Alys IV


Alysanne's Angels, as everyone else had taken to calling them, now stood twenty-three members strong. They were the fiercest and most talented women from across the whole Northern Coalition, all blessed with unbounded potential. They were still in various stages of preparation, ranging from the new recruits who were still being drilled into peak physical condition, to trainees who had only recently been introduced to their argentavis partners, and finally to fully fledged Angels who had mastered the skies.

Fourteen of those Angels flew with Alys now, splayed out behind her in a V formation. They were quickly coming up on their target; an unsuspecting trio of chalicotherium, foraging for roots on a mountain clearing. The wind was too loud for Alysanne to shout commands effectively, so instead she raised her right fist to the air. Her Angels all knew what the signal meant. Without looking behind her, Alys trusted her squad to be on high alert for her next order. As the aerial unit passed overhead, Alys judged the time to be right and unclenched her balled fist into an open palm.

All fifteen argentavis released their cargo within the span of a few seconds, raining heavy rocks and stones down below. The rumbling death cries of the huge herbivores behind her spoke volumes about the success of the airstrike. Alys waved her hand to the left and promptly swerved Crimson around, soaring back toward the small chalicotherium herd. Her Angels followed suit.

Two of the giants had been struck on the head directly, giving them a quick and painless death. The last chalicotherium had miraculously survived the barrage, with only a broken leg to show for it. The herbivore roared in pain, hobbling over to its fallen brothers. Alys pitied the beast so she signalled for the others to give it a quick and painless death. Half a dozen argentavis descended on the injured creature at once, slashing with razor-sharp beaks and talons to put the chalicotherium out of its misery. The final giant dropped dead within seconds. When she deemed it safe, Alys then signalled for her squad to land on the clearing. After a few laps circling around the landing site, all the argentavis made it onto the mountain.

The riders all dismounted and let their argentavis tear away at the corpses. Though well-fed with provisions back at their roost, the birds nonetheless had a ravenous appetite and made quick work of the dead chalicotherium herd. The argentavis screeched and cawed at one another, flapping their wings to assert their claim over a particular piece of meat. It took a few shrill whistles from Alys to remind them to be patient with one another. The birds were well-behaved most of the time, having adjusted to their new flock mentality, though sometimes their wild instincts shone through. After just ten minutes of ravenous feasting, the best portions of meat were gone and yet the birds still weren't sated. They kept fighting over the last shreds sticking to the bones.

Wild argentavis were typically scavengers that fed on decaying corpses, though Alysanne's tamed birds had taken a liking to fresh kills. There was nothing stopping their wild brethren from also enjoying the spoils of a fresh hunt, except perhaps the fact that it was extremely energy-consuming. However, the tamed argentavis did not face the same problem, for they worked in a large flock and were able to kill things quickly and efficiently. Alys took great pride in the teamwork and coordination that her Angels showed, not only with each other but with their respective argentavis. It enabled them to accomplish feats that nobody else on the Island was able to. Alys knew just how huge of an asset her Angels were to the Northern Coalition, being a unique aerial force that was quite possibly the first of its kind. Or at least as far as she knew. Accordingly, Alys spent most of her time honing their skills and preparing them for the onset of war.

Hunting exercises were not only a great team-building activity, but also an opportunity to test and experiment with new tactics. Alys had only recently thought of the stone bombardment tactic after watching some wild argentavis hunt turtles by the coast. The shells were too hard for even the tough beaks and claws of the birds to penetrate so instead they flew to great heights and dropped the turtles, cracking the shells through sheer force. Alys took inspiration from that strategy and had been drilling her Angels to adapt it into a long range assault weapon. One of the weaknesses of argentavis was that they needed to get up close and personal to their prey in order to go for kill blows. In a battlefield where the enemy would be prepared for such an attack with bows and arrows, pikes and spears, Alys could only imagine the terrible casualty rates a head-on attack would cause. So instead she kept practicing airstrikes with her Angels, getting accustomed to the right timings and altitudes for the attack to be most devastating. It was easy enough for the argentavis to pick up rocks in either talon, less so for the rider to decide when to release those projectiles. However, once they mastered the tactic they would be untouchable from archers on the ground. Alys was already thinking well in advance how to counter the types of enemies she might face in a battle against the Protectors of Man.

Now that more and more of her Angels were finally taking to the skies, Alys could dedicate a lot more time to optimizing war strategies, not to mention her duties as Head Ranger of the Hotspring Hold. Back when she had been the only argentavis rider, the job of training new Angels had fallen solely on her shoulders. She spent most of her days drilling her students on basic maneuvers, teaching them how to take care of their birds, and most arduous of all, capturing and taming wild argentavis to boost their numbers. A huge amount of time and resources went into training just a single argentavis rider. First off, there was the obvious physical requirements, such as being able to withstand freezing temperatures, reduced oxygen intake at higher altitudes, and all the momentum and inertia that sharp flight maneuvers required. During this stage of physical training, Alys was able to weed out most of the unfit applicants. However, the following stages were not any less difficult.

An Angel needed to be knowledgeable, both about the limits of her own mount, and about all the hazards associated with the skies. Alysanne had learned the hard way that oftentimes the atmosphere was more dangerous than any wild animals she might have to deal with below. Indeed, if she had to make a choice between flying through a thunderstorm or landing in a forest infested with dangerous predators, she would choose the latter option almost every time. At least down in the woods she would have a fair chance of survival, as long as she perched on a tall tree and stayed away from anything that could harm Crimson. However, the skies were a different matter. A huge number of weather phenomena could spell a quick death for an unwary or inexperienced argentavis rider, especially here in the mountains. Common occurrences like katabatic winds and severe turbulence downwind of mountains could toss an argentavis around the sky and send them spiralling out of control or into a mountain. Other hazards like supercooled rain lurking in fog or stratus clouds could freeze both bird and rider alive, hail could pummel them bloody, and lightning would make a quick end out of just about any living creature caught in its path.

Accordingly, the next major stage of an Angel's training involved learning everything they possibly could about how to handle their argentavis, as well as how to identify and avoid weather hazards. Alys had learned a few tricks over her time. Clues to look out for that would signal danger in the skies. For instance, the towering cumulus clouds that could suddenly grow into dangerous thunderstorms under enough humidity or static instability. Strong winds could mean severe turbulence downwind of mountains, so during those days Alys advised her students not to fly at all. There were plenty of other clues, such as billow clouds that indicated wind shear, cold fronts that meant squall lines of thunderstorms were likely on the move, and rotor clouds beneath mountains that meant severe turbulence. However, there were also helpful things to look out for too. For instance, cloud streets beside mountains that meant a strong updraft could help sustain flight, or jet streams that could quickly lift an argentavis high into the sky.

After all of that instruction, the students were finally allowed to meet and bond with their birds. By that point anybody who had made it that far into training was likely fit for service already. After that only came doing the real thing. Alys found that most of her students were quick learners and able to get used to flying very rapidly. And after a lot more practice under her careful supervision, the women who had demonstrated persistence and capability were deemed fully fledged argentavis riders. Now that Alys had trained about half her Angels into experienced flyers, she trusted them to take some of the responsibilities off her back. In particular, Alys deemed her second-in-command Lily capable of teaching all the new recruits and trainees how to fly. Alysanne had taught Lily everything she knew, and now she considered the other woman her equal. Accordingly, Lily had taken over many of Alysanne's duties so she could focus her attention elsewhere.

Nowadays Alys spent most of her time and energy preparing for the war. Kevan had departed for Cerulean Falls three months ago, meaning they would soon receive a response from the Protectors of Man, give or take a few months. During that entire time Alys had been busy seeing to the defense of the Hotspring Hold while also training her Angels. She worked closely with Leo most of the time, since their duties as Head Ranger and Captain of the Guards respectively had a lot of overlapping responsibilities. Leo saw to the immediate defense of the Hotspring Hold, meaning the ramp that led up to the plateau, the gates, the walls, and the mountain peak castle. Alys ranged a bit further by setting up patrols of the nearby area to survey for dangers. They also occasionally collaborated when training their respective groups. Leo was in charge of getting all the men and women of fighting age into a cohesive force. Sometimes during training exercises he asked Alys to gather her Angels and swoop down on lines of spearmen to try and break their nerve. She always flew above their heads, but sometimes just the sight of being divebombed by a flock of argentavis was enough to scare the soldiers and send them scrambling away. Likewise, when Alys needed help with her training exercises, she called upon Leo for aid. For instance, he gathered a group of volunteers whose job on the battlefield would be to gather rocks and line them up on a flat clearing for the argentavis to fly by and pick up. That way they would not need to spend their time frantically flying around looking for ammunition during a chaotic battle. It made their airstrike strategy much more effective and Alysanne was glad for the ground support team.

Alys had always considered Leo a close acquaintance back when they both served the military at the Wolf's Den but over the past few months they had gotten to know each other much better. Of everyone at the Hotspring Hold, Alys probably spent the most time with Leo. Not only were their roles very similar, she also discovered that they had matching interests and personalities. Like her, Leo was also bold and courageous with a knack for danger. Though as he often complained to Alys, he was envious of her position as Head Ranger. Being Captain of the Guards confined him to stay inside the Hotspring Hold at almost all times, whereas she got to fly outside and explore the world. Then again it was unavoidable for a man of his talents. As everyone knew, Leo was the best swordsman in the whole Northern Coalition. Hence why he was tasked with the responsibility of training everyone at the Hotspring Hold how to fight.

Regardless, both of them knew everything was going to change very soon. Otto had already stated that should war arrive, the Northern Coalition's army would be split into subsections. Command of each section would be given to an experienced military leader, meaning both her and Leo had good chances of getting similar designations. In the calm before the storm, there was little they could do to anticipate what the war would be like. All they could do was prepare, so that was what they did. During their free time Alys constantly hounded Leo to spar with her, so she could develop her skills. He was a very tough opponent yet even when Alys was giving it her all she got the sense that Leo was going easy on her. That only pushed Alys to train harder so she could hopefully one day get near his skill level.

In all likelihood, Alys would probably never need to put her sword skills to use, since Crimson was already a deadly weapon. But either way, it was good to have a backup plan in case something went wrong. Say if she could not take to the skies in time, or if her argentavis got shot down close to the enemy ranks. Alys had learned the devastating consequences of being unprepared for the worst, so now she did not feel secure unless she had a backup plan prepared to go.

By now only a few shreds of meat still clung to the bones, and the argentavis flock seemed more docile after the heavy meal. Alys shouted for her Angels to get ready to return to the Hotspring Hold. They all quickly found and mounted their birds. Alys got herself comfortably seated on Crimson, then walked him to the edge of the cliff. Although he was incredibly strong for an argentavis, his heavy weight of several hundred pounds also meant he needed a bit of a boost when taking off. Alys quickly identified the direction the wind was blowing, then used it as a tailwind to dive off the mountain. Crimson spread his great wings and soared into a warm thermal, riding the mountain waves for a near effortless flight. While surfing along the updraft, all he needed to do was angle his wings occasionally. Other than that, it would be an easy glide home. The other argentavis took off after her, leaving the carcasses behind for the hyaenodons and wild argentavis to comb through.

On the way back they soared parallel to mountain peaks along the crest of wispy white lenticular clouds, enjoying a mostly smooth flight aside from the occasional gusts and eddies. As the lead argentavis in the formation, Crimson took the brunt of the turbulence. But as the largest and strongest of the flock, he was used to such vigour. The others behind him were shielded from the worst of the winds, able to conserve their energy on the journey back. They made good time and returned after half an hour, circling around the mountain peak castle then gliding into the caves they used for their roost. They had set out to hunt earlier that morning and it was only afternoon, meaning they still had a comfortable amount of time left in the day to complete the rest of their duties. Alys remembered Jeyne mentioning something about delivering more messages, so that was their next goal.

She told her Angels to wait in the roost with their birds, then personally went to retrieve the stack of letters from Jeyne's study. Unfortunately becoming an argentavis rider also made you into a glorified delivery woman, who could get summoned to relay messages at a moment's notice. Alys tried to look at the benefits. It was a good test of independence and navigation, since her team had to split up to cover all the destinations the mail was bound to. There were dozens of castles and villages in the Northern Coalition, with more joining every week. Already seven mountain tribes had pledged to join their cause, along with ten southern tribes, and countless smaller villages dotted everywhere in between. A few months ago after Alexander's patrol had first been attacked, it had been a nightmare for Alys to deliver the news all across the Northern Coalition. Back then only her, Lily, and Deliah had been capable argentavis riders, but the three of them had flown together. Alys had been exhausted at the end of it all, and she had taken the next day off to recover from the stress of delivering all those messages as quickly as possible.

Now there were even more destinations that the letters were fated to reach, but fortunately the number of Angels had grown to match it. Now with fifteen argentavis riders, each Angel only had to make one or two stops. It was much more manageable than having a single team fly the entire journey. And besides, Alys figured the delivery missions would be good exercise for her Angels. Without her there to hold each of their hands, they would need to practice independent thinking and judgement to carry out their tasks.

Alys knocked on the door to Jeyne's study and a voice beckoned her in. The woman behind the desk turned out not to be Jeyne, but instead her friend Lori.

"Jeyne's at a meeting," Lori said by way of explanation. "What do you need?"

"I was told there were some messages I had to deliver." Alys said.

"Right." Lori pulled a stack of papers onto the desk. "Here they are. Reminders for Jeyne's wedding, due to each member of the Northern Coalition."

Alys carefully placed the letters into her satchel. "That's in two weeks, isn't it? Time flies by fast."

"Exactly. I remember months and months ago when her and Otto first started seeing each other, though it feels like it happened yesterday. And now they're getting married! Anyway, I'm excited to see what happens."

Alys smiled at the other woman's enthusiasm. "Knowing Jeyne, it will be a spectacle for sure. Thanks for the letters, I'll be on my way."

That wedding sure crept up on us quickly, Alys thought as she made her way through the halls. It was announced two months ago and now it's just peeking over the horizon. Alys had been wary of the festivities at first, with the war looming over their heads and all, but at least it would be a good way to consolidate their strength with the other members of the Northern Coalition. And maybe the fact that no bad news has arrived from Cerulean Falls just means the wedding is an omen of good luck. If everything goes well, maybe the conflict can be avoided altogether and we can just celebrate the victories we've made on the Island so far. Looking back on how far everyone had come since they first washed ashore, Alys had to admit that they should mark their great progress with some sort of celebration before the twin terrors of war and winter came crashing down on them. If anyone was deserving of such grand festivities, it was Jeyne and Otto. They were the two pillars who held the Northern Coalition together and Alys was glad for their happiness, though she still felt a tinge of unease at the thought of hosting a wedding just before catastrophe was bound to strike.

Alys was almost back at the roost when she bumped into the last person she would have expected to see. Hobbling along with crutches and a heavily bandaged leg was Alexander, recently released from the infirmary by the looks of it.

"I thought I would find you here Alys," the injured soldier croaked.

"Alexander," she nodded courteously. Her free hand went to the hilt of her dagger, remembering the last time he had tried to get alone with her. Though he's in much worse condition now. What's he playing at?

The action had not gone unnoticed. Alex stared at the weapon dismally, then back at her. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You're right to be wary of me after everything I did in the past."

"Oh?" Alys kept her hand on the weapon. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I—When I was attacked. . . I watched as friends I knew for months got cut down like animals. . . I saw the terror in their eyes. Everytime I replay that encounter in my head—it's horrible knowing how much pain and fear they went through in their last moments."

Alex stared blankly at the floor, his voice now a hoarse whisper. "And everytime I relive those wretched memories. . . I realize I've seen that look of fear before. It's the same look from the women I harassed. Back when I was more arrogant and thought the world was mine for the taking. . . Back when I had no idea what it meant to be scared for my life."

"So I'm sorry for everything I put you and the other women through. I—I've been trying my best to find everyone I tormented, so I can apologize. Some were forgiving. Others still hate my guts, and with good reason too." He sighed, leaning on his crutches. "It's your choice whether to forgive me in the end. Just know that I'd take it all back if I could."

Alys took her hand off the dagger and frowned. "Well I'm glad you've changed. Just don't make the same mistake again, you understand?"

Alexander nodded glumly.

"In that case I forgive you," She smiled.

Alex seemed to have a small weight lifted off his back. A very small one at that. He straightened up slightly but his eyes were still dark and sunken. "Thank you Alys."

The two of them parted ways down the hallway. Alys returned to the roost with her letters, handing them out to each of her Angels. The whole time she felt a sense of peace. It was a relaxing feeling, one that she had not known she was missing so desperately in her life. It's nice, Alys thought to herself.

With all their argentavis ready for action, she whistled and they launched off the edge of the cave one by one, winging in every direction. The sky was a flurry of activity as each Angel plotted her own course toward her destination. Alys waited until the airspace was clear before nudging Crimson into action. With that, the argentavis plunged off the cliff and soared into the calm blue skies.


Author's Note:

Korskarn, You're right in that winter is inbound soon and that would greatly tip the environment to the northerner's favor but you'll sort of see the reason why they Protectors are rushing an invasion in the next chapter. However, if it gets too bad they could always delay the invasion, so that's a possibility as well. Anyway, it will be at least a few months more of fall before winter comes.

DinoNerd89, Yeah Kate's journey is definitely the hardest of all the POV chapters. Keep reading to see if that haunch turns out to be alright and what Melvin might do.

Caleb R. Watson, Haha yea it was perhaps a little too good to be true. You'll see what happens soon however :)

Nateman364, Not far from wrong, it was definitely a test of sorts. But yeah don't worry there's going to be more spotlight on cave creatures soon ;). And speaking of hunts, I looked at that mod you mentioned. The Hunted looks extremely fascinating and definitely something I'd be interested in playing it oneday. . . but current ARK is already kinda grindy so I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to that. Anyway, the taming methods seemed very innovative and realistic so my story could definitely take some inspiration from that!

Bladerunner24k, Hopefully the tension stays high I was afraid it might waver. Glad you're enjoying!

Death korps boi, You make solid points and we will definitely see some ships eventually but they won't be all that helpful in a war, since the northerners are on the defense and only a few of their castles actually border the ocean. But yes I definitely see the practical uses in rescuing new castaways. And as for your other question, no I'm not that familiar with Eldar but it sounds interesting!

Thunder, Glad you enjoyed and yeah, the Protectors will do whatever is necessary. However, the whole tribe isn't all like this and you'll see that soon...

Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!

- DaRumpyBurr