Chapter 6: The Land of the Winds
Episode 3: The Bonds of Royal Blood
Part 2/7 – Exploring the Runes of the Ancient Ruins
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Scene 1: Morning at the Thunderwill Residence
As always, the morning sunlight reached Skyperion earlier than anywhere else. Though filtered through fiber-crystal minerals, the brightness rivaled that of any other realm. We all woke up groggy, having stayed up far too late the night before, caught up in the joy of singing together—just the six of us.
After finishing our morning routines, we gathered at Kalisa's house, Keela's mother. As always, the meal was simple, made with local ingredients but plated beautifully, and the taste rivaled anything served in the royal palace. This time, with ingredients brought in from beyond Skyperion, the meal was more filling, leaving none of us complaining about still being hungry.
Yue patted her stomach with satisfaction. "That was so filling! And so delicious, too! I feel like singing a song of thanks now. Hehe!"
Keela chimed in, "Last night… I thought I heard you all still singing after heading back to your rooms. Were you still singing then? I mean, besides Mirelle and Yue—who was it that sang with such powerful vocals?"
With the question out in the open, Osiris cleared her throat. "Ahem. I just adjusted the frequency a little. Why do you all call it powerful?"
"You might think it's a small thing," said Draco bluntly, "but to us, it sounded incredible."
Mirelle added, "Exactly. Everyone's voice has its own unique frequency. You can't just replicate someone else's. What you did was amazing, Osiris."
Akira nodded thoughtfully. "Osiris's vocal strength is impressive… but Elina's rapping skills were just as incredible."
"Rapping?" Keela perked up. "That sounds like fun!"
Elina grinned. "It goes something like this," she said before launching into a short rap.
"Wow! That's so cool and fun!" Keela exclaimed, eyes sparkling.
Kalisa chuckled. "So music these days includes styles like that now, huh? Back in the palace, all the songs were slow and drawn-out. Just listening made you want to fall asleep."
Old man Gryphonnix added with a laugh, "That's still better than in the old days. They sang so high-pitched, it could shatter glass. Every time I heard it, my ears were ready to fall off. I never understood how people liked that back then."
Kalisa replied with a smile, "Tastes change with time. Different eras, different styles. Just like how everyone has different preferences in food."
"But Auntie Kalisa, you really nailed it today," said Akira warmly. "Even knowing how different our tastes are, you still managed to make a meal that every one of us could say was delicious. That's amazing."
Kalisa beamed. "That's because I added just the right flavor… something we call love. If you want food like this every day, just ask Keela to cook for you. I've already taught her everything I know."
Akira let out a small laugh. "That might be asking too much. I mean, I'm just a regular guy. Asking a princess to cook for me every day…"
Kalisa covered her mouth with a giggle that was exactly like Keela's. "Kikiki. I didn't mean Keela as a princess—I meant her as an ordinary girl, that's all."
Yue tilted her head, thinking. "Oh, so you mean big sis Keela wants to travel with us? That's great! I get to eat tasty food every day! Yay!"
Though the others were fooled by Yue's innocent remark, Akira, Mirelle, Keela, and Gryphonnix immediately understood what Kalisa truly meant. The evidence? Keela and Akira were both giggling awkwardly, trying to hide the fact that their ears had turned bright red.
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Scene 2: Food and Family
Keela quickly shifted the topic. "But hey, Elina, I found your rapping really fun! Can you teach me how to do it?"
Elina replied cheerfully, "Sure! Try repeating these lines slowly first, then gradually pick up the pace."
She began teaching Keela a simple rap rhythm. Everyone was impressed by Keela's surprising talent—she really had a knack for it. Unlike Elina's cool and edgy rap style, Keela's was a lightning-fast charm that caught everyone off guard.
Everyone clapped and cheered for Keela, but no one looked more delighted than Akira. He was internally swooning, caught in his own dreamland—for Keela was the final piece, the last member of Little Monsters he'd been hoping to find. She was Aya, his idol.
Gryphonnix teased with a smirk, "Keela, I've been hearing that more and more people want to support you to take the throne. But you'd rather go adventuring with your friends, right? Well, let's say fate tosses you into becoming queen someday. You'd have to choose a king and then pick two royal consorts to complete the Three Pillars of the Crown. Think you could handle that?"
Kalisa smacked his arm. "Gryph, that was a little too much! No snacks for you at lunchtime—three days!"
Gryphonnix flinched. "Nooo, not the snacks! Keela, I'm sorry! I went too far!"
Seeing a high-ranking Guardian apologize so earnestly, we couldn't help but marvel at the power of good food. So this is it—proof that even a mighty Guardian can be humbled by the strength of a mother's cooking.
Kalisa went to comfort her daughter. "It's alright, Keela. No matter which path you choose, I'll always support you. Whether it's who you want to be… or who you choose to be with. We'll stand beside you—because we're family, aren't we, Akira?"
Akira responded sincerely, "Yes, ma'am. That's what family does—we support each other. Even as friends, we can still be like family. And sometimes… being family also means guiding each other out of the wrong path, if someone's straying."
Keela nodded in agreement. "That's true. I really appreciate that you support me in everything, Mom. But if you spoil me too much, I might end up being a selfish brat. And if I ever have kids… I don't want them to grow up spoiled either."
Kalisa pulled away from the hug, her eyes wide. "What's this? You're already thinking about kids? Oh dear, does this mean I'll be a grandma soon? How wonderful!"
Gryphonnix burst out laughing. "You haven't even introduced your boyfriend yet, and you're talking about children? That motherly instinct of yours is strong!"
Keela turned beet red. "Grandpa! Mom! You're always teasing me! I was talking about Katria's kids, not mine! And in front of all my friends, too… I'm so embarrassed! Just—just talk about the runes, okay? I'm outta here!" She covered her face and ran into the kitchen, leaving behind only laughter and the echoes of her flustered escape.
Except for Akira, who stood frozen. She… wasn't talking about me, right? We're not ready for that! I haven't even graduated back in my world. And now that I've been stuck here this long… there's no way I won't have to repeat the year. I just hope Mom and Dad can talk the school into something… and that my friends aren't too mad I disappeared. Right, Mei?
Meanwhile, Mirelle was clearly distressed. This is bad. This is really bad! That girl's got serious support from her whole family. I've been here longer, and I haven't even scored half the points she has! I can't let my guard down around this bashful princess. She's dangerous!
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Scene 3: The Rune Trial
After Kalisa had coaxed Keela out of the kitchen and back to the table, we finally settled down and turned our attention to something more serious—runes.
Gryphonnix sat cross-legged in the center of our circle, with Kalisa standing calmly behind him. His tone shifted into one of gravity. "Alright, children. Let's get to the main topic of today. This trial I mentioned—here's how it works. I'll show you a single rune. If you can tell me what it is and how it works, I'll personally guide you and share everything I know. But if you can't… then I'll just take you there like tourists. There's no point teaching people who don't understand even the simplest of runes."
The moment his words ended, a weight dropped in all of our hearts.
He raised his hand and began to draw in the air. Light followed his finger, tracing lines of energy with every stroke. But what he created wasn't just a single letter—it was a sequence of many, intricately connected. As the runes multiplied, they began to collapse inward, merging and compressing until four separate fusion events occurred, finally condensing into a single, glowing symbol.
It was one of the most mesmerizing rune constructions we had ever seen.
With a calm voice, Gryphonnix spoke again. "You have one day to decipher this rune. I'll be napping in the back garden, but before that, I'll observe your analysis for an hour."
Keela was the first to speak. "I clearly saw the word wind while you were drawing. But there were also traces of lightning—lots of components related to that."
Mirelle added thoughtfully, "The merging process is like constructing a magic circle. Each circle represents a single function or command. If multiple circles are stacked, it becomes a multi-command structure. The more layers, the higher the tier. If it's layered enough, it could become a grand spell. But this one looks like four or five layers at most… that's about beginner to mid-level magic."
Osiris leaned forward. "The structure… it's similar to cyborg coding. I'd need more data to fully learn the language, though. Right now, it's too little to work with. But I can extract some readable strings for us to interpret."
She then decoded the sequence and projected it onto each of our Nasika holograms. We all put on our MR glasses to view the visual clearly.
Elina squinted. "Looks like it's giving a command to spin. And I see terms like on/off and increase/decrease too."
Draco reached out and touched the rune. "Whoa… hey, guys. I don't know anything about this language, but I feel like it's boosting my fire magic. Look!"
He summoned fire to his fist.
FWOOM!
A fierce blaze erupted upward, licking the ceiling.
Draco panicked and cut the spell, but the flames had already caught the edge of a decorative cloth.
Mirelle reacted instantly, firing a burst of water to douse the flames, then flash-freezing the soaked area and dispersing the ice as a flurry of snow. She turned and scolded Draco. "Are you crazy?! You nearly set Keela's mother's house on fire!"
Draco drooped. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to show how the rune really did amplify my flames…"
Akira walked up and slung an arm around his shoulder like a true brother-in-arms, patting him on the back. "No worries, man. Actually, that proves it—this really is a wind spell. Wind feeds fire. So maybe lightning is the driver that activates the system to generate wind."
Yue reached out next. "I think my Starseer Eye let me see its form."
Everyone turned to her.
She quickly began sketching in MR mode, projecting an image we could all see: a fan blade and components designed to make it spin.
Akira lit up with realization. "It's a fan! The blades create airflow, lightning acts as the motor to drive rotation and controls the power levels and on-off function. It's a fan, right, Gryphonnix?!"
The old Guardian stood frozen, mouth agape. Kalisa had to nudge him.
"Gryph? Hello? Earth to Gryph? You with us?" she waved her hand in front of his eyes.
He snapped out of it and burst into laughter, slamming the table with joy—so hard it cracked.
Startled, he turned sheepishly to Kalisa. "Ah, my bad. Got a little too excited there. I'll replace the table! Please don't cut my lunch snacks!"
Kalisa sighed. "Sigh… Forget it. It was already worn out. I'll fix it later. Now, how about you focus on evaluating the kids?"
Gryphonnix composed himself. "Ahem. You all got it right. That was brilliant. I wasn't expecting you to figure it out in just minutes. Meanwhile, those pompous scholars and researchers have been trying to crack that rune for years and still couldn't manage it. Kalisa, it looks like the hope we've been waiting for… is finally here."
Kalisa beamed, covering her mouth with a delighted chuckle. "Yes… fate has finally arrived. Compared to those frogs puffing themselves up in shallow ponds, these children are like salamanders ready to grow into dragons."
Gryphonnix added, "That's right. People who spend all their time boasting about how smart they are never realize how much they're not. They block their own chance to grow with one simple lie: I'm smart and you're dumb. Just like a cup already full, they can't take in anything new. But if your heart stays open, your growth will never stop."
The two elders nodded in shared satisfaction—not only because fate had led these gifted young ones to them, but also because, unlike the arrogant "experts," these children accomplished so much without even a hint of pride.
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Scene 4: Griffin Coaster
Gryphonnix stood up with a gleam in his eye. "Well then, since you've all proven yourselves so capable, let's head to the ancient ruins right away. We'll start with the old site and return here afterward."
As soon as he finished speaking, he paused mid-step, as if struck by a sudden idea. "Hmm… but how should we get there?"
Before we could even rise to follow him, he stepped outside—and in the blink of an eye, he shot into the sky.
Fwoom!
A whirlwind of dust was all that remained in front of the house as he vanished upward. We coughed and waved at the cloud choking the air, barely recovering before a large basket came crashing down from above.
Thud!
More dust. More coughing. More chaos.
And then he landed with a heavy thump right beside the basket, sending up another explosion of dust.
Kalisa's voice rang out, firm and sharp. "Gryphonnix!"
Suddenly, the wind was sucked out of the house, only to be replaced by a clean, fresh breeze from the windows. It swirled around Gryphonnix, pulling all the dust into a neat little ball, which he rolled off to the side like a careless child.
"Sorry, Kalisa. Got a little excited there," he said sheepishly.
Kalisa didn't say a word. She just gave him that look—one that silenced even a Guardian of the Continent. Technically, he was her father-in-law… but even that couldn't shield him from the wrath of one who mastered the art of cooking. The power of good food, after all, knew no equal.
Trying to salvage the moment, Gryphonnix chuckled awkwardly. "Come now, don't be mad. Kids! Gather around—I've got something fun to show you."
As we approached, he cast a gentle wind spell that lifted us smoothly into the basket. "Hold on tight. Don't want anyone falling out."
We clung to the edges, unsure of what to expect.
And then… Gryphonnix transformed.
From a humanoid avian into a majestic, monstrous griffin.
But this wasn't your storybook griffin. Instead of a bird's head atop a lion's body, this was something inverted—and far more fearsome.
The upper half was that of a powerful lion—fanged, ferocious, with a mane of sleek feathers. His forelegs looked strong enough to shred stone, while his hind legs bore the lethal talons of an eagle. A long tail balanced him perfectly in mid-air, and vast wings spread out with an intimidating grace.
Seeing such a reversal of expectations, none of us dared imagine what it'd be like to fight something like this.
Without warning, the great griffin flapped his wings and took off—clutching the basket in his hind talons. His front claws paddled the air as though climbing invisible stairs. And just like that, we soared into the skies.
The girls screamed in unison.
The basket swung and swayed dangerously, pulled in wild arcs as Gryphonnix looped and weaved with exhilarating flair. It was a thrill ride with no rails, no safety belts, and no sense of control.
Akira turned pale.
Though he'd ridden roller coasters back on Earth and once teased Mei for being terrified of them, he now understood her completely.
No, he thought, this is worse. So much worse. A griffin flight rollercoaster? Mei… I'm sorry for ever laughing at you. If you could see my face now, I bet you'd laugh at me instead. Then again… this is kind of fun…
That strange duality crept in. The same thing Mei once said when she tried something scary and ended up loving it:
"It's actually kind of fun."
Sometimes, joy waits just on the other side of fear.
And one by one, the others began to feel it too.
The initial panic faded into wonder as they peeked over the edge of the basket, taking in the sweeping views of forests and clouds. Laughter began to replace the screams. Even Kalisa—yes, Kalisa, one of the three royal consorts of Skyperion—was caught giggling like a child.
Gryphonnix smirked, as if the sound of their delighted shrieks was his favorite music. He banked, spun, and soared even more daringly, drawing out every last drop of joy from the experience.
The ride might take longer this way, but to him—this moment, these smiles—this was the true destination.
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