Page 19 of Feral Gods

"Move!" Thane pushes me toward the stairs, his massive body shielding mine from falling debris.

We descend into darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow emanating from the runes etched into the gargoyles' skin.

The stairway opens into a hexagonal chamber unlike any I've seen in the temple—older somehow, its architecture predating even the ancient sanctuary above.

Six pillars rise from floor to ceiling, each carved with spiraling symbols that seem to shift and move in the dim light.

"What is this place?" I whisper, the space somehow demanding reverence.

"The heart of the mountain," Zephyr answers, approaching a central altar. "The sanctuary was built around this chamber, not the other way around."

The altar pulses with faint magenta light—the same color that manifested during my unexpected magical display. The recognition sends a shiver along my spine.

"It knows you," Zephyr observes, watching my reaction. "The magic here responds to your presence."

Before I can process this information, another impact rocks the chamber, this one closer and more violent. Dust cascades from ancient cracks in the ceiling, and one of the pillars develops a hairline fracture from base to midpoint.

"They're through the secondary defenses," Thane growls, positioning himself between the stairway entrance and where I stand.

Zephyr's expression grows grim. "Ravik should have rejoined us by now."

The implication sends panic clawing up my throat. Despite his overbearing protection and stubborn command, the thought of Ravik falling to dark elf blades is unexpectedly devastating.

"We have to find him," I insist, already moving toward the stairs.

Thane blocks my path with one massive arm. "Absolutely not."

"You don't understand," I argue, my voice rising. "He's only in danger because of me. Because I brought this down on all of you."

"He's in danger because he chooses to be," Zephyr corrects gently. "As do we all."

Another impact, closer still. The damaged pillar creaks ominously.

"The eastern tunnels," Thane decides, looking to Zephyr. "If they've breached this far, we need to evacuate."

"And leave Ravik?" I demand, incredulous.

"He would want you safe," Zephyr says, though conflict shadows his features.

"I won't be the reason you abandon him," I state, a new resolve hardening within me. "If I'm truly as valuable as everyone seems to think, then I should have some say in how that value is used."

Both gargoyles stare at me, clearly unprepared for this assertion of will.

"Here's what we'll do," I continue, surprising myself with the calm authority in my voice. "Thane, you'll check the upper levels. If Ravik is injured, bring him here. If he's still fighting, help him hold the line. Zephyr stays with me to prepare defensive measures in this chamber."

I half-expect them to dismiss my plan outright, to insist on their original course. Instead, they exchange a look I cannot fully interpret.

"And if I find him fallen?" Thane asks bluntly.

The possibility sends a physical pain through my chest, but I force myself to consider it. "Then return immediately, and we'll take the eastern tunnels as planned."

After a moment's consideration, Thane nods sharply. "Acceptable." He turns to Zephyr. "Thirty minutes. If I haven't returned, assume the worst."

"May the Hunter guide your blade," Zephyr replies, the formal blessing sounding ancient on his tongue.

Thane departs with startling speed for one so massive, leaving Zephyr and me alone in the ancient chamber. The scholarly gargoyle immediately moves to the central altar, gesturing for me to join him.

"If we must make a stand here, this is our strongest position," he explains, indicating symbols carved into the altar's surface. "These sigils connect to the mountain's natural energy. With your assistance, I might be able to strengthen them."

I place my hands beside his on the cool stone, feeling the subtle vibration beneath my palms. "Tell me what to do."

For the next several minutes, Zephyr guides me through a series of sigil activations, his patient instruction belied by the tension evident in his posture.

Each activated symbol glows with increasing brightness, spreading outward from the altar to the chamber walls in rippling waves of magenta light.

The distant sounds of battle grow fainter, though whether from increasing distance or the chamber's strengthening barriers, I cannot tell. My concern for Ravik grows with each passing minute, an emotion more complex than simple gratitude or obligation.

"You care for him," Zephyr observes quietly, his turquoise eyes watching me with scholarly perception. "Despite his... challenging nature."

I focus on tracing the next sigil, avoiding his gaze. "I care for all of you. You've protected me at great risk."

"True," he acknowledges, "but incomplete." His fingers pause above a complex symbol. "There is no shame in selective attachment, Kaia. Our kind rarely shared bonds equally, even before our transformation."

His words force me to confront emotions I've been carefully avoiding—the flutter in my stomach when Ravik's amber gaze falls upon me, the comfort I find in Zephyr's patient wisdom, the exhilarating freedom I experienced hunting with Thane. Different feelings, equally powerful, distinctly confusing.

"I don't know what I feel," I admit finally. "Everything has happened so quickly."

Zephyr's expression softens. "Time is a luxury we may not have."

Before I can respond, heavy footsteps echo from the stairway—too heavy for dark elf soldiers.

We both turn as Thane emerges into the chamber, supporting a battered but conscious Ravik.

The alpha gargoyle's obsidian skin bears numerous wounds, including a particularly vicious gash across his left shoulder, but his amber eyes burn with undiminished intensity.

Those eyes find mine immediately, something like relief washing over his harsh features. "You're safe."

"Thanks to you," I reply, crossing the chamber without conscious thought. "All of you."

I reach toward his injured shoulder but stop short of touching it, suddenly uncertain. Ravik captures my hand in his much larger one, the gesture startlingly gentle from a being capable of such violence.

"The elite guard has retreated," he announces, addressing all of us though his gaze remains fixed on me. "But they'll return with greater numbers."

"And likely purna support," Zephyr adds grimly.

"Then we need to be ready," I state, withdrawing my hand from Ravik's with reluctance. "All of us working together—not arguing over who knows best."

Ravik straightens to his full height, wincing slightly from his injuries. "You gave orders to my warriors," he says, his tone unreadable.

Thane tenses beside him, clearly prepared for conflict, while Zephyr watches with cautious interest. I lift my chin, refusing to apologize for taking action when necessary.

"I did," I confirm. "And they were good orders."

For a moment, the chamber fills with dangerous silence. Then, to my astonishment, Ravik's mouth curves in what might almost be called a smile.

"They were," he agrees, inclining his head slightly. "The sanctuary defenses are compromised. We need new strategies."

The simple acknowledgment feels like victory—not against Ravik, but against the invisible barriers that have defined our relationship since my arrival. No longer merely protector and protected, but allies with different strengths.

"We'll plan together," I suggest, gesturing to include all three gargoyles. "Combining your battle experience with my knowledge of dark elf tactics and whatever magic I can learn to control."

Ravik studies me for a long moment, those amber eyes seeing more than I'm entirely comfortable revealing. "You continue to surprise me, little human."

"Good," I reply, holding his gaze steadily. "I plan to keep doing that."

Something shifts in the atmosphere between us—a tension neither wholly comfortable nor unwelcome. In the soft magenta glow of the activated sigils, surrounded by three beings of tremendous power who have chosen to protect me, I feel a strange sense of belonging I've never experienced before.

Not safety, precisely—danger still presses against our sanctuary from all sides. But purpose. Connection. The foundation of something worth fighting for beyond mere survival.

As we gather around the ancient altar to plan our next moves, I find my gaze repeatedly drawn to Ravik's commanding presence, to the surprising gentleness in Zephyr's scholarly explanations, to the fierce protectiveness in Thane's crimson eyes. Different connections, equally powerful.

For the first time since fleeing Liiandor, I allow myself to acknowledge the truth: what grows between us is no longer simply about sanctuary or obligation. Something more complex is taking root—something that terrifies and exhilarates me in equal measure.