[……Oh? That canal’s crystal….]
Asuka looked at the light that played upon the surface of the crystal as she tilted her head in response to a nagging thought. If she had remembered correctly, Asuka was sure that she had seen something similar in the North Side.
[That crystal…is a green tinted glass? I vaguely remember North Side having…]
“Asuka, up there!”
“Eh?” Now it was the sky and she had to lift her head upwards. Though Asuka felt that it was quite bothersome to keep switching between looking up and down, that thought was immediately changed.
For in many a dozen birds with antlers that were flying in the distance.
Asuka was dumbstruck as she looked up at the skies. In comparison, Yō was speaking animatedly as she observed the flock of birds.
“Birds that have horns…and those are antlers like a deer! It’s my first time seeing such a bird! Is it a type of Eudemon? Do you know what is it, Kuro Usagi?”
“Eh? Aa…Nn…ya…”
“Really? What’s the eudemon called? Can I go and have a closer look at it first?”
Yō showed a fair amount of enthusiasm that was rarely seen from her, but Kuro Usagi was troubled by it. Just at the right moment and following a gust of wind, a nostalgic voice sounded in the area.
“It’s been some time, my friend. Welcome to my hometown.”
With his huge wings that whipped up a strong wind, the one who appeared before them was the Gryphon of [Thousand Eyes]. He leaned his huge beak closer and Yō gently caressed his neck in reply.
“Long time no see, so this is your hometown.”
“Nn. [Thousand Eyes] is participating in the temporary street market and I’m tasked with carrying the guards on a special two wheel war chariot here."
Upon closer inspection, there really was an iron casted saddle and reins that were of a much better workmanship than of those he had before. It would seem that he had arrived with his contracted rider.
Looking towards Kuro Usagi and the others, he tucked his wings away and bent his front legs.
“It’s been some time as well, [Highborn of Little Garden] and my friend’s friend.”
“YES! It’s been some time!”
“Long…Long time no see……Is it right to reply that way, Jin-oniisan?”
“I…I guess it should be right.”
Asuka and Jin-kun being unable to understand the language Gry spoke had bowed and said their greetings just by judging the atmosphere of the other’s around them.
The Gryphon turned his head and pointed to his back with his beak, motioning for them to get on.
“It’s still a distance from here to the City. And due to the setting up of nature reserves in the South, you must be more alert when traveling here than compared to the East or North Sides. If you are willing, I can carry you guys over.”
“Is it really okay?!” Kuro Usagi exclaimed in excitement.
And because Asuka and Jin-kun weren’t able to understand their conversation, they could only tilt their heads in puzzlement.
Yō took a step back and gave a deep bow to the gryphon.
“Thank you. If it’s okay with you, may I know your name?”
“Of course. My rider calls me ‘Gry’. You, my friend can also call me by that name too.”
“Nn. Then just call me Yō. And these two are Asuka and Jin.”
“I got it. Yō, my friend. My friend’s friends are Asuka and Jin."
The gryphon flapped his wings to show his understanding as Asuka and Jin heard the whole translation of the conversation. Of which the both of them bowed their heads in compliment before climbing onto the back of the gryphon. Calico cat had also been carried in Kuro Usagi’s arms as she climbed aboard too.
Yō decided to ask about the strange birds that she saw while the others were climbing onto the back of the gryphon. Since she could fly by her own Gift and she was curious about those birds that gave her a bad feeling.
“Gry, are those birds with antlers a type of Eudemon too?”
“……Bird type Eudemon with antlers? Could it be Perytons?”
Gry lifted his head and scanned the area with his Eagle eyes.
Spotting the flock of birds that had antlers on their heads standing around the waterhole opposite the [Underwood Huge Waterfall], Gry gave a low fierce roar.
“Those guys…...clearly we did warn them off many times not to come close to the Outer Gate when the Harvest Festival is hosted! Looks to me that they really want to kill humanoids.”
“……Are they a type of man-eater?”
“No. Perytons just want to kill others.”
“YES. In other words, they are a type of Man killer.”
Kuro Usagi gingerly peeked from the gryphon’s back as she clarified: “Though Kuro Usagi doesn’t know the details, but I’ve heard that they are a foreign species that originated from Atlantis mainland.”
“……Atlantis’s mainland? The legendary island?”
“YES. And the shadow of Perytons are cursed from birth. It’s said that it has a shadow that doesn’t match its body shape.”
“And the way to release the curse is---[Killing humans]. ---Hng, though it is not known which god had cursed them, but it sure is evil. Other than the ability to survive, they also possess the other reason to [kill humans]. Making them one of the examples of a typical [monster]. If it were any other day, it would be fine to let them off the hook out of mercy. But now with the Harvest Festival being hosted and to be loitering around given our repeated warnings……Yō, I guess I can invite you to try some Peryton meat skewers tonight.”
Gry opening his mouth and gave a hearty laugh.
Flapping his wings and whipping up a gale, he then lifted his huge talons and lifted off with a kick off the ground with his lion hind legs.
“Wa……WaWa!”
In a blink of an eye, the limbs of the gryphon that could be described as [stepping on air to move forth] have brought them a distance away from the Outer Gate. Yō had hurriedly grabbed onto the fur of the gryphon as she took flight as well. But to keep up with the speed of his was not a simple feat.
Even so, Gry seeing how Yō was able to barely keep up couldn’t help but give praise:
“Really impressive. Though I’m only traveling at half my full speed, I really didn’t expect for you to keep up with me after only two months.”
“Nn…….Nn. It’s because Kuro Usagi gave me a Gift that can help aid my flight Gift.”
“YES! Yō-san’s boots have been inscribed the symbol of Vayu[2] in Sanskrit as a training aid!”
Kuro Usagi joined in the conversation from the gryphon’s back.
But Kuro Usagi was the only one who had words to spare.
Just after the take-off, Jin who was battered by the strong winds was immediately blown into the air. He who had only managed to stay aloft and not having tumbled down by now was all thanks to the safety rope that held him up in mid-air.
Not wanting to follow in Jin’s footsteps, Asuka was firmly holding onto the reins. Her pride did not allow her to have such an unsightly performance like Jin.
As for Calico Cat that was carried by Kuro Usagi, he looked comparatively safe but in reality, he was actually struggling due to the wind’s pressure that continued to press on him as they moved forward.
“O…Ojou~! Please tell him to s…slow do…down a little ooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!”
Though it sounded more of a cat mewing loudly, but Yō believed that his life was truly in danger and she quickly asked Gry to slow down.
“Gr…Gry. It’s not going too well behind you, slow down.”
“Hm? Ohoh, so sorry.”