Chapter 3 - 3

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

I keep ogling the place up, trying to absorb everything at once, but my attention keeps going back to the shadows flying over us, my eyes narrowing to their bellies, making me trip sometimes for not paying attention to the path ahead, with the help of my not so trusty filled-with-big-claws paws.

Those humiliating almost falls, however, are worth it for I can analyze the other creatures surrounding us, as Aaron follows right behind, still chatting with mother, but she sees my odd interest in the skies and starts adding:

"That's a Bunny hopper." She says to the numerous ones flying close by and lower than the others. "The Simurgh, those are hard to come by." She says to a half fox half peacock creature who had more feathers and colors than any flowers down below. "Wyverns, those have a temper, especially after hibernation, and there is the-" As I watch her explain and give name to some of these creatures, unsatisfied to see that most are much bigger than our owl forms, she suddenly stops and stares at one in specific as it hovers in circles above us. This material is rooted in n0velbin★

As if realizing it was being watched the Eagle-Lion griffin descends on top of us, flying too close for comfort as if trying to hit us... no, me, the strong wind made by his wings almost pushing me backward and making me trip down the path, which makes mother very angry as she puts her leg in front of me to break the wind, crying a high tone piercing scream, eyes narrowing at the creature who hovers on top one more time, falling back as mother stands between us.

As he gives up on that he lands in front of us, his big paws and inconsiderable arrival brings dust and soil up in a cloud of smoke, earning my immediate disapproval with this attitude and this little meaningless show, even more when it ends with his smug cunning face.

I narrow my eyes at him.

I give a step forward without realizing it, making mother look down at me and bring me back towards her hind legs, but as I look up I realize that she did not mean to disrespect me or to hide me, but to make me believe in her as her yellow eyes shine with fierceness, staring the lion down, and even her smaller form does not make her feel threatened by the male griffin in front of us.

He looks at her with unreadable brown lion eyes, licking his snout as if too eager to show fang. "Worry not, Alinda, I will go... for now, take care of yourself, you just had a baby, you should not strain your body with meaningless stress... right?" He says, mocking her.

"I said out!" She flaps her wings one more, but this time a freezing breeze accompanies every flap, and as I look down over the floor I can see a white cover suddenly form as my breaths make gushes of hot air out in front of me.

The lion chuckles, as if amused with her outburst and show of strength, and says: "Never change Alinda, always enjoyed a woman with a little fight in her. Is always fun to break that spirit down."

With one last angry look in my direction he turns and flies away, his open wings making him look three times bigger, if not more, giving no time for mother to suppress the livid anger his words made her feel to make coherent words come out of her mouth.

Even though mother stood against him I cannot help but compare his size to hers, it was like a lynx against a lion.

I look up at her and see that's her eyes are still focused on where he stood a few seconds back, as if still aware of his presence, her cautiousness making me worried about the outcome of a possible fight.

She probably senses my worry because she looks down at me and bumps me with her beak.

"What's with that face little one? Are you worried about mother?"

"Chirp! Chirp chirp!" I say back, fiercely and stomping my paws on the ground, looking brave and noble... at least in my head.

She chuckles and peaks at me once more, her rapid heartbeat resonating very close to my ears, and as she starts walking down once more I was the one this time to look back with worry in my eyes.