Soon, it was getting dark. The pack's glowing eyes made it easy for them to see ahead. Luckily, Koopas had eyes like that, too, so Kisota, Bowser, and Mibura had no trouble seeing.

"Hey Mgobu!" Bowser yelled as he walked up to him.

Mgobu wiped his ears with his claws. "I can hear, you know. So what's up?" he asked.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe we could stop for the night, you know, because some of us are hungry and tired," said Bowser, stopping in his tracks.

Mgobu thought for a moment, and then finally said, "Yes, let's do that. But not right now because we still have to cross Lana's Ridge."

"Oh, all right," replied Bowser.

They reached Lana's Ridge, a small gorge in the heart of Wircada's Kingdom. There was one very narrow bridge made of rocks by some Raptors years ago for traveling across, but they had to be very careful in order not to fall off.  Mgobu went first.  He made sure the bridge was safe.  After he safely made it across, everyone slowly and cautiously followed.

"That's a looooong way down," said Buka as he looked down at the almost never-ending gorge.

Smoke rose above them, dissipating in the air. Bowser and Kisota had to be the most careful when crossing, because their feet weren't as nimble and light as the Raptors'. Their size was a bigger problem, and they had to keep their balance.

Finally they made it, and in a matter of minutes, every member of the group was across. Some of the children almost fell off, but luckily their parents caught them. After the group was a safe distance away from the gorge, Bowser asked again if they could stop.

"Alright, alright. Let's stop," Mgobu said.

He called for everyone to halt and rest, and called a hunting party of the best five Raptors to hunt some food for the pack. He chose Harusha, Niseye, Doleri, Nudari, and Dalsoti. Everyone except the hunting Raptors sighed and lied down on the ground, happy to finally rest.

"Aww... man. We just started! Why do we have to stop?!" yelled Tibetho, who was eager to go.

"It's for the best of the pack. We must have a good sleep and meal before we go on any further," replied Mgobu, overhearing him. Tibetho sighed, and flopped down on the ground, arms and legs outstretched.

A little while later, the team of hunters came back with their newly caught meal, several Felks, a small type of Dragon. The group sniffed the air and caught the scent of the catch. Mouths watered, and everyone was drawn straight to the meal. A rumble of feet was heard, and hungry growls and roars echoed through the plains. The feast was on. Many of the children had to go last because the adults were so big that they couldn't let them through.

"Mom, when can I have a turn?" asked Weshi, who was trying to squeeze in through the many legs.

"Soon, dear," replied Lisara, who pulled her closer.

Soon, bone crunching was heard, and a wild frenzy with the skeletons was beginning.

"Man, you were the best.  You got him right by the leg! Whoooosh! Just like that!" said Doleri to the rest of the hunters, who fed in their own assigned spot. He picked his teeth with a small, sharp bone after eating his ration.

"Yeah, but you were the best at the flanks, Doleri," said Nudari, scratching at a ribcage.

"Come on, you were better at flanks," argued Doleri, throwing the bone away.

"Oh, I guess I was, huh," said Nudari, who stood up tall.

Lots of laughing and giggling, talking and chattering, and many other things happened throughout dinner. Later, when every single Felk was gone, the group settled down for the night and decided to sleep. Yawning and stretching were the final things the Raptors and Dragons did before sleeping.

"Kisota?" said Bowser as he lied down.

"Yes?" asked Kisota, raising his head in surprise.

"I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for everything."

"Thanks for what?" asked Kisota.

"Well, thanks for encouraging me to go. And thanks to Mgobu as well. He was a great influence," explained Bowser, as he slowly fell asleep.

Kisota just smiled, and then curled up into a ball and dozed off.

Mgobu, overhearing this, said, "Bowser, you are my best friend. Kisota and I both believe in you and everyone else on this trip. We will make it. Just trust me." With that, he yawned and drifted off into a deep, deep sleep.

The next morning, the travelers were up very early and ready to start the new day. The sun was just rising up, and since it was so early, not many sounds of animals could be heard. Mgobu did some stretching with everyone else and Lisara talked with the rest of the waking females about their daily goals. Soon everyone got up and lined up in their normal traveling positions.

"What a night. I feel like a herd of one thousand-pound Dragons ran over me," complained Tibetho as he got up and cracked his back and neck.

"Don't worry. You'll feel better along the way. Walking will get your blood moving," said Mgobu as he passed by him.

Tibetho just grunted, annoyed. He cracked every single inch of his body before finally joining everyone else.

"Alright, everyone! Let's get a move on. We have a long way to go today. Lots of ground to cover. We are still in the Kingdom, so we must pick up the pace," said Mgobu to the crowd.

Everyone sighed. Bowser headed toward the front of the crowd to Mgobu. Kisota joined him.

"Mgobu, are there any dangerous places ahead of us?" asked Bowser. Mgobu looked behind himself at the north, where Paradise Valley exists.

"Yes. There are many dangerous animals over there, ones not like us. Ones that are willing to kill us if we enter their territory. There are many things. Rock slides, pools that pull you under if you step in them, and many other hidden dangers. The worst is an attack from Bargos, which are Raptors like us, but are smaller and travel in smaller packs. But even with this, we must journey together and be careful, never straying."

"Oh. Well, I'll always stay with you," said Bowser, putting a hand on Mgobu's shoulder. Mgobu smiled, and all three of them looked at the pack.

Kisota turned to Bowser. "Bargos? Wow, they sound like trouble. I always used to go to places alone, but this sounds just too scary for me to travel to alone. I just hope everyone else knows," he said.

"Don't worry, Kisota, Mgobu's already told them earlier. Listen, if we all make it, it will be thanks to Mgobu for being such a great leader. You too, for just being here," replied Bowser, smiling. Kisota grinned, and stood with him until Mgobu said the signal to start moving.

Mgobu stepped up on a small hill, and raised his hand in the air. "Alright! Let's go!" he yelled as his fingers pointed upward.

Everyone started to move. The cubs had to run pretty fast because the adults were walking rather fast.

Up in the air were some Dragons, and Mokoti, who was gliding above the group, looking down to make sure no one was anywhere they shouldn't be. The whole group of hundreds looked like one black shadow from above.

In the lead, Kisota was nervously looking from side to side, hoping not to see any hiding Bargos. Bowser was staring at him, getting a tinge of nervousness in his body. In front of them, Mgobu was walking powerfully, not seeming afraid at all. Ahead of all of them were some more small valleys, with some mountains.

"We are nearing the Everlasting Mountains. They are a group of tall, majestic peaks, which are almost crawling with Bargos, so we have to enter carefully. The best time is at night, but there are still dangers," said Mgobu as he turned back at the crowd.

Mokoti sighed and swooped down, landing on Mgobu's shoulder. "Sire, if there are Bargos in the mountains, then can't we somehow get around the mountains?" he asked, shrugging his wings.

Mgobu looked at him with understanding, and said, "No, there isn't another way. But I wish there was. If there was, we could get around the Bargos easily."

"But sire, the Dragons could fly!" said Mokoti.

"But the Raptors can't!" replied Mgobu.

Mokoti thought for a moment, then flew back up in the air.

"That Mokoti has to think before he says things. Sometimes, it just backfires," said Mgobu, laughing a bit.

It was still morning, and the sun was up in the sky completely, shining a bright orange light on the ground below. The travelers were still moving swiftly across the plain. Some were already getting tired, but they knew about what awaited them, so they kept going. A powerful surge of strength flew inside every one of them, which urged them to hold on. That was the powerful spirit of their ancestors, who kept trying and trying, although some Dragonlings and Raptorlings got very tired, as their small hearts couldn't take it. They had to be picked up and carried on the backs of some adults. Soon, the group managed to reach the foot of the Everlasting Mountains, and they all looked at the gray and shadowy peaks above them.

"I have never seen anything like this before in my life!" commented one Raptor.

"Me neither. I wonder if Bargos are waiting to sneak up on us and attack us," said another.

"Oh, I doubt it. If there's a Bargo around, we can smell it. We do have noses, you know. And if there's only one or two, it won't dare to attack all of us together," said Mgobu, overhearing them.

He told everyone to stay close together and hold a defensive position, just in case. The children all were sent to the center, and the Dragons, being the largest, were on the outside. The ones on the backs of the adults leaned in towards the middle with the other young ones.

The group of hundreds carefully inched their way through the small passageway between two extremely tall mountainsides, looking both ways every time. Dark, shadowy crevices loomed above the crowd, and hazy smoke slowly lifted upward through numerous holes in the rock. Sounds of falling rocks were heard a distance away, and Mgobu told everyone to watch their heads.

"Mommy, I'm scared," whispered Weshi to Lisara while on her back.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you. We will surely reach the end of this passage in no time," replied Lisara, trying to calm her frightened daughter down.

Kisota was sniffing the air for any signs of other unfamiliar animals, but Bowser told him to calm down. Mgobu crouched low, and sniffed the air himself. Something suddenly didn't smell right. They were almost at the end of the passageway, but something told him that they should go faster. "Attention everyone! I smell something that’s not right! Let's pick up the pace!" he yelled to the groups behind him.

Everyone walked faster, the children ran faster, and Kisota sniffed faster. He picked up a smell himself. Bargo? Could that be the strange scent? He poked Bowser in the side and asked him if he smelled anything.

Bowser, annoyed, smelled the air. His head perked up.

"Yes! I smell something! Come on, Kisota, walk faster!" Both he and Kisota started walking briskly, and then, finally, they reached the end of the passageway.

Mgobu was enlightened, and so was everyone else when they reached the end.

"Oh, thank goodness we are out! I thought that passageway would last forever!" cried Dalsoti with delight.

Dalsoti jumped up, and ran around. Nudari and Tibetho stared at her, puzzled. "Women, oy!" they said together.

Dalsoti finally stopped prancing and sat down, still smiling. Kisota still had the strange smell in his nose, and was a bit worried.

"Mgobu... I still sense that something is here. Do you?" he asked quietly.

Mgobu looked around. "Yes, I do think something is here. I must warn the others," he replied. "Everyone! We must keep moving, and be on the lookout for anything dangerous!" he yelled to the Raptors and Dragons behind him, holding a hand in the air.

Everyone complied and kept walking forward. Weshi was terrified, but she knew that her mother was here to protect her. Suddenly, a rustle in a nearby bush was heard. Mgobu froze in his tracks, and so did everyone else.

"What was that?" asked Weshi, looking around. Lisara grabbed her and held her close.

Bowser shivered with fear, even though he was almost twice the size of everyone else. Kisota grabbed his hand, and both Koopas stayed together, scared. The rustle was heard again, this time louder. Everyone took defensive positions. Mgobu tiptoed farther. Then a short growl echoed throughout the valley. It sounded exactly like a Bargo.

"Oh no... What's going on?" asked Buka, crawling under some Raptor's legs.

"Bargos are around," replied Mgobu.

Then, out of the bushes, a tall, black creature leaped out. It had red stripes instead of black like the fellow Raptors, and it was about a foot shorter. It also had a huge claw on each of its feet.Its tail was erect like the Raptors, and it also had a row of small, black feathers on its neck like the Raptors. Its green eyes glimmered in the dark hole near the bushes in which it came out of.

It was a male Bargo. Mgobu walked closer to it, growling a very low growl, which meant a warning. The Bargo stepped back in fear, then uttered a high-pitched squeal, which caused another Bargo to appear. And another. And another. They all glared at the many red, black-striped Raptors in front of them. Soon, ten more appeared, and in a matter of minutes, at least fifty Bargos were surrounding the pack of travelers. They all walked closer with curiosity, jumping off of the rocks on which they stood and onto the ground.

The Raptorlings and Dragonlings inside the circle of protective Raptors and Dragons were carefully observing the unfamiliar animals. Buka and Weshi jumped off of the Raptors' backs and into the group of the other children.

Mgobu and some others started to growl defensively, but not so much as to alert and panic the Bargos, because they were still very dangerous in great numbers. Then, one Bargo leaped right in front of Mgobu.  Mgobu stepped back and roared. The Bargo fled when he saw the Raptor King's huge teeth and powerful muscles go into action. This caused the Bargos to start chattering about something Mgobu couldn't understand.

Then, without a warning, all of the Bargos leaped forward and attacked the numerous Raptors and Dragons. Their claws stretched out, hoping to wound the Raptors.

Immediately, the hundreds of Raptors and Dragons struck back in protection of themselves and the children. A great battle had started between the traveling animals and the Bargos. The Bargos growled, roared, and snarled in the fight against their bigger cousins. They were losing quickly, and many died in the first attack.

Some Bargos attacked Mgobu, the leader, but he, with his great response time, slashed them all away in every direction. Buka and Weshi were getting chased by three Bargos. The enemies were hoping that the Royal Family would not go on.

"HELP US!!!" they two Raptorlings yelled as the Bargos were gaining on them.

Just as the Bargos got to them, Lisara, who had just turned around from beating five other Bargos, flew at the three enemies and swiped them aside. They each hit a rock, falling unconscious.

"Thank you, Mom!" they yelled as they ran for cover where the Bargos couldn't find or see them. Lisara smiled and went off to fight more enemies.

Kisota, who was cornered by seven Bargos, prayed for help. A huge Dragon named Zaari, who was done beating fifteen Bargos, was walking by and noticed that Kisota was in danger. He sneaked behind them and roared as loud as he could. This mortified the Bargos and they leaped up into the air. When they landed, they attacked Zaari in rage. Zaari charged at them like a freight train and knocked four of them on the ground, unconscious, with his weight. Two of the other ones ran for Kisota, but Zaari flamed them with his fiery breath. They were toasted and ran away, howling. Kisota smiled at the Dragon, thanking him. The remaining Bargo of the seven that started out jumped at Zaari, hoping to grab onto his back, but just as he was halfway there, Zaari's tail whipped him aside and into the wall, knocking him out.

Meanwhile, Mgobu was tearing at a whole group of Bargos who almost killed some children. There were twenty-five in the group, and Mgobu took five out instantly. He asked for help, and two Dragons, Geli and Sasi, joined him. They were a bit smaller than Zaari, but with the help of Mgobu, they beat the remaining twenty Bargos.

In another corner, a Raptorling named N'geru had his foot stuck in a hole in the ground, and desperate to get it out, he cried for someone. A nearby Bargo heard this and saw N'geru, disabled. Growling, he ran for the Raptorling and decided to jump on top of him, to crush his back and kill him. He took off running, and jumped up, but the moment he leaped up, a small fireball knocked him off course and he fell down. That was a fireball from Lettasi, another Dragon. N'geru, whose foot finally got out of the hole, ran for Lettasi, who led him to safety.

Someplace else, Lisara had her claws full of Bargos to deal with, and she thought that this was too much. Mgobu saw her, and ran for assistance. He surprised the many Bargos, and with Lisara, slashed and swiped them unconscious.

After a while, the battle was over. Smoke from the Dragons' fire filled up the mountainside, and nothing could be seen. Broken trees, pieces of rock, and burnt leaves covered the ground. Unconscious, but still alive, the Bargos were scattered across the area. The battle caused some rockslides, which covered several Bargos, and halfway blocked the exit out of the passageway.

Mokoti, who was perched up above the mountainside, safe from attack, frantically flew through the foggy smoke. "SIRE!!!" he yelled.

Mgobu, who had no scratches or cuts, heard him and said, "Here I am, Mokoti."

Mokoti swooped down on his shoulder. "Is anyone hurt, sire?" he asked.

"I'll check," replied Mgobu. As loud as he could, he yelled, "IS ANYONE HURT?!"

In a few seconds, Raptors and Dragons walked out of the smoke like shadows and stood in front of Mgobu. They all had proud and powerful looks on their faces from winning the fight.

"We're all here. And the children are all safe. I took count. And, amazingly, no one has any cuts, scratches, gashes, or internal injuries," said Bowser, who wiped some dust off his arm.

"That's great. But..." started Mgobu, suddenly realizing something.

"But what... Sire?" asked Mokoti, curious.

"There's someone I don't see. Where's Lisara?" asked Mgobu, looking around for his wife. Everyone started talking, mumbling, and whispering about the question.

"I swear she was right there... But..." said Bowser, slowly turning around behind himself.

Mgobu walked past him, and then Bowser, Kisota, Weshi, and Buka followed him. Everyone else stayed in the same spots. Some had confused looks on their faces, while others were just plain terrified. Some children stepped out in front, not knowing what was going on. Some asked their parents what happened, but their parents didn't know either. Mgobu and the four others were inside the passage, pushing aside some still unconscious Bargos, rocks, and other things while searching for Lisara.

"Maybe she ran somewhere to hide from the Bargos," said Bowser, trying to calm down Mgobu.

"Maybe, but I'm still not sure," replied Mgobu, who was throwing rocks off of rockslides, hoping to find Lisara lodged somewhere in there.

"MOOOMM!" yelled Weshi, cupping her claws over her mouth to spread the sound. No answer.

Buka and Weshi then screamed together, but still no answer.

"I'm tellin' you, Mgobu, she probably ran off somewhere," said Bowser.

"Why would she do that? She's not a chicken! She may be under a rockslide," said Mgobu, annoyed.

"Kisota, do you have any idea where she could be?" asked Bowser.

"Well, no. I think she may be under rocks, too. We don't know. None of us know," replied Kisota.

Then, they saw a small shadowy figure ahead of them. It looked like a clump of dirt, but a rather big clump. They walked closer. They finally made out what it was. It was Lisara. They walked even closer, and Mgobu kneeled down.

"Lisara? Are you alright?" he asked.

Lisara was covered in cuts and scratches. Mgobu suspected rocks fell on her. She didn't answer. Was she dead?

"Mom?" asked Weshi, wide-eyed.

No answer. Then, Lisara's eyes slowly opened. She looked at the five, and smiled a weak little smile. Everyone could tell she was in great pain.

"You're here. I'm so glad to see you’re alright. Who won?" she asked, her voice weak.

Mgobu chuckled a bit, then said, "We did, dear. Are you feeling well?"

"Yes, I guess so. But I hurt all over," replied Lisara, ever so weakly.

She struggled to her feet, and then everyone slowly walked toward the other members of the group, Kisota helping her. The others were surprised to see so many scratches on a Raptor, especially a queen.

"Queen Lisara! What happened?" asked Nudari, jogging up to her.

"Well, there was a small rockslide. I ran away from it, but the rocks hit me very hard and caused these scratches. My muscles ache so much," said Lisara.

Buka trotted up in front of Lisara and examined her all over. "Mom, you don't look good," he said.

"Well, I'm glad you look better," replied Lisara with a little laugh.

Mgobu told everyone to keep walking, and when they did, Lisara limped behind them. Her left leg was very pained because a huge rock slammed right into it, possibly tearing a muscle. Mgobu ordered Buka to follow and monitor Lisara, but not to stray far behind because of possible dangers. As they wandered several hundred yards from the mountains, Mgobu stopped the group and went back to check on his wife.

"How is she?" he asked Buka, who was still a few feet away and trotting closer.

"Well, no complications, but she seems to be struggling with her leg. It's practically useless," replied Buka, hanging his head low.

Mgobu stared at Lisara's left leg. It was useless. And now that she could use only one foot, she couldn’t jump as high and far, couldn't run as well and fast, couldn't turn so easily, and worst of all, she couldn't protect herself as well. Now everyone must help the Raptor Queen get through her hardship.

Mgobu led Lisara to the front of the group near the strongest of Raptors, where she would be well-protected. The Raptors, who feared the queen's survival, gathered closer to her and all said that they would kill anyone that attacked her. Mgobu commanded everyone to continue, and they started their journey once again.

The travelers stopped and turned around for a moment. The Everlasting Mountains were nothing but a mere shadow from where they were standing. Mgobu looked at what was dead ahead of him and the others. He saw a huge waterfall called the Pink Falls because of the water's slight pink color. There was a big log that they could travel across, much bigger than the rocky crossing at Lana's Ridge. It started at the ledge where they were and led straight across to the side of the waterfall, right next to the water.

"Alright everyone! Do you see this log?" Mgobu asked, pointing to the log. Everyone nodded. "We must cross it.  I will inspect it. It is rather old, and all of our weight together might break it, so if it's stable, we will cross one by one," explained Mgobu. He walked to the log, and put one foot on it.  It didn't budge. He took a few steps. It was stable enough. Mgobu looked down. The Pink Falls' great height was almost dizzying, and if anyone fell off, they would fall to their death. Bowser ran up to Mgobu, with Kisota dragging behind.

"Uh... We should go one by one? That would take forever!" he said, throwing his arms aside.

"Patience is golden, my friend, and if we go all together, this bridge, our only bridge, will topple, and no one will have a chance of surviving the fall," replied Mgobu in his smart English accent.

Bowser nodded understandingly, and Kisota walked in front of him. "I just hope there aren't any Bargos around here," he said.

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