"Leto! No!" I yelled, trying to race towards her, but it was to late. She had her wrapped her jaws around his throat and lifted him up in the air, her wings flapping. He struggled against the death grip around her jaws and clawed at her snout.

"Leto let him go! I know you're angry, but don't give into your bloodlust! Killing isn't the needed outcome for this!" I tried to reason, waving my hands in front of her so I could catch her attention. It had worked, because I watched as her eyes snapped to me and I nearly stepped back at the change. Her pupils, usually lizard-like, were now more thin than before, like a thin line going up and down the middle of her eye. There was no hint of recognition in her eyes, no sense of humanity that is always shown in a dragon's eye. The only time a dragon has these eyes are when..

"Tom! Carol!" I called, staggering towards the house again and slamming my fist rapidly against the door to get their attention. I then pushed the door in and ran towards the room they were in, where they quickly stood up in surprise.

"Jackson what is it?" Tom asked urgently.

"It's Leto," I breathed, then whipped back around to run outside again to show them. I heard the pairs of footsteps behind me, knowing they were now following me outside. My mind raced with fear for Leto; the being that has been there for my wife when I couldn't be, the one who shares a special bond with her that nobody else does. I can't fail Leto, who has grown to become a family member to me, a friend. I can't fail Faye.

"Leto!" Carol gasped, skidding to a halt behind Tom and I. Leto jerked her head towards us and growled warningly from around an unconscious Vladimir. Blood dripped onto the ground, and above the forming puddle was a slowly dying man with a painful grip around his neck. She flapped her wings a little, backing away from us with her ice shard-like eyes staring right back at us.

"What do we do?" I asked, turning back to my mother and father in laws, my heart pounding rapidly against my chest. I was scared for Leto, not for the man in her jaws. What would happen to Leto now that she's had her first taste of human blood without a calm mind?

When a dragon goes into a battle, it's extremely important for them and their rider alike to clear their minds and let an even calmness spread through the both of them. If a dragon has his or her first taste of human blood out of strong anger or hatred, the result is a part of the brain wakening and causing the dragon to become a true monster, a feral beast that only sees blood. The only way for this .. change to stop, is for the dragon to finally satisfy their bloodlust, which can be different times, amouts of kills, and pints of human blood for every dragon. If a dragon experiences this once in their life, it never happens to them again. It's like the chicken pox almost.. but more deadly.

"We have to get her restrained and get that idiot out of her jaws," Tom said, grabbing my arm and leading me towards the back of the house. "If she doesn't kill him first, then I will."

I nodded and let my father-in-law lead me to the back of the house before he let go of my arm and closed his eyes. I glanced at him and took a second to realize how much Faye took from him. His black hair, which had gone from jet black to black flecked with gray, was sleeked back. Faye got her ivory skin tone from him, and she definitely had his eyes.

I snapped from my (probably creepy and awkward) staring when a hum of wings sounded above us, getting closer. A large dragon, who I recognize to be Tom's dragon, landed and folded his gigantic wings.

"Thank you for getting here quickly, Ariston," Tom said out loud, walking forward and reaching his hands out. I was shocked that this man, the usual high-held leader, was showing this side in front of me. I certainly wasn't expecting to ever see in my lifetime a moment of sentiment between my father-in-law and his dragon.

Ariston bent his head down and rumbled softly from the pit of his throat, his sleek black and red head connecting with Tom's forehead. The male dragon left out a long, earth-shattering sigh as an unspoken moment of content passed between the dragon and rider, a bond I only wish I could have with such creatures.

The sleek, dark dragon pulled his head back and opened a fiery eye, looking straight at me. He shook his neck and I could only watch as he bent it forward and took in breaths, his nostrils moving and his growls being ones of interest and caution alike.

Finally, I managed to snap from my wistfulness and crouched down on one knee, my head bent. Even if my alliance with the dragons held strong, this dragon was older than Leto, and much different in personality most likely. I wanted it to be shown by my sign of respect that I was not a threat to him.

I felt something heavy in my mind, just as it felt when Leto talks through my thoughts. "Rise, Young Warrior," a deep, guarded voice commanded gently. As if having minds of their own, my legs worked in accordance to the dragon's words. I was soon standing, but my upper half remained in a bowing position. "All of you," he added, amusement curling warmly around his words.

I straightened up and looked up at the amber eyes, only to find them many feet closer. "I would love to have a nice introduction, but Tom has explained to me-" A loud roar echoed from the front of the house "-that there is a situation needing to be dealt with."

I nodded, watching as Tom mounted the large black and red dragon. But I thought of what might happen to Leto and said, "Don't hurt her, okay? Faye would be heartbroken."

Ariston and tom shared a glance, then Tom gave me a non-too reassuring look. "We'll do what we can.."

I watched them fly off and then jogged to the front of the house, nearly falling when I saw the scene. It had only been a minute since Ariston and Tom had shot off to the air, and in that sixty seconds it took me to walk to scene .. Hell rose.

Leto stood in front of Tom and Carol, both sitting side by side on their own two dragons. Leto .. Leto was a mess, and I knew if she were herself she wouldn't be in this situation. She had the body in between her jaws still, blood trickling from between her teeth and his skin down her jaw and throat, making a puddle between her two white feet.

"Leto, don't kill this man!" Carol yelled, breaking the silence. "You're not thinking clearly! Remember what your goal is!"

The two dragons standing off with Leto seemed edgy and growling at Leto. Their expressions were so different. Carol's dragon had one that seemed to hold gentleness, reassurance, but firm demand, while Ariston held his body up in a ready-to-fight stance, his eyes flaring and holding challenge with a harsh command of obedience.

"Leto, let the man go. This isn't like you. You're not a killer," the female dragon gently said. "Think about Faye. How would she respond if she knew you killed him?"

Leto's pupils flashed with momentary thought, and her grip loosened for a heartbeat. Then she clamped down again and growled menacingly, the man groaning in pain. "I will not let this traitor go. He is a threat to the search of my rider."

"He'll already have been punished if you let him live. Look at him. You've made your point across.."

Leto snarled and backed away. "No! You're just like him! You don't want to find Faye. None of you care! She'll die because you aren't doing enough to help her! Someone must pay for the failure!"

"Leto!" Roared Ariston, stepping closer warningly. "We have no choice but to stop you if you refuse to let the man go."

Leto snarled and dropped the man, her muzzle splattered with fresh blood. Everyone relaxed, and for a second I thought it was over. But that's when I saw Leto's eyes begin to glow, literally. She raised her wings and whipped her tail back and forth. Her jaws opened and a ear-deafening roar erupted from her throat, full of blood-thirsty challenge.

"We're sorry, friend," the female said regretfully. "But we have no choice but to restrain you."

The two dragons started attacking, their bodies dangerously low to the ground but their wings flapping to keep them hovering. Their riders seemed to have no problem staying on, and since I heard nothing more than fighting, they were using their thoughts to give orders.

The two dragons attacked Leto by the side, slashing and using their weight to shove her to the ground. But the white female wasn't having it. She started fighting back, her teeth slashing and her horns dangerously slashing at the tough skin of her opponents' bellies. She tries to lift herself in the air, but Ariston nipped at her wings and whipped his tail across her face.

A roar of agony left her mouth and her body slammed against the ground, sending her into a momentary laps of shock.

"Jackson, get the man out of the way!" Carol yelled from her dragon, making me wince when the two sharply veered from a lashing white tail, barely missing the deadly hit. "Quick!"

I nodded and darted forward, jumping over a tumbled white wing and ducking under gleaming sliver claws. Leto was on her back, rapidly trying to roll over. I needed to be quicker than this. I rammed past the female dragon's legs as she protected me from being slashed by a tail spike, and I gratefully waved. I took the man by his arm and dragged him away as far as I could, checking for a pulse.

Alive. By now, people had gathered outside the house and were watching the scene with horror. Leto latched her jaws around the female dragon's throat, leaving her nearly motionless out of fear of being killed. Ariston had disappeared, and for a second, the only sounds were the flapping of wings and heavy breathing of the two interlocked dragons.

Like a flash of red and black lightning, Leto's grip was whipped off of the dragons neck. Leto was sent spiraling into one of the many houses along the hill, thankfully empty. She rose from the ruins with blue light spilling from her jaws and she opened them to send her attack.

Ariston, however, wouldn't let her deadly power leave her body. He came from the right, his claws digging into her belly and sending her neck flying against a sharp edge of the house, taking the enraged female to the ground.

Ariston lifted his head and let out a victory roar, then removed his bloody claws from her belly and growled.

I felt despair inside me; but it was eased when I was promised that Leto was alive but unconscious. I looked down at the bloody councilman, and thought, Oh Faye .. We need you.

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