It took a few days for Brooklyn to find the ending to the big forest, looking forward to getting back into civilization again, but was nervous about flying over the Sea of Japan, hoping he wouldn't turn to stone while gliding. He'd never done anything like gliding over a huge expansion of water and felt nervous about meeting that other clan. Would they allow him in or kick him out?

Don't think about it. Just worry about getting there, Brook thought to himself. Biting the inside of his cheek when after three days of nothing but trees, he finally spotted a couple houses and heard water splashing from the shores of Vladivostok, which was the harbor town that Viktor told him about.

Trying his best to be quiet, Brooklyn snuck through the alleyways of the buildings, not wanting to be caught, smelling the salt water of the eastern sea. It seemed very big to him but Viktor assured that it would probably only take him four hours or less to glide across.

Upon reaching one of the docks, Brooklyn halted for a bit in his walking to sit down behind a couple crates, eating his fill of his food that Viktor packed for him, looking out at the many carrier ships sometimes lined out there in the water, hoping he could make it across the eastern sea safely.

After a time of resting his wings, Brooklyn saw the sun rising, knowing soon he would need to turn to stone before going across that water. He curled up there near the crates, ensuring he was well hidden as the stone sleep overtook him.

….

The next night was the night Brook would glide across the eastern sea as he broke out of his skin. Not many passersby saw him thankfully, pushing the crates that hid him out of the way, stretching his muscles. The red male needed all of the night to be able to get over these waters. Staring out at the horizon, his ears fell as Brook gulped, raising his wings, and began his treacherous glide.

Brooklyn could feel the harsh cold wind against his wings that made him shudder, flying as high as he could above the waves that crashed against each other, keeping his family and Sasha in his head to quench his fear of drowning out. From what Viktor told him, one part of the ocean, the town of Ishimura was just in the northern area of Japan, so he flew north of the ocean.

His wings held firm for the first two hours, though secretly, Brooklyn wished he had a chance of riding in a boat instead in case the sun ever came up. But the male knew he still had several more hours left of gliding, shaking his head when water splashed in his face. Brooklyn hated salty water, feeling the taste of it on his tongue and making him spit it out.

One harsh wind wound up pushing his wings too hard, making Brooklyn flap his wings as much as his lingering strength allowed, gritting his teeth in agony from pulled muscles. He just had to make it, to feel solid land again. He didn't want to be out here anymore!

You can do it, Brooklyn. I believe in you… murmured the soft voice of Sasha, his dead friend. He felt tears fall down his face and catch the wind, gripping his bag tight, trying to steady his wings since no one was physically there to help him should he get injured.

"I… miss you Sasha…" Brook mumbled softly and sadly. Her voice spoke to him again. Yes, I know. But keep being strong in your mind. And find your family. Brooklyn smelled the air, trying to scent any signs of land after four hours of gliding. His wings were beginning to go weary on him, eyes drooped in tiredness. What wouldn't he give for a soft bed and blankets right now, and soup.

But then soon, Brooklyn caught something on the horizon. It looked hopeful, though Brooklyn didn't keep his hopes up. As it came closer, he saw in joy and relief that it was the shores of northern Japan! A happy sound came from his throat, gliding down, finding a beach to land on. He then spotted the beach of a small town named Wakkanai that was close to Ishimura, looking empty which was welcoming for Brooklyn.

"Finally!" Brook croaked, gliding down more, the sands getting close. He had his legs touch the ground but his body felt so weak he staggered, collapsing, holding his bag, breathing heavily, shaking. The air wasn't so cold here which Brooklyn was most grateful for. Just lying there for a few minutes before eventually going to find a place to transform since the sun was getting near, deciding he would find the clan the next night, happy to be out of Russia altogether.

He ventured into the small town finding a grove of trees to change during the day since Wakkanai seemed to have several open spots and wasn't a huge city like Tokyo. Brook didn't feel like venturing into the capital where so many strange humans lived. The male watched the Japan sun come up, his stone covering his body.

…..

When the next night came along, Brooklyn wasted no time into going out of the town of Wakkanai to find the place he was looking for, taking to the skies once again from a tree and glided his way out, certain that the small building Goliath described where the clan lived was somewhere close by after crossing through a field.

Just gotta find them… Brooklyn thought quietly, bags under his eyes from how overtired he was but glad to be out of Russia away from Yegor, hoping the demented man wouldn't come looking for him, and hoped the clan could fix his broken tail too.

After having traveled so far through northern Japan, Brooklyn thought he could see a building that looked like how Goliath described where he visited. A small smile appeared on his beak, anxious to rest on a bed and eat a good meal after eating nothing but what was in his bag. It kept him satisfied but was getting tired of cold food.

"Finally!" Brooklyn gasped aloud as the building came closer, which housed an entire village of humans that the clan protected. Just as he felt like his wings were gonna fall off he managed to land, grunting in pain as he hit his head, laying there weakly, not wanting to take another step further.

Meanwhile, inside, the clan's leader Kai was standing on the edge of their home when he heard a thump sound coming from outside. He turned around, thinking Goliath returned to visit them, but it wasn't Goliath. He called out to his Second in Command named Sora, another female to inspect the intruder.

His eyes widened when seeing a new gargoyle lying there; a red one with a beak on his face but wheezing raspily, as if he had been traveling for quite a while. Kai gave a soft growl to wake up the gargoyle who jerked, looking up with sad and scared eyes at the sight of the blurred winged figure above him.

"Who are you? We don't take kindly to trespassers, unless you're with Goliath," growled Kai as Brooklyn gritted his teeth, trying to stand but stumbled and fell, the exhaustion of traveling getting to him. "T-trying to… go home… Manhattan…" He gasped, feeling cautious about the new gargoyles he was seeing but couldn't keep his eyes open.

That caused Sora's face to soften when hearing Manhattan, which is what Goliath mentioned. But how could one of his clan have shown up all the way out here? She placed a hand on his forehead. "He's got a bad bump and running a small fever from travel exhaustion. I can tell," she informed Kai, who wasn't sure about taking in this one but something in his eyes told Kai that the red male wasn't lying.

He nodded. "Bring him in and give him medical treatment and food." Two other gargoyles flew out to carry Brooklyn inside.

Brooklyn was laid on a bed inside and covered up. Then Sora sent for one of the younger females that attended to the injured or weak ones in need. "Kita, I have a patient for you to take care of," Sora declared.

"Be right there, Sora." A young orange female the same age as Brooklyn appeared with cloths to help take care of the exhausted traveling red male. Brooklyn was now safe with the clan of gargoyles in Japan.