The Path 006 (Patreon)

Meeting William's gaze and tilting her head slightly to the side, Delphina remained silent for several seconds before asking, "Is that another way of referring to the Seven Braves...?"

"Not exactly," replied William, changing topics by asking, "So, what do you like to do? Any hobbies...?"

As she was only seven, going on eight years old, Delphina was a little confused by William's line of questioning and manner of speaking. She expected him to ramble on about himself and his family's greatness until her ears fell off. Being asked personal questions about herself made her feel taken aback and uncomfortable...

Lowering her gaze, Delphina appeared to deliberate for a considerable amount of time before responding, "I like animals and Magic..."

"Oh? What kind of animals...?" asked William, pouring himself a cup of tea. Then, grabbing a long, almond-flavored cookie and taking a bite, he added, "I'm personally fond of large canine breeds," while actively chewing.

Watching William eat and drink without caring for decorum, Delphina frowned. She was considered a prodigy, so she quickly keyed in that William had the same plan as hers. He wasn't exactly being rude, but he wasn't showing the courtesy he was obligated to extend to a lady, regardless of the difference in their status.

"Are you looking down on me...?" asked Delphina.

Shrugging, William replied, "I'm just going through the motions. Aren't you?"

Frowning deeper, Delphina looked like she had a lot to say but, once again, remained silent for an extended period. This, too, was a faux pas, but, just as he had before, William didn't mind or acknowledge it. Instead, he stared at her, loudly chewing his cookie.

'Sorry, kid, but there's no way you can beat someone like me at my own game...'

"Hmph...!"

Realizing that William wasn't going to lose his patience and demand her respect, giving her the pretense required to end their tea session early, Delphina decided to take things to the next level, joining him in eating cookies and drinking tea. The cheeky smile William gave her in response made her want to smack him, but as she didn't want to put her family in a difficult position, she couldn't resort to violence without him doing so first...

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"Well then, how was she?" asked a mature, extraordinarily beautiful woman with the same chestnut brown and characteristic brown-to-green hazel eyes as William. She was William's mother, but unlike a typical Noblewoman in charge of an estate, she wore a hauberk made of silvery-white metal, a black surcoat bearing the star-themed crest of House Oirthear, and a black cloak with dense black fur around the collar and silverly clasps keeping it in place.

Standing ramrod straight with his hands at his side, William, much like a soldier in the military, loudly responded, "She was cute but not very social!"

Though William's father, Duke Ars Oirthear, was the 'Great Star of the East,' he was often away dealing with matters in the Capital or touring their domain to ensure things were running smoothly. As such, it was his mother, Dutchess Orianna Oirthear, who governed the estate and commanded the more than 3,000 Knights and 60,000 troops stationed to guard Astralis's eastern border.

"Did you find her peculiar in any way...?" asked Orianna, narrowing her eyes with her black-gloved hands linked in front of her, elbows resting on her colossal wooden desk. Atop the desk was a map showing their territory, with several flags depicting allied and enemy troops, but due to his small height, William wasn't able to get a good look at it.

Understanding what his mother was referring to, William nodded but kept things simple and vague, responding, "When I first approached her, it felt like I was nearing a wild animal. She didn't act out, but I felt she was dangerous..."

"Very good," said Orianna, nodding approving. Her usually stern expression then softened as she remarked, "You may not be very studious, but you possess insight far beyond your years. That girl, Delphina Carinae, has manifested the unique trait of her ancestor, a former Brave. She possesses the ability to drain heat from whatever she touches. Were she to get her hands on you, she could freeze the marrow in your bones within minutes."

"..."

Seeing William remain silent but undaunted, a smile blossomed across Orianna's face. Though he didn't excel at academics and showed little interest in his position as a Noble, she often felt that her youngest son was superior to her eldest. His connatal Mana and Aura reserves were lacking, but he was attentive and she had never once seen or heard of him panicking or exhibiting self-doubt.

Rising from her desk, Orianna surprised William by walking around it, stating, "Follow me," as she took broad steps toward the room's front entrance. Her height was an impressive 187.3cm, and since she moved with purpose, William had to run to keep pace with her.

Though he wanted to ask where she was taking him, William remained silent and followed behind Orianna without speaking. He expected her to take him to the training grounds or somewhere similar. Instead, she guided him toward the entrance of a turret, up a long flight of spiraling stairs toward a restricted section of the castle.

'Don't tell me she's taking me where I think she is...' thought William, nervous and excited. House Oithear had ruled over their domain even before the founding of the Astralis Kingdom. Back then, they bore the title 'The Great Eagle of the East.' As for the reason...

*Skreeeeaaaaah-!*

As Orianna guided William into a large, tower-like enclosure filled with hay, lightly covered in snow, and lacking a roof, a sound akin to a lion's roar and a bird's cry pierced the air. Even Wyverns would tense at the sound of the cry, but William and, in turn, Orianna smiled as they were approached by a trio of creatures that stood at least three meters tall and more than five long. Their colors were slightly different, but each had the lithe yet muscular body of a large feline, the head and wings of various raptor species, powerful forelimbs that ended in four fierce black talons, and long tails lined and tipped with feathers. Simply put, they were Gryphons.

"Come forth, Aeolus," said Orianna, gesturing toward the largest of the approaching Gryphons, one with predominately black feathers and the head of a Black Hawk Eagle with pointed, feather-covered feline ears.

Approaching without hesitation, Aeolus, a female based on her larger size, bowed her head before Orianna, trilling as the latter caressed the side of her face and neck. The other two Gryphons observed, but their focus was split as it was only the second time since his birth that they had seen William.

*curious trilling*

Noticing their Mistress had arrived with one of her fledglings in tow, several other Gryphons flew down from their perches. This included a predominately white juvenile with specks of golden brown and bright blue eyes. It was this Gryphon that had trilled curiously, its large eyes focused on William as it approached.

Since he knew that Orianna would 'obliterate' the Gryphon if it tried to harm him, William's smile broadened as he placed his right hand over his heart, performing a practiced bow as he said, "My name is William Oirthear. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Following William's lead, the white Gryphon extended its left forelimb forward, curled its right, and lowered its head. Gryphons were known as the nobles of the sky, so the first thing anyone was taught when learning their ecology or how to tame them was to exhibit the proper respect. Offending them was a good way to get ripped apart by their exceptionally powerful Wind Magic, anti-magic, armor-piercing talons, or razor-sharp beaks.

"Well done," said Orianna, both surprising and confirming William's suspicions as she added, "That one doesn't yet have a name. I was going to wait until your next birthday before bringing you here, but I believe you are ready to begin exposure training. Every day from this moment forth, you will come here and spend at least two hours amid the Gryphons, conversing with and grooming the fledglings. Win their respect and trust, and once you commence your martial training, you will also learn to fly."

"Yes, ma'am!" replied William, emulating the salute the Knights of their family often gave his mother. Orianna found this amusing, causing her to chuckle. Then, ruffling his hair with her right hand, she said, "I have great expectations for you, William. You may not succeed this domain, but I believe you will distinguish yourself at the Royal Academy. Learn from these Gryphons. And remember, an Oirthear's pride is as vast as the sky. We may bow out of respect for decorum, but we never yield in the face of adversity or injustice..."

Retracting her hand from William's head, Orianna adopted a rare, ear-to-ear smile, asking, "Now, what say we take to the skies? My Aeolus is feeling restless."

*Skreeeeeeeeeeeeah~!*

Hearing Orianna's words, Aeolus reared back and issued an excited cry. Then, lying on its stomach, it sat and waited patiently as Orianna retrieved and mounted it with a black, fur-lined saddle with a pommel and two handles but no stirrups. A Gryphon would never abide being reined, so to direct one where you wanted it to go, you had to first attune with it, linking your minds and senses. Doing so mandated a tremendous amount of trust between the Gryphon and its rider, so even among the members of House Oirthear and their most trusted retainers, fewer than twenty percent of those allowed to try were able to achieve a successful link.

Once Aeolus's saddle was prepared, Orianna helped William climb on before sitting behind him. Their arrangement was a little awkward, as she had to lean forward to grasp the handles of the saddle, resulting in her squishing him and her rather large breasts resting against his head, but William didn't particularly mind. He had been excited by the prospect of riding a Gryphon ever since he first learned his family kept them. He would have preferred his inaugural flight to be in the Spring, when the snow covering their territory and the surrounding mountains had melted, but as high altitudes were always frigid, it shouldn't make too much of a difference.

"Rise...!" shouted Orianna, compelling Aeolus to issue another loud cry before using her powerful hind legs to leap high into the sky, well past the peak of the enclosure. A Gryphon's vertical leap was well over ten meters, even without utilizing Wind Magic, so Aeolus and the others who ascended after her had no need to build up speed or leap from a perch to take flight. From there, William got his first aerial view of his family's massive estate, the populous town encircled by its walls, and the vast evergreen forests and farmlands to the west, extending far beyond the horizon and contrasting the expansive mountain range in which their castle, Oithearnhall, was built. The view inspired feelings of cold and desolation, largely due to the snow, but it was among the most magnificent sights William had ever beheld...

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Though it resulted in him constantly smelling of musk and feathers, William spent much more than the two hours expected of him at the aviary housing the Gryphons. Part of this was because he wanted to remain in his mother's good graces, but the main reason was that he had received a Quest the day he was tasked with caring for them. The reward was a commendable 1,000 Karma and a set of footwear called Gryphon Featherfeet, so he was incentivized to make friends with the proud yet sociable creatures.

Fortunately for William, his Innate was exceptionally well-suited to taming. It typically took months, sometimes even years, for a Gryphon to open up to a prospective rider. And that was if they were hatched in a colony with other attuned Gryphons. In William's case, it only took a few weeks before he managed to convince the youngest Gryphon, the female with white feathers, to let him sit on her back. Orianna and the personnel in charge of the aviary were astounded by this, as juveniles were notoriously capricious, but as Dominate was unparalleled when it came to reinforcing conditioning, the only reason it took William weeks was because he didn't want to come across as too suspicious...

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