Heroes can fall in more ways than one.
Demigod Xaray is sent on a quest to kill after he massacred a whole town. Weakened by the strain, he falls prey to a haughty vampire and is cared for by a fellow prisoner, the nagi Vasa. Torn between his orders...
The fish alone isn't enough for the gryphon. He wants to eat the little black bird too, and he wants the bird first.
The gryphon looked down at them, gaze lingering on the wolpertinger. Esnina growled at him with her wings flaring in response. Putting a hand on her back to keep the little rabbit on his shoulder, the half-Kin glared at the beast.
"It will be neither, gryphon," he said, voice trembling with hatred. "To buy us more time to get you an 'adequate' treasure, we have brought you a gift."
'A gift,' the winged half-lion echoed. He raised one of his talons and jabbed it at the black bird on Zaheria's shoulder. 'Well. It's quite the pathetic snack, but I will accept it as a precursor to the wolpertinger.'
Zaheria took a step back and covered the weak bird with her hands. "She is not to be eaten. Trust me, you wouldn't like it. She's ill, and eating her would only make you ill, too."
The hum he emitted sounded more like a growl. 'If that's all it was, you would've shoved it towards me already. I know you wish me ill. But you, you are a liar. What does your lord think of that? Isn't honesty one of the things they judge your soul on?'
She narrowed her eyes at its tone, biting her cheek to keep from cussing him out nine days from Shauyez. "Sometimes, you have to lie to protect the ones you care about. Angels are no different."
'Oh, is that so?' He tilted his head, accusation thick in his tone. 'So you care about the little bird? If so, why is it ill and look like it's dying? Is that the care of an angel? You seem to be ensuring its death more than anything.'
"It's not my fault!" she cried out. The beast chuckled triumphantly at her outburst. Anger bubbled up inside her at his reaction and his accusation, burning through her veins. She wasn't a killer. She'd never do that on purpose. To insinuate she'd harm an innocent creature on purpose...
"Zaheria. No." A strong hand gripped her free shoulder, holding her back. She glared at it but allowed it to keep her still. After giving her a small squeeze, Estrad let go and turned back to the gryphon, raising the packaged fish so the beast could see it. "The gift we have brought you is not the sickly bird. We have caught you a sacred fish from Nestra's sanctuary."
His blue eyes sparkled and his expression contorted into a smug grin. 'One of Nestra's sacred fish, huh? I will accept that gift. You sold your soul for it, after all, didn't you? Nestra requires a life of servitude for that.'
Estrad froze before looking down at the scale necklace, doubt written all over his face. When he glanced over at Zaheria, his brows furrowed deeply, she gave him a small nod. She reached out to him and grabbed his hand. "Roll with it."
