"Ed, Bolin!"
"Present, My Lord!" Ed and Bolin responded instantly.
"Assemble all Pegasus Knights and depart with me immediately!"
The Pegasus Knights were of paramount importance to Blackstone Territory. Their previous string of victories had relied heavily on the mobility and aerial superiority of these knights to achieve significant tactical results.
"Yes, My Lord!" Ed accepted the command steadily.
Bolin, on the other hand, beamed with joy. "Fantastic! My Lord, our Pegasus wing is about to grow again!"
The knights assembled rapidly. Leylo mounted his Storm Griffin; its massive wings unfurled, kicking up a violent gale. Ed and Bolin each led a squad of Pegasus Knights, following closely behind as they galloped—and then soared—toward the Mist Forest.
An hour later, as they cautiously approached the clover meadow, fourteen magnificent Pegasi came into view on the open grassland. They were either lowering their heads to graze on the fresh clover or leisurely swishing their tails.
A flicker of heat flashed in Leylo's eyes. Fourteen!
He lowered his voice, giving orders to Ed and Bolin beside him. "According to the plan: Ed, take half the men and flank from the left. Bolin, take the other half and flank from the right."
"Understood!"
The two replied in unison, their faces carrying a mix of tension and excitement. Leylo took a deep breath, lightly nudged the Storm Griffin's flanks, and was the first to slowly apply pressure from the front.
Receiving their cues, the Pegasus Knights fanned out. Hooves trod softly on the lush grass, making only faint sounds as they formed a massive semi-circle, closing in on the herd at a measured pace.
The grazing Pegasi were clearly alert. Almost the moment Leylo's group moved, several of them snapped their heads up, letting out uneasy whinnies.
Neigghhh!
The lead Pegasus was particularly majestic, a size larger than the others with a fuller mane. It gazed warily in Leylo's direction, snorting steam from its nostrils. With a sudden flap of its wings, it prepared to take to the skies.
"Move!" Leylo barked.
The prepared knights immediately urged their mounts into a charge. They gripped specialized lassos—tools Ed had organized craftsmen to forge specifically for capturing Pegasi based on Leylo's designs. Ed had led the knights through numerous simulated lassoing drills; now was the time to test their training.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Lassos whistled through the air, arching across the sky to loop precisely around the necks of the Pegasi attempting to fly.
"Got one!" a knight shouted excitedly. His rope snapped taut as a young Pegasus let out a panicked cry, pulled into a stumble. Other knights found their marks in succession. For a moment, the meadow was a cacophony of whinnies, shouts, and the whistling of ropes.
However, the Pegasi were the darlings of the sky; they would not surrender easily. The lead stallion was the most agile; it skillfully dodged several flying loops. With a powerful beat of its wings, it kicked up a turbulent airflow, leading three or four others that had also evaded capture in a desperate attempt to break through a gap in the encirclement. Their speed was immense; they were on the verge of escaping.
"Don't even think about it!" Leylo snorted.
The Storm Griffin let out a piercing shriek. Its wings snapped open, turning it into a streak of azure lightning. Moving faster than the Pegasi, it intercepted them at an angle like an impassable barrier, hovering precisely in front of the fleeing group.
The massive wind pressure slammed into them. Caught off guard, the lead Pegasus shrieked and was forced to veer sharply, killing its forward momentum and nearly colliding with its companions.
In that brief delay, Ed arrived with several quick-reacting knights. "Fan out! Box them in!" Ed commanded loudly.
The knights spread out, surrounding the startled creatures once more. More lassos flew; this time, there was no room to dodge. Though the lead stallion fought valiantly, it eventually succumbed to the combined strength of several knights.
Half an hour later, peace returned to the meadow. Fourteen Pegasi—not a single one missing—had been successfully captured.
Bolin wiped sweat from his brow, grinning widely. "My Lord, we... we got them all! Haha, we're rich!"
The procession returned grandly to Blackrock Castle. Over the next two days, Leylo balanced daily territorial administration with preparations for his upcoming journey to Red Maple Ridge. However, the day before his departure, an unexpected visitor disrupted his plans.
That afternoon, a sharp, prolonged shriek echoed over Blackrock Castle. Unlike the sounds of the Storm Griffin or the Pegasi, this cry was filled with a savage, violent aura. The guards on the watchtower instantly blew the warning horns.
A massive reptilian creature with a wingspan exceeding thirty meters dived from the clouds. It had no feathers, only hard, dark-green scales. With a hideous head and a maw full of razor teeth, it was the infamously fierce Wyvern!
The Wyvern kicked up a dust storm as it landed steadily in the clearing before the castle. A middle-aged mage wearing a gray robe, with hair as messy as a bird's nest and thick alchemical glasses perched on his face, climbed down somewhat clumsily from the creature's back. He patted the Wyvern's neck, and the ferocious beast actually nuzzled his hand submissively.
"Master Barnaby?"
Leylo, having received word, rushed out. Seeing the visitor, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. He hadn't expected Master Barnaby to personally travel to the remote Blackstone Territory.
Barnaby adjusted his glasses and squinted at Leylo, a peculiar smile appearing on his face—one that mixed excitement with a hint of embarrassment. "Baron Leylo, please forgive my unannounced visit."
His voice was hoarse, but his attitude was unexpectedly polite.
"You honor me, Master. Having you at Blackrock Castle is a privilege. Please, come inside," Leylo invited. He naturally treated a professional of this caliber—especially an expert in alchemy and potions—with the utmost respect.
Once they were seated in the drawing room and tea was served, Master Barnaby didn't state his purpose immediately. Instead, he fumbled around his worn spatial bag for a long time before producing a small wooden box and handing it to Leylo.
"A small gift for our first meeting, a token of my respect."
Leylo accepted the box with confusion. Upon opening it, he found ten crystal-clear vials arranged neatly, radiating faint fluctuations of magical power.
"Are these... Knight Breakthrough Potions?"
Leylo recognized them immediately, and surprise filled his eyes. These potions were extremely expensive and served as critical resources for knight advancement. For Barnaby to offer ten at once was a significant gesture.
"Indeed," Barnaby nodded, his eyes gleaming behind his lenses. "Just a few trinkets. I hope they prove useful to you, Baron."
Leylo grew even more curious. A master alchemist doesn't visit a remote lord without reason, and such a generous gift suggested that whatever he sought was far from simple.