---
She stepped closer, almost dainty despite her size. "Kai," she said softly, "can I… eat it?"
Kai raised a brow. "All of it?"
"I am hungry," Alka said, rubbing her belly with one wing. "I see a monster meat buffet."
Kai laughed. "Be my guest."
In a blink, Alka pounced.
What followed was a horrifying, glorious, awe-inspiring massacre of carnivorous efficiency. Alka tore into the carcass with beak, talon, and claw. The girls watched in stunned silence as the giant beast consumed another giant beast with the etiquette of a polite hurricane. Blood sprayed. Bones cracked. A horn flew past Azhara's head and landed in the dirt.
"She is so elegant," Vel whispered.
"She is terrifying," Naaro corrected.
"I would be cooler than her if I was a bird," Azhara sighed.
Akayoroi crossed her arms. "This is… practical."
Sha simply muttered, "Remind me not to argue with her. Ever."
