"Let's add this to our collection," Kent declared, her determination evident as she ordered the guard bees to land, securing everyone on the ground before they became vulnerable to the enormous birds in front of them. One of the birds attempted to intercept the guard bees, but Kent swiftly flew towards it, her lance aimed at the creature's heart. The bird, however, evaded her attack, flying backward to safety.
With the others safely on the ground, the guard bees launched a volley of poisonous arrows at the flying giants, though the birds effortlessly dodged each attempt.
Observing the intense aerial battle, Alex felt a mix of amazement and concern for Kent's safety. "We should help her," he urged.
"How?" Gloyd asked, his eyes filled with worry.
"I don't know, but we should. We can't risk another life," Alex replied, deep in thought.
As the group contemplated a plan, Ivan suggested, "Let Kent lure the enemies to the land, so we can help her. At least it would be within our range." Alex acknowledged the idea but as they watched, it seemed Kent was not in a desperate position. Instead, she appeared to be enjoying the fight. "She's smiling," Maeje observed.
"Yeah," everyone agreed, but the consensus remained—they needed to assist her.
Alex shouted, "Kent, lure the enemies below so we can help you!"
Responding to Alex's call, Kent descended, drawing the three enormous birds after her.
"Let's go, and be careful," Alex cautioned the group. They scattered, running and circling their enemies, weapons at the ready.
Jay's black spikes transformed into a sharp twin blade, aiming for the giant birds. However, the nimble creatures proved difficult to target in their airborne maneuvers, and the students struggled to land a significant blow.
"Kent, lend me one of your guard bees. I have to get closer," Alex suggested.
Kent nodded and directed one of the guard bees to accompany Alex. The bee carried him by his feet as he addressed it, "Be my wings."
With a shrieking sound, the bee soared into the air, taking Alex closer to the enemies. "Scatter them!" Alex shouted.
With her lance in her left hand, Kent summoned a crossbow in her right, firing numerous arrows in between the enemies, anticipating their dodges. Alex moved towards one, creating a separation between the two. The remaining guard bees pursued the other bird, dividing the enemies.
In the intense battle, Kent successfully pierced one of the bird's wings, causing it to crash to the ground. "Nice one!" Gloyd shouted and rushed towards the fallen enemy. Kent followed suit to deliver the finishing strike. However, as Kent approached, the fallen bird's black eyes suddenly turned red, emitting a massive shriek that left everyone stunned. Alex fell but was caught by the guard bee. The other guard bees were forcefully unsummoned, and Kent lay on the ground, paralyzed.
"What is this?" Kent struggled to speak, her movements restricted.
She witnessed the fallen bird attempting to stand, aided by the other creatures. Alex, unable to move, could only watch in horror as his friends lay helpless on the ground. The fallen bird, showing signs of recovery, used its enormous feet to capture Kent.
Desperation and helplessness overwhelmed Alex as he tried to shout, but his mouth wouldn't respond. Tears streamed down his face as he witnessed Kent being taken away, and he felt the weight of their helplessness. In his mind, a torrent of thoughts questioned their fate, the turn of events, and the unexpected outcome. "I want to die," Alex thought, grappling with the unfairness of it all. As his eyes grew heavy, he surrendered to sleep, plagued by the haunting scene of Kent being taken away.
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"No!!!!" Alex shouted.
"Are you okay?" said Gloyd who can now move and was attending the fire they have set.
"Kent? Where's Kent?" Alex said, panicking.
Everyone bowed their heads, looking wary. "We also witnessed how she was captured. We can't move that's why we can't do anything." Ivan said.
"How could this happen?" Alex started to cry. His hands were knuckled on his head, as if he was getting a severe headache.
Maeje moved towards Alex, "Alex, it's not your fault. We don't know that that bird was capable of making its enemies numb. We were careless."
"Ignorant." Darline whispered.
Everyone looked at her.
"We are ignorant in this world." She added. "We lost because we don't know what our enemies are capable of. We can't take precautions if we don't know their abilities."
"I agree." Gloyd said.
"This isn't the past world where knowledge was written in books and can be surfed through the internet. We have to experience and study them ourselves in order to know how to deal with those." Gloyd added.
"Like a child, waiting to grow up." Ivan added.
Alex looked above, it's dark now and the moons are now in the sky, brimming with light.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it. Kent is a valuable asset to our survival. She's a great leader and a great classmate. Just like Christian, who is also captured." Alex explained, hissing as he sobbed.
"We can't also find Noel. We are on our own now." Ivan said.
The circled around the fire and started to eat fruits and fishes who they caught before Alex woke up.
"We have to eat and rest for now, let's exchange rest hours as I take the first turn to guard." Ivan said.
Everyone agreed and they started eating.
"Do you think Kent's still alive?" Maeje asked.
"She is. I know she is." Alex assured.
"The enemies, did you observe anything?" he asked his classmates. A sudden change of atmosphere enveloped the remaining team as they shared ideas and thoughts about the past battle.
"A big black bird, with a pattern of red on its wing, their eyes are black and just before they let out a numbing shriek, it changes it red first. That's what I observed." Ivan said.
"And that sound – a "Conk-a-reeeeeee!" sound. Did you remember it?" Gloyd added.
"I do." Alex replied. "But I don't know what that meant. It's common for birds, in our past world, to have different sounds." Alex added.
"Not to a Red-winged black bird." Ivan said, his eyes brimmed with excitement as he remembered what he read on an article before.
"These birds are common in the marshlands! How did I forget that?!" he exclaimed. "You see? These birds let out that "Conk-a-reeeeeee!" sound, it's innate to them. And that reddish pattern on their wings, they're males! All three of them."
"And what does have it have to do with us?" Darline asked the excited Ivan.
"Everything!" he answered.
"It means that-"
Ivan couldn't finish his sentence when Alex said something that might be an evidence of Kent's possible safety.
"They wanted to mate." He said.
"Yes!" Ivan exclaimed.
"No wonder Kent was the only who got captured and left us alone on the ground." Gloyd said.
"Ivan, you said that males have reddish pattern on their wings, right?" Alex asked.
Ivan answered yes.
"Then what was the females pattern look like?" he added.
"Females have crisply streaked dark brownish overall, paler on the breast often show a whitish eyebrow." He replied.
"It's way too different with Kent's color!" Gloyd exclaimed.
"How could they have mistakenly treated Kent as a female bird of their kind?" Maeje said in disbelief.
"Extinction." Ivan answered. "I am ignorant in this world, but it should be. Those birds might be the last species of their kind and was desperate to reproduce. They might have considered Kent to be a host to their own children."
"Just because she has wings?" Darline said. Still couldn't believe what happened.
Ivan nodded.
"I'm not sure though, but one thing's sure. Kent's alive. Kent can summon strong soldiers. She knows that those birds' screams can numb a target, she can deal with it if she can move again." Ivan explained.
There was silence, a sign of relief. Happy? No! they were elated! The theory might be wrong, but it's not impossible to be the right one either. Alex thought that, one way or another, it always turned out, that they're lucky, fortunate to be the ones who always end up getting second chances of being alive. Christian's disappearance and even Kent's. both are alive, they just have to be saved. And no matter what happens, we will save them at all cost.
They rested with their smiles on their faces. They scheduled time for guarding and were fortunate that no eartheaters, nor other monsters came to devour or capture them as they witnessed the sun shone making a new day. The grabbed their weapons where they decided not to wait for Noel and go to save their friend Christian immediately and next, Kent.
Alex looked at the blue, cloudy sky and considered the day not just an any day but another hope.