With a broom in my hand, my mind is blank as I stare at the six beasts in the stable, all resting. The creature has a body, tail, back legs of a lion and the head, wings of an eagle, and talons for front legs. Real-Life griffins right before my eyes, how do I even approach them? I don't want to get eaten, so there must be a way to get closer.

I lean on the wooden fence, far away from the stable, I glance at the temple from where I stand. It not that hard to find the griffins stable, it's behind the Parthenon and down the hill from it.

"It certainly beautiful here." I look upon the beautiful forest surrounding me, the sound of leaves shambling and birds chirping can soothe any soul.

The bushes rustle behind me causing me to turn around and look. I walk closer to the bushes at the edge of the forest and spot something. When I approach the bushes, I can see a single orange feather stuck in the leaves and twigs.

After I pick it up, I look closer at it and realize that this feather is not from the Griffins because they have honey and white color feather. Bringing it closer to my nose, I sniff it, and I can smell the sweet blueberry fragrance coming from it. The bush shamble again, startling me and causing me to take a couple of steps back.

Two bright orange eyes emerge in the darkness behind the bushes causing me to take another couple of steps back as it exits the bush letting me see it.

A dark-skin young girl with bird wings for arms and talons for her feet walks closer to me. Orange feathers cover her entire bottom half, around her neck, and her flat chest. While a pair of feather-like pointed ears protrude from both sides of the creature's head, matching its orange color hair.

"What..." She let out a tiny roar and showing her sharp teeth that are hiding behind that smallmouth.

"Harpy!" I mutter as images of horrifying harpies attacking people and eating them plague my mind.

Panic arises inside of me causing me to walk backward in haste as fear rise inside of me while she chases after me on foot with her wings spread out. I feel my back press against the fence as the harpy get closer to me, I turn around and climb the rails after letting go of the broom, but my panic gets the better of me as my foot is caught on the fence while I try to vault over it causing me to fall to the ground face first.

I let out a breath that blows away the dirt that's stuck in front of my mouth as I lie face-first onto the ground, I can hear a snicker coming from the harpy that was chasing after me.

"I never seen someone so terrify when seeing a harpy," she laughs as she climbs the fence and takes a seat on it.

The words coming out from her mouth, it's not English, but I could still understand her.

Turning my body around causing my back to press against the ground so I could see her, "You're not gonna eat me?"

"Of course not." A grin appears on her face.

"But I thought harpies eat people."

"Well, not me, I only eat fruit."

"Then why did you scare me?"

"I thought you're a pervert, I have seen you pleasuring yourself near the lake, and now you trying to sniff someone else feather. Do you have a thing for harpy? If you do, I'm not interested."

"What? How many people have seen that?! I only did it once, and I'm not a pervert! Okay!?"

"In denial, I see. Just admit it, pervert." She let out another snicker.

"Stop calling me a pervert!"

"Sure, pervert."

I let out a sigh as I get up from the ground and wipe the dust off my pants, "Who are you anyway?"

"That's rude, asking for someone's name before introducing yourself."

"I'm sorry... my name is... Andre."

"Hello, Andre. You can call me Agnes." A bright smile appears on her face.

"Do you live here?"

"Well, it complicated. I don't have a home at the moment, but I do sleep here and eat the berry that is growing in the forest."

"So you are a freeloader?"

"You can call me that, but I prefer to call myself a traveler of a sort."

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"Does Goddess Adrestia know about you?"

"Nope and I prefer it that way. If you tell her about me, I will have to consider my appetite for a human." She let out a smile showing her sharp teeth toward me as a form of threat.

"I won't tell her, I promise."

"Good... so what are you doing here? And who are you?"

I puff out my chest to show my pride and place both my hands on my waist in an attempt to imitate a superhero pose, "I'm Goddess Adrestia new candidate, and she has given me a task to clean the stable, but I'm too afraid to get close to the Griffins, so... I'm in a bind."

"Why did you say the last part like you proud of it, and oh, a candidate."

"Do you know what a candidate is? Because I have no idea what it means."

"Well, I only know a couple of things about them, they are like enforcer or helper. Because I have seen other candidates before, they always going somewhere, trying to fulfill their duty or quest that is given by the gods."

"There are other candidates?"

"Yeah, I have seen them before."

"So I'm not the only candidate for Goddess Adrestia?"

"Nope, you're the first, I never seen Adrestia pick a candidate before, but the other gods beside her does have their own."

"So I am the first." That word fills my heart with warmth, knowing that I'm the first for her.

"Then I shall not disappoint her!! I shall prove to her that I'm the best candidate she ever picks." I raise both my hands up into the air as I announce my new goal.

"You're too energetic for me..."

"Of course I am, don't you feel excited? I'm a candidate for the gods!"

"I don't feel it because I'm not you, dummy. Also, how are you going to fulfill your first task when you too afraid to get close to the Griffins."

"I don't know... got any tip for me?" I look at her with an idiotic grin on my face and with pleading eyes.

"I have a few, but on one condition."

"What is it, I'll do anything!"

"I have been having trouble cleaning myself since I don't have any hands, so I need someone to help me wash my feather for me." She lifts her orange wings to show the twigs and leaves stuck under them.

"You want me to wash you?"

"Yep, I like to be clean."

"Sure... I never thought a harpy like to be clean."

"Well, most of them don't care about it, but I take my hygiene very seriously."

I turn around to face the six griffins in the stable, "So what should I do first?"

"You see the Griffin in the middle, his name Falcor and he is the leader of the pack."

"Yes, I see it." I gaze at the Griffin in the center of the stable that is currently resting on the hays.

"You need to go up to him and show him that you are the leader. You mustn't show any fear or hesitation because if you do, he will lose all respect for you. The Griffins are a prideful creature, so treat them with respect and they will treat you the same."

"Do they eat people?"

"No, they are berry eater like me, Goddess Adrestia always feeds them berry every day, I don't think that they will try to eat you, but you know I could be wrong, so be careful."

"You could be wrong?" I look at Agnes with skepticism, she replies with shrugging her shoulders.

"Ehh, you will be fine, I think."

I let out a sigh while courage starts to rise inside of me, my hands clench as I look at Falcor, "Let's do this."

One foot in front of me, and I start walking toward Falcor with my chest or mainly my breast puff out in an attempt to show off my unbreakable bravery, no fear, no hesitation. Falcor notices me heading toward him, and it starts rustling its wings to brush away the tiny strand of hay and stands upon four legs.

"I can do this." My mind tries to numb the fear and worry inside of me. I can see its talon leaving a sharp mark on the ground as it carefully walks toward me while his intimidating eyes glare at me.

I stop on my track when I'm within arm's reach of Falcor, the big Griffin is suspicious of me at first, but when it takes a sniff of my scent, it lowers its head for me to reach. The fresh air enters my nose and into my lung as I reach for a pat on its head, but I hesitate when my hand is about to touch the griffin head.

"You hesitate! Oh shit!"

I retract my hand quickly and glance at Agnes, "What do you mean?!"

"I told you don't hesitate! You better run now!" Agnes let out a laugh.

When I look back at Falcor, its wings spread out as far as they can be while letting out a terror-inducing roar that causes me to turn my body around and start running. The sound of a large beast galloping after me scares the living shit out of me.

"Agnes, what should I do now!!" I scream for help.

"You can wrestle him to submission!"

"Wrestle?!" Before I can reply with sarcasm, the griffin slams his wing against my back and toss me forward faster than a speeding arrow.

I raise my hands in front of me to protect my head. It succeeds in preventing my head from getting hurt, but with nothing protecting my breast, my two firm melons are drag against the dirt before I start rolling forward and stop when I lose my momentum.

"My boobs! It hurt like hell!" I place both hands on my breasts, hoping that the pain subsides.

"You better get up, he still not finish with you," Agnes warns me from afar with a smile on her face.

A sprinkle of dirt falls off me as I get up from the ground and turn to face Falcor. I can see its sharp talon drag on the ground as it shakes both wings, preparing for another slam. Annoyance mix with frustration starts to build up inside of me, I clench my teeth and bring my hands forward for a tackle.

"Come on! You stupid bird!!" I taunt the Griffin while the other griffins watch the fight from their stable.

Falcor blows the air through its nostril then charges toward me, and I did the same by charging head-on toward him. A mighty blast spread around us when I slam my shoulder under the griffin's neck then I wrap my arms around it. At that moment, I realize that I am stronger than the Griffin, I don't know where this strength is coming from or whether I already have it, but didn't know about it. However, I am relieved and excited to find out about this unknown strength.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

I push its upper body up with my own causing the griffin to stand on two legs. With my arm secure around its neck, I bring the half-bird, half-lion down onto its back. A cloud of dust towers up around us as I release my chokehold and stand up with both my hands up in the air.

"I did it!!!"

Agnes cheers along with me as I keep pumping my fists into the air, the griffin turn over its body so it can stand once more. When I lower my hands to look at the Griffin, it already lowers its head at me, waiting for me to pat it, I place my hand on its fluffy head and rub it causing Falcor to snuggle its head closer to me.

Afterward, the cleaning and feeding come easy because of the griffins' obedience. I fulfill Adrestia request perfectly without a hitch, even though I did wrestle Falcor to the ground. Today is the best day of my life, and I was only just born.

I can't wait for the coming days.