Airborne Wings

Chapter twenty-four- Milo

Ferno was being quite rude when I arrived. I had stepped in and was thinking to myself when I thought I saw Rosie in the sand, hurt. I raced over to it and bumped into Kyra and Ferno (the thing wasn't Rosie; it was a red handkerchief).

And now, here we were, me not able to escape because I wasn't watching where I was going.

"What'dya mean too late?!' Ferno slurred. That was another thing I didn't like about him; he always slurred his words together.

"Exactly what I said, dearie," The pink and white figure said sweetly. "Oh, and KYRA! My beautiful DEAR! I MISSED you, my lost DAUGHTER! My mentor really picked the right name for yo—"

"Oh, don't even start with that," Ferno interrupted. "You've caused me so much pain with that one sentence. And besides, I saw you die," he said, "there is no way you can come magically back to life."

"Oh, but there is," she said in a sweetsy tone that got on my nerves, "I am dead, but I wish you no harm. I swear, I have only come to help you cure your friends."

"And how can we believe you? If I recall, last time I trusted you, I ended up in this mess." Ferno sighed. "One more thing— Ghosts don't exist. Either tell me what actually happened or die." He snarled. Jeez, he is not very nice...

"I have told you the truth, and I swear I have not lied, Ember –er– Ferno. Either way, I know a way to cure Alder and Ram, and I know where Terra is. I led Sasha to you, knowing she could help. If you do not believe, ask her yourself. Either way, I can help you." She said.

Sasha, the (quite pretty) Phoenix nodded and stroked the white fox on the shoulder. "She is not lying. BUT. We don't know if this is a prank, or not. If you wish to prove that you are not lying and that you actually want to help, we would appreciate it if you proved it. If you don't," she licked her beak, "I just might have a beautiful sword back home."

"Alright. Please stay here for a few minutes."

Sasha whispered in her fox's ear, "Follow her, Phantom, and report back to me."

Kyra did the same to the fox on her shoulder, and they followed Hera slowly, and quietly, making sure that she wasn't doing anything bad or tricking us.

"Okay, Sasha, I think you need some healing..." Ferno sucked in a breath and closed his eyes tight until they watered. He walked up to Sasha and let a few drops fall down his feathers and plop down on Sasha's with a sizzling sound. Sasha winced and her muscles bulged, proving that she was in pain. Ferno might have been nicer in his heart, because I hadn't expected him to do what he did. Not only that, but he seemed to be doing this out of sadness, as if he actually cared about Sasha.

"Thank you— Aaaaagh!!" She groaned. Her talons clenched into a fist and her eyes squeezed shut. "Th–Th –Thank you, Em–Ember..." She whispered.

"A–are you in pain? What'd I do wrong? How can I help?" Ember blurted.

"I'm fine."

We sat down on the still bloody sand as we waited for Hera to return.

"...Phantom says Hera is on her way back and has done nothing suspicious. She is coming back with a light blue-lavender Phoenix..." Sasha says a few minutes later. "Phantom also says Koda is hurt."

"WHAT?!" Kyra jumped up from her sitting position and started to run the way that Hera went, but stopped. "How bad?" She asks instead of running.

"Let me ask," she paused for a few seconds and said, "his paw is bleeding and can't move—"

Before Sasha could even finish her sentence, Kyra was already running at top speed toward the way Hera went. "NO MATTER WHAT, NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO HURT KODAAAA!" She shrieked as she ran.

Before I could even think, Kyra had already run out of sight. Ferno ran after her out of instinct, leaving Sasha and I alone, wondering what had hit us. The moment Sasha realized what happened, she left me alone on the sand as well. Rosie followed the others. But the moment I got up, a black cloaked figure snatched me up into the air and jumped away, and for the second time, I blacked out.