I got the idea to write this from a discord conversation regarding the opening of the game. This is my attempt to explain how everyone got into their starting positions(besides what was in the character bios, I mean)

Charecter Discriptions:

Krystal: A blue vixen wearing a yellowish dress. Armed with a staff

Sabre: A reddish wolf clad in a Green Tunic. Wields a Sword

Randorn: A reddish wolf wearing robes.

Tricky: Brown Earthwalker

Kyte: Green Cloudrunner

Cloudrunner Queen: Large Green Cloudrunner wearing a crown and blue robes

King Earthwalker: Large Brown and tan Earthwalker wearing a jeweled Crown

Dinosaur Planet: Prologue

Krystal and Sabre could not believe their eyes as they hopped out of the portal. They were indeed in another world. It had all happened so quickly that they barely had time to register what their father had told them before being thrust into this new adventure of theirs. It was all happening so fast. Where could they even begin to describe what had transpired that day?

Earlier, they were out on another expedition with their father, the Wolven wizard Randorn. They had been investigating some mysterious ruins some ways from the Wolven village they lived in. Randorn often took his children out on these little adventures of his, feeling it could teach them many things about their world. Little did he know what they would find in these particular ruins.

When they uncovered an entrance in ruins, Randorn was the first to enter it. After a while, Randorn had run out of the ruins and exclaimed to his children what he had just found, almost out of breath as he hastily explained. Inside the ruins, he had found a communications chamber of sorts, in which he had been contacted by a being from another world. Randorn had explained this being was a dinosaur from a planet known only as Dinosaur Planet. This dinosaur introduced himself as the King of a tribe called the Earthwalkers and had told Randorn that his world was in peril and needed the aid of Randorn and his family.

This was all a lot to take in for the siblings, of course.

"Imaginative name, this 'Dinosaur Planet' has." Sabre had retorted. "But don't you think it's a bit hasty to just drop everything and run off to aid a planet far away from our own?"

"We don't even know what this King is like or what dangers plague his planet." Krystal had added. "I am all for helping those in need, but we are going in blind into a situation and place we know nothing about"

"I know how spur of the moment must seem, but I feel it might be my destiny. I can't quite explain why, but I feel we're supposed to find this room." Randorn explained in response. "Again, I cannot explain why, but I feel as though this could be much more important than we realize. The fate of both our planets, maybe even the galaxy, could be at stake."

Both siblings were unsure of what to make of this. They stood there, bewildered by what their father had just said. But, deep down, they felt he might be on to something. Crazy as it may seem, their father was renowned for his wisdom; he has been right about situations like this before. Even when he just had a feeling about a particular subject, he was usually spot on with his predictions.

"Already, we are losing time. I know it may seem farfetched, but we must aid this planet at once. We must investigate as soon as possible." Randorn had continued. "Inside this chamber, there is some kind of vortex. Jump into it, and I believe it will take us to Dinosaur Planet. I will go on ahead first. Make sure you bring your weapons along with you. I am certain you will need them." And with that, Randorn dashed back into the ruins.

Krystal and Sabre had followed him in shortly afterward. Having discussed what their father had told them for a while, they ultimately chose to trust his judgment and follow through. Taking each other's hands, they hopped into the strange vortex at the center of the chamber their father had described.

"Here goes nothing," Sabre muttered as they were enveloped in a beam of light.

For what felt like an eternity, they drifted through some sort of realm of flashing lights, experiencing what could only be described as an out-of-body experience.

They could barely register what they had seen as they warped. When they arrived on the other end, they realized that they were inside some sort of palace. The architecture around them looked ancient beyond all belief, yet remarkably intact for its age. They could only describe the area they ended up in as part of some kind of palace.

"You ok, Krystal?" Sabre asked his adopted sister.

"Yeah, I am fine. "Krystal responded. We need to find father; I am sure he's already begun his investigation into this place."

"Well, hopefully, we can get some kind of idea of what might be going on here."

With that, the two siblings made their way through the hallways of the palace. Eventually, they had located their father, who was situated in some sort of chamber.

"Ah, you made it. Excellent." Randorn had greeted them. "Make yourselves comfortable; we have much to discuss.'

"You can say that again." Retorted Sabre. "Care to explain what we are doing on this planet?"

"As I have told you, this planet is in great danger. I have been informed by the King Earthwalker that a tyrant named General Scales is leading in a bid to take over this world. Though I could only speak to the King for so long, he informed me that Scales seems to have gained access to some powerful technology, which has given him an advantage in the battle against the other Dinosaur Tribes. With the-"

"Woah, Woah, slow down, father. We are still trying to collect our bearings here." Sabre had interrupted.

"Sabre, don't interrupt like that." Krystal reprimanded her brother. The two siblings seemed to butt heads at times such as this.

"Easy, both of you," Randorn interjected. "I believe Sabre is right; I might have jumped into things a bit fast there. Perhaps we should get some rest for now. I need time to figure out how to explain everything I have been informed."

"Fine by me." Sabre agreed.

" I have taken the time to prepare some sleeping arrangements for you in the chamber to your side." Randorn said as he gestured to the right." Rest up there for a bit, and we will reconvene here later. In the meantime, I have more to discuss with the beings who inhabit this place."

"How did you already have time to set up this?" Krystal wondered.

"You and your brother stalled behind for some time before I heard you emerged from the warpstone." Replied Randorn." I suspect that time might have moved differently between the two planets as well. I know it's been at least a good few hours since I arrived here."

Saber shrugged. "Whatever, just try to make sense of all this." He said as he left for his chambers.

Finding sleeping mats laid out for them, the two siblings quickly fell asleep.

Randorn, meanwhile, poured over some records around the palace, many of which mentioned spirits called the Quan Ata Lachu. With this, Randorn hoped to learn more about the history of the world, and by extension, the crisis plaguing the planet.

It was an average day at the Earthwalker temple; nothing had happened recently. The morning had come and gone without incident. The city guards conducted the usual round of patrols, and the reports of the war effort were brought forth to the King EarthWalker. Barring the troubling news of the war against Scales, the day was going about as usual as it could get. That did not mean things were not tiresome, though. His young son, Prince Tricky, was a perfect example of that.

As usual, the PrincePrince had been up to his mischievous ways. Today he and some other Earthwalker children had been raiding the GrubTub supply that the royal family kept in case of food shortages. The King and a few of his guards had stumbled upon the Earthwalker children in the middle of their feast; the Prince had shown the others where the Grubtubs were hidden.

The King watched as his son and the other kids ate away at the Grubtubs in the room, clearly oblivious to the King's presence.

"Wow, Tricky, this is the best." A young female Earthwalker had stated.

"Can't believe father would just leave these around." Tricky responded.

The King had enough and stomped his foot harshly. "Enjoying yourselves, are we?" He said dryly.

In an instant, a feeling of dread fell over all the Earthwalker children present as they turned around, each of their faces changing to a fearful expression as they faced the King.

To say the children landed themselves into trouble would have been an understatement.

"Oh, hi, dad. W-we were just…." Tricky began to stammer.

The King summoned the guards from outside the chamber and ordered the guards present to escort the other children out of the room.

"Make sure their parents are informed." He added.

Once the other children had been cleared out, he stared at his son. "You are coming with me, young Prince." The King stated.

Dipping his head down, Tricky stared down at the floor. He knew he had really done it this time.

For the King, there were many reasons for his anger right now. The King was beyond furious to see the kids so carelessly gorge themselves on what is supposed to be an emergency supply, to say nothing of the fact his son would think so selfishly as to do such a thing. Tricky had been like this for much of his life, owing to his lifestyle as a prince. He was always given what he wanted at his beck and call, seeing as he was royalty. The King Earthwalker began to ponder on this.

The King and his wife wanted Tricky to enjoy his childhood, as his life in the future would be full of much responsibility. Hell, the King had not even revealed to his son that he was also a Spell Stone Guardian, wishing not to worry his son with the responsibility of such a task in his life ahead. Because of this, the Royal Family allowed their son to continue on with his playful ways. Of course, they did not hesitate to lecture their son when he stepped too far out of line. Regardless, they still allowed him to live the pampered life of a prince. But now it seemed that the King had been a bit too lenient with his son, as of late. He realized that he must rein in Tricky on this behavior.

The royal pair had stopped just outside of the temple entrance, a couple of guards stationed just outside. Signaling the guards to leave them, he turned to his son. Tricky still had his head drooped down, in apparent shame (and likely embarrassment) for what he had done.

Turning to his son, the King stated:" I am very disappointed in you, Tricky. I had explicitly told you that our rations are for emergencies only. With the way the war has been proceeding, we could be having to fall back onto them very soon." The King continued. " And yet, you and your little friends treated it like your own personal buffet."

Tricky looked up in shame. "Dad, I-I'm sorry. I guess I thought it would be fine if we only took a bit." Tricky stated weakly.

"And I am sure you would have." The King replied, almost sarcastically.

"Tricky, this kind of behavior is unacceptable. As the Prince, you must look beyond yourself and think of the greater consequences of your actions. It had become clear to me you have become too entitled to your privileges."

Tricky frowned.

"As such, I see you needed to be reined in." The King pondered his next course of action. He thought of simply stripping Tricky of everything for a few days, but he realized that, with the way Tricky was, the lesson might not sink in the way he thought. He realized this situation may call for more reflection rather than full-on reprimanding. Though a form of punishment was, of course, still needed.

Maybe some time to ponder my words might do him well. Away from his privileges, though." The King thought.

After thinking it over, the King continued to speak, "For now, I want you to ponder your actions. Until you own up to what you did, I don't plan on letting you back into the royal temple."

And with that, Tricky was left to sulk the front of the main temple, thinking over what he did.

"It's not fair." Tricky thought. "All I did was let my friends have a snack. It's not like we intended to have the whole supply. Dad is just being overly harsh. Now my friends will just blame me for getting them in trouble."

Tricky glanced over at a group of Earthwalkers guards, a few of his friends accompanying them. The Earthwalker girl, Tesa, briefly flashed Tricky a look. Tricky had thought it would have been an angry one, but all he saw was a mixture of embarrassment and remorse on her face.

"Maybe my friends will not be as angry as I thought."

Regardless, Tricky continued his sulking, starting to pace around the royal temple grounds.

"I still don't think we should be in trouble for this, though. It was just a little mistake," Tricky kept telling himself.

For hours this train of thought continued.

Throughout this time, the Earthwalker Prince just kept pacing around the perimeter of the royal temple, trying to rationalize what he had done. Eventually, he came to a conclusion.

"Maybe I will just run away. Then mom and dad will think twice about how they treat me." Tricky concluded.

This thought lasted for only a few seconds before he realized how dumb of an idea that was.

"Maybe not. I can't just abandon my family like that. I love them. And besides, how will I get to enjoy lunch otherwise?"

Tricky pondered onward.

'But still… maybe dad does have a point about what I did here today. He did explicitly tell me the purpose of that storeroom. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps I should return to him and-

The young Prince'sPrince's thoughts were cut off as a large shadow was suddenly cast directly over him, followed shortly by what the young Earthwalker could only describe as a strange metal bird looming over the Walled City.

"What in the name of-" was all the PrincePrince had time to say before a strange beam of what the Prince believed to be 'magic' emitted from the metal bird. Before the PrincePrince could even register what was going on, he found that he was suddenly being lifted off the ground towards the metal bird!

Going into panic mode, Tricky desperately tried flailing his legs, but to no avail. Left without any other options, he desperately called for help.

"Someone help, please!" He yelled.

Already, he could see many Earthwalkers gazing up at him and the metal bird, each with a mixture of concern and fear in their expressions. A few of the royal guards even tried to run over to the strange craft's shadow, but it was hopeless. There was nothing they could do to reach Tricky.

Casting a look towards the temple, Tricky saw his father standing at the entrance, panic very noticeable on his face.

"Father, help!" Tricky let out one final cry.

"TRICKY!" The King shouted as he watched in despair as his beloved son disappeared into the metal craft. And then, just as fast as it had arrived, the strange craft jetted away with his son.

By the time the PrincePrince had made it fully into the bird, he had already given in to panic and desperation. The beings who greeted him did not help these feelings.

" Welcome aboard, prince." A Sharpclaw said smugly.

Three Sharpclaw stared down at the PrincePrince. Two were only a bit taller than he was, yellow in color and wearing hide armor. A third, much larger blue Sharpclaw, adorned in metal plate armor, stepped forth. This one appeared to be the leader of the trio.

"Chain him," The large Sharpclaw said.

Without hesitation, the three Sharpclaw who greeted him tried shoving chains onto his legs and snout. Tricky tried to struggle, but the larger one backhanded the PrincePrince, causing him to yelp in pain and stagger. Left reeling in pain, the two smaller Sharpclaw chained his legs and snout, ensuring he could not struggle.

"Keep the prince restrained until we arrive at the prison," The leader Sharpclaw had stated. " Can't believe how easy this job was. The General will be pleased when he hears of this. Maybe I will even receive another promotion." The leader muttered to himself.

And with that, the leader left the 'room' they were in, disappearing behind some strange metal door. This left the PrincePrince alone with the other two Sharpclaws.

"Hope you enjoy frigid temperatures, your highness." One of the lackeys said mockingly.

"I wish I never thought of running away from home." Thought Tricky. "I want my parents." With the hopelessness of the situation dawning on him, the young PrincePrince began to cry. Accepting he had no hope of escaping this right now, he buried his face in his legs and sobbed.

He could only hope that his parents would be able to locate him soon.

The King Earthwalker stood at the temple entrance, barely able to believe what he had just seen. To say he was in a state of panic would be accurate.

"My own son, taken from the heart of our own city," He thought. "How could this happen? Is this one of Scales' new weapons? How could I let this happen? What do I tell his mother?"

Snaping himself out of it, he regained his composure enough to think clearly.

"Guards!" The King called. Within an instant, several of the royal guards appeared in front of him.

"Your highness, we are sorry. We couldn't reach the PrincePrince in time to save him." The captain of the guards had spoken. "I will ready a search and rescue party at once."

The King shook his head. "As much as I don't want to admit it, that will do nothing. That… thing is too far gone. We have no idea where it is going, nor do we have any method of tracking its movements. Even if one of us could fly, we would have no chance of matching its speed."

The guard captain's expression fell. "What should we do, your grace?"

The King Earthwalker thought for a moment. He would not give up so easily. He thought through every resource he had at his disposal. There had to be something he could do. The King considered contacting his scouts across the planet; perhaps one of them could locate where that craft might land. No doubt it would take his son to some sort of Sharpclaw prison site.

"But they have many across the planet. It would be costly and risky to search everyone one of them."

A thought then occurred to the King. " The wizard he had contacted. Perhaps he could be of assistance. This wizard, Randorn as he had called himself, clearly possessed many powers. Maybe he could locate the Prince. Already, a battalion was due to travel to Warlock Mountain to protect Randorn.

Addressing his guards, the King spoke with confidence. "I have no doubt that craft belonged to the Sharpclaws. As such, I believe it should be headed to one of their prisons." Addressing the captain specifically, the King said: "Send word to the wizard that my son is in danger. He should be able to help further. Also, send word to my wife, inform her of what happened here.'

"Yes, sir." The guards said in unison.

And with that, the guards left to fulfill their duties. The battalion leaving for Warlock Mountain would be out of the city shortly. Adding to that, a messenger would be sent to the Queen Earthwalker, who was away on a diplomatic mission to the Thorntails.

"You will answer for this, General Scales." Thought the King.

Resigning himself to his other duties as King, he could only hope that the wizard could aid in the rescue of his son.

Little did he know, he would not be the only Royal who would be receiving the wizard's aid.

(Note: the first half of this part does not occur concurrently with the other parts of the story. It can be assumed that, after the storm clears, each of the kidnappings takes place within a day or so of each other.)

High up in the tallest mountains of Dinosaur Planet, a grand fortress was perched. This was CloudRunner Fortress. The Fortress was nothing short of extravagant, having lavish fixtures and some of the finest architecture the dinosaurs could erect, say nothing of the breathtaking view of the sky. The CloudRunners wanted for nothing in terms of comfort and peace.

Having been built so high up in the skies of the Dinosaur Planet, the Fortress felt detached from the rest of the world. Though the planet was in the middle of a brutal war with, courtesy of General Scales, the Fortress had thus far been untouched by the war. The ordinarily serene atmosphere of the Fortress caused many who lived there to let go of their worries, believing that the war could never reach them here.

The Queen and her royal guards would beg to differ.

The Queen Cloudrunner had awoken early that morning, knowing she had many royal duties she had to carry out. She often awoke early and slept late due to her obligations. Such was the life of a queen. For most of the previous night, she had been unable to sleep, in light of the recent reports she had been given by her scouts. She had been informed that the Sharpclaw had been overwhelming the forces of other tribes and made more advances in their campaign to take over the planet. Now more territories fell under their control. The Queen wondered how long her tribe could repel their attacks before they were overwhelmed.

"Another thing to worry about," she thought.

Sighing, she exited her chambers and made for the royal perches. Along the way, she had passed by the sleeping form of her eldest child, Kyte. The Queen paused for a moment, watching her daughter shift in her sleep. The Queen had wanted to nuzzle her daughter but decided against it, wanting to let her daughter get some rest, seeing as it was still so early in the morning.

Preceding onward, the Queen made it to the Royal Perch, where the guard captain, Tarron, had been waiting for her.

"Good morning, your Highness," he said as he bowed.

"Like any morning is ever good nowadays," she thought. The queen returned the gesture and then asked the captain of the morning report.

"Any good news to report?" the queen asked, almost hopeful.

'Well, no sign of the Sharpclaw in our domain, yet".

"I trust you can keep it that way,"?

"Of course, your grace. Scales will never set foot here."

The Queen shuddered at the thought of such an event. Tarron pressed onward, informing the queen of the status of the war effort, as well as the domestic matters of the Fortress. In brief, the captain explained how the CloudRunners had managed to fend off a group of Sharpclaw scouts near Moon Mountain Pass but that there were reports of prisons being erected across the planet.

"It seems the Sharpclaw is busy. Continue to monitor the situation, and we will act accordingly", the Queen stated."

"Yes, your highness", Tarron said as he left to address the other guards and assign roles for the morning."

"The situation worsens by the day." The Queen thought to herself.

She paused for a moment, thinking of how she never seemed to stop worrying about the state of the planet and the well-being of her tribe. That's all her life seemed to be lately, endless worry. She could barely share her thoughts with anyone, needing to keep a strong appearance for her people. But, deep down, she longed for a reprieve from her many duties, and more than just a few moments with her children, especially Kyte.

Though the life of a queen was always a busy one, it was even more so for her. She thought back to events long ago, when the duties truly began to pile on her. It had been the loss of her husband, the King Cloudrunner, that mandated she take even more responsibilities for the tribe.

The King Cloudrunner had been killed in a skirmish involving the Sharpclaws, many years ago. His untimely demise had devastated the tribe, the Royal Family especially. This had happened shortly after the birth of their first daughter, Kyte. Things never indeed were the same after this event.

The Queen had loved her husband dearly and their children just as much. His loss nearly broke her. What added salt to the wound was that she was left with little time to spend with her children, having so many obligations to take care of due to her role as Queen, especially with the sudden lack of a King. It seemed she had barely been around in her daughter's life as a result. Even now, she rarely got more than a few hours with her children at a time. Often the royal family could barely even share a meal together without the Queen being pulled away for another task by a tribe member.

"If only he were still here, maybe things could be just a bit different." she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of flapping nearby. The Queen turns her head to see Kyte suddenly land near her.

'Good morning, mother."Kyte says.

"Good morning, Kyte," Responded the Queen.

"I hope you slept well, Kyte." I have a big day ahead of me, as usual.'

Kyte was used to hearing as such from her mother. So burdened by her duties, Kyte rarely got to even greet her mother like she did this morning. She had learned to accept it a long time ago, but she still wished things could be just a bit different.

"I understand. My brothers and I have a few new games to try. Maybe we can show you later?" The young princess asked.

"Maybe you can. I hope I can catch you and your siblings for a game tonight." The Queen said, feeling as though she might be making an empty promise."

"I hope we get the chance." The princess thought.

"That would be wonderful," Kyte said, almost half-heartedly. She knew her mother rarely had any time for such things, but she still hoped. That was pretty much all she could do in regards to finding time with her mother.

"And Kyte, please try to stay within the Fortress today. I have enough things to worry about without you getting lost. That little adventure of yours to Moon Mountain Pass last week still has the guards worried about you. The Queen added, somewhat sternly.

"Come on, Mother, it was just a little trip. Not like I got hurt or anything."

"But you could have. And that is more than enough reason to stay here."

"Yes, Mother." Kyte rolled her eyes.

The princess mostly spent her days doing her own thing, going off on her "adventures," as the guards put it, every now and again. These little excursions took Kyte away from the Fortress, never too far. Last week's excursion was the furthest she went. Kyte felt she need not worry her mother and guards; all the time she had spent alone made her independent and self-efficient.

The sound of flapping interrupted the royal family as more Cloudrunners descended into the Royal Perch area. Each new arrival seemed adorned in armor and wore a helmet, clearly members of the CloudRunner army. One of the soldiers spoke.

"Your highness, I bring troubling news. My party just got back from our patrol. A massive storm seems to be on the approach, far from the east.' The soldier stated

"How long until it arrives?" Asked the Queen"

"Likely later this afternoon."

"Alert the other CloudRunners in the fortress and make preparations."

"Yes, my Queen," The soldier said as he and his group flew off.

The Queen sighed. There was little else she or anyone else could do but to brace themselves. She sighed again, hoping the storm would pass over them quickly. On a personal note, she dreaded how her children would react, couped up in the royal chambers for hours or more on end. Especially her youngest.

"Come now, mother, surely it won't be that long." Kyte interrupted the Queen's thoughts.

"Maybe you can show me that game you wanted to after all," The queen said as she nuzzled her daughter.

Kyte smiled. "Maybe this storm won't be so bad after all," she said before returning the embrace.

It had been almost a complete moon cycle before the storm had let up. Endless rain and thunder swept across the mountains Cloudrunner Fortress was located in. The whole tribe had been cooped up indoors during this time, unable to fly far from the Fortress. Boredom had washed over the all the CloudRunners present within the fortress walls. The older amongst them welcomed the rain as an excuse to enjoy some relaxation, while the youngest grew bored in their rooms. The guards had to limit patrols, as it was perilous to fly out in a storm so fierce. Few reports were brought in during this time, giving the Queen something of a reprieve. But for one young Cloudrunner, the storm was nothing short of torment.

Kyte had been couped up in her room for nearly the whole storm. While she and her brothers tried to develop games to pass the time, they quickly grew old. Being forced to play within a closed area like their chambers was less than optimal for flying creatures such as themselves.

Kyte had at least been given some more time with her mother than she had gotten in recent times, but it was still tedious in the palace. The Queen mostly attended meetings with guards, playing whatever games her kids showed her in her spare time. It was mostly just a desperate attempt to keep the royal children from getting too bored. These games could only entertain them for so long, but even then, the Queen was just happy to have time with her children, however sparse it was. But by the end of it, the tediousness had worn on everyone. And she was ready for something to lift the mood.

When the storm had let up, Kyte jumped for joy. She knew that, after storms, the fireflies would be docile, rendering them easier to catch. Her mother was currently preoccupied with more meetings while her younger brothers were messing about in the main halls of the royal chambers, having to be wrangled by the royal guards.

It was the perfect chance to slip out.

Kyte jetted out of her chambers, slipping out undetected by anyone. After exiting the royal perch area, the young princess flew up high and orbited the Fortress until she came across a rocky surface at the edge of the Fortress, glowing with fireflies. The princess felt delighted at the sight of such a treat. So caught up in her excitement, she felled to notice a figure slowly looming towards the Fortress, hidden in the clouds.

Wasting no time, she darted forward to the rock and began stuffing herself to her heart's content. She hadn't felt so happy in such a while, knowing she would have a banquet of her and her family's favorite snack by the time she was done. Kyte felt ecstatic at the thought of presenting these fireflies to her mother and brothers. Little did she know of the fate about to befall her.

After eating her fill, Kyte proceeded to try and catch a few to bring back with her, stuffing them in a small container she had brought. After grabbing some for the rest of her family, she turned back towards the main Fortress, eager to return to the royal chambers.

But just as she did, a loud sound erupted behind her.

Turning around, the princess had only a few seconds to notice a large galleon descend from the clouds. Scared, Kyte tried to dart away, but she was abruptly stopped by what she could only describe as a strange beam of "magic," which stunned her and rendered her unable to move. She struggled to get back up as the ship descends near the Fortress, allowing a few of its crew to step off.

The crew who disembarked included a very large Sharpclaw, likely the leader, as well as two average-looking Sharpclaw, each adorned in a helmet and hide armor. The two walked upright and appeared to be blue. But what caught Kyte was their apparent leader. She gasped when she realized who it was.

This particular Sharpclaw stood at least 11 feet high, sporting a muscular build adorned in hide armor and a horned helmet. He was green and appeared to be missing one of his hands, replaced with a metal claw. Kyte's eyes grew wide with shock and terror when she realized who this was: the infamous General Scales, who she had heard many terrifying stories about.

Kyte's heart rate kicked into overdrive as she desperately tried to fly away, but she found that all her struggles did was exhaust her more. She could barely even summon the breath to yell for help. All she could do was watch as the three Sharpclaw approached her, each one wearing a wicked smile on their face. They no doubt had horrible plans in store for her.

"To think infiltrating the heart of enemy territory would be so simple." Scales stated. He gazed down at the princess, who was still struggling madly, in vain, to get away. Scales laughed at the young Cloudrunner's feeble struggles, then motioned for one of the other Sharpclaw to bring forth a sack.

Noticing the container full of fireflies, the general kicked it over, releasing them as if just to spite the young princess.

Scales then harshly grabbed ahold of Kyte by her neck, causing her to tremble with what little strength she had left.

"Not so untouchable now, are you?" Scales mocked the princess.

"Mother.. will not.. let this go.. unanswered…" Kyte struggled to say through choked breaths.

Scales on shook her harder in response, clearly enjoying the torment.

Scales as he watched the young CloudRunner stare at him, clearly terrified. He only reviled in the terror he instilled in the young princess. Scales watched as Kyte's strength finally gave out, and she faded into unconsciousness.

"Look like my new toys work after all," Scales noted to himself mentally. Harshly shoving the princess into the sack, he and his lackeys quickly made for the ship.

"Such a lavish fortress this tribe lives in. They thought themselves untouchable, living so far removed from the rest of the planet. My actions today proved them wrong. It will only be a matter of time before they realize this." Scales mused to himself as his ship flew away from the Fortress, the princess now in tow.

He knew it would only be a matter of time before the CloudRunners caught on and sent a rescue party. It was of little concern to Scales, as he felt no enemy could save the princess from his grasp.

The ship sped away from the Fortress soon after…

The CloudRunner Queen could not believe what she was hearing. The report she had just received from the captain of the royal guard had utterly shocked her.

Her daughter had been missing for hours earlier in the day. After the storm had cleared, she had been assumed to have slipped out of the palace for something. The Queen, and most of the rest of the tribe, assumed Kyte to just be playing somewhere in the Fortress. It wasn't until a patrol had spotted Scales Galleon that the connect was made.

"I can't believe this. Scales just waltzed right into my Fortress and kidnapped my own daughter without me evening noticing. How could I let this happen? What if he returns and attacks the Fortress? What will happen to Kyte.?

"Your Highness, I take full responsibility for what happened. We should have kept a better eye on the princess and the perimeter of the Fortress." The Guard Captain, Taron, had said to the Queen, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Taron, this is not about blame; it's about getting my daughter back from that bastard, Scales. We also need to be on high alert; if Scales could so easily infiltrate our Fortress and steal the princess, then he would no doubt be able to lead an attack on this Fortress with relative ease, provided he brought a larger force."

"I understand, my queen; I will increase security around the fortress."

"Now, tell me, why could your patrol not make a rescue attempt if they saw the Galleon?" The Queen inquired.

Taron spoke." They tried, your grace. But Scales' galleon proved to have more defenses than we imagined. It had been outfitted with many cannons. My scouts were nearly blasted out of the sky when they tried to get close. They had no choice but to turn back."

"I see. Any word on where it could be headed now?"

"No, your highness. We lost track of its movements."

The Queen frowned.

The situation had truly reached a new low. Already the losing side of the war, the leverage Scales had over her by holding her daughter hostage was concerning.

The Queen found herself on the receiving end of a double-edged sword. She knew Scales' campaign would only continue if she did nothing to further her war efforts. Yet, the threat of harm coming to her daughter was all too real for the queen. She knew this was what Scales' had wanted: leverage over the Cloudrunners. If she escalated her attacks, no doubt Scales would order Kyte killed. What mother would risk harm coming to her daughter? And yet, if she did nothing, her whole tribe would falter and be enslaved by this tyrant.

Yet despite it all, she knew she could not go on if something happened to Kyte.

"There has to be a way to get her out of that bastard's clutches." Thought the Queen.

The guard captain interrupted her thoughts. 'Your grace, if I may, I have an idea."

Desperate hope surging through her, the Queen nodded and listened.

"One of the wide patrols heard rumors from some of our contacts in other tribes that the King Earthwalker has summoned a powerful wizard to aid the world and that he is at Warlock Mountain. " Taron explained. "While they have no idea how the King Earthwalker made contact with them or how they got here, the wizard is apparently willing to assist whoever might need it."

The Queen was uncertain. The Cloudrunners were never big on asking for help, seeing as they were a proud race, but this individual sounded like he could be of use. "And you think this wizard would be able to help us?" She asked.

"I believe so. The wizards seem to possess abilities beyond what we previously thought possible from the info our contacts gave. While we are uncertain what the extent of his powers are, maybe he would be able to help us locate the galleon again so that we might stage a better rescue attempt. I worry that any force we send in blind might be overwhelmed even if we located the galleon again. We need to form a better plan."

"He could be what we need to rescue Kyte. Maybe even to turn the tides of the war." Thought the queen. But there were still some uncertainties.

"You make a strong argument, captain, but we still don't know if he could locate them, or if he is even willing to help. The King Earthwalker could have already spread lies about us to him." She almost spat that last part out. She hated the idea of having to ask for the aid of someone affiliated with her Tribe's main rival. (Besides Scales, anyway.)

" I understand my Queen, but I still feel he might be of great aid. He seems more of a neutral party than anything."

The Queen conceded. "Very well Captain, it seems it might be in our favor to contact him. I would like you to do so; personally, this is a very delicate matter, and I need it handled by one of our best."

Taron bowed. "Thank you, my Queen. I will see to it that the soldiers are informed and that contact is established." And with that, he flew off.

"Let us hope this wizard, Randorn, can aid us. I don't like this, but I see no other way.

And with that, she flew back to the royal perches, taking a moment to attend to her younger children. Each of them was worried for their older sister.

"Will Kyte be ok, mother?" One asked.

The Queen wondered that herself for a moment before nuzzling her young son and affirming," She will be."

It had been a few days since they had arrived on this strange world. Randorn had been busy in this palace, hoping to learn more about the world's lore and its current events. Earthwalker soldiers had arrived at the mountain to protect him. Just as their King had said. They also brought with them the news that the young PrincePrince of their tribe had been captured.

"So many poor souls in need." Randorn thought to himself after hearing the news. " I will see what I can trace their location using my powers, but it will take me a bit," Randorn said.

Sounding relieved, one of the Earthwalker soldiers replied:" We are just thankful that you can locate the PrincePrince. We were unsure of what to do from here." And with that, Randorn and the soldiers went about their business.

Elsewhere in Warlock Mountain, Randorns children had been preparing for their prospective adventures in whatever ways they saw fit. Sabre had been in the courtyard, practicing with his sword. Krystal had been dividing her time between practice with her staff and trying to research some of the histories of the planet, although she could not seem to decipher some of the murals she had found.

" Best ask the natives when I get a chance." She decided. Krystal was about to go about her staff practice some more when she her a commotion from another part of the palace.

"Get lost, Cloudrunner. Then this place is under our protection." An Earthwalker had said. " We have enough to worry about without you causing trouble." Said another.

A shrill voice talked back to them. " I mean you no harm. Let me through; I must speak to the wizard; it is urgent."

Krystal had wandered over and saw that two Earthwalker soldiers were threatening a winged creature. Krystal raised her voice.

"What is going on here?" She asked.

" It is of no concern to you, Krystal." One soldier said. " Just a Cloudrunner causing trouble."

Pushing past them while they were distracted, the Cloudrunner addressed the young vixen.

" I am Taron, Captain of the Cloudunner Royal Guard. Please, let me speak to the wizard. My Queen seeks his aid." Taron finished before backing away a bit, seeing as the Earthwalkers were on edge at him getting so close to one of their charges.

Krystal was never one to turn down someone in need. " I will take you to him." She replied.

The Cloudrunner captain smiled at that. " Thank you, animal girl."

" My name is Krystal, actually."

"A thousand apologies, Krystal."

The Earthwalkers stared at each other as Krystal led Taron through towards her father. "I suppose it is her call. It's her dad, after all." One said. "Not like we had orders to stop him anyway." The other agreed as

Krystal led the Cloudrunner through the halls until they reached Randorn's chamber. The wizard noticed their presence as they entered the room and greeted the pair.

" Hello, Krystal. Who might this be?"

Before Krystal could speak, Taron walked forward and bowed respectfuly before introducing himself.

"Greetings, you must be the wizard my tribe has heard about. We require your assistance."

Randorn chuckled slightly. "Straight to the point, it seems."

Taron corrected himself. " Oh, where are my manners? My name is Taron, captain of the Cloudrunner royal guard. My queen has sent me to speak with you. It is important."

"I see the word of my arrival has already spread across the planet," Randorn noted.

"We have eyes and ears everywhere. And the Earthwalkers gossip a lot." Taron stated. " Now, I must be blunt. My tribe's princess has been captured by General Scales. We heard that you were very powerful and might be able to use some of your powers to help track Scales' galleon."

Randorn thought for a moment. "Yes, my children and I would be honored to help you."

"On behalf of the Cloudrunner Tribe, I thank you with all my heart." The guard captain said in response.

"Already, the Earthwalkers have asked for my aid in locating their PrincePrince, who suffered similar abduction. " Randorn explained. " I will try to locate where Scales and the princess might be, but it may take a bit of time. It can take me time to concentrate."

"Then that is how it must be. Thank you again." The Cloudrunner replied. As he finished, Krystal interjected.

"While we wait, might I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course. Ask away."

"Why were the Earthwalkers so hostile to you. You announced made it clear your intentions were peaceful, did you not?" Krystal inquired.

Taron paused for a moment, thinking how to respond. " It wasn't about that. Earthwalkers and Cloudrunners do not see eye to eye. While we have not fought each other for a long time, nor do we wish to, our tribes are rivals of sorts."

"But why is that the case?"

The Cloudrunner thought for a second. "Just a history of bad blood between our tribes. It's not something I wish to discuss right now. Especially with so many of their soldiers around here. "

"I see." Krystal simply replied.

At this, Randorn interjected. "Krystal, Taron, might I have another word with you two?"

"Of course, father."

"It is clear to me that, if you, Sabre, and I are to save this planet, we will need the cooperation of the other major dinosaur tribes." He then turned to Taron. "Captain Taron, perhaps you and your queen might be willing to hear our plea. The aid of the Cloudrunners could prove vital, plus I have the information I feel the Queen should be told. Perhaps my daughter could serve as a liaison for your tribe and me. Maybe she could even aid in the rescue of your princess when I locate her. Would you be willing to take my daughter back to the Cloudrunner Fortress?

Taron nodded in response. Randorn then turned to Krystal. "Krystal, would you be up for such a task?"

Krystal, ever eager for adventure and willing to help those in need, nodded in response. "Very good," Randorn stated.

Taron then spoke up. "Then it is settled; we will aid you however we can, as long as you can help us rescue our princess."

"Very well. Krystal, I will leave you with this amulet. I can talk to you telepathically through it." The wolven wizard said as he handed his adopted daughter a blue amulet."

"Thank you. I won't let you down, father. You too, captain."

Taron nodded again before stating:" Very well. We must move as soon as possible, though. The queen is worried sick about her daughter and must be informed of our arrangement."

"As well as the info I must share with her." Added Krystal

Bidding Randorn fair well, the two exited his chambers and headed towards a courtyard with a docking platform of some sort.

"Hop on, Krystal. We have little time to lose." And with that, Krystal hopped on the Cloudrunners back and started his flight to Cloudrunner Fortress.

While the two set out for Cloudrunner Fortress, Randorn had resumed his telepathic search for the Earthwalker Prince. After some time, he had finally managed to detect an intense feeling of despair emitting from a young dinosaur.

"That must be him." Randorn thought.

It seemed to be traveling at high speed. According to the maps he had found in the palace he was in, Randorn predicted that he would be heading for the Ice Mountain area, near the SnowHorn wastes.

"Perhaps Sabre would be up for the task." Randorn thought, getting up to go find his son.

It was a dreary day at the CloudRunner Fortress. Still grieving over the loss of their beloved princess, the majority of the tribe was worried sick. They still went about their daily routines, for the most part, but worry for their princess lingered in the back of each of their minds.

The weather seemed to reflect the Tribe's general mood because most of the clouds remained a light grey, likely a holder over from the massive storm.

The Queen Cloudrunner had been resuming her duties, overseeing preparations for if Scales decided to attack the Fortress. These preparations included an increase in patrols and security across the Fortress and a discussion of evacuation plans.

"Let us hope this is enough." Thought the queen. "The Kamerian Heart help us if we are invaded." The queen's thoughts drifted back to her daughter and the royal guard captain. " I hope this wizard can help us. We are running out of options. With any luck, Taron will return with news."

As if on cue, a Cloundrunner soldier suddenly fluttered her way as if he had urgent news. "Yes?" The queen asked. The soldier bowed respectfully and replied," The captain is back, my queen. And he has brought someone with him, though I know not what she is."

This piqued the queen's interest. "Good, tell him to bring his… 'guest' to me at once." The queen stated. "Already here, your grace." A familiar voice sounded from behind her.

Turning, the queen and the soldier glanced over at the guard captain, accompanied by some blue creature.

Speaking, the guard preceded to greet the queen and inform the Queen Cloudrunner of what Randorn had told him. After he finished, the queen began to ponder what he said, clearly taken a bit aback by what events had transpired. "I see." She said simply. Turning to the blue vixen, the queen began to inquire about her. " And I take it you must be Randorn's daughter then?"

Krystal nodded, before bowing respectfully. "Yes, your highness. My name is Krystal, and my father sent me here with urgent news, regarding your daughter and the plight of your world."

Her interest peaked again(and eager to hear news of her daughter), the queen asked Krystal to explain.

" On the flight over here, my father informed me via a telepathic message that Scales' galleon is approaching the skies near Warlock Mountain. He could sense your daughter's emotions from aboard." Krystal finished explaining.

Telepathic messages? "The queen parroted before shaking her head. "Never mind, how is Kyte? What is her condition.?" The queen asked.

Krystal thought of what to tell the queen before realizing sugar-coating her response would fall flat. "She is scared and cold. But we will save her, that I can assure you." Krystal stated firmly.

"Thank you." That was all the queen said before hugging Krystal, then backing off and regaining her composure, slightly embarrassed to have shown such affection to a stranger she just met. Regardless, she was grateful for the kindness and aid this stranger has already shown and offered her.

Krystal blushed slightly at the hug, unsure of how to respond before replying," Uh, thank you... y-your highness." She stuttered.

"And what of the news regarding the war with Scales?" The Queen inquired.

"As I am sure you are aware, Scales has gotten ahold of powerful technology, of which we know little. My father senses there might be some kind of force behind this development. Though we are uncertain now."

"Could the Drakor be the one aiding Scales?" The queen thought.

"Your highness is something wrong.?" Taron asked."

The queen shook her head. "It is nothing. I will look more into this. We had not considered what might have aided him before, but now that you bring it up… We will be alert and investigate the matter." The queen stated, unsure of how to disclose her thoughts, without any solid leads.

Krystal nodded in response. " The Earthwalkers lost their PrincePrince to a similar abduction recently. Perhaps the kidnapping of your daughter and the Earthwalker PrincePrince is part of a grander scheme of Scales?" Krystal asked, venting her thoughts.

The queen and the other Cloudrunners present thought for a moment. While they did not see eye to eye, the Cloudrunners did not wish something like this onto anyone. The queen especially, after she lost her daughter to such a kidnapping.

Finally, the Queen broke the silence. " While they are not my friends or allies, the Earthwalker King and Queen have my sympathy. Was your father able to locate their PrincePrince?" She asked.

Krystal nodded and explained how she suspected her brother would be dispatch to rescue him, the same way Krystal was here now.

Krystal figured now was the best time to ask. " Your highness, my father asked me to plea for your aid." She stated.

"What do you mean?" asked the Queen."

"My father intends to help save this planet from that tyrant, Scales. But to do this, we will need all the help we can get. If I can rescue the princess, can we count on your help in whatever way my father and I may need/"

The queen had already made up her mind. "Of course. While we may be pressured by the war, I pledge to give you whatever support I can. It is, after all, the least I could do for your family, given the aid you are already offering us. Now, I believe there is no more time to waste. If Scales' galleon is near Warlock Mountain, then it is of the utmost importance that you get there as soon as you can."

The queen then gestured toward the guard captain. "Taron, you will you go with Krystal to retrieve Kyte."

"I will see it done, my queen." Was his response.

Krystal nodded in agreement. "I promise you, I will return your daughter to you safely." Bowing one final time to the queen, she then turned to the Taron, confirming if he was ready to set out.

After nodding in agreement, the vixen hopped on the Cloudrunner's back. Gazing back one final time, Krystal and Taron preceded to fly off, heading in the direction of Warlock Mountain.

Watching the duo fly off, Queen Cloudrunner pondered on what Krystal had told her. "I hope they can succeed. But if what this girl says is true, we may have even bigger threats than Scales to worry about. I pray that this wizard, and the rest of the world, is ready to handle such a threat."

With one final glance towards the flying pair, the queen turned back to her duties. Hoping they would bring her daughter back to her soon, she continued to oversee the preparations across the Fortress.

Exiting a warp, Sabre fell to the ground, disoriented. It would take him some time to traveling through such a method. Looking around, he found himself in a cave, in frigid temperatures.

"Better make a fire." He thought.

His father had informed him that he located Prince Tricky on some kind of craft and that its most likely designation would be on this mountain he had found himself on. Randorn informed Sabre of a warp stone located within Warlock Mountain, from which he was sent to the Swap Stone Hollow. From there, the Swapstone he met was able to teleport him to the Ice Mountain. A bit convoluted, sure, but it was the only method he could think of to get here promptly. Only it seemed Sabre had some time to kill since there was no sign of Sharpclaws outside of the cave yet.

Resigning himself, he gathered some wood for a fire and preceded to ignite it. Taking a moment to ponder his new adventure, he reflected on the current developments.

"It's amazing how fast things can happen. Going from our usual routine back home to being thrust into a massive adventure. One that has the fate of an entire world at stake. I guess I will just try to wing it from here. Just hope Krystal doesn't have too much trouble on her end."

Sabre continued to wonder about this new adventure. What kind of troubles would he find along the way? What could they do to end this war? How could they defeat this General Scales when the tribes living here had been unable to? He then shook his head.

" No point in worrying about so many things at once. Let's just focus on staying alert to recuse the PrincePrince. " Sabre finally sighed as he waited for the Sharpclaw to arrive near his current location.

Little did he know of the overwhelming stakes his adventure would reveal. And just how much was truly at stake in this world. …