Aeris was the son of a giant Titan Sea God ?? and a human woman. Having received no care from his father, he followed his teacher after his mother passed, leaving the land of Atlantis to find a new life here. He shared a similar ability with Noe: the gift of conversing with most animals, including beasts, fish, and birds (though Noe wasn't good at talking to fish).
The two observed that ever since the weather changed and grew colder, a herd of Pegasi (Phi m?—winged horses) ?? had appeared near the northern peak of Doanh Thành. This mountain was very tall, its peak covered in white snow ??, and a clear stream flowed windingly down it, the sound of the water tinkling ??. Mist shrouded the mountaintop all day ???, so thick that visibility was limited to only a few meters, making it bone-chillingly damp and cold—very difficult to observe.
Pegasi are creatures full of power and magic, ranking from medium to high, but their nature is extremely timid; they are nearly impossible to approach, let alone tame. But Noe, being an erudite scholar, had read many stories, including one about taming the Pegasus. From this, he deduced two secrets to approaching the herd:
- Pegasi love Crystals ??. If arranged specially, they would come to gaze at them, their eyes sparkling with curiosity ?.
- Pegasi only favor those who are sincere and pure of heart. Some even possess the power to read others' thoughts ?? and unleash powerful mental attacks that can drive an opponent mad.
The two secretly set up an area inside a spacious stone cave ??? with a clear stream, many glittering Crystals, and planted Dragon Immortal Grass nearby. With careful arrangements of space, lighting, water source, and the Immortal Grass food, a perfect sanctuary was created.
The Pegasi began to take notice. Initially, only a few came, then dozens, their wings gently flapping ???, but they were always cautious; the moment they sensed a human presence, they vanished instantly, like a passing breeze ??. Among them were some with horns, known as Heavenly Steeds (Thiên M?) ??, the leaders of the herd, who detected the two. They seemed to know the entire plan, chasing Noe and Aeris many times, the sound of their hooves thundering in the air ??, but whenever they were about to catch them, they gave up, soaring into the sky, disappearing into the mist.
The two were not frightened; they secretly watched and monitored, staying near the herd, deliberately planting the Immortal Grass within their sight. Gradually, the Pegasi grew accustomed to their presence but could not get too close, or they would flee. They persisted in this manner, slowly shortening the distance. Aeris was extremely patient, rarely leaving the mountain. He found every way to prevent others from going up, protecting the area, creating an atmosphere perfectly suited for the Pegasi. He even erected a barrier to conceal the area from Immortals ?, turning it into his own secret domain.
Aeris and Noe often chatted all night about the Garrison Lord, Aeris's teacher, aiming to reconcile the two.
Aeris: "Brother Noe, my teacher is a bit stubborn. He knows you are right but is still hesitant." ??
Noe: (His expression unchanged, but his voice—already high—became even more piercing) ?? "I haven't asked him to do anything difficult! Just maintain the law, discipline, and his promise! Is that so hard? Even if it is difficult, he must do it. It's a promise; he must follow it even unto death!" ??
Aeris: "Perhaps my teacher is worried or afraid of something?" ??
Noe: "What is there to fear? We were in danger! Don't you remember that time? We nearly ended up in the belly of a Forest God! Wasn't that scary?" ??
Aeris: "Yeah, you're right. I still don't understand why we were spared. The feeling of being surrounded by thousands of wild beasts, ready to tear us apart instantly, was terrifying." ??
Noe: (Sighs with deep resignation) ????? "I truly don't understand what he wants anymore, and that cowardly Dragon is annoying too, always hiding! They are not weak, yet they always hide and run. Just seeing them makes me angry!" ??
The two chatted until morning, falling asleep without realizing it. When they woke up, they were both startled, stammering ??. Standing before them were two winged horses, one with shining golden horns ? and one with glittering silver horns ??. They were the two leaders of the Pegasus herd, their bodies emitting a faint light, mystical and majestic. These were the ones who had chased them away countless times. But this time, they had no intention of attacking; they simply stood still, watching the two sleeping figures, their eyes filled with assessment.
Suddenly, a voice transmitted directly into their minds, an ancient but easily understandable language: "Follow me." ???
?? Pegasus one horns, Stats Sheet (Level 656)
Base Stats Update (8 points)
Aeris and Noe stood and followed the Heavenly Steeds to the clear lake inside the Stone Cave they had designed. The Pegasi entered the middle of the herd; not a single one fled. They stood in two rows, observing Noe and Aeris slowly stepping in, silence enveloping the area ??.
The Heavenly Steed projected its thoughts throughout the Stone Cave for all the Pegasi to hear: "We like this place very much. You two have spent a lot of effort to build this. Tell us what you want; we will listen."
Noe stepped forward and said: "Hello, Heavenly Steed. I have a request, which is to take the Pegasus Immortal Grass (Phi M? Tiên Th?o), the herb nourished by the feces and urine of the Pegasi. It is a precious medicinal material that greatly aids me in concocting medicine ??."
The Pegasi communicated their thoughts among themselves, a gentle energy spreading ??, without letting Noe or Aeris hear. After a moment, the Heavenly Steed replied by projecting its thoughts to the entire Stone Cave: "We agree, but we require an exchange, as that herb is also our food. You may only take the old grass, not the young grass, and you must supply us with Dragon Immortal Grass (Long Tiên Th?o)."
"We have a way to help the Dragon Immortal Grass grow. The young grass will be our food; you may take the old grass for medicine."
Noe nodded in agreement: "Agreed." ??
Noe stepped back. This time, Aeris stepped forward and asked:
Aeris: "May I tell a story?" ???
The herd of Pegasi whinnied loudly ?? in a tone of disdain. They freely projected their thoughts to each other, allowing Aeris to understand. They were long-lived creatures; centuries or millennia were normal for them. They had heard countless stories, good and bad, and they did not think anyone could convince them with a story.
Aeris smiled slightly, knowing Noe had said they loved stories but were also very arrogant. If the story touched their hearts or desires, they would follow.
Aeris began to narrate, his voice deep and smooth: "Once upon a time, there was a winged horse called the Thousand-Mile Steed (Thiên Ly M?), who was skilled at running and flying very fast, with no mountains or deep rivers capable of stopping its steps.
One day, a merchant came and said: 'Follow me.'"
Thousand-Mile Steed: (Proudly) "I am the Thousand-Mile Steed, I will not follow you and carry your goods." ??
Another day, a soldier came and said: 'Follow me.'
Thousand-Mile Steed: "No, no. I am the Thousand-Mile Steed; I will not follow a mere soldier like you. ???♂?
And so, person after person came with proposals, then left."
Aeris paused and observed.The Pegasi nodded proudly, the soft "Yes, yes" ?? echoing in their minds.
Aeris took a breath and continued: "One day, the envoy of a great King traveled everywhere to find a fast horse for the King.
The envoy met the Steed and asked: 'Are you the Thousand-Mile Steed, whom people praise?'"
Thousand-Mile Steed: (Joyfully) "I am he! Take me to meet the King!" ??
Envoy: "What is your talent? Do you know all the roads in this kingdom?"
The Thousand-Mile Steed shook its head, looking puzzled. ??
Envoy: "Have you ever gone to the battlefield to defend the nation?"
The Thousand-Mile Steed shook its head again.
Envoy: "Then what can you do?"
Thousand-Mile Steed: "I run fast."
Envoy: "Run a test."
The Thousand-Mile Steed ran a few circles, breathing heavily.
Envoy: "You are old. I deeply regret this." ??
Upon hearing this, the Steed was so angry that it slammed its head against a rock with a "thud" ??, and died. Its body turned into a wisp of smoke and blew away with the wind, leaving behind only a pinch of white powder. The envoy, mourning the Thousand-Mile Steed, brought the white powder back and built a beautiful tomb, inscribed: 'The Thousand-Mile Steed rests here.'"
As the story ended, the spirit of the entire horse herd grew heavy ??; all were saddened, a gloomy atmosphere ?? settling over them. The Heavenly Steed told Aeris and Noe to go down the mountain. The Pegasi needed a private conversation.
A few days later, the Pegasi did not reappear. Noe saw this and also left. Aeris patiently waited for several more months. Finally, a black winged horse ?? appeared. It chased Aeris, making him fall down the cliff, but the next day, Aeris climbed back up, standing in the same spot, waiting for it.
Every few days, the Black Pegasus (H?c Phi M?) returned.
?? Black Pegasus (H?c Phi M?) Stats Sheet (Level 599)
It possessed immense power, could transform its color, hide its wings, sometimes even grow large, towering 20m, before chasing Aeris again. Sometimes it would even breathe fire ?? and dense smoke, the sound of fire crackling ??, black smoke billowing ??, filling the canyon. Although it never intended to kill Aeris, it always pushed him to the brink of life and death before leaving. Aeris rested when injured, and when he recovered, he climbed back up the mountain, challenging the Black Pegasus, his spirit resilient and unwavering ??.
After nearly a year, Aeris finally caught the Black Pegasus once, but the Black Pegasus replied: "You were just lucky. I will carry you once and only once. I will not accept a master weaker than me." ???♂?
Aeris released the Black Pegasus and replied: "Fine, then we will try again tomorrow." ??
Later, the Black Pegasus allowed Aeris to ride, but would unexpectedly attack at any moment, forcing Aeris to always be ready for combat whenever he was near the Black Pegasus, his every movement swift and agile.
Once Aeris asked the Black Pegasus: "You have such great shapeshifting abilities. Why don't you transform into a human?"
Black Pegasus: "I am not like them, worshipping humans as gods. To me, humans are merely a reflection in the mirror, the moon in the water ??; they are not Gods. So I will not imitate or transform into a human. I am proud of the form the Supreme Deity gave me." ??
Aeris thought for a moment and said: "Are there Gods in this world? Where is the Supreme Deity?" ?
Aeris Stats Sheet (Level 599)
Dedicated Tanker/Controller