Black Horde

The Black Horde was made up of strixes.

## History

Through her hate Val hatches Onyx, a strix, and an apex. Onyx and Val hatch the first non-apex strix in ages with the Everlasting Flame's embers. The Strix isn't connected to Onyx or anyone else--an unbonded hatchling. Val orders Onyx on a theory that she is an apex to command the strix to bow. This forms essentially a bond. She repeats this two dozen times.

Val then flies Onyx and the Horde to the Eyrie. They encounter Ignix, who ignites, but Val doesn't get burned. They resume their flight. Val challenges Ignix and wins the Eyrie. Val orders the strixes to melt an Era of Queens-age solid gold phoenix statue. Ignix taunts Val. Morra comes forward to serve Val. Morra is asked for a faster way to expand the Horde.

She responds that Onyx can. She declares the Eyrie her base. Morra and Val discuss Veronyka. A phoenix is located by Onyx, and Val orders the entirety of the Horde; hungry Strixes after it. Val orders Morra to help carry eggs for Val to hatch. Sidra is sent to a concil-court meeting, and declares war on behalf of Avalkyra.

Half of the flock is sent with Onyx leading it to go to Aura and bring eggs back. Val wants to go after Doriyan and potentially kill him. Morra suggests Shadowfire to help the flock grow larger faster. Val is on board, but the drawback is that it would only be truly usable with a Benex bond. Val's is Veronyka, but the bond isn't workable. It exhausts Val too much because she draws on magic alone and not a benex.

Val stews in this, in the meantime creating a strix-feather circlet. They try to practice more. She achieves it for a second. Val realizes that Morra has divided loyalty and sees in her mind that there are other theories on it besides shadowfire. She shows Onyx these ideas and orders her to try it. One is for Onyx to swallow one. This gives her immense strength, but the egg's life force fights back. Suddenly the egg hatches and a strix is born. They do it again and again.

Morra is put under fire by Val. She answers in a way that suggests divided loyalty. It's revealed that Morra helped Illythia get Val onto the throne, but the idea was that Veronyka would be with Val on it or not eithef of them. She reads Morra, and loyalty to Val is there, but dried up. Morra is loyal to Veronyka much, much more. Val condemns her to tortuous death by the Horde.

Val and Sidra fly to Rushlea to try to join the Unnamed to Val's cause. Onyx lands, and Sidra is ordered to guard the entrance. Onyx goes inside to negotiate with Val. Sidra senses a presence--Doriyan. Onyx flies out to intimidate. Onyx wants to kill him. Val says to hold back for a bit. Doriyan pleads with Sidra to leave Val's side. Onyx gets more excited to kill him. Doriyan flies away. Val plans to use physical touch of Veronyka to bind her completely under her control. Val tries to trick her to touching her, but she doesn't take it. Val gets angry at this. The horde (now over a hundred strong) surrounds her.

Val tries to coerce Veronyka into bowing and kneeling and declaring herself benex. Instead Veronyka takes a poisoned blade and hurts Val. The strixes fall to the ground. Val's suspicions of Morra are confirmed when Morra calls Veronyka her Ashfire queen. Later, Val desguised herself as a messenger. Val goes for dramatic effect as she reveals herself. Val gives Veronyka one last change to become her benex. The horde chirps and caws on cue to Val's announcement. They fly in. Veronyka refuses.

Val gets madder and she argues with Veronyka. Ignix says that Val fears Veronyka and that Veronyka will be apex soon. The horde descends. Veronyka is appointed apex. War begins anew.

Val begins her desperation strike. Val taunts Veronyka. Strixes bear down onto Veronyka's patrol. Veronyka wins the battle using a surprise move. They unleash heartfire. With Tristan as her benex, the benexless Val uses her horde and Unnamed allies to fight for her. The strixes push harder. Veronyka appoints Darius to lead the patrol, and she goes to help strategize. She burns strixes using heartfire. The war rages on. Veronyka burns a strix, but it is reborn.

A miniflock bears down on Tristan. They win but not without losses. Veronyka rebirths a bunch of strixes. With Ignix's warning she does this by hitting them in their heart. Val watches in awe, but her resolve onlu builds. Onyx is charged by Ignix. Fife attacks too. The animage power Val has is so dried, she can't talk to animals anymore. Val resolves to kill all phoenixes. Val and Veronyka argue. Veronyka gives Val all her magic using heartfire. Onyx and Val are incinerated in thie heartfire. She gives up everything, and Val tries to attack Veronyka, begging her to be 'better' than Pheronia. Sidra tries to kill Veronyka after Val derides Sidra for not being an Ashfire. Val takes the arrow instead. She dies. The Horde dissolves.

Eventually, when Veronyka and Xephyra are given Heartfire by Ignix, the Horde is dissolved by being turned to phoenixes and therefore not under Onyx's Apex