Part III:

With his uncle Sturgeon in the lead, Glide veered his way through the Feral Forest in the dead of night. He was glad for the cover of darkness – it kept him from the stares of those who knew of his failure. Wingtails were a tight knit group and all news tended to travel quickly from tree to tree, especially bad news. On this particular night the two of them were passed through without notice because it was too late for anyone to still be awake – a stroke of luck that was buried underneath his feelings of hate and rage over being summoned. The elders didn't even have the decency to let him get a good night's sleep! He would be glad when this was over.

"Glide?" inquired the door guard monotonously, the same guard that let him in last time he was here.

"Yes," answered Glide bitterly.

"You may enter," said the door guard, before adding, "… alone."

"I am his uncle and oldest living family," interrupted Sturgeon, "if he is to be judged, then I have a right to be present."

The guard's eyes widened as he took in the size and power of Sturgeon. He doubted that he could refuse the dark navy wingtail entry even if he really wanted to… so it was best to let him pass.

"Very well, right this way."

And the two wingtails entered the elders' tree.

…

"Back so soon, son of Allisan?" Tenebron said in a mild gibe. It was clear looking around him that the other elders did not find it the least bit funny.

"You have the Occular in your possession, I trust…" said a female elder distastefully, looking up and down at his form. Fliela and Star had rubbed off most of the blood, but there were still clearly visible cuts – most notably the gash on the side of Glide's cheek.

"No… Sky got away," breathed Glide bitterly. The council dissolved into a sea of whispers, but the black wingtail couldn't discern what any of them were saying. Clearly this was something they had lots of practise at.

"He got away did he? I was under the impression that you were not to return until the Occular was safely in your possession," the female said matter of factly. It was so tactless it made Glide's stomach tighten.

"Do you still have the Cordian with you, is it undamaged?" insisted an older male elder. Glide didn't really know what to think of him yet.

"Yes."

In a slow and grudging motion, Glide pulled the crystal bell out of his wing, and placed it silently on the stump where he had acquired it nearly a week ago. It made him angry to have to relinquish it so quick, since he had enjoyed carrying it with him. There was no finer sound in the entire world, now he would never hear it again.

"Apparently our faith in you Glide, was misplaced," chided the female elder whom Glide now hated.

"Indeed," sighed Tenebron. He had actually had believed in the boy, and knew somehow that he would succeed. It was a shame that heroes like his son Eybron were a rare breed.

"He tried his best, and is not deserving of your scorn," called out Sturgeon, "I think this 'quest' you've given him was impossible on his own, and you knew he would get hurt."

"Know your place Sturgeon or you will no longer be welcome here," the older male elder corrected. Glide made up his mind that he hated all of them now.

"Now, do you have anything to say before we pass our judgement, Son of Allisan?" the female mocked officially. It was time for Glide to defend himself.

"I was attacked, Sky had help! I was ambushed by sharpteeth and I nearly didn't make it back."

"Excuses, excuses! I would have thought that the winner of the Fish Day fights for four seasons in a row would able to be handle one simple, weak little outcast who cowers from the judgement of his own kind… or perhaps you aren't worthy of your titles?" the female leaned forward tauntingly, and Glide had an overwhelming urge to punch her head in.

"Cinceel I think you are being too hard on him, perhaps we should discuss these developments tomorrow when we've had time to-"

"Do you not remember Tenebron? We have already decided his punishment, long before he arrived," Cinceel countered.

"That is correct Tenebron, you were part of that judgement as well, if I do recall," corrected a younger elder who had remained silent on the issue for most of the meeting. Tenebron sighed, and waved at Cinceel in submission. The moment had come, the moment when Glide learned his fate.

"Glide, son of Allisan, for returning without the Occular you have disobeyed our commands regardless of what the circumstances may be. For this, we sentence you to-"

"Am I correct in understanding that my old task… is once again unfulfilled?" interrupted an unknown speaker from the shadows.

Everyone in the canopy, including all the guards and elders, simultaneously turned to see a dignified grey wingtail emerge from the darkness and greet them all with a cold stare. It was Eybron.

"What, how DARE you interrupt our sentence?" shouted Cinceel. She glared at Eybron.

Contrary to the situation, Eybron casually spied a fruit dangling from a branch on the tree. With a slight reach up he pulled it down and observed it for a moment, before turning to address the elder's response.

"I was under the impression that all of you, and you especially Cinceel, had given me the task to retrieve the Occular. A task that, despite my safe return, you never bothered to tell me was complete. Under the current pretext of the situation, I would say that as a standing duty it is quite unfulfilled," Eybron said slyly, and while the rest of the elders watched with curiosity and some admiration, Cinceel fumed.

"You were not summoned! You have no place here!" she shot down at him.

"Tisk, tisk, such anger over something so trivial. Judging from your response, I presume that you never want the Occular to be found?" Eybron answered.

The angry female elder didn't have a plausible retort, so she decided to sit and glare at the unworthy intruder. Once they were done with Glide, she would deal with him.

"As long as the Occular is missing then it is my mission to find it, as well as Glide's," Eybron continued, "So, if you will kindly allow me to have my cohort back and resume my appointed task, then we need discuss it no further."

Glide couldn't believe it – this wingtail everyone thought was a hero was sticking out his neck for him. From what he knew of Eybron he was cold and ruthless and never did anything for anyone that didn't benefit himself. Obviously, he had something to gain from being Glide's friend … but what?

"Eybron, you would take responsibility for both Glide and the finding of the Occular for a second time?" asked the older male. The other elders including Tenebron but not Cinceel nodded at the validity of the question.

"Of course… a 'hero's' duty is never truly honoured," replied Eybron.

"As you will then… we see no further reason to distract you from your duties. You are all dismissed," the older male completed. All the elders but Cinceel looked content with the decision, so it became official. Glide owed Eybron a serious debt.

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Ruby and Chomper had reached a crossroads. At the end of the Farwalker Gorge the river emerged from the mouth of a deep, dark cave and flowed viciously past the two small dinosaurs as they transgressed its banks. The rocks were sharp and slippery going inside which meant they would risk falling into the river if they attempted to cross them.

On the same token, following the path up the wall of the Gorge to their right would not only mean leaving the river – their source of food and water – but it also brought the risk of falling as they ascended. It was a tough choice.

"Hmm… we can go into the caves over those pointy rocks," said Ruby as she pointed out the sharp rocks, "…or we can go back up the wall to the top."

As she made the statement Ruby felt a pang of fear for both of them. Going over the rocks meant they could slip into the river and be carried away – a thought that made her start shaking – while climbing the cliff meant they could fall, an equally scary thought. She would leave it to Chomper to choose.

"What do you think Chomper?"

The small sharptooth thought about it for a few seconds, looking back and forth at the different paths they could take.

"I think we should go up… it looks safer then the scary dark cave," Chomper stated.

"Maybe we should just go back, I mean I'm sure there's a better why up back the way we came," Ruby suggested nervously.

"Come on don't be a scaredy egg, its not that bad."

The two of them began to climb the wall of the gorge like they had a few days ago, only this time instead of the distance to the ground getting smaller as they went down it kept getting longer and longer as they went up. Ruby kept looking back nervously, and was seriously slowing down their progress. Chomper decided to make some conversation to make her think of something else.

"So Ruby, back there when the Sharptooth nearly attacked us, how did you know he told us to go back to our nests? I didn't know you understood sharptooth."

"Oh my daddy taught me," replied Ruby, before adding sadly, "… when he was alive."

"But I thought it was impossible for a leaf-eater to learn sharptooth… they sound totally different," asked Chomper.

"I'm not a leaf eater am I?" chuckled Ruby, "It took me a long time to understand what he was saying, so daddy only taught me to know what other sharpteeth are saying instead of teaching me to say it too."

"Do you know things in sharptooth, like this?" Chomper made a strange chain of growls and hisses before adding, "…umm… I hope that's the right word."

Ruby laughed.

"That's easy… you said 'will you be my mate'."

Chomper blushed.

"Whoops… I didn't actually mean that."

He had hoped to say 'will you be my friend' but sharptooth language didn't have a word for friend so he used the closest thing he knew – the phrase his parents used sometimes.

"Okay… can you say something in sharptooth – for practise?" asked Chomper, eager to change the subject.

"Sure… umm let's see," Ruby said as she thought about what to say, and then she uttered a string of growls and grunts. Coming from a fastrunner it sounded really weird, and Chomper had some difficulty making it out.

"Well what did I say?" inquired Ruby somewhat nervously.

"I think you said either 'I love mud trees' or 'I want to rip out your limbs'," said Chomper in an embarrassed manner.

He should have lied and said it was something nicer, but Ruby needed to know the truth since she might need to talk her way out of getting eaten by a sharptooth.

"Oh…" said Ruby with surprise, "I guess I'm not too good at this."

"Don't worry about it," assured Chomper, "We can keep trying, and it's not like we are going to meet a real sharptooth again any time soon."

Chomper didn't know how wrong he was.

…

The conversation carried Ruby and Chomper up the cliff wall and beyond into the wastes, until they had reached the borders of the Feral Forest. It was the most beautiful wood they had ever visited, and the two of them looked around at the sheer variety of trees and plants that they passed.

"Wow this place is amazing," commented Chomper, "but I wonder where all the leaf-eaters are. With this much green food they should be everywhere."

"They probably saw you," asserted Ruby, but realizing it sounded unkind she added, "They don't know that you're nice."

"It's okay, I get that a lot," Chomper said matter of factly.

It was true… leaf-eaters still ran at the sight of him in the Great Valley if they didn't know who he was. Granted it occurred a lot less then it used to, it was still a stinging rejection when all he wanted to do was be friends. In his mind, just because he ate meat it didn't mean he couldn't be their friend. One day it might become hard for him to differentiate between friends and food, but he hoped it would never come.

"The bush gets thicker here, stay right behind me," insisted Ruby.

"Okay, but apart from those flyers I don't see how anyone would be-" Chomper was interrupted as Ruby screamed. She backed up nearly on top of him, gaping in fear at the gap in the shrubs she just reversed out of.

"What is it, what's there?" asked Chomper desperately.

"S-Sharptooth! … A mean one!" Ruby cried in fear.

Just as the fastrunner stammered the words a fast biter pushed his way through the bushes and growled menacingly at the two children. Strangely, Chomper recognized him.

"…Thudd?" Chomper asked in leaf-eater, before repeating it in sharptooth.

"Let's go!" called out Ruby desperately, "he's going to eat us!"

"Wait," insisted Chomper as Thudd reared in surprise, "Thudd… is that you?"

Thudd snarled at Chomper, but didn't answer. He had half a mind to devour them both right here, especially the little pink one. He owed her a kick for what she did to his nose when he was still serving Red Claw. Seeing he wasn't going to get an answer, Chomper continued.

"Thudd… what are you doing out here? Where's your pack?"

Things had changed a lot since the Storm Tide between Chomper and Thudd. While they still remained nominal enemies, Thudd indirectly helped them out in defeating his treacherous old master and he still had yet to honour the debt with Chomper for saving his life. Perhaps the small sharptooth could use it as leverage to start a meaningful conversation.

"That life is gone now little biter," replied Thudd bitterly, and he revealed a arcing scar from the top of his shoulder to just below his throat, "you must have quite the death wish to be standing here before me."

On that note he bared his teeth and advanced on the children.

"You still owe me Thudd!" shouted Chomper, "you could at least be a bit nicer."

Thudd snorted at the remark, and turned away.

"Fine, I'll let you live… this time," the fast-biter said, and he proceeded to walk away. Thudd couldn't believe he was doing this again… letting perfectly good prey escape because of some imagined life debt.

"I'd take living over getting eaten any day," said Ruby matter of factly, but Chomper wasn't ready to give up on this yet.

"You didn't answer me Thudd…what are you doing out here?" the tiny sharptooth asked. Thudd snarled in annoyance and turned back around to face Chomper. He was really starting to try his patience.

"I serve a new master now, a greater master," Thudd replied, "one who always feeds those in his service."

Ruby and Chomper looked at each other in confusion. What other great sharpteeth were there? Chomper decided it was better not to ask.

"Well maybe you can help us. We're looking for Cera, our threehorn … nest-mate."

Again the lack of a sharptooth word for friend really got in his way. Thudd raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on it. When Chomper made his lonely journey to try and make friends with sharpteeth, it failed because he kept trying to talk to them in leaf-eater. Once he tried in sharptooth, they kept misunderstanding his meaning. One day he would have to invent a word for friend.

"Perhaps I can help you," replied Thudd, "but if I do the next time we meet you will be prey… no more life-debts to get in the way."

"Deal," stated Chomper. Thudd continued.

"I saw where those Wingtails took your friend – she was so loud it was insufferable."

"Hey Thudd, your tail is a tree," said Ruby in sharptooth. Thudd looked at her in confusion, and Ruby realized she must have messed up her sharptooth again.

"Chomper, can you tell him I'm sorry about his nose," asked Ruby. Chomper obeyed.

"Ruby says she's sorry about your nose," Chomper said to Thudd.

The fast-biter turned to Ruby and uttered a string of growls and snarls that she barely understood. With a snort Thudd turned away.

"I think I must be having trouble hearing sharptooth too," uttered Ruby, "because it sounded to me like he said 'I want to rip out your limbs'."

Chomper frowned.

"No, I think he meant it."

The fastrunner and the tiny sharptooth made to follow the fast-biter as he led them to where Cera was being held.

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After the horrific meeting with the elders, Glide was exhausted, hurting, and most of all confused. Why did this grey wingtail suddenly step in to help him out, when the two of them had only met once? It wasn't exactly a nice meeting either, as it was when Eybron pulled him off Sky while he was joyfully beating him to death. Rather then head straight home, an anger coated curiosity lingered in the black wingtail's mind and forced him to follow his rescuer. Maybe he could find out what was going on.

Eybron was flanked by at least four personal guards as he flew back to his post at the Sonicron. Two of them broke off to intercept Glide as he approached but the grey wingtail waved them off. There was business to be discussed.

"Why did you bail me out… what are you up to?" asked Glide with an edge.

"We are both after the same enemy," replied Eybron, "if your 'Sky' is being aided by the sharpteeth I believe you have a near impossible task on your hands… one of which you cannot succeed without my help."

"What makes you think I need you?" Glide retorted.

"Follow me… I will make things clearer once we reach the Sonicron."

…

Admittedly, Glide had never seen the Sonicron before in his life. He made a habit of skipping class when he was a hatchling, so the day when they were allowed past the guards to see it in person he wasn't there. Up close, it was the most impressive thing he had ever seen. The contours of ancient glass had survived the test of time while gaining only a slight tinge, and the sound of the wind echoed through the hallowed inside like the call of a far away god. Where it not for his present state, Glide would have given anything to speak with Benzon in person and ask him how he made it. Such a thing could never happen of course, with the Grand Creator having died almost a century ago.

"Magnificent isn't it?" commented Eybron, "often times I stand here like you do, wondering what it would be like to watch it being made."

Enough of this… Glide wanted answers and he was going to get them one way or the other.

"Why did you really help me? I don't think it's just because Sky has sharpteeth helping him," the black wingtail asked.

Eybron glared at him with a depth similar to a black hole. Maybe this wingtail wasn't as heroic as people thought.

"Understand, I lost my childhood and innocence to the barbaric sharptooth we all call Tyron," the grey wingtail said bitterly as he leaned towards Glide, "So I will not have my actions questioned by an ignorant little whelp like you."

It was a surprising change of attitude, one that Glide wasn't entirely happy about. Eybron was starting to sound like the elders.

"I brought you here to make a deal Glide... I will help you by sending some of my own guards to assist you in bringing back the Occular and bringing it's 'keeper' to justice. It suits me, because I cannot bear to have the object which I sacrificed so much for fall back into Tyron's hands."

"So you're helping me find Sky because you fear the sharpteeth will get it…" repeated Glide. The grey wingtail's motive seemed to check out, "…good. But why risk yourself to free me, when you could have done that on your own?"

Eybron smiled. It was an evil and relishing smile that one would expect to see on a sharptooth that had just trapped its prey.

"Ah now we get to the sweet part of the deal. In exchange for freeing you of the elders' punishment, you will give your permission for me to court your lovely sister, Star."

Glide's answer had already been clear before he opened his mouth.

"No."

"Be reasonable Glide, you can't keep her in your grasp for the rest of her life. She would die alone and unhappy. Considering my status in the eyes of the others, who would be a better choice?"

"It's still no," replied Glide, there was no way he was changing his mind on this.

"Very well… I guess you prefer to take the punishment the elders have planned for you, live the rest of your life in dishonour and disgrace, and deny your sister the right to choose a mate until she turns to bones and fades from memory?"

Eybron had chosen his words well, and they stung like a fish-bone in the throat. Glide fumed over the hand that nature had given him, over the decision he now had to make. There was no way out of this for him – but one. He would have to swallow his pride.

"Alright."

"Alright what?" asked Eybron devilishly.

"Alright you have my permission to mate with Star… but if she says no then the answer is no!" Glide shot at the grey wingtail.

"You have made the right choice Glide; I knew you would see the light. I expect her to meet me here at dawn, when the sun rises fully over the horizon, for our first date."

"Yes, she'll be here," replied Glide submissively.

"Excellent… have a good night 'Son of Allisan',"

And on that note Glide was dismissed, and he took off into the air towards home. His mind was swirling… how was he possibly going to tell Star about this? She would kill him for sure, but he had to do it. He didn't have a choice.

Star would understand.

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