"This is too easy," Romes muttered.

She stood on the edge, her hands planted on her hips. The remnants of their makeshift campsite littered the cliff: dried cherries, burnt matches, a half-drunk water skin... Purple light filtered over the scorched desert, and Jax rolled his shoulder, wincing as it gave a slight twinge. He could smell the sweat clinging to his worn clothes, and he leaned surreptitiously away from Romes.

Asa raised an eyebrow. "Have you hit your head recently, pipsqueak?"

"I'm just saying." Romes shrugged. "We've survived an active volcano and an army of bloodthirsty puppets. And now all we have to face is a glorified jungle-gym?" She shook her head. "Something's up."

Asa held up a jumper. "Want me to blindfold you? That'd make things more interesting."

"Jax?" Romes turned. "What do you think?"

"I'd probably keep your eyesight," Jax said. "But that's just me."

"About the logs," Romes said.

Three people looked at him expectantly. Four, if you included Bibi, although the pegapiglet was probably just looking for bacon. Jax frowned.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Romes shrugged. "You're the plant expert."

"And?"

She gestured. "These are trees."

"No," Jax said, exasperated. "They're logs."

Xander held up a finger. "Technically, she's right. All logs come from trees."

"You know what?" Jax muttered. "Screw it."

He marched towards the cliff, sizing up the nearest log; the beam was fat and mishappen, like a potato that had been bashed on one side. When Jax turned, everyone was watching with astonishment, horror, or both.

"What?" Jax demanded.

Romes turned to the others. "I really thought he was going to jump for a second, you know."

"Same." Xander shook his head. "Can you imagine?"

Asa crossed his arms. "There's no way he volunteers to go first."

Jax frowned. "I went into the Lair of the Lost, didn't I?"

"Ah, the Cave of Doom," Asa said fondly. "That was before we were almost devoured by man-eating birds. I miss those days."

Jax exhaled. "Asa?"

"Yeah?"

"Quiet, please," Jax said. "I'm trying to concentrate."

Jax turned back to the logs. They looked partially rotten. He wasn't sure whether that was good to know, or slightly discouraging.

"Well?" Asa raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to jump or not, Fish Food?"

"Give me a second," Jax muttered.

"I'm only getting older."

Romes sighed. "Sod it."

She leapt off the cliff. Jax cried out, but Romes was already hopping between the logs, like a hummingbird flitting between flowers. She paused on the fifth log — about halfway — and then turned to face them.

"You see?" Romes called. "It's not that hard."

"I'll go next," Xander said.

Jax hesitated. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Xan. We should stop and think about—"

Xander sprang for the log. He landed on both feet, his arms out for balance, and then repeated the same thing on the next. Asa whistled.

"Damn. What's your secret, Bird Brain?"

Xander looked puzzled. "Well, it's just basic geometry. Once you calculate the arc length by using the radius and central angle—"

"You know what?" Asa said. "I'll take my chances."

Asa pulled the cord on his rucksack, securing it so that Bibi's head was just peeking over the edge. Then Asa jumped. He landed with a grunt, the log swinging wildly under his weight, and Jax took a step forward, his pulse speeding up—

"Hurry up, Fish Food," Asa called. "We've got a world to save."

He jumped to the next.

Jax exhaled. He looked down at the ground. If he died, at least it would be quick, and not at the hands of bloodthirsty puppets.

He leapt.

Jax hit the log with an oof. The wind was knocked from his chest, and he half-slipped from the log, his legs dangling in the air. Jax scrabbled for purchase. His hand found the other side of the wood, and he clung to it, his shoulder screaming in protest.

On the next log, Asa crouched down. "Struggling?"

"I'm good," Jax panted.

Asa leaned closer. "You know, if you ate—"

"Don't say it," Jax ground out.

"—some meat occasionally—"

"Asa."

"—it might help you put on muscle—"

"Not listening," Jax grunted, and he swung to his feet, leaping for the next log.

The pattern repeated. Jax made it three logs in. Asa was almost halfway, Xander just past it, and Romes was getting close to the end. They were actually going to do it, Jax thought incredulously. Perhaps Romes was right; it was an easy task.

"Guys," Xander said.

He'd paused, and his gaze fixed on the sky. Romes pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Xander," Romes said. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop using that word, unless we're in imminent dang—"

"Guys," Xander said.

"Bugger," said Jax, following his gaze.

Romes' face was dark. "Told you it was too easy."

An orange shape loomed in the foggy sky. No, Jax realized with mounting dread, not a single orange mass; a dozen vibrating creatures, all packed together like plants overflowing a pot. Even from this distance, he could make out their stingers, which gleamed like polished silverware. Or glass swords. Definitely something that could spear you, though.

Asa cursed. "What are they?"

They all looked to Xander, who scratched his nose.

"I can't be certain," Xander said. "But they look like an acromegalic—"

"That means oversized," said Asa knowingly.

"—member of the Vespidae family," Xander continued, "with a possible modified ovipositor." Seeing their blank looks, Xander sighed. "Hornets. They're like giant, stinging hornets, basically."

Romes frowned. "How do we kill them?" She unsheathed a knife. "Singing? Meat entrails? A tasteful-but-titillating three-act play?"

Asa raised an eyebrow. "Did you just seriously use the word titillating in real life?"

"Xan?" Romes prompted.

"Um." Xander paused. "You just sort of..." He made a violent up-and-down motion with his hand. "You know."

Asa looked incredulous. "What was that meant to be? Were you milking a cow?"

Xander frowned. "I was bludgeoning someone."

Asa shook his head. "Have you ever seen a weapon used? Like, ever?"

"Well, I—"

"Incoming!" Romes called.

She ducked. The hornets swarmed, narrowly missing Bibi, who let out a terrified squeal. Asa roared, swinging his backpack; the object struck a hornet with a thump, sending the oversized insect plummeting towards the ground.

Asa leaned over the log, cradling Bibi protectively to his chest. "Touch my pegapiglet and die, discount narwhal!"

Jax raised an eyebrow. "You realize Bibi belongs to me, right?"

"If you loved her," Asa said, "you'd let her choose."

"Jax!" Romes cried.

Jax spun. A hornet dove, and he stumbled, landing on his knee with a crack. Pain shot through his leg. He hissed out a breath, looking up just in time to watch the hornet pass overhead. Asa raised a finger.

"Is this a bad time to bring up the meat-eating thing again?"

Jax pushed to his feet. "For gods' sake, Asa, I don't want to eat your meat."

"Good," Asa said, "because I don't swing that way." He raised an eyebrow. "And even if I did, you wouldn't be my type. Too scrawny."

Jax sprang for another log. His knee gave a cry of protest, and he clenched his teeth. Wind-Singer wasn't helping matters; the sword was awkward and bulky, and it smelled vaguely of monster guts. But at least Jax hadn't impaled himself on it yet. Small mercies.

"Hurry!" Romes shouted. "Get to the other side!"

She was jumping lightly between logs, her knives a silver blur. Hornets rained down from the sky like comets with crimson tails. Warily, Jax surveyed the next log; it was at least two meters away.

"How?" Jax called.

Romes sliced through a hornet's neck. "Oh, I don't know. Why don't you try flying?" She gave him a withering look. "Jump, you idiot."

Jax jumped.

He moved as fast as he dared, ignoring the throbbing pain in his knee. Sweat trickled down his neck. Four logs to go. The humming of the hornets grew louder; they were congregating near the final logs, which was both ingenious and incredibly cruel. If they were going to kill him, Jax reflected, it would be nice if they got it over with before he had to exercise.

"Xander," Romes cried.

Jax looked up.

A dozen hornets streaked for the final log. Xander clutched his red bandana in his hands, waving it like a white flag.

"I'm a friend!" Xander protested. "I protect winged creatures of the sky—"

Romes' voice was wry. "I don't think they speak English, Xan."

"Ow," Xander said.

He rubbed at his shoulder indignantly; a hard, egg-shaped lump bloomed beneath the skin. Romes let out an enraged cry, leaping towards Xander's log. Three knives flew from her hands, meeting each target with a dull thud. The humming grew louder. Jax paused. Strange. Now, it sounded almost like...

Words?

"Tasty little humans," the hornets hissed. "Tasty, yummy little morsels."

"Oh," Romes said. "Turns out they can speak English." She kicked a hornet in what was probably the chest. "My mistake."

"I preferred it when they didn't," Asa muttered.

A hornet dove for Xander. Romes ripped off its wing, casting it towards the ground. "Back off, horned jerky!"

Asa made a choking sound. "Horned jerky?"

Jax shot Asa an exasperated look. "It's a test of the sword." He leapt for the next log. "Not who can come up with the wittiest insult."

Asa waved a hand. "Even so."

"Plus," Jax said, "I don't know if you've noticed, but Romes is a bit busy."

Asa shrugged. "I managed discount narwhal. And I was being eaten alive at the time."

"Tasty," the hornets murmured. "So tasty."

They descended upon Xander, who raised his hands, his fingers trembling slightly. "Please. I'm a friend. I don't want to hurt you."

A hornet jabbed for his ribs. "Your eyes are little, tiny candies. I will snack on them for dessert."

"Gross," Asa muttered.

"I'm a lover of animals," Xander said loudly. "A lover of birds." He raised his hands further. "I mean you no harm."

The hornet lunged for his face. "You will die, bird lover."

"He's not a bird lover," Romes snapped. "He's an ornithologist, dickhead."

She leapt.

Her knives darted like silver fish, carving a path of destruction. Slash. Cut. Chop. Hack. Hornets tumbled from the sky, their wings flapping in a phantom breeze. Romes landed on a small log. She twisted, kicking the final insect in the face; it struck the cliff-face with a thud, plummeting towards the ground.

Romes sheathed her knives. Blood speckled her face, and she wiped at it impatiently. Jax stared; it was impossible to describe exactly how he was feeling, but it felt like a combination of arousal, fear, and awe.

Asa made a spluttering sound. "That was..." He shook his head. "Bloody hell, pipsqueak, you just..."

"You're welcome," Romes said. "Now can we please get off these logs?"