He caught sight of Ewar again, and his strong emotions began to fade. "That's right. Would someone like to tell this bird's name?" I didn't answer, instead staring numbly down the tunnel and wondering what would become of Gorzan. Judging from the rat king's reaction, certainly nothing good. "He's Ewar," I heard Laval say. "Ah," said the rat king. "Yes, yes, definitely him." I turned back around, my head still throbbing most painfully. "Are you sending Ewar away as well?" I asked. It came out louder and more accusatory than I had intended, but in my muddled state, that didn't seem to matter. The rat king shifted his eyes left and right before settling them back onto me. "Perhaps," said he. "There is a price on his head." This came as quite a shock to me, and I stared into nothingness. "By whom is it set?" I said at length. The rat king tapped the end of his staff against the stone floor, the resulting crack echoing about the chamber. "You've got one of his fellows with you. Now stand down--unless you're at last telling me why it is you're here." "Oh, I'll tell you," said Laval, stepping forwards before I could give thought to the rat king's words. "We're here," he went on, "Because your 'people' attacked us while we slept. We did nothing to harm you or them." Knowing this answer would not be well-received, I attempted to edge away, but I tripped and fell heavily on my back. And sure enough, the rat king soon fell into a rage. "Liars!" he boomed, pointing to us with a claw. "Search them!"
And then the rats piled onto and over us, snatching at anything and everything we carried with us and producing it to their king. I shuddered as they wrenched my Chi harness off, and dug their filthy hands inside every one of the pouches at my belt. Finally, they retreated again, the large pile of our belongings laid out for the rat king. "Not much of value here," he said in disgust as he picked through it. When he lifted the Valious, Laval growled and ran for it, but he never stood a chance. The rat king's staff connected with the crown of his head, knocking him out cold. "Put him with the other one," said the rat king, grimacing and dropping the Valious back into the pile. I blinked in muddled surprise. Why would Laval dare approach the rat king under such circumstances? Simply to reclaim his weapon? It seemed quite a careless thing to do, even if one didn't count on the rat king's incredible swiftness. Looking around at the others, I could tell they were in no hurry to repeat his mistake. And so Laval was taken away, supposedly to the same place as Gorzan. With a rustle that brought me back to my dulled senses, the rat king pulled out the map Eris had copied from the encyclopedia. "What is this?" He held it between two claws and turned it from side to side. "Why carry around scraps of paper?" "It's a map," said Eris, obviously disliking the term, "scraps of paper". "A map," said the rat king. He turned his head to stare into her eyes. "Explain yourself." But Eris kept her beak shut, and the rat king sighed. "Very well," said he. "Useless it is." And with that, he tore it to shreds.
Eris let out a cry and Cragger gasped, but as the ragged strips of parchment drifted to the ground, the rat king looked vaguely pleased. I closed my eye and let the back of my head rest against the stone floor. It was over. Our only hope of stopping Loradus had been destroyed. "Well, that's that," said the rat king. "Now, my subjects, take these unhappy creatures to the deepest cells and chain them." "What?!" came Worriz's voice. I opened my eye again to see that he had shortened the distance betwixt the rat king and himself. "You're imprisoning us? Why?" The rat king leaned in closer to Worriz, and I wanted to shout a warning; but all the energy seemed to have been drained out of me. "Why, you ask?" said the king of the rats, lowering his eyebrows, with more than a hint of menace in his voice. "Even if you didn't manage to take what you came for, you have stepped foot in my kingdom, where your kind does not belong, and you are certainly not welcome." The end of his staff thudded onto Worriz's head now, and Worriz's eyes rolled back, his legs folding beneath him as he crumpled to the ground. "Does anyone else have something to say?" said the rat king. I was grateful that no one else spoke up. Things were looking quite hopeless they were. "Good." The rat king stepped back and sat himself down on the throne once again. "Now, take them to the cells, and chain them!" Countless rats then heaved me up from the floor and pushed me towards Cragger and Razar, and the three of us were bustled down a nearby tunnel. Lennox, Eris, and Worriz (who was being dragged) received similar treatment and were not far behind. Ewar, however, was taken down a different tunnel entirely. And the last I saw ere the chamber passed out of sight was the rat king fingering that glowing yellow flower.
"Do you remember Radom?" The cell door slammed behind me, and I looked around the grimy cell: Walls of stone on three sides, the barred door on the remaining. Stalactites hung from the ceiling. A small hollow was in one corner, a clump of fungus growing in another. And, as the nearest torch was a few paces down the tunnel, the light was low. I took a breath and stood staring at the back wall. "Do you remember Radom?" Razar repeated. I gave it thought ere saying, "No, why do you ask?" "He was one of the ravens in our group the day we went to the Lion Temple." Ah. That fateful day. "And?" I said. Razar ran his claws over a wall. "He would help me get back my treasure." He then gripped the bars on the door and shouted hoarsely, "Why did you take it?! It was all I had left! Thieves! THIEVES!" Then he fell to the floor, head in his hands. Cragger (who was also in the cell with us) kept silent, sitting with his legs stretched out, looking every bit as defeated as I felt. I walked to the door and peered down the tunnel at the torch. It was a poor substitution for the light of the sun that I knew to be shining far above. I rested my battered head against the bars. Would I ever again see any of the others? Ewar? If the rats were waiting to turn him in, most likely not. And to whom, exactly, were they turning him in? You've got one of his fellows with you, the rat king had said. But who among us (or one who had been among us) showed a particular interest in Ewar? The answer was actually quite simple, as I soon found.
I lifted my head as it came to me: Lennox, who had frequently attacked Ewar, despite the fact that he couldn't seem to harm him. Therefore it had to be Loradus who wanted Ewar. I let my head come to a rest on the bars again; for though this saddened me greatly, I could not help wondering why Ewar was so important. It seemed everyone save Loradus and I thought he was just another eagle, and treated him so. I slanted my eyes. Why was I worrying? Ewar was as good as gone, and the rest of us were separated into small groups, locked and chained (every time I took a step, the chain about my ankle rattled and cut in before moving the weight at the other end) and completely lost without the map. There was no hope of ever reaching our destination. The journey was all but over. Such was my state of mind when an exceptionally tall rat (at least as high as my shoulder) rapped on the cell bars and rattled me to attention. "Th' king sed t'bring you this," said he, holding out a rectangular tray on which sat a bowl of water and three large mushrooms (presumably to eat). I stood there, staring at the tray in silence, and the tall rat stood as if waiting for something. After standing like this for some time, I croaked, "And how do you expect to bring it in here without opening the door?" The rat chuckled, but quickly stopped himself. "I won't," he said. Won't what? I wanted to say. I stepped back from the door. "Well...?" "I do this," said the rat. He then opened wide the door, set the tray on the ground, and slid it towards me. "You mean... the door isn't locked?" said Cragger, walking over. The tall rat quickly shut the door again. "Ohno, ohno, 's locked," he said. "I got the keys." He nodded to the tray. "Enjoy!" And with that he walked away.
Cragger eyed the mushrooms, but did not take one. "D'you think they've been poisoned?" said he. I broke a portion off of one and rolled it between two claws before shaking my head. "Poisoned or not, we will grow hungry, and they are all we have to eat. Besides which, what would the rats have to gain?" "Less beaks to feed?" Razar suggested (un)helpfully. I sighed and looked at the bit of mushroom in my palm. "No; more likely they are fattening us up for a feast." I did not think this altogether likely, but when I looked up, Razar's naturally scheming eyes shrank back to dull points. Cragger was still staring at the mushrooms and had yet to make a move. I blinked and pushed the portion of mushroom into my beak, expecting to spit it right back out. But the taste actually wasn't bad at all. Ever-so-slightly bitter, it softened and melted away in my beak with an earthy flavor that lingered even after swallowing; it had almost tasted sweet. It took a moment for me to realize that Cragger and Razar were watching me expectantly. "D'you feel any different?" said the former. "Oh yes," I said, smiling. "It was quite good." Cragger needed no more enticement. Snatching up a mushroom, he took an enormous bite and closed his eyes. "You're right," he said as he chewed. Strangely, tears began to leak from beneath the closed lids. "These are amazing..." "Oh, I see," said Razar. "They make you go crazy." He let out a laugh, sounding rather crazed himself. "Well, I don't care what happens to me, I'm not eating one!" I was about to tell him that I knew not when (or if) we would receive another meal when Cragger spoke up. "It won't make you crazy," said he. Still Razar looked uneasy. "Then why are you..." He mimed rubbing his eyes.
"Oh..." said Cragger, wiping his tears before taking another bite of his mushroom. "Well, you see, my mom--" The words seemed to catch in his throat, and when he continued speaking, it was in a rasp. "My mom used to take me mushroom picking in the swamp. I had lots of good times searching for the best ones--sometimes I even brought Laval over to help. Tasty ones were pretty hard to find--or, that's what I thought. But we always brought tons back home. Then we'd start eating them..." More tears flowed, but he seemed oblivious to the moisture as he placed the remains of the mushroom into his mouth. "And these are just as good as the ones from the swamp. Except..." He sighed. And though he didn't finish, I knew exactly what he would have said, and I watched him chew and swallow sadly. Razar, however, crossed his arms. "Sure, that's enough to make anyone cry," he said dryly. "But I'm still not eating those mushrooms." "In time, you shall have no choice," I said, still thinking of Cragger's deceased parents. "You will eat sometime." Razar waved a hand. "Not interested. The goods matter more to me." By goods I assumed he meant treasure, but what this had to do with food I knew not. "Ah," said Cragger, stretching his arms. "That was delicious. I should thank that rat if he comes again; as prison food goes, this is great." I could only agree (and I'd been held in prisons before): despite the fact that we were far underground and would probably live out the rest of our days there, that bite of mushroom left me considerably cheered.
Not long after, footsteps could be heard coming up the tunnel. Unsure of whether I should be frightened or not, I moved father back in the cell, watching the barred door closely. "That'll be your rat," said Razar quietly. Cragger shook his head. "Sounds like more than one," he returned. The footsteps grew louder and closer, and then the tall rat appeared, pulling along two heavily shackled figures. Both were also covered by black cloaks and hoods that obscured all of their features. That is, all but one: the very tip of a spiny tail poked out from beneath the cloak of one. "Hurry up, hurry up, don' wanna keep th' king waiting!" said the tall rat, yanking at their chains. I turned to Cragger, finding that he had opened wide his eyes and his mouth was hanging open. "Cragger?" I whispered, prodding his shoulder. "What--" "I'll have a few things to say to this 'king'," one of the hooded figures grumbled, his voice vaguely familiar.... "Oh no, no," said the tall rat, stopping to look at his captives. "Don' say anything t'get th' king angry. Please. Hi'll hurtchu." Then he continued to pull them past our cell and down the tunnel. And they would have passed us by without a second thought had Cragger not rushed up to the bars, rattled them, and shouted after, "No! Come back! I know it's you d--" I covered his mouth and pulled him back. His eyes shone with the same strange light as when he had attempted to hurl himself into the Bottomless Canyon. "What is the matter?" I hissed, struggling to hold him away from the bars. But I need not have wasted my strength, for the damage was done: the tall rat looked over his shoulder, narrowed his eyes, and turned the captives back around. Towards us.
"Oh, great," whispered Razar. "That mushroom really did its job well...." I ignored him. "Cragger," I said softly, "I shall let you go, but only if you promise not to make a sound." He stopped fighting against my grip, met my gaze, and nodded. I returned the nod, then took my hand from his mouth and released his arms. Immediately I knew I had made a mistake; for not only did my claws begin to itch out of nerves, but Cragger ran up to the bars again to shake them. At that point, the tall rat was standing right outside with the two hooded figures behind him. "Whadd'you want?" said the rat. I was surprised to see more fear in his eyes than anger. In fact, this was the first time I had gotten a good look at his eyes: they were a startling pale blue and gleamed with uncommon intelligence. Cragger, however, was not looking at the rat, but rather, at the frontmost captive. "Dad...?" said he. "I...is that you?" His father? Perhaps he had gone crazy. How could his father be here...? "Cragger?" Before the rat could stop him, the captive shook back his hood to reveal the head of an old crocodile. Shaking back her hood as well, the other also turned out to be a crocodile. "You're here," said Cragger. He sank into a sitting position. "How--" "Put d'hoods back on please!" said the rat, looking more worried by the moment. "Y'll get me'n trouble!" "They'll come back on," the first captive assured him. "But not before we're ready. Cragger, how are you? How did you get here?" "Just a minute," said Cragger, turning around. "Razar, Rizzo--you probably already know, but--these are Crominus and Crunket. My parents."
Razar stared. "But--didn't your parents--die?" he said haltingly. I blinked in agreement, but Crominus smiled sadly. "I'm afraid not," said he. "The day that gorge opened up and swallowed us, our Crawler got wedged between the walls not far from the bottom, and we dropped safely. We wandered around down there for quite a while without light or food... Chi fell from above once... that was strange..." "Then the rats came," said Crunket. Crominus's eyes darkened. "Ah, yes, one night (when we were asleep, anyway) the rats came in their numbers and threw us into into this prison. Said we'd trespassed in their tunnels." "We were treated very roughly," said Crunket, shuddering. "In fact, if it weren't for Rastokk here, we would've starved." "Yesyes, than'gyou," said the rat, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Now cummon." He pulled at the two crocodiles' chains in a vain attempt to move them along. I reached a hand through and settled it on the rat's shoulder. At first, he tensed and whipped his head about, but then he relaxed (or, at least, grew used to my touch; for he still rocked back and forth impatiently). "Is that your name, then?" I asked him. "Rastokk?" "Ya," he returned. "Name's Rastokk. D' jailor an' cook. Didja like th' mushrooms?" "Oh--" "Yes, they were very good," said Cragger, cutting me off. "You will bring more sometime?" Rastokk stopped fidgeting for a moment and appeared almost thoughtful. "Ohyesyess," he said, and turned to stare off into nothingness. "Dad?" said Cragger. Crominus gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. "I've been wondering," went on the former, "What were you trying to tell me right before you fell in the gorge...?"
"Oh," said Crominus. "Well, you see--" It was then that Rastokk seemed to come to himself, letting out a shriek and jumping half his height again in the air. I flinched and turned from Crominus. "King's gonna be mad!" said the rat, pulling at the chains with renewed vigor. Cragger pounded a fist against the bars. "Dad, tell me quickly!" Crominus shook his scaly head, still resisting the chains (as was Crunket). "I can tell you more when we get back, but right now--" "Y' mean if y'get back!" said Rastokk. His eyes were wild. "Don' wanna keep the king waiting!!" There were several things I wanted to ask Crominus and Crunket, and for Cragger, I felt sure, there were many more; but Rastokk had experience with the rat king's temper, I could see it in his eyes. He was terrified. And so I turned back to the crocodile captives, saying, "You had best get going. This 'king' isn't one you would want to anger." Crominus dipped his head in a nod and began to follow the rat down the tunnel, but Crunket stayed for a moment to say the final words: "When we were stuck in that prison cell, without the breeze or the sunlight, I--I wanted to die. And it seemed like this meeting with the king would finally finish us. "But you've restored our hope. You give us something to live for." She smiled, tooth-filled and wide, the most sincere smile I had ever seen on a crocodile (and perhaps one of the only ones). Then Rastokk screamed, and she was forced to move on down the tunnel. Cragger fell to a sitting position, appearing dazed.
At length, Razar said, "Did you know they were alive? Before now, I mean." Slowly, Cragger nodded. "Yes. But I didn't--I couldn't fully believe it until now." He buried his face in his arms. "I hope the rat king doesn't punish them for being late." I sat now as well, letting my eye defocus. "Most likely, they shall approach their situation more...carefully than we did," said I. "After all, they do want to return, now, don't they?" You've restored our hope, Crunket had said to her son. And she had restored mine. Perhaps there truly was a way to escape.... The beginnings of a plan sparked in my mind. "Cragger?" I said, raising my head. "Is that why you never got angry with Laval once whilst we traveled?" Cragger sat up straighter. "What?" I took a breath to rephrase my question. "You started a lasting conflict with Laval when your parents disappeared in the gorge. Yet you have never held an argument with him during our travels. Correct?" "Correct." I narrowed my eye. "Is this because the Anti-Chi no longer controls you? Or because you have forgiven Laval, due to the fact that your parents are alive?" Cragger sighed. "The second couldn't have happened without the first, so both. I'm sorry for the things I did--to Laval or anyone else. I really am. Even if I wasn't in control of myself...." "But--how did you find out that your parents were alive?" asked Razar. He seemed rather stuck on the subject. Cragger turned his head to peer through the bars and into the tunnel. "Loradus," he said simply. "When I was spying on him and my sister, I heard one of them say that my parents were alive, but lost, at the bottom of the Gorge of Eternal Death."
Cragger continued, "And Loradus said he'd placed a timerip barrier half-way down the gorge, whatever that means." A pause. Then I understood (though not about the timerip barrier). "Is that, then, why you attempted to dive in?" I asked. "You never did tell me why." Cragger shrugged. "Well, that's it," said he. "Razar, you want this...?" He pointed to the mushroom that had yet to be touched. Razar shook his head, and so Cragger reached for it. I looked at the single remaining mushroom, a portion of which I had broken off, and decided to save it for when I was truly hungry. I yawned, wondering if it was possible to tell the time of day from within the cell. Most probably not. So now all we could do was wait for Crominus and Crunket to return-- Timerip barrier. The words flashed through my head again. Strangely, I seemed to recognize them, as if all of a sudden I knew what a timerip barrier was, and had seen one-- And perhaps I had. It came back to me; I closed my eye, and I was holding the Valious (which had been plunged into the nearby rock face) in one hand, and Laval's arm in the other, the force of the gorge pulling us both down. I watched as Laval's cloak drifted down, then appeared to land on thin air, only to explode into shreds moments later. Then the air where it had been shimmered.... I shook myself, opening my eye and blinking rapidly. A deep, unsettling laugh echoed through the tunnels to enter our cell, and we all shuddered. "The rat king," Razar whimpered. "That doesn't sound good at all...." And as Cragger's face wrinkled up in fear, I found that I could only agree.
The laugh increased in volume, then curled into a snarl mixed with the sound of a high-pitched screech. I took a deep breath and stared at the ground, not wanting to look at Cragger. Then all sound faded away to eerie silence. I heard Cragger shift about, and placed the tips of my claws against my forehead in despair. The feathers underneath were slick with oil. "Ohhh," said Cragger, sounding as if he would lay himself down right then and never get up. "Ohhh..." A pitiful, devastated moan, terrible to hear. After several moments more I could bear it no longer, and I moved to sit beside him. "I am sorry--" "I just got them back," said Cragger, his eyes wide and filled with utter helplessness. "And now...they're gone...gone..." Quite suddenly, his claws snapped around my arm, and his eyes turned hard. "They're gone again," he hissed. I began to fear for his sanity, but no sooner had his claws tightened most painfully around my arm when Razar forced us apart, I rubbing where the claws had dug in, Cragger retreating to the back of the cell. I looked upon him now with great sadness. Had I done this to him? And was there anything I could do to reverse it? "See?" Razar pulled me to one of the front corners of the cell. "I was right about that mushroom. We've lost our crocodile friend. All of them, in fact." "No.... No!" I shook my head, not wanting to believe this. "There must be a way to help! If we lose Cragger..." We lose everything, I was about to say. But at that moment a sharp rattling of the bars halted my speech.
