Part IX: The Greatest Cause (A):
The Abyssal Jungle officially ended in the North Mountains, though the thick forest did not cease and simply made land travel even more difficult as the terrain became more broken. Vines and branches dominated the undergrowth and made flying at any speed treacherous for birds as large as wingtails, so they were forced to make their way above the canopy. It was the afternoon, and the sun shined down from the sky like an eye of gold warming all in its presence with its rays. Yet in the distance, more bad weather was brewing as ominous dark clouds hinted that another great storm was on the way. So it was that the elements were trapped in the cycle between warm and cold, clear and raining, uncaring of the activities of the mortal beings that strode and flew across the lands below.
Star felt just like them – trapped in a place she could not escape from, being forced to love someone she cared nothing for. Eybron was a cruel master and a dominating mate… a wingtail she could never live with even if her life depended on it. His ambitions were just as mighty, stomping all over others like they were nothing in his mad quest to get what he wanted. Star knew that the white wingtail wanted her, but also that he wanted to rid the world of all sharpteeth for unknown reasons.
With her in a good position with the male wingtail, she decided to ask him about it while they were on route to wherever they were going.
"Why are you doing this Eybron?" the scarlet wingtail inquired as strongly as she could while flying next to him, "Sky is gone… what reason do you have to do such terrible things?"
Eybron shut is his for a moment and grinned, amused that for the first time she had actually come to him without being force. Perhaps they were finally making some headway.
"The end justifies the means," he replied with a bit of a hiss, "one way or another, I will see to it that every creature with sharp teeth comes to a slow and violent end. As for where we are going… well… you will just have to wait and see my dear."
Star's face contorted with annoyance.
"You wanted the sharpteeth to attack us didn't you? I can tell… you've talked about hating them ever since…"
The scarlet wingtail paused, not wanting to talk about their first encounter.
"Our little exchange in your family tree…" finished the white wingtail slyly.
Eybron flapped a few times, rising a few feet in the sky to clear some high canopy trees.
"…Yes, I did want them to do it. I wanted them to reveal their true colours, and give me the power I needed to finally mash them into bones. The Tyrant King has unwillingly planted the seeds for his own destruction."
Star's curiosity had been sparked, and despite her revolt at the conversation she pushed farther.
"But… why do you hate them so much? What did they do to you?"
Eybron's facial expression hardened and he growled at her.
"I will not talk about things that are not your business, Star. All you need to know is that they are my enemy, and I intend to make them all suffer before they die."
Biting her lip a bit, Star decided to pull the ultimate trump card to get what she wanted.
"If we are to be mates, then we have to open with one another… I want to know why you feel that way."
Eybron turned to her with a look a mild surprise, before actually sincerely smiling. It was a look that didn't suit him well, and it sickened her. After a moment it was gone, replaced by his typical visage of sinister concentration.
"Hmm, I didn't expect you to open up so… quickly."
Star tried to keep up the lie, and dawned a look of sadness.
"Sky is gone, so whatever I felt for him it doesn't matter anymore."
Eybron eyed her critically, as if trying to spot a trick or incincereness in her voice. Thankfully, he didn't pick it up.
"Alright,"
The white wingtail banked slightly left, causing the other wingtails to follow his course. Star readjusted to keep up.
"When I was young, I was abandoned by my father… he cared so little about us that rather then tend to the nest he gathered support for a position on the council of elders…"
"Us?" inquired Star.
Eybron frowned. He didn't like to talk about his past, especially when others start asking questions.
"My unborn sibling… killed by the sharpbeak that robbed our nest."
Star looked surprised, and pushed a bit further.
"But, how did you survive the attack?"
"In the sharpbeak's nest I was dropped as feed for its hatchling," replied Eybron with a grin, "we fought, and I killed it."
Star turned away… maybe this story wasn't worth hearing.
"And before I left I did to it what it would have done to me… devoured its flesh right down the bones."
She had known for a long time that Eybron was a monster, but just then Star realized that fate had made him that way. Growing up without her parents had made her timid and careful as a wingling, so she could only imagine what growing up feeling betrayed by her parents might have felt like. Despite the sympathy she had for him, it certainly wasn't enough to make up for all the things he had done to her and her family. She wouldn't have Eybron if he was the last wingtail in the forest.
"My lord," we've been searching all day," breathed Barrau as he swooped in to join Star and Eybron, "the Eye isn't here."
"Perhaps it just lies beyond our sight," suggested Eybron, "I think it's time we used a more productive method."
Pulling the Cordian out from under his wing, the wingtail eyed the swinging bob of the small bell with concentration. Smartly, he removed the Occular from his other wing and placed it in his mouth so it couldn't vibrate as well. With a flick of his finger Eybron ringed the Cordian, filling the air with it's crisp and sweet sound. After a moment the note faded leaving Star, Eybron, and Barrau soaring in silence. The white wingtail sneered as it became clear his little solution didn't work.
"My lord," started Barrau smartly, "it would appear that-"
Eybron silenced him with an abrupt hand gesture. There was a small vibration in the air, a manifestation of a weak returning signal. Soon it grew in intensity until it nearly matched the Cordian itself.
"It would appear that we have found our mark Barrau," corrected the white wingtail with pleasure, "our informant didn't lie after all."
...
Eybron was glad that Tyrus had told the truth about the Eye of the World's location. Part of him had doubted the sharptooth knew anything at all, since most of them were just dumb brutes out for a meal or a hand for sadistic amusement but it appeared the Prince had proven him wrong on some accounts. In the back of his mind the wingtail knew that Tyrus would survive the 'justice' he hoped to inflict upon his family, and could even prove to be a powerful foe in days ahead. Not that he really mattered... they would all suffer in the end.
Being the appointed guardian of the Sonicron for so many seasons, Eybron had been required to learn its history as well as the history of its creator. Most of it was ridiculous superstition and wise tales only told the frighten hatchlings, and he made a point of letting the elders know he thought that way on numerous occasions. It was only during his final initiation that he was taught by a very unique wingtail named Aizon. Even though he was Benzon's direct descendant, the encounter had hardly gone smoothly.
"I have no time for this babble about speaking to the dead and touching sound old one... just give me your blessing and go," he had said as he stood face to face with the navy wingtail.
"The Sonicron is quite sacred my dear Eybron son of Tenebron," Aizon had chided, "these are not mere stories but detailed recounts of events past and present."
"Hah, next you're going to tell me it causes earthshakes..."
Aizon's expression changed from one of a caring mentor into one of dire warning.
"The greatest discoveries are made by those who look for them, son of Tenebron."
The navy wingtail removed his crystal glasses.
"You will have my approval, but know this: The Sonicron and the Eye of the World were abandoned for a reason, lest the young abuse their power."
Eybron had taken the words to heart, and it was one of the main reasons he had begun testing the Sonicron in the first place. Now that the horn was lost to the wingtails, the only other solution is the one found within the Eye of the World. He was so close to finding it, he could almost taste it on the wind.
The flock of wingtails ended up on a surprisingly clear hilltop overlooking all the forests and valleys beyond. In the far distance the Black Mountain, or at least what remained of it, could be seen cloaked an in inky black cloud that blocked out the view behind it. The hazy outlines of the Icy Peaks could even be seen, though they were mere shadows against an ocean of land and sky. Eybron couldn't help but marvel at the amazing view, and took a few moments to relish it as the wind of the high altitude blazed around his feathers.
"It is here Barrau," declared the white wingtail as he turned towards the rest of his group, "the Eye of the World is here..."
"How do you know my lord?" inquired Barrau timidly.
"Because if I were Benzon, I would build it in a place where I could see…"
Eybron spread his wings.
"…everything."
Barrau looked around, and seeing nothing remarkable he didn't look too sure.
"I don't see how it can be my lord, there is clearly nothing made of glass in this place."
Eybron glanced around too, and eventually his eyes settled on an oddly shaped tree. It wasn't so much the tree that stopped him but the position on which it sat. The canopy tree was nothing more then a jumbled mass of vines, but it rested right on the top of the rise isolated from the surrounding forest. Something in the back of the white wingtail's mind told him that it was too conspicuous to pass.
"We will see."
Eybron chimed the crystal bell yet again, only lightly as he didn't want to be deafened if he was right. Sure enough, the signal returned immediately and the tree began to vibrate, dropping its leaves on the ground.
"Ah ha, it's within the tree itself!" proclaimed Eybron.
The surrounding wingtails whispered amongst themselves, some with amazement and others with stern acknowledgement. Star was impressed that Benzon had so long ago thought to hide his creation within a tree to keep it safe. She wondered what could have made him do it after spending almost his entire life making it.
"Well what are you waiting for?" shouted Eybron with impatience, "all of you… get to work. The growth must be cleared!"
…
It took the army of wingtails almost an hour and a half to rip away the curtain of vines and claw down the various branches and twigs that were intertwined within the glass framework. As time went on and more and more of the material was moved away, the Eye of the World revealed itself one piece at a time. To wingtail eyes it was a symbol of mastery and intelligence that had been made long ago in a much more well off generation. The fact that the entire thing had been hand-shaped while still molten (Star silently wondered how the ancient wingtails had protected their hands) and then pieced together one part at a time was astonishing and unheard of. Were a human present to look upon it, it would appear very similar to a three dimensional model of the solar system. A glass shaft started from the ground and carried up to a metre in the air, and on top of it in the centre rested the largest piece of concaved volcanic glass ever created. The massive lens was about half the size of a wingtail and was concaved to look similar to an eye. Surrounding it were numerous curved glass rods ending in smaller lenses that could rotate around the main iris.
Everybody gaped at the wondrous object, and Eybron was the first to snap out of it and give it a try.
"And now to see just how dangerous this object really is," he said with mild glee.
Hopping up onto a glass ledge just large enough to hold his feet, the white wingtail gripped the sides of the Eye with both hands, and looked through the large lens. The vision was good up to a few metres, but turned blurry soon after making it inferior to wingtail sight. Undeterred, Eybron grabbed one of the curved rods and positioned the second biggest lens right in front of the first one. The vision suddenly became even clearer and doubled the distance of sight. Energized, he grabbed all the other rods and positioned them until all were in line with the first one. All five glass panes lined up to allow him to see all the way to the Icy Peaks, and even view the dispersed poison clouds in the Valley of the Mists. Turning a full 90 degrees, the Tyrant Spire came into complete and clear sight.
"Incredible," remarked Eybron.
"My lord," interrupted Barrau politely, "…may I see as well?"
The white wingtail didn't answer, as he was looking with curiosity at a final very small rod that was left without a lens at all. How strange. After moment the answer came to him, and he withdrew the Occular from within his wing.
"So now the final piece is adjoined with the Eye," remarked Eybron as he dropped the Occular into place and moved the rod, "to complete the cycle and unlock its full potential… quite poetic don't you think my dear?"
Star ignored the statement in her direction, as all she wanted was to know what would happen when the alignment occurred. Despite all that had happened up to this point curiosity burned within her mind, since this was her subject of teaching.
Eybron slipped the final rod into place, and peered through the iris with a look of anticipation.
"Hmm, not much difference at all," commented the white wingtail with disappointment, "oh well I suppose the matter can wait…"
He hopped off the pedestal and glided down to where Star was watching, her guard Edwin moving out of the way for his master.
"…for now we must discuss our mating," the villain finished.
Star's blood ran cold. She was hoping to stall this for as long as possible, as the white wingtail had thus far been very courteous in giving her time to come around. Apparently his patience was running out. He took her hand with his own, and kissed her finger.
"Do you, Star; take me to be your mate and partner for all eternity?" Eybron recited, more out of tradition then anything else. A small hint in his tone implied 'or else'.
The scarlet wingtail whimpered softly, and she looked around for some way to get out of the question. All attention was on her right now, and by all accounts it was probably the most important decision of her life. On one wing, refusing would enrage Eybron and she could get seriously hurt or even killed for embarrassing him. On the other wing however, if she said yes it would mean betraying Sky and breaking the laws of trust within wingtail society. It was a no win situation.
"Well?" pushed Eybron and he squeezed her hand tighter with impatience.
Thankfully she didn't have to answer, as the tense moment was interrupted by the shout of one of the other wingtails.
"Fire! The Forest is on Fire!"
Eybron and the rest of his wingtail army turned immediately on the spot only to see a wall of smoke and flame erupting on the other side of the clearing. The white wingtail gasped in surprise; trying to gather what caused the blaze… it wasn't there a minute ago.
"Flee, fly away!" squawked one of the wingtails in the trees.
Suddenly almost every one of the thirty wingtails was in the air and soaring rapidly away from the burgeoning wall of fire. Star felt a pang of fear as the heat started to brush against her feathers. To his credit, her guard Edwin stepped in front of her to block it. The green wingtail then turned to look over his shoulder at Eybron who was standing all alone beside the Eye of the World.
The white wingtail looked once at the angle of the Eye and then again at the flames. All at once it occurred to him… now he knew why Benzon had abandoned it so many years ago… it could start fires! And not just any fires, but blazing infernos in less than a minute. Combined with a line of sight that was nearly limitless, it could be used to burn anywhere the Eye was pointed. The thought was immensely relishing, and Eybron rubbed his hands together with glee.
"And the world will burn at my whim," he declared, almost a bit too loudly.
Edwin turned back towards Star.
"Fly away… let the council know about what has happened here," he insisted desperately.
"But Sky is…" she began
"Alive?" questioned Edwin, "then you must find him too… the Occular was his charge only he will know how to stop this from becoming another Sonicron."
Star nodded, and as the green wingtail released her she spread her wings and took off.
"So," stated Eybron coldly, "you've revealed your true colours dear Edwin… I was wondering if you had any loyalty to your former friend and I see you have proven me right."
"I was not in with Sky, Eybron," the green wingtail answered, "but these atrocities go against all our values as wingtails… more innocents are going to die by your wings if I do nothing."
"And unfortunately, so are you."
Two wingtails, former trained members of Eybron's Sonicron guardians, flew in and pinned Edwin to the ground. The green wingtail struggled but was unable to free himself.
"You will be a fitting example to those who betray me."
Eybron nodded to another group of wingtails that had remained despite the encroaching fire.
"Find her, bring her back or else you three will be next."
The three wingtails bowed slightly and took off in sequence. Seeing the matter as resolved, Eybron turned back to Edwin as he lay pinned to the ground.
"It's a shame really," he chided, "you held such promise."
And on that note, the white wingtail cracked his knuckles in anticipation.
Part IX: The Greatest Cause (B):
Later that afternoon, Sky was getting frustrated yet again at the denizens of their latest destination. He had been searching all day up to that point for the leader of these herds but so far he hadn't gotten any helpful responses at all. At best the dinosaurs here were watched by some hidden protector, but at worst they were simply ignorant enough to believe that danger would never come. The most common response he had heard was that they didn't have a leader at all.
The blue wingtail understood on some level that it was possible for the gathering of herds to tend only to their own, but they all seemed to get along far too well with so many different species intermixing freely with one another. For the limited time he had spent there he noted that the Great Valley appeared to work the same way, but the big difference between there and here was that they had a council that met in times of crisis. It is ironic that unlike the now long dead Verdant Valley dinosaurs, the Lush Valley was a disaster waiting to happen.
At one of Sky's decidedly last stops for the day, he conversed with a Swimmer who claimed that she had been told a mysterious longneck named 'Doc' watched over everyone and kept sharpteeth away. Hearsay for sure, as there was no way a single leaf-eater was enough to keep a menace like King Tyron at bay. The blue wingtail shuddered at the thought, and decided not to think about it. Dealing with sharpteeth was one of the poorest decisions of his life and he still regretted it, but nothing he could ever do would erase it. It was best to simply accept it and move on.
Setting down on a branch of a dead tree, Sky sighed and rubbed his face and frill with his hands. Brushing the head-feathers back a few times, his mind shifted to thoughts of what awaited him when he finally came home. The elders would probably try him and convict him of crimes against the wingtails for sure, judging on how Glide treated him on their last few run-ins.
In mid thought, a flash of scarlet wings caught his eye. The flyer was distant, and only in his line of sight for less than a second, but it triggered something within his mind. Could it be? What were the chances that she was all the way out here?
With a sudden burst of speed Sky took off from the branch and blasted off towards the place where he thought he saw her. Surprisingly he caught up pretty fast, as the flyer was moving erratically as if they didn't know where they were going. A few hard wing beats, and a familiar smell hit his nostrils. Yes, it was definitely Star.
"Star," called out Sky, "Star is that you?"
The scarlet wingtail jolted around to face him, and recognition appeared all over her expression. Sky was so glad to see her, it didn't alarm him when she grabbed him in midair, and pulled him towards the ground.
"Wait, stop!" he shouted, "we're doing down!"
She let go a few seconds before contact, but the force of the dive took them both right into the prickly bushes. The stabbing thorns bit into Sky's feathers and coat, but they were not forceful enough to cause anything more then superficial pain. More then anything else, he was caught in the euphoria of the moment. Star was here! His mate was here and she was as beautiful as he remembered.
"Star," stated Sky with pride as he pulled himself free, "I can't believe it… you're actually here!"
She shushed him with a finger to her mouth, and scanned the skies above.
"Be quiet," she countered, "they're coming."
Sure enough, a few moments later a flight of birds carried overhead. Sky could tell by the shadow they were fellow wingtails, and there was quite a few of them. Why would Star be afraid of them? What was going on here?
"What is going on Star… are they pursuing you? Why are you-"
Sky was interrupted. He was halted not by her words or her expression, but by the connection of her lips to his own. Star had wasted no time, and as soon as the danger passed she turned and kissed him. It was a magical, instinctual thing that Sky had been craving these many nights. He had known for a long time he loved her, but the moment he was living now was larger then any of the doubts he had faced up to this point. He was with her again, and in that Sky knew he was home.
It was a while before they separated, but standing alone with thorns and missing feathers in their wings, Sky knew things couldn't possibly be better. Finally gathering his senses, he focused on the concerns at hand.
"Star," the blue wingtail started, "what is going on… why are you afraid of those wingtails?"
Star dawned a look of sadness, and looked away.
"It's Eybron… he can't stop hounding me day and night."
"Eybron?" said Sky with surprise, "you mean the white wingtail who guards the Sonicron?"
"Yes," pushed Star, and she clasped her hands around his, "this is his fault… all of it! He has been after me for seasons, and he is responsible for what the elders did!"
Sky was stunned. It was all so much to take in at once, he pushed her for more.
"What do you mean? What has Eybron done to wrong me?" he responded.
Breathing heavily, Star recomposed herself and bestowed upon Sky the truth.
"I'm sorry Sky… I haven't been entirely true with you. A lot has happened since you left… bad things have happened…"
Undeterred, Sky hugged her and his head came over her right shoulder to whisper into her ear.
"Tell me what is hurting you, and I promise I'll make it right."
Heartened by his words, the scarlet wingtail continued.
"After they separated us the elders sent you to do their work, and it was Eybron's fault… he got his father to convince the others you were the best wingtail to do it even though we had so recently been torn apart. He took advantage of your long absence and then got Glide out of the way so I would be alone and without his protection. The things he has done… they are unspeakable."
Sky could tell she was upset, and held her even tighter. From what he knew Eybron was a tough and determined wingtail… if he was involved then things were pretty bad.
"Hush my dear, it's alright you're with me now."
Clinching her eyes shut, Star suddenly became angry.
"No it's not alright! He's been pushing me around and every day he tries to force me to be his mate! It wasn't that bad until he blew up the mountain with the Sonicron and found the Eye of the World and…"
"Wait, you mean HE blew up the mountain?" interjected Sky.
"Yes!" affirmed Star, "he used the glass horn to make the Black Mountain erupt… all because he wanted to put on a show, and get rid of you!"
All at once the darkness within him suddenly turned to light. A great weight lifted off Sky's shoulders as he realized that the natural disaster that had followed them was not the will of the great circle, but the insidious work of another wingtail. Not only that, but the villain was trying to take Star away from him. Sky felt a primal hatred of Eybron brewing within him, an urge to bring justice and right the wrongs that had been laid upon him.
A set of shadows passed over them again, and the two wingtails ducked to avoid their pursuers. Emerging from the bushes, Star came up with a plan.
"They won't stop searching until they find me… I have to go and lead them away…"
"No," stated Sky firm, "I won't let you be taken back to that… beast… of a wingtail again."
Star turned away and moved into a clear spot where she could spread her wings. Sky stepped out to follow her, but she hissed loudly in his direction causing him to halt in surprise.
"Stay back!" she begged, "if they find you they'll kill you!"
"Star I–"
"You have to hide Sky," she continued, "go somewhere far away until I get back to the elders. Only they can stop this madness."
Sky sighed, and slid back into the bushes. He had been running and hiding almost all of his life, and he was getting tired of it. There was an emotional movement within the wingtail that told him now as not the time for shiftiness and concealment, but the time to stand up to the monster that had made his life into dirt.
"I love you," the blue wingtail added sadly.
"I love you too," confirmed Star with deep sincerity.
After quickly making sure none of the pursuers were around and watching, the crimson wingtail spread her wings and took off into the sky, speeding away as quickly as she had came. Sky watched her go, and prayed that he would see her again. He knew in his heart that they both deserved to live happily together, even though events continued to conspire against him.
…
Putting a dozen trees behind her, something suddenly came into her mind Star had completely forgotten about. Silently, she cursed.
She hadn't told him about the egg.
Littlefoot felt ashamed. He could tell by the way Ali walked and the way she looked at him the female longneck was thinking about what Dara had said about the two of them earlier. Or was it something else bothering her? As much as he loved her company and knew her pretty well Ali was very complex. One season they were best friends and the next she was into some other longneck, having no time to play with him and the rest. Deep down though he really enjoyed being with her, and he hoped she would never go away.
"Littlefoot, who are we looking for again?" Ali asked in a bit of confusion, appearing as though she was being pulled around for things she didn't understand.
"We're looking for the Lone Dinosaur," commented Littlefoot as he pushed a fern out of the way with his foot, "if we find Doc and tell him about the sharpteeth, he will know what to do."
"Oww," moaned Ali as the fern wacked her in the face, "but why do we need to do that? You already hurt that one sharptooth enough for all of them."
Littlefoot stopped and turned his head.
"Because it's not just happening to me. You heard what Sky said about Tyron, and how they are taking over herds and forcing them to get eaten one by one. If we don't do something, another longneck or threehorn or spiketail is going to end up fatherless just like us."
There was merit in what Littlefoot said, and Ali nodded slightly. She had been expecting it to have something to do with the vengeance that drove him to kill that one in the fire lands, but now Ali could see his purpose was noble. Notably, she found herself admiring his heroism and desire to help others. He would make a good mate someday.
Ali blinked. She had no idea where that thought came from, and it kind of shocked her to be thinking that way. Briefly though the moment passed and she carried on behind Littlefoot to find this 'Lone Dinosaur'.
…
"Did you hear that?" Littlefoot asked suddenly about an hour later. He turned his head towards the sound.
"No," admitted Ali, before adding, "what is it, what did you hear?"
The same sound happened again, and this time Littlefoot registered it clearly as did Ali.
"Hey, that sounds just like Sky when he was fighting off that sharptooth," stated Ali without realizing what it meant.
Littlefoot did.
"Come on! Sky's in trouble, we have to help him!" the longneck shouted, and he blasted on through the bushes.
Ali followed, and after a few minutes of hearing the echoes of a screeching wingtail through the forest the two longnecks finally reached its source in the middle of a wooded clearing. Brushing aside the last of the bushes, a disturbing scene played out in front of them.
Three wingtails had driven a fourth one down from the sky, and were attempting to subdue her. The victim had crimson feathers, and seemed to be doing everything she could to get away. She was the one making the horrible screeching noise, and after a few seconds she was caught by two of the at once and driven to the ground. They stuffed her face in the dirt to try and silence the crimson wingtail.
It was so horrible that Littlefoot decided to intervene, and he burst forward into full view so he could be clearly seen.
"Hey!" he shouted, "its three on one… let her go!"
One of the now grounded wingtails turned to the longneck and hissed while his companions made sure Star was unable to get away.
"Back off land walker… this is wingtail business and does not concern you."
Ali caught up, and joined Littlefoot in his condemnation.
"Stop it!" she cried, "… go pick on someone your own size!"
The brown wingtail growled threateningly, and one of the others left Star to be held down by the last minion to join his senior in the confrontation.
"You have been warned… go away or we'll see to it that those long necks of yours become an awful lot shorter."
Littlefoot snarled in return and lowered his head, as did Ali. Normally his first instinct was to run, just like all other leaf-eater children, but the emotions of a young adult were kicking in inside his mind and he felt no desire to flee. These wingtails were just as mean as the ones in the Forgotten Forest, and they had to be put into place. Littlefoot was sure with Ali by his side they could take them, as the two of them had grown about a foot taller since they left the Great Valley and were a heck of a lot stronger.
The fight was about to commence when a shadow appeared over the group, and another wingtail landed softly on the ground in the middle of the dispute. His wings were a light grey, and his feathers were a clean, crisp white that made Littlefoot think this wingtail had to be a good one. He couldn't have been more wrong.
"Senselessly fighting with the locals are we Barrau?" remarked Eybron, "and here I was about to praise your skill at remaining on task."
Barrau looked around rapidly, as is trying to think of a way to redeem himself in the face of his master. Eybron frowned.
"Take her back to the Eye… we still have a mating ritual to complete."
The guard holding down Star loosened his grip, and let her up. She immediately started screeching again, and the other guard clamped his arms around her in an attempt to silence her. Eybron looked displeased at the whole proceeding, but otherwise ignored Littlefoot and Ali as if they weren't even there. After a moment he was satisfied that Star was going to cooperate and turned around with a hard look.
"I would suggest you both leave, lest I lose whatever little patience my mate's escape has left me with."
Littlefoot wasn't sure what to do. That old instinct to run was coming back into him again, and now that the shock of the encounter had passed the longneck had half a mind to obey and flee. This newcomer was only slightly bigger then the other three, but his presence was much larger. He had the disposition not of a wingtail, but of a sharptooth restraining himself from pouncing on his prey and devouring it whole, and it was highly unnerving. A moment later Littlefoot had made his decision to obey. After all it was just a wingtail dispute right? He would have to tell Sky about it though, just in case it concerned his friend. He moved a step to depart, but was interrupted when a more familiar wingtail cry pierced the air.
Matching the intensity of Star's cries, Sky ripped through the air and landed purposefully near the two longnecks. He was alarmed that they were here, but at least the wingtail had a few friends he knew he could count on. It was time to confront Eybron, and show him he wouldn't stand for how the white wingtail treated Star.
"Unhand her Eybron," demanded Sky with grit, "we are consented mates, and by the Laws of the Forest set down by the elders you cannot separate us!"
The two guards holding Star immediately let go, and she pulled away and hissed softly back at them. They may be in service to Eybron, but they had been convinced by their master that they were upholding the Laws for the greater good. Seeing his own minions were having second thoughts, the white wingtail went right into the matter.
"Sky? Hah, I can't say I expected to see you here," remarked Eybron with a bit of a laugh, "Out of all the rocks and rotten logs for a fugitive to hide, you had to pick the very mouth of the beast seeking to destroy you. I commend your bravery."
"I don't want your praise," continued Sky, "just let her come with me, and you'll never have to see us again…"
"See, now is where we come to a problem," the white wingtail sighed, tapping his fingers together in anticipation, "it would appear that we are both desiring the very same female for courtship… how unfortunate."
Star wondered why Eybron was doing this, but then it hit her. The white wingtail had all the power here, as with just a word he could have all his guards hunt down and tear her beloved Sky into pieces. He was just playing with the blue wingtail. The crimson wingtail watched in horror as even more of Eybron's minions arrived and begun to fill the trees. From the dire and vengeful looks on their faces she could see that Sky's time was running out even faster by the second. Not being able to bear it anymore, she cried out.
"Run Sky!" she shouted, "Fly away or he will KILL YOU!"
Eybron glanced back at her in anger and with a gesture one of his guards clamped his hand around her mouth. Sky snarled in rage.
"Fight me!" demanded Sky bravely, "fight me and we will see who is worthy of her courtship."
"Me, fight you?" remarked Eybron with a snort, "like common sharpteeth? I think not."
The white wingtail's gaze narrowed. The time for games was over.
"It's a shame it has to end this way, it really is. I was hoping that the Sonicron attack would have made things quick and painless for you, but I see you leave me no other choice."
Eybron wiped both his eyes clean of mock tears with his wing.
"Bring him to me," the wingtail commanded, "alive if possible… I want to enjoy his death like I enjoy his mate."
Sensing that it was his moment, Littlefoot hopped in front of Sky and stared down the would be attackers.
"If you wanna hurt Sky, you have to go through me first!"
Ali followed suit.
"And me!"
"Littlefoot," begged Sky, "this is not your fight… leave while you still can!"
Eybron laughed.
"Alright it looks like the land walkers have a death wish too… so be it. Kill them all for me."
The thunderous roar of wings filled the clearing, and Sky was sure this was the end. It was like Eybron had said… so be it. He felt whole inside… whole in the sense that he would die defending his mate against hopeless odds, and that she would know his bravery and think of him always. The blue wingtail mourned however for Littlefoot and Ali. It was his fault they were here, and the debt he owed them and their parents would never be paid.
The rumbling of an earthquake shuttered the whole glen, and for a moment the circling wingtails held their attack in confusion. The Sonicron was in the claws of the sharpteeth… what could possibly cause it to happen again here? The answer was soon quite clear.
"Nobody is killing anybody on my watch."
A large longneck, great even by the rest of his kind's standards, strode into the clearing with purpose and might. His entrance was so shattering the wingtail guards dispersed back into the trees. This was a foe they definitely couldn't face down even with their numbers. As he reached the two small longnecks and the blue wingtail, Littlefoot recognized him right away. It was none other than Doc, the lone dinosaur himself.
"Doc, Doc down here!" shouted Littlefoot.
The lone dinosaur looked down briefly at the source of the voice, and his eyes widened briefly in surprise. Quickly moving on however his eyes narrowed as he turned to face the only wingtail still remaining on the ground – Eybron.
"You flyer types have no place here threatening our young ones," commented Doc with a hint of aggression, "get outta here before I drive you out myself."
The wingtail guards looked to their leader for direction, and from the looks of things Eybron certainly wasn't ready to back down.
"Hah, you fool… you think you are one to threaten ME?" the white wingtail boomed, "you don't seem to see that it's not your world anymore giant… it's my world now, along with every creature in it."
Doc snorted and lowered his head.
"If I knew what was good for me, I wouldn't be talkin back to ones ten times my size friend," the longneck stated.
Littlefoot thought it was good advice, but clearly this was a clash of the titans in terms of wills. That white flyer was really nasty, but Doc had the advantage of sheer size. There was no way this 'Eybron' would ever push him around.
"You know what," continued Eybron, "your kind is starting to make me angry… and when I get angry little valleys tend to burn."
Doc grit his teeth.
"And when little flyers go mouthing off and make me angry, they tend to get squashed into the broken ground were they belong."
The large longneck pressed his foot into the ground for emphasis, caving in a few layers of dirt in the process. Furious that he couldn't win a fight of strength, Eybron spread his wings and took to the air. The other wingtails followed him, and Star was pushed along with them.
"You want to fight with ME?" shouted Eybron uncontrollably, "you've made your choice land walker. In the morning your home will be purged with my vicious fire! Your hatchlings will scream at their inevitable deaths, and your flesh and skin will peel away from the heat of your own folly! And then, as you draw last breath, I will be there…laughing above your charred corpse!"
A full minute past, and the wingtails were all gone… all of them except for Sky that is. Un phased by the outburst, Doc smiled slightly. Seeing that his duty was complete he turned down towards Littlefoot.
"You really aught to pick your enemies more carefully, friend."