Borg placed the lexicon on a special stand before invoking a powerful protection spell.

"There. That should keep most evil beings out.", he said smiling.

"I'll say so."

Borg tensed as he drew his sword.

"Who's there?", he said firmly, "Show yourself."

Nobody seemed to be around, but Borg felt a presence.

"Don't think I haven't been watching you."

Borg tensed further.

"You? You are nothing."

"Nothing?", he heard, "Are you sure?"

Borg felt his magic waning and saw the lexicon hovering off the stand. And in an instant, the book opened and flipped as if a wind was blowing through the room. Borg felt his protection spell was still active, but how was this accomplished?

"What trickery is this?", he asked.

"It's my ability."

Borg turned to see a ghost like shade materialize near the door. It's blank eyes were haunting,but Borg had a good idea who it was.

"Chroma.", he said harshly, "I should've known that saurian sorcerer sent you."

Chroma's eyes brightened as if he was smiling though he had no mouth to show it.

"Charyus wants what is rightfully his.", Borg heard inside his head, "And no mere elf is going to stand in my way."

Borg's sword glowed with magic.

"A princeling doesn't yield to a mere phantom."

Chroma's eyes flashed darkly.

"We'll see."

Several daggers materialized around Chroma that hung in the air for a second and then launched at Borg with the speed of bullets. Borg raised his shield and a glow emanated that paused the blades and dissolved them into dust particles. When the particles cleared, Borg noticed Chroma was gone and the book as well.

"This is bad.", Borg said to himself, "At least that phantom didn't get the real one."

He waved his hand and the lexicon appeared in his belt. He knew he had bought himself time, but for how long?

/

Canard passed the puck to Duke who avoided a check by Nosedive and shot for the goal only to be blocked by Wildwing.

"Why are we still practicing?", Nosedive asked as he passed the puck to Mallory, "The next season doesn't start for a few months."

"We need to be in top condition.", Canard answered as he stole the puck back, "In case Phil puts us up for a charity game or something."

Grin checked Tanya only to have the puck stolen by Duke who skated to the other side. After a couple hours, the ducks hit the showers and met up back in the rec room.

"Great work out there ducks.", Wildwing said proudly, "Now we just need to-"

The alarm on Drake 1 went off and when the ducks answered, the map grid came up and coordinates.

"We got a disturbance in the hills.", Tanya stated as she checked the data, "Dimensional disturbance."

"Oh great, another portal opening from Dimensional Limbo. What more can this show throw at us?", Nosedive asked(breaking the fourth wall as usual).

Canard cracked his knuckles.

"If we encounter Charyus there, I want to be the first to officially hurt him for what he did to us these past weeks."

Wildwing noticed the fighting fire in Canard's eyes. It was more than determination, it was rage.

"Right now we need to focus on what's going on ducks. We can get Charyus when we can."

Mallory and Canard's expressions hardened.

"I think it's enough time to be on defense.", Canard said as the ducks headed to the Aerowing, "Charyus won't just take each defeat sitting down."

Mallory nodded.

"Yeah, I say we find the Raptor and attack those lizards before they attack us."

Duke and Wildwing could both see the tension rising.

"Hold on, this is what Charyus is aiming for.", Duke stated, "If we're blind by our determination, he'll use that against us."

Canard and Mallory tried calming down.

"Their inner fire rages for blood, but what it brings is nothing but suffering and regret.", Grin said sagely.

"Well said Grin.", Wildwing said with a smile.

Grin shrugged.

"Whatever."

/

Charyus eyed the lexicon with greed and pride as he gripped it in his claws.

"Finally, the Saurian Lexicon is mine again."

Chroma raised an eyebrow.

"I held my end of our deal Charyus."

"And I shall keep mine.", Charyus told him as he opened the book, "As soon as I-"

He paused and looked at the contents of the book with disgust and shock.

"What's this?!

Charyus had the book opened and found a page was torn out.

"Darn. The one spell I'm looking for in this thing and it's not here!"

He quickly regained his posture and turned to Chroma who was getting impatient.

"Looks like you didn't think this through."

Chroma and Charyus turned to see Wraith warp in nearby.

"It seems the lexicon is short of a few spells that you sought."

Charyus rolled his eyes.

"Oh Wraith do lighten up.", he said dismissively, "So the spell I need isn't here, but still I have the lexicon and I can forge any enchantium I can."

He looked over at the shelf and then to his cauldron deep in thought.

"What to do about my feathered pest conundrum?"

His train of thought was interrupted as Chroma tapped his shoulder.

"Um, Charyus? Mind if I have another round to buy you time?"

Charyus looked his way with a raised eyebrow.

"Can you?"

"Watch me.", Chroma answered before warping away.

Wraith looked to Charyus.

"I don't trust that dimensional entity. Allies like him often have hidden agendas they don't share with others."

Charyus smiled.

"And risk being free from the curse that he was placed under? He knows better than to-"

He paused when he noticed the lexicon disintegrate into nothing and his expression turned cold and hateful.

"Told you so.", Wraith said before warping away himself.

Charyus sighed as his anger waned.

"Well played Borg. Well played."

/

"So, what's coming out this time?", Duke asked.

The ducks had reached the portal and it just hung in the air as if awaiting for something. Nosedive held a finger over the button for the particle projection cannon.

"If something ugly puts one tendril out, I'm firing this baby."

For several seconds, nothing happened, but then three robed entities hovered out. Their robes came close to the ground, but the hoods hid their faces. Around their necks were medallions bearing a symbol that looked like an hourglass among a thick fog. Canard tensed.

"What are they?", Wildwing asked.

"Time Keepers.", Canard answered, "They observe time and keep it on track. Why they chose to come here, we'll soon find out."

The middle keeper raised a hand that was covered with bladed fingers and pointed at the Migrator and then to the spot in front of it.

"They want to negotiate.", Canard said rising from his seat, "They need to see our faces in order for them to officially communicate."

Wildwing sighed.

"Can they be trusted?"

Canard's expression turned to concern.

"We'll find out."

The ducks filed out and stood before the watchers and the middle one stepped forward issuing Wildwing and Canard to do the same. As the keeper raised it's hood, it only showed a pair of glowing eyes, but the rest of the face was covered with darkness. It then spoke in a voice signifying it was male, but elderly.

"Canard Thunderbeak, we have traveled here from Dimensional Limbo with a simple request."

Canard raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, the keeper continued.

"We know this is unexpected and hard to understand, but you must not be so dumbstruck."

Wildwing was stunned.

"How did he know what you were going to-"

"Ask?", the keeper answered, "We've seen time's flow from the beginning and all that will pass after this moment. There is an entity you know of named Chroma. He is a thief and defiler of our work. Therefore we ask you to restrain and send him to us so we can return him to his rightful prison. Fail to do so, and Chroma will spell disaster for not just your world, but many more."

Without another word, the watchers filed back through the portal which closed as soon as they did.

"So we find Chroma and deliver him to the keepers?", Wildwing asked.

Canard nodded.

"Few dare to go against the keepers as they foresee what decision will take place.

/

And that was when a barrage of energy spheres rained upon the area. The ducks scattered and avoided the assault only to find Chroma hovering above them and looking pretty miffed.

"Just when the keepers leave, the culprit shows up.", Duke said firmly.

Chroma flinched for a second, but regained his posture.

"So you met my captors then?"

Canard didn't wait, he hurled jagged bolts of lightning while Grin hurled large slabs of earth only for Chroma to split them aside.

"A little uneven on the odds here. Allow me to make it more fair."

Chroma's image then split into seven copies of himself and the fighting continued all unaware the keepers were observing from their place in Dimensional Limbo.

"Our target is proving formidable.", the middle stated plainly.

"Indeed Observer.", the right one added, "The ducks are no push over either. You must think this is amusing Phage."

The left keeper(Phage)'s eyes narrowed.

"Chroma will answer for his crimes to time's flow Tempus."

Observer didn't look assured. Being entities that observed time, they could see which outcome would play out. Phage and Tempus both knew that too. Observer placed a hand over his medallion and his fellow observers did the same.

"Shall we?"

The images placed in the mirror like surface of the table they surrounded sped up as the medallions started glowing slightly. It happened for a moment and then they paused to reveal the Aerowing returning to the Pond which gave the answer they knew all too well.

"The ducks failed.", Phage said plainly, "Still they came close."

Observer's eyes narrowed.

"Indeed. It appears that our target is still roaming time's flow and yet his pact restricts him."

Tempus then waved a hand and the mirror surface revealed Chroma shaking hands with Charyus making their hands spark and glow with ominous magic and then back to the Aerowing.

"As much as we would like to interfere, we are forbidden to do so.", Tempus stated, "We watch and keep time on it's course while relying on others to do the work."

"Such as the fate of all time keepers.", Observer added.

"And so it will be for all eternity.", Phage concluded.

/

"Man, that Chroma sure had us by the tail feathers.", Nosedive griped as he flinched, "Why is it whenever we fight, I end up getting most injured?"

Canard rolled his eyes as he finished healing Nosedive's arm.

"Probably due to you just jumping in without thinking.", he chuckled, "Just be thankful that you thought fast and used your Create spell alongside your Arrow spell to get the odds in your favor."

Nosedive smiled.

"Just luck I guess."

Mallory rolled her eyes as Tanya patched her side.

"What happened with you back there Mal?", Duke asked, "Whenever you use Sword, you kind of change."

Mallory shrugged.

"Guess I'm still a little angry that Dragaunus and his goons are still out there and I want to give them a piece of my mind."

Wildwing could feel the tension.

"Hey, we got through to fight another day ducks. We can't let emotions get to us."

"Spoken like a true leader.", Duke said proudly.

Canard went to wash up, and the moment he closed the door, he fell over in pain. He then noticed his hand turned transparent for a moment and then back to normal.

"What the?", he asked in surprise, "What was that?"

"Your summoning is wearing off."

Canard turned to see Charyus in the mirror smiling.

"My summoning spell is effective, but there's a catch. If something is summoned from Dimensional Limbo and stays on another plane of existence too long, slowly but surely that summoned being fades away."

Canard got a little worried.

"You mean, I'm going to-"

"Die?", Charyus asked raising an eyebrow, "No. You'll just go back to Dimensional Limbo, unless we can come to an arrangement."

Canard frowned.

"I'd rather make a deal with the devil than make one with you."

Charyus' smile didn't fade.

"Fine, but when your condition gets too complex to hide, I'll be the one laughing. Have a nice life while you can."

Charyus disappeared cackling all the while leaving Canard with a lot to digest.

/

Back in the rec room, everyone was waiting, but Wildwing noticed Canard looking a little concerned.

"Hey, you okay buddy?"

Canard tensed. Should he tell or keep this to himself for now? Plastering on a fake smile, he turned to Wildwing.

"Hey, just a little homesick that's all."

Wildwing didn't buy it.

"Okay buddy, what's wrong?"

Canard sighed. Even though Wildwing wasn't an aura reader, his demeanor would suggest otherwise.

"It's my state.", Canard said, "My summoning is temporary and if something doesn't happen, I'll be teleported back to Dimensional Limbo."

Wildwing was shocked the moment Canard finished.

"So is there no way to prevent this from happening?"

Canard thought for a moment.

"Yes, I believe there is a way, but we have to work fast and not mention this to the other ducks. They might take it too hard."

Wildwing nodded. Nosedive was his brother, Duke and Mallory had determination, but this would be too hard for even them.

"How much time til the event happens?", he asked.

Canard looked solemn as he contemplated on what it would take.

"A month. Two at the most."

Wildwing got a little worked up.

"Thirty days to find a way to help my friend from being sent back to between dimensions?", he thought to himself, "I won't let that happen. Not again if I can help it. If there is a way to prevent Canard being sent back to Dimensional Limbo, I will find it."

Canard put a hand on Wildwing's shoulder.

"Wing, I want you to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll accept whatever comes to pass."

Wildwing looked Canard in the eye and nodded.

"I promise."