Chapter 14: Rats, Gods & Mines (Part 2)


Zak didn't dare to move nor look away from Romulus as he stared down at him. The larger rat briefly adjusted his crown before stooping down to take a closer look at the Greywing.

"Remove the gag." He ordered without raising his voice. With a quickness that spoke volumes of how much respect the female rat had for their king, the rope and the cotton was removed with ease, finally giving the Greywing relief before Romulus grasped his chin. His face was turned to the left, then to the right, not resisting in the slightest until he was released.

Then the king moved on to Shade and Marina, though he didn't lay a hand on them. Merely observing them with his own eyes, gauging them carefully on whether or not he believed his soldiers' accusations. He only hummed thoughtfully as he stepped back, glancing between the two younglings and the older bat.

"They're not spies." He stated bluntly, earning curious murmurs amongst the crowd that had gathered.

The well-groomed rat piped up cautiously, "Um, sire, are you absolutely sure? All due respect, they could very well be-"

"I understand your concern, but I can feel it in my bones," Romulus countered, his face softening to a more approachable look, "If they were spies I would've seen it in their eyes. These three are just innocent bats who stumbled into our territory by accident. Look at these two."

He gestured to Shade and Marina, "They're practically children! I'm sure that spies aren't recruited at such a young age, let alone sent out on missions so early without proper training."

Shade frowned and looked like he wanted to retort to the comment about them being kids, but luckily Marina caught him and gave him a look that said he should stay quiet. Romulus then turned to Zak.

"And this one. He doesn't have the air of a spy on him. And even he still looks rather young to be one." The king then gestured something to the rat keeping him restrained, and before he knew it he could feel the binds on his hands being undone, "What's your name? Where did you come from?"

It wasn't a probing question. It sounded like Romulus was genuinely curious on learning who the Greywing was, not interrogating him like he thought he would. The grey bat rubbed his wrists for a moment before he answered politely and respectfully, "My name's Zak. Greywing. And, well, that's kind of a long story. Uh, your highness."

The royal then turned over to the other two, signalling to the guards to release them as well, Shade nervously taking his turn, "Shade Silverwing."

"Marina Brightwing." The female added, the three of them waiting anxiously for whatever the king had to say next. But he remained quiet.

Zak could easily see the look on his face change once they mentioned their names. Romulus' eyes widened some and he looked to and fro. He clearly knew their names. But whether or not that was a good or a bad thing, the young adult did not know.

"Your names sound...strangely familiar," He said carefully, taking another moment to process what he heard before it seemed to dawn on him, "You three are the fugitives General Brutus is looking for."

'Oh shit.' Zak thought as the murmurs started up again, increasing in volume as it soon became known to the rest of the rats that while they didn't catch spies, they did catch the north's most wanted.

"The fugitives? Wait, the fugitives?"

"Holy-! That is them!"

"Even better luck! We got the criminals!"

"Throw them into a cell!"

"Restrain them, save them for when Brutus comes around!"

"Wa-wa-wa-wait!" The Greywing pleaded as the rat behind him went to restrain his hands again, "Wait, King Romulus, please! Let us explain! It wasn't us! We didn't kill any owls! Do you really think we'd be capable of that?! Romulus, please listen!"

"Silence!" The royal's voice suddenly rumbled, effectively quieting down the clamoring before turning to his guards, "Stand down. Let them up, they won't escape. Now, the three of you, come with me. We can find a better place to talk."

The three bats could only follow the royal as he lead them to what could only be his chambers. His advisor, as Zak came to realize, tried suggesting that it wouldn't be the best nor the safest idea for the ruler to be alone with three known fugitives. Romulus quickly but kindly thanked him for the warning, saying that he was confident that there was no real danger. All that he asked for was some privacy.

They passed through different corridors that must've taken months or even years to dig out, small torches set up to illuminate their path before coming upon a set of metal doors where two guards stood. Well, more like snoozing. The guard on the left-hand side jerked up suddenly, clutching their makeshift spear before they looked to their partner who was softly snoring while using their own spear as support.

Then they were jolted awake when the advisor cleared his throat loudly. Both guards gave a hasty bow at Romulus' presence before standing aside and opening the doors to let him pass through. While they had been standing there, Zak had noticed that the doors looked like salvaged hinges that would normally be drilled into the doorframes of homes. These ones were larger and had been refurbished to actually be the doors themselves.

'Rats are definitely a lot smarter then we give them credit for.' Zak wondered before Romulus beckoned them to enter. Once they were inside and the doors were closed behind them, they took in the interior of the king's private chambers.

It was a very spacious chamber, a large cozy nest set up towards the back, directly opposite of the entrance. There were quite a few other things that decorated the space, most likely gathered from around the town. Trash bins, maybe even a junk yard of sorts. One side looked like it was more heavily decorated with valuable-looking items, ranging from shiny polished nuts, stray pearls, some jewelry and some chunks of what was possibly colored glass. And a large mirror shard stood up in the middle of it all.

In the center sat a lone crudely made crown.

Meanwhile the other half of the chambers was more vacant with only few items to decorate it, like colored ribbons, a music box cog wheel and a few other little knick-knacks that had been scrounged up, along with it's own mirror shard. It was...actually a very nice setup, Zak thought to himself, the small braziers that lit up the room also adding to the warm atmosphere in the room.

"The three of you can relax," Romulus rumbled softly, removing his crown and running a hand over his ears, looking relieved to have it off for the time being, "I'm not going to eat or kill you, if that's what you're wondering. I brought you here so that we can talk in private, that's all. I wanted to ask for your sides of the story. Just so I can get a better understanding of what's been going on and why General Brutus thinks three small bats can possibly be responsible for the deaths of other owls."

The trio visibly relaxed once they knew they weren't in any danger, and went to sit down upon some cushions that were arranged in a small semi-circle. Neither Shade nor Marina decided to speak first, rather leaving it up to Zak to go ahead and tell the story. And so he did. The Greywing started from the beginning, telling Romulus what transpired when he and the Silverwing saw the sun together, the consequences it lead to; and to where they first learned that the skies were closed to all bats.

Romulus listened intently, not interrupting as the young adult continued the story, leading to their first meeting with Goth and Throbb. There, the rat's eyes widened upon hearing there existed larger species of bats, but also at the shocking info of how both Vampyrum had killed two owl sentries without issue. But his shock only grew once the grey bat told him how Shade discovered that the two giant bats were cannibals, and how the three of them were now trying to stay ahead of both the carniverous bats and General Brutus.

"And I just barely escaped Goth before I wandered into the sewers," Zak concluded, his throat feeling a little tired from talking for so long, "I bet my life that at this very moment he's just waiting for us to reappear up top."

"We managed to get away from Throbb, too," Marina added with a sigh, "If it weren't for these tunnels we would've been in trouble."

"You believe us, don't you?" Shade asked Romulus anxiously, "I know it all sounds crazy and made up, but we're telling the truth! Brutus is deadset on the idea that not just us but also my colony is responsible for the killings! If we don't get to them first, before Goth or the Owls, they'll be in danger!"

The king only held up a hand, signalling that he needed a moment to process all the information he was just given. His fingers rubbing at his chin in deep thought.

"Hrrrrmmm. Giant bats. Cannibals, too. It all sounds so...farfetched. But I can tell from the look in your eyes that this is no joke. And that you three have been through a lot. You look tired and weary." He said softly, looking to each of the three northerners with a concerned expression. Zak just nodded slowly.

"We feel tired, that's for sure. But right now we can't really afford to rest unless we figure out some way to sneak by Goth and Throbb without getting caught by them again." The Greywing uttered, sighing and scratching his head, trying to think of a plan, "But how? I'm not even sure if these tunnels go anywhere outside of the city."

This was a dilemma. As far as the Greywing knew, the sewer system could only go so far before it ended and the sewer would likely go out someplace way too open for them to fly safely, if there was a pipe that lead outside. They'd get caught if there happened to be a squadron of owls patrolling the area. Or worse, the cannibal bats.

"You're all new to how rats live, aren't you?" Romulus asked with a chuckle, "There are the Human-made tunnels, yes. But my ancestors have been living down here for years since they were first built, and many others before us have had time to dig and make our own paths to get around the city. Even outside of it."

"Really?" Shade piped up, his ears perking at attention, "Where are these tunnels? Just point us the way and we'll make our way out!"

"Shade! Manners!" Zak scolded, before turning back to the rat with an apologetic bow, "Sorry, your highness. It's just...we'd be very grateful if you could show us where to go, that way we can see ourselves out from your kingdom."

"Please, enough of that. You three can just call me Romulus," The rat said with a kind smile, "Hearing 'your highness' and 'your majesty' sort of gets old after awhile and everyone in my colony insists on being respectful and following with that. But it's nice to have some new company for a change, so I'll make a special exception for the three of you. However, while I do trust that you know where to go, the tunnels we've dug aren't exactly made for flying room. Unless you plan on swimming the rest of the way, but I doubt wings will help you much in that regard."

Romulus kindly gestured to their wings, before standing up and grabbing a ragged-looking cloak near his mirror, "We'll be taking a raft down the southern river tunnel. It'll get us far out of the city and back into the wilderness where you can safely depart on your journey to your colony. Come along, we'll leave right now."

Wrapping the cloak around himself and placing his crown back on his head, Romulus lead the trio back into the corridor and down to wherever it was that they docked their rafts. The walk wasn't long, a left turn here, then a right turn there, then a steady walk straight down one long path before coming upon a large cave-like area. Several rafts were moored on the shore, while three rats were idly chatting nearby before they saw their king. In an instant they stood at attention.

"Good evening, your majesty!"

"Evenin', my king!"

"Greetings, your highness!"

"At ease," The royal nodded courteously before speaking, "You three are on the new shift? If so, I'll need your services. I'm looking to escort these three younglings out of the city limits. I'll explain everything once we're back home, but for now we need to leave as soon as possible. How soon can you get a raft ready for departure?"

A short brown-furred rat immediately piped up, "Ready before you can say 'lickety-split', your highness!"

"We'll get the raft ready as fast as possible for you, your grace!" The second rat, this one tall and lanky but nowhere near Romulus' height.

The third rat, a rather chubby fellow and halfway between the other two rats' sizes grinned, "Anything for our one true king!"

True to their word, the rats wasted no time in prepping a raft for travel, getting it into position, making sure everything was in working order; like the wheel paddle system that was built onto it. Soon, the three bats and the king were aboard and on their way. It was a totally different experience for Zak as he looked about the tunnel, now that he wasn't restrained as he was before. But for Shade and Marina, it was totally different.

They were in awe at the ingenuity of the rats, watching how they worked the wheel to get the raft moving. They even looked at the rat that was simply keeping the oar steady and moving it occasionally to ensure they didn't bump into the sides of the tunnel. Needless to say, despite how they were treated before, they were amazed. Even the three rats seemed flattered from the attention.

Zak just smiled at the teens before looking back forward, then idly glanced at Romulus. Looking at the handmade crown immediately reminded him of the one he saw in his chambers.

"Romulus, can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" The larger rat turned to the Greywing in kind.

"Earlier you said that you were once known as the second king, but now the you're the only ruler. Who was the other? What happened to them?" The grey bat had never heard of two kings ruling together at the same time. Though the thought that, perhaps, Romulus might've had a husband came to mind. And then he realized he might've been asking a sensitive question the king wouldn't want to answer.

"It was my brother. Remus, is his name." Romulus said in a straightforward tone, "He was the other king. Though, by right, since I'm the oldest sibling; I should've been the one to inherit the crown. But...my brother had his own strange way of showing support for me. Because I was different. You noticed my wings when we first met, didn't you? It doesn't bother me as much now, but before, Remus made it sound like that I couldn't possibly rule alone with the way I am. In his words, I was freak. And he said that freaks can't rule by themselves."

Zak and his friends listened intently as Romulus told his story, "So, he named himself king, too. Not sure how that even worked or if it's allowed, but he made it clear that it was him and I who wore the crown. And for years, the two of us, or rather just him, ruled over our colony. But he started getting paranoid, thinking that the birds would strip him of his power at some point once they didn't need him. It was actually just a few days ago that his paranoia became his own undoing. We'd just returned home from meeting with General Brutus, and Remus was more paranoid then usual. He kept spouting nonsense about the owls banishing or even killing him, cutting off his power as king, or even having me overthrow him to claim the crown for myself. Honestly, I would never have done such a thing. But, anyway, he couldn't handle his fears and eventually he just...left. Nobody in my colony saw or heard where he'd gone. He simply disappeared. And he left his crown behind in our chambers, so I guess in the end he was afraid for his life rather then his title. Then I took over. I didn't let what my brother said about me get me down and interfere with what needed to be done to ensure my colony would be safe and happy. Once I showed that I was strong, compassionate and able to lead, everybody else began to show their support for me. Proving my brother wrong in the process. I may look different, but that doesn't affect or change how I act as a king."

Romulus smiled at the memory. It was clear that the rat might've been going through some abuse from his brother. Calling him a freak and saying he couldn't rule alone? All because he had wings when no other rat did? That sounded like verbal or emotional abuse. But seeing the smile was a good sign that he was much happier now that his brother was absent.

"Sounds like it was a tough time," Zak replied softly, "But at least now you don't have to deal with anyone like that ever again."

"Yeah, almost sounds like what I've gone through with my colony." Shade added, coming up beside the older bat, "I'm actually a lot smaller then what a Silverwing is supposed to be. I'm a runt and I was bullied for that because...well, I guess some bats just think it's funny to make fun of someone who's smaller then average. But I sure do wish my wings were as big as yours, Romulus!"

"One day, Shade," Marina chimed in, settling down right beside the Silverwing with a grin, "Give it some time and I'm sure you'll hit a growth spurt that'll blow away even Chinook. Then you'll be flying almost as fast as me. Almost. No way you can beat my kind of skill."

The Brightwing gave the shorter boy a playful noogie, earning a noise of protest that turned into soft laughter as he pushed her hand away. Zak just gave a playful warning that he'll separate the both of them if he had to, like a parent going after his children for teasing each other too much. But he knew that Marina only meant it in good fun and wasn't doing it the way Chinook would.

"How about you, Zak?" Romulus grabbed his attention with the innocent question, "If you don't mind my asking, how did you end up with a Brightwing and Silverwing? Why aren't you with your own colony?"

"Oh, that? Well, there's not really much to tell you," Zak, yet again, had to half lie and half tell the truth, "I'm on my own by choice. My family was a little...too protective of me. They were kind of smothering me with their constant attention, despite my age. I'm twenty-one. So one day I decide, enough is enough, I couldn't deal with their overprotective natures any longer. So I set out on my own. I figured I'm old enough, I can go and find my own path in life. Nobody said I had to stay with my colony forever. And here I am. I ran into Shade and...things just took off from there. I think I might stay with his colony. The head elder, Frieda, said that I was welcome to if I wanted."

He hated having to lie. But it was for his own safety. He knew that humans often viewed rats as pests that needed to be eradicated, so he had no idea how Romulus and his colony would've reacted to knowing he was a human. He would've either been killed or thrown into a cell for the rest of his life.

"Do you have any other family? Siblings, perhaps?" Romulus asked, looking down the river idly.

"No, I don't," Zak replied, "I'm the only child in my family. My parents never had any other kids."

"Perhaps them being overprotective of you is simply because that you are their only child." The king said sagely, his voice soft and warm, "I remember my parents were the same with me for a few years before Remus was born. Because of my wings, they feared that I would be treated differently. So they made sure that I was safe and protected at all times. Me too, at first, I didn't like the constant attention. But I got used to it after awhile. Now, I'm not telling you that you should go back to your parents. I'm merely saying that parents have good reason to be protective of their children. Especially if they only have one single child from their blood. All I can suggest, if you want my advice, is maybe...try visiting your colony again. See your parents. At least let them know you're safe and alive. Visit them for awhile. It's merely a suggestion, but think about it."

The Greywing cast his gaze down to the water, mulling over the rat's words as he started thinking about his parents again. What were they doing at this very moment? Were they worried for his safety? Did they notice that he disappeared without a trace and were searching for him? Maybe even putting out flyers with his face on them and mailing them to different towns to see if anybody had seen him?

For awhile, Zak didn't respond to that, but he did tell Romulus that he'll think over his advice carefully and would do something once everything had calmed down.

He rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Then a yawn escaped himself as the fatigue finally set in. That seemed to be infectious as Shade and then Marina also yawned, rubbing at their own eyes in return.

"Why don't you three get some sleep while we travel? It'll be at least an hour or two to get where we need to go. Get your strength back in the meantime." Romulus crooned, adjusting his position so that the three would have the space to lay down if desired.

"Huh? N-No, no, we're fine," Shade muttered, rubbing at one of his eyes softly as his eyelids began to flutter, "We need to be awake for...when we get to...wherever it is we're...going."

Marina had been sitting up, but even she was beginning to doze off in her current position, arm propped on her knee and her cheek rested on her hand. She jolted awake when she slipped, but she still gave a yawn as she started to lay back, "I don't know about you, Shade, but...I could go for a little nap. I'm...exhausted."

The Silverwing just watched as the female made herself comfortable, as best as she could, and drifted off to sleep almost immediately. Without any complaint, the smaller teen finally decided to lay down and get a bit of rest himself. Like Marina, he was out like a light. Zak, meanwhile, just watched the display before giving another yawn. A gentle hand patted his shoulder.

"Sleep now, Zak. You're safe," Romulus comforted him, "We'll wake you when we arrive at our destination."

"Yeah. Yeah, alright." The young adult tiredly replied as he laid flat on his back and clasped his hands together over his stomach, staring up at the moving ceiling of the cave. He listened to the gentle ripple of water and the occasional soft squeak from the wheel paddle as it was turned. It was actually quite soothing. Even the soft movements of the raft were comforting.

The Greywing finally closed his eyes, his vision going dark as he let his body and mind get a break from everything that happened over the last several days. It didn't take long for the young man to enter the world of the dreaming yet again.

But what he would dream of, he didn't know. All that mattered was that he was finally getting the rest his body needed.

— — — —

Meanwhile, up on the surface...

— — — —

Goth panted, his breath misting in the chilly air as he stood up from the sight before him. The prince stood and sniffed, fixing a few stray strands of hair that had come undone from an 'engagement' he had just seconds ago.

Down at his feet Throbb lay battered, bruised and the front of his muzzle slightly bloody. Goth hadn't used his claws. All he used were his own fists. The blood had been from a split lip and, most likely, a broken nose. His sibling needed to be taught a very important lesson about not letting their prey escape. Earlier, the fat Vampyrum had managed to find him and reported the very inexcusable news that he had lost the runt and his Brightwing friend.

He was already pissed that Zak had managed to slip away, not to mention have the gall to insult him, so hearing that the two young ones had also escaped did not help his mood. At all. One second he had been looking over the city, brooding over the loss of his prey. The next he had struck Throbb across the face with back of his hand.

The loser had the nerve to try and apologize for his 'error in judgement', but Goth didn't want to hear it. He hit him again on the opposite side of his face. And again. And again. And...again.

At one point he decided to punch Throbb in his bulbous belly, feeling a bit of satisfaction at how his fist felt digging into his flesh, as well as the choked noise that escaped his shorter half's mouth. The sweet sound of one struggling to catch their breath, but their body not allowing them to. He was still angry at his brother for being so kindhearted and knowingly letting the younglings get away.

So, he kept going. He needed to vent his anger and frustrations somehow. He picked the other bat up by his mane and punched him again, hitting him in the nose and earning a slight crack from that spot, then he started bleeding. The entire time, Throbb struggled to beg and plead for the beating to stop. But his words would be cut off by another harsh and punishing strike, one hitting his left eye. Then another near his mouth, cutting his lip on his teeth.

Goth remembered screaming at him the entire time, telling him he was stupid and selfish for making such foolish decisions that would make their goal so much harder to achieve. Their goal being able to go back home to the south. Back to familiar territory. He screamed about how useless he was since their escape. How the purple-haired bat always contradicted him whenever he made a plan for their survival. He also yelled about how even if he wasn't so damn kind, he'd probably just eat Shade and Marina by himself to fatten up further then he already was.

He said that Throbb was out to betray him every step of the way. He was about to throw another punch when the bloody and beaten Vampyrum uttered something weakly through pained whimpers.

"W-What...wo-wou-would...b-big b-b-br-brother...s-s-say...?"

At that, it was like Goth's body suddenly seized up. He still wanted to hurt Throbb so bad. Not kill him. Only hurt and teach him how important their survival was. But hearing him mention their brother...it resonated with something deep inside him.

Something he thought he had forgotten.

He so desperately wanted to throw that last punch but his body refused to cooperate. Even worse, there was a little voice in his head telling him to stop. That what he was doing was enough and that Throbb learned his lesson. There was no need to hurt him any further. He just stared at his brother, who only looked back at him, his left eye beginning to bruise and his nose bled slowly, melding with the blood from his cut lip.

Finally, he got control of his body back, dropping the shorter Vampyrum to the ground in a heap.

"You're lucky you're my brother," The prince said slowly to the downed bat, "Otherwise, I would've killed you a thousand times over since we were captured. But I won't. But only because I feel sorry for you. Here, in this unfamilar land, we do what we must if we're going to survive. Even if that means some innocents get hurt or die along the way. But because you're my brother, I won't kill you. But I will give you another beating if you disobey me or try and lie to me again. Do you hear me?"

Throbb only coughed, wheezing as he finally got his breath back, getting up on his knees before nursing his nose and lip. Goth sneered, "I said, do you hear me."

"Y-Yes...I...I-I hear y-y-you." He whimpered, not looking up at the other male as he tried to wipe away the blood, only to wince each time he touched his nose too hard.

Goth, satisfied with the answer, turned away and perched on the ledge of the building they chose as their scouting area. With his anger having cooled somewhat, he went back to looking for any sort of sign of the northerners and their human friend. They couldn't stay underground forever. They had to resurface again at some point. But the only question was when.

The red-haired Vampyrum shivered as a gust of cold wind blew past him. It was a harsh reminder that his shorter coat of fur was meant for hotter climates, not colder.

He was running out of time. If they didn't find Hibernaculum before the temperature dropped any lower, he'd freeze to death. He would never get home. He will never take the throne as king. He will never see his family again.

His family. His older brother. His mother. He frowned and shook the thought from his head.

No. Emotions made him weak. A future king is never weak. He needed to be strong. Here and now, he had to be. Otherwise, his survival will mean nothing.

Something caught his eye off in the distance. What was that?

Goth focused in on the creature flying over the buildings, watching it's flight path as it circled around one area before it moved closer towards where the Vampyrum were watching. He squinted and spotted some familiar features. The head of dark orange feathers, the different shades of grey and cream on the body.

That was the owl he saw back at the Towers! What was his name again? Bah, he couldn't remember and he didn't care to. What mattered most was that this young owl was an ally to the runt and his friends. And he was here in the Human city, no doubt searching for them. He didn't move as he watched the owl circle once more before taking off towards the southern edge of the settlement.

Then Goth had an idea, "Throbb, hurry up with cleaning yourself and let's move! That owl friend of theirs is here. We're going to tail him, see where he goes. Maybe he'll lead us to where Shade and his friends are."

Without even waiting to see if his brother was ready he took to the air, keeping his distance so as not to alert the owl of his presence. This was a very valuable tactic he learned for hunting: Tracking.

He would keep his distance from his prey, making sure he wasn't detected, and would follow their every move to study their pattern. When they would stop, what area they would frequent the most and when would be the best time to strike. For now, he'd only follow.

With enough patience, they would find the three northerners that caused him so much trouble. And he'd make sure that this time, they would not outsmart him again.

— — — —

In the world of the dreaming...

— — — —

Zak had been sleeping peacefully. Even if it was only for a couple of hours, he was grateful to have the time to recharge and ease the stress on his mind and body.

But by some strange force he was rudely awakened, his eyes snapping open and seeing nothing but blackness before him. He could still see himself, which was only stranger, but his surroundings were filled with only darkness. It was...deeply unsettling.

'Oh no, not another nightmare.' He thought with worry, half expecting to start hearing awful things and seeing a manifestation of his fear of Goth and Throbb. This had to be a nightmare. Why else would it all be dark here? He anxiously looked around, bracing himself to see something horrible if he turned in a specific direction.

It did not ease his fears in the slightest when nothing happened. Why was his mind torturing him like this? Did it somehow enjoy making him squirm in fear?

As if on cue, he heard something slithering on the ground behind him. But when he turned, he didn't see anything. Only to hear the noise come from somewhere beside him, making him gasp and shoot his gaze his ears picked it up. Again, there was nothing.

"Hello?!" The Greywing called out, wanting to get this nightmare over with as soon as possible, "Who's there?! Whoever or...whatever you are, come out! If you're some scary horrible demon my mind it creating, just...j-just come out already! Don't mess with me like this!"

He wasn't expecting an answer. He was only waiting to see whatever horror would appear to traumatize him out of his sleep.

"Very well."

Zak felt his blood run cold. It came from behind him.

The voice that suddenly replied was deep. Distorted. It rattled his very core. It sounded...evil.

Now he could sense a presence from behind, forcing him to slowly turn around and face whatever it was that chose to reveal itself. From the blackness, the grey bat could now see an eerie red glow in the shadowy fog. And within it, he could make out the shape of...something, crouched down. His mind wasn't registering what he was looking at, not even when the thing began to stand, still shrouded in darkness and the red glow behind it only fueling the fear building within his soul.

The figure stood tall, much much taller then Zak himself, as it straightened up. He could see long pointed ears and what looked like a pair of horns on its head. His mind was still refusing to process exactly what his eyes were looking upon, though the fear he was feeling was very real and told him enough.

But when a pair of crimson eyes suddenly shined from its face...the realization finally hit him full force.

It...It was the devil. He was looking at the devil himself. He couldn't look away. Couldn't blink. Not even as his eyes began to burn and water.

"Mortal," The entity spoke in the same distorted and terrifying voice, its eyes seeming to squint down at him, "I have been watching you. Your actions have raised many questions. You were ready to take a life to protect you and your friends, despite the fact that being a carnivore is only nature's path. Why? Why did you attempt to kill Goth? Why leave him to suffer in the cold?"

The demon was questioning what he had done. Why? Why was it asking him this? Was it there to punish him for it? Oh God, that's what it was going to do, was it? It was going to claim his soul in his sleep, drag him down to Hell for harming a life, regardless that the formentioned life was threatening him and his friends?

Zak could not form any words, tears beginning to run down his cheeks as he stuttered, unable to tear his eyes away as his hands shakily came up to do the one thing he could possibly do.

Cover his eyes and pray that this was all a dream. It was only a dream. A nightmare! This wasn't real!

"T-This isn't real...! It's not real...! I-It's not real! It's not real!" He began to repeat desperately, pressing his hands against his eyes and falling to his knees, "It's not real! It-It's not real! Please! Please, wake up! Wake up! It's not real! This isn't real!"

He wanted to wake up. This was already too much. It was too much. He wanted this nightmare to end. He wanted to wake up. He wanted to wake up! He wanted-!

"Oh. Oh dear. That...that was too much, wasn't it? Ohhhhhh shoot, it was too much."

Suddenly, the voice sounded very...different. It was still distorted in a terrifying fashion, but it somehow no longer held any sort of malice in it's tone.

"Hang on, lemme just change this up. Let's properly talk without the theatrics, yes? One moment!"

There was a quick and soft whooshing noise, then everything had gone quiet. Weary and confused, Zak took his hands away from his eyes and carefully opened them, still scared to see if that...thing was still around. But instead his eyes were met with a familiar stark white environment. Nothing to see in the distance, but the lighter color was definitely more comforting then the darkness from before.

The Greywing looked to his left, nothing was there. He turned to the front, still nothing, and then off to his right. Nothing. There was also nothing behind him. Strange. Where was the owner of the voice? Was Nocturna visiting him again? Why would she-?

"Greetings." He gasped when he heard a deep masculine voice from in front of him, turning to see an unfamiliar and tall male bat standing where there had once been nothing before. Zak looked upon the unknown individual grinning down at him, even more taken aback by his eyes.

The schlera, instead of being white, were tinged blood red. And in the centers sat bright orange irises, complete with slitted pupils. But then he took in the rest of the strange male. His fur was a smoky greyish brown color with a head of short dark orange hair combed back into a neat style. His muzzle was a lighter color, complete with a small trimmed moustache and a goatee gathered into a kind of pony-tail look, exact same color as his hair. His mane was an open-front style, exactly like Goth and Throbb's, but colored a darker shade red. The outer sides of his wings were pitch black, while the insides were a very light grey.

The male, hands behind his back, brought one out from behind him and gave a little testing wave at the Greywing, "'Ello? You still with me? I didn't overload your mind, did I?"

Without the distortion, his voice was strangely...very...fancy-sounding. Almost like he had bit of an English accent

"Who're you?" Zak blurted out. The male just gave him a funny look.

"You don't know me? Haven't you heard of me before? I'm sure that you were told about me, weren't you?" He asked curiously, almost seeming a little offended. But when the grey bat just continued to stare at him, he sighed dramatically, "Bloody hell, really. Okay, I'll give you a hint. A certain bat you've met in the waking world? Told you about a particular god that his species worshipped in the opposite of the north? A god that ruled over a certain realm where all animals go to rest in peace once they're lives have come to an end one way or another in the living world? Any of this ringing a bell for you? Anything come to mind?"

Zak glanced away, rummaging through his memories on what this bat was talking about. He did remember something exactly like that. It had been awhile and a lot had happened after that. Throbb was teaching him about Vampyrum culture and the god they worshipped in the south. What was the name? He had to wrack his brain for the answer.

Then it clicked. And he looked at the mystery bat with a new sense of confusion. The male had his hands together in front of his lips, seemingly waiting in anticipation for the answer.

"Zotz?"

"Thank you! Oh thank my sister, I was beginning to think I had to do an entire musical number to remind you of who I am! But thank you, I knew you remembered who I am!" The bat, or rather the god, said with immense relief. Then, to the Greywing's surprise, he poofed a top hat into existence and gave a deep courteous bow, "God of the Underworld, Cama Zotz, it is a pleasure to finally meet your aquaintance."

Then he turned his head up with a charming grin, "But you can call me Zotz. My dear older sister has told me good things about you, Zak."

Now, Zak was even more confused. He did not expect to meet the Mayan god himself, but what he really wasn't expecting was to see him act in such an entirely different manner then he had previously imagined.

"I-I'm sorry, but...what? You are not at all what I expected." He said, still sitting on the ground as he looked up at the god, "Was that you before? That scary shadowy thing? Why choose this form over that one?"

"Ah, please forgive the overdramatic entrance from before," Zotz grimaced slightly, pressing his hands down on the hat and flattening it out of existence like it some sort of magic trick, "Sometimes I forget that not every mortal being can handle the terror of even my shadow form. Frankly, if you even glimpsed what my true 'celestial' form looked like, I think your mind would absolutely shatter into little tiny pieces and you'd go mad. But, anyway! Enough about that, let me apologize for nearly traumatizing you by making things a little more comfortable, shall we?"

Clapping his hands twice in quick succession, two rather expensive-looking chairs manifested in a blink of an eye. Dark red leather with stained wooden frames and complete with padded arm rests. The sudden appearance surprised the young adult, but he decided not to question it as he and the god took their seats, the larger bat giving a comfortable little wiggle as he sat down.

"Ahh, now that's better," He crooned, lifting his hand and manifesting a drink within his fingers, a glass of whiskey by the look of it, "Can I offer you a drink?"

Without even realizing it, Zak found himself holding a similar glass, still in disbelief at how these objects were appearing from nowhere. Examining the glass itself, then giving a testing sniff, he could definitely tell that, somehow; the drink was real, "Uhh, thank you, but I don't really drink. I don't even know what alcohol actually tastes like and I'm not planning on finding out anytime soon. But, thank you, for offering."

"Polite and responsible? I'm starting to like you more and more, my dear boy! Well, not to worry, I can offer you something more to your tastes. Something sweeter, perhaps?"

Suddenly the weight in his hand grew heavier. When he looked again, he was amazed to see that the small whiskey glass had been replaced with a tankard. But instead of an alcoholic drink, it was filled neatly to the brim with what looked and smelled like rootbeer, and a nice scoop of vanilla icecream floating in it. A rootbeer float! It even had a straw!

"How did...? Is this even real? I don't think I've ever even had a float before." Zak wondered, looking from the new drink and to the god with curiousity. He tentatively took the straw in his lips and took a sip. The taste that coated his tongue was...otherwordly. Not a bad kind of otherwordly. It was like...his tastebuds were tasting perfection for the very first time. He could only let a soft happy sigh escape through his nose as he drank.

"Well, technically, since we're in your subconciousness while you're asleep, it's not. But your mind thinks it's real and even makes the taste seem real! Even if you haven't actually tasted it before." Zotz said with a smile, taking a small sip of his whiskey and giving a little movement of his head to show his enjoyment of the taste, "Mmm. Starts out a little bitter but warms your throat on the way down. The wonders of human ingenuity at it's finest. Without you, there'd be no such thing as alcohol."

The god of the Underworld smiled, turning the glass with his fingers before piping up, "So, while we're here, I wanted to talk to you about something important. It concerns one of the, um, 'cannibal bats' that you and your two friends have been evading for the last few days. Nothing major, but definitely something I wanted to get in touch with you about."

Zak took one last gulp of the sweet-tasting drink, having nearly finished it as the ice cream now sat close to the bottom of the tankard.

"Mm? Well, sure. What can be so important that the god of the afterlife would want to talk to me about them?" He asked curiously but with a bit of caution. There was something odd about Zotz wanting to talk about Goth or Throbb. Why them? He made to ask that question, but his attention was drawn back to the tankard as it steadily refilled itself on its own accord.

'How.' Was the only thought that crossed his mind. But a subtle beep from ahead of him got his attention once more, this time looking at a flat-screen TV that, again, just appeared out of thin air without him noticing. And Zotz had a remote pointed at it as it began to play something on the screen.

The Greywing was only further surprised as a movie-like version of what happened at the Fire Towers came to life, seeing himself riding on Goth's back as the Vampyrum struggled to get him off. There was even dramatic music playing in the background as it played.

"Now, first off, I just want you to know that you aren't in trouble for what you had to do. You were only defending yourself, am I right? But I have to say that I admire your tenacity when up against a Vampyrum like Goth. Like...riiiiiiight...there!" Zotz pointed to the TV right at the moment when Goth had collided with the electrically charged fence and it began to fry him. Seeing the more gruesome closeup of the cannibal's face as he was electrocuted made Zak shudder and grimace at the sight, "I must say, Zak, you put on a bloody good show! And I'm not saying that in a sarcastic manner, I mean that in the best positive way! And that was a huge risk to your own safety, as well! What if you hadn't cleared that fence the way you did? What if, by some horrid mistake, you too got stuck right as the lightning hit? That would've been the end of your story!"

"I...try not to think about it. I'm just grateful that it worked. Or, at least I thought it worked." Zak muttered as he set down his float onto a mini-table that appeared between their chairs, "Why are you showing me this? What does this have to do with what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Oh, right, right! One moment, let me just find the spot to give you a better idea." The smoky grey male hit Pause on the 'movie' before clicking the Rewind button, both watching as the previous scenes began going by quickly, moving away from the Fire Towers, to the prison cell Zak and his friends were being kept in by the owls and further past that, "Before we get to where we're going, you know Throbb, correct? Rather jolly-looking gentleman, looks and acts like he wouldn't hurt a fly? Overall just a sweet and caring guy?"

The Greywing couldn't help but let a scoff escape his lips, "Sweet and caring? Well, yeah, he did seem that way at first. But then we learned that he and Goth are cannibals, so there's no way he's as sweet or as caring as you say he is. It was probably just an act the entire time to get us to let our guard down. Right?"

Looking at Zotz, he was only met with the god giving him a skeptical expression. Then shaking his head slowly.

"Mmmmmmmmmmm, I don't think so. Not to brag, but I'm very good with being able to tell if someone is lying or not. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to judge a book by its cover? I think you're not giving Throbb the benefit of the doubt. Goth, well, he's a different story. But again, there's a lot more that you don't realize," The god said wisely, before looking back to the TV and perking up, "Oh! Here we are! Pause that for a second, let me just change some settings here, first-person perspective, inner commentary; and...here we go."

Zak watched as the scene Zotz was looking for started playing. It was still very odd but interesting in its own way that, somehow, the god had the power to conjure up anything in this subconcious construct. But also play back moments he or others had experienced as if it were simply a movie and change it up to better suit the experience he wanted to give. But he focused his attention back onto the screen as it continued through the eyes of Throbb, who without a doubt the perspective belonged to.

"Zotz, that was disgusting. How do the northern bats even stand the taste of bugs?" The Vampyrum's familiar voice suddenly said, probably his thoughts that they were hearing as his gaze looked about the forest, "Gah, I'm so hungry. I need to find something or I won't have the energy for the flight. Just give me something. Anything. A bird or even some berries."

Then he heard the older bat sniffing. Then a soft whimpering as the view shifted to a patch of tall grass. Zak leaned forward in his chair, watching intently on whatever it was that the god wanted him to see. He saw Throbb's hands come into view as they brushed aside the grass, before revealing the shocking visage of a horribly injured Brightwing.

"Oh my god," The Greywing whispered, "What...what happened to them?"

"Shush, keep watching." Zotz quickly but gently silenced him.

"Oh Zotz," Throbb's thoughts continued as they knelt down and comforted by the gravely injured bat, "What...? Who could've done this? Who would do such a...barbaric thing?"

The scene continued on, Throbb asking the bat who had injured him in such a horrific way, and the Brightwing telling him it had been the owls that were responsible. They had massacred everyone in the colony, but somehow that one male managed to survive. And he was suffering terribly. The Vampyrum did his best to try and comfort the dying male, but was soon confronted with the northerner's plea to end his suffering.

Zak just watched in tense silence as Throbb tried to deny the request, but it soon became clear that leaving the Brightwing like that would only result in prolonged pain until he slowly died. A fate that not living being should ever have to suffer through. Eventually, the prince finally accepted once the other male said he only wanted to be with his family

"Make it quick. Make it quick, just don't make him suffer anymore then he already has." The Vampyrum's thoughts went on as he prepared to put the other bat out of his misery, "Just do it quickly. Zotz, please, just don't let him suffer any longer."

The young adult was thankful he couldn't see what was being done as the screen went black, presumably signifying that Throbb had his eyes closed. There was only a brief muffled crack. Then the he began to utter a prayer in Spanish.

"He's making a prayer to me to guide that Brightwing to a peaceful rest in the Underworld and to be reunited with their family," Zotz translated, taking a slow sip of his whiskey as he paused the scene, "And I made sure that they did. Usually, if an entire colony dies, they'll wake up in the exact same location in the Underworld. But it can vary, depending on the individual that passes on. They may wind up in a totally different location, in which if they want, I'll help bring them back to where their family is. Now, I know what you're thinking. No, the Underworld isn't all fire and brimstone, as I've heard over the years in other religions. It's actually a very charming and beautiful place, although some of the landscapes do not follow the rules of reality. I'd love to give you a brief tour of some of my favorite spots! But, unfortunately, I can't just bring you there. At least, not while you're still alive and your soul is bound to your physical body. Plus, my stickler of a sister would 'ground' me for breaking the rules of universe. Feh, she was always one to follow the rules, no matter how dull and boring they can make life for us gods."

Zak nodded, now remembering that Throbb did also tell him that there were supposedly oasis' where the recently departed would go to rest before being ready to move on to the afterlife. So it was all true. But he didn't think that the Vampyrum knew about that. And maybe it was for a good reason. How would they react if they knew that celestial and godly beings really did exist?

But he went back to the topic on hand, realizing that Zotz was showing him the truth of what Throbb did.

"So...he didn't kill that Brightwing out of malice. He was only helping them to escape the pain they were in. And then he...but...why did he eat them? Couldn't he have just buried them out of respect?"

"He's a carnivore, Zak. All Vampyrum are. And don't forget that the north also has some carniverous bats and animals. You have animals that eat fish and even other animals for survival. Bats eat bugs, which are also only trying to survive in the world. You can't really fault the Vampyrum for only following their basic instincts and biology when you and your friends have been doing the same thing for years." Zotz stated wisely, before hitting a button on the remote that skipped to a new scene, this one Zak immediately recognized as he saw himself and Throbb reaching out to touch his shoulder, "Without knowing the entire story, you were quick to villainize Throbb and view him as nothing more then a cannibalistic monster. But you're already forgetting that he needed energy to keep flying, otherwise he would've tired out and have been left behind. Eventually starving to death, if he hadn't eaten the Brightwing."

The young man watched himself jerk away from Throbb's touch, almost like his past self was looking at him with a thinly veiled hatred and fear. The scene skipped to another one, this time showing the hectic and rather frightening moment of several northern bats attacking the Vampyrum. And he wasn't retaliating, he was only desperately blocking their assault with his arms. Zak realized this was at the cabin on the mountain.

"And because you firmly believed that he was evil, you convinced an entire colony of banded bats that he was just that. Evil. He didn't lay a claw on these bats. He wanted to show them that he meant no harm, but they wouldn't believe him." Zotz paused the scene just as one of the northern bats was violently yanked off of Throbb, probably by Goth, "And they died believing that he was a cannibal looking to harm and eat their friends and families. I understand your fear and uncertainty, Zak. I do. But there are things you should not do. Villainizing someone who's innocent and making others believe it. A very similar example would be if someone committed a crime but you accused an innocent person of it, and if several others believe it enough, the life of that innocent is irreversibly tarnished. You may not have thought so before, but you're doing something exactly like that. Choosing the see the bad instead of the good in someone But, luckily, it would seem that Throbb managed to get your two friends to hear him out."

The god skipped forward once more to a very recent memory of the Vampyrum's. Now it appeared he was looking at a similar storm drain that the Greywing had escaped through when Goth was after him. He watched and listened as Throbb told the truth, watching Shade and Marina's reactions as he laid out what really happened and why he had to do it. And like Zotz just explained to him, the Vampyrum also shared that while he is a carnivore, he shouldn't be treated differently for being so. And that it was only for survival and so that he could finally go home.

Now, Zak felt like a complete jerk for thinking so little of Throbb. He really did seem like a nice guy. But all because of one honest decision, he painted him as nothing more then a cannibal like Goth was. Evil and cunning. But the reality was that he was only trying to get home to his land. To his whatever family was waiting for him.

"Dammit, I...I feel so stupid," The young adult sighed, rubbing his face slowly, "I thought I was being cautious but I was really just being prejudiced, wasn't I? Is that right word for it?"

"Sounds like you understand your issue perfectly," Zotz nodded softly, "It's important that you regard your own faults, both as a bat and as a human. Every species has it's ups and downs. The real question is how they handle them. As for Throbb, it's clear he doesn't want to fall into the category of a cannibal as some of his species does. For them it's perfectly natural to want the meat of other animals like birds and lizards, and even from other bats for their diet. But until that one night, he abstained from it. That doesn't make him a bad person, though."

He fast-forwarded to a different scene, before he stopped, "But I can't say the same for Goth."

Zak looked from the god and then to the TV again, wondering what he meant before seeing a far more disturbing sight. It was Goth alright. And it looked like he was in the midst of beating Throbb. His vision jerking from one side and to the other, then glimpsing the moment he was punched in the gut, and his vision coming back to the taller Vampyrum's face. A few more punches were thrown before he finally stopped. Then Goth said it would happen again if he lied or disobeyed him.

The Greywing was in total disbelief at what he witnessed, "Who the hell does that to their own brother? Why does Throbb stay with him if he's just going to be abused like that?"

"That's exactly it. They're brothers," Zotz stated simply, "All they have is each other since the day they were captured. While Goth is more...questionable with his treatment of his sibling, I believe Throbb only stays in order to look after him. Like any brother, sister or sibling would do when they have only one family member with them. Also, fun fact, Throbb is actually older then Goth by a year. So, quite possibly, he's only trying to make sure that his younger sibling is safe. Rather then get away from the abuse."

'Talk about being a dedicated big brother, but...wow. He's older then Goth? That's actually kind of interesting. Still though, that's no way for a younger sibling to act to one that's looking out for them.' Zak thought, sighing as he had a lot to think about now. Slumping back into the chair he wondered when and how he could tell Throbb that he made a mistake in thinking he was like Goth. That he didn't mean to hurt his feelings.

"You've given me a lot to think about, Zotz. I gotta find some way to make it up to him. Preferably, without getting caught by Goth and killed by him." He got up from his chair and began to pace to better think over what he needed to do.

"Happy to provide some good advice and wisdom to help guide you along your journey. I don't usually do stuff like this, wisdom is more of Athena and Thoth's expertise. But I-!" The god suddenly went quiet, and a strange look flashed across his face before he suddenly got up, "Well! That was a lovely chat! I think it's about time we wrap things up then, shall we?"

"Huh? Wait, what was that about-!" The Greywing went to ask about the names he'd just mentioned, only for the chairs to disappear and making him fall flat on his rear, "Oof! Hey, wha-! Hang on a second, Zotz! What was that you were talking about Athena and, what was the other name, Thoth? Are there other gods aside from you and Nocturna? And, hold on, Athena is a Greek goddess, isn't she?"

"Nope, you didn't hear anything from me!" Zotz hurriedly said, looking like he was about to be in trouble and avoiding the smaller bat's gaze, "Forget I said anything of the sort, you weren't supposed to hear that! Nocturna's going to tan my perfect rear if she realizes I've gone and nearly spilled the beans to you! Now, shouldn't you be waking up?"

"Wait, Zotz, c'mon, I know you were teaching me a valuable lesson here, but now I really want to know if any of the other gods actually exist! You already mentioned Athena and Thoth, do they take on the form of bats like you and your sister? Or are they human the way, well, humans depict them in statues and all that other stuff?" Zak asked with building curiousity, trying to get the god's attention.

Zotz then turned around to face him and touched his finger to his forehead, his eyes giving off an eerie glow as he looked straight into the Greywings, "By my power you will forget what I said about other gods and you will awaken."

Before Zak could even get another word out, his mind went blank and his vision went dark.

For a moment there was nothing. And then, he opened his eyes and found himself back on the raft with his friends and Romulus, the large rat was looking over his crown before noticing the Greywing was awake.

"Oh, perfect timing! I was just going to wake you. We're nearing our stop, so be ready to disembark." He rumbled as he set his crown back atop his head. Zak nodded and went to wake up the two teens. He noticed that he felt a lot better after getting a bit of sleep. He felt slightly more rejuvenated.

But what was on his mind the most was his dream and the meeting he just had. Not with Nocturna, but this time he had met the god of the Underworld. Zotz. It was an entirely different experience and feeling. And he still remembered the time spent and the conversation they had together.

More importantly, he still remembered the lesson that the god taught him. About looking past Throbb's faults and focusing on the good. At some point, he didn't know when, he would have to try and talk to the Vampyrum. At least to apologize for the hostility when he didn't know his whole story. He would also need to tell Shade and Marina about this new dream visit.

But, oddly enough, he couldn't remember anything after the conversation about Throbb. He knew there was more to the visit, but he couldn't recall the details. Well, it was in his dreams and most dreams weren't exactly easy to remember shortly after waking up from one. Only specific details would be the most memorable.

Right now, he just focused on getting his friends up and alert. Wherever the tunnel led out to, they would need to be back in the air as soon as possible.

— —

Zotz breathed a sigh of relief as he returned to his familiar realm in the Underworld. He shed his mortal disguise as he grew in height and size, his hair taking on a flaming appearance and his mane becoming more liquid-like, almost appearing like blood as droplets separated from its mass and vanished into nothing before drifting too far. The black of his outer wings became a void with tiny specks of white dotting them, meanwhile the inner side of them remained rather ordinary.

"That was a close one," He said more to himself as he seated himself on his throne, itself which was made up of black obsidian, formed and shaped by his own hand, "Lucky that my powers still work as well in the dreaming world as they do in my domain. Otherwise that boy would be wondering and driving himself crazy with my slip-up. Bloody hell, I shouldn't have let my mouth run like that. But, nothing like a little bit of amnesia on certain details can't fix. Big sister can't possibly punish me for making such a little mistake. Everything is fine! No disturbance to the natural order!"

Feeling rather proud of himself for hiding his mistake, but also for passing along important wisdom to the human-turned-bat, the bat god conjured up another glass of his favorite whiskey and took a slow sip. Readying himself to relax and look over the alien landscape before him. Being a god was a boring gig, but he couldn't deny that the seemingly infinite realm had some gorgeous views to keep himself occupied.

"Zotz." A feminine voice suddenly interrupted his moment of peace, forcing him to peer over the rim of the glass as he spotted a very familiar figure before him, in all her starry and moonlight glory. And she did not look pleased, "What's this I'm hearing about you nearly exposing the existence of our colleagues?"

"Oh...bollocks." Was all the god could say with a wince.