"Where'd he go?"

The bunny mute scratched her head as she walked through the clearing. Her friend always pulled tricks like this. Telling her to 'look that way' and pull himself from view at the last second, disappearing from sight. He'd always reveal himself not long after, though. And he was really, really good at it. It was getting rather annoying as his habit over the years, but sometimes it was much needed humor in current trying times. However, his absence drew on longer than she was used to. Longer than she'd ever expect him to.

The bunny passed a few more trees before attempting to pass over a large line of bushes.

"Tickens, this isn't funny anym-"

Her breath stopped as she went through the thick bush, her eyes immediately catching the form of someone familiar. The form of her friend.

Tickens.

"Tickens?" the bunny called out, his unmoving form on the ground giving her slight chills. He never played dead before.

"Tickens, this isn't funny anymore. You're going too far!" she agitatedly called out as she got closer.

She pushed the form of her friend over and easily noticed the two fairly large bite marks on his side. She gasped as her friend's eyes flickered open slowly and she swore she heard him whisper something. So she got closer to his mouth as he repeated himself.

"Run..." she heard faintly.

"Run? Run from what? I need to ge-"

The loud hiss and follow-up strike was too quick for the bunny to register and before she knew it, her form was launched against a tree. Her body went limp as she slid to the ground, unconscious. A massive snake leered over her as it rattled it's spear-tipped tail.

"At least this one didn't struggle..." Stryker said in a whisper, gripping the bunny's body within his coils.

He kept his one good eye on the other bunny for a short moment before continuing back towards Diamond Cutter territory. They were down a couple of colosseum rewards and he needed more to make up for the lack thereof. Still short of his intended number and out of time, he had to settle for just the bunny. Stryker agitatedly made way back to his clan.

He looked back at the motionless bunny he dragged behind himself and lowered his gaze in a slight uncertainty.

'No. No weakness.' Stryker scolded. 'No weakness.'

"And so for the third time in a row, you've failed in your duty to replenish our lack of unwilling tributes. Are you losing your edge, Stryker?" Nevarr asked with a sharp tone, wagging his spiked tail back and fourth in front of him.

"No, your lordship. I was ju-"

"You were just lucky enough to be granted one more day devoid of punishment. What I did to your eye upon our first meeting can easily be replicated. Do not FAIL me again. Do you understand?"

Stryker nearly flexed his sharp fangs through a well-hidden and built-up disdain, but he held himself.

"Yes, your...lordship."

Behind them both, a Diamond Cutter rushed into the underground cave and stopped hurriedly in their presence.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Nevarr-sir, but-"

"What is so important for you to come to me at this time, solider!?" Nevarr shot out, getting too close for the lackie's comfort.

"Si-sir, it's those humansss! They've returned. And they've brung their end of the deal with them. They're outside waiting for you now." the Diamond Cutter stated, lowering himself under the weight of Nevarr's venomous glare.

A glare that slowly changed into that of mischievous delight.

"Alright then. Let's ssssee to them. And hopefully their return isn't fruitless. Would hate to have to kill them right off the cuff." Nevarr told them, slithering past a stagnant Stryker.

As the natural light of the outside world returned to him once more, Nevarr's exhaled dramatically, the two humans standing front and center.

"Got you some guitars." Knox raised Cotton's electric in the air.

"I see, human." Nevarr got extra close and eyed the red acoustic strapped around Lute's shoulder, replacing his lute. "And you've gone the extra mile with retrieving them both! How unexpected. I see yer' definitely the types that tries their best not to die."

"Yeah, you're right." Knox replied. He raised a pointer finger. "But that's not it. You should see what we did to get them. Then you'll really be shocked."

Nevarr narrowed his one good, unpatched eye. "What do you mean, human?"

Knox held his response back for dramatic flair.

"The Umlaut Snäkes are all incapacitated right now as we speak."

Nevarr's eyes widened slightly, but it wasn't noticeable to anyone else.

"No amount of stolen Umlaut guitars will ever convince me of that."

Lute stepped forward, waving the acoustic in front of him.

"Before we got this, we got into a scuffle with them. We fought in a rock battle for our lives and won, but just barely. After that, we convinced them to fight against you-"

Nevarr angrily slapped a spiked tail against the ground next to the two humans, causing them to flinch to the side.

"You did WHAT? I should kill you ri-"

Knox stepped forward in haste.

"Would you let us finish? We "convinced" them to fight against, you, but only as a ploy. We know us and those stupid guitar snakes don't have the numbers for your clan! But we did encourage them to get a good drink...and we intoxicated them. They're all vulnerable and you can finish them off right now."

Nevarr paused and continued his analytical stare at the two, gradually lifting his spike tail high above them. He slithered up to Knox and Lute until they were mere inches apart.

"If I find this to be a trick, I'm going to clip both of your legs so you can't move. Then I'm going to patiently and very carefully bash you both to a most painful exit from this earth." Nevarr claimed with a widened smile.

Knox got as close as he physically could to the Diamond Cutter leader.

"Trust me. My best friend is on the line. I already risked her doing this for you," Knox emphasized the blue electric guitar in his hands. "I'm not going to risk her for something I didn't even need to do. This is to assure you to actually give her back."

Knox mirrored the peering Nevarr's eyes and he was left in an internal suspense before he pulled back swiftly and turned to his second-in-command.

"Stryker...stay here. Watch the rewards. I'm going to have a lil' looksie on our human friends' claims. I'm bringing half the party with us. If you hear screaming humans...well that just means I've come back not so satisfied with what I found. Stay sharp."

Stryker tensed up as Nevarr pulled his head in closer.
"And don't forget what I said."

Stryker looked up and gradually met eye-to-eye with his superior.

"I won't."

Knox and Lute were surrounded by more than thirty dozen snakes. They ventured through the forests and into more barren terrain, and every stray mute that caught side of the bizarre group quickly retreated in the other direction. The Diamond Cutters were clearly not abided well with a lot of creatures.

Now knowing the route a whole lot better than their first trek, traversing back to Cactus Town was tremendously easier than their first go. Still, Knox hoped it would take longer. Maybe they hadn't done enough. Maybe they were all still-

"Human."

Knox turned to Nevarr, his expression neutral and his heart exhilarated.

"If I find this all to be true, we won't ever lay a single fang or spiked tail on your and your group for as long as you all live. As long as you don't trespass again. Sound good to you?" Nevarr offered, a sly look taking over.

"Sounds like a plan." Knox said back, bringing his attention back in front as Lute mirrored the action right beside him.

Knox gritted his teeth as they spotted the cactus's in the near distance.

Lute poked through the wall of cactus's that lead into the main residence of the Umlaut Snäkes. Drawing back, he waved them over.

"Ha, they're all still hungover! It's all clear, Nevarr-sir...your lordship...your highne-"

Nevarr moved past him, uninterested in his flattery. Breaking off multiple cactus spikes as he passed, he got the full package of his greatest wishes. All around him were numerous Umlaut Snäkes all laid out on the barren ground, some still moaning in their supposed afflictions.

"Well, well. Never thought I'd see it. Was ready at any moment to strike you two down for lyin'!" Nevarr mused aloud to the humans, swerving his head towards the two very familiar faces amongst the multiple Umlauts.

"Cotton and Camille...what a pleasant surprise. The last time I saw you both vulnerable like this was when I had you all begging for your lives a long while ago!" Nevarr slid up to the two Umlaut leaders and conjured a fit of uncontrolled laughter. He brung his head in front of Cotton's, giving her a sharp look full of hatred. "Can't even bring yourself to form words? Where's all that tough talk gone?"

Cotton tried lifting her head, but it fell back to the ground following a low moan.

"KA-KAW, KA-KAW!"

The sudden noise echoed out from somewhere above them. The sound was enough to draw the attention of all the Diamond Cutters and caused them to look to-and-fro for the source. Nevarr's first thought was a mute bird ambush, but it never came. What did come was something he had seen coming far too late.

Nevarr's eyes widened at the revelation of the origin of the bird noises. A black rat mute arose from atop a far away building and brung his gloved hands from his mouth, laughing at his own foolery.

"Here's your damn tough talk, a-hole!"

The revelation that Cotton was fine had no time to process through Nevarr's mind as the end of the Umlaut's tail rose from it's concealment behind her body. It came into full view and the long, sharp cactus spike she held within it's curl sped straight at Nevarr's face with his one good eye in mind. Unfortunately, the spike failed to hit it's intended mark, as Nevarr had flinched his head back. It instead imbedded in the side of his neck.

"You little piece of sh-" As Nevarr pulled the spike out, something whizzed past him and a thump was heard behind him.

Nevarr turned around and found one of his subordinates had gone stiff. An axe had pierced straight into it's cranium. Then it collapsed into a heap. And all of it it within a span of three seconds.

"CHARGE! YUMYAN OWNS YOU ALL!"

Within mere seconds, an entire wave of Timbercats fully poured from inside and behind buildings. They wasted no time with engaging the enemy, and before Nevarr could respond he was slapped harshly across the face by Camille's tail. The whip sent Nevarr back into a couple of his soldiers.

Shaking off the daze, he hissed an ear-piercing hiss and screamed out.

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

Knox and Lute made it towards the closest building to avoid getting caught within the crowd of snake strikes and axe flailing. With the handle of his katana gripped, he watched on, waiting for some kind of opening to attack. They had to do something. They couldn't sit all of this out...

Yumyan had emerged from behind one of the many buildings on top of his beloved flea, Pierre with Molly saddled behind him. He charged into the raging crowd with an axe in one hand. With a mighty swing, he left one Diamond Cutter severed in two. Molly vaulted from the flea mute and as she was suspended in the air, she grinned widely, claiming an axe in each paw and gave out a mighty shout. She crashed into two other Diamond Cutters. The various Umlaut Snäkes rose out of their false weakened state and joined alongside their leader as the remaining Diamond Snakes began to readjust themselves.

After striking down one Timbercat, Nevarr caught Cotton's charging form too late as she shot headfirst into his chest, sending him back against the spikes of a few cacti. Enraged, he swung his spiked tail out as Cotton ducked under just in time. She backed off as he followed with another swing directly in front of him, missing the Umlaut leader by a small margin. Before Nevarr could retry his strike, an arrow whizzed by into Nevarr's chest and broke on contact.

Piercer sighed, defeated as the Archerat lowered his bow from afar.

"Why do I even try?"

"Enough of thisss!" Nevarr raged as he rushed Cotton and began to tussle with her.

"Cotton!" Camille she shouted in alarm as she took notice of her bandmates' struggle. However, she was stopped by a couple Diamond Cutters before she could get to her. The offending snakes hissed at her and failed to notice an angry Ruffles swing around in a rotation, multiplying the force in his axe. The axe made a direct hit against the first Diamond Cutter's neck, leaving it to bleed out and fall to the ground.

With the last one ready to strike, Camille readied herself before she heard a shout from behind.

Lute shook her red acoustic guitar in the air and tossed it to her. She flawlessly caught it around her tail and swung it back around just in time to strike the Diamond Cutter in the face. As Ruffles finished it off, Camille checked to find her guitar was perfectly fine. She kissed it and looked to Lute, nodding her head out of appreciation.

"Trust me, I understand." Lute chuckled.

Although they were giving everyone a tough time, the Diamond Cutters were losing their numbers. Nevarr brung his enraged sights back on Cotton.

"You and your merry band are gonna die slow for this. Especially the huma-."

"Just shut the hell up and fight me." Cotton interjected, hissing out as they circled each other.

Nevarr gave her a mocking smile before his face morphed into that of fury. He zig-zagged around her and swung his spiked-tipped tail at her. Cotton ducked and leaned away from his attempts at making her mince meat, growing more tired than she'd like to admit from all of the evading.

"That all you got, sour-cheeks?" Cotton taunted as she went in for a bite, missing and re-steadying herself.

As they circled one another again, Nevarr eyed the dusty ground. But only for a split second. Without warning, Nevarr slung his spiked tail against the barren terrain, shooting up dust into Cotton's eyes. She screamed out in surprise, unable to wipe the dust away.

She didn't see it, but she felt it.

She felt the sharp spikes impact her side, and the excruciating pain that followed. Everything was a jumble of random thoughts and worries before Cotton's head hit the ground. She twitched and groaned, trying to pull it together...but she couldn't lift herself off the ground.

Cotton knew it was Nevarr that she heard approaching, but the call that followed gave her heart a bit more solitude in her vulnerability.

"Cotton!" Camille shouted as she slithered speedily for her injured form. Nevarr's tail spike was just moments from being slammed into her once again.

"Not on my watch!" Camille screamed in rage as she rammed into Nevarr's side.

They both fell against the ground, and Camille wasted no time restraining the Diamond Cutter, coiling herself around Nevarr in an attempt to hold him down. But he was no weakling. His attempts at breaking free were near to being successful, but Camille refused to let go.

"Damn cowards, you Umlaut Snäkes are! I'm going to make you bleed when I'm free!" Nevarr proclaimed as he fought against Camille's weakening grip.

Knox watched as the helplessness pulled hard at his mind. After all of the traveling and peace-making, he was just going to sit on the sidelines? He couldn't hold himself back any longer. Sliding out his katana, he ran at towards the crowd to get to Camille and Cotton's aid. But just as he approached, a Diamond Snake was knocked in his direction by another Timbercat and the first enemy it set sights back on was him.

It hissed and struck out at Knox's form-

"HAH!"

The Diamond snake's eyes went blank as Molly pulled out her second axe to finish the kill. Yanking the axe from it's head, Molly looked to Knox and smiled wide. A bit eerie with splotches of blood staining her white fur but the human smiled back gratefully.

"I get you want to help but trust me human, we got this. You don't need to do anything because you think you owe-"

"I need to get to Cotton and Camille, right now! Cotton's hurt and..."

Knox trailed off as his he turned towards the building behind him and dragged his sights back to the struggling Camille and Nevarr. He had an idea. A stupid, ridiculous idea.

"Molly? Can you make sure no Diamond Snake comes to Nevarr's aid? I got an idea. Everyone's to busy fighting the-"

Molly heard a hiss from behind and before the approaching Diamond snake could get the drop on her, Yumyan came from behind and wrapped his arms around the snake, pulling it away and letting Ruffles give it a swift end.

Yumyan side-eyed Molly and Knox as he kept an axe at the ready.

"We're having dinner conversations in the middle of a skirmish?"

"I need you all to keep the Diamond Cutters busy. Cotton and Camille need our help, but your people need you both. I got this." Knox finished. He turned and ran for the side of the music building, finding the roof ladder.

He gripped the edges, shaking it quickly to test if it's durability was still reliable after the many years of it's dis-use. Lute came from behind and put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"What are you doing, man? There's a full on battle happening and you want a full-view?" Lute said with a tint of jest in his tone.

"Trust me, I'm either going to end this, or end up with some broken bones. Or both." Knox replied as he made his ascension up.

His first foot made contact with the top of the building. Approaching the edge with hurry, he looked down from his high place. He measured the distance between him and the wrestling Camille and Nevarr below. Knox was close enough. Close enough and high enough.

He looked at his reflection in his katana, his hands shaking at the weight of what he was about to do. He wasn't strong enough to push a blade through a mute snake like the Timbercat could. From this height, however, the blade was sure to pierce straight through whoever it was aimed at. In this case, that 'whoever' was Nevarr.

He was going to try and-no...he was going to end this. There was no more time. He needed to hurry and decide.

Knox set a foot on the ledge and peered down at Camille and Nevarr's struggle again. The Diamond Cutter was trying to swing his spiked tail into Camille, but kept missing by a few feet. He wouldn't stay unlucky for long. Clutching the katana blade in his hands, Knox breathed in and breathed out.

"No time for weakness. Not after everything they've done for me..." Knox said to himself.

Camille was slowly loosing her grip on Nevarr. She squeezed harder, but she couldn't fool herself for any longer. He was getting free.

"Camille! Look up!"

Camille blinked and searched until she found the voice's source.

"What in the-why are you up there? Are you crazy?"

"I need you to hold him still. I'm going to end this." Knox shouted from on top of the building, positioning his blade upside down in his grip.

Nevarr hissed and clipped Camille slightly with his tail spike.

"I'm going to make you all suffer!"

Camille's restriction was loosening.

"I can't hold him any longer, Knox!"

"Yes you can!" a familiar voice called out.

Cotton's form wrapped itself around Nevarr, joining Camille in their bid to keep Nevarr from freedom.
"Whatever you gonna...do kid, do it...now." she told him through the pain.

Knox breathed in.

'What if I miss? What if I...stabbed Cotton? Or Camille? What if-'

"Hurry!" Camille urged.

Knox gritted his teeth, then relaxed. He looked down once more and calculated his jump. Backing up, he built up a breath of air. Then he ran forth.

His foot left the ledge.

Everything for him seemed in slow motion.

Some of the mutes on the ground stopped their fighting to watch the strange human now falling from the sky.

Knox felt the unexplainable high of being elevated. But it only lasted for a second. Gravity brung him back to reality. The rush of air around him resisted against his body as he came down, his katana blade pointed towards it's intended target. But he felt off. Knox gripped his katana as it's edge sped down to a target he wasn't sure he was going to hit.

It was then that Nevarr shook free. He pushed Cotton and Camille off of him and raised his head at them, ready to strike them both dead.

This was his last mistake.

Before Nevarr could even register it, the katana's blade slid straight through his mouth, going through both of his jaws. The force of the fall broke Knox's grip on his sword and he was sent downwards, the brief hold on his sword taking away from most of the impact he made on the ground.

Nevarr gave off an ear-piercing screech that brought everyone out of their conflict with each other. The Umlaut Snäkes, Timbercats and Diamond Cutters alike witnessed Nevarr's pain and anguish as he spasmed about.

Eying the human that wounded him, he gurgled through the sword stuck through his mouth and raised his tail high above himself.

Knox's heart was racing fast but through the daze he still managed to roll out of the way of the upcoming spike that came down where he once was. By the time Knox looked back up, Nevarr was rushing for the exit of Cactus Town, stumbling over himself in the process. The Diamond Cutters hissed at their foes and retreated along with their leader. Piercer offered out a hand and helped Knox onto his feet.

As some of the Timbercats and Umlaut Snakes charged after, a whistle sounded off behind them. Yumyan Hammerpaw got off of Pierre and waved them back with an axe. "No need to rush. They won't get far. Let's make sure Cotton's oka-"

No!" Cotton raised her head with a hiss from the lingering pain. "Go after Nevarr. Make sure he get's his. I'll be alright. Don't worry, Umlauts. This one's a fighter."

"How about this," Molly said, walking up. "I stay here with you and our injured. Everyone else go after him. And Knox?"

Molly laid a paw on the human's shoulder.

"Do make sure you get your blade back. That was pretty out there what you did."

"I still can't believe I didn't break both my legs." Knox replied, still shaking from the adrenaline. "Let's get a move on. We can't let them get back before we do, or they'll end up killing my friend!"

"Alright. So be it! Though some of us have fallen, none of us have failed! Timbercats, Umlauts, let's end this!" Yumyan shouted as he raised and axe and remounted Pierre, leading them out of the barren town. Knox, Lute and Piercer followed.

Lute grabbed Knox's shoulder as they ran.

"Hey Knox?"

"Yeah?" Knox responded as he looked in his direction.

"That. Was. Awesome."