“Waaaaagh!”
“Are we too late?!” I shouted.
As soon as we arrived at Esartella Church, a high-pitched scream cut through the air.
“No way! A gryphon’s attacking the church!” the driver had said, drawing a sword and leaping out from his perch. We’d explained the situation on the way, and thankfully he’d listened to us.
Esartella Church was next to a hazardous zone, so there should have been adventurers here on guard to protect the guests. However, things weren’t looking good. The Scarred—the gryphon that was master of this area—was circling the air as it screeched. As soon as the adventurers—wielding arrows and magic—came into formation, the Scarred plunged toward them at breakneck speed.
“Waaagh!”
The adventurers were hit by the ferocious attacks from its claws and beak. If this wasn’t bad enough, the mighty flaps of the gryphon’s wings caused arrows and adventurers alike to be blown away.
With another screech, the Scarred rose high up into the sky. It was clear what it was looking at.
“Sharney!” I roared. “Get rid of the tiara! It wants your tiara!”
Sharney was being protected by Tiesel and a man whom I assumed was her groom. Atop her head was the tiara covered in Carbuncle Stones. To the gryphon, it probably looked like a delectable feast for the taking. With such festivities being held right above its nest, it was only a matter of time before it would have come.
“N-No! Tiesel made this for— Ngh!” came Sharney’s reply.
“This isn’t the time for that! Dammit! Leen?!” I said.
“Give me a little time! Just three minutes!” she replied.
Leen was tapping the ground with her staff, causing green particles to scatter through the air.
“Think you can do it?” I said.
“I will! So please, just keep her at bay for a little while!”
“You’re asking me to stop that?!”
Apparently a monstermancer was granted the special privilege of not being attacked by monsters in addition to the ability to talk to them. This only applied to Leen, so her presence wouldn’t stop the gryphon from going for the tiara. The only way for us to stop it would be to calm it down and bring it into a state where Leen could reason with it.
“And make sure you don’t kill her! Without her, the balance of power here will fall apart!” Leen added.
“Ugh, you and your extra requests...”
We were atop a cliff which was the ideal terrain for a gryphon. This was not going to be easy.
While Leen and I were talking, the Scarred screeched again and distanced itself. I could tell that it was preparing for another diving attack. I needed to buy time, which meant my next move was clear.
“Tiesel!” I shouted. “When the Scarred comes back, can you fire off a Luminari spell?!”
Tiesel, who was still protecting Sharney with his body, glanced over at me.
“Y-Yeah, I can, but the guests will get caught in it!” he said.
“I just need you to blind it for a moment! Slime, you there?!”
“What is it, lad?”
The slime leaped from Leen’s arm and bounced toward me. Only now did it dawn upon me that it had spent all of yesterday silent in front of Tiesel.
“I need your help. Don’t you dare move from there!” I commanded.
“What?!”
The Scarred was readying its claws. Less than a minute had passed, but it was already bearing down on us.
“Close your eyes, everyone! Columina!”
Tiesel’s light spell brought further brightness to the area already lit up by the light of the sun. It wasn’t as strong as the variant he’d used against the outlaws, but gryphons had good sight so it should be effective. If it completely lost its sight, it might crash into the ground. So I was pretty certain that a little shock would cause it to head back up instead...
“Slime, get ready for my feet!” I said.
“Right! Wait...?!”
“Bounce me as hard as you caaaan!”
“Gweeeh!”
I jumped, landed on the slime, and used its natural springiness to launch into the air. While the gryphon was slowed down by the shock of the light, I managed to land on its back.
“How about that?!” I shouted.
The gryphon screeched in response.
“Ngh... L-Lad... What recklessness!”
I looked down and saw that the slime looked awfully squished. Hopefully it would forgive me.
“Ngh... Hey! Been a...couple of days! Whoa!” I said, but only received a screech in reply.
I wasn’t Leen, so this gryphon wouldn’t understand me. Neither would it ignore the fact that it had been partially blinded and now had someone on its back. The Scarred began a perilous ascent into the sky to try and knock me off.
I gripped its neck as tightly as I could, trying with all my might not to fall to my doom. The world spun in all directions as I was flung around. Each flap of its wings sent gusts that threatened to peel me away.
“Grrrk...!”
However, as long as I was here, this gryphon wouldn’t have the wherewithal to attack Sharney. I just needed to hold on for the three minutes Leen asked for!
“Oh no...”
With another screech, I felt my body being lifted up.
“Crap...”
The gryphon had looped its tail around my leg. It was a huge beast, so even this part of its body had a lot of power. To top it off, the pressure on my body was heightened by the wind and centrifugal force.
“Grah... Daaaammit!”
With the sound of feathers being torn away, my fingers were pulled away from the gryphon. I was thrown off, and I went into freefall. What lay beneath me was the middle of Esartella Gorge. I’d be dead when I hit the ground, and even if by some miracle I survived, I’d be monster feed before long.