Lloyd flew along the mountain edge. Sand and grit flying up in swirls in a brown contrast to the pink skys. They had been in this realm for weeks. Flying and hunting and looking for portals everywhere. They had no luck so far. They had run into a whole lot of ghouls along the ground. But as long as they stayed off the low ground in the evening and night they were safe. The five of them getting along together was a far different matter. Feeling once again like the odd man out Lloyd was at probably his most miserable. He was happy for Cole and Bree. Wonderfully happy that they were together. Less happy that they in turn were sad and anxious to get home to their daughter. Watching Harumi and Morro together was less enjoyable. But for their part they really did try and avoid making him uncomfortable.

"Where in gods good green fuck are we going today?" Lloyd called over the whipping wind.

Cole ducked his dragon down in closer to be able to talk without screaming. Bree still riding behind him, rarely she would go with Lloyd. But not often.

"We've checked everywhere low and south of here that I can think of. The last two places are the cliffs on the one mountain where the Rocs nest and then the remains of Djinjago city. But the crumbled up ruins are pretty sure to be infested with ghouls. Like everywhere." Bree yelled over the wind back to him.

"Are we gonna be able to go during the day?" Morro called flying behind them.

"Best chance we've got of them not mistaking us for ghouls." She answered.

"That's always a pleasant plan. Best chance to avoid becoming bird food" Cole laughed.

Bree groaned and rolled her head back. The five headed north, three elemental dragons because Bree and Rumi both had none of their own. The land below so far had been all dessert and piles of sand and rock. But the farther along the north they go down below had some grasslands that gradually gave way to some trees scattered below. With both Bree and Rumi leaning over to look at that in confusion. It was spotty and had some meadows. But a sparse forest was starting to grow.

"I don't remember so many trees. Or even a forest anywhere in Djinjago." Bree called out.

Whatever response the others would have had was drowned out by yelps and screams. Instead of three very large dragons. Now the pink hued skys were full of three elemental dragons and a flock of rocs. For the uninitiated they were a flock of giant dragon sized eagles.

"Bree?!" Rumi called out.

"Just try flying slow and umm... not aggressively. Maybe." She answered.

"What the fuck is that suppose to mean" Lloyd yelled. Which was apparently the wrong thing to do. Several of the larger Rocs shrieked and banked in closer to him. Cutting Lloyd off from Cole and Morrows dragons.

"Hey no! Knock it off!" Cole shouted trying to shoulder the Roc out of Lloyds flying space.

The Roc turned its head and half cried half hissed at him. Making Cole and Bree recoil slightly. Turning back to Lloyd the bigger darker colored Roc flew in closer.

"I think they are just curious. But don't yell anymore " Bree called out softly.

"Just curious my ass" Lloyd grumbled.

Suddenly the larger Roc plowed right into Lloyd on his dragon. Nearly unseating him. Loosing his temper finally Lloyd lobbed a brilliant green ball of energy off in the direction of the giant bird. Causing it to scream and pitch away from him. Momentarily. With a lot more loud screeches the rest of the flock was on him and forcing him down onto the cliffside below.

"Now you've fucking done it Lloyd!" Morrow yelled at him.

Crashing into the rocks Lloyd dropped his dragon and drew up a defensive stance. Annoyed but less concerned than he might be if Morrow and Harumi and then Cole and Bree hadn't dropped down beside him. Bree pulling up a massive magical shield between themselves and the flock of angry Rocs. The eagles landed all around them. Not even scrambling on the jagged cliffs and easily climbing up and down. Even upside down. More like a parrot than anything else.

Watching and waiting all five grew more confused as the rocs crawled around them. Watching them in return and squawking and screeching to each other.

"Umm, anyone notice that they aren't attacking us yet?" Harumi asked in confusion.

"What the hell. You're right." Morrow replied.

Cocking her head to the side. Bree cautiously and slowly dropped the shield she held around you. The rocs didn't jump on them and attack. But watched in apparent fascination as the purple of her magic vanished.

"I wonder" Bree mused. And she brought up a ball of purple magenta magic and carefully and gently lobbed the ball off into the sky. Not directed at any of the birds. And each followed the glow of magic till it burnt out.

"Huh" Lloyd wondered as well. With that he nodded to Cole and both gathered up their elemental powers and shot them off into the sky.

The result was the same. The Rocs watching in curiosity. The biggest dark colored one edged closer to Bree, like it wanted to see what she looked like a little closer. Tilting its head back and forth at her.

"These guys are super odd" She laughed.

Reaching out like she was going to pet the Roc. It held its head down and closed its eyes like it was going to let her. Then suddenly snapped up grabbed Bree with a claw, spread its wings and took off. The sound of her high pitched yelp drawn out as the Roc dived down and flew off.

"Fuck! Bree hold on!" Cole yelled as he leapt off the cliff after her.

"Shit its going to eat her!" Lloyd screamed.

Lloyd pulled up his dragon diving after Cole. Morrow reaching for Harumi and quickly doing the same. Zooming alongside the cliff edge the last two dragons barely keeping up. Up ahead they could now see that Cole had used his elemental dragon to ram into the Roc. Which didn't seem like it wanted to let go. An obvious struggle was ensuing. Cole trying to grab Bree from the Rocs grip while it now flew wildly and haphazardly.

With a flash of purple magic Bree had apparently had enough and shape shifted into something too large for the Roc to hold onto. Gasps from Lloyd and Morrow as they saw what she had done. What exactly she could shape shift into. A very large dragon. A earth dragon to be precise. Far too heavy for the Roc to carry it dropped the dragon shaped Bree as Cole rammed into it once again from above. Both the Roc and Bree free falling for a few seconds before Bree shape shifted back with a snap of purple magic. Cole swooped and caught her as the Roc cried in disgust and pealed off in a different direction.

Lloyd didn't have time to worry about Bree or the fact that she wasn't moving and instead flopping wildly. He saw something else drop when Cole had banged into the Roc the very last time. He has thought it was a burst of loose dark feathers. But his heart felt like it had leapt into his throat as he realized it looked like it was a human.

Racing down after it Lloyd saw the ground coming up at them impossibly fast. He wasn't sure he was going to grab the person before they hit the ground and died in a sickening splat. At the very last second he reached out and snagged them by the arm. The person gripping onto him just as tightly as he gripped them. Spinning he turned his elemental dragon and starting climbing and gaining altitude again. Before tilting his head down to see just who the hell he was holding in his arms.