Chapter 147 147 Bonding
[OP: ]
[ You who summoned me- ]
"I-I didn't do it!"
[ Hmmm? But, I can tell it was you who did it. ]
"I didn't!"
[ Hmmm? Then who summoned me? ]
[ "She did, dude. She's just scared a little because of all these winds. Can you turn them off?" ]
[ The winds? ]
The giant griffin, taller than any tree in this garden, its wings covering the sun itself, casting a thick shadow below him, looked down at the tiny creatures, especially the one who had summoned him with his golden, predator-like eyes, annoyed, and ready to dive down at them.
His eagle-like head, that sharp golden beak, the feathers as white as the clouds of the sky above, and wings so large it had covered half of the magic circle below it.
Its lion-like body, strong, muscular, tougher than the solid earth below one's feet, the tail of the lion, which ended in the unique feathers belonging to its eagle parts, majestic on their own, but nonetheless, as deadly as they could be.
The body that seemed like a lion's was brown as earth, and the feathers that belonged to the predators of high skies, were white as the clouds that it regions above. Its sharp claws seemed strong enough to rip apart any other creature it could come across, regardless of their origin. The hind paws hid the strongest nails that could slice even the scales of the draconian creatures. Its beak was sharp and strong, but, not as much as the eyes looking down at Eva and the two of them.
[ Summoner. ]
The winds that haunted the area until a while ago were the cause of the destruction and all the injuries the other helpers got because of it.
Eva knew it was all her fault, that it was because of her that all of this was happening.
She was the one who summoned this creature and innocent people were hurt because of that. And now, she was denying it?
That wasn't right. It wasn't what she would do in this kind of situation.
She had to take responsibility for everything that happened because of her. She remembered it thanks to these two.
"Yes. I'm probably the one who summoned you."
And, besides, this creature also deserved a proper answer from her.
If this summoning circle had summoned it, then it meant their souls resonated very closely, which ultimately meant it was the creature best suited to be her familiar.
[ Yes. Perhaps your weapon that contains my ancestor's essence as its core was the trigger. However, you summoned me. And I can feel the resonance our souls have. ]
Eva could feel it as well now that she had calmed down.
There was something unique about this creature. Something so unique that she was feeling it for the first time.
The strange attraction, this feeling of belonging that she had never felt with any other creature, this unique sensation that she felt while being in his presence was so… unique that she couldn't put it into words even though she could clearly feel it with her body and soul.
She couldn't put it into words, but, she knew exactly what it was. So, she didn't wait long, just looked the creature in the eye, and asked with a confident voice.
"Will you be my familiar?"
She was perhaps the first person to ask the creature she summoned if it wanted to become their familiar or not. It was polite of her in a way but, her question didn't receive any immediate answer.
[ Hmmmm… ]
The creature just kept looking at her silently with his big round eyes, observing her, evaluating, and checking her skills, potential, abilities, and status window.
It was a <SS> rank creature and a creature talked about in the legends. It wasn't something that one could see in everyday life. It was a creature of myths and epics. But, their existence was known to the people.
Everyone knew there existed Griffins in these words and they lived in complete solitudes, flew above even the skies, ruled the large pieces of earth, and commanded winds as if it was an extinction of their limbs.
There was rarely any creature who did not know what a griffin was, or at least what the creature with the griffin's unique characteristics was.
They knew about them, but, still, not much was known about these special creatures.
They were seen only rarely and in all of the known history, there had only been two of three stories where someone had hunted a creature like the griffins.
The reason they were considered <SS> rank when they were as young as the one here, was because Worldline considered it to be that way.
The adult griffins who had achieved their full potential were <SSS> rank creatures and from what El and Lucy knew, there were some of these creatures who had already gone beyond what they were known for.
The true original griffin was a being of godly status, a being that some of the other gods and the other higher beings actually feared.
The people present in this garden had all seen the drawings and portraits of the griffins, the benevolent, wise, divine creatures who ruled over the winds, married to their mates only once and forever in their lifetimes, and ruled over the other beings of ground and skies.
They knew it, but just like her, none had seen one with their own eyes. Ever.
[ What is your relationship with them? ]
Perhaps the griffin was just as confused and worried as the others here, however, he was calm, was thinking things through, and was evaluating everything with his own logic and rosining.
And, he was quick with it as well so, he had finished his evaluation pretty quickly, and found out that everything in this entire place was on one side, these two young-looking beings… El and Lucy as he would know it later, were something entirely different and more special than anything he had seen.
He was astonished by how he, the one baring the wisdom of earth and skies, could read nothing about two young humans.
He knew the people like them, the ones who were watched by not just the higher beings and gods, but, the world and this nature itself.
They were very unique beings destined for greatness greater than what he could ever possibly achieve.
They were special people, and, they were helping this person asking him to be her familiar.
He didn't mind it actually. He liked her.
She didn't know just how special her uncultivated talent was yet, but, she possessed more than enough to become someone worthy of his companionship.
He would accept her, naturally, however, the question he asked her, the relationship between her and these two unique people, would decide how much of his trust she would have at the start of their unique relationship.
"You mean El and Lu?"
[ Yes. What is your relationship with them? ]
He asked again at her innocent reputation, and, El broke out in a smile on the other side. Lucy was the same. He couldn't help the smile on his face at that silly question.
"Well, they are my everything."
He didn't understand their smiles for a moment but after hearing her answer that came immediately without even a second of thought, he understood what they meant.
"They are the reason I stand in here with everything I possess right now. From this beaten, filthy, but a little better body, to this wounded, burned, but healed soul.
They gave me everything I have right now, and, with all that I have, I'm going to do my best to repay them in any way I can until the day I stop existing in this nature. And even still, I know all that will not be enough to show the respect and gratefulness I have for these two mean, bad, suicidal… crazy children."
He could see a kind of light in her simple eyes that he had never seen anywhere else. Not in any human, hero, or even those who had transcended the realm of mortals.
There was a darkness deep beyond that light, but, the light had long surpassed that darkness.
She was exactly what she said she was, and the way she defined their relationship was more than enough proof he needed for the bond these three people possessed.
[ Very well then. ]
The griffin smiled and the winds covering him returned, though this time, they only revolved around Eva and him.
[ I accept your proposal to be your familiar and watch you, as well as these special people who you gave your entire being, by your side. ]
A green light came out of him, his body shrunk and became exactly as tall as Eva as he stood before her.
[ What do I call you, master? ]
He was smiling, and there was a hint of excitement in his eyes that, Eva strangely understood well.
"I'm Evaline, however, you can just call me Eva like them, or, whatever else you like. I don't mind what you call me but, don't be too formal.
Instead of a master-servant relationship, I have always imagined having a family-like relationship with my familiar. I sincerely wish you will think about this."
[ Of course, Eva. I wouldn't mind having a family… I always wished to have one anyway. ]
The green light then covered both of them as Eva put her hand on the fluffy head of the griffin. She felt a strange loneliness in those last words of his, but, she didn't like it.
"Then, what do I call you? Should I give you a new name or do you have something you prefer?"
She didn't like how there was a sadness in her familiar's heart so, she tried her best to heal that sadness.
[ I have a name… a few more other than that name which the world and nature have given me. However, I would prefer a new name for my new 'family'. ]
"Hahaha. You are a funny one. And pretty. And dangerous looking. And majestic. And special…
Asher. How about it?"
She looked at him with a smile, and he looked back at her brown eyes, a unique emotion filling his heart.
[ I would be unworthy of that name if it had been the place I have come from. However, since you chose it, I will happily accept it. It is a pretty name to be called by. ]
"We might call you Ash though."
[ Even better then. ]
He smiled back at her, and the light covering them intensified even further as a unique mark resembling his feather appeared on her hand.
The familiar mark was where the familiar rested when they were not present outside. It was the symbol and proof of a successful bonding process between a familiar and their master.
"I look forward to 'us', Ash."
[[ I do as well, Eva. ]]
The griffin, the creature of legends, became the green light and vanished inside the familiar mark.
They knew their bonding was not going to be a small thing.
Everyone here had witnessed it.
They had to deal with it first…
"Oho. That was a unique sight to witness in my front yard."
And the headmaster who had been watching them from the moment Ash appeared from the top of the tallest nearby tree, would be the first one they would have to 'talk' with…
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