"Don’t Worry, Golden Griffons Don’t Burrow!"

Escorted by several ratmen, the lizardman hurried to a massive cavern. After a brief exchange, the lizardman was allowed to enter. The cavern was immense, over thirty meters in diameter and nearly a hundred meters deep. Torches lined the walls, and glowing crystals were embedded everywhere, illuminating the cavern brightly.

Upon entering, the lizardman immediately knelt, flanked by a squad of fully armed ratmen warriors, the elite of the ratman kingdom. At the deepest part of the cavern stood a large stone chair several meters in diameter. Seated on it was an enormous ratman, towering three meters high—a veritable giant among rats.

The rat king was a corpulent figure, clearly well-fed. On his head rested a crown seemingly made of gold, studded with numerous colorful gemstones. He was draped in a golden beast hide and held a scepter in his hand, all of which underscored his authority and status. This was Aubrey, the Rat King.

The lizardman, still kneeling, spoke reverently, "Honorable King Aubrey, it is an honor to be in your presence!"

Aubrey squinted his beady eyes at the lizardman and addressed him in a high-pitched voice, "I hear your tribe was invaded, and your powerful chieftain fell in battle?"

"Yes, King Aubrey!" The lizardman recounted the battle at the central riverbed in great detail, leaving nothing out. "They were a truly evil group of invaders. They slaughtered all my tribesmen. Each of them wore silver knight armor, all enchanted with magic. Even in the faraway human kingdoms, they must be elite warriors. Their mounts were incredible creatures with the heads and wings of eagles and the bodies of lions, descending like storms to tear my people apart."

"Blood and death engulfed the entire riverbed in an instant. Even the bloodthirsty beasts fled in terror. I beg you, King Aubrey, to send your mighty army to avenge my tribe and slaughter these brutal hunters!"

King Aubrey's massive body shuddered. Winged creatures were a problem—they were rats, and such creatures were their natural enemies. After a moment, he asked, "Do you know where these invaders came from?"

The lizardman shook his head. "I've never seen them in this region before. They must have appeared recently. I did observe them heading northeast."

"Northeast? The Golden Oasis?" Aubrey mused aloud.

The lizardman quickly flattered, "You are indeed a wise and powerful ruler! Those hunters must be near the Golden Oasis, possibly even occupying it. Given their brutality, they surely care nothing for peace treaties."

"I understand," Aubrey nodded. "You may go rest. I will discuss this with my ministers before deciding whether to dispatch the army."

Hearing this, the lizardman desperately wanted the ratmen to strike immediately. As he tried to speak further, several elite ratmen warriors glared at him, silencing him. He quickly exited the hall.

Once the lizardman left, Aubrey tapped the armrest of his throne with his scepter. A figure in a black robe emerged from the shadows of the cavern. The figure appeared to be human.

"What do you make of these invaders?" Aubrey asked the black-robed figure.

"There's too little information to determine their motives," the figure replied. "They might simply be passing through, or they could be after Lord Charles."

"If they threaten Lord Charles, I will muster the entire kingdom's forces to destroy them!" Aubrey declared angrily.

"Caution is advisable," the figure cautioned. "Based on the lizardman's description, I can confirm their mounts are indeed the legendary Golden Griffons."

"Golden Griffons?" Aubrey's fat face twitched. He had never seen one, but he had heard tales of their terrifying power. They ruled the skies, with talons sharp enough to tear through stone and beaks that could pierce the toughest hides. They soared high, their eagle eyes spotting prey from kilometers away, ensuring no escape.

"Indeed," the figure continued. "These powerful beasts are rare even in human kingdoms. If hundreds of Golden Griffon riders have appeared, their backing is formidable. Provoking them recklessly could spell disaster for your kingdom."

"What should we do then?" Aubrey asked, fear creeping into his voice. The mention of Golden Griffons instinctively terrified him. Natural law made ratmen prey for such sky dominators; he didn't want to become a feast for these creatures.

"Just ignore them," the black-robed figure suggested calmly. "Golden Griffons rule the skies, but you are rats, masters of the underground. As long as you stay hidden, the Griffons can't touch you."

Aubrey saw the logic in this. "You're right. Griffons can't burrow into our tunnels. Burrowing isn't their specialty."

However, Aubrey's face darkened. "But please, do not refer to us as rats. We are ratmen, a civilized half-beast race, not mere rodents!"

"As you wish," the figure shrugged. To him, desert ratmen and rats were the same. Only the ratmen of the beast tribes deserved to be considered intelligent and civilized.