As the group neared the colossal oak gates, Galen looked up and saw a guard peeking over the edge of the massive wall. He heard the sound of gusting wind at the top of the wall as the guard's head was once again hidden, followed by the rumble of the massive stone walls behind the gate shifting away. The gate itself followed next, sliding with a perfectly balanced weight back into the sides of the massive stone hall. At the far end of the hall stood two figures, about as tall as Galen, maybe a bit older and with dark brown hair.
They were reverse gryphons, lion above the waist, raptor legs and tail below. The most notable detail about them, however, was the lack of wings. They were the Ains brothers, and Galen knew this because he had trained them to be the best they could be, which is why they now wore the emblem and armor of the Royal Guard. He also knew that they were special in a different way: they were airbenders as well as earthbenders. In their push to be equal in freedom to their winged counterparts, they had developed the extremely rare trait, being equal if not better with their secondary element. Galen smiled as he shook hands with the old friends, promising to talk later after things were sorted out. With a blast of wind and a cloud of dust they were gone, atop the Inner Wall once again. The walls closed behind the group, and they were finally safe. Ahead stretched the emerald fields and towers of the Inner Ring, shining bright in the light of day.
"Here we are" said Galen, stretching his wings in the sun, the golden light shining off the small steel plates on his shoulders and chest.