Whatever comes towards us hits the trees at full speed in a blast, and as the ladies scream and we all duck branches, leaves and soil fly all over us,
I put my paws over my head with my wings covering my body, and as we wait for the dust to settle in I can hear the flap of wings coming closer, but my attention is not brought to the sky even when shadows pass over our heads, but towards the responsible for breaking half a dozen trees only to be laying on the floor.
Because I could recognize that white double winged creature anywhere.
"Mother!" I feel the blood leave my face and my heart freeze at the unmoving image of my mother laying on the floor while having stones and wood scattered around her, a small indicator of the destruction that just unfolded by her body smashing against all of that.
But I could not care less about the surroundings when I see that coat smeared in blood, and one of her wings oddly twisted backwards.
I start trotting towards her, my mind buzzing and empty as the only thing that fills my eyes is her figure laying there, barely breathing, and while seeing that her chest still is going up and down, the brief relief it gives me is smashed out of my mind when something hits me square in the face and sends me flying whiling robbing me of air.
I scream at the excruciating pain when my back double backs as it hits a tree, my vision blurring as I flop down while gushing out blood and whimpering.
I hear the fairies gasp, some even call my name, but soon their screams join mine as whatever has kicked me had not come alone.
While trying to suppress the pain of having my insides crushed I look over my pain and my blood shot eyes only to see the worst bunch there is surrounding us and approaching mother.
Only that, even if I always hated the bunch, I've never thought there would be capable of treason like this.
Those feline griffins!
"Ah… Alinda Alinda, things could have turn out so more peacefully have you and your bunch not given us so much trouble uhm…"
"Y-you…!" I hear mother's weak voice sound on the side as the overbearing lion griffin approaches her, snout twisted in an ugly winning smirk.
"I told you, didn't I? That I would have you one day, and yet you never took me seriously did you? Tsk tsk tsk…" At that point he had already reached her side, and even though mother is very wounded and unable to fly she still tries to get him by surprise and shot Ice Spears at him, only for them to be broken midair by a hit of his massive wings.
"Stubborn as always…Uhm?!" At that he gives her a solid kick on her head that makes mother go back to the floor while the smell of iron intensifies in the air. "You rather be in this state than with me, then so be it! I will take you even if I have to break all your limbs Alinda!"
"S-stop! Don't hurt mother anymore!" I scream, letting the situation affect me, not thinking straight as pain feels my body and mind, and simply dash forward towards the pair, using my own new learn ability against that smug lion.
"Wind Shield!" The wind responds to my calling as it has done before to my delight, swirling around me and thicken as I dash forward like a cannon ball.
Only that the mere wind produced by the flap of his wing is enough to disperse my weak defenses, and as I try to dodge his attack the gust of air he creates takes me off balance, which makes me land straight towards his crushing paw.
"Gagh!" His paw alone must weight more than my entire body, but not satisfied he pushes his mass down, forcing my ribs and making it hard to breathe.
"Seraph! You… Let go of my son!" I hear mother scream close by with renew strength as I try to paw away from his crushing grasp, seeing the ice fly among my blackening view, bird talons coming down on his face, forcing him to back off or take the hit, and as the protective shadow passes over my head and pushes the lion away I'm finally able to breathe, coughing as the air fill my damaged lungs and fearing that my ribs have broken and pierced an organ from the amount of pain simply breathing brings me.
Crashes and flashes happen all around me, I can feel the magic energy oozing from the battle as the wind brings down the remaining trees and bushes, and once I'm recovered enough to see around me once more I'm left to pale more on that overturned soil, watching as the smug lion has his friends to help and has once more subdue mother to the ground, pinning her as she could only stare daggers at him.
And once I look at these other creatures I understand what happened.
Their horns, their tails, their different yet complex but humanoid appearances, with a similar dark aura surrounding them and the soulless eyes that stare at us without a wince of empathy and mercy.
There is only one thing's such creatures could be, the so called demons.
And that smug lion, Heavenclaw, with his felines griffin, has just betray the Higher Lands people and sold us to them.