Chapter one

War, that was all that they showed me. I was given no other option. It was of the highest honor to be in the front line of this bloody war. So I stand on this cliff, and wait for the signal to strick. The sun was high and the Sky's not yet filled with screams. The wind blew ruffling the fur and feathers of the soldiers beside me. We wore leather suits made from the hides of rhinos and our spears and swords where made from iron. So this was not the best army but what we lacked in artillery we made up for in brute strength. As they say a weapon may cause damage, but the damage it causes is up to the one who holds it.

The commander screeched the go ahead and we dove forward off the edge. The wind whistled by and I unfurled my wings. The thrill of flying always got to me. The freedom, the feeling of relief and pure joy. It soon came to an end when I saw the gleaming armor and swords of the other army. There head was a large male with dangerous indigo eyes and a long bushy tail. Cheetah markings could be seen under his helmet. All the soldier that we where facing had full suits of armor and long well built swords.

"Mother help us!" The soldier next to me said getting hit hard as the two sides smashed together. I came face to face with the Commander of the other army, he didn't spare a second. He dove straight at me and flapped up once before we collided. I snarled and tucked me wings dropping all my weight. His grasp slipped and I flared my wings bringing up my back legs and kicking hard upwards at his face. He flapped back and I only got one side of his face. He grunted and dove under me. He surged up and grabbed me wing, swinging me around in the air and then finally throwing me downwards. A sharp pain laced its way along my wing and across my back as I flapped to right myself. His heavy weight slammed into me and I grabbed his arm. He grunted as I lashed out and scored the exposed part of his face, splattering blood and nocking off his helmet. He hissed and tried struggling free as I balled my fist and punched his face.

He smacked me in the head with his wings momentarily dazing me. Pain flared in my arm and the breath was driven out of me as he landed a hard kick on my stomach. I spiraled down towards the ground and felt the hot stickiness of blood come along my face and down my arm. I pulled in my wings and twisted in the air trying to right myself. The ground came into view as I twisted. I snapped my wings open and gasped as my wing joint wrenched painfully. I floated down to the ground and went face first down as my feet hit the ground. I lay there panting in pain not wanting to move.

"Retreat!" my commander shouted and the sounds of fighting slowly subsided.

"Is she still alive" a voice over my head asked. I slowly turned to see two enemy soldiers staring at me. I raised my legs fast and flared my wings open flipping myself up onto my feet.

"Does that answer your question" one of the soldiers chuckled out. I growled in my throat and launched myself forward slamming my fist into the stomach of the one who had just spoken and kicking the other in the leg. The one I had just hit hissed and grabbed at my hand yanking hard and flipping me away.

"Damn she hits hard" he spoke again shaking his head. The one I had kicked in the leg pulled out a rope and launched forward seizing my snout and pulling down. The other jumped around and grabbed my hands using another rope to tie them together. My muzzle was tied so tight I could feel the membrane through my fur.

"Come on let's get her to the rest, its time we showed these scum a dungeon". The one holding my arms said laughing. I could feel despair and fear grip my heart as I looked around. Even though we had fought in the sky, blood was smeared across the ground and body of both army's where played scattered across the ground. There wings and limbs contorted into odd angles from the impacts. And for the first time in my life I felt true fear.