Damien's point of view:

The young red-head looked stricken as she informed her father of the events.  I studied this man closely, watching his future unfold.  He will aid us to hunt this monster down.  If they both live, he will prosecute them both to the full extent; but he won't be able to, for either of them.  His wife has already signed her own death sentence.  All that will remain of this woman is a tattered dress.  This monster, this murderer, must be stopped at all costs, else he will transform and set loose all hell unto this world.

I look into the eyes of my Dream Goddess.  She is already trembling with fear.  I will lay down my life before I ever allow her to fall victim to this demon again.  I tighten my tail around hers through our bond.  Her shuddering fades away.

I look back to the young red-head.  I see a future in those eyes the world has never known.  I look back at her father.  There are things about himself he is unaware of as well.  I steel my resolve.

"She's going with us," I say.

"No," he says.

"She must," I say.  "If she doesn't, it will be the death to us all."

He looks perturbed.  A father's love will protect his daughter at all costs.

"If you leave her here, she will die," I say.

"How will I die?" asks the young woman.

"By burning alive."

"I'll go!"

"Dandan," says her father.

"It's okay," she says.  "I want to be near Lilleth anyway.  I don't feel like she needs to be alone.

"I have a bad feeling about this," chief Jerry says.  "But I always felt like your mother and I were holding you back."

"We have much to do," I say.

Jerry had to inquire from his staff how the death dragon managed to escape.  We found holes in the walls that had been burned clear through.  Witnesses claimed that he sprouted wings and flew away, carrying Mrs. Jade with them.

"You mean she was kidnapped?" raged Jerry.

"I'm sorry, sir.  There was nothing we could do!"  The witnesses of the events were still in shock.

"He's transforming," I say.  "If he completes his transformation, he will become an unstoppable force.'

"How do we stop him?" asks young Dandan.

"We kill him," I say.

"How do we do that?" asks Jerry.

"With live bait," I say, turning to Lilleth.  I see betrayal in her innocent, pink eyes.  Her tail unwraps from mine.  A part of me dies inside.

"I wouldn't suggest this if there was another way," I say

"I really don't like this," says Jerry.  "It's bad enough that my wife has gone missing."

"By the time we find her, it will be too late," I say.

Dandan begins to cry.

"How can you be so cold?" asks Lilleth.  I feel her withdraw from me all the more.

"Let's just focus on finding this bastard," says Jerry.  "We'll continue to hope for as long as we can."

"Yes, Daddy.  Let's hope for the best," says Dandan.

Lilleth is feeling hurt, and angry.  I want nothing more than to hold her, and comfort her; but I cannot afford to do that right now.  Time is of the essence, and we were running out quickly.

"Where are the twins?" I ask.

Lilleth raises her head in defiance.  "Lyla and Blake live at the bottom with me.  That is all I know."

"You don't know where they tend to sleep or hang around?" asks Jerry.

"The less about you, the better," replies Lilleth.

"Where do you lay your head down at night, Lilleth?" asks Dandan softly, full of concern.

It was a question I myself wanted to know.

Lilleth closes her eyes for just a moment, shame shadowing her features.

"I don't think you need to know," she says.  "But I can take you to the twins.  It's like they have a sixth sense or something.  They'll know.  They always know."

"Do you mean to tell me that they may be some kind of psychic as well?" asks Jerry.

"I have never thought about it, to be honest," Lilleth replies.  "But it wouldn't surprise me if they were."

"Take us to them, and we'll see if they can offer us anything," says chief Jerry.

"Yes, every little bit helps," I say.

"Alright," says Lilleth.  "But try not to be too alarmed when you meet them.  They have a way of looking at you."

"What do you mean?" asks Jerry.

"Like they are looking right through your soul," says Lilleth.

I begin to have my suspicions that these twins may be more than they seem.

"Take us to them," I say.

"Don't you think I should do something first?" asks Lilleth.  She holds out a shapely leg, wiggling her toes.

Dandan giggles.  "I have a spare pair of shoes you can wear.  We look like we are the same size."

"Dandan, what are you doing with more than one pair of shoes?" asks her father.

In this time period, even people that trade their clothing on a daily basis do not keep more than one article of clothing at a time.  Space, as well as resources, have grown very scarce.

"I knew that mother was coming," says Dandan.  "She didn't like the shoes I picked.  I found it easier to let her think I liked them rather than argue with her about it."

"You and that mother of yours," says Jerry.  "That woman...."

It is so difficult to kiss the lips of a lover, whose tongue forms nothing but words of spite.

Dandan comes with a simple pair of flat, black shoes, buckles and bows on either side.

"That looks a lot like the first pair of shoes I ever let you pick for yourself," Dandan's father says with a smile.

"I really like the bows," she replies.

I look down to examine the shoes she is currently wearing.  They are made of wood, high heeled, and with a long, sharp blade for the heel.

"Continue wearing them for now," I say.  "You will need them."

"Why?" she asks. 

"You will know when the time comes."

"Very well."  Dandan begins to take off her own shoes.

I turn to Lilleth.

"Shall we?"