Read Eli Arnold and the Keys to Forever Book One: It's About Time Page 26

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  525 A.D.

  “It’s just like riding a horse,” Merv explained ... or tried to.

  I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t see how riding a gryphon was anything like riding a horse. From what I could see, no part of the gryphon shared any similarity to a horse and, perhaps most significantly, no horse I had ever seen or been on could fly. (I would later eat those words).

  “Tell me again why we can’t just ride a horse,” I said.

  “For several reasons, lad.” Merv held up a finger. “First, we are in a hurry and travel by gryphon is much faster and much safer than travel by horse. Did you know that the latest studies show that five times as many people are killed every year in horsing accidents than in gryphon accidents? Flying on gryphons is by far the preferred method of conveyance throughout the realm. “Second,” Merv continued, holding up another finger, “when are you ever going to have another opportunity to ride one of these majestic creatures?”

  “Fine,” I reluctantly agreed. “Do these things come with a parachute?”

  “A para-what?” Merv replied.

  “Never mind. Let’s get going.”

  Pat ran forward, vaulted onto the back of the nearest gryphon and with a cry of delight, she and her animal leapt into the air. Circling overhead twice, she threw me a wave and headed west away from the castle.”

  “Hurry up, Eli,” she yelled.

  Merv laughed and handed me the reigns of a gigantic creature. “Eli, this is Goliath. He is the best trained animal in my stable. Goliath has won more aerial battles than any other gryphon in the kingdom. He’ll take good care of you, young friend.”

  Beneath the saddle across the great gryphon’s back lay a sort of leather tunic that covered the beast’s sides. Dozens of miniature shields bearing different coats of arms adorned the tunic, sewn on in straight lines, one above the other.

  Merv noticed my interest and explained. “Each of those shields represents a victory or a kill in the inter-kingdom aerial jousting competition. The coats of arms belong to the animals’ trainers or owners. Goliath has never lost.”

  “Impressive,” I replied. “It will be an honor to ride such a well-trained animal.”

  Merv beamed with pleasure at the compliment and mounted his own gryphon.

  Goliath eyed me skeptically as I approached and placed a foot in the stirrup hanging on his side. Swinging my free leg over the creature’s broad back, I slid into the saddle. The great beast threw his head from side to side, adjusting to the additional weight on his back. When he settled, I grabbed the reigns, gave them a quick flick and wished I hadn’t eaten quite so much at lunch. Goliath immediately responded to my command and leapt skyward using his powerful hind legs to propel him. My stomach flipped over several times as we accelerated into the air, the earth receding below us. We leveled out and the wind from the great wings decreased significantly. We began to glide on the thermals, Goliath occasionally powering us along with long quick strokes. In no time, we caught up with Merv and Pat.

  “How doth thou like Gryphon travel?” She yelled above the roar of the wind.

  “Just like riding a horse,” I yelled back, “only faster and safer.”

  Pat grinned and moved her animal in a little closer to mine.

  “How are you doing?” I asked.

  “A little under the weather,” she replied.

  “Are you feeling sick?”

  “Not at all,” she replied and pointed up.

  Large dark clouds hung directly above us. Lightening flickered menacingly at their edges.

  “I mean it is a good thing we art flying under this weather. I would not wish to fly through those thunder makers,” Pat finished.

  It seemed that Sir Mortimer the Blind was not the only one who tended to speak literally.