A colossal bird resembling an eagle towered over Desser. Desser looked around and noticed everything else was dark. He was in a vast void that did not frighten him. For some reason, the void invigorated him.
The beast before Desser tilted its head and spoke with a booming voice that made Desser wince, "how curious…."
The eagle-like beast had dark brown wings and a white head. What set the beast apart from an eagle was not only its immense stature but also its eyes. The eagle's eyes glittered like the night sky with hues of blue and purple. Its pupils were like the double-moon he saw in the sky.
Desser did not feel afraid because the beast wasn't hostile and looked familiar to him, perhaps because it was like the bald eagle of his old world. He smiled at the beast and said, "a pretty chicken?"
The eagle narrowed its eyes in outrage, "I am no flightless chicken, abnormality."
"Are you calling me an abnormality?" Desser enquired.
"Of course. I've never seen someone pull the world to its Core. I had to come and see what new power had been born to this world. Now I'm a bit disappointed. A being as weak as you and a human at that commands the world's Magic with such authority… you're an abnormality."
"A flying chicken call me an abnormality? Anyway, why did you bring me into this void?"
"AGAIN! NOT A CHICKEN! I am Isla Cielo, ruler of these skies. I've spent much of my time in slumber and have seen many generations of humans come and go. Though, I haven't seen a human as interesting as you in almost 500 years.
"Also, I did not bring you to this void. Instead, I entered the space you've created. Anthul's Magic was being pulled to the black hole you've created. I wanted to see who was suicidal enough to absorb Anthul without suffering under its divine presence.
"When I saw it was such a young human, I could not help but stare and watch you self-destruct! Oh, what a sight that would've been!"
Desser looked at Isla Cielo with worry, "great! Another idiot like Cornelius."
Isla Cielo huffed and replied, "the idiot is you. How could a human not know the power they are commanding? If you had kept cultivating like that without training, guidance, and strengthening your mind and body, you would have caused an explosion that would have killed you.
"Also, that's the best-case scenario! You could have caused an explosion that would have annihilated half this island. Obviously, that woke me up and made me act. I was prepared to stop the worst-case from killing my winged kin."
Desser was scared at the thought that he would've died again. His first death was already excruciating. Plus, there was no guarantee he would reincarnate. Desser didn't even consider that if he did reincarnate, it could be back in his old life and world—Earth. That prospect would've terrified Desser.
"Thanks, Isla Cielo." Desser was sincere in his gratitude. Death was not something he wanted to experience again.
Isla puffed its chest in pride, "of course, you should be thankful! I'm awesome in every regard."
"Yeah, for a chicken." Desser retorted. It annoyed him to no end how arrogant Isla was.
Isla cawed at Desser, and the wind knocked him back to a laying position, "I am a noble Aguila! Aguilas may be few, but they dominate the skies as apex predators!"
Desser wondered what made these beasts different from Earth. Was it Magic that accelerated their growth and evolution? That was the most likely answer for Desser. Magic enabled animals to manipulate their environments.
The largest mammals were usually sea dwellers like the blue whale on Earth. The scientific theory is that weightless environments like the ocean allow animals to grow large. Also, in Earth's prehistoric era, scientists postulated that dinosaurs grew so enormously because of elevated oxygen levels. Could Magic create similar environments? For example, controlling wind for greater oxygen intake or controlling gravity for weightlessness. Could Magic even speed up evolution?
Desser was presented with the greatest opportunity and said something that surprised Isla, "could you teach me how to cultivate safely?"
Isla laughed with high-pitched caws in-between, "you are an interesting human. Most of your kind fear and know to pay me respect. However, you are very different. I don't notice fear but curiosity in your eyes. Why is it that you ask me for guidance, abnormal one?"
Desser replied honestly, "no one is as wise as you. No one around me understands my type of cultivation or knows about Anthul as much as you. I need to cultivate so I can defend myself and regain movement in my legs."
Isla looked at Desser skeptically, "that's all?"
Desser was confused at Isla's question, "what do you mean? What else do I need?"
Isla began to think to itself, 'I was going to end this strange human. He would one day pose a threat to this world. A threat that I hadn't seen but heard about at my young age from the elders. Ladar Mogar, before his disappearance, was a calamity to this world…could Desser be a future disaster or a necessary mediator that Anthul has called upon? Anthul needs a being to maintain balance when chaos is rising from the Southern Continent in these unstable times!'
Isla said to Desser, "very well. I will consider it. For now, I will give you a gift for amusing me."
Desser felt a pang in his abdomen like when he had been shot! He then yelled in agony as the darkness around him dissipated. He could now see Sonia's fear as she yelled at the giant beast that Desser thought was only in his mind: "please, great sky beast! Spare our prophet and prince!"
Magi Cornelius knew his Magic was nothing in the face of Isla Cielo's power. Cornelius conjured a massive rock from the ground and launched it at Isla. The beast's wing turned the rock to sand and chucked as the sand fell to the ground. The knights surrounding the beast trembled at the laughing Agila.
"Calm yourselves. I will not take this strange being's life. I leave his recovery in your hands. Let's hope he survives from my little present."
Isla said those words with glee as it flew away. However, everyone looked at the prince with horror. Desser lay on the ground bleeding from his eyes, ears, and nose as he lay there convulsing.