He had escaped from the Lortai captors for over a day now, crossing deep and dark rivers on a journey which, he hoped, would allow him to save his father, mother and sister from the lives as slaves.

When Fen reached the top of the cliff, there were giant birds everywhere. A twelve foot corvus bird arched back, spread its wings, and brought its beak down in Fen’s direction, narrowly missing his arm. It struck twice more, each time coming within inches of his body. Tired and trembling, he searched the cliff for an escape, but the cliff top was barren. As he looked up, he was face to face with the screeching bird. It moved quickly and jabbed his left side with its fine pointed beak. The taste of blood emboldened the animal and it lunged forward making biting motions. As Fen lay on the ground, a sense of rage and determination swept over him.