Free.

|| 4 ~ Meilin ||

"Traitors!" He bellowed, eyes suddenly crazed. "Many strangers approach!You have lied, for Uraza and Jayi are with them! You will pay dearly!"

The Ram reared up high on his hind legs and heaved forward, charging Tarik.

As Arax lunged, Tarik dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the ram's horns. THe ledge vibrated from under my feet. 

Barlow released Jools. I raced over to see the newcomers that Arax had been so angry about. Hopefully, Uraza and Jayi were bringing reinforcements. 

Eleven people were coming in her direction. A Niloian girl ran alongside a leopard, springing along the rocks. They were nicely synchronized. It had to be Uraza and her partner. 

A girl with long, blonde hair ran just in front of them, she was smallish, and carried an air of hidden attitude and rebellion. 

Instead of taking the same path as the others, she darted down the rocky slope, landing softly. In a flash, a large sorrel horse appeared at her side. Probably the most gorgeous horse i've ever seen, with a pure white star on his forehead. 

Now I see it. The rebellion, the absolute hatred of walls and being told what to do. It was carried by both the red horse, and the girl. This was definitely Jayi and his partner.

I moved my gaze to the animals charging towards me. "They aren't Greencloaks!" I called to the others. 

We ended up meeting Zerif, and it didn't end well. 

The woman who Zerif had sent after the talisman headed off, while the rest of their group crowded closer. "Abeke, Ailee!" I called out to the other girls. "We've been searching for you. Why are you guys helping them?"

"They want Uraza and Jayi on the right side of the fight this time." The boy with the wolverine said. 

With his hackles raised, Briggan growled. Uraza snarled back, while Jayi whinnied, rearing, before slamming his hooves into the ground. Ailee sat on his back, but her gaze was quickly flicking between Zerif, Abeke, to our group, then to Jayi.

The savage tension was making everybody weary. 

||~___Ailee's P.O.V___~||

I was up on a ledge with Abeke and Uraza. Jayi was by my side, and I had taken a bow before we left. 

The falcon, Essix, dove at us, blocking every shot we tried to take. Essix came at my hands, and Jayi lashed out with his hooves, leaving feathers dropping to the floor below us. 

"No, Abeke, Ailee!" Meilin called. "Your fighting for the wrong side!"

My head spun, I don't know what i'm doing anymore. What's happening? This is super fishy. It's all wrong! There was not one single Greencloak that I saw with Zerif. 

I'm so stupid. 

Uraza caught Essix's wing while my brain froze. I snapped out of it, grabbed my bow, and lept onto Jayi's back. We galloped down, heading straight for the talisman. 

Uraza had pinned the Amayan boy and the Zonghese girl. Essix was pecking and clawing at the box. I ignored any shouting, drawing in the support from Jayi, he ran all the way up to the ledge. Then, he stopped, I leaped off his back, and miracuously landed on the ledge with the box.  

I can hear Arax booming, but I'm just focused on the mission at hand. I pushed the lid over. Inside, there was a granite carving of a ram, attached to a thin iron chain. Quickly, I slipped the chain over my neck, praying that it would help me. 

The shelf was splitting and cracking under my feet. Rocks were falling down, and Jayi's support was starting to wear off. I turned, and jumped, the shelf crumbled, and I made it just far enough. 

One moment, I'm flying, the next, my arm hit a rock, and I landed on the main battleground with Arax, and my world went black. 

||~__3rd Person P.O.V__~||

Jayi's terrified nicker sounded over the sounds of battle, and everyone froze. 

Every spirit animal had frozen because when Jayi was a great beast, he never showed he was scared. The people froze, because a Fallen just cried out. Arax froze, because Jayi used to be one of his good friends. 

The stallion stormed across the rocks, honey-brown eyes wide with fright. Abeke followed behind him, with Uraza, to where Ailee tayed on her side, her arm twisted awkwardly, and she had a nasty bruise on her head. 

Jayi nuzzled Ailee urgently, and the fighting returned, slightly more dangerous this time, incase they were about to loose an asset. 

Arax threw a bear off the side of the mountain, and Barlow wrapped his arms around the Ram's back leg, and kept the hoof on the ground. Briggan attacked one leg, Essiz went for his eyes, and Jayi ran over, and slammed his entire body weight into Arax, helping Barlow throw him over the cliff. 

Barlow went beside Abeke, who was kneeling in front of Ailee. "You... you okay girl?" 

Before she could respond, Zerif stabbed Barlow in the back. Abeke screamed, while Uraza growled at her side. 

After more fighting, Zerif's people tried to take Ailee's unconscious form, but they were quickly warded off by Jayi. 

"Hurry! This way!" Zerif said, eyes frantic. 

Abeke shook her head. "We're over, I'm not, nor is Ailee on your side." At first he was shocked, then he was furious. Then, after a stare down, they left. 

Jayi was standing protectively over Ailee, ears pinned. Tarik turned to Abeke. "Does your friend have the Granite Ram?"

Abeke went to check, but was warned off when Jayi almost bit her hand off. Uraza snapped at Jayi, but he only whinnied sharply. 

Instead, Abeke looked closely, and sire enough, there was a carving of a ram around Ailee's neck. 

"Yes, she has it." Abeke confirmed. "But... your friend."

Jhi sniffed the wound, and just licked Meilin, before walking over to Jayi and Ailee. The others surrounded Barlow, but their attention was soon drawn away at the overly protective stallion. 

Everyone shrunk back when Jayi lashed out at them. "What's up with Jayi?" Abeke asked. 

Tarik shook his head. "Jayi was the second greatest Great Beast. Known as Risktaker, Rulebreaker, and Windrunner. He was the rebel of the Great Beasts, but asa heard animal, he formed a bond with each beast. However, before he died, he lost Uraza, Essix, Briggian, and Jhi because he hadn't helped them. It was his fault, and he ended up fighting right after their deaths, eventually ending in his as well. "

Jhi walked quietly up to the stallion, silver eyes boring into his. Briggian and Uraza following behind, before surrounding the stallion, Essix landed on his back.

It was almost as if they were having their own conversation, and Jayi stepped away from Ailee, and Jhi licked the blonde's face, healing her. 

The Greencloaks, plus Rollan and Abeke, just watched in stunned silence.