Creation Online

Universe -The Star Rings

Ring - 4th

Reality - Mortal Plane

Solar system - Origin

World - Vaustaris

Continent - Subcontinent (Zephyr Isles)

Main Continent Western edge - Zephyrwood Outpost Territory - Verdant Veil Forest

AERIS POV

Having the Arg'baln drill me with queries was stifling, yet I understood. I saw what they felt, the depression, the rage, and the pain in them. So I held myself as I told them all they needed to know. One by one each of them nodded as I spoke and told them what was going on.

"You say this blessing makes you heal as well?". The Arg'adef asked. Rotho was his name. I nodded.

His head turned as he motioned me forward. Following I stopped as he moved to the side and let me see something I hadn't seen with my clouded head. It was a sight that reminded me to put my head in the game.

The Arg'bal was riddled with stab wounds. His thigh, torso, his back, and even his Argannen were not spared from getting wounds here and there.

Crouching next to him I felt a sense of dread well up in me. Was I going to let this Argo die? I didn't know how to use my healing. Looking at all his wounds I realized that maybe saving a life should be easier than wreaking destruction.

I shut my eyes.

"Look not within. But beyond...". I opened my eyes, my Argannen rose stretching to their full 12ft wingspan. Like the branches of a ha curved up to the Arg'nad(Sky).

They glowed. Strings of gold and yellow flowed from them and around me to coalesce into balls of light in my palms. Even the palm holding my Ra'kit had a ball floating above it.

"...stretch your desire, your imagination, and your want ...". I set my palms on the Argo and the balls vanished into his skin.

"...to form your will". His skin lit up, unlike anything I'd ever seen. The light was so blinding and piercing that I had to shut my eyes for a moment and still could see the glare from behind my lids. Then the light faded away.

The Argo was well. His wounds were gone and not even the blood remained behind. Rotho exhaled in relief and I chuckled in happiness.

Around us, the Arg'baln rejoiced. This was what it meant to be Argonne. To be happy with a single life saved. To be pleased when an Argeono(baby) graced the village. It was the joy of life. 'One granted by the Ser'Tuk'Itan'.

My head turned to the side. And just as expected he appeared. A smile on his face. 'One guarded by the Arg'pheyson'. I knew at that moment what an Arg'pheyso or as he called it, a god was.

The forest stilled. The Arg'pheyso turned with such sharp movement that I barely saw his step. Gone was the calm smile of a loving god. In its place, I saw fury. Pure rage. His eyes turned to meet mine and the fury sunk back replaced and held by a layer of sadness so thick that it made me also cry.

To watch a god feel emotions was to see life in its purest form.

He was gone.

It was then the wail reached us. The forest once still, shook with the grief in the sound. The rattle of the leaves and vibrations of the ground. I didn't know this, but this would become a tradition. One passed down for Realions to come.

A song for those who should not have fallen.

The red goblins who had fallen back after my show of power had vanished to who knew where. Leaving a path open that all the Arg'baln took.

I followed.

There was confusion as there was fear in our hearts. The sound was known to all. The power in it though was not. It was Skyshriek. At a level unattainable before. to shake the forest. To make it rattle.

'To...'. I froze. Zephyr Mastery. Only it could have borne that power. To bear that power. 'A racial skill unlocked once introduced to the Akashic Records'. I didn't claim to be the sharpest of my generation but at this point, the answer could only be one person.

"Skyhorn Skyshriek". I called the name and jumped. We'd all been running. Flight in the forest required precision as such we had gone on foot. I had been mentally following.

Leaving the Arg'baln behind though proved impossible as they took to the skies as well. Like untrained heralds of death, they fought the branches and the barks for their place in the wind.

Together we flew over the trees and past the canopy Into the waning light of the twin suns.

As the last of the suns set to the East we flew south with the light beside us. Not as a guiding path but as a torch. Fighting to light our paths even as it set.

****

Universe -The Star Rings

Ring - 4th

Reality - Mortal Plane

Solar system - Origin

World - Vaustaris

Continent - Subcontinent (Zephyr Isles)

Main Continent Western edge - Skyward Archipelago Reserve

AERONDIR'S POV

The peaceful serenity of the reserve was the main reason I had banned all forages on it. The last thing I needed was any disturbance while I tried to actively sense and feel for the Akasha in the air.

Akasha was everywhere. I knew this by now. I had my eyes open to this truth. But the will to control and manipulate this energy to my bidding was something that still set me back.

While I stood at quite the high level almost on the cusp of what I perceived to be a milestone my use of Akasha was mediocre at best.

It was good for my skills, yes. For my abilities yes. But that was it. There was no finesse, no art. As an Argonne, the very art of something was important. I knew that if my people knew about this then they too would wish for the same.

My use of the Ra'tik had grown exponentially under the purview of the Akashic Records. My Argannenad exceptional, even Yotk, the weakest of my people's skills had been improved beyond acknowledging.

Still, I was unable to go beyond this. No matter what I did, how I did it, and what I thought I knew it didn't work. Hunting animals to level didn't help.

I was almost tempted to finally release the secret of my power and see if some genius would discover the truth. But it was a last resort. 'I need to remain ahead. Hated or not I must push forward '. I didn't realize that my words would become the mantra for those with a resolve whether dark or good.

Raising my left palm I tried to use Zephyr Mastery. Wind gathered around my palm and congregated into a turbulence of natural forces. 'Now for the annoying part'.

Zephyr Mastery lets me use specific wind attacks designed by my class. But that was it. Outside of these skills, I couldn't exactly use my Zephyr Mastery more than summoning the wind to me. But I knew that I could do more than that. What was the point of calling it Zephyr Mastery if one couldn't master the wind without those skills?

I pulled and tugged at the wind, pushed and searched for something. Anything.

Nothing.

"What else is there to try?'.

My feathers ruffled. I narrowed my eyes as I turned with a frown. 'What was that?'. Something that came with increased levels was increased capabilities and physique. My eyesight, hearing and others were elevated.

It was a Skyshriek. But this wasn't a Skyshriek like the others. No, this was different. While my senses were elevated it wasn't to the extent where I could hear sound from so high up in the sky. Unless that sound was actually very loud.

'But there is no Skyshrieker with such...' my eyes narrowed. With a powerful flap of my Argannen, I ascended higher into the sky leaving the archipelago behind. The setting sun served as a backdrop to my flight.

I could sense that something very interesting was that way. My bones tingled with the excitement of what I could find. Had another of my kind unlocked the Akashic Records? If so then this was both good and bad.

'I'll just work around this'.

****

Universe -The Star Rings

Ring - 4th

Reality - Mortal Plane

Solar system - Origin

World - Vaustaris

Continent - Subcontinent (Zephyr Isles)

Main Continent Western edge - Zephyrwood Outpost Territory - Oakheart Valley Village

SIROCCO'S POV

"Hold!!".

The sound of the screams. The cries and the screeches from across the valley made me, if not all of our feathers shiver. Could feathers shiver?

"Hold!!".

The call to send out the Arg'baln and the Arg'mar to hold back the little beasts had been silenced the moment we saw the raiding band. Atleast the size of it.

Every once in a while one Arg'baln would release an arrow to save a too-slow Argalor or a disoriented Argeo. My hands shivered as I held my Yotk tightly. The palms turning white. It sounded like the next call came after many suns. But it came. And it was not the desired one.

"Hold!!".

Everyone shivered and fretted at the call not being the one wanted. A look at the Aego who stood at the center of the wall could show him gritting his teeth. The sight of even this situation disturbing the Aegon wasn't a surprise.

"Arg'baln ready!!".

It was the best words we had heard that day and we weren't even the ones holding the bloody Ra'kitn. The sound of strings pulled created a crescendo of sound that soothed our nerves. It was ruined by the nearing cries of both Argonnen and their pursuers.

We Arg'mar standing below tapped out feet in anxious impatience. Our eyes didn't see a band numbering more than five hundred. Our eyes didn't see death coming at us. No.

We saw blood and pain. The blood of our kin and the pain they felt for their blood.

"Arg'baln!!. Fire!!".

I jolted and held myself. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one who felt like being the arrows that the Ra'tikn unleashed. The sound of the projectiles cutting through the wind created a new din of pure glee.

The arrows descended. Their screams entered our ears.

"Arg'mar!!!". The Aego had seen enough and waited enough. His shout summoning all the attention of all eyes at the village walls. His gaze returned to the sky where the last lights of the sun cast a burning fire across the heavens. His feathers were old yet not as wrinkled and far gone as the other Aegon of this village.

I watched him shut his eyes. Heard the cries of the Argonnen that pumped their feet to run faster, weighted down by their injured or too injured to fly themselves. Those who flew but too slowly due to their Argannen lacking the power to hold their and their beloved's weights.

My eyes never left him. And I knew the others all had theirs on him. 'What does he wait for?'. I pondered, anger seeking a victim to visit.

His eyes opened just as the last flames of the heavens vanished. Plunging the world into a common and normal dark night.

Yet we Argonnen could see. We were better that way. Creatures of the hunt. The world painted in a dull haze of white, black, and gray.

Aego eyes opened. His beak moved. A tiny whisper. One that only those on our walls and below could hear

"Denori ( Kill)"

All heads turned sharply to the Red ones. Gazes filled with murderous want and hate. Argannen unfurled from backs and spread out, Yotkn rose, pointed to the skies.

"DENORI!!!".

"DENORI!!!".

"DENORI!!!".

I'd love to say the earth quaked, and the stones rattled. But we were far too few for that dream.

When our Argannen flapped, it was a thunderous sound of wind and fury. Our bodies took to the skies, shooting forwards. Ahead we could see our kin still rushing for us while the goblins went mad with rage as the night blinded them. Most stopped to light fires. Others went on chasing following the cries of our people in a mad frenzy.

The moment we passed our kin we could see the relief and joy in their eyes. Yet ours was momentary. A passing feeling that was overflooded with rage the moment our eyes returned to our destination and found those who had fallen on their run.

Behind us, Arg'baln unleashed another hail of arrows over and below us. Red ones fell.

We smashed into them with ferocity. Shoulder clocking one, Yotk parting another. Blood and gore flew.

Our feathers sullied and soaked with their lifeblood were ignored. We stomped our feet on the heads of the shouldered goblins crushing their feeble skulls. With the grimy texture of goblin matter on the soles of our feet we dashed into the next enemies.

Our Yotk sang a single tale. Blood. Our eyes shone with one language. Hate. Our bodies moved with one desire. Death. And beaks uttered one word.

"DENORI!!!".