Chapter 11: Battle in the Clearing
Sullen Eagle glided to the ground landing in a clearing outside of the city. He hurried into the nearby forest looking for a patch of oak. He quickly scanned the nearby trees searching for a familiar stand. So much had changed. After a few moments he spotted a small oak. He grasped a nearby branch and broke off a small limb. He ran his fingers across the leaves and felt their waxy texture. His attention turned back to the tree. He laid his hand along its rough bark. Though the tree's girth was enough to hide his body it was but a fragment of the size of the great oak trees he had seen in his time. He rested his face on the side and took a deep breath of the forest. All he had remembered was gone. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of loss. But he felt something of his past still here in this forest. Things had changed but fragments of the past still existed after all this time. There was a new balance here. Sullen Eagle slowly emerged from his thoughts as he felt the presence of the women behind him. He closed his eyes, sighed then turned reluctantly to face his pursuers.
Raven and Starfire landed and saw Sullen Eagle near a tree along the clearing's edge. Raven looked at Starfire. Both of them seemed unsure how to proceed. Raven turned back to Sullen Eagle and cautiously stepped towards him. His pink eyes pulsed lightly as he focused on her. There was a short pause between the two sides as each sized up the situation. Then the conflict began.
Sullen Eagle raised his left arm and a sudden burst of thunder erupted from the trees that lined the clearing as a million wings thrashed in the air. A mad rush of birds bounded towards the girls. Raven quickly raised her hands in defense awaiting an attack from the swarm that surrounded her. Nothing happened. The birds swirled around her, a mass of crimson eyes and fluttering wings. Raven quickly recognized their form; she was surrounded by an ancient flock of Passenger Pigeons. "No, this can't be, you're extinct." A sudden liberating force welled up in Raven's body. Her arms swung out as the tendrils of power burst forth from her.
"No, YOU CAN'T EXIST!" Her voice echoed through the clearing. A shock wave shot through the flock. Small cries erupted as the birds faded from Raven's sight. In their place swirling leaves rushed about her head. Quickly the wind died and the leaves gently settled around Raven's feet.
Raven turned to Starfire. Wind and debris swirled around her body as she frantically waved her arms in a desperate attempt to fend off the illusionary flock that surrounded her.
"Starfire, listen to me, it's an illusion. Close your eyes and try and concentrate," Raven implored her friend. Starfire closed her eyes, straightened up and tried to relax and focus. She opened her eyes and the whirlwind of debris that engulfed her quickly dissipated. Starfire turned to Raven and smiled. Both turned their gaze back to Sullen Eagle.
Sullen Eagle cupped his hands at eye level, brought them down slightly and closed them. He quickly flung his cupped hands skyward and opened them. Amimi emerged and fluttered around the shaman. The bird quickly multiplied and Sullen Eagle was surrounded by a multitude of fluttering wings and crimson eyes.
Starfire turned to Raven unsure what to do next. Raven pulled up her hood and raised her hands in preparation for an attack. Using her powers she extracted a large boulder. It hovered in readiness. Raven glanced over towards Starfire. "Come on Starfire," she implored. Starfire acknowledged her request and prepared to launch her starbolts towards Sullen Eagle. Their combined attack glanced off harmlessly. Amimi was forming some type of shield around the Lenape shaman.
Sullen Eagle bent down and pulled a clump of earth from the ground. He flung it towards the girls. Raven watched as the clump approached her and quickly expanded into a sheet of darkness. She raised her arms and attempted to use her powers to shield herself and Starfire. Darkness engulfed the pair. Raven became disoriented and frightened.
"Starfire, where are you?"
Starfire's voice softly echoed in the void, "I am here Raven." Starfire cupped her hands and charged her starbolts. A faint green light began to build in her hands intensifying slowly then quickly bursting outwards as it overwhelmed the dark void surrounding the pair. The clearing came back into focus. Both girls sighed in relief.
Sullen Eagle raised his left hand. The leaves on the oak branch momentarily fluttered then hissed as Sullen Eagle quickly brought the branch downwards towards the ground.
Upon contact Raven felt something climbing up her legs. She looked down to see a multitude of vines emerge from the ground and work their way up her legs. She looked over to Starfire who was suffering the same fate. A wave a panic filled her as the vines quickly entangled her legs and worked their way past her waist. Her powers were useless and her previous vision of suffocation became suddenly real.
"Starfire!" Raven's panic voice hastened Starfire's actions. Summoning her great strength she attempted to break free. The vines strained heavily under her attempt but did not break. Starfire threw several starbolts downwards quickly severing the vine's ties to her body. She rose up from the ground and quickly flew towards Raven.
Raven's eyes were consumed with panic and fear. The vines had fully entangled her lower body. Raven's hands reached for her friend's. Starfire took hold and attempted to pull her friend from her trap. Raven groaned in agony. "Starfire, you're pulling me apart." Starfire released her grip and took careful aim at the vines that ensnared her friend. She fired off a brief round near Raven's feet. This was enough to allow Raven to break free and float above the blackened vines that had held her.
Sullen Eagle looked on in despair. Time was short. He would have to open the gate without having disabled his pursuers. Amimi would have to be enough. He entered his trance.
Raven rubbed her scratched and swollen legs. She was convinced she had narrowly avoided the fate that had befallen her in her vision. She saw Sullen Eagle turn from them and look to the east. The sun was almost up. Sullen Eagle raised his hands as Amimi continued to flutter around him protecting him from their attacks. A glowing arch began to take form in front of him.
"A gateway, he's opening a gateway," Raven said in panic. What was he doing? Raven's mind began to race with all of the possibilities.
"Starfire, we've got to stop him."
"He is too strong Raven," Starfire replied.
"He has to have total concentration to open the gateway." A plan quickly formed in Raven's mind.
"Starfire, I need to get his attention. Can you send off a volley to get him to look this way?'
"I can try," Starfire calmly answered.
"Do it and do it quick and be ready to attack on my signal," Raven instructed
Starfire nodded in acknowledgement. She gathered her hands in front of her and charged a starbolt between them. The glow intensified until it began to strain her eyes. At the last second Starfire threw the ball of energy upwards. It exploded in a burst of streaking light in all directions. Raven concentrated on Sullen Eagle waiting and hoping the shaman would glance over. The light from the starburst overwhelmed the twilight changing shadow angles instantaneously. Sullen Eagle turned towards the sudden burst of light and sneezed.
"Now, Starfire," Raven yelled. For an instant the gateway dimmed and the swirling clumps of wings vanished around the shaman. Starfire unloaded a volley at Sullen Eagle. Raven uprooted several nearby trees and hurled them with all her strength. An explosion of light and debris solidly connected with Sullen Eagle. The archway faded as the first tendrils of the morning light pierced the horizon. Raven could hear the roar of the T-car through the forest. The rest of the team had arrived at last.
Sullen Eagle struggled to pull himself from the debris. He emerged into the first rays of the morning light staggering. What had happened to Amimi? He began to frantically pull at the debris on the ground seeking his spirit guide. He could see the bird's bottom portion underneath a large pine branch. He quickly moved the branch and confirmed what he already knew. The bird's eyes were half closed in a death stare. He gently cupped his friend's broken body as its head dangled down from the tips of his fingers. His heart filled with anger and despair. They would pay, especially the one who had turned the tables on him so quickly.
Raven and Starfire watched as the ragged form of Sullen Eagle slowly extricated himself. They had stopped him. He seemed unaware of their presence as he frantically clawed at the debris that littered the ground. He suddenly paused and knelt down. He had found something. In his hands the girls could make out the form of a small bird whose head dangled from Sullen Eagle's fingertips.
"Amimi," Raven quietly whispered. "Oh no."
Sullen Eagle quickly turned to face the girls. His eyes had changed to blood red and pulsed violently in anger. His wings beat hastily and a great whirlwind broke forth and consumed Starfire. She screamed as the whirlwind threw her into the nearby forest tumbling several large trees in the process.
Sullen Eagle turned to Raven consumed in the fire of hatred. The debris surrounding him rose up from the ground. Raven took a few halting steps backwards and raised her arms in a meager defense. Within seconds the debris was hurtling towards her. She was helpless as it struck her body knocking her down and piling on her.
"Raven," Robin screamed as he exited the T-car. The other boys quickly followed Robin.
Sullen Eagle took a few halting steps forward. In his left hand he clasped the broken body of his spirit companion. Hatred had consumed him and now he would use it to consume the others. There was no point in survival he had already crossed the line.
Cyborg and Beast Boy quickly removed the larger forest debris. Underneath they found the broken body of their friend.
"Raven?" Robin's voice implored her to get up but she lay motionless. Almost instantly he knew she would not.
"Is she alright?" Beast Boy added though he also knew they were too late.
Cyborg took his eyes from his friend and focused them on the new form Sullen Eagle had taken. Without a word he armed his sonic cannon. Robin glanced over and nodded in silent agreement. The boys turned to Sullen Eagle prepared to take their revenge. Sullen Eagle returned their contempt. He was prepared to give himself up in the process.
"Wait," Starfire's voice temporarily halted the proceedings. She stumbled forward putting herself between the two parties.
"Starfire, he killed Raven," Robin sneered in anger.
She looked at Robin briefly giving him slight pause. She smiled slightly then turned her back on her friends and slowly approached Sullen Eagle.
Sullen Eagle's chest heaved wildly as he prepared himself. Starfire approached him.
"Sullen Eagle, you must help Raven," she quietly implored. "You can do this. You can make this right." She walked towards the hulking form and laid her hand on Sullen Eagle's left hand, which held the remains of Amimi. "Please." She looked up into Sullen Eagle's eyes. The pulsing faded as the fire began to recede.
Sullen Eagle was immediately disarmed. He could not disobey the request of a woman of her stature. He reluctantly dropped his friend and slowly walked towards Raven's broken body. He did not see the other's angry stares. He knelt down beside her and removed the belt from his midsection. Immediately he transformed back to his Mantis form. He placed the belt over Raven's forehead and slowly stood up.
A brilliant light washed over Raven's body and her eyes slowly opened. She sat up and gasped for air. Her head drooped and her hand slowly pushed her hair out of her face.
"Raven!" Beast Boy shouted in relief. Robin and Beast Boy quickly bounded over and helped Raven to her feet. Raven's arms slung around her friends heads as she used them to steady herself. Her head still drooped slightly as the feeling began to return to her body.
Sullen Eagle turned and slowly made his way back to Amimi's broken body. He knelt down and again slowly cupped his hands around the body of his former spirit companion. In the morning light the bird's body melted to dust that blew away as the first morning breeze touched the earth. Sullen Eagle closed his hands as the dust bled through his fingers. A low cry of despair erupted from him as the dust quickly settled into the grass.
Raven glanced at the sun. It was quickly breaking over the horizon. She closed her eyes trying to shake the dizziness that had consumed her. "Where's the belt," she frantically asked. "What," Robin replied. "We need to take him back," she continued.
"Here," Cyborg offered the belt to Raven.
Raven clasped the belt and staggered from her friends' grasp. She wobbled slightly then clasped both ends of the belt and quickly raised them over her head. She pulled the ends taught and the belt snapped. A glowing archway appeared several yards ahead of her. "Come on we have to go through the gate before the sun gets over the horizon." Raven staggered towards the gateway and disappeared to the other side.
"Come on," Robin implored the others. The boys quickly scampered through the gateway leaving Starfire and Sullen Eagle.
"Come," Starfire gently implored. She grasped his hand and led him through the gateway.