Author's Note – A soundtrack to set the mood for this is 'The Witcher 3 Blood And Wine What Lies Unseen (Alt ver)' on Youtube. Another good one is the extended version of 'The Witcher 3 OST – Mystery'. The Witcher 3 Blood and Wine expansion has several dark, mysterious tracks which play when exploring caves or depths which could be infested with vampires and other monsters.

Isolation

Holding a small flame in her jaws, she silently stalked the desolate shore, finding nothing helpful and scenting nothing on the stale air. There was little more than the stream she crawled out of, rock spires and boulders, and a slope. Was this a trap which led nowhere other than wherever the water flowed?

With nothing else to see, she let her flame die so she did not use all her can-be-fire-air.

Peaceful, absolute darkness closed about her.

Slow breaths to stay calm.

Staying here was not an option. There was no going back up the waterfall, so she had to find another way. How to do that in the dark? For all she knew, she might be about to walk off a ledge above a fall too narrow to fly in. Her flame was limited and might be needed to defend herself.

What about letting her wings burn with power-light? There were problems with that one too. Power-light came most easily when there was great need, some clear danger to oppose or purpose to achieve. Using power-light could also leave her weaker afterwards, which would be dangerous if there had to be fighting.

Life-fire sight was similarly imperfect, only useful at showing the location of life, not the ground.

Why did it feel like there was another option right before her nose? Was there a way to see-

She huffed, annoyed with herself that she had forgotten the obvious answer. Dark wings and light wings could see in the dark with sound-sight, so she could as well.

She shrieked, the call bouncing countless times. A range of rock, spires, boulders, a gentle slope up toward a large cave-mouth, and a stream flowing on the other side of the range. All was visible in the total darkness. The surroundings gradually faded, leaving only the void after several wingbeats.

This was perfect!

Or not.

There were problems with using sound-sight as the only way to see in the dark. Making a lot of noise would give away her position to anyone or anything else out there in the darkness. Both hunters and prey wanted to be as silent as possible to not be noticed by the other. Roaring or shrieking to see in the dark would let anything within hearing, which could be a great distance, know about her.

But she was not a normal light wing. Hunters could not truly threaten her. Not anymore. Not since she found her powers again and was not reluctant to use them. Never again as long as she was careful.

Sound-sight was the best option among limited bad options. It would not help against anything remaining motionless, but life-fire sight could make up for that.

She went to the stream and drank until she could drink no more. There was no guarantee of finding water while aimlessly wandering. Food she could go without for many waking-cycles, but water was more important.

Done, she took a deep breath and slowly started up the unseen slope toward the cave-mouth. The closer she got to it, the more obvious it became that this was a path to somewhere else, not merely a small cave that ended deep within. A faint wind, the softest rustle on her nose, marked that the air was flying somewhere.

Her shriek bounced down the long cave until the vision became unclear in a narrow, twisting path. But there was no alternative way, so she continued onward one step at a time.

The going was slow, filled with cautious steps while listening to the surroundings and watching with life-fire sight. There were almost no living things nearby, except for small bugs and things that scuttled and slithered on the ground. More than once she stepped on an unstable rock or a stone with a sharp edge.

Alone in the dark.

Stay alive. That was the only remaining goal. Good water to drink and something to eat could be problematic eventually, but she had plenty of time until then. It was unlikely there was much that lived in these dark ranges.

Was it necessary for her to survive on bugs and crawling things?

Do not think about how the light wings had not acted when they had the chance. That was irrelevant at the moment.

The cave opened on another, much larger range. Just like the one before, this range had no light-rocks at all, though there were sharp spike-like rocks growing in the middle of the range. They might be dead light-rocks, but there was no way to know without flaming for sight. What could kill light-rocks? Or was it normal that they their light would eventually die? No way to know.

Further, the range had water covering half of the length. There was the faintest light glowing from the water, so she dashed over to inspect that light and get a drink. The light was coming from the water itself, maybe from very small plants.

She drank her fill and froze at the sound of pebbles falling from somewhere behind her by a slope in the dark. Small rocks did not fall on their own. Whatever it was had already noticed her.

She spun around and shrieked for vision, seeing a mass moving ahead of her just out of range of life-fire-sight. The life-fire appeared within her range to see it, and the attacker dashed at her.

Alarmed, she flamed at the attacker, the sudden light almost blinding in the dark. The flame forced it back, and she barely made out its shape in that instant. Smaller and leaner than her or a light wing, different in shape, lacking scales, having long claws on its paws, and with sharp spikes on its head.

It moved so fast, completely at ease in the darkness. A normal fight with it was a bad idea.

Life-fires touching, swirling, and smothering without even needing to look into its eyes. Thoughts expanding and pushing aside the other wants and will. The weak-thinking hunter knew only need, hunger, and fear.

Fear that froze it motionless. With its limbs unresponsive, it stumbled and fell on its side, slowly starting to recover.

She warily strode to the paralyzed attacker, flicked out a claw, and cut open its throat. It quickly died without making a sound.

The range was silent and still, nothing else moving within it as she heaved, catching her breath.

Curious what the attacker truly was, she flamed for light, letting her clearly see the attacker for the first time up close.

She froze in alarm when she saw its head. It was not the strong spikes around its head or its long and backwards-pointed teeth that were disturbing.

The hunter's pure white eyes had to be useless.

She calmed herself with deep breaths until what she saw made more sense. Living in ranges which were so dark would mean it would not use eyes. It probably saw with life-fire-sight or sound-sight.

There were certain to be more of these blind hunters out there, even if no others were immediately nearby. Using sound-sight would make her presence known, but that could not be avoided. There was no other way to see, since flame needed to be kept ready for any true fighting.

She returned to the water and drank. A long waking-cycle, if that amount of time could even be known, of walking and stumbling in the dark was sure to follow.

Her belly growled. How long had it been since she had a proper meal? One waking-cycle, two, five, more? There was no way to know or count the flight of time except for growing hunger and the need to relieve herself. Perhaps five or six waking-cycles. There were no ranges yet which had any waters with fish, or any light-rocks to give light for food-mushrooms. The crawling bugs were completely insufficient.

A nagging thought. The dead attacker lay nearby. Warm meat was right there for the taking.

She stiffened. Eating another kin, even a hunter like this one, felt wrong. This should never need to happen.

But not eating would make it more likely she would starve down here. Letting the warm meat go uneaten would be wasteful. It was not as though she had tried to hunt and kill a fellow kin to prey on it. The reverse was true.

Sometimes it was necessary to do what would not be done in other situations.

She took a deep breath, went to the body, tore away its hide, and ate one life-water covered mouthful at a time. Whatever was necessary to survive and endure.

The cave was narrow, damp, and cold. And dark, but that was a given. All was silent except for the faintest patter every time she took a step.

Endless stretches of cavern, the dark ahead identical to the dark she had come from.

Was the path endless? Was she walking in circles, making no progress toward getting out? It was impossible to tell.

Lost and with no option but to keep going. One step at a time, straining her ears for the faintest echoes which shaped the path in between shrieks of sound-sight.

Her weary paws ached from so much walking and from stepping on occasional sharp rocks.

Head and eyes drooping from being awake so long.

Was it safe to sleep? Probably not. Sleeping in this long and narrow path was the worst choice possible. She had to find somewhere safer, at the least another cave or a crevice to crawl into first.

Sleep could wait. Sleep would have to wait.

Purpose and determination. Unbreakable will and strength.

One step at a time.

At least she had a full belly and would not need to eat for many waking-cycles. Necessity, not desire. Trying to tell herself that it had been only meat like any other was not really convincing. Between kin-meat and bugs, the bugs were probably better. She would settle for food-mushrooms though. There had to be brighter ranges somewhere in the darker and deeper ranges.

Fighting back the yawn, she continued walking while keeping to the routine. Walk, stop, shriek softly, listen to the sound-picture, commit that picture to memory, and walk. Eyes open or closed made no difference for walking or seeing, but keeping eyes open probably helped her stay awake.

Had it been one waking-cycle since she was forced here? No, it had to be far more. Time was confusing. Being alone and in an unchanging dark made it impossible to count waking-cycles. Even being in his trap-cave had been confusing, unclear how much time had flown past. Was this not already decided? Thought was confusing.

Sleep was an enemy anyway. Sleep was time not used making progress toward the final goal. Worse, knowing that there were foul kin down here meant that sleep was too dangerous unless there was shelter to hide in. The sooner she found a way out of here, the sooner revenge would be at paw.

Revenge against… who? Them? Him? All of them?

Someone.

She froze and slowly spun in place, sitting down in the middle of the narrow cave. Motionless, she listened for any sign of movement and watched with life-fire sight. The cave appeared empty of anything living in both directions. There was nothing else here except a few boulders she had to climb over or around.

But there had been a faint rustling or swishing out in the darkness. Was that a tail swaying on the ground? Were paws stalking closer?

She crouched down, ready to pounce and get the first strike when there came another sensation from behind.

A faint patter... of paws? Heavy breaths drawing nearer and nearer. Something was out there too?

Surrounded on both sides. What was it?

Attackers moving to strike at the same time!

Why did life-fire sight not reveal anything? Could the spiked attackers hide from life-fire sight too? It was possible, not knowing their abilities. The first one had not.

Terror and fear. Closer and closer. Her life-organ beating fast.

No option but to fight.

Flame, bright blue fading to white, poured out and spilled through the passageway, striking whatever was approaching from ahead. She spun in place and flamed the other direction, taking an opportunity to strike while the attacker was blinded.

She jumped forward toward the attacker and struck a solid mass as hard as rock, making her paws sting. Blue and white blasts of fire flew straight at the attacker. The light was so bright that it pained her eyes even while closed.

Snarling, striking, panicking, fighting for life.

The pain in her paws from repeated strikes was unimportant. Pain did not matter. The weariness was not important.

Nothing mattered except fighting, living, enduring, being strong... resisting... staying on her paws... killing the monsters... heavy eyes... too weak…

Head spinning… never give up… enemies all around…

Circling and closing nearer and nearer...

One at a time, the light wings roared in acclaim and bent their heads low to the dirt as they should at the regular pack-ceremony. They knew their place was to obey and submit to her will as their Alpha.

With the ceremony finished, she took flight and passed the dead Alpha's mangled, rotting body. He had not suspected that she was still alive. She had struck with no warning while he had most of his guards away.

Clawing open his belly, ripping away bones, and eating his life-organ while it still beat was entirely deserved. His ruined body would lie there to rot forever, at her command untouched. He did not deserve to have his remains buried or flamed.

Several of her loyal and controlled Fighters and guards followed at her side where they belonged. It helped with those who were not controlled to give them special favors from time to time to ensure their loyalty, which was why she led them to the trap-cave where she had been held.

The irony was perfect.

She entered with her followers and chuckled, pleased when she saw those who were trapped down below. The dead Alpha's five mates, their wings broken to keep them trapped there, were still useful to the pack. Or at least they were useful to her rule.

"Go have fun."

Her loyal Fighters and guards gladly jumped down the ledge and got to work, having their way with the trapped, foul females.

Fair and justice. Those five thought they could get power, use others, and that there would be no consequences. They cared nothing for the rest of the pack, so they deserved this and far worse. Maybe now they would understand how others had felt under their power.

She left the cave to return to her preferred light-rock overlooking most of her range. Preparations were coming along well. The Far-Fliers and Hunters, along with their most capable females, were learning combat. New-Flame-Pack had to be ready to act against the two-leg monsters when the time came. Everyone who stood or flew in her way would fall.

All the voices, all the pain, all the loss cried out from the abyss. They had been so wronged. They demanded vengeance.

Yes.

All monsters had to be destroyed.

She looked down, saw her reflection in the light-rock, and froze, horrified by the black tendrils leaking from her eyes.

With a heavy groan, she woke up, stumbled to her paws, and winced at the pain in her paws. Why did they feel like she had been carrying boulders or walking on thorns all waking-cycle?

Apart from her paws, however, everything felt better. Her head no longer pounded, and it did not feel like she was spinning in place. Why was that? Had she fallen asleep? That was irresponsible of her if she had. Sleeping in this cave was not smart at all.

Cautious steps revealed a curious detail. The ground was covered in small chunks of rock, almost as though the rocks had been torn from the wall or blasted apart from larger boulders.

Blasted apart? What could do that to solid rock, and why would anything attack the wall? It was as if a kin had-

She slumped with realization.

Going for too long without resting had let her thoughts go so twisted that she saw the hunter-kin closing on her when there were none.

She had been striking and flaming at mere rocks.

At least she had found sleep afterwards. Sufficient rest was important in these ranges where it was necessary to be alert and clear-thinking.

On a suspicion, she checked her claws. Sure enough, she had dulled and broken several of her claws in her fight with the rocks. The claws would grow back with time, but they would need tending to so they would be sharp.

It was not as though she had many other ways to pass the time when not walking aimlessly in the dark.

She had been walking for a long time with nothing important changing. All was still perfectly dark and silent. The cave was much wider, but progress was still slow as she had to stay on the ground.

The silence was oppressive. Hearing the beat of light wings flying, or just hearing the flow of water, would be more comforting than the only sound being her own breath and steps. If only she had someone else to pass time with.

She paused and hummed. Maybe she was not alone.

'We never left.'

As she suspected, Nameless was there with her. Nameless did not have a separate life-fire which life-fire sight could see. Nameless must be part of her own life-fire or liver, somehow.

She grumbled, "What are you?"

Nameless did not immediately reply. Her unseen companion waited several wingbeats before answering.

'We are... Memory Longing Justice.'

That was confusing. Memory of what? Longing for what? Justice for what?

Every other time she had the chance to touch Nameless or see what the shadow-life had lived, she had avoided doing it. Touching such a strange and different life-fire had felt too dangerous.

Was Nameless a life-fire of a now-dead kin? Many different life-fires, or memories from many kin? But how could a life-fire or memories live after death? Where did those memories live?

Maybe it did not matter what Nameless was.

"Can you talk to anyone else or show yourself to them?"

'We can speak only through you. No other can see us.'

What did Nameless mean by speaking through her? Was that just her saying what Nameless would want her to say, or was it something more chilling, like Nameless taking her body and doing the talking?

'We act through you, but you must speak for us.'

She growled, "Why do you know what I am thinking? Stop that!"

'We cannot help but know and be what we are."

"Good. Since you know everything, you can help me find a way out."

There was no answer to that.

"Wonderful."

There was light. This was the first real light she had yet seen in these darker ranges. However, the range ahead had an obvious sign of danger. Between the dim light-rocks and large mushrooms were webs like those made by spiders, but these webs were big enough to catch kin.

One of the webs had what must be a kin wrapped in webbing. Nothing was visible of the kin except a dried paw. Whatever the long-dead kin was, it was not a light wing.

How big must the spiders be to make such webs?

Her question was answered when she spotted one in a web above a mushroom-tree. The spider had a body as big as a spine-tail, massive pincer-jaws, and fur-covered legs as long as a fire-scale's tail.

Despite being so big and dangerous, their thoughts were small. They knew nothing except hunger and waiting and the fear which she forced them to feel as she passed.

None of the spiders even knew she had been there. They were too busy hiding deep in their webs, caves, or wherever they went, terrified of something unknown passing by them.

She had never heard of such large spiders being in any of the ranges above, probably because other kin killed them off. Such monsters of spiders could only survive in the shadows where few kin ever flew.

She cautiously crept toward the range ahead while staying alert for any motion. The range, now barely visible from a glow ahead, widened into a big range filled with mist, purple mushrooms, and light-rocks which burned with deep colors of purple, blue, and green. A stream gently flowed from the higher part of the range. Despite the signs of life, there were no other plants or kin anywhere in sight. There were not even any small prey animals. Wide and open spaces interspersed with columns and ledges made for more opportunities for a hunter to strike from hiding.

The dark range was still and quiet.

She stopped by the water to sate her thirst. The water tasted old and slightly foul, but this was the first water she had in a long time. There was no reason to complain. Complaining never helped anything.

While drinking her fill, she considered what to do next. There was no indication at all of where to go or where she was in the darker and deeper ranges. None of the Far-Fliers or Fighters had shared any details which would help guide her, such as the shape of these ranges or the paths within. The best option was probably to keep trying to go up whenever possible. There were at least two ways out of these darker and deeper ranges: the exits at the weak-willed and controlled light wing pack and at Shadow-Spark-Pack with the dark wings.

She flew up to the top ridge and was pleased to see that the shallow stream flowed from a cave. The water had to flow from somewhere. Glowing moss filled the cave's walls with pale light. That the cave rose made it the best available path.

Progress going up the path was slow as the cave was worn smooth by the stream and because there was not enough room to always walk beside the water. However, this was far more pleasant than was stumbling through total darkness in absolute silence. Light-making moss was familiar, and the constant flow of water, even slightly foul-smelling, was soothing.

She purred in relief at the sight of the next range: greener, filled with flowers and mushroom-trees, and containing far more life. Bugs, small prey-animals, and the smallest of kin lived in this range. Their numbers were not as great as in the higher ranges, but this was far more familiar than where she had come from. The air smelled cleaner too.

Naturally, there were far more light-rocks burning with light around the mushroom-trees and other growing things.

Motion caught her attention toward the other side of the range where it appeared there were a couple paths, one leading up and the other down.

She cautiously glided closer, keeping as out of view as possible. The other kin gathered closely around each other on a flat between the paths quickly became clear as the very things she was trying to avoid. Spikes around their heads, dark coloration all over, and the shape of their wings left it clear that these were more of the dangerous hunters like the one which she killed. It would be easy to avoid them and wait for them to leave.

But there was another option. These kin, even though they were smaller-thinking, would know what the surrounding ranges looked like and how to get out of these ranges. Keeping them alive and using their memories was an option to find the way out. That would probably have been an option with the first one she killed, but that had happened too fast to make a plan.

She took several deep breaths to steady herself as she approached them. It was entirely possible and likely that she would need to fight these six kin. Her dulled claws would not be reliable in a close fight. At least knowing the dangerous hunters were there would help her not be taken by surprise.

She landed many leaps from them but close enough that they knew about her. They left behind the unknown prey-carcass they were feeding at, and silently stalked toward her. Despite not having useful eyes, it felt like they were staring hungrily at her.

Would power-light help against them? Probably not, since they were blind. That was fine. She had far more powers than only that one.

The six eyeless hunters approached while spreading out. Their life-fires were no different from other smaller-thinking kin. Controlling them one at a time would be easy. The hunters would not expect any of their own to attack them. Control one, use it to strike, and then control another to make it also attack. Confusion would take them as soon as she attacked using one of them.

However, making them not want to attack at all would be much easier. There was a chance they would obey such a command.

She touched their life-fires and growled, 'Stop!'

The six hunters stopped moving, growling softly in confusion, 'What?' 'Why?' 'Hunt!' 'Cleanse!' 'Prey?' 'For Alpha!'

Their thought-voices were a chaotic mix of simple needs and wants. Twistedly, their scents were not a mix. They all smelled alike, as if they all shared life-water. Further, they were likely all females from their body-shape and scents, though she could not be certain.

'Which of you is the flight-leader?'

The largest hunter stepped toward her and angled its spiked head, 'What here why?'

'You will help me find where the light wings live,' she calmly said.

'Here you end want die yes yes yes?'

The others clamored, pawing at the ground, 'Food!' 'Food!' 'Cleanse!' 'Hunt!' 'For Alpha!'

Did they think she had come here to become food? Why would they think something so twisted?

Cleansing. That was another term she had heard used before to describe the hunters that lived down here. These Cleansers apparently would come out of the darker and deeper and would restore balance to the ranges above by hunting where there were too many kin. How many Cleansers were there? They had to have a nest or nests somewhere in these ranges.

She growled, 'No, I am not your prey.'

'Not prey what wrong no hunt you food Alpha need you fight no die sleep yes bite sleep.'

The other five Cleansers were hissing and grumbling, shifting on their paws and mouth-water dripping from their jaws. She stepped back from them so as to keep them all in sight.

'I will kill all of you if you fight.'

'Fight!' 'Fight!' 'Cleanse!' 'Food!' 'For Alpha!' 'Kill food take for Alpha!'

She reached out, feeling their life-fires and thoughts. Sparks burning in all of them, connecting each to the others. Simple needs. Obedience toward commands from their Alpha. Servitude. Many memories which there was no time to search through.

Thoughts settling in the Cleanser furthest to her right. Its body, now her body. She spun and pounced on the Cleanser beside her, sharp claws cutting down through its neck. Life-water covering her tongue while she scrambled to bite, slash, and pierce. Flailing wings, forelegs, and tails.

Thoughts diving into the Cleanser most to her left to take control. The others had already leaped on the one she had first controlled. Her new thought-thrall jumped on another and pierced its neck with sharp and long foreclaws.

So much life-water, roaring, and confusion as they turned on each other one at a time. It was too easy to control kin with such small life-fires and weaker thinking.

There were dull thuds as each corpse fell to the ground.

She heaved, catching her breath as she beheld the death and mess before her. Five of the Cleansers were dead, necks ripped, bellies torn open, and life-water spilling on the ground.

The largest one, the apparent flight-leader, was still alive, whining and shaking in pain. It too had a torn belly, but none of its inside-parts were torn out, unlike two of the others. One of its forearms was broken, the other arm was missing its long claw, and it had lost some of its head-spikes.

Leaving one alive gave the opportunity needed.

She calmly strolled to it and stood before the prone hunter, 'I warned you.'

'What confusion attack danger where how kin hurt how pain?'

She put a paw on its head and pushed down, making it whimper in pain.

All that mattered was its memories of the ranges and of its life. It had to know where the path to the light wings was located.

She closed her eyes and felt its life-fire. Resistance easily fell away. Into its life-fire and memories swirling all around and filling the range with-

Clarity.

The many twisting and turning paths of the darker and deeper ranges fell into place inside memory. Long passages, wider chambers, places to avoid because of many-legged spider-hunters, waters with fish and big mouths, paths sloping up into the light and life-filled chambers which had good hunting, the places where old and slow light wings were easy to find, the lone light wings which were easy prey, the-

She growled, wrath flaring as a detail she had heard in prior conversations made far more sense. The light wing pack required that males who were questioning or disobedient had to join the Fighters on dangerous flights into the darker and deeper ranges. Those very males who had been disobedient enough toward the pack's rules were probably left behind to be killed by the Cleansers. Everyone else in the pack would think those males died bravely while serving the pack by protecting against the dangers below.

There were no words for how terrible that was. The Alpha would suffer for what he had done. Him and all his kin.

But being angry about how rotted and cruel the Alpha was would not help right now. Information was most important, even if that information would hurt to see or live though the Cleanser's perspective.

Back into the memories to take all she could learn about these ranges.

The path which led up into the light wing territory and where light wings were always on guard, a long lake filled with dark water and no life, a chamber of flowing fire-rocks, a distant path leading to a dark wing pack, carrying dead light wings down through the darkness, a wide chamber filled with warmth and red light, deep waters with islands, eggs and fellow kin resting on the islands, and a dark haze obscuring her vision.

A presence was hiding within the haze.

'Show yourself' she roared.

There was movement within the hovering mist. The mist slowly swirled as that which was within stirred.

She landed on the nearest island and flamed at the mist with a bright ball of fire which exploded, filling the entire chamber with light which burned away the mist and revealed-

There was nothing behind the island. No kin. Nothing at all.

How was that possible? There was something back there.

She froze as a cracking grew louder. She looked up and saw that the ceiling was crumbling, rocks as big as kin dislodging and falling everywhere. The tall island she was on broke and pitched, falling to the side toward the roiling water and forcing her to fly.

A small rock struck her wing and tore though it, making her howl in pain.

How was pain possible in a memory-vision? If pain was possible, was death possible too?

The ceiling completely broke, collapsing in on the chamber. No time!

Out! Out! End!

She stepped back, whining in pain, fear, and confusion as the memory-vision ended. What was happening? There was real pain in her wing where the rock had struck.

Panicked, she swung the wing around and saw no hole in the wing. No rock had struck and torn her wing after all. That only happened in the memory-vision. The chamber she was in had not collapsed in on itself and on her.

So why had the pain felt real?

The Cleanser writhed and shuddered, gasped once, and went still, life-water dripping from its open maw and drooping tongue. It was finally dead.

All was still and quiet.

She calmed herself, still alarmed at what had happened. The twisting, winding path to find the light wing pack was clear enough in thought. There would be no problem flying there anymore up the brighter of the two available paths.

But there was another danger.

She clearly saw in that memory-vision where the Cleansers had their nest. These very kin were responsible for killing countless other kin, of making fellow kin into nothing more than prey. Some kin preyed on other kin. That was normal, but this felt different.

There was something else down there, and whatever it was had hid from her, even breaking the memory-vision to evade her.

She began pacing, no immediate answer coming to mind. For a kin to act on another kin meant they must be close, somehow. It was not as though life-fires far apart could touch and share any feelings or-

Actually, perhaps it could happen from afar. What was hiding must have been the Alpha of the Cleansers. That Alpha somehow felt when she killed its kin, and she found the Alpha's presence when looking in the living Cleanser's life-fire. The Cleanser Alpha hid in the shadows and destroyed the memory-vision, perhaps even killing the Cleanser with that action.

The pain of the rock striking her wing had felt real. There was no way to know how bad being killed in the memory-vision would have been, and she did not want to find out.

Though, her sire-father probably knew what it must have felt like, as his control of the oneness-link had surely been the strongest of all kin. He might have felt every time a kin died in great suffering.

With a glance at the dead Cleansers, a wiggling suspicion grew stronger. They were familiar somehow. Their shape was similar to-

She froze in recollection.

The not-kin-hunter Reflection said she was a mixed-kin: half dark wing and half a type of hunter-kin that lived in the darker and deeper ranges. That other half of Reflection had to be these Cleansers. Their appearances were too similar for it to be any other kind of kin. Cleansers had spikes on their heads and had long claws, just like Reflection. Unlike Reflection, Cleansers had no scales and were smaller than a dark wing or light wing. But that meant a dark wing and a Cleanser had to have made an egg or eggs, which was a wrong mixing. Why would a dark wing join with such a smaller-thinking kin? Why would the mixed-kin that resulted have a special desire to hunt dark wings?

She sat down and considered the two paths. The ascending path eventually led to the light wing pack and her revenge. The path going down led to the Cleanser's nest and whatever had been hiding from her.

There was someone who likely knew what happened with dark wings and Cleansers. The Cleanser Alpha would provide answers, willingly or unwillingly. As for the light wing Alpha she had to kill, he would surely still be there if she waited another pawful of waking-cycles to get her revenge and free that pack from his control.