Nya screamed again as the Turan leapt once more, his claws scrapping the trunk of the tall tree, narrowly missing her shoes. The boys above her climbed fiercely up the tree, trying to get as far away from the Turan as possible. Cole was dangling dangerously from his brother's arm as Jay tried to pull his own and Cole's weight up the tree.

Zane reached down and pulled her up with all his might just in time. One more second and her leg would have been in the teeth of the Turan. It's mouth bit down on nothing, and it growled fiercely.

"Let's go!" he called to the others. "Higher!"

"We can't...climb...any higher!" Jay gasped, out of breath, and his heart pounding with fear. How the hell were they going to get out of this?

Rustling of the leaves echoed throughout the trees, and they all looked up. They knew what it meant.

But then for a moment everything fell silent. Even the hostile Turans stopped their growling and waited.

Then suddenly Cole cried out as a Turan leapt out suddenly from above in the leaves, it's claws reaching down while another claw supported it on the trunk.

Now they had nowhere to run. They were trapped. To go up meant a maul by knife-like claws, and to go down meant to be eaten alive by even sharper teeth. And it was no use outrunning them; their speed, the kids knew, was nothing compared to the Turans.

"You will come down at some point!" exclaimed the creature, growling. "Your arms will not hold you forever!" At the same time, it gnashed it's teeth, and it's blood-stained mouth gleamed.

But the Turan's words only supported them more, and they held their ground. But the Turans were right. Already, their arms were getting tired, and the rough bark under their palms were beginning to give them callouses, and perhaps draw blood.

Then suddenly Cole slipped. Jay caught him, his arm outstretched, and Jay winced, almost crying out. It was his bad arm, his infected arm.

And Cole saw it clearly.

He stared, wide-eyed at it. "Jay," he said. "Your arm!"

"I know." Jay replied, ready to cry out in pain from supporting weight on his injury, and quickly, he pulled his brother up. "I know."

"It's really bad Jay. What'd you do to it?"

"Not now, Cole." Jay told his brother sternly. "I'll tell you later."

But before Cole could say anything more, there was suddenly a roar that seemed to echo all around them. Jay looked around, as did the rest. The two Turans stood their ground, growling at them from below and above.

And to their surprise, thousands of Turans emerged from the darkness of the woods, growling and baring their blood-red teeth. They were on their fours, like wolves, and their talons seemed to jump out at them intimidatingly.

Jay looked behind him, and saw that it was the same on both sides. He widened his eyes in fear. Now there really was no way of getting out. They were surrounded.

Then there was a sharp sensation that made Jay cry out. It slashed across his back left to right, and he worked hard not to fall off of the tree. Then Jay saw the Turan from above, his talons now featuring a thin layer of blood on the tips of it's talons.

"Jay!" Nya cried from below.

And then the Turan, raising it's clawed fist, punched Jay hard and sent him falling off of the tree. And on the way down his body hit Cole, Zane, and Nya, leaving them all fall to the ground.

Then the whole world shadowed out from view, darkening, the last thing the four saw the terrible claws of their enemy, which had brought them down.

Kai and Misako sprinted across the woods, only their scent to follow. They were on fours, and they were going fast, faster than Kai had ever gone before.

"Stop." Misako told him, and quickly, they did. They both stood on twos, and Kai looked at the woman.

"What is it?"

"I've lost the scent." she said. "Can't you tell?"

Kai tried to smell the air again, like he had been several seconds ago, and found she was right. It was gone.

"Why? What's happened?" Kai asked, but in a sort of demanding voice.

"I don't know." Misako replied. But then Kai saw a glint in her eyes, something that didn't come from the Moonlight.

"You're hiding something."

"I'm not."

Then Kai, with the quickest reflexes he didn't know he had, pressed Misako against a nearby tree with his talons to her throat. "You bitch!" he cried. "That is my family that you are hiding from me. My family! I may be a Turan, and they may be human, but dammit, I still care where they are. So don't even try to hide anything! Where are they!"

"I don't know," Misako told him, almost no hint of fear in her voice. "...but I can tell you what's happened to them."

"What." Kai asked, his voice low.

"The warriors have captured them and hidden their scent. They're taking them to the underground layer. That's where the nest is." Misako hesitated.

"Where is it?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Where is it?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Where is it?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Where is it?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Arg!"Kai growled angrily. "Where is it?!"

"Kai that is my home. I refuse to tell you."

"I'm not going to harm anyone, Misako. I'm just going to get my family."

"Which they won't let you do unless you kill them." Misako told him firmly.

"I'm not going to kill them."

"How do I know?"

"Have I lied to you before?"

Misako quiets down. "They're my family." she says.

Kai sighed and looked down. "Misako, I won't inflict anything anything on your tribe. You have my word."

"You'll have to find it on your own." Misako told him. "I'm not going to help you any further."

"Fine." Kai said. He took his talons away from her throat and unhanded her. Then with a quick leap, he grabbed hold of the tree above the woman and anchored himself into the wood with his talons. He climbed up to the top in the trunk and emerged from the leaves.

No wonder Turans come in from the treetops. Kai thought.

The treetops could be seen as if it stretched across the world and back on either sides. It was discontinuing, and the leaves were still a lush green, though the coldness and cruelty of Night had fought against it. And still, the leaves and the trees were just the same.

Then there was the Moon. It gleamed against the Night sky, lighting it up slightly, and it made Kai feel a twinge of calmness. It wasn't so dark anymore.

Then with that, Kai leapt again and landed on another tree trunk. And then something clicked.

Kai leapt again, and landed on another treetop. Leap. Land. Leap. Land.

Leap.

Land.

Leap.

Land.

A continuous cycle captured Kai, and all emotion and thoughts temporarily faded away. It became the only thing in his head, the only thing that Kai thought about.

Leap.

Land.

Leap.

Land.

Then suddenly he was at the end of the forest. Kai looked around, as if for the first time, and realized he was at the canyon. He sniffed the air, and smelled anger, revenge, and joy.

And Kai realized that this was the nest. The nest to Turans.

Where his family was.

I'm coming. Kai thought, and leapt down into the darkness.