Saltwing

Saltwing is the sequel to Macewing.

Chapter I
Evening Shock

The fruit bat lay sleeping in the wind. Elvere opened his eyes to see the bright moon. He noticed that Kelxi wasn't beside him anymore. Elvere used an echo to get Kelxi's attention, if she was currently in Tear Cave. A song responded to Elvere's call. Elvere flew towards the direction from which the sound was coming from. "Elvere..." Kelxi said, "I think i'm expecting children." Elvere just stood there, with his eyes round with shock. She gulped. "I don't know what to do..." Elvere gave her a sympathetic look and flew away. Kelxi is going to have kids? He thought. "Oh, great." How could I take care of newborns? he questioned. Zon was sleeping on a rock, like Elvere was doing before. "Zon! Wake up!" Elvere's friend was still asleep. Elvere pushed him off the rock. "Ughhah!!!" Zon woke up this time. "Zon...something...interesting happened..." Elvere said akwardly. "Well, I won't listen until you apologize for waking me up!" Elvere gave Zon an angry glance. "Sorry..." Zon smiled with pride. "Now what did you want to tell me?" Elvere shuddered. "Kelxi's pregnant." Zon stumbled backwards, and tripped on the rock he was sleeping on. "What?" Zon shouted. "Yes." That was all Elvere said. "Well, have fun dealing with newborns!" Zon said with a touch of sarcasm. "I know Zon, what should I do?" Zon stared at Elvere. "Be a good father, that's it." Zon glided away. He didn't help that much. Elvere turned away, not knowing where to go. There are now many paths, but he should only take a certain one.

Chapter II
Fruit Gather

Fruit was ripe outside. Elvere and fifteen other fruit bats flew out of the dark cave. They picked the fruits brought them to Herum, and so on. A bat shot Elvere a glance. Tisir stared at Elvere with hatred. Tisir hates me enough, should I tell him that Kelxi's pregnant now? Elvere decided not to. If he did, Tisir would faint. Elvere picked a pear off a tree, followed by others. Herum had many fruits with him. Bats added the food to the stash. All the fruit bats work six hours a day. Elvere looked at Zon conversing with the other gaurds. Relaxation seemed a long, way, away from here. Elvere carried an apple to Herum. It seemed as though Herum had the easiest job. That was not true. He had to carry it to the stash, take the fruit, and kept going for those six hours. Zon, truly had the best job. He was a gaurd! There hasn't been an attack ever since the brightwing raid. He had to do nothing. Elvere picked some wheat, then some apples. All of the fruit bats turned around to see four workers rolling a pumpkin! The hot sun beated on Elvere. Only a few more hours.

Chapter III
Sketch in the Dirt

The fruit gather was over for today. Elvere flew into the shade of Tear Cave. He willingly collapsed onto a bedding of wheat. Elvere had his break, but Zon didn't. Elvere never payed any attention to Zon's schedule. Why would he care? He wondered when Zon's shift was over, and when someone else took his place for the rest of the evening. While he had the time to run his mind, he thought of Oyal. What happened to him? Why did he go up right when Aezen died? Oyal and the whines from the nursery mixed together. How was Kelxi anyway? The wind blew away Oyal. Elvere flew lightly to the noisy nursery. The nursery's bright fire blazed through Elvere's eyes. Kelxi was walking around the area. She had no signs of pregnancy so far. But she just began, so of course there were no signs. Elvere thought his hopes have taken hold of his mind. He glanced at a newborn. He was playing, drawing designs on the floor. It was a picture of Elvere. "Hey! Elvere!" the excited newborn called. "I drew a picture of you!" Elvere glanced at the pathetic, childish drawing. He pretended to think it was a masterpeice. "Er...that's...amazing!" Elvere gave him an uneasy smile. Another newborn, Adel, walked over the dirt. The picture lay in ruins. After Adel realized what he did, he began to cry. A typical thing newborns do. "S-s-sorry..." The newborn who made the drawing didn't have a name yet. Adel could just say, "sorry". Nothing else at the end of the sentence. "He knows how to talk, so shoudln't ya' name him?" Elvere asked the mother. "I don't know yet..." she answered him. Elvere left the nursery, without even greeting Kelxi.

Chapter IV
Stars Outside the Tunnel

He was alone. Elvere was sitting in front of the cave. He was near Zon's post. Elvere yearned to be alone. Zon and the other guards will come soon, though. I'll use up as much time as I can, he thought. The stars were filling up the sky with light. The guards appeared. Elvere left the area, annoyed that he couldn't think alone. Elvere sometimes wanted to be left alone a few days, and Zon knew that. "Elvere...What are you doing??" The voice reflected off Elveres back. He didn't care. "Well... if you're feeling bad..." the guard continued. Elvere shook his head and flew out of the cave. He roosted on a vacant branch, shutting out everyone out of his thoughts. He imagined seeing Kelxi. What will happen? What will I do with the newborns? What should I do? The questions flooded his mind, overwheling him to the point where he stopped hanging of the branch. He glided away from the bottom just before he touched the ground. Elvere went inside an abandoned groundhog hole. His imaginary horrors still raged through his head. The stars were still gleaming above the ground. The thoughts raged on their own..."AEZEN!"

Chapter V
Ones in the Mind

Elvere lunged at Aezen. He thrusted his claws with all his might. Aezen lay dead upon the moist ground. "ARGHH!!" The voice surprised Elvere. Kelxi was on the healing rock. She was dead. Four small fruit bats were nuzzling their dead mother, thinking she was just asleep. Elvere stared in horror. One of the newborns looked exactly like the unamed newborn he saw earlier. "WHAT? KEL- NO!! PLEASE!! NO!!!" The air felt like a gift. He rose from the hole. The birds were singing the dawn chorus. A fruit bat shook him a little bit. "Elvere, what in the world were doing in there?" Elvere stared sleepily at the fruit bat. "Byra, I'm fine." The fruit bat nodded and she flew away from Elvere's sight. Elvere couldn't help checking the nursery, because his mind was forcing him to. Elvere took a sigh of relief when he arrived at his destination. Kelxi was alive! And there were no newborns! "Elvere! Hello!" Kelxi greeted Elvere joyfully. "Oh, Elvere I named him," a voice called. Elvere turned around to see the mother whom he conversed with earlier. Elvere had many suspicons about that newborn, obviously because what happened in the dream. "I named him!" The mother cried with excitment. "I named him Salt!" Elvere glanced at her, thinking she was a little off course. "Why'dya name him Salt?" "I named him after my godfather's wife, a brightwing." A brightwing? Elvere was overflowing with curiosity like a newborn. "What was your godfather's name?" Elvere inquired. "His name was Oyal."

Chapter VI
Stronger Connections

Elvere said nothing. He just stood in place, motionless. "Elvere, what's wrong?" The mother asked. "Nothing, nothing," Elvere lied. "Good-bye" He said with no expression. Elvere left the nursery. Oyal was everywhere in his life. "Keep going Elvere" a voice echoed in is brain. He couldn't. Everything that went on in Elvere's life was forcing him into a corner, waiting for it's chance to strike him down in one shot. Elvere cursed him crazed mind. What happened to his normal life? What's happening to him? Elvere yearned to go back six months ago, before this all started. Keep going...persevere...survive. Those words kept whipping hs mind, trying to force him to do what they want. "GET AWAY!" he screamed. He took a deep breath of cool air, thankful that nobody could hear him, because the screams from the nursery blocked out his massive yell. But he was wrong. One sould heard him. The fruit bat gazed at him, with no feeling at all. His face was calm, but was trying hard to store away his anger. "Elvere," Tisir said. "AHHH!" Tisir bellowed with a dragon's magnificent voice. Elvere did not want to fight again, like he did last spring. He just wanted to knock some sense into him. He flew over Tisir, and performed a flip, knocking Tisir off balance. Tisir glanced at Elvere, flying around him, and with a mighty kick, Tisir was blown off his feet and ricochted off the stone wall. That was all Elvere had to do to make him listen. "May I speak?" Elvere asked impatiently. Tisir nodded, with fright flowing through him like blood.

Chapter VII
Old Friend Returns

Unexpectedly to Tisir, Elvere helped him up off the hard ground of Tear Cave. Although he tried with all the effort he could muster, Tisir stayed mute. "Why are you doing this?" he finally said. "You used to be my friend," Elvere replied happily. "Why are y-you doing this?" Tisir asked again. Elvere didn't do anything this time. "I hope you think Tisir," Elvere said, "of all those times." Tisir clearly understood what he meant. He nodded. The fruit bats parted, going on their own path. Do not stop! Continue! the voice of Oyal said. "STOP!!!" Elvere flew out of the cave, flying miles away. "STOP!" he said again. "NO! I-I'm going insane!" he screamed. "STOP!!!!!!" Elvere did not fly anymore, and crashed into the trees below.

Chapter VIII
A Calm Area

"Get up," a voice said. A brightwing dragged him to a tree. He wanted to kill the brightwing, but he noticed that his leg was broken. But a fruit bat came and fulfilled his desire. Vorial stared at the grand cut on the brightwing's chest. It then stood still. Vorial gave Elvere an amused look. "What where you doing out here?" Elvere decided not to answer, and just shook his head. "Alright then, I'll might be able to squeeze it out of you later" Vorial said. The fruit bat leader picked up Elvere with his might claws, and carried him across the skies. "Where were you?" Elvere asked, with his words bursting through the pain in his leg. "I haven't seen you in a while..." he continued. Vorial looked at him by pointing his head under his chest. "I was there to deal with those enemies," Vorial answered. "But it turned out that I obviously couldn't trust them." Elvere shook his head, remembering what the brightwing camp looks like now. It seems like little activity goes on in there currently. Perhaps they were greatly shocked by Aezen's demise. "Vorial? Elvere? Why were you two social misfits out here?" ''Zon? What's going on?'' Elvere thought. All the blood in Zon's body was mixed with questions, so was Elvere's. "H-how did you know we were here?" Elvere asked. "Some stupid newborn told me you left," Zon replied. "Which one?" interogated Elvere. "Salt did." Elvere looked at his curious friend for a few seconds, and fell asleep in Vorial's grasp, like a newborn cuddling with it's mother.

Chapter IX
Soaking Away the Madness

His eyelids moved upwards an downwards. Water soaked his fur. Elvere finally realized where he was. In a river! Vorial was above him, stroking him with his claws and childishly splashing him. The sky calmed Elvere, and it seemed like his insanity was washed away. "Are you fine now?" Zon asked. Elvere didn't know how to reply to him. "This is the Stream of Healing" Vorial said, "It does not cure physical injuries, but emotional." Elvere looked up at Vorial and Zon. They aved him...from himself. He didn't know if he should thank them or not, as he still couldn't find the right words. "How did you get me here, how far away are we from home?" Elvere questioned with panic. Vorial pinned him down onto the pebbles under the water. "Calm down Elvere!" he growled, "We don't want you becoming crazy again!" Elvere obyed his leader and let the cool water relax him. The water's temprature was cool, not too warm, bot too freezing. He wanted to rest here for a long time. "How far away are we from Tear Cave?" Vorial looked at him with no interest in his eyes. "It'll take a while," he said, "but don't worry, not too long."

Chapter X
Screams of Pain

Elvere's wet wings dryed up in the morning sun. Elvere beat his wings with pure effort. Unlike Elvere, Zon and Vorial were talking about the most recent news, and things like that. They didn't question why Elvere was mute. Elvere had a feeling they knew why. If someone was just restored to sanity, they wouldn't try to be too social. Tear Cave was in the trio's sight now. All three of the bats flew as quickly as they could toward their home, as they were all looking foward to returning. "Wait, what's going on?" Zon said suddenly. Elvere and Vorial heard it too. Terrible screaming was roaring outside the cave. They flew in, and followed the trail of sound, leading towards the nursery. Kelxi was on the birth rock, and four bloody newborns were on the ground. Kelxi was still, but breathing. Elvere's eyes grew round, and Vorial snatched him and threw Elvere out of the nursery. "Zon! He'll go crazy again!" Vorial shouted. The leader's yell only made the newborns scream more.

Chapter XI
A Disturbing Duplicate

One of the four newborns looked exactly like Salt. "Elvere, Mace gone, Salt begins, run for alive..." The newborn said. Elvere didn't understand. How was the newborn saying this when he wasn't taught anything yet? The white newborn collapsed on the ground, twitching. Elvere rushed over to the newborn. It's dreadful fate was sealed. The newborn started to crumble like stone smashed by human tools. A pile of salt took the dead bat's place. Nobody saw the child crumble, but watched in horror at the other three that were alive. "Kelxi, Kelxi!!!" Elvere screamed. "Are you alright?" Blood poured from the birth rock, but she looked up at her mate. "Th-th-they're in...world," Kelxi said. Kelxi began to make sense now. "What happened to them. Elvere looked at her in pity. "One of them-them, died." Kelxi was silent as she stared into the pits of space.

Chapter XII
Berries and Apples

Elvere brought one of his daughters, Vean, and one of his sons, Porav, to watch him labor. Elvere wasn't sure if he thought that the two newborns thought of watching their father gather fruits is a form of entertainment. He was actually glad his third child, Melme, stayed with Kelxi instead of coming with him. Herum was grunting with effort, carrying the food into the pile. Elvere picked berries off a green bush and brought it over to the pile. Vean and Porav looked at their father, confused. Elvere determined that they were bored out of their minds. "You can go if you want, you know." The newborns waved goodbye to Elvere and flew away. Crushed grapes lay on the ground. The wine seemed to spell something in fruit bat writing. "Salt perserves Mace." No bat laboring took notice to the writing. Elvere splashed the wine, making it sink into the soil. Elvere was used to things like this happening. He would do anything to become a normal fruit bat again. But what did that mean? If the Salt still exists, than the mace will too! Did that mean Salt had to die in order to destroy the Mace completely?

Chapter XIII
Carnage of the Young

Elvere headed towards the nursery after his work hours were over. Salt was in the middle of the area, but Elvere could barely see him. There was a gruesome gash across his chest. "What did this to him?" Elvere asked in horror. "I don't know...." the mother replied. "Elvere..." Salt rasped, "Kill me now..." Elvere couldn't do it. Thankful that nobody heard what Salt said, Elvere dragged him outside of the entire cave. Elvere noticed that some bas did not leave the work area. "He keeps the unholy peice of dung, we kill him" one of the fruit bats said. "NO!!!!" Elvere lunged at the fruit bat, and gouged a chunk of his leg out. He aimed a swipe at Elvere, but he ducked, and slashed his chest. The fruit bat wwasn't dead, Elvere could never kill his own people. But he must defend Salt. One of the bats lunged on Salt and stuck his claws into his stomach. Salt took a final breath. At first, Elvere did not try to kill them, but rage was unleashed from it's cage. Blood dripped from Elvere's claws. He had killed his own race, and he cannot change what happened.

Chapter XIV
The Body Returned

The other fruit bats stared at the dead body. They fled due to fear from Elvere's ferocity. Elvere did not care though. Damn killers! He thought. No one in the right mind would try to harm a newborn.Elvere dragged Salt's body back into the cave. "Elvere...what happened to him?" Zon asked. Elvere twitched angrily at the voice of Zon. Why weren't there any guards to help protect Salt? But he couldn't vent out his steaming anger on his friend. "He was killed by a gang of fruit bat workers," Elvere answered calmly. Elvere continuyed to bring Salt's lifeless body back to the nursery. In the nursery, the pile of Salt where Kelxi's newborn died..was now a pile of Mace! The mace began to crumble, and then completely fell apart and was gone. "My child! My child!" the mother screamed in pure terror. "Is he alive?" she asked sharply. Her tone was indeed sharp, but was mixed with sorrow. "I'm so...sorry." Elvere said, shaking his head. "He was killed by a group of bats." The mother let out a wail that echoed all around Tear Cave. All of the mothers began to comfort her, including Kelxi. "This was such a loss," Kelxi said. "I thought he had a..a..a bright future." Salt had sacrificed himself to destroy the Mace. He went to join Oyal and the others who died under the acts of evil. Elvere and his mate continued to stroke the dead bat's fur, in honor of his actions, and his heroic death.

Windu's Note
So whad'ya think? I know, it's not as good as Macewing. But I still enjoyed making it. Sorry I ended it so sadly for those sensitive people out there. Anyway, I hope to see everyone's story succeed!--Windu223 02:41, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

== Trequel The epic conclusion to Elvere's quest for peace, Sagewing.