Talons and Tails

Talons and Tails is the first Legends of Mystopia novella to be released, with two main protagonists: a woodland griffon war-hero named Acacia, and the former king of the flame griffons, Coal. The chapters alternate evenly between the perspectives of both of the griffons.

The whole book follows the Great Griffon War, set almost fifty years before the events of Book 1 in the Mystopia series, From the Darkness. The novella's prologue, told in the perspective of Coal, opens up at a time when the war is just starting, while the main story starts near the mid-way point of the war. The epilogue, told in the perspective of Acacia, is set five years after the war is officially over.

Summary
''Mystopia is what many magical creatures call their home. Among these creatures are the mighty half-lion, half-eagle griffons. But trouble is stirring among the five griffon breeds, who have lived in relative peace for many years… until now.''

''All flame griffons solely follow cunning Queen Scorch, who rules over Burn Volcano, birthplace of all flame griffons. But all that changes when the lava in Burn Volcano stops spewing.''

Hoping to take over the volcano, all the iced griffons of Mystopia, under the influence of their new ruler, King Catacomb, begin their attack against Scorch and her flame griffons.

To try and prevent the war, an orphaned woodland griffon named Acacia joins a band of unlikely young heroes, knowing that if the fight is not stopped soon, all five of the griffon breeds of Mystopia will surely go extinct.

This is the story of the Great Griffon War.

Acacia
Acacia is one of the two main protagonists of Talons and Tails. She is a young woodland griffon who, at the start of the book, is seen to live with her tribe in an unnamed forest, somewhere in the Moonglade Kingdom. The forest and tribe itself is near the Sakardan Kingdom's border, which poses a risk to the wild griffon tribe, who could potentially get captured by Sakardan Scouts.

Prologue
The prologue of the novella opens up at Burn Volcano, almost five years before the story starts. A young flame griffon cub, who is later revealed to be Coal, is running through the deep tunnels of the volcano. Queen Scorch, beloved leader of the flame griffons and mother of Coal, was in one of the deepest chambers of the volcano when Coal spotted her. Coal hid behind a rock, wanting to surprise his mother, who was consulting with her closest advisors.

Just when Coal was about to jump out, he saw his mother viciously slash one of the griffons. The injured griffon happened to be well-respected General Bite-Ice, a iced griffon who served as a spy for the flame griffons for many years. All Coal hears is that because of a "failed" mission, his mother has decided to execute General Bite-Ice. As the General is taken away by flame griffon guards, Scorch vows to kill every single iced griffon. In fear of this cruel side of his mother, Coal scampered away from the chamber before anyone saw him.

The prologue moves to the next morning, to a raging Queen Scorch. She sends her guards after General Bite-Ice, who somehow escaped overnight. As Scorch flew away with her army, Coal watched from the volcano with a thrill in his stomach, as he vows to save all the iced griffons.

Part 1:

The novella starts with Acacia's perspective, as she flies through the woods that her tribe occupies with her friends Moss, Pebblestone and Fig. The four rest at a lake before returning to their nests, where we meet Acacia's family, consisting of her father, Dogwood, mother, Holly, and younger siblings, Birch, Oak and Spruce. The whole family eats dinner, and Holly tells them about how the war between the flame and iced griffons is moving towards their tribe. Spruce, the youngest, asks about the war, and Acacia explains it [insert explanation]. That night, the woodland griffons awake and find their forest home on fire.