As Luke and Jerome casually walked towards the academy stables, Chen, overcome with panic, collapsed at Luke's feet, his voice trembling with urgency.
"Skylion! Your pet, Brown Pudding, the Griffin, it took Ren. Please, you have to save him."
Luke's gaze immediately shot towards the sky, locking onto the sight of Brown Pudding soaring with Ren in her grasp.
Fear clenched his heart, not just for Ren's safety but also for the dire consequences that awaited Brown Pudding if she harmed a student.
The height she was flying at, would spell instant death for Ren if she dropped him and if brown pudding killed a student then she herself would be facing death or the cruel punishment of having her wings clipped by the academy, as the very thought of her facing such a grim fate disturbed Luke immensely.
Without hesitation, Luke dashed across the academy grounds. His pace fuelled by panic and the desperation of saving two lives as he left Jerome behind in dust who shouted some incomprehensible words, which Luke paid no attention to.
' I can't let Brown Pudding harm Ren. I won't let her fate be sealed by such a tragedy,' he thought, pushing himself faster as he soon found himself running below the Griffin at speeds he did not think he could ever run at.
"Brown Pudding, listen to me!" Luke shouted, his voice desperate to bridge the distance between them. "You must not harm Ren, if not for him then for yourself. Before doing anything stupid, first consider what will happen to you if you become a killer- "
" Oyeeeee, Brown Pudding, I know you can hear me you big dummy. LET REN GO! DON'T BE STUBBORN"
" BROWN PUDDING COME DOWN, COME DOWN RIGHT NOW-"
His shouts, repeated and earnest, slowly seemed to reach the Griffin.
Brown Pudding began to lower her flight, circling closer with each pass. It was as if Luke's genuine concern had finally resonated with her.
Finally, from a safe height, Brown Pudding released Ren. The boy plummeted but landed in a heap on the soft earth, more startled than injured, as snot covered his entire face as he thanked the gods for being alive.
"Sk-skylion, thankyou skylion, I will never talk bad about you Skylion, I love you Skylion, boohohoooo" Ren mumbled and cried like a baby, but Luke did not give a solitary damn about him, as his eyes were left trained on Brown Pudding, who was glaring back at him.
*SCREEEEEECH*
*SCREEEEEEEECH*
Brown pudding screeched loudly to Luke's face upon landing, as she expressed her frustration at being yelled at by Luke as while she has released Ren, she had most definitely not calmed down yet.
" Momma, I want my momma"
In the background Ren trembled and wet himself listening to the Griffin's screech, however, Luke was not even slightly scared, if anything he felt angry.
With tears of frustration forming in his eyes, Luke emotionally said "I understand why you're upset, and I'm sorry,"
Then as tears streamed down his cheeks, Luke kept looking at her as he said " I did not yell at you because I think you did something wrong, I yelled at you because I don't want to lose you.
I might be a fool who does nothing but yap about my day to you. But to me you're my friend. A true friend. So yes, I did my best to keep you safe, even if it was from yourself-"
Their standoff was charged with emotion, a silent communication that spoke volumes.
Seeing him cry, Brown Pudding's aggression softened, even she could understand that Luke was only concerned for her as unlike what fools like Ren believed, Griffin's were a highly intelligent and sentient species who understood emotions very well.
In the first place she was only upset because she had overheard Ren and Chen talking foul about Luke and felt slightly guilty about it even before the food incident took place.
However, once they began throwing food at her, she absolutely lost it as she grabbed Ren and took him for a ride. However, she never really intended to kill him in the first place.
*Prrr*
As Luke wiped his tears, in a move he never saw coming, Brown Pudding gently nudged him, her actions softening as if accepting his apology and acknowledging their bond.
Embracing her, Luke allowed his tears to flow, creating a moment of vulnerability and connection as Brown Pudding shockingly did not push him away but accepted his embrace and reciprocated in kind.
[ System Notification - Congratulations player 'SkyLion', the Griffin 'Brown Pudding' ( Lv -190 ) has been moved by your care and has accepted you as its sole master.
You have successfully obtained an Aerial mount! ]
A notification baffled Luke, who could not believe that Brown Pudding finally accepted him as his master.
However, as he saw Brown Pudding lowering herself, inviting Luke to climb onto her back, he realized he wasn't dreaming as he immediately climbed on her back with joy.
*SCREECH*
Brown Pudding yelled in joy, as she stomped her feet and took off into the air with mighty wing thrusts, as Luke held onto her back tightly as the two went airborne for the first time ever.
Waves of elation washed over him, as he felt like a small kid whose dream of flying had just come true, as when the fresh air washed over his face, he could not help but giggle non-stop.
" Whoa….whoa…whoaa"
Luke felt his stomach clench up as if he were in a rollercoaster as Brown Pudding zoomed through the air, taking high rises and dips as she displayed her aerial maneuverability.
By the time Principal Wood and the stable master arrived, bracing for the worst, they instead found a scene of joy and awe as they saw Luke and Brown Pudding sailing the sky alongside Jerome and his flying Pegasus 'Storm'.
With Ren safe and the incident concluded, they watched on with wide smiles as Luke achieved the impossible by taming a beast that was several fold stronger than himself.
"Principal Wood, did that boy really tame the untamable Griffin?" Asked the stable master as Principal Wood smiled and said " I guess so…. Afterall he is chosen by a master knight, of course he's special"