Scotland, 994 A.D.

The sun was setting low in the kingdom.

Swords clashing, arrows flying, warriors raging. It had tragically become an all to familiar sight to the kingdom. Yet the vikings had never gotten this close before. Managing break through the castles barriers, scaling the castle walls. The chief of the viking tribe grinned in triumph as he made his way to the top of one of the castles towers. He looked up at at the stone statue right above him. As he grabbed the ledge, hoisting himself up with little effort, the sun had slowly set. The moon gently rising to take it's place high above.

As the viking stood up. Admiring the statue in front of him. He had thought that the statues were meant to look horrifying to the point of grotesque. Yet the one he stood in front of seemed to be sculpted in the form of a woman close to her thirties, her legs seemed powerful, her arms strong. If not for her a few of her features like her tail and wings. her arched legs and claw like feet and talons and the horns protruding from her head. She looked similar to that of one of his shield maidens. Whoever had sculpted the statue clearly took great pride in the beauty of a powerful woman.

Yet as the sun finally disappeared, the moon shining brightly above them. The stone began to crackle. Slowly falling away. Lavender skin showing beneath as the stone skin was shed piece by piece. The chief could only watch in a mix of horror and fascination as the state began to move. Flexing her claws, shaking the rock from her claws. Once her arm was free she began to dig into the stone of above her flesh. Breaking free from her granite prison.

He couldn't move. He felt as if he was frozen in time. Her wings flaring out in triumph, her dark hair billowing in the wind as she slowly rose. Standing tall. Her wings still flared out. She slowly opened her eyes. Those eyes. A felt a his body go cold. Still frozen in terror. He knew he would never forget those eyes that seemed to stare into his soul. At that moment all he could do was stare at those deep red eyes. He felt as if he was staring into two puddles of blood that looked down at him. The creature growled, her lips pulling back into snarl revealing a mouthful of sharp fangs that looked as if they could tear through his flesh with ease. As he stared at her in terror and fascination. He took a step back from the living stone creature. Whatever she was. She was no woman. She was a creature of terror. A beast that could rip him to shreds with one hand if she desired. A monster.

The viking took one step back to far. He let out a startled scream as he fell off the tower. He was going to die. Yet as he lost his footing before he could fall to his death he felt a powerful grip, wrapping around his wrist. Lifting him high in the air. He meet that blood red gaze once more. Holding him high in the air as if he weighed nothing to her. He could hear her growl. It was an inhuman sound that came deep from her throat. Yet her face was deathly calm and finally. She spoke. It was a simple statement. Yet it chilled him and his meant to the bone. "You are trespassing."

He heard his men cower in fear at her. No. it wasn't just her. As he looked around he soon realized she wasn't the only one. All around them the statures of beautiful yet terrifying creatures crack open. Clawing desperately to be released from their stone prison. Soon eyes of white and red glowed all around them. All with the same intention to defend their home. Ready to take them all down if they tried to take their hurt their territory.

At last he felt himself regain control of his body, quickly grabbing his sword holding it high in the air before taking the swing with the intent to kill the monster that help him high above her head yet instead she quickly grabbed the blade with her free hand letting out another growl, as the blade cut into her skin. A trickle of blood from her palm running down his blade. So. the she-beast could bleed and if she could bleed red so would the rest of them. That also meant the monsters could be killed. As her blood continued to trickle down from his blade the blood soon began to run down her wrist. Her eyes continued to glow the same shade if not brighter as he ordered his men to keep fighting, and to kill as many of the demonic creatures as they could. He kicked the she-beast in her chest. Causing her to stumble forward. He grabbed onto the top of her tunic. Making sure to pull her down with him before letting go of her. Letting her continue to fall as he took his rope still attached to the tower, swinging away from the eyes.

Yet she did not fall to her death as he had planned, she spread her wings just so, letting the wind carry her. Gliding down gracefully as she observed the battle field. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted another viking attempting to attack one of her fathers from behind as he fought on one of castles staircases. She tucked in her wings the wind whistling in her ear as she dived down. Snatching the man up with ease. Throwing him into a large puddle of mud. She couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction as the viking sputtered and gasped as he crawled out of the mud. She turned to her elder giving him a firm nod as she spoke. "Watch your back, old friend." He let out a boisterous laugh a large smile on his face before replying to her. "Watch your own young one." as he jumped from staircase. Taking down another viking that had been attempting to sneak behind her to take her down. The gargoyle could hear another viking running to her. Sword in hand ready to end her life. She easily dodged his clumsy attack another one tried to hit her from behind. She pivoted out of the way. Grabbing him by his tunic before she threw him on top of the previous attacker knocking them down into a pile of hay.

She looked up and saw another friend being overwhelmed. She climbed up to him quickly, her claws digging into the stone of the wall as she reached the top of ledge she jumped between the attackers using her wings to knock them over before turning to face them baring her fangs and let her claws dig deep in their flesh as she tossed them to the side with ease into the pile of hay below. Landing on top of the other vikings just as they tried to get themselves up from their fall. He looked at her as she gave a powerful roar. The older human man gave her a nod. "Why thanks, Galiath."

She gave him 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." he said. His dismay clear in his voice. The gargoyle-Galiath looked below the castle walls to the castles people. She could see the families down there, unaware of the battle above them as they danced, laughed and ate. Oblivious to the hell that was only a few feet away from them. She saw a few of her Rookery children fly down as some of the Vikings decided to make their way to them, a small group that had managed to get past their defenses. She felt her heart drop, ready to pounce at the invading humans but just as she readied herself she spotted one of her rookery children whack each of the viking quickly 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 her lips curled up in a victorious smile as he turned to face her look of pure terror on his face, as she bared her fangs at him. Gesturing to her beloved and hound. "I see you have met our watchdog." Galiath purred watching as her angel hissed at him, her claws threatening to dig into his face if he made one wrong move. She smiled warmly at redhead gargoyle before taking her place by her side. "And my second in command as well." taking the redheaded Gargoyles hand in her own. Placing a gentle kiss atop her hand before her eyes returned to the viking in front of them.

She saw the man readying his sword once more. She took a step forward. Grabbing him by his shirt, lifting him as if he was nothing more than a pebble to her. "I grow tired of this." Galiath said with an annoyed sigh as 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 by the horse stables into a pile of what he hopped was just mud and he glared as the she-beasts standing above him. A satisfied look on both of their faces as they looked at him as if he was nothing more than a minor inconvenience to them. He snarled at them. Looking the lavender one in her eyes calling 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 of the red head's 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 at the display."My love, your hand." Galiath violet eyes turned to her 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 her love could wrap up Galiath's wound.

"We owe you our lives, Nightingale." the human man said firmly. The pair looked up at the man. "As we owe you ours every day." Galiath's replied, observing her now bandaged 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 the human man. The captain of the human warriors. He placed a hand on her shoulder as he spoke.

"Gale, why don't you and your mate come to the celebration tonight?" He insisted. It was the least the princess could do after all. The gargoyles defended their home every night. Their protectors should at the least get to celebrate their victory within the walls they helped protect. Galiath pursed her lips before the spoke. "I do not think that's a good idea-" The captain sighed, placing another hand on her shoulder. Looking her in her eyes"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 rubbing small circles at the top of her hand as she spoke. "My love, don't think I don't see how you watch them dance and celebrate. I know you wish to join them. It is the very least they can do. You never ask them for anything." Galiath 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 with her friend and lover.

Apparently, it was wrong to desire something so small for someone like her. She saw how the princess glowered at her in disgust, her witch's look of hatred as he watched her and her love enters the room. She heard everything. She always did. She was nothing more than a beast to them and she and her clan where to be treated as such in the princess's opinion. She was unnatural. She was something grotesque and frightening to the princess. Still Galiath let their words roll off her back She had heard it they said would define her. She knew who she was. She refused to let them have a say in who she actually was. They had already done enough by forcing a name on her. Something she near desired yet hear she was. No longer simply a daughter, a sister, a lover, a mother. She was more simply put.

Goliath.

As she came to the head table, she saw how the princess flinched as she let out her wings expecting the beast to finally snap but she never did. She refused to give the girl the satisfaction of being right. Instead, she spread her wings to the floor, bending her knees just slightly. Bowing her head. The Princess only stared at her in shock. She never really knew what to expect from Galiath, but seeing her curtsy of all was defiantly not something she even realized that the beast knew how to do. After all it was something not just human but more specifically something that a lady was taught to do. Not a gargoyle.

They heard the captain chuckle. "Galiath, we named you well it seems." he said as the Gargoyle stood back up. Folding her wings back in, she felt a small smile break out on her face as she turned to her friend as he continued to praise her "You are as good as the philistine giant who fought against David." Galiath bit her tongue at the reminder of her name. She knew of Goliath of the Bible. It seemed the princess did too as she reminded her that her namesake was a bully and a savage. Something to be feared not welcomed. The captain glared at the princess, Galiath only looked down at the floor, she heard her lover hiss at her. She quickly grabbed her shoulder, pushing her back 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 were 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 was quick to add his own two cents as well agreeing with her love.. "She's right Nightingale you deserve better than this."

"This was our home before they built these stone walls! They should bow to us." Gale took her lover'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 not. Their ways, are not our own." The other sighed gently stroking her mates face with her thumb. "Your patients astounds my sweet Nightingale."

The next night when she awakened, Galiath unwrapped her hand. Smiling at the healed palm. She heard the captain behind her. "The Viking will most likely return during the day. I say take your clan and leave. Her love quickly agreed. Galiath shook her head, disagreeing with them both. 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 leader's look of terror. Her love insisted on going with her, but she wouldn't let her, but she agreed to not go alone.

Galaith 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 the elders to go with her that night to search for the Vikings she felt her heart drop as she saw all groups 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. he 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 turned 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 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.

The ruble.

The Gargoyle landed quickly, Galiath felt like she was going to be sick at the sight. 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