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“Enough to know you are weak and complain about everything. Go!” The reptile waved her onward.

“Weak! I just whooped your ass in a sprint for our lives,” she muttered under her breath as she started walking again.

This scaly asshole is an utter fool. He thinks I’m merely bitching about how dangerous this is. Your friend is dead, fucker!she continued griping.

The rolling deep rumble pulled her from her thoughts and she stopped in her tracks, the ground vibrating beneath her feet. Her gaze shot to the string of volcanoes. Her breath froze in her throat as Kilimanjaro belched a large plume of smoke into the air. Its smaller neighbor sputtered violently in response. Even though it wasn’t the big guy, at this range the small volcano was just as deadly. Things were already bad enough with the steady stream of lava running profusely down the smaller peak and advancing across the desert, but now it was hiccupping, sending magma spraying into the air. Kilimanjaro’s unrest was kicking off its smaller companions. One more good earthquake and they wouldn’t have to worry about making it across the desert.

“Let’s go!” she insisted, and started moving faster than before.

This time, the reptile didn’t complain as she veered to the north. At this point if the little one blew, it wouldn’t matter if they were running, there was no place to escape the volcano’s wrath, but still, self-preservation pushed her onward.

“There it is again,” Spiny hissed when more rumbling greeted their ears.

Except this time the sound wasn’t coming from the volcanoes. She was already anxious, but her anxiety spiked as the herd of gryphons came into view. The beasts knew what was coming and were fleeing the impending eruption.

But they haven’t taken flight so things can’t be dire.She consoled herself.

Though she’d always treated the majestic beasts with a healthy dose of caution, seeing them now brought a level of comfort. An idea sprang to mind and she quickly whistled. She smiled when the gryphons paused, their heads bobbing up.

“What are you doing?” Spiny demanded as the herd changed direction, heeding her call. “What are they?” He pointed his gun at them.

“Don’t shoot! They’re fleeing the eruption. If we can get them to pass this way, they’ll show us the safest path,” she explained, though that wasn’t the only reason.

Spiny hissed, dubiously watching the winged herd as they drew closer, the spikes on his head bristling. He was right to be worried. The beasts had sharp beaks and talons, and the adults stood as tall as the vile reptile, taller if their wings were extended. The herd stopped in formation with the alpha momma in the lead. Momma’s head cocked curiously, shrewd eyes shifting from her to the reptile then back to her. Momma was intelligent. Elena could see the gears working as the gryphon sized up the situation, especially Spiny.

That’s it. He’s bad news and I need help,she hoped her demeanor conveyed.

“What are they waiting for?” Spiny snapped.

Momma’s gaze darted toward him and her eyes narrowed, her feathered wings arching up.

“I just have to toss them a few offerings.” She rummaged through her pack as she edged closer toward the safety of the herd.

She grew nervous when Momma shifted, her large head and sharp beak swinging toward her, though the dangerous beast never took her eye off the equally dangerous reptile. Elena stood very still as the gryphon sniffed. It was hard to say if the beast could smell her fear or had just ascertained that there was no more food left in the bag. She prayed her desire to take refuge among the herd hadn’t just backfired.

“Back!” Spiny snarled.

Her gaze darted toward him. While she’d been preoccupied with Momma, the other adults had closed the formation.

The scaly bastard fired, and she gasped when one of the gryphons dropped with a shrill cry.

“No!” She didn’t want them to get hurt.

Before Spiny could aim again, Momma lunged forward, her beak clamping down on the arm holding the offending weapon. The vile reptile screamed in agony as Momma severed the limb, but it could barely be heard over the herd's angry trills. Stunned, she watched Momma toss aside the arm.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have done that,” she chided Spiny.

The Jurou Biljana bastard held his stump and hissed, warily shifting backward as the gryphons tightened the circle, their heads moving in an eerie swaying motion, eyes locked on him. He was a dead man and she didn’t feel an ounce of remorse. This was Hell, and he’d tangled with the wrong she-demon.

“Sorry, I forgot to mention the gryphons eat reptiles!” she shouted as the herd lunged for the scaly asshole.

Payim quo Desero

“I can’t see anything!” Payim growled as he dodged another geyser blast.

Between the falling ash and steam, he couldn’t find Elena or the scaly pieces of excrement in this nightmare.

This is a waste of time.