The Maximals begin to explore the home of the "goddess" Zerine, finding it filled with both mundane and magical treasure. The Predacon seemed to have found herself an appetite for energon-enhanced items, and some of the magic they encounter is already robbed of its potency, having been actually tasted, or devoured like candy. Zerine herself is locked up in the magical holding cell, in an area adjacent to Mornyth, making the other Predacon femme annoyed indeed. While exploring the ziggurat that the Predacon girl called home, Shadowraith notices that Zerine is receiving an incoming message. It is from none other than Threshtar, who demands that his daughter be released. Shadowraith balks, but the Predacon leader promises that, in exchange, he will reveal the location of the well-hidden Hydron, the Predacon worshipped by the dark elves of the underground. After some debate over the matter, the Maximals agree to the bargain.
While Shadowraith checks out the rest of the island temple, Paladyne preaches to Zerine's followers about the folly of their religion. Meanwhile, Snowshriek deems it is time to do some personal exploration...within the abyss of the black, subspace chamber the Predacons are held in. The mechanism of the magical cage allows for access beyond where the actual cells are constructed, should one knock more than four times on the door. Snowshriek attempts to navigate the blackness beyond, and quickly finds himself lost in the lightless atmosphere. Eventually, a fog thickens around him, and he becomes stuck. When he finally frees himself from the tangible darkness, he is utterly lost. Flying, unobserved, for nearly a megacycle, he manages across a spot of light. Exiting it brings him to, oddly enough, the interior of an inn room, where an "untouchable" trio of overzealous adventurers have just found a "random encounter" in their own bag of holding. They immediately attack the Maximal, seeing only a giant owl that attempted to steal their treasure, even after Snowshriek transforms. The battle crashes through the inn, and the party's fourth member, a female barbarian, fails to halt the proceedings. Luckily, Trenek notices the owl's energy signature make its sudden dimensional jump. She tells the Maximals to ready the ship, and they head to Wanderlust pass to pick up their companion. They find Snowshriek lying in a ditch, still alive, but horribly damaged, as the mage of the party decided to take a satchel of his feathers for use as a spell component. Thus, the Maximals learn that adventurers are still dangerous, after all.
Threshtar provides the location of a jamming station underneath his own territory, where, the last he contacted Hydron, he was known to be located. The Maximals are not entirely sure as to the accuracy of this information, but they trust Threshtar a good deal more than they would their own abilities to navigate a place the Dark Elves call "The Lair of Lies." Still not entirely sure of the route, Paladyne asks his old contact, Hawthorne, for aid on the matter. The human states that he can find the Maximals a contact among his old brethren who might know the territory, but that contact would have to be a priest of Threshtar himself. The Maximals release Zerine as promised, but Snowshriek attempts to follow her back home. Seeing this as unfair, Paladyne broadcasts a loud radio message to him, warning the Predacon of Maximal presence. She attacks Snowshriek, though he retreats before she can do any real damage. Then, she returns home.
Meanwhile, Scythe is nowhere to be found. He has remained at Wanderlust Pass, gathering the last of the items he believes he will need to attempt one of Moryth's old experiments. He is convinced that reawakening the dragon spirit within the parts used to repair Scythe will do one of two things: either excise the spirit, or make the drone more powerful. He hatches a plan to experiment with this procedure...