Must be getting boring hearing me say it, so I'll sing it!

I doooooon't ooooooowwn the chaaaaaaaraaaaactersss ooooooooor theee storrrrrrryyyyy, or the naaaaaaaaaames... (Gets hit by tomatoes)

Chapter Five

There was no conversation for the next two thousand or so wingbeats, and at the end of the long flight, Frieda called out from the head of the Silverwings, "We have reached Bridge City, home of the Free-tailed bats."

Marina and Lura gaped as they neared the bridge that was home to the thousands of Freetailed bats. "This is amazing," Lura commented, watching as the bats left their roost as the twilight finally came, "I've heard of this place but never thought I'd get to see it." Marina batted the Graywing playfully in flight. "Well, you'll be in for a lot more than just this if you stick with us." Marina paused, glancing at Lura over her wing. "It's been on my mind for a while but it didn't seem like the right time to ask before. Something you did back in the Human building reminded me of Shade. He can move objects with sound, he's not a pro at it yet though, he couldn't even snap an icicle before!" Lura was staring at her with wide, puzzled eyes. "Let's roost and I'll tell you more."

Lura found it easier to pay attention now that the ear with the stud in it had stopped smarting. She had felt the heat and knew it must be infected, but didn't know what to do until a Freetailed bat had approached Marina and her, drizzling some liquid onto the Graywing's ear which had cooled it and made it feel ten times better.

"Shade has this weird ability to move things around with sound, but I've never seen him do anything like that before, shattering something completely. He'll be jealous if I know him!" Lura glanced up at her claws where they were digging into a wooden support of the bridge. "I didn't really know I could do it; I was just so mad then and wanted to get the human away from you. They used that stick thing on me before and bam, before I knew it I was out cold and they had me."

"I never said...Thanks, either. So, thank you." A grin appeared on the Graywing's face, but vanished just as quickly as it appeared, and her nostrils rippled in disgust. "What is that smell? It's terrible," she gagged, using her wings to cover her face. "I recognize it," Marina exclaimed, to which Lura replied in a muffled voice, "I am so sorry." Angling her head slightly towards her back, she threw out echoes and the upside down outline of a small, hunched creature showed up etched in her echo vision. "Rats!" She cried, and Lura jolted in shock, removing her wings from her face. "Yuck! You serious?"

"Come with me!" Marina cried, dropping from her roost. "Are you mad?" The Graywing shrieked as she saw where Marina was flying. But she followed anyway; Marina didn't just soar into things blindly, unlike this Shade Silverwing she'd heard so much about, so she too fell from her roost and coasted slowly after her friend and landed a few wingspans away from the rat. "Romulus! Do you recognize me?" If Lura had been flying she'd have plunged right out of the air in shock. The rat carefully looked her over, then showed his fangs in a, to Lura, terrifying smile. "Yes, I believe I do. You escaped, then!"

"Thanks to you," Marina replied, and Lura scuttled closer, hissing in her friend's ear, "Who is he? And how in Nocturna's name do you know him?" Marina whirled to face Lura, pointing a claw at 'Romulus'.

"He saved Shade's and my life when we were trapped by a whole underground colony of rats. We would have had our wings torn off if it hadn't been for him, then probably eaten or just killed right on the spot." Lura narrowed her eyes and squinted at the scarring on Marina's forearm; it seemed that had almost happened already. "He's a friend, don't worry, and he knows about Shade too. Come on, talk to him." The Graywing stiffened in shock as Marina pushed her closer. "But-b-but...what do you think you're..."

"Lura, right?" The bat extended an arm and she thought she'd pass out right then and there. Between the bat's arms and back legs were undoubtedly webs of membrane, not that different from all bats' wings everywhere. His back legs were even being lifted up slightly due to being connected to his forearms. "My name is Romulus, king of the rats."

"H-hi..." she stammered, frightened, and the large rat laughed. "Don't worry, I won't eat you. I told Marina as such when I first met her." Lura glanced back at Marina and stared in amazement. "You gonna tell me anything else, that maybe you're friends with the owls or something?"

"Don't be silly. Even Shade wouldn't go that far, and he's looked at the sun!"