“You agreed to her request?!” Logan cackled.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “I told her I would think about it.”
Logan paced across the dim alleyway situated alongside the noisy goblin foundry where the Herald was gathered. “She's given you nothing to go on...”
“Nothing but her word,” Rainbow said.
Logan's brow furrowed. “Since when did that stack up to a hill of shit?” His jaws clenched. “The Bloodwings are the very essence of brutal in a brutal world. You know just as well as any of us that they can and will say anything if it's strategic for them to get a victim in their sights.”
“Actually, we don't know anything about how deceptive they can or can't be,” Rainbow stated. “At least not yet.”
Logan belched: “Lexxic friggin' kills everything he friggin' sees! Didn't Abaddon's song-babies tell you that?!”
“But...” Rainbow Dash raised a hoof. “Lexxic is now standing down. So Nat'rdo assures me.”
“Ngrnnngnnnngrhhgrnnngrrughhhhhhh,” Logan ngrnnngnnnngrhhgrnnngrrughhhhhhh'd, plopping back on his haunches and rubbing his aching head. “I thought we were done with the stupid psycho bat asses.” His nostrils flared. “I thought we had put them and their death laser way behind us.”
“The midnighters are in chief strategic control of this entire region and the shores bordering the ocean,” Seraphimus declared. “We are not in any position to 'put them behind us.' Not even remotely.”
Rainbow smiled tiredly at her. “So you'd agree that—with Lexxic standing down—that gives us a heck of a lot of leverage.”
“Oh no. You're still a misguided simpleton,” Seraphimus droned, staring past her. “I simply mean to state that the moment they decide to double-cross us, we'll have nowhere to run to. This latest dream conversation of yours is only playing us into their fangs.”
“Ugggggh...” Ariel face-hoofed.
Wildcard stood back, rubbing his beak in contemplation.
“I thought...” Ariel looked up with an exhausted expression. “...that we had our free ticket out of here.”
“That's still a work in progress,” Logan breathed. “We've pretty much convinced the stinkin' imps to work with us. But the Dihmers?” His eyes narrowed. “Will they actually allow us to cross the ocean on their boat?”
“If not the Dihmers, then who else?” Ariel stated.
“... … ...” Seraphimus remained silent.
Wildcard gestured: “The Dihmers seem fine so long as nobody is disturbing their meditation. I think they would be neutral to the idea of us crossing the ocean with them.”
“Right... so...” Ariel nodded. “That's our ticket! We can get out from under the Bloodwings' noses!”
“And once we've put the ocean between us...” Rainbow's eyes narrowed. “...what then? Can we expect to have any greater luck getting the Shards of Endrax from either the changelings or the Night Shard?”
“We can't not expect to,” Logan said.
Rainbow glared at him. “Seriously? You think exploding bug ponies or otherworldly soul-zappers are going to be any more open to diplomacy than the Bloodwings?”
“Doesn't matter what I think!” Logan exclaimed. “It's all about getting in there and finding out!” He pointed. “Until we've had an opportunity to get a read on both factions ourselves, there's no telling if they will or won't be easier to work with than the friggin' sky butchers we've already had a brush with!”
“And yet...” Wildcard hand-signed. “The Bloodwings are extending an invitation to us right here and now. If we refuse that offer then what hope will we have of winning their favor back in the future? Especially after we have gone behind their back and approached the other Factions?”
Rainbow Dash nodded at the Desperado. “That's totally right! Remember—while Tchern's hive and the Ruby Chorus remain mostly a mystery to us, I do have leverage with the sarosians on this side of the world!”
“Luna's enchantment,” Ariel murmured.
“Right! Plus friggin' knowledge of the Lunar Rebellion and the Dark Vigil!” Rainbow exhaled. “Every way I look at this, I feel like it's an opportunity that I can't forgive myself with letting slip away!”
“And would you have come to this decision had this Nat'rdo chick not stuck her nose into your dreams just now?” Logan asked.
“... … ...” Rainbow looked off, her ears folded back in mixed frustration.
Silence—only it wasn't silence. The rhythmic thunder of the ocean continued its endless dirge. Only now—on the crest of a brand new anxiousness—the group re-awoke to its migraine-inducing volume.
“It is a horribly foolish ideas to surrender our livelihood to this supposed 'Dream Council's whim,” Seraphimus declared.
Wildcard gestured: “Given the odds stacked against us, I believe it is a risk worth taking for the Shard.”
“And what if they have no intention of surrendering the Shard, Jordan?” Seraphimus squinted at him. “Are we to assume that we can somehow win these barbarians over to your short-sighted leader's cause?”
“It would be better than trying to fight them all to the death.”
“They have known nothing but blood and death for countless generations,” Seraphimus said with a frown. “Why will they treat us any differently?”
“Because Rainbow's got the touch of Luna on her pendant,” Ariel said. “That is the key difference in this Bloodwing situation.”
Seraphimus rolled her charcoal-brown eyes. “Of course we know where your opinion lies.”
Ariel frowned at the former Commander. “I'm just trying to consider all of the logical facts!” Her teeth showed. “Not all of us have to run from the daring solution like you!”
Seraphimus snarled back at her. “I do not run.”
“Then just what the Hell have you been up to over the past thirty-six hours?!?”
Seraphimus moved towards Ariel—
—and Rainbow Dash stepped in between them. “Okay. Knock it off. Both of you.”
“Do not test me,” Seraphimus growled.
“Don't test yourself.” Rainbow frowned at the griffin, eyes flickering red-on-yellow. “I've flattened your butt a gazillion times before. Why would things turn out any different?”
“... … ...”
Rainbow's gaze narrowed icily.
With a defeated sigh, Seraphimus backed away from the petite pegasus. She folded her forelimbs and stared out across the stone rooftops. “… … … assuming we did meet with them for a... conference of sorts, we've made so much progress. And to fulfill this request of theirs would require the speed and swiftness that only fliers can achieve.”
Ariel looked at Rainbow Dash. “Did they give us a specific place to meet up?”
Rainbow shook her head. “Nat'rdo and her buddies seem to get the fact that we're pretty dang clueless about the local geography. They just suggested we simply fly back towards the Edge until we see their artificial moon. At that point... they'll find us.”
Wildcard gestures: “That means their forces are spread out in order to spot us coming from any angle.”
“Doesn't seem like an easy way to stage an ambush,” Logan said. “At least we've got that to consider.”
Ariel breathed. “So... how would we even do this? I... can't imagine ditching this place after we've come so far to get settled in and friendly with the imps.”
“Ach...” Kepler nodded, speaking up for the first time. He paced over to Logan's side. “I have made severral brreakthrroughs with the Smelt-Blooderrs. Thanks to my contrributions, theirr fuel prreserrvation has been imprroved by two hundrred perrcent! Not to brrag, but I suspect we may have made ourr firrst frriends forr life on the Darrk Side!”
“Way to go, furball,” Logan droned. “I'd give you a banana sticker if I knew it wouldn't shake off from the ocean's damnable farting.”
“Yourr non-sequiturrs arre charrming as always, frriend.”
Ariel looked at Rainbow Dash. “Seems like a shame to waste all that progress. According to the locals, the Dihmer boat will be arriving here soon. If we don't catch a ticket to their mid-ocean island, then we'll be forced to walk around the stupid Blob.”
“Right.” Rainbow Dash nodded, pacing. “The way I see it, the Dihmers and their boat should be used as a last resort.”
Wildcard signed: “An escape from the Bloodwings?”
Rainbow nodded at him. “If crap hits the fan, that is the most efficient way we can get out from under their noses. But—so long as we have a chance of cleaning their noses—I think we should take Nat'rdo up on her offer.”
“Then what's the decision here?” Logan shrugged. “Which do we choose?”
“Both.”
“Both???”
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. “I think Kepler and a few of us should stay here in Blobstain... make friends with the goblin... gather intel... and secure us seats on the boat.” She pointed with the other hoof. “The rest of us should go and meet the matriarchs' subordinates back Edgeside and open negotiations with the Bloodwings.
“... … ...” Ariel looked left. “... … ...” Ariel looked right. “... … …?!” Her fuzzy ears pulled back. “You mean... split up?”
Rainbow sighed, nodding. “I mean split up.”
And the air filled with a thunderous salvo of moans, sighs, and groans.