"Hey Tempest, are you sure we should be here? This doesn't look like Nagdural Island to me.."
"I think so. Nagdural is a straight flight from Haken's Highlands."
"Gunnar didn't say anything about Nagdural Island glowing."
"Hugo, are you the navigator, or am I? Besides, Gunnar didn't really say much at all."
"Well, you are, but..."
"I'll land and we can ask, if that will make you feel better. If, IF, we are in the wrong spot, well, not much will mess with a wyvern, and, lucky you, I'm a wyvern! You'll be fine."
"That's not what I'm worried about. Ugh, you know what, fine. Just figure out where we are."
Tempest spiraled down towards the large island, which was indeed glowing. She landed on a large beach with pale sand, and started off on the path leading from the beach into a dense forest. At the start of the path, she stopped to let Hugo slide off her back. He placed his hand readily on his sword, and followed her into the eerily luminous wood.
"You know, I really am glad you brought me to your world, but this is one thing I could do without. Back home, the forests never glowed."
"Oh stop whining. Please."
Hugo snorted, and passed her, looking around him. They continued on in silence for a long time, occasionally startling at rustling in the underbrush, or strange brightly coloured birds flying uncomfortably close to their heads. After what seemed like hours, they reached a large clearing with a wonderful turquoise pond in the center. Tempest eagerly started towards the water, to get a drink, but before she reached it, a large shadow flew over head. She paused, and Hugo ran into her.
"What-"
Before he even finished his sentence, an odd looking creature dove at them, screaming a horrible part shriek, part caw and landed in front of them, stirring up dust. It was almost a gryphon, but wasn't. It had the front of a sleek black bird, head, wings, legs and all, and the russet back of a fox, with its back paws, and tail, but its ears were brown and slender, and it had a pair of distinctive antlers on it's head. Its eyes were the savage, slitted gold of a predator, and it glared at them angrily. It screamed a second time, and lowered its antlers menacingly.
Tempest took a step back, and nearly knocked Hugo over with her tail. He stepped to the side, and the creature caught sight of him. It suddenly sat back, and cocked its head, reminding Hugo of an intrigued parrot. It let out a strange warbling sound, and slowly approached Hugo, observing him.
"Uh, hi." He said slowly "Please don't eat me... that's a good, whatever you are."
It snorted at him, clacking its beak. Suddenly its eyes locked on something at Hugo's waist. He looked down to see what it was looking at, and noticed the silver chain he'd picked up at the market in Crystal Pointe. Perhaps, since it had a crow front, it liked shiny stuff? He slowly took it off, and then tossed it over to the creature.
"You want that?"
The creature crooned, and picked it up in its beak almost lovingly. It nodded its head to Hugo, yapped at Tempest and took off, stirring up more dust as it went. Hugo watched it as it circled once, made another strange cry, and then shot off to the west. He sat down heavily.
"Well. That was certainly interesting. What was that thing?"
"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it."
"I can tell you, though you'll have to tell me who you are, and WHY exactly, you are trespassing on the Glowing Isles." a feminine voice said from the tree line.
Hugo, scrambled to his feet, whirled around, and stared as a line of people came out of the tree, bow and arrows pointed directly at him. He slid his sword back into its sheath and put up his hands.
"No. Toss your weapon over here."
He nodded, and swallowed, pulling his beloved weapon out again, and tossed it to them. It landed blade first, and stuck out of the dirt. A girl with brown curly hair, green, animalistic eyes, and long, furred, pointed ears picked it up.
"That was a doxrow. It's a cousin of the gryphon and is only found here. Now, names and why we shouldn't kill you. Quickly, I'm losing my patience."
