Alistair felt the familiar sensation of exiting warp space, though he didn't reflexively put down his foot down anymore. They had strategically placed a beacon at one of Skyreach’s Lagrange points near its two small rocky moons, which saved considerable time in both jump calculations and approach. Now, they could bypass the need to enter from the system's edge, streamlining their arrival.
On their last visit, they had only observed the planet from high orbit. During that time, they detected numerous dungeons on the planet, and with their Dungeon Sense skill recently upgraded, their chances of locating dungeons increased significantly. They had also observed a variety of griffin species. Alistair had taken an interest in introducing a few of them to Lacustrine, as they seemed docile enough to coexist peacefully but strong enough to fend for themselves. Some of these griffins could also make for excellent summons. While they likely wouldn’t actively enhance the planet like some rare species, increasing Lacustrine’s biodiversity would still be a welcome improvement. Naturally, they’d also keep an eye out for any creatures that could offer more tangible benefits, similar to the butterfly species already native to Lacustrine.
Riseth brought the ship to a stop high above one of the largest flying islands, still managing to spook a few of the more skittish creatures below—small birds and even some flying rabbits scattered at their arrival. Alistair dismounted, watching them flee, while Riseth stored the Artemis.
“I don’t think this big island has a dungeon, but my Conceptual Awareness is picking up something in those rocky outcrops within the forest,” Alistair said, scanning the area.
“Do you see any of those griffins you wanted to catch?” Riseth asked.
Alistair shook his head. “Not yet.”
Alistair let his gaze wander over the stunning, magical landscape as Riseth joined him. The air was fresh, carrying the mild scents of flowers and greenery. The trees were a mix of white, green, and teal—a coloration reminiscent of plants grown in spirit soil. The planet's mana density was even higher than Lacustrine's for now, making each breath feel just as rejuvenating. He was certain he was absorbing a few useful essences with every inhale. Below them, the large flying island drifted lazily across the sky, like a cloud but at a slightly slower pace. It served as a natural sanctuary for the many airborne creatures, protecting them from predators bound to the planet’s surface.
He couldn’t wait to explore further and discover more of the planet's inhabitants. Their last visit had been far too brief, as they didn't even land even though they had registered multiple sites with potential treasures because they had been in a hurry to find a more suitable planet. Now, with time on their side, he was eager to delve into the mysteries this world had to offer.
"I still can’t believe you guys talked me out of settling here," Alistair said, his eyes soaking in the scenery.
"It is stunning," Riseth agreed, "but the thought of living on one of those floating rocks gives me goosebumps."
Alistair chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of Riseth's head before teleporting toward the rocky protrusions he had spotted earlier, with Riseth close behind. Pushing aside some underbrush and wiping away dirt and moss, he uncovered what he now realized was a massive, amethyst-colored crystal column jutting out of the ground.
After some inspection, he identified the crystal’s concept as gravity. Tampering with it seemed unwise—there was a good chance it connected to a larger crystal beneath the island. Damaging it could destabilize the entire structure. Riseth, noticing his concern, pushed aside more vines and glanced around. "Do you think it’s connected to a larger crystal deeper inside the island?"
Alistair frowned thoughtfully. "It’s possible," he replied. "If it is, that could be both a blessing and a curse. A crystal of that size would be incredibly valuable, but extracting it might wreck the whole environment."
Since neither Alistair nor Riseth had a strong affinity for earth magic, Alistair decided to carefully excavate the crystal using his telekinesis, being mindful not to crush or damage it. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and the island shook as the crystal and its neighbors began to rise, pulling along chunks of earth and trees rooted in its wide base. It was creating a smaller floating island of its own. Alistair and Riseth quickly leaped off the chunk as it ascended, with Alistair using his telekinesis to halt its climb and inspect the hovering crystal.
"It looks like there could be multiple large crystals—or maybe one massive one with smaller offshoots like this," Alistair mused, peering down into the hole left by the crystal's departure. He couldn’t see any connection to a larger crystal below. "I think we should bring this one along."
They spent the next few hours exploring the large floating island, collecting plants, fruits, trees, and herbs, while carefully noting the various beasts they encountered. Every creature they found on the island had wings or some other means of navigating the skies, freely moving between the floating islands and the ground below.
Eventually, Riseth was drawn to a series of feeping sounds coming from the top of a rock formation. From the cooing noises she made, it was clear she had discovered something irresistibly cute. When Alistair joined her, he found her bent over a nest, gently reaching into it to pet whatever was inside. Although he didn’t sense any other beasts nearby, he knew the parents of these creatures probably weren’t far off.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
What he saw was a baby variant of one of the griffon species he had been considering introducing to Lacustrine. These griffons were a hybrid between a budgie and a horse, and they came in a variety of colors. The hatchlings were already as large as Teddy, Melissa's Bernese Mountain Dog, and displayed an interesting array of hues. Some were the typical green and yellow, while others were white with teal, darker blue, red and brown, and one even sported a bright pink mixed with white—a coloration he hadn’t seen on the griffins he'd observed from orbit.
A quick use of his Identify skill revealed their name and level: [Lavogriff - lvl 50]. It confirmed that they started their lives at grade 9, a promising indicator of their potential. Curiously, the Lavogriff hatchlings showed no signs of distress at his and Riseth’s presence, allowing her to pet and feed them without fear or aggression. However, it wasn’t long before someone who was very much bothered by their presence made themselves known. A piercing screech rang out, and Alistair felt an intense wave of bloodlust as two adult Lavogriffs—one white and teal, the other red and brownish—rushed toward them at alarming speed. Both were [Lavogriff - lvl 89]. He was relieved he hadn’t brought King, knowing the dragon’s presence would have likely provoked a much stronger, possibly lethal, reaction. With several skilled beast masters and summoners among their ranks back in Rathos, these creatures would make valuable companions. Alistair didn’t want to kill the griffins if he could avoid it.
Riseth withdrew her hands, sending out a wave of calm, positive emotions toward the approaching griffins. She was always careful not to rely too heavily on her manipulation skills. Meanwhile, Alistair prepared himself to restrain the creatures with his Telekinesis if things went south.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gently pulled her back from the nest. “Let’s not aggravate the griffins too much. They might be smart enough to realize we mean no harm if we don’t hover over their babies.”
The griffins’ threat display was fierce—both parents landed between the humans and their nest, wings spread wide, talons on their front limbs gouging deep furrows into the rock. Their back limbs, more hoof-like, added to their imposing stance. Their intimidation skill might have been enough to send most beings fleeing, but Alistair and Riseth were far from intimidated. The griffins quickly realized their display wasn’t going to work.
Alistair and Riseth continued to project calm emotions and speak soothingly, offering the lomie meat they had initially brought as bait. After about half an hour of this cautious standoff with the occasional bribe in form of meat and soothing words, the female white Lavogriff hesitantly approached. She allowed herself to be petted and examined, eventually calming down as she sensed no threat from them. Meanwhile, the male continued to eye them warily, but he no longer made any aggressive moves, understanding that these beings weren’t here to harm them.
"I originally thought we’d just capture some beasts and release them on Lacustrine, but with these Lavogriffs, we might want to bring them to Rathos instead," Alistair mused, watching the griffins closely.
Riseth nodded thoughtfully. "It’ll take time to build their trust, and if we just snatch them away, they might react poorly. Forcing them won’t do us any favors."
They decided to focus on earning the griffin pair’s trust over time while keeping an eye out for other nests they could approach. For those Lavogriffs without a nest, they’d capture and release them directly on Lacustrine. Their beast breeders would likely fall over themselves to work with such magnificent creatures over the Lomies and other beasts they were currently breeding.
They continued their routine, gradually earning the trust of the Lavogriffs over the course of a week. During that time, they discovered six nests where the parents weren’t as aggressive, and they worked patiently to build rapport. Along the way, they uncovered several well-hidden nests tunneled beneath the flying islands, belonging to a different griffin variant: the Bavogriffs.
The Bavogriffs had the front of their bodies resembling a Kingfisher, with hind legs like those of a feline. Their striking teal fur and feathers were interspersed with white and warm brown tones, making them quite beautiful. Unlike the Lavogriffs, these Bavogriffs were much smaller and extremely skittish, making it nigh impossible to befriend them. They decided to capture these Bavogriffs for Lacustrine, where they’d hopefully thrive in a new environment.
Both griffin species primarily hunted the numerous winged rabbits that populated the planet. While "rabbit" wasn’t entirely accurate—the creatures had long tails and wings—they shared enough similarities to warrant the name. They captured some of these winged rabbits as well, finding them quite delicious. Introducing a familiar prey to Lacustrine would likely help the griffins acclimate to their new home.
It took them nearly half a month to fully befriend the first Lavogriff nesting pair, who eventually followed them willingly and allowed themselves to be stored. The male was the most difficult to win over, while the hatchlings would have been ready to go immediately if they had simply decided to take them. During that time, they explored much of the planet, uncovering a range of large and small treasures for their crafters, as well as encountering an interesting variety of beasts.
The most notable among them were the Mavros draconians. Though not yet sapient, Alistair suspected that some might eventually evolve into a true winged sapient draconian species. These gray-scaled, lizard-like creatures inhabited the planet’s surface, unable to reach most of the flying islands due to their lack of wings. However, they were excellent climbers and jumpers, their muscular bodies adorned only with a line of reddish fur starting at the tip of their tails and following the ridge of their spine until it ended behind the horns near their scalp.
Though they hadn’t observed the Mavros using tools, Alistair noted their five-fingered hands, which would certainly allow them to do so if they chose. He worried that them fighting other beasts and using weapons might have sparked ideas and behaviors in them that they wouldn’t have developed on their own any time soon.
The biggest surprise came at the end of the month when they stumbled upon a technologically advanced door set into the side of a rocky hill on the underside of a flying island, radiating a steady flow of magic.