Verse of Estoria Ballad of The Heavens

Battle over the Great Wall

         The sun cracks through the darkness as it rises over the horizon shining its glowing rays over Drakes face. Rousing from his slumber, he slowly opens his eyes to see a figure shadowed by golden sun. Wiping the sleep away, he sits up from his multicolored feathered sleeping bag and pulls his red wrinkled tunic straight. The figure drops a square package on his lap wrapped in a thin rope and Drake freezes wondering what it was for.

         “Its time,” Zed says, Everything you’ll need, including breakfast and supplies is in that package.”

         Drake stands to his feet and notices the Captain dressed in brown leather armor with two slits that fits his black feathered wings.

         “The eagles are currently being prepped and will arrive shortly. Are you ready?”

         “Yes.” Drake nodded resolutely.

         After everything that happen, everything he felt he was responsible for, he now has a chance to fix everything and hopefully have some piece within himself. After learning about what happened to the princess, he was troubled the night before staring off into the night sky, wondering what he could’ve done but now he’s determined to save the people who aided him and the princess who confided in him.

         Zed nodded in approval as he clasps his shoulders with his hand.

         “Feathers or not, you are a brave warrior,” Zed says “And I would be proud to fight alongside you.”

         “Same here,” Drake replies as both reach out and exchange a firm handshake.

         “Follow me to the pier.”

         Drake follows Zed from the treetops down the branches and towards the pier where everyone waited wearing their leather armors. Ean, Hazel, Cody, Damien and Carmelia all stand at the edge of the island quietly staring off at the distance as a calm breeze sweeps across the green fields.

         “Looks like everyone’s here,” Zed says as his feet meshes the grass beneath. With the rustling trees of the forest behind them, tweeting birds dance about the field as the group turns around to face their Captain.

         “Alright line up,” He shouts folding his arms. “We’ve been designated as the spear that’ll pierce through the Alternean’s efforts. We will be a fighting force of five eagles. Ean, Hazel you two will ride together and guard our flanks. Damian and Carmilia will take up the rear. Make sure the enemy doesn’t catch us off guard. Cody, since you and Drake are fairly new, I want both of you to act as escorts and thin out their numbers should they try and overrun us. You will be given extra verse crystals.”

         “What about the wall, sir,” Hazel says, holding a firm salute. “What are we going to use against it.”

         “Myself and my tailfeather will be carrying the necessary means to destroy the wall. Just remember your training and keep the wyverns off our backs.”

         “Yes Sir,”

         Then a loud squeak echoes throughout the sky as the shadow of a Mid-August eagle overtakes the field and lands behind the Captain. Equipped with a brown leather saddle, a leather masks covered the eagle’s yellow beak with straps that connected with the saddle. Sitting below the bird’s beak, were two long wooden rods with round wooden bulbs at the tip. Releasing her grasp of the iron rods on the side of the saddles the human-morphed harpy rises from her riding position and pulled a rope holding a large bulky sack. The sack keels over and hits the grass spilling glowing blue crystal cylinders. One rolled near Drake’s feet and he kneels and picks one up.

         Leaping off the large bird and landing near the sack, the dark haired woman walks near the sack and places her hands on her slender hips. Her hair flowed with the wind as her brown leather armor sat over a black spandex suit.

         “Take what you’ve been instructed to take. The eagles are enroute.”

         The group squats around the pile of crystals and bag the rods in sacks while peer inside. Feeling the warm vibrations emanating from the cylinder, he rubs his thumb along the smooth glassy surface.

         “It kind of feels like my sword.” Drake says to himself.

         He raises the rod parallel to his eyes and he see’s the verse ‘BLUECHARGE’ within in small bright letters. Walking up to a distracted Drake, the woman takes the rod from his hand and carries it back towards the eagle.

         “It’s not that hard to figure out.” She says as he stands on her toes and inserts the rod into a black strap on the saddle. The saddle illuminates with neon-blue lines course through the saddle and along the long rods. A faint light shines around the bulb of the rods and fades as the faint humming ceases.

         The woman walks towards the pile of crystals on the ground picks up several of them and hands them to Drake.

         “You’ll have to replace it once the charge run’s out. And if you’re ever the rider, all you have to do is aim the beak at the target and the verse will do the rest. Understand?”

         Drake nods.

         “Good,” She says as she gazes into the sky. “They’re here.”

         Distant flapping signals the arrival of the five eagles for the crew. They land and each climb on to the eagles they were assigned. Cody drops to a knee, interlocks his hands below his waists and jerks his head upward Drake. Drake, looking up at the towering bird takes in a deep nervous breath and he closes his eyes to calm his fears.

         “Just gotta do it,” he mumbles to himself as he runs towards Cody plants a foot on Cody’s interlocked hands and the Tengu throws Drake into the air and onto the Eagle’s back. The bird rocks a little as it beaks beneath it’s wing and Drake quickly clasps onto the rods at the rear saddle. With a firm beat of his wings, Cody leaps into the air and lands onto the front saddle and adjusts himself neatly onto the saddle. Folding his white wings on his back, he leans in on the eagle and sweeps a few strands of grass off the soft feathers and pats it several times before sitting back up.

         “Hey Cody,” Hazel shouts from another eagle. “You should probably rope Drake to the saddle.”

         Cody quickly nods his head, reach beside his belt and took a bundle of rope from his side. He turns around and tosses one end of the rope to Drake.

         “Wrap this around your waist,” he says.

         Knowing he can’t fly like the others, Drake quickly did what he was told and ties the rope firmly in a knot around his waist. After tying the rope into a metal ring in the saddle they waited. A harpie flies to Cody and hands him two blue feathers. She flies off and Cody hands Drake one feather.

         “Put this in your collar,” The blonde tengu says. “It gets really loud when fights break out and we still need to talk to each other.”

         Drake’s head tilts in confusion as he looks a Cody baffled.

         “What are you talking about?”

         “Just put it in your collar…you’ll get it.”

         Looking at the blue feather, Drake shrugs before shoving it into his shirt.

         “Drake are you there?”

         Drake head snaps as the feminine voice blares in his ears.

         “Jasmine?” Drake asks as he confusingly looks around him. “Where are you?”

         “I’m speaking with you through the Echo Quill the blue feather allows us to speak through long distances.”

         Drake reaches in his red tunic, pulls out the feather. Staring at the brilliant blue strands, he spins the white barb between his finger and thumb.

         “Its powered by the ‘ECHO’ verse.” Jasmie says.

         “That’s useful,” he says placing it back into his shirt.

         “BRING THE EAGLES TO THE EDGE OF THE ISLAND. HURRY!!” Zed shouts from his saddle he says in an exaggerated arm wave.

         Drake quickly clasps onto the handles as the saddle bounces from Cody guiding the bird towards the island’s edge. Trembling in fearful anticipation, Drake hunches forward and clasps the handles.

         “Drake I want to apologize for dragging you into this.” Jasmine says over the Echo Quill.

         “I…its fine. All this is sorta my fault anyway.” Drake says. “Gradma says its my responsibility to clean up the messes I make.”

         “It sounds like she was a good person.”

         “Yeah.” Drake nodded.

         “Godspeed my friend. I’ll pray for your safe return.”

         And at that moment, everything went silent. Eagles line side by side at the island’s edge proudly point their beaks to the sky as the riders make their final preparations. They place their Verse charged crystals into large bags, check their saddles for any unfastened ropes and await their command.

         “Alright Avians,” A female voice speaks in Drake’s head.

         “We have one mission…the destruction of the wall and nothing else. We will be leaping into hell so don’t forget your training and make sure to bring everyone home alive or dead. Squads report in.” she says.

         “Red Vultures ready.”

         “Skull Ravens ready.”

         “Eight Hawks ready.”

         “Mighty Talons…ready.”

         “Fall Wings ready.”

         “Iron Crows ready.” Zed’s shouts with gusto.

         “Wild Robins ready.”

         “Sky Lords ready.”

         “Angel wings ready.”

         “Swift Kites ready.”

         “…All squads are ready.” A tengu says to the lead Commander.

         “AVIANS TO THE SKIES,”

         At that moment scores of eagles’ leap into the air beating their wings as the blaring noise of bird calls fill the sky. Cody pulls the handles on his eagle. Opening its wings, the eagle quickly bounds into the sky. Drakes swallows his lungs as the eagle jets into the air. Looking back, he watches as the island shrinks and vanishes beneath a passing cloud as Cody’s eagle joins the others in a chevron formation.

         High in the sky, the eagles travel in flocks of ten or more in separate chevron formations. Flying against the winds, some hold their wings open to allow the winds to carry them. The rising sun warm’s Drake’s skin as his red tunic flap in the winds. His legs tightly clench the saddle, as the eagle sways along the winds.

         “Don’t arm the saddles with the charge crystals until we pass over Sacred Mountain.” The commander haprie says over the quill. “We don’t want to waste them.”

         Drake looks around at the eagles surrounding him as some occasionally beat their wings to gain height or speed. His eyes fixes on Cody with his wings folded on his back and hair flailing in the wind. A silence dominated the Echo Quill as everyone helplessly focus on the possibility of death when the fighting breaks out. This didn’t help Drake as he nervously wiggles his feet on the side of the saddle, looking down at the distant ocean and the clouds below. Many thoughts race through his mind. If it wasn’t the height, he thought about, then it went to his inexperience in sky battles. His heart couldn’t stop rushing and he shuts his eyes to bring his fear under control.

         Drake, Fane speaks in his mind. Whatever you are feeling right now, pales in comparison to what those around you are feeling…this shared fear has the power to bind even enemies together when faced with certain death. Never forget it.

         Drake looks up and around at everyone’s faces, although they were stern enough, he could see the fear in their eyes as the guide their eagles closer and closer to the wall. Drake nods to Fane’s words and his fear slowly turns into determination.

         Everyone is suffering and these are the people who are willing to make the sacrifice to end it. My life is in their hands and theirs in mine. I have to do what I must to succeed.

         As the eagles pass over the mountain, Drake can see the sparkling waters below as the waterfall spews from the tip of the mountain and trickle down the sides.

         “Alright, load the charge crystals and prepare for battle.”

         Drake leans in, digs inside a nearby pouch and removes a glowing blue cylinder. He shoves into an open strap and the saddle shines with blue streams of energy coursing through the creases and into the wooden bulbs at the edge of the long rods. Cody turns and gives Drake a thumbs up while Drake returns the gesture.

         Glowing blue lights gleam through the sky as the eagles pass over the mountain and approach an island with a tall mountain-like fortress with an unusual dark cloud blanketing the sharp tips and a gaping entrance at the bottom. Another island to the left was more natural. Lightly encased in a cloud, small stony hills surround a snow top mountain with large icy stalagmites hanging from below.

         “The lair is in sight.” The commander says. “Keep your eyes peeled.”

         The eagles maintain their course as they cross a bottomless ravine.

         “What’s going on? They would’ve attacked us by now.” A male voice speaks on the intercom.

         “They’re probably scared.” A female voice replied.

         “Impossible.”

         “Everyone, the wall is in sight.” The commander says. “Follow the ravine and ready the verses.”

         Spreading their wings, the eagles lean sideways and turn towards the ravine as it led to the metal wall in the distance.

         “We haven’t encountered the enemy yet.”

         “If they’re leaving the door open, then I’m not going to waste the opportunity. Ready the verses.”

         “Yes Ma’am.”

         Several eagles break from formation and united in separate one as they train their beaks at the wall.

         “Verses ready… awaiting your command.”

         Then hundreds of reverberating pops echo all around as stones coated in read streams of energy emerge from the ravines surrounding them. Leaving red trails in their wake they arch towards the formation resembling hundreds of red fishhooks and jet towards the eagles.

         Looking at the missiles whistling through the air time almost stops as the eagle riders gaze at death as the guiding rockets spiral towards them.

         "AMBUSH! INCOMING FROM ALL SIDES!!"

         Like a deadly fireworks show, multiple flashes of explosive fireworks litter across the skies and blanketing the area in a thick smog. Panicked Avians cry and shout amidst the chaos as darkness and fear overtakes them. Drake couldn’t see nor breathe amid the smoke but the loud blast from a explosive projectile rings his ears. Head pressing firmly against the saddle, he still feels the eagle alive somehow but he couldn’t tell which way was up or down. He just clung to the handles of saddle hoping things become clear to him.

         “Get…up” Drake barely hears from the echo quill as the ringing in his ear subsides.

         “GET THE EAGLES OVER THE SMOKE NOW” the harpie commander shouts.

         A bright blue light pierces Drake’s eyes as Cody guides the eagle out of the black haze. A rock missile hisses past the eagles beak as it flaps high into the air. Looking around at the aftermath, Drake see’s numerous eagles with smoke trailing from their burning tail feathers. However, it was the Eagle emerging from the smoke that terrified him the most. Covered in fire the creature flaps wildly through the air until it succumbs to the flames and descends back into the black smoke.

         A sudden jerk of the eagle’s spin as it drills in the air quickly interrupts him as he nearly slides off the saddle. He leans in and grabs the sides of the saddle as the Cody spins the eagle away from a hissing projectile that curved beneath its belly and booms in a ball of fire and smoke. The eagle straightens its flight and Drake quickly comes to a realization that he that the battle was still on. He looks up and still see’s the remaining hissing rockets as they snake across the skies. A neighboring eagle rises beside Cody and Drake seemingly unharmed with Hazel and Ean riding it. Another rock missile spirals towards the two from the side and each push down on their eagle saddles forcing the birds down. Drake’s heart nearly stops and covers is head with his arms as the missile hisses over. Hearing the loud boom of the exploding projectile, he coughs and gags from the stank fumes left behind from the trail. Rubbing his face with his forearm, he blinks away the sting in his eyes as he grabs the handles.

         “Captain!” Hazel shouts in a shaky voice over the Echo Quill. “Come in Captain Zed…:”

         “Damien?!” Camelia cries as she rises on her eagle with an empty rear seat on her saddle behind her. “Oh no, Damien she wheezes eyes full of tears. Please answer me.”

         “What just happened? What did they use?” Ean panickily shouts.

         “Everyone get ahold of yourselves and stop shouting over the Echo Quill!” The commander haprie shouts.
Shadowing the group below, a large eagle covered in white armor soars ahead along with seven of her fellow Avians riding their eagles’ side by side. With her pristine avian uniform and black and greyish hair flapping in the wind, she pulls a black command stick from her scabbard and holds it at her side.

         “We took a bit of a beating and we lost a few people, but we’re still in this. Gather whats left of your teams, regroup and attack the wall.”

         Then a loud screech tears through the sky silencing everyone over the Echo Quill. Drake head snaps to the left and right, trying to gage where the noise came from, but gives up as a horrific memory of the attack of Whistle Top Palace plays in his mind.

         “It’s them…” he mutters

         Then hundreds of purple, smooth skinned wyverms emerge from the bottomless canyon. Like a flock of bats, they litter the skies shadowing their prey beneath. As if seeing a ghost, every eagle rider gawk at the numerous pointy faced reptiles, except for the harpie Commander, who points her command stick towards the menace above.

         “Avians!” She shouts into the Echo Quill. “This is where our courage is put to the test. No matter the numbers we face. We’re the only ones standing between them and our home. Open your wings wide and beat them with the pride of our ancestors.”

         “EAGLE RIDERS…FLY!!” She shouts as a hail of red lasers descend from diving wyverns.

         Cody grabs the saddle bars turns the eagle on its left side and flew in the same direction as several wyverns sweeps pass it in a short screech. Two reptiles hone in on Cody and Drake and red lasers erupt in repeating flashes from the tips of their nailed dorsal wing. Cody takes a quick glance behind and quickly turns the eagle away as Red lasers whistle past the eagle’s tail feathers missing them by inches.

         “They’re on me!” Cody shouts in the Echo Quill.

         “Hang on we’re on our way,”

         Riding back saddle, Drake couldn’t tell up or down as the bird spins away from red projectiles darting past it. His world flips upside-down occasionally seeing bright red flashes zip across the sky. His stomach couldn’t take it as the fast-maneuvering churns last night’s dinner within. As the bird flies upright, Drake leans to the side and hurls his stomachs contents into the open air. Coughing and gagging the last of his bile, he looks up to see two red lights of a following wyvern behind him. The long slick beak and red eyes froze Drake in fear as he stares at its glowing sharp dorsal nails. Just before the creature could unleash its power, a barrage of blue lasers from above pierces through the creatures’ tail, wings and slender head causing it to shriek and die. Its body limply falls from the battle as another yellow-beaked eagle descends from above leveling with Cody’s eagle.

         “Thanks for the save.” Cody says.

         Drake nods thankfully and gives a thumbs up to Hazel and Eon.

         “HELP!” a desperate Camelia shouts over the Echo Quill.

         Drake looks around to see where she was calling from and notices an Eagle shifting left and right as it desperately dodges hundreds of red laser from more than a dozen wyverns flying in a semi straight light. Tears flies off her face as she struggles to break free from the chasing reptiles. She turns the bird hard left as hundreds of red bolts hiss past her, but several bolts scrape the edges of her bird’s wings, knocking its feathers into the air.

         “Oh no I don’t wanna die!”

         “Calm down and keep moving we’re on our way,” Hazel shouts. “Cody, let’s go!”

         Opening their wings, the eagles turn on their sides, split in opposite directions and curve back together in an upward ascend towards the fleeing Camelia.

         “Camelia,” Hazel shouts looking at the flock of wyverns chasing Camelia’s eagle. “On my call, dive.”

         “Hurry!” Cammelia shouts.

         “Cody, get ready to shoot.”

         Flying side by side, their dual wood rods glow as the crystals charge power them. As they near the flock of wyverns, their lower their heads and level their eyes where they see the eagles beak pointed straight at the eagle.

         “Three…two…ONE! Dive camelia NOW!”

         Camelia’s eagle folds its wings and dives downward and the wyverns eagerly follow. Just as Camelia’s eagle swoops between them, both unleash flashes of blue light from their turrets that pierce through the hides of most wyverns in their sites. Dozens of wyverns fall from the sky limp with black smoke pouring out of the holes. However, several manage to escape the trap and scatter form the dying flock.

         Chasing a fleeing wyvern, Hazel turns her eagle on its side and follows. Her red hair waves wildly in the winds as the eagle vigorously beats its wings to gain speed in its pursuit. Clenching the handles on the saddle, the harpy unleashes a rows of flashing blue projectiles that zips past the wyvern’s tail as it climbs further into the sky. Hazel pulls her eagle upward whilst firing her turret until the eagle is on a complete vertical climb. Eyes narrowing from the beaming sun, she unleashes more blue bolts until she hears a painful shriek confirming her kill.

         “Got him,” She mumbles.

         “LOOK OUT!” Ean shouts as swarms of red bolts of pursuing wyverns hiss pass them. One bolt pops through the eagles tail knocking dozens of feathers away. The bird wails as it quickly descends uncontrollably as it frantically flaps its wings. Both scream while Hazel frantically jerks on the side handles in an desperate attempt to regain control of the injured eagle but to no avail. The eagle spirals downward beak-first as its wings folds on its side.

         “Ean,” Hazel shouts with her head pressed against the eagle’s neck clenching onto it’s brown feathers for dear life struggling against the sheer force of the winds. “Heal the bird!”

         “I’m on it.” He shouts as he pushes himself off the saddle into a freefall, opens the wings on his back and flies along the smoking tail. Feet dangling up in the sky, he wraps his arms around the eagle’s rear end and sees the injury. He could see through the gapping sizzling hole that bore into the eagles flesh. He quickly writes

         “LIQUIDMEND” over the hole in water blue letters. The verse burst into a splash of water that fills the hole and forms into the eagles own flesh.

         “Alright he’s healed,” Ean shouts. “Pull up.”

         Gripping the handles for what it seemed to her an eternity, her body tenses as she pulls up on the handles. The eagle opens its wings and regains its flight as Ean hops back on the rear saddle.

         “That’s the last one.” He says folding his brown wings onto his back. “If he’s hit again then we’re both gonners.

         “I know.” Hazel glaring at the flock of wyverns jetting directly towards her.

         Meanwhile, red bolts flash over his shoulder as he turns the eagle away from a pursuing wyvern.

         “Another one on the right!” Drake shouts pointing at the approaching creature.

         The eagle dives with its wings folded back just as red bolts hiss over their heads. A third wyvern waiting for them below unleashes red bolts directly in the eagles’ path.

         “Hold on!” Cody shouts as he leans to the left and enters a fast barrel roll. Drakes world spins rapidly as the red bolts graze the bird’s underbelly leaving a line of burnt feathers in its wake. Cody unleashes a barrage of blue bolts that cut through the wyvern as it kills over and plummets just as eagle zooms over it. Shaking his head from the spinning world Drake looks to his side to see a wyvern flying nearby. With its black glassy eye, it fixates on Drake alone as if it knows what it’s looking at. Drake worriedly glares at the creature as opens its mouth and unleashes a loud screech that pierces Drake’s ears. It turns on its side where the young man can see its pinkish underbelly and flies away.

         Suddenly, loud screeches fill the war-torn skies as scores of wyverns descend from above honing solely on Drake and Cody’s eagle. Eyes widening in panic, all Drake could think of was the moments he spent locked in the chamber, hanging from a chain.

         “They must know who I am.” Drake says to himself.

         “What did you say?” Cody asks unaware of the predicament flying ahead.

         “We got to move!” Drake shouts. “There’s got to be at least twenty of them coming after us.”

         “WHAT!!” Cody says as he looks up to see dozens of winged shadows against the high sun descending from above.

         “Shoot,” he spits as he yanks the eagle in a hard left turn as screeching wyverns swoop past them. The eagle vigorously flaps its wings to gain speed as hordes of wyverns give chase. Cody occasionally glances behind himself as a wyvern flies from the side opens its light purple retractable claws and snatches Drake by his red shirt. Drake reaches for the handles but is suddenly jerked off the saddle with feet dangling in the air.

         “Whoa!!”

         Drake kicks his feet as his arms flails about desperately trying to find something to grab on to. As the wyvern attempts to fly off, the rope tied around the young man’s waist tightens and Drake gasps in pain as he’s caught in a semi tug-o-war between the eagle and saddle. His body burns in tense muscular pain as he grabs the rope, praying that it doesn’t break. He reaches up and feels the cold hard claw clasping his shirt as it starts to tear. Ripping a piece of his shirt off his back, the wyvern flies off as Drake’s arms and legs flail in a long descent, but the eagle pulls him through the air by the rope around his waists. Arms open wide, Drake’s body bends the wrong way as the winds beat against his face. A mix of red and blue bolts zip over him as eagles and wyverns continue their dog fights above.

         “Are you okay?” Cody asks over the echo quill.

         “DOES IT LOOK LIKE I’M OKAY!” Drake shouts dangling behind on the long rope. “GET ME BACK ON THE EAGLE.”

         “Okay, Hold on….Whoa watch out!”

         Drake’s head snaps to the side to see a screeching wyvern approach from the side with its claws open for another capture. Drake smacks his teeth as he raises his leg and kicks away from the wyvern as its claws snaps close in a narrow miss. The young man spins as the wyvern swooshes past him but he clasps the rope tight to halt and blinks his eyes from dizziness.

         “There’s more of them.” Cody shouts pointing towards a flock of wyverns approaching from the front.

         “Ok that’s it,” Drake says as he writes FANE in the air.

         Drake opens his palm and it glows bright red swirls of flames spiral along his arm, towards his palm. In a burst of fire, Drake’s ruby, crystalline sword erupts from his hand and he clasps it ready to make his move. The wyverns hone in as they eagerly glide towards him for the capture. Holding his rope in one hand and sword in the other while his feet dangle in the air, he rolls above a charging wyvern’s slender beak plants his feet on top of its head and slides along its back. He thrusts his sword into the wyverns purplish flesh and it tears as he skates along. Seeing another approach, he leaps off the wyverns tail, flips upside down, and hacks off its leathery wing. A third approach and Drake kicks off the top of his head, flips into an overhead swing and slices its tail off. All three wyverns descend along with their limbs as Drake soars behind the Eagle by rope. Cody pushes the eagle into a wing-folding dive and Drake glides along as he’s pulled into a straight dive. However, the eagle quickly opens its wings and halts mid-flight allowing Drake to land on the saddle.

         “Thanks,” Drake says wrapping a leg on the saddle.

         “They’re not shooting at me,” Cody says. “Why are they trying to grab you?”

         “No time to explain,” Drake says pointing towards a flock of wyverns tailing Hazel and Camelia’s Eagles as they unleash red flashes of light in their direction.

         As the battle rage on, more screeching wyverns emerge from the bottomless ravine by the hundreds while, the eagles and their riders struggle to manage their numbers. Valiant as they fought, more and more are shot down in a blaze of smoke and burning feathers.

         A collection of wyverns chase an fleeing eagle as it hurriedly beats its wings in attempt to lose them in the clouds. However, the wyverns unleash a torrent of red flashing lasers that punches holes in the eagle’s wings and tail and it falls in death spiral along with the rider. Another pair eagles jet through the misty clouds tailing two wyverns fleeing their pursuit. The eagles riders repeatedly unleash blue laser but his past their targets as the wyverns roll away from the projectiles. The fleeing wyverns quickly dart upwards into the sky and the eagle riders see multiple red lights glow brighter and brighter until the approaching lasers tore through their bodies. Both eagles and their riders fall from the sky leaving a trail of smoke in their descent.

         The commander, a stern older harpy with black and white feathers and her command stick resting at her side, rides her white-mane eagle with a scorched black scar on its yellow beak. Leaning to the side, she guides her eagle through wyvern fire as its open wings turn on their sides and soar away from the pursuing wyverns. However, she turns into the flight path of a wyvern jetting directly towards her. With the tips of its wings glowing, the grey haired harpy looks behind at the two wyverns chasing from behind and back at the one directly in front.

         The approaching wyvern shoots its flashing red bolts. Chin firmly placed on the saddle, the woman kicks the side of her saddle with her ankle and, with a powerful wing beat, the eagle instantly jumped above the red lasers, extended its yellow talons and snatches the wyvern from flight. The two chasing wyverns fire their red volleys at the eagle, but it folds its wings, spins into a rapid barrel roll holding the skewered wyvern from his talons as a meat shield. Red bolts pierce through the dead wyvern’s hide and the eagle releases the hole ridden corpse into the air and it slams into one of the two chasing wyverns. The eagle then curves up, over and behind the wyvern in a tight loop and finishes it off in a short burst of blue lasers.

         As the dead wyvern descends from the sky in a trail of black smoke, another eagle cruises beside the commander. Riding it, was a dark skinned tengu with a half shattered bird helmet on his head. Blood streams down the sides of his face, but he’s seemingly unharmed.

         “Lieutenant, how's the day treating you?” The woman asks guiding her eagle.

         “Not well, commander,” the tengu officer replied. “The ambush wiped out a third of our forces and they’re dwindling from the wyverns vast numbers.

         “Heads up…wyverns on our beaks.” The harpy says glaring at the soaring lizards.

         “I see it.” The tengu replies as he shifts his eagle away from hissing bolts. Turning on their wings, both eagles split away as screeching wyverns whooshes between them. The two circle about aim their turrets at their targets and unleashes a hail of blue bolts that tore through the wyvern’s hides.

         “Ugh…There’s no end to them.” the tengu spits.

         “What's the status of our hard hitters?” The commander says as her hair wildly flap in the speeding winds.

         “Unknown,” the tengu replies pulling his half broken helmet off of his chocolate balled head, releasing it into the wind. “I checked the echo quill several times and got no answers. Either they’ve been blown from the sky, or evading the wyverns. If things stay where they are, we won’t be able to reach the wall and this mission would’ve been for nothing.”

         “I’ll have the last say on weather we succeed or fail, Lieutenant…and I say we’ll succeed. Gather any units you can and assist those caught in the wyvern horde, there’s got to be some available to us.”

         “By your order commander,” the tengu says with a firm fist to his chest.

         The harpie nods back at her subordinate and he flies away.

         The battle rages on as Camelia and Hazel struggle to shake their flock of pursuers on their tail. Flying side by side, they jet through the skies barrel rolling away from red lasers bolting past them as their eagles vigourously beat their wings to out fly them. Flying as best they can, they skillfully maneuver through the skies, performing tight loops and sharp turns to shake their foes off, but to no avail. The wyverns doggedly continued their chase eager to put them out of the sky.

         Cody guides his eagle behind the flock of wyverns, aims his turrets at the group and waits for the turrets to fire. After a few moments, nothing happens and Cody leans to the side to get a glacnce at the long wooden poles. There, he couldn’t see the blue charge crystal powering the wooden turrets and he looks at Drake leaning forward on the saddle firmly clasping the handle bars.
“Hey I need another blue charged crystal.” Cody says as he blonde hair flaps in the wind.
Drake nods, reaches into the back, but his hand pokes out the other end of the shredded crystal pack. His eyes widen in horror as he lifts the back to see a massive hole through the bottom end of the back where the crystals likely fell from.

         “Oh no,” Drake mumbles releasing the back stares worriedly at Cody.

         “What are you waiting for?” Cody shouts.

         “They’re gone.” Drake says.

         “What did you say?”

         “I SAID THEY’RE GONE…The wyverns…probably blew a hole through the sack.”

         Cody stares at Drake for a few moments as his eyes shifts about, trying to think.

         “What are you going to do?” Cody asks.

         “What do you mean ‘what am I going to do?”

         “You got verses don’t you?”

         “Yeah, but I don’t know how to use them in this situation.”

         “CODY HURRY!" Hazel shouts over the echo quill. “WERE UNDER FIRE AND THEY’RE GAINING ON US.”
Drake, use Blastvolley, Double and Triple. Fane speaks into his mind.

         “Ok,” Drake nods as he writes the three verses in the air. The three verses combine into a red cloud hovering of the speeding eagle and envelops it. Sparking embers gathers inside the red mist and combine into large crystalline arrows gathered into three cylindrical bundles. Much larger than the original, the arrows are as long as a person and big enough for one with triple the power.

         “Whoa,” Drake marvels at the bundles. Twenty one in number, there is a total of seven projectiles within each bundle that floated beneath the eagles chest and wings.

         “Make wise use of them Drake. You only have a limited amount. Fane says.

         “Right,” Drake nods.

         “Staring at the flock of wyverns, an arrow shot from a bundle curve towards and unsuspecting lizard and erupts in a loud ball of fire upon collision. Cody tilts the eagle on its side as it rush pass the ensuing smoke and continues on to the others.

         “WOW THAT WAS COOL,” Cody shouts. “Get the others.”

         Cody turns the eagle in the same direction as the wyverns as they pursue Hazel and Camelia. Drake hones on the group and three arrows launch from each bundle. Spiraling in various directions the projectiles collide with the flock of wyverns and explode into three balls of fire, cooking the wyverns inside the burning spheres.

         “Thanks for the save,” Hazel says.

         “What are we going to do?” Camelia says. “I’m already halfway out of blue charge crystals and we haven’t put a dent in the wall.”

         “Its too dangerous to make an attempt right now,” Hazel says. “We’ll have to hold out until we thin their numbers. If we can’t get to it, I’m sure another squad can. Till then, lets continue kick these wyverns from our skies.”

         “Right,” The tree shout in unison.

         “Hey anybody have any spare crystals?” Cody asks. “I’m out.”

         “I’ve brought extra just in case,” Ean says. Riding behind Hazel, he reaches down unstrap an extra bag of crystals and tosses it towards Cody. Cody catches the bag and hands it to Drake. Drake unstraps the torn bag currently on the eagle, releases it to the wind, and straps the new bag in its place. He then takes out a blue charge crystal, shoves it into the slot near his leg. A rush of blue energy course through the saddle and powers the turrets attached thereon.

         Drake gives Cody the thumbs up and Cody acknowledges with a nod.

         “We’re ready,” Cody shouts over the echo quill.

         “Alright,” Hazel says, “lets go!”

         In unison the three eagles turn on their wings and turn towards the battle ridden skies as combatants exchange red and blue bolts. Screeching wyverns and squeaking eagle engage in a dance of death as they circle each other like buzzing flies. Hazel, Cody, Camelia, Ean and even Drake mentally prepare for the worst as the skies becomes more hazardous from the hissing bolts zipping near them. They swallow their throats in fear and engaged their foes.

         The three break in three different directions as a flock of wyverns split in the same directions to pursue. Cody’s eagle flaps its wings as red bolts shoots past it. The eagle turns hard as several wyverns match its maneuver unleashing numerous bolts. Cody completes his turn and flies directly towards Hazel who, also has a flock of wyverns pursuing her. In a deadly game of chicken, the two eagles beat their wings to gain speed as they quickly approach each other. Confidently glaring at each other, Hazen and Cody didn’t say anything, but their spun their eagles on their backs and unleash a torrent of blue bolts that jet past them and tore through their wyverns before they split in opposite directions. However, a red bolt cruises too close to Ean and completely sears his wings off his back.

         “Ahhhhhh!!!” He reaches behind his smoldering back as a powerful burn course through his body.

         “EAN!” Hazel shouts as she tries to address his injury, but quickly shifts her eagle in the out of the path of bolts from wyverns gunning in her direction. Her eagle pulls its wings back and dives to avoid fire while Ean helplessly clench the handle bars with two burnt stubs on his back.

         Carmelia flies her eagle into the fray as her fierce eyes showcases her inner rages.

         “Die,” She shouts unleasing numerous blue bolts at a fleeing Wyvern. The wyvern spins out of the path of bolts and ascend in an upward turn that she follows.

         “You’re not getting away,” The two contenders spiral upwards in a deadly chase vanishing into the puffy clouds. The harpie follows hard after the flying reptile as it jets forward weaving between pillars of clouds. Blue bolts erupt from her turrets and the wyverns swings away as it vanishes in a cloud.

         “Not this time,” She blindly unleashes dozens of blue bolts into the cloud and loud clapping noises echo from within.

         “Got him,”

         However, a large mass emerges from the pillar cloud and Camelia’s eyes widen in horror. With fleshy whiskers and sharp fangs a green-scaled, serpentine dragon snakes through the skies covered in metallic, hexagon plates equipped with metal rods. Resembling a caterpillar, it coils through the skies with its furry red tail at its end.

         “A variant dragon? All the way out here?”

         The dragon unleashes a menacing roar as it spirals down into the clouds.

         Camelia dives into the clouds. With her short purplish hair waving wildly in the wind, panic fills her eyes as she burst from beneath the clouds towards the battling skies above the island.

         “EVERYONE LOOK OUT, A VARIANT IS COMING,”

         The serpentine dragon descends from the clouds unleashing thousands of red bolts in all directions from the turrets around his body. Eagles and Wyverns are caught in the barrage. Red bolts pierce and tear through any and every thing they touch. Like fish dying in water, birds and wyverns plummet from the skies as the serpentine dragon circles above.

         “Into the canyons,” The Commander orders over the echo quill. “Dive into the canyons…Hurry!”

         Upon her orders every living eagle fold their wings back and dive below as bolts fill the skies. Like water funneling inside a tunnel, eagles in the vast skies, pour into cramped canyons and cruise along the cliff faces as bolts slam into them. Flying side by side, The eagles turn along the canyon as it circled the northwestern island passing leafy branches growing from the cliff face. Pebbles, rocks and loose dirt cascade from the island sides as squads of eagles carefully navigate the bottomless ravine. The Iron crows fly in the single line alone with others as the ravine protects them from the serpentine dragon’s vicious barrage.

         Cody and Drake fly between Carmeelia and Hazel as the commander speaks over the echo quill.

         “We’re sitting ducks flying in this ravine and its only a matter of time before the wyverns follow us here. When we reach the fork in the canyon, we’ll split into two groups. Iron crows will turn towards the wall while the rest of us will draw the wyverns to us. Who’s in command of the iron crows?”

         “It’s Hazel, Commander. Lieutenant Zen didn’t survive the initial attack.”

         “Is the foreigner still with you?”

         “Yes,” Drake says into the echo quill. “I’m still here.”

         “We’ve lost most of our forces in the attack from the variant dragon and there’s only a few of us left. You’ve seen what we have to go through and I’m glad you’re here risking your life with us. The king has faith that you can accomplish what we came here to do so I have faith in you as well. You are the only one we can count on.”

         Her words cuts into his very core as he swallows a lump in his throat. It was the first time he ever felt the pressure of an entire race in his hands. If he succeeds or fails, it would be because of him. Drake sucks in a deep breath as he stares at the blurring cliff face due to the sheer speed the eagles were flying in. Although he was nervous, he nods his head in approval believing that he had what it took to save the Avians. He remembers the good hearted featherless people below and his promise to save him, he remembers the dutiful yet tragic princess of the Avians and most of all he remembers his late grandmother Griselda. From the moment he left the quarry, he wanted to do something to make her proud. Something noble- something that she could smile on.

         “I’ll do it.” Drake says. “You can count on me.”

         “Alright,” the commander sighs, “Were approaching the fork. Iron crows fly left and the rest of us to the right.”

         Then loud screeches tear through the air shadows swiftly jet above the ravines.

         “HERE THEY COME!” Hazel shouts as dozens of wyverns collect into the bottomless canyon chasing the fleeing eagles.

         Cruising along the narrow ravine, the wyverns easily catch up to the rear most eagles and unleash a barrage of red bolts. The eagle in the rear did what it could to avoid fire, veering up and down along the canyon wall, but with so little space, the red bolts meet their mark and tears through its body ripping off its wings as it slams into the cliff-face and descends in a smoldering mass of feathers.

         “GO, GO, GO,” The commander shouts as the flock of fleeing eagles speed along the canyon quickly approaching the fork in the canyon. There were branches growing at the tip of the cliff where the fork starts making it a suitable landmark for the riders. Eagles vigorously flapping their wings, eagles turn on their sides and zoom towards the fork and numerous eagles split towards the right while Hazel, Cody and Carmelia shift left in a hard turn. Drake clenches on to the handles as his eagle flies on its side, open-winged as it speeds along the curving islands. His heart races, his mind screams in panic as the cliff-face seemingly closes in on him from the sheer speed, but he trusts in Cody’s flying ability and holds on tight. Most of the chasing wyverns took the bait and follows hard after the main group but, a several of them chase the Iron crows towards the wall. As the curve straightens, the canyons seemingly opens up to a large metal wall as wide and deep as the canyon itself. Nothing was unique in its design except for a blue glowing glyph at its center.

         “We’ve found it!” Hazel shouts pointing ahead, but her elation was cut short as she sees Ean hunched over on the saddle with two burnt feathery stubs on his back, gasping in pain.

         However, four screeching wyverns catch up to the group and train their long slender beaks towards them.

         “They’re behind us!” Drake shouts looking behind at the smooth skinned purplish wyverns.

         “No! there’s no where to run!” Camelia shouts in panic.

         Hazel clasps her handles as she curses herself in her mind. She contemplates her final options, but a sudden barrage of blue lasers from beneath rips through the wyverns and they slam into the cliff face before descending into the depths below. Rising from below, two eagles follow behind the group as they approach the metallic wall.

         “God forsaken wyverns had us tied up back there,” Zen says over the echo quill.

         “LIEUTENANT ZEN!!” Everyone shouts in shock.

         Zen rides on his eagle as his jet-black hair waves in the wind. His hawkish eyes focus on his targe ahead as chunks of his armor were missing.

         “Don’t celebrate just yet,” Zen says. “We’ve got a job to do.”

         “Wait,” Hazel says. “You had your echo quill on you this whole time? Why didn’t you contact us earlier? We thought you were dead.”

         “I knew you had things under control.” The lieutenant says. “Good job, by the way,”

         “But, we haven’t accomplish our mission.” Hazel says in a disappointed tone.

         “Your primary mission as a leader is to keep your subordinates alive, otherwise there won’t be anyone to complete the mission. Speaking of alive, where’s Carmelia?”

         “I’m here, sir,” Carmelia says in a saddened tone thinking she lost her love.

         “Come get your annoying husband, If he pesters me about you one more time I’ll gouge out my ears and dive this bird straight into the ocean.”

         “HE’S ALIVE!?” Carmelia says as she pulls on her eagle to slow it down allowing for Cody to cruise pass her from above. When Zen catches up, she looks to see Damion riding behind zen on the rear saddle with his blonde hair flapping in the air. He elatedly waves his hand motioning for her to com closer. Eyes tearing up in joy, she guides her eagle directly beneath zen’s and Damion leaps off of zen’s with arms and legs open wide and lands on Carmelia’s rear saddle.

         “Damien.” She happily sobs wiping the tears from her eyes.

         “We’re finally reunited my dear.” Damion says. “I though I’d lost you in the attack and I shuddered at the thought of losing you. If I ever wanted to die, I want it to be you by my side.”

         “Yes,” She says. “I feel the same about you too.”

         “Alright Avians, enough with the pleasantries we’re coming on the wall right now. Drake, you have anything panned?”

         Drake looks down at the bundles of explosive arrows underneath the birds wings.

         “I’ve got something we can use.” Drake says.

         “Alright lets test it then. Cody you’re on me, Hazel guard my tailfeather she’s the only eagle left with the hammer. Don’t let anything near her.”

         “Yes sir,” Hazel says slowing her eagle for Cody and Lieutenant zen to fly ahead.

         “We don’t have any blue charge crystals sir.” Cody shouts.

         “Don’t worry,” Zen says as his hawkish eyes narrow at the structure as they approach. “I’ve got plenty. On my command…3…2…1…FIRE!”

         Drake unleashes seven arrows from the eagle and they quickly hiss towards the wall trailing red smoke. The crystalline projectiles smash into the metallic wall exploding into plumes of fire and smoke that blankets the structure. Zen unleashes a barrage of blue bolts into the black smoke and lasers clapped against the wall in blue flashes beneath the expanding plume. The eagles zoom over the wall and Hazel and Camelia unleash a barrage of blue bolts into the wall before passing over the structure while the tailfeather simply follows.

         Looking back, Zen sees the wall is still in tack and he smacks his teeth in frustration.

         “Figured it wouldn’t be that easy.” He mumbles to himself. “Alright lets try again only this time Drake don’t use your verse. Save them for later. Lets loop back.”

         All of the eagles sinks further into the ravine, curves upward in a half loop and flapped back towards the structure. Drake clenches his saddle tight as his world spins right side of as Cody adjusts his eagles flight.”

         “Here’s a charge crystal.” Zen shouts tossing one towards Cody. Cody catches the glowing, spinning crystal in his hand and hands it to Drake who shoves it into the saddle slot.

         “Alright,” he says slowing his eagle, “Tail feather your up. Use the hammer.”

         The purple haired harpy guides her eagle beside Cody as her eagle carries a large, silver chromed cannon in its large talons. With four blue charge crystals lodged into several slots beneath the short barrel, it glistens under the sun.”

         “FIRE,” The lieutenant quickly shouts.

         “Lets see it stop this,” the harpy says as blue light collects into the mouth of the barrel. The charge crystals shine in unison and an a blue beam erupts from the cannon and violently slams into the way. As the beam burrows into the wall, the structure turns red hot as small chunks of metal cascade from the sizzling beam.

         “Its working!” the tailfeather says maintaining fire.

         On the other side of the wall, a red light forms and expands into a large circle and the blue beam erupts from the structure before thinning out, leaving a sizable hole through the structure.

         “We did it!” Camelia happily laughs. “We just need to hit it a few more times.”

         However, in the midst of the gaping hole in the wall, was a verse named “RECONSTRUCT” in large white letters and, like a healing wound, the hole closes. The eagle riders gawks silently at the event as they pass over the wall and cruise over the canyon.

         “That’s not fair!” Hazel shouts slamming her fist on the saddle. “It can fix itself?”

         “Probably the work of a verse lord, for them to be able to apply a verse to something that big,” Lieutenant zen says. “And dragons aren’t verse lords.”

         “What do we do now? How can we destroy it? Drake asks.

         Then fane speaks into his mind.

         Reconstruction can only work as long as most of the structure remains intact. You’ll have to destroy a majority of the structure to bypass the verse.

         “So your saying we need more power?” Drake asks.

         “Yes,”

         Then Drake speaks over his echo quill.

“Is there anything stronger that you guys have that can do more damage?”

         “No, not likely at least.” Zen says, “The cannons we brought are heavy and slows the eagle down making them fodder for the wyverns. Even if we had something stronger, I’d be impossible to get it pass the variant flying in the sky.”

         “Why don’t you fly it from below?” Drake asks pointing below.

         “We’re forbidden from flying beneath the islands. So, the king won’t sanction it. Plus, I’m sure the Alterneans will probably be waiting with a variant dragon below.”

         A silence overtakes the group as they fly in the canyon. Red lasers continue to dark across the skies with some slamming into the canyon walls. The group turns through the bottomless ravine as hopelessness settles in. Just as they complete the turn, where they headed straight for a group of wyverns. With Cody in front, the wyverns unleash a barrage of read lasers towards him. With little time to react, Cody closes his eyes and tense his body preparing for the worst, but an icicle appears at the beak of the eagle and like a parasol opens into a circular ice barrier. The red bolts pelt the thick sheet of ice before it shatters into pieces. Then, clear icicles rain down from above skewering the group and they descend into the bottomless ravine filled with sharp ice.

         Drake stares intently at the creatures below and thoughts pass through his mind.

         “It can’t be.” He mumbles to himself.

         Then a shadow of an eagle zooms over them as a voice speaks over the echo quill.

         “Drake are you there?” Kevin says over the echo quill.

Earlier

         August island is an island just south of Whistle top island. With its many hills, tall grass, and its serene winds, the king has deemed the area fit for use. So long as the kingdom of the Avians existed, the island has served as the feeding ground for eagles aiding the kingdom and its inhabitants. There, two guards stand atop a hill amidst various, nuts and seeds scattered across the grass. As large as small animals, every seed and nut release an irresistible aroma that the wind carried to the nose of eagles flying nearby. Mostly, the two guards serve as lookouts rather than a defensive force, and they were tasked with ensuring that the eagles are properly treated and cared for whenever they showed up.

         The distant sky flickered with red and blue bolts as echoing sounds of explosion erupts from afar. The two guards, a harpy and tengu stare at the distant spectacle nervously clenching their spears at their sides anxious over the battle.

         “Look, how beautiful that looks,” the harpy says clasping her wing around her spear. “You never think that people are dying in that.”

         The tengu doesn’t respond but sighs as he stabs his spear into the ground, squats and picks up a cashew nut big enough for both of his hands and bites into the salted snack.

         “What are you doing?” The harpy asks looking down at the man devouring a nut.

         “All this ‘standing around’ made me hungry. Might as well grab some grub while were at it.”
He eats through the center of the cashew and quickly finishes off the two halves in each of his hands before picking up a large sunflower seed.”

         “That’s not for us to eat. Its for the eagles.”

         “Speak for yourself.” He says licking the salt from his fingers before biting the tip of the sunflower in a loud crunch. “I’ve been doing this watch for months now and I’m not going to stand around and watch good food rot.”

         He scoops a large peanut in his palm and holds it up to the harpy offering her a taste of crunchy delicacy. Apprehensive, the harpy stands silent tapping her feet in the grass. She did what she could to resist, but the buttery smell, the light brown color and the smooth texture made her mouth water with hunger.

         “Ugh! You’re going to get both of us in serious trouble.” She says snatching the peanut from his hand and plants it to her mouth.

         Wing still wrapped around her spear, the harpie’s crunches the delicious contents in her mouth satiating her hunger. However, as the two eat a large shadow overcasts the area and they look up to see a pair of yellow talons connected to an opened-wing eagle as it slams into the ground in a huge gust of wind. The two guards instantly flop on their butts as they look up at the yellow beaked bird as it hunches over, picks up a large seed and swallows it in one gulp.

         “Whoah,” the Tengu elatedly exclaims, standing to his feet gawking at the giant eagle. “One managed to make it.”

         Just then, flocks of eagles of various sizes land on the large land mass, nearly blanketing it in a thick puff of black and whit feathers. Together, they graze the hills for seeds and nuts, quickly devouring their delicacies as more flock to the island.

         “There has to at least seven hundred here.” The harpy says planting a wing on her forehead as a visor to peer over the hills. “We need to tell the commanding officer.”

         In another part of the island, Ura leaps from her eagle and lands in the grass and glosses over the area. Everywhere she looked were eagles walked with their yellow talons while their necks hunched over eating every seed and nut they can find. With a hand on her hip, she scratches her head looking to the left and right as if she was searching for someone.

         “Hmm,” she folds her arms and tilts her head in deep thought.

         No sooner, she hears Kevin slips off the back of his Eagle and falls on his back in a loud thump.

         “Oww, that smarts.” He says as he curls his back, feeling a lump underneath him. He rises on his buttocks and picks up the mass as he rubs his aching head. Rotating the light brown buttery nut in his hand, he stares at it in confusion, not realizing that something that big can be considered edible. However, the fresh salted aroma convinces him to break a small piece from the side with his index and thumb and plants it in his mouth.

         “Oh wow this is good,” Crunching its contents in his mouth. As he is about to indulge in another bite, a yellow beak clamps onto his meal and snatches it from his hand.

         “HEY!!” He shuffles to his feet, aggravated. “I found that first you know?”

         The eagle, with the seed firmly held in its beak tilts its head sideways as its large glassy eyes blinked at him unaware of his disgruntled attitude. It simply swallows the nut down its throat, leans down and feasts on more nuts.

         Kevin sighs as he rubs his temples. “Great, I’ve been flying for days starving in air so thin, that I could barely breath. Now, I’m talking to an eagle on an island floating in the sky. I think I’m going mad.”

         “You’re not going mad,” Maria chuckles as she walks up beside him. Her curly hair and brown dress waves in the wind as she hands him another nut. Kevin takes the nut and like a ravenous animal, devours the nut in minutes.

         “Ura? What are you looking for?” Maria asks as she stares at the harpie with her feet spread apart, hand on hip and using the other as a visor to peer into distance. She notices the red and blue flashes of light darting across the distant skies as occasional booms echo in the distance.

         “This isn’t good.” She says. “They’re fighting.”

         “Oh that is worrisome.” Maria says anxiously clasping her hands together close to her bosom. “Is it with the same creatures we’ve encountered on the way here?”

         “Yeah, and probably more.”

         She continues to peer into the distance and notices small dots a few leagues away from the distant battle. Using her heightened avian vision she recognizes them as a flock of wyverns flying towards another location.

         “NO, THEY’RE GOING TO ATTACK GREENPEACE,” She panics as she rushes towards her eagle. Gripping an handful of brown feathers, she climbs the eagle and mounts its back.

         “Ura wait!” Maria shouts running up beside the eagle. “Where are you going?”

         “I have to help the people living on Greenpeace, there’s no protection for them on that island.”

         “What are we supposed to do?” Kevin says wiping the crumbs from his mouth and rushing beside Maria. “You brought us all the way out here, for what?”

{indent}Kevin I’m feeling fanes power nearby. Shira says in Kevin’s mind. Drake needs your help. He’s helping the Avians battle the Alterneans.

         Kevin looks towards the distant battle in the skies where he saw red bolts darting across the skies.

         “Is he over there?” Kevin nods towards the event.

         Yes

         “Looks pretty intense, how’d he managed to get himself into that? Guess it doesn’t matter. I need to talk to him anyway.”

         “Ura,” Maria says looking up at featherless harpie. “You said people are in danger?”

         “Yes and I’m running out of time.” Ura says frantically scratching her head.

         “Take me with you then, I can probably be of some use there.”

         “Ok but air raids are dangerous and can possibly kill you if you aren’t careful.” Ura says.

         “Maria raises her brown dress to the ankle, bends her knees and jumps high onto the back of the eagle.”

         “I’m well aware of the Dragon’s puppets, and there’s a way of dealing with them. Take care Kevin,” Maria waves as her bouncing, brown curls wave in the wind. “I’ll see you when you return.”

         Ura reaches into her black blouse and pulls out a blue feather. Lowering her torso, she hands Kevin the blue feather and he twirls it between his thumb and index. Place it into your tunic It’ll help communicate with the other eagle riders.

         “Got it Kevin says stuffing the smooth feather into his blue tunic.

         Kevin waves at the two as Ura kicks the eagle’s side with her ankles and with a wide beat of its wings it vaults into the sky. Kevin’s blue tunic waves in the wind as he watches Ura’s eagle vanish into a cloud in the sky.

         “I hope they’ll be ok.” Kevin says scratching the back of his head. “Alright, he says reaching down and picking up another nut under his arm. “Might as well bring a meal along the way. I got a feeling that this is going to be a long day.”

Current

         Kevin’s eagle lowers into the canyon right above Cody’s eagle as both soar along the cliff face. With no saddle, Kevin clenches eagle’s side gripping the large brown feathers as he maintains stability with his legs that’s wrapped firmly around the eagle’s back.

         “How did you get all the way up here?” Drake asks over the echo quill.

         “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it later, but right now I need your help getting rid of that thing.”

         “What thing?” Drake screams into the echo quill.

         “That snake dragon circling above. We won’t be able to return if that thing is up there.”
Cody turns around and stares at Drake in disbelief. Due to their scales and armor, Variant dragons are nearly as impenetrable as the wall itself. Only susceptible to the cannons used by the avians, though getting close to it seems impossible.

         “You know how to kill it?” Drake asks.

         “Yeah, YOU can kill it.” Kevin spits.

         “I’m not sure if I can get close to it let alone kill the thing.”

         “C’mon man you can kill it. You took on King Radius didn’t you? It should be a breeze.”

         Drake didn’t answer, but was pleasantly surprise in the faith Kevin placed in him. Wasn’t this the same person who blamed him for the death of his parents and potentially causing the pain in his life?

         “Can you get me close?” Drake asks.

         “Follow me.” Kevin says as his eagle climbs out of the bottomless canyon.

         “Can you follow?” Drake asks tapping Cody’s shouder.

         “Cody, go with him.” Zen orders before Cody could respond. “We’ll be able to attack the wall from above if that thing is out of the sky.”

         “Yes Sir,” Cody says pulling the saddle reins, guiding the eagle upward behind Kevin.

         Both eagles soar towards the serpentine dragon one behind the other. They pass through a small cloud as red bolts start hissing towards them. The dragon flew in a circle chasing its tail as hundreds of metal turrets connected to its metal armor unleash devastation in the skies. Flying ahead, Kevin scribbles ‘ICE EDGE’ in the air. Then with an exaggerated use of his arm, he draws a large light blue circle in the air in front of the eagle’s beak and the area within the circle solidifies into a crackling sheet of ice that grew into a pointed cone with cold mist ebbing from the jagged edges. Red bolts bounce off the spinning cone of ice as the eagle approach the serpentine dragon.

         “Alright, were getting close.” Kevin says, “Stay behind me and get ready!”

         A loud roar tears through the skies as the eagles climb above the orbiting Dragon and hone in on its back. On a slanted dive towards the behemoth, the eagles point their beaks towards one of the many turrets protruding from its body. Red bolts continue to bounce off of Kevin’s ice barrier as they get closer, protecting Cody and Drake.

         “Its on you now Drake!”

         Cody turns to Drake and both nod at each other. The tengu then grips the handles on the saddle and descends into the rows of tower-like turrets weaving between the long, black metal barbs as they fire red lasers from their pointed tips. Then Drake launches all but one of his arrows from the bundles beneath the eagle. The arrows spiral through the air colliding into the long barbs in bright, booming light as Cody unleashes a barrage of blue lasers that tear through the structures. Smoke covers some of the barbs as chunks of metal fall from the barbs revealing their hollowed-out innards as other fall like chopped trees. As mush destruction they caused though it wasn’t enough to quell the dragon. The dragon screeches in pain and breaks from its orbit to chase Drake and Cody. As they fly they see the yellow draconic eyes, sharp teeth and fleshy tendrils handing from its face as it opens it gaping maw to swallow them whole.

         “Watch out!” Drake cries as Cody turns the Eagle away from the creature as it snaps its mouth close.

         Eyes reddened in rage, the serpentine dragon roars as it follows hard after Cody and Drake. Looking behind, Drake’s eyes widen in shock by the sheer size of the dragon as Cody pushes the handles down for a downward flight. The dragon follows whipping its red furry tail about as it passes through a cloud. Cody pulls the eagle up in an upward flight trying to shake the dragon of his tail, but it gains on them. The eagle opens its wings and makes a hard left and the dragon snakes in its direction as red lasers continue to erupt from the metal barbs. Up, Down, left and right, Cody did his best to escape the behemoth’s pursuit but to no avail.

         “It’s too fast,” Cody shouts kicking his heel against the eagles side. “Its gonna catch us soon.”
The eagle vigoursly beat its wings as it speed through light clouds. Drake clenches the saddle rails as winds combs through his body. He tucks his head under his shoulder from the strong winds digging into his eyes sockets as his heart pounds against his ribcage. Catching up to them, the Dragon opens its maw with its jagged teeth to consume the two.

         “Oh no, we may have to jump,” Cody says.

         “Jump?” Drake raises and eyebrow as an idea spark in his mind.

         Looking underneath his shoulder, he sees the dragon’s maw gapped open eager to devour the two. He leans to the side to see one last explosive arrow floating underneath the eagle. Drake quickly scribbles HEATSWELL in the air and the arrow bursts into a very bright light. Red mist encircles the arrow as heat waves distort the image.

         “On my go,” Drake says to Cody, “Turn right.”

         “You got a plan?” Cody says.

         “3…2…1….TURN!!”

         Wings open, the eagle turns hard right just as Drake releases the glowing arrow into the air. As it twirls about, the Dragons gapped maw snaps close and swallows the charged arrow into its mouth.

         “Go, go, go we need to get away from it now!!” Drake says worriedly tapping Cody’s shoulder. “Kevin, get away from it.”

         The two eagles fold their wings back and dive away from the variant dragon as it flies along its path. Drake looks up at the snakish behemoth and a bright flash erupts from the dragon’s head followed by an earsplitting boom that sends shockwaves through the air. Chunks of scaly sinew coated in flames rains from the plume of black smoke as the dragon’s headless carcass falls tail first into the bottomless ravine.

         “You did it!” Cody shouts “Everyone, the variant dragon is down, its down.”

         Then loud screeches tear through the sky as wyverns emerged from the surrounding canyons. With their smooth purplish skin and slender frames, all hone in on Cody and Drake as they approach from all sides.

         “Looks like they’re angry.” Cody says. “Get ready.”

         However, a hail of blue bolts pierce through numerous reptiles from above as scores of eagles descend from the clouds above. Eagerly joining the fight, they chase and shoot down numerous wyverns as the fresh group reignites the battle anew.

         “Reinforcements? Cody asks looking all around him. It looks like more eagles have arrived.”

         “Thanks for dealing with that variant back there.” A female voice says over the Echo quill.

         The commander’s white maned eagle rises beside Cody and Drake and she salutes the two as her greyish hair flaps in the wind.

         “The kings confidence isn’t wasted on you.”

         Cody salutes back as the two fly side by side.

         “Lieutenant Zen. Can you hear me?” she speaks.

         “Yes commander,” Zen replies.

         “Do you still have the hammer ready?”

         There was a silence over the echo quill, but he responds.

         “No Commander it’s been destroyed by wyverns as we were trying to maneuver through the canyon.”

         “I can do something.” Drake quickly responds.

         “You can?” The Commander says. “What do you intend to do?”

         “You just need to protect us as we fly over the wall.” Drake says.

         “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this idea you have, but its all we’ve got right now.”

         Then she calls over the echo quill.

         “All available squads leave the wyverns to the reinforcements and rally to my position. I repeat Rally to me.”

         “Yes Ma’am” Each unit says over the echo quill.

         Then a total of twenty eagles including the iron crows gather around Cody and Drake. Kevin flies beneath the two as the group of eagles fly towards the wall.

         “Alright, the plan is simple,” the foreigner needs to safely fly over the wall, ensure that he does.”

         “Understood” They shout in unison.

         Soon after the flock of eagles all separate in all directions and chase all nearby wyverns to fend them off as Cody soars ahead. A group of wyverns manages to break through the protective formation and approach the two. However, the commander, flying behind Cody and Drake rises above them and unleashes flashing bolts of blue light from her turrets, tearing through several of them. Her eagle then beats its wings to fly over Cody’s eagle, extends it sharp yellow talons and catches a passing wyvern. As she flies away with the screeching wyvern in tow, cold darts of ice his pass Drake and Cody and skewer the last wyvern in the group as it kills over and descends below. Kevin, soars on ahead and turn towards another flock of wyverns as Cody pushes his eagle onward.

         “Alright, we’re almost at the wall.” Cody says turning towards Drake “What’s your….”
He blinks in disbelief when he sees Drake standing on the saddle unwrapping the rope tied around his waist with his tunic flapping in the wind.

         “Wait…what are you thinking? You’re not going to jump are you?”

         “Its all I could come up with. You’re going to have to catch me afterward.”

         “This isn’t training. You’re about to jump from an eagle in the middle of a battle where a bolt from anyone can end you.”

         “I know,” Drake says carefully stepping backwards. “But I made a promise and I have to see it through.”

         Drake closes his eyes and opens his arms.

         “NO, DRAKE DON’T!”

         Drake sucks in a heavy, deep breath and allows his body to fall backward off the tail of the eagle.

         “DRAAAAKE!”

         Plunging towards the islands below, all Drake thinks of was his training with Cody and what Fane told him. His heart beats like a humming bird as fearful sweats fly from his face.

         “Gain control of your descent,” he says to himself.

         Rushing winds pass brushes his body as he dives head first towards the depths below. Opening his arms and legs, he catches the winds and slows his fall as he sees red and blue bolts hiss beneath as eagles and wyverns battle in the open space. Seeing the carnage, he shifts his body about as projectiles slam into the canyon below and pelt off the metal wall beneath. The battle intensifies as a wyvern screech beneath him along with a chasing Eagle firing its blue bolts blowing Drake off course. Drake’s world spins about as he flips wildly in the air and his muscles burned in pain as they fight for control. He stiffens his arms and legs and his uncontrolled flips slows to a steady descend. Passing through a cloud, the watery mist cools his body as he’s halfway towards the wall.

         “Alright,” Thinks to himself. “I hope this works.”

         Pointing his finger towards the wall, Drake writes WOTBW,’ (Wrath of the Burning Wolf) in burning letters. His body ignites into orange flames, feeling the burning sensation course through his veins. The fireball condenses into Drake’s seven-tailed, sleeveless red cloak with his wolf-headed furry gauntlet on his left hand. Not wasting any time, the gauntlet’s eyes flashed red and ‘HEATSWELL, DOUBLE and TRIPLE appeared in front of him. Then embers floating around Drake combine to form Drake’s crystalline ruby sword and the three verses sink into the blade. The blade burst into a shimmering light and starts to morph into a large double-edge crystalline great sword with metallic lines that swirl along the blade. With the sword as tall as him, and half as wide, Drake snatches the blade into his hand and he flips into an overhead swing. Cloak flapping in the wind, Drake feels a surge of power pulsing from the blade as well as its heavy build as he nears the edge of the wall. With everything he has he clenches the blade tight and the metallic swirls on the blade bursts into flames. His body burns with fire as nears the edge of the wall.

         “FALLLLL” he shouts as he swings the large blade with all his might. Like a hot knife in butter, the blade sinks into the wall and slides down the middle as it cuts a molted line into the wall. Drake plants his feet onto the wall as he skids on the smooth metal surface until he reaches the very bottom where the sword slashes through. Burning lava spews from the slash as molten cracks spread across the face of the structure until it burst in a fiery explosion. A shockwave shoots across the skies as a black plume of smoke expands into a mushroom cloud where red static flickered within. Exhausting all of his strength, Drake passes out as he falls among metallic boulders that once made the wall.

         Seeing Drake uncouncious, Cody dives his eagle towards him. Wings folded back, the eagle spins around falling debris and catches up with the young man as his spins downward head first towards the ocean. Drakes cloak dissipates into sparkles leaving him shirtless as Cody’s nears. Cody reaches with his arm as his finger touches Drakes back.

         “Got to fly closer,”

         Fastly approaching the sea, the eagle drifts closer to Drake and Cody manages to clasp Drakes arm.

         “NOW!!” he shouts

         As the eagle opens its wings and curves forward barely missing the ocean as boulders splash into the sea.

         Over the islands, Zen watches in awe at the smoldering mushroom cloud dominating the skies as his eagle glides through the skies. The resulting explosion silenced the skies as the heavy shockwave scared away the wyverns and the eagle riders enjoy a brief respite from the constant battle.

         “Well, I’ll be.” He speaks. “I didn’t think he had that much power. Heh I’m kind of glad he’s on our side.”

         “Zen what happened?” The commander asks over the echo quill.

         “Drake completed the Mission commander. The wall has been destroyed.”

         “Wow. So that what that explosion was?” Hazel asks. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

         “Thanks to him, our people can rest easy knowing that the wall is gone.”

         “Is the boy safe?” The commander asks.

         “Yes,” Cody replies as his eagle rises from the canyon. Flying over the destruction Drake’s unconscious body is slumped over Cody’s shoulder as he guides the eagle back to the formation.

         “I managed to catch him before he fell in the water.” He says.

         “Cody I have to admit, you’ve certainly came a long way.” Zen says. “You’ve even proven yourself in combat and managed to complete the mission. As much as I hate to admit it, you performed better than me. When we get back I’ll make sure to have something arranged for ya.”

         “Thank you sir,” Cody happily replies with a smile.

         “All of you,” Zen says to his people. “You make the Avians proud.”

         Then loud screeches tear through the skies again as the wyverns return for blood. Approaching from the clouds, they fill the skies like bats as they circle above the eagle riders.

         “Looks like our celebration will have to wait.” Zen says. “Iron Crows, get ready,”

         “No,” The Commander interrupts “Eagle riders, retreat. We’ve done what we came here to do. Return to whistle top forest.”

         However, just before the riders could acknowledge her orders, a loud bellowing roar tears across the skies. The roar was so powerful that everyone could feel the vibration rattling their bones. A silence settles soon after and the eagle riders look around as they soar across the skies.

         “What was that?” a voice speaks over the echo quill.

         “Look at the wyverns.” Carmelia gasps.

         Looking up they see the wyverns flying frantically about as some crash into each other and others mysteriously die and fall from the sky.

         Head tilted to the sky, Cody’s eyes fixate on the strange event as he hears Drake groans in pain. Turning his head towards Drake, he hears him mumbles something under his breath. Cody leans in closer to hear the faint whispers.

         “Run,” he whispers. “Run,”

         “Umm, I think we need to get away from here.” Cody says in a shaky tone.

         “Somethings happening in the skies,” Hazel says gazing at an empty space where the wyverns kept their distance from. There, the image of the blue heavens distorts as if something was visible but not visible.

         “What is that?” Zen asks, as visual apparition seemingly camouflaged in the sky opened its massive wings. Then, like ice melting from a furnace, the camouflage peels away revealing a pure silver scaled Dragon wrapped in six silver wings. Its hanging tail flops from around its body as the pointed tip dangle beneath. Steam hiss from his nostrils as it breaths and two out of the six eyes opened as a deep heavy growl shook the clouds. It opens six of its wings and stretches its muscular arms, legs and neck as if it was rudely woken by a deep slumber and shakes its head.

         “By the skies,” The Commander gasps over the echo quill. “It’s the all dragon…Its been freed.”
Then the dragon unleashes an sky-ripping roar that forces everyone in earshot to cover their ears. The eagles panic and scatter in all directions while the riders struggle in vain to control them. Cody can feel his eagle jitter beneath him as it flies off.

         “Whoa calm down...,” Cody shouts clasping the handles of his saddle as the eagle beats its wings to gain speed. “You’re going the wrong way.”

         Then a flashing light shines in the corner of his eyes and he looks and sees glowing balls of light appear all around the dragon’s body. Then thousands of light streams erupt from the spears in all direction and hone in on everything within its range.

         “RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN BACK TO THE FOREST.”

         Thousands of light streams curve through the skies and collides with wyverns and eagles alike. Their bodys vaporize by the intense heat as explosions pop across the skies. Heart racing, Cody rides his eagle as it tries to escape a chasing light it was too fast. Thinking quickly, Cody grabs Drake and jumps off the eagle as a light stream envelops turning it to ash. Cody screams as he falls towards the island below.