Read the first three chapters of Book Four now!

Chapter One

            It was a bright and beautiful day in Jinia, home to the frogs. The kingdom was rebuilding more and more every day since its redemption from the tyrant known as Queen Katrina. Her statue was immediately torn down; in fact, the village made a holiday of it, celebrating and feasting after it fell crashing to the floor and shattering into a thousand pieces. However, the wall she had built around Jinia was left standing. After Kirk had flown around the globe and saw that every other kingdom had walls surrounding their kingdoms, he felt Jinia was behind in modern strategy. The purpose was to keep intruders out. He relayed this to Queen Precious and Captain Shaye, and they wholeheartedly agreed. Kirk brought many tips from his adventure and wanted Jinia to take the best parts of each kingdom. They wanted to make their home the best it could be. 

            It had been six months since they took back their kingdom. Kirk had healed from all  the injuries he sustained during the war, which was now going down in history as “The Queen’s War.” Although they were currently under no threat, he never stopped his training. He became more and more proficient with the bow Gustavo gave him.  He would sometimes go hunting with Piper to prove his skills with his aim and accuracy. Kirk decided to keep training with his scimitar sword from Khalil, given to him by Abir, rather than switch to the traditional swords they fought with in Jinia. He and Shaye would set a time each day to spar and practice. Shaye was becoming quite impressed with Kirk’s training. Kirk would always wear his bamboo shield given to him by Zafirah from Rutendo during their training sessions. He also kept the horn given to him by Jerrick from Hulda around his neck at all times. It quite frankly saved his life last time, as did all the weapons he carried during The Queen’s War. 

            Currently, he and Shaye just finished up a training session and were both sweating profusely. “You almost had me that time,” Shaye said, re-sheathing his sword. 

“Don’t sugarcoat it. I wasn’t even close,” Kirk replied, now re-sheathing his sword as well. Never was there a session where Kirk bested Shaye, not in the art of swordsmanship. 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself; for someone who’s been training for seven months, versus someone who’s been training their whole life, you are serious competition,” Shaye encouraged, trying to boost Kirk’s confidence. Kirk nodded slowly, accepting the compliment. 

            The two walked out of the castle’s courtyard where they were training, through the spacious lobby, and out the front gates to the village. 

“So, any word from Snap lately?” Shaye asked. After Snap flew back home to Feather Heights, they had not seen him since. 

“Yes, actually, he has sent us an invitation to something called ‘Snap’s awesome, totally not lame, but really cool Karaoke night,’ whatever that means,” Kirk said, pulling the invitation out of the inside of his vest and handing it to Shaye. Shaye looked it over, reading parts out loud. 

“Come to Snap’s Karaoke night filled with fun and lots of singing, brought to you by the kingdom of Feather Heights. Can’t wait to see you, Kirk! Feel free to bring Piper and Reuben. Oh, also that orange lizard guy, and that army guy you always hang out with. Oh, and the Queen, Queen Penelope. Bring anyone, I don’t care but please come!” Shaye finished reading, shaking his head. “Oh, Snap.” 

“You forgot the bottom part,” Kirk commented, smiling. Shaye looked at the bottom of the page.

“Signed, your best of the best friends, (Not army guy) but your real best brother from a bird mother. Love, Snap,” Shaye read. “Well, maybe this would be a good getaway for Precious,” Shaye suggested, looking towards the second story of the castle where she was right now. 

“Mm, I’m sure that’s what you’re thinking,” Kirk replied, grinning. 

“What? I’m serious, she gets stressed, ya know,” Shaye said gulping.

While Kirk was intently talking with Shaye, he did not see Piper approach. He turned from looking at Shaye to see Piper standing right in front of him smiling. His smile quickly faded. 

“Uh, hey Piper,” he greeted, squeaking a little. 

“Hey!” she said, happy to see him. “How was training?” 

“It was fine, nothing to tell, nothing at all,” he uncomfortably responded, rubbing his shoulder. 

“Okay?” she commented, confused at how he was acting. There was an awkward silence between the three for a moment. 

“Well, okay. I guess I’ll see you later then,” she stated, turning and walking away. 

            “What was that all about?” Shaye questioned his smaller friend. 

“Look, if I tell you, you have to promise to keep it between us,” Kirk replied. 

“Absolutely,” Shaye answered, more interested now. 

“I want to propose to Piper,” Kirk said simply. 

“Really!?” Shaye asked, seeming excited. “That’s splendid, what’s the problem then?” 

“Well, I’m worried she’ll say no,” Kirk said, frowning. 

“Kirky, I don’t think a frog on this planet loves you more than Piper. You have nothing to worry about. Now if she was a bird, she might have some competition with Snap,” Shaye added, chuckling to himself. 

“You think so?” Kirk asked, liking Shaye’s response. 

“Definitely, now where’s the ring?” Shaye asked, looking around, as if it would appear out of thin air.

“Uh, the ring…right,” Kirk said, acting as if he had one on him.

“You don’t have one, do you?” Shaye asked, eyeing him. 

“No,” Kirk said, putting his head down. “I can’t afford one.” 

“I can help you out,” Shaye said, happy to help his friend. 

“No, I don’t want that. Then the ring will always be tainted,” Kirk stated, refusing Shaye’s offer.

“What about from Precious? After everything you’ve done, I’m sure getting some royal jewelry wouldn’t be hard,” Shaye suggested, trying to help. 

“No, I want to earn one. I just need…a job, I guess,” Kirk said, not liking the sound of that idea. 

“Well, that’s admirable Kirky. Let me know if I can help. I have a meeting I need to attend. I’ll catch up with you later,” Shaye said, turned away, and started to head back into the castle. Kirk looked around the village at all the busy frogs, doing their day-to-day jobs. He knew he did not fit in anywhere, but he had to do something for Piper. 

*                      *                      *                      *

            Snap’s whistling was out of control today, and he walked around with a little pep in his step. It had been several months since he had seen his best friend. But the day was soon upon them. His father noticed that he wiggled his butt and tail feathers and whistled a tune. He danced his way into the dining hall.

“You seem happier than usual,” Sito noted, already sitting at the table watching Snap. 

“Of course! Karaoke night is coming up in only a few short days,” Snap said, dropping his plate full of seeds and berries on the table. 

“Oh right…that,” Sito acknowledged, sounding none too excited. 

“It’s going to be a jolly good time,” Snap said, bobbing his head back and forth as he ate. 

“If you say so. Snap, have you checked in with the village watchmen? Have you spoken with Alice and Sonya about the recruits? Oh, and have you investigated those cases from the village birds, the ones about thievery?” Sito asked his second in charge, his son. 

“Dad, what have we talked about?” Snap asked seriously but with berry juice dripping from his chin.  

“I know, I know, no work at the dinner table,” Sito said, sighing. Snap smiled knowing that his dad respected what he cared about now.

“Now, how was your day?” Snap asked his dad cheerfully. 

            After they finished their meal and went their separate ways, Snap walked to the village, his favorite place to be in Feather Heights. Unlike before, Snap was now respected and was greeted with smiles and hellos. He and his dad worked out a schedule that was more suitable for them. He gave Snap more space and let him be himself. He even agreed to let Snap invite a bunch of Jinians to the kingdom for a karaoke night. Snap was out and about now, spreading the word. Many of the village folk were much more excited than his father. Snap loved joining Jinia with Feather Heights. He had been waiting for this time for a while, and he just had to hold out for a few more days. 

Chapter Two¹

            Several seasons ago….White and brown feathers lay around the small clearing inside the tree. Some contained blood that belonged to the big owl. It lay lifeless inside its home. A small trail of blood led outside the hole, and down to the ground. It was a foggy night, and he limped away. He had just fought off an owl and won. He breathed heavily as he was badly wounded from the struggle. He clenched together his spiky hand. Clouds poured out of his mouth from the cold weather. He fell to the ground, held his hurting side, and looked up to the moon. 

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easy,” Teivel said, panting, yet smiling and showing his sharp teeth. 

            He had almost gotten his hands on that frog that destroyed everything he had built. He invaded his new kingdom and released his prisoners. Teivel was beyond furious. He vowed to himself that if it was the last thing he did, he would get his hands on that frog. The ambition to kill that frog was keeping him alive right now. He knew he could not rest until he had his vengeance. Thinking about revenge, he wanted to kill Tafari too. His right-hand toad, whom he felt he had given everything to, stood against him. 

“He probably was after my title all along,” Teivel stated angrily with his eyes turning white, as he pounded the ground, lying in a small pool of his blood. He had huge talons and claw marks across his stomach, where the owl had gouged him. He held his side in pain, as his eyes reverted to their yellow glow. He grunted and heaved himself up because he knew if he did not leave, predators would smell his wounds and be after him in no time. He pushed on into the woods and saw a small clearing where the moon shone down brightly. He tried to continue, but he collapsed in the center. He had no energy left to go on. Even as strong as Teivel was, he had his limits. His vision blurred as the trees all blended, and he saw Kirk standing in front of him, taunting him. He gritted his teeth, sinking his claws into the ground. His thirst for revenge intensified, as he lost consciousness and lay in the moonlight. 

*                      *                      *                      *

            Present Day….The day had arrived, and Kirk and a fair amount of Jinians were ready to begin their travel to Feather Heights for Snap’s event. Kirk and Piper were going together. They took this opportunity to make it a date since the opportunity did not occur often. Shaye for the first time mustered up the courage to ask Queen Precious if she would escort him to the event. For being one of, if not the bravest war frog in Jinia, he had trouble with being emotionally attached to someone. It was no secret amongst Jinia that something was brewing between Shaye and Queen Precious for quite some time. 

            As Reuben and Tex, along with a handful of war frogs, were getting ready to escort Shaye and Queen Precious to Feather Heights, a huge gust of wind blew in their faces. A fleet of birds from Feather Heights landed down in front of Jinia’s gates. 

“What’s all this?” Reuben asked the bird closest to him, who was a blue jay. 

“Greetings from Prince Snap of Feather Heights. He sent us as a faster, safer way to transport the Jinians that will be attending this event,” the blue jay responded. 

“Flying? This sounds like a—” Shaye started to say but was interrupted by Queen Precious. 

“A fantastic idea!” she exclaimed, with a big smile. 

“Uh yes, exactly what I was thinking,” Shaye said, clearing his throat. Kirk stood nearby and grinned at Shaye, who noticed and ignored him.

But Kirk had his own problems. As Piper started to approach him, he saw that she was wearing a blue dress. Every time he saw her dressed up for a special occasion, he could not take his eyes off her. But he needed to focus because he wanted tonight to be the night he popped the big question. The problem was he was still very nervous about doing so. He had a cheap ring he earned from doing odd and end jobs for the past few weeks. He knew it was not much, but it was all he could afford.

            “Well, what do you think?” she inquired, noticing him staring at her. However, he said nothing. 

“Um, about what?” he asked, starting to sweat a little, as he was in a black suit and red tie, which felt constricting. 

“The dress,” she responded confused, thinking it was obvious what she was referring to. 

“Ah, yes, you look wonderful. The best, the most beautiful I have ever seen,” Kirk clumsily stumbled. 

“Okay, okay,” she said, getting irritated with him. “Was just asking, you don’t need to be overly dramatic about it.” Shaye, now nearby, grinned over at Kirk, seeing the exchange. He mouthed the words “smooth” to Kirk, who ignored him this time. 

            Kirk and Piper mounted a robin bird, as Shaye and Queen Precious mounted a large dove. Tex and Reuben rode together on the blue jay behind the dove since they were still the queen’s security detail. The rest of the Jinians attending also climbed onto the rest of the remaining birds, and they all started to ascend. For Kirk and Piper, this was not anything new because they had flown on Snap’s back plenty of times. But for everyone else, this was new and either exciting or terrifying, depending on who they were. 

Queen Precious was marveling at their height and this amazing experience; whereas Shaye found this may be something he did not enjoy as much and tried not to look down. Queen Precious leaned back and rested her head on Shaye’s chest, who sat behind her. She looked up at him with a wide smile. He wore his royal white suit, given to those who served in the army and who had attained his high rank. Accumulated badges and pins of honor decorated the suit.  

            “Thank you for bringing me,” she said looking happy as ever. 

“Of course, there’s no one else I’d rather have asked,” he replied, now starting to relax and forget they were soaring above the trees. As they drew nearer to Feather Heights, the sun started to descend. Kirk looked over to Queen Precious and Shaye, seeing them falling all over each other. He felt the ring in his pocket and clutched it tightly, sweating once again. 

            “Why are you so sweaty tonight? It’s a tad gross,” Piper commented. Clearly, romance was not in the air for them quite as much. 

“Uh, you know, this suit. It’s kinda tight,” Kirk said pulling the collar away from his skin a little for some air. 

“Kirk, what has been going on with you? You’ve been doing weird jobs around the village; I feel like I have barely seen you lately. When I do, you act like you don’t want to talk,” Piper said, frowning, seeming kind of sad about this. Kirk sighed, looking into her eyes, feeling horrible. Something that was supposed to be special had turned into a miserable experience. 

“Piper, I—” he froze up, not being able to go further. 

“You what?” she questioned, looking concerned. She turned around on the bird’s back to face him and placed both of her hands over his. He looked down at them and suddenly felt a little better from her comfort.

“Piper, I need to tell you something,” he said with a hint of a smile. 

“Yes?” she asked as their eyes met and the stars shone brightly behind them. 

“Kirk!” Snap interrupted and pulled Kirk off the robin’s back. Snap squeezed him tightly. “Oh, Kirk buddy! It has been so long, look at you Mr. Spiffy Pants.” Snap then kissed him on the forehead. 

“Hey, pal,” greeted Kirk, happy to see him, but upset the moment was ruined. Piper did not look pleased either as she unmounted the bird. They had not realized they had landed when they were talking. 

“There’s my Piper!” Snap exclaimed with wings wide open, ready for a hug. She could not help but grin a little at his silliness. 

“Hey, Snap,” she said and gave him a small hug. 

            “You two look stunning,” Snap told the frog couple, who stood awkwardly side by side. 

Snap was not one to wear any clothing, but today he was sporting a black and white vest and a black bow tie, with a little black cap on his head. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself, hot shot,” Kirk returned, patting him on the back.

 The dove carrying Queen Precious and Shaye landed next to them. Snap put out his wing and bowed, as Queen Precious took it and stepped down onto the wooden floor that Feather Heights was mounted on. 

“Why thank you, Prince Snap,” she said, giggling at the sound of his name. 

“Indeed, your majesty,” Snap answered. He noticed Shaye dismounting too. “Shaye,” he acknowledged, nodding at him and quickly turning away. Kirk gave Snap a look of disapproval. Snap turned back towards Shaye. “I mean, Captain Shaye, how nice to see you,” Snap said in the most unenthusiastic way. Shaye just grinned, knowing Snap was being, well, Snap.

Reuben and Tex also now stood next to Shaye. “Hey, it’s the fuzzy guy and the slimy one. What’s up?” Snap inquired and turned his attention back to Kirk and Piper, not giving Reuben and Tex much of his attention.

“Okay guys, right this way to the stage!” he directed, as he pushed them along a path that led to a big outdoor auditorium of sorts. Hundreds of seats lined the floor, and a huge stage overlooked all the seats. Queen Precious was led to a separate area high above the rest, and she and Shaye took their seats. Reuben and Tex stood guard on both sides of them, each with three war frogs next to them. 

            Kirk and Piper were not given this treatment, so they took two regular seats, awkwardly bumping into each other as they made their way down the narrow aisle. Snap disappeared for a moment, and the two sat side by side, not knowing what to say. They both looked around pretending to be interested in the atmosphere, but really both were tearing themselves up inside. 

“Ah, nice stage, it’s very…” Kirk said, waning off, trying to think of the right word.

“Big?” Piper suggested after a minute had gone by. 

“Yes! That is the word I was looking for,” Kirk said looking straight ahead but wanting to die on the inside. Snap reappeared and fluttered down into a chair in front of them.

            “Hey, Snap, buddy!” Kirk exclaimed, so relieved he returned. “So, when’s the show starting? What will you be singing? Where’s your dad?” he asked, flooding him with questions. 

“Have you hit up the sugar shack already, Kirk?” Snap questioned him. 

“Haha, of course not, pal, just excited for my best friend is all,” Kirk answered, acting strangely. Piper just rolled her eyes and sighed. 

“Aw, you said best friend!” Snap said practically shouting, so Shaye would hear a few rows up. “Have you guys heard from Brom or Aleta lately? I invited them, but they never responded.” 

Kirk and Piper both shook their heads but did not really put much thought into it. 

“I’m sure they’re quite busy running Rea; it isn’t easy building a kingdom,” Kirk offered, still fiddling with the ring in his pocket. Snap just nodded his understanding. 

“Alright, time for me to go. The show is going to start soon, and I am managing this thing backstage,” Snap informed and started to fly away. 

“Wait!” Kirk shouted, but Snap kept going and disappeared again. 

“You really don’t want to be alone with me, huh?” Piper asked angrily, staring straight ahead at the stage. 

“I just miss Snap, is all,” Kirk said, but with a worried face. Piper tapped her fingers on the side of her seat impatiently, wanting this night to be over. 

Chapter Three

            Several seasons ago….His vision blurred, as he momentarily forgot who and where he was. He felt a sharp pain in his side; the fight with the owl was coming back to him. The sun beat down on his battered body, and his pain was intense as he felt a sharp stinging feeling over and over. His head felt like it was underwater with all the noises of the forest being muffled and faded. But as he awoke more, it became clearer, and loud squawking was heard all around him. His vision cleared, and he realized a group of crows was pecking at him. They dug at his wounds, especially the big gashes across his stomach. Every time they came down upon him, he felt a little of his life being taken. 

            “Hey Herb, save some for me!” demanded one of the smaller ones, digging into Teivel. Teivel, now fully aware, hopped up as fast as he could and started to run away. It was more of a slow jog, but it was the best he could muster. 

“Eh, he’s gettin’ away!” yelled another one of the big black birds. As they scrambled to chase after him, Teivel looked over his shoulder to see the three birds flying low to the ground, right on his tail. 

“Gr, I hate birds,” he muttered under his breath to himself, gritting his teeth. He ducked under branches and ran through bushes, hoping to escape them, but their shadows cast over him. Herb, the largest of them, flew down and grabbed him by his tail, picking him up a few feet and dropping him on the ground. The crows laughed, as Teivel was sprawled out on the ground in pain. He was in a daze, but only for a moment as he looked and saw another one of the crows, coming towards him at lightning speed. He shot up again and took off into the weeds nearby. 

            “This one doesn’t like to die, does he?” one of the crows asked, zooming after their prey. They whipped through the weeds after him, as Teivel was for once being the hunted instead of the hunter. He hated being so helpless, but he knew he had not come this far to be eaten by a band of worthless crows. He looked over his shoulder at them, only to take his eyes off the path ahead for a moment; however, he had not noticed the small drop in the earth’s floor that had appeared out of nowhere. He fell down the hill, tumbling and rolling. He somersaulted over and over until the crows could not make a distinction between his head and his tail. The crows darted down the hill after him, but luckily, he rolled right into a small hole at the bottom of a tree and was out of sight. 

“Ah, dang it! We lost him!” Herb exclaimed, frustrated as the three fluttered above the hole for a moment. 

“Should we wait him out?” asked one of the others. 

“Nah, he’ll most likely die in there. He’ll be a feast for the bugs now. What a waste, let’s go,” Herb commented, as they took off. 

            After a few minutes went by, one spiky hand rose out of the hole, then another, and then a spiky head. As Teivel lifted himself onto the ground once more, he lay there for a moment, having to motivate himself to go on. He trudged through the woods, holding his side and slowly bleeding once more. He came to a clearing and saw a small wooden shack, all by itself. Smoke rose from the chimney, and he could tell it was still inhabited. He walked towards it slowly. He regretted shedding his armor the night of the battle and losing his sword in the process. He was practically defenseless. But he knew he could handle whatever this would be. He kicked the door as hard as he could and it flung open; standing there was a black-colored frog, with a red and white painted face. 

“I demand you heal me!” Teivel growled at him, his eyes turning white and demonic. 

“Why hello,” the shaman replied, surprised at this. “I can’t believe you escaped my vision, that rarely happens.”

“What?” Teivel questioned, angry and confused, still clutching his side. “Who are you?”

“I am Leo, and there’s no need to introduce yourself. I know who you are,” Leo stated. 

“You do, do you? Then you know I am not one to be messed with. I need to be healed, and I believe you are just the frog I need,” Teivel said, always forcing others to obey his every need.

Leo nodded slowly. “And if I refuse?” he asked, not seeming afraid. 

“Then you will join me in death,” Teivel said, not holding back. Leo nodded slowly and thought it over. 

“Well, you did escape my vision, and therefore you really could kill me, I suppose. Alright, lay down,” Leo said, gesturing towards the straw bed, having to think this over. Teivel tried to lay down on the bed slowly, but instead passed out on it, bleeding all over the place.

“What a mess,” Leo sighed, not pleased with his unwelcomed guest. 

*                      *                      *                      *

            Present Day…After several acts had performed their songs, it was finally time for Snap’s big moment. He saved himself for last of course, being the host of the show and fulfilling one of his long desires or dreams. He stood behind the big red curtain taking deep breaths; this was his moment. As the stage host announced his name, he took the stage front and center. Firefly lights were cast down upon him, giving him the spotlight. He saw his friends cheering and whistling him on. Snap rapped: 

                        Here we go, here we go, here we go now!

My name is Prince Snap, but you can call me young chap.

I like to go on adventures with my pal Kirk,

We flew around the globe with much perk. 

He’s sitting right over there, 

If you say he’s not my best friend, I say don’t you dare!

The spotlight was on Kirk for a moment, who waved to everyone slowly and covered his face in embarrassment.

Then Snap continued his rap, which no one anticipated. “I call this the Snap rap, yeah do the Snap rap!” He got the crowd clapping along to his beat. 

Yeah, I call this the Snap rap, yeah do the Snap rap!

Now next to Kirk is his girl Piper,

You better be careful you don’t want to fight her!

We’ve taken down armies, monsters, and the queen,

Cause we’re the best; we’re vicious and mean.

You think you got a shot? Don’t be obscene, 

Kirk’s my best friend, and he’s really green. 

Yeah, I call this the Snap rap, yeah do the Snap rap!

Do the Snap rap, yeah do the Snap rap!

            Snap finished while crossing his wings in front of him, striking a pose. At first the crowd did not know how to react and was silent. But a sparrow in the crowd started clapping slowly, then another bird from a different section of the crowd, until everyone started clapping. Snap bowed and smiled, loving the praise. Kirk and Piper both looked wide-eyed ahead, not knowing how to react. Kirk rose and started to file through the aisle, trying to avoid stepping on any bird feet. 

“Where are you going?” Piper yelled over all the noise.

“I need some air,” Kirk answered, trying to get away from everything. He made his way out of the crowd and into the empty village square, as everyone attended the show. He leaned over the railing and looked down into the darkness, forgetting they were on a very high tree. He took a deep breath and looked up at the bright moon. Why is this so hard? You love Piper, and you know she loves you; just do it, Kirk thought to himself, taking deep breaths. Suddenly, he noticed a strange noise behind him. 

            Meanwhile, Piper was becoming annoyed that Kirk left her alone in the crowd of birds she did not know. Shaye walked up to her. “Where’s Kirky?” he asked, seeming to be in a good mood. 

“I don’t know. He went to get some air, I guess. The air here isn’t good enough for him,” Piper said agitated. Shaye nodded and could see she was having a bad night. 

“Precious and I were thinking maybe we should all stay here tonight since the trip home is long. Let’s go find Kirk and ask him what he thinks,” Shaye said, talking loudly over the crowd. Piper reluctantly agreed as they started to file away from the audience. Snap flew down to meet them, seeming to be on an adrenaline kick after his performance. 

            “Well, what’d you think!?” he asked excitedly. 

“It was…different,” Shaye replied, trying not to be mean. 

“It was a very Snap performance,” Piper added, as the three walked out into the empty village square. Snap smiled at this. 

“I will accept your gracious words, kind frogs,” he said to them. “Where’s Kirk? I especially want to know his thoughts.”

“We don’t know. That’s who we’re looking for. He came this way,” Piper said looking around. 

“Kirk!?” Snap shouted, as his voice echoed around the big tree. They heard nothing but silence. 

            “Hm, odd?” Shaye puzzled, rubbing his big bullfrog chin. 

“Where would he have gone?” Piper questioned, looking around. “We are in a tree for crying out loud.”

“Did he give you any hints as to where he was going?” Shaye asked her.

“Yeah, for some air,” she said, annoyed. 

“You don’t think…” Snap said worried, looking down over the side. 

“Stop that, of course not,” Shaye dismissed, waving the thought off. 

“He’s been acting weird for weeks now,” Piper told them. “I’ve been worried about him,” she said, casting her head down. Shaye noticed this and sighed. He wished he could tell her the truth and put her mind at ease. But they were interrupted by Queen Precious with Reuben and Tex at her side. 

            “Shaye? I was wondering where you wandered off to,” Precious said walking over to him. 

“Is everything okay, captain?” Tex asked, assuming the worst. 

“Well, we can’t find Kirk, but I’m not sure if we should be alarmed yet or not,” Shaye said, knowing this could have something to do with Kirk’s nerves about getting engaged. 

“You don’t know!?” Snap shouted. He started shaking his head, “See, this is why I am his best friend. He goes missing, and I get concerned!” Snap was getting himself worked up. 

“Relax, feathers, let’s split up and look around for clues,” Reuben said, trying to be logical as usual. They all nodded, and everyone started looking around

            They searched by moonlight for a few minutes until Tex stumbled upon something. 

“Hey guys, over here,” he alerted, waving them on. The group came to him, and they all looked, noticing a piece of black cloth on the edge of the railing. 

“We are looking for clues, not worried about you ripping your hat!” Snap exclaimed, not understanding. 

“This isn’t from my hat, bird brain, it looks to be a black piece of cloth, possibly from Kirk’s suit,” Tex said, then picking it up from the corner of the railing and looking it over. 

“He could’ve just walked by and ripped it,” Piper suggested, trying to stay positive. 

“Or…there was a struggle,” Shaye said hesitating, not wanting to rile everyone up. They all started chattering amongst each other. 

            “Look here!” Reuben announced with haste after looking at the ground, examining something up close. They all gathered around and looked closer. It appeared to be a faint boot print with a sandy brim around it. 

“Hm, that can’t be from around here. Look at the size of it,” Tex noted. 

“Not to mention, us birds don’t wear boots,” Snap informed, looking down at his feet. 

“Oh no, this is getting serious, isn’t it?” Precious inquired worriedly, looking at Shaye. 

“We still need more clues. Let’s take this to the ground below and see what we can find,” Shaye commanded. 

“I’ll get some torches ready,” Tex said, scurrying away.

“I’ll get some soldiers out to search the surrounding area pronto,” Snap said, flying away. 

“Reuben, let’s get Queen Precious to her quarters for the night, and then we can start the search,” Shaye instructed, and they both left with Queen Precious.

Nobody disputed doing whatever it took to find Kirk, not after everything he had done for all of them. Piper was the only one left standing in the moonlit square, alone. She still wore her blue dress, as she looked up to the stars.

“Kirk, please come back,” she whispered, holding back her tears.