Gryphon City

The wind feels soft and warm against her fur and feathers, like a blanket of air is surrounding her. Slowly she soars over her home, the city of gryphons. Gryphon city knows one famous legend of its origin. All gryphons know the legend of the city, including Cylmani herself. On occasion she flaps her mighty wings, recalling the tale that has been told many generations long.

<sub>There used to be a time the landscape was a barren one. No plants could possibly grow in the parched soil, and only the most persisent species of animals could survive in the almost desert like environment. That was long before the age of gryphons. Before the great storm.

You would think the great storm had been a bad thing, but in fact, it wasn't. The great storm changed the land. For many days the rain fell from the sky and drenched the thirsty earth. Small plants sprouted, quickly followed by bushes filled with beautiful flowers and tall trees that reached for the skies. The new vegetation allowed more species of animals to live in the area. It seemed the environment had been saved, but unfortunately that was not entirely true. Right now there was enough water to keep the plants alive, but this water supply wouldn't last forever.

It was nearly too late when suddenly a creature came from the horizon. It was a graceful creature, it came flying towards a small flat clearing between the tallest trees. It had the face, front legs and wings of a raptor but the ears, hind legs and tail of a mammal. As it landed in the clearing, a voice sounded from the skies, repeating its mission once more: "Build a city that can keep large amounts of water, and I shall bestow the water of life upon you. I shall guide you, as long as you do not give up. Make this city your pride." The first gryphon nodded towards the heavens and started building, guided by the goddess.

Faster than could have been possible, the city was built. Within the city stood what looked like an enormous staircase, with a deeper space in the middle. Everything was made out of a white kind of stone, and all was supported by massive pillars. Pleased, the goddess looked down upon the nearly-finished city.
"You have done what I ordered you to, gryphon. Not only will I grant your city and its surroundings with an unlimited supply of water, I will also leave a mark on you that will prove your magnificence forever. A sign that will be granted your offspring as well. Not a single creature will forget you and your great deeds this way."
The goddess then gifted the gryphon with white feathers, striped with a lovely sky-blue.</sub>

Gryphon city still has a river on a staircase-like structure, the origin of the water is unknown, but the stream never stops and the water is said to be the healthiest in the world. Sometimes a gryphon with a small amount of white, blue streaked feathers is born in gryphon city. It is said that it's a sign of the goddess, a sign they're still offspring of the builder of the city, the great guardian of the skies. Cylmani closes her eyes for a moment, feeling the warm breeze, then opens them again and looks at the tailfeathers she's so proud to have. They're white, striped with a lovely sky-blue.

Story ©
Cylmani ©
Art ©