Posts by OakTalon16

Black nodded his respect to Icarus, “The honor is mine.”

Zephyr put out his fist to bump with Apollo, “I swear to you, I will protect them with my life.” He vowed, surpressing a smile, “Hurry back, We don’t want to win this War without you.” He added jokingly.

War Room, Lion Tribe Capital

Lucifer stood with Herakles, examining the map with scary analytical starres. Lucifer glanced up in concern as Hyperion returned, absent Demeter, “You are not one to run from a fight so easily, Hyperion.” He said sternly.

Zephyr looked down at his hands, feeling the weight of everything placed upon, ‘Is this what you feel? Every second of every day?’ He thought to himself, understanding what Apollo shoulders. Zephyr closed his hands tightly into fists, Black sat up sensing the determination in his comrades body language, “Now, We hold the Line, till our King returns.”

Lucifer shared the concern, considering their own recent experience upon the northern battlefield...

Hours before, Border of the Rhino and Lion Tribes. Titanus breathed heavily as he went to a knee, his left leg below the knee was severely damaged, and his entire right was gone at the shoulder. Burns and gashes littered his body, his large fan blade was stuck into the ground beside him, split in half. Looking up weakly, he saw the motionless bodies of his two Seconds, Anglo and Saxxa. He closed his eyes in shame, having only be able to arrive when they were being slaughtered. “If it’s any consolation, Lord Titanus, they did fight to the best of their abilities. However they were not enough, and neither are you.” The cold tone came from Lucifer as he stepped from a swirling vortex of black paper, Herakles stepping out beside him. Lucifer held up his hand, forming a hardened black paper spear into his hand, then sent it fast at Titanus’s chest.

Lucifer waved his hand, sending out several slips of black paper into the boulders, exploding into dust before reaching him. Titanus wanted to let himself relax, but the situation had barely changed. He put great trust in his long time Friend, but their Enemy, was just that overpowering. Just then, he felt a slight cooling breeze.

“A minor inconvenience at best.” Lucifer said unimpressed, his cold blue eyes rested on Ajax, “We know of your Strength Lord Ajax, we know of your comrades,” He started with a glance back at Terra, “The Elephant and Rhino Tribes are out of options, and since you’re all gathered Here...” Lucifer’s cold words made Titanus flinch, if they were killed here, the War would most likely be lost for all of Sapphiria. Without warning, Lucifer and Herakles felt a sudden change, like their whole world went negative for a split second. The Two Generals immediately backed off, before an enormous slash of blue wind cut the battlefield in half, then bending around the sides to wipe out the Demon Army far behind the Generals. Footsteps sounded as a Man walked past Terra, patting her on the shoulder, “Thank you for helping the Old Man.” He said calmly in a smooth tone. The newcomer went to stand just slightly beside and ahead of Ajax, wearing a thick dark leather coat and baggy black pants, a short thin handled sword rested in a scabbard on his back. His hair was an off white color, his dark skin just a little lighter than Titanus’s, and his eyes shined a bright azure sky.

Lucifer remained calm on the outside, but he was actually taken by surprise, that sudden release of powerful Chakra would’ve been dangerous for either one of them. This wasn’t in the info they gathered, neither could they have predicted this, this presented an unknown problem. The newcomer then drew his sword, a short black blade with a wrapped hilt, with four holes in the middle of the blade. One of which had a swirling sphere of condensed chakra in its opening. “My name is Azure Boreas, Grandson of Titanus Boreas, and Heir to the Elephant Tribe.” He breathed out gently, then focused all of his Killing Intent onto the two Generals, with a glare that would cause lesser enemies to pass out. “Leave.” His final word carried the weight of his prowess.

Lucifer went grim, this was a dent in their plan, they would have to change up their strategy now. In an instant the two Generals vanished, putting an end to todays battle. Azure gave a long sigh, “They were strong, honestly I’m surprised that worked!” He chuckled carelessly rubbing the back of his head. Titanus held onto the wound where his right arm would be, his pain overshadowed the surprise of Azure’s appearance, and surprising power. Singled out, Ajax could have probably been able to take one while Azure fought the other, but even then it was still an unknown. An Unknown, He guessed that was why They backed off, simply because they were unsure of Azure’s prowess and capabilities. He knew Azure was gifted, but his careless attitude and habit of playing dumb, hid how much of an Overwhelming Force he really is.

Present time... Lucifer stared at the war table in thought, overlooking the current situation. Icarus Delphi, Azure Boreas, these two showing up just now was the final wrench in their big scheme causing them to revise the entire Warfront. “This Azure Boreas forced us to change our plans, but Icarus Delphi... We’ll need to think of an entirely New Strategy.” He said sternly, however He didn’t seem angry, more so He was... excited. It would Seem Titanus and Ajax were not their most Threatening targets, “Information, we need to gather as much as possible. I want an exact list of those Who pose the greatest Threat against Us.”

“I am aware already, I’ve been careful to expect his interference.” Kronos spoke as stepped from the shadows beside the trio, Nizari close at his left side with an obedient posture, like a blind kitten following its mother. Lucifer took a slight bow, “We apologize for the failure of our comrades, and the turn this war has taken.” He spoke like he was being humble, but anyone could tell it was just semantics. Kronos scoffed, “Please, spare me. I did not expect us to be this far by now, I am not a fool to think we would conquer this land so easily. Afterall, our opponents carry the The Five Animal Demons, as well as several other who are close in prowess. You could almost say, this is when the War for Sapphiria, truly begins.” Kronos spoke as he approached the table, a sinister grin sliding across his face. “Now, we start putting the pressure, make them collapse under their so called, powerful emotions. Get into their heads, shake them up a little, use their own Humanity against them. What do you think, Nizari?” He asked sly with a glance at his obedient servant. Nizari pushed back her hood and took of her porcelain mask. The Generals didn’t know her identity personally, though could guess she was someone of importance. She had short red hair combed over to her right side, the left side of head being shaved down and colored darker. Her lightning blue eyes shined as if being lit up by electricity, an almost spitting image of Zerra Sky, the Cheetah Tribe Leader and Jinchuriki. “I do as commanded, My Lord.” She recited monotonously, her stare aimless and empty. Lucifer now had a better idea of how proceed, including using Rosemary’s abilities, and cause discord amongst their enemy.

An hour had barely past before a she-wolf approached the newcomers tent, standing at just 5 feet tall on all fours, and fur as white as snow. Her face showed the obvious signs of old age, but she carried herself in a dignified manner, her eyes glowed a fearsome yellow. “I am Aniyu, I’ll be supervising you’re training, Runt. Remove all clothing and equipment, except your pants, then start by meditating under the Waterfall. Move it Runt, I’m only getting older by the second!” She growled harshly, then she paid attention to Icarus. Giving no hesitation, she was at his side, nuzzling at his hand, “Welcome back Icarus, My Son, I wish you would visit more often.” She greeted nourishingly, and exact opposite tone from her first words to Apollo.

Aniyu nodded, “Yes yes, I have been receiving the messages, I just prefer to see My Little Cubs face.” At the mention of Apollo, she frowned, “I suppose, He’ll be doing this meditation for the better part of three hours, get him used to focusing through an ever changing environment. The Runt has a long road ahead of him, I hope He’s up to the Challenge...” She trailed on as she started towards the waterfall, however much she felt annoyed at training Apollo, getting to enjoy Icarus’s company made it worthwhile.

One year later...

In the past year, The Lion Tribes Border has been the frontline for all the Tribes, being poked and prodded by the Demon Armies. Since securing the Crocodile Tribe, Zephyr left Turquoise in charge till Crimson was back to full strength. Black and Aurora stayed with Turquoise for a few months as extra help, before moving back to the Cheetah Tribe, much to Turquoise’s dismay as she had grown fond of having Aurora around. The Rhino Tribe Border was well secured, Titanus was back in the fight with new metal prosthetic limbs, along with the other Powerhouses; Ajax, Azure, and Terra. Even with all the battles, Zerra and Zephyr’s relationship grew closer, finally going public with it caused to be in an unwanted spotlight. They weren’t the only ones to grow closer through the months, Black finally started making his move on Aurora, however awkward he was about it. Nameless Trax and Triton became close allies, practically running the Battlefields amongst all the Tribes. Unfortunately, this made Triton become known by the wrong individuals, and was made a High Value Target. No progress has been made on either side in the last few months, and so the Tribal Coalition has convened for a summit, to discuss a New Strategic battle plan.

Inside the Cheetah Citadel’s War Room, Artemis ran up to Aurora with arms wide open, but instead went past her to hug Kiara instead. “Kiara! I’ve missed you so much!” She said playfully, embracing the lioness. Artemis had fully recovered from her injuries and has been training tirelessly with Zerra, she’d only grown and inch but she carried herself much taller. Black walked up behind them, giving Aurora back scratch, “I’m sure she’ll give you a hug after she’s finished with Kiara.” He told her reassuringly. Glancing around the room, he recognized a lot of famous faces. Titanus and Ajax, Terra and Crimson. Spotting Zerra withdrawn from the groups, Black waved to her, and reluctantly she joined them. “Where’s Zephyr? Figured he’d be here for this.” Black inquired, He and Aurora had just returned from the Crocodile Front for a support mission. Zerra put both her hands on her belly, “Watching the Cheetah Front, along with Azure on the Rhino Front, and Turquoise on the Crocodile Front. We have to be ready in case the Enemy realizes this event is happening.” She told him informingly, unlike her usual stern composure. Black felt a little dumb for not picking that up, feeling Triton probably came up with that. “Right...” Nameless Trax stood with Triton at the table, “Ready to begin?”

On the Three Fronts, Zephyr, Azure, and Turquoise stood patiently, observing the land before with eagle sharp eyes. Each carried a sash with Trax’s signature.

Trax nodded before stepping forward, “As of now, our Borders are the defensive line, and has remained so for the past year. This could very well change in the future, for better, or for worse.” His tone grew solemn, giving way to the dangers they face. “We know our Enemy, the Six remaining Generals, Kronos, and his Executioner, Nizari.” At this, Zerra frowned. “Going forward, our advances to gain ground has been less than forthcoming, on all three fronts.” Trax stated fairly, with Titanus and Crimson both nodding in agreement. It’s been an all out standstill for a year now, and they needed to make a push, or risk being pushed on. Trax looked around once more, “Black, Aurora, I am sorry to send you off so soon after returning, but We need you back south. Your support there has gone a long way to solidify their defenses.” Black nodded willingly, “Then they shall have us.” Not typically fond of the idea but this was war. Trax dipped his head, “Thank you, take a few days to rest up before then. Ajax, is it alright if we ask Terra to come here, and assist in the Cheetah’s defenses?” Zerra’s face drew dark as she tried to hide her face, both hands still placed on her stomach, as if clutching onto something in guilt. Trax felt a bead of sweat on his face, his Lady had asked to keep it discreet, but soon enough they would lose one of their most powerful assets.

Aniyu scoffed at the leap of faith Apollo took, “If you’re done playing around Runt, we’ll get back to training. Now that you’ve learned to sense and take in Natures True Energy, you will now start learning how to apply it.” She started before walking over to the pool of water, gathered by the waterfall itself. She touched her nose to it, instantly turning it a light shade of green. “There, now it’s been changed, regular chakra won’t work anymore. Use Sage Chakra to stand on the waters surface.” She told him sternly.

Zerra felt Aurora’s eyes upon, and guessed she could smell the difference in her scent, though she remained intent on the briefing. Titanus rotated his right shoulder, the new prosthetic right arm was designed specially for him, infused with chakra and made to resemble a real limb. The same for his left foot. In fact, his prosthetic limbs now made his hits even stronger. “We will hold the line for our King, but we will also make efforts to push on our Enemy. Trax, if I may ask.” He started before turning to the Cheetah Tribe Second, “Send me to Zephyr, I’d like to speak with him before heading back north.” He asked casually. Trax was about to answer, when he felt one of his tags activate, “Movement on the Cheetah Front, everyone back to their respective Fronts, For Sapphiria.”

“For Sapphiria!”

With the Meeting at an end, the Cheetah Front prepared for battle, the Leaders of the Rhino and Crocodile Fronts returned to their stations. The War for Sapphiria is still far from over.

Aniyu grimaced and shook one of her paws at him, “Alright deary, I need a break myself, it’s almost hurtful to watch him any longer.” She scoffed with annoyance.

Another year later...

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at the report in his hand, their manual labor for the mines have been vanishing, slowing down their plans for Krono’s Project. Unhappy by the development, Kronos had been torturing Atlas for the past few months. Even going as far as torturing Atlas in front of the Sapphiria Alliance, with all his Generals there to safeguard the event, this would last hours on end some days. Setting down the paper, he glanced at Herakles, “They’ve set us back another year, seemingly enough, there is another Part at play here. My thoughts drag me to Icarus, and his disappearance along with Apollo’s. Now we only have the Lion Tribe Citizens... We’ll have to move the building to inside the Capital, transport the remains of what resources are left.”

At the Cheetah Tribe Citadel, Zephyr walked into Zerra’s room, seeing her rocking back and forth in her chair. In her arms she held a tiny baby boy, his black hair having streaks of blonde, supposedly his eyes were a silvery blue. Zephyr swallowed nervously, as he did everytime, and started towards Zerra. Slowly, Zephyr came to a knee by the chair, putting a hand on Zerra’s. This was a moment Zephyr always had to come to terms with again, even after a few months it still seemed surreal to him. Zerra found it beautiful to watch, it made her fall in love with Zephyr all over again, to watch someone so stoic and emotionless, break down and shed tears at seeing his own Son like it was the first time every time. Gently, Zephyr placed his other hand on the baby’s face, fighting back his own tears. Zerra smiled, “I just got him to sleep Darling, let him rest.” She told him soothingly, her tone and voice had gotten dramatically softer since pregnancy and especially after giving birth. Zephyr pressed his head against her chest, “My apologies, I just wanted to see Him before I head off again. My Son, Arashi, Our Little Storm.” He said quietly. In that moment the three of them were whole, together as a Family.

Black cleared his throat before walking into his and Aurora’s room at the Crocodile Tribe Citadel, He didn’t know why he felt the need to pause before, but he kept with it. He wore a clean set of clothes and had touched up his hair a bit, brushing it backwards. “Aurora, everything is ready.” He said somewhat nervously. This was a big date between the two, for awhile they have been going on random dates to fit their ever changing schedule in this war, and now they finally get a few days off. Black had set up a small secluded space in a beautiful Oasis just outside the Crocodile Capital, oddly enough it was Crimson who suggested it. Everything was set, all Black needed was to bring Aurora there.

Within the Wolf Den, Aniyu sat with Icarus during their tea time discussions of Apollo’s training. “We’ve entered the final lap of his training, as you know this requires his full attention, no more Missions. I know you know this well from you Experience.” She said regrettably, wishing it so much for it to be Icarus to take the Mantle of Sage instead of Apollo.

Black’s cheeks went beat red, “T-Thanks, and you’re beautiful.” He said softly, kissing her forehead, “Come on, today is just for you and me.” He told her as he took her hand.

Aniyu waited by the waterfall, her greying muzzle glistening from the roaring falls mist, her mind reminiscing on when she trained Icarus in the same spot. Learning He would not be the Wolf Sage was the hardest thing for her to accept. Instead she had to train Apollo, an impatient and headstrong boy with a cocky nonchalant attitude. All he wants the Sage power for is to reign in his Title of King, what a typical reason. The old She-wolf sighed deeply, “The Runt is Late... as usual.”

Upon the Battlefield of the Cheetah Front, Rosemary took charge with Aphrodite, Hyperion, and Nizari. With only Triton, Nameless Trax, and Terra present for the Alliance, they were undermanned for their opponents. Immediately they were hard pressed, Trax and Triton doing everything they could to hold their ground, Terra having her hands busy keeping the three Generals and Nizari off of them. Suddenly there was flash of pink lightning, opening up a hole in the sands defense. Instantly Nizari and Rosemary were through, with a blinding speed they rushed Terra. Nizari covered herself in a pink electric aura, zipping straight up to Terra with a powerful kick. “Wind Style, Wind Wall.” A voice echoed out, with a wall of dense wind blocking Nizari’s kicking and knocking her back. Sliding back next to Rosemary, the two locked eyes with Zephyr as he landed beside Terra. “Which of them do you think you can take?” He asked her seriously.

Nizari backed up in a series of backflips, sliding to a halt she drew her dual kurkri's, rushing Terra from her left flank. Zephyr threw a wind slicer at Rosemary before turning to Terra, "Just trust me on this, capture Her only, don't kill." He told her quickly. Feeling a sudden chill of dred, Zephyr turned around, coming face to face with Rosemary. "My my, so your the Masters old pet, quite handsome aren't we?" Rosemary flashed back as Zephyr activated his Sage Mode, clearing the immediate area around him, "Trust me, you keep that up, and I'll be the least of your worries." He said coldly. Rosemary smirked, "Ominous... and Handsome, I like." Zephyr took off, with Rosemary doing the same, but taking him on a chase. Trax flickered around the battlefield, leaving large lightning blasts in his wake of downed enemies, till he came across the General known as Aphrodite. "Don't take this the wrong way, but this place hardly seems like your kind of style." He said classily as he readied two of his kunai.

"About time," Aniyu began as she stood up and paced around Apollo, "Surprisingly you've made thus far, but this is where it really begins. As of now, you can use Sage Sense, can apply Sage Chakra, and use the basic Sage Art Jutsu's. This next year, you will be training Diligently, on the activation and mastery of Wolf Sage Mode. I'm sure Snow has already told you about what this means, and frankly I'm still skeptical that you can even obtain such power. Icarus trained for years, sadly it was not meant to be, and He had more Drive than you ever will." She paused to overlook the pool of water in which the falls filled endlessly.

Trax felt his vision blur, and in split second he flickered away behind his own Warriors, “That was close,” He panted as he felt his senses come back to him, “She’s dangerous.”

In a split second, Triton was pushed away, and Zephyr taking his place. Guarding with his left forearm, Zephyr took the full force of the black flames, within seconds the flames ate through his sage form aura. Feeling the sense of danger rise within him, and then that intense burn, Zephyr held out his left arm away from his body. Suddenly his right hand came around, lit up with a chakra blade, severing his left arm off under the shoulder. The scene seemed to pause the battlefield, as Zephyr fell to his knees, using his Sage chakra to stop the bleeding of his severed arm. Nizari took advantage of the distraction, landing a hard hit on Terra, even with her sand instinctively protecting her, she was pushed back. A foot smacked Zephyr across the face as Rosemary appeared before him, “My how the mighty have fallen.” She said mockingly as she grabbed his hair and struck him in the gut with her knee. Zephyr sucked in air with a lunging gasp, suddenly his right hand drove forward with an open palm, blasting Rosemary across the battlefield. “Triton,” He started weakly as he stood up, his Sage Chakra covering his body, “Get eveyone back..., I’ll givw you the time you need...” His words trailed as he made a single handsign in his right hand, instantly a powerful gust of wind blew on the Demon Soldiers, with four Wind-like birds screaming towards the Generals and Nizari, forcing them back with their army. Zephyr grit his teeth in pain, then took off towards the Enemy, catching Hyperion off guard and shoving his face to the ground in a long scar on the earth.

Aniyu grunted, “We’ll see.” Suddenly the two we’re surrounded by a thick fog, condensed to a dome around them. There was a split second of blackness before they were in a forst, familiar to Apollo, but Aniyu just glanced around blankly. “You will now re-live a moment from you’re past, often these memories can become our greatest inhibitors to our full potential.” She told bim breifly before a hand walked up and tapped Apollo on the shoulder, “Come on Sleepy head, we got a mission to carry out, don’t disappoint our parents do we?” The little girls voice was all too familiar to Apollo, suddenly he was 11 again, standing with Clear Sky in the forest. Clear Sky didn’t even register Aniyu as reality, the greying white She-wolf was non-existent in this fake world. Cleary waved her hand in Apollo’s face, “Hey! Now’s not the time to be spacing out!” She said a little more sternly.

With Zephyr tied down, and his senses dulled, Nizari and Rosemary unleashed beating upon him. Tossed around, beaten, the Generals and Nizari had Zephyr cornered. Yet still, the Man persevered. Nizari crashed across the ground from a clumsy yet aimed kick, then Rosemary and Aphrodite were slammed with a chaotic barrage of wind birds. Zephyr flew out from the dust, clutching Hyperion by the throat and bring him high into the sky, the look of pure furry and adrenaline shown in his blue eyes. Suddenly the Sage chakra vanished, Zephyr felt his body go limp, and his speed slowly decrease before he started falling back down. Leaving Hyperion unscathed.

Rosemary stood over Zephyr as he blinked his eyes open, she bent down close to him. “So Valiant... yet so dumb.” She told him sharply before her eyes glowed a bright violet, Zephyr fell into a trance, but he still mumbled sternly. “I already told you... I’ll be the least of worries.”

With that the Demon army fell back, and the battle was over, with a Sore and Grim ending.

Cleary glared at him sternly, then smiled with a slight giggle, “Alright! Well come on then.” She told him with slight pat on the shoulder before taking off into the trees. The duo traveled in silence before they reached their destination, landing in the middle of a clearing, there was a moments pause. Cleary glanced around with confusion, “I’m getting a bad feeling Apoll-“ Her voice was cut off as an emmense blast blew through the trees on the far side the clearing. Suddenly they were surrounded by Warriors from different Tribes, fighting each other in a bloody battle, none of them seeing the small children. Cleary turned to Apollo in frantic tears, “RUN!” She screamed before a black smoke engulfed her. Instantly Apollo was brought to the moment when he was holding Cleary in his arms, her lifeless body growing colder. Aniyu watched intently from a distance, her blank stare locked on Apollo. The next heartbeat and Apollo was back at the beginning of it all, with Cleary staring at him with a grumpy look of concern, “Hey! Are you sure you’re alright?”

At the Cheetah Citadel, Zerra was rocking back and forth in her chair, holding little Arashi in her arms. She hummed a gentle tune that lulled him to sleep. Outside the room, Trax waited with Triton, as Artemis walked in with a blank face. Zerra smiled at her as She handed Arashi off to Artemis, as she went to get up, Artemis held out a hand to halt her. Artemis only shook her head before walking out with the baby in silence, and Trax and Triton stepping and shut the door behind them. “Please, My Lady, you want to be sitting for this.” He told her grimly. Zerra looked at them in confusion for a second, then her eyes started to grow wide in fear.

Aniyu frowned, this test was one of the hardest she’s had to administer. There was doubt in his mind about this particular incident, Apollo may not have come to terms with it, but this slightest sliver was enough to inhibit him from growing further. In the blink of an eye, Cleary was motionless in a pool of blood beneath him, her glazed eyes staring back up at him. The black smoke washed over them, and the memory was restored. The next time they were attacked during their travel in the trees, after that the two were attacked by faceless Warriors from each Tribe. Countless times the memory was replayed, then it changed. Within Apollo, upon seeing Cleary dead, the Demon Animal inside him was unleashed in a destructive force that obliterated the entire forest. This was when Aniyu grew uneasy, “He didn’t have the Demon at this time in his life, yet he somehow...” She curled her lip in frustration, not at Apollo, but at herself. “Apollo... you cared so deeply for this girl, you Would subconsciously wish you had this power to try and save her?” As she spoke, the Demon Animal took control at the very start of the memory, rushing ahead to take out the frenzied Warriors. Yet still, each time, even if he succeeded, Cleary would still die in his arms. The Black smoke swirled around him till he was back to normal, on his knees in a hazy fog with Aniyu behind him. “Of all the Sages I have trained, none of them actually changed the fabric of their memory, to try and change the outcome. Why go so far for Her, even when you know in your heart she is going to die, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it? Who was she?” Aniyu inquired curiously with a grim expression.

The room was quiet, Zerra stared into the void with dull and hurt eyes, then she closed her eyes with a single tear shedding from the corner of her left eye. “Trax.” Her voice came sharp and stern, Trax snapped to attention out of instinct, “Yes Lady Zerra?” He asked grimly. Zerra stood up, letting her long gown flow with her movement, “From here on out, I will be joining the battlefield again.”

“Lady Zerra please, your Son needs you-“ Trax started before Zerra put up a hand, “I will not hear it, My Son needs me to help end this war. Now leave me, I need to prepare myself.” She told them as she turned away. Trax sighed reluctantly, placing a hand on Triton’s shoulder, before they were teleported back to the war room. “We must accept things and move forward, Lady Zerra is doing it, so we must do the same.”

Back in the room, Zerra dropped to her knees and let out a cry, tears flooded from her eyes. Tightly she gripped onto a necklaced ring upon her chest, “... Zephyr... please, I need you... You’re Som needs you... Please Zephyr... Come home...”

Aniyu stared at the boy, picturing a young Icarus as him instead, then closed her eyes. Icarus fought alone practically from the start, but Apollo, He has an entire Country behind him. Their strength is His, their power is His, that’s why Apollo can become so much more than Icarus will ever be. ‘No... Love is what drives him too, He loves his friends, comrades, family... and this Girl. I felt it from the moment I laid eyes on him, His warming Chakra, that caring smile, and those calming eyes...’ Ainyu giggled herself from her thoughts, “I never thought I’d live to see the day I’d admit my own arrogance.” She rested her eyes on Apollo with a bright smile, “Alright Cub, if you think you can pass this test with one last go, I promise to make you A Sage Master in one Years time.” She challenged playfully, but with a serious shimmer in her eyes. As she spoke, the black smoke began to form around them to shape the dome and repeat the test.

Somewhere inside the Lion Citadel...

Zephyr was nailed down on a table by chakra rods, all around him where strange medical machines and shiny metal. Rosemary and Aphrodite were constantly subjecting him to their Genjutsu while Nizari and Hyperion waited by. Kronos approached with curiosity, “I’m surprised you were able to capture him, technically none of you here should have been able to even square even off against his prowess... unless he still held back out of respect for his dear King. Oh well,” Kronos lit up his hands with a dark Chakra, levitating multiple pieces of the shiny metal, the medical machines around began turning on. “His loss, Our Gain.” He hummed in an ominous tone.

Letting a sly smirk stretch across her face, Aniyu looked into the determined eyes of Apollo, “I hope you’re not thinking things will be easier now that I somewhat like you, if anything, they will be twice as hard. Now come on Cub, it’s time we started making a Sage out of you.”

“Sometimes this is War Triton, Zephyr knew what he was doing, You’re Father knows what he is doing. War is never easy or without its losses, but still we pursue its end. We must have the strength to persevere through Life’s Darkness, or we risk being swallowed by it.” Trax spoke sternly as he walked around the room, looking each Warrior in the eyes, till he came to face Triton at the war table. “You are the Lead Strategist’s, a pivotal point in this war weather you think so or not. The very moment you start breaking down, is when we really start losing. Atlas and Zephyr are counting on you to stay strong, Apollo is counting on you, you’re Friends and Tribesmen are counting on you. Sapphiria is counting on Us, My Sons are counting on us, every Warrior on this continent are counting on us to remain strong and guide them through this Darkness. Tell me, Triton, what would your Father tell you right now?”

Black noticed the fear in her eyes right away, as much as it pained him to have to leave their peaceful oasis, He knew they wouldn’t have been contacted unless it endangered the Warfront on a severe level. Grabbing his shirt he stood up from the sands, his expression turning grim with a bad feeling in his gut, “Grab you’re things Aurora, We’re going back.” Somehow he knew, the real Danger was just beginning.

Aniyu sat next to Icarus beneath the waterfall, the moon glistening in the rippling pool, she sighed tiredly as she lay down with her head in Icarus’s lap. “Krios’s acknowledgement confirms he is going to succeed, guess that brute of a Lion has been more patient than myself.” She huffed with embarrassment, “I’m old, it’s harder to learn new tricks at my age.” She joked with a chuckle. “So, are you going to tell him about what’s happened to make you so anxious? Come now deary, I may be old, but I’m not blind to the world around me. What are you going to do?” She asked calmly as she nuzzled comfortably into his lap.

Black stared at the war table in disbelief, “Zephyr...” He whispered to himself, “Apollo should know about this, he has more of right than anyone to know, can we get a message to him?” He asked turning to Triton. He couldn’t imagine how Zerra was feeling right now, and it pained him deeply to even think about losing Aurora like that. Black had grown a little jealous of Zephyr, he had Zerra and Child, a family. Black wanted that too, He wanted to end this war, and start a family with Aurora. Guilt ate at his heart, causing him to tighten his fists, ‘I’ll never forgive myself for feeling that way about Him if He doesn’t make it back...’ He thought frustratedly.

Zerra had just tightened her belt when Aurora came in, at first she just stared blankly at her friend, her eyes dull with sorrow. Walking up to Aurora, Zerra put both hands on her shoulders, “I have to be strong, I-I have to be...” Her words became shaky as tears welled up in her eyes, “... I-I have to...”

The War Council meeting was brief, news of Zephyr’s capture was sent to the other Warfronts, urged to be cautious. An ominous feeling spread through the Tribal Alliance, a feeling of dread, that this next year would be their hardest yet.

...

Six months have passed, with no sign of Zephyr, and some fearing the worst. The battlefields have been relatively quiet, with neither side really taking a good go at each others defenses. Tensions were high, and the anticipation of another big attack was on the rise.

Along the border of the Lion Tribe, Black and Triton were escorting a convoy of supply wagons down south to the Crocodile Tribe. He recalled his conversation with Aurora earlier that morning, both felt uneasy about the mission. This was also a good opportunity for Triton to visit the South and view the defenses. Black sat with Triton in the lead cart, his head back and eyes closed. A slight breeze washed over them, then went suddenly still. A Warrior called out movement to their left, something was coming fast towards their position. Black kicked up and jumped over to stand defensively, “Ice Style: Ice Wall!” He acted quickly putting up an icy barrier to block an unseen wind slicer, taking the heavy blow. A figure leaped over the wall and landed on the hill above the convoy, dressed in black robes and cut off sleeve on the left, giving way to a dark gray metallic left arm. A sudden chill went down the spine of all the Warriors as the figure turned around. Dark brown hair brushed back with a white streak hanging down, eyes glowing purple with a twist of light blue. The left shoulder had a painted tribal mark of the Lions Mane, with a red scar through it. No one needed to say it, they’d been fearing for the last few months. Black grit his teeth with a grim glare, “Triton, get this convoy moving.” As spoke, A now turned Zephyr went to step forward but flickered back before an icy lance speard up from the ground Black was about to move when realized his mistake, behind him now, the rush of wind and dust from Zephyr’s rush blew into the Convoy with a destructive overforce that shattered Blacks icy wall instantly.

Six months of Sage Training had taken its course on Apollo, Aniyu had asked Icarus and Fenrir to assist, helping to assess Apollo’s Wolf Tai Justu in a one on one hand to hand.

Black grit his teeth as he looked up through the chaos of the wind blowing apart the eart and carriages, meeting Zephyr’s corrupted eyes. A grim realization dawned on him, and he knew they didn’t have another option. “Take the Warriors and whatever you can carry, then get out of here.” Black said darkly as he shot into the air, launched up by a pillar of ice. Looking back, Black smirked at Triton, “Besides, there’s only room for one Cool Guy in our group.” He told him slyly. Black forced himself through the debris, tackling Zephyr into the ground, sending them out of sight upon the hill. One of the Warriors came up to Triton, “General, what do we do? No ones injured.”

Upon the hill, Black and Zephyr rolled onto their feet, facing each other for a half second. Black swung immediately with a heavy left hook, then from the right, following through with an uppercut kick. Zephyr flew back in a flip, landing on his feet in a crouch, seemingly taking no damage. Black let out a battle cry as he reinforced his right fist with his new jutsu, “Ice Style: Black Ice Fist!” There was loud smack, like metal hitting metal, with a shock wave to clear the wind around the entire area. Black went grim, Zephyr had caught his punch with his metal left arm, slowly he rose up with a death grip on Black’s hand. Zephyr balled up his right hand and held it up, Black groaned wishing he’s kept his distance, “Ah Shi-“ Zephyr landed a hard hit into Black’s face, sending him crashing across the ground and into a pile of debris. Zephyr turned towards the destroyed convoy, only to be blocked off by a wall of ice, he turned back with a blank glare. Black wiped blood from his mouth, the left side his face scratched and brusied, “Hey... I ain’t finished with you, Zephyr.” He said angrily as he got up from the debris. Zephyr gave him a confused look, “How do you know my name?” He asked curiously.

Aniyu watched with an intent stare, her eyes catching everything, and a feeling washed over her. Pride, two pupils, both with a yearning drive to protect their People and loved ones. She chuckled as Icarus tutored Apollo, “He may not see it, but He is a good teacher.”

Turquoise patted Aurora on the back, “Hey there girl, worrying about Black? I’m sure things are fine, if you want I can see about checking in on him? Or I can check in on this little fella!” She giggled playfully as she got down to snuggle her face gently on Aurora’s stomach.

"Yes General!" The Warrior dipped his head and started shouting orders to the others.

Black stood firm, cold mist seeped out from his clenched fists, every fiber of his being screaming danger. Zephyr turned his head to look over at Triton, his purple and blue eyes giving him a stare of imminent death. "I have no friends, I-" Zephyr flinched as his body convulsed, his eyes went dull and a dark menacing chakra aura enveloping his body. Black tightened his fists as black ice covered his arms, "Fine, looks like we'll have to beat some sense into you." Black charged in with a heavy right hook, but Zephyr merely moved with extreme speed, gut checking Black. Zephyr pivoted around grabbing Blacks collar and throwing him at Triton, following up with a wind slice jutsu, the wind appearing corrupted with a black fade to it.

Turquoise raised an eyebrow and considered checking anyway, but she smiled and nodded to her, "Lets go then." She said taking Aurora by the hand and leading the way, behind them four Crocodile Warriors followed in escort.

Aniyu dipped her head in respect when Lykaon approached, "My thanks Great Sage, He is quite a stubborn child, but where it counts. I only hope I can prepare him enough to succeed..." She trailed as she remembered being told by Lykaon when she was training Icarus, that he was not the chosen one to become a Sage Master, it was a solemn memory for her.

Time slowed as Zephyr’s sage mode was activated, the freckled dotes appeared over his nose and under his eyes like a horizontal bar. His eyes remained it’s purple and blue color but changed to bird like shapes. The dark aura still covering his light blue sage chakra, his metal prosthetic left arm glowing and actually converting well with the sage chakra. Triton’s Shadow Entanglement Jutsu dissipated off him from the immense power. Zephyr held out his left hand, and successfully blocking Triton’s hits, letting it go on for about a hundred. Suddenly one of Triton’s hits flew past Zephyr’s face, creating a small cut on his cheek, but this was intended. Zephyr gut checked Triton with his metal arm, then held him up by the throat. Spawning a large feather blade in his other hand, Zephyr seemed to go for a kill, but instead parrying with Black’s black ice sword jutsu. Black grit his teeth as his arms began to shake, he was severely weaker in terms of physical, as well as everything else. Zephyr narrowed his eyes, dropping Triton and dispelling his feather sword, only to quickly kick Triton away and completely obliterated Black with a powerful wind palm strike. As the dust cleared, there was a long scar going back a few hundred feet on the ground, with Black lying at the end barely moving. Black groaned with pain, his body was scratched and bruised with his tattered clothing, “Dammït, I’m really starting to get annoyed with Sage Chakra...”

Turquoise waved her hand over Aurora, casting a light green mist, saying nothing as her friend fell into a peaceful sleep. Catching her and lifting her up with relative ease, “Take her to her maternity room, stand guard and report this to my father.” She ordered as she handed off Aurora to one of the Warriors escorting them. Turquoise then took off to follow Kiara’s trail.

Aniyu dipped her head to Lykaon as he left, then focused herself back on her two pupils. Pride filling her eyes, Apollo was keeping up well, able to maintain his sage form with the constant movement and combat.