The sky was clear and blue, the cloud clumps together thinly – a sign of the warm summer days. The sun resonates up in the sky, the golden brilliant light illuminating throughout the land. In almost a sheering pain as it touches the surfaces.
The breeze was warm with the scent of fresh grass, lavender, and dandelion.
The birds flew carelessly in every tree and branch. The leaves sway in every blow of the wind, dancing like a graceful ballerina.
CLINK! CLINK!
The sound of swords hitting one another echoes in the open field.
Sending waves of vibrations in the air forcing the birds to fly further away.
"Hah! Hah!" Darius breathed heavily. Sweat dripping from his face and neck. Perfectly chiseled abdominals and chest, covered with droplets of sweat. While his hair was slightly damped from the same element.
"This is enough for today," Oraculi announced.
"Go have some rest." He added before walking away.
"God he didn't even appear to be tired," Darius mumbled as he watched his mentor walk away.
Brennan on the other hand approached Darius with the young griffin following on his toe.
'Mama! Mama! I've brought your purr!' The griffin exclaimed as it dragged Darius's shirt along with him.
"It's called shirt Feli not purr, and I thought we agreed that it's dada, not mama," Darius said as he picked up the griffin.
"You got heavier again," he mumbled.
"Wait… you can understand Feli?" Brennan asked, his eyes showing interest and confusion.
Darius blinked several times, "You can't?"
"No, it was all peeit peeeit peit," Brennan said copying the sound the griffin makes.
Darius almost cracked a laugh at his action, but luckily he managed not to.
"Brennan said he can't understand you, do you know why?" The older man turned to the griffin but the creature only shook its head.
"You don't know huh…"
Feli nodded.
"Hey Darius," Brennan called his name.
"Have you told Oraculi about your encounter with the white crow?"
Darius shook his head, "No. I don't want him to know. He's already on the edge as it is."
His head aching as he remembered the night they arrived several days ago. Seeing Oraculi's wide eyes from surprise, he looked so tired and gloomy. It was like he was already mourning their deaths.
"He's always worried huh, I wonder why," Brennan muttered.
"Maybe he'll tell you if you ask," Darius said almost suggestively.
"Yeah… but he will probably kill me as soon as I asked," Brennan responded, the both of them chuckled.
"Mama! Bread!" The griffin interrupted and started flapping its wings. Which are now covered with pinfeathers.
"Bread! Bread!" Feli chanted.
"Alright, alright. I give you some bread, let's go back to the house first."
"But we are out of bread," Brennan said.
Instantly, Feli's face changed. His expression started with happiness turned into shock, then fear and sadness.
"That's why we are going to the city later… remember?" Brennan told Darius.
"Yeah…" the purple-eyed man squinted a little, his brows furrowed, and his head nodding a tad bit.
"You didn't remember did you?"
"Well! Now I do," Darius chimed before placing Feli over his head. The griffin happily sits atop his head, flapping its wings.
"Feli, don't remove the cloth," Darius lectured as the young griffin once again tried to remove the cloth that's covering the basket he was in.
"But I want to see…"
"You can't be seen in the city, people might hurt you or take you away." Darius reasoned, which was probably true. After all, a griffin is not an animal you can casually see in a barn.
"Well maybe it's just the head," Brennan suggested. "You know, he can pop his head out of the basket. Just the head… he can pass as a normal eagle."
"I suppose…" but before Darius could finish speaking. Feli immediately popped his head out of the basket.
"Wow~," he said in a trance-like state. His eyes were wide as he stared at the two-story houses.
Now that Darius thinks about it, Feli had never been to a city. Not even a small town.
When they headed back, Darius asked the others to take a different path. To avoid Austral, while the town of Slazgo was not a part of the route. Because there was another path that cuts straight to the forest.
"What's that?" Feli asked while looking at a carriage.
"It's a carriage, it's used by people to travel," Darius explained, Brennan looking at him with a smile.
'Like a doting father,' he thought.
"Oh like a horse?" Feli asked again.
"Yeah… in a way. Usually, carriages are pulled by horses but that one is probably being repaired." Darius explained.
"What's that?" Feli chirped, looking at the dress shop.
Darius sighed before answering the question, 'This is going to be a long shopping trip.'
Eventually, the three of them reached the bakery.
Where they are greeted by the scent of freshly baked loaves and sweet pastries.
Atop the table is a line of muffins, cookies, sourdough, and most importantly, Feli's beloved white bread.
"Bread! Bread!" He started chirping loudly.
"Shush Feli," Darius whispered. "Please don't be too loud." Begging the griffin to settle down.
"He gets worked up just by the sight huh," Brennan chuckled.
Darius sweatdrop, 'You have no idea.' He thought.
"Alright. Alright, we will buy bread so settle down." Darius in the end, can't say no to the young griffin.
"Hello! How may I help you today?" The shopkeeper greeted with much enthusiasm.
"Oh my, what a cute hatchling." She chimed upon seeing Feli. "It is alright if I pet him?" she asked.
Darius and Feli looked at each other, the griffin tilting its head to the side confusedly.
"Maybe not," Darius smiled awkwardly.
"It's alright," the keeper replied with a slightly saddened tone.
"If we could just buy a gold piece worth of bread." Brennan decided to step in, not wanting to dwell further in such an awkward situation.
"Oh, absolutely." The keeper started putting bread in a bag, adding a few muffins as a bonus.
"Here." She handed the bag over.
"Thank you," Brennan nodded as they left the bakery.
As soon as they stepped out, Darius gave a whole loaf to Feli. Who had been eagerly waiting for his treat.
The next stop was Clara's workshop.
Clara is a young woman, acting as Brennan's older sister after they met months ago. She previously help him and his friend Robbie in their journey to Morte Castle. She provided them with information and an old map.
She was a very talented young lady, with unmatched skill in metallurgy. She was so great at it that one could say, that her hands are blessed with the ability to create almost any weapon. She even engineered the exploding arrows Brennan had been using.
But most importantly, she was a very kind person. She is sweet and caring.
"You've never met Clara have you?" Brennan asked as he knocked on the door.
"No, I don't remember meeting her." Darius shook his head.
After several moments, there was no reply.
"She's at the back," Brennan said before fishing out a key from his pocket. Leading Darius to believe that this is not the first time this happened.
"She gave me a spare key just in case she couldn't open the door for me."
Once they entered, Darius was greeted by the array of weapons in the display cabinet. Spears, swords, bow, hammers, axes, the option is seemingly endless.
"Clara…" Brennan called, entering the other door while Darius stayed behind.
"Oh! Hello Brennan! Sorry, you know how things are." A feminine voice sounded from the other room.
"I've brought a friend with me. I thought it will nice to introduce him, also the item…" Brennan explained.
"Ah that, wait for me. I will just tidy myself and meet you in a bit."
When Brennan came back, Darius immediately asked him.
"Did she make all of this?" as he looked around the shop.
"Yes, she's really good at metallurgy."
"Hello," Clara greeted. The young woman was wearing a black chiffon skirt that reached her knees. A clean white button-up shirt, the sleeve just reaching above her elbow.
"I'm Clara Hadley," she extended a hand which Darius gladly took for a handshake.
"Darius," he said curtly.
"You must be the friend." She said with a twinkle in her hazel-colored eyes. Her shoulder-length brown hair swaying as she nodded her head.
"That I am," Darius replied.
"And I'm Feli!" The griffin chirped, but of course, just like the others she cannot understand Feli.
"Oh my, it that an eagle," Clara asked as she turned to Feli.
"Oh no Clara, it's not," Brennan said with enthusiasm.
"His a griffin!" Brennan said.
"What?! No." Clara looked at them suspiciously, considering if the two are fooling her.
"I don't think it would hurt to show you, I mean you know about Brennan's ummm… line of work. Right?" Darius furrowed his brows, deciding it he composed the right words.
"Ah yes, very much aware. He had told me everything from the very beginning." Clara assured him.
On that note, Darius removed the cloth.
Revealing Feli's entire body to Clara.
The young woman gasped, "This is amazing." She muttered.
"Can I touch him?" She asked, looking straight at Darius.
"Feli, is it okay if she pick you up?" Darius in turn asked the griffin what he wanted.
"If I get more bread later…" the griffin chirped.
Darius chuckled, "Sure."
With wasting time, Clara picked Feli up. Her delicate hands, gently stroking his purred body.
A smile plastered in her face.