FSE

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"Nnnnngh...good morning."

"Is it?" muttered Sunscreech. "I cannot tell from inside a cave-"

"Shut up," snarled Methyl, "you said that yesterday and the day before and it's getting old like you."

"Then do not talk back to me until YOU are old enough, hatchling."

"Hahahah...ahhhhh."

She rolled over to look at the small clutch of four eggs now nestling in a corner, covered in dry grass and clumping dirt that surrounded them in a miniature nest burning with stored heat. The cave was already sweltering as Sunscreech pulled himself up with a yawn to stretch his legs and rub his itching back against the wall.

"Mmmmmhhhh whose turn is it to hunt today?"

"I hunted yesterday so it's you old guy."

"Good, my legs hurt and I need to move them."

"Take your time, I'm not going anywhere."

The younger mate lifted her head up to lick his face, purring with a soft tease as he rolled his eyes before heading out into the fresh sunlight. The island was now less populated than he remembered and as a result much quieter than usual which disturbed him. The sun rose high to a beautiful clear morn of pale orange that bled across the sky, stumbling forwards with his creaking legs and into the forest where the ultraraptors had not yet conquered. Small rodents the size of bear cubs lumbered around happily, or desperately depending on when they were being hunted by the one-eyed beast lurking through the jungle heat.

It was a surprisingly easy morning to hunt with the prey mostly docile on such a pure prehistoric spring, almost disappointing Sunscreech for the ease in how he snapped up four of the shrews before heading back with only three. Devouring one for his breakfast until the bones were stripped he trundled back to the cave with triplets hanging from his jaws and a snorting grunt to the guards outside.

"Everything going well?" asked Riptor.

"Hmmm?" He turned towards her in her antechamber dropping his catch of the day. "Yes the morning is goo-"

"I am glad to see our voyage was not wasted."

"The...what, what do you mea-"

"SHH!" Riptor suddenly snapped at him. "I was not speaking to you Sunscreech, I will be with you in a moment."

He blinked dumbfounded when she looked back towards the wall and started speaking to herself, before grabbing his food and heading through the passage to his nest.

"Sorry for that, now what were you saying?"

"Tesla made a fearsome ambassador," said Sulphide's voice vibrating into her eardrum, "the locals are already frightened of him."

"Are there many of them?" she asked turning her head.

"Around twenty, a tragically small nest but that only puts our bargaining at an advantage."

"Not if they have low fertility."

"No not as such," Sulphide continued from a small light blinking on the side of her skull, "they used to live by the sea until something called 'the Dead Hunger' came and attacked them. They tried to fight but they lost half their tribe when the cliff face fell beneath its weight and they drowned."

"Dead...hunger?" She muttered to herself crossing past her throne of granite to look over a dull metallic blade. "Was this beast a longnecked creature?"

"Yes, yes it was-wait...was that, the beast that you-"

"Yes I believe so," she nodded tapping the sharp steel, "its body should still be there rotting along the southeast cliff unless it slipped back into the sea, check if it is."

"And if it's there we can parade our victory to the locals who shall treat us as saviours!"

"Precisely." She smirked to herself clapping her claws together. "Do you still think that my decision of only six raptors was unwise?"

"Not anymore," said Sulphide gleefully chirruping, "I admit it seemed an unimpressive number to frighten the natives with."

"Tesla is more than enough to handle them, they're primitive beasts afraid of fire, still our brothers and sisters but primitive nonetheless."

"I only regret that we did not bring ourselves sooner to this new island when we missed the mating season already."

"Patience my son." She bowed to the wall imagining him before clambering up on her throne seat, "five months since our first voyage and the next one shall only do better!"

"Alright then. Let us hope this new tribe shall integrate well with ours."

"I know you will succeed, Sulphide. You are my eyes and ears always."

"Thank you my goddess. I shall see you soon."

Riptor smirked as she tapped the blue light above her cheek to turn it off, lounging across her stone pedestal with a purr of contentment with her eyes casting upwards at the ceiling. A heavenly smile came across her face and a feeling of strength she had not felt in years washed over her to the point her eyes drooped in peace. Meanwhile the sounds of her people continued from their nests both inside and out, the few families allowed to breed with each other managing to produce one or even two hatchlings that mewled and screeched for food. But even including Sunscreech's own four awaiting children there was barely enough to hit ten newborns in the tribe altogether as he dropped the three rodents before his wife.

"Ooooh breakfast in bed." Methyl gladly took one of the shrews to tear through its fur and drink its sweet nectarine blood. "Good hunt today?"

"Pathetically easy," he muttered slouching against the wall, "the hunt before I took twice as long, the prey on this island are too easy."

"You should be thankful they are, at your age I'd worry about them being too fast."

"As if our children will not be fast."

"Yeah but you're not-..." she suddenly felt her throat tighten dryly with a sputtering cough.

"Are you alright?" he leaned over quick.

"Gh-ghhrkh, fine...just a bit of fur."

"Hmph."

"Come on eat some too," she nudged one of the carcasses to him.

"I already had one for myself, there was three-and-one that I killed."

"Oh, well that's good."

There was a silence for a few moments, laced by the sound of Methyl ripping flesh from limb and snapping sinew into her teeth with bloodied lips and tender gulps of relief from a filling belly.

"I just saw Riptor speak to herself."

"Huh?" she mumbled chewing a heart between her teeth.

"I thought she was speaking to me but then she shushed me and faced the wall as if she were speaking to someone!"

"OH, that, she was on her communicator."

"Her...what?"

"Riptor has this thing," Methyl gestured to the side of her head, "that lets her speak to Sulphide over long distances."

"But...how?" he cocked his head squinting.

"You know what I'm too tired to explain just accept that it's a thing alright?"

"Fine, why should I care if our leader acts like she is sick in the head?"

"She is perfectly fine and don't you talk like that around her or you'll lose that other eye. Anyways could you look after the eggs for a bit I need to uh, relieve myself."

"Alright."

She finished up her meal and pushed the remaining two plump shrews to the side before heading out for a few minutes. Sunscreech dozed off as his nostrils rattled with a pale breath, feeling like it was only seconds after that she returned to sit back down beside him when his eyes blinked open to meet her gaze.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure?"

"Why did you not choose to have us on the new island?"

"It was too open. I like it here, I just..." she sighed nervously, "it...was where I wanted to have my family."

"Where you wanted?" He looked upwards for a memory to recall. "But, when you first arrived to this land your children were already much older."

"Doesn't matter. When Riptor told us we had come to a new home I made a promise to stay here."

"A promise? To yourself?"

"No, to my family." She turned her head to him with drooping snout. "MY...family."

"Oh, I see. I am sorry."

"It's fine. Things have to change, we're here now and well we have to...make the tribe stronger with blood like yours running through it."

"I would have...never mind."

"No, what?" Methyl nudged his body. "What were you going to say?"

"I-it is nothing," he pushed himself away turning his body.

"What, come on don't be like that we're supposed to be a family."

"I am entitled to keep some thoughts to myself."

"Is that how you want your children to see you then?" she snorted. "Someone that doesn't open up, someone cold and stiff?"

"No, I will not be like that to them."

"But you will to me?" she leaned closer towards his face. "I want to make this work, we're going to be a family and I don't want you to be the stone-faced father that's too scared to show emotion."

"I am NOT frightened."

"Then tell me what's wrong!"

He struggled to speak, his voice turning quiet as he curled himself up with a furrowed brow whilst she turned away from him in a deep sigh. Sometimes she walked over to the eggs and reshuffled the dirt to thicken it up and conserve their heat, but for most of the time they took turns leaving the nest either to hunt, to run or just to relieve themselves. It was a long dull afternoon when Methyl took her turn to start hunting as she prowled the sunlit forest, heading to the farthest reach of the island. One or two of the shrewbeasts passed her by as her killing urges dissipated, treading through old grounds and picking up the scent of Sunscreech to walk the paths that he had gone into the jungle. The wind from the ocean whistled through the leaves giving a sense of emptiness, caressing her scales with the scents of the sea that led her towards a cliff. The wind stopped for a moment as if to give her a moment's peace, smiling once at the sun before looking down upon the rocks beneath.

"I love this place."

She heard the voice of Radium behind her.

"The air is just so...fresh, and clean, no more smoke from flames, no more fossil fuels choking the land...hhhhaaaah..." he walked up alongside her as she noticed the blood from his lips, "did you ever think you would live to see a world so pure?"

"Not really," she muttered seeing the yellow raptor from the corner of his eye. "What are you doing here?"

"Hunting of course, this forest has the juiciest rodents."

A gentle purr escaped his lips as he caught the fresh ichor on his tongue once again, savouring the sweet taste as he sat himself down staring at the ocean with her.

"How is he?"

"Hm?" she did not turn his head.

"Sunscreech, how is he doing?"

"He's fine. I guess."

"Are you two coping well with each other?"

"I mean he's still a primal savage that talks weird and closes his heart tighter than Sulphide's cloaca is so-"

"PFFFT!" He cackled struggling to hold his breath. "D-don't say that about him!"

"Who, Sunscreech or Sulphide?"

"S-sulphide obviously he's been good to us!"

"Us not including me," she snorted looking to the horizon as the wind crested her scalp, "you weren't here when it happened."

"Oh...sorry, I forgot-"

"It's fine. I'm not mad at you."

She sat beside him as they watched the sea, the sun kissed upon their faces with a rosy hue on the horizon as the grass became a symphony of whistling songs that almost startled them, spiralling petals and shoots into the sky.

"I should have gone to the new island," muttered Methyl looking up.

"Why?" he asked.

"Just...I can't be here like this. Not close to Riptor."

"Why did you stay then?"

"I-i...I had my children here. I felt I couldn't...I couldn't leave him."

"I'm sorry. I miss my brother too."

He gently nuzzled her cheek but she pulled away with a short huff.

"Why didn't you mourn him?" she snarled almost accusing.

"What makes you think I didn't?" he snorted with a creeping lip. "I'm offended you would think that, you know me Methyl."

"I-i don't, no just, I'm sorry, I know you and him came from the same clutch but I-"

"I'm not going to pull family rank on you, you had just as much right to mourn for Jade as I did, but I mourned in private like you so please do not accuse me of being heartless, you are better than that."

"Y-yes...sorry...f-fuck," she shook her head and thumped it in the dirt, "I should be telling Sunscreech all this but he won't even TELL me what's wrong with him!"

"You shouldn't force Sunscreech to push his heart out to you," said Radium shifting close, "he is different from us, he will come out of his shell when he feels ready."

"I just don't want him to be some cold-hearted father and leave me to do all the work."

"I'm sure he won't, and if he does I can sic Riptor on him, you know she wouldn't tolerate such poor upbringing of healthy children."

"Depends on what her definition of 'healthy children' is." Methyl sighed and slumped laying herself down on the grassy hill. "I'm scared Radium."

"Of what?" he asked leaning his head over her.

"I'm scared to be a mother again...I just...I-i-i just can't go through all that just to lose them again."

"You will be fine, you know the example she made was the only time she ever had to because-"

"I-I KNOW, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY BETTER!" she screamed lifting her head at him. "They were my babies Radium! MY BABIES, THEY WERE ALL I HAD LEFT OF JADE, A-AND HE-...H-H-HE BEGGED HER TO KILL THEM WITH HIS LAST BREATH S-SULPHIDE TOLD ME!"

"I...I admit that sounds very unlike Jade but-"

"B-but he wouldn't lie right?! S-sulphide would never lie he has no reason to!"

"I know, I know, I do not know what to say Methyl, I really don't. I do know that you should trust Riptor for she has never made a poor decision since she birthed us from the labs."

"Are you sure about that?" She looked away staring at the sea. "What if she has other things in mind Radium? What if she...what if she just only wants 'certain' members of us to survive?"

He turned his head slowly with eyes widening in disbelief.

"That is dangerous talk, but I will ignore it for the sake of your children."

"Then what do I do?!" she gasped clutching herself with her semi-feral arms. "Wh-what do I do when I'll never know if my children will live to see me grow old with them?!"

"Because Sunscreech knows he can do better, and he will support you."

"And if I fail too much like Jade did?! Will Sunscreech have to suffer the same thing I did?!"

"ENOUGH!" He barked with a peck of his snout on her. "I know this is hard for you but you need to accept the facts, Jade is dead because he fought poorly and made too many mistakes, he condemned himself and your children with his pathetic lack of skill."

"SH-SHUT UP, SHUT UP DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIM THAT WAY!"

"HE WAS MY BROTHER METHYL, I HAVE EVERY RIGHT!" The jaune beast reared his head above her with a flaring scent. "You have to stop living in the past, we are a new breed and we HAVE to keep marching towards the future, I'm sorry for what you've suffered but you have a new family and you NEED to get your head out of the dirt and start caring about THEM!"

"I CAN'T-...I-i-i can't do this again."

She broke down with her face against the grass, gasping sobs and shaking claws that scrabbled the dirt in clumps as he gently bent over to lick her neck softly. He stopped only when she did, shivering through her emerald body until she sat up once again.

"Sunscreech will look after you," assured Radium, "he is proud so use that to your advantage."

"I know just...I just want him to talk to me like we do."

"He will eventually, fathers always open their hearts to children."

"Shut up." She sneered at him with bitter glance. "You don't know anything about that, we never HAD fathers."

"No, but I know what we were taught by the machines."

"That means nothing out here, and you know that."

"We've managed to survive this far, what's stopping you now?"

"...I don't know." The green raptor pulled herself up with a deep sigh. "I should get back, thanks for keeping me company."

"If you ever need me," said Radium, "I'm always here for you. You are like a sister to me."

"I-i know. Just..."

"Let me promise you something then." He stood up beside her. "Let me be the carer of your children too."

"What?"

"If you need any help, or assurance to keep them safe, ask me. I will protect them too."

"But, they are not yours-"

"They are yours and that's good enough. Let me help you."

"...thank you." She licked across his face with a teary smile. "That really helps."

"I'm glad to hear. Now go on, I'll check with you later if that's okay."

"See you soon then."

They headed off their separate ways as Methyl trudged back towards the raptor colony, slinking back into the nest where Sunscreech slept as he opened his eye once only to see her return. She huddled up next to him as he curled up close without a word between them. They only ever woke twice to eat and relieve, taking turns like always but never they spoke, anxious hearts and spirited scents of fear individually. The next morning came with a crackling at dawn as Methyl blinked her eye open.

"Oh...h-hoh no, S-sunscreech, Sunscreech they're hatching!"

"WH-UHH!?"

He felt her kick him awake as he sputtered with bleary eyes and a yawn with full teeth, stretching his back legs as the sound of crackling eggshells pierced the air like ice.

"Uuuuraaaaacccch...what, what is it?"

"They're hatching!" cried Methyl nipping his neck. "W-wake up dammit our children are being born!"

"ALRIGHT, alright just shut up my head hurts!"

"Don't talk back to me like that, you want our children to hear us arguing for the first day of their lives?!"

"Well if you be quiet they will not HAVE to!"

"I'm not the one being pissy when they wake up!" she snarled with baring fangs.

"I have been hunting ALL NIGHT the night before just for you!" he roared back pressing his snout against hers.

"I don't decide when our children are hatching you dipshit!"

"Neither do you decide when I SLEEP!"

"MMMREHHHH!"

They stopped when a sharp squeak pierced the air as their heads turned immediately towards a little baby raptor that stared up at them. Their eyes froze as the hatchling tried to kick itself out of the egg before falling over in a giggling sputter, covered in albumen and chirruping as Sunscreech stepped forwards to clean him.

"Wh-what...is he...h-he is wonderful."

"He is," gasped his mate, "he...ohhhh he's perfect he...h-h-hhhhoh!"

"Maaaaah!" The hatchling tried to kick his father away with baby claws.

"Haahaha, ohoh he's a feisty one!"

"He is...hello." Sunscreech bent his head down fully once the yolk was cleaned off of the infant. "Hello...child."

"AnnnnYAH!" the hatchling glomped his baby teeth upon his snout.

"Hhhahahaa...h-hello. Hello my son, a-are you...are you trying to bite me?"

"NYAH, NYAM!"

"Hahahaha, ahahaahaha that tickles, come on bite me harder!"

"NYARH!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

The smile he made was the first time she had ever seen him like this. Pure, unchained happiness, joy budding from his heart like flowers among ruins. The laughs he made were nothing like the ones he had done before, not bitter in contempt, but cheerful as he licked his son's face and flopped him over with a push of his tongue. She sighed sweetly before casting her eye towards the next hatchling that kicked itself free from its shell, revealing to be a daughter as she screeched confused yet happy by the first breaths of air in her life.

Her mother went straight over to clean her as the warm breaths washed over her body, wiggling her tail and trying to stand up with with clumsy flops before the third child was born, this one also a female. Sunscreech was lost for words as the final fourth egg hatched to reveal their second son, burbling and rasping as he cleaned him in turn to be surrounded by a crooning collective of infants. None of them had the implants that the ultraraptors did, which shocked Sunscreech but at the same time he now understood what they had meant by their unnatural birth, smelling the fresh warmth of their children as wholesome from the womb.

"Look at them," whispered Methyl curling round her children, "two sons and two...daughters."

"They look so strong," said Sunscreech also wrapping his body opposite of hers, "this is wonderful."

"I know...thank you."

"Hmm?"

She licked his face with a slow breath upon his cheek.

"Thank you for giving me a family."

"I-i...well," he muttered shaking his head, "not that I had a choice."

"Oh don't be like that you wanted this as much as I did!"

"I...I was not sure actually."

"Really?"

"I...I was afraid to be a father." Sunscreech turned away with a nervous scent radiating his aura.

"Why?" she asked cocking her head. "What would YOU be afraid of after everything you've faced?"

"Because I do not know how to be one. My father was gone before I was born and the one after him was...just a degenerate I could learn nothing from."

"You don't need anyone to teach you." The jade-coloured raptor slinked her tail across his body. "I never had a mother, or father, so I'll learn with you."

"Really?"

"Yes. We're here together Sunscreech. We'll raise our children together."

"Yes...you are right. Of course, we learn by ourselves." He bent his head down towards his son who lunged with a tiny nip at his snout. "I understand now."

"Understand what?" she asked laying her head down.

"Everything." He licked his son's face as he shrieked with a happy chortle. "Everything my mother had to go through...hello my child. Hello."

"Mmmrrrraaaaaah!" The hatchling tried to jump on his head before falling off in a tumble.

"Hhhahahaha...hhhahahahahahaa!"

"I love you like this."

"What?"

Methyl smiled and nuzzled his face.

"The way you laugh, the way you smile, this is what I want. A father to be like this."

"Well, why, did I sound bad before?!"

"Well, yes!"

"And yet here you are with my-...I mean, our children."

He cuddled up closer to her, feeling exhaustion settle back in as she decided to let him be and feed their children the meat he had hunted for the previous day. Stripping bits off into smaller chunks for them she watched her clutch bite and peck at the bloody giblets with squeaks of joy at their first taste of food, sometimes trying to clamber onto their father's body but he never growled nor snapped at them. He wasn't sure why their bodies close to him felt so soothing but no matter how many times they nipped and scratched at his scales he simply rumbled deep with a smile.

"I would have raised your daughters."

"Wh-what?!"

"Jade's daughters. I would have raised them. I would...I would help them so they grew strong, to fight and kill as the greatest hunters."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"......thank you Sunscreech."

"What a MARVELLOUS day!"

The head of Riptor loomed over their view with a proud grin upon the clutch.

"I was just returning from the shore when I heard the shrieks of birth, what beautiful strong children they are!"

"Th-thank you Riptor," said Methyl warily pulling them close, "we're both very happy."

"As you should be! Two sons and two daughters, this is a perfect set!"

"Was there any doubt?" snorted Sunscreech with grinning pride. "You brought me here for my superior seed did you not?!"

"Of course I did," she bowed stepping closer towards the infants, "feisty little beasts too, so lively."

Riptor smiled as the children all clustered towards her, snapping their jaws and hissing to decide whether to fight or play with the stranger as one managed to bite at the steel screw in her chest before recoiling with a shrieking yelp at the cold hard metal.

"Ah-ah-aaaah, your teeth aren't THAT strong little one," she chuckled licking the whimpering infant, "but they are definitely much stronger than your last daughters were."

"Wh-what?!" Methyl shook with a cough in her throat.

"I won't keep you, I'm sure you have plenty bonding to do in teaching your children how to embrace the future. I am very proud of you Methyl." Riptor bowed with a radiant smile. "I know this clutch shall succeed and I hope dearly never to be proven wrong...right?"

She walked away with a chuckle creeping along her teeth, leaving Methyl shaking with a pallid look on her face as her children sensed something wrong before huddling up against her. Her body trembled as she started to break, gasping tears upon their heads with a quiet sobbing that left Sunscreech confused and dismayed by the words of his leader. He sat up closer to his mate as their children became smothered in a warm embrace, suddenly falling asleep from the love of their parents despite the fears that both held in their hearts. It was only when Sunscreech looked down upon his sons and daughters in that instant that he finally realised something.

Is this why you could not let them kill me, mother? I always thought you were punishing me by letting me live instead of a swift death but now...now I understand everything you meant.

Alistair's Diary

12th of Lemnair, Year 24 AF

Today is my 13th birthday! Mother made me my favourite food thanks to father bringing cheese from the highland tribes just for me! He even found me an amazing figurine of the Lem Ness Monster, even with its own loch! But I am most excited for my brother's gift, for he promised to take me on an adventure by the sea. My first real adventure.

One day I hope I get to go to other realms like James does. He always has amazing stories and all the friends he talks about meeting makes me really jealous. But he does bring back gifts for me, and he said his friends really loved my map of our home that now hangs in a doctor's room. If I ever get a chance to travel beyond this realm, I want to meet all of my brother's friends and Oddclaw too.

"Right, are you ready?" asked James.

"YEP!" Alistair patted his bag with his voice now a deeper hue. "I asked for extra food, got my maps AND my sword!"

"Good good! I doubt we have need of any weapons but one cannot be too careful."

"Mmhmm!" The younger sibling pulled up his backpack to test its weight. "Can't believe we're finally doing it, thanks for this James."

"I did promise you," he nodded patting his shoulder, "the Caves of Thunder shall be explored duly by the great Alistair and his companion James!"

"YEAH, i-is it a big cave, how deep is it?!"

"You shall see for yourself, now as I said this shan't take long, we are spelunking to its natural end and then once it is sunset we return home."

"I knoooow it's dangerous at night," he groaned rolling his head.

"Even my first adventures required prudence Ali," James warned tapping a finger on his brother's snout, "master Durai made certain we never crossed unknown territory at night."

"So, how long'd it take until you got to?"

"Ohhhh perhaps a year or two."

The brothers stood upon a hill near the entrance to the village, their plans unheard by any lemming near as James recited the general order once again as they made their journey down to the beach. The land they stood on was a peninsula jutting out of the far southwest reach of the island, where a long cove crescent-shaped the entire south end with one point ending just below their cliffside village. It was only technically cliffside for the fact there was no other settlement within the four miles it took to reach the cliffs to the east, west or south, but it was close enough that the smell of the sea was an everconstant reminder of freedom that sang in every lemming's heart.

It was a perfect day for adventuring with an overcast sky and the winds bracing past their cheeks, strolling down the hills into the gentle valleys that dipped throughout the promontory. Despite the sun having gone from their view it was still mild enough they didn't need to wrap up too warm in their robes in their journey to the west. In the past year Alistair had slimmed out somewhat, giving him a lankier appearance similar to his brother with exception to the topknot he always had. The backpack rustled behind him with wooden sword hanging from a belt on his hip, whilst James had his satchels and brolly as always.

"Soooo how many lemmings gone to this cave?" asked Alistair.

"Not as many as one would think," said James, "master Durai and I only searched it because he was curious about the minerals within."

"Whaaaaa, what kind of minerals, d-diamonds, rubies?!"

"Mostly quartz I would think, I admit I'm not a geologist, that's more your field."

"Uh I'm a GEOGRAPHER, that's different."

"Well closer to the earth than me," James shrugged, "I mean I have seen many kinds of minerals but it is not my specialty."

"Well what is?" asked Ali leaning in front of him. "Magic? Books?"

"Yes but, they are very specific fields, I say your geography is much more tenable."

"I dunno, I mean how many people want maps?"

"Quite a few! Perhaps one day when you travel to another realm you shall be the first to map it!"

"I-i was...really hoping one day I could come with you to Oddclaw's world and map it." The youngster kicked the dirt with hands behind his back. "Do you think...really, one day I could come with you?"

"It's not a question of whether I can bring you or not," said James smoothing his hair, "it's whether you have proven your worth to master the Art, I cannot take someone with me through my book you understand."

"Mmmmmm so I have to get my OWN book?"

"Yes essentially, I am sure in the future we can find some means for you to obtain your own linking book."

"How did you get yours then? Do you like, ask for it?"

"Well I made my own." James pulled out his tome with its cracked-shale cover. "I studied the Art and once I accomplished it well enough I created my own book that would allow me to traverse the realms."

"Yeaaaah you told me that you 'felt' the place you were going to?"

"Yes."

"Sooooo how am I going to find it if I become a scribe?"

"Well master Durai and I have been formalising a technique that we like to call 'synchronography', it's rather complicated to explain but we have refined it enough that it allows us both to travel to the same place!"

"COOL!" The teen swished his hands behind his head. "So, we can go together someday!?"

"If you study to become a scribe yes, I'll assist you!"

"A-alright, sure!"

Wandering in a mostly-straight line towards the beach they soon found themselves at sea-level where the grass became sand on a gentle slope, the call of the ocean waves crashing against the shore that stretched towards the south and curved up to the west further onwards. The salt of the sea and the open horizon gave a zest in Alistair's eyes as he raced across the beach, cackling with glee as his brother raced after him to grab his arm and spin him round until they both threw themselves down and wrestled playfully across the sands.

It took them a good forty minutes from home to reach the cave itself. Dark and looming across the edge of the shoreline it resembled the mouth of a dragon's corpse with long-reaching "snout" and stalactal teeth that had Alistair shake in his boots.

"W-woah...that's a lot bigger than I thought it was."

"You aren't frightened are you?" James teased nudging his arm. "The Caves of Thunder are awful spooky-"

"N-no, no course not I'm here right?!" He gently approached the mouth of the cave with creeping steps. "S-soooo, how deep is it?"

"Deep enough that it makes a good start for any first adventure." James walked past with a grin to stand beneath its hanging roof. "You know it's not too late to turn back-"

"No!" He straightened himself with a hard sniff. "I wanted an adventure, an' that's what we're doing!"

"Hahaha alright then! But keep close to me, it is very dark once we reach the first turn."

"Alright...you brought a torch right?"

"I brought something better."

James stepped into the dark before pulling his sword free to spark it across the wall, sending a shot of fire through his blade as it burned a hot crimson trace that Alistair gawped in wonder from.

"Ready brother?" James stood before the darkness with a hand open to him.

"Y-YEAH!" The boy grabbed it hard and pulled himself in. "Let's do it!"

"Remember to stick close, this place is easy to get lost in so do NOT wander off alright?"

"I won't brother, we're together right?!"

"Right. Together. Beep!"

"BEEP!"

He bumped fists with his brother before they high-fived and squeezed each other's snouts as they entered the cavern. The crashing of the waves started to fade from their ears as the gasping winds of the subterranean depths bore down upon them, flickering flames from the sword that held aloft before them showing changes in the darker breeze. James gripped his brother's hand firmly as he felt his fingers clutch round his, feeling the sand turn rough beneath their boots and give form to hardened silt. The first turn they took would plunge them into the abyss where not a single spark of light could penetrate from the sun.

"Woooow," gasped the younger brother, "I-i didn't realise it was so dark."

"We are under the land itself," said James, "the hills and everything we live on are essentially above us."

"S-still not even like a teeny bit o' light, this is scary. Damn your magic is so cool."

"I wanted to bring flashlights," said the elder brother gently waving his torch-sword, "but they were army provisional and as a guest I was not privy."

"Flash-lights?" asked Ali hugging his back.

"The humans have these metal staffs that shoot out a beam of pure light, except unlike a torch it does not burn you."

"How does it do that?!"

"It makes light through electricity, they have this tiny metal box inside the torch that shoots lightning throughout it."

"But, doesn't the lightning hurt?"

"No because the metal has a special coating that protects you from it."

"Ohhhhh...cool!"

The wind turned colder the further they went as shadows weighed upon their backs, the passage turning in knots that confused Alistair and only encouraged him to hold tighter onto his brother. Sometimes there were wings that fluttered past their faces, startling them as James batted them aside with a hand over his brother. Other times they saw something creep and slither past their foot in the form of sea serpents, harmless but still threatening them with hissing fear as the older lemming scared them off with a brandishing blade.

"G-GUH, things even LIVE here?!" muttered Alistair shocked by his own echo.

"Sea serpents live in tide pools," said James illuminating one, "they lay their eggs inside them safely and once they hatch they make their way to the sea."

"But, how do they even GET there from in this cave?"

"Sea serpents have an exceptionally-refined sense of smell and they are familiar with the scents of the sea. Once they are born their innate senses allow them to race for the nearest ocean."

"But how do they do that when they're just born?!"

"I have no idea truly, I haven't dared try to study them though master Durai suggests of a process called imprinting where the parent's memories are passed on to their children."

"How does THAT work, like I don't even know how to sew a-and neither do you!"

"Hahahayeeees I know it was just a theory he had."

All throughout this Alistair was scribbling the back of his hand with lines and turns that they took, tiny circles for every tide pool and especially abnormal stalagmite that he thought resembled a face. Throughout all of this, the sound of thunder trembled throughout the walls as the sea tore upon the outside with monstrous teeth, brazen white fangs of the waves that scraped and gnashed against the walls.

"W-WOAH!"

"CAREFUL!" James turned and grabbed for his brother as a deep tremble threw him back. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah..." Alistair pulled on his arm to rebalance himself, "jeez that was loud."

"You wanted to go to the Caves of Thunder, did you expect something else?"

"I-i, I dunno, I thought it was just a cool name!"

"Do you really think anyone in our village would give a cave a spectacular name if it was boring?"

"Uhhh...yeah you're right so is there even an end to this place?" he asked looking around the ever-enclosing walls.

"There is,"said James, "that's where I'm taking you, that way you will know you fully explored it."

"How long'd it take you and mister Durai?"

"Hmmmm...he has a way of telling the time but not myself, actually the humans have these devices that help them tell time on their wrists and Chanoch was thinking of getting one."

"He doing alright?" asked Alistair hiking up his robe to squeeze past a stalagmite.

"Oh he is doing fantasti-look out." His brother stopped to turn and gently lift him over a low barrier of smooth coneshapes. "But yes he is doing well."

"He sounds cooool, like when you told me he fought a water-monster with his sword!"

"Well it was more his rilfle but yes-"

"O-or when you got out of that pit by ZZZAPPING his sword at the wall to break it open!"

"Hahaha, yes yes, actually his sword is surprisingly receptive to magic, I presume it is because of its holy influence."

"OOH OOH, what if you like got together a-and used your magic on his sword like you're doing with yours?!"

"Huh!" James looked up at his own flaming torch-blade that made a spot on the ceiling. "That is not a bad idea, if we ever had to fight alongside each other again that would make a perfect dual-attack."

"YEAH!" cried Ali doing a teeny hop in place. "That would be great!"

"Alright, just a few more turns and we should be at the end."

Occasionally the path would split but James led his brother down to the darkest depths further than he had known in his life. The abyss made his eyes hurt from the intense difference between the light of the sword and the pitch-black infinite, stepping over various imperfections of the cave floor and stepping around puddles for fear of disturbing the creeping centipedes that scuttled past their boots. Soon they reached the absolute zero of darkness, or at least as dark as it was possible on their homeland to the point that even James became nervous with a gentle shudder.

"You alright?" his brother asked.

"Y-yes just a bit cold."

"Uh, you're the one holding the flaming sword."

"W-well I felt a breeze! Anyways, here we are at the furthest depths of the cave."

"...wwwooooooow."

The moment they stepped into the final room the light exploded before their eyes as every wall became a crystalline tapestry, shining quartz sparkling from the rosy glint of James' swordfire that licked across every fragmenting shard of mineral beauty. Lightning trapped in golden flecks zipped across their eyes as they walked into the middle of the semi-circular room, but then they heard the ocean rumbling from just the other side of one of the walls and Alistair noted that there was a low dip beneath the wall that formed a tidal pool that occasionally rippled from exterior influences. In the centre of the room upon a gentle hill of sand was the remains of a campfire, stones surrounding wood as James set it alight before deflaming his sword and sheathing it back in his brolly before sitting down.

His brother joined sitting next to him as they opened their packs and ate up some rolls by the gentle flickering of the fire, their shadows cast across the resplendent walls that shone with a peerless bright that banished most of the darkness. Still the rumbling fury of the sea came upon them from beyond, sending tremors through the crystals that shook with a ringing song, faintly like fairies sleeping.

"This place is AWESOME!" cried the youth whose voice echoed through the passage. "I-it's like everything's made of gold!"

"Yes it is incredible," sighed James, "a few of the fisherlems found this place first, but I never came until master Durai took me here to study the minerals."

"They look amazing...can we take one?"

"I do not think we possess the equipment, these crystals are hard-set and very difficult to break."

"Really? Cuz that one's broke." He pointed at one less-than-stellar shard that had a crack running through its stem.

"Huh, that's odd..." James leaned over to tap it lightly with a hollow tink, "well perhaps we can try to take it after we are done."

"Cool! Soooo whut else is here?"

"Welll I DID find the handle for my sword here."

"Wow really?!"

"Yes right over there," the elder brother pointed his brolly towards the tidal pool that sat in the corner for emphasis, "whilst master and I were exploring we happened to notice something gleaming inside the water. We think it might have come from the sea and just washed up here."

"So wait..." his brother leaned forwards to look at the old steel oval handle, "it came from the sea?"

"Yes, the rusting is unfortunate but surprisingly it is not abrasive and the lemsmiths managed to file it down a little bit."

"So why'd you get a sword anyway?" asked Ali chewing his cheese roll. "Was it cuz you had to go out to someplace daaaangerous?"

"Well every place outside the Lemming Isle is dangerous," said James leaning towards him, "the realms beyond are strange and whilst not always hostile, some warrant enough caution that master had to instruct me in the art of self-defence with both magic and swordslemship."

"Was it hard? Like what was harder, swords or magic?"

"Magic certainly." He rested his swordbrella on his knees. "When you're wielding a sword you only have to worry about your arm and where to swing it, but with magic you have to consider your force and direction and also what element you wish to wield."

"How do you do that?" asked Ali scratching his head. "Can anyone do it?"

"Sadly no, only certain people are able to according to master Durai, something about the 'intrinsic elements of one's soul coalescing into a syzygy'...whatever that means."

"Pfffthehehehee, he does say a lotta words don' he?"

"Yeeees even I have moments where I have to unravel his tongue hmhahah...gosh this cheese is marvellous."

"Yeah it's the best cheese in the WORLD!" The teenager chomped hard into his roll with a good tug of highland cheddar in his teeth. "MMMPH, sho creamy!"

"You are enjoying your birthday it seems," the elder nudged him slyly.

"Yeah this is great! I get to see this cool place with the best brother, how is it NOT a great birthday?!"

"Just making sure, I wouldn't want you to be disappointed."

"Are you kidding?!" Alistair swept his hands out across the crystal cavern. "This is like, a whole other world down here with all those sea snakes and centipedes a-and it's just so creepy and cold and frightening but then you get to the end and it's like this BEAUTIFUL glass painting!"

"I said the very same thing when I first came down here! I'm so glad you like it, I mean alright we may not have slain any fearsome beasts but well, some adventures are about the thrill of the exploration."

James said this with a gleam in his eyes and tightened fists to his chest, staring towards the ceiling of purest quartz that gleamed six dozen reflections of himself upon his face. After they ate up their food they took the time to relax and savour the warm cracklings of the flames at their feet with their bellies full and Alistair's eyes still enraptured by this haven of tranquility.

"Soooo what have you been up to?" asked James leaning back.

"Still getting used to my new class," said Alistair rubbing his neck, "stuff's getting harder than it used to be."

"Hmhmhm, any subjects hitting you over with a book?"

"Not yet, but you know math is gonna be the worst."

"Oh absolutely," James shook his head, "I do not envy you having to learn algebra."

"UUuuuuuugh it is the worst!" He slapped his face with his hands. "Did you ever have to use that stuff when you were out there?"

"No, but I DID have to learn numbers in a different way, so unfortunately I cannot brush it off as useless."

"Well, I don't need magic!"

"You will if you want to be a scribe Alistair."

"Can't I just get YOU to write stuff?" teased Ali nudging his shoulder.

"Hahahah, typical pencilhead, when there's no pictures you stop reading huh?"

"Wh-whassat s'posed to mean?!"

"I am just saying that there are a lot less picture books for adults."

"Sh-shut up inknose!" They both sniggered with a little punch to each other's arms. "What about you, what's up with you lately?"

"Well aside from finishing our exploration of the new base and uh...defeating the ones that tried to take control of it there was one other thing."

"Yeah?"

"You remember Chanoch yes?"

"Yahuh."

"Well he...rather he...um..." James twisted the ends of his fingers against each other, "he confessed his love to me."

"Wh-...whuuuuh? You mean like..." Ali waved his finger between James and an empty space, "...boyfriend?"

"Yes...essentially."

"Wow...w-wait, you're into boys?!"

"I...truthfully I do not know, I-i mean...um..." he rubbed his arm nervously, "I-i-i thought I told you but it, must have slipped my mind."

"Pffft." The youth sniggered. "D-did he...kiss you?"

"I-wh-what?!"

"Wellllll did he kiss you or not?!"

"Wh-what does that have to do with it?!"

"Well if he kissed ya that means you're his boyfriend riiiight?"

"...well...yes, he did, why?"

"HAH!" Alistair nearly rolled on his back from throwing his head. "I bet he pulled back an' went all 'ewww your mouth tastes like ink'!"

"OH YOU SH-SHUT UP PENCILHEAD!" he shoved him to the side.

"HeeheeHAHAHAA, awww cummon ya walked into that!"

"Ugh, you are the worst little brother I wish I had been an only child!"

"Well if you'd been an only child you'd be a LOT worse at swordfighting!"

"I can make a lemmequin that would do your job better!" James snorted with forceful pomp as his brother sniggered gleefully.

"Alright alright but, seriously, is Chanoch your boyfriend now?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well why not, you said you liked him."

"I-i do!"

"Then what's the problem?!" asked Ali spreading his hands.

"I just...I-i just, we...I've known him only for a year-and-a-half, it feels like too fast for a relationship."

"But he kissed you, so-"

"I know, I know but-..." James clenched his hands with a sigh hunching over, "it was just rather sudden I still have to process it."

"I mean if he's okay with it an' you like him then so what?" shrugged Alistair.

"W-well it...I am not sure if I feel THAT much for him, like as a friend yes but as a lover that's different."

"Well..." the younger brother scratched his face gently, "you like being around him right?"

"Of course."

"Does he like make your heart all warm an' fuzzy-feeling?"

"S-something like that, it's...more like a sense of calm and peace."

"Does he always wanna do stuff with you?"

"Actually he does yes!"

"And you like doing that stuff with him right?!"

"Of course!"

"Then you're his boyfriend, boom!" proclaimed Alistair with a clap of his hands. "See it's not hard bro!"

"Really?"

"Yeah like when I'm with Susie we just became friends and then now we're girlfriend-boyfriend!"

"Hmmm I suppose tha-...wait, wait who is Susie?"

His brother suddenly pursed his lips and shrunk his neck back against his body in a gentle remiss.

"U-uhhhh...my, girlfriend?"

"WHA-buh...you have a girlfriend?!" gasped James.

"I-i-i forgot to tell you!"

"Oh my saviour Alistair REALLY-well I guess that makes two of us then haha, wow we are discovering a lot of things about each other today."

"Y-yeah, hah..." the teen plucked his short-haired knot with a blush, "s-soooo yeah, Susie from my art class we've been friends for a while-"

"Is that your friend that drew all those bird pictures in your room?" asked James cocking his head.

"YEAH! She's amazing, she taught me a lot about stuff like, perspective and stuff, cuz the cool thing about maps is you don't have to worry about that cuz everything's flat, but she's helping me try an' do things different."

"You two have been friends for a while now...so what made you two decide to be closer?"

"We just been friends for so long we thought, why not! We both like each other, we both like doing stuff, we can talk about anything just yanno...then we just asked each other 'hey I REALLY like you, but a-as someone more than a friend' and we decided 'you wanna be...together' and now we are!"

"Huh! Was that all, really?" smirked James resting his head on his fist.

"Yeah, that's it!" said Alistair spreading arms. "S'not that hard James, if you like him an' he likes you then why not be boyfriends?"

"Hmmm...well as you said, I do like Chanoch a lot. And I do enjoy his company greatly and he is a good soul to me. He always does things for me with such gratitude that I almost feel embarrassed for how much effort he puts in for me."

"Well he likes you obviously!" Alistair goaded him with reaching hands cupped towards him. "Sooooo?"

"Mmmmmm..." his brother pondered with arms crossed to himself, "I have to admit your story of Susie is inspiring me if it was so easy for you."

"We're just good friends, what's so hard about that, we both like hanging out an' we teach each other new stuff."

"Hahaha...haaaah......alright. I will do it," he slapped his knees in confidence, "I shall reciprocate his love, Chanoch deserves that at least and in truth I would like to explore it too."

"Lemme know how it goes! I really hope you guys do okay."

"Thank you Ali." He hugged his brother close with a smooch to his hair. "You are the best brother I could have."

"Awwww, only second-best brother," said he with a big smirk.

"Hah, cheeky pencilhead."

"Takes one to know one, inkynose! ...hey, I got an idea!"

He stood up and walked over to the cracked crystal thunking it with a fist.

"Why don't we take a piece off this, like aaaa scrapbook thing?!"

"A memento?" asked James.

"YEAH!"

"...I have a better idea."

The older brother stood up and summoned in his hand a swirling collective of loose pebbles and rocks to form a small pickaxe made entirely from stone, cracking some of the crystal even further with a clinking crunch until he managed to pull two pieces out.

"One for you...and one for Susie."

"Wh-whaaaaa?" Alistair gasped as James handed him both. "W-w-whut about you?!"

"No no, this is YOUR adventure and I want you to have something to prove your love to her, tell her how you travelled the dark Caves of Thunder and brought her the most beautiful crystal."

"B-but, don't you want one too?"

"I have something else in mind for Chanoch, do not fear." He clasped his brother's hands tightly. "This is about you Alistair, you wanted to come to these depths, and now you shall reap something from it beyond just an experience. Take them, they're your treasures, I already have plenty."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, positive."

"...thank you James." He hugged his brother tightly as James smooched his hair. "This is the best birthday ever."

"Better than that time we went to the islet with father?"

"OH, no that was AMAAAAZING!" he cried with gleaming eyes.

"It really was, and the view was just gorgeous."

"HEY, maybe we can turn these crystals into like a ring or something!"

"I would say a pendant," said James rubbing his chin, "it suits both of you best but I will see what we can do and remember, no telling father or mother."

"My lips be zipped!"

They spent another half-hour sitting in the cave rambling on about pointless things beneath the crystal light, the sounds of the ocean fuming from outside as deep rumblings of the earth shook through their beings and excited them even further. Eventually the two brothers returned home as James took up his torch, putting out the fire safely as they headed back through the long dark passage twisting with creatures between crags. Except for the tidal pool in the room behind them, which all of the cave's creatures had avoided entirely for one reason.

All the fish inside it were already long dead.