a silent film he'd watched a thousand times before
Belial was there before he knew it, the familiar shift of air marking the peryton’s approach. He adjusted instinctively, widening his circle to give the companion space while keeping the cave mouth framed beneath him. As the peryton approached and did as Deimos instructed, the hybrid's attention was pulled by Safrin's daughter. She was exclaiming about seeing someone and the young Olson's heart lurched. A survivor! He almost pulled into the excitement of it.
Then, a smell rode an updraft, curling into his senses with enough weight to make his feathers bristle.It was thick and wrong. His attention was already drawn back to the hollow below when he sent over the bond, Wait!
At first it was only the wind. A low, hollow howl funneled through stone, rising and falling like breath pulled through clenched teeth. But beneath it came something heavier -- the metallic ghost of old blood buried beneath the snow. Marcus dipped lower despite himself, wings beating once to steady against the turbulent tundra air. Then he heard it — faint but unmistakable. Chewing. A slow grind of teeth against bone, punctuated by the crack of something giving way.
His pulse sharpened, focus narrowing to a blade’s edge. There’s something inside. he warned, mental voice tight.
Marcus smells and hears danger!
Then, a smell rode an updraft, curling into his senses with enough weight to make his feathers bristle.It was thick and wrong. His attention was already drawn back to the hollow below when he sent over the bond, Wait!
At first it was only the wind. A low, hollow howl funneled through stone, rising and falling like breath pulled through clenched teeth. But beneath it came something heavier -- the metallic ghost of old blood buried beneath the snow. Marcus dipped lower despite himself, wings beating once to steady against the turbulent tundra air. Then he heard it — faint but unmistakable. Chewing. A slow grind of teeth against bone, punctuated by the crack of something giving way.
His pulse sharpened, focus narrowing to a blade’s edge. There’s something inside. he warned, mental voice tight.
Marcus smells and hears danger!
marcus olson
