(no subject)
And this part:
Feeling a nervous energy gather in the pit of his stomach, he moved out into the open, striding right up to the front door, so to speak. Surprisingly, he was almost in the camp itself before anyone even noticed him. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so surprising, come to think of it, since there couldn’t be any Firabyrds that the guards would keep an eye out for against attack, since none of the other clans even existed anymore. His confidence alone probably made them think he belonged there; because, technically, he did belong there just as much as everyone else did, he just didn’t want to be there anymore.
Finally, though, they did realize it was him, either because of his height, or the spots of fur on his back, or by recognizing him, but one way or another, they realized just who he was and acted accordingly, sending a warning throughout the camp. By the time he made it to the large bonfire that made up the center ground of the entire place, everyone was aware he was there, moving around to surround him, giving him an effective crowd for the upcoming confrontation.
The nervous energy turned to fear as his siblings appeared: the twins first, then Mei Zan and Meng Kai, both looking incredibly triumphant, followed by Mai Jian and He Wei. Mai Jian was glaring at him, looking weak, but wide awake and well enough to be involved in the gathering. He Wei was hiding behind Mai Jian’s legs, having no idea what was going on but no doubt brought along to be taught a lesson or some nonsense like that. He didn’t see Jian Ru, his last brother, but he hadn’t expected to either, the young avian not accustomed to large gatherings, and never prone to being in on many of the happenings with the camp unless it involved him directly. The crowd people whispered to each other, wondering how this situation was going to resolve itself.
Stepping forward, he clenched his fists and spoke right to his family, ignoring the Firabyrds behind him. “I am done running.” He said loudly, not seeing his mother yet, but knowing she was probably listening somewhere close. “You wanted me here so badly that you have kidnapped my friends and hurt them, just to get me here. Well, here I am. You wanted me. Come and get me.”
“You have spoken bold words, child.” Mei Hui’s voice echoed clearly over the crowd. Meng Kai and Mei Zan moved to allow their mother through the line until she stood in front of them all. She stood at her full height, taller than most of her children; than a good many of the soldiers, even, and the only sign of her anger was the flames of her hair biting at the air around her. “You return to my home and call us out just to say you are done running? We are not pawns that move to your every whim, Hai Jinn.”
“Neither am I a pawn to yours.” Phoenix declared, unable to help pulling his shoulders back and tilting his chin up in an attempt to seem taller than he was. He made sure he was close to the bonfire, knowing that chances were good that he would have to fight, and so he wanted to be close to a source of power. His mother noticed the shift in his weight and narrowed her eyes, growing angrier by the second.
“Insolent whelp! You dare to claim such an outrageous statement? Of course you are my pawn, I birthed you! You will do as I say and be a good son.” This made Phoenix laugh outright, unable to help thinking it was funny. Mei Hui’s face turned purple the angrier she got, and it only made him laugh harder.
“You think that just because you are my mother that I have to listen to every word you say? Being my mother does not mean you are my God. You have to earn my obedience. I’m not your toy, like they are.” He nodded at his siblings. “Each and every one of them listens to you because if they didn’t, you would kill them. Or make them wish they were dead. You didn’t like how the clans were run when our grandfather ruled, did you?” He didn’t remember his grandfather at all, only knew that the coup was after he was born, but his mother has said on more than one occasion that she had disapproved of him. In fact, she, too, had run away from home, when she was with Phoenix’s father.
He didn’t know what happened to his dad either.
Taking a deep breath, he growled out his next words, knowing that once they were out into the air, he could never go back, even if he wanted to. “Perhaps I’ll just have to follow in your footsteps, dear mother. Consider this generation’s rule finished. You can’t sit on the throne anymore.”
The crowd fell silent, stunned at what he said. Even his siblings were wide eyed with surprise. Hai Jinn declare war on their mother: the most powerful Firabyrd in the entire world? It was preposterous, no matter how much power he, too, had. It was unthinkable. He must have been entirely crazy, or had one too many hits to the head while he was gone, or something.
The anger faded out of Mei Hui within seconds and she laughed as well. “My foolish, stupid, little boy. You can’t overthrow me. I am ten times more powerful than you ever will be. Besides, I will own you. Let me prove it to you. Hold him.” She ordered and Meng Kai stepped forward with three other soldiers.
Phoenix didn’t have time to react as the soldiers came up from behind him, grabbing his arms and tying tight strips of cloth around his wrists to keep him from fighting back. They wrestled him to his knees and Meng Kai planted his foot on his back, holding the strips taut to either side, keeping Phoenix’s arms stretched wide and back until it was almost too painful. It was all right, though, he had meant to get caught. Now she would have to bring Gryph out, and then he could act.
Somehow. He didn’t wager on them taking such a precaution, though, with the three soldiers close to hold him down if he moved. He originally thought they would just hold him down manually. This would make things a bit more interesting than he had bargained for, but that was fine. He could always improvise when it came down to it.
Meng Kai pushed him down even further. “We stuck him in with Jian Ru.” He hissed, and Phoenix shivered, suddenly dropping the percentage chance of him getting out of this alive to a very slim number. Jian Ru had an uncanny ability to killing anyone’s determination and resistance.
Luckily, he noted as the dragged Gryph out, his companion seemed to have avoided the worst of it, his eyes still full of stubborn determination. They shared a look and Phoenix raised an eyebrow. Gryph was tied up securely; even his legs were bound tightly together. The Gaiabyrd answered by raising one shoulder and letting it fall. He was all right, at least.
Mei Hui blocked their look and used her boot to force Phoenix to look up at her. “Now you will see the price of your disobedience, Hai Jinn.” She almost purred, enjoying the pain that flashed through his eyes. One of the soldiers forced Gryph to his knees, the proud Gaiabyrd tilting his chin up, seeming completely unafraid. Phoenix took the time to look him over a bit better. His skin and clothes were dusty with remnants of the smoke he had been in, and there were burned patches of skin showing in long strips where the elementals had kept him still. Under his hair on the right side of his face was a line of blood, smeared with the movements of his hair, and almost invisible except for a split second when he was moved. They must have hit him pretty hard at one point, and Phoenix winced in sympathy.
Mai Jian slipped a blade out from one of his many hiding places and spun the long knife in his hand, moving to stand right behind Gryph. Mei Hui moved just enough so that her oldest son could see clearly. “This is the price for being your friend.” She whispered down to him. Mai Jian took the cue and drove the dagger deeply into Gryph’s right shoulder.
Seizing up in pain, the Gaiabyrd attempted to duck down away from the blade, but Mai Jian drew it down with him, twisting it to the side brutally. Gryph choked back a cry and forced himself to kneel perfectly still until the blade was pulled out.
He growled after recovering from the shock of it and twisted his body, landing on his left side and hitting the back of Mai Jian’s knees sharply with his legs. The avian fell and Gryph called up his wings, knocking away the soldier that moved to grab him again. The ropes he was tied with snapped apart as he shifted forms.
Phoenix stared wide eyed at him, having never seen his avian form before, and all at once he was insanely jealous. Gryph stood tall, but instead of being just a bird form, he was part bird of prey and part large four legged animal.
He found himself at a loss for words to describe just how magnificent Gryph looked. The fur on his body was a deep oak brown, perfectly toned in order to blend in with the trees he was so suitably built to climb. His legs ended in heavy paws, complete with vicious looking claws, sharp enough to dig deep furrows in the ground as he flexed. Beyond his shoulders, Gryph's fur blended into feather down, and then small feathers, brown with the slightest hint of green to blend with the forest leaves. His head was that of a fearsome bird of prey, a hawk or a falcon, glaring emerald eyes focusing on the Firabyrd's surrounding him. His long beak had a sharp, cruel tip, angling down, built for tearing into prey. Finally, extending gracefully from his back, Gryph's wings stretched out to their full span up into the air. The feathers were a perfect color mix between his fur and his head, gleaming in the light of the fire. He was absolute majestic beauty and power wrapped up in a simple one hundred and eighty pound package.
Gryph settled his weight, shifting his paws and gripping the earth, his wings half folding into a threatening posture. He inhaled and suddenly let out a shrill angry cry, piercing the air throughout the entire encampment. The Firabyrd soldier nearby all backpedaled in fear and awe as Gryph snapped at them with his beak, snapping his wings out swiftly to knock over Mai Jian as he tried to climb to his feet.
Mai Jian flew back into one of the buildings, crashing into the wall and falling limp. Gryph turned his gaze on Meng Kai, and Phoenix felt his brother steel himself in a stubborn effort to hold his ground. The other soldiers weren't so brave, however, letting go of Phoenix's arms and turning on theirs heels to run away like cowards. Phoenix didn't hesitate in freeing his arms from the cloth ropes, pushing up against his brother to throw him off and to the dirt.
The ground began shaking as Gryph continued raging, leaping up into the air to chase down more of the terrified soldiers. He may have been favoring his injured leg, but the pain did little to stop him from letting his enemies know just how dangerous he was. Mei Hui barked orders and a few of the soldiers followed without pause, more scared of the clan's fiery matriarch than they were of the enemy Outcast. They stopped scrambling around and crouched down to transform as well, forming defensive groups of birds to coral Gryph into one place so they could pin him down and recapture him once more.
Phoenix finished freeing himself, burning away the restraints, and scrambling to his feet. He ran to his friend, punching one of the soldiers sneaking up behind him with a tether. The camp erupted into chaos. A dozen large birds took to the air, guarding the skies to prevent them from escaping on the winds. Meng Kai regained his feet at last, reaching for the bonfire and calling up an elemental.
Most of Phoenix's siblings had disappeared in the scramble, heading for their posts or hiding places. His oldest sister stood guard by his mother, who had yet to move from her position watching the mini riot. Mai Jian was still unconscious, Tai looking him over to see if he was injured anywhere. He couldn't see any of the rest of them, and he didn't have time to keep an eye out for them, however, as Meng Kai finished his spell and a single elemental stepped out of the fire to his aid.
Phoenix didn't know what they were going to do. His whole plan sort of just involved steps A and C. Finding Gryph and getting out of the camp without dying. He somehow neglected to fill in the B portion of the plan. How could he? His family was unpredictable. As long as he's known them, they were raised differently than he was. He was always set to the side when the others were being trained or disciplined. They were almost strangers to him, really, but he hadn't had any other option than to come in here after his friend.
Gryph was back on the ground, limping slightly as he swiped at the soldiers. The elemental was advancing and the Gaiabyrd still remembered all too well the painful bite of the fire as it seared into his skin. He screamed at the elemental, warning it to stay back, trying to hold his ground, but the fear was there, Phoenix could tell.
He looked to his mother, then, taking a deep breath. "I, Hai Jinn, Outcast of the Firabyrd clans challenge you, Mei Hui, leader of the Firabyrd clans." He announced, loudly. The attack hesitated as the official words broke through the chaos. The elemental hissed and sputtered impatiently, staring at its target, though Meng Kai ordered it still while they waited.
Mei Hui laughed again at the very notion that her son would challenge her. "Don't you be ridiculous, Hai Jinn. You are my son, you will obey me. You can not win in a direct challenge."
He pushed his shoulders back, and stood at his full, though still embarrassingly small height, tilting his chin up in pure defiance. "If it's such a funny idea, then you should have no problem at all beating me. You can't lose, so what are you so afraid of?"
A hush fell over everyone in the camp, the slightest hint of whispers passing out to the spectators who were too far way to have been in the battle itself. He had a point and he knew it. If Mei Hui was so confident, what could it hurt? The terms of the battle insisted on immediate surrender or death for the loser.
The entire crowd was watching Mei Hui to see what she would do. Waiting, almost holding its breath. They were eager to see her teach Phoenix a lesson and she knew it. Knew that she would never live it down if she denied him now. He had been too wild to just let it go now.
Gryph turned slightly to eye him, still watching the elemental just in case Meng Kai got any cute ideas while he wasn't looking. Phoenix didn't need words to understand what he was saying. He shook his head slightly. He knew just how stupid this idea was, but they really didn't have any other options. Not even if Sylph came to their rescue right now, there were just too many experienced soldiers.
Mei Hui was thinking hard, studying her son, weighing her options against the consequences, until finally she copied Phoenix's earlier move and drew up to her full height. "You are foolish, my son," she started. He could only smirk in reply. He knew he was foolish. It was better than just lying down and accepting her plans for him. "But very well. If it is a battle you want, then it is a battle you will get. Just remember, I have no intention of killing you, Hai Jinn. You will submit to me one way or another."
"If you win, I will submit to you, but I'll only agree to start this battle now on one condition. The Gaiabyrd walks out of here. Unharmed. You're so confident that you'll win, that you no longer need him as leverage. I'm yours, aren't I?" It was a shaky condition, and if she really wanted to she could deny it and Phoenix would have no choice but to fight anyway.
Luck was on his side, however. She lowered her head slightly to glower at them. "Very well. The last thing we need right now is to start a war too early. Before I have you ready. He can walk free. For now."
Gryph let out a shrill protest, turning to glare threateningly back at Mei Hui, but Phoenix moved in front of him. "Gryph, I'm sorry. It's my fault you're here, especially since you never wanted to come along with me anyway. Just go. It's better this way. We came here for you, after all, and if you get to home, then my plan worked." The Gaiabyrd just gave him a withering look, calling his bluff, but he settled, folding his wings along his back. He shuddered, his fur and feathers ruffling and then settling. He didn't say goodbye, and he didn't transform back, just turned back around towards the exit. The soldiers made a path for him and Meng Kai banished his elemental so Gryph could get through. Holding himself proudly, Gryph limped through the lines of Firabyrd's, and Phoenix watched him go, a small sense of victory building in his gut.
No matter what happened now, he had stood up to his mother instead of just running away, and he had helped someone he didn't much care for, just because it was the right thing to do.
Once Gryph disappeared into the distance, the soldiers closed in again, and for a short moment Phoenix felt trapped. He could convince the others that he was confident, and he knew he was doing something unselfish for the first time in his life, but this was his mother. He was about to fight his own mother. Not only was she the most powerful Firabyrd he had ever known in the entirety of existence, but she was the one who had raised him, and now he was going to fight her for his future.
Phoenix and Mei Hui stared each other down as Mei Zan gave the orders to set up their battlefield. Soldier scrambled to obey, grabbing armor and weapons, clearing out a side of the fields in the dead zone for them to start. "It saddens me that we have come to this, my son," Mei Hui crooned, feigning sympathy. She was removing her belt and trinkets, taking off anything that may hinder her in battle. Her long fiery hair was tied back tightly so that it would not get caught during the fight.
The elegant dress came off, revealing plain soldier garb underneath, over which her armor went. It gleamed red in the light of the fire, making it seem almost as if the fire danced around her. Then, with a sword in her hand, the transformation was complete. Suddenly she was no longer a queen. She was now a respected warrior. One whom many learned to fear over the years for her ferocity. This woman was not a mother. Phoenix knew her as a demon who took what she wanted when she wanted it, and demanded respect out of all who knelt before her.
The fear replaced the victory completely in his gut, and he was starting to realize there was no way he could get out of this alive. He didn't want to become her servant again. The punishments for his actions would be fierce, and he'd never be able to run away again.
Sure, he could if he really wanted to, but there was nothing honorable in breaking one's word, and if he ran again, the disasters that would befall his friends would be terrible as well. She would come up with new tortures just for everyone he ever knew.
He took a set of offered armor, not as fitted as the pair he knew had been made for him when it was clear he had stopped growing, but that set was in his own room, and it wasn't like there was anyone on his side who would actually go get it for him, so the lesser set it was. It would offer a little protection from her blade, but he'd still have to rely mostly on his own skill.
They walked to the dead zone when it was reported that everything was ready. They were alone. The soldiers and his siblings stayed far back, knowing full well that whatever happened would probably be deadly to anyone who stood too close to the action.
Phoenix rolled his shoulders, uncomfortably with the leather padding inside his armor. It rubbed against the patched of feather down on his shoulders blades. He'd have to take it off first if he wanted to fly. In the few minutes it took to get to their designated war zone, he was regretting the decision to leave well enough alone and not demand his own armor.
There was only one way to get out of this, he thought. Win. Win so well that no one could possibly challenge him as he walked out. He didn't know if he could do that, though, cause the only way he could win this fight was to kill his opponent, as she would never surrender, and no matter how much he hated everything this wicked woman had put him through over the majority of his entire life she was still his mother and he was definitely not the kind of son who could just end his mother's life like that.
He walked into this, and now he had to face the horrible consequences,
"I really wish you would just surrender to me now, Hai Jinn. We can have this fight, and I will win. We both know that, but you can choose to have it easier on yourself. If you surrender to me now, I will not beat you to within an inch of your life for disobeying me. However, if you persist in this foolishness I will make sure you know never to even look up from your own toes unless I have given you permission to do it." Her tone had gone from sweet to violently deadly in a matter of seconds.
Phoenix swallowed hard. "I will win," he proclaimed loudly, his stomach twisting.
Feeling a nervous energy gather in the pit of his stomach, he moved out into the open, striding right up to the front door, so to speak. Surprisingly, he was almost in the camp itself before anyone even noticed him. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so surprising, come to think of it, since there couldn’t be any Firabyrds that the guards would keep an eye out for against attack, since none of the other clans even existed anymore. His confidence alone probably made them think he belonged there; because, technically, he did belong there just as much as everyone else did, he just didn’t want to be there anymore.
Finally, though, they did realize it was him, either because of his height, or the spots of fur on his back, or by recognizing him, but one way or another, they realized just who he was and acted accordingly, sending a warning throughout the camp. By the time he made it to the large bonfire that made up the center ground of the entire place, everyone was aware he was there, moving around to surround him, giving him an effective crowd for the upcoming confrontation.
The nervous energy turned to fear as his siblings appeared: the twins first, then Mei Zan and Meng Kai, both looking incredibly triumphant, followed by Mai Jian and He Wei. Mai Jian was glaring at him, looking weak, but wide awake and well enough to be involved in the gathering. He Wei was hiding behind Mai Jian’s legs, having no idea what was going on but no doubt brought along to be taught a lesson or some nonsense like that. He didn’t see Jian Ru, his last brother, but he hadn’t expected to either, the young avian not accustomed to large gatherings, and never prone to being in on many of the happenings with the camp unless it involved him directly. The crowd people whispered to each other, wondering how this situation was going to resolve itself.
Stepping forward, he clenched his fists and spoke right to his family, ignoring the Firabyrds behind him. “I am done running.” He said loudly, not seeing his mother yet, but knowing she was probably listening somewhere close. “You wanted me here so badly that you have kidnapped my friends and hurt them, just to get me here. Well, here I am. You wanted me. Come and get me.”
“You have spoken bold words, child.” Mei Hui’s voice echoed clearly over the crowd. Meng Kai and Mei Zan moved to allow their mother through the line until she stood in front of them all. She stood at her full height, taller than most of her children; than a good many of the soldiers, even, and the only sign of her anger was the flames of her hair biting at the air around her. “You return to my home and call us out just to say you are done running? We are not pawns that move to your every whim, Hai Jinn.”
“Neither am I a pawn to yours.” Phoenix declared, unable to help pulling his shoulders back and tilting his chin up in an attempt to seem taller than he was. He made sure he was close to the bonfire, knowing that chances were good that he would have to fight, and so he wanted to be close to a source of power. His mother noticed the shift in his weight and narrowed her eyes, growing angrier by the second.
“Insolent whelp! You dare to claim such an outrageous statement? Of course you are my pawn, I birthed you! You will do as I say and be a good son.” This made Phoenix laugh outright, unable to help thinking it was funny. Mei Hui’s face turned purple the angrier she got, and it only made him laugh harder.
“You think that just because you are my mother that I have to listen to every word you say? Being my mother does not mean you are my God. You have to earn my obedience. I’m not your toy, like they are.” He nodded at his siblings. “Each and every one of them listens to you because if they didn’t, you would kill them. Or make them wish they were dead. You didn’t like how the clans were run when our grandfather ruled, did you?” He didn’t remember his grandfather at all, only knew that the coup was after he was born, but his mother has said on more than one occasion that she had disapproved of him. In fact, she, too, had run away from home, when she was with Phoenix’s father.
He didn’t know what happened to his dad either.
Taking a deep breath, he growled out his next words, knowing that once they were out into the air, he could never go back, even if he wanted to. “Perhaps I’ll just have to follow in your footsteps, dear mother. Consider this generation’s rule finished. You can’t sit on the throne anymore.”
The crowd fell silent, stunned at what he said. Even his siblings were wide eyed with surprise. Hai Jinn declare war on their mother: the most powerful Firabyrd in the entire world? It was preposterous, no matter how much power he, too, had. It was unthinkable. He must have been entirely crazy, or had one too many hits to the head while he was gone, or something.
The anger faded out of Mei Hui within seconds and she laughed as well. “My foolish, stupid, little boy. You can’t overthrow me. I am ten times more powerful than you ever will be. Besides, I will own you. Let me prove it to you. Hold him.” She ordered and Meng Kai stepped forward with three other soldiers.
Phoenix didn’t have time to react as the soldiers came up from behind him, grabbing his arms and tying tight strips of cloth around his wrists to keep him from fighting back. They wrestled him to his knees and Meng Kai planted his foot on his back, holding the strips taut to either side, keeping Phoenix’s arms stretched wide and back until it was almost too painful. It was all right, though, he had meant to get caught. Now she would have to bring Gryph out, and then he could act.
Somehow. He didn’t wager on them taking such a precaution, though, with the three soldiers close to hold him down if he moved. He originally thought they would just hold him down manually. This would make things a bit more interesting than he had bargained for, but that was fine. He could always improvise when it came down to it.
Meng Kai pushed him down even further. “We stuck him in with Jian Ru.” He hissed, and Phoenix shivered, suddenly dropping the percentage chance of him getting out of this alive to a very slim number. Jian Ru had an uncanny ability to killing anyone’s determination and resistance.
Luckily, he noted as the dragged Gryph out, his companion seemed to have avoided the worst of it, his eyes still full of stubborn determination. They shared a look and Phoenix raised an eyebrow. Gryph was tied up securely; even his legs were bound tightly together. The Gaiabyrd answered by raising one shoulder and letting it fall. He was all right, at least.
Mei Hui blocked their look and used her boot to force Phoenix to look up at her. “Now you will see the price of your disobedience, Hai Jinn.” She almost purred, enjoying the pain that flashed through his eyes. One of the soldiers forced Gryph to his knees, the proud Gaiabyrd tilting his chin up, seeming completely unafraid. Phoenix took the time to look him over a bit better. His skin and clothes were dusty with remnants of the smoke he had been in, and there were burned patches of skin showing in long strips where the elementals had kept him still. Under his hair on the right side of his face was a line of blood, smeared with the movements of his hair, and almost invisible except for a split second when he was moved. They must have hit him pretty hard at one point, and Phoenix winced in sympathy.
Mai Jian slipped a blade out from one of his many hiding places and spun the long knife in his hand, moving to stand right behind Gryph. Mei Hui moved just enough so that her oldest son could see clearly. “This is the price for being your friend.” She whispered down to him. Mai Jian took the cue and drove the dagger deeply into Gryph’s right shoulder.
Seizing up in pain, the Gaiabyrd attempted to duck down away from the blade, but Mai Jian drew it down with him, twisting it to the side brutally. Gryph choked back a cry and forced himself to kneel perfectly still until the blade was pulled out.
He growled after recovering from the shock of it and twisted his body, landing on his left side and hitting the back of Mai Jian’s knees sharply with his legs. The avian fell and Gryph called up his wings, knocking away the soldier that moved to grab him again. The ropes he was tied with snapped apart as he shifted forms.
Phoenix stared wide eyed at him, having never seen his avian form before, and all at once he was insanely jealous. Gryph stood tall, but instead of being just a bird form, he was part bird of prey and part large four legged animal.
He found himself at a loss for words to describe just how magnificent Gryph looked. The fur on his body was a deep oak brown, perfectly toned in order to blend in with the trees he was so suitably built to climb. His legs ended in heavy paws, complete with vicious looking claws, sharp enough to dig deep furrows in the ground as he flexed. Beyond his shoulders, Gryph's fur blended into feather down, and then small feathers, brown with the slightest hint of green to blend with the forest leaves. His head was that of a fearsome bird of prey, a hawk or a falcon, glaring emerald eyes focusing on the Firabyrd's surrounding him. His long beak had a sharp, cruel tip, angling down, built for tearing into prey. Finally, extending gracefully from his back, Gryph's wings stretched out to their full span up into the air. The feathers were a perfect color mix between his fur and his head, gleaming in the light of the fire. He was absolute majestic beauty and power wrapped up in a simple one hundred and eighty pound package.
Gryph settled his weight, shifting his paws and gripping the earth, his wings half folding into a threatening posture. He inhaled and suddenly let out a shrill angry cry, piercing the air throughout the entire encampment. The Firabyrd soldier nearby all backpedaled in fear and awe as Gryph snapped at them with his beak, snapping his wings out swiftly to knock over Mai Jian as he tried to climb to his feet.
Mai Jian flew back into one of the buildings, crashing into the wall and falling limp. Gryph turned his gaze on Meng Kai, and Phoenix felt his brother steel himself in a stubborn effort to hold his ground. The other soldiers weren't so brave, however, letting go of Phoenix's arms and turning on theirs heels to run away like cowards. Phoenix didn't hesitate in freeing his arms from the cloth ropes, pushing up against his brother to throw him off and to the dirt.
The ground began shaking as Gryph continued raging, leaping up into the air to chase down more of the terrified soldiers. He may have been favoring his injured leg, but the pain did little to stop him from letting his enemies know just how dangerous he was. Mei Hui barked orders and a few of the soldiers followed without pause, more scared of the clan's fiery matriarch than they were of the enemy Outcast. They stopped scrambling around and crouched down to transform as well, forming defensive groups of birds to coral Gryph into one place so they could pin him down and recapture him once more.
Phoenix finished freeing himself, burning away the restraints, and scrambling to his feet. He ran to his friend, punching one of the soldiers sneaking up behind him with a tether. The camp erupted into chaos. A dozen large birds took to the air, guarding the skies to prevent them from escaping on the winds. Meng Kai regained his feet at last, reaching for the bonfire and calling up an elemental.
Most of Phoenix's siblings had disappeared in the scramble, heading for their posts or hiding places. His oldest sister stood guard by his mother, who had yet to move from her position watching the mini riot. Mai Jian was still unconscious, Tai looking him over to see if he was injured anywhere. He couldn't see any of the rest of them, and he didn't have time to keep an eye out for them, however, as Meng Kai finished his spell and a single elemental stepped out of the fire to his aid.
Phoenix didn't know what they were going to do. His whole plan sort of just involved steps A and C. Finding Gryph and getting out of the camp without dying. He somehow neglected to fill in the B portion of the plan. How could he? His family was unpredictable. As long as he's known them, they were raised differently than he was. He was always set to the side when the others were being trained or disciplined. They were almost strangers to him, really, but he hadn't had any other option than to come in here after his friend.
Gryph was back on the ground, limping slightly as he swiped at the soldiers. The elemental was advancing and the Gaiabyrd still remembered all too well the painful bite of the fire as it seared into his skin. He screamed at the elemental, warning it to stay back, trying to hold his ground, but the fear was there, Phoenix could tell.
He looked to his mother, then, taking a deep breath. "I, Hai Jinn, Outcast of the Firabyrd clans challenge you, Mei Hui, leader of the Firabyrd clans." He announced, loudly. The attack hesitated as the official words broke through the chaos. The elemental hissed and sputtered impatiently, staring at its target, though Meng Kai ordered it still while they waited.
Mei Hui laughed again at the very notion that her son would challenge her. "Don't you be ridiculous, Hai Jinn. You are my son, you will obey me. You can not win in a direct challenge."
He pushed his shoulders back, and stood at his full, though still embarrassingly small height, tilting his chin up in pure defiance. "If it's such a funny idea, then you should have no problem at all beating me. You can't lose, so what are you so afraid of?"
A hush fell over everyone in the camp, the slightest hint of whispers passing out to the spectators who were too far way to have been in the battle itself. He had a point and he knew it. If Mei Hui was so confident, what could it hurt? The terms of the battle insisted on immediate surrender or death for the loser.
The entire crowd was watching Mei Hui to see what she would do. Waiting, almost holding its breath. They were eager to see her teach Phoenix a lesson and she knew it. Knew that she would never live it down if she denied him now. He had been too wild to just let it go now.
Gryph turned slightly to eye him, still watching the elemental just in case Meng Kai got any cute ideas while he wasn't looking. Phoenix didn't need words to understand what he was saying. He shook his head slightly. He knew just how stupid this idea was, but they really didn't have any other options. Not even if Sylph came to their rescue right now, there were just too many experienced soldiers.
Mei Hui was thinking hard, studying her son, weighing her options against the consequences, until finally she copied Phoenix's earlier move and drew up to her full height. "You are foolish, my son," she started. He could only smirk in reply. He knew he was foolish. It was better than just lying down and accepting her plans for him. "But very well. If it is a battle you want, then it is a battle you will get. Just remember, I have no intention of killing you, Hai Jinn. You will submit to me one way or another."
"If you win, I will submit to you, but I'll only agree to start this battle now on one condition. The Gaiabyrd walks out of here. Unharmed. You're so confident that you'll win, that you no longer need him as leverage. I'm yours, aren't I?" It was a shaky condition, and if she really wanted to she could deny it and Phoenix would have no choice but to fight anyway.
Luck was on his side, however. She lowered her head slightly to glower at them. "Very well. The last thing we need right now is to start a war too early. Before I have you ready. He can walk free. For now."
Gryph let out a shrill protest, turning to glare threateningly back at Mei Hui, but Phoenix moved in front of him. "Gryph, I'm sorry. It's my fault you're here, especially since you never wanted to come along with me anyway. Just go. It's better this way. We came here for you, after all, and if you get to home, then my plan worked." The Gaiabyrd just gave him a withering look, calling his bluff, but he settled, folding his wings along his back. He shuddered, his fur and feathers ruffling and then settling. He didn't say goodbye, and he didn't transform back, just turned back around towards the exit. The soldiers made a path for him and Meng Kai banished his elemental so Gryph could get through. Holding himself proudly, Gryph limped through the lines of Firabyrd's, and Phoenix watched him go, a small sense of victory building in his gut.
No matter what happened now, he had stood up to his mother instead of just running away, and he had helped someone he didn't much care for, just because it was the right thing to do.
Once Gryph disappeared into the distance, the soldiers closed in again, and for a short moment Phoenix felt trapped. He could convince the others that he was confident, and he knew he was doing something unselfish for the first time in his life, but this was his mother. He was about to fight his own mother. Not only was she the most powerful Firabyrd he had ever known in the entirety of existence, but she was the one who had raised him, and now he was going to fight her for his future.
Phoenix and Mei Hui stared each other down as Mei Zan gave the orders to set up their battlefield. Soldier scrambled to obey, grabbing armor and weapons, clearing out a side of the fields in the dead zone for them to start. "It saddens me that we have come to this, my son," Mei Hui crooned, feigning sympathy. She was removing her belt and trinkets, taking off anything that may hinder her in battle. Her long fiery hair was tied back tightly so that it would not get caught during the fight.
The elegant dress came off, revealing plain soldier garb underneath, over which her armor went. It gleamed red in the light of the fire, making it seem almost as if the fire danced around her. Then, with a sword in her hand, the transformation was complete. Suddenly she was no longer a queen. She was now a respected warrior. One whom many learned to fear over the years for her ferocity. This woman was not a mother. Phoenix knew her as a demon who took what she wanted when she wanted it, and demanded respect out of all who knelt before her.
The fear replaced the victory completely in his gut, and he was starting to realize there was no way he could get out of this alive. He didn't want to become her servant again. The punishments for his actions would be fierce, and he'd never be able to run away again.
Sure, he could if he really wanted to, but there was nothing honorable in breaking one's word, and if he ran again, the disasters that would befall his friends would be terrible as well. She would come up with new tortures just for everyone he ever knew.
He took a set of offered armor, not as fitted as the pair he knew had been made for him when it was clear he had stopped growing, but that set was in his own room, and it wasn't like there was anyone on his side who would actually go get it for him, so the lesser set it was. It would offer a little protection from her blade, but he'd still have to rely mostly on his own skill.
They walked to the dead zone when it was reported that everything was ready. They were alone. The soldiers and his siblings stayed far back, knowing full well that whatever happened would probably be deadly to anyone who stood too close to the action.
Phoenix rolled his shoulders, uncomfortably with the leather padding inside his armor. It rubbed against the patched of feather down on his shoulders blades. He'd have to take it off first if he wanted to fly. In the few minutes it took to get to their designated war zone, he was regretting the decision to leave well enough alone and not demand his own armor.
There was only one way to get out of this, he thought. Win. Win so well that no one could possibly challenge him as he walked out. He didn't know if he could do that, though, cause the only way he could win this fight was to kill his opponent, as she would never surrender, and no matter how much he hated everything this wicked woman had put him through over the majority of his entire life she was still his mother and he was definitely not the kind of son who could just end his mother's life like that.
He walked into this, and now he had to face the horrible consequences,
"I really wish you would just surrender to me now, Hai Jinn. We can have this fight, and I will win. We both know that, but you can choose to have it easier on yourself. If you surrender to me now, I will not beat you to within an inch of your life for disobeying me. However, if you persist in this foolishness I will make sure you know never to even look up from your own toes unless I have given you permission to do it." Her tone had gone from sweet to violently deadly in a matter of seconds.
Phoenix swallowed hard. "I will win," he proclaimed loudly, his stomach twisting.