The Ambitions of Two Flyers
Tension hung heavily upon the air as Lenel narrowed his eyes. Cold sweat was starting to form on his forehead as he looked at Haste and her host. She had about twenty flyers with her which caused Lenel to frown even deeper. He had only nine in his own disposal and many of them were badly wounded or at least fatigued after the showdown with Stealth. No matter how much the pale flyer wanted to tell himself otherwise, he knew that his entire plan was now in peril… because of Petrie, Ortin and this bastard!
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down in the face of this newfound threat. He still had a chance to emerge victorious as he had done against the cursed sailback. He'd only have to strike some half-hearted deal with the female if possible and if it weren't, he'd simply have to come up with some new plan. The most important thing right now was to simply stay calm and not reveal his anxiety and uncertainty. The male's voice was a calm one as he spoke.
"I must say, I'm impressed you were able to follow us all the way to this place. I just didn't expect that you'd reveal your treachery in front of our herd. I must say, that isn't the best way to start this kind of an endeavor." He said with a slight smirk, nodding in approval as his followers gathered around him. Even Ruby didn't hesitate to follow her new allies even if she wanted nothing more than to reunite with Petrie who seemed even excited about the other flyer's arrival.
Haste crossed her arms as she looked at Lenel, clearly unmoved by her former leader's words. She could already see that the pale flyer's followers were hardly in a position to fight and that way, Lenel's only option would be to simply surrender. However, she had no illusions about Lenel's willingness to give up but her next words weren't directed towards the pale flyer himself but his followers.
"Treachery? You are the last dinosaur to have the right to speak about that, Lenel! After all, didn't you slaughter our fellow herd members in cold blood? This herd deserves someone worthy of leading it and you clearly are not the one! Those of you still loyal to Lenel, give up now and I'll pardon you for everything you've done. Many of your companions took that choice already, as you can see." She said as she gestured at her followers, many of whom belonged to the group of guards who had been tasked with keeping an eye on the renegade flyer. Many of them nodded at Haste's words even if it was impossible to say whether they did it because they really were loyal to Haste or because they thought it'd be the only way to guarantee their safety.
That sight caused Lenel's heart to sink slightly as Haste's ranks contained many flyers he had truly trusted. He had expected at least one of them to be able to report Haste's moves to him but apparently the female's betrayal had been better planned than he had expected. He cursed deep inside that he had trusted on such a detail as that mistake could cost him far too much.
However, that wasn't what annoyed him most. Yes, Haste and turned on her sister and killed her because of simple promise of power which was one of the most heinous crimes a flyer could commit. However, if he revealed that to his followers, he'd have to confirm his own little conspiracy and it would put his own the female old position as his deputy into very bad light. Lenel cursed at that fact, knowing that his most potent attack against Haste could very well be his own downfall. His voice was more than enraged as he spoke to his counterpart.
"So you've decided to spread these lies even now? Tell me, Haste, was it you that tried to undermine my position back at Streli's Hills? I suspected as much back then." He said, causing anxious stares to be exchanged among the flyers preparing for battle. It was clear that hearing about these kinds of plots was making them nervous but that couldn't be helped right now. Haste took one step forward and spoke to the male threateningly.
"I have had plans to release this herd from your trash for a long time, Lenel, and I haven't doubted myself for a second. Now, I give you one offer, Lenel. Give up your position in this herd now and I'll spare your life. Or you may prove to me that chasing these lights' blessing was all worth it but as things stand, that wouldn't end well for you." She said, slightly surprised that Lenel had actually found the place the legends had told about. It seemed that he hadn't been as foolish as she had thought but even then, there was no reason to believe he had actually gained anything from this entire search.
That demand made Lenel's blood boil, causing him to glance briefly backwards, noticing that Petrie and his friends were still there. He had tried to talk some sense to them but now it seemed like he wouldn't be given any real choice in this matter. He'd have to claim his reward one way or another and he would allow nobody to stand in his way, not even those he had tried to reconcile with. The male took a deep breath as he prepared to give his answer.
"To those who find his words alluring, listen to me. I have already received the spirits' blessing to become the new guardian of this place's powers. I will be the only one to deliver to you just what our herd deserves whereas this fool would only seek to enslave all of you! Do not listen to her lies any further!" He cried but it was at this point that Haste realized that her time to deliver a severe blow to Lenel's case had come. She took a mocking smile and spread her wings as she taunted her former leader.
"Well, if that is the case, please show us some proof about you being Olres' equal! I'm here, Lenel, and all it takes is some mysterious attack or show of endless wisdom to take me down! Do not keep us waiting any further, oh great leader!" She said, enjoying her situation fully. Lenel was in a hopeless situation and that was clear to both of the flyers. The male cringed at Haste's antics and spoke to her again, this time in a softer voice.
"I still have to take them to myself. But Haste, we do not have to resort to bloodshed. I know you aren't worthy of even breathing the same air as us righteous flyers but in order to prevent anyone else from dying, I'm prepared to offer you a deal. You'd never be able to claim this place's powers to yourself but if you turn around now, I promise you that I'll grant you the lands south from Streli's Hills and that I'd never try to limit your power in any way in those areas. What do you say?" He said, knowing very well what the answer would be. Haste was far too arrogant to listen to sense and deep down, Lenel knew that he'd do the exact same thing if he were in Haste's situation. And indeed, it didn't take long before the female gave her answer.
"This conversation is useless, Lenel. I take that you've declined my earlier offer, the only one that carries any weight?" She said, gesturing her followers to prepare to charge. Sireia could see all of this of course and she couldn't help but feel despair starting to form within her chest. She could see very well that this battle would be a losing one but she didn't want to escape any more than her mate. There was only one option and she voiced it to her mate in a sharp, commanding voice.
"Go drink from the pond and do not hesitate to crush the brats if they try to deny you. I'll keep Haste at bay until then! Go now!" She said, earning a tense nod from Lenel. However, if the duo wanted to prevail, they knew they'd need whatever powers the pale flyer would receive from the mysterious waters. The male turned around and to his followers' surprise and dismay, started to run towards the pond. However, before any one of them could open their beaks, Sireia cried in a voice that didn't hide her agitation at the situation.
"If any of you leave the formation, I'll make sure that he or she will regret it dearly! Now, keep the enemy away while my mate will do what it takes to save us from these bastards!"
The sudden turn of events caused Petrie's eyes to grow wide. He hadn't expected Lenel to leave his followers like this but if he wanted to escape, why hadn't he taken flight? There was only one possibility: the pond behind him and his friends was the thing Lenel was after for some reason. And indeed, the pale flyer had been heading towards it even before he, Ortin and Glide had denied him. The boy had absolutely no idea what Lenel wanted from the pond but his next course of action was very clear.
"Ortin, Glide, keep Lenel away from the water at any cost! Petrie no know why but that what he after! Glide, what you say if…?" He started to ask while spreading his wings and gesturing at the older male. The girl looked at him oddly, clearly not understanding what he was after. However, when he prepared to take off, Glide quickly nodded at him eagerly. Ortin glanced at the duo, knowing just what he had to do.
The trio's actions caused Lenel to frown deeply as he wanted nothing more than to simply get past them. However, it seemed more than apparent that that wasn't possible and he could see immediately what Petrie and Glide were trying to do. The pale flyer suddenly jumped into the air, trying to dodge the duo's efforts but that proved to be a mistake on his part. Jut as he thought he was safe, Lenel felt the younger flyers grab his feet and pull him towards the ground. Lenel's eyes widened in shock as he felt his balance fail completely, sending him back towards the ground.
Petrie, however, didn't stop to cringe even for a moment as he saw Lenel hit the ground with a violent force. The older dinosaur was clearly stunned by what had happened but he recovered surprisingly quickly, not leaving the two children with any further openings to attack him. Glide was just about to try to hit him in the chest when Lenel suddenly rose to a sitting position, grabbing the girl's hand in rage and kicking her in the stomach, opening gaping wounds in her abdomen. Not a muscle twitched in the male's face as he heard Ortin's cry not far behind him.
"Glide, are you alright? You'll pay for that hit dearly, Lenel!" The bluish flyer yelled as he charged at Lenel but any doubts or misgivings that had lingered within his mind earlier had disappeared completely. He quickly turned at Ortin and stopped his attack in its tracks, throwing him into the ground in clear rage. The flyer's voice trembled as he approached the boy, clear bitterness and hate more than clear in his voice.
"I did my all to placate you and your friends but time and time again you simply decided to press forward with your puny revenge, leaving me with no choice but to finally act! Whatever happens will be yours and your fault only!" He yelled, his expression more than decisive as he spoke to the boy. Ortin cringed deeply as he looked at Lenel, knowing that his situation was more than dangerous. He tried to rise back to his feet but Lenel prevented that completely. The older flyer bowed towards the boy and spoke again in a hateful voice.
"I never wanted to do this but you will not stop me now! I hope you've missed Peak and his family dearly, Ortin!"
"We've got to help him, Petrie! This… this is nothing." Glide said while trying to keep herself from whimpering with pain. Petrie cringed deeply as he looked at her wounds, knowing that they were far more serious than she wanted to admit. In a normal situation, he would have told her to simply stay still but he didn't have time to argue in a situation like this. Ortin's life was hanging in the balance and Petrie knew he couldn't change Glide's mind. He knew that the girl's situation would likely get even worse as a result of what she was going to do next but he had no way of convincing her otherwise. He merely sighed and nodded at the female.
"If you say so, Glide. But come on, we don't have much time!" He said as he rose to his wings, cringing as Glide did the same, blood dipping into the ground as she flew. As Petrie looked at her, he had a terrible feeling that at least one of his two friends would not see the coming morning.
The flyer panted heavily as he pinned Ortin against the ground, only the smallest voice deep inside him still telling him that what he was doing was wrong. He truly despised the bluish flyer's perseverance even if that was a trait he usually admired in other dinosaurs. He knew that his window of opportunity to claim this land's powers was quickly closing but Ortin simply wouldn't leave him in peace if he left him alone. Ortin cried in pain as Lenel's fist hit at his cheeks and forehead again and again, causing his face to bleed more and more by the second. Lenel's pulse only intensified the more he felt the boy's consciousness starting to fail… but even then, he wasn't one to leave his surroundings unguarded even in a situation like this.
In the last possible moment, the flyer leader turned around and hit Petrie right at his beak as he was trying to deal another blow at Lenel. The boy yelped in fear as he lost his balance and plunged into the heavy cover of the ground sparkles. Glide tried to land her own at Lenel but the latter simply stood aside, knowing that Glide was too weak to quickly turn at him. Seeing that the threat against him was dealt with, he prepared to finish Ortin off… until he saw something that made his blood run cold.
He suddenly saw four flyers approaching him from only one longneck's length away from him, clearly intent on stopping whatever he was doing. The flyer cursed deeply at that sight, knowing that he didn't have the time to finish off the three brats in time. The pale flyer gritted his teeth together as he sprinted towards the pond but before he got even halfway towards it, the male felt his feet slipping on the hard ice under the cover of the ground sparkles, causing him to fall into the ground with a slight thud. However, before he managed to get up, the four flyers landed, cutting him off from the pond.
Lenel's eyes widened in fear as he realized what had happened. The three children had managed in their mission to buy Haste's group just enough time to deny him his victory, a thought that made him shiver with endless frustration. He was so damn close but it seemed like his prize was again slipping from his grasp. In near panic, Lenel cried towards the skies in a loud voice.
"Help me, the spirits of the fallen! I need your aid, now! Give me the power to take these fools out!" He cried, praying that he'd receive some, any sign of some kind of blessing but as seconds passed, nothing happened. Lenel started to shiver as he looked at the four flyers, one of them speaking to him with a wide smile.
"It seems your luck has finally ran out, Lenel. Your time is as good as over." He said, causing Lenel to back down one step at a time, trying to use every bit of his intellect to find any way out of this situation.
Ruby wasn't feeling any more confident as she looked at the group of flyers surrounding her and her companions. The fastrunner gulped audibly as the ring around her seemed to tighten further and further, knowing that the bloodshed was only mere moments away. She closed her eyes for a moment, of course knowing that the situation seemed more than hopeless. The enemy had a massive numerical advantage and Lenel wasn't even standing with his followers in this most threatening of moments. The omnivore tried to stay calm but she cursed the male inside, slowly starting to fear that she had sealed her fate by getting mixed up with these flyer' petty feuds.
Yet, she had no options at this point. Yes, she could probably beg for mercy by disavowing Lenel but he was the only one who had promised to help her find Arial and she had absolutely no way of knowing how this other group's leader would react to her request. For all intents and purposes, Lenel was still her best bet as abandoning Arial simply wasn't an option. If she died trying to save her, that was a better fate than most. The girl just prayed it wouldn't come to that.
The forest around her made Ducky visibly shiver in fear. She was more than ashamed by that fact as Orchid seemed far less afraid of it all. Of course the boy was also horrified by the rotting, putrid forest but for Ducky it took all her will power to stop herself from turning around and running to safety. She wanted to be an encouraging example for Ruby's brother but she was only making him feel more scared if anything.
"Ahh! What was that?" She suddenly cried and jumped into the air as one branch snapped and fell into the air not far behind her. Orchid narrowed his eyes and spoke to the swimmer in clear worry.
"It's just a branch, nothing to be afraid of. Stop panicking about everything, Ducky. It's bad enough as it is." He said, looking at the horrifying silhouettes of dead trees in the darkness. This place was a stuff of terrible sleep stories and he could imagine each and every monster from them appearing from behind every tree around him. Ducky took a deep sigh as she spoke to the boy.
"I know, Orchid, I know. This place… this place just is far worse than any other I have ever seen, it is." She said, looking around herself while listening to her heart beating in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and run to safety but she knew that wasn't an option. She couldn't leave Orchid alone and besides, she'd never forgive herself if something happened to Ruby because of her. Orchid looked at her with a clearly apologizing expression, deciding that there was no reason to really pretend he was anything close to brave either. The boy sighed deeply before speaking to the older dinosaur meekly.
"I know, Ducky. I never would have believed this kind of place could ever exist but… here we are and so is Ruby." He said to the swimmer who of course knew that as well. However, Ducky decided to voice the thought that had haunted her mind for a while now.
"I just wonder… what is this place? It is not normal in any way, it is not, and neither were Ruby's visions. This place must hide something none of us can explain and that scares me." She said, shivering from other reasons than the frigid cold around her. Orchid crossed his arms around his chest, not able to deny his own fears. He couldn't help but agree with the swimmer and inside, he wasn't even that hostile to the idea of an unseen force. Ever since that mysterious fastbiter had saved him from freezing to death on the last Cold Time, he had been far more open minded than his sister. His voice was getting more miserably by the moment.
"You're right and we can only hope that this force doesn't seek to destroy us. Well, let's not wast… Do you hear that?" The boy suddenly asked, bringing his hand under his ear, clearly listening to something. Ducky cocked her head and asked the boy carefully.
"Umm… no I do not, Orchid. What is it that you hear?" She asked in a high voice, causing Orchid to start sneaking forward while waiving the girl to follow him. Ducky hated the oppressing silence but she could very well understand just why Orchid acted the way he did. She couldn't help but admire such a young child's ability to put aside his own fears in order to help someone he loved. She disagreed with him on many things but she had to admit that his parents' teachings at least hadn't made him a worse dinosaur. After a few seconds, the male finally spoke but his voice was a cryptic and silent one.
"It is some distant rumble… and whatever is making it must be large. Could… could it be some kind of waterfall?" He asked while narrowing his eyes. Ducky looked at him oddly, spreading her arms as she asked the obvious question.
"What about it? Ruby is hardly looking for a waterfall, nope, nope, nope." She said to which Orchid answered rather sharply. It was clear that his concern for his sisters was growing by the second and he quickly gave his answer to the swimmer.
"But that sound hides the sounds of a large area and that makes our job much harder. But considering that it's coming from somewhere uphill, it won't hurt to take a look at it. At least it won't make our task any harder." He said, not even looking whether or not Ducky was following her. The girl looked at her companion sadly, praying him to be right. With a heavy heart, she headed after the fastrunner.
The situation was an appalling one for Sireia. Not only was she beyond shocked by being forced to this battle but the pathetic display of her mate truly sickened her. Any flyer should have been able to overcome the three children but somehow her mate had managed to screw that up! She suddenly took a step forward and headbutted her opponent in utter rage, hardly able to believe what was happening. It was possible that everything was lost now, all because of Lenel's failure in this most critical of moments. Even then, she would never betray him by surrendering now. He'd make sure that every one of her companions would meet a heroic death on the battlefield. Her voice was rough with disappointment as she cried to her remaining companions.
"Do not plan to surrender even for a moment! A true flyer will never give up in the face of traitors and murderers! Olres' eyes are upon us so make sure you are worthy of following in his tracks in the Great Beyond!" She yelled, dodging one hit from her opponent, panting in slowly deepening exhaustion. She was relieved that her injury wouldn't prevent her from fighting to the end but she was more than crushed by the fact that her dreams would never be realized.
She suddenly screamed in hate as she prepared to take down another of her foes… before she saw him suddenly stop still, only the look of shock forming on his face. However, it wasn't long before he fell to the ground… revealing another flyer behind him. Sireia felt a rush of relief and bitterness flow through her as she saw him, her voice carrying all the circling emotions in her mind.
"What the hell was that, Lenel? We are all going to die here because you were unable to get to the pond in time! Just… why?" She pleaded, her eyes growing moist as she thought about everything she and her mate could have had if things had went even a little differently. The male's face was a mask of shame as he knew just how badly he had screwed up. He hated to see the look of disappointment on the female's face, never having witnessed such an expression on Sireia's face before. It was clear that he knew just what was happening himself but in an effort to calm either himself or Sireia down, he tried to form some kind of an answer.
"Things… didn't go the way I wanted, my love. But we can't give up now! We still have a chance if we give it our all!" He cried, causing the other flyer to frown deeply. It was now clear even to her that Lenel would never be another Olres as the failed, pitiful flyer before her could never be the stuff of legends. After this debacle, she could hardly believe he could stay even as the leader of his herd even if he lived through this battle. That thought made her more than sickened but even then… she couldn't deny what her heart told her.
Even now, she couldn't help but remember all the good and bad times together with the male and her love for him would never be compromised. Even after what had happened, she could hardly blame him and if their common future would be to fight for survival alone, at least they still had the most important thing… each other. To Lenel's shock, Sireia's outraged expression slowly softened and she even gave him a brief smile before speaking again.
"We'll find out soon enough, dear. But enough talking! We have more traitors to kill!" She cried as she sank her claws into another opponent's shoulder, hoping that the situation wouldn't get any more dire.
"It… it worked! That bastard is done for! He really is done for!" Ortin said with a forced voice, his words hardly even intelligible. He had received a severe beating from Lenel and he only barely saw what was happening in the battlefield not far from him. Slowly, he brought her hand to her face, gasping as he saw it getting stained by his own blood. Petrie moved closer to him and spoke in a worried and fearful voice.
"Stay still, Ortin. You badly hurt." He said, causing the other boy to look around himself. He hardly even remembered his encounter with the older flyer but he could feel the terrible pain in his head clouding his thoughts. He noticed Glide sitting not far from him, leaning against a large rock while groaning in agony herself. He then called to her, his worries more than clear.
"How are you doing, Glide? Please tell me that not too badly!" He yelled, struggling to raise his voice even a bit. The girl turned at him, the wounds in her stomach still bleeding even if not as severely as before. Her voice was also a forced one even if not as much as Ortin's.
"Pretty well now that you're awake. But we did it! Lenel never got to the pond which means he's as good as dead!" She said in clear relief, earning a glum look from Petrie. The brown flyer's heart beat in his chest as he stared at the raging battle, knowing very well how it would end. With a sickening realization, he knew that Ruby wouldn't survive for long out there and he certainly wasn't going to let her die like this! Not after being this close to reuniting with her after all the horrors he'd been through! The flyer turned at his friends and halted their celebrations abruptly.
"Me have to get Ruby out of there somehow! Petrie can't leave her there! Me simply can't!" He said in horror, not even willing to think of the possibility where he'd be too late. Ortin frowned at those words and his next words hardly made Petrie any happier.
"We are in no condition to go fight for that egg stealer, Petrie! You know that!" He said in clear annoyance, earning a murderous look from Petrie. The latter's voice was even colder than the air around them and Ortin nearly gasped as Petrie opened his beak.
"In that case, Petrie go alone. Me never thought you'd care about that at all." He said as he took off, causing the two other flyers to look at each other with disturbed expressions. They knew they wouldn't be able to change Petrie's mind but it was true: their battle had been fought. They could only pray that they hadn't seen Petrie for the very last time.
The frown on Orchid's face only deepened by the second as he walked forward. The rumble grew louder with every minute and even the boy's fear seemed to ease as his entire concentration was focused on listening for absolutely any signs of Ruby. He shivered terribly from the cold but that didn't register within his mind at all. Only saving his sister mattered right now and nobody would be able to stop him from doing that! He nearly twitched as he heard Ducky braking the long silence.
"Do you hear anything else, Orchid? We've walked this way for a long time, we have." She said, finally causing Orchid to stop still for a moment. His early empathy was slowly turning into frustration as he looked at the swimmer. His voice was a far starker than before, something which of course wasn't lost on the girl.
"Perhaps I would if you didn't interrupt me this often! You seem like you don't want to find her at all!" He said, causing Ducky's mouth to open in shock. After a moment, her face grew tenser and she approached the fastrunner with clearly offended.
"How can you say that, Orchid? I care for Ruby like my own sister and I'll do anything to save her from herself! I just fear that we'll never find her at this pace!" She said, willing to finally confront the younger dinosaur, not wanting his willingness to help turn into an obsession. However, he wasn't about back down just yet.
"I know, Ducky, I know. It is very difficult to find her around here but we have to try! Or do you perhaps have another idea on how to find her? I'm all ears." He said while narrowing his eyes. He was more than disappointed in Ducky as Ruby had spoken so highly about her. But right now, she seemed almost completely useless which wasn't something the boy was at al happy about. The swimmer sighed deeply before she gave her answer.
"I do not but this isn't how Ruby would want you to act, Orchid! If we cannot save Arial, you are all she has left and she would want you to become a grumpy little brat for her so calm down! We will find her!" Ducky hated to speak like that but she would be lying if she said the weight of the moment didn't weigh on her at all. Deep down, she understood the boy completely but her own fear was starting to cloud her judgement. To her surprise, Orchid's expression eased up somewhat and his next answer didn't sound nearly as confrontational as before.
"You are right that I might be all she has left… but that goes both ways! If we don't find her or Arial, I'll be completely alone, Ducky! I am just doing everything in my power to make sure that my family won't be compl… What was that?" He asked to Ducky's great surprise. The swimmer blinked as she looked at the other dinosaur, clearly willing to know what was going on. She was just about to ask the obvious question when Orchid answered it.
"It… it sounded like some kind of cry of pain! Follow me!" He yelped as he sprinted uphill, the swimmer not hesitating for a second to do as told. It was clear that Orchid had heard something important and Ducky wanted nothing more than to get this night over with. She panted as she forced herself forward, the previous day's march and this night starting to slowly catch up with her. After a sprint that seemed to last for an eternity, she heard Orchid again speak to her sternly.
"Stop, Ducky! Look there!" He said while crouching slightly. Ducky's eyes widened as she saw the sight before her: a dark, dead plain filled with endless sorrow and darkness… with a group of flyers fighting in its center. Even if the entire sight sickened her, she immediately managed to put the pieces together regarding the scene. She turned at the boy and asked her in a mixture of excitement and fear.
"Was the other battlefield filled with dead flyers? I guess these must be the same ones that killed those poor fools." She said glumly, hating to see other dinosaurs moving from one place to another only to kill. She had seen enough death already and she was disgusted beyond measure as she shook her head. She could understand someone killing to protect others or even get rid of a monster like Stealth but it seemed like these flyers were now only killing for fun. Orchid's expression was equally glum but it was clear his mind was fixed on other things. His voice was a heavy one as he gave his answer.
"You are right, Ducky, but where is Ruby? Can you see her? If she was there to help them kill Stealth, couldn't she be here as well?" He asked, trying to look around the field with an asking look. He felt his heart beating in his chest as he knew very well that if Ruby was really here, her survival would become more and more unlikely by the second. However, it wasn't long before Ducky whispered to the male in shock.
"She's there. I just do not know what makes Ruby join this madness, I do not." she said as she shook her head, pointing towards the left wing of the raging battle. Orchid twitched at those news and stared at the point the swimmer had pointed at… and it wasn't long until the extremely familiar hue of pink could be seen in that flurry of red, sweat and pain. Orchid's blood ran cold as he gave the only answer he could.
"Neither do I but I do know that we have to help her! Come on, we know she might not survive for much longer out there!" He cried, heading towards the fight. Ducky knew full well the implications of what they were doing but she had to agree: Ruby needed help immediately. Countless thoughts swirled within Ducky's mind as she sprinted towards the scene of sickening bloodbath.
The heat of the battle was slowly starting to seriously stretch Ruby's nerves. Her back ached terribly from the wounds the enemy flyers had delivered and slowly but surely, she started to feel her strength starting to fail. Yes, she and her allies had taken out two of the enemies but even then, they were in severe disadvantage. The fastrunner's mind had already accepted the fact that this might be the end, a thought that caused her heart to grow heavier as the seconds dragged on.
A cry of pain escaped the omnivore's mouth as she received another deep cut to her right side, her own pain quickly painting her feathers red. Stealth's blood could still be seen within them even if she had done her best to remove at least some of it with the ground sparkles. Quickly, she turned around and tried to deliver a counterattack at the flyer but he rebuked it easily, sending the girl into the ground with a violent force. Ruby gasped as she tried to stop the other dinosaur's attack but it was getting increasingly difficult as he pushed her against the ground. With a desperate maneuver, she tried to roll away from him but that only made matters worse.
The larger dinosaur managed to get a tight grip on the fastrunner, stopping her attempted escape in its tracks. Ruby could feel panic rising inside her as she realized that she had no way of freeing herself anymore. She was done for. The girl was already preparing for the inevitable when something happened that she hadn't expected.
Suddenly, she heard a loud thud, followed by the flyer falling into the ground next to her. The fastrunner looked at the sight in deep astonishment but it didn't take long before she realized what had happened. A large rock lied near the fallen dinosaur's head, implying it had been it that had taken him out. Before she could even begin to wonder who had caused that, she heard an alarmed cry far above her.
"Come now, Ruby, please! We have very little time!" A familiar voice yelled, causing familiar warmth to invade the fastrunner's heart. She quickly raised her gaze upward, seeing Petrie looking at her in deep worry. The omnivore gave him a brief smile, more than happy he still didn't see her as an enemy. However, she knew very well she still couldn't agree to her old friend's request.
"Thanks for that, Petrie! But I can't go with you as I have to fall or win with Lenel!" She cried as she engaged another flyer, helping one of her allies that had slowly been losing ground for a while now. Petrie, however, was far from happy with that answer.
"Ruby, please tell Petrie why! Lenel a terrible murderer and a monster! Why you follow him?" He asked, the uncommonness of fastrunner serving a flyer not really even registering in his mind at this point. The omnivore cringed and rolled her eyes as she hit the enemy flyer to her chest before turning to look at the boy in a soft but decisive expression.
"Because I lost Arial here and Lenel might be the only one who could return her to me! I do believe you, Petrie, and I'd take any other option to bring her back but as I have none, I will follow Lenel! I'm sorry but my sister is worth more to me than anything he may have done before!" She cried, causing Petrie's face to darken immediately. Yes, he could understand why Ruby wanted to help her sister but he would have been lying if he had said that the fastrunner's disregard for whatever he had seen didn't hurt him deeply. He tried to reason with his old friend one more time before deciding how to move forward.
"Ruby, Petrie hear what you say but it Lenel's fault uncle Pterano dead and he slaughter me friend's family in front of us! You cannot say that all of that mean nothing to you!" He yelled, causing Ruby to look at him in annoyance one more time. It was clear her appetite for this argument was getting critically low.
"Arial and Orchid are all I have left and I'll be damned if I let Arial die like this! You may help or stand against me but it'll make no difference to me! I'm happy to see you again, Petrie, but you cannot talk me out from saving my poor sister!" She cried before continuing her battle. The boy stared at her in dismay, hating her words greatly. He had never seen Ruby to be this insensitive to anyone before but even then, Petrie knew what he had to do.
It should have been above Ruby to put all her faith on a flyer she know was as horrible as Lenel but that couldn't be helped anymore. If Ruby was doing this because of the pale flyer, his course of action was clear: he'd continue his previous task and do everything in his power to take him down. The flyer was just about to join the fight battle when he heard a call that made his day even worse.
"Ruby, come here! I have a task for you!"
Lenel panted deeply as another splash of blood painted more of his beak red, trying to catch his breath after the seemingly endless fighting. He had already been fatigued by his encounter with Stealth but as seconds went one, he was increasingly astonished by his followers' resilience. He had expected them to fall quickly but here they were, standing their ground proudly while even dealing serious damage at their foes.
That fact alone made the flyer even more embarrassed as after his failure, he didn't even feel worthy of leading his small group forward. His failure had been a momentous one but inside, Lenel remembered that his sentiment had been a similar one just before the start of the previous battle. He could only pray that this struggle had a similar outcome as the previous one but to maximize that chance, something had to change. His group simply wouldn't be able to prevail against the numerically superior enemy, at least not like this. He took a deep breath as he turned at his mate and spoke to her grimly.
"We can't go on like this, my love. We can't win this battle on ground." He said, earning an odd look from Sireia. She immediately understood her mate's point but that prospect made her more than sick. Of course, giving Lenel's hand-picked followers a chance to show their fortitude on air would even the odds greatly but… the female knew very well what that meant. Her wing would fail her after the very first maneuver she'd make, rendering her completely useless in such a fight. And she didn't want to be again forced to witness the fight from the sidelines, able to only hope that her mate would return to her. On the other hand, she hated the thought of lying dead in the ground along with the love of her life even more and with a heavy heart, she gave her answer.
"Very well. I'll try to get to safety while you try to…" She started but before she got any further, the male cut her short. He turned to look to his right and cried the call that Petrie had heard as well. The tan-colored dinosaur looked at Lenel oddly, not really knowing what to expect from him. She didn't even know just what the male thought about the fastrunner after everything she had done. She crossed her arms while waiting for any sign about the omnivore.
It took a while before the younger dinosaur finally appeared to her sight, clearly unsure what to expect from her leader. She stopped right in front of Lenel and spoke to him carefully.
"Wha… what is it, Lenel?" She couldn't force herself to say more even if she knew that the male would hardly have summoned her to be punished in a moment like this. Lenel approached her quickly, his expression more than urgent. His voice was a cold but not a hostile one as he addressed the omnivore.
"I had hoped you to honor our agreement better than this, Ruby. I do not want to see you listening to our enemies or interrupting me anymore. However, I'll overlook all of that if you do exactly as I say from now on." He said, causing Ruby to look at her without any kind of expression on her face. She was happy Lenel wasn't angry at her but this task made her slightly nervous. She could only hope it wasn't the punishment in some other form. She stayed silent as Lenel continued to speak.
"We are going to take this fight to the air and I want you to help keep my mate safe. However, if you fail in your job, know that our deal will be over… along with your life." He said threateningly, causing Ruby to nod in clear fear. Sireia looked at her mate disapprovingly, clearly not happy with his tone. However, she was completely fine with Ruby helping her defend herself as she knew that Haste's followers would love to use her as a bait against Lenel. Ruby nodded at Lenel after a moment and spoke in a forced voice.
"O… okay, Lenel. I'll do as you say." She said, earning a slightly relieved look from the male. Lenel then looked at his mate and spoke to her silently.
"Stay safe, Sireia. Please don't allow anyone to surprise or hurt you before this battle is over." He said, earning a weak smile from the other flyer. Sireia answered to lighter-colored dinosaur warmly, knowing that this could be the last time she ever met him.
"I will, Lenel. I promise it." She said before Lenel nodded to her briefly. He then spread his wings and cried at his remaining followers with a loud, encouraging voice.
"My loyal followers, disengage from your fights and take them to the skies! Show the traitors how a real flyer fights!" He yelled before taking off into the air. The battle had entered its next phase.
Many curses escaped Haste's mouth as she looked at her enemies heading towards the skies, not able to believe the seemingly endless resilience of her former leader. She had known that Lenel had built quite a reputation as a fierce fighter but this was something she hadn't expected to see. Well, even this changed nothing. She'd show the pompous male that she wasn't a puny flyer herself and besides, this would allow her to show her followers that she was every bit as skilled in air fighting as her nemesis. She quickly cried at her followers sharply, willing to make sure that none of them would hesitate for a second before doing as she told.
"Well, take off as well, everyone! Make sure none of those bastards gets away! I'll take care of Lenel myself!" She yelled, immediately dashing towards the other leader. She stopped in front of him for a moment, hissing at him with a murderous voice.
"Let's end this here and now, Lenel! I'm tired of seeing others fight for you. I want to see if you truly are the flyer others claim you are." She said, hoping to annoy the male before starting the fight. She was more than disappointed as he answered with an almost mocking voice.
"At least I know you are the flyer others said you are! I made the worst mistake of my life when I traded Nira for an honorless savage like you! I've screwed up countless of times but killing you won't be one of them!" He yelled, before attacking the female with all his power. He knew that dragging the conversation forward would only help Haste due to her superior numbers and he had all the faith in his ability to overpower the renegade flyer without much problem.
The sight of the two flyers facing each other in the darkness was one that filled Petrie with newfound optimism. If Lenel was locked in a fight, that could give him an opening to strike a decisive strike on the cursed brute who had come to symbolize everything evil to Petrie. He approached the duo slowly, hoping that he wouldn't draw either of their attention. Petrie knew he had only one chance to strike as he obviously had no way of withstanding Lenel's assault in one-on-one fight.
The battle raging all around the boy made him shiver, that sight looking as if it were taken from one of his bad sleep: distant silhouettes of flyers painted against the dark sky, fighting to the death for nothing over the dead land. He was growing more sickened by it by the second but he simply couldn't allow himself to be bothered by such things right now. He sighed deeply as he headed towards his old leader, hoping that some kind of an opening would present itself soon enough.
"Where is she now? I can not see Ruby anywhere!" Ducky said as she tried to see something in the black horizon. She only saw the flyers fighting and dying in the sky but Ruby obviously hadn't joined them so the question remained: where in earth was she? Orchid shook his head slowly, clearly more than worried about everything that had happened. The boy inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down before his panic grew any worse.
"She must have headed somewhere to hide from the flyers but she can't be too far in case the others still need her help! Come on, we have to look closer! We can't allow her to escape anymore!" He said meekly, not even thinking about the scenario where the flyers would see him or the swimmer. He was so very close to finding Ruby and none of those fools would stand in his way!
The cold chill only intensified inside Lenel as he plunged downwards, trying to catch his opponent in surprise. He had immediately tried to gain the upper hand against the female with superior positioning and he could see clear anxiety starting to form on Haste's face. It was clear the female realized that Lenel was every bit as skilled as others had claimed but he certainly wouldn't take her out this quickly or with this ease! She dashed forward with all her might but even then, her blood run cold as she felt pressure around her right leg. She immediately kicked her opponent with her left leg, not surprised in the least that he had been able to dodge it.
With one movement, Haste turned around and hit Lenel into his right cheek, opening many wounds into it. The male cringed in pain but it was clear that that injury hadn't come as a surprise to him. He immediately kicked the female in her chest, sending her plunging towards the ground in apparent shock. Lenel knew very well that she would be able to halt her plunge well before she reached the ground but the injuries he had caused were rather formidable. However, before the pale flyer could regain his balance after his blow, he felt a stinging blow to his shoulder, followed by a sudden grasp of his neck. At first, he couldn't turn around to see the attacked but it wasn't long until his new foe revealed his identity.
"This one is for uncle Pterano and Ruby. Petrie never understand why they follow you but at least me make it right now!" He said, able to ruin his foe's balance completely. Lenel tried to flutter his wings to his best ability but it was to no effect as Petrie tore his head into a vertical position. At first, the older dinosaur was disturbed by this development but he regained his calm almost immediately. The boy was but a mere child and his lack of experience made it impossible for him to make a real impact in this fight. He took a brief breath before he suddenly forced his body into a somersault, the blow from his feet releasing him from Petrie's grasp. The higher-ranked flyer panted for a few seconds before speaking to the boy threateningly.
"I did my best to apologize to you but you are clearly impossible to be persuaded into seeing sense! I admit again that I did wrong against you, your uncle and your friends but I will not want to see you attacking me again like this! Say hello to Pterano for me!" He said as he hit the boy in his head with a heavy blow, causing his consciousness to fail immediately. Lenel looked in clear relief as the boy disappeared into the darkness, knowing that the chances of him surviving the fall were minimal. Yet, he couldn't rest for a moment as he knew very well that Haste was ready to resume their duel and this time, she wouldn't hold back in the least.
The situation was getting ever more on Ducky's nerves. The blackness seemed to be thickening every second and she knew Ruby would be able to run from her and her companion forever if she didn't want to meet them. However, she had also come to terms with the fact that this was her only possible course of action but she couldn't help but curse the fastrunner for forcing her and Orchid to go through all of this. Of course, the swimmer was too gentle to truly blame her for what had happened but the bitterness was still more than clear within her heart. She slowly turned at Orchid and whispered to him silently.
"The night hides her well enough as it is but if I had to guess, she has tried to find some place where she is as hard to find as possible, I do. Probably some cave or pit around here somewhere." She said glumly, clearly losing her faith in this quest. The boy brought his hand to his forehead before shaking his head sadly.
"And we have no way of finding where it is as Ruby is a much better tracker than we are. Why did she have to do this to us?" He said, finally allowing tears to start flowing down his cheeks. The stress and hurt were finally starting to overcome the male's even astonishing mental stamina. However, it was now clear to Ducky that he needed help and she was more than ready to do just that. The girl grabbed the fastrunner's hand and spoke to him encouragingly, hating to see him like this.
"But we do know she is here, don't we? We will find her, Orchid, we will!" She said, causing the other dinosaur to wipe the tears from his eyes, struggling to calm down. His voice was nearly broken as he tried to form his next words.
"B… but what if she doesn't want to see us? What if… we've gone through all of this… for nothing?" He said, knowing well that his words were against everything he had told Ducky earlier. However, the swimmer was ready to help her friend forward when he needed it.
"Orchid, I know deep down she still loves you. I am sure she will change her mind when we find her and she'll realize her…" Suddenly, the swimmer's sentence was cut short by something no one could have foreseen. The fastrunner's eyes widened in shock as he saw the swimmer suddenly falling into the ground and rolling many times around before finally stopping. And even more surprisingly, he saw that a flyer was lying next to her. The boy approached the swimmer immediately and raised her from the ground while asking her the obvious question.
"Ducky, are you alright? Speak to me and say that you're not hurt!" He asked pleadingly, looking as the swimmer's chest rose and fell in clear shock. The girl's eyes were completely still as she tried to calm down from the unforeseen hit. She slowly calmed down as she gave her answer to the omnivore.
"Yes… yes, I think I'm alright. But what in earth…" She said as she looked at the other dinosaur lying next to her, continuing to speak to him sternly.
"It is not nice to fall on others like that, it is…" She started but suddenly, her voice died down as if someone had stolen her ability to speak. Her breathing also stopped immediately and that reaction caused Orchid to worry greatly. What had happened? He moved closer to the swimmer and spoke to her in fear.
"What's wrong, Ducky? Please, speak to me!" He said but to no avail.
Ducky's mind had seemed to freeze in place as she looked at the flyer in front of her. It was working in complete overdrive and slowly, her hands started to shudder as she looked at the other dinosaur. She was more than sure she was seeing something that really wasn't there. After all, it had to be completely impossibly! Her friend was gone, having left for the Great Beyond an eternity ago. But even then… that long, smiling beak, the lively and playful face, the grayish-brown color and the deep brown wings… There was no mistaking it. Even if his face had an expression she had seldom seen, she'd recognize this dinosaur anywhere. She nearly yelled as she grabbed the boy's shoulders and shook him heavily.
"Petrie! Petrie, is it really you? PETRIE!" She cried, the second when the male started to open his eyes seeming to stretch on forever. It was clear that he had received a heavy blow to the head but that didn't seem to have caused any lasting damage. The flyer's first reaction, however, wasn't the one she had expected to hear.
"Me hope me only dreaming… Petrie not want to go to the Great Beyond yet!" He stuttered, clearly trying to recover his consciousness after the brutal hit and long fall into the ground. The swimmer could hardly contain her affection as she looked at the flyer's opening eyes, not able to believe it was really happening. She shed a single tear of happiness as she grabbed Petrie into her embrace, her voice trembling deeply as she spoke to her long-lost friend.
"It really is you, Petrie, it is! I am so very, very glad! I do not know how you survived all this time but I'm just happy you are here, yep, yep, yep!" She said, causing Petrie's beak to turn into a forced smile when he finally formed his next words, clearly as astonished with what was happening as the girl.
"Ducky… it really you! You… you should leave, now! It not safe here! Lenel might come here at any moment!" He cried as he remembered just what had happened. Ducky, still holding the boy in her embrace, hardly even gave a sign she had heard what Petrie had just said. She patted him in the back, more tears falling down her cheeks.
"I am not going to leave my very bestest friend just after I found him, Petrie. You know better than that. And nobody else seems to be coming here so calm down. It is all right now!" She said, causing Petrie to look at her eyes for a long time. His taxed mind still could hardly comprehend it but… he simply couldn't deny it anymore. This really was Ducky, the swimmer with whom he had spent all those beautiful days in the Great Valley… Only now did he realize just how badly he had missed her all these times.
"You no know that, Ducky but… Petrie so happy you here, Ducky! Me miss you so very much!" He spoke silently, the warmth of the moment feeling like a tiny fire in the middle of the cold darkness. The swimmer gave the male the widest smile she could as she gave her answer, the circumstances under which the two parted but a distant, forgotten memory.
"So did I, Petrie. But it's good that you always seem to return me when it seems like you've left me forever. But… but what is going on here? Hopefully you were not fighting with those other flyers up there." She said sadly, knowing what the answer would be. Petrie cringed slightly before clearing his throat, seeing immediately that the swimmer wasn't exactly happy with his deed.
"Well… uhh, maybe? But Petrie don't want to fight, me just try to stop the bad flyers from ruling our world and make us all their slaves! Ortin, Glide and you deserve far better!" He said, not even realizing how outlandish his words must have sounded to Ducky. The swimmer's face formed a new smile, a loud giggle accompanying her answer.
"Rule our world? Oh, Petrie, you hurted-ed your head even w…" She started but Petrie's tense, haunted voice confirmed that he wasn't joking. The boy grabbed the swimmer's hand and spoke to her in a voice that lacked any of his former warmth.
"Ducky, Petrie speak the truth. Me would love to speak with you for longer and hear what you have to say but Lenel truly after a similar power as uncle Pterano did back then! We've got to stop him! Me tried to do just that when he hit Petrie down here!" He cried, looking at the raging battle with wide eyes. Ducky looked at her friend with wide eyes, not really finding any words that would really make justice to her thoughts. After a moment, she stepped forward and whispered to Petrie.
"So this place really holds some great powers. And I thought that it was only some curse after it took away Ruby's sister… Oh, and she is indeed alive, Petrie, yep, yep…" She exclaimed in clear excitement but the flyer cut him short quickly. His mind started to immediately work in overdrive as he looked the swimmer in the eyes.
"Ruby's sister, Arial… she told me that she's been taken and Lenel promise to bring her back. Why Lenel want to help Ruby?" He asked, causing Ducky's jaw to drop as she listened to the boy. The fastrunner was following the evil flyer Petrie had spoken about. She was surprised that Petrie already knew about her but the situation was far too tense for her to ask about it.
"I do not know, Petrie. The last time we met, she attacked me and… and gave me these. I never heard of this Lenel before." She said while gesturing at the deep wounds in her stomach that were slowly stopping the last bits of the bleeding. Petrie cringed as he saw those injuries, already cringing as he thought about the pain Ducky must have gone through. He sighed deeply as he asked the next question.
"W… why? Is Ruby… has she gone mad?" He asked, not even knowing what kind of an answer to expect. Ducky immediately shook her head but it was immediately clear to Petrie everything wasn't the way swimmer would have wanted.
"She is not mad but… but she did act weird even before she left me and Orchid. It seemed that the power of this place told her to act. But I am here to save her, yep, yep, yep." The swimmer said, causing Petrie to cringe deeply. He wanted to simply tell Ducky that they were on the same side but he knew he had to be honest with her. The boy sighed as he cocked his death and gave his answer.
"Ducky… me hope me can help and me already try to help Ruby but she not listen to me. She simply cast me…" He started but a loud screech from the skies interrupted his sentence. Petrie narrowed his eyes while searching for Lenel's silhouette. Deep inside, he forced himself to admit that he simply had to rejoin the battle for the sake of his friends and Ruby. The flyer put his hand on Ducky's shoulder and whispered to her glumly.
"Me so sorry but Petrie have to try to do something to make Lenel's failure more likely. Me so happy to see you again but me cannot stay here longer. But before me go, you have to know: Littlefoot alive but he badly confused about everything. Me cannot tell more but me tell everything once me see you again! Stay safe, Ducky!" He cried as he headed into the skies.
He heard the swimmer shouting something below him and he could very well tell what it most likely was. The boy was beyond sad to be forced to leave Ducky again after all this time like this but he simply had to rejoin the battle. He glanced one more time towards the ground, sighing as he thought about the prospect he wouldn't be able to rejoin his dear friend again.
Ducky looked at the skies with wide eyes, not able to believe Petrie had left her like this. Even then, she couldn't help but smile widely as she thought about what the flyer had said. Littlefoot was alive! That fact alone made the swimmer cross her arms and look into the distance with newfound hope. In a matter of minutes, she had just learned that two of her old friends were still alive! But first, each of them would have to see the light of the next morning if they wanted to finally meet each other after their long separation.
The swimmer inhaled deeply as she looked at the desperate sigh before herself, knowing that despite these news, her mission hadn't changed: she couldn't help Petrie and she didn't know where Littlefoot was so she'd just have to go on and try to find Ruby and make her see some sense finally.
The fastrunner's head ached as she ran towards the massive waterfall at the edge of this ancient place. Its surroundings seemed to contain the most promising places to hide from the hostile flyers. Ruby was beyond glad that the darkness hid her and Sireia rather completely but that didn't really bring ease to her mind. So many questions swirled within her head and with every second, her desire to receive some answers from her companion grew more profound.
Petrie's words bothered her greatly as she could tell that the boy had been completely genuine about his words concerning Lenel. Even then, he could have misunderstood something or his account might have been biased in some way. Ruby knew that her questions might not be well received at all but she simply couldn't ignore them and Lenel's own mate would certainly know the truth about the pale flyer. Suddenly, she whispered silently to the flyer.
"Is it true? Did Lenel kill Petrie's uncle and did he start all those terrible battles?" She asked with a tense voice. It wasn't long before Sireia rolled her eyes in annoyance and turned to look at her companion with fierce eyes.
"Be silent! You've already caused enough fuss and trouble for me considering it is because of me that Lenel even tolerates your presence! For your ow…" She started but this time, the girl was ready with an answer of her own. She interrupted the other female with a sharp voice, clearly implying that she'd be only happy with an honest answer.
"And it is I who was ordered to keep you safe! Sireia, I like you and I do not want to get on your bad side but that does not mean I like to be kept in the dark! You know I am a friend but I deserve to know what kind of flyer I am following!" Ruby said with a cringe, causing the flyer's expression to darken further. She approached Ruby slightly and frowned as she gave her answer.
"And then what? You're going to betray us because you disagree with our methods despite the fact that you and your family have done at least as terrible things? Is that it?" She asked but to her ever-growing surprise, Ruby didn't back down in the least. The omnivore locked eyes with the flyer and kept a stoic expression as she gave her answer.
"You know well that I have too much to lose to do that, Sireia! But I might be forced to fight to death because of my alliance with you and I hate to be played for a fool! Now, speak!" She nearly cried, causing Sireia's eyes to grow wide. It had been a long, long time since someone had given her an order like this and deep inside, she was impressed by the fastrunner's courage. Her face suddenly softened and her voice was a respectful one as she gave he answer.
"You certainly are a brave fastrunner, I give you that, Ruby. Very well. The claim that Pterano died because of my mate is a lie as he died while serving Lenel because of his own choice. As for those fights, yes, we started them but only because we thought it was right! My mate seems to now regret all of that heartily for some reason but if it were up to me, I'd do all we've done again!" She exclaimed, causing Ruby to look at her oddly. She didn't like in the least about what she was hearing but she didn't want to do anything that would turn Sireia and Lenel into her enemies.
"But why? I get it that you want to win the powers of those… ghosts but how did those battles relate to any of this?" She asked, hoping to receive some, any answers for that question. Sireia snorted deeply, clearly growing tired of the girl.
"Ruby, you must understand one thing. We didn't know back then whether we'd need a large herd to earn the right to Olres' legacy so we did what we thought would guarantee our final victory. If you want to blame us for that, be my guest, but at least my conscience is clear! We might have done wrong but our motives were pure all along!" She yelled, none of those comments making the girl any more content with her new leaders. She sighed as she brought her hand to her forehead, shaking her head as she spoke next time.
"So Petrie did speak the truth… not that it matters. As I said, I have no choice but to follow you until the end and that is what I will do." She said, making the flyer smile slightly. Her voice was almost a mocking one as she concluded that conversation.
"I am glad to hear that. Ruby. I wouldn't want to tell my mate that you…" She started but before she got further, Ruby yelped at her in clear shock.
"Get to the ground, now! Don't ask!" She said and Sireia didn't waste any time doing as told. The fastrunner nodded at a group of flyers in the skies and whispered to her companion silently.
"Try to cover yourself with the ground sparkles to your best ability, Sireia! That is our best chance right now!" She said as she threw more and more ground sparkles on her own back. She heard the older dinosaur cursing but she did as told. Ruby could hear her heart beating in terror as she looked at the group of flyers looking for her and her companion, praying with her whole soul that they wouldn't spot them. Seconds passed on slowly but just as the girl thought she and Sireia were in the clear, she heard a loud call from above her… and three flyers plunged right at the two hapless companions.
The seemingly never-ending battle was making Lenel's exhaustion turn from bad to worse. His wings were growing heavier by the minute but to his slight relief, his opponent wasn't doing any better than he was. In fact, her injuries were far more severe than Lenel's were and even now, the male had no doubts that he'd be able to prevail in this duel. His earlier despair was slowly starting to get replaced by something that resembled hope.
Haste, on the other hand, was panting heavily as blood was flowing down her cheeks from a large cut next to her left eye. She knew she was in a disadvantage but even then, she knew her situation wasn't hopeless. She took a deep breath as she taunted her opponent again.
"If you think you're even close to winning, Lenel, you're terribly mistaken! You may have won the first rounds of our fight but I'm winning the war! Soon enough, me and my followers can simply overpower you with mere numbers!" She yelled, causing Lenel to spit into the ground in disgust. His voice wasn't any friendlier as he gave his answer.
"Only the lowliest of cowards uses help to finish a duel she started alone! I warn you, Haste, if you do that, your rule will be short and inglorious indeed!" He answered, knowing that he was right. The female cringed at that answer, not really able to deny it. Even then, her chances of winning this battle were getting lower the longer this went on and inside, she knew that Lenel was both stronger and smarter than she was. Her chances of trying to beat him by conventional means was beyond unlikely.
However, she knew there was one thing that might just work. She knew that Lenel was practically an animal forced into a dead end and that he would be willing to take any chance, no matter how small, to salvage his quest. Haste knew that was her chance to gain the upper hand and it was also the path she'd take to claim her enemy out for good. The female cringed deeply as she plunged downwards, looking as Lenel immediately headed after her. She cringed deeply as she felt a powerful wind taking control of her flight for a moment but soon enough, she again recovered her balance. She looked at the male approaching her, counting seconds until she'd make her move…
Suddenly, Haste turned at Lenel and headed right towards him, clearly aiming for the kill. Lenel immediately turned slightly to the right but the other flyer simply wouldn't give up. The pale flyer seemed astonished by his opponent's courage but it didn't take long for him to dodge her attack. But even after that maneuver, Haste continued her assault, forcing Lenel into a melee.
He couldn't help but wonder what Haste thought she was doing but even then, it was true that she must be more than worried about dragging this fight any longer. Maybe this was some kind of a desperate attempt to end this battle one way or another but her sudden desperation made the male more than worried…
The duo exchanged one blow after another with Lenel being able to deal more hits than his counterpart. He had fought countless battles and proved his mettle and Haste, while clever and resourceful, struggled to stand up to Lenel. Haste tried to stay as calm as possible and soon enough, she realized her moment had come. After another hit from Lenel, she spread her wings wider and started to drop on her back, as if she was starting to fall into the ground and her death. This was the moment Lenel had waited for.
None of that was lost on Lenel and his heart started to beat faster as he looked at the impact of his hit even if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. Haste was falling far too easily and he couldn't deny the depth of his worries. There was something wrong here and if the situation would have been any easier, he would have observed Haste for a while longer but Lenel knew that simply wasn't an option now. He had to close out this duel now or last his followers would be slaughtered. With a deep sigh, Lenel headed for the kill.
It took all her willpower for Haste to keep her face on believable levels as she saw the other flyer heading after her. He was holding nothing back and it wouldn't be long now until she could close out this fight for good… Just as Lenel was about to open the female's throat, Haste suddenly stabilized her position and started moving right towards Lenel and she knew that she had succeeded. Before Lenel could react to this development in any way, the female grabbed Lenel's wings and then closed her right hand against around his throat. Haste smiled as she spoke to her old leader and current nemesis.
"You're done for, Lenel. You had a good run but now it is my time to take my place as our herd's leader… and it seems you weren't wrong about Olres' legacy after all. Thank you for leading me all the way here. I really mean it."
The skies seemed to become colder and colder for Petrie by the minute. He shuddered in the frigid winds as he tried to find Lenel and Haste again. The boy felt his heart beating wickedly in his chest as he looked at the darkness around himself, feeling as if he was floating in a sea of endless black alone. But even now, he kept his focus on what he was doing and to his relief, it wasn't long before he saw the two far in front of himself. It seemed like he wasn't too late after all! Maybe he could even try again to harm Lenel in some way, enabling Haste to finally close the fight for good.
However, as he got closer, he realized that something was amiss. There were no longer any sounds of battle and the two flyers were too close to each other for them to be dueling anymore. Petrie narrowed his eyes as he slowly flew closer, willing to find out just what was happening. His small size would make it very difficult for the duo to spot him and that would give Petrie the chance he needed to find out what was going on.
Lenel's mind worked in overdrive as he thought about what to do in this situation. He was completely helpless and his movements were completely blocked by the female's grip on his wings. He knew she couldn't continue this for long before it'd become impossible for her to stay airborne but that fact didn't really make him any more relieved. Inside, he was beyond disturbed by the fact that the spirits hadn't helped him in any way. It was as if they had completely abandoned him right after they had named him as their new guardian!
And his mistake wasn't making the flyer's mood any better. He knew that Haste had won this fight and it'd take a miracle for him to get away from this mess. He tried to find any glimmer of hope but he knew that he had to buy some more time and to do that, he'd have to try to drag on Haste's victory bragging for a little longer.
"You will see that you can not claim that blessing even if you win today, Haste! The ghosts of that battle a long time ago will never give their powers to you! You don't have a trace of the things that made Olres great in the first place!" He cried, making the female to roll her eyes in clear annoyance. It wasn't long before she gave her answer and her voice was even sharper than before.
"Oh, you don't know about that in the least. You think I simply took out my sister that promptly, without expecting any of that to happen? You were wrong about me this whole time and you never suspected a thing! It's an incredible thing you ever became our leader but I guess you have to thank me for that as well." She said, making the pale flyer's eyes to widen even further. He gasped and his voice shook as he tried to give his answer.
"Wh… what do you mean? What is the meaning of this!" He demanded, the smile on Haste's face only growing wider. Her voice was almost sweet but even more threatening as she finally revealed the truth.
"Still oblivious to all of that? Very well, I'll indulge your curiosity. First of all, I do not think you ever found out who ordered the killing of that brat's father and Peak's most trusted friend? That was the starting point of all our woes yet you and the others simply forgot what happened after Longcrest admitted he acted alone. I was always astonished by that."
Those words made Petrie's already aching head feel even worse. Truth be told, he had almost forgot about that incident and it felt like it had happened many lifetimes ago. It had been a somber day in many ways but most of all because it had ended his friend's childhood right there. Could… could it really be? Had Haste been behind that? B… but why? Why would she do such a thing? Petrie knew that whatever came next would only make him feel more disturbed but he would have to know everything about what had happened if he wanted to learn just why his life had descended into this kind of hell.
Lenel frowned slightly as Haste finished speaking, more than surprised by what he had heard. He had never cared about Peak or his family but he already knew there was more coming. His voice was dry as any desert as he answered.
"Well, go on. We both know there's more coming than that." He said while looking Straight at Haste's eyes. The female wasted no time before giving her answer.
"I guess you already know what I'm talking about, Lenel. Yes, Deron attacked us before he wanted to have his revenge on Peak but it was I who invited him. And it was because of me that he knew the best moment to attack all of us." She said, those words making Lenel's agitated expression turn into a more confused one. His voice was hoarse as he gave his answer, the female's story not really making sense to him.
"But Deron didn't take out Peak but Nimble on that day! That doesn't make any sense!" He yelped, causing the female to roll her eyes theatrically before speaking in a low, hissing voice.
"That wasn't because of lack of trying! His ambush wasn't perfect but I assured him that he'd get his revenge once the inevitable happened… and he did, didn't he now?" She asked while cocking her head, making Lenel exhale deeply. He couldn't believe he had been played that badly. Haste couldn't have been that cunning! His voice was a forced one as he spoke next.
"So let me get this straight: you killed Ortin's father and Nimble only because you knew that it would cause Peak and Nira distrust me and each other, certain that I'd make my move and make you my deputy? And after that, weaken my hold on my herd so that you could overthrow me? Is that it?" He demanded, truly impressed at the female's cunning. He could have seen it coming but… Haste had been subtle enough to never make her seem that suspicious. The female stared at the pale flyer for a few seconds before finally confirming his words.
"Exactly, Lenel. Maybe I am not what Olres was but greatness can be achieved in many different ways and I'm sure that the spirits of this place will agree with me."
That piece of news threw Petrie's thoughts into a complete flux. Had he truly heard what he thought? The boy could only stare into the blackness, his mind completely numb. Glide had been right all along: Haste was a complete monster, every bit as evil as Lenel! Rage rose within him as he thought about it all. Without her, Ortin's family would still be whole and so would uncle Pterano! Everything bad Lenel had done had been because of her! Of course that didn't make the male any better but at least a part of the blame for Pterano's death lied on her!
He would have wanted nothing more than to simply dash at Haste and hurt her in any ways possible but he couldn't bring himself to do that. Attacking Haste would help Lenel and he simply couldn't help that bastard. The flyer cursed both of the leaders from the bottom of his heart, not knowing what to believe anymore. He hoped the two would take each other out but that was beyond improbable. He could do nothing but follow the scene and see if he could do anything of worth.
The pale flyer knew very well that the moment of truth was quickly approaching. Haste was readying to finish him for good but he had to believe there still was a chance for him to save himself. Lenel felt sick beyond words as he saw his last followers falling to their deaths, knowing in that moment that it was all over. Even if he somehow survived, Haste had already bested him in the duel and from now on, she could simply order her followers to slaughter him. A single tear fell from Lenel's eye as he looked at his foe, trying to look as resigned as possible.
"Only the ancestors will be able to answer to that, Haste. But now, finish it. You've won. There's no reason to drag this on any longer." He said, hoping he wasn't completely wrong. He could still escape with his life and with Sireia if fortune would favor him one last time. That was all he wanted anymore. He feared the future should the spirits accept Haste as their guardian but that was no longer in his hands.
Haste frowned as she heard those words, not really expecting such a request from the usually-proud leader. She had expected him to delay this for at least a while longer but it was true: she had prevailed and she couldn't find real reasons why she should deny Lenel his request. After all, the duo didn't have any true, personal disdain for each other that would justify such actions from Haste. The female nodded at her opponent as she prepared to end it all for her foe.
"Very well, Lenel. I will grant you this one favor. Goodbye!" She cried as she prepared to open the veins in Lenel's throat but just before she was able to land that blow, the male realized that the time had come for him to execute his last, desperate move.
Within blink of an eye, the flyer threw his entire weight forward and headbutted her with his entire might. Lenel could feel the other dinosaur's claws hit the side of his neck but with any luck, they'd miss the largest and vital spots. Haste looked at the male in astonishment, clearly surprised by his sudden move. The impact released him from the darker-colored flyer's grasp and he wasted no time before dashing towards the skies with all his might. Trying to get some distance between him and his chasers was his only hope of getting out of this mess alive. Already, he could hear Haste cry far above him in an enraged voice.
"Get him! If you allow him to escape, I'll make sure you pray every day of your lives that you hadn't failed me!"
Petrie was left looking into the darkness with a faraway gaze, not really able to decide what to do anymore. Of course he could try to catch Lenel and ensure he'd get caught but such a move would be unlikely to succeed. After all, he was far larger and more powerful than Petrie was so his hopes of being able to stop the pale flyer were slim to none. And what would that even accomplish? He'd simply be helping the bastard whose fault all that had happened actually was. He had wanted to trust Haste but… but it was too late for that.
But neither could he assault Haste as that would be nothing but a suicide. For the first time in a long time, the boy felt something strange… his mind was completely numb and he didn't have the slightest of ideas about what to do. He couldn't help nor hurt either of the leaders which left him at a complete loss of direction. He was just about to head towards the ground to think of something but that was when he heard a familiar call.
"Petrie, what are you doing? Why didn't you go after Lenel?" He heard before turning to look to his right side. He was astonished that Ortin had managed to recover to some degree from his injury. However, Petrie wasn't particularly eager to tell him everything about what he had just heard…
The final showdown is approaching its end and Lenel's final defeat is all but assured. Moreover, his own survival is still uncertain and how will Ruby hope to escape from the situation she is in? And how will Petrie and his friends react to Haste's approaching triumph? I had hoped to include this entire battle in one chapter but in that case, it would have most likely exceeded 25k words so I decided to cut it to two parts.
Yes, I said I'd do a prompt next but I just want to finish this tale now so there won't be another short story until this fic has been completed. Also, Separate Ways has finally overtaken the Seven Hunters in terms of length and that certainly is a massive achievement! I hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as I have and hopefully you will enjoy these last few steps as well. Thank you for reading and Merry Christmas to everyone!
Anagnos: It's good to hear that you liked the first scene. I wanted to finally underline some kind of breaking point between Ducky and the fastrunners' world views while also pointing out that Ducky was bit of a hypocrite about that. About Liras, he is a part of the backstory even if he wasn't included in SW itself. His deed indeed transformed this entire land to what it is so I had to mention him here.
I've wanted to make Lenel a more grey than evil character lately and it appears my efforts have been at least a bit successful. He is a cruel and extremely flawed flyer but he seldom throws away the last bits of his honor. As for your comments about the coming struggle, it indeed may have a bleak ending…
jaythefox02: I'm happy you think so and thanks for the review!
The Rhombus: Ruby indeed is in a bleak situation and she still has a few decisions to make to try to save herself from her current situation and it remains to be seen how Petrie and Ruby can sort out their differences. And yep, Haste and Lenel have had this struggle coming for a long time and that's something we've finally come to see…
I quite imagined you'd enjoy the scene between Orchid and Ducky. Your observations about it are spot on and that is her deepest wish after everything that has happened. Orchid doesn't quite disagree but he has never expected anything else but pragmatism from life. And yep, the coming struggle will leave no one untouched but it will be unclear who, if anyone, will be able to claim victory in the battle that's about to begin.