Chapter 97 - Deep

Oskana flexed his back muscles rhythmically while feeling the breeze underneath his feet.

He wriggled all of his fingers and toes making Ham who is flying below and behind him growl in frustration.

She is born with her wings connected to her arms making it a liability whenever she lands or fought others of her kind for territory.

That is why birds of prey make up a large part of her meals.

Her light bones made her easier to push around leaving her alone unless she is with her nestlings.

They flew until they spotted the Jagged Edge in the south east.

It didn't take long for them to find humans travelling through the pass.

They had an odd custom of cutting down trees and dragging them around.

She asked herself for a long time why they did that but decided it wasn't important.

As the sun is setting they dive lower and lower until it is dark and their eyes reflect the light of the moon.

Ham is excited to taste the skiles of the humans and Oskanas large eyes twinkle with a spark of mana.

That night they did their worst and yet could find no human that can wield mana.

"They are that rare"? Oskana asked.

"I once heard the Old-One say soon no humans will be able to use it in the future" Ham said while bathing in the sun on top of the Jagged Edge.

"My stomach hurts" Oskana burped and laid his head down.

They continued to watch over the humans during the day and hunt them down at night.

Ham played with her food, striking after two days of circling them.

Oskana bathed in the sun and kept an eye open for any signs of mana usage from above

Finally after following the humans for two full moons he found what he was looking for.

He was atop a mountain ledge watching the humans kill each other off when his eyes that are just about to close under the summer heat spot the spark of mana.

The human launched themselves in the air but the shimmering streaks the human creates are hard to miss.

He doesn't hesitate to move west diving down as fast as his wings could carry him.

It wasn't the same mana signature but he didn't care, it was human and a mage.

Other humans begin to run at the sight of him, their fear brings pride to his heart.

Ham who is playing with her food again in the distant west sees him and flies over to see what it is he is looking for.

The mountain pass was full of humans making her grin from ear to ear.

She dived down as well letting out a warning to her prey, which enraged Oskana to no end.

She reached down and grabbed one by the shoulders intending to dig into the chest with its claws right in front of it's kin.

That is until a rock falls on her back that nearly drops her.

The second rock does the job and brings her to the ground.

She turned her head to find the hated druids on her back.

With a sickle and chain in hand along with an evil smile that promised retribution for century's of wrong doing the druids threw his sickle.

The sickle dived into the membrane of her wings while another wrapped around her legs.

Soon a small band of druids had her surrounded.

Oskana was fairing no better as he had more druids and more chains around him.

Their usually reliable weapons such as their claws and teeth are useless against the druids armor and steel.

Once they had the advantage of numbers it was over.

Tens more druids fell on Oskana from above and more are sliding down the mountain.

A chain wrapped around his neck brought him down to eye level.

A druid that had an axe with steel as large as he is and eyes so black they looked like they are burnt into his eyeballs was standing calmly in front of him.

"Mine Name is Agamon of the Blood Ooin-Son" he said while walking so close to Oskana, he could kiss his reflection on his iris.

"Oskana the Hated One I will walk proudly into yer chest and eat yer still beating heart".

"Ya will be turned into rugs for mine young and yer bones will become soup for mine men" he gestured around him with his large axe.

"I will slay you slow and when I am done I will hunt down yer kin until my dying breath" Agamons words are heard in Oskanas mind.

Oskanas pupils dilated as he could see a human rush into his vision.

It wasn't the human but the mana signature he emitted while running towards Ham that made his heart stop.

Despite know what would happen he opened his mouth and roared once more in frustration and another two hooks are thrown in keeping his mouth wide open.

"Ai open wide Oskana, I promise on the blood of mine father I will make this as painful as I can".

The druids voice was so deep the world itself seemed to quite down for him.