Born to Fly

Part 18

After a few days of traveling through the sky, Terias and the other BLAU warriors arrived at the big battle in the Land of Fish. Twenty flocks soared over the beach, with each group flying in their separate V-shaped formations. Terias looked down at the madness below. Men scrambled about aimlessly, attacking any enemy that was in sight or running for their lives.  Bodies were laid out everywhere. There was even some fighting in the Ganchian Ocean. An all-out sea battle was in full swing between the fish and crustacean forces. Arrows flew back and forth between dozens of ships, and aquatic manek users went toe to toe in the water.

The flocks split up and veered off to certain areas of the battlefield. Captain Deon led the flycatchers to the chordate reserve units which were stationed behind the Keanoans' final line of defense. They landed in the midst of chaos. Terias watched as a man nearby was rapidly pressing down on the chest of an unconscious man. He turned and saw a guy being carried by two men. His left leg bloody and mangled. Terias turned again and watched a nervous man lean over and barf out his previous meal. The Flycatchers kept walking until the captain approached an angry-looking man. His hair was buzzed short and gray. He wore viewing specs over his eyes. Captain Deon spoke to the man.

"You must be Admiral Orcus, I presume?"

"That is correct."

"I am Captain Deon and these birds behind me are the Flycatchers Flock of the Bird Land Air Unit. What orders do you have for us, sir?"

"We need to send a battalion of reptiles and amphibians to the Ganchian to help take out the crustaceans. You men are needed to help them get there by neutralizing the threat of flying insect attackers. Report to Commander Drae and he'll provide you with further details. You will all be moving out soon, while you still feel the rush of war."

"Understood, Admiral." The captain turned to his flock. "Flycatchers, follow me."

He led them to a large group of fighters that had maneks of turtles, frogs, crocodiles, toads, and alligators. They were neatly aligned in thirty rows of ten men. The Flycatchers stood behind them and formed another row. Captain Deon walked to the front to speak with Commander Drae. Terias observed all of the men in front of him. They all stood still and silent, keeping their eyes forward. If there were any fears or doubts among them, they hid them well. Terias was tempted to have a quick talk with Reni, who was on his left, but he knew it wasn't the time for that. In just a few minutes, the captain returned to the flock to give them the rundown.

"Flycatchers, these men in front of you are going to advance with full force towards the ocean. Our job will be to cover them from the air. When they reach the water, you will return here. If your manek form tires out during the mission, you will have to fight from the ground until you reach one of the chordate camp spots. Any questions?"

They all remained silent.

"I want all of you back here alive, so get out there and fight with everything you've got!"

"Yes, sir!" they shouted.

All that was left for them to do was wait for the men in front to move out. Many images began to flash through Terias's mind. He saw a vision of his reign as a mighty feudal lord. He pictured the praise from the Bird Land citizens, from his father, and from Sona. He touched his necklace and thought about his mother. These thoughts reminded him why he must survive the battle.

"Charge!" The outburst came from Commander Drae.

The battalion roared as they stormed unto the battlefield. The Flycatchers flew upward into the sky and followed them. Waves of arthropods were quickly approaching the battalion. Terias watched with his keen hawk eyes as the opposing teams savagely collided. Swords clashed, arrows rained from the sky, and men were dropping left and right. The scene was a spectacle, but Terias would soon have his own fight to worry about. He shifted his focus to the bug-men that were flying straight towards him, carrying deadly weapons.