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"Sh-she betrayed me, SHE BETRAYED ME!"

"I TOLD you," said the boy on Oberon's back, "didn't I tell you about Gizamaluke, she brought it here!"

"Wh-wh-why, why-HHHH!" He tripped in his staggering run, frantic with tears through the wilderness of night. "Why would she-"

"Because she doesn't give a crap about what YOU want, she wants only what's best for her, where was she when your dad died huh, she ran away to chase after the sky!"

"N-no, no sh-she was there, she couldn't do anything, she didn't know that would h-happen!"

"Oh like YOU didn't know your friend was there when you stabbed him right through his little baby guts?"

"SHUT UP!" shrieked Oberon frantically grabbing at his back. "SHUT UP GET OFF OF MEEEE!"

The student's hands went snatching violently behind him to try and pull the boy off him, his sniflling rodent snout laced with hot tears and gasping breaths clouding in the night. The child leapt off of him when Oberon took a few more ragged steps and fell into a sloped pit, crying out and rolling within muddy dust to splash into a thick pool of shallow swamp. He started crying with bubbling snorts beneath the bog, whimpering sobs with his hands upon his helm to leave streaked blackish-green smears on his chestnut skin.

"N-n-no one even c-cares about me...why...w-would they even, I-i, I-"

"You've got to pay the price sometime," said the kid sitting at the top of the slope, "and now there's only two ways out for you. Either go back with her and face your death...or, you run faster so she doesn't catch you. I think you've already made your choice hmm?"

"I-i-i didn't," stammered Oberon squeezing mud between his hands, "I didn't mean to, I-i-i didn't want to KILL HIM!"

"Doesn't matter whether YOU wanted to, remember that Alexandrian general Freya teamed up with she didn't wanna kill all those Burmecians but that still makes her a murdering bitch."

"TH-THAT'S DIFFERENT!" shrieked the youth turning his muddied face to him. "THAT WAS WAR, THIS WASN'T! They're gonna lock me up, or put me under the guillotine!"

"Or burn you alive at the stake," said the boy almost too gleefully whilst chewing his nails, "nnn-nnnh, wonder how black mages execute people, you think they burn you alive or just fry you with lightning?"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UUUUUP!"

"Alright alright look." The little rat slid down the slope coolly on his feet to stop just above the soup. "We're on the run, we've chosen our way, now Freya's the first person that's gonna understand you wanting to make your own journey."

"Yeah, sh-she...she would."

"She's got no right to tell you off after all she's done, so...come on." He reached his hand out towards Oberon with a charming grin. "Come with me...let's escape that serpent's tongue and we'll make amends before long."

"I-i-i...I don't know who to trust anymore."

"Just give me your hand...if we'll be friends..."

Oberon reached out his hand.

"And just let Robin restore your amends."

The boy smiled as he grasped his hand. So did the darkness behind him.

The fire crackled away upon their faces as Fishclaw dragged another branch into the flames. Night had fallen after the party's second day upon the old continent, sitting within another forest that laid closer to the mountain ridge. The wind howled across the open plains beyond the trees whilst shadows danced between the woods. Freya softly poked the embers with her spear to let the ashes rise and strengthen the flame, seeing Oddclaw and Moonclaw huddled up together on the opposite side. Fishclaw sat beside her whilst keeping his eyes and ears open for any beasts.

"I forgot to say," murmured Moonclaw to Odd, "thank you for defending me from...him."

"No need to," he replied huddling his knees, "I will not let anyone hurt you, nor any of my family, ever again."

She sighed with a despondent look at him, raising her head to see his eyes flickering in the firelight. He turned his gaze to her and glumly replied:

"Thank you for...stopping me from fighting with Fishclaw. You were right, he...I cannot let him win with anger over me."

"I know that he hurt you, and you have every right to be angry for-"

"No." Oddclaw tensed his fists together to rub his shivering knuckles together. "That is not why I am angry at him."

"No?"

"He hurt my brother. He...h-he tortured Barkclaw, because of me, everytime I look at my brother's face I have to live with that. I was not there to stop him."

"Barkclaw does not blame you for that, surely."

"No...I do."

He pressed his palms into his eyes, claws tightening to scrape against his pebbled scales as his breath became rapid. Moonclaw placed her head on his shoulder to softly lick at his wrist.

"Nothing he did is your fault Oddclaw, you know that."

"N-no, NO you do not understand!" He stood up frustrated as she almost fell over. "Barkclaw trusts me, he trusted me to keep him safe, I PROMISED him that I would never leave him and then...th-th-then...f-four, cycles, that WORTHLESS BEAST hurt him, h-he was alone and his own family, his own mother did not know because he was so frightened of him!"

"Why did he not tell your mother?!"

"BECAUSE I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS HIM!"

Slumping onto his knees Oddclaw started to sob with gentle choking heaves in the back of his throat, lying on his front onto the ground with hands squeezing at his skull before his shoulders shook with heaving sounds of weeping. He felt Moonclaw approach and gently lap at his head with chirring whimpers from her throat, but then he felt someone else lick across his skull and another set of clawed feet beside him.

"Oddclaw. Look at me."

He raised his head to see Fishclaw bend his head down to his.

"You are a good brother. Barkclaw does not blame you, he knows you care about him. You made him that thing made out of moss when the skyfire comes because you know his ears hurt."

"Well...I-i do, but-"

"And when you are away with the hairless, he goes to the northern beach as soon as he wakes up in case you come back early."

"He does?"

"Yes. He loves you. I cannot tell what he thinks about the rest of his family, but all of us know that he loves you."

"I...I-i do not deserve his love-"

"Stop it."

Freya spoke from the other side of the fire with head raised to him.

"I may not fully understand what events have transpired within your family, but I have seen a family that care about you, in fact none of your family speak ill of you. Whatever that rabid beast speaks of, he does not say it with confidence but of fear and loneliness. He envies you Oddclaw, he despises you because you are loved. And I have known those like him, who fought and destroyed others because of that hate, but those they tried to ruin did not succumb to that hate, but instead found strength in their friends or family because they are not alone and neither are you."

"Freya is right!" said Moonclaw eagerly pushing his snout with hers. "He has no one, he will rot alone but you will always have your family unlike him, Barkclaw is the same too!"

"I...th-thank you," whimpered Odd as he stood back up, "I-i just...want, to forget about 'him' is all."

"I do too," said Fishclaw with a heavy voice brushing his snout on Oddie's face, "if we ever happen to come across him again, we will never speak to him, nor acknowledge him as our own. From the moment we banished him he is but another wretched beast."

"Thank you brother. I am sorry again about before-"

"Hahaha come on, compared to what I had to put up with HIM that was just a silly scuffle, you and I get much worse from our sisters."

"Hhhah..." Oddclaw's smile tried to break through but his head kept low, "I-i will keep guard, you can go sleep."

"Are you sure?" asked his brother looking over his eyes.

"I am fine, I am not tired yet."

"Alright, but when you are, tell me and I will take over."

"N-no, you need sleep!"

"I have children Oddclaw, I do not sleep. Trust me when you have children you will also see."

"Hahaha, alright then."

With Oddclaw taking his post near the edge of the campfire, Fishclaw sat himself down to rest beside Freya whilst Moonclaw moved up beside him to share their body warmth. The dragoon knight stared up into the sky before laying herself fully back for a small nap, the smouldering fire wafting fumes of lethargy across their minds as they fell into slumber.

An hour would pass. Oddclaw leaned himself against a tree with turmoil in his thoughts as the flames kept crackling. The sound of buzzing creatures and whooping calls in the night set a lonesome scene.

I hope Barkclaw is alright...Stonevoice has been a savior to me in keeping him safe, I cannot believe how close the two have become. Does not make me feel any better, I promised I would not leave him. Is this leaving? Is all this, hunting starbeasts and stonebeasts, is this breaking a promise to him?

He sat himself down against the tree's roots feeling much smaller than ever before, huddling himself to his knees once again whilst looking over at his companions.

I know they are right...but I still feel terrible that...I can see his face and I am forgetting what it used to look like before HE ruined it...ruined him. I wonder if...maybe the hairless can heal him, what if they can get rid of his scars? ...no, no it is not my choice. It hurts me to see him like that but, I will ask him. When I get back I will ask him. Then I will stop-

Something rustled in the bushes near him. His eyes darted up as he stood on his feet in a flash with hand reaching back to his gun handle.

"Who is there?! ...I know you are there, come out now!"

He felt a presence in front of him, just beyond his vision and lurking around the trees as he caught sight of something. Black shimmering wings of a beast his size as he pulled his gun out and took aim.

"Identify yourself, or my fire shall scar you!"

The shadow rushed away from him with a taunting grace, as Oddclaw gave chase sensing there was only one beast present in the area with his eyes scanning the darkness. The black unknown rushed between trees with incredible speed, not fast enough however to lose him as the raptor caught his scent and zigzagged through the forest, holstering his gun as he leapt over fallen logs and kicked upwards along bark to swing from branches and propel himself even further. By the time the shadow had stopped, he had lost sight of his own encampment and now faced him in a semi-cleared section of the forest where a small river travelled through separating the land in half sublimely.

"Who are you?!" barked Oddclaw.

Someone you will meet in future.

The dark stranger revealed himself before the raptor, a tall cloaked being whose features remained cowled in immaculate darkness. His voice was deep like the stone of a tomb's seal being unearthed from its crypt, yet it did not seem to come from a voice but rather that of the ether itself, creeping into his mind as a thought already there before he even knew it. The smell of death swept around him in a cold musty breath as Oddclaw pulled out his gun in preparation.

"Answer me, who are you?! Why did you run?!"

So as to not have the other three interfere.

"What?!"

I've come of my own will. I ask only one thing, after which I will tell you where your little friend ran off to.

"You have seen him? What, are you, are you a starbeast?"

I am not of this world, nor any world anymore. I ask only that you fight me.

The cloaked stranger whipped out his left arm it began to creep with darkness, clouds of blackest void darker than his robe forming some fiendish weapon's shape.

"You want to fight me?" he asked confused. "Why?!"

To test your strength.

"Why?! Why do you want to challenge me, do you know me?!"

I don't know of you yet, but in seven years I will.

He twirled the forming weapon from his left sleeve before slamming it hard into the soil, scraping a thick metallic sound in a straight line horizontally between them. Darkness burned out of the forming mist, a sound unholy shrieked with rabid energy like a corrupted generator, streaking sparks of hot violet from the earth until his weapon became solid. A large black stone with circular front and two "teeth" hooking its back on a hard wooden staff.

"Who...are you?" said Oddclaw with a quivering throat and twitching fingers.

One who does not exist.

The being swung his weapon in one hand over his broad shoulder.

"Now, fight me."

"And if I refuse?!"

Then your friend shall die.

"What?! Why, what have you done with him?!"

Nothing. But he will die if you do not hurry to whence he came and I know which way he went now FIGHT me...Oddclaw.

"...fine." Oddclaw tensed his legs with finger in the trigger of his gun. "You will regret fighting me deepbeast."

The raptor braced his legs and waited for the first attack, a shimmering burn of deepest purple that scarred through the earth towards him. Sidestepping out of its path he rushed and fired once he closed the distance, the shadow dodging with only the faintest trace of footsteps behind it as he swung his dark weapon towards Oddie. He ducked beneath the swing and came charging to slam his gun into the cloak, bashing across its chest like a club so hard he spun round to deliver a second overhead blow the shadow swerved away from.

He thrust one of his cloaked sleeves out to punch Oddclaw with a hidden fist as sharp as bone, winding the raptor with a wheezing gasp as he forced himself to hold his breath and dodgeroll from the second punch. His gun recharged ready to fire as he blasted the creature's side hard with all three shots of the laser rifle, pummelling through his cloak as he staggered with a hissing chuckle. The shadow countered by striking his weapon hard into the earth to cause a crackling boom that tore through the land and caused the little stream to tremble with vibrations as Oddclaw leapt fast out of its bursting breach.

The shadow rushed him soon as he landed, forcing Oddclaw to guard with his gun in a harsh steel clash as the black-headed weapon crunched against his shotgun's chassis. Two more blows came harder than before with crushing force upon his weapon hard enough to knock it free from his hands as the raptor swiftly countered with a flowing leg sweep, smacking hard against the cold cowled legs to sweep him off his feet.

The dark tenebrous being fell with an odd clattering sound before he completely collapsed, smouldering a thick wave of fog the colour of night as Oddie coughed and covered his eyes. Reaching for his gun he fired at the fallen beast, causing the cloak to become flat and splayed across the ground like simple cloth. Then it suddenly moved across the land shuddering with unseen winds until it swirled back up into assuming a creature's form that cracked its neck with a soft twist of its hood.

Impressive. Can you shoot your way out of THIS?

The fiend slammed its weapon down with hammer's might to cause a tremendous shockwave bursting from his epicentre, radiating a static burst of forked lightning both black and purple that stormed towards Oddie in violent pillars he strafed between. Arcing blasts and shimmering cracks of light forced him to swerve through columns and buy himself time to recharge his gun, before making one forced rush through three thunderous totems and fire hard at the enemy's hood.

But the shadow anticipated his shot and hurled his weapon into the air before smacking one of his long-sleeved arms against the bottom of the gun, sending a ferocious stream of lasers into the sky before the raptor was slampunched by a solid unseen palm strike to his stomach. Gasping as he stumbled back falling from the forceful punch, he watched the fiend grab his large weapon in both hands before whirling himself round in a tremendous spin, wielding it like a hammer as he swung closer and closer towards Oddclaw.

Forced to back away from the devastating whirr of the beastly weapon, the raptor ran in a circle round the cleaing as the strength of the cloaked enemy was so great that the stream briefly turned dry from the hammer's sweep, droplets sucked into its centrifugal force to become shattered against the hard blunt edge until he finally ceased with a crushing slam that deafened the entire world.

Oddclaw's vision turned bleary as his hearing popped, with one or two trees of weakened roots now crumbling to fall down close to him as he dodged out of one falling lumber's path, clouds of dust scattering across the small battlefield as he caught briefly the sight of the approaching dark beast. His hammer rose up as the raptor rolled fast to his right and ducked beneath the twisting turn of the hammer's path to swing with a monstrous two-handed swipe, jumping over the second sweep that came back towards him and backflipping over the final third one to fire his shotgun hard in mid-air strike. All three shots met their target as the shadow staggered back with a wounded rasp in his throat.

HHHHH! Hhhhhmhmhm...so you have proven your worth as a shooter.

He charged without warning like a banshee to pull Oddclaw's gun away and sock him clean across the jaw, before pushing the entire weapon deep into the folds of his robe like some magic trick.

Now, can you fight me hand-to-hand?

WHA-MY STARFIRE!

Don't worry, I'll return it...IF you can survive without it.

With surprising fairness the shadow cast his weapon away as it slowly dissipated into nefarious embers back to the darkness. The raptor put up his fists and swung out with a backfist before spinning round to form an overhead slam with both fists tight together which the hooded figure blocked with both wrists crossed into an X. His counter came with a hard thrustkick into the raptor's stomach which Oddie spun out of the way and kept his momentum to swing out a roundhouse kick that smacked the figure's head.

With a slight stagger the cloaked foe pushed one foot into the ground to keep his balance before springing forth with a leading feint kick, whipping up his foot in a snap to force Oddie back and grabbing one of his arms with cold bony fingers to socketpunch him with the other fist three times to pummel him into the dirt.

His left eye became bruised in darkening his orange birthmark to a swollen amber as he stood back up, the raptor waiting instead for the next attack that came in the form of a whirling lariat as the shadow swept out his sleeves in a spinning whallop, first in one direction then the other. Oddclaw kept himself ducked not fooled by the brief lull between spins and waited for a rising uppercut, followed by two downward punches in a hammering motion that pounded against the fiend's assumed skull.

Oddclaw went for a fourth punch only to have his wrist grabbed by the cloaked sleeve, but this time he was ready as he lunged his jaws forward to bite into the darkness beneath the cowl and crunch on something that tasted strongly like bone. The shadow was surprised and struggled to pull away from the snarling teeth that clutched at his head, forcing him to release Oddclaw's arm as the raptor followed up with a wrench of his jaws to throw his opponent to the ground.

"ENOUGH, NOW DIE!"

Lunging upon the veiled fiend he was ready to slash and gouge but the cloak swiftly melted its inner body back into the earth once more, trailing its cryptic arctic wind around Oddclaw to fully reform behind him. A cold sleeve wrapped around his throat, pulling him into a headlock to choke him with powerful restraint as he struggled and heaved frantically. Oddclaw swung his entire body back to hurl himself on top of the shadow, crushing him with his weight before rolling off and watching him hover back up like a phantom.

The black robe shuddered forwards in a blur with brutal swipes of the sleeves, whirring them past Oddclaw's dodging head thrice before a monstrous leg sweep the raptor jumped over in a sideways flip, charging into the foe's side with a double hammerfist from above and below like a caveman that pummelled the spectre back. Before the shadow could strike again, something pierced from the skies above with a shrieking howl almost penetrating through the crepuscular robe. A spear managed to rip through one of the sleeves to reveal a large skeletal arm with four fingers.

"THAT is enough."

Freya's voice cut through the trees like her spear had done, the dragoon knight following suit to clasp her staff with both hands and wrench it free from the ground with tremendous leap back, standing by Oddclaw's side as the shadow glowered with shaking bone fist.

Stay out of this, dragoon.

"And miss the chance to sharpen my spear upon a fiend's hide, I think not."

Hhhm, that's easier said than done. You were supposed to fall asleep.

"You're not the first to try and drug me with a sleeping weed," she tapped at her nose with a knowing smile, "a few herbs stuffed up one's nostrils will suffice in shutting out your trickery."

This battle concerns only HIM.

"Well, too bad. Now it concerns US."

She twirled her spear with beckoning hand to taunt their opponent as Oddclaw cracked his knuckles. The dread tartarean presence accepted his new opponent by bringing back his large warhammer weapon to creep his thin white fingers along the thick handle. He rushed towards Oddie first still setting his sights on him with a double swing, whirling like a bladed fan as Oddclaw backflipped then sideflipepd out of harm's way for Freya to attack from behind the cloak.

The shadow swung his weapon back in guarding against her thrusting spear, catching his handle between her three pointed tips and furiously swinging forwards to a crushing slam to hurl her forwards in turn. The dragoon rode his momentum calmly, twisting her body round her own spear to land perfectly on both feet and swing with a bladed slash across the cloak's belly. He backed off to try and harness his dark energy for another shockwave of pillared lightning, banging the raw dirt like drums of war as Freya and Oddclaw dodged separately to close in on the fiend. The knight murmured something to her spear, gracefully stroking the staff as a strange jade-coloured entity whispered from her weapon. Long reptile body made of smoke, coiling around her staff before she made a wounding strike, gouging with deep thrusting cut as the green-tinted fog took the shape of a dragon and tore through the stygian robe with soul-devouring rend of its misted teeth.

A-AAAARGH! Nnn-nnnngh...this...does not concern YOU, rodent!

The hammer whirled towards her like a weighted boomerang, smacking against her staff to throw her off-guard before the shadow rushed in with such speed it almost blinked from existence, instantly before Freya to grab her neck with skeletal hand and throttle her furiously. Stifling a coughing gasp as she felt her breath being viciously sucked out of her body, she tightened her neck muscles in response and snarled before grabbing the cloak's hood and pulling him hard towards her knee, slamming with bullet force into his cranium hard enough to force him to release her.

Before he could recover Oddclaw came attacking from the side with a frantic flying kick, punching both of his feet into the shadowed robe to knock him down and force the entity to submerge into the earth and creep its cloak across the clearing. Freya tensed her feet and spun her staff with another prayer, closing her eyes and murmuring to feel the enemy's presence. Once he started to emerge from the ground, she cast her spear like a staff summoning a spell, as a white wind drew across the forest with the sudden hiss of whispering leaves. The shadow was hit by the small zephyr like a sweet gas clouding him as he felt his mind become swamped with lethargy, sapping a part of his being before the gale turned back towards Freya and seeped into her body.

What...what are you, a witch?!

"I am a dragoon," she claimed touting her spear over one shoulder, "the strength of dragons seeps through me by their blood which I have shed, and so too you shall be no different."

Hhhmmph...I have seen enough.

The spectral foe looked at his bone limb exposed to the world with a small tut of disapproval.

You owe me a new sleeve however.

"And YOU owe use an explanation."

No...but I DO owe you a reward as I promised Oddclaw.

"Where is her friend?!" cried the raptor. "You said if I survived you would tell me where he is!"

That is true. Your lost prince has headed towards the marsh far to the north of us near the coast.

"Wh-what?!" Freya stepped forwards with her eyes wide in shock. "H-how do you know abou-"

I see many things from beyond the veil, and if you do not hurry to save him then he shall join the thousands of deceased.

"Who are you?" Oddclaw approached with tensing fists.

A friend, seven years from now at least.

The cloak began to glow with smouldering dusk, amidst sounds of crawling fire that burned into their ears with roaring bass as the ground beneath him turned into the deepest night.

I look forward to our formal meet, son of Oddscar.

"Wh-what, why six-and-one years?!"

They have not come...but soon they will, and I shall help you save your world from yet another fearsome beast.

"Why?! Answer me!"

Because you...shall save...my family.

His body submerged into the depths of darkness, swallowed by a seething mist of ghoulish gloam until not a single trace was left of his presence. Not even a trace of burnt ash as even the smell evaporated from the woods, except for the shotgun that he had "consumed" and now left behind.

"Another traveller lost from his world?" said the dragoon gently prodding her spear at where he had been.

"He said he was not from any land," said the raptor, "but why would I...how would I save his family?"

"If it is something that will happen seven years from now, then it is not worth your time in worrying for now. I suggest you make a note of it, and focus on our current task."

"You are right...thank you for saving me Freya."

"Tis what I do," she said turning round to face him with a smiling nod, "consider it my repayment for your good work in helping me track Oberon."

"I am glad to help," he replied bowing happily after picking up his gun, "let us get back to my mate and brother."

With the feral raptors awakened and the battle explained in as best they could, they set off north in the early morning towards the swamplands near the coast. The morning sky felt like a cold dismal afternoon as the clouds continued to cover the breadth of the land with occasional spattering drops of rain here and there in patches, the plains dipping to form small pools that rainwater stored up in. Sometimes the raptors would wash themselves in these temporary ponds to rejuvenate themselves with the rich cool fresh liquid to drink and bathe, as well as Freya storing some of the water separately in a canteen for future travel.

Three hours later they would soon arrive at the marshes proper, a seething reservoir of boggy peat and pits of lime that threatened to suck unwary travellers down whole in devouring. Freya would lead the way with very cautious thrusts of her spear into different parts of the land to test their solid ground before encouraging the raptors to follow. The world became wrapped in mist, scores of insects chittering and buzzing morosely as lights danced between breezes and bullrushes. Fish would swim in sequestered ponds beneath murky waters as Fishclaw took an interest for his namesake in catching a few for them to eat, honing his eyes with piercing stillness to snatch-and-kill.

"I can see why you are known as Fishclaw," said Freya in admiration, "such swiftness I have never seen in snatching a beast from the waters."

"GLLLKH!" He tore through and swallowed half a fish to leave the head for Oddclaw to eat. "I cannot explain how my skill works, but very few of us possess it."

"Eyeclaw had that skill," said Oddclaw chewing on the raw fish head as he sat down by the bank, "he could sense a creature beneath the earth and rip his claws straight through to pull a warmblood out and CRUNCH it in his jaws!"

"Hahah, yes I remember, when I first learned of my own skill he came to me and spoke on how best to wield it."

"He told me only six hunters have the Killer Eye, is that true Fishclaw?"

"I am not certain," he replied with a gentle scratch of his head in pondering, "I feel I am the only one who even bothers to catch fish."

"You certainly are the only one that SMELLS like a fish," added Moonclaw teasing with jaws coated in cracked fish scale meat.

"You can laugh but it brought me a mate!"

"Certainly one way to meet your partner," replied Freya with a chuckle stratching at her scalp, "this place is somehow worse than the Qu Marsh back home."

"With all the rain you said you had at home I am surprised you do not LIVE in a place like this!"

"No we build houses for that, but one of my friends lives in the marsh, they are strange but good-hearted."

"They would have to have great patience for these-NAH!" Moonclaw snapped at one of the bugs stuttering round her head. "This place is AWFUL, every step I take is an effort!"

"And these smallwings are festering beasts," snarled Odd slapping a few flies against his scaled head, "even Barkclaw would hate this place."

"Or would he call it his new home?"

"I do not want to think of him living here, he could catch some awful sickness from this water."

"Agreed," said Freya wrinkling her nose from the foetid blue algae smearing across one pond nearby, "I am starting to miss the frogs of the Qu marsh, they at least eat the insects."

"Whilst here the smallwings eat each other, and breed more of them than before."

"A gross yawning cycle of life. I wonder what non-insect predators lie in this swamp-OH-OHH!"

Her answer came surprisingly sooner than they thought when they saw a fat wart burst from the seething swamp, a great beast of around three feet big with sand-stripe colourings that masked it well within the heated smothering fumes of methane-flavoured water. a surly wretched beast that squatted on the bank reaching as Fishclaw backed off.

"AH! G-get back!"

"By the GODS!" gasped Freya. "That's the second biggest bloody frog I've ever seen!"

"Those things eat hatchlings," said Fishclaw sternly, "foultongues we call them."

"Ohhh THOSE are foultongues!" said Oddclaw with intrigue bending down towards it. "I did not expect them to be so...fat."

"N-NO GET BACK!" Fishclaw pulled him away with jaws round his arm in a firm yank. "That thing will eat your head if you let it!"

"It has no teeth, how can it eat my head?!"

"It has a tongue as swift as our claws, watch!"

The frog ignored them and peered with sinking eyes around the marsh, tracing the path of a juicy dragonfly that briskly hovered around a bullstalk for safety. The tongue of the frog whipped out with shocking speed that by the time Oddclaw even realised its plan, the dragonfly's thorax was poking out of its bloated lips struggling to free itself before the crunch of its gorging throat muscles.

"O-oh...what an odd beast."

"That thing will eat your eyes if you are not careful," said Fishclaw, "mother told me the same, so let us leave it be."

"Agreed," said Freya, "it might even be poisonous, I have known some frogs who possess a toxic skin."

"I do not know if they are poisonous but let us avoid them regardless."

Slowly navigating between peat bogs and rancid marshland, they parted through reeds and tested their paths with each tepid step, before reaching the shores of a large bubbling quagmire that stretched before them by a good 600 yards long and wide. Oddclaw found a log nearby and pulled it along to push it through and down into the foul thick liquid as to form a bridge. Freya decided instead to jump over the swamp, reaching the other side in a hero's leap as she waved them over.

"I will be here in case the log is rotten!" she shouted across the way.

"Thank you!" cried Oddie as he took his first steps upon the log.

"Are you sure you will be alright?" asked Moonclaw.

"I am smaller than both of you, if it can take my weight it should be fine for you."

Walking with careful balance as he put his arms out to either side, the raptor anthro gently clicked his claws on the wood, hearing the subtle creak of its bark before leaping to where Freya stood. He called over to his brother and mate as Moonclaw went next as the second-heaviest of the group, cautious in taking her first steps as the log sunk slightly against the shallow bank before she put both feet onto it. The wooden support groaned even further under her weight than it did from Oddclaw's but she was faster than him and reached across in half the time.

Fishclaw braced himself, taking a moment to gaze upon the log with his Killer Eye to identify any weakened parts of the wood before stepping on. His muscular weight sent the log tilting upwards at an angle as his feet became partly submerged, but he remained calm despite the frantic gasp of his brother.

"AH, B-BE CAREFUL!"

"I am fine, it will settle itself!"

The log reasserted its position as he traipsed his way along with exceptional caution and precision of his clawed feet, skirting past any of the weaker rotting sections before he hopped straight off the other end and back onto semi-dry ground. They walked onwards, searching high and low for any sign of Oberon's tracks as they entered a large field of thick grass taller than their heads.

"If he is smart Oberon will hide in the reeds," said Freya scanning through the bullrushes, "but be on the lookout for any large rocks one coul take cover in, perhaps a cave even."

"I am not sure if there are caves here," said Oddclaw, "the ground feels too watery, would a cave not just collapse?"

"Not if the cave is deep," said Moonclaw factually, "go deep enough and the ground is too thick to collapse, that is why you can have stones hanging above your head like branches."

"Hmmmm...but, how deep would you have to go before they-"

"We are being hunted."

Fishclaw's words almost made them stop, but he beckoned them to keep moving so as not arouse suspicion. They could feel their presence, the subtlest shit in the muggy waters, logs that seemed almost too uniform in their bumped mossy ridges and echoing ripples from the surrounding ponds. Freya kept a tighter grip on her spear with her other hand dancing closer towards it whilst Oddclaw glanced his hand behind his neck to scratch near his shotgun.

"Halt."

A deep voice came booming from the marsh in front of them, despite no creature appearing before their eyes as of yet as Fishclaw barked at his companions to do so. He spoke towards the seemingly-absent marsh:

"I apologise if we have intruded upon your lands, we have no desire for blood."

"Is that so? Then why do your claws tread through our fertile waters?"

"We are searching for a friend, he is lost and we must find him before he succumbs to his sickness."

"A friend? We have not seen any such swiftclaws here apart from you."

"He is not a swiftclaw, but a warmblood like her," Fishclaw nodded towards Freya who twirled her spear deftly, "have you seen any such as her pass through here?"

"That is only for us to know, swiftclaw. Do you desire to seek your friend?"

"Yes. But we will not fight, I assure you."

"Very well."

The swampwater burbled beneath their feet as they stepped back in watching a monstrous being raise itself up from the morbid depths, raw thickening algae crowned upon the head of a long-snouted beast with cruel smiling teeth and cold reptilian eyes that gazed upon them unblinking from the top of its 20-feet long body trailing out behind him. Then they saw five more of them, rising from all the marshes round them with threatening deep trembles in their large pudgy throats, thick vibrations that went below Oddclaw and Freya's hearing but they felt their voices shudder through their spines and hips. The four travellers resisted the urge to fight and so quelled any scent of aggression within them whilst glaring at the swamp monster who trotted closer towards them like a reptilian equine. These would be known in years to come as the Kaprosuchus.

"Good," said the first giant croc with teeth grinning like a boar's tusks, "I would hate to thicken our waters more with your blood."

"They are thick enough as it is," murmured Moonclaw.

"Follow me."

Turning himself to face the northwest, the crocbeast lumbered his feet fully out of the swamp and trudged through to the muddy shore whilst the rest of his group circled around them. They walked in formation as Freya noticed that the crocodilian did not walk like a regular beast of similar descript, which would have a flattened body of stout legs sticking out the sides of the body, but instead had legs like that of a horse directly underneath its large-bellied scales with immaculate pace. Height-wise they reached up to Freya's shoulder, but their girth and musculature were just as intimidating as their hog-chunked teeth.

"These are the greatest waterjaws I have ever seen," murmured Oddclaw.

"The size of ironites," said Freya glancing to her sides, "and overall just as fearsome."

"You have these back in your home?"

"Not exactly...but beasts that could match them well."

A ten-minute walk lead them to the centre of the crocbeasts' lair, a giant pond with surprisingly cleaner water than the rest of the marsh seemed despite the odd cloud of green algae filming across the surface. Dozens of long-snouted ridge-scaled reptiles sat along the banks, swam through the waters and viciously fought each other with crushing bites and raking claws like wild dogs. The sounds of buzzing flies and shrieking crickets chirrupping were muffled out by the long deep moans of their rulers that trembled through the mud, vibratos by the dozenfold until they reached what was definitely their leader.

The beast before them was enormous, a good 40 feet long of swarthy ridged skin and thick rippling wattled chin that vibrated the very earth around him as he squatted in a large hollow tree trunk amidst the thickest bullrushes. But he was also different from the rest of them in that his legs were much more splayed out from underneath his body like a traditional crocodilian would be, whilst four females surrounded him like a harem. His eyes glowered with a misted yellow as he marched forth from his lair to gaze upon the newcomers, with each step causing the puddles to vibrate around them. The first thing they noticed apart from his colossal girth and different leg structure, was the fact that half his tail was missing. Those of the modern age would be aghast at this most prodigious specimen, a different subspecies known as Sarcosuchus.

"I am the Alpha of the Waterjaw tribe. Identify yourselves before me."

"I am Fishclaw of the Hunter's Nest," began the tallest raptor.

"I am Moonclaw, formerly of the Death Nest."

"I am Oddclaw, from the Hunter's Nest."

"Freya Crescent, knight of the Kingdom of Burmecia."

"Hmmmm..."

The swamphood leader looked to the rodent newcomer partially, his eyes squinting from behind the prominent bulge at the end of his snout swollen with immense testosterone as he turned his gaze back towards Fishclaw.

"Are you perhaps from the same swiftclaw tribe, that travelled past our waters thirty-and-two cycles ago?"

"Yes," replied Fishclaw, "you remember us?"

"No, but my son was a scout on the farthest southern shores of our waters when he saw your tribe pass through to the east. Have you come to return to your birthplace?"

"No, we are searching for a friend that is lost and sick, a warmblood the same as this one before you."

"I see." The leader cast his eyes towards Freya once again with growing intrigue. "You are not of this land are you warmblood?"

"I must confess that I am not," she said nodding courteously, "I apologise again for our trespassing, but my student has fled stricken with madness and we must find him before it is too late."

"Then I shall set part of your fear at ease. We have seen a creature of your scent who fled towards the northeast."

"You have?! Oh thank the gods, please permit us to pass through!"

"I would...if I was not uncertain of your strength."

"What?!"

"Your friend has fled to a land that is fraught with death, a place we call the Lair of the Deep. Within a cave there is a creature, the Deep Hunger who has savaged our tribe and feasted upon those unfortunate or too weak to stand against it. Your friend will surely become a morsel with you as a great feast, unless you can fight it."

"I am not afraid." The dragoon held her spear boldly before her in a straight horizontal defiance. "Whatever beast I must face is nothing compared to the loss of my student."

"The loss of one's life is always the greatest battle," trembled the Alpha, "no beast of our tribe or beyond have managed to survive against the dreaded Deep Hunger...except for one."

"I have faced Death itself. I have seen the spectre that lies beyond all worlds, a many-faceted creature whose breath speaks of the coldest winter, his voice the ash of thousands who perish in war and his visage becoming the death of Hope itself personified within one will of the universe. I am grateful for your caution, but I will not rest until my dear friend is safely by my side once again."

"Hhhhmhmhmhmhm..." the great Sarcosuchus scratched his broad thick chin with eyes smiling of intrigue, "your words are odd but they carry such a strength I have never seen in that of warmbloods. I shall make you an offer. If you can withstand a battle against one of my own strongest beasts, then I shall allow you to pass through."

"I accept," she replied without a moment of thought, "do you mean just me or all four of us?"

"You," said the great crocodilian shifting his immense bulk as the tree creaked, "I know the strength of three swiftclaws well, that I am not wary of their skill. But you, a warmblood even considering to ally herself with those who would prey on you I must admit...I find you a fascinating group."

"We are friends," said Oddclaw earnestly stepping forwards, "those who seek help we must always aid."

"Even if they are from your prey?"

"When your belly is full do you still kill fish? No, even though you live amongst them in the water, you would not."

"But they know all it takes is the wrong place and the right day of hunger. Why would I deign to help those I will eventually consume?"

"You don't need a reason to help people." Freya said this with her spear planted in the dirt and hands upon its staff. "My closest friend said this to me once, and it is something my people understand. Why should there be a reason to help others, for is there a reason to love family? A reason to die, a reason to be born into this world, truly?"

"Any fool knows that," said the Alpha dismissing with a shake of his head, "we are born so we must mate, to birth our children and as we die they must continue our bloodline."

"But why? Why should anything matter after you are dead, you are not here anymore to see your family survive, you are not there to see them smile or cry. Why should you care if they continue your bloodline?"

"I care, because I care, because that is the way we must exist, only the most tragic and truly weak would not have a family."

"And THAT is my reason to help others. Because I care."

"Because WE care," insisted Moonclaw stepping to her side, "we are hunters yes, but we do not want suffering to exist, that is why our families taught us to kill swiftly, to not torture our prey, so as to give them a peaceful end."

"Mercy is what we call it in my world." She swept her hand towards the three raptors. "That is why we are united for this, I did not ask them to come with me, they offered to help even though I have nothing to give."

"Because if a creature is suffering," explained Fishclaw, "then it would be against all that my tribe have taught me to allow it to keep suffering, so we must do what we can."

"I see...hhhhhm...I am not against such belief, though I find it impractical I understand your meaning. I will allow you to travel to the Lair of the Deep, after you have faced my kind in battle."

"I am ready," said Freya propping spear behind her shoulder. "I must ask however, is this a battle to the death?"

"No. Would you like it to be?" The way the croc elder smiled was frightening as a tinge of bloodlust sang through his wattled neck.

"No. I simply ask on formality."

"Then let us begin. Frozentongue! Come forth!"

One of the four females beside him marched forwards as the crocs made a circular barrier with their bodies. The combatant was a blackish-green beast a few feet shorter than her mate and leader but with the same crushing teeth that could feel a tree in a single bite. She smacked her lips showing her namesake, her tongue fully severed from her mouth to reveal only a sharp frozen-black root of muscle where it once sat. The dragoon twirled her staff back and forth like a baton, whirling it up into the sky to catch it deftly behind her back in a show of skill.

"The battle shall cease when I command you to. Now, FIGHT!"

"HRRROORRRRRGH!"

The waterjaw charged with astonishing force, galloping like a scaled bull to bumrush Freya as she dodged sharply to the left and striked across the stony hide. The beast was strong in its armoured hide, whipping her tail out to snap-strike Freya's shoulder and shove her back before turning hard and lunging upon her head. The spear clashed hard between jaws that smelt of rotting fish, the rodent wrinkling her nose in resistance as she jammed her staff through the teeth and twisted hard to throw the croc off. The warrior beast rolled twice onto her belly before skidding harshly on her feet, scraping the mud with her claws to turn and rush at Freya with a headlong bodyslam.

The dragoon leapt up high above the combatant, twirling like a ribbon from a marching band before striking down hard upon Frozentongue's rear non-fatally with a plunging stab. The waterjaw roared with dulling pain as her tri-point blade shunted a few inches into her raw-welted hide, blood softly bubbling up from within as the knight landed behind her opponent to wrench her spear out hard. Frozentongue charged again but this time made a feint to swing her body around halfway and slam both her backlegs into Freya's stomach with a double-turning kick.

Gasping sharply at the sudden wind punched from her chest, the dragoon staggered falling into the mud as she saw Frozentongue make a flying body slam to crush her underneath, rolling fast out from underneath as a wave of thick slush burst in all directions to slather the mouse and croc in swamp goo. Standing up Freya waited for the next attack, the kaprosuchus swinging out her tail to slapdash the rodent's face with a flying spray of mud as she charged and slid underneath to slash her speartips across the croc's face. Frozentongue winced slightly but her response was to rear up on her front legs and slam her claws onto the knight's helm, scarring down one side and bloodying her cheek with a bruising punch.

The dragoon gritted her teeth as red drops flowed down her hair, strafing round the large croc who countered her evasion with a sudden whirlwind attack by spinning her entire body round in a circle, swinging her tail like a large hammer as Freya leapt over it thrice. The croc finished her triple spin with a surprising leap, hurling her back legs out to thrustkick Freya hard against her helm and send her flying into the shallow water with a hefty splash.

"FREYA!" cried Oddclaw.

"G-guh..." she pushed herself up with a throbbing head and dizzying steps, touching the left side of her face which turned to a crimson gloss. "Hah, is that all you got, it's just a flesh wound! Now COME AT ME FIEND!"

"HRHRHHHHRRHUHRHHRRRRORRGH!"

The female beast cackled with maddening glee and a chance to taste victory as Freya calmed her breathing to focus on the approaching enemy. She watched the proud lumbering steps, the galloping pace that spattered mud in small circles starting to slow down to her vision. Whispering soft words of prayer as she tightened the grip on her spear, spiralling green mist entwining like serpents upon the staff of Asclepius as she waited. The kaprosuchus made a flying leap to dogpile hard upon the rodent as Freya backflipped fast out of the water to watch Frozentongue splash out a thick shockwave. A single wave of green slime-crusted ooze separated them as Freya sliced through the water like a banshee before spinning on her heel and carving straight through the underbelly of the rearing croc beast with a shimmering slice.

"GRRRRRUUUUAAAAAAAAGH!"

Frozentongue staggered back to fall onto her side suddenly beset by a feeling of weakness from her mind as if half her blood had been sucked dry from her skull. Wincing with bulging eyes that blinked slowly from a shuddering sap of her mental strength, the kaprosuchus sucked in a deep breath and made a stomping leap, waiting for the rodent to dodge and instantly snatching her jaws out towards Freya's leg to latch her teeth onto her thigh and swing her hard back onto the muddy patch in front of the leader.

Freya planted her hand and spear upon the dirt and sprung free into a backflip, whirling her spear behind her in preparation for another attack that came two seconds later from the charging reptile. She whacked her spear hard into her snout, teeth crunching upon the staff as they fought in a clinching feat of strength in trying to push the other down. Rancid breath huffed from the kaprosuchus' snout against the Burmecian's snarling nostrils, hands clasping her staff on either side of the croc's teeth.

"_RRRRRRRR RRAAAAAARGH! _"

With monstrous strength she dug her clawed toes deep into the dirt and twisted her spear violently sharp to the left before jumping hard forwards to propel her momentum and flip the opponent straight onto her back. Frozentongue was shocked enough by such a feat that she let go of the spear and before she even realised what had happened, the rat had stomped her feet upon the croc's belly and planted her tri-pointed spear an inch away from the wattled throat. The beast struggled to lift her head past the spear but it was enough for her to see the pure cold gaze within Freya's eyes, the eyes of a hunter ready to kill as her snout crept into a snarling fierce expression that exhuded a powerful aura of dominance. The reptiles all backed off slightly except for the Alpha and his harem who gazed on with admiration.

"ENOUGH!" their leader cried. "I am satisfied by your strength, warmblood, you may journey on towards the Lair of the Deep."

"Thank you." She stepped off her opponent and bowed to her gracefully. "You fought well, it was an honour to fight you."

"Nuu pruhblim," said Frozentongue with a gleaming grin and wide-open mouth of crippled articulation, "yuu wrr fuhn tu feght tuu!"

"Hmhmhmhm...we shall take our leave now if that is acceptable, leader."

"Indeed," replied the Alpha nodding his head, "and you have also acquainted yourself with your new guide to the Lair itself."

"Pardon?"

She saw his eyes turn towards Frozentongue herself who cackled filthily with a nudging prod of her snout against Freya's shoulder friendly-like whilst Alpha explained:

"Frozentongue is the only one of our tribe who has faced against the Deep Hunger itself, and lived to return to us. She will guide you, and I hope that you all return with your friend in one piece."

"Thank you leader," she bowed once more, "your kindness is a blessing upon us."

"Now, go in hope that you shall not be so unfortunate to face the Deep itself."

With gratitude and courtesy, the three raptors stepped forwards to walk with Freya and Frozentongue off towards the northwest region. The rain began to return as if signalling their new dire prospects of reaching this dreaded monster's lair towards the northern coastline.