“The Odyssey”
By MrNelg

Act: XII

Jason lay strapped to the board, while in the background, the Rattus's worked. They hadn't been quiet. As they worked, they argued, their frustration aimed at Ssith. After she had revealed their grand plan, it had fired off a heated debate. Ssith had shut it down, ordering everyone to concentrate on their work and not her. Although they obeyed, It had not quelled their frustration in the slightest.

Even from their respective work space's, they fumed.

[I warned you, that temper of yours was going to get us into trouble,] the Rattus, who was the frontman, said. Ssith seemed undaunted.

[If that is the case, why was I put in charge after our troubles back in Tribus City?] she countered.

Although the frontman showed slight annoyance, it did not silence him. [Don't forget, he was sent here as a spy; by Hark.]

[If we keep him hidden down here, there's no way ** will find out. Or have you given him the only key we have?]

[May I remind you,] he said, pointing at the caged sapiens, [they keep escaping.]

[And have they gotten out of the basement?] He didn't respond. [If we stick to the plan - which I would like to point out, we all agreed to - we won't have to worry about him telling anyone. Once we get him on the boat, he will be out of our fur for good.]

[The boat won't arrive for another twenty-four hours,] he countered. Ssith placed her pen down on the table with such force that everyone stopped what they were doing to stare.

[And may I remind you that it was your bright idea that landed us here in the first place.] She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. 

[If I recall, you didn't object,] he answered.

[Just as you claim my actions are inexcusable, your guild status does not grant you any protection from your own,] she countered. [I just told him what we were doing. He would've found out that eventually. Especially since we're doing our work right in front of him.] She levelled her pen at the Rattus. [Your decision resulted in the loss of months of valuable research and fleeing with our tails between our legs.] 

From the table, Jason raised an eyebrow. How interesting. He wondered if he could coax some more information from them.

[I don't understand,] he called out, [If you're so paranoid about security, why don't you just move somewhere safer?] With just a wave of her pen in the air, Ssith indicated everything in the room.

[Are you made of coin?] When he didn't respond, she continued, [All of this does not come cheap. We're already in deep water thanks to our advisor.] As she said the word, 'advisor,' she indicated with her pen at their frontman. [We can't afford to go anywhere else.] Although she spoke to Jason, her fellow Rattus were the target of her words.

Jason smirked. He wondered just how far he could push them. ["Ahh," Yes, your mysterious backers.] Two of the Rattus's jerked their heads towards him. [Hark wanted to know about them.] The guild member cast him a nervous glance. Seeing this, Jason nodded his head towards the Rattus. [It's evident that your guild isn't funding you.] The Rattus snarled something unpleasant. Ssith placed her pen down.

[It would be prudent if you kept your mouth shut,] Ssith said as she walked over to him. [We can't have you speaking when you're not supposed to.] She carefully selected a small knife before holding it over him, allowing it to sway like a pendulum. [After all, we only need you to talk.] With that, she let go of the knife, and it plunged straight down. It landed right between his legs with a loud thunk that echoed throughout the room. [That doesn't require the use of your legs.] Jason stared up at her, sweat now streaming down his face. She smiled at him before yanking the knife out and putting it aside.

A joyful shout drew everyone's attention. Heads turned towards the far end of the table, where one of the Rattus's was pointing triumphantly at a dead and shrivelled plant. [It works, it works!] he shouted, over and over. Everyone crowded around him, whispering in excited tones. Jason couldn't make out anything, as it was all a jumble of words.

[Let's try it again,] Ssith said, [just to be sure.] Someone placed down a healthy-looking surrexerunt plant. The Rattus then poured some liquid over it, and everyone leaned in, blocking Jason's view. Again, excited whispers filled the air. When they leaned back, the plant was dead. The colour drained from Jason's face. [We've done it!] Ssith shouted. [It works!]

[We won't have to worry about Hark anymore,] the guild member said. [We can give him the Sapien scent and be rid of this horrible place.]

[Get it ready,] Ssith ordered. [In fact, get everything packed up and prepared to leave at a moment's notice. The faster we leave this stupid land behind, the happier we'll all be.] There was a flurry of activity as the Rattus's rushed with haste. Everyone collected their notes while they packed other items away.

Suddenly, there was a loud banging from above. The guild member growled in annoyance. One of the Rattus's lept for the rope and scurried up it like mad. Unlocking the door, he flung it open. {What?} he snapped. There was the muffled sound of a Lupus. Although muted, Jason could tell the Rattus sounded surprised. He eventually climbed down to the others, and they all gathered in a huddle. [Hark wants a progress report.] All eyes turned to Jason.

[It could be a method to get to him,] the guild member said. [But the Lupus can't get down here. What do we do?]

[Leave him,] Ssith said. [The other sapiens keep escaping, and even they can't get out of the room. He'll be secure down here.] She glared at Jason. [My fear is ** will demand access down here and see him.]

The guild member smiled. He walked over to some plants and returned with a surrexerunt flower. He sprinkled the petals all over Jason and then placed a light stack of papyrus scrolls atop of him, covering him up completely. [We can organise a more secure box to hold him in once we get back.] Jason listened to the sounds of the Rattus's leaving.

When the door slammed shut, Jason turned in the direction of the cage. "Can you guys hear me?" When he received an answer, he cried out, "don't try to escape yet! Trust me! Wait, and you'll see!" he shouted. When he received an affirmative, he breathed a sigh of relief and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. The trap door opened roughly five minutes later. He listened as the rope creaked from someone big climbing down.

{Jah-shun?} the Prime Beta called out.

{Here! I'm under all this paper!} Footsteps approached, and the papyrus removed.

{One of the guards heard angry shouting down here, have you discovered something?}

{Listen, there isn't much time,} Jason indicated with his head towards everything in the room. {They know who I am and that I'm spying for Hark.} The Prime Beta looked shocked. {The Rattus's discovered the answer to the synthetic scent weeks ago. They are trying to create a poison that will kill surrexerunt flowers.} The Prime Beta looked perplexed, so Jason began explaining everything Ssith had told him. How they knew he was a spy, what they've been doing, and their ultimate goal.

When he finished, the Prime Beta was silent. {Do you have any clue as to the identity of their financial backers?} Jason shook his head. {Then come, I will take you to the Prime Alpha.}

{No,} Jason cried. {They don't know you can sneak in here. I might be able to find out if I keep pushing them. They want me alive, and if we have to, you can confiscate me, just as they're preparing to leave.} The Prime Beta thought about this.

{As you wish,} she said, moving to return the paper atop him. 

{Leave it,} he said, {I want to escape, to investigate their belongings; find any more clues.} The Prime Beta unsheathed a claw. {No,} Jason warned. {I can get out myself. If you cut me loose, then they'll know you were down here.} The claw withdrew. {If you can, try and keep them in Hark's throne room for a while.} She nodded and turned around, climbing back up the ladder.

The moment the trap door slammed shut, Jason turned his head towards the cage. The girls were already in action. First, they gathered up all the rags and piled them at the cage door. Then, working in unison, they picked the lock. Once it clicked open, they ran from the cage front to its back, and it's front again. The cage started swinging with momentum until they reached the door. Three of them opened the cage door and held it open, while the fourth began tossing the rags out onto the tabletop as the cage swung close to it.

The cage continued its pendulum-like swing. Each time it swung towards the table, one of the girls would hurl the rags onto it. She kept this up until all of the rags had been thrown onto the table top, creating a big pile. Then, one by one, the girls jumped. Just like with the rags, they leapt one at a time. They cleared the distance between the swinging cage and the table with ease, using the rag pile to cushion the impact. 

Once all were free of the cage, they all rushed over to where he lay. "Jason," Angelina cried out, "Are you alright?" Hands were around the straps. While they weren't able to break them, they all worked in sync, tugging and pulling until Jason could slide out.

"Yeah," Jason said, as he climbed to his feet, "but how you guys escaped from the cage; that was amazing." He eyed the rag pile.

"What was going on between you and the Lupus?" Katie asked.

"I'll explain later," Jason said. "Right now, we've got more important things to worry about." Jason started pointing at the various items that populated the whole basement. "We have a major problem on our hands." He then began explaining everything he'd learnt from Ssith and the other Rattus's. The girls all listened, but their expressions became one of horror and fury as he explained their end goal.

"Vermin! Us?" Katie scoffed.

"Stupid bitch's daddy probably attacked the town first," Emily snorted.

"That changes the game," Angelina said. "What are we going to do?"

"We have to destroy this lab," Jason said. Everyone nodded in agreement. They had all listened with attentiveness as he'd explained the Rattus's mysterious backers and how they weren't in any position to relocate their operations. Jason turned to Katie and asked, "You worked in synthetic chemicals before all this; Any suggestions?"

The brunette smiled. "We're in an enclosed space that isn't well ventilated, and those Rattus's are working with chemicals." Everyone smiled now. "Aside from the glyphosate, I'm not sure what other chemicals they're using. However, if we were to break open their clay jars, spill them all over the table - making sure they get mixed - we should be able to create something that we can ignite."

"We need to find something that can break those jars open," Jason said.

"The real problem will be the fire," Katie quickly added. "I'm not entirely sure about what everything is. How quickly will the fire spread? How toxic will the fumes it creates be? Will they be explosive?"

"At the moment, we can't worry about that," Jason said. "The safety of Sapien kind comes first. We'll have to do what we can, with what we've got." Everyone gave a nod of agreement. While the Sapien motto was to preserve as many Sapien lives as possible, self-sacrifice was an option that was rarely discouraged. 

They all moved quickly. First, everyone set about tying the rags into a bedsheet rope. While they worked, Angelina had informed Jason that they never bothered doing this previously but instead just threw all the rags to the floor and jumped down to that. Once finished, they anchored the rope under the largest clay jar they could find. 

Emily tested the ladder first. After Angelina successfully climbed down, they rushed over to the clay pot that held all their previous possessions. They disappeared between the big clay pots and re-emerged with the radio and grappling hook. They set about climbing up to the blocked vent before unblocking it and leaving the radio there. No one would be sure how much of a time frame they would have when they would start the fires.

After the two girls were back on the tabletop, they turned their attention to the jars. The clay jars themselves weren't too difficult to move. They simply tipped them over and rolled them all into a line, stretching around all three tables. Grabbing the small mallet used for grounding up plants, All five of them used it as a battering ram, smashing open jar after jar. 

It was time-consuming, as after smashing open five jars, they had to raid the rag pile to create makeshift masks. Katie explained they had to urinate into their rags, making an ad hoc gasmask so that they could work. It was disgusting, but they prevailed, allowing them to continue their work. They smashed many jars, while some of the much bigger ones they rolled off the table, splitting them open onto the stone floor below. Finally, the entire table was awash in foul-smelling liquids. By that stage, their masks were starting to be overwhelmed.

"Come on," Angelina urged as they ran to their bedsheet ladder, now starting to soak up the spilled chemicals. Everyone was soaked, and they had to climb down carefully. Even on the ground, the stench was still overpowering. Chemicals puddled on the floor, spreading out from the smashed jars and overflowing tables. 

Two of the girls needed assistance to the exit because of the fumes. Angelina stayed with him as they gathered the two stones, which they'd used to break open the pot to their belongings. They weren't flint, but smashing them together did produce some sparks. To their absolute horror, the liquids did not catch. Spark after spark sprang forth from their stones, but only to land in the chemicals and fizzle out.

"They won't catch!" Angelina cried out, only to start coughing from the fumes. As much as it pained Jason, there was nothing more they could do. A useless sacrifice was no sacrifice at all. 

"We need to get out of here; now!" he yelled. Grabbing Angelina by the arm, he rushed her towards the ladder. She reached it first, climbing up while Jason hurried up from behind. Reaching the top, he found the rags had been loosened, right at the very top of the blockage, to create a hole they could squeeze through on their stomachs. Once inside the ventilation shaft, it was a simple 90 degree climb up to the top, which was only two meters long.

They burst free into the outside and ripping off their gas masks, both of them gasped in precious oxygen.

"Did it work?" Ann cried.

"No," Angelina gasped, collapsing to her knees. "It wouldn't catch."
 
"What about the glyphosate?" Jason asked, "Is that flammable?" Katie gave a half shrug.

"It can if dissolved into a carrier fluid," she explained. "If it's finely dispersed, it can be explosive, but it requires iron and galvanised steel to do so." Faces sagged all around.

"We can't admit defeat," Angelina cried. "We've come too far."

"How far away is our rescue?" Jason asked.

"They'll be here within the hour," Emily said, still hunched over the radio. It was massive, about the size of a large suitcase, and opened up like one. Inside was the radio equipment, along with a portable diamond-shaped antenna.

For the first time since the Amber Continent, Jason looked at his wristwatch. One forty-two. "Maybe we can get help from the Leviathan," he said. All airships, no matter their purpose, carried weapons. Hope returned to everyone's eyes. Returning the headset to her ears, Emily reconnected with the airship. She spent the next ten minutes conversing with the ship's radio operator, explaining the situation.

Finally, she lowered the headset and, turning to Jason, said, "They'll try to be here as fast as they can."

"Now, we can only hope that they can get here before the Rattus's come back."

At that moment, Angelina's face paled. Following her gaze, Jason's face sagged, as climbing down the steps with haste, he saw the Rattus's.

"Damn," Ann snarled.

"What do we do?" Katie asked. No one answered.

"I'll delay them," Jason said, watching as the Rattus's disappeared from view. 

"I'll come too," Angelina said, but Jason stopped her. She looked horrified. "If you go back down there by yourself, you'll die."

"Better one lost than two," he said. Angelina's mouth hung open to counter that, but no words came out. All around, heads hung low. Sapien's always valued the path to victory that cost the least amount of sapien lives.

Finally, Angelina drew him into an embrace and kissed him. When her lips left him, she whispered, "Survive." Jason nodded and disappeared back down the ventilation shaft. Unlike mammalian's, who said, 'Good-bye,' sapiens didn't. They considered it bad luck as if implying that you would never see that person again. Sapiens instead said, 'Til I see you again,' suggesting that nothing terrible would happen to them. In the early days of sapien culture, you farewelled someone by saying, 'Survive.' These days, those who undertook, what essentially would be a suicide mission, received that farewell.

The fumes were overwhelming even from the top of the shaft, so Jason had to put on his make-shift mask. As he dropped down, he heard the door to the cellar open.

[***! What is that, stench?]

[Oh, *, our chemicals have all spilled; And all our notes are soaked!] Loud expletives followed this.

[Never mind that, where are our test subjects?] The Rattus's were in the room now. [*! They got out again!] Jason carefully waited just out of sight from the end of the shaft.

A sharp, skidding sound floated up. [Don't rush, *, the floor is slippery.]

[They're not here. They must have escaped the room.] More loud expletives and coughing followed.

[**! We can't stay here, and we have to get out; Now!]

[Unclog the ventilation shaft, and throw open the door!] Jason saw the rags pulled out, and there was a chaotic scrambling. Intermixed, he could make out Lupus' voices. There were arguing, shouts and curses. Finally, the room was silent. Carefully, he edged his way down and looked out of the shaft. The room was dark but empty. He could see the rope ladder and the open hatchway beyond. The fumes were lessening now, as they now had an escape from the cellar. He eased himself down to the ground and looked around. What could he do?

Suddenly, a large shape slid down the rope. When it settled at the bottom, Jason gaped in shock as Ssith glared at him. [You,] she snarled. [I knew I heard something down here. Where are the rest?]

[Somewhere you won't find them, "Bitch!"]

With a roar, Ssith ran for him. Jason turned to run, only to realise there was nowhere to run too. He turned back, just in time to see her outstretched, unsheathed clawed fingers reaching for him. 

Unseen by either of them, Ssith stepped right into a large puddle of chemicals. Her foot came down hard and immediately slipped out from under her. She wasn't even able to yell out as she slammed face first into the stone ground with a sickening crunch. Jason sprinted for the pots.

Behind him, Ssith let out a muffled bellow of pain and rage. As he reached the pots, he turned, seeing the Rattus climb to her feet, nose red and bleeding. Jason ducked into the jars and eased himself through them towards the back wall. When his hand's touched stone, he could hear the sounds of pots being pulled aside and thrown. He looked up.

Bracing himself against the pots, he began to climb up the wall. Up he climbed until he reached the top of the stack. Looking out, he could see Ssith. She was randomly grabbing all pots and tossing them aside, heedless if they broke. She was very close to him. Jason's eyes widened as a plan formed. Bracing himself against the stone wall, he placed both feet against the pot he hid behind and pushed. It didn't budge. He kept trying with all his might.

At that moment, Ssith yanked the jar, below his away, and he felt the pot sway. He pushed as hard as he could. The pot tipped, fell, and shattered over Ssith's head. She stumbled, tripped and hit the ground hard. Jason looked down to see her moaning on the floor. Carefully, he jumped down the remaining pots, and using her body as a cushion, lept the rest of the way to the ground.

He looked around the room, only to start coughing. The fumes still choked the air down here. He felt his vision sway slightly. He had to get out of here. Once outside, he could think of a plan. His legs were pounding across the floor towards the rope ladder. Peering up, he spied no Rattus's waiting at the top and started to climb. Up and up, he climbed until he, at last, reached the top. Emerging from the hole, Jason looked around. Which direction was the exit?

[I'll make you suffer!] He felt the rope beneath him, tighten and sway. Ssith was climbing up. Jason bolted for the nearest bookshelf. There was no time for delay. He needed to hide. No sooner had he slipped in between the clay tablets than Ssith emerged, her face twisted with rage. [Where are you, you vermin?]

Peering out from the shadows, Jason saw Ssith's eyes were red and her nose still bleeding. Her eyesight would be of no help to her in that state, and neither would her nose, he released. Ssith looked around. She blinked a few times before sniffing the air. She immediately started sneezing and held her nose.

[You haven't gone far,] she mumbled. [I will find you, and then you'll pay!] She stood tall and let her ears swivel from side to side. Jason backed away and into the darkness until all he could see were her legs. After a few moments, the legs spun around. [Where are you?] she roared. The legs moved towards the bookshelf where he hid. Jason tensed as she crouched down and glared at the bottom shelf. 

As her ears slowly scanned the shelf, Jason held his breath. He kept as still as possible. Even as her ears passed over him and moved on, Jason didn't let out his breath. His lungs were screaming for oxygen when, with an angry snarl, she crawled away. Slowly, he opened his mouth and let out his breath. He waited again. There was no triumphant cry or pounding of feet. There was a smash of a clay tablet, followed by a frustrated snarl.

She then started violently coughing again. [I've got to get out of here,] she snarled. Then she was gone. Jason waited for just over a minute before moving to the edge of the tablet and looking out. Ssith was indeed gone. Carefully, he eased himself out and onto the floor of the library. 

The urine-soaked rag no longer stank, but it wasn't as effective as before. Jason had to leave the area; the fumes were now starting to fill the library. Making sure that nothing was lurking behind the corner, he began towards what he hoped was the exit.

He spun as something crashed to the floor. His eyes widened in horror; Ssith was behind him. She'd attempted to sneak up from behind, but her condition from the fumes caused her to stumble into the shelf, knocking over some clay tablets. She cursed loudly and started scrabbling towards him.

Jason bolted. Behind him, Ssith spluttered and sneezed. He reached the end of the aisle and turned to look around. He now stood at a 'T' intersection. Behind him, Ssith was half crawling. The fumes now seemed to be everywhere. He wasn't a chemist, but he did understand that fumes always filled up the room from the top down. Maybe he could use that to his advantage. He watched as she crawled towards him. 

Then, she coughed again, closing her eyes. Jason bolted to his right before rushing around the other side of the shelf and jumping into piles of scrolls - Right as Ssith appeared at the corner. From within the scrolls, Jason could hear her ragged breathing. She coughed violently and almost threw up from the sound of it. He barely made out a garbled comment to get out of the building before her footsteps pounded away. He lay there, listening to the sounds of running, receding away. 

Laying there in the scrolls, Jason still didn't move. It wasn't until he could smell the fumes over his urine that he realised he had to get out of here too. He didn't bother masking his sounds as he raced for the exit.

[You do understand, you haven't beaten me?] Ssith's voice echoed from far away. [Simply smashing all our chemicals and destroying our notes has accomplished nothing. We Rattus's are the smartest mammalian's in the room. We hold the secret to the formula in our heads. It's nothing but a minor setback. We have accomplished our goal; The poison works. All you have accomplished is a temporary delay.] 

Jason followed the sound of her voice. She was no doubt at the exit, and he needed to get out of here. He smirked at the irony. If he stayed in the library, the fumes would overwhelm him. And if he didn't, Ssith was waiting for him at the exit. How did that old saying go? 'Stuck between the Vulpus and the Burning Tree.'

Finally, the fumes lessened in intensity. Jason neared the exit. He reached one last shelf and peered out. Tables and chairs lay before him, and above them, he could see the double doors, wide open. Somewhere over there, Ssith was waiting for him. He started coughing all of a sudden. He stuffed his cloth mask further into his mouth in an attempt to stifle the sounds.

[I heard that!] Jason looked up as the pounding of feet drew closer. He did the only thing he could think of and dived into the bottom shelf. It was full of clay tablets, and he could squeeze to the back. There, Jason waited, not daring to breathe. A dark shadow appeared from outside. [Your coughing came from here,] Ssith teased. He could see her form from outside. She coughed again before reaching where he was hiding. Putting her hand in the very end, she swept it along, knocking at least six clay tablets from the shelf. [You can only hide in the bottom row,] Ssith said, examining the space she'd uncovered. Jason saw her gaze float over the rest of the tablets.

She reached out again, and Jason skittered further back as she swept more tablets from the shelf. Now there were only four left, and he crouched behind the very last one. Outside, Ssith coughed and spluttered. [Nowhere left to hide.] Jason braced himself. This was it. He readied himself. He wasn't going to go down without a fight.

He waited. And waited. 

Nothing happened.

From outside, Ssith coughed loudly. Jason's eyes widened as he realised from the sound of it, she was some distance away. He carefully peeked out from behind the clay tablets, just in time to see the back of Ssith rushing for the entrance. He frowned. Why did she leave? 

Then, he heard it. From outside came a muted commotion. Ssith was gone now. Jason shook his head in disbelief. She had him; why did she give up? His eyes went wide, and he looked at his wristwatch.

Two fifty-one.

A giant grin appeared beneath his mask as he leapt from the bookshelf and raced towards the entrance. Passed the tables and chairs he ran before he found himself in the lobby. Ssith stood outside, just passed the double doors. Her back was to him, but he could see her tail was still - frozen in place. The commotion was more audible now. Excited Lupus cries filled the air, along with the continuous moan of a horn.

He could still smell the fumes. Carefully, he tip-toed to the entrance. Ssith appeared to be preoccupied with the events outside. As he drew closer, he could see her gaze aimed towards the sky. Her ears seemed to be trembling. Gently, he eased himself through the doors and around to her side. Not too far away stood her comrades, all gaping up in awe. Ssith's expression was different. It was a mix of emotions, but there was recognition in her eyes.

Following her stunned gaze, Jason saw the airship. The Leviathan hovered in the sky like a beacon. It was bigger than any airship he'd ever seen, with two four-inch cannon's on ball turrets slung underneath. It hung very low in the sky, hovering not too far from the library.

Below was a frenzy of activity as Lupus's ran with purpose. Many gathered in groups to hide behind walls, windows and doorways. All carried bows and arrows. They were fast. They were leaning out from their hiding spots to fire at the airship before ducking back down. 

Even from the doorway of the library, Jason could hear their excited yips and barks. He felt a little sick to his stomach. While the Prime Alpha had guaranteed his, and the girls' safety, there was no such guarantee for the Leviathan's crew. All of them were eager to taste Sapien flesh.

However, the crew of the airship weren't exactly idle. Along the gondola, hatches flung open, and long, thin barrels that glinted in the afternoon sun slid out. The entire side of the Leviathan erupted in spouts of flame as multiple rifle shots rang out. Jason gasped. Those were the new Double Barrel .600 Nitro Express guns. They were supposed to introduce them during his compulsory militia service, but he finished his stint before being trained to use them. They were big, loud and powerful.

Below, Lupus's screamed, either in pain or terror, as bullets struck stone, wood and flesh. Even before the smoke cleared, the rifles slid back in to be replaced by another wave. They were deploying volley fire. The Lupus were quick to adapt to this and started firing while the two ranks were switching. To counter this, the crew then began firing at will. Whenever arrows arced skyward, rifle fire always peppered the area.

A sudden movement from above drew his eye. Looking further up, Jason saw a flock of black-feathered Corax's, flying straight for the airship. Jason's heart pounded against his ribcage. The girls were safe. As he watched them pass, he couldn't help but cry with joy. Ann, Katie, Emily, and Angelina. All of them would make it home. Katie's two boys would have their mother back. After everything he'd experienced. Unable to save everyone back at Tribus City, he'd made up for it with this sacrifice. 

The Rattus's were too stunned to move, frozen in mid-flight. It was then that he spied Ssith. She was shaking with fear. Each time a shot rang out, it was like something jabbed her in the back. He remembered seeing the recognition within her eyes. There was no doubt in Jason's mind; this was not her first encounter with an airship. 

Just then, the step in front of her exploded in a shower of stone. One of the Rattus's disappeared in a cloud of red, and the other's scrambled for safety. Ssith lept backwards. As she did this, Jason came into her field of view, and she turned towards him. For a moment, the two of them stared at each other, not moving or speaking. The remains of Ssith's former friend covered half her body, creating a macabre double-image. Standing before her, Jason understood there was nowhere to run. She'd be upon him before he could manage two steps. Jason smiled. If this were to be the end, he'd go out with a smile.

[Do you like my friends' handiwork?] he asked, indicating towards the airship. Ssith turned, only to quickly look back at him. [I have to ask, did you plan for this?] She didn't respond. He smiled up at her. [I did. My fellow sapiens and I organised all of this.] He swept his arm out over the scene before them. [You thought you had everything planned. Every last detail worked out.] He grinned. [You didn't count on one factor; the sapien factor.] He paused. [You were right. We sapiens are smart. We are survivors, and we have survived you. Rattus's maybe the smartest mammalians in the room,] he paused again. A lot longer this time. [But sapiens aren't mammalians.]

For a second, there was nothing. Then Ssith's face twisted into pure hatred. In a flash, her hand shot out, snatching him up in her fist. She held him directly in front of her muzzle. [I'm going to make you suffer a world of pain,] she snarled. At that moment, Jason felt nothing. No fear or dread. He just smiled calmly.

Unknown to either of them, the Corax's made the trip back to the Leviathan. Once secured within the avian bay, the twin ball turrets underneath the gondola's swivelled, drawing their two main guns on the library.

Neither of them turned as the two four-inch cannon's bellowed, spewing flame from their muzzles. The top section of the column to their right exploded. Ssith ducked as stone rained down atop her. She was fast, rolling to one side, as debris crashed down where she'd been standing seconds before. Still moving, she was on her feet in half a second, staring up at the airship. From her right hand, Jason couldn't see the expression on her face. [No,] she whispered. [Not again.]

The cannon's roared. Ssith howled and ducked behind another column as the front steps erupted in stone and fire. When the din died down, she lifted him to her muzzle. [You haven't won,] she snarled. [I still have the formula in my head. I'll go somewhere else and start again. Then you will pay. All sapiens will pay!]

Jason never heard what she said next. As she spoke, the cannons fired again. One of the shells struck a column and exploded. The other shell was on a path to hit just above the door. Before the cannon fired, the first column, struck during the opening salvo, finally collapsed. As the shell sped towards its target, falling debris struck its side.

The blow changed the trajectory, and it sailed on through the library's open door, where it collided with the top of a shelf. Amazingly, it didn't explode but glanced off and slammed right into a wall, exploding. The explosion would've been meaningless had the entire library not been filled with the glyphosate fumes that spread to every corner. 

And the exposed iron ore deposits that littered the ceiling.

Finely dispersed glyphosate can form explosive mixtures in the air, which can react with iron. When the shell exploded, it ignited the glyphosate fumes, which responded to the iron ore deposits, creating a chain reaction. The result was the explosion continued to expand. Within the first second of impact, a tremendous fireball consumed the entire library. It reached into every nook and cranny. Clay tablets exploded, and papyrus scrolls burned. Shelves and furniture were thrown or splintered from the force. The fireball had consumed all oxygen within the library, creating a vacuum. Naturally, the flame followed the next course of action. It rushed, with tremendous force, for the nearest source of oxygen; the library entrance. 

Both Jason and Ssith heard the explosion and looked up, just in time to see it rushing towards them. Ssith shouted something and lept - still holding Jason, just as the library's front entrance exploded with unimaginable fury. The columns, having suffered damage from the airship's guns, were blown clear out. They tumbled and fell towards the city below. High above, the frieze, now unsupported, hung suspended in mid-air as if mocking gravity. Then, the vast marble structure broke in two, allowing gravity to claim it. The two halves tumbled over and over down the grand staircase.

Jason never saw all this. His world was spinning, increasing in speed. Suddenly, it ended with a sickening crunch. The world uplifted once more, then returned with another wet crunch. He was airborne a third time, and when he returned to earth, there was a splattering, squelching sound. Then he was tumbling over stone and rock.

When it, at last, came to an end, Jason lay still. His body ached. He'd instinctively gone into a fetal position as he rolled, covering his head. Gingerly, he tested all his limbs. Nothing broken. He lay there, looking up into the afternoon sky.

High above, the Leviathan was swaying from the shockwave. When it stabilised, the engines roared to life. The rudders swung hard left, and the mighty airship turned around. With its nose aimed towards the ocean, it powered up with everything it had and sped for the open sea.

Jason smiled, watching from his position on the ground as it left the city behind. He continued to watch as it became a blur, then a dot, and finally, vanished from sight altogether. Nobody died. They'd all escaped.

Placing his hands on either side, he eased himself up and looked around. The first sight that greeted him was the library. It was nothing more than a smoking hole in the mountainside. Blasted stone rubble lay strewn all around him. The top section of the city had suffered the worst damage. Up here, a house with a roof was a rare sight. Floating over the din came the cries of the wounded. 

Lupus's limped around, while some stumbled—other's organised rescue efforts to pull those out from collapsed buildings. Jason looked back up the mountainside. He'd fallen a great distance. How had he surviv-?

As he looked around, he found the answer to that question. Ssith had been holding him when the shockwave had thrown them. She lay only a few feet away from him. The broken bones protruding from her bleeding fur guaranteed he wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. He flashed a rude gesture at her and grinned. 

"So much for keeping the formula in your head, you fucking bitch!" he spat.

{Jay-sun?} He turned to see Tac, a look of horror on his face. {You survived?} He rushed towards him, scooping him up in his hands. {Are you injured? Is anything broken?}

{I'm fine,} he said, thumbing towards Ssith. {She broke my fall.} Tac turned and winced. 

{You promised me you wouldn't do anything stupid!} he snapped. Jason waved it away, not bothering to look up at the Sciuridae.

{Tac, I make no apology for my actions. The fate of my species comes first; I did what needed doing.}

{What are you talking about?}

*!

Both turned at the sudden shout to see Hark. The Prime Alpha stood not too far away from Tac. He must have been with him when he came up the mountainside. The Lupus was staring at the smoking hole that had once been his library. Jason could see the tears in his eyes.

**, he whispered. *. Then, he looked down and spied Ssith. There was fury in his eyes now. Jason could tell he wanted revenge against her for what had happened. Finally, he looked around, rage visible on his features as he looked for the rest of the Rattus's. Then, his gaze found Jason. {You!} he pointed a clawed finger at him. {I want to see you in my throne room; NOW!}