//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: The Conversion Bureau: Threshold // by Guardian_Gryphon //------------------------------// Earth Calendar: 1/21/2102 08:48 GMT CAP Escort 03, Patrol Grid 6-C 0.3 NM West of the Barrier (Earth Side) Alvarez tensed. The pilot had no good options that he could see; the creature could easily misinterpret any attempt to reach the ejection switch. If he fired, it would surely kill him before he could damage more than one ship. He could try to juke the stick and knock the being off, but another glance at its massive wings and the way its sharp claws had dug into the skin of his aircraft, quickly rendered that idea unappealing. "Escort 03, CIC, respond! Are you under attack?!" Alvarez swallowed hard and once more spoke loudly enough to be heard over the hole in his canopy, "I'm not sure! There is a.... creature. With the body of a lion and an eagle's head and claws. Its dug in tight on my aft fuselage and it has a spear that put a hole in my canopy." There was a lengthy pause, during which time Alvarez re-evaluated the creature. He, for it was obviously a male, was jet black with green flecking in his feathers. His eyes were immense golden orbs that seemed at once both still, and molten with a rage known only to the deadliest of warriors. His spear, clutched in what looked to be dextrous, chitinous claws ending in vicious looking black talons, was easily as long as Alvarez was tall. The blade was engraved with artful patterns that reminded the lieutenant of an art exhibit he had seen in a Celtic museum as a child. "Escort 03; if possible withdraw and return to Yorktown. Do not provoke the creature." "Understood bridge; you don't have to tell me twice. Standby." Alvarez glanced over his shoulder at the creature one final time, then slowly tapped his right stick, moving the nose of the craft away from the three impossible airships. When no piercing pain or loud screech or fury was forthcoming, Alvarez increased the speed of the turn until he had revolved to face the return path to the carrier. The creature's expression seemed almost approving, so Alvarez carefully increased the throttle until finally, without even a sound, the being released his craft and turned to rejoin the airships. Alvarez breathed deeply, and switched from hover configuration to flight configuration, shaking his head. "Bridge, I am safely clear and headed home. Canopy busted, but visibility clear. Request landing clearance." No one in the air group was going to believe him. Earth Calendar: 1/21/2102 08:48 GMT ACV-10 UES Yorktown 5 NM West of The Barrier (Earth Side) "No! Captain you MUST use discretion in this matter!" Admiral Laren looked up to see Doctor Thornton hobbling onto the bridge, with the seaman in charge of guarding the hatch in hot pursuit. The Captain grimaced and moved to cut the scientist off at the entryway, "Doctor, the ship is at combat alert. You can't be up here, and if you cause problems I will have you *removed*--" Thornton shook his head and managed to interject, panting with the exertion of climbing stairs and jumping over knee-knockers with his partially incapacitated leg, "No no no... you don't understand! You're facing a first contact situation! Your first impulse must not... CAN not be to engage in unnecessary warfare! It is likely that we have all been victim to a misunderstanding, and if you--" Laren cut Thornton off with a snort, "We were fired upon first. A verified subsonic missile strike." The scientist shook his head all the more emphatically, "Admiral, if you were under attack would there not be other indications? A single subsonic missile, if it was indeed such an antiquated object, hardly constitutes warfare. Was the ship painted with targeting lasers? Have we taken gunfire? " Thornton's assertions brought the admiral up short. The Captain sighed and gestured to the forward window, "And what gives you the impression that we are dealing with a potential peaceful first contact as opposed to a surprise *invasion?*" "I have no proof. But surely you must agree that you have tenuous indications of hostility. At best. Your pilot's exact words, according to the rumors, were 'Pastel Ponies.' " The admiral looked as if he were prepared to offer rebuttal, but a voice over the bridge speakers instantly drew everyone's attention, "TOWER! JUST HAD MY CANOPY PUNCTURED! BY AN ANGRY BIRD-LION! WITH A SPEAR!" The Captain stiffened, "Son of a..." He strode to the nearest headset, snapped it up, and held the mic to his mouth, "Escort 03, CIC, respond! Are you under attack?!" "I'm not sure! There is a.... creature. With the body of a lion and an eagle's head and claws. Its dug in tight on my aft fuselage and it has a spear that put a hole in my canopy." For several seconds, all in attendance on the bridge paused and simply attempted to process the pilot's life-altering words. Thornton was the first to speak, his expression one of transfixed wonder, "Captain, Admiral... you must order the pilot to withdraw!" The Captain glared and looked prepared to lay into Lawrence, but the scientist continued before the angry storm of criticism could erupt, "Hear me out! The lieutenant has just described a Gryphon. A creature, supposedly, of myth and legend. If nothing else scientific curiosity mandates that we make every effort at peaceful contact. In any case, if the creature could puncture a bullet proof canopy with nothing but a spear, it could have easily killed your pilot and downed your craft. But it hasn't." The Captain grunted, and looked to the Admiral. The final decision rested with Laren. The man stepped to the window, and stared out at the barrier, momentarily lost in thought. Finally, he turned to the LADAR operator, "any sign of continued attack?" The man shook his head, "Negative on additional contacts or known weapon signatures." Laren sighed and turned to glance at thornton, "Very well doctor. But at the first sign of danger to the ship, or the crew, I will order escorts one and two to attack with a long-range missile spread, and you can do your science on the bloody shredded leftovers." Laren picked up the nearest open communications headset and keyed the mic, "Escort 03; if possible withdraw and return to Yorktown. Do not provoke the creature." "Understood bridge; you don't have to tell me twice. Standby." There was a tense moment of pause. Thornton drummed his fingers on the holotank, Laren stood stock still, and the captain paced. "Bridge, I am safely clear and headed home. Canopy busted, but visibility clear. Request landing clearance." A moment of celebration engulfed the bridge; the crew clapped and whooped at their stations, and the Captain allowed them a brief moment of relief before raising his hands for silence, "Prepare the deck to receive damaged craft. Launch alert VTOLs for close-range scouting, and bring an attack drone to ready condition; missile configuration." The Captain turned to Laren and Thornton, "I'm not ready to be overly trusting just yet." Zephyr dodged and weaved, sometimes cutting between swells with so little room to spare that the spray of the frigid water deflected off her wings and into her face. She knew she was close to the gray blotch, and she didn't want to appear until she was too close to track with whatever weapons had nearly shredded her the first go round. While the magic deprivation in the environment meant that she had to use more of her metabolism to fuel her swift flight, she had eaten a solid breakfast and slept well the previous night. She knew she had enough energy for her task, if little else besides. Zephyr grinned, and tensed. She knew she was close. She breathed a final directionless prayer for protection, and poured extra power into her downstrokes. The sight that greeted her as she came over the tops of the waves nearly brought her to a stop. Before the pegasus lay a massive gray, blue, and black shape that seemed at first to be a small island. It took Zephyr's eyes several seconds to understand the scope of the construct, and after that it took her brain even longer to grasp and accept the inevitable conclusion; it was a ship. An immense, metal, flat-topped ship without sails. "Well buck!" The words emerged as a murmur of pure shock more than an expletive. Zephyr slowed and watched, intrigued, as a peculiar swooping metal craft descended from the sky. Her keen eyes could see some sort of armor clad figure inside, and she guessed he was somehow controlling the craft. The vehicle's speed and gleaming exterior were quite impressive to the Pegasus, and she nodded appreciatively when a large set of doors opened on its back, and it landed vertically using what seemed to be a massive fan. Zephyr shook herself and re-focused on her task. Whoever these ape-like beings were, they had tried to kill her. Misunderstanding, or intentional, it didn't behoove her to linger. She smiled, and began pumping her wings again, gaining speed. While she was there, she reflected, she might as well get a good look around. Earth Calendar: 1/21/2102 08:52 GMT ACV-10 UES Yorktown 5 NM West of the Barrier (Earth Side) "Thornton! I have had it up to my rank bars with you! We have tried radio, right down to the media's frequencies. We've tried IR, and light-signals, for which I might add, they are out of range, but you insisted. I am not building a fire on my flight deck so you can send 'smoke signals.' " Thornton threw up his hands and hobbled angrily across the bridge, "Then HOW do you propose, Captain, that we give them our location!?" As if in answer to the query, the floor began to vibrate, and the blast-proof windows rattled in their framing. A tan and auburn blur zipped past the windows, moving just slowly enough to give those watching the fleeting impression of wings, tail, and mane. The figure dipped over the side of the ship and vanished between the troughs and crests of the waves before the targeting AI could even begin to lock on. Thornton inhaled deeply, and chuckled, "Well I suppose they can find us for *themselves* now." Earth Calendar: 1/21/2102 09:01 GMT RES Ascendant with Royal Expeditionary Force 3 NM West of the Barrier (Earth Side) Flux felt useless. Luna, the Captain, and the Gryphons were quietly discussing Brelik's encounter with the strange flying machine, and his input seemed utterly unnecessary. The debate seemed to mostly revolve around what the ape-like pilot's intentions had been, and whether the encounter was a good sign, or bad. Before Flux could work up the chutzpah to work his way into the discussion, everyone's attention was commandeered by the abrupt and noisy return of Autumn Zephyr. The aptly named Pegasus was drenched in sweat, and panting loudly, but seemed otherwise none the worse for wear. She came skidding to a halt on the aft deck, throwing off a hasty salute to Luna before hanging her head and breathing deeply for several seconds. The Lunar Monarch stood stock still and waited patiently for the scout to recover her breath. Flux noted a slight nod delivered to the Captain, who picked up on the unspoken request and went aft to a weatherpoof chest to ration out a flask of water. When he returned, Zephyr all but tore the flagon from his grasp and began to take long, slow, shallow sips in the manner of a professionally trained survivalist. One the mare's breathing had returned to something borderline-normal, she straightened to attention, "M'lady; I return with a report." Luna inclined her head, "Stand at ease and speak freely. Tell us what you have seen." Zephyr relaxed slightly and began to tell the tale of her short, but explosive adventure in an almost reverent tone, "On flying east for a short distance, I came upon sight of a ship in the distance. I was forced to approach from close to the waves; I think they mistook me for an enemy and fired on me." Brelik grunted, but otherwise there was no interruption. Zephyr continued, "I came close enough to see the ship in all its detail... It was immense... were you to take all the steel and iron from the kingdom of Equestria, and the paving stones too, it would not be enough to build this vessel. It was a vast gray island. It is so large that they use it as a moving landing field for their strange flying contraptions..." At this Brelik interjected, "...One of which I became intimately acquainted with. They are admittedly... impressive." Zephyr nodded and finished her statement,"...It seems to be crewed by upright walking apes... but they seem far different to the animals we know." Flux stamped a hoof eagerly, "Intelligent apes! This is a find indeed! Who *knows* what they could teach us about mammalian biology..." sildinar interrupted before the magician could continue his enraptured rambling, "How many would you say were aboard this ship? What was its disposition? Armament? Defense?" Zephyr shook her head and took another draught of water from her flask, "How many? *Thousands* could be accommodated with ease. Disposition? Defense? Arms? It seems a ship built solely for war; armor as thick as dragon scales, bristling with blackgrit guns, and I saw many of their flying machines going to and fro..." Sildinar murmured, half to himself, "An army... living and moving and supported by a single ship of war... That would *truly* be an accomplishment of combat engineering." Brelik nodded, "Their main weakness seems to be their form. It is weak. Easily destroyed and slow to react. Doubtless this is why they have become such great craftsmen of machines; to extend the body into the weapon it fails to be on its own." Flux's ears drooped, "You speak as if we intend to go to war with them." Sildinar turned to the unicorn and raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "It certainly may come to that. I fail to see the source disappointment in well laid battle plans." Flux took a reflexive step back and forced his muzzle to remain closed. He reminded himself that these were Gryphons, after all; the species who was disappointed if there was *not* a well laid battle plan for every occasion. And of course, he reflected, they were right. There was no proof the apes were friendly, and one had perhaps intended to attack the fleet. The gleaming craft had looked menacing to Flux; like a great mechanical dragon eager to spill blood. Ports on the front bore muzzles that reminded him of Gryphon 'blackgrit' guns in miniature; the Gryphic weapons were mostly theoretical, but Flux had heard rumors of a few semi-functioning pre-prototypes in recent years. Luna put an end to the debate with a startling finality, "We will make for their vessel then. Captain, order our escorts to fall back." The Captain looked ready to object, and even Flux could see the problem; the Ascendant seemed too great a risk for such a maneuver. Luna beat them all to their words, "The time for half-measures and safer hoof-steps has passed. If this was a misunderstanding we must rectify it at once. If it was not, then we must show them that we are to be reckoned with." Judging by the Gryphons' approving expressions, Flux decided there would be no objection from their quarter. Seeing Luna together with them, it struck him as no oddity at all that she had once been the lynchpin of the alliance between their peoples. She was more tempered by her equine nature than the avian predators, but also more violent and assertive than Celestia, or any other Pony Flux had ever met. She could be a creature of either world. The Captain nodded his assent to the order, "As you will. Shall we stand ready for combat?" Luna delivered a single curt nod. The Captain seemed to have an unspoken agreement with the Gryphons, for Sildinar and Brelik immediately fell to organizing the arbalest crews, battle mages, archers, and defense troops Flux was preparing to go below, so as to get out from undheroof, when Luna's voice arrested him mid-stride, "I would have you stay Fluxing Form. You are the most knowledgeable scholar besides myself aboard, and your understanding of the bodies of species surpasses even mine. You will be invaluable in the coming hours. Should all go peacefully." Flux took up a position between Luna and the Captain, feeling very small by comparison all the while. He gulped quietly; embarrassment was far less a concern than Luna's final amendment to her statement. Earth Calendar: 1/21/2102 09:16 GMT ACV-10 UES Yorktown 5 NM West of the Barrier (Earth Side) "Confirmed. We are still tracking a single airship dead on course for our position." Laren inhaled deeply, and shook his head, "This certainly wasn't one of the scenarios they taught in command school. Is Thornton prepared down there?" The Captain pulled a headset from his ear and nodded, "I don't pretend to understand all of what he's doing, but doc Wainwright does so that's good enough. Range?" The final word was directed at the LADAR operator, who swiveled in his chair to deliver the reply. "Range is zero-point-nine Nautical miles, closing at seven-point-two knots on level flight path at cherubs six." Laren nodded and exhaled, "Well that's it then. Sound general quarters, initiate the required quarantine zones, and have the deck crew stand ready." As the soft, but insistent alarm for general quarters without action stations sounded, the Captain moved the mic of the communication headset to his mouth, "Frames Delta, Gamma, Epsilon, tac compartments 55 thru 65; quarantine condition is now in effect. Deck crews run out the support mast and light all landing beacons. Secure elevators fore and aft." As technicians, medics, airmen, and guards turned to their tasks the Captain offered Laren a wry smile, "I'll bet you never thought you'd use your dress blues for this." "No indeed". The desk of the Yorktown was unusually silent. Normally a buzzing hive of engines, hoses, shouted commands, and hydraulics; the only sounds were the constant thrum of fans and the ship's engines, mixed with the faint ticking of giant landing lights going on and off in sequence. As per Thornton's recommendation, every technicians was dressed in hazmat gear. Even the accompanying guards had donned fully sealed versions of their combat armor. The scientist's argument had been compelling; with a new world might well come new microbes and other unsavory ills of a tiny nature. If these new life forms could cross the barrier, and humans could not, there were terrifying implications as to the differences in the durability of their biology. The illustration of the Conquistadors was particularly poignant, and no one wanted the re-enact the part of the natives in the event that the newcomers brought what Colonel Puller had laughingly termed, "Ugly little ride-alongs." When the great airship had risen into view above the horizon, the silence had deepened as all eyes fixed on the craft. It was magnificent, and strangely anachronistic. What it represented lent it even more significance; and no one aboard the Yorktown had any doubt that they were about to be party to a critical moment in history. As the magnificent vessel approached, the operating technician engaged a large strobe at the tip of the mooring arm. The large retractable protrusion stemmed from a recessed housing in the center of the deck; it was designed to allow super-large VTOLs to unload without landing, in rough seas or bad wind conditions. The long, sturdy arm was connected to the deck via a hydraulic gimbal, and a movable latch assembly provided the capability to reel a connected craft down to the deck should a landing become necessary. The crew of the airship seemed to understand the intentions of the deck-hands below, and carefully swung their craft around to face the arm; a feat made all the more impressive by the collective realization that the airship was sail-driven. Several of the flight technicians cast worried glances at the LSO; the clamp at the end of the docking armature was designed to connect to the Earthgov Air Corps latch standard, not a lighter-than-air craft that had seemingly stepped out of a fantasy novel. The LSO nodded up at the craft; the unspoken agreement had been that beings capable of constructing such a vehicle could surely intuit how to tie it off when such a large and obvious mooring point was presented. The silence was broken by reflexive gasps and murmurs as two being who could only be described as Unicorns appeared at the bow of the craft. A strange visual aura, like northern lights, enveloped their horns and the tips of the craft's mooring ropes. Swiftly, and with great dexterity, the glowing ropes tied themselves into strong knots around the proffered latch. The technician operating the boom was so transfixed by the display, that the LSO had to step over and tap him on his shoulder. The woman shook herself and raised the ruggedized yellow remote control pad for the arm. At the press of a button, the latch assembly began magnetically moving down the arm, slowly and smoothly drawing the attached vessel with it. The whine of the invisible coils was usually inaudible, but the hush on the flight deck made it seem like a piercing shriek. When ramps appeared over the sides of the ship, and connected with the flight deck, the boom technician released the reel-in-key, and the entire assembly gradually came to rest. As the guard unit took up ranks on either side of the ramp, a maintenance cart whizzed out from its berth in the island, and the seamen aboard swiftly set to tying off the rear of the craft with cabling, lest the wind over-stress the bow mooring. The tension reached palpable heights; if the newcomers intended to attack then the perfect moment had come. Each of the soldiers in the honor guard lineup had been specifically selected for their steady fingers and calm manners. A stray round fired in panic could easily put an end to any potential for peaceful scenarios. When the first of the new visitors crested the gunwales of the airship, it became immediately apparent that the nature of the meeting would forever alter the course of the future. The descriptions of Luna varied amongst the men, when they were later asked; some focused on her fearsome armor, others on her seemingly impossible mane. Many were simply intrigued by her color, which proved hard to relay as words to those who had not beheld her. The monarch was flanked by two beings that the more educated recognized as Gryphons. These presented a far more predatory aspect, and several of the guards tensed involuntarily as the fight-or-flight portion of their instincts was forced inexorably into 'flight' mode. Behind the warriors descended a train of smaller equine creatures in various pastel colors. Those bearing armor seemed to have dyed themselves in more uniform tones, but the rest were unique. Beyond the colors, the sharp-eyed on deck noticed that some of the smaller creatures had wings, some horns, and some neither. Only the larger, regal being, had both a horn and wings. The visiting party made their way slowly toward the island; their appointed path made obvious by the rows of guards. The blast-hatch slid open to reveal that a large portion of the anteroom had been cordoned off with hastily erected plexiglass barriers, hermetically sealed with biophobic foam around the edges. On the opposite side of this transparent barrier, Admiral Laren, the Captain, and Thornton stood in formal attire. A sailor had generously donated a suit in Thornton's size at the last possible moment, in exchange for double mess rations for a week. Once the entourage had come to a standstill, silence reigned for nearly half a minute. Each side simply evaluated the other in fascination. It was Luna who broke the tension at last, "We are Luna; Princess of the Nation of Equestria, and we come in peace to your world seeking friendship." Thornton's jaw dropped, and he could not help but speak, "My *God*... they speak English." Laren elbowed the scientist sharply, and muttered, "Not the time." Thornton shook his head vehemently, "Sir I don't think you understand! Linguistic similarities are not unheard of... I could have perhaps even translated if it were similar enough but an exact syntactic, grammatical, and lexical match? That is not possible in terms of parallel development scenarios." A voice pre-empted Laren's forthcoming interruption, "Such... ahh.. well such a similarity could... could only be explained by diffusionism or distant origin theories." Thornton nodded matter-of-factly, "Precisely..." the man suddenly realized that the voice had come from the other side of the glass. He turned abruptly to behold a white Unicorn, with a shock of deep purple mane. The hue was so dark it appeared almost black in the dim light of the armored chamber. Thornton noticed, with a sense of wonder, that the creature's flank was adorned with a clearly visible symbol; the twisting double helix of DNA and an unfamiliar sigil in its midst. The Unicorn was cowering between and behind Luna and one of the creatures Thornton recognized as a Gryphon. A living breathing Gryphon. He stepped to the glass and stared at the Unicorn, "Yes... yes that's exactly right. Are you a student of the sciences?" Flux nodded meekly, "Of biology chiefly, and transformational magic also." Thornton spoke in a barely audible whisper, "Transformational... magic?" The scientist whirled abruptly, "Captain... Admiral... we must clear them through decontamination as swiftly as possible. I feel there is more we can learn from them than could be easily quantified." Laren sighed and stepped forward to face Luna, "I apologize for his... informal enthusiasm. I am Admiral Laren, Earthgov Navy. I want to clear something up before we continue; we were under the impression that you were attacking us with a missile. Do you have an explanation for this event, or was it unrelated?" Luna tilted her head, then stiffened with the realization, "You mistook our scout for some form of weapon?" Laren nodded, "If it was your scout. Our defenses identified it.." From somewhere behind Luna, Zephyr cheekily interjected, drawing a glare from the monarch "Her." "..Identified *her* as a missile threat." Luna resumed her quizzical expression, "Miss-sile?" The Captain explained, "A cylinder with steering fins and a powerful rocket motor that moves quickly to its target and carries explosives." The answer seemed to satisfy the Alicorn, "Well then it is we who should apologize for the swiftness of our unannounced intrusion." Laren offered her a half-smile, "How about we count our blessings that no one was hurt, split the blame, and move on?" Luna returned the expression, "Most agreeable," she turned to the Gryphons, "Allow us to introduce our companions; Sildinar and Brelik, envoys and warriors of the Gryphon Kingdoms. They are here to offer protection to our voyage, and scout your world on behalf of their kind as we do for ours." The Captain smiled wryly, "Which of you was the 'giant bird lion' who put a hole the size of my fist in one of my planes?" Brelik raised an eyebrow. The Captain chuckled, "Well lemme congratulate you; we dent-test those canopies with sledgehammers and we can't even put permanent scratches in them." The Gryphon inclined his head in acknowledgement. Laren sighed, "I apologize for the plating barricades, but we need to scan you all to ensure you're not bringing microbes here that could be harmful to us." Luna offered Flux an approving look, "Flux warned us of similar dangers." For another long moment there was silence, then Laren gestured to the medical technicians waiting in their hazard suits, "If you'll permit; they can begin. Its non-invasive, apart from needing a sample of blood from everyone. We're sorry about that, but its the only way to be sure." Luna shook her head, "There is no call to apologize for caution where it is most appropriate. If you will permit, Flux will assist them in ensuring no one suffers needless pain." Laren nodded once at the med-techs, and they all looked to Flux, who shrank away slightly before offering the tip of his hoof and beginning an in depth explanation of the best way to draw blood from a Pony. As he warmed to his lecture, Luna approached the glass and spoke softly to Laren, "I would be appreciative if you were to ensure my blood sample is eliminated, along with any knowledge or record you keep of what you learn from it. My blood has... traits that I feel are mine to protect." Laren appeared bemused, but nodded his agreement, "You have my word." As he and Luna continued to speak in low tones, Flux began escorting the med-techs to each member of the party in-turn. Thornton turned his attention to the Gryphons, and waved awkwardly, "Hello! Um... I was wondering... if its not too much trouble... if you might tell me more of your species? I can see males and females of many of the... Equines... but there are only the two of you here. Its not much of a basis for observation." Brelik merely grunted, but Sildinar nodded, "What questions do you have?" Thornton crossed his arms and sighed, "Well for starters are your females gender dimorphic? And do you reproduce via eggs or live birth? since you seem to have mammalian and avian aspects..." Sildinar nodded a second time, "Our females are visibly females. We reproduce via Thaumatic-egg-birth." Thornton squinted in confusion, "Thaumatic?" Sildinar raised an eyebrow, as if Thornton's confusion were somehow perplexing in and of itself, "Yes; natural innate magic. The parents' lifecode is passed into the egg along with the spark for life, by their auras. If the egg was well cut.." Thornton's eyes widened and he held out his hands, "Wait I'm sorry... did you say 'cut?' " Brelik grumbled, a growl of frustration accompanying his words, "Do you not have kinds who nest with stone-eggs in your world? Or do you simply not study your methods of birth?" Thornton coughed and shook his head in shock, "We are the only kind on our world, and we are born in conventional mammalian fashion, thank you very much. Sorry... did you say stone eggs?" Sildinar nodded, "It is a rare and prized form of Agate." Thornton ran a hand through his hair and exhaled sharply, "So your biology has some connection to our legend..." Both Gryphons cocked their heads quizzically, in the manner of birds, and Thornton held up a hand, "Its just that... how could we have legends about you? Much less legends that hit so near the mark?" Brelik harrumphed, "Well *our* legends make no mention of *you* hairless apes." Sildinar offered his companion a brief reprimanding glare before shaking his head at thornton, "Honestly I could not say. That is a question better suited to a historian like Flux. I believe you two shall have much to discuss." Thornton turned to watch the mage, who was by then deeply involved in his task, "That we do. That we *all* do."