Pushing Sain into the bushes a final time, Mira strode boldly into the clearing amidst the growing buzz of the swarm's descent. Sain felt a sense of helplessness wash over him as he clutched Mira's egg close to his chest. Despite being close to noon, the light began to dim under the swarm's sheer numbers seeming to block out the sun itself. After making it to the center of the clearing, rising to her full height, Mira let forth a powerful screech of challenge towards the swarm.
"There you see boys," the familiar woman's voice echoed, seemingly coming from the swarm itself, "I told you it wouldn't take long to catch up. But my, doesn't she look feisty! Best of luck Cain in taming THAT beast!"
Sain felt his heart sink as he watched the foliage coalesce into a platform where the three youths from earlier stood looking down upon Mira, looking for all the world like kings viewing an ant and deciding if it would be worth their time to crush it. As they stood there, a look of surprise flashed across their faces followed by one of suspicion.
"Gile, look at its wing. It has been tended to." Cain said, a hint of concern in his voice. "You are certain none of the others knew about the beast?"
"Yes sir. I know the paths that all the other adepts have taken in search of their familiars! None of them came this way, or they passed by long ago." Gile responded, equally concerned.
"What does it matter if it has been tended to?" Kara asked, obviously displeased with the two. "Even if one of the other adepts have been working to strengthen their bond with it they aren't here now. If you tame it, you tame it, and if not then we have deprived a rival of a powerful asset."
"But-" Gile began nervously.
"Look, if the two of you are that frightened by the prospect of offending another adept, then what is the point of you training at all?" Kara exclaimed. "I already sent the swarm to examine the area and there is no one around for miles!"
Sain heard her words and let out a soft breath he hadn't known he had been holding. But what does that mean? Had he been overlooked? Shaking his head, Sain once again turned his attention to Mira, who had not moved from the center of the clearing and seemed to be weighing the three youths and the swarm.
"I will send half my swarm to weaken her as agreed, after that the two of you can join forces to subdue her and you can get your precious briar hawk." Kara said with a sigh at the two, as Cain snorted in derision and Gile shuffled his feet.
With a wave of her hand, the swarm that had been filling the sky seemed to gather together to create a living funnel cloud. The swarm dove towards Mira and to each side of Kara. Her companions went into action swinging their staves in unison. A soft crystal glow began to emanate from the tips of their staves, light that seemed to call the world itself to respond.
With a soft tearing sound, the earth itself began to split apart as thin root tendrils rapidly ripped themselves from the earth, attempting to lash at the giant bird. As the roots drew near, Mira let out a high pitched whistle and the roots seemed to freeze around her before impact, growing thicker and hardening. With another wave of his staff, Cain swung it up, the light from the crystal intensifying, and Sain watched in horror as the solid roots suddenly began to wither and rot almost instantly while the crystals light seemed to get brighter and brighter.
At this moment the swarm arrived. Thousands of drones swarmed Mira, clawing at her feathers to find purchase beneath and flesh in which to inject their venom. Mira let out a frustrated shriek and attempted to roll on the ground in an attempt to dislodge the horde of insects, an audible popping sound evident with each movement. In the air, Cain held his staff high as the last of the roots withered, before bringing it across in a slashing movement which was followed by an overpowering sound of rushing wind. A visible ripple in the air rushed out from the stave, the light emitting from it visibly dimming and Caine's complexion looking noticeably drained. The ripple rushed forwards at a speed almost impossible to react to, and Mira looking up could only let out a shrill shriek of pain as the ripple came into contact with her unprotected chest. A pale white blood filled the area where the ripple had struck, and dust and plant matter filled the area around her. A gaping slash across her chest was dripping white ichor, and a long rift was carved into the earth around her about four inches deep.
Rolling back onto her feet, the swarm still clinging to her as best they could, Mira inhaled a deep breath, her chest visibly expanding as the white blood flowed more freely. A look of concern quickly crossed the trio's face as Gile swung his stave and the platform on which they stood seemed to unravel before quickly reforming itself into an orb around them, concealing them from sight. Just as the roots took shape, Mira sent a shockwave of a shriek blasting out around her. The air itself seemed to vibrate and Sain felt like his head was going to explode. The air in his ears rocketed around as if it was a living thing, his eyes closing as a deep pain swept over them as well! Dropping the egg and sliding backwards under the pressure, Sain could do little except to cover his ears with both hands as best he could. A feeling of weakness swept over him as he was knocked by the blast onto the ground. The insects that crowded Mira's feathers began to drop from her body as the shriek continued, the wooden sphere in the air beginning to crack and shake under the waves of sound. The sound ended with a loud gurgling as Mira began to retch towards the ground, spitting up a large amount of white blood before turning to glare once again at the sphere in the air, now noticeably covered in cracks. After a moment the roots began to unravel, some falling apart in the process, revealing the three youths looking much worse for wear.
Kara's immaculate appearance now was in complete disarray as she leaned heavily on her staff. Cain likewise looked as if he would stumble if not for the support of the stave he leaned upon. Gile was looking to be in the worst shape of the lot, as blood dripped from his nose and eyes, his complexion a clammy pale as he softly fell from his position on the platform towards the ground twenty feet below.
"Gile!" Cain shouted as he saw him falling, quickly trying swing his staff towards his falling companion.
Vines quickly grew from nearby trees in an attempt to cradle the unconscious young man. After managing to catch Gile, Cain turned his attention back to his quarry only to feel a sharp pain from his neck. Quickly facing the source of the pain, he was in time to see the queen of the swarm fly back and land on Kara's shoulder. His throat began to swell, and he was barely able to sputter a few curses in her direction before it had become inflamed enough to begin to suffocate him.
"Kara! you-... how?" Cain sputtered with rage apparent on his face clearly even to Sain as he lay prone on the ground.
"Poor Cain and Gile," Kara crowed as she looked at him in open contempt."If only they hadn't tried to tame that evil briar hawk! To be killed by such a terrifying beast... how can I just let that stand? Don't worry my friends, I will make sure the beast doesn't outlive you much longer!"
Sain could barely register what was happening when he saw a puff of red blood from the platform where the two stood and Cain began his fall to the earth, no one able to save him this time. Mira watched on as Kara pointed her staff at Gile's slumped body and the gentle vines that had been cradling him quickly tightened cutting of airflow and circulation.
"Now then beast, shall we put the finishing touches on our little escapade? Time to finish you off… and our little observer!" Kara cried loudly with a wicked grin as she pointed her glowing stave at the bushes in which Sain had been hiding. Sain felt a rumbling from the earth beneath him and heard a loud shriek from Mira's direction before the world exploded once more around him, and the last thing he recalled was looking down as a wooden tendril had drilled through his chest and the agonized look coming from Mira's eyes before the world went dark.
***
In the nearby city Sylvatica, in one of the chambers near the peak of the ancient tower, a man sat motionless, a six legged serpent with three eyes draped over his shoulders as if enjoying the warmth emitted from his body. Ever so slowly the serpent's third eye on the center of its head slowly opened, gazing off into the distant Rosewood. The tail of the serpent slowly wrapped around the man's arm before opening its mouth and a soft hissing voice echoed through the room.
"Reazon," it hissed without a hint of impatience "It is time we collect the boy."