Chapter 28- catching some intruders for interrogation
Nightfall
The Narnian sun disappeared below the western horizon and darkness had come over the rest of the world including the Sky Domain. In the skies further above, the black canvas spangled with stars was clearly visible and the Narnian Moon hovered in one part of the area. Quaoar, together with Naihanchi the Nekomata, Morla the Black Tortoise, Moana the Azure Dragon, Aang the White Tiger, Adamans and Iridia the Fenghuang, Thunderbolt the Raiju, Spock the Pegasus, Caesium the Chroma Cat, Orchid the Golden Egg Goose, Heather the Gold-Fleeced Ewe, Weywot the Insect Rabbit-Dog, Glitterwing the Cherub, Ozone the Cloud-Man, Bentley the Giant, Red the Scarlet Macaw, Griffin the Occamy and also Momotaro the Peach Elf and his three Animal friends, Saru the Macaque, Inu the Dog and Kiji the Pheasant and their Arrow-Tongue steed Stingray had taken cover among some Sky Domain shrubs in a garden outside a small gathering house in another area of Nuvem City, one of the gathering houses that contained a small farm of Golden Stingerfans but had been cleared out by the exterminators. With them was Rhamphus the Ropen and a group of armed Talking Beasts and Magical Creatures, Rhamphus' defence force for the city. Among this selection of armed creatures were Flying Rods, Jaculi, Winged Cats, a Poptart Cat (a cat-like species that had a poptart for its body, grey furred head, legs and tail and was able to fly, leaving behind a rainbow trail) and a Wapaloosie. Comet-Claws the Falcon and his spy team were also present for they had come to help in the process. Some of Comet-Claws' group members were armed with ropes weaved from a very tough material that was extremely difficult to break by most creatures. The three groups lay hidden amongst the trees, shrubs and bushes of the garden, the tallest trees being tall enough to provide cover for the large Bentley and Ozone.
Rhamphus had set up this area to be a trap for the intruders and had chosen the small gathering house to be this area. All residents living here had been evacuated to somewhere else while the large team carried out Rhamphus' plan. This was not only for their safety but to also maintain the illusion that the residents were still in lockdown in order to trick the intruders into entering the trap. As Quaoar, Comet-Claws, Rhamphus and the others remained hidden in the Sky Domain vegetation and shrubbery of the garden, some of the members from Rhamphus' defence force emerged from the small gathering house and hurried their way. They were some Flying Rods, a Skvader, some Slugcats, some Blue Elves and a Talking Dove and they all wore filter masks. As the group approached the rest of the team, their supervisor, the Talking Dove removed his filter mask and approached Rhamphus.
"The Golden Stingerfans are in place, sir," said the white Colombid or Pigeon, "the trap is finally set."
"Excellent work, Coobert," Rhamphus congratulated, "Now let's prepare for our ambush. You join the rest of the defence force with the ropes."
The Dove named Coobert nodded and obediently joined said group with the rest of his team, them also removing their filter masks. Rhamphus then began to give out instructions.
"Right, we will need a cloud-load of patience and I recommend you get your filer masks and Breath Bubbles ready in case those Stingerfans I requested for the bait get agitated enough to release their glitter gas during the scuffle," he said.
"Have these heinous intruders who have been cultivating those Stingerfans under your noses been coming during the night only or is it any time during the day OR the night?" asked Quaoar as he donned his filter mask.
"We don't know as we have been barricading ourselves in our homes all these months, only leaving to get supplies and that's that," said Neonpaw nearby, his vivid red and orange striped fur aglow in the darkness but concealed by the white leaves of the tree he was hiding in. The Cheshire Cat, though he was mainly in charge of the extermination group, had volunteered to come and help in Rhamphus' trap plans. "But I believe they may have been coming to our city day AND night to tend to their illegal Stingerfan farms they have set up everywhere in our city. Whether they follow a regular schedule or not is anybody's guess."
"Outstanding," hissed Quaoar in exasperation.
"Those intruders haven't just committed the crime in growing those illegal Stingerfans without a licence," Rhamphus said seriously, "They have also lied to a city by taking advantage of an EXTREMELY tragic and infamous event and used it as a trick to have us lock ourselves up day and night while they carried out their illegal activities. Their punishment is NOT gonna be small, I can tell you."
"I have NEVER dealt with this back in my community back on the Land Domain for as far as I can remember," said Quaoar, "But THIS is on a whole other level. Even as a 900-plus year old Magical Fox I have never dealt with anything like this."
"And if Kurama is the mastermind behind what he's done to your city..." Weywot said.
"We'll find that out when we ambush some of those intruders," Comet-Claws said, "Though the evidence do point to Kurama organising the cultivation of the Golden Stingerfans for their Golden Glitter Gas, we can't be sure until we have captured some of those cultivators and have interrogated them," the lead Falcon's glare hardened, "And it WILL be an aggressive interrogation as by our boss Yong Bao's standards, and also those of Ombro the Orange Bat-Bird Winged Dragon, resistance and defiance from assistants and accomplices of a mastermind criminal are NOT an option. IF the interrogated shows ANY sign of refusing to comply, force is immediately applied."
"I would HATE to be one of those criminals," Momotaro spoke nervously, Inu, Kiji and Saru looking on while Stingray just casually hissed at the air and snaked his spearheaded tongue. He was sensing his surroundings with his tongue similar to certain Reptiles like Snakes.
"Oh, believe me, Momotaro," Asterism the Fairy Dragon replied darkly and sternly, "We have been UTTERLY brutal in interrogating other serious criminals before when they refused to co-operate. One time we had some Flying Rods mercilessly whip a Yellow Homunculus accomplice of another criminal group with their tails in the past when he wouldn't comply."
Momotaro and his three Animal friends winced. They knew how UTTERLY painful a strike from a tail from a Flying Rod could be and whenever a Flying Trod used its tail this way, it was like being hit with a powerful whip. Asterism added, "However, in our interrogation methods, we NEVER, EVER use poison means like phobo-fluid as that is illegal. We'd lose our jobs if we EVER used that stuff for one, and we want our interrogated subjects to be lucid for another, but enough digression on how we utilise interrogation for now. We need to focus on our trap."
Momotaro, Inu, Kiji and Saru nodded and returned their focus on the task. And so the three groups began to wait for their targets to enter their trap.
One hour passed, then another and still no sign of any movement towards the gathering house Rhamphus had chosen to be the trap. Light emanated from those who glowed such as from Rhamphus' bioluminescent patterns and Neonpaw's red and orange striped fur. Some of the members of Quaoar's group were losing patience. Red the Scarlet Macaw released a yawn.
"I hope we're not gonmna be waiting here all night," the Macaw grumbled, "I'm getting tired and ready for throwing myself into a nest."
"We sometimes have to wait through the night for targets whenever we set up traps for them," Comet-Claws noted.
"Just try to keep your focus on the gathering house," said Quaoar. Red reluctantly complied and did so. Then one of the Slugcat members of the defence force team handed the Scarlet Macaw a cup containing a drink.
"Here, down this," the slug-like creature said, "It's an energy drink; juice extracted from the fruits of the Fluffy Swirl Trees. This should help you fight the tiredness."
Immediately Red took the cup and downed every last drop of the juice that was in the cup before handing it back to the Slugcat. Fluffy Swirl Trees were fluffy trees that had hair-like tufts instead of leaves. They came in a variety of species and existed in most domains of the Narnian world including the Sky Domain. Their fruits were loaded with energy like the caffeinated drinks humans had and were useful for those doing jobs during the night such as being nighttime lookouts. The three groups continued waiting for some targets to turn up for another hour or two, some more of them members losing patience. However, others had bags of patience and Bentley the Giant, who had carried out night-watching countless times before back on the Land Domain, was used to this. As time passed, the moon slowly moved over the cityscape and the skyscape of the Sky Domain and the land far below. The silvery fluidic shafts of the moon splashed onto the site of the gathering house and the garden, lighting it up like a mystical area. Some of the members such as Naihanchi admired this beauty for they loved scenes like this but they knew they had to stay focussed on the task. Then before anyone else considered calling it quits, the Poptart Cat who waited with Bentley called everyone's attention and he did so with a flag. He did not want to shout or he would rouse suspicion.
"I see movement over there," the strange Cat creature with a poptart-like body whispered and with that, he pointed a grey paw at something. Bentley also nodded and pointed a large hand, its finger pointing, alongside the Poptart Cat's paw. Quaoar, Comet-Claws and Rhamphus and everyone else followed the two's point and sure enough, Neonpaw shot a paw in the direction of something.
"There," he whispered. The others followed the red and orange Cheshire Cat's point and spotted some forms moving in the moonlight. Those forms glided through the night air and soon touched down on the periphery of the gathering house's premises. As soon as Rhamphus saw this, he signalled to the members of the defence force specialised in catching targets and Comet-Claws' members armed with the tough ropes, to make the first move and they did. Donning their filter masks, the group went ahead and began to hug the shadows towards the forms, which were arrivals, avoiding the moonlight as much as possible which may give away their presence. The rest of the three groups remained in their hiding place and watched on as the rope-armed group lead by a Red Flying Rod and an Owl advanced towards the gathering house with their ropes. They watched on as the Red Rod and the Owl's team continued towards the gathering house and eventually entered into the building via its main entrance. Then moments later, the quiet night air flooded with silvery moonlight was torn apart by an explosion of a skirmish from within the gathering house.
"NOOOOW!" cried Rhamphus and with that, the rest of the group members, many of them donning filter masks, surged forward and rushed towards the gathering house. Asterism the Fairy Dragon and the Alicanto stayed back due to the use of Golden Stingerfans in the trap for Golden Glitter Gas was hazardous to them.
As Quaoar, Comet-Claws and company approached the gathering house, a creature, a yellow and green striped Nestri Primus wearing a filter mask, darted out from the commotion from within the gathering house and tried to flee but it was seized in a neon blue telekinetic aura and stopped in its tracks. The Eastern Ocean-native creature let loose an ANGRY shout as he was levitated off the ground but then a multicoloured blur appeared and pounced onto him. Another cry of ANGRY surprise exploded from his mouth as the form, Naihanchi who had used telekinesis on him to cut off his escape attempt, pounced onto him and pinned him into the icy white grass. Then Red the Scarlet Macaw appeared with Moana. The pair brandished their daggers and pointed their tips to the creature's neck to force the creature to comply.
"DON'T MOVE!" yelled Naihanchi as she pressed a paw onto the Nestri Primus' head, "Either THAT or your LIFE!"
Moana and Red, their faces twisted into wrathful glares, hovered their daggers' tips threateningly to the aquatic creature's neck as reinforcement to Naihanchi's verbal threat. The Nestri Primus tried to retort but the Nekomata slapped a paw over his mouth to prevent him from talking. Behind Naihanchi, Moana and Red, another creature, a Slugcat also wearing a filter mask, darted out from the entrance of the gathering house and also tried to escape but an Owl appeared and pounced onto it with its talons slammed into its lithe body.
"Why aren't YOU lot in your homes here!?" the Slugcat retorted as it struggled under the Owl's feet, the Owl working to restrain it, "There's a swarm of Sky Arachnoids threatening your city..."
"Oh YEAH," the Owl retorted as he seized some rope tossed to him by Griffin the Occamy nearby, "That swarm of Sky Arachnoids is an equal threat to you too! You're under arrest!" and with that and to the Slugcat's process, the silent-flying Bird began to bind the creature paw and feet with the near-unbreakable rope. Nearby, Bentley placed a large leg and foot in the path of two more creatures, another Nestri Primus and a Yellow Homunculus as they also exploded from the gathering house in an attempt to flee, along with his club, thereby cutting off their escape attempt. The two tried to move around the Giant but he moved his club and blocked their path. Then Aang, Thunderbolt and Neonpaw appeared, seized and bound them with more ropes.
"Nice try, you pack of lyin' rodents," Neonpaw growled as he tightened a piece of the rope around the Yellow Homunculus' wrists, causing him pain, "But you've been caught RED-PAWED."
The Yellow Homunculus opened his mouth to protest about the Sky Arachnoids but Thunderbolt zapped him with a jolt of electricity to shut him up.
"Try tellin' THAT to Yong Bao when you meet him, pal," the Raiju retorted after he did it. The Yellow Homunculus flopped down, stunned from the electric blast.
Back in the gathering house, more fighting took place as the rest of the intruders in there retaliated to resist getting captured. The entire room was flooded with Golden Glitter Gas from the Golden Stingerfans as they had sensed a nearby threat and were belching the stuff out like chimneys with smoke. However, the fighters wore their filter masks so they were protected from the gas. A Blue Elf struggled against Weywot, both of them wearing filter masks. The Blue Elf then forced Weywot against the wall and began to try and strangle the Insect Rabbit-Dog but the blue male Moon creature flared the claws of one of his hands and raked them across the chest of his foe, sending him into a screaming fit and gripping his clawed chest. Then Weywot lunged at his opponent and with another paw swipe knocked the filter mask off the Blue Elf's head, exposing the Smurf-like creature's head to the billows of Golden Glitter Gas flooding the room. The moment this happened, the Blue Elf began to act stupidly and launch into a MASSIVE and maniacal giggling fit. Weywot, his mask still on, looked on disgustedly as the Blue Elf then collapsed onto the floor and began to writhe around still hysterically laughing before lunging at his opponent and seizing him to drag outside and bind with the ropes.
"I see a MASSIVE rainbow of colourful STAAAAAARRRS!" cried the stupidly-acting Smurf-like creature amongst his stupid laughter as Weywot dragged him out.
"Oh YEAH, well maybe some FRESH AIR will give ya a REALITY check," Weywot snapped as he dragged him away. As the male Insect Rabbit-Dog left with the hysterical Blue Elf afflicted by the Golden Glitter Gas, Orchid confronted another creature, a Snorky. The Snorky, coloured light blue, lunged at the Golden Egg Goose, seized her filter mask and yanked it off her head to expose the Goose to the Golden Glitter Gas and incapacitate her. However, to his surprise, Orchid was holding her breath. As long as she didn't inhale while in the Glitter Gas cloud, she was fine. Continuing to hold her breath, she continued her struggle against the aquatic creature. The pair crashed onto one of the seats and continued to wrestle, Orchid brandishing her only weapon of choice, a stick for she was against using bladed weapons from her satchel. Once she had her stick out, she began to beat the Snorky with it. Then the Snorky seized her left wing and began to try and twist it to fracture it but Orchid lunged at his hands gripping it, all the time holding her breath, and with all her might clamped her beak onto the wrist of one of them. Like regular Geese, Golden Egg Geese packed a NASTY bite and they, even the females, weren't hesitant in using their beaks full force when threatened or in a fight and Orchid, despite her gentle nature with a dislike of violence, was NO exception. Screams of agony erupted from the Snorky as pain ripped through his wrist but Orchid kept her beak clamped HARD onto his wrist to the point of drawing blood. Her eyes blazed with fire at the aquatic creature's audacity to try and break the wing of a noble bird. The Snorky writhed and flailed his arm to dislodge his wrist from Orchid's beak but Orchid kept a firm grip on it. The Snorky stumbled in the direction of one of Rhamphus' Jaculus defence force members as he chased off a rogue Spitfire Bird from the intruding group. When he saw Orchid struggle against the Snorky, he rushed in and knocked the Snorky out with his tail. Orchid looked down at her foe without sympathy, her breath still on hold for she was missing her filter mask when a Yellow Flying Rod from Rhamphus' defence force team appeared with it in his membranous wings. Orchid quickly took it and re-donned it, freeing her from having to hold her breath and avoid inhaling the hallucinogenic Golden Glitter Gas. Then after taking in some filtered breaths, the Golden Egg Goose launched back into battle.
Somewhere else in the Golden Glitter Gas-filled room, Momotaro, Inu, Kiji and Saru, their faces protected by their filter masks drove back more intruders on their steed Stingray, his head surrounded by his Breath Bubble allowing him to breathe in the polluting Glitter Gas without being affected by it. As the quartet and their steed attacked more manikins with Stingray injuring another Nestri Primus with his spearheaded tongue, another Snorky, a light green female one, gazed at the Peach Elf and his group in stun. The Peach Elf, at the same time, locked eyes with the aquatic creature.
"Y-y-you're... that... P-P-P..." she began but before she could finish recognising Momotaro and his friends and steed, a colourful wing was swung around her neck. Adamans had rushed in and had seized her and after a short struggle, he subdued the Snorky into unconscious with a blow to the head. After this, his wife Iridia appeared and carried the Snorky out through the door to be bound. Then Adamans shot Momotaro, Inu, Kiji and Saru a surprised look.
"She looked like she recognised you," he said.
"I'll explain later," Momotaro replied and he brandished another weapon, a phaser sword, "Let's destroy those Stingerfans as they are no longer needed."
Adamans then took out his phaser and followed the Peach Elf and his friends as they bound over to the yellow and golden creatures on their steed Stingray to begin to destroy them and stop the flow of Golden Glitter Gas.
The others continued fighting against the intruders which they now knew had come here for the Golden Stingerfans and on both sides; several more members had their filter masks ripped off, exposing their faces to the Golden Glitter Gas. Adamans zapped a Stingerfan with his phaser, obliterating it into charred remains and as he did that, he turned and shot Griffin the Occamy without his filter mask. The Feathered Winged Snake-Bird was screaming in terror and lashing his feathered wings at the Golden Glitter Gas-polluted air in a vain attempt at attacking what he was hallucinating. Nearby, the Wapaloosie had collapsed into a deep sleep and two Flying Rods, a Red and a Cyan one, flew around as though drunk but they were also screaming with terror. These three had also had their filter masks ripped from their heads.
"Get out of the building, Griffin," Adamans cried to the Occamy as he continued screaming, "GET OUTA HERE NOW!"
When he saw that Griffin wasn't responding due to being locked in a waking nightmare caused by the Golden Glitter Gas, Adamans packed away his phaser, took off for the Occamy and seized him by the back. Then the Fengcock carried the Occamy to outside through the door. Outside, Comet-Claws helped Ozone and Glitterwing to subdue some more intruders, more Nestri Primi and Blue Elves. However, a few of the intruders had managed to escape being seized and had hopped onto the device they had used to fly to here, some Magic Carpets, and had begun to levitate into the air.
"They're DEFINITELY some of Kurama's minions, Comet-Claws," Glitterwing confirmed. Suddenly, the Cherub winced when she found herself gazing eye-to-eye with one of the Yellow Homunculi.
"We've been looking for you an' your Cloud-Man friend, Cherub," the yellow creature spoke in a low, threatening voice. Immediately, Comet-Claws lunged at the Homunculus and pounced onto him. Ozone then handed the lead Falcon spy with some rope and the Falcon set to binding the Homunculus with it, the Homunculus screaming and protesting angrily.
"Well, you'll be lookin' Yong Bao in the eye as he interrogates you, Homunculus," Comet-Claws snapped and after binding the creature hard, he handed him to some Falcon and Eagle assistants to take away. Another Homunculus appeared and was about to throw a rock at Comet-Claws but another bigger rock appeared, slammed onto his head and knocked him out. Asterism the Fairy Dragon (who had the rock) and the Alicanto looked on with glares as the Yellow Homunculus collapsed. Comet-Claws then called in for more of his members including the Ahool, some Hawks, some more Owls and the Blue Bat-Bird Winged Dragon to come and take away more bound intruders, all of them writhing and uttering defiant and angry muffles. As he did that, the Falcon turned and saw some more of the intruders as well as some allies stumble out of the Golden Glitter Gas flooded gathering house, behaving in a variety of stupid, shameful and frightening ways. Some were laughing hysterically, some were snoozing, some were screaming in terror and attacking made up things, some were writhing on the floor, screaming as though in pain and some were acting as though high. Griffin had just snapped out of his Golden Glitter Gas-induced nightmare now that he was in the fresh air away from the stuff and was wondering where he was, Adamans telling him that he was back in reality. Dread flared within the lead Falcon spy.
"Boy, that stuff certainly is deadly," he spoke in a low voice, "and the fact that Kurama is using his stuff as part of his cult is UTTERLY grievous to the Great Lion."
Suddenly, an explosion of fire-lightning erupted from the gathering house, a blue and orange light flashing before disappearing. Moments later, Quaoar emerged and removed his filter mask once he was far away from the gathering house to avoid inhaling any remaining traces of Golden Glitter Gas. He had exterminated all the remaining Stingerfans with his foxfire once everyone else including all the intruders was safely away from them for him to do this. As soon as things had settled down, they began to see to the intruders they had captured. However, some of them had managed to escape and they fled on the Flying Carpets they and their captured comrades had brought.
A little later
"Thanks for helping us to apprehend some of the intruders and suspects," Rhamphus said happily to Quaoar and his group, "and also disposing of the last of the Golden Stingerfans we had used as bait to catch some of the intruders. Our captured prisoners will be kept in our prison and will be interrogated by us and Yong Bao."
Nearby, Comet-Claws and his group, together with Rhamphus' defence force, carried away the captured and bound intruders as they writhed and struggled in vain to escape. One of the Nestri Primi tried to writhe out of the Roadrunner's clutches but the Roadrunner kept a firm grip on her and kicked her to get her moving. The captured intruders were being loaded into a large Sky cart to be transported.
"Imprison them in Nuvem Prison as soon as you've loaded every single one of those criminals into that cart," Neonpaw commanded and the group did and frogmarched the bound intruders to the Sky vehicle. Quaoar and company watched on as the captured criminals walked past them, some of them glaring bitterly at them but the two that received the most vitriolic glare were Glitterwing and Ozone. As some of the criminals' eyes raked over the Cloud-Man and Cherub woman, the acidity of their glares raised all the more as recognition of the two welled with them. This clearly meant one thing but that wasn't important right now. The extraction of the answers from these criminals about Kurama and his cult and their involvement with him, such as growing those Golden Stingerfans illegally here in Nuvem to harvest their Golden Glitter Gas and honey-wine will be the jobs for Rhamphus and Yong Bao. Quaoar opened up the crystalline screen to tell the Kotobuki everything that had happened, alongside Comet-Claws who wanted to report that the mission had been a success and that they have prisoners to be questioned about Asgard Sky City and its crisis. Some of the archer members of Rhamphus' defence force also had their arrows nocked into bows and pointed at the criminals as they were frogmarched to the Sky cart to keep them in line under the threat of a piercing. As the group continued to watch the criminals get bound and taken away by to the Sky cart by Comet-Claws' assistants, Spock gazed at Orchid with surprise.
"I noticed that you managed to hold your breath for some time during our skirmish in that gathering house with those criminals in that blanket of Golden Glitter Gas when your foe managed to rip off your filter mask, Orchid," the Pegasus pointed out, "How did you manage to do that? I thought Golden Egg Geese can only hold their breath for so long as they are not diving seabirds like Seagulls, Gannetwhales and Penguins."
"It's true that we Golden Egg Geese aren't seabirds," Orchid replied, "But they can be trained to stay underwater for longer than the average Goose. Before I became a medic some years ago, I used to be a freediver to help some Sea-Fish People and Merfolk to breed and raise some Reefgliders to send out and replenish the dwindling Reefglider population out in the Eastern Ocean. They were being hunted by sailing humans alongside some other sea creatures such as the Ocean Phantom, also called a Galleon Jellyfish, and Spangle Whales, which are whale-like creatures that are dark coloured and are spangled with bioluminescent star-like markings on their backs and share traits with Sea Turtles, Seals and ordinary Whales and have large fins on their heads. I trained to hold my breath for long periods of time and for longer than average Golden Egg Geese to do the job."
"I didn't know you could hold your breath for long periods," said Heather nearby.
"Then you're certainly like a seabird," said Spock with a smile which Orchid took as a compliment. Close by, Weywot was on a DV communicator to Xenon and telling him everything that has happened in Nuvem, including the city's unneeded lockdown based on the tragic Sky Arachnoid Plague of the 1020s so that the Golden Stingerfans could be cultivated. When Orchid, Heather and Spock heard the response of the last surviving member of King Lightning-Bolt's royal family members and now only true heir to Asgard Sky City's throne and the tone he used when Weywot told him this, they flinched.
"Xenon sounds SO angry," said the Pegasus.
"I'm not surprised," said Orchid with understanding.
"And I wouldn't be surprised if he is OUTRAGED at Kurama for using Nuvem like this as well," put in Heather.
"Look, we don't know if Kurama is TRULY behind the mess he has caused Nuvem for all these months, Xenon," the three looked on as Weywot said this, "But please stay your anger and try to stay calm. Let Yong Bao and his spy team sort out the answers, okay?"
"Okay," Xenon replied on the other end of Weywot's communicator, "I'd better hang up because I'm finding it VERY difficult in keeping my anger over what had happened to Nuvem and how it's been used under control and I want to vent but not while I am talking to you. Can I get back to you a bit later? I'll call you back once I've expelled the pressures of my fury."
"Okay," Weywot said and with that, he and Xenon cut off the line. Spock, Orchid and Heather came up to the Insect Rabbit-Dog as he packed away his DV communicator.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Xenon has a LOT of anger towards Kurama for slaughtering his family and usurping the throne in Asgard either," said Orchid, "Looks like that evil Kitsune has committed more crimes and sins than we can even name."
"There may be more to uncover on this quest, Orchid," Weywot warned, "Our next job will be finding the source of Shenron's illegal Wish Potions and destroy those but we need some rest first. Yes, I agree with you that it would be unsurprising that Xenon would be UTTERLY angry at Kurama for killing his family for the throne in Asgard Sky City."
"I just hope he's okay," said Spock with concern.
"He will be," Weywot replied with assurance, "He just wants to vent at the moment and then he'll call me back once he has released most of his wrath over our report of what has happened to Nuvem and can better control his emotions. In the meantime, you three prepare to return to our hotel."
Orchid, Heather and Spock nodded and obediently left to do just that.
A little later, after the captured intruders were loaded into the Sky cart to be carried off to Nuvem prison to be incarcerated and later interrogated, Quaoar and company headed back to the hotel to spend the rest of the night as they will be continuing their quest in the following morning. Back at the hotel, Quaoar cleaned and checked over the GC sword which used to be Kushanku's sword centuries ago, making sure that it was in good condition for use should the group run into any trouble. Weywot came in while nearby, everyone else pretty much had either gone to bed or were preparing for bed, Caesium the Chroma Cat settling into his sleeping spot.
"Xenon has just called me, Quaoar," the male Insect Rabbit-Dog said, "He has told me that our next destination will be a little area called Waknuk. Some of Yong Bao and Ombro's spy groups including Comet-Claws and his team have been there and have reported some unusual things. However, they have not dug any deeper for any proper answers due to how dangerous the area was but we will be helping to do just that."
"Have there been intruders going into that area as well?" asked Quaoar as he finished his GC sword and packed it away ready for next morning's journey.
"Yes but the reasons for their frequenting of Waknuk are yet to be uncovered," said Weywot, "We're gonna head there tomorrow."
"Okay, so that means that I myself shall get some rest," Quaoar replied, "It's been quite a night."
And with that, the Kitsumiho put aside his satchel and sword and retired to his bed nest.
Next morning
Quaoar and his group members Naihanchi, Morla, Moana, Aang, Adamans and Iridia the Fenghuang couple, Thunderbolt, Spock, Caesium, Orchid, Heather, Weywot, Glitterwing, Ozone, Bentley, Red, Griffi, Momotaro, Saru, Inu and Kiji and the latter four's Arrow-Tongue steed Stingray were once again on a Sky Cart, travelling to their next destination, Waknuk, for the next stage of their mission and quest. They had left Nuvem early as they wanted to continue the mission as soon as they could. Before leaving Nuvem, Rhamphus and his city's citizens thanked them for liberating their city and bade them farewell and Aslan-speed for their next task while Rhamphus also told them that he will take care of the imprisoned criminals they had caught last night. Comet-Claws' team had split up with some staying behind in Nuvem to help in the interrogation of the criminals and the others going with Quaoar and company to help them in their quest. Those from Comet-Claws' team going with Quaoar were Asterism the Fairy Dragon, Comet-Claws himself (he had left his second-in-command of his team, an Owl to deal with the interrogation tasks back in Nuvem), one of the Owls, one of the Eagles, several Alicanto, the Roadrunner, the Roc, the Ahool and the Blue Bat-Bird Winged Dragon and they were all armed and ready should the group face any trouble in Waknuk. Xenon had contacted Quaoar and has told him and his group to head to Waknuk as soon as they could and now they were on their way.
"I just received a call from Yong Bao, our spy force leader," said Comet-Claws to Quaoar while nearby, an Alicanto member of his group checked his rapier and making sure that it was in good condition for use in battle, "He has arrived in Nuvem with some assistants including Cielo the Acqua, the Seven Sisters' father, and now the interrogation process of those prisoners we have captured last night is under way. Ombro the Fiery Bat-Bird Winged Dragon, however, is going to stay behind in Nuvola to carry out other important tasks such as analysing the data brought back to him by his spy force as well as some of Yong Bao's."
"Excellent," Quaoar replied, "At least we'll be able to find more pieces to this puzzle regarding Asgard Sky City as well as evidence to our deductions that the Golden Stingerfans' cultivation is connected with Kurama's egregious cult."
As he said this, Naihanchi came in with Kiji.
"So our next place Xenon wants us to go is Waknuk, isn't it?" asked the former to which Quaoar and Comet-Claws nodded.
"So is Waknuk the place that was once a fire flower farm and fire flower cordial-making place?" asked Kiji.
"It was," Comet-Claws replied, "It was a small town where a farm of fire flowers was cultivated so that fire flower cordial could be made some centuries ago. However, due to the EXTREME difficulty in growing fire flowers outside their natural habitat of the Narnian sun resulting in extremely low productivity of the plants all-rounded healing juice, it has since been abandoned and the town's buildings left to be incorporated into nature of the Sky Domain. Waknuk is now a ruinous site overgrown with Sky Domain vegetation and inhabited by some of the fauna of the Skylands such as the Sky Forest Flish. There had been plans to restore Waknuk and turn it into a living place but they never went ahead."
"It's sad and a shame that a town, even a small one, would fall to such a fate," said Naihanchi, "and apparently, you and the rest of Yong Bao's spy teams have reported intruders going there quite frequently as of late but you never investigated further as to why?"
"That's why we're headed there now," Comet-Claws said, "And Xenon is suspicious that Waknuk, like Nuvem, is being used for heinous purposes. Who and what for, we'll find out when we get there."
"We're gonna have to be careful as we go to Waknuk as well," said an Alicantro assistant of Comet-Claws as he put away his rapier.
"Why?" asked Naihanchi.
"Waknuk is in an isolated, rural area of the Sky Domain countryside," explained the Alicanto, "and it is surrounded by a dense forest of Sky Domain trees. We, especially you non-flying Animals and creatures, must be careful when we arrive there."
"Yes, non-flying creatures like you can easily get lost in that forest but don't worry," said Comet-Claws when Quaoar and Naihanchi threw on worried looks, "We'll cross that storm when we come to it."
Quaoar, Naihanchi and Kiji exchanged glances and then resumed their focus on getting to Waknuk while Comet-Claws and the Alicanto resumed their tasks.