"You're an idiot."

Vic had never been great at understanding when and when wasn't the right time to throw out insults.

Kit couldn't pretend that he didn't totally agree.

"Do you have a better idea?" offered the military leader in retort, his eyes sharpening half a shade, offended but Kit didn't care.

"Anything's better than that idea," Max replied in a calmer manner, though only slightly. "I've met six year olds who would have come up with a better plan." He added, running his beak through the feathers on his wing. In an attempt to hide the contempt which was coming from him in waves.

Gesturing with his hand, as though for one of them to take centre stage. "Please, do go on then."

No one moved, they seemed to think for a moment. Yet their brains came up blank, they didn't have the time to think of a plan. They needed to act and act fast.

But what they planned, was almost suicide.

Evacuate the lands, and bring in every resource they had. Every capable fighter to bring down the monsters, to kill every last one of them.

The problem Kit had with it was for fear of failure. That if they were unable to finish the beasts, it would leave the rest of the world with no defence.

If they were unable to finish the job, it would mean the end of the world.

Kit was desperate to find another option, another choice. Yet it was quickly becomming apparent that there weren't any. No matter how hard he tried, the world seemed to quickly be caving in on his head.

It was try to do what they could as soon as possible, and almost definitely lose or sit and wait like lost puppies, to watch the world come to an end.

There was almost no choice at all.

They had to fight.

And they had to do whatever they could in order to win.

Regardless of what the outcome was going to be, they weren't going to give up. Not after everything that had happened, everything that they had been through. It would mean that every death they had ever witnessed would be in vain.

Such was something that Kit was never going to take lying down. None of them would think twice about doing what they could to win this fight, if it meant that they're friends had died for a reason.

From the tension and power bubbling between every man and woman here, Kit knew that they were thinking very much the same thing. In that moment, Kit felt more proud of his friends then he had ever before.

He could only hope that one day he would be able to prove himself to be worthy of such a position.

They were his family, and he would do anything to protect every one of them.

"We'll help you," Kit said in a low voice. He might not have been a mind reader, but he felt that he was speaking with conviction. "Whatever the cost."

No one spoke, but they all nodded. Unanimous. The group remained in a solemn silence, but the honesty was there. The silent oath that they all seemed to be making to do whatever they could.

"Good," replied the leader with a firm tone. "Because from the looks of how things are measuring up, it looks like we're going to need all the help we can get our hands on." He looked across the clearing, drawing his eyes across every man and woman present. A frown lighting his face as he thought for a moment before saying.

"We return to camp, and for now we recollect and rest. In the morning, we put our plan into action." It was the first time Kit had seen the leader order the others, he watched. Trying to test how obedient these men were to their 'leader.'

No one hesitated as they lifted themselves to their feet and set about following what they had been told to do. Kit watched for a moment, his ears following the sounds of the crowd and trying to catch on anything they could.

It was a blur of sounds, but it was a new sensation for Kit. He had spent five years with very familiar faces and sounds. It was nice to hear voices he didn't recognise, faces that he'd never seen before, and earth he had never walked upon. It was something he had never thought he was going to do again.

Kit wasn't sure what he had been expecting, as he followed the others through the woodlands and across the clearings and open spaces. He was just happy at the prospect of having a roof over his head.

What he was faced with, was something that he had never expected in his wildest dreams.

Before him was a massive structure, clearly quickly thrown together. Yet it was larger than anything Kit could ever remember having seen. It towered over the treeline and shadowed against the cloud filled skies.

Made primarily of corrugated iron, a few bricks and slabs of concrete. It looked like the slightest breeze would knock it to the ground. Yet everything about it seemed to somehow scream strength and power.

Despite of the very military feeling to the entire building, it somehow felt like a home.

"Shift before you reach the door and wipe your feet, otherwise Ali will kill you." Romany warned from his left as she pushed through the door with the others.

Looking at one another, they did as they were told, and entered.

Greeting them in the doorway, were seven men and women. Five of whom Kit recognised from the clearing, but two older woman had faces he didn't recognise.

The man who Kit had deemed as the military leader, the man dressed in camoflague and carried himself in a manner which would imply nothing but. Stepped forward first and offered his hand to Vic.

"I'm sorry, but I never had the chance to introduce myself. I'm Lt Hardcastle, but you may call me Matthew, we have long since given up on formalities here." He explained, Vic seemed surprised but took the man's hand and shook it firmly.

"The man on my left," Matthew gestured to the large wolf who had spoken calmly to the men. The first in the clearing to speak a calm word to any of them. "Is Fletcher Augustus, he leads the shifters in this little conflict of ours."

Vic moveed to shake the other man's hand, and the little charade continued as such until they had been introduced to the seven people present. Matthew, Fletcher, Ali, Romany, Reggie, Oliver, Anna and Jack.

Each person in turn were the leader of their own area, Reggie was the one who gained the most attention. Primarily because of the fact he had four legs and the tail of a horse, and the body of one in between.

"Nice to meet you, I hope you understand our astonishment. Yet we never knew that people outside of our island had the same abilities as we."

Grinning slightly, though it was a weak grimace more than anything. "You have much to learn, but tommorow. For now, rest."

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Author's Note;

Hi there, sorry my updating has been so sporadic recently, I've just been really busy. I will try to keep up with a friday as a continuing day for updates. I'm really sorry, but thanks for taking the time to read this story as usual. I would love if you were to comment and vote on this story, it always makes my day to read them. Even if you don't particularly love the story, any criticism is always welcomed.

I thought it would be interesting, for anyone who is interested. To see what kind of person I have in mind when writing these characters. I will explain what I would personally change to make them more in line with what I had intended for the individual characters. However, for those who are interested. These are the face claims of the main characters so far introduced in this book.

Christopher (Kit) Montgomery

Other than the obvious, in that he has both arms, this is the kind of thing I had in mind for Kit. Maybe a little less muscular, and a more square face. Otherwise, this is pretty similar to what I had in mind.

Romany Ahlberg

When I was creating Romany as a character, building the image in my head I was really struggling to think of someone who would be similar to the character I had in mind. Then I watched The Light between Oceans and found that the main character of this story was almost identical to what I had in mind. The actress, Alicia Vikander, is even Swedish, as with Romany which is perfect!

Max Dawson

Thomas Brodie Sangster is very similar to Max in my opinion. A face which would indicate naivety in any other situation really, yet Max has been aged beyond his years due to what he has been threw in his life. I picture Max as being a little taller, and his hair as being a bit darker then this, but otherwise quite similar.