Silver-Winged Griffon

In the jungle, the apex predator, the Silver-Winged Griffon, swooped down from the mountain peak. Accompanied by its piercing screeches and the fierce winds it stirred, the young dragons swiftly prepared for battle upon Aisaria's warning.

The Griffon, a barbaric beast cloaked in black, dwarfed even the largest dragons in the group, Kazan and Yongrong, in size. Its eyes blazed like living flames, and its approach brought a pungent, rank odor. This massive magical creature, with a lion-like tail and fur but an eagle's head and limbs, boasted sharp teeth in its beak. When it spread its wings, it could soar like a bird, faster and more agile than the dragons, who were essentially ground-bound.

Unlike the noble Golden Griffons, the Silver-Winged Griffon's entire body was black, dirty, and evil-looking, with a striking white patch on its chest, earning it its name from its distinctive silver feathers.

Upon spotting the young dragons, the Griffon immediately launched an attack. It dove from a great height, an intimidating presence with its skeletal claws and shimmering fangs.

"Scatter!" Yongrong shouted.

The dragons dispersed just as the Griffon's dive reached its climax. None wanted to face its assault head-on. Even Kazan, usually overconfident, knew better than to confront the Griffon's ferocity directly. Its dive was powerful enough to slice a dragon in two.

Few beasts' hunting techniques were as refined as the Griffon's. It had locked onto its prey with a look of hatred and charged straight at them.

The Griffon, intelligent and likely remembering past encounters with dragons, seemed to direct its vengeful fury specifically at the young dragons, targeting Yongrong.

As the Griffon closed in, Yongrong calmly watched the beast grow larger in his vision, waiting until the last moment to dodge its dive. The Griffon missed and crashed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust and debris. Almost instantly, it leapt again, still focused on Yongrong.

Yongrong, just landing, turned to see the massive Griffon already upon him again. He had no time to react.

"Electrify..." Yongrong gritted his teeth, preparing to force his body into action when suddenly a roar filled the air. Flames burst from the ground around him, turning the valley a blazing red. The Griffon, terrified of fire, hesitated and backed away.

Griffons inherently feared fire, and this instinct forced it to abandon its pursuit of Yongrong. The moment it paused, Kazan, Aisaria, and Posa encircled it, launching a coordinated assault like the wolves had done to them.

Their attacks were swift and efficient. They took turns striking, not giving the Griffon a moment to breathe. This relentless assault was a strategy born from their dragon heritage and hunting experience.

Yongrong kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. Griffons typically mated for life and hunted in pairs. The intelligence provided by the feeders confirmed this, suggesting there were two Griffons, one injured.

The Griffon they faced bore no wounds, indicating it was the uninjured one. The injured mate was likely hidden nearby, possibly waiting to ambush them.

The dragons realized this and shared warnings in their dragon tongue. "Be careful. The other one might be hidden," Aisaria cautioned. "There's no other scent," Posa confirmed.

Kazan roared and stepped forward, his fire forming a ring around him. The Griffon avoided him, still focused on attacking the closest target, Aisaria.

Aisaria dodged backward, trying to create distance between herself and the Griffon, which relentlessly pursued her. In its fury, the Griffon ignored the other dragons' attacks and even Kazan's fire. It was determined to kill the green dragon.

The beasts' wisdom was evident: in a group attack, focusing on one target could turn the tide. Aisaria, in her panic or distrust, made a critical mistake by retreating in a straight line, effectively breaking the encirclement and leaving the rest of the dragons behind.