Chi Myst'wing 2 An Outcast Expelled

Chi Myst'wing had sat near the crystal-clear lake since morning. By the reflection on the lake's surface, she could see a clear image of herself – a slender redragon with eyes like those of a phoenix. Her wings were rather unusual; glowing white mist as the shape of her wings, rather than the fleshy wings that every redragon has. As she was mesmerised by her own reflection, deafening beatings of dragonhide drums startled her. She turned to the source of the sound and saw hundreds of redragons were gathering to face a more ma.s.sive and spikier redragon.

The spiked redragon was Rouge Ti, the chieftain of Igniswing. Standing on a large boulder, he raised his chest as he was about to speak.

The drum beating stopped, and the dragonhead horn blew.

"My fellow brethren," said Rouge. "Today, as we know, is the annual hunting festival. This is a tradition of the millennium to pay respect and tribute to our G.o.d, Igniswing. For those who are twelve or older, as the descendants of the great Igniswing, we must join in the hunt. So that our G.o.d can bless us, the males with strength and the females with fertility for another year. Those with the great hunt will honour and glorify our own bloodlines! Do remember, the hunting lasts only a day. All must return before the Sol sets." Rouge paused as the whole tribe of redragons seemed wanting to launch themselves any time now.

"Let the hunt begins!"

Hundreds of redragons roared so loud that every being on the neighbouring islands could have heard it like there's a thunderstorm in Igniswing. Their mighty wings flapped up a gale of strong wind that sent dust flying to the height of their shoulder. With the surge of adrenaline, all the redragons took off in different directions. Those who partic.i.p.ated in the hunt were of youth for they wanted to seek the G.o.d's blessings, while those still stood on the ground were the elders whose wings weren't as strong as they used to be.

Chi had watched this tradition every year that she felt a little bored and she turned back to see herself on the lake. Though she was in an age where her peers had gone hunting, she wasn't as eager as them. She never cared much for the hunt, since it was more bewitching to look at herself. She could do some pondering too.

Something grasped her arm that she turned to look. It was Emberfist. He was much taller than her, as was more muscular.

"Sweet darling!" said Emberfist.

"Me is not your darling!" said Chi as she tried to pull her hand from his grip.

"You have been betrothed to me even before we are born."

His grip on Chi's arm was so tight that she felt her arm go numb. "No, Emberfist!" she shouted with a shaken voice. With all her might, she resisted. Her legs rooted into the ground, but since Emberfist was much stronger, she was being dragged, her feet were drawing out the soil.

"Chi, I have always liked you," said Emberfist. "And I want to take you to a place where you will love it."

"Me don't care how much you like me," said Chi. "Release me at once! You suppose to go hunting!"

"I don't care," said Emberfist. "I prefer to be with you. I can also make you as my hunt."

"Let me off, will you?"

A louder voice echoed, "Emberfist!" and Emberfist stopped in an instant.

And Chi pulled out her numb hand. Thank goodness, it was the chief who had come to her rescue.

"Emberfist!" said Rouge. "Leave her! Go hunting now!"

Before Emberfist spread his wings, he had one last glance at her. "Chi, you are lucky because of your papa. Otherwise, you can't even survive here." Then, he flapped his wings and lifted off. Gale of gust and sands followed by.

"Chi," said Rouge. "You shall go to hunt too. Like every redragon should do. You are now twenty, way past the eligible age, yet you have hunt nothing."

"Great chief," said Chi. "Me had tried before. Me hunt nothing, it's because me don't like to hunt. It's just that hunting is not my nature."

"Chi!" Rouge Ti was disconcerted. "How many times do I need to tell you? This is your nature. Look at yourself and look at us. You're a redragon! A redragon! And you must abide by our hunting tradition. It is our sacred tradition."

"My nature is fierce?" said Chi. "Then why every time me is about to kill, me feel so disheartened?"

Rouge opened his mouth, but no words came out, trying to sort out the best explanation. Then, he said, "Well, just do it, Chi. Maybe it's the test given by the G.o.d to test your resolve."

"No," said Chi, shaking her head. "It's really not my nature."

"Chi, Chi." Rouge could feel his utter desperation as it was his last patience to persuade her to hunt. "Remember, you're a redragon. You breathe fire, you have wings…"

And Chi remembered her wings. It was so different from most redragons' wings. Her wings were misty. She turned to look at her mama, but her mama didn't have that misty wings. Then, from where did she get these wings from? Perhaps her papa had that wings, and for sure, the wings may have been pa.s.sed from her papa. She returned her focus to Rouge, who was now like a teacher to her.

"You really need to learn to adapt to your physical nature. Otherwise, you can't even thrive in the tribe. Not to mention surviving, Chi. This is your way of life."

"Life is not just about hunting and surviving, great chief. There's a lot more to it."

"Like what?"

"Like," said Chi, her eyes wandered off away. "Like discovering the reasons we're here. Like the purpose of life?"

"Our life purpose here is to hunt and to continue the bloodlines of our great G.o.d."

"Not like that, great chief."

Rouge was taken aback of how daring Chi defy him like that. "Are you now trying to teach me?"

"Not, chief," said Chi as she realised several of the redragon elders had given her a contemptuous look by shaking their head.

"Enough of that," said Rouge. He tried hard not to be looked as though he was the one who was being taught. "Now, go hunting and be back before dusk," said Rouge as he spread his wings wide. "If you don't return with your hunt, I will make sure it's you who will be offered to the G.o.d!"

"Really?" Chi spoke to herself, seeing the Great Chief Rouge who had already flown far away from her. Chi knew the chief was only trying to scare her. Even though the chief was harsh, she knew he was trying to protect her. She could feel that. And many times, whenever she came close to her prey, she couldn't bear to kill them. Hunting wasn't really her nature.

Chi's mama, Sunu, who hadn't flown off yet, had listened to her talk with the chief, had now come closer to Chi. "Chi-dear, mama don't know what to say to you. You are just like your papa."

Chi had a sudden yearn of her papa. Her papa had been gone when she was still small, and that was the reason why she couldn't recall how her papa looked like. Her mama had said her face was like her mama's face, and the only thing that similar to her papa was her character.

"Mama sometimes wondered if your papa hadn't been so different, papa would still be alive. Chi, mama hope you can understand that to survive in a tribe, one has to be same with the tribe. One must sacrifice one's own differences. Perhaps like masking one's ident.i.ty and thrive with the tribe."

"Thanks, mama. Me know what to do."

"Mama will find a dead carca.s.s as my hunt," said Sunu. Then she spread her wings wide and flew gracefully that none other female redragons could fly.

"Good luck, mama." Her mama's idea was worth a try. Perhaps she should find a dead carca.s.s too. Chi spread her misty wings, her wings emitting vaporous gas was dissolving into thin air. She rose swiftly and flew in a manner just like her mama.

Chi began her flight westward from the floating island of Igniswing. Though she flew low from the ground, the moment she reached the open sea, she was flying at the height of about tens of feet from the sea level. Some were diving into the sea to hunt sea creatures, looking for the biggest hunt they could ever find. They weren't easy to satisfy, as they took a bite of their unlucky victims and then threw them back into the sea.

She couldn't just wait there for the carca.s.s and that she continued flying until she reached land. Redragons were hunting there too. There was one who seemed to forget how to fly because he was chasing an equine. There was one locked in hand-to-hand combat with an adult grizzly which looked like a toddler if compared to an adult redragon.

Chi kept flying while enjoying the landscape of beautiful land with autumn trees of red and yellow. The hunting and waiting for carca.s.s did trouble her. It was an excellent idea her mama had – finding dead body and taking them as her own hunt. Perhaps she should only wait for other redragon to stop playing with their prey, kill them and then leave. What if she had waited hours for the carca.s.s, and waited for nothing since the redragon decided he best take the hunt which she had been waiting for?

She descended herself and landed near a tall leafless tree. A doe happened to be resting by the tree when she landed. The brown four-footed creature was startled when it saw her, and it trembled. She could notice the doe's eyes were glittering with tears of terror. Chi knew what to do since she had faced numerous situations like this. In a slow movement, Chi lowered her head and backed several steps from the trembling creature.

The doe came to her sense that Chi wasn't fierce and savage, unlike the other redragons. It now moved nearer to Chi. She raised her hand and brushed along the doe's head. It seemed to be enjoying Chi's accompany as it was rubbing its head under Chi's palm.

Beyond the doe, Chi spotted a wisp of greyish ash billowing at the bluish sky. Smoke risen in the forest – it meant something terrible could is happening. "See you again," said Chi as she rocketed from the spot where she stood. She flapped her wings stronger to reach her direction faster. After a short distance, she could hear faint cries and an attack.

As she was approaching the village, the cries and the attack were now louder, so was the smell of burning woods. It became clear that Emberfist was there, attacking the village, or was he actually playing with his hunt? The cries came from the goatmen who covered with fear. Some were wounded, laying on the ground.

It turned out that Emberfist was fighting a green humanoid-reptile who was defending the goatmen. From the top of a village's hut, he leapt and launched his rooster-like talon to Emberfist. "Let you taste my dragon conquering skill!"

Emberfist could evade it without any effort. "Ha, ha, ha. Useless skill." But he failed to see the reptilian fist and got hit instead. He growled in pain.

This was the first time Chi saw a Cyaian who dared to fight a redragon. Her wings were still flapping that she was floating in mid-air. She could only hope that no one would notice her.

The green reptile landed on the ground. "Other than that skill, I still have other skill." Before him, there were several rocks that he kicked them, sending them flying toward Emberfist.

The redragon had a confident smile that he evaded the incoming rocks, but failed to the last one. The last rock hit right on Emberfist's face.

"You see," said the green reptile, grinning. "This was my kicking skill. I used to play rock soccer."

The rock has gotten him more furious. "I had enough of your games!" With the final words, he roared. The roar trembled the whole village. His fist burst into flame – that was how he got his name. And he launched himself full speed toward the green reptile with his flaming fist.

The reptile who was relentless in fighting Emberfist was now startled that he froze on the spot when he saw the redragon's fist of fury. He could only watch Emberfist flying toward him with a killing blow.

Chi knew he would be killed if she didn't do anything. She knew she couldn't fight Emberfist since she was powerless against him. Perhaps, she could receive the blow for the green reptile and could still survive. In another thought, she could push Emberfist away, and by that, she could save the reptile. she flapped her wings with all her might and rocketed toward Emberfist… the collision pushed Emberfist's away, making him lose control of himself that he crashed onto the hut.

The green reptile let out a sigh of relief, and all the goatmen echoed bravo. He then gave Chi a thank you nod.

Chi was glad that she had saved the reptile from his own doom. Or could she have saved a whole village? However, the sense of relief and grat.i.tude didn't last long as the green reptile had an alarmed look and he pointed to her right. "Look out!"

Chi turned to her right.

"Chi, how dare you attack me!" said Emberfist.

In a split-second, Chi felt a hot and hard punch on her abdomen.

Ahhh!

The impact of the punch thrashed her down. Lucky for her that she fell on a large pile of haystacks and blacked out on the spot.

Chi gained consciousness and opened her eyes to a dimmed surrounding. Rows of torches lit up the cloudless night, revealing the Lune to s.h.i.+ne as hundreds of redragons were watching her right now. It seemed that the hunting had long ended. She tried to move but was restricted by something warm. She looked down and found herself bound at a pole by an ignium chain, a sacred red-glowing metal as it was said to be the blood of the G.o.d. And she was almost breathless when she saw a pile of woods beneath her. Looks like she had done something unforgiven and the only punishment she deserved was spirit cleansing: burning with G.o.d's blood.

"Chi Myst'wing!"

A loud voice spoke her name. It was from the Shaman, who had spoken her name when he was chanting before a colossal statue of an ancient dragon. The statue had similar features of a redragon: broad wings, thorns and spikes. It was the G.o.d of the redragons – Igniswing. When Chi jerked her head up, she was appalled – perhaps never in history had any redragon had jerked his head to see it. Igniswing's face didn't seem like any redragon's face – he had a face like of a demon. Even when looking at the statue's face could strike one's heart with terror, how would one feel when facing the living G.o.d?

When the Shaman finished his chanting, he turned to his fellow redragons.

"This redragon, Chi Myst'wing, had saved a greendragon and a village of goatmen. She had shown compa.s.sion and mercy to those creatures. When she saved those lowly creatures, she had attacked our own tribe member! This is an unforgiven disgrace and a total disrespect of the hunting festival. Shame to her bloodlines! G.o.d Igniswing is so displeased. But worry now, I have talked to the G.o.d, the G.o.d willing to reduce her punishment. Thank G.o.d for the G.o.d had only taken away her fertility."

Since Chi had never completed any hunt, surely no blessing of fertility had ever given to her. And she wondered how could her fertility be taken without first be granted.

All the redragons roared in great displeasure. They all had been displeased with Chi for a long time. Though the G.o.d had commanded His verdict, they all shouted together – "Burn her!"

"No," said Rouge. "The G.o.d has given the verdict. We must obey."

"It's fake! You have faked the G.o.d's verdict! Chief, how much you had offered the Shaman?" No one but the chief noticed the shaman twitched at that moment. The redragons also had long displeased with their chief for having protected Chi.

"Listen to me," said Rouge. "Please don't condemn Chi. Her action didn't deserve such execution!"

"She deserved it!" said an elder redragon.

Every redragon now looked at the elder. He still has the vitality of a younger redragon by the spikes on his body, although having moustache that looked like curved needles which had grown at his lower jaw.

"In my time, such action really brings to the spiritual cleansing. G.o.d Igniswing had no tolerance for such behaviour." The elder said, "I say we burn her!"

Every redragon roared to agree. "Burn her! Burn her!"

"Unless if she submits herself to an honoured redragon," said the elder. "Only if there's a redragon who is willing to take her as his mate. Then, she will be forgiven."

After the elder had spoken, all the redragons were silent, looking at each other. They seemed to think if she is worth to be taken and who would want to humiliate himself by taking her.

"I am willing to take Chi as my mate!" said Emberfist.

All the redragons had shocked and disbelieved look when they heard Emberfist as he walked out from the crowd of redragons, approaching Rouge and faced his fellow redragons. Rouge then approached Chi.

"Chi," said Rouge. "The G.o.d will forgive you if you are willing to submit yourself to Emberfist. Anyway, it was he who had defeated you and bring you back as his hunt."

Chi had a shocked look at Rouge, unable to believe at what he has spoken. She had a look that told everyone that she had been betrayed.

"Chi, please accept to do so."

Chi threw her looks at the crowd of redragons. Half of them had a look that hinted her to submit herself to Emberfist while half of them indicated Chi otherwise. There, she saw her mama nodding to her with a wink. She could understand the reason behind her mama's choice. Perhaps, her mama had a plan: to free Chi from executed and then free from Emberfist. "Yes, me accept."

Sunu had a relieved look on her face when Chi said that. And Emberfist was so happy. "Yes!"

"Release Chi at once!" said Rouge. He was relieved too.

Emberfist grinned and came forward. He was so rough and inconsiderate when he grabbed the chain. His claws dug into her scale, and that made her shrieking in pain. Instead of breaking the chain, he just pulled it with force. The chain cut into her red scale, rubbing her skin with piercing pain. She shrieked in pain; tears rolled from her eyes.

"Stop it," said Chi. "Emberfist, you're hurting me!"

At the cry of Chi, Sunu hurried toward her, wanting to pull Emberfist away from Chi. "Stop it, Emberfist! You're hurting Chi-dear!"

Emberfist stopped and stepped back. His face showed no guilt but puzzlement.

Sunu then raised her claw high and slashed the chain binding her dear Chi, breaking it and set her free. "Chi, fly now!" said Sunu.

The redragons were appalled at what Sunu had done. They hurried toward her and Chi, trying to capture the mama and daughter.

With the ignium chain on her hand, Sunu swung it with all her force while spitting flame from her mouth to keep the redragons at bay. "Dearest Jing, please help me protect Chi-dear," Sunu said in her low voice. "Chi, fly now! Mama will fly after you!"

Chi wished she could fly, but she wanted to fly with her mama. Not just her mama was busy handling redragons, she was too. She had just freed herself from the chain, she had to face some redragons who were coming for her. She spat fire around while she protected her mama's back. She never saw her mama as powerful like that before. Her mama was usually gentle. Of what power did give her mama such strength? Was it the maternal instinct to protect her that gave her mama such power?

Though Sunu was powerful, she couldn't keep the redragons at distant for long. There were too many of them, and Sunu couldn't hold it much longer. Not long, the redragons had captured her. Though resisting, she turned to Chi. "Chi, fly now!"

But the redragons had already captured Chi, and they dragged her away from her mama.

"MAMA!" Chi shouted.

A force manifested from Chi – violent wave of pressure blasted the surrounding redragons away.

All the redragons jerked with surprise while Sunu looked as if she was looking at her loved one. "Dearest Jing, thank you," said Sunu as she grinned.

Chi dashed to Sunu and shouted, "mama! Don't dare hurt my mama!" And then, another wave blasted the redragons away from Sunu. "Mama, let's fly together."

Sune nodded.

Both spread their wings. The way their wings spread was as graceful as the angels spreading their wings. Sunu and Chi lifted off fast.

"Capture Chi! Don't let her fly!" Chi could tell who had gave the orders. It was the elder.

Not long the redragons gained close behind. Some were fast flyer, and they managed to come close behind Chi and grabbed her tail.

Sunu went for the redragon who had grabbed her daughter's tail and slashed his hand. He shouted in pain and withdrew his hand.

"Chi, fly faster," said Sunu.

"Yes, mama."

Another redragon flew closer... and Sunu kicked him with all her strength. He lost control and fall, howling all the way down.

"Capture Sunu first!"

A voice shouted from behind. This time, a different redragon had voiced out. Chi hesitated a moment, slowing her flight. Her mama was now the target.

A redragon grabbed her mama from behind. She resisted as more and more redragons came and held her, dragging her down. Soon, the redragons turned to Chi.

"Fly, Chi, Fly!" That was what her mama could say.

"Mama," thought Chi, mustering her all her strength in her wings to fly faster. But the redragons were relentless. They were still chasing Chi. It was just a matter of time before she losses her speed and get caught. She could only hope they give up on her.

As some redragons were about to reach Chi, loud whistling sounds pierced through the Lune-lit sky, Then, the whistling sounds stopped at some redragons with sounds like leather being ripped apart. The redragons howled and fell with fading howls and then faint splashes of water as the redragons had dropped onto the sea.

Chi then realised she had been flying across the Eastern Sea and now had already reached the mainland. She halted and turned to see what had happened. More and more large whistling bolts were impaling the redragons behind her. Until every redragon except her had fallen, there was no more whistling sound. The attack had stopped.

With of fear of being attacked, she descended, flying low close to the ground with tall trees as her cover. It was not safe for her here in an unknown land. What playing in her mind was, the attack stopped when no more redragons was chasing her. Could it be someone had saved her? But who? She hadn't known anyone in this foreign land. And she ought to be careful since the area was terrified of a redragon and she was one. What fate would befall her mama? She didn't dare to imagine how her mama was about to be executed on her behalf. How on Cyaia could she save her mama? Those thought brought tears to Chi as she kept flying without any hope.