“You’ve searched the perimeter? Every single girly shopping store there is? Everything?” Lauri asked, gritting her teeth in annoyance.

            “Everything, ma’am,” Ryan said tersely, patting Thistle on the nose, “We couldn’t find hide nor hair of either of them. They’ve disappeared without a trace!”

            “It’s been almost five days now!” Lauri held her hands up, “Where could a galumphing huge dragon like that be hiding?” She turned away and marched up the stairs when she heard the familiar drawn out whooshing noise of a giant wyvern touching down on the courtyard. “ I swear,” she mumbled to herself, “When I find those two it’s going to be hell to pay.”

            Between her and the fountain, a brilliant white wyvern was bending down for his Rider to get off, his brilliant gold eyes easily taking everything in. “Please tell me you’ve found him,” Lauri said hopefully, pulling up to the tall dark man.

            He shook his head, his deep soulful eyes looking sad. “Not a trace. Renaldi and I circled the whole city along with part of Vulnaire- Renaldi blended in with the clouds fine. Unfortunately, still nothing.”

            Lauri was just about ready to tear her hair out. She screamed and stamped her foot, her eyes alight in fury, “Where the heck is he? That little good-for-nothing scheming little scamp! I’m going to kick his sorry butt so bad that he won’t be able to walk for a week! If I find him dead on a branch somewhere I’m going to kill him! Agh!”

            Ezekiel placed a large hand on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly, “We’ll find him, don’t you worry,” he said, his deep voice so soothing that Lauri’s tense shoulders slumped, “Me and Renaldi are good at that. How about you take a break the rest of the day? I’m sure a swim will take your mind off it.”

            She sighed, “Yes I could use a break. Thanks, Renaldi, Ezra.”

            Ezra gave her such an intense stare that she looked away sharply. She was aware that he had always had feeling for her. She was aware that it had probably been a big mistake inviting him. But with the threat of Felinus heavy on their heads, she had no other choice. And she found herself happy that he was here. But she knew that in her heart she was not ready for him. She may never be. Not after… the incident.

            He seemed to understand and stepped back to give her her space. Renaldi watched her with those golden eyes seeming to stare into her very soul. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable she walked away stiffly towards the lake, summoning her dragon.

            Yes, the water may clear her mind but Ralem was still going to get it.

Not that far away…

            “I was hoping you’d have someone with you… for your own sake,” the man snarled, his one eye seeming to bore holes into Frederick. The man was tall and lean with long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail under a dark, angular hat. One eye was hidden under an eye-patch and half of his face was missing, revealing his dark red gums and flaring white teeth. The nose was barely intact and whistled as the man drew in a sharp breath, advancing towards the shivering man with practiced, fluid movements.

            “I… I gave him the pie. He ate it.. ate it all,” Frederick whimpered, edging away. His wispy mustache shivered.

            “Oh yes and you’ll get your prize,” the man said, his voice smooth but deadly. He was very close now, close enough that Frederick could feel his warm breath on his neck.

            “Please. Don’t hurt me,” Frederick said, “I gave you what you wanted. You promised!”

            The man laughed, something that sent chills up Frederick’s back and rendered him frozen. “But you didn’t meet your terms of conditions, did you?” he purred, running a finger down Frederick’s jawline, his teeth just inches away from his ear.

             “I promise I’ll find him!” Frederick stuttered, “Just give me another day!”

            “You’ve had your day. Now it is time for your final task.”

            A nauseating, meaty thock and the man smiled as blood rushed hot and fresh into his mouth. Already he, or more correct, she was changing, her back shifting, becoming shaggy and rippling with muscle, powerful haunches forming along with a flicking tail. She let out a low roar as the transformation became complete, enjoying her natural state. Then her ear flicked to the west, where the great wall of Baroke rose up, shimmering with that invisible magic that had kept her out so long.

            She crouched down, her black eyes pinned on the barbed tops of the wall. She was too close and she knew it.

            Whoosh whoosh.

            Oh no. She latched her teeth onto her prey, dragging him into the cover of the field.

            Whoosh. Whoosh.

            She picked Frederick’s body completely off the ground, loping as fast as she could for cover.

            Whoosh. The great white head of a dragon appeared over the wall, huge even from so far away. Another great wing-sweep and he was hovering over the wall. Chief Namas dove for the field and ducked into the grain, a protective paw over her prey, her ears low and head to the ground. This wyvern was not one to be messed with. He was more experienced and thus more dangerous than the young wind dragon. Namas knew that if he saw her she probably wouldn’t make it out alive. She bunched her hind legs to start running if worst came to worst.

            The wyvern’s head turned to that it seemed that golden eye was looking straight at her. She hissed, hoping that her blonde camouflage would blend her in with the grain.

            Suddenly the wyvern tilted his wings and dove for her fast, his wings coasting over the field and rustling the grain.

            Chief Namas screeched as those huge sabre claws snapped forward, ready to snap her clean in half. She unwound like a spring, bounding to the side to escape those horrible claws. She wasn’t going to make it… she touched down again, her paws just barely touching the ground before making another bound. A huge whoosh blew her sideways into the ground as the wyvern just barely missed her.

            She had no time to recover. Her limbs flying, she staggered to her feet. For once very ungraceful, she dug her claws into the ground before smashing her hind legs into the dirt, propelling herself forward.

            In the sky, the wyvern wheeled about gracefully, his powerful white wings hardly making a sound in the sky. He pulled his wings in again, wielding those terrifying claws that were made to cradle bull elephants in their deadly grip. At three hundred miles an hour they were approaching the Chief, ready to pick her up as if she were nothing but a mere kitten.

            Chief Namas spun around, her paws flying over the ground as she twisted her body to fight the momentum and spring sideways, hoping to confuse the wyvern. Keeping up the zig-zag pattern she darted through the field like a streak of blonde lightning.

            Renaldi was not fazed. He did not stray from his course, his great wings blocking out the sky as he zeroed in over her.

            Chief Namas put everything she had into the final stretch, her powerful muscles rocketing her over the ground, dirt flying behind her. Her breath heaved from her lungs, her claws skimming rocks and thrashing through the grain.

            SNAP! The claws slammed together with massive force by her ear. Propelled by the sudden shift in weight, the wyvern clumsily touched down on the earth, almost knocking the cat’s feet from under her. She yelped and shot sideways, every hair on her body straight up.

            Renaldi was not going to give up the chase yet. His wings thudded to the ground before acting as a second pair of feet, threshing the grain like a giant harvester. If he had the vocal cords of most mature wyverns, Renaldi could have immobilized her with one shriek. But the most he could do was let out an indiscernible grumble as his head swung mightily to cut her off from the forest.

            The Chief froze. He had her. Muscular wings prevented her escape in any direction. From the back his tail coiled, ready to strike her if she decided to run between his legs. She made a few feints at escaping before cowering in the center of the dragon-made arena, her ears back and her one eye closed in preparation for imminent death.

            Renaldi shot for the strike like a cobra, his ten-foot long jaws snapping, his forked tongue ready for the taste of bitter cat blood.

            His mouth crunched on… absolutely nothing. Where is she? He roared in his head, his eyes darting in his enclosed prison he had made for her.

            A little blonde bunny nosed between his wing spikes and hopped daintily away. By the time Renaldi noticed it was far too late. The bunny was already morphing by the time it reached the forest. It was laughing. Renaldi growled in fury and bounded for the forest awkwardly, his eyes a blazing golden. The cat laughed even harder, its harsh voice ringing in his ears and he smashed into the trees breathing like a bull. Renaldi roared as loud as he could (which was very pitiful) and smashed trees out of the way with a stroke of his neck before he heard his Rider say, Renaldi. She’s gone.

            Renaldi stopped for a moment, his great chest heaving. I will get her, he assured Ezra before spreading his great wings. And I will kill her.

            No. Ezra said mildly. We should follow her.

            Renaldi laughed mentally, Stealth?

            Stealth, Ezra agreed.

            Renaldi took the skies again, and as he did, something changed. His normally white wings became spotted with blue and as he gained altitude, he became virtually invisible to even sharp eyes.

            That cat was not going to last long.

            “I can’t believe Arianna made me do this,” Sprite grumbled, her hummingbird wings flapping a thousand times per minute. She was coasting low over the treetops, looking for that annoying guy with the creepy green eyes. On her back, Arianna had placed a heavy saddle in case she found him and some medical supplies. Sprite hated it. It interfered with her flying. “I’ve been looking for forever! And I’m hungry and ugh! She better give me a cartload of sugar cubes and apples when I get back. And I need a back scrub and the braid on my mane is coming out!” She coasted over a small field, her almond eyes mostly looking past everything. “When I find that heavy jerk, you know what I’ll say?” she said to herself, “I’ll tell him that he’s going to have to go home by himself. Not on me. He is definitely NOT getting a ride on my back!”She shivered at the thought of him sitting himself down between her beautiful wings. “Neigh,” she shook her mane, “He is going to have to go home on that big fat dragon- who has absolutely no class if you ask me, I have no idea what Arianna sees in him- and I’m going to give them both a big nip for their bad behavior. Imagine, making me do all this horrible work.”

            By now the castle was almost out of sight and Sprite was already starting to get tired. “On second thought,” she said, wheezing, “Maybe I should eat less sugar cubes. I think I feel sick. I’m going back. Wha-Woah!” She was nearly bowled over as a big galumphing white wyvern dived at her. He pulled up a good twenty yards from her but that didn’t stop her from yelling, “Hey! Watch it, bub! Share the sky, people!” I hate dragons. She thought, they are so ugly and fat and are always in the way! She harrumphed and regained her dignity, lifting her hooves daintily as her flashing wings carried her across the field.

            Except the wyvern wasn’t leaving her alone! He kept on almost dive-bombing her and making horrible wind for her wings to fight. She was starting to get really annoyed. “Hey, big guy! Watch it, I’m right here, you know! And if I get hurt then I am going to tell the Princess and she’s going to throw you in jail!”

            The wyvern didn’t seem to notice. He had landed and was too absorbed in meditating or something. Weird! Sprite thought. Then she noticed the little bunny running frantically away. Aww poor bunny. It looked really scared. Was he trying to hurt the bunny? Now Sprite was really mad! “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you little bunny from that mean widdle wyvie!” She hovered over the bunny as it ran, protecting it from view.

            Then the bunny started to change. It was turning into a very ugly little bunny. And then came the laugh that made Sprite’s blood run cold. That was not a bunny! Sprite’s wings now were at mega-speed and she turned back to the castle and flew for her life. “ARIANNA!” she screamed “EVIL BUNNY ALERT! ARIANNA!!!”

            Sprite flew so fast that she was back at Baroke in no time, screaming for Arianna. It didn’t take long to find her. She was right where she had left her- sitting in a tree reading a book and trying to forget the world. “ARIANNA!” Sprite screamed, coming to a running landing. Arianna fell very unladylike into a bush and scrambled to her feet, “WHAT?” she screamed.

            Sprite trotted up to her, her nostrils flaring, “Well I was flying- looking for Rowan or whatever-his-name-is and all and then this big white dragon came whoosh out of the sky and was scaring me but that’s not the point. It was chasing this bunny rabbit and I was like oh no he’s going to eat the poor guy and I was going like all ninja so I can save him and then…”

            “What?” Arianna said crossly. Tear-lines shown red under her eyes and her hair was frizzy and had sticks sticking out at odd angles.

            “The rabbit changed! It was going all ugly and everything and it laughed like so.. evil! It gave my wings chills!”

            “Oh my-” Arianna choked out, “It must be a cat! If that’s what happened to Ralem then- oh no, Sprite! What if it was the cats that got to them?” And then came the tears, the horrible tears.

            Sprite was hoping to hear, ‘Good girl. I’m glad you survived the evil bunny attack. You are so brave! Here, I’ll give you some sugar cubes.’ But she patiently endured it as Arianna dug her head into her honey brown flank and threw her arms around her neck.

            She only cried for a couple minutes before regaining composure, her eyes stony. “That’s it. It’s time for me to take out my bow again. Sprite, you ready for a hunt?” She pressed her ring and her bow sprang to existence. “Because I’m going to look for Ralem and if I find him… you know, I will kill all those pahasuken cats!”