«Griffin: A majestic hybrid blend of both a lion and an eagle that rules both the heavens and the earth with its intimidating presence. It is a loyal beast that protects its rider till death and can only be mounted by the bravest of riders.»
«Skills: Super strength, Flight, Piercing Eyes, Wild Combat, Magic Essence Resistance.»
«Pact of Summons: The Griffin is regarded as a Majestic Guardian because it can only be mounted by the bravest of hearts. Prove that you’re one of the brave-hearted and it’ll obediently submit. Do a test flight on it and try not to fall.»
“I think I’m in trouble.” Damien sighed as he began walking toward the Griffin which had lowered its head awaiting him.
Without another word, he hopped on top and the hybrid mythical beast let out another cry as it rose back to stand on all four legs.
Kreeee!
“It’s alright. I’ll be back.” Damien calmed Fenrir and Cerbe, both beasts already preparing to protect their summoner. Luton on the other hand, had stuck to Damien’s head refusing to let go and so Damien left it there.
He grabbed the mane of the Griffin and whispered. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Kreeee!!
The beast let out one last cry before shooting forward with terrifying speed. “What the?” Damien was surprised by the speed but what shocked him even more was the fact that Fenrir was following the beast by its left and Cerbe was slightly behind on the Griffin’s right. They were going after him.
Damien, who’d been standing expecting an immediate takeoff after mounting the Griffin, was in for the surprise of his life as the beast’s speed only kept increasing.
“Wooahh!” Damien yelled atop the Griffin as the cold breeze pressed against his face. The speed was becoming inconvenient for him but he had to persevere through it as it was the only way to form a Pact of Summons with the best he’d summoned.
When Damien thought he’d seen it all, he saw more.
Swooosh…
Bang!
The Griffin had leaped off the ground and landed on the branch of a tree and without stopping, it leaped again, heading for the next tree branch a few meters away.
In a zigzag motion, the Griffin leaped from tree branch to tree branch, each further and higher than the previous until it arrived at the crown of one of the trees.
It leaped on last time and Damien had to ask with a shout, “Where the hell are you going to land?”
For one, the beast’s earlier performance had made him forget that it was a beast capable of flight. The (Pact of Summons) had even stated that he needed to go on a test flight with it to prove that he could form a Pact of Summons with it.
Luton simply stuck to Damien’s head without the slightest worry as they all watched their descent after the creature had leaped into the air.
Just before it crashed into another tree, the Griffin’s wings spread open and it cried out majestically once again, shooting through the air at an absurd speed.
The wings flapped once then twice and Damien found himself high up in the sky, the forest at least a hundred metres below him.
With each flap of the Griffin’s wings, Damien and Luton found themselves getting farther from the ground and Damien was starting to worry. If they were only ascending vertically, it would be understandable but the Griffin was multitasking!
It was flying forward at a pace that caused the wind to almost push Damien off, his only saving grace being the beast’s mane he was firmly holding on to.
Suddenly, the Griffin slowed down and Damien could instantly feel that things were about to get crazy.
He immediately lay on the lack of the Griffin, his hands wrapping around its neck and his palms grasping whatever they could. He hugged the beast like his life depended on it because it did. The Griffin turned up in the sky, taking a nosedive with its beak pointing towards the ground.
“You’re going to get us killed, aren’t you?” Damien managed a shout despite the wind pressing against his face but he was simply ignored by the Griffin.
As though it wasn’t over, it began to twist its body as it descended; slowly becoming faster with each twist until it became like a tornado
“Waaahh!” Damien had saliva flying out of his mouth as the beast took him on a spinning journey in the sky in an attempt to throw him off its back.
As the Griffin descended closer to the ground, Damien began to close his eyes, afraid to watch what their end would be.
Just when he almost closed it, he suddenly felt the beast’s muscles tense, and a second later, the spinning stopped, and so did their descent as well.
Booom!
The wind that had accompanied their descent crashed into the ground but Damien and the Griffin remained in the sky just above the trees with the beast’s wings spread open. Damien exhaled as he felt a heavy weight lift off his chest. The Griffin’s flight became stabilized and this time, as it flew higher, Damien had it easier.
The beast’s flight was slower and more stable and Damien truly enjoyed it this time. Slowly, the distance between them and the ground increased again but Damien barely noticed this time because of the stability of their ascension.
As he stared all around him, he smiled weakly. Even at such a height, all he could see was the crown of trees spread in all directions. For a moment, Damien could picture himself leaving the forest. He’d been here for far too long.
‘Should I just leave?’
‘Or should I stay a little more and grow stronger? I might never get this opportunity again.’
Damien was caught in between both choices as they each had their pros and cons.
He didn’t know when but when he came to realize, they’d descended back to the ground, the Griffin kneeling on all four legs.
“Oh!” Damien jumped off the beast as he understood it was time to get down.
One thing was clear as the beast remained kneeling even after his descent. He had passed the test of flight.
“Let’s form the (Pact of Summons) then.” With his command, the familiar four-leaf clover-shaped mana essence appeared in the air.
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A/N: Thank you all for the power stones. As promised, there shall be two bonus chapters today because the benchmark was passed.
Your gifts and Golden Tickets are welcome as well!