As he flew, the sun glinting off his crystalline cornflower coat, Cirrus scanned the marketplace for any sign of the wandering unicorn. Honestly, how hard can it be to spot a brown stallion in a sea of sparkling, brightly coloured crystals?

Cirrus frowned and decided to fly higher. To his left, the southern mountain range separating the empire from Canterlot loomed high, casting its jagged shadow over the land. To his right, the crystal spire towered over the city, standing as tall as its mountain guardians. The tallest structure in the world loomed skyward, reaching for the heavens.

He noted that he’d never stopped to actually take a moment and stare at the palace. Momentarily forgetting his mission, Cirrus examined the way it shimmered in the sunlight, its sky-blue hulk reflecting its overbearing glow upon the surrounding city. The tower tops cast a tri-pronged shadow over a certain section of the city, acting as a sundial.

Who’d have thought? I knew the city was magical, but telling the time by design is just incredible. Cirrus grinned at the shadow. Not that I need a sundial to tell time anyway. He returned his gaze to the shadow’s origin, intrigued by the way the tower points tapered off.

If I think about it—he turned his head ninety degrees—the palace almost looks like a lance. He laughed aloud at a new image that came to mind: an image of him wielding the palace against a gigantic dragon.

“I’ll smite you, foul beast! Have at you!” Cirrus laughed as he mimed thrusting his weapon into the heart of his foe. “Take that! And that! Oh, you want more?” He flew backward, aiming to build up some momentum before his final charge—

“Oof!”

Seeing stars, Cirrus dipped a little in midair, catching himself after falling a few body lengths. “What the?”

He turned to look at the spot he’d fallen from. “Whoa! Where did you come from?”

The creature glared at Cirrus, its piercing eyes complementing its curved, cruel-looking beak. It was only a little larger than himself, though the entire front section of its body was covered in fluffy, white feathers. Its body from the chest down resembled a pony’s, somewhat; it had two strange-looking hooves, containing three grooves each that made them seem like four smaller, conjoined hooves. Its tail was considerably longer than Cirrus’ own, though much thinner, with a single white tuft on the tip.

“Why did you attack me, you stupid grass-eater?”

Slowly, Cirrus began to float away. “Er, sorry? I didn’t mean to, I was just—”

“You flew right into me! There’s an entire sky out there and you had to pick the single patch that I was passing through?” The creature rose its front legs and spread its appendages.

Cirrus swallowed as he eyed its claws, uncomfortably aware that each one matched his muzzle in length.

“Hey, look, I’m sorry! It was an accident, I swear.” Cirrus held his breath as the creature slowly approached. “Is there any way we can settle this that doesn’t end in bloodshed? Please?”

“Oh, but blood is just so tantalising…” A sneer replacing its vicious snarl, the creature further extended its front legs. “It’s been days since I had a decent feed—”

“Rend!”

Both turned to the powerful new voice, the creature still with its claws outstretched. “What did I tell you about flying ahead?”

“But, Father—”

“Don’t interrupt me, cub! You should know your place in this pecking order by now. Return to the others immediately.” The larger creature glared at his son, eliciting further retreat by Cirrus. With an exasperated cry, the smaller male shot a final dagger at Cirrus.

“Don’t think I’ll forget this, peasant! You’ll rue the day you infringed upon the honour of Prince Rend!” Reluctantly, he flapped his immense, tanned wings, streaking toward the southern horizon. Cirrus watched Rend retreat, his heart hammering in his chest.

“Did my son hurt you at all?”

The voice jerked Cirrus’ attention back to reality. The smaller one may have departed, but now he had to face its father. “No, sir. I mean, he did scare me, but I’m fine. I apologise for flying into him; I was caught up in a foalish illusion and not paying attention.”

A deep rumbling laugh erupted from the creature, rattling Cirrus’ very bones. Like his son, his beak and claws were rounded and sharp, but there the similarities ended. There was no trace of cruelty in this one’s eyes, no lingering resentment. His enormous black wings could have blotted out the sun at full stretch, his golden coat at odds with his massive, dark pinions.

“Apologise not, young pegasus. I saw the entire thing. Heard it too, I might add.” He motioned toward his golden ears. “You were playing a game by yourself. You fancy yourself a warrior, is that it?”

“Oh, you know, every colt my age wants to be a mighty dragon slayer when he grows up. Well not everypony, I guess. I’m just different like that. Sometimes, my brother—” Cirrus broke off, suddenly aware of his rambling “—I mean…”

He cleared his throat. “Good day, sir. My name is Cirrus Spectrum, son of Blaze. I am pleased to welcome you to the majestic Crystal Empire.” He sank into as best an airborne bow as he could manage.

“Cirrus Spectrum, I accept your welcome. I am King Sunder, ruler of the Griffon Kingdom far to the south-east.”

The king laughed once more. “You must pardon my son; I fear his mother has rather spoiled him whenever I’ve had to step away from the throne.”

Cirrus smiled with the king’s laugh, before he remembered Rend’s parting words. His smile drooped. “King Sunder, what did your son mean when he said I’d ‘infringed upon his honour’?”

The king eyed Cirrus with the mention. “There is something you need to know about our race, Cirrus Spectrum: we griffons value our honour above all else. Without our honour, we are nothing.”

Sunder sighed. “Rend, unfortunately, has developed an even higher sense of it than the rest of us. Although I know he overreacted, he does not see it as such. He will view this as a defeat of sorts. You would do well to keep away from him, especially if you’re alone.”

Cirrus nodded. “As you wish, Your Majesty.” His head shot up, the smile returning to his face. “That’s right! Please, follow me, I shall escort you to our princess.”

“My young colt, I assure you there is no need. I have my own companions, you see.” Sunder pointed a Cirrus-sized claw to the southern horizon. A cloud seemed to be approaching with alarming speed.

Squinting, Cirrus tracked the cloud’s progress. It grew ever larger, closer. Finally, he began to distinguish various shapes among it. No fewer than twenty griffons approached the Crystal Palace.

“I shall be off now. Thank you for the welcome, but I do believe your princess and her court are most eager to meet us. We should not keep them waiting.”

Cirrus bowed once more. “Of course. Please excuse me—I just remembered what I’m actually supposed to be doing.”

As Cirrus dropped altitude and scouted closer to the surface, the griffon king smiled. Yes, I should return to my subjects. Eyeing the cloud, the king beat his enormous wings and flew to regroup with his pryde.

“My, this is a dazzling city, Princess. A real far cry from what we’re used to, for sure.”

Aura smiled at Bindii’s compliment. “It is rather majestic, isn’t it? I’d love to tell you the story of how my friends and I discovered it sometime.”

As they drew closer to the palace, Aura noticed how many different vendors had already erected their own stalls. One presented a multitude of glittering gemstones, ranging from fiery rubies to the deepest blue sapphires. Many pilgrims from Canterlot and beyond milled around, marveling at the beauty on display.

“Will this yarn of yours also happen to include how a little tacker like yeself managed to become a princess of an entire empire?”

Aura blushed. “I-I’ve actually been a princess since birth... but when you put it that way, it does sound like quite an interesting tale from an outsider’s perspective.”

A few steps beyond the gem vendor, a tantilising scent wafted through the company’s nostrils. Next to a grassy pitch, the zebra trio had assembled their own stall already. Fragrant herbs and exotic spices permeated through the air, coercing Aura’s mouth to water. Nearing the stall, Aura could see the telltale purple of her advisor’s tail as she spoke with one of them.

“...the way you combine these flavours; oh, Goddess, it’s masterful. You know, as an aficionado of rare flora and complex tastes, I would certainly be willing to recommend any or all of you for a permanent position as Palace Chef—”

“Clover!” Aura bounded around the corner and beamed widely at her aunt. “We have company again, come and say hello!”

Clover and Zebedee’s heads peeked around the stall. Two sets of eyes widened at the sight of their Oatstralian guests.

“Ah, you must be the one Free referred to as ‘Bindii.’ Pleased to make your acquaintance and welcome to the Crystal Empire.” Clover lightly bowed; Bindii and her entourage returned the gesture.

“Zebedee, Zanaya and Zalia each welcome you graciously as friends.” The shaman and his sisters walked around the stall and offered their own short gestures. “As a token of our meeting, perhaps you wish to sample our delicious blends?”

Zebedee held out a hoof, balancing a small bowl of heavily fragrant soup that Aura could swear had not been there before.

Bindii grinned down at the strange, stripey creature. “Chuffed to meet you too, Zeb. You know, I might just take you up on that offer later, sunshine. But for now, my troopers and I are so darn parched. Our mouths are as dry as the desert we came from.”

Aura brought a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot! This way to the crystal lake, everyp… one.”

The four of them departed, Aura bounding ahead of the group and restarting her conversation. Clover’s eyes followed them, just one part of a multi-tiered smile. Ever the polite, considerate child. The Crystal Empire is in good hooves.

Her nostrils flared as the potent waft of Zebrican herbs teased her senses, jerking her from her thoughts. Now, to try some of that delicious-smelling soup...

The noonday sun beat down upon the crystal city, blazing hotter than recent times. Cirrus normally enjoyed the summer months; diving in and out of clouds with his friends back in Cloudsdale had long been a favourite way to cool off and have fun at the same time. Skies were usually clear over Equestria during the mid-year, where the pristine blue was complemented by rolling green fields. Earth ponies would be tending to their flourishing crops, readying them for late-summer and early-autumn harvest. Pegasi would be sweeping throughout the skies, attempting to extract any and all moisture out of the air in preparation for autumn and winter.

Unicorns… Cirrus had to wonder. What are the unicorns doing for summer? They’ve had their most important job shouldered by the Royal Sisters.

He paused mid-flight to wipe away a hefty amount of sweat from his face. Being closer to direct sunlight was beginning to take its toll. Where the hay is Free Spirit, anyway? He can’t have disappeared… or maybe he can, I guess. Eh, I’ll look for him again in a bit, I’m parched. Cirrus looked to the east, smiling at the sight of the sparkling crystal lake on the other side of the palace.

Refreshment, here I come!

Cirrus soared through the air at top speed, relishing the wind whipping at his silver mane. Barely a minute later, he touched down at the verdant lake edge and lowered his head to take a sip. As he did, his eyes caught his shimmering reflection—

“Such a great day, wouldn’t you agree?”

Cirrus gasped as he stumbled backward, landing firmly on his flank. A brilliant pair of large, emerald eyes greeted him, accompanied by an amused, fanged smirk. “You! W-what are you doing here?”

Mantissia pulled her lips back into a teasing leer. “Why, quenching my thirst, you see. Surely one such as yourself understands the concept.”

The changeling queen continued to smirk. Taller than even Princess Celestia, the black-and-green imitation alicorn towered over Cirrus, her eyes seeming to bore into his own. “But please,” she continued in her dual-toned rasp, “do not let my own desires prevent you from fulfilling your own.”

Cirrus stood up, glancing at his company with narrowed eyes. The last time they’d met, both of them had narrowly escaped death. They had fought viciously, each dealing the other powerful blows.

“Oh, I know exactly how you feel, Cirrus.” Mantissia lowered her head to his level. “Very well, I shall be honest with you: I have no need of water at all, for the Crystal Heart supplies me with all the nourishment I desire. No, I actually saw you flying here and decided to join you. Since the day that Princess Aura… spared my life, I’ve been meaning to catch you alone.”

“Yeah?”

Cirrus stood his ground, memories of Cloudsdale’s almost-ruin taking centre stage in his mind. “And what is it that you want from me? What makes me so special?”

Mantissia sighed at Cirrus’ stance. Lightly buzzing her translucent wings, she fell to the lake edge and sat before him. “I can feel your mistrust of me. While it pains me that you hold it still, I acknowledge that your reasons are valid and warranted. The reality is, I have no hidden agenda.

“What I really want to say is… sorry.”

Cirrus’ ears perked up. He raised his head a little more, even as he lowered his own plot to the ground.

“Sorry for all of the things that my children and I did. I spoke with Princess Aura a while ago and she told me that your family were among the victims of my foolhardy invasion attempt. As a result, I came to the conclusion that since you seem close to the princess, I should apologise to you personally. I know that it will take a long time to make up for what we did, but I assure you, I have seen the light. Aura’s mercy has tempered our hearts. We seek only mutual love and to right our past wrongs.”

Cirrus shook his head. “Listen, Mantissia. I appreciate you coming to tell me this yourself, but really, it’s going to take a long time before anypony trusts you again. Aura may have the bleeding heart of a puritan, but you did some terrible things. It doesn’t matter what reasons you may have had for doing all you did, or what you may be doing for redemption.”

He rose and took a long drink from the lake’s edge, aware of the emerald orbs still fixed on his back. Wiping his mouth, he let out a satisfied gasp and faced Mantissia again. “For Aura’s sake, I will accept your apology. She believes in you, so I suppose I can too. But let me make one thing absolutely clear.”

He spread his wings and flapped up to her face. “Though I no longer consider you my enemy, I cannot ever consider you my friend. And as long as I live, if you, or any of your descendants dare to raise even a single hoof against my princess, I will personally bring ruin upon your race.”

Mantissia blinked. Once.

“Your loyalty to her knows no bounds, it seems. Very well, I will take your acceptance of us, even if it does not come paired with your friendship. But please listen to these words: stay near her. Be her guardian at all times. There are greater evils in this world than even what we demonstrated, and she will count on you more than you realise.”

Mantissia rose, once more casting her lengthy shadow over him. “There is no creature in this realm more in touch with the feelings and emotions of others. Trust me when I say that you would do well to remain by her side.”

Cirrus opened his mouth, but found his tongue wrapped around itself. He swallowed his unspoken words as Mantissia shot a final remark over her shoulder.

“If you seek Free Spirit, you should return to your princess. He finished his business with us not long ago.”

“What’s your home like, Bindii?”

Aura’s short legs trotted three steps to match every single length of her companions. As she, Bindii, Harold and Drome neared the palace, the cluster of early-bird tourists and other crystal ponies stopped to stare at the unusual passers-by. The bulls gazed around in wonder, moving their versatile necks around and soaking up the attention with smug grins on their faces.

“I’ll tell you right now, Missy, it’s most definitely nothing like this gorgeous realm of yours.” Bindii’s own head roamed like a furry serpent, taking in the sights. “Your entire city is smooth and polished. It looks like it was cut from the heart of some enormous rainbow-hued opal. It’s all sparkly and gorgeous. Everything back at the old sandbox is just… well, sandy. Everywhere you look, there’s mostly just that gritty nuisance beneath your feet and blowing through the air, a few patches of saltbush and spinifex grass littering the countryside.”

Bindii brought her head level with Aura and blinked her three sets of eyelids, grinning at the princess’ quick stumble. “Don’t even get me started on the sandstorms. That blizzard we passed through to get here? Water off a duck’s back to us by comparison. Blinding winds and snow might bring a few shivers, but a vicious, swirling, sandy twister could strip the fur from your little crystal bones.”

Aura shivered. She looked into Bindii’s dark-brown eyes and saw no lie within. “But how do you all manage to survive? Oatstralia sure sounds like a dangerous place.”

“Aye, it is,” Harold piped up, eliciting a slight misstep from Aura as she turned to face him. “Sandstorms aren’t all we have to contend with. Y’oughtta see some o’ the creatures and creepy-crawlies we got there. Most would attack you soon as flee and they can all move faster than you could blink.”

“Old mate Free told us about some of the creatures in the forest he used to live,” Drome added. “Timberwolves, cockatrices, manticores; no doubt they’re all dangerous. But they’s all bulky, easily avoided by our standards. The real danger is those small, slippery buggers. Redbacks, taipans, scorpions…”

The bull lowered his voice. “They won’t just kill you, they’ll make you suffer. Any o’ them gets you with their venom, you can pretty much say g’night and hope it takes you quickly.”

“Whoa… is it really that b-bad?”

“Oh yes, and that’s just the beginning!” Drome shared a chuckle with Harold, each fixing their gaze on Aura. “Wait ’til you hear what happens to your insides while the poison—”

“Are you blokes done terrifying our host?”

Bindii had stopped walking, her stony gaze freezing the entire group in place. “Save it for a spooky campfire night, you dolts. We’re supposed to be entertaining the princess, not making her quake in her hooves at the mere thought of our home.”

“Aw, we’re just havin’ a giggle. Don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud, Bindles.” Harold frowned and turned his head up. “’Sides,” he added, “’snot like she’ll ever visit anyway. You’re laughing if you think a princess would leave a glorious palace like this one for a trip out bush with us ragged folks.”

He leered down at Aura. “You’re a pretty little thing, Princess. Be a shame for any stray grain o’ sand to tarnish that lovely coat.”

A loud bwuit! and a stray fleck of moisture splattered upon Harold’s nose.

“Enough, Harold.” Bindii rose her neck and pulled her head back, licking a corner of her lips while the bull recoiled. “Keep your trap shut already. Are you such a dumb blighter that you don’t realise she’s not used to Oatsie banter?”

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Please forgive that horrid display, Princess. It’s not often I lose my temper like that, but those two really need to stop fart-arsing around in the presence of royalty.”

Aura would have opened her mouth to offer a petite pardon, had a great shadow not passed over them and temporarily blocked out the sunlight. A piercing cry filled the air, drawing the attention of the quartet and the surrounding ponies. Gasps and whispers passed back and forth as a large flock of unusual beasts zoomed overhead.

“Seems like you have more guests to welcome, Princess.”

Though she flicked her ear at Bindii’s words, Aura continued to stare after the hybrids. Their claws, their beaks, their sheer size… A quick shiver ran through her body before she turned back to address her escorts.

“Yes, I do believe we should.”

Free Spirit ambled back toward the palace, his meeting with Mantissia still fresh in his mind. He concentrated on his breathing, deeply inhaling and exhaling in a steady rhythm with the clop of his hooves. Thankfully, his heartbeat had finally slowed to normal.

Seeing the exterior of the changeling hive had filled his mind with many images, few of them welcome. Though he did not consider the tall, black spire on the city’s outskirts ugly by any means, its… unusual appearance had rather put him off entering. It was only Mantissia’s assurance of his safety and the knowledge of his duty that enabled him to cross her home’s eerie threshold.

Inside the hive was an enormous entrance hall—if one could call it that. A completely empty space stretched out and around a central, wide, winding staircase. Various hollowed-out niches and short passageways branched off everywhere, some filled with a sleeping drone, others missing their patrolling occupants. As Free breathed, a sickly sweet smell permeated through the room, though he had not been able to place the origin. The constant buzz of rustling wings and light changeling snores had filled his ears. A few drones had entered and departed while he debated with himself whether or not to actually ascend the heights of the staircase.

Despite the atmosphere, the meeting had gone rather well.

Free continued to breathe deeply in and out as he tried to think of anything other than Mantissia. The... mare had been gracious enough to offer him refreshment in her chamber. She'd proclaiming that he ought to relax and he was most certainly not about to be pounced on and drained. Although he could be if he wished, she’d added with a sly smirk.

No, don’t think about that, Free. That’s not happening, no way, not ev—

His heartbeat began to race again. Fortunately, a distraction arrived at that precise moment, in the form of his being unceremoniously lifted from the ground and held before an enormous, golden creature in its pony-sized talons. Free stared into the immense face of King Sunder, exerting the greatest of efforts to not shudder in the griffon’s grasp.

“Free Spirit! How do you fare on this glorious day?”

Sweet mother of creation, my heart knows no respite today. Closing his eyes for a second, Free inhaled and exhaled sharply. “A pleasure to meet you once more, Your Majesty. On behalf of Crystal Princess Aura, I bid you and your pryde welcome to our city.”

Feeling the pump slow in his chest once more, Free relaxed and met Sunder’s gaze. “Although I do hope that you all managed to arrive without terrifying our entire populace.”

Sunder’s booming guffaw blanketed the area as most of his pryde descended for a post-flight drink from the crystal lake. “Such a joker you are, my friend. A valid hope it remains, though. As far as I am aware, my son has only attempted to eat one of the princess’ subjects so far.” The ground drifted closer as he, too, lowered them back to solid Earth. “I’d say he’s doing rather well, actually.”

Unsure whether or not to believe the king, Free let out a short, diplomatic chuckle in response.

“Well, where did all you lot come from? Never seen your ilk before.”

Free immediately recognised Bindii’s husky tone. He and Sunder turned at her deep voice, eyeing their new acquaintances. Princess Aura had arrived at the lake, flanked by Bindii and two of her companions, who immediately stepped up to the water’s edge and began to slurp loudly. A slight whoosh overhead alerted him to the return of Cirrus, who landed and settled into step next to the princess. He shot her a smile and bent his knee to the king.

“King Sunder, it is my honour to present Crystal Princess Aura: Keeper of the Crystal Heart and ruler of this fine city,” Free announced. “The Princess’ acquaintances include fellow discoverer of the Crystal Heart, Cirrus Spectrum, Lady Bindii of Oatstralia and her companions, Harold and Drome.”

Bindii rose her head from the water. “Lady, huh? I suppose he’s never seen a gal spit before.”

A twitch developed at the corner of Aura’s mouth before she, too, bowed before the golden behemoth. “King Sunder, I welcome you to my kingdom. I am most pleased to meet you.”

She rose and analysed his golden frame and dark wings. “It appears that Free Spirit’s tales of your great stature were not exaggerated in the slightest.”

“You can say that again,” Cirrus whispered in her ear.

“His tales of your radiant beauty, likewise, prove factual in every sense.” Sunder sank into his own bow, though his size rendered the movement barely perceptible. “The stallion who successfully woos you is a fortunate one indeed, Princess.”

Aura blushed and turned her head. “Um… thank you?”

“Pardon me, everyone, but I think we’re good with pleasantries for now,” Bindii declared. The party’s attention now trained on her, she continued, “Nice to meet you all, g’day, howyagoin’ and all that, but don’t we have a fair to cobble together?”

While Free brought a hoof to his face and shook his head at the camel’s blunt statement, the king simply let out a screech of his own. “Aye, Lady Bindii has a point; the day marches on and time does not flow in reverse. Again, pleased to meet you all, but I must now assemble my pryde. Free Spirit, my friend—” the unicorn found himself upon the griffon’s back, clinging to the king’s fur “—would you kindly give us all the grand tour?”

While scrabbling for a hold on Sunder’s back, Free stammered out some sort of agreement.

“Excellent. Let us be off, then. Oh, how rude of me—” Sunder faced Aura once more “—congratulations are in order. Happy birthday, Princess.”

The sun hid from the group’s sight briefly as Sunder and Free ascended, the mighty griffon’s wingspan casting a lengthy shadow.

“Gotta say, that Sunder fella seems a top bloke, don’t he?” Bindii noted as Sunder’s huge form retreated.

Aura turned to Cirrus. “Well, there goes my translator again.” She giggled at his resultant sigh.

“So.” The group turned to Harold. “Now that we’ve had our intros, you lot reckon we oughta return to preparing for the festivities?”

“Yes, let’s.” Aura nodded as the camels turned south. “Cirrus, would you mind terribly just cruising around and keeping an eye on things for a while?”

Cirrus’ eyes glinted as he stiffened and wagged his shoulders. “Heh, like you even need to ask. I’ll keep everyone in line, you just watch!”

“Thanks so much. I’ll come find you later when things are in full swing. I want to see you in action as my great protector later. You’d better find a jousting opponent, or I’ll be most displeased.” She held his gaze for but a second before releasing her pent-up laughter. “Goodbye!”

The Crystal Pendant flashed blue.

Cirrus watched as Aura bounded after the furry beasts, lightly shaking his head as she continued to giggle. If it’s a joust she wants, it’s a joust she’s going to get! What better way to prove myself?

“Well, if it isn’t snack time already.”

Cirrus’ ears leapt skyward as he spun to face his new company. Prince Rend had flown on silent wings to land next to him. “That’s your princess, then? Pretty little thing. Be a shame if anything happened to her under your charge.” Rend’s beak curled into a vicious-looking grin.

“You leave her alone, Rend. Your quarrel is with me and me alone.” Cirrus lowered his stance and spread his wings. “I am her knight; nobody will ever get to her as long as I’m around.”

“Relax, you foal. I swear I’ll not harm a tuft of her precious little mane. You, however…” A feral gleam appeared in Rend’s eyes. “I overheard her speaking of a ‘joust,’ to prove your worth? What is this ‘joust?’ Does it involve a diplomatic way to tear the flesh from your bones for your earlier insult?”

A shiver ran through Cirrus at the yellow glimmer in the prince’s eyes. He forced himself to stare into those hungry orbs.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness, but it’s merely a combat simulation. We pegasi started it, actually. The competitors run at each other with long, blunted poles under their wings and aim for their opponent’s armour. Whoever’s aim is truest and legs are fastest will knock their opponent down and claim victory and honour.”

Cirrus smirked at Rend, standing a little taller as he did so. “Just so you know, I’ve never been defeated in my age bracket.”

Rend let out a derisive snort. “Never defeated, you say? If that’s not a challenge, I’m nothing more than an insignificant rooster.”

Before Cirrus could blink, he found himself face-to-face with his new adversary.

“I will take you down. I will destroy you in front of your friends. Then will I consider your insult forgiven.”

“Hey! You’re the one who—” Cirrus started to say, but the griffon had already dashed off back the way he came.

“You’d better be ready for me, pegasus. Embrace your final day on this planet, while you still can.” Next Chapter: Act One Chapter Four: Darkest Before the Dawn Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 28 Minutes