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Much time had passed since Xelloss had hijacked Lorenna's bird network. Since then she had implemented passwords that were changed at random points during the year. Only members of the network were made privy of the changes though those outside were still welcome to ask for its use. The birds simply knew to report that the source was insecure and that the information needed to be checked for accuracy. A covert group of birds would be sent to see if it was a legitimate claim before reporting to the nearest outlet. Most times they were legitimate but Lorenna had caught a few ne'er-do-wells sniffing about that were easy enough to stop. It was a set up Xelloss hadn't managed to crack into again though Lorenna had her suspicions that at least one of that brood had probably tried.

In the end that initial take over was what had given Lorenna her latest idea. "Now Khaa, you must pretend like you are being extremely cautious. Let them see you but do not let them know you are aware of them. Xelloss is proud and Othelia relies heavily on her instincts. If you don't behave strangely they won't suspect a thing. They know we have birds out there still but I doubt they know which birds." Lorenna had stopped sending in soquili operatives after the last catastrophe with Uwasa. They had feared her dead and in the face of that fear Lorenna had determined it was too dangerous to continue risking soquili. The birds could get away from the mazoku easily, flying into places mazoku could not so long as they stayed well away from Phibrizzo. She had not lost a bird to any unnatural causes in the jungle since employing them and she still received good information.

Information like how the numbers of the kalona were growing. Xelloss's children had had children. Soquili had been dragged into their service in other ways and the showed no signs of stopping or slowing any time soon. Lorenna could not sit by and wait for them to spring an attack. Now was the time for her side to take the initiative.

"Now, repeat back to me your instructions." Lorenna commanded of the skull-capped crow.

Khaa opened his beak and echoed back the words Lorenna had been drilling into him for the past hour. "I fly into the jungle. I find Xelloss or Othelia or both of them. I land within earshot and pretend I don't know they're there. I talk to any bird that isn't one of ours. I tell it that there is a troupe of angeni heading down from the Padmapani's mountains and will be on the plains in two weeks time. Then I pretend to have heard something and fly away but make sure the bird does to. The Mazoku hate angeni so they won't be able to resist." Khaa closed his beak and looked to Lorenna for approval.

Lorenna nodded her head with a smile. "And then you come right back here and help us finish our preparations." Lorenna turned to look at the collective that had gathered to help her combat the kalona threat. The twins Fletcher and Thatcher were watching Uwasa set a snapping sapling trap with the help of a fox named Nichi and a few human tools. Friends from all corners of her network had come out to help. Birds were stationed every quarter mile, starting at the swamp, to relay how far along the kalona were. They had the time to prepare. When the kalona arrived they would be ready. "Now go, Khaa! This won't work without you!"

Khaa nodded enthusiastically before taking to the air and heading out into the jungle to relay the phony message. In just over two weeks time the kalona would regret butting heads with Lorenna.

It had been an interesting moment for Phibrizzo when he overheard Xelloss making plans to harass a group of angeni out on the plains. Not joyous, just interesting. Phibrizzo hated angeni more than anything else the world had to offer. Their very existence made him sick. It hadn't taken him long to decide to lead the others. Perhaps it had been Xelloss's plan but Xelloss was a lowly servant. The right of leading went to the Lords and since Xellas had taken no amount of interest in the venture Phibrizzo hadn't needed to fight for the right.

He led the way on the ground with a trail of kalona warriors behing him. All servants of Xellas's line but they were useful, expendable even. Xellas would be furious if he let her general priest fall but Xelloss was smarter than that. He would simply fly away if things got troublesome, just like the spineless coward he was. Phibrizzo smirked. The others weren't likely to be as lucky, the wingless mongrels. Their mother was kalona enough but her wings weren't some product of malnutrition as she claimed, they were a defect that had passed down to much of her brood. A pity for them if the angeni fought back.

They had just cleared the trees when Phibrizzo noticed a small bird take flight. Smart bird. It could see the threat the were, but they weren't hunting small game today. They were after bigger pray. Pray with two sets of wings.

Yseult stared at the ground. She had joined the mazoku without realizing that she was joining anything. She had only hoped to learn a few clever tricks. She hadn't known she was signing up for a lifetime of servitude. Her hooves fell heavily on the ground. There had been a time when she had been a fearsome warrior. The pride of her clan. None dared to challenge her. Now she had been beaten, threatened, and humiliated almost on a daily basis. Her life was empty but still she served the mazoku simply because she felt she had no choice.

Motion caught her eye and she turned to see a bird fly off. She had seen another bird not too long ago, when they left the swamp trees. She wished that she was as free to fly away as they were. Xelloss could fly though, as could Phibrizzo. She would be stopped before she got more than 30 feet off the ground. Yseult's head sank back down as she reigned herself to just follow. Follow and fight when they needed her to.

Zenoskelis walked in silence along with the others. He had no delusions about his importance in this mission. He hadn't even been inclined to come at all, which had probably been why his grandfather Xelloss had insisted. Zenos wasn't terribly fond of mass outings even if they did end in entertaining violence. He'd much rather do smaller-level harassment that he could carry out on his own.

Boredly, he watched the bird fly away. His mind wandered and he wondered what Sabishii was up to during the time they were gone. Lord Ruby Eyes probably had him running errands and gathering herbs again.

Thatcher grinned before racing off towards the cluster of rocks he was to hide behind with his brother. Fletcher had less enthusiasm over the situation. It was the first time Lorenna had let them be active participants, meaning she recognized they were actually adults now, but it also meant things were going to get bloody. They had worked on getting their antlers as sharp as they could without weakening them so they could gore a kalona if they needed to. It was different from anything they had done in the past. Fletcher knew his brother would understand soon enough that this wasn't going to be a game. Perhaps in the wait for the kalona that reality would settle on him so it didn't come crashing down around him in the midst of battle.

Vivace tried to shake off his nerves. The last time he had been a part of an attack like this a large portion of his family had been killed. Lorenna reassured him that she would not let any of the sort happen this time because they were well prepared. They might not walk out unscathed but they would be victorious. "Om mani padme hm." Vivace said quietly to himself taking in a deep breath. He could do this.

All he had to do...was stand around by some tall bushes to disguise the fact that he didn't have two sets of wings. When the kalona arrived he just needed to get out of the way and then help with dropping rocks. Simple. Vivace took another deep breath. He hoped his ancestors were watching him proudly.

Lapointe's weapon, his giant needle, thumped against his chest as he trotted over to Lorenna. This was it. The first time he had done something so big without his father. Delacroix knew where he was and knew what the stakes might be, but let Lapointe do it alone. That show of confidence put a spring in Lapointe's step.... but he was still more nervous than he would admit. Kalonas. He'd seen them a few times but never engaged one in conversation, let alone combat.

Nervously, he picked up his needle and gave it a few practice jabs in the air. That would put out an eye nicely if he could fly up close enough. He was as ready as he ever would be.