Reincarnated into a Snow Griffin
Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Chapter 45

How am I to survive in the presence of such rascal? I think and yet feel lighter after our little brawl, if you can even call it that, and while I try to control my temper and not lose my calm as this little devil has the gift to strain my nerves to their limits I take a deep breath and straighten my back, but as I focused on that I was not aware that the figure in front had very interesting thoughts playing in his mind, far from the innocent carefree figure he cut when facing me, truly mischievous, befitting his little devil title.

However only the devil himself knew just how deep his thoughts convey, how far from innocent and childish he actually is, and just how much those burning eyes, looking like the morning sun being framed by a white mist, barely reflected the blaze that burned inside him.

On just how much the flames feeds over the greed and desire his kin is so known for.

And yet, at that moment, I was still ignorant of his ways and his true intentions, but with such a quicked little devil that is always a hard feat, for when you stare at the mask beneath.

On how, when no one else is looking, his nostrils would flare up to take in the smell of the unaware being that followed behind him, his eyes flaring up behind the mask, framed by the dark shadows of it, a glimpse of the yet to be wicked desires.

Obsession and desire are intertwined in a thin layer between making one happy to causing the other harm... for when one wants to possess, the objective of its desire has little to no say on the matter...

That mystery would remain, however, for much longer, years to come even, for he hid himself pretty well, and at that point, even if I did not know him for long I cannot deny that I trusted him to some extent as he did save my life after all, and nursed me to health at that.

I would not share my worries and deepest thoughts with him, but I could at least sleep well while he was still around.

But my mind is soon pulled away from him as I had not left the cave much since I got hurt, so I had a lot to guard against, making me keep my senses sharp and my guard up as we walk down on a muddy path, taking the book with me, afraid of losing it once more; or perhaps losing what it represented more than the book itself I would say.

No matter, it stays with me.

And even though I am feeling a little excited to see and learn new things, I cannot stop myself from taking it all with a bit of salt in it, on how such futile things seem like a waste of time and effort now, on how I could only find purpose and fulfillment in training and learning, in getting stronger, it was already like this before and now... well.

Now is even worse, is like my mind cannot take its eyes away from it, always focused in that regard, and at that point I was still aware that it may be turning more and more into an obsession.

And yet if as such I would get stronger in the end... then so be it, let that fixation overtake me.

If there was not a mage on the Higher Lands that could teach me then I’m going to find one on the Ground Levels, if there is none here then I will learn it myself, and if there is no magic to be learned that I will hunt other ways to pursue power.

And if that lion, of all creatures, managed to get that strong... so can I.

However, even though my heart has a layer of frost around it, my stomach still has the liberty of growling once the smell of a great variety of food reachs us, carried by the breeze, indicating that we are not far from our destination, especially when the sound of voices, steps, cuisines and the busy about of the city comes along not long after the smell.

And that, of course, plus the sound my belly makes, earns me a chuckle from the little devil that makes my ears turn red, but I’ve decided to not lower myself to his level anymore so I keep my head up.

But even if that veil is over my head my eyes are still filled with the image that unfolds in front of me as the lights and smells and sounds hit me at full blast as the place these wingless creatures live at unfolds before m.

And I don’t really know what I expected of the place, having visited only the outpost and the higher city up above, but I guess I should have known that it would be quite different, especially since the ones on the lower grounds cannot fly.

But what surprised me the most is actually how full of life the place is, especially after only hearing bad things like wars, plagues, wing hunts and death afflicting the lower lands from above.

And this is... quite a shocking contrast from what I expected for sure.