Thalina perched on Eyrx's thick, muscular tail like it was her personal moving throne, legs swinging as he slithered through the trees with his usual eerie silence. The Eastern Veil Forest had dimmed, branches overhead thickening, filtering the sun into shards of gold. Vanora nestled against her neck, tail flicking, eyes half-closed. Everything was calm.
Until it wasn't.
Eyrx halted without warning.
Thalina jerked forward from the sudden stop, grabbing onto his scaled back to steady herself. "Hey! What—"
"Shhh." Eyrx's body tensed beneath her, every muscle tight, tail coiling slightly under her weight.
Ahead, the trees opened into a misty path — and standing in the middle were creatures unlike anything Thalina had seen before. Sleek bodies, somewhere between wolf and elk, shimmered with a pearly blue hue. Four legs, long elegant horns, and glowing eyes that blinked too slowly.
They stood still. Watching.
