Mallory found Tanya working away at Drake One with Duke looking on. While that wouldn't have been all that noteworthy, pictures of the blue beak kept popping up on the screen.
"Watcha doing, Tanya?" Mallory asked as yet another picture of Ruby flashed by.
"I'm trying to, you know, figure out where Ruby is hanging out the most," Tanya answered. "If we can figure out where she's likely to be, we could, like, wait and ambush her."
"Sounds good," Mallory said with a nod before turning to the former thief. "So, come to check out more pictures of the blue beak?"
"I'm actually helping Tanya figure out where the pictures were taken," Duke grumbled, crossing his wings across his chest as another picture came up. "Ruby isn't my type."
"You have a type?" Mallory snorted as she crossed her own wings.
"Nice," Duke growled.
"Judging from the way you guys were gawking the other day, I'd say she's everyone's type," Mallory nearly snarled.
"Jealousy doesn't become you, Mal," Duke shot back. "We were just caught off guard. The dress she was wearing showed a lot of leg."
"Legs you four couldn't stop staring at," Mallory countered waspishly.
"What did you expect?" Duke shot back. "We're not dead, ya know."
"Not yet, at any rate," Mallory mumbled under her breath.
"Look, there's no reason to be getting your beak out of joint," Duke snapped. "She's not a bad looking duck, once you get past the beak, but she's not all that great looking either. She's lost a lot of weight, but it wasn't by exercise. She has very little muscle tone. You get her on the ice and I doubt she'd last one period."
"I'd love to put her on ice," Mallory muttered.
"You wanna, you know, help out here or are you two still too busy arguing?" Tanya questioned irritably.
"Where'd you find all of these pictures of her anyways?" Mallory inquired as she turned back to the massive computer.
"The Internet," Tanya answered while yet another picture was brought up and the scientist made note of its location. "Someone even created a Facebook page devoted to sightings of her."
"Humans are so weird," Mallory mumbled as yet another picture popped onto the screen. "Has she no fashion sense?"
"What are you talking about?" Duke asked.
"Her bag," Mallory pointed out. "She's carrying that same bag. It didn't go with that dress and it doesn't go with those slacks and blouse either. I know she has more then the one purse, so why is she carrying that one around all the time?"
"You mean the bag with the mask in it?" Duke questioned.
"You think she's carrying the mask in it?" Mallory counter questioned. "That would be a very poor tactical move on her part. I doubt she's that stupid."
"Then why else would she be carrying it around?" Duke inquired. "You just said that she has more than that bag, but it's the only one we've seen her using. Why else would she use it?"
"I'm not so sure that the mask is in it," Tanya put in as she enlarged a picture of the bag.
"Why?" Mallory asked. "What do you think is in it?"
"I don't know, but whatever it is," Tanya stated as she highlighted one of the top corners of the purse, "it has a red tail."
Ruby had been surprised when Wildwing had offered her food and water. The fact that he wasn't using it as a bargaining chip for The Mask nearly floored her. When he steadied her without jumping back and yelling in disgust, her heart had done a strange flip-flop.
Wildwing had honestly been interested in Twin Beaks and how she had become a mage. Their conversation had been relaxed and casual, like they were both ordinary ducks. Ruby wasn't sure what to make of her feelings about that.
Ruby felt her heart do a funny little skip when Wildwing got down in the dirt and started digging along side her. He didn't have to help, but he was doing it willingly. She had given herself a mental shake and reminded herself that, even if the curse didn't exist, such a good looking duck would never be interested in her. She knew she wasn't pretty, not like Emily.
The revelation about how she had lost more control to The Phoenix than she realized scared Ruby to the bone. She knew that the sight of the Saurian wizard was what had set The Phoenix off, but Ruby hadn't realized how much control she had lost to the Elemental. She moved away from Wildwing for fear that he might find her even more repulsive than he already did.
When Wildwing and the salamander had fought over that silly piece of metal, she couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't seen something that funny in so long and the laughter had helped with her stress and fear. He had been so mad at her, but she just couldn't help it. What was she supposed to do?
She had continued to search for a hole in the middle of the large slab of metal. By the time he had found the edge, she had pretty much given up hope that there was one. Then he called her over and she headed toward him, she was confused by the glazed over look in his eyes.
The piece of metal Wildwing had used as a makeshift shovel had nearly put Ruby back in a panic. He was confused and upset that she had the salamander melt it, but it needed to be done. It had contained a piece of her and it had frightened her beyond words.
Ruby could feel The Phoenix feeding off of her fear and there wasn't anything she could do about it. The Saurian wizard had her missing feathers. The damage he could do to her was more than she dared to think about. She hoped that he only had the one feather and not the other two.
She turned her attention to the ruined remains of the drones. When Ruby and The Phoenix melted them, it had destroyed any traces of her feather with those particular drones. However, the machines that Wildwing and his team had wrecked would still have the feather in them. They would all have to be melted down to slag to make sure the feather was completely decimated. The last thing she needed was yet another Elemental getting hold of even a small piece of her.
She tried to put any thoughts of her missing feathers out of her mind as she slid her hands under the side of the slab of metal. Ruby sent the magic along the edge to get a feel for the size of it. It was HUGE! This wasn't going to be easy.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. She sent more power out into the meadow. It wasn't enough.
Ruby refused to give into the panic of not being able to complete the job. Would the Forest Lord punish her if she couldn't get the job done? Would she be stuck in the meadow, dependent on others to provide her food and water?
The thought frightened Ruby and The Phoenix ate it up. Desperate not to be trapped there, Ruby pulled on the living flame inside her. She only needed some of that power, not a lot. What she got, she wasn't prepared for.
The power flowed through her and she was barely aware of anything else except her hands on the metal. She heard a shout of surprise, but it meant nothing to her. All that mattered was that she needed to be free.
Free of that meadow. Free of the Forest Lord. Free of her prison. Free of this mortal.
NO! a male voice shouted in her mind as something crawled up her back.
"Get off of me," she snarled as she rolled her shoulders, trying to dislodge the little nuisance.
No! he replied as he clung to her. Go back!
"I will not!" she growled while she continued to try and shake him off.
Not your time! he forcefully stated, clinging to her like a burr.
"I will be free!" she yelled as she shook her body.
She wished she could grab the little pest off of her back, but she couldn't seem to let go of the metal sheet she was lifting out of the dirt. She could feel him siphoning her power into himself and it enraged her.
"Get off!" she shrieked. "You dare use my power for yourself!?"
I must, he replied, his voice calmer. You must not harm her. If she dies, so do you.
"I will be FREE!" she screamed.
Soon, but not yet, he assured her. Now is not your time.
"I've waited too long!" she yelled in frustration.
If you kill this host, all will be lost, he calmly pointed out. There is no other.
"I need to be free," she cried, her voice filled with despair.
And you will be soon, Great One, he assured her. But not today.
The scream that was ripped from Ruby's throat felt as if someone had stuffed a red hot poker down her gullet. The pain was so intense Ruby couldn't see because of it. She didn't even feel it when she hit the ground because she was blissfully unconscious.
When she had started to use her powers, Wildwing had begun to back away. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs. If he needed a reminder about how dangerous she really was, he was getting an ample demonstration.
Then the intense heat knocked him onto his tail feathers. As she started to lift the metal slab from the ground, Ruby began to glow with that same golden red light like she had the night of the attack. He expected her to start floating when the salamander scrambled up her back and clung to her like a tick.
Wildwing was barely aware of scrabbling backwards until his back hit a tree and he was too terrified to move any farther away. His heart was pounding so hard that he was sure it was about to break a rib. With all of the battles that he had been through, all of the face offs he had had with Dragaunus, he didn't think he had ever been so scared as he was at that moment.
Ruby was yelling at the salamander, but it wasn't her voice he was hearing. This voice was higher pitched to the point of almost shrieking and much, much louder. He was also hearing it inside of his head, like he had with the salamander. The air vibrated with the intensity of her voice.
She screamed at the small Elemental about stealing her power. Wildwing realized that the salamander was growing right before his eyes. He couldn't move if his life depended on it.
Wildwing was having trouble understanding their conversation. The talk of prison and freedom just didn't make any sense to him. Was Ruby a prisoner somehow? When the salamander warned about killing the host, Wildwing's fear level reached a new level.
The scream Ruby let out made Wildwing cover his ears. Despite how he had tried to protect his hearing, his head was ringing for a while. He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes until he opened them and then had to blink several times to get his eyes to focus properly again.
The sight that greeted him when he looked over the meadow took his breath away. A huge sheet of metal was covering most of the area. It was at least a couple of inches along the edges and who knew how thick it had to be in the middle where most of the drones had been standing. It had to weigh hundreds of pounds and she had pulled out from under several inches of dirt by herself.
That's when he turned his attention to Ruby. She was a crumpled heap with the salamander standing next to her, nudging her with his nose. As if Wildwing's gaze alerted the Elemental to his presence, the now not so small creature turned to him.
Help her, the salamander said.
Wildwing wasn't sure if he could talk if he wanted to, so he just shook his head 'no'.
Help her! The Elemental demanded.
Again, Wildwing shook his head in the negative.
I swear if you don't get over here and help her, I will singe every feather off of your worthless body, the salamander growled.
The humans have a saying, a new voice calmly stated and the salamander hissed at something between Wildwing and the fire Elemental. You will attract more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.
Wildwing wildly looked around for the owner of the voice. He wasn't sure his heart could take any more surprises.
He must help her, the salamander insisted, his tail thrashing from side to side.
And he will, but you must give him a chance to recover, the voice assured him. What he has seen has frightened him.
And then he appeared. Wildwing wasn't sure if he should be scared witless or amazed. The creature that had appeared out of thin air in front of him was magnificent.
How is appearing before this mortal creature like that supposed to calm him down? The salamander snapped.
"You're the earth Elemental, aren't you?" Wildwing asked in a hushed voice.
He's the Forest Lord, the salamander confirmed discontentedly.
Is that what what she calls me? The Forest Lord asked, amusement evident in his 'voice'.
The salamander looked as if he had swallowed a lemon as he nodded.
Forest Lord, the earth Elemental repeated as if he was savoring a fine wine. I like it.
You would, the salamander grumbled and the Forest Lord chuckled.
Always hot headed, the fire Elementals, the large white stag said with amusement as he turned his attention back to Wildwing. Please, help her. She is very important to us.
"What..." Wildwing started shakily, having to swallow his nervousness before continuing on. "What just happened? Why did she say she needed to be free? Free of what?"
Wildwing snapped his beak shut before he could blather on even more incoherently. Somehow, he had the feeling accusing the earth Elemental of holding her prisoner would result in the team needing a new captain and goalie.
That wasn't her, the Forest Lord explained. It was The Phoenix. You will have to ask her about it. Be patient with her if she doesn't wish to discuss it at first. She will explain when she's ready. Now please, help her.
"Why did you have her working by herself?" Wildwing boldly asked as he got to his feet, using the tree for support. "Why wouldn't you let her leave to find food and water?"
But she wasn't alone, the white stag pointed out. You were here helping her and you kindly brought her food and water.
"I was here only by shear luck," Wildwing heatedly retorted.
Do you think so? The earth Elemental asked, the amusement evident again.
Before Wildwing could say any more, the stag turned around and headed to the still unconscious duck. Wildwing followed along behind at a safe distance, not wanting to deal with any of this mess. The salamander sat next to Ruby, occasionally nudging her shoulder with his nose. Even a blind duck could see the fire Elemental was upset.
You must back up and give him room, my fiery friend, the Forest Lord instructed.
The salamander didn't argue as he moved out of the duck's way. Wildwing cautiously moved closer, not really wanting to be there, but knowing that the Elementals would force him if he didn't do it on his own. They scared him worse than she did.
Wildwing wondered what possessed him to even come to the meadow in the first place. Then he looked down at the crumpled form in front of him and he forgot all about why he was there. His breath caught in his throat and it felt like someone had just put his heart in a vice grip.
She looked so small and fragile like that and he was having to force himself to breathe. He got down on his knees next to Ruby and gently brushed her hair out of her face. The band that she had been using to hold it back was long gone.
He gently rolled the mage onto her back and Wildwing quickly stared up into the sky. The front of her shirt had been burnt away again. When it had happened a few nights before, it had been down to her bra and no more. Now, there was a lot more damage.
Without even thinking about it, Wildwing took his own shirt off and covered her with it. Once he was sure it was safe to do so, he looked back down. Why did his heart hurt so much?
"I can't carry her on my bike like this," Wildwing stated, looking up at the stag.
No, I suppose you can't, the earth Elemental agreed and he lowered his head down to her, forcing Wildwing to lean back a bit. I give you my power until you are safe, little one. Now wake.
The Forest Lord touched his muzzle to her beak and Ruby woke with a gasp. Wildwing could see the whites of her eyes were red from broken blood vessels. Ruby stared at the three males staring down at her in confusion. Wildwing wasn't sure why he felt good about the fact that when her gaze stopped roaming, it had rested on his bare chest.
Don't try talking, the Forest Lord instructed when Ruby opened her beak. The Phoenix's scream has done damage. You must give it time to heal.
Ruby's eyes got wide as she stared in shock up at the giant stag.
I have already told him of The Phoenix's existence, the earth Elemental told her as he brought his head back up. It will be up to you to tell him the rest.
She shook her head, the fear evident in her eyes.
He has already seen Her take over, the Forest Lord stated. Trying to hide Her now is futile.
She looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and the vice grip on Wildwing's heart tightened.
"Listen, that can wait," Wildwing said, bringing her attention back to him. "Let's get you out of here so you can get some rest."
Ruby looked back up at the earth Elemental, hope evident on her face.
That would be wise, the Forest Lord agreed as he moved away from the ducks.
Wildwing helped Ruby to sit up, making sure his shirt didn't slip. She looked a little confused about the shirt until she felt what happened to her own. Her eyes got really wide again and looked like they were about to fall out of her head.
"I didn't see anything," he assured her.
She believed him, but she still looked completely humiliated. She held her wing out, pointed toward the ground and made a circling motion with her finger. Wildwing frowned in confusion.
She wants you to turn around, the salamander stated as he returned, carrying her bag in his mouth.
Wildwing decided he really didn't want to know why or to argue, so he turned his back to her. The salamander dropped her bag next to him and then went scurrying back to Wildwing's bag. Wildwing narrowed his eyes at the lizard like creature as he dragged the second bag over.
"You couldn't carry it like you did hers?" Wildwing grumbled.
It has nasty stuff in it, the salamander stated as he spit out the strap.
"What nasty stuff?" Wildwing demanded, wondering what could have gotten into his bag while he wasn't looking.
He means water, the Forest Lord stated.
Before any more could be said on one of life's necessities, Wildwing's shirt was placed on his shoulder. He worriedly looked down at it, not daring to look over his shoulder at her.
She's put her shirt on backwards, so it is safe to turn around again, the earth Elemental told him as the stag moved closer to them. You should give her some of that water before you go. She will be dehydrated from The Phoenix.
Cautiously, Wildwing turned around and saw that her shirt was, in fact, on backward. He reached into his bag and brought out the last bottle of water and handed it to Ruby. She smiled her thanks before drinking half of the bottle in one go.
"Do you think you can walk down the hill?" Wildwing asked as he finished putting on his shirt.
Ruby nodded and Wildwing stood up. He helped her to her feet, picked up both bags and they slowly headed out of the meadow into the trees. Neither one of them noticed that the Elementals weren't following.
Why did you call him? The salamander inquired, turning to face the larger Elemental. A human would have been less likely to give her trouble.
Humans no longer believe in magic, the earth Elemental answered. To bring one here would have been much worse. Besides, I couldn't have called one up here without binding one to me. Through her, I can touch him.
He fears her, the salamander stated.
He is frightened, yes, the Forest Lord agreed. But it's not really her that he fears, but his beliefs about her kind. As he gets to know her better, he will see she is not the enemy.
But why him? The Salamander asked.
Because he is her reason, the stag replied.
Her reason to what? The salamander questioned.
Her reason to live.