Sabir, Warren, and Zabo were still far from the rest of the group, watching as the battle raged on beneath them. The battlefield was a chaotic mix of dust, wings, and spikes, where the hunters engaged in a brutal fight against the Quillarks, enormous beasts covered in spiked quills and radiating malice. It was impossible to tell who had the upper hand just yet, but the sheer intensity of the clash was hard to look away from.


    Frederick stood nearby, observing the battle with his arms crossed, his face unreadable. He always had this detached air about him, never fully engaging unless he deemed it necessary. His sharp gaze seemed to assess every move Elektra, Maize, Rudiger, and Saliba made, as if waiting for them to falter.


    Elektra moved in with her reckless spirit, with a speed and agility that no quadruped animal could handle. Her kicks sliced through the air and a trail of electricity followed closely behind, causing the field to light up around her as she slammed her foot into the nearest Quillark. The beast let out a horrible screech as the shock coursed through its body, its quills stiffening like spears before it collapsed, twitching violently.


    Next to her, Maize fought with a more calm and restrained approach. She maintained her distance against the Quillark that was facing her. Although locked in battle, she couldn’t help but keep taking occasional glances at the Pegasi. The Quillark’s charge interrupted her fascination with the winged horse. With a simple step, Maize effortlessly dodged to the side. “Such disgusting creatures. I have no interest in you.” Her voice was full of disdain as she stared down at the stunned Quillark after missing its target.


    Rudiger, towering over his companions, was far too nonchalant for a fighter, standing strong as the Quillarks launched a barrage of deadly spikes toward them. With a swift movement of his arm, he conjured a massive shield of ice that intercepted the quills, shattering upon impact, but reforming instantly as Rudiger continued to hold his position. The spikes clattered to the ground harmlessly, and he gave a small nod of satisfaction. His experience was not for show.


    Then there was Saliba.


    “I wonder what little froggy can do,” Zabo muttered, eyeing Saliba with disgust. “Those damn Quillarks are better looking than him.” He turned to Sabir and Warren, looking for their approval. “Imagine being that ugly.”


    Warren responded with a smile, “you don’t have to imagine, just look in the mirror.” Sabir couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at Warren’s obvious dig.


    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Zabo asked, as he ran through his hands through his thick dreadlocks. Sabir couldn’t help but just pat him on the back, which left Zabo equally confused.


    Meanwhile, Saliba’s face twisted in concentration as he bent forward, his body convulsing for a moment before his mouth opened wide. A thick, putrid stream of green bile burst from his throat, spraying through the air like a toxic fountain. The vile liquid struck one of the Quillarks directly in the chest, and for a moment, it froze in place, its quills twitching.


    Then it began to melt.


    The acid-like vomit ate through the beast’s thick hide, sizzling and bubbling as it tore the creature apart. In seconds, the acid reduced the Quillark to nothing more than a puddle of disintegrated flesh and bone, its remains dissolving into the sand.


    Zabo wrinkled his nose in disgust. “That’s disgusting.”


    Warren watched the spectacle, his expression grim. “You’re right, but there’s nothing left of that monster. That’s pretty terrifying.”


    Zabo nodded his head. “Yeah, but imagine that guy accidentally sneezes or some shit.” Zabo shivered slightly from his own imagination.


    Sabir, who had been watching the battle with growing impatience, sighed. “Well, this is disappointing. We don’t get to do anything.” He glanced back at the battlefield, where Elektra and Maize continued to fight with precision and deadly accuracy. Rudiger stood firm as ever, blocking attacks with his ice, and Saliba was already preparing another disgusting round of bile.


    The Pegasi, which had been soaring above the battle, flapped their wings anxiously. They seemed almost hesitant, watching the fight unfold below them with nervous anticipation. Sabir found their behavior strange.


    This was an opportunity for them to attack. Even before their party intervened, the pegasus had a numbers advantage. It was clear if they used a coordinated attack, they would win, but the creatures seemed to watch instead, analyzing them with what felt like a sense of anxiety. At least that was what Sabir thought.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Then Sabir saw it. Among the churned-up sand, barely visible, was the wing of a small pegasus sticking out. Dirt matted the delicate feathers, and the tiny creature’s wing beat weakly, its body partially buried under the sand. Sabir’s heart clenched as realization dawned on him.


    “The Pegasi are protecting something,” Sabir said, his voice tight. “Look at that—there’s a baby pegasus down there.”


    Zabo frowned. “What?”


    Sabir pointed toward the sand where the tiny wing flapped weakly. “It’s been caught in the middle of this fight. The Pegasi are trying to protect it from the Quillarks.”


    Zabo’s eyes widened as he noticed the small creature struggling in the sand. “Shit...”


    Elektra, amidst the trio’s realization, had taken out another Quillark, delivering a devastating kick that crackled with electricity. Her foot swung down in a brutal arc, and the Quillark’s head shattered under the impact, its quills bursting outward in all directions. Sabir could feel the shockwave from where he stood as the beast crumpled to the ground, dead.


    Maize, still distracted by her fascination of the Pegasi, decided she’d let someone else do the fighting for her. She reached into her pouch, pulling out a handful of those beans Sabir had seen her use before. She tossed them onto the ground, and within seconds, the Vinefiends erupted from the earth—short, green, vicious little monsters with razor-sharp teeth and vines for limbs. They swarmed one of the remaining Quillarks, tearing at its legs like it was a delicious snack. The Quillark thrashed and roared, trying to shake them off, but the Vinefiends had locked their jaws, ripping into its flesh until it collapsed in a pool of its own blood.


    With two of their number slain, the remaining Quillarks seemed to realize they were losing. Their massive frames shuddered with fear as they turned to flee, their quills bristling as they prepared to retreat. But Rudiger was ready. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured thick sheets of ice that shot out from the ground, encasing the Quillarks’ legs and freezing them in place. The creatures struggled and screeched, but they were trapped, unable to move as the ice crept higher and higher up their bodies.


    Saliba stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the Pegasi circling above. “Finally, time to take out those horses. I’m excited to eat those,” he muttered, his voice filled with contempt. He opened his mouth again, preparing to launch another volley of his vile bile.


    But something was off this time. His aim was sloppy, his bile veering wildly off course. Instead of hitting the Pegasi in the air, the stream of toxic green vomit arced downward, dangerously close to the small Pegasus still trapped in the sand.


    Sabir’s heart skipped a beat. “Ah shit,” he muttered, realizing what was about to happen.


    The bile splashed into the sand, narrowly missing the tiny Pegasus by mere inches. But the threat was enough to send the adult Pegasi into a frenzy. Their wings flared out wide, and they beat them in unison, creating a powerful gust of wind that whipped across the battlefield.


    The wind pressure was immense. Sabir, Zabo, and even the seasoned hunters below stumbled as the gusts hit them. Swirling clouds of sand stung their eyes and obscured their vision. The air itself felt thin, the pressure pressing down on them, making it nearly impossible to breathe.


    “What the hell—” Warren gasped, shielding his face from the onslaught of wind.


    The Pegasi weren’t just creating a breeze; they were creating a storm. The sheer force of their wings was enough to knock the smaller vinefiends off their feet, and even the Quillarks, frozen in a block of ice, trembled under the pressure, which caused tiny cracks to form on the monstrous sculptures.


    Sabir struggled to keep his balance, his breath coming in quick gasps as the wind pressed against his chest. The weight of the air was suffocating, making it difficult to draw in a full breath. He glanced toward the tiny Pegasus still buried in the sand, its wing beating weakly as the storm raged around it.


    “We have to stop this,” Sabir shouted over the roar of the wind, his voice barely audible.


    Warren didn’t respond, his eyes locked on the Pegasi above, their massive forms now silhouetted against the sun. The storm they were creating was growing stronger, the wind howling with fury as it tore across the battlefield.


    Zabo coughed, choking on the dust and sand swirling through the air. “What do we do?”


    For the first time, Sabir didn’t have an answer.


    The Pegasi were desperate, trying to protect their child. But in their panic, they were putting everyone in danger. Sabir could feel the pressure building, the air growing thinner with each passing second. If they didn’t stop this, they’d all die under this powerful windstorm that gagged their breathing.


    His mind raced as he looked around for something—anything—that could help. But the battlefield was in chaos, the hunters distracted by the wind, and the Quillarks frozen in place, no longer a threat. It was just them and the furious Pegasi, and they had to act fast.


    Sabir’s heart pounded in his chest as he prepared to make his move. He didn’t know what he was going to do yet, but he couldn’t just stand by and let the storm overtake them.


    Each second went by and the pegasi began beating their wings even harder. The wind turbine of feathers sucked the air out of everyone. Sabir’s vision got blurry as he saw the likes of Maize and Elektra sway and fall from the lack of oxygen. Frederick’s knees wobbled before he fell to the ground, his fists planted in the ground. Saliba and Rudiger, although experienced, were the closest to the sun. The Pegasi’s combined attack wouldn’t burn them, but rather suffocate them. Nature was their weapon, and they had already slain their party’s strongest.


    Sabir, Warren and Zabo remained. They were a safe enough distance not to pass out, but how long could that last?


    They needed to save that baby Pegasus.


    Otherwise everyone would die.