Birds of a Feather

Renee Eamon:

The vultuzzard roars at us as it flaps its wings. Generating a sandstorm, it knocks us off our feet and into the air. I land in the sand with a loud thud.

Falling on my face, I split some sand out. Pushing myself up, I watch as the vultuzzad flies into the air and circles us, waiting for a chance to pick us off. Looking down, I see Jump still in the sand.

"Are you okay," I say running over to Jump. Helping Jump up, she also has to split some sand before dusting it from her hair.

"I'm fine," Jump replies. She readies her crossbows and looks up. Aiming at the massive vultuzzard as it circles back, she loads a tiny crossbolt.

"I think you're going to need something a little bigger."

The vultuzzard dives down toward us. About to hit Jump and me, Hothead runs from the side and swings his flaming sword. Bright red and orange fire shoots out, lighting up the night sky as it forces the vultuzzard back. The vultuzzard screams as it goes back to circling us.

"Plan," Hothead says, looking at us. "Anyone got a plan? We need a plan. Does anyone have a plan?"

"Get inside the temple," Alodia shouts. She takes off running but the vultuzzard must have seen her. It lands in between her and the temple again. However, unlike before, it reaches down and tries to eat Alodia.

"Watch out," Jump screams. Using her gift, she jumps fast and far. Tackling Alodia out of the way just before the vultuzzard can take a bite of her, the two of them fall to the ground.

Jump turns over and fires bolts at the vultuzzard but it barely fazes it. The vultuzzard stomps its way to the two and tries to eat them. It slams down its beak but this time, it's Alodia who saves them. Using her own gift, Alodia slams her hands together and summons a shield.

Despite hitting the shield, I can tell Alodia is still feeling the vultuzzard's sharp beak. With every strike the vultuzzard does against the shield, I see Alodia drop lower and lower. She's shaking like crazy and her shield is fading.

"We have to help them," Hothead says. Without any warning whatsoever, Hothead charges toward the vultuzzard with his sword at his side.

"Wait," I shout, reaching out my hand but grabbing nothing. "Hothead!"

I watch as Hothead roars and cries as he charges toward the vultuzzard with his blazing sword. He jumps into the air and prepares to attack but the vultuzzard knocks him back with a flap of its wing. After knocking Hothead to the ground, it goes back to attacking the girls.

"Ouch," Hothead cries as he pushes himself up. "That hurts."

As he sits up, I run over to him and clean him up.

"Are you okay?"

"Give me a second."

Hothead tilts his head and some sand falls out from his ear.

"Now I'm okay."

I help Hothead to his feet. While he holds out his sword, I push a button and my sword shoots out from my shield. I pull my sword and shield apart and we stare at the vultuzzard.

"We need a plan," Hothead goes on. "What's your gift?"

"I, uhhh," I say. The words get stuck in my throat but I have to cough them up. "I don't have a gift."

"What?"

"I don't have a gift. I'm a powerless. Okay? I don't have a gift! But I do have a plan. Listen."

Hothead:

Winding up my attack, I swing my sword and shoot a wave of fire at the vultuzzard. My fire doesn't seem to hurt the vultuzzard but it does grab its attention. It roars and chases after me.

"I got the vultuzzard's attention," I yell as I run. "The girls! Save the girls!"

As I run, I see Renee running toward the girls. While he helps them, I have to remember the plan.

"We only got one shot at this," I tell myself as I jump right and left while the vultuzzard pecks at me. "We only got one shot at this! If we screw this up, then we're food."

Reaching the mountain, I turn around and stare at the vultuzzard as it closes in on me. I hold out my sword, the blade burning bright.

"Well, if I do become food, then I at least be burning its throat as I go down."

With that thought in my head, I look at the vultuzzard as it shoots forward.

Jump:

"Are you two okay," Renee asks, dropping to his knees and sliding across the sand.

"I'm fine," I answer, "And so is she. A little out of breath but fine nonetheless."

Alodia lying on the sand between Renee and me, Renee starts tapping her on her chin.

"Come on," he says, "Come on. We need your help. Please, wake up!"

Renee gives Alodia one last tap on her chin before her eyes shoot open. The second they do, they turn red. Steam shoots out of Alodia's nose as she pulls up her leg before shooting it into Renee's chest.

"Don't ever do that again," Alodia slowly says as she pulls herself up. Renee, who is holding his chest as he breathes heavily, also pulls himself up.

"Sure," he says, bringing up a shaking thumb-up. "I promise, I will never do that again. Now, come on. I have a plan to take down that vultuzzard."

Moaning as he pushes himself up, Renee leads Alodia and me toward the temple. Seeing Hothead barely hold his own against the vultuzzard, Renee raises his shield.

"Jump," he shouts. "Jump onto my shield and onto the back of the vultuzzad. Fire into his back and draw his attention. Alodia, stay with me."

"Wait," Alodia says as she follows Renee. "What's the plan? What's the plan!"

"Do as Renee said," I say, using my gift to jump off of Renee's shield and onto the back of the vultuzzard. With my wrist-mounted crossbows, I fire countless bolts into the beast's back. The vultuzzard lets out a shriek as it looks away from Hothead and at me.

Alodia:

"This is the plan," I yell, "You cannot be serious! And here I am, thinking your previous plan was already insane, but this, this is--"

"Just do it, Ms. Special," Hothead shouts as he winds up his burning sword. Spinning around, he swings his sword and unleashes a wave of fire that hits the mountain. The mountain crumbles and shakes after the hit.

I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"If we die because of this," I say, bringing up my discs. "I will haunt all of you."

Throwing them at the side of the mountain, it starts to crumble and shake even more.

"Keep it at," Renee says. "Just a little more."

"You're not helping," I shout, catching and throwing my discs back at the mountain. With one final swing of Hothead's sword, the whole side of the mountain looks like it would come falling down.

"Jump," Renee shouts with his hands around his mouth. "Jump onto the mountain!"

Jump nods her head and jumps from the vultuzzard's head, still shooting bolts. As she jumps, the vultuzzard jumps after her.

We all watch as if, in slow motion, Jump lands on the side of the mountain. She lands on it with both her feet before pushing off against it. The vultuzzard can't react fast enough. It tries to grab at Jump as she falls but misses and crashes into the mountain.

"Landslide," Hothead yells as the whole side of the mountain comes crashing down toward us.

"Hothead! Alodia! Now! Now!"

Hothead nodding his head, he gathers as much power as he could. His sword lighting up so much it blinds me, he then swings his sword again and sends into the rock a massive wave of fire. Meanwhile, I clap my hands together just as Jumps falls into Renee's arms, the two of them falling into the sand.

Screaming as I keep my shield up against the falling rocks and vultuzzard, the pressure forcing me onto my knee, I look up to see the night sky.

"It worked," I cry, not believing my eyes. Somehow, Renee's plan worked. We weren't buried alive. Only the vultuzzard was. Crushed and buried underneath a whole side of the mountain.

"Come on," Renee says as he helps Jump to her feet. "Let's go get those game pieces."

It takes some time but after a short climb up, the four of us enter the temple just as one team, also with four members, is coming out.

"No way," Hothead says.

"Shocker," Jump says.

Hothead and Jump run and hug someone in a hoodie and metal arms. As the three of them pull apart, Shocker I guess, notices me and Renee. He nudges his head at us.

"You have no idea who I am. Do you?"

Shocker shakes his head.

"Oh come on!"