Off to Mexico (5)

"You don't scare me you overgrown gekko." Sweetiepie said. "You've been shrunk and I haven't. I'm actually bigger than you at the moment. So don't piss me off."

"Now Sweetiepie." Kara said. "Don't taunt the dinosaur. Besides, you don't want him mad at you when Sixth grows him back to full size again."

"I'll see what I can do." Sixth sighed. She gently moved Rae and artic asside, they were standing on top of the proper controls. "Hey, wait a minute. We're off course AGAIN. I'd better fix that."

Spyral handed her a teeny tiny screwdriver and Sixth sprinkled some growing powder on it. She began to unscrew the pannel on the control board.

"I think....I think it...it's gas," Spyral choked out, sinking to his knees. Looking to his left, Spyral suddenly saw Mouse fall to the floor, out cold. *Not far behind ya Mouse.* he thought

Trying to shake the swimmy feeling from her head...Sixth quickly tried to cut the power to the sub, only to find that the controls had been locked out. Reaching down to the access panel, she quickly opened it and began ripping out handfuls of wire. Electric sparks erupted from every panel along the interior of the sub, some as big as the shrunken 'Scapers. Luckily, as wildly as the sparks fell, none of them landed on any of the passed out group.

The sub gave a sudden shudder, began to whir again, as if fighting for its very existence, then went completely dead, the lights whimpering out a moment later. Shaking her head to clear it, a light suddenly fired up from the floor and focused on sixth. Rae had come to and pulled out a small portable lantern, whose light barely reached Sixths' height, and cast her face in mostly shadow.

"I stopped the sub, ripped the guts out of the control panel," Sixth replied. "Seemed the only way to stop it before we all went under."

"AAAAAAHHHHHH....Well that was just brilliant....If its' broken just bang on it some more huh?," came Sweeties voice from the darkness. "Just ripping out wires...don't think about that it might just killl everything....Maybe us along with iiiittt..!" he was cut off as Mouse covered his mouth and wrestled him to the floor.

"When I originally programmed the navi-computer, I only assigned six course changes. The computer kept making additional changes, which was why I had to keep making even more changes to compensate." She looked seriously at her friends. "I think someone was trying to get us somewhere."

Spyral started digging in his storage compartment wing. He pulled out the equipment she needed, including a face shield. 6th was amazed.

"Alright...I'll get to work on the wiring...you guys try and keep yourselves entertained." 6th put the face shield down and sat cross-legged in front of one panel. picking up a bundle of wire and computer chips, she sorted, found and began welding the first computer chip back in place. *I'm going to be darn sure to make some...changes in this computer's brain before I'm done* 6th thought to herself.

"Ok..." KaraS sighed. "We have some time...any one up for a game? Spyral? Rae? got any board games in your stuff? Cards? Or we could always play Truth or Dare!"

"And now we're down here in this stupid sub, trapped, because of YOU!!!" shouted Sweetiepie. No one made a move towards him to shut him up, so he continued.

"You take over this trip, drag us all over the place, almost get arrested, get us kidnapped by thieves, hijacked by pirates, almost sunk in that ship, put us on an island full of insane natives and STUPID dinosaurs, almost get yourself and everyone else killed several times, burned, crushed, whatever, and NOW you've got us all in this sub, which reeks of that dumb T-rex, and we're dead in the water! And all we had to do was just NOT listen to you in the first place, and we'd all be home by now, with the idol.

"ok" she said to the gang. "The sub's not under water. We floated to the top when I ripped out the wiring. Sub's do that. We can just open the hatch, get on the carpet, fly back to Mexico. And someone else can be in charge." she looked away from the gang "I'm just not good at it, I guess. I'm a secret agent, not Friggin' Moses!" her voice rose as she finished, though she didn't intend to get upset. She was biting the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. She had just wanted to go out with the girls and have some fun. But the Parrot was right. If she kept leading this group, the only place they'd end up was dead.

do I have to tell you to shut up!" Rae shrieks at the bird, hitting him so hard he flies across the room and hits the wall. "Hey, he shut up." She looked at Sixth. "Hey, kiddo, just ignore him! He's a manipulative jerk and we all know it! Thor, tell her how great she is!"

"You're a pretty great kid, there, Sixth. And you don't have permission to think otherwise. Understood?" Rae walks over to Sweetiepie, who seems to be recovering and shoves him into her bag. "Not another word out of you until we reach Mexico or I will pluck your ugly carcass! understood?"

and tried to put her arm around her, but the height difference made that difficult. Mouse asks Rae to take SweetiePie out of the bag so he can hear what she's gong to say. Rae lets him out, but he wisely doesn't say anything.

The tone of Mouse’s voice clearly spoke of the great restraint she was under. The group had not heard the tone before - as a matter of fact, Mouse only needed to use it a couple times in her life.

“Some things that have happened to us on this trip have been BAD LUCK. Some things that have happened to us have been the result of our own actions, and some things apparently are due to the actions of someone/something else. We are a GROUP. As a group, we work together. I disagree that you picked 6th as the leader of this group. As a matter of fact, I don’t think the group has, or needs, a leader. Each of us has our own special talents and unique facets of our personality that steers each person. In choosing to be together as a group, we accept that as a group, we will work together to achieve any goal we have.”

Mouse was working hard to keep herself together. She wanted to remain level-headed, but the little speech by the bird(brain) had really irritated her.

“As of now, I think we should have a vote. We have a magic carpet that seems to do as we ask it do. I propose that we take a census on who wants to stay and who wants to go. Plus, Sweetie, if you’re so fired up to get out and away - TAKE OFF!”

“I personally want to remain with the group. I don’t care if it’s in the sub, or on the carpet, but I would like to stay on course to Mexico with 6th.” Mouse states. “I suggest we lay our cards on the table NOW.”

Malachi comes over and joins them. “I’m staying with you all wherever you decide to go. I ‘m so glad I’m off that boat, and you young people (he sends a withering glance at Sweetie) have shown me that live is for living. I’m with you.”

over to stand next to the girls. "I'm with you guys....and as far as the 'bird' goes...he's just a snack to me! So whenever you don't want him around anymore just let me know." artickat smiles at sweetie and he understands exactly what she means.

"Why not? Taste like chicken!" artickat growls "You will never talk to 'anyone' in the gang like that again. I don't know what your 'deal' is but if you double cross us then it's snack time!"

"Well I am afraid that good friends are just too damn hard to find nowadays!" Spyral says walking to stand in front of the ladies. "Besides, I couldn't let you all go anywahere without your Guardian Angel," he smiles his best.

Turning to stare at Sweetie, the angels demeanor turns very grim. "I guarantee, birdie, Those will come off a lot easier than mine did, "Spyral says pointing to sweeties wings. "You need to start deciding whether or not what you have to say is really gonna be worth the trouble it's gonna get you into. I certainly haven't seen you pull your weight on this trip. Maybe I missed something special before I showed up, but looking at you, I doubt it. And should I remind you, that it was your idea in the first place to steal this damn sub!" By this time the angel is standing nose to beak with the parrot, and Sweeites normally bright and colorful plummage has paled a few shades.

Taking the MC from artickat, 6th sprinkles a little of the magic dust on it. After it grows to it's normal size, 6th places the gang on the carpet and jumps on herself. The MC rises and 6th opens the hatch.

The gang were all on the carpet headed for Mexico. The fresh salt breeze was cool and refreshing. It was also very strong for a group of people who were only a foot tall. Everyone was gripping onto the carpet for dear life.

"This is great!" Sixth enthused. Sitting at the front of the carpet she didn't notice how dangerous this situation was for her friends.

"I know." the bird sighed. "It was the confined space. I have a touch of claustrophobia and I tend to panic when I'm locked in. Then I tend to mouth off. Sixth hasn't done so badly as leader, all things considered."

"Hell no." the bird said. "They can appologise for threatening me first. No matter WHAT I said, threatening to harm me physically was out of line."

"If she dosn't appologise fine, but if she or any of the others actually try to cary out any of those threats they're in for a big surprise. I am a MAGIC parrot after all."

"Sixth, Sixth stop the carpet!" Spyral cried, climbing hand over hand until he reached Sixth and climbed up into her lap. "Sixth, Rae fell off the carpet."

"That isn't an apology, mind you, and the earlier threat still stands if you continue messing with the minds of my friends." Rae grins at Artic and mutters, "Sweet and sour?" She hugs Sweetiepie. "But you saved my life and I'm greatful. So thankyou."

"I was thinking more along the lines of gasoline and matches," Spyral replied looking back at her. "I guess he has his moments though." Look]ing back to Sweetie once again, "I guess we all do."

"If you two are thru kissing and making up, I think we should start moving again,"Sixth said, indicating Rae and Sweetie. "I think we still have a ways to go and as great as the ride is, I don't like this open position."

"I'm always expecting something," Sixth said. "Trouble with being up here is that there are even more directions the trouble can come from."

"Well," Spyral asked, "You think we should slow the pace a bit so no one gets blown off, and everyone take a position and a chunk of sky to watch? Or should we just barrel on thru at top speed and hope for the best?"

"OH! YEAH, SURE. WHY DOES THE BIRD HAVE TO BE THE FIRST TARGET?" Sweetie squawked, leaping from the MC and winging towards the approaching dots for a closer look.

Sweetie made a quick pass over the birds, to get an even better look at them A sudden reflection of light bouncing off one of their wings almost blinded him momentarily. It also told him all he needed to know. More mechanicals! The birds bodies were easily six feet long, with ten foot wings span. Under each wing were some appendages of a sort that Sweetie could not quite make out, until they suddenly began detaching themselves from the wings and moving forward of their own power.

The little pods unfolded into even smaller hawklike mechanical birds, each equal to the size of Sweetie. Each wing bristling with strange looking darts that glittered in the sunlight.

*I gotta get back and tell the others* he thought. Banking swiftly, Sweetie bagan winging it back. Beating his wings fiercely, Sweeties concern grew when he found that he wasn't getting much of a lead on the soon to be attacking birds. *Gotta get there before them...give 'em some warning!* Sweetie pumped even faster.....slowly gaining ground on the mechanical bids, who luckily, seemed to be on a steady speed.

He could see the others on the carpet . They were was alot of movement that Sweetie hoped was preparation for the worst that was following him......

Rae grabs a handful of the growing paste and begins applying it. "Someone help me please! Mouse, you're a scientist, tell me that exposure to water isn't going to affect how it works... It's not, is it? Mouse? It's still going to work, righT?"

Sweetie lands on the carpet with a thump, exhausted from his fearful flight. "The...They....They're....comin....in....."he wheezed. "Mechan......mechanical....birds.....Big!"

"This is gonna get nasty and its gonna be bad enough trying to fight on this carpet, without worrying about stepping everyone!" Spyral yells.

"It's an infinite space," Spyral said. "But as long as you stay by the edge you'll be OK! Just hang on and no matter what happens, don't wander too far." With that, Spyral gently placed KaraS, into his wing, followed by Mouse, Artickat, and SweetiePie, who seemed to exhausted to even put up a fight over this.

But Spyral was busy putting Thor and Malachi into his wing and didn't turn around in time. He grunted as something hard and sharp hit him in the back with tremendous force. Stunned, he flopped forward, nearly falling off the carpet. As he grabbed the edge and tried desperately to stay on, he felt something walking up his back. As he turned his head to see what it was, it appeared on his shoulder. It was a gleaming silver mechanical bird with razor sharp talons and a knife point like beak.

"AAAAGH!" screamed the angel as the mechanical bird burried it's sharp beak in his shoulder. He grabbed for the bird but it danced out of his way and sliced down into his arm.

But Rae and Sixth had their own problems. More and more mechanical birds dropped out of the sky and flew at their heads or tried to skewer them with their terrible beaks. Some of the birds began to tear at the fabric of the magic carpet itself.

Sixth, with her newfound strength grabbed the birds out of the air and plucked them off of the carpet and tore them apart but it was a losing battle. For every one she destroyed, two more appeared....

Inside the angel's wing, KaraS, artickat, Sweetiepie, Malachi and Thor sat and waited. It was wierd in there. Vision was affected and things looked close, then far away, then close again. It looked like a heat haze and made everything fuzzy.

"Now Sweetiepie," KaraS said. "Don't let your claustrophobia get the better of your temper. We're safe in here. Just take a deep breath and stay calm."

"You think we're safe do you? Well chew on this. What if the angel buys it? How do we get out of this wing if those things kill Spyral?"

*Wow, EVERYBODY'S aim is great in Adventure Movie Land. Except the enemy's aim. They haven't scored one hit since taking out Spyral. They're also coming at the group ONE AT A TIME...*

"Stay with us, Spyral." Rae whispers to the angel, shooting another bird. "I don't know any prayers for your kind, so just stay with us. Keep shooting, 6th! It can't be much longer now."

Spyral reaches for his fallen blade, and struggles to his feet in just enough time to cleave a bird in half, showering him with mechanical debris.

The birds seem to come from every direction at once. The three 'Scapers have already dispatched over three dozen of the winged monstrosities but they just seem to keep coming.

"They're trying to kill us," Sixth shouts. "What's to get?" She spins in place blasting a bird less than a foot in front of her. Gleaming shrapnel erupts over her. "Sh$t...THAT'S HOT!"

"AAIIIIIEEEE," Rae screams as one bird hooks her shoulder with a talon as it dives by. Spyral shreds off its wing and it goes spinning to the water.

"Good question! " Spyral answers, dodging another attack, by two birds at once, who veer off just inches from his head. Turning to follow the birds in flight, Spyral sees only too late that the birds have have served their purpose...distraction! He feels the glreaming silver dart enter his left shoulder, instinct prompting him to reach up and immediately rip it out.

Inside Spyral's wing KaraS, artickat, Malachi, Thor and Sweetiepie clutched eachother tightly. Personality differences were forgotten in the desperation of their situation. The visual distortions were making them ill and their little world kept tilting and bouncing around in a most disturbing fashion.

The sounds of explosions and screams and other comforting noises could be heard through the muffeling down. Sweetiepie wasn't the only one on the edge of panic. Malachi looked about to faint and Thor roared his frustration at not being able to aid his goddess in her dangerous struggle. KaraS and artickat looked at eachother in helpless distress.

Then a particurlarly violent jolt hit them, sending them tumbling head over heels away from the dimensional door. Spyral's belongings cartwheeled around dangerously. The shrunken 'Scapers and their friends were in peril of being squashed by some of the larger junk tumbling around.

"Artic!" Kara shouted. But as she tried to make her way over to her fallen friend, a tangle of golden chains fell right on top of her like a net, entangling her.

"Watch out girls! I'm on my way." Sweetiepie squalked. He tried to fly over toward the girls but flying inside an angel's wing is not advised. He was quickly tumbled out of the air and Spyral's oversized flashlight rolled right over him.

"Oh me, oh my." Malachi moaned as he clung for dear life to a (to him) giant treasure chest. The chest started to skid sideways, taking the elderly scientist with it.

Meanwhile, Thor was desperately trying to jump out of the angel's wing to defend Sixth from harm. But without Spyral to remove him, he couldn't get out. He roared and howled in frustration.

Then everything went wild, tearing through the air and bouncing around even more violently as Spyral tumbled off the carpet and plunged, spinning head over heels, toward the ocean, far below.

Shouted Mouse. Somehow, when Spyral had put them all into his wing he had shoved Mouse into a different internal pocket than the others. She had burrowed inside of Spyral's sleeping bag and was pretty much protected from the violent shaking about but she was lonely and scared.

the magic carpet whipped around and targeted in on Spyral. Sixth and Rae kept firing, and the birds kept coming, but the carpet managed to get under Spyral and catch him gently. The carpet put on the afterburners and took off like a shot, outdistancing the birds.

("Always be prepered" as my mom used to say and "you never know when you'll need the heavy artillery" as my dad used to say. Scary part is, he was talking about ACTUAL artillery.)

"Carpet!" 6th yelled, still firing her gun, "Can you do anything that will keep us on you?" In answer, the MC folded some of itself up and wrapped around 6th legs, steadying her.

"Great!" 6th said, "Now the others." the MC wrapped more of itself around Rae's legs, and Cradled Spyral's body like a taco. It made the carpet considerably smaller, but stablized Rae, so she could fire the cannon.

"Now get us out of here, MC!" 6th shouted, and the carpet took off like a bat out of hell. THey soon outdistanced the birds, Rae taking out the last ones that tried to follow.

"Well...If this works I won't have to..." 6th said, pulling out the shrinking powder. "Rae, do have any water?" Rae handed her the canteen. 6th poured a little of the black powder into her palm, and then some water, making a paste.

"I don't know if this will sting, Spyral." 6th said as she smeared the paste into Spyral's wounds. He groaned in pain at her touch, but the powder immeadately began shrinking the angels wounds down to pinpricks. His bleeding stopped, and he sat up.

"Carpet, keep a hold of us, and let's see how fast you can get to Mexico. Just pay attention to anyone who might blow off!" Rae said, sitting down. The carpet wrapped itself around her hips, to keep her steady.

"That's just great." Sweetiepie snarled. When the flashlight had rolled over him he had broken three toes and was in a moderate amount of pain. "What do we do now? Sing campfire songs while we wait."

"Sarcasam will get us nowhere." Kara sighed. "I'm going to try to get some sleep. I'm sure Mouse is safe, wherever she is, and Malachi too. The dinosaur can stay lost as far as I'm concerned, I'm afraid."

"You stop that." artickat said without much energy. When the paintbox had hit her in the back it had really hurt her. Her whole back was one big black and blue mark and sitting, standing and lying down were equally painful for her. "I sure hope we reach land soon. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Mouse said to herself. It appeared that Mouse was in some other compartment of Spyral's wing, and she couldn't find Kara, Arctic, or the others. It was really not that dark - kind of like a blueish grey hue, but Mouse couldn't see anything at all. She felt like she was in a blanket of some sort - no wait, that's a zipper, so it may be a sleeping bag. *At least I'm warm enough* she thought, as being cold is one of Mouse's most common, and most disliked, states. She felt alarmed a few minutes ago when it felt like she was falling into empty space, but luckily that stopped quickly, with a soft landing.

"THAT'S IT!" Sixth shouted to the carpet. "RIGHT THERE! she added, pointing to the edge of the beach where the druglords had first hauled them aboard the speedboat.

"OHHHHHH YES!" Rae shouted, falling to the beach and scooping the warm Mexico sand up in big handfuls, letting the grains run out between her fingers. She lay on her back, and moved her arms as if trying to make snow angels in the sand.

Stepping off the carpet, Sixth just stood for a moment, surveying the beach. She turned to look out to sea, the waves rolling steadily in on the empty beach. Strange.....Something..............................What?

"Well, why complain?" Spyral replied. "It's not everyday that you can get a beach to yourself.....Not to mention trying to explain to a crowd about the carpet and all. Personally I'd be glad to pass up the interviews and grab a nice hot bath."

Spyral set her down on the sand. Kara looked down at the sand, looked around in wonder. She looked up at Spyral again and suddenly shrieked with joy, "WE'RE BACK....WE'RE BACK!" she began running around, rolling in the sand,skipping and dancing with joy.

"Oh God.....I can't believe, after all of this...I ...I just can't believe..." was all Artickat could say as Spyral set her down on the sand. She didn't even move, just sank to her knees looking at the tiny grains of warm Mexican sand.

Spyral chuckled as he reached again into his wing and withdrew the parrot. Sweetie flew out of his hand as soon as Spyral drew him out. "It's about Damn time you one-winged freak! What's the big idea leaving us......." Sweetie stopped as he realized where they were. "We're back in Mexico!" Turning to look at Sixth, who was still puzzling by the beach. "I don't believe it! The bimbo got us back! WHOOOO HOOOOOO!" he flew up into the air.

Spyral briefly considered trying to pick the parrot off with a nicely thrown shell, but quickly changed his mind. He couldn't wait to see Mouses reaction to being back home....Well......in Mexico anyway. Reaching into the wing, Spyral felt around.......frowning with concern, he began to feel around more intensely.

"What do you mean she never made it in," Spyral aksed, grabbing the parrot up from where he stood on the sand, "SHE WAS WITH YOU! SHE WENT IN RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"

"HEY STOP.....STOP IT!" Sweetie squawked. "She didn't make it in with us....She...She must have ended up somewhere else in that frellin wing of yours!

Spyral looked at Sixth, then quickly dropped the bird and turned away, once again plunging his hand into his wing and running it along the edge. Spyral seemed on the edge of panic.

"It's not that simple....I knew where you were!" Spyral said in desperation. That's why I had you guys all stay on the edge.....She .......She could be anywhere in there by now." The angel whirled on Sixth. "I have to go in after her!"

"It's basically a dimensional doorway..." Spyral explained impatiently. "I can go in just like you, but I need something to help me find the way out......Like this!" Spyral reached down to the Magic carpet and taking a loose thread from a frayed end, pulled out a sixfoot long single piece of thread.

He walked over to Sixth, and immediately tied one end of the string around her left forefinger. "Now tie this end around mine" he told Sixth.

Shaking her head, Sixth tied he thread around the angels finger. "I still don't get it....This small string...How is it gonna reach..."

"The dimensional fractal of space.....Look I could spend hours trying to speel it out to you, but that's more time that Mouse has to get even more lost than she already is. It'll work!" he said. "Just whatever you do...DO NOT TAKE THIS OFF!" He bent toward his wing.....and stopped, looking down at the sand.

"I will..." Spyral said, bending toward the wing once more. A strange warping of the air seemed to twist the angel almost inside out. It almost made the 'Scapers nauseus to watch. And then the angel was gone. The piece of string, extending from the knot on Sixths' finger two inches out and simply disappearing!

"Yeah. There's no 'I' in team, Spyral. You need help, and I'm going with you, like it or not. We've got two men MIA in there, and we're not going to further divide and potentially loose a third. Period. Now let's go!" Rae puts away the rocket laucher and pulls out her pulse rifle instead. "Right behind you, big guy."

"That angel is a frellin' idiot!" Sweetiepie muttered as Spyral and Rae vanished into Spyral's wing. "Imagine, just sticking us in there like that! We would have been safer fighting giant mechanical birds. No wonder he lost his wing. If I had the power of an Archangel I'd pull the other one off."

Sixth was too busy using the magic growth powder to return KaraS and artickat back to normal size to pay attention to Sweetiepie. She gasped when she saw the state they were in. Artickat was hunched over, moaning in pain and Kara had a black eye and swolen lip. Sweetiepie, who had never been shrunk in the first place, was standing in the sand on one foot because three of the little parrot's toes were bent the wrong way.

"That lummox of an angel happened to us." Sweetiepie replied. "With him bouncing around like that were like marbles being shaken in a box. I got hit by a flashlight, artic got hit by a flying paintbox and Kara got smashed by some heavy gold jewelery. The three of us grabbed onto eachother and held on for dear life. Malachi and the dinosaur got bounced away somewhere. Who knows what happened to Mouse? If Rae and Mouse weren't in there with him I'd say cut the string and let him rot in there."

Sixth was a little put out with the bird on Spyral's behalf but she decided to be charitable. Sweetiepie had obviously just been through a terrible experience and was still very freaked out.

"Let me look at your foot." she told him. She picked him up and examined his broken toes. "I'm going to have to set these and it's going to hurt."

Meanwhile, down the beach, some preColumbian Aztec fishermen were hiding in the bushes and watching the procedings with awe. They dispatched one of their number to notify the local garrison of the troops of the fearsome priesthood of Quetzalcoatl to come and capture the strangers. The priests would take the strangers to Tenochititlan to be sacrificed on the altar of the winged serpent god. Surely the sacrifice of such unusual captives would bring them much favor...

the high priests of Quetzalcoatl were getting ready for an important ceremony. The ceremony was to be held in only two days. It was the high feast of the Flayed One and many sacrifices were needed. Special sacrifices. But all of the prisoners in dungeons of the Winged Serpent were so.....ordinary. The priests were alarmed. If Quetzalcoatl was not pleased with his sacrifices the harvest would fail.

"This is bad news." the Great High Priest of Quetzalcoatl said. (translated from the Aztec) "We must find sacrifices pleasing to the great god."

"What news could a fisherman have worthy of disturbing the Great High Priest of the Winged Serpent?" the high priest said. "Take him to the pyramid and cut out his living heart as sacrifice to the Great God."

"Oh Please, Great High Priest. I have seen strangers, strangers with feathers like the Winged Serpent himself." screamed the fisherman as the guard dragged him away.

treating Artic, Kara, and Swetie's various wounds as best as she could. With most of her supplies gone,and one finger tied with the string, she couldn't do as much as she would have liked to. After making sure they were all as comfortable as possible, she finally took the time to look at her hand.

"Augggh! My hand!" 6th yelled. Then she remembered. "oh yeah, the growth powder." she sprinkled some on her fingers and the grew back to normal. Luckily the string had been tied around the hand that hadn't shrunk.

6th looked slowly around, keeping one finger crooked around the string tied to her finger. She hoped that a good tug would pull Rae and Spyral back in case they needed help.