Aydin
Sorry for not updating in such a long time. But it's summer, and it's Friday! So cheers for an extra-long, bonus chapter that reveals who the brown fox, Miftka, Tehal, and Kiwia are. Enjoy!
With every evil comes a good, and with every good comes an evil, Kiwia had once thought to herself.
That's what started the Riders and their Stormhawks.
Riders were a powerful, hidden group of animals, vermin and woodlanders alike, who fought against tyrants like Salgrine and the Marlfoxes.
Vermin had reason to join because they felt unrecognized and abused by their leaders. Woodlanders were mixed in because of their long-lasting hatred for cruel animals that harmed the innocent.
It was split into five different divisions, the Lazuli Division, the Zircon Division, the Opal Division, the Obsidian Division, and the Diamond Division.
Each bred their Stormhawks with different characteristics.
For example, the Lazuli bred pale, ghost-feathered hawks. They were quick and agile. The current leaders of that division were Miftka, with her silver-feathered Stormhawk, born with the name Esoliar.
The Zircon bred vibrantly colored hawks who were brutal and fierce. The leaders were Taverii, and his companion, Scilarre, was a brilliant sea-green shade.
Opal Stormhawks were usually hawks with many patterns and designs, trained for speed and extreme aerial abilities. It was commanded by Kahn and his Stormhawk, Baore, who was midnight-black and dusted with gold and gray along his back and wings.
Obsidians were dark-feathered, stealthy and tactical. The powerful leaders of that were Deira and her pure black Stormhawk, Celtesi.
Finally, the Diamond Division was the most demanding division, requiring all members to be rounded in all the areas. Their coloring was wide-ranged, from whites to blacks, pale creams to dark browns, light greens to midnight blues, and everything in between. The unrivaled leaders of that were older than any other pair of leaders: Dante and his stunningly beautiful hawk, Terigen, who was pearl-feathered and spangled with browns, golds, and blacks.
The founders, now tinged silver with age, were a pair of mice and two hawks. The mice were wanderers who'd travelled from afar and became shipwrecked on their voyage. They'd acquired two hawk eggs along the way, and not long after they'd crashed, the eggs had hatched.
One was a large, brawny and savage male who was extremely protective over his shy companion from the start. He had striking golden plumage and a black band around his eyes. His wings were powerful, lengthy, banded white and tipped black. His terrifying golden eyes were icy and piercing, and a crest of feathers swept over his head. His talons were black and deadly.
The other was a female, petite but compact in build. It was obvious that she was made for speed, agility, and stealth. Her feathers were a stunning midnight-black shade, although they held a silver sheen. Her eyes were golden as well, but a lighter, honey-colored golden. Her wings weren't as clipped, large, and thick as the male's, but they were powerful and beautiful like that of an angel's, tipped with black-gold designs. Her body was slender and lithe, giving her an advantage in the wind, and her beak was hooked and black. Her talons, though not as sharp as the male's, were still black and curved.
The female mouse, Faera, was a well-proportioned, bracken-furred creature with intelligent hazel eyes and a pinkish nose. Her paws were small, white, and dainty, and her tail was always poised above her in an elegant curl.
Her mate, Reditore, was a handsome, dark gray shade with a lean frame. His eyes were dark brown and endless, and on his back was strapped his favorite ivory-hilted dagger. It was a present from Faera.
They'd named the female hawk Sahna and the male Aurem, which was their native language for 'golden' or 'shining'.
The two young chicks had grown rapidly, and before long, they were able to carry Faera and Reditore from place to place. It was like a nightly routine.
But it was on one of these routines that they'd seen the true cruelty of Lord Salgrine's father, Damir.
---
Like every other night, the slender-figured Faera clambered aboard the silky back of Sahna.
Craning her neck slightly to watch what they were doing, the female hawk allowed them to attack a seat to her back. With one patronizing golden eye, she studied them with her head cocked, but seemed willing enough. Tightening the cinch to make sure the saddle didn't slip off, Reditore leaped onto Aurem's broad back and pulled his neckfeathers upwards.
Flying with an easy gait, the two majestic birds spiraled across the sky, dancing and weaving amongst each other.
Faera smiled softly to her mate, and he returned the gaze with one of pure exhilaration.
"Freee-ahh!" Sahna trilled suddenly in her bell-like tones. Faera ran her paws through the female's striking feathers and smoothed out the ruffled ones. Sahna gave a contented sigh, filled with pleasure and excitement. Suddenly, the mouse felt her ride tense, stared into her intense eyes, and was immediately aware of the danger as well.
"Red!" Faera half-whispered half-screeched. Her mate turned to look at her, and she pointed her paw downwards. "We've got to stop them!"
What they were seeing was this:
A poor, young white fox shackled to sticks, whiplashes all over his frail body. A mother was wailing, and another rat was beating her with a willow switch.
Several other vermin were sitting around them, cackling at the fox's predicament. A lard-bellied scarlet fox was lying at the center, waving his fat paws and screaming for them to whip the prisoners harder.
"Get away from them," snarled Reditore, and Faera stared menacingly beside him. Aurem and Sahna crowed with agreement.
Some scattered at their magnificent entrance.
Aurem's feathers were shimmering, reflecting the moonlight like the water reflected the sunlight. It was brilliant, and he looked as if he were on fire; a phoenix. His majestic wings looked as if they trailed fire; he was simply glowing.
Sahna was as regal as Aurem looked petrifying. Like a queen, her head was held high, the scarce light from the moon rippling over her delicate plumage, creating a celestial mirage, as if she were an angel. She was radiant, and heavenly.
The huge leader glared and them and shook his fist. A small male fox kit was crouched beside him, his bushy black tail waving. Faera swooped closer to hear:
"Father, get up and fight them!"
But the giant monster did nothing but order his followers to attack, not caring about their agonized screams and wails as Aurem brutally tore them apart. Faera stared at Reditore in horror, her soft brown eyes wide with anguish.
"Where are we?" she whispered.
In a matter of moments, the vermin all lay strewn across the red speckled ground.
Reditore shook his head angrily, his eyes blazing at the damage they'd done. The small fox kit had fled from his dead father's side.
"He could've helped, and maybe they would've won," snarled the dark, gray-furred mouse, shaking and trembling in fury. Faera touched his arm gently with a single white paw, comforting him, soothing him.
"He was a coward," she conceded. Reditore shook his head.
"And to think that there are more of these disgraces," he spat as Faera tried in vain to calm him down. "We must stop them."
"Stop them we shall," Faera amended quietly.
---
The little white fox and his mother were the first to join the Riders, as they called themselves.
Aurem and Sahna had settled down together, and by the spring, they had their first batch of eggs.
"Oh," the mother, Dani, cooed, "they're so precious!"
Although her son, Dante, looked indifferent, everyone could tell that he had his eye on the pearly white one.
It was smooth as a marble, speckled with many shades of scarlet, gold, and gray. It was the first egg Sahna and Aurem had, and he was more than desperate for it to hatch so that he could have a companion of his own. He'd seen the joy of Reditore and Faera as they flew with their companions, and several times, they'd let him ride their hawks as well, but it just wasn't the same.
Sahna and Aurem belonged to Faera and Reditore, and Faera and Reditore only.
They'd given their hearts to them, and would be devoted to them for a lifetime. It just wasn't the same as having your own hawk to have a connection with.
You could tell how they adored their Riders.
No one was allowed to touch the haughty Aurem on the ground but Reditore. Once, Dante had reached out hesitantly to stroke his scintillating golden feathers, only to pull back as the enormous hawk focused his startling golden eye upon him. But when Reditore came to pet him, he stood still, eyes hooded, even leaning into the touch.
Sahna was solely Faera's.
Although she allowed others to ride her, she was always tense when they did. Dante could feel their powerful bodies tensing the moment he made contact with them. Plus, Sahna felt no connection with anybody but Faera, and she treated them such as well. She ignored most, but it was Faera's attention and praise that she sought most. It was Faera that she lavished all her love on. And it was Faera that she felt the most open with. Sahna had eyes for none but Faera.
Meanwhile, as he longingly awaited for the egg to hatch, Reditore taught him to fight.
Soon, he had mastered the bow and arrow as well as the javelin and the spear, and he was most adept with the sword.
He thought of it as a dance, like a dance of the snake, and he fought like it was so. His tactics were stealthy and unanticipated, but savage and fierce as well. Once he attacked, he would quickly pull back, forcing the enemy to step closer if he hoped to get in a strike.
In a few months, he was able to dispatch Reditore without breaking a sweat.
The egg he loved was also making progress. It was the first to start shaking violently, and the last to stop.
Finally, when he was sparring with Reditore in close combat, Sahna had circled overhead, half-singing half-crying,
"Krree! Kreeeh! Free-ah!"
It was like they'd rehearsed it a million times before. As he leaped into the sky, Sahna swooped below him and carried him off, her wings angled towards their hidden camp made of rock.
When he arrived, he was breathless and frantic.
"Where is it? Has it hatched?!" he panicked, looking around wildly. His mother held up a white paw, signaling him to be quiet. Then, she pointed.
There was the polished little egg, sitting in the nest, shivering. A crack split the side, and Dante gasped in wonder as the tiny, featherless bundle emerged, took its first few wobbly steps, then collapsed onto the nest.
Aurem's striking golden eyes were fixed upon the dripping chick, and his chest swelled proudly as he preened his mate's neck. Dante could've sworn they were purring.
Then, Aurem's gaze switched to meet his, and he felt a silent urge. In that moment, he knew what Aurem was telling him.
Reaching forward, he touched the baby's forehead tenderly with his index finger.
A strong pulse slammed him unconscious, but before he blacked out completely, he felt a wave of assurance and contentment, as if saying 'I'm yours and your mine, now isn't life fine?'
---
"Dante?" he heard the worried voice of his mother come from his left, and he felt a gentle paw shake him. Sleepily, he opened his eyes and rubbed them with the back of his paw. He gasped again.
There was the previously wet bundle of feathers standing on its own, staring inquisitively at him.
But the most surprising thing was his rapid growth.
Just before he'd slipped into his 'sleep', the hawk chick had been nothing more than just a baby.
Now, it looked healthy, vibrant, and alive.
Its body was mainly white, but its tail, chest, and wings were spangled gold, brown, and black. Its feathers were sleek and lustrous, a double layer to prevent water from leaking through and stopping its flight. Its eyes were a strange, emerald-green hue and rimmed with honey-gold. It was built with a slender but muscular figure, perfect for Dante's fighting style. The tail was long and silky, allowing them to have full advantage of the air, and its wings were angelic, like its mother's.
With its boyish figure, the white fox guessed it was a male.
The young hawk tapped his beak against Dante's right paw, and he felt the hawk's thoughts flow into his mind.
"Terigen," Dante whispered, stroking the hawk. He felt so happy, so ecstatic; it was like no joy he'd ever experienced before. A wave of euphoria crashed upon him, and he felt like he was soaring. "Terigen." The word was sweet on his tongue, and he rolled it around. It was fitting, he felt. He didn't know, he just felt.
"Terigen, huh?" came Faera's soft, lilting voice.
He hadn't noticed her there, and, startled, he whipped around quickly, causing Terigen to squeal with displeasure at the sudden movement.
The female mouse's eyes smiled at him as she spoke.
"It's very fitting you know. In our language, it means 'clever' or 'cunning. And, if you tweak the pronunciation a little bit so it's spoken like 'Teh-ra-gen' rather than 'Teh-ra-jin', then it would mean 'galaxy', or 'destiny', or 'forever'."
For the first time since he'd been rescued, Faera saw him smile the most brilliant smile she'd ever seen.
---
Terigen grew to be amazing in physical appearance as well as ability. His personality was sweet-natured and his heart held compassion for all. He refused to eat any sort of young prey and played with any other animals the Riders encountered.
His outer appearance was simply divine. His feathers were a beautiful, snow-white shade, sparkling in the sunlight. Gold, brown, and black stars dashed across his body and adorned his wings, tail, and chest. His body was perfectly proportioned. His eyes, bright and full of life, reflected the lusciousness of a tropical rainforest. When he flew, his tail feathers and wing feathers billowed out behind him like streamers.
Dante and Terigen were the perfect pair, as their tactics were uncannily similar. Terigen's figure allowed him to angle himself so that Dante was able to strike and pull back smoothly and sinuously.
The size of the Riders had increased considerably. They were the most powerful force in all of Mossflower, only rivaled by their one true enemy, the Shadows.
Just like Riders were dedicated to fighting against tyrants, the Shadows were animals of every sort that could be paid to help fight. Cruel, insane, and heartless, they were led by their savage leader, a monstrous black wolverine and his son, Tehal.
---
For years, the Riders and their Stormhawks dedicated their lives to destroying tyrants. The Obsidian Division branched off into two different groups, the spies and the assassins.
They remained forever enemies with the Shadows, and raids were led upon their camps.
The strongest rivalry, however, came from two siblings with different dreams.
---
The wind ruffled the fur of the small, dark, honey-colored ferret. Her eyes were bright as she skipped over to her brother and looked up adoringly at him. From behind her back, she produced a clump of drying wildflowers, their yellow petals withering slightly.
"I got these for you, Tehal!" she squeaked shyly.
Her brother, a male ferret of an even darker shade, smiled absently and stroked his little sister's head in appreciation. His eyes were distant, though it went unnoticed by the younger female ferret.
"Thanks, Kiwia," he said, but his tone implied anything but. Kiwia smiled to herself, happy that she'd pleased him.
---
"That was before," Kiwia whispered in a pained voice, "That was before you left me when I needed you most."
---
Their house was burned, complete burned to the ground. Only ashes remained, still glowing red-hot. Kiwia clung to Tehal in shock, her tiny, light golden paws restraining his paws.
Her parents. Dead. Gone. Burned. Suffocated.
"Don't leave me," she sobbed to her brother. He stared down at her with cold, impassive eyes and easily shook her off. Then, he nodded to the barbaric-looking assortment of animals that had burned down their house and went to stand beside them. He glared at the pitiful form of his sister and looked away as he indifferently,
"They've offered me a job. I don't have to stay here anymore. I'm joining the Shadows. Maybe they'll put you in a happier place than this. Maybe not."
Then, turning on his heel, he left his little sister crying and shaking as she tried to pull away from the two weasels holding her captive.
He left.
---
She ripped herself out of the memory as her commander, Deira, called her for her next mission.
"We're on Salgrine," the solid white ermine informed her.
She nodded.
He was the reason why she'd joined the Riders.
She was determined never let anyone hurt the way she did because of him.
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