More Wandering

The hunter left of no indication of where exactly to find the cabin. All he did was point us in the general direction. We've just been walking in that direction for an hour. I suppose it isn't that bad. I mean it's not as if any of us had a place to be. Perhaps we were due for aimless wandering. "Where are we going?" Olivia asks. "To a cabin." I respond. "I know, but why." I shrug. "It's a safe haven." Peter interrupts. "I guess that is a good enough explanation as any." Olivia says. "Come on. Cheer up. The worst is over." He tells her. "Is it?" She replies, sharply. Peter half smiles. "I like to think so. Besides, at least we'll have a place to rest our bones for a while." Olivia looks down. "That's something to look forward to."

Brute

Olivia protects the hunter with a bubble. It was much needed. The falcons innately knew that this was not a man to be trusted. Five falcons rushed the hunter. They charged head first into the bubble. It took a mighty blow, but withstood the initial shock. The falcons, however, kept clawing and pecking at the bubble, weakening it ever so slightly. I had to scream "Stop" at the top of my lungs. That did the trick. All eyes were on me now. "Enough. He is our friend." I heard one of the falcons caw at me. "It's true. He no longer wishes to fight us." I continue. Todd pipes up. "I will speak on his behalf. Though this hunter is impulsive in his actions, he can be be trusted." The falcons squawk in disgust. "Quiet. I'm sure it was all a mistake." Peter says. His command is the only one they will listen to, and they are now silent. "Thank you." The hunter says. "Don't push your luck. I'm still not sure why we brought you with us." Olivia snaps. "Be kind. I'm sure he has valuable insights." Peter insists. "I do. There is a silent war that has been going on for some time." The hunter adds. Olivia rolls her eyes. "I'm sure there is, but that's not exactly our problem." "We need to free those that are held captive." He replies. "And how are we going to do that?" She asks. "I am an excellent archer. I have brute force." He says, confidently. "That's great, but even though we're growing in numbers there is still more of them. Plus we can't exactly sneak up on them with our falcon army." She responds. "You're right. I will go alone. The rest of you can wait in my wife's cabin if you wish. That will be our headquarters." "You're trying to tell us you'll take our their entire army single handedly?" She questions. "No, I will be accompanied by that man." The hunter points to Todd. "He may not be the best warrior, but he has proved himself loyal." "How do you feel about that?" Peter asks. Todd is so excited that he can barely breath. "Are you kidding me? Finally someone understands my worth." Todd starts to dismount the falcon. The hunter stops him. "One falcon is fine, but I ask you to fly high, my friend."

A Little Convincing

I led Olivia to the hunter. She spotted his bow and immediately put two and two together. "Why did you bring me here?" She demands. "This is-" "I think I have a good idea who this is. You tried to kill us, didn't you?" She asks. "It was all a misunderstanding." He replies. "Oh, it was a misunderstand. Well, that makes everything better." She says, sarcastically. "I apologize many times." "You can save it. I won't come after you, but I better not see you again." "That will be difficult. He is on our side now." I respond. "On our side with what? We have Peter, we have Todd. All the falcons are back. There is nothing more to do." "I still have friends and family trapped in that society." He tells us. "Sorry, but that's not our problem." Olivia says. "What about the prisoners who were most likely wrongly accused?" I ask. "Not our problem either." She replies. "But what about our mission to create another Wellness Center?" Olivia's patience is wearing thin. "We can do that anywhere. It does not have to be here." "But here would be perfect. This is the birds
home after all." I insist. "But this isn't a safe place." She says gritting her teeth. The hunter raises his bow. "I will help make it safe." Olivia takes a deep breath. "Fine. We'll build the Wellness Center here. Let's take him back to the others. I'll put a bubble around him so the falcons don't kill him."

They Return

Todd descended the tree faster than lightning. I thought for sure he was going to miss a branch and fall, but he made it down safely in one piece. He keeled over, panting, trying to catch his breath. I patted him on the back. "You did good." "Thanks, but what about him?" He asks, pointing to the hunter. "Oh yeah, you have to fall back." I say to him. "But why? They are on our side now." I point to myself and Todd. "They're on our side. You tried to kill them. It's gonna take a while for them to warm up to you." "He's right. They won't like you one bit." Todd adds. The hunter scoffs and walks off. I clap my hands together. "You ready, Todd." "Yes, I can do this." He says, his voice slightly steadier now. The black clouds of falcons descends with Olivia once again leading the way. Peter trails closely behind. They all safely land. "Thank God, you're ok." Peter says. "Yes, I'm happy you're alive and well too. Now get on." Olivia shouts. Todd starts to mount a falcon. Olivia observes me standing still. "Come on. It's not safe here." "We have an ally now." I reply. "Who?" Olivia asks. I don't respond. "Who?" She asks again. "You're not gonna like it." "Who is it?" "I'll show you who it is, but just you right now." Olivia looks around. "It'll be ok." I insist. She reluctantly hops off Penny. Olivia points to Peter. "I'll be right back. You'll be in charge in the mean time."

Torture the Boss

Do I enjoy torturing Todd? I do, but that's not why I sent him up the tree... ok, let me rephrase that. It wasn't the main reason I sent him up the tree. I had just injured myself in a fall. I couldn't climb myself. So I did what any one would do, I made their annoying boss, who just so happens to be afraid of heights climb the tree. He must have been shaking like a leaf. He shouted down to us several times, asking if he could come down. I told him he couldn't until we got Olivia and the falcons back. He waved his arms, manically, nearly falling over. "I don't see them anywhere." He shouts. "Try whistling." I tell him. He does just that. Much like when I whistled earlier, it feel to deaf ears. "They're not coming." He cries. "Wait." I insist. Soon after I utter that word a black swarm covers the sky. "I think they're here." He says nervously. "Wave your arms again." I instruct. Todd flails his arms. "How much longer do I do this for?" He asks. "Until they take shape and you can see the falcons." "And then what?" He asks. I take a deep breath. "Then you descend the tree as quickly as you can."

New Friend

The hunter offers his hand. I'm reluctant to grab."What's this about? " I ask. "I admire how you fought like hell to get out of there." He replies. "Thanks." I grab his hand and hoist myself up. Everything hurts. "But tell me why were you spying on me?" "I wasn't. I came to get him." I say, pointing to Todd. The hunter smiles. "Oh you came to get that guy?" "I did. Although I'm not sure why anymore. It's not like he helped me." The hunter laughs. "He wasn't very helpful, was he?" "What did you want me to do? " Todd blurts. "Certainly not stand around. " I remark. The hunter steps between us. "Easy fellas." He turns to Todd. "I'm glad you got you your employee back, and I'm glad I can trust you both. But I need you to stop fighting. We're a team now." "You guys can be a team together. I'm finding my real team." I start to walk away. The hunter yanks me back by the cape. "Where are you going?" He asks. "I'm glad we can all trust each other , but I have to find Olivia and the falcons." "Make them come here." The hunter says. "They won't come anywhere near here if they feel they are in danger." I reply. "Why would they feel they are in danger?" The hunter asks. "You were literally just firing at them." I shout. "Fair enough, but how are you going to find them?" "I'm going to climb the highest tree I can find. I'll probably be able to wave them in from there." The hunter shakes his head. "No, you are in no shape to be climbing a tree. " "I know that, but what am I supposed to do? It's not like I can send you up." The hunter's eyes light up. "Send this man up." He says, slapping Todd on the back.

Unstuck

This was one of the few times where I secretly wished and hoped I was wasn't saved. I knew that if Olivia were to fly in it could mean her downfall. I waited for a full minute. No one arrived. "It would appear your friends have abandoned you." The hunter sneers. "It would appear so." I reply. The hunter aims am arrow at me. "It's a shame I have to do this." "You don't have to." I say. " I think I do." He insists. "Todd,are you just gonna stand there?" The hunter turns sharply. "Don't you get any ideas." He says, threateningly to Todd. "Sorry I can't help." Todd says, apologetically. "Unbelievable. " I declare. "What?" Todd shouts. "You're not even trying. " "I don't see you trying to escape." "We'll see about that." I don't know why, but the hunter let me attempt to escape. Perhaps he admired my gumption, or maybe he saw it as entertainment. It probably was fun for him watching me flail my arms and legs. My thrashing eventually paid off. My cape ripped enough that I was now separate from the tree. The only problem was it was still quite a fall.

Spy?

"Let me down!" I scream at the top of my lungs. I thrash my arms an legs about, hoping I can set myself free. It is no use, and I am met with strife as the hunter steps towards me. He aims his bow at my helpless body. "What's the meaning of spying on me?" He asks. "What are you talking about?" "You've been spying on me, and I don't like that one bit." "I haven't been spying on you." "Bullshit. Who sent you?" "Nobody sent me." I plead. He shoots an arrow. It comes within inches of my face. "The next one won't miss." He says. He strings another arrow and aims it at me. "Now, who sent you?" "Don't shoot." A voice calls out. I look off in the distance to see Todd dressed in chain mail. The hunter turns toward Todd. "And why shouldn't I?" "Because he's my employee. One of the one's we were looking for." Todd replies. "So he is a spy?" "He's not a spy and neither am I." The hunter eyes Todd. "Where's your sword?" "I had to drop it." "Why?" "So I could catch up to you."Todd says. The hunter stares at me in the tree. "Can he prove that he's not a spy?" "Call the falcons." Todd tells me. "I don't think that will prove I'm innocent." I reply. "Just do it." The hunter snaps. I put my thumb and index finger in my mouth. I let out a loud whistle. I am doubtful that this plan will work, but it's all I have right now.

FreeFall

I free fall faster than a speeding bullet. In a desperate attempt to avoid being splattered on the ground, I flapped my arms. Of course it did not work. I did, however, have one more idea. I waved my cape manically. I thought the bright red swaying in the wind would catch the marksman's attention. My plan worked, perhaps a little too well. Within moments an arrow was fired at me. The arrow grazed my left shoulder and pierced my cape. I assumed, naturally that the arrow would exit through my cape. That wasn't exactly the case. It remained stuck to my cape while flying forcefully through the air. It eventually impaled itself on a nearby tree, leaving me suspended by my cape.

Enemy Fire

An arrow whizzed past us. It narrowly avoided Penny's head. I assumed it was a stray arrow that missed its mark. However, after countless more arrows were fired into the sky I knew it was no accident. Someone had targeted us. Olivia took up her position as leader. She instructed the falcons to gain in altitude. This, she believed would put us out of range of the enemy arrows. Unfortunately the plan did not work. It was now evident that we were dealing with an expert marksman. We ziged and zaged, desperately trying to avoid being hit. I held on to the reins as tightly as I could. My knuckles were white. The only problem was at that height the wind was fierce. Holding on became near impossible as the wind was pushing me back and the falcons were maneuvering in every possible direction with no warning. At one point Penny did a barrel roll. That's when I lost my grip. I fell into an abyss, an no one knew. They were all busy fighting for their lives.

Ambush?

"Are we there yet? I feel like we've been traveling for weeks." Todd asks in an exasperated tone. His shoulders are slumped forward and he is practically keeled over. The hunter laughs. "It does seem that way. Who knows, maybe we have been? But in order to throw them off we can't enter directly." "What are you talking about?" "You'll know soon enough." A faint squawk can be heard in the distance. The hunter turns to Todd. He speaks to Todd in a whisper. "Did you hear that?" "No." Another squawk can be heard. This one is much louder. "Surely you heard that one." "I did. It sounded like a bird. Maybe a hawk or a falcon." His eyes gleam. "Did you say falcon?" The hunter asks. "Yes, that's what it sounded like to me." He replies, excitedly. "That means we don't have much time." The hunter aims his bow and arrow to the sky. "What are you doing?" Todd shouts. "The falcons are the Queen's eyes and ears. She sent them to spy on us." "Don't be ridiculous. They aren't spies. They belong to me." The hunter lowers his bow and arrow. "Did you say they belong to you?" "Yes, I did." The hunter quickly grabs Todd and slams him against a tree. "I knew I shouldn't trust you. What kind of trap were you leading me into?" "No trap." Todd pleads, gasping for air. "I'll see about that." The hunter releases Todd. Then, without warning, he fires an arrow into the sky.

Pondering

I was reunited with Olivia, we had all the falcons on our side, and Peter was back to his old self. We could go anywhere we wanted and start a new life. It should have been a joyous occasion, but melancholy crept into my mind yet again. I kept thinking about the prisoner. I wondered if we did the right thing. He may have been mad, but he also may have been unjustly convicted like we were. "We need to go back." I shout to Olivia. She was steering Penny, guiding our falcons through the sky. "What are you talking about?" She asks. "The prisoner. We have to go back for him." "Are you nuts? Do you have any idea what I went through to rescue you?" She shouts over the wind. "I know, and I appreciate it, but-" "But what?" "But I'm not so convinced he was guilty." "He was crazy. Believe me." Olivia says. "I believe you, but isn't it possible that the harsh conditions he was living in made him that way?" I suggest. Olivia cocks her head slightly and glares at me. "We're not going back to prove or disprove his innocence. Maybe that's his lot in life." "To be a prisoner?" I question. Olivia continues steering. "Some people come back as royalty, others come back as con men." I sigh. "I guess you're right, but what about Todd?" "What about him?" She asks. "Well, we left him in a tree." Olivia droops her shoulders. "You're right. We'll circle the forest for him."

Switching Time

Olivia looked like a mythic warrior from yore. She stood on Penny in a confident, Wonder Woman pose. The pink bubble now enveloped her entire falcon army. "Here he is. Throw down your shield." One of my soldiers requested. "First you must throw down your weapons." She replies. The soldier nodded to men to disarm themselves. They did as they were instructed, carefully placing their spears on the ground. Olivia then removed her force field. She turned her attention to the prisoner. He was still mounted on a nearby falcon. "Go." She instructed. "Oh no. I'm not going back." He says. Aggravated, Olivia whistles. A falcon picks up the prisoner by his collar with its beak. The prisoner thrashes about with no luck. The falcon drops the prisoner right next to me. The soldier behind me quickly grabs his spear. "Don't worry. This is for him, not you." He assures me. He points the spear at the soldier. I'm dumbfounded, unsure if I should trust his word. "Go on, go to your lady." He insists. I walk backwards to Olivia, keeping an eye on him the whole time. The backwards walk causes me to bump into a falcon, but at that point I know I am safe. "Thank you." Olivia says to the soldier. The soldier grunts. "I'll bring this man back to the dungeon then I'll tell Ruth that you were lost in battle. But I better not see you around here again." I shake my head. "That's fair enough."

Found

It didn't take long for the soldiers to find me. I suppose they are trained at that sort of thing. At any rate, once I heard the stampede of nearby footsteps I knew there was no point in running. I sprung up from the bushes with my arms raised above my head. One of the soldiers menacingly pointed his spear at my face. "Looks like we found the betrayer." He says. "I did not betray you." "Oh really? Then why did you run?" "The falcons are our allies. We are not to fight them." I inform. "If that's so then why didn't you bring any one with you?" "I tried." The soldier thinks for a moment. "Maybe you didn't betray us after all." "Thank you." I say, with a sigh of relief. "But you are a coward, and that's even less respected than a betrayer. I should execute you here and now." I gulp. "Fortunately for you I'm not going to do that." "You're not?" I ask. "No, your friend has something we want." "My friend." I repeat. "Yeah, the pretty girl with the skull mask. She has a prisoner. We're exchanging you for him." I feel slight jubilation upon his words. "Well, come on! We haven't got all day."

Fair Trade

The first wave of falcons crashed head first into the soldiers. After that, a second wave arrived to help their friends. The falcons and soldiers fought viciously for a few moments until a giant, pink bubble descended from the sky. The soldiers were so thrown off that they halted fighting. "We do not wish to fight." Olivia announces from the bubble. "You could have fooled us." One of the soldiers shouts. "It's true. We come in peace." Peter adds. He is also in the bubble, along with penny. Penny lands safely on the ground. "We have something you may want." Olivia says. "And whats that?" Someone asks. Olivia whistles. Another falcon descends from the sky with the prisoner on its back. The soldiers are eager to jump at him. "Not so fast!" Olivia shouts. "You have something that we want as well." "And what's that?" A man in the front sneers. "Our friend." She replies. "Your friend?" "Yes, he wears a red hood and cape." "That's our general." "Where is he?" Olivia questions. The man in the front shrugs. "He ran off before the fighting began." "Well find him and get him." Olivia insists. "I don't think so." He replies. Olivia grits her teeth. You man have weapons, but there is more of us and our falcons can take you all down with out a problem." The man in the front sighs. He turns to the soldiers. "Move out. We have to find our general."

Black Clouds

A black mass stretched across the sky. It was nothing that I could easily discern, but being a General, I knew it was something I had to eradicate. I grabbed a spear of the nearest soldier. Without thinking the matter any further, I thrust the spear into the sky. It came no where near the unknown enemy. It landed only a few feet away from me. Remembering my school days, I instructed my men not to budge till they saw the whites of their eyes. We all kept still, not moving a single muscle. Then, to my surprise, the enemy had a face. I soon realized it was the falcons charging us. I ordered my men no to fire, but it was too late. One had already thrown a spear at the falcons. That caused them screech head first into the soldiers. I pulled back, running deeper into the forest. The falcons stayed to fight, knocking my men down.

Lost Army

We marched all night long without a sign of one single prisoner. We found no footprints, and heard no screams. It was almost as if the prisoners dropped off the face of the Earth. Tired, and worn out, I rested on rock. I am aware it is not exactly the best example a general could set for his men, but it was literally my first day. I felt the rules could be bent just a little bit. The soldiers did not share this perspective with me. "What are you sitting around for?" "I'm tired." I reply, foolishly. "We're all tired." He shouts back. "Then you can all sit down." He shakes his head. "We will not." "And why is that?" I ask. "Because we are soldiers. We don't sit around till the job is done." He says, his face an inch away from mine. I casually back away from him. "You guys ever wonder, maybe those prisoners were falsely accused?" "No, we have not." He says thrusting the butt of his spear into the mud. "What makes you so sure of that?" I ask. "Because our lady is never wrong." He says, with venom. "That's precisely the problem. You view her as an infallible being who can do no wrong." The soldier points the spear at my throat. Obviously that was not a matter up for the debate, so I quickly changed my tactic. "I know how to catch the prisoners." "How?" He asks, still pointing the blade to my throat. "We have to think like them. Everyone scream like you've never screamed before." The soldier lowers his spear. He then turns his attention to the others. "You heard him. Give him your best, primal screams." With that, they all let out bloodthirsty, war cries into the morning air.

Strength in Feathers

"This is a good thing?" Olivia questions, unsure what to make of everything. Peter walks up to the group of falcons. He offers his hand. One of the falcons lowers it's head. He then pets it gently. "Yes, this is a good thing." He replies. "But what happened?" Olivia asks. "It appears they have reached an understanding with one another." He says. "But how? They were just at each other's throats a moment ago?" Peter chuckles to himself. "I'm afraid that's how it goes sometimes." Olivia is unsatisfied with his answer. Peter walks over to her. "This is a good thing." He assures. "Yeah, you're right." "It means it'll be easier for us to find Scott." Olivia half smiles. "You're right." She points to the prisoner with her head. "But what do we do about that guy?" Peter eyes the wild man from afar. "He is an uruly fellow. I suppose if we are to restore any order to this land we need to place him back in the prison." "You're right, but he's not flying with us."

Meet the Army

The army, as it turns out was actually in a fenced in area outside. They all bowed as soon as we made our presence known. "Arise, my men. I have news for you." Ruth says. "What is it, my lady? One of them asks. Ruth rests her hand on my shoulder. "The man you see before me will lead you now." They all groan."You can't be serious." One shouts. "I am." "But why him?" A soldier in the front row asks. "Why not him?" She snaps back. "Look at him, he wears a red cloth of some sort." Ruth examines my cape. "Does this fabric cause you distaste?" She questions. "It does!" A random soldier shouts. "Too bad. He is your general now, and that's that." "But how is he to lead us?" "I don't know, you ask him." Ruth replies. She then goes back into the room, leaving me alone with my army. I nervously grin. "So what are we to do?" One asks. I take a deep breath. "We have prisoners to catch. No more time to waste."

Behind Glass

Once I signed the contact, Ruth took me to a small room with a one way mirror. One the other side was a handful of the army men. They were brute, strong men, and it was clear they were all eager for battle as I saw several of them bang on their chests in an animalistic fashion. "What do you think?" Ruth asks. "Am I in charge of them?" "You are." "And this is the whole army?" "It's only a hand full. The rest I have on reserves." I stare on in amazement. "What do you want me to do with them?" I ask. "You're the general." She replies. "But I don't know anything about this sort of thing." "Don't worry. This is a time of peace. You won't be calling them into battle." "Then what do you need them for?" Ruth half smiles. "Round up all the prisoners you freed." I slowly nod. "I suppose you want to lock up the jester as well?" "I do, but that idiot will probably escaped again if I did.You sure you don't want him executed?" "I'd prefer if you didn't." I say. "Very well. Just know that his power will be limited." "That's fine." Ruth rests her hand on the doorknob. "Enough with the small talk. It's time for you to meet your army."

Hunter's Story

Todd trudges through the forest with the hunter. Todd is dressed in chain mail and carries a broad sword. The sword is so heavy that he drags it most the time. The hunter, however, does not notice. He is many paces ahead. The hunter is dressed all in green, like Robin Hood, and he carries a bow.
"What's your story?" Todd asks. "What do you mean?" "I mean you obviously know something about these people." "I do." He replies simply. "Would you mind telling me what you know?" "No." "No, you don't mind?" Todd asks. "I'm not talking." "But you just did." Todd says, sneakily. The hunter sighs. "Very well, I can see my wits are no match for yours." The hunter turns his attention to Todd. He raises his eyebrow upon seeing him dragging his sword. "And my brawn is no match for yours." Todd quips. "My wife and I were once part of that tribe." "Why did you leave?" Todd questions. "Not everything is as it seems there. The people are blissfully unaware of their on underlining struggles." "That's how it is alot places." Todd interrupts. "I suppose. My wife and I woke up one day. We tried to get all our friends and family to do the same, but they would not." "So, is that why you were kicked out?" Todd asks. "We were not kicked out. We left on our own." "And they let you?" "They did. They assumed we had no power because no one would listen to us." "What did you do since then." The hunter shrugs. "We lived off the land. I would hunt, and my wife bake from anything that we could find.We tried to send food over to our loved ones, but then they stopped communicating, and the risks became too great. I had not seen or heard from anyone in the village for quite some time." The hunter rests his hand on Todd's shoulder. "But then you came around and I have reason to go back." The hunter slaps Todd on the back. "Stay awake. This could get dangerous."

Terms and Conditions

Ruth walks back into the room carrying three pages worth of a written contract. She places it neatly on the desk. She opens a drawer and pulls out a quill pen. "When you're ready." Ruth hears my chains and remembers my legs are still bound. "Wait." She says. She grabs her staff. She mystically waves it in the air in a circle. A moment later the chains on my ankles disintegrate. "What about my hands?" I ask. "After you sign." "Are you gonna loosen his shackles?" I ask, referring to Mamba. "No, I only need your signature." "After I sign , will you let him go?" "I was planning on executing him." She replies. Mamba gulps. "But I suppose I don't have to. Just sign the damn thing." I walk to the desk. I view my contract. It is written on time worn, yellowed paper. The font is microscopic. I squint my eyes to begin reading. "Your signature goes at the bottom of the third page." She says, interrupting my focus. "Thanks." I attempt to begin again. "What are you doing?" She asks. "Reading the fine print." I reply. "Why?" "Because that's what you do when you receive a contract." "No, no one does that. " she insists. "Maybe they should." "Why? You don't trust me?" "It's not that it's-" "Then what is it? All you need to know is that you'll be my right hand man." In that moment, I went against any conventional idea I may have had about contracts. I flipped to the third page and made the most beautiful signature.

Family Affair

Olivia doesn't skip a beat. She immediately throws up her force field. She makes one that is big enough for her, Peter, Penny, and their new prisoner - friend. The prisoner screams upon being enwrapped in the bubble. "What?" She shouts. The prisoner brushes his crazy, wavy hair from his eyes. "Not free." He says. "Of course you are." Olivia replies. The prisoner keeps screaming. "Not free." He says this over and over until it is too much for Olivia. Frustrated, she throws down her force field and kicks out the prisoner. In that single moment the group of falcons swoop down. Olivia raises her palms in an attempt to create another bubble. Penny steps past Olivia, blocking her concentration. Penny caws loudly at the falcons. They caw back. She, in turn caws even louder this time. They all simultaneously stop shrieking and cawing. They bowed their heads. Penny turns to Olivia, Peter, and the prisoner. "What just happened?" Olivia asks. Peter has seen this before. He is certain is a good thing. "I'm not sure what we witnessed, but I know it was good."

Deal or No Deal

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. My eardrums are pierced by a loud, metallic, scratching. I can only compare it to hangers being moved across a metal bar at a department store. "It's safe to look now." Ruth announces. I remove my hands from my face, and lift my head up. There is a gigantic, purple drape stretched across a window. It still emits a bright, amber glow, but I no longer feel as if my retinas will burn. Ruth sits behind a massive wooden desk. Its roughly the size of three regular ones placed side by side. She looks to the guard. "You may leave now." "As you wish." He replies. The guard then exits. Ruth folds her hands. "You two got pretty far. I'm impressed." "Twas nothing." Mamba says, coyly. "Is this where you ask us to join the dark side?" I ask. Ruth chuckles to herself. "In a manner of speaking. I want to make a deal." "What kind of deal?" "I could really use your talents." She says. "No." I snap. "Why not? I've been watching you for a very long time. I think your ready." "I'm sure I am, but don't trust you." I reply. Ruth leans back. "Is it because I have you in chains?" She asks. "That would have a lot to do with it." "The chains are for me. You say I am not trustworthy, but you are the one who should not be trusted." "What are you talking about?" I question. "You break my rules. My very simple rules I lay out for you. That's why I can not trust you. Either of you." I smirk. "And yet you want me to work for you." "That's because I know talent when I see it. You may be a pain in the neck, but you still have talent." "Thank you, but I'm not working for you." I respond. Ruth takes a deep breath. "Tell me, what do you stand for?" "I don't know. I'm a seeker of the unknown, a cosmic slacker, and a psychic anarchist." Ruth's eyes light up. "And you can be all that and more with me." "I really don't know about this." I sigh. "What's the problem? The war is over." "Really?" I ask. "Really, all you have to do is sign a paper." Ruth stands. "I'll type something up."

Search Team

"Do you see him?" Peter asks while flying Penny over a sea of people. "I don't know. I can't tell. There's so many people." "I'll go lower." Penny swoops down. It is now revealed that the crowd of people are the prisoners. They ravenously claw at Penny. Olivia blasts them with hearts. "We need to get higher." Olivia shouts. Penny ascends, but one of the prisoners grabs the bird's talons. Peter and Olivia are unaware of the man hanging below. "What was that?" Peter asks. "I have no idea. Let's just find somewhere safe to land." The prisoner scales Penny's leg , and hoists himself up. He makes himself known by letting out a scream. Olivia, without thinking fires a heart into his chest. It causes the prisoner to fall over backwards. "Shit. Get him!" Olivia cries. Penny descends faster than ever. Olivia reaches out her left arm. she grabs the prisoner in the nick of time, saving him from a fatal fall. "There's a cliff up ahead. I'll land us there." Peter announces. Peter lands Penny at the top of the cliff. As soon as they are stopped Olivia pushes the prisoner off Penny. "What's going on? Who are you?" She questions. Before the prisoner can utter a word, he is interrupted by many falcons cawing. Peter, blissfully unaware of the current problem, smiles. "Penny, we found your family."

Bright Room

The guard escorted us to the foot of the volcano. I assumed, naturally that I was to leap into the mouth of the volcano yet again. Olivia wasn't there to build a bridge this time so I didn't see why he wouldn't have made me and Mamba march to the top. But he didn't didn't. He had us wait while he dug through piles of rocks. It took him a long time, but he found a entrance. He told us to go in. It was dark at first. Then we found ourselves in a brightly lit room. It was so bright that I had to shield my eyes. I didn't know what was the matter. "She's not here yet. I'll go get her." The guard informs. I hear him walk away. He stops, and turns back. "Stay right where you are." I glance down at the shackles that bound me. "Like I have a choice." I think to myself.

Friends In High Places

"You don't have an idea where he might be?" Peter asks. "Not really." Olivia says, forlorn. "When was the last time you saw him?" "I was rescuing Penny. The tribesmen got a hold of him. I wanted to save him too, but it was too dangerous." Olivia looks down. Peter rests a hand on her shoulder. "You did the best you could." "What now?" Olivia asks. "Well, I don't know the layout of this place, but we have a friend that can fly us high into the air." Olivia lifts her head. "Yeah, maybe we can spot him that way." Olivia watches Peter hop on Penny's back. "Should we figure out a distraction?" She asks. Peter shakes his head. "We have a giant falcon. This is our distraction." Peter lends his hand to Olivia. She jumps on the giant bird, and they prepare to take off once more.

Cleverless

My imagination often gets the better of me. I wish that was my current problem as I march aimlessly with a court jester chained to me. Somehow my cleverness has escaped me. At least at the moment. I wonder why I haven't encountered any of the prisoners. I also wonder why I gave my power to the guard. Granted he has a sharp blade pointed to my back, but there has to be a way out of this. There just has to. Maybe that's how I escape by stop fighting. Go along with the flow. It is crazy, but I am curious to see Ruth as well.