Page 7 of Feral Gods
With that cryptic advice, he too departs, leaving me alone in the chamber. For a moment, I consider running—escaping through the passage he indicated while the gargoyles are occupied with the dark elves. But where would I go? Back into the blizzard, weak and exhausted, to freeze to death in the wilderness? Or worse, to be recaptured and returned to Liiandor, where King Kres would make an example of me?
No. For better or worse, my fate is now tied to these strange, fearsome beings who have offered me sanctuary, however reluctantly.
I slide off the altar, testing my legs. They feel stronger now, steadier. The gargoyle's cloak Ravik's, I realize—falls away as I stand, revealing my tattered gray servant's dress. I pick up the cloak, marveling at its strange texture—not fabric at all, but something like living stone, flexible yet incredibly strong. It radiates warmth, as though sharing Ravik's own body heat.
Wrapping it around my shoulders, I move cautiously toward the chamber entrance, staying in the shadows. I know I should obey Ravik's command to remain safely hidden, but something drives me forward—curiosity, perhaps, or a need to understand these beings who now control my fate.
The sounds of battle reach me before I see it—roars of rage, screams of pain, the clash of weapons against stone. I edge closer to the main hall, peering around a pillar to witness a scene straight from the darkest legends of Protheka.
The temple entrance lies in ruins, the ancient door splintered inward. Snow swirls through the opening, dancing in the blue-white light emanating from neptherium nodes now glowingalong the walls. Four dark elf hunters stand in a defensive formation, their armor gleaming, swords and bows at the ready. At their feet lie the mangled remains of two batlaz, their vicious jaws forever silenced.
But it's the gargoyles who dominate the scene, terrible in their fury. Thane moves with shocking speed for one so massive, his claws tearing through dark elf armor as though it were parchment. Zephyr weaves complex patterns in the air, each gesture leaving trails of silver light that coalesce into binding sigils that trap a dark elf in place, rendering him helpless before Thane's onslaught.
And Ravik... by the Thirteen, Ravik is terrifying. He doesn't merely fight; he dominates the battlefield, his wings creating gusts of wind that unbalance his opponents, his claws and fangs weapons deadlier than any forged blade. But it's the magic he wields that truly horrifies—raw chaos energy that warps reality itself, turning the stone floor beneath a dark elf's feet into writhing tentacles that drag the screaming warrior down into the earth.
I should be repulsed. I should be terrified. These gargoyles are dealing death with casual, brutal efficiency. Yet I cannot look away, cannot deny the savage satisfaction I feel watching my tormentors face true predators for once.
"Behind you!" I cry out instinctively as a dark elf archer takes aim at Zephyr's unprotected back.
My warning comes just in time. Zephyr spins, deflecting the arrow with a gesture that turns the projectile to dust. The archer barely has time to nock another arrow before Ravik is upon him, a clawed hand closing around his throat.
"You hunt what is mine," Ravik snarls, lifting the struggling dark elf from the ground. "A mistake you will not live to repeat."
With a sickening crunch, he crushes the dark elf's throat, then tosses the body aside like discarded refuse. The remaininghunters, seeing their comrades so easily dispatched, begin a fighting retreat toward the entrance.
"Cowards," Thane growls, moving to pursue them.
"Let them go," Ravik commands, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Let them carry tales of what awaits those who violate our sanctuary."
Thane hesitates, clearly thirsting for more blood, but ultimately yields to Ravik's authority with a reluctant nod.
The surviving dark elves back away, maintaining their defensive stance until they reach the broken doorway. The apparent leader, his silver hair stained with blood from a gash across his forehead, speaks in the haughty tones so typical of his kind.
"This changes nothing," he declares, his violet eyes glittering with hatred. "The human slave belongs to Lord Vathren. King Kres himself has commanded her return."
Ravik steps forward, his massive form silhouetted against the temple's interior lights. "Tell your king that the gargoyles of Causadurn Ridge have awakened. Tell him that what we protect, we keep. And tell him that if he sends more hunters, we will send back fewer survivors."
The dark elf's face contorts with rage and fear. "This isn't over, stone-skin."
"No," Ravik agrees, his voice deadly calm. "It has barely begun."
The dark elves finally retreat, disappearing into the swirling snow beyond the temple entrance. Only then does Ravik turn, his burning gaze finding me immediately where I stand half-hidden in the shadows.
"I told you to stay in the inner sanctum," he growls, stalking toward me with predatory grace.
I straighten my spine, refusing to cower despite my racing heart. "Your warning saved Zephyr from an arrow in the back."
"A debt I acknowledge," Zephyr interjects smoothly, moving to stand beside Ravik. His turquoise eyes study me with renewed interest. "Though I wonder how a human slave developed such quick instincts."
"Survival," I answer simply. Six years in Lord Vathren's household taught me to anticipate danger from any direction. To watch, to listen, to react instantly or face punishment.
Thane approaches, wiping dark elf blood from his claws with casual disdain. Up close, I can better see the differences between the three gargoyles. Where Ravik projects raw dominance and Zephyr radiates intellectual intensity, Thane exudes aggressive physicality, his crimson eyes still bright with battle-lust.
"She's more useful than I expected," he admits grudgingly, his gaze raking over me with surprising thoroughness. "Though still just a human."
"A human who broke our curse," Zephyr reminds him, his tone mild but pointed. "A feat that deserves some measure of respect, Thane."
Thane snorts but doesn't argue further, instead turning his attention to the temple entrance. "We need to secure this breach before more arrive."
