Ellanta


Gazing up into the night sky on Christmas Eve, I couldn't help but admire how bright the stars were tonight. It seemed the heavenly host was all out to play on this cold winter's night. My breath frosted the air as I sighed. It was a beautiful night, but lonely. I turned to trudge home, feet scuffing the snow. As is often the case in winter, the night seemed to hold a silken silence, the snow muffled sounds around me.

I made my way slowly down the hillside. The snow on the path made it relatively easy to find my way, even in the dark. Alone with my thoughts I made my way home to my empty house.

Half way down the hill, I heard a screech from above. Looking up, I saw what at first appeared to be a comet, streaking across the sky! But this commet was getting bigger, and bigger, till with an allmighty roar it passed directly overhead, making me duck from the noise and the sudden heat of its passage. With a bang, it impacted the hillside above me!

Turning around, I hurried back up the hillside to investigate. At the top of the hill, in almost exactly the same spot as I had stood not long before, I found a huge eggshell, radiating a blue white heat and cracked from the impact. It rocked back and forth a few times, the crack getting larger and larger. Soon, a blue eye peeked through the crack. Upon seeing me, the creature in the egg made some muffled grumblings and renewed its now frenetic attempts to break open the egg. Concerned, I reached out, but almost burned my hands on the white hot shell.

Quickly taking off my scarf, I wrapped it around my hands and again reached out. The fabric of the scarf started to smoke from the heat of the shell, but with prying fingers, and the efforts of the creature inside the egg, we managed to force the egg shell further open. With a pop, it burst and shattered into several large pieces, and whatever it was inside popped out, tumbling over me in the process!

Laughing and squirming to get away from a very wet, very excited tongue bath, I sat up, trying to see what I had helped rescue. From the feel of it, I assumed I had helped a young griffi out of the egg, but of course in the dark it was hard to see. Finally calming the wiggling hatchling, I asked if he was hungry. A vigorous nod of the head was my only answer.

Picking up the bundle of feathers, again giggling at the nuzzling of the hard little beak playing with my beard, I again started down the hill. My little cabin in the woods blazed with light in the dark night, Christmas lights lit up the eaves, and my tree stood proudly in the window. I could smell the fire in the fireplace I left baked, but ready to blaze again as soon as I returned. It didn't take long to reach the bottom of the hill, and that cabin's steady warmth, but by the time I did, the little bundle in my arms was shivering something fierce.

Hurrying inside, I placed my guest in a nest of blankets conveniently already on the couch by the fireplace, and quickly got the fire started again. While I did so, chirps and rustling behind me confirmed the little guy (or girl?) was busy preening itself ad snuggling into the blankets. Finally done re-stoking the fire, I turned to greet my new friend properly. As I turned, initially all I could see was a beak and an eye poking through the blanket.

As she saw me grinning back at her, the little bundle of feathers chirped once, then slowly struggled out of the blankets to come greet me properly. I gasped at the sight! She was beautiful! The deep blue feathers marked like a peacock, and the starry spangles across her flanks...

"Ellanta" I whispered... Starfall

She dipped her head in recognition and came to me, nuzzling my cheek as she chirred a greeting.

thanks fai <3

Lyra the Midnight Guardian


The Midnight Guardian did not exist. She was not on our earth. She was nothing. And then, in a moment, she simply did exist, appearing out of nowhere. She suddenly found she was sentient, suddenly breathing, suddenly moving. She knew she was real.
She knew nothing of who created her. She knew nothing of where she was. Yet she knew that she had a purpose.
She found herself in the middle of a lake. She didn't know how she got there. But without so much as a second thought, she knew the name of the place. Astryl's Tranquility, the wind seemed to whisper to her. She lifted her head, turning to take in what was around her. To her surprise, she was sitting in the middle of an iceberg. She didn't know how she knew what an iceberg was. She hadn't existed moment before. But she knew, as she knew what the trees were, what the skies were.
The iceberg was being moved towards the shore by an invisible force. The Midnight Guardian knew it was not a natural movement. Yet she felt at peace. She wasn't even cold.
She made her way to the edge of the ice, taking in the vast forests surrounding the lake. It was dark. The moon watched over her. And she could sense the creatures of the forest around her. They were not like her. They were not of her kind, not what she was looking for...
The Midnight Guardian then turned to the water and jumped slightly in shock. She was majestic. Her normal blue colour suddenly stood out against the night. Her fur seemed to sparkle and shine in the moonlight. Her tail was a plume of feathers and her wings...
They're not mine, she thought distantly, slowly moving the blue feathers.
The movement made her wince. They were sore. It felt almost as though...
Suddenly, images began to flash in her mind. Danger. She was running... no, flying away from something. A man with a knife smiling menacingly. A net being thrown over her as she stumbled below the trees. And finally, looking up at a woman who was staring greedily at her old wings.
Tyrielle
With that name, the Midnight Guardian remembered her purpose. The Griffi were in danger. They were being hunted... for their wings. They had taken hers and now... they wanted more.
She took to the skies, letting the whisperings of the winds guide her. She would fight. But she needed help. The stars seemed to show her the way, leading her to a clearing. She trusted their judgement, although she didn't know why.
As she flew, she looked up to the skies and the stars. They told her she was their Midnight Guardian, the message bearer of the spirits. She knew that they sent her down, giving her a second chance at life, and a powerful new set of wings.
She was to warn the others. She was to bring the Griffi, a solitary species, together. She was to save their wings before the tyrants took more.
As I looked into the regal Griffi's eyes, I learnt this. It was the middle of the night, and few other creatures were out. I had been out searching for treasure when she flew down from the trees, landing with grace. It took me a while to get over the pure surprise of her beauty. "Wow," I eventually managed to say.
I didn't know how, but somehow she was speaking directly in my mind. Her voice was soft and soothing, demanding respect yet gentle. Somehow I knew she was... well, good. She wasn't misleading me. She was looking for someone to trust, as she herself was a trustworthy creature.
The Midnight Guardian gazed into my eyes, her face knowing and wise, yet strikingly innocent, unaware of how the world worked. "Please. You seem to know my kind. I must find others," she whispered in my mind, glancing behind me at Talutah. The Vampiric Griffi, normally so proud and reserved, seemed almost in awe of the celestial being in front of her.
I swallowed, still gawking at the elegant Griffi. Eventually, I nodded. "Yes, of course. There are many Griffi around the Viridian Meadows at this time of year. We can find them and warn them."
"What of Tyrielle and her followers? I... may need your help in defeating them" the Midnight Wing asked, hate and determination in her eyes.
"We'll find her."
The Griffi nodded, and then stared up at the stars again, looking hopeful. Time seemed to stop for a few seconds. She truly was a beautiful Griffi. As I stood, astonished by her, she stood astonished by the stars.
"That's Lyra," I said softly, pointing out the constellation she was looking at.
The Griffi seemed to grin, and gave me a nod. "And I am Lyra the Midnight Guardian."

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you too Faiona, and everyone else who reads this.

'Aronia' - The tale

Legend goes there once lived a Griffi unlike those of the Sylestia kingdom. This one was unique, rather one of it's kind. Blessed by the hands of not only a Sylestia Goddes but the Queen of the Gods herself.

With Goddess Fozion's power, she granted the young Griffi "eyes" upon all of it's bountiful feathers, each one to symbolise all-seeing knowledge. With this and the "eyes", this Peacock-like Griffi became known to all as another Goddess. The Goddess of Sylesties themselves. She began to be noticed for all she helped with Sylestia and began to symbolize renewal due to the shedding of her feathers each season pass, to help with the harvests, allowing them to grow stronger. This becoming known as the Great Immortal Harvest. Each crop regrowing as it was harvested the season before.

However, times have changed and that is just a mere fairytale according to the elders of the village I dwell within. Yet, there is one person who believes she saw this Sylesti long ago. This tale is one my grandmother repeatedly told, wishing she would see this beauty again.

"Long ago, I was harvesting those mere crops again. After loosing half of them to the brewing storms, I had to gather them before they were all wiped clean from the ground. I was chopping at the stems as fast as my frail arms could... However, I spotted something not quite right. A deep sky blue wheat, or as it looked with this poor eyesight of mine. Then, it shimmered... I walked over there, my legs wobbling as fear struck me. Then, out popped a hatchling, a Griffi hatchling. However, this one was odd. It looked like a giant peacock!" I remember giggling when she said that, and she wouldn't finish her story as I had upset her. This irritated me but I knew it was just a tale anyways... That was until the season of the harvest came around once more.

The same scenario occurred, storms brewing, half the field torn to shreds... the large deep sky blue wheat ... WAIT. I galloped over to it, my eyes as wide as those of a bushbaby, startled, it darted out at me, wings flailing in the air to appear bigger. Eyes? ... Markings? ... I blinked a few times before hurrying back into the house to find my grandmother... but once I got there ... I found my grandmother laying in her rocking chair like always ... but this time, not breathing. Tears rolled down my rosey cheeks... agony clear in my wails. As I fell to the fall, the Griffi came beside me, nudging my side. I nuzzled into her, not wanting to ever let go of those feathers.
"Aronia", I called, naming the Griffi after my frail grandmother, she will always be with me...





Sorry for how long it is and how odd it sounds. xD I had like 2 hours sleep last night as I was bringing the presents down and into the living room. xD

Nyx is the child of the stars in the sky, forever guardian of everyone and everything at night. Her heart is large and overflows with love and emotion for everything and everyone. She is extremely optimistic, and will often try to find compromises in difficult situations. She can often be spotted soaring through the night skies, keeping watch over everything.

I heard a heavy sigh as I poked my head out of my shell. I looked around, and thats when I saw her, my mama.
"You made it little one." She rasped. She didn't look so good. Her fur and wing feathers were stained red.
"Mama! What did this to you?" I was scared. If mama dies then I will have no one to take care of me.
"A group from our pride was caputred not to long ago. They came back but a creature that was walking on two paws was ordering them around. And they listened. They capured many of our pride and killed the rest. I ran and hid after your father was killed." I nuzzled her and thought to myself.
Mabey if I sleep with her, she will not die.
So I curled up by her all night. I awoke with a terrible feeling that some thing was not right. Mama wasn't breathing! IGot up and tried and tried, but mama wouldn't get up.
There was a clater of rocks as something came down into the cave the pride lived in. Then there footsteps, a lot of clawed feet were walking down into the cave. I was scared so I hid and watched as a creature standing on two legs orded 2 bigger creatures around. One had talons and big wings, it walked on two legs and had not fur but feathers. The other one was big, it scared me, with those big claws and muscular build, it had big scaly wings, but those looked out of place on the reptailian body.
The first beast wandered over to mama and squaked at it's master. "Hey I found a shell and new mom, do you think they would be so crule as to take the new baby away from the mom and kill her?" The first beast said.Then It nuzzled mama with its big beak.
"Where are you LonelyMountain? Hurry we must look for survivors! Before they come back to take their pelts." So the first creature was named LonelyMountain. LonelyMountain took Mama in its talons and flew her over to its master, and gently laid her down.
After a cuple of hours of digging graves the creature, LonelyMountain, and the two legged creature flew home. Lonelymountain carried an egg in one of her talons, and the reptilian creature had the other creature on its back, for the two legged creature did not have wings.
Quikly I started to run after them, my short stubby legs kept up well. When they finaly landed they were in a town with many creatures following the twolegs. There were a lot of people gathered around a stand, Two twolegs were sitting there talking with the others, they looked important. Not wanting people to take me, I acted like I belonged following LonelyMountain. We made our way to a farm house complete with a stable.
"Woha! LonelyMountain be careful, we don't want this egg to break." the two leg reached up and toke the egg from LonelyMountains talons. "Now both of you should go rest. And ShadowFang?" The reptilian creature turned. "I don't want to hear about you trying to eat the Zolos again."
"That was one time Trgrstr!" ShadowFang shouted back.
For the next cupple days I watched Trgrstr. Every day she went out with a few pets in the morning and came back just as the sun started going down. One day that eggling hatched, but a twoleg named HollyMiss came and Trgrstr gave the creature to her. They called it a Quatire. Every day I fell more in love with the idea of helping Trgrstr on her quests.
I hatched abrilaint plan and my wings flutered with the excitement of it. I would follow Trgrstr and when the time is right, I will walk out and ask her if she will name me and take me for her pet. The next day I followed her to where she was battling other twolegs, in the middle of the feilds. when the battle was over she healed her pets and was about to walk away. When Iwalked over she stopped dead in her tracks with awe. Slowly I walked over, and made sure my wings were out so she could my majesticness. I nuzzled her hand and purred,"Please, give me a name and alow me to accomany you."
"Oh, you want to join me. Well then I will name you MidnightStars. Come along MidnightStars, allow me to escort you to my stables to meet the others."
Thus our story ends

Lunar Eclipse

She was a Griffi that descended from the moon and stars themselves. Many names she had, many titles. She loved to fly and dance with the planets and stars. Yet one day, she grew bored. That day she looked toward the land of Sylestia, where there was hundreds of good souls for her to becomes friends with. Thus, she flew into this world of hopeful friendship. As she flew through this world she saw creatures. More Griffis, like her, but none had features quite the same as she. Still amazed that she had family somewhat like her, she continued her search for a human friend, and is still searching.

-The End-

This is my first time entering a contest and this is really exciting! Good luck to everyone! Will you be her friend?

Midnight Wing

Born without parents, the Griffi is faced with the challenge of fending for itself.

That was, until a stranger stumbled across the Griffi on an adventure. She took into account the way the Sylesti looked, and called it "Midnight Wing". It was offered a new home, a warm place to stay while never having to go hungry again.

Pinging myself so I don't forget about this. >.<