The Mifflin family swiftly packed up their bags. The guards kicked their door open and found an abandoned house; one guard went out irate. “Where are they?”

The crowds were rebuilding their houses when the family of three hooped from one end with heavy bags, scouting the dangerous sky.

Ken kept looking at the universe, hoping his brother would fall. Inside his castle, the two women helped Gabriel get over the grief and hurt of her lost lover. Ken had his prediction wired when he saw one coming. He drank a glass of fear as Tom approached him, and he acknowledged it was not his brother drawing out his sword.

Up closer, one of the men who had survived the blast, had his sword on Ken’s throat. He kicked out savagely and was agitated by a foul return kick. Tom got closer and Ken ran to meet his challenge not far from the battle ground. The blades met in mid-air as Tom swayed a lock which blew Ken, the king, backwards, fighting to get a grip on his feet and the king took it in and waved his sword, swinging with his rival.

Tom was taken aback by the power of the king, who handled his sword much better than Tom did. He kept dodging the blades until he fell, and Ken was not keen on killing him.

“Where is he?” Ken asked furiously.

“Don’t worry! Soon I will reconnect you with your brother,” Tom replied and he came back swinging hard. But soon lost his footing and the king tripped him with a kick on his neck and he lost the sword.

Ken laughed at Tom. “I’m not going to kill you today!” and tossed him his sword. “But I will destroy you,” he got back into position to fight again. Tom kept losing his target while the king moved back and forth, kicking and punching until Tom lost all he had. Ken thrusted his sword victoriously, slowly withdrawing his sword from Tom who was coughing his last breath. Gabriel came up to witness Tom being murdered.

She rushed in, staring at Ken with utter hatred. Ken saw her expression. “If we lose my brother, we lose him too!” he said. The nearby guards agreed as they took him away from Gabriel, who was completely overwhelmed.

“And if your brother lives?” she sobbed.

“He has fouled too many laws, he will have the griffin on this day!” and he turned his attention back to the sky in grief.

Moments later the great griffin entered the cage which Scissor had last ruled, set to meet the gladiator of tomorrow. Blade luckily survived the explosion and opened his safety jacket which allowed him to land with a parachute not far away.

A few days later it was a huge day for human birds as Porto gathered to celebrate its new crown, Queen Gabriel. She sat in her room battling to smile while every make-up artist was running wild. Her friends Kate and Ember were so glad, talking loudly near her mirror, adjusting her diamond nest for a crown. In her bed, Linda the leopard, was sleek and well-nourished, adorned with colourful bracelets and a blue diamond rock on her forehead like the Indian elephants.

The host blew the horn once more as Porto erupted, the uproar of Hercules the caged lion surpassed them all.

The host shouted: “God bless the last kings on this Heaven and Earth!” delighted he watched over the great king and the king of the jungle while the crowd settled down. “Today I’m proud to introduce to you the new queen of Porto! We shall dance and feast till the sun falls,” he shouted, extending the excitement.

The flock flapped wings to view Gabriel riding on her beautiful, twenty-foot tall Linda. They curved from the far side, followed by the astonished Kate and Ember holding white roses. Ken stood up for his bride and gave much credit to the work of her charming friends. He walked towards Linda as she sat not far away, giving his bride a hand, and they shared a blissful gesture as Queen Gabriel sat next to Ken. The rose blossoms rained from the sky.

Tom sat staring at the sunlight from his cell. The guards came to unlock the distressed prisoner.

The Dardens joined the caged battle field and kept turning heads, viewing thousands of Grounders across the sky, glad to see them fight today. The wounded Dandy even laughed, quite taken by the great sensation.

Near the gate which leads to the battleground, Tom and his guards were interrupted by Aaro who had been given a free pass by the three royal guards. “Tom!” Aaro shouted putting a grin from the shady side. “Are you here to save me, my friend?” asked Tom.

Aaro was fearful. “I’m sure you’ll come out of this one quite okay. They told me about the event and I rushed in hoping we could have a word. I’ve already arranged vacations for your family, we’re all waiting for you to come back home, Tom!”

Tom was so grateful. “I don’t know how I can thank you, my friend! I now owe you one!” he stared at his next opponent across the valley, and then regarded his wounded shoulder wryly.

The royal guards allowed Aaro to head back to the headquarters. The bars allowed him to enter the chamber first; the crowd held a huge grudge for the young man. Gabriel stood up bitterly which caught the eye of the king. She looked towards Blade amongst her friends and asked: “Does he have to kill that monster before he can get a chance to live in Porto?”

“If it wasn’t for his reputation, or you, he would have been dead by now. The crowd decides whether he is worthy of death.” Blade answered.

Gabriel laughed sarcastically. “Or the king makes his decisions,” viewing the caged man looking back at her.

The Dardens however saw a chance to escape with their target. “It’s now or never! Grab hold of the Grounder and return to Dormend!” Lorden shouted. He took out an injection from his pocket filled with the blue chemical.

Tom walked towards them to confront the griffin, which waited patiently at the other end. The crowd shouted out at his great confidence, instead of running to get himself armed with the poles.

Hercules was released from the gates and made a silent cat walk around his prey. Tom kept the same distance, limiting any surprise attack from the beast and picked a sword to start with. Hercules halted his paws to move in for a direct attack, but Tom took it to the centre, pacing his footing.

Ken rose up to view the first blow of the fight; Gabriel went back to sit down in despair. Hercules sprinted out to wrestle with the armed human bird.

*****

John Ferguson had now completed his invention of the Evo 62 Megado, the Darden evolution machine. Enclosed with a huge glass to allow complete transparency, the lab bugs could not believe the change the world had yet to see and mingled near his cage. A variety of dripping pipes wired different chemicals into his immune system. Godevo was fully clothed with the pipes injected on his shoulders and knees; it was time for the great transfusion and he was hoping it wouldn’t fail because the next war with humans could break out at any time. For now, the wedding of his daughter came as a distraction to the men of Porto.

Inside the scientific chamber, the evil scientist signalled for the final session to proceed. Peter pressed the main blue button, a variety of chemicals and steaming gas emerged beneath the master. With a dull face, the evil scientist set his sight on his employee to do the right job this time around. When the chemicals reached the level of his sword, the chamber boiled up, inflicting extreme pain on the patient.

“He will never come back the same!” Peter addressed the spectators.

With his muscles stretched out, Dr Ferguson managed to hold it together with streaming blue eyes. His body sweating the Darden glands, his mouth breathing hard toxic gas into the room. Soon he relaxed his body muscles, feeling better than after a hot bath.

Dr Ferguson took a gas mask to breathe in oxygen. “I’m never coming back!”

Evo 62 Megado was 2% complete when the chamber was fully occupied. Godevo disassembled the liquidator which was unconsciously afloat with the Sword of Life still attached. Part of him was to become time and space, where men meet their Gods; perhaps feel the heart of a Darden pump in the next universe.

***