The horses galloped along the scalding hot sand; their strong legs spewed the gold-infused grains in all directions. Their faces and bodies were covered with cotton clothes to prevent the sand from entering their mouths and the sun from directly burning their skin.
The shifters who could turn into birds soared above their heads while a few others rushed along beside them in their shifted forms.
They passed along the training grounds, designated for training and honing hunting skills of the pack members.
These grounds included obstacle courses, target ranges, and sparring arenas. They were located on the outskirts of their main living areas.
Pass their training grounds were the hunting and patrol areas, covered in gravel and sparse patches of grass. These plains were often used by the clan for hunting and territorial patrols. A few warriors were posted in these areas to keep watch over for any enemy attack.
They had constructed bones and hide tents in these areas. These triangular structures were erected from the bones of large desert creatures they had hunted in the past. Covered with thick animal hides to provide insulation from the scorching heat.
An eagle screech was heard as one of their shifted warriors soared from the patrol area, delivered a message, and was deciphered.
"Further east about 20 miles from here."
"Noted!" Siroos answered, almost standing on the stirrups holding the reins so his horse would pick up the pace. He wished to meet the herd as far away as was possible from their dwelling.
"Pick up the pace," Siroos shouted, the vigour in his voice amplifying.
The limbs moved faster as the sandstorm settled from where they whirled past.
Soon Siroos could hear the herd, hurtling towards them. His sharp senses had picked the sound up from miles away.
"Be sharp, we are getting closer." He signalled with his hand, it was time to shift for more of his warriors.
The warriors circling above them also let out warning sounds. Three of the rhinoceros warriors jumped from their horses and shifted mid-air. Others made way, moving sideways so they could take the lead.
Their steeds fell back, fully trained on these tactics.
Sounds of snarling and howls permeated the air as they charged forward and finally became face-to-face with the herd of Anmiks.
The size of a fully-grown elephant, Anmiks were slightly leaner in build and had eight legs, which made them faster. The protective gear on their head and hard scaly brown skin made it difficult to kill them. They were cunning and smart and had hundreds of razor-shaped teeth in their round mouths.
"Scatter them and then take your picks and destroy them," Siroos’s voice sounded as he deliberately slowed down letting his warriors take the lead.
He was confident in them, while they believed in their Alpha, who would come to their rescue as soon as the need would arrive.
"Yes, Alpha!" they chorused and most of them shifted into their wolves. Letting out terrifying snarls.
The rhinoceros shifters hurtled towards the Anmiks, meeting them head-on, hence breaking ranks and creating space.
The wolves followed with loud snarls along with tigers, jaguars and panthers.
Ranon took a long leap and turned into a huge black panther. His dark skin glistened under the blinding sun and he let out a roar which revealed his sharp fangs. Sinking them into the hind leg of an Anmik, he pulled it off with force and tossed it away.
Shrill cries of the Anmik filled the air as it charged towards him. Ranon was ready; he glided to a side and, with its sharp claws, attacked its other leg, slashing it and bringing it down. He pushed it on its back and slashed open its underbelly, killing it instantly as it was their weak spot.
"Hey! Ranon, the one getting the most kills will be getting the finest ale tonight," Faris called out. Ranon sent an approval of growl his way and jumped to the next one.
Faris hadn’t shifted, he wished to test his new axe. Elegantly whirling it above his head, Faris rotated it on the 360 angle and brought it down on the head of an approaching Anmik while jumping down from his horse.
Its head split open into two as the blood and brain gushed out and splattered down on the sandy ground.
"Bless-o, my axe is mighty. Eat that bloody lizard." He effectively swung it again and cleanly removed its head from its body, making the body slump in a heap. Seeming smug he kissed the handle of his axe.
"Stop dramatising, Faris; there is a herd to kill," Siroos reprimanded, seeing the antics of his younger brother.
He was hovering in the air in his half-turned-eagle form. The wide brown wings had sprouted out from his back which were fluttering behind him, keeping him suspended in the air while he had his buffed arms crossed against his sweaty chest.
So he could speak as well as observe how his warriors performed. Where they lacked and where they excelled. As usual, Faris was being dramatic.
"Don’t be a killjoy brother. Let me have my moments with my new axe. Did you see how cleanly it cuts?" He asked and swung it again to remove the head of another Anmik, just to prove his point.
Siroos shook his head but let him continue to butcher the enemy. His sharp gaze scanned the wide area where the skirmishes between the giant lizards and his shifted warriors continued.
Grunts, howls, snarls and screeches filled the air.
One of his tiger shifters got hit by the lizard-like monster. A deep wound appeared in its belly as it stumbled to the ground. Seeing that, Siroos soared towards them before the Anmik could headbutt him again or wrap him around its long, slimy tongue.
His shield magic shot out and formed a protective blue halo around his warrior while he landed on the Anmiks scaly body and had its head in a chokehold.
Siroos’s glistening biceps bulged as he applied enough force and his jaw tightened to reveal his extremely sharp jawline.
Anmik hobbled and screeched trying to get itself free from the monster that was Siroos. But there was no escape. A loud roar erupted deep within Siroos’s sturdy chest.
Anmik’s head was torn off and flung afar by Siroos. It rolled on the grainy ground and stopped near Faris’s feet.
"Who is the show off now?" He mumbled giving his elder brother a wink, who was standing tall on the dead enemy.