Zira growled, her weight pressing us into the ground as she perched atop our toppled bodies. "You're the vessels of the Divine Owl, Sagea, and Nocturne Raven?" she taunted, her voice dripping with contempt. "You just lost to the speed of the Celestial Birds, a forbidden vessel that wasn't even supposed to exist, and I did it with only one arm."
She yawned, a casual display of her dominance, before glaring at us.
A few moments later, I came to a dimly lit chamber, alone and shackled with crystals from Ember's ark. The cold, unyielding walls pressed against my back as I hung suspended by the cuffs. Through my blurred vision, I saw Ember perched on Orion's shoulder, flanked by Lucian and Aurelius. "Where's Alden?" I croaked, but my question was met with a fierce punch to my stomach from Aurelius. The impact forced me to double over, and I vomited, the taste of bile burning my throat.
"We've already dealt with Nocturne's vessel. Older sister's ark powers are truly formidable," Orion said, a smirk playing on his lips.
I growled, summoning the last of my strength to kick him, but my foot passed through him harmlessly due to his intangibility. Before I could react, Orion's blade pierced my stomach, and I spat out a stream of golden blood. "I'm going to kill all of you," I gasped, my head drooping as darkness began to close in.
Meanwhile, Zira was confined alone in a cage, her frustration palpable as the queen stood before her. "There, I did it. I completed your task. Now release us and return our kingdom," Zira growled, striding up to the cage. The queen stepped back, a cold smile on her face. "Did you truly believe we'd let you go so easily? We already had you, but now we also hold Sagea's vessel and Nocturne's. Do you really think we're that naïve?"
Zira roared in fury and lunged at the cage, her strength focused on breaking free. However, as she attacked, the cage crackled with energy, its walls shimmering with the ark's crystals. The electric shock coursed through her, forcing her back with a painful jolt.
Zira's eyes widened in horror as she surveyed the scene, her heart sinking at the sight of her tigresses trapped in cages. "I promise," she growled, her voice resonating with a low, guttural frequency that only her kin could fully comprehend, "I'll save you all."
Back in my chamber, I hung limply from the wall, my body feeling heavy with despair. Lucian sat on the other side of the cage, a silent observer of my suffering. "I can't do this," I whispered to myself, tears streaming down my face. "Sagea, what am I supposed to do now?"
There was no response from Sagea. The silence was deafening, a cruel reminder of the void where guidance should have been.
Suddenly, Vex materialized in front of me, his presence both unexpected and unsettling. I lashed out with a kick, but he was just my imagination, passing through him without effect. "Don't tell me you're going to give up now," he taunted, his voice a sharp edge in the emptiness. "What happened to all that talk about taking down this kingdom and getting Ember back?"
He paced in front of me, his eyes piercing. "I know what your problem is. You're always following the rules, always worrying about everyone else. When was the last time you fought for yourself, for what you really want? If you hadn't been so preoccupied with Alden and Ember during our fight, maybe you could have actually won."
"I don't want to be like you," I growled, frustration seeping into my voice.
Vex took a seat, his demeanor unperturbed. "Calm down. I'm not suggesting you start killing people. But think about it: you were reborn into this role after ending your previous life because it was unbearable. Do you really want to be a failure in this life, too? You're Sagea's vessel—do you honestly think she's never taken lives in her time?"
I thought about it for a few moments and Vex disappeared. "So far all of these kingdoms have been horrible, from corrupted winged knights to abusive kings. What the hell is going on? If I made my own kingdom it wouldn't be like this."
The idea of creating a kingdom where fairness and justice prevailed ignited something deep within me. I envisioned a realm where corruption was eradicated, where people were valued for who they were rather than their power or status. A kingdom where the suffering I had witnessed was a distant memory, replaced by a society that thrived on equality and respect.
I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of my resolve solidify. "I've seen the worst of what power can do. It's time for a change. I will build a kingdom where no one has to suffer. A kingdom where every person, regardless of their past or their power, is given a chance to live in peace. I won't let this cycle of corruption and abuse continue any longer. This is my purpose now."
A few moments later. "Help," I groaned weakly, struggling to keep my balance. I retched, my body heaving uncontrollably. "Please, help," I croaked, the words barely escaping my lips before I vomited again.
The dungeon door creaked open, and Lucian strode in with a scowl. "Cut out the puking," he snapped, slapping me across the face. As he glanced down, he was puzzled to see no trace of vomit on the floor. His confusion only deepened when he looked up and saw the glint of a smile on my face.
In an instant, I wrapped my legs around his neck, pulling him into a tight chokehold. His eyes widened in shock, realizing too late that the supposed sickness had been a ruse. The crystalline restraints in the dungeon blocked his teleportation, rendering him powerless to escape as I tightened my grip, the shock of the situation dawning on him.
I slammed his head against the wall with a resounding thud, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious. With a powerful twist of my wrists, I shattered the handcuffs holding me. Scanning the dimly lit dungeon, I muttered to myself, "Before I rescue Alden, I need to get that tigress."
The sound of approaching footsteps and Aurelius's low growl reached my ears. "Lucian, where are you?" Aurelius demanded, his voice echoing through the dungeon. The door creaked open, and Aurelius stepped inside. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Lucian's prone form and quickly realized my absence.
I tapped him on the shoulder. As he turned around, his face was met with the force of my punch, sending him crashing to the floor, unconscious. I cracked my knuckles with a sense of grim satisfaction and stepped out of the dungeon.
As I stepped outside, the sound of shouting reached my ears. Turning to my right, I saw a swarm of winged knights charging toward me, their swords drawn and faces set with determination.
"Don't let him escape!"
"We need to keep all the vessels!"
They shouted, and I stepped back, only to find a wall behind me. I was trapped with no way out.
{Gaian, use Eclipse Surge}
The name Eclipse Surge echoed in my mind, and I noticed something peculiar: each of the winged knights had a glowing spot on their bodies. "I guess Eclipse Surge allows me to target their weak spots in a flash."
Without hesitation, I activated the technique. In an instant, I was upon them, moving with a speed that blurred my form. I unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes, each one connecting with precision. Within moments, they lay unconscious on the ground, overwhelmed by the sheer velocity of my assault.
"Whew, that attack is something, now if I was a 10 foot tigress where would I be." I asked myself and began rubbing my chin while walking.
Suddenly, I heard grunting and heavy breathing echoing through the corridors and sprinted towards the sounds. Bursting into the dungeon, I found Zira, her eyes widening in surprise. "Hey," I called out, only to be grabbed by the collar and lifted off the ground. "You? I thought they'd killed you!" she exclaimed, her grip tightening as she stared at me in disbelief.
"You know, you're actually quite stunning when you're angry," I said with a chuckle. Zira's grip loosened, and she threw me down, but her eyes remained sharp.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be escaping?" she growled, retreating to a corner of the room.
"Vessel of the Falcon of Speed, Zira," I said, my tone resolute. "You're coming with me."
She turned around, her towering presence intimidating. "What are you talking about?" she growled, her eyes narrowing.
"How could someone like you get captured?" I asked, genuinely curious.
She sighed, her expression hardening. "Fifteen years ago, this kingdom used to be mine—a kingdom of tigresses. Then Silvia and Bali came, and with the power of their sons, they overthrew me."
"See, I was the Queen of this kingdom because, as a cub, I roamed the forest and befriended an avian person. He told me he was destined to be the vessel of the Falcon of Speed. He taught me everything I know about fighting, talking, ect. One day, He took me to his kingdom, but for the crime of bringing a tigress there, he was executed, and I was tortured. They tried to break me."
Her voice grew colder as she continued. "In a fit of rage, I killed their queen and king in a flash. It was then I realized Zephyra, the Falcon of Speed, had chosen me as its vessel, giving me unmatched speed and strength. But even with all that power, I couldn't stop Silvia and Bali. They took everything from me, and now I'm just a prisoner in my own land."
She began to cry, tears streaming down her face. "So why didn't you just escape?" I asked, the question sounding naive even to my own ears. She fixed me with a glare, her eyes blazing with frustration. "They have my sister, Kira," she growled. "They'll kill her if I don't do their bidding."
"Well, let's go get her," I said, stepping towards the crystal barrier. Zira's eyes widened with alarm. "Be careful! If you touch that, you—"
Before she could finish, I unleashed the Luminous Talon Technique. Energy surged through my arm, and with a mighty strike, I shattered the barrier. Fragments of crystal flew everywhere, and Zira shielded herself from the debris. When she turned back to me, she gasped at the sight of my burned and blackened arm.
"Y-your arm! Why would you do that?!"
I glanced at my arm and shook it. The burns healed almost instantly, the blackened skin returning to normal. "Whew, it healed back."
"You didn't even know it would heal?!" she yelled, grabbing my collar in frustration. "Who are you?! Why are you saving me?!" I smiled, meeting her gaze. "I'm your captain, of course." She grunted in disbelief. "My leader?! What do you mean? I never said I'd join you!"
"You will," I said confidently, placing my hand on her shoulder. "And you'll be a part of my kingdom."
Zira's eyes widened, her expression shifting from skepticism to astonishment. "Why am I seeing Zephyra's...?" She trailed off, her gaze unfocused as if seeing something beyond the present moment.
A vision unfolded before her eyes—a memory of Zephyra with Sagea, vivid and clear, as if she were reliving it through me.
She set me down, and we stepped out into the empty coliseum. My gaze traveled to the seats where Ember, King Bali, and Queen Silvia had been earlier—they were now vacant. As I scanned the arena, my eyes fell on the cages holding the other tigresses. Instantly, I adopted a fighting stance and activated Talon Surge. In a flash, I shattered all the crystal barriers, freeing the imprisoned tigresses.
"You—you freed all of my people!" Zira whispered in awe, noticing my blackened hands which I healed right after. "Why are you taking such a risk?!" she exclaimed, but her expression quickly softened as she saw her kin rushing towards her, enveloping her in hugs.
As the tigresses reunited with their leader, tears of relief and joy streaming down their faces, Zira turned to me, her eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of disbelief. "Thank you," she said softly. "I never thought I'd see them free again."
I nodded, a determined glint in my eyes. "We have a lot more to do."
The tigresses murmured in confusion. "What do we do now?" One of them asked while looking down at me. I jumped on Zira's shoulders and she jolted in surprise. "Now, we ride." I said with a grin.