Chapter 108 Last Defenders
In the air, above the city of Costa Lunas.
Golden Arrow and Little Feather were flying together over the city. They could see a lot of activity below, near the peninsula and the harbors. Many two-legged creatures were moving back and forth with horses and large objects. Chara thought to the two Pegasi, mentally pushing forward the images of the land they would have to fly over. The queen did not know much about war, but it looked like a battle would begin very soon.
Olivia thought: More people are going to die because I am the queen.
In the nest.
Volker arrived while the soldiers were trapped by the fire and smoke. He observed the helpers with flagpoles and axes that were used to chop wood for fires.
Luis: Folker, is there anyone else?
Volker: Just some very angry soldiers.
Elicio: Okay, the matriarch is ready. You have to get mounted soon. Be careful.
The young man pointed to the ground that was nearby, below him. Volker leaned over the edge and saw the soldiers when a flash of lightning in the sky momentarily illuminated them.
Volker: Thanks, my friend. What did Nestor tell you about the soldiers?
Luis: They are going to fly.
Every rider had wondered what would happen if they fell to the ground from the nest. They knew that no one would survive that. Volker quickly embraced the two young men and ran along the wooden paths towards his Pegasus.
The Master Rider looked at the ropes one last time. The younger girl was between him and the other. They were tied to the saddle and to each other.
Nestor: Are you ready, my feathered wife?
Grey Wing: Yes. Get ready. I am going to turn very quickly to the west. They have seen the others turn to the east. Then I will fly between the stone trees.
Nestor thought: May the goddess help you.
The man shouted to the girls: Hold the ropes very tightly. When we jump and turn, our bodies will experience considerable strain.
Grey Wing began to run with long strides and rapidly increased her speed. At the end of the stone path, she jumped higher than anyone had ever seen before. She was far above the nest and quickly turned westward.
The stone path rose to stand high the air. It was supported by numerous columns that the Pegasi called stone trees. The space between them was less than the wingspan of the smallest Pegasus. For Grey Wing, the space between the columns was only slightly greater than her own height.
The archers fired with greater coordination, and the air to the east of the end of the runway filled with arrows. But some groups waited to shoot a bit later. They followed her in the air and fired as she turned her body to the side. Two arrows struck her large feathers and flew through them. An arrow pierced her wing near a bone, causing her great pain.
Grey Wing flew sideways between the large columns. Her hooves and the heads of the bipedal creatures nearly struck them. The girls screamed in fear. The man prayed silently. They emerged from behind the columns at great speed. The Pegasus turned its body again and flew higher over the city. When the women stopped screaming, it flapped its wings to gain altitude.
The rider felt her pain: Are you all right, my precious?
Grey Wing: The wound is not serious. It will hurt for a while until I can land.
Nestor: Can you fly to the island, or do you need to land so I can remove the arrow?
Gray Wing: It is just pain. I know pains far greater than this.
In the east wing.
Lord Peador and Captain Pedro were behind a barricade of doors and shields, with an open space through which the royal guards and soldiers retreated. The giant with red hair was holding his large mace, and the handsome man was holding his two swords.
Peador: Pedro, do you know that your name is the same as mine in your language?
Pedro: Yes.
Peador: In your language, is that name commonly used to refer to the penis?
Pedro laughed: Yes.
Peador: The same is true of my name and my language.
Pedro: Understood.
Peador laughed: My name is longer.
The two men laughed together like men who have seen death too many times.
A guard stepped between them and shouted, Three more and that is all from our forces.
Three other men walked back through the open area carrying shields, then turned around to run towards the door, mount their horses, and ride away. The two warriors waited until the first man appeared at the entrance. Peador struck his shield from above, and Pedro used his swords to inflict mortal wounds. Two others attempted to enter, and both fell victim to the weapons of the giant while trying to block the swift swords of the captain.
With three bodies blocking the entrance, the two men ran through the doorway and jumped onto the horses. Twenty soldiers waited on horseback with crossbows aimed at the door. When some of the enemy knights appeared in the light, they fired a volley and several men fell. They spurred their horses and joined the end of a line of men riding down the main road.
In the nest.
The first soldier arrived and appeared at the top of the stairs. He was carrying a torch in one hand and an axe in the other. Another soldier followed him. Both were surprised when large sticks struck them from the darkness. They were pushed toward the edge of the platform. One fell immediately, but the other was pushed completely over the edge. His scream was drowned out by the rain.
More soldiers climbed onto the platform, and more men tried to push them into the void. Some engaged in hand-to-hand combat using axes. The two young riders used their daggers to stab the soldiers in the back or in the sides, between the pieces of their armor.
While they were fighting, Volker and White Mask were advancing at great speed along the stoney path. The Pegasus relied solely on his speed and small size for protection. He took great leaps to create a more complex target. When the Pegasus began to fall, he flapped his wings so forcefully that he managed to change their trajectory.
Many arrows struck the stone columns. Some passed close to the body of the Pegasus. One of them wounded Volker in the leg. The young man immediately cried out. His pain reached the mind of White Mask and caused the Pegasus to let out a groan of pain.
White Mask: Reiter, geht es dir gut?
Volker: Ja!
The rider projected an image into the mind of his Pegasus. It flapped its powerful wings until they soared higher into the sky and then turned northwest. They flew over the castle while the young man shouted.
Volker: Queen Olivia lives! Queen Olivia lives! Long will be her reign!