It cooed a couple of times, affectionately spread its wings, and leaped from the tree, landing precisely on Yang Qi's shoulder.
"Hiss—"
Yang Qi felt his shoulder sink, followed by a slight, stabbing pain. He sucked in a sharp breath and quickly ordered, "Get back in the tree, Qi Zai! Don't you know how sharp your talons are?"
The talons of a Beaked Eagle are weapons capable of piercing a sloth's skull and capturing monkeys. Even as a sub-adult, its unconscious grip was strong enough to tear through normal clothing and even break the skin.
'Ah? I'm sorry, Master.'
Qi Zai quickly released its talons. It flapped its wings in a fluster and flew back to a branch, perching and looking down at Yang Qi.
'I didn't do it on purpose.'
"It's okay. It's not your fault."
Yang Qi rubbed his stinging shoulder and smiled. "I'll get a sturdy shoulder guard and an arm guard. It'll be easier for you to stand on me then."
A yellow hound on the left, a dark hawk on the right—that's a man's dream.
