4

4

Dusk noticed that most of the chiropters had scratches and cuts. Some were covered in blood; others looked like they had broken bones. On some of their helmets, he noticed spots of what looked like fruit syrups, tree sap, or mud where thorns should be. Then he figured it out. These were the chiropters he had seen last night at the attack.

A chiropter with a helmet covered with leaves and thorns stepped forward.

"Who are you and what is your business?" he demanded.

"We… um… uh…" Dusk didn't know what to say.

"We are scouting for our colony," said Sylph, "There are felids in this land."

A whisper went around the helmeted chiropters.

"Silence!" boomed the leader. He turned to Dusk, "I am Shadow, commander of the Tree Bark Regiment. We are friends."

"Huh?" said Dusk, not understanding a single word he heard.

"The Tree Bark Regiment is the group of warriors that defend this area of the forest. Unfortunately, the saurians have taken over our territory and we have been forced to move into your colony's territory."

"Okay…"

"You have heard enough."

Suddenly, the chiropters surrounding them sank into the canopy of the trees and disappeared.

"Better report this to Auster," whispered Sylph.

"Dusk was too stunned to do anything but nod.

"Explain again please," said Auster.

Dusk sighed. He had tried to tell his older brother about the strange group of chiropters but no one understood what he was talking about.

"Listen. A bunch of chiropters with shells and thorns on their heads that call them selves 'the Tree Bark Regiment' moved to our territory! Not that hard to understand!"

"And you saw them several times?"

"Once during the attack, twice on the scouting trip."

"Are they friendly?"

"They said that they were, but do you think you should trust them?"

"What do you think?

"You're the leader!"

Dusk sighed again. His brother must have been the most inexperienced leader the colony had ever had.

"Go find them", he said, "Talk to them. I think I know where they are."

Auster took a handful of chiropters with him to find the Tree Bark regiment. Dusk and Sylph acted as guides to find them.

"This was the place where we last saw them," said Dusk, "They have to be somewhere."

He quietly used his echovision to look around the area. Several shapes lay motionless in the bushes and trees. He recognized the shapes,

"They're watching us," he whispered, "Let's keep going."

Something moved nearby. When Dusk looked, it had disappeared. He listened for a sound. There was nothing but bugs stirring. With another echovision glance, he saw another shape in the ground below them. There was some whispering coming from the leaves.

Suddenly, something knocked Dusk to the ground. The rest of the group was also knocked down. Dusk looked up. A chiropter with a helmet had him pinned down; his claws at his throat. Several other chiropters were surrounding them and others pushed the rest of his group together.

"Stop this!" shouted Auster, "We want to talk!"

A single chiropter stepped forward. Other bowed slightly to him as he passed. It was Shadow.

"What do we have here?" he asked the chiropter holding down Dusk.

"Spies, sir," they were coming through the Tree Line Pass.

Shadow looked down at Dusk.

"You again?" he said.

"We only want to talk," said Dusk.

"Who is your leader," he demanded.

"Him," Dusk pointed at Auster, "My brother Auster."

Shadow pointed at a chiropter to hold Dusk down as he turned his attention to Auster.

"What do you want?"

"We just heard that you moved here and wanted to… um…"

Dusk sighed. His brother had no clue of what to say.

"We have come to see if you can help us," he said.

"Silence!" the chiropter holding him down pressed his foot down on Dusk's head.

"Hey!" shouted Sylph, "Stop hurting my brother!"

The chiropter holding Dusk down plucked a thorn from his helmet.

"See this?" he said, "This is tipped with soricid venom and poison berry juice. When the two mix, they make a deadly mixture. One prick and your dead," he presses it to Dusk's neck, "You wouldn't want that to happen to your brother, would you?"

Sylph stopped talking. The chiropter snickered.

"Stop this!" shouted Shadow, "Let him speak."

Dusk spoke up again, "If you help us fight the felids, we will offer you hospitality. We know this land, you don't."

"How do you know we don't?" sneered the chiropter holding Dusk down.

"You wouldn't be living here if you did."

"Why?" Shadow leaned over Dusk.

"You currently happen to living in soricid nesting ground. A wonder you haven't been attacked."

"Actually we have," exclaimed the chiropter holding down Sylph.

Shadow shot him a deadly glare. The chiropter winced and backed off. Shadow turned back to Dusk.

"What do you propose?"

"Help us defend our colony, and you can join it."

Shadow looked around at the members of the Tree Bark Regiment.

"We will give you our answer tomorrow."