The next morning, as the first light of dawn touched the horizon.
"ROAR!"
A high-pitched, resonant cry shattered the silence of the morning. Tempest, the Storm Griffin King, had been waiting. His tawny iron feathers gleamed under the rising sun. Leylo leaped upward, landing steadily on the griffin's broad back.
"Move out!"
Leylo patted Tempest's neck. With a powerful beat of his wings, the massive beast soared into the sky. They flew first to the Stone Forest, where Tempest let out several piercing shrieks. Answering cries echoed back as over ten smaller Storm Griffins took to the air, forming a loose aerial formation behind their King. They streaked eastward toward the rolling hills.
As they crossed the edge of the Blackstone Mountains, Leylo's sharp eyes caught unusual movement below. Thousands of black birds—scavenger crows common to the region—were erupting from the depths of the mountains in a panicked flood, fleeing southward.
Something in the mountains has spooked them, Leylo thought, a frown creasing his brow. However, the hunt for the Dragon Lizards took priority, and he pushed the doubt to the back of his mind.
After an hour of flight, the rolling hills appeared. The terrain here was gentler than the mountains, dominated by low shrubs and exposed gray rock.
"Tempest, lower altitude. Search carefully."
The shadows of the griffin flock swept across the ground. Soon, Tempest let out a low rumble—he had found the target. In a valley littered with giant boulders, seven or eight Iron-Back Dragon Lizards were prowling. They were smaller than Land-Drakes but covered in thick, black scales that looked like cast iron, shimmering with a cold metallic luster. Their heavy bodies were supported by sturdy limbs, and their thick tails, studded with bone spikes, thrashed the ground with heavy thuds.
"Strike!" Leylo commanded.
Tempest led the charge. Like a bolt of tawny lightning, he dived from the clouds. A Dragon Lizard looked up from a shrub, but before it could react, Tempest's talons clamped firmly around its neck!
CRACK!
The sound of snapping bone was sickening. Tempest's beak, sharp as a dagger, pecked repeatedly at the beast's skull. The Dragon Lizard stiffened and collapsed. One hit, one kill.
The other griffins followed suit, shrieking as they dove. However, these Tier 3 sub-dragons were far fiercer than the Land-Drakes. They did not panic; they fought back. Some spat globs of dark green acid, others rammed the diving griffins with their iron heads, and many swung their spiked tails like heavy bone whips.
"BANG!"
A younger griffin was too slow to dodge. A spiked tail slammed into its abdomen, sending it spiraling with a pained shriek, feathers flying. It barely managed to regain its altitude, its underside a bloody mess.
Leylo gripped the saddle. Out of the eleven griffins, only three successfully pinned and killed their targets. The rest were struggling, held at bay by the lizards' ferocious counterattacks. Seeing the tide turning, the remaining lizards began to flee toward rocky burrows in the hills.
"Tempest, take one more!"
Tempest roared, his wings beating a violent gale as he intercepted a lizard diving for a crevice. He pinned its hind leg with one claw and shredded its back with the other. After a heart-stopping sound of tearing flesh, the lizard went still.
Ultimately, the flock returned to Blackstone Castle somewhat battered, carrying five carcasses.
The Price of Progress
When the bodies were delivered to the laboratory, Master Barnaby—usually disheveled and aloof—practically glowed with excitement. Even his bird-nest hair seemed to stand on end.
"Good! Excellent! The blood concentration and mana activity of these Iron-Backs are leagues beyond those Land-Drakes!" Barnaby circled the carcasses, rubbing his hands. "Lord Leylo, with these, my research will definitely see a breakthrough!"
Leylo nodded. "Do what you must, Master. Ask for whatever you need."
Barnaby's excitement dimmed slightly. "My Lord, the materials are fine, but my experiment has entered a new phase. To verify the effects of these potions and arrays... I need live subjects for testing."
"Live subjects?" Leylo's gaze sharpened.
"Yes," Barnaby pushed up his greasy alchemy goggles. "These experiments carry risk. My calculations suggest the subjects will endure great pain, and there is a high chance of death... or worse, unpredictable mutations."
The atmosphere in the lab grew heavy. Leylo remained silent, weighing the cost. He knew that sacrifice was inevitable on the path of magical research. For the future of the territory, some prices had to be paid—but it was best if those prices were paid by his enemies.
"I understand," Leylo said coldly. "Ed!"
"I am here, My Lord!" Ed stepped forward.
"Go to the dungeon. Among the Blood Wolf bandits we captured, there are over a dozen remaining who haven't been executed. Bring them to Master Barnaby."
"Yes, My Lord!" Ed obeyed without hesitation.
A complex look flashed in Barnaby's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by the hunger for research. "My Lord is wise! This will greatly accelerate my progress!"
Leylo nodded and left. He knew the Blood Wolf bandits were a temporary fix. Their constitutions might not withstand the deeper, more dangerous phases of the research. His thoughts drifted toward the "Stone Crow Bandits" mentioned in the local reports.
Perhaps, Leylo mused, it is time to wipe out the Stone Crows. It will secure the trade routes and provide the Master with a fresh supply of 'test subjects.'