Akira watched as Dominique turned and jumped through the window just as the Watchers reached it. Relief filled her, relief that Dominique had gotten away with the armor. A small smile appeared on her face despite the pain she was in. They had succeeded. 

The Watcher holding Akira muttered curses as he realized that Dominique was out of his reach. 

"Find him!" he ordered the other Watchers. 

Immediately they spread out. "You my dear are coming with me," the Watcher told Akira as he proceeded to drag her back down the hallway by her hair, holding her sword in his free hand. 

Akira struggled, yet she was still in pain from the impact of the shocker, not to mention that all her muscles seemed to feel weak and useless after the last hit. She noted after the second turn where the Watcher was taking her, and sure enough, moments later he burst through the door into the room in which Redemption's skeleton stood. Without mercy the Watcher shoved Akira forward, sending her stumbling to her knees. 

"And what have we here?" a soft and yet deep voice asked. 

Akira lifted her eyes to see that she was kneeling in front of a tall, lean man with slicked back black hair and brown eyes that currently showed disdain. She noticed wryly that the curtain behind was once again in place, disallowing the Watcher to see what was behind it. For some reason the council didn't seem to take too well to many people seeing the skeleton beyond. 

"She was trying to break in, sir," the Watcher behind Akira spoke, his voice emotionless. The man in front of her peered down at Akira, his expression thoughtful.  

"She had this on her," the Watcher added as he lifted Akira's sword triumphantly. 

The tall stared at it as though not believing his eyes. He reached out and slowly took the sword from the Watcher, holding it as though it was made of glass. "Its shinier than I remember," he mused, "Even the carvings seem even more distinct." He stared down at Akira, taking in her white clothes that she wore under her cloak. "This is impossible. She cannot be Strider," he murmured. 

"She isn't. There was another one with her, a boy. He took the stolen object with him. We believe that he is Strider," the Watcher replied. 

Akira felt her heart skip a beat. Strider? Were they talking about Dominique? She had heard Ray mention Strider a few times with distaste. Apparently he was some guy who helped out, and yet he didn't always do it in the safest or quietest way. Were Strider and Dominique the same person? If so why hadn't he told her? 

"Did you get a good look at him?" the tall man asked the Watcher. 

"Not exactly sir," was the reply. "His eyes though, they're green, that was all I saw, he was wearing a cloak just like this one," he jabbed his finger at Akira's cloak. 

The tall man sighed, "Oh well, not all is lost." He stared down at Akira who flinched under his piercing eyes. This man had a cold feeling radiating from him, and it felt all too familiar to being in Haiden's presence. 

"I don't suppose you would be willing to tell us the identity of this Strider?" he asked Akira gently. 

Akira glared at him. 

"No, I thought not," the man sighed. 

"Torture sir?" the Watcher asked and Akira felt a cold feeling or horror wash through her. 

"Too messy, besides, it might take too long," the tall man replied. Akira felt relief flood through her. "I have a better Idea," the man continued, his eyes never leaving Akira's face. 

"Sir?" the Watcher asked. 

"Get the word out that she is to be hanged in three days under the charges of ATTEMPTING to break into the academy. Do not, under any circumstances, mention that she came within these walls. Also, add the charges of her attacking Watchers and being Strider." 

Akira's face paled. 

The Watcher was taken back, "But sir, she's not Stri..." 

"I know it, you know it, and so does Strider. Make sure word gets out and I'm sure Strider will turn up willingly. I doubt he'll want to see a good friend hanged," the tall man told the Watcher waving his protest off. 

Akira's heart sank. No, she could not be used as a tool to bring in Dominique. She would not. And yet she knew that she had no choice in the matter. She was a captive after all. 

"So you see," the tall man smiled, "I have found a way to bring Strider to us. In the end, we get exactly what we want." 

"And that would be what, sir?" the Watcher asked not catching on. 

"Why," the tall man looked up at him in surprise, "To hang two criminals instead of one!" He looked down at Akira who stared at him in defiance. "To bad though," he sighed as he moved a strand of Akira's hair behind her ear. "Such beauty could have been put to such better use," he sighed regretfully. 

Akira glared at him. "Don't. Touch. Me," she told him through gritted teeth as strength rushed through her veins. Exploding she ripped herself free from the Watcher's grip and made a lunge for the man before her, yet she didn't get far when a familiar exploding pain hit her. Even as she felt herself falling to the ground she knew that the Watcher must have hit her with another blast from the shocker. As she hit the cold floor she couldn't help but wish that Redemption was nearby to reduce both men to ashes. Yet she knew that her dragon was five hundred years away, and at the moment her only hope of ever seeing him again rested with Dominique. As darkness descended on her, her last thoughts were that Dominique would have the sense to go back and bring Redemption to this time.

Dominique couldn't believe that he had left her. Even as he fell he was beating himself up inwardly. He was in shock. He should have been the one to get caught, yet Akira had come back for him, and when she had landed in a similar position he had left her. Yes, she had asked him to but still, he couldn't forgive himself for just leaving her without trying. He went over it again and again, yet he couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. And then he realized that everything had gone fine, until he had tripped. 

Suddenly a shape swooped below him and he landed on his dragon's back, right in the saddle. 

"Where's the girl?" Breeze asked. 

When Dominique didn't reply Breeze entered his mind and found out for himself. 

"Crap," Breeze thought. Yet he immediately changed his course and headed away from the academy, shooting a worried look back, checking for anyone following. Yet at the moment they were still safe. He waited for Dominique's instructions and yet his rider seemed to have frozen in the saddle, not saying anything, not moving, just staring into space with a look of disbelief on his face. 

"We'll go back to the Red Dragon and get out things," Breeze spoke as he took over command, realizing that Dominique wasn't much use. 

"No!" Dominique protested seeming to suddenly come alive once again."We have to go back!" 

"You're not thinking straight." 

"We have to help her!" Dominique protested, not even wanting to think what the council would do to her. Would they send her to the quarries, beyond his help forever? 

"If we go back we'll be caught to," Breeze told him taking the rational approach to the matter. "The only way we can help her now is by getting out of here and getting help. There is nothing we can do by ourselves. I'm guessing that every Watcher will have been alerted to our presence by now it won't be easy.....I'm guessing we should find a way to switch my color again and get out of here before nightfall." 

"Breeze, we can't just...!" Dominique began to protest. 

"If you act upon impulse no Dominique your going to get us both killed," Breeze told him sternly as he descended into the city. "No offense, but right now, you're in no condition to make any plans. You've never had to handle something like this before." 

"Neither have you!" Dominique thought accusingly in reply. 

"But Ray has!" Breeze replied. 

Dominique realized what his dragon was saying and he didn't argue. They needed Ray's help whether he liked it or not. He sat in silence the rest of the way, trying to get over his shock at how the events had turned out. 

They arrived at the Red Dragon soon after and Dominique slid from the saddle, telling the man at the stables that he would be right back. He rushed to his and Akira's room and grabbed everything that belonged to them. Stuffing the piece of armor, out of sight into his pack, he hurried downstairs to pay what he owed for the nights he and Akira had stayed. He rushed out again, ducking behind ladies with trays so that Savannah, who sat with Anita, at the far end, wouldn't see him as he ducked through the door and hurried back outside. 

He paused by the bold stable man, handing him a silver coin as a tip, not even pausing to consider the fortune he was giving away. The bold man stared at the silver piece with raised eyebrows, yet when he saw that Dominique was serious he quickly pocket it before he could change his mind. Dominique turned away to Breeze and threw his bundle of things, as well as Akira's on. His thoughts were far away as he secured both bundles. 

Yet as he got ready to swing himself onto his dragon's back a voice calling his name stopped him dead in his tracks. Dominique slowly turned around to see that Anita was walking towards him, purpose in her strides. He was still to shocked by the events that had happened not long before, for it to register in his mind that Anita had actually spoken to him. He dimly noted that Savannah was not with her and somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what Anita could possibly want at this moment. 

"Look, Anita," he began, his voice sounding far away and tired, "I really have to go..." 

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Anita spoke firmly as she came to a halt before him and crossed her arms across her chest. 

Dominique stared at her. "What is she talking about?" he thought. 

"You think she knows?" Breeze asked as he gazed at Anita suspiciously. 

Dominique didn't reply. He was sure there was some mistake here. Anita was probably talking about something else. "Look, Anita. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can explain some other time, but right now..." 

"Then explain why this afternoon both you and Akira went out and then now you suddenly returned to grab BOTH you guys' stuff and leave in a hurry, ALONE!" 

Dominique stared at Anita. Had she been spying on him and Akira? Why was she so concerned anyway? His eyes narrowed in suspicion.  

"What happened?" Anita asked him somewhat more softly. Her eyes showed Dominique that she knew more than he thought. 

"We have to go," Breeze told Dominique impatiently. 

"Nothing," Dominique told Anita quickly in reply to her question as he turned and got ready once again to get onto Breeze. 

"Dominique. Don't try to lie to me, what did you do? What happened to Akira?" her fierce and at the same time concerned tone, made Dominique pause. He slowly turned around to face her. 

"What makes you think that..." 

"I've been watching you the last couple of days," Anita replied. "Akira is not from around here and you're not in town to enjoy the sites. I'm not stupid enough to believe that. You were planning something the last few days, and the way you're acting now it must have gone wrong. So tell me Dominique, what did you do and what happened to Akira?" 

"Dominique," Breeze warned, feeling somewhat suspicious of the entire matter and at the same time impatient to leave. The longer they stayed the higher the chance of them getting caught. 

"Anita. I'm telling you the truth, nothing...." Dominique tried again. 

"Don't try to talk yourself out of this," Anita growled making Dominique blink. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a customer with an orange dragon arrive and walk to the bold man, who stood in the background, to see about stabling. The new customer looked very excited and flushed about something, yet had it not been for his words to the bold man, Dominique would have never bothered to listen in. 

"Have you heard the news?" the man spoke loudly enough for both Anita and Dominique to hear. Dominique turned his eyes numbly on the man, something telling him that he needed to hear this. 

"They say they're caught Strider," the man continued. "Apparently he tried to break into the academy. Why I have no idea. Anyways, word it they're going to hang him in three days in the Elstar square." 

Dominique's heart sank. Hang her? They were going to hang Akira? Anita's head snapped to Dominique's direction. 

"They can't have caught Strider," she murmured. Dominique was too shocked by what he had just heard to reply. "There is no way. How can they when I'm looking at him?" Anita continued. 

Dominique slowly turned his eyes on her, not quite believing what he had just heard. Breeze growled lowly in his throat. 

Anita's eyes widened. "YOU!" she gasped, "You tried to break into the academy! Akira was with you!" She was putting two and two together all too easily. "You came back but Akira didn't," if possible her eyes widened even further. "They caught Akira, not you," she whispered. 

Dominique's hand shot out and he grabbed Anita's arm, squeezing tightly as he glared at her. "How do you know that I'm Strider?" he growled while Breeze watched with narrowed eyes. "Are you working with the council?" Dominique continued, tightening his grip. 

Anita winced and yet did not complain about Dominique's grip on her arm. "You come and go randomly at the Red Dragon, yet you don't live in town," she told Dominique calmly. "And every time you're here Strider strikes!" 

Dominique narrowed his eyes. What Anita said made sense, yet how had she noticed if no one else had? He was sure that he always acted perfectly and made up good enough excuses to keep the suspicion away from him. 

"When you're trying to make your presence less obvious it only become more obvious to those that watch and listen," Anita told him softly as though reading his mind. "There is a reason I don't speak much Dominique. I don't waste time, I make the most of it to keep up with what is really going on in this city." 

"We don't have time for this," Breeze growled as he watched the new customer lead his dragon into the stables. 

Dominique knew his dragon was right. There was no time to waste, they had to go. He leaned in to glare at Anita, knowing that he would have to take care of this matter of her knowing another time. "If you breathe a word to anyone about this I swear..." he began in a cold voice. 

"I've known for years. About you being Strider and about the Resistance," Anita cut him off. "If I had wanted to tell anyone, I would have already done it by now." 

Dominique stared at her in shock, he was speechless. 

"Not everyone that inst with the Resistance is with the council," Anita told him softly. "Besides, I can't believe your worry about that when Akira is going to be hanged because of you!" 

Her words brought Dominique back to the reason he needed to leave, yet her mentioning the hanging made it all much more realistic. Anita was right. Akira was going to be hanged because of him, all because he had been stupid enough to go ahead with her plan. He should have tried harder to talk Akira out of it. 

"We can't waste time going back to get Ray. We're going back to the academy now!" he told Breeze making up his mind. 

"Think clearly Dominique," was his dragons reply. 

"I am," Dominique snapped as he let go of Anita's arm and swung himself onto breeze's back, "We're going. It's my decision and its made." 

Breeze was silent for a moment before he thought very softly, "If you force me to take you back there Dominique, I won't willingly lift a claw to help you if they come for us." 

"You wouldn't," Dominique thought. 

"If that is what it would take to make you see sense," Breeze replied. "Dominique, see some sense. We have to get Ray. The two of us are no match against the council and their Watchers." 

Dominique sat still for a moment, contemplating Breeze's words. He didn't want to admit it but Breeze was right. Alone they could do nothing for Akira. 

"Fine," he thought, "We're going back to get Ray." 

Anita watched him from the ground, not having heard his conversation with Breeze she had no idea what he had planned. "What are you going to do now?" she asked softly. 

Dominique didn't reply as Breeze began to walk hurriedly forward. 

"Dominique!" Anita called after him. 

Dominique turned in the saddle and met Anita's eyes as Breeze walked. "I'm going to set things right," he told her. 

Anita watched him, looking scared and at loss. It made Dominique realize that for some reason she to cared about what happened to Akira and he couldn't wonder at how fast she made friends. Yet now she was going to be hanged, and it was all his fault. 

"No one's getting hanged," Breeze replied firmly as he hurried to the roads to get into a fly zone so that they could leave. 

Dominique didn't reply. He didn't want to. He would do all he could to get Akira out of the council's clutches, and yet when it came to the council things were never easy. He would need a good plan to get out of this mess, and he most certainly would need Ray's help.