Chapter 51 – Soaring After The Flying Jewel I

“SHAWN!!!” Makara’s voice thundered through the room, filled with desperation.

At the sound of his name, something flickered in Shawn’s eyes. The dark blue smoke that surrounded him wavered and dissipated. Shawn blinked, as if waking from a trance, as the sword in his hand also vanished with the smoke. He looked at Prince Aerion and realised what he was about to do. With a deep, ragged breath, Shawn moved away from the Prince.

The cold fury that had gripped Shawn had melted away, replaced by the confusion of what he was doing. His gaze shifted to Selena and Makara, standing at the doorway, as their faces were full of relief. Shawn was also happy that they were fine, as he had last seen them when a flock of huge birds carried them into the forest mirage.

The moments when Makara and Selena were carried by the huge birds unfolded in a dramatic whirl of confusion and danger. Makara was the first to be snatched by one of the massive creatures, his usual bravado momentarily replaced by sheer surprise as the bird’s talons locked around him with a crushing grip. Followed by, Selena moved with her usual sharp agility, sidestepping the initial swipe aimed at her. Then a 2nd one swooped in and missed her by a hair, but grabbed her weapon, and while she was distracted, a third eagle swooped down, clutching her tightly in its claws and lifted her into the air. Far below, Shawn could only watch helplessly as his comrades were whisked away into the skies and disappeared into the mirage.

As Selena was carried off, she thrashed and fought against the bird’s claws, but the strength of the creature made resistance seem almost pointless. The rush of wind roared past her ears as the massive bird soared through the air, following close behind another that carried her weapon. The location where they face Prince Aerion faded from view as the birds flew through a dense forest—a vast, sprawling terrain of towering trees that seemed to go on forever. Below them stretched a huge, flat expanse of ground, more like an open battlefield than any natural forest floor.

The bird carrying Selena’s weapon was the first to descend, swooping down and dropping the spear into the centre of this strange arena. Not far behind, the bird clutching Selena jerked suddenly and released her from several feet above the ground. She plummeted to the earth, landing hard and rolling across the dirt, wincing as the impact jarred her bones. She came to a stop mere feet from her weapon.

Groaning in pain but determined, Selena quickly rose to her feet, brushing off the dirt as her eyes locked onto her weapon. It was so close—within reach. But as she took a step toward it, something made her pause. A tingling sense of danger prickled the back of her neck. Her eyes scanned the area, and that’s when she saw them—dozens of gleaming eyes, hidden in the shadows of the surrounding trees, silently watching her every move. She wasn’t alone.

Her heartbeat quickened, but she forced herself to stay calm. Selena knew she was in a tight spot, and this time was far more serious. She knew that running straight for her weapon would provoke an immediate attack from whatever creatures lurked in the shadows. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, then bolted for her weapon, her legs pumping as she sprinted across the open ground.

As expected, chaos erupted the moment she moved. A loud flurry of wings filled the air as a swarm of large birds shot out from the trees, their beady eyes locked on her, talons extended, ready to strike. Selena’s instincts kicked in as she ducked and weaved through the frenzied assault, dodging claws and beaks with near-perfect timing. A large bird swooped in from the side, but Selena rolled just in time, snatching up her weapon mid-motion. She twirled the spear in a defensive arc, blocking the incoming attacks with deadly precision.

Then, something strange happened. The air around her rippled unnaturally, the ground beneath her feet seeming to shift. For a brief moment, the world around her blurred, as though reality itself was bending. The cause was clear—the battle between Shawn and Prince Aerion was distorting the very fabric of the world, breaking the mirage-like effect.

In an instant, the space around her solidified, shifting from the open expanse of forest into a massive, circular hall lined with towering pillars. Perched atop the pillars were the birds that had been attacking her, their sharp eyes never leaving her. With her spear spinning gracefully in her hands, Selena stood ready, prepared for the next wave.

But before the birds could make their move, the atmosphere in the hall shifted. A strange, low rumble echoed through the room, and then a blur of motion streaked through the air and entered the hallway at the far end. It was a hummingbird—unusually large, its wings moving faster than her eyes could follow. And behind it, a bigger rumble crashed through and entered the hall, caused by an even larger presence—a 12-foot massive barn owl with feather horns, its feathers a majestic blend of white and brown, swooping into the hall chasing the hummingbird as it made some sounds. Perched on its back was none other than Makara, looking as carefree as ever, a smug grin plastered on his face.

The sight was so unexpected that both the birds and Selena froze for a moment, their wide eyes reflecting the sheer disbelief that had overtaken the scene. The once chaotic air of tension was now replaced with utter shock, and even the predatory birds paused, momentarily dumbfounded. Makara, riding an enormous barn owl and chasing a single, swift hummingbird, was a sight unlike any Selena or the birds had ever seen. His wild grin and carefree demeanour clashed against the danger they were in, as if he had just wandered into a casual hunt.

Selena, standing a distance away, blinked, struggling to process the bizarre turn of events. The hummingbird zipped through the air, heading straight toward her like a streak of light. Makara, spotting this, cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed across the hall, his voice echoing loudly, “Selena! Grab the bird!”

His voice boomed, but the words barely registered before the hummingbird shot past her, its wings a blur. Selena whipped around in confusion, her spear still gripped tightly in her hand. That’s when she saw them—Makara and his massive owl barrelling toward her at breakneck speed.

But their sudden appearance hadn’t gone unnoticed. The other birds, snapping out of their stupor, fixed their predatory eyes on Selena once again. With a bloodthirsty screech, they dove, talons outstretched, ready to strike. Time seemed to slow as the deadly flock descended.

Makara, seeing the imminent danger, yelled once more, his voice urgent, “Selena, JUMP!”

Trusting her instinct, Selena launched herself into the air just as the birds closed in. She twisted mid-leap, her body spinning with desperate grace as lethal claws sliced past within inches. At that same heartbeat, the giant owl wheeled into a full spin, and Makara extended his hand as it soared past her. With perfect timing, he caught her arm and pulled her up. And as the bird returned to its position, both Makara and Selena were on the owl’s back.

Below them, the attacking birds crashed into each other in a chaotic tangle of feathers and screeches.

The hummingbird, oblivious to the chaos, zipped through a small opening in the castle wall, disappearing into the next room. Without missing a beat, Makara urged the barn owl forward. The giant creature flapped its powerful wings, breaking through the narrow passage with sheer force, chunks of the wall crumbling in its wake as it pursued the elusive hummingbird.

Behind them, the larger birds recovered from their failed attack. Their shrill cries filled the air, furious and vengeful as they took off once more, determined to chase down Selena. The chase was on again, but this time, they were racing through the winding corridors of the castle, with the flock of larger birds in hot pursuit.

As they soared through the narrow, twisting corridors of the castle, the chase was intense, but Selena couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer. Turning toward Makara, she shouted over the wind, “How… How are you…the owl?!”

Makara, catching her half-formed question, grinned mischievously. “Oh, you want to know how I ended up riding the owl?” His voice boomed, a mixture of pride and amusement. “Well, when that eagle grabbed me earlier and dragged me off, I had no clue where it was taking me. Next thing I knew, I was dropped into this room, and you won’t believe what I found there.”

Selena raised an eyebrow. “What? What did you find?”

“Wine Barrels!” Makara shouted, laughing heartily. “Barrels and barrels of wine! I thought I had died and gone to heaven!” He gave a playful wink, as if the situation wasn’t life-threatening.

“Wine barrels?” Selena echoed, her face a mix of confusion and disbelief and continued, “Well, that didn’t answer how it led you to ride this owl?”

“Wait, I am getting there…., where was I?. Yeah, wine barrels! And I couldn’t resist. I mean, who could?” Makara grinned wider. “So I was about to take a good swig straight from the barrel when I felt this… presence behind me. I turned around, and there it was—this massive owl, just standing there, giving me the weirdest, most judgmental look you can imagine!”

Selena blinked, the story getting more bizarre by the second. “You mean this owl, the one we are riding in, stood before you.”

“Yes, I am not kidding,” Makara replied.