[p=center]The Winged Knight[/p]

[p=center]Volume 1 - Epilogue[/p]

I had been laying there in agony half unconscious when I heard the sound that I thought was going to end my life.

But I was wrong.

A human in armor was walking towards me when I looked at the direction of the sound. But it wasn't one of the humans who attacked and sealed me. I would have remembered this one.

He had clearly been fighting something, his arms were covered in bandages and there were bloodstains all over his armor.

But I would still have remembered him without all of that.

Even wounded as he was, he walked gracefully as his purple cloak swayed in the wind. He had light brown hair, golden eyes and a face that was most likely extremely handsome by human standards. I had never seen a human as majestic as him, for that matter I didn't think I'd ever seen anything as grand and noble as him.

And then he spoke.

"I'm here to help you, I don't know who did this to you, girl. But I swear on everything that I hold sacred that I will never harm you."

He was speaking gently, trying to comfort me but that only served to enrage me.

Why must I be this weak in front of this human?! I thought furiously, my mind becoming angrier and angrier as I remembered what had brought me here.

[p=center]***[/p]

It was late night when I received the report.

-"Vice-Commander, those humans have been spotted again." One of my head scouts reported in an angry tone.

-"Prepare a squad to intercept, I will lead." I answered him.

-"But Vice-Commander you know what the Commander thinks of you going..." The scout retorted uncomfortably.

-"Silence! I will lead this patrol." I told him in a determined voice as I started walking past him.

He saluted and ran away to gather the rest of the patrol.

Fifteen minutes later we were soaring through the skies, moving quickly towards the spot the humans were at.

What do these lowly humans think they're doing? I thought angered, and more than a little anxious. This was the sixth time they'd been spotted at the same place in so many days. And I had finally had enough, and decided to force them away.

Before we arrived however, I had decided to be cautious.

-"All of you, when we arrive stay hidden in the back. And only come out if I call for you. We do not know what these humans are, or what they have planned so stay back. If anything happens to me, I will make my own way from here to the territories."

-"But Vice-Commander! You can't really believe these weak humans can do anything against you?" One in the squad asked more perplexed than anything else.

-"No." I answered a little amused. "But the Commander has made me promise to be more careful, so this time I will." I told them seriously.

-"But remember my orders, whatever happens." I told them and they all answered with "Yes, Vice-Commander."

Five minutes later we arrived.

The squad was staying back in the distance while I moved forward.

There were three humans standing in the open spot in the normally thick wood. One looked to be a mage of some kind, with a staff and robe. Another was a warrior in leather and two swords one on either side. And the last one was a ranger, bow and arrow on his back.

I landed in the forest where they could not see me, and then walked out into the open in front of them.

-"Humans! You have been warned repeatedly, if you do not leave now I will use force." I told them, giving them a final chance.

The humans all looked at each other with big smiles that infuriated me, and I was just about to show them the error of their ways when I felt some strong and strange magic activating.

The mage started laughing.

"Haha, we finally have one! Finally we can bring the Duke a Pegasus! Think of all the money we'll receive." He shouted happily as the other two also started laughing greedily.

I could feel my strength being drained by magic. Ancient, and powerful magic.

What is this?! I thought angrily.

The group was watching me with big smiles as they talked about what they would do with their share of the money.

How dare these humans humiliate me like this?! I should tear them to pieces, but I've promised the Commander to be more careful... and my strength is still being drained. I have to get out of here. I thought bitterly, swearing vengeance on them.

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I turned quickly and ran. The magic that was draining my strength still continued, but it only drained my strength. It didn't restrict any of my movements.

Before I ran out of my powers I quickly ordered the squad to retreat and report everything that happened here to the commander. Who knows if the humans could use the sealing magic on the rest of the group as well. Better for them to retreat.

The ranger realized their foolish mistake in only using the magic to seal my powers, and quickly shot an arrow that managed to graze my leg as I ran into the forest.

I ran far, but I could feel myself growing weaker. The arrow had been dipped in something that was making me extremely tired.

After running for a couple of hours, I collapsed.

I awoke to pain. Lots and lots of pain.

When I opened my eyes I saw that a wolf was close and had just taken a small bite out of my leg.

He dares?! Normally I would have crushed him, but with my powers sealed I was truly weak.

I managed to kick him away, he whined in pain but then howled towards the moon and I shivered as I realized that he had just called his pack.

Several hours of running and fighting off wolves, I had more wounds than I ever had in my life. But I'd finally managed to shake them off, and now collapsed at a small stream.

[p=center]***[/p]

The human was now moving towards me to do something, he was most likely like the others and I tried to bite him to show that I would never give up.

He pulled back, but then brought his arm forward again. I bit down hard on his arm, and I tasted blood.

But the human ignored the pain and forced my head up as he poured something down my throat.

What has he done now?! Poison to finish me off? Coward! I thought furiously.

But then something strange started happening. I felt my pain ease, and the wounds started closing by themselves.

What? It was a healing potion? Why did he give it to me? I thought extremely suspicious of what the human was doing.

He tried to retrieve his arm from my jaws, I let him.

I couldn't kill him like that anyway. I thought a little amused.

And then the human bent down over my body, first I was about to kick him away. But I saw some bandages in his hands, and decided to let him proceed.

Even though I realized what he was about to do, I was still surprised he did it.

Why is this human helping me? I was becoming more and more confused.

He then moved around in front of me again and moved closer.

"Girl? We need to move away from here... I don't know who or what did that to you, but they can't be that far behind since your wounds had to have slowed you down a lot." He said in a soft, calming voice but his words woke rage in me.

This human presumes to call me 'girl'?! But we do need to move away from here... I thought a bit begrudgingly.

"Please?" He asked me again in that soft tone. I snorted and tried to stand up. I almost succeeded. Almost.

I felt incredibly ashamed as I failed to even stand.

This is pathetic... I thought derisively and was just about to try again when the human's voice changed.

"You will get up. Now." He commanded me. And I looked at him disbelievingly as I felt a power bind myself to his will.

And this time my body moved by itself, pushing itself upwards until I was standing.

This human... he dares... he dares to tame me?! He dares to tame Faustina the Vice-Commander of the Pegasi clan of Lightning?! I thought as my rage was starting to reach an earth-shattering level.

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Hey everyone, this is the end of Volume 1 and I hope you all enjoyed it.

I think I'm going to take a little break now for at least a couple of days before I start writing on the new Volume. I might start sooner, but don't count on it.

And thanks everyone for reading and rating. ~borgen92