"So, the stones showed you a vision of what is happening in your homeland?" Tikor asks.

"I believe so..." Lyra looks down at her feet while they walk through the woods. Zopha walks ahead, pushing aside the underbrush so they can trek through.

"Miss Zopha, if I may, how much further?" Tikor stops, pulls out a floral handkerchief, and wipes the sweat from his massive forehead. "I do believe it is past time for tea." He raises his enormous hand to block the sun's rays, using it to check the time of day.

Zopha looks over her scaly shoulder. "Keep up, Ogre. We haven't much further to go."

Tikor sighs; they are all tired, but Zopha insists they follow her to her home. Tikor believes this is where the dragon will eat them.

Azure is back to her sable color, but as she and Lyra become closer, Lyra can understand her without words. Azure did not hide her thoughts very well.

Tikor catches up with Lyra and whispers over his shoulder to her, "I'm going to ask her again."

Before Lyra can stop him, Zopha speaks. "We are here."

She stands in a large clearing in the forest and stares at the mountainside wall.

Lyra walks over to her side and follows her gaze. The stone was black, blackened from intense heat; below the soot wall lay dragon bones.

Zopha stands quietly, looking at the wall intensely.

"What happened?" Lyra looks up at the majestic beast beside her.

Zopha shut her eyes as if speaking a quiet prayer.

"Your witch has already entered my home." She says.

"Lavinia?"

"Yes, this is what is left of those who turned down her offer to join her ranks." Zopha's gaze returns to her fallen friends.

"How did you survive?"

Zopha looks down at Lyra, "Who would want a dragon that cannot fly?" She stretches out her massive wings to reveal the damage from the battle.

"I'm so sorry, Zopha, if we had gotten here sooner..." Lyra speaks softly.

"Do not apologize, little one. I show you this to warn you. To warn you of what you are up against. This will not be a battle of good morals; she is out for blood." Zopha's voice carries a sense of despair. "I do not know our fate, but I will join you in this quest."

"Thank you, Zopha." Lyra bows her head. "I am sorry to rush, but we must be going now."

Tikor raises his finger and steps forward, "Might I add a suggestion this time? Select the book so we are not surprised by any more massive beast."

Zopha looks at Tikor, the corners of her mouth drooping into an unimpressed frown.

Tikor shrugs, "Just a suggestion."

Azure yips in agreement with him.

"Okay," Lyra opens her satchel and pulls out the remaining books. She carefully examines each one before deciding on the one with the shield. "This one. It is time to gather the aid of a knight."

Zopha furrows her brow, "As long as he doesn't try to stick me."

Lyra smiles, "No, he is kind. I must warn everyone that his story is intense. Let's hope that we do not enter during a point of battle. Just in case, I need everyone ready."

"One moment," Zopha closes her eyes, and a bright silver glow bursts from her body. When the light settles, she is smaller, about as small as a dog. "There."

"Woah, neat trick." Tikor's eyes widened.

"Let us be on our way," Zopha says.

The companions join into a circle, each one touching the other.

"Ata Hummera Elda!"

_____

The lightning strike came close but missed them by a foot.

Boom!!

Another bolt slams into the ground beside them. Azure jumps into the air, letting out a whine.

Tikor's voice echoes through the storm, "We need to move! Lyra... LYRA!"

Lyra stands still, staring at the path in front of them. Smoke from the singed earth surrounds the companions. Her gaze locks on the trail, waiting for what she knows will come.

Suddenly, she can hear him...

"Faster Whims!" Sir Emrys laid down upon his noble steed's neck. Pushing Whims to move quicker to outrun those pursuing him.

Lyra snaps her head back to her companions, "We must help him!" She yells, "Dark riders are chasing him. We must stop them, then look for shelter!" Her eyes glow with determination. The companions look at her seriously and nod in agreement.

Quickly, Lyra takes out her quill and begins to scribble. "Move out of his way so he can pass us!" She says to them, her eyes fixed on the pages before her.

Lyra turns the book sideways; she opens it once Emrys is past them. A large stone wall shoots from the pages and lands hard onto the ground, spraying mud into the air.

The dark riders skid to a halt in front of the wall; Lyra can barely make out their faces, but she can tell they are unhappy.

"Now!" She yells.

The companions take off, running towards the dark riders. Tikor quickly removes his shoes, allowing his large toes to dig into the muddy earth. Vines sprout from the ground, blocking them from continuing around the wall.

Azure leaps over Lyra and lands in front of her, then lets out a massive bark that sends the riders flying off their horses. The horses take off in fear, leaving the riders on their backsides.

Zopha sprints towards them; her scales begin to glow, and she becomes full size. The riders yell out in fear, and then they quickly retreat.

Tikor walks over to Lyra; laughing, he says, "Well, that was easy." He reaches down and slides his dirty feet back into his leafy shoes.

Zopha looks around; the storm above continues to rumble through the sky. She scans the area, "Where is the knight?"

Everyone stops celebrating and follows her gaze, searching through the smoke for Sir Emrys.

Lyra spots him and Whims; they stand further down the path, both watching the companions in shock.

"Let me speak to him; his story does not have mythical creatures. You guys might be a bit for him to handle at the moment. Zopha, you may want to consider a smaller form." Lyra says, then she takes off in a jog towards Emrys and Whims.

"Sir Emrys!" Lyra calls out to him.

"What... What just happened?" He says so quietly that Lyra can barely hear him over the thunder.

"I will tell you everything, but can we escape this storm somewhere?" Lyra looks at him; he is still staring at them. "Sir Emrys!"

"Oh, yes! Follow me!"

Lyra motions to the companions to follow.
———————

The storm continues to rage, and soon, they arrive at a small barn hidden in the woods.

"Quickly, in here." Emrys opens the large wooden door and leads Whims inside. He scans the barn, removes Whim's saddle, and fetches him hay and water. The others watch him quietly, waiting till he is done to speak.

Once done, he walks back over to them, staring bewildered. "Okay, I think I am ready to address what just happened?" He shifts his weight and crosses his arms.

"Well, my name is Lyra..." She continues to explain to Emrys what has happened over the past few days. Emrys rubs his chin and continues to watch Lyra tell her tale. His bright brown eyes fix on her ears and sometimes drift over to the others. "And that's it, we need your help."

He rubs his chin, staring at the hay scatters on the ground. He doesn't blink, but a small hum grunts from his throat.

"Speak, tin man," Zopha grumbles.

He looks up at them, "You need heroes?"

"Yes,"

"I will help you as long as Whims can join us."

Lyra glances at the others, and they all nod in agreement. "Deal." Her face twists into a thoughtful expression.

"Everything okay?" He asks.

"I always wondered, who are those riders chasing you?"

"I have no idea." He turns from the group and refills Whim's water.

Lyra watches him closely; she feels that wasn't a true statement. She debates on asking him again but decides not to worry about it.

"Lyra..." Tikor looks at her, his eyes soft and his voice gentle. "Can you use your book and brew me some cinnamon tea?" He folds his hands together in front of his face. Begging like a small child wanting candy.

Lyra laughs. "Sure."

The companions take a seat on the various items around the barn. Azure and Zopha curl up on a pile of straw. They watch as Lyra weaves cups and a delicious brew of cinnamon tea from the book.

Tikor takes in the stem of the tea with a large, snaggled sniff. "Thank you, dear Lyra. This is also a fantastic way to warm the body after a night in the storm. Plus, cinnamon is perfect for promoting blood flow."

Lyra offers Azure some tea; she whimpers and walks off.

"I suppose she still doesn't trust the tea." Lyra smiles.

"So, when do we leave?" Zopha asks.

"With how this storm is, I can't tell the time of day. I'm guessing by the color of Azure's coat, I'd say daytime. I think we should sleep some, then head out tonight. I know we are in a hurry, but we will be useless without rest." Lyra says.

_________

After chatting and filling in Emrys on more details of the journey, they finally fall asleep.

The barn sheltering them from more than the outside weather.

Little do they know, they are not alone. Someone has been watching them the entire time, quietly hidden in the loft just above their sleepy heads.

____

The light fades around Lyra; she waits for her eyes to adjust.

"Okay, guys, we are looking for..." She stops speaking when she realizes she is alone.

"Azure!"

She observes her surroundings; the large field of flowers is empty, aside from her.

"Tikor!" Her voice trembles.

Did I leave them behind?

She thought to herself but remembered that they were all touching when she spoke the spell.

What has happened? Where are they?

Her heart hurts worse this time, worse than it had each jump. She claws at her chest as if trying to pull a dagger from her heart.

Is this pain... because I have lost them?

The sun hangs high in the sky; she squints her eyes and glares at it. She is annoyed that it taunts her, telling her she can not search for them by Azure's light or her telepathic abilities.

____

After walking for an eternity, the air changes. Lyra can smell a hint of salt dancing at the tip of her nose. She takes a deep breath and stops moving. She can hear something, something different. It sounds like the wind and the water from her waterfall in Windrun.

Lyra's nose guides her to an area that is blanketed in sand. Her eyes widen when she realizes she has always dreamed of this. Something that she has only read about in books: this is the ocean. She remembers the books she would read that spoke about the sea and quickly removes her shoes and socks. Then, she steps into the warm sand, digging her toes deep into its grittiness.

Lyra lays her head back, allowing her brown hair to fall off her shoulders and down her back. She spreads her arms out, retakes a deep breath, then sighs softly.

It was a moment of joy, even if it was short-lived. Worry and doubt take a break from her soul and give her a momentary breather. She closes her eyes, and everything returns to darkness.