The Skirmish- W's Lament Ch4: Chapter 4

The sharp pounding of the rain did little to ease the pain inflicted by the scores of corrupted wisps, and yet Laika found herself flying out in it towards the docks, facing yet another rhakos. The first of two remaining. Bravo was not far behind, his his feathers still shining despite the gloom of the storm, and the blood that streaked across them. After they’d delivered Uproar to Sol, he had tried making a b-line for the warm, dry roost, and nearly got ambushed by a newly corrupted tyto. It was one she had met before, working on the docks at the river port. In that moment she knew that the rhakos must have entered the city, or at least the outskirts of it.

“Looks like we’ve got some more work to do.” She’d said to Aster, who had rejoined her once they’d arrived at Sol. The little microstryx had done well in warning the city of their approach with the captured rhakos, and an assembly had been waiting for them to bring the feral stryx away. Now Aster rested between her wings as she flew, his tiny wings soaked to the bone from the harsh rain.

“I can’t believe you’ve roped me into this.” Bravo complained through the dull roar of the storm. “My wings feel like lead. Lead that has been ripped to shreds by a hoard of angry wisps, mind you.”

“Well I’m glad you’re here.” Laika admitted, though his company could do without the numerous complaints. “I’ll tell you what. When this is all over, I’ll take you to a little hidden spot with some hot springs that I found. We can relax there for a little while.”

“Assuming we both survive.” The glimmering tyto muttered.

In spite of the storm, it did not take long to reach the docks, or rather what was left of them. It seemed that the rhakos had taken upon itself to redecorate the place. Barrels and crates were smashed to pieces and scattered everywhere, fires somehow burned in several of the buildings, and a small fishing boat had evidently been thrown ashore and demolished, all the while corrupted stryx citizens were struggling against the guards who were trying to tie them down. It was a scene of utter chaos.

“There’s the rhakos.” Aster said to the two of them, it’s corrupted glow standing out from the grey like a cardinal among starlings. Back at the edge of the world, she’d had to flee from the attacking feral stryx. It had known the land better than she did, and the fiery environment rendered her ice breath almost useless, but now they were on her turf, and the frigid rain would only make her ice all the more effective. She smiled, eager for the challenge ahead.

“Come on Bravo, Aster, time to show him who’s boss around here.”

“Oh joy.” Came Bravo’s reply, lacking the corva’s determination in his voice. “I’ve always wanted to beat up Shaun the Death-Sheep.”

As Kali and her stryx Banshee flew down to aid the guards with the corrupted stryx, Laika and Bravo headed directly towards the frilled rhakos, who was presently ramming itself into a fish merchant’s stand. Without giving it a chance to notice them, Laika tucked in her wings and made a sharp dive downwards. Gathering her breath, she loosed a frozen torrent at it, then struck it’s side with her outstretched talons. The rhakos was pummeled over and howled angrily as rain-turned-icicles struck it like stinging javelins. It quickly got to it’s feet however, just in time to find Bravo’s own icy talons clawing at it’s face, a thick mist rolling from his wings and clouding it’s sight. It launched itself at the tyto, but he was already out of the way.

Despite the seriousness of the fight, Laika couldn’t help but let out a laugh. It was always thrilling fighting side by side with Bravo. He may not be the most skilled champion in the arena, but he was still a force to the reckoned with, particularly because of his unique use of ice breath and dazzling feathers which could confuse the enemy, as it was doing now.
As the both of the swooped, dove, and swirled around the feral stryx, it seemed to grow angrier and angrier. At the same time however, it also seemed to be wearing down. Even Aster was helping, throwing small pieces of debris at it’s face to distract it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only one growing tired though. With every attack, Laika could feel her wings grow heavier, her movements slower. As she fought against the storm to keep aloft, the strain from earlier in the day was starting to catch up with her. She could tell Bravo and Aster were being equally effected. Were this a fight with a normal stryx, Laika would have taken more chances to bring it down more efficiently, but such methods would greatly increase the likelihood of becoming corrupted herself, and so they had to fight in this slow and tiring way, battling the stryx and weather alike.

Then, in a moment of horrific timing, just as Bravo flew up from giving the rhakos another blow, a branching arc of lighting filled the sky, catching him through the wings. The tyto dropped from the air like a stone, landing in the raging river with an awful splash.

“BRAVO!” Laika screamed into the storm, having watched the event unfold before her. In her shock, she hesitated in the air just long enough for the rhakos to hurl itself at her. She tried to evade it’s attack, but her stiff wings prevented her from moving fast enough, and it’s jaws closed around her leg, pulling her to the ground with a bone-shaking thud. Her head pounded from the collision with the dock, and her vision danced.

At once Aster flew at the rhakos’ face using his long beak to jab at it’s eyes. The feral stryx released her at once, growling the snapping at the microstryx. Grateful for the distraction, Laika got shakily to her feet. The battle gauntlets she wore had protected her from the stryx’s bite, but the force with which she had hit the strong wooden planks was enough to keep her grounded for the time being. Her main concern was Bravo however. She scanned the river for any sign of him, but there was not a feather to be seen amid the dark swirling waters.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the rhakos had knocked Aster aside and was coming after her again. There was nowhere to run. She was at the edge of the docks, the river lapping at the edges of it, ready to swallow her up. She would have to go through the stryx to escape and find help. Steeling herself, she made ready to charge the feral runner, but before she had a chance to Kali and Banshee appeared behind it, just as the river to their side erupted in a massive flurry of water and fur. What appeared to be a speckled lycan had launched itself out of the river, barreling into the rhakos and sending the both of them into the raging water on the other side.

Laika was aghast. Never had she seen a stryx attack come from the water, much less a river swollen and stirred up by a storm. She shook her head. There was a more pressing matter right now. She summoned her false rider with her ice breath, and using it through sign language, motioned frantically to the general while shouting at Banshee,

“My friend! He was struck by lightning and fell in river! He’s probably still unconscious! Please help me find him before he drowns!”

A man then stepped forward from Kali’s side. He looked to be rather old, but still strong, and wore clothes made from thick leather and furs, similar to those she had seen up in the far north. He put out a hand in a calming gesture, then said in a dry, yet comforting voice,

“Worry not my dear, the tyto has already been lifted from the deep, and is safe further upstream. The healers are with him now, as they should be with you as well, it would appear.”

Laika let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you.” She said, exhaustion flooding her. Just then, Aster came hopping towards her, his wing held at an odd angle. The rhakos must have broken it.

“My trochilli companion needs a healer as well.” She told the man. He nodded, and picked up the microstryx tenderly.
“He will be attended to.”

As he spoke, the lycan from the river emerged again, with the now half-drowned rhakos. It coughed and sputtered as it was lifted from the water, and did not try to fight the guards when they tied it up. The lycan propped it’s upper half onto the docks, but did not try to fully leave the river. Laika noticed that it’s wings were very small for it’s body, and she realized it must use them for swimming rather than flight. What a strange lycan indeed.

“Who are you?” Laika asked them. “I’ve never seen you in Sol before.”

“I am Anuk, and the sea lycan is my faithful companion Samwell.” The man said. “We come from the furthest northern coast of Wyvera. Whispers of ancient evil gathering brought us here. We know well the stories of old, and such an evil must not be allowed to fester, especially so, not in the heart-city of this continent. And yet, I fear it already has...”