Chamrosh (Cam-Rah-Shh)

This beast of many talents is a wonderful combination of bird and hound! That's right... the body, back legs, and tail of a lovable pooch and the head, claws, and wings of an eagle. Some say they are frightful creatures and others say they are the perfect combination of heaven and earth. Much like dog breeds have been experimented with for millennia, so has the breeding of the chamrosh. With as many breeds of chamrosh as their are dogs, the looks vary from beast to beast. Some might have the heads of eagles and others, as breeding became more difficult, developed full dog snouts and senses. Breeding has been more difficult due to the Hellenization and overthrow of the last Persian empire over a thousand years before my story takes place. The loss of valuable culture, religion, and language has limited the magical energy needed to breed these lovable but deadly creatures.
Now, the last chamrosh follow their ancient human companions, the Magi, to their last holdouts in the major trading hubs of the world. My protagonist discovers the Thief Society of Constantinople is a front for such a coven of mages. It is here that he learns his first magical ability and meets a chamrosh brood for the first time. They are all descended from the last great chamrosh defenders of the ancient Babylonian temple known as Esagila, which stood in the shadow of Etemenanki, or the Tower of Babel. Their looks are that of an ancient Persian hound the Sarabi Mastiff and their color/coat ranges from golden wheat to auburn and brown. 

by SilverValravn

These magical creatures are primarily used by the mages as guard dogs, typical animal companions, and are used as working animals to relay messages between magi societies around the world. They can fly great distances in a single day, the record being held by an ancient ancestor of this brood, who flew from the capital of Babylon to the great Nile River and back in a matter of hours, bringing warning and a call for aid to the Persians residing in that region. The invasion of the Greeks from the west and the final stroke of Hellenization known as Alexander had finally hammered on the door of the great Ishtar Gate in Babylon. Naturally, they are the epitome of a guardian creature and believe their relationship with the magi is a true extension of their pack/flock. 
My protagonist, Syres, has noted that they like to keep watch over their fellow birds, often chasing stray cats away from the nests of gulls, pigeons, doves, and swallows. He has also noted that the chamrosh can disguise themselves almost seamlessly as regular dogs with their own unexplained magic. Syres really wants one as a pet but the beasts do not care for him, deterred by his own internal demons/magics. In order to win their favor, he gives them their favorite treats - roasted squid.