Novels2Search
The Bonded
Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Leo's body thrummed as he approached the griffin enclosure, knowing the rare occurrence to see and interact with them was fast at hand. He reached the entrance of the enclosure and picked up one of the enchanted collector buckets that were neatly stacked against the wall. The buckets were a clever invention of the Enchanters Guild, a group of witches and wizards that had mastered the art of enchantment over the centuries. They could magically remove any dirt or waste from the items placed within, making the cleaning process much faster. Leo paused for a moment outside the entrance, taking deep breaths and calming his nerves. He knew from past experience that griffins were sensitive to emotions and could react unpredictably if they sensed fear, anger, or overexcitement. He had to show courage and confidence in front of them to earn their respect. He reminded himself that he had every right to be there, even if it was only for labor purposes.

With a determined nod, he entered the enclosure. The room was vast and cavernous, with a high ceiling and dim lighting. Along the walls, there were several alcoves that looked like natural caves, where Leo knew the griffins liked to rest and sleep. On the opposite side of the room, there was a large opening that revealed the sky and the city beyond the tower walls. Leo felt a pang of vertigo and nervousness as he walked closer to the edge, trying to get a better view of the scenery. He was so high up in the tower that he could see not only the different sections of Aneham, from the lower slums to the upper palaces, but also the green fields and farms that surrounded the city.

The view was breathtaking.

Aneham sprawled around the Grounds like a three-tiered cake. Four main avenues sliced through the city, meeting at the center where the colossal spire loomed over everything else. The upper palaces clustered around the base of the tower like fat behemoths that had gorged themselves on a feast for four. Leo gaped at the polished marble columns that gleamed in the sun, the colorful stained glass windows that sparkled like jewels, the Gothic spires and domes that pierced the sky. He wondered what it was like to live in such opulence and splendor.

As Leo brought his eyes to the second tier, he entered a different world. This was where the artisans, blacksmiths, enchanters, and clerical workers lived and worked. The streets squeezed and twisted like a snake, but there was still enough space for people to move around freely. The middle tier displayed its artistic flair and theatrical spirit in every corner. Rainbow-hued streamers crisscrossed the rooftops, creating a festive atmosphere. Intricate iron shop signs swung from the buildings, announcing their wares and services. The homes dwarfed Leo’s humble cottage in size and grandeur. They were adorned with flowers, paintings, and sculptures that reflected the owners’ personalities and tastes. Each home had been magically enchanted to suit the residents’ needs, allowing for their creatures to live with them. Although, some creatures were too large or wild to live in the city; such as wyverns, griffins, and manticores, they had their own nests at the Grounds where their bonded partners could visit them anytime. Leo saw people walking the streets with their bonded creatures, from small creatures like cats to larger beasts like basilisks and pegasi. Each seemed happy and content with their companions.

When Leo turned his gaze to the lowest tier of the city, he felt a pang of sadness and disgust. This was where he had grown up, in the slums that reeked of poverty and despair. The streets were so narrow that he could barely stretch his arms without touching the walls. The buildings, cobbled together from scraps and rubble, looked like they would collapse at any moment. A few teetered on the verge of falling down, threatening to crush anyone who passed by. The roofs were made of thatch or wood, full of holes and cracks that let in the wind and rain. Leo had climbed up on the roof countless times to patch them up with whatever he could find, but it was never enough. The dingy pubs that infested the slums were the only source of entertainment for the people who lived there. They were filled with drunken thugs who picked fights with anyone who crossed their path. Leo had learned to avoid them as much as possible, but sometimes he had to run for his life through the maze of streets and alleys. He shuddered at the memory of the smells that assaulted his nose every time he ventured into the slums: old stew, shit, piss, vomit, and worse. Far fewer people seemed happy here, with most doing their best to elbow past each other to make it to their destination, hindered by the crowded streets and traffic.

Lush green farm land and orchards encircled the city, providing food and beauty for its inhabitants. To the east of the city lay a small lake that sparkled like a blue gem in the sunlight. Beyond the lake stretched a dense canopy of trees that hid many secrets and dangers. The forest was a prime hunting ground for the Hunter’s Guild, who searched for new mythical creatures to bond with. However, Leo knew that the closer he got to the city, the less likely he was to encounter any powerful beasts. Most of them preferred to stay away from human civilization, unless they were provoked or hungry. He spun around and headed for the alcoves that dotted the hillside. He took a deep breath and entered the first cave, hoping to find what he had been dreaming of all day.

There they were, in the furthest corner of the cave, the griffins. They lay curled up on a bed of soft feathers, their majestic wings folded over their backs. Their golden fur and feathers shimmered in the light from the entrance, creating a contrast with the dark shadows that surrounded them. One of them lifted its head and spotted Leo. It rose to its feet and approached him slowly. Leo guessed it was a male by its muscular and powerful lion-like body. It looked relaxed, but Leo knew it could unleash its strength at any moment. Its eagle-like head pierced Leo with its gaze, its sharp beak slightly open and its curved horns pointing upwards. Its eyes were like two golden orbs that seemed to peer into Leo’s soul. Leo felt a tingle run through his body, as if the griffin was scanning him from head to toe. It stopped a few feet away from him and tilted its head to one side, as if evaluating him. Then it lost interest and lay back down, closing its eyes.

Leo inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the musty air of the cave. He walked slowly towards the bed of feathers where the griffins slept and crouched down. He was trying to move with confidence, but he felt his heart pounding in his chest. He reached out his hand and plucked a few feathers from the pile, careful not to disturb the sleeping creatures. He filled his bucket with the soft and silky feathers, then turned to leave the alcove. He repeated this process several times, exploring different caves and admiring different griffins. He saw a young griffin being bathed by its mother, who licked its fur and feathers with her tongue. He saw an old griffin with scars and missing horns, who snorted at him with disdain. He saw a beautiful griffin with a white mane and blue eyes, who stared at him with curiosity. He felt a connection with each of them, as if they were sharing a secret. Leo looked at the sun and, realizing that it was time to go, he made his way to the main lobby, where he unloaded his bucket into the enchanted items bin. He handed in his list to the Task Master, who nodded at him with approval. He walked out of the doors, feeling proud and happy, it was a rare occurrence that Leo was able to stay focused enough to complete all of his tasks. He joined the crowd of hands and visitors who were leaving the Grounds and was halfway down the steps when a boy his age grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. The boy had curly golden hair and wore fine clothes that made Leo feel shabby. He looked at Leo with a smirk on his face and said, "There you are, I've been waiting here for ages! Come on let's grab some food!"

Leo’s heart leaped with joy as he met the eyes of his best friend, Charlie Lashur. Charlie was the son of one of the most prominent blacksmiths and enchanters in the city, which meant he grew up in far better circumstances than Leo. But Charlie never acted superior or snobbish towards Leo like some others in his position would. Charlie was what Leo’s grandmother would call a kindred spirit. He always went out of his way to help Leo whenever he saw him struggling, which was often, unfortunately. Charlie was about a head taller than Leo, having gone through a recent growth spurt over the past few weeks. He had handsome feature with an easy smile. His blonde, curly hair seemed to be a constant mess, but also seemed to flow perfectly with his confident style. Without a word, the two friends made their way out of the Grounds and to the nearest bus stop.

They boarded the hovering bus that had just pulled up and grabbed the nearest open seat they could find. “Where were you assigned to today?” Charlie asked Leo, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Griffins,” Leo replied with a smirk, knowing his friend’s deepest secret: he wanted to bond a griffin. Griffins were often the bonded partners of military leaders, who traveled far and wide with their majestic beasts. They were keen of mind, sharp of eye, and inspiring to others. Charlie fit the bill perfectly. He was one of the smartest wizards Leo had ever met, and he always helped Leo with his magic. Leo was only allowed to learn the lesser magics as part of the standard curriculum, but Charlie, being of higher status, could learn the moderate magics as well. He often sneaked a spell or two to Leo, who shouldn’t have had access to them. This showed how much Charlie trusted and cared for Leo, and Leo felt the same way about him.

“You lucky dog,” Charlie whistled, leaning back and closing his eyes, enjoying the open top ride down the bustling city streets. Leo understood how his friend felt. Often times, at the Grounds, you were worked hard. Depending on your master, you might have time for a break or not. For Leo, this meant toiling hard, most days, and often times not meeting the full expectations of Master Sere. Sure, Leo could lose focus here and there, but Leo had enough confirmation from other hands from his lot in life that they were worked far harder than the kids of higher standing. Everything was meant to be fair at the Grounds, but this was usually far from the truth.

Charlie was enjoying the ride as, unlike other kids of his standing, he would go out of his way to help others. Even if this was strictly to get them free to then get into some mischief, he was a hard worker. He inspired others to work hard, and then would inspire them to get into some sort of trouble using their free time. A sort of double edged sword, Leo often thought. He had lost track of the amount of times Charlie would finish his tasks, then come find him to either help him finish, or talk him into some activity that never ended well.

Leo leaned back and closed his eyes as well. He didn't let on to many people, not even Charlie, but he would often day dream of being bonded to a greater creature. Unlike Charlie, he didn't have any real hope of that happening, as the Bonding Ceremony that he was allowed to go to wouldn't have any real, great creatures to bond too. But still, he hadn't been bonded yet, which meant there was room to dream. Leo tried to imagine what it would feel like to lead a great military charge from atop his griffin, or even what it would feel like bonded to a wyvern, the lesser cousins of the Five Families dragons.

“Hey Leo,” Charlie said, opening his eyes and nudging his friend. “Are you excited for the festival?”

Leo opened his eyes and nodded. He had heard rumors earlier that day that the latest expedition would be returning. This meant the city would throw a festival celebrating the return of the party, as well as to celebrate the catch. There would be games, shows, food stalls, and fireworks. It was a rare treat for kids like them to attend without needing to spend much money, as the festivals were paid for by the Council of Five. More so to Leo, the festivities meant the return of his parents who had been gone for almost two months.

“Yeah, I can’t wait,” Leo said. “Do you have any plans?”

Charlie grinned mischievously. “You know me, Leo. I always have plans.”

Leo groaned inwardly. He knew that Charlie’s plans usually involved sneaking around and causing trouble.

“Please tell me you’re not going to do anything stupid,” Leo said.

Charlie shrugged. “No promises.”

Leaning back and enjoying the ride, Leo looked forward to the moment he turned sixteen and didn’t have to work at the Grounds ever again.

The bus wound its way through the city streets taking them into the second tier of the city. Leo opened his eyes as he smelled the mouthwatering aromas of the bakeries coming into his view. He couldn’t wait to see where Charlie was taking him today. He looked over to his friend with curiosity and anticipation, but before he could ask, Charlie stood up and motioned for Leo to join him. “Master and Madam Keller have opened a new restaurant, and I’ve heard they are introducing a buffet style,” Charlie said, smiling and looking to Leo with a glint in his eye. “That means all you can eat!”

Leo looked at his friend incredulously and immediately said, “Charlie I’m sorry but no, I can’t accept that. How much would such a thing cost?” Charlie just grinned and pulled Leo from the bus before it had even stopped moving.

“It’s free! Madam Keller told my mom I could come down and eat any time after helping her last weekend,” Charlie explained as he led the way down the street and into a wonderfully smelling building. The aroma of various dishes filled the air, making Leo’s stomach growl. The place was absolutely crammed full of people dressed far nicer than Leo. A few even scooted away from him as the two boys entered the small lobby. Pushing through the crowd and dragging Leo, Charlie made his way to the counter and spoke to the young man taking names. After a brief discussion, the man led the two boys away from the crowd of waiting people and into a small area towards the back of the building. The man walked away once the two were sitting and after a short while, came back bringing a large platter of food.

Leo almost fainted in excitement, the drool practically pouring out of his mouth. He saw basilisk sashimi, glowing mushrooms, cockatrice soup, burgers and nuggets, as well as one of his personal favorites, sizzling chocolate cake. The cake was baked in an enchanted pan to make it taste like it was fresh out of the oven with each bite. It was warm and gooey on the inside, with a crispy crust on the outside. Sparing hardly a second look to his best friend, Leo dove into the mountain of food before him.

What felt like hours later, and with the two friends well caught up on how their days went, they parted. Leo boarded the nearest bus and stood, seeing no seats available this time, and waited the short trip back to his neighborhood. Departing the bus stop, he made his way for home and was whistling merrily, as he hadn’t hoped to eat half as well as he had tonight, when a large explosion rocked the city from what sounded like the enchanters district. Leo felt the ground under his feet rumble as the explosion rolled through the city, vibrating the building and shattering glass. Some of the more unsteady building in the lower districts even wobbled from the force of the blast. Steadying himself, Leo looked to the north where the guild would be and saw a thick, billowing smoke column stretching towards the sky. The smoke was black and red, with sparks and flames shooting out of it. Leo heard screams and had to fight the urge to run for the bus again to get more details and try to help. I hope Madam Lashur is ok, Leo immediately thought, thinking of Charlie’s mom and her frequent late nights spent at the guild.

Sparing another moment to watch the smoke in the air, he continued on his way, albeit at a much greater pace. He needed to get home before his grandmother started to worry. He would need to check on his friend first thing in the morning.