FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Hell was not a concept Oddclaw knew of, nor any dinosaur did. But the fire and brimstone of the dreaded Firesea would have given him such as Moonclaw traipsed alongside him. The Birthlands stood behind them as the sky was consumed by an enormous cloud of lightning, black as the night with wroth overflowing as lava flowed in rivers constant towards the ocean. Mountains stood dotting the landscape where magma poured from smoking tops and wrathful fissures to create a moist sweltering heat which, compared to the dryness of the desert was a terrible thing. The sling around Oddclaw's chest made of oviraptor skin now felt sticky from the wrought humidity, his naked body turning glossy in the heat, sweat dripping down his haunches and even tapering off his foreskin.

"What an awful place," gasped Oddclaw.

"The Barren Plains were worse."

"How?! One step into this fire and we are dead!"

"Well that keeps us sharp, unlike the other place this will provide us with a good challenge!"

"You were whining about this before we got here!"

"Only because we have to find a stupid flower in the midst of THIS! But the challenge is what I look forward to."

"I......see."

She gave a rather lurid grin that almost tipped over to insanity, which frightened him before she pulled gently at his neck and giggled at his face.

"You are a sweet hatchling to think that much of me."

"It would help if you even attempted to lie once in a while."

"HAH, and raise your expectations of me? I think not. Now come, let us go find this measly plant."

The sky reflected the earth as solid ebony, amidst the crackling burn and smoulder of liquid fire that poured across the land, carefully leaping over the thin slivers whilst skirting round the larger rivers of searing molten heat. A second too long next to the bubbling floes would threaten to char and peel their skin which created an unbearable tension betwixt the two raptors. The constant rumbling that shook through the land felt as if the world itself would be rent asunder, the cragged uneven scape setting a worse precedent in their struggle not to fall straight into the lava.

Even then they kept their distance, hopscotching across plateaus amidst scorching tributaries melting and glowing through the stone peaks. It would take them at least an hour to climb towards the third-highest peak, clearly defined against the end of the island world as they saw the long silver beach formed of asphalt and cooled lava against the sea, creating a constant mist that wrapped round their feet. Striking flashes across the land terrified them as the rumbling furore followed after as they made their ascent. Claws dug into the igneous rock, scrabbling for footholds as Oddclaw pulled himself up by his arms whilst Moonclaw hopped back and forth with her feet. She noticed the gentle nod of his head in a soft mental rhythm as they climbed halfway up.

"What are you doing?"

"Six...six-and-one...six-and-two...nine...AH!"

The sky growled above their heads.

"The skyfire is moving away!"

"How do you know that?"

"The hairless taught me, when you see the skyfire you start counting. Then, when you HEAR the skyfire, stop. I counted it up to six-and-one, now it is at nine, meaning it is now moving away."

"But...how does that...how do you know?!"

"The sound of the skyfire takes longer to come to us than the sight of it. Sound travels slower than light."

"...really?"

"You can see me before you hear me, yes?"

"That is true...hmmmm...well, I will trust your hairless friends' advice for this, now come, swiftly please I do not wish to stay in this awful place-AAAH!"

Clutching themselves against the walls of the volcanic peaks, they felt a torrid wind sweep past their skins like the ragged breath of a hungering demon. The rancorous gust smelt like rotting eggs which made both raptors heave with disgust despite stomaching as best they could. Higher they went as the stench turned worse with the air starting to thin, their heads turning woozy with eyes now stinging from the ashen fog rising up to meet them. Lungs turned heavy as their breaths thickened inside their throats like mud, forcing them to push their muscles to the limit from the sheer exertion. The climb wasn't even that difficult, but the air was so oppressive that it became an almost-physical weight upon their backs, their claws straggling before they finally made it to the peak.

The raw stygian abyss of the Firesea opened up before them down towards the sea which gave a small comfort in adding some sense of colour to the landscape. It was not the only thing however that stood out in the black rock of red burning arteries as they saw a gathering of yellow flowers nestled inside a crater, sheltered from the wind as Oddclaw shouted:

"There! The flowers!"

"Good, now take them so we can leave!"

"Wait!"

Oddclaw realised he wasn't going to be able to carry the flowers safely, except by one way. He shared the last of his water with Moonclaw before scooping some of the volcanic dirt into the bottle, packing it firmly so it would not dislodge before planting the two flowers inside and sealing the bottle tight.

"What are you doing?!"

"This will keep the flowers safe from being lost, or wilting. All they need is dirt, water and my breath."

"Breath?!"

He could not think how to explain it the way Kevin had told him about carbon dioxide and how most plants could thrive with just soil, water and someone's breath. He was rather poetic about it in a way that Oddclaw could not recite.

"Flowers breathe on our breath, not the air like we do. The water still left in the bottle will keep it fresh."

"Another hairless trick?"

"Yes."

"Well we can leave finally, let us get back to this longneck."

Returning back to the lake, the smell of the Firesea was evident upon them which was more than enough proof as Seagazer lowered his head to them.

"Well...you kept your promise I see."

"The flower is here," said Oddclaw showing his bottled plant, "it is fresh and safe."

"I see! Goodness what a strong vibrant flower, I am very impressed! As I promised, I will take you across the lake BUT...you must do one more favour."

"Oh you are not serious," snarled Moonclaw.

"No no, this is AFTER I take you across, you are passing through the Skylands yes?"

"We are."

"There...there is a friend of mine, her name is Starstone and she is quite sick. I would be very grateful if you can bring those flowers to her."

"Oh. Why did you not say it was to heal a friend?"

"She is proud and insists on doing things her way despite my fears for her. I love her deeply, and I could not bear to think what would happen if her sickness became worse."

"I see. We shall take the flowers to her."

"Thank you, hunters. Now, climb on."

He lowered his tail to act like a long gentle slope of wrinkled flesh to allow them passage as they clambered on carefully, keeping their claws short to not pierce his skin even though there was little hope in them doing so. The tough leathery hide was vast enough that it took them a whole six seconds to cross the length of his spine towards the base of his neck, as they settled in for the ride. Seagazer walked out, his long treetrunk legs parting the waters like a prophet, an immovable force unto itself as creatures scattered around his feet. At the deepest part of the lake, he kept on walking despite the waves surging around his waist, the sight of crocodiles and fish trailing past with an effortless attempt. Moonclaw watched the scaled beasts with curious intrigue, but kept her distance after seeing what they could do to beasts her own size amidst their long smiling teeth.

"Those snouts are much too great for waterjaws."

"How so?"

"You can fit half your body in that!"

"I would rather not."

"I knew someone who would."

Seagazer's comment made them look towards him with blank stare.

"An oddhead who had this urge to want to be eaten. Was the only time his cock could ever grow seeing another get consumed. He would come down to the lake every three days to watch the waterjaws crunch and devour another prey and he would spray his seed all over the rushes."

"...that...is disturbing," said Oddclaw.

"I could have helped him with that," added Moonclaw cheekily.

"Wh-what?!"

"If he wanted to be devoured I would have gladly given him his release."

"I-i-i, what are you saying?!"

"Oh do not think that death and sex are so different. One way or another we penetrate another body...be it with cock...or with teeth."

"I, do not like where you are going with this, please do not talk about this."

"Why? Are you afraid of what arouses you?"

She growled sweetly with a wide grin of almost frightening intensity, making him nervous as he balked pressing against the great Seagazer's neck much to Moonclaw's delight.

"Hmhmhmhmhahahaha, hohohohohhh you are so innocent."

"Wh-what will you stop teasing me?!"

"I am not teasing you at all, I am simply educating you. There are many beasts in this world with many...odd desires."

"I know that! I have just never known one who desires to be eaten!"

"Oh come now have you never let your brother bite you?"

"Of course he bites me, but not to EAT me!"

"No. That is good. Do you and your brother have any odd desires?"

"No, we simply mate. Do you?"

"No, I do not truthfully."

Somehow Oddclaw felt relieved as he laid himself back and enjoyed the cascades of water flowing past their bodies. The sound of braying beasts had become a lullaby to him in the past few days, feeling more at peace the closer he would come towards his home. The journey took at least three hours even when on the back of a brachiosaurus, emphasising the vastness of the inland ocean. The raptors could smell and see the great waters of the sea to both the east and west, and at one point Oddclaw could see the lands in the south and to the north emphasising that the land he lived on was shaped like a crescent continent.

"Those two leaf-eaters were odd though," added Moonclaw.

"They were. I have never seen leaf-eaters roam by themselves without a pack just to protect other eggs."

"Are you speaking of Firetail and Plainslash?" inquired Seagazer.

"Yes. Do you know them?"

"Somewhat. They both came from the Sunmoon Trees as I recall, always together. I know not of what happened to their families but they are never apart."

"Like brothers it seems," said the female.

"Whenever egg thieves roam the plains, or a mother cries for her lost young, they head straight to the beyond to find and rescue them. Firetail lost his tail in the Firesea whilst bringing back a longneck hatchling. We are grateful to them as guardians of our children."

"That is...unheard of, I have not known any creature to do such a thing."

"There are few hunters here like yourself. The Birthlands have always been at peace for the hunters lie on the other side of the Barren Plains."

"Oh. I see. Tell me, are there any greatbeasts?"

"No. Surprisingly, I have yet to see a greatbeast besides the Suneater."

"Sun...eater?"

"He is master of the Skylands. I hope you do not have the pleasure of meeting him."

The raptors looked to each other nervously as the longneck continued talking.

"Soooo are you two mated?"

"What, n-no!" cried Oddclaw.

"Oh, are you family?"

"No. I am returning to my family, Moonclaw is helping me."

"And why do you travel with him?" he asked Moonclaw.

"Because I have missed the company of other hunters," replied the female. "That, and it would be a shame to leave him so apart from his tribe."

"I see. Perhaps you desire a tribe too?"

"How do you know I do not have one?"

"Do you think I cannot tell apart those without family to those that do?"

She kept silent, sitting down with brazen lip as Oddclaw said nothing from the momentary awkwardness.

"Forgive me," replied Seagazer, "I spoke out of turn."

"That is fine. What of your family?"

"You saw them. Along with friends, longnecks tend to keep close."

"But why? You are so great that nothing can kill you!"

"There are other reasons to stay together than just survival smalltooth. Perhaps that is something you already knew."

"Hm...perhaps I do."

They soon arrived at the south edge of the lake. The shore nestled directly beneath the Skylands themselves, a tall mountainous ridge that seemed to pierce the clouds and beyond. Slowly Seagazer turned to let them off his tail, the hunters sliding down to hit the stony pebbled beach with a clatter.

"Be safe on your journey!" he cried. "Give my love to Starstone when you meet her!"

"We will!" they shouted back. "Thank you Seagazer!"

The brachiosaurus plodded his way back through the waters with an ageless pace, sending rushing waves along the shoreline almost splashing them at their feet as the raptors lurched back to avoid it. The winding peaks gave them a new challenge of adversity as they braced themselves to climb. Oddclaw suddenly realised what he was about to do as a trembling horror grew through his body, sending a great pulse of fear deep from his smell towards Moonclaw.

"A-a-are you alright?"

"......it...that is not...um-"

"Are you frightened?"

"......I am. But I do not know truly why."

"At least the air is clean," she said positively.

"It is not the climb that frightens me. The skyflesh live here."

"You do not like them?"

"They are filth. Disgusting vermin and if I see any of them then my fire shall see to their deaths."

"...well, someone is bloodthirsty."

"I have my reasons Moonclaw."

"Alright, I shall not ask, let us go."

She could smell his hatred burning in the pit of his stomach as they started climbing, with Oddclaw stretching his arms to latch his claws onto the first holds above him whilst Moonclaw leapt straight up with powerful legs to perch upon the ledge. Combining their different styles they kept themselves paced within distance of each other. Her lithe tremendous jumps gave him plenty of views beneath her tail, swishing her vent almost coyly whenever she realised with a subtle chirr, whilst he gave her many opportunities to witness his dangling flaccid penis brazen against the cliffs. Once they became more accustomed to the clambering steps, they started to turn adventurous in showing off.

Moonclaw would sometimes take even further leaps, bolstering her legs tightly wound like springs to make monstrous shots upwards and latch onto a ledge by her teeth before swinging herself onto a platform. During this Oddclaw would also take risks by swinging across gaps with one hand, painting a perfect view of himself hanging beneath a ledge naked in the midst of the setting sun. His scales glowed with strength, and the adrenaline of the ascent caused his muscles to start throbbing including the ones in his cock which semi-hardened from excitement. Moonclaw found this delightful, cackling at his fervent enthusiasm as she cried out jovially:

"ENJOYING YOURSELF HATCHLING?!"

"NOT AS MUCH AS I WOULD WANT TO, WHY?!"

"YOUR COCK SEEMS TO ENJOY THE PROSPECT OF DEATH A MERE MOMENT AWAY!"

"IT IS JUST MY BODY TRYING TO KEEP STRONG!"

"MAYBE WE FOUND WHAT AROUSES YOU FINALLY!"

"NO IT DOES NOT BE QUIET FEMALE!"

"HHHHAHAHAHAHA!"

Pulling off his flesh-woven sling he swung it towards another ledge. It made a surprisingly sturdy grip to snag onto a rocky outcrop before pulling himself up, soon managing to reach the first plateau of many. Soon he pulled her up after him despite her teasing grin as they settled on the ledge, deciding that sleep would be best for now as well as eating whatever morsels they found in the form of small lizards and mammals skittering about the crannies. He built a fire out of small weeds and bushes that straggled out of the rocks as they slept their first night on the mountain peaks. The Skylands were far more grand in stature than they could ever imagine, sweeping the length of the eastern shores as an indomitable mountain range where clouds coalesced around the highest peaks. The next day they were up and fighting, scaling the next level of ruthless sheer slopes as the footholds became fewer in number. Both raptors took greater care than before, knowing one slip would mean almost certain death.

They spoke little, having all their focus on the climb itself as Moonclaw bit and scraped her way upwards, gnashing her teeth upon harsh rock whilst her footclaws struggled to gain purchase before pushing higher upwards like some primordial kangaroo. Oddclaw would sometimes gouge and bash the smallest of cracks in order to widen them for a new grip, ever assisted by his sling whilst his belt holster remained firmly wrapped round his hips, the shotgun dangling to smack his brimming scaly thighs that now glistened in the sun.

The most dangerous leap came in the form of a large over hang just beyond Oddclaw's reach. Much to Moonclaw's shock and fright, he swung the flesh sling over it with a violent lunge upwards and just managed to catch it like a noose onto a post before pulling himself straight up to the next plateau. Whenever one of them found a reach too far, the other would do their best to help with Moonclaw swinging down her tail to help Oddclaw reach and scrabble onto a higher ledge, or Oddclaw doing the same and even using the sling in the most desperate of moments.

"Nnnngh," gasped Oddclaw. "I did not think they were so...g-great as this."

"I have never...climbed them," stammered Moonclaw, "this shall be my first and hhhhopefully last."

"I...I-i-i would say the same."

He slumped himself against the rock face as his companion did the same to catch her breath. He turned towards her to add:

"Hhhhhh...thank you."

"For what?"

"Coming with me, again I say thank you."

"Hmhmhm, soon those words will be hollow for how often you say that to me."

"I mean it every time."

"I know. You are a terrible liar."

With every flat range they reached it felt like another checkpoint and a time to breathe, with occasional hunting for any creatures that would be festering near. Even insects they were grateful for as they found a small collection of beetles to chew into, gristly little things that blackened their teeth but gave them just a little more strength to continue. Their muscles ached, their throats became dry and they even found themselves trying to chew plants for moisture despite the fact that Moonclaw at least was not herbivorous in the slightest. But Oddclaw found himself able to eat plants with little problem so long as they were not poisonous. The sky turned to early afternoon as they made their third ascent, heading higher to the heavens amidst the piercing blue sky.

With great altitude would come the breathing problems as the air turned thin, the oxygen starting to fade as their lungs became ravenous. The burn in their chests would ache as they took more time than ever to reach the next plateau safely. They took less risks and made strategic observations to latch onto a possible outcropping or simply make a new one by raking with their claws and catching a nub to pull out and crumble the stone crevice. It was arduous, physically the most gruelling torture they had put their bodies through in their lives as their muscles sang with anguish to the point of quivering weakness. Oddclaw was fuelled by determination to see his family, knowing they were only a mountain away, that once he climbed this he would see them again and all would be well. Moonclaw's urge was much more simple. She didn't want to die this way.

The further they reached the top, the slower the climb as every push of their limbs became an almost screeching agony. Sometimes they were left to dangle for up to four minutes trying to recover by the very skin of their snouts against the rockface, hugging it tightly until Oddclaw could feel the pinpricks of stone press into his cockskin. Strangely he liked the pain, making him remember how alive he was but that could also have come from the lightheadedness that gave them both an extra challenge. They struggled to climb the last few feet, seeing another rocky platform they could rest upon as they gave a furious push with Moonclaw reaching first, scratching her claws frantically to fall straight onto the flat stone in sobbing relief. Oddclaw barely managed by himself until she remembered and swung her tail out for him to reach before he pulled himself up gasping:

"HHHHhh...hhhhhhh...Nnnnnggghhhhh...this...is true pain."

"Like...giving birth...to a longneck's egg."

"Is...is that...s-something you have-"

"No. Never. Ugh."

"Let...let us rest. Please."

"Gla-...gladly."

The two splayed themselves out upon the rock like lounging lizards, basking in the sun as their breathing steadied in the highest reaches of the land. Oddclaw could not help but look outwards and see almost everything. The Birthlands on the other side of the loch, the trailing Barren Plains and the Death Nest mirroring against him, the Sunmoon Trees and even the smallest silver speck of the Shining Mountain. He hoped Jeremy was not in trouble, but he had to resolve himself. He just needed to find a way around this peak and he was almost certain he could be able to see his home from here.

"LOOK OUT!"

Moonclaw's shout came but a second too late, as darkness swooped down from above and smothered him with thick leather amidst the sounds of animals fighting. Screeching panic and fury from the female was met by squawking cries before Oddclaw felt himself being lifted up into the sky against his will. It was a horrifying feeling that made his stomach sink, struggling against the claws that latched around his shoulders to see two Pteranodons carrying them

"Well look at this! A filthy earthrunner!"

"Do you not know the sky from the sea you filthy hunter?!"

"LET ME GO!" screeched Moonclaw, hoisted by her back and tail.

"That is not what you want, believe me, unless you would like to be a very flat waste of skin."

"ODDCLAW, DO SOMETHING!"

He was paralysed by fear. Images of the ground came rushing up to meet him as the sounds of evil cackled in his ear which caused him to shake and whimper.

"Hey! Seatooth this one is crying like an egg!"

"Hahaha, what happened smallfang, did you fall off a cliff as a hatchling?!"

" SH-SHUT UP, SHUT UP YOU FILTHY VERMIN!"

Oddclaw violently spasmed with frightful rage almost causing the winged beast to drop him. Screaming with a vicious upset, the pteranodon started to panic as he tried to fly higher which only caused the raptor to become even more frantic, kicking his legs and lashing his tail with a sudden prominent fear.

" N-NOOO! NOOOOOO LET ME GO, LET ME GO YOU FILTHY SPAWN!"

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM YOU FREAK?!"

" A-AAAAAAAAGH, AAAAAAGH, MOTHER HEEEEELP, HELP MEEEEE!"

"PUT HIM DOWN SOMEWHERE ALREADY!"

As soon as they reached the top peak they tossed Oddclaw down to roll into a crater, followed by Moonclaw who went sliding against the steep ridge and tumbled down to the bottom of the hole. It appeared to be an extinct caldera, a huge scoop of the earth creating a bowl-shape. Oddclaw staggered up as quick as he could with shotgun out and ready, his eyes brimming with terror that was slowly being consumed by unwholesome rage.

" SHOW YOURSELF! SH-SHOW YOURSELF YOU FILTHY SKYFLESH, I WILL MURDER YOU, I WILL KILL YOU ALLLL!"

The response came in the form of dozens of screeching squawks as the crater top was surrounded by the clan of the skyflesh. Sixty-seven winged beasts of all ages glared down upon him with scrutinising disgust, but some were rather curious especially that of the hatchlings. Moonclaw stood up before hobbling over towards her fellow hunter, his brazen vexation starting to frighten her as the fear intensified in his scent.

"O-oddclaw are you alright?"

"They...they did it to me again."

"Wh-what?"

"The sky...th-the sky they...f-f-filthy skyflesh they did this to me...I...I remember."

He felt the rushing wind screeching in his ears as he clasped his hands to his face.

"N-no one would have found me."

Cackling laughter haunted him as his own scream rippled back along his memories.

"I will make them PAY! YOU HEAR ME VERMIN!?! I WILL NOT BE YOUR VICTIM, I WILL NOT BE YOUR PLAYTHING!"

"Oddclaw enough! Keep your focus-A-AAANNH!"

"A-are you, are you alright?!"

"My leg is...nnnngh, must have wounded it when I fell."

"HUNTERS!"

A voice boomed out from a large cave at the other side of the caldera. Three skyflesh appeared, an old female who sat back, and two males that stepped forwards with their blue wing membranes on the ground like crutches.

"You have trespassed within our territory. We do not tolerate others not of our wing here."

"We are just passing through!" cried Moonclaw. "We need to pass the Skylands to return back to our tribe."

"Your fellow hunter has deigned to insult us in our own nest! Do you think we will allow such transgression?!"

"YOU PULLED ME INTO THE SKY!" he shouted. "YOU DID NOT EVEN WARN US, YOU WANT TO MAKE A FOOL OF ME YOU SHITBEAK!?"

Screeching shock and distate rippled through the crowd of flyers as Moonclaw tried to stifle him.

"Oddclaw what are you saying?!"

"You cannot trust these THINGS they only live for their own amusement!"

"We are in THEIR home, we should respec-"

"I HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THESE DEGENERATES!"

"...hm...funny."

She looked off to the side in contemplation as he snarled:

"What?!"

"That is a word your brother called you was it not?"

"WH-WHAT...what does that have to do with this?!"

"If you wish to be treated with respect, perhaps you should treat even those you dislike the same as you wish to be treated."

"These SCUM do not know the meaning of respect!"

"And right now I am seeing you not know either!"

"WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON MOONCLAW?!"

"The one who is not screeching like a starving hatchling."

With rancor burning in his eyes, Oddclaw was turning deaf to reason as a seething bigotry wrapped round his heart like vines. The sight of these wretched unnatural beasts, wings like sickly leather in pastel colours that mimicked the sky in various shades as they babbled in their nesting colony high above the world. The one who spoke with voice booming across the mountain challenged him.

"If you believe you are worthy to stand amongst us, smalltooth, then you must prove your worth! In this world, to survive is to fight and to fight is to kill."

"I know that better than you, you bluntbeak vermin!"

Gasps shook throughout the clan as they sneered with insult. The blue male flapped his wings with a stiffening disgrace like the crossed arms of a senate speaker.

"You dare insult us still within our own NEST!?"

"I have nothing to fear from you flying freaks. Whatever you challenge me with, WHOever you challenge me with, I shall take them down before the sun has set."

"Hmph! Then you will not fear our greatest hunter. You speak of the sun that sets, but do you think you can survive against the Suneater?"

Whispering sounds of frightful excitement rose to a crescendo of screeching delight amongst the flyers. Oddclaw could sense their bloodlust as Moonclaw stood beside him remembering Seagazer's warning of this name.

"Do you really think it wise to antagonise them? This Suneater does not sound friendly."

"They are vermin, they know nothing else."

"I am starting to fear your hatred of them is blinding you."

"Have you SEEN these things, they are disgusting beasts!"

"We have both been called vermin by our own kind...but I did not expect you to repeat such a phrase."

"Wha-b-but-...these things are nothing but senseless freaks, they care not for survival they simply thrive on the pain of others!"

"I have yet to see that...they could have thrown us off the mountain if they so wished."

"They want to make us suffer, draw out our pain with this Suneater whatever it is."

"EXCUSE ME!"

The female cried out with barking voice.

"I was wounded when I fell into your nest, I request that my friend face this Suneater by himself."

"WHAT!?"

"You despise these beasts so much, let us see how far your rampant rage shall take you!"

"B-b-but, we...we fight together!"

"I do not share your hatred for this, besides I am wounded."

"The female shall be spared from combat!" cried the blue beta. "The male shall face the Suneater alone!"

Oddclaw looked at her with such betrayal, but he knew that she was right. She was not making enemies of them, and she was not in a good position to fight as he soon felt a shadow cross over him. It was not late enough for the sun to set, as he looked up to see something monstrous. Horrifying. The nightmare he had envisioned as a child now come back to its truest reality. The most enormous wings he had ever seen, that any hunter would see. The sky had now gone to nearly blanket the nest in an eclipsing darkness, as something landed with a deep whoosh that almost deafened his ears like a sonic boom.

What now stood before him was at least 10 feet tall in body, but the wings were that of a colossus spanning 36 feet wide in each direction, coloured in vivid red and green like burning fields. A tremendous gust sweeped the area like a focused gale sending Oddclaw off his feet and knocking Moonclaw down hard. The shining beak of the massive flying beast was much more ruthless and sharp than any other, a sword in amber colouring. A beast so great that many millions of years from now humans would give it a name that was fitting for such a god of the worlds above. Quetzalcoatlus Northropi.

Cheering cries came from the colony around them as they bayed for his blood, the raptor steadying his nerves as he flexed his claws thinking how best to deal with such a dreaded monster. Moonclaw was taken rather politely to one side by a few flyers to an alcove to recuperate, leaving the raptor to fend for himself. He had heard stories of the Suneater, but he never wanted to believe in them. They had always been whispers, things that Sunscreech would have teased him with and bullied him about as a child but now he knew that was founded on truth. Memories came back to him of laughing skyflesh, claws grabbing his tiny shoulders and the ground disappearing. He couldn't even hear himself screaming from the rushing breeze that tore against his ears as the Suneater burst another gale of defiance against him as the great flyer spoke with the voice of a king.

"Who...are you to so speak such hatred against my tribe smallfang? All beneath my shadow can only hope for a swift end when I devour them. Creatures of the sea...the earth and the sky are all prey to me. You...are simply but another fool of my painfully brief acquaintance."

He wanted to beg. Wanted to plea for his life. He felt he had met the great incarnate of his nightmares now given form as a translucent terror upon the earth, feeling as if he was now responsible for somehow birthing this thing into existence. Surely this beast could not have existed naturally, that it had burst from a star composed of his nightly terrors and landed here and now to end him. He began to think about his family, murmuring regrets and hopes and mournful fears in a struggle to focus on the only two emotions he had. Then he remembered what the other emotion was. Then he remembered where he was, along with who he was. He remembered what he now had sitting against his hip.

"...I...am the son of Oddscar."

He pulled out his shotgun.

"I am the One With Odd Claws."

He held it towards the great beast.

"I...am NOT your plaything."

He braced the triggers against his claw.

"I...will NOT BE YOUR VICTIM AGAAAIN!"

Two gunshots signalled the beginning of the fight as Suneater swerved his head to avoid the blast, shocked by the sudden burst but fearless as he swung his great wings hard to send a piercing wind across the earth. The blast shot Oddclaw straight against the wall with a thud, groaning from the crunch of rock against his back as the mighty beast plunged his razor beak towards him. Staggering before he dodgerolled out of the way, the beak scraped against the stone like flint on tinder resulting in a sparking strike, gouged within the harsh caldera before he swooped up into the air, giving Oddclaw time to reload. It was a struggle to even pop out the shells and slide two fresh ones in with his hand now shaking from the constant fear that quelled his heart.

The shadow of the great Suneater covered the mountain top, wings flapping to offer only the barest glint of sunlight as he circled across the ridge, hovering to gauge where Oddclaw would be before coming in for a harsh landing. Claws outstretched, he dug with scratching ripping talons across the stony earth just briefly missing the raptor's dive to escape his grasp. Showering rocks flew across his head in the sudden fly-by to pelt him as he kept watch for the next assault, the Suneater circling the peak once more to make his aim true before striking downwards. Oddclaw took a chance and made his stand with focused aim, jumping back with a mighty leap whilst firing both barrels.

The spreading shot managed to pockmark the great wings as well as rip through some of the body, but apart from a little bleeding and a stunning force of impact it did nothing to deter the monstrous beast. That and the recoil of firing both shells had sent it smacking into Oddclaw's head to briefly blur his vision with a numbing headache, stumbling on his feet with a whimpering of his bruised snout.

"LOOK OUT!"

Moonclaw's screech alerted him as Suneater thrust his beak into the earth, trying to stab the intruder who swerved and dodged with desperate energy. Sidestepping twice from left to right, the beak lunged towards his head as he bent himself backwards into a curved shape, wincing at the force before backflipping in his momentum. He hit the wall behind him with his feet, and sprung forwards into a diveroll before uncurling to strike, the crack of his unloaded shotgun pinging with a steel clang into Suneater's eye and forcing him back. The flyer swung his wings one after the other in an effort to clout the raptor hard, the 36 feet of leathery skin strong enough to punch him sideways as he ducked the first swipe, but failed on the second.

Deafened by the clapping blow, Oddclaw shook his head with a groan as his balance turned uneven before the Suneater tried to beakstab once more. This time the raptor rolled with frenzied speed, trying to circle around the enormous skyflesh whilst reloading in mid-run. Another sweeping strike of the huge wing went over his head, skimming past his skull before Suneater flew up into the sky with a dust-shattering liftoff. The cloud of filthy smog blinded him, gasping as he turned away with mouth closed before seeing the shadow snake across the mountain. Cheering came from every direction at the Suneater's glorious being as they howled for his blood.

The monster came for a second landing with claws out, but suddenly it switched in mid-flight to its sharp glinting beak in an attempt to low-arc along the caldera and slash the raptor in a passing strike. The roar of its wings boomed with shocking force as while he managed to evade the lancing beak, the solid wall that his wings became in mid-swoop slammed fully into his body to smack him straight into the rocky face, knocking the shotgun far away from his hands across the length of the mountain's battlefield. His eyes became bleary, and he almost did not realise he had become disarmed until he grasped the air frantic with fright. He saw where his weapon laid, shining beneath the sun but so could the Suneater who managed to intercept him with a crushing hard landing, standing between him and the gun.

"Now what will you do without your little firestick?"

"I STILL HAVE CLAWS! I HAVE FANGS AND I HAVE FURY!"

"SHOW ME THEN YOU PITIFUL HATCHLING!"

Screeching with defiance, Oddclaw rushed towards one of the Suneater's wings and mauled at it best he could before the great flyer grabbed him in his beak. He was just small enough to swallow as he whipped his head back and imagined the raptor as a fish, opening his gullet with a slack muscular welt and showing him the abyss inside his stomach. Oddclaw grabbed on tight to the beak's lower jaw, his feet kicking against the slippery surface within and struggling to gain traction. The skyflesh swung his head back and forth to dislodge him, slamming his beak into the dirt to either crush Oddclaw's fingers, or force him to release.

He fell into the rippling throat much to the joy of the entire colony screeching with pride at their voracious champion, despite Oddclaw's constant struggle to remain just above the digestive tract with his legs forming a split. Suneater choked with struggle to swallow, the muscular reflex of his throat making it more and more difficult for the raptor to keep his grip amidst its slimy ululations. They were chanting for him to be eaten, the forceful choking gulp now echoing around Oddclaw's head as he clawed his way out as best he could. He was losing the battle as he felt his feet touch against the sphincter pulling him down into the stomach. Sucking hard at his toes with muscular strength as his claws slipped more and more against the moist walls of the oesophagus. His member slathered in drool shining from the inner vestiges of the monstrous gullet as he slipped down further and further within. Light started to disappear, swallowing into darkness above his head as the Suneater closed his beak, with one final thick gulp.

" HRRRRRRRRHKH!"

Something punched into the winged beast's gut, forcing him to vomit out the raptor in a thick pool of saliva as he shuddered gasping. Moonclaw was standing just below the beastly skyflesh after ramming her head straight into the belly, whilst holding Oddclaw's shotgun in her mouth.

"ODDCLAW, CATCH!"

She threw the steel weapon from her jaws as he caught it deftly, feeling the ammo still inside as he watched Suneater kick Moonclaw hard in the face with scratching claws and send her on her back. Her leg had recovered partly but not enough to not feel the pain of being bent by the fall as she winced and pushed herself back up, barely dodging the thrusting beak that threatened to impale her skull. He slammed one of his thick taloned feet upon her back and threatened to crush her, leaning down ready to sever her head completely from her body until Oddclaw fired into his wing, one shot after the other. The first tore through the leathered flesh, but the second one shattered the bone as the Suneater shrieked with horrid agony. His right wing had been crippled with a severing snap like twine as he was grounded much to the horror of his clan stumbling forwards as he dragged his leathery twisted appendage behind him.

"YOU...you DEFY MEEEE?!"

"I will leave this place with your wings in RUINS you filthy degenerate!"

"RRR RRAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

The tearing strike of his sword-sharp beak swung across his vision as he leapt straight into the sky above his cutting jaw, landing to pounce forwards and lunge at the creature's eye with claws ready to gouge and rip his head. Shaking him free with a sudden slam of his head to the ground, he pulled Oddclaw free and scrabbled his talons forwards to eviscerate him. The raptor rolled fast, reloading at least one shell before firing upwards in an attempt to shred the other wing. But he missed, soon alerting the Suneater to his plan as he turned to strike before the raptor backflipped straight out of his reach.

Popping another shell in, he waited for the second attack and threw himself to the right, aiming straight for the head with a rippling shot that scarred across the top of the flyer's skull and shredded parts of his beak, the shrieking fury now unladen with a red mist blinding him. Rage without focus sent him scrabbling towards the raptor with astonishing speed despite his large awkward gait, forcing the raptor to sheathe his gun and go bare-handed. He jumped over the sweeping scarring beak and leapt towards the head, plunging his claws into the skull fracture to gain his grip and ruthlessly wrapped his claws around his slender throat.

His half-hard cock slapped against Suneater's eye as he straddled him partly, throttling the life out of the great lord of the sky in a desperate attempt to crush every inch of life in his throat. Wheezing from the pain, he tried to lift his head up to dislodge the raptor, but he sunk his claws in harder to try and suffocate him faster. Soon his breaths became funny as the Quetzalcoatlus gave a thin raspy warble before falling flat onto the earth. He was not dead, but through the bleeding of his twisted membrane and the strong asphyxiation he had lost the fight in his heart as he raised his eyes towards the matriarch. Silence fell over the mountaintop until Oddclaw spoke with claws still round his foe's throat.

"I...warned you vermin. I am not...afraid of you anymore."

"G-GHHHRK...Ghhhrrrkk...you...y-you have bested me. I will not...ghhrrrrk..."

"I will let you speak your last words before I tear your throat in two."

"...I...I have lost. My sh-shadow will...not feast on the sun beyond this day. My friends...those who took me in not as a hunter like you...do not mourn for me. STARSTONE! IF I LEAVE THIS WORLD BEFORE YOU, I WILL WELCOME YOU AMONGST THE STARS!"

"WAIT, S-starstone!?" cried Moonclaw. "D-did you say...who is Starstone?!"

"She...she is our leader. There."

He nodded his head towards the wizened-looking matriarch who had barely said anything. The two raptors looked at each other with conflicting interests as Moonclaw spoke.

"Starstone, do you know a longneck called Seagazer?!"

Small whispers came between her and the beta skyflesh who responded back.

"She knows of him yes."

"We have a gift from him! It...it is a gift to show the bond between longnecks and flyers, one of unity!"

"You expect us to believe that after your disrespect?!"

"We did not know! Seagazer helped us cross the lake, he pleaded us to give your leader this gift! I am sorry. WE...are sorry."

She looked towards Oddclaw hoping he felt the same but his eyes remained stoic. He made his promise to Seagazer but the fact it was to heal a skyflesh made him feel betrayal of himself. His claws remained tight round the Suneater's throat, staring into the abyss of death with one twist as she approached him.

"Oddclaw...give me the flowers."

"......I...I-i-i-"

"You promised. WE promised, you cannot choose to save hatchlings and then allow a leader to die when we can-"

"I-i-i know, I know but......I did not know it was her."

"Does it matter?!"

"......I...I do not know."

"If you cannot, then I will, now give me the flowers."

Staring up towards the leader of the skyflesh, Oddclaw noticed her sickly pallour, lifeless eyes and bleary stance composed of a wretched cough and thin shivering wings. Empathy and hatred clashed within his mind as he loosened his grip. She reminded him of Eyeclaw, and from that comparison alone he felt his hate start to diminish. He could not bring himself to be that cruel, condemning their leader to a slow painful death that he nor them had any part involved in. He hated them certainly, he found their squawks abhorrent and their very appearance to be horrid but the malice in his heart did not burn strong enough to demand their extinction. He felt a sickness in his stomach, churning like a worm of guilt twisting into a knot that he hated.

A part of him hated the fact that he was now feeling some form of empathy, as if that somehow formed him to be a hypocrite out of his very being and existence of all he stood for. But the one thing that he hated more was seeing another animal suffer such graven illness. He leapt from the Suneater's wounded body and walked forwards with the flowers still preserved in the bottle.

"Here. Your friend made me promise."

"What is that?!"

"They...they are flowers. Flowers that can heal, I...I put them inside this so they do not wither."

Two flyer guards swooped down and peered at him as he resisted the urge to fight. They could sense his anxiety rising as he opened the bottle to allow them to smell the contents within of brazen volcanic soil and a wondrous lemon scent.

"It...i-i-it cannot be! IT IS!"

"The firehealer! You brought this to us?!"

"Seagazer made me," said Oddclaw. "He...he cares about your leader."

"Bring it up here!"

He clambered the rock into the lair of the skyflesh with Starstone waiting at the back surrounded by her guards and family. Their scent made Oddclaw naturally shake with bitterness but he swallowed it best he could as he gave the flowers to them.

"Put it inside that fish."

The fresh carp laid before him as he knelt to stuff the flowers with roots and all inside its gullet, making sure it would not fall out before he offered it to the matriarch. She gently swallowed with enormous effort, catching it gently in her beak and rearing her head to let it slip through her aged throat. She looked tired and moulting even though she had no feathers, her scales curling slightly with a sad look of futile inevitability. That would change in the next minute as she felt some colour return to her face as she spoke.

"Hhhaaaaaaaaah...I...I feel the heat has passed."

"M-mother?!"

"Ohhhh...s-so...cool inside my heart. My...my eyes they do not sting. That fool of a longneck knew he could not keep away."

"A-are you well?! Are you not sick?!"

"I feel I am recovering...for the first time in many moons. Ohhh...more food please, I feel so barren within."

"Sh-she has been cured! SHE IS CURED!"

A raucous screech of overwhelming glory rode through the cliffs of the mountain caldera. Oddclaw did not know what to do with himself as the skyflesh teemed around him with cries of adulation.

"Y-you saved our leader!"

"You are so kind, h-how and why-"

"You might be a hunter of the earth but your heart flies like ours!"

"Th-th-thank you, THANK YOU!"

"U-u-um it...it is fine, I um-"

"You must stay, please, let us feed you!"

"I do not think-"

"We would love to!"

Moonclaw smiled shouting this behind Oddclaw from outside as he glared at her.

"THEN WE SHALL REJOICE!" screeched the flyer beta. "THE HUNTERS HAVE SAVED OUR LEADER FROM THE FIRESICKNESS!"

Squeals of awe and joy came rippling across the entire mountain as the raptor found himself being dragged into a ritual of festivity, mostly against his will whilst the flyers tended to the Suneater's wounds along with his reluctant help.