~Mirandiona💎

Banking around the east tower I start descending to the large platform that extended from around the top of the structure. Made into a rock garden, soil was brought up to the platform for the plants to grow without pots but the foundation of the platform was made of a metal too hard for the plants to penetrate into the rest of the castle with a step of the same metal keeping it on the platform.

Extending my wings fully I give a few beats to slow my landing just before my feet make contact with the landing platform in the center of the stone garden. Turning around I use the step to get to the ground.

Glancing around I hear a crowing and cawing. Walking to where the sound was coming from I peer around a large bolder to see a, mostly black with dark gray undertones, gryph playing with the speckles of light made by the sunlight streaming through the vegetation.

Using one of my wings I put it in a ray of sunlight and watch as the gryph becomes infatuated with the sparkles and speckles of light now moving around its feet from the reflective silver hilt in my wing. Dancing back he followed the trail of the new spots of light with his eyes making his head bob up and down. Shaking his head as if to rid it of water he catches sight of me and instantly perks up like the loyal pet he is.

"Ovah what are you doing?" I ask rhetorically.

In response he hops over and crows happily, his bird like fore-feet making scratching sounds as his talons hit the stone rocks. Standing in front of me, the top of his head came to about the hight of my breast when he was looking strait ahead.

Lifting his head up to look at me he let his large curved beak rest atop my chest making a cooing sound asking for attention. Chuckling I gave him what he wanted and ran my fingers through his black and gray speckled feathers across his pointed furry ears and down his neck and to the base of his wings.

"You're spoiled, you know that?" I say to him.

He coos again in content agreement. Huffing at his antics I turn at the sound of knocking on the door inside my room. Taking a deep breath I let it out slowly and prepare myself for the confrontation.

Walking through the archway inside, I see Ovah jump on the bed to my right centered against the wall. Turning my attention to the still banging door I swiftly swing it open to reveal a brown eyed, bronze skinned woman with large wings that started from dark brown at the top and gradually turned to a light brown at the tips of her flight feathers.

"Yes Katal?" I address the general.

"Would you mind explaining to me why I was up all night interviewing a prisoner from the east barracks, your majesty?" She ask crossing her arms over her golden armored chest-plate.

Stepping to the side I motion for her to enter the room. As she enters I glance down the hallway to make sure no one is there before shutting the door. Turning to face the older woman I find her standing in a rigged attention stance.

"At ease Katal." I tell her motioning for her to take a seat in one of the few chairs in the room. "That man I had brought to you may very well have saved my life. And with the information he was able to gather from being locked away in a cell, suggest he is very good at observing and not being noticed otherwise he wouldn't have been given such easy access to listen in on conversations." I explain.

"And you wish to utilize this ability." Katal says starting to see my reasoning. "But what would you have him listen for?" She ask leaning forward in her seat as much as her armor would allow.

Taking a seat on the end of the bed I fold my wings to a horizontal position on either side of me so the outer edge rest against the bed. "Not what. Who." I correct, "I don't trust Avar any farther than I can throw a cart of stones. I need someone to keep an eye on him without being easily caught and that will inform me without any other ties getting in the way." I elaborate farther as Ovah comes to stand behind me hovering his head over my right shoulder, fixing Katal with an unnerving predatory stare.

Glancing at the large gryph hovering behind me she looks to me again before nodding her understanding. Standing she gives a salut before making her way to the door.

Before she can leave, "Have him brought to me as soon as possible." I call out behind her.

"Yes, my queen." She answers opening the door and leaving the room with a soft click.

Turning my head to look at the black gryph glaring a hole through the door I reach up and flick his beak. "If I have to be nice then so do you, you little tyke." Crowing in disapproval he flattens his big pointed ears and hides his head against my wing blade where my wing and back merged, just past my shoulder blade.

Chuckling I lean back, making him have to push against me to keep his head up. Crowing in irritation he pushes me forward and shakes his head in disapproval of my actions. Letting out another chuckle at his irritation I turn to the side to stroke my hand down his feathered neck. Now cooing in approval he lays down shimmying under my wing and resting his head in my lap and tucking his taloned feet under my leg.

Tracing my fingers from the front of his beak to the back of his head I run my thumb over the shell of his soft furry ear. Taking a deep breath he sighs contentedly, his ears occasionally flicking up as someone passes the door.

After several minutes of stroking his head his ears suddenly stand up on full alert. Lifting his head slightly he looks at the door. Looking to the door as well I listen to the sound of armored footsteps and scuffling feet before a knock is heard at the door.

"Enter." I call through the door, still stroking Ovah's feathered head.

The door opens to reveal two guards and the man from the prison cell standing between them shackled.

"Remove his shackles." I order the guards as they enter the room. One of the guards pulls a key off his belt and quickly unlatched the metal cuffs. "Have a seat." I say motioning to the chair Katal had been sitting in earlier.

"Thank you, your majesty." He says graciously with a nervous smile. He sits on the chair's edge looking ready to bolt out of the double doors that lead to the garden.

Nodding in kind I dismiss the guards. "So tell me, what is your name?" I ask kindly.

"Fyko." He answers. "Your majesty." He amends his mistake quickly.

Letting it slip I continue, "How many centuries are you?"

"Around two, my queen." He answers just as quickly as before.

"How did you lose that tooth?" I ask motioning with a nod to his missing miner fang.

"Oh, this?" He responds sticking his tongue in the gap between his major fang and flat front tooth. "Had a disagreement with a merchant concerning his daughter, your majesty." He answers with self satisfied smirk showing off his missing tooth.

"You like women. Well then, I guess we have a common ground." I state with a smirk of my own.

"Ha-ha." He laughs, "I figured you were one of those." He says forgetting to address me properly.

Lifting a brow in question, "Oh? How so?" I ask innocently.

"Had an aunt, married some high-rise woman, had a few daughters. I've never met 'em. Anyway she has that same vibe you give off, not the exact same but pretty similar, just like all the ones who exclusively mate inner sexually." He clarifies.

"I see." I hum, turning my gaze down to Ovah as he studies the man with an unwavering stare. Still looking at him out of the edges of my vision I note that since he's been cleaned his wings were now a gray/brown dapple and looked presentable enough, he was missing a few flight feathers.

"Tell me, are you any good at spying on one particular person at a time?" I ask getting to the point of this exchange.

"Reasonably so, yes." He answers, "I grew up in the lower levels of Algrie close to ground level. It's how I got most of these scars." He says motioning to the collection of scars littering his chest and torso. "Have to learn to be sneaky to stay alive. Learn to read people." He finishes with a shrug.

"Perfect." I say with an almost evil smile. "Then you can do what I want. You'll be payed of course. Women, food, a bed to sleep in, and the only shackles on you will be the metaphorical ones attached to me. How does that sound?" I ask with a pleasant smile.

Smiling in kind, "That sounds mighty fine. What's the job?" He ask with a satisfied look leaning back against the chair.

I notice he's not as bad looking as I initially thought. He was actually rather handsome, rugged, but handsome none the less. "I need you to keep an eye on my adviser. His name is Avar, he has light to dark gray wings and is about as friendly and likable as a babbo with a tooth ache." I explain.

"Sounds like a pleasant guy." Fyko says sarcastically, "So what's he doing that needs me to keep an eye on him for?" He ask.

"He has been giving orders to the guards without Katal nor I's consent or knowledge. I would like to know what he's hiding and I need someone of your talents that is unaffected by his influence. Play your cards right and prove your loyalty to me and you'll see what I can do for you. But mess up and abuse my trust in you and you'll see what I can do to you." I warn. Ovah shrieks in agreement to prove my point.

"Consider the job done, your majesty. You freed me from that prison cell and I was do to be executed under false crime. You saved my life, and for that I am forever indebted to you." He says standing to his full hight.

Standing up as well I walk over to a dresser and open the top draw to reveal a collage of jewelry. Reaching in I pick up a thick golden chain with the royal crest indented on a round disk. I trace one of the two swirling dragon heads with my thumb, they were attached by the same neck one atop the other.

Walking to stand in front of the man he lowers his head as I lift the chain to slip around his neck. "No guard will confront you as long as you wear this." I tell him.

"Thank you, your majesty." He says looking me dead in the eye, with gratitude shining clear in his green eyes.

"Don't thank me. Just don't disappoint me." I tell him.

Nodding his understanding he quickly leaves the room. Letting out a large sigh I glance over my shoulder at Ovah still sitting on the bed. "Well that went rather well." I say with a smirk before entering my washroom. The black gryph cawing in agreement behind me.