"I hope he knows where he’s going!" Ralina said through ragged breaths while she wound a path through the dense forest in darkness.

She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. The undergrowth was dense and kept whipping her whiskers. Suddenly, the canopy opened, and her golden coat reflected the moonlight.

A fresh gust of wind battered her face, causing her to blink. She winced as a stray branch chose that moment to slash her across the still healing scar that rolled down the side of her face.

Ralina looked up with watery eyes as she spotted a raven soaring above with apparent ease. He danced among the wind currents, darting about with purpose. With a quick aerobatic spiral, he surveyed the imminent area, then spun around.

"Of course, I know where I’m going," he said as he swooped in front of her and transformed mid-flight, again back into his human form. He smiled at her. "We've made good time."

Ralina padded to a stop. "You still sure about all this?"

Kraid’s raven eyes searched the narrow clearing and sighed. "Not particularly. Although I trust your father." Kraid walked towards a gap in the trees and nodded to himself. "Okay, I can see the village down there. So, this should be far enough."

"Are you going to report back to father straight away?"

Kraid nodded. “We are running out of time.”

"And how much time do we have?" Ralina asked.

"Not long." He examined the sky. His yellow eyes peered up at the faded clouds. "This should be enough. I’ve escorted you as far as their border. Wait till morning and slowly approach the gates. Do you remember exactly what your father told you?”

"Yes," she said, feeling the weight of the words she carried.

His head bobbed up and down, giving a glimpse of his raven-like qualities even in his human guise.

“Be careful,” Kraid said, his tone serious. He examined the rest of the clearing with suspicion, then shook his head.

Without another word, he dissolved into a cloud of feathers and darted upwards, disappearing over the treetops. Ralina turned and sighed as the sound of flapping wings dissolved in the distance.

She fidgeted and scratched her side with her front paw. The satchel that had been firmly attached to her back fell to the ground with a soft thud. Thick fur thinned and receded while her feline features melted to reveal her human silhouette. She knelt naked in the clearing, examining the contents of the leather satchel and freed the clothing within.

The unexpected chill in the air made the simple clothes feel all the more welcoming. She sighed with relief as soon as the cloth fell over his skin. It felt good to be human again.

Unlike the others, the Sun clan had always preferred living as humans.

Ralina approached the ledge and looked out over the city below. Hundreds of lanterns gleamed from windows, casting the streets in vivid orange light.

Ralina sighed. She had made it!

Looking up at the moon she gathered it would be a few hours before dawn and as per Kraid’s instructions she would wait until then. Approaching a well-fortified gate in the dark would not be sensible.

She found a fallen log and lay back on her satchel while staring at the stars. Her mind wandered over the intense few days that had flashed past. Part of her was petrified of what lay behind her, and excitement lay in the path below her.

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Hours drifted by as she thought of the strange magic man. At first, she barely acknowledged him. He was human, so she barely thought much of him. Then everything changed.

The vision of the stone dragon filled her mind and a strange tingling sensation washed over her. She yearned to find out more about him.

Ralina flinched as the skin on the back of her neck prickled and her ears perked up.

That’s odd, she thought.

She felt as if something was watching her. No animal would dare approach anywhere near her. Her Felren scent would turn them away instantly. She focused on her ears. The lack of sound in the clearing was eerie.

She ground her jaw. Ralina wasn’t alone.

Her eyes darted about. But even with her heightened vision she couldn't see anything. Her nostrils flared. Whatever it was she couldn’t even pick up its scent. Which could only mean it was approaching from downwind.

“Shit,” she said under her breath.

She stepped away from the log and hefted a thick stick from the ground, thinking it would be a good enough club to pummel whatever dared approach her.

A bush behind her ripped apart.

She twisted, but eyes barely adjusted in time to see a hulking white blur charge her down.

Thud!

She cried out in pain as her weight slammed back. The pale white monster easily overpowered her. Jaws tightened around her torso, pulling her off the ground, then threw her like a rag doll. Ralina rolled on the ground, grunting, forcing her to drop the club.

She glanced up and dodged just intime before a giant paw slammed down. Sharp claws narrowly missed her face, tearing the club in half.

"No one to save you now. Bitch!" Grawnash snarled as his hungry eyes followed her in the darkness. His scar ridden face was contorted in rage.

She growled defiantly back at him.

Damn it, she thought as she groped the neck of her top. She couldn't change. The cloth would instantly choke her. She had to get away.

Her scar burned as a bead of sweat fell across the fresh wound. Then a sudden thought caught in her mind.

Grawnash stepped forwards and gloated.

Ralina slowly moved sideways next to a patch of dirt.

“You’ve got nowhere to run,” he sneered.

Suddenly, she kicked up the dirt and dashed aside into a bush. Grawnash howled in pain as the earth dug into the many fresh wounds on his snout.

She glimpsed the hulking beast between the branches as he panted in fury. The white, patchy fur shone in the moonlight and from where she could see, the remaining flesh was scarred horribly.

“Bitch!” he screamed. "Come out so I can mount you."

Ralina shuddered.

Grawnash’s ears perked. His hulking head snapped to face her.

“Found you!”

She bit down her fear and threw herself at him. Ralina's human fingers clawed at the wounds on his face.

Grawnash bellowed in pain and fought to shake her off.

His paw soared through the air and crashed into her side. The weight of it alone was enough to send her skittering across the floor. Her vision blurred as pain shot down her spine. She lay face down motionless, clutching at her side.

The sky went dark as a colossal form blocked out the moonlight. Large paw thudded down either side of her and an immense jaw lowered beside her face.

"I’ll make you fucking pay for that,” he snarled.

She stared up at him defiantly.

"Change back. You look disgusting," he said while creasing his nose.

"No. You filthy bastard!" she cried through clenched teeth. Under her, she felt the shattered club dig into her back.

With all her might, she yanked the club from under her and jabbed it into his open, leering eye. The pink flesh exploded in agony as the hulking creature rolled off her, clutching at the wound. Blood poured from his eye as he kicked and clawed at the ground.

Ralina fought to breathe and slowly got to her feet.

Grawnash howled in the dark and turned to her once more. "After tonight, you're fucking dead!"

She roared back in defiance.

They circled one another and gripped the ground, preparing to pounce.

Suddenly, before either could move, a low thud echoed in the clearing.

They froze.

A man was watching them. Or was it? It looked like a man, but it definitely didn't smell like one.

The stranger wore loose pale clothes and was silently examining them. Grawnash roared a challenge at the stranger, but he didn't respond. Instead, the stranger strode leisurely forward and planted himself Infront of Ralina.

Grawnash paused, clearly bewildered and let out another roar. The man calmly looked over Ralina’s dishevelled form with two green crystalline eyes.

"You’re Ralina, aren't you? What are you doing here?" he asked with genuine concern.

Ralina turned her head in confusion. She thought she knew that voice.

Grawnash growled. Being ignored enraged him.

"I, I," Ralina tried to form words but her mind failed her. "Who..?"

Grawnash bellowed in outrage and lunged for the man.

White cloth parted as the stranger spun, revealing a stone arm in the moonlight.

The rock elementalet caught the hulking monster with one hand and forced its entire weight to the ground with a sickening crunch.

“Alec?” she asked.

The elementlet grabbed the infuriated Felren in both of his stone hands and lifted him high above his head.

It was as if Grawnash weighed little more than a child.

With one last growl, Alec hurled Felren into the darkness and over the edge of the cliff.