A whole  squadron of full armed soldiers, some mounted on horseback, others  marching in perfect formation. At the lead was a massive man on horseback with hair like nothing Ralem had ever seen. His hair was red! It tumbled onto his forehead from under an ornate helmet, plumed and heavy. He carried himself with such arrogant assurance that Ralem had no doubt of his lineage. He was a warrior.

That knight… he has hair of fire! Jaydon said. I have seen nothing like it.

Neither have I, Ralem said, watching them pass with wide eyes. What is happening?

Shh, Jaydon closed his eyes and opened his mouth, letting his forked tongue escape from the ring of teeth. I need to concentrate.

Ralem watched his expression closely. Jaydon sucked in the air, tasting it, letting it flow over his tongue. One hundred men. He said. They haven’t bathed in a while. They have traveled long and are tired but ready to battle. I can smell some emotion on them… I’m not sure if it is confusion or anxiety. Suddenly his face scrunched up and his eyebrows rode up on his forehead. There’s something else… Look.

He sent a mental picture of what he had seen. Ralem’s brain was having a hard time deciphering it… it seemed to be a black canvas with red figures walking across the bottom. The figures pulsed red, yellow, and orange at different parts of their bodies. Then he caught something. A yellow figure, behind a regular red one, keeping in pace with the group. And another. He counted them on his fingers.

They aren’t human, Jaydon said grimly. Which means they are either cats or shapeshifters like me. I doubt they are shapeshifters.

What is this image?

It’s what I see when I use my tongue. What you see is the heat radiating off their bodies. The light red ones are humans. Suddenly the background changed, showing a figure sprawled out, it’s hue a darker hue than the humans had been. That’s you. The shape of a hand appeared, this one such a dark red it was almost violet. And this is me.

I never knew you could do that, Ralem said. So… what are cats doing in an army? Was the flame-haired man a cat?

No. He was human. But I counted at least fifteen cats in there. They are heading to Tisbet, for who knows what.

It can’t be for war. I saw their flags. It’s the Vulnairian crest. They are here for something else… I bet swords. Which can only mean…

War. Jaydon finished his sentence. Against us?

It can’t be, Ralem pushed that away, it’s just the two of us. The Queen wouldn’t have bothered to muster an army for just a couple fugitives… would she?

I don’t know, Jaydon said honestly. We should follow them. Leave Aidan here. We’ll tell him we’ll be back in no time.

I don’t feel good about leaving him here…

Fine. You stay here with him and I’ll go and check it out. Jaydon started to worm back to the other side of the hedge.

You’re not leaving without me! Ralem said angrily, the bush rustling as he pushed aside a branch and got smacked in the face.

“Ouch!” Jaydon growled, yanking his wing free of a branch. Finally they tumbled free and found Aidan nowhere in sight. “Aidan?” Ralem called, his heart jumping to his throat.

“I’m right here,” Aidan grunted, heaving himself out of the brush.

“Aidan! You were supposed to stay here!” Jaydon folded his arms and glared down at the boy.

Aidan ignored him. “Who were those people? Did you see the guy with the red hair? Isn’t that crazy?”

“Listen, Aidan. Jaydon and I need to go and figure out what they’re doing. You need to stay here, out of sight. This could be very dangerous and I don’t want you to get hurt,” Ralem said softly, pulling Drake off his shoulder and onto Aidan’s. “Can I trust that you’ll stay here?”

“No. I want to come,” Aidan said, folding his arms and trying to appear taller than he was.

Hypnotize him, Jaydon said. That’s the only way he’s going to stay. If he goes he’s going to get killed or kill us.

Ralem thought the very idea was absurd. He turned to Jaydon. I can’t hypnotize anyone other than you.

I don’t know. But you could try, Jaydon suggested, shrugging.

“What are you talking about?” Aidan said cautiously, “I’m not sure I like that look.”

Ralem sighed. He hated to even try doing this with his nephew. But he crouched down, looked Aidan in the eye, and said, “Aidan, I command that you stay here and stay hidden until we get back.” He could feel himself reaching out, magic tethering to Aidan’s conscious and then… nothing. He took a deep breath, studying Aidan’s face.

“You think that’s going to stop me?” Aidan said a little rudely, his face pulled into a pout similar to that of Ralem’s when he was that age.

“Stuffing you in a hollow tree with your hands and legs bound might,” Jaydon said gruffly.

“He didn’t mean that,” Ralem apologized, “Just.. stay here.” He got up and started walking away, motioning Jaydon to do the same.

“Wait!” Aidan cried, “I… I can’t move! Stop! Come back!”

“I’m sorry, we’ll be back soon. I promise,” Ralem said, skirting around a tree and soon was out of view. He sighed and turned to Jaydon, “I can’t believe I just hypnotized my own nephew.”

“I can’t believe you can hypnotize anyone other than me. Think about it, Rider! The possibilities! You have to try to hypnotize a cat.” Jaydon said, smiling.

“You’re right!” Ralem brightened with the possibility. “Okay, they’ve almost made it to the gate. Let’s approach from the other side and climb up the wall. They don’t have much people watching and if they do then we kill them before they raise the alarm. I hate to say that, but let’s just hope for the best.”

Jaydon smiled, his teeth a mess of fangs. “Together?”

Ralem surprised himself as he actually felt excitement for the coming battle- or whatever they were facing. “Of course.”

They streaked across the field like cheetahs. Lauri had taught them the art of confusion by making them run and run and run. He thought back to that horrid game they used to play; she had called it Fox and Rabbit. And in that case he had been the rabbit. He remembered running for his life as the ‘fox’ or Lauri would chase him through the fields and tackle him to the ground. At the time he had loathed the game. But now he was grateful for the practice. He zigzagged like lightning- his bare feet barely touching the ground before launching into another long stride, his pace sure to confuse the eyes of anyone on lookout.

Jaydon had to run twice as fast because his winged bulk was harder to hide with speed. He was a phantom- a trick of the eyes- and then he was gone. When he approached the proud walls of Tisbet, he skidded to a halt, his momentum causing him to crash bodily into the bricks. Ralem was not too far after, breathing hard. He nodded to the dragon. Jaydon flashed out his claws, stabbing them into the brick. The sabers sunk in easily enough and Jaydon scrabbled up the wall, his claws digging deep into the mortar before he yanked them out to climb higher. Ralem followed, using the holes Jaydon had created as footholds, his progress steady and quick.

Jaydon paused at the top, tasting the air. Three guards. He flicked his tongue. One is a little more than a hatchling. The others are also humans- middle aged. I’ll take care of them. Before Ralem could argue, Jaydon had hurled himself over the wall’s edge. He heard a muffled cry and a grunt and a clatter as a weapon fell to the ground. Ralem bounded up the wall and hopped over just to find Jaydon with a hand over a man’s mouth, the talons of his other hand imbedded in his rib cage. With a distasteful growl, he threw the man unceremoniously over the wall. Humans are such easy game. Then he spotted some other patrolling guards strolling down the rampart and pointed it out to his Rider. Together they jumped onto a nearby roof, then landed amidst a flea market.

People screamed and a horse reared as they streaked off in the opposite direction. They needed to take up attack positions quick, before the citizens could raise the alarm or the small army could catch wind of their presence. This way, Jaydon said, abruptly changing direction to charge at the alleyway to the left. Ralem followed blindly, almost running an old lady over.

They are near. Slow down, Jaydon reported, slowing his pace. His eyes scanned the surroundings; escapes, options, attack routes, and the people that might get in his way. He quickly flashed these thoughts to Ralem before leaping catlike onto the window on the second story, then bounding to the roof and scrabbling up the side. His talons left gouge marks in the plaster and wood. A shingle, torn loose, hung precariously by a single nail. Jaydon slid himself behind the slope of the house, hiding himself from view. Looking across, he could see that Ralem had done the same with the blacksmith shop and was now giving him the thumbs up.  

They had carefully positioned themselves in the center of town. If the new arrivals were here to make an announcement, they would do it here. Jaydon eased his body onto the hot tile, his bare skin rubbing on the surface. He folded his arms on the peak of the house, letting his head rest on his forearms. This may take a while.

“Wha-what are you?” someone said behind him.

Jaydon whirled around to find a boy in filthy peasant’s clothes and a floppy cap, holding a chimney cleaner. Oh. It’s just a boy. He let his talons fall back into his palms. “What do you think I am?” he asked, half spreading his glorious wings.

The boy took a step back, “A… a demon?”

“You said it,” Jaydon said truthfully, “Now get lost and don’t tell anyone or I’ll haunt you forever and ever.”

The boy stood, frozen. The chimney sweeper shook in his little hands.

Jaydon rolled his eyes.  “Grr,” he snarled, showing his teeth.

The boy fled, dropping his chimney sweeper, and scurried down the ladder as fast as he could go.

Jaydon, stay on task. They’re approaching. I need you to smell out the cats.

Is our plan still on? Jaydon asked, turning back to the street. A few citizens still stood there, frozen in shock at what they had just seen. Suddenly, a bugle rang out, a summoning to the townspeople. Jaydon’s sharp ears could hear the heartbeat of over a hundred soldiers marching into the square. He flexed his taloned hand. He wanted blood. A forked tongue slid over his fangs. As the bugle grew louder, he inched upwards to get a better view of his prey.

And they came. In rows of six, their lances and javelins poked the sky with brutally sharp spikes, creating a sea of hissing metal and clanking armor. A frightened hush grew on the crowd as the mysterious horseman guided his hulking warhorse up the steps to the podium that stood in the center of town. The horse pawed the ground, flaring its nostrils as if it wanted to jump off the stage and into a raging war. Jaydon decided he didn’t like that horse. Come to think of it, he didn’t like the situation at all. Did humans have natural red hair? He had never seen anything like it. Although it was true that Ralem was sadly lacking in his knowledge of anything beyond Vulnaire. Almost everyone in Redfield had black hair, maybe even brown. Blonde hair was rare, often associated with the Grundians or Shanurians. But red? Never.

The man had started to talk. His voice was deep and flowed over the waiting crowd like a wave. Even though the words he carried were heavy, he was such an emblem of confidence that even Jaydon was starting to agree with him. He spoke of war… of the need to stand up and protect our homeland, our families, our reputation, or it would all be lost. He spoke of the enemy, how they had personally wronged every one of them. The whole time, he lightly directed the horse to pace in front of the crowd, his fist raised defiantly at the sun, his green eyes flickering red as they lingered on every face. Mesmerized, Jaydon absentmindedly wolfed down his remaining moss, ready to unleash his flame on the enemy, to follow that man wherever he lead. Finally the warrior ended with “WHO WILL FIGHT WITH ME!”

Jaydon was so drunk on the thirst for war that he scrabbled on the rooftops, ready to volunteer himself to the front lines. Jaydon- what are you doing? You’re going to give us away! Get down. Ralem’s voice demanded in his mind. Ralem’s presence in his mind cruelly woke him up out of the murderous passion monster brewing in his chest. As the cheer of the people rang out on the square, Jaydon narrowed his eyes at the man. He was using magic- the dragon was sure of it. Was he a magician? Jaydon flicked out his tongue, tasting the air. A long, drawn out breath later his brain presented him with an image. The crowd, a pulsing mass of lava red, yellow, and orange. And then the figure on the horse. Jaydon opened his mouth again, not believing his tongue. It couldn’t be. Sure enough, the prancing figure of the horse appeared, wreathed in the autumn colors and his rider- a deep scarlet. Jaydon flicked his tongue at his hand. Scarlet. He looked back at the man. Scarlet. Rrashkirr! Ralem!

What? Ralem’s reply was tinged with concern.

The red haired warrior…. I was sure he was human!

He’s a cat?

No. He’s… he’s a shapeshifter. I think a dragon. It’s strange, though. I can’t smell him.  As they watched, the warrior led his horse back down the stage and the small army arrowed through the crowd.

Follow him, Ralem ordered. We need to talk to him. I’m sure he was confused. After all- he’s talking about destroying Baroke. Surely he doesn’t know that it is a safe haven for your kind.

I’m not sure, Jaydon replied, although he started hopping noiselessly roof to roof. But we could try.

But I don’t understand… what was he doing with a bunch of cats? Do they have some sort of pact or something?

I don’t know. That’s why I’m hesitant to confront him. Not all dragons are like me, Ralem. Some are hostile. Jaydon could feel Ralem’s mental eye roll. Shut up. They followed him downtown, hoping that he was going to stay somewhere. Sure enough, he stopped to direct men into their respective shelters, inns, and homes. Jaydon watched him like a hawk, listening to every word he said, sifting through his commands for anything suspicious. Nothing. He just sounded like a run of the mill commander guy. But Jaydon could see through it. He could see the familiar glare he had when he was giving orders, that flicker. Every fatherly pat or careful word. He was hypnotizing them all. Jaydon was disgusted. Manipulating humans for war was low, especially for a dragon. Ralem, he’s hypnotizing them. I can’t hypnotize so I’m going to need you. You’re going to have to make sure he doesn’t hypnotize us.

Ralem sounded nervous. Jaydon- I just learned that I can hypnotize other people than you. I’m not sure that I can try against a dragon!

Well you’re going to have to try. Because he’s breaking off now. Oh, he’s going in my direction. Follow from the streets. I’ll confront him.  He broke contact with his Rider and started creeping down the sides of the houses, keeping the other dragon constantly in his vision. Suddenly the flame haired dragon stopped and looked around, inhaling deeply through his mouth. Hide! Jaydon warned, sliding his body behind a stone chimney and hoping that it would shield his body heat from being spotted. Breathing slowly through his nose, he counted to ten. Ralem, you have a good view on him? Is he moving?

I’m not sure… I’ll check. Yes, he’s moved.

Jaydon exhaled and peeked out of his hiding place. The dragon was leading his horse down a teeny alleyway that forked off the main road and into the rougher part of town. As the houses grew smaller, Jaydon was forced to fall back more so that he wouldn’t be spotted leaping from thatched roof to thatched roof. Where are you going? He thought to himself as the other dragon finally took a right into an even tinier alleyway. There was no avoiding it now. Jaydon was going to have to jump.

Standing at the back edge of the house, Jaydon tensed his muscles before unleashing them like pistons, his boots pounding the rooftop and shaking hay onto the occupants below. Then he took a tremendous leap at the very edge, snapping open his wings. He coasted in the air for three seconds before his hands met the matted hay roof of the opposite house and he pulled himself up, looking like an oversized gargoyle. I hope I didn’t lose him, he thought, peeking a couple inches from the rooftop. On the ground, a lady who had spotted him let out a squeak and dashed home, forgetting her basket of goods.  

Ah, got you now. Jaydon thought. The other dragon stood, half hidden behind a barrel, handing the horse’s reigns to a man whose face was in shadow. “It’s all yours,” the dragon’s deep voice said, “They are under your control.”

The man’s helmet shifted as he moved his head. Jaydon caught sight of a pair of glowing red eyes that roamed the streets before coming to a stop at his hiding spot. The hairs on the back of Jaydon’s neck rose. He had been spotted. Stay back! He warned Ralem, we’ve been spotted!

The flame haired dragon turned to smirk a curling smile at Jaydon. “I knew we had a tail. Come on down, I know what you are.”

Jaydon hesitated. Then he crawled over the roof top and hopped down, approaching the other two slowly. He made sure to avoid the eyes, lest he get hypnotized. A large hand settled on his shoulder. “What’s your name? Why are you following me?”

“I’d rather not tell you my name.” Jaydon looked fixedly at the silver pendant pinning the cape around the dragon’s neck. It had a silver dragon emblazoned on it. “And we were… curious.”

“I’d say I am rather curious,” the other dragon said, “Why are you running around town with your wings out and half naked? The villagers will probably think you’re a demon. You’re not going to fool anyone. Even though they are rather unnecessary, you should get a shirt on when you are human. Ah, and there is your Rider. So you both were following me. What do you want? Because this is my town. I have claimed it and believe me, I will fight for it.”

Ralem spoke up next to him, “We do not wish for a fight. We just wanted to know what you’re doing, hypnotizing all those people to go to war.”

“Yes,” Jaydon agreed, folding his arms, “That is stooping pretty low for any dragon.”

The man that had been shrouded in shadow suddenly started laughing hoarsely, stepping out of the shadow. “Cahal, Oi ken tell by ‘is accent. De Rider is of Redfield, an’ the dragon grew up in Baroke.” He stepped out of the shadow, taking off his black helmet. Red hair rippled shoulder-length and a beard crawled down his cheek bones and almost hid his mouth. (Ralem was quite jealous of that beard) His eyebrows quirked expressively. “Chucker yeh 'onestly tink me dragon is de only dragon dat can 'ypnotize whole armies? Oi tink yeh both nu an even more powerful dragon, wi' a reach dat stretches across a whole country... wan yeh may 'av suspected.”

Jaydon could hardly understand him through his thick accent but what he heard disturbed him. “What do you mean?” Ralem asked for him.

The man shook his head, smiling grimly. “Ah, oi knew she wud never tell. Yeh chucker nu waaat Vali does al' day, don't yeh?”

“Well…” Ralem bit his lip. “No.”

Which made the other Rider laugh even harder. “She is wan jammers dragoness. She 'as almost everyone in Baroke under 'er spell. De crown may as well be on 'er noggin. She controls de country, she does.”

Jaydon folded his arms even tighter. “How do you know?”

“Because we were under her command once,” the dragon said. “We were once like you, running around like dogs, doing what she bid. Now we’ve broke off and made a better life for ourselves… with no one to tell us what to do. And if you had any sense, you would do the same.”

“A better life?” Ralem spat, “Do you call hypnotizing innocent people to do what you want ‘a better life’?”

Cahal bristled. In human form, he was shorter than Ralem by a couple inches, but his red tinged eyes hid massive power. “We have no choice. Come, let’s go into my quarters. Your Rider does speak our tongue, doesn’t he?”

“Yes,” Ralem said in draconic. You’re going to have to translate some for me, Jaydon heard him say. I’m not fluent yet.

Cahal’s Rider tied up the horse to a small hitching post before leading them into a small, dusty house. “Dis is not our gaff,” the Rider apologized, “We're jist stayin' 'ere 'til we go ter de next town.”

What did he just say? Ralem asked.

No clue, Jaydon replied.

Cahal led them through a barren hallway to a small kitchen. As he pulled a rickety wooden chair for them to sit, he asked, “So, you a forest?” The way he said it made it sound like forest dragons were of a lesser kind.

Jaydon bristled, “No.”

“Well I see you have green wings. What else would you be?” Cahal said casually, sitting down across from him. His Rider sat next to him, one hand carelessly on the handle of his huge double sided battleax.

“Fire dragon,” Ralem spoke up. Then he seemed to shrink in his seat a little as Cahal and his Rider’s intense gaze landed on him.

Cahal leaned back in his chair. “I don’t like liars.”

Uh oh. Thinking quick, Jaydon stoked his internal fire. He could feel it start to bubble up and his throat, smoke starting to puff out his nose. Hack, hack! His head bobbed like a cat trying to throw up a hairball. Finally poof!  A solid spurt of flame rent the air and nearly singed the table. After he had accomplished this feat he raised his chin at his triumph.

Immediately Cahal brightened. “So you are a fire!” He got out of his chair and scurried to the kitchen. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you… I have never seen a green fire dragon. But there’s always firsts, right?”

His Rider also beamed at them. “Me Cahal’s also a fire dragon. Nice ter meet yeh folks. Is mise Alroy.” He leaned over the table to shake Ralem’s hand.

Cahal must of noticed the confusion on their faces. He had just come back with two mugs, brimming to the top with dark liquid. “He means his name is Alroy. We’re from across the ocean, you see. Vulnairian is not his first language.”

“So, across the ocean, is there more people with red hair like you?” Ralem blurted.

In response Alroy laughed, a deep throaty one that made you slightly uncomfortable. Ralem flinched at the bray. Finally he slammed his fist down on the table, rattling the glasses. “Yeh are ‘ilarious, really. T’be sure ‘tis natural as de wind an’ rain.”

After that there was a heavy silence except for the light chuckling of the fire dragon Rider to himself. Then Cahal spoke up. “Go ahead and drink. It’s not poisoned, you know.”

Ralem’s mouth twitched. “It’s not that. It’s just… I don’t drink.”

“Surely you drink Dracofructus though!” Cahal exclaimed, “And you, fire brother. It will surely stoke that flame! Best drink in the world, I tell you.”

Jaydon took a swig. The fire dragon was right. The fire inside lit up hungrily, burning in his chest. He exhaled, sending a wift of smoke floating lazily into the air, before puffing out of existence. Remember what we came here for, Ralem reminded him. Jaydon realized that Ralem wanted him to do the talking. He cleared his throat, shifting his wings so that they folded behind the chair and he could lean back. “So… back to what we were saying earlier, why are you gathering people to wage war with Baroke?”

Alroy’s face grew dark and he took a swig of his own mug. “Tis a long story, that one.We are jist in it for de gauld. Otherwise, Oi wud ‘av nathin’ ter chucker wi’ it.”

Jaydon hardly understood what he was saying. Quickly, he changed to draconic. “Gold?” he repeated.

“Yes, gold,” Cahal echoed, his eyes lighting up in lust. “Lots of it. The Queen promised me, if I just gather men for the army. Usually, I would have just hypnotized her into giving it all to me. But I couldn’t without raising suspicion. The castle is practically crawling with Felinus.” Cahal shook his head wearily. “Those Rakk (not translated for obvious reasons) cats. I would have my gold if it wasn’t for them. And now I have had to take extra measures not to be noticed by them.” He motioned towards the vase in the corner of the room. It was stuffed with milkreed.

Jaydon was confused. “Why do you work with them, then?”

“We don’t work with the rats,” Alroy said, and Jaydon noticed that they both had a very distinct dialect of draconic. “The Queen just ordered them under us. She doesn’t know what they are and she sure doesn’t know what we are. We’ll only be with them for a little while longer. They are going off soon to do their own thing when we reach Vulnaire.”

“Vulnaire?” Ralem said, sounding excited, “You know what they are doing in Vulnaire?”

“No idea,” Alroy snorted, “We try not to meddle with them. Bad luck, they are.”

“We need everything you know about them,” Jaydon said.

“Why?” the fire dragon’s brow wrinkled.

“They’ve taken my Rider’s love,” Jaydon stated. Ralem said, “Hey!” in English. He was ignored. “And we’re going to kick their butts.”

“Kick their butts?” Cahal laughed. “You know what these creatures are? They will kill you in a heartbeat. They’re the only reason I don’t just turn into my true form and take the gold for myself. Even worse, they are gathering in Vulnaire for war against Baroke. Dozens of them. My Rider and I are going to get our gold and fly back to Monavullagh. If you were smart, you too would find shelter from the coming storm.”

“Cowards,” Jaydon spat.

Cahal shot to his feet, his fists coiled. Alroy put a steadying hand to his dragon’s chest. “Peace, Cahal. they are jist young an' foolish. They chucker not nu de danger av wat they are speakin',” he said in English.

Cahal took a few deep breaths, letting the red flicker out in his eyes. “Of course,” he said smoothly, “You have no clue, do you?” He shoved the chair roughly back under the table, stalking closer to the wind dragon. A familiar dragon smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. He let a meaty hand rest on the table next to Jaydon’s as he leaned over them. “You know how them cats hunt?” he purred in draconic, his tone deadly. Jaydon didn’t respond but stared evenly back at the fire dragon, his face emotionless. Cahal leaned so close that Jaydon could feel his fiery breath. “First they distract you. Gnaw at your wings, play around your legs. A bite here, a chunk missing there, that sort of thing. They sort of play with you just as if you were a little mouse. Of course, if you’re a big warrior like me, you put up a big fight. Roast some, snap some clean in half. But they keep on coming, two at a time. Before you know it, you lose track of your Rider. He’s gone missing sometime in the fray. Wasn’t he just on my back? But, aha.” He turned reptilian eyes to Ralem. “You, little one, are gone. Where have you gone?”

Ralem gulped loudly.

“You know how fast it happens? Like a flash, a snap, and your whole life flashes before your eyes. It goes like this,” with that Cahal jerked forward, his hand stretched like claws, reaching for Ralem’s throat.

Jaydon grabbed his arm before it could reach him. “How dare you threaten my Rider?” he snarled “Don’t you dare touch my human. Understand?”

Cahal jerked his arm from Jaydon’s grasp, “Just testing your reflexes.”

Jaydon bristled, every hair on his head standing straight up. He let his wings unfold a little. “Don’t touch him.”

Cahal nodded, “Don’t worry. I understand. You are a smart one. That human,” he pointed to Ralem, who was still in shock. “Is everything to you. As I am to Alroy.”

Alroy laughed and slapped the dragon’s back playfully, “Yes, you are everything to me you worthless lizard,” he said in draconic. Then he turned to Ralem, “Boy, you okay? You look a little green around the gills.”

“I’m fine,” Ralem smiled exaggeratedly. Jaydon could hear the nervousness in his voice and extended his wing protectively around Ralem’s chair. Are you okay?

I’m fine, Ralem said. He wiped his mouth and addressed Alroy. “So- erm- why do you not help Baroke battle? Vulnaire kills dragons like Jaydon and Cahal. Why help?”

Cahal sighed and leaned against a chair. “We know that perfectly well. But what you don’t understand is that by being close with the Queen, we can also protect our kind from getting killed. You have no idea how many dragons we’ve saved by pretending to lead a hunt when we were, in fact telling the dragon or dragoness to clear out.”

“If you were such a symbol of salvation to our kind, then why are you helping to wage war against Baroke, a place where our kind is welcomed? You are so full of rrashkirr!” Jaydon snapped.

The fire dragon gnashed his teeth, “That’s what you think. You are so naïve! Do you honestly think that Baroke is a safe haven? Did Lauri never tell you about Razo and his Rider? She killed them in cold blood. She almost killed us! She only allows the dragons that accept her ruling to be under her. And now that she’s got her precious ‘secret weapon’ dragon, she’s determined that she’ll rule all Vulnaire! I say she’s more of a blemish to our kind than a safe haven. If there’s one thing you should learn, it would be to trust no one- especially her.”

What’s he saying? I can’t understand it all! Ralem cried desperately, lost.

Jaydon brushed him off. He was the secret weapon dragon. The one that Lauri was counting on to win her the whole country of Vulnaire, the place of his Rider’s birth. And she had… Vali would kill other dragons? This did not make sense! He stepped back, his eyes searching the floorboards as if trying to find the truth wedged between the gnarled wood.

“Having second thoughts now, aren’t we?” Cahal sneered. “Maybe we’re not so bad after all, huh?”

Ralem stood up. What’s happening? He demanded.

The flame-haired Rider cleared his throat and spoke in English. “Listen. Yeh seem ter be young. Oi nu dis is 'ard for yeh ter take in. ‘Ow aboot yeh jist stay 'ere wi' us 'til yeh git it al' figured out? We can blather things through witcha, Tiz not often dat we 'av company.”

            Cahal took another swig, his eyes never leaving Jaydon’s face. “We told you a lot about us. It would only be right if you returned the favor. Who are you? What brings you here? Are you spies?”

            “No we’re not spies. We’re on our own private mission. In fact, Lauri would probably be happy to kick our butts when we get back to Baroke,” Ralem said. “We kind of jumped ship for a while.” He had casually crooked an arm around the sloped headrest of his chair, his voice mustering manly indifference, but Jaydon knew he was getting increasingly nervous by the red-eyed dragon in the room. Ralem felt very out of place next to the warrior Rider and his dragon, and the atmosphere was making him fidgety. Jaydon didn’t blame him.

            Cahal grunted. “Knew you weren’t spies from the second I clapped eyes on you. That’s probably the only thing that kept you alive.” He gestured towards Jaydon. “Actually, you look quite the opposite. Look at you, shirtless, with your wings out and your eyes ablaze. You would be spotted from a mile away! If Vali had wanted a spy, she definitely wouldn’t have picked you. It’s a wonder that the town isn’t already in an uproar!”

            Jaydon scratched his neck. “The cats have been chasing us everywhere. We haven’t had the time to get proper coverings.”

            Alroy almost spewed his beer everywhere. “The cats have been chasing you? And you survived?”

            Jaydon swelled with pride, “Yes. But we need to know where they are gathering. Like I said, my Rider’s love is captured by them. And we need to get her out any way possible. Can you tell us anything more about the cats gathering there?”

            “She’s dead,” Cahal grunted.

            Alroy fiddled with his battleax, “Who are you? Why do the cat’s want you so much?”

            “Because I killed one of their own,” Jaydon muttered. “And now they want my blood.”

            “Then I wish you luck,” Alroy said, “Because most likely you’ll be dead by the end of the week.”

            Cahal stopped to take a deep breath through his mouth. A forked tongue escaped from his ring of teeth. He grunted. “There’s a vampire stalking us. Want me to snap its neck?”

            Jaydon rolled his eyes. “Yes, please.”

            Ralem slapped him. “No! No, he’s a friend.”

            Alroy smiled ruefully, “You run around with a vampire? There is more to you than meets the eye.”

            Snap! Drake appeared in his human form next to Jaydon’s chair, smoothing out his doublet. “I heard what you said, Jaydon! And you know what I think of you? I think you’re a dirty rotten, smelly dragon! And you are just mean! You didn’t really mean that, did you? Because that would be cruel and mean and then I would never want to be your friend ever again! And you know how much I helped you out? I saved your sorry, scaly behind more than a few times! I think I deserve a little more respect around here.”

            “This one’s a talker, isn’t he?” Cahal remarked nonchalantly, as if he were commenting on a hummingbird out the window.

            Drake seemed to just notice the fire dragon and his Rider. He did a double take. “You… you are a ginger! I haven’t seen hair the likes of yours in simply ages!”

            Alroy’s eyebrows furrowed. “Oi prefer de ward 'red 'aired'. An' wait.... ah Bejasus, Cahal, is dat who oi tink it 'tiz?”

            “Breathnaíonn sé cosúil leis an tábhairne!” Cahal exclaimed in a language both Ralem and Jaydon didn’t comprehend.

            Then to their astonishment, Drake smiled and said, “Is ea. Bhí mé ag do tábhairne, cuimhnigh? Drake?”

            Alroy smiled widely and shot out of his chair. “Ah, Drake! 'Tis been donkey's years. But oi clap yeh 'enny changed. Oi never knew yeh were a vampire! Fooled us al', yeh did. Bhí tú tábhairne mór!” He clapped the vampire so hard in the back that Drake nearly fell over.

            “You know them?” Ralem said, his utter confusion threaded through every syllable.

            Drake wheezed, straightening. “Course I do. Alroy was a regular. I used to live in Monavullagh many years ago. Actually, it was so long ago you two should be dead.”

            Cahal slammed his mug to the table with a satisfied snort. “You’re not the only one who lives more lives than man. Cuidíonn Beoir ró-”

            Drake laughed. “Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil mé le feiceáil riamh tú gan an buidéal!”

            At this they all started laughing. Everyone, that is, except for Ralem and Jaydon. Jaydon was getting annoyed at not knowing what’s going on. He slammed the table so hard that glasses rattled and it shocked the three into silence. “Drake, why did you leave Aidan?” Jaydon asked for his Rider, his voice taught.

            Drake cleared his throat nervously. “Oh yes. Well, erm- he told me to find you and tell you that he’s really mad and that he’s been waiting for hours and that he’s kinda scared and if you don’t come soon he’s going to tell his mom that you put him through all these dangerous stuff and he also said he’s going to scream if he doesn’t see you in the next twenty minutes.”

            Ralem stiffened. Aidan! I can’t believe I forgot about him! We got to get him.

            “Ooh, he’s gonna tell his mum!” Cahal snickered, “You better get him! Who is he, anyway? A baby Pegasus or something?”

            “No. He’s, erm, my nephew,” Ralem said.

            Alroy scowled. “Yer broot yer nephew witcha?” His words dripped with disgust.

            “Actually Jaydon did,” Jaydon ignored a glare Ralem shot his way.

            “So that’s what your name is. Jaydon.”  Cahal noted. His gaze slid to Ralem. “And yours is?”

            “His name is Ralem,” Drake spoke up helpfully. Ralem glared at him.

            “Ralem? Yeh mean, Ralem Blake? You're de criminal de whole country is lookin' for?” Alroy’s eyes flickered with red as his scrutiny intensified.

            Jaydon unsheathed his claws under the table, every muscle tensed as he carefully observed the other two. Ralem also stiffened, reaching for his nonexistent sword. If anything happens, run. Kill them only if necessary, Jaydon heard Ralem say.

            For a second there was a silence so thick that Drake couldn’t even pierce it. Everyone was frozen like statues, their eyes trained on one another, their breath caught in their throats. They were like two different packs of wolves, sizing each other up and pondering whether they should attack or team up. Finally Alroy’s mouth pulled into a wide smile. Then he laughed. “Congratulations!” His braying laugh thundered through the house as he leaned over and patted Ralem’s shoulder as if he was a very good dog.

            “We heard all about you,” Cahal said as his Rider’s laughter died down. “How Jaydon- everyone said he was a demon- made a complete hole in his gibbet, how he ate meat and nearly ate a boy. We also heard how he killed the royal advisor- who I knew personally. He was a nasty fellow- knew he was a Felinus from the start. We really wanted to thank whoever got rid of him. And it’s just our luck that that person just so happens to be a fire brother!”

            “Raise yore glass! Let’s make a toast!” Alroy bellowed, raising his own.

            Ralem and Jaydon hesitantly raised their hardly-touched glasses.

            “To our fire brothers, Ralem and Jaydon!” Cahal toasted.

            “For t’death of de Felinus!” Alroy bellowed.

            “For peach pies!” Jaydon said, caught in the mood.

            “For Arianna!” Ralem cried.

            “For our friendship!” Drake finished, and there was a loud clinking of glasses and some beer and Dracofructus spilled onto the table. Alroy and Cahal took a humongous swig, drops of beer dribbling down the sides of their mouth before disappearing in their beards.  Ralem took a polite swallow. Jaydon tried to copy his ‘fire brothers’ and gulped a huge mouthful. Immediately he felt his fire almost explode and he knew that there was no stopping it.

            BUUURRRRRP! Fire erupted from Jaydon’s maw and clashed with the white fire that blasted from Cahal’s open mouth. The stream lasted for about five seconds, Cahal’s sputtered out a second after Jaydon’s. After they were done, they grinned stupidly at each other. It was something about burping up fire together that made fire dragons rather chummy. It was the dragon equivalent to human’s chest bumps or back slaps.

            “You know, I think I rather like you,” Cahal said at last. “You know what? We have an extra room. You should stay the night. Go fetch your nephew and you’ll be welcome here. ‘Eck, I can even escort you to Vulnaire. My Rider and I have a pretty high position. We just need to visit one more town and we’ll be on our way. How does that sound?”

            “Thanks but we’d rather-”

            “We’ll take it,” Jaydon said, “Thank you.”

            I guess I should trust Jaydon, Ralem thought, pulling the cloak tighter around his body. The cloak, a thick black one that almost fit him, was just given to him by Alroy. They had been so nice. Too nice. And Ralem wasn’t sure if he could trust them. How did he know that they weren’t working for the cats and just wanted to turn them in while they were sleeping? And what had they been saying to Jaydon? Ralem had recognized that expression when they had been talking in draconic- one of the few expressions that they both shared. It was one of shock. Fear, anger, and confusion all tied in but what had they said? Ralem only understood bits and pieces- mere fragments. And Jaydon still hadn’t told him.

            Ralem had left his dragon at the fire dragon’s house- he wasn’t very sure if it was a good idea. But he faded into the crowd a lot easier than a shirtless man with beautiful, large wings and glowing eyes.

            But his mind was running faster than his feet. Who really was Lauri? Were they telling the truth? Why would they team up with cats? He still didn’t get it. And the most important question: What does this have to do with us? He decided to bring it up with Jaydon. Jaydon, I still don’t know what they told you earlier. Could you fill me in? Now he was just exiting the gates of Tisbet.

            Jaydon hesitated. I’m not sure you’ll want to hear it.

            Tell me, Ralem demanded.

            Jaydon told him everything.

            Ralem could hardly soak it in. He found himself reeling in shock when the dragon was finished. Do you… do you think they were saying the truth?

            I… I don’t know, Jaydon replied solemnly. I hope not.

            Ralem hardly noticed as he picked up speed, his cloak billowing behind him. Lauri’s been using us? His mental voice sounded hollow. I… I can’t believe it. And she’s been threatening my own country with us? We are her secret weapon to take control over Vulnaire? It can’t be true… but then again, it makes so much sense. His eyes narrowed and he jumped over a bush. I can’t believe I’ve been fooled all this time.

            Jaydon echoed the same question that had been on Ralem’s mind. What does this mean for us? What do we do about this?

            Ralem shook his head as if trying to ward off a persistent fly. I don’t know yet. Let me… think about it.

            What you decide to do, I will follow. Then he felt Jaydon retreat from his mind.

            Ralem was glad for the privacy. He had a lot to think about. What were they going to do? A war was coming, a war between two great powers. A rock seemed to settle on his stomach. I am the deciding factor on who will win, he realized. When Jaydon was at his true form, there would be nothing that could stop him. If he sided with Baroke, Vulnaire would be crushed. If he sided with Vulnaire, Baroke would be erased from history. Or would he go off on his own; be like Cahal and Alroy and let the humans wage war on each other. Jaydon and I could do it. he thought, we could hide out and be on our own side. We would be our own masters, no one to use us for their own gain. If Daemon and his stupid ice dragon could do it, then so could we.

            Bile rose in his throat. Somehow, the thought disgusted him. Why sit out like a coward when his fellow man laid down his life in the battlefield? Why withhold his powers selfishly while others gave it all? But alas, his heart was torn. Who would he fight for? A country where he and his family had lived all their lives, with a dragon-killing Queen and an infestation of bloodthirsty Felinus? Or for a country that had used and abused him, packed with lies- yet a place that had sheltered him and trained him to use his powers. He was sure he would be dead if it wasn’t for Lauri.

            But then what about Arianna? Was there a chance of having an us? I guess I can’t think about that until I actually find her, he mused glumly. And look at the good job I’ve done finding her. He knew he was being a little hard on himself- he had only just figured out yesterday- but it still felt like he was doing nothing while they did who knows what to her. True, they had gotten sidetracked but it was a good thing. Cahal and Alroy had given them a lot of good information. Stuff he needed to know. But somehow Ralem still didn’t trust them.

            He found Aidan where he had left him, huddled like a cold chick under the tree, his raven hair spilling onto his arms. He looked up when Ralem approached and Ralem could see dirty tear streaks shining on his cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a dry sob and Ralem scooped him up gently as he started crying. “I’m sorry buddy. Are you okay?” Ralem whispered, ruffling his nephew’s hair.

            “You… left me and I,” he fell into a fit of sobbing before he could speak again, “I thought you… wouldn’t come back for me.”

            “I’m so sorry, Aidan,” Ralem said earnestly as Aidan dug his head into Ralem’s shirt. “But I would never forget you. Come on, I’ll get you some food and we’ll go to bed. How about that, hmm?”

            “I want to go home,” Aidan said, his voice muffled by Ralem’s shirt.

            Ralem’s heart plunged even further. He rubbed Aidan’s back reassuringly. “I’m sorry. I wish I could take you back home. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.” He sighed, “Adventures aren’t as fun as they sound like, are they?”

            Aidan shook his head. Then he took a deep, shuttering breath and said, “But I’ll stay with you until you find Arianna, right? So we can rescue the damsel in distress?”

            Ralem smiled sadly, “Yes. That’s pretty important, isn’t it?”

            Aidan smiled weakly, his sobs slowly dying down. “Just don’t… leave me again.”

            Ralem said nothing.

            The sunset was starting to spread its blanket of vibrant colors over Tisbet as Ralem neared. He went extra slow so that he would pass as a human, but still hurried so that he could make it before the gates closed to town. The crowd had dwindled now, only a few weary travelers and young goose herders with their flocks were meandering through the gates. Aidan was as still as a stone in Ralem’s arms, his arms looped around his Uncle’s neck and his face hidden in his shirt. But now he mumbled. “Where are we going, Uncle?”

            “To a friend’s house,” Ralem replied, not really telling the truth. “We’ll spend the night, then run to Vulnaire and save the Princess tomorrow. Sound good?”

            Aidan nodded, his chin rubbing Ralem’s shirt.

            Ralem blinked as his surroundings swirled around him, flashes of light blinking in his vision as a faded image of a laughing Cahal with an apple in his hand appeared. When are you getting back? Jaydon’s voice boomed through his mind as their connection opened terrifyingly wide. I miss you. Ralem almost stumbled and fell, barely keeping himself upright. Aidan clutched his neck tighter in reflex. “What’s going on?” he whispered hoarsely.

            “I don’t know,” Ralem tried to say but he could hardly move his tongue coherently. Why? Is everything okay? I’ve only been gone for half an hour. He tried to retreat into his own conscience but Jaydon held on to him.

            Everything is just fantastic! Jaydon roared.

            What? What’s going on? The din of Cahal and Alroy’s laughter rung in Ralem’s ears. Jaydon, if it’s not that important let go of me. I don’t think our connection is supposed to be this wide.

            Jaydon’s emotions made it seem like he had said the worst curse ever. Please come back soon!

            Then he was gone.

            Ralem coughed and found that he had aimlessly wandered the town and was now lingering in front of a bakery. Aidan had a death grip around his neck and was hanging on like a monkey. Ralem slid his hand under his nephew’s knees and lifted him up with a quick apology. “I need to get to Jaydon. Something’s wrong.”