Part IV: The Grand Creator

It was nearly night time when the group reassembled at the bottom of the Echo Canyon Cave, their desires for sustenance and fresh air all taken care of. The night sky shone in from the narrow fissure opening above giving the illusion of both entrapment and protection. The stars were visible, and Ruby noted that it was the first time she had seen them since the eruption after what happened at the Sonicron.

The runner sat on all fours with her stomach on the ground, swirling her finger pleasantly in the sand out of both boredom and a desire to pass the time. Tomorrow they planned to investigate who that mysterious visitor Chomper had mentioned was, and whether he was one of Eybron's wingtail's or not. Anyone in the Feral Forest who had seen them enter the Whirlpool would probably think they died since they had not come out, so to see a sentry here so soon would be very unusual and alarming indeed. Fed up with the dirt, Ruby glanced up to see what everyone was doing.

Gentry had found some sort of fruit, and was trying with frustration to peel the skin off so he could get to the juicy inside. The egg-stealer bashed it repeatedly on a rock, before flopping onto his back and attempting to force it open by pulling it apart with his arms and back feet. All he succeeded in doing was causing the entire plant to explode, covering him with orange juices. Thylo giggled, and Gentry wiped his face off angrily.

"Okay then little-laugher, let's see you give it a try."

The egg-stealer kicked one of the oranges he had picked over to where Thylo was sitting, and she peeled it open almost immediately by biting down on the skin and pulling it off.

"Bah, spiketail's luck," scoffed Gentry.

Ruby turned towards the river bank, where she saw Chomper asleep on the ground amongst a pile of fish bones. Earlier that day after her conversation with Kepsla, she came down to help the sharptooth again by catching him some water swimmers. Secretly she was getting annoyed that he couldn't find food of his own without her help, but there was a part of her that also knew that if she didn't do it his appetite could make him dangerous. Admittedly she sometimes had desires to eat meat, but it was more of a subtle craving then a raving desire to kill. Fast runners were scavengers by nature, much like egg-stealers, so just like the leaf-eaters killing for food did not come natural to them. Disturbed by the thought, Ruby tilted her head towards the black wingtail.

Glide was a mystery to her. He rarely spoke unless spoken to, and always looked like he was angry even if he wasn't. There were times when he was mean, but he was also stern and responsible. In Ruby's mind actions speak a lot louder then words and Glide certainly had proven himself through this means. As the fast runner watched the wingtail stood vigil on top of a rock next to the river, swishing his tail back and forth lightly. Ever since they had spotted that other wingtail he had been staring at the cliffs above, expecting an attack any moment. Perhaps it was a bit of paranoia, but it could very well end up saving their lives. Despite his unpleasantries, Ruby found she actually enjoyed his company.

Cera came trudging up as the fast runner was deep in thought, and Ruby jumped a bit when she realized the threehorn was there.

"Hey," whispered Cera, "stay quiet."

"What is it?" inquired Ruby in a similarly silent tone, confused as to what it was for.
Cera looked around uncomfortably.

"We need to talk," she said.

A few minutes later the fastrunner and the threehorn had climbed a rock plateau on the side of one of the canyon walls, and the view was gorgeous. From the vantage point they could see the entire cavern-valley including their resting place. Their friends were visible only has shadows except for Glide, who stuck out like a black stain on the rock under the twilight.

"So why are we talking up here, when we could be talking down there?" asked Ruby sincerely.

"Because," asserted Cera, "I don't want anyone to hear us."

Ruby looks a little bit uncomfortable about the prospect of keeping things like this from their friends, but otherwise was curious as to what the threehorn would have to say.

"Ooo," groaned Cera, "why is that thing still with us anyway? We're out in the open now, so he can just fly away and leave us alone."

Ruby sighed... Cera was going on about Glide again.

"Because he's our friend," answered the fastrunner, "and friends stick together."

"Okay," admitted Cera, "he has done some good things... but don't you think he is... I don't know... a little creepy?"

Ruby glanced down at Glide, who was scanning the top parts of the wall where Chomper said the wingtail had landed.

"Maybe, but that's on the surface Cera. Deep down I know he's just as nice as we are."

"Hah," snorted the threehorn, "I think he's spying on us."

Ruby looked confused.

"Spying on us?" she questioned, "but why... he hates the other wingtails."

"What if it's just an act?" suggested Cera, "we don't know anything about him... he just dropped down from the sky one day for no reason and became our friend."

Ruby turned away nervously, and looked down towards their resting place again. Glide had rotated and was staring at her blankly. She found it to be a little bit unnerving, even from such a distance. Maybe Cera was right... maybe he was spying on them for their kidnappers. Ruby shivered at the thought, and her body reminded her suddenly of how tired she was. They could rest today, and think about it more tomorrow.

..

Ruby's deep sleep was suddenly interrupted as air refused to pass through her mouth. She opened her eyes in shock, realizing that she was being grabbed again. The world was still blurry but they had a hold on her beak and were keeping it clamped shut. She struggled and tried to scream, but it only came out as a constricted hum. As everything came into view, she found she was staring straight into Glide's face. He had grabbed her!

"Shhh," the wingtail whispered as he make a silencing gesture with his finger in front of his mouth.

He suddenly turned and glanced towards the lake, and in the process let her go. He did not seem to have acted maliciously, but impolitely instead.

"…Listen."

Ruby rubbed her eyes a few times and briefly shook the sleep out of her body. The first thing she noticed after getting up was the strange sound that had filled the air. She stood up next to Glide as he too noted the strange sound, and came to the conclusion that he in fact wasn't kidnapping her. Minutes rolled by as the noise continued, drifting across the river and through the canyon as if it was the wind itself. It was an odd whistling sound, but it was pleasing and calming to her ears and she felt compelled to sit in silence and listen. The pitch rose and fell a few times in near perfect unison, and at times was either jolly and high or sad and low.

"What is it?" asked the fast runner in wonder.

"I don't know," responded Glide with a scowl, "but we are going to find out."

"Just us? ... but what about the others?"

"They will be whole until we get back," asserted Glide, "...come and get on my back, we are going for a short flight."

Ruby didn't really like the idea of flying, but she also didn't want to know what would happen if she decided not to go. That and she was curious about what could possibly be making the pleasing noise.

..

The horizontal fissure in the cliff wall led to a small cave that was surprisingly well lit for such a dark night. Ruby was getting tired of adventuring through caves, but in this one there was a somewhat personable, inviting quality that made her comfortable inside. Apparently Glide felt so too, and he relaxed just after the pair came in for a smooth landing. The strange sound continued to play, and it reverberated off the walls in a cordial melody that appeared to be coming from deep within.

"Stay close," Glide warned as he sniffed the air and darted his gaze around, looking for potential threats.

Ruby only half listened, as she was so intent on finding the source of the disturbance. With two bounds she was already into the cave, forcing Glide to hop into the air and flap vigorously to catch up.

"What did I just say…" the wingtail muttered.

The two of them soon reached the end of the tunnel, and the intensity of the moonlight coming from within caught them both off guard. Ruby shielded her eyes with her arm, while Glide landed and did the same. The room came into view as their eyes adjusted to the sudden suffusion of light, and the setting began to reveal itself. The dome-like cavern was illuminated by bright beams of moonlight that bounced off the walls in a radiant splendour that was as beautiful as it was unnatural. It was not real light, but instead a reflection from a shiny coating that covered the rocks on the ceiling in certain places. Amazingly, the only source they could see of this strange light was a hole in the roof that seemed to be lighting the entire cave. The floor dropped off shortly in front of where the fastrunner and the wingtail were standing and gave way into a cold clear pool of water. In the centre of said pool was a large rock spire that poked out like a thorn, peaking with a small plateau.

On top of the rock-spire bathed in the unnatural moonlight was a navy blue wingtail… the same one that they had seen enter the previous day. He was sitting alone with his back to them, and his echelon shaped tail flicked from side to side as he held a clear glass rod horizontally to his face. Ruby could tell that this was the source of the strange sound – the wingtail was making it. As he played the glass flute, his fingers randomly rose up and down coinciding with changes of pitch and rhythm. Thankfully, he hadn't noticed them yet.

Ruby wasn't really sure what to make of him. Apart from that caring female at the Sonicron incident she hadn't met a nice wingtail anywhere in her travels, so it made her nervous approaching this new one. On the other hand though, anyone who makes music that serene and beautiful can't be that mean. A quick glance to her right told the fastrunner that Glide was preparing for a fight, so it was up to her to provide a good introduction. She was having to do it so much lately, Ruby was actually getting pretty good at it.

"Hello," greeted Ruby firmly, "that sounds really pretty..."

The wingtail ceased his musical course, and lowered the glass flute without turning around. Glide tensed up, ready to spring if he attacked.

"I'm glad you like it," responded the wingtail courteously as he slowly turned around, "I admit the Cordifier is one of my more sensually pleasing creations…"

The navy blue wingtail had completely turned around to face them, yet his eyes were solely on his musical creation instead of the fastrunner and black wingtail in his midst. He appeared to be examining it for something neither of them could see.

"Ah that's it!" he said in excitement, "the tone was a bit high thanks to the flaw within the fourth to right hole causing it to vibrate in harmony with the second to left hole, a problem easily fixed by a slight amount of stonic calibration…"

Glide raised an eyebrow, and glanced over at Ruby who hadn't understood a single word of what the wingtail just said either. She shrugged innocently, and Glide turned back to the navy wingtail who was still talking without even looking at them.

"But wait," he said to himself, "perhaps the real flaw is in actuality inside the core vibrational flux intake that-"

Glide cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the wingtail's reverie and causing him to look up at them for the first time in the encounter.

"Ah yes guests… I had forgotten."

The navy wingtail leaped into the air, landing close by the runner and her guardian with barely a sound. Both Glide and Ruby jumped back a step, still unsure if they could trust the newcomer. The fastrunner opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her by raising his hand.

"Since you both have entered my home unannounced, allow me first to introduce myself."

The navy wingtail reached into his wing and pulled out the oddest glass instrument that Ruby had seen so far. It was two circular lenses – each similar to the Occular in size and shape – held together by a long tube of glass that separated them by a few inches. He placed the trinket on his nose so it fit perfectly behind the horn-like crest that all wingtails had and was in front of both his eyes.

"Pardon, but my vision is not what it used to be," stated the wingtail as he noticed the looks of shock and wonder on both their faces.

"Who… who are you?" asked Ruby.

The wingtail smiled smugly, and bowed deeply careful to not to brush his wings on the dirty ground.

"I am Aizon, Master of light, sound, sight and most importantly… glass," recited the navy wingtail like he enjoyed saying this, "like my great grandfather Benzon and my fathers I also bear the title: Grand Creator of the Wingtails."

Impressive, even by Glide's standards.

"Welcome to my humble home."

Aizon pushed a nearby shiny rock, and suddenly the entire cavern was illuminated even brighter then before. Looking around, Ruby could see that the shiny stones were actually mirrored plates of glass that were reflecting the light from above. The design and arrangement was absolutely ingenious, directing light where previously there would have been none.

Now that the cave was fully lit up, the pair of them could see a collection of roosts adorning the walls, each one holding strange creations of glass that neither one had ever seen before. In some places water was being channelled through clear tubes and into other parts of the cave, while other places contained rows and rows of small figurines depicting dinosaurs of all types, and possibly some invented ones. To someone like Glide who was into shiny objects, this place was near heaven.

"Wow," remarked Ruby as she took in the whirl of wondrous objects that beheld her.

"Yes yes it is lovely isn't it?" affirmed Aizon, "but I believe it is now time for you to introduce yourselves to me."

Ruby took a moment to gather her thoughts, and then proceeded.

"I'm Ruby… a fastrunner. I come from the Great Valley, but the Great Valley isn't where I really come from. My friends and me have come a long way, and we are lost."

Aizon nodded briefly and turned to Glide, who didn't say anything and just glared.

"That's Glide," cut in Ruby, "he's our friend and he's keeping us safe."

The navy wingtail seemed to fall back into thought, and for a minute or two did not respond. Finally he seemed to reach a conclusion and piped up.

"Ah so you two are the ones that participated in Eybron's interesting experiment with my great-grandfather's sound projecting device? How exquisite," stated Aizon with an excited clap of his hands.

"Tell me everything… how long did she vibrate?… what was the pitch?… how loud did you scream?... how-"

A quick glance around told Aizon that perhaps these weren't the most popular questions to ask. Ruby had started shaking, while Glide was growling loudly at the mention of his hated foe's name.

"… a sensitive subject I presume?"

"What do you think?" butted in Glide aggressively, "that white wingtail is responsible for far more misery and death then anyone else!"

The black wingtail poked Aizon in the gut with the end of his finger.

"And it's your fault he could do it in the first place!"

Aizon rubbed his hands and recomposed himself.

"That might be true, however you are incorrect about one very important thing… as cruel as his methods are you must see that Eybron is not the worst being in our world."

Glide scowled.

"Then if you're so smart… who else is there that could match that backstabbing murderer?"

A look of horror crossed Aizon's face very briefly, an unusual expression for one so intelligent and in control.

"Could it be…" he whispered, "that you do not know?"

Glide and Ruby looked at each other, confused at what the navy wingtail was talking about. Not waiting for an answer from them, Aizon pushed through with his hand on his head in thought. Reaching the tunnel that led out of the cave, he turned around and addressed them.

"I need you both to come with me… there is something you need to see."

Two hours after the first meeting, Aizon had led Glide and Ruby into a clearing far outside the canyon where their friends were calmly asleep into the unknown lands beyond. It was dazzling, but also terrifying for Ruby to be up this high and she had to hang on tight to Glide's feathers so she wouldn't fall off. The black wingtail didn't like it one bit, but he held back saying anything and bore the burden without mention. Finally Aizon landed in a medium sized tree amongst a forest far from anywhere the fastrunner had ever been, and Glide obliged by landing next to him.

As Ruby slid off onto the thick branches, the black wingtail gave a sigh of relief. She was heavy, and it had taken a considerable effort on his part to get them this far. He grumbled to himself that whatever the 'Grand Creator' intended for them to see, it better be worth it.

"Keep your eyes on that clearing young runner," Aizon said in a hushed tone as he pointed to a particularly desolate patch of earth a hundred meters away, "and keep your voice down… there are beings here who would consume us in a second."

Silently, Ruby wondered what they could possibly be… were there sharpteeth here?

"This forest lies on the border of a place once called the 'Oasis Valley'," continued Aizon in a serious manner, "but very recently it has acquired a new name… Fang Valley."

As if on queue, a hornbill emerged from the mists and entered the clearing. He staggered about, as if he had just been awoken and still hadn't gained his bearings. As the two wingtails and Ruby watched, he stumbled about and then finally fell to his knees.

Something wasn't right here.

"We have to go help him," Ruby suggested urgently, "he looks hurt."

Aizon ignored her, and continued to watch along with Glide. A moment passed, and then Ruby saw dark shapes emerge from the sides of the clearing. A flash of red eyes and a vicious white tooth told her that they were sharpteeth. The hornbill was surrounded!

"Watch," insisted Aizon, "and remember."

The hornbill collapsed entirely, and Ruby looked on in terror as his doom fell upon him. He didn't even let out a cry as the sharptooth butchered him, and tore apart his carcass. As the terrifying ordeal continued, tears starting running down the fastrunner's cheek and she had to stop herself from openly crying. Instead, her stomach churned and she thought she was going to be sick.

Out of the blue, Aizon grabbed her. Ruby looked back at him in surprise before realizing that she had been about to fall off the branch… he had saved her. She could see the look of sorrow on his face as well, and he gently wiped a tear away from under her eyes.

"Every seven great circle rises it happens," he said in lament, "the denizens of this valley sacrifice one of their own to appease their rulers. It has been going on for so long now that the dinosaurs here have become inured to the reality in front of them, and just before they are due to be sent to die… they are fed sleeping herbs to eliminate the pain."

"B-but… why?" sobbed Ruby.

She didn't understand who could be so cruel.

"Tyron," responded Aizon, "his sharptooth empire needs to be fed, and in order to do that they defy nature and make it their slaves… subjugating leaf-eater vallies as they see fit and convincing them the only way to save themselves is to die slowly… one dinosaur at a time."

Aizon's expression hardened, and Glide looked on in hate as the sharpteeth wrapped up their cleaning of the corpse.

"But what can we do to stop them?" asked Ruby, who had now regained her composure.

"Not we," answered Aizon, "…you."

The navy wingtail placed a hand on her shoulder, and Ruby realized that she had found a wingtail whom she could admire.

"Tyron now holds the Sonicron, the fruit of my great-grandfather's legacy. Should he discover how to do what Eybron did with you… none of us will be safe."

Aizon turned towards the horizon, where the sun was just coming up.

"We wingtails can only do so much alone… if we are to prevail against Tyron, then we will need help. The jungle runners of the Abyssal Jungle have been our enemies for generations, and yet now we need them as allies if we are to win through. They will not listen to me, or any other wingtail in the world…"

The navy wingtail turned back to her and smiled.

"But I pray they will listen to you. Your fellowship of friends is stronger then any inter-racial bond I have seen yet and I have absolute confidence that with all your help we may break that hatred that divides us."

Aizon hardened his expression again.

"Will you do it Ruby… for all of us?"

It didn't take much thought for the fastrunner to know exactly what she needed to do. Now their journey would have a purpose… their pointless march into the unknown would bare fruit and help a race in dire need.

"I'll do it," said Ruby… and she absolutely meant it.

Impressed with her conviction, Aizon pointed towards the direction they had come from.

"When you return you will need to follow the river up into the jungle. Once you reach the mouth of the river, seek out the one known as Siak. She will help you find the jungle runners, and hopefully gain their trust."

"But… how will I know her when I see her?" asked Ruby.

Aizon chuckled to himself, as if it was some sort of inside joke.

"I trust that you will have no issues identifying her on sight. She is…. hard to miss."

And on that note, the group of two wingtails and the fastrunner headed home to the canyon, driven on by purpose once again.

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