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***Important Note***

Hey guys! I've written this short story as a tribute to the greatest achievement a writer can aspire to. My friend, :iconunscforces: has officially published his first book, in physical format nonetheless! Scales and Honor is a long, exciting adventure story that started out as a personal project, and tells the tale of a human knight that's unexpectedly recruited on a grand quest by a proud, yet silly at times red dragon. If you like stories filled with adventures, jokes, and a few lewd references here and there, please consider buying a copy for yourselves. Both me and :iconunscforces: worked hard to bring this book up to publishing standards, and we'd very much appreciate your support.

Plus, if you do get your hands on a copy, you can enjoy a 36k words long bonus story that won't be posted anywhere else!

Sounds good? Does the premise of dragon-filled adventures intrigue you? Then come and get your dragon fix on either Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Scales-Honor-Dragons-Justin-Lee/dp/0692154825/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532175350&sr=1-1&keywords=9780692154823

Or Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/scales-and-honor-justin-a-lee/1129121598?ean=9780692154823

I'll leave you now in the feathery company of two gryphons from the SaH universe that shall most definitely treat you to a good time. Have fun!

***Story Description***

Arcturus Lund, knight captain of the great nation of Lumara, falls behind enemy lines when a simple mission goes awry. Stranded in a strange and savage land, hope seems to near its end until a gryphon takes the lost human under his wing and teaches him all there is to know about the warmer feelings life has to offer.

***Wings of Hope (Scales and Honor fanfic written by :iconcheetahs:***

Arcturus Lund, captain of a squad of twenty brave Lumarian soldiers, found himself running for his life. Garroth, a seasoned adventurer he had met every now and again at the Rising Sun tavern, had warned Arcturus of the perils of the frost lands before this mission. He talked of trolls as big as a mountain, vicious tentacle worms that hid beneath the snow, ready to drag their unsuspecting prey into an icy abyss, and of course, the most dangerous beasts of all: blue dragons. Arcturus expected to see one of those flying above the frozen peaks.

What he did not expect was to fall prey to a band of unruly mercenaries; the very same group he was sent to capture in the name of the king.

To darkness with you and your dragons, Garroth. Arcturus gritted his teeth. You're a bloody adventurer. Should've bloody warned me about these damn rogues.

An arrow struck the tree he just passed, sinking almost all the way to the shaft. Arcturus' messy brown hair flew in the wind as he sought cover. The human zig-zagged between the trees the best he could in his heavy set of plate armor, trying to keep his ears peeled for the whereabouts of his pursuer. He knew it was an elf from the lightness of the footsteps, but the vicious insults that sounded like a croaking boar's serenade had goblin origins.

Arcturus took refuge behind a tree. When he peeked behind, he caught only a momentary glimpse of the goblin riding upon the elf's shoulders. The little creature plucked an arrow from the archer's quiver, and, without as much as a whisper, the elf launched it into the tree far harder than any bow ever could.

“Drat!" Arcturus cursed as the steel arrow flew straight through his tree, inches from the top of his head. He couldn't run anymore. Not when his legs threatened to collapse under him. Arcturus swallowed whatever saliva he had left in his mouth and rolled away from his hiding spot when the next arrow flew by.

“Meat!" The goblin shrieked.

Arcturus raised his shield to block an arrow aimed at his bare head. “There'll be no meat for you today, creature."

The goblin's little hands sunk into the elf's quiver in a fit of rage. “Tasty meats for me to eats!" he shrieked, throwing them at Arcturus. Without the elf's wind magic, the arrows bounced harmlessly off his plate.

“That the best you can do?" The armored knight smirked.

“When you die, I'm gonna take that armor," the elf said, then pointed at the goblin. “and he's gonna fashion himself a bed from whatever's underneath. “

“Suppose there's no sense to talk about it?"

“You came here to kill us!" the elf waved his hands around to form a crackling ball of lightning.

“Well, technically, capture you, tie you up, bring you back to face the king's justice, but you're giving me no choice!" Arcturus grabbed onto an anti-magic flask and shattered it on the ground. The ball of lighting connected with the mist that surrounded him like a cocoon, dissipating with a crackling burst of light.

“Your bottled magic will not save you forever, metal-clad." The elf sneered. “I suggest you run."

Arcturus stood his ground instead. He dodged the first two arrows that flew at him, then took the following ones on his shield.

“We gon' eets him!" the goblin slapped the elf's head as his little grabby hands found no more arrows. “Sword him, sword him!"

That was the chance Arcturus waited for. Though no sane man would charge an elf unsheathing his twin blades, Arcturus was just so damn tired of running. He met his enemy in a clash of thundering steel, slashing and bashing with his shield in a furious attempt create an opening into the elf's indomitable defense. The bastard was like a storm. His twirling blades found their mark several times, poking holes in the human's full plate, but never getting fully through. That was the advantage of a knight. They only needed a single hit to slay their opponent.

“Kill metal man. Kill'iiiiim!"

Arcturus bashed the elf square in the chest with his shield to force him off-balance, then used the momentum to whirl around and silence the goblin's distasteful squeals forever with a blade straight through the imp's greasy neck. However, that left him exposed to the elf's counter attack. Arcturus was sent with his back against a tree by a magically enchanted kick, then groaned in pain once the elf planted both swords through each of his shoulders. His sword fell from his twitching hand. His shield clattered on the frozen ground. It looked like the end was upon him.

But the elf just left him there to check on the fallen goblin. Arcturus jerked forward, each jarring movement working the swords out of the tree bit by bit, until one of them gave way. Arcturus yanked the other one from his shoulder. The elf turned to him with a look of utter surprise. He rushed for one of the fallen swords, but Arcturus shattered his nose with a gauntleted punch, then took the wind out of his chest with a second blow. While the elf staggered back, the knight procured his shield from the ground and used it to knock the bastard off his feet for good.

“Ghloahhh…" the fair-faced elf coughed blood over his brown vest when Arcturus pressed his frozen boot upon the elf's spindly chest.

“Surrender," Arcturus growled.

The elf's lifted two trembling fingers. A plea for mercy in the face of death.

Arcturus let out a heavy sigh.

“You are finished…Lumarian scum." The elf spat.

One moment. That's all the elf needed. With a flick of his index finger, he levitated the fallen arrows off the forest floor, then sent them flying at the paladin with a twitch of his thumb.

Arcturus drove his shield straight into the vermin's neck and kneeled into a defensive ball, but the death of the elf failed to stop the missiles. Arcturus could feel the steel tips of the arrows sink in almost every part of his body, filling him with waves of unimaginable pain.

“Ghhrroaaah!" he gasped and fumbled for his combat satchel with a trembling hand. Nothing. There was nothing. It must have fell during the frantic chase.

Arcturus fell on top of the deceased elf. Life trickled out of him, one heartbeat at a time, while his hands felt around the elf's body for anything that could save him.

Arcturus gasped when he felt the outline of a healing potion within the elf's pocket. His first instinct was to grab it. Then, he remembered the oath he swore in front of the king. What would Cornelius say, if he saw his honorable captain loot the belongings of a traitor?

Arcturus had no time to think of the repercussions. Forsaking his honor, he grabbed hold of the precious potion, popped the cork with his teeth, then shoved the potion into his mouth until the last drop of liquid fell down his heaving throat. The warmth of the fluid slithered through his torn muscles like fire. It burned his pain away and knitted the torn flesh around every arrow Arcturus pulled out of his body.

Fully healed, the paladin procured his armaments and wiped the edges of his bloodied shield on the elf's tunic. Deep within him, Arcturus knew he was going to answer for his sins. Just not today. Not while he could save the rest of his knights from death's cold embrace.

The first victim he found was a young lad, barely a few months past the enrollment age. Arcturus did not immediately recall the boy's name, but he knew the kind-hearted lad by his curly hair and his vibrant eyes, a blue that rivaled the sky on a clear, sunny day. Those beasts had stripped him down to his bare skin, allowing more than a few animals to get their share of meat.

“I…I'm sorry," Arcturus knelt by the boy's broken body to utter a silent prayer to the God of Light. He wanted to promise that his death would not be in vain. To say his soul would find peace.

But how could he, when rage threatened to burst through the wall formed by years of trained determination? Arcturus covered the boy with a blanket of branches, twigs, and whatever pine needles he could find on the forest's floor. That final act of mercy earned him enough peace to move forward.

He wandered through the frozen forest, a lone knight in search of any sign of life, and only found death. Three other knights, on of them an innkeeper's daughter with hearty ambitions, had lost their lives, their dignity, their everything to this band of wretched bandits. Arcturus found himself less patient with the last rites. The last knight barely received a couple of twigs to cover his marred body.

“I need to find them," Arcturus mumbled in the cold, eerie silence. “I can't be the only one left. Light help me…they can't all be dead."

He wandered for the remainder of that day through the frozen forest, trying to keep his thoughts away from the branches that started to look like a hag's gnarled fingers. In a way, it would have been relieving, to know all of this was a nightmare; that he could wake up in his warm bed and still talk to his squad of aspiring knights.

When the sun started to set, Arcturus built himself a makeshift lean-to between two trees. He set an amber crystal on top of the roof for light, then grabbed another red one between his hands, a heating crystal that kept his body from freezing stiff. He squeezed it close to his heart, thinking of happier times in the company of his beloved friends.

Arcturus dreamt of dragons that night. The majestic beasts swooped down on him not to harm, but to blaze forth a path through the darkness. Morning found him filled with renewed determination. With his shield slung across his back and his sword in hand, Arcturus braved the forest once again. He figured nobody was sane enough to remain out in the open. The main rule of warfare was always to seek cover; find an edge when surrounded by multiple enemies.

But what if the king caught wind of his failure? What if-

A gryphon's screech rang through the sky, close enough to make the man's heart skip a beat. Arcturus did not even look up. He rushed towards foothills of the distant mountains. Snow crunched under his aching feet, the armor, heavier with each stride. More than once, Arcturus was tempted to just ease his burden.

The image of his fallen comrades came to his mind, a grisly memento that needed no further thought. He was not going to end up like them, naked and frozen. Arcturus pressed on, stopping only to catch the barest amount of air in his lungs, until, after a grueling effort, emerged onto the frozen plains. He looked around to find nothing.

Then, up in the sky, two silhouettes descended towards him with the sun against their back, not quite as big as dragon, but neither as slow. The two gryphons landed with a squawk, the tawny one louder than his snow-white, black striped brethren. Arcturus figured from the way their hind legs shifted over the snow that coldness was not particularly pleasant on their bare, padded hind feet.

“Arcturus, is it not? I thought you might have been-" the white gryphon began, only to stop to a sudden squawk when the armored man threw his arms around his feathery neck. He slowly settled on his haunches, a careful forepaw gently pushing Arcturus closer against his feathery chest, closer into that realm of blissful warmth.

“They're dead…" Arcturus found himself unable to keep the pain locked away now that he had another living being to talk to. “The boy, I-I can't remember his name. Then there's Veloren, Thorad, Nejura…I've done all I could to shelter them. Couldn't leave them out there, in the frost, to be devoured by beasts."

“Awk," the gryphon clacked his beak with a soft, calming squawk. His feathery wings enveloped Arcturus, and the two of them lay there for several long, silent minutes until the knight regained his composure.

“What's the report? No. Let's…leave that for later. Tell me your names first. I…" Arcturus wiped his wet cheeks with the leather side of his metal-plated hand, “gods… what kind of knight am I, to weep like a child in the feathers of one of the king's gryphons?"

“A caring one," the white gryphon answered. He stood up on all fours, wings tucked against his magnificent form. “It is never easy to say goodbye to your flock mates, especially in your situation." The white gryphon turned his head to his tawny companion. “This is Varik, a fledgling I took under my wing a few months back, though I fear this rescue mission might prove more dangerous than I was led to believe."

Varik squawked indignantly at that. “I can handle myself," he puffed his chest and swished his tufted tail around.

“So the mighty hunter says," the white gryphon ruffled his wings with what appeared to be amusement, and turned his eyes back to Arcturus with a soft chirp. “I am Skywing, one of the three scouts assigned with the retrieval of your squad."

Arcturus' eyes regained part of their luster at the gryphon's truthful words. “There's others, then?"

Skywing dipped his head.

“Then there's still hope for the others! We must make haste towards the base of the mountains. Those who survived the initial ambush might have found shelter in the caves!" He turned around and ran, realizing a few moments later that no flapping of wings or steps accompanied him. Arcturus peeked over his shoulder to see the gryphons stare at each other.

“You're planning to leave them behind?"

“Only for a moment. You're tired, wounded, hungry. The king insisted on your safety above all else."

“I can't leave my men out there." Arcturus hissed. “Don't you understand? Every minute we spend here is another chance for those monsters to find them. Have you seen what they do to us? They strip our armor, our clothes, and leave us as fodder for the ice worms to gnaw upon."

“Be that as it may, Varik is no proper warrior, and neither of us can withstand an attack from a trained squad of armed thugs, no matter how determined we might be to rescue your men. We must stay out of the reach of danger, Arcturus, or end up just like the knights you've laid to rest."

Harsh words. Perhaps harsher than even the gryphon intended. It worked though. There was nothing more chilling than the image of his dead self next to the two fallen gryphons to put Arcturus' mind back where it belonged.

“We'll stick to open spaces. If the bandits find us, we flee, but these men -my men- risked their lives for the king. I will not head back to the capital until we find the survivors. We have to give this a try. We have to."

The gryphons agreed to the bargain. Varik took to the skies to scout the surrounding area for threats, while Skywing remained grounded, acting as a mount for the weary knight. Arcturus apologized for the weight of his armor. He figured it must have been mightily uncomfortable for a gryphon, to be both ground-bound, and forced to carry the equivalent of five sacks of potatoes upon his spine.

“Your safety is my foremost concern, captain." The gryphon had said after one of the many caresses Arcturus employed to distract himself from the grisly corpse they found impaled on a tree at the foot of the forest. The man was mangled beyond Arcturus' ability to put a face to him. With a fire crystal procured from one of the gryphon's satchels, Arcturus gave the fallen knight a funeral worthy of a king, minus the crowd and the glorious pyre.

By sundown, all of them were too demoralized to keep going. With no trace of survivors, Skywing led Arcturus into a cozy cave found by his wing-mate. The mouth of the cave was already lit up by crystals carefully placed between the nooks in the walls. Arcturus walked behind Skywing through the cramped tunnel until they found Varik settled in a nest of crushed twigs, layered with a cushion of pine needles. Next to it, on the other end of the wedge-shaped room, was another smaller makeshift bed cushioned with furs, most likely scavenged from dead mercenaries.

Skywing bounded over to his wing-mate. The two gryphons locked beaks together a couple of times, chirping sweetly at each other. Varik then invited the white gryphon under his brown, black-tipped wing, and Skywing eagerly made himself comfortably at the side of his wing-mate. Such a warm sight tugged at Arcturus' heart, reminding him that life was not an amalgamation of strife. With a small smile stretching his flaked lips, the knight moved over to his bed and started to take off the armor pieces one by one, until he stood in nothing more than a pair of thin leather pants and a white gambeson over his dark green tunic.

He settled on the bed with a sigh of relief. Gods, how good it felt to sit after such a long day.

“Are you hungry, captain?"

Arcturus noticed that Skywing, the black striped gryphon, left the feathery shelter of his partner to come over to him instead, his onyx talons clicking pleasantly upon the floor of the cave. The gryphon gestured over to one of the two packs that hung from his supply saddle. “I have brought rations from that tavern you like."

“Oh, lovely." Arcturus was just about to get up when his eyes fell between the gryphon's legs. It was obvious Skywing was a male from his voice, but Arcturus never noticed the gryphon's fuzzy white sheath up until now. It looked like a canine's, slightly larger to match the gryphon's size. Behind, Arcturus caught the outline of one of the gryphon's spheres.

“Captain?"

Arcturus shook his head, feeling unreasonably warm all of a sudden. “Y-yeah, the tavern. That tavern. What was it called again?"

A meek smile stretched over the gryphon's beak. “Embarrassment is such a human emotion. We do not cover ourselves with ostentatious garments, and we are all the freer for it."

“I…what are you talking about? Your wings, your feet?" Arcturus pointed over the gryphon's features with an erratic finger. “All I've stared at is the contents of that big bulging pack you have there."

Arcturus' face reddened further when the gryphon tilted his head to the side, still smiling. Could a more improper choice of words crawl out of his mouth?

“The satchels I mean. You know that, you sly featherhead." He gave the gryphon a good ruffle between the ears, then dropped back on his bed to calm himself down. “So about that tavern. Been talking to the cook, have you?"

“The innkeeper," the gryphon settled on his belly in front of Arcturus, one forepaw crossed over the other. “Grendvar does not take kind to quadrupeds inside his establishment, as you well know."

“That I do," Arcturus chuckled. “T'was amusing to imagine his face when a big gryphon like starts knocking chairs aside. You must be what, twenty summers?"

“Do I look that old, captain?" The gryphon clacked his beak.

“Hmmm, a bit. Definitely more rugged than the fledgling you've brought along." The smile on the knight's face slowly lessened. “What does the king know of the outcome of my mission? Will he send reinforcements, to see these wretched bandits disposed of?"

The gryphon remained silent for a moment, then undid the strap of a satchel and offered a sealed pouch to Arcturus. It smelled of cheese, or, more precisely, his favorite type of aged cheese.

“Toughening me up before the big blow. Smart." Arcturus procured and opened the bag. Next to the cheese he found a few strips of tough jerky, and a tough hunk of bread.

“Mmmm, you do know how to treat a knight, gryphon. Why don't you crawl next to my bed so we can enjoy these treats together?"

Skywing returned with a second item. A skin smaller and tighter than what the troops usually received on their mission. Arcturus knew what it contained from the sweet smell that caressed his nostrils, and his smile slowly lessened into a flat, tense line.

“Cornelius is not sending reinforcements, is he?"

Skywing closed his eyes, his beak pointing at the ground. “It's just the tree of us, captain."

Arcturus figured as much. The conflict with the neighboring kingdoms thinned the available troops for small interventions close to zero. For the outer regions of the kingdom, it was a lawless time. An opportunity for mercenaries and bandits to flourish while the king's gaze was focused elsewhere. Arcturus thought hard on why the king sent him here. What did Cornelius stand to gain from the removal of a band of deserters that haven't caused any major trouble in years?

Skywing's onyx beak moved along his hand. The gryphon only wanted to place the wineskin on his lap, but Arcturus placed his hand on his feathery scruff and began to pet the creature. Skywing's beak parted with a suave chirp under the caress. Slowly, the gryphon strolled closer, pushing his head into the man's chest.

“I'm sorry, captain. I know it is a bigger flock you've wanted, but-“

“Shhh," his arms moved to hug the gryphon's feathery neck. “We'll make due, gryphon. Together, we'll find a way."

Arcturus enjoyed Skywing's company for as long as he could. Like him, the gryphon had needs of his own. He crawled back under the wing of his flock-mate, preening feathers and touching beaks with him every so often. Arcturus enjoyed the open display of affection over a bite of cheese and a few gulps of wine. He felt better. More like himself, when his thoughts led to something other than the deaths of his squad.

However, what started out as an innocent preening slowly acquired a different tone. The tawny gryphon rolled onto his back to display his furred belly to Skywing's clear eyes. The snowy gryphon seemed to analyze his partner before he decided a hind paw was the most interesting thing to play with. Varik made the cutest squawks under his partner's ministrations, and Arcturus found himself joining in with his own human laughter, up until a tint of crimson emerged from Varik's sandy colored sheath. Arcturus blamed it on the wine at first, yet every caress of Skywing's beak made the gryphon's sensitive toes spread out, and his member pulsate all the harder for it.

Varik kicked at the air. A clear line of fluids gushed out with a throb of his member, splattering dew all over the gryphon's belly. Arcturus missed it. He was more focused on their majestic bodies as a whole, rather than small details such as their members…

At least, until Skywing moved on top of his partner to lock beaks with him into an all-out gryphon version of a kiss.

Arcturus spat his wine out when he saw that Skywing himself grew the size of a mountain. In truth, he was not bigger than an average wolf, without that weird bulge at the base that tied the canines together during copulation. Still, Arcturus' horrified eyes perceived the gryphon's erection as something far more sinister. What they were doing now was far more than playing. The cave rang with their croons and fluttering wings.

The human ripped his eyes away from the distasteful sight. How could two males do something like that? He took another swig from his waterskin to find that even the blasted skin betrayed him. There was not a single drop left, and he certainly wasn't brave enough to get another one from the gryphons.

Was he?

Arcturus peeked with the corner of his eye to see them huddled together, rubbing beaks and preening their feathers with the most adorable chirps known to mankind. It was beautiful. Pristine.

If one could ignore the tension rippling along their bodies when they mashed their hind sides together.

“Hey. Hey!" he shouted loud enough to grab their attention. “What in light's name are you doing there?"

The gryphons stared at him blankly, then locked their beaks into another loving kiss and resumed their frantic game of wrestling, if it could be called such. Skywing had never aimed to tickle his opponent. His goal was to arouse. To turn his flock-mate into something no man would do with a comrade in arms. The two gryphons finished the round with a twined, melodic screech and disentangled from each other, with Skywing watching his smaller partner bow low to the ground, his rear hoisted up like a female waiting to be bred. The tufted tip of his tail swished over Skywing's beak, who caught and nibbled on it for a few moments before moving to mount his partner. His barbed tip flared with lust for something warm to sink into, and the squirt of cloudy fluids that splattered over the cavern's floor aroused Varik as much as it repelled the knight that covered his mouth with a hand. Trying to keep his food where it belonged, Arcturus rushed towards the exit. He cursed when his frantic steps sent a piece of armor rattling towards the gryphons. He bumped from wall to wall on the way out, until the blessed chill of the cold mountains washed away the smells, the heat, the noises and everything else.

“Wha…wha did I…" the man smacked his head with a hand as he stared at the beautiful sunset. Nobody mentioned this side of gryphons. Not the books, not the sky knights, not even the bloody creatures themselves.

“Arcturus?"

The knight slammed his back against the wall, startled by the gryphon that snuck up on him.

“Don't…ever do that again." He pointed a finger at the creature's beak. “Stay there. Don't come any closer."

“I thought you might be cold," Skywing settled on his haunches.

Arcturus scrunched his face. He had no idea what made him glance at the speck of flesh that still poked out of the gryphon's sheath, taunting him, as if it vehemently refused retreat where it belonged. “Yeah, that…let's just say I prefer to be by myself when you get…erm…like that." The only way he could point at the gryphon's sheath was by closing his eyes and looking in the opposite direction.

“That?" Skywing's calmer voice washed over the gentle breeze that kissed the entrance of the cave. “What is that? Describe the implications of the word for me, in your own human way."

“Don't want to." Arcturus shook his head to get an amused squawk from the avian's throat.

“You've seen death. Risked your life for a good number of years already, knowing that every mission might be your last. Am I to believe that a captain of your renown is more afraid of what creates life rather than the tolls that take it?"

Arcturus struggled to find a proper reply for his current condition. How could a gryphon that strolled naked through the crowd ever understand the concept of shame? He could be wasting hours and still not get any closer to understand what happened inside that cave.

“We're different. Let's leave it at that."

“No."

Arcturus' heart skipped a beat. “No? What do you mean, no?"

Skywing pushed his head into his palm. Arcturus' first instinct was to retreat. Even run.

But how could he, when the only living being in this forsaken, frozen expanse crooned and nuzzled through his cold, clenching fingers?

“Crawl under my wing. Give me a chance to explain myself before you leap on top of the wrong set of conclusions."

Arcturus found himself inexplicably drawn to the broad wing that flared out for him. He crawled at Skywing's side and sighed with relief when that sea of feathers wrapped around his body like a blanket of living, silky heat.

“Comfortable?" Skywing chirped.

“Mhm," Arcturus offered him a quick nod. “You can start to convince me of the merits of that…bonding ritual you've had back there."

“That is not very far from the truth," Skywing looked up to the distant forest basked in the sun's fiery light. “What you humans call friendship is an ongoing ritual for gryphons. We maintain the good relations between the members of a flock not by speaking words, but through actions."

“Like nibbling each other's feet?"

The white gryphon poked his claws out with a flex of his toes and ran the sharp tips along the stone. “They are one of our more…sensitive places." The gryphon placed his paw on Arcturus' lap. “Touch if you'd like. We use our pads to feel the softness of a nest, first and foremost. Gryphon hatchlings are more fragile than a dragon, and no parent wishes their young ones to be harmed by a sharpened twig. Of course, that sensitivity can also be exploited in other ways, like-“

“I know, I know," Arcturus placed the gryphon's paw back on the ground. “No reason to go over that moment again. Tell me more about these rituals. Are they similar to those of birds, with dances, shiny gifts, and displays of colorful plumage?"

Skywing's wings twitched briefly. “If a gryphon wishes to engage in such things, they are of course free to do so. But no. We value physical touch over the initial excitement of a compliment. Humans show their interest in a mate by bringing them gifts, or flowers. I never understood why something that dies so quickly is held in such high regard by your females."

Arcturus chuckled. He itched to counter that with the gryphon's interest in another male's genitalia, but at the same time, he would not have wanted Skywing to tease him any further.

“Gryphons form bonds quicker than other creatures. We thrive in a flock, surrounded by our winged brothers and sisters, and only through deep, mutual feelings such as love, we can discern what partner is right for us."

“Partners?" Arcturus chuckled. “You mean, two male gryphons can be mates?"

Skywing gave a quick nod. “We love either gender with the same fiery passion. Gryphons make no distinction between males and females. Unlike humans, we both fulfill the same vital purposes for our species, including the raising of young. It isn't unusual for a pair of males to find themselves in possession of eggs. Some females are too young for such a great responsibility, but more often it happens that death plucked a mother too quickly from the embrace of her nest."

Arcturus nodded his head throughout the gryphon's explanation. It made sense, from a gryphon's perspective. He, however, could never imagine two human males raising a child together. He must've been pondering on that longer than he believed, for Skywing pushed his beak into his chest to chirp and plead for attention.

“Oh, getting lovely with me already, you squeaky bundle of feathers?" Arcturus ran his fingers through the gryphon's soft feathers. He ticked around his ears and scratched under his beak, flaring the gryphon's pleasant song to a higher pitch. “So I take it you have a bit of a thing for young Varik back there?"

“Kraawk, every gryphon is equal in my eyes." Skywing released another pleased squawk. “Though it might take time to build up trust, we are not afraid to express our feelings openly. Pleasure is not a sin. Why shy away from sharing it with your loved ones?" He closed his eyes, leaning further back into the human's caress. “My parents taught me to enjoy every joy, every moment, for a satisfying life is worth far more than one spent in the shadow of doubts and fears."

The gryphon paused his croons to perk his head up to the human's eye level. “I've always thought you too young to be a captain."

“Really?" Arcturus chuckled. “What would you have of me? Strike metal with the hammer of a blacksmith?" he ran a finger along the gryphon's beak. “Weave fibers into clothes?"

The gryphon shuddered with a pleased chirp. “Both sound better than what you currently are. Fighting, leading your squad…such talents became second nature, yet in the future, I have no doubt you will find someone you can connect with. Never be afraid to show them your love, no matter what other humans might think, or how bizarre it feels at first. The life of a warrior is fraught with peril. One day, you might look back upon all those missed opportunities with sorrow, and realize how much more you could have accomplished."

The creature's wisdom took Arcturus by surprise. Here he was, expecting a clever quip or a perverted piece of gryphon wisdom. Instead, he received far more than that, and the longer he stared at the gryphon, the more he realized Skywing might have been speaking from experience.

Arcturus hugged the gryphon hard when Skywing resumed his gentle nuzzling. He ran his hands down his neck to feel the rest of his body, the gryphon's croons music to his ears. Skywing dropped on his side, with a leg lifted into the air and a satisfied look on his parted beak. The fur around his sheath was wet with from his earlier bout of excitement, but Arcturus cared not one bit for that as he massaged his sturdy haunches and gave his sensitive hinds a few squeezes.

“Raaaawwk!"

Arcturus felt the shudders rush through the gryphon's limbs. He was enjoying this a lot more than he let out.

“You weren't kidding about these meaty paws," he smiled and squeezed his central pad a few more times.

“Keep doing that…and you might be treated to a gryphon's climax."

“Wait. Really?" Arcturus drew his head back, pointing a shy finger around the male's private areas. “You're not…quite as excited as before."

“I did not have human hands working on my paws last time," Skywing clacked his beak with obvious bliss, then tugged his paws back.

“Want to save it all up for your mate, don't you?" Arcturus released him, washing a hand over his body as the gryphon got onto his fours and shook his wings off dust a few times. Arcturus felt pang in his heart when Skywing gave a dip of his head. He slowly walked into the depths of the cave, his tail flicking briefly.

“There is, of course, the option to join us."

Arcturus almost jumped from how sudden that came. “R-really? You mean…as someone who can rub your paws, or a partner for your…bonding rituals?"

“Whatever you prefer, as long as you see yourself divested of those ugly garments. Our fur will warm you better than any man-made cloth, and our feathers…mrawk, you can see that for yourself." Skywing flicked his tail enticingly, then disappeared into the crystal-lit cave.

What the bloody blazes am I doing? Arcturus asked himself while his feet took him back to the gryphons he had ran away from not too long ago. Skywing and Varik greeted him with excited squawks. They seemed to pay no more attention to him than he did for them once he retreated into his part of the cave to divest himself of his clothes, as the white gryphon cleverly put it.

It's only one time, the knight convinced himself once his tunic fell on the bed of furs. An experiment, if you will. Can't be worse than being chased by a goblin mounted atop a spell-wrangling elf. Who knows? It might even be pleasing.

The human blushed fiercely at the implications of that word. The mere image of him sandwiched between the two crooning gryphons almost made him run out a second time, were it not for Skywing's chirped summons.

“I'm coming, you silly birds. Just need to get rid of my leggings, and my boots." The boots definitely came first. Then the leggings.

Arcturus took a deep breath. The cave seemed colder without something to cover himself with. The eyes of the gryphons had never seemed so intimidating, almost like they could pierce past his flesh, scrutinize every aspect of this extremely stupid decision.

“He's…"

“Different," Skywing started what his wing-mate began, his claws clicking on the stone for the five short steps it took to reach the human. The gryphon fanned his wing over the human's naked form, gently leading Arcturus into their much larger nest.

“So how does this work?" Arcturus nervously waved around the nest. “You get on top of me? I get on top of one of you?"

“We'll see about that later. First, we'll greet each other."

“Greet?" Arcturus raised an eyebrow. He got his answer once he strode into the gryphon nest. The two males had him sit like a set of armor on display while their beaks prodded him all over the place and their beady eyes took in all of the details of the naked man that he was.

“Nffff," tension ran up his spine when Skywing's sharp beak nudged his balls a couple of times.

“They're so small." The white gryphon swished his tail happily. “I thought men were bigger."

“With more fur around their parts," Varik added, twisting his head this way at that at the conundrum that was a human male's genitalia. “Your sheath has no fur. It felt almost like silk when I touched it."

“Yeah, exactly what you said." The naked knight crossed his arms. “Now, can we do something that involves less words and more action?"

The gryphons squawked and chirped with glee. They both seemed very interested in his genitalia, rounding him to get the best angles, nuzzling his package, nudging his sack, or bouncing his flappy flaccid cock on the top of their beaks.

“You might not want to linger there for too long. I haven't had a bath in three…oh…OH G-gods, d-don't…" he sucked up his words and squeezed his eyes shut when a warm beak parted around his cock. Silky, dazzling heat enveloped the tip of his member, washing over the rest of his shaft like a tide of pleasure until it squeezed him in a beautiful caress that rivaled a woman of his species. The human looked down with a pleasure-scrunched face at Skywing's mesmerizing eyes, and the onyx beak that swallowed his shaft all the way down to the base.

“I-I'm going to-“ Arcturus uselessly tried to hold back the hot blood pumped by his great, pounding heart. “Grrrow!" he unleashed a mighty groan as he pulsated fast and hard inside the gryphon's slimy beak. Skywing slowly retreated towards his tip, letting him plop out with a few slimy strands once he reached full mast.

“What…what in the blazes did you do that for?"

“Curiosity," the gryphon licked the strands of saliva off his beak with a quick swipe of his pointy tongue. “I never tasted man before."

“And? You're pleased now, featherhead?"

Both gryphons were enthralled with their discovery, sharing their good will with the grumpy human as they slowly helped him relax in their nest.

“I suppose we should take this a bit slower, since it's your first time," Skywing settled on his haunches two arms distance away from Arcturus. “We inspected you, so it is only fair you have the same opportunity. Varik?"

The tawny gryphon eagerly splayed on his back, his hind paws jerking with excitement.

“My wing-mate here is too young to join your order of sky knights. That does not stop him from dreaming of a human's fingers sliding through his feathers. He is yours, Arcturus. To do as you see fit."

“Hold on. Am I supposed to…pet him?"

“Caress, scratch, or even mate with him if you wish to. Your member should have no trouble fitting in."

“Mounting is a gryphon's definition of taking it slow?"

“It relieves a great deal of tension, and offers an efficient overview of your partner."

“You sound like my teacher, garbed in feathers and armed with a much more perverted mind."

Skywing took that as a compliment as he strode over to the human to give him a loving nibble on the back of his neck.

Arcturus ignored his damn teasing to focus on the calmer, cuter gryphon that awaited his touch. He started with a series of playful scratches around his head that made the gryphon croon with joy. After a few minutes, he slowly move towards his chest, offering plenty of rubs on the way to the avian's scaled forelegs. Arcturus grabbed one of them and twined his fingers with the gryphon's longer ones. Even through his scales, he radiated heat.

“Are you ticklish here? Hmm?"

The gryphon squeezed his talons when Arcturus scratched at the center of his leg with a pair of deft fingers. His other hand focused on the gryphon's feathery neck, and Varik squawked, curled in his nest, and kicked his legs, sending pine needles flying everywhere with his flappy wings.

“Alright. Alright. I'll give you a break." Arcturus scratched his way down the gryphon's chest. The feathers slowly gave way to fur, not quite as thick as a dog's, but very pleasant to the touch.

“What have we here? Two cushy paws ready to be tickled?" Arcturus hovered his hands over each of the gryphon's hinds, ready to sink in when Skywing poked him from behind.

“You might wish to refrain from touching his paws. Varik is noticeably more sensitive than I am."

“Oh…I suppose I'll just grab a bit and save the tickling for later."

The gryphon tensed when his palms pressed down upon the warm, cushy pads, so nice and soft to the touch. Each fit his palm almost perfectly, and Arcturus could not help but pass his fingers through the gryphon's furred toes, just like he did with his forelegs.

Only this time, Varik screeched instead of chirping. A pair of scaly forelegs dragged Arcturus back against the sea of fur and feathers that was Skywing, the gryphon clacking his beak and chirping in his ear. “Take it slower."

“I am. I just-“ Arcturus' eyes widened at the cloudy pearls that now stained Varik's belly. “Is he…did he just…?"

Skywing offered no reply other than an encouraging nudge. Arcturus crawled back to the gryphon. His cock hardened at the sight of the small beads spat by the gryphon's semi-erect cock. He was…big. Probably bigger than him. And he wasn't even fully erect yet.

Arcturus apologized to both of the gryphons by offering Varik a relaxing massage around his hind legs, though in his heart, Arcturus knew he was merely delaying the inevitable.

“How's this?" he smiled at the tawny gryphon, whose head was splayed all the way back, beak clicking together every few seconds while the knight kneaded at his muscular legs.

“He would have you finish." Skywing pointed his beak at the only area Arcturus hadn't touched.

“Ah, the tail," he swiped a hand over and grabbed the tufted tip. “This is a lot fluffier than a lion's. Suppose it helps your hatchlings learn how to hunt? Or distracts your enemies from what's between your legs."

“Feel him, human."

Arcturus gritted his teeth when Skywing clutched his hand within one of his forelegs and gently placed it over his wing mate's nether regions. “This is how you get over your fears. By touching the very thing you're afraid of."

“I'm not afraid of your…" he gasped once his hand fell over Varik's stones. It was too late to back out now. Arcturus gently cupped and felt his way around the gryphon's fair. His testicles felt like a pair of plums nestled into a taut, fuzzy pouch. “Big," he fit each fruit inside his palm individually, then grabbed them both together to knead softly, testing for Varik's reactions. If the gryphon felt anything, he refused to show it.

“Guess they're like mine in that regard." He chuckled.

“There are more sensitive areas you can explore," the white gryphon pointed a claw over to Varik's sheath.

“Yeah. Why not? In all my years, I've never put my hands on a gryphon's parts, until you two convinced me to sit here in your nest and fondle this one's privates."

Arcturus felt his way up the gryphon's sheath, fuzzier, warmer, and wetter the closer he came towards the rod that pulsated with fresh, warm blood. He clasped the edges of the sheath with his fingers to slowly drag it up and down over the gryphon's exposed penis.

“Raaawwwk!" Varik stretched his shivering limbs.

“Does that feel good?" Arcturus continued, tugging the sheath back bit by bit to slowly expose more of the gryphon's smooth flesh. Varik had barbs only around the tip, the rest of his shaft remaining perfectly smooth. He let the sheath roll back when he could not tug it any further back, then peeked over his shoulder to see Skywing open his beak wide.

“You want to…" the human pointed the connection between the open beak and the eager cock that begged for a wet hole to sink into. However, Skywing had no such desire. After he let a string of drool fall onto his hand, Arcturus got the message and lubricated his hands thoroughly for what might've been the last leg of this strange journey.

He reached out for Varik's naked erection. Grabbed it gently inside his grip… and just froze at how well it felt inside his hand. The gryphon's member was several degrees warmer than his own body temperature, and hard as stone.

Arcturus slowly worked his way towards the tip, touching the little nubs of flesh with his index. Varik tensed at that, and as a result, his member unleashed a squirt of fresh pre-seed. Arcturus lubricated himself further with the hot liquid and advanced with the rest of his hand upon the sensitive nubs, until he completely encompassed the gryphon's head within his grip.

“Awwwwk." Varik picked his dazed head up to look at the man that held him by the most sensitive part of his cock.

“I know, buddy. I know exactly what you want." Arcturus rotated his hand around the bulging tip, feeling the soft barbs harden like spikes along his skin. The gryphon's head was obviously the equivalent of a human's, so Arcturus moved his hand back, then forth, each movement bringing more friction upon the unbearably sensitive barbs.

“Does it feel good, my feathery friend? I could go faster if-“

The gryphon's loins surged with an upward thrust. Varik screeched, his entire member plowing through Arcturus' frail grip.

“Too fast!" Skywing cried out from behind.

Varik throbbed harder. Faster. Arcturus barely knew what to do. He just held on the gryphon by the base of his member until his cock tensed with a sharp surge of finality. An arc of milky semen exploded along the length of his body, pelting fur, feathers, and even the gryphon's beak with strings of warm semen.

“Blazes!" Arcturus leaned over the gryphon's shuddering body to grab hold of his tip once again. “You should've warned me, you feathery bastard." He squeezed hard around the leaking erection.

Waves of warm semen trickled between Arcturus' pumping fingers. He squeezed the gryphon hard between each pump to emulate the way a female might drink his precious fluidds. The amount of cum Varik unleashed was abundant, and the way his cock tensed to deliver the mighty loads made Arcturus harden against his will. With his free hand, he found and kneaded onto the gryphon's heavy sack, feeling his balls draw up against his crotch during the blissful, cum-delivering spasms.

The whole thing was over before he knew it, leaving Arcturus with a hand covered in cum and a gryphon soaked in his own produce. Skywing moved past his stunned form. His mind was still processing the suddenness of the events, but he was still aware enough to notice the white gryphon drink from his partner's seed. Skywing dunk his proud wing over the gooey belly of the tawny gryphon, chirping happily.

“What are you doing?" Arcturus found himself asking.

“Cementing our bond," the white gryphon smeared his other wing and both hind paws into the puddles of cum. “Seed is how all life comes to be, and gryphons delight in its spilling, whether it fertilizes a female's eggs or not."

“You can count me out of that, gryphon. I've got enough cum here to last me an eternity." Arcturus raised a fist, then the sticky fluid off his fingers, only to find it more stubborn than even his own cum after weeks of abstinence. “Out of curiosity, what role does mounting play, if seed is so sacred for you?"

The white gryphon fixed him with an uncharacteristically sharp gaze. “Forging new bonds, of course."

“Hey," Arcturus crawled back from the encroaching gryphon. “Hey, I hope you don't mean to actually show me how-“

Skywing merely pushed his head into his naked chest. “It will feel good…" he nuzzled his way up to the human's jaw. “Perhaps better than anything you've experienced so far."

Arcturus found himself unable to say no. Not when this fierce creature acted so gentle around him. Especially not with the gryphon's needy member bouncing against his wet belly an arm distance away from his cum-soaked hand. Arcturus allowed Skywing to nudge him on all fours; the proper mating position for such a striking creature.

I guess I should take this as a stroke of fortune, Arcturus smiled to himself. It isn't every day I get to be fucked by a beautiful gryphon. Skywing's chest feathers rolled over his back, followed by the silky fur of his lower regions. A soft, pleased sigh escaped through the human's parted lips when the gryphon settled his beak upon the top of his head. Skywing took things much slower than Arcturus believed of such a primal creature. He first gave the human time to get accustomed to his presence, then started to ruffle through his mangy hair with his beak.

“A'ight, enough prelude. All this waiting's making my hands hurt and my knees sorer than my butt will be after you're done filling me with…gods…never figured that I, a knight, would ever say these words. So go on. Fill me with your seed, gryphon. Or breed me. Whatever stirs you more."

“Seeing you fulfilled pleases me far more than marking you, human."

“I…I know," Arcturus sighed as he patted one of Skywing's scaly forelegs. Why did he have to be such a lovable bastard? “Guess I am a bit nervous to play the role of a female. Take it slow. And in the rare case it hurts…"

“It won't." the gryphon answered confidently. He started with the gentlest of thrusts, to get the frail human underneath accustomed to the mating process of a gryphon.

His feathers felt nothing but delightful to Arcturus, sliding across the human's bare back with every leaning of the gryphon's hips. Arcturus licked his lips. He felt the gryphon's wet member poke a few times at his entrance, but never went in until Arcturus stared into the creature's beautiful amber eyes. He realized then, with Skywing's chirps of desire caressing his ears, how much he wanted this gorgeous creature. Not just his forelegs, his feathers, his fur or his paws. He wanted the entirety of him.

With a nod of his head, Arcturus scratched under the gryphon's beak and shuddered when the gryphon's warm, slick cock pushed inside his tunnel.

“Ackkhhh," Arcturus tensed up when his sphincter widened around the intrusion. It felt nothing but strange, to welcome something so hard, so warm inside him. “It's…is it in? All the way in?" he looked up to the gryphon for a reply.

“Almost," Skywing pushed himself just a bit further. “There. How does it feel?"

“B-big." Arcturus hissed, only to chuckle after. “A bit…a bit too hard."

“The discomfort will pass as soon as you relax."

“Easy for you to say, nrrfff."

The gryphon was nothing but understanding. With nudges and soft words, he encouraged Arcturus to shift away from his old mindset. To focus on the heat exuded by his feathers, to focus on that tightness deep inside him that flared up near a looming orgasm. Once he gave himself fully to the gryphon, Arcturus' sphincter slowly released the tension, allowing him to feel nothing but the sheer pleasure of the gryphon's intense heat pulsating within him.

“Ahh…I think…I think I did it." Arcturus laughed with glee. “Can feel your throbs almost like they're my own. How is it for you?"

“Good enough to release in a few minutes even if we both stay idle." The gryphon answered.

Arcturus shook his head. “That's not proper now, is it? Go on. Mate with me. I know you want to."

If only he realized what those words unleashed in a few moments, he might've said otherwise. Skywing's barbs tickled his anal muscles in surprising ways on the way out, and, once he pushed all of that tense, barbed flesh back inside, Arcturus gasped with utter delight, his body filled with a surge of unexpected pleasure. Skywing told him all about the magic of the prostate while he gently stimulating the human's blazing nugget with the few smaller barbs that crested the very tip of his member. The more he thrust, the better it felt for the both of them.

“G-gods, gryphon…what in the blazes are you doing to me?" Arcturus squeezed his eyes shut, face flush with lust and sweat. The gryphon hung his head over his shoulder, his own beak trembling with the same intense desire. “Should I slow down?"

“No…No…" Arcturus strained to give him a kiss on his cute beak. “Keep going. Don't stop. I-I never want you to stop, alright?"

The gryphon picked his head up with a trembling squawk and continued his blissful assault on the knight's rear. Every time he went balls deep, Arcturus gritted his teeth against the tide that swelled within his crotch.

“Faster," he begged. “I want all of you, gryphon. All of you."

Skywing secured him with a forepaw against his chest, then mounted another thrust, and another, slamming the human's rear with his powerful thrusts until the heat blazed to volcanic levels. Arcturus screamed out as the gryphon's slick member plowed in and out of his well lubricated ass and begged him to finish before the pleasure overtook his senses completely.

With a final quake of his hips, Skywing rammed himself balls deep into the human, all of his barbs traveling over Arcturus' sensitive prostate in a swift, mind-bending rake of extreme pleasure.

Arcturus screamed louder than he ever did on the field of battle. His muscles contracted with a sudden spasm around the gryphon's erection. For a second, he could feel every barb that pressed against the edges of his full prostate. Every surge of heat that warmed him more than any human partner ever could.

Arcturus could not hold himself back any longer. His cum exploded upon the nest right before a stronger surge filled his insides. Skywing finished with his own broken cry, slouching his head over the human's shoulder to be petted, kissed, and praised by Arcturus as they both came at the same time. Arcturus thought that receiving the love of such a beautiful creature could not be matched by anything.

Then Varik, attracted by the smell of cum, dived his head between his hands with an open beak to swallow two thirds of the human's spitting erection.

“Nnnnghhhaaaaaahhh!" Arcturus gasped out in bliss.

The feeling of slick flesh that enveloped his cold erection enhanced the tightness of his prostate even further. Grabbing fistfuls of twigs, Arcturus launched himself forth, fully giving in to his rutting instincts and mounting that gryphon's beak as if it was a fertile cunt begging for his cum. Strands of milky human cum poured down the sides of Varik's beak in the same way Skywing's own pearl-white seed trickled out of the human's ass like a waterfall. Every second was complete heaven, until every bit of seed leaked out man and gryphon alike.

“Haaaaahhh….nrraaaaaawwwwhhhh…" Arcturus blinked and groaned in utter bliss once his fiery orgasm subsided. Skywing still remained inside for a while longer, allowing his partner to enjoy the fullness of an ass filled with cum before he pulled out. A hefty gush splashed down on the nest, with a continuous trickle following the gryphon's departure.

“That…I have no words to describe what just happened…" Arcturus crawled on top of Skywing's belly. “I mean…it wasn't just good. You made me feel things I never thought myself capable of. Gods, it's almost like…your cock is meant to go inside my ass. Can…can we do it again? After we rest up, of course."

The white gryphon enveloped him within his wings. “As the captain orders," he said before he pressed his warm beak against the human's lips.

Arcturus melted into the warmest kiss of his life, making out with his lover until Varik crawled next to them to demand his own share of attention. Arcturus allowed Skywing to have his turn. After they kissed a few times, the gryphons sandwiched the human between them and gently preened through his hair. Arcturus closed his eyes, finding himself taken into the ethereal realm of the dream world by their chirps and the pleasant heat of their bodies.

THE END

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