Chapter 16: A Path crossed (Part 3)

"And now this brings us to the greatest difficulty in examining hidden runner culture: the lack of a frame of reference. In all of the cultures hereinto explored, from the longnecks to the domeheads, there have been analogues, however tenuious, with cultures within the Consortium. But for the hidden runners we can only explore with the greatest humility their inner workings.

It is known that they have a fixation on the idea of 'Fate', which is an overarching concept meant to justify the status quo, or, if that status quo is violated, the new status quo that then forms. It is used to explain deaths, births, and even the comings and goings of their Great Leader. It is a most curious deviation from rationality from a species that seems most well-suited to cold calculation and rational analysis.

But in the end, is it really such a deviation? All cultures need to have a safety valve, to use the common turn of phrase, for when the inherent contradictions within their own societies. The hidden runners are just a bit more open about the idea, actually worshiping what others personify as Gods, but not giving it a personalized form. The closest that they come to this is the reverence that they give to their leaders… which, as I am sure has not escaped the reader's attention, might actually be a more worisome prospect in such a calculating species."

Commander Logos,

An introductory report on 'hidden runner' culture and politics

"I remember that tree."

"Did you run into it or something?" Mender asked Orchid, wondering why he remembered that particular tree.

The fastrunner was taken aback for a moment before rolling his eyes. "No! I just remember that I passed that tree before I found Path… I guess the pack's territory is around here somewhere."

As if on cue, Nahoda moved forward and proceeded to sniff the tree curiously. It was only after a moment that he snorted and proceeded to provide his own marking the the lonely tree in the otherwise unbroken sea of grass.

Mender shook her head, bemused. "Congratulations, Nahoda. You just told every predator in the area lunch has arrived. Unless I missed it we're not quite in Seeker's territory yet."

Arial arrived before Nahoda could respond and, upon sniffing the same spot, smacked Nahoda in the back of the head. "You don't have to challenge every male who has an ego!"

Nahoda looked indignant as he crossed his arms. "I do when they claim all of the females in the area!"

There's another fastrunner in the area? Mender thought excitedly, Lunch.

Arial smirked. "Afraid that I might find someone stronger... smarter…" She slinked up to him suggestively before biting his unprotected tail.

"Ow!"

Arial dodged his playful counterattack. "...and faster than you?"

"Oh that does it you…"

"I think I might just go find out," Mender thought aloud, barely ignoring the two fastrunners chasing each other. She doubted they heard her.

"Well this is certainly disgustingly cute," Buse deadpanned, "Nothing like food in love."

"They're not food if you can't catch them," Mender retorted, "You do realize you'd make about as good a meal as Nahoda, right?"

"I would rather not have any eating of packmates. It makes meals too awkward." Cynnil's reply was tinged with laughter as she shook her head as the two fastrunners tackled one another.

Orchid looked up at his sister and her mate in the distance and mentally slapped himself for the fact that he hoped that Nahoda could hear this conversation. "We could seriously ruin our unseen friend's day, you know?"

Cynnil snorted. "Yes, I am sure Mender hunting him would ruin his day."

Mender looked at Cynnil, her whole body radiating hope.

"No!" Orchid replied with exasperation, "I mean that if I were to mark that tree then he would think that he had two challengers… somewhere in his territory… unseen… waiting…"

"Or I could just eat him," Mender said, "I already had to pass up a perfectly good meal already." She nodded towards Nahoda before turning to her pack leader. "Please, Cynnil?"

It was only then that she noticed that the sounds of playful struggling had ceased from the fastrunners. All of her attention remained on her leader, however.

"Are you hungry, Mender?" Cynnil asked her packmate in an even voice, as Orchid meekly stepped behind her. It was a reluctant acknowledgement that he would not interfere with the leader's decision in any way, a sign of subservience.

"Yeah, kinda," Mender admitted.

Cynnil tilted her head. "Kinda?"

"Okay, quite a bit actually," Mender replied, "I didn't want to say anything."

Silence reigned for several moments as if everyone present were waiting for the next words out of Mender's beak, but before she could respond a tell-tale screech echoed in the air.

Orchid's attention shifted immediately. "Spotter?"

"Please don't be another person needing help," Mender said to herself, "We're almost to Seeker's territory, so what's Spotter doing coming to us now?"

"Ha! Me know why it take you so long! Fastrunners too busy running after one another, and fastbiters too busy talking!"

Cynnil crossed her arms as the flyer's playful mockery reached her ears.

"And hidden runners not even hidden," he added for good measure as he landed on the grass.

Cynnil coughed. "I was not aware that Taunt was sending out messengers, Spotter. I take it that he also included some commentary on our mating habits, yes?"

Petrie looked offended for a moment as he put one wing to his chest and raised another in the air for effect. "Me only speak for Spotter, though me could ask Taunt for his thoughts." His mannerisms screamed offense, but his eyes indicated amusement. That was until he saw the somewhat disturbed look still on Nahoda's face. "Everything okay here? You not delayed by something bad?"

Huh? What's bothering him? Mender wondered, turning towards Nahoda.

"Nothing that we can't take care of, Spotter," Cynnil offered calmly, "How are things with your pack?"

"Nothing to report… though Ponder is most interested to see her sister and her chosen mate."

Nahoda noticeably shifted uneasily, as if he were trying to melt into the ground. Arial, meanwhile, looked absolutely ecstatic and hugged him without noticing his obvious discomfort.

Mender grinned. Calm down, Nahoda. It's not like they're gonna eat you.

"And all of us are most interested in seeing what Mender has been doing in her long absence. We hear much, but have seen little."

On second thought, Nahoda, you might have the right idea, Mender thought before trying to figure out a way to disappear. There were frustratingly few options.

"Though me glad to see you all doing well. What should Spotter tell the pack before you get there? Is there anything Spotter can do for you?"

"Do you know how Verant and Staza are doing?" Mender asked immediately.

The flyer smiled in his own way. "They do well last time Spotter see them! Verant and Staza had the kids hidden somewhere, but they all come to see Spotter anyway."

"And here I was hoping they'd grow out of it," Mender muttered, remembering just how interested the kids had been in her the one time she'd seen them.

"They also grow a lot! They all about to the top of your ankle now. And they all have their daddy's claws and their mommy's tracking skills. Though one almost looks like a little Mender with your color."

"How is she?" Mender asked, now very serious. I didn't find anything wrong with her sniffer last time, but she was so little...

Petrie did not understand the context. "She look fine. They all look fine. In fact, it time for Spotter to give you message from Verant and Staza, since they cannot visit right now. They still doing their part to keep hidden runner allies safe."

"Well, they should be fine as long as my brother's there," Mender replied, "So what's the message?"

Petrie smiled as he thought back to Verant's words from several days prior. Within moments he began to recite the message and what he saw as if he were speaking in Verant's own tone and cadence. There was no doubt that Petrie was transcribing her brother's message.

It is so nice to hear that they are doing well!

Many miles away, in hidden runner lands:

"Keep moving everyone," Verant encouraged the desperate group of survivors, "We need plenty of distance between ourselves and the other pack before we think about stopping."

There was no verbal response to his command as the silent band of hidden runners continued forward with their heads bowed low. It was as if their loss was an actual physical weight bearing down upon their bodies. Only the hidden runner children who had taken refuge on Staza's back with her children made any sort of reaction.

They were still mouthing out the songs of their friends. Friends who were no more.

If they're focusing more on what they lost than on surviving, I don't see how we're getting out of here, Verant thought, frustrated, If you don't feel like you have a reason to survive you're likely not going to. So how do I give them a reason to keep going?

The Bright Circle appeared to mock him as he ventured forward. Rather than illuminate a hopeful scene, its appearance was merely a reminder of what had been lost the night before… and the fact that they had gone an entire night without rest.

They had a band of hidden runners to thank for that.

We've gotten about as far as I thought we could for one day, Verant thought, but it seems we still have pursuers. The scent the winds carried told him it was the same group he'd smelled earlier. We can't keep this pace up forever.

As if to punctuate his point the tell-tale sound of snoring could be heard from his mate's back. Several of his children and the hidden runner younglings had fallen into an uneasy sleep. Based upon the dragging feet and slowing pace he could tell that the others were on the verge of collapse as well. If they stopped now then they would be easy pickings.

Perhaps it was time to go on the offensive?

The bush shook suddenly as it was struck by a green beak. It was only after its owner had sniffed for several seconds that the hidden runner spoke in a whisper.

"The survivors went this way… follow."

Bastion could only glare at the insufferable hidden runner's back as his deputy sped forward with the others in tow. He had seen more than enough death on this day for the benefit of his leaders' vanity. The deputy would almost certainly be rewarded in mates or favoritism for his upcoming success, but what would he and his comrades obtain?

A few kind words for the survivors, and death to the unlucky. Just like his comrades who currently lay in heaps by the stream. All of them slain by the fastbiters they currently were shadowing.

He forced himself forward as he stared at the deputy's tail. It would be the simplest thing to drive his spear through the bastard's back. To watch as his blood bathed the ground in its crimson radiance. Releasing him and the others from their near-suicidal mission.

Bastion forced himself to calm down. Releasing his rage on the insufferable bastard would solve nothing and lead him to a premature end. Even if he were killed his comrades would probably tell Questor what happened… and he had no doubt that Wrok's future plans would entail even more pointless battle even if the others kept their secret.

How do we get out of this alive?

It was then that he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was not the deputy.

"Maybe it's time for Calnor to have an accident…"

"How long do you think they'll bother with pursuit?" Verant asked the group, though it was mostly him thinking aloud, "Since they took the territory, why would they keep going after us?".

A gruff voice answered his query. "Maybe they are no longer following us?"

The bloodied face of an older male greeted Verant's gaze as he turned towards the owner of the voice. The crimson fluid on the spear-gashed face had begun to dry during their long evacuation, but the empty eyes hinted at wounds that would never heal. Instantly he felt unsure of how to respond, so Verant focused on the only thing he knew for sure.

That they had to survive.

"Would you have stopped following us?" Verant asked.

The hidden runner sighed as his voice hissed with venom. "I am not Questor and his pack of bastards. But even if I was I would feel no need to attack what was already beaten. He could have taken the stream and barked at us to flee…"

"But they went after everyone! Some of us even tried to submit… but they still tried to run us through!"

This was a new voice, soft and feminine. Verant recognized it immediately as one of the mothers who had lost everything.

"'What?" Staza nearly shouted, shocked at what she just heard. She really hoped she'd misheard.

The hidden runner merely went silent as she looked down in shame, her hand clutching at a hand that was no longer there. Those of her child. That was when the pieces finally clicked in Verant's mind.

Her children were killed and she tried to sub… Verant could feel his heart begin to pump furiously as rage threatened to overwhelm his reason. It was not an unheard of course of action for predatory species - kill the male, kill the children so that the female becomes receptive again, and then mate to perpetuate your own line… but that made it no less disgusting. In her moment of despair she and the others had clung to the only hope for survival that they had… and even that twisted mercy was taken from those who fell on this night. It was as unconscionable as it was evil.

Even Calin spared those he thought were useful.

"This has to be Wrok's doing," the male hidden runner's voice growled, "Questor - the worthless bastard - would not want to show weakness to him."

"Then that's who's going to die for this," Verant replied unhesitatingly.

Verant's old territory:

"Are those the bad hidden runners, Mama?"

Soar could only stare at the scene in front of her in mute shock. It had not been more than a few days since her mate had greeted Verant and his mate and she knew that Spotter would not have neglected to mention a detail like this.

The entire hill was bathed in blood.

She tried to control her breathing as she felt the children land on the same branch. What had turned into an opportunity for the children to practice their messenger skills with a good friend had instead turned into something else entirely. Either Verant had took it upon himself to deal with the other pack permanently… or he might have met a terrible end.

"Children, we need to head back towards the territory.."

Dive's soft voice broke the resulting silence. "Where are Verant and Staza, Momma?"

Soar could only glare at the bodies under them. The buzzers had already discovered the unclaimed flesh, which meant that it wouldn't be unclaimed for long. Soon there would be no sign of the pack that Verant had once helped to protect.

"I don't know, Dive, but that is what we are going to find out."

Many miles away:

The hidden runner couldn't help but smile when he head the pack stop ahead. He couldn't see them from his position, and he couldn't sniff out their location, but the fact that the voices were no longer moving forward communicated volumes. They had successful worn them down.

The others gave up long ago, the fools. This glory will be all mine…

Calnor had watched Questor as he rose up the ranks of the pack. From a well-planned mating, to assuming the deputyship, and then the tragic end of his first mate… followed by the 'tragic' loss of their first pack leader. Everyone in the pack knew that he was ambitious, but no one dared to stand in his way. After all, Fate was obviously on his side. How else could he have risen to the heights that he had?

And Calnor was determined to be at Questor's side as he rose to yet greater heights. When Fate had chosen its champion it was improper to stand in its way. Especially when it entailed your own personal ascent as well.

"Your orders, sir?"

Calnor forced the glare off of his face as he turned towards the rest of his makeshift hunting team. He couldn't really blame them for being exhausted after their nonstop journey, but he could be annoyed by the obvious sarcasm in his underling's voice. Did he not understand what was at stake here? If they succeeded in killing the monster then they would almost certainly be favored by Questor in the future.

This is why they are lower-ranked… no ambition whatsoever.

He whispered back in a cold monotone, "They have stopped to rest. The survivors are of no concern. Our concern needs to be on the two fastbiters."

He stopped for a moment. We have no flyers at our disposal so I can't get a look at their positions… so how best to proceed? He did not want to show any hesitation or weakness in front of the others, but he knew as well as anyone else that a misstep here would cost him more than his pride.

"I think that I may have an idea, sir."

Now this caught Calnor's attention. This was the first time that the group's sole female had decided to speak. Instantly feeling more confident due to the certainty in her voice he nodded for her to continue.

"We four could follow behind you on either side. Then, when you make your attempt on the fastbiter, we could guard your retreat. If the male goes then the rest will be lost."

Calnor was transfixed by her manner of speaking. As far as he knew this female was merely another low-ranked underachiever like the others that he had dredged up from the celebrations. But perhaps this female aimed for more? Her plan would risk her and her companions more than him, but perhaps she felt the potential benefits justified the risk.

He smiled internally. Ambition. I like that.

"Hmmm… I like the way that you think…" The pause was clearly an introduction.

"Cadice; I am one of the new scouts," she answered easily, quickly averting her eyes coyly.

"Cadice…" Calnor played with the name in his head. Perhaps this young scout wouldn't mind advancing along with him? "Assemble the others as you think fit. I will be going after the male and the rest of you will need to lay in wait. We won't get another chance at this."

As the Deputy continued to elaborate on the plan that would never actually be put into place, he did not notice one of the males roll his eyes knowingly. Cadice had lured him in like a bellydragger to a kill. A success here would only invite further missions for them and their illustrious Deputy… but a mishap might be their salvation.

One ambitious leader was enough for any pack.

Well, I think we might have finally lost them, Verant thought as he checked on the various members of what had once been a large pack, ending with those that were supposed to guard the edges not guarded by the nearby stream, Good thing, too. Everyone's exhausted.

The remnants of the pack were situated in the most effective defensive formation that he could manage. Along the stream, but not too close to its edge, his children and the remaining hidden runner younglings were bunched into a protective huddle, snores emanating from them all. In front of them he had placed those hidden runners that appeared the most disturbed from the ordeal, and finally, along the outside, he had placed those who were still battle-ready. In the event that they had to attempt an evacuation, they would guard their retreat.

And the stream would alert them to dangers on one side.

We should be alright for tonight. I've got a few watches set up to trade off during the night, and the stream's bellydraggers will keep any enemies from getting at us that way. Satisfied that there was little chance of being caught by surprise, Verant decided he could indulge his other concerns.

"Are you doing alright, Ovie?" he asked, approaching where the fastrunner was protecting her remaining two eggs.

The fastrunner did not respond at first, her eyes cast downward. When she did speak a faraway voice greeted him.

"How well can I be doing? I have failed as a mother."

It was only then that he noticed the slight hiss that left her beak as she attempted to take a deep breath. A painful reminder of what the hidden runners had done to her as they were breaking her eggs.

"What other injuries are you hiding?" Verant asked pointedly, gesturing at Ovie's chest. You're not gonna be able to protect your kids if you don't live long enough to see them hatch. His tone made it clear he expected an answer.

Ovie closed her eyes in resignation, as the tears that had finally dissipated hours before made a return to her face. "Just my ribs, I think."

"You did what you could, Ovie," Verant said in an attempt at reassurance, "You were very badly outnumbered. Anyone else would have fled." I wouldn't have, but Staza says I take too many risks anyway.

"And that wasn't good enough!" she hissed, quickly regretting it as she clutched her side painfully. Even though he was not a healer, Verant could tell that at least some of the ribs had to be broke.

"You okay?" Verant asked worriedly. Not for the first time he wished there was a healer among the survivors.

Ovie sucked in a shallow breath before steadying herself again. "I will manage. I haven't died yet…"

"Ovie..." For once, Verant was entirely at a loss on how to help his friend.

The fastrunner was silent for several moments as she continued to nest over her eggs. It was not lost on Verant that Ovie's emotional reaction appeared to come back as soon as the eggs were no longer being carried between the children on Tracker's back. It was in this moment that the full impact of her loss reached her again. Her family had been greatly reduced.

"You did what you could," Ovie finally choked out, "But you can't help me with this. This… this is something that I will have to live with."

"Just don't forget that you're not alone, Ovie. You do still have friends here." Don't do what Staza did. Don't let yourself hurt alone.

The fastrunner merely nodded as she began to hum something in a sing-song voice. It only took Verant a moment to recognize it as the sort of thing that would be sung to help hatchlings return to sleep. Though he had no idea if she were singing it for the benefit of her eggs, or for those younglings who would never hatch.

It was then that he felt the slightest of nudges.

Seeing his mate trying to get his attention, Verant decided it was best to leave Ovie alone for now. Not knowing what else to do with himself, he went to do yet another patrol of the borders of their makeshift sleeping area.

Behind him he could hear Staza talking to Ovie, but he couldn't make out what was said. Hopefully she'll be able to help Ovie better than I did.

Feeling somewhat like a flyer in a stream, lost and seemingly without a purpose, he searched around for anything that could help the survivors. Inevitably, considering his background, this led him to examining the terrain for the most likely direction of trouble.

There's no real way to cross the stream here, so they can't come across that way. If they try to come from the direction we came from they're going to have to get through some trees that are way too close together. That's bound to create some noise, Verant thought as he considered potential dangers, If coming at us from the opposite side as the stream they've got plenty of cover and could move pretty quietly if they take it slow. I better double check there.

"I don't see anything either, Daddy."

Verant started at hearing the unexpected voice. He immediately looked up.

"Gyors, what are you doing up there?" Verant asked, sounding both amused and exasperated.

The little biter gave a slight chuckle as he climbed down from the tree, finally landing with a not-so-graceful thud. "I am helping you keep watch!"

"Not tonight you're not," Verant reprimanded gently, "You need your sleep."

Gyors looked down slightly at the reprimand. "I was going out here to pee, but then I saw you looking." He paused for a moment as he sniffed the air before quickly changing to another topic entirely. "Did we lose the bad hidden runners, Dad?"

"I think so, son. We can't be too careful, though."

That was too close.

Calnor took a deep breath as he forced his racing heart to relax. The damn fastbiter had been right on his trail, getting closer and closer before the child had interrupted his train of thought. This was the opportunity that he needed.

With a quick wave of his hand he commanded his unseen pack to assume their positions on either side of him. If he were going to make his move then it would have to be soon.

And the child might have been just the opening that he needed.

"I tried to talk to Balnor about it, but he couldn't tell me. Why do the other hidden runners hate us so much?"

Um, could you have picked a more difficult question? Verant thought, I still haven't quite figured out that myself.

"I don't really know, son," Verant admitted, "Some people are simply willing to do anything to get what they want regardless of who they have to hurt to get it."

Gyors considered his father's words for a moment as he walked over to his side. "But… they aren't all bad! I saw some of the smaller hidden runners playing in the stream one day before their parents got them. I mean… their kids were just kids. Why did their mommies and daddies turn bad?"

"Do you remember how I said that a pack leader should almost always be obeyed?" Verant asked in return.

Gyors nodded as he looked at his father questioningly.

"This is why I said almost always."

Confusion washed over the little biter's features as he contemplated his father's words. It was only when his father leaned down and Gyors jumped on his back that the youngling spoke again.

"So their leader is bad?"

"Yes," Verant replied with slightly more vehemence than he intended.

His son shifted awkwardly on his father's back as he tried to avoid falling off. He always did have a tendency to get too close to his tail. "So why do they follow him then?"

"I don't..." Verant paused and glanced towards the nearby trees, "Shh... do you hear that?"

Gyors struggled to avoid falling off of his father as he tried to regain his footing. "Um… sorry, Dad. I kind of slipped."

Verant glanced back towards the trees uncertainly before finally turning towards the stream and where his mate and the rest of his children were sleeping. I guess it was nothing.

Now is my chance!

Calnor gripped his spear with clear intent as he sized up his opponent. All it would take is a well-timed throw and he would be rid of the monster once and for all. With his underlings ready to fight off any final attack from the fastbiter, he knew that victory was soon at hand.

He smiled. Questor needed a new second and he planned for that to be him.

He rose from the underbrush as he sized up the distance between him and his target. It was no more than ten body-lengths. It would only take a short sprint to enter throwing range. Though now he entered the most difficult part, the part that went against every instinct.

The hidden runner had to stop hiding and begin running. The backup of his packmates would be absolutely essential if the fastrunner did not drop immediately.

He took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

Little did he know that his packmates had long since abandoned him to his fate.

"Do you think Ovie will be okay, Dad? She looks so sad."

Gyors looked over at the downtrodden fastrunner by the stream. It was his mother's presence that caught his eyes first, but it did not take long for him to realize that his mother must have been having one of her 'adult conversations' with Ovie. Even though he was young and relatively naive about much in life, the despair of losing so many eggs registered in his mind. It would have been like him losing five of his brothers and sisters. An unimaginable loss.

He still could not comprehend why the hidden runners attacked Ovie. Fastrunners were not threats to their pack, especially not a mother on her nest.

How could they do that?

"We'll all be doing better once we get to safety," Verant said, somewhat dodging the question.

Gyors could detect his father's deflection but pressed on to his next question. "But where will that be? Are we going to live with Seeker's pack?"

"They've got kids themselves now, so no, we can't live there," Verant said, "We..." He fell silent, having heard what sounded like running behind him. The fastbiter quickly spun around, nearly nearly knocking Gyors off.

What greeted his eyes was a sight that was almost something out of a nightmare. A hidden runner was bearing on him in a full sprint, with his clawed hand oriented forward. He felt a sudden lurch to the left as his father desperately attempted to dodge something. That was when Gyors saw the shaft of wood in the light of the stars. Seemingly against his will his eyes followed the specter of death as it grew larger and larger in his vision.

That was when his world erupted into darkness and pain.

As soon as the spear had left his hand, Calnor knew that he had missed. The fastbiter's eyes followed the spear with a murderous glare as he dodged the instrument of death as if it were a trivial concern. The resulting scream that registered in his ears was of no consequence. He had failed in his mission.

Now his only concern was survival.

Fear overwhelmed him as he willed his feet to carry him forward into the protective cover of his packmates. If he could only make it to them… If only…

The sounds of the fastbiter's feet digging into the earth was now roaring in his ears. Constantly getting closer and closer as he approached the bushes where his packmates were supposed to keep watch. He only allowed himself to feel hope when he thrust himself into the air into the bushes. Perhaps Cadice's idea would save his skin after all.

Once he landed, however, he realized his predicament. His companions were nowhere to be seen. Only four abandoned spears greeted his eyes, leaning against a tree as if to make a statement.

They had abandoned him. There was no backup. There never had been. He was on his own.

A panicked choke left his beak as the angry roar of the fastbiter echoed in his head. With one final effort he forced himself towards the spears, ignoring his desire to run away in panic.

That was when the entire world seemed to lurch to his left as pain erupted on his left side. As he collided head-first into the hard ground, everything grew fuzzy. It was only with extreme effort that he was able to look up at the source of his misery.

"No…"

Verant wasted no time in going in for the kill. He leapt upon the downed hidden runner, claws sinking into the hidden runner's leg and side. The resulting scream soon turned into a high-pitched screech as his abdomen was ruptured with a sickening slick sound.

Wanting to kill the threat to his family as quickly as possible in case there were more threats, Verant lunged at the hidden runner's throat. The latter's screech was abruptly muffled as Verant bit down hard.

Verant could only see red as the hidden runner's blood drenched everything within his vision, matching his loss of mental control. The screech of his prey had turned into a terrible gasping sound, a cross between a wheeze and a wet cough, as the hidden runner began to aspirate on his own blood. It was then that his anger overwhelmed his usual control and Verant shook his head with enough force to shatter bone.

A few moments later the broken body landed on the ground with a dull thud. It was only then that Verant's mind turned from burning rage to numb shock.

"Gyors, can you hear me?!"

He turned back towards his mate's panicked voice as a crowd of concerned hidden runners congregated around his son.. Not surprisingly, Staza was already at the young fastbiter's side. Wasting no time, Verant rushed to join them only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw blood.

His son's blood.

Good evening, everyone! I hope that you have enjoyed the latest (and last) installment of chapter 16 d-; (Sometimes RPs lead to interesting chapter breaks) Don't worry, however, because in two weeks we should have the last chapter of Act 1 posted. It has been a long time in waiting, but we are about to enter the second Act of this story. As always, I look forward to your feedback and constructive criticism.

bryan mccloud: Thank you for the detailed review, and don't worry too much about missing details, you can always ere-read the relevant chapters to keep up, and it is quite easy to get lost in a 200k+ story such as this. I am glad that you enjoyed the tender interactions in the beginning, one of my goals was to show how the parting went and how they are beginning to grow as dinosaurs. We are slowly seeing Verant become the dinosaur he is today. As for Wrok, there isn't much else to say that I have not said in the other review responses this time except that he is a very different creature from Calin. The pack will have to be careful not to underestimate him.

Nimbus01: Yep, Verant has grown into his own since he left Mender's side, though now he has new little ones to protect. But Wrok, as you have said, took the show in the last installment. He has a clear goal in mind (Ignis's position) and he is willing to do anything and go anywhere to achieve it. Unlike Calin, he is a more narcissistic character than a sociopathic one, which means that he can learn from his mistakes. As a result he has built up his pack, his minions, and alliances all to achieve one goal. This makes him especially horrifying as a character. The creepy thing is, despite him being a monster, if he were to achieve his goal and destroy his enemies he might actually be a good hidden runner leader. Which makes you wonder about certain human rulers who ended up getting good press...

Keijo6: Yeah, the present storyline is just now going into full focus, though I have given quite a few hints concerning the underlying conflicts. Let's just say that Wrok has his eyes on a certain scrape, and that he has allies who disagree with the alliance. I am also glad that you enjoyed the interactions here and the naming ceremony. The name Verant is certainly one that he has grown into, and we shall see in the 'past scenes' of Act 2 how that happened. But, as we shall also see, time rests for no one, and his struggles are only beginning.

gordhanx: You are quite correct about Verant and Staza wanting to have a word with the two authors... they are not happy with us right now. Especially not after what just happened in this chapter. As for the upcoming conflict, you are thinking in the right direction. Things are going to get quite complicated in the next Act of the story.

JulianR94: I see that you are slowly going through the story (as of this chapter you had reviewed up to chapter 9) but I just wanted to thank you for your continued support and helpful comments. (: Whenever you get to it, I look forward to the next chapter of your story.