Pushing open the half-closed door, Leylo found Master Barnaby buried under a mountain of parchment scrolls, his hair as disheveled as a bird's nest recently ravaged by a gale.
"Ahem," Leylo cleared his throat twice.
Master Barnaby snapped his head up. Seeing it was Leylo, he adjusted his monocle, which was on the verge of sliding off. "My Lord, what wind blows you here today?"
Leylo smiled and got straight to the point. "I've come to share some news that might interest you."
"Oh? What news warrants a personal visit from the Lord himself?" Barnaby asked, his eyes drifting back toward a newly concocted experimental potion on his desk.
"Tempest found a hidden cave while hunting deep in the Blackstone Mountains recently," Leylo said slowly, gauging Barnaby's reaction. "According to Tempest's senses, there's a draconic aura inside. It appears to be a young dragon's nest."
"What?!" Barnaby's eyes instantly ignited with a startling brilliance. He surged out of his chair with an agility that defied his middle-aged wizard physique. "A dragon nest? Could it be that mutant little silver dragon migrated deep into the Blackstone Mountains to build its lair?"
Seeing his reaction, Leylo chuckled inwardly. The old man was still obsessed with that mutant silver dragon.
"That was my thought as well, which is why I came to find you immediately," Leylo played along. "The location is quite remote, and the mountain depths are teeming with magical beasts. I plan to investigate personally. If you're interested, why not join me?"
"Go! Of course, I'm going!"
1. Into the Mountains
A short while later, two massive silhouettes soared into the sky above Blackstone Castle, streaking toward the north. Tempest, the Storm Griffin King, unfurled his vast yellow-brown iron feathers, each beat of his wings whipping up powerful gales as he moved with lightning speed. Master Barnaby's Wyvern was slower than the wind-attuned Tempest, but its endurance was impressive as it kept pace just behind the griffin's flank.
High in the air, the wind was freezing. "Kid Leylo, how far is this dragon nest?" Barnaby's voice drifted over the wind.
"At Tempest's pace, about five or six hours," Leylo replied.
They fell silent, focusing on the journey. The silhouette of the Blackstone Mountains loomed larger in their vision—a continuous chain of peaks like the spine of a ancient, gargantuan beast. After flying roughly five hundred kilometers, they were deep within the heart of the range. Below, the forests were dense, and the canyons were abyssal, with the occasional tracks of powerful magical beasts visible from above.
2. The Aerial Rescue
Suddenly, Leylo's eyes narrowed. He signaled Tempest to slow down. "Master, look over there!" He pointed toward an open river valley to their front-left.
Barnaby looked where he was pointing. In the distance, a fierce predatory hunt was taking place in the low sky. As they drew closer, the scene became clear: a mature Venomous Wyvern was ferociously diving into a herd of terrified White Pegasuses.
The herd had been ambushed; their formation was scattered. Several stragglers on the periphery were in dire peril under the Wyvern's claws and fangs, letting out panicked neighs.
"A Pegasus herd! So many!" Leylo's eyes flashed. If he could secure this herd, Blackstone Territory wouldn't just have a small squad of twenty or thirty; they could form a true Pegasus Knight Order! Furthermore, with a larger population, he could begin considering breeding programs.
"Kid Leylo, this is an unexpected bounty!" Barnaby's perspective was predictably different. "That Venomous Wyvern seems to be a loner. Let's team up and capture it! It's perfect for a Tier 4 Sub-Dragon Bloodline Knight experiment. Hahaha, we might even cultivate a Dragon-Blooded Knight with innate flight!"
Barnaby's own mount was a Wyvern, but he had raised it for years and would never use it as an experimental consumable. To him, this wild Venomous Wyvern was lab material delivered right to his door.
"Master, we'll team up to drive the Wyvern away, then try to herd the Pegasuses toward Blackstone," Leylo decided. "These Pegasuses are of great use to me. We'll find other materials for the Tier 4 experiment later."
"Fine, kid. We'll do it your way!" Barnaby patted his Wyvern's neck.
3. The Great Drive
"Tempest, go!" Leylo barked.
Screee! The Storm Griffin King let out a high-pitched, resonant cry. His yellow-brown form became a bolt of golden lightning as he accelerated, diving straight for the black Wyvern.
The Venomous Wyvern, focused on its prey, was startled by the sudden overwhelming pressure. It turned its head to see a Storm Griffin King—far larger than itself—charging with thunderous momentum, with another Tier 4 Wyvern eyeing it hungrily from behind. Knowing it was no match for two Tier 4 beasts, the venomous predator let out an indignant shriek, abandoned its meal, and fled into the distance.
Tempest didn't pursue, merely circling once to assert his dominance. The Pegasus herd was momentarily chaotic, but without the predator's threat, their pace slowed.
"Master, one on the left, one on the right—we drive them toward Blackstone!" Leylo shouted.
They began the delicate task of herding the shaken Pegasuses. At first, the herd flew aimlessly, but under the conscious guidance of Tempest and Barnaby's mount, they gradually converged and began heading south toward Leylo's lands.
Hours later, the setting sun had painted the sky a magnificent orange-red. Under their joint effort, the massive herd reached the border of Blackstone Territory. Exhausted from the long flight, the Pegasuses were no longer panicked; they huddled together, following the lead instinctively.
"That's enough, Master. Blackstone is just ahead," Leylo said, pointing to the familiar terrain below. Tempest let out a few low growls, announcing his territory.
Just then, a Pegasus scout on border patrol noticed the anomaly. He first saw his Lord's Griffin King, then his eyes widened in shock and joy at the sight of the massive white herd. He hurried over.
"My Lord!"
Leylo nodded. "Emergency. Return to the castle immediately. Tell Captain Ed to bring every Pegasus knight available, along with enough lariats and gear. Get here at top speed. Go!"
"Yes, my Lord!" The knight responded loudly and wheeled his mount, streaking toward Blackstone Castle as fast as his Pegasus could carry him.