The Golden Flight and the Gathering of Bonds
The Golden Flight and the Gathering of Bonds
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1. The Sky Beckons
The Chrono Rift opened like a bleeding wound in the sky, hurling Jerry into a vortex of gold and blue. The winds screamed, his body weightless as he plummeted into the unknown. His instincts kicked in—he reached for his abilities, but the time-warped air resisted his pull.
For a split second, he panicked. Then, a voice like wind chimes on a breeze echoed through the storm.
"I gotcha, partner!"
A golden streak sliced through the clouds, moving faster than Jerry's eyes could follow. Before he could react, arms wrapped around him, halting his descent.
And suddenly, he was weightless.
Hovering midair before him was Aviana. Her golden-brown hair fluttered like silk in the wind, with small feathers woven seamlessly between the strands. Her radiant eyes shone with childlike joy, her grin full of reckless excitement.
"Whew!" she chirped. "You almost went splat! That would've been messy!"
Jerry coughed, regaining his composure. "You could have caught me a little sooner!"
Aviana tilted her head, genuinely considering it. "Yeah, probably. But this was more fun!"
Jerry sighed. This was going to be a long bond.
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2. A Different Kind of Bond
The moment his feet touched solid ground—a floating plateau suspended in the sky—Jerry felt the connection solidify. It wasn't like his other bonds.
With Fenra, there had been grit and struggle.
With Orion, there had been duty and obligation.
With Bengala and Vrkane, there had been primal instinct.
But with Aviana?
Freedom.
"You feel it, don't you?" Aviana asked, hovering lazily just above him, her wings shifting effortlessly against the wind.
Jerry flexed his fingers, his whole body humming with a new kind of energy—one that didn't defy gravity, but embraced it. He wasn't just faster. He was unbound.
"This… this is different," he murmured.
Aviana beamed. "That's 'cause I chose you!"
Jerry frowned. "Wait… you chose me?"
Hakinem's voice echoed in his mind. "Aviana was never meant to be bonded."
His other Avian bonds had been fated. But Aviana? She had decided.
"I don't do rules," she admitted, twirling midair. "I saw you, and I thought—yep! That one's mine!"
Jerry exhaled sharply. Oh, this is going to be chaos.
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3. The Gathering of Bonds
Before Jerry could process any more, a growl rumbled behind him.
"We were fine without another one," Vrkane, the massive white direwolf, muttered, his ice-blue eyes narrowing at Aviana.
"She's loud," Bengala, the towering saber-tooth tigress, added, swishing her tail as if trying to dispel some invisible irritation.
Aviana gasped dramatically. "I am delightful!"
From the edge of the plateau, a shadow shifted. Orion, his falcon-like silhouette ever watchful, regarded Aviana with cautious neutrality.
"She is unpredictable," he said. "That makes her dangerous."
Aviana snorted, flipping upside down midair. "Pfft, lighten up, old bird!"
Jerry groaned, rubbing his temples. The last thing he needed was another ego war.
"Enough." His voice carried the weight of authority, quieting the tension. He turned to Aviana. "They're my pack. That means they're yours too."
Aviana blinked. Then, her golden eyes softened.
"Okay, Jerry. If they're yours, they're mine too!"
A small part of him relaxed at that.
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4. The Trial of the Windborn
"Alright, partner! Time to see what you can do!"
Before Jerry could react, Aviana grabbed him by the wrist—
And threw them both off the plateau.
"WHAT THE HELL, AVIANA?!" Jerry screamed as the ground vanished beneath them.
"Just trust me!" she shouted, laughing.
Wind rushed around them, but Jerry wasn't just falling.
He was moving.
For the first time, he felt the air bend to his will. It wasn't like brute force—like time manipulation or raw power—it was fluid, like riding the crest of a wave.
And then—he understood.
Jerry's instincts kicked in. He twisted midair, his feet catching an updraft, shifting with the wind rather than fighting it.
He wasn't falling.
He was flying.
"YES!" Aviana whooped, soaring beside him. "You're getting it!"
Jerry gritted his teeth. "Then let's see if I can beat you."
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5. The Race Across the Sky
They raced.
Aviana shot ahead, her speed like a comet streaking across the sky. Jerry, still adjusting to his newfound flight, struggled to keep up—at first.
But then, he stopped thinking.
He let the wind carry him.
And suddenly—he matched her speed.
Aviana turned, eyes wide with shock and excitement. "Oh, now we're talking!"
Jerry grinned. He had her now.
His other bonds reacted to his instincts:
Vrkane's predatory senses sharpened his reflexes.
Bengala's agility made his movements seamless.
Orion's tactical mind gave him the edge to predict Aviana's path.
And with that, he vanished from her sight—
Only to reappear right beside her.
Aviana gasped.
"Wait, WHAT?!"
Jerry smirked. "Gotcha."
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6. A Bond Unlike Any Before
As they landed, Aviana practically tackled him in excitement.
"You're amazing, Jerry!" she beamed. "I knew I picked the right one!"
The bond between them solidified—not of necessity, not of fate, but of choice.
And for the first time in a long, long time…
Jerry felt free.
Orion, watching from the distance, finally nodded in approval.
"She may be reckless," he admitted, "but she is valuable."
Vrkane grumbled, but didn't argue. Bengala simply flicked her tail, her version of acceptance.
Jerry exhaled, turning to Aviana. "So what now?"
She grinned, stretching her golden wings.
"Now? We run. We fly. We break the world's rules together."
Jerry smirked.
"Sounds like a plan."
And with that—they took off into the horizon.
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