"My queen," a voice said. "Do you think the Sacred Forest will let us?"

With a queenly elegence, the queen made a small waving off gesture. "Of course not. But I might as well try the peaceful route before a war of declaration. Dark Wings agreed to the meeting. Hm..." she trailed off.

"Queen Tahl'drí?" the follower asked, always watching body language.

"I will be meeting an old associate on this errand. I suppose she will be there to convince the Arch Dragon of denying my request, as if he would be tempted on his own."

"With your permission, Your Majesty, may I ask whom you are talking about?"

Queen Tahl'drí thought a moment. "I suppose I should, with you going to be present and all. Azure Star is her name, and she is coming along with Dark Wings to meet me, even though she could have sent him, and him alone."

"That name sounds familiar," the follower said, trying to place the name.

"Then our little Cí'mehia has said that name in your presence. I must leave you, dawn is nearing. The talk will be tomorrow night. Do not stay up late if you want to join me."

"Yes, my queen. What about our lycanthropic friend, Cedric?"

"Him," the queen growled. "Troublesome. Make sure he doesn't let the cheetah out of the sack before we are ready."

"It will be done." And with that, the dream ended, and the Mionian was back on the Ziixi transport, the bunk room empty.

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

The view was amazing from where Myrkr, Sanguine, Luna, Cedric, and Shimmer were. The frontal part of the passenger hold was almost entirely made of glass, which made Myrkr nervous, even though the view was breath-taking. She would have thought that Cedric—since he was obviously not a dragon or anything with wings—would have been nervous, too, but this turned out to be his second trip to the academy.

"Calm down, Myr," he said. "The glass is unbreakable."

Myrkr would never admit it, but she was shaking. Unnoticably, of course. "Yeah? And what exactly happens when the metal holding the damn glass floor breaks?" She walked out after the lycanthrope, anyway, staying near Sanguine. At least her fear of falling was keeping the dream far from mind. Though, things of importance are never too far from Myrkr's mind.

Myrkr growled softly. That damned lady, Myrkr thought bitterly. Was it really necessary to visit me again?

She had seen the cheetah lady in her dreams again, though this time it was a full night's sleep.

✽✽✽✽✽

"Azure's Star!" Myrkr called out. "Please tell me you are here this time!"

    Of course, that wasn't the case. The cheetah lady appeared by emerald mist rising, then it formed her. "Hello again, my dear," she purred. "Looking for your cat friend again?"

    "Damnit, lady. Will you leave me be?"

    The lady shook her head. "Afraid not. Our genetic specialists found somethings strange about you."

    Myrkr sighed. "Yeah. Okay, so what? I'm not part of your Tribe."

    "Oh, but you are. Soon, yet not soon enough, you will see. You will come home, Mkhoal. Live how you were supposed to. We will also find out why your genetics are...peculiar." This could be a hand up for me. What if I make her think I am willing to go? She might tell me more.

"Suppose I am interested in returning to the Tribe. What will my purpose be?"

There was a glint in the cheetah lady's eyes. "Oh, I can't tell you that. The fun is in the surprise, yes?"

"Can I at least know your name?" Myrkr asked dryly. "You know mine, but I don't know yours."

"Hm. So be it. My name is Queen Ri'Shanita."

   Myrkr snorted. "Finally. I have a name to go with the face."

"So you are interested in returning to us?" the queen pressed.

Myrkr thought for a moment. "Possibly. I won't go anywhere or do anything blind, Shanita." There was a warning of a growl in her voice.

"I do hope you give me a more concrete answer next time." Despite the cheetah queen's calm of voice, it was betrayed by her tail, which flicked back and forth a few times. "Farewell, Mkhoal."

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

"Wow!" Luna ran to a window, and looked out over the mountains that surrounded the academy. "The sunrise, it's beautiful." Sanguine, Cedric, and Shimmer walked over to see the view. Myrkr stayed where she was, deep in thought about her nightly visiter. Why does she call me Mkhoal? Well, that's number three on my damned list. At least we're here, now. I can look up whatever the hell I am.

    "It was better the last time," Cedric said. Myrkr noticed that, most of the time, he watched her. His emerald gaze was unsettlingly like Ri'Shanita's, and it was hard not to glare. It's a different person all together. He's a lycanthrope; not one of the Mion Jungle Tribe. Now Myrkr walked over to the rest of the group, and Luna was right: the sunrise was spectacular.

"Whoa," she breathed, the sunrise taking every fear, every thought, away. "This is amazing!"

"And you can see it every day, Myr." The way Cedric said her nickname rubbed her fur the wrong way, and she had to keep her tail from flicking in annoyance.

"Cool," was her response. Even though she wanted to stare at the first sunrise she'd properly seen, she left and reentered the area she was in last night, and sat on the seats, alone, in order to think.

Someone came over to her. "Hiya!" Myrkr looked at the girl, a cat mutant, who had jean shorts and a pale green tank top. Her eyes were also pale green. "I'm new here. Mind my company?"

"Uh, sure. Why not." Myrkr shrugged and the cat girl sat next to her. "Mind if I ask what you are?"

"You should tell me your name first, but it's no secret. I was a cat that humans experimented on, and I got away from them. Did the same happen to you?"

"No, it didn't. I don't know why I'm like this, but I wouldn't want to be anything else. Name's Myrkr."

"Maple the Swift." Maple held out her paw-like hand. "Nice to meet you, Myrkr."

"Likewise." Myrkr shook her hand. "So you're new, huh? My friend and I are, too."

Maple started looking around, cat ears swiveling. "Who's your friend?"

Myrkr hesitated, but Sanguine was supposed to be the popular one, so she pointed at the red-scaled guy, who she could see through the door. "Him, in the red scales. Those guys over there too are our friends."

"Oh. Seems I do know someone." Maple got up and walked out into the giant window. "Cedric!" she called.

Myrkr caught up and stood next to Maple, glancing between Cedric and she. Cedric turned, a smile on his face, but it vanished the instant he saw Maple. Myrkr just barely heard him say "shit."

The two walked over. "Hello, Maple," Cedric said, politely cold.

"Oh, Ced. Why always the cold shoulder?" Maple asked teasingly.

"Gee," he replied sarcastically. "I wonder. Maybe because you did this to me."

Before Myrkr, or Sanguine for that matter, could hear more, Shimmer and Luna pulled them aside. "We're getting ready to land. Maybe we all should pack our things," Shimmer suggessted, uncharacteristically kind-ish and quiet. Myrkr glanced at Sanguine, and caught his eye. He shrugged slightly. So it's not just me, Myrkr thought. Something's going on between Cedric and Maple, something old--and important. But since she and Sanguine couldn't say no to the truth, Myrkr went with Shimmer and Luna to their bunk while Sanguine headed to his.

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

Cedric crossed his arms as Shimmer and Luna led Myrkr and Sanguine away. "What do you want?" he asked distrustfully.

Maple dropped her peppy attitude and got serious. "You can't tell her anything," Maple growled. "Our queen said so."

    "And I give a damn? I was loyal before you all did this to me. She is not my queen anymore. She betrayed me, and she'll betray Myr."

    "Look, Myrkr Mkhoal doesn't need to know what she is yet. If she finds out you ever had any ties with the Tribe, she will be wary. She's already wary, from how I understand it."

    Cedric scowled. "She told you that, did she?"

    Maple shook her head. "No. I read body language." She pulled out a little pouch. "How about I give you some jara to keep quiet?"

    "Not in a million years," Cedric said, slapping the pouch out of her hand. Emerald coins spilled from it, a cat's eye etched into each one, the etch filled in with gold. "I am done with this chat, cat. If Myrkr ever mentions Mion are after her, you can bet I'll spill everything so she doesn't get taken. You sense her abnormality, I sense it, Tahl'dri senses it. But I'm not a Mionian anymore. Tahl'dri made me a lycanthrope, and wanted to keep me in a cage. I can't and won't let you do the same thing to Myrkr, even if she doesn't trust me, even if she is unaware of the danger." Cedric walked after the others, leaving Maple in the viewing area, alone.

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

The castle was huge. Alone, Myrkr could easily get lost, even with the map they handed out to everyone, and even with Cedric's help.

Thinking of Cedric... Myrkr studied his face. Ever since his conversation with Maple he seemed distant and quiet, glaring around every so often. Many times Myrkr caught him shooting daggers through a glare at Maple. She didn't understand why, the cat girl seemed perfectly nice. "Myr." Cedric walked over and tapped Myrkr on the shoulder.

"Hm?" She looked at him. "Something up?"

"Yes. But you don't know what, yet. Promise me something?"

Myrkr narrowed her eyes. "That depends."

"Stay away from Maple?" he asked.

"What? No. Why do you want me to?"

"I-I can't tell you. Not yet."

Myrkr shook her head. "Sorry, Cedric. Frankly, I want to make a few friends here." She left and walked over to Maple, Cedric's emerald gaze burning into her. She sighed. "Hey, Maple. Why doesn't Cedric like you?"

"Oh, you know." Maple became rigid suddenly. "We used to share the same ideas, now we don't. Got to run!" She left.

    "Okay, then," Myrkr murmured to herself as she walked back over to Cedric. "Cedric, may I talk to you for a minute?"

    "Sure." Cedric followed Myrkr. "I know a good, quiet spot. I think I know what this is about."

    "Like hell you do. Don't you dare think this has anything to do with romance, lycanthrope."

    "What? I never thought of that, Myrkr!"

    When Cedric took the lead to the quiet place, Myrkr was studying the architecture of the academy. "Why are you always daydreaming?" His voice pulled her from her thoughts.

    "Never mind. What groups are in the Isles?"

    Cedric looked surprised. This obviously wasn't what he anticipated. "Too many for me to name. The library has the known ones down. Such as the Ziix mountain range, the Revak Feykro forest, The Mion Jungle, the mainland meadow, the Jewel Dragon Clan cave, the Cult of the Dark Elements temple. Those are the major ones I know. Why did we need to be somewhere alone for this conversation?"

    Myrkr shook her head. "I wanted to ask something else, but I can't ask it yet. This was the next best question. Thanks, anyway." She headed back the way they had come, though Cedric stayed where he was, obviously deep in thought.