Chapter 1: What Lies Beyond

Trinity awoke the following morning, rejuvenated in mind, body, and soul.

Saladin slept on peacefully beside the nest.

She quietly climbed out and crept toward the entrance.

His eyes were wide open, yet he did not register her movements.

She walked out onto a convenient limb growing just beneath the porthole, halting in the middle. Sensing a certain urge, she coughed up a pellet and passed droppings.

Feeling relieved, she proceeded to stretch her wings and preen her slightly unkempt plumage. Clad in the pastel robes of dawn, Silverveil appeared far more striking than it did at night.

The crystal-clear lake mirrored the cloudless sky above, rose, tangerine, and turquoise hues dancing on its still surface.

The daytime was her element, the same of which could not be said for many other kinds of owls. She could operate effectively at night, of course, but she enjoyed immersing herself in the sun's uplifting radiance.

The world exuded a certain charm during the fiery orb's reign that many owls had not seen.

Silverveil's true beauty is unknown to those who slumber when the sun rises, she said to herself. I suppose they don't think much of it, but to witness a sight like this, even once, would deepen their appreciation of our world.

She inhaled a lungful of the fragrant morning air, infusing her being with its essence.

What a time to be alive…

Trinity's scaled companion approached her unnoticed, as the short-eared owl was lost in her musings. Spiraling around the branch, he slithered between her legs and rose up into her field of view.

"Oh, good morning, Saladin."

"Greetingsss, Trinity."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yesss. And yourssself?"

The female owl nodded confidently.

"Good, good."

Unexpectedly, Trinity's gizzard contorted in protest of its emptiness. She pressed one wing to her midsection, sensing its displeased contractions.

She chuckled and retracted her wing.

"Well then, it's obvious I could use something to eat. What about you?"

"I wouldn't mind a tasssty rodent."

"There are plenty of mice running around, not to mention voles, which I prefer. Want to tag along?"

"Of courssse. Riding on your back isss more exciting, and fassster, than gliding."

"Enough said. Hop on!"

Saladin scaled her slender form easily, wrapping his muscular coils around her. He could see over her head clearly without needing to elongate his upper body.

"Ready when you are," he said.

"Here we go, Saladin. I suggest you hold on tight."

He established a snug grip on her with a thought. She unfurled her marvelous ivory-and-chocolate wings and lofted herself into the pleasant air.

She elected to fly at a gingerly pace lest Saladin be blown off. In the unlikely event he was, he'd be able to safely glide to one of the countless trees surrounding them.

The gentle breeze flowed past his scales, a familiar sensation that nonetheless pleased him. Trinity ascended and maneuvered through the maze of boughs comprising the canopy.

The forested expanse that was Silverveil extended out to the horizon in all directions.

"Thisss isss how I have longed to sssee the world beyond Ambala," he hissed jubilantly. "What an impresssive view."

"I figured you'd admire this sort of perspective," she replied cheerfully.

She banked continually to starboard at shallow angle, maintaining a clockwise holding pattern. Saladin swiveled his head this way and that, feasting his eyes on the lush landscape below.

Once he'd had his fill, he informed Trinity and she dove back down through the canopy. She scoured the woodland in the vicinity of the lake for about fifteen minutes.

In that amount of time she managed to track down two mice and a vole.

Saladin's presence hardly impacted her flying ability; her kill spirals were as accurate and lethal as ever.

She dispatched the mice but allowed Saladin to do away with the vole. Delivering a swift strike to the back of its neck, he injected a minute drop of venom into the animal.

Its blood vessels and organs ravaged by the potent cocktail, it expired within seconds.

"Nicely done. You, like me, are a natural-born killer."

"It ssseems we have ssseveral thingsss in common."

"I am glad we do. It makes our relationship that much more special."

He conveyed his agreement with a bob of his emerald head.

Clutching the dead rodents in her talons, Trinity navigated to the lake adjacent to her home.

There, she and her unorthodox partner dined on their catch and imbibed the cool, refreshing liquid. Saladin settled for one of the mice, stating that eating too much that early in the day would upset his digestive system.

Trinity thus consumed the remaining mouse and vole. She savored the sensation of the warm, bloody meat sliding down her throat and filling the void in her belly.

Their hunger and thirst satiated, Trinity carried Saladin back to her cozy abode. She set him down near the entrance.

"Thank you for the meal, Trinity."

"I don't mind performing acts of kindness for my newfound lover."

"You are sssuch an admirable owl. I made a wissse choice."

She smiled.

"I suppose I could say the same of you."

He flashed a strange grin of his own, exposing the sides of his curved fangs and teeth.

They caught each other's eyes; each seemed to decipher what the other was thinking.

The setting was picturesque, the environment was serene, and they were alone. The flames of their desire for one another still smoldered within their souls.

As the seconds passed, they grew eager to reignite them in a passionate display.

In that moment, they both arrived at the same conclusion.

"Shall we start off this wonderful day by making shameless love to one another? I can think of nothing more rewarding."

"You've read my mind, Trinity. I mussst sssay yesss to sssuch a delicious offer."

"Turn around, please. Don't look until I say so," she instructed.

Saladin peered out of the hollow and draped his tail over his eyes.

Trinity sealed the entrance with a moss curtain dangling from a crude stick frame, hiding them from errant passerby.

It mattered not to her what other owls might think of her actions, but she was wholly against having their private time interrupted.

With that, Trinity retreated further into the hollow.

She reclined on her port side, supported by the rear wall.

"You may look now," she said.

He turned 180 degrees and lowered his tail.

"Sssuch a sssultry possse. Tempting me once again?"

She smirked.

"As if you can resist my allure."

She beckoned to him with one of her starboard talons. He complied and approached her.

"I believe it's my turn to be in control."

"Your wisssh isss my command."

He pointed his tail vertically into the air. Gently, Trinity clutched it using her starboard talons.

"Would you like to ssstart with one, or two?"

"One for now, and two later."

With slight effort he everted one of his copulatory organs. It grazed her foot as it emerged from its internal storage pocket.

The gazes of the two beings met; the look in their eyes conveyed nothing but trust and acceptance.

Trinity relaxed her cloaca somewhat, easing the serpent's contoured intromittent organ into her. She shuddered involuntary and emitted a gratified sigh.

Saladin couldn't help but quiver as well.

"How I've missed this incredible feeling…"

The serpent shuffled closer, draping his body over her wing and resting his head on her cheek.

"I ssshare your sssentimentsss…" he delightedly hissed.

Slowly she extracted his fleshy appendage, driving it back in up to its hilt. It was as if she'd impaled herself on a spear of tangible bliss.

"Oh Glaux… I will never tire… of having you inside me…"

She pulled it out and stuffed it in three more times, inundating herself with delectation.

"Don't ssstop, Trinity… your warm, sssoft embrace… is ssso addicting…"

Steeling her will, she slid Saladin's stimulating dagger in and out of her vent in a relaxed, steady rhythm. He tucked his smooth body beneath her wing, sweeping it up and down her flank.

His gentle caress ruffled her feathers, blanketing her mind with yet another layer of pleasure.

"Mmm… oh Glaux… this torment… feels so amazing…" she moaned between breaths.

"Ahhh… that's it Trinity… drown me… in divine pleasssure… without remorssse…"

Every withdrawal and insertion pushed both enamored beings inexorably closer to the brink.

Their heart rates had quickened, as had the frequency of their inhalation/exhalation cycles.

Two minutes after their intimacy began, Trinity paused to recoup some of her stamina prior to the draining finale.

"Had enough?"

"Hah… not yet… you sharp-tongued snake…"

"Sssplendid… becaussse I… haven't either…"

Trinity released his tail, which dropped to the floor. They waited a solid five minutes for their systems to settle down.

At last they were primed and ready to realize the true purpose of their sinfully-sweet ritual. At Trinity's behest, Saladin exposed his second dagger.

The female wasted no time in burying her male companion's genitalia deep within her own. Her inner walls stretched to accommodate them; the stab of intense pleasure caused her back to arch momentarily.

As she glided the pair of hemipenes in and out of her wet, greedy flower, the surge of ecstasy ignited her soul.

"You feel… so incredibly good… oh Saladin… I can hardly bear it…"

"It isss obviousss… we were meant… to pleassse one another. Oh yesss… jussst like that… Trinity…"

Her muscles tensed up as the seconds ticked by. She would not, could not, stop clawing her way towards the pinnacle of pleasure.

In just over half a minute she claimed the prize she lusted after. The bliss Trinity registered previously couldn't compare to the all-consuming ecstasy brought to life by the sexual eruption.

Powerful muscle contractions commenced in her loins and rippled throughout her body. Her talons curled in and spread apart over and over, each cyclical motion timed perfectly with a sensual moan.

"Saladin… I… I love you… oh sprink… oh Glaux yes…"

"Ssso do I… Trinity… oh my… thisss… isss beyond wonderful…"

The serpent's coils writhed a half-step out of sync with the owl's contractions. Saladin doused her tunnel with milky white fluid.

Their simultaneous releases faded as abruptly as they commenced.

Saladin slid unceremoniously off Trinity, his hemipenes slipping out of his partner in the process. He willed them to retract into his vent.

Some of his fertile milk trickled out of her pink blossom, dampening her undertail coverts. Their minds clouded by fatigue and euphoria, they were barely able to speak, let alone move.

Dense silence infiltrated the hollow; they stared lovingly at one another in the dreamy afterglow.

Saladin managed to flip himself over and lay his head on her pillow-like breast.

Her heart beat fervently beneath her skin, louder and more vigorously than his own.

Trinity whispered silkily, "Mating with you… was nothing short… of marvelous…"

"I couldn't… agree more…"

They remained nearly motionless during their convalescence, exchanging sweet nothings to occupy themselves. They'd grown that much closer in the ritual's wake, their devotion matched only by their obsession.

Twenty whole minutes later, they'd recovered from the exhausting ordeal. They decided it was best to pay the lake another visit.

Trinity bathed and cleaned herself diligently. Saladin, bearing an aversion to deep water, opted to take a brief dip in the shallows.

Once Trinity finished, he polished his scales by rubbing them against her damp plumage. He volunteered to assist in the preening of her unkempt feathers.

Needless to say, Trinity welcomed his selfless aid.

Their sexual desires fulfilled, they were at liberty to pursue more conventional pastimes. They contemplated their next course of action; it was Saladin who came to a decision first.

"Trinity?"

"Yes?"

"I want to sssee more of the Sssouthern Kingdomsss."

"I will gladly take you wherever you wish to go. Did you have a certain region in mind?"

"The Ssshadow Foressst."

"I've never been there, so it is the perfect destination. I've heard it is quite a gloomy and foreboding forest."

"All the more reassson to confirm the rumorsss for ourssselvesss."

"My thoughts exactly."

Saladin looped himself around Trinity's breast and they headed west immediately.

She skimmed just above the gnarled tops of the Silverveil's deciduous trees. The stark division between it and the conifer-dominated woodland manifested in the near-distance.

Roughly ten seconds into their leisurely flight, they found themselves being followed by a lone raven. It issued two loud, raucous squawks.

One by one, several others appeared out of nowhere, bringing the total number of pursuers up to a disconcerting ten.

"They're up to something, I can feel it in my gizzard," she remarked in a hushed voice. "I've been harassed by them before."

"I will defend you if I mussst, but I hope they aren't interesssted in causssing trouble."

As Trinity crossed over into the airspace above the Shadow Forest she dove, penetrating the treetops. The ravens imitated her, picking up speed and coming substantially closer.

It wasn't long before they hemmed the owl and her companion in. The largest raven flew a few pytes overhead, preventing them from escaping the formation by ascending.

Spotting a small glade ahead, Trinity pressed on and begrudgingly landed in its center. Nine of the corvids formed a ring around the duo with their shimmering black forms.

The chieftain, a sizable female one-and-a-half times as tall as Trinity, strode up to them.

The short-eared owl was not intimidated, yet she was wise enough to not adopt an aggressive posture. She simply held her ground and stared into the raven's beady black eyes.

"An owl and a snake? A strange combination," she quipped in a guttural tone. "This corner of the Shadow Forest is our territory. What brings you here?"

Trinity calmly replied, "We are interested in exploring, that's all."

The chieftain took one step closer and peered into her eyes, seemingly searching for any hint of trickery. She drew back after several tense moments.

"We will tolerate your presence, provided you do not take our food or disturb our kin."

"We have no ill intentions."

"We'll see if you stay true to your word. You may leave now."

She gestured to two of the ravens behind her. They backed away from one another, creating a gap in the formation.

Trinity strode out of the misshapen ring. She paused when the senior female's raspy voice poured into her ear slits.

"We not might be as numerous as your kind, but few things go unseen by our brothers and sisters."

"Understood."

She glanced over her shoulder at the group of burly ravens, who eyed her with a mix of curiosity and indifference. With that, she faced forward and sailed off to the northwest.

She heard no wingbeats but her own, evidence that the corvids weren't trailing them any longer.

"Fortunately for us, they were kinder than other ravens I've encountered."

"We mussst avoid making enemiesss."

"It certainly never hurts to not irritate those we share the sky with."

"Well sssaid."

Winding her way through the maze of scented trunks, Trinity traveled ever-deeper into the mysterious woodland. It looked basically the same no matter which way she looked, confounding her sense of direction.

A leaning pine off to port caught her eye. She adjusted her heading and alighted on the mat of needles at its base.

Its impressive weight, the result of its equally impressive age, was likely the culprit. The adjacent, younger pine, which boasted respectable sturdiness, had prevented its neighbor from toppling completely over.

It appeared to be deflected a few degrees from the vertical, but it withstood the load quite well.

Saladin plopped to the needle-coated earth and turned in a tight circle.

"Thisss isss a unique foressst, to sssay the leassst."

"It's nothing like Ambala or Silverveil, though that doesn't mean it isn't appealing. It has its share of secrets, no doubt."

Saladin meandered two pytes away and stopped.

"Thessse needlesss are very uncomfortable, much too rough for my delicate ssscales."

"I'm not surprised."

Trinity strolled up to him and planted him on her back.

"Spare yourself the displeasure. I'll carry you."

"Your generosssity is appreciated."

"Don't mention it."

Trinity glanced around and remarked, "Not that it matters to us, but we are clearly lost. This will be an entertaining adventure."

He stated poignantly, "Then it doesssn't matter where we end up."

"In that case, let the adventure begin!"