A gray feather floated to the ground. The King's red cloak spread out like a blanket over him.

"What are all of you doing?" Gam shrieked. "Kill the crow and bring the King to the medics!"

Vuly ran at Alikus as the rest ran to grab the King.

Vuly stabbed her beak towards Alikus as the crow dodged.

Alikus grabbed the sharp rock glistening with blood, ripping at Vuly's side with it and pushing in front of those carrying the King.

"Yaluwen caw!" Vuly shrieked.

Alikus dropped the rock, swinging her cloak back onto herself, picking it up again and flying out the door.

The prisons... The prisons! I need to find the prisons!

She hit the cieling, falling to the ground. Her ears rang as she gasped.

I can't stop... The prisons!

She held the sharp stone tightly, and grabbed a jacana's leg with her talons, pulling it into an empty room.

The jacana, a weak male, stared up at her, confused.

"Where's the prisons?" Alikus asked sharply, blood leaking from where she had hit her head on the cieling.

"On the second floor...?" The jacana replied.

Alikus nodded, flying out of the room. She cawed in pain as her wing gave out, pain shooting through it from when she had hit the cieling.

She fell, tumbling down the stairs, her white feathers trailing behind her. She rolled down the stairs, birds leaping over her and dodging to the side.

I need to find... The prisons!

She got up at the bottom of the stairs, coughing up blood and pulling up her cloak. She heard talonsteps above her and looked up.

It was the egret. The egret who had gotten the cloak for her. She was so happy to see a familiar face that her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"There's blood all over you, small one." The egret murmured, crouching down.

Alikus coughed out more blood, staring up at them. "I need to get to the prisons."

"It's that way." The egret answered, pointing to a door. "I have the key. I'll come with."

Alikus grabbed the sharp stone, breathing shakily as she limped to the door. The egret followed, pity in their eyes.

Alikus could barely walk. Her ears rang. Blood leaked onto her eyes. With each step, she felt like she would fall over.

"Alikus!"

Alikus looked up. Ginkgo and Evereldette were in a cage suspended high above. Around them were other birds. Some bleeding and wounded, some starving.

Ginkgo had a cut on her cheek, but luckily that was the only thing that had happened to the both of them.

"Give me the key," Alikus panted to the egret.

The egret nodded. Alikus dropped her sharp stone and took the key from their beak.

Alikus flew up, perching on the bars.

"You're covered in blood! What happened?!" Evereldette gasped. Ginkgo stared at her worryingly.

"It's a long story..." Alikus answered. "I..." She coughed out blood, losing the strength to speak.

She put the key in the lock, turning it. It gave a click, and she opened the door.

She fell down from the cage, being caught by the egret.

She hung limply in the egret's beak, and everything spiraled into darkness.

"We need to get out of here!" Ginkgo exclaimed.