Strix Attack on Azurec's Eyrie

The strix attack on Azurec's Eyrie was launched by Avalkyra Ashfire in retaliation of Ignix destroying her strix hatching methods.

## Order of Events

### Ignix Destroys The Strix Hatching Methods

During the time that Val began to learn how to hatch strixes, she began to realize she was being watched by Ignix, a phoenix she had formerly binded. When Ignix found her, she discovered Onyx, and the rest of her hatched strixes. In an attempt to try and stop her from hatching any more, she lit herself on fire and used it to crumble all of Aura into ruins, including the remains of the Everlasting Flame, which Val had been using to hatch strixes.

### Ignix Comes To Warn Azurec's Eyrie

While Sparrow, Riella, and Elliot were helping to look after Sparrow's animal friends, Ignix found them, asking for Veronyka, who had gone on a patrol to Rushlea. Ignix got worried, and claimed that she should never have come here. She told them all to evacuate before Avalkyra launched her attack, but before they could leave, Avalkyra's strixes were able to be sensed by magic.

### Avalkyra Challenges Ignix To An Apex Battle

Val was able to see Azurec's Eyrie even a few minutes away because of her bondmate's night vision. She was able to tell that Ignix was guarding the village. She chose to descend in front of Commander Cassian, who told her that Veronyka wasn't there. Offended, Val claimed that she knew every heartbeat of her sister, and instead asked for Ignix, claiming that because Ignix had destroyed her base, she would destroy her's. Cassian tried to protest that it wasn't Ignix's base, but Avalkyra immediately challenged Cassian for the rights to Azurec's Eyrie, and demanded that Ignix should be their champion. When he refused, Avalkyra allowed her strixes to descend, and any life in close vicinity to them was immediately sucked out, hoping the carnage would draw Ignix out. Although the soldiers retaliated with crossbow's, Avalkyra drew her strixes into a protective shield around her to take the damage instead. When Ignix still refused to come out, Avalkyra turned their attention to a golden phoenix statue and brazier. The strixes were able to destroy the gold covering, revealing dull iron beneath it. Once it was turned into a defiled, Onyx came to pull it down and unceremoniously threw it on the temple roof. Finally, Ignix came to accept her challenge.

### The Apex Battle

Ignix ordered her to honour the traditional terms, to cease her assault on the villagers whether she won or lost. Avalkyra begrudgingly accepted. Before Ignix could react, Avalkyra and Onyx flew towards her, knocking them both over the edge as both the birds screeched at each other. Avalkyra ordered Onyx to slow down, and because of her claws still stuck in Ignix's chest, they forced her to land on her back. As Ignix began to thrash, Val ordered Onyx to restrict her breathing as she told Ignix that she was foolish to think she could defy her by wrecking her home. Ignix retaliated, claiming that Aura is Axura's domain, and that Val was only the ashes and dregs left of a fire. Just as Avalkyra was about to stab her with her spear, Ignix burst into flame, causing Onyx and Val to fly backwards as Ignix tried to get to the gallery. Onyx stopped her by clamping onto Ignix's tail feathers, causing Ignix to fall back down again. Just as Ignix tried to retaliate, Onyx surged out of reach. Val managed to give Ignix a shallow wound with her spear, but it wasn't enough to do much damage other than slow her down, making her retreat sluggish. This gave Onyx time to leap up onto her back and sink her claws in. Ignix once again managed to escape, trying to get to the gallery as Val realized her motives were to fight in close quarters to regain some control. As Ignix barreled towards the people against the walkway, most of the people ran, but some remained frozen in fear. Sparrow fell into the tunnel mouth of the gallery, and just as Ignix got inside the tunnel, Onyx reached out with her talons, missing Ignix, but the sheer force of her claws managed to collapse the archway, and Val noted that she could no longer sense Ignix, even though she was still alive.

### Aftermath

After Avalkyra managed to win the battle, she began to wonder whether she should honour the terms of the challenge or not. Before she could decide, Morra came out, pledging her loyalty to her, and offered her service. Avalkyra began to mock her, asking what a "wing widow" could do for her. Morra claimed that she didn't just do it for herself, but also on behalf of Ilithya Shadowheart. Although Val became more intrigued, she asked what service she could offer, other than as a cook or one-legged warrior. Using shadowmagic, probably both for the effect and to keep the bystanders from hearing, she explained that she was a shadowmage as well, who had also studied strixes "in the right empire temples". Although Avalkyra wasn't inclined to take her word's at face value, she trusted Illithya's judgement in choosing her allies, and asked her about how to hatch strixes. Morra reassured her that the apex could do it for her, and when Avalkyra asked her why she was telling her instead of others who might benefit from her expertise, Morra told her a part of what she had promised Ilithya; that she would do whatever she could to see her on the throne, conveniently leaving out the part where it was on the condition that Veronyka ruled with her. Satisfied, Avalkyra turned to the surviving inhabitants, and ordered them to flee or suffer her wrath.

## Casualties

Despite the fact that the strixes could've wiped out all of Azurec's Eyrie, Val managed to keep them relatively in control. None of her own strixes were killed, but they only killed a small amount of people and animals by draining the life out of them. If any of the people killed were bonded, it's possible that their phoenixes also would've died of grief.

Despite the cave-in that caused Ignix's defeat, it didn't kill her or any of the others trapped in the archway, and Ignix, Sparrow, Fine Fellow, and Fife all managed to survive.