Dragonraptor (Episode 3)

DRAGONRAPTOR

                            

Season 1: Vision Quest

Episode 3

Eagle's Thunder

Chapter 1 – Sky Torrent (part 2)

Kami-Janus roared at the knights, sending a shockwave of earth and fire through the air and soil. Pyrite regained his footing first, and charged at Janus with his spear like a ballista. Janus swiped with his claws and threw Pyrite into the air. He fell, to be caught and rippeded between the two mouths.

Malachite aimed an electrical shock through her sword to Janus’ hide, electrocuting Pyrite as well. The kami fell to its knees, and his body was impaled by Pyrite’s golden spear.

Amakulae stood over Janus’ body, ready to finish him. Slowly at first, Janus rose and threw the spear spiraling right at Amakulae’s heart. He barely evaded a gutting, and slammed his kula sword down, breaking Pyrite’s spear in half.

Janus began to flee, and Kritias gave chase. Pyrite groaned as he struggled to lift himself, stretched and mauled. His body bled through massive wounds, and his sides and limbs looked as if he’d been racked. He fell down again, and could not get up.

A mile away, Kyeran meandered around the thick forest, fully awake but weak from accumulating injuries. Biting and crunching on the reapers’ long-rotten bones had left a nauseating aftertaste. He found a small fast-moving creek and let the cool water quench his tongue.

Kyeran caught sight of a near-black mound of feathers in the distance. As he went to investigate, a large graveyard of blackened skeletons suddenly surrounded his feet. The remains of the same creatures he had obliterated in one breath – only these ones hadn’t been ravaged by ice and wind. The scars of fire and lightning that had struck and disfigured their white and beige bones – wasn’t how they had died. It looked much fresher than the corpses. These must have risen from the ground as well, and had been destroyed by an elemental creature.

            The feathered body was obviously familiar – a bulky flightless bird with a long neck that in life reached far in front of the animal’s body to graze and browse among the vegetation – a moa.  

Kyeran breathed in the morning air and watched his cool breath evaporate. Then approached the moa with wary eyes. He pulled on the moa to test its weight. Still too heavy for him to move any significant distance. He would then build an eyrie close by, and continue to watch this forest. There was definitely something eerie going on here.

A great winged shadow descended, and Kyeran jumped back. Right in front of him, keeping watch on his every movement, landed a full-grown Harpagornis pouakai.

            “To hunt in another apex predator’s territory is an opposition and a direct threat to their status.” She said. At last you’ve come, child of the Great Destruction Bird . . .”

            Destruction Bird? Kyeran was surprised as the mention of that name.

“I am Mahuta, guardian of the ancient forest. This my territory, dragonraptor.”

As thunder-eagle and winged velociraptor stood moments apart from a deadly face-off, the dawn sunbeams blazed gently in the blood-soaked forest.

Chapter 2 – Harpagornis  pouakai 

Kritias slashed Janus’ stomach with his mortuary saber, nearly spilling all of his innards out in a gooey heap. The shock of the new injury pushed him to the edge of a steep cliff. Janus flinched from the deep gashes and screamed out. One head looked down at his wound while the other stared up at his adversary.

“You cannot win, Jadeite . . .” Kritias said coldly. “For what it’s worth, in this final moment, tell me old friend . . . where can I find the Dark Lord of the Reapers?”

“You want to know so badly?” Janus whispered in pain. “Then your only choice is to join them again. If you keep running . . . and hunting . . . you will never save her . . . or anyone.”

Janus toppled over the precipice and out of sight.

Kritias sheathed his sword and walked back to rejoin Pyrite and Malachite. Pyrite’s sides and limbs were ripped of their skin, and his every movement stung. His ancestral spear lay shattered, and his eyes looked of utter defeat.

Kritias looked around, observing the battlefield.

“What happened to Elyssia?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” Malachite answered. “She must have disappeared during the fight. I never saw which way to pursue.”

Again . . . Kritias surrendered.

Pyrite grabbed a long stick to support himself. “We should return to the village. Nahela suffered no losses tonight, nor did we . . . and we may be able to secure an alliance with Since Chief Ahote.”

“Allies against whom?” Kritias wondered.

“The dark reapers, and Seigoku.”

An eagle’s screech pierced the morning air like thunder. Splitting beams of electricity struck between the clouds, and seemed to be lighting them on fire.

“Harpagornis!” Malachite gasped.    

“We have to get moving.” Pyrite said, clutching his wounds.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Pyrite looked up where the elemental storm raged. “Trust me it’s a good idea.”

           

Kritias walked ahead towards the Quauhtli villages. The bodies of reapers – the skeletons, ghouls, and other undead lay in pieces, blasted by wind, ice, and lightning blasts. A small number were scorched black and crumbled into dust when he touched them. The numbers were enormous – hundreds of thousands of bodies could have been constructed by the intact pieces alone. Yet the closer to the village he came, the far fewer there were.

The reaper horde never reached their prey, then what could have destroyed an army of this scale?

The cries of warring predators in the dawn sky were gone. Kritias listened for the return of the jungle wildlife coming back to repopulate the graveyard ruins. What he could hear now was only the shrill of the higurashi cicadas.

A small body twitched in the middle of the fallen reapers. A boy in Nahelan robes, slashed to ribbons and lying in a boneyard of shattered reapers, and beside him, asleep in blood and with wide open red eyes, was Ashaya.

Amekeaha was barely awake. He could only see a blur of colors in front of his eyes, but the chill and the wind in his face told him that he was still alive, though by how much was impossible to say. He tried to find his arms and push himself up.

“Ashaya . . .” Kritias stood over him and Ashaya’s body, sword drawn and raised right above Amekeaha’s throat. 

“What have you done?”

Azure and golden lightning clashed, singing the sky in an aurora of elemental waves. Kyeran and Mahuta circled the jungle canopy like agile vultures over a carcass, only they were after each other. Their war-screeches pierced the sky, and moa flocks scattered.

Kyeran fired an icy whirlwind. The eagle dodged the blast just before sending back a rippling shockwave of electricity through his wings. Kyeran struck back with a cerulean stream of lightning, twisting and diving to catch Mahuta in the crossfire. Mahuta maneuvered between the trees and sky, using the vast forest canopy as a shield against Kyeran’s elemental barrage.

Kyeran’s full stamina had not yet recovered from the Unktehila battle, and Mahuta watched him slowly lose speed and agility. When Kyeran struggled to remain aloft, the Pouakai seized her chance. She divebombed towards the blue raptor and with –inch talons, slammed him in the side where the Unktehila’s bite wounds still opened.

Blood sprayed from his ribs and mouth, and Kyeran fell from the air, landing in a submissive cringing position. He managed to stand up again, but that was all he could do. Defeated, he stepped back and bowed his head. Mahuta stopped her next attack in recognition. 

“You slew both the Unktehila and the reapers that had been plaguing my territory. You are a worthy opponent, little destruction-bird.”

Huh? “The Unktehila’s dead?” Kyeran asked in shock.

“You didn’t know?” Mahuta raised her head. “The dragon is spread across the skeleton shoals. The very sea has become red with her final fury, gaping in the same face she must have shown as when slain by their ancient enemy.”

I must have awakened far from the site of battle. There is no way I alone could have done so much damage.

“My whole pack was battling the Unktehila before I too was beached on your shores. If they killed the dragon, they must be here somewhere.”

“I haven’t seen any others of your pack or species in my territory. You shouldn’t even be here at all.”

“Why is that?”

“You must have noticed the herds of little two-legged furballs. They call their species humans, live in scattered groups, and think they know how the elemental powers work.”

“What about them?”

“I said that I hadn’t seen any of your pack or species in this region. What I actually meant was, none of us have . . . for thousands of years. Humans are spread all over these lands, and they are surprisingly forgetful. They will not remember your species. Should you reveal yourself to them, you could shatter their very world. Some things, little raptor, are best left lain dormant.”

“My name is Kyeran.”

“Well then, Kyeran, I should thank you at least for chasing off the reapers. Achak has been surpisingly apathetic towards their ravagings. Yet why now do you remain here?”

“I needed to rest, then look for any trace of my pack – my friends who were scattered by the Unktehila war.”

Mahuta stared at Kyeran. “Travel north through the lands of Saranyu, the Fenghuang – through the mountains where her territory clashes with Byakko the white tiger. Follow the raging rivers until you come to a thundering cascade where the great koi fish climb each season. This is the Dragon’s Gate, where young dragons must pass to take full form.”

“I know what you are, dragon-raptor, and I know that if your family or any one of you has nested on our island, this is where you will find them.”

Mahuta flew low towards Kyeran, chasing him from her perch and carcass. “Leave my territory . . . and leave the human world behind you. You are capable of far more chaos than you can ever imagine.”

Chapter 3 – The Mystery Begins

Kritias swaddled Ashaya in his arms and carried her. Amekeaha walked weakly back alongside him, afraid to speak yet anxious as to what this man intended. Kritias was nearly twice Amekeaha’s size, donned in black and white knight’s armor with long silver hair and demon-like green eyes. He looked as if he had ancestry in the west kingdom of Byakko’s territory, and he had not been one of the knights invited by Chief Ahote.

What was he doing in Nahela?

“Are you going to kill me?” Amekeaha finally asked.

“No,” Kritias answered. “I think I know what happened,” he said as he looked down at the girl. “What I want to know is what happened to the reaper horde. How were they destroyed?”

“The eagle knights . . .” Amekeaha answered with the first thing that came to mind.

“Impossible,” Kritias objected. “This is nowhere near the site where we were fighting. I was with your eagle knights, and fighting a reaper lord.”

So this warrior had been with the party.

Amekeaha was at a loss of what to say. Would this stranger to him believe that they had been rescued by a terror-bird that had never before been seen in this region? 

“She and I fought with our elements against the horde, along with two more of my friends. We were outmatched, and then . . . then this raptor in blue light appeared . . . and destroyed them.”

“A raptor?” Kritias asked unbelievingly. “Kodamaraptor did this?”

“I don’t think it was a kodama . . .”

Kainoe slowly crawled out of the tree cavity where he and Kaisoki had lain, curled up all night. He rubbed his eyes and looked around for a sign of Amekeaha, Ashaya, or Jaiet and Mina. Searching the leaf litter for their bodies, he found only the bloody debris field of shattered bones and rotting flesh.

He returned to his sister’s side, and shook her very gently. Her legbone was visible through a huge gash where reapers had eaten her wound. She breathed, but appeared to be beyond sleeping. Kainoe shook her harder, and was only answered with subconscious groans.

“Kaisoki!” Kainoe whispered. “Kaisoki, get up!”

Kainoe began to dig out a path to drag her outside, but his small hands worked very slowly. He thought about calling for help, but the lain-out corpses of the undead reminded him to keep quiet, to avoid attracting any more monsters. Even if the reapers had all been destroyed, there were still terror-birds, and countless other carnivores that would find them the perfect prey right now. 

A rustle of footsteps startled Kainoe. Grabbing a large fern as a cover, he tried to hide himself and Kaisoki. This was a common trick taught to Nahelan children, and he was noticed right away.

“Hey – why are you hiding?” A voice asked. It belonged to a young boy, around Ashaya’s age, from Kainoe’s own village. He had tufted beige and white hair, and looked like an apprentice warrior.

“youma . . .” Kainoe said weakly.

“They’re gone.” The boy said. “Destroyed in the night, by Amekeaha . . . or so everyone says.”

“Amekeaha . . . Amekeaha’s still alive?” Kaisoki faintly asked. She had finally roused, although was not yet aware of the throbbing in her leg. 

“Well, for now,” was Kele’s answer. “You’re Kaisoki, right?”

She nodded, looking up at him but too shaken to speak.

“Will you help us?” Kainoe asked.

“Yeah. It’s safe to walk back to the village now, just help me carry her.”

It seemed to that the entire village had come out to investigate what had happened. Ahote had returned with the eagle knights, who had salvaged the remains of the warriors who had fallen in battle against Zangua before. Amekeaha recognized the blue and violet armor, then the face, of the warrior Kaikoa – Kaisoki and Kainoe’s father. His features were twisted in agony, body and face left screaming from some unknown torture.

            Several more bodies had been recovered, and Amekeaha struggled to compose himself, knowing he was to take place in the rituals of their burials later. His fear still focused on Ashaya, who was barely alive – and Kaisoki and Kainoe, still missing. He and Ashaya had done their best to protect them against the reapers, but had it been enough? Kaisoki could still have died from her wounds, and Kainoe would be helpless by himself.

            A few of the older children, Jaiet and Mina among them, were assisting the warriors look for survivors and clues. So the immediate danger must have passed, quite likely because of the terror-bird’s retaliation. 

            Amekeaha suddenly realized that the raptor he and Ashaya had seen didn’t match any species of terror-bird he was familiar with at all, and he had never heard rumors of one like it either. With Ashaya gone, he had no-one to back up his tale of events. Kaisoki and Kainoe, even if they were alive, never saw the predator descend.

            Just let them be alright, he hoped.

           

Malachite had helped Pyrite struggle sit against a tree. He removed his armor to dress his wounds. The gashes, though not deep, were rather large and great blue bruises around his ribs were tender and cold. He grimaced from the throbbing pain as he slowly wrapped around the wound. 

Eagle knights clustered around an open tent. What bodies they had been able to retrieve from the forest lay inside, on a natural terrace above the wide river. 

“We recovered everyone we could,” Amakulae told her. “The rest must have risen as the walking dead, then been destroyed by the apex predators.”

“Their shattered bones should remain in the forest,” Kanname said. “They will be a reminder, and will return to the land in time.”

“The horde seemed to have been waiting for the Alityans.”

“Yes. A trap it was, and only narrowly foiled. Whichever great predator stopped the horde last night protected us all. Though the death of the great sea dragon still concerns me . . .”

Amekeaha looked up at Kritias, who was silently leading them both towards Ahote and a pair of knights Amekeaha recognized from the warriors’ council.

“Kritias, who is this?” Pyrite asked.

 “He was the only one who withstood the horde’s assault in one piece. Janus’ reapers completely overtook the forest. It seems your girl was also caught up in the reaping.”

Ashaya, not again! Malachite lamented. 

“To have been caught in the same trap and emerge standing,” Pyrite sized up Amekeaha, “you must have a way of dealing with vengeful spirits.”

“He is our clan’s next shaman.” Ahote revealed. “and a powerful one already.”

“Shaman? A spirit caster?” Pyrite seemed to be sizing him up. “What is your name?” he asked in great interest.

            “Amekeaha. It means ‘Rainfire’.”

“Where did she come from?” Ahote turned to Ashaya. “She’s still alive . . .” he assessed, surprised.

 “She’s ours,” Pyrite said, “and she has a real talent for ending up like this.”

“I did tell her to stay in the village.”

“And you expected her to listen?” Kritias challenged. “Would you have ever listened?”

Malackie smirked. “Well I’m hopeless, you know that. At least Ashaya usually has a good reason.”

 “Ashaya helped us, and so, we offered for her to stay the night. We were on our way back when we were ambushed.” Amekeaha explained. “We’d all have been dead were it not for her skills . . . or the raptor.” 

“Raptor?”

“What raptor?”

“A terror-bird,” Amekeaha spoke up. “A legendary apex predator who stopped the reapers in their tracks. This one . . . looked like a kodamaraptor, only huge. Large and fierce enough to rival even Mahuta in power.”

“So that’s what drew their attention . . .”

Mahuta’s nest, a great kauri tree, stood watch in the distance. Although the morning had begun bright and warm, dark gray stormclouds once again appeared from the sea. High in the rising hot air, Mahuta rode the low pressure currents gathering the electrical energy. From the world below, she was a single golden light dancing and sparking in the sky shadows. Yet the lightning now spreading from her wings could shatter the face of a mountain.

“Amekeaha!” A girl’s voice called from the forest edge. Kele emerged from the thickets, alongside Kainoe and carrying the girl on his back.

“Kaisoki!” Amekeaha cried, “Kainoe!” 

Kele set Kaisoki down as Amekeaha rushed over. She fell upon her injured leg again, reaching him, and lay in the soft earth with Kainoe crouching beside her.

“You made it back . . .” Kaisoki wept.

“So did you,” Amekeaha hugged her. “Kainoe . . .”

“Kele . . .”

“Amekeaha, what happened?” The boy asked.

“It’s a long story.”

The sky brought darkness to the Kiryuan day, veiling the moons behind its shadowed blanket. Sheet lightning spread through the sky, followed by a deafening roar. Mahuta’s shadow was a tiny brass star in the sky, erupting into a brilliant nebula with each thunderclap.

Ahote called to the village, “Eagle’s thunder is calling the storm. We should seek refuge inside.”

Ahote gathered a small circle of his eagle knights, along with Pyrite, Malachite, and Kritias into his longhouse. An uma variant, the large hut stood on a ceremonial mound, overlooking the entire Eagle Clan lands of Nahela. Adorned with red, black, and golden eagle-wing markings, Ahote’s hut matched the colors of a tall totem pole standing guard over the trees. Several legendary creatures were carved as its faces, from a terrifying sea dragon at the bottom that snaked its way into the ground as a base, to various birds and beasts, to the very image of the mighty Pouakai at its peak.

Kanname quickly built a fire inside a small stone hearth, beside which she lay down a woven leaf mat. She then took Ashaya and lay her down.

Amekeaha huddled beside Kaisoki, facing across the Alityan knights. Light from a sparkling ember hearth flickered with the lightning bursts in the monsoon. He wrapped Kaisoki’s leg in a splint.

“They say you defeated the reapers.” She told him. You say it was this . . . terror-bird.” “Your powers have taken the shape of a dragon, or an eagle before.”

“This was different,” Amekeaha asserted. “Something unusual did come to us last night. I just don’t know what it was.”

“Amekeaha, what are these shaman powers you wield?” Pyrite asked.

“I first noticed I had strange powers five years ago. I could move things at will, first objects, then small animals, then even humans . . . and my elemental casting became greatly enhanced. It seemed that I was using my mind to manipulate space, and matter. Connecting to the void allowed me to cross into the spirit world, and my shaman powers developed quite a bit faster than usual,”

“Yet these abilities were unstable, uncontrolled. I was nine. I was scared. I knew the true masters of the elements are the legendary apex predators, so I thought I could learn from them. In time, Achak found me.”

“Achak?” Malachite asked, “who is Achak?”

“Achak is the dominant Quetzalcoatl dragon of the rivers. It’s possible he may have been the one to kill the Unktehila, if he felt she was invading his territory.”

“You can summon the Quetzalcoatl?”

“I don’t summon Achak. I just commune with him. You see he rescued me and he’s allowed me to speak with him ever since, but I don’t ask for anything but advice. You should remember that in any interaction, it’s the predators who are always the ones in control.”

“Amekeaha, are you aware of the last time the great beasts were summoned?”

“The War of the Four Gods?” Amekeaha guessed. “It was almost a century ago, the four great beasts Genbu, Byakko, Suzaku, and Seiryu were summoned by the four kingdoms at the time to clash over the Black Warrior’s Wall.”

            “We know the story,” Ahote said.

            “Yes, but not widely known is that the dragon lord Seiryu defeated not only the other three beasts, but also an army of reapers summoned by the Dark Lord Nihillian.” Pyrite went on,

“Seiryu and the azure dragon emperor conquered the Genbu lands, diminishing Byakko’s once vast nation. Suzaku’s kingdom was absorbed by Alitya, and the resistance against Seigoku ended when Nihillian was finally destroyed. For seventy-five years now the Kings and knights of Alitya have kept Seigoku at bay from conquering the rest of the world, but slowly, we are losing strength. Year after year, the number of our warriors dwindles."

“Janus, the reaper lord who attacked and raided your lands – was once our friend Jadeite.” Kritias intervened. “He grew up with us, and fought alongside our group, until the Dark Lord took him.”

“I don’t see what this has to do with Amekeaha.” Ahote spoke.

“Originally, nothing,” Pyrite admitted. “However, we have a clue that may help unravel the mystery of the dark reapers.”

“My younger brother, Shai, has long been afflicted by a mysterious curse. It began when he was very small, and was slow to reveal itself. At first, it began with only a few night terrors. Then, mysterious bleeding. He will often awaken in the night, yet be unable to move. He has dreams . . . terrible dreams of the carnage wrought by the dragon Lord Seiryu so long ago.”

“This may be Nihillian’s spirit. You are aware of sorcerers who can send out their specters to possess victims?”

“I’ve heard of it . . .” Amekeaha said.

“The visions of Seiryu’s victory . . . are exactly what Nihillian would have seen before he died.”

Amekeaha started to shake inside. The mental image of such a vision made his whole body seem cold. 

“This makes little sense. Lord Nihillian must be long dead by now.”

“Unless he has reincarnated. I’m afraid that either Shai or some other child may be the host, protecting his spirit while it slowly regenerates. For now, the victim’s identity is certain at this point. You, Amekeaha, I wonder, may be of help to us?”

“Me?” Amekeaha wondered. “In what way?”

Chapter 4 – Imperial Hostage

“Telekinesis is a rare talent alone, but to speak with apex predators . . . you clearly do have incredible spirit powers. I wonder if you might be able to heal Shai, to find a way to break of the Dark Lord’s hold on him.”

Amekeaha’s mind whited out for a moment. He slowly let Pyrite’s words sink in – and the vast scale of such a feat being requested. There was a catch to it – one that Amekeaha was frightened to speak or ask of.

“How would I do this?”

“Start by being his companion.” Pyrite suggested. “Shai is often alone, and vulnerable. He speaks of spirits coming to him, speaking with him many times each day. I wonder if just being around you could satisfy such an escape he seeks.”

“You are speaking of having Amekeaha live with you in Alitya?” Amakulae interpreted.

“Yes.”

Leave Nahela.

They want me to live with them? Amekeaha felt a searing hot streak through his spine as he felt the entire weight of what they were asking upon him. His heartbeat stopped, then accelerated. He suddenly realized that telling the Alityans so much about his relationship with Achak had cost him dearly.

“You can’t do that!” Kaisoki objected. “Amekeaha belongs here.”

“You will hold your tongue.” Pyrite suddenly lashed out.

“I had no idea I would find a sorcerer in Nahela until I met you, Amekeaha. You were the only one who escaped the reapers’ ambush in one piece last night.”

“I wouldn’t have . . . were it not for Ashaya . . . you should have seen her in action.”

“Oh, I have. Akhitara Ashaya is a great warrior, but she is only that – a warrior.” Pyrite explained. “Her powers are aggressive in nature, she has no healing or exorcism abilities at all.

I need your help, Amekeaha.”

Amekeaha then turned to his grandmother, who spoke, “Ashaya seems to have put herself into a state of suspension to heal.” “This is not a common ability. She wanders close to the edge of the spirit world, yet knows how to not cross over. If she returns, she will heal on her own . . . but I can’t make her come back.”

“So she’s suspended between two worlds,” Amekeaha interpreted. “Could the undead have done this to her? She was torn up the most by them.”

“Her solar flexus chakra is extremely unstable. What element did she use against the reapers?”

“Fire.”

“She only ever used the fire element to attack.”

“That might explain why she was exhausted of power so quickly,” Kanname hypothesized. “Manipura is essential in fire meditation. It deals with fear, anxiety, growth, and power. If she only taps into this energy, her powers would erupt to massive scale in near-death experiences. If she uses only that energy, however, she would lack the endurance needed in a long battle.”

“She’s gotten better,” Malachite said. “We just weren’t expecting to face such a massive swarm as was summoned in the darkness we faced.”

“Then how did you escape?” Amekeaha asked them.

“Janus was waiting for us specifically,” Kritias explained. “We have been hunting down the reapers . . . for a long time, and I think he finally wanted to face his old friends again. The raids on the pounamu mines were bait, I think. He knows the Akhitara had allies in the eagle lands.”

“Jadeite was never capable of summoning an army like that,” Pyrite interrupted. “There must have been another, perhaps even the Dark Lord himself.”

 Pyrite concluded after a long silence, “Amekeaha, You would be well looked after. In exchange, I offer my kingdom’s allegiance. I would also consider this favor as a treaty between Nahela and Alitya. So long as Amekeaha remains under our watch, my father’s army will ready to come to your aid if called. If Seigoku keeps raising its armies, that time may well come soon.”

“The treaty, as you say, would only be made with the Eagle clan,” Ahote mentioned. “I do not rule all of Nahela. You would have to bring your proposition to King Huitsilli if you seek alliance with all of the clans.”

“The Eagle will do then,” the prince agreed. “Amekeaha, please, an answer . . .”

He looked at Kaisoki, who shook her head. Then he looked at the eagle knights around him, who seemed to be thinking it over. His father, Amakulae, was more lost in thought than most.

“Mother, you listened to their story of the young Alityan prince. What do you make of it?”

“Spirits with powerful wills of revenge have been known to reincarnate in and possess the living. The only way to say if this is truly what has befallen Shai is for to go to the prince himself.”

“Amekeaha has vast unawakened powers, but you remember what it was like when they were revealed the first time. Do you think it wise for him to awaken them again?”

“Wise or not, it will happen again. If Amekeaha is to come into his own, we must step back and let him choose the path to follow.”

“If we let him go, we have no shaman to raise.” Amakulae mentioned.

“We have Yohko.”

“Yohko is an infant.”

“Yes, but Amekeaha learned quickly. It will not be so many years until his sister can learn as well.”

“So . . . you all want me to do this?” Amekeaha asked, surprised.

“That . . . is up to you,” was the final word.

Amekeaha suddenly missed his talks with Achak. If the village couldn’t decide, the serpent dragon would have good advice. Amekeaha wasn’t himself sure. He desperately wanted to take everything he had said about himself back, but it was too late.

“You want me to heal the spirit of a possessed child? I’m not anywhere near that level yet. I thought I told you it was a terror-bird – a legendary apex predator - who banished the dark reapers, not me.”

“Nonetheless,” Pyrite decided, “I think you would help.”

“I’m not sure I’m powerful enough to do this.” Amekeaha spoke carefully. “I don’t know anything about Shai or Nihillian. If I gave you the impression that I . . .”

Amekeaha stopped himself, now afraid he was being cowardly. He breathed deeply, wondering if anyone else would say anything. They seemed more anxious to hear his next words. 

“Pyrite, the problem is that you’re asking this boy to come live in Alitya when he has no idea how to live in Alitya. He won’t know any of our traditions or customs, let alone how to handle himself at your father’s court.” Malachite finally spoke up.

“Shai needs him, Malachite.”

“Shai will grow stronger on his own.”

“I am in the process of building a new and greater Alitya that hasn’t been seen since before Seigoku’s conquest. That will not happen with a curse afflicting my family. You know how this works, Malackie.”

“You say he will be treaty fairly,” she warned, “but it is only you who has made that promise. You can’t protect him from everyone, and Alitya isn’t exactly welcoming of foreigners right now. If Amekeaha is threatened, or ganged up on, who will speak out for him?”

“You speak out plenty for anyone.”

“I suggest waiting a few days,” Ahote decided. “The storm won’t pass for some time, and it doesn’t look like you’re in any condition to travel right now. Amekeaha, this is a path placed before you. Alliances can be forged in many ways, but it does sound like they need help. Take this time to think things over.”

Amekeaha slowly walked away, then looked back towards his village. In the distance, Amekeaha could see the boundary of the Whale Clan’s lands, just west of the Unktehila’s cove.

Unktehila Cove, that’s probably what we’ll call it from now on. The dragon’s skeleton will scar the lagoon for a great many years. I wonder if it was the raptor . . . though even that bird looked too small to take down such a leviathan. I’ll have to ask Achak . . .

How long has it been since Kaisoki and I were there . . . only a day! Wow, when it gets intense, time will both fly and stand. I need some help right now . . .

He walked east from Quauhtli village, until brushing away the overhanging vines and foliage revealed a vast river, flowing from distant mountains towards the skeleton shoals. The River of Quetzalcoatl.

Amekeaha knelt and meditated, opening his mind to the spirit world. There, the flow and current of the river was the same – only he could just make out the faint elemental impulses radiated by the powerful creatures of the realm. One in particular crashed upon his aura like a series of tsunami waves, overpowering him without effort.

“Achak, great serpent of the sky, rivers and forest, I need your help once again.” For a short while, Amekeaha waited, and the forest slowly grew silent. Then, the river itself roared, and ripples parted the current as a great green serpent exploded from its depths. Achak was easily fifty feet or more, a giant Shenlong-genus dragon covered in soft scales that almost became feathers along his mane, back, and tail. 

His head arose fifteen feet above the river surface, and looked down at the small human. Achak’s head alone was twice the boy’s size.

“Amekeaha!” The serpent-dragon recognized him. “It’s been a long time. You certainly look stronger than when last we spoke. Yet you are still concerned . . . cornered even, I can sense your disturbed aura.”

“Yes . . . I’m afraid I face a new path.”

“Speak then, humanchild and tell me of what has come to pass.”

“A group of warriors came from the  land of the Fenghuang and Huanglong. At first they came only to attack the raiding monsters, but in the battle I revealed my powers to them. Now they say the future ruler of their kingdom is possessed, and that I should try and dispel the curse. I have no idea how, but to simply refuse . . . what should I do?”

“Do you want to go?” Achak asked in return.

Amekeaha was silent for a while. “No,” he concluded. “I do not wish to leave my life here, I have friends and fun again. I want to be the shaman I’ve quested to become, but to do that, is it right for me to worry about the risk? Is it wrong for me to want to stay?”

“Of course not,” Achak said. “This is your home. Who can prove you will be welcomed as the foreigners say? How much do they know about what they are up against themselves?”

“Well, they speak as if they know it well . . .”

“Amekeaha, there are more than human outsiders that have invaded here, and they have already caused a great disturbance.”

“We were caught in the reaper ambush . . . and survived when a predator I’ve never seen before appeared from the sky.”

“I know . . . but this bird is no savior.”          

“So it was a terror-bird! What kind . . .”

“A voracious and frightening creature, the ancient enemy that the mightiest dragons fear above all others. That it struck against the reapers was likely an act of self-defense, and the bird has since moved on. With luck it will soon leave our realm entirely.”

Chapter 5 – Valley of the Terror-Birds

Tangihanga, the Nahelan funeral rites, were completed as the rains passed that night. Small latern boats in many colors lined a river that flowed into Whale clan territory. The families of the fallen did not speak, but sat with the Alityan visitors at a feast overlooking the sea where the Unktehila had been slain. Once again, the blackness of night was filled with the coos of birds and whistling of insects. The enigmatic apex predator had cleansed the forest of its demons, and respects could be given to the dead once again.

The bodies of the warriors had been given burials attuned to their dominant elements. The last one carried was the whale knight Kaikoa. He was laid in the river with his armor, and slowly disappeared into the current.

Kaisoki furled a wrap of vines and seaweed around her leg splint. In place of her water lilies, she now wore a crown of kawakawa leaves. Standing by Kainoe and Amekeaha’s side, she held their hands tightly. As the boat lanterns began to die away, they walked together back to her family’s hut. The soft patting of kiwi birds’ feet hinted at tiny movements in the shadows. After Kainoe had been called to bed, Amekeaha walked along the riverside with Kaisoki until they were completely alone.

Ahote met with Alya Pyrite after the rites.

“The pounamu mines were the primary export of Malila village. Janus must have stolen an entire cycle, along with his reapers. Then there was Zangua. Are you sure this was all to set up a trap?”

“My guess is Zangua was hired to protect the operation until the trap was sprung,” Pyrite concluded. “I don’t know where he’s gone now, he’s almost impossible to track. Kuritiasin slew Janus, so we won’t learn anything from him anymore.”

“You say you need Amekeaha now. When the boy first discovered his rare abilities, it was not right away welcomed within the villages. He was manipulated once, and ran away because of that. It was only with Achak’s guidance that he grew strong enough in his heart to return. You must be careful, your highness, if he agrees to accompany you he will be alone again. I cannot say it will end well.”

Malachite entered, and joined in on them. “I for one don’t like this,” she said. “The story you told was far too simple, Pyrite.” She began to explain, “First – we don’t know if Shai really is possessed, much less by some dead sorcerer’s spirit. It’s not impossible, but you want to abduct this boy Amekeaha on just a suspicion? This is not what we came to do.”

 “I didn’t order him.”

“You may as well have.” Malachite rebuked. “Did you see the way he looked at us? The way he looked back?”

Amekeaha later found them in mid-negotiation. Listening in on their negotiations, he hesitated showing himself. Kaisoki had long since left, and Kanname was now watching over Yohko as she tossed and turned in her nest.   

Ahote looked to Amekeaha, half-concealed behind a shoji wall. The chief gave Pyrite his leave to speak then.

“Well Amekeaha, have you made your decision?”

“I will go to Alitya – if you promise me that once my task is done, I will be reunited with my family here in Nahela.”

Alya Pyrite walked up to Amekeaha and bowed, sealing the pact now known to everyone in sight. “Thank you, then. We have an agreement.”

Nahela’s boundary was marked by a narrow gorge, between hills that led to a sheer drop to the sea, and the mountains that rose into the clouds. The grass here dominated the land. Thick bundles grew into tree-like structures. True trees were sparse, although they bore giant fruits. A few small moa species dotted the grass forest, well hidden from predators as they grazed the earth for seeds and roots. The rising blue sun was slowly dispersing the mist formed from water suspended in the thick grass.

Kyeran watched a herd of Amargasaurus browsing among widely-spaced trees. These sauropods travelled in small groups, and the adults were about thirty feet long. A row of spines lined their neck and shortened along their bright red-rust colored backs. The sauropods were too large for him to attack alone, and he was more tired than hungry. Mahuta’s guidance kept him moving northward, where eventually he would find the dragon’s gate, and, hopefully, more of his pack.

He could sense Mahuta following him, still empowered by the lightning of the massive seasonal storms that hit the island. If she attacked him again now, she could kill him easily. In the fog, or any dim light, Kyeran had the advantage over a diurnal hunter. Now that advantage was disappearing.

The high mountains to the west were a possible refuge, if he could avoid a confrontation with any large dragons. The other threat of the peaks was the Ankhinya phoenix, a hunter of the snow and ice . . . and Ankhinya were small enough for him to handle alone. Still, a climb would require a great deal of energy, and he needed to rest.

Kyeran decided to stick to the grass forest. He glided down to the ground, where the foliage towered above him. He was also following the human caravan through the grass forest. They had caught up with his speed over the human lands in the early morning as he was hunting. His encounters with the strange furballs some nights before confirmed that they were easy prey animals, and if he had to, he could snatch one of them for an easy meal.

Ashaya roused from her sleep at last. Wrapped in an eagle clan blanket, she felt her cold blood pressed snug against her body. It took her a moment to recognize her wounds still throbbed, and she spent a while gradually regaining her sight.  

Amekeaha sat beside her. They were being carried back to Alitya in the carriage that Ashaya and Malachite had arrived in on the night of the marchers. Pyrite, Malachite, and Kritias rode on the birds that pulled them, leaving a fourth bird free of weight. Inside Ashaya and Amekeaha rode, along with a small cage of three sparrows. Slightly larger than most species, though easily overlooked when released – they were meant for carrying messages over short distances if necessary.   

“Amekeaha . . .” Ashaya slowly recognized him. “Shouldn’t you be with Kaisoki?” she asked weakly.

“We’ve left Nahela,” he explained, and told her the rest of the story.

“WHAT?” She screamed, “Pyrite, I’m going to kill you!”

She then said nothing for a long time.

Ashaya watched the sauropods amble along as they travelled. Up ahead, a herd of Ouranosaurus scattered to claim the smaller fruit trees. These dinosaurs ranged from sixteen to twenty feet long, and supported massive hump-like sails along their backs. They displaced some of the smaller herbivores – various ratites and ornithopods, which shifted the grass in waves like a breeze had blown through as they ran.

A thunderous roar suddenly echoed, and Kyeran turned to see a large white predator stand atop a rock island. This furball was quite large, more massive than Kyeran himself though of similar length. Its forward-facing eyes revealed that it was a predator, and large saber-fangs hung from its upper jaw.

The human warriors jumped at the sound of its roar, and the prey animals of the plains scrambled in fear.

           “Byakko,” Kritias recognized the roar.

The white tiger lowered himself into the grass and began stalking towards Kyeran’s direction. Kyeran, however, had already seen the tiger and anticipated its approach. He hovered just above the high grass to pick a landing spot. Kyeran then hid himself, waiting for Byakko to come close.

Kyeran attacked head-on in a dancing threat display, and Byakko stepped back. This terror-bird was unusual to him, but he looked too small to overpower him. Terror-birds, however, were a lot stronger than they appeared. Byakko roared again, baring his fangs at Kyeran. The raptor charged again, extending his mane into a headdress of prismatic feathers and bared his own fangs.

Byakko then formed a ball of lightning in his mouth and fired the bolt at Kyeran. The raptor met the tiger’s lightning breath with his own and hissed. Byakko knew better than to push a terror-bird past its tolerance. From the corner of his eye, he spotted another target.

A single egg lay on the ground. It was slighty smaller than a large moa egg, brightly colored in flaming patterns. As Kyeran hissed him away, Byakko approached the lone egg and watched for the presence of another predator.

A huge bird, over seven feet in height, ran toward the tiger. The bird resembled an ostrich, only stronger-built and its large head supported a massive hooked beak. Its tail was made of fine peacock-like feathers, all longer than the bird was tall.

Pyropteryhacos fenghuang. Kyeran instantly recognized the species. The largest, fastest, and most powerful of the phoenix terror-birds.

That must be Saranyu, Kyeran figured. Legendary apex predator of the grass forest, and Byakko’s great rival. This should be interesting.

Byakko stood his ground. He charged at Saranyu in a head-on challenge and roared, baring four-inch long fangs. He swiped with his massive front paws, barely missing the phoenix’s soft belly. The terror-bird danced out of his reach, and struck back.

Saranyu’s beak came down like an axe, chopping a massive puncture through Byakko’s shoulder muscle and bone. Byakko roared cringed and crawled around the terror-bird. Saranyu lowered her head to meet him eye to eye, preparing to charge the tiger at full force.

Mahuta suddenly appeared in a flash of thunder over Saranyu’s hunting ground. Still chasing Kyeran from afar, she looked down upon the grass forest below and spotted Saranyu just a moment before the phoenix caught sight of her in return.

Saranyu shrieked in a high scream resembling an animal caught in flames. Mahuta flew closer to the ground, and Saranyu warned her with a rapid series of smacking her beak-jaws together in a loud clicking sound. Mahuta engulfed herself in electricity and charged Saranyu. Saranyu took off in explosive speed, and then immolated herself in red flames to counter the lightning eagle.

Byakko ran.

Kyeran watched the two birds in aerial combat. The dance of fire and lightning was more display than actual war, as neither of them seemed to suffer any real blows. Kyeran raised his mane feathers and surrounded himself in a twisting blue aura of cold wind, ready to defend himself if necessary. The smallest and lightest of the three, Kyeran calculated that he should be able to outmaneuver Saranyu and Mahuta if it came to battle.

Saranyu fired a violet-hot stream of fire at Mahuta, and finally the thundering eagle turned back towards her own territory. Saranyu watched as Mahuta disappeared into the clouds, then returned to the flame-patterned egg and kept watch. A tiny motion in her feathers hinted that a baby Fenghuang was hatching. 

With Saranyu as the grass forest sentinel, Kyeran decided it was too dangerous to keep travelling on foot. After the combined attacks from the Unktehila and Pouakai and near miss with Byakko, he was in no shape to challenge Saranyu if she caught him. The sky was safer – he was outside of Mahuta’s sight and territory. Kyeran ascended to the clouds and soared over the grass forest in silent wingflaps.

A tiny curved beak emerged from the fire-egg, and the newborn terror-bird rose to his feet for a few short seconds before laying in the soft earth of his new world.

Chapter 6 – Eagle's Thunder

The pass slowly diverged into a widening plateau east of the high mountain range. The thick grass forest also gradually opened into a green and golden grain savannah.

Pyrite’s eyes began to bleed, and he felt himself weakening. He motioned for the birds to stop, and dismounted. Malachite followed, then Kuritiasin.

“Ashaya, release the sparrow, with a message to your uncle. Tell him Alya Pyrite is weakening and we need assistance.” Kritias instructed.  “Thought, don’t mention Amekeaha just yet. It’ll be a long story.”

“Okay.”

Ashaya then wondered, “Is Eli coming back to help?”

“I don’t think so,” Kritias answered. “It’s just us until we reach Azurite.” He stood guard while Malachite helped Pyrite remove his armor and dress his wound.

“We’ll stop here for the night.”

“Shouldn’t we go back to the high grass?” Ashaya asked.

“We’re too vulnerable to predators in the high grass. They’ll sneak up and pick you off before you’d ever see them.”

“Actually, they’re quite skilled at doing that anywhere,” Amekeaha pointed out.

“Yes, but we may as well give them as little cover as we can.” Malachite said. “Keep your eyes and ears open, and don’t follow any noises. Crocottas like to mimic cries for help, and then swarm you as you head off to investigate.”

“You should try to reach Akelon’s palace tomorrow.” Kritias decided. “I’m not sure what to do for him now.”

“I don’t need your help, marauder.” Pyrite said.

“You think I care what you need?” Kritias said back. “I am not of your kingdom or under your banner, as you’ve said many times. As soon as we enter the city, I’ll take my leave.”

“Do you have to?” Ashaya asked.

“You know the answer to that, little one.” Kritias said.

“Akhitara Castle . . . is that your home?” Amekeaha asked Ashaya.

“Yeah,” she answered. “It’s a holding and a fortress at the boundary of the imperial city, though you won’t see much from its distance.”

“Alitya’s a big empire. Second only to Seigoku, though I’m hoping to one day change all that.” Pyrite said.

 “You think we might see Saranyu again?” Ashaya wondered as they began construction on a lean-to shelter.

Amekeaha stopped in his tracks. “You’ve seen Saranyu?”

“A long time ago.” When they had finished and sat down to consume provisions from the cart, she walked over to Amekeaha and spoke slowly as twilight descended on the plains.

“When I first became a page, Mom and my uncle would sometimes take me on very simple missions. One night, there was a village fire. The dead armies of the dark reapers attacked. Then the flames turned on them. I looked up, and saw the rainbow phoenix. It wasn’t just when we met, the apex predators seem to really not like those things invading their lands -  but they don’t always strike back, so the reapers are still a threat.”

“The night of the marchers wasn’t your first battle against the reapers, was it?”

“Hardly.”

“I can see Kuritiasin as being a reaper-hunter, but you surprise me. For one thing, you seem to be unusually experienced in battle for a mere page, and for another you weren’t shocked at all when you as well as woke up from death.”

“You shouldn’t be so quick to delve into such strange things,” Ashaya said hauntingly. “You may not like where they lead.”

“Are you alright?”

“I was cut pretty deep by the zombies. I’ve been feeling it for some time, just . . . trying to suppress it . . . is Pyrite asleep?” Ashaya asked.

“Yeah.”

She breathed in relief, then walked off alone. Amekeaha thought to himself for some time, waiting to talk to her more. She stayed away.

Eventually, he thought he might go and find her. Listening for a human noise, he walked slowly in and out of the shadows cast by the light of the Kiryu rings. He soon picked up a hint of rotting flesh, accompanied by a soft breathing and eating noise.

“Ashaya?”

She was licking at her cuts . . . sucking the blood out of them.

 “Ashaya, sucking won’t work . . .”

“Leave me alone!” she shoved violently. She then climbed to a low-hanging branch of a tree and lay like a cat, wide awake and waiting.

“I’m not the one you should worry about.”

Mahuta awoke to the dawn of the azure sun. Since their battle, both Saranyu and Kyeran had moved on. The raptor was likely headed for the dragon’s gate in Seigoku. The phoenix could be anywhere, and with a new chick she would be particularly aggressive if encountered again. It was time to return to her own realm, in the Nahelan jungles.

Below, she watched the distinct outlines of a small group of humans watching the riding birds. The leader was a knight in black armor waited for them to come close. He was big for a Kiryu human, with coarse white hair and a face sculpted by many scars. The greatsword in his hand was stained with layers of blood, and several warriors in green and azure samurai armor were gathered behind him. One stood in front of the team, on a hillside that covered their presence as they prepared for ambush.

“Zangua, there they are.” The sentinel directed. The black knight took in the battlefield, then approached his warriors.

“We strike hard and fast. Kill, and then get out.”  He said. “These Akhitara knights are tricky. If one gets away, let them. There will be another time.” He turned to his archer and gave a small gesture.

 “Fire.”

A lone arrow tipped with fire flew through the air. It missed the cart, alerting the knights in just enough time to see the second hit right between the birds that carried it and begin engulfing the cart in flame.

Ashaya’s eyes lit. She stretched her hands, and the carriage walls burst into flaming splinters as she lept from the bird she rode with Malachite, her falchion drawn. The caged sparrows flew off, only marginally singed.

Kritias caught sight of one samurai coming at them from the left. Two others went around them to block the way back.

 “They’re surrounding us,” he called out. “You two, inner ring.”

Ashaya and Amekeaha stood behind the three knights, protecting any gaps in their defense. The warriors closed in on them, and Ashaya manipulated the flames from the charred cart into an arc that scorched the grass in a wave of heat. Two samurai came out of hiding and slashed at the Alityan warriors. Pyrite drew his longsword and took them on alongside Malachite. Kritias headed for the left.

Pyrite sliced at his enemy with a barrage of swift, single strikes. Malachite was more fluid in her attacks, twirling her jian and blocking blows from numerous strange angles. She twisted her sword in a circling motion and quickly managed to outmaneuver the warriors’ blade, finally gutting him with a backwards stroke.   

Amekeaha lifted a thin cloud of water from the ground and plants around him, then merged it with the wind to form a misty veil around him and Ashaya. Focusing on swirling the fog, he then created a twister-like current and struck at the warriors approaching from behind. He could use this as a conduit for a lighting attack.

He was then distracted by a faimilar screech in the sky. A great bird of thunder soared in the rising warmth. “Mahuta?” Amekeaha was surprised to see the great thunder eagle so far from Nahela.

Kritias slashed the throat of a warrior. As Ashaya advanced to face one heading for her, Malachite stepped in to block his advance. Then she was pushed back with the hard force of a heavy sword’s blow and tumbled. 

There, in the midst of the battle, stood the black knight.

 “YOU!” Ashaya whispered in rage. Shaking, she held to her falchion sword. She prepared to attack, but Kritias attacked first.

In a flurry of bloodletting slashes, his mortuary sword and Zangua’s greatsword clashed and crossed. Each stood his ground while the other hacked away, and Zangua smiled. He hit Kritias with a heavy blow to the stomach from his hilt, and then changed direction to come at him with the blade.

His path was suddenly cut off by a stream of fire that torched the newly dried grass. Amekeaha then rose his summoned fire in a burst of energy that forced the black knight back.

Ashaya saw her opportunity and called the flames to orbit around her falchion blade, then ran straight for Zangua.

She was caught – and held back by two azure-armored samurai.

“Hold her.” Zangua commanded. He watched her for a moment, then spoke to Ashaya directly. “I regret I don’t have time to chase you right now. I would have much preferred to make a game out of this.”

“So would I . . .” Ashaya’s eyes turned fire-red and gold. Zangua hesitated for just a moment, watching the transformation. Her mouth opened in a hissing sound, and she looked right then as if she was about to strike.

Zangua swung his sword.

Pyrite caught the blow.

Zangua’s blade carved through Pyrite’s armor like an axe. As he felt the immense pressure of the impact, Pyrite choked blood and wheezed.

The black knight swung again, Pyrite barely absorbing the blows with his sword.

Ashaya’s eyes swelled at the sight of the blood. Malachite and Kuritiasin flanked Zangua on two sides in a duel, but he evaded any effective blows.

Ashaya! Amekeaha called. In that split second, looking up to the sky, he realized he had one possible weapon to protect his new guardians.

“Mahuta, almighty eagle of thunder and rain, hear my call to the sky. I beseech you, with my heart and soul and I surrender myself to you and your will in exchange only ask to invoke your powers of lightning for this one moment. Help me this one time, guardian of the spirit world . . .”

           

“Harpagornis . . . SHEET LIGHTNING!” Amekeaha roared. Golden lightning discharged form high in the atmosphere and rained down in a ground-shaking clash between earth and sky. All warriors within the blast sphere were impaled by scalding beams of crackling light.

Amekeaha fell to his knees, instantly drained of all strength even to stand. With each of his wounds from the reaper battle re-opening, he slowly crawled over to where Ashaya lay. He gently lifted her head into his lap . . . and then fell beside her.

Chapter 7 – White Wizard

 

 

Amekeaha awoke in a dark room. The streams of blood that had been ripped from his skin by the undead reapers flowed again whenever he moved. The cost of merging with Mahuta’s elemental power had been near death. He almost thought he’d been blinded, but slowly shapes began to take form. He made out the outline of the cot he lay on, and then the huge window with the red and gold lights marking the cityscape outside.

He stood on weak legs from the electrical shock, and walked slowly out of the room to a hall on top of a giant spiral stairway that led to an empty hall. The walls were decorated in bright paintings of the Alityan people and animals. After a short distance it led to a shrine room lit by candles of every color. In front of them hung two beautiful tapestries behind large chairs. One was decorated with the image of a serpentine yellow dragon. The other was the image of a giant prismatic phoenix with a beak larger and more vicious than any eagle’s. Amekeaha stared, imagining the fury of the mighty carnivores.

“King Akelon’s throne.” An old man in a long white and silver robe appeared behind him. “Do you intend on usurping it, Amekeaha?” He asked humorously.

“Who are you?”

“Shirou.” The wizard called himself, “and you are the Nahelan boy I’ve heard about. After you fell in the battle against the Seigoku warriors, the Akhitara managed to travel with you and the prince back here, with Azurite’s help. I offered a bit of my own aid, especially considering Pyrite’s injuries.”

Amekeaha looked up at the tapestries again. “Those predators . . .”

“The Fenghuang and Huanglong,” the wizard said. “The strongest phoenix and dragon of the Alityan plains, and symbols of the empire. Your region has its own patron apex predators, I hear.”

“Harpagornis pouakai and Quetzalcoatl shenlong.”

“When humans first built their kingdoms upon Kiryu’s soil, they established their boundaries to follow the outlines of the apex predators’ territories. By now, many have been absorbed by the larger, stronger nations – in a neverending struggle to stand alone as the greatest of all.”

“Are you King Akelon’s wizard?”

“I am a mere wandering sage, seeking the secrets of the world. I occasionally help the lords of the empires in their quests, though I do not stay here or in any one place very long. And you’re here to break the spell on Alya Shai. Well good luck, I’ve had none myself. Although the gesture may be one of the few smart things Pyrite has ever done, and a fitting end for him.”

“End?”

 “Alya Pyrite is dead.”

Amekeaha stepped back from Shirou.

“He succumbed to his wounds from fighting Zangua. I know you tried to save them, Amekeaha, but it seems the reapers had poisoned him before, and all of this gradually took its toll.”

Amekeaha sat, shaking. He had waited too long in his attack. If Pyrite had been poisoned by the reapers, Ashaya very likely had been as well.

In fact, hadn’t she said that herself?

He had been too late.

“What now?” he asked Shirou.

“You’re to be sent to the tower with the pages until Akelon sees you himself. We must decide what to do with you.”

Amekeaha looked at Shirou, confused.

“I’m afraid, with Pyrite’s death, so too the treaty he made with Nahela may no longer stand. I cannot say what will be done then.”

“Akelon does not want me?” Will I then be killed, or might I possibly be able to return to Nahela? He missed Kaisoki, and Kainoe even. Perhaps seeing them would soon be possible.

“I don’t know,” Shirou answered. “Shai is not so much in need of help as Pyrite seemed to have thought. He’s actually quite strong. Forgive me for my opinion, but Pyrite was often misled. Shai has had his share of nightmares and demons, but I think this may more come from his yet unsuccessful attempts at surpassing his siblings. He does get frustrated, even vengeful, quite easily.”

“How many Alya siblings are there?”

“Five.” Shirou said. “Well, four now. Pyrite was the oldest.”

“He fell protecting Ashaya . . . just as she moved to fight Zangua herself.”

“That sounds like her.”

“What will happen to her?”

“Oh, nothing.” Shirou laughed, trying to sound reassuring. “She’ll be fine, after some recuperation, and bound to get thrashed around again. Somethimes I’m astounded she’s still in one piece. It’s really not natural.”

 Amekeaha then thought of a curious question, “What is Ashaya’s relationship to Shai?”

 “Why do you ask?”

“She said he was a creep.”

Shirou laughed again. “She would. Well, the Akhitara clan are the bodyguards of the imperial family, assigned to that task more than the other knights.”

“Are they related to the royals?”

“Distantly. Actually, many of us humans now alive are related within a few generations. The war of the four gods was a huge bottleneck. I guess the apex predators didn’t care much for how they were destroying us.”

“They have no reason to hate us.”

“They suppress us, Amekeaha.” Shirou’s voice suddenly turned colder. “They prey on us mercilessly, and relentlessly. I lost someone close to me, a long time ago when Seiryu attacked.”

“I have too, by Mahuta’s claws.”

“Then you should know what I mean. It is claimed the great predators protect the world, but each time they are summoned they cause disaster. Now I am not Akelon’s servant, but I ally with Alitya because Seiryu’s empire is invested in conquest once again. You need not concern yourself. Your task is far simpler than mine – or at least has only one goal.”

He then left the boy to his thoughts.

Amekeaha decided to explore the castle. He had heard of Huitsilli’s palace in the heart of Nahela, but this was the first he’d seen from the inside. It was like a maze, with small rooms connected by long halls. He thought he could faintly make out a weeping noise, and followed it quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he almost saw an eyeball open from a translucent shoji wall – but when he glanced back, it was just a hole. If someone was inside, they weren’t moving around.

Imagining things, probably.

He then felt a hand on his shoulder, and nearly jumped out of his skin. He had seen no shadow – although it was very dark, barely even navigable for his weakened vision.

“Ashaya . . .”

“I guess we’re even now,” she whispered. “Though channeling Mahuta’s lightning should have killed you.”

“Where did you come from?”

“I was coming to see you. I’ve barely been able to get away from Kohana – she’s terrified and distraught, and Akelon is furious.”

“Who is Kohana?”

“The youngest of the five. Pyrite’s little sister.” She said. “How long have you been active?”

“Not long. I met Shirou.”

“Shirou, really?” She suddenly became more interested. “What did he want with you?”

“It seemed only to talk. Is it true that Alya Pyrite is dead?”

“I hadn’t heard . . .”

“It’s true.” A knight with very long and straight pink and blue hair turned the dark corner in front of them.

That’s not Malachite, Amekeaha noticed. This knight wore red and brass armor. She seemed unusually upset as she sharply grabbed Ashaya by the shoulders.

“Lucy-sama . . . is there something you need?”

“It’s because of you. Tell me! What is it going to take to kill you?”

“Lucy! That’s enough!” Shirou rebuked. “The knights are gathering in the great hall. You should join them and leave her alone. Ashaya did more than enough to try and stop Pyrite’s murder.”

“Ashaya, you should prepare for training.”

“Amekaha, go with her. You may well be sent to learn along with them, so you may as well get acquainted with the other apprentices here.”

“Shirou, about Amekeaha . . .”

“I’ll see to it that he’s taken care of.”

“Thanks.”

Ashaya headed to her quarters to prepare.

From a hidden sliding door, a young boy came out, pushing the eyehole-shoji aside. He looked exhausted, and angry. Ghostly white hair covered his face, and he was desperately hiding his expression. Slowly, he approached Ashaya and spoke in a deep, haunting voice.

“What now, Shai?”

The boy then drew a khopesh from his belt. He raised the sickle-sword to her head, and Ashaya realized she was without her falchion. Well, if he wanted to fight anyway . . .

“Shai, what’s going on?” she asked to find out.

“I wanted YOU!” He moaned. Shai declared in a deep, hollow voice. He grabbed Ashaya by her robe and threw her to the floor. Her head was bruised upon impact and splintered the wood. “How did you survive the assault in the Nahelan forest?”

Ashaya spun on her hands to get up. She kicked him in the collarbone, kocking him down as well.

Shai arose and spun around, slashing a shallow cut to her back. Ashaya turned to punch, but he evaded the blow. However, it gave her an opportunity to grab his arm and twist him around. Shai tripped her with his leg, and they both crashed.

Shai then crouched on all four limbs above Ashaya and knelt on her legs, pinning her to the ground. “Shai, what are you doing?”

The young prince’s eyes glowed red.

“You won’t be escaping this time.”

Ashaya grabbed his wrists and, with fire summoned from her fragile life-force, singed both of their hands to try and break his hold.

Shai remained completely unphased by the burns as she screamed.

“You’re weak now. Don’t worry, this will all be over soon.” He said in a dark voice. He then wielded a khopseh at her. “Try anything, and I’ll slit your throat.”

A shockwave coursed through Shai’s body, instantly paralyzing him. He was then levitated a meter above the floor and pushed back, slamming against the wall. Ashaya shakingly crawled away, to see Amekeaha standing above her.

“Ashaya, did he hurt you?” Amekeaha asked as he ran to help her up.

“What happened?” a small girl asked as she appeared from the stairs.

“Kohana!”

“Stop!” she yelled. Ashaya had regained her footing and was dragging Shai’s body. She threw him, bludgeoning his head against the floor in retaliation.

Amekeaha held onto her arm. “Ashaya, no!”

Kohana then stood in their path.

“If he attacks me like that again, I’ll break his skull!” Ashaya declared. “And yours too, if you get in my way again. And you’re not exactly helping yourself by showing off your power. If you don’t want to stay, don’t give anyone reason to keep you!”

“I didn’t ask to be taken here, Ashaya.” Amekeaha argued.

“You didn’t fight it enough, either. Did you really think this would be a friendly occupation as long as you were wanted? The people here are dangerous, Amekeaha. If you want to survive, you need to become dangerous yourself.”

 Chapter 8 – Training Grounds of Alitya

Amekeaha risked following Ashaya, after he had helped Kohana carry Shai back to his room. Once again he noticed the shoji wall, with tiny colored squares. He had seen no eyes this time, but the small lights and shadows patterned throughout the room could easily create the illusion of them.

Ashaya’s room was in the servants’ wing, a small cave-like alcove with only a small collection of clothes and tools, including her fire-hued falchion. Amekeaha waited outside, but she could tell he was there.

Not surprising, really, she must be used to being ambushed.

“Do you want to follow me to the training grounds?” she asked.

“Hmh.” Amekeaha said with a nod. “You’re right. I don’t know how anything works around here. I’ll need some help for a while.”

“It’s okay.” She said. “Just wait for me.”

Amekeaha paced the hall back and forth.

“You!” a man called out to him. “Nahelan boy! What are you doing?”

“Ashaya was going to show me to the . . .”

“You’re to be taken to the tower first. You must be outfitted as an Alitya apprentice, and given a weapon first.”

“I’m not here to be a warrior . . .”

“ . . .Yet Shai is, and if you’re to accompany him, you must be prepared to defend him. Shirou has also arranged for you to study with the wizards.”

“Wizards? I already have shaman powers. I thought that was why Pyrite recruited me. Why am I being sent to learn when I was brought to act?”

“That is not for me to answer. You will do what has been decided. Now here . . .” the man said as he handed him a page’s attire, “you will need to blend in with us here.”

“What?” Amekeaha was taken aback. “I made these robes myself. They’re my connection to Nahela.”

“You are Alityan now.”

“I never agreed to that!”

“It doesn’t matter what you agreed to anymore. Pyrite is dead, so you must make yourself useful to us or the treaty does not stand at all. You will get the chance to show the king what you can do later, but for now, you must become one of us to earn your place here.”

“If I do not?” Amekeaha dared ask, in a small voice.

The silent response was as good as a long explanation. Amekeaha almost felt like crying, like shouting “I don’t care!” right into the man’s face. He had indeed made a mistake in coming to Alitya. Now that they had him, it was clear they weren’t letting him go. Maybe ever.

How could they? Amekeaha thought. I promised to help Shai if I could, why are they doing this to me?

“What’s this?” He was asked.

A spark of resolve lit inside Amekeaha after that mocking tone. Alright, if this is how they want to play, I’ll play along. For now. And whatever you have in mind for me, whatever scheme you people are actually concocting, I’ll find out.

I was the disciple of the Quetzalcoatl dragon, and you have underestimated me. I’ll pretend, but I won’t become one of you. I’ll get my shaman robes back later. I’ll even steal them if I have to, they’re not taking my identity from me!

When he had changed, Amekeaha was led to a courtyard within the walls of Akelon’s palace. A couple of the apprentices were already out, practicing their swordfighting and routine exercises.

“Kaolinite, come here!”

A young boy, slightly older than Ashaya, came forward. He wore the clothes of a knight apprentice, with plates of rusty and beige armor. Along his back he wore a small sheathed greatsword. He bowed to the man, and addressed him as “Raquel.”

“Who’s this?”

“His name is Amekeaha. He’s come requested as a vassal of Prince Shai. I want you to test him today, see what he can do. We have yet to decide where to begin with him.”

“Can he fight?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Well?”

“That depends on the kind of fighting.” Amekeaha answered.

“Well then,” Kaolinite challenged, “choose a weapon.”

Amekeaha picked a simple longblade. Kaolinite reached for his greatsword, and picked up a tower shield as well that gave almost his whole body cover.

Amekeaha spun his wrist and struck. Kaolinite blocked each blow with his shield, or occasionally the broad edge of his sword. He barely tried to attack at all, only lunging forward in brief moments when Amekeaha left his body open. Still, the young shaman managed to deflect most of his strikes. It seemed that Kaolinite’s strategy was to outlast his opponent, more than outmatch them.

It began to work. Amekeaha felt the sword grow heavier in his arms after a few minutes, and Kaolinite continued to draw him in with mock opportunities. One more assault, and Amekeaha took a massive slam on the head from the tower shield. He fell backwards and rolled in the mud.

“Pathetic,” Kaolinite said. “Nobody falls for that anymore.”

Amekeaha wanted to show Kaolinite just how pathetic his telekinetic powers were, when suddenly a barrage of lightning-swift falchion strokes carved into his shield.

“Akhitara Ashaya!” The boy greeted.

“You want to see pathetic, you shield-whore?” Ashaya challenged. “Go find a reflection.”

“You should talk,” Kaolinite struck back. “And look at you . . . drenched in your own blood again. You’re not exactly the greatest yet, are you? Figures, since it was you who got Pyrite killed.”

“That’s not true,” Amekeaha defended. He stood next to Ashaya. She was one of the smallest Alityan children Amekeaha had seen, who were already smaller than young Nahelans. Yet Ashaya never seemed to don armor, even against heavily reinforced adversaries. After watching her spar against Jaiet, though, he thought to stepped back.

“Kaolinite, you don’t pick on the new arrivals until you’re done with me. Understand?”

“Always the hothead, aren’t you?

“You dare . . .” Amekeaha stepped forth to challenged Kaolinite, but was knocked to the ground by a swift burst of flames.

“You keep out of this!” The demand had come from Ashaya.

Kaolinite smirked. “The two of you are no match for me.” He began to turn away, looking back one last time. “You couldn’t gouge a mere dummy after the beating you got in Nahela. As for your sorcerer friend, he’ll be lucky to last one day among us. I’ll let you off to lick your wounds this time.”

Ashaya was furious. “Don’t you turn your back on me, Kaolinite, or I’ll skin you alive! Don’t forget – I was made a warrior long before you and I’ll be a knight long before you.”

Kaolinite stopped in his tracks and approached Ashaya within inches of her face.

“You listen to me about that – you only got an apprenticeship because your high and mighty delinquent mother was close with the prince.”

Ashaya looked like she was about to throw her sword away and break his neck.

“You never had to struggle to earn your place here as I have. And you’re not even grateful for that, always having to prove yourself. You never even recognized Pyrite as your father, though why I have no idea.”

Pyrite’s daughter? Amekeaha wondered. Didn’t she say to my friends that she wasn’t a princess? Just what is going on here?

“So go ahead and throw your lot in with weaklings, With any luck it’ll at least get you killed before you’re any real trouble.”

 Chapter 9 – Giant Kodamaraptor

Ashaya did not reappear after training.

Amekeaha later found her in Kohana’s chambers, crying to herself as she looked outside through the princess’ window view of the giant river north of the palace.

“Ashaya . . .” He said softly,

“They’re right.” She sobbed. “They’re all right. Lucy, Kaolinite, they say everything that happened is because of me and it is! It is all my fault! If I had looked out for you, they wouldn’t have stolen your shaman robes. I might even have been able to get them to let you go!”

Amekeaha held Ashaya, and turned her around to watch her tears.

“Why did Pyrite protect me? He’s always hated me, why should I now have a debt to him? I hate it!”

“You wanted to take on Zangua yourself.

“A little while ago, he raided the village my family looks over. I was with my friends at the time, and he attacked. He killed my friend Sakura as we were playing together. That time, too, I was only narrowly spared. I resolved to bring him down one day, though I didn’t think we’d meet again so soon. I’ve also heard many stories about him – just like how he killed your friend Kaisoki’s father.”

“Is that why you became a warrior?” Amekeaha assumed.

“No. I knew I wanted to be a warrior long before that. My whole family are knights, and so, it was just expected. But Zangua . . . is mine to take down! Mine! I want to see my sword flow with his blood!”

Similar to Shai, Ashaya suddenly turned frightening. Amekeaha grabbed Ashaya and hugged her. “I’m sorry.”

“Ashaya, is this what it’s like for you?” He asked. “These past few days . . . is this normally what happens to you? That everyone is like this?”

“Well, I might give Kaolinite a hard time . . . “It’s not for you to worry about,” was her answer. “Amekeaha, thank you for getting Shai off me. Listen, as much as I can, I will protect you so long as you have to be here.”

“We’ll protect each other then.”

“If you want to go home, just try your best with Shai, and don’t draw too much attention to yourself. They’ll only ask more of you if you do.

“She has a point there,” a voice startled them from the shadows.

“Uncle Azurite!” Ashaya’s uncle looked quite a bit like Malachite, with slightly rougher hair and sapphire-blue armor.

“I wondered what had happened to you two.”

“I’m sorry,” Ashaya said to him. “I was tired, so I took a nap, and then Kohana wanted me to fix her hair, and I guess I forgot to help with dinner . . .”

“It’s alright.” Azurite assured her. “I’ve heard everything.”

“I also had a dream . . . about the terror-bird that destroyed the dark reapers.” “It was like the night I saw Saranyu.”

“The terror-bird who came for us?” Amekeaha suddenly remembered it at her mentioning. “That was something different. If I had tried to explain it more, that too might have been of more help.”

“This mysterious terror-bird” . . . Azurite wondered, “You think you can remember what it looked like?”

Ashaya and Amekeaha worked on illustrations of the raptor, each trying to convey, as best as their memories could interpret, the shape and size of the cryptid and anything that set its species apart from what they knew it wasn’t.

Azurite studied the drawings carefully. “Well, the coloring suggests an Ankhinya . . .” Azurite observed. “Although there is a problem with that, as you said – the Pouakai forest is in a lowland region. Ankhinya don’t usually come down from the high mountains, though they will . . . occasionally descend to challenge dragons that come close to their territories.

“Uncle Azurite saw an Ankhinya once before, not so far up the Seigoku slopes.” Ashaya said. “I always liked that story.”

Azurite nodded. “A long time ago. After we helped Elyssia escape, I was travelling up the mountains when I was suddenly caught in a blinding snowstorm. I met a young woman who rescued me from the blizzard. We lived together for a short time. The night before she vanished, an Ankhinya appeared to us out of nowehere. A lot like the bird you spoke of.”

“Wow . . . that is strange . . .” Amekeaha would have like to hear more, “but aren’t those peaks are too far away to belong to a bird in Nahela? And Ankhinya are beaked birds – I definitely saw fangs on this one.”

“Fangs?” Azurite asked in surprise.

“Its head almost looked more like a dragon’s head that a terror-bird’s.”

“Well, there is one more possibility – Kodamaraptor.”

“I’ve seen those,” Amekeaha said. “The sickle-clawed birds that prey on tree spirits”.

“It does look a lot like a kodamaraptor,” Azurite said, “there’s just one problem,” “kodamaraptor are tiny. Unless there were a whole pack of them, they’re way too small to create enough elemental force to have destroyed the horde you spoke of in a single blast.”

“No, there was only one. It was huge in comparison to these. Large enough to rival or even surpass the mighty Pouakai eagle.” Ashaya concluded.

“Then I’m afraid you’ve got me stumped. No bird like that has ever been seen by human eyes.” 

 Chapter 10 – Kyeran's Journey (part 1)

 

In the ringlit night, Kyeran ascended, finally perching on a tower looking out at the bright center of Alitya.  Like the great ziggurat of Nahela, the palace rose above the human settlement.

Kyeran’s feathered mane flickered in the sharp wind currents, sparkling with its tiny iridescent specks – a miniature flash of the brilliant aurora displays he had used to communicate with his pack members.

“This is a strange world I’ve landed in, Sapphiroth.” He said.

Kyeran closed his eyes and meditated, extending his senses to the spirits and elements that made up the worlds around him. “The ripples of power and energy spread far beyond our mere bodies. I can sense something unusual about this place. Why is our kind a stranger here, what are those monsters I fought?”

I’m curious . . . where would a quest in this place lead? He felt a temptation to stay, to wander the world of furballs and solve its mysteries.

Then, the image of the eight-headed dragon returned to his mind. The illusion the Unktehila had created before she was slain, most likely he assumed by his pack. They still could have suffered deaths on their side – who among the raptors had survived the battle?

Was the clash with the Unktehila a test? Kyeran suddenly woundered. That’s something Sapphiroth might do, and the timing of his return to the family now seemed all too coincidental.

If Sapphiroth led us into a trap . . . unforgivable! The pack could easily have been wiped out by the sea dragon.

Soragekiryu’s power could defeat him . . .

Was he even supposed to go and look for them?

Kyeran closed his eyes one more time, then stared out into the night sky.“My friends – I can sense you are still alive. If you are waiting for me, then I will make you proud when I return. I will find you, and protect you. I will become the most powerful apex predator you’ve ever seen.”

 

Cast of Characters; their name meanings, ages, and roles

                       Human characters that have two names are known by their family name first, then their given name. Ashaya, for example, is introduced as ‘Akhitara Ashaya’ stating her clan first, then her personal name.

Apex Predators

Kyeran, winged velociraptor, “little dark star”, young winged velociraptor

Mahuta (Harpagornis pouakai) Eagle, guardian of the Nahelan jungles

            Saranyu (Pyropteryhacos fenghuang) Phoenix, guardian of the Altiyan plains

-          and a yet unnamed Fenghuang chick

Kiryu Humans (of Nahela)

Amekeaha “rainfire”, 14, apprentice shaman

Kaisoki “seaweed tree”, 13, fisher-girl

Kainoe “sea mist”, 5, Kaisoki’s little brother

Kaikoa, Nahelan warrior, Kaisoki and Kainoe’s father (mentioned only)

Ahote, Nahelan Eagle Clan chief

            Kanname, “rain from the / in the direction of the sea”, Nahelan shamanness

            Amakulae, Eagle knight, Amekeaha’s father

            Yohko “leaf child”, >1, Amekeaha’s infant sister

            Jaiet “jet lightning”, 15, young Eagle knight

            Mina, priestess of the Pouakai (Harpagornis) Eagle

            Kele, 11, Nahelan apprentice warrior

Kiryu Humans (of Alitya)

King Akelon “alone” or “rules alone”, 49, king of Alitya

Alya Pyrite “pyrite mineral”, 33, knight-prince of Alitya

Alya Shai “fate”, 11, youngest prince of alitya

Alya Kohana “little flower”, 8, youngest princess of Alitya

Lucy, Alityan knight, 29, ranked highest after Akelon and Pyrite

Akhitara Azurite “azurite of the fire-star clan”, 32, Alityan knight

Akhitara “Malackie” Malachite “malachite of the fire-star clan”, 32, Alityan knight

Akhitara Ashaya “swift ashes of the fire-star clan”, 12, apprentice knight

            Raquel, Alityan knight

            Kaolinite “clay mineral”, 13, apprentice knight

Kiryu Humans (of unrevealed lands)

Orion “Kritias” Kuritiasin “powerful hunter”, 34, marauder

Zangetsuha “Zangua” “blood cutting wave”, mercenary black knight

Janus “two-headed god”, reaper lord (mentioned only, presumed dead)

Elyssia “lightning-struck”, 19, (mentioned only, disappeared)

SPECIES GUIDE TO EPISODE 3: EAGLE’S THUNDER

Winged Velociraptor (New Species): Kyeran, a young teenager, is the only member of this species to appear in “Eagle’s Thunder”. The species has many color phases, Kyeran is an arctic cerulean hue. These Deinonychus-like raptors bear wings shaped like hobbies’ (highly-maneuverable falcons). Feathered completely from head to tail to ankle, only the taloned feet are bare scales. Legs support a second, smaller pair of wings useful for soaring and maneuverability. Tail also supports a wide fan of primary feathers.

Pouakai (Harpagornis pouakai): A legendary eagle of the forests. This species is based on the real Harpagornis Eagle that lived in New Zealand and was the moa’s only true predator until the arrival of humans. Mahuta’s name comes from Tane Mahuta, also known as Tane, the god of forests and birds in Maori mythology. Dragonraptor’s Mahuta is the dominant Pouakai eagle of her territory.

Kauri Tree (Agathis australis): a huge coniferous tree native to New Zealand on Earth, found in warm regions. The tree has smooth bark, narrow leaves, and is capable of growing over fifty meters tall. Mahuta and many Harpagornis eagles make their eyries (nests) in kauri trees.

Amargasaurus: A (relatively) small sauropod dinosaur, with a row of spines along its back and tail. Like many sauropods, this was a browser (Amargasaurus was probably a low browser), gentle but too large a prey animal for most predators.

Ouranosaurus: A large iguanodont with a high hump-like sail along its back. Another of Alitya’s large browsers/grazers, travelling in large wandering herds.

Anabisetia: The ornithopod species inhabitaing the grass forest. This is a small and simple species, from the same group as the “duckbills”, even though Anabisetia is not one.

Byakko (Dinofelis byakko): A white tiger-like cat beast, based on the White Tiger of the West, also known as Bai-Hu in Chinese and Japanese mythology. Dragonraptor’s Byakko is about the size of a large Jaguar, with 4-inch saber teeth. Also similar to the Smilodon cats, Byakko is a rival of the phorusrhacos-like Fenghuang.

        (Phorusrhacids did overlap in time and region with some of the saber-tooth cats for a brief period in Earth’s history, so this conflict is based on very possible confrontations.)

Fenghuang (Pyropteryhacos fenghuang): A legendary firebird that lives on the Alityan plains. Strongest and most violent of the phoenix species, seven feet tall with a beak built like a battleaxe. The genus name Pyropteryhacos means “fire-wing bearer”, merging the fire attribute of mythical phoenixes with the Phorusrhacidae, the family of terror-birds that ruled South America for nearly sixty million years.

Crocotta: A small carnivore, only mentioned so far, that stalks humans and human settlements. Viverrid-like in appearance, it has a long, wide jaw and can mimic the cries of other animals to lure its prey.