Book 6 - Prologue
Eight Layers Below, Present.
Odin’Kres’Vindr soared victorious above the burning forest, the great infestation behind him quelled for another day.
The six others of his tribe flew behind his lead, exhausted despite the weight of their firebombs gone.
His plan had gone as he’d hoped. The infestation had run headfirst into a metal hive in its attempt to flush him out. One of the machine nest that fought with ancient human weapons, or the machine mirror of them. Naturally, the metal monsters grew annoyed and quickly shredded down the enemy overrunning their territory, leaving the fungal root systems exposed for his team to bombard. The burning trees and spores faded long behind him as his team somerly flew through the world caverns.
It took half a day of flying, gliding on updrafts or landing on the treeline to rest where they could.
They banked as a group, changing course and zipped by one of the cliff edges. The one with the waterfall.
Howling came from there. His team responded with affirmative crows. Yes, victory had been achieved, the Greyroamers wouldn’t have to risk their lives today and put themselves within biting range to defend their dens. More howling came back, relief and congratulations. An invitation to hunt with them, with carrion as the prize.
Carrion had an interesting texture, Kres wasn't against the diet but he much prefered small insects and berries personally. He couldn’t tell where the landbound were from this height, the Greyroamers were near impossible to spot covered by the forest anyhow. And their packs could move like water between the trees, so any sighting would be temporary.
He'd have gone on the hunt had it been any other situation, but the capital was expecting them back. They'd been gone too long on this mission. He gave a lower caw, politely rejecting the offer and the rest of his team flew behind him, a few giving him attitude about it but mostly in jest.