The Rio the Darkness Saga Remastered
Rio the Darkness 4: Love and Light
Chapter 34: Invasion
Here we are, back with chapter 34. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year. Welcome to 2019! Let's celebrate with a big chapter to the new year. Enjoy.
Meditation. That was all she could do lately, waiting for something. For what, she did not know. The Angelus rested in her throne room, her elite guards stood at every corner of her surroundings. Her personal bodyguard Drako remained at her side as usual, one-hundred percent focused.
It had been a long time she had gathered so much peace, her endless war with Nexus finally at an end. She was grateful yet concerned. It was too difficult to adjust to. With a small exhale, the Angelus pressed both wings together as she leaned back.
"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" Drako inquired with concern. "You seem troubled."
"It is nothing to be worried about, Drako," the Angelus reassured. "I thank you for your concern. It is difficult to adjust to peace. I fear something will happen. Every day, I trained my mind and body to grow stronger, preparing for the threat."
Drako raised an eyebrow under his mask. "What threat, Your Majesty?"
"That is the question," the Angelus responded. "I do not know. I fear no amount of training will suffice."
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, your power has approved in the following months," Drako noted politely. "You have risen your power by at least triple. It is an impressive feat."
"Thank you, Drako," the Angelus expressed her appreciation, but had more to say nevertheless. "But I will never regain my full strength. And that is why I fear."
Shifting slightly, Drako turned towards her and while he could not show it behind his mask, he offered her an expression of assurance. "Everyone here will give their life to preserve peace, your Majesty. As your personal bodyguard, it is my duty to protect you. You are the queen of light, the sunlight itself. I will gladly give off my life if it means keeping you safe."
His words were kind and the Angelus appreciated them. She raised a small smile as she turned towards him. "Thank you, Drako. I am grateful to have your help. If only-"
Their conversation was cut by a sudden explosion. In panic, the guards jumped and raised their weapons as the entire castle shook around them. Instinct took over Drako as he grasped the Angelus' wing, pulling her from her throne.
The throne doors burst open, multiple guards ran inside, their faces filled with worry.
"Your Majesty!" one of them exclaimed. "We are under attack! Dark macaws have infiltrated our forces and they were cutting through us greatly!"
Dark macaws. A threat she had not expected to see in a long time. Without Nexus, the Angelus swore they would be disbanded and weaker, yet here they were.
"I must go and see!" the Angelus said, leaping to her feet as she ran upstairs. Drako chased after her shortly, refusing to leave her alone.
Arriving at the top of her castle, the Angelus could only watch in horror as an army of dark macaws attacked her home, spread like ants. Worst, they looked stronger than before. How was this possible?
"Your Majesty, we must get you back inside!" Drako requested, his sword was raised in both wings. "Quickly!"
Hesitant, the Angelus retreated inside, Drako blocking the door behind them to prevent an attack from above. They returned to the throne room, the strongest area of the castle. Multiple guards surrounded the now barricaded door, their weapons raised as they prepared for the threat.
The Angelus was relieved to see Sigma had made it here before dark macaws had found him. He stood with the troops, his staff clutched tightly in both hands.
"Your Majesty," Sigma greeted with relief. "We tried, but despite our numbers, they broke through us like nothing. Their leader, I can't believe it!"
"Who is it, Sigma?" the Angelus questioned as Drako escorted her behind her throne.
"It's-" Sigma was prevented from speaking as the doors begun to shattered, banging from the other side. "They're here!"
Everyone prepared themselves. However, their odds were not on their side. Ten guards, a yellow and blue macaw, a bodyguard and the queen against a full army of dark macaws. No doubt their chances were slim, but no one intended to give up.
"You are soldiers of the light," Sigma reminded them firmly. "Sworn to protect this world. No matter what comes through that door, you will stand your ground and fight!"
His words were encouraging, though that did not ease their worries. Fear almost paralyzed them as the doors continued to vibrate, bits of wood collapsed. In seconds, the entire room would be swarmed.
"Your Majesty, I recommend you get yourself to safety," Drako suggested. "Use your powers to open a portal to Earth, save yourself while they cannot see us."
"No," the Angelus declined immediately. She stood firmly. "I will not abandon my people. Now prepare yourself."
Although he did not agree, Drako respected her decision. They stood their ground as the door to the throne room finally caved in, falling towards the ground as everyone moved out of the way. The guard stood their ground as dark macaws marched inside, taking up positions at the entrance of the throne room.
Seconds later, their leader emerged from the crowed and stood at the front, a small chuckle exited his beak as he greeted them. Standing to his left was another dark macaw who appeared slightly smaller then average, serving as his personal general.
"Angelus," he greeted calmly while he spun a staff within one wing, a mist of dark essence surrounded him. "It has been a long time since we encountered one another. My uncle was right: you are weaker than your previous interpretation, a shell of your former self."
"Ivan," the Angelus growled. "I should have known you would follow in your uncle's footsteps."
Ivan merely chuckled as he raised one wing, ordering his men to remain where they were for now. "I admit that I miss my uncle Nexus, but nevertheless, I intend to finish what he could not. As you can see, I have been busy. The army is stronger than ever! All those years of studying magic and sorcery paid off."
"What do you want, Ivan?" Sigma questioned, his eyes focused towards his enemy.
"Lots of things," Ivan responded casually. "But let's make this our priority: I intend to finish Lord Nexus' work. First, I will take this world for my own, next I will pacify you into submission, then I will claim the orbs and then I will destroy all of Rio. Simple, is it not?"
"Over my dead body!" Sigma growled as he prepared to charge. "Leave now, while you can."
Before Ivan could respond, his trusted general stepped forward. Deuvo grinned and raised a single wing, using his telekinesis abilities to lift a few daggers. "Seems they are trying to threaten us, Lord Ivan."
Ivan chuckled, amused by his threats. "So, it seems, General Deuvo. Empty threats, boy. If you wish to be a hero, so be it. Brothers, keep the Angelus alive but as for the others…Kill them."
Without hesitation, the army of dark macaws charged. The light macaws engaged them in combat, but their thin numbers rendered them helpless to stop them all. In seconds, Sigma, Drako and the Angelus remained the only ones left.
Refusing to give up, Sigma stood his ground, using his staff to deflect their attacks and followed with knocking them down. He had to hit a lot harder than usual, the dark macaw's increased power made them more dangerous than before.
Eventually, he too became overwhelmed. The unarmed dark macaws jumped him, pinning him down as they moved to kill him. Drako continued to hold his own elsewhere, using his enhanced training to kill them with ease, but he too couldn't hold them back for ever.
Ivan chuckled as he watched the group become overwhelmed. "This was too easy. I feel a little guilty."
Attacked, restrained and full of rage, Sigma refused to give up. "I will not let you destroy my WORLD!"
Everyone watched in surprise as a huge wave of lighting exploded, throwing the dark macaws into the air throughout different directions. Ivan watched with delight as Sigma stood before him, now filled with lighting around him.
"Impressive," Ivan noted, raising one wing to under his army to cease their attack for now. "Lee informed me of a macaw whose power rivalled the elite guards, but even I did not believe it."
Sigma ignored him, thrusting his staff forward to release a barrage of lighting towards the dark macaws. With a small sigh of boredom, Ivan raised one wing and caught the lighting. Sigma could only watch in horror as Ivan trapped his attack with ease, cancelling it out with little effort.
Absorbing the lighting until it was disappeared, Ivan calmly stepped forward to the now shocked macaw. "My turn."
With swift speed, Ivan thrust his staff forward and a huge blast of dark essence emerged. A fireball of dark flew through the sky, blasting Sigma directly in the chest and sending him flying. In seconds, he hit the ground with a sickening thud.
"Sigma!" the Angelus cried as she jumped out from her cover to attend to him.
"With a power of lightning, I expected a little more," Ivan said disappointingly. "Wave one, deal with the bodyguard."
A group of at least thirty charged forward. Drako raised his sword and charged, refusing to let any of them pass so long as he breathed. While he distracted them, the Angelus knelt and placed both wings around Sigma's torso, pulling him to safety.
She gently set him down behind her throne, watching with concern as his body burned. "Sigma! Please, tell me you are alright!"
Sigma groaned, clutching one wing over his wound. His torso burned, pain left him weak and dazed. Despite his condition, he was more concerned for the Angelus well-being than his own. "Your Majesty…Please, run. Get out of here while you can."
The Angelus shook her head. "Sigma, we do not have much time, so I need you to listen carefully. I will open a portal to Rio, but only you will travel. They are here for me, not you. Run, find Blu and tell him what has happened. His powers can be restored so long as he reaches the containment orb."
Sigma slowly shook his head. "I cannot leave you here alone."
The Angelus sighed. "It is not your decision. I am sorry."
Against his wishes, the Angelus waved one wing and opened a portal with ease. The dark macaw's attention changed, allowing Drako to cut some of them down while distracted. Sigma protested, but the Angelus refused to listen as she threw him inside. Quickly, she closed the portal and stood over her throne.
Drako had done well and took down all thirty of the wave but was exhausted. A punch from a single dark macaw finally rendered him unconscious. He moved to deliver the killing blow, only to be blasted away by a small yet deadly light beam.
Ivan stepped closer as he threw off his cape, his staff held firm in one hand. "I am surprised. I expected you to have run by now."
"I do not run," the Angelus replied. Intending to make her last stand her, the Angelus picked up Drako's sword and stepped forward, taking up a defensive state. "Let us get this over with, or do you intend to send more troops."
Ivan only chuckled in response. "I do admire your bravery, but you are a fool to challenge me. I have grown stronger than you could possibly imagine."
"I am the Queen of Light, the ruler of this world and will be your doom," the Angelus disagreed.
"Very well," Ivan sighed. "Stay back, brothers. I will deal with her myself."
Excitement filled the dark macaw's thoughts as their leader moved forward to fight. It would be amusing to see her attempts to fight him. Wasting no time, the Angelus lunged forward and attacked.
Ivan used his staff to block her attacks with ease, fighting with only the use of one wing that he wielded his weapon in. As their weapons clashed, Ivan kicked her backwards.
"You have skill," Ivan noted. "A shame it has been wasted."
Blocking out his taunts, the Angelus attacked again, striking with incredible speed. He had been training hard, blocking each strike without breaking a single sweat. As she raised her sword, Ivan whacked his staff against her wing, causing her to drop her weapon.
Now unarmed, the Angelus resorted to fighting hand to hand. Her martial arts skills were impressive, but not enough for Ivan to have difficult with. She threw a punch, only for Ivan to block before headbutting her to stun.
He spun her around and placed his staff against her neck, holding her pressed against him in a hold. "You are strong, Angelus. It's a shame that your true power was cut. You may have held your own longer."
Ivan shoved her forward and she fell. It was clear now that she could not harm him through physical means. Leaping to her feet, the Angelus cupped both wings together and moved them to her side, charging her signature attack.
"You are strong-willed," Ivan noted, remaining in his position without worry. "Interesting."
"Luz Felixe Ataque!" the Angelus screamed with determination, thrusting her wings forward and unleashing a huge light beam that engulfed the dark macaw whole.
The army was forced to move aside to avoid her attack, knowing it could harm them greatly. The Angelus did not cease her attack until no more energy remained. Exhausted, the Angelus fell to her knees, using her wings to keep herself supported.
As the light cleared, the Angelus gasped as Ivan emerged, completely unharmed by her attack. Fear overcame her as she fell to her back, defenseless. "No…"
"Not bad," Ivan admitted as she bushed one wing against his feathers. "I think you may have singed some of my feathers. Now, let's wrap things up."
Without another word, Ivan unleashed a small smoke of dark essence towards her. Overwhelmed with her one weakness, the Angelus collapsed, coughing her body grew weaker by the second.
"Do not worry," Ivan assured as he knelt to her. "It is not enough to kill you, only subdue."
She had fought as much as her body could handle, but this was a fight she could not win. Weak, ashamed and defeated, the Angelus lost consciousness, falling fully as her green eyes closed. In seconds, the world around her disappeared.
Blu stirred from his sleep as the morning sky was beginning to rise, shining the sunlight into his hollow. Opening his eyes slightly, he narrowed his eyes around his nest. The lovely Jewel was sleeping peacefully within his wings, her back turned to him under the comfort of his wings. Nearby, their three children were sleeping, too.
A few seconds passed until his wife was beginning to open her eyes as if fate had destined them to wake up together. Blinking her eyes to dispose of sleepiness, she turned around and faced him, yawning as their eyes met. "Morning."
"Morning to you, too," Blu greeted. "Did you have a nice sleep?"
"After last night, it was perfect," Jewel replied smiling. "Thank you for an amazing anniversary."
"And thank you for being the perfect wife," Blu returned the gesture. "Here's to one year of happiness."
"And many more to come," Jewel added.
The blue macaws leaned forward and exchanged a brief kiss before resuming their sleeping position. The day was still relatively early and there was no reason to get up just yet. With their children asleep, this gave them much needed peace and quiet.
The timing was perfect now. Jewel raised her head talk. "Blu, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."
Blu raised an eyebrow curiously, noting the sudden change in tone. "Okay. Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing bad," Jewel reassured. "But it's really important. So, the thing is- "
"Blu! Jewel!"
The new voiced startled the blue macaws from their slumber, inadvertently waking the kids in the process. The lovebirds shared an exchanged look, both thinking the exact same thought as the exclaimed simultaneously. "Sigma?!"
Jumping to their feet, the two approached the end of the hollow, confirming their suspicions as a familiar gold and blue macaw perched upon a branch. Sigma panted, one wing wrapped tightly around his stomach while he barely stood. The blue macaws were surprised to see their old friend had returned after several months, but judging by his appearance, this wasn't exactly a homecoming visit.
Jewel was the first to notice his injured state, quickly taking one of his wings before he lost consciousness. "Sigma, you're hurt. What's going on?"
"And where's the Angelus?" Blu added while taking Sigma's other wing.
Gently, the blue macaws sat him down within their nest while he groaned in anguish. Jewel pushed away his wing with some coaxing, noting the burned damage across his torso that exposed his under skin.
Reluctant to see the children witness a graphic sight, Blu gently pushed them towards the end of the hollow. "Kids, go and play outside for a while."
The kids stopped halfway, turning back towards the sight of the stranger in their home. The new bird and their parents' nervous behavior peaked the curiosity of their child minds. Rey, Azul and Crystal asked the questions around their minds.
"Who is that?"
"Dad, is he gonna be okay?"
"Why is he hurt?"
"Just go outside," Blu ordered a second time, slightly harsher than he intended. Upon realizing his tone of voice, he softened before tears formed in their little eyes. "We'll talk later, I promise. I just need you to listen now, okay?"
Softly, the children nodded before exiting their hollow. Now that they were out of harm's way, the blue macaws attended to their ally who helped them months ago during the battle against Nexus. Were it not for his presence, the chances of being here today were slim to none.
"That looks bad," Blu noted as he examined the injury. "You need help, I'll get Tulio!"
He prepared to leave and fetch help from his human allies, only to be stopped by his wife. Jewel grasped his wing and yanked him back.
"Blu, we can't," Jewel explained. "Sigma's not like normal birds, he has powers beyond their knowledge. If we take him to Tulio, who knows what will happen? I trust him, but other humans will take an interest and experiment on him."
In his panicked state, Blu had not considered this. Thankful that his wife could think rationally, he joined her in assisting Sigma whom had yet to utter another word.
"Sigma, what happened?" Blu inquired, his worst fears beginning to rise. "Was it Nexus?"
Sigma shook his head softly, grunting as the pain continued throbbing through his body. "No. Ivan."
His answer only left further puzzlement to the blue macaws. Blu eyed him curiously. "Ivan? Who's that? Did he do this? Where's the Angelus? Is she here?"
"Just shut up a minute!" Sigma barked, his mind in chaos as the pain clouded his better judgement. "Please. I-I-I'm a lot of p-pain."
"We understand," Jewel soothed as she gently lied him down within their nest, doing as much as possible to keep him comfortable. "Blu, I need you to get Rafael and Eva. They know what to do. Don't ask, just go."
Blu nodded. Without hesitation, he charged out of their hollow and used the extra momentum to gather more speed. His mind remained in chaos as he tried to comprehend the situation. Sigma had returned, injured and no doubt attacked by someone with evil intentions. There was no time to think on that now. Next stop, Rafael's.
Hours later, the Angelus begun to return to reality after she was subdued by her attacks. She blinked her laurel green eyes, groaning as her body remained weakened from dark essence. Summoning all her might, she placed both wings down and pushed herself up. Rubbing one wing over her head, her surroundings came to as the grogginess in her eyes dispersed.
She was in a cell, no doubt one of her own. Upon waking up wholly, she gasped upon noting the change of environment. Instead of the beautiful white color, the whole castle was now darkened to the point of little visibility. No doubt her attacks had corrupted this world with dark essence. To add insult to injury, she felt a cold metal substance brushing against her neck.
The Angelus raised both wings and grasped the dark essence collar attached to her neck tightly. She pried with all her might, but her superior strength faltered. Approaching the now dark essence force field, she slammed her wings in anger. "Free me! Your insolence will be punished!"
"Save your strength."
She narrowed her eyes to the cell opposite of hers to see a familiar yellow and blue macaw who was fitted with a collar similar to her own. The Angelus frowned to recognize her. "Kate."
"You remember my name," Kate replied while resting on her bed with both wings placed behind the back of her head. "I'm touched."
"I do not need your mockery," the Angelus snapped as she once more fiddled with her collar, desperately trying to free her restraint.
"You want to tell me what's happening out there?" Kate inquired. "Those dark macaws resemble Lord Nexus. Why they haven't freed me yet is kind of a mystery."
"An army of black macaws have invaded the castle." the Angelus answered while she examined her force field, trying to determine a way out. "They are led by Ivan, the nephew of Nexus."
"Oh, that's great." Kate frowned. "Why don't you just use your powers to open the cell?"
"I cannot use my powers while this collar taps into my power," the Angelus replied between growls of frustration. She grasped her collar once more, resorting to slamming herself against the wall in a desperate attempt to free. "I am the Angelus! No binds will hold me! No cell will detain me!"
Kate opened her beak to reply, but that's when distant footsteps caught her attention. From one direction of the prison, the new leader of darkness arrived, accompanied with two guards.
"You have regained consciousness," Ivan noted. "I could hear you from down there."
"Ivan!" the Angelus growled as she slammed her wings against the force field. "You will rue the day you crossed me!"
He stood less than a foot from the force field, unfazed by her threats. He chuckled as he tapped his staff against the force field. "Please save your threats. I have a very business day planned. Let's save us both time. Where are the orbs?"
Frowning, she refused to answer and stood back. "Go to Hell."
"Feisty, aren't we?" Ivan noted. "In all my years serving under Lord Nexus, I never failed, and I do not intend to disgrace his memory. You can fight all you want, but my reputation of breaking the spirits of mortals is not to be exaggerated. Even you cannot resist. So, I will ask a second time: where are the orbs?"
Once more, she remained silent. Keeping a cool composer, he calmly pressed his staff against the force field, dispersing it with ease. The second it was gone, she did not hesitate to throw her fist forward, only for him to jolt his own wing and catch it with ease. He trapped his staff against her head, knocking her down with such a small yet powerful strike.
"That was uncalled for," Ivan scolded as his two guards grabbed one of her wings each. "It seems you need a lesson in humility. Bind her."
Against their wishes, the Angelus thrashed to free her wings, but without her light essence to enhance her power, there was nothing she could do. The great queen of light could do little more than struggle as they bound her. "Let go of me! I demand you let me go!"
Her restrainers tied dark essence rope around her torso, forcing her wings to her sides to prevent any more aggression. Even with her powers subdued and her wings tied, her desire to fight was not tamed. She continued to struggle while her restrainers held her still.
"Take her to the throne room," Ivan ordered. "I will be along shortly."
The dark macaws bowed their heads. "As you wish, Lord Ivan."
Ivan watched with satisfaction as they dragged her away, pleased with the results. Phase one of the plan was complete. Now all he needed were the orbs. Shifting his attention towards the other prisoner, he calmly dispersed of her force field.
Upon entering the cell, she immediately jumped out of her bed and backed away towards the end of the cell, no doubt intimidated by his presence. It didn't help that her small size was nothing compared to his own height, almost matching Nexus.
"L-L-L-Lord Ivan," Kate greeted nervously and positioned herself on one knee.
Ivan placed his staff against her head. "Rise."
She did so without hesitation, standing before him. "I-It's an honor to meet."
He observed her terrified state while his wing was placed against the side of her face, stroking one wingtip from up to down. "You were one of my uncle's most trusted generals. It pains me to know he is no longer amongst us. It even angers me to know his allies are alive."
Kate gulped as his voice grew more sinister and softer, sending chills down her spine in fear. "I-I-I…"
"If you were an enemy, I would not hesitate to harm you," Ivan warned. "But I am not without reason. Tell me: do you believe you have a place in my new empire?"
Slowly, she nodded, terror preventing her speech. "I…Y-Y-Yes, I c-c-can be of value. Just p-please don't hurt me."
Ivan grinned as his wing moved towards the back of her neck. Initially, she was expecting the worst to follow, but instead, a wave of relief washed over as the collar around her neck broke off, freeing her binds and allowing her to use her power. "There may be hope for you yet. Come, join me in private. I have a proposition for you."
With the help of their toucan friends, the appropriate care was given to their injured gold and blue macaw ally. Thanks to Eva's knowledge of healing techniques, Sigma's condition was stabilized. Years of taking care of accident-prone children had paid off well.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Jewel inquired.
Eva placed the remaining herbs against his torso, tightening them with a vine. "The wound wasn't as serious as we thought. He will be fine soon, make sure he gets plenty of rest and drinks water."
"We will," Blu reassured while crossing his wings. "But now we need to find out what happened exactly. If there's a threat to come, we need to alert everyone."
"Now let's not jump to conclusions," Jewel suggested. "Yes, I get that he's hurt, but we have to approaching this carefully."
Blu, however, disagreed. "Jewel, you can't be serious. After what happened last time, we were unprepared, we were attacked and…And…I lost you…"
Not a day went by that he didn't think of her passing, something that would forever haunt him. Sensing his worry, Jewel approached and hugged him for comfort. "That won't happen again. I'm not saying we won't prepare, but we need to understand what's happening. Okay?"
Blu nodded as he leaned out from their embrace. "Okay."
"You two seem to have everything under control," Eva noted and prepared to return home. "Is there anything I should tell Rafael?"
"Just tell him we're on prime two," Blu requested. "He will know what I mean."
Eva arched an eyebrow to his suggestion but thought nothing of it. Bidding her blue macaw friends farewell for now, she took flight towards home. She was not the only one who was confused to his request.
Jewel eyed him curiously. "What did you mean by that? "Prime two"?"
Blu opened his beak to answer, but that's when the familiar groaning of their friend caught their attention. Sigma leaned up, sighing in relief after the pain had died down considerably. Now consciousness, the lovebirds attended to him.
"Sigma, you're awake," Jewel greeted. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been hit by a truck," Sigma responded with a small groan. His eyes widened as the reality finally hit him in the face, trying to stand and run. "The Angelus! We have to help her!"
Blu and Jewel took each of his wings and escorted him back, the former speaking. "Easy. Sigma, relax. Just take a deep breath and tell us what happened."
Sigma inhaled a deep breath to calm his panicking nerves. Jewel handed him a small cup filled with water to which he accepted and consumed in one sip. Sighing with relief, he cleared his throat as he begun to relieve recent events. "This is what happened…"
What a chapter! As many of you have probably hoped for, the main story is now beginning to kick in. Lord Ivan has arrived, seeking to finish what his uncle failed in. More chapters will be here soon.