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Chapter 10 -The 'Princess'-

Panic had long since seeped into Alex's mind and body. No matter how hard she tried, sleep continuously tempted and evaded her grasp that night, her mind unable to be set to rest knowing that her mate, no....lover.... was out there in the hands of the dragon slayers. She could hardly bear thinking of the horrors he could be going through... She had flown out of the cave, leaving the princess behind in an attempt to rescue him alone, but after careful consideration she had decided to return home, not wanting to leave such a valuable asset to their mission alone for someone to snatch up like a falcon to a mouse.

Her tear ducts had dried up earlier that night, her body still quivering in grief. She had known something would happen to him, she had just known it... Should she had known it would be so soon, she would have paid closer attention to him.

"I dont even know if he is alive...." Alex said softly, resting her head on her paws.

She had been probing her mind and soul all night, searching for his familiar warmth, but she could no longer find the spark of hope she so dearly longed for. Deep in her heart, she knew she would just have to keep pushing forward...

"I will....rescue you...." she whimpered, her eyes closing in grief once again as her mouth formed into a grimace, her tail thumping loudly against the cave's polished stone floor, roars and groans of grief filling the cave with a melancholy racket.

She imagined the unimaginable.

Images of torturing devices, severed body parts, and screams of pain filled her mind with unsavory pangs of guilt and depression, her mind unable to take it, a scream erupting from her own maw.

She did not know, nor did she dare think about what she would do if her visions were true, it was all too frightening to her... She had always had nightmares of being kidnapped by the slayers, but she saw death as a blessing to what the stories were of their cruel punishment.

If she had a choice....death would have been a blessing.

She wailed out again, this time she stood up and bashed her entire body into the side of the cave, causing several small rocks to fall from the ceiling, followed by a cloud of dust. The sound of her relentless fit of mourning could be heard over the hills, a cloud of disgruntled birds fluttering noisily out of a large tree a ways away.

During this commotion, the large white dragoness that was in the cage couldnt help but stir in her slumber, slowly opening her eyes to see the other large female in the cave, looking quite ferocious and hostile to her half-asleep state, frightening her greatly.

The white dragon bolted up and tried to lift off, but her head banged noisily against the iron grated top with a loud metallic ring.

Hearing this, Alex suddenly became distracted from her violent grieving, turning her head to the imprisoned dragoness that had just awoken from a long slumber, her eyes meeting her fearful ones, which were tinted with a bright emerald green.

She slowly walked towards the cage, but caused the smaller dragon to both growl deeply and whimper, her wings hugging her body closely, and her tail tucked underneath her, wrapping around her leg.

"Its okay....I am not going to hurt you....." Alex said calmly. Her voice still cracking in grief.

Suddenly she felt as if the sun had just risen again, a warm wave washing over her body intensely, soothing her and felt as if frost was slowly being melted away from her body, the lush, delightful feeling both alien, and comforting at the same time.

She shivered a bit at the new feeling, only to look down at the other dragoness that was staring directly up at her from the cage. Her eyes still shrouded with doubt and fear, but having sent out some sort of telepathic message of comfort. The small dragon seemed to have a gift that she had never truly thought one could have.

"Did you...do this to me...?" she heard a young , sweet feminine voice say in her mind.

"No....the dragon slayers did.... and they took my love....James...." Alex said out loud to her companion.

"Oh....at least you arent the one that put me in here then...you looked mighty scary when you were bashing yourself against that hard wall...it looked as if you had wanted to kill someone, such as me..." the dragoness whimpered.

"I would never hurt another dragon....unless it was for the greater good...and I would never hurt someone as sweet and adorable as you, dear," Alex said, slowly laying down next to the cage.

"Thanks... I was taken from my home...I remember the fire...the roars of my family...and the humans that had invaded us...we had no idea what was going on...but I remember that my mother and father stayed behind. I do not know what befell them...but I dare not think of it... And...you're a dragoness of the earth!!!!!" she hissed.

"I mean you no harm....like I said....I have learned to put trust in others and see good in them even though to others they may seem to have none left... My mate...James...was a dragon slayer himself," Alex said softly.

"I...dont see how that is possible...how can you be mated to a human?" the white dragoness replied, her voice resonating in Alex's mind. "And please, forgive me, my name is Aurora Swiftwind... just call me Aura, thats what my daddy called me."

"Nice to meet you, Aura, everyone just calls me Alex," the larger dragoness responded, a smile forming on her maw. "And...he wasnt always a human... recently, he transformed into a being in between the race of men and dragons. He walks upright like a human, but has the physical features of a dragon...and........."

She trailed off.

"What...?" Aura asked.

"Its...nothing...." Alex replied, her head turning away. "Its kind of personal."

"Well now I HAVE to know..." Aura giggled.

"I'm pregnant," Alex said, smiling a bit, embarrassment seeping in.

"Congratulations!!!!!!" Aura beamed. "But...you said he was captured?"

"Yes.....The only means I have of finding him is my ability to sense his presence, but I cant even seem to find a flicker of a flame in what feels like a blizzard... I am afraid that he has perished amongst the other prisoners they have taken..." Alex whimped.

"That just burns me up inside...you dont deserve this...none of us deserve this!" Aura roared.

"You know...you're not bad for a wind dragon... You have a true heart," Alex said, gazing down at the cage.

"Hehe...thanks...but do you think that there is any way you can get me out of this cage? The metal is so uncomfortable...." Aura whimpered.

Alex suddenly jumped back to reality and felt stupid for not attempting to help her out of the cage in the first place, putting her jaws around the corner of the rectangular prism-shaped cage, attempting to gnaw through.

Her efforts soon proved fruitless however, only succeeding in throwing sparks in all directions as her teeth ground against the dark metal.

"Maybe an elemental approach would be more useful?" Aura asked, hope sparking in her eyes.

"I never tried that...." Alex said. "And for all I know...I might crush you...."

"I'm sure you wont...You're too nice..." Aura said, winking.

"Well....theres only one way to find out...back up against the back of the cage will you?" Alex commanded.

Aura did as she was asked, back up against the wall of the cage, watching as earth and rock began to form around Alex's tail as she raised it high in the air, becoming armored with what appeared to be an invincible suit of armor, her tail hauling several massive boulders at the end.

As soon as she gazed up at the tail, she realized why she was ordered to do such, the tail coming crashing down on the cage, denting it incredibly as well as sending a loud metallic ring through the cave, as well as the resonating force surging through Aura's body.

It took several seconds for her eyes to stop spinning before she noticed the grimacing Alex looking feebly down at the dented cage. She had managed to put a hefty dent in it, but there was no means of escape, not even a crack.

"Maybe if we work together...?" Alex asked, looking at her hopefully. "Maybe we can somehow erode the metal with wind and earth...?"

"It seems like a good idea...lets focus on the weakened metal where your tail hit, maybe then we will have an easier time there..." Aura said, closing her eyes as a large gust of wind blew into the cave, and formed into a cyclone around the twisted metal.

Alex, in turn, closed hers as rocks and earth began to be engulfed in the vortex, sand blocking all view of any progress that had been made as the rocks and wind buffeted the metal intensely. Sparks flying as they worked their elements in that one specified location. It was a crazy idea...but those were the ones that most oft worked.

Suddenly, after several long moments of the earth vortex engulfing and eating at the metal, Aura opened her eyes.

"Now! Crush your tail again into the metal!" Yelled out into Alex's mind.

Alex acted upon the spur of the moment and brought her armored tail down once again onto the cage, pieces of shrapnel flying in all directions.

"Again!" Aura cried.

She gave her tail one last heave, and brought it down upon the cage, shattering the entire right half of the cage, metal almost exploding from the eroded area.

"Yes!!!!" Aura said cheerfully, strolling out of the cage and taking a long stretch, her rear raised up high in the air, as her tail curled upwards, her front crouched down low as she stretched her paws. "I was so uncomfortable in there...."

"I would imagine...." Alex said softly, imagining James again.... "You said you are a princess?"

"Was.... I am not sure if I am anymore now that the slayers kidnapped me. If my father was still king...or is alive... the wind dragons are more than likely amassing in numbers to come and find me now. The necklace I wear around my neck is a symbol of our royal family," Aura said.

Alex looked down at the base of her neck and saw a great emerald socketed into a golden pendant that hung from her neck.

"If you do not mind...I have a favor to ask of you...." Alex said softly.

"What would that be? You saved my life so I doubt there is anything I cannot help you with. What is it that you need?" Aura asked.

"Me and James...well....it may just be me now.... are trying to reunite the dragon clans to fight against Talon....the true enemy of the races of this world...including us, his fellow dragons. We are also trying to fight against the slayers the best we can, but that ended up backfiring right in our faces....hence him being captured... he saved my life out there... taking a magic spell that was aimed at me..." Alex said, her voice beginning to crack again.

She felt another warm wave of comfort wash over her like a blanket of affection, and gazed down at the smaller dragoness who was smiling up at her.

"We will rescue him...you and me....but if he is dead...then we will just have to make sure we show them no mercy!!!" Aura roared.

"And...will you help me gather the dragons...?" Alex asked.

"It is the least that I can do for you. I am a respected member of the wind clan...being princess...so I should be able to have some position in persuading them to join our cause," Aura said. "I just cant help but feel as if I have known you forever, Alex... you just seem so....warm...." Aura said, smiling.

"I guess its my early motherly instincts kicking in..." Alex joked, smiling.

***

James sat there in his cell in the corner, two guards stationed outside of his cell. He could tell that there were two of them because they would often engage in conversation with one another, which he found soothing in such a dismal place and situation that he was currently in. He could not see their faces, his vision being unable to be repaired, but his sense of hearing was all that he needed.

He tried to move, his aching bones protesting loudly as they popped in his body, a loud groan escaping him.

"Shut up...." a guard mumbled, "mongrel mutt..."

He had no idea how long he had been in this prison cell, but he held the promise that was made to him close to heart. His friend would see that he was set free and put into good care...but he would have to trust his choice of time and place. He was certain, however, that he would recognize the plan the moment he sensed it.

Dry, brown crusts had formed over his eyelids, rather disgusting to him, a constant reminder of the pain that he would have to endure for the rest of his life...unable to clearly see his mate ever again...and be hindered in combat...

"Aegis....is this some kind of test....." James sighed to himself. "Is this some kind of sick, twisted sacrifice? Isnt it enough that I have risked my life to save our kind...?"

He sat there for several moments, doubting that he would actually hear a response.

When he was sure that he wouldnt get one, he slumped his head down once again, noticing that he was neither clothed nor armed, which he assumed was a custom to the prison.

"James..." a voice said softly.

"Aegis...." James replied.

"Do not doubt yourself....in every darkness there is light... stay true to yourself. Your time will come. You will both be a hero and your life will bear fruit...remain true....fear not.....for I am with you..." Aegis said, before the voice completely dissapeared.

"You tell me to stay true to myself..." James said, trying to open his eyes. "I know that you believe in me...but I still regard myself as a failure.... I will continue my mission however....and if I fall in battle...I am sure that by the time I am through with Talon...the armies of dragons will follow in my place...."

"For Alex..." James said, slamming his fist into the stone floor he sat upon.

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Sorry its so short =/ I like to call these "Chapter Links" in which I tie up loose ends and help forge the story

into something better. Kind eliminating some confusion and adding a little, pizazz to the story..as you saw =P. Yep

I would say that we have some interesting things going on here...and something more here than what meets the

eye =)

Anyways, hope this tides you all over until the next chapter =)