The sun was throwing off its radiant brilliance when we ate the luxurious breakfast on this mahogany table that was so smooth that I can almost see my self. Even if the lamb soup was cheese creamy and scrumptious to a fault I find it hard to enjoy. The uniform that Micah the maidservant gave me chocked my whole body; chocking the taste of the rich soft lamb meat and the creamy onion soup.


    I was like an army cadet uniforms where the deep ocean blue dominated the color of the uniform while bright red stripes were prevalent on the sides of my shoulder and on the legs.


    Fancy, of course, but I would still prefer my simple gambeson for this expensive blue tights. From neck to chest these buttons forced the uniform to keep me stiff and to its tight gripping breeches that made made my legs bricked! I was lucky the maidservant didn''t bother about my comfy hunting boots when I said it''s from May.


    I looked like a strapping young boyscout when the maidservant made her final touch on my hair in front of mirror. This is where I gained some respect out of Edmund, is how suffocating this uniform is. Just moving my hands to scoop up some of the creamy soup was a challenge, let alone reach it to my mouth.


    I was seated at the far end of the table while Lilly delicately ate her breakfast with her mother on her right whose eyes change from soup to stacks of paper. While Edmund was holding a smug at me while he savoured his soup effortlessly per scoop in front of me. He wore a very loose shirt that exposes his hairy chest.


    Eventually when breakfast was over we were given a new leafy green carriage.


    I jogged first and opened the door for Lilly, as Micah, the maidservant told me before breakfast and even giving me a list of the thing I have to do as a footman.


    After that I ran to the helm and would drive... How does horses and whiplashes work again?


    I was lucky that a young stable hand was leading the horse out of the stables where Edmund, wearing a brown tunic, green pointed hat, brown trousers and boots rushed towards me.


    "You have something to say?"


    He formed a grimace on his lips when he claimed besides me.


    I replied on breaking out from the chains of stiff buttons and suffocating zippers to heave in some air.


    "I would rather wear a full armor than this."


    I gasp out. Unlike this fancy wear a heavy armor that doesn''t strangles my ability to breath and still offer some mobility is bearable for one week rather than a day in this uniform.


    "Now you feel my pain."


    He chuckled with a slap on my back as he began whipping and started this two horse powered carriage and set off.


    It was a sight to see the Royal palace of Lord Magnus but it was something else when we arrived to our new destination.


    The air was filled to the brim with luscious violet grapes and mountains upon mountains of barrels stacked up into a pyramid. "Oh, smell that?"


    Edmund grinned with a smile as his nose gravitated to the wine barrels.


    "That is the smell paradise of afterlife. Iced wine barrel with spit roasted venison later, you, me and the captain will have a feast tonight!"


    Not far from this fermenting factory was another stable, as Edmund explained. Hoping off the helm I opened the door for Lilly and began to ask for her hand.


    She was tense and stiff as wood when trying to look at me.


    "Should I still take your hand when leaving?"


    I asked because she was almost petrified like stone.


    "U-u-umm..."


    She hung her head and asked if I could look away while she gave me her hand. Which, when I did felt her soft hands press down my palm I lead her out of the carriage.


    "T-thank you,"


    She coughed and quickly took back her hand and walked in brisk away from us.


    "Thank the goddess that was done,"


    Spat Edmund.


    "It felt like a decade for you to yank her out off there. Either way let her be, I have something to show you."


    “A whole ranch of Gryphons.”


    I wheezed out my astonishment at the sight of some iron bar cage was lay the mythical creature inside. I counted over ten on our current surrounding and not counting on the gryphons marauding around a wide bend of fields where a wooden fence was the only barricade that separated us and those great frightening beasts.


    Inside this pen Lord Magnus riding a top of the great Gryphon from yesterday and four more gryphon who ran with Lord Magnus chasing down a brown horse that looked like a pony as it ran away in bulging terror in its eyes.


    Lord Magnus and his Gryphons can surely have caught up with the horse seeing how the beast wasn''t leaping fast like the horse. And if those gryphons began leaping those mighty paws would have shredded some fistful of dirt off the ground.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Then out of a corner of a bend two -- no, three! It was a trap. Three small gryphons the size of full grown greyhounds buried their talons and mauled the horse. One aimed for the neck, one for the thighs, and the last dug its claws on the horse''s back.


    Blood was sprayed on their eagle faces when the greyhound sized gryphons stood up and began splitting the body. Meanwhile Lord Magnus and the larger Gryphons sat down and began hissing out as their head began turning around slow like surveillance camera. Here Lord Magnus tapped his terrifying mount and leapt down and walked towards us.


    "The son of May finally got out of her mother''s fortress cradle. Splendid job Juliana."


    Remarked Lord Magnus when we were earshot of his royal voice.


    "Pfft... Yeah, get all the credit."


    Whispered Edmund as he began to walk away kicking a rock as he put his hands in his pockets.


    "Edmund was the one who convinced the captain, not me."


    Replied Lilly as Lord Magnus leaned on the fences.


    "Right, right, right. That aside, you,"


    He fell his eyes on me that I responded with a stiff yes sir.


    "Though I don''t agree what you did yesterday on that puberulent looking adventurer, yet you still upheld what it means to be a fair and honorable human!"


    He then told me to see Edmund about the weapons we need for this trip.


    "And Juliana, time you pick your hunting friend for this trip."


    Crossbows, short bows, long bows, spears, spears with hooks among other things inside this room. Then I saw nets, muskets, pistols and bayonets all of them with different variety and decor and shape from one another. My eyes couldn''t rest at all the possibilities we can use these majestic and expensive arsenals on just to slaughter a deer, moose, boar or whatever poor creature that me, Edmund and Lilly fancy sniping.


    "We''ll take three firearms and 20 arrows for our hunting bow, that''s our limit, remember that."


    Said Edmund as he began piling up the carriage with knife, arrows, three bows and three muskets.


    "We''re not taking any ammunition for the muskets?"


    I asked when helping him haul in the stuff.


    "Remember Elfien,"


    With vice grip he held my hand and gave me a deep gaze.


    "One blast inside a forest is a suicide call to get the attention of every monster living in the forest, you got me?"


    I nodded...


    "Then again it''s already winter,"


    He let go off me and his voice lifted up to smile from that deep serious demeanor.


    "Same explanation, but one shot can scare off a surprising amount of game. By then we would be hunting all day, and I only rented you until lunch. Don''t want the captain nagging me. First we practice."


    He then took two muskets giving me one and went to a clear space.


    "Let me see you aim and fire."


    He said.


    I shrug my shoulder and gave an I don''t know how look.


    "Just show me what you got. Just like in training. We''ll check the right and wrongs in your stances."


    Well... From what I gather from captain jack sparrow movies, and a simple look that this ancient rifle, I began looking down at the sights. Once the barrel was at the center of the log  I pulled the trigger and a click echoed.


    Nothing happed...


    “What,"


    Edmund shrug.


    "You think I''m going to let you shot a live gun and frighten the whole pen of Gryphons?"


    "Kinda."


    I gave lowered my gun asked for an evaluation.


    "You''d be missing a finger that way."


    He scoffed.


    "First, see here, this is the butt of the rifle and should be leaning on this here shoulders of yours not under it like you did. Secondly, don''t be stiff or you''ll see yourself retired earlier than O''Brian. Bend yourself forwards when shooting."


    And some more. After teaching me how to rip off paper, pour powder and breech load grape shaped bullets inside some musket we were set.


    We waited for Lilly who came back with a large basket and accompanied with a dog sized gryphon -- Jaguar patterned body, oak green feathers, and eyes sharp as an owl, and beak sharp as dagger -- treading besides her.


    "By the goddess, dad wasn''t joking! Ey, Julie,"


    Edmund called out.


    "You sure you''re that thing is tamed?"


    "This thing is Charlotte, Charlotte Lyons."


    She knelt down and began petting the gryphon and made a purr like response as it circled around Lilly, head brushing against her cheek.


    "Father said having my gryphon be with me on my first hunt is crucial for our bond. Like this, Charlotte, eat."


    She then reached inside her basket brought out a puffy yellow chicklet in which she dropped on the ground where the hound size gryphon used its eagle beak to break its skull and ate it strip by strip.


    "Beautiful,"


    Edmund rolled his eyes,


    "Get in the carriage already, we have a few hours left."


    Edmund was on the helm, the gryphon; Charlotte Lyons, rested down on our feet while I was naked and Lilly, who brought her sewing kit, was adjusting my uniform.


    "I''m terribly sorry for Micah''s decision on the size, I don''t understand how she made such fatal mistake on size. I noticed it during breakfast, that''s why I brought my kit."


    She said when her eyes and hands were focused my uniform.


    "Here,"


    She said when giving my blue and red stripe uniform back.


    "Comfy?"


    She said as this was really an improvement. I breath easy, I was confident in my mobility and I probably look more better if I have a mirror.


    Everything was good and dandy but I would imagine her being flustered on how she asked for my pants, yet her eyes were fixated on micromanaging my trousers and oblivious that I''m only in my underwear. She didn''t mind and drowned her self in the task at hand when cutting the blue trousers and adjusting them to my size.


    "Ey, What you doing stopping a royal carriage! Out of... Whoah! Bleating mischievous rats!"


    Edmund cursed and the horses neighed as the carriage stopped.


    Charlotte''s head shot up and hissed and I, without a thought, rushed out to see what was happening.


    "Elfien get me a dagger!"


    He was dangling up on a tree and stretched for the ropes that dangled him.


    "What happened to you?"


    I began to look around me.


    "Behind you!"


    There were two people. One was wearing an armor and helmet while a crossbow aimed at me. The other one gripped a weapon and wore only an ugly mask from story fair. Both of them had an aura of killing intent towards me.


    "Elfien, what''s going on?


    Cried Lilly when she opened the door hitting the two assailants.


    I rushed forward quickly as they were blocked.


    Unfortunately, my assailant shoved the door closed throwing Lilly inside with a scream. With no obstruction, I raised my hands as the crossbow clicked.


    "Caught you with your trousers gone!"


    Shouted the armored one then shot. A net sprang out and webbed me down to the snow, and wet, wet grassy ground.


    "How dare you!"


    She released her mask and raised the weapon, the rapier, up high with eyes a flame at me.


    "Wendy?"