The big dragon slowly turned her long neck to look back at her two charges, they were fast asleep, and that was good as they needed the rest for what lay ahead of them. It would be a long four-hour flight if all went well and the weather was good. She climbed slowly higher and higher as she flapped her huge wings up into the clouds where she felt she would be safe with her precious cargo. Shiva had a feeling that this was meant to be and she was picked by the gods to carry this out.....she soared silently up into the cloud cover and moved forward swiftly keeping a watchful eye for anything unusual.....Shiva was always in command and control, however, this was very different. There was a feeling that she had been here before.

Laurine stirred quietly as Shiva cleared the clouds. "Sleep well, Laurine?" Shiva asked. Laurine grumbled as she moved, her body was stiff. "Where are we, Shiva?" We are approaching Nazca, home of the King of the Old Ones. We must pass by here then turn east and head for Mountain of the Sleeping Gods and then head north to our destination. "May I ask what our destination is, please?" Laurine enquired. "In due time my Lady, in due time" replied Shiva. Shiva felt very comfortable calling Laurine, My Lady, it seemed natural and easy as if she knew Laurine........A Warmth. The memories of the past would become vivid soon enough.

Matt and Henry were up to their eyeballs in unexpected problems, they had no idea what they were in for when they decided to trek through the Dark Forest looking for clues. They have a long way to go and many strange meetings before they reach the other side of the forest. One hour into their trek they encountered a very strange little creature. Human in appearance, slimy, smell beyond reproach, grey skin, huge eyes big teeth and pointy ears. This creature spoke English with a hiss in his voice and seemed to have a tough time breathing. He had long pointy fingers and long thin arms and was only about 3 feet tall. He followed Matt and Henry until Matt picked up on the creature's brain waves. Matt told Henry and then said they should move cautiously and not acknowledge the creature. Let him stumble and show himself and then grab him and tie him up. There were many strange animals and plants never before seen or heard. What was really odd, every step Matt and Henry made forward the forest floor seemed to part and welcome them to move in a specific direction. The little grey creature was careful to keep his distance and yet the boys had enough time to set a trap and catch him, to his surprise. There came a loud screech from behind the boys and they turned around in time to see the little creature hanging by one-foot upside down. He was clawing at the bindings around his foot and yelling in some strange language. The boys came close and stared at this strange and ugly creature. Henry picked up a club like a stump and went at the creature. The little creature screamed, no, no, no not hurt the great Gronin he will have your heart if you do. Henry stopped short and told the little creature, "You are in no position to be threatening us, so bind your lips before I do." Matt came up and whispered to Henry that he could read the brain of the little creature like an open book. This was going to be easy and Matt said he may even be able to influence the creature's brain; he was so easy to read. Before cutting the little creature down they bound his hands and feet and then cut him down. Ooouuuch, the little thing screeched as he fell to the ground; "You could have helped me gently to the ground he hissed at the boys. Gronin to remember this, terrible pain and attitude bad from you," "Ungrateful you are, for I have come to help you in your time of need". Henry looked at the little thing and then jabbed back; "What do you mean help us, you were following us, behind us and you were hiding. That is hardly helping". Matt quickly questioned; "And, what do you mean in our time of need?" "Gronin will tell, but first must be free from these ties." "No way, said Matt and Henry in unison." "And, if you do not start talking soon, maybe we will just leave you here for the animals of this forest to eat you." "No, no, you mustn't leave Gronin, mustn't, mustn't, not good for Gronin." "Then start talking now or we leave you here." Said Matt, Gronin hissed, groaned and mumbled some unintelligible sounds and then said, "OK, Gronin tell you but, you will not like what Gronin say." The little creature began speaking slowly almost under his breath, not knowing that Matt could read his every thought. Gronin started, "You have entered the Dark Forest of No return. People who enter are never seen or heard from again." "Gronin know this is your fate sure if Gronin does not help you." "Gronin know many secret paths and trails to another side. Some short and dangerous and others lead in circles and a few will take you out." "There is much danger in this forest must be aware always. If you watch path is always open before you that is the way of the forest to trick you." "Trees move, they watch you and send signals to other trees and plants." "If you make it past the center then you have chance to reach other side and if we come out on another side we will be in Nazca, home of the King of the Old Ones and we must stop there sure." "If we do not stop and pay homage to the King of the Old Ones he will summon the demons from the deep and they will hunt us until they kill us. It is an evil death that you do not long for." Matt, in reading Gronin's mind noticed trepidation when Gronin spoke of the center of the forest, however, he noticed real FEAR when Gronin spoke about the King of the Old Ones and the Demons, almost as if he had crossed the King before. Matt told Henry that they should be on guard always through this ordeal and then watch carefully the reactions of Gronin as they moved forward through the forest as Gronin displays fear easily. Matt stated that they should put Gronin in front of them as he would be a clear indicator of danger and would try to avoid it at all costs. Henry untied the creature's feet and then put the binding around his waist so that they could more easily control Gronin. The three started the trek towards the center following Gronin's instructions, he was all they had, however, he also did not know of Matt's powers. Gronin would keep them well aware even though he said nothing.

Lucile awoke with a strange sensation that they were circling downward in a long spiral. She awakened Laurine and whispered that they were headed downwards. Laurine climbed up towards Shiva's head and asked if all was OK. Shiva replied," I am just taking precautionary measures. I got an uneasy feeling the past few miles and I want to be sure. I will set you off below with a close friend and come back and get you when I am certain we are all fine to go on. Do not worry.

We landed next to a cave in the side of a mountain, very well camouflaged by forest, shrubs and large boulders. We climbed down and Shiva went inside and in a few minutes emerged with another dragon. He was not as large as Shiva and was a beautiful Golden/Yellow color with transparent wings. You could see by the marks along his flanks that he was tough and a seasoned scraper at heart. Shiva introduced her friend as Ajax. I have explained to Ajax what I know and he will watch over you until I return. Shiva nuzzled Ajax and groaned softly, then took to the skies with a swift flap of her enormous wings, so large she was and yet so graceful. Shiva was majestic in flight.

We followed Ajax into the cave and heard a quiet sliding motion behind us as we watched a large boulder slide into place at the opening of the cave. I am able to move things with just a thought, among many things that I am capable of doing. Shiva and I have been together for thousands of years, ever since the great thunderous battle of Dragons, Gods, and Warlocks. We lost our queen in that war; however, not sure as we never recovered her remains, we assume she went on to a better place. We have never given up on the dream that she may return someday. I have said enough for now and what a terrible host I am. I will get some drink and eat and we may sit there and further our talks. Ajax walked away with great pride and soon returned with a little elfin maid. She set a wonderful table of fruits, nuts, and drink. We began eating when Ajax commented; "you are staring at my battle scars, they carry a long history of wars and personal turmoil, someday maybe we will have time to tell these tails when Shiva returns." Ajax sensed something very familiar and calming about Laurine, something that he knew in his sole was to open an old wound and many bad memories. Ajax noticed a faint glow beneath the blouse that Laurine was wearing; there was something oddly familiar about that glow. He wanted to enquire, but, refrained for now, maybe later after he had a chance to speak more with Shiva. The three talked for hours about nothing and everything. Nothing made sense to the girls, where they were or what they were doing there. The two girls fell asleep once again as if drugged and the elfin-like creature covered then.

It was many hours before Shiva returned and summoned Ajax to open the massive door. She stepped in and looked pensively at Ajax. He looked at her and immediately sensed there was trouble brewing. "What do you say Shiva, my love, what is in the air that we should know and be wary of?" "I am not certain of things just yet, however, I did notice upon my return here that there were dark clouds and the evil dragons circling close by. I do not know what all of this means, however, the last time I felt like this and saw these evil dragons were just before the Great Dragon Wars, and that is not a comforting feeling."

Ajax started out, "Not to change the subject my dear, but, I have something to speak with you about, something calming, familiar and yet alarming. The girl called Laurine, she seems oddly familiar and there is calm about her even in the presence of We dragons, she is undaunted by us." "I have also noticed a faint reddish glow beneath her blouse; I feel that I know that glow," Shiva responded only with a nod and then commented that Laurine rode on her back like she had been there before, she was comfortable and at ease and not at all like other humans in Aragon. "When they wake, shall we enquire about the strange reddish glow?" asked Ajax. Shiva mussed with the idea and then commented to Ajax that Laurine had mentioned they came through THE PORTAL. Very few had ever come through and lived to tell about it and yet these two girls had. She said that they did not know why or where they were going or what they were looking for, only that they were deposited here, and that was where I found them by the river's edge looking at the DARK EVIL FOREST." Shiva said that she felt a strange yet familiar calm when speaking with Laurine. Ajax agreed with Shiva's comment.

The girls woke to a familiar site, that of Shiva standing close. The two dragons came forward and sat near the girls and then Shiva began telling the tale of THE GREAT DRAGON WARS. What led up to the wars, the battle of the Gods and the Warlocks and finally the battle of the Dragons and as Shiva put it, It was not a pretty site. There was something that Shiva had left out and with good reason at this point.

The boys, by now, seemed to be having a time of it with their newfound Friend???? Gronin turned out to be a wealth of information as well as a handful of problems. He was quite the character and a real challenge and to say the least he kept the party alive. They had moved past the center of the forest which came with its own share of problems. It appeared to be an enormous black pit with flames and noxious gasses coming out. There was a very spindly rope and a wooden bridge spanning its center and neither Matt nor Henry wanted to cross using this bridge. Gronin said it was the ONLY WAY if they wanted to get out on the other side. All of the other trails around the pit led in many directions and none would lead out, crossing this old bridge through the center of the pit was the only way. Matt tied the rope for Gronin to his belt and they ventured forth, and what an adventure it was. It seemed that this crossing lasted an eternity and had its own share of life-threatening moments. Gronin was in the lead and moving rapidly all the while shaking the fragile old bridge. He knew what he was doing and in trying to shake his two escorts off of the bridge he ended up slipping himself and nearly pulling Matt with him. Gronin was hanging on by one arm and matt was straddling the center rope of the bridge and that was not a pleasant place to be. Henry came up to Matt and asked if he was ok. Matt replied, "Other than my bruised ego, yes." Henry continued until he reached Gronin and looked down at the disgusting little creature with contempt in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, opened it and said, "Maybe, I should just do us all a favor here and now." Gronin looked up with pleading eyes and exclaimed, "Gronin not mean to shake bridge, accident. Do not hurt poor Gronin." Henry reached down and sliced a part of the vine holding Gronin and just as Gronin's grip slipped to the very end of the vine, Henry reached down and grabbed his grey slimy wrist in a vice-like grip and pulled him back up. Henry said to him in a stern voice, "Try something like that again and I will let you go next time!" "Gronin sorry, oh so very sorry, Not do again, not again. Let us go now, we have a long way to go through the forest and many things can happen." As they neared the end of the bridge on the other side of the crevasse there was a commotion in the forest to the side where they were about to step off. Gronin stopped short and began to shake violently and speaking in some strange language. Just as he was nearing the edge a large lizard-like creature stepped before him and looked at him licking his lips. This lizard must have thought that he hit a jackpot feast with three fat meals before him. Gronin slowly backed up until he was behind Henry, looking between his legs at this monster. Matt was attempting to reach the lizard's brain waves and convince this overstuffed four-legged snake that he would have terrible stomach pains and lots of bad feelings if he were to eat the three and especially if he were to eat Gronin, a slimy little gob of disgust. He invited the lizard to smell Gronin and upon doing so the lizard turned and quickly ambled off into the forest. The three waited a few minutes and then quickly ran off the end of the bridge and into the dark forest, moving rapidly. They had been moving at a good pace for some time, pushing aside vines, small trees, plants, and strange things when suddenly Gronin vanished, out of sight. They reached the spot where Gronin seemed to have disappeared and the rope went into the ground, so it appeared. Henry and Matt started to pull on the rope and it seemed the more they pulled, the more something on the other end pulled back. After what seemed like an hour Grondin's face appeared and he was terrified, screaming for help, "Do not let Gronin die like this, please help Gronin." Henry again reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife. He opened it and told Gronin to stick it into whatever was holding him while Matt and Henry pulled with all of the strength they had. Gronin stuck three times and the third time must have hit a nerve as Matt and Henry pulled Gronin flew out of the ground and over their heads hitting a large tree trunk with a thud. The creature came to the surface for but a minute and they could see that Henry's knife was deeply planted in the one and the only eye it had and a strange liquid was pouring out as it slides back down to the depths from which it had come. At this point, Matt and Henry decided that they should move quickly towards what they thought was the outside of the forest. They ran hard and fast pulling Gronin behind them bouncing along the path like a rag doll. This was hardly what the "GREAT GRONIN" had in mind. The three reached what seemed to be a clearing in the forest and Gronin pulled himself up alongside Matt and Henry and managed to mumble the words; "NAZCA-KING." They had made it through the evil forest and wondered what awaited them in Nazca, home of The King of The Old Ones.

The story of the Dragon Wars was all new to Lucile, however, seemed old and well-traveled for Laurine. To Laurine it was as if it happened yesterday she remembered it all as if she were there. She did not tell either Ajax or Shiva, not just yet, she wanted to be sure. The pain in her right arm was becoming unbearable and asked Shiva if she had something for the pain. Shiva asked if she could see what the cause of the pain was and Laurine rolled back her sleeve to reveal a large red dragon that was now pulsing and hot to the touch. Shiva and Ajax looked in silent amazement and then looked at each other. Shiva said that she might have something for the pain but, was afraid it might only be temporary and best they get to their destination where she knew a special person who could help with this sort of thing. At this point they needed to make haste and Shiva suggested that Lucile travel on the back of Ajax and Laurine on the back of Shiva, and so it was agreed and they took to the air. They flew quickly up to the safety of the clouds where they stayed until they reached ARAGON. Ajax being much more aggressive than Shiva shot through the bottom of the clouds and headed straight for CYGNUS the huge castle belonging to the renowned Doctor and Professor Phinious Chambers. Ajax swooped in and made an incredible landing bounding up to the door of the great mansion where Professor Chambers was standing. As usual dropping from the sky with nary an announcement, what can I help you with my friend?" Ajax said that it was not he, but rather the girl astride Shiva. You must see the BLOOD RED MARK on her arm. It is giving her terrible pains and Shiva thought that you might help her." Shiva soared in landing next to Ajax and they all went through the massive doors and into the chamber. Dr. Chambers summoned up his medical bag and instruments. While they were waiting introductions went around and a short hop about what had taken them to the good Doctor's castle. The Doctor began an inspection and review of the strange mark on Laurine's arm. With a grunt, grumble, am, and hahaha, the doctor concluded that it was indeed a strange phenomenon. He excused himself and went to the laboratory and Ajax quickly followed. Shiva stayed with Laurine and Lucile. And they talked about what an impressive castle and mansion the Doctor had. Ajax was more interested in the doctor's findings and followed him deep into the lab where the doctor placed the small sample he had taken from Laurine's arm onto a slide. She had not even noticed that he removed a sample nor did Ajax until he saw the doctor put the sample on the slide and view it under an electron microscope. "Just as I thought stated the doctor, this is what we have been waiting for all of these years." The doctor as it turned out was one of the last surviving Grand Wizards and there was only one other Grand Master Wizard known in this region and Ajax and Shiva had known both of them all of these years. Ajax knew exactly what the doctor had meant, however, more tests were needed to confirm 100% accuracy. The doctor told Ajax to be still about this and maybe not tell Shiva just yet. He would mix a compound that Laurine could put on her arm but, the pain was going to get worse until he could confirm with all certainty the truth. Ajax told the doctor that Shiva was having very strong feelings and remembering the days of old again. "As she should if my instincts are correct," said the doctor. If this was as the doctor suspected it might be there were still many pieces that were missing and soon to come together. Some were good and some not so good. Ajax thought, "We will take it as it comes and deal with all in time. The doctor mixed up the ointment and they headed back to the chamber to sit with the others and talk of old. The doctor would slowly alter the conversation sending it in many directions to gauge how Laurine would respond. The conversation ran into the wee hours of the morning when the doctor suggested that it was time for rest. Shiva and Ajax headed down the long corridor to the guest's quarters with Laurine and Lucile in tow. They dropped the girls off in a beautiful large room with two beds and then went on to the bell tower at the corner of the mansion, a favorite room of Shiva and Ajax. As the lights were turned low in all of the rooms and everybody began to shut down......Shiva snuggled close to Ajax and said that she had an uneasy feeling one not felt in a very long time, Ajax nuzzled Shiva and they drifted off to sleep. Outside a dark cloud settled over the castle and a huge shadow drifted above the ground. Dr. Phinious Chambers went silently to his room with the information that he had learned. He hastily wrote a short note to his good friend GRAND MASTER OF ALL WIZARDS, WARLOCKS, AND WARLORDS: GRANRUL AGERON KRONN OF BLACKCLAW. His castle was the largest in the region located in FROLOM IN THE MAGAR QUATER OF STORMWINDOM. The note simply said the following: My friend, there has been a major shift in The Quantum Equilibrium and the Time Continuum and we must meet soon as things will be happening quickly, more quickly than we have anticipated. Chambers put the note in a small ankle container sealed it with wax and attached it to his little dragon messenger and sent him on his way.