Royal Welcome
“Sorry about your tavern Hans.” Gilda said apologetically.
“(sigh) It’s alright. I was thinking about doing renovations anyway.” He said, trying to look at the bright side of things.
Apparently, the bandits weren’t exactly happy in their loss at the tavern; so they decided to burn it down to ease their anger. If it wasn’t for the soldiers, it would have been turned to ash. The frames had been dangerously weakened, and most of the roof had already collapsed. Most of Hans’ supplies had been destroyed by the flames.
“It’ll be months before I can repair the tavern.” Hans said. Knowing that he won’t be going back to work anytime soon, he decided to come with us.
Since the fact that humans can’t fly and Gilda’s wing has not fully recovered, the griffon soldiers had provided us a carriage to transport us to Highfeather. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing I rode in, but it was descent for being right on the fly. They had to buy it off from one of the locals. It took two griffons to get us in the air, and it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. Jordan and I didn’t mind it, but Taphy was quite tense, clenching on his seat. He was a bit skeptical on riding it at first, but it was the fastest way to get to the city.
“You alright.” I asked him.
“Yeah, never better…” he sarcastically said, scrunching for every bounce the carriage makes, “how much further till we get there?”
“We should be there in about four hours.” Gilda replied.
“Four hours.” He repeated, undoubtedly wishing it would end sooner.
Hearing this, I decided it was a good time to clean my wounds. I grabbed two sets of alcohol, bandages, and cloths. I used one for myself and gave the other to Jordan. I removed my cloak and shirt to examine my injuries. Luckily, most of the cuts were minor, seeing only a few deep ones. ‘Could have been worse.’ Feeling a bit bored of the silence, I decided to strike a conversation, while cleaning my wounds.
“So Gilda, you’re a princess.” I said.
“yeah.” She acknowledge, rubbing her arm a bit.
“That’s probably an important detail to bring up. Mind telling me why you didn’t?” I asked.
I could tell that she dreaded that very question. She turned her gaze away from me, feeling a bit ashamed for lying to me.
“I didn’t want to tell you, because I was afraid you’ll treat me differently.” She said.
“What do you mean by that?” I questioned.
“I really don’t want to talk about it.” She ended.
I knew I hit a touchy subject, because Gilda kept her mood in a depressed state. It really does hurt my heart to see her sad. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up.’
“Hey, if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, but if you’re afraid that I’ll treat you differently because you’re a princess, I won’t…” I explained, “I don’t judge a person by his title; only by his actions.”
After I said that, she looked back at me with all expressions of sadness replaced with astonishment. Before anyone could say anything else, the carriage began to shake bit.
“W- What’s going on!?” Taphy asked, startled by the sudden turbulence.
“We are descending into Highfeather! You’ll be landing soon!” the captain yelled outside the carriage.
Wanting a change of scenery, I decided to open a slide window that’s on the right side of the carriage. What I could see was a sight to behold.
Highfeather lies within the mountain ranges of Gryphonia. The city was built on a valley where the mountains completely surround it like a protective wall. The capital seems to be made up of three parts. The outer section seems to be made up of farms and small houses. The next section must be the main part of the city. It consisted of many houses, markets, shops, and inns. Both sections are separated by a stone wall. Most of the buildings are made of wood and were built in different sizes. I’m guessing that the sections are separated by class, having the outer section your lower class and the second your middle. Now that leaves us with the last section, which is the castle. It is in the center of the city, towering over all the other sections with its majesty.
The last section is also separated into three parts. At the front of the castle you have the living space for the higher classes. Behind it is probably where they train their soldiers, because I could see what looks like the training grounds, a few buildings with smoke coming out, which I believe is the armory, and multiple barracks. All the buildings are made of the same hard stones like its walls that surround it. The castle itself is a square foundation, two towers that protrude from each side, and the superstructure that is built in the middle. The superstructure has the highest peak of the castle. I could see multiple columns and balconies that make up the building. The multiple mirrors on the castle gives it a beautiful shine whenever the rays of the sun hits it. On the very peek of the castle there is a spire that holds Gryphonia’s national flag, presenting it with glory for all to see.
“Wow…” I said in wonderment, “now that’s what I call a city.”
Jordan leaned I next to me; so he can take in the same view that I was seeing. I could see multiple small figures within the city and above it, probably the local griffons that live in the capitol. Suddenly, my view became blocked by the captain who was flying right next to the carriage.
“We’re going to descend into the castle! It’s going to get a little rough…” she warned us, “I suggest you stay seated until we land!”
Not wishing to get and further injuries, we took our seats and braced for the coming turbulence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
King Feran
I was in my studies as usual. My desk was littered with documents, letters, and reports, but paid no mind to them. My eyes were fixed to a picture of my family. It was taken a long time ago, and Gilda was just a cub then. I took a deep breath, as I continued to hold the picture in my claw.
“Still worrying I see.” I looked up to see Alisa, my wife, holding a cup in her claw.
“It’s been three days Alisa. Three days and not a single word has come about her.” I said, looking back at the picture.
“Gilda is close to being an adult now. She knows how to take care of herself…” my wife reassured me, placing the cup of drink on my desk, “drink some tea. It should calm your nerves.”
My wife’s words were soothing, but it was not enough to get rid of this distress that I feel.
“Things were so much simpler back then.” I said, remembering the times I carried my daughter over my shoulders.
“Yes times were simpler, but cubs grow up…” she said, leaning her head on my left shoulder, “she reminds me of her father; ambitious, energetic, rebellious.”
She emphasized the last part, reminding me of my younger years.
“Heh, and she also has her mother’s looks.” I added.
I placed the picture down and took some sips of the tea. The warm taste was sterilizing, and I could also taste a hint of honey to sweeten up anyone’s day.
“You always seem to know how to make me feel better.” I said, taking more sips of the tea.
While drinking, I looked back at the picture, and a thought popped up, that I had to address.
“Alisa, am I failing as a father?” I asked my wife.
“Oh Feran…” she responded, with concern, “you are a good father, but you also have duties as king. I’m sure she understands.”
“But I also have duties as her father, and I feel that I am not full filling them.” I said with guilt.
“You sent the entire guard in search for her because you care for her. Any father would have done the same. You had been there for her, protecting her, and teaching her. There will come a time when she’ll have to fend for herself.” She said.
“That’s what worries me.” I continued.
“We raised a beautiful, smart griffon. She had been given everything to be able to hold her own, and she will find a wonderful mate. She will have a family of her own, that we can be proud of.” She said, giving me a kiss in the end.
(knock, knock, knock)
Hearing a knock on the door, I placed my cup down and regained my proper stature.
“Come in!” I said, to whoever knocked.
Who came in was one of the griffon of the guard.
“My king, I bring news of princess Gilda.” He said, while saluting.
I immediately stood up from my chair, wanting to hear everything the guard had to say.
“Speak!” I said, with anticipation.
“The princess is safe and is being escorted into the castle as we speak.” This was the very news I was waiting to hear for the past few days.
“If that is all soldier, I would like for you to prepare for her arrival. I would like to see me daughter.” I ordered.
“Actually my king, there is more.” He said, sounding a bit unsure.
‘What has Gilda gotten into now?’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel
“Alright, let me do the talking.” Gilda suggested, “My father can be quite protective.”
“Most fathers are.” I said jokingly.
The carriage shook making a loud thud as it made contact with the ground. Soon the carriage made a complete stop. I looked back to Gilda, and noticed that she seemed a bit uneasy. She must be nervous about seeing her father. I don’t blame her. She had been missing for three days, and I’m sure that doesn’t sit well with him. I could hear a lot of commotion outside, probably preparing for the princess’ arrival. Then all of a sudden, everything event silent. Gilda was the first to get out of her seat. She waited at the door still looking a bit uneasy.
“Hey, everything is going to be fine; don’t worry about us. We can handle ourselves.” I said, trying to reassure her.
“I hope your right.” She said with worry.
The door then opened letting in the sun light. It blinded me for a bit, but, once my eyes adjusted, I could see two columns of griffon soldiers in silver armor on both sides of the carriage. Gilda took a deep breath and walked out. Hans followed suit, leaving my friends and I in the carriage.
“Remember guys try to keep it smooth and friendly.” I said to my friends.
Getting out of the carriage, I began to take a look at my surroundings. We were in some sort of courtyard in front of the main doors of the castle. I also noticed that there were a lot more soldiers here. The other soldiers were wearing brownish armor. ‘They must be regular troops.’ They were stationed on the walls, probably for guard duty.
“Talk about rolling out the red carpet, huh.” Jordan said, looking around.
I then heard loud creaking sounds and looked over to see the main doors opening.
Once there were fully opened, I could see two griffons coming through. One had a light brown coat and white feathers, looking a lot like Gilda. The other griffon was a lot taller than the other, almost as tall as me, had a dark brown coat, and white feathers. I’m guessing their rulers of this kingdom (A.K.A. Gilda’s parents). I noticed that the king had a keen eye on my friends and I. ‘oh boy, here we go.’ We all began to approach the front doors, but Gilda’s parents meet us half way. Gilda’s father approached first, walking up to Gilda. To her surprise, he embraced her with a hug.
“I was so worried about you Gilda.” He said, holding his embrace.
Soon the mother joined in, making Gilda blush with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, I got held up.” She finally said.
“Gilda your hurt.” The queen said, looking at Gilda’s bandages.
“Yeah that’s a log story, but, if it wasn’t for these men, I wouldn’t have made it back.” Gilda answered, making sure to mention our good deed.
The king looked at us once more, peering at us with judging eyes. I decided to be in a military resting position, with my hands behind my back and legs shoulder width apart. Jordan and Taphy just followed my lead, being in the same stance. When the king approached us, we stood in attention and saluted, like any soldier would.
“Your soldiers?” the king asked.
“My name is Daniel. These are my friends Jordan and Taphy. To answer your question sir, we are ex-military.” I said, bringing down my salute.
“I am king Feran, ruler of Gryphonia, and Gilda’s father…” he said proudly, “I thank you for bringing my daughter safely home.”
“It was an honor to be of assistance, sir.” I said, with upmost respect.
“Whatever your motives, you have my gratitude. Now come, I wish to discuss your award inside.” The king ended, making his way back into the castle.
Without hesitation, we followed behind him. Walking past those front doors, I only had a single goal in mind, having a good first impression.
Here to impress
The castle’s interior was exactly what I expected it to be, very medieval like. Guards were littered all over the castle, wearing the same brown armor like the soldiers at the wall. The many servants in the castle were wearing clothing from the 1700’s. The male griffons had brown or grey vests with Gryphonia’s national flag on the right of their chest. The females only wear white vests, with the same ensign. They gave us looks of confusion, but dared not approach us. I wouldn’t mind it as much if it wasn’t for their constant whispering. I was able to make out some of their conversations, hearing questions about our appearance and why the princess is injured. I decided it was best just to ignore them and continue to follow the king.
We enter into a hallway with a luxurious, red carpet, portraits with different locations and griffons, and antiques that range from swords, shields, and the armor. ‘These griffons seem to enjoy the traditional look.’ The griffons in the portraits seemed to either be those of royalty or military background. The locations would either be events of great importance or of battles that have come to pass. There was one image that caught my eye. It looked like an aftermath of a siege battle. The landscape was covered in snow and littered with dead griffons, armaments, and siege weapons. The fort was in bad condition, showing its walls battered and main structure covered with holes, producing black smoke in some of them. As dreadful as the image was, Gryphonia’s national colors was still posted above the fort. It was damaged but it kept its stance.
“Battle of arrow fort.” I turned my gaze toward the sudden outburst, only to see king Feran eyeing the same portrait.
He probably noticed my interest in it and wanted to indulge me in its significance.
“Talahad Mountains acts as a natural wall for the capitol, having only a few entrances. Arrow pass was one of them. A long time ago, during Gryphonia’s second civil war, the rebel forces mounted a full scale siege towards the capitol. Most of Gryphonia’s forces were scattered all over the country, and were beyond communication. The only thing that stood between them and the capitol was arrow fort.” The king paused and went towards a window that was behind us.
Through it, I could see an amazing view of the capitol; all the way to the mountains that protect it.
“The passage way got its name for its shape, looking like an arrow, having the entrance at its point. The fort was built to guard it. The fort had the strength of 500 griffon soldiers, led by King Leo himself. He knew that, if arrow fort falls, Highfeather will fall with it. The assault on the fort lasted for days. As countless rebel troops continue to storm the fort. The king’s men held their ground. They would rather die than to allow their enemy to take the capitol. For three brutal days, they held out against their enemy. On the morning of the fourth day, Gryphonia’s main force had arrived, attacking the rebels from behind, and the battle was won.” The king then went towards a portrait of a griffon wearing royal garments, “300 brave griffons gave their lives to defend their home, and King Leo and the 500 had been labeled as heroes of Gryphonia. A memorial was made in the fort in their remembrance, and their actions had been recorded in history.”
I could have never imagined that this world could have such conflicts. Then again, what I know of it came from a T.V. show. I have always been interested in military history, and hearing about Gryphonia’s battles, had sparked my interest in its history.
“Sir may I ask, this event happened during Gryphonia’s second civil war; how many did this country have?” I asked, curiosity taking the best of me.
“Gryphonia had endured three civil wars. These conflicts and beliefs had threatened to separate this country, but it was through these conflicts that made our country strong. We are proud of our military heritage, and we will do everything in our power to defend it.” The king answer, with great pride.
Through his answer, I had a new found respect for the griffon nation. I could see why they preferred the traditional look.
“As much as I indulge in speaking of Gryphonia’s history, I believe we should continue on. I am sure you are all hungry from your journey; so I requested supper to be prepared for us.” The king said.
The thought of food alone had made my stomach growl.
“We would be honored.” I said.
“Splendid, come now; we shall eat.” With that said, we continued on our way.
We didn’t walk for very long, before we stopped at a double door entrance, with two servants posted on each side. After they opened the door for us, we entered into what I believe is the royal dining room. The table was of a rectangular shape, having the capacity of ten guests. There was a luxurious red cloth draped over the middle of it. The room is decorated with portraits of different locations. ‘Heh never thought we’ll be eating with royalty.’ The griffons had already taken their seats, leaving us humans left. The king had taken his seat at the end of the table, and the rest of us had taken our seats on the sides. The seats were actually quite comfortable, and the cushions were something one could get used to.
A minute later, the door from the side of the room opened up, allowing multiple servants with dishes to enter. They were carrying all kinds of foods ranging from fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of meats.
“I was unsure of your eating habits; so I ordered me chef to serve us one plate of every food group.” The king said as the dishes were being placed on the table.
They had brought everything that they had considered edible and I mean everything. I think I can see flowers and hay in one of the dishes.
“Thank you for your consideration…” I said, trying to be polite, “but, to save you some trouble of asking, we are omnivores; so we can eat both sides of the spectrum.”
The king only nodded in conformation. Once the food was set, we began to dig in.
I took a couple of fruits and vegetables that I know is edible for humans, but I was a bit cautious around the meats. Don’t get me wrong; the food looked appetizing. However, I do not know the cleaning measures and cooking styles of griffons. Being carnivores by nature, the condition of the meat doesn’t have to be as sterile or cooked under human standards. Checking some of the meats, I noticed that most of them were cooked medium- well, and some of them actually had seasoning on them, making it acceptable to humans. Taking a couple of bites out of it, the seasoning was either a bit weak or just too much, but, other than that, it tasted great. I glanced at Jordan and Taphy and it seems that they are enjoying their meals as well.
“I take it the food is to your liking?” the king asked.
“It’s good sir; a lot better than quick meals that’s for sure.” I said, taking another bite.
“You can say that again; I can only eat so much of those things before my stomach says enough is enough.” Jordan added.
“I see.” The king kept his eye on us, probably still judging whether or not we’re bad news to his kingdom.
“May I offer you some red lilac, sir?” I looked over to my side to see a griffon servant holding a vase.
‘Hmm red lilac, I haven’t heard of that drink before.’
“May I ask what it’s made out of?” I asked curious of the drinks contents.
“Red lilac is made with the finest grapes, strawberries, and watermelons, smooth, lush honey from the best maple trees, and a hint of fairy dew collected by the best growers in Gryphonia.” He explained, in great detail.
‘Fairy dew; haven’t heard of that before.’ I decided to give it a shot, nodding my head in approval. He poured the drink into a silver grail cup and placed it next to my plate. I examined the liquid, and, as the name implies, it was surely red; like wine. I’m not much of a drinker, but I was much too curious to let it slide. ‘Well cheers then.’ Letting the liquid flow down my mouth, I could taste the sweet flavors of the fruits and honey, but a bitter taste was able to subdue the flavors from overwhelming my taste buds. These ingredients shouldn’t be able to mix together so gracefully, but there is also the fairy dew, which could be the culprit of the bitter taste. ‘Not bad’ seeing that I didn’t belch out the drink, my friends also accepted it.
“Now, I have questions that need to be answered…” the king asked with a stern face, “Gilda why did you not come back, what happened to the guard I assigned to you?”
I looked over to Gilda who seemed to have anticipated such questions. Putting down her eating utensils, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“I didn’t come back because we were attacked at Leafwood forest. My guard tried to protect me, but they were too quick. He died fighting, only to succeed on killing one of them.” She said, remembering the horrific events of the past.
“Who were they Gilda, who attacked you; assassins, bandits?” the king pressed on.
“I don’t know what they were. They were black, had no face, able to regenerate, and were able to turn their limbs into sharp weapons. I tried fighting them off, but they were to fast…” Gilda was beginning to tear as she spoke, “I- I couldn’t hold my own. If it wasn’t for them, I could have- could ha-“
Unable to continue, her tears began to roll down her face. Her mother went over to her to try and comfort her as best she could. I don’t blame Gilda for breaking down. After all, she almost died because of these creatures, and I'm sure that would have left some sort of traumatic affects.
The kings expression became sorrowful. For a father, to see your daughter in such a state is heart breaking.
“sir Daniel, is there anything you can tell me about these ‘creatures’.” The king had placed the question upon me, wishing to no longer have Gilda linger on the subject.
“I wish I could, but even we don’t know what these things are. Their bodies disintegrated before we could do any close examinations…” the king’s brow arched, hearing that their bodies just disintegrated, “what we were able to see was that they had the same body structure as a human, but they are far from human.” I ended, disappointed that I wasn’t able to provide any useful information.
The king began to meditate about this unknown enemy that threatened his daughter.
“(sigh) It is clear that there is no use on continuing on. However, these creatures had threatened my family and so threatening the kingdom itself. We will find the one who sent them and he will be brought to justice.” The words of a protective father can never be so true.
After Gilda stopped crying and her mother got back to her seat, the king decided to move the subject along.
“I am sure you know the stories of your kind, sir Daniel, and I assure you they are not pleasant…” the king said, referring to the stories the Gilda told us about, “rumors will soon spread. So I must know now; are they true or not.”
I was expecting this very question, but I still ponder on an answer. I glanced over towards my friends, hoping to get any suggestions. Taphy looked at me unsure on the answer, but Jordan had a stern look. As much as I’d like to argue on humanities defense, we both knew about our kind’s dark side. Thinking that I stalled long enough, I decided to give my answer.
“Yes and no…” I could see the king raise his brow by the contradicting answer, “humanity can be quite chaotic with our sinful desires and conflicting beliefs that could lead to arguments, separation, and even war. However, there is some good in humanity. We could set aside our differences and focus our efforts to keep the peace and hope for a prosperous future.”
The king was silent in thought. His eyes loomed on us and his gaze turned to his daughter. He then took a deep breath and stood up from his chair, getting everyone’s attention.
“I have decided that you are no threat to my kingdom. Your words and actions have proven that to me. As part of your reward, you have been deemed welcome to my halls.” He then turned to one of the servants in the room and ordered him to go get the captain.
He then went up to his daughter and placed his claw on her shoulder.
“Anyone who is willing to place themselves into harm’s way to protect my family is a hero to Gryphonia and shall be treated as such.” After he said that, the captain came in, removing her helmet in respect.
“You summoned me, my lord?” she asked.
“Yes captain, I would like you to accommodate these heroes to their room and to fulfill any of their desires.” The king ordered.
“As you wish.” She replied, putting her fist on her chest in some sort of salute.
“Now, if you may excuse us, I wish to have a word with my daughter.” He ended.
We nodded in thanks and followed the captain, leaving Gilda with her family. ‘Well that went a lot better than I thought.’
Looking for hire
After the others left with the captain, my father took me to his study room. The room was quite a mess. There were scrolls and documents that were spread out on the desk and a couple of books out of place around the room.
“Gilda.” My attention was brought back to my father, keeping his gaze outside the window, “your human companions have proven so far to be of no harm, but those other creatures concerns me. Now, you are in need of a new bodyguard.” After he said that, he went to his desk and pulled out a couple of documents. “There are a couple of griffons who have proven themselves worthy.”
He began to give me small details from each griffon who wishes to be my guards. Each guard had their own skill in combat and had shown themselves truly loyal to the crown. Yet, their all still the same; my father’s way to keep me under surveillance.
My father looked at me, and I could see his gaze falter, probably from seeing my disapproval.
“Gilda, I know how you feel about this, but there for your protection. If it wasn’t for the humans’ intervention, you would have been killed.” He said, with a bit uneasiness, “I could never forgive myself if such a thing happened to you. Therefore, you will be accompanied by guards at all times, and, before you reject to anything, I will allow you to choose who will be your guards.”
I was going to protest on the whole idea, but a thought came to mind, when he said I could chose who my guards will be. ‘It’s a long shot, but maybe I can make it work.’
“I know who I want.” I said, with a bit of glee in my voice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel
“And this is where you’ll be staying.” The captain let us into a room filled with four separate beds, few wardrobes with mirrors, a balcony, and another door that I presume is the bathroom.
I felt that the room was just arranged to accommodate us, but the room looked so kept that it almost seems like it was always like this.
“If there is anything else you need, just call upon the closest guard or servant.” Once she said that, she finally left us on our own.
“Now this is more like it!” Taphy exclaimed, wasting no time in making himself more comfortable.
He dropped his stuff next to one of the beds, and laid himself down. He placed his hands behind his head and allowed his body to sink into the sheets.
“Oh yeah I could get used to this.” he said enjoying the comforts of the bed.
The rest of us chose our beds, and laid down our gear.
After I laid my gear down, I went out to the balcony to get some fresh air. I was able to get a good view of the city, hearing the capitals population going about their day.
“Enjoying the view?” I looked over my shoulder to see Hans, coming out to join me, “when I first gazed upon this city, I to was amazed by its beauty.”
“Yeah, I’m sure the city will have that kind of effect with every newcomer.” I said, with a chuckle.
“I’m surprised you all are tacking the whole situation pretty well, being in another world and all.” He said, making it sound like a question then a comment.
“Well the whole situation is quite strange almost even overwhelming at times, but that’s what makes this adventure that much more exciting.” I said, with a smile on my face.
Hans began to laugh uncontrollably, surprising me a bit.
“You know lad, you remind me a lot of myself when I was young and curious.” He said with envy, “oh how the years gone by.”
I truly did not know how old Hans was, but he spoke as if he’s been around for some time. However, I feel as though there is more to him then he’s letting on. As much as I would like to ask, I felt that now wasn’t the time for such a question. I’m sure we will find out at some point. After all, there is a time and place for everything.
(knock, knock, knock)
After hearing a few knocks, I turned my attention to the front door.
“You can come in!” I yelled to whoever wished to enter.
“I am sorry to disturbed you…” said one of the male griffon servants, as he entered, “, but my king requested a meeting with you humans.”
‘(groan) And I just started to get comfortable.’
“Fine; can you tell us why though?” I asked.
“I cannot say other than he wished to speak with you for something of great importance.”
“Alright then, we’ll be out in a second.” With that said, the servant bowed his head and went out the door.
We decided to leave everything except for our cloaks, seeing that there was no need for the guns here.
“Yo Hans, take care of our stuff will yea.” Jordan said as we left the room.
The servant led us to the castles’ military section. The multiple griffon troops gave us glances towards us, but continued on with their training afterwards. It consisted of combat and survival to flight formations and maneuvers. The soldiers looked brave, determined, and willing to fight for their country.
“Brings back memories doesn’t it.” Jordan said out loud, referring to our days in the military.
“oh yeah, short sleeping hours, constant excursive, and unforgettable bombardments of insults that our instructors gave us… yeah, good memories.” I said sarcastically.
Jordan just laughed at my comment. However, Taphy didn’t say anything. Unlike us, he didn’t join the military; so he couldn’t relate to our experiences.
We entered into the castle once more. The room was very large, that could fit a couple of divisions in here. It was decorated with many flags with emblems on them. One of them was Gryphonia’s national flag, however I was unfamiliar with the others and what they were supposed to represent. Above the national flag was a balcony that overlooks the whole room. I could see the king up there along with Gilda and the captain.
“You wanted to see us king Feran?” I asked.
The king stayed silent for some time with questioning eyes.
“I have seen many great warriors enter this chamber. They were called upon to prove their skill in combat and to show their loyalty to their people.” He finally said, with great pride, “Only the best earn their titles and positions in Gryphonia’s military. You have earned my trust, now you must prove your worth.”
The king’s words were stern and unwavering. ‘So this is an arena… wait, then that means… oh dear.’