After months of working overtime, you have finally done it.
You have saved enough money for a vacation in the Feathermane Oasis.
Now you will finally get to see a gryphon in flesh, bones, and feathers!
You look outside the bus window, hoping to spot one between the trees, when your guide talks through the speakers.
«We'll be there in ten minutes. Be careful not to leave anything on the bus!»
As anyone would, you search into every nook and cranny, even those that you did not even look at throughout the journey.
You even find a penny stuck between the seats!
After the bus stops in front of an iron gate, you pick up your travel bag, ready to leave the vehicle, despite the fear of forgetting something on it.
As the latter finally resumes its march, you manage to read the sign on the bars:

-GRIFFINS BE HERE | Area under surveillance (not by cameras)-.

You cannot wait.
Suddenly, the rest of the passengers cheer and almost jump against the windows.
On your side, a massive chestnut gryphon is resting in the field, lied down like a sphinx.
It's probably trying to enjoy the gentle morning breeze, but a little tabby gryphlet must have others plans since it's playing tug-of-war with its tail.
Some of the spectators giggle.
Not far from the two, there is a third one, smaller than the other adult but still of impressive size, preening the feathers under its wings.
When it turns in their direction, it calls with a short, low shriek, and the little one lets go of the tail and runs towards in its direction.
She must have been the mother.
The gryphlet joins her under her wing as they all disappear from your field of view.
The ambient resembles your average park: a large grass field, a network of gravel paths, a few trees here and there...
At least until they appear.
You count at least twenty specimens of various colors and sizes, all moving towards your group.
«Don't worry!» the guide reassures you.
«They are gentle giants. Beware of the chicks instead: they move like tiny hurricanes and might knock you over!»
What looks like the biggest one reaches you first and starts to pace around the landing area, assessing the situation.
Judging by its confidence and distinct feather connotations, you have found their boss.
«This is Ulthane, the leader of the colony. If you're lost, try to find him: he always comes back here!»
Ulthane looks at you all, staring down into the very bottom of your souls.
While his presence is unsettling, he does not seem to be about to take someone's life.
He then sits down, patiently waiting for the rest to arrive.
Maybe he just wanted to remind the visitors to behave.
The first to zoom through your ranks are the chicks, which are tiny hurricanes, as advertised.
You spread your legs just in time to let one through, while a plump middle-aged man is not as quick and ends up on his ass.
The offender meekly approaches him, apologetic, but the guy seems to take it well and pets it, cheering it up.
Most of the adults stand back, probably aware that visitors like to take pictures first.
You see a hen with her chick balanced on her head -basically a smaller photocopy of herself- looking at a baby in his mother's arms, causing him to laugh.
You smile at the tenderness of the scene.
Suddenly, a small commotion ensues when a teenager starts playing tug-of-war with a gryphlet.
All of his friends are cheering the little one on as it gives its opponent plenty of trouble.
«Holy sh-! It's unstoppable!!! Jack, help me out!»
One of his friends steps up, and grabs the same end of the rope.
The gryphlet protests as it loses ground.
Hearing the angry chirps, a very muscular gryphon comes in and clenches the rope in its beak, completely halting the cheaters.
«Oh, no! Oh, that's not good!»
The gryphon lifts them both off the ground with a single pull, making them fall harmlessly on the grass, much to the hilarity of the crowd.
Even you got a chuckle out of that.
Then your heart jumps when you notice that Ulthane is staring at you.
You quickly avert your gaze, worried about angering him.
Until you feel a soft breath on the base of your neck, followed by a pleasant smell of pine.
When you turn around, you find yourself face to face with a juvenile gryphon. It has honey-colored eyes and a marbled black and brown coat, with a short, hawk-like dark gray beak.
«In case you were curious,» your guide announces, «you can tell the males from the females by the larger size, muscle mass, and the thickness of the coat around their neck! Females also have fluffier bodies to keep the eggs warm.»
This one is a female.
She is busy studying you with the curiosity of a scientist, when the guide continues.
«I advise you to take your bags to your apartments now! You'll have plenty of time to spend with your new friends later!»
After a few more seconds of staring, she turns around and walks back into the woods, giving you one last enigmatic look before disappearing between the trees.
Ulthane gets up right after, and joins the rest of his subordinates without paying you any more attention.
You follow the guide to the apartment building, still thinking about that female.
Sure, she was not the only one to get that close to a human, but the others did not just stare and leave.
Also, maybe Ulthane was just looking at her instead.
Could she be his spouse?
He looked way older, though, and if you recall correctly, gryphons mate for life from a young age, so the odds of that are pretty low.
Perhaps he is just protective of his colony, as the alpha should be.

By the time you reach your room and unpack your bag, your attention moves to your growling stomach.
You look at your phone and confirm your suspicions: lunchtime is closing in.
You have heard that the meals consist of what the griffins bring back from the forest.
Soon, you find out that the dining room is, in fact, not a room.
The concrete tables are placed in rows, with enough space between them to let a large creature move freely.
Most of the guests are already at their designated spots, and the griffins are sitting around the outer edges of the table formation, out of the way.
Suddenly, you hear people laughing and cheering in surprise, but you can't figure out why, no matter how hard you look in their direction.
Until you feel something tug on your sock.
You look down and stare in amazement at the small puppy placing a dish in front of you while a friend of his is trailing a serving trolley.
You see some plates filled with mushrooms, berry sauce, venison, and several other produce, separated by diet.
Nothing that looks like what is on your table.
The gryphlets gladly accept a quick pet as a tip, but since they are taking this job very seriously, they soon move to the next table without asking for more.
You are still wondering why your plate looks so different, though.
You did not pay for any extra, yet the berries and the herbs seem placed in an "artistic" manner.
Each ingredient looks cherry-picked, too.
Deciding to push it down on luck, you start eating.
Between a bite and the other, you see in the corner of your eye the two gryphlets that served your food running together.
As you are about to swallow the next morsel, they stop in front of a griffin you easily recognize.
She hands them two large chunks of meat, and once they leave with their reward, she turns towards you.
You swear you can see her smirk all the way from your seat.

While she has not approached you after lunch or on the way back to your room, you know that that griffin will reappear, eventually.
After brushing your teeth, you put on a pair of long trousers and walking boots.
Thinking about it, she might show up during the forest excursion.
You finish tying up the strings and get back up.
At least you will finally know what she is after.

As the last participants arrive, the guide announces your departure.
«Ok, follow me! Don't go touching berries or mushrooms willy-nilly unless you're a specialist! Then don't touch anything!» he says, trying to crack a joke.
He starts by explaining how the griffins survive in the forest, how they ambush their prey from the foliage, or how they know where to find everything they need in the woods.
As you come across a small family of three specimens, he quietly talks about them, how they are young parents, hiding more eggs, and how you always need to make sure you ask for permission before approaching them like this.
Suddenly, something hits you.
No, not a realization, something physical.
It was a small twig, now on the ground.
It must have fallen from the branches above.
You notice something next to it: a penny.
In a forest?
It must be your lucky day.
As you pick it up, you glimpse the reflection of another coin a few meters back.
Another one?
Once you collect that one too, you spot a third one right outside the path, almost under a bush.
This time you decide to grab a stick to pull it back, just in case there is a snake or anything bitey under there.
But as you move closer, everything becomes blurry for a second, and the next, you're on the ground, on the other side of the bush, with your head surrounded by the four powerful fingers of a big, rugged hand, belonging to a certain griffin.
She is also covering your mouth to prevent you from calling the others.
Thinking about it, it was an obvious trap, which makes you feel pretty dumb.
She looks proud of its success, instead.
Her eyes begin studying you, while she gently pokes, pulls and pinches your clothes and body, like a curious child.
Those sharp, curved talons make you flinch as they move about, even if she is clearly not interested in hurting you.
As it was bound to happen, her hand reaches your groin, making you recoil despite still being held.
One of the corners of her beak bends upwards.
You realize that the voice of the guide is getting farther and farther away.
Nobody noticed you getting abducted, so nobody will come to free you from her grasp.
Judging by her expression, she must have been waiting for that.
She licks the edges of her beak, sending a shiver down your spine.
Was she feeling how tender your flesh was?!
Did she have you eat that food to stuff you?!
Was she testing how wary a prey you would have been, the first time?!
Still holding you, she hops on a low branch and quickly starts her journey to the depths of the forest while you try to break free, to no avail.
Finally, once in a small clearing next to a river, she lets you down and looks at you, waiting for a reaction.
You think about running away, trembling, but deep inside, you know you will never outrun her.
Fighting is out of the question, too.
«H-Hey.» you greet her, nervous.
Her ears spring up.
«You... You're not gonna eat me, are you..?»
She tilts her head, confused.
Then, she slowly walks forward, pointing her beak towards you.
You back down against a tree, where you stop.
She is now towering over you.
"This is it." you think.
Then she lowers her head, and you close your eyes, hoping that it will be painless.
A pleasant pine aroma fills the air, and something humid touches your cheek as you hear a soft purr.
You open your eyes just as she rests her cheek against yours.
You are unable to move.
She takes a step back, awaiting your response.
Did she just... kiss you?
Suddenly, it all makes sense.
The forward introduction, the cherry-picked meal, the kidnapping...
«Do you... Do you like me?»
She looks away, smiling, while her posture becomes slightly more submissive.
Then she turns back to you.
«But... You know I'm a human, right?»
She pokes your nose with her beak for a second, smiling, probably letting you know that it doesn't matter to her.
«Your people mate for life, don't they?» you ask, now more confident.
She smiles again, hopeful, her tail dancing behind her.
You sigh.
«I don't know...»
Her ears fall back on her head as disappointment appears in her eyes.
«Uh, don't get me wrong, you're a hottie, but I can't replace one of your males... you would not have chicks with me, for starters.»
As soon as you call her "a hottie", her mood seems to drastically improve.
«And, you know, there's a... "mechanical issue" in the way too.» you add, pointing out with gestures your difference in size.
She licks her beak again and pulls you closer by hooking your leg with her talons.
«Hey!» you protest.
Then she nudges your groin with her beak a few times, before chirping in a challenging tone and jumping forward, bringing herself face to face with you.
She tweets interrogatively, keeping the same expression, and licking her beak a couple more times.
Does she want to..?
At least she is asking.
As a firm believer of the Harkness test, you nod, despite your doubts.
«Ok, if you insist...»
Her eyes light up.
She then forces your jaw open with her beak and french-kisses you as deep as she can.
The pine aroma becomes more intense as her large tongue takes over.
After a few more passionate kisses, she jumps back and starts to rub her head against your groin, marking herself with your scent.
Then she stops with a grin on her beak, probably feeling your manhood rise.
Once she can grasp it, she gently nibbles it, teasing you, until she starts rubbing her beak between your trousers and shirt, probably urging you to remove them.
You pull down your pants as fast as you can, and your shaft immediately springs up, bumping against her beak.
She nudges your testicles with the latter, giving them a tender lick, and she rests her muzzle against them for a few seconds as if to nuzzle her future chicks inside.
Then she opens her beak and takes your whole organ inside.
After her warm breath runs around your shaft, her wet, slightly rough tongue envelops your cock and balls, carefully massaging them.
You would think she must have done this before, but knowing how her species behaves, it can't be.
Judging by her low, pleased screeches and the lustful look in her eyes, she must have tasted your precum.
Suddenly, she stops and retracts her mouth, leaving a trail of saliva on your drenched, rock-hard cock.
Then she turns around, still maintaining eye contact, and pulls up her tail and its feathers, revealing her toned cheeks and dripping pussy.
She seems to enjoy your reaction.
When you expect her to sit down on your shaft and ride you, she backs up until her rear is in line with your head.
Then she lowers her hindquarters, leaving you a few centimeters away from her genitalia.
You grasp her buttocks, stunned by how firm and perfectly shaped they are.
No human female could rival her.
She softly chirps, probably calling you back to reality, but she also seems glad you're so fond of her offering.
It also smells lovely; the aroma of flowers and berries fills your nostrils, enticing you to taste those perfectly symmetrical, ripe lips.
A few droplets of her anticipation fall next to you as the opening gives a glimpse of itself.
Unable to resist any further, you move one of the lips with your tongue and run it along its length, back and forth.
She screeches with pleasure, digging her claws into the soil.
The beautiful view you have covered the most love-filled look someone could give you, but you will have more chances to see it if you keep going.
Her juices are coating your mouth, chin, and neck, giving you a faint taste of wild berries.
You move to the other lip and feel her tremble as she lets out what must be the gryphon equivalent of a moan.
Finally, you spread her vulva wide open, showing it in all its glory, feeling it tremble as its walls contract, demanding a penetration.
You also spot her clitoris and grin, looking forward to your next move.
Before doing anything, though, you check your surroundings: if your calculations are correct, even if she falls or ends up sitting, she should not crush you.
She calls you again, this time with a much needier chirp.
You stick your fingers in her hole, soaking them up in her fluids and making her flinch.
She instinctively starts trying to squeeze them.
Curious, you move your fingers inside, towards where the g-spot is in women.
She yelps but starts purring immediately after, pleased.
You keep rubbing the same spot, making her talons dig some more.
When your tongue starts playing around with her clit, she pushes down on you for an instant, losing it, but regains her composure immediately after.
You try to tease her about it with a weak slap on the rump, making her squeal in response, aroused.
Finally, she comes, showering your mouth and neck with her juices, and lets herself fall on her side, panting.
You look at her, proud of yourself.
Then, as you are washing at the river, you realize you have yet to cum.
Judging by the smug look she gives you, you are thinking about the same thing.
She lifts one leg in the air for you, offering you a spot where to release.
While you move towards her, you notice the two rows of nipples on her abdomen and wonder how sensitive they are.
The young hen follows you with her dreamy gaze as you approach until her eyes lock onto something behind you, widening.
You turn around and freeze like a deer caught in headlights;
Ulthane is watching you both, sitting still like a statue between the trees, betrayed by his tail bouncing up and down in irritation.
She springs up on her feet and angrily screeches at him.
The alpha does not even flinch.
Instead, he grumbles as if to scold her.
She does not back down and instead approaches him to yell even louder, directly at his face.
Or at least she tries, since he's about twice her size.
This time he growls at her, making your bones shake through the vibration alone.
She hisses but ultimately yields, shrinking into a submissive stance.
Fear clouds your mind as the huge griffin turns his dark orange eyes to you.
He looks down at your lowered trousers and lets out one single short growl.
You immediately pull them up.
Then he stands up, making sure you both know who the big man in the house is.
He chirps at her, then signals you to follow with his head.
You quietly go back to the path where she kidnapped you while Ulthane walks between you two, separating you.
The guide and a couple of other staff members are there.
«Hey, how are you doing?» he asks you, not worried in the slightest.
Before you can answer, all of them bow their heads for a second.
«Thank you, Ulthane.» the guide says, completely changing his tone.
Ulthane reciprocates the bow, glaring at the young hen before pushing her ahead with one of his large wings.
She looks at you one last time, sad, then turns back and walks away under the surveillance of the dark gryphon.
«Yeah, sorry about that. It happens rarely, so we don't generally mention it, but sometimes the guests get... distracted from the excursion.» the guide calls you back.
«Uh. Yeah, it's ok, don't worry.»
«The fact is, they never kidnap people like that. They usually warn us before, but I guess Umbra has never shined for her social skills.»
«"Umbra"? That's her name?»
He nods.
«Yep. She's Ulthane's daughter.»
«OH.» you utter, surprised and scared. «They don't look...»
«She took from her mother. Her wild personality as well. Minus her reservedness, that's all big daddy's.
By the way, you're probably the only one she's ever willingly approached, let alone... "distracted". Did she take you for a walk?»
«Yeah... she let me down by the river. It was nice.» you reply.
He nods knowingly.
«She loves the river. Ulthane taught her how to fish there when she was just a small furball.
It was back when I started working here, many, many years ago...
Uh, but we're late.
Long story short, they probably made their best memories there. It's kinda like her secret, safe haven. You must have really left a mark on her.»

You join back up with the rest of the group, who are waiting around with a couple of large griffins.
«Those guys are part of the elite hunters of the colony. They are waiting for Ulthane to come back. He had them keep an eye on your group while we looked for you.» the guide explains.
A loud shriek echoes through the forest, and the two get up and run towards its source.
«Perfect timing. He must have put Umbra under somebody's watch.» he comments.
Then he claps his hands together and rubs them.
«Now then. Let's keep going; we still have a lot to see.»

Despite the wonders of the forest and the various griffins you meet that try to cheer you up, probably understanding your situation, you cannot stop thinking about her.
Seriously, what the hell is his problem?!
As if she could give you a clutch or something!
You are so frustrated that you lose your appetite, which leads you to go straight to your room, skipping dinner altogether.
You drop onto the bed and let out a sigh, turning towards the window.
There is no way to tell where she is being kept either: the ground is dry, so there are no prints to follow; you surely can't track her smell on your own nor ask any gryphons to help you since Ulthane would make them regret it; roaming in the forest at night is not a good idea either.
You roll over on the other side.
And all of that implies that she still wants to see you.
Who knows how her father punished her; she may not want to risk it again.
Or he could have just convinced her to focus on her own kind.
You take a deep breath, and soon after, you start dozing off.

An insistent ticking noise wakes you up.
You turn around and see Umbra desperately tapping on your window.
After jumping off the bed, you rush to the handle and twist it open.
She squeezes inside, slamming one of the shutters closed with a whip of her tail.
You are not sure how she got here, but you lock the window and pull the curtain, understanding that she's afraid of being followed.
She shakes her body, grumbling, and several twigs and leaves fall from her coat and onto the floor.
She turns around and smiles at you, joyful.
You return the feeling, but your heart skips a bit when you see the claw mark on her cheek.
Umbra follows your eyes and instantly turns her head around, thinking there is a threat behind her.
You caress her cheek, letting her understand what you actually meant.
She sighs in response, tired but smiling.
Then she stands on her hind legs and embraces you with her strong arms and soft wings, pulling you close.
The pine scent is stronger than this morning; she must have had a chance to chew on some fairly recently.
In contrast, her feathers are ruffled and her muscles tense, further proving that she ran away from her prison.
You hug her back and kiss her on the side of the beak, making her chirp with impatience.
Finally, she gently pushes you on the bed, where she joins you with an agile hop.
She lies down on you, covering you with her fluffy plumage while she holds your arms still, looking at you with a hint of smug dominance.
In a way, you can see some of her father's traits in the young hen, but not enough to make their kinship obvious.
After that, she licks your cheeks, your chin, your neck, and finally your lips, where she ends up french-kissing you, poking your nose with her beak while your erection rises.
You notice that her wings are slowly rising as her tongue dances inside your mouth, broadcasting her excitement.
Umbra finally pulls her head back, smiling, then she gets up and turns around, facing the bulge in your trousers, which she nudges with her beak, teasing you.
You remove all of your clothes under her curious eyes, which probably never saw a human completely without "fur".
Her warm breath engulfs your cock once again, anticipating her tongue, which caresses its skin shortly after.
She licks the rod with dedication, religiously lapping the balls with every stroke.
While she works her tongue, you remember her feathered teats and quietly reach for them, unaware that she is silently following your arm with the corner of her eye.
Once you run your hand through her short fur, she changes the angle of her head to properly look at you without stopping her work but squeals once you squeeze one of her breasts.
She is now trembling, her tail shaking and her wings flicking, but she turns on her side, revealing all she can offer.
You feel those barely pronounced hills on her abdomen once more, and she trembles again, but without trying to stop you.
This must be completely uncharted territory for a gryphon.
She now resembles more the young hen afraid of being rejected from this morning rather than a horny female Ulthane.
You lean closer and lick one of her nipples.
She chirps in delight, shaking her hind paw.
While licking, you also play with the adjacent breast, besides massaging her lips with your fingers, parting and going past them as she starts to release her lubricant.
After giving all the four nipples some love, you give her pussy a quick lick, stroking her clitoris.
She cries for more, fluids starting to trickle from her hole, and you answer her prayer, at least for a short while... until you suddenly stop, repaying her with her own coin for this morning!
She looks at you, hurt and confused.
When your tongue moves to her anus, she almost jumps off the bed, shocked.
After she takes notice of the extent of her reaction, though, she sits back down, embarrassed, and decides to try your unheard-of proposal.
You resume your rimming, surprised by how clean she is despite anal play clearly not being in her culture.
Their consideration for personal hygiene must be even higher than you thought.
Her muscles start to contract soon after, so she must like your idea.
Finally, a small river of fluids steadily pours from her vulva onto the sheets below.
She quietly chirps, getting your attention, and nudges your stiffer than ever cock, creating a trail of precum from its tip to her beak, which she licks off immediately.
After that, she rolls on her back and spreads her legs as far as she can, presenting her gift to her mate.
You come closer and align yourself with her opening.
You take a deep breath and slowly part her perfect lips with your glans until your balls touch her cheeks.
A feeling of dread envelops you when she feels huge around your shaft, as you feared in the beginning.
Then she looks you in the eyes with a disappointed expression.
Feeling crushed, you start to think of a possible solution.
But when she suddenly smiles and winks,  the tables turn entirely!
Suddenly, her walls close around your dick, pulsating around it according to her will, and she screams like an eagle, uncaring of anyone hearing her, and licks her lips.
To remind you what you have to do, she pushes you back with her hind paws, making your member fall out, so you push it back in, then out, then back in again, slowly giving you both a heavenly massage.
When you move forward and lay down on her fluffy, toned abdomen, you end up with your face between two of her teats, much to her amusement.
You go back to licking one of her nipples, and she caresses your head with her taloned fingers.
Moving them from the walls and ceiling, she wraps her large wings around you, covering your entire upper body in the softest, most protective embrace you could ever receive.
Her gentle purring warms your heart as it echoes in your feathery haven.
At this point, you wish you could beat up Mother Nature into making you able to give Umbra chicks.
Suddenly, her breathing becomes heavier as the contractions of her muscles around your cock multiply.
When you finally cannot resist her anymore, you ejaculate inside the hen, satisfying her wish for your seed first, then her lust for you immediately after, as she announces her next orgasm with a shriek.
Her insides feel like they are trying to suck you deeper in with your fluids, so you pull out, worried she might accidentally hurt you.
She opens her wings, and your eyes meet again, hers filled with enough love to last a lifetime.
Umbra grabs you under your arms and pulls you closer, resting her head on your shoulder and back, hugging you.
She softly chirps her feelings as you feel her heart beating against yours.
«I love you too.» you reply.
As you are both falling asleep, she covers you once again with her wings, protecting her most precious treasure.


You wake up to a gentle nibbling on your fingers.
Without even opening your eyes, you know you are still resting naked on her mane.
You can also tell you have been there the whole night, judging by the hair marks on your skin.
Umbra is looking at you with her usual cheeky smile, holding your fingers in her beak.
«Good morning. Do I taste good?» you croak.
She purrs and slowly blinks in response, giving you one last taste before letting go of your digits.
Your head falls back on her fluff as you let out a groan, still sleepy.
What time is it?
You turn to look at the window, and you determine that it is already morning since the sun is shining through the curtain.
The hen suddenly rubs her chin on top of your head, emitting a low groan.
«Hmmm... five more minutes...»
Five seconds later, she bites the back of your skull with an annoyed grunt.
«Ouch! Ok! Ok!» you exclaim, falling first into her folded wing, then on the floor, out of beak reach.
«I'm up! Happy now?»
She rolls off the bed on her feet with an impressive lightness for her size and stretches, yawning.
Then someone knocks on the door, and all of her feathers puff up in an instant.
«Hello? Mister? Are you awake?»
«UH...» you run to the window and pull the curtain back.
No one in sight, griffin or human.
«Quick! Squeeze out of here!» you whisper.
«ONE SECOND!»
She protests but ultimately complies and manages to safely glide to the ground, where she makes a break for the woods, hopefully unseen.
You quickly put some pants on and open the door, meeting one of the other guides from the day prior.
«Hello! Can I help you?» you greet him, faking cheeriness.
«Uh, good morning. We noticed you did not come for dinner last night, so we were wondering if you were alright.»
«Oh, of course! Well, now I am, at least. I was pretty tired after the excursion, so I went straight to bed! Sorry for disappearing like that...»
«No worries. Breakfast is still available if you're hungry.»
«Oh, cool! Thanks!»


You put on a shirt and decide to get something under your teeth.
But as you go outside and turn the corner, you find Ulthane and his hunting buddies resting like sphinxes not far from the path.
He is already staring at you.
You can feel the cold sweat forming on your back as you approach them.
The alpha sniffs the air in your direction, and his expression becomes sourer by the second.
The others quickly peek at you, but they seem too worried about angering Ulthane to properly look at either of you.
This is going to be a problem, for sure.
You stop on your track.
So what is the point in avoiding it?
You turn towards the dark gryphon, and he slightly lowers his head to look at you from closer to your height.
Your eyes lock.
You clench your fist and leave the trail for the field.
He moves to a sitting position, somehow making himself more menacing than if he was straight up charging at you.
The griffins next to him are staring at you with worry and surprise.
You notice that the smallest one has a fresh scratch on his face, similar to Umbra's.
He must have been her guard last night.
Once you are close enough, you greet him with a nod, as you have seen the guides do.
Begrudgingly, he returns the greeting.
«Ulthane. I imagine you know how things are between your daughter and me. Especially now, as you've probably smelt.»
The griffins hold their breath and turn to their leader.
He stares at you without replying.
«We have fallen in love, and we consumed it as well. There's nothing you can do to change that but to strike me down.»
You open your arms.
«And here I am. If you wish to stop it, this is your best chance.»
You do not have the time to be surprised that you are already between his talons.
The rest of the hunters instantly stand up, protesting against his decision, but he silences them with a single roar.
This is not going the way you thought it would.
Ulthane rests the talon on his thumb against your neck, gently pushing the sharp tip against your skin, and calmly turns towards the woods.
The hunters turn as well.
A loud screech echoes through the valley as you see Umbra charging towards them.
Ulthane drops you a couple of meters back, unharmed, and assumes a fighting stance.
Umbra, instead, changes her target to you, and after snatching you in her beak, she jumps further away from her father, hissing at him.
Then she moves you behind her legs, but you sneak out her side and stand up next to her.
Ulthane relaxes his stance and calmly approaches her, ignoring her growls and threats.
Once close enough, he leans forward and licks her wounded cheek.
After that, he rests his chin on her head, uncaring of his exposed neck.
She does not move a muscle nor utter a sound.
He softly chirps, looks at you for a few seconds, and finally nods before turning the opposite way and moving towards the woods.
The hunters stare at you with a mix of disbelief, uncertainty, and respect.
To show the latter, before answering the alpha's call, they all nod at you.
Once they are gone, Umbra squeezes you against her chest and chirps out her anger for putting yourself in danger like that.
«Uh. She really fell head over heels for you.»
The usual guide approaches.
«To challenge Ulthane like that... Well, I guess it went all according to his plan in the end.»
«What do you mean?» you ask.
«I mean, it's just an hypothesis, but I know he spent the whole night looking for her, so I think he used you as bait.» he explains.
«How nice of him.»
«Put it like this: the leader of the colony entrusted you with retrieving his daughter. Doesn't it sound epic?» he retorts, passing his hand in front of him as if he was pitching an idea for a movie.
«Yeah, thrilling. Especially the part where I was about to die.» you comment.
«Ah, don't worry. Griffins don't kill humans, unless you really, REALLY piss them off. Being the victim of a young hen in her rebellious phase is nothing serious or unseen before. Or your fault.»
«Uh. He didn't look too mad, either.» you notice, stroking her under the chin.
«Yeah, no. He was just worried. He's also a parent, other than a leader. And, why did you get close to him? He doesn't exactly look like the friendliest guy in the area.»
«Uh... I wanted to take a picture of his squad.» you lie.
«Hm. I see. Well, I know you skipped dinner last night, so I won't hold you any further. Enjoy your breakfast!» he says, turning around.
But as he is about to leave, he stops and straightens his back, as if he just realized something, and partially turns back to you for an instant, blinking.
Then he smiles, shaking his head, rejecting that thought.
He might have noticed that you two disappeared oddly at the same time but decided against digging any deeper.
«Want to join me for breakfast?» you ask Umbra.
The hen purrs in approval, and together you walk to the tables.


The rest of the week quickly passes by between dates in the forest, hidden lovemaking, and shared meals.
More people seemed to realize something was up between you and Umbra, but none really did anything about it.
The griffins, on the other hand, all knew what was up; it might have been her smell on you or yours on her, but they all turned their heads and nostrils towards you every time you passed by.
You might also have caused a few of their young roosters and hens to grow "bolder" with the tourists; it is unclear whether they had Umbra's success, though.
Then, the final day comes.
Once you finish packing up your bag, you sigh.
You need to find her.
You leave the building and walk into the forest one last time, heading towards your usual meeting spot.
«Umbra?» you call her.
She instantly glides down from the trees, almost as if she was expecting you.
«Hey...»
She does not reply nor look at you.
You are not sure whether griffins can cry, but she looks like she is about to tear up.
You raise your hand to caress her cheek, but she snaps backward, finally meeting your gaze with distressed eyes.
She shrieks in frustration and lashes out against the ground and an adjacent log, tearing through them with her talons.
«Umbra...» you call her.
When she has had enough, she falls, holding her head as she whimpers.
You approach her and sit down, resting your back against her.
You then place your hand on one of her fingers, and her eye turns to you.
«I guess neither of us is good with farewells.» you comment.
She groans.
«How about we make it a goodbye, instead?» you suggest.
She turns her head and groans again, skeptical.
«What, you don't believe me? As soon as I get the money, I'll come back, and we'll make the best love you could ever imagine!»
You both sit in silence for a few seconds.
«Yeah, out of context, that one sounded pretty bad.»
She stings your buttocks with one of her talons, somewhat amused.
«Ouch! At least you smiled!» you exclaim, jumping on your feet.
«But still, I promise I will come back.» you say, lifting her chin.
«As long as you're willing to wait for me, that is.»
You kiss the tip of her beak, and she licks your lips in return.
You hear the bus honking in the distance.
«I have to go.»
She whimpers.
«Hey... I already promised you. Your father won't get rid of me so easily.» you reassure her.
She suddenly gets up and hugs you one last time.
«I love you too. Take care, Umbra.»
Then she runs back into the woods, disappearing in the foliage.
You pick up your bag and run back to the front yard, where the last members of the group are boarding the bus.
«Oh, there you are. Umbra snatched you again?» the guide asks.
You nod.
«I'm surprised you managed to escape on your own.», he comments.
«Don't worry, she will be fine; she's a tough one, just like her father.»
He pats you on the back as you get on the bus.
A few minutes later, once you are in motion, you sigh and look at the buildings as they vanish behind the vehicle.
Then you hear a familiar screech, and Umbra appears in your vision, racing against the bus.
You laugh and open the window.
«You can't wait, uh? Me neither! Don't stress your father too much, and watch out for the fence!»
She smiles at you as she steadily slows down, letting you go.
At the gate, you find Ulthane, who patiently waited for you instead.
When the bus slows down to cross, he salutes you with the griffin nod.
You return it, and for a second, you think a half-smile flashed on his beak, but he immediately turns around and leaves as the vehicle exits the oasis.
Guess your in-law does not dislike you that much in the end.
You are going to miss them.
You sit back and relax, thinking about the future.


A month has passed from your departure, but you have been following developments in the oasis through their social media pages; it is comprised mostly of funny pictures and videos of griffins in weird situations and advertisements for their vacation plans, but sometimes they post about special occasions, like birthdays, new couples or "promotions" in their society.
One day, during your break, you receive a notification from one of those pages and unlock your phone to give it a look.
You almost drop your device and for a second your legs feel weak.

"
Feathermane Oasis has posted an update:

Looks like our grouchy papa Ulthane is going to become a grouchy grandpa! Today his daughter Umbra has successfully laid two healthy eggs! Don't mind her grumpiness, she's as happy as she's broody! We'll make sure to introduce you to daddy as soon as he overcomes his shyness!
♥🐣♥🐣♥
"

Under the text, there's a picture of your mate lying in the middle of a nest, glaring at a staff member kneeling next to her.
The latter is inspecting one of two large eggs, the other peeking out of her fur.
Ulthane partially appears on the side of the picture, overseeing everything with his signature stern look.

Oh, boy.
Guess your next visit is going to be something to remember.