The next morning bright and early I stood waiting for the humans to be locked to the rings I'd had added to this transport for prisoners. As soon as that was done I walked in. The people inside stared at me as many of them had seen me looking far more rabid than I did now. I chuckled as I sat down morphing into a human and watching the door close. 

The transport took off and I heard two humans whispering. "He's the only guard?"

"Looks like it." The one next to him whispered back.

I closed my eyes smiling to myself. They don't know I can hear them or that I've set up a warning system in case I'm in trouble. There are the six Purple Dragons and the four White Dragons out there. They won't get away with anything. "We could take him." The first guy said.

"He's a bloody bear! We have no weapons and he will tear us apart before we can do much."

They continued their plotting as we flew. The plan was simple get me over to them by acting sick then when I am close enough, throttle me with the chain. So simple I couldn't help but laugh.

I opened my eyes to their shocked faces. "Do you know why a bear can creep up on you in the woods?" The humans looked confused. "We can hear very well. I heard every word you said." They stared disbelievingly at me. "Go on then see what happens if you use your little plan." I laughed.

The humans went quiet the rest of the way back to the castle. They thought better than to play with me after I put the fear of death into them before. More so after admitting I heard their plan.

When the transport landed with a jolt I stood morphing into a bear and stretching. The door opened and a whole group of White Dragons stormed into the transport.

Nobody wanted to fight the Dragons and they complyed with the gestures the Dragons used to communicate with them. Before long the humans each had two White Dragons to hold them and I led the party to the gate. Reina stood at the entrance in her gold dragon armour and golden helm, with Kyanite dressed in his armour behind her. He looked ready to kill something as he glared at the people behind me with smoke trailing from his nose and mouth.

I stopped before her bowing low. "As requested Reina of the Dragon Fire, I have purged the Dragon home of all the humans that were ready to betray us." Reina nodded looking at each person in turn.

"The one that turned them, they are here?" She asked softly.

"Yes, Reina of the Dragon Fire."

She looked at each of the humans and then sighed. "Let them go, except the one that started this." The White Dragons undid the bindings on the humans and they started to move towards the castle.

Reina held up a hand and the group stopped. "You wanted to go to the army. You are free to go to them. If you stay with us you will need to stay locked up until we are done. If you want to be free of us, the army is coming this way. All you need to do is walk." Most of the humans started walking back to the White Dragons and they rebound them leading them into the castle. The rest left heading back down the path towards the army. Reina turned to the merchant and sighed. "You are a problem. Most of the people want you to hang you from this gate. Others want me to give you back to the army. So that's what I'm going to do."

She gestured to a White Dragon. "Take him a few miles ahead of the people just left. Tie him to a tree. Let's let those people see what the army does to people that they asked to help them." The White Dragon bowed and flew off with the man.

"Let me guess... the army is going to kill him and those humans will see that and run back. They will then spread the word about what kind of people are coming for us."

Reina smiled as she turned back to me. "The only way to see what people have inside them is to watch it happen. Come on we have a few days before we need to defend ourselves. Let's enjoy ourselves for a while."

I smiled. "There's some good wine at the pub."

She laughed. "Not for me... is there tea?"

I nodded falling in to step next to her. "Maybe your Red Dragon would like a wine. Then maybe he will stop looking like he is about to kill everyone."

Kyanite gave me a small smile that made me frown. "It seems Kyanite is not sure how he feels at the moment. He wants me safe and before that was home. Now that this has happened He doesn't know where he wants me."

"If we had been there they would have targeted you my gem."

Reina sighed nodding. "So coming here was not just for looks and moral?" Reina smiled as she removed her helm.

"There is no point in that brother. She won't tell me what she knows I doubt she will tell you." Kyanite said in a frustrated tone.

That's why he is talking in Dragon then. He is angry. I sat at the usual table and waved over Rabbit. "Well, I don't need to know everything just that we are going to be alright. Now Reina did we really get them all or are there more? It seems to me that they should have had a few more people to get messages out. All the people we found where... badly placed for that."

Reina sighed as she sat and looked up at Kyanite. He is sulking. I thought with a shake of my head.

"W..What can I get you... Kyros?" Rabbit asked as he stood at the end of the table.

"Duha?" I rolled over opening my eyes at my name. 

Looking around the room I saw Michi closing the door and frowned. "Yes, Michi?"

He sighed. "You always woke up early before but now you wake up when I get you up."

I chuckled. "No sun. What do you need?" I asked sitting up.

"Well.... you've been called to the castle." I nodded moving to get up. "Don't go." Michi said putting a hand out towards me.

I stopped getting out of bed and stared at him. "Michi.." I started.

"No Duha please listen to me. I have a really bad feeling about this. The army is less than a day away and they've already hurt you once before. Please don't offer them more of your skin to flay." He sounded tortured by the idea of me being hurt again.

I pulled him into my arms holding him tightly. "Come with me." I whispered softly in his ear.

"But..."

"Leave Chea with Topaz and Katja. With you by my side, I can't get hurt." I said squeezing him. "Every alpha needs their bata to stand shoulder to shoulder with when fighting for the safety of the pack. I will always need to defend my pack Michi. You can be my bata. You are very good at that job already. Standing with me in a fight would be a thing I would need you to do in that role. Once this place is safe we won't need to defend the pack like this. At least not for a while."

He squeezed me tighter. "Alright... we will both go." I could feel his reluctance but knew he would be satisfied by this.

He let me go and I smiled at him. "Thank you. I'll take Chea to Katja."

"I will pack and get our armour." I kissed him and walked to the cot.

Moments later I was hurrying to Katja's room. Home was like a kicked ant nest. There were humans and Dragons running all over the place. They carried boxes and bags filled with supplies. I could see this was the last supplies we would be getting from the continents. There would be a consent stream of transports loaded with things and people. We are going to be very squeezed in on this trip. I thought as I moved aside for the second time for two large Purple Dragons carrying a huge box full of medical supplies.

I stopped outside Katja's room and knocked. The door opened and a young Dragon bowed to me. "Black Dragon... please excuse me. I must go and finish giving out messages." I stepped out of their way. They hurried passed me and I stepped into the room.

Topaz was holding Katja and she was pressed against him facing away from me. "Katja.... are you alright?"

She moved away from Topaz and smiled at me. "We are fine.. just had some good news. What do you need?"

I walked into the room putting Chea down on one of the pillows in their nest. "I need you two to look after Chea. Both me and Michi are going to fight. What's your good news?"

Katja turned around. "Blue Elder agreed to keep Topaz here. You will be alright won't you mum?"

"She will be fine! I will be at her side." I stiffened at Eboni's voice from behind me.

"Eboni..." I said as she walked into the room and covered my mouth with her hand.

"I'm going sister! I didn't know you were alive so I will fight to keep you that way... and where I go so does my shadow." She said pointing at the Black Dragon behind her.

I bowed to him. "An hounor brother. You both should gather your things then." Eboni smiled and pushed the Black Dragon out of the room. The Black Dragon smiled at her and gave me a small bow before hurrying off after her. I chuckled as I looked back at Katja. Topaz put her on her feet and she came over to me.

She hugged me. "Stay safe mum."

"You too Katja." I let her go and she picked up Chea. I watched her with him a moment before I too turned to leave the room. She will take care of him. Now that the spies have been dug out she will be safe.

Leaving the room I felt oddly at peace with going to fight. Michi was waiting for me in the doorway to our room with a note in his hand. "A message from Reina." He said offering it to me and walking back into the room to continue packing.

I opened the note and frowned. "Wish I could have kept my promise?" I muttered.

Michi turned. "Her promise to you?"

I nodded. "Eboni... I think. Reina offered to try and keep her out I'm guessing she knows she is coming. She heard I was going and then decided to come with me."

Michi sighed coming over with my armour. "You could take it another way Duha. She could know she will be hurt."

I nodded pulling my armour on. "We will see. I can't stop her from coming. She still wants to protect me."

Michi came over to me hugging me. "We have that in common. Although I think she might be better at that job than me. I'm not much of a fighter but I will help where I can."

"It's good to fight alongside her again," I admitted sourly.

Michi kissed my cheek. "Come on let's get to the transport." He said handing me a bag after I had put on my armour.

I smiled taking my bag and my Dragon skull helm. "Let's."

Hand in hand we walked out of our room joining the long line of people walking to the transport. All the doors along the corridor were open with the people inside bowing to us as we walked past humming a wordless tune that sounded both sad and full of hope. Is it respect or for those that won't come back? I have to hope I come back to my family in one piece. I thought as we past Katja and Topaz and they bowed to us.

Standing at the gate gave me the best view of what was coming and going from the landing point. Transport landed and pushed out of the way for the next one. A constant flow of people was coming between the landing place and the keep basement. The noise was deafening to my sensitive ears. I growled as I was jostled by a passing soldier, who gave me a grunt as an apology before he disappeared into the people passing by me on the wall. 

"You in a bad mood." I looked down at Reina who stood smiling up at me.

"Can you blame me?"

Reina smiled. "All the players are in the right place Kyanite. We have the best chance to win this."

I huffed the smoke of my anger trailed from my mouth and nose on the wind. "Like our children?"

She sighed taking my hand in her paw warming the scales. "They are here for us. I need them here to make me ruthless. We need to be ruthless now."

"The humans you sent to see that man dead?"

She nodded sadly. "We both knew they would do that. The humans came running back screaming for help and spreading the fear of the armies. They will find it hard to pull in more rebels and we have more bodies in armour. I don't like this any more than you do. However, we both know it was the easiest way to stop them from twisting more people. Come on let's get away from this noise."

She gave me a gentle tug and I followed her. "I do not like this. It shouldn't have come to this." I growled.

Reina nodded. "They are who they are Kyanite. They care only for their own selfish needs. We saw that in the winter when we heard stories of the kings taking food from villages that the people needed to gert though the winter. Those kings did that to keep their bellies fat not to feed the half-staved troops."

"Are we really any different?"

Reina looked up at me. "We are fighting for survival. I think that is different. Very different. We care for the people and I at least don't think I'm better than them."

"It is not different for the soldiers."

She sighed. "No not for them. For them, we might start looking for a good alternative. They will see the body of the merchant too. They know who he was to them."

"Who was he?"

Reina sighed as we started to climb down the stairs. "He was a captain. All the soldiers passing his body will see him and know why he is there. It's not a jump to think 'that could be me.'"

I smiled. "Yes I know you're right but I hate to think how many of us will die before they turn and run. I don't want to lose more friends."

We walked into the keep and the doors closed. The noise of the preparations cut off suddenly behind the thick doors. I sighed feeling much better now that it was quiet. "You really hate being in a crowd don't you?"

I nodded. "It reminds me of battle."

Reina wrapped her little arms around me making me growl happily. Her ears twitched and she looked towards the room we had taken. "And our nice hug is broken up by the epers. Come on let's get them."

I chuckled. "Your ears are very sensitive."

She let me go heading for the door. I followed feeling overwhelmed but not wanting to share. If I share my fear with her will she have doubts? Will she return home leaving the other humans and yaspilrmeth to their fate? She opened the door and the sound of our children filled the air. She walked in picking up the two girls that were fighting. I watched her sit on the bed while I closed the door.

"You're doing it again." I frowned at her as I walked to the cot with the boys. "The quiet in your head thing."

I sighed looking down at the sleeping babys. "I'm surprised their fur has come in." I said reaching into the cot and strokeing the soft fur of Axinite.

His fur was brown like Reina's except he was darker around his bum. "You are putting it off. Alright as you wish. That is his baby fur. It's super soft but will only be there for another week. Then he will get his big boy fur."

I smiled unable to hold back anymore and picked him up. His beady eyes opened slightly and he made an odd high-pitched sound. I growled happily rubbing my chin on him. "Like dragon scailes?" Reina smiled as Axinite started licking my scails.

"If you want we can cut some and oil it to keep it."

"Yes, please... Reina... I'm not sure we can win."

She smiled as I picked up my other son. "Do you need to see?"

I shook my head. "I can't look in case.." I pressed the boys onto my chest making the Dragon let out a small growl.

"Then let me give my husband everything I have. Then you will see what I do. Together we will win this."

I smiled cuddling the boys and sitting back on my tail. "Yes please my gem."

Reina shifted the girls so she was more comfortable on the bed with them in her arms. "Alright. Let's start with the history you don't know." I nodded.

More history! I can finally live up to my title as holder of the histories. There is so much more history I don't know. I hope my knowledge will be complete one day.