Back with another chapter of Dark Moon Rising! I haven't gotten any reviews yet, but I'm liking the story. So I am going to keep on writing, and hopefully one day this will be a popular story among several! Anyways, let us get to it!
Thalia rose from her makeshift nest of feathers early in the night. Her head swiveled around as she looked around the hollow. She shrugged off her sleep as she hopped out of her hollow. Her outstanding hearing that all Tyto's had picked up the shrieks from the prisoner from the night before. They echoed throughout the Canyonlands.
She saw some of the branching owlets trying to cover their ears, but she reveled in the sound. She had never been found of the Tree, thinking that the Pure Ones were the superior race of owls. They would be the future of owl kind, while the Tree would soon be forgotten.
She stretched her wings as she flapped strongly, carrying herself rather silently. The feathers that would grow to make her flight completely silent hadn't completely grew yet. She worked with what she had. She landed on a ledge. She wanted to explore the canyon's more, but she didn't know if she was completely allowed to yet. She swiveled her head in the direction of some rather noisy wing beats. She looked to see Nyra, one of the Pure One's leaders, including being the High Tyto's mate.
Her dark eyes lit with interest as she flew closer to the ledge where the Highness screeched for attention.
"All owls ready to take their first flight will follow me." She said strongly. Her voice ringing with authority and coldness that made no owlets dare try to protest as she flew off of the ledge, heading towards the training grounds nestled in the canyon side.
Thalia rose into flight. Propelling herself forward, she followed silently after the Queen. Eventually they had landed in a medium sized cave in the side of the canyons. She flew to a higher ledge again.
"This is where your first test of Purity will begin. Being Tyto's means we are the purest race in the owl kingdoms. However, we can't have…" She trailed off for a second, scanning the group below her with her cold, dark eyes. "Non-pure Tyto's among us, which means your first test is to go against your fellow owls in a fight to the death. If you survive, you will begin training tomorrow. If you don't, well we all know how that will end. No mercy, no pity! If you provide mercy, both of you will be killed." She finished as she ruffled her feathers slightly.
Thalia glanced around. Her eyes gleaming viciously as she looked at her opponents. She suddenly heard something clang at her feet. She snapped out of her trance as she looked at her first pair of actual battle claws. She glanced up as the Queen nodded to her. She stepped out of the huddle. She strapped them on with little to no difficulty before she looked to her opponent.
A Ashy-Faced Owl stood before her, they happened to be rather rare in the Tyto's world, and was even lower on the hierarchy of the Pure One's then Sooty Owls, as their faces weren't the pure white that Tyto's prided themselves on, but rather carried a look much like if somebody had rubbed charcoal on their mask.
Nyra gave the screech to rise in the air. Thalia flapped strongly, struggling slightly with the battle claws. She was coping with them better than the smaller Tyto as she struggled to rise in the pair. Nyra gave another screech once both young owls were in the air, to begin the battle.
Thalia and the other Tyto plunged forward, battle claws slicing into each owls flesh. There was screeches of pain, but Thalia whipped around. Ignoring the sticky blood dripping from a wound on her side, she lunged forward again. Slashing at the other owls face, she dodged a blow before pulling back once more. The other Tyto stumbled in flight as blood dripped down her face.
Thalia sneered as she took this opportunity to try to aim another hit. Her opponent however swiped at her talons, causing Thalia to swerve in flight. As she swerved she hit the other owl's wings, her talons slashing to the bone. 'Great Glaux! These claws are sharp!' she thought as her opponent screeched in pain, falling to the ground.
Thalia landed as her chest heaved for air as she clicked her way across the stone. She hopped onto her opponent's stomach, her talons gripping as if it was a branch, digging into her as she screamed in pain.
"Please." Her smaller opponent pleaded as blood poured from her wounds.
"Disgrace!" Thalia screeched as she killed her swiftly. Stepping off of the limp carcass, she looked to Nyra.
The queen didn't look too impressed. "Step back, Sooty." She commanded. Thalia nodded slightly as she stepped back into the huddle. Many other Tyto's went after her, and finally the first trial of Purity was done.
"Now only the strongest fighting Tyto's are standing. Rest, for you will definitely need it for next night." She screeched before flying out of the cave, leaving the bleeding and wounded owls left. Thalia looked as other Tyto's started carrying off the dead bodies.
Some of the survivors carried horrified looks at what they had just done, others carried the vicious and triumphant gleam in their eyes that Thalia did, and others seemed practically moon-blinked with no emotion in their eyes. Thalia rose into the air, ignoring the stinging in her side. She flew out into the stone forest as she looked for her hollow. She knew that some broodies without nests would be coming to the hollows of the owls in tonight's training for them to heal.
Thalia finally located the stone hollow, she landed outside of it before ducking in. She ruffled her feathers as she yawned. Dawn light was seeping into the canyon land. The training hadn't seemed that long, but it had lasted through the whole night. She sat in her nest, closing her eyes.
Her gaze flickered open as she heard claws scrape the stone outside. She glared at the noise, but relaxed slightly as she saw the plump shape of a broody making their way into her hollow.
"Here to heal you, young owl." The broody spoke slowly as she put down her 'medicine'. Thalia closed her eyes again, allowing her to work. Not entirely caring, as long as she would be able to fight tomorrow.
Okay! Finished. XD I am pretty pleased with this chapter. I hope you all like it. And as always, please favorite, follow, and review! Thank you for reading this far if you did!
~Fangirl2005