An incubus does not always end with an antagonist leaping at the dreamer. As much as one wish it may, the incubus does not end as much as change scene or introduce something else entirely. The latter was what the Northern caracal Alexander found himself suffering.
From out of the sky came an avian most colossal, a Brobdingnagian bird as those with alliterative minds would say. Looking upon this thing, Alexander knew that the adventures of Sinbad that Mr. Walters had read to the children were no fairy tales. The roc was real and now it was coming for him, though he would be like a mouse to an Andean condor, the largest species of bird of prey known to man. Alexander himself had met an Andean condor when he and Captain Smith were travelling from Egypt to Canada, a male by appellation of Manco who belonged to a gentleman who intended to train Manco to be a falconry bird. Captain Smith was understandably skeptical of an Andean condor as a falconry bird, for while a number of raptor species were used in falconry, owls included, a condor used in falconry was completely unheard of. It was perhaps that because Alexander had met an Andean condor and had heard Manco's owner and Captain Smith refer to his species as the largest bird of prey, that the roc he saw in his incubus was nothing more but a Brobdingnagian equivalent of an Andean condor.
In reality, the Andean condor was primarily a scavenger, but still New World vultures were classified as Accipitriformes, called "birds of prey" more commonly. Alas, this was not reality and so, Alexander found himself a captive of the Brobdingnagian Bird, being carried away in its talons.
That a creature of the ground could ever be so high up, left Alexander very terrified. He wanted to be on the earth, he wanted to feel his paws on upon terra firma. One of the worlds he knew was becoming a dim blur. Where was the Brobdingnagian Bird taking him? Was he to be fed to its chicks? Was he, a cat whose kind dared to slay roosting eagles, to passively submit to this feathered fiend, even if it be a Brobdingnagian one? Was he, an individual named after a deity whose name meant "Defender of Man", to expire without defending himself? He would not have it!
Twisting around in the talons of the Brobdingnagian Bird, Alexander slashed away at the leg of the avian with his right paw. Three times, Alexander did this until the Brobdingnagian Bird dropped him, but alas, the winged devil seemed impervious to pain.
A feeling of defeat washed over Alexander and he wondered what fate awaited him. Where was the Brobdingnagian Bird taking him? To its nest? Or was this bird some minion of that Herr von Fell whom he had heard so much of? Alexander had seen an image of Herr von Fell the day he had joined Alan, Gemma, Ian, Agatha and Hippolyta to rescue the Holy Grail, in truth the family loving cup, that had been stolen by Caligula Filcher. It had been on a poster for his circus and even then, he could tell there was something off about the man, something not human.
If Herr von Fell had something off about him, something not human, then was it possible that this bird was not a bird at all? Alexander could only wonder.
Again, Alexander slashed at the leg of the Brobdingnagian Bird, if it be a bird at all. Again, three times he struck, but alas, still the bird seemed impervious to pain.
What was going on here? How could anything, even something so great in size be impervious to pain? Was such a thing truly possible?
Alas, he knew not. Pain was something that all living things knew, so the possibility of something that was impervious to pain caused the Northern Caracal to wonder if the Brobdingnagian Bird was truly alive. Alexander had heard the word automaton, but beyond it being something that was not alive, he had no idea what an automaton was.
Perhaps the Brobdingnagian Bird was some form of undead? An apparition perhaps? Or a vampire? Alas, Alexander knew not. Were there apparitions of birds? Alexander had heard reference to the apparition of his predecessor Darius so if a cat could have an apparition, then surely a bird no matter how Brobdingnagian could have one. As for vampires, though he had heard they could change their appearance, as Alexander had heard Alan read with Gemma from a story called "Dracula", so was this a vampire in bird form? Did vampires take bird forms? Alas, this too was something that Alexander knew not. If they could take bird form, then would a bird that was Brobdingnagian in size mean that the vampire's true form was also Brobdingnagian in size? These were things that Alexander simply did not know.
Be it mortal bird, apparition or vampire in bird form, Alexander was not going to let this colossal condor carry him off! This winged devil could not have been impervious to pain! It was impossible! He did not believe it!
Again, and again, he slashed at the leg of the Brobdingnagian Bird, with no intention of stopping! Like a battering ram wearing down a castle wall, the avian began to weaken, the pain becoming harder to bear until finally it let go of the Northern Caracal.
Thus, did Alexander realize what a mistake he had made.
Falling from the talons of the Brobdingnagian Bird, Alexander could see the world below him and he knew that there was no way he could survive. From this high up, even if he landed on his feet the landing would be fatal.
Would anyone know what had become of him? Was his disappearance to be a mystery? Would the Brobdingnagian Bird continue to roam the skies? These questions filled Alexander's head when, as if by magic, he found himself safe upon the ground... and facing the Stone Miltiades.