Raylo sat steadily on Baofeng's back.
Soon, the few reckless Iron-backed Falcons were all driven off or shot down.
One of the Iron-backed Falcons, perhaps delirious with hunger, even tried to sneak up from below on a Griffin carrying a slab of meat, but the Storm Griffin simply turned its head and pecked it on the skull. It tumbled away in a daze, and Ed roared with laughter at the pathetic sight.
With these minor annoyances cleared, the group continued on their way.
Similar harassment occurred several more times along the journey, but the Storm Griffins handled it all with ease.
After nearly half a day of flying, the sky began to darken. The afterglow of the sunset painted the clouds at the horizon a magnificent orange-red.
In the distance, the rough, sturdy silhouette of Black Stone Castle slowly came into focus through the twilight.
