Nightreader and Torrent left the tunnels to see Griffin attempting to tend to Gazelle's wound. He glanced over to the two, and frowned as he saw that Stonemover wasn't with them. Nightreader had a look of rage on her, while Torrent's expression was just sour.
"What happened?" Griffin asked, concerned. Had Stonemover been hurt?
"She got away," Nightreader snapped, "and took Stonemover with her."
"There wasn't anything we could do," Torrent muttered.
"I know," Nightreader snorted in irritation.
"Erosion won't hurt him," Gazelle spoke up as she turned towards Nightreader. "She wants him for his powers."
"Yes," Nightreader seethed through bared fangs, "that's the problem. He doesn't have any powers. Torrent forced him to enchant himself so he couldn't use them. That's how we got stuck together in this mess in the first place."
"Oh," Gazelle replied, worried. "That could be a problem."
"We need to get to Crosswinds," Nightreader said. "That's where you said she was taking him, right?"
Gazelle nodded. Torrent frowned. "What is Erosion planning?" he asked Gazelle. "Why Crosswinds? It's much smaller than Possibility, and much less friendly."
Griffin agreed with Torrent on that, he'd spent enough time in Crosswinds with Trustbreaker to prefer Possibility much more to the war-torn town on the river.
Gazelle opened her mouth, and let out a wheeze as the smog entered her lungs. She continued coughing for a minute, before finally being able to speak. "Erosion is planning on taking out the three SandWing princesses, and eventually the rest of the queens, with magic. She's going to kill Burn first, who is going to be in Crosswinds in three days to host a fight between herself and some SeaWing prisoners, hoping to improve loyalty and morale among the MudWings in Crosswinds who might still be rooting for Blister." Gazelle let out a gasp after she finished speaking, coughing again.
"Why is she going to Crosswinds herself?" Torrent asked. "Couldn't she just use her magic to kill all the queens from afar?"
"She wants to make it a public spectacle," Nightreader suggested. "You can't be queen unless everyone knows it." She glanced at Gazelle, whose silence affirmed her theory.
"Then that's even more reason to hurry," Torrent said with urgency, glancing over his wing back the way he and Nightreader had flown from.
"Quick reminder," Griffin stated, "I can't fly. Please don't leave me here."
"The three of us can take turns carrying you," Torrent replied, "you're pretty light."
"It'll slow us down too much," Nightreader answered.
Torrent scowled. He closed his eyes, and pondered on it for a moment. How could they use to get Griffin back over the ocean without it slowing them down too much? A memory flashed into his head — back in Possibility, before it was called that, where Evergreen's SkyWings had carried off the MudWings' barrels using nets strung between four of them. If the three of them could get a net, and find a way to attach it without hindering their flight, maybe they'd be able to carry Griffin with it, distributing the extra weight over all three of them. It would be far less dangerous than what the SkyWings had done too, as Griffin was less explosive, and both Torrent and Griffin could breathe underwater in case Nightreader or Gazelle fell in.
"I have an idea," Torrent stated, quickly explaining what Evergreen's SkyWings had made, and how they could adapt the idea here.
Griffin gulped. That didn't sound safe. Sure, he couldn't drown, but if he fell while they were over land, especially from a large height . . . maybe they could tie him on or something. Hopefully, very well. "Alright," Griffin hesitantly agreed, "Gazelle, do you have any rope or netting in the supply cave?"
"Yes, both," Gazelle answered. "SeaWing, if you want to get them, the supply cave Griffin mentioned is in the first hallway on the left, third cave down on the right."
"Bring some more bandages for Gazelle and I too," Griffin added, "maybe some food and water, if we need more. Oh, and there's a scroll in there with a list of enchantments Erosion has made, that might come in use."
"I don't think this will work," Nightreader finally spoke up. "I did the math. We're too far to make it to Crosswinds in time to stop Erosion's plan. Even if we fly with almost no sleep, it'll take us at least two days, maybe more, to get to Pyrrhia, and another three to get to Crosswinds. If we fly directly from here, Princess Burn is as good as dead."
"Directly from here?" Torrent asked. "Do you have another idea?"
Nightreader grimaced a little. "Unfortunately, I do. Stonemover created a magical tunnel from the NightWing island to the rainforest, and another one from there to Burn's stronghold, where you and Griffin found us. It's one day to the island from here if we go directly instead of island-hopping, and another day and a half east from there to Crosswinds if the winds are with us. We'll be exhausted when we get there, and practically sleepless, but it's possible."
"We can get Griffin more Brightsting Cactus quicker that way too," Gazelle pointed out.
"Brightsting Cactus?" Torrent asked.
Gazelle pointed a talon to the dried husk of fruit on the ground. "The juice is an antidote for SandWing poison, at least for dragons. It's what I soaked the bandages on his leg in, but it dries up quickly in this heat. I think he's mostly stable for now, but he'll need more or it'll get worse soon."
"Goanna did it," Griffin explained to Torrent. He glanced over at Gazelle. "You can fly fine, with your tail?"
"I'll survive," the elderly SandWing answered.
Nightreader averted her eyes from Gazelle, ashamed. "Then we all get to go back to the Night Kingdom together. Just one problem: the entrance to the tunnels is about halfway up a small cliff on the beach you were near," she said, referring to Torrent's short stay beneath the bay by the island. "There are always four guards posted in the cave to guard the tunnel, by the princess's orders. I don't think we can sneak past them."
"We could take them on," Torrent suggested.
Gazelle slowly shook her head. "I doubt it, unless you have magical fighting powers. I'm too old and weak to be of much help fighting, especially with my tail injury, and Griffin is in no shape to do anything."
"She's right," Nightreader agreed, starting to formulate a plan. "I don't think I can convince the guards to let you through, but I might be able to distract them."