Chapter 274 - From Summerset
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Five humans and one cat in a humanoid form gathered around one egg watching it hatch. The egg, that was larger than even an egg of an ostrich, was showing strong signs of life. Alina was sitting in and singing a song of life from the druidic teachings while warming the egg with Magicka.
Every one of us was revealing our thoughts about what's in the egg out loud.
"My thoughts are a giant sea serpent." (Wulf)
"Wanna bet?" (Jon)
"I told you it is not a reptile, Wulfur. Even though it can be a Cliff Racer." (Jorna)
"A cliff racer? They were whiped out on the hands of a Dunmer Saint. No one wants them back to life ever again, they are nightmares." (Jull)
"It is not any of that, it is something that fluffs." (Jon)
"Good guess, Hooman." (Nefertiti)
"I just want it to be a dragon so bad." (Jon)
"You know it's impossible! Dragons don't lay eggs and have nothing to do with mating." (Jull)
"No wonder Alduin wants to destroy the world." (Jon)
"Nice one." (Wulf)
*fist bump*
"Can it be a new kind of cats?" (Nefertiti)
"I like the idea." (Jon)
"""...""" (The rest)
"Or maybe it can be a Phoenix." (Jon)
"What's that?" (Wulf)
"A mystical bird that doesn't exist." (Jorna)
[A/n: There is no mention to a Phoenixes in the games so far so I can't possibly make them.] (Don)
"Oh, hey there." (Jon)
"How long will the baby take to come out, Hooman?" (Nefertiti)
"It is coming out... look." As soon as Wulfur said so, the egg's shell broke open slightly and from the gab, a loud baby bird shrieking came out.
"Look, it's a beak. It's a baby bird." Jull said.
Everyone around turned silent while watching the egg hatch. The bird inside started breaking the shell bit by bit slowly. Once it took a few minutes breaking a part of the egg horizontally, it started to push out.
The egg snapped open very slowly and we took a tiny glimpse of what's inside. The things we could tell about the chick was that its size is that of a full grown cat, which is very large for a chick. Its body was featherless and so pink, it was really a newborn creature. All of us were making "aaaawwwwe!" when we saw it.
Alina stopped singing and looked closely at the baby bird. It pushed the eggshell more and at last, we finally could see its appearance.
"Wh... what is that?" Wulfur exclaimed.
"I have never seen anything like that in my life." Jull seemed to be ignorant about the creature too.
Alina seemed to have an idea but Jorna and I could tell what it is right away.
It had large dark blue eyes that were seen under its newborn eyelids and also its beak was dark colored. Some feathers that were still wet, they seemed to be snow white but on its head, there were some blue feathers. That is nothing odd as the oddities haven't even started yet.
First, its size which was really large but we have already noticed that. Second, it has ears, large ones growing on the top sides of its head, unlike the other birds which have them in a lower position without even extending out of their bodies like this bird. Third, it had a tail, a long one that resembles that of animals. Last, it had four limbs and two small wings in its back.
""A Gryphon!"" Jorna and I were dumbstruck right away.
There is no way a Gryphon would appear here… in Skyrim.
The others looked at us waiting for an explanation but we were too busy wrapping our heads around the situation.
"A Gryphon? Should that be a creature that only native to Summerset Isles?" Alina asked.
"... I remember Jon mentioning something about Gryphons in the past! So that's one." Wulfur looked at the little bird with curiosity.
"... How can that creature be here? And in the hands of the Bloodsails above all?" I wondered.
"That's not it, Gryphon eggs are impossible to hatch under normal circumstances." Bjorna wondered too.
"Well, we have a [Favored Child of Kyne]. As Kyne is the mother of Man and Beast then it is pretty normal. She was singing for it every day and kept heating it with Magicka." I said.
"Oh, I see… but how did this came to Skyrim?" She asked.
"Don't ask me. You are the one who grew among the Firemanes so you at least should have a clue." I said.
"Not at all. All I know that some rare breeds of the Gryphons disappeared after the Oblivion Crisis. It was a massive loss for the Dominion's Military force." She said.
"... The Dominion! I see… that's why the Thalmor were pushing the attack on Japhet's Folly around and handed a list of demands to the East Empire Company." I remembered something.
"Don't tell me… the Thalmor are looking for that baby gryphon?" Alina panicked.
Bjorna and I sighed.
"Even if they are, it doesn't matter now. It hatched to you and there is no way it will recognize anyone else as a companion other than the person who sang to it." Bjorna said.
We all looked at the baby gryphon and sighed.
Gryphons! Well… that's an unexpected one.
Gryphons, or griffins to some, are large and carnivorous flying creatures with the body of a lion and the wings, talons, and beak of an eagle. They appear in Summerset Isle. The city of Sunhold has a live gryphon as its mascot. Armored gryphons are also ridden by the Welkynar Gryphon Knights in Cloudrest. Gryphons aren't known to seek out mortal flesh but will defend their territory fiercely.
These creatures normally can't be tamed but that doesn't mean they can't be domesticated even though it is hard as hell from what I read. First, one must acquire a Gryphon Egg without killing the mother (good luck with that) and it must be hatched with Magic.
The thing that Alina did, which was singing for the egg and providing it with Magicka since we found it, was the main reason why it hatched right away. There is no other way to hatch a gryphon's egg.
And after that, the one who hatched the egg, Alina in that case, should be the one responsible for it from now on.
"We will provide you with knowledge support as your family." I said.
"I can tell you what to feed it, I think Jon has a lot of Beef Liver, right?" Bjorna said.
"Yeah, I do. My Alexandrian Beef Liver recipe can bring a dead dragon back to life. You can have some Raw Liver to feed the little thing." I approved.
"... So you guys aren't helping more than that?" Alina asked while tilting her head.
Bjorna and I seemed to be obviously bailing out.
"You read that book too, cousin?"
"I did and I am not getting close to that thing."
"What is that about?" Wulfur asked.
"Do you know why Gryphons grow only on Summerset?"
"No."
"There is no particular reason but think of it as a match made by the universe. There is no arrogant folk more than a High Elf of Summerset and there is no arrogant creature more than a Gryphon. Perfect match I would say." I said.
"Also, be careful with the bites." Bjorna said.
Alina seemed to be not listening to us as she caressed the baby Gryphon with the back of her hand.
"It is a male so I am not sure what to name him." Alina said, "I thought it would be a female bird so I prepared a few names."
"You can name it after you feed it. The Firemanes who are protected by the Hawk Guardian do that. You can ask uncle Hermond for help." Bjorna said.
"Also, Master Nurelion and Master Faralda are the only High Elves we trust so we can ask them too." Jullanar said.
"Well, I am glad things working out well but let's finish things up here."
I said as we started to busy ourselves with what we have. Alina has to take care of the baby Gryphon so she was going to be busy for a lot of time. I also want to open the 64 Energy Points to Jullanar, Wulfur and Bjorna and go prepare dinner. Believe it or not, only Wulfur and I can cook around here.
As for the journey we are on, Wulfur told me we stopped somewhere in the woods west of Riften. Our destination was my old teacher's place.
As soon as I finished all the tasks I had, I went out of the Cube and started traveling alone at dawn.
At this pace, I should ambush the old bastard before he wakes up… or so I thought.
*swoosh*
A terrifying arrow shot towards me with a thick hostile intent. All of the hair on my body stood up and I jumped away from the Flame Atronach Horse I was riding.
The arrow hit the Atronach and obliterated it in a second.
"Damn!" All I could do is to jump behind a rock and take a bow out.
This old fool woke up earlier than I thought.
"Hey, Old Man. Don't shoot me, Goddammit! It's me." I shouted but no one answered.
I took out a good bow from the cube and notched an arrow, I tried to shoot from cover but my arrow was hit by another arrow.
"This old bones… It's Jon."
"... who?" an old voice replied.
"It is me, Jon Dare! Nurina's son."
"... huh?"
"Shit… Can you even hear me?"
"... what?"
This old man can't even hear anymore. How can he shoot so well?
"I am coming out!" I said as I raised my hands.
I walked out of cover and walked forward slowly. There seemed to be many traps around the area but I can avoid them all, after all, this man taught me about that.
"Froki… come on old man. It is me Jon." I called for him but he didn't seem to be answering.
"... A giant?!" I heard him wondering.
"Seriously! After all we have been through? You can't even recognize the most handsome young man on Nirn." I was wronged badly.
"... oh! I heard that idiocy somewhere before… there was that boy I don't remember his name." The voice came from behind me.
I jumped right away and saw an old man walking slowly with a bow in a few arrows in hand while being camouflaged by grasses and leaves.
"It is me. I am that kid you don't remember."
"Oh, Jon… wait!" He nocked an arrow again. "Are you a giant?"
"No."
"Have you eaten or been eaten by a giant?"
"No."
"Hmmm… who are you again?"
"I'm Jon."
"Oh, right! You look familiar."
"... can you even see?"
"Not well."
"Then how can you aim like that?" I was irritated by the unreasonable old man.
"Shooting doesn't need aiming? You city rats don't even know that?"
"... You know what, I am not even taking any of that anymore." I finally snapped.
"Hehehe! Follow me, kid."
Froki walked past me, while laughing.
This guy is the most unreasonable old man I ever met, Froki Whetted-Blade, my combat mentor for five years.
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A/n: I didn't want to name the Gryphon just yet so I am open for suggestions.