[h2]Griffin[/h2]

The renewed offensive, and change of focus, broke whatever spell the charm had woven over the griffin's mind, and its response to Serenity's repeated advance matched the creature's prideful display far more. As fast as its talons whipped out to drive the spear aside, it had still been delayed too long to do more than turn the thrust into a graze along its flank--bleeding freely but hardly a reduction in the creature's strength.

It turned out that griffins [i]could[/i] look surprised.

For a moment, Fleuri and Lucas landing on its back seemed to leave it completely nonplussed. Sense immediately reasserted itself, and the griffin's attention was diverted to trying to dislodge the pests that had decided to land on its back, wings beating, beak snapping, and as unwilling to stand still as an unbroken horse. It made for a challenging target, and Lein's bolt only found solid meat, not the tendons. Enough to hobble it? Maybe if it were trying to flee, but not enough to entirely stop the creature.

All thoughts of dislodging Lucas and Fleuri seemingly forgotten, the eagle head swivelled around, the creature smarter than most animals and fixing a steady golden gaze on Lein. One step. Two steps. And then, even with the injury, it [i]leapt.[/i] Not enough to achieve true flight, not with two passengers weighing it down, and the great wings hardly beat at all. As quickly as it had gone up, it was already going in for a dive, talons reached to grab the mutt that had [i]dared[/i] sneak around and hurt it. Only a moment to prepare, before the entire mass of the griffin came down to try and crush him, following up with a bite that could cleave through plate.

Unwittingly, this also moved it out from beneath the blanket of fire. Fortunately for its passengers.