The Princess's Feathers

Everything happened so fast. I was beside myself, concentrating on the sounds of the forest to uncover my true feelings for Nakino. Deep in focus, I heard an unusual sound — fonds of grass folding under heavy talons. I may be a Farlander, but I’ve been in Felra long enough to know when the forest doesn’t sound right. When I realized I was no longer alone, I barely had time to react.

Something’s happened to Relmoon. Not only can I no longer smell his scent, but he’s gone completely mad! Standing before me with his wings splayed and fangs bared, he looks supremely upset and ready to dive into another attack. Based on his roar, it sounds like he’s used the gift of regression. But why? What is he doing here? Why would he attack me in the middle of the forest? We were on good terms the last time we met! He must have used to gift of regression and failed to regain control! It’s the only explanation that makes sense!

But there’s no time to plan my next move. Relmoon bunches his muscles and launches toward me with his jaws open wide! Instincts engage and propel me into the only reasonable course of action: a hasty escape! I flip open my wings and leap into the air, every muscle burning to get me out of there as quickly as possible. But before I can get too high, Relmoon pivots his foreleg to reach out and rip a chunk of flesh from the tip of my tail. I screech in pain but force myself to continue flying through the opening in the rocks where prophetlight shines through. As I emerge into the crisp night air, Maki’s pale glow falls against my feathers.

SKREAAK! SKREAK!!

I cry into the dark, silently pleading that Nakino will hear my frantic alarm call. The memories of my previous fights against Dragons are still fresh. Even against those smaller Redagas, I was easily outmatched. To try and fight Relmoon -- a Lithan with the fighting prowess to match Kuro’s -- is suicide. My only hope is to try and outfly him long enough for Nakino to find us or for Relmoon to regain control.

I turn back to see how much air I’ve gained on Relmoon, only to find him mere yards from the tips of my tail feathers. How did he catch up so fast?! With little time to react, unknown instincts engage and flip my body around to face him. Relmoon rears his talons forward to ensnare my own, locking us into close-quarters combat. Franticly I lunge for his shoulder and wonder why Relmoon isn’t attacking in kind. But then my neck rears back, pulled apart as Relmoon ceases flapping his wings, forcing us to hurtle like a stone toward the ground. I flap my wings to counteract, but Relmoon’s simply too heavy. I try to detach my talons, but Relmoon curls his grip tighter. What is he doing!? We’re going to crash into the trees!

“Relmoon!” I screech, trying to break his feral spell. But he remains silent, staring at me with savage, distended eyes.

As the ground races towards us, I feel Relmoon’s weight shift. Instantly, his plan becomes clear: He’s trying to flip his body around and use the momentum to dislodge me from his talons, hurtling me toward the ground like a meteor. But I won’t let him! I stop flapping my wings and rear my body in the other direction, attempting to unhook my talons and free myself. The gambit pays off as I fall away from Relmoon and manage to add a solid kick to his stomach. I flip around and tilt my wings into a steep climb, narrowly missing the tips of the redwoods below.

Regaining altitude, I turn my head back and expect to see Relmoon reeling from the force of my talons. But again, he’s only a few yards away and quickly closing the gap. How is he keeping up with me? I thought I was an adept flyer! As I pound my wings harder, pain lances the side of my leg — a not-so-subtle reminder that Relmoon attacked me there. The surge of adrenaline and panic have stifled just how much pain I’m truly in. If it wasn’t for that, I could—

SKREAKK!

Blistering pain shoots up my tail as Relmoon latches onto the bottom of my tail feathers. It shocks my muscles cold, causing my wings to buckle and my flight to stall. As my body spirals into freefall, another surge of pain shocks me as Relmoon clamps his jaws down farther up my tail. I howl in pain as the moon hurtles toward me, unabated.

SCREECH!!

WHUMP!!

Through reeling pain, I feel a gust of air against my feathers. Relmoon’s jaws detach, and his body is ripped away from mine. Confused, I force my eyes open and catch a fleeting glance of pale gray and crimson red disappearing into the dark forest below. Was that Nakino!? Kuro? Free of Relmoon’s grasp, I regain control of my flight and slip through an opening in the trees, following the savage cacophony of two Dragons fighting. Navigating by Maki’s faint glow, I find a slight clearing between two stunted sequoias and land in the gloomy underbrush. Strained roars bellow from beyond a pitch-black thicket. I dive through it and emerge on the other side to see two dragons fighting on the ground — Relmoon and a smaller, pale gray drakaina.

It’s Frida!

Did she hear my alarm cry? What is she doing here?!

Kuro’s sister has the upper hand in the fight, standing on top of Relmoon and slashing furiously at his stomach. She must have rammed him out of the sky and carried him to the ground! Wasting no time, I sprint to her side and dive on Relmoon’s hindlegs to prevent him from kicking Frida off. The collision with the ground has taken its toll on the seasoned drakon — crimson feathers are stained mud brown, mottled with streaks of blue Dragon’s blood. But even in his injured state, there’s plenty of fight left in Relmoon.

With his hindlegs contained, Frida’s in position to restrain his forelegs. She attempts to pounce on one, only to have Relmoon flare the other against her back. Despite the repeated attacks on her flank, Frida bites into the leg she has control over, trying to subdue Relmoon to his senses.

“Stop!!” Frida hisses through a muzzle of feathers. Relmoon responds by taking another swipe at her flank, causing her to clamp down harder. This is unbelievable! How much pain can one Dragon take? Feeling I have little choice, I join Frida and clamp down on Relmoon’s hindleg. Fresh blood explodes into my mouth, exciting my predator senses. I bite down harder and feel a perverse pleasure in hearing Relmoon wail in pain.

RAARRGH!!!

The nearby thickets explode with motion as a steely black drakon emerges from the clearing; it’s Nakino! He looks at Frida and me, then dives onto Relmoon’s body with another furious roar. Beaten and bruised, adding one of the biggest drakons in the flock proves too much for Relmoon’s resolve. As the struggling subsides, he heaves heavy, frantic breaths. He’s still wound up, but his sensibilities are returning. I release my jaws and lick my chops clean but keep my talons firmly planted against his hind legs.

“You…!” Nakino snarls, throwing open his wings.

“I saw him!” Frida hisses. “He tried to kill Asha!”

Nakino whips his head around to face Frida, eyes bulging. His eyes narrow to slits, and a growl like thunder from his chest causes the forest floor to tremble. He lifts a talon from Relmoon’s stomach and clamps it around the bottom of his neck, drawing streaks of cerulean blood against crimson feathers. Relmoon’s breathing seizes, and he struggles for air.

“What did you do to her?!” Nakino demands.

“Wait!”

My plea diffuses Nakino’s fury, but only slightly. He whips his head around to face me with bared fangs and sinister eyes, the eyes of a Dragon a heartbeat away from extinguishing life.

“R-Relmoon,” I stutter, trying to compose my thoughts aloud. “He didn’t mean to attack me! He lost control of his regression… right?”

Somehow, Nakino’s muzzle sinks into an even deeper frown — a potent mix of anger and bewilderment. Confused by his response, I cast a glance at Frida. She takes a moment to shake away the blood dripping down her head and seems equally confounded by my question.

From beneath Nakino’s talon, Relmoon’s gagging slurs into a series of exasperated chuffs. Nakino closely examines Relmoon’s pallid face, then grumbles something under his breath. Reaching his limit for inflicting senseless pain, Nakino slimly lifts the talon against Relmoon’s neck, causing him to inhale a great gasp of air. But instead of returning to normal breathing, his chuffing continues. And as his voice returns, I realize what he’s doing.

He’s laughing.

“Heh-heh-hah-hah!”

Nakino reapplies pressure. “What’s so funny?”

Relmoon struggles under the larger drakon’s talon, and his strained laughing subsides. Seemingly satisfied, Nakino lifts his talon again to allow Relmoon to speak. He lifts his head slightly from a bed of dried grass and gazes past Nakino to address me.

“Princess Asha Eloise Lordanou,” he croaks, forming coarse words. “I failed to tell you… regression… you will always regain control.”

Regression can’t be permanent? I gaze at Frida for confirmation, and she slowly nods with a sympathetic expression. So, if Relmoon didn’t lose control of himself, that means…

“Oh, yes.” Relmoon’s muzzle coils into a depraved grin. “You should be dead, Farlander.”