"Uh ooei xihk?"

Soon after their escape from the Jugraths, Krystal and her new companion were still flying high up through the swirling depths of the furious storm. With the howling winds and biting rain whipping at her face, Krystal only barely heard the winged creature call to her on its back, and even then she couldn't understand its strange tongue.

"Wh-what?" She called to him.

"Uh ooei xihk, eiknehctoh?" He called over the roar of the rain.

"I don't understand..." She sighed and shook her head. "Here, let me..."

She carefully inched forward on the creature's back and, with a deep, calming breath, cleared her mind as best as she could, preparing herself for what she was about to do.

Slowly, she reached out a hand and touched the crest of his pointed head. Though he shot her an inquisitive eye, he unknowingly allowed her unconscious mind to enter into his. Inside, she touched his thoughts and his memories, not too deeply, so as to respect his privacy, but deep enough to recognize the words, the language, and the emotion attached to each. And with every one, she learned more, bit by bit knitting the meaning of it all into her own mind like a tapestry on a wall, until at last, she exited his mind and drew back her hand, not even one minute after she had entered it.

"Hello?" She said in his tongue. "Can you understand me now?"

The creature looked back at her with surprise in his eyes. "You can… How did you do that, outworlder?"

"I'm able to look into the minds of others. I can sense their emotions, and I can even read their thoughts and memories if I concentrate."

The creature, to Krystal's surprise, didn't seem too shocked. "Impressive. I have never met someone with that power before, though I've heard rumours of some. Tell me outworlder, are you hurt?"

Krystal shook her head, glancing down at her bloody arm. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

He nodded. "Very well. What were those beasts back there? I have never seen creatures such as that."

"They're called Jugrath Birds, and I'm afraid I brought them with me from another world by mistake."

"Your world?"

Krystal shook her head. "No. I was only visiting that world, the same way I am visiting yours. It's a very long story."

"Well, as a member of the CloudRunner tribe, I proudly welcome you to our planet. And now, I would humbly advise you to leave as soon as possible."

"Why?"

"Dinosaur Planet is in turmoil. The tribes of the world have been savagely conquered by an evil general, and his SharpClaw army. He has acquired powerful magic and machines that should not exist, and uses these machines to subvert the entire planet."

Krystal frowned in thought. An evil general...

"Well, I can't leave, at least not yet." She said. "I received some kind of cry for help not long ago. I don't know who sent it, but it came from your planet. Someone here is in peril."

"I'm afraid you'd be hard pressed to find someone not in peril these days…" The CloudRunner said with a sad shake of his head. "But nonetheless, your intentions sound sincere, so I suppose I can try to assist. Do you know where the plea came from?"

"Not exactly. But they did say something about a temple in the sky."

"Hmm…" The creature thought for a moment, flying in silence, before soon speaking again. "Unless I'm mistaken, that phrase could only be referring to Krazoa Palace. Though I don't know who could need help there. I don't believe even the SharpClaws would dare attack that place. And even still, I can't take you there right now."

"Why?"

"I have been sent on an important mission by my queen. One of her children has been taken, and I have been instructed to save her secretly."

Krystal frowned and her eyes fell downward. It seems like more people need help than I realized.

"Very well." She said. "If I help you save this child, will you take me to Krazoa Palace?"

The CloudRunner nodded. "As you wish. It will be dangerous. The young princess has been taken to a SharpClaw galleon: A flying monstrosity that can carry dozens of soldiers. I was following this ship when I saw you fighting those beasts."

"Where is this galleon now?"

As if in answer, a deep, rumbling boom sounded just above them. Krystal looked up to see a massive, flaming cannonball come barreling towards them.

"Look out!" She cried.

"Hold on!" The CloudRunner yelled, and folding his wings onto his body, he suddenly dove straight down. The cannonball whistled right over their heads, plummeting past them to the ground below like a falling meteor.

Spreading his wings out again, the CloudRunner caught the air and leveled out, giving him and Krystal a chance to look up and see what had attacked them. Rocking back and forth in the wind above them was a huge, wooden airship, with two outstretched wings, a massive sail, and a hideous figurehead of a reptilian creature that was so lifelike, Krystal wondered if it was once the head of an actual beast.

Atop the deck of the ship, Krystal could barely see dark outlines of two legged creatures dashing around, heading for the cannons that lined the sides of the ship.

"We need to flee!" The CloudRunner yelled.

"No!" Krystal yelled. "Take me to the deck!"

"We can't! They're going to blast us out of the sky!"

As he said this, a chorus of pounding booms echoed from the galleon. Cannonballs filled the air around them, forcing the CloudRunner to weave and spin to dodge them all. Krystal clung on to his neck despite a sharp pang of pain emanating from her injured arm. She desperately hoped she wouldn't fall off.

"Stop!" She shouted. "I can protect us!"

Raising her staff, she summoned a blue, transparent shield that enveloped the length of the staff. With a vigorous cry, she swiped at one of the flaming projectiles, the glowing shield around the staff deflecting it as easily as an arrow on stone. "Go! Quickly!"

Quickly banking around, the CloudRunner began to fly towards the huge galleon, swerving up and down to dodge the hailstorm of flaming iron, all while Krystal did her best to shield them from the ones that flew too close.

"Hurry!" She cried.

"We can't get closer!"

"Don't worry! I can..."

Another cannonball came hurtling towards them, and Krystal swung her staff to knock it away. But unfortunately, despite the protective shield enveloping the staff, the long weapon hit the iron ball at an angle that wrenched it from Krystal's hand. With a horrible pang of panic seizing her heart, she darted forward in a vain attempt to catch the treasured heirloom, but it fell beyond her reach.

"No! My staff!" She cried as she watched the last remaining memory of her home spin to the clouds below.

"We can't do this!" The CloudRunner shouted.

"I..." Krystal looked around, realizing how bleak the situation looked. "Take us down!"

"What?"

"Fly into the clouds! We can hide there"

He nodded, then with a small flip, they both sailed down into the thick rain-clouds below. And sure enough, the great galleon slowly descended to pursue them, firing shell after shell at them.

Blinded by the thick grey fog, the soldiers aboard the galleon soon stopped firing their cannons, no longer able to see their foes. Using this to their advantage, Krystal and the CloudRunner flew up and silently landed on the stern of the ship.

Krystal jumped off his back, her sandaled feet touching the deck, as she whispered to him. "I'll find the child. Fly just out of sight, and be ready to catch me."

He nodded, and with a flap, flew off the ship and down below where he couldn't be seen, while Krystal began to quietly sneak along the soaked wooden deck.

The cloud enshrouding the galleon was so thick that she could only see a few feet in front of her face. Luckily, this meant that the soldiers could see just as well, so as long as the ship stayed in the clouds, she would be hidden from sight. She just had to make sure she didn't bump into one of them.

Slowly she crept along, listening for any sign of the captured child. She could hear the soldiers shouting a mix of orders and insults to one another, obviously trying to find her and the CloudRunner in the thick fog. None of them seemed to get the idea she could be onboard.

Climbing down from the stern of the ship, she touched down onto the mid-deck, home of the majority of the mounted cannons. She felt her way along the wooden wall silently, trying to find a door that would take her below deck. She guessed that would be where prisoners would be kept.

Finding a door, she gently pushed it open and peeked inside. The air inside the ship was much warmer, meaning that the thick fog dissolved as it seeped in, granting better visibility. Krystal glanced back and then quickly slipped inside, shutting the door behind her.

There was no one in sight, only a short hallway that branched off into two descending staircases. Krystal carefully snuck along, hoping that all of the soldiers were above deck looking for her in the clouds. She stepped down onto the first stair, and began to climb down, listening intently for any living thing.

She cursed herself quietly for losing her staff. Not only was it a treasured heirloom, but it was the only weapon she felt truly competent wielding. She would have a hard time defending herself if she got in a fight.

Coming down to a hallway lined with small doors, she began to silently creep up and check each doorway. She saw barrels and crates, racks of weapons, mats of hay and cloth, but she saw no sign of any prisoners.

Perhaps a different approach... she thought.

Kneeling down on the hardwood floor, she closed her eyes and began to search the ship mentally, seeking for a sign of the captured child. Probing the thoughts of those onboard, she could sense anger, agitation, envy, and confusion all around her. However, she soon caught whiff of another feeling: Sadness. A deep, mournful sadness that was accentuated with a powerful, deepset fear. She had found the lost child.

Where are you? She thought, trying to send her a message. Can you hear me?

There was no response. Krystal clenched her teeth in concentration, trying to make herself heard. Can you hear me?

W-what?

Krystal smiled. She had heard her. Hello? Are you the CloudRunner child?

I-I... who...

Krystal sensed fear. It's okay. I'm a friend. I'm here to bring you back to your family.

But... where are you? Are you real?

I'm on the ship. Don't be afraid, but I need you to tell me where you are.

I'm...

Krystal suddenly felt an overwhelming wave of fear come from the child's mind. Hello? What's...

Without warning, she felt a cold, scaly hand grab her shoulder and harshly spin her around, pinning her against the wooden wall.

"Whaddaya think you're doing here?"

Krystal found herself face-to-snout with what could only be a huge, green, SharpClaw with long teeth, a long tail, and cold, yellow eyes. He was clad in brown, leather armor and wielded a terrifying, wooden club, covered from head to hilt in steel spikes.

Grasping her tightly by the shoulder, his sharp claws threatening to dig into her flesh, he made sure she wouldn't be able to slip away.

"What are you looking for, furball?" He hissed, holding his vicious weapon next to her face.

"I... I don't..."

"You're not supposed to be here."

"Wait! I don't mean any harm. I just want..."

"Come on." He growled. "Move it."

Pulling her away from the wall, he began to forcefully lead her down the hall and back up the wooden steps to the ship's deck.

"Look what we've got!" He called as they stepped outside.

The galleon had flown back above the thick clouds, allowing Krystal to see it and its crew in their full horror. The SharpClaws aboard the ship were all similar; they had the same long snout, the same tail, and the same bowed legs. However, they all came in radically different sizes, with the smallest being half of Krystal's height, and the largest towering over her like a gorilla.

She noticed that they seemed to be ranked according to their size as well. The smallest ones were clad in worn hide and wielded little more than wooden sticks, while the largest ones were outfitted in full steel armor, complete with shields and battle axes.

"What are you talking about?" One of the largest ones called, walking up to Krystal's captor.

"I've found a stowaway, sir!"

The statement drew the attention of most of the crew, and they all slowly moved in to see who was causing the excitement. As they formed a circle around Krystal, chattering and growling, she struggled to resist the urge to cover her nose; the stench emanating from the reptilian soldiers was rancid.

"Who are you?" The large one hissed. "How'd you get here?"

"It's a CloudRunner spy!" Another called, a very short one with an almost whiney voice. "He didn't show up till we shot that flying rat outta the sky!"

Krystal felt her breath catch. They hit the CloudRunner? No, they couldn't have...

"You numbskull! It's a 'she', not a 'he'!"

"Who cares? She's a spy, and we know what to do with spies!"

The large one stomped up and, with a clenched fist, smashed the small one upside the head. "Will you shut it? We don't know she's a spy."

"Well what is she doing here then?" He said, rubbing his head.

"I said shut it!" He turned around again to face Krystal, baring his razor-like teeth as he did. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Please." She said, bowing her head in an attempt to look non-threatening. "I don't mean any of you any harm. I just..."

She decided it wouldn't be of any use to lie. "I've been asked to save a young CloudRunner child, and I was told she was on this ship. Please, let me just take her back to her family and we can settle this peacefully."

The SharpClaw laughed with genuine amusement. "Peacefully? If you're trying to steal the general's new pet, then there's no way we're gonna let you walk away peacefully."

"P-Pet?"

Her confusion made the SharpClaws snicker. "See for yourself." The large one said, pointing with a thumb behind him.

Krystal's eyes followed until they caught sight of a steel birdcage, hanging by a rope from a wooden pole near the front of the ship. And inside the tiny cage sat the CloudRunner child, looking at Krystal with wide, fearful eyes.

"I don't understand..." She murmured, which triggered another bout of laughs.

"See, the CloudRunner queen's been giving our tribe a lotta trouble lately. So, the general decided that the best way to put her back into her place was by taking a hostage."

"Don't worry!" One of the SharpClaws called. "We've been taking real good care of the rat! Feed it almost every week!"

A bout of laughter erupted from the assembled group, all while Krystal stood silently, horrified at their petty cruelty.

When the largest SharpClaw eventually stopped laughing, he forcibly pushed Krystal against the wooden wall, keeping his arm pressed to her throat, while she vainly tried to struggle out of his grip.

"Now then." He growled, putting his face next to her's. "I think it's time to punish this dirty thief. Any ideas?"

The group erupted with suggestions for punishments and tortures they could inflict.

"Let's burn her!"

"The general could use a new rug!"

"Let's introduce her to a Red-Eye!"

"Throw her overboard!"

"Let's eat 'er!"

"You idiot! We're not gonna eat a dirty furball!"

"Better than that gruel they've been forcing us..."

The clamour grew louder and more intense as arguments broke out, and within minutes, a few full blown fistfights started. Krystal looked around at the contention with both wonder and disgust. I can't believe these savages haven't killed each other off yet.

Knowing the arguments would eventually cease, and their attention would be turned back to her, she began to try to find a way out of her predicament. She glanced around to see a small hole begin to open in the group of bickering SharpClaws. As the arguments grew louder and louder, she got ready to make a dash for the bow of the ship; perhaps she could release the child before they caught her.

However, before she could make her move, a sudden deafening shout echoed across the galleon.

"SILENCE!"

All bickerings stopped immediately as the assembled SharpClaws jumped in surprise. Quickly, the group drew back to see, standing in the doorway on the ship's bow, an extremely large SharpClaw, twice as tall as the one that was holding Krystal down, and several times more muscular.

Standing silently with his hands clasped behind his back, he glared at the assembled SharpClaws with a menacing eye. As he stepped forward down the stairs, he spoke slowly and softly, with a sharp tone that reached every ear. "Can't we have one day, one day, when you animals aren't murdering one another?"

The large SharpClaw released his grip on Krystal's neck, allowing her to fall to her knees, coughing and wheezing in an attempt to return air to her lungs, before he dashed forward and bowed respectfully before the massive SharpClaw.

"General Scales! I apologize for the contention, but we have a stowaway on board! She said she's trying to free the child."

General Scales stared the warrior down, making him shift back and forth with discomfort. "Bring her forward."

Immediately, two soldiers grabbed Krystal roughly by the arms, ignoring her cries of pain as one of them aggravated the claw marks left by the Jugrath, and dragged her to the General's feet. Breathing heavily, Krystal looked up into the General's cold eyes, while he simultaneously studied her up and down.

"What an ugly creature." He mumbled.

"General." Krystal said, ignoring the acerbic comment. "I-I don't mean to cause any trouble, nor do I wish to be the reason for unnecessary violence."

Scales eyed her curiously. "Unhand her." He commanded.

Taking their hands off of her arms, the two SharpClaws stepped back and allowed her to climb back to her feet.

"Now then." Scales said calmly. "What is a creature such as yourself doing on my planet?"

"I... I received a distress call and I came to help those who sent it."

The General began to laugh. "Distress call? My dear, this whole planet is in distress; mostly because of rebels like yourself."

"What? No, I'm not a rebel. I do not wish to oppose you."

"Oh?" The General growled. "Really? So I suppose your attempts to free a prisoner of war is just a hobby of yours? A way to pass the time perhaps?"

"'Prisoner of war'? General, you're holding an innocent child against her will!"

Scales suddenly thrust his arm forward, raising something to her face threateningly. At first, Krystal thought that it was a weapon, but she quickly realized that it was actually a steel, claw-like replacement for a missing hand.

"Innocent?" He growled. "Yes, the child may have not committed any crime, but she is by no means innocent. Her mother, the Queen of the CloudRunners, is the reason for hundreds of deaths, in meaningless battles that have brought their people nothing, and my people terrible grief."

He brought his arm back behind his back, turned around, and strolled leisurely back up the stairs, towards the caged princess. "I do not hold the child out of some baseless cruelty, but to prevent any more bloodshed."

He suddenly lashed out and struck the CloudRunner's cage with his steel claw, causing the child to shriek in fear. "If the tribes of the world would lie down and accept my rule, I wouldn't have to fall back on such extremes. I rule with fear, because if I don't, the tribes would fight back, and they'd destroy themselves as a result."

As quick as lightning, he spun around and caught Krystal by the neck, seemingly predicting that she would attempt to slip away from the SharpClaws to try and save the child. He laughed evilly as his fingers tightened around her neck, lifting her body into the air, while she vainly tried to struggle out of his iron grip.

"Idealists… Always fighting. Always struggling." He murmured.

"Throw 'er overboard General!" A SharpClaw soldier called out.

Scales smiled broadly, tracing the edges of the bloody wound on Krystal's arm with his steel hand, seemingly enjoying her stiffed gasps of pain. "Do you have anything else to say, rat?"

"Yo... You're evil..." She sputtered between labored breaths.

The General squinted his eyes and smiled, showing off his long, knife-like teeth. "Perhaps. But goodness never leads to victory. Take yourself as an example: You seem so kind, and so willing to help others. And look where you are now: About to plummet to your untimely death, trespassing on a world you don't belong."

Krystal's eyes grew wide with fear as Scales began to drag her body across the wooden deck like a doll, as his soldiers trailed eagerly behind. She began to struggle more intensely, trying to kick and lash out in an attempt to free herself. But she could do nothing to fight against the General's impressive strength.

"Take this as a declaration, Dinosaur Planet!" He roared, lifting Krystal above his head and over the railing of the ship. "Nobody can defeat General Scales!"

And with that, he hurled her body over the side, laughing as he watched her disappear into the endless clouds below. Satisfied, he turned to his cheering soldiers, who were praising their General's magnificent show of power.

"Still think we should'a eaten 'er." One was heard to mumble.

Unfortunately for them, had any of them been watching closely enough, they would have seen a dark, winged shadow silently and skillfully catching a falling body in midair. Flapping its wings, it flew back up to the underside of the flying galleon.

"Bad luck, General." Krystal whispered with a deep sigh of relief. "Thank you for saving me."

"Think nothing of it." The CloudRunner said. "I heard you stand up against Scales. You are much braver than I gave you credit for."

"But I couldn't save the child." She said with a sigh. "She was right there, just out of my reach, and I still couldn't do anything! If only I hadn't lost my staff!"

The CloudRunner smiled knowingly. "Don't lose hope. We can still save the princess."

"How?"

"There's no doubt that the SharpClaws are dangerous, however, I've found them to be extremely dimwitted as well."

Before Krystal could ask what he meant, he suddenly began to flap his wings and fly up from below, hovering high above the deck of the galleon. Krystal could hear frenzied shouts from on board as the SharpClaws caught sight of the duo.

"What are you doing?" She inquired worriedly, watching as the dark shapes on the deck scurried to the cannons.

"For example:" He continued with a smile. "Keeping a valuable prisoner out in the open, where anybody could easily fly down and rescue her."

And with that, the CloudRunner tucked his wings into his body and dove straight down, forcing Krystal to cling onto his neck to avoid falling off. Faster and faster they barreled towards the wooden deck, to the point that Krystal feared they would crash. However, seconds before they hit, the CloudRunner spread his wings and quickly leveled out, passing straight over the heads of the flabbergasted SharpClaws, and making a beeline for the hanging cage and the child within.

Krystal quickly turned her head to the side, just in time to see General Scales standing in the doorway of his personal quarters, with a look of both shock and fury on his reptilian face. The sight, though momentary, gave Krystal a thrill of satisfaction, and forced her to give him a smug grin.

Moments before they would have crashed headlong into the child's cage, the CloudRunner reared up and grasped the cage with both of his feet. With the speed that he had built up transferring into the cage, the wooden pole that supported the cage snapped in half and, clutching the rope in his claws, the CloudRunner continued to fly forward without missing a beat.

And just like that, Krystal, the CloudRunner, and the young princess dangling in the cage were flying away from the SharpClaw galleon, while the furious general and his despondent soldiers were left behind in the swirling storm.