They spent a day at the new hideout, not doing much other than relaxing. Everyone joined in the fun, swimming in the lake and having competitions to see who could catch the most fish with their bare hands. Akira took part in the fun, and yet she was restless, knowing that while she was here without a care in the world, many others were suffering, dragons and humans alike. She shot Dominique questioning looks throughout the day, wondering when they were going to get a move on. 

Dominique knew that Akira was waiting impatiently, wanting to get going, and yet somehow he felt like putting the trip off. He liked the third hideout, it was the one place where he could pretend that everything was fine, and the thought of going back to the city and attempting the impossible, somehow unnerved him. Sure, it was an adventure of a life time, but somehow he had a feeling that it wouldn't be without consequences. 

Yet after a day of Akira's constant pleading looks he knew he couldn't put it off any longer. They needed to get back to the city, to watch the academy, find out how things worked. That meant staying there for a couple of days at least, but to go there he had to get by Ray, and he couldn't think of an excuse that would get him his brother's permission to stay in the city for more than a day. 

"And since when do you ask for permission?" Breeze thought somewhat amused. 

Dominique's reply was a grin. Breeze was right. Besides, what his brother didn't know wouldn't hurt him. He would just leave a note behind saying that he had taken Akira for a trip around and would be back, by not telling his brother where he was going he would make sure that no one would follow and try to stop him. 

So when nightfall came Dominique sneaked into the cave and packed a backpack with a few essentials. He 'borrowed' a few extra daggers and other weapons from the Resistances armory, adding another tube, similar to his, to his supply. After searching around a while he found his brother's things and took a few dracos and some silver coins, telling himself that he would pay it all back sometime later. Besides, it wasn't like Ray would need them while he was here in camp, taking forever to plan the Resistance's next move. 

It was close to dawn and most of the Resistance was asleep, when Dominique crept over to Akira and gently shook her awake. Her eyes shot open and she stared up at him, her entire body tense and ready to spring. 

"Let's go," Dominique murmured. 

For a moment Akira lay where she was, looking slightly confused, before realization filled her eyes. "To the academy?" she whispered, not wanting to wake Celine or Ray who were sleeping. Dominique nodded once and Akira slowly got up, looking still somewhat sleepy. 

"I'll be with Breeze down at the lake," Dominique told her, turning and walking off, giving Akira the chance to get ready. 

He crept down to the lake find Breeze, now a brown dragon, waiting just as they had planned. Working fast Dominique tied his bundle of supplies to the saddle. He glanced at the dark, starry sky, realizing that they needed to get going before dawn, not only so that no one would ask where they were going, but also because the flight from here to the city was a good day's ride, and he wanted to arrive before dark. For when it got dark the city's security intensified and it got so much harder to get in. 

"Do we need anything else?" Dominique jumped as Akira spoke softly behind him. He whirled around to face her, wondering how she managed to sneak up on him so quietly. Once again he hadn't noticed she was there until she spoke. He frowned as he caught sight of the bundle of possessions she carried, catching sight of her white clothes inside it, as well as her sword. 

"I'm taking them along," Akira told him firmly. Seeing his eye on them, she clutched the bundle closer, as if telling him there was no arguing. 

Dominique just shook his head, hoping that for both their sakes Akira kept her possessions well out of sight from anyone and everyone. It would do no one good if someone saw them with the sword. Yet he didn't argue against her taking them, knowing that if he did they would most likely be standing here until dawn. 

"Come on," he swung himself up on Breeze's back. 

Akira handed up her bundle and Dominique tied besides his own while Akira pulled herself up in front of him. Yet suddenly she seemed to realize something and her head turned towards the direction of the caves. 

"Don't we need to tell Ray where we're going?" she asked. 

"Are you kidding?" Dominique adjusted his seat as Breeze rose into the air, his wings barley making a sound. "Tell Ray what? That we're going to the city to commit the theft of the century?" Dominique snorted, "He'd freak!" 

Akira frowned and yet did not reply as Breeze flew up, higher and higher, and soon the only thing to show that there was a valley below was the reflection of the moon on the lake below. 

"You'd better get comfortable," Dominique told her, "It's going to be a long ride." 

And he was right. They flew until the sun was high up in the sky. Akira dozed off a couple of times but Dominique stayed awake, watching the land pass below. He watched the specks of animals that grazed on the green grasslands, he watched Haiden's palace come and go, and then the familiar high, snow covered, mountains. By the time they reached the city the sun was setting once again. 

They flew in silence, neither saying a word as they heard the moans from the quarries, yet when they caught sight of the city Akira couldn't help but let out a gasp and Dominique had to admit that he was impressed. The setting sun was reflected off the tall buildings, making it look like the whole city was on fire, and the lights that were turning on all over made it looked all the more like a living, breathing creature. The academy loomed behind, over it all, its ever strong walls forbidding any intruders from getting in. 

Dominique stared at it. He had heard stories that the academy had never ever been breached before. Even when Haiden had attacked it he had not gotten inside, and it made Dominique wonder, was he really going to go through this madness and try to get in to steal an armor that might not even exist anymore? Although he didn't want to admit it, he already knew the answer deep down inside, an answer that sent shivers of excitement in his spine, and yet at the same time gave him a feeling that things wouldn't turn out as expected. 

"I meant to ask you last time," Akira's voice interrupted Dominique's thoughts and he turned his attention to her. "How do they light up this place? I mean, it isn't fire, it's brighter, and some of it is even....colorful," she pointed over at a large billboard below which flashed an advertisement for some drink. "So what is it?" 

Dominique watched her head turn to look at another bright display of lights and in the process caught side of the childlike fascination on her face. Shaking his head he let out an amused chuckled. 

"It's electricity," he told her. 

"Electricity," Akira repeated the word as though it were foreign to her, "What is it?" 

"Well..." Dominique trailed off. He had been in the Resistance since he was born, he had never gone to learning sessions like the children in the city did, so he wasn't sure how to answer Akira's question. Sure, he knew enough about electricity to know what it did, but what it actually was, well he just wasn't sure. 

Not wanting Akira to know this though he opted for an answer he hoped would satisfy her, "It's um....well it's a flow of some sort, made near the academy and um...well it helps to run certain things and also lights things up." 

"I can see that," Akira chuckled as Breeze dipped, turning to follow a flow of dragons, though there were not as many as the other time they had been here, that were weaving throughout buildings. 

"It can also really hurt, the Watcher's use it," Dominique added. 

Akira was silent for a moment, as though trying to remember something. "Is that what they were using to drive that dragon?" she asked softly, remembering back to the orange dragon at the dragon market. 

"Shockers," Dominique nodded, "Yes, they use electricity to drive dragons, not to mention to capture both human and dragons alike. They can stun you with one blow....or kill you." 

"Like the old man," Akira remembered. 

"Yes," Dominique replied, wincing at the memory he had shared with Akira two nights before, "Like the old man." 

Breeze continued to follow the flow of dragon's, not turning anywhere but continuing on until the academy loomed closer and closer and they soon were not far from the base of the cliff. 

"The usual place?" Breeze thought. 

"The usual," Dominique agreed, and his dragon suddenly turned left, dipping hard downwards. The sun had completely disappeared and the night had taken over when they landed in another courtyard, similar to the one where they had stabled Breeze the last time they were in the city. As Breeze folded in his wings Akira got ready to slip off, yet Dominique grabbed her arm. 

"Not here," he told her, nodding at the courtyard that, unlike the last time, was empty. There were no pens, just a few dragons that had also just landed with their riders. 

"This is just a landing space, we have to use the roads from here," Dominique explained as Breeze walked forward, following another dragon out of the courtyard and onto a large road. A few dragons passed by, walking in the opposite direction. Most of them carried two or more riders that were chatting in loud voices, most of them youth who were wearing colorful clothes and had their hair up in eccentric styles. 

Dominique barely shot them a second glance, knowing that when the sun went down in Academy City, the youth came out. The night time was their time, which was another reason why security intensified. It was the time when Watcher's used their shockers the most to stun uncooperative youth that went over the top and tended to do things leaning towards the illegal side. 

Breeze turned into a narrower road that was stuck between a cluster of tall buildings which had a few smaller ones standing in their shadows. Though smaller the buildings weren't any less spectacular than the tall ones, the lights lighting them up contributing to their fascinating looks. It was in front of one of the smaller buildings in front of which Breeze came to a halt. A building that was almost the same size was right next to it, though unlike the first it lacked the lights, having only two bright ones on the outside, where a large burly man stood, his hands crossed across his chest. His bald head and the scar that ran from his right eye, which was a milky color, down to his upper lip, gave him a fierce look that would make anyone think twice of approaching him. Yet Dominique slid from Breeze and walked over to him, showing no sign of nervousness in the least. 

"You back again?" the man asked eying Dominique and looking far from pleased. 

"You said it," Dominique told him, shooting him a grin which the man did not return. 

"Last time you was here your dragon flew through the roof while you weren't around, ripped a big hole in it he did," the man scowled. 

"Ah," Dominique coughed awkwardly as he remembered the time. He had been out in town when Watcher's had gotten his trail. Needing a quick getaway he had called for Breeze. His dragon had been stabled at the time, inside a building, the very building in front of which they stood now. 

"I did pay," Dominique defended himself. 

"That you did," the man agreed while Dominique winced as he remembered handing over three whole silver coins. He was still sure up to now that they had overcharged him then. 

"That dragon was a wild one," Dominique smoothly said, knowing what he needed to say to get the man's trust. "Traded him the next day, got me this one instead," he waved his hand at where Breeze stood. 

The man looked at Breeze, narrowing his eyes. "He's the same size," he murmured, his eyes sweeping over him. 

"What? You expected me to trade a dragon of the last size for a smaller one?" Dominique scoffed. 

"He is a different color," the man grunted, "If I recall right that last wild dragon of yours was a creamy green." 

Dominique nodded. 

"Not to mention that after that little incident the manager had all the stables fixed with a wire net at the top so they'll be no more dragons breaking through any roofs," the man continued. 

"Oh, so now they've turned it into a jail?" Breeze thought sarcastically. Dominique ignored him. 

"So how long are you staying?" the man asked, moving to the side to reveal the small table behind him. 

"For now, two days," Dominique spoke. "I might lengthen it, depending on how much we enjoy our stay." 

At the word 'we' the man's eyes drifted to where Akira sat on Breeze's back. "Your girl?" he asked. 

Dominique shot Akira a look to see that she was looking at the second, larger of the two buildings, out of which the sound of laughter and loud voices kept sounding every time someone opened the door to go in or out. 

"You could say that," Dominique turned back to the man, "Now, how much?" 

The man lazily turned his eyes away from Akira and brought them to land back on Dominique, "For two definite nights, its one silver piece." 

Dominique's mouth dropped. 

"Hey," the man said, seeing Dominique's reaction and deciding to speak before he could protest at the ridiculous high price, "This place has become a whole lot more popular, we're receiving more customers now than ever so prices rise. We want to make a profit after all." When Dominique didn't reply he continued, "The rooming is still cheaper though, so don't worry. It's just the stabling that's gone up. You knows we don't have that many stables, and with the increased customers we've been getting we're trying to discourage the bringing of dragons every time. Besides, most of the rich folk come, pay for a whole day and only use the stabling area for an hour tops anyways, and since law says you can't rent out a stabling stall that's been paid for we sit with an empty stall the entire day which could be put to better use. So you see, the price is also mainly to discourage those folks from bringing their dragons when they only stay an hour." 

Dominique reached a hand into a pocket and pulled out two silver coins, suddenly glad of the extra dracos and silver pieces he had brought along. It looked like he was really going to need them. He handed the coins over to the man who nodded, dropped the pieces into a box on the table, and then walked over to the building. Dominique watched as he pulled open the doors large enough for a dragon to pass through, before he turned to Breeze and Akira. 

He nodded at Akira, who untied the bundles that were attached to the saddle, and threw them down to Dominique, before sliding off Breeze. All the time she didn't speak a word. The man stood beside the now open door, looking over at Dominique expectantly. 

"Did I mention that I hate stabling?" Breeze thought dryly as he stared through the entrance where he could see a few dragons in different pens, most of them lying down with their eyes closed. 

Dominique shook his head, "Come on Breeze. You've got to admit the night and day stabling areas are better than the only day ones. Besides, the pen is bigger than the last one, not to mention that you get some supper here." 

Breeze gave Dominique a reluctant look before he snorted and then walked forward, through the entrance. He walked right up to an empty stall, shot an accusing look at Dominique, before walking in. He walked in circles three times, and then plopped onto the ground, closing his eyes. 

"Better trained than your last dragon," the man commented. 

Breeze's eyes shot open and he glared at the man as he walked over to the stall and snapped it shut, using a metal card, which he slipped into a slit in the door, to lock it. Turning on his heel he walked back out. 

"Come on," Dominique gave Akira her bundle to carry before he walked towards the second, more lit up, building. Akira glanced at the man who was sliding the large door leading to the stabling area shut, before turning and hurrying to catch up with Dominique who had just reached the door to the second building. Realized that Akira was not with him yet he paused, waiting. 

"Where are we?" Akira asked as she reached Dominique, her eyes were roaming over the brightly building in front of which they stood. 

"Welcome," Dominique placed a hand on the door, "to The Red Dragon," he pushed the door open. No sooner had he done so than Akira felt that she was being blasted by the noise of laughing, chattering, and music all it once. It was deafening. And Akira could do nothing but stand and stare at the scene before her. This was nothing like home.