The Gryphon's Bond

Chapter Fourteen

Hey peeps!! :)
Soo... Since I last posted a chapter I've jumped up to 320 reads!! From 134! Crazy! Y'all are sooo awesome. Thank you so much.
So I wanted to dedicate this chapter to my friend MrCrowe759. He was my very first reader, and voter. And he has a totally awesome book called the Shadow Knight Chronicles. Like seriously, it's really good.
So y'all stay golden! ;P

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Rhia stretched out in the shade, the cool dirt of the oasis cooling her.

  Flying through the desert was warmer than was comfortable, her pelt holding in the sun's heat. But her discomfort was easy to forget as she experienced Anna's exhilaration of her first flight.

  Rhia had never thought what it might be like to have never flown, that freedom had always been available to her. One she had taken for granted, until now.

  Anna rested against her chest, their silent camaraderie filling Rhia with contentment. She stretched out on the ground, closing her eyes.

  After a few minutes of resting Rhia heard Anna get up and move around. And then a splash as she dove into the water of the oasis.

  Rhia kept her eyes closed, her mind unconsciously reaching out to her bond.

   Flickers of images ran through her mind, deep blue waters, jewel like bubbles rising through them, fish darting like silver flashes of light. She was seeing through Anna's eyes. After watching for a little while, Rhia opened her eyes, looking out across the oasis, peace filling her.

  Then the peace was shredded away, fear striking at Rhia's heart.

She leapt up, What was that?  She looked around her as another stab of panic hit her. Anna's in danger!

  A image leapt into her mind; Rhia could see a foul creature rushing at Anna, as she struggled to reach the surface, to escape the beast as it latched on to her ankle.

  Rhia leapt into the air flying straight up, before somersaulting and coming straight down, her wings folded, paws tucked in. She hit the water like a bullet.

  She dove deep, aiming straight for the creature, slicing at it with her talons, her sharp beak tearing the beast's soft flesh. She could feel Anna beginning to choke on the water trying to force its way into her lungs, she could feel her begin to drown.

  Rhia attacked the creature like something possessed, her claws flashing in the dark water. She felt the creature let go of Anna, trying to protect itself, Rhia took that opportunity to grab her bond, leaving the creature, striking out towards the surface.

  She drug Anna into the shallows, collapsing as her body gave out. She hadn't even realized how close and had been to suffocating in the deep water. Her chest heaved, her vision fuzzy.

  She could see Anna, coughing and gasping in the shallows.

Then it happened so fast, she didn't have even have time to react.

  Rhia watched helplessly as the beast leapt out of the water, evil fangs bared, aiming at Anna. Determined to claim its prey.

  Anna screamed, raising her hands, as an explosion of fire burst from her palms, engulfing the creature, blowing it back. It let out a demonic cry, before disappearing into the oasis.

  Rhia stared in amazement at the shivering girl in the now muddy water of the oasis. Anna looked back at her, eyes wide. "Um, did you do that?" She asked, voice trembling.

Rhia didn't answer, her mind racing.

Bonds adopt each others strengths.

  She, Rhia, the great coward had raced headlong into danger without a second thought.

  And Anna had just blasted fire from her palms. Controlling the flame like a gryphon, like Rhia.

  Anna, following Rhia's thought pattern let out a nervously loud "So you're telling me I did that!?"

"It makes sense," Rhia said.

"No," Anna denied, slowly standing up from the muddy water. "None of this makes sense, my life doesn't make sense. But somehow I'm totally okay with that." She said with a quiet laugh, walking over and hugging the soaking wet gryphon.

"Thanks for saving me, ya oversized, winged house cat," she teased with a light-hearted laugh.

  Rhia let out a playful growl, "House cat?! Is that what you call your savior?"

"Is Miss Fluffy better?" Anna giggled as she pulled her clothes and armor back on.

  Rhia growled playfully again, pouncing and gently taking Anna down. "How about Valiant and Gracious Deliverer!"

  Anna let out an indignant scream, struggling against Rhia's paw, "Never!"

"Okay then, we'll just settle on Rhia, and you'll promise to never call me those names," Rhia laughed.

"You can't make me!" Anna grunted, trying in vain to extract herself out from under the gryphon's paws.

  Rhia collapsed onto Anna, the weight of her front paws squashing her.

  Anna struggled, yelling playfully sarcastic insults about the gryphon's weight before growling, "fine, I promise!"

"What's my name?" Rhia questioned.

"Rhia!! Now get off, ya oaf!" Anna grunted.

  Rhia stood up, releasing Anna from under her paws. She strutted over to the tree she had laid under earlier, sitting proudly, arching her wings and began to groom her damp fur.

Anna laughed as she placed her assorted knives and her katana back in their respective places.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Always," Rhia said, crouching so Anna could climb up onto her back.

  Anna climbed up confidently, this time ready for the vertical leap into the air. She let out a whoop of excitement as Rhia took off, the wind screaming past her ears.

The gryphon laughed as she thought to her,"to the Lost Towers!"