FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

An original story from

A New World Rising

(Role Playing Game)

(1996-1999)

MarcusRadienTsunami@yahoo.com

PRELUDE

Here--A section of the universe, around which many galaxies spin in the silence of space--because of its remoteness to the rest of the universe, the Ukrathan Corporation, patrols their multi-racial penal ships. The Ukrathans usually use derelict ships for the purpose of housing their law-breakers.

Above the surface of a planet in a low orbit maintained by energies that drift to the world from the suns, a insect-like cargo vessel resembling a monstrous wasp slowly moves in a orbit of its own. Within the abdomen the prisoners are housed in cryo-chambers awaiting their fate.

Only the systems have short-circuited long ago and left everyone in cryo for far longer than any of their sentences were originally for.

This derelict ship used by the multi-racial penal officials for the enforcement incarceration imposed for breaking minor local planetary laws; like speeding in a no speeding zone. One were caught by the cop, read their rights then since there are no fines and are only jail sentences, were taken out of your normal life as you were and put in cryogenic sleep to get to the prison planet. To then serve two-weeks in jail, then back into cryo to where they did the crime then released.

Unfortunately a series of breakdowns and a riot that broke a lot of this ship centuries ago caused this ship to be lost in space leaving the rest of the surviving prisoners in cryo. The cycle for minor offenders to be deposited on the prison planet has short circuited and awakened the prisoners before their capsules were jettisoned from the cargo-wasp-ship.

The planet-fall capsule allows vision since the whole thing is crystal clear, the top product of the Ukrathan Corporation. The retro-field engages slowing the capsule to a soft landing, splits open and the few prisoners left find themselves standing or sitting rather on a grassy knoll overlooking a farmland gone mad. Fruit bearing trees and different crops of all kinds grow in clumped knots of unkempt disorganization.

What they have with them is all they had on them when they got stopped. Nothing of Ukrathan Corporation construction can be used for any other purpose than the one it was created for. After that it dissolves into its component materials of latex and copper molecules.

I

Willyam Orvyll Wahlass and Vangar

A small dark spot appeared in the sky above. It arched down towards the ground. As it came closer, the crystalline cylinder appeared to have something inside. Just before hitting the surface at tremendous speed, (dropped from 2 miles above the surface), some kind of force field slowed it then stopped the motion of the cylinder. It descended the last few inches to rest lengthwise on the ground. The cylinder then split in two, the top half opening like a clamshell. The being inside stepped out onto the surface of the planet.

"They could have at least, let me put some more clothes on before I left." A Molvaenean stood up on his pads and stretched his slightly overweight body. He then yawned and shook off the feeling/needing of sleep.

"Overdue parking tickets the judge said, I told them I don't even have that car any more..." He stopped for a second to look around at his surroundings. A patchwork farmland gone mad stretched out to the horizon and then something struck him as kind of strange. On any other world he did not get that feeling of size but this place looked huge! Almost as if he were on the surface of a gas giant.

"That, I think would be impossible! The gravity should be crushing me to the surface!" His thoughts turned back to the pajamas he was still wearing and the lack of shoes. His form was that of a wolf-like being, yet standing erect and wearing soft fuzzy pajamas with little flowers all over them. Blue flowers on a orange field. "Good thing they did not set me on the month's jail sentence on a snowy world... That would really suck!"

His matted tail dropped to the ground on that though. He even shivered as well. "A nice shower or a bath would be good about now. I don't see a place to stay anywhere! They said there was going to be a jailer to meet me and explain where I'm supposed to check in to begin the sentence..."

The red sun began its arc across the sky by peeking over the horizon.

"Saw that coming down. Why the hell is it so damnably cold in the morning right when the sun comes up?" He complained to the ground and sky. Turning the rest of the way around he saw a hut or hovel down in the valley before him. "Guess I was looking the wrong way. That must be where I'm supposed to go."

He took a step but the temperature of the grass was very cold making him pull his naked toes back into the cylinder. "Maybe in a little while, I'll just stand here until the ground warms up some more."

Vangar opened his eyes to the light of a red sun. He spoke quietly with little emotion before sitting up. "So, we've reached our destination,"

He was a Drakkon. He had large wings and a tail, and stood around 6'2". His head was rounded with a short snout and short brown hair which lay between two fans that projected from the top towards the back of his head, each fan being an ear. Other than that, and the fact his body was covered in incredibly fine scales and was completely red, he was very human like.

Was he a half breed? Vangar had often wondered himself, but he knew nothing of his past. He had landed himself on this prison world for flying across a hover way and causing a multi car accident. Fortunately, no one had been hurt, except Vangar's pride when he was sentenced to this miserable world.

With a flap of his wings, Vangar sprung himself out of the cylinder and landed lightly on the ground. He swished his tail around while surveying his surroundings. A small breeze blew over his bare scales. Being dragon like, he had no need for clothing, but only finding them restricting. His scales were highly thermoresiliant allowing him to comfortably go where other beings wouldn't unless they wore heavy thermo suit.

"Well, well... What an interesting chose of a world to dump us on," he remarked in his rich, fluid voice. A peculiar noise was heard which Vangar identified as another cylinder.

"Better go meet my fellow prisoners. Better to make alliances now while there's still time.."

Vangar flattened his fan likes ears straight back onto his head at the thought of having to deal with other sentients. Vangar had never met another of his kind and since all other sentients he'd met had treated him like scum or a lower life form, he doubted anyone else had met his kind either. With a sigh, he took off into the air, quickly spotting an open cylinder with a furry being standing timidly inside and mildly made his way towards the pajama-clad fellow.

The sun has just risen; the day is pleasant, M-class planet-like without clouds in the sky. A soft white haze is the color of the sky with an underlining blue. The sun above is Fire Engine red. There is a soft 3-4 mph wind coming from the southeast and this is a place of various fruit trees, berry bushes and knots of grain crops. The only other plant life besides crops is different kinds of grass, some of the lawn variety, to tall grasses.

There are other things in the sky also, one of which has seen the being all red in the air and is at this moment making a long slow left banking turn to come back to investigate. He is intelligent; he is also a tad hungry at this time.

He is winged as well and scaled much like the large black dragon-like creature that he is. Wing tip to wing tip, he is eighty feet across. Nose to tip of his serpentine tail is only 35 feet. He has hind legs as well as forelegs plus the wings, making him a six appendage being.

His scent is sulfur and phosphorus with a slight burnt smell to go with it. He knows full well that he is upwind of the very little red being flying in the air. He will fly right up the tail of the little red being but hesitates when he sees another, with his daylight telescopic vision, on the ground.

"What is that thing? Oh... my... God!": The pajama clad fellow jumped backwards out of the cylinder, tripping landing onto his back. The large black monster was coming closer. He turned and began to sprint in the opposite direction heedless of the stones and grass and yelled. "Oh why didn't I pay off those parking tickets?"

He sought the safety of the copse of trees with these large red fruit hanging all in abundance on them. "There's not supposed to be dragons! Where the hell am I?"

He glanced back to see another form in the air in front of the black dragon. The being was red all over and winged, flying like an Aldabarin ((eagle-like)) or an Antarean((owl-like)) but kind of looked like a Thainien((quad winged dragon-like humanoid)) except it lacked a set of wings.

As he leaped over a sticker bush instead of skirting it, he came up to the trees before stopping. He backed up to one of the large spreading trees and chanced to look back the way he had come. "This is horrible! No one said anything about dragons!"

The guy that was red did not seem to be aware of the huge monster behind him. Being a civil minded person he shouted up into the air.

"Hey, you!" He then cupped his hands around his long face wolfish face, "Get out of there! Look behind YOU!"

Vangar wiggled his three large clawed toes on each foot in surprise when the fellow he was heading for took off. He clenched and then unclenched his five-fingered clawed right hand.

'Does he not know what I am?' Vangar wondered to himself trying to get pass some misconceptions that tried to rise about the being's behavior. 'No Vangar, he's not running cause he thinks you're repulsive. Unless he has very good eyesight.'

With his ears folded back for flight, Vangar's hearing was cut slightly making it so he couldn't quite understand what the fellow was yelling at him. To correct this, Vangar slowed slightly and came to a more horizontal position. This cut the wind from out of his triangular sail-like ears, which though they were only three inches in max height, had the tendency to catch air currents in the most painful of manners. At this point, Vangar was able to easily make out what the creature was yelling. Slowly and with much foreboding, Vangar turned his head to regard the giant dragon beast heading his way.

"So, someone wants to play?" Vangar said slowly then diving straight for the ground and stopped only a few feet in front of the fellow who had just saved his life.

"I'm sure," Vangar called back to the beast right before he back winged and landed, "that you can easily take me in air. But I doubt you can move half as fast on land..."

Vangar turned to what he now recognized as a Molvaenean. "I suggest that you stay low while I try to distract it. Then make a run for that patch of sticker bushes! I'm sure your hide will protect you. It's the least I can do to repay you for saving me."

Vangar turned back to face the oncoming monster, spreading his limbs and wings wide to make himself look large. He was prepared to use his sharp claws and big carnivorous teeth for all their worth.

"Hey thanks," the Molvaenean yelled back then in a softer voice that only he could hear he muttered, "I guess..."

He scanned for the 'sticker bushes' that the red guy was talking about, while thinking 'What does a sticker bush look like? There aren't any on Molvaen. '

The dragon flew closer to the smaller red thing with wings. He could smell his blood coursing through the red being's veins and said, "Yuck! That smells awful! What the hell are you? I don't think I've ever seen something like you before... "Hmmm... I wonder..."

The dragon flew in a left bank away from the red guy on the ground. He could smell the Molvaenean's blood too; "I don't like Molvaeneans! Their fur tickles my throat all the way down and I'm not that hungry! Maybe I can use them for..."

The situation came back to him after he looked around casually without realizing where he was. It struck him all of a sudden. He hugged the tree closer, "Just wake up Willyam! Just wake up! You're having a really scary dream is all. This can't be real! Dragons don't exist!"

He opened his eyes then looked back around. The sky was clear now so he cautiously looked around the bole of the tree. The black nightmare was just coming into view still flying in the air. He shut his eyes again, "No that is a illusion, a hologram... Yeah that's it! It's a holo! What do I have to be afraid of? Certainly not a holo!"

His legs were wet for some reason. An old memory and the whiff, as the wind came up a little, told him why his pajamas were now going to be sticking to him until they dried. "I just hate when they make things look so real. I'm so-o embarrassed."

His legs were still a little wobbly as he came out from behind the tree. He then tried walking nonchalantly over to the red fellow. "That's pretty good don't you think? Their CGI is getting so life-like I can't even see the scan lines!"

Vangar was dumbfounded by the Molvaenean's statement. The creature probably hadn't been planet side much since he seemed unable to identify the thorny galactic weed. That didn't bother Vangar, whether he knew or not, it was his statement about the world and their dire situation being a holo.

'Oh boy... He definitely hasn't seen much but the inside of a ship,' Vangar thought to himself as he formulated a response to tell the guy, 'but of course I've never been on a ship. So if situations were reversed...'

"No," Vangar shook his head, "this isn't a holo."

"How can you be so sure?" his comrade asked timidly.

Vangar closed his eyes and swiped directly over the Molvaenean's head.

"Hey what was that for?" he demanded ducking out of Vangar's swing (which wouldn't of hit anyway.)

"Look," Vangar pointed behind him. Will turned around and saw a sizable chunk taken out of the tree. He turned back around and sees Vangar holding the piece up laughing slightly.

"Holos can't do that."

"My name's Vangar by the way," he said holding out his right hand to be shaken as was customary in the large city where he had... survived.

"I am Willyam Orvyll Wahlass! A tech 4 in the telecom channel 5,000, you know? 'Boomsticks'?" The Molvaenean said introducing himself with a flashy wolfish grin, "but you can call me Will if that is easier. Vangar is it? What race are you anyway?"

The dragon drew up and landed on the ground lightly, hind legs first then to the fore legs. He sat back on his haunches and folded his wings back. The dragon then asked the red being with the awful smelling blood. "Say... you look really scary... If I behave you won't hurt me will you?"

It was then that Vangar noticed that the dragon landed nearby and started warbling. Since Vangar had lived in one of the 10 major space ports of the known universe, he had acquired a knack for picking up language... or so he had thought but he was totally lost.

The fact the dragon has gotten so close while he wasn't watching have made him highly upset but this had become an interesting twist. Forcing himself to relax, Vangar called back to the creature that they were friends and quite lost.

Immediately, Vangar was hailed with more warbles.

"Oh my..."

The Molvaenean began to back up.

"No don't," Vangar held out his hand, "If it meant harm, It'd have killed us by now. Can you understand what it's trying to say?"

The dragon realized that both men were having trouble understanding what he was trying to say so using his power, he spoke again to both men. Both men could understand the dragon now, which they found a bit odd. It was not so much in words as the dragon spoke but it was as if it spoke in each mans' minds. Now that the apparent attack was over and everyone seemed to be calm the dragon spoke again, "Usurpers, pleased to meet your acquaintance. I am known as Lucipherr. I am only 5,678 rotations old. Yes I know I am a young one but ah... Would you two like to do me a really big favor?"

Before either man could speak he began again, "You see there is this place that I want to have for myself. It is a cavern but it's too dusty to breathe in there and I need someone to sweep it out for me before I can move in!"

The shock of not knowing how or why things got so complicated so fast caused a reaction in the Molvaenean. His jaw dropped open revealing sharp teeth in front and regular chewing teeth in back. "Whaaaaaaa... ?"

He looked back at the dragon sitting on the ground waiting patiently for a reply from either of the two. "That dragon didn't speak but I... heard... it! Did you hear it too?"

Vangar's jaw moved before he could finally think up something to say. "Yes I heard it but I don't understand it. That's what I was asking you! Do you know what the heck it just said?"

He turned back to the dragon which look like its patience was running a little thinner. Vangar tried the same phrase in all the languages he knew hoping for a response.

"Hello, I'm a friend and so is he. Can you tell us where we are and how to get off this rock?"

"Um ah..." The Molvaenean ascertained looking at the temples of the red draconian in front of him. He touched the implant on the right temple of his own head. "You don't seem to have one so I suppose you actually are speaking 'Galactic Common'."

The very long neck of the dragon angled in a way so that it could look directly into Vangar's eyes. The dragon spoke directly and only in Vangar's mind! "Do you, red usurper, understand me now?"

Though Vangar felt internally like he had been hit by a space liner, he didn't show it on the outside. Instead he simply shifted gaze from the Molvaenean to the dragon.

'Telepathy? I was right, you are intelligent. I thought so by the way you flew... but I never suspected anything like this,' Vangar told the dragon through his mind. He then turned back to his companion on the left of him. Narrowing his green eyes for a second as he spotted the tell tale signs of an implant in the Molvaenean's temple.

"Yes," Vangar replied it him. "I've never had a single credit... let alone enough money to buy an implant."

Will just raised a furry brow. Vangar turned back to regard the dragon. He whispered mentally to it.

"Friend?"

"Employer." The dragon said back. "Do you need anything?"

"What's going on?" Willyam ducked a little then and stood behind his new benefactor Vangar. "What is it saying, now?"

Vangar opened and closed his eyes several times thinking the dragon's words over before turning his head to regard the Molvaenean behind him. "It's talking through telepathy. I'm not quite sure what it means now... But I think it is going to help us."

'It's a lot like me in more ways than one... maybe...' he thought to himself feeling emotions rise for the creature, 'thank goodness we didn't have to fight it!'

'What I want?' Vangar bowed slightly as he sent to the dragon, 'is safety for myself and my friend here. If you can give us assistance in any other manner I will be eternally grateful.'

The dragon then looked in Willyam's eyes...

The shock knocked him back a step. Never having to simply survive and being a citizen of the Galactic Confederacy had its advantages. Such as you didn't have to only survive next to society like an outcast.

In Willyam's case he was brought into a business that his great grandmother had started. Being a lowly male he, of course, started at the bottom. Though a civilized world Molvaen was and had been for centuries before other worldly contact have been a Matriarchy. That is an entire world run by women with the males in subordinated roles, meaning someone had to take out the garbage!

From a cowering sort of look, Willyam replied as he thought what to say back to the dragon. "Well a car to get around in would be cool!"

The dragon said, "Done!"

He sort of clapped his ungainly looking fore claws together and a sharp snap was heard. A vehicle that was in the Molvaenean's mind appeared directly behind the pair. Will's eyes nearly popped from their sockets.

The vehicle was the design of hovercar. It mostly resembled an ancient other planet's land rolling vehicle known at that time as a 1955 Chevy Bel Aire Convertible; two tone pastel blue and soft white complete with bumper bullets and the full blown mill and Rajay turbo charger assembly on the conventional nitroglycerine paste fuel engine. The vehicle floated on its anti-gravs.

The most pleasing feature that the car had was the top of the line Boomstick Octostereo system with the Ukrathan Corporation patented micro-bar at the driver's left side. The vehicle was already equipping with Molvaenean style seats, though they looked like a 1960's era earth family couch, except for the slit in the seat allowance for the Molvaenean tail going down the entire seat back.

"Oh... I love you!" The Molvaenean said as he walked around the front of the car and hugged the hood and blower on top of the carburetors. Reality came back as he thought about it. He stood back up again.

"Ungh... Not meaning that I'm not happy, which I can't even say in words about how I feel about this! But nothing is a real gift these days." The Molvaenean said feeling so unsure to accept such a wondrous gift. A soft breeze came up making his lower pajamas began to flutter in announcing they're drying in the warm sun. He looked up at the dragon suspiciously and asked, "What do I... have to do to keep it?"

Again Vangar surprised himself by only moving his head in a slight twitch towards the car. The fact that the dragon had done that... Vangar had never seen such power or kindness and he wasn't sure if he should be suspicious or not. 'How could it have done that? And why?'

'Tell me dear friend,' Vangar spoke mentally to the dragon with a tone of pure respect, 'do you want something of us? We have no power like you. Simply surviving is a constant problem for creatures like us... especially for me who has been always alone. Don't give to us if we can give nothing in return...'

Vangar looked at the ground humbly then to the Molvaenean and his car. 'How?' was the question in his mind once again.

II

Ariana Nestwick and the Wizard

Ariana walked slowly. She was tired of this game and her feet were beginning to hurt from walking. She held a carved wooden flute in her hands and stopped to blow a few notes from it every once in a while, but there was no reply and hadn't been for hours now.

She sighed and kept walking, determined to find the rebellious dragon that had escaped from the tower. Her long, thick black hair was plaited in two braids to her waist and her black eyes were hard with annoyance.

"When I find that little trouble-maker, I'm going to turn her into a toad...." she muttered menacingly as she continued walking. She wore a simple black gown that reached to her ankles with a leather belt at her waist. It had several small bags hanging from it, all containing certain things. A little of this and a little of that, as her mother often said, because Ariana was always reluctant to throw anything away. She also wore hard leather boots that reached to her knees. She wore no jewelry apart from a small silver necklace with a snowflake-shaped charm on it around her neck.

As the hours passed, she became less angry and more worried for the young dragon that had run off. Ariana stopped for another of the countless times and blew three sharp perfect notes from her flute. There was no reply this time either but she felt a ticklish sensation in the back of her mind. There was a dragon nearby roused by her notes of calling but it wasn't the one she was looking for.

Ariana could sense any dragon long before it was in her sight. It was part of her gift of being a dragon tamer. It was a rare line of magic among her people passed through the women in her family. She was the newest to hold up the tradition and she did not want to start her career off by losing her first charge.

This was a troublesome little hatchling fresh from the egg and full of child-like antics. Ariana had named her Kai after her mother's most faithful companion, Kai's own mother. Female dragons were less aggressive then males and made better companions. Kai was an exception to the fact that she was always making Ariana chase after her one way or another.

Kai was a blood red color, with a splash of gold across her face, and her eyes were green, an abnormal color for a dragon. Ariana had a deep love for the mischievous dragon hen even if she was a handful.

"I'll find you Kai, don't think I won't," she whispered again before playing the notes. This time there was a response. Kai was finally tiring of her antics and was flying towards Ariana on inexperienced wings. Kai was still small, about the size of a dog with soft claws and sharper teeth. When Kai got to be half her lifetime size, her claws would harden and her wing membranes would become more rubbery.

Ariana grabbed Kai out of the sky quickly feeling the presence of two dragons nearby. They were males, no mistake. The sensation in Ariana's head told her that straight away. They were close and they would not like the two females in their territory one bit.

"Come on Kai, let's go."

The dragon rubbed his head as if he was a human, and then sent, 'Okay I will send only you this real vision of what I truly am...'

Into the mind of Vangar came another Molvaenean being carried in a long chariot/carriage of pure gold down a street with many people on either side cheering. There was music of various kinds being played on real instruments. No synthi-computers only real violins, real horns, various races of the five Galaxies all in a parade of some sort for the all conquering hero in the carriage.

The Molvaenean was wearing the costume of the Ninja. He was wearing on his back a very stylized, double-bladed (side by side) weapon. Only the slit openings of the grip* sheathes could be seen on this dignitary.

The Molvaenean dignitary in the carriage had many different bizarre looking handles sticking out of these bottle caps all over his body. The vision panned till it faced the Ninja dignitary full on. The same twinkle in the eye could be seen an eye that Vangar had seen before.

The vision ended and that same twinkling eye that a few minutes ago began this conversation was looking into Vangar's eyes was that of the dragon that faced him now. 'My real name you do not need to know but for your payment I will come one time to destroy anyone that wants to cause YOU even the slightest discomfort. All you need do is mentally ask me to come. Just think of the Ninja that I have just shown you and I will come to take revenge for you to deadly extent!"

The dragon paused in the millisecond of mental communication to Vangar for a short moment."But remember, Vangar my friend, you can only call me once! I am a being of intelligence use this knowledge wisely!"

Mouth dry, the draconian looked into the eyes of the dragon knowing full well the depth and responsibility of the gift. 'If only there was something I could give in return... anything!' He was barely able to get his mind back together enough to send.

From an outcast in a major space port with no past or knowledge to his past. What a leap! The car the dragon had given would come in handy... but the fact... a Molvaenean... but how? Though his heart was reeling in shock, Vangar stood his ground.

He cocked his head when he heard three notes. He wasn't sure where they came from but it was somewhere close. A primeval reaction occurred in his mind and he had to force himself not to feel territorial.

'What now?' he thought looking in the direction from whence it had come. He turned back to the dragon, however, longing just to look at the creature. A quick glanced showed that the Molvaenean was still hugging his car, which would come in handy to say the least.

Vangar was quite overwhelmed by the whole experience. Yet a part of him didn't want it to end. He had always lived on the edge, though not be choice.

'So what now?' he wondered looking at the beautiful black beast.

'Good it is settled then. I want you two to seek the others that have landed here...'_The dragon also looked away then shook its head, '_Sorry... This host hears something that is keening to him. I do not have long in using this body. I will fly him away from here very soon but I want you to go to the next town and pick an Order and guild to follow. I do not care which one. I will have a contact awaiting you after you have done this thing. This Ginn, whose body I'm using for the moment, is starting to resist me. Do not trust him! He means you harm!'

The black Ginn bared his collection of 110 upper and 110 lower very sharp serrated teeth. He blew out a swath of 100 foot in length fire from his mouth straight up into the air. The cone of heat was nearly 90 feet in diameter. A flock of hapless birds were all roasted to ash within the firestorm!

The Ginn stopped and began to calm again and regarded Vangar, 'I cannot hold his mind for long! He is very strong. Oh and put some clothes on for Valder's sake Vangar! You're going to get arrested walking around like that! You can't help me if you're in jail for indecent exposure!'

The Ginn blinked his eyes then sprang directly up into the air in three beats of the wings. The Ginn had risen 5,000 feet and in another ten he was beyond the horizon.

Vangar rubbed his head, "Ok. This planets law must be different. Where ever this planet is. I have a feeling though that this isn't the prison planet we were meant for. I hate clothes... I don't need them and they are annoying, but for his (whatever he is) sake I shall. Well my Molvaenean friend," Vangar looked under the hover car, "shall we be off? I think we should go towards the sound I heard. I don't know if you heard it too... but something in me reacted. We might be able to find answers there as well as directions to the town."

He looked up into the sky towards the dwindling figure of the Ginn, "See you later..."

The Molvaenean scrambled out from under the car, "I... uh wasn't hiding...I... ah... was ah... looking at the hover systems! There are... ah okay...Yeah! Let's go! That sounds good!"

The Molvaenean was looking all around as he climbed over the door and into the driver's seat. He stroked his hands across the clear plastic with a slight blue color in it as if shinning it. He took out a boomstick and put it in the holder.

For a second nothing happened then a song of ancient times long ago, several thousand in fact and alien, came out of the octostereo. The music was complex and rhythmatic yet Willyam jerked out the boomstick and put it back "You ever hear of the eons old band called ah... let's see hmm... Oh! 'Creed'? Me neither. How about something more modern, like in our century!"

He tossed the boomstick into the back seat carelessly and replaced it with the stark computerized subliminal music of only a couple centuries ago, "Well that is at least newer."

He pushed in the clutch of the vehicle and started the engine. The beast roared to life. Animals of small size ran away from this spot in several directions when Willyam raced the monster engine. He ground around for a second then a clunking sound seemed to put a gear home. He let the clutch off in a pop and floored the gas pedal after Vangar got in.

Vangar strapped himself in just before the car shot forward.

"Go that way," he pointed towards near by the forest off on their left. The Molvaenean nodded and turned the hovercar accordingly.

"So," Vangar started trying to strike up a conversation over the music, "I told you my name, but I still don't know yours? Have anything else you'd feel comfortable to tell me about your life? I haven't met many Molvaeneans, and the ones I did were gangsters who tried to kill me constantly. Ah-h-h the wonders of today's youth."

"Oh, my bad I thought I did! I'm Willyam Orvyll Wahlass, a tech 4 of channel 5,000 group. We make these things..."

He held up a boomstick.

Trees looked like a picket fence as Willyam blew past them. The car floated just a couple feet above the ground and shot up and over a hillock. The car sort of went a little airborne then came back down yet did not bottom out.

"Yeah hooo!" Willyam yelled as the car shot down the valley on the other side. There was no road until all of a sudden a fence was directly in front of them. Willyam stood on both the retro-rocket brakes and the clutch making the both of them slide into the console/dashboard. Looking out over the hood, Will saw the fence made of rough split planks laid one on top the other.

"Damn this is a cool shot badda'! " A huge smile on his otherwise wolfish looking face. A gleam was in his eye like the hunter wolf before a fresh kill. That was the face that regarded Vangar. "Oh sorry, I forgot myself."

He dropped the smile and went back to his earlier serious and henpecked expression. "Let's pull this fence out of the way so we can either go down the road or pass across it. What do you say?"

Ariana felt the tingling sensation in the back of her mind of a large, old, male dragon passing over her. She looked up and saw a large black shape go overhead, regarding her little attention.

A noise then drowned out her dragon sense and she saw something far away moving towards her very fast. She squeaked in surprise, seeing that it was no dragon or horse or human. Holding Kai to her tightly, Ariana brought the flute to her lips and began to play.

The song she blew out was a series of long notes that combated with the sound of the approaching danger. The music flowed from her and outwards for miles, but it began to weave itself. Woven in a giant net, the notes made a protective dome over Kai and Ariana for as long as she played the song. It was a simple spell her mother had taught her. Tamers from her land were not only skilled with their dragon sense but they were also sorcerers.

Ariana closed her eyes, thinking that if she didn't see the threat it would be easier to cast her spell. Each note harbored a bit of magic and it flowed throw the almost living net. As long as she played they were safe and as long as Kai decided to stay with her, she would be safe too.

Ariana played, going into a kind of trance that accompanies a spell of this sort. Her black eyes glazed and her body became stiff. Only her fingers and mouth moved, to form each note of her song. Everything around her focused into the net, she was pushing every note threw the weaving, making it stronger, solid, unbreakable. They were safe from whatever was coming, for now.

A being seemed to materialize out of thin air in front of Ariana and walked calmly towards her. He looked like an erect standing somewhat more humanoid than canine, wolf. He was clothed in a form fitting body suit and he carried no other weapons that she could see.

He walked around Ariana's net studying it. In one black gloved hand he held a five-foot long smooth staff with a ball of light that was not attached to it. It floated always at one end. He stopped then held up the orb staff to look through the glass at Ariana but mostly from her 'net'.

He looked up so that their eyes met and awaited her to acknowledge him. "Ah, you are afraid... You do not know where you are. I understand young one. I am a magus like you. I will call a truce if you will to. Do you agree?"

He waited for a second then smiled laying his staff at her feet, "Now for all intents and purposes, I am disarmed. You have a most amazing magical skill! I must say that I have never seen it done quite that way before!"

Ariana just swallowed and glanced down at the staff at his feet then back at him. Who was this man? What did he want of her? She had a tingling feeling that she was soon going to find out. The wolfish man smiled warmly now clasping his hands before him in a peaceful manner.

"I need someone of your background to do something for me. In return for this simple mission, all that I ask is for you to tell me or think what it is that you desire. I will then grant you this one desire NOW, before you do my mission."

He then sat down upon the dirt of the road amid the sprouts of tufted grass scattered about. He still saw that Ariana wasn't too sure about him. He gave a soft laugh then held up a hand and gave her some assurance. "Fear not I will let nothing harm you or your little Ginn."

Vangar checked the dashboard in front of him making sure his slender but well built body hadn't dented or scratched anything. He was glad to find the surface unmarred. Even if it wouldn't have been his fault, Vangar didn't want to damage anything of Willyam's since he was the draconian's first true friend.

Turning his attention to more immediate matters, Vangar hopped out of the car to regard the fence. He rubbed his scaled hand over the coarse rough hewn wood and flicked his tail about slightly. The fence will probably take around an hour for two strong burley men to take down. If Will does it himself, it will take about a week. Vangar could probably do it in just under an hour but Willyam won't hear of not helping. He has helped people all his life, (usually because they are stronger than he is), so the hour stands unless of course Vangar has a different way of taking the fence down.

This should take the two of us around an hour to dismantle. Or..." Vangar paused in mid sentence. He turned his broad short snout into the air and sniffed a moment. There was a weird scent coming from the direction of the noise he had heard.

"Or what?" Willyam asked.

"We could use the car to ram through... it... would damage it but not bad enough so it wouldn't be unusable," Vangar said. The smell had only heightened his urgency to find the source of the three notes... No...There was now a whole melody! But it didn't affect him like the last time.

'There is someone else now.' He thought, 'This is going to be an even longer day than I thought. Poor Will, I wish I could tone down the shock of this all for him...'

Ariana felt the powerful magic radiating from this wizard like the folds of a cloak. She was amazed that he spoke so calmly and surrendered his weapon of defense so easily. He trusted her completely in that she would try no funny business on him.

She wouldn't have either! Ariana had been brought up an honest sorceress of sorts and she didn't like harming others. She thought of what he had said to her, a job he wanted her to complete and about how he wouldn't harm Kai.

Ariana stopped playing and felt the protective spell of her net magic fall around her feet before disappearing. She was going on faith here. Ariana didn't know how she knew, but her dragon sense told her to trust this man. That he would not harm her.

"What is it that you want me to do?" She asked warily, looping the leather cord on her flute around her neck. She put Kai down on the ground by her feet. Stay, she told the dragon silently.

Kai was too young to speak mind-to-mind but she sent a message of color to Ariana's mind. She agreed and Kai sat at her heels, a perfect picture of obedience. The wizard said that he would grant her anything she desired before she set off to complete his task.

'_What do we desire Kai?' S_he sent to the small dragon. Kai tilted her head and green eyes met black ones. Ariana looked back to the wizard as a burst of rainbow colors filled her mind again. Ariana looked at him evenly, piercingly. He didn't blink or look away but Ariana could feel the answer to her question before she asked it.

"You can't send me home, can you?" He didn't answer. She smiled a little sadly. "I guess I'll just have to find my own way back."

Ariana was never one to feel sorry for herself no matter how bad a situation got. She shook her head. Placing her hands on her hips and taking a few steps in a circle around Kai. "Since I'm stuck here and you have a task for me... What I desire is some supplies. You know, a pack with a blanket or two, food, water, clothes, things I'll need for a stay here."

She counted off the supplies on her fingers gazing at the sky as she thought.

"That should do it." She smiled to herself. This time determined and ready for an adventure. "Again I'll ask, what is it you want of me? I am a Dragon Tamer, or so I was called that in my land. The women of my line are the only ones in the world with that particular power, though we also possess magic of a sorcery origin. Mine manifests itself in music."

She held up the flute. "My father made this for me when I was young, To help with my learning! I can do magic without it... but it makes the work easier."

She caressed the smooth body of the flute lovingly. "If my powers are of any use to you, I would be all too happy to help."

When Ariana looked directly behind the wizard, there was suddenly a general store and an entire corral with various horses inside milling about. Along with this reality, the wizard being began to rise slowly. He had a scroll in his hands. He offered the scroll to her without making another sound until she took it from his hands.

"Now I warn you never reveal the fact that you 'know' witchcraft on this world ever!" he said sternly. "That scroll will take you home! Keep it and use it wisely! You only open the scroll and think where you want to go. It is a scroll of teleport. Next, there are people coming up the road."

The wizard pointed to her feet. Ariana took a step back. There was a bag at her feet that wasn't there before. The wizard spoke again. "For the wolf-like man give him this bag to put his car inside of. It is a bag of holding."

After she bent down and picked the bag up, the wizard held up a hand. A warm smile on his long furry face. "As for what I want, I will inform you after you have picked a path to follow. Anyone will do. Follow the process for the others are new here too. They don't understand either. There may be others to go with you later on."

He paused to breath for a few times, then resumed, "I will send someone to contact you after you are ready go with the people that come down this road in a mighty chariot that trails real fire, almost like a dragon. When you have whatever you and the others need from the store and the livestock, the store and corral will go back to where I got them from.

I would suggest that you also craft the spells needed, if you do not know already, so that you can communicate with the people of this world. You will meet me again someday but not for some time. I think the job I need accomplished, I can't do myself. So I must use those that are new to this world and to the task; I hope you understand. Anyway, thank you and good journey Ariana and you too Kai! I must go now."

She looked away for only a brief moment but when she looked back, he was not there anymore. Even the staff that lay upon the ground was gone. It was like the both of them seemed to lose substance and melt into thin air.

Ariana was a little confused by all the wizard had told her. Why couldn't she reveal her magic? In her world, magic was accepted and respected by all. She looked down at her flute and sighed. "Ok Kai, let's get our things from that store and start this journey. I could also use a horse."

Ariana walked into the store. Throwing a braid off her shoulder and behind her back. The store was empty of people so she didn't feel bad taking a five-fingered discount off the items. She took a large leather backpack so the things she'd need wouldn't get wet if it rained. She stuffed two blankets inside, a change of clothes for herself, enough food to last her and Kai a week of light traveling and enough bottled water to last them two weeks if they didn't gulp it down.

Once her provisions were packed, Ariana shed her gown and put on a pair of pants and a shirt. Where she was from women of her station were not supposed to wear these kinds of things but Ariana thought that a journey was better done in pants.

She then unbraided her long black hair then rebraided it into one long plait and wrapped it around her head like a crown. Only when she had finished changing did she notice that Kai had wandered off again.

"Kai? KAI!!!" she called but no color came to her mind. The tingling was there so she knew Kai was nearby but not answering. Ariana resolved not to go running out and looking for her just yet. She sat down and had a long drink and ate some food.

After a while she got bored and started worrying. She got up and left the store with her backpack in search of Kai. Ariana still wore her snowflake necklace and her flute but the gown lay forgotten in the store when she ran out.

She looked into the corral of the horses and picked one that she liked. She sat on the fence, eyes closed, searching for Kai with her mind. She zeroed in on a dragon-like presence but it was male and not Kai. She kept looking but was unable to find her ignoring the male presence for the moment.

On a last resort Ariana took up her flute and played the three notes, loud, long and haunting in a melody together. It was a song of summoning, of homecoming. For those who were lost to find their way home. Once the song died away, Ariana felt Kai coming towards her though she didn't see her yet. But there was something else coming towards her also. A presence she didn't know.

"Well... do you think that will be the best thing to do? I just got it! Couldn't we just move the fence?" The Molvaenean was near to whining.

"It was just a suggestion. And not a good one either," Vangar replied hurriedly holding his hands in front of him, palms out, trying to calm Will down. Just then, everything went dark.

"That was the fastest sunset I've ever known," Willyam looked about confused.

Vangar watched the sky, but felt the buildup of static before the first lightning bolt discharged.

"It's not night yet..." he said slowly.

"Then ..." Will was cut off as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky illuminating the seamless clouds. To make matters worse Vangar felt and heard the call of summons... coming from the same place as the other melodies had. His blood felt like it was boiling.

"Ahg," he doubled over then turned and started lumbering off towards the sound jumping the fence in a bound.

"Vangar!" Will called, his voice nearly drowned out by more bursts of lightning. Vangar concentrated on his voice and was able to ignore the feeling temporarily.

"Will," he gasped, "something is calling me. I can't resist."

Vangar's gaze swept around the area slowly as he tried to find something to look at that would help him.

Vangar gasped again as his control began to slip. "I'll take down the fence. Meet me again at the source of the sound... Sorry that I have to leave you for now... But I can't... control..."

As his primeval nature showed itself, Vangar nearly attacked the Molvaenean. Again, his conscious mind was able to divert his destructive nature towards the fence. With surprising agility, Vangar leapt at the ill-fated fence, slashing, punching, biting, and smashing with his tail. In a matter of moments the fence was reduced to splinters in a wide enough area for the car to fit through.

"Go..."

Vangar pleaded and began slowly stumbling off towards the sound all the while trying to fight the feeling that was overwhelming him. He had to go... If he resisted he would turn violent again... and he could never live with himself if he caused any harm to Will... With that final thought, the draconian stopped resisting and took off into the air speeding as fast as possible into the woods.

Ariana was nervous as she felt the tingle of an approaching dragon grow to consume all of her sense. When Kai came lofting around the corral towards her, Ariana grabbed the dragon in her arms.

"Quiet love," she whispered to Kai when she began to wriggle. "There's something coming. Please don't run off on me here, not when we're lost."

Ariana's voice and black eyes pleaded to the little one to quiet and she went still in her arms. Her tail wrapped around Ariana's arm and her wings folded comfortably. Ariana tossed the backpack over the fence with one hand and hopped it the same way. She ran, grabbing the bag, into a small shed-like shelter as rain began to fall.

It had suddenly gotten darker and lightning streaked the sky. Kai shivered in her arms and Ariana felt her snuggle closer to her chest. She hugged the dragon tighter to her, vowing to protect her with her very life. Ariana was very striking in beauty, but her face was set now with determination and underlined with fear.

She pulled out her flute again, crouching lower in the hay. Whatever was coming had to have been summoned by her music, so she figured playing a different song might help the situation. She played a soothing song, like a lullaby, meant for restless hatchlings. It was a mellow song to calm the older, angry males that could get violent during mating season.

Ariana learned this song before any other and she loved its soft haunting melody more than any other. She put that love into this song, losing herself in the notes as she had done with the net. Once it was done, she pulled back to Kai.

Even with his ears folded back, Vangar heard the new melody easily. It stilled the nature inside him so rapidly he fell from the sky, landing on hands and knees. He remained in that position gasping while it began to rain.

"How... how did that control me so easily? What _am_I?" Vangar whimpered between gasps. "Darn. I left Will all alone. If anything happens to him..."

The dragon-man's sailfish ears snapped up into their full position and he stopped breathing to listen. He heard something nearby... the sound of animals... and the words of a creature. He couldn't make them out from this distance but he knew they were of a language he was familiar with.

_'No going back now Van... Will can take care of himself for now. He may seem spineless sometimes but deep down beats a heart full of courage as great as the most valiant warrior... and I'd like to keep it that way...'_He thought to himself before getting up and heading on.

It wasn't long before he rounded a bend to come to face with a large building. Next to the building was a fenced pen with four legged creatures of some type. He heard the words more distinctly now from behind a nearby tree. They were addressed to something named Kai... telling... 'her"?... to be still and not to worry.

Vangar recomposed himself going back to his normal near emotionless, steeled self. He walked ever so slowly towards the words.

'Sounds female...' He thought but before going behind the tree, he decided to call out. The creature sounded scared enough.

"Hello! My name is Vangar! Your music summoned me! I don't know how! Please show yourself for I mean you no harm!" He called above the roar of thunder and waited. The rain was heavier now and a small breeze rustled his brown hair on his head.

The rain started to fall a couple of drops then a full monsoon dumped on everybody and everything. Except whoever was in the general store. What was so odd, where the general store actually was there was no storm!

"Ah yeah, okay Vangar I guess..."

A couple of drops fell down as Willyam backed the car up a few feet. Vangar blew through the fence like it was tissue paper!

_"_Howie-woowie Vangar!"

'Mental note; never piss Vangar off!' The Molvaenean looked aghast when he watched the red draconian before the beast followed the kenning that called to his blood. Willyam now jumped back out of the car and then back in as he had to take it out of gear.

He looked in the direction that Vangar had left, his red form illuminated by the lightening flash. Will went to work in his speed and manipulation abilities. He pulled the slip cover off of the top then locked it down.

He jumped back into the car as the monsoon dumped straight down onto everything in sight. Will rolled up all his windows. He slammed the car into gear and turned it left. The normally flat plane that the car usually held became a sharp back to the right. He flipped up the little button on the shifter and the turbo cut in first.

"Yeeee-Haaa!" He yelled again in glee. "I love this car!"

The flames from the afterburners in back of the car dried the grass as the car past over them but the rain wetted them back down again. The car shot forward like shot out of a cannon towards the direction where Vangar galloped off in.

A demon of steel and smiling with teeth gleaming even in the rain started out as a speck then got bigger very fast as it sped along the round. The vehicle turned wide and banked all the way around before Will decided to brake and cruise up slowly before stopping. Willyam just sat there and looked about for Vangar.

"Geez..."

The Molvaenean breathed under his breath running a hand over his furry head. He decided then the next best thing to do is to shoot off back to a place close to where they first came to the fence. He found the exact place that Vangar chewed the fence down and pass onto the road streaking off.

Willyam saw a general store. He slowed once again and stopped. He looked about. There was only a store, the corral and the shed out back. Or was it an outhouse?

But that was not the thing that puzzled the wolf. It was the fact that it wasn't wet or was raining on anything here. "Curious...This is the strangest place I have ever been. It sure beats the Holo's..."

Ariana heard the voice call out to her and froze. It sounded close and spoke in a language. It was a man's voice loud and clear. He didn't sound angry or hostile but she was still scared.

"Stay Kai," she whispered, unhooking the hatchling from her arms. Kai scrambled after her as she inched out of the shelter but Ariana pushed her back.

'_Stay love, I'll be right back'._She told her and Kai reluctantly obeyed. Ariana walked out into the storm, her hair falling down around her face with the wind.

"I am Ariana," she called. "Dragon Tamer. My music was meant for my dragon charge and I am sorry if I bothered you..."

Her bravery wavered now. Her black eyes filled with fear once more.

Everything about this day was crazy. First magical dragons, then magical music, then psychotic weather! One moment Vangar was in rain, then he arrived at the store and Voila! Everything is nice and dry. Then now a "dragon tamer" woman he recognized as a Human, a creature he had rarely ever seen. There was another dramatic gust of wind.

'What is this drama?' Vangar growled internally. He locked his green eyes with the human's black. "So, how are you able to control me so easily with mere music?"

In the distance Vangar was sure he heard the sound of Willyam's car heading their way. He tore his gaze away from hers for a brief moment and looked. He saw a blue and white pastel vehicle in the distance.

Ariana was frozen again but this time it wasn't from fear. Green eyes burrowed into her. He seemed to be searching her mind or her soul. She couldn't tell which. Ariana blinked twice and tried to drop her eyes, but couldn't.

"I...I don't mean to...my music isn't meant for...what I mean is...." she stuttered badly.

'_What are you doing Ariana?' S_he scolded herself mentally, and felt Kai run out to curl around her legs. This time she could look down.

"My songs are meant for Kai, my charge and my hatchling." Ariana was proud that she was no longer stuttering like an idiot. She took a breath and met his eyes defiantly. "As I said, I meant no harm."

This time she was fine. Ariana guessed it was the initial shock of seeing a person like him. Ariana, in all her years of dealing with dragons had never seen a person quite like him; the perfect blend of dragon and man. But she put her thoughts aside.

With a little smile, Ariana brought her flute to her lips and blew a happy little tune. It had no real magical purpose except to release the tension of all those in hearing range and she needed it. When she finished, she put the flute back around her neck and smiled again shrugging her shoulders, innocently.

CHAPTER III

NOW THERE ARE FIVE...

Anya rushed through the woods. She heard the whining of horses nearby and knew there had to be a corral. She wanted a horse since she was tired of flying all the time. Now it was raining and she was soaked.

The tall strikingly beautiful woman paused for only a moment to gather her wits and flexed her black feathered wings. Her rich mahogany hair that was once in a tidy bun was now a messy wet knot. Having the strength of three women, she was able to heft a large log out of her way with ease. She then was able to resume on.

She arrived at the corral and abruptly stopped to see two figures on the other side of the corral. She could not see them in the darkness but she thought nothing of them and proceeded to stretch out her wings to shake the water out of them. Her wingspan twice her height. She then put down her hair and squeezed the water out of it. After doing that, she immediately put it back into a knot. She squeezed the water out of her shirt and pants as well as she could without taking them off.

"Ahhh, that's better," Anya whispered to herself. She took a deep breath and looked for a suitable horse.

Vangar had to crane his neck down to regard the woman's eyes. At first he just stood there with his arms crossed across his chest analyzing her actions. From the look of her round face and determined black eyes he knew his presence startled her. He tried to soften his glare a bit. 'She is scared of me... And I think she is telling the truth...'

Her dragon or Ginn as they were called on this world came out. Vangar had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out. It looked like him in many ways! Its skin was a little lighter... its eyes green! Its wings were the same style too. Could it be... what does this mean?

Was he created then? Created from a creature like this? It all makes sense... a painful memory came back to him. It exploded in his mind like a sun going nova. His mind went to him being curled up crying in the rain in a dumpster just outside a Biotech lab. Was he an experiment that was simply thrown out like trash to be recycled at one of the great matter resequencer plants? It would explain a great many things....

He then heard the calming music and felt himself relax. The horrid memories slipping away back into the darkness of his mind. After the tune ended, he opened his eyes once again and looked down at the woman before him. Despite himself, Vangar felt tears well up.

"Can I ..." He stopped after only a couple words.

He gestured to the creature. He hoped Ariana would agree to let him pick it up or if she even understood his gesturing. He thought for a moment but then he heard something back near the four-legged creatures. He only took a brief glance towards them his mind was too much on the woman and her charge.

Ariana looked from Kai to Vangar. That was what he said his name was, right? He was gazing a Kai was glazed eyes, like he wanted to hug her or something. Ariana was a little hesitant to let this strange creature touch Kai but it was the sorrow that was emanating from him that convinced her that he meant the hatchling no harm.

"You can hold her. If she lets you that is..." Ariana whispered, peering down at the dragon. The Ginn looked up at her and she ran a hand down her tiny shout.

'He's not going to hurt you baby, it's going to be ok. I promise you, trust me.' There were a few bursts of blues and greens in Ariana's mind. That was Kai's agreement. It was her way of saying that she trusted Ariana and that she loved her back.

Kai inched closer to Vangar slowly at first but soon was rubbing against his legs like a cat almost knocking him over. Vangar gave a small childish like giggle and looked at her with a grin. Ariana had to smile a little too. It was quite a sight to see.

But her attention was taken by her dragon sense. She could feel the presence of another. This time it wasn't a dragon; but not human either. A woman, of that she was sure. She looked around the corral but she didn't see anyone.

The flash of black feathers behind a gray speckled mare made her squint her eyes. There was someone else too, at the front of the general store. Ariana had become surrounded and increasingly nervous.

She swallowed the fear. This was no time to play the scared little girl! Her first priority was Kai then herself. As long and Kai was not in danger, she was just fine with everything else. Looking at the way Vangar was petting her, Ariana had no worries for Kai's safety or for her own.

If worse came to worst, there was the scroll the wizard had given her safely hidden in her pack. She didn't feel the desire to use it, even in the face of disaster. Ariana had always been both stubborn and brave. This was her adventure, a chance to do something new and exciting. Never would Ariana let something like this, pass her by!

Dray lifted his head and moaned. He looked about his small cockpit and saw Blade'A'Man laying still unconscious to one side. Dray reached over and gave Blade a hard shake with his hand. Blade jerked and jumped but settled when he saw that it was only Dray.

He then looked about and out the front window. It looked as if they landed on a habitable planet. "Where are we man?" "Don't know dude..." Dray shook his half-frilled head. "According to my readings, it says we're on some uncharted planet. Great! Man this is so totally weird!"

"What?"

"My war dragon dude!" Dray growled throwing his hand to the many blinking lights and sounds of his control panel. "My dragon is parked dude! When it is parked it, it is suppose to not have its wings and neck extended! The feet are down... but everything else isn't in their right position! According to my readings, my crystals are fully charged..."

Dray pushed a few buttons and flipped a couple of switches. He then hit the starter. Nothing happened. Dray gave a steamy snort. "What? But the crystals are fully charged! DAMN!"

He went into one of his famous Reptilian temper tantrums. Blade just leaned away allowing his scaly friend to kick and grunt. After Dray was through and was now sitting there panting, Blade looked over at him.

"Well, looks as if we have to pop the window, get out and have a look around."

Dray cut a glaring look at him. Blade just held his hands up with a shrug. Dray gave a sigh filling the small cockpit with smoke. Blade gave a small cough and waved his hand. Dray only ignored him and hit the emergency-switch that will make the window pop off.

Dray's crest fluttered as the window blew off with a loud whoosh. Blade looked over and saw the long drop. Dray just clambered on the 'snout' of his dragon and began to beat his wings. Blade covered his head as the gusts began to blow his long black hair about.

He felt as Dray pulled him up out of his seat from the collar of his long duster. Blade kicked. "Dude! Hey..."

He felt himself drop but it was a long drop. He rolled on the soft grass. Dray landed next to him and tucked his great wings behind him. He lifted his long red face in the air and sniffed. "I smell horses, dude! I'm not sure which way to go..."

"Well don't look at me!" Blade shrugged. "I definitely don't know!"

"Well then, we'll just follow that road." Dray said walking towards the road not even waiting for Blade. "Maybe there will be something up this way to tell us where we are! Besides I'm also a bit thirsty."

Blade just shook his head and followed.

A wet yet beautiful two-toned paint-jobbed hovering hotrod blew into the dirt and gravel of the in front of the general store. The vehicle spun at the end like the driver was playing, which he was. He then slowed to a stop in a gathered cloud of dirt and a spray of gravel that went into the corral.

The horses bolted away from the car and away from the heat of the afterburners of the rocket assist systems on the back of the car. The engine was revved once again for emphasis. The horses ran around the edge of the inside of the corral fence in terror. Will finally shut the car off. The turbos were still whirring along nicely until the driver remembered to turn them off. The driver's door popped open

"Horatio Fong I got 'cho cool shot! Damn! I love this car!"

The pajama clad Molvaenean gently closed the door. Willyam looked around to where Vangar was standing. The wind was still unmoving in this place but Willyam's keen nose noticed others very close by, plus around the dozen or so horses still running around the corral. They slowly began to calm down. Only the odd stallion prancing here or there, showing himself off for the ladies! He smelled some two women and a third female but smelling like that Ginn guy that he got the car from.

Willyam walked over to where Vangar was talking to some female. His nose still picked up some other girl close by but where? He did not know. She smelled like and Aldabarian, an eagle-winged human or a human with eagle-like nose and the wings of the eagle. Human otherwise, the sub species of this race is the Peacock.

"Dude, why are we coming up here for?" Blade'A'Man asked casting a sidelong glance at Dray. "You got wings why didn't we fly? Geez! Now we are wet to the bone!"

Dray only snorted as he returned a similar glance towards his human companion. "How the yiff was I suppose to have known it was going to rain? Besides I just didn't want to stay. I wanted to stretch my legs! A War Dragon is a small cramped ship dude! And for your first question, I wanted me a Pepsi... I spotted a general store up here."

"How you know if they got Pepsis?"

But Blade'A'Man stopped, making the eight foot tall reptile about stumble over him. Dray followed Blade'A'Man's eyes and saw a hover car. About several feet away were a female and some other reptilian being.

But Dray sensed something else making the fins running along his spine become rigid and his crest frill. He sniffed the air and snorted. He went down to his fours and growled to Blade'A'Man

"Dude... something's not right... Something over by that corral..."

Blade'A'Man lifted his long black haired head and looked about. He slipped a fingerless-gloved hand into his long gray duster. A small tight grin came to his angelic face as he felt the cool metal hilt of his sword.

Vangar looked from the Ginn to the women. 'Why do these two bring out emotions in me as if... as if I've known them forever... What if I am just a creation ...?'

He thought solemnly, 'How could I face any natural sentient ever again? I'd be less than them...Something they made... Only worthy of the fate they choose for me! What useless thoughts!'

Vangar stood back up to his full height swinging his tail around. He said quietly to Ariana with a slight nod of appreciation. "Thank you... for helping me on my quest to find my past. Maybe it's just a coincidence but that Ginn of yours looks identical to me in every way except I am also like you human creatures. Maybe..."

Vangar stopped before following through with the rest of that sentence. 'Better she doesn't know what I think.'

So wrapped up in his thoughts, Vangar hadn't noticed the arrival of Will until now. He spun around and gave a toothy smile. Turning back to a now startled Ariana who once again gathered her small Ginn in her arms.

"Ariana, meet Willyam, my friend who was also dumped on this planet like me! I'm sure we have much to discus but we better get inside where we will be safer..." Vangar looked from Will to the woman. Then turning his small snout up to sniff the air he announced. "We are not alone."

Not wanting to tip their visitors off Vangar made a slight head movement towards the two new scents off to their side. He also picked up a third for the first time... near the corral. 'Shoot! Surrounded by who knows what. Back in the street I was never so careless...'

"Yeah probably. The wind has blown a few other people scents where I can smell them. I'm not sure what they are but the chick over next to the horses is an Aldabarian... I think. The pair amid leather and metal is out there..." Willyam pointed towards were a couple of people were standing just off the road. It was hard to see in the Monsoon that was still dumping down a torrent of water. It was still a dry and dusty day under the domed area of the general store and the a joining corral.

Dray blinked and stood back up. He allowed his crest to relax as he saw that the fellow red... drake... or whatever he was spotted him. Dray held up his hands. "Whoa Dudes! We mean yall no harm! I'm Dray... son of Char'K'Mille and this is my...er... cousin, Blade'A'Man son of Nepto. I know...he's human and I'm... a Reptilian but thanks to our so-called grandfather and his genetic works...We are cousins! Sorry that I looked the way I do but something is near the corral..."

Blade'A'Man just waved with a broad grin. He couldn't help but give the lovely dark haired maiden a wink.

Dray continued pointing at Will, "I see that you are Molavin... a race that I haven't had the opportunity to meet, before but I have heard of"

"Ah, M-o-l-v-a-e-n-e-a-n," Willyam said slowly pronouncing his race's name. "I didn't think that you would do us harm! Not for one minute!" Willyam was showing that his acting is masterful as he held his composure perfect keeping up the charade. In his mind he kept down the nearly overwhelming urge to succumb to his fear. He was trying hard to keep from sprinting away from all these strange terrors and having to meet new dangerous looking people and their monsters.

Blade'A'Man just held a hand out to Ariana and smiled a flashy full teeth grin trying in vain to look charming, "Hello..."

"WOW!" Willyam exclaimed seeing the girl for the first time. A glint came to his eyes as he drank in Ariana. She just looked at him with a look of displeasure.

He turned around and looked down at his attire. He gave a slightly embarrassed sighed.

"Oh... Well..."

He turned back to Vangar and the girl

"Hey chickitah! How 'choo doin' Ba-By! 'Choo are too pretty to be walking out here." Willyam said in the vernacular of his world, or that's how it came out anyway. Willyam walked over and sidled up to the girl and gently grasped her arm to interlock hers in his. Ariana just raised her brows and stared at him as if the wolf has lost his mind. "Please let us escort the young woman, if you would please, m'Lady, into the shelter and out of the hot dry sun."

Dray only rolled his eyes and gave a snort sending streams of smoke into the air. He shook his red head pleading in his thoughts. 'Du-udes... Please...'

Willyam was making his eyes twinkle in the light no magic he just had a knack for the dramatic. He smiled ever so gently and looked out from under his wolfish eyebrows across to the girl putting on his best face. He then led the girl towards the store but she stopped as her dragon sense kicked in.

"What?" Will asked putting a hand to his snout. "My breath isn't bad is it?"

Ariana just shook her head not really listening to the wolf. "No... Something bad is coming this way..."

The rain stopped all of a sudden. The store suddenly melted out of reality but the corral didn't. Everything is still wet an soggy where the three stood but they are not. A different building close to the corral suddenly melts into reality.

Two people, one yelling at the other also came out of the ferns and around a bush with the leaves curling up into finger-like tubes towards the source of oxygen. The finger pointer bush was pointing at the first one as he stopped with a look of shock on his face. The one that was berating him bumped into his back.

"Stupid, dumbass! You call that a storm? Overpower the damn thing then just stop...What the hell are you stopping for now you stupid, son of a..."

"Shutup Jerome! They're here!" The first one did not look behind him. He just moved a hand back to jab his companion.

"Oh bloody hell!" The companion stood back and grabbed at an empty scabbard. He looked as if he drew nothing out of the scabbard. The first one reached to his back and also held what looked to be nothing in his hands.

"Wait a minute Jerome... They're not the same ones! These are different!" He glanced at his companion Jerome. Jerome winked at the first but then a puzzled look crept across his ugly avian face.

"Bloodblade, we rape the people after we kill them right?"

Bloodblade looked over at his companion shaking his head, "No stupid! We rape them after we get the money THEN we kill them. Tell me you got it now?"

Jerome rearranged the order of procedure nodding his head still looking a bit lost. "Yeah... Right! What you said!"

He began to grin evilly. They both began to walk toward Willyam, Vangar, Dray, Blade, Ariana and Kai.

Dray and Blade followed her gaze and saw the two other people that were coming up towards them. A Vulture-like bird being, kind of walked like a bird too along with a smell that made Willyam grabbed his nose with both hands.

"Ack!" Was all Willyam said in some kind of agony. "That...stench..."

The other was an overly hairy Simian. Both of them were dressed in head to toe in mail with breastplate cuirass in front only for the Vulchaan but a front and back for the Simian. The Simian first spoke up.

"Okay just completely disrobe slaves!" He began in a commanding voice "Step back at attention for inspection!"

"Yeah... Inspection!" The Vulchaan giggled as he drooled a long line of spittle.

Dray turned around and furled a lip. The stench from these dudes was overwhelming. Blade'A'Man couldn't help but cough and cover his own nose.

Dray frilled and growled. "Slaves? Who the yiff you calling slaves you foul smelling fowl!"

Dray lifted his hand, which was covered with a power gauntlet. "Dudes, I disrobe for nobody unless she has long slender legs... and a well blossomed..."

"Dray..." Blade'A'Man snapped giving his comrade a nudge. "There's a lady present..."

Blade'A'Man stepped in front of the lovely Ariana and slipped out a small plasma pistol of his own from his gray duster.

"Guys... I don't know what you want..." Blade'A'Man said in his best businesslike manner, "But I'm sorry... my ass isn't it... But yours... with my plasma? I think we can arrange that!"

Vangar looked wildly from Will, Kai, and Ariana, to Dray and Blade, then finally to the new and obviously hostile creatures which faced everyone now.

"G-r-r-r-r-r! Everyone get out of here! I'll hold them off!" Vangar commanded while spreading his legs, arms and wings wide. His ears snapped back half way making him look even more ferocious. "I mean it guys! I've fought and killed to stay alive my whole life! If anyone can beat them..."

Dray gave a roar then falling to his fours alongside the other red. "Man! I don't pass up a good fight!"

Vangar shook his head. "The last thing I want is for any of you to get hurt! So get going while you can!"

He didn't wait to see what they would do. He couldn't let any of them get hurt. Especially Will. Even if it meant losing his own life it would be better than losing even one of them including the two new comers.

"You picked the wrong people to mess with perverts!"

The draconian growled. He had heard their conversation in the bush and knew what they were really up to. He had dealt with and seen firsthand the horror their kind was capable of. With a long piercing keen, Vangar used his wings to shoot forward aiming for the vulture thing.

At the last moment of his charge he planned to use his tail to propel him to the right of the creature. To bring him between both of the attackers where he would rake them with his claws as he sailed by.

Even though they were armored, Vangar was sure his claws would pierce through and do some damage... at least he hoped. Before he passed them, Vangar was going to use his wings to make him spin 360 degrees, allowing him to bash and knock them both over with his tail.

Dray scurried to the other side so the two dark fiends were surrounded by him and Vangar. Dray raised a pierced brow as he watched the red draconian whirl his powerful tail around knocking the two back.

Dray joined in on the fray and opened his mouth taking in a deep breath. He pushed out with a gush sending forth a long column of fire engulfing the Vulchaan.

With a snort he commented, "I didn't like the way he smelled..."

Ariana, to her disgust, felt herself blush at all the masculinity that began to surround her. The innuendoes they were making about her and some of the looks they were giving her made her all too aware of her being the only woman among them.

The thought of having to be protected made her more stubborn and angry than anything else. She stepped out from behind the wall of 'protectors'. She shook her braid loose and finally got a look at their attackers.

Blade'A'Man jumped when a figure pushed past him. He saw that it was the lovely Ariana. She had loosened her braids and held a determined look in her eyes that only softened when she looked down at her little charge.

She saw that this was not a good situation when a few of the others has rushed ahead first into battle.

'Men..' She thought to herself. There was no time for her flute so Ariana chose the next best thing. Grabbing Kai to her chest she whistled a melody under her breath. The air crackled as her magic wove its protection around herself and Kai.

Once she was sure that her temporary barrier was up, Ariana turned to the assistance of the others. They were in the heat of battle, totally oblivious of what she was doing.

'This is better Kai. Like the wizard said, its better they not know my power.' S_he mind-spoke to the dragon. There were a few jets of red and orange in Ariana's mind indicating that Kai understood but yet still a bit afraid. Ariana rubbed her little Ginn's head. '_Worry not little one. I won't let anything happen to you...'

Again there was the recognition of her words but the fear was all too clear. Ariana felt a new wave of rage at these attackers for frightening the hatchling so. This time Ariana grabbed for her flute and pushed out a shaky tune. Not from fear but anger made her notes scratchy compared to their usual perfection.

The magic that flowed from her music was energized but reckless, filling the receivers with a burst of strength and energy. Finally, Ariana took the flute down and took the dragon in her arms again. Backing away from the fight slowly.

Blade started to reach out to her but paused as he saw he take out a flute like instrument and put it to her rosy lips. Blade'A'Man watched with fascination as she played a rough hurried tune on it and was startled when he saw the two reds suddenly seem to become fueled with a new strength.

'A... dragon charmer!' He gasped to himself. As he watched Ariana play her tunes, Blade felt a new respect for this woman. He grinned tightly to himself. 'Ariana... your secret is safe with me...'

Dray felt his body suddenly come alive with a new strength as a sweet tune trilled in his tympanic membranes. He felt as if he could take on the whole universe. He could tell that Vangar felt the same.

'I'm not sure,' Vangar thought as he was filled with power from the song, 'Whether I'm angry that she has that power over me, or glad.'

He watched the little human girl as she back away from the battle and made a mental note to keep his eye on her. 'I'm not letting you escape little one,' he thought of both Ariana and Kai, 'I have too much to ask and discuss.'

It seemed that one of their attackers, the bird one, was either dead from Dray's attack or very incapacitated. Vangar was relieved that the others had stayed but still felt bit agitated that they did.

He had always fought alone. It was an odd feeling having an ally in combat and an even odder feeling having a friend throughout. His eyes flicked from Dray, to Blade, to Ariana, and then finally to Willyam whose wolfish features registered slight fear. After a few heartbeats, he returned his attention to the final nemesis. With the extra power, he was sure this fool would fall fast and hard.

Dodging a slash easily, Vangar hung back thinking of the best and most painful way to take the guy out. He mused while dodging several more frantic slashes and jabs,'I want to make you suffer! I know your kind you pervert! I've watched from the shadows what sentients like you can do to others! The thought you'd do that to Will... is un-forgivable!'

The hairy creature (who's stench didn't affect Vangar since that's what the alleyways and streets smell like deep in the city where only the refuge, and those like him were forced to live) frantically dived towards Vangar, trying its best to impale him.

Vangar kept distracting the creature with an insult, giving the others time to regroup or do what they wished. Since Dray was the closest, he waited to see if the reptile would attack. If so, Vangar would stop playing with the hairy man and instead institute his doom.

Dray watched Vangar for a moment. He then tilted his head. He knew what the fellow reptilian was doing but thought about being amusing. "Dude, didn't yer ma ever tell ya not to play with yer food? Just do his dumb ass in already!"

Dray then did a low spin lashing his own long tail out and tripping the hairy stench ball. "Now you've got a clean pounce, my friend. Let's get this over with! This punk is really starting to annoy me...and trust me...that's not good!"

The battle situation repelled Ariana. She held Kai a bit too tightly in her arms and the dragon began to squirm. Ariana hated playing the hapless female but she was basically weaponless. Her magic was more of a defense then a weapon, though she could perform small generator spells like she just did.

Her magic was not tied to any specific boundary like a normal elemental witch or wizard in her world. Here, she had no idea how magic worked. Kai was dropping her fear now that the battle was obviously going to their protectors. Ariana was not sure if she was more happy or angry by this.

It embarrassed her beyond words to have to be protected. It was a feeling she had always resented. She still edged away from the display of testosterone. Kai began wriggling again and Ariana almost lost her hold on her charge.

'Kai, stop your wiggling. I'm not putting you down until this is over!'

The message was received clearly. Ariana was sure of it when a jet of silver ran through her mind. Kai was pouting. She sighed and continued her retreat.

Ariana wasn't sure why she was backing away. It wasn't the fighting that drove her running but she wasn't sure she wanted to stick around among this crowd. 'Kai, I think we should get out of here...'

The dragon didn't respond but Ariana knew that she had heard her message.

Blade'A'Man watched Ariana. The woman looked... not really frightened but... angry. She kept backing away as if she just wanted to get away from everything. The tiny reptile in her arms squirmed as if it too wanted to get away.

Blade'A'Man reached out and gently touched Ariana on her elbow. She gave a small start as she glared up at him. "Hey... what's wrong?"

His face shone with shear worry for the girl. He reached inside his long coat and pulled out another plasma pistol. He handed it over to her...

"Here... take this. Trust me you'll probably need it..."

Ariana just backed up and shook her head. "No... I'm fine..."

"YEAH DUDE!"

Blade looked back around and saw that both attackers lay prone on the ground dead. Blade started to give a hoop of his own but something peculiar happened. The cretins laid there on the ground for a total of one second. Then the Vulchaan and Simian got back up. The blood of their torn and shredded internal organs still leaked where ever they had just been ripped out from and through the rend armor. Before Dray's and Vangar's eyes, all their wounds healed within three seconds.

Both of them in this surprising turn of events then attacked first Ariana. Being as members of the Order of the Crimson dagger it was the meanest thing to do!

Ariana gave a surprised yelp when she saw the two dead men get back up. She then gave a scream when they turned on her! It was a good thing she still had her protective netting over her and Kai. Now she kind of wished that she did take the gun from Blade.

She was shocked to see that the weapons they wielded only turned visible when they struck her force field net. Except for the one that was 'powered'. It was a two handed sword but when the chain saw blade kicked in on the medium high tech blade it could chew through 90% of weaker force field shields with only one stroke. An awful damage creating weapon, it was a chain sword!

The other one the Simian used was a different normal weapon but it was a two handed ax. The most frightening thing was that not only was both of these men's' weapons invisible but that there was little chance to parry because of it. If you can't see it, how do you know if he is going to hit you with it? Plus how do you defend and where?

After both men failed to hurt Ariana they looked at each other and then both swung on Dray standing also in shock nearby. Dray blinked when he saw them rush him. He could not react in time because he didn't know that he was going to be struck by an invisible weapon. Neither weapon became visible until just before it struck in the second and a half amount of time that was.

His surprise slowed him leaving him only enough time to dodge out of the way, but not enough time to attack in any way. Dray felt a searing pain lance down the middle of his back as he felt his opponent's weapon bite into his scaly hide.

Both men are rewarded unseen through the guidelines of their Order just for being mean. The Vulchaan grinned, will get more since instead of attacking again with the chain sword he instead pushed his 'friend' from behind into Blade. He flew up into the air after the diversion. The Simian was surprised by the double cross, bounced off of Blade and onto the ground with Blade in a jumble of arms and legs. The Vulchaan also dropped off one last present as he left the battle in a cowardly retreat, a gas grenade! It is spinning around on the ground fogging out the area billowing in about forty feet in diameter. It is fog of thick green colored tear gas!

"Sh..., Pi.., YIFF!"

Willyam ran for the car when he saw the two get back up. He stopped when Ariana got attacked and then Dray. He started to run again and gotten into the car. He started the vehicle and dropped it into gear when Vulchaan dropped his rotten egg.

As the gas started to envelope the area, Blade managed to kick off his 'zombie' friend long enough to reach back inside his long duster and pulled out several gas masks.

He tossed one to a now bewildered Dray, Ariana, and Vangar. Since the wolf ran for his car, Blade figured the Molvaenean would be okay. Blade slipped on his mask in time. Ariana grabbed a mask and ran from the sight.

Willyam spun the car around and hoped he didn't set anyone on fire! He floored the engine and flipped the turbos on. The blast of wind and afterburner did send out a 100' flame directly behind. This flame passed over Blade and Bloodblade's heads as they were on the ground. The car did not go anywhere for Willyam was doing a brake stand in the hover car to blow the gas cloud away. He stopped and turned to see the guy with Blade rolled free. He hurried to his feet.

"Yiff this and you people too!"

He pulled out a scroll and began to read it. Thinking that the stinking Simian was going to be charged him again. Blade reached out for his lost plasma pistol and jammed in right for his attacker's chest and fired.

The hairy beast exploded in two parts sending guts everywhere. Blade'A'Man blinked as he became splattered.

"Now that was just a disgusting thing to do..."

CHAPTER IV

PHOENIX FERN

Vangar swore in every language he knew, which is quite a lot. He swore when the monsters got back up. He swore more when they attacked Ariana and then Dray without him being able to do a thing to defend his friends. He finished off his vocabulary when the tear gas hit. He would have continued if he didn't run out when he discovered that Blade's gas mask didn't fit his snout.

He heard the sound of the car starting and was able to duck just in time to avoid the flames. However, even though the tear gas was gone, its affects wouldn't wear off for nearly half an hour. Stumbling forward, the draconian heard the sound of the plasma gun go off and then of the creature's torso landing directly at his feet.

Unleashing his full rage, Vangar tore apart the creature so that no power besides that of God himself could ever revive it. He devoured the creature's major organs, or what little bits were left of them, for good measure. Satisfied his work was done Vangar turned his tear-blurred eyes up in a futile attempt to locate Dray. He was able to make out the fallen outline of the injured drake and so stumbled towards him.

"Dray... DRAY!" Vangar called out hoarsely. His throat was on fire making it all but impossible to even talk or breath. He grabbed the younger red's arm where he laid prone upon the ground. His head was turned where Vangar could see half-glazed eyes under half closed lids. The drake's fallen crest now laid about his head. "Dray no! Don't be dead!"

Dray lifted his head and grabbed for the red clawed hand that was shaking him. Pain lanced down in between his wings' shoulder blades. He could feel the wetness of his dark blood.

"Damn!" Dray gasped between the pain and gas. "I've been hit... I didn't see a yiffing weapon... Man... YE-OUCH!"

Blade came running over with a look of shear worry on his face. "Dray... Oh my..."

Blade knelt down and inspected his friend's injury. He gave a sigh of relief. "It looks worse than what it is dude. It's just a gash..."

With Vangar's help, Blade got Dray back to his feet. The drake gave a growl from the pain. "Guess I'll be okay..."

He looked over a Will whom was still sitting in the car looking at them. Dray gave the wolf a thumbs up sign. "Good job dude...That was excellent... work..."

Ariana grabbed the gas mask but she didn't put it on. Instead he jammed the mask over Kai's face and held her own breath as she ran in the other direction. By the time Will was able to blow the gas away, Ariana had fell to her hands and knees gasping for breath. Her eyes filled with water and her skin felt like it was on fire. Her nose ran but she couldn't feel it. Her body went in between numbness and burning making her twitch and spasm with every passing sensation.

Kai pulled off the mask and nudged her sending cool greens and tans threw her mind showing her worry. Ariana couldn't even see her, the pain and watering of her eyes was so bad. She clawed at her chest trying to find her flute but her fingers couldn't close around it properly without tipping her over to the ground.

Ariana balanced herself and took a breath. She whistled a low, long and slow tune that sent a surge of magic flowing in and around her body. It healed her from the inside out forcing the intruding symptoms of the gas out of her. By the time she stopped, she was about ninety percent normal rather than the ten percent functional. Her eyes stopped watering and her nose stopped running. Her skin was tingling but no longer was there pain.

Ariana sat down hard and Kai curled up on her lap. She looked down at her loving Ginn taking in deep breaths. 'That was a close one love... I thought they had me there'.

She realized that situation could have turned out far worse than it had. The spell she had performed left her a headache but healed the rest of her almost completely.

After seeing that Dray was okay and helped to stand, Blade looked about to see if Ariana was okay after her attack. He spotted her a few feet away collapsed to the ground. Her worried little dragon nudging her. His heart leapt. 'Oh! No!'

He hurried to her and reached down to tap her shoulder. "Are you going to be alright Ariana? Is your little friend there okay?"

Ariana looked up at Blade with a raised eyebrow. "I am going to be just fine."

Her voice was flat, void of emotion. She didn't mean to sound so cold towards him but she was angry with herself. She had just pulled off the worst stereotyping of woman kind ever...she had depended on the men to protect her while she fled away from the fighting. She shook her head a little, wincing as a sharp pain bit into her.

"I'm sorry..." She muttered. "Yes, we're fine and we'll be even better after a bit of rest."

Ariana sighed as he helped her to her feet. "It's been a long day."

Kai sent a few yellow bursts of understanding her worry abated. Ariana picked up the dragon and hugged her. Kai was safe and unharmed, that was the most important thing. She looked around and saw that the strange dragon-man, which has been introduced as Dray, was hurt.

Ariana was careful as she walked over, not wanting to overstep her bounds. She looked over Vangar's shoulder at the wound. It was deep and bleeding. Ariana's fingers inched to her flute, wanting to play a song of healing for him. It worried her to see him in pain. It worried her to see anyone in pain.

She went up to Vangar. "Maybe you should have a talk with Blade... He looks a bit worried."

Vangar looked down at her and gave a nod and mumbled in a miserable sort of voice. "Perhaps you're right... All this wouldn't have happened if I paid a bit more attention! Dray, you hang in there okay buddy? I'm going over to talk with your friend..."

Dray just nodded and closed his eyes wincing as the pain lanced through his shoulder making his left wing droop. Dray leaned on Will's car and gasp. "Damn... This just yiffing sucks..."

She waited until Vangar had left Dray's side and walked over to talk to Blade. Now was her chance. Ariana sneaked over to Dray and pressed a few quieted and rushed notes from her flute. The spell flew from her and towards the wound, healing it and sealing it closed in the blink of an eye. It cleaned and lessened the pain for Dray.

Ariana wasn't sure he even knew she was there until the pain stopped and the wound healed. But by then she was inching away before anyone saw her. When she dropped the flute, she hoped that her rushing of the healing spell was still as effective at healing him.

A sweet tune filled his mind. He just purred and kept his eyes closed as he allowed the warming tunes to envelop his mind, body and pain. The tunes were only brief but were very fulfilling. Dray never felt so comforted in his whole life. The tunes faded like his pain. He opened his eyes and flexed his left wing. Still no pain. Puzzled he looked about. He saw Blade talking with Vangar off towards his left and Ariana with her dragon off to his right. He blinked really confused. Why was he always hearing these sweet tunes that seem to... have a certain control over him?

Ariana thought it now best to not use her magic for a while. The warning the wizard had given her was still in her mind. Ariana looked down on her flute, remembering her father and missing him again. She stuffed the flute on the inside of her shirt, leaving her snowflake in view, and then she rebraided her hair. It was a seemingly endless task and she hated it, but she didn't have the heart to cut her hair. Ariana sighed. "You have some serious issues Ari,"

She shook her head and as she mumbled to herself. Kai tilted her head to the side and looked up at her. Ariana gave a short giggle before reaching into her pack. "Ok little one, are you hungry?"

Kai jumped to her feet, waging her tail like an excited puppy. Ariana didn't need a sending of color to tell her that was a resounding yes. With a laugh, Ariana pulled out some of the food she had packed and split it with Kai. "Do you think the others are hungry baby?"

Again, Kai tilted her head as if considering. The sky had begun to darken signaling the coming night. Ariana felt the day's stress of emotion and magic on her and began to feel drowsy. "If they want it, they can come and get some. I'm ready for bed, what about you?"

Kai sent her a few sending's of agreement and curled up at her side. Ariana pulled out the blankets she packed and wrapped one around Kai's small form. She wrapped the other around herself and laid on her backpack like a pillow. Although she was tired, sleep didn't come to her. It claimed Kai quickly, as she was sound asleep in Ariana's arms in a few seconds.

Blade'A'Man looked up and saw that the sky was beginning to darken as the sun was going in for the day. He looked at the others and suggested. "Well! Since we've got no other place to go, let's make camp here tonight!"

He looked over and saw that Ariana have already had the same thing in mind and was curled up with her dragon. Blade couldn't help but smile as he watched the two. Kai's slow rhythmic breathing and Ariana's smooth face. Her snowflake necklace catching the last of the days light. Both looked so calm now.

He sighed and reached inside his duster. In moments... Blade had some tents up and along with a crackling fire thanks to Dray. Blade was still amazed by how Dray got healed. He was in perfect good ol' drake health. Matter of fact, the red drake went off and came back with good game, which was now cooking above the flames. After it was done he looked to the others.

"Want some?" Blade grinned handing out tin plates... that he again pulled from his strange duster of seemingly endless pockets.

Anya watched the group settle in for the night. She did not realize it was so late. She had been watching the whole fight and aftermath from a safe distance. She had to fly up into the air when the tear gas filled the area. As soon as the tear gas cleared, she landed only a few yards away from where the group was.

She did not have a place to stay. She started to come right out and introduce herself to the others but thought better of it. Anya has never been one to just openly befriend people. She had learned a long time ago not to trust many people.

She walked off the path nearby and found a small clearing where she decide was a safe place to stay, hidden from the group by foliage. She unbuckled the straps to her backpack and set it down.

Anya pulled out a small pillow and a blanket. She folded her wings and settled herself down with the pillow and blanket. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Vangar stood a little ways off from the group, his back turned, wings folded tightly against his back and arms across his chest. He stood watching the stars as they appeared one by one and reflected on today's events.

'Dray nearly lost his life because of me! How could I have messed up so much?' Vangar's lips twitched as he berated himself. 'I should have been easily able to intercept those monsters! Alas... I nearly lost him to my negligence! At lease Ariana healed him.'

Vangar gave a sly smile. He appeared to be the only one who had watched Ariana do what she did. 'Yes, my little one. I saw... I know...'

During his conversation with Blade, which consisted of thinking up ways of getting Dray's wounds healed and an apology from Vangar for letting the red drake down, he had happened to glance back over to keep a eye on the younger red. He heard the melody that was played. Though it hadn't been meant for him, it had still filled him somewhat_._

'Why has she this power over me? I must inquire later,' he told himself and then noted the appearance of another star. He began to ponder, 'When I was dumped on this planet... and when I met Willyam, I thought for sure I could finally be Vangar. The name that I gave to myself. I always wanted to be. But, even here I've been forced to take a life only after a few hours. It seems I will never escape my past... I will never cease to be the Crimson Slayer. At least this time... I won't be killing for myself but for those I care about.'

Vangar turned back to the group obviously not hungry and since he needs only three hours of sleep a day, not tired either. Still, he gave a weak smile as he watched Dray and Blade eating, laughing and joking. Dray saw him and waved him over, his now greasy snout in a wide grin. Vangar took a deep sigh and joined them around the campfire. It was odd to be with other people...but he thinks he could get use to it.

Will awoke from some strange dream that he no longer could remember. The call of nature hit him so he got up and slipped out of his car quietly. He saw that the corral have vanished at some point during the night. It was a quiet night too, a very odd thing in this part of the wilds!

Will walked around to the other side of his car and did his business. When he finished and fixed his pajamas, he looked out towards where the others were. He saw that the others had tents and Ariana didn't. He frowned. "Now that's just plumb rude...'

So Will waltzed right over and knelt down. He gently shook Ariana. She moaned and looked up at him through blurry eyes. "What?"

The wolf grinned down at her and offered "Ariana, you are welcomed to stay in my back seat for the night..."

"Um... that's okay Will..." She replied still half asleep. "We'll be... fine..."

She was fast asleep before she could finish her sentence. Will droop his mouth and shrug. 'Oh... well. I least I tried... Must be my breath...'

The breeze came up a bit and he picked up that scent again. The scent of the female he detected earlier. He saw Vangar's dark silhouette sitting as if he was on guard. Knowing the big lizard, he was.

So Will hurried over to him and decided to tell him what he knew. " Dude, there is like a chickitah out over there somewhere."

Willyam pointed out towards some high foliage. "She smells like an Aldabarian! A young one too! I can't figure out why she is still out there though. She must have noticed us. Maybe she is just anti-social"

Vangar looked down at him. "Yes... I have been picking up a scent as well. Maybe you should go tell Dray and Blade."

Will grinned and gave a nod suddenly feeling important. So he went over and shook Dray. Dray gave a snort and lifted his head not opening his eyes. He barred his teeth and hissed. "Tis... better be yiffing good..."

"Eer... well I just wanted to... well... ah.. Tell you about the hiding female..."

Dray then opened just one eye. "I know. I smelt her to... and dude don't she smell sweet!"

Will couldn't help but give a laugh and nod. Dray then lost his smile and plopped his head back down. "Now go back to bed!"

Willyam just raised his brows and made his mouth in a 'o' rubbing his paws on his pajamas before standing back up. He looked back down at the two and shrugged. "Well... at least I tried..."

So Willyam hurried back to his car and eased the door of the front seat couch open and closed it the same way getting in to sleep for the night. He was in the front he wished that Ariana was in the back. His eyelids became heavy the moment he laid his head down.

He began to have half-awake dreams or nightmares about Kai getting loudly sick on the upholstery or blowing a burn stain through the vinyl seats.

_"Stop it!" H_e yelled within his own mind. He drifted off into a deeper sleep, visions of people and places he did not know. Scenes of a town and other people... a couple cigar shapes in the air and people all running around in different directions! A crazy dream that was jumbled all up and hard to make out. Confused, colorful with all the flames and stuff.

The troubled dream smoothed out into a forest glade of calm. Before him lay a cool spring flowing up from the crystalline rocks below to an erupting froth of bubbles and sparkling effervescence. He reached down to touch the pool and it melted into reality. He was looking at the sunrise through the side windows making his hand appear to be aflame.

His mouth was as dry as a bone and he sat up. He pulled his legs around underneath him and regarded the new day from the driver's seat.

'Well,' he thought looking down at his pajamas, "I seem to have brought the right clothes it seems... I will always have something to sleep in this way...'

' Might be nice to have some shoes or covers later though...What's this?'

He couldn't see his feet at the angle he sat, but when he did look down he noticed another lever close to the hump in the middle. He opened his door to move his legs out the door to see how to move the lever when it didn't budge the other way. He scrunched down into the floor of the driver's side to read the lever's plate. Something was written on it... in Ancient Molvaen no less!

It read: "Doest thou in direst distress or through desire to attain greater azimuth, lean into with all thine own strength this lever ye shall move not! Thee maysest only move this lever at one full half attainment of fullest acceleration possible, then thouest pull the lever easily back. Know thou that the wheel be all the control thouest may require, but thou do hath the accelerator and air brake only, the gears need not be engaged, for truely it would be a waste of thine time."

Willyam lifted a brow. He looked out at the others to see if any was awake. He wanted tell them about his newest discovery and maybe someone could then explain what the hell the plaque was referring.

After watching everyone just toss and turn, fart and snore, he decided to explore the area where the mangled body parts were strewn. It was beginning to stink as they begun to decay. He crinkled his nose and almost gagged.

Something caught Willyam's eye in the soft tones of the sunrise. Putting his hand up to his nose, never did ever help much, he went over to the pieces of body that lay in amongst the weeds and grass. While holding his breath, he reached down to the gauntlet that lay open upon the ground. The hand was still attached, inside the gauntlet and four rings lay in the center of the palm. As if the fellow were in the action of taking them off or putting them on when he was dismembered so quickly.

Willyam picked them up. All four of them seemed to be attracted to each other.

"Like a magnet'" Willyam said out loud playing with the four rings. Willyam paused as he caught a whiff on the wind of the other female out in the trees of to the left somewhere.

Willyam decided to go and tell her to join them so he started off following her scent along the trail of the wind that led to her. When he got closer to the winged girl her scent got stronger so she had to be close by. So Willyam paused and faced the bush he knew she was behind.

"Hello, are you there?" He spoke first. When he didn't get a response he decided that perhaps he might should try a little louder, "Hello you there, young woman? Hi, I'm Willyam and if you want, there is safety in numbers! I'm ah... I got ah... well..."

Willyam stopped then wonder what he could say next, "Well it would be nice to have you come join us,"

He blurted out, getting to the point. He didn't really mean to make it sound so boring office worker-like but he'd already said it and he could not think of anything else to say, "Well I'm out of things to say, especially if you won't even show yourself!"

Willyam was looking down away from the scent direction and then looked up. When he didn't see anyone, he just went back to the others. "Well I at least invited her..."

He turned to glance back in her direction then back to the party still asleep in the morning sun.

Since he needed only 3 hours of sleep, Vangar had woken sometime in the night and managed to untangle himself from everyone without waking them. Sleeping near any other creature was completely foreign to him, but that didn't mean he wasn't glad to finally not be alone and enjoyed the company. A smile curled his lips back slightly as he regarded everyone from his vantage point hidden in the trees. He wanted to go back to join them but now that he was awake he couldn't make himself fall asleep.

From there he could watch both his group, and the winged girl on the other side of the bushes. He had kept watch, making sure no new creatures tried to attack their group. He had also gone back to the spot where he had torn the hairy creature to sheds and retrieved their odd weapons. After he done so, he returned back to his post.

Vangar took in the view from his post. From this view the road looked not very well traveled. Clumps of grass grew in the muddied over tracks of animal drawn vehicles. An old track of something motorized lead off down the road in a meandering easterly direction.

The road banked off to the plain beyond where the trees ended. Not that anyone really noticed but the place everyone was now was on a hill. The trees got thicker becoming a true forest toward the less traveled road east direction.

The road off towards the plains sort of becomes non-existent. The trees around are large spreading trees, sycamores mostly. A silver barked tree that looks like a boundary oak is also growing nearby. The leaves reflected the light of the rising sun off of them making the leaves look like twinkling stars as the wind softly moved them. Low bushes of the finger pointer variety curled and uncurled as oxygen passed over their leaves. The only other life form around was the grass that grew everywhere else that the sun hit.

The birds in the trees twittered along happily, making a chorus that got louder and louder until it was becoming a deafening din of overlapping songs. Then all sound stopped making Vangar's fin like ears twitch and his head tilted.

Movement made him become distracted from the silence. It was only Will. Vangar watched him get out of the car and suppressed a snicker when Will didn't notice he wasn't among the tangled limbs. He continued to watch as Will called out to the new woman.

Now that dawn had come, Vangar had finally gotten a good look at their surroundings and didn't like it one bit. 'The road... it fades away in the trees and on the plains. That means people once used it a lot... but something happened. I don't like what this could mean at all.'

Seeing Will standing there looking between the group and the girl, Vangar decided to give him a little jolt to keep him on his toes. Moving silently though the trees and keeping himself down wind, Vangar positioned himself directly behind Willyam.

With a semi-loud (so as not to disturb anyone else who may be sleeping) a blood curling death cry, Vangar leapt out of the branches landing directly behind the Molvaenean, and grabbed both of Will's shoulders giving him a little shake.

It took a few moments for Vangar to get a hold of his laughter. He thumped Will on the back. "You should keep yourself alert at all time. Especially in a place like this!"

Willyam's reaction was a long time coming. The effect of surprise on him kind of embarrassed him. The jumping out of his skin part he didn't like a lot either and finding out it was Vangar made him want to hit him.

But an emerald stepped out from behind them both stopping Willyam from doing anything else. Willyam heard Vangar say something to him but the sparkling voice of a sweet essence of jasmine and saffron filled the air in a cascade before him.

She stepped forth from the ferns the fronds gently caressing her legs as she passed effortlessly into the path, where Willyam had just treaded. He stood in awe for a whole millisecond. Vangar said something short and to the point after the beauty of the forest strode out before them.

Willyam thought to add to her magnificence to compose a ballad that would describe, to inform all the world of her. Now that she came into the light he could see she was not the vision he was daydreaming of.

"Hey, Yeah hi!"

Anya was only a couple of yards away from them. She stopped and stood there.

"Hello," she said coolly to them as she waved.

Anya had heard whoever called her but decided to greet everyone in the morning. She got up and stretched out her arms, legs, and wings. She rubbed her eyes, and then put her blanket and pillow back into her backpack. She snapped it onto her back again.

When she first peeked beyond her hiding place, she saw a male dragon-like creature leap out of some branches crying out and appearing to be trying to scare a wolf-like being. She only shook her head. The wolf-like creature jumped and turned to face the other scrawling at his now laughing comrade.

They appeared friendly enough not wanting to harm her in any way. So she made her decision and stepped forward.

"My name is Anya..."

Vangar then turned to look at the new comer. A women with black feathered wings... intriguing.

"Hi, my name is Vangar, and my speechless friend here is Willyam," Vangar introduced himself and bowed a little. He then snapped back up, his ears extending it their full and his body going ridged. His tail twitched a few times and the wind blew is brown hair. The silence caught his attention once again.

Dray was awake before Blade who snored loudly next to him. He was curled up like a cat with his tail about him and his wings folded next to him. He watched with amusement as the Molvaenean tried to talk out that female bird-like being. He has been scenting this being since yesterday.

He gave a chuckle when he saw Vangar play a prank on the wolf nearly scaring the guy out of his fur. Dray lifted his head when he saw the black feathered being step out from behind the bush. Vangar and a now startled Will turned to her when she stepped up.

Dray nudged Blade.

"No...Pa... Don't wannna..."

"Man wake up!"

Blade then jerk awake and blinked as the new sun burned his still sleepy eyes. "What!"

"Look man... someone new..."

Blade blinked a few more times to get his eyes to focus. Yes indeed. It was someone new. Blade beamed and jumped up. "Wow! An Aldabarian! I've heard about them..."

Blade hurried over with Dray following behind. When the new visitor looked his way Blade smile warmly. "Hi I'm Blade'A'Man and this is my pal Dray! Welcome to our... um... group!"

Will finally snapped out of his star struck stupor and grinned holding out his hand. "Hi..."

Just as Ariana and Kai had finished their cleaning and were about to go over the girl, a herd of strange animals ran across the clearing by the others.

Dray growled and frilled as he looked about. Blade looked at the Reptilian as if he was going mad but it was soon that he felt what Dray did. Vangar too growled and looked about.

There was a rumbling sound coming from the way that led to the plains. Something shot between Vangar and the female after Willyam said "Hi."

Vangar, when he saw the strange animal that shot past. It looked like a twelve to sixteen inch long eight winged flying snake that was redder than Vangar was, plus had two forelegs terminating in long fine and narrow curved needles for claws like Vangar had. Vangar blinked. No one else was able to see this fast moving critter. He had the ability to see something entirely that fast as his natural eyesight.

Next horses came running directly towards everyone their eye wide showing the white above their eyes, followed by next by slightly slower antelope and thundering buffalo from off the plains. Directly behind them all, like it was on their heels, was a disconcerting calm and silence. It consumed everything in its path. This was a monster that had plagued whole civilizations and nations for centuries on every planet in all the galaxies and parallel dimension worlds as it will for centuries to come, a firestorm of a flash fire rolled towards the party.

Whenever a fire comes up to a small little place with dusty looking leaves, the entire plant explodes like a fire grenade fueling the flames. Willyam, Anya and Vangar are all standing amid the same kinds of strange little plants, ((they are known as the Phoenix fern)).

All the birds left when the horses charged past everybody as did all the other animals. Including the saber toothed panthers the size of Willyam's car and blue furred with purple stripes along with teeth resembling Bengalese type tigers of ancient Earth, they all leap over the small group. This whole took an astonishing nine seconds.

Dray frilled as he suddenly saw the ground look as if to come alive. Dray's eyes widened and he spread his wings. Snatching Blade around his waist, Dray flew up just as the horses and other strange animals galloped past.

As soon as it was clear, Dray flew over to Will's car and plopped his cousin unceremoniously on top of it. Still staying in the air he watched as the now distant rampage was leaving a dusty trail in their wake...

"What the yiff was that about? What made them do that I wonder?"

Blade still sitting on top of Will's car blinked. "Dray my man, I don't want to find out! Oh snap! Look!"

Dray watched as plants suddenly just exploded into flames. He looked down at his cousin. "Don't look at me! I didn't do it!"

"Yah!"

William screamed trying in vain to dodge the animals. Because he would make a wrong dodge, the animals had to suddenly change direction to avoid stumbling around him. He finally kind of stood there in shock and acute fear until he saw the firestorm and those same plants around him start to explode when the fire reached a couple feet of their leaves.

His quick mind perfectly equated the plants' role in the fire as each one exploded before the flames even reach them. He also noted that they are fueled along by the fanning explosions and every new source of heat. Willyam decided then it's time to run for the his car.

Blade watched as Will ran towards them. He decided to clamber off the car and in it just as Will reached his door and climbed in.

Blade winced as he heard Dray land on top of Will's car. Will gave him a look like he was saying...'don't scratch the paint job...'

So Blade grinned with a light chuckle. "Don't worry man, Dray wears moccasins! By the way, with your wolf like senses, tell me... What made all those critters do that and what's with those exploding plants? What damn fricking planet is this?"

"Oh wonderful," Ariana muttered to herself as the ground to the right of her burst into flame. There was no time to grab her flute and play a rain spell. All she could do was grab Kai and run before the fire closed in around her.

Blade was awaiting Will's answer but cut the wolf off abruptly when he spotted Ariana...

"Oh shit!" He exclaimed jumping about in a panic. He heard his cousin go aloft from the top off the car and saw him swoop in on the frantically running Ariana.

Dray flew just low enough in front of her pointing to his back. "GET ON! I'll take you back to the car where you're safe!"

Ariana wished, not for the first time, that she hadn't chased after Kai yesterday. She grabbed hold of Dray as the fire was chasing at her heels. She let go of Kai once they were in the air, knowing full well that Kai could fly better than any bird. Kai glided alongside her sending a few jets of blood red color threw her mind. It was a question. Ariana could barely form it into words. She was asking why Ariana didn't just go to safety herself.

'I think I should do that before I throw up, Ariana sent back to her. She didn't dare let go to reach for the flute. So she only whistled four notes and felt the magic wind around her body. Just before it transport her, Ariana smiled a little at how perfectly the wound on Dray had healed.

The next thing she knew she was rolling across the ground. The fire had left her in one piece and Kai landed just to the left of her. Ariana was safe, but how was she going to explain how she dropped a hundred feet from the sky and landed without a scratch?

Dray suddenly felt lighter and turned his head. He floundered a bit but regained his balance. "Wha... Where did she go? Damn! Well I'm about to the car now... I tried..."

He aimed to the car and landed softly on the top of the car. Blade stuck his head out the window. "Well? Where is she?"

Dray took on an embarrassed look. "Er... I sort of lost her somewhere dude..."

"LOST HER?!" Blade exclaimed. "How the yiff can you lose a person?"

"I know it sounds a bit weird but she just sort of... wasn't there on my back any more!"

"Will... let's just get moving." Blade shook his head. Drakes! "Maybe we'll find her along the way..."

Once everyone got in, or on, Willyam started the car and slammed it into gear.

'I hope he still has those moccasins on!" Willyam thought to himself but only winced inwardly. He flipped the turbos on after the engine roared them past the now charred campsite in only a second.

"Hey I was wonder what this thing does," he reached for the new lever and pulled it. The lever came back easily but the steering wheel got very loose or rather it kind of developed extra angles that you could position it in.

Willyam's racial ability kicked in allowing him to feel out the controls somewhat. Unfortunately for everyone else in the car, or on it, the vehicle rose up then nosed down as if it were arching itself like a cat.

It settled down for a short second before starting a slow and steady rise from the confines of the ground. A big sharp toothed smile was on the Molvaenean's face as he turned to look at Blade. All Blade did was look a bit shocked and bewildered.

Will arched the car up into a tight bank and half roll to gain altitude, "Now lets see what it will really do!"

He had flipped the Nox on!

Dray snorted with a confused growl as the car did weird up and downs twists and bounds. "MAN! WHERE THE YIFF YOU GOT YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE? PLANET-X?"

Anya was startled by the sudden little fire explosions and stampede. Once again, she flew up into the air to safety. She kept the vehicle in her sight and kept herself within a few yards of it.

She wanted to join this group, though she wasn't sure why. She saw the only female of the group on the younger reptile's back, on the verge of being sick. T Anya's surprise she disappeared.

'Witch!' she thought. Anya had those near where she grew up. Her people were indifferent to their kind and so was she.

She planned to keep herself aloft at least until the situation on the ground cleared up. If it took too long and she got tired, she would fly to a safer area. She took a deep breath and waited.

CHAPTER V

THE SILVER STOOL

Blade jumped when he heard Dray tap on his window. He quickly rolled it down allowing the drake to poke his long snout in. His now relaxed crest hanging loosely like a wind born flag as he hung his head over.

"Dudes... I spotted Ariana! Only the Great All Power only knows how she fell off without me knowing but she must've!" Dray explained. "I also spotted a old barn up the road a bit! I think it'll serve as a safe place for us to regroup! I'm going back to get Ariana and let our lovely damsel with wings know to keep following yall! I'll catch up!"

Before Blade could say anything, Dray let go of the car and was once again air born.

Dray signaled to all that has been following to keep following. Dray then flew over to where Ariana was now standing with her cute tiny queen in her arms. He just landed and held up a hand.

"Hey... I hope you are alright..." Dray then paused in what he was saying. The woman didn't have a scratch one on her. He then crossed his arms and purred. "Not only are you beautiful but you are also very independent. I like that trait in a woman. I can respect that. I can see... how uncomfortable you've been around all of us males. You are not one who allows herself to become dependent on men are you? Good!"

Dray tilted his head as he watched the cute creature in her arms look at him with doleful eyes. He then looked back at her. He spoke to her again but this time... telepathically. 'You were the one who healed me wasn't you? If so, thanks...'

He held out a clawed hand for her to shake.

"There's a barn up ahead." Dray simply stated. "We are planning to regroup there... but if you have a different path you need to go... We'll understand. But I just want you to know you're more than welcomed to stay. Looks like we're all in this... weird boat together!"

Dray stopped talking and smiled. All he wanted to do was gain her trust... For in the name of the Great All Power, she has gained his.

Ariana tilted her head in thought at his message. He knew, it made her a little nervous. But she thought, 'what the hell?'

'_I did heal you, and you're welcome.'_She sent back with a smile emphasis. "I think that our paths have crossed for a reason, and I'm not one to ignore signs. As for her..."

Ariana turned towards Anya. "She'll follow. I can tell, but don't ask me how. I can find my own transportation to the barn, but directions would be nice."

She shrugged and walked to the horse she had seen tethered to a nearby tree. It had a bag thrown over the saddle, and Ariana knew it was meant for Will from the wizard. She threw her own pack over the saddle before climbing on. She did it with ease, growing up riding horses back home has pays off. Kai, tired of flying, crawled up into her lap.

"Which way Dray?"

Spotting the barn Will slowed the car and finally stopped. Everyone got out and looked about. Blade and Vangar just exchanged looks then shrugged. They started to walk over to the barn but Vangar saw that Will didn't get out of the car.

"Hey aren't you coming?"

"No... Just one more ride!" Will exclaimed. "I'll won't be long! I thought I'll kill a wee bit of time waiting for everyone else "

Willyam let his excitement drift in limbo for a couple minutes, until everyone was 'caught up' with everyone else. The car seemed to explode to the people on the ground or flying on their own. it was close to ten miles distant from where they had all been a few milliseconds before!

Will gave a excited glee and looked out. Below him was a small town of a main street and a little farther off to the side of the town was a grouping of twenty churches, or temples of some kind. Elaborate buildings.

The town is laid upon two hills, on one hill is an inn and stable, on the other hill is a hotel and casino. Between the two service houses, is an apothecary, eight bars, a flower shop, a gun dealer, a mortuary, a general store, a spell shop, and a blacksmith. The road or avenue is paved by cobblestone that leads towards 'temple row', (the twenty odd big buildings).

There is a lively trade in front of the blacksmiths and quite a few horses outside all eight bars and the Casino. The other place has a stable so the people there are an unknown total.

The town was a dirt main street type of place within the range of the others not so fortunate as Willyam as to have a car at all! "Time to go back, everyone still got their teeth?"

Willyam floored the gas pedal again but he leaned a little forward so he would not be in the back seat this time at full acceleration.

The car shot back to the burned area, and 'landed' close to where the camp used to be. Will looked about. There were seeds all over the ground, scattered in different places. Like rings of seeds, very odd.

Dray fell to his fours and trotted at a jog as Ariana followed on Will's horse. He Stood back up and waved as he saw a bored looking Blade'A'Man stooped down on one knee and twirling a twig in his fingers. Actually he was pouring over some scrolls.

"What are you reading dude? Where is Will?"

"I'm reading these scrolls that came from that hairy yiffer." Blade beamed and stood up. He was glad to see that Ariana was okay. "I think perhaps they are spells or something... And as for Will: he went joy riding in his... new toy."

Dray just lifted his brows and made a soft 'oh'. Dray like all drakes can't sit still if they are still feeling active. So Dray decided to take a look around.

The barn was in shambles and not inhabited the main door was closed but has fallen into a kind of jamb. The only way in would only be sliding between the door and the wall. Big people might have to carve their way in.

'Place is in need of a serious face-lift...' He snorted to himself as the stink of old hay filled his nostrils

Dray peeked in a crack. Inside the barn is moldered hay from at least several years ago and some fossils from extreme age from unknown animals long since removed. The wooden boards that used to hold up the half floor above have collapsed in with age to the dirt floor below.

In the center of the big main room, is a single ray of light illuminating a silver three-legged stool sitting in the middle of the room.

Dray tilted his with curiosity when he spotted the silver stool. He wanted to take a better look at it. Being a drake and having the problem of drakes being attracted to nice shiny things. Dray dug and clawed a ditch just under the door and folded his wings next to his body. He then wiggled through and under the door.

Purring with delight he trotted over to the stool and walked about it looking at it closely.

Ariana clicked her tongue and led the horse toward a tree next to the barn. She teethed it and decided to go to the barn. She looked down to the hatchling as she skittered around her feet. "Maybe there'll be some food in there for the horse Kai!"

Ariana was careful not to step on claw or tail as Kai danced lift-footedly around her. When she looked down at the dragon, she caught a glimpse of herself. The front of her clothes was covered in dirt and black streaks from the fire ran across her legs and hands. She was sure there must have been dirt on her face too. She must be a sight.

Ariana was raised in a rather wealthy family. Her mother would have had a heart attack to see her daughter in men's clothes that was covered in dirt. Ariana smiled then gave a laugh.

There was a few sprinkling of colors threw her mind from Kai to show that the little creature didn't understand what her mistress found funny but she went along with the joke any way.

Ariana had just reached one of the barn windows. It was grimy and streaked with water stains but she could still see the shape of Dray walking towards a silver stool in the middle. Just by the placing of this beautiful object in the middle of a collapsing barn made Ariana suspicious. She could not explain it but there was a magic aura around this object. Ariana could feel it. The air was thick with it.

She ran towards the door and opened it as Dray got within two feet from it. "I wouldn't do that Dray!"

Dray looked up and slightly frilled by the surprise. He then just stood upright and purred. "Hi! Girl, check this shiny stool out!"

She walked in, Kai hanging outside. She was hesitant, sensing the magic inside. Ariana walked to Dray's side. She tilted her head, her black hair falling to one side. It had all come out of the braid she had attempted to keep it in when she had transported herself to the ground before.

Ariana closed her black eyes, feeling the magic with her mind. It seemed to swamp her senses for a minute, making her stagger. She gasped for breath and panted, holding her hands to her head when she was blinded by a flash of hot white light. "What _is_that thing?"

Dray grabbed Ariana before she could fall. He let go of her quickly once he saw that she could stand knowing that she hated the idea of looking weak.

She made a statement of the stool being of magical properties. Dray blinked as he stared at the pretty silver stool. "The... stool... there's... magic about it..."

"I wonder myself. Look at those markings that are on it." Dray said pointing at some markings. Ariana could see where she stood.

The stool is intricately carved, the wood is darkly veined. It really looked like a silver metal looking wood! The stool has arcane markings and has no dust at all on its surface. Everything else in the room does have a layer of dust on it No small Perrick* footprints, no tracks of any kind are on the floor except Dray's and now Ariana's. The stool will not move. It seems to be rooted to the floor. A picture or silhouette of someone sitting on the stool is carved lightly on the seat of the stool.

The pretty sparkling silverness just kept him bedazzled. Dray couldn't resist it. He had to touch it. There was a slight wisp of a breeze that made Dray stop. Dray looked up when he no longer heard Ariana's breathing. Kai, Ariana's little dragon or Ginn as she called her, sat just outside the door and gave a whimper.

"I don't know where she went, pretty thing!" Dray gasped looking about. Without thinking he plopped down on the stool. "That girl has got a way of just popping in and out..."

Dray jumped when he heard a gasp and saw that it was only the winged woman Anya.

Anya had been following the two from overhead. She saw when they entered an old barn. So she landed in front of it hesitated for a moment, folded her wings tightly to her back and walked through the door.

When she did in just matters of seconds, the witch and her companion were just standing by a shiny silver stool. The witch then almost swooned, only to have her companion catch her and release her quickly. After that, the witch just disappeared in thin air making the drake plop down and mutter something under his breath before he too went blink.

Anya raised an eyebrow when a strange box suddenly appeared in the stool's place. She continued to look at the object strangely. 'What kind of stool is that? Geez! I didn't even get a chance to say hi...'

Ariana didn't know what happened. One moment she was talking to Dray about the stool then next she found herself here. Wherever here is, she wasn't sure. She looked about.

Ariana found herself standing in the hallway of a grand chamber that was lined with gold and set into all the walls were jewels of all types sizes and descriptions. The sides of the great hall are extremely high up.

Ariana gave a gasp and stepped back as a pair of monstrously large and blank faced doors part and a rolling red carpet unravels to the point just before her feet. The doors opened all the way made the portal some 40 feet across. The red carpet with the frilly trim was only ten feet wide.

Ariana steps upon the carpet. When she did, a Full orchestra begins the same tune sans the magic that she uses that makes her defensive net! Flowers and sparkling lights softly fluttered down from the ceiling or somewhere above. They swirled down around her slightly dirty and fire streaked form.

Kai was not with her. A feeling of serenity filled her even though Kai was not here.

"Come, enter lady of the Flute, I must talk with you. Please you will not be gone long. Kai is safe for time that we might have a short chat, "the voice though very loud was kind of familiar...

_Lady of the Flute?_She had been called that before. Ariana didn't know by whom or when but she remembered being called that before. The absence of Kai put a worry in the back of her mind but a spelled serenity flowed over her. It was a feeling of quite bliss and relaxation.

She walked down the red carpet. Ariana was utterly unembarrassed by the state of her being in these grand and beautiful surroundings. Her long black hair hung loose behind her shoulders almost to her waist and her black eyes held the glazed look that they held when she played her flute. She walked in slow and even steps, following the voice that had called to her.

"I am Ariana, Lady of the Flute. You have called, and I have come."

Ariana went to her knees at the end of the red carpet. She didn't know why she did it, but it seemed the right thing to do. She held her flute in her open hands before her.

"Thanks, but that is not necessary. You can get up. Please sit and relax! A couch? An easy chair? Maybe even a four poster bed will do?"

Ariana just couldn't help but stand there and gawked as all this appeared before her. Each one was elaborately carved and bejeweled. They were all also inlaid with the designs of flowers and natural growth of carved leaves so worked in gold wire. The softness of the feather bed and the goose down pillows beckoned Ariana.

A man dressed in head to toe black quilted cloth with a Ninjato sword on his back suddenly appeared before her. He wore no helmet or head covering, like a normal ninja would. Ariana gave a gasp of recognition. He was the same Molvaenean that had met her earlier.

"I did not properly introduce myself the last time I talked with you. I had a pressing matter to attend to." He walked over and dropped heavily into the couch. Leaning back in a casual manner he let out a large sigh. "Whew! I forgot just how hard this job is sometimes, "

He chortled trailing off for a second before regaining his more serious demeanor. He looked up at the now bewildered girl. He spoke to her like as if she was a long time friend and confidant, "I'm the most powerful wizard in this world. I have to stop certain really evil people that want only to harm others from time to time. It's become more like work!"

He looked at her like he was waiting for her to answer. When she didn't he just continued.

"Um... Ah," he looked around the room, "This isn't too big is it? I guess I should meet with people in smaller rooms' maybe..."

Ariana just watched him for he was waffling. As if realizing for the first time that Ariana was standing there, he sat up a bit straighter in his seat straightening his back looking a bit more businesslike.

"Oh! Yeah! Why I brought you here. Um, you're going to be coming to a town up that road a little ways. If you all ride in on horseback, you will draw less attention than coming into town in Willyam's car!

Also you should think about joining a Guild and an Order since that is the advantage that those two that attacked you had. The reason that they were able to get up again after the others in your party had 'killed' them, they asked their mentors' to save them. A thing of resurrection and complete rejuvenation that only the mentor can craft.

As long as you have good standing with you mentor and the guild you both belong to, then you do not fear death, permanent death far less. This world is very deadly otherwise."

He had stood up again and was pacing. "But what I wanted to tell you the flute that you use is fine. What I wanted you to know is that though there are many kinds of magic that operate here witchcraft IS illegal! Don't tell anyone what it actually is. Call it and yourself something... like a magician or wizard! But never a witch. You don't actually know witchcraft anyway. The stuff you know is not witchcraft. It is just magic that's all. Your people just came up with a different way of manifesting it is all."

He stopped and turned back towards her. "Now on this world there are several types of magic that all operate here. Each spell has certain and specific functions but the real power is in combining spells that you can make yourself. New ones that no one has ever seen before! That is the goal I've always reached for!

You can learn the first seventeen levels of spell craft. Fifteen spells per level. The spell modifiers are spells themselves. With these modifiers you can make magic do amazing things for you. I believe that all magic users are potentially great wizards someday. I am telling you this fact because there is a college on another continent that you should seek out. They teach everything that you need to create your 'own' spells!"

Ariana just continued to look at him. Join a Guild or Order? What? A College on another continent? Ariana wasn't sure what all she was hearing but the wizard continued.

"This is the college of Kor. It is a small college town on the Tir Fo Thuinn continent. Um the one you are on now is Taalmark. The town up the road is a newer one established only a hundred years ago, it is called Nud."

Ariana raised a brow and pursed her lips. Well at least she now knew where she was. The wizard took in another deep breath and let it out slowly making Ariana give him her attention. He reached out his hand and the staff from somewhere else in the room came to his hand and grabbed it out of the air.

"I belong to the guild of the Seekers of the Orb. We are a group basically of wizards. To be the best magician possible you must join the Guild of the Orb. Now that I've opened that can of beans let me explain why. This staff holds the essence of the spell itself. The orb that floats above it..." he passed his gloved hand between the end of the staff and the orb. "Though not physically attached holds the energy. No one, not even I myself can use one of these unless the owner tells me the word of release. I cannot use your staff and you cannot use mine. That goes for all Guild items or weapons."

"The guild function only works for the owner. But the major thing is spell storage. You can hold ten spells in your staff! You can 'fire' them off faster than anyone can cast them in normal time! Spells are very powerful but take a long time to create. You create a spell and cast it into this staff then you can fire it off at a later date. This would include your own magic as well."

"Now realize the potential of this! You can do other things while you are casting spells plus as you get to a point that you are the apple of your mentor's eye, you can have three of these staves allowing you to hold thirty spells of anything that you can cast."

He let that sink in for a second. "So consider the Guild that I joined several years ago. It has saved those that I have been with and my own skin many times before. Some of those I travelled with are very good friends now."

He came close to Ariana now. Ariana could see the smile in his dark eyes. "Some of my friends are Ginn."

He gave another gentle laugh and stepped away. He turned back to her and tossed a hand. "Well that's all I wanted to tell you... Oh! There are eleven other guilds too! I am a Ninja and a Revenger. That is I take revenge for people or causes. This is the Order that I joined; it is called the Order of the Black Glove.

There are seven other Orders. Know that the Order is the place where all nobles come from. If you wish to stay a commoner then do not join an Order, but ah, the Order offers more than any guild can offer. More even than the Seekers of the Orb."

He walked around to sit back on the couch. " Well that's all that I wanted to inform you of for now. If you have any questions, then by all means ask me anytime! I've got to put you back now. The second that you have been gone is almost up. I... ah... made a spell that slows time down to one one-hundredth normal and I used a simple double effect spell to make it two hundred seconds inside of the one second. But never mind all that..."

He tossed his hand again. "Just remember don't call yourself or the magic that you do witchcraft! Members of the Order of the Hospitaliers of the Rose will hunt you down and kill you. They are the witch hunters of this world! Witchcraft is really evil here unlike what you seem to do, as opposed to where as the Hospitaliers are usually healers. If you're ever hurt or need an antidote, they probably won't even charge you for the service.

Oh and those two guys that attacked you earlier and the one got away? They were both of the Order of the Crimson Dagger. They use invisible weapons so be careful around those kind of people you can sometimes tell they are a Crimson Dagger from the absence of a weapon in a sheath or back mounted ring with nothing in it.."

He waited for the barrage of questions that most 'new comers' ask him. When she didn't have any he just shrugged then tapped his forehead. "Oh! Silly me! I almost forgot! Yes my name is Kaidu Khan," he said and bowed, "Your presence honors me. But now I must return you..."

Ariana came back one second later, (as promised). The man she had just re-met stayed in her mind like it was all a dream. He spoke to her in her mind, "If there is anything you want to ask me simply pronounce my name and I will answer! Like when you talk with Kai!"

Only then did his visage fade from her mind's eye.

Just as Anya was about to turn the witch seemed to have just reappeared and was snapping out of some sort of daze. Anya was perplexed by all this. Where did that other one go? And how did that box just appear? What was with that stool? Was this all the witch's doing? She shook her head. The young witch did not look powerful enough to accomplish such a thing.

Anya quietly walked up to the girl and stopped a couple of feet behind her.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, so as not to startle her. Ariana turned to Anya, she was surprisingly calm, not a flicker of emotion showed on her face.

"I'm fine," she touched a finger to her forehead and smiled. Ariana felt rather high, that rush of magic left her feeling tingling and drowsy. She looked back at the stool and saw that the stool wasn't there but instead a box. She walked over to the box and was able to look down inside. She saw Dray, tiny and in the box.

Ariana waved her hand around it. Her hand passed through the center. Anya watched Ariana with a look of suspicion.

"Classic," she muttered, having seen a spell like this in her world many times. The person in the box had three choices. One choice led out and back to where they were before. The other two to two entirely different places. "I sure hope he comes back here."

She turned back to the other girl. "I'm sorry, I'm Ariana..." She offered her a lopsided smile. "Over there is Kai, my charge."

The other woman put a hand to her chest. "I'm Anya." Ariana nodded her head in a traditional greeting.

"It's an honor Anya." Ariana looked back to Dray and decided to attempt a reversal. She didn't have much faith in her power but she pulled out her flute and tried an all-purpose spell.

Dray snorted as he looked about frantically. There were three brass doors before him. He was looking and sniffing about them when he heard Ariana's voice. It boomed from somewhere above him.

He heard her speaking to another. Maybe it was that winged woman. He heard her talking about the three doors and only one would get him back to he other's. Dray looked at the first. He heard something on the other side trying to get in. The second gave him the worst feeling he has ever felt. Shame came to him. A warrior Reptilian should never feel such cowardice! He shook his head to toss the shame aside for now. The last... made him about to gag.

"Okay... so now which door will it be Dray..." He muttered to himself scratching at his head with both hands. "Will it be door number one... with it's all new baddie or door number two... a fabulous trip with the Grim Reaper or door number three with its ten foot high tower of shit! Or that's what it smells like... No actually... Shit smells a hell lot better than that... Damn!"

Dray stomped. Then closing his eyes he tried to reach out to Ariana. 'Ariana! Can you hear me? I can hear you! Tell me which you think is the best choice here! Door one sounds as if there is something behind it... door two... makes me feel... like my death is just around the corner and three stinks worse than that vulture dude! Please Ariana! You know this stuff better than I do...'

Dray looked about awaiting any word from her.

Ariana's magic for the first time on this world is completely repulsed. Since her meeting with the man in black she is now able to see energy emanations like an aura. Around this box where the stool used to be, the aura is bice green in hue. Around people and objects in the rest of this room depends completely if they are wearing magic items or weapons. People do not have that kind of aura. Neither does a thing that never was magical. If of the kind that Ariana has (flute), it glows all the colors of the rainbow or whatever this box is...

Outside Blade jumped up and grabbed Will's arm. "I GOT IT! Man being a pilot and reading many sorts of maps I should have known what I was looking at! But then again... when you look at a map one time then look at it again and it's different... You just don't know what you're looking at! But I wonder what these X's signifies... Treasure presumably?"

A glint came to Blade's eyes.

There are four large continent maps and several smaller town maps. There are large 'X's on some of the buildings, yet only two per town or city map. If Blade looks very closely at the maps of the city or town, he sees things change. Almost as if the whole thing is moving...

A glint rose behind Willyam's eyes as well. A look of his earlier days when petty larceny reared its appealing head. Will found himself wanting his hands on the maps now.

The maps suddenly became his world now since they showed the path to riches and the things he could get for his new car. Like most Molvaeneans that deal in larceny, Willyam began to drool, his face took on a hungrier look and he no longer had that skinny nerd look that he usually hides behind.

"Treasure?" Willyam smelled the map as he looked down at it, "smoke and window cleaner?"

Willyam said wrinkling his nose and laying the maps back down. "But ah, now that's odd what is that?"

Willyam was pointing to a speck that looked like a bug walking across the map away from the building with an 'X' on it. What made it look so odd was not the bug so much but the bug was walking along the middle of the street that was drawn on the map!

"Oh Will!" Moaned Blade, "Now look what you did! Got a booger on it..."

"That's not a booger," Will insisted, 'It's a bug. Boogers don't crawl."

Blade squinted to look at the dot. "That's not a bug... Man! Isn't this a Harry Potter act?"

When the wolf gave Blade a odd look he explained.

"It's... a.. Earth novel about a... wizard boy... er never mind. What I'm saying is... I think that dot indicates... a person! If so... he or she just left a... Treasure House! That's what I'm calling it any way. Let's show Vangar our discovery Will!"

Will just watched the bug is a guy. He was able to see now that it was a Aldabarian leading a Clydesdale that was pulling a Conestoga wagon covered of course so you can't see what is inside.

"Yeah, that's a good idea... but I wonder where this place is?" Willyam replied with a smile. Blade looked a Will.

"I wish I knew myself! We could be on any of these maps!"

So the Molvaenean and human went in to look for the big red reptile. They spotted him as he was entering the barn.

"Hey Vanger! Check out these maps...."

Vangar didn't even hear Blade as he was too lost in thought, starring at the box. A look of shock on his reptilian features. He shook his head his short brown bangs bobbing only slightly.

'No Dray... what can I do... I can't fail again!' He thought frantically, 'I have all the old knowledge (by 100 years) of the known world's fourth largest university in my head! Yet I am at a loss as to what to do! Oh Dray... forgive me... I must do something!'

Vangar ran to the box and stood over it, looking down, then shouted, "Dray! If you can hear me jump up and down three times. We're gonna try to help you!"

Vangar then turned to look at Ariana and Anya, "Can you tell which door he is to take? Come on! We can't just leave him hanging... he only has a 1 out of 3 chance of choosing the right door... and I don't like any odds less than 100%!"

Ariana walked around the stool, examining the box. She ignored the questions of the others and tried in vain to ignore the now panicking Vangar. She felt the magic weave that created the box. It was a complex spell, she felt the power flex when she prodded with her mind.

She could see Dray was at a loss for what to do, and she was at a loss also. The doors all led somewhere else or housed something not very nice. But until she could be there herself, she could feel the door to know the entrance.

Ariana glanced over to where Kai was sitting at the door of the barn. She sensed what Ariana was going to do and got to her feet. Kai squeaked at her, but didn't enter the barn. Ariana smiled at the hatchling before she placed her hand on the stool. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the barn.

Blade paused as he stepped over Kai and into the barn. He saw everyone standing about what looked like a white box.

"What's going on guys...DRAY!" Blade'A'Man gasped almost dropping his maps. Will frowned when he didn't. "Dray dude! How... What happened?"

Ariana then looked over at her little Ginn then suddenly... Vanished. Blade'A'Man gave another gasp dropping his maps this time. He stepped on them quickly as he saw the lusty eyed wolf creep closer.

"My maps dude..."

"Cool, cool, no worries mate," Willyam wandered over to the other side of the box. He stooped over and smelled it as Ariana materialized inside the box. He stopped sniffed again then said. "There is no one here. I only smell a stool, no box, old sulfur smell but going away and ah... a lingering scent of that damn fine babe! I had to say that..."

He looked over at the eagle-winged girl, "Whao, duuuude... Ah i mean... Ah Hey... Ah I'm Willyam you're too pretty to be here,"

Thoughts of the people in the box evaporated as Willyam meandered over towards Anya. "So babe, what do they call you?"

Anya opened her eyes wide when Ariana disappeared. She reappeared within the box.

'Oh no!' she thought. She then caught a male wolfish looking creature staring at her in a way that was making her feel uncomfortable.

"So babe, what do they call you?" He asked. He was trying to use whatever charm he had, she thought. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Anya," she replied dryly. She rolled her eyes and turned around so her back faced him. She looked into the box that Ariana had reappeared in. "Now how are we going to get them out of there..." She whispered to herself.

"Hey, that's a cool name 'Anya' yeah that's nice," Willyam just stood there, "you have really pretty wings too, nice back, smooth curves..." he muttered.

Anya continued to keep her back to him and ignored his comments.

"Hmm, must be my breath!" Willyam turned then walked over to lean against the wall on the far side away from everyone else milling around the box.

Dray heard Vangar's voice bellow making him clap his hands to his membranes. "Dray! If you can hear me jump up and down three times. We're gonna try to help you!"

In a softer tone he heard the large beast ask. "Can you tell which door he is to take? Come-on! We can't just leave him hanging... he only has a 1 out of 3 chance of choosing the right door... and I don't like any odds less than 100%!"

Dray jumped up and down and waved his arms. "VANGER MY MAN! I'm here! I hear you guys but can't see you!"

He then gave a exasperated snort and fell to his haunches. He looked back at the doors. "Which one... which one.. Maybe I should try two... that dread feeling just may be a distraction from the reality. Reality? What is that on this planet?"

Dray started to laugh hysterically. "Just a simple sweep he said! Yes Sir Captain El'Put sir, I'll just take your annoying brother and do a quick sniff!"

Dray got back up and began stomped about babbling to himself. He rambled on how he and Blade got in some weird greenish-blue anomaly and woke up to find themselves safely landed on this freakish planet.

He stopped and turned to the doors again. "Oh the hell with this! If I end up some place else alive, at least I'll be alive!"

He reached out a red clawed hand for door one... But suddenly someone else appeared.

It was Ariana! Dray wagged his long tail and purred. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly. Remembering himself he quickly let her go. "Er... sorry... I'm just so damned glad to see you! Please help me with this! I owe you a dinner if you do!"

Ariana went a little ridged when Dray hugged her, but she understood his motives. She only hoped she could earn the cause of happiness he showed her. Biting her bottom lip, a thing she often did when nervous and concentrating hard, she walked up to the doors.

She motioned with her hand for Dray to stay back and be silent. Ariana placed her right hand flat on the first door. There was a presence behind it, of that she was sure, but she couldn't tell what it was. Her dragon sense tingled as she prodded the background with her mind. There was nothing beyond the creature it was a dead end.

"Door number 1 is not the one we want to choose," she said casually. She could have been commenting on the weather. Ariana walked to door number two and did the same she had with the first one. A feeling of dread swamped her.

Her body froze as a cold seized her from the inside and spread out. It was the chill of death. She still prodded, hesitant, but persistent. There was something beyond the feeling, but she was so cold she had to pull back.

"I don't know about this one," she whispered aloud, turning to Dray. "It could really go anywhere."

She sighed and went to door number three. The cold was leaving her body fast, but she had to use both of her hands to sense threw the third door. There was a strong odor coming from the door, but she didn't let it bother her. Ariana was good at ignoring unimportant distractions and focusing on her task. She closed her eyes and began her probing.

This door she could feel threw and beyond, but the destination of this door was unsure. It wasn't where they wanted to go that she could tell. Ariana just wasn't sure where they'd end up. A horrid thought hit her mind, rushing water, a steep drop, death. Ariana jerked back from the door and fell to the ground. Her head was swimming a little.

"Damn." She swore a few times in the three languages she knew from home and then some that she had picked up. She stood up and turned back to Dray. "We don't want that one either."

The second door, the one that froze her senses. That was the door that led to freedom. "We have to go with door number two."

Dray only nodded and sat back on his haunches as he watched Ariana. He watched as she went from door to door. He wanted to grab her when he saw her about swoon to the floor on the last but he knew it would probably upset her but she was able to regain herself quickly.

He blinked and got back up when she faced him and made her announcement

"We have to go with door number two."

Dray felt his heart freeze but it made a little sense when he thought about it. Faith. You must have faith.

Blade bit his own bottom lip with worry. Nor was he only concerned for his Reptilian cousin but for the lovely black-eyed Ariana. Why did this girl stir his soul so?

He took in a deep breath and sighed. "May the great Anksher be with you...."

The seriousness of the situation stole whatever fun could have been had from the now comical looking Dray and Ariana. Behind the box, Vangar paced around recklessly; his tail jerking violently at times.

He was naive like that, Vangar realized about himself, meeting people who were nice to him instantly considering them friend and putting their lives above his own. Since the only beings he had known were always actively trying to kill him, it was a natural reaction.

If he could have changed spots with Dray, he would have done so in a heartbeat. Always facing death every day, his own didn't frighten him. It was the fact he was helpless to help those he cared about far more that was driving him crazy.

Ariana seemed to find a door she viewed as right. Vangar thought for a moment about joining her, but decided it wouldn't be prudent. He'd only burden them more. Still...

Vangar concentrated his concern back to the four still with him. With a quick motion, he went from the backside of the barn to the front and kneeled before little Kai.

"She'll be alright," he said to the Ginn noting the agonizing worry on her face. Bright colors exploded into his mind, but Vangar couldn't interpret them, so he stood back up and walked between Blade and Will (who was completely drooling over Anya).

He did know what to say. He wanted to reassure Blade, and himself, but magic was a concept new to Vangar. He was a fighter not a wizard and had never believed in magic until arriving on this planet. 'First magical wish granting dragons, now an evil stool of doom... This place is definitely whacked...'

He watched intently as Dray and Ariana both went to the door and made as if to open it. At the first sign of trouble, Vangar would touch the stool and join them. Better to die with them than watch them suffer was his philosophy.

Blade looked up when he saw Vangar come up. The red...'drake'... if that what he is wore a expression of self-fault. He knew Vangar was a being who was use to doing things for himself and really never had anyone to care for or for him. Now that he had a taste of this pleasure he felt somewhat responsible for the younger drake and the girl whom was now in a box having to make a choice for their lives.

Blade smiled and grabbed his forearm in a term of friendship. "This is what X-xians do when they deem someone as dear friends... Vangar my man, I know that you wish that you could do something. So do I but right now it is totally out of our hands. The only thing we can do for them is have faith in them. Between Dray and Ariana... they'd get it figured out."

Vangar's snout dropped open showing his very sharp teeth in his version of a human grin. His muscles finally relaxed and he gave Blade a curt nod, not knowing what to say. He fixed his attention back on the other two as they boldly stepped through a door... the third one? He forced himself to calm and waited. The future is always uncertain. All he could do was hope he wouldn't be parted from his two friends so soon after meeting them.

Ariana took a deep breath, visibly swallowed and grabbed the door handle. She jerked her hand away with a curse in her native language, rubbing her palm.

"Mother fuc..." she glared at the door as it swung open inches from her face. A voice rang in Ariana's ears. "Ha-Ha!", a silence then, "is that your final choice?"

Dray jumped when he saw Ariana jump and let go of the door quickly. He lifted a brow when he heard her say some words in a different language he knew had to be... should he say 'choice' words.

"What?" He asked looking at the door then to her. Then frilling with a growl at the voice that laughed. "What the yiff... Who the yiff... Damn! HOW the yiff are we going... Ariana?"

He saw the black haired Ariana go into a slight daze as if something she was in a slight trance. 'Maybe she is using her powers again... Well that's alright just as long as it gets us to freedom.'

When she touched the door handle on the door two, she received a shock. Not a bad one but one that would be similar to a joy buzzer!

The room that Ariana and Dray is in is coated in the aura of bice green. Ariana jerked slightly as she heard Kaidu's gentle voice fill her mind.

"Listen carefully to me. I offer you some clarity to your situation; Ariana you're sensing through the doors feeling them out.

As if on the one hand doom, or stink, or destruction is normally sensed and down into it along that train of thought all three paths do indeed lead to those awful dooms. On the other hand there is the reality that nothing awaits on the other side of the door.

Ariana, you must combine your intellect with your spirit to equate to this clue. Evaluation of this correctly, then one must use your will power to disbelieve illusion.

If you sense for sure without regard for glamour then these ends are the truth that you have just evaluated. It is not your fault Ariana how could you know, tell your reptilian friend to do the same, because if you believe an illusion kills you, then you are dead!"

As his voice drifted away, Ariana shook off the daze that was taking over. 'Gotta stop that from happening in the middle of important things.'

Ariana looked questioningly at Dray, then back to the darkness of the door.

"Yes," she called, proud at how calm her voice sounded. "This is our choice."

She turned to Dray and gave him one of her lopsided grins.

"Well, what are ya doing just standing there? Do you trust me?" she asked him. "Cuz if you don't you're welcome to pick your own door."

With that, Ariana walked threw the door and disappeared from his sight.

"Wha..."

Dray blinked when Ariana just bluntly asked him if he trusted her. He watched as she opened a door and walked through. "HEY! Wait! Of course I trust you girl! I trust you more than anything right now..."

He fell to his fours and followed her...

Blade gasped as he saw them...

Anya had her head over the box, looking at Ariana and the other one make their choice. She heard Willyam mumble something behind her shortly after turning away from him and she was almost sure it was something she would have to smack him for if she heard it clearly. Ariana opened the third door and said something to the other as she stepped through the doorway. The male creature ran after her.

"I hope she's right..." Anya whispered.

As it happens any door was the correct door. The entire thing is a trap for someone else's amusement. Whoever the pranksters were they were watching as everyone in the barn thought that their companions were going to be killed or harmed in some awful way.

The watcher(s) were probably now rolling on the floor 'knowing' that nothing was going to happen but the victims thought they were in trouble! A number five wood screw materializes above the two sitting on the stool.

Both Ariana and Dray return sitting on the stool. As they pop back the box is gone too, and a voice. As the wood screw melts into nothingness, "Thank you for being the brunt of the joke and come back soon, brought to you in part by the Guild of the Screw and Lucky Eddie Guidemaster!"

Dray snorted and growled his displeasure. "Yiffing fool... Dray doesn't like being the brunt of someone's joke..."

CHAPTER VI

RUN WOLF RUN

"Well now that we are all back i guess we're all going to camp again? Or are we going farther than a couple of miles a day?" Willyam said in a rather sour tone. He didn't care too much what anyone thought. He brushed past the victims and went back outside to the car.

He did not look the smiling person that he was before. Sure a wolf looks like he is leering but it is the facial features that a wolf can put across that makes a difference. His - 'I'm glad to see you' look 'looks' the same as his 'I'm going to kill you' look.

There is not a lot he can do about it. Still most of the time everyone takes him wrong and he goes off to hide in a sullen mood. Usually to his car, he can polish this one just like his shiny and clean one back home. His pajama top makes a nice towel so he begans on the hood.

As he done so, Willyam had time to think a little now that he was away from the others, 'I don't need the! I don't need any of them! I guess there is some people that don't want to say hello or anything! I feel like just leaving them all here! Yeah... I think I will...'

Willyam paused in his polishing. He looked back at the barn. He felt heat rise in his eyes as the anger he felt continue to boil. He heard Blade's laughter along with Dray's crazy 'He-he s'. 'That Blade guy wants all the women anyway! He also has a bunch of weird maps that I can't even look at! Well he doesn't have a car!'

Willyam looked down at his only valuable artifact. He gently ran a paw over its glistening hood. Looking back up at the barn once again he gave a thought. 'I could just drive off now. No one really cares anyway. They'll be fine without me. They never really needed me in the first place! NO ONE CARES ABOUT ME! WELL FINE KEEP YOUR OLD MAPS AND YOUR...LITTLE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS'

Willyam had not noticed but now the car was running. He was just sitting there staring out the front windshield.

"WHO NEEDS YOU ANYWAY!" He yelled out, slid the car into drive and puttered down the road. He looked behind him in the mirror but no one shot out of the barn to see. So he shot off away, a tear in his eye that he ignored for now. Willyam was off in one of those moods, running away from his problems.

Vangar forgot himself and grabbed both Dray and Ariana around the neck giving them a huge hug. Dray purred as Vangar gave him the crushing hug. The big red kind of reminds him of his stepfather Kiglar. "Okay... Vanger... good to see you guys too..."

They all laughed together before Vangar began to walk away to let Blade come in to greet his cousin. A firm hand grabbed his forearm in the familiar X-xianic handshake. Dray saw it was his elated cousin Blade. "Dude you need to be a bit more careful about where you put your ass!"

It was then that Vangar noticed that Will was gone. Stepping outside, he looked in every direction. The car was gone too.

"Will?" He asked timidly before seeing the car dip behind a hill on the horizon. Being very quiet about it so as not to disturb the other's rejoicing, Vangar shot into the air following Will's car. It was almost out of his sight but he was beginning to catch up. Even his tail undulated back and forth in an attempt to give him even a little more speed.

'Will? Where you going? Or... is Will even driving? What if someone has him!' Vangar's mind raced in its usual panicking style. 'I won't know till I catch up... gotta go fast!'

By the time Vangar catches a glimpse of the car again, is about two miles away.

"Yeah... I will..." Dray ducked his head looking a bit sheepish. He then popped his head up when he saw Vangar leave out. "Hey... what is Vangar up to man?"

"Don't know... Let's go see..."

So Blade and Dray hurried out the door. Dray purred and smiled at Ariana as she cuddled her now elated Kai. The little queen squirmed with delight as she nuzzled and lapped at her mistress's face. Blade's voice rang out making him look his direction.

"Vangar is flying off... THE CAR!" Blade gasped looking about. "WILL! Why did he leave? My gosh..."

"Man he looked sort a down when I caught a glimpse of him..." Dray said lifting his brow. "The poor wolf looked as if he was hurt..."

"I wasn't trying to be mean when I said that these were my maps..." Blade said more to himself than Dray. Looking over towards the black winged Anya who was near Ariana timidly reaching out to pat Kai on her head, "Anya wasn't too nice to him either but I don't much blame her... He was drooling over her like a fresh kill. But still..."

"Well man," Dray snorted and rubbing his belly, "I don't know about you guys but I'm starving! I had no breakfast!"

"Guess we'll make it to the nearest town." Blade shrugged a bit worried about Will and Vangar. "I just hope Vangar finds Will and they make it back..."

Dray went over to the ladies. They looked up at him and stood up. Ariana finally noticed the missing car. Her heart gave a leap. "Where's Will?"

Dray only gave a shrug. "Don't know. Vangar is gone to look for him. Blade and I decided it may be best to try to make it to the nearest town. But first my belly is in a urgent need for food. So, we're going to have some brunch then make head way to the town."

"Sounds like a reasonable plan." Anya agreed with a nod. She fluffed her wings to make them a bit more comfortable. Anya didn't really feel anything when she found out that Willyam left.

She was a bit cold by nature. That is how she was raised. Amongst her people showing too much emotion was disgraceful. But the words she overheard from the one called Blade stung. Since she had been away from her people for so long she could not help but show all the guilt she was feeling at the moment.

Did he really leave because of her?

'No! That cannot be!' She thought. 'He should have known that sort of behavior was inappropriate! Oh, but I should not have been so nasty...'

Anya smacked herself lightly in the forehead. Why was she worrying so much? He would be fine. There was no need to fuss over the Molvaenean. Anya took a deep breath. Dray lifted a brow as he watched her. Anya only tossed a hand.

"Sure," Anya replied in an upbeat tone. "I will say I'm a bit hungry myself."

"I agree." Ariana responded. Looking down at the Ginn curling about her feet wanting more attention she said. "I'm sure my little Kai is hungry too! Aren't ya my baby?"

The Ginn pawed the air and gave a small noise sending her flashes of colors. Dray only smiled as he watched Kai. He really liked the baby. He found her so adorable like his kid brother Gilgar.

"Well girls," Dray announced, "I'm off to get us brunch! Stay here with Blade. This world isn't... er... Normal. Stools that cast you in a room and exploding plants not to mention bad guys that come back to life..."

"We... get the idea..." Ariana chuckled. Dray laughed back and scratched his head wearing a expression of a shy little schoolboy. "Now go get us some breakfast will ya?"

Dray purred and fell to his fours. "Will do!"

He hurried back to Blade. Blade was looking down the road and had his lips pulled back tautly in thought. "I... don't know Dray... Let's just say my Genecidain nature is calling and telling me maybe we shouldn't... Maybe we should just wait for Vangar."

"Okay then dude whatever." Dray snapped. A hungry drake isn't something to reckon with. "I've been put inside a box almost all morning without any breakfast..."

"Then you should have gone out and got something instead of messing with things you had no business with!"

Dray opened then shut his snout. Blade was right. "Okay then I'm going hunting then! Let me build a quick fire then go out and get us...ER... brunch! Blade, I want my kilt! These jeans are starting to annoy me..."

Blade reached into his coat and out came what looked to be a wide leather belt with three copper petal-shaped plates hanging in the front. Dray took it and disappeared among some thick brush. Moments later he came out with nothing but the kilt on.

"Now I'm ready to go hunting!" Dray snorted and fell to his fours. "I'll be back shortly..."

The drake bounded off in to the forest. He looked in all four directions: West of the road back the way they came a group of four hippodraecos was flying away. They all look like eagle-winged horses with the fore claws of eagles. They were too far for Dray's pleasure. He didn't want to have to get to far from the group.

Dray only went a little bit south. He paused and saw two strange beings. Both things were red as fire and had no eyes but they do have nostrils. They walked upright even though it looks like they do not have any muscles. Just stick like legs and arms. When they open their mouths they appear to have more teeth than necessary plus they also have two fingers and an opposing thumb on each 'hand' but all the fingers terminate in the same kind of direct hitting claws that Vangar has. Both move in quick jerky movements. Neither one of them appears to be breathing.

Dray lifted a brow and a lip. He retreated quietly so the strange stick men didn't see him and went back to his original point. He looked northward and saw only a mongoose critter. He shook his head. "Nope. Not enough to kill for..."

He decided then to head eastward. He slowed some and began to sniff about. No wind made it hard to pick up scents. Dray grumbled. "Man... I hate it when it's so dry... and windless...Great All Power!"

He stopped and stood up with a grimace as he looked down at what was left of a horse and it's rider. Dray frilled and growled deeply in his throat as he looked about. A sound, deep like a far off earthquake made the ground around Dray shook. It made his kilt flutter at the helm line making the copper petals tingle.

Dray looked about puzzled. Nothing seemed to coming towards him. That was literal! The trees parted as if something around thirty feet tall was moving towards him. Small saplings crushed down to the ground flat. A blushing bush proved something was there. The plant turned pink then a second later scarlet red.

Yet nothing was coming for Dray as far as he could physically see. 'Nothing' was coming to eat its brunch! A quick glance over to the dead rider and horse showed Dray that one claw nearly tore the rider and horse in half. The horse was torn open at the belly. Dray ascertained that the animal had not died pleasantly. It seemed to have jerked around on the ground in its death agony, flopping out its internal organs all over the grassy place under the trees. Blood had dried.

The two corpses would have been very pungent if there was a wind. The whole thing looked like an ambush. Kind of like they were killed then left as bait for... let's say a wondering Reptilian?

Dray slowly backed up at first then twisted around and darted back towards his friends. "Brunch can wait a few minutes more... I don't want to become Godzilla's!"

Blade looked up as he saw Dray pop back out. "Where's brunch?"

"At the next stop dude..." Dray gasped as he slid to a stop next to Ariana. "Don't argue right now! Just get on! There's something coming right at us! Something rather huge! Anya and I is the only two here with wings!"

Blade, like anything else he needs, simply pulled a jet-pack out of his coat and slipped it on. He fired up the jets and he rose into the air. "The town then?"

"Yep! Unless you have a better idea..."

Willyam could still smell the memory of the eagle-feathered girl. Her distaste for him stung him to his core. "Every time I try and say the right thing, some girl takes it wrong and passes judgment on me to be a worthless worm! I'm tired of being a nobody! Who the hell does she think she is? She doesn't even have a car!"

The ranting driver sped up. He happened to noticed the lever again and the nox tank. He flipped the button for the turbo to kick in and the car sped up more, churning up the dust into a cloud. It rose up in a rooster tail behind the car.

Though he came up over the rise to the sleepy little town of two hills, he did not slow down. Instead the car blew through town and then on down the road. The dust raised caused people on the street to seek shelter inside away from the instant dust storm.

The cloud raised by the car did not settle for nearly ten minutes, there was no breeze at all today. The car sped up to its maximum speed. It was getting harder to make some of the turns at this speed for the driver but he didn't want to slow down. He grimaced instead as the car ground around shaving turf off at new angles and snapping saplings in half on the sides of the road.

His vehicle sped down into a valley then up the other side in less than a thirty-seconds. The trailing cloud could also be seen for miles. A tracker would have to use it to follow the speeding car even though the cloud was tall.

Someone following would have to have rocket assists to keep up with the speed of the car! It had gone 12 miles in less than a minute before speeding up another twenty miles in two minutes.

He came up and stopped on a turn out above a sparkling star on the edge of a bay of an ocean beyond. Before him lay a sparkling city in the high noon sun. He could not see any boats on the water but there was a lot of activity down in the harbor.

He looked at the view for a while, sitting there until a cool hollow of a gun barrel laid against the back of his neck.

"Just sit right there rich boy..." a voice said to Willyam. Now Willyam remembered something Vangar had told him right after Vangar had scared the hell out of him. Something about watching your back. Not that Vangar could help much right now being some 32 miles in the opposite direction.

Will tried to swallow the lump that was now threatened to choke him. He silently cursed himself. Well, the way he went through the fence was pretty impressive! But crashing through fences is one thing but gun toting goons is different.

Will felt himself begin to tremble. Maybe he did leave a little too soon! He should have stayed with the rest. By now maybe he would have been with them in that sleepy town on two hills. Will just closed his eyes and winced as he felt the gun nudge harder.

Should of- would of -could of-... Too late now. Willyam turned in his seat to look at his attackers as they got into the car behind him. The man with the gun only made him turn back the way he was sitting. He barked in the wolf's ear brandishing his old but still lethal .44 cap lock five-shooter.

"Just ease on down the road now rich boy!"

Vangar was left in the dust when Will hit the after burners... literally! Coughing and sputtering, Vangar flew on. A sense of dread for his best friend was driving him crazy. From high in the sky, he had seen many things but ignored them as Will was the only one important at the time. It wasn't hard for Vangar to follow Will's tracks since he had blown a groove in the road.

"What have you gotten yourself into now my dear friend?" Vangar said to the wind that blew his brown hair around crazily. Wind caused by his flight not other wind since there isn't any natural wind.

He closed his eyes and let the smell of dust carry him. He looked down again to make sure his nose hadn't mislead him before continuing with his eyes closed enjoying the wind across his very small scales. Though it didn't feel cold because his scales were so thermoresistant but yet he could still feel the air's movement.

"Such a lovely day... It's so nice to finally be out of a city... the air... is so pure! I'd enjoy it if I didn't fear for Will."

Some time passed and Vangar reach another city on the shore. The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky and he knew dark was going to fall soon.

"I wonder what the others are doing." He mused as he landed and then began to look around for any sign of Will. Yep, there was the definite sign of a hover car pushing dust and making tracks. Lucky for him since there had been no wind to blow the tracks away. They seemed to go towards the city. Vangar followed.

Out here away from the city someone perhaps long ago had cut down all the trees then sewn the ground with some kind of defoliant. One full mile inland of the coastal port city, was all sand dunes.

The waning red wintertime sun was changing places it seemed with another sun, a white yellow one that changed the color of the sky a little. The large red sun was farther or smaller than the other whiter and brighter sun. Soon the days would be getting warmer now that spring was officially here.

There was guard towers mounted with the glittering barrels of firepower. One such towers' armaments pointed out towards the flying Draconian and took aim on him, tracking him allowing him to get closer and closer. At the critical moment the guns did not fire! Instead all the watchtowers tracked their weapons as the lone red figure flew along towards the city gates.

It would be easy to fly over for a winged person but what would they find? The entire city is covered over, not with armaments but with camouflage netting. Sure a winged person could fly over the gates but what is solid and what is new?

Sharpest teeth in the universe and most damaging claws on feet as well as hands on this side of a Ginn still would not break through the bonds of a fiber rope net. Trapped is trapped. Probably it is how the Draconian was originally captured when he was 'made' so long ago.

From he look of the place, some kind of heavy work is being done in the port. It is also under the canopy of nets. The main city gate back towards the dune side of the city seemed to be the way the car had probably gone into it in. The netting resembles iron colored rope, (woven from steel fern).

The walls of the city are Geofaar stone. A very hard stone that is denser than granite. It is the color of gray iron. The gates of the city are iron-banded black oak with large spikes jutting outwards to fend off some monster no doubt or to impale criminals upon.

This dark and foreboding place is where the hover car had been driven. Vangar has no doubt in that. Yet now the doors are closed.

"What in the world? I thought there was a city here!"

Vangar growled to himself. He had landed and stood now by the city gates. He fluttered over and landed on some sort of meshing. He raked his claws over it expecting to have it break but nothing happened though a few sparks did shoot up.

"Darn... too hard for me to break... Never ran into something too hard for me to break!" He growled. Becoming vexed by such a thought, he began to stab and rake at the meshing furiously but nothing happened except he began to tire out.

He fluttered back to the outside of the gate and examined the walls. A few rakes broke off some satisfyingly big chunks but the walls were just too thick. It would take forever to slice through.

Vangar scratched the back of his head very gently so as to not cut himself open. "I just don't get it! The tracks shows him going in... I'll wait here... or gnaw my way through the wall in several days... Will what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Vangar sat with his back against the granite like walls. He gave a disgruntled snort and grumbled. "It will take me days to gnaw through them! They are so hard and thick! It's tough going but what will become of Will in that time? And the bars of the gate... they are too hard to get a proper slice on! So I won't be able to cut them easily either! It'll probably take me the same amount of time to get through wall or gate... And don't even get me started on that dratted meshing that covers this city! I don't even know what that stuff is! It scratches my claws instead of them it so it's harder then them... and consequently impenetrable to me...

And what about everyone else? Maybe they are in danger... but I can't just leave Will..."

Vangar's stomach rumbled.

"Oh-h-h-h great! Just what I needed... my stomach feels like its Jihading my liver... Hey I know!" Vangar jumped to his feet and then stooped down at the base of the wall. "I'll dig UNDER it! That should take me only a couple of hours! I'm coming Will!"

He grinned to himself as he began to plow his claws into the dirt, "and I'll be able to eat your captors... O-o-o-o..."

Vangar licked his scaled lips. Whenever he was hungry in the city, he'd just go find some gangster who would more or less tried attacking him and then devour them after killing them in defense. Vangar would starve long before killing a sentient unless that being attacked him first and Vangar hated the taste of lesser animals. No, sentients where his kind of food. If he had to, he could eat a lower animal but only as a last resort.

As Vangar dug rapidly, he began to muse about food. Being a carnivore meat was the only thing he'd eat. Molvaenean's were the best meat in the galaxy for filling an empty stomach. Yep, their meat was hardy and very filling as long as one got rid of their fur first. Humans on the other hand, where more of a dessert. Their meat of succulent, tender, and very sugary. Especially their blood. Humans had to be horribly bad for him but Vangar had a sweet tooth for them non-the-less. He hadn't had a human in ages.

That hairy creature that attacked earlier had such a stringy nasty taste. Its blood was pretty foul too. Of course, Vangar himself had the worst tasting blood in the galaxy.

Vangar paused for a moment and grinned with his tongue hanging a bit out. 'A-h-h-h blood... What a delicious thing to think about on an empty stomach. I can almost feel the warmth of fresh blood filling my belly. M-m-m-m-m.'

Vangar's thoughts changed to thinking about what Kai would taste like. Of course he would rather die than ever even _hurt_one of his friends let along _eat_them. Even if one of his friends did turn on him and try to kill him, he'd still not eat or even kill them. The very thought was repulsive and some psychological effect in Vangar's carnivorous brain switched his friends from the "edible" section to the "definitely not edible, rather eat a pickle" section.

Now he would have no problem eating others of their species as long as they attack with the intent to kill.

'Kai would probably taste good,' Vangar mused his eyes becoming droopy and a slim line of dribble beginning to drip from the bit of tongue hanging out, 'M_aybe a little too gamy for my tastes... Dray... Ah-h-h Dray would make an amazingly good meal!'_

Vangar began to salivate at the thought. He'd never met one of Dray's kind and would love to get a chance to taste the rich blood and meat that he could smell. He began to daydream about taking down one of Dray's kind. Slowly cutting it up while making sure it was alive to keep the blood as fresh and tasteful as possible... The rich blood filling his mouth and slowly rolling down to his belly... and the meat! A-h-h-h-h so hardy like Molvaeneans yet sweet like humans! The food of the gods to him!

He'll slowly open up its chest, feeling it quiver in fear as he slowly wrapped his snout around its beating heart. The best and tastiest part of any creature... Except bug creatures, which had nasty blood but exotic tasting meat as long as they were bled properly.

Vangar was jolted from his dream when he suddenly fell over on his right side. He blinked several times before getting back up. Thinking of Will, he began to dig more furiously than ever.

A-h-h-h the thoughts of a hungry carnivore. If his friends ever knew he thought such things they'd probably faint. He made the decision that he better not eat any of their kind with them around!

That made Vangar wonder... was that why he was created? To be a killing machine? If so, then why... why was he thrown away in the garbage with the rest of the trash? Was it cause he's never had even the slightest thought about breeding or anything like that, meaning he probably didn't have a drive or ability too?

Maybe the scientist did that took him when they threw him out not wanting to risk more of his kind being born and such. Was it because... he had too much heart? He wasn't a complete killing machine. He was only a cold killer to those who tried to kill him first. Yes, if you want a mindless murderer, he can't have such a resolve now.

Another thing bothered him. What about his berserker nature? The nature that Ariana brought out with her song? Certainly he didn't go completely berserk but that fence would have surely made good toothpicks after he was done with it. Was that really what the scientist wanted him to be always? If it were, then he was a complete failure? So many unanswered questions. Vangar continued to dig. This time without the thought of food but instead with sorrow filling every part of him.

Vangar finally burst through to the other side of the massive gate. He had to go in about ten feet and a little farther to get under the door. Now on the other side broken up through the crust of debris and refuse laying on the ground, Vangar would need rarefied light vision, or night vision to see. Sure there were torches set in sconces on the inside city walls but the whole place was bathed in a half-light like the gloom of dusk.

Shadows permeated the place. The sky could only be seen in patches through the steel fern canopy overhead. There might be room to fly in all this area but Vangar would not be able to quickly discern ropes or other obstacles in between the buildings.

Walking on the ground will not be easy either. Small hills of twisted metal and the dusty debris of the forge littered this place with large mounds of rust and metal. If Vangar did not have these thick padded feet to walk upon, the sharp metal might have cut ragged awful cuts into his soles.

Reaching a crest of one of these mounds Vangar could vaguely see the fire of a forge and the rhythmic far away noise of metal on metal could just be glimpsed farther down into this city. So far only a couple perricks (rats) scurried through the refuse. The smoke of the torches did not let out much here and added to the lack of visibility. The smoke from the cauldron in smelting steel also rose back to this point too. If Vangar could go again back outside, to where the fresh air was he would see the steady plume of thick black-gray smoke exiting the hole he just dug to get under the doors of the city gates.

Vangar came to a place that was devoid of trash and metal garbage piles of slag. He rounded a corner and there under a gas lit street light was the car. The top is down and a cover that matched the blue of the paint job was stretched over the car like a skin over bones.

The building it was next to was pretty much featureless and from it there came sounds of laughter of people. A thin wooden veneered panel door was closed and it had rubber all around it presumably to keep out the soot that was swirling in the air. There was a steady breeze ever since the front door had been breached.

Vangar felt at home... the darkness... the stank... the crummy air... it was all the same just far lower tech. Vangar, who could see only a little better in dark then a human, was used to the darkness and so moved about with expertise.

Finding the car was a shock. Why would Will be in a place like this? Hearing the laughter made the short brown hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Vangar growled to himself as he shifted from foot to foot.

"Not good... Will's in there... I know it..." Vangar spoke silently to himself while regarding the seal on the wooden door. A slight breeze was blowing his brown hair but he couldn't smell anything inside the building because of the seal.

"This is a nasty place... ver-r-r-r-r-r-r-y nasty! But Will comes first!" Vangar again spoke and while doing so, inserted his claw into the rubber seal and broke it. He quickly ran his claw over the whole outline of the door and then hid in the shadows, which he is very good at.

He knew those inside would notice the seal broken because the door was now opening because of the pressure difference. When they come out, Vangar would either jump them or sneak inside. For good measure he jumped in the car and copied Will's movement to start it. He put it in gear so it would slowly drive away. He waited in the darkness to see what would happen next.

The panel-like door blew off the door frame in a puff and dropped to the ground flopping down into the dust of the floor like the flimsy panel it was. The room beyond into the place was brighter, lit by electric lights of the florescent kind from the flicker of the ballast. A turn switch connected to the wall had the wires to the switch held up by loops at intervals along the wall. The wire hung loosely like a suspension cable of a bridge between loops.

Into the large room in the instant that he stood there Vangar could see several plated-armored and well weapon bristling big men hovering over something between the two biggest ones. A waterlogged form that was not as big as the others was being stood up then stuck with an uppercut to the jaw by a gauntleted fist.

The soggy form crumpled to the stone floor a bright spray of blood slung out in an arc as the form was punched in the already bloodied mouth. The head swung back from the attack. Vangar could smell the blood. Its warmth chilling uselessly in the clean air of the 'run off room'.

The bubbles strung out above him in a line. Willyam did not think he could hold his breath any longer. He tugged on the bindings that held him in the chair. He blew out his last air in an explosion of bubbles. He inhaled the water. The awful black vile stuff that runs off of steel to cool it down after being rolled.

He could not breathe in this thick stuff. Willyam's eyes began to drop into blackness, 'Help me...Somebody please help me! I'm drowning! I'm sorry I didn't pay those parking tickets! I'm sorry Anya for being a sleaze! I'm sorry Ariana for being a jerk! I don't want to die... someone help ... me....'

The air welcomed him back. The chair was brought back over to some of the city people. The ones with the heavy armor on. The ones that beaten him and put him in this chair. They busied themselves in slapping him to see if he was faking.

He coughed up a huge gout of black water and some more of his blood from the one sided fight earlier. They demanded to know information. He had told them everything after the first beating. They demanded he give them more information because they did not believe him. Because of the fancy car he couldn't be who he said he was. He had to be rich and to get out of here he had better tell them where to send the ransom note to or otherwise...

He was naked, bruised and exhausted. They picked him up like a rag and tossed him onto the hard stone and dusty floor next to the black pool. They laughed again as his mouth bounced off the floor sending more blood splattering across the stones.

"Tell us!" A voice demanded. The voice of the man then soothed his words over Willyam. "Just tell us and this will all be over and we'll put you in a nice dark cell with straw of your very own."

"Fwuck you!"

Willyam heard someone say with his voice. Two pairs of hands then grabbed him from the floor and stood him back up again. The man with the soothing voice came up to face Willyam. The man's hot stinking breath made Willyam want to vomit but after the last few scenes Willyam did not think he could wretch out any more.

"Let me put it another way, tell us who you really are or I'm going to get real nasty." He held up a needle and syringe before Willyam's eyes. "This is Black Wine. Once injected you are addicted!"

The two with him brought Willyam's arm up and bent his other arm at a very painful twisting manner. The man grinned as he bent the needle down to touch Willyam's arm. Willyam swallow but his throat was so swollen he only ended up making a gagging sound.

"Now you will tell me everything!"

The needle pierced his skin. All three of these men in their heavy armor all laughed again but hysterically. The other fifteen people in the room also dressed in plate armor joined in. Even though Willyam did not know what this stuff was, they did.

The joke lasted quite some time. The laughter got infectious. Even though these were his torturers, his captors, the people that had dragged him here, their laughter got him to laughing. It was something else that made him want to join in with the fun. But this was not his kind of fun... Now his vision was clouding over with a grayness, ...the drug was beginning to take effect!

From this height Blade could see 'nothing' indeed was coming this way. The tree branches parted and allowed whatever it was to run after Dray. By the dust it put up it looked bipedal and it bypassed the barn without even touching the sides.

For the moment, the thing seemed to have stopped. In an attack to shock to living pee out of Dray, the monster materialized right in front of him. It looked like a giant sized Vangar but without wings and completely transparent. It looked like a dragon made of glass! All that can be seen of any color was the ruby colored pulsating heart in the monster's chest that was the size of an ostrich egg.

It was now pouncing on Dray. The reason it got over here so fast was not due to its rather slow running speed, it teleported! Two arms that terminated in dull looking claws descended upon Dray. Because this monster does not have the speed of Vangar, Dray might have a chance.

Dray had to quickly shove Ariana to one side then flew up out of the way of the descending clawed hand. "What the yiff is wrong with you? Hungry too? Well I'm not much of a meal man!"

He had to quickly dodge another swipe. He drew in a breath and exhaled. His fire had no effect to the strange crystal Draconian. Dray snorted with irritation. Then a idea popped in his head.

"Blade! Toss me up some rope will ya!"

Blade quickly reached in his coat and pulled out some rope. He tossed it up to a low flying Dray who barely missed him with the tip of his wing and flew back up. Dray quickly made the rope into a lasso. Still flying, he started twirling the large lasso in the air and swung it. He managed to get it about the crystal beast. He began to rapidly fly about the strange thing wrapping it with the rope in hopes it will topple.

Dray yelled down to everyone. "Get to cover everyone!"

Ariana looked back to where Dray had shoved her. At first he couldn't see what it was that Dray seen but she could feel something but she didn't know what it was. She held Kai tightly to her for all of two seconds before throwing her into the air to fly.

"Go Kai, I'll see you in all of two seconds!"

She turned back to the others. Everyone else had taken to the air in flight of some form. She saw that it was now a crystal dragon that Dray was trying to fight. She wasn't going to be the one to hold them back.

"I'll go on ahead!" She yelled at them waving her hands. "I'll meet you in town."

She really, really didn't want to fly with any of them. When Dray and Blade hesitated, she smiled and waved at them again.

"I can take care of myself..."

They reluctantly let her leave Ariana grabbed for her flute. With three notes, she was standing at the entrance to the nearest town.

"Wow, head-rush," She rubbed her temples, pleased with herself.

"Yaaahhh!"

The guard to the town screamed as he jumped sideways away from Ariana, who in turn jumped. Fumbling his spear out of his hands he followed it to the ground.

"Glob-nuc-kz-ded-sheg-gk!"

The man said as he got up. He looked at the girl with the flute in her hands and complained some more in gibberish to Ariana. He grabbed his spear up and stood up again shaking his mail-armor to get the dirt off of it. His head has not covered and she could see that he was a Simian, with black short fur in hair clumps over the sides and most of the surface of the skin on his head. His face was a glossy black of a humanized looking gorilla.

"plz-sta-tchr-pbli-niss," the man said politely. He stopped then started talking in some other language, looked at the girl then motioned for her to follow him to a small building. It looked like a one-room shack flimsily thrown up with a ramshackle roof of miscellaneous planks nailed together. The only one nice feature was the big picture window of one single piece of glass.

Inside the room of the shack Ariana could hear the voices of other people that she could tell were not Simian. From what she could see through the window they did wear armor like everybody else except for her companions. Also their armory were hanging off of them in sheathes or holsters.

The Simian with the spear knocked on the door and one of the people inside made some noise and the Simian stepped inside. He snapped to attention rigidly then saluted. A seated Human made a half-hearted salute back said something in a voice that Ariana could not make out.

The Simian then rattled off a bunch of gibberish and though it looked like he was going to keep going another ten minutes worth the Human behind the desk held up his hand to silence him. The Human stood up and as he walked towards Ariana. She could feel magic in this man. He began to hold his hands and closed his eyes for a second then said a word of power. The spell took effect then and remodified reality. He then relaxed and smiled a little.

"I am pleased to meet you Miss...?"

Any strike that Dray made upon the beast failed. The fire he breathed and the rope he tried. They all passed right through the monster revealing the next surprise. What seemed like a teleport of this huge bulk was in fact not the case.

From Ariana's view she could see that the monster was just as much illusion as the box was. The dust was settling in the sun up off of something, like a foot, an invisible one that then lifted and shook off the dusty coating. The beast was still 50 feet into the forest on the other side of the low-tech fence.

True it is invisible when it hunts. It entices a victim with the natural ability like that of a spell of this world. It can become invisible and project its form up to 100 feet in front of it. It made all the actions of attack but was never looking at the victim. All the time it was moving, swinging, attacking Dray it was looking to where Dray actually was. It was doing a carnivore thing, playing with its food before it killed and ate it!

But it was some fifty feet away, if Dray and the others did remain the beast will be able to reach them before they can fly away. However; now that the beast has attacked, it has given away secrets, such as the fact that it only swings twice in a three-second combat round.

Dray now realizing the trap growled with frustration. "Man this world sucks! The thing is only a illusion dude! The actual yiffing beast is still some fifty feet away probably laughing at our dumb assess! Ariana must knew that! That's why she didn't seem worried! Damn that girl is smart!"

"Well let's go!" Blade said giving his packs a spurt of power. He angled towards the town. "She said she'll meet us at the town!"

"I'm right after you dude!"

Anya, whom been watching the scene chimed in. "Make that three!"

So the three flew off leaving the image behind. They focused their eyes on the sleepy little town ahead. They could see the dot of Kai as she raced to her mis

CHAPTER VII

MOSCOVAA

The sound of treading feet got louder as the group tired of the interrogation. The same answers under the impress drug told that the poor trespasser was just whom he said he was. The last time these guards 'found' a trespasser, they used the same methods to find out that he or she was a spy. This time when they used their foolproof methods to verify a story instead of a spy that they wanted to find, they only found an office worker with a rare but none the less pretty much useless hover car.

They wanted to all be on the big bust. Instead they got some guy picked up for parking tickets with some concocted story about a prison ship and this is the prison world and other obvious crap. They wanted to get the 'real' story but under the drug there was no explanation for this Molvaenean being here.

Nothing he said made any sense even after they took out the strange bug imbedded in the side of the Molvaenean's head and it melted in the air into different shades of goo. They decided to leave him here and let him wake up in a few hours on his own.

They knew the effects of the drug would also erase any memory of what happened to him. The poor wretch would never be able to remember anything including the last few hours. When he came to, he wouldn't remember everything until he came to the see the city.

A loud explosive noise sounded and they whirled around. They seal of the door somehow got broken and the door blew off. The stink of the outside filtered in.

They confidently moved towards the broke down door. The footsteps stopped just inside of the door. Vangar could barely hear weapons being readied and the unmistakable sound of a machinegun bolt being pulled back!

'Are they falling for it?' he wondered. He stayed in the shadows not about to reveal himself until he sees how many and how armored they are. He also thought he heard talking nearby.

'I gotta take out the guards and get Will out of here quick!' Vangar grumbled mentally and continued to wait.

"What kind of planet is this?" El'ment asked tilting his hairless head walking along side with his other two companions. His Captain to his left and the medic officer to his right.

Mysta shrugged her slender shoulders. "It's a strange one for sure... I've been around a millions places but none quite strange as this one."

"Well the Galactic Federation only just started to reach this far out," El'Put said, "So it's really hard telling what we'll find this far out... Everyone get back!"

El'Put held up a red gloved hand. El'ment darted his keen X-xian eyes about and saw the very thing that his Captain did. It was a reptilian type being. He was messing around a hover car.

El'Put rested a hand on his proton pistol. El'ment and Mysta did the same. They weren't going to draw unless they needed to.

El'Put, El'ment and Mysta inched closer to the mesh covered city. They could see the scene through the meshing.

"Captain," El'ment whispered into his human captain's ear. "How are we going to get in?"

El'Put looked about and spotted the door. He frowned. "Let's take a look over there..."

So all crouching and scuttled over to the door. They saw where someone must have dug himself inside. To El'Put, he thinks it may have been the red draconian. "We'll get in through here..."

El'Put and the other's stood back up. El'Put blond hair tossed about some and blue eyes stung from the smoke. He smoothed out his red uniform and drew up his hood. A slight breeze caught his waist length cape. There are gold shoulder tassels to signify his captainship and gold lightening shaped buttons down the right side of his knee length over coat.

El'ment straightened his own blue uniform that signified that he is a lieutenant. He may be a half-breed, part human and part X-xian. Because of his X-xian half he was able to withstand the sooty air better than his other companions were. He large oval black eyes were able to penetrate the darkness better. His thermal heating sight picking up large amounts of heat. He very small ears picking up many sounds. His ran a hand that consisted of two fingers and a thumb over his smooth hairless head. His light green face crumpled in confusion.

Mysta looked down at her solid white uniform to make sure she wasn't to messed up. On her shoulders were red plus signs to signify she's a medic. Her long black hair that was layered in three rows of fine braids with beads on the ends rested down her back. Her large snake like Nummitian eyes adjusted to the darkness. She wrinkled her small nose and frowned her full lips at the various smells.

The little party moved quietly down into the hole that Vangar dug. They got through to the other side but didn't come out of the hole. They just sat there and watched.

Willyam is inside of a runoff collection building for the forge, close to the gates of the covered over camouflaged port city of Moscovaa. Vangar is outside letting the car glide away from the building in a slow crawling velocity. Up to fifteen others are going to come out of the building. Some have their Order weapons and some have automatics. All are of the Order of the Key and Guild of something else each.

The Order of the key is composed of police, detectives and scientists. They are the lawmen usually but sometimes there are bad cops like this group. Still they are cops and this is their beat. They are the ones that have the responsibility to police the front gates of this new city.

Their Order weapons ignore armor as that they are critically hitting weapons. In Vangar's case he doesn't wear any armor to ignore so it will be a fair fight. Vangar will need to hit critically to ignore their armor, otherwise he'll have to wear it away off of them. They do have a special ability taught to their Order only. The stun.

They hit with the flat of the blade to stun an arrestee so that they can capture the trespasser easily. If the arrestee resists, however, these police guardsmen have orders to shoot to kill! But at least two of them have the Endowment of telepathy so they might make this a bloodless arrest like in Willyam's case.

However the leader, Sergeant Devenrough, is a member of the guild of the Cloud too. So he is of a felonious nature, though he still is an officer of the Law. In his combination all must ever do to appease his Order and his Guild guidelines, with his Mentor is gather information as a counter-espionage interrogator.

The others tend to look the other way when he uses the highly illegal (to own if you're not of the Order of the Key), 'Black Wine'. Up until this last person it was 'justified' in administering it. All members of the Order of the Key must 'justify' their own actions. They are bound to the ideal of the Order that balance or fairness must always be upheld.

In essence Devenrough must give up using his brutal methods as that he is now in the gray area with his Order. He might have committed a crime and as a further crime upon the worst of all possibilities, an innocent person!

Being the first one to clank out of the doorway, Devenrough strode confidently out the door. He had his sense of danger like everybody else did, so he 'knew' someone was waiting for him. Still he did not know from where they would strike.

He did notice the non-spy's car running in a low gear toward the inner city gates down the street. Devenrough ignored it instead he scanned the area with his night vision or rarified light vision between the slits of his extremely heavy plate armor. Though made of Ion Plate making it far lighter in weight.

He was the leader and still held the half-full syringe with Black Wine in it in his gauntleted left hand. His wings he had tucked into his back armor. It was uncomfortable to walk around this way but no one can put armor on their wings short of 'skin' anyway because how could they fly? His wings were protected under his armor and so he looked Human like this. The sheen of his armor and the tunic he wore denoted his station as first sergeant of the main city gates of the new city of Moscovaa.

Behind him came next, stepping to the left as they came out, the other one stepping to the right. The rest of his guard came out left, right, center, left, right, center, until all fifteen were out of the building. All of them wore Plate armor, bulky yet the best protection. That is unless your name is Kaidu Khan. But that great wizard is also of the Order of the Black Glove a master ninja. Devenrough did not want to even think his name, lest he come here and take revenge on him for only doing his duty!

Devenrough has to interrogate all new comers to this city. Since it is after all a covert operation and only spies would know of its existence. But then there is the issue of this last guy. Even after using his endowment of 'read on him, he told the same story. Then again, when Lester Flem used his endowment of Remember on the guy's clothes also showed the same thing. Then he used the Black Wine, thinking this guy was a tough nut to crack. A super spy, but got exactly the same story!

Lester Flem stood on Devenrough's right and Mordred stood on Devenrough's right. All three had moved out and away for tactical reasons from the building. Devenrough began to unsheathe his Order weapon. Flem and Mordred had already drawn theirs before they stepped out of the building behind them.

In his right hand was his crystalline Antarean razor, a racial weapon still his favorite because being crystal he never had to sharpen it. It always cut like a glass shard. He also carried a huge .951 caliber Wheelock musket on his back. A slow velocity missile weapon. He chose it a long time ago because the impact of the weapon on a non-armored person tended to pulverize the bone underneath the tissue. If it hit someone in the abdomen or leg, the impact of the huge slow velocity missile would also knock them back or down to the grown. Even if it did no other damage.

Lester Flem had both his .44 magnum revolvers out, not as powerful as the Wheelock nor was it as big a caliber either, still the repeaters would allow Lester to do high velocity damage plus he had Armor piecing rounds instead of normal bullets. He had his two Order swords crisscrossed on his back and a knife was strapped to his right hip. Lester had on only low point armor, half-small plates and the majority of it mail. Otherwise known as Camail. The good thing about mail was that it cushioned low velocity heavy caliber missile weapons, like the one Devenrough used.

Mordred had two Krassa 022 Machine pistols in either hand. These MP's spat out all 36 rounds in one 3 second round emptying the magazines. This meant that anyone shot would get all the bullets in one single hit location per each MP. Mordred also had his Gauntlet swords hung at either side of him and one throwing weapon, a Francisca throwing ax on his back. Mordred had his wings outside of his armor, being Vulchaan his avian physique made it actually painful to tuck them like other Ornithropods did. Mordred wore armor of Cartos steel plate, a sky blue metal that made the wearer immune to Krel and the lightening or the 'Stare' of the Ginn.

These three walked straight out then turned around after crossing the street. Lester and Mordred backed across to watch their backs so to speak. The rest of the guard filed out in formation ready.

The ones that still stood at the door arrayed out in a blob like formation. Devenrough said pointing in the direction of the car that was now half way down the street. "HITE, GO GET THAT CAR!"

When Hite Athan hesitated, his auto pistol in one hand his racial shield-like weapon wrapped around his left represent with blades and spikes. Devenrough made a face like he just ate a sour lemon. "Oh sorry i forgot, Athan you can't drive. Billy you go, you drive one of those things anyway!"

Billy Mcallister grinned broadly, since he didn't wear better than High tech ten point zero abs protection. The cyborg metal arms and the cyborg jaw with the chomping action or two hundred and fifty points of damage in a bite made his looks scary. He ran down the street to get the car.

After watching Billy charge after the car, Devenrough turned back around and drew back his shoulders.

"Now whoever you are, I am the first sergeant of the guard! I order you to show yourself by authority of the city-state of Moscovaa!"

Devenrough waited for either the attack or the surrender.

El'Put, El'ment and Mysta waved their hands in front of the glowing light in their belts. A slight zing was heard indicating their shields came on. El'Put then stepped up from the hole. El'ment followed with Mysta behind him. El'Put only had his hand resting on his weapon but didn't draw it. Not until he saw fit to do so.

He drew his shoulders up as he faced Devenrough. "I'm Captain El'Put of the Galactic Federation ship, Silver Lady. This is my First Lieutenant El'ment and my medic officer Mysta. We are here looking for two lost comrades. Our shuttle is just parked several miles outside of this... city of yours. We are sorry to trespass..."

"Captain..." Mysta said in a hurried voice. She was looking at her scanner. "I'm picking up faint life signs from this building! A Molvaenean I believe... A race we've had not much meetings with..."

El'Put just listened but made no movement. He just held his gaze with the surely sergeant.

Billy was almost to the car. Devenrough turned to the person at the gates, said an unintelligible hrumphf. When no one attacked, he turned slightly to his men. "Guard follow me..."

He turned and strode along only now putting his syringe away. The other eleven guards followed him replacing hand to hand weapons for their projectile weapons. All except the Centaurian.

She had no weapons what so ever yet she was wearing an exoskeleton. This device would give twice the 8' tall and 8 foot long reach that she normally has. Her exoskeleton system seemed to have a flaw though; it had extra structures for all her appendages. Usually exoskeletons only have extensions for the legs but this one had them for her arms too.

Along the way Devenrough straightened his attire, stopping at a place he knew very well. He stopped about 82 feet from the new group. Devenrough then said in a loud and commanding voice. "Captain El"Put, stay back your men! You are in a restricted area. I am first sergeant Devenrough of the City-state of Moscovaa! You will disarm yourselves immediately!"

As if on cue one of the guards behind Devenrough stepped up with a weapon that could shoot some five thousand feet. It was an ancient design to the user but to El'Put's group it looked a little futuristic. The weapon was a full automatic. sixty-five caliber August Corporation 'Viper' heavy machinegun. It was suspended in a rig that was in the form of a backpack that had the magazine belt and autoloader system also attached.

This single rifle backpack, blowback doubler, munition feeder, telesight, and ammo gripbox with probably with a gripbax mounted so the whole thing could be carried by the long legged short bodied ruddy looking, Relva-Merican. The little Relvan also had a bag of shrapnel hand grenades, a Zhetwahn Rhiaxian AP3 auto pistol and a Berdiche pole arm as his Order weapon.

All of these guards carried one weapon or up to three that had an immense energy reading to the person with the scanner. Mysta couldn't believe what she was looking at. It looked as if twenty thermonuclear warheads were going off! They were an energy that she could not identify. She and no one of her part of the universe had ever seen it before. It seemed like a kind of life energy but not.

Other Guardsmen also brought up M-900 AR's to aim at the new comer group. As well as other slug throwers. Not one civilian High Tech weapon amongst them. Energy readings on the one to three weapons on each of these guardsmen went off the scale.

Mysta showed her findings to El'Put. "This is just unbelievable!"

El'Put looked at her scanner and back to Devenrough. El'Put held out his hands away from his little plasma. "Listen... Er Sergeant Devenrough, I don't mean any harm. My group and I were just here looking for two comrades. I saw the red... what looks like a red Reptilian and thought that perhaps it was one of them. But I am mistaken..."

"Captain... the Molvaenean..."

El'Put only wavered his eyes around and turned his head slightly. "Please Mysta..."

Facing the Sergeant once again El'Put continued. "Sir, if you will just allow my medic help the injured person in your facility, we'll then be on our way. Okay?"

"This, Captain El'Put, is my domain. You have just trespassed within it. I must place you under arrest now because you have refused my order! Trooper Tav, prepare to fire! Trooper Decon, Trooper Gyromaster, Trooper Bogie, Trooper Resig, and Trooper Kuang mark your targets!" Devenrough was a right bastard sometimes but he was a good squad leader. He was taking no chances. The troopers named took aim with their auto rifles. Most of them had M-900's but one had a weapon that was alien. It was of the military of the Sitrans; a Beckan Chi full automatic shotgun with bipod.

"Now Captain, disarm yourselves and lay down on the ground spread eagle. You all are under arrest as spies! I have the firepower and the complete authority." Devenrough finished holding a hand up. He didn't dare take his eyes of El'Put. "Men keep you weapons on them if you please!"

Devenrough went forward at a brisk walk. On each side were his two corporals Lester Flem and Mordred. Also the Centaurian female Kinki, followed suit. She was different. She had no weapons at all. The hide of her body shot off the scale of Mysta's scanner like the weapons of hand to hand that each of the other fourteen had.

Mysta lifted a brow as she looked at Kinki with amazement. 'There's something not quite natural here!'

Vangar's body went ridged. So many of them... and so well armed! He was no match. Not even close! One of them could probably finish him. Then someone called out from near his hole a captain of some ship? Looking for two missing comrades? With his ears folded down Vangar had half the hearing ability of a human so he couldn't make out what was said.

'I'm... doomed... and them too...' He thought with remorse in his mind, 'I'm coming Will... If I live long enough to make it or not... I'll try!'

Vangar rushed the door. Vangar was relieved that the guards had left... and bloody lucky! He was by Will's side in a heartbeat, and then checked for Will's. Will was alive... barely.

"What did they do to you..." Vangar moaned as he noted the blood and filth matted fur on Will's face. He noted his friend's glazed over eyes and realized he must have been drugged. "I'll make them pay if I could but I wouldn't last a second! Not in this fight! Come on buddy, time to get you out of here and fast!"

Vangar threw Will over his shoulder and was out the door again. He had a new problem now. The captain guy was taking up his hole and all the guards were in the way too!

"No easy way out this one."

He grumbled as he stood in the open behind the guards. It would be only a few moments before they spotted him but there was no point hiding now. The captain guy had allowed him to at least see Will one last time and Vangar was going to repay him by distracting the guards long enough for him to escape with his life.

"Hey!" Vangar yelled out to Devenrough. "What the yiff did you do to my friend? Well never mind that now! I'm going to give you boys to the count of three to move out of my way so I can take my friend here and leave peacefully! If not... They'll be scraping you guys from the walls of these buildings for weeks!"

Except for the little Relvan with the HMG backpack rig, Devenrough and everybody else turned and looked back to the voice. Devenrough did not know what to do in this situation. A real spy was infiltrating behind him and the probable 'cavalry' coming to save the day standing next to the door.

He wanted information. He wanted to apprehend criminals! This job just sitting on his hands for the last four weeks got boring and complicated real fast. True, he was second echelon and was a specialist in training into counter espionage but his rank as first sergeant was bestowed upon him for his echelon level. He had taken the title and responsibility because they could not pay him for his echelon level or his weapons abilities. He was over three hundred percent with his Razor but they could not pay him the six hundred gold pieces per week, double his percentage, because of his Echelon within the Order of the Key and the Guild of the Cloud. Devenrough looked back and forth several times not wanting to split his force.

"First sergeant, what do we do?" Mordred asked him.

"I don't know yet, corporal!" Devenrough thought quickly and then decided upon what was the only course he could think of. "Take four men and check out the disturbance! Billy should be coming back by now. He will be flanking them from the direction of the inner city gates and you'll have them pinned!"

El'Put clenched his teeth. He really didn't want to do battle with these goons but looks as if he had really no choice. The strange Reptilian/Draconian guy looked as if he was trying to distract them on purpose. The guards and sergeant turned just long enough for El.Put and El'ment use their kinetics to fly into the air and drew their plasma rifles. They knew they wouldn't have time to keep reloading damn protons!

El'Put saw the strange reptile with a injured being over his shoulders. "You! Strange Reptilian, move! We'll take care of these goons! Just get your friend out of here and follow Mysta! She'll help him! Mysta, take them to the shuttle!"

"Captain..."

"Just do what I demanded!"

Mysta argued no more and waited for the strange being to follow her. Her scanner showed strange DNA readings of this new individual that really puzzled her. It looked as if he was more saurian than reptilian.

Mordred singled out the men that were not aiming rifles. A Carthanian, an Antarean/Monvolf mix, a Simian and a Royant ran after corporal Mordred the Vulchaan.

Vangar could hear both the order and the sounds of five people running towards him. Willyam only drooled a long drip of spittle out of his mouth with some blood mixed in it. His naked wet body lay over Vangar's shoulder like a wet rag doll.

Vangar's acute hearing told him that Willyam's car was coming back up from the gloomy street and back towards him. Willyam twinged a little at the sound of the engines.

"Dwat's b'mie karr," came out of the fogged Molvaenean.

"What the... Fire Tav!" Devenrough yelled when he turned back. "The rest of you fall back!"

All the aiming rifles dropped. The Centaurian then rushed over to El'Put's position; on the way over she turned on her exoskeleton. Though Centaurian are fast runners, like a normal horse it takes a little while to get up to full speed. El'Put flew a little higher when he saw the charging Centaurian.

Tav's heavy machinegun spat out as many as one hundred bullets per three seconds. The monster weapon holed into the city-gate doors making them look like Swiss cheese. Tav cursed under his breath when he saw that he missed El'Put because the Genecidian flew up out of the way!

Vangar hears the Simian run behind the others. He can't see very well in this gloom. The Royant runs out in front his Mp replaced, by another medium tech weapon. It starts up on a first pull of the trigger. Vangar saw that it is another one of those chainsaw edged motorized chain axes. Except this one is far more dangerous. It is his Order weapon!

The Antarean-Monvolf mix is taking to the air pulling out his Molvaenean wave edge. It is ripple edged weapon with an 'M' shaped guard and a bent looking grip. The weapon appeared to be ungainly, yet any Molvaenean can use one.

The Carthanian, a Bengal tiger like being, simply extended his claws from their normal retracted state and ran behind the Royant. The Simian got lost in the mad dash. The corporal, the Vulchaan, also took flight replacing his MP's for his Order gauntlet swords.

El'Put raised a brow as he saw the charging Centaurian. "How quaint, a real horse of a woman..."

El'Put saw no need to use his plasma on the creature for he saw that she had some sort of exoskeleton on. So he just threw out a hand. Electricity charged down his arm and shot forth with a crackling burst. It enveloped the armored Centaurian. El'ment being X-xian so much in his nature was rather quick in speed. He aimed his plasma rifle at the ones that looked a bit weaker and gave short rapid blasts. Mysta just stepped back down a little in the hole, awaiting Vangar.

The electricity bathed the Centaurian in electrical damage. Enough to have killed her. Enough to at least to have slowed her down. Enough to have kept her from jumping then running straight up the city gates doors before gathering herself to attack with the Akkrabbu style of Nin-Po revealing why she use no weapons. She is a martial artist!

Mysta's scanner went off the scale from the energy as the Order of the Light and Triad Guild member used her endowments. First taking half damage allowing her to stay alive after the electricity would have normally killed her. Her endowment of the 'Spider' kick in which allowed her to stick to the city gate doors like she was a spider. She used her Guild Endowments next of Chemist, Mechanic, Electrician, and the combined form of Engineer from them with her other endowment of weapons knowledge.

Unfortunately no one of her kind on this world had ever seen a plasma rifle or pistol before. She was intrigued but she still made the rest of her attack when she got to El'Ment. Four knife hand attacks, four clawhand attacks and four fist attacks but only to his weapon. Her reason is the Order. She disarms antagonists. Not to hurt or kill but to make it so that the reason and the tenets of her Philosophy of her path is met.

El'ment gave a startled gasp when a hoof knocked his gun from his hand. Out of quick reaction he threw out a hand. Using his kinetics he retrieved it. "Listen Pony! Nobody knocks my bloody gun from my hands!"

He shoved his plasma under the Centaurian chin and fired! The Centaurian Kinki exclaimed, "Wow that is amazing!"

She used her karate to parry the rifle struck to her throat in a frighteningly fast reaction of using a claw-grab. El'ment blinked at the sudden movements. It's a good thing though that he rests the butt of his plasma rifle on his hip when he shoots. Like most X-xians, it is a difficult thing to get anything out of his hands. She nearly took him with her but El'ment used the force of his kinetics to pull him back.

Only members of the Order of the Hermitage of the Light even know how to do Kinki's little trick. It is a maneuver to disarm an opponent by grabbing it out and away from an opponents' grasp. She intended upon holding it behind her back so he can't use it but the little light green man proved to be stronger than she imagined.

She was now exerting her full strength and being a fourth Echelon member of the Order of the Light and the Guild of the Triad, she has become more than she was when she started. Kinki only smiled smugly at El'ment who only held her gaze with a stony face.

Kinki didn't really care if she got his weapon from him or not. She got him exactly where she wanted the X-xian. If El'Ment cannot hold the weapon versus her tremendous strength, he will lose it. As the two of them were struggling over the weapon, this El'Ment is not firing it at anyone. This has met Kinki's purpose. She is using non-aggression to defeat a foe! She is still true to the one path. She is still one with the universe - Theoretical Mysticism Philosophy tenet of a philosophic choice of the Path of the individual. Members of the Light are light wandering Shaolins but want to attain Bruce Lee type mastery in their chosen style of combat.

As the two struggled, Kinki talked like the two were old friends. "I am really impressed with that amazing ability! Would you please excuse my forwardness but would you teach this dishonorable woman this amazing ability that you have?"

El'ment only held his gaze and snarled. "I was born... with it! Got to be... Engh! A X-xian!"

In the seconds before open battle erupted, Vangar realized the two major errors he had made. First, was the fact he hadn't realized the two flaws with armor. The primary flaw being that against someone as impossibly fast as Vangar, heavy speed reducing armor was a death trap. The secondary reason being armor cannot truly protect the joints. When the two flaws were put together it became quite apparent that Vangar could get in close and the guards wouldn't have time to use their heavy weapons. He could slice 'n' dice 'n' turn them into Julian fries but alas, he had not noticed that till now when it was too late.

The second error was not a real error at all. If Vangar had been alone and Will hadn't been in that building, he could have easily taken out the troops in the door way. They would only have been able to attack him one at a time. Unfortunately, they had custody of Will at that time and if Vangar had attacked, they might have done something nasty to the Molvaenean.

The first error was what really stung Vangar though. He could have fought them earlier so the captain guy (did he call himself El'Put?) would not have had to put his life and the lives of his crew, on the line. There was no use thinking about the past now. What was done was done and Vangar had Will to consider or he might even stay to fight. Even if he was flanked and didn't have a snowball's chance in Hell.

As the first shots crackled through the air, Vangar took to flight since it was his fastest form of transportation. He hugged the ground staying only roughly a few inches above it as to keep himself out of the immediate firing arcs of the guards. This maneuver also had the nice affect of spewing up dirt, filth and debris behind him in a shield cloud the guards couldn't see though.

Vangar hooked Mysta in his left arm and with a serpentine like motion was down, up and out of the hole before she could cry out. He thrust Will into her arms and towered over the hole waiting for others to come through. He knew that the guards would chase after them so he had to make his stand. El'Put could take care of Will now.

With a deep breath, he cleared his mind and conjured up the image of the Ginn he had first met with Willyam. He shifted the image to that of the ninja Molvaenean. 'Hurry,' he cried out mentally, 'hurry before it's too late! I need you now to destroy those who are against me now. Please do as you said you would and come to me; there isn't much time!'

Mysta laid Will upon the ground and shrugged off her pack for a moment to retrieve a long bar with a handle on it. She placed it just at Will's head and pressed a button. A fielded gurney appeared under the wolf and rose to the height of four feet. She then gripped the handle and began to hurry in the direction of the shuttle. She looked back at the remaining 'drake' and said. "I promise I'll do what I can for your friend!"

She turned back around and pushed the levitating field gurney along. Vangar watched as she headed away. He looked about hoping to see the powerful Ninja. He jumped when he heard the crackling of electricity and the blasts of high-tech weapons going off. He couldn't wait for the Ninja any longer. Vangar dove back into his hole.

El'Put looked when he saw the red beast have returned but said nothing. He was too busy firing and blasting bolts of lightning at the attackers. He was starting to tire from using his powers too much. "If we all can just get to the hole and slip out, we'll make a run for the shuttle! I don't think these yiffers will follow us too far! They got their jurisdiction you know!"

El'ment just gave a nod to indicate he heard. He had his hands full with the Centaurian woman. They were still struggling over his plasma rifle. He wasn't going to give in to her no matter what. His X-xian pride wasn't going to let him fall below a woman.

For Kinki chauvinism meant nothing, she was supposed to occupy the aggressor and keep the adversary from being able to cause harm, His intent was immaterial to his sexist viewpoint, she did not even consider it, nor did she stop the struggle either.

There was suddenly a bright flash and a sound similar to a thirty megaton bomb going off inside the chamber of the city under the mesh. A small black clad man with a staff in his hand appeared. His magic was swift and deadly. He struck his staff to the ground and announced a word of release. A ribbon vorpal in nature, extending like a ring from him widening out and sliced everything it its path. It extended outward until it engulfed the entire city. El'Put, who was still flying became horrified by the spell. It was obviously done with witchcraft. No one survived on Devenrough's side.

The sorcerer looked up and made a claw hand in the air. He jerked his hand in a downward motion. El'Put and El'ment watched with horror as the entire front of Devenrough's men's' faces fell off of their heads, their eyes and brains slid out of the exposed parts of their skulls.

Another but different kind of explosion happened when the black Monvolf again raised his arms. The entire city imploded in upon itself until only Vangar, El'Put, and El'Ment were standing at a place where the road went straight to the edge of the sea.

A small cube of intensely packed material about the size of an ice cube dropped by its own weight into the surface of the ground. The only other thing that survived was Will's car idling with the engine running at a slow speed toward where Vangar and the others were standing. The City was completely gone.

The Monvolf in black walked nonchalantly over to Vangar and said, "You're welcome, my dear Vangar. I am happy to take revenge for you." Oh by the way that is what real witchcraft looks like so you be able to remember the difference," Kaidu whispered.

CHAPTER VIII

THE TOWN ON TWO HILLS.

As Kai flew at her airspeed, along out of the forest a serpentine red form flew up close by to her. It had eight wings shorter than her wingspan, yet the same design. It had a way of scooping the air in such a way as to propel itself at greater velocity. It was not a dragon. It was an animal though it looked draconic. It had two forelegs that ended in razor-sharp talons, no hind legs at all.

Scarlet red in color, the little animal sped up to accelerate very fast. It was now going at sixteen hundred feet per second. The wings cupping the air like how a drag racer grips the tarmac for traction. The little animal shot past a Bluebird then cut an amazingly tight circle to arc around back to the confused bird. A plume of three thousand degree flame came out of the little animal. It was enough to partially cook the bird to death. As the featherless dying bird fell, the little dragoniod animal snatched it up in its fore claw talons and though slowed by the weight flew off into a nearby tree into a Woodpecker hole. Nothing else was fast enough to even keep up with Kai.

Ariana just looked at the polite town guard officer for the town of Nud, the town of two hills. Ariana took the offered chair, though she was fidgety and nervous.

"Ariana! Ariana Nestwick!" She introduced herself quickly to the polite guard and shook his hand. "I'm terribly sorry to just...appear like this. There was something that was attacking me and my companions, so I had to break away. The rest have their own means of escape."

He nodded in understanding.

"Again I want to apologize..." She stopped for a minute, feeling the tingling in the back of her mind. "Pardon me for a moment!"

He looked startled as Ariana bolted from her chair and to the door. She opened it just in time to grab Kai from the air. Kai nuzzled Ariana's neck, making sure she was all in one piece.

'I'm all here love.' Ariana assured her. 'Never tell me you were worried?'

Kai growled and Ariana laughed, hugging her. She returned to where the guard was waiting for her. "I'm sorry, I had to get my charge."

She politely introduced the guard to Kai as the dragon brushed against her legs like a cat. It was Kai's way for getting attention. Ariana sat back down, rubbing Kai's nose when she put her head in her lap.

"Oh not all, not at all. Do you require assistance? I regret that I cannot leave the post, however, I can order a patrol to go out and help your friends if you require it Lady Nestwick." He motioned to the aide still in the room, who came over and offered the seated distressed now calmer Ariana a glass of recently poured water. The town guardsman Ariana had surprised still stood at attention. The officer then noticed him again.

"Very good trooper Kilpatrick, now back to your post." He saluted the guardsman again and then went to whisper something to the aide. He turned back to the seated Ariana, "M'Lady, you must be completely exhausted after such travail! May I be so bold as to offer you hospitality? Oh I am rude! I have not identified myself!"

He turned away from her a little and straightened his chest plate a little better and released the top stay on his back mounted sword. The sword half fell until he caught it easing it to hang at an angle at this side. Turning back to Ariana, the guard bowed in a flourish. "I am Captain Elgin Novin Tav, the fifth at your service M'Lady."

He looked over to the aide and said only one word, "Now!"

The Aide did a quick salute then also went out the door. Ariana and the Captain watched him sprint uptown right after he left the porch outside the shack.

"Man this damn planet's about to drive me yiffing mad dude! First my War Dragon lands here totally extended with fully charged crystals but won't start!"

Blade rolled his eyes up irritably as Dray grumbled and complained just up ahead jogging at a fast gait. "Then crazy magical stools to make good ol' Dray the butt of some wizard's joke! Then holographic crystal dragons... Man I just want to get the hell away from this... Hell!"

"Dray..."

"I'm hungry beyond belief and damn if that Araina hasn't POPPED... off again..."

"DRAY!"

Dray jumped and spun to now face a very vexed Blade. He gave a pouting growl. "Dude... Just chill okay? Look! It's the town!"

Dray looked and purred. "Food... Hey... isn't that Kai? She just flew... Ariana? She's in that shack!"

Blade felt the hair on his neck rise. "Man let's hurry! I don't like the feeling I've got..."

The little band of friends hurried towards the shack in which they saw Ariana enter. Dray, Blade and Anya stepped up to the door of the small shack they saw Ariana go in. Dray stood completely upright bringing himself to his full 8 feet. He hammered on the door rather soundly with a clawed fist. Being hungry, he was quite moody.

"I know someone's home!" He snarled through the door. "I also know one member of our party is in there too! All I want is permission to enter your yiffing city so we can freshen' up a bit and get something to yiffing eat!"

Blade looked up at his snarling Reptilian cousin and lifted a brow. "Dude, you really need your morning coffee..."

Rumbling noise of many hooves pounded the town's one main street. A driver with a high pitched voice yelling, "He'yaah, h'Yahh!"

The carriage all in fine silver tree and edged with some reddish metal that looked more gold than gold did. It was ringed and enamored and the exterior in leaf and vine designs. The carriage was completely enclosed in glass, wood and metal. It sat into long huge leaf springs and rocked when the driver pulled the team of four Clydesdales up. Their pasterns in full feather, the dust from the un-watered street boiling up behind the carriage then settled.

"Whoa Betsy, Whoa Buttercup!"

The driver pulled back on a lever locking the rear 5 foot diameter wheels. A man dressed in armor and some kind of tunic with an insignia of a heraldic kind of design emerged from the carriage. He took out a cloth of some kind and polished the dust off of the carriage. He turned; ignoring both the 8 foot tall Dray and the long coated Human next to him, and walked into the door.

Dray held up a finger and was about to say something to the man but he shut the door right in Drays face. Peeking in the window Dray saw the man come to attention and saluted his Captain.

"Sir, the Lady's carriage is outside!" He waited for Capt. Tav to reply. Captain Tav was socializing with Ariana in a 'isn't this a nice day', and other pleasantries. He stood up and saluted back so his aide could relax,

"Very good, very good, now see who's at the door."

Ariana saw Dray's face through the window and waved. She blurted before she thought. "They are my friends!"

"Yes Sir." the Aide replied turned around and re opened the door. "Yes can I help you sirs?"

Dray just stood a moment and blinked incredulously at the guy who drove up with a opulent carriage.

"Well... sirs..." The aide urged. Dray then folded his hands in front of him and spoke in a very controlled calm voice.

"Yes. I'm Dra'Gone... Just call me Dray. This here is Blade'A'Man and the feathered female is Anya. We are dear good friends of the Lady Ariana. Can we please be allowed some food and a place where we can freshen up?"

Dray grinned with a full mouth of pointy teeth in a smile; reveling white teeth. (an unusual trait in a Reptilian, most had grayish or yellow teeth.)

"M'Lady," Captain Tav began, "your carriage is outside."

He stood and waited to assist 'Lady' Ariana into the carriage. After helping her into the carriage he turned to Anya and assisted her into the carriage. He turned back to Dray and Blade. "You say that you are her guard? Where have you been? You should be ashamed of yourselves acting in this way! Fine guards you turn out to be!" He sternly scolded them.

"Now the carriage awaits, I suppose. " He said like as if he was going to spit. "You will have to ride inside but don't shirk your duties this time!"

Dray looked down at this captain and opened his mouth to say something but Blade reached up and grabbed it.

"Dray... Just shut your face... and get in!" Blade said grinning through clenched teeth at the drake who was now snorting and pulling his face free. "At least... we just might get somewhere..."

Blade then turned to the captain. "Um...yes well, we were guarding...er our Lady when a monster attacked. See our fair Lady has a way of just POP-ping out of our line of vision..."

He stopped when he saw that the captain really didn't care to hear of his excuses. "You know at least my brother will listen..."

Dray then grabbed Blade and dragged him in. The carriage slowly began to move forward. A feeling of turning came next and soon the carriage moved along a quick pace of around fifteen miles per hour up the hill of the town.

The beauty outside the carriage was not as exquisite as the inside was. Rich clothe not Duralin but real silk covered the seats of the carriage inside. The smell of fresh flowers from the bouquets in the niches around the inside corners of the carriage, which bounced along with the soft cushion of the long leaf springs. The wood inside was inlaid with other woods of veneer type placed to the design of a rose like flower across the ceiling of the carriage. The floor was covered with soft rich Berber type carpet, revealing that it was made by a loom and not machine made.

Comfort melted the miles of dust and sweat from the occupants. A small tray with a towel and a bowl with a pitcher of water were on the right side door of the carriage. Frills and lace edged all the seats and the various pillows within the carriage. The smell of sweat and days on the trial on horseback along with the stink of a burning began to overwhelm the fragrances of the flowers.

The carriage finally came to a stop and the door opened. A bell-fop set an ornate stool down so that the occupants could exit the carriage without stepping down. A stepping stone kind of walk to the red carpet that led into the 'Rose's Cantina'. The bell-Fop bowed deeply with a flourish of his hand and arm making the ruffles of his multi-colored, frilled coat rustle with its officer's tassels hanging off of epaulets. The piping down the coat and matching pants of sky blue on a soft pink made the Human look 'gay' if in another time and planet. He said no announcement as he bowed.

Just about the time that the group came into 'Rose's Cantina', an escort appeared for each male and each female. As close as was possible under short notice to lead by an offered crook of an elbow into the next rooms beyond. Each Guest was asked, "What is your pleasure, M'Lady?" or "M'Lord?".

Blade's eyes popped open and he gave a strangled gasp. Ariana couldn't help but give delighted yip. Anya just looked about and lifted a brow. Dray gave a excited growl and licked at his chops.

In one room was a banquet set out upon a table, like it was prepared for some emperor. Another room lead off to a Turkish bath type of place and the other was toward a grand staircase that led up to the upstairs rooms.

Dray's eyes glittered and he began to salivate as he drooled over the opulent table of food. He fell to his fours and hurried to the table. Blade saw him rush forward and try to stop him.

"Uh... Dray...uh.."

Dray's stomach clouded his hearing membranes. He began munching on this and then on a little of that. He lifted his head and shouted through a muffled mouthful.

"Whef the fwiff is the ale!"

Before he could say another word Dray was brought a tray with ten different drinks set upon it, by his female Moakien escort. Dray stopped and looked down at the cute little female with a large tray of different ales. Dray purred with delight, picked up a stein and draped a arm about the girl's shoulder.

He looked over at Blade and grinned. "Maybe in a minute she could help me with a bath eh?"

Blade just smacked a hand to his face. Dray just cackled and took a long gulp of his ale. In two gulps it was gone and helped himself to another. Blade just shook his head and turned to the others. "I don't know about you ladies but I've got to really freshen up and get away from this stupid reptile before he drives me nutters!"

Ariana watched as Blade hurried off and registered himself a room. He held up his key and smiled before heading up the stairs. Ariana was sitting down with Kai curled up next to her. The hatchling was completely worn out and sleeping already without even touching her food. Ariana picked but wasn't very hungry herself just tired. She sipped at the ale that was brought to her but wasn't thirsty either.

Ariana just couldn't wait to take a hot bath and wash off the soot, dirt, and grim that had built up on her skin and hair. Ariana kept her eyes down and her face veiled by her hair. She had lost the bag that held all of her things, including her change of clothes. She guess that she would have to change back into the torn and dirty ones she had on now after her bath.

She saw Anya wasn't enjoying herself much either so she politely excused herself for the night and retired to one of the rooms. Ariana was quick to follow her so she too got herself a room. She looked back and saw that Dray seemed to be enjoying himself too much to notice her or anyone's disappearance.

Ariana woke Kai enough to hoist her up into her arms and carried her up to their room. Ariana placed her on the small bed and then took her bath. She was never more happier to see hot water and a bar of soap in her life. After that was done, she was even happier to see that a black gown had been laid out for her on a small table along with new boots and a brush for her hair.

Ariana dressed and brushed out her long black hair until it hung damp and straight to her waist. With a little smile she put her snowflake necklace and flute back on. Feeling like a new woman, Ariana decided to go back down to get a drink before bed. As she descended the stairs, she said out loud in a musical tone, "Maybe tomorrow will be a better day!"

Blade ran into Ariana as he too decided to go back down for maybe something to drink. He too had refreshed and was once again clean, his own long black hair combed with the top layer pulled back in a small pony tail. He had left his long coat behind in his room.

He smiled at her. "Oh got a bit thirsty too eh? Me too... Dray... I think he's really having a Reptilian good time. Anya well... I'm not sure where she's at. So-o... Can I join you?"

He didn't act flirt-ish like Will. He actually just wanted to have some company. Ariana, naturally shy, smiled a little at his request. She wasn't used to a lot of attention or even much notice from men.

"Sure, I'd love some company," she said cheerfully. She took a seat at a small table and received a mug of ale from the friendly serving girl Ariana had spoken to before.

"Thank you Mary," she said to the girl with a nod of her head and a smile. "So, we're waiting here for Will and Vangar?"

She sipped at her drink, fiddling with the ends of a piece of hair to keep her hands busy. Ariana was also the kind of girl who always wanted to be busy.

"Well..." Blade said with a look of not sure what to do on his face. He looked up and beamed at the girl, Mary as she too gave him an ale. "Thank my lass!"

Putting his attention back to Ariana after the service girl flitted away. "I'm not to sure as to where Will and Vangar has gone. Ariana, I know that perhaps you can help me with these maps..."

He held out his hand and instantly the maps appeared there. He saw to look on Ariana's face and chuckled. "No... It's not magic. It's a power I have where I can materialize any inanimate object into being. I'm afraid I can't do things such as food and drinks other than water. But never mind that. I was told this is the town of Nud of the land Tir...something or another. Any way this here is the map of this continent. Now. I know that there is more to these maps then meets the eye. I also know that this world is mostly magic based. I also know that you know a lot of that field. So perhaps you can tell me a bit more about these maps if you could..."

Ariana looked at the maps. When she did she could see the magic aura that she now has since she met Kaidu. There is magical writing all along the edges of the map. It is invisible to those who are not versed in either Witchcraft or are looking through their orbstaffs!

The kitchen was abuzz with activity. Chefs calling out orders of the prep cooks, the wait staff dreading the next heavy tray of cooked to perfection sweat meats and extremely rich foods recently prepared from the on call hunters that brought it in. Mostly venison, some beef, and various game birds. Decorated to look like the bird was still living. It was a feast creation. Each one inspected by first the chefs then the main chef and lastly by the major domo of the wait staff. Each tray was sent out to replace the empty ones. Though it was impossible because they were attempting to fill the bottomless pit that was Dray's stomach.

The only thing not seen is the owner, nestled in a small room above all the activity. She is adding tray after tray of the best food north of Istvaar to the rising bill on the travels. Dreaming of mounds of gold pieces. She is happy to make her guests kings and queens sparing nothing for their comfort. She added another tray of food to the reptilian fellow's bill.

A knock came upon her door. She did not answer just pulled the door open.

"Ma'am we are almost out of ale!"

A voice of one of the wait staff told her though the crack. Rose grabbed a key from the top of her desk. "Okay Mary, go across the street and get a couple of the Hunter's Guildsmen to help you with a barrel from the warehouse. They shouldn't be too put out. I'm paying them enough to sit around all day until we need more food!"

Rose handed the key to Mary. "Thank you Mary. You're doing a great job! Keep up the good work!"

The door closed and Mary happily went out to do the work. She liked her boss. Nonoe ever complimented her like Rose did. Mary walked out the door but her way outside was past the reptilian and the others at the table. She looked over at the cute tall man with the pony tail and curtsied just for him before she passed out the door to across the street. Blade gave a small chuckle and looked back at Ariana.

Ariana was watching the maps. She saw a figure more like a dot run across a line where Nud was on the map. Other dots joined the first. Mary came back in the front door with three guys dressed in half camouflage and half armor, their quivers of arrows flopping about from the slings on their backs. The three were carrying a huge barrel. They continued out of sight towards the kitchen.

Blade who is looking at the map with Ariana cannot see to this detail. Only a Guidemaster or a person versed in illegal Witchcraft could see to this detail. Over all the other place names was a flurry of dots buzzing around.

A short while later the three hunters went back out the door. They were joking and laughing as they came out of the kitchen but abruptly stopped when they walked across the vision of anyone in the banquet hall. They went out the door again with their mugs of ale. Once outside, they got loud again but faded as they walked back across the street.

Three dots went from one side to the other side of a line where the name of Nud was on the map Ariana noticed. The movement of the dots coincided with Mary and the hunters Ariana noticed. She looked over and seen a dot move across the map to be joined by three others when Mary left and then came back again earlier. She looked up and saw that it had been Mary and three others. This was a tricky situation that Ariana had never seen the like before.

Mary came back with a tray of mugs of ale setting two down for Dray and one each fresh for Blade and Ariana. She stepped back again and waited for another order from the guests or watched until they got to end of another plate. She was the one that removed all the dirty dishes. Blade noticed that the girl always wore a smile no matter how busy she was kept

She was happy with her choices. She stayed behind in town instead of joining a Guild and an Order like all her friends. Rose was a great person to work for and she didn't have to sleep inside of a cold suit of armor every night. Sleeping on the hard ground out in the open with all the monsters and other things wanting to eat you.

Ariana was fascinated by the maps. It was obvious that they had been spelled with a strong magic. The writing around the edges faded in and out between silver and gold lettering, magically shifting from one color to the next. The language of the text was unfamiliar to her and it puzzled her the longer she watched it.

"Hmmmm..." she puzzled, trying to feel with her mind what it could be. "I really can't say what this is. I know there's a strong spell on it and there's writing that I can't make out. I know a few words but the language is different from my own."

She was speaking more to herself then to Blade. Ariana would pour until she found the answer over this problem. Something she did since she was a child. Just as she was about to speak again, there was a yell followed by a woman loudly cursing. Ariana felt the familiar tingle of Kai somewhere near, awake.

"Oh no." Ariana jumped from her seat and followed the gold and silver splashes of color as they erupted violently in her mind. Kai was in trouble and she was hiding from everyone, Ariana included.

Dray purred drunkenly as the cute little Mary brought him more ale. He grinned and gave a nod of thanks almost falling from his seat nearly pulling the Moakien girl out with him. He was enjoying her... Er company. He saw when the hunter like fellas came in with a barrel and saw them when they left but he was to... fogged up to really pay much attention to them. A sudden noise came from the kitchen and soon Ariana was running past. Blade wasn't to long after her holding his maps

Ariana burst into the kitchen and found it a mess. There were overturned barrels of ale; pots and pans full of food littered the floor and the woman whom had been cooking, covered from head to toe in flour and water. Mary came up, stood beside Ariana, and looked as horror-stricken as she did.

"Kai!" Ariana yelled more afraid for the hatchling then angry.

"That thing...that thing..." the cook was walking towards Ariana, rage painted on her face. "Look what it did to my kitchen!"

Ariana started to get a little more afraid by the way that the woman held the large knife in her hand. Her anger was directed at the dragon and not at Ariana.

"I'm so sorry..."

Ariana began but knew that it wouldn't make a difference. Ariana had no way of paying for the damages. Ariana could feel Kai. She hadn't gone far. She was terrified more of what Ariana would do then the cook.

'Be calm love, I'm not angry at you.'_Ariana sent to Kai with her mind hoping that she would listen. '_You have to be calm Kai, it's all right, don't run. Go back to the room and wait for me there.'

She felt Kai following her orders and Ariana breathed a bit easier but that still left the huge problem of the destroyed kitchen. The major domo came into the kitchen next. Ariana gave a gulp and felt Blade squeeze her hand gently.

"Okay what in the hell is..." he stopped when he noticed Ariana standing there, "Please M'Lady, we can handle things from here. Only kitchen staff in here."

He opened the door wide. "This way please, M'Lady,"

He waited for Ariana to walk out of the kitchen. She stepped back to the door but didn't leave. The cook grumbling was taken back into the pantry by another group of cooks so she would not cut the heads off of the patrons.

"It's okay Battalia, we'll clean it up quick..." Their voices were muffled by the door that closed to the pantry. Blade, Ariana was all that was left standing there looking about the messy kitchen.

Blade looked about the mess and turned to Ariana. "I know you're proud and all but look at it this way. We are a team. If Kai makes a mess, it's our responsibility..."

Turning to the major and head chief, "Listen, here... take this for the damages. It's the least we can do. See Kai is only a baby... Well... here just take this small bag of gold for the troubles. Again we are very sorry!"

Blade grinned as he jammed the small sack of gold in the major's hand. He guided Ariana back to their table. He touched Ariana's hand to get her attention. "Don't worry. These people seem quite easy to work with but if you feel like you need to get back to your frightened little Ginn. Go ahead. We'll discuss the maps later. Maybe you can figure out whatever it is you can see but I don't."

He held a map up and twisted it about in the air as if trying to understand it. He dropped his arms, looked up at her, and smiled. A huge yawn took him.

"Oh... sorry..." he apologized trying to cover his mouth, "Perhaps the two of us should get some rest. Here let me walk you to your room. Sorry, I'm just a gentleman. This is just how I am."

He smiled at her. Ariana pressed her hand to her forehead, again thinking back on the horrific mess that Kai had made. She was only a baby after all, but Ariana was supposed to have been watching over her and taking care of her.

"How could I have let this happen?" She whispered shaking her head wearily. She turned to Blade and offered him a tired smile. Ariana appreciated everything he was doing with helping her with this sticky situation. She made a waving motion with her hand.

"Lead the way."

She added with a lopsided smile that she normally wore. It made her look more the innocent girl. Her mind was really on Kai and praying that the hatchling wouldn't find more trouble while they were on this 'quest'. Ariana shook her head slightly trying to focus again. She saw that Dray was getting very cozy with a girl at his table and that Mary had busied herself cleaning the kitchen.

"I need a nap," she commented dryly allowing Blade to help her up, "Come on my gentleman."

She grabbed Blade's sleeve and pulled him toward the stairs.

The Moakien female stood up and then stood behind Dray although he was still guzzling this and wolfing down that. She placed her hands on his neck and started to massage his muscles. Dray gave a moan as her nimble fingers worked his muscles relaxing them. He looked up at her and studied her face with an impish glint in his eyes.

She was scaled with fine scales the same as Mysta but of a lime green color. Her features were more of a cretaceous nature than the humanoid form. She filled her dress and top in. She looked like an alligator yet the face was not as long and her ears were internal. Tympanic skin stretched over the ear holes making it appear that she had two bumps of slightly lighter skin on either side of her head. Her appearance was very good looking for one Moakien to the other but to a human on a scale of one to forty-two she looked like a cute alligator with an appearance of fifteen.

Her deep finger massage released tensions Dray did not know he had giving him a feeling of elation as she moved the blood in his muscles around her expert fingers. She grabbed a hold of either side of his neck and quickly pulled up and over to one sides then the other side in a chiropractic motion. All of his vertebrae in his neck cracked.

The result made Dray drowsy. She proceeded back to the massage down his muscular back then stopped and let him sway happily while sitting in the chair still. Dray purred and growled with delight as the girl's fingers massaged his neck and his back. The tiny fins that run along his spine stiffened.

She said softly and huskily, "The table clothes reach to the floor you know. I can relax you even more if want me too..."

She turned away from Dray as if she was innocent and waited for Dray to answer. Dray looked up at her and grinned, his eyes glittered with a new kind of appetite. "Hey... hey little girlie! Let's go back up to my room. I think we can stretch out better there! Dray loves his spine massaged!"

Dray wiggled his brows up and down as he grinned, running a pierced tongue along his lips. Dray might have thought that his speed was unmatched, his strength unequaled but this girl hoisted him in her arms and took him upstairs before he could react. She had climbed half the stairs before Dray could blink somewhat bewildered. He grinned as he tried to focus on his date. "Well... A woman who likes it a bit rough! Well then... TAKE ME, BABY! TAKE ME AND DO ME ALL OVER... YEAH!"

Blade walked Ariana up the stairs and frowned as he heard his drunken cousin outburst. He just simply ignored the drake and continued walking Ariana up the stairs and down the hall.

They came to her door and Blade bent over and gave Ariana a light peck on her cheek.

"Good night Ariana... Maybe tomorrow will be a better day."

He stepped back and smiled at her one last time before turning to head towards his own room. He hoped the peck on the cheek wasn't too bold. He meant it out of friendship but yes inside his feelings were a bit more.

He doesn't know why she stirs his heart so but she does. He would like to express to her just...

Blade closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them. He knows Ariana is a very determined and a very heart strong woman who is much set in her ways. He likes that. He doesn't want to interfere with that but he can't help how he feels. He wants to let her know but scared it would scare her away just after the fact they were able to sit down and be friends.

'Well... I'm sure everything will come clear...'

Heck, he wasn't even to sure just how she feels about him. Maybe she only tolerates him just because she has too. Blade only gave a huge sigh. He doesn't know but he is sure that perhaps he should just keep his feelings to himself for now.

'Baby' took him into a room that was different from the room he had rented. It was moist of air, yet dry as a bone - hot otherwise in the room. Someone had redesigned the room to resemble a desert rock land with a clear pool complete with a fountain in the exact middle of the room.

Dray tilted his head question. How in the world they had made this room without all that weight crashing into the banquet hall directly underneath is a non magical mystery, until Dray heard the low hum of anti-grav's under the 'floor'.

His girlfriend carefully laid him down upon a smooth rock, overlooking the splashing pool ripples of water and the spray of the fountain. This gave this enclosed room that hot mistiness. She started with his feet, caressing and loosening the muscles massaging away pain and the last million miles of tension before the cloud that brought them here.

She rolled his toes under then pulled cracking each toe after the muscles had relaxed. She started up the backs of his legs in her kneading of his calves and tendons. His thighs came next but stopping before she went any higher. With a glint in her eyes and a slight impish grin she said, "M'Lord, I can't quite get at the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus with this kilt in the way..."

Dray purred and his eyes twinkled, "I don't know about my gluteus medius or gluteus maximus... but I know one muscle that you can massage... my Erectus Maximus!"

Dray reached behind him, unclasped the kilt then tossed it aside. Soft massages by the insides of the female's mouth came next as the drake lay upon his massaged back. Tricks and turns with some teeth to tease with deep thrusts up and down, rolling the pleasure muscle round and round in her mouth. She smiled but gagged a little instead of laughing. Dray arched his back as he felt her tongue tease him.

Other pleasantries stroked up his stomach and chest. The female slid up the red drake and settled herself in a slightly off set position. Her tail stroked his and then she dove into him furiously, the heat of the room added to the exercise. Sweat does not drip from Moakiens. Instead, they just endure the heat. They need the exterior temperature to regulate them in comfort like reptiles but at this point, her attitude was more of a desire to scratch an internal itch. One that was deep inside, that only Dray could reach.

He gave growls of pleasure as she pounced on him. He gave a husky laugh as he threw his arms about her and pulled her close, feeling his drake-hood sinking deep within her. His swollen 'Erectus Maximus' throbbing and screaming for more action.

"Oh... Baby..."

Dray purred as he nibbled gently at her chin.

CHAPTER IX

KIADU KHAN

Inside his mind, Will wasn't any where to be found. While Willyam lay there on the stone floor in a semi-catatonic state, he could still sense things and hear voices that he no longer understood. He also remembered a familiar scent of something maybe reptilian but he could not remember anything past this sick headache.

'Did i crash?' H_e started to panic when his body did not respond. '_Oh no! I'm dead! Worse! I'm alive just barely and I can't move!'

He lay there in the full effects of the drug looking out of glazed eyes. He could what there was of this room. He also felt the cold under his fur, the wetness slowly drying out. He just couldn't move, talk or even move his eyes. He tried but nothing happened. 'Well that's just great. I think I somehow broken my back or severed my spine. I must be covered in blood and what is most maddening is I don't know what happened to the car! Is it scratched or... Oh my god! I hope it's not dented!'

Will felt as his limp body was hauled up and thrown over some broad red shoulders. The familiar reptilian scent was very strong now. He became more chilled when he was took from the confines of the building he was in. The being that held him now boomed in a loud but unfamiliar tongue.

The sound of his car made him semi conscious but the being suddenly flew off with him. Another scent filled his lupine nostrils. It was a scent of some unknown female. He then felt himself as the reptilian being lowered him to the ground. A female voice spoke but he didn't understand her. He also heard the other familiar being speak again.

At the sound of a familiar voice Willyam sat bolt upright and looked to the voice that talked to him. His car was just rolling over towards him. He rolled of the gurney and onto the ground. His legs gave way and he fell to his knees. He tried to stop himself from falling but his lower arms did not seem to respond right.

He thought of saying something to expound upon his situation but what came out was unintelligible since he spoke in Molvaen now. Willyam is barking something and growling something else with other sounds interspersed. He saw only one person he knew. His friend Vangar but who these others were he did not know.

"Who are you?" he said but it came out sounding like more growling and barking sounds. "What happened... My car!"

Mysta had to grab the now jittery panicking wolf. Thank the All Power for her translator; she could understand his barks and growls. A Galactic Fed. Translator not only enables the implanted to understand the language but also enables them to speak it.

So speaking in the tongue he knew she urged. "No! Please! Get back on the gurney! You must not move! You have a few broken ribs, which I can fix in a jiffy! Also your system is full of some unidentified narcotic! I can give you a detoxin to clean this from your system! Come on my dear Molvaenean lay back down! Your big red friend will be coming shortly. Let's surprise him by letting him see you in good health, sitting up in bed clean with fresh clothes on and eating!"

El'ment blinked his large black oval eyes as he looked about. He was still in a position as if he was still trying to get his gun from the now missing centaur. He and El'Put landed back to the ground. "Captain... I don't know what bloody happened but... it happened."

El'Put just looked down at the small condensed cube and kicked it hard sending it skirting across the dusty road. He turned to the mask man in black and extended his hand in thanks.

"I am Captain El'Put of the Galactic Federation starship Silver Lady," He introduced himself, "and this is my first Lieutenant El'ment. We are very grateful for your help."

El'Put tuned to Vangar. "Reptilian, I know not your name but I assure you that Mysta will help your furry friend. Our shuttle is only a mile or so that way. If you wish, we can go back there and we can give you something to eat and maybe freshen up some yourself. I'm... er... sure we've got a kilt for you."

El'Put tried to act as if the other's nakedness wasn't bothering him. Vangar stood and looked down at himself. With a shrug, he just introduced himself. "I'm Vangar. Don't worry. As for my plumbing, it's all tucked away neatly in a sheath like compartment. Therefore, you can't really see anything. I have no use for clothes. They are to restricting for me."

El'Put couldn't help but watch the Ninja. He could detect great power from this man. Maybe he can explain a lot of this strange world so where he and the rest of his team know just what they are up against.

The Ninja pulled back his hood and pulled back his mask. He let his staff hover all by itself when he let it go to remove his helmet. An older Molvaenean regarded El'Put, a white streak seemed to go in a line down from right to left in his otherwise bluish black furred head. His appearance though Molvaenean was striking. It would make even Mysta blush.

"Hail, and well met Captain. I am Kaidu Khan, mayor of Mantos." Shaking El'Put's hand with surprising strength for such a small Monvolf. "For your situation, well you don't have so much of a problem of where as much as you do of when."

El'Put raised a brow. "When? You mean..."

He looked over at El'ment who looked just as surprised. He looked back at the Ninja. "We are from the Earth time 2005! Just how far in the future are we?"

El'ment stepped closer to his captain. "It's not like we havn't travled through time before..."

"I know El'ment."

El'Put said almost too snappy. He didn't mean to sound so harsh but he thought that his time travel days were done. Time travel has always created paradoxes the creating alternate worlds of an existing world or universe. Dukeville was a prime example of that for Earth. El'Put looked back at the Ninja. "We've got a lot to talk about my good Kaidu Khan. So if you two would like to come back to the shuttle. We be honored."

"Very good, Captain. A-h-h, do you mind if I handle the traveling expenses?" He asked smiling as if he knew something that no one else did, which was not very far from the truth. "As for your shuttle, I don't think you will be leaving quite yet. I normally do not deal at all with High Technology but perhaps you know what a Singularity is? A-h-h... a black hole if you will?"

He waited a second for the first statement to settle in. "Well the singularity is one of our suns of our double star trinary system. Once out of the protection of the influence of our planet your ship will end up become drawn into the singularity! I ah... think you're stuck until you can get to one of those 'Fold box' things I'm afraid."

El'Put pursed his lips. "Fold Box things? Oka-ay... Well we did come out to this end of the galaxy to study this new trinary system. Dray a comrade of ours along with my dear little brother was supposed to have scouted out for troopers. Our nemesis Dark Emperor Jade has always been trying to interfere with my doings. A strange bluish green cloud came out of now where sucking my comrades in. I followed with my lieutenant and medic."

El'ment eyes went wide. "That's why my readings were fluctuating so bad! Geez! So now we're stuck. So is Dray and Blade!"

"Wh-a-a-a-at?" Vangar slowly pivoted on one foot to regard El'Put. "You know Dray and Blade too?"

El'Put looked up at Vangar and smiled warmly. The big beast reminds him a lot of Kiglar. "Yes, Vangar, I do. He's my cousin. El'ment there is actually my uncle. My mother's little brother. May I ask what race you are? You don't quite look Draconian nor Reptilian but quite draconian reptilian. If you catch what I'm saying! My medic says she picks up strange DNA readings from you!"

"Yes... I did." Mysta stepped up. She looked up at the now worried looking Vangar. "Your friend, William... is doing fine! I was able to fix all his injuries and detox his system. He received a nice warm sonic bath leaving his fur all shiny and soft. He is now sitting up eating some soup. I had given him a body suit for him to put on. He is asking for you."

"Wow," Vangar said to El'Put, "you're all one big happy family. When you get back to Blade and Dray, you'll be taking them home right? Oh, my race? I don't know. I call myself a Drakkon. As far as I know, I was a failed experiment. They wanted to create a killing machine but something went wrong. I don't know how I failed but my earliest memory is being left alone in a dumpster outside the lab. From then on I've always been alone until I came here and met Willyam then Blade and Dray. I have no familly."

Mysta looked up at Vangar. Boy, he sure does remind her a lot of her big handsome brute Kiglar. "You failed because you have compassion and love. Whoever it was that created you wanted an emotionless beast with no feeling! Something that had only one thing on its mind. To kill."

El'Put looked from Mysta to Vangar who now looked as if his eyes were brimming with tears. Vangar cleared his throat and quickly wiped at his eyes. He looked over at Kaidu.

"So," he had his own questions for the mysterious person, "why did you come to help me Khan? What is your purpose for me? Do you know something about me even I don't know?"

"I am the one that took over the Ginn's mind so that you would not be eaten by him!" Khan stated. "I am the one you owe a favor too, also,"

He finished looking at Vangar. Vangar turned back to Khan. "Yes, I do most certainly owe you. So what is it you want of me? Do you still wish me to carry out your original orders?"

Kaidu then turned his gaze to the Captain. "As a matter of fact, there is something you all can do for me. As it happens, it is something that I cannot do by myself."

Khan answered. He then requested. "What do you want in return for this favor?"

Everyone has been walking back to El'Put's shuttle as they talked. They entered the shuttle. Mysta hurried forward. "I've got to see how my patient is fairing!"

Willyam had reclothed himself in the body suit the dominant female had commanded him to put on. He was dying to ask for some more soup but could not just cry out for the woman to return. He sat there in no pain but was in anguish.

Everybody around here must be so important with all the uniforms, though a bit old fashioned. He was not anywhere near the station of this female. Not like the other two women that he had met earlier. Though female, they were peasants below his station so he could talk to them without having a regard for etiquette.

His stomach still growled since he hadn't eaten much but only now remembered the bar on the door of his car. 'If I can go out to it, I can get an Ale!'

He jerked his wolfish head up as the dominant female's form came into view. He just sat there and swallowed staring at her with large eyes. Mysta hurried over to the wolf and asked, "You still look hungry! Would you like some more soup? Some more ale? I made plenty!"

Replying to the dominant woman, Willyam said in a small voice to Mysta. "Yes please, thank you mistress."

Mysta smiled warmly at the wolf and got him some more soup with some spirits. "Just call me Mysta, William. Here... have some this. This will warm your soul a bit. You had quite an ordeal. Just relax. All's fine for now."

Willyam had no memory what so ever what had happened to him. The effect of Black Wine tends to create amnesia for a period of time. All Willyam could remember was that he stopped to regard a city after he drove off in a huff over female rejection and distaste of him. Next, he woke up on a gurney when he heard his car roll up. He did not know how he got wet, bruised, beaten up and disrobed. He simply agreed with whatever the dominant female told him.

"Yes, mistress Mysta."

Mysta just looked at the Molvaenean for a moment. What little she knows of this race that they are a female dominated race. She couldn't help but give a small laugh and a shake of her head. She tweaked his cheek.

"This is going to take you a while to get use to isn't it?"

Will only kept his head down and ate his soup.

El'Put made a place for him, Vangar and Kaidu to sit and talk more. El'ment just went back up front to keep his eyes appeal on his radar for anything scrupulous. El'Put saw that Kaidu just remained outside the door. "Well come on in and do sit Kaidu! You are very welcomed!"

"I cannot enter this thing. It is technology," he said with a little distaste on his Molvaenean face, "and I am restricted by my Guild of the Orb. We cannot use or depend upon technology for the one reason that magic is superior. So I can stand out here if you don't mind."

El'Put smiled and gave a nod. "If you are more comfortable that way my dear Kaidu, please. To admit I feel a great surge of power from you when I'm in close proximity to you. I believe my shuttle will fare better though I hate seeing you standing."

El'Put took out some X-xian spirits and three glasses. "Anyone for a light drink?"

Showing his hospitality for it's the X-xian custom to lay out refreshments for guests. He looked back at Kaidu Khan. "If I aid you, you'll give me something I want in return? Is this what you're saying? If so, then my desire is a way to get back to my time with my crew and if Vangar and his Molvaenean friend wishes, they can come with me."

El'Put looked back to Vangar who was now looking at him with shock. Vangar blinked and tried to act as if he was feeling quite nonchalant about the offer. He looked at Kaidu. "Well, what is it you want of me? Do you still want me to do what you ask of me as the Ginn?"

"Well the Ginn gave you orders in within the time I was speaking to you through him. What I would like for you to do has to do with your survival here." He waited for that to settle in before he continued. "What I want you to do you will need a Mentor for and it is your choice as to your path. I do not dare send a child where I need an adult to go. Without a Guild or an Order to aid you even your amazing speed and power cannot help you in death! Do you remember Vangar the two that were killed then they healed right before eyes?"

He waited for the red drakkon to respond.

"I do remember them!" He replied to Khan. "Dray nearly died because I wasn't prepared for such a possibility of them coming back from the dead. How did they do that?"

Kaidu answered Vangar's question. "Because their mentor's performed what is known only on this world as a Save. They were rejuvenated and resurrected before they actually died. It is through their Order/Guild that this is accomplished. Now as to what I want you to do is simple. I want you to start a war for me. I want you to take back the universe from the Shy-Aeche! Vangar have you heard of them?"

"The... the Shy-Aeche? No. Never heard of them." He said shaking his head. El'Put listened intently as he poured three glasses of the sweet spirits. He sat and leaned forward on the table looking at Kaidu.

"The...Shy-Aeche? Who are these...Shy-Aeche?" El'Put asked. "As for my situation, can you somehow get me back to my time?"

"I can arrange for this transportation but I need to do a time fix of some kind. 2005 does not mean anything to me. I cannot tell without more searching what that time reference is. I have been to Earth once but I don't think you would like it there in this time. The Shy-Aeche rule the continents and the remainder of the race that used to be called Humans are now gone to the dusts of time. The people who call themselves Earthers are descendants of a people that once was called the Thorvaldians. An empire created after the Exodus off of your home planet." He paused for a second. "As for when that was I don't really know. My information comes as an answer to a specific question I made when I was there. It was as cryptic then as it still is now. Now on the lighter side I can tell you that the date on this world is 1624 A.G.E."

"You mean all the humans are dead," Vangar said sadly, "and the only true humans left are the ones on this world? If that's so, then I might never discover the truth about my past!"

"Actually, my friend they are all dead here too. The only humans you will find in the entire universe are the ones standing before you right now." Kaidu pointed to El'Put and El'Ment.

"Interesting." El'Put said looking down at his glass. "The Galactic Federation is trying to protect several galaxies, the Milky Way included from the horrid Dows. That is what we call them. Also there is the Orion Empire we have to keep track of. The Dows have ninety-eight percent of control of this Empire. Draconian are also in close ties with this empire. You don't think these Shy-Aeche are somehow related to these beings are they?"

"I do not know of these Dows or Orions that you speak of though I 'got' to Earth once. I have been to many dimensions and have traversed many 'worlds', yet always on this planet." He made an elbow move at the Capt. "You see, I do know that this planet is circling between three double star suns. Not so backward eh?"

He became the upright formal high wizard again. " For what I do know is that nearly ten thousand years ago the Shy-Aeche came from a sixth Galaxy. They first destroyed Earth then the planet Rhiax. Something to do with peoples that knew about revolutions and could get the rest of the universe to agree on a common goal."

He raised his hand and the glass filled with the aperitif floated across out the door to where he stood. He grabbed it out of the air. "Then planet after planet fell to the Shy-Aeche and their allies, the Formorian and the Milesian. They either killed or enslaved everybody that survived their conquering armies. Until they had conquered all the members and peoples and races of the entire universe! That was ten thousand years ago. If you've never heard of them, then they must have come after your time."

El'ment shook his head incredulously. "Trying to say races that survived millennia even before Earth itself was born was just wiped out of existence? Like the X-xians, Genecidians and even the mighty Vegans?"

"Let's not forget about Nummo!" Mysta retorted resting his tiny fists on her well-rounded hips. "Also... Reptilia..."

She turned her eyes away from El'Put's slight smear of a humorous grin. Vangar on the other hand was too much inside of his own thoughts. Vangar interjected with urgency of his own questions.

"Hold on now. I want to know about the future before getting a history lesson if you don't mind!" Vangar replied politely. "Our conversation has shifted. I still want to know about those beasts that came back from the dead and what you, Khan, want of me."

El'put realized that Vangar did indeed ask about his 'task' so he apologized. "Vangar, I'm sorry. Go ahead Kaidu, answer Vangar questions and let me absorb what you've told me."

The red drakkon re-thought over Khan's last comment. "Then again, this history is interesting. This angers me. How could any sentient race erase the existence of another?"

Vangar suddenly felt a surge of guilt that he was being rude to El'Put. "No no, dear captain, you are trying to get home and such a need is far greater than mine. If my creators felt fit to throw me away and not even waste resources killing me, then what value do I have at all? I am being selfish for Khan's knowledge should be yours first. I can wait. I'm not going anywhere anyways."

El'Put looked up at Vangar. "Vangar, you are no less than I. I see you as my equal, a friend and will be please to have you have aided me. Like I said, if Khan is able to grant me back to my time, I would like it if you and your friend return with me if you wish."

Looking at the figure in the doorway El'Put continued. "Khan did come to aid you, Vangar, after all."

Vangar got all choked up and began to look somewhat flustered. "You... you don't understand. You have family, friends, and whole world with a life for you. I have nothing! I have never had anything. A created being like myself could never stand on equal ground to a natural creature. I was created after all. A creation can _never_be greater than the creator."

"Hmm, you do not yet understand." Kaidu sat down as if there was a chair there. Just before he was touching it, a large ornately carved Diadem made of 'ironwood tree' wood materialized underneath him. He smiled a little as he went about showing off to these off worlders. On the crest of the chair was a symbol of a snake rearing as if to strike before what appeared to be a sun in flaming corona. It was made of gold. "Vangar young one, you do have a family. You do have brothers and sisters. You are amongst them this very minute, you do not have them as the same flesh, but they are by your side until you walk away!"

El'Put regarded Vangar. "My dear reptile, we all are created. The Great All Power had that hand in our creation no matter how it was did. You are here in existence for a reason."

El'Put got up and clasped forearms with the great beast. "Only dear friends clasp forearms."

Vangar regarded El'Put. "Yes. That's what Blade told me."

He gave a weak smile. "Thank you. Still I feel that you were created directly but I was made off hand by creations. A creation of a creation. I only have what meaning you give me like an animal."

He turned away to keep his eyes from watering up and concentrated on what Khan said now. "But if you want me to destroy them I will! What monsters they are! They must be destroyed for their crimes and who better to carry out such a deed than a creature created for the purpose of mass destruction! However, there's one thing. How can I or anyone else stand against them if they are able to destroy whole universes? Another thing, what are these Orders and Guilds you speak of? They sound like gangs. I hate gangs! Besides, I can't fight this war alone!"

"And you won't." El'Put responded to the red. He then turned to Khan. "I'll help only if you can find a way to get us back to my time."

El'Put knew it would be like creating a paradox but the thought of the Federation actually falling apart and blowing away as faint memories really bothered him. This is for all his decedents that died. It was odd to think of his children in the present although they never have been born yet.

Kaidu clapping his black gloved hands together brought El'Put back to the present. "As to the Orders and Guilds. An Order is a group of people that live their lives according to a group of laws that they cannot go against. They are the nobles of this world. They act accordingly. The Guilds are a like association of minds. Gangs, as you call them, exist outside of this structure. I can tell you a little something about each if you want me too, my good Vangar."

"As for your dilemma, Captain," Kaidu replied to El'Put. "I will find you a path back home though the journey be long and set with obstacles. Like Vangar, I need you and your people to join an Order and a Guild. You may be either dual Guild but you cannot be dual Order or one Order one Guild. After you have made your choice, based upon the type of person that you want to become, you will seek out a mentor. After this, you will need to pay your own way. Since you can make money better than I can give it to you. You need to learn as much as is possible to survive even one Shy-Aeche attack. Although they use a kind of magic, their flaw is that they cannot understand anything lower in technology than a machinegun."

Kiadu paused to see if they were getting all this. When he was satisfied that they were, he continued. "They use devilish high tech but long ago they forgot how to use thier own magic. This will be there down fall."

He stood up for the emphasis. He lifted a fist upward and shook it vehemently. "I will bring magic to destroy them! We will be victorious! Revenge for the fallen will finally be achieved!"

He regained his composure and sat back down. The sounds of distant trumpets blaring and the sound of marching feet had come up like a holo as he made his speech but everything stopped when he sat back down again.

El'Put looked from Vangar to El'ment before looking back at Khan. "Join a guild... or and order huh? Well how do I... we... go about doing this? How do we find these guilds or orders to join? I'm Galactic Federation officer! This is the only guild or order I know! I know no kind of magic. I only have the powers that I was born with. I being like my mother, the power of electricity. That's why my name is El'Put. Genecidain, meaning Lord of the Skies! El'ment's is Lord of the Storms for he can manipulate the weather at his will."

El'ment smiled and gave a shrug. "Maybe I should make a rain storm. It's a bit dusty..."

"No!"

"Okay Captain," El'ment ducked his head and returns back to his monitors.

Kaidu smiled a little at El'ment's outburst. "You may find that a lot of people on this planet have your weather weird. In fact, all of them are the Guild of the Dawnrover, otherwise known as loners on land and sailors at sea. They prefer water under them rather than land.

He regarded El'Put again. "Captain, if you go to the road where the city will be again at the end of the day, maybe not in the same place because you kicked it but they will scour a new road soon enough. Those people were up against are a bit draconian in their use of the law. On this world normally they are the good guys, always there to uphold the law but sometimes though they go a little too far in they're duties."

Kaidu took a breath, drained the last of his glass, and let it fly back to the table next to the decanter of the sweet aperitif. "May I have another glass gracious Sir?"

Without waiting the decanter lifted up and poured some of the liquid into the glass. Some of it went down the side of the glass onto the tray.

"Oh, damn! My aim is slightly off! "He sat up straighter in his throne like chair and stared sternly at the decanter. It immediately changed to the correct aim into the glass. When it got to almost brimming full, the decanter set back down. The glass floated carefully across the air almost spilling at one point before it carefully went to Kaidu's waiting hand. He took a long drink to lower the level in it.

"Thank you, as i was saying, go back to the road and travel away from the sea about eight hills and one long valley. At the ninth hill, you will find a small town. The name of the town is Nud. It is build upon two hills." He looked at the level in his glass and held it away from him. He shifted his self to one side in his throne so that he could drop one knee over to rest on the armrest.

"In Nud, you won't find very much. The halls of all the Orders and all the Guilds are just up the street from the main town. The road to Nud passes right by the main street. So if you're not going too fast," he raised his voice so that Willyam could hear back inside the craft, "you won't bypass it."

He sat back and sipped his drink. "What do you call this? It is very tasty."

Willyam had finished his bowl again when he heard someone's familiar voice say, "so if you're not going too fast!" The other voices were a bit too muffled by the turn of the doorway to other compartments of this little craft.

"Umm, please, may I have some more?" He asked looking down immediately, when Mysta nearly met his gaze.

Mysta looked over a Will and smiled brightly. "Sure! Go ahead and help your self! There's plenty there!"

When Will didn't move but only ducked his head more, Mysta sighed and shook her head. She refilled Will's bowl and his mug. "Will, I won't bite you. I promise. It's okay."

Will only continued to eat so she only smiled and walked back to the doorway. She has been listening to all that has been transpiring.

"Oh I am not thinking! Wait a minute! I think that I can help you out more than I already have Vangar." Kaidu said. "Go to the Order of the Key. They might be able to help with the time that you come from. I'll go back to my books and see if I can figure out for you on how to at least view that time. Then perhaps we can see who your blood relatives actually are!"

Vangar took a step away from the group. He started to speak but his voice got caught in his throat. "I..."

Finally, after finding his voice again he began to speak. "This is overwhelming to me. Two days ago, relatively speaking, I was living alone in the ghetto and experiencing only two emotions: anger and fear. Now I feel like a blind man that has been suddenly given sight. Kindness, compassion, friendship and... love. These are all alien to me. I'm sorry guys! I'm just... Feelings that I've only known the name of are suddenly swamping me! I have two people calling me dear friend, another wants me to change the course of universal history and he's also said that I do have family if not by blood but by association! This is just amazing to me. My mind and body may be ancient but my heart and my emotions are as new as a new hatchling. The only interaction I've had with other sentients before meeting Will yesterday was a 'Kill-or-be-Killed' type."

Vangar clamped his hands to each side of his confused head. "What I mean is that I do want to learn more about these orders and guilds but I need... ARGH! I need to think! I'm too overwhelmed right now! I hope I don't seem weak in your eyes but you guys have lived lives full of emotion and meaning. I just need to sort things out..."

Vangar shook his head and lumbered off to sit behind a nearby sand dune.

Kaidu only went back to drinking his drink, letting Vangar walk over to sit behind the sand dune to mull things over in his mind.

Mysta came over to stand next to El'Put. He too looked burdened with many thoughts. El'Put then stood up so he could face this great man sitting in a throne just in his doorway.

"I'm sure Vangar will come around," He ascertained, "He just needs some time to gather all his thoughts. I think all of us do. I mean Great All Power's sake! We are about to go up against an enemy that as annihilated millennia old societies and the only way to defeat this enemy is by magic that you can only obtain by joining one of these. Guilds and Orders that you can find in a city called Nud. Any weapon over a machine gun's power is useless against them."

El'Put shook his head, his shoulder length blond hair swaying as he done so. He gave a bewildered laugh and ran a red glove hand through his hair expressing his own jumbled thoughts.

He looked back at Khan. "We can call upon you at any given time we wish? Right?"

"Yes, just think of one of my titles 'Blackwolf' and I will come. Thank you for entertaining me this evening; you are a fine and noble host. I will be going now."

He, the throne and the staff that was floating in the air slightly above the ground where he had left it along with the glass of El'Put's still in his gloved hand melted into thin air. Only a little breeze flittered through the open door of the shuttle and El'Put with his crew were left with the one charge.

Willyam was standing there.

"Um excuse me," looking at El'Put," ah General, but... ah I don't seem to know what is going on or what happened after I stopped my car. Umm.. ah do you?" Willyam stood there in the doorway in the room to the infirmary.

El'Put watched as a few dried leaves danced about the space where the mystical dark wolf was sitting. He heard the small voice of the Molvaenean that they were able to save. He looked at the confused furry face and smile. He put a gentle hand on the wolf's shoulder. "I'm just a captain but thanks for the compliment. All I know is..."

He paused. 'Maybe... it's best that he shouldn't know...but he does have the right to know. Lies and deceit! I had enough of that in my own life!'

"We found you in terrible shape. I'm not sure exactly what happened to you but," El'Put answered carefully, "I... think your friend, Vangar was trying to help you. Instead, he got intercepted. We tried helping and... and... this very powerful being... A being like you matter of fact, came..."

El'Put was still reeling from all what Kaidu told him. He thought for a moment before continuing. "He called himself Kaidu. He told us that we should go to a town called Nud. I'll tell you the rest when we get there. So, that's your car? Nice!"

"Yeah really cool ain't it? Wanna go for a ride, Gen, ...er Captain?" Willyam said correcting himself now that he knows the other's title. "Its the least I can do for helping me out of what I don't remember. I'll have to take your word for it i guess."

Will walked out into the dimming sunlight. "So where is Vangar anyway? I don't see him!"

"Right here!" Vangar's voice called out as he jumped off the top of the shuttle and landed in front of everyone. "Darn! Kaidu Khan left and I still had many questions. Well, I could keep talking to him for an eternity and not learn all I want. I know he'll tell us more when we need."

Vangar turned and gave everyone a lopsided grin. "So, should we be off? I have a hunch that Dray and the others will be in that town. If it isn't too much of a bother, I'd like some food and water first. Haven't had anything to eat or drink all day."

El'Put looked at the wolf and Vangar. He was lucky that these two knew where Dray and Blade was. "Will, I'm like Vangar, I still have many unanswered questions but on our way to... Um... Nud I'll explain everything that Kaidu has told us. I think Vangar may can help explaining what happened to you in the city."

In moments, Mysta came up to Vangar with a tray of food and drink on it. "I'm not sure what it is you prefer but I figure this may hold you till we get to Nud. Perhaps you may find what fits your palate there more so. You should have spoken up earlier! I wouldn't have mind fixing you anything!"

"El'ment." El'Put ordered, "Get things together and prepare to move out in at least the next half hour... well... minutes seeing that the food that Mysta gave our new red friend has mysteriously disappeared."

El'Put grinned as he looked at a sheepish Vangar who quickly wiped his mouth. It may not have been meat and it did unsettle his stomach a bit but food is food Vangar thought. How kind it was of them to serve someone like him anything. Such niceness was so alien to him.

Willyam stood out from the ship a little ways. He looked at the car then back to the ship then back to the car again. "Didn't you um ...We could all...ah ... Well OK I'll drive back to town either I'll follow you or you can follow me?"

"I'm afraid my shuttle quit working." El'Put explained with a shrug. "All the instruments read that everything is good for the go but it won't go."

So everyone busied about getting this and that. Vangar and Will was sitting talking together when El'Put popped in and looked at Will. "Well my dear furry friend, I think we are all ready if you are... Oh... sorry for interrupting your conversation! It's just it's starting to get dark and would like to make it before it gets any darker. I don't know about yall, but a comfy bed sounds good about now."

"A.. bed..." Vangar looked surprised. He had read about beds but didn't know what one really was. "Tell my El'Put... what does a bed look like? How do you use it?"