The War Of Gemstone: Owl & Flower
Thunder in the Black Sky

Faye and Archie head west of the forest, while the Black Knights and Rynn head east. Archie sped up his pace chasing after Faye who left first. Cold air pierced through the man's luxurious suit. “Faye, wait!” call him.

Faye then stopped, glancing at Archie over his shoulder. “You don't have to force. Just stay home, let me finish this.”

Archie looked at the girl. “Why do you always want to solve it yourself?” asked the man while tightening his coat.

The girl looked down. “Because this everything that happens here is my responsibility.” He held the necklace under his cloak.

Suddenly, there was a loud screeching sound along with the thundering flapping of wings in the sky. Then they look up. A Taranau, a giant black bird flying in the sky. The bird tried to get out, but was blocked by the blue light that surrounded the forest. Scores of lightning and thunder rumbled, grabbing the sky from the 5-meter-long giant wings.

Archie was stunned while pointing at the creature. “That's the creature I saw while with the Black Knight.”

The bird turned its head, realizing the whereabouts of Faye and Archie. His round blue-eyed eyes stared intently. Then the creature swooped down sharply. Its huge wings threw down its huge body, with incredible speed towards them. The claws that were as sharp as a sword prepared to snatch.

“Awas!” yelled the man.

The trees saved them. The bird stopped in mid-air, blocked by twigs and branches. He flapped his wings, as soon as lightning struck. The bird tried to hurt them with its lightning. Archie and Faye twitched to the side avoiding the lightning strike. The wind that blew from his flap was fused with a fierce lightning.

Archie protects his head with his arms. “How do we seal it?”

Faye looked around. “Take this!” The girl handed over 3 pages to Archie. He then turned his hand forward, a number of shadows appeared, winding and extending, the shadow arm took and collected the black feathers that fell from friction with the tree branch, then gave them to Archie. “Use that. Its fur should be immune to lightning.”

“What should I do with this fur?”

Faye stepped back far from the reach of the lightning strike. “Think! Cover your body with that feather or something, then point the sheet as close as possible. I'll hold the bird.” The girl then directed her shadow to firmly grip the bird's feet.

The bird rebelled violently, trying to let go of itself. Faye and the black bird were pulling each other.

Faye grimaces. “Quick! I can't take it anymore!” His footing was almost detached from the ground. The wind blew the girl's hood, waving her black hair that glittered in the moonlight.

Archie then pointed the twig in his fur coat forward like an umbrella. He slowly approached the creature. A certain amount of lightning struck his suit, and Archie felt nothing, just a small push. “It worked,” said the man was happy.

He then headed towards the creature without a doubt. Archie's distance from the creature was very close as if he was in a lightning storm. Archie then pulled out one of the sheets towards the creature. Instantly an energy appeared as the sheet trembled, along with a towering bright blue light, illuminating the dark sky. The bird was attracted by the extremely powerful magic energy. The wind blew fiercely around the man and lightning struck everywhere. A broken twig was thrown in the wind, and hit the man's arm. Archie's hand tried to grip the sheet tightly so as not to be released. The greater the size and amount it absorbs, the greater the shock and energy released.

Then slowly the bird was absorbed into the sheet like a breath of air. The blue light disappeared. Faye fell down as the grip of her shadow slipped. The previously empty sheet, suddenly appeared a painting of a giant bird that released lightning from its wings.

Archie took a slow breath. Then he put his coat on the ground. The man approached the fallen Faye and helped her stand back up by pulling her arm. “You all right?”

The girl patted the dust off her robe. “Yes. I'm fine.” The girl's eyes were fixed on Archie's arm. “Your arm is injured?”

Archie stretched his arms. “I don't think.” Then the man's hand landed on the girl's head and ruffled her hair. “Thank you for worrying about me.”

Faye then brushed off Archie's arm. He turned his eyes away. “I'm not a child.”

Archie laughed a little. He then rolled up the rest of the sheet and put it in his pants pocket. “Alright, one is done. Where are we going now?” His eyes looked around.

“We're going to the northwest of the forest.” The girl looked at the trees on her left. “Application in the area is less and the distance between trees is wider.”

Archie's face was wrinkled. “How do you know?”

The girl walked to the left, towards the grass behind the rocks. Faye then crouched down. “See this.” The girl pointed at a trail like the claws of a big cat that was imprinted on the grass. Traces of the grass were burnt like burning. “Macan Maderazul really likes the open grass. The only place open and away from Tarauna disturbance is the northwest part of the forest,” he explained.

Archie walked past the girl. “Alright, I trust you.”