Further beyond the trees, where nobody's attention was drawn, chaos erupted, the air filled with grunts, shrieks, claws and wings beating. Atia and Aiyana stood shoulder to shoulder, facing off against more than a dozen angry, harpy eagle shifters—Vulcan's men. They'd been lying in wait for the Oncari to make their appearance.
Atia ducked under a slicing talon, his twin blades flashing upward in a deadly arc, choosing weapons over bloodying his claws for this fight. Feathers exploded from the body of his attacker as it shrieked and dropped out of the sky. Aiyana let out a war cry, her staff spinning in a wide circle, catching another eagle mid-swoop. The shifter crashed against the trunk of a tree with a sickening crack.
"They just keep coming!" Aiyana growled, now back-to-back with Atia, sweat beading along her temple. Although she was complaining about their opponents constantly attacking them, she was actually enjoying herself, especially with her closest friend beside her.
