Oh this is going to be such a great chapter…just wait and see. jump jump jump

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Complications

'Wrath of the Firebirds and Magic Revealed'

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"Justice!" roared Numair. "Get back here!"

"Numair, go after her, quick! She'll get caught!" Daine pleaded.

Turning to Alanna, Numair pointed to Daine and ordered, "Keep her safe." With that he took off after the red head. He crashed through several bushes and plants cursing the entire way. What was that girl thinking? Running off like that could get her killed. He broke through the bushes to see Justice darting up a rather steep hill. He groaned and took off after her. Justice may have been faster, but Numair had the advantage of having long legs. He kept up with her, though for the life of him couldn't catch up. "Justice, stop!" He could see her breathing erratically, which was odd, really. She ran for hours two days ago and didn't break a sweat. Though various things could have been the cause of that. She had just been under the control of a weak mage by extremely strong and old magic; and whatever it was she was chasing, it seemed to greatly affect her respiratory system even before she started running.

He jumped over a log that had fallen when he heard the horn. It stopped him in his tracks as a wide smile spread across his face. It sounded again. "Riders." He whispered. 'Well, it's about bloody time,' he thought. By the sound of it, they were maybe ten miles away. 'Less than an hour.' But then, much closer he heard the shots of men coming from less than 200 hundred feet away. "Damn!" He took off again; following the path up the hill he had seen Justice take. He rounded a corner to see her standing 100 feet ahead him. She stood still, her head tilted to the side as if straining to hear something. Then, as if she had heard something, she took off again.

"Justice, stop!" he raced up after her. She disappeared past some trees just as he reached her. He pushed through and stopped running so fast he nearly fell over the very deep cliff he had just come upon. Justice grabbed his arm to steady him then quickly turned back to open air. "Justice! What in the Mother's name are you doing? The rebels are right behind us."

She turned her head towards him with a look of utter confusion. "Don't you hear it?"

"Hear what? Justice, we don't have time for this." He was about to grab her hand to drag her away from the cliff when she suddenly took the largest breath of air Numair had ever seen anyone take. She raised her arms, spreading them wide as she let out the loudest screech he's ever heard come out of a humans mouth. Though, being completely honest, Justice wasn't completely human. It was as if a hawk screeched right next to his ear. The high-pitched screech echoed through the surrounding trees and far into the sky. Her eyes were tightly clenched as she screeched for all she was worth. Seconds past as he waited for her to end.

To his surprise, the screech suddenly changed. He almost tripped over his own feet when her screech suddenly deepened slightly to become a sort of siren. He held onto a nearby tree for support as he stared, mouth agape at the girl. Finally, she stopped; breathing so heavily, he thought her lungs would explode. She didn't pay him any notice as she stared expectantly at the empty sky. He was about to ask why she was screaming at the Gods so loudly when the sky was suddenly filled with answering sirens, so many, he couldn't even count them. They were lower pitched then the one Justice had let out. They filled the sky with harmonic sounds. He didn't know what to do or say as he swore he could feel the tree he had been holding onto vibrate madly until the sirens died out.

Justices eyes were so wide; he thought they would pop out of her face. Though the real fascinating part was how they had flashed bright red and stayed bright red as the sirens filled the air. "What is that?" he asked in awe.

In a breathless melody of notes, Justice whispered. "My colony."

He stared at her with amazement. He wanted to ask more but was interrupted by those annoying yet ever present rebel fighters. "We have to get out of here, Justice. They'll be on his in seconds."

"No," She whispered. "Wait."

"Justice…" he didn't continue as men filed out from the bushes to surround them. "Gods," prayed Numair. Man after man circled with smirks of triumph on their faces. Sardonically, he counted. 27 men.

"It's OVER." Snapped one of the men. "Hand over the immortal, and we'll kill you quickly."

The sky was filled with sirens once again. This time, they were much closer. He along with Justice and the rebels turned towards the open sky past the tall cliff in curiosity. Numair's jaw dropped as Justice screeched in joy. Balls of fire exploded past a large Nimbus cloud. He tried to count. 13, 14, 15, 16…but there were too many. Shocked gasp exploded behind him as the rebels took uncertain steps back. The balls of fire grew larger and larger as they neared. "Numair…" called Justice.

"Yeah?"

"If I were you, I'd get down."

He wasn't one to question someone when balls of fire seemed to be hurling themselves at him. So, he got down. Though he wondered, for just a second, why Justice wasn't following her own advice. From the ground he saw the balls of fire suddenly become clearer. And this time, he was afraid his own eyes would pop out of his head. They were birds! They were shaped and moved like hawks, but they had the size of giant eagles, some appeared to have a ten foot wingspan. They had golden hooked beaks and feet with silver talons. Some had red eyes, some silver, and some gold. Most were completely fire red feathered, with the occasional silver or gold feather on their body. Surrounding their entire bodies was red, orange, blue, gold, silver and white flames that trailed behind them with the force of wind.

Closer and closer they came. The men who had been behind them suddenly started screaming and dodging in every direction when a group of what Numair could only assume were firebirds swooped over him, talons ready, and attacked the rebels, completely ignoring Justice for the moment.

Full out battle ensued as firebird after firebird swooped down in attack. The men fought back, swinging their swords and firing arrows covered in magic. The arrows, Numair suspected, had no effect on the firebirds for the same reason gift magic had no effect on Justice. They seemed, however, more leery of the swords and clubs. "Stay down!" ordered Justice. "Whatever you do, just stay down!" Again, he decided it wasn't his place to argue, though he felt like a coward for accepting non-involvement so easily. He watched as the largest of the great birds, a male at least 6 feet tall with piercing silver eyes clamped a swinging sword in his mouth and shattered the blade with a single snap of his might beak. Another bird, this one smaller, only 4 feet tall raked her talons across one of the men's throat. Another bird, a female with familiar brick red eyes ripped at a man's stomach with her beak, intestines spilling out for all to see. One of the rebels raised a club and slammed it down on her wing with great force. The firebird screeched in rage and pain.

Alanna had said Justice had 'snapped' when they were attacked. Numair had no trouble imagining Justice loose her temper, she's done many a times. But he had never imagined her 'snapping'. He didn't have to imagine anymore. Justice screeched in livid rage as she charged at the man with the club. She jumped onto his back screeching bloody murder. She raked silver nails into the man's eyes, rendering them useless. The man stumbled around, Justice clinging tightly, her long dirty, matted hair swinging around. From somewhere, he imagined from a fallen body, she had produced a dagger that she used to stab the man at the bottom of his back, severing his spine and paralyzing him.

The man collapsed and Justice landed on her bottom, breathing heavily. Numair looked around to see that nearly half the men had fallen and not one firebird lay injured. The slaughter continued as man after man fell to ground. Finally the last of them fell. Numair stared wide-eyed around him.

A large golden foot with silver nails landed in front of him. He looked up to see the biggest of the firebirds staring at him with piercing silver eyes. Numair swallowed in fear as the firebird lifted his foot in attack. Justice screamed the word 'hunter' and launched her self in front of Numair. "He's ok. He didn't hurt me. He helped me." She turned to Numair, "get up Numair. Come on, get up." He didn't move an inch. 'Coward!' he thought to himself. Justice smiled. "It's ok now, Numair. They won't hurt you." Reluctantly he got to his feet. The giant firebird stared him down with predatory eyes as if apprising him. Finally, seemingly satisfied, the great bird squawked oddly. Justice beamed. "He thinks you're the oddest shaped human he's ever seen, but he likes you nun-the-less." She came closer and whispered, "He's the head male of our colony. It's a really big praise." Numair quirked a smile.

From behind the huge bird came a quieter chirp that made Justice jump. 'Hunter,' the largest bird moved aside as the smaller brick eyed female came forward, her head tilted to the side. Justice let out a cry of happiness as she launched herself at the bird. Wrapping slender arms around the bird's neck she buried her face in the feathers. The bird, on her part wrapped her wings around Justice in the closest resemblance of a hug Numair thought a bird possible of. He broke into a huge smile as the firebird was reunited with her long lost child. A larger bird, though not a large as 'hunter', with gold eyes came forward and rubbed his head affectionately down Justice's back. She turned and transferred her bone-crushing hug to the male firebird. Numair's smile widened as he guessed this firebird was her father. He couldn't see Justice's face to well but of what he could see she had her eyes clenched shut as silent tears cascaded down her face. The female firebird's eyes shown with happiness. Numair thought that if firebirds could cry, this one would be in pieces of hysterical relief.

Both birds began to clean and look Justice over from head to toe. An act Justice was thoroughly embarrassed about. Numair jumped in surprise as a small bird of only 3 feet high landed next to Hunter. He squawked and chirped for a moment and Hunter turned dark in anger. He screeched noisily, raking his claws into the earth. Numair jumped in surprise as Justice spoke suddenly next to him. "The rest of the rebels are on the run. They're being chased away by other humans with horses on their shields."

"The riders." Numair said.

Justice looked upset. "They're all running; even the mage. Challenge says he's no where to be found."

"Challenge?"

"The messenger." Justice pointed out.

Numair grit his teeth in irritation at the news that the unknown mage had gotten away. He turned his head towards Justice when she sniffed. Tears were beginning to form again. "Justice? What's the matter?"

"The bands." She whimpered. "How am I going to get the bands off now?"

"I don't know." He answered. "Maybe Alanna, Buri or Daine can think of someth…" he stopped. "DAINE!"

He took off back down the hill back towards the small hiding place. Justice hesitated for a moment before looking pleadingly at her mother, father and Hunter.

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He crashed through the brush startling Alanna and Buri. "How is she?"

Alanna looked frantic. "She passed out ten minutes ago. She's loosing too much blood through the wound and I have no doubt she's miscarriage. Numair, if we can't stop the bleeding, she's going to die."

"What do we do?" he asked desperately.

"Daine?" came a small voice from behind them. Justice. She stepped forward and looked at the rapidly paling face. Buri let out an unladylike scream as two large birds with red feathers (flames no longer present) cramped up the already small space. She turned to her mother and begged, "Can't you do something mama? Please don't let her die. She helped me…she kept me safe and promised me I'd get to go home. Please don't let her die. I did that to her. Please!" she pleaded.

Justice's mother looked sad as she chirped a response. Justices eyes filled up with tears. Numair looked hopefully at her. "She says firebird healing magic only works on firebirds. There's nothing she can do." Numair's heart fell.

"There must be something!" he moaned. "Justice. You said that destiny is unchangeable. In my visions, Daine was in them. They haven't happened yet so she can't die. Not now. Remember. Please Justice don't let Destiny change on me now." He pleaded.

"I…I don't know what to do." She cried.

'Perhaps you should ask for the flora's assistance.' Offered Hunter. Justice turned to him, the humans oblivious that the bird had said anything.

'I…I don't understand.' She answered.

'The flora's magic is much stronger than ours. Perhaps if you ask…'

Justice thought on that for a moment. The flora never revealed their secrets to humans. It would take a lot of convincing. But she was willing to try anything.

"She stopped breathing!" cried Buri. Numair let out a cry of pain as he wrapped shaking arms around Daine. Justice closed her eyes and begged with all her might.

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He was loosing her. It wasn't possible. How could he still be breathing when he was loosing Daine? He held on to her and rocked as the last of her life seeped from her body. He pushed aside the hair that clung to her forehead and kissed her eyes, nose and mouth over and over, begging for her to stay. From the corner of his eyes a light caught his attention. His head snapped to the side to see vines from the surrounding trees begin to glow a deep brilliant green. To his utter shock, they began to move. They shifted towards him as the light grew and spread. Alanna and Buri gasped in shock as the vines began to slide towards Daine's limp body. Numair felt himself being pulled away. He fought until he heard Justice's soothing melodic voice, "Let them help."

He backed away as the vines climbed all over her body, strategically placing themselves over cuts, bruises and gashes. A handful of vines surrounded the blood soaked bandages around her wrist and arms, some around her face, others at her feet. A large portion wrapped themselves around her lower stomach and pelvis. The vines glowed softy producing a gentle heat around her face arms and feet. They dimmed. A few seconds later the vines around her stomach exploded into brilliant green magic. It penetrated her body. Threads of green could be seen entering her blood and skin. Her stomach glowed green for an endless second before it dimmed out again. Then a single glowing vine crawled up her stomach and chest to rest at her mouth. It glowed for only a moment before Daine took it an exploding breath of air.

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A/N: One more chapter to go! Weehoo! Aren't you excited? I am. Eheheheheheheheheeeee. Tell me what you think.