"Sir! One lower level Qi beast at the leaders tent."
Zimo stealthily checked the camp for any Qi beasts, to make sure they could fight them off. He couldnt go into the tents, but some Qi from a Qi beast came from the tent. It turned out to be a lower level Qi beast.
Qi beasts such as domesticated animals or pets were usually much weaker than larger, wild animals. Cultivators would usually choose a fierce animal to raise as a Qi beasts instead. Not many would find a lower level Qi beast with a cultivator.
"Species?"
"I'm not sure."
Qianbai looked like he was thinking before raising one of his arms.
"Charge on my count."
'Aah~!!!! I'm really heading into battle right now!!??'
3!
2!
1!!
WOOOAAA!!!!!
The prince's group ran down the hill on their horses and brought out steel swords, led by, you guessed it, Xiao Niao, who was still holding onto Heima for dear life! The other soldiers weren't expecting an attack and we're caught off guard.
Most of the closer enemy soldiers were sliced by the swords. Zhang Qianbai along with Zimo and one other person, made their way to the leader's tent from the beginning.
'I didn't think I would be in a fight so soon!!!!'
Xiao Niao didn't know what to do. The prince wasn't watching her, so she could leave. However, they saved her life and she wanted to repay them.
"Alright!! I'll fight too!"
She added six points to strength and five points to agility. Xiao Niao had five points left over. She got up and braced herself. They headed right for the tent's door.
CAAAWW-------!!!!!
Heima stopped abruptly. The leader had walked out of the tent in full red and yellow armor. A cage he was carrying made a sound when it was brought out.
"Heh. You did surprise us, but I still have a last resort."
The man looked like he was in his fifties, and had large scars on his face. The man didn't seem to be a cultivator, and Zimo said they had a lower level Qi beast. Was the Qi beast in that cage?
The man pulled off the rag covering the bird cage. It looked like an eagle, but it was a pure white. It was a cloud eagle! Xiao Niao recognized it.
"Now I see. The cloud eagle was raised on the ground."
Zimo had said it quietly, but Xiao Niao had heard him. Cloud eagles would usually never go near the ground, and that fact made them hard to catch or train. Even if one were to be caught you would have to train it inside a building so it didn't fly off. That decreases it's ability to fly. It also made cloud eagle Qi beasts, slow when flying.
CAAAWW-----!!!!
The man opened the cage and the cloud eagle flew out. Although the speed that it flew seemed slow in comparison to Xiao Niao.
'I guess it's my time to shine!'
Xiao Niao flew up faster than the cloud eagle and caught up to it in no time. She trailed right behind it and readied her talons.
CAW!
She went above the eagle with her talons and grabbed one of its wings. Her talons pierced the wing and the eagle tried it's best to get free and fly with one wing. However, it's deficiency in flight was a big setback. It was smart and didn't attempt to get free.
Instead, started biting at her leg! The bites were powerful and the blood started dripping around her leg. Xiao Niao had let go and the eagle fell. It was falling, but maybe because it was a cloud eagle, the fall went slower when it used its wings to attempt at landing on a tent.
'I thought Qi beasts were more powerful?'
Seeing the eagle was injured so easily and it's flying was really lacking, she really doubted if it was a powerful Qi beast. Although, Zimo had said it was a lower level Qi beast.
The eagle probably couldn't fly anymore after landing and had looked up at her. It didn't do anything else. Her skill: Universal Language activated when the cloud eagle tried to talk to her.
"Please!"
"What?"
Xiao Niao was confused for a moment. She didn't expect the cloud eagle's voice to sound like a woman's.
"Please, spare me!"
"What are you talking about?"
Xiao Niao flew down in front of the eagle so she could explain (be spared) what she wanted.
"You see..."
'She's going to tell me her life story? That actually happens? '
Xiao Niao thought people telling their life story out of nowhere was a just something to build character background.
"... I used to live at a mountain with my parents when I was young. I didn't even know how to fly yet. One day a man with white hair found the nest. He killed both my parents and took me down in a metal cage. Soon, after I was trained so my strength was quite good, but my flying was self taught in a small room. This is my first time outside since then. Please defeat that man!"
'That was a long speech.....'
But, Xiao Niao's life was also similar to the eagle's. She would be lying if she said she didn't have any sympathy. The bird's life was just as hard as hers.
In the end, Xiao Niao offered her a wing.
"My life was also similar. We should help each other out."
- - - - - - - - - - -
Zhang Qianbai and Zimo were surprised and at a loss for words. The strange bird was not a Qi beast, and yet, it defeated one so easily. They even seemed to be.... getting along!?
Even if it was a lower level Qi beast, it would be tricky catching it in the sky. It's ability to fly soundlessly was also bothersome. If they took their eyes off it, it might've attacked.
Unlike Zhang Qianbai and Zimo, the man had no Qi. He couldn't tell that the bird was a lower level Qi beast, he had just assumed it was powerful because he'd never seen one before. Now that he made a fool of himself and was in the face of two cultivators, all the color drained from his face.
"So, if I swear loyalty to that guy, you'll help me and we could have fun and train together?"
"Yep! Let's be comrades! Oh, yeah, I forget to ask people their names. Mine's Xiao Niao"
"My parent's named me Wind."
'I guess that's what you get from a cloud eagle.'
Xiao Niao and Wind talked about things like how to fly better or improve strength, as well as delicious fruit in the forest. Both of them got along well because of the similar experiences, and they could relate to each other.
When Zhang Qianbai finished up with the leader, he called for Xiao Niao.
"Need any help Wind?"
"I've got it."
While Xiao Niao glided, Wind slowly shuffled down. It looked a little funny but she got down safely. They both waddled on the ground toward Zhang Qianbai and Heima. The Prince, still had that cold glare in his eyes. Wind started bowing in front of him.
"You can stop."
The Prince glared at Wind and talked in a cold voice.