Zebil crouched down behind a pillar as a group of guards marched past him. He had managed to infiltrate Spurr's secret fortress in Madrid, but thus far, he hadn't discovered much of her plan. All he knew was that she had a legion of loyal soldiers on her side.

As he crept past another pack of armed men, Zebil felt an exhilarating rush. It reminded him of when he would sneak out of his cave as a kitten to see the hanging caterpillars that only turned visible at night. It had been well worth it, and he brought back the glowing creatures on more than one occasion, impressing his parents. Of course, the animals often died in his care. Pity. In any case, what he was confronted with now was far more intimidating than fire-spitting caterpillars.

When he rounded the corner, Zebil noticed a wide window that overlooked a huge, white chamber. Inside, a monstrous hybrid screeched as a woman with purple hair tried to fasten a muzzle on her. The animal looked like a mix between a shark and a seal, only it had leathery wings, a long crest, a beak with teeth, and dinky little talons between its flippers. More puzzling still, it had long, black hair and very humanoid eyes. The creature's face was soon covered by the muzzle, however, which had blinders like one might see on a carriage horse. Zebil shrunk away as the monster roared, tossing its head and sending the men who were trying to restrain it flying. A husky guard dashed over and shocked the animal with a taser. It went limp, groaning miserably.

Padding away from the strange sight, Zebil snuck through an open hallway. When he heard someone coming, he ducked into a ventilation shaft and continued to prowl across the building from above. A colony of rats parted as he drifted through the ceiling. He gave them a nod and continued on his way.

He soon reached a dead end, and decided to let himself drop into a strange prison environment. Hearing a light clicking sound, he peeked around the corner and frowned in confusion. A man with dark hair and a mustache was trying to use a hairpin to unlock a cell. Inside, a beige dinosaur with pink spots, blonde hair, and a glowing crest tapped her toes anxiously.

"Forget the pin! Find a key!"

"They wouldn't just leave a key lying around . . ."

Zebil rolled his eyes when he saw a set of keys hanging on the wall. With an internal sigh, he opened the lock with his magic.

"Ha! I told you I'd get it!" the man beamed, "Follow me. We'll make a break for it!"

Zebil waited until they were out of sight. When he was sure they were gone, he climbed into another vent and snuck across a wide stretch of ceiling. Just when he was about to exit again, he heard Julia Spurr's voice in an office below.

"They're still alive. Dearing's tracking device pinged a few miles away from the river. She's on the move."

Zebil peered through the grating and saw Spurr sitting at her desk. She had her back turned to him, but he could see the woman she was talking to as clear as day (not that it was hard to miss a purple-haired teenager whose wardrobe looked like the worst of the eighties incarnate).

"Like, whatever, Mom!" the girl snorted, "She's probably gonna die anyway!"

Spurr shook her head.

"Wrong. The Starbearer and the piss-colored dragon are helping her."

Hearing her talk about Elkay in such a vulgar tone made Zebil protract his claws. Oh, how he wished that she were here to defend herself. Had she heard the remark, she'd probably come up with a clever retort, such as "How appropriate, because urine trouble!". He'd have to remember that one.

"Mom, I gave that putrid man my wand. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Get the mozaradon ready. We're going to find Barry. By the time we're done with him, we can intercept Balenor."

"Balenor? The Starbearer is calling Balenor?"

Spurr nodded.

"I've sent Bernie to prevent Balenor from rescuing Dearing, but in all likelihood, he'll probably die. That's fine, he's expendable, but I need a backup plan."

"And will I get my wand back?" the girl asked sourly. Spurr put her hands on her shoulders.

"Yes, child. Of course. You must have patience, dear, if you're to be a Queen."

Ah, so that was her plan. She was trying to steal The Star from Ellie. Little did she know that it was bonded to her . . .

"Oh, I'm well aware of that, Zebil."

Zebil's eyes went wide. Before he could retreat, Spurr grabbed him with magic and dragged him down into the room, pinning him in place. She chuckled lightly as she stepped around him.

"You didn't think you were the only one with a manuscript, did you? . . ."

Zebil struggled to fight her magic, but she was too strong. He roared in fury as he thrashed around on the carpet, batting his claws around uselessly.

"You can't hold me forever, Spurr! I'm part of an elite group of highly-trained individuals, and our prowess is enough to-"

Suddenly, he burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

Zebil giggled.

"Hahaha! 'Doyouthinkhesaurus'! I just got it!"

Spurr stared down at him in disbelief.

"Wow. World domination is going to be easier than I thought . . ."

The purple-haired girl stomped her foot.

"My wand, Mummy!"

Spurr glared at her with an ice-cold stare.

"One more word out of you, and I'll kill you on the spot."

The girl shrunk away, knowing that her mother was dead serious. Spurr turned back to Zebil with a sneer.

"And as for you, I hope you don't have any plans for tonight, because you aren't going to make it home."

Zebil gulped.

"W-well . . . you're going to regret saying that . . . because . . . um . . ."

Spurr stared down at him with her arms crossed, unimpressed.

"While you finish that thought, I'll have my guards lock you up."

She pressed a button on her desk. Zebil felt his whiskers droop sadly.

"By the way, congratulations on releasing the acristavivafrons," Spurr said mockingly, "She's trying to escape with her little companion. They've stolen my sentient helicopter."

Zebil bit his lip.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to know just how much of a failure you are, even compared to pathetic, insignificant humans."

Zebil blinked.

"You're kind of mean."

Spurr smiled.

"You have no idea."