Trial/debate scenes involving elders are always great without exception. Perhaps it's just the black-and-white nature of LBT, but I always find them exceedingly nerve-wrecking. The old traditions seem to always lead to disaster when the young and old meet, and that's fittingly reflected here as it is very much in real life.

I do like that it is indeed presented as a lose-lose to everyone. The tone of loss and Petrie's regret and abject horror is very much akin to a real-life remorseful criminal. Escal is clearly distraught, and yet we feel for her, especially when she realizes that the only way to atone if Petrie doesn't take the trial is to take the test herself. It is also a very Petrie thing to bring up the lax security to the elders that could have allowed him to flee, as well as to opt to undertake the almost crazy responsibility of taking the Pursuit of Endless Day to shoulder the burden instead of letting both families be dragged into a feud.

The final paragraph is haunting and very foreboding. The narrative tension has been building up, and now that the full gravity of Petrie's trial has been revealed, it only serves to rack up the stakes. Splendid overall!

The Pursuit of Endless Day continues to succeed in gripping my tension with the daunting challenge that it is. Recently, there's been an influx of all sorts of crazy traditionalist rituals and challenge faced by the hapless dinosaurs in the fic archive, and I must say that almost all of them suck the viewer in like a whirlpool using worldbuilding and dialogue. The many flyers and their different motivations and dialogues to the unfurling events of the tribulations they're facing lends a foreboding and realistic atmosphere to the unfolding events.

On that note, wow that derogatory nickname Zagar and Culus use for Petrie. I'd blow a gasket too. The whole scene was masterfully done and wonderfully foreshadowed with the pinecone game with the gang before Zagar confronts him. I was literally tearing my hair apart before reading the slow-mo scene where Petrie turns on his instigator with the stone because I just KNEW it was going to happen… what a climax. What a bleak cliffhanger. Yikes…

I must say that this story has been absolutely amazing so far. With every chapter it gets more interesting and I’ll both fear and wait eagerly for the following chapters. Like some others have said, this story begun in ease manner but the plot thickens when the story progresses further. I was also under the impression that Petrie’s intent to take part in the Pursuit of Endless Day was because he was inspired to do so by his mother and even with sating the Bright Circle like he believes.

The accident with Zagar and Petrie in the previous chapter has reached its conclusion which lead to the former’s unexpected death. Petrie’s feelings about the matter were very well written. You can very clearly see the regret and horror he felt when the implications of his part in it became clear to him. That part was rather well done and it made be even feel some form of sorrow not only for Petrie, but also for Zagar’s family who now must live with the fact that their relative will never be with them anymore in this life.

The gathering of the flyers was well made as well and it was interesting to see, how certain herds, mainly the flyers in this regard, act in situations like this. Of course, we have to remember that in this case the perpetrator was a child, who despite didn’t mean to cause a death of another flyer, still made that occurrence happen. Escal’s reactions are very understandable, considering that she lost her nephew far too early to the Great Beyond. However, her later response to Petrie felt somewhat peculiar. Maybe that’s just me, but I don’t see her forgetting something like that so easily.

His friend’s reactions felt righteous, seeing as these seven friends have been through so much in their lives and would no doubt do anything, to make sure that no one in their group suffers from anything. Possibly in the future installments we get to see the gang talk about this matter before Petrie’s imminent departure from the valley? If so, it will be intriguing to see how it will play out.

I wasn’t originally going to read this story but now I realize what a mistake I would have made, had I chosen to stick to my earlier sentiments. I’ll look forward to how this story progresses in the future chapters!

Now this was a strong chapter. It’s nice to have some extra insight into Petrie’s motives to embarking on this journey as it would have been a bit underwhelming if he did it just to satisfy his own pompousness. You also built the feeling and the pacing really well here and the mixture of sadness and despair that was felt everywhere in this installment was rather well constructed.

Starting from the terrible revelation to his siblings, the weight of the accident on Petrie’s life was rather crushing and one could only hope for some way to just go back in time and make things right again. I really liked the empty and disbelieving feeling of the characters and in many ways, the shock and regret I felt while reading was very reminiscent of your very best offerings and the backstory gave this story much of the boost it required.

As for the final meeting of the flyers, that scene was also a good one. This version of a traditional trial worked well and the Elders’ debate and Petrie’s efforts to simply handle the weight of what happened created a good contrast that was simultaneously believable and also created a bit more depth to the flyers’ culture. As Diddy mentioned, this scene changed the nature of the story completely as now Petrie isn’t on a journey to grow closer to the Bright Circle but rather to atone from his past sins.

I’m not going to lie, the first chapters seemed to lack something in terms of long-term tension but this chapter changed all that. It seems like Petrie is also trying to deepen his own faith in the Bright Circle while he’s at it but the real conflict lies within himself and in his ability to one day return to the Valley. Very good job with this installment!

Uh, ... er, ... w-wow. This chapter certainly changed my perspective of this story. Up until now, I had been under the impression that Petrie was doing this because his mother inspired him to do it, but only now I'm reading this and it just so turns out that he's doing this as a punishment for killing someone? :O

This story has definitely taken a dark turn, and this chapter particularly did quite an effective job at explaining the darker side of Flyer traditions. Nearly the whole chapter just about made my blood turn cold just from the idea that Petrie could be tried as a criminal just like his uncle, but worse, ... a murderer. The way it ended, though, seems like you've taken another inspiration from Game of Thrones by having Petrie letting "their God" decide his fate. In my eyes, he's just an innocent child who was dragged into this for all the wrong reasons, and all these flashbacks have painted a very morbid picture of just how he ended up where he is now. I'm actually quite impressed by how effective this chapter was, even if it mostly relied on flashbacks. Nice job, bud! :)

What I like about this story, and all of your LBT stories, is that they really delve into the heart of the series, even if that wasn't explored as often as it could be.

Dinosaurs are a fascinating subject for those from eight to eighty, but to see a series where the concept of faith, religion, clans, and social order are established makes it all the more intriguing.

I really like the way you portray Knacker and in addition, the incoming hints of why Petrie is doing something so reckless that everyone other friend sees as unnecessary (even Cera drops pretenses for a moment). I can't wait for more.

Also I know this story is about the flyers, but I can't help but laugh at the interactions between Littlefoot and Cera. Always have a soft spot for those.

Looking forward to chapter 4!

This chapter introduced a rather surprising detail in Petrie’s past and changed the tone of the fic to a large degree. In the present, he is getting to know new flyers who might be of help later on but it also seems like his past is darker than we expected. We’ll see soon enough what kind of effect it had to Petrie’s life in the Valley but it’s likely there will be repercussions soon enough. Life is not fair, at least when it is filled with assholes like Zagar.

I’ve quite liked Knacker’s role in this fic though that is probably because I usually like these kinds of old guiding characters. Still, the contrast between him and Petrie as well as the understanding they still have for each other make their relationship an interesting one. Also, the scene where his nephews get acquainted with each other seems to imply that they will have some kind of role to play later on.

The flashback sequences with the Gang are also a really nice addition as they show just in which ways Petrie has changed in the past years and how he is different from the character we’ve learned to know before. They also deepen the narrative regarding Petrie’s mentality and motives in this fic.
As for the ending, Zagar certainly didn’t raise any sympathies towards himself. Petrie really is someone who seems easy to bully (I know it well) but Zagar really was insufferable. What followed was more than unfortunate and something nobody wanted but the damage is done, nonetheless. The pacing worked nicely there and even if the scene was a quick one, accidents seldom warn of themselves in advance and I think you showed that well here.

On the whole, the plot in the present advanced slowly in the chapter but considering Zagar’s end, it’s likely that there will be a major focus on the past in the next chapter and it’s more than probable that this tragedy changed Petrie in more ways than one. You’re doing a good job building different storylines in both past and present and it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll move forward.

Nice to see another chapter from you!

I honestly felt that this chapter didn't offer too much in terms of the plot, I guess except for that mysterious fire. I wonder what could have caused it, and will it play a role in a later chapter? Aside from that, as you mentioned, Petrie is becoming more conflicted with himself as he anticipates the journey ahead. It will be a long three days, and not only does he have himself to worry about, but he's got companions he may end up becoming responsible for.

The strong point in this chapter was once again the flashbacks. They are doing such an immense job at building Petrie's backstory leading up to this pivotal journey in his life. It seems that everywhere he goes, he's being made fun of, whether by his friends or by seemingly every Flyer in the valley. So continues everyone's tradition of having Petrie become laughing stock for every Flyer in the world, it seems. I'm sorta guilty of the same thing. I was really intrigued by that religious touch you put into Petrie's character, if only it could've lasted longer had it not been for those troublemakers.

Finally, the ending of that flashback ... OMG! Surely, could he really have gone that far? It may have been accidental, but facing the prospect that he could have seriously injured, or worse, KILLED someone? What could the consequences have been? I'd be eager to find that out in a future chapter. This story is really turning Petrie into such a complicated and conflicted character. These explorations into his past are giving great ideas to how he got this far. You're really doing a good job, my friend. Take your time and keep up the good work on this!

The reason for Petrie participating in the flight of endless day is now clear, punishment for killing Zagar in self defense.

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I find it amusing that Petrie's siblings do want to "follow the leader" by eyeing him when he managed to retrace his way to the valley. Ironic that he tends to get respect in spite of being bullied the most.

The constant foreshadowing of what the Bright Circle wants makes me feel as though Petrie is being pushed against his will to prove something that he believes in. I'm still not sure what to make of it, but we'll see.

There's a lot of undertones in this fic which really reminds me of Littlefoot's journeys in LBT4 and 10, and I do like that testing rituals for different kinds is brought up. It's nice worldbuilding.

The constant shifts back-and-forth from present day to 2 years ago also gives this story an unusual feel, as the constant flashbacks helps to build why Petrie has undertake this death challenge for himself. I like the way that Petrie steadfastly believes in the Bright Circle in the flashbacks, almost to the point where his personal self hinges on it in the present, given that he's taking on the challenge after all.

He's stubborn and foolhardy, but still the sweet Petrie underneath. My favorite moment in this chapter was Petrie awkwardly talking to the Bright Circle and his sibling relationship with Valaria causing him to drag her into it too. :P

a whole month! Why? do it sooner. Please? Pretty please?

It's great to see you continuing this story after the pause as the first chapter really showed promise. And also, it is rather great that all three first prompts had Petrie (or flyers overall) as their main focus. Anyway, this new chapter did a really good job in telling more about Petrie’s training and his more recent past while also forcing him to confront his reasons to embarking on this journey.

I enjoyed perhaps the most the emphasis you put on Petrie and his siblings’ test and his discussions with Cera and Volant. The latter ones started to create the way for the eventual conflict that will likely start building within Petrie later about the Bright Circle and his beliefs as in both those situations, he was forced to confront his own motives concerning his beliefs. The test as a whole was an interesting and well-written sequence that showed that in many ways, Petrie is far superior as a flyer compared to his siblings (though we knew that already).

Likewise, the scenes with Knacker and his nephews were also rather nice as they continued relaying the themes of the story to Petrie and bringing another question of faith to him, namely death. The risks of his journey are being brought to Petrie quite concretely and it remains to be seen just how he will react once the prospect of his end starts to look ever more real (as it probably will be at some point).

In any case, this was a great return to this story and it really makes one think about what Petrie will face on his flight and also how it will ultimately end. Knacker and his nephew’s part in this story will also be interesting to follow and these two chapters have created quite a great premise for further developments. I really want to see more of this tale.

I was wondering when I'd see this story again. I'm astounded by how many questions I had that were answered in this chapter.

I shouldn't have been surprised to see Petrie's siblings apparently up to no good when they had to fly "alone." I'm not complaining, though. The way you portrayed them here shows that although they think of Petrie as pure laughing stock, they have to admit that they respect him because he is learning fast for how young he is.

I was especially impressed by Volant's "religious" views, if you will. Up until now, I had so many questions about Flyer traditions, but the flashback with Petrie and his mother gave me quite an amazing picture about the oldest and noblest of Flyer traditions, and how Volant has influenced Petrie into becoming such a person willing to potentially sacrifice his life to embrace those traditions for the sake of what they believe to be their "God," as I put it in my review of the previous chapter.

And, of course, Petrie is conflicted within his own thoughts as he struggles to know whether he made the right choice in doing this, especially at such a young age. I'll be very eager to see how his journey will go from here, now that the anticipation has grown again. This was an excellent chapter, my friend! :)