“Not everything will change,” she replied. “Once you are accustomed to what’s new, it will become easier. You don’t have to leave us behind completely, Astera. I imagine it’s not so different to getting married.”
I stifled a sigh, because while she might be right, it dredged up my disappointment in a way I most certainly didn’t want to talk about.
“You’re likely right,” I agreed.
I wasn’t entirely convinced I did, but I was trying to understand and I didn’t want us to argue. It wasn’t even the fact we were at the temple; if I was going to go away, I didn’t want to be on less-than-good terms with anyone, especially my mother. I knew I’d miss her and life wouldn’t be the same when I couldn’t return home again.
I only had a few moments to calm my mind before Veria returned to the room with a beautiful creature in tow. My eye was instantly drawn to it. It was no normal animal and it wasn’t on a leash—it followed her freely. With its bird-like head held high, it looked rather majestic, though I wasn’t sure what it was. It took me a moment to realise it would be my guardian and I found myself temporarily at a loss for words. I’d expected a human guardian; this was different and so much better.
“Astera, I’d like you to meet Karulo. He will be your protector for as long as you need him to be.”
I was tempted to tell her I didn’t need a protector—after all, I’d never needed one before, but it didn’t seem fair on the creature, Karulo. He gazed at me with his large black eyes, watching me as closely as I studied him. While I didn’t think I’d need his help, I was accepting of it.
“Hello, Karulo,” I said, noting the light blue feathers on his head. They flowed down past his shoulders into a body of white fur. He had legs–four of them with clawed feet, but also wings tucked in against his body of a more vivid blue.
I glanced up at Veria, perplexed and rather awed. “What is he? A bird?”
I was completely at a loss about what I saw. He was like a creature of legend, out of place in the world I knew. His head looked to be that of a bird; that much I was sure about. He had a beak that reminded me of a parrot’s–only far larger–but overall his appearance was closer to that of a dog. A very large, unique and formidable dog, I noted, glancing at his claws. Each one was as long as a finger and sharp at the end. They were also a little muddy.
“He’s part-bird,” she said, as she reached out a hand to pat Karulo on the back.
The guardian stretched contentedly when she did that, and opened and closed his beak, seeming to like the attention.
I reached out to pat him too, and he let me, though he regarded me with his soulful black eyes. I got the distinct feeling he was weighing up who I was and my capabilities. Then again, maybe it was just my imagination.
“He likes you,” Veria replied, as she watched my interaction with Karulo. “In case you’re wondering, he’s a gryphon. There’s a small colony near the Temple of Havian. Our gryphons have the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, as well as other human and animal traits that mightn’t be regular features of their species. We’re actually not sure about other varieties but few are as colourful as ours.”
Veria glanced at my gryphon guardian. “Sorry Karulo, I know it’s rude of me to speak of you as though you aren’t here but Astera needs to know about you.”
The huntress smiled and turned back to face my mother and I. “Karulo will understand almost everything you say to him. He has a human level of intelligence, so I would discourage you from treating him as any other animal. Gryphons don’t like that.”
Karulo snuffled and I wondered if that was in response to her words.
I was tempted to ask how she knew, but I didn’t ask, lest I offend Karulo. “I’ve heard of gryphons before, but I never believed they were real. Is this why some of the temples have stone gryphons perched atop the buildings?”
“It is,” Veria replied, “and you should know not all of them are likely to be stone. Some might be real gryphons sleeping. In their natural form, they can sleep upright like birds or lay down like lions.”
My imagination awakened at the thought. I realised I’d seen colourful gryphons before, seemingly painted in bright colours atop buildings of the city. When I realised they might’ve been real, my whole perspective changed. I wondered what it would be like to spend time alone with Karulo. As my protector, I was sure I needn’t fear him, and I wondered how smart he really was. He was an interesting and beautiful animal, but entirely unlike any others I was used to.
“Gryphons have served as temple guardians for hundreds of years, ever since the huntress Alia-Kay brought Saredo, the first gryphon, back from the wilds of the north and the two formed an inseparable bond. It is said our gryphons are born of their lineage.”
“Wait, you’re saying they’re partially human?” I asked her in confusion. “Surely that part is story and not actual history?”
Karulo looked like an animal and in no way human. I exchanged a glance with my mother and she looked as shocked as I felt.
“It’s possible it’s merely a story. However, gryphons aren’t limited to one form the way humans are.”
That was interesting to know.
“You mean they can shapeshift?” I asked. I wondered how they managed to change and what forms they could take. It sounded like magic to me, but I’d never heard of an animal having magical abilities before. It was said magic came only from the gods.
“That’s it
