--------///----Eclina's POV----\\\--------

(Eclina) " ...Dangit... "

When Mr.Garris told me about the other drake, that was all i could think of saying. I already felt a little tired from fighting the first one but after the lynxs i was definetly getting exhausted. And i had my new bird friend to think about too. Looking at him, i saw he couldn't eat anymore and was looking like he was going to fall asleep as soon as his eyes closed... I had no idea what to do. I turned around and just stared ahead.

~ I can't just leave him... But can i really fight off this drake? If i surprise it then i might be able to do it... But i was still having a hard time when i blinded the first one... I know about fighting a blind one but not about a non blind one... Can i actually do it? What would mama do?.. She would probably tell me not to fight it unless i was sure i'd win... But i can't escape without leaving my bird friend.  ~

While i was thinking about what i should do, i started hearing soft breathing coming from where my bird friend was. I turned back around and saw that he was already asleep. It made me a bit happy that he felt safe enough to just sleep infront of me but it just made everything more difficult! He was curled into a small ball with his wings covering him and just softly breathing. How was i supposed to to bother that!

(Garris) " The drake is around 5 minutes away, Eclina. If you're planning on escaping then you're running out of time. "

~ That doesn't make it any better! Ugh! I can't take him anywhere, i can't fight here unless i want him to get hurt... Do i just leave him?.. But i just healed him... Ugggh! Mama and papa would hate me if i did... I have to do something... Do i just rush at it? I can't hide anywhere since there aren't any trees or shrubs around... I can hide in the air... But how high can i go? ~

I didn't have time to worry about that as i took the idea and tried it. I went activated my air tail and made and jumped between platforms to go higher and higher. I kept jumping until i felt like i couldn't make anymore platforms. I got around... ten meters? I was high up but i didn't feel scared being up this high. When i looked down i could see where my bird friend was and i could see each of his feathers just fine. I looked ahead and saw the drake charging up the incline but luckily for me it didn't seem to notice me.

It seemed to have darker green scales and seemed to be around the same size. The drake, for some reason, felt stronger. I was worried about doing this but i had to. I ran towards the drake and made sure to keep myself ahead of it so it wouldn't notice me. While i was up high, i made sure to keep my darkness tail active and charged as i did. I had to get in a lot of damage in as fast as i could. I ran until i would be right on top of its neck and started rushing down. I had my claws coated in darkness and made sure not to miss.

As i got closer the drake somehow noticed me coming and turned up to see me coming down. It started to charge up its flame breath but if i moved out of the way i would lose my momentum and do nothing compared to doing as much as i could now. I didn't have any other ideas at the moment so i made a ball of air infront of the drakes mouth and shot it into it. The drake shut its mouth and looked like it was panicked as it started shaking its head. It tried backing up but i just kept running down until i finally reached it.

I slashed at the back of its neck but because it moved back i only got some of the side but i still got a chunk of that side. But i noticed i couldn't cut deep enough since parts of my claws broke off. When i hit the ground i had to cushion myself so i didn't go splat. Even though i cushioned myself, i dug my good claws into the ground and cut through some of the stone. The drake was already back to paying attention and glaring at me with hate in its eyes. I could see 2 of my claws were stuck in its neck and seemed to be seeping darkness into its body.

It was obviously in pain but it wasn't letting itself be hindered by it since it was charging at me faster then the one from earlier. I didn't have muchi could do so i ran towards it and charged my darkness to burst out above me as i ran under it. The drake tried to slam it's fist into me but i dodged that easily. I made it underneath the drake and shot my darkness into its chest. It hit and i could her the drake cry out in pain, but the pain didn't stop it from swinging its tail at me as soon as i was out from under it.

It's tail hit me like a wall and flung me far away. But i wasn't worrying about the distance, what i was really worrying about was the pain that was coursing through me. I felt the bones in my back right leg breaking, my front right leg wasn't in that bad shape but it still hurt way more then what i wanted. I felt some pain on the inside but i had no clue what exactly it was. I had to heal but when i tried turning off my air tail and using my light but i felt way more resistance then i felt earlier. It felt like i couldn't use my darkness and air at the same time again for a while.

While i was thinking the drake was charging its fire again. If i was going to avoid it then i needed to turn my air tail back on and turn my darkness off to use my light. I got up and started to run despite the pain that was coursing through my body. The drake turned its head and body to follow where i was running and shot its flames infront of where i was going to run. The river of fire just appeared infront of me and i haad no way to slow myself down or avoid it. If i jumped then i would risk breaking my legs when i landed, if i tried to slow down then i would end up making it worse for me by just ending up inside the flames.

I didn't know what to do and i didn't have any of my tails active. All i could do was run, jump and hope my tails activated before i hit the ground. As i got closer to the river of flames, the drake swept its head closer towards me, which by extension also meant its flames got closer to me. I had to force my legs to cooperate with me and jump over those flames. As i jumped over the flames the drake tried to move them towards me but it wasn't fast enough. 

When i was going to hit the ground i realized my tails weren't ready and i would have to brace for even more pain. As soon as i hit the ground i heard something in my legs snap and i was imediatley flooded with pain. That pain made me topple over as i still wasn't fully healed from the first drake and the lynxs. The drake saw that and started running at me. I saw it and had to force my tails to activate faster. I forced myself to get up and move to buy myself some more time but as soon as i felt my tails activate i used a gust of wind to push me forwards.

I used more then i thought was safe so my gust ended up launching me forward way past safety. I had to make my light work to the best of my ability while i was tumbling through the air but i only had a few seconds of distance, the drake changing course help me even though it kept charging. Since it had to change its course it lost some of its momentum so i had a bit more time to make my move. By the time the drake was halfway close to me i was already able to use my front and back right legs. They still hurt a lot but i could use them.

I started running out of the way and around the drake, i knew i had to keep my distance and heal myself as much as i could if i wanted to actually win. The drake started to slow down and eventually stopped charging as it stood still and watched me. Apparently it knew it's only speed advantage would be if it was running in a straight line so it didn't even waste it's energy trying to compete with me. The drake just watched me as i ran around it and didn't really seem to be doing anything.

While it was doing that i was fixing myself up but that in itself was harder then i thought. My bones were healing but without actually eating and resting, they would still be weak and could even break some more. I didn't have access to my darkness while i was healing and my air wasn't that good for hurting it. It's scales were too tough and i couldn't just claw at it or i'd lose more of my claws... I didn't have any actual plan on how to deal with it. I just kept running around the drake and stalled until i could heal everything. The drake noticed my wounds were getting better and decided not to just stand around. It slammed its massive fists into the ground and made massive shockwaves in my directions. I already knew about those so i just jumped up to avoid them.

But then a small fireball flew in my direction. The drake had been charging up its flames and actually counted on me to jump! It kept watching me and i could see the red glow coming from its throat. If i kept running around then it would just keep using the shockwaves and flame combo to make it harder for me. I had to do something or i would just end up wasting my own energy. I couldn't even count on my claws that got stuck in its neck since i had no idea if they would just stop pumping darkness into its body. The drake didn't even look like it was in any pain. So my claws were either sending in small amounts of darkness or just none at all.

I had to keep healing and find a way to deal with this drake before i ran out of energy, because healing didn't meaan i would have more energy. It was the opposite. The more i healed, the more energy i used up. My claws weren't that helpful because they would just break off if i hit the drakes scales in the wrong way. I had no clue what i was going to do against the drake... My body was already in a way better state then i was earlier but i still felt like i was close to just flopping onto the ground and run out energy just like that.

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 ~ I have to think of something but what would i be able to do that would help me? If i get close and get hit then i'll end up worse then i did when its tail hit me. But then if i stay far away i won't be able to deal any damage... I can't use my darkness and light but i need them both. I can't deal any damage with... Wait. I don't have to focus on damage to win. ~

Papa didn't use his air just for attcking. He always had ways to use it that could help him. I had to keep running around and stall until it was charged but when it was i had to make sure i was ready. The drake must've seen my air tail start to change because it started to strike the ground harder and faster then before. The ground was cracking with each and every hit but that didn't seem to do anything against the drake, but with each crack sent my way it got harder for me to not trip on the cracks that kept forming and branching towards me.

As soon as my tail was fully charged i ran towards the drake and made a bunch of small and thin air platforms and started running up them. While i was doing that i started shooting the used platforms towards the drake and aimed at its eyes. If i was going to win then i had to get the drake blinded just like the one from earlier. I didn't go up too high, just high enough that i could be safe from worrying about the drakes claws and tail. When i was done running up higher i started making a few small disks of air and started spinning and compressing them.

I've been working on compressing my elements but i hadn't really tried to use it before. I had to make my air disks as small as i could and make them as fast as possible. But while i was doing this the drake wasn't going to just leave me be and wait. It started to charge up its flames and even started grabbing cracked ground and threw it at me. I had to make sure to avoid those two things or else i'd lose my air disks or just have them explode on me like Elaine said. It was hard because the drake would fire its breath as balls of fire instead of the usual river of flames, and it kept grabbing parts of the ground so quickly that it felt like i was fighting something that was making them instead of picking them up. 

I even had to make sure i didn't slip up with my air platforms or else i'd just start dropping and be in a way worse position then before. But i managed to keep dodging and compressing until i was finally ready. My disks were so small that they looked almost invisible. They were even going so fast that they sounded like they were tearing the air around them apart. I only had 5 of them so i had to make them count. When i made sure i was ready i started running towards the drake. When it started to line up for a breath was when i made my move. It had to keep its eyes open for it to shoot so i forced it to do that so i could launch my disks of air at its eyes.

When i released them they just went flew into its eyes in an instant. The drakes eyes burst into a shower of blood and its flames just flowed out as it flailed its head around. I froze because i didn't expect them to be that effective. The drake was just flailing around and roaring out in pain as its blood flowed out. I looked at my other disks and decided to test them out. I shot one of them at the drakes fully scaled tail and was shocked that it actually cut halfway through before dissipating. My small pinpoint disk of air cut halfway through scales and pure muscle. 

As soon as i did that happened the drake just started roaring even louder. I was too shocked to notice that my birdfriend had started watching at some point. My last two disks were still just spinning next to me so i decided to see how they would cut into the scrapes of the drakes neck where my claws cut into. I sent them off stacked on top of each other and watched as they cut through the drakes spine and killed it. I couldn't help but just look at the drakes body and just stare.

The fight was difficult because i had to keep myself from getting hit but i couldn't even use my darkness for damage, which is what i've always done. I never relied on my other elements doing damage so i never even realized how strong they can be against other beasts. I jumped down from my air platforms and just walked over to the drakes body to look at the damage. My claws ended up falling out of the drakes neck and just sat there in a pool of the drakes blood. I didn't know what to do with them but i didn't want to just leave them on the ground. I used some air and picked them up.

The drakes neck look like it was cleanly cut into, it was just two clean cuts from my disks that tore straight through its spine. I could even see where they cut off the bone. I poked at the neck meat and it was actually softer then what the first drakes neck meat was. But it was too soft. The darkness from my claws ruined the meat... I was going to see if it still tasted good but then my bird friend started waddling over to me. I only heard him because his talons kept clacking against the stone.

(???) " Uh... Are you ok?.. "

He still looked a little scared of me but he was atleast making an effort.

(Eclina) " Im ok. This was nothing! "

I didn't want to look weak infront of him and i had to look strong infront of someone younger then me. I was doing what papa does whenever he praises himself. Despite me acting tough he didn't seem to be that impressed. Seeing him not buying into my act made me a little sad but made me think somethiing i hadn't thought before.

~ Is this what papa feels when we do it to him? ~

That made me think about it and realize it probably was. Despite me being sad he still kept his distance and didn't try to get close enough for me to potentially do anything. I was going to say something but my stomach growled at me to eat despite having eaten just recently. I knew that using my light would drain my body of its energy but i didn't expect it to all just go poof after i was done. I went back over to the drakes neck and used my air to take off some scales so i could take a bite. When i did i didn't really like what i ate.

The flesh was all sludgy. I could bite into it and my teeth would just cut through it a little too quickly and the meat just felt slushy. It felt like i was eating soggy meat left out in the rain. I just spat it out and went off towards 1 of the arms. I tore the scales off and took a bite. The arm meat was definetly better then the neck meat and helped satisfy my hungry stomach. I heard another rumble from a stomach that wasn't from mines. I looked over to him and saw he wanted to come and try it. Despite having just eaten and napped the light i used on him probably drained him too.

We just snacked on some of it for a bit before Mr.Garris started talking to me.

(Garris) " When your done eating it'll be time for you to return. I've had time to review your fights and i'll be telling you what you will need to work on and what your training will consist of. "

I couldn't help but groan because of the tone he was saying it in. He sounded stern and kept a serious tone throughout saying that. My bird friend looked over at me confused at the sudden groan but i just shook my head. We kept ateing for a bit but he stopped when he was full, which didn't take long as he only took a dozen or so bites before he plopped back onto the ground. I ate for a bit longer then that and ate from the elbow to it's hand. After we were done i started getting ready to go but my bird friend started following me.

(???) " Where are you going? "

(Eclina) " Back to my teacher. But why are you following me? "

(???) " Am i not supposed to? I don't have anywhere else to go back too. And your the only one i know now... What am i supposed to do if you just leave me? "

I didn't really have anything to say to that because he wasn't wrong. I didn't really see why not and Mr.Garris wasn't saying anything about it so he probably didn't mind. But how was i going to bring him with me? He couldn't fly without hurting himself and i don't know how much i can put my body through without my bones breaking again. Then i had an idea.

(Eclina) " Can you jump and flap your wings for a bit? "

He just furrowed his brows and looked at me confused but did it anyway. When he did i used my air to lift him up. He was surprised by it but after a few seconds he got used to it and started flying with my wind beneath his wings.

(Eclina) " Do you think you can follow me if i run? "

He flapped his wings for a bit and just nodded at me. I kept my light flowing on me to keep my bones from breaking as i got ready to run. As i did i had to make sure i didn't go too fast and focused on keeping an updraft for him to fly and glide above me. I couldn't run too fast so i got to see some more of the surroundings which weren't that diverse. There was some snow here and there, some plants growing through the stone, things like that. It was boring but ok to look at. It took a while but eventually i saw where Mr.Garris was before and ran over to it. 

When i got there i didn't see him but the buffalo were still there just still grazing without a care in the world. I was going to ask them if they knew where he went but i heard Mr.Garris somewhere behind me.

(Garris) " You... Arrived longer then i was expecting but seeing your company i shouldn't be surprised. Do you want to introduce your new friend? " 

When Mr.Garris started talking my bird friend shriked at the sudden voice and ducked down behind me to hide from Mr.Garris.

(Eclina) " Umm... He doesn't have a name so i can't really introduce him... "

(Garris) " Oh? "

Mr.Garris was in his smaller form but he didn't have that much of an issue looking over me and examining him. He noticed the few specs of caked blood and the missing eye and seemed to understand what happened. He looked at me and stared at me before letting out a sigh.

(Garris) " Do you want him to stay with you or should i find a avian family to take him in? "

When Mr.Garris said that i could keep him around i couldn't help but turn to the cowering bird behind me and look between them. He hadn't said anything but i wanted to ask him.

(Eclina) " Do you want to stay with me? "

He peeked out over his wings and looked at me and Mr.Garris with his good eye.

(???) " ... Yes please. "

(Eclina) " Yay! "

I couldn't help myself and just started cuddling him beneath his wings. He seemed to feel better since it looked like he had a small smile on his face as i did it. 

(Garris) " Haaah. Then let's get going. If he's going to live with us until your training is complete then i'll have to start a regimen for him aswell. Let's go, i'll have to prepare to train a lightning falcon along with you. "