12 Chapter 12: Nature Always Wins

Apollyon saw Onyx and his team approach the five Sky Sailors with the king's scroll. Hekate clearly held back as to what kind of contraptions and advancements Spyre was making. She would have to remember to scold her little brother for making her work for his stupid machines.

"Ma'am here you go." Onyx handed her the scroll.

"Hmm…" Apollyon hummed as she opened the scroll to see what kind of weapon they were given this time. As she opened it she saw several hexagons with letters and numbers. She could deduce that it was some type of chemical formula from previous dealings, but nothing else. "Good work. You kids ride with Azura she will brief you on your next assignment."

"Yes ma'am." Said Onyx as he walked back with the others.

Apollyon saw Hekate escorting the king and herald back into the border. Once upon a time the sun never set on Spyre as it once encompassed the entire world. But seeing it reduced to a single city, and yet that city was still able to hold off against its four neighbors never losing an inch. It's no wonder He chose to meet with the king of Spyre.

"Glad that you kids were able to complete your mission without starting another war." Said Azura as she helped Onyx get onboard the Sky Sailor.

"Don't remind me. Where are we headed to anyways?" He asked.

Azura sighed deeply. "You are not going to like it."

"Oh fuck." Said Onyx.

"What's his deal?" Asked Lyo.

"We're going to Albion right?" Asked Embry.

"Yeah that's right. Emperor Kyvar wants us to destabilize the region. Apparently the Gaericists and the Sovereignists are ready to make amends." Explained Azura.

"What's the situation like?" Asked Lyo.

"Based on the first reports we were able to gather on our legionnaire spies it looks like the biggest players are the Black Knight of Albion, King Roxus, Sovereign Knight Lamia, and Deacon Lambert."

"What about the Gaists?" Asked Tigris.

"Not much intel we could gather, but we do have something on their leader."

"Ballard?" Asked Tigris.

"Actually he's dead. Someone else took power."

"Who?"

"Dawon Euphrat." Answered Azura.

Tigris immediately froze upon hearing that name. "Fuck me." She whispered.

"Relative?" Asked Lyo.

"Pain in my ass more like."

The Sky Sailor took off and set off towards the country of Zul-Aman. Tigris looked at the vast landscape thinking about her brother, and the life she left behind so many years ago. She sighed as she remembered her time in Zul-Aman.

Tigris dragged the body of a child as she returned along with the other warriors from a brutal fight. She stopped in her tracks and saw that the child was dead.

She sighed. "What a pain." She let go of the child and left her there.

"You're just gonna leave her there?" Asked her fellow animalist.

"Makes no difference. Dead is dead. She is one with the Lifestream now. Besides I'm tired of dragging her ass. You drag her back if you want."

She walked towards the camp seeing the faces of the people awaiting their return. They set out with seventy warriors to accompany an army of five hundred Gaists to conquer Amani. Out of those five hundred only thirty returned and out of those thirty only three would return back to camp, save for the child that died on the way. The Sovereignists and Gaericists were too many for them to handle as was usually the case. Their numbers were always dwindling, and it would be a while before they could rebuild their army. She saw as several widows cried thinking they would see their loved ones again.

Tigris saw her mom sitting by the campfire preparing her meal. She looked at her daughter, but then turned her focus on cooking the stew.

"Dinner is almost ready."

Tigris sat down and sighed. "Anything happen while I was away?"

"Umm… Oh Luka did her first transformation. Kiara and Thrall are having another baby. Also… We…" It was practically a routine at this point. The two would ignore the obvious and focus on the mundane.

"When did you bury him?"

"The day after you left. He… He was just so sick, and… I'm sorry Tigris." Her mother poured the stew on a bowl and passed it along to Tigris.

Tigris let out a chuckle. "Why am I not surprised? At the rate this is happening the two of you should probably stop trying to have babies."

"Tigris!"

"What? At the rate this keeps happening you might as well accept it." That's another sibling they had to bury. That would make him the fifth, plus the three miscarriages.

Tigris sighed and ate her meal as her mother prepared the dishes for her older brother and father. She heard them walk behind her and sit next to her as her mother gave them their respective meals. It was at this point that she began to eat her meal faster, and avoid having to do any sort of conversation with either of them.

"How was it?" Asked her father.

"Same as always… A slaughter." She answered.

Her father grunted. "Maybe next time little one."

"Maybe next time they'll completely wipe us out." She spat.

"Tigris!" Exclaimed her mother.

"You know what fuck it! I've had it with this shit!" Yelled Tigris as she threw her bowl to the fire.

"Tigris!" Exclaimed her father.

"NO! You listen! We can't go on like this anymore. We are dying dad! At the rate this keeps happening there won't be any of us left."

"Know your place!" Yelled Dawon.

"Screw you Dawon!"

"This is our home! It was ours when Gaia ruled, it was still ours when Gaeric ruled, and Corrax ruled along with his daughter Lamia. When Spyre conquered the world it was us who helped push them back!"

"If you all want it then you can have it! I'm leaving."

That was the last time she saw any of them. Tigris pushed back the memories from her mind. If she was lucky the old bastard would be dead. He had to be if Dawon took control. Perhaps her mother also shared the same fate as well. Only time will tell once she gets to Zul-Aman.

"You okay?" Asked Onyx as he patted her back.

"So far, and you?"

"… I'll have to get back to you on that." He answered.

The Sky Sailor was a marvel to behold. The ship was able to traverse long distances in a short matter of time. Not to mention that they were able to fly! It seemed almost surreal. Tigris looked to her left to see Lyo holding onto a small idol.

"What is that? Is that an Apollyon idol?" Asked Tigris.

"Yes. I can't wait to visit the holy land."

"More like a graveyard." Responded Tigris.

"I thought you'd be more excited." Said Lyo.

"That's just because Tigris is afraid that we'll see animalists fuck animals. Isn't that right? I heard that's how animalists are made." Sneered Tykal.

"We don't fuck animals. Gaia mixed us with animals. Totally different."

"Sure buddy, I believe you."

"Fucking bitch." Said Tigris with a smile.

The Sky Sailors passed through a series of mountains hoping to shorten the amount of time it would take for them to get there. They reached a series of cliffs and waterfalls as they neared the border between Spyre and Zul-Aman. Zul-Aman, like Dol-Sur, was a combination of two small nations into a single entity. The nation of Zulthur and Amani came together after the Unification Wars where Corrax, who was just twelve at the time, led a genocidal campaign on the tribes that refused to acknowledge his right to kingship. After the war Corrax united both Zulthur and Amani and built a new capital at Albion under the rule of his daughter Lamia. It was also the same place where Gaeric defeated the last of the Divines.

Tigris' ears perked up as she heard a curious sound in the distance. She looked up at the sky and noticed something flying in circles above the Sky Sailor. As she focused her eyes she saw the creature swoop down.

"Zabrak!" She screamed as the creature came into view.

Everyone grabbed a Sybaris rifle or an automatic crossbow and set their sights on the creature. The Zabraks were at least eight meters tall with a wingspan of eighteen meters. Their scales were tough, but not impenetrable and were extremely vicious. They resembled dragons almost, and were believed to be used as mounts for one of the thirteen tribes of Khemmel. Now they would see whether their Sky Sailors would match up against the beast.

The Zabrak crashed into one of the three Sky Sailors knocking it out of the sky and grabbing a few soldiers with its arms and eating them. The soldiers aboard that ship were all but lost. Tykal grabbed one of the harpoon guns and prepared her aim. The creature was flying too fast for her to get a shot.

"Shit! I can't get a shot." She said as the Zabrak prepared itself for another assault.

The Zabrak then swooped down and clung to the other ship and began devouring the other soldiers. Tykal shot her harpoon at the creature and pierced its wing.

"Helmsman take us in low near the cliffs. NOW!" Barked Azura as the beast readied itself to assault their ship.

Lyo grabbed her spear and readied herself for when the Zabrak would cling to their ship hoping to pierce its scaly hide. Tigris grabbed another one of the harpoon guns and prepared herself. The Zabrak swooped down and clung to their ship. It knocked everyone off their balance as it used its arm to grab the helmsman and ate him. Azura raced to the ship's steering wheel to maintain the balance and keep them from falling. Everyone fired away at the Zabrak trying to drive it off. Lyo rushed at the creature and used her spear to pierce through its chest. The creature howled in pain and grabbed Lyo. Tigris rushed after them and took hold of Lyo's leg as both were being dragged away by the creature. The Zabrak flew from the ship and carried both Lyo and Tykal back to its nest. Tigris firmly held Lyo's leg as she looked down and saw how high up they were.

Tigris looked up and saw Lyo looking down on her. "Uh… I'm pretty sure you want me to say that I've always loved you… But I don't I really really don't."

Lyo let out a grunt as she pulled out her knife while still grabbing on to the creature. "When I say jump you jump."

"What are you doing?" Asked Tigris as she saw Lyo preparing herself to stab the creature's hand.

"Jump!" Lyo stabbed the Zabrak's finger.

The creature howled and let dropped them both on top of a cliff. Lyo and Tykal landed safely dusting themselves off.

Tigris began jumping around and screaming like a lunatic flipping off the Zabrak. "Whoo! Yeah that's right suck it motherfucker!"

The Zabrak began flying back preparing to grab the girls. "Oh shit!"

Lyo and Tykal ran to the edge of the cliff and saw that there was a lake below with many sharp rocks sticking out of the surface. They were several hundred meters above it however.

Lyo looked at the lake then at the Zabrak flying towards them. "Certain death or uncertain death?"

"I choose life." Said Tigris before she hugged Lyo and jumped off the cliff whilst they both held each other close.