Hello, my dear viewers. I'm afraid I kept you so long...I think I'm in a rut with this story. I am not a person who leaves stories unfinished, yet this story is more complex than I usually do. I do not want to put United Talons on hiatus. Thank you for listening and reading. -Traveler.
P.S. Finally got Ackbarfan5556 to be a co-partner. Can't wait to write more!
(Emma's P.O.V.)
I was in the middle of fighting an ogre as it turns out that any goblin had bred with any orc, for the conclusion of their monstrous offspring looks like ogres. (They are similar in looks to the ogres in the TV show of Once Upon a Time, with average intelligence like Shrek.)
The battleground is loud and chaotic, but when I heard him scream, I felt hot, like a fire is burning inside me all of a sudden, and I quickly killed the ogre, frantically looking through the dust, the blood, the sweat, and I saw him pinned under a strange familiar monster. The battleground was decreasing in noise with enemies falling dead, but it was still a long way, and I heard Sulley's voice. Feel the heat, let it grow, and save your mate!
I followed Sulley's advice, and felt something shift, and before I knew it, I was on the other side of the courtyard, transporting through a manmade portal, far taller and larger in shape as I roared at the monster pinning my mate, swatting him off into one of the ballast towers, the stones collapsing on him.
I snorted a cloud of purple fire from my nostrils, and turned my attention to Silver, shifting immediately as I landed besides him, calling out, "John!", horrified to see blood pooling underneath him, seeing his magnificent cyborg leg mangled to pieces and his flesh arm torn away from his shoulder, and his cyborg eye, so broken and sporting a big, bleeding cut across his face.
I touched the machete, and I heard John gasp out in pain, opening his flesh eye, and I looked at him, turning his head gently towards me, "John, listen to me. I have to get it out.", and John breathed shakily, sporting a weak familiar smile at me, "This ole body of mine is barely holding on. I know that look, Emma. You're damn stubborn, yet that's why I love ye, lass.".
I looked at him in shock, and John gave out a chuckle before he coughed violently, "Ye heard me, lass. Ole John Silver never breaks his word. I be always loving you, Emma.", smiling at me before closing his eye. I shouted, "John!", praying to feel a pulse as I touched his neck, and I heard the faint heartbeat through my fingers.
I growled angrily, "Don't you dare leave me, John Silver!", shifting partly as I grabbed the machete, pulling it out swiftly, and tore out my sleeves, wrapping it around the stump, attempting to stop the bleeding as I shouted, "Haku, Jason!".
Haku and Jason heard my call, and ran over as fast as they could, with Haku widening his eyes in horror, "Oh, shit!", looking at Jason, "Whip up an IV bag stand!". Jason nodded and used the magical ring on his finger to conjure up an IV bag stand from the enemies' swords and all, and of course, the IV bags from the few remaining Zippler bags in our packs.
Haku looked up at me, "We'll take care of him, Emma. Go into the castle with the others.", and I looked at John who's growing paler, and Haku shouted, "GO!". I heard the doctor tone in his voice and nodded rapidly as I sprinted off.
Jasmine, and Logan, along with Zuri, Adam, and Pippa looked at me with solemn looks, and I frowned with a sharp glare, "Let's go, we have prisoners to save!".
(General P.O.V.)
The sounds of battle continued to echo as the castle began to be breached by the attacking force. The defenders were trying to launch a desperate rally in attempts to salvage the entire situation; at least for the attackers a pyrrhic victory perhaps but from the sounds, it would more than likely all be for not.
"Keep close now; tight quarters in here.", Logan's voice echoed as the group moved. Pippa snorted lowly, "No need to remind us, Logan. Anything in front of ya?", knowing that he is in front next to Emma, his dragon sense of smell stronger than the others.
Logan shifted slightly, his nose sharpening and flattening a bit more, thanks to being a Night Fury, and sniffed deeply, "We're on the main floor...The dungeon's below us up ahead...Two more floors above us.".
Emma narrowed her eyes, "Jasmine, you go with Logan to the dungeon. Zuri and Pippa, you go to the first floor. I and Adam will take the top floor.", and they heard the commander tone in her voice, nodding, and opted to follow her orders immediately.
"Be careful, all of you, our foes know they're about to lose this day but more of our deaths will make it somewhat worth the defeat." Jasmine reminded as the group started to part.
Jasmine and Logan kept close still as they headed into the dungeon; who knows what horrors the two of them would find in this dark place?
Logan groaned lightly as he muttered, "Smells worse than the sewers and the warzone altogether back on Earth, and that's saying something.", smelling bile, blood, mucus, sewer water, sweat, and more.
Jasmine blinked, "I would ask, but it's not the time now.", looking around cautiously, hearing distinct sounds of animals and people everywhere, but like blocked by corners and walls. Since it's a castle, the dungeons must be split into multiple sections...
"Just be aware, Jasmine, we might not find much left in here; in Earth history; fortresses that were being lost tended to quickly purge whatever prisoners they had, especially important ones rather than leaving them to be freed by the enemy. The same notion might apply here as well.", Logan admitted as the thought occurred to Jasmine.
Jasmine looked at him determinedly, "Then let's not waste any more time, lead the way.", and Logan nodded, heading for the closest section of the dungeons, armed with a spike-bat and sword respectively as the last ammo of the guns is now all used up.
Logan took a deep breath before coming to a stop at the entrance of the dungeons; surely a few guards were still there and sure enough, the door flung open as he pushed Jasmine back and then dodged a large broadsword that came swinging for his face.
Logan shifted slightly once again, using his dragon strength to bash his spike-bat into the first guard's face, instantly impaling him at the first strike, hearing another guard shout, and Jasmine's yell as she fought the other guard that's having a club, dodging and moving, and landing hits on the guard with her sword, glad for the training that the United Talons group taught her, especially Logan.
It was almost so sudden, but all the guards that exploded from the door now all lied dead on the stone floor, five bodies, blood dripping from them at their fatal blows. Both survivors took a deep breath as Logan gave Jasmine a small smile, "You okay, Jasmine? They didn't work you over too much, did they?".
Jasmine grinned, "I needed that, Logan, especially after witnessing Silver's...incident. Gods, I hope he will be okay. If what you've told me about Emma, I wouldn't want to be on her bad side, especially after she finally got her dragon form at last...Bigger than you or Pippa, far bigger.".
Logan sighed, "In Earth terms, in size, she's as big as Maleficent's dragon form. But yeah, I really hope he's okay. Haku is a great healer, and I trust him with my life. Now, come on, we must liberate the prisoners for our sakes.", leaving the dead bodies, and walked on.
Jasmine took a deep breath and followed; she just kept praying that John would pull through and that this wasn't yet another close friend and ally to fall in this terrible war that seemed like there was no end in sight. No matter what they did, it always seemed like the forces of evil always had someone waiting in the wings to keep the fighting going.
Logan heard the familiar sounds of animals, several distinct growls, snarls, barks, howls, and yowls from several animals somewhere in the distance, but right now, standing before him is a desolate and horrible place, so much familiar like on Earth; a real animal fighting ring, through it is empty of life right now.
He shook his head in resigned anger, "Some things are the same...", with a sigh as Jasmine looked at the place with confusion and horror, "What is this place?", never had seen the previous animal fighting ring in Maleficent's fortress as she was too focused on escaping and surviving at the time, and then of course, the fortress was destroyed almost immediately after her rescue-escape with the United Talons' help.
"Animal pit; looks like the jailors decided to have some fun pitting animals against each other to the death for entertainment... or having a prisoner try to survive being mauled by a hungry animal.", Logan reluctantly explained.
Jasmine gasped in horror, hearing that, "You mean, it could be anyone; wild and domestic animals, companion animals, shapeshifters, humans, mythical creatures?", staring at the animal fighting ring, noticing faint blood puddles everywhere in the sand, the borders, and even the stands.
Logan nodded, "And they don't have a choice; they are forced to do so, otherwise they'd be seeing their family members, their friends, their spouses with the threat of being tortured or worse...", sighing deeply before squeezing Jasmine's shoulder, "Come on, the animals are being kept that way. Don't worry, there will be no more animal pits if I have any say about it, Jazz.".
Jasmine sighed; obviously knowing that something like this should've been happening from the sheer sight of it, but she just probably didn't want to believe it.
Logan saw that she is quite perturbed, and he had a feeling that she will have quite a restless sleep tonight. Luckily, he will be there to reassure her and all. He leaned in, kissing her cheek, "Love, you can think about it later. Right now, we have to save the animals and the prisoners, okay?", looking at her firmly.
Jasmine nodded, "Yes, I understand, Logan. Let's go.", and Logan nodded, heading on, and going around the stands and the pit, heading for the next door where the animal sounds are coming from, and somewhere off to the right, in the far end of another corridor, he can hear people talking, but not moving, almost like they are caged up.
Logan opened the door that led to the animals' dungeon room, and instantly, the smell he has been smelling has intensified beyond what he can bear, but he shifted his nostrils back to normal, and the smell got a bit duller, but it's still offensive and all.
"What a mess...", Jasmine muttered as the two of them went a bit further in; hearing a few low moans of what sounded like captured wildlife before a sort of mewing could be heard from a large cat.
Logan sighed, "And they don't care enough to give them any piece of comfort or such. They have been stuck in those cages for a long, long time, only opened for the animal pit schedule times, unable to relieve themselves out there...", looking at all the sad, longing, angry, confused, scared faces, "Damn, they got padlocks. Where are the keys?".
Jasmine looked around, hearing Logan's upset rant before blinking in surprise and confusion when she found tiger eyes staring at her amongst the meows, and she gasped softly, coming closer as the tiger strangely looks familiar yet it's so covered in old and new scars, scabs, and so skinny.
She peered, pursuing her lips, looking over the tiger before seeing something that froze and sped her heart at the same time. She saw the leg stripes and the tail stripes, and she cried out, "Rajah?!".
The tiger she looked at purred; quickly sealing that confusion away as it did prove that was the tiger's name. The tiger, she once owned many moons ago.
"What was that, Jazz?", Logan groaned as he started to just bash the padlock in frustration; hoping that they would just break since they looked fairly worn down to begin with.
Jasmine sobbed as she dropped to her knees, reaching through the bars, "Rajah!", and Rajah weakly, determinedly walked to her, nuzzling her hands, trying to rub and nuzzle her face/body through the bars, but it wasn't quite the same with the bars in the way, "I thought you were dead! I saw Jafar kill you!".
Logan stared in shock and amazement, seeing the reunion between Jasmine and Rajah, hearing Jasmine's words. "You said that Jafar was a sorcerer. He must have cast an illusion of Rajah's death after trading him off to Cruella.", finally deciding to shift his hands into dragon paws/claws, to destroy all the padlocks, starting with Rajah's cage padlock as he came over.
"Maybe, who knows? I'm honestly surprised he even survived as long... with Cruella's animal obsession... I guess maybe we just spared him from being a rug or coat in the next few weeks.", Jasmine admitted as she continued to sob when the tiger was free and nuzzled with her.
Rajah purred so loudly as he nuzzled Jasmine, licking away her tears, breathing into his much-missed owner's scents, and got a bit surprised when he took into account of a new smell on Jasmine, and traced it back to Logan, looking at him in suspicion and curiosity.
Logan saw Rajah's eyes directed at him, and he spoke firmly, "I would never hurt Jasmine, Rajah. She's my intended soulmate.", smiling tenderly and lovingly at Jasmine who was too focused on hugging and touching Rajah, making sure that she isn't dreaming.
It seemed to be good enough; he could easily tell some of Logan's scent on her so it was clear that they were close; and judging from the brief words that was the truth.
"Oh, Rajah...", Jasmine whispered as she continued to pet her loyal tiger, "I'm so sorry... for what they did to you, and not being there to prevent it.".
Rajah purred and growled softly, head-butting her shoulder gently, a bit upset to see Jasmine feeling guilty, and snorted as he got up, pulling her shirt lightly, knowing that he's weak, but he's determined to make his escape to freedom.
Logan nodded, "Right. Jazz, use the spike-bat while I use my claws. We cannot waste any more time here. We have to let the others out, the live ones that is...", having seen a few animals that unfortunately passed away in their own cages only a day ago if he judged the smell of death right.
Jasmine looked determined, "Then we go to the prisoners next, right?", and Logan smirked, actually seeing the familiar spark in her eyes growing even more brighter if that's possible, and he didn't doubt that because of Rajah.
"Exactly. Hopefully, there are still a few of them alive as well, and maybe hopefully another friend back from the dead.", Logan admitted. Sure, it was a long shot, but if Rajah was one familiar face, who's to say they couldn't perhaps run into another lost face?
Jasmine nodded, and the duo went to work, destroying the padlocks, freeing all kinds of animals, with Rajah at the lead, seeming to keep them from panicking or causing unnecessary chaos. Maybe that's because they knew that Rajah is royal in an aspect thanks to being owned by a princess, and with Rajah surviving the longest out of all the animals, not that the duo knew that, but still.
Once all the animals had been freed, they went out to follow the duo to the prisoners' dungeon room and stayed there to guard the doors as the duo went inside.
Once more, the same drill, getting in and finding whoever was still alive. Any sort of guards was non-existent, they either had joined the battle earlier or were the small group they had killed on the way in.
"God, these folks look in even worse shape compared to the animals.", Logan admitted as he looked around.
Gill the badger shapeshifter snorted from his cage, "Not all of us. We protect the young.", referring to the most recent prisoner, Nemo the fox cub shapeshifter, and Rita's pups, being young wolf shapeshifters, and Cody and Penny, the eagle shapeshifters.
Jasmine blinked in surprise, "We must have gotten the guards in time before they even decided to do the purge. Lady Fortune's looking down on us, Logan.", noting that there's 11 prisoners total.
Logan grinned, "Good thing I got claws.", heading for the closest cell, going for the padlock, and blinked as there wasn't even a scratch on it. Broc the gargoyle beast shapeshifter sighed, "Cruella was careful to make sure that our cages are escape-proof after Gill's attempts.".
Logan groaned, "I hate dark magic. Luckily, I got a trick up my sleeve.", before shifting into full dragon, and all the prisoners gasped in unison, shocked and awed to see a dragon literally in front of them!
Jasmine grinned, "You better stay back to the walls, he's gonna burn the padlocks.", chuckling as she couldn't blame them for staring and all. After all, it has been centuries since the last dragon had been sighted, and she doubted that the rumors of the United Talons having dragon forms had reached the dungeons down here.