The Flyer Who Didn’t Accept DefeatA slight shiver, which wasn’t caused by the weather, run up the boy’s spine as he looked at the distant light before himself, counting the seconds with fearful thoughts. He hated sitting out here while waiting for some, any news of the operation that was unfolding outside. Ortin couldn’t help but let his face fall down as he thought about his life in the past week, hating everything that had happened since that cursed Lenel had attacked his family and stripped the boy himself not only of his old herd but also of his friends, forcing him into this fearful existence where the only thing that seemed to matter was Peak’s endless yearning for revenge against those who had robbed him of his position as one of the leaders of the old herd.
A silent thud could be heard as Ortin sat down and crossed his arms over his knees, sighing deeply as he let his stressed mind wander. There they were, half of Peak’s remaining heard, trying to shed blood without any good reason! Ortin knew that Peak wanted his vengeance against those who had harmed him and indeed, Ortin himself understood the stakes of this day. He felt bitterness seethe within his mind as well as he thought about his own enviable position he could have gained as a member of his family and he yearned for revenge as well but… he couldn’t bring himself to accept the possible cost of all that.
Those feelings were quickly buried under the sights of all the bloody remains of the flyers who had fallen on that fateful night and that battle had also robbed him of what had brought him the most joy. He would have given nearly anything for a chance to meet Glide again but he couldn’t sneak out on his own and after everything that had happened, the boy feared that their earlier friendship had died along with the ruin of his family. Ortin smiled slightly as he also remembered his meetings with Petrie even if he remembered very well on which kinds of terms the two had parted ways. He didn’t regret his words in any way and as long as he was concerned, Petrie could stay out of his life for good!
Another sigh escaped his beak as he looked at his companions in the cave. Near him sat his grandmother whom he still respected very much as well as Peak himself who was slowly walking towards the opening, willing to see just how his followers were doing. His sight was slowly recovering but he still wasn’t in a position to fight. Ortin looked at both of them tiredly, knowing this was all the company he’d have from now on, at least for now. He’d stand by Peak’s side and hope for a better future under a new herd Peak could gather once he had settled the score with Lenel. He slowly turned at his grandmother and asked her silently.
“I… I hope the others are successful in getting rid of him. We cannot afford another bloodbath like… like last time, grandma.” He said, hoping to hear any words of encouragement from the elderly female. The latter slowly looked at Ortin and gave him a brief smile as she answered.
“All they have to do is to send that bastard into the Great Beyond and call the rest of us to escape. Be at ease, Ortin, we’ll make it through all of this.” She spoke warmly, hoping to reassure the young buy as best as he could. Ortin gazed at her sadly before he spoke in a meek voice.
“I just hope we could live normally again. Everything badly after Lenel’s attack and dad’s death. Why can’t things be like they were?” He asked glumly, thinking of the happiness that he had had until that one day which seemed to have panned so very long ago. His grandmother answered briefly as he looked at Peak who was clearly listening to what the two were talking about.
“Things will be much better soon enough, Ortin. I promise it. We’ll gather a new herd with many more friends for you. You’ll see.” She said in a warm voice, causing a slight expression of hope appear to Ortin’s beak. Still, there was one more thing that bothered him deeply, something he would have liked to have asked already.
“I guess so but… what if the others will fail? What if Lenel will get them… what will happen to us? Will we try to escape and live somewhere else?” He asked nervously, knowing full well that a victory on this day was far from guaranteed. He had expected to hear an answer from his grandmother but it was Peak who slowly turned to look at his two relatives with a decisive, even frightening expression.
“That, Ortin, is something we certainly are not going to do. This is Warekli’s line’s final stand where we simply cannot afford to lose. Either we will create a new future for ourselves or we will all fall here together. Is that clear?” He said in a voice that clearly brokered no disagreement. Ortin merely cringed at those words, not really surprised by them even if he would have wanted to hear something else. The boy stared at the older flyer for a few seconds before burying his head in his hands, thinking about the implications of Peak’s words and what they truly meant for him.
“Are you sure that is the exact right course, Kero? You know we’ll have little time for searching out there as things are already bad enough out here.” Lenel said, speaking in an excited but still thoughtful voice. He had already went through this plan with his deputies when they had first informed him of their news but he still wanted to hear Northwind and Kero’s tale again, making sure he’d be informed about every last detail about of the duo’s tale. Kero nodded at his leader eagerly as he answered.
“They said Olres’ secret lies at the western heartlands of the Land of Dancing Streams but that’s all they could say of it. Otherwise, I’m sure even those dumb idiots would have found it a long time ago. It must still be somehow if it has remained a secret for this long.” The younger male said before his companion continued from his words. Northwind was slightly more hesitant to go through all of this again but if that was the prize for his new position, then so be it.
“They seemed to know nothing about the land itself, though. And really, their version of his legend is even hazier than ours. I wouldn’t put much weight to their words if I hadn’t to as I doubt they’d even find their way out here without our guidance!” He said, frowning at his visit towards the Valley as it had been every bit as miserable as he had expected. Lenel locked eyes with the latter speaker for a while as he took a more pondering expression.
“Hmm… the Land of the Dancing Waters is indeed a vast, sparsely inhabited land so it really might house many secrets. I’ve heard it’s a pitiful, glum land of endless forest and rivers but I’ve never seen it myself. I wonder how that description relates to the colors, though.” He said, narrowing his eyes slightly. Northwind blinked briefly as he let out a single word.
“Colors?” He said briefly and his answer was followed by a longer pause from Lenel. It was clear he was rather uncomfortable as he gave his next answer but after a short while, he finally spoke again.
“That is one detail only our line really knows. It is said that every once in a while, that very place casts mighty lights to the sky, as if to call Olres back to it in vain. I have really wondered about it but that northern wasteland might have hidden the secret for a long while. It must be in some very remote place, though, if it has remained a secret for this long.” He said, causing the two other flyers to exchange glances briefly. This was completely new to both of them but they knew better than to question their leader’s words. Kero cocked his head slightly before he spoke again to the slightly older male.
“In any case, our search was a success, Lenel. Surely you remember what we agreed before our departure?” The light-green colored flyer said rather warily, hoping he wasn’t pushing his issue too fast. Lenel had always been a fair leader to him but he still worried slightly about his answer. The light-colored flyer looked at Kero with weary eyes for a few moments before he finally spoke in a casual voice.
“Indeed I do. Kero, Northwind, I name both of you as my trusted deputies as long as you live. Thank you for your service, both of you.” He said, taking a firmer expression as he looked at the duo approvingly. The two younger flyers smiled widely at this confirmation of their new status, more than glad Lenel was a flyer worthy of his word. The two could only say one thing that first rose to their minds.
“You have our thanks, Lenel! We won’t fail your trust!” They said, causing their leader to merely nod to his new deputies briefly. He knew this was an important occasion for the duo but even then, his thoughts were already wandering in completely different issues. His next words sounded more like he was thinking out loud even if he was still looking at the two other flyers.
“I truly hope so. Your first opportunity to prove your worth is when we’ll head to the Land of Dancing Waters and finally find what I’ve looked my entire life! We cannot take everyone with us but I will need at least a few dozen strongest members of the herd to accompany me. We have to act quickly in order to minimize the chance that anyone would want to betray me while I’m gone. Northwind, you’ll come with me. Kero, I name you leader of my herd until I’ll be back. Is that clear?” He asked especially the last flyer whose eyes widened in surprise. On one hand, he was more than happy he had been trusted with a task like this but… he would have always wanted to see the scene of the most beloved of legends. Still, he knew trying to oppose Lenel’s order was hardly the best way to move forward and he merely nodded to his leader.
“It is. You can be sure that no villain will be able to rise against you!” He said, causing Lenel to turn away contently. He then looked at Northwind and crossed his arms.
“I’ll expect nothing less. As for you, Northwind, we’ll start gathering flyers to follow us today. We’ll be on our way soon en…” He started before he heard the alarmed screech that rang through the entire Streli’s Hills. Immediately, the male felt his heart drop in his chest as he would know that voice everywhere. He wasted no time rising to his wings to aid his beloved mate before anything would happen to her.
It all had happened too quickly for Sireia to even properly raise a finger to try defend herself. She had merely been enjoying this brief respite from the seemingly never-ending flying, willing to giver herself even a tiny breather from her duties in intrigue and planning with her mate. She enjoyed helping the male in any ways she could, even liking those responsibilities, but she wanted to see this day as a small chance to recover her strength. That was, until the five flyers had suddenly appeared from the heights above her, their shadows revealing their attack only seconds before they could sink their claws into Sireia’s throat.
Letting out her call for help was the only thing she could do before she felt the impact of the flyers hitting her with all their might and doing everything they could in order to take her out as quickly as possible. Sireia cried out in pain as she felt the attackers tear into her but as she tried to get to her feet in order to have a better chance to defend herself, the female’s eyes widened as she realized she knew these assassins.
All of them had been Peak’s close allies and friends as long as she could remember even if she had actually never spoke to them herself. She also saw a look of surprise and disappointment in their eyes and it was those two things that told Sireia exactly what was going on. They were here to get her mate but they found only her but at the very least they’d get part of their revenge on Lenel by killing her. The female counted seconds while she tried to keep the attackers at bay, knowing she didn’t have long before Peak’s pawns would finally tear her to pieces.
Lenel cursed internally, trying to concentrate her anger and self-loathing into something as he flew as quickly as he simply could towards his and his mate’s sleeping place, hoping against hope Sireia would be alright. He knew full well she was a capable and strong flyer on her own right but there were many flyers who bore ill will towards the duo and the light-colored flyer wondered which one of them he’d meet soon enough. Deron? Peak? Perhaps Haste if she truly was the villain he thought her to be? All of those thoughts were cast away as the sight of the fight reached his eyes.
So, Peak it was then. Lenel recognized the attackers immediately and truth be told, he wasn’t surprised in the least. It would have been very unlike that old moron to simply accept his defeat and try to live the rest of his life in peace. Well, after this outrage he would never allow that old bastard escape alive as he had just breached a red line the male had held sacred for decades now. Nobody would hurt his beloved mate and get away with it! Inside, Lenel knew he could be heading into an ambush but that mattered little. He wouldn’t let Sireia to suffer any more than she already had, that was certain. He quickly called to Northwind who was flying not far behind him.
“Hit those bastards on the left and I’ll take those on the right! Make sure you won’t fail, Northwind!” He cried, looking at his new deputy briefly. Northwind glanced at his leader in affirmation as he did as told. He knew just how much Sireia meant to Lenel and really, he couldn’t deny his own respect at the female. She had proven herself time and time again and she had already been kind towards his past propositions in the herd.
The last seconds before the impact seemed to proceed in severe slow-motion for Lenel as he looked at his mate’s pained expression but it served only to heighten his resolve to kill those who had caused her this much harm. One of the attackers slowly turned to look at Lenel briefly before the impact but the latter’s speed and determination gave him the clear advantage. It didn’t take long before Lenel pulled him to the ground and with both his hands, crushed the other flyer’s throat into nothing. He quickly turned at Sireia and called to her in concern.
“Now, you have an opening, dear! Follow m…” He started but before he could finish, the female cried to her mate with an even more fearful voice.
“Look out, Lenel! Defend yourself!” She cried and the male wasted no time doing as told, no matter it pained him. He gasped deeply as he saw his fears being realized as five more flyers suddenly landed behind him, immediately moving to close on him and his two companions. Even more, he heard Kero’s voice far in the distance.
“Gather everyone somewhere safe! We’re under attack!”
Those words caused Petrie to frown deeply as he thought about what to do from now on. He had listened to the sounds of the initial skirmish with glassed eyes, wondering what to think or do from now on. On one hand, he had received what he had to receive from his old herd and truth be told, a certain instinct told him to simply flee and save himself from any more dangers. He had seen more than enough death within this herd and he had very little will to see what would happen from now on. His eyes had a look of sadness but relative calm as he looked at the small skirmishes that were being born far below him. However, he knew he couldn’t leave just yet.
On his own, he had very little hope of ever finding any trace of the land he had heard so very much on this day and even worse, aside from that one bit of knowledge, he had absolutely no idea about how to find his family or Littlefoot, a thought that made his mood fall even further. The mysterious flyer, who had apparently left the scene while the boy’s attention was focused on the new developments, had sparked Petrie’s interest in the tale even further and the legend’s location, this Land of Dancing Waters, glimmered within the flyer’s imagination brightly. And even more, he wanted to make sure Glide was safe from these new attackers before he could leave with pure conscience.
He took a brief breath as he jumped over the edge of the cliff into the air, looking at which places the fighting seemed to be spreading the fastest. There seemed to be no more than a dozen or two attackers but they had seemingly coordinated their attacks nearly masterfully. It seemed like they were searching for certain flyers even if they were clearly ready to tear anyone down who was trying to hold them back. Petrie cringed as he thought about the horrors of the world of his kind, never expecting them to act like this during his years in the Valley. Inside, he knew he loved so many things about being a flyer but these herd politics were something that truly made him sick.
Despite the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, Petrie tried to investigate the ground below him in the hopes of seeing even a sign of Glide or Brownbeak, hoping that the mess around him would prevent anyone from noticing his unwanted presence within the herd. However, no matter how much he tried, the boy didn’t even see a glimpse of his friend, a fact that made him frown severely. Certainly she had to be here somewhere! The boy landed on a rather large plateau between two high mountains to calm down while thinking about where the girl could be. A look of worry and fear started to rise to his face before he heard a somewhat pained voice behind him, one that he hadn’t expected, even less wanted, to hear.
“If it isn’t the crazy killer himself. Did you come to finish the job, Petrie?” The boy’s eyes widened sharply as he heard the voice, shivers starting to creep up his spine. He felt his hands turn into fists and his voice starting to tremble as he slowly turned around to look at Hoist’s face. Petrie nearly gasped as he looked at the still-lingering wounds between the other male’s eyes and all the scratches around his body. He was beyond horrified this had been his undoing but the words he had said about uncle Pterano still haunted his thoughts. The shorter flyer crossed his arms and asked even angrily.
“What is it, Hoist? Me gladly do it all again if you learn nothing of the first time. Now, tell me where Glide be or get lost!” There was not a sign of remorse within Petrie’s voice, a fact Hoist noticed very well. However, this time there was a clear change within the bully’s eyes, one that Petrie noticed at least unconsciously. He expected Hoist to start spewing his poison again but instead, he took a slight smirk as he started to speak. There was not a trace of fear towards the flyer who nearly killed him, something that seemed more than curious to Petrie.
“Truth be told, you are not the flyer who I thought you to be. No one before came even close to doing to me the things you did. And that is something I won’t forget easily.” Hoist said dryly, causing Petrie to frown deeply at him. The younger boy had absolutely no idea where his former enemy was getting to but his expression betrayed his deep confusion. However, the brown flyer wasn’t easily going to forget his past meetings with Hoist and unlike the old Petrie, now he simply wasn’t going to trust anyone who said something possibly nice to him.
“Are you simply trying to mock Petrie as before? No more games, just tell what you want!” He said, causing the bruised male’s expression to soften ever so slightly as he started to walk towards Petrie, nearly causing the latter to move away from Hoist but something deep within him told him to stand his ground to the very end when it came to Hoist. He looked at the older boy with an expression that radiated determination but lacked any trace of fear. Hoist snorted audibly before he started to speak to the dinosaur whom he had harmed so very much in the past.
“I simply want you to know that you are much more stubborn and persistent than most of the dimwits within this herd. I am not going to forgive you for what you did to me but I cannot help but respect that someone stood up to a somewhat righteous cause for once instead of simply begging for mercy from me or simply escaping. That is something that I realized in the days after our little incident.” He said, causing Petrie’s confusion to only deepen. Was Hoist actually apologizing to him? Was he acknowledging him in some weird, twisted way? Petrie cocked his head as he answered to Hoist with a slight stutter.
“Are… are you saying that… you were wrong?” He asked, not knowing how to react to those words. His gaze darkened as Hoist spat into the ground before Petrie and turned his back to the younger boy.
“That is something I will not admit to a weakling like you. However, I will say that you were not wrong either. But Petrie, do not understand any of this wrong. I would never, ever be your friend but as a sign of respect, I will leave you in peace from now on and even treat you as an equal.” He said, causing Petrie’s mood to rise tremendously and he simply couldn’t help but let out a laugh at Hoist’s words. They simply sounded too comic for him in a time like this.
“Come on, Hoist! Why you trying to sound like a grown-up? You can speak normally to Petrie!” He said, Hoist’s earlier insults towards Pterano out of his mind for now. Inside, even Hoist smiled slightly at that remark, not having expected to ever have this discussion with the one who had nearly killed him. But inside, he respected raw power and determination more than anything and that was something Petrie clearly didn’t lack. Hoist gave Petrie a brief encouraging look to Petrie before he prepared to head off to safety, still too weak to fly.
“Don’t try your luck, Petrie. I…”
“Hey, you two! We have away from the fight! Now, foll… uhh, Petrie? Hoist? What are you doing here?” Petrie turned to look at the speaker and noticed it to be Glide. The girl was seemingly confused by the sight of the two as they weren’t seemingly ready to tear each other apart. That fact was remarkable in itself as the two males’ last meeting had been anything but friendly or even neutral. Petrie looked at the girl with relieved eyes as she landed beside him.
“It’s alright. Me kinda forgive Hoist after a talk we had. He…” Petrie started but before he could finish, Hoist cut him short dryly.
“As for you, Glide, you can get eaten by a sharptooth for all I care! Try not to get drawn into the fight too badly!” He said as he slowly walked away, clearly in still-lingering pain. Glide immediately crossed her arms and looked after the boy in clear annoyance. She nearly spat the words to Petrie as she finally broke the silence.
“What an utter idiot! Why in earth would you even want to talk to him after what he said to you?” She said as she turned at Petrie who cringed under the girl’s gaze. He took a brief sigh as he gave the only answer he could think of right now. He had far too much in his mind to be willing to talk about Hoist.
“Nothing important, really. B… but Glide, do you know what’s happening out here? Who are the attackers?” He asked, able to hear the cries but luckily, the two children were far away from the main scene of the skirmishes. Glide was far from content with the other flyer’s answer but she saw no real value in trying to keep pushing him for another answer. Her expression relaxed and she lowered her voice as she answered to her friend.
“They are Peak’s former allies and friends who are here most likely to try to challenge Lenel again. But Petrie, follow me, we have to get to safety!” She said but to her puzzlement, Petrie didn’t twitch a finger to do as he was told. He looked at the girl oddly and spoke to her silently.
“Me cannot. The others won’t want to see Petrie again even if Hoist…. no longer hates me. And beside, me not part of this herd anymore so me have no place among you. And this place seems safe enough for me. Besides, me have another thing Petrie want to ask you.” He said, causing Glide’s expression turn into a highly hesitant one immediately. She wanted to get away from ere but she wasn’t certain what to say.
“But Petrie, this is not the right t….”
“This exactly the right time! One other flyer told me Olres’ secret be in the Land of the Dancing Waters! Have you heard of it?” He asked with wide eyes, really interested in what kind of answer he’d receive. However, Glide’s face fell suddenly as she heard those words, seemingly not approving of them in the least.
“Petrie, you cannot honestly say you’re trying to chase that tale! It is just something told to entertain young hatchlings!” She said, not believing in those words herself. She knew just how much it meant to many of her kind but she was hardly happy to hear her friend actually believe it enough to be ready to actually start to chase it. However, the boy wasn’t about to go give up just yet.
“That not how uncle Pterano, Lenel and many others see it! Glide, me do anything to find me friends and family. Me just wish you help me and not someone else!” He said, realizing just that his words sounded even friendlier than he had meant but anyway, they carried his message well enough. Glide looked in the male’s eyes for a few seconds, trying to think about how she should respond. But as she looked at the boy, she realized she couldn’t turn down his request. She took a deep breath and brought her right hand to touch the bottom of her beak.
“Oh, alright. Land of the Dancing Waters, you said? Now, wait for a moment, it sounds familiar… Where did I hear of it… That’s right!” She suddenly yelped to Petrie’s encouragement. It was clear Glide was more than distressed by the battle and the fate of his family but for now, she was happy that she could focus her thoughts into something else. Petrie looked at her oddly and his voice was an eager one as he answered.
“Well, then tell Petrie! Me all ears!” He said but to his puzzlement, he saw a slight cringe rise to Glide’s face. She looked even a bit sad as she prepared to answer the younger flyer’s question. The latter couldn’t come up with any reason for her reaction but his curiosity was quickly sated as Glide started to speak.
“Petrie… only one flyer has ever spoke of it to me. You see… Ortin told me it was close to the land where he and his family used to dwell before they joined with our herd. He should know much more about where that place than any other here. It’s just a shame he had to leave…” Glide said, the obvious linkage still somehow evading her mind. However,
it wasn’t for Petrie who gulped slightly as he spoke.
“But he left with Peak and if Peak here…” He simply started, causing Glide’s eyes to widen greatly as she turned to look towards the scene of the battle.
A grim look rose to Lenel’s face as he kicked the last of his enemies into the ground, her life already having been extinguished earlier. The male spat at the corpse in disgust as he turned to look at her mate with a fearful look, completely ignoring his own wounds which were by no means meaningless. He knelt besides Sireia and looked at her wounds with a sickened look. He had seen more than his share of bloodbath during his seasons but to see his beloved mate like this… it made even the cold-blooded leader cringe deeply.
“Are you alright, dear? They nearly got you.” He said as he saw Sireia cough a few loads of blood from her injured throat but she immediately took a more confident look as she spoke to her mate. She was hurting everywhere but she was also a seasoned fighter and she had been in worse situations before.
“I’d be damned… if cowards like these were able to take me down. You know that as well as I do, Lenel.” She said as she slowly tried to get to her feet, the male knowing better than to try to prevent the female. However, it wasn’t long before the inevitable happened and Sireia cursed deeply as she fell back to her knees, cringing in pain. Lenel prevented her from hurting herself any more as she slowly moved into a sitting position. Lenel’s voice was a soothing one as he spoke.
“It’s alright, Sireia. You did more than enough already. Let me finish the fight.” He said, not really prepared to argue about this particular issue. Sireia knew also that she couldn’t continue in this condition so she spoke the only words she could to help her mate in the minutes to come.
“Very well, my love. But I’m sure they were really after you all along. I… just happened to be in the wrong place in the wrong time. But about those other bastards, I don’t know what they want. Be careful, Lenel.” She said, nearly crying out in pain as she slightly changed her position. Lenel was more than hesitant to leave her here but he still had the rest of his herd to protect. He quickly turned at Northwind who was standing beside him and snapped to him with a voice that was as alarmed as it was decisive.
“Look after her but if she’ll get even more injury than she already has, your promotion will prove to be a short one indeed. As short as the rest of your life, actually.” He gave a threatening look to the other male as he took off, looking at the scene below himself with fearful eyes. There were five smaller fights here and there with the rest of the flyers quickly fleeing the surprising tide of violence. However, one of them caught most of his attention. The one involving two of his deputies and one certain flyer he hadn’t wanted to see again was one that made him more than furious and he wasted no time diving towards the ground in order to prevent any more casualties.
“Taria, look out!” Kero cried as he saw another flyer trying to attack the female. He cursed deeply the situation he and Taria were in, surrounded by a host of bloodthirsty attackers along with four of Lenel’s other followers. He was prepared to take this stand until the very end but the sight of one flyer made him shiver. He had heard Lenel had managed to beat him somehow but Bluegust, Peak’s brother, was still a flyer that anyone who had heard of him feared and respected without an end. His sight alone made Kero’s morale fall but hearing his voice made him cringe even more.
“Surrender now and I’ll make it quick! It’s more than any of you Lenel’s pawns would deserve!” He bellowed as he hit one of his foes, taking him out with one, mighty blow. He glanced at Taria nervously, clearly seeing that she was losing her own battle. There was no way he and his companions could prevail today but on the other hand, Lenel had just said he’d be in charge of the herd while he was gone. How in earth could he ever be worthy of such a responsibility if he didn’t give his all in order to prevail against these murderous traitors? He looked at Bluegust in annoyance as he answered.
“Not as long as I draw breath, Bluegust! We know very well everything about your brother and how he was ready to tear us apart because of his pride! You have shamed the name of your family for good and by Olres’ glory, we will make sure you won’t be able to harm others ever again!” He cried as he headed towards the towering male who mostly smirked at him in mockery. He quickly gave a call to his allies who wasted no time surrounding the new deputy while beating him mercilessly.
The male gritted his teeth as he looked around himself, relieved that his back was secured by two of his allies but even then, he couldn’t stand his ground for long. Sooner or later, he would be cut down if he didn’t receive any reinforcements, a prospect that made him nearly drop his guard. However, it didn’t take long until he again remembered to check the location of the true enemy and that hardly made him breath any easier.
Bluegust wasted no time moving against Taria who was being forced into ever more desperate situation. She frowned deeply as she saw another flyer fall near her by the enemy’s claws and she saw clearly that Kero would not be able to help her out of this situation. She tried to search for any redeeming quality of this nightmare but no matter how she looked, she could only see more enemies around her who were clearly thirsting for her blood. Even worse, she could see Bluegust approaching her far quicker than she would have wanted. She fought off another attacker before she turned towards the massive male and growled at him deeply.
“You will pay for this along with your pitiful brother, Bluegust! I promise to you that you will regret your “victory” before the end!” She cried before she heard a disgusted snort from the other flyer. He cast aside all of his allies as he walked towards the female with narrowed eyes. She was already covered in her own blood and it was clear to everyone that she would never be able to save herself from this situation.
She couldn’t help but feel panic start growing inside herself as she looked at the larger dinosaur’s eyes that didn’t have even a hint of mercy or understanding within them. She started to slowly realize this was the end of the road for her and all the days of service started to flow before her eyes. She had served Lenel nearly as long as she could remember and if this really was how it all was going to end, so be it. She didn’t really question whether it was all worth it as it simply had to be. It was all she had, one thought that made her suddenly sick as she stared at her soon-to-be killer in the eyes. Bluegust crossed his arms as he gave his answer to the female who knew what was coming.
“I possibly will but I’m certain you’ll regret your deeds far sooner than I will, you treacherous moron. Say greetings for that other failure of a deputy for ol’ good Bluegust and my brother!” He said as he hit the female into the ground with one quick move and pinned her down before she could recover. Taria did her best to struggle back to her feet but the more powerful male ensured she had nothing to do but continue her pitiful twitching. Time and time again, Bluegust hit the other flyer’s head into the rocky ground, feeling as her movements grew weaker and weaker. Not even a muscle twitched in his face as he followed the sickening sight of the contents of the female’s head starting to flow into the ground.
Those horrible seconds started to quickly grow dark within Taria’s mind but thankfully for her, the pain started to subside relatively early. That scene seemed far worse to everyone else but to Taria herself whose spirit started to quickly depart her body. Her last sensations were that of melancholy for devoting her life to that one, single cause but it was also mixed with pride for standing up to what she knew was right in this world. For helping the last descendant of the greatest of all flyers fulfill his destiny. And for that service, she was happy as he drew her last breath.
Kero looked at the sight in horror and disgust, his heart freezing as he saw his fellow deputy’s limbs twitch for one, last time. He had respected, even liked the female for as long as he could remember and to see her die like this… it simply wasn’t right. But even worse, he saw her killer slowly turn towards him, asking him in a cold voice.
“Now, are you ready to pay the price for what you did to us? I will kill each and every one of you responsible for what happened to our herd!”
The flyer’s eyes widened as he looked at the end of one of his deputies. Lenel had seen many abominable acts during his life but this was one of the worst. To see Bluegust use his immense power to practically crush Taria’s skull… the light-colored flyer felt nausea and rage rise within him simultaneously as he saw the male turn towards Kero with his nearly insane eyes. He cursed himself for being unable to save the loyal, long-serving female but he had simply been too far to reach her in time. But that didn’t make him feel any better.
Inside, he could see just how clear the similarities between were between this incident and Pterano’s end. In both times, he had failed to save his closest allies and friends, after which he would be forced to watch them die before his eyes. Of course, he knew well over a hundred flyers had died in different fights under his leadership but he had formed longer and closer relationships of trust with those who had served him directly all these Cold Times… losing them never got any easier.
However, Bluegust’s last words revealed his and his despicable brother’s true intentions. They had tried to assassinate both him and Sireia but also take out his entire inner circle in order to utterly wipe out the herd’s leadership. Their worst mistake had been to assume he was in his resting place along with Sireia and because of that, their plot had failed miserably. However, the threat was still very real to his herd, especially as his authority was still more than shaky. But for now, he’d make sure these villains would never succeed in their miserable conspiracy. He cried at Bluegust in utter rage as he prepared to hit him with all his might.
“You will pay for that, Bluegust! You should have simply gone some far away with your brother and never shown your face here again! But now, I will make sure you will not escape again!” He cried as he hit the other flyer, causing him to fall into the ground. He immediately dug into his side as quickly as he could, knowing he had only a few seconds to utilize his advantage. The larger flyer, however, wasted no time in regaining his footing and he turned at Lenel in a mixture of surprise and hate.
“So those fools failed to get you after all? Well, at least I’ll get the chance to repay our last encounter in kind…” He said, more than willing to avenge his previous loss. Lenel looked at him with equal amount of loathing and determination, knowing his fate wasn’t to be stopped by this brute so vey close to his life-long dream. He’d take this monster out before getting his brother and after that, his dreams were only waiting to be realized.
A look of horror and disgust rose to Petrie’s face as he saw Taria’s remains far, far below him. It was something out from a bad sleep story and before he realized it, his wings started to feel all wobbly and weak. He nearly started to fall into the ground before he suddenly realized what was happening. He soon snapped himself out of his repulsion and instead whispered to the girl beside her.
“L… look there. Not even sharpteeth… do something like that.” He said, really wondering whether the sight would hit Glide as anything unusual. However, her voice fell completely as she answered, clear horror apparent as she spoke.
“No, they don’t. I… I knew Bluegust was a monster but…” Her voice died out before she could finish her sentence, a fact that made Petrie feel even more miserable than before. He then turned to look directly at her and asked her in a pitiful voice.
“How… how you able to take this life, Glide? All you others seem to do is just fight and kill in the worst ways possible! This… this just terrible!” He squeaked, making Glide take a deep sigh, forcing her gaze away from the ghastly sight. She spoke to Petrie in a heavy voice that wasn’t completely without guilt.
“I know, Petrie. It didn’t use to be this bad and really, you’ve seen the very worst things about us. But neither did I ever expect things to go like this. I’m sorry you had to see this.” She said, clearly horrified by the amount of evil her own herd had been capable of inflicting. She was clearly disturbed by what had happened and she wasn’t going to hide that fact from Petrie. The boy frowned deeply as he looked at the girl but he decided against pressing the point further. it wasn’t his friend’s fault, after all.
“Well… so is Petrie. But where would you think Peak is right now? Me think Ortin not far away from there either.” He said, more than puzzled by the former leader’s apparent absence. Glide frowned deeply at that question, knowing that fact as well as Petrie. No leader worthy of his name or pride would hide in a battle while still retaining his respect in the eyes of his followers. That could possibly mean only one thing even if that didn’t make the search any easier.
“If Peak isn’t anywhere to be seen, he must not be well enough to do so. Lenel most likely hurt him really badly during their last meeting but even then, he cannot be far away. If I had to guess, he must be giving orders in some gorge or cave very near to us. However, it is impossible for me to say exactly in which was one.” She said, her eyes scouring her surroundings in an effort to find something, anything of worth. Petrie looked at her in clear shock, realizing just how worrying those implications actually were. The fight would end sooner or later and whatever its outcome, the duo’s window of opportunity would be closed for good. He gulped clearly as he turned to look at the girl in clear worry.
“B… but surely there has to be some way we can find Ortin! For example, me don’t believe they’d bring the fight close to Peak if he really so badly hurt? Would it not make sense to look for him in some safe place where he can follow what’s going on while still being safe?” He tried to reason, hoping his words would at least bring some ideas to his friend. Glide glanced at the boy with a confused look, thinking deeply about what he had just said. She slowly turned her gaze towards a plateau where opened a clear view towards the fight, making her frown slightly. She then spoke to Petrie as she changed her direction slightly.
“Peak would not be stupid enough to move to a place that predictable but perhaps… follow me, Petrie.” She said as her eyes fixed on a high hill sticking up from that plateau. With any luck, she’d find the fiend who had caused so much trouble to her and her herd while also being able to reunite with an old, dear friend.
The atmosphere around him seemed to grow more threatening and depressing by the minute. He didn’t dare approach Peak but judging from his expression and body language, things were hardly moving in a welcome direction. Not a word had been exchanged among the flyers in a long, long time and the only sounds that could be heard were the sound of the wind and occasional cursing from the former leader. Ortin found himself suddenly crossing arms as he looked miserably around himself. Peak’s last words had never left him and as his mood seemed to drop continuously, the boy felt a heavy weight climb up his throat.
He had tried not to think of it but Peak had really meant that he expected his entire family to go down with him if this last, desperate attempt to take Lenel out would fail. And now that this prospect started to seem very real, horror started to finally form in the boy’s mind. If Peak decided that the battle was completely lost, would he then simply turn around and kill him? That thought chilled the young boy without an end as he had never seen such a monstrous deed as a real possibility before.
Inside, the flyer knew just what kind of reasoning was behind Peak’s words, however. He had been told many times that the fortune of his line was more important than any of his own thoughts or dreams. That he was supposed to either uphold Warekli’s glory or fade away into the Great Beyond. And as long as he could remember, he had accepted that charge as an integral part of himself and he was even proud of his family. And even now, he embraced his connection to Warekli and his work as the flyer who forever remembered as the most righteous and just of the leaders of the flyer herds of old. He would never disown his ancestor but… as Ortin looked at Peak, his thoughts suddenly grew dark.
Ever since his removal from power, Peak had grown increasingly desperate and willing to throw everything away for one chance to regain what he had lost or at least for being able to have his revenge against those who had harmed him. The boy hated Lenel deeply for what he had done to his family and he wouldn’t have minded seeing the pale flyer pay for his treachery. However, he could very well see that these grand hopes for a righteous revenge were quickly disappearing, mostly because Peak had been too proud or reckless to build a new herd around his name.
A disgusted smirk rose to the flyer’s face as he looked at his higher-ranked relative. As long as he could remember, Peak had never shown a sign of compassion or kindness to him, instead giving all his attention to his own children and now, he had the never to ask him to die because of his mistakes? Inside Ortin, something changed the moment he realized that fact and really, he had absolutely no will to give the ultimate sacrifice to a relative who had led him and those around him into this nightmare. Ortin knew he wouldn’t allow this to happen and he slowly turned at his grandmother and spoke silently.
“You aren’t going to allow him do this, are you?” He said in a fearful voice, hoping his words would have some effect on the elderly female. The older flyer, slowly turned at the boy and looked at him with fearful and saddened eyes.
“Ortin… you know that we aren’t supposed to question the will of Warekli’s heir. I’ve told you so more times than I can remember.” She said, her voice wavering with compassion. She hated seeing her grandson look at her with such wide eyes but even then, she knew her place in the world and in her family. She only hoped the younger flyer would understand his as well. However, Ortin wasn’t about to give up.
“But we are all Warekli’s children, grandma! We can’t let his line die out!” He tried to reason, his words being as genuine as they were desperate. The older flyer looked at the child with a look that radiated clear displeasure but she wasn’t going to raise her voice.
“He deserves better than to see his line being reduced into nothing, Ortin. This simply is how it has to be.” She said, causing the male to frown deeply. He was just about to speak when she heard a loud cry from Peak, a call he knew to be that of an impeding withdrawal. He knew those implications when he looked at the old flyer and spoke in a more decisive voice.
“I’m not going to accept this, grandma. I’m not going to die because of Peak’s mistakes!” He suddenly said, causing the older flyer’s eyes to widen and her right wing to tremble as she heard those words. She was only starting to think about her answer when Peak turned around and cried at the elderly flyer in annoyance.
“Can’t you silence that brat? Things are already bad enough without me being forced to listen to his insufferable whining!” He said, making both of the other flyers sigh in relief. At the very least he hadn’t heard the boy’s words but even then, Ortin had made his decision. He sighed briefly before turning at his grandmother and speaking to her in a voice that radiated sadness and sorrow.
“I’m so sorry, grandma. But I simply have to do this.” He said slowly before he grabbed a stone and threw it right at Peak and cried in alarm.
“You will not tell me whether to live or die, Peak!” He cried desperately before turning around to escape deeper into the cave. He could feel the wind blowing through the tunnel, confirming without debt that there had to be another exit from the cave.
Petrie smirked slightly as he heard Peak’s last call as it confirmed his position with utmost certainty. He knew that the former leader would never make his position known unless he was growing more than desperate. However, that fact didn’t mean too much to the flyer, all of his thoughts now fixated on thinking how Ortin would react to seeing him and Glide. Petrie himself couldn’t cast aside the knowledge that his former friend was apparently close to Peak whose treachery had cost uncle Pterano his life. Inside, he hoped he could make Ortin see the truth about Peak but if he couldn’t… he didn’t know whether he could forgive the blue flyer himself. After all, if he defended the bastard who had taken his dear uncle from him… Petrie decided to ignore those thoughts for now. He soon turned at Glide and spoke to her urgently.
“There seem to be some small opening not far from peak! You think we able to sneak in from there?” The brown flyer asked, causing Glide to look at the direction her friend had pointed closely. It was true that it hardly was a good strategy to simply fly right at the main opening and right ap Peak and really, if the orange flyer was anywhere near as cunning as a flyer of his status should be, he must have reserved himself at least some kind of escape route. She slowly turned at Petrie and spoke to him in alarm, wondering just how much time she and her friend had before Lenel would start looking for the one who had tried to assassinate him in the most despicable way possible.
“That’s as good idea as any! Come, let’s take a look!” She said as she quickly headed towards the cave, hoping that the two flyers’ hopes wouldn’t prove to be unfounded. Inside, she was excited to meet Ortin again but even then, she also knew that it was highly unlikely the events of the last weeks hadn’t left their mark on the blue-colored boy. Even then, she had missed him ever since their parting and any doubts she had of meeting him again were drowned by her still-warm feeling towards him. Petrie followed her immediately, knowing that whatever happened next would be far from easy.
Lenel looked in disgust as the massive flyer before him took one step after another back, looking at his hand that was painted red from a brief touch at his chest. Bluegust panted deeply as he looked at the other male, not able to believe it. Again, he had been bested by the pale flyer even if many had claimed him to be the most fearsome fighter in the old herd. However, Lenel’s agility and patience were something that killed most of his advantage in strength. He had thought of their last meeting as some kind of mistake or anomaly but here he was, even more badly hurt than before. He slowly fell to his knees as the higher-ranked male walked towards him, licking the blood from his own beak.
“Now, you will tell me where your brother is hiding or I’ll make sure your end will become that much more difficult. Now, speak!” He said, kicking the other flyer in his stomach in order to underline his point. Bluegust turned to look at him in pain, thinking about what to do. He remembered Peak’s words earlier this morning as he slowly looked around himself, seeing only that one by one, all of his companions were being cut down. It wouldn’t be long before the last of them would fall under the vengeance of those still loyal to Lenel. He hated the fact that it would all end like this but in the end, the chance for success had been extremely small from the very beginning. He looked at Lenel in clear defeat and managed to speak to him only with great efforts.
“May the Bright Circle curse you, Lenel! You… you took everything from us!” He said, causing Lenel to kneel beside the wounded male and spoke to him in a trembling voice.
“Maybe I did not say it clearly enough! Now, tell me where he is!” Lenel cried as he hit the larger flyer again, revealing his teeth in the hopes of intimidating the other flyer even more. Bluegust was far from a coward and he would have gladly taken any amount of torture if it only helped his brother. However, he wasn’t fond of that option and besides, he didn’t even have to take it.
“Know that your threats have no effect on any flyer worthy of his name! I will only speak because Peak gave me that chance. He knew that we could only win or fade into the past and we both agreed on just that. P… Peak is in the cave in the side of the narrow mountain immediately to the south of this plateau. He will gladly accept any fate the Bright Circle will grant on him but no matter what you do, remember that we will this battle in the hearts of those who come after us! They will know that Warekli’s children went down with pride while Olres’ betrayed everything they ever stood for! And for that, I am content with my role in this life.” He said as he lowered his head, not seeing as Lenel bowed towards him with an annoyed but determined look. He brought his beak near Bluegust’s ear and whispered to him with a slow voice.
“You may say whatever you want to yourself but it was Peak’s pride who brought us to this situation. Warekli’s pride will disappear but Olres’ glory will be reborn so very soon. Peak lied to you all along but as you truly were stupid enough to do his dirty work for him, you would have deserved a far worse fate than this, Bluegust!” He said as he quickly slid the massive flyer’s throat open, turning away before he saw his old enemy’s life depart from his body. His attention was completely fixed at the sight of the mountain that stuck out from the mountainside like a sore thumb. Soon enough, he would be able to repay Peak’s ambush in kind but before then, he’d make him feel every pain he had caused on Sireia countless times over!
The tunnel before him seemed to never end and each sound he heard turned into a roar as Ortin tried to escape from Peak and the rest of his family, the former not approving the least of the young boy’s deed. Ortin knew he had been told never to rise against Peak but on this day, he simply couldn’t stand the older flyer’s attitude and his sickening plans. He had no idea what would happen if they caught him but he certainly wasn’t going to find out. Aside from his grandmother, his long-gone father was the only family member he had really cared about and he simply wouldn’t allow himself to be killed because his grandmother was stupid or stubborn enough to still follow Peak.
“Catch the brat! We have to stay together in this hour, no matter what!”
Ortin cringed deeply as he heard those words, not able to believe any of Peak’s own children or anyone else still believed those words. The boy’s eyes scoured the eyes around him as he tried to avoid getting tripped by some bigger stone in the ground. He could hear his chasers’ footsteps grow closer by the second but even then, he knew he couldn’t give up. He had to get away from here and somehow forge a new life for himself. He would survive and he would ensure the survival of Warekli’s line and make Lenel pay for h…
Suddenly, Ortin felt his right foot hit something in the ground and before he could o anything more, he felt himself hit the floor of the cave. His beak hurt tremendously but he knew better than to waste time thinking about such things. He was just about to get back to his feet as he heard a familiar voice speak to him from the darkness. The sound of that voice made him smile even before he even saw the speaker.
“Ortin! Is that you?” Glide’s voice asked as she looked at the boy’s vague form that was lying right before her. The blue-colored flyer looked at the girl before him, not really finding any words to say right now. He hadn’t expected to meet her here but only now did Ortin realize just how much he had missed his closest friend. He stuttered slightly as he finally managed to form some coherent words.
“G… Glide! Wh… how? And Petrie? Is that you?” His voice fell somewhat as he saw the other male who walked right after Glide. He was even more surprised to see him with the girl and really, he had never really yearned to see him again and even now, his presence dampened his initial joy at seeing Glide again. However, Petrie smiled at him slightly as he tried to answer the question.
“Yep, Petrie here so…” He started but before he got any further, Ortin suddenly realized just what was going on. He quickly ran towards the two other flyers and spoke to them urgently.
“Stay silent, idiot! Peak and the others are coming and we have to get away before…” He spoke but this time, he was interrupted by yet another voice. Ortin froze still as he heard that sound, not yet able to decide whether it was a blessing or a curse.
“Get here, Peak! I know you’re out there! It is all over for you and your plots as your brother confessed with his last breath!” He cried, causing Ortin to shiver with fright. He had never really liked Bluegust but to hear him to be dead… For some reason, that fact filled him with fear and even sadness. The three young flyers stared into the darkness, each of them realizing that not any footsteps could be heard anymore.
“We’ll have to go face him, Peak. It is far better for us to maintain our honor through all this than to let Ortin steal the last thing we still have left: our pride. I’m so sorry.” The elderly female spoke, her heart filled with sorrow. Inside, she was happy Ortin had made his choice even if she knew his future was still severely ruined by the actions of his family.
A member of a disgraced family never lived for long but in her mind, Ortin deserved a chance. She only hoped he wouldn’t come to regret that choice.
Peak, on the other hand, could only stare before himself with empty eyes, his thoughts swirling around countless different things. For once, the fact that Lenel knew his location meant that Bluegust indeed was dead. Suddenly, all of his days with him flew before his eyes, all the happy times they had as children, as young flyers and even at the head of his herd. Now, he was gone forever, leaving him to face the inevitable.
And Bluegust’s passing meant that he last hopes of saving his family had failed. Everything he had ever worked for lied in ruins, all of his dreams and protecting those around himself reduced to nothing. And even worse, that cursed brat had taken away whatever authority he still had retained and proved that not even his own relatives listened to him anymore. He stared forward for many, long seconds until the elderly flyer finally grew worried and asked the male carefully.
“Peak? You have to decide something!” She said, frowning even more as Peak continued to stare into nothingness for a few more seconds. However, he soon turned at the older dinosaur and finally gave his answer in a faraway and even haunted voice.
“We’ll face Lenel. Ortin will face his punishment in due time but for now, we’ll have to accept what’s coming for us. Follow me one last time.”
Peak’s attempt to regain his former position has failed miserably and it seems like he has accepted what is to come. However, the encounter is still far from over and Petrie and his friends are still hardly safe from the storms around them… I truly regret my slower writing pace but I hope to resume my earlier pace some time during the next month. But right now, it’s again time for another short story so we’ll have to wait for Ruby’s plot to move forward a bit longer.
DiddyKF1: Well, Spike’s death was a development that probably wasn’t a surprise but otherwise, it’s great to hear I’ve kept the future developments as a complete mystery as that’s something I’ve really tried to do. But even then, this wasn’t a good development which only served to make the characters’ lives even more miserable. 
And yep, there is still so very much about to happen even if this story is slowly turning towards its end. It’s nice to hear you’ve found the last chapter exciting and there is still much more of that to come. I really love to read or watch stuff where the outcome is never certain and I hope you like that as well.
rhombus: Ducky’s journey has indeed been a heartbreaking one and it’s quite clear she and Ruby can relate to each other’s tragedies. Spike’s death certainly will linger in her mind for the rest of her life but at least, she now has someone she knows she can trust to cast away at least some of the pain.
As for Stealth, the situation with him will be more complicated than I gave away in the last chapter. Stealth and Ruby’s reunion will happen soon enough but suffice to say, a sharptooth like him has many personal motives as well… I’m really happy you liked the chapter and thanks for the thoughtful review. 
