Overall, the group held out decently for the first two minutes or so. Henry could usually hold his breath for more than that by now, yet now that he was running the sweet scent began creeping into every crevice of his body decently quickly. He gritted his teeth harder and stared straight ahead, at the galloping Frill, and attempted to block it out.

The pain from where he dug his nails into the back of his hand fiercely combatted the sickening scent of the Vineyard as Henry spotted the exit.

Somewhere in the back of his head, he registered Thanatos shooting out into the open first. Frill followed, like Lapblood with a giggling Luxa on her back. There was something incredibly amusing about the way the rat threw her into the field of Starshade, Henry grinned yet immediately chased it and cried from the pain his nails sent through his body where he violently dragged them across his arm. The intoxicating mist creeping into his mind retreated at once and Henry picked up speed until he ran beside Ripred.

The rat took a flying leap forward out into the clear, yet at that moment the vigorously laughing Gregor on his back let go of his ears and fell backward. Henry barely prevented a collision and yanked the Overlander up under his arms, away from the extending vines. He mobilized his last energy reserves and dragged him along the last couple feet, yelling at Ripred to keep going.

When Henry stumbled out into the field of Starshade he tossed Gregor's limp body forward, the boy landed with his face in the soft grass. "Breathe it", Henry yelped as he attempted to catch his breath and Gregor twitched before he slowly rose.

We have to count, Henry thought and raised his head to see if everyone had made it before his eye widened and his gaze darted back down at Gregor.

"They are still in here!" The exiled prince twirled around as Ripred yelled, pointing back into the tunnel they had come from. He threw a last glance at the group, then made his decision.

Henry took a flying leap after Ripred who had sprinted back at once, for Boots and Temp. Of course he had let her go, Henry thought as he attempted to keep his spinning head at bay. Of course Gregor had had to let her go.

The longer he stayed in here the harder it became to keep a clear head and Henry let out a hoarse scream, nearly running into Ripred. The rat already held Boots in his arm, the crawler was clinging to the fur on his back.

Yet apparently, the vines had not given up on their imminent meal. "The exit is sealed!", yelled Ripred and retreated as the first vine shot at them from the ceiling like an arrow. Henry barely made out the razor-like tip.

His head spun and he frantically attempted to dodge three others seeking to impale him, one of them brushed the side of his arm leaving a bloody trail. Never had the Vineyard actually attacked him and for a moment Henry believed they had to be lost – until his gaze met Ripred. An image flashed before him, an image of the rat in battle. And suddenly, he knew what to do.

"Ground coiler! Flaming sword! You spin me! Three seconds!" In one fluent motion, Henry yanked his backpack from his shoulder and drew his sword, then pulled the lever on the ignifer-dispenser. The blade hissed as it ignited in the familiar jet flame and exactly three seconds later Henry twirled around to Ripred, fervently hoping he had understood his vague gibberish.

Yet his concern evaporated at once when he saw the rat's outstretched paw and the exiled prince hesitated not for a second when he determinately grabbed it.

Ripred yanked him up and the soles of Henry's boots dug into the rat's side when he stretched out his sword arm. There was a silent heartbeat of agreement between them, yet before Henry could process whether that had been the ever so slight hint of respect in Ripred's eyes, the rat began to spin.

The exiled prince did not have to do anything, not aim, not check what he was hitting, not even move, only hold his arm out as the world around him became a fiery blur. Ripred spun him faster than Henry had ever spun and they became a flaming tornado, effortlessly tearing through the curtain of hissing and retreating vines. Hamnet had been right, they didn't like the fire, Henry managed to comprehend – then it was over.

Ripred stopped so abruptly Henry nearly plummeted to the violently swaying floor, his hand released the sword, and it took him a full ten seconds to process the world around them stood still again.

The moment he regained his senses his gaze met the rest of the party, all stared at them with unbelieving shock. Hamnet held Gregor who presumably had meant to run after them for Boots. Over the plain hung a deathly silence.

"Me spin!"

They all winced as it was disrupted by the tiny voice of Boots, who now tugged on Ripred's fur, then on Henry's shirt, and giggled. "You make me spin!"

The whole party broke into relieved laughter and Gregor wiggled out of Hamnet's grasp and ran for Ripred. "Boots! Oh, Boots!" The rat handed his sister to the distraught Overlander at once. Temp, who had not nearly enjoyed the little adventure as much as the baby girl, crawled out of Ripred's grip himself. The crawler was excessively trembling.

Henry released the breath he had been holding and leaped to the floor, from where the soles of his boots had dug into Ripred's side. He stumbled forward, at his still burning sword, then finally let go of the rat's claw before picking it up.

"Ground coiler..."

Henry darted back to him and to his surprise, among the usual amusement, made out something like genuine appreciation in the rat's eyes. "Heh, you are full of surprises, aren't you, lad?"

He didn't exactly know why, but ever since Ripred had shown up at the colony Henry had not truly felt safe in his presence. Too much he had felt like he was being watched, evaluated. It was ridiculous – last time he had seen the rat he had pushed him at Gorger, telling him to stand with his friends, and Henry had wished for nothing more than to thrust his sword up his gloating throat, yet now –

In a single motion, Henry extinguished the flame of his sword. "I know. Isn't that what it is?"

Ripred laughed. "You could... call it that, I guess."

Henry put his free hand to his hip and tilted his head. "So, we kicked ass in there, together." Together. He and Ripred kicking ass... together. Weren't it such a serious situation, the thought would have Henry laugh. "Does this mean we are outcast-buddies now?"

In his stead, Ripred broke into hoarse laughter. "Oh, oh lad! Do you think it only takes ONE good idea and ONE time kicking ass together to become MY outcast-buddy?"

"So it's not out of the picture, we just have to do this more?"

Ripred shook his head, still giggling. "Eh, I should have formulated that differently." For a moment the evaluating expression flashed in his eyes again. "You've got a long way to go, lad, before we can seriously talk about that. You're on the right trek, yet you've got a long way to go. I'll be keeping an eye on you, kay?" With that, Ripred turned and strolled towards the others who were inhaling the Starshade now.

Henry kept his eye on him as he knelt to do the same. The rat could not possibly know who he was or he would have long given him away, Henry frowned, but in that case, what was the meaning of –?

"Don't you ever do something like that again, you hear? Not without me."

Henry jumped as someone pressed against his back yet recognized the voice at once. He instantly turned and wrapped his arms tightly around Thanatos' neck. "Hey, what was I supposed to do, let the Vineyard get them? Come on, how low can you sink to let a bunch of salad toppings eat you?"

The flier remained silent yet Henry sensed his unease. He must have been genuinely scared for me, he thought and smiled. "I'm not dying that easily. Have some faith in me, will you?"

Thanatos only sighed, yet what he was so hesitant to say rang in Henry's ears regardless. How, in his current state, he was very much at risk of dying easily. He pressed his lips together and stood up, turning to the group. "I'm fine, okay? You have to stop worrying so much about me."

Henry waited not for Thanatos' response, instead, he picked up speed and made his way across to the others. There was a task at hand, and he would not sit idle watching them work, not when he had gotten them this far.

Hamnet gathered them up in the middle of the field and conducted a quick medical check-up, to bandage Henry's cut and make sure nobody else was injured. Then he told them to eat the Starshade, to vaccinate against the plague. "Why do we need it?", asked Gregor. "None of us has the plague."

"But we are all no doubt being exposed to it." Hamnet tilted his head to glance back. "In the cradle lies the cure". That means the plague breeds here in the Vineyard." Nobody felt the need to argue.

There goes my reward, Henry thought, chewing on the plants. No vaccine from Regalia required. Not that he cared much, at that point.

After they had all eaten a fair amount, Hamnet instructed the group to start plucking. Gregor soon pulled a roll of something Henry didn't recognize at first out of his bag, and when he showed them you could tape the plants together with it, the exiled prince was all in for it. He pulled out Mys and Gregor handed him the roll of what was apparently called "duct tape" to cut, as he was the only one with a short blade at hand.

Initially, the others all gathered the Starshade from the field, but it soon became apparent the humans would be most useful taping bundles of the leaves together. None of the other creatures had the hands for it.

Boots and Hazard quickly turned out to be of no help with that though, so they went back to picking plants. That was, Hazard did, while Boots frolicked around for most of it. Occasionally, she presented them with a few leaves, too.

Aurora and Nike, who, with their injuries, were also fairly limited in what they could do, made sure she stayed safely in the field while Thanatos took to flying rounds over their heads to keep watch.

Henry ended up sitting in the middle, between Luxa and Gregor, handing them stripes of tape, while they bundled the plants and gave them to Hamnet who stacked them to a haystack of sorts.

At first, they worked silently, but after what must have been ten or so minutes, Gregor raised his voice – "Hey, that... that was amazing. How you went back in there to save Boots and Temp." He awkwardly scratched his nose, "Ripred said you caught and dragged me out as well."

Henry looked up from his tape and shrugged. "I always wanted an excuse to try my flaming sword in the Vineyard."

Luxa tapped the handle of her own sword, that Henry had given back after they had left the Vineyard, and asked – "How exactly does that work, actually? Because I want one as –"

"You make me spin!" Boots cut her off as she came running at them, apparently having escaped Nike and Aurora, and latched onto Henry's arm. "You make fire! Me ride rat and you make fire!"

Henry grinned back at her as Gregor awkwardly rose and tried to get Boots off his arm, but she was more determined than he. "Well, looks like you have a fan now", Gregor sourly smiled and Henry grinned back. "Sure, as long as she lets me do my work."

With one swift motion, he released Mys and grabbed Boots with both hands. He rose and lifted her above his head, as high as he could. "You like the spinning? You want more?" She screamed in joy and Henry grinned widely before he picked up speed and started spinning her frantically.

Boots immediately became ecstatic. She squealed and laughed and Henry spun and spun until he was so dizzy he nearly stumbled and fell into the stack of Starshade. He laughed alongside Boots who called "More! More!" over and over and he prepared to pick up speed again when his gaze met Gregor's face.

The Overlander had watched and oozed visible concern, as soon as Henry stopped he stretched his arms out to take his sister from him again. "Okay, that's enough now, Boots, look, I have something for you." He rummaged through his backpack and placed a small mirror in the hand of a furiously protesting Boots. Yet as soon as she saw it, she forgot her anger and it fully occupied her attention. Boots was apparently very fond of making faces at herself.

"I believe this is not to be left out of sight."

Henry winced as a voice called from behind and turned to spot Hamnet. Earlier, he had seen him talk to Luxa, but now he held in his extended hand Mys.

Henry quickly took a step towards him and grabbed the dagger. "It usually is, but then the baby –"

Hamnet laughed. "I saw. You do have a knack for children, do you not?" Henry opened his mouth to protest, claiming he did, in fact, not enjoy the company of children usually, but Hamnet spoke on – "Despite its purpose, it is an incredible piece of work, if I may say so."

Henry frowned and opened his mouth to ask what "despite its purpose" was supposed to mean. It was a weapon, what even could its purpose – his eye darted up at Hamnet and he frowned. Right. In the aftermath of helping the exiled prince with the formation, Luxa's uncle had also shared his newfound pacifism. Henry's lips pressed together dismissively yet he suppressed the urge to begin arguing over whether or not it was pointless again. He had certainly tried then, yet Hamnet had brushed him off quickly, claiming his mind was long made up.

"Oh, it certainly is", was all Henry said and prevented himself from snorting. To think he'd had such a high opinion of Hamnet in the past, and now... Someone who could fight, yet chose not to –

"Truly remarkable", Luxa's uncle leaned in to inspect it closer. "May I... see it again for a moment?"

"Oh, you are very right, Hamnet", Henry heard Ripred's voice approaching and twirled around to him. "Is that what I think it is?" The rat emerged from behind Luxa's uncle, leaned over to sniff the dagger, and then raised his head in surprise. "It is! The tooth of a gnawer, and what a tooth!"

Henry grinned proudly, holding the dagger up. It was a nice change from his usual detached arrogance to see Ripred so excited over something. "Not just any gnawer either." Henry twirled it around, "This is the tooth of no other than King Gorger himself."

Now he truly had baffled the two, both of them stared at the dagger in disbelief. "Say what now?" Hamnet blurted out and Ripred chuckled. "A dagger from the tooth of Gorger and a sword that lights on fire. You just keep the surprises coming, don't you?"

"Not planning to stop anytime soon, either."

"And what does it say here?" Hamnet leaned towards him and Henry's fingers instinctively traced the carved-in letters spelling "Mys". He remembered the day he had engraved it well, he had made his fiftieth tally mark then.

"Mys", Luxa's uncle read. "That means rat, does it not?"

"It's the tooth of one, so I thought it was a fitting name." Henry held it higher so that Ripred could see too. The two inspected it for a while longer, then Hamnet asked for his flaming sword.

"It's a substance the nibbler Teslas and I developed", Henry shrugged, "it burns for fifteen minutes and is probably the most ingenious weapon upgrade one could ever design for the life out here."

"Way to toot your own trumpet", Ripred grinned but Hamnet cut him off, "I believe he has earned it. I mean, I remember the man on the mural they called Death Rider had a flaming sword, but I always believed it to be symbolic."

Henry frowned. "Sym– what? Why would you...? That doesn't make sense, what kind of symbolism would it be?" Before Hamnet could answer, Ripred cleared his throat. "Haven't we stood around here uselessly for long enough?"

Hamnet got the hint and excused himself, not without throwing glances back at Henry and Ripred like to urge them to get back to work as well soon.

The two watched him walk over to Luxa and Gregor, whipping out his own knife to begin cutting the tape himself. "Choosing not to fight", Henry mumbled and shook his head. "Like, I get he regrets what he did, but what will come out of deliberately choosing not to fight?"

"At least he has a choice, you mean?"

Henry twitched around to Ripred and held his bitter stare until he averted his gaze to the floor. "I'd give anything to have a choice again", he mumbled and angrily wiped at his face. That was the last thing he needed now, to cry in front of Ripred.

The rat remained silent for what felt like ages. Just as Henry meant to give up on receiving an answer and go see if he could be useful somewhere, Ripred spoke – "Any... thing, you say?"

"Yeah", the exiled prince scoffed, then frowned. "What about it? It's not like you can help me. It's not like anything or anyone can help me." He wiped at his face more, yet the tears kept rising despite his best efforts. "I'll have to accept it at some point, that I'll be useless for the rest of my life."

Ripred said nothing and a wave of shame washed over Henry at how pathetic he must look. "Just, let's –"

"Not so fast."

Henry froze mid-movement. He had meant to storm off, yet now turned back to stare at the rat. "Not so fast... what?"

"It depends", Ripred scratched his back. Henry thought he had seldom seen him so torn. "Your issue lies mostly in perception, not in actual skill, right?"

Henry's frown deepened. "What about it?"

Ripred sighed and plopped down amidst the field of Starshade. "Your perception's off because you've lost your binocular vision. Yet there's ways to perceive that do not rely on your eyes, as you may or may not know."

"I know, echolocation", Henry scoffed, "but of what use is that if I can't use it in battle? There's no way to produce the sound consistently enough." He frustratedly snapped his fingers.

Ripred's eyes widened. "You use echolocation? Really?" He stared at Henry for a couple seconds before his eyes trailed to Gregor, "Well, maybe you can talk to the great warrior over there then. I've been trying to teach him for a while now, yet he persistently fails."

Henry followed his gaze and hesitated, then dejectedly shrugged. "What does it matter? What does anything matter? It's not helping!" He kicked the grass only to almost fall. "I hate it!", he screamed yet instantly lowered his voice when both Hazard and Hamnet who stood closest, turned his way.

Ripred remained strangely silent, only looked at him, Henry was once more certain he attempted to judge or evaluate him in some way.

"What now?", he barked at the rat, "You're going to help or not? Because if not, I'll –"

"Oh, I can certainly not help", Ripred spoke at last, "yet there may be...", he hesitated and his gaze trailed in the opposite direction from where they had come.

"There may be... what?" Henry dug his heels into the ground and attempted to suppress the suddenly frantic beating of his heart.

"Eh, forget it", Ripred scoffed. "It would be a waste of time to send you to her. For both of you."

"To who? What are you talking about?!"

Ripred finally met his gaze again. "Fine. I'll talk", he snarled. "Yet do not hold me responsible if this does not work." He stared into Henry's eager eyes and sighed. "Know that what I am referring to has never been achieved by a human, and only by a handful non-humans. Ha, even the first threshold has only been passed by a single human, as far as I'm aware, namely the human who at the current moment stands before me."

"First... threshold? What are you talking about? Something that helps me be useful in battle again?"

To his surprise, Ripred laughed. "Oh, oh – useful, he says? My lad, if you indeed try your luck at the second threshold, it will make you a little more than USEFUL in battle."

"More?" Henry listened up. "How... much more?"

"How much more, he asks!" Ripred let out a short laugh. "Oh, how am I supposed to know? Didn't I just say no human has ever done this? I'm not even sure if it's possible for one."

Henry's head reeled. The rat's words clustered his mind, one concept persistently beating at his skull. Useful... more than useful in battle. He eyed the rat – the way he talked so cautiously this would most certainly fall into the category "will take up a decade of my life", then again, Henry took a deep breath, if the reward was right...? And in the end, his head spun from the sobering thought, what choice did he even have?

"That nobody has achieved it yet doesn't mean it's impossible!" Ripred winced as Henry spat out the words. "Shoot. I'll take whatever I can get. Just... shoot!"

For another second Ripred held his gaze silently, then sighed. "Fine. Have it your way. Don't come crawling back to me if it doesn't work, though."

Henry remained silent and the rat spoke on – "I can not help you, lad, yet I know... someone who may. If anyone can, it is her."

"And where do I find her?"

Ripred hesitated. "Travel to the Firelands. Ask around, those new crawler-friends at the citadel colony you mentioned earlier, or really anyone, for the one named... named... Kismet. Someone's ought to have heard where she lives."

Henry frowned. "Kis...met?", he tilted his head, "Wait, the Firelands? Are those even inhabitable? And you don't even know where she lives exactly?"

Ripred scoffed. "Lad, you ask too many questions. How am I supposed to know where she lives? Last time I saw her, she spoke of settling down in the Firelands. I picture her smart enough to pick somewhere that is not contaminated with gasses. That is all I can tell you."

Henry bit his lip. He had little experience with the Firelands, yet if his only hope lied there, he hardly had a choice. "And this... Kismet can teach me to fight again? Like, better than before?"

Ripred broke into a giggle. "Lad, we're not just talking "better than before". If you indeed get her to teach you, you will fight unlike any human has ever fought. Unlike any creature, save the handful I mentioned earlier, who are not ragers, have ever fought. If, you know, you succeed."

"Watch me." Henry put his hands to his hips. "You know what – I have a bet for you. I will do what you say, I will go find her, get her to teach me, and learn. I will learn to fight unlike any human has ever fought, and then I challenge you to a re–, I mean, duel. And if I then impress you, we will be outcast-buddies!"

Ripred stared at him for a second, then broke into proper laughter. "Oh, oh, oh... someone's setting high goals for himself. Well, if that's what you want, sure! I take that bet."

He sat up again, scratching his back. "Good luck getting her to agree to this, though." He eyed Henry with amusement. "To teach...", he mumbled, "and even to teach a human. I'd give much to witness THAT conversation."

Henry only pressed his lips together, barely listening. In his head, he was already charting a route from here to the Firelands. Maybe they could fly directly for it, he didn't necessarily need to see neither Teslas nor the mice again right now.

"That's enough lazy sitting around on our hides though", Ripred patted his back so hard Henry jumped and nearly fell. "As Hamnet said, we've got a cure to gather. So get at it!" With that, he strolled towards Lapblood, Hamnet, and Hazard, who plucked some of the last remaining Starshade.

Henry's head was still too preoccupied with the conversation to properly take notice of where he was going. He absent-mindedly wandered towards the stack of Starshade that stood taller than he now, Gregor and Luxa were nowhere to be seen.

"Kismet", he mumbled, fiddling around with Mys' handle. Kismet. The name had burned itself into his mind, and he internally shook his head at how unpredictable Ripred was. Not even that long ago he had regarded the rat an enemy and now – now he had been the one who had given him the first hope in what felt like ages. Whatever that was this Kismet could teach him, and however long it would take, Henry knew he had long decided to at least give it an honest try. Maybe it would indeed be worth it, in the end?

He was so lost in thought he only heard the voices when he had nearly reached the stack.

"It can only ever be your choice whether you share the story."

Henry winced as he made out Hamnet's voice. Hadn't he just seen him over with Frill and Hazard?

"You truly think so?"

Henry's eyes widened even more as the voice of Thanatos replied and he froze in his tracks at once. Hadn't the flier been out keeping watch?

"Of course I think so." Henry couldn't help but think Hamnet sounded angry. "Honestly, I don't understand why you feel so much guilt for complaining."

Henry knew he should probably not eavesdrop yet now every fiber of his body craved to know what was going on. What Thanatos was complaining about, and especially why he had come with it to Hamnet, not him?

"Back then, in the garden, I... I know it was technically not my fault, I saved my bond and..." – "and I did not save mine", Hamnet cut him off. "She warned me, you know? Persephone, she urged me not to do it, not to open the gates. Oh, had I only listened..."

"She was always the wisest one among the four of us." Thanatos' voice was numb. "The only thing I never seized to ask myself was what she wanted with an anti-social loner like me."

Hamnet laughed. "Don't we all occasionally ask ourselves that with the person we love most?"

"We do", the flier concurred, "which is why... why you should forget what I said earlier. I've –"

"No, no, wait", Hamnet cut him off, "do not say that! You've every reason to complain if that is how he treats you."

"Treats me", the flier echoed with disdain, "what does it matter how he treats me? It is not... I can not... risk what I have found by being selfish. I...", he hesitated, "sometimes I have these moments of weakness when I briefly ask myself how it would be if he genuinely cared for me, yet it is all utterly foolish. So he can treat me as he wants, I've nothing... nothing else, don't you understand?!"

"I..."

"It is of no use!", Thanatos cried, "it has never been the same after Arya's death. And it will never be the same again. I should not even be thinking any of this, should be grateful to have found what I've lacked the last seven years. He is my reason, the only reason I have..."

"That is what concerns me so!", Hamnet interjected, "The way you talk... I have known you for nearly all my life, with how close both Arya and I and Persephone and you were, and yet I've never...", his voice quivered with strain, "never seen you like this. You were always so... so... wasn't it you who always scoffed at us others for adjusting our lives to please others? And now that you are doing it yourself, you claim it is fair this way?"

"My... life?", Thanatos hesitated, "That is the point. I have no... life anymore, not like he."

"You can not be serious!", Hamnet cried, "At least you must talk to him! Maybe you're in the wrong, maybe –"

"And what will that CHANGE?"

The silence that followed the flier's words was deafening. "What will it... change?", he repeated, "If I complain now, I will only be taking a needless risk. He does not even realize any of this, and all I can hope for is for it to remain that way. If I express it, it will not change the fact that he does not care for me. He remains with me for convenience – or whatever reason, really. I don't even want to know."

"But that is not –"

"It is the way it is", the flier hissed, "I've been aimless for so long and now that I've found something, someone, to be dedicated to again, you want me to risk that?"

"That is not what a bond is supposed to be!", Hamnet cried, "And I will never support you being exploited in that manner. I –", he hesitated, "I understand why you feel the way you do, yet it can not continue like this. I... I know you declined my offer when we last met, seven years ago. Yet now I feel compelled to make it again", he paused. "I urge you to stay, here with Hazard, Frill, and I. Though I can not offer a purpose, I can offer peace, and a willing soul to talk, should you ever need something."

A moment of silence that seemed to stretch into eternity followed his words and Henry registered the sound of his own frantic heartbeat, at least three times faster than normal.

"I... I can not. And you know that. For whatever it is, it is still a bond. I will not break it."

"You may have uttered the words", Hamnet scoffed, "yet if he is not treating it as a bond should be treated, why should you?"

An even longer moment of silence passed. "I...", Thanatos hesitated, yet before he could reply, Henry jumped and barely suppressed a scream as he suddenly heard Ripred snarl, somewhere behind him – "Oh no... I knew something like this would – but how did they even get in here?"

Still dazed, Henry turned around and it took his eye a few seconds to adjust before he registered the red wave seeping into the field. They were so close together they appeared as one entity, a thick bloody liquid oozing toward them. The image was not unfamiliar, Henry thought, and between the utter chaos and confusion that now clustered his head, he at last processed it was the cutters.

The next minutes went by him in a blur. Ripred took charge of the situation at once, he sent Boots and Hazard away with Aurora and called to arms. Henry could not move, not even listen. Yet the more he thought over the words he had heard, the less he seemed to understand them.

Suddenly, Ripred had his shoulder and directed Henry towards the others, wildly gesticulating as he distributed positions. A five-point arc, Henry registered him yell, with Ripred himself at the tip, and Gregor, Lapblood, Hamnet, and Frill to the sides. Nike with Luxa and Henry with Thanatos from the air.

The exiled prince blinked and finally awoke from the strange daze as he heard his position. "You ready?"

He jumped around and stared at Thanatos behind him who had asked. He hesitated for a moment longer than he probably should have, then nodded.

Some toing and froing later, both Hamnet and Frill had, at last, assumed fighting positions, as well as Gregor and Lapblood, while Temp took his spot on the haystack of Starshade, looking as determined as the rest of them.

Henry mounted up at last and ignited the second ignifer pellet he had loaded before exchanging a glance with Luxa, already on Nike's back. He managed a reassuring grin – "Let's do this." She returned it and nodded.

"Hold your positions as long as you can before you fall back", Ripred yelled from his place at the point. "When we reach the stack, circle around. Don't save each other, save the plants! Remember, it's the Starshade we need. Defend it at all costs! Defend the Starshade!"

At all costs... The phrase rang in Henry's ears for a moment but before he could linger on it, Thanatos was in the air. "Let's show the cutters why they should be scared of us, as they are, ever since the citadel-incident", the flier mumbled and the exiled prince nodded, like in a trance.

It's... now or never, Henry angrily shook his head. It all, their whole mission, perhaps the life of all warmbloods in the Underland, depended on them now. He could not afford any distractions. He had to... had to... focus. Henry clenched his teeth and gripped his sword, determinately chasing all confusion. "Let's fight." And then they fought.

Yet it was not enough. Henry barely registered what was happening, too taken up by the battle to understand they had no chance of winning.

The scene unfolded before him like in slow motion, the cutters overrunning the fighters on the ground, hacking away at the Starshade. Henry and Luxa fought valiantly, as did everyone on the ground, even Hamnet and Frill – but it was pointless. The last Henry saw of the relentlessly marching mass of cutters were the remains their party had not killed entering the Vineyard, vividly demonstrating what would have happened to them, had they not done exactly as they did.

Thanatos and Nike landed only moments later, exchanging unbelieving glances. Henry's head spun and his arm with the still burning sword hung limp.

Everyone had assembled around what had been the Starshade-stack. "It's gone", Gregor stammered after a minute of unbelieving silence, "The Starshade is gone. The cure is gone!"

"All gone", Ripred mumbled. "It's all gone now."

Henry attempted to silence his own screaming thoughts as he mounted down and extinguished his sword. What did this mean? What... what would happen now? His gaze wandered over what had remained of the group. They were all bruised and disheveled, with cuts all over their legs and arms. He felt no pain, yet even he had somehow taken a couple cuts, so had Luxa.

It took the shocked, battered, scared, and tightly huddled together group a full minute to discern Frill and Hamnet weren't among them. Surrounded by dead ants, Frill's body lied sprawled across the field, her skin scored with hundreds of cuts. And there, Temp hovered over something at the edge of the jungle. Henry froze as he recognized the form on the ground as Hamnet.

"Uncle!", Luxa cried, and then she was sprinting across the field towards him. Henry froze at once, staring after her. He could not move.

There were so many things he had wanted to tell and ask Hamnet. For so long he had presumed him dead and only now that he had found out he was alive, he would truly die. Their argument last night flashed in his mind, over his pacifistic philosophy, and his jaw clenched. Had Hamnet been angry with him, the moment he had died? Died fighting, too.

Henry swallowed and barely sheathed his sword with his shaking hand. He had never meant to anger Hamnet, he had never... Yes, they did not agree on that, but he had never meant to... meant to... He had not even told him it was he, Henry. That he was alive, that they were both alive, that –

His legs gave way and he collapsed where he stood, burying his face in the crook of his arm to hold in the tears. He couldn't cry, not now, not in front of the others, they would only ask why he wept for someone he had barely known, and how could he ever explain...?

"I will cry later", he whispered, voice muffled with uncried tears as if Hamnet on the other side of the plain could hear him. "I will cry later, I will. And I will not forget you." It was all he could do, staring at the group that had assembled around Hamnet now. Luxa's body quivered as she cried and there had seldom been a time he had wanted to embrace her more than now. But of course, he couldn't.

Then someone pressed against his back and the exiled prince recognized Thanatos. The flier trembled, attempted to hide, for Henry to not see his face. "He would not have wanted us to cry", he whispered, and in that moment Henry allowed himself to forget everything he had said earlier. He only wrapped his arms around his neck tightly, this time to conceal his tears.