After the council was adjourned and the monarchs of the tree abdicated their thrones, sorrenn sat outside the chamber, thinking about the attack to come. Then monnalissa sat next to him, and he turned towards her.
"Thanks for freeing me back there." She said.
"You're welcome." Sorrenn said back. They sat there for about an hour or two, thinking of how to tell how they feel about each other. Then Nova walked towards them. He seemed concerned.
"Sir, are you alright?" He asked.
"I was just wondering if Pure Ones and guardians would ever work and fight as one." Sorrenn answered, uncertain of what happens next.
"Oh. Well, what exactly happened to monnalissa?" Nova asked again. Sorrenn didn't know the answer, but then monnalissa spoke.
"When Metallica had his throne usurped, I was there to witness the whole thing. I was able to write that note with the knife on it moments before I was captured. Despite the interrogation that followed, I didn't tell anyone anything. Then they injected some sort of chemical that causes any scratazon to go savage. Everything after that was a big dark blur until Sorrenn snapped me out of it. I still can see a big light blur, though."
Nova was shocked, but Sorrenn was relieved that he was able to snap her out of the savage state.
"Must've been a fate worse than death." He said. Monnalissa nodded. All 3 of them were silent for a short while until Sorrenn broke said silence.
"The reason why I was gone all these years was because I've become surprisingly attached to earth and it's creatures. Especially my students." He said with a said expression.
"You have?" Monnalissa asked, surprisingly eager for more.
"Yes. Ever since their father was killed by the Pure Ones, while their mother died from heartbreak just mere months afterward." Sorrenn answered, his glum face still noticeable. "If anything happened to Shaarrd and Storrmm at the hands of the Pure Ones, that's why I had to stay, I'd never have forgiven myself."
Monnalissa was devastated that her friend's students were orphans. Nova, meanwhile, knew how much it felt to have been an orphan for his entire life. Metallica and Nyrachnia were listening to the conversation, somehow feeling concerned about sorrenn's students. They never knew that Shaarrd and Storrmm's parents died, not simply abandoned them. Not only were the twins classified as orphans, but they were truly fatherless and motherless. True orphans. Nyrachnia had the same experience as the twins when she lost her mother at a young age. She was surprisingly lucky that she was almost an adult when her father was killed. Sorrenn, Monnalissa and Novascorpio continued talking to one another, then Shaarrd and Storrmm walked in.
"Sorry to interrupt your heart-to-heart, sorrenn, but what are your orders?" Shaarrd asked. Sorrenn wondered what his orders are, then he figures it out.
"We have to find the Pure Ones hideout. They're no longer stationed at the Fangs, and St. Copernicus Academy for Orphaned Scratazons is a lost cause." He explained.
"I think that we might be able to help." Nyrachnia said, walking toward him.
"The hideout has been moved to the border of the Thunder Canyons." Metallica finished.
"Thunder Canyons?" Monnalissa asked, confused.
"It got its name from the sounds it makes when the water within it collides with the sides." Sorrenn answered, unwittingly cutting off Nyrachnia. Everyone was astonished by how Sorrenn knew about the Thunder Canyons.
"How did you know?" Nyrachnia asked.
"I did some traveling here and there. You learn to map new territories, friendly or otherwise." Sorrenn explained. The former Pure Ones, Shaarrd and Storrmm were amazed by how he traveled throughout the entire scratazon kingdoms.
"So, how do we get to the Thunder Canyons?" Storrmm asked Metallica.
"Well there are many ways to get there." Metallica started, then picked up a stone and carved a map that leads to the Thunder Canyons. "But if we want to go faster, we'll have to trek a path for only the fearless of adventurers. First, we'd have to go through the Poison Briar Bog, across the Chaos Ravine, and then past the Caves of Frozen Heart. Don't ask why." He then backed away from the admittedly badly drawn out map. Sorrenn and Monnalissa were confused, Shaarrd and Storrmm didn't know what to say, but Nyrachnia tried to hide her laughter. She looked amused at what the so-called map looked like.
'Funny and illiterate.' She thought.
"And where is that from here?" Shaarrd asked, still weirded out.
"At least 30 degrees west, I believe." Metallica answered. "Although I am unsure who would join us on the way towards those locations."
"It think I might be of assistance." Sorrenn explained and then whistled twice. After a while, something big landed from behind the group. They turned around and saw the culprit. Only sorrenn knew what (or more accurately, who) it was.
"Guys, this is one of my comrades. Lieutenant Wethertrix." Sorrenn introduced.
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(Apparently, Wethertrix is a Dilophosaurus Wetherilli, which is Probably how she got her fitting name.)
Everyone except sorrenn were motionless. Shaarrd and Storrmm were hoping that the dilophosaurus' 'venom-spitting' attack was just a prehistory myth, while Metallica looked like he faced a similar creature long ago.
"Wethertrix is a strong, vigilant and strategic soldier. She's actually quite friendly once you get to know her." Sorrenn said after Wethertrix' stare softened.
"Can she talk?" Nyrachnia asked, still quivering with visible fear.
"She can. But mostly does some low frequency hoots. right, Wethertrix?" Sorrenn asked. Wethertrix responded by making the aforementioned low frequency hooting sounds. Storrmm slowly moved closer to Wethertrix, then the dinosaur-like creature rubbed her snout on the side. Storrmm snickered, for it was slightly tickling her.
"She's actually a pretty good girl." she said.
"Yeah, she ain't so bad." Shaarrd agreed.
"What she's doing is her own way to say that she'll help us." Sorrenn explained. Wethertrix hooted low in agreement.
"Well, then. Time to start our journey." Metallica said confidently as everyone went to their hollows to get themselves ready. The journey to the Thunder Canyons will be perilous. Hopefully, everyone survives the deadly trip.
