Chapter 25: The Iron Claw Strikes Again

Laila sat at the grand council table, her gaze steady as the tension thickened in the air around her. The grand council chamber, a symbol of power and governance, had become the battlefield of whispers and subtle power plays. Around her, the kingdom's most prominent nobles debated, their voices a low hum as they discussed the ongoing war at the northern border. The Iron Claw, a rogue faction causing chaos at the kingdom's edge, was gaining momentum.

Laila's griffins stood like sentinels at her back, their silent, imposing figures dominating the space behind her. Azeer, the fire griffin, flared his wings slightly, the heat from his body shimmering like waves in the air. The others—Calista, Venari, Zephyr, and Drakon—remained poised, their presence a reminder of Laila’s strength and power. But even they sensed the unrest in the room.

“Something is coming,” Azeer’s deep voice echoed in her mind. “The air is thick with treachery.”