Two guards tail Saban at a distance on speedors of their own. It seems the Queen Mother recalls what happened last time Saban has allowed out unsupervised.

Sabre Mountain quickly becomes a hive of activity as King Finglor returns with a large force of soldiers and the huge quantity of Chi seized from the Sacred Pool. As the Chi is divided between storerooms and transport vehicles and the wounded are taken to the hospital, the King and his generals convene in the council chamber.

"The Lackfang's forces should reach their destination in another day or so, and the Queen's plan can be out into operation," explains General Sabrion.

"Good," Finglor affirms. "In the meantime, we need to to move quickly to suppress the rest of the Inlands. We still have hundreds of warriors in the tunnels abducting prisoners from the south - I want their focus shifted specifically to military targets. Small patrols outside their outposts, off-duty reservists, as well as anyone in a senior leadership role in a southern tribe. I want their armies as depleted as possible before we launch our final invasion."

After murmurs of assent, the King continues. "We will also be dispatching a task force to implement Protocol 41 without delay. General, you will take command. Leave by sunset; we cannot afford to delay. Time is of the essence. Now, has anyone seen my mother?"

"The Queen Mother is in the lower caves, sire," a councillor volunteers. "She has given orders than none may enter; I understand some sort of delicate experiment is in progress."

Going over to the chest at the very back of the cave, Sabradia took from it a hollow tusk, glowing her energy as her hand touches it, and returns to the table. Setting both objects down, she removes the glove from her left hand. 

The seventh orb rose into the air, revolving slowly. As she had done half a dozen times before, Sabradia concentrated her magical power upon it, not to destroy but to penetrate. And this time, she took up the tusk of Maulryene in one hand...and plunged its tip into the fiery sphere. 

Red and white energy filled the chamber, lighting up every crevice and every shadow, as the combined power of Sabradia and the magic which Maulryene poured into the tusk conflicts with the orb. The tusk's greater energy sought to overcome that of the orb...but that was not her aim. Rather than allowing magical power to flow from the tusk into the orb and destroy it, Sabradia focuses with all the precision she can muster on drawing the energy backwards. A tiny streak of red runs down the side of the tusk as elemental power is sucked out of the Fire Chi, mingling with the magical energy already there. 

With a sharp crack, the orb shatters. But this time is different, for the shards are entirely drained of all colour, and the tusk is glowing with the power of the Phoniex, yet it does not burn her. 

Fire and Ice are caught within the artefact, not fighting but entangled, their combined power blazing. The tusk radiates heat, but it does not clash with her cold. Slowly, the Queen Mother calls out to the power within, commanding it to hear and obey.

A wave of pure fire flows outwards, swirling into shapes. She sees the Isles of the Phoniex, the City of the Leopards and the homes of the Tigers. She sees the warmth of the sun, she sees the tiny orbs of fire, and she sees them. The Fire Wing harnesses, their elemental energy shining like beacons across Chima. The Illumination's power is hidden no longer, for it hears the fiery energy she now commands and it calls out in reply. Like is like and fire is fire; she perceives each and every one, and exactly where they are. 

Sabradia sets the tusk down upon the table, and the flames recede into it.

The time has come for another trip. 

A small group of Sabretooths stride through the mountain: King Finglor, The Queen Mother, and Prince Sabran, escorted by a handful of guards and the general who will be acting commander of the garrison here in their absence.

"And you are sure you know where it is?" Finglor demands of his mother, eagerness flooding his voice.

"Precisely where, I have seen it, and I see it even as we speak. A Peacock is carrying it south."

"Not for much longer! Guards, unveil the prototype."

A dozen Sabretooths drag a huge sheet of canvas of a hulking object...revealing a massive triplane standing beneath. Far huger than the standard biplanes used by the Sabretooth Air Force, it has powerful engines adapted from stolen southern technology, tough steel armour and a substantial weapons array. Surely, this is the most powerful vehicle the Hunters have put into the sky since the war began.

"It is fully fueled and ready for launch, Your Majesty. We only await the return of our best pilot."

"We shall pick him up on route. I shall pilot the maiden flight!"

Finglor, Sabradia, and the adolescent prince, along with several copilots and gunners, clamber into the plane's multiple cockpits. The massive hangar doors slide open, revealing the clear northern skies outside. The ground crew set the front rotors in motion...and the engins roar into life, the triplane bursting out of the side of the mountain and climbing skywards, turning towards the south. In the Queen Mother's hand a hollow tusk glows with elemental fire, its tip moving to point in the direction of the nearest Fire Wing Harness.

The note is taken inside and conveyed to the castellan. Half an hour later, four squadrons of Sabre Copters leave the hangars. 

Mammoth in the Frozen Tusk's bridge: "S-Sire, I must ask that you call off the attack! We're fighting our own people--!"

Malgus II: "Those Mammoths are traitors who follow the old puppet monarchy, that my father and I had broken away from for a reason! Even now, Maulisa oversees the Sabertooths' base and 'commands' their troops. Hah, I bet Finglor is dictating her every move over the radio. They've been pathetic servants to the Sabertooth royals ever since Maulryene's 'friend', Sabradia manipulated her into an alliance, 179 years ago! It was because of said alliance that I lost my family, and continue to, to this day! My father was right... I was a fool to ever restore our alliance, but I will now rectify that mistake, and save these poor saps from themselves! Their souls will be glad to be free from under Finglor's boot!"

The Frozen Tusk bridge crew look around at one another helplessly, as the mobile HQ continues firing on Saber Mountain. Both HQs sustain heavy damage with every missile strike, each missile first freezing itself onto its target upon impact, before detonating. Suddenly, both armies are fired upon from the south, as Vamprah's force soars into battle.

Malgus II: "Urgh! The Vultures... You were ahead of the curve when it came to leaving the Ice Hunters, but you should be on my side right now! ...Then again, you've been just as manipulated by Leodus, as Maulisa has by Finglor! Ice Hunters, Fire Tribes, Empire of Balance... I'll wipe you ALL out! Chima would be better off without any of you!"

Maulisa speaks to all present forces through the radio: "To all Mammoths: don't listen to Malgus II. He is clearly mentally unstable, and needs to be detained. We can end this battle peacefully if you agree to capture him and reunite with the rest of us. Ask yourselves: should you follow this deranged false king who's attacking his own people, or me? To the Vultures: I humbly request your aid in capturing Malgus II and ending this fight as soon as possible. In return, you have my word that I will end the Fire-Ice War, or at least the Sabertooths' and Mammoths' part in it; I have taken over leadership of the Sabertooth Tribe in light of their royals' disappearance."

Vamprah signs to his forces: The Leopards are currently wrapping up their battles in the south, and can join up with us here. We'll play ball with Maulisa for now; if she turns on us after we've helped to deal with Malgus II, we'll call in the full might of the Empire of Balance for a surprise attack, to annex and blockade Saber Mountain while its defenders are in this state of disarray.

The Vultures nod, and focus on trying to breach the Frozen Tusk.

Meanwhile, a long-asleep being awakens within the mobile HQ; former Mammoth Queen Maulryene, the First Witch, finally regains consciousness, mostly recovered from the mysterious ailment that's incapacitated her for so long. She hears the fighting outside, and bursts out of her bedroom near the bottom of the Frozen Tusk.