as I was about to leave I heard the sound of pots and pans clanking against each other.

Something was in here with me.

And it would seem that they have a death wish.

Walking around the room slowly I raised my ax above my head, getting it into chopping position. As I took careful, calculated steps around the kitchen I kept my eyes moving, scrutinizing everything in here, making sure everything in here was where I last saw them.

My eyes scanned every single inch of the room and it was when my eyes roved over the pans that I saw that one of them was missing.

'So this is how you want to play it little griffon, well then, let the games begin.'

Taking heavy steps around the kitchen I looked for the obvious hiding places such as the cabinets. Opening cabinet after cabinet, including the drawers that are large enough to hold a fully-grown griffon in it and to my dismay there was nothing to find.

That is until I saw a griffon tail that was hanging out of a cabinet and as I walked closer it was quickly pulled in.

'So cute, this one thinks that they will escape my sight? I will give this one griffon the benefit of doubt and give them a chance to live. IF they attack me then I will just cut them down.'

Walking towards the cabinet I gazed down at the slightly askew wooden door and with a firm tug, I yanked it open and saw a griffon hiding within. Forgetting my strength I accidentally ripped the small cabinet door off from its hinges and without paying it much attention flung it behind me directly into the hanging pans, the resulting clanging of pans on pans on wooden countertop made me look back to see what was the cause of it but that was enough for the griffon that was hiding to make a run for it.

Sadly that griffon was a bit on the clumsy side because as soon as it started to run towards the exit, its talons and paws scurried across the wooden planks that made up the kitchen floors and tripped over its own footing and crashed beak-first into the wall next to the exit.

Looking at what just transpired I could only slowly bring my free hand to my face and drag it downwards as I could only watch the dazed, confused and at the moment concussed griffon wobble to its feet.

'Now just who am I dealing with...is this one of the bandits that work in Tazul's employment, or is this one of the chefs that work here to feed these bastards? Hell I am even willing to guess that this might be a thief who broke in here before I even arrived and heard the fighting upstairs...eh fuck it, I'll get my answers one way or another'

Storming over to the dizzy griffon I grabbed it by the back of its neck and held it down as I placed the head of the ax to the base of its neck and leaned down and started to talk directly to the side of its head, I don't entirely know where its ears are located so I am just going with the side of its head for the moment.

"So what do we have here? A cook? A bandit? Or just a thief who managed to slip past Tazul's cronies and blundered into the kitchens to get a quick bite before plundering the rest of the manor?" I growled this into the griffon's hearing receptacle and as I uttered out those words I watched the dazed griffon immediately tuck its tail between its legs and let out a whimpered that signified that it has been forced into submission, that or it is enjoying being dominated and is trying to hide its arousal...

I hope to god it is the former and not the latter.

The young griffon that I was holding down let out another whimper before finally speaking up, this time I was able to understand what gender it was as it sounded fairly masculine but it was still young, so my guess this one was a teenager.

"Hey! L-l-let me go!" the youngling shouted as I grabbed him by the cuff of his neck as he flailed around, his talons trying to pry my fingers off of his throat as his lion paws tried to kick me away.

"And why should I do that? You probably work for the asshole who owns this shady manor and I am not willing to take a knife in the back the moment I let you go. So give me an excuse to bury this in your back or a reason to let you go." I said as I dragged the ax head slowly up and down the base of the young male griffon's neck, further instilling fear into him.

By doing this the griffon started to squirm under my grasp but all I had to do to make him stop was to press the sharp edge at the base of his skull and that made his attempts at escape come to a grinding halt as he realized that trying to get out from my steely grip might cost him his life he tried to be forceful.

Realizing this the griffon instead gave in and answered my question.

"I...I just want to go home! I only joined these jerks because I was promised a bigger paycheck if I joined him instead of joining the local militia!"

Raising an eyebrow at the sudden compliance this griffon was giving me I eased the ax away from his skull but I still kept it hovering near it just in case he decides to try to make a run for it. But what really made me raise my eyebrow in wonder was that this kid was once part of the local militia of a possibly nearby village, and he was doing this for a bigger pay?

So it this how this backstabbing asshole was getting his recruits? By pretty much bribing local guards to be his lackeys and break the law and try to cause a rebellion from within? Damn dude, this is some cloak n dagger shit right here.

"A bigger pay? You left your home behind for more money!? You greedy fucker, you willfully abandoned your home just so you can have more money, you're a piece of shit!" I shouted at the young griffon even though that I took Tazul's bribe and was willing to lie to the king about his daughter's location...

Pot, meet kettle.

Great, now I feel like shit...fuck!

But of course, I turned myself around when I found out that the bastard robbed me blind and tried to trick me by replacing all of the gold I stole from the diamond dogs with rocks and took my laptop from me. So I guess a bit of hypocrisy is going on here, but meh.

Releasing the griffon's neck and taking a step back I go out of my hostile stance and took a more passive one by putting the ax by my side to give him a chance to get back to his paws/talons and to get ready to hear what I am about to tell him.

"Well little griffon here is a choice for you, you can either go back to hiding in the cabinets and waiting for either a chance to make a run for it or to surrender when the royal guards arrive to arrest anyone who is still alive, or you can redeem yourself by telling me everything you know about this place and surrender yourself to the guards and receive a lighter punishment. The choice is yours and yours alone to make." I said as I stood back and waited for the young griffon's answer.

The young griffon looked up at me for a moment, hearing my words and for the moment he wondered if what I was saying was the honest truth or a straight up lie but he then looked down and away from my eyes when he saw that I was letting him decide his fate.

He looked up at me than to the door before looking back to me and in that moment I waited patiently for him to make up his mind.

Dropping the pan on the floor the young griffon immediately turned tail and ran out the open door as fast as he legs can let him.

"I didn't sign up to die here!" the young griffon shouted as he ran down the hall and out of sight.

With the griffon now gone my purpose here in the kitchens now fulfilled, I left the room and went back to the foyer to go down into the basement.

The trip back to the central room was uneventful, the dead griffon that was outside that I kicked out the upstairs window was still impaled on the wooden spiked wall. I don't know if he died immediately from the impact or if he was still alive as he bled out, but what I do know is that he tried to kill me so I killed him in kind.

Did I make the right choice by letting that young griffon go? I don't know, probably, I won't really know until after it comes back to bite me in the ass.

Looking back out the window I saw my own reflection and I must say that I look like a wreck.

My clothes were a bit cut up from the griffon talons, the blunt swords didn't penetrate my clothes but they sure as hell left some bruises underneath it all. There was blood from at least six different griffons all over me, my face, arms, and chest are just splattered with the stuff. Hell, I know some of that blood got into my wounds so that is just a disease nest just waiting to act up and fuck me over, so I am just three sheets to the wind when the Grim Reaper comes by for me.

'Well, at least I can tell Death himself that I was doing this for the greater good.' but we both know that shit doesn't fly anymore so I am fucked six ways to Sunday.

At least I gave it my best shot.

Steeling myself for what might be waiting for me on the other side I braced myself and grabbed the doorknob and pushed on through.

The group that was waiting for me in the foyer was not who I was expecting to see.

Just found out that I got a sinous migraine and that its being a bitch to get rid of!