The Decisive Strike in the Night
The cold wind rang in his ears as Lenel slowly prepared to land on a small clearing near his own herd away from the other flyers. The late evening’s freeze was starting to settle over the dry, unhospitable land but none of it mattered anything to the flyer or his mate. Lenel’s face was completely unmoving all the flight but behind that stoic mask swirled dozens of conflicting thoughts and fears. One way or another, this night would change everything in his and many others’ lives but in which ways, he couldn’t say just yet.
As he glanced at his mate, Lenel saw that her mind was in a similar swirl. However, it was clear that neither of the two were resigned to their fate in any way even if both of them knew their options were few. The small clearing under the two flyers overlooked the wider plain in which the weary flyers were trying to overcome the shock of the battle and mourning their lost loved ones. Lenel gritted his teeth as he landed, preparing to address his mate but just before he had the time to open his beak, the embattled leader suddenly heard another voice from above him.
“Lenel! Sireia! It’s good to see you back here! Did the others admit that most of our losses were because of their mistakes?” The speaker was Taria who suddenly landed near the two, clearly more than eager to hear the news. However, what she heard was far from what she had wanted to hear after the tense day. Sireia quickly glanced at her and spoke in clear annoyance, not approving of this interruption in the least.
“Leave us in peace, Taria! We have a lot to discuss still and we don’t need anyone here listening to us! Now, go!” She said in a low voice, prompting a somewhat worried and even upset glance from the other female. She knew better than to question Sireia’s words but she couldn’t leave just yet. With a more careful tone, she spoke back to Sireia.
“Very well but I need something to tell the others. Many are dying to hear at least something about what happened during the battle. What should I tell them?” The deputy asked, still taken aback by the antics of many of the flyers who had searched her out for answers during the past hours. She expected another attack from Sireia but instead, she received an emotionless answer from Lenel who walked closer to his deputy.
“Tell them that we still have some issues to decide. Our future is hanging in the balance and the others have to wait a bit longer.” He said, not willing to let anything slip to the female. He trusted Taria but not enough to let her know about the results of the meeting just yet. The deputy looked at Lenel in slight disappointment before speaking to him finally.
“It shall be done, Lenel. Just don’t take too long: many in the herd want answers soon enough.” And with those words, the flyer took off and left Lenel and his mate alone in the bald hill from which could be seen all of the four parts of the herd. The pale flyer crossed his arms and inhaled the breezing air as he looked about the countless stars slowly appearing into the sky. The evening was not unlike the previous ones but the seasoned leader sensed that deep unease hang above the flyers. After a while, he finally spoke to his mate.
“We never should have allowed Peak into our herd. I should have guessed that he’d threaten us with something like this soon enough but even I didn’t think he’d betray us like this!” He cried as his eyes slowly turned from the stars to his mate whose stern gaze surprised Lenel to a degree. The green-eyed flyer let out a brief snort as she spoke to the male.
“We took him in because we hoped he could be reasoned with but that was all just a lie. But in the end, his treachery hurt him more than it will us.” She said, fuming from the display of pride and cowardice the orange-colored flyer had shown. Lenel looked at him with a slight frown, wondering what his mate had meant. Yes, Peak’s followers could very well suffer from the break-up of the herd but he knew there were other possibilities about what Sireia had implicated. He slowly raised his hand to his forehead and scratched it a few times as he spoke.
“But the thing that really sickens me is that that scum managed to get Nira join him too. But if those too think they can simply destroy our herd and get away with it, they’re badly mistaken. We’ve come far too far to simply be deceived now.” He said, still trying to sort his thoughts even now. He knew what his words implied but his emotions drowned them under their swirling maelstrom of disappointment and hate. He hated to even think of murdering his old allies but in the seasons long gone, he had done many deeds which even now sickened even Lenel himself. Attacking the two turncoats would hardly be worse than slaughtering a rival herd or killing the children of his rivals. Lenel had hated himself even back then but leading a herd in the Mysterious Beyond demanded the willingness to do what was necessary, when it was necessary. Sireia took a brief look towards Nira’s herd before answering to his mate, her voice shaking from anger towards the two other leaders. She glanced at her mate while a certain kind of fear and concern started to swell in her heart as well.
“We have, Lenel. We have. But even then, our options aren’t what we ever hoped for. Not even after Nimble’s loss.” Sireia spoke as she started to think about what had to be done. Slowly, Lenel turned to her and the gaze in his eyes stunned even the female for a short while.
“Are you ready for this, dear? If we decide to do this, it’ll be a step from which there is no return. I hate to even think about it but I’ve made my choice. My family has never hesitated in the face of disaster and I won’t be the first. Will you stand by my side?” He asked, genuinely willing to hear Sireia’s opinion. All their lives, the two had shared respected each other without an end and no matter what they did, they made sure neither of them were ever forced to do it. However, despite her fears, this wasn’t one issue where she wouldn’t hesitate. Almost immediately, she answered to the male.
“My love, you know that I’ve worked with you to unite our herds ever since we met and I’ll see it to the end. However… do we have what it takes to… to take out Nira and Peak and get away with it?” There it was. She had offered to kill one of those she had sworn to lead the united herd with. It was a terrifying thought for the tan-colored flyer but as a leader’s mate, she had seen many terrifying things in her life and if this is what her and Lenel’s common dream would require, she would damn right do it! The latter looked surprised by his mate’s decisive tone and immediately turned back to investigate at the spots where Nira and Peak’s herds lied. A certain kind of sorrow could be seen on his face but it was dominated by decisiveness which left nothing left for guessing. He had done his best to forge a common future for the herds but now, Peak and Nira tried to block the path he had followed all his life and he would allow no one to hold him back now. Lenel knew he would regret this decision more than once but he had to make a decision and now, there was only one right one. After a while, he started to speak slowly.
“Thank you for staying by my side, Sireia. You’re right that this will be far from easy but Peak said they’re only leaving tomorrow so we have until the rising of the Bright Circle to do this. We have to act quickly before the others learn the truth. It’ll be bloody but if we silence them quickly enough, we’ll be able to blame them for tonight’s attack and we have a chance to claim their herds after that.” He said, already dreading at the chance that this plan could fail at a crucial moment. If the two could regain their ranks quickly, it would be he and his mate that would be wiped out. After a while, Sireia asked silently.
“It shall be done but… don’t we have a choice? We could try to make at least one of them see reason or we could simply accuse them now for treachery.” She asked, willing to look at all the possibilities before acting. Lenel turned to her slowly as he answered to her question.
“And what if either of them simply lies and attacks us as soon as our attention is drawn elsewhere? And we cannot simply go and make accusations, dear. We have no proof to back up our words but if they are gone… then nobody can present us with a real challenge. We must remember Peak and Nira’s herds are still loyal to their leaders. This is the only way we stand even a slight chance.” He said, his mind slowly starting to move to planning the coming night’s actions. Sireia nodded at him, knowing this wasn’t the time for compromises or half-hearted efforts. She then cast a brief smile to her mate before finally moving to his side and then speaking to him in a more courage voice than before.
“I understand, Lenel. But when we finally make our move, I’d say we wait until the night has truly settled in. And we should start with Nira.” She said, slowly shedding the pretense that she or her mate had a choice in this matter. In the Mysterious Beyond, only the strong thrived and Peak and Nira were only driving all of the herds to ruin. Lenel’s eyes widened slightly as his mate spoke, not immediately realizing what she was getting at.
“And why is that? After all, Peak was the one who started it so I thought we’d start with him.” He asked, willing to hear what Sireia had to say. In more times than once, her mate had had great ideas on how to move on and she fully had his ear in nearly any issue. Sireia frowned slightly but as she answered, her voice was a highly thoughtful one.
“Perhaps but there are other things to consider as well. Peak fears even his own shadow right now and I’m sure he has ordered half of his herd to guard him and his family. Nira, on the other hand, didn’t seem to realize the full impact of what had happened and with any luck, that could give us an opening against her. Even then, that doesn’t mean our task will be an easy one.” She said, the implications of her words clear. even Nira could expect something and in that case, this night would be even more dangerous than the two flyers had expected. Lenel took a brief pause before he answered.
“You’re right, of course. We have to plan every move before we get on the move but at least I have you by my side, Sireia. It’s all I could hope. For the beginning, I say we move on Nira’s herd like this…”
Petrie panted in utter fear and exhaustion as he finally landed between two high rocks in the middle a completely flat wasteland. He could feel his limbs being completely stiff with fear as he crouched even lower between the rocks in order to escape the sight of the two flyers who had headed after him after his failed peeking at the meeting of the three remaining leaders. He gritted his teeth as small crawlers began to climb upon his wings and legs but the prospect of being caught like this weighed more upon him right now. Even now, he didn’t know how badly he had failed because of his curiosity.
Had the guards already recognized him? Was hiding all for nothing in this situation? Had he doomed his and his uncle’s efforts to live among the herd? The moments after he had been spotted were a complete mess and he didn’t have the least of ideas who had seen what back then. For all he knew, he could already be seen as a treacherous spy which could mean…
The flyer shook his head as he fought even against his own breathing. The rocks were large enough to hide him but any movements or voices could alert the flyers to his location. The piles of ground sparkles did little to help his cause but as the moments dragged on and on, he realized he was still alone. No accusing cries or flapping of wings were to be heard anywhere nearby and even the small slice of the dark sky was completely empty expect for small remnants of sky puffies and the distant, glimmering stars. He… he was safe for now.
With slow, careful movements, the boy rose to a sitting position and moved to look outside from his small refuge while wiping the crawlers away from him. It took a brief moment for him to see his chasers and he couldn’t believe what he saw. They were already heading back to the meeting place, after only a few minutes of searching. Petrie frowned slightly as he thought about what that’d mean. However, if that was the case, there was little reason for him to stay here. With careful flapping of his wings, the young flyer headed towards the skies, still making sure to avoid any sudden ambushes that could still be in store but slowly, his mind turned back to more personal matters.
Had uncle Pterano returned from his duty and if he had, how would he react to his absence? After all he had gone through, the boy wanted nothing less than to start arguing with his uncle at this point. Petrie’s eyes scoured the white ground beneath him to search for the spot he and Pterano had landed when they first had landed in this land. The dozens of wounded or mourning flyers below him made Petrie increasingly sick as every hill and gorge was filled with dinosaurs who were fighting for their lives or had lost a loved one. Yet, that was part of his life now and unlike after seeing the old flyer killed in cold blood, there was no longer pure disgust nor disbelief for what he was seeing. This was something he had never wanted to happen but… it felt like part of his life at this point. And for Petrie, that thought didn’t seem to bother him as much as he would have hoped. Slowly but surely, a certain clearing surrounded by dead bushes came to his view. At first, it was but a bleak image like in a memory but as it slowly became clearer, Petrie’s heart fell completely.
So uncle Pterano be here after all. Now me in big trouble… but… who is that?
Slowly, another form appeared from the black haze and at first, Petrie didn’t have the slightest of ideas who that could be. At first, Petrie hesitated about moving closer to that sight but he realized Pterano was completely drawn into the discussion and he started his landing near the two, willing to hear what they were up to. And after a short while, his eyes slowly caught the sight of the one his uncle was talking to. It was Lenel’s mate whom he had just seen in the meeting? But what was the female doing here? Except for… demanding Pterano to punish him for his spying.
Petrie’s heart seemed to freeze momentarily but then happened something which surprised the boy without an end. The two quickly nodded to each other and just like that, they took the air and left the scene. Petrie looked after them in utter confusion as he tried to come up with some explanation. Both of them were even more worried than he had expected but it seemed like something worse than punishing one wayward child. Petrie was left sitting between the ground sparkles, deeply conflicted about how to proceed. He was an adventurous spirit but even then, he had already messed badly enough and uncle Pterano was more than capable of handling another meeting with Lenel and his mate. Petrie slowly walked into his nest for today, waiting for news from his only benefactor in this cold land.
“What is this all about, Lenel? Why did Sireia get me at this hour?” The light-brown flyer asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at his superior. Sireia had told him very little during their journey and he was more than nervous about what he’d hear here. He knew the meeting had been a total failure but other than that, he knew very little about what was going on. Taria was already here so whatever Lenel was planning to tell had to be of absolute importance as the pale flyer seldom called his deputies together in times like these. The other male crossed his arms and answered to his deputy almost immediately.
“Taria and Pterano, I called both of you here to announce something that neither of you would have wanted to hear. Even I and my mate struggled to accept the reality but the truth is, Nira and Peak have betrayed us. As you may have heard, they’re planning to break up our herd and according to Peak’s words, we have to expect today’s attack was at least partly his doing.” The two flyers twitched noticeably as they were told these news, not willing believe their own ears. Both of them had learned to accept both of the two as competent allies and trustworthy leaders. And now Lenel was claiming they had killed Nimble on purpose? It didn’t take long until Pterano asked with an unbelieving voice.
“What? But… that’s impossible! There’s no reason why they’d ever do such a thing!” He asked, Taria nodding to his words slightly. Lenel and Sireia both frowned to the deputy’s words but it didn’t take long until Lenel answered again. His voice was heavy and clear regret could be seen within his eyes.
“Peak always seemed to have secrets we never knew about and in addition, none of his contributions to our meeting seemed to even suggest he ever trusted us. As for Nimble… maybe Peak only felt that getting rid of her would make Nira join her and perhaps even form a new alliance with her soon enough. No matter what, their plot is a disgusting twist to the fate of the herd I know both of you dreamt we were creating.” He said, regretting the fact that he had to lie to his trusted deputies like this. It was already bad enough that he had to do this in the first place but he had to make sure neither of the two would decline participating in tonight’s task. The two wouldn’t likely see the herd’s breakup as the same inescapable pit he and Sireia did so the tale had to be made even more dramatic for the duo. He had never lied to his deputies before and if the Bright Circle smiled upon him, they would understand his motives soon enough. He looked at Sireia briefly as she underlined her mate’s point.
“What matters is that they have thrown away everything away we worked for together for selfish or wrong reasons. We’re not sure what they’re up to in the coming weeks but their actions will bring ruin to all of us. I… I wish there was another way but we have to take control of our herd, no matter what.” The female announced, finally revealing her plans to the two. She wasn’t sure how they’d react but she trusted them enough to ask them to help in this fateful fight. Pterano felt like a stone had fell on his head as he started to contemplate those words. Lenel was planning to get rid of his competitors and to take command of the entire herd?
At first, that thought didn’t worry him that much as he thought about all his times serving the light-colored male and during all those seasons, Lenel had never let him or his herd down. He had always kept his word to his deputies and never had his followers went through unnecessary hardships under his leadership. Even then… there was no telling what would happen in the weeks to come. A sting of guilt formed within chest as he thought about the ways he had attempted to become a revered leader in the past. Lenel was not him but… after those days, he had never again believed that a single dinosaur should be responsible for the lives of dozens of others. If he had had someone to stand up to him during his own journey into the Great Valley, the most painful day in his life would never have happened. He started to speak silently, hoping he wouldn’t upset Lenel and Sireia too badly with his words.
“With all due respect, I doubt that’s the best…”
“I’ll do it gladly. Peak and Nira never seemed to be fit to lead even their own herds so I’ll help getting rid of them for the good of us all.” Pterano was immediately interrupted by
Taria whose voice left no guessing for her loyalties. There was not the slightest hint of hesitation or doubt in her voice which didn’t really surprise the light brown flyer any. Taria had always been a loyal deputy and she clearly trusted Lenel and Sireia in all their efforts. The latter wasted no time voicing her relief about Taria’s ready acceptance.
“Thank you, Taria. We need as many of our herd to help and it wouldn’t be possible without your help. We are honored to have you beside us.” She said while smiling at the other female widely. She had learned to respect the shorter flyer greatly and this only reinforced that impression. Lenel doubled down on her mate’s words before turning his gaze at Pterano.
“So am I, Taria. We won’t forget this. But how about you, Pterano? Are you willing to stand with us this night?” He asked, looking at Pterano in a way which nearly took the brown male off guard. His expression was far more decisive than it had been in a long time and after a moment, Sireia and Taria also turned to wait for his answer. The pressure only complicated his thoughts and all he managed to let out were a few forced stutters.
“Lenel, I…” He started before he finally regained control of his own thoughts. He wasn’t a flyer who was easily intimidated but this moment was enough to catch him off guard. He still didn’t believe Lenel’s plan was the best one to move forward. He wasn’t willing to kill his old companions in cold blood, damn it! He had been a part of too many tragedies before and what would Petrie say if he came back telling of his bloody deeds?
However, it was the memory of his nephew that changed his line of thinking completely. What would happen if he declined Lenel’s offer? He didn’t know whether the pale flyer would really hold it against him but at least his position as a deputy would be history in the best case. in the worst case, he and Petrie could be exiled from the herd if Lenel was successful and if he wasn’t… well, the sight of a bloody fight within the previously friendly herds didn’t sound like a good option either. In any case, return to the Valley wasn’t yet an option and life in a small, hated herd wasn’t something Petrie deserved after all he had gone through.
In the end, there were no real options. Failure to join Lenel would lead to worse tragedies for his nephew and to himself in the long run. He had stood by the other male’s side for many Cold Times so he might as well walk this path until the end. He could hate himself later for once again failing to live in peace and without taking part in disgusting and deadly endeavors but he knew how explosive the situation was. If he did his part well enough tonight, his position in the herd would become a far more important, a thought which even now excited the flyer’s mind. After a moment, he finally bowed slightly to Lenel and gave his answer.
“I am, Lenel. I’ll do whatever is necessary to restore peace to our herd. You have my word of it.” He said, finally releasing the clear tension within the small hill overlooking Lenel’s herd. It had grown increasingly tense as the others had waited for Pterano’s answer. Immediately, the pale flyer crossed his arms and an approving smile rose to his face. His voice was highly revering but still extremely grave as he spoke.
“Time and time again, you two prove I chose my deputies wisely. Both of you will continue to stand by my side in the seasons to come and know that I’ll forget none of the great deeds we’ll do together. I thank both of you from the bottom of my heart.” Lenel said as he slowly walked near to the cliff to face the flyers who would soon be up for a surprise.
Yes, this would be the night when the time for waiting and empty promises was over. If taking out his rivals was what it took to restore his family’s old fame, then so be it. He then slowly turned out and spoke to Taria and Pterano who were looking at him expectantly. He was just about to speak to them when a shadow suddenly appeared over the small group. The pale flyer was clearly startled as he didn’t want any of the other flyers witness this meeting. He was even further startled as his eyes finally saw who the newcomer was. He immediately waved his deputies to his side in case their new guest tried anything suspicious.
“What are you doing here, Haste? Shouldn’t you be helping your sister explain her madness to all her followers?” He said as Nira’s sister turned to look at him. He had seen her very rarely and even rarer still were the duo had talked with each other. He held absolutely no trust to the greenish flyer and he would have wanted nothing less than for her to disappear. However, as she spoke, Lenel’s eyes widened quickly.
“Helping my sister? Nira would have needed help far before she would have agreed to join Peak’s folly! In fact, I am here to apologize for Nira’s mistakes on my entire family’s behalf.” She said while bowing to Lenel slightly. The male felt extremely awkward by this sudden appearance but even then, Haste did very little to help anyone’s cause here. In an almost angered voice, he answered to the newcomer in a way which made her twitch slightly.
“I appreciate your gesture, Haste, but it has very little meaning as long as Nira’s in charge of your herd! So, if you’ll excuse me, we, too, have our own preparations to make if we’re going to survive after you and Nira are gone!” Lenel spoke, hoping Haste to take the hint and simply leave at this minute. However, the female’s mouth turned into a slight smile as she answered. Pterano felt shivers creep up his spine as the female spoke, completely stunned by what he was hearing.
“Without a doubt you do, Lenel. However, there is a chance that you don’t have to prepare for that possibility. Because I’m more than willing to end Nira’s endless row of terrible mistakes. If we allow her to have her way, our whole family will follow Nimble’s lead!” She exclaimed, for the first time receiving Lenel’s full attention. The pale flyer was increasingly haunted of learning about all the hatred and distrust within the herd but with any luck, his could work in his favor. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Sireia who suddenly walked towards the other female.
“And why would you even consider such a thing? If you are willing to betray your own flesh and blood, why do we have any reason to trust you, Haste? There is no bond that is more important than family and you know it!” She said, upset by the greenish dinosaur’s antics as she knew how much blood ties meant for the great families. Even she, who had been born as part of a group of ordinary hatchlings, had always respected her siblings without an end and to see Haste practically offering to betray Nira didn’t sit well with her. She knew it could benefit her and her mate’s cause but if Haste held this little respect to others, she was far from a trustworthy ally. However, she was quickly answered by Haste who crossed her arms, her long crest casting its shadow across the small glade.
“Yet, our families are one thing we cannot choose but, thank the Bright Circle, we can choose our friends. For as long as I can remember, Nira has always done the thing that hurts us the most. Before we joined with you, she always conceded our territories instead of ever taking a stand! In the last Cold Times, she has all too often sided with the fool Peak instead of attempting to do something worthwhile! Today was simply the latest continuation to her madness and I’m willing to salvage what I can of our family’s legacy! To do that, I’m willing to betray Nira, Sireia. I’ll do it gladly.” She said as she glanced at the tan-colored female who was slowly starting to back down from her earlier position. Lenel looked at her, his mind dwelling in many different issues at the same time. Haste’s appearance was a highly suspicious one but he couldn’t question the benefits of her help. Her cooperation would have to be ensured but there was little reason now to turn her away. He moved closer to the female and looked as a flash of light from the Night Circle ran across her face.
“In case I decided to accept your help, Haste, what do you offer me in return? And what do you hope to achieve with your betrayal? To take your sister’s place and then tell me you’re going to leave the same way she did?” Lenel narrowed his eyes as he spoke, willing to hear about his potential ally’s plans. Haste quickly took a look at Sireia and the two deputies to see whether they were planning anything for her but soon turned back to Lenel.
“I know everything about my sister’s precautions and I know the best way to attack her. And most of all, once I take her place, there will be no one in all our herds who could question our motives. I already hold the loyalties of many and Nira’s star is already falling. In return, I’m ready to pledge myself to your service as a gesture of apology for all the mistakes my sister has done. Our family owes you that much, Lenel.” Haste said respectfully, her eyes communicating nothing less than complete reverence and trust. Her words made Pterano and Taria gasp as they both knew few of the great families ever recognized other one’s superiority. The female quickly walked to her mate’s side and whispered to him silently.
“Send her away, now. She is completely insane and trusting her will be a grave mistake. Trust me in this, Lenel!” Sireia said in deep frown, finally getting enough of the newcomer. She had never trusted Haste but this meeting was even more suspicious than she had feared. This realization was not lost to Lenel, of course. Either Haste was absolutely desperate or she had some other, hidden motives but the latter part of her offer was something which appealed to the male in more ways than one. He bowed towards his mate as he answered, speaking in a soft and persuasive voice.
“Only a fool would trust someone who promises things like that, dear. But luckily we can get what she’s offering without ever leaving things up for a chance. We need an ally, Sireia, and if she’ll try anything suspicious, we’ll act faster than she will! I don’t like this any more than you do but this is a chance we’ll have to take!” The pale flyer said before again turning to face Haste. Sireia looked at him in clear disapproval but she could see her mate had already made his choice. Lenel hated the idea of ignoring the female’s concerns but there truly were no better options: after a successful attack, the last thing he wanted was to be overthrown because of his lack of powerful allies. His face returned to its former, inspiring expression as he gave his answer.
“I accept your proposition with one condition, Haste. We plan to keep our herd united and for that end, we need your help to deal with Peak, too. None of us will rest until our unity has been confirmed.” Lenel said, dreading about how many things could go wrong with the orange flyer. Attacking him would be highly risky but he was a far more serious threat than Nira would ever be. Haste’s eyes widened as he realized the full implications of Lenel’s words but even then, not one gesture implied her to be disturbed by them. Instead, she answered calmly to Lenel’s final terms.
“I agree. I didn’t expect for this proposition, Lenel, but Peak is another flyer who ever should have lead even the tiniest of herds. You have my help.” She said, making Sireia shake her head slightly. Lenel, however, nodded to her briefly before finally addressing his deputies again. Haste took a slight smile as she looked at Lenel, more than happy by her success.
“Pterano, Taria, start to gather small groups you know you can trust for today’s mission. We will gather here again when the Night Circle casts its glow against those mountains in the north. Time is off the essence and use the time you are given wisely. I trust both of you know what to do.” Lenel said, looking approvingly at the two flyers. Taria’s face carried a clear look of expectation whereas Pterano opted for a more balanced and serious expression. He was the first one to answer.
“It shall be done, Lenel. We’ll be ready when the time comes.” He said simply to which Taria continued in a low voice.
“We’ll stand with you until the end. Those fools won’t have a chance.” She said, following Pterano towards the darkened skies. The light-brown flyer knew his duties but he knew today’s mission also brought a clear threat with it. And he would never forgive himself if Petrie wouldn’t learn of his whereabouts on this tragic night.
The minutes passed on slowly as Petrie waited for his uncle’s return. He knew Sireia wouldn’t most likely call him for nothing but he had hoped to finally get a short chance to get a good night’s sleep after today’s horrible ordeals. He would have wanted to simply drift into the world of sleep stories and forget everything for a few hours but even then, he knew something important was happening. The way the meeting had gone and the fact that Lenel’s mate had been here to call him at this hour told the young flyer that things were far from he hoped. He continued to look at the clear, cold skies even if the frigid gusts made him shiver from time to time. He could only hope that this nightmarish episode in his life would soon enough come to an end. Even in this situation, the sleep was slowly taking a hold in his mind when a familiar form finally appeared in the distant sky. Immediately, the boy’s eyes were thrown open and he rose to a sitting position to wait for his uncle’s return. He looked expectantly and immediately addressed him happily.
“Finally you return, uncle Pterano! Where were you all this time?” He asked, deciding against revealing all he knew just yet. He looked as the older flyer slowly caught his breath and then answered to his nephew. The lighter-colored dinosaur took a sterner look as he gave his answer.
“I could ask the same of you, Petrie. Didn’t I tell you to stay here while I was helping the others with safeguarding the peace? Didn’t I, nephew?” He said, still disappointed by Petrie’s earlier failure to listen to him. The herd was far from safe right now and tonight, if ever, he hoped Petrie to simply take the hint and do as he was told. The younger flyer’s face fell as he thought about his chase from the guards of the meeting. No, that wasn’t something Pterano had to know about. Instead, he sighed and answered in genuine regret.
“You did, uncle. Petrie just wanted… something else to think back then. Me hate to stay here doing nothing when anything, especially bad things, can happen! Petrie sorry about that.” He said while crossing his arms. He hated to upset his uncle but he also hated the thought of simply being a burden for everyone around him. The older flyer’s face eased clearly and he sighed deeply and raised an arm to his forehead as he answered.
“I know you prefer action to merely waiting and seeing what’ll happen but listen to me, Petrie: this is far unlike anything you’ve seen before in your life. For these few days, everything can change around us and everyone around us can turn out be our enemy. I trust you completely, Petrie, but this isn’t something you’re prepared for.” He said, trying to put the most genuine and caring face he could. Petrie looked at the older male’s display with clear worry but something in Pterano’s antics told him that this time, the warning was something he simply shouldn’t overlook. He gulped and with an equally honest look, answered to the older flyer.
“Petrie… Petrie understand, uncle. Me know nothing about what me should think right now. Ever… everything is just a complete mess.” He said while letting his head drop slightly. Pterano looked at him in sympathy, cursing the day he had asked his nephew to join him in this collapsing herd. After that day, everything had gone astray and as in all those earlier times, others were one again paying the price of his mistakes. He knew he didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for today’s coup but he wanted to reassure his nephew in this crucial evening. He sighed as he looked towards the main group of the flyers.
“I know, nephew. I know. I had hoped that you wouldn’t have to see things like this but… let me try to find a way out from this terrible situation. I promise it’ll already be better when the Bright Circle rises to the sky again.” He said, hoping beyond hope he wasn’t lying. Even now, he hoped Lenel wasn’t doing a horrible mistake but whatever happened, the die had been cast and there was no going back. Petrie raised his head to look at his uncle and asked carefully.
“How… how can you promise it, uncle Pterano? Nimble and the others will not come back, no matter what we do.” He said, naively only thinking of the damage that had already been done, still oblivious to the true threat that hung over the flyers like the darkest of sky puffies. Nira and Peak had likely informed their herds of their decisions but Petrie had been nowhere near them so he still hadn’t heard of the sickening truth. Pterano cringed at those words but he suddenly noticed the Night Circle’s glow creeping towards the northern mountains and even if he hated that knowledge, he knew his time would soon be up. He suddenly laid his hands on Petrie’s shoulders and spoke to him silently, as if almost in a whisper.
“They are not, Petrie, but it could be far worse than that. I’ll try to do what I can do to prevent further bloodshed. Promise me you’ll stay here, my nephew. This time I mean it, for your own sake. Whatever happens in the coming hours, stay here and wait for the night to pass. Please, Petrie, promise me that.” He said pleadingly, meaning those words like never before. In this moment, all dreams of personal glory were completely gone and only his nephew’s safety was in the lighter colored flyer’s mind. His expression disturbed the younger male greatly as he had never seen Pterano like this. The change from the self-confident and fearless flyer he had first learned to know couldn’t have been starker and despite breaking many of his earlier promises. Petrie realized that this time his uncle’s request surely came from his heart. He would have wanted nothing more than to be able to help his benefactor but this was a moment he simply couldn’t lie to the dinosaur who had done so much to save him from the deepest sorrow of his life. He waited for a moment before answering in an equally silent and heartfelt voice.
“Petrie promise that, uncle. Just promise Petrie you’ll be safe yourself.” He said, immediately hitting back at Pterano with another wave of emotion. He took a brief smile before speaking, highly moved by his nephew’s display of concern.
“I guarantee that to you, Petrie. But before I go, I’m very proud of the way you have changed ever since I found you at the river. I’m happy we met again even if it should have been in better circumstances. We’ll meet again in the morning, my dear nephew.” And before the boy received even the briefest of chances to answer, the older flyer took off and left the darker-colored dinosaur alone in the endless darkness. Petrie’s expression turned into one of utmost concern and fear, the winds of the Cold Time’s night suddenly feeling much more freezing than ever before.
“Are these all that you managed to gather, Taria?” Lenel asked as he checked at his deputy’s four companions who looked at him respectfully, all of them ready to follow him and the female through whatever was requested of them. Taria frowned slightly but decided against taking her leader’s words too literally yet. She had done what had been asked of her to the best of her ability.
“They are, Lenel. They aren’t many but you know all of them yourself and we both know they’re more than capable of handling dozen of enemies.” She said, prompting Lenel to cross his arms as he contemplated his deputy’s words. He had hoped for more but it was true that each of their companions had to be completely trustworthy and it was true, this was a group he’d lay down his life in any moment. If need be, he would call the rest of his herd but for now, he hoped these carefully-chosen flyers would be enough to see today’s plan through. He was just about to answer when another approaching flyer caught his attention. He frowned deeply as he saw Pterano approaching with only two companions, knowing that there would have been many more capable flyers within his herd but apparently his deputies didn’t have enough time as despite everything, he still trusted their judgement as if they were his own.
“Well met, Pterano. I had hoped more from you but I guess this is what we’ll have to go on with. We have no time to waste anymore. Those cursed fools are going down!” Lenel said, more than enraged by his former allies’ actions. The gathered flyers nodded approvingly while Haste soon walked towards the deputies with an expectant look on her face. She started to speak as soon as Lenel had finished.
“Indeed they are but we can’t afford to make any mistakes. I will advise you on how to move forward but the honored Lenel will still lead this effort. We have spoken a lot about this and we have decided that spreading our forces is the best way to move forward…”
“Do you think the others will approve of this? You are not their real leader and frankly, they have very little reason to follow any of your orders or decisions.” Nira asked silently, more than exhausted by today’s events. Her announcement to her followers had been far from well-received but no one had given her a direct challenge over her decision to once again take her own herd’s matters to their own hands which had brought her slight relief. But it had also brought her an unexpected guest who offered another interesting chapter in this seemingly never-ending saga of alliances and twists.
“Some of them most likely will, Nira. It is true that I’m not related to Nimble in any way but many saw the way I acted as her deputy and I hold the respect of many flyers in our herd. Half will probably break away from us but that’s a possibility I’m willing to take.” Kero said, his voice still wavering with sorrow. All his life he had done his best to earn his place in the herd and the honor of doing his all to help his family live in peace. Nimble had been a dear friend to him and even in this situation, the male knew there was nothing else he could do to salvage even the remnants of the authority that had died with Nimble. And he knew that the best anyone could do in this situation was to try to join Nira’s herd for protection. Nira nodded understandingly, knowing that Kero’s words made perfect sense.
“I see. It’s a real shame to see your leader’s legacy crumble like this but we never know where our end will finally wait for us. Nimble will certainly be missed.” Nira said genuinely as there had been times when she had truly seen the fallen flyer more as a friend than as a fellow leader. She had been one dinosaur with whom she had understood completely and next to her own family, Nimble had been the one whose company Nira had enjoyed the most. Kero raised his gaze into the skies while crossing his arms briefly. Up there, his dear friend was watching over him and he could only hope he wouldn’t her and their herd down completely.
“I hope her final flight was a calm and happy one. We will remember her memory for as long as at least one of us are still in this world. May the beloved ancestors cast their curse upon that damned Deron.” Kero said while the sight of Nimble getting ambushed in the middle of the raging storm with him unable to do anything to help her. Nira took a sad smile as she answered.
“It will, eventually. No one will be able to escape their fates forever. However, Kero, I have to ask, are you willing to give up any hopes you might have of ever reclaiming Nimble’s position as my equal? You aren’t a member of the great families so even your claim to watch over your own herd is a frail one.” She said while raising her beak upwards, knowing she had the right to demand this much from the male. Kero returned the melancholic smile as he answered.
“Of course I know it, Nira. I would never have come here if…” Suddenly, a silent crack could be herd from nearby, immediately alerting the female as well as the four guards who were ensuring their leader’s safety. Nira immediately moved closer to the spot where the voice had come from, knowing that she couldn’t be too careful tonight. She hoped that this relative calm would remain as she still trusted Lenel and peak enough to avoid counting them as potential threats. She still regretted that she had had to follow Peak in his decision but she simply couldn’t continue dwelling in this group of endless lies and mistrust. The guards, too, started searching for any signs of intruders but there seemed to be no movement in the small pit-resembling depression in the ground which was surrounded by Nira’s herd members.
The female frowned as her eyes searched the darkness around her, knowing better than to let anything up for a chance this night. Kero looked around himself in worry, equally conflicted about the whole day’s aftermath.
“You’ll stay here, Haste. I don’t want any kinds of surprises from you now.” Sireia said flatly, immediately declining the other female’s plead to speak to Nira in an effort to catch her attention. She didn’t know whether Haste was serious or only trying to test her but his answer was a clear one. She knew that any kinds of mistakes at this point could cost her and her mate their lives. Lenel was leading his group towards Peak as it was safest for the two rival leaders to die simultaneously. The female still cringed at that thought but the thought of killing her former allies, her former friends wasn’t completely out of the question after all these seasons of conflict and fighting. Each herd by extension, every flyer was in charge of themselves and she was only doing what was the most sensible one for her. Haste glanced at her and hissed angrily.
“Do you want to do this or not, Sireia? How can I pave the way for you others if I won’t be able to get their attention away from your attack?” She said angrily, doing her best to change Sireia’s mind. The tan-colored flyer, however, wouldn’t hear any of it. She had a plan and she would stick with it, no matter what.
“You know what we have to do! Taria, taker two of your companions and do what you must!” Sireia spoke silently as she watched at Nira’s dark form in the distance. Taria nodded and soon enough, she and the two other flyers moved to drop a massive boulder down a nearby hill towards the hole Nira had chosen as her sleeping spot for this night. The sound of falling ground, which was somewhat dampened by the hardening earth, would be enough to draw at least some of the guards away and open a chance for the two and two others of their followers to move on Nira. Sireia smiled slightly as the massive boulder rolled down the hill, just silent enough to avoid catching too much attention from the other flyers. It was mere moments before the guards responded to the voice and Sireia knew her time was at hand.
“Let’s go, now! We don’t have much time!” And so the two females rose again to the sky, knowing that the minutes would decide whether their plan would succeed or whether their very lives would end in this nameless wasteland.
Lenel’s eyes scoured the ground as he and Pterano started to land near Peak’s resting place. The pale flyer cursed internally as he looked at the scene, his adversary having just as many dinosaurs as he had expected. This would be far from easy, especially as he had little knowledge about whether Peak was expecting something to happen. Even worse, this attack would have to be shown as a defense as without any of Peak’s close relatives, it would be a struggle for him and Haste to prove that Peak had been but a traitor from the beginning. Well, that issue would have to wait until the herd was his to command. He whispered silently to his companions, willing to make sure that he would execute this plan flawlessly.
“Peak has to be somewhere out there as I know him and he would never leave his family unattended. We have to create an opening as quickly as possible.” The light-colored flyer said as he examined the flyers circling their leader. Pterano frowned slightly, knowing there was little time to waste. If Sireia, Haste and the others were unsuccessful in their attempt and the word would spread of their endeavor, all would be lost. He looked at the scene for a while and then noticed something which caught his eye.
“The area to their left seems to be more lightly guarded which could be the way we should use. It seems like our best chance, Lenel.” He said, noticing there were only four flyers circling Peak’s left side. Lenel narrowed his eyes to see better in the dark and after a moment, he nodded to his deputy with some approval.
“You’re right, Pterano. Follow me, everyone! From now on, whatever happens, don’t forget our mission. If all else fails, I’ll call for reinforcements but hopefully that simply won’t come to pass. Come on, there is no time to waste! It is time to ensure that all your children will be able to sleep in peace even in the future!” He said as he slowly started to move forward, taking great care in ensuring that he wouldn’t be spotted prematurely. Pterano followed him closely and in the dark night, even the guards couldn’t spot them just yet. Lenel cringed as the ground sparkles creaked below him but that sound could be minimized with slow and careful steps. However, that didn’t last long as suddenly, Pterano’s leg sank deeper into the white cover of the earth, the following sound being more than enough to raise unwanted attention. The light brown flyer cast an apologizing look at his leader but almost immediately, two flyers headed their way, alerted by the sudden sound.
For the briefest of moments, Lenel already feared that all was lost. Even in the darkness, he and his followers would be easily seen in the middle of the sparkling white ground and he immediately gave an order to his companions.
“Rise to the air, quickly! We have to take them out before they can give the alarm!” He said, knowing his order could be a long shot but he was willing to take any chance offered to him in this moment of danger. The flyers immediately spread their wings, obeying the order of their leader. The small group spread quickly away from the spot where the voice had emanated from. The duo had failed to notice the other flyer’s disappearance and that was the last mistake they ever made. As they circled over the bald plain, Lenel quickly waved his wing and just after the two guards had left back towards Peak and his family’s resting place, three flyers moved at them with their full speed, immediately slicing their throats wide open. The whole display was too quick for either of them to even begin a call to the others but on the other hand, they didn’t have to.
In the middle of this unsavory attack, Lenel hadn’t seen one flyer sleeping much closer to the spot of this bloody display. A young, slightly bluish boy was woken up by the thud of the flyers hitting the ground and the first thing his eyes caught was the blood of the guards raining to the ground along with the poor guards. There was only one realistic thing for poor Ortin to do and that was to scream with all his might.
The entire atmosphere of the night had turned eerie for Nira very quickly. She was a seasoned fighter and a long-time leader of her herd and she had been forced to learn to recognize danger when she was facing it. And she also knew that any potential enemy would want to face her alone and defenseless, as any attacker should, but luckily to the, she wouldn’t give them that chance. She looked at her guards disappear into the darkness and in a further show of apparent ignorance about what was most likely going on, she turned again to look at Kero but before she could speak, she heard what she had already expected and immediately, gave a silent call that could only be heard in the areas nearby to the pit she had chosen as her resting place. At the same time, she turned around and just as the attacker was about to hit her, she quickly caught her leg and threw her to the ground, just in time to repel the first attack towards her. She looked self-confidently as ten more of her followers flew towards him, each of them willing to give their lives for their leader. Nira herself was, however, completely stunned as she recognized the attacker.
“Haste? What in the name of…?” She started as another flyer quickly flew towards her and it was only a matter of few fleeting moments that she managed to dodge the attacker’s charge. Even then, one of them managed to sink their claws at her right side, making her cringe in pain. Even then, she gathered herself as her guards slowly gathered around the attackers, clearly intent on ending this brash attack. Nira looked in utter astonishment at his sister and stuttered to her in disbelief. She had more often than not disapproved of Haste’s propositions and the two sisters had never enjoyed too warm relations. But to see her trying to attack her… Nira’s eyes also wandered at Sireia, her presence confirming her worst fears. She was only disappointed that Haste was with her.
“I never thought you’d go to this, Haste! I know you’ve disapproved of my decisions in the past but for the sake of all that is good in this world, why did you join those who only wish to manipulate and rule us? Is this the way you are trying to prove that you should have been at my place from the beginning?” She asked, anger slowly overtaking her initial shock.
Sireia, on the other hand, was glad that the other female was taking her time to question Haste. She had been better prepared than she had expected but even now, all was not lost. She could see growing determination in Haste’s eyes and she knew that she wasn’t about to give up her claim like this. Especially since she had another advantage Nira didn’t have a clue about. Additionally, Kero’s presence opened another possibility of trying to ally with Nimble’s former followers but before that, they’d have to emerge from this struggle. The slightly shorter flyer tried to take a few steps closer to her sister but she was immediately blocked by the newcomers. Her voice dipped with bitterness as she spoke to her
sister.
“Even that is a better option than heading for a certain decline and doom, yes! We were a proud herd once but you gave up out territory, our honor to join with Lenel, only to cast that alliance away because that foolish Peak claimed senseless things! My sister, I have tried to help you rule our herd with wisdom but you never once thought you might be mistaken yourself! Even then, we’ve been through too many good times for me to want to fight you. Step down now, Nira, and I will spare your life and even keep you as my deputy.” Sireia’s head immediately turned at Haste as she had never spoken of these kinds of offers. She had agreed to kill Nira and this remark hardly raised her trust in the other female’s motives. Nira’s beak turned into a pitying smile as she answered to her wayward sister’s words.
“You don’t have any of the qualities needed to take my place, Haste. I’d like to teach you that much as I’d like nothing more than to simply forget this meeting. Even then, our family and herd have always been my charge and you know as well as I that the mantle of a leader simply isn’t simply passed on to others. And even if I could, I’ve cared for our herd members for more Cold Times than I can remember and I would never pass my position to someone who is ready to kill her own her sister! You may reveal your deal with Lenel right away, you cursed traitor!” Nira cried as she moved closer to her sister whose expression, to Nira’s growing outrage, was completely unmoved by her words. Instead, Haste simply turned to look at the flyers around her as she spoke to Nira in a low voice.
“I’m so sorry you couldn’t see things my way, Nira. I truly am. Now, do it my friends!” The female cried as Nira frowned deeply. What did she mean? She wouldn’t possibly…
Nira’s thoughts were completely halted as she suddenly saw something she had never thought possible even in her worst dreams. Nearly half of her own guards suddenly sank their claws into their own comrades, immediately throwing them all, including Kero, into complete disarray. Nobody knew what was happening as flyer fought against flyer and friend against friend. Haste smiled as she realized her own allies had kept their oath to her despite the highly volatile nature of her plan. Haste and Sireia quickly started to fly towards the other leader, knowing now was their time to act. Nira started to back away but soon enough, she realized there was no escaping from this challenge. She quickly took off to prepare for the upcoming fight, hoping there would be a satisfying end to this night of sorrow and betrayal.
The young flyer gasped loudly, his eyes turning into round spheres of utter despair and disbelief as he looked all hell break loose around him. The sight of the guard being crushed to the ground would be one he’d never forget in his life but what followed it was even worse. Immediately Lenel, who the poor boy had regarded as a trustworthy flyer, and his companions flew towards him but just as the blue-colored flyer thought he was done for, they moved past him with full speed, heading straight for the rest of his family! After his first shock drew off, Ortin headed to make sure that he wouldn’t have to lose a loved one, even a more distant one, ever again. His grandmother was the only real family he had left but Peak and the others had still helped him get over the loss of his dad.
A cold fear grabbed Ortin’s heart as he rose to his wings, dreading what he’d see as he headed after the small group who had betrayed his family like this. As he rose to the dark, frigid sky, his eyes caught a scene even more monstrous than what he had expected. The whole plain before him was completely covered with fighting flyers as a quickly growing group of flyers attempted to block the attackers’ advance. Ortin wasted no time heading for heading to find at least someone who could stop this display of pure madness. He looked around himself as if in frenzy, his mind unable to process what was happening before his eyes. The boy’s small size enabled him to bypass the fighters highly undetected and after a moment, he spotted the flyer he had hoped to see the most.
“Grandma! What is going on? One moment, I am…” He started but immediately as he landed, his grandmother put her hand around his beak and spoke to him as smoothly as she could from her own shock.
“It’ll be alright, Ortin. I promise you. No group of thieves or traitors will be able to get through our herd. You know that.” She said, looking in worry as more and more of the guards headed to stop the attacking group. Ortin, however, didn’t calm down any as he quickly pulled his grandmother’s hand away from holding his beak and cried to her in near panic.
“But it is Lenel leading them and Petrie’s uncle is there, too! If they have more flyers to help them, then… then…” Ortin said until he quickly felt the words getting stuck in his throat. Those news caused the older flyer to again raise her gaze at the flyers, her own eyes widening greatly. She would have wanted to help her grandson but only a shocked
remark left her beak after those news.
“May Warekli, our most beloved ancestor, watch over us.”
Pterano gritted his teeth as he landed another blow against another flyer who was doing all in his might to hold him and his companions back. Thus far the attackers’ advance hadn’t halted completely but the whole mission had turned into a desperate struggle the moment Ortin had revealed his and companions’ presence to everyone within shouting distance. The light brown flyer was beyond sickened as he saw the young boy flee in utter fear, completely shocked to see him, of all flyers, threatening him and his family like this.
After all, he had been one of the flyers who had first shown at least some friendliness towards his nephew on his hour of need.
But as always, times of crisis always had innocent victims no one had wanted to cause. Even if Ortin would be forced to suffer from this attack, he was still acting for the good of all the dinosaurs in these four herds. That thought wasn’t much for the older flyer but it was all he had to keep himself calm on this most fateful of nights. A slight look of relief rose to his face when he finally got the upper hand against his opponent by forcing him against a pile of rocks and then outpowering him into a bad position. It wasn’t long until he was victorious in his own fight but it was but a little episode in the midst of the wider fight.
Lenel cursed as he thought about whether to call the rest of his followers to back him up in this sickening battle. It would offer him an advantage momentarily but the risk was that if the words of this spread across the rest of the flyers, this fight itself could tear the herd into pieces, this time literally. He would have hoped to do this silently but in the end, it would have been little more than futile wishful thinking. If he ever wanted to be capable of leading the flyers after today, he would have to prove his capabilities here. He quickly took down another of his adversaries nearby and then gave a quick command to his companions.
“Break their line in the middle and finish this, quickly! We cannot let this carnage linger any longer!” Lenel knew that Peak’s downfall would hardly calm the situation down immediately but it would offer him an opportunity to hold his line and with any luck, prove to them that he had only done what he had to. He had a lot of respect among Peak’s followers as well and if he put a good enough impression following his victory, he might just pull this mission off before his losses would become too high. However, his command was almost immediately followed by a voice that Lenel had waited to hear ever since he first had begun this attack.
“I always knew this was what you were really planning, Lenel! I knew it was you who was to blame from all our troubles from the very beginning! I should have done what I did long ago to reveal you as the traitor and murderer you truly are!” The rather high but steady voice of Peak called as the orange colored flyer landed between his guards, knowing that impressions and acts of bravery were far more important in these kinds of situations than anything he could say. The fighting didn’t stop, however, and Lenel knew he had to avoid seeming to escape from the battle to argue with Peak. He fought himself free from any adversaries before he found a time to give his answer to Peak, full well knowing that he couldn’t allow Peak to claim the initiative in the battle for the hearts of minds of the fighting flyers.
“You certainly have a lot of experience of treachery, Peak! Or have you already forgotten why we’re here in the first place? Or all the tales of you winning your old battles with pure plotting and backstabbing? Lenel shouted as he quickly parried the attack of another of his opponents, more than relieved by the courage his followers were showing in the face of the enemy’s superior numbers. Peak shorted slightly as he walked closer to the fighting dinosaurs, simultaneously raising his hand to order more of his subordinates to join the fighting.
“That’s what all flyers who want to live old should do. I, however, would never have tried to snuff the life out of my rivals in their sleep! You are a complete disgrace to Olres and all those who have ever followed you and believe me, Lenel, I’ll make sure you will never again spread your lies again.” The other leader said as he spoke to his long-time rival and his newest enemy. However, his words reached only few flyers as most of them wanted to only ensure that their side would prevail in this fight. However, it mattered little to Peak who, no matter who looked at his situation, trusted that this night would be his. Defeating Lenel’s pathetic attempt to overthrow him would only make him stronger in the eyes of his herd so no matter what he did, he would emerge as the victor in the upcoming dawn. Pterano looked at the orange flyer in anger, not believing the trash he was hearing. Granted, Peak had his appearances to hold and it was unlikely someone like he would treat his potential killers with respect but it seemed Peak was completely out of touch with reality. However, those thoughts were overshadowed by the fight until he heard one call from Lenel, one that he hadn’t expected him to use just yet.
“Then prove to me you are worthy of your position, Peak! Fight me and if your skills are as great as your words, I’ll acknowledge you as a true leader in every sense of the word! Do the right thing for once and save our followers’ lives!” The pale flyer cried, causing his counterpart’s eyes to widen immediately. The call for a one-on-one fight wasn’t uncommon among flyers but few leaders who regularly used it lived until the next Cold Time. It was usually a test of strength between two flyers who wanted prove their dominance over their rival but just as well, nobody had an obligation to accept that challenge. After his initial surprise, Peak noticed that a few of the fights had halted to hear his answer and almost immediately, Peak’s face turned into a frown.
“You’ve got quite the nerve, Lenel. After all you’ve done, you think you can simply come here and think you can prove you’re right by challenging me to some puny fight? A slimy traitor like you will never get the privilege of standing as my equal again! March on, my friends! Wipe this fool into the Great Beyond!” Peak cried and immediately, more and more of Peak’s herd members began to fill the scene and Lenel knew he was left with no other choice. He let out a loud screech, calling for his own followers into the scene as well. He had wanted nothing more than to avoid this possibility but a full-fledged fight inside the herd was starting to look like an unavoidable scenario.
Petrie shuddered as he heard the sudden cry penetrate the sky which had been preceded with countless of cries of pain and death. The young boy was completely penetrated with fear as he knew that something was going on within the herd, something of which his uncle was part of! The flyer looked to the direction of the sounds, wanting nothing more than to go ensure that all was well with Pterano, that no harm would befall upon him. Yet, the look in his eyes when he had told him to stay here still lingered within the child’s mind, the pleading stare still haunting his mind without an end.
His soul called for action and during the few seasons of his life, he would have found the will to help his uncle but slowly yet surely, Petrie realized that Mysterious Beyond was not the Great Valley and Pterano had far more experience of surviving out here than he did. Seeing how concerned he was for his nephew’s sake had changed something in Petrie’s mind and despite his terrifying fear, he knew what he would have to do. For the first time in his life, he would listen to the advice given to him from grown-ups. Petrie’s body shuddered with fear but with all his willpower, he sat down to save his uncle from any further concerns or heartbreak in case all would go wrong, hoping he could hide his fears as efficiently as the night embraced the young flyer in its dark embrace.
The flyer took a few steps backwards and panted heavily as she looked at a wide wound in her belly while preparing for her two opponents’ counterattack. Even if Nira knew she had put forward a good defense, she also knew she wouldn’t win against her two opponents by her own. Her guards and Haste’s traitors were still engaged in a deadly melee and Nira knew they wouldn’t help either side in time. She had thought for so long that she had been protected herself well enough but never once had she suspected her sister of ever trying to betray her! Never once had she thought that there had been so many within her most trusted followers who would be willing to side against her this readily. How much hate and distrust lingered inside the herd she had thought to have led wisely all these seasons? Those thoughts sickened her but right now, that wasn’t something she could affect right now. All she could was to try to somehow live through this as despite it being her most probable way of survival, she would not pass her position to her sister. No flyer who would be willing to go this far to fulfill her own desires could be trusted with the lives of dozens of dinosaurs. Nira looked feverishly around her, trying to find something that could allow her to either escape or turn the tables against her foes but to her growing fear, nothing worthwhile met her gaze. In growing realization and shock, Nira understood that she had but option: to prevail against these two or to fall in fight and fulfill her duty to the herd she had given her all ever since she was but a girl.
Her opponent’s attempts to disengage from the fight annoyed Sireia greatly but she also knew that she couldn’t get too greedy in her attempts to stop Nira’s maneuvers. One misstep would give the experienced fighter an opening to turn the tide of the fight and crush her with one, well-executed move. She and Haste had managed to wound their foe but the fight was still undecided but the tan-colored female knew that every second that passed made her plan ever less likely to work. She would have to end this quickly, regardless of the risks such a move could contain. She could see Nira was trying to catch her breath among the terrifying pain caused by her new wound and Sireia decided that her moment had come.
With a powerful push, she flew towards Nira but just as she was about to hit the other female, she rose slightly higher, attempting to distract her from her real plan. Sireia had noticed that there was a powerful gust behind her opponent which she knew she could use as a way to buy Haste enough time to get the decisive advantage the duo needed to win this struggle. Nira looked at the other flyer with slight surprise but even then, she knew she had to keep her focus on both of her opponents. During the split second she looked at her sister who was also advancing towards her quickly, Sireia flipped to catch the wind and as Nira turned her gaze back towards Sireia, it was too late for her to stop the other female’s assault. Yet, even now, Nira wasn’t completely helpless. She saw that Sireia’s control of her own flight was far from perfect and despite her momentum, the other flyer had left parts of her side unprotected. Nira cringed as she felt Sireia’s weight pull them both towards the rocky ground but she quickly managed to sink her claws into Sireia’s abdomen, making her screech in pain loudly.
Yet, her valiant attack also marked the end of the proud leader’s stand. Haste flew towards the two other flyers, aiming her attack straight towards her sister’s head. Little emotion could be seen on the female’s face for her sister, the only look being that of triumph and hate. It took Nira a few seconds to recover from the initial collision but when she finally did, she found herself pushed towards the ground by Sireia, the sharp-faced dinosaur’s hands strictly restricting Nira from any kind of hopes of escape. Sireia herself was in deep pain but she knew this was her chance to end this fight once and for all. Nira tried to struggle against her opponent but after she saw her sister approach her, her efforts turned into panicked kicks and cries which only confirmed her defeat. After a short while, Haste hit her head and throat with a terrible force, sparing Sireia only barely. The attack had been unbelievably effective in its brutality, ending the life of another of the four herds’ leaders life in a matter of seconds.
His eyes turned into a deep frown as Peak saw over a dozen more opponents joining Lenel’s side of the battle. It seemed like he couldn’t simply crush the green-eyed flyer’s followers with pure force even if it was still clear that he had the upper hand in the struggle for his own followers’ future. The battle was earning more and more attention among the other flyers as the sounds of fighting grew more profound. Yet, despite his distrust of others, Peak wasn’t one of the leaders who was prepared to hide behind the backs of his companions, only waiting for his herd to buy his victories to him. No, he would lend his all safe the lives of as many as he could and after the fight’s escalation he quickly waved another dinosaur nearby to him.
“Go and try to get Lenel away from the others, Bluegust! I’ll come help you soon but until then, I have to secure that there’s no way for those bastards to break through our ranks!” Peak said to the enormous flyer who was nearly twice the size of his brother who was by no means a short dinosaur himself. Bluegust’s strength was widely renowned and he had been an invaluable right hand to Peak during their times together. The larger flyer nodded to Peak quickly, yearning to get down to action.
“Of course, brother. That traitor will go down before we know it! Just make sure you won’t screw things up on your own.” He said, earning a brief frown from Peak. Bluegust was
the only one he let to joke on his behalf even a bit but he still disapproved of his antics more often than he had hoped. He snorted in annoyance as he went on to lead his herd into
another glorious victory.
“This is no time for jabbering! Time is off the essence so get on the move!” Peak said, looking smugly as another of Lenel’s pathetic flyers fell under their enemies’ attack. Soon enough, their leader would follow them into their end and he could finally prove that he was right about the others’ weakness and treachery all along.
The fight had turned into a static one which made Pterano curse big time. Not only was the battle become more dangerous but also much more deadly. Both of the herds would suffer greatly which was a scenario he had dreaded from the very beginning. Yet, there was no turning back now. The defenders’ lines were getting thin and Peak knew most likely himself that fleeing from this fight would mean his actual defeat. Despite the countless cuts in his body, Pterano felt slight hope swell within his chest. That was, until his eyes wandered into the sky and caught a sight that shocked him without an end. The shade of a massive flyer was dashing towards him and Lenel and that shadow could only belong to one flyer. Bluegust’s ferocity and brute strength were widely respected even among flyers who had never seen him and it had often been his presence alone that had saved his allies in previous battles. Pterano quickly cried to Lenel who was too busy defending himself to pay attention to the attacker.
“Take cover! Don’t just stand there!” He cried, earning an annoyed look from those around him but Lenel knew better than to ignore the others’ warnings. Without even looking what his deputy meant, Lenel jumped heavily backwards and in the last possible moment, saw what had made Pterano sound that terrified. Instinctually, Lenel prepared for the attack and concentrated all his strength for one leap. Just as the larger flyer was preparing for the hit, Lenel jumped forward and grabbed the attackers’ right wing and quickly pulled him from his original course, sending the attacker to hit the ground headlong. The light-colored flyer looked at the scene in relief, knowing this attack could have very well been his end. Immediately, he moved to finish the fight but he underestimated Bluegust’s swiftness.
The larger flyer was completely taken aback by Lenel’s cold-headed reaction to his attack and his oversight of his opponent’s skill had caused a serious setback for him but if he had counted Lenel away as a weak and slow fool, Lenel now saw his opponent as a brainless brute. Lenel thought that Bluegust would never guess just where his finishing move would come the larger flyer knew very well what his opponent would do. He quickly rolled to his left side and when Lenel saw that his trick had failed, it was too late. He did his best to turn around and away from the powerful dinosaur’s way but it was for nothing. Bluegust grabbed Lenel’s left wing and pulled him nearer to him and before the higher-ranked leader could even begin to fight his way towards freedom, he found himself pushed towards a large rock, facing his enemy in a position in which defending himself would be completely hopeless. Lenel used every muscle in his body trying to break Bluegust’s hold but it was all for nothing. In the back of his mind, Lenel was already coming to terms with the fact that all his ambitions, all his hopes would end from the hands of a flyer he had always deemed but a useless fool.
However, there was another flyer nearby who wasn’t about to let the bloody display move forward the way Peak’s brother would have hoped. Pterano had looked at the swift battle in complete astonishment, simultaneously impressed by Lenel’s reactions and Bluegust’s ferocity, the display stunning him for a few moments. A few moments which could very well prove to be the difference between his leader’s survival and death. Bluegust looked like a flyer of legend crushing a puny upstart as he towered over Lenel and the expression on his face told that no mercy would be given or asked tonight.
Instinctually, Pterano took off from the ground and flew towards the duo, hoping beyond hope to reach Lenel in time. With the pale flyer rested his own life and Petrie’s future in the herd as it was very likely Lenel’s deputy wouldn’t simply be allowed be allowed to leave other tonight’s bloody display. And without him, his nephew could very well starve in the loneliness, facing the same grim fate he had saved the boy from. The position Lenel had promised him was far from his mind the moment he saw Bluegust pushing Lenel towards the stone with ever-increasing force and prepare to crush his opponent once and for all. In just a few moments, Lenel’s ribcage would crush into a thousand splinters and the fight would be over once and for all. Pterano heard the blood beat in his ears as he tried to feverishly save his benefactor of the past seasons. Just as it seemed like Lenel was giving in to the pain and Bluegust was about to give the final blow, Pterano hit his back, sending the larger flyer rolling to the ground, causing him to release Lenel from his sickening grasp.
However, that save didn’t come without a price. Pterano followed the larger flyer into the ground and before he had the time to rise up, Bluegust turned around and grabbed Pterano’s left leg and with one, quick move, broke it as if it were but a small, withered stick. The smaller flyer looked at that display in deep shock, the pain slowly starting to spread across the rest of his body. Without his leg, he couldn’t run and even flying without the control of all of his limbs would be slow and forced. Bluegust knew that, of course, and he quickly resumed his offensive. Pterano tried to rise up but the pain and his ruined leg made any attempt to stand against his opponent futile. He looked with wide eyes as his opponent approached him, seeing the murderous glare in the massive brute’s eyes.
That development wasn’t lost on Lenel of course. He looked in horror at what was happening to his deputy and he knew he couldn’t leave Pterano completely alone, no matter his injury. He immediately moved on to repay his debt to the light-brown flyer… until his flight was suddenly interrupted by another flyer.
“Don’t bother to stop my brother now, Lenel. Your deputy deserves a clean end instead of serving you in the case you happen to be able to slither away from here!” Peak said as he suddenly landed near his opponent, accompanied by three of his followers. Even if the light-colored flyer hadn’t noticed it, Bluegust had succeeded in getting the two higher-ranked flyers away from the main scene of the battle, opening a way for Peak to step in and finish what his brother had started. Lenel was completely taken aback by this development, not expecting Peak to appear here himself. After their initial clash, Peak had seemed to dismiss the idea of a fair confrontation and even with his guards accompanying him, this was a surprising development. However, Lenel knew he had another charge to do first and that was to save Pterano. He flew forward, not seeming to notice the newcomers and quickly pushed aside the flyers who tried to cut his dash.
Yet, even now, Pterano wasn’t completely helpless himself. Even with his broken leg, he managed to hold his ground against his opponent for a while which seemed to annoy Bluegust without an end. He had already been twice at the verge of victory and this cursed weakling wouldn’t delay his fulfillment of his brother’s order. Pterano’s movements were slow and forced but even now, he kept his cool and with great efforts, managed to even wound the larger flyer a few times. Bluegust, however, was more than ready to simply get over this nonsense and quickly stepped forward, attempting to simply force Pterano backwards and utilize her inability to walk to his best advantage. Pterano knew all too well what that plan would mean for him and he knew he had to do something now. Lenel was still too far away to be of any help so he had to do this himself.
Bluegust seemed to overwhelm Pterano’s entire vision and the smaller flyer knew he had but one chance to save himself. Peak’s brother suddenly waved his hand in an attempt to his adversary and at that moment, Pterano made his move. He jumped forward as quickly as he could and he quickly scratched Bluegust to his chest with all his might, hoping this could save him from the obvious counterattack. The larger flyer let out a pained scream but his injury didn’t prevent him from crushing Pterano one and for all. However, there came another development he hadn’t yet expected.
Lenel knew his position was extremely dangerous but once again, Pterano had surprised him with his bravery and unwillingness to give up in the face of desperate odds. He looked in deep admiration at Pterano’s attack and before Bluegust could do anything to hurt his deputy, Lenel doubled down on Pterano’s hit and sank his claws deep into Bluegust’s chest, causing the giant flyer to finally take a few steps back in disbelief, slowly raising his and on his wounded torso. The wound wasn’t lethal, yet, but it was far more than he had expected from Lenel’s deputy. Lenel quickly saw his chance and headed straight towards Bluegust, knowing this was his chance to get to Peak.
The situation was beyond unbelievable for Pterano who looked at Bluegust’s struggles in awe. He and Lenel had succeeded in beating off the giant flyer’s attack and the defeat of Peak’s brother would almost certainly lead to the other leader’s defeat! Soon enough, he would be able to tell Petrie that all was well ag…
That brief moment of victory was suddenly interrupted as Pterano felt his back being grabbed by another flyer and before he received the chance to even twitch his head, he felt a terrifying pain in his throat and instinctually, he turned to look at his chest and the last thing his fading eyes saw were sickening streams of his own blood dropping to the ground. Before he managed to form even another thought, the light brown flyer who had only started to redeem himself of his past fell to his knees, only to fall to his side to the ground.
Peak grinned in disgust as he pulled back his hand from his victim’s throat. Today had gone far from the way he wanted but at least this insufferable fool was now dealt with. He had often seen Pterano as a trustworthy and honorable flyer but he had chosen the wrong side in this conflict and paid for it with his life. There was no time to mourn his unneeded death and he immediately raised his gaze up… only to see something that froze his heart momentarily.
The brutal display made everything stop in Lenel’s eyes as he looked at his deputy’s broken body. Only a few seconds earlier, he was prepared to celebrate this great victory with him and soon enough, Pterano would have received the honor of standing by his side at the head of this great herd. All these Cold Times, Pterano had been a valuable ally… and even a good friend. Lenel knew he’d be missed greatly in the weeks to come but right now, he had to press forward in the only way possible. With a quick sprint, he took a firm grip on Bluegust in order to show Peak that he had the upper hand over his brother, one that couldn’t be taken away from him anymore. The larger dinosaur was completely unable to fight back as his injuries seemed to render him completely unable to resist his opponent’s attack. Lenel then cried to Peak who was stopped by the pale flyer’s latest trick.
“Fight me one against one or I’ll slaughter your brother right here, you cursed assassin! Don’t take another step, Peak!” Lenel knew he was in a completely hopeless situation if
Peak wouldn’t notify his threat but Lenel knew that wouldn’t come happen. Peak might be many things but all his life, his loyalties had lied with his family and Peak would never allow his brother to die if he could only avoid it.
The orange flyer looked at the display in utter outrage, cursing himself over and over for allowing this thing to happen. He should never had let his brother come here in the first place as the battle had already been won! Bluegust was one of the strongest fighters he had seen but even then, Lenel was by no means an easy opponent. His overconfidence had brought his family one step closer to its end and even if he knew simply attacking Lenel would bring him the victory here, he couldn’t find it within himself to simply allow his brother to die like this. With a resigned wave, he told his companions to stay still and called to Lenel in a loud voice.
“Very well, Lenel! Let my brother go and you will get the privilege to face me yourself! You have my word about that in the name of my family, the children of Warekli himself!” Peak said, giving the most powerful pledge he could. At this point, he couldn’t turn back or he’d risk losing his authority and position in the eyes of his own herd. Lenel stared at Peak for a moment before taking a brief sigh and releasing the seriously wounded flyer from his grasp. Bluegust took one, last gaze at his opponent before moving away from the dark plain, knowing full well what his defeat meant. Lenel then cocked his head and spoke to Peak in a forceful voice.
“Then command your guards further away from us, Peak! We’ll fight right here and now!” Lenel cried, not willing to call for a duel when the other flyers were present, not when he was practically on a mission to assassinate a fellow leader, no matter how good his intentions were. Peak frowned deeply at his opponent’s latter demand but in the end, he didn’t want a public argument with a flyer who could make his role in Nimble’s downfall so much better known to the others. He turned at his followers and spoke to them silently.
“Move to a safe distance to guarantee this traitor won’t try anything funny. It won’t take me long to end this charade once and for all.” Peak said and his followers slowly moved away from the coming battlefield. Deep down, both flyers knew they could trust in each other’s word as both of them had proved themselves to be true to their word, a quality which made at least situations like these more comfortable. Lenel nodded approvingly as he moved closer to Peak, preparing for the coming fight.
Peak narrowed his eyes, shutting the dark plain away from his mind as he looked at Lenel. Deep down, he had expected Lenel to make a move after his announcement but an attack of this magnitude and brutality wasn’t something he had prepared for. But none of it mattered any. He had made his decision to forge a new, more glorious path forward for his herd, one that would be worth fighting for. He had been one of the more resourceful and respected leaders when he led his own flock a long time ago and he would be it again. For the sake of his ancestors, his fallen cousin and for his children who would carry on his legacy for the ages to come.
His limbs felt unnaturally heavy as the magnitude of this confrontation fell on Lenel’s shoulders. If he ever wanted to find out Olres’ secret or earn his place on the legendary flyer’s place, Peak would be an obstacle he’d have to beat. Not to even mention that Sireia’s future would most likely fall alongside him as her name would be forever tainted by his alleged treachery and defeat. And, even more than he actually knew, the sight of Pterano’s downfall appeared to his sight. His poor deputy had done all in his might to serve him and in the end, he hadn’t even managed to save him from Peak’s cowardly attack. He had seen many of his friends fall during his long seasons but something in Pterano’s end sickened him beyond measure. A chance to take out his murderer would be the least he could do for his deputy who had embarked on his last flight. Outrage built inside Lenel as he cried to his opponent.
“Then let us begin! I’ll take great pleasure for making you regret all you’ve done, Peak!” Lenel cried as he took off, heading into the dark heights above him. Peak snorted for the last time before spreading his wings, knowing full well this fight would be far from an easy one. Lenel had practically put his back against the wall with this challenge as defeat would mean his death and his family’s downfall. His guards were now bound with their honor to tell the truth about what happened here and most likely it would be the victor’s word that would weigh more on the other flyers. Even worse, Lenel was a quick and clever fighter and beating him would require every bit of courage and skill he could utilize. He answered to Lenel’s taunt briefly before searching for the best wind possible.
“You will take back your lies before all this will be over! You’re going down at last, Lenel!” He cried as he suddenly took a plunge downwards, trying to get the best speed he could in order to earn the upper hand in the upcoming charges. Lenel realized that immediately but he also had to admit Peak had chosen his position more wisely than he had. In order to prevent Peak from attacking right away, Lenel headed higher towards the skies where the wind was nearly nonexistent. Once again, the sight of the larger battle appeared to his sight and to his horror, he could see that a quarter of both herds had already fallen and the rest were getting increasingly desperate to pull some kind of victory out of that hell. Lenel couldn’t help but wonder if Sireia was now among them or… or had she already fallen from Nira’s hand. That thought nearly made Lenel nearly forget his task at land and that was something he couldn’t afford right now.
The pale flyer’s plan had indeed robbed Peak of some of his momentum but he was still approaching Lenel with a worrying speed. The latter knew that he was practically but a nonmoving target for his opponent and Lenel realized this situation called for a surprise. Momentarily, he relaxed his muscles and then concentrated all his strength into a large somersault which he then used to gain some speed to answer to Peak’s attack. With any luck, this earned him a new way of attacking his opponent from a direction he hadn’t
foreseen.
Yet, Peak was far more familiar with his fighting style than Lenel had ever realized. Peak grinned slightly as he looked at Lenel’s dash and just as he was about to use his new speed to head for Peak’s back, the orange flyer used another gust to turn around and by then, it was too late for Lenel to change his plan. Peak rose slightly higher which enabled him to plunge straight towards Lenel’s back, his claws digging at his flesh and his weight breaking the other leader’s flight completely. However, Peak knew this didn’t decide the fight yet and he immediately headed after the falling flyer, willing to make him pay for all the lives that had been lost today because of him.
His back felt like it had been hit by a massive boulder as Lenel did his all to regain his balance. The wounds were already bad enough but Peak’s hit at his very spine made his attempts to stay in the air far more difficult. He tried to turn around into his normal flying position but the aching in his back made those attempts beyond painful. Yet, Lenel knew it couldn’t be broken as he could still move all his limbs without problem. Peak could have caused only a momentary, harmless injury he would simply have to get over if he wanted to survive this. He saw Peak heading after him and the green-eyed male knew he had but a few seconds to make his move. Lenel steeled himself like never before to start his counterattack.
He would have wanted to scream from the bottom of his heart as he finally forced himself into his natural position and in the last possible moment, stopped his plunge towards the sharp rocks of the unhospitable earth. He could see slight annoyance and surprise in Peak’s eyes but the latter still seemed hardly taken aback by Lenel’s move. The flying was beyond painful to Lenel and he knew he would lose sooner or later due to his temporary disability. He would have to get a counterattack on Peak now if he wanted to win this fight.
The orange flyer, however, frowned as he saw Lenel’s almost natural-looking flight. He had already counted him as a goner and sure enough, his hit had been powerful enough to even snap a weaker or smaller flyer’s entire spine in two. His opponent had to be in horrible pain and that meant only one thing: now was the opportunity to take the foolish flyer out of this fight once and for all. Yet, Peak knew better than to underestimate Lenel even now but if he decided against acting now, Lenel might have time to plan his next moves and even find some way to counterattack. Knowing that now was his time, Peak moved to break Lenel’s hopes once and for all.
Lenel, however, didn’t need any more time to plan his moves as Peak did exactly as he hoped. The pain in his back prevented him from mounting an effective attack, true, but that didn’t by no means mean he wasn’t able to defend himself. Peak put all his attention into a quick attack which let his opponent answer to it if he timed his strike correctly. He looked at Peak’s attack, looking as terrified as Peak expected him to be. Just as he was about to sink his claws into Lenel once again, the pale flyer suddenly shoot upwards and then fell to his side, allowing him once again to regain the initiative in this fight. And he had already decided where he’d directed that advantage. Lenel felt a certain sense of triumph wash over him as he fell on Lenel and immediately directed his attack on his head and in a few moments, Lenel found what he was looking for. A blood-chilling cry filled the night as Lenel’s claws sank into his fellow leader’s eyes.
His entire world turned into a pain-filled hell the moment his vision failed for the very last time. His sensations were completely overshadowed with pain and his thoughts were completely blocked by one primal drive to get rid of the attacker, no matter what. The shock of surprise and will to live shut down Peak’s calculative mind for a moment but even then, he knew how to best get rid of his enemy. Peak turned his back towards the ground and as he felt Lenel’s grip starting to fail, Peak quickly grabbed his wing and pulled it with all his might. Lenel gritted his teeth together, making sure to hold his grip for as long as possible. His mouth turned into a slight smile as he saw the long wound he managed to create on Peak’s cheek and throat before he was finally plunged away from his opponent. Before Lenel had any time to think what he would do now, he hit the ground with a violent force, leaving him completely unmoving for many seconds.
Even after his victory in the small fight, Peak was even more miserable than before. The endless darkness he saw before himself horrified him before an end and the sickening pain radiated ever further into his body. Even now, it was nearly impossible for the proud flyer to realize that his eyes had been most likely ruined for good. And all because of that one, cursed traitor…
Peak’s fear suddenly turned into a desperate rage as his mind slowly reminded him of what he was up to. Lenel was still out there even if he had fallen to the ground. Even now, Lenel would not escape his punishment and Peak was more decided than ever to get rid of the flyer who had caused him so much harm during this past day. He would find Lenel even without his sight and make him hope he had never met the leader of Warekli’s line in his life.
Lenel groaned slightly as he slowly began to recover from the horrific crash to the ground. He held his head, hoping beyond hope it would stop aching soon enough. His head and back felt like they were about to explode but he, too, couldn’t bring himself to forget where he was. He raised his gaze towards the skies and it didn’t take long for him to see Peak’s form flying above him. At first, Lenel was about to shoot up to prepare to finish this fight but then he noticed how very wavering and unsure his flight was. He nearly faced Lenel but despite that, he seemed completely oblivious to his opponent’s presence. It was only when he saw the blood across Peak’s face that he remembered what he had done before his horrifying hit. Peak would notice him eventually but his current condition would be the decisive advantage in the coming showdown. Looking at his opponent with a self-confident smile, Lenel took a small pebble from the ground and threw it to the ground before him.
That sound alerted Peak immediately as it was a welcome change from the dark silence that was now his world. For the briefest of moments, Peak thought that Lenel was most likely stirring from his hit but the next moment he realized that Lenel wouldn’t be that careless. That sound was but a pathetic, old trick which Lenel thought would save him from certain defeat. However, even now, Lenel wasn’t about to let his opponent to take the initiative. Peak headed towards the ground, feeling the wind in order to find out where his opponent was hiding. However, it was at this moment that Peak noticed something which took him back completely. Small traces of light suddenly fought their way into his consciousness. His right eye wasn’t completely ruined with any luck, he would regain his vision one day. However, Peak didn’t let that development divert his attention from searching for Lenel. He had to mind his surroundings as it was nearly certain Lenel would try to use his opponent’s injury for his advantage, as any sensible dinosaur would do.
Yet, attacking even a blind flyer wasn’t easy for Lenel now. His body bled from many spots heavily and the necessary, last dash would not be a simple task. Moreover, Peak wouldn’t let anyone surprise him right now, if he could only possibly avoid it. Yet, Lenel knew the decisive advantage was his and there would be no better opportunity for him to act. With silent steps, he walked towards a nearby cliff and quickly pulled a pile of rocks down to the ground. As the boulders hit the ground, Lenel flew to his left, knowing that would make it impossible for Peak to answer to his assault. The pale flyer took a few more steps before finally casting his die. Within a minute, either he or Peak would embark on the eternal fight to the next world.
Peak was completely taken aback by the flapping of the wings to his right, turning to face the attacking flyer in sudden fear. Lenel’s diversion had worked perfectly and it would take a miraculous defense for him to stop Lenel’s attack. He listened keenly to his foe’s approach and then suddenly relaxed, realizing all wasn’t lost yet. He suddenly jumped forward towards Lenel, realizing how weak Lenel actually was now. The impact led the two dinosaurs rolling to the ground, fighting for the final strike of the night. The two gave no quarter as they fought for their ambitions and living and foregone friends and family. Lenel received a nasty hit to his throat, for a moment thinking it was all over but to his luck, none of his major arteries had been cut. In return, Peak received a sickening wound to his chest that painted the orange flyer’s torso red. Hit was followed by another hit and blow was only traded for another blow. The horrifying fight seemed to stretch on forever until Lenel finally found a new opening.
The other leader had trouble answering to his assaults and in this situation, he could to cast aside all carefulness and to decide this fight with one, last surprise. Peak was annoyed by his disability but soon enough, Lenel’s back and wounds would buy him his victory. Just a few more hits and… suddenly Peak’s thoughts were interrupted by a new wave of pain from his chest. This hit was more brutal than any of the ones that came before and immediately the flyer realized Lenel had cast off all defense for this attack but to the orange flyer’s shock, the mere strength of the attack keeping him back. He could feel Lenel striking again and again and he didn’t seem to care of any counterattacks, no matter what Peak did.
The dinosaur’s entire mind did its all to block the terrifying pain and to finish this fight once and for all. He finally had Peak in his grip and he’d see this fight until the very end. He could see his opponent’s injuries already holding him back tremendously and it would take but a few more moments and he’d be victorious. Slowly, that thought drove the agony from Lenel’s mind, causing him to smile as he thought about his life’s greatest victory.
It was also clear to Peak that he had lost. In a matter of mere seconds, Lenel would give the decisive blow and his life would be over once and for all. For a fleeting moment, the usually-headstrong leader already resigned to his fate, knowing it was his duty as the head of his herd to accept defeat in order to save the honor of his family. It would be better for him to simply leave this world with dignity instead of betraying his vows. However, those thoughts were suddenly swept aside as a new realization came to his mind.
Was he truly going to give this murderous bastard the joy of utter victory and deliver those who had believed in him to the hands of this monster? Was he truly going to allow Lenel the chance to lead one of the most powerful herds in nearby lands? Peak knew he alone held the knowledge of Lenel’s plans and the authority needed for others to listen to him and giving up now would only mean that no one would stand against Lenel from now on. No, even if he would have to pay for his life with his honor and leadership, he still had a role to play in the coming Cold Times and for him to buy that role, he had to get away from this fight now.
With a wicked kick, Peak hit his opponent and quickly rolled to his side, spreading wings in a desperate attempt to flee. Lenel quickly grabbed his opponent’s leg, trying to prevent
his escape but with one, decisive hit to hi the pale flyer’s head, Peak forced Lenel to let off of the limb. After noticing that he was free, Peak cried to Bluegust who had followed the fight all along.
“Bluegust! Go get Swiftbeak, Koria, Ortin and Highpond! We have to get out of here, now!” Peak knew that not even his guards would fight for him after his escape but with some luck, he and his family would be able to rebuild their position once Lenel’s leadership would turn into a complete disaster. Peak knew that without him, his followers would lose soon enough and after that defeat, Lenel could have free hands to get rid of his family. He regretted having to ask his brother to get his children, Ortin and his aunt but Peak needed all his strength into getting away from here alive himself. His sickening bleeding and blindness made the flying a complete nightmare so he needed to concentrate all his efforts into saving himself.
Lenel looked in utter disappointment and outrage as he saw his foe taking off into the endless black skies. Despite their differing thoughts and motives, Lenel had always deemed Peak a trustworthy flyer who’d do anything to uphold his respect among his followers. Now he had thrown all that away with his escape but even now, Lenel wasn’t about to let him live. He knew just as well what his own rival’s escape would mean and with high hopes, flew after Peak with all his might.
Yet, he soon realized it was easier said than done. As Lenel straightened his back and prepared for the chase, his back quickly reminded him of his injuries. Immediately, the flyer crouched his body and only barely avoided another crash into the ground. As he had stabilized his fall, Lenel could already see Peak beginning to disappear into the blackness, realizing he’d never catch the escaping flyer in his current condition. For a moment, this realization paralyzed him completely, not willing to believe that even after all the bloodshed and struggles, he had let his opponent get away like this. After all that had happened, Peak should have paid for his deeds. To think he had failed this close to the victory…
It was at that moment that Lenel realized that he had still accomplished what he had come here to do. Peak had been dealt with and if Sireia had managed to do her part of today’s attack, his plan would be a complete success! Lenel suddenly shot up again and headed towards the main battlefield, knowing this was the time to make his move. His flight was slow but with some effort, he could make it look somewhat authoritative and normal-looking. As Lenel saw the fighting flyers appear under him, he suddenly saw Sireia and Haste among the heavily-wounded but still surviving combatants. And that had to mean that Nira had been dealt with, making him shudder in excitement and relief. With as strong-looking movements as he simply could, Lenel moved downwards towards the ground and called to the fighters in a loud voice, knowing that he could still lose everything if he couldn’t get Peak’s herd to listen to him. At the very least, the fighting ended the moment Lenel opened his mouth.
“Halt the battle! We have lost far too many lives already because of Peak’s disastrous decision! I’m here to announce that he and Nira are dealt with but I did only to restore things to what they should have been all along! I regret it greatly but it was those two who called today’s attack upon us, only to break our glorious herd apart!” Lenel started, holding a brief pause before continuing. He glanced at his mate and Haste briefly and the two immediately returned that look, ensuring Lenel that all was well. Just before Lenel was about to continue, however, one of Peak’s followers cried to him in white rage.
“Go to hell, Lenel! It was you who attacked us and the honored Peak! He would never betray us and all of us know it just as well!” He shouted, earning a chorus of approving voices. The situation began to grow dangerously tense again when Lenel answered to that accusation.
“It may be hard to believe but I doubt they told you what we really learned at our meeting earlier today! Well, let us allow another flyer who decided to take a stand against those who would betray us tell you the truth!” Lenel cried, nodding at Haste to come to his side. There were many from Nira’s herd present as well and he knew that anything could still happen in this volatile situation. Haste flew graciously to his side, earning many unbelieving gasps from the gathered flyer. Some looked at the duo in disbelief, some with hope whereas the others were overcome with rage but still they allowed Haste to speak. Her voice was grave and even Lebel was surprised by the genuine tone in the female’s voice.
“What happened today was a terrible tragedy. It is true that I and Sireia acted against my sister and I will regret that for as long as I live. However, I know many of you agree with me that Nira was growing weak and her decisions have hurt each of us more than once. But it was only today that she did what finally made me make my decision. They and Lenel never told it to you but it certainly was Peak’s indecision that caused Nimble’s downfall. Many flyers, including Kero, Nimble’s old deputy, can confirm this beyond any doubts. Peak demanded the others to stay silent about it but he soon made things even worse.
At the meeting we learned that Peak certainly knew Nimble’s killer before and he admitted his hesitancy to tell us about it. We couldn’t help but accept the fact that there was most likely some kind of agreement between Peak and Nira about attacking us earlier.” Haste spoke while Kero nodded at her words in the ground. The male had made the same agreement he had proposed to Nira with Sireia and right now, he knew he had made the best decision for Nimble’s old herd. Many in the crowd looked beyond unbelieving as they considered Haste’s words. She had never been one of the most liked or trusted flyers but many of Nira’s former followers couldn’t help but agree with her sentiments. Additionally, Nimble’s deputy’s agreement to the duo’s words killed much of the starkest cries. Many of Peak’s followers looked completely confused but still, some outrage still lingered within them. Lenel swallowed forcefully before continuing, more than impressed by Haste’s words.
“That is right. There were times when Peak worked with us as he was supposed to but there were many times when I truly wondered whether he was really ready to see others as his equals. To those of you who believed in him, I know you think I’m lying and he decided to leave our herd because it was best for all of you. Well, he couldn’t have been more wrong! We all know what happens to those herds too small to defend themselves! Each of you has lived a safer life among our herd and Peak sought to destroy it because of his personal feuds with Nimble and me! I faced Peak in a fight and he escaped like the coward he is! There are many among you who know I’m speaking truth!
Now, I cannot force you to disobey Peak’s orders but he is gone after he ran away like the coward he is! Nira is dead because of her mistakes but her sister is more and ready to take her place and lead her herd towards a better future! Now, I ask those from Peak and Nira’s herds, will you be willing to leave us and forge a future for yourselves or follow me to Streli’s Hills and to continue your lives in peace?” He asked, knowing much was depending on this one question. If his offer was rejected by many of the flyers, Lenel knew his credibility would take a heavy blow. He kept a steady face as he prepared to face the inevitable backlash. An all-out challenge at him was highly unlikely, though, as there were few flyers with the position to even hope to challenge a leader of one of the great families. But to Lenel’s chagrin, it took less than a second before the first voice cried out.
“We won’t stay here for a moment, murderer! I and my family will be safer anywhere but under your leadership!” A female voice cried and she immediately rose to her wings and she and her children left the scene immediately. Other voice followed the first one, which only escalated the angered voices around the herd.
“I would follow Nira to the Great Beyond before bowing before you, Lenel! May the Night Circle curse you and your cursed lackeys!” He said and slowly but surely, Lenel saw a flyer after the flyer leave the scene. His heart dropped as he saw dozens of dinosaurs head towards the dark skies, utterly disappointed by how things turned out. After the last flyer had taken off, Lebel took a deep breath before looking at those who had decided to stay. All of his remaining followers were here and to his astonishment, the vast majority of Nira and Nimble’s herds ha also decided to remain with him. However, Peak’s group had already suffered greatly in the fight and there were roughly two dozen of them remaining from the herd that had numbered over a hundred only a few hours earlier. Yet, these were the flyers he’d have to do with. And in the end, even this was better than he had feared only a while ago. Many among these flyers most likely stayed here simply because they knew the alternatives were worse and there would even be ones who are staying only to claim their revenge against him. In any case, this night he was victorious and he knew it as he raised his voice and addressed his new, united herd again.
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank each of you for making the right decision! In due time, we’ll make Deron and Peak pay for what they did but for now, we have to resume the journey we set ourselves on! We have to help the wounded but when the Bight Circle is highest on the sky, we will again head towards Streli’s Hills!” Lenel smiled as he looked at the few cheers among the audience. He exchanged glances with Sireia who was equally relieved as he was. Yes, he would give this herd the safety they’d need but from now on, it was the time to truly begin fulfilling the quest, solving the secret of Olres’ legendary deeds, he had set as his destiny.
And with one well-timed and daring plan, Lenel has assumed control over the whole herd. Once again, peace reigns among the flyers but how will this peace bought with blood hold? Also, his uncle’s passing will undoubtedly change Petrie in more ways than one… Yes, I know I went a bit overboard with this chapter’s length but maybe it will make up for the two-month wait for this chapter. I hope to get the next installment done far faster than this one. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and see you next time!
rhombus: As always, your analyses are spot-on! Ruby indeed will have a hard time trying to make her parents see things her way as her whole survival is the issue both Detras and Pearl seem to lament. The highly primitive loyalties and motives are one thing I enjoy writing and I’m happy you think I’ve succeeded in that. Ruby still has her siblings and new friends’ support but from now on, the fast runner also has to prove her worth to her parents before she can forgive herself from her old “original sin”. Ruby’s next few chapters will be a bit more slow-paced but I truly hope I’ll make them just as interesting as the previous ones.
