The moment Kazien stepped closer, every griffon standing around him shifted its stance. Their wings flared, claws dug into the rocky soil, feathers bristling with instinctive hostility. They were ready to attack at the slightest sign of danger.
"You don't need to be so cautious," Kazien called out calmly, lifting both hands to show he carried no weapon drawn. "Look—I came here without any intention of harming you."
His voice echoed across the mountain peak, swallowed quickly by the cold wind. The griffons exchanged wary glances, but none relaxed. Their muscles stayed taut, their pupils narrow and gleaming with animal distrust.
"Prepare to attack!" their leader screeched. "That human intends to harm us!"
Kazien barely had time to sigh.
Thud!
A sudden burst of compressed air crashed down from above, slamming the griffon leader into the ground. Dust exploded outward, feathers flying as the creature was pinned by Kazien's air pressure magic. The surrounding griffons gasped, startled by the speed and precision of the spell.
"It's rude of you to slander me like that," Kazien said sharply. "I'm certain you understand my language. Don't pretend you don't."
A ripple of shock passed through the creatures. Their wings lowered slightly, their eyes widening.
"He… he understands us?" murmured one of the younger griffons.
Another whispered, "Impossible. No human can speak our tongue."
Kazien's gaze hardened. "Of course I understand you. And you—" he pointed at the pinned leader, "—are unfit to lead. Spreading lies about someone who comes without malice? That is how chaos begins."
Lidaz, who had been perched behind Kazien, flapped into the air with a proud screech. "Hah... I never thought someone would dare slander my master this openly! Even though he came here for your sake, to save all of you from danger."
He soared above the flock, his voice booming across the cliffside.
"Do you truly wish to follow a leader who nearly destroyed our race with his baseless accusations?"
The griffons shifted uneasily. One by one, they looked away from their leader. Then, slowly, the flock backed away—creating distance, turning their backs on him.
"You traitors!" the leader roared, struggling against the magic pinning him down. "How dare you abandon me?!"
"Because of you," snapped another griffon, "we were nearly annihilated! We heard the human's words. And unlike you—we listened."
Lidaz burst into laughter at their argument, clearly enjoying the chaos.
"If any of you wish to join us, then come!" he called. "But as for him—he should be executed. Leaders like him are the reason humans hunt us!"
The pinned griffon snarled at Lidaz. "You! You have no right to speak for us. You're not our leader!"
"I'm not!" Lidaz admitted without hesitation. "But if you join my master, I will be—and I will guide you better than he ever has."
The griffon's fury skyrocketed. "Aren't you ashamed? Bowing to that insolent human?"
"What nonsense!" Lidaz hissed. "He saved us. Fed us. Protected us. Under him, not one of us has starved or suffered. You speak of shame, yet your arrogance nearly wiped out your group! If my master was less patient—or if he didn't understand our language—you and all your followers would already be corpses on this mountain!"
"You didn't trust him either!" the leader spat.
"Don't compare me to you!" Lidaz snapped back. "I fought him in a duel. When I lost, I accepted him as my master—and so did my flock. But you? You endanger our race despite knowing our birthrate is uncertain. You would risk extinction over your pride? You are unworthy of your wings."
Silence engulfed the peak.
The griffon leader trembled with rage, but beneath the anger lay something darker—helplessness, maybe even fear.
His eyes sharpened into a murderous glare, aimed directly at Lidaz.
"Master," Lidaz said quietly, "please kill him. Immediately."
Kazien's eyes widened. "What? He's their leader."
"That is exactly why he must die!" Lidaz replied. "I know my race. That gaze—he will seek revenge. He will wait for a chance to kill me, or worse, endanger the pack again."
Kazien looked at the surrounding griffons. Not one objected. In fact, their expressions seemed to urge him to finish the deed.
He exhaled slowly. "…Very well. Out of respect, I'll make it painless."
"I don't need your respect, human!" the leader spat. "Just kill me!"
Kazien approached, and for a moment the griffon tensed as if expecting a final blow. But instead of summoning a blade or spell, Kazien bent down—and wrapped his arms around the creature.
Gasps erupted from the entire flock.
"You—what are you doing?!" the griffon choked.
Kazien held him firmly but gently. "I don't know what you've been through. What traumas shaped your distrust. But I don't want to kill you. You have a family, don't you? They would mourn you."
Lidaz's jaw dropped. "Master—what are you doing?! Release him? He'll attack them!"
But when Kazien released the restraining magic, the griffon stayed still. He did not lunge. He did not attack. He simply stared.
"You… you pity me?" he asked, staring into Kazien's eyes.
"I value you," Kazien corrected softly. "Just as I value everyone else. And I have no desire to take your life."
A long, tense silence followed.
Then—slowly—the griffon lowered his wings.
"Do you swear," he asked quietly, "to ensure the survival of our race?"
"Yes. So long as you remain in our territory, no one will harm you," Kazien replied. "But I cannot guarantee safety if you fly elsewhere."
The griffon inhaled deeply and spread his wings wide. Then—before anyone could speak—he bowed. A full, deep bow, lowering his head to Kazien's feet.
The flock collectively gasped.
Kazien blinked in confusion. "Lidaz… what is he doing?"
"That," Lidaz answered him, wide-eyed. "is an oath of loyalty. A sincere one."
The griffon spoke clearly and solemnly. "I swear loyalty to you and your family. I offer my life—and the lives of my pack—to your protection."
Kazien smiled gently. "Then I accept your oath. From today onward, your name shall be Roviz."
The griffon bowed once more. "I am honored, master."
Kazien let out a long breath, relief washing over him. "Thank goodness I didn't have to kill anyone."
Alvin approached with a warm smile. "My dear, is everything settled?"
"Yes!" Kazien said, grinning sheepishly. "Everything ended well."
Roviz, still processing the emotional whirlwind, nudged Lidaz. "Is our master always like this? And… aren't that high elf is a male?"
Lidaz snorted. "He's unique. He likes cute males."
"I didn't know humans married other males," Roviz murmured.
"Not all do," Lidaz replied. "Only our master makes those kinds of decisions. You'll get used to it."
Kazien nearly tripped at that but chose to let their conversation slide. It was better than them arguing.
As he glanced around, he noticed countless griffon feathers scattered across the rocky plateau.
"Roviz, may I collect these feathers?"
"Of course, Master. We no longer need them."
Kazien's eyes sparkled. "Excellent!"
He and Alvin immediately began enthusiastically gathering feathers, piling them up not far from where the griffins stood. The griffins stared at them in confusion.
"Why are they so happy about feathers?" one asked.
"Humans hunt us for these," Lidaz explained.
"But have they ever plucked them directly from you?" Roviz asked.
"Never!" Lidaz said proudly. "They only take the ones we shed naturally."
"Is life in their territory pleasant?" Roviz asked again.
"It is so comfortable," Lidaz said with a nostalgic sigh, "that we never wanted to leave. You'll see soon enough."
Their curiosity grew—and their excitement too. Soon they all joined in, helping gather every feather on the ground.
Thanks to their collective effort, the task was finished in a fraction of the time.
"Thank you," Kazien said warmly. "Because of everyone's help, we can finally head home. Now—let's return to Altavis!"
A loud chorus of screeches erupted behind him.
"Gwak!"
Moments later, Lidaz spread his magnificent wings and soared into the sky. But this time, he wasn't flying alone. Behind him stretched a grand formation—Roviz and twenty-four griffons, flying proudly into their new future.
A new chapter had begun. Not just for Kazien, but for an entire race seeking safety, hope, and a place to belong.