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  Siray watched as Baindan Changed into his cripwof form. An instant later, he was joined by Kovi, also in his cripwof form, and Wexner, as a bullide. The three of them didn’t hesitate but charged over the top of the dune together and disappeared from view.

  Deson rose to follow, but Siray leaned over and grabbed at his arm, leaving bloody smears on his shirt. ‘Don’t use your sevonix form!’

  Deson hesitated. ‘But we have to fight!’

  ‘Yes—but fight as an udun—remember what Honvil said!’

  Deson focused on her for a moment, obviously recalling the warning of their old Change master, then nodded. He closed his eyes for an instant, his large build folding into the smaller shape of his udun form as he Changed, and then sweeping open his wings, he took off from the dune, his animal eyes hard and the udun’s shrill cry of battle ringing in Siray’s ears.

  She stood now and briefly examined her arm. Blood was still welling from the deep slice in her upper arm, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it for now. And in a moment, it would cease to bother her anyway. She looked across to Tamot, who was still hovering nearby, also assessing her injury.

  ‘Time to move, Tamot,’ she said. Then, taking a few quick steps away from him, she Changed into her red yeibon form.

  Tamot’s eyes went big and round as he gazed at her for a heartbeat, then he shook his head and also Changed, his black yeibon form standing in stark contrast to her red on the brightening dune.

  Siray turned her large head towards Genlie and Jorgi, snorting in impatience at them.

  Genlie got it before Jorgi did, and she ran swiftly across the sand to Siray before gathering herself and leaping up onto Siray’s broad back in one try.

  Siray then watched impatiently from the corner of one big eye as Genlie turned and offered a hand down to Jorgi, pulling him up and holding on tight to his arm as he slipped and kicked his way up Siray’s side to join Genlie.

  As Loce climbed up onto Tamot’s back, Siray pawed at the ground with one foot as the uproar of battle began to sound from out of sight.

  Jorgi and Loce had barely settled themselves when Siray gave a terrible yeibon scream and, turning, led Tamot in a charge over the dune’s peak, their riders quickly grabbing tenuous and painful holds on manes as they fought to keep their seats.

  Side by side, their manes and tails streaming out behind them with their speed, Siray and Tamot galloped down the dune, sand spraying up from their hooves.

  Adrenaline pumping through her body, Siray could barely feel the combined weight of Genlie and Jorgi on her back, her focus on the impending battle making them both seemingly weightless. As she galloped closer to the bottom of the hill, she could see that Baindan, Wexner, and Kovi had only been in the fight for a moment, but the Faction soldiers were pressing their advantage.

  The same quick glance told her something else.

  Although her three friends were outnumbered, the soldiers weren’t trying to kill them. They were trying to capture them.

  Siray snorted as she continued to rush forwards, knowing that her group could use that fact to their advantage, and watched as Deson dove down from the sky to rake his claws across the face of one attacking soldier before he spread his wings and climbed upwards once more, his screech of defiance filling the air.

  And then her heart almost stopped when she saw Baindan take a sword stroke across his front, blood welling instantly across the cripwof’s broad chest.

  But it promptly started thundering within her once more as a shriek of rage erupted from her. Her eyes rolling wildly, she leapt ahead of Tamot, her anger fuelling her increasing speed.

  As she drew closer to the knot of soldiers that had surrounded a snarling and bleeding Baindan, Siray felt Genlie and Jorgi leap from her back, Jorgi grunting as he Changed midleap into his hopul form.

  Free of her passengers, Siray pushed herself faster as she rushed to Baindan’s defence, lowering her head and charging at his attackers, who still hadn’t spotted her. As she drew close, she swung her heavy head, her sharp horns catching the clothing and skin of her victims and tearing open their flesh. Her momentum took her through the group, though she mindfully dodged the bleeding cripwof, and when she rounded for her next charge, one of the soldiers already lay skewered and dying, and another had staggered backwards from his companions, grabbing at a shoulder that was slashed and bleeding.

  As she charged in again, aiming for new targets this time, she screamed as a sharp pain erupted in her flank. Braking her forwards sprint, she spun on the spot, nostrils flaring in anger.

  A Faction soldier stood a short distance away, his bow now empty, but he was quickly reaching up and over his shoulder to draw another arrow.

  Exploding into a gallop, sand spraying out wide, Siray rushed at the offending male, but this time, in the moment just before her horns connected, she flicked her head abruptly down before snapping it back up again. As she felt her sharp horns tear long gashes from the male’s waist to his shoulders, a spray of blood following the direction of her horns, something deep and primal within her was pleased.

  As red sprayed across her broad chest and shoulders, the male’s face went pale and he dropped twitching to the sand.

  The immediate threat dealt with, Siray looked for Baindan again. Seeing him awkwardly finishing off his final attacker, his jaws wrapped around his opponent’s throat, she galloped back to him, switching forms before she got too close. As she Changed, the pain from her injuries intensified, but she forced it to the edge of her mind as she leaned over Baindan, who had also just Changed into his normal form.

  His attacker was struggling in the sand beside him, trying in vain to stem the flow of blood from his throat where Baindan’s sharp teeth had ripped it open.

  For good measure, Siray kicked the dying Faction soldier farther away, and then she returned her attention to Baindan.

  He was struggling to get to his feet, and blood was rapidly soaking his white shirt red.

  Siray hurriedly removed her own shirt and balled it up, then pressed the material to Baindan’s chest, all the time urging him to rest and be still.

  ‘Siray!’

  Whipping her head around at the shouted warning from Genlie, Siray saw a soldier swiftly bearing down on her with a sword. Roughly pushing Baindan away from her while ignoring his cry of pain, she threw herself sideways, the edge of the sword crashing down on the spot where she had just been. Using the sand to her advantage, she dug in her fingers and, exerting strength through her arms, lifted herself so that she could coil her legs before kicking out with brutal force at the attacking male, the heels of her boots connecting solidly with one of his knees and dropping him to the ground in a heap.

  Getting her feet under her once more, she pushed herself up quickly, hoping to get at the soldier while he was on the ground, but the male was just as fast and rose to face her across the sand.

  Siray adopted a fighting stance and watched the male carefully.

  ‘Let’s see how you face this,’ he said, sneering. Then he Changed, the soldier gone in an instant, replaced by a large, scaly, four-legged creature with pointed teeth. Its thin body was low to the ground, and a barbed tail whipped through the air behind it while four slitted eyes glared at her.

  The creature began advancing on Siray, its breath coming with a strange hissing sound.

  Then, there was movement in the air above, and in the next moment, Deson was diving down from the sky to attack the creature, his knife-sharp claws extended.

  Yet the creature merely dodged to the side, easily avoiding Deson’s claws as he swooped by, its scaly tail whipping through the air once more. Then it returned its attention to Siray, and she could see the soul of the soldier within glaring out at her.

  She braced herself, readying to fight it off or Change into her yeibon form once more.

  But then its eyes slid to Baindan.

  ‘No,’ she breathed. As the creature raced towards Baindan, she realised there was only one way to s
top it. She didn’t hesitate. A quick Change, and a roar erupted from her throat as her black-and-silver body sprang. Tackling it to the ground, her daggerlike claws ripped through its scaly armour and into the flesh beneath as she fought it back from Baindan. Although only slightly smaller than her, the creature was extremely agile on its multiple legs, making it hard to pin down. To make it worse, she also had to keep weaving and dodging the creature’s barbed tail as it continually lunged for her. So she snapped and clawed at the creature repeatedly, trying to move in close enough to get a lethal grip on its neck without being stabbed by its tail. Suddenly seeing a gap in the creature’s defence, she took the opportunity to lunge in, her teeth bared. But as she went for the killing bite, she saw the tail descend from the corner of her eye and had to jerk her body to the side to avoid it.

  Right into the path of one of its clawed limbs.

  The blow caught Siray across the left side of her face, and she howled, reeling backwards as her face burned. The creature’s claws had slashed downwards across the left side of her face, and she couldn’t see out of that eye as blood quickly flowed over it.

  The creature hissed in pleasure and began stalking towards her again, and Siray shook her head, trying to open the affected eye. No good. She bared her teeth at the creature, her ears flat to her head as she snarled, eyeing its movements and trying to predict its next attack.

  Its tail was whipping through the air towards her and she was preparing to dodge when Deson’s battle cry sounded from above. The creature paused its attack to look up, and that was when Wexner, with an explosive grunt, slammed into it with the full force of his angry bullide body.

  Siray turned her head slightly to watch with her uninjured eye as the creature was thrown hard a number of body lengths away onto its back with a sharp crack. Injured and stunned, the creature nevertheless tried to get roll its body onto its front. When it failed to do so, the creature Changed back into the soldier’s main form, rolling painfully to his knees as blood dribbled from his mouth.

  He had barely looked up when Wexner’s second charge stomped him into the ground, the soldier’s head disappearing beneath the bullide’s large front hooves.

  Relieved, Siray feline body stumbled a little as she turned to look at the others with her good eye. Tamot had Changed back into his normal form and was tending to Baindan’s injury. Kovi was holding on to Genlie, and Loce and Jorgi were checking the bodies of the other soldiers.

  Wexner had also Changed into his normal form and was running to Siray as she swayed in place. Now the vision in her one good eye was going blurry, and she kept shaking her head, trying to clear it. Wexner reached for her, and he seemed to be saying something, but his voice kept fading away.

  ‘… you hurt? … ray! You … Change back!’

  Siray swayed on weak legs, attempted to take a step forwards, and dropped where she was to the ground. She didn’t notice the rivulets of blood that were running through her silver-black fur from various parts of her body, staining the sand around her.

  Then Deson was there.

  She didn’t see him at first, but she knew that scent. He came around to kneel in front of her, his face concerned. She saw him turn his head to say something to Wexner, but this time she couldn’t even hear snippets of the conversation. It frustrated her, and she felt like telling them to speak up so she could understand. Only a weak growl emerged from her throat, which she felt more than heard.

  Wexner moved around to look at her as she blinked slowly.

  Deson appeared to say something to him, and after a moment, Wexner nodded.

  Then Deson, still kneeling before her, leaned closer and stretched out a hand to brush his fingers against her head.

  Siray. Can you hear me? His brown eyes held hers, his face tense.

  Yes, Siray thought at him foggily.

  Siray—you need to Change back. We need to leave.

  Siray started to shake her head, an odd gesture for her sevonix form, but that only made her head spin, so she stopped. If I Change, my humanoid form will collapse. Too many injuries for that form.

  Deson didn’t reply but turned away and spoke to Wexner again, his voice still a mumble to Siray. From her one good eye, Siray saw Tamot approach and say something to the both of them. Whatever he said, Deson and Wexner appeared to agree, as Deson turned back to her straightaway.

  Siray, do you think you can Change into your yeibon form again? Tamot seems to think its larger body might help reduce the severity of your injuries.

  Instead of answering, Siray closed her eyes and focused, drawing deeply on her dwindling energies as she searched for that place inside herself. When she attempted to open both eyes again, she found she still had trouble with her left one, but the burning fire across her face, and the pain that had been growing in intensity, had receded.

  As she raised her head higher, looking about her, she heard a sigh of relief escape Deson.

  ‘Give her some room,’ he said to the others, standing and backing up a little.

  Her hearing returned, Siray got her larger front legs under her, then pushed her yeibon body painfully up onto its feet. She towered over Deson and the others in that form.

  Deson kept watching her carefully. ‘Siray, one of the soldiers escaped, so we need to move as quickly as possible.’ He hesitated, his lips thinning, but then asked, ‘Are you up to carrying Genlie and Baindan?’ He was looking at her doubtfully.

  Siray bobbed her head, and Deson turned away, calling to the others, ‘Bring him over!’

  Genlie approach her then and spent a moment carefully looking at her face, front leg, and hindquarters. As Jorgi, Wexner, and Kovi carried Baindan across to them, Genlie rested one hand on Siray’s neck. ‘She’s got some bad injuries, Deson. I know we’ve got to move, but …’ Genlie trailed off, her eyes drifting to Siray’s bloodied side and leg.

  Deson looked at her as well. That glance said that he had already ascertained the same thing and hated what he was asking of her.

  But it was what it was, and Siray wasn’t going to risk any of them, especially Baindan, by resting here and letting them tend her wounds.

  She stomped her front foot and tossed her head. Genlie got it.

  ‘Alright,’ she said, holding up her hands, ‘if you say so.’ She still looked doubtful as she approached to mount Siray’s back, but Siray held still as Genlie jumped up, refusing to flinch when the weight put fresh strain on her injuries. Genlie then helped pull a weak Baindan up in front of her to sit close to Siray’s neck, the others assisting.

  With Genlie and Baindan settled on her back, Siray watched as Tamot also resumed his yeibon form, Jorgi and Loce climbing up onto to his back with difficulty after the effort of the battle.

  Kovi was once again in his cripwof form, and his muzzle was covered in dried blood.

  Most of them were, although Siray couldn’t tell if it was their blood or the enemy’s. But there were enough dead Faction soldiers splayed about on the sand to give her a fair guess.

  Wexner said to them all, ‘We’re going to push on. We can’t risk another patrol finding us, not to mention that more soldiers will arrive when that one reports in.’ He jerked a hand in the direction the fleeing soldier had gone. ‘We can’t be far now, so follow on at the best speed you can make.’ He turned to Deson. ‘I want you to fly cover. Let us know if you see any pursuit coming.’ Then he turned to Kovi. ‘Kovi—run at the rear and keep an eye on Siray and the others.’

  Kovi gave a low affirmative growl in response.

  Wexner didn’t waste any more time but Changed into his bullide form and set off running, his heavy and powerful legs digging a track into the sand.

  Genlie rubbed one of Siray’s shoulders in a friendly way and then grabbed on to her mane as Siray forced herself into a canter to follow after Wexner. She felt slightly better once she was moving, and she let her mind drift a little as her hooves churned up the sand.

  As they travelled quickly across the bright sands, the day grew
hotter and they all had to work harder to keep up their pace. As the distance increased, Siray became more tired, and the pain of her injuries increased. While they laboured up the side of a particularly steep dune, Siray gazed at the purple sky above her and felt her mind fall into a kind of floating space. As she relaxed, the fiery nature of the red yeibon rose up strongly within her, its strength of mind becoming hers. Grateful for anything that would fuel her, Siray latched on to the feeling, her yeibon senses growing stronger.

  The constant sound of two quick pairs of hoofbeats against the sand was soothing and familiar to her floating mind, and a memory drifted to the surface of where she had heard the sound once before—while racing across a lush plain with another yeibon she had nicknamed Red.

  The result of this was a rising yearning for the company of other yeibon, and she sped up her pace a little in order draw closer to the dark form of Tamot just ahead of her.

  A shrill cry from above cut into Siray’s thoughts, surprising her, and she almost galloped past Wexner and Tamot before she could slow herself down enough to halt. Her big lungs heaved, and she shook her head vigorously, causing Genlie to gasp a little at the sudden motion.

  She realised now, of course, what had almost happened. She had almost let the nature of the yeibon overwhelm her. She had almost lost control.

  Siray pulled a deep breath of air into her large lungs, held it, then huffed it out. As she regained control of her mind, the pain from her injuries grew sharper again. She embraced the feeling. It would keep her focused and her mind safe.

  Genlie gasped again. ‘Siray!’

  Siray craned her long neck to look behind her and raised her head. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Wexner, Kovi, and Tamot were barrelling towards her, sand billowing in their wake. As they passed her, Tamot screaming a warning, she finally saw what was driving them to such urgency …

  She didn’t pause to fully absorb what it was she had seen but turned and leapt after the three fleeing forms of her friends, her legs working as hard and fast as she could make them. Every so often, in her flight across the sand, she turned her head slightly and stole quick glances behind her, tracking this new threat.