Secret in the Wings

The full episode can be watched here.

*Previously on... the Portals of Brae*

After saying their farewells to the people of Tanki Gibin, the heroes get ready to step through the newfound portal. Inara and Aramaya join hands and go first… but after they do, a wave of energy blasts outwards towards Cypress and Trisden. Cypress is thrown back, but Trisden manages to hold his footing and notices that one of the glyphs on the portal changes.

Afterwards, the duo cautiously steps through and enters the forest continent of Megkruen. To their surprise, however, the girls are no where to be found. A telefan call briefly connects them, but the girls are cut off for unknown reasons and fail to respond to all further attempts to reach them. Assuming they’re all on the same continent, Cypress and Trisden set out to find their companions.

The duo soon encounters Owliver Whootman, an Owlin Druid who’s been hunting a troublesome bearigator. Owliver tells Cypress and Trisden that there’s a huge event happening at his hometown, so maybe his friends will end up going there, too.

Off to Koukouvaya they go, just as Tree Toot mania takes hold of the burrow. Owliver, as it turns out, comes from a long line of “Tootletes,” but has turned his back on the tradition in hopes of greater adventures. Owlin introduces them to his Dentro friend, Leaf, a 40-foot-tall, living tree with whom he shares an ambiguously intimate relationship.

And then… a familiar voice! Pollyanna Cracker, Owliver’s childhood friend who moved away to pursue a career in the Great Game, is here to compete in the Tree Toots. She reminisces with Owliver for a few moments before Talon McClaw, leader of the Kalaping Klaws and Pollyanna’s boyfriend, appears and mocks Owliver and Trisden, whom he refers to as a “termina.”

Talon informs Owliver that the local team, the Koukouvaya Krashers, didn’t show up this morning for the official sign-up, which will officially end Koukouvaya’s winning streak. Owliver immediately heads out to investigate, and Cypress and Trisden tag along to help. As they do, Owliver explains to Trisden the origin of the racism against the humans.

A long, long time ago, a group of humans discovered dimensional travel and came to Megkruen. They encountered the Dentros, who invited them to stay, and they lived in harmony with the denizens of the forest. But as the humans evolved, they began to mistreat the forest and the creatures that lived within it. And thus, they were banished to the farthest regions of Megkruen. 100 years ago, the laws changed so that terminas could once again enter the Owlin burrows, but those who do are still met with a very vocal resistance.

The group reaches Spinhead Blinkeybird, an elder and local council member whom Owliver sees as a mentor. Spinhead is distraught. He’ll be leading the Tree Toots ceremony this year, and Koukouvaya depends on its sponsorships to support much of its culture. Without a team, they are in serious trouble. The Krashers were last seen entering their training gym the night before, but they never left, and the gym was empty the following morning. Owliver and the others go to investigate and find evidence of a sleeping spell and some other foreign magic. It seems the Krashers were put to sleep in the middle of a workout. Without any further leads to follow and the clock ticking down, Owliver makes a desperate decision.

With minutes to spare, Owliver signs up as the leader of the new Koukouvaya Krashers, calling upon Trisden, Cypress, and a local named Misheryl Crow to fill the required 4-member minimum. Talon objects to a termina entering the contest, but Trisden wins the crowd over with an inspiring speech. Talon sneers, and the Koukouvaya Krashers enter the Tree Toots.

As it turns out, the Tree Toots are a show choir competition that everyone here takes \*extremely\* seriously. The group goes through a training montage, where they learn top notch, high competition choreo and vocals. All of the members excel at rehearsal, setting them up to kill at the performance. Trisden and Cypress grow more concerned at their missing comrades, who still won’t respond to telefan calls… but without any way to find them, all they can do is hope for the best and trust that the girls can take care of themselves.

Elsewhere, not too far away, a Dentro is smiling up at the moon. A catapulted tree juts through her chest, and ropes pull her down. A termina soldier climbs onto her chest. “You’ll pay for what you did to our kind. Every last one of you will pay. Cut her up, boys, but be quick about it. We don’t want to miss the big celebration.”