“What do you think’s taking them so long?” Isabella glanced at Arthur where he stood at her shoulder. She would forever be amazed by his ability to precisely locate her, even when she was actively trying to avoid people. She let none of that show on her face, instead giving a demure shrug. “It’s a … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.11 →

Nic bit back a yelp as something sharp dug into his shoulder. He had no time to stop and check if it was bleeding, already moving too slow from having to be careful with the egg. His flight through the tunnels had not been gentle and he’d accidentally bashed his charge against the walls more … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.10 →

One thing that Nic could say about Harakin Aerie: whoever had designed it now had an enemy for life. While its long, winding maintenance tunnels probably made perfect sense from an engineering standpoint, that was of precisely zero help to Nic right now. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d almost gotten stuck … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.9 →

“You took it?” Isabella’s tone was blunt, straddling the line between observation and accusation. “Yes, thank you for summarizing what I just told you,” Nic said, voice dripping with nervous sarcasm. “You took,” Isabella repeated, emphasising each word. “The heir to Harakin Aerie?” “What was I supposed to do!?” Nic snapped. “Let them get kidnapped!?” … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.8 →

Isabella Hemlock was bored. She was not surprised by this, most formal parties lost their lustre quickly, but she’d been hoping that Nic’s presence might help alleviate that inevitability. His appearance had been a welcome surprise and watching him stumble his way through introductions with the Hierarch had been hilarious. It was always a good … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.7 →

Nic turned out to be very bad at Three Fingered Coup. The game itself was simple enough, a spin on poker where players tried to assemble a hand of cards to “coup” their opponent. Mechanically, he picked things up almost immediately but it was the bluffing that kept tripping him up. Nic just could not … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.6 →

The hunt for appetizers was quick and successful. While servers still seemed unwilling to hand things over to Nic, Isabella was always in position to intercept. Working together, they quickly gathered a great bounty of cakes, sweets, and drinks, all of which they carried to a quiet corner to begin feasting. As they ate, they … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.5 →

Either Nic had gotten better at handling crowds, or griffons weren’t the incessant gossips he’d grown to expect from high society. The second he left the vicinity of the throne, the young techne may as well have ceased to exist so far as the room at large was concerned. A few people offered polite greetings … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.4 →

Their craft made a beeline straight for one of the upper docks, encountering no challenge as they came in for a landing. It settled like a feather, barely even a bump rocking the cabin as the door slid open automatically. Instantly, the back of Nic’s neck began to tingle as multiple wards passed over him, … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.3 →

“Do you need help with that?” Nic looked up from his tie to find Master Orlin watching him intently from where he stood on the tower lawns. He had his usual expression, neutral with just the slightest edge of mild annoyance. What was not usual was the outfit he was wearing. While the man would … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.2 →