Morning came to the Hunter's Nest, Oddclaw curling himself up around his mate in a spooning position with her larger body curled around their eggs.  He rose up first, yawning as he looked over to his family with a tender sigh before remembering the events of the past three days.  He had become exhausted moving back and forth between the human base and his home, checking on Fishclaw's condition and the current progress that James and Haytham were making.  In a compromise to his mate, his visits became brief, only an hour long before returning home and hunting for the family.  Moonclaw sensed his rousing motions and stirred with him.

        "Mmmmhhh hello."

        "Hello."  He leaned over to smooch her cheek with a tongue across her neck.  "Did you sleep well?"

        "Yes," she purred, "did you?"

        "Not as well as I hoped.  Would you like to go hunt today whilst I look after the children?"

        "Mmmm why thank you dear mate!  But, are you not going to see Fishclaw today?"

        "Later," he waved his hand shrugging it off, "the hairless will look after him and keep healing him, I do not have to go so soon.  Also I have to find Eggfang and ask when she wants to go."

        "Alright then."  The grey red-eyed raptor stood up with a teasing swish of her tail that curled along his chin.  "I hope you are hungry...I will be sure to bring you PLENTY of meat."

        "Mmmmm my stomach is already growling hmhmhm."  He pulled her tail and lewdly sucked the tip of it to excite her.  "Be safe on your hunt!"

        "I will!"

He sat up more firmly and pulled his eggs close to him, placing them on his lap and feeling the pulsing life of his children against his chest.  Sometimes he would kiss them, murmuring gentle things to them only they could hear.

        "Are you all well?  Hmmm, how many of you are sons and daughters I wonder...I cannot wait to meet you, I...hhhhh, ohh I want to hold you close to me...hm, but one day you will be too great for me to hold, probably grow greater than me.  How would you feel, if you outgrew your own father?"

The raptor chuckled kissing each of them on their smoothened tops, laying himself out to cuddle his infants.  The brief solace he had whilst laying out in the sun helped him catch a few more hours of sleep until his mate returned from hunting.  Meanwhile Moonclaw was relishing the chance to stretch her legs and sharpen her teeth upon a new creature prowling the wide plains.

        "There," she muttered, "do you smell that?"

        "Yup yup," giggled Leaf, "smells like that family of tallheads from before!"

        "Ooooh," squeaked Sand, "time for them to follow their son and daughter right into our bellies!"

        "If we hunt them well," said Moonclaw, "let us do this like before, to the water stone up there."

Watching the now-smaller family of parasaurolophus wandering to the edge of the lake, they bided their time as Moonclaw kept her eyes focused sharp.  The sisters watched with a newfound patience, tails low to the ground as they watched a mother, father and their remaining two sons slip  down to the watery bank.

        "We take the sons," explained Moonclaw, "leave the parents."

        "Awww but why?" whimpered Sand.  "I wanna eat 'em all!"

        "We do not need that much food, also we let them breed a new family, that will mean more food in the future."

        "Oooooh...but, it's kinda boring."

        "Is it not more challenging, to try and kill only some without being caught?  Think of it like that, a playfight where you cannot be caught."

        "Yeaaaah," said Leaf scratching her chin, "I guess that's fun but why not kill 'em now, there's always more meat!"

        "Families die out," said the elder female, "and if the family dies, there is no more meat, and if there is no meat...then our family dies too, do you understand?"

        "W-well...there's like LOTS of families right?!"

        "There are, but not all of them live here."

She shifted herself quietly, red eyes in the grass glinting beneath the morning sun.  Moonclaw watched the two younger beasts of the prey family, splashing each other and braying with playful headbutts hard in the water.

        "When are YOUR eggs gonna hatch?!" asked Leafrunner.

        "Hmm?"

        "I wanna see our nieces an' nephews!" squeaked Sand with a kicking of her feet.  "We could teach 'em lotsa fun!"

        "Hahahaha, you are more like sisters to them," teased Moonclaw with a nip to their cheeks, "your mother said it should be another twenty-one days at least...AH, one of them is moving to the stone, he will be out of sight from his family."

        "But we were gonna kill BOTH of them!"

        "Well, if we only catch one, it will be enough, better to have some meat than no meat."

        "Did your family teach ya that?" asked Leafrunner leaning in to brush her snout against her.

        "...no."  Moonclaw looked to the sky briefly.  "I learned on my own, I lost my family when I was young."

        "Awww...sorry Moonie."

        "Do not call me that, only Oddclaw gets to call me that."

        "But it's fun!" said Sand slapping her claws on top of Moonie's head.  "Besides, yer our big sister now, so you gotta play with us too!"

        "Hhhahahaha...hmmm, perhaps."

        "Only fair, we let you use our pleasurestone!"

        "OOOH yeah!" chirruped Leaf with a toothy grin and breathing nostrils on Moonclaw's face.  "Hhhhoooow was our brother with it?"

        "Hmhmhm, it was very fun thank you," she grinned lewdly back unphased, "he moans like you two do when you use it."

        "Heehee, good to hear!"

        "I have to ask...do you two...desire Oddclaw that way?"

        "Whaaaa?!"  The two sisters recoiled sharply with yucky looks and hanging tongues.  "Ewwwwww no!"

        "Oh!"  The look of relief on her face was palpable.  "Sorry, I just thought because you love to tease him like that."

        "Cuz he's our baby brother!" said Sand proudly.  "We love to tease him cuz he's fun an' smart, we love him!"

        "We're actually uh..." Leaf gnashed her teeth together with nervous shivers, "w-we're actually really happy that he found someone like you, you're fun an' smart too!"

        "Really?" said the ashen raptor with a blink.  "Well...thank you dear sisters."

        "Oddie's the best, he may not be strong but he's smart an' really nice."

        "Nobody wanted to play with Barkie," whimpered Sandrunner regretfully, "cuz none of us knew what he wanted and he always got really upset, but Oddie always played with him.  He's the best brother we got."

        "What about Fishclaw?" asked Moon.

        "He's too serious, he's like an uncle more than a brother!"

        "B-but we do like him!" stuttered Leaf quickly.  "He's just not as fun as Oddie."

        "You really do love your little brother hmm?"  Moonclaw chuckled in the back of her throat quietly.  "And here I thought you were just two silly females."

        "We just like having fun, not like mother or Eggfang cuz they're old farts, not like you!"

        "Yeah you're REAL fun!" squeaked Sandrunner.  "Just like Oddie!  We'd kill for our baby brother."

        "And die for him too!" added Leaf.

        "BOTH EVEN!"

        "Hmhmhmhahaha..."

Moonclaw rolled her eyes at such strange devotion from the twins before they crept closer towards the large stone in the water.  The two brothers of the family dashed and played, hiding from each other with braying calls from their strange fluted heads, but the moment one of them raced around to hide behind the half-sunken rock his fate would be sealed.  One of them would never return, and the remaining child of that family would survive to learn a harsh lesson that he would never forget.  His only solace was that he never found his brother's body, dragged into the high grass by jaws of expert grip that never spilt a single drop of his blood.

        "We have concluded our research," said Haytham before his audience, "my apologies for the long wait."

        "Have you found anything concrete?" asked Thomas.

        "Indeed."

With hands behind his back and translator on his throat, Durai stood beside James before a group consisting of Thomas, Jane, Kevin and Andrea.  The master and his pupil had a table full of instruments in Kevin's laboratory with the black substance they had obtained in one beaker.

        "Three days thence, Eggfang led us to a small cove where she claimed that her and Fishclaw had encountered a deep cavern.  But, as we can attest, there was nothing there."

        "EXCEPT," continued the lemming with finger raised, "this dark essence you see before you.  We have been studying it since and have discovered something fascinating to explain the discrepancy."

        "Well what is it?!" cried Jane.  "I've been dying to know what the bloody hell's up with Fishclaw."

        "First," said Haytham, "note the substance and its liquid form contained in this beaker.  Now, James if you would like to demonstrate."

The student carefully lit up a small fire from one end of the table, warming up a smattering of green dust in one jar that became air before spiralling into a coiled tube across the table.  Then it went into another jar containing some clear fuchsia liquid, mixing together to form a slick rubbery goo of caramel colouring that almost resembled toffee.  The new solid started to heat up, hotter and hotter as James turned up the heat until the goo became crackly and dry, thinning out to form itself into a thin sheet of paper.

        "Wha-...what the shit?!" stammered Kevin amidst the confused audience.

        "Observe this new page we have made from magical components in our inventory."  Haytham opened the jar to pull out the page crisp and fresh.  "But a page by itself is worthless without words upon it, so if you will allow me.  I believe some of you were most curious to see how our Linking Books work, now my pupil can demonstrate but a fraction of such ability.  James?"

        "Yes master."

Pulling out a book from his satchel, Jane noticed that it was much more elaborate and furnished than the Linking Book James had shown previously.  Soft colours of gilded crimson across an amber hardback cover, the lemming took the page and neatly pressed it in between the tome's chapters.  Gentle light slivered down across his finger as he sealed the page in, rendering it part of his book.

        "What?!" cried Andrea.  "Wh-what the hell is this?!"

        "Patience my abetter of science," said Haytham, "now James, please prove our theorem."

        "Of course master."

The lemming brought out a quilled pen and focused intently upon the substance.  He placed his book out upon the table as the nib hovered above the newly-formed page of vellum, his hair softly tingling with subtle motes of amber dust that scurried around his being.

        "You have wondered about our strange power concerning the books," said Haytham, "now you shall understand our unique sortilege."

James' aura grew intense as his hair curled upwards, twisting strands and glowing eyes whilst his magic spiralled down his arm towards the quill and flowed into the paper.  Then he started writing with autonomous strokes, swift and precise with his gaze never leaving the black essence, words pouring out of his instrument to a feverish rapidity.  The audience watched with anxiety fearing he had gone mad as he made the same motions one would do when scribbling a word repeatedly on the wall two days before the police would come.  He stopped around three-quarters of the page, smacking one hand upon the fresh ink and pointing his pen towards the black goo.

        "PERII TENEBRAAAEEE ILLAM VELUM!"

The quill shot forth a startling spark of lightning coloured gold, zapping into the beaker and hitting the substance deep.  Suddenly the liquid mass convulsed, burbling and twisting before it reversed inside out, causing a sharp explosion of glass when the beaker shattered before them.

        "H-HOH SHIT!"

The humans backed off slightly but the glass shards hit an invisible wall between them and the table, tapping the air with a solid dent briefly revealed before falling to the ground harmlessly.  Haytham had one of his hands up with a gentle blue light, dispelling a barrier that glinted sharply in front of the audience.  They turned towards where the black goo had been to find a pile of rocks covered in brittle glass, some the size of a human fist and forming a small cairn.

        "What the FUCK?!" cried Andrea.

        "What is this crap?!" shouted Thomas standing up.  "Did you just try to glass us?!"

        "On the contrary I was the one to defend you," said Haytham revealing a more solid blue wall translucent between them, "you have witnessed the true nature of our mysterious substance."

        "It's a bunch of rocks?" shrugged Kevin.  "So what, turning liquid to solid isn't a big deal."

        "No, but these stones are entirely different.  Please, examine them if you will."

The chief medic stepped forth to turn them over in his hand, feeling the bizarre texture of pockmarked dents that somewhat reminded him of a lung's interior alveoli.

        "Yyyyeaaaah I have never seen this rock before, not even in this world."

        "Really?" asked Jane peering closer.  "I mean, I'm not a geologist but-"

        "I am, and this is not...this rock is too...fleshy, to feel like anything, here touch it."

She tried to touch one but immediately recoiled upon its unearthly touch.

        "U-UGH!  God, it feels like a bloody tumour!"

        "Sure does...but it looks like a stone yeah?"

        "Uuuuurrrrgh."

Jane stepped back to immediately find something to wash her hands on whilst Kevin put the stone down and looked up at Haytham.

        "So what does this mean then?"

        "It means," began Durai, "that whoever cursed Fishclaw with this mysterious object inside the cave must still remain here, but we cannot see them because they are now in a sub-plane of existence."

        "A...sub-plane?"

        "Within every world that we have encountered, there lies a mirror image of it beneath the surface.  Imagine your reflection in the pool, now imagine that reflection was but its own realm within your own."

        "Woah woah woah, you telling me this is some Wonderland bullshit now?!"

        "UM, a-actually yes!" cried James bouncing on his heels.  "B-but without the, jabberwocky thankfully ha, hah um...th-that is to say, the world has another level to it that you cannot see, because normally one cannot access it without finding a way to reach beyond the veil."

        "The veil?"  Kevin rolled his eyes puffing his breath upwards.  "We don't HAVE magic in this world, that's not even possible."

        "Well, what do you call that sir?" asked the lemming pointing to the rocks.

        "A very fascinating chemistry experiment."

        "That is true," said Haytham with arms folded, "it is exactly that."

        "SEE, I was right!"

        "BUT, I also argue that any sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.  Would you not call your chemistry a form of magic, if you demonstrated it to a child of the wild lands who knew nothing of your science?"

        "He's got a point," said Andrea, "remember how you showed Oddclaw how to make fire?"

        "Uhhh..." Kevin smirked at the memory scratching his cheek, "I gueeess but-"

        "Anyways, I think I understand what Haytham means, using newfound methods to uncover a new level of reality that was invisible to us before."

        "YES exactly!" cried James.  "That is exactly what we discovered!"

        "This reminds me of the Higgs-Boson particle, remember that?"

        "Yeah," murmured Thomas sitting back down, "the god particle right?"

        "God particle?" asked Haytham.

        "Back in our time," explained Dixon, "we managed to discover this particle which is essentially the 'glue' of our universe, this tiiiiny impossible little field of energy that fills the ENTIRETY of space, but we only managed to discover it through some pretty insane experiments, such as this highly-advanced machine that accelerated particles so fast around a circuit that it FORCED these minute particles to collide, so we could register their energy and prove their existence."

        "AH, I see!  Well then it sounds to me like you understand our experiment!"

        "I mean your methods are rather odd but you proved something is up.  But you haven't really answered how you're going to cure Fishclaw."

        "Of course, my apologies doctor Dixon."  The wizard bowed before clapping his hands together.  "Simply put, if we find the greatest concentration of this sub-plane essence, then we shall find the one who has cursed our raptor friend."

        "You have any way of finding more?" asked Brightman.

        "As we have demonstrated, we have founded a new enchantment designed specially for the detection and exposure of such elements.  The only problem we have now is finding a good place to start in this great expansive world."

Whilst the humans were discussing their next plans for investigation, three raptors sat in the recovery clinic some few corridors away.

        "Are you well?" asked Eggfang.

        "Better," murmured Fishclaw, "the hairless have been helping me sleep."

        "They have this odd water that makes you sleep," said Oddclaw, "they can heal you better when you sleep, otherwise the pain is too great when you are awake."

        "Ahh..."

Fishclaw laid curled up on a bed set as low as possible to the ground for sake of comfort, his eyes remaining clouded by darkest fog beneath a bandaged cap set round his skull.  The sound of paper flicking across made the patient twitch his head towards his brother who sat up on his chair nearby with holstered gun and a pair of shorts.

        "Wha...what are you doing?"

        "Sorry am I disturbing you?" asked Odd.

        "No I...I just do not know what that sound is."

        "It is the hairless' stories."

        "Ahhh the scratchings they make?" asked Eggfang looking up from the foor between them.  "The bark is oddly thin."

        "So they can fill as many scratches as they can."

        "Why not just use more bark?"

        "Because then it would be too heavy," explained Odd clapping the book together in one hand, "see how I hold it like a small stone."

        "Hmmm..."

She raised her head further and sniffed across the pages as they gently wavered with her breath.  She then looked over along her brother's fingers with a curious glint.

        "I have wondered about your odd claws for many cycles.  To think that you are so like the hairless who come from beyond."

        "And your father was the same," said Fishclaw nodding solemnly, "none of us understood his body, yet when he freed us from the hairless tribe in the Land Before, he managed to do so much in such a short time because of that.  That is why we always knew you would become something great."

        "I-...th-thank you," stammered Oddclaw, "but, I am not-"

        "No."  Fishclaw barked a soft noise to cut him off.  "I know you are not your father, and I know you hate being compared to him.  What I meant was that you would become something AS great as your father, by yourself and you already have for all the beasts you have fought.  That is why I trust both of you to help me."

Fishclaw started to yawn with a sense of fatigue overwhelming him as both his siblings smiled with pitying looks.

        "Urrrraaaannhhh...ugh, this is awful, how can my eyes be tired when I cannot even see?!"

        "Your eyes are still there," said Oddclaw, "it is something in your mind, not in your eyes."

        "Hmph...how long until my sight returns?"

        "I do not know, the starbeasts have found the place where the deep stone's cave was, and they found there something odd."

        "Really?"  The feral brother slumped his head down into the comfy pillow.  "So it was true?"

        "Did you think it was not?" asked Eggfang raising her head.  "You and I were there, we did not share the same dream and the pain we felt when you touched that stone was real."

        "I know...yet, there were times I doubted myself, even after my sight had gone."

        "We will find a way."  She scooted herself closer towards her brother.  "I will not rest until you are healed, I promise you."

        "N-no, Eggfang please do not-"

        "NO!"  Their sister stood up in full.  "You are my brother, you are my family, you have stood by me ever since we were hatchlings.  Now it is my turn to stand by you."

        "I will too."  Oddclaw closed his book and sat down beside Fishclaw.  "You were the one to raise us when we had no father, you were the one to teach us how to hunt alongside mother.  Now, I will help you just as you helped me when I was young."

        "Th-...thank you both of you."  Fishclaw nuzzled towards their faces as they came in close to lick his cheeks.  "I feel fortunate to have such...s-such family like you..."

They sat closer together, tenderly caressing Fishclaw's face with soft tongues and purring whimpers as they waited for the results of the humans' research.  Soon Fishclaw fell asleep, then Eggfang and lastly Oddie whilst savouring the warmth of each other.

KHHRRRRRMM

        "WH-WHAT, WHAT, WAS-"

        "A-AAAGH AAAAARGH!"

Something rumbled throughout the base, a trembling explosion that shuddered through their bodies waking them up with fright.  Fishclaw was petrified, clutching the bed hard with his claws as his head shook in constantly looking around himself.

        "What is happening?!  B-brother, sister help!"

        "We are here!" cried Eggfang.  "S-something from outside?!"

Oddclaw stood up with shotgun at the ready, keeping watch on the door as he heard the sound of footsteps racing towards them.  Eggfang recognised the scent however and bade him still as Jane knocked on the window of the clinic room.

        "ODDIE, O-ODDIE!"

        "Jane what is happening?!" he said rushing to the glass.

        "We're under attack, s-something, I don't know what it is but PLEASE just stay where you are, and protect Fishclaw!"

        "Alright!"

        "Wh-what is she saying?!" shrieked Fishclaw.

        "The hairless are being attacked, we are staying here to protect you."

        "A-alright, d-do they get attacked often?!"

        "I have never seen their home attacked before, we do not know what to expect, sister stay close to Fishclaw, I will be here on the other side."

The raptors stood with their brother between them, Eggfang taking the far side of the bed whilst Oddie stood between the bed and the door, sticking to the wall out of view from the window with his shotgun aimed in preparation.  Outside of the room the base was on high alert, blaring sirens down the halls as soldiers came rushing through with guns underarm as robots and civilians went to shelter in the more secure rooms.

        "DELTA-SEVEN, REPORT TO FRONT GATE!"

        "ALL GAMMA SQUADRONS TO THE HANGAR!"

        "ALPHA-FIVE, STAY IN HALL B-FOUR AND TAKE UP DEFENCE!"

        "Wh-what is going on?!" cried Haytham.

        "Get back to your rooms," said Thomas, "we'll handle this."

        "Master c-come on!"  James pulled his tutor's sleeve with frantic fingers scrabbling along the hem.  "We have to-"

        "Sir Brightman I humbly request that we aid you."

        "WH-WHAT?!"

        "Huh?!"  The soldier turned incredulous with a squint.  "You a soldier?"

        "No but I am a mage as is my student, we have powers that can protect, heal and offend against the enemy."

        "I don't wanna risk casualties, you're guests, not trained soldiers."

        "But I demonstrated such protective power to you in our experiment-"

        "The answer is no, I'm sorry now get back to your room and wait until someone comes!"

The general stormed off with gun in hand to face the oncoming invasion whilst Haytham stroked his beard with pensive thought.  The lemming however was more eager to retreat, rushing forwards with the master's sleeve to drag him out into the hall with umbrella in his other hand.

        "Master please w-we have to find shelter, let the soldiers handle this!"

        "I suppose you are right," said Haytham sighing, "twould be rude to interfere when we are not trained for field combat.  In fact I dare say you are more proficient than I am."

        "I-i would not say that, but let us please find shelter first then we can discus-A-AAAAGH!"

        "GOOD, GODS!"

Something tore through the ceiling above their heads as James felt something latch onto his robe, pulling him high aloft as the world shrunk from beneath his feet.  A giant golden wasp with sharp metallic pincers piercing through the looser parts of his fabric.

        "A-AAAAAAGH, AAAAAAAAAARGH, MASTER!  MASTER HELP!"

        "USE YOUR MAGIC!" roared Durai.  "YOU ARE IN THE AIR, REMEMBER?!"

        "OH, YES!"  The youth tried to raise his free hand towards the creature's mandibled face.  "AERIS, LUCET!"

The wasp felt a striking sharp wind slice its antennae short, frightening it enough to drop its prey with a burning shock that ran through its mind.  As soon as the bug released him he opened his parasol above his head, gently flying down with the breeze as light as a feather to land upon the roof of the human base.  The sounds of fighting raged on from all around him as he watched the scene of chaos, a tremulous fray of bullets and laser shots amidst a seething swarm of several dozens insects that swooped from above, filling the sky above as one-third of the military force kept guard at the perimeter.  The humans were fighting back relatively well, aside from the odd scraping slash from large red hornets and six-legged grasshoppers with shrieking draconian faces, scuttling across the earth and along the walls trying to find a way in to breach.

During this the golden wasp came down to strike upon James as he yelped and covered his head with the umbrella, the clothfolds somehow repelling its vicious stinging dagger that curved from its abdomen, scraping off the brolly that gleamed with mystic protection.  The beast was relentless, buzzing with venomous intent and violent jabs of its piercer trying to puncture the enchanted parasol.

        "G-GET, AWAY, YOU, Y-YOU-AAAAGH!"

        "TALEM VENTURA!"

A bursting crunch of the roof suddenly lifted before James, crushing the wasp from below with a thick slab of loose concrete as it spun deftly towards the ground in a crumpled heap.  Levitating himself with a gust of wind from the gaping hole was the boy's master, landing upon the roof with the grace of a ballerino as he offered his hand.

        "Seems the fight has come to us yes?"

        "M-m-...that...that thing was enormous!"

        "And I see more have come."

The sound of droning wings could be heard above as they saw a roving army of fifteen wasps, most of them red but three were superior golden beasts that burned their multifaceted gaze upon them.  The lemming readied his umbrella, gripping its circular handle in one hand like a sword as Haytham calmly brought out his Omnilex.

        "Th-there are so many of them!" cried James.

        "Paaaatience boy, there are simply vermin, nothing more.  I shall deal with the larger beasts, you fight the smaller ones."

        "B-but, that's...TWELVE of them!"

        "Well consider this your final test for how versed in sorcery you have become!  NOW, TO ARMS WE FIGHT, TALEM IGNIRA!"

With tome in hand he shot out a brutal blast of fire straight from the flickering pages and into one of the giant hornets, scarring its front with a grievous burn as they buzzed vociferously to attack.  James watched for the first attack as the red wasps came hurtling towards him like comets of seething blood, the student countering with a cautious raise of his brolly and chanting his water spell.

        "Lubricus, PLUVIAM!"

Spinning round with umbrella open, he gathered moisture beneath the brim of its folds and formed them into a solid ball of water that he tossed out towards three of the beasts.  Splashing with the impact of a solid fastball, one of them took it full in the head with such force that it caved its skull down into its thorax whilst bursting thick porous aqua onto its allies that spread to their wings with bulbous goo, shutting down their ability to fly as all three crashed and burned.  Two more came following after to avenge their brethren, the student not having time for another spell as he grasped his weapon with both hands like a baseball bat, thwacking one with the tip of his brolly whilst ducking beneath the second bug's strike, turning fast to make a sudden upwards swing that cracked the insect's stomach with a splatter of bile coating across the folds.

        "GUH U-UUUGH you-...uuugh, t-talisman save me."

In the midst of his pupil's offense, Haytham was playing more defensive with a glinting blue shield of magic up before him.  The golden wasps tried to pierce through his guard but to no avail, chipping their stingers against his barrier with the sound of scraping stone, his hand keeping his protection up with a straight palm whilst his other hand flicked deftly through his book.

        "Talem GLACIERA!"

From his book came a shattering volley of ice amidst a horrid arctic wind, shrieking past his cheeks with plunging daggers of cold fury into one hornet's body.  Blood froze before it had the chance to bleed, wings becoming brittle like thin ice to crackle and snap as it fell with curling stiff legs.

        "Hmhmhm, would not have expected such precipitation in this clime but that is about to change.  Now, what of you my flaxen-coated fly?"

The creature did not seem to have enough emotion to comprehend his insult, but regardless the sight of its fallen brother incensed it with a primal fury to divebomb straight towards the human.  He fired off a blast of flame as the beast dodged his shot, its stinger trembling with lethal precision as Haytham countered with a surprising whack of his hardcover book, stepping to the side with a hefty bash across its mandibles.  Stunned slightly by the attack, it didn't fly away fast enough for the second fireball to shoot dead-on at its face, rending it to ash within an instant as its eyes popped with body collapsing.  Some of the red wasps decided to target him instead upon realising his dreadful assault, as four of them flew straight for his head.  The sound of hunting wings burning with instinctive fury filled the sky as Haytham clicked his fingers up above him, his book seemingly psychic in understanding his intent as it flipped its pages.

        "TALEM, FULGURA!"

Lightning struck, bursting from the air without warning amidst a clear cloudless day to shatter two of the beasts completely, roasting their insides in a second to send them down, smoking husks into the dirt below whilst the remaining two were fortunate enough to glance past the bolts of searing electrical spark and continue their attack.  But then came a lashing tongue of fire that whipped one of the beasts across its back, striking it from the air to char a deep black through the abdomen and paralyse it to fall from a great height, the fourth wasp soon meeting its end when Haytham proclaimed:

        "STIRICIDE!"

From his book came a ruthless icicle that plunged straight through the bug, penetrating its speartip through the abdomen and out its other end before retreating back inside his tome.

        "Excellent James!" he cried towards his pupil rendering his fire whip attack, "keep at it we shall soon be free of this mena-"

        "MASTER LOOK OUT!"

Roaring with a croaking shriek, a giant green beast almost the size of him clambered up the wall with reptilian face upon the body of a grotesque grasshopper, rubbing its legs together with a fiendish glint of hunger.

        "Ahhh what have we here," he said unfazed whilst flicking his book, "a  strange beast and a master of stridulation but nothing else."

The beast charged with a galloping rumble across the roof, lashing out with a tongue covered in barbs that gleamed like razorblades as he thrust up a shield of blue light to repel it.  James hurried to his side and guarded him with his umbrella, the lashing strikes of the rancid proboscis streaking its foetid saliva on the canopy to no avail.  The remaining hornets dove for them as James tried to swing out to whack another across the head whilst Haytham shot a molten blast from his tome that scorched two of them dead to blackened husks.

The crawling hopper saw its chance to charge as it raced towards Haytham's back when he turned, shrieking its battle cry before lunging with a forward jump until the lemming swung out with his brolly to strike it from the side.  In revenge it turned its attention on James who tried to stand brave with his weapon retracting its folds to mimic a sword.  The creature lashed for his face with its tongue as he clumsily ducked underneath, trying to summon a spell in the instant of his dodge with the first one he could think of.

        "I-IGNIS VERBERAQUE!"

The fire whip wasn't quite aligned as it struck out from his parasol to miss its face, but it lashed hard enough across the roof to sever half of the monster's legs when it fell lopsided with a screeching agony.  James cowered in its awful cry and turned away with a sickening weight in his stomach, clutching himself tightly as Durai rushed to his aid to strike off two more of the hornets with a wall of ice.

        "JAMES, FOCUS!"

        "I-i-i, OH, I-i-that creature, i-it CRIES so horribly!"

        "Strengthen thy will boy or all is lost!"

        "I-I, I, M-MAKE IT STOP!"

With heavy sigh Haytham put the creature out of its misery with a solid shunting crack of ice straight through its skull, crushing its neural system within seconds as it slumped lifeless with green oozing blood.  James struggled to even look as the knot in his stomach became worse amidst the tide turning in the conflict around them, the sounds of buzzing beasts turning more distant as they fled or ceased to be.

        "Forgive me lad," said Durai with hand on his pupil's head, "I know you are not hardened in battle but one must prepare to steel thyself against the enemy."

        "I-i did...I did not want to make it suffer b-but-"

        "They have every intention of killing us James, prudence must supplant mercy."

        "I...I know but...f-forgive me," he slowly stood up with gentle retch in the back of his throat, "the way it screamed was like, m-more than a beast should-"

        "I know.  You shall soon learn in time if we are to journey together."

        "HEY, YOU GUYS ALRIGHT?!" shouted a voice from below.

        "WE ARE FINE THANK YOU, JUST A LITTLE PEST PROBLEM!"

        "ALRIGHT GOOD, GET YOURSELVES BACK INSIDE, WE'LL DEAL WITH THE ROOF LATER!"

Carefully stepping back down into the corridor with a soft leap and a gentle puff of wind, both student and master started to return to their rooms amidst James' quivering shakes and his attempts to dry heave.

        "H-hrrrhk...h-hoh, I...I...f-forgive me master."

        "The fog of war maketh an eerie sight when it settles," said Durai calmly, "take your time, we shall recuperate at our quarters."

        "How...how did you manage to stay so calm amidst such frenzy?"

        "By years of experience James.  That, and coming from a world that has so steeped itself in conflict that it is an unfortunate acquiescence that I have become desensitised to such-"

        "NOOOOOOO!"

The sounds of a raptor's scream cried out from beyond the corridor they stood in.  Racing towards the source they were soon joined by Jane and Thomas who rushed with them.

        "What the bloody hell's going on?!" she shouted.

        "You're asking me?!" shouted Thomas.

        "GET AWAY FROM HIIIIM!"

        "Oh jesus, ODDCLAW!"

Jane cried out after him once they had reached the clinic.  The place was in ruins, lights flickering amidst scarred curtains and crackling equipment beneath a large gaping hole in the roof that stretched a good 12 feet in width.  Kevin lied slumped against one of the beds amidst a few broken badniks, two wounded humans and lastly the two alchemists.

        "KEVIN!"  Thomas spotted him first and pulled him up.  "Kevin are you alright?!"

        "N-nnngh...help...O-oddie-"

        "What?!"

        "S-something...attack...f-fuckin' cabron."

BANG

        "Sh-SHIT!"

The general went into cover mode instantly as he ducked behind a desk, recognising Oddclaw's shotgun shell as they saw shadows from the window of the recovery room.  Blurring black outlines rushed back and forth in a dance of death amidst screeching fury and ruthless sounds of attack,.  One shadow leaped into the air towards another lone figure, but instead it found itself being thrown through the window with shattering force, a hailstorm of fragmented glass coating the floor before them with Eggfang's body crumpling with glinting shards of blood dappling her skin.

Another gunshot rang from inside the room as Oddclaw screamed blasting his weapon towards a tall dark creature that staggered from the shotgun shell slightly.  With both shells gone the raptor swung for him with his weapon like a club as the humans rushed to his aid, Thomas aiming his gun at the beastly body waiting for the moment Oddclaw was out of shot.  The raptor screeched with punching strikes frenzied towards the monster's head but by the fourth swing his punch was blocked by a powerful grip around his arm, tight enough to cause the bone to start creaking under forceful pressure as he gasped with whimpering.  Thomas took his shot, firing at the creature's head who dodged fast and threw Oddie at the door with such power that the steel bulk crushed inwards like paper off its heels and threw the raptor out into the main room, slumped on his back against the crunched door as Jane rushed to his aid.

        "ODDCLAW, a-are you alright?!"

        "H-he...m-m-my brother he-A-AAAGH!"  He forced himself up pushing her away.  "DON'T LET HIM GO, HE-"

        "ODDIE NOOO!"

She tried to stop him but he wrestled free from her grasp, the raptor staggering to get back in the room as they followed after him ready to fight.  Thomas kept his beretta out and ready whilst Haytham joined him with magic tome open and warming up its pages for a fight.  Standing before them was a terrifying beast with a cruel angular face of piercing gold eyes and horns that resembled a demon's mask, black skin like volcanic rock with yellow strips upon his muscular chest and taut wrists at a height of 8 feet.  His feet were wrapped in bloodied leather with spikes studded from the knee and a ragged red cloth around his waist.  He now carried Fishclaw's unconscious body within disturbingly human hands as if he were an infant, but each hand had two extra two claws of 14 inches that grew from his knuckles.

        "WHO ARE YOU!?!" screamed Oddclaw.  "LET GO OF MY BROTHER!"

        "I have need of this creature," spoke the invader with a voice born of the Styx.  "It is best for your soul's existence that you do not follow me."

        "Identify yourself!" barked Thomas with beretta aimed at his head.  "Are you a leader or just another soldier?!"

        “I was once the latter.  Now I have become the former."

        "Why did you attack us?!" challenged Haytham.  "Unhand that patient at once or you shall suffer reciprocation!"

        "If you care for this creature then you shall not harm me."

        "LET HIM GOOOO!"

Oddclaw charged at him once more but the creature dodged with exceptional speed, casting his shadow upon the wall before reappearing exactly where it had stood before bootkicking the raptor hard in the stomach to crush him into the opposite wall.  Brightman fired instantly for the invader's head but he dodged once again, cloaking into his own shadow and reforming with Fishclaw now draped upon one of his shoulders, his other hand free to lunge forwards and punch Brightman's gun out of his hand and elbow-crush his skull, sending him straight back through the doorway as James hurried to Oddclaw's side whilst Jane ran for Thomas.  The monster looked towards Haytham as the last man standing, waiting for his attack.

        "I will not ask again," challenged Durai with a cold glint in his eye, "release your hostage now or suffer the consequence."

        "Are you a magus?" he asked sneering his crook-dagger teeth.  "That makes you the archvile of this place."

        "So you understand then.  Will you surrender your captive and leave?"

        "My answer is this."

        "NOS CUSTODI!"

The scholar had seen a coiling flame whisper around the monster's free hand and put up his guard in time before the scorching blue fire shot towards him, dissipating as wreathed unholy tongues across his magic shield coloured red against sorcery.  The beast took his leave immediately after firing before Haytham had a chance to counterattack, blasting a powerful orb of shocking cyan to burst the roof open above their heads and jump towards the sky.  Durai followed suit with a blast of wind beneath his robe and caught sight of the fugitive flying towards the west with some sort of small machine burning exhaust from his back.  Down below in the lab James was casting a spell frantically upon the wounded raptor, sending a pale fire that went whispering across his scales now darkened with bruises.

        "Ex, flammis, ALBA!"

The fire melted into his bones and soothed his wounds, healing up his injuries faster as Haytham went back into the clinic to cast his own curative upon Eggfang in turn before healing Kevin and the rest of the clinic staff.

        "What...where is Fishclaw?!" asked Eggfang rousing herself from the swiftly-suturing cuts.

        "That monster took him away," replied Jane pulling Oddie up with arm round her shoulders, "nnngh...what, what WAS that?!"

        "I do not know," winced the anthro, "he...he came from above, destroyed the place, K-kevin was thrown across the room they t-tried to stop him!"

        "Why would he kidnap your brother?!" asked James propping Oddclaw's other arm up on his shoulders.  "He said he had need of him."

        "I-i...I do not know, we have to find him!"

        "The attack from outside musta been a distraction," said Thomas picking up his gun from the corner, "if Fishclaw was the intended target, and I agree we have to hunt him down."

        "Perhaps our intruder may be the one who cursed him," stated Haytham, "there would be no other reason to abscond with the patient, and I daresay from his extraordinary appearance that this vile fiend must be involved in some part of it."

        "I have to find him."  Oddclaw forced himself to stand walking apart from Jane and the lemming.  "I have to find my brother!"

        "Oddclaw wait!" cried Jane.

        "NO!"  He pushed her away almost stumbling back down to the floor.  "I must, I-i must, he is my brother I will NOT LEAVE HIM!"

        "We need to form a plan," said Brightman, "you can't just go charging off without one-"

        "I WILL NOT STAY HERE DOING NOTHING WHEN THAT STINKING PIG KAPTCHOORED MY BROTHER!"  He jabbed a finger a hair's breadth away from Thomas' nose in defiance.  "I told you before, I TOLD YOU that I would die for my family and I will not let ANYONE take them from me!"

        "Are you done?"  The general waited calmly for Oddclaw to step back.  "I do remember you saying that, and I know I cannot stop you.  But this is also MY problem cuz that bastard attacked our home, that will not go unpunished.  We need to set up a strategy, and hunt him down, the faster we do this the less time he'll have to settle in and set up defence against our counterattack."

        "You are...helping me?"

        "Of course I am dammit, you think I don't care about your family?"

        "I...I-i-i...I thought you would call me foolish when I have children in-"

        "Oddclaw, this is your family."  He put a hand firmly on the raptor's shoulder as he slightly winced.  "If this was your son or daughter that got kidnapped I wouldn't be trying to stop you either, this is a hostage situation.  Just like when Kevin got abducted and we're gonna do the same."

        "Aw nice!" said Kevin from the back sitting up on a bed.  "But I'd rather sit this one out thanks I don't really wanna be THAT guy who keeps getting kidnapped all the fucking time."

        "Yeah same here!" cried Adenine.  "We're just gonna sit this one out, that cool with you?"

        "That's fine," said Thomas before turning to point at James and Haytham.  "You two come with me, if your hunch is right and that thing is somehow connected to Fishclaw's problem then you'll need to find out how to break him free."

        "Understood," said Durai with a humble curtsy, "we shall begin at your behest sir Brightman."

The plan would commence two hours after the initial cleanup and tending of the wounded.  Two people had died in the attack, one of the medics in the clinic with crushed ribs and one unlucky soldier whose face had been covered for the gruesome scene the bugs had left upon it as they were buried in a small ceremony with most of the staff attending.  Oddclaw had never seen a human funeral until this day, but the constant fear and frustration for his brother made him unable to appreciate their nuances of returning the bodies back to earth.  Haytham and James however were intrigued, mostly at how similar the rituals were to that of their own separate people's.  James approached him after the service whilst they headed towards the meeting room.

        "Are you alright?" he asked calmly looking up at him.

        "No," Oddclaw sighed pressing his hands over his eyes, "I do not want to wait, I want to leave now and find my brother i-if we are too late-"

        "We will find him.  I promise that."

        "How?!"  He turned towards him with a snarling hiss.  "You do not know what that thing was, he took my brother for no reason!"

        "He must have had a reason."  The lemming clasped his hands over his heart in a small prayer.  "But I swear to you, on my name and of the saviour I will do everything I can to help bring your brother back, and heal him."

        "I...th-thank you, James.  But, you do not have to help, this is not your fight."

        "No, I know.  I...I-i was frightened when the swarm came, and I...I admit I became queasy when I had to...k-kill them even if they are but beasts."  They kept walking as James rubbed his arm nervously.  "Have you ever killed, Oddclaw?"

        "Yes," he said stoic, "I have to."

        "Right, yes, o-of course you are a hunter what I mean is...what was it like?  The first time you killed something?"

        "What do you mean?"

        "I...I never killed a beast until this day, and I...I felt horrible."  He clutched his stomach which became uneasy at the rememberance.  "I felt I would vomit, I felt such sickness and my mind became heavy with a...a raw guilt that burned so deep.  Should I feel that way?"

        "Yes," said the raptor crossing his arms in mid-walk.

        "When did you first...kill a beast?"

        "When I was...six years old."

        "Wh-what?!"  The lemming gasped with a hand clapped to his mouth.  "O-oh my goodness...what...y-you were a child?!"

        "I was learning to hunt with my mother.  My...my brother Fishclaw he...he found a smallclaw, a little creature but they hunt in packs, they can kill a child if they work together, so he taught me to move one of them away from the rest of its family and kill it.  I could not bite, my teeth were too soft, and my claws were too small, so I had to learn to kill with my own ways."

        "How...wh-what did you do?"

        "I picked up a stone and beat its head in."  The raptor sighed rubbing his head as they turned a corner.  "I did not like it at first, I felt bad.  I felt I had done something wrong to kill a beast?"

        "S-so you...you felt that guilt too, that pain in your stomach and that warmth heavy in your mind?"

        "Yes.  Fishclaw told me that he felt the same when he first killed a beast.  In our tribe we hunt to eat, we never kill more than we need and we always kill swiftly, so as not to let our prey suffer."

        "Really?"  James cocked his head with growing fascination.  "I never did ask about your...your um, tribe's moral structure."

        "Mohr-rall?" asked Odd.

        "What's right and wrong, good and evil according to your people."

        "OH, yes, it is wrong to not kill your prey swiftly, it is wrong to watch them bleed and cry in pain because we should not enjoy the suffering of our prey.  We hunt because we eat, not because we like death and pain."

        "I see, it is a necessity.  When...when you first killed, after that, did it..." he cupped his snout and breathed into his hands, "h-hoh please forgive me I-i...I know I-n-never mind."

        "No, ask me.  You feel bad about killing yes?"

        "I do.  But I know that it was necessary to protect me and those I care for.  But, it is normal for me to feel bad yes?"

        "It is."  Oddclaw put his arm round his shoulders with a slight stoop between their heights.  "You should not enjoy killing James.  You should be proud of surviving yes, and proud that you hunt to keep your family safe and have food, but not the killing itself.  That is what my mother and brother have taught me."

        "You have a good family.  I only wish your father had been able to see you like this."

        "I do not mind.  My children will have what my father could not give to me, and that I am happy with.  But I want my family together, and Fishclaw's family I will not have them grow without their father."

        "Yes, of course, absolutely then let's go!"

The meeting room set up with a small squadron surrounding them.  Andrea joined Thomas, Holt, Eggfang, Haytham and several soldiers around the map of their world.  The Major-General laid out a path with its touchscreen with several other lines of attack.

        "Our long-range scanner indicated that the fugitive has fled to the west," said Dr. Dixon, "along with his swarm of goons to somewhere out here just past the Skylands.  Around twenty minutes after his escape, we picked up a disturbance around forty TEFs which is unusually high for a small group to create."

        "Perhaps related to the sub-plane theory we tested?" asked Haytham.

        "I think so, disturbances of dimensional molecular level would be picked up by our third energy scans.  I believe they have a base somewhere in this region that we cannot see in this plane of reality, or whatever you want to call it."

        "We have only one vessel for offensive purposes," said Brightman, "the Petrie's been reinforced with anti-EMP diffusers after the Akkala Region incident, as well as several new armaments.  We'll use it as a primary distraction, whilst a small unit of trained fighters sneak through inside whatever gaps they can find."

        "Could the flyers help us?" asked Oddclaw.  "They are near there, perhaps they have seen the one who took my brother."

        "I was just thinking that myself.  You will ride in one of our smaller ships to the Skylands and scope out the region from the flyers' home, using your ship radio to give us an idea of what we've got, then we'll come in with an attack to pull away any forces they might have guarding the place.  We have to do this fast, preferably in the same day so we've got another six hours of light until it's too dark to plan anything."

        "Alright.  My sister is coming with me."

        "As are we," said Haytham with a small salute, "you will need us to investigate whatever anomaly this beast has intact."

        "Ahm comin' too," replied Holt with a hand round Oddie's waist, "nobody messes with mah mochyn bach an' gets away with nuthin'."

        "Thank you Jeremy," said the raptor nuzzling him.

        "Of course your mate is coming with you," teased Eggfang with a nip to his face.

        "H-he is not my mate he is a friend!"

        "Hahaha, so was Moonclaw before you bred her!"

        "O-oh wait, Moonclaw!"  The raptor suddenly became flustered.  "M-my family, they do not know what has happened!"

        "I will have Jane explain it to them," said Thomas reassuring, "but you must be prepared, you have no idea what's out there and much as I'd rather you not go and let us handle it, this is your family."

        "Yes.  Thank you, Thomas."

The plan was set as best they could.  Thirty minutes later they were on a small passenger vessel to the Skylands with the non-raptors equipping the translators for sake of ease.  The little pale ship almost resembled a cloud scuttling across the horizon as it ascended up the peak, landing carefully within the caldera's nesting grounds as Oddclaw approached them to explain everything he could.  Stonesea greeted him with a cheerful clack of his beak whilst the matriarch curtly greeted them.

        "These are distressing things to hear," said Starstone digesting their words, "we have noted some odd beasts flying from the northwest, but we do not eat smallwings so we did not hunt them."

        "They attacked the hairless tribe," continued Oddclaw, "and one of them took my brother who is wounded.  We must find him, please have you seen anything?"

        "I have not, but...guard, bring Suncrash to me!"

One of her guardians bowed and flew out across the crater to summon the one known as Suncrash, a young yellow-winged beast who stumbled clumsily towards his leader.

        "Tell them what you told me," she ordered.

        "Y-yes alpha...I...I saw something odd, not too long before, there was a beast from which fire burned from its back, and I was certain that it was carrying a swiftclaw.  My father said that I was sunblind and should not dream of things but I know what I saw!"

        "Where did they go?" asked Eggfang.

        "That...I-i do not know, they...this may sound even more odd but they disappeared."

        "What?!"

        "I-i know, but they were definitely there, and then it...the sky seemed to swallow them."

        "That makes no sense...how can something like that disappear?"

        "Can it blend in with the sky?" asked Oddclaw scratching his chin in thought.  "Are there flyers able to do that?"

        "No, never," said Stonesea arching his wings, "nothing can disappear from the sky, no beast could."

        "We have come to ask for your help.  We need to watch for our prey from your nest, but also if you can help us fight these odd beasts so we can hunt down the one who took my brother-"

        "I would be glad to help.  But only if grandmother allows me to."

        "I will not," said Starstone solemnly, "so long as you remain the only one of our family still to carry our blood I cannot have you risking your life as such."

        "I...I understand."

        "But I can spare a few of our hunters, we have had quite the generous clutch over the past few cycles."

        "Thank you Starstone," said the raptor bowing on his knee, "I would be glad for any help you can give us."

        "Inform the hairless of your plan and know that you have allies here.  I hope your brother is safe."

        "I hope so too."

The commando team waited and watched towards the northwest for any signs of disturbance.  Durai started scannig with his newfound spell shimmering from one hand, testing the air for a strange interference he could partly detect with a compass in his other hand to gauge its movements.  In turn his student took notes with a notepad from his satchel.

        "Detection of sub-plane matter at three-two-five degrees," said Haytham, "bearing north-by-north-west."

        "Distance?" asked James.

        "I cannot say...something vast certainly, it...almost feels too larger than I expected."

        "Did they not say it could be some sort of base?"

        "Yes, if that but I assumed it was an airship of some sort masking itself, not unlike the ones back home which use certain Magicite matrices to cloak itself."

        "Whut on earth is magicite?" asked Holt walking up behind them.

        "A form of enchanted mineral that acts as a primary power source of my homestead."

        "Wot, you mean a magic crystal?!"

        "Indeed!" replied Haytham nodding.

        "Pfffft, fuck me that sounds crackin', magic lamplights an' all that."

        "Could you inform your base that we have discovered the possible base and we are ready to surmount an expedition?"

        "Certainly good sirrah."  The soldier gave a salute and walked back to their small ship.  "Shining one, Cymru here do you copy, over?"

        "We read you Cymru, what's your status, over?"

        "Got a bead on thuh ring 'ere, ready to go when you are, over."

        "Affirmative, stand by over."

        "Over an' out."  He clicked off and sat down beside Oddie on a rock, both of them checking their guns.  "You doin' alright dab?"

        "I am trying," he replied weary, "I just...how could I have let that thing take my brother from me?"

        "You did yer best Oddie," he patted the raptor's back, "whut matters now is we're out 'ere gettin' 'im back, thanks to them two talkin' like me bloody English teacher did, only less of an arseface about it."

        "Thank you for coming with me."  He cuddled up against the human's side with a tight hug.  "You are a good friend."

        "I bloody well 'ope so after all thuh time ah spent on you!"

        "Hahahaha."

        "I see you are both ready to kill," said Eggfang walking up to sit down next to the ship.  "The flyers' home is MUCH greater than I thought."

        "It is," said Odd back to her, "they are very friendly too, they have always been kind to me."

        "Except when you were a hatchling and those two took you up to the sky."

        "D-d-do not remind me."  He winced and shuddered at the memory.  "It reminds me of someone."

        "Ahh."

        "Wait whut 'appened when you were a lad?" asked Holt.

        "It is nothing," said Eggfang with a gentle growl to dissuade him, "all I will say is that it involves someone we do not speak of anymore."

        "Aaaaah, I hear ya.  Well, we'll take these bastards on an' get yer brother back no worries."

        "You are very confident, even if you wield fire."

        "Can't half-arse nuthin' pet, you don't give every battle yer all you might as well be dead!"

        "HAH!  That is true, now I see why Oddclaw loves you so."

        "S-sister please," whimpered Odd with a blush.

        "What, I do not mind and neither does your mate."

        "An' neither do I," said Holt pulling him close for a smooch, "you an' me stick together an' we'll pull through this."

        "Th-thank you Jeremy," murmured the raptor in English.

Another forty minutes passed since their landing before the Petrie came, with Oddclaw explaining the humans' plan to the six flyers that volunteered to help.  Holt was on the radio from their smaller vessel as the main gunship hove into view before the supposed enemy base as they orchestrated their movements.

        "Cymru this is Petrie," said Andrea from the radio, "we're in position now, over."

        "Cymru here, just say when."

        "Yep yep yep!"

        "LET'S DO IT LADS!"

Haytham and James heard his shout and stood ready as they cast their magic in unison, spiralling a thick cloud of amber strings that almost formed a galaxy patterned above their heads.  Chanting simultaneous they raised their hands before the world and proclaimed:

        "PERII TENEBRAAAEEE ILLAM VELUM!"

The air became clouded with strands of gold, shining through to weave and coil like serpents unto the blank open sea northwest of the Skylands.  Suddenly it hit something, a wall invisible within the sky as the sound of a booming bell echoed across the ocean.  Something formed an outline at first, sketches slowly growing into the shape of a mountain.  The sound grew larger as pockets of swirling mass exploded all around the sky frightening all that saw it, the flyers in an uproaring shriek from the intense vibrations of the sky.  The six who responded to aid the humans flew cautiously around the Petrie as they looked on with shock at something pulling through.

        "What...the fuck is that?" gasped Andrea.

        "I don't know," snarled Thomas, "but...this...this can't be real."

        "It...oh god.  Oh my god."  She looked down at her measuring device indicating disturbances.  "This reading...two-fifty TEFs...oh my god is this, w-was this-"

        "What?!"

        "...I think I solved one mystery, remember back when Sam and Max came here and I said there was some large spike of activity off to the west?"

The general turned his head with widening eyes as she met his gaze.

        "Is...this...this thing has been-"

        "Yes...for the last two years and nobody even saw it."

The roaring of the sub-plane ceased as everyone who saw the northwest sea gasped and cried in sheer horror.  Mothers clutched their children in fear on the Birthlands, the waterjaws to the far west gasped in astonishment from their reclaimed beach at the seabase of the Skylands, and all the flyers next to the humans and Oddclaw's group would never forget the giant floating mountain that stood above the sea.  The darkest hive of creatures they had never seen.