Chapter 34: Shadows, feathers, talons
Thomas, Blu, Eduardo, Roberto and Arturo were flying through some tunnels of the Underpassage that were lit by some torches and fireflies. But at the same time, there were a lot of parts that weren't shown to the light at all. They were dark, some of them even pitch dark.
After flying for about 12 minutes to the darkness below, the 5 birds stopped for a moment to catch their breath.
"Don't you guys think we've flown far enough, I mean, we haven't seen any Emberwings or whatsoever." Roberto asked.
"I agree with, you, Roberto, we've already flown for about 12 minutes, and we haven't spotted any dangers." Arturo said.
"I believe most of the Emberwings, if not all of them, are in the most southern of halls." Thomas said.
"What's there if I may ask, brother?" Blu asked.
"In the southern parts of the Underpassage, Blu, lie many of the great ceremonial halls. We used to hold grand celebrations there during our 12 years of peace, but these halls were lost when the Emberwings first attacked us. Later, these halls became a battle ground, particularly the ones that are underneath the western parts of the temples and the central southern temples. These halls were mostly a battlefield between the Emberwings and the Svaken." Thomas said, but then said with some disgust: "And I can't imagine how desecrated these sacred halls are now that the Emberwings were in charge of Twelve Peaks.
Arturo scoffed and said: "Those orange maniacs always find a way to desecrate the things you hold dearest; may it be family members or the home you care about."
Roberto was wondering something, however.
Roberto: "Say, Arturo, when you, Mia and her tribe still lived in Peru, did you guys ever fear the possibility of humans, aka loggers, to come and destroy your home?"
"Well…" Arturo began. "We had some problems with poachers, but as long as I remembered, we never had any troubles with loggers that would cut the forests or burn them, even though Sapphire told us that horrifying story of how she lost her tribe to the loggers."
"Yes." Blu said with a heavy heart. "Eduardo told me the story of his point of view and Jewel told me, Thomas, Jasmine and our kids her point of view from the story."
"Luckily we had you to make an end to constantly live in fear, Blu." Eduardo said with pride in his voice.
"Yeah, thanks to you, Blu, we are still able to live in complete easiness in the place we called home for years." Roberto said.
"Ah, guys." Blu said awkwardly. "Don't boast about it, please."
"What happened back then?" Arturo asked. "I know that like Megeslav you lived with a human for years, but when you came here, exactly what did you do?"
"Well, Arturo, after Blu, my daughter, my grandchildren and their 3 friends came here, I thought nothing of my son-in-law, seeing him as nothing more than a human pet." Eduardo said. "But when the loggers came, and we were on the point of fleeing once more. However, Blu, despite having endured so many hardships in the tribe, and especially from myself, rallied us and with his knowledge of humans, we fought back."
"Yeah." Roberto said. "It was so effective that Felipe's tribe even joined the fight and thus ending our rivalry."
"Wow. That truly is amazing to hear. But how are you so sure that the sanctuary will be save from loggers or poachers?" Arturo asked.
"Well, Arturo, the humans that helped us fight the loggers, which includes Linda, my human companion, ensured that the place stays safe from any humans who wish to harm it." Blu responded.
"So that means, that, when we return to the sanctuary, we won't have to worry about loggers or poachers at all?" Arturo asked.
"You got it completely right, Artie." Eduardo responded.
Arturo smiled at this.
"And before the battle against the loggers started, Blu even saved my life." Roberto said.
"How so?" Arturo asked.
"There was this giant… human thing that destroyed trees with ease and was about to crush us. I was paralyzed and didn't move at all, but Blu pulled me back and-"
But as Roberto talked, Thomas couldn't help but notice something. Something was lurking in the dark that was right behind Roberto. Thomas suddenly saw that the thing was charging at Roberto at full speed. Just right as Roberto was talking, Thomas launched himself at his friend.
"ROBERTO, WATCH OUT!" Thomas yelled as he bumped into his front and they both fell on the ground.
The thing that was charging at Roberto from the dark swiped its talons and claws. As it came into the light, it repleaded as slender female Emberwing, with red paintings on her face and beak.
Eduardo, Arturo and Blu let out a loud yelp and the female now focused her might on Blu.
She slashed with her claws of her right talon onto Blu with tremendous speed, but Blu was able to barely dodge the female's attack.
Panting, Blu flew away from the female, but she was readying herself to charge at him with full speed. Just then, Arturo bumped into the Emberwing, making her roll about 2 meters behind, but she quickly got back on her talons and slid about 25 cm backwards.
As she looked back forward, she saw that the 5 macaws had regrouped and were now ready to face her. They all looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"Buenas tardes (English: Good mid-day), everyone." The female said with a hispanic accent.
She then looked at Arturo and Thomas.
"Looks like you haven't lost your touch with bumping into your foes, Arturo and it seems like you haven't lost your reflex abilities with dark places, Thomas." The Emberwing said taunting.
"Shira." Thomas said darkly and with narrowed eyes.
"If it's gonna be 5 against one, why don't we make this fight interesting?" Shira said as she backed away into the shadows and everything became completely silent.
(The extended theme from 'Magni and Modi' from God of War (2018) begins to play)
The silence that followed Shira's retreat into the shadows was almost palpable, broken only by the distant echo of dripping water from the cavernous depths. The five macaws tensed, their eyes darting around the dimly lit tunnel, searching for any sign of their foe.
"Stay close," Thomas whispered, his voice low and urgent. "She's using the darkness to her advantage. We need to be ready to strike together."
Eduardo, his wings quivering slightly with tension, nodded. "We can't let her pick us off one by one. Keep your eyes open, and don't let your guard down."
Blu's heart raced as he tried to steady his breathing. He had faced many challenges since leaving his human life behind, but something about the predatory gleam in Shira's eyes sent a chill down his spine. This wasn't just a fight for survival; it was a battle of wits and reflexes against an opponent who thrived in the darkness.
Roberto, usually full of humor and bravado, was now deadly serious. He flexed his talons, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the shadows. "She wants to play games, huh? Fine. Let's show her we're not easy prey."
Arturo hovered close to the group, his muscles coiled like springs, ready to launch into action at a moment's notice. "She's fast, but we're smarter if we work together."
A flicker of movement caught Thomas's eye, and he whipped his head around just in time to see a shadow dart across the wall. "There!" he shouted, and the five macaws moved as one, diving toward the spot where Shira had disappeared.
But the Emberwing was too quick. She reemerged from the darkness behind them, her talons slashing through the air with deadly precision. Blu barely managed to twist out of the way, the tip of one claw grazing his feathers.
"Dodge!" Thomas ordered, and they scattered, wings beating furiously as they evaded Shira's swift strikes. She was relentless, a blur of orange and red that seemed to be everywhere at once, attacking from the shadows and retreating before they could retaliate.
"She's toying with us," Arturo growled, frustration evident in his voice. "We need to draw her out, force her to fight on our terms."
Thomas's mind raced as he tried to think of a strategy. Shira was using the environment to her advantage, but that didn't mean they were powerless. "Roberto, Eduardo, lit the darkness! Use the torches to light up this place. We need to take away her shadows!"
Without hesitation, Roberto and Eduardo swooped down to grab one of the burning torches. And with that, light came into the dark corners of the tunnel.
Shira hissed in annoyance as the light encroached on her cover. She lunged at Roberto, who was momentarily distracted by his task, but Thomas was ready. He intercepted her with a powerful tackle, slamming her into the ground.
"You're not as invincible in the light, are you, Shira?" Thomas spat, his wings pinning her down. But Shira twisted with a serpent's agility, kicking him off with a powerful thrust of her legs.
She spun around, talons slashing at Thomas, but Eduardo and Blu were on her in an instant, forcing her to retreat. They pressed their advantage, attacking from different angles to keep her off balance. Shira, however, was far from defeated. With a snarl, she flapped her wings violently, creating a gust of wind that sent debris flying and forced the macaws to back off.
"Is that all you've got?" Shira taunted, her eyes blazing with fury. "I've faced worse in my sleep!"
The battle raged on, each side giving and taking blows in a deadly dance. The tunnel, once a silent witness to ancient ceremonies, was now a chaotic battlefield. Feathers flew, claws clashed, and the air was filled with the sounds of screeching birds and flapping wings.
As more torches were lighting the darkness in the tunnel, Shira's advantage began to wane. She was swift and deadly in the dark, but the light made her movements easier to predict. Still, her strikes were powerful, and she moved with a ferocity that kept the macaws on their talons.
Suddenly, Shira saw an opening. She lunged at Blu with blinding speed, catching him off guard. Her talons wrapped around him, and before he could react, she had him in her grasp, squeezing tightly.
"BLU!" Thomas yelled, panic gripping his heart as he saw his brother being lifted off the ground. He dove toward Shira, but she slammed him to the ground with a forceful kick, knocking the wind out of him.
Shira grinned wickedly as she tightened her grip on Blu, who struggled desperately to free himself. "I think it's time to end this, don't you?" she hissed, raising her free talon to deliver the killing blow.
But before she could strike, a roar of pure, unbridled rage echoed through the tunnel. Thomas's vision blurred, and his chest heaved with deep, ragged breaths. His eyes burned with a dark, primal fury as something deep within him snapped.
It was as if time slowed down. Thomas surged forward with a terrifying speed and power that none of the others had ever seen before. In an instant, he was on Shira, tearing into her with a ferocity that caught even the seasoned Emberwing off guard.
"Let. Him. Go!" Thomas growled, his voice a guttural snarl that sent shivers down the spines of everyone present. He slammed into Shira with such force that she was thrown back, losing her grip on Blu, who tumbled to the ground, gasping for air.
But Thomas didn't stop. He was on top of Shira before she could recover, his talons raking across her feathers, his beak snapping dangerously close to her neck. He lifted her with his wings and threw her against the tunnel wall with a resounding crash.
"Thomas, stop!" Blu cried out, horrified by the savage transformation he was witnessing. Roberto, Eduardo and Arturo exchanged nervous glances, with Roberto instantly knowing what monster within Thomas had emerged, it was Big Bad Thom.
Shira, though dazed, wasn't out of the fight. She spun rapidly, using the momentum to smack Thomas across the face with her wing, sending him crashing to the ground. The impact jolted Thomas, snapping him out of his rage-fueled state. He blinked, disoriented, as the red haze lifted from his vision.
Realizing what had just happened, Thomas staggered back, horror creeping into his eyes. "What… what have I done?"
"Shira, breathing heavily and nursing her wounds, eyed Thomas warily and chuckled. "There he his. There was the Big Bad Thom I had heard about years ago." Shira wiped a trickle of blood from her beak.
Shira: "But I'm not done with you."
The battle continued, but Thomas, now fully aware of the danger of losing control, fought with a renewed focus. He relied on his training, using tactics and precision rather than brute force. The others followed his lead, working together to counter Shira's attacks.
The tide of the battle began to shift as Shira, now exhausted and wounded, struggled to keep up with the coordinated assault. She lashed out with desperation, but the macaws were relentless, forcing her back, inch by inch.
Finally, as Shira stumbled, Thomas saw his opportunity. He delivered a powerful blow that sent her crashing to the ground, her breath coming in ragged gasps. But before he could deliver the final strike, a distant sound echoed through the tunnel—the approach of more Emberwings.
"Reinforcements," Eduardo warned, glancing back at the others. "We can't stay here."
Thomas hesitated, his eyes locked on Shira. She glared up at him, her defiance undimmed despite her defeat.
"We'll meet again, Thomas," Shira growled, her voice dripping with venom. "And next time, you won't be so fortunate!"
With a final, furious screech, Shira pushed herself up and disappeared into the shadows, retreating into the depths of the Underpassage. The macaws, their wings heavy with exhaustion, exchanged glances.
(Music ends)
"We need to go," Blu urged, glancing nervously in the direction of the approaching Emberwings. "Now."
Without another word, the five macaws took off, flying back through the tunnels toward the safety of their allies. As they flew, Thomas's mind raced, haunted by the memory of the rage that had nearly consumed him. The battle had been concluded to a draw, but it came at a great cost. The darkness within him, the beast that was Big Bad Thom, had surfaced once more.
And he knew that the next time he faced Shira, he would need to control it—or risk losing everything.
To be continued…