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I came undone, my body trembling with pleasure and crying out his name, and he groaned in response. We moved together, our bodies in perfect harmony, until we reached the peak of ecstasy together.
Afterward, we lay together in each other’s arms, our breathing still ragged. His heart pounded against my chest, and we truly connected.
As we lay there, I thought about how far I came in such a short amount of time. I was terrified and alone when I first arrived in this strange world, but now I found a place where I belonged. I found a mate who loved me, and I found a new family.
I closed my eyes and smiled, content that I finally found my home. It was better than merely surviving like I did back south.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kuzar
The sun barely pierced the canyon’s maw when I left Evie in the cavern home and summoned my hunting party. I bid her stay put and not venture out. Ours was a quarrelsome, dangerous land of ancient rivalries and precarious alliances. It was not suitable for a young, lone human female.
We rode in silence, our leathery wings cutting through the still air; me, Gorm, Voltan, and Draknar. Each were first-fang warriors since before memory and a veteran of countless border skirmishes. Their fierce, green eyes scanned the sand and scrub, ever alert for movement. We were not here to start a war, but Anubis filth encroached onto our sacred territory, and their fetid stench clung to the air. I’d give them a reason to remember the power of the Goliath Gargoyles.
As we closed in on their turf, I glimpsed the Anubis patrol. They were hulking, jackal-headed brutes with a penchant for arrogance. They’d grown sloppy of late, their movements languid under the searing morning sun. A perfect opportunity. I surveyed our surroundings swiftly. Rocky outcrops, scrubby brush, dunes.
“Gorm, Voltan, hide in that brush,” I ordered, pointing. “My scent will draw them out. Ambush them at the base of those rocks. Draknar, with me.”
As I veered off to the side, feinting an attack on their camp from the east, Draknar flew high above. With wings wide, he dwarfed the sun as it momentarily dipped behind a cloud, casting a vast shadow across the Anubis camp.
The brutes sprang into action, yelping and whooping as they charged toward me. Right into Gorm and Voltan’s waiting claws. I could almost hear the satisfying crunch of bone and the rending of flesh.
Meanwhile, I circled to the west of their camp. Draknar descended, causing a great gust of wind that sent sand swirling. Exploiting the chaos and confusion, I landed amidst their tents and supplies. With one wing, I sent a tent flying, exposing their hidden caches of weapons and trinkets. With the other, I shattered a large urn full of an unknown liquid, its pungent smell choking and irritating.
Our surprise assault was having the desired effect. The disoriented scrambled. I seized the opportunity, snatching up an ornate dagger, a coil of golden chain, and a small leather pouch, likely containing valuables.
“Let’s go!” I flew back into the sky. At the camp’s edge, I caught sight of Gorm and Voltan dragging a half-dead Anubis by its mangled leg. Voltan delivered the killing blow with a vicious bite to the neck, its death throes gurgling out in pain and defeat.
We regrouped on a ledge overlooking the pillaged camp. The Anubis were now retreating, scattering like rats when the eagle flew overhead. I could see Gorm hefting the body of the Anubis warrior, Voltan happily chewing on a severed hand, and Draknar flying in lazy circles above us.
A successful raid, just as we’d planned. We dealt a blow to the pride and coffers of the Anubis. And I’d gained a few souvenirs for Evie, trinkets to soften her heart towards me. Maybe even win her smile.
As I savored the fleeting triumph, a twinge of guilt wormed its way into my gizzard. This was the life I was offering her—one of incessant skirmishes, bloodshed, and plundering. Was it what she deserved? What any human deserved?
The air reverberated again with the thunderous flapping of wings and the guttural roar of battle as our patrol soared over the scorching sands, heading back to our territory. We taught the Anubis a lesson they wouldn't soon forget, but a sense of unease tinged our victory. The ambush happened suddenly, too well-coordinated. It was a trap, a deliberate provocation to spark a larger conflict. And as we approached the border of our lands, we confirmed our worst fears.
A pack of Sobek warriors, their scaly bodies glistening under the harsh desert sun, materialized from the dunes, their eyes blazing with murderous intent. Everyone knew about their bloodlust and savagery, and their sudden appearance sent a chill down my spine. These reptilian monsters were not to be trifled with.
“Sobek filth!” Gorm bellowed, his voice echoing across the barren landscape. “You dare to challenge the Goliath Gargoyles?”
The Sobek leader, a hulking creature with a spiked tail and razor-sharp claws, let out a deafening roar in response. His followers, a snarling, hissing horde, surged forward, their weapons glinting in the sunlight.
We met their charge head-on, our talons and teeth bared. I locked onto the Sobek leader, determined to take down their alpha and demoralize the pack. We clashed in midair, our wings beating furiously as we grappled for dominance. His strength was immense, but a primal fury fueled me. I dug my claws into his scaly hide, feeling the satisfaction as blood welled from the wounds.
All around us, the battle raged. The air filled with the sickening crunch of bone and the pained cries of the fallen. Gorm and Voltan fought side by side, their combined might tear through the Sobek ranks. Draknar swooped down from above, his massive talons snatching up Sobek warriors and hurling them to the ground.
But the Sobek were relentless. They seemed to relish the violence, their eyes glowing with fire. For each one we struck down, two more seemed to take their place. The sheer number of them was overwhelming, and a growing sense of dread grew.
They outnumbered, outmatched, and outmaneuvered us. The realization struck me like a lightning bolt. This wasn’t just a skirmish; it was an all-out war. The Sobek annihilated us to drive us from our lands.
I glimpsed Evie’s face in my mind’s eye, her soft blonde hair blowing in the wind, her eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. She stepped into this world of violence and bloodshed, where I made her a target.
A surge of anger and desperation coursed through me. I couldn’t let them hurt her. I couldn’t let them destroy my clan. With renewed determination, I fought on, my claws dripping with Sobek blood.
But it was a losing battle. The Sobek were closing in, their numbers suffocating us. My strength waned, my wings grew heavy with exhaustion. We needed a miracle, a way to turn the tide.
A thunderous roar shook the very ground beneath us before we lost hope. A gigantic sandstorm erupted from the dunes, obscuring the sun and sending sand and grit swirling through the air. The surprised Sobek threw their formation into chaos.
