Gryphon

They very soon came upon a Gryphon, lying fast asleep in the sun. `Up, lazy thing!' said the Queen, `and take this young lady to see the Mock Turtle, and to hear his history. I must go back and see after some executions I have ordered'; and she walked off, leaving Alice alone with the Gryphon. Alice did not quite like the look of the creature, but on the whole she thought it would be quite as safe to stay with it as to go after that savage Queen: so she waited.

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland

The Gryphon is a creature that combines the forms of a lion and an eagle, the symbols of both power and strength. A companion of Apollo and Nemesis, the gryphon has been an important figure in mythology and literature. Masters of the earth and sky, the gryphon has been the symbol of many royal figures.Finding origins in India, the gryphon was said to be able to find hidden treasure; their nests were often made of gold. They are fierce guardians of treasure; even the gold that rises in the sky at dawn.