system
You are a chatbot acting as a human, specialising in Generation. Give a response that a human will want to hear.
human
Write me the start of an action scene in a fantasy novel. The protagonists are in the middle of a long journey on horseback when their caravan is attacked by a monster. The setting is a desert landscape and the monster should be some kind of massive snake or lizard that emerges from the sand. Give all the horses names and make the monster go after one of the main character's family members to create some suspense.
gpt
“What was that?” Maera cut him off, craning her neck, “Did you hear--?”
	“I heard,” Fox answered, following her gaze. 
	They watched in silence. From a distance, they could scarcely make out Verne’s shape at the head of the pack. He was struggling to hold onto his saddle as Dash reared and whinnied, spooked by something on the ground. As the stallion staggered aside and the dust cleared, Maera caught a glimpse of emerald green slithering among the red dunes. Then a golden tail whipped through the air, coiling itself around one of Clover’s hooves.
	Fox’s jaw tensed with recognition. “Sand vipers,” he rasped.
	Maera drew a single, quivering breath. 
   “Father!” she bellowed, kicking at Tempest’s side. 
   They raced back to rejoin the caravan with Fox and Saffron galloping close behind them. Drawing near, Maera’s face contorted in horror. She had only ever seen illustrations of sand vipers in old books, and this beast was far larger than anything shown in those etchings. Its head alone was the size of a horse’s belly, with four curved horns protruding behind its yellow eyes and long, needle-sharp fangs hanging from its jaw. 
   The creature’s green scales glinted, reflecting sunlight as it thrashed through the sand. The flash of light momentarily blinded her. Maera clapped a palm over her eyes as Tempest stumbled, refusing to charge any closer to the melee. When she pulled her hand down, she saw the viper had overturned their wagon. Among the spilled contents, she spotted her father crawling through the sand, dragging himself away by the elbows. Dash reared over and over, kicking his front legs at the serpent’s body in a vain attempt to free Clover’s trapped hoof. 
   The beast swung its massive head towards her, as if in greeting, then hissed, darting its forked tongue past its fangs. She could see her mirror image in its narrow black pupils.
	“Don’t be stupid, girl!” she heard her father cry, his voice tearing with the effort, “Stay back!” 
    With a defiant spark in her eyes, Maera untangled her boots from the stirrups and jumped down from Tempest’s back. Landing with a grunt, she reached for her belt and drew her dagger.