“This is Queen Shina!” I proclaimed to the crowd. “From this moment forward, this kingdom will no longer be known as Glimmerfen. It is now officially Tigris Dominion!” Kings Malachar and Clawfeather’s eyes widened in surprise. “A tigress kingdom?” Malachar scoffed. “Are you out of your mind?” I smirked and walked in front of the army. “Maybe a little. But whether I'm out of my mind or not, this is now the kingdom of the tigresses and the avian people. So, get out.”
The crowd murmured in astonishment, and the tigresses stood taller, their pride evident. The avian people, initially hesitant, began to cheer. Ember, Zira, and Alden flanked me, their confidence bolstering the resolve of the new queen. Shina stepped forward, her presence commanding, and addressed the assembled masses.
“Under my rule, Tigris Dominion will be a place of unity and strength. We will protect our home and stand together against any threat.” Her voice rang with determination, silencing any remaining doubts.
Malachar and Clawfeather exchanged uneasy glances, their initial arrogance wavering. “This isn’t over,” Clawfeather snarled, but his bravado lacked conviction. “Maybe not,” I replied calmly. “But for now, it’s our victory. Leave, and let this be the beginning of a new era for Tigris Dominion.”
"Knights, withdraw!" Clawfeather commanded, his voice echoing with authority. In unison, his army and Malachar's turned and marched out of the kingdom, their departure a reluctant acknowledgement of our victory.
Ember let out a long breath, her hand pressed to her chest. "God! That was terrifying. You just walked right up to the two kings of the strongest kingdoms!" Alden breathed heavily also. “You gotta stop making dangerous decisions!” He scolded me and slapped my head and I winced. “Ow! Well as a future king, I learned that dangerous decisions are the best decisions.” As I said this I caught something huge that was thrown at me with one arm. I looked at it and raised my eyebrow. “Who threw an ac unit at me?!” I turned to look at the avian citizens who were furious.
“Who are you to give us a new leader?!”
“You destroyed our kingdom!”
They screamed at me angrily and started throwing more things, which I dodged effortlessly. “Me? Didn’t you see the boy and girl who came in? And those kingdoms that almost killed that kid? My people—well, mainly Zira and me—saved your kingdom!”
As I dodged the barrage of thrown objects, Alden and Ember exchanged uneasy glances. Ember perched on Alden's shoulders, her wings drooping with guilt. "This is our fault," Alden muttered. "If we hadn't wanted to stay with Bali and Silvia, Gaian wouldn't have gone so far off the deep end." Ember nodded in agreement, then gestured toward me. I was yelling at the angry crowd while Zira held me back by the collar of my shirt.
Ember began thinking and then had a plan. She whispered it to Alden, who pondered for a moment before nodding. "It's brilliant!" he smiled.
As I continued struggling, I saw Alden walk past me, his fist clenched. I raised an eyebrow as he approached the boy from earlier and, without warning, punched him in the stomach. The boy groaned and fell to his knees, leaving the crowd in stunned silence.
Suddenly, chaos erupted as the crowd began yelling furiously and attacking us with weapons. I was bewildered—why did Alden attack that kid?!
Alden shouted and started fighting alongside the tigresses. “We’re the celestial birds, kneel before us!” He winked at me, and it didn’t take long for me to understand. “They're trying to make Shina look good!” I thought to myself and turned to Shina, who looked confused. “I hope this works!”
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Closing my eyes tightly, I began speaking, “Shina!” As I called out, she winced and clutched her head. “Gaian?! How are you doing this?” she exclaimed, closing her eyes. We were suddenly in a golden place, and she saw me. “G-Gaian?!” she stammered and gulped. I was confused and felt my face, then noticed I was way taller than her, with a feminine body and golden feathers. “Whoa! I’m in the nest again, just like that dream! Sagea was a really beautiful person.” I chuckled, catching sight of a mirror on the wall.
“Ah, focus! I gave you a crown of my feathers, and I’m guessing since it’s technically a part of my DNA, I’m able to talk to you through it!” I explained. She was still locked onto my—Sagea’s—form, staring in awe.
“Shina, listen to me,” I continued, my voice firm yet gentle. “You have the strength and the heart to lead these people. Right now, they need someone to believe in, someone who can protect them. You can do this.” Ironic because I only recognize her from when I beat her a couple of days ago.
She looked hesitant, but I could see the resolve starting to form in her eyes. “But Gaian, I—”
“No buts,” I interrupted. “You are their queen now. Show them the strength of the tigresses, the honor and courage that lives within you. Prove to them that I made the right choice in making you their Queen.” I just said the first thing that came to my mind out of desperation.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll do it. For you, for the tigresses, and for everyone in this kingdom.”
As she opened her eyes, I could feel the connection fading. “Remember, Shina, you’re not alone. We’re all with you.”
Back in the real world, I could see the change in her demeanor. She stood taller, her eyes filled with determination. “People of Tigris Dominion!” she called out, her voice strong and commanding. “We will not bow to fear or tyranny. We will stand together and protect our home. This is our kingdom now, and we will fight for it!”
The citizens erupted in cheers as Shina stomped the ground, the sound echoing like thunder. We all gathered closely, holding onto each other. “Are you guys ready?” I asked, noticing Zira in a heartfelt group hug with the other tigresses and Shina. Tears streamed down their faces.
“I don’t want you to leave,” Shina sobbed, her voice cracking. “You’re the real queen, not me!”
Zira smiled warmly, gently holding Shina’s head. “When Gaian's vision is realized, you’ll all be able to live in our kingdom—his kingdom—Gaian’s kingdom.”
Shina nodded, tears still streaming down her face. “Promise me you’ll come back. We need you.”
Zira's smile widened, a mix of sadness and determination in her eyes. “I promise. We’ll come back stronger, and together, we’ll make this kingdom thrive.” She glanced at me, her resolve unwavering. “For now, Shina, lead them with courage and wisdom. You have the strength to do this.”
Shina looked up, her eyes filled with hope. “You really believe in him, don’t you?”
Zira nodded, her smile unwavering. “With all my heart. He was the one who freed us from the king and queen’s grasp. Even when I was hurting him, he stopped me from killing them. Gaian’s dreams aren’t just his—they’re ours. Together, we’ll build a future where everyone can thrive.”
The tigresses around them nodded in agreement, their resolve strengthening. The crowd watched, moved by the heartfelt exchange, and a sense of unity began to spread among the people.
Zira gave them one last long hug before flash-stepping to the middle of us. “I’m ready,” she sighed, holding us tight. With a powerful stomp, she roared, “Roar of Dawn!” The force of her roar sent us flying. We yelled as we were launched high, and Ember summoned her ark, catching us safely.
As we landed on the platform with a thud, Alden stood up and opened his shirt, revealing pouches of food from Glimmerfen—now Tigris Dominion. "I brought snacks!" he announced. We all laughed, and I patted him on the back.
Looking down at the cloud kingdom as we flew, I reflected on our long journey: fighting winged knights for food, battling the princes, Ember’s betrayal, the dungeon where Alden and I fought for food, the coliseum, confronting the tigresses, Zira, the vessel of Zephyra, the falcon of speed defeating us, me being unconscious for days, saving the tigresses and Zira, realizing Alden wanted to stay in Glimmerfen, Ember almost figuring out my reincarnation (though, would it really change anything?), Vex, the vessel of the shadow owl Umbra, attacking us with Ravyn, the vessel of Zephyr, the dark albatross, Alden and Ember saving us while Vex and Ravyn escaped, finding out Zira’s sister Kira had been dead all this time, stopping Zira from killing the king and queen, Ember and Alden rejoining me, King Clawfeather of the Drakewind Empire, and King Malachar of Moonshadow Dominion trying to take over Glimmerfen, Shina becoming queen, gaining telepathy through my feathers, and finally, relaxing on Ember’s Ark.