With his Legilimency talent flowing like an invisible bridge between minds, Kael could communicate with Cerberus without any barriers or misunderstanding.
"You've guarded this place magnificently, Little Middle," he said warmly, his voice carrying genuine appreciation. "This is your well-deserved reward!"
Kael withdrew the gleaming golden cup and summoned an impressive pile of fresh meat that materialized with the rich, savory aroma of perfectly prepared beef. He also conjured a massive basin filled to the brim with creamy milk that steamed slightly in the cool tower air.
Just then, the other two sleeping heads stirred and awakened, their massive nostrils catching both Kael's familiar scent and the tantalizing fragrance of food. Immediately, all three heads began competing with enthusiastic whimpers and tail-wagging to capture his attention and affection.
The middle head refused to be outdone by its siblings and joined the vigorous competition for favor, pressing forward with eager eyes.
Squeezed between three enormous heads, each the size of a small building, Kael found himself nearly suffocated by this overwhelming display of canine devotion. The situation struck him as both endearing and exasperating as he quickly conjured additional portions of food to distract his overly affectionate guardian.
"Alright, alright, there's enough for everyone," he laughed, his voice slightly muffled by the press of massive muzzles seeking his touch.
After successfully comforting Cerberus and ensuring all three heads were contentedly occupied with their feast, Kael made his way through the tower to check on his other magical charges.
The griffin Aslan perched regally atop Orthanc's highest spire, its golden form silhouetted against the afternoon sky like a living statue. Though not nearly as massive as Cerberus, the creature had inherited the impressive genetic legacy of the great eagles. Despite its relative youth, it already possessed a frame larger and more imposing than a fully grown mountain lion.
Compared to the openly affectionate and clingy nature of Cerberus, Aslan maintained the aloof dignity typical of great cats. The griffin was more reserved and cool in its demeanor, like a proud feline noble. Though it clearly enjoyed Kael's attention and had formed a strong bond with him, it always maintained an air of regal composure and would never actively seek attention like a common pet.
The griffin possessed remarkable intelligence and unwavering loyalty, executing Kael's commands with military precision. Each day it conducted methodical flying patrols around Isengard and the surrounding territories, monitoring the area with keen eyes that missed nothing suspicious.
Even during Kael's extended absences, Aslan had proven its worth by catching several orc scouts attempting to infiltrate from the back slopes of the Misty Mountains. The creatures had been dispatched efficiently with razor-sharp talons and a powerful beak that could crush bone.
Accessing this information directly from the griffin's vivid memories, Kael felt a surge of pride mixed with mild surprise. He reached up to gently stroke the creature's magnificent beak and pat its muscled neck with obvious affection.
"Excellently done, Aslan. You truly are my pride and joy!" Kael praised warmly, his voice carrying genuine admiration.
Hearing such heartfelt praise from his beloved master, Griffin Aslan visibly swelled with happiness. The creature spread its impressive wings wide and released a sound that perfectly blended a lion's mighty roar with an eagle's piercing cry. The call echoed across Isengard's walls like a declaration of victory.
Afterward, the griffin became even more dedicated to its protective duties, its golden eyes blazing with determination. It was resolved not to allow any trespasser to set foot on its master's sacred territory.
As for Buckbeak the hippogriff, since its intelligence fell considerably short of both the griffin's keen wit and Cerberus's cunning, Kael had granted it freedom to roam throughout Isengard's extensive woodlands. The creature lived a semi-wild existence alongside the gentle mare that had given it life.
The hippogriff had grown to roughly the same height as its adoptive mother, but due to its young age, it still remained close to the mare's protective presence. However, it had developed impressive self-sufficiency, successfully hunting rabbits, mice, and other small woodland creatures independently. Occasionally it supplemented its diet with tender grass stems and wild berries that grew throughout the forest.
Though blessed with functional wings and respectable flying abilities inherited from its eagle bloodline, the hippogriff showed a distinct preference for terrestrial life, seeming more comfortable with its hooves on solid ground.
Kael had also constructed a spacious stable complex within Isengard's protective circular walls. The facility housed several magnificent Mearas horses captured from Rohan's endless plains, all currently carrying crossbred embryos that combined great eagle and horse genetics.
The only uncertainty remaining was whether these pregnancies would produce additional hippogriffs or the more prized flying horses. After all, magical crossbreeding remained an unpredictable art rather than an exact science. The species that emerged from each union depended entirely on the whims of fate and magical compatibility.
The flying horses promised to Elrond, Ellohir, and Elrohir would come from these gestating offspring, assuming the breeding program continued its current success.
Besides these surface operations, Kael had also established an extensive underground breeding facility beneath Isengard's foundations. The climate-controlled chambers contained embryos created by crossbreeding dragons with giant lizards and dragons with massive pythons. Each precious embryo had been carefully implanted into surrogate mothers selected for their health and size.
Currently, all the expectant mothers remained stable and healthy, showing no signs of complications. The underground facility hummed quietly with magical monitoring equipment that tracked each pregnancy's progress.
Kael's ultimate breeding goal involved creating true dragon subspecies that could serve his purposes without requiring Smaug's reluctant participation.
Like the dragons that existed in distant magical realms, even if these creatures couldn't speak or possess vast intelligence, their body parts would have tremendous magical value.
Dragon nerves could be crafted into exceptionally powerful wand cores. Dragon hide could be transformed into protective gear like enchanted gloves and nearly impenetrable coats. Dragon blood served multiple crucial roles in advanced potion brewing. Dragon scales could be fashioned into magical items such as reinforced shields and protective barriers. Dragon hearts and livers were essential ingredients for the most precious healing draughts. Even dragon dung served as incredibly effective fertilizer for magical plants.
Dragons truly were treasures from their horned heads to their spiked tails, every part possessing some valuable application.
Many of Kael's ongoing magical experiments required various dragon components, but he absolutely couldn't continue using Smaug as his unwilling supplier.
Just the few times he'd drawn blood samples had left the great dragon traumatized and suspicious. The proud creature now eyed Kael warily whenever they met, clearly fearing what other "samples" might be requested.
So Kael had decided to breed wyverns and lesser drakes to replace Smaug's contributions, sparing the ancient dragon from constant fear of being harvested for magical components.
Ironically, Kael's ambitious breeding operation ran almost parallel to the sinister plans that Sauron and Saruman were hatching in the volcanic depths of Mordor.
As Kael waited with growing anticipation, the giant lizard completed its gestation period first, beginning the laying process that would hopefully yield their first dragon hybrid.
The giant lizard had been captured from the treacherous slopes of the Misty Mountains by Great Eagle Thorondor specifically for Kael's experiments. Measuring over seven meters from nose to tail, it was a fearsome predator that even battle-hardened orcs avoided provoking unnecessarily.
Under normal circumstances, giant lizards could lay multiple eggs during a single reproductive cycle, but this time the magical interference had resulted in only a single egg. However, that lone egg was massive, larger than even an ostrich egg and far more impressive.
The giant lizard's egg possessed a shell as hard as polished stone, resembling an oval boulder covered in intricate natural patterns that seemed to shift and flow when viewed from different angles.
Tapping the shell produced a sound identical to striking solid rock, suggesting the incredible durability of whatever creature developed within.
Looking at this massive egg with its mysterious markings, Kael found himself uncertain about the proper incubation methods required for such an unusual hybrid.
He specifically sought out Smaug to inquire about traditional dragon egg incubation techniques, hoping the ancient dragon's knowledge would prove applicable.
Smaug showed immediate curiosity about this unprecedented dragon egg, his ancient instincts recognizing something familiar yet strange. He understood that Kael had been conducting crossbreeding experiments using his blood combined with other creatures, and he could sense a faint bloodline connection emanating from the mysterious egg.
But if anyone expected Smaug to develop genuine "paternal feelings" for the dragon egg, they would be severely disappointed.
Dragonkind possessed no concept of family affection or protective instincts toward their offspring. Dragons would readily kill each other over disputed treasure, even fathers turning against sons without hesitation when gold was at stake.
This ruthless individualism explained why dragon populations had declined so dramatically during the Third Age, leaving Smaug as the only famous dragon still active in Middle-earth.
Much less would he feel attachment to this dragon egg, which represented only a crossbred hybrid created using his blood mixed with inferior creatures. It could hardly be considered a purebred dragon worthy of his respect.
So while Smaug remained briefly curious about the dragon egg's development, he quickly lost interest and dismissed it as irrelevant to his concerns.
However, the great dragon did provide valuable practical advice before departing. Fire dragon eggs required sustained high-temperature incubation to develop properly. He himself had been incubated deep within the earth's natural fires during his own hatching centuries ago.
Armed with this crucial information, Kael placed the dragon egg in a specially prepared iron pot suspended over magical flames. He covered the vessel to ensure even heat distribution, essentially dry-roasting and steaming the precious egg with carefully controlled temperature.
While the first dragon egg underwent its month-long high-temperature incubation process, the pregnant python from his second crossbreeding experiment completed its own gestation cycle and began laying its clutch.
To Kael's absolute delight, this time the python produced not one but three perfectly formed dragon eggs, tripling his chances of success.
The python-dragon hybrid eggs appeared smaller than the first variety, roughly equivalent to large ostrich eggs, but their surfaces bore intricate scale-like patterns that seemed almost alive in the flickering light.
Meanwhile, the pregnant mares housed in Isengard's stable began giving birth in succession, each delivery bringing new possibilities for his flying steed breeding program.
Eight mares delivered their offspring over the course of several weeks, producing three additional hippogriffs and five magnificent flying horses of various colorations.
Now both hippogriffs and flying horses had established breeding populations that could sustain themselves for generations.
Kael arranged for the new hippogriffs to join their elder sibling in Isengard's protected forest, even requesting assistance from the Ents of nearby Fangorn Forest to help supervise and protect the growing herd.
The five newly born flying horses displayed remarkable beauty and diversity. One shone black as midnight, another gleamed silver-gray like moonlight on water, two bore coats of rich red-brown that caught fire in sunlight, and the last possessed a coat of pure moonlight white that seemed to glow with inner radiance.
All five creatures were magnificent beyond description, their wings already showing the promise of future flight capabilities.
Seeing such impressive numbers and variety, Kael felt the timing was absolutely perfect for his planned gifts. He decided to present the black flying horse to Elrond, whose dignified bearing would complement the creature's dark elegance. The two red flying horses would go to brothers Ellohir and Elrohir, who had always worked as a matched pair.
As for the gray and moonlight white flying horses, he planned to offer them to Celeborn and Galadriel of Lothlórien, knowing the ethereal creatures would thrive in that realm's magical atmosphere.
When news reached Rivendell that the flying horses had been born, the usually composed and dignified Elrond abandoned all pretense of elvish reserve and traveled directly from his hidden valley to witness the birth.
Beside him followed the eagerly excited Ellohir and Elrohir, their eyes bright with anticipation, plus a smiling Arwen, who seemed to be enjoying the entertainment of watching her normally staid family members act like excited children.
After his initial surprise at this unprecedented display, Kael couldn't help but find the situation thoroughly amusing. This was the first time he'd witnessed such unguarded enthusiasm from the typically composed Lord of Rivendell, a being usually synonymous with wisdom and measured responses.
But the scene demonstrated just how deeply elves loved these magical flying horses, enough to abandon their usual dignified reserve entirely.
Kael led the eager group to the newly constructed stable complex, anticipation crackling in the air like static electricity.
Without Kael needing to say anything specific, Elrond was immediately drawn to the magnificent black flying horse as if pulled by invisible threads. Meanwhile, Ellohir and Elrohir focused their attention on the two red flying horses with obvious delight.
Kael's lips curved upward in satisfaction. He knew his instincts about the proper pairings had been absolutely correct.
Observing these majestic creatures with wonder-filled eyes, Arwen's face lit up with starlight as she spoke with genuine happiness. "Now Eärendlos won't be lonely anymore. He can fly through the endless skies with his new companions, racing clouds and chasing stars."
Then she looked thoughtfully at the remaining gray and moonlight-white flying horses, curiosity evident in her melodious voice. "Kael, have you already decided where these two beautiful creatures will find their homes?"
Kael smiled warmly and nodded with confidence. "I plan to present them to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel as tokens of friendship and respect, but I wonder if they'll appreciate such gifts?"
As it turned out, Celeborn and Galadriel loved their flying horses beyond all expectations.
Celeborn immediately bonded with the gray flying horse that gleamed like liquid silver in sunlight, even commissioning the construction of an elegant stable designed specifically for his beloved mount's comfort and rest.
Galadriel chose to keep her moonlight-colored flying horse within her private garden sanctuary, where it could drink sweet, magically charged spring water and graze on lush grass watered by enchanted streams that never ran dry.
Kael hadn't anticipated that his accidentally successful breeding program would prove so incredibly popular among the elven nobility, but he felt both surprised and deeply gratified by their enthusiasm.
Moreover, because of the flying horses' overwhelming success, Kael's reputation and status among elves rose dramatically throughout Middle-earth's hidden communities.
Elves universally adored these ethereal creatures, bestowing upon them the poetic name "sky steeds" in their flowing language. Meanwhile, Kael earned the honorary title "Master of Sky Steeds," a designation that carried real respect and authority.
However, Kael's attention soon shifted from the successful flying horse program back to his more ambitious dragon breeding experiments.
After a full month of sustained high-temperature flame incubation, carefully monitored and adjusted daily, the first dragon egg finally began showing unmistakable signs of imminent hatching.
Watching the scorching dragon egg shake and tremble continuously within the red-hot iron pot, Kael immediately removed the vessel from the magical flames. Using careful levitation charms, he transferred the scalding egg from the pot onto a prepared table and settled in to wait with barely contained excitement.
Soon, the dragon egg's movements grew increasingly violent, as if something powerful inside was struggling desperately to break free from its calcium prison.
Finally, as hairline cracks spread across the shell's surface like a spiderweb, the egg shattered completely with a wet cracking sound. A sticky young dragon covered in translucent birthing fluid emerged onto the table, blinking in the sudden light.
The newborn dragon was covered in glossy black scales that seemed to absorb light, its body resembling a miniature lizard but with distinctly draconic features. Yellow eyes like molten gold surveyed its surroundings with immediate alertness, while bronze-colored horns crowned its head. Its long tail bore similarly colored spikes that would clearly become formidable weapons as the creature matured.
Kael carefully collected the broken eggshell fragments and remaining fluid with practiced efficiency, knowing these materials would serve as valuable potion ingredients for future experiments.
Then he leaned closer to examine the remarkable young dragon before him, his trained eye cataloging every detail of this unprecedented hybrid.
The young dragon noticed Kael's approach and immediately issued a warning hiss with its tender but already fierce voice, displaying the territorial instincts inherited from its dragon bloodline.
Kael raised an eyebrow at this display of aggression. Already showing such fierce independence at such a young age?
He tentatively extended his hand closer to test the creature's reactions.
The young dragon immediately spat a shower of bright sparks, attempting to drive off the perceived threat with its rudimentary fire-breathing ability.
However, the sparks were harmlessly deflected by an invisible magical barrier before they could reach Kael's outstretched fingers.
Over the following hours, Kael conducted a thorough examination of the young dragon's capabilities and characteristics.
His final assessment revealed that this crossbred hybrid had successfully inherited the dragon's legendary fire-breathing ability, though the flame intensity remained inferior to that produced by true dragons. The young dragon's intelligence also fell short of ancient dragon standards, showing roughly the mental capacity of clever beasts rather than the cunning intellect of their pure-blooded ancestors.
The creature had also inherited dragonkind's obsessive fascination with treasure and shiny objects, though this trait appeared somewhat diminished compared to legendary dragons. Still, it showed obvious interest in any reflective or gleaming items within its vicinity.
Thus, Middle-earth witnessed the official birth of its first artificially created wyvern, a new species that bridged the gap between dragons and lesser creatures.
A full week after the first young dragon's successful emergence, the three dragon eggs created from python-dragon crossbreeding finally reached their own hatching point.
The young dragons that emerged this time differed significantly from their black-scaled predecessor. Three creatures of deep emerald green broke free from their shells, their coloration reminiscent of precious jewels.
They possessed longer, more robust bodies with two gleaming golden horns crowning each head. Dense layers of fine scales covered their serpentine forms, giving them a more snake-like appearance despite possessing four legs and functional wings sprouting from their backs.
These python-dragon hybrids moved with fluid grace that suggested both aerial and terrestrial capabilities, their forms perfectly adapted for multiple environments.
Kael watched with satisfaction as his breeding program yielded its first successful results, knowing these creatures represented only the beginning of far more ambitious projects to come.