Present day.

Being able to travel during the night and into the day unlike Outlanders, Luka knew they were separating even more from their enemies. There was no hum in the air or sign of vehicles, or tracks to suggest the Outlanders were using Shantles in Blackland. They had to be miles ahead of the Outlanders, out pacing a much larger army.

While they rested for bread and water, Luka trained them in fighting tactics and all the things he somehow knew, especially with his pistol, but he realized they needed little training in everything else. Both were extremely skilled in combat, something Nik, and every Six for that matter, made their Hosts train for rigorously. Now with rifles rather than bow and arrows, both were even more lethal. He taught them how to reload the weapons, but with their extraordinary vision and depth perception they were already as good a marksman as Luka was with a scope. Probably better.

With their keen eyes as they settled on a grassy mountain, and to their relief, they also were able to see the Outposts of north Baylon and south Blackland still operational, their blue Filtration Fields illuminated. Luka knew it meant their enemy was focused on the capital cities, where a large majority of the populations of each of the provinces were located, and where all native-born citizens were located. Luka couldn't help but think it was some sort of message being sent.

Although technically more north than Dazheen, Baylon was a warmer province. The trees were much larger than the mountain spruces of the west, and the forests less voluminous with bushes. The forests were hot and humid, bodies of water frequent and openings with scenic lakes even more common.

One would think Baylon, known for its trees, was also home to the Seven Trees, but they sat a province to the east in Tiger country. Tristan and Rosaya told Luka it was the one place on the small planet they'd never been to.

"The Bears are the most tolerant people on the planet. Panza also fairly tolerant, but only lets the Tigers visit the Trees, definitely not us," Tristan told him. Their path would not take them through the Trees anyways. Luka wondered if it was truly Panza who prevented the Ravens from visiting the Trees, or if it was their leader Nik who was notoriously against religion.

"What's so special about them, the Trees?" Luka asked.

"They don't die," Rosaya answered.

"Like the Sixes," Luka realized.

The two Ravens smiled at each other. "You're learning."

Luka pressed on with questions. "Did Nik have children? What happens when an Apex mates with a Six?"

Tristan shrugged, but Rosaya knew the answer and said, "The offspring for sure gets the Apex blood, but the Six blood is a little more uncertain. While the Apex gifts are right from birth, the Six powers kick in around teenage years but only for some. For example, Panza's youngest has her powers, Nik's eldest did, Aaron's youngest does but his eldest didn't, and I hear Aimos's Orca girl doesn't have hers. Still too early to tell with his son, though."

She was talking about Eeva Luka realized. The thought of her pained him, realizing he was still so far from Orconia. "Do you know what happened to Nik's children?" he asked the Ravens.

"His youngest was killed. His older son probably a prisoner somewhere with Nik," Tristan said.

Luka felt terrible for bringing it up. The kin of the Sixes were like royalty across the planet. A face of hope for their people. He imagined what Aimos's or Eeva's death would mean to the people of Orconia. It was hard to fathom. Luka could tell the killing of Nik's youngest and unknown status of the eldest was like talking about the deaths of their immediate family.

They finally arrived to the capital city of Baylon, Reekmeer, at midday. Luka gasped. It was a magnificent sight.

While all the other capitals and Outposts of provinces across the planet had Filtration Fields above, Tree Bears lived in the half-mile-high trees, and used their Filtration Field as a floor rather than a roof. Their Field setting was on the least energy consuming mode, making it impenetrable from below but non-life threatening from the citizens above. It was like an impenetrable blue glass floor.

The Tree Bears hardly spent time on the floor of their city, however. Buildings and homes of Baylon Wood, a sturdy silver wood as hard as concrete, were built directly on the breathtaking branches of the tremendous trees in the city.

It was a shock to the Ravens and Luka to see the cloud city above, buildings seemingly floating in the air and the blue glint of the Field gracefully circling them. It was plucked out of an architect's dream.

There was no signs of distress or death. They beat the Outlanders to the city and had finally caught a break. They could warn Aaron and his people, and what an ally the Tree Bears would make.

"How do we get up?" Rosaya asked, dreading the answer. She was crouched, and picked up an odd looking damaged canister she had found underneath Reekmeer. Luka noticed she looked woozy as she smelt the remnants, and tossed it aside.

"Ravens can fly, no?" Luka jokingly replied. He took the canister in his hands and inspected it, smelling it himself. It smelt of trees, and also made him woozy. Strange thing, he thought to himself. The others shrugged at him when he held it up, wondering what it was.

"Look," Tristan said, signalling to a hole in a giant tree on the outskirts of the city. Inside was machinery, obviously out of place in the emerald forest. Luka discarded the canister and the three stepped inside. The tree was hollowed out and it was an obvious lift into the city.

Eeva once told Luka that Tree Bears had to make the climb to enter adulthood, barred from the lift until they completed it. Their muscles so strong that they wouldn't tire even when approaching the top. He missed her and her seemingly endless knowledge. The way she'd scowl with a slight grin when he said something foolish or wasn't understanding something after the third time of her explaining. He dreaded thinking about the Outlanders reaching the gates of Orconia. Reaching her and Calysa. He tried avoiding the thought by avoiding thoughts of them completely, but it was proving to be impossible. He trusted Aimos. Surely the city was locked down, and they were safe.

It didn't matter. Luka and his new companions would deal with these crazed Outlanders before they got there with the help of the Bears.

Tristan pressed a button on a panel, and the lift lurched upwards speedily, forcing the three to their knees. With a ping, the lift stopped within the Filtration Field and above the trees, the orange sun brighter than ever. Before them was the amazing tree city amongst the cool clouds.

"Something's wrong," Rosaya said, opening the lift door and peering out across the blue glimmer of the Field.

"What?" Tristan asked, stepping out of the lift within the hollowed tree.

"The lift should have stopped before the Field. Not much of a security system if we could just get through," Luka said, analyzing his surroundings and looking out into the buildings and houses in the trees.

Luka was about to step out onto the Field, when a voice in the distance yelled at them.

"Don't!"

Luka's foot barely touched the Filtration Field, but it burned off the sole of his boot completely and he fell back into the lift with Tristan and Rosaya. The Field setting was flipped. A chill went down Luka's spine. Where is everyone?

The Raven's snapped their rifles to their shoulders with lightning fast reflexes, orienting themselves towards the yell.

"Oh Gods," Rosaya said, putting her rifle down.

"What?" Luka asked, his human eyes not being able to see what the Raven's had, but could barely make out two people suspended in the air in the distance.

"Two people, hanging from a branch. The branch, it's cracking. Once it does, they're going to fall."

Luka frantically looked around. To their right was a giant branch, which indirectly connected to another tree and series of thick branches. If he followed the right combination, he could get to them. One wrong step, he was dead. Luka began running.

Tristan grabbed him, and said, "They could be bait, Wolf. You won't make it in time anyways."

Luka turned briefly, and said, "Good thing I gave you two those rifles to watch my back, then. Rosaya, I need you to guide me if I'm going to get to them as fast as possible."

The network of branches was a giant labyrinth. If he took the wrong branch, he could be circling in the opposite direction away from the stranded couple. As Rosaya watched Luka with her eagle eyes, Tristan kept his eyes on the suspended people and their surroundings. It was eerily quiet.

Where is everyone?

Luka finally arrived to the neighboring tree, sprinting and jumping to the branch above him, getting to his feet swiftly and resuming his sprint, cutting through houses and smashing through windows which were suspended along the branches.

"Stay straight," Rosaya yelled at him, and just in time. A weave of nine branches provided him nine options, and he took the fifth.

He kept sprinting, this time a castle like building in front of him rather than a house. It seemed like a dead end, and he yelled while running, "Rosaya, a little help, please."

"Enter the building, second floor, window closest to us. Hurry, Luka."

He burst through the door with his shoulder. The building was entirely empty, a glorious dinner table to his right was set but untouched, steam still rising from the hot meal. Luka couldn't let his mind wander, not now. A red flight of carpeted stairs was before him, and he climbed them to the second floor, jetting left to the end of the hallway and back in the direction he came. He smashed the window he hoped Rosaya was talking about and climbed onto the branch. It was a smaller one, and flexed dangerously under his weight. He heard the couple yelling in terror. The branch got thicker as he ran along it, arriving at the same tree as the stranded couple. He could see the gouge in the branch clearly now along with the couple, the branch cracking and spitting bark as it flexed towards the Field below, the couple hanging on for dear life, unable to climb and risk their weight snapping the branch.

He climbed to the same level as the stranded couple, his mind racing. Before he could improvise a rescue, the branch snapped. The couple screamed horrified, falling to their immediate deaths and the Field below.

Luka lunged and caught the falling part of the branch between his hands and arms while his legs wrapped around the stump of the branch still connected to the tree. The couple was again suspended in the air, hanging on for their lives, and praying Luka held on, too.

But the branch was slipping. Their weight was too great, and his grip on the great branch too awkward. Sweat from his palms seeped into the silver branch, as it started slipping through his fingers into the blue Field below.

"I'm going to swing you back towards the tree," he grunted to the couple below. He had to get enough momentum on the swing for the branch to make it back to its tree.

He started swinging the branch in and out, his arms clinging on with all his might as his arms strained. "On three," he yelled, the couple counting with him.

"One," he swung them towards the tree but not nearly close enough.

"Two," he swung them again this time a little closer, gripping the branch as tight as he could with his fingers and all his might. The branch was sliding out of his grasp.

"Three!"

The branch slipped from his fingers as he yelled the word while slinging them back inwards. The couple leapt from the falling branch towards the tree as the branch they clung to fell into the Field, disintegrating into ash and nothingness.

Tristan and Rosaya looked away, not prepared to see humans turning to dust before their eyes. They had seen enough death.

They looked back up, and with an exhale and cheer, saw the couple pulling themselves up on the lowest hanging branch of the tree, their feet inches from the Field.

Luka and the couple returned to the lift that brought Luka and the Ravens into the city. The affectionate Bears hugged everyone and held onto Luka the longest. He looked at his Raven companions over their shoulders with wide eyes, and realized like them, was not attuned to the amount of affection the Tree Bears were accustomed to.

Through joyful and sorrowful tears, the Bears introduced themselves.

"I'm Adrian Artair," the male said to them. He had dark skin and was slightly taller than Tristan and Luka but much stockier, a round and welcoming face and tight curled hair.

"Signey Ursu," The female said to them. She was not quite as tan as the Ravens, the shortest of the group, and with the fairest hair. Even though she was small and skinny, Luka wondered what her strength was capable of.

Luka recounted his story to the two Bears and introduced himself and the Ravens. They explained what happened. They saw Signey and Adrian's eyes fill with unbearable sadness, and empathy, having heard the Ravens story. Luka had a good idea of what had happened as his companions started to piece it together and let the Bears themselves explain.

Late last evening, Signey explained, Aaron had made an announcement to his people. There was to be a great feast for a very special occasion today. What that was, Signey and Adrian did not know. The boisterous Aaron kept the event a secret, wanting to surprise his people. The city went to their beds, without a thought on their minds. That's when Signey said she heard it, and then smelled it. A whistling from above, and silent thuds, followed by what she described as the smell of the trees, but to her it was exaggerated and unnatural somehow. She thought it was strange, but went to sleep anyways. A great Gift of the Bears is their ability to rejuvenate from limited sleep. Yet both Signey and Adrian woke up late in the morning. Signey told them that the two of them woke in the same chamber room, a house both were unfamiliar with, locked inside the room. They knew instantly something was not right.

"A sleeping gas," Luka said to himself as Signey finished their story. It was what him and Rosaya had held below, the remnants in the canister they had held.

Both Signey and Adrian, groggy and drowsy, had crawled themselves to a window, and were able to see the horrors before them. Dragged from their homes, every citizen that they knew of... husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and children, still asleep or unconscious, were thrown from the branches to the Field below by an army of Outlanders. Rather than landing on the usually sturdy barrier, skipped through and sprinkled into ash to the forest floor below. They thought it was all a nightmare until they regained their senses some hours later, shortly before Luka and the Ravens arrived. Aaron and his children presumably kidnapped or missing, too. Not a soul left in the city except them.

Luka yelled in frustration. They were too late.

Signey continued and told Luka and the Ravens they were able to break out of their locked room, and there was only one man left in the city, who noticed them, and then prodded them down a branch with a rifle and axe, commanded them to hang on it. He was the one responsible for cutting the branch Luka had just saved them from.

"Smiling, the man said to us hanging there, 'I'm you and your people's Hibernation. I want you to know that as you fall to oblivion.' It was a game to him," Signey said, both her and Adrian's eyes filling with tears. Signey rested her head on Adrian's shoulder and silently cried, though it seemed to Luka Adrian wore his emotional distress on his sleeve even more-so than Signey. Upon Adrian's chest, Luka noticed a light green jewel.

While the Ravens remained silent, Luka asked, "This man, what did he look like? Did he wear a cape, have a beard?"

"His eyes... I've never seen eyes so blue. His cape was a dark brown, green trim. No beard."

It was not the same man he saw at Oddisy. Luka looked around at the flags in the empty city, the sigil of the Tree Bear flying. A dark brown Tree Bear on a diagonally crossed white and green background. He looked to Tristan and Rosaya who came to a realization the same time Luka did.

Before they convened and allowed the Bears to grieve with each other, Rosaya said, "You're Hosts, aren't you? Do you remember how you ended up in the chamber with each other?"

The Bears nodded, confused, and then shrugged their shoulders. They didn't know. Luka asked Adrian how he had found the jewel, and his answer somewhat surprised the others. He had found it as a small child in the shore of a nearby lake. He recalled it was shortly after his Host mother had died though, and Tristan and Luka exchanged pondering glances.

Luka took the Ravens aside, and said, "The visitor that Nik let in, it must be the same man that Aaron let in. Once in and with their complete trust, he's opening the kingdoms up from the inside for the Outlanders to come in. And the radios... the man must have disabled them so provinces can't call for aid. He caused the flash bomb that blinded your people, and the sleeping gas that incapacitated the Bears. Maeve... she talked about someone intelligent. It must be him, someone capable of all this. These caped men, Hibernation, and the Bird Hunter, it's like they're his Generals or something, with a designated role for destroying each capital city. Why else are they wearing the same colors as your sigils?"

The Ravens scowled and shook their heads at Luka, disagreeing. Tristan said, "That doesn't add up, Wolf. If the same man, he tried to save Rosaya and I, and these two. Why let Outlanders inside to kill everyone while trying to save us, and then have his Generals try and kill us anyways?"

Rosaya agreed, and added, "The timeline doesn't make sense either, Luka. The man I saw, I can place him in Oddisy around noon. If it were the same man hiding these two away, he did that last evening. The only way you could get here that fast is with a rocket ship, and the last time I checked there's only one and you've seen it yourself in the Ring. Two Outlander tribes, coordinated and striking at the same time, with multiple people that the Sixes are trusting. It has to be."

Luka sighed, realizing his companions were right. How would the green-eyed man have gotten here so fast from Oddisy? But then, why would two Outlander army's go out of their way to save two Hosts, but have them killed anyways? It hurt Luka's brain to think about it.

"How did they get the canisters of sleeping gas inside? Surely Aaron still would have checked their visitor for weapons. There's no way he would have just let them inside with buckets of canisters of sleeping gas."

Rosaya knew the answer before Luka had to provide one, and said, "Isn't it obvious? They lobbed them in from the ground, up and over top of their Field. The whistling Signey heard followed by the thudding. Then with everyone asleep, they altered the Field and threw the Bears below from their beds."

The two Bears collected themselves and slowly climbed back to their empty family houses. Luka and the Ravens were about to leave back down the tree lift, when they saw both return with a bag and each with a large hammer, dressed in dark green camouflage and brown capes, trying to hide the tears that matted their faces. Both wanted desperately to see