Strangers of the Forsaken.

Chapter Seven: Part Two.

Chapter Seven: Part Two.

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The tigers that had been carrying the once so cherished King Nikolai, had been flying for quite some time now. As a result, they were gradually beginning to slowly succumb to fatigue. Their master could sense this within them and as such, he was tempted to allow them all to take a short break. All that seemed visible in this moment, however, was the endlessly long stretch of sky that seemed to go on forever. There was little chance that the group were going to happen across any sort of worthwhile resting place, any time soon. The tigers' master of course had to think quickly, as he certainly didn't wish for his leader to become tired too quickly. This would then mean they'd be at great risk of losing their prized catch, thus rendering this whole entire flight to be simply meaningless. The young man's eyes were transfixed on the deep, navy blue pathway of clouded sky that lay just ahead. He was quite clearly growing rather desperate, to lay his weary eyes on just about anywhere, that could be used as a resting place for himself and his team. His tigers' fatigue was made obvious, by the now slowing movements of their tiring wings. This also had the man worried, more so than anything. This meant that all five of their dear, precious lives were now in grave danger. There was very little that the man was able to do, particularly from his current position. The rising panic within him, was rapidly causing him to grow more and more frustrated. Eventually, it came to the point where the man either had to make a decision now, or risk putting himself and his tigers in even greater danger. That, or the risk of quite possibly falling from the sky altogether. In that moment, the man then took the decision to order all four of his relieved tigers, to then begin heading towards the ground. He had no idea where exactly they were going to end up, though there was one thing he knew for sure. Being back down on safe ground again, would be a whole lot better than the position they were in currently. ...Then again, anything was better than starting potential death in the face.

The winged tigers' young master then proceeded to hold on tightly to his tiger's reins, as they soon began the agile, accelerating descent towards the ground. It was this very factor of flying that the man had always despised the most, as it never failed to make his very blood run cold through his veins. It never was easy for the man to be able to tell, whether or not he was going to make it to the ground in one piece. The closer they all were getting to finally landing upon solid ground, the more nervous the man then became. He wasn't usually the type to fear all that much, but this was one of the things that just made his blood run much colder than usual. There was nothing about flying, that seemed to phase the tigers at all though. But this was most likely due to the fact they'd been so used to it, for so long now. It had become almost like second nature to them, which then made it all the easier for the tigers, to often forget how easily frightened their master was. It was most definitely one of the rockiest rides the group had experienced in quite some time, though all five group members luckily made it to ground safely. All four tigers and their master were all in one piece, which was always a plus in anyone's book. The head of the group and the winged tiger's primary leader, couldn't leave his tiger's back fast enough, upon finally reaching the ground. The man then soon released his grip on his tiger's reins, before leaping down off of their back. It surely felt good to, at long last, now have something solid beneath his feet again for once.

From here on out, the group's next steps in their intricate plan after taking a well-deserved rest, would be to boldly continue on with their journey. They had their next destination very firmly in their minds, along with precisely what they were planning to do with the prized King Nikolai. One thing they all knew for sure, was that they were most definitely not going to allow him, to return back to his treasured castle – or rather; what was left of it at least. In their possession was now one of the most powerful, much-loved people in all of Khuneadora. This in turn also meant, that this little group had possibly the greatest ever bargaining chip. All four winged tigers were refusing to take their eyes off him, while they rested. They were doing everything in their power, to ensure he didn't try to attempt any sort of escape. The tiger who had carried young Nikolai during flight, now was helping to keep a very close eye on him. Nikolai himself was being pinned to the ground, beneath the heavy paw of the tiger. The other three sat close behind; their wings tucked neatly away by their sides and their master, standing rather proudly, just behind them. It really was surprising to the group, just how incredibly easily everything had been coming together. It bestowed a brand new, refreshed sense of hope and passion within them all.