Scotland, 994 A.D.
The sun was setting low in the kingdom.
Swords clashing, arrows flying.
The Vikings managed to break through the kingdom's barriers, scaling the castle walls.
The leader managed to make it to the top of one of the towers. He looked up at the stone statue above him.
As the sun finally set, the moon high above. The stone began to crack and break. He stared in horror as rock fell, and lavender skin began to show under the cracks.
He watched as the claws of the creators dig into the stone, wings flaring out. Her hair billowed in the wind as she slowly rose, her eyes.
It was her eyes that scared him the most in the moment. Her eyes glowed a deep blood red as she looked down at him. Fangs bared. He felt himself slowly lose his grip but the creature, the beast, monster whatever she was.
Grabbed his wrist pulling him and lifting him high in the air. She towered over him as she lifted him to meet her gaze.
She let out a low growl, deep in her throat.
Her expression deathly calm as she simply said "You are trespassing."
He could hear his men gasp in terror at the sights of her. No. Not just her.
He looked around and saw all of the statues cracking open. Eyes of white and red glowing throughout the castle.
He grabbed his sword and went and went to kill, but she quickly grabbed the blade with her free hand.
She let out another growl, as the blade cut into her skin.
He watched as the blood spilled from her palm.
They could bleed. And if these beast could bleed they could be killed,
The blood trickled down her wrist, her eyes returned to their ruby red as he demanded his men to keep fighting. He kicked onto the stone and pulled the beast down with him using his rope to swing to safety away from the creature's sight.
The beast gliding down gracefully. She observed the battle ground and saw a Viking trying to get an attack from one of her fathers from behind. She tucked in her wings and swooped down quickly. Snatching the clip from his hand before throwing the man far below into a large puddle of mudd. She turned to her elder, giving him a firm nod.
"Watch your back, old friend."
He let out a boisterous laugh before replying "Watch your own "
She watched her elder jump down from the staircase and continue the fight, he heard another Viking run up to her, she easily dodged his attack while another tried to hit her from behind. She quickly grabbed him, throwing him on top of the other, knocking them down. She looked up and saw another friend being overwhelmed. She climbed up quickly, using her wings to knock them away. She bared her fangs and let her claws cut them deep as she tossed them to the side with ease. He looked at her as she gave a powerful roar. Giving her a nod. "Why thanks, Galiath."
She gave the human man a firm nod. "I could not do otherwise."
The old man turned back to the battle, grimacing at the battle surrounding them.
"These rouges no doubt followed that band of refugees we gave shelter to last night."
Galiath looked below the castle walls. She could see the families down there, unaware of the battle above them. They danced, laughed and ate. She saw a few of her Rookery children fly down as some of the Vikings decided to make their way to them. She spotted one whack a Viking upside the head with a large bone. She would have chuckled at the sight but now was not the time.
She soon spotted the leader once more. Her angel's wings flared out, her eyes glowing a deep red as she bared her fangs at him. While their dog growled at him, eyes glowing pure white as he snapped at him.
She jumped to the ledge of the roof the three where on
He turned to face her.
A look of terror on his face, as she smirked.
"I see you have met our watchdog."
She watched as her angel hissed at him, her claws threatening to dig into his face.
She smiled warmly at red head before taking her place by her side. "And my second in command as well."
She saw the man reading his sword ounce more. She took a step forward. Grabbing him by his shirt, lifting him up as if he weighed nothing to her.
"I grow tired of this." SHe held him over the ledge. "Take what is left of your men and leave our home."
She let him go. She watched as he screamed in terror as he fell and landed into a barrel of spare hay.
She continued to look at the Viking, as he called her a monster. Threatening to be back as he turned and ran. She turned to her second in command, her love, her mate and smiled at her,nuzzling the side or the red heads neck. She felt her angel's talons ran through her dark hair.
They pulled away from each other and watched the humans that fought alongside them laugh about how their arrows made them run. She let out a grunt of annoyance.
"My love, your hand." Galiath violet eyes turned to loves , who was now holding her hand. Frowning at the injury. "They hurt you." She growled looking at Galiath's bloody palm.
The human man handed her some cloth so that she could wrap up Galiath's wound.
"We owe you our lives Gale."
The pair looked up at the man. "As we owe you ours every day." Galiath's replied, observing her now bandaged palm.
She looked around smiling at her family, yes her world was dangerous but she had a home, family and friends. Galiath was content with her life. She was about to leave with her love but she was stopped.
She turned to her friend, the captain.
"Gale, why don't you and your mate come to the celebration tonight?" He insisted.
"I do not think that's a good idea-"
The captain sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder."Lass you and your Gargoyles are the main if not the only reason this castle is still standing. You deserve to celebrate with them."
Her angel took her hand. "My love, don't think I don't see how you watch them dance and celebrate. It's the very least they can do." Galiah bit her lip thinking for a second.
She had seen how the humans celebrated, how they sang and danced. It was rather silly. She was a warrior, not a maiden. But was it wrong to want something so small.
So she agreed.
—
Apparently it was wrong to desire something so small.
She saw how the princess glowered at her in disgust, her witch's look of hatred as he watched her and her love enter the room.
She heard everything.
She was a beast and to be treated as such in the princesses opinion. She was unnatural. She let their words roll off her back.
She had heard it all.
Nothing they said would define her. She knew who she was.
As she came to the head table, she saw how the princess flinched as she let out her wings.
But she didn't attack her like she expected. Instead she bowed.
She heard the captain chuckle.
"Galiath, we named you well it seems."
Galiath felt a smile break out on her face as she turned to her friend.
"You are as good as the philistine giant who fought against David."
Galiath, bit her tounge at the reminder of her name. She knew of Goliath of the Bible. It seemed the princess did to as she reminded her that her name sake was a bully and a savage.
The captain glared at the princess, Galiath only looked down.
Galiath heard her lover hiss at her. She quickly grabbed her shoulder, pushing her back gently.
She looked up at the princess. "If you will excuse us your majesty." Galiath wrapped her arm around the other gargoyle's waist leading her out of the room.
She knew she wasn't wanted.
She and her kind never were.
—
Later that night the captain found her. She and her red headed angle where curled up to each other, she relaxed as she ran her fingers through her black hair.
They enjoyed the silence before her darling spoke.
"Have you no pride my love, no sense of justice."
Galiath's stayed silent. She didn't want to talk about this, but she continued. "We save them time and time again and look at how they treat us."
The captain interrupted. "She's right Nightingale you deserve better than this."
"This was out home before they built these stone walls! They should bow to us."
Gale took her love's hand. "Humans fear what they don't understand my dear angel."
Galiath brought the other's hand to her face, resting her cheek in her palm.
"Unfortunately we are a part of that, as much as I wish we were ways are not our own."
The other sighed.
"Your patients astounds my my sweet Nightingale."
—-
The next night night when she awake, Galiath unwrapped her hand. SMiling at the healed wound.
"She heard the captain behind her.
"The Viking will most likely return during the day. I saw take your clan and leave.
Her love quickly agreed."
Galiath disagreed, it was too dangerous to leave the castle unprotected.
"I'll do it. I can scare those cowards away without any help." She purred. Remembering the leaders look of terror.
Her love insisted on going with, but she wouldn't let her, but she agreed to not go alone.
He caressed her face gently. "I leave you in charge my dear angel. Remember you and I are one. Now and forever."
As she looked for one of elders to go with her that night to search for the Vikings she felt her heart drop as she saw as all group of her rookery children scaring a mother and child. She s stormed in front of them, fury in her eyes. One of her rookery fathers joining her side. Looking at them in disappointment.
The frustration she felt at them.
To the rookery, now." SHe growled.
She saw them hesitant.
"Now! You will stay there until I return!"She demanded. She watched as they slowly descended to the rookery.
SHe tuned to her elder.
"My old friend I wish for you to join me on a mission to stop the vining ounce and for all. He smiled at her. Of course lass.
—-
They searched the night for them for hours. It was getting close to sunrise, the rookery father insisting on going back, but she finally spotted them. As she fled down down her heart dropped.
Decoys.
They were decoys.
Galiath's heart dropped.
"We need to turn back!" She demanded. They quickly headed to the cliff, but the sun was soon high in the sky and she was forced into her sleep once more.
Hours went by,m as the sun finally set she couldn't break free of her sleep fast enough, she rushed back to the castle.
But she was too late.
She saw the fire.
She saw the rumble.
She landed quickly, she felt like she was going to be sick at the sight.
She grabbed a small pile of stone, tearing falling down her face.
She knew what the stone really was.
She let out a heart wrenching screech as her tears fell.
Her love, her family, her clan.
Was gone