Page 29 of The Manticore's Fire

“Why would I be worried? We are merely walking into a city full of humans who will either scream at the sight of me or attempt to kill me… and you just for being with me,” he pointed out.

Abby shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. “They wouldn’t dare if they see me with you. Guild business is not to be interfered with. Granted, I’m not technically a member of the Hunter’s Guild yet, but they won’t know that. You are safe with me,” she assured him. She rested her head on his mane, her fingers twisting restlessly in it. “Somehow, I doubt that is what’s really on your mind.”

“I am not worried about my safety,” he rumbled in reply. “A manticore is not an easy thing to kill, as you are aware. I am worried that you will be in danger for no other crime than being by my side.”

He sensed her frown, her mouth moving against his mane as it downturned. “If that is the case, then let’s go back. There is no need to do this.”

His eyes slid shut, humbled. Returning to the city would have given her the perfect opportunity to escape him and yet she suggested that they return to his cavern—where she would still be in danger from the next hunter sent after him. And another. And another. She would never not be in danger. He did not mind confronting the creatures of the desert with her as that was what she was bred and trained for, but if things remained as they were, she would be ceaselessly pitted against her own kind. He could not do that to her.

Burdened by his conflicted feelings, he did not answer right away. He trotted across the sand. Gods knew that the desert had enough dangers. He trotted a fair distance before a tingle rushed through the sensitive pads of his hands and paws of subtle vibrations from movement beneath the sand. He stopped short and hastily backed away as the sand boiled up and a giant sand viper rose from the sands. Abby jerked in surprise but allowed herself only the singular sharp gasp and tremor before flattening herself against him. She clung tightly to him by her knees around his torso and her hands in his mane so that she moved easily with him, her weight naturally shifting with his as he danced out of its immediate striking zone.

“Fuck, that’s huge,” she whispered in awe, her hand tightening around the lance that he had retrieved from his trophy wall just earlier that morning.

She was not wrong. Its head was nearly twice the size of his head, and the long coil of its body that was exposed above the sand was nearly the length of one of his den’s passages. With its thick black and gold hide, it was, by its nature, impervious to fire, and his projectile barbs were nearly useless on it unless he was lucky enough to strike the creature’s small eyes. His claws could wound it, but he would only be able to bring it down with a powerful dose of venom from his stinger directly to its nervous system. Every moment spent within striking distance of the viper was risky. It required dispatching it quickly and giving as few opportunities to attack as possible.

“We need to move in close and strike fast to bring it down before it has the opportunity to envenomate either of us,” he hissed as he continued to weave away before it had the opportunity to strike. “There is no way to escape it other than perhaps by retreating.”

“We can’t do that. We can’t leave it for a caravan to run into,” Abby quietly replied as she adjusted her grip on her javelin. “Besides, I’ve waited all my life for this moment. Let’s do this.”

He rumbled in agreement, a sense of exhilaration shifting through him as he scented her excitement in the air and felt the tension of her muscles around him. He expected nothing less from a female born to hunt. Keeping low, he turned and rushed at the viper, taking care to keep his movements smooth so as to not accidentally unseat his mate. Sand sprayed up as he skidded close to it. Crouching low, he swiped out with his claws, raking deep furrows into its body that had the viper twist away at the same moment Abby straightened and jabbed her javelin upward, landing a blow between the segments of its belly as the tip stabbed deep. The creature’s mouth opened open with a violent hiss as it thrashed, its momentum yanking Abby from her perch.

As the trained hunter she was, she held tight to her weapon so that it dislodged as she dropped to the sand. Samir watched her fall closely from the corner of his eye even as he circled his prey to make another attack. A prickle of alarm rose through him but then eased when he saw her push herself to her knees. She was unharmed. Good.

As anticipated, the serpent recoiled, its body low as it coiled back, withdrawing to make another strike. That was exactly the opening he was waiting for. He leaped for the back of its neck, the claws of his hands and paws digging deep as he sank his teeth into the sensitive tissue just behind its skull. The force of his weight and the momentum of his leap drove the creature’s head to the ground. It immediately writhed, its body twisting in an attempt to dislodge or crush him beneath its weight, frustrating his attempts to bring up his stinger as he was slammed repeatedly into the ground. The serpents blood filled his mouth, but it was not enough. He was starting to feel lightheaded fromthe blows and half-blind from the sprays of sand every thrash of the serpent’s coils sent into the air.

A shrill sound rose above the cacophony of his battle, and his eyes turned in its direction as his mate sailed through the air with a leap, her javelin stabbing deep into the viper’s eye. Its head dropped and then whipped back into the air, rising him higher and higher with it. Elation filled him. He was no longer trapped uselessly against the sand! Snarling deep in his chest, he curled his tail high before whipping it in a sharp, downward motion. His stinger landed, stabbing into the center of the skull as he delivered a fatal load of venom directly into its brain.

The viper jerked wildly and then it fell, taking Samir with it, the sand exploding around them with the impact of the creature’s body to the ground. His ears rang but he heard the muffled sound of Abby’s feet racing toward him and the brush of her hands over his fur.

“Samir, are you okay?” she shouted, worry thick in her voice.

Groaning, he gratefully unlocked his jaw and dislodged his claws so that he was able to slide free from the serpent’s neck. He lay in the sand, dragging deep breaths into his lungs as he rolled to his side to peer up at Abby.

“Fine. Just need… to catch my breath,” he replied. “They usually… are not so big.”

Abby laughed with relief and sank to his side. She had pulled her lance free from the viper’s head and gore dripped down the length of its sharp tip and onto the sand as she laid down on the ground beside her.

“It was a hell of a ride though,” she replied and smiled despite himself.

“That it was,” he agreed. “Was that your first hunt?”

She nodded. “My first real hunt. I had plenty of practice with my family in controlled situations but this… this was the real deal.”

“Was it as good as you imagined?” he rasped.

A shiver ran through her, and she nodded. Her gaze shifted to his. “Do you think that makes me a terrible person to say that I enjoyed killing it? I know it’s what hunters are supposed to do but I do not recall my parents ever saying that they enjoyed it. Not like that.”

He shook his head. “No. It is the nature of the predator to enjoy bringing down its prey. It satisfies an instinctive need within us. This is just who you are, and it is magnificent.”

Abby smiled and leaned against him. “We made a pretty good team, though, huh?”

He swallowed thickly and nodded. “There is no other that I would rather hunt with,” he replied honestly. “And until now, I have never before wished for a companion in the hunt.”

A smile lit her face, and she ran her fingers through his mane. “You never answered me before. Why not just go back?”

“I have already answered this,” he rumbled evasively.

“You have, huh. The last thing you said is that I would never be safe—” her voice trailed off, her hand going still. He felt her weight shift just before he became aware of her eyes on him. “Is that why you are suddenly doing this? You are worried about me being harmed out here? Haven’t I just proved myself?” she demanded.

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