It was mad chaos, but Tolten kept his hand firmly gripped 'bout Locke's. He held to the other man like a lifeline, something real and solid and unchanging. He needed that anchor.

And once they were beneath the dark sky - thank the ancestor he had a coat! - he was treble glad he had done so. He heard them before he saw them, though he was aware from the yelling and other outcries that outside wasn't any safer than inside. But he had assumed...they were so far from the institute itself!

"Locke..."

The young king rolled his eyes upward, a plaintive tone in his voice. The flapping of great leathery wings and the screech of raptors on the hunt chilled his blood in his veins. The things blocked out the stars, circling and calling above. All around the evidence of attacks were apparent, some other groups already engaged in battle with the things.

They had no choice to run, but where? They were in the open, and within a moment one of the things would have his scent....