"I greet the King and the Prince" Zephyr said eagerly as he came closer and then looked at his mother as if waiting for the approval, which she gave by nodding her head with a smile.

He called me a prince. Maybe he's no longer a jerk...

"Could you help our King and the young Prince with the invisibility spell?" She asked her boy and I think he got totally excited.

"Really?! I can?!" He asked eagerly and then he looked straight at me with a cheeky, but nice smile. "I'll help you! E... I mean I will be honoured to help you, Prince" He quickly tried to correct his 'mistake'. I think my Dad chuckled under his breath.

"I don't think we ever got to introduce ourselves properly. My name is Orphelin" I said with a delicate smile. From what I remembered from my Dad's lessons, griffins used to greet each other by extending their head towards each other and softly touching cheeks together. Since I didn't want him to go around calling me 'prince', I extended my head towards him, my cheek on display and waited.

I think his brain stopped working there for a moment. Yeah... pretty sure it did. But he quickly 'woke up' and smiled in a rather cute way.

"My name is Zephyr!" He was so eager that he barely finished speaking when he rushed forward, his cheek touching mine.

It was a brief moment and then we both backed away but I saw his eyes full of happiness, while other griffons were looking at him with... envy? Gosh. He will be a star now.

"So... Mind telling me what I need to do?" I asked about the spell.

"Sure, come with me. I will prepare everything that's needed, then his Highness, the King must accept the flow of Forest's magic into the prepared spell... And then you take it" he explained quickly on the way to the stream.

"You can't do that without my father's help?" I asked surprised.

"No. His highness, the King was chosen by the Forest as its protector and ruler of all that's alive. It means he is the only one with a direct connection. It's also safer this way... You want a spell? You need the King's approval." Zephyr was eager to explain.

"That sounds quite nice... no risk of some dangerous spells or magic going rampage, right?" I asked.

He nodded very quickly. Gosh, he must be eating lots of energetic snacks or something... where does he get this energy from?!

I watched as he prepared the spell, infusing the shell with a spell but without magic - just the incantation and intention. I felt a surge of anticipation as I looked at this.

"Ready," the youngster said giving me the shell.

I took it into my paw and looked at Zephyr again.

"Are griffins the only ones who know this spell?" I had to ask.

"No. Every being affiliated with air can learn these kind of spells easily. After all invisibility spell comes from the air, the wind and what is unseen. I myself am not sure why... but this is the way it is."

I have to say that his explanations were nice and easy. And he wasn't bragging or didn't try to look smart. He really changed... I'm glad.

We returned to his mother and the King. The female griffin spoke up.

"The spell will be in this shell. You must bite it to activate the spell, and it will last for a few hours. When the spell is about to end, your skin will start to tingle. That's your signal that the spell is disappearing." She said calmly but strictly, to make sure how important it was to remember.

My father touched the shell in my paw with his nose, and for a moment I saw his golden eyes shine, the same as the green crystals on his forehead. When he finished I could feel the shell tingle my paw... it was like holding something alive... amazing.

"Remember, you only have a few hours," the King reminded me. "Be careful and return before the spell ends."

I nodded, my heart filled with determination.

"Maybe I'll go with you? Just to make sure everything works?" Zephyr asked shyly.

I guess he wanted to make friends. From what I realised earlier, he wasn't very liked around here. I will have to ask him later, what's the reason.

"Good idea. And You could carry the shell while flying? I wouldn't want to break it suddenly while running..." I smiled lightly.

A strange, high sound came from his beak... I guess he was happy.

"Be careful" his mother said to him but other than that she bowed to us, said her farewell and flew away. She's nothing like my mom, hmph.

"I'll wait at the den," the King said as he ran towards our home.

I looked at Zephyr and then raced towards the town, giving the shell to the griffin was a good idea. He flew above me, following me without attracting much attention between the trees. Were he an adult, it wouldn't be possible for him, but he was still young and wasn't as big as the others, so it wasn't too crowded for him.

As I reached the outskirts, I slowed down, Zephyr landing next to me and passing me the shell. What surprised me... was that HE... didn't look surprised.

"You're not going to ask why are we next to a human town?" I asked.

"Ehm..." He looked embarrassed and looked away.

...He's a total kid.

"Zephyyyyyyr..."

"Ok so... I once saw you with a human boy. At first, I thought you were in trouble and wanted to see if I could help... you know... to look a bit better to you than when we first met... But then I saw you are friends. I sometimes flew by and watched you two... I'm not a fan of humans but the boy looked like a beaten cub so it made me a bit sad... but you were caring for him. It made me wonder if... I could also be your friend one day..."

I could let someone cut my hand just to prove that his fellow was surely blushing right now. What a little cute kid. Ok... big cute kid... slightly bigger than me. But cute. So I struck...

"Well... aren't we already friends?" I smiled and when his beak flew open I bit on the shell feeling a strange sensation wash over me as I became invisible. I didn't wait to hear his response as I rushed towards the town.

Moving through the town unnoticed was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. I had to navigate the busy streets filled with festival-goers, avoiding the bustling crowds and the occasional horse-drawn cart - I'm invisible, but my body is still quite solid. The vibrant colours and festive sounds were a stark contrast to the urgency I felt inside.

I followed the familiar scents and landmarks, leading me to the inn where the knights and the noble were staying. My heart pounded as I approached, hoping I wouldn't be discovered in any way. I crept closer, using the invisibility spell to my advantage, but still trying to keep to shadows.

As I reached the inn, I listened carefully, eavesdropping on the conversations of the knights. They spoke of their journey and the nobleman's plans. I learned that Alexius was being kept in a room upstairs, recovering from his injuries.

Determined, I climbed the side of the building, using my claws to find purchase on the wooden walls. The rough texture of the wood scraped against my paws, but I pressed on, driven by the need to see my friend. I reached the window and peered inside,

Nope, not this one.

I tried another window.

MY EYES! I can't unsee it!

When I looked through another window, my heart leapt with relief as I saw Alexius lying on a bed, bandaged but safe.

Thank the Gods.

I sighed, feeling tears of relief welling up in my eyes.

I watched for a while, ensuring Alexius was being cared for. The nobleman entered the room, speaking softly to the boy and offering him food and water. Alexius looked weak but better than before.

My heart swelled with a mix of relief and sadness. I longed to go to Alexius, to comfort him, but I knew I couldn't risk exposing myself. I had to be content with the knowledge that my friend was safe, at least for now. So the only thing I could do was sit there, watching over him in silence, and feeding my eyes, and brain with the images of his delicate smiles and amazement in his eyes when he saw all the food they brought him. I'm sure he never ate such things.

As my skin began to tingle, I knew my time was running out. I whispered a silent promise to Alexius, vowing that it would not be the last time we see each other.

With a heavy heart, I climbed back down and made my way out of the town, the spell wearing off as I reached the forest. I didn't spot Zephyr anyway but lots of time passed.

The journey back felt longer than usual, the weight of the day's events pressing down on me.

When I finally returned to the den, my family was waiting for me, their eyes filled with concern and curiosity.

"I saw him," I said, my voice trembling with emotion. "He's safe. The nobleman is taking care of him."

The King nodded, his expression calm.

"Good job, Orphelin. Not only did you get to see your friend... but you also made a new one, and not an easy one. I'm proud of you."

Whenever Dad told me he was proud I could feel my heart swell.

Lorish nuzzled me gently, her love and warmth comforting me.

"Your siblings have been waiting for you Let's go to the den."

I went inside and lay down beside my siblings who showered me with their love... and questions which I tried to answer as well as I could.

"You have a bird friend?" Orsus asked surprised.

"No... it's a griffin..."

"What's the difference?" He asked surprised and I kinda failed there. Will have to show him Zephyr some other time so he can understand.

When it was time to go to sleep, the day's events replayed in my mind, a whirlwind of emotions and images. I hoped I got to see Alexius soon. I would just continue to go to our meeting spot... over and over again. Every day.