Chapter 52 – Soaring After The Flying Jewel II

Makara puffed out his chest a little, clearly enjoying the storytelling. “Well then, we had a little drinking competition. Yes, you heard that right—a drinking competition… with a bird!” He laughed again, the memory apparently as hilarious to him as it was bewildering to Selena.

Selena’s jaw practically dropped. “You had a drinking competition… with an owl?” she repeated, her voice incredulous.

“Yes! And, of course, I won!” Makara boasted, as if that were the natural outcome. “After a few rounds, the owl was out cold, couldn’t handle its booze. But during all that, something strange kept happening. One minute, I’m sitting with wine barrels in the middle of the forest, the next, I’m in a room. At first, I thought I had overdone it on the wine, but it wasn’t just me. The entire place kept switching between forest and what looked like a castle, like some weird illusion.”

Selena’s eyes widened in realisation. “Like a mirage?”

“Exactly!” Makara’s eyes lit with excitement. “So, I grabbed a small barrel and wandered deeper in. That’s when I came across this massive hollow tree—and right at its heart, a hummingbird! Its wings were beating so furiously they sent a low hum pulsing through the trunk. The sound turned into vibrations, racing up through the tree, out into the branches and leaves. They trembled, shivered—until the whole canopy shimmered with movement. And from that shimmer, an illusion was created… a forest stretching wide, veiling the castle completely, just as Prince Aerion mentioned.”

Selena frowned as she processed everything. “So, that’s how the castle was hidden…”

“Yes!” Makara gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “When I got closer for a better look, a sudden shockwave rippled through the entire area. The hummingbird staggered, then caught sight of me—and in an instant, it bolted from the tree. Just like that, the whole mirage shattered, and the castle came into view. The bird darted straight toward the room where the owl and I had our drinking duel. When it saw the owl knocked out, it panicked even more and took off again. It was far too fast for me to catch on my own… but then I had a brilliant idea!”

Selena raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself. “Wait, don’t tell me“.

Makara leaned back slightly, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I chucked some of that awful wine, the one General Mong gave me, on the owl’s mouth. It jolted awake, looking pretty confused but ready to go. I hopped on and pointed towards the hummingbird, and the chase was on!”

Selena blinked again, the absurdity of the situation hitting her like a wave. “You woke the owl up with bad wine… and now you’re riding it?”

“Yes!” Makara said proudly, patting the owl’s feathered back.

Selena shook her head in disbelief. “Only you, Makara… Only you.”

Makara winked, undeterred. “Hahaha! It worked, didn’t it?” His voice was full of that signature playful confidence as they careened through the winding castle corridors on the back of the massive owl.

The chase grew more intense by the second. They raced through long, twisting hallways and vaulted rooms, the hummingbird darting ahead, an elusive blur of motion. Its small size allowed it to navigate narrow passageways with ease, while the massive owl struggled to keep pace, its wings brushing perilously close to the stone walls with every sharp turn.

Selena, gripping the owl’s feathers tightly, shot a glance at Makara. “So, what’s the plan now?” she asked, her voice strained as she kept her eyes locked on the darting hummingbird ahead.

Makara, with his usual reckless grin, shouted over the wind, “We’re going to capture that bird.”

Selena glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening. “And what about the rest?”

Makara, caught off guard by her comment, twisted to look behind them. His eyes widened in realisation as he saw what she meant—a swarm of giant birds, their talons gleaming like blades, barrelling down the hallway after them. Their piercing screeches echoed through the ancient stone halls, a terrifying chorus that filled the air.

Makara blinked. “Ohhh… those birds,” continued asking, “Can you handle them?”

Selena replied. “I’d love to, but I cannot reach them with my weapon!”

Selena glanced at the approaching swarm, her frustration boiling over. “They are catching up.”

Makara had an idea and didn’t hesitate. Shouting over the rush of wind, he shifted his weight and made a daring leap, landing behind her in one swift motion. The owl screeched in surprise but maintained its flight as Makara steadied himself, now facing the approaching flock. Uncoiling his whip sword with practised ease, he readied himself for the onslaught and said to Selena, “You fly the bird, while I handle them.”

Selna was like, “What do you mean by fly the bird?” as she held on to the horn-like feathers at the front of the owl.

With a sharp crack, Makara lashed the whip sword against the stone walls of the corridor, sending chunks of debris raining down onto the pursuing birds. For a moment, it slowed them down, but it wasn’t enough to stop their relentless chase.

“That barely scratched them!” Selena shouted as she dodged another archway, the hummingbird diving lower and skimming the floor just ahead.

Undeterred, Makara reached into his cloak and pulled out the small barrel of wine he had taken from the room. “Let’s see if they can handle up the heat!” he said with a mischievous smirk. With a swift motion, he hurled the barrel against the arched wall of the narrow corridor. As it burst and splashed across the stone, Makara cracked his whip sword—its blade sparking violently against the wall. In an instant, the alcohol ignited, cascading into a roaring waterfall of flame that lit the passage like a blazing inferno.

The flame waterfall roared from the ceiling, engulfing the pursuing birds. Sparks and fire licked their feathers as several screeched in agony, tumbling through the air in frantic spirals. Others slammed into the stone walls with bone-jarring thuds, while a few set their companions ablaze, sending ripples of chaos through the flock. Most of the birds plummeted from the sky, wings flailing, smoke trailing behind them. Yet a handful escaped and pushed onward, their eyes glinting with feral determination, slicing through the haze of flames as if nothing could stop them.

Selena’s grip tightened on the owl’s horn feathers as she navigated through yet another tight corridor, her focus divided between the hummingbird’s erratic flight and the narrowing space. “There are still a few left!” she warned, her voice edged with urgency.

Makara gritted his teeth, “Just focus on that little guy!” he shouted. “I’ll keep these fiery things off our backs!”

Selena leaned forward, urging the owl to fly faster as the hummingbird zipped ahead, weaving through pillars and doorways like a dart. The owl, much larger and bulkier, struggled to keep up, its wings grazing the walls, sending dust and loose stones cascading down. “Come on, big guy, we need to get closer!” she muttered through gritted teeth, struggling to maintain control as the owl wobbled, its massive wings barely fitting through the tight spaces.

Behind her, Makara weighed his options as the relentless determination of the flock pressed down like a storm.

“Selena! They’re resilient, refuse to give up!” he shouted while he swung his whip sword again, striking one of the birds from the chase while it barely missed raking Makara’s leg with its beak.

Selena’s heart pounded as she glanced back, seeing the swarm gaining on them. Her mind raced as she dodged a low-hanging archway, barely keeping pace with the hummingbird. “We’ve got to stop their pursuit!” she yelled back, her voice strained.

Makara’s grin vanished, replaced by sharp focus. “Don’t worry,” he muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the birds, the owl, and the winding corridor ahead. “I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve.” His mind raced, calculating every angle. The flock’s shrieks grew louder, their movements more coordinated. A bold move was the only way out. “Time to shake things up… big time,” he whispered, eyes scanning the surrounding stonework for an opportunity.

The corridors they flew through were getting tighter, framed by ancient stone columns and archways that loomed overhead. Suddenly, inspiration struck. He waited, watching as the birds surged closer.

“Selena! Steady the owl!” Makara shouted, his voice cutting through the noise. He took a deep breath, muscles coiled, ready for action.

As the owl glided through a particularly wide archway, Makara lashed out with his whip sword—not at the birds, but at the base of the arch itself. The blade struck with a sharp, thunderous crack, and chunks of stone erupted downward in a cascading storm of rubble. The debris slammed into the narrow corridor behind them, sealing off the majority of the pursuing flock. A few birds twisted desperately to dodge the falling stones, but most were buried beneath the collapse, their screeches cut short by the crushing weight.

Makara grinned as the air cleared of the screeching predators. “That ought to keep them busy for a while.” He then sheathed his sword and had a drink from his sake gourd while standing at the back of the owl.

But Selena was focused on the hummingbird’s darting flight, with her sharp gaze locked ahead. She knew they couldn’t keep up with its relentless speed—it was simply too agile. Without a word, Selena shifted her stance, rising to stand on the top of the owl’s head with perfect balance. Her spear spun in her hand, poised for a javelin throw.

Makara’s eyes widened as he caught on to what she was planning. He knew how lethal Selena’s aim could be. If she struck true, the hummingbird would be done for. But that wasn’t the plan he had in his mind. Thinking fast, he decided to intervene, subtly altering her strike without her realising.

Selena hurled the spear with the precision of a seasoned warrior, tracking the bird’s every movement as it veered around the corner into the grand circular hall. At the very last second of Selena throwing her spear, Makara nudged the owl with his foot, causing it to rise slightly. The movement was so subtle, but it was just enough to shift the spear’s trajectory by mere inches. The spear sliced through the air, striking the hummingbird—not fatally, but grazing its wing. The tiny creature spiralled helplessly to the marble floor, landing with a soft thud, stunned but alive. The spear buried itself into a nearby stone pillar, quivering from the force.

The owl swooped down and landed gracefully beside the fallen bird. Selena and Makara quickly dismounted, and Makara knelt beside the wounded hummingbird. It trembled in fear, but he approached with care, his calm presence soothing the creature. Gently, he cradled it in his hands while Selena retrieved her weapon.

Selena’s brow furrowed in confusion. Her aim had been flawless, so how had the spear deviated? She cast a glance at Makara, suspicion creeping into her thoughts. Had he done something to alter her throw? The way he held the bird, his expression unreadable, made her wonder.

Before she could voice her suspicions, a deafening crash reverberated through the hall. The sound jolted them both, and they spun toward the source of the noise.

“Shawn,” Selena whispered, her grip tightening around her weapon.

Makara nodded grimly, holding the fragile hummingbird in his hands put it inside his cloak. Together, they turned toward the grand, ornate doors at the far end of the hall, pushing them open with a heavy creak. The scene that greeted them on the other side took their breath away.

Shawn stood in the centre of the vast throne room with a dark blue smoke mist across the ground, his sword drawn, glinting in the dim light. The blade was pointed directly at Prince Aerion’s neck, who lay slumped against the throne, bloodied. The once-regal prince was now reduced to a pitiful state, barely clinging to consciousness as Shawn’s blade hovered menacingly near his throat.

Selena and Makara stepped forward, the air thick with tension. Shawn’s eyes flicked up to meet theirs, filled with cold, unwavering fury.

“SHAWN!” Makara shouted, his voice echoing through the silent room.