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The Dodger sailed away from Taldoor under the cover of night. Meeting Blackclaw again was a surprise to Quint, but like most of life's many surprises he shrugged it off as coincidence. It did seem odd to him that he constantly ran into the same people time and again, though. Perhaps that was part of his destiny as well. Quint was lying in his bed that night as the ship sailed on auto pilot for the island of Serevix. He stared up at the metal plating of the ceiling, lost in thought. Tireal was slumbering quietly next to him. The captain of the Artful Dodger now had a full crew, but he could remember when it was just he and Tireal. He almost preferred it that way, but there was no choice when it came to this job. In fact, this was more like an order than a job in the first place.

"How did I get myself into this mess...?" He asked himself as he closed his eyes and thought about the past.

"Land ho!" Quint opened his eyes suddenly at the loud holler from his doorway. It had seemed like only moments had passed since he fell asleep. Charr stood in the door frame grinning from ear to ear. "We've spotted land, Captain. What are your orders?"

Quint grunted sleepily and shook himself the rest of the way awake.

"Er, give me a minute." The tired hyena slid out of his bed and looked around groggily for what to do next. Though he could live forever, Quint had never mastered the art of being a morning person. His mind always felt congested whenever he awoke and the feeling seldom left him until he had at least splashed something cold on his face. Quint remained standing in the middle of the room; looking around in his morning daze.

"Um, sir?" Charr said from the doorway. "Maybe I should leave until you've had a chance to get some clothes on." The rat quickly slipped out the door as Quint slowly looked down at himself.

Gods be damned. Quint grumbled in annoyance as he looked around the room for his clothing. When he finally dressed himself, looked into the mirror several times, wiped his face blearily with his paws, and opened his door; Charr was leaning against the wall whistling a strangely familiar, but simple tune. Quint decided it was coincidence. The rat turned towards the hyena and chuckled.

"Still half asleep, eh?" Charr grinned. "You should go out on deck. The sea air will help you wake up."

"How can you be so damned chipper in the morning?" The hyena asked.

Charr shrugged.

"I got it from my years in the military. Waking up at 0600 has its advantages sometimes."

"I used to be in the military," Quint mumbled, but never finished his sentence as it degenerated into incoherence as he trudged up the stairs to the deck with Charr in tow.

Tireal sighed and looked out over the sea at the tiny dot of land that was slowly getting larger by the hour. He hoped that the land was Serevix and that their mission was almost over. He hated being forced into things he didn't want to do.

"Watching the sea?" Vicks said from behind the otter.

Tireal jumped slightly.

"V-Vicks!" The otter stammered. "You startled me."

The lion chuckled.

"Jumpy, eh?" He grinned as he leaned on the railing with his back to the steel. The lion's hands were still bound together, but Quint had given him permission to loosen them to help with the lion's circulation.

Tireal nodded.

"You know me," he sighed, "always lost in thought."

"I used to be the same way, you know." Vicks mused. "But that was before I knew about the sea."

Tireal tore his eyes from the sea and looked at Vicks.

"I feel kind of stupid for not asking this sooner, but where are you from, anyway?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Oh I don't know about that. Try me."

Vicks sighed.

"I'm from the Skyway."

Tireal blinked several times in disbelief.

"The Skyway? Yeah right, no one's lived in those ruins for over a thousand years. You couldn't possibly be from the Skyway."

Vicks shrugged.

"I told you, you wouldn't believe me. My mother and father were both royalty, but they vanished since The Fall. They're most likely dead."

Tireal scratched his chin; musing.

"They say that the whole structure fell two thousand feet into the sea. I don't think anyone could have survived a fall like that."

"There is but one operational piece of the Skyway left." Vicks shook his head sadly. "That is where I and my parents lived. According to legend, the Skyway was actually a giant fleet of ships capable of traveling through outer space. Our ancestors came to this planet because they thought it devoid of intelligent life. But the Furless were here and they didn't like our ancestors intruding. The Furless people didn't seem like much of a threat at first, but when an entire planet gets jealous of your technology it's a force to be feared. There was no time to get everyone off of the city before it fell. There were only a couple hundred who survived on the last remaining piece of the Skyway."

"So- you're not actually a lion?" The otter asked curiously. "I've never seen people from the Skyway before."

"Of course I'm a lion!" Vicks looked at Tireal indignantly. "You think that because I come from the Skyway that I'm going to look different? Your ancestors were from the Skyway too, you know. So were Charr's and- well Quint is a complicated example-"

"What do you mean by that?" Tireal interrupted him.

Vicks turned his head to stare at the otter. It was his turn to be surprised.

"You mean you haven't figured it out by now?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Vicks sighed again and took a deep breath as if he was about to tell someone a relative had died.

"Does Quint ever get sick?" The lion asked.

"He gets so drunk that he makes himself sick sometimes, but I don't think he's ever had an illness before now that you mention it."

"And have you noticed Quint hasn't aged at all since you met him?"

"Of course I've noticed, but I just thought it was a hyena thing- wait, how do you know that?"

"I've seen the symptoms before." Vicks's gaze looked back out over the sea again. "That amulet he has around his neck is an alarm clock of sorts. It dictates when he will die and how much time he has left."

Tireal was speechless for a moment.

"Quint is an immortal, but only in a slightly true sense. He just has an extended lifespan depending on the type and power level of the amulet. The royalty of our ancestors were planning to build an army of super soldiers in a last ditch effort to save the Skyway. The technology was still in the prototype phases and I only had the chance to see one of the amulets before The Fall, but I remember enough to recognize one.

If our ancestors had their way, we would all be living in the Skyway alongside the Furless, but it was a plan doomed to fail because of the greed and hatred of the Furless. You will only find a few of them left on this world now if you manage to find any at all. The falling Skyway crushed most of the Furless when it fell and the islands you see now in this planet full of water are just the tips of the great city's spires."

Tireal was speechless as the lion continued his story.

"Our ancestors didn't want to start a war, but now the Furless have ruined our means of going home, back to our own planet. They left us with nothing but mere remnants of our past and our once great society. We don't even have the technology that we used to anymore. Quint's amulet is one of many such artifacts that were lost to the bottom of the oceans. The greedy have cast us back into a time of swords and primitive firearms."

Tireal waited for his mind to process what the lion had just told him.

"Wait a minute," the otter said, "If there is still one ship in the fleet that works, why can't you just go back home on that?"

"There is much debate about the exact reason the propulsion system on the ship no longer works. Most of the theories are based on a legendary Special Forces team who went rogue and disabled the entire Skyway's engines during the Furless war. Quint was one of the rumored members of that Special Forces team." The lion folded his arms over his chest.

Tireal blinked and was taken aback.

"He can't be. Quint would never do something like that."

"Time changes people, Tireal. Quint could have been a terrible person once, but circumstances demanded change and so he did. After all, he had about three thousand years to become who he is now."

Tireal stared down at the water; one final question burning in his mind and on the tip of his tongue. He was afraid to ask, however; afraid to know the answer. The otter bit his lip and steeled himself.

"How much time does Quint have left?"

"That's a good question." Vicks lifted his head to catch the incoming morning breeze as it ruffled his mane. "The artifacts that I knew of only increased the wearer's lifespan slightly in order to lend more power to altering physical and mental capacity. If Quint's amulet has let him live for this long, then he might not get any other benefits from it, which would mean that he still has a great deal longer to live."

Tireal sighed in relief. It had puzzled him that Quint had not been aging since they met, but he hadn't given it much thought until now.

"What do the legends say about Quint?"

"Well some legends claim that he was the leader of the Special Forces team that sabotaged the Skyway. Though some tales mistake him for a wolf and they say that he has fiery red eyes and spits smoke when he roars."

Tireal chuckled.

"Somehow I can't picture Quint as a red-eyed-roaring-and-smoke-spitting wolf."

Vicks grinned.

"So why did you leave the Skyway in the first place?" The otter asked.

"I wanted to see the outside world. Though, they told me that I wouldn't be able to come back if I left. I never gave it a second thought at the time, but talking about it like this makes me wish I could return."

Tireal patted the lion on the back. "After this job, Quint and I could take you back if you lead us there. We'll make them accept you again."

"Thanks for the sentiment, but I really don't need to go back there. Besides, Quint has enough problems to deal with."

Tireal smiled as the hyena in question stumbled sleepily onto the deck and yawned a great big yawn before leaning over the side of the ship to splash his face with salt water.

"He still has trouble waking up, that's for sure." The otter grinned.

Vicks laughed loudly as the two furs turned around to watch the slowly approaching land mass and the rising sun that was slowly wreathing the island in gold.

Charr arrived on the deck after the hyena and followed the canine up to the helm; helping him steer the ship close to the island. Quint looked out at the shoreline that sped beside the Jolly Dodger as the ship sailed up the coast. The hyena stared at the cliffs that made up the coast of the island and they told him what he needed to know. Quint sighed to himself and turned away from the guard rail of the helm.

"I've got good news and bad news." Quint called down to Vicks and Tireal, "The good news is: I can tell you both sets of news at once. The bad news is: They're both bad news."

Tireal rolled his eyes.

"Stop being so melodramatic and tell us where we are, already." The otter demanded.

Quint shrugged and shook his head slightly.

"It's Serevix."

The Artful Dodger pulled into the port on the continent known as Serevix. A multitude of creatures crowded on the docks and it looked as if the Dodger's coming had been forewarned. An important looking crow hobbled to the front of the crowd and lifted a silver trumpet to his beak. As the Dodger slowly came to a full stop and the trumpeting blared over the noise of the crowd, a dazzling red carpet rolled its way down the dock; splitting the throng in two. Quint smirked.

"They really aren't holding back this time, are they?"

Charr looked at him with a puzzled expression. "This time? You've been here before?"

Quint winked. "Only once. And it was a very short visit. Just follow my lead and make sure everyone else does the same. It will make it a lot easier for us if you do."

Charr prodded Alexis in the back with the barrel of a pistol.

"You heard him." He growled into the bound and gagged rat's ear, "No funny business."

A carriage pulled up where the red carpet had begun and an eagle gingerly stepped out of the vehicle. The proud creature harumphed slightly and strutted down the carpet to where the Dodger's gangplank met it at a right angle.

"By order of the High King of Serevix, you who are aboard this ship are invited to a lavish feast to be prepared by Serevix's finest chefs in celebration of your coming." The eagle stood to the side of the carpet as Quint and his crew started to descend from the gangplank to wild cheers from the crowd.

Charr prodded Alexis down the ramp; Tireal and Vicks following close behind. Quint stepped onto the carpet and knelt before the messenger eagle. The other's followed suit, though Alexis took her own sweet time in doing so.

"Thank you greatly for your kind greeting. Had we known that our arrival would have been met with such fanfare, we would have dressed appropriately." Quint stared at the eagle's feet while he spoke. "We accept your invitation to your feast and we also look forward to obeying your every wish while we abide within your beautiful kingdom."

The eagle ruffled her feathers approvingly. "Thank you sirs and madam. If you will, follow me. Your carriage awaits to take you to his majesty's palace."

Quint stood slowly and nodded; bowing graciously as the others followed his lead. The bedraggled party made their way up the red carpet to a large vehicle and they all stepped into it. It was as wooden and carriage-like as any other Tireal had ever seen, though the interior décor was fanciful to match the habitat they were in. The otter marveled at the silk curtains and carpeted walls as the crowd of spectators slowly began to fade; the gathered losing interest while the carriage drawn by large iguana-like lizards gradually drove towards the royal palace.

"Isn't it slightly odd that they were expecting us?" Tireal asked.

"Well when you go around asking about mythical jewelry you kind of draw attention to yourself." Quint replied. "Still, the king is definitely plotting something. Did anyone else notice the black spike on the eastern horizon as we pulled into port?"

"I did." Charr spoke up. "Though I have no idea what it was."

"It's The Spire." Vicks's voice startled the others.

"The what?" Tireal asked.

"It's an ancient battleship." Quint sighed and rubbed his temples in frustration. "It has been modified to move through water instead of through space, as it was originally designed. I had only heard rumors of its existence, but I guess they were true."

"Who modified it, though?" Charr asked. "Birds can't build things and I doubt that they have the military power to possess slaves."

"That is still a mystery I'm afraid." Quint responded. "But enough talk. We're here."

The palace itself sat on a large hill overlooking the rest of the city; green vines covering most of its crumbling walls. It didn't look to be much of a royal household, but then again, their carriage wasn't anything remarkable on the outside either. As the vehicle drew up alongside the gates to the castle, the female eagle stepped nimbly from the still moving carriage to the cobblestones below. She lifted her left wing and suddenly flame sprouted from it. The fire was no bigger than a candle's flame, but it was enough to draw the gatekeeper's attention. He ruffled his feathers indignantly and swooped down from his high perch to greet the newcomers.

"Sophie, I would kindly ask that you NOT light fires under my nest. I spent many months building that perch and I don't want to see it burned to the ground just two weeks after completion!" The large owl pointed upwards to a wooden tower that creaked softly in the slight breeze as he adjusted the spectacles on his beak.

"If I'm lucky, the wind will destroy it for me, Gerald." She retorted. "Birds aren't meant to build such things. That's why we have servants."

"There is a way! I know there is." The owl glared at her. "I'll find a way for us to build our own buildings and then we won't have need for the common riff-raff!"

The eagle cleared her throat and gestured at Quint's gaggle behind the owl. As the owl turned, his face melted into a calm, kind expression.

"Ah, forgive me; I did not see you there." He adjusted his spectacles. "Are you guests of the king?"

"Yes. They are." The eagle butted in. "Now open the gate for us before I have to report you."

The owl bowed graciously.

"At once, madam."

He flew back up to his rickety tower and from there to a smaller guardhouse on top of the gate structure. The gates slowly creaked open, but only enough for one to enter at a time. Sophie the eagle motioned for Quint to follow and she stepped through the gate. Quint nodded after her and followed suit; the rest of his party entering the grounds after him. The eagle led them up the short walkway to the twin oak doors; rotting at the hinges and nearly falling off of the doorway from age. She opened a small side door and led the small group into the entrance hall. The hall itself was better kept than the rest of the castle; though it was still in disarray. The formerly red carpet was now brown from much use and many of the tapestries that had lined the marble walls had fallen down. The stone arches that supported the rest of the castle were sturdy enough to do their job, but their bases were worn smooth and thinner than where they connected to the ceiling. A large flight of stairs; still functional was at the far side of the room and the eagle led the group up it. There were more doors on the first floor than on the second, but less of them were rotted through. The eagle pushed open the doors in front of the top of the stairs and went up two more flights of moss-covered steps to the third floor. Quint's group followed her around holes in the floor and walls to each of their respective rooms.

"The king will summon you in three nights for the feast." She told each of them in turn. "Until then you are not to leave these rooms. Food and drink as well as some entertainment will be brought to you regularly. If you do leave these rooms, you will be severely punished."

And with that, she closed the door to Tireal's room and left the otter to his own devices.

***

Zas was awakened from a horrible nightmare by a noise in the street. He sat up shaking and sweating coldly; trying to figure out what was reality and what was part of his dream. The rat's eyes darted around his large sleeping chamber to see if anything was amiss. He quickly looked over to the dresser where an ornate sword case lay. Girin's sword was still here, that was a good thing. The bedside table was where it always had been to the left of his bed, his curtains, now beige from the morning sun that drifted through them appeared to be in good shape. His wardrobe sat; unmoving where it had always sat on the far wall and his fireplace was dark and as cold as death. The carpet on the floor shone brightly from the sunlight that fell through the windows and the large door to his room was tightly fastened as usual. Zas sighed and yawned; about to lay back down and go back to sleep, but the sounds from outside started him awake again.

What is going on? Zas said to himself as he crawled out of bed and shrugged on his bathrobe.

The loud exclamations and a roaring of a crowd could be heard as he approached the window. He curiously looked down into the street at a ragtag group of six armored rats with a large crowd of city-dwellers backing them. Zas's palace guards were trying to fend them off using non-violent means. The young general cracked open a window pane to better hear what the creatures were saying.

"I already told you people we can't let rabble into the palace or General Zas will be furious," Crix, the captain of the guard was saying, "Besides, he's still asleep. Won't you let him at least rest peacefully?"

One of the six armored rats stepped forward. "And I have already told you that we are not leaving unless the General himself comes down and answers our challenge!" He raised his fist at the last, rousing a loud cheer from the crowd.

Perfect... Zas thought, Naysayers: just what I need.

Zas opened the window; stepping out onto the balcony to address the crowd.

"I'm here now," He called down at the six rats and the crowd gathered below. "What is it you desire?"

The spokes-rat of the six unsheathed and raised his sword at Zas angrily.

"You are not fit to rule this city!" He shouted. "We have suffered for too long under your false leadership and ideals while you hide away in your palace! We struggle against all odds while you sit on your throne and have every luxury hand-served to you on a platter! It's time for a change, and one of we, The Arm of Justice, will bring about that change," the rat turned towards the crowd, "With your death!"

The crowd roared a tremendous roar behind the six rats as Zas smirked down at them; the roar dying to a trickle.

"Do you honestly think that one of you can defeat me in single combat?" The rat general clucked his tongue at the group condescendingly. "I'll make it easier on you. How does that sound?" He raised his arms to ask the crowd the last question and got an even greater cheer than the leader of the six received.

"What do you propose?" the leader said; now not so sure of himself.

"I'll fight not one, not two, but all of you at the same time." Zas smiled.

The rat leader blinked and looked at his companions all of whom were staring up at Zas as if in shock.

"What?" The rat leader exclaimed.

Zas remained calm. "If it's not easy enough for you, then I'll make it even easier. I'll fight you dressed like this." The general gestured to the long-sleeved bathrobe that covered him. "What do you say?"

"There's no way you could win." The rat leader said in disbelief. "It would be suicide!"

"All the easier for you six, then. Why complain?" Zas yawned. "Make your choice; I won't wait here forever."

The leader nodded and gathered his companions into a huddle as Zas watched them calmly from the balcony. The crowd had fallen silent at Zas's suicidal offer and now the courtyard of the palace was as quiet as the grave. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the crowd, the six parted and the leader said, "We accept."

"Excellent, the match will be held inside the coliseum. I trust you have no objections?" Zas asked one last time.

"None." The leader told him.

"Guards," Zas shouted, "lead this rabble into the arena! I will be there momentarily."

Zas entered his room again and walked over to the sword case that lay on his dresser. He opened the case and gently pulled Girin's sword from it.

"I promised I would never use your blade again," Zas said to the sword. "But I have failed in that promise just like I failed to save you when you needed me the most. This blade has drawn only evil blood; that of my father and that of Razzick, the one who killed you. I swear this blade will never draw any other innocent creature's blood after these six as long as I live."

Zas stood again and sighed before marching out of his doorway and through the halls of the palace towards the coliseum.

The arena was a buzz from the crowd that littered the stands. Zas approached his seating box in the first row and sat in his throne. He looked around at the murmuring crowd with a smile on his face as the six rats filed into the ring one-by-one. The crowd gave an enormous cheer when they appeared and they stood there accepting the applause gratefully before Zas held up a hand for silence.

"Welcome to my coliseum, dear beasts." The general said after there was complete silence. "I trust, like me, you are willing to get this match over with as soon as possible, so I will make it even easier than I mentioned before." The general leapt from his seating box and strode into the midst of the six armored rats. "You may surround me as you see fit."

The six stared in utter astonishment.

"Well come on, what are you waiting for?" Zas waved his hand at them. "I don't have all day."

The six rats formed a circle around the general and stood at the ready; weapons drawn. Zas's sword hadn't left its scabbard. The young general noticed that the lead rat in front of him had a leather band wrapped around his hand that attached itself to his sword. There were only two others in the group using swords one male; standing to Zas's left, and the other female, positioned behind the general. One of the rats behind Zas, a female, had an axe; another male held a spear; a female to his right carried cesta; and, except for the leader, they were all unarmored. The general stood in the center of the arena with the six challengers around him. He looked up at the sky briefly before he lowered his head and closed his eyes. The six rats were starting to get nervous. The general lifted his hand slowly into the air and snapped his fingers. He looked back up at the six:

"A gong will sound shortly. After that, the fight begins."

There was a deafening silence.

The air felt as if you could cut it with a sword.

The gong sounded.

No one moved for an instant after the noise from the gong. Zas winked at the leader as the rat to the general's left charged. Zas parried his thrusting maneuver with his still sheathed sword; holding the struggling rat's blade still with only the metal of the scabbard. The rat to Zas's right swung her cesta for the general's head and Zas stepped into the swing; slipping under it and catching the rat in her unarmored ribs with the sword hilt. The rodent gasped in alarm as the blunt end of the sword forced its way in between two of her ribs; puncturing the rat's left lung in the process. Zas ripped his sword's handle from the suffocating soldier as he stepped passed the creature and turned around. The axe and spear rats leapt at the general from behind as the second rat went down. The general grinned at them as they descended at him; rolling out of the way just in time to crack his sheathed sword against the back of the head of the spear rat, who spit out some teeth as he fell into the sand, unconscious. Zas shouldered the weapon, smiling at the four standing rats.

"Is this really the best you all can do?" He chuckled. "I'm not even using my blade."

"You bastard!" The rat leader shouted. "Unsheathe your sword and fight us like you would your greatest foe!"

The general's grin turned into a menacing stare. "You are asking for much, child." A dagger flying from the hand of the remaining female whizzed towards Zas's head, but he moved to the side just in time to only get a grazing cut across his cheek from the blade as it flew by; clattering off of the stone wall behind the young general. Zas growled and lifted his sword from his shoulder; gripping the scabbard. "But since you all seem so willing to die, I guess I will have to oblige you!"

The black scabbard slid from the blade of Girin's sword; sending a high pitched ringing sound through the air briefly when the metal slid free of the steel casing. Zas continued to stare at the leader of the six as he readied the sword behind him; holding the empty scabbard at his side as his blood dribbled from his cheek wound. The leader of the rats steeled himself and, sweating from nervousness, cried out in anger as he launched himself at the general; followed by the other three still standing rats. Zas parried the leader's sword and stepped backwards as the other three rodents converged on him as well. He blocked each of their swings in turn, stepping further back as they pressed their onslaught. Zas suddenly felt the wall of the arena touch his back and all four soldiers swung at him in unison. The general raised his sword and held all of their collective strengths at bay against the wall.

"You fools," Zas was smiling maniacally, "Don't you know never to corner a caged rat?"

He roared in exertion; his blade practically singing as he pushed all four of the creatures backwards. Each of the soldiers were sent reeling except for the leader. The rodent with the axe yelped in pain and surprise as Zas's force propelled her weapon back into her own chest. She fell to the ground writhing as her life blood emptied onto the sands of the arena floor. The other two rats lay groaning on the ground as the leader snarled in rage; thrusting his sword towards Zas, but the general leapt upwards. The astonished soldier could only stare, mouth hanging open as his sword embedded itself into one of the cracks in the wall of the arena; giving Zas a landing spot as he descended from his leap. He stood on the leader's blade; wild eyes open wide in a crazed adrenaline high. The general's sword started its deadly downward slice as the lead rat tried to pry his sword out from under Zas's feet. One of the other two rats turned around in time to see what was going to happen. The lead rat struggled to get his hand free of the strap that bound his sword to him. Zas's sword sailed through the air like a striking viper; coming ever closer to the lead rat's throat.

"Girin!" The female rat behind the leader shouted, "Girin NO!"

Zas looked up at her in alarm as his blade stopped on a dime; inches from the lead rat's neck.

The arena fell silent.

The general looked down at the leader.

"What's your name?" Zas asked the rat hoarsely.

"I-I'm Girin." The rat barely managed to choke out a response.

Zas's eyes glazed over slightly; looking at nothing in particular as he let his sword arm fall to his side. He stepped off of the lead rat's sword and started to walk towards the exit of the arena. The female rat rushed over to Girin and cried into his shoulder. Zas stopped walking next to the unconscious rat in the sand; the two dead rats not ten paces from him. He heard the female crying to Girin and telling him how much she loved him. He in turn was telling her the same. Zas felt his blood boil in his veins as he looked up into the sky.

"Do you do these things to mock me?" He shrieked. "I loved you! Why did you have to die?"

The rats looked back at him in shock and alarm as the three who were still standing gathered on the opposite side of the arena. Zas's chest was heaving from anger and frustration. He wanted Girin back so badly, that it hurt. He needed the older rat in his life or else he would never be happy. The unconscious rat next to him groaned slightly and Zas's menacing eyes turned downward. He roared in grief and anger as his sword stabbed through the back of the defenseless rat's neck. He turned to face the other three rats with a look of pained hatred on his face.

"Look what your pitiful efforts have accomplished." He growled and pointed his sword at them; the blade still dripping with warm blood. "Three of your companions are dead; and for what? For the good of the kingdom? You don't even know what it's like to rule!"

"You are losing your mind." Girin stared at the general

"That may be." Zas replied. "But I will rule as I see fit. Maybe if you knew what it's like to lose someone you care deeply about, you would understand-"

Zas's eyes turned towards the female embracing Girin.

"Don't you dare-" Girin started to say, but Zas was beside her before Girin could finish blinking. The general's sword pierced the female's abdomen; a look of petrified shock was frozen on her face as Zas grinned maliciously at her.

"You," The female started to say. "You are a monster-"

Zas turned the blade as he pulled it from her; making her words turn to screams of agony as she fell to the sand. Girin stared at his fallen love in shock for only a moment before he pulled as hard as he could on his blade; trying to free it from the wall.

"You-!" He was shouting. "I'll fucking kill you!"

But his sword didn't budge from the stone. Zas turned away from the still howling leader of the rats and walked from the arena.

"Guards, imprison the two live ones and burn the dead." The general stopped at the door and caught Crix as he was running passed to do his duty. "And make sure there are no more interruptions for the rest of the day."

Zas's palace was dark and empty that night; leaving the troubled ruler alone to cry into his pillow. He had killed those three rats for no reason today and he knew he had made a mistake. Did he just want Girin back so badly that he had lost control? No. Zas liked killing those soldiers. He had been enjoying the thrill of the fight. The general of the rats sobbed into his pillow. Living without Girin was slowly turning him into a creature he did not want to become. But that didn't matter. He was barred from heaven anyway.

***

Quint abruptly came awake. It was their first night in the run-down castle and the hyena found that he was already missing Tireal's warmth next to him. He was about to turn over and fall back into restless sleep when a soft knock sounded on the door of his room. Puzzled, he went to open it and Alexis pushed the door the rest of the way open; sliding into the room. She closed the door again behind her. Quint stared at her for a moment.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"We have to get out of here as soon as we can." She replied; her face a mask of seriousness.

"Oh?" Quint mocked her. "Why ever would we want to do that?"

"This is serious. These birds know we're working for Zas. We need to find that sapphire and get it back to Kathsera before the birds decide to move against General Zas or the entire kingdom could be reduced to ashes in a matter of days."

"And that's my problem how?" Quint did not appreciate getting bossed around by someone who had tried to kill him twice.

"All of the civilians in the city will die!" Alexis looked genuinely worried. "If we don't do something soon, we'll lose our only chance to save thousands of innocent lives."

"I see. And since when do you care for the innocent? Weren't you the one who proclaimed Zas as the greatest ruler in the world?"

"She has always cared for the innocent." Quint turned around to see Charr, Vicks, and Tireal all standing at the door. "Her devotion to Zas was a ruse built by myself; the leader of The Arm of Justice. We all need to escape this place and take that gem from the birds as quickly as possible. The population of Kathsera depends on it."

Quint looked from Charr to Alexis; trying to see if they were telling the truth.

"Ok, But if she tries any funny stuff, I'm putting a bullet through her skull." He said. "Where do we start?"

"The Spire." Alexis responded. "The birds keep the Sapphire there because it's the most fortified location they have ever built."

"How could they modify something like that if they can't even build buildings or repair this castle?" Tireal asked.

"This whole city is an elaborate disguise." Alexis responded. "The workers are paid hourly wages judging on how hard they each pretend to work. The avians are actually quite versed in mechanics and engineering. The birds who dwell on land are merely very good actors-"

"It doesn't matter if Zas has the Sapphire or not, Serevix will destroy Kathsera when the Spire is finished." Quint butted in. "By the way, how do you know so much about this place?"

"I used to be an employed worker," Alexis said, "until Charr recruited me."

"More importantly, there is still hope." Charr said. "If The Spire isn't finished, then all we have to do is sabotage it before the birds complete it."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," said a voice from the doorway.

Quint and the others looked in the direction of the voice; alarmed. A bald eagle stood there dressed in shining plate-armor with a wicked looking blade at his hip.

"Good evening your majesty," Quint bowed while the others followed his lead. "How may we be of service tonight?"

"Enough of your groveling, featherless scum!" The king hissed. "Guards! Take these vermin to the jails below the castle. Starvation will be a fitting death for them if the building doesn't fall on them first!"

As the avian guards began to enter the room Quint looked to Charr.

"I trust you know how to handle yourself in hand-to-hand combat?" He asked and Charr just nodded. "Good. Then help me out here."

A guard charged towards Quint; sword drawn. The hyena palmed the flat of the soldier's blade; knocking the weapon to the side as his other paw came up in a balled fist under the bird's beak. The avian fell; dazed to the ground and Quint ducked another sword swipe as he grabbed the first bird's weapon.

"Alexis! Give the book called 'Escapism' on the bookshelf a tug and get the others out of here! We'll hold them off until you're free."

The female rat nodded and pulled on the book; sliding the bookshelf open. She looked down at the crumbling steps that led to the first floor. Tireal and Vicks were right behind her as she scrambled down the broken staircase. They felt for each step in the semi-darkness; making sure that they wouldn't be sent plummeting with a careless move. Vicks had the most trouble; his sense of balance altered by the position of his still tied paws. The staircase ended in a small room barely big enough for all of them to stand in. Alexis examined the walls for a switch or lever that would let them out, but she didn't need to look for long. The door to the secret passage slid open and the group found themselves staring down the barrel of an avian rocket cannon.

Charr and Quint had been on a steady retreat back towards the secret passage, but more guards continued to file into the room. The two lone warriors found themselves in front of the open window instead and Quint realized that the king's intent was to have the guards force them out of it.

"Got any good ideas?" Charr asked as he punched a bird square in the jaw.

"Yes, actually." Quint replied as he slapped another soldier with the flat of his blade. "Follow me."

The hyena turned and leaped out of the window.

Charr was speechless and forgot where he was until a sword nearly took his head off. The rat took a brief deep breath after he rendered his attacker unconscious and followed Quint out of the window. The rat felt his stomach leap into his throat as he saw a cliff face at the bottom of the castle descend to a valley hundreds of feet below him. There was a slight feeling of weightlessness before Charr started to fall.

Tireal pushed Alexis out of the way as the cannon fired. The small otter held out his hands as if to stop the flying ball of death and he mumbled something under his breath. Electricity flew from Tireal's fingertips at the cannon ball knocking it aside and into a nearby wall. The trio in the room fell to the floor from the impact. Alexis reached into a small pouch at her side and pulled out a metal ball with a fuse; lighting it on a piece of burning wood caused by the cannon ball's explosion. She threw it out into the smoke filled room and was rewarded with a very large blast moments later.

"We have to keep moving." She said as she stepped through the doorway and looked around. "I think we're in the main entrance hall."

"Then those must be the doors we came in." Vicks pointed.

As if on command, the doors in question exploded inwards; sending slivers of wood and fire into the entrance room. When the smoke cleared; the group was faced with a battalion of at least twenty more rocket cannons.

"RUN!" Alexis shouted as she grabbed another small grenade from her belt.

The others ran passed her and she lit the fuse; throwing it as hard as she could at the cannons.

Charr felt a paw grab his shirt as he fell below the window. The large rat winced as he slammed into the wall under the alcove Quint was hiding in and the hyena pulled the rat to safety just before the guards looked over the edge.

"Targets neutralized." One of the soldiers told the king as the birds filed out of the room one by one.

"Good. Now go and help with the other three in the entrance hall!" The eagle crowed as he left the room.

Quint smiled at Charr.

"I suppose it helps that I've been here before, doesn't it?" He said.

"It does indeed, but you could have warned me." The rat replied. "We have to get to the entrance hall before the guards, though."

"That's not a problem."

Quint pressed a brick on the wall; revealing another secret staircase.

"This will lead us down to the kitchens. From there, the entrance hall is just through a doorway."

A loud explosion reverberated off of the walls of the staircase before them.

"We should hurry." Charr said as he scurried passed Quint and down the stairs.

The grenade had exploded with a much greater force than seemed capable of it. Alexis picked herself up off of the floor coughing. The rat female looked around her for any sign of the others or the cannon battalion. She saw neither through the thick smoke and she was about to call out for her comrades when a paw grabbed her arm. She looked down at Tireal in alarm as the otter motioned for her silence.

"They can't see us." He whispered. "Keep silent and follow me."

As the smoke billowed upwards and out of the tattered building Alexis saw the avians searching through the rubble. Vicks emerged from a plume of smoke and carefully made his way to where Tireal and Alexis were waiting. He must have been invisible as well.

"I think the coast is clear." Vicks murmured. "There's almost no one guarding the main entrance."

Tireal nodded in silence and led the way towards the large, splintered wooden doors. The threesome made it through the doors without any trouble and they were about to make a break for their escape when Vicks heard a commotion behind them. He turned quickly and couldn't believe his eyes.

"Untie me!" he yelled; making Tireal lose his concentration over the spell.

The group shimmered into view as Quint and Charr sprinted through the smoke-laden entryway. The guards behind them were readying a volley of cannon fire and Vicks knew what had to be done. Quint nodded to the young lion as he sprinted forwards; grabbing Charr by the wrist and adding a boost of speed to his pace. Despite Tireal's protests, Alexis cut his bonds and Vicks ran back towards the entrance of the castle; trying to close as much distance as possible. Alexis grabbed Tireal.

"Get down!" She shouted as she flung the otter to the ground.

Quint looked over his shoulder.

"Hurry up, Charr!"

Both creatures launched themselves into the air at the same time; the cannons firing behind them. Vicks gritted his teeth and stepped passed the airborne rat and hyena.

I hope this works. He thought to himself.

Quint and Charr landed next to the other three as Vicks lifted his hands at the oncoming barrage of burning iron as it passed the entrance threshold.

The entrance exploded.

Smoke billowed up from the destroyed doors into the night. Tireal slowly lifted his head from the ground and got to his feet. Quint and Charr were already standing and the otter helped Alexis get up as well. The hyena looked over the wreckage that had been the entrance to a castle.

The avians looked on too, curious about their target, but ultimately sure of themselves. All of their mouths dropped open as the smoke cleared briefly; giving them a glimpse of Vicks, smoke rising from his fur and clothes under the archway. He turned and stepped out of the doorway as the structure crumbled behind him; making it impossible to follow.

The lion met his friends on the cobblestones and grinned. Quint was grinning back, but everyone else seemed completely shocked.

"How did you do that?" Tireal exclaimed.

"I, well I-" Vicks started, but Alexis cut him off.

"Let's get going, shall we? They are sure to send more soldiers to look for us."

Vicks smiled at her; a silent thank you as the group fled through the desolate and empty streets towards the docks.

END?