Las collapsed onto his back, his wide-open eyes fixed on the colossal eagle towering above him.
The creature stood proudly—muscular, perfectly symmetrical, like a divine being that had descended from the heavens.
The entire room froze in shock.
The eagle's piercing gaze passed over everyone, carrying both awe and a heavy sense of duty. Then, with a deep, heroic voice, he spoke.
"Icarus.
My name is Icarus. I come from the Celestial Kingdom. I owe you my deepest gratitude for caring for my body and healing my wounds. I am sorry for the trouble I have brought upon you."
Grov took a step forward, his movements hesitant, his head lowered with awkward respect. His voice was quiet, yet steady.
"What we did… we did because of our values—because of what we believe in. Those beliefs shape who we are. If we betrayed them, we would be no different from the Black Wolves."
Icarus lowered his head, his sharp eyes dropping toward the belt around his waist. His hands moved quickly, searching with sudden urgency for something—the precious papyrus.
Before he could find it, Sifu stepped forward.
From his own belt, the old turtle pulled out the rolled parchment, holding it firmly between his fingers.
"Is this what you are looking for?" he asked, his voice calm but strict as he extended his hand.
Relief spread across Icarus's face. He reached out with his enormous hand and gently took the papyrus, wrapping it carefully in his powerful palm.
But the moment shattered abruptly.
The howls and growls of the Black Wolves echoed through the air, sharper and louder than before, filling the room with terror and dread.
"AAOOOUUU!"
"AAAAOOOUUUU!"
"AAAAOOOUUUUUUU!"
Eli clutched her ears in pain, while Roza and Karol rushed to her side in panic.
Suddenly, Las raised his hand, his young face burning with determination.
"We'll fight them! And we'll win—because we're the best!"
Sifu snapped his head toward him, fixing him with a furious glare. Without hesitation, he brought his staff down hard on Las's head.
"AAAOOW!" Las burst into tears, holding the bump swelling on his forehead.
"Stop hitting me with that staff!"
But Sifu's voice thundered with irritation.
"I will not stop until that monkey brain of yours finally learns to think with wisdom!"
Las gritted his teeth, puffing out his cheeks like a stubborn child.
"Oh yeah?! Then I'll wear a helmet made of steel! Let's see you hit me then, old turtle!"
"…Old what?" Sifu froze, his eyes trembling with rage.
Meanwhile, Icarus closed his eyes and burst into a deep, thunderous laugh, unable to resist the ridiculous sight of Sifu smacking Las while the boy cried dramatically.
Amid the chaos, Grov approached Icarus, his expression serious.
"Tell us what we must do… They will destroy the city."
Icarus looked at Grov, quiet optimism burning in his eyes.
"The light is stronger than darkness. Place your faith in the light—and in its power."
Grov blinked, confused, his face tightening with uncertainty. He did not fully understand the meaning, yet the words remained suspended inside him like the echo of a bell.
At the same time, Las was still arguing with Sifu when he suddenly sprang up.
Las:
"I will save the city! I will fight the darkness that suffocates the light!"
Sifu shuddered with rage, veins bulging on his forehead.
Sifu:
"Where did you hear that, monkey-head?!"
Las:
"I don't know—it just came to me!"
Icarus stiffened, startled, and remained silent for several heartbeats.
Then he moved.
Each heavy step shook the clinic floor as he approached Las from behind.
Las turned his gaze and froze at the sight of him—the gigantic eagle, three full meters tall.
Icarus placed one large, gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.
Icarus:
"Do not be afraid, young monkey. Be brave and courageous—as you are now."
He extended his other hand, offering the papyrus like a sacred gift.
Icarus:
"Las, take it—and guard it with your life."
Las accepted it with both hands, gripping it tightly as though he were holding something holy.
Las:
"I'll guard it with my life."
Outside, the howls of the Black Wolves swelled again—followed by the harsh, deafening blasts of shotguns.
Grov, worried:
"We don't have much time."
Icarus took the empty golden cylinder that had once held the papyrus and, with a subtle movement, sealed it using a secret technique. Then he chuckled softly, casting a playful, ironic glance around the room.
Icarus:
"Let the wolves waste their strength trying to open… an empty cylinder."
He turned to leave the clinic.
Dizzy but determined, Eli rose and approached him.
Eli:
"Will we see you again?"
Icarus smiled.
Icarus:
"Yes. Do not be afraid have faith."
Icarus stepped out of the clinic.
With a single motion, he spread his golden wings wide. Crimson streaks shimmered across them beneath the sunlight.
As he moved his majestic, enormous wings to test whether they were still functional, their rhythmic pulse and the shockwave they created sent a powerful gust sweeping between the buildings like a wild storm.
All the animals poured out of the clinic.
Their eyes widened at the sight.
Thousands of animals had gathered around the building, staring in awe and fear at the colossal eagle, as if trying to recover the hope they had lost—the hope that had died within them.
As Icarus looked over the crowd around him, his gaze fell upon Las.
And his eyes softened, glowing with calm serenity.
FLASHBACK
It was late afternoon.
The sun bathed the world in golden shades, painting the sky with a nostalgic, dreamlike glow.
A young Icarus, only ten years old, sat beneath the shadow of a great tree. Before him stretched a vast meadow filled with flowers and tall trees swaying gently in the warm breeze. Behind him rose the silent ruins of an ancient, forgotten civilization—colossal statues of eagle warriors dressed in mysterious armor, their stone faces gazing into eternity.
Suddenly, the thunderous beat of wings broke the silence.
A gigantic white eagle, dressed in a radiant golden chiton engraved with unknown ancient symbols, descended from the heavens. The ground shook as the mighty anthropomorphic bird landed before young Icarus, his golden, luminous presence radiating divinity and power.
Icarus stared at the mysterious figure before him with wide eyes full of curiosity.
Icarus — unknown language:
«Πάτερ, τί ἐστίν τὸ φῶς;»
English:
"Father… what is the light?"
Icarus's Father:
«Τὸ φῶς, ὦ τέκνον, ἐστὶν ἡ δύναμις τῆς ὑπάρξεως ἡμῶν· ὅπλον ἐστὶν ἐναντίον τοῦ σκότους.»
English:
"The light, my son, is the power of our very existence; it is the weapon against the darkness."
Icarus's Father:
«Ἡμέραν ποτέ, ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀναβήσεταί τις, φῶς φέρων τοσοῦτον ἰσχυρόν, ὥστε διαφθείρειν τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κείμενον.»
English:
"One day, from the earth, someone shall rise, bearing a light so powerful that it will destroy the darkness spread across the sky."
Icarus:
«Οὐ συνίημι.»
English:
"I do not understand."
His father laughed gently, his voice echoing like thunder wrapped in warmth.
«Οὐχὶ σήμερον· ἀλλ' ἡμέραν ποτέ, μάλιστα συνήσεις ἃ λέγω.»
English:
"Not today…
But one day—surely—you will understand what I mean."
PRESENT
Icarus's lips formed a soft smile as his golden feathers caught the sunlight.
With a voice full of warmth and joy, he whispered:
«Νῦν συνίημι τί ἔλεγες, πάτερ
English:
"Now… I finally understand what you meant, Father."
Las tilted his head to the side, listening to Icarus mutter to himself in a strange language.
Las's thoughts, confused:
What language is that…?
Icarus spread his colossal wings wide, their gold-and-crimson feathers blazing beneath the sun, forming a radiant, flaming silhouette.
Then he turned his head one last time, looking at them all.
Icarus:
"Have faith in the light."
With a tremendous leap, he launched himself into the heavens.
The ground shook as dust and wind exploded outward, pushing everyone back.
Las gripped the papyrus tightly as he and the others stared in awe.
Above them, Icarus soared, tearing through the air with incredible speed. His enormous wings cast massive shadows over the city, while rays of sunlight passed through the gaps between his feathers like sacred beams of light.
All the creatures of Rock City lifted their eyes toward the sky—some trembling in fear, others staring in reverence.
Voices within the crowd:
"He's a god…"
"What kind of creature is that?!"
Among the crowd stood Piu, Skav, and Broom, their eyes glued to the majestic eagle.
Skav, shouting in shock:
"Eeeh?! Look at how he flies!"
Broom and Piu looked at each other, their faces turning comically cartoonish as they shouted at the same time.
"Wooooooaaaaaah!!!"
The Marshal and the Black Wolves raised their eyes to the sky, watching the colossal eagle fly above Rock City.
The Marshal let out a low, mocking laugh, his gaze fixed on the magnificent bird.
Icarus passed over the towering walls of the city, his wings blazing beneath the sun, before tilting downward and descending toward the Black Wolves gathered below.
His sharp eyes locked onto the Marshal.
The next moment, he dropped vertically—
like a meteor falling from the heavens.
The impact thundered through the earth, unleashing an explosive shockwave that hurled dirt, stone, and Black Wolves into the air.
The Marshal, however, did not move.
Instead…
He stood completely still, arms crossed, while the storm battered his crimson cape violently, making it ripple through the air like blood.
The Marshal's eyes burned with hatred, and his voice dripped with venomous irony.
Marshal:
"Well, well… you look just fine, chicken."
Icarus narrowed his eyes and looked at the Marshal with a sly smile.
Icarus:
"I would not say the same about you… little puppy."
The Marshal's face twisted with rage. With a sharp motion, he drew a jagged blade from his belt, its steel gleaming menacingly beneath the light.
His voice thundered with hatred and fury as he pointed the weapon toward Icarus.
Marshal:
"Bring me the papyrus…
NOW."