G-Milvus-Young Gryphon-3

My 3rd windsonde challenge for Milvus, ugh I have been working on this for SO LONG and I've tried afew different things (if you can spot them you win a cookie... or possibly a seal pup... think I've still got a few kicking about the flat )

3. It is the Queen's custom to give a speech to all of the young gryphs before they are promoted to adults, and the old bat does drone on. Attend the ceremony or find some way to weasel out of it.

The Queen's speech.

For a young Grandesque, there was nothing more important. A chance to see and be seen by all the important gryphons of the aeiry. A time to stand tall and proud as Titania welcomed them into the glorious ranks of Grandesque.

Well, that's what mum kept telling her anyway.

Milvus couldn't sleep the night before the speech, there was too much on her mind. This ceremony was so important to her parents, and to so many members of their family. She glanced at her sister Arga, who was happliy sleeping. A sigh escaped her, Arga would be perfect, she always excelled at such formal occassions. She on the other hand, always somehow managed to put a talon or two wrong. And there was so much potential for things to go wrong tomorrow...

Despite her mother's insistance that tomorrow would be magnificent, Milvus had her doubts. Titania was well know for her... lack of natural ability in the public speaking domain. Tales of gryphlets falling asleep during the speech or being thrown out for fidgeting too much were rife in the aery, and Milvus knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was more than likely to do one of those things, or knowing her luck both.

She couldn't let that happen! Her parents were counting on her to sit up straight and do her family proud... what she needed was something to at least make sure she didn't fall asleep, the fidgeting she SHOULD be able to handle. She got up and looked out of the cave system her family inhabited. The night sky was dark, no dawn light was creeping above the horizon just yet.

So she should have just enough time.

Milvus took off into the night, winging her way towards Twistoult as fast as she could.

*** The Next Day ***

Arga could not believe what was happening.

It was the day of the Queen's speech, an event she had been looking forward to since she was old enough to understand what it was, and what was happening? Milvus was ruining it!

She'd woken up to find Milvus missing from their shared room, and none of the family had seen her all morning. She and her father had managed to placate their mother into leaving on time for the adult's assembly just before the young ones were due to arrive in the Queen's chamber, but her father had tersly whispered to her to make sure her errant older sister was at the ceremony or else.

How was this her fault! And how was she meant to know where her crazy sis was!?

The other young gryphons due to be presented were assembling at the bottom of the ciffs the Queen inhabited. When the moment came, they all were supposed to follow Malarach Skooma, flying in flawless formation into the cave. Arga could see Zephyr circling above and the magpie gryph Gozah looking for a spot to land. They were going to start soon, where the hell was Milvus!?

THUD

Arga jumped as something crashed into the sand infront of her. The something turned out to her aforementioned crazy sister.

"HI ARGA!" Milvus beamed, grinning insanely up at her younger sibling. Arga told herself to keep calm, to behave in the manner that was appropriate for this occassion, she could kill Milvus AFTER the speech after all.

"Milvus," she said in a level voice, "just where have you been? And get up, gryphs will see you if you stay like that."

"I'm not going to fall asleep in the speech Arga! I've fixed it, I am never never never ever going to sleep, not ever!"

"MILVUS, keep it down!" Arga hissed, trying to interupt the near constant flow of babble from her sister's beak, "what have you done?!"

"I did what dad does! I went to Twistoult!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, when dad has to go on... on on on long hunts and has to stay awake he has some of that herby stuff, whatsitcalled... YOU KNOW..."

"Milvus, you mean JOINTFIR!? You've been taking that! How much Oh my goodness how could you!? HOw much did you take!?"

"I dunnoooooooo... BUT I'm never going to sleep!"

Arga was almost speechless with horror. Milvus was also still upside down.

"You do realise that there is no way in hell you'll be able to stay still throughout the speech!"

"NONONONONONO its fine I fixed that too! I've been flying ALL NIGHT I can't do anything! I can't fidget I'm awake but tired! Its AMAZING!"

"But we've got to fly up to the Queen's chamber! Like NOW!"

Milvus' happy expression faded.

"Oh... ohnoohnoohno Arga! I've gotta get up there I can't miss it whataboutmum she'll KILL ME I can't miss..."

Milvus flopped onto her side and staggered to feet, swaying. Arga tried to keep calm.

*** 30 MINUTES LATER ***

Queen Titania Stood at the head of the young gryphons, her head held high as she spoke to the assembled masses. The adults watched on from the sides, proud parents and families.

Milvus' eyes darted around the chamber. Her muscles were screaming, her head still buzzing and she was pretty sure she would pay for all of this tomorrow, but it didn't matter. She was here! And she wasn't asleep! And nothing bad was going to happen. She could see mum and dad out of the corner of her eye, they looked so happy!

Infront of her sat Roc, who was clearly bored out of his mind. His tail was twitching in the most tantilising manner and Milvus' eyes followed the movement... her talons pawed the cave floor fidgeting was bad! Fidgeting had to be stopped! She should reach out and grab his tail and make it stop and...

PAIN.

Milvus froze, and settled down again. Arga inwardly sighed in relief, but outwardly didn't retract her claws, which she'd dug into Milus' tail.

She was never going to let her sister forget this.

END

A bit of a weird 3rd challenge but I couldn't get the expression 'high as a kite' out of my thoughts

Jointfir is a real type of plant who's derivatives can be used to make amphetamine like substances (aka speed).

Also in this pic are the gryph's that have most recently completed the 3rd grandesque challenge (but not Tafari or Reva, who were later than Milvus was!) the lovely Zephyr [link] who belongs to ~Sentinel-Nyx, the awesome Gozah [link] who is ~Rekyrem's and of course the long suffering Skooma [link] who belongs to =skysealer

Oh and of course Milvus [link] and her sis Arga, who are mine.