Born to Fly

Part 27

Led by Gryphin and Barin, Team X was on the move to Zitonia. Rubi remained in the Land of Mammals, so she could rest and give birth to her child when the time came. To reach the Ganchian Ocean, the team needed to travel east, through the Land of Birds. Even though Mory was briefly passing through his homeland, he felt like an outsider. They didn't go through any residential areas, but he still felt like the eyes of the hawks were watching him.

Things seemed fine at first, as they passed through the grasslands of Crow Village. The autumn season was in full swing, so it was a calm afternoon with a light, cool breeze. They carried their biome cruisers and kept things moving at a steady pace.

"Hey, what's that up there?" Thacris asked.

Mory looked up and saw a man flying over them. He recognized the BLAU uniform that the guy was wearing. Mory knew that this meant trouble for them. He looked around and saw a few more men circling over them. The people that were carrying the leading biome cruiser stopped and lowered it to the ground. The flyers got out of the cruiser. Gryphin walked back to the trailing cruisers and instructed everyone to put them down.

"Hoods and masks up. Maneks on. Prepare to fight!" said Gryphin.

There were now dozens of troops flying over them like flies over rotting meat. They began to land around the team. The birds had them surrounded. Mory struggled to believe what was happening. Not only was he moments away from his first taste of war, but he was facing off against his own people. For over a quarter of a year he was ready to fight, but fighting the birds was not what he had in mind.

The BLAU major that was there stepped forward and spoke.

"Due to suspicions that you are all citizens of Keanos, who have committed acts of conspiracy against the Keanoan lands, I hereby declare that the Bird Land Air Unit will now take you into its custody. Your trials and sentences will be carried out by the judicial system at the continental level. Surrender now, and obey our commands. If you resist, we will use deadly force if necessary."

"To hell with that!" said Barin. "Team X, attack!"

The spora fighters ran up on the birds. Mory and a few others hesitated to join in on the action-mostly the others who were also from the Land of Birds. They grew up with some of those BLAU troops that they were now being ordered to fight. The scene that unfolded before Mory's eyes was insane. He watched a raccoon fighter get an eye stabbed out by a talon. He witnessed a bird fighter get knocked out by a kick to the head from a horse girl. Sylo just might have been the scariest person there. She fearlessly ran to one of the birds and chomped down on a man's forearm. Mory was meters away, but he could still hear the man's bones crushing from the force of the bite and the terrible scream that he let out.

Time seemed to slow down as warriors fell left and right around him. In his mind, he questioned if he truly ever wanted to fight. The heat of battle was more intense than he thought it would be. The questions faded away when he saw the guy who he had hated for years. Terias was fighting just a few meters away. Mory drew his sword.

Controlled by rage, Mory glided straight for Terias and steadied his sword so he could slice him up. Terias caught sight of Mory and blocked his slash with some type of metal disk. Mory did a front flip and landed on his feet, off to the side. The two of them looked at each other.

"I've been waiting a while to kick your ass," said Mory.

"Do I know you?" Terias asked.

Mory remembered that he was wearing a hood and mask and removed it. Terias seemed surprised to see Mory's face.

"Squirrel boy? What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm ridding this world of scumbags like you."