Jade is introduced to Metalbeak, Windblade's mate and the leader of the Mogriffs while also learning what the Mogriffs' mountain means to them and others. Meanwhile, Elyon's forces continue retreating with the Mantis Khan on their heels.
- Abandoned Mine: Upon entering the Stone Nest, Jade spots some remains of the crystal mine from the time before Phobos returned to the Mogriffs the mountain his great-grandmother had conquered from them.
- Action Girl: We're introduced to another Sky Hunter named Amelia Emmony who's a Lady of War skilled with a sword.
- Big Damn Reunion: Not only did Windblade reunite with her mate in the previous chapter, but she also gets back to their hatchling.
- Cliffhanger: The Sky Hunters, having heard the retreat signal, continue falling back to the main camp of Elyon's army.
- Continuity Nod: When Jade learns that the rest of Meridian's greed for the crystals inside the Stone Nest are part of the reason the Mogriffs have been forced to fight for it, she remembers how her family's adventures started when Valmont worked for Shendu in the hope of getting his hands on the lost treasure of Ching Xi Hung.
- Crystal Landscape: The bowels of the Stone Nest are filled with crystals.
- Establishing Character Moment: Amelia is quickly shown to be a haughty yet rational rival to the hotheaded Vera, and she doesn't care about risking everything just to satisfy the latter's obsessive quest for revenge. While she speaks condescendingly to Albel, she does save him from an enemy and insists on retreating before more lives are needlessly lost.
- Eye Scream: Vera dissolves a Mantis Khan by stabbing it in the eyes with her knives.
- Foreshadowing: Windblade has a brief reaction of anger upon first seeing Metalbeak's human form.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Amelia makes it clear that she's sick of hearing how Vera wants to avenge her grandfather and remarks it's not like Vera's the only one who's lost a loved one during Phobos' tyranny. Albel tries to defend Vera by noting that with so many others with similar experiences, her feelings should be understandable, but Amelia in return asks how many of said people dedicate their whole lives solely to revenge.
- Greed: Lampshaded. When Jade learns that the Stone Nest is filled with crystals that are part of the reason for the rest of Meridian's desire to claim the mountain from the Mogriffs, she recalls how Valmont first came into conflict with her family by trying to claim a lost treasure and remarks that no matter the dimension, people will always cause problems in their greed, including destroying beautiful things like the Mogriffs' crystal-adorned home.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Amelia is condescending to Albel and unmoved by Vera's desire to avenge her grandfather, but Albel cannot argue back about her criticism on Vera's obsessive desire for revenge and the need to retreat to the main camp.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Though the Sky Hunters have reached a fallback position, the Mantis Khan are overwhelming their backup as well, so they're forced to make a full retreat to the main camp.
- Thwarted Coup de Grâce: A Mantis Khan pins Vera down and is about to bring its claw down on her before Albel tackles it. It's then he who must be saved from being slashed by the Khan, this time by Amelia.
- Volcano Lair: The Stone Nest turns out to be a volcano that's either extinct or sleeping. The caldera has vegetation and water coming from the snow and ice that's melting outside thanks to the warm air and the sunlight filtering from the open crater. It's here that the Mogriffs make their nests and adorn them with crystals found inside the volcano.
- Zerg Rush: Lampshaded when Amelia mocks Albel's ability to fight off the Mantis Khan, which she calls bugs. He retorts that said "bugs" are about to swarm them, and she concedes that even bugs can be dangerous when the swarm is large enough.
