I've always liked to go into forests. They're peaceful and wonderous, giving you the sense of relaxation and mysticality.

I pulled out my sketchbook and utensils, and I started drawing the environment around me. Hmm, maybe I could draw the trees a little lower so I can draw the birds and the sun with a little more detail.

Suddenly, I heard gunfire nearby. I guess the birds were startled, because they flew away just as I was finishing up drawing one sitting on a branch. God damn hunters. They ruin everything for me.

But then, I heard something very unusual. It sounded like a eagle screeching, combined with mixed grunts of people and slashing noises. That's not something you hear everyday...

My curiosity forced me to get closer to the scene. As I hid myself in the bushes, I realized that there was a figure there. It seemed that it was looking at the flame that the hunters had created. It looked like a bird, but it was about the size of a grown man. Maybe bigger than I am. I also noticed that the creature had arms AND wings separate from each other. And wait a minute.... is that fur on it's body?

I must've leaned forward too far. I lost my balance and stepped on a pile of branches. Crackle! I'm pretty sure that it heard the noise... sh*t.

Sure enough, the creature turned his head and looked at where I was.
Damn, they were creepy. The creature yelled
"WHO IS THERE!?" with a thick, masculine voice. Ok, it's a dude.
"Uh, sorry! I was just curious about the noises I heard earlier" I said as I came out of the bushes. I guess he didn't buy it though. His eyes were staring directly at me with a spine-chilling look, and he was holding on to what looked like a bow tightly.

Without saying any further, he pulled out an arrow and shot at me. I was barely able to dodge his shot, and I pulled out my pistol and dagger. I think I loaded my pistol with shock bullets. It shouldn't kill him.
"Whoa there! I'm not trying to hurt you!!" I shouted. He was stubborn though, replying with
"You cannot trick me! You humans are always trying to hunt me! I am Freewind of a proud tribe from another world, and you will pay for your actions... with DEATH!!"

The next thing I knew, he was in the air and charging at me with an unbelievable amount of speed. He slashed his blood-covered claws at me downward. I quickly stepped to the left, but he was able to scratch my jacket sleeve.
"Aw, come on! I got this thing only a week ago!!"
He wasn't even listening to what I was saying. He was doing an aerial flip, ready for another attack.

Is there anything that I can do to stop him? Then, I thought of the idea of shooting his wings. I'd have a better chance of beating him if I can make him stay on land. He could get seriously injured in the fall down, but it's worth a try. I don't have a choice.

He was charging at me again with even more speed than before, but I managed to dodge him, and took a few shots at his wings. Clean hits on both of his wings. Just as I estimated, he lost his balance and slammed himself into a tree. Ouch.

He started to slowly get up, with a bloodstreak dripping from his head. Good, he's not dead.
I observed his wounds from where I was standing. Looks like I made a few bumps in his wings, deforming them slightly. At least now I have a chance at subduing him.

But as soon as he was done getting up, he was right in front of me, and quickly slashed his claws at me. I tried to dodge again, but he got me on my chest, making it bleed a little.
I bared with the pain, and quickly slashed his back with my dagger, chipping the staff he had on his back a little.
After letting out a terrifying screech, he retreated and started firing arrows at me again. I got enough time to switch my katana out, and managed to reflect and dodge all of them.

I guess he ran out of arrows, because he was ready to slash me again. Or so I thought.
He was forming something that resembled a tornado in his hand, and I could feel the wind twisting from where I was. That's not good...

He threw the tornado at me. I pushed myself back with my wind magic far enough to be able to run from it. My wound wasn't isn't doing so well. I need to think of something fast.

The tornado had died down, but suddenly I heard chanting from where we fought. I took out my binoculars and saw that the gryphon was the one who was chanting. I also saw the wounds I gave him slowly healing. Really? A healing chant? You gotta be kidding me.

It was getting dark. As I was searching around the area, I found a campsite of the hunters that were trying to hunt the gryphon. There was a campfire, a tent, and a hunter's corpse with an arrow in it's neck. He seems like a good shot with his bow and arrows. He was dead on when he was shooting at me. And that chanting could make things longer and frustrating for me. I need to defeat him quickly.

...All right, this plan should work...

I took out a lighter I got from the dead hunter, and started a fire. It illuminated the area enough to be noticable. Surely enough, I heard the gryphon fly by where I was, and landed where the campfire was. He was distracted. Awesome. I got closer to the fire quietly, and took out a ball that I made out of oil paper and a whiskey-soaked hankerchief sprayed with sunscreen spray. I threw it at the fire, and the flame bursted, doubling it's size. The gryphon was astonished, grunting in fear and pain, and his wings catching on fire. I quickly charged up my electricity to my hands, and shocked his arms and one of his legs. This should paralyze him for a while. Finally, I punched him in his stomach hard. The beast kneeled down, defeated.

I took out my pistol and pointed at him. He dropped his head down.
"Ugh...You win. Go ahead, kill me. I regret nothing" he said with a weak voice.
Letting out a small sigh, I put away my gun and put my hand out, replying
"No. I don't roll that way"
He lifted his head up, suprised with what he just heard.
"But... I tried to kill you! I deserve to die by your hands!!" he shouted.
I let the words slip out of my mouth.
"Like I said, I don't roll that way. Why should I kill you? I have nothing against you. You were just trying to protect yourself. I understand that. C'mon, let's get you patched up"
I suddenly felt the pain of the wound the gryphon gave me. He saw the expression on my face, saying
"I think YOU are the one who needs to heal up, human. I can regenerate, you cannot" with a smirk on his face.
"Heh, I guess you're right" I replied.

He recovered from the shock I gave him, and stood up. He was badly injured too. I guess I made the fire a little too big. We grabbed each other's sholders, and dragged our heavy bodies through the forest.
"Freewind, right? Why aren't you healing yourself?" I asked him with slight confusion with him leaving his wounds as it is.
"I will not let another being suffer on his own" he replied without heaitation. I was suprised with what he said. He really is stubborn.

After we got back to the lodge I was renting, We chatted for a while as I was putting bandages on my wound.
"By the way, I forgot to get your name, human"
"It's Aiba"
"Huh..."
"...So you mentioned that you were from another world. Where ever that is, is there a way back?"
"I do not know. I am still trying to find a way back. I have attempted to get help, but everyone seems to fear me"
"No sh*t, you're a lion/eagle hybrid with claws and wings. Anyone would be terrified by you. There isn't a lot of anthromorphics in this universe, let alone this area"
"Hah, I guess so...Wait, Aiba, do you know an anthro... anthromo..."
"Anthromorphic.And yeah, I know one. He's a fortune teller at a bigger city in the south"
"I feel that he might have the answers to my problem"
"I feel so too"

After we were all healed up, I gave him a map with the current location and his destination was marked. As he was about to leave, he turned back at me.
"I still hate humans. But, I think I can accept you"
"I'm glad to hear that. I hope that you can find a way back to your dimention"
He looked up, and spread his wings, ready to take flight.
Right when he was about to leave, he looked at me and said
"Thank you. I wish you the best of luck in your journies.... Aiba"
Within a second, he was gone. Before I went back in, I whispered to myself
"Right back at 'cha, buddy"