Reagle chased after Zaza. His cracked beak ached with pain however he ignored it. He saw the Zebra mare disappear into their cabin.
“Zaza! Please open up!” shouted Reagle pounding on the door.
“…” there came no response from behind the cold metal door.
“Zaza!” Reagle slammed at the door.
The hallway was too small for him to charge at it so Reagle beat his claws raw against the metal door. It continued until Reagle’s claws were bloodied. He fell back after a while when both physical and mental exhaustion took hold.
Bull and Cirta walked through the hallway. Cirta sat on Bull’s back, nibbling at the Water Buffalo’s ears affectionately. The two of them noticed Reagle sitting pitifully in front of the door, his claws were raw and his beak bled.
“Hey, what’s wrong devil bird?” asked Cirta chirpily.
“Zaza’s locked herself in. She won’t speak to me.” said Reagle wallowing in his tears.
Bull spoke in a slow drawl that was simple yet sagely. “That won’t do. Communication is important in a partnership. If one partner closes a door, it’s a sign of many more.” The massive water Buffalo gave the door a slight nudge breaking its hinges.
“Ta ta!” said Cirta as she rode away on Bull’s back.
Ironbeak coughed up blood as Dori helped him stumble across the boarding ramp between his silvery ship and the greater black vessel.
“Your father is a monster. You’re suffering internal bleeding.” said Dori.
Ironbeak clutched his stomach. “This is not the first time he’s hit me. A healing poultice and I should be fine.” He tried to put on a brave face but he winced as the pain increased. “Doesn’t help the pain though.”
“....Next time, I’ll hit him back. You’re mine to abuse.” Dori cooed.
“The ultimatum has been set, I cannot fail again. Dori, you could become vassal to another lord. You don’t have to follow me…” said Ironbeak.
“I’m not following you.” said Dori simply.
Ironbeak smiled with a mixture of relief and regret.
“I never followed you. You’re following me! I told you that you’re taking my family name when we wed.” said Dori.
Ironbeak smiled. “How will we get through this?”
A white feathered female Griffin strolled towards them across the boarding ramp. She wore a flowing black cloak alongside her larger bodyguards who wore shorter black capes. She and her guards had a permanent predatory gaze.
“I am Banshee, leader of Ravens. Lord Ironclaw wills we work together.” Banshee spoke curtly and concisely, a small Griffin with the calm confidence of a killer.
“Greetings, I’m Ironbeak.” Ironbeak extended a friendly claw to shake.
Banshee ignored the gesture. “You are mistaken. My role is to do the job that you hatchlings have so evidently failed in. Your performance in Ibaristan was utterly pathetic.” Her insulting words were without relish, she simply stated.
Dori countered. “Okay, how now would you have secured an individual in a hostile city?”
Banshee replied in her indifferent tone. “The answer is simple. After discovery of the target I would have immediately bombed the city until nothing lives. It is easier to deal with hearsay and conjecture than it is with witnesses.”
“That’s…” Ironbeak was flabbergasted.
Even Dori’s cool was chipped. “To kill so many.” said Dori.
Banshee raised an eyebrow. “You are Dori, head of House Bloodtalon. I am disappointed that you did not come to same conclusion.”
Dori’s chest feathers were raised she answered back swiftly. “To kill a city is a waste, they could be enslaved. The property alone-”
Banshee flicked her cloak turning around. “Your ships are now under my command. You will join formation as my left flank-” She added. “-the weaker wing.”
Reagle opened the doorway but dared not step further. Zaza sat on the bed with her back turned to him as she stared out the window.. Even through the reflection of the window’s glass he could Zaza’s eyes were puffy from tears. Zaza sat clutching her spear, for comfort.
Reagle gulped as he made his first step.
Zaza spun around immediately and pointed her spear at Reagle before speaking in a low growl. “Get away from me.” Zaza thrust her spear within a feather of Reagle’s head. Reagle did not recoil.
“I beseech you.” Reagle spoke from his cracked beak.
She angrily spat in his face. “After my brother’s death, I took on his responsibilities. I became a Commander, striving to follow his example. To that end, I unsexed myself like the Shamans of our tribe…even if I were to be free of my obligation... Assegai was the one who I would have been with… but he was killed by you Griffins. I was despondent; you sensed weakness behind my brave face! You took advantage! I will kill you! Go away!”
“You can kill me if you wish but not until after I explained myself. Zaza, please let me in.” said Reagle softly.
Zaza smashed her foreleg into Reagle’s chest. “I don’t care.”
Reagle was sent flying out of the cabin. His back hit the hallway wall. “Yes you do care and so do I.”
Zaza positioned her spear in advance this time at Reagle’s head. “Die devil bird!” She lunged.
Reagle closed his eyes. “I love you!”
Zaza again redirected her spear this time she scratched Reagle’s face. Zaza’s eyes were widened by Reagle’s words. Zaza withdrew her spear but turned away from Reagle. She sat back onto the bed and gazed at her own reflection in the window. After a long moment without a response, Reagle reentered the cabin slowly.
“I’m sorry for rushing you into a relationship. I did not know.” said Reagle.
“…I do not blame you for that…” said Zaza.
Zaza turned around placed her hooves on Reagle’s shoulders. “Also there’s no way you could have killed my brother. He was a pillar of strength. Even lions feared him. You must have been mistaken… the battle was hectic as I recalled.” Zaza shook her head laughing in self-denial and willing delusion. “You must have imagined it.” She smiled tenderly; there was a hairline break in that revealed it to be forced. She hugged Reagle.
There was comfort wrapped in her embrace. Reagle almost smiled back and accepted the false relief but he turned away when he remembered the pain in her eyes. Reagle frowned deeply as he broke the narrative that Zaza had provided. “No Zaza. I did kill your brother… I’m sure of it.”
Zaza’s face was hot with renewed anger. She shoved Reagle away with her hooves, her face flaming and her vision narrowed. “Explain.”
“I was drunk when I told Dori this story. I’ve never bragged about it.” said Reagle.
“Tell it to me sober.” said Zaza intensely.
With a cracked beak and bleeding face Reagle began his story.
Lord Helmsford was my father’s close friend. He was kind but arrogant. He was fat yet muscled, he waddled about and the other officers would joke that he couldn’t fly. I was squired under him to learn how to command. I learned exactly how not to command under his tutelage. Still the old Griffin treated me well, and I regarded him highly back then. He was like a second father to me. We were to lead an expeditionary force into the heart of Zebra lands under his banner.
His arrogance would however lead to the greatest military disaster in Griffin history. The doddering fool had us encamp at the bottom a hill so he could dine in the shade. Night came and before we knew it, they were upon us and they had the high ground. Silent as death they charged at us, even the automatic crossbow pieces were worthless as we were overrun. They attacked the cannon powder supplies first with suicide bombers. I watched the ships explode on the ground lighting up the night sky. We couldn’t get a single War Wing or Balloon in the sky. We were in the middle of enemy territory. I recall later those who fled died in the desert or were hunted down when their wings gave out.
Tents burned as they advanced. We killed as many of them as we could yet more took in their place. With several automatic crossbows we held them off for minutes enough so that a last line could be formed around the supply carts. I was a runner carrying boxes of bolts to the war machines. We ran out of bolts just as the first enemy wave finished. It soon dawned upon us that dawn wasn’t coming and our deaths would be in the night. We drew swords and lances and awaited agonizing minutes for the second wave that was sure to come.
Amidst the shrieks and shrills, Lord Helmsford shoved me under an overturned supply cart. I looked through a small hole in the wood work as the old Griffin fought off several Zebra warriors before he faced the Zebra Commander. The Commander donned a helmet with a blue frill. Helmsford stood no chance against the crazed warrior. A spear was rammed into his skull. Other Zebras followed afterwards and I remember the warrior’s Zerker eyes because they had noticed me peeking at him.
Somehow I had gotten my claws on our last grenade. I had finger flints when I was lighting lamps for the camp. As the mad warrior approached, I lit the grenade and with his boundless strength, he lifted the cart. With my beak I bit him again and again so that he would let go. Somehow, I dropped the grenade on the other side as the cart fell back down. I heard an explosion... and that was it. Days later, starved near to death I was rescued by a Griffin scout team.
“In my nightmares I still remember the warrior’s crazed berserk eyes… the same eyes that you’re looking at me with right now.”
Zaza had entered her Zerker state however this time Reagle matched her stare with his eyes glazed over. He showed her no fear for that moment he had none.
Zaza shook her head several times. She forced herself to breathe slowly. She tilted her head back and then forward. “I have never entered the Zerker state without initiating it.” Zaza gasped shaking her head as reason returned. “This makes no sense, how are you kind and compassionate?” She looked at Reagle’s face.
“Well, as I was flown out of the battlefield in clear day I saw the carnage. As many Zebra bodies lay as did Griffin ones. I resolved to find the reason for such slaughter. So began my studies into your culture. I became an abolitionist afterwards. I despaired when I reached the limits of what I could change. I decide then to take up the sword again, not to slaughter but so that I might make a cleaner cut rather than the butchery I had seen. I offered surrender to every enemy I encountered…” said Reagle.
“Such an experience would fill me for hate… It has…” said Zaza with tears in her eyes. “I was at that battle also… I lost a brother!” Zaza cried.
“Zaza.” said Reagle softly holding her.
“I let hate consume me. It had become my purpose.” said Zaza.
“That’s not true. You gave me a chance.” said Reagle hugging her.
“Prince Reagle there is something I must tell you of our destination!” said Zaza sobbing.
“What is it?” asked Reagle.
“I…” Zaza stopped her words. “I… cannot.”
There was something of a lie in her omission but Reagle did not press it further. “It’s alright, tell me when you’re ready.” said Reagle kindly.
“Reagle, why couldn’t you have been the monster they said you were?! All would be easier.” said Zaza.
“I’m sorry.” said Reagle.
“No I am the one to be sorry. I have injured you.” Zaza kissed Reagle’s broken beak. The ecstasy of the moment made Reagle almost forget the throbbing ache.
Reagle smiled bravely. “It’s just a little bother. I’d endure worse for you.”
Zaza looked at the Griffin for a moment. “Prince Reagle, you confessed to me your love. It was what stopped my spear. I hold great affection for you… however” She trailed off sadly. “I… cannot… love you.”
“It will come with time. I’m charming.” Reagle chirped.
Zaza wrapped her hooves around Reagle’s neck. “I must not…”
“Surrender.” Reagle smirked.
“Never.” She kissed him again this time with their tongues touching.
Ironbeak and Dori joined Banshee in the War Room of her War Wing. Banshee had her claws on the table and the attention of the room was focused upon the white Griffin with her dark demeanor.
“Our enemy has an airship. Its size is between that of War Balloon and War Wing Airship. Its fuel reserves and range could exceed that of our War Wings but at least match it. Crossing the sand sea would require us to resupply in coal.” Banshee drew a circle around Ibaristan using a compass.
Ironbeak looked at a city within the circle. “Then they will make berth-”
Banshee planted a dagger into the map. “-at the Zebra city Zericho. It has massive coal mines.”
“So we’ll take the city? Do you have ground troops for that?” asked Dori.
“Take? I see greed is your weakness.” Banshee chirped derisively.
“It has strategic value. It could be used as a platform for our later invasion past the Sand Sea.” said Dori.
“It matters not for the purposes of our mission. If they do not surrender we will burn it to ground.” said Banshee. “You forget that we aim to not only conquer the Zebra lands but the Griffin Skies. As of now all allied houses aside from ours are our enemies. For the rise of House Ironclaw, the heir of Hawkmor must die.”
Nokimbe sat next to Isara in the cozy confines of her chambers.
The Ibex spoke first rubbing her hoof on the Zebra’s chest. “What made you climb back in the saddle?” she smiled. “Last you left the fight, you had gold enough to buy a town. Don’t tell me you blew it all on drink and pleasure rides?”
Nokimbe spoke. “You’re the only ride I’ll take.”
“Ha, a liar, till the end.” said Isara.
“Come on, you really think I’d wait in line for marriage like the rest of your unit?” Nokimbe sniggered.
“You’re not out of the running.” smiled Isara.
Nokimbe sat up and move to the end of the bed. He looked away from Isara sprawled on the sheets. “That’s a false hope. Like when we charged at those automatic crossbows.” Nokimbe spat.
“It was you and others who volunteered.” said Isara.
“Amadi knew the consequences. I do not blame you for the loss of my brother. I never did. You led the charge yourself.” said Nokimbe looking at Isara’s eyepatch and scarred side.
“I don’t imagine it was love for me was it?” Isara turned away. “So what drove you to run the gauntlet?”
“No one else would. We charged in believing in victory. We… I thought it would make a difference. In the end they brought the War Wings in and bombed everything. We took those damn crossbows just to burn them as we retreated.” said Nokimbe.
“So tell me what made a smuggler and thief into a soldier again?”
“Real hope,” said Nokimbe. “I can’t spill the details but there’s a chance to reclaim the destinies of our people. Ya?”
“Ya.” Isara repeated indifferently.
Reagle felt his recently healed beak and claws. Zaza had gently applied her secret ointment but still it stung under the bandages. Physical sensations had come back to focus with Zaza now at his side. He leaned slightly against her as she helped him negotiate the hallway.
“It is the strangest of things, fate is. I was commander of the third wave. Had the battle gone on longer… You might have had to face me.” said Zaza reflectively.
“Wait you were a Commander four years ago?! That means you’re older than me!” stammered Reagle.
“So?” smiled Zaza.
“Wine only becomes more fine with age. I’m intensely attracted to older ladies!” said Reagle.
“You’re trying too hard.” Zaza shook her head lightly.
Reagle stumbled slightly as he felt his chest ache.
Zaza’s face was warped with worry. “Reagle, I’ll get you to see a real healer later. I’m sorry again.”
“It’s okay.” said Reagle.
“No it’s not. I’m sure I cracked a rib of yours.” said Zaza. “I know only how to hurt…”
“Don’t say that. You’re making me feel sorry.” said Reagle tenderly.
“I know of healer that can fix any wound. She can help you.” said Zaza.
“Truly?” asked Reagle.
“Indeed.” smiled Zaza.
They entered the bridge of the airship to receive concerned looks from everyone.
Isara coughed ignoring the couple. “Anyway, this is crazy. Why must we make berth at Zericho? It is too obvious for them. It’s the closest city. They will follow us.”
Nokimbe spoke pointing hoof at the other city dots on the center table map. “This map is out of date. The other ports beyond the Sand Sea have been destroyed. Zericho is our only option.”
“I wasn’t aware of that the Griffin Kingdoms launched an offensive beyond the Sand Sea.” said Reagle.
“It was we who destroyed those cities.” said Zaza.
The small Gazelle raised her hoof like a student. “Why?” asked Cirta.
Zaza replied. “It was an effort to stop the Griffin Advance. It is easier to defend one port than seven. Zericho is the bridge to the Zebra Heartland.”
“That’s a severe move.” said Isara. “I didn’t know you people had it in you.”
“The war has changed us all.” said Nokimbe.
“How come the Griffins haven’t taken it?” asked Cirta.
“They would if they could.” Zaza smirked. “My sister and brother in-law defends it.”
“Your sister?” asked Reagle.
“The one and only Zecora.”