Zeldritzon [Cycle 4] - Dusking Skies
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Current Location:
[Ungroot Zone]
[UvoSath Forest of the UvoSath Realm]
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The Shugmok let out one final, desperate roar before collapsing, its massive body crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact. It twitched once, then fell still, the black and blue flames slowly dying out within its cracked hide.
KiAera stood there, catching her breath, her heart still hammering in her chest. They had won, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. Not now.
Suddenly, a shadow slid across the sky above her.
Her ears twitched, extending instinctively as she looked up to the sky. The massive silhouette of the Skyrawltal circled above, its huge wings cutting through the misty air. Its screech echoed through the forest as it descended, its sharp talons outstretched.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Skyrawltal
APeX: [220 Units]
Attributes: [Wind] [Deino]
Faction: [Predator]
Variant Grade: [Common]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
"Oh, for the love of—" KiAera muttered, baring her fangs into a snarl. Another fight already?
Amber growled, positioning herself beside KiAera. The Kobolbos huddled closer, clutching their spears, their eyes wide with terror as they looked to her for guidance.
KiAera's mind raced. The Skyrawltal was different from the Shugmok—faster, more agile. She would need to adapt her strategy, but first, she needed to know whether it was here to challenge them or simply feed on the remains of their fallen foe.
She raised her ears, extending them toward the creature, watching its movements closely. The Skyrawltal's sharp eyes locked onto hers, and for a tense moment, neither of them moved.
It smirked.
A sudden realization hit KiAera like a punch to the gut: the Skyrawltal hadn't lost them at all. It had been watching, waiting. Tracking their every move. Her blood ran cold as the pieces clicked into place—this wasn't just a predator; it was a hunter, biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Her mind raced, seeking any advantage in the terrain. The twisted trees around them offered no true cover—their gnarled branches clawing at the sky, casting shadows but providing little sanctuary. The clearing ahead was worse, a death trap if the creature decided to dive.
"Stay close," KiAera hissed to her party. Her extendable ears twitched, mapping the sound of the Skyrawltal circling above them. The creature's shrill screech echoed again, making the Kobolbos flinch and tighten their grip on their crude spears.
They needed to move, and they needed to do it now.
"Amber, we break for the gorge," KiAera said, glancing toward a jagged ravine she had noticed earlier, nestled between the twisted trees. It was narrow and steep, but the walls might shield them from an aerial attack, at least temporarily. The LeapLeap nodded.
"Scarbol, lead the Kobolbos. Get them down there fast, and don’t stop for anything," she ordered. Beta Osseod clicked in agreement, and the Kobolbos, though trembling, looked ready to follow.
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The Skyrawltal screeched again, louder this time. It was descending. She felt it in her bones—the shift in the air, the oppressive presence pressing down on them as its massive form blotted out the sky.
"Now!" she barked as she darted toward the gorge.
The Kobolbos sprinted, scrambling into a haphazard formation as they dashed toward the ravine. Amber leaped gracefully, covering ground in great, bounding strides, while the Osseods scuttled close to KiAera in the fading light.
KiAera's ears extended as she ran, twisting and flicking, sensing the shift in the Skyrawltal's position. It was diving now, hurtling down toward them like a living spear. She didn't have much time.
The gorge loomed ahead, the ground beneath her paws sloping down sharply. The air felt thinner, cooler, as they neared the ravine's edge. She glanced back for a split-second, just in time to see the Skyrawltal's shadow looming over them, its talons outstretched, glinting in the dim light.
Her breath caught. It was faster than she'd anticipated.
"Amber, down!" she shouted, throwing herself into the ravine just as the creature's talons grazed the spot where she'd stood moments before.
She landed in a roll, her body twisting through the air as her ears snapped around a branch, halting her descent just before she hit the rocky floor. She groaned as Amber followed her lead, leaping into the gorge with a powerful kick of her legs, while the Kobolbos and Osseods clambered down as fast as they could manage.
But the Skyrawltal wasn't finished.
It circled again, screeching in frustration as it realized its prey had eluded it—for now. Its wings beat heavily against the air, sending gusts of wind swirling through the ravine. KiAera narrowed her eyes, her mind working through the next step. The creature was persistent, and the gorge was no fortress. If they stayed here, it would find a way to strike.
Her gaze swept across the ravine, searching for anything—anything—that could give them an advantage. There were rocks, loose and jagged, littering the floor. Some of the twisted trees had roots that snaked down the walls like veins. Her eyes gleamed as an idea sparked in her mind.
"Scarbol, Amber—take cover near the walls, as close as you can!" she ordered. "We're not done yet."
She leaped onto a large boulder, her eyes tracking the Skyrawltal as it circled again. She could feel the shift in the air as it prepared for another dive, its talons gleaming as it tilted into a new descent. But this time, KiAera was ready.
With a deep breath, she let the familiar chill of her Spectral Flame surge through her veins. Blue and black fire flickered across her paws and tail, but this time, she didn't unleash it immediately.
If it worked once…
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's [Spectral Flame] Attribute Shift:
[Phantom + Fire] → [Phantom + Glacial]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's APeX + [Spectral Flame]:
[120 Units] {[90 Units] + [30 Units]}
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
"Wait for it..." she muttered to herself, her body tensing as the Skyrawltal neared.
It swooped down again, talons poised for the kill.
At the last possible moment, KiAera sprang. Flicking her tail, she sent a whip of freezing Spectral Flame lashing out toward the creature, wrapping around its legs. The cold fire spread fast, freezing the air and the mist itself, locking the creature's limbs in place as it roared in fury.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's [Spectral Flame] Attribute Shift:
[Phantom + Glacial] → [Phantom + Fire]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Before it could wrench free, she shifted the flame's temperature, igniting it into a blazing inferno of black heat. The sudden transition from ice to flame caused the creature's wings to convulse.
"Now!" she yelled.
The Kobolbos, already in position, hurled rocks and crude spears at the struggling Skyrawltal. They and the Osseods aimed for its wings, its soft underbelly, wherever they could find a gap in its scales.
Amber lunged in as well, leaping from rock to rock, striking at the creature's flank with her claws. KiAera, gripping a spear herself, ignited it with fire and launched it straight at the Skyrawltal's chest. The spear struck true.
The Skyrawltal screeched again, this time in agony, as the combined assault overwhelmed it. Its wings flapped wildly, trying to gain altitude, but the damage had been done.
It floundered, crashing against the side of the gorge in a flurry of feathers and scales, before skidding to a stop, wounded and breathless.
For a long, tense moment, the only sound was the wind rustling through the twisted trees above.
KiAera's ears twitched as she lowered her stance, ready to react if the creature made another move. But the Skyrawltal didn't stir. It lay still, its wings splayed out against the rocks, its body heaving with labored breaths.
She exhaled slowly, her fur still bristling with the residual energy of the battle. It was over. At least, for now…
"Good work," she muttered, turning to her party. Amber chuffed softly in response, the Osseods squeaked, while Scarbol and the Kobolbos grunted. Everyone was clearly exhausted but alive.
KiAera's gaze lingered on the fallen Skyrawltal. It had been relentless, intelligent, and dangerous—qualities she admired in a predator. But it wasn't invincible. She'd proven that much.
Her mind began to drift toward their next task. Survival was always in motion, and this forest offered no respite. They needed to move. They needed shelter and they would need it before nightfall.
The Skyrawltal, she realized, might provide more than just a trophy. There was potential there. A plan began to form in her mind as she flicked her tail, the embers of her Spectral Flame flickering out.
Stepping closer, she locked eyes with the creature. It hissed with hateful eyes, but winced as it failed to raise its head.
"You've got two choices," she said, raising a crystal in her paw. "Join us, or stay down. Choose wisely."