Tera

This article contains SPOILERS for book four, Ascension. Traverse at your own risk!
“Why? Well, it’s the bitches that I kill that are asking me that. Why! Why are you doing this! I trusted you!” *laughs* “Well, because it’s fucking fun!” - Tera to VictorTera is a bateleur eagle gryphon, who played against the Athens Redtails for the Atlanta Ospreys. He was known for his brutality and underhanded tactics, often purposefully injuring other gryphons mid-game, which earned him a reputation as a bad sport.
=== Biography ===
==== Personality ====
====== In A New Era ======
Tera is shown to be merciless on the gryphball field, and easily violent. He injures Antonio without remorse, and Victor Sousa says he has been ejected from teams due to his quick temper and flare-ups.
====== In Ascension ======
his violent nature continues in Ascension when he reveals to trick people into having sex with him and then kill them as it is “fun”. He likes killing, more so than Anfang, and does not feel remorse for his victims. He enjoyed putting Nathanial in a difficult position, and expressed great excitement at an opportunity to kill Victor as he is the largest gryphon alive and he is otherwise “bored”. Even when fighting, he expresses eagerness and joy when hurting others. 
=== Appearances ===
==== In A New Era ====
Tera, then Phera, is introduced to the team by Victor, who warns the members against him. He has had a history of violence on the field and has been ejected from teams many times. On the field, he easily clashes with Nathaniel, and injures Antonio, who is forced to go off field so he can get fixed in the hospital. He begrudgingly applauds the Redtails on their win, which to Thyra’s mind, is odd as she expected him to be much angrier at the loss.
==== In Ascension ====
Tera is introduced to the team after Victor announces they need another member after the loss of Antonio. At first, Tera is quiet and withdrawn, though he seems to have a certain aura that makes most wary of him. 
On the flight to Munich, Tera tells the others of his life story. He grew up in Dakar, but soon left his foster family as they could not afford him. He lived in the wilderness for a few years before returning to Dakar to sell meat and pelts of the animals he hunted. Soon news of his bounty reached poachers, and they hired him to kill wildlife that they needed. While hunting, he used aerobatic skills which amazed many people, leading to him getting recruited for gryphball. He adds that he liked hunting animals and would like to do it again someday, though gryphball is his main priority.
At the Munich hotel, Thyra is hesitant to step into a lift with him, but makes herself do it anyway. She strikes up an awkward conversation, in which he makes a weird comment about human hands, with some sort of sexual undertone. Thyra is not sure what to say, but luckily they arrive on the main floor so she goes over to her friends.
When Nathanial, Tera and the rest of the male players go to a nightclub, Tera tries to strike up a conversation with a distracted Nathanial. Nathanial cuts him off, saying he doesn’t care about Tera’s personal life. Tera says he should in a sort of threatening manner, making an already distressed Nathanial decide to leave. Later, Nathanial comes across him in an alleyway killing a woman who he was having sex with. Tera threatens Nathanial and pins him against a wall, saying he will kill Nath if he tells anyone. He reveals he often tricks people into having sex with him, particularly in these sorts of clubs, then kills them. He allows Nathanial to escape after threatening him once more.
He is mentioned to bicker and yell at Nath whenever he can, which the others don’t realise why. He also frames Indigo, a blue heron gryphball player, for the death of the woman he killed that Nath discovered. 
He meets Yama and Zero and strikes a deal to assassinate Victor. He assures that he will get the job done and he’s not a spy, or in it for the money. Yama is skeptical but seals the deal. Zero notices Nathanial spying on them, who quickly flies away. Tera assures an angered Yama that he and Nath have a deal, and he has Nath “under his thumb”. He adds that he will kill Nathanial so he doesn’t spread the evidence anyway, along with Victor.
After a group meeting where Nathanial is scorned for his behaviour the past few games, Tera corners Nath in the weights room. He growls that if Nath spills the beans about his meeting with Yama he will kill Rachel Jones, Nathaniel’s girlfriend, in front of him. He adds that if they lose the upcoming game of gryphball, which is the finale, he will kill Nath as he wants that cup won, and he is only keeping Nath around as he is a good player.
He plays well in the match, despite yelling at Nath a few times. At the following celebration, he is mentioned to be missing along with Victor and Nathanial. He appears at the Redtail’s home where a scared Nathanial confesses to Victor. He taunts and teases Nath, and reveals he likes to kill things as it’s “fun”. He adds that he is very bored and that killing Victor is an exciting challenge, then attacks. He fights with Nath and Victor, sustaining injuries along the way. Near the end of the fight, he is badly wounded when Nath bites his shoulder, and growls that the fun is over now. Victor and Nathanial corner him, and he pants manically that it’s exciting he is close to defeat. He rejects Victor’s offer of peace and is attacked by Nath, who he spears in the chest with his claws. Nath then hauls him over the edge of the deck as he screams at Nathanial to release him. They both die as they crash into the ground.
In the epilogue, he is seen floating in a tank next to Zero, who Nero addresses that he “won’t let them stay dead”. 
=== Quotes ===
”Oh my god, I can’t even listen to this anymore.”
”This is exciting! I’ve never been this close to defeat before!”
”I thought we had a deal, Nate. You tell anyone, and I kill your bitch in front of you. That was the deal. I mean, I was going to rape that little gryphoness and slit her throat as you watched regardless of our promise, but…”
”Oh, fuck off! Don’t be buzzkill, let’s do this!”
== Gallery ==
== Trivia ==
* in book 2 Tera is introduced as Phera, but Alex has gone to say it was a mistake and his proper name is Tera, it's to be fixed in newer versions of book 4. The mistake can still be heard in the audiobooks.
* Tera shares many aspects of sadistic personality disorder, as he enjoys using himself to hurt others and threaten them.
* Tera says he grew up in Dakar, which is the capital city of Senegal in West Africa. It is not mentioned in the book which country, just that he was from Africa like Isabell, but it is said that Dakar was where he was cared for with his foster family before he escaped.
* it is implied that Tera will survive as Nero is not done with him and Zero, and can bring them both back to life. Due to this, he may make another appearance in the next book.
=== Sources ===