Brief Prologue

"Ahh!" Pyrothraxus cried. "Get it off! Get it off!" The ent latched onto his ear frill tightly, grinding his splintery teeth against the membrane. He pulled down upon Pyrothraxus, bending the Red Dragon's neck awkwardly. Though the ent was as tall as Pyrothraxus' shoulder, Pyrothraxus still had another 40 feet to his neck. With one snap of the ent's shoulders, Pyrothraxus came toppling down onto his side. "Give it back to me!" the ent bellowed. "Give it back now!" "What?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Give what back?" The ent pulled harder, wrapping his arms around Pyrothraxus' neck and holding him tightly in a lock. The Red Dragon struggled under the great strength of the tree ent's branch-like arms. "Aiyah, Jonathan!" called Lao Shi from the pavement. "Just give whatever it is he wants back to him." "I don't know what it is he wants," Pyrothraxus growled back, trying to pull himself away from the vice-like grip of the ent's arms. "You're the dragon who stole it!" the ent shouted. "Stole what?" Pyrothraxus asked. The ent let loose a hollow bellow and flipped Pyrothraxus over onto his back. Cars parked in the street were suddenly tossed into the air by the Red Dragon's thrashing tail. Pyrothraxus gripped his claws into the pavement, sending the tar cracking and splintering across the surface. "Give it back!" the ent bellowed, tightening his grip around the dragon's neck. "That's it, I'm getting tired of guessing games, here," Pyrothraxus growled, black smoke slowly rising up from his nostrils. "You tell me what it is you want, or you'll be reduced to nothing more than ash." "Yo, Woody!" called a voice from above. Pyrothraxus' eyes turned skyward to see his son Jake in his dragon form flying around. "Let my old man go!" The ent growled, still keeping one arm around the Great Wyrm. He then waved the other hand and the pavement cracked and splintered again as vines shot up from the ground towards the American Dragon. Jake dodged and spun around through the vines, weaving in and out as best as he could. One vine whipped out and latched onto Jake's tail, yanking him down from the sky. "My son," Pyrothraxus sighed in dismay. "The hero." "Jake!" Lao Shi called. "Fire breath!" The ent grinned slightly and waved his hand again. Vines rose up and wrapped tightly around Pyrothraxus' body, binding his wings and legs and tail. Another vine came up and muzzled the Red Dragon, preventing him from using his fire breath. Jake glanced back and breathed his fire upon the vines around him, loosing them up. He looked over to his father, who still struggled against his binds. "Dad!" he called, flapping his wings and racing over to his father. Before he could reach his father, he was again knocked down from the sky. Jake glanced up and his jaw became slack when he saw the gigantic ent lumber towards him. The ent's foot rose up above Jake's head. "Jake!" called Lao Shi, transforming into his dragon form. The blue, Eastern-like dragon whipped about and made a grab for Jake, yanking him away before the foot came down. Pyrothraxus' glowing eyes lit up and his anger rose slowly. Parting his lips, the Red Dragon allowed his flames to seep out between his teeth, burning away the binds around his snout. Once he was able to open his massive jaws, the Great Wyrm snapped at the vines that bound his body, loosening them and breaking them. The ent heard the deep growl of the Red Dragon, but before he could turn back around, he was blasted across the street by a powerful fire ball. Pyrothraxus rose up, his jaws smoking and his lips pulled back into a sneer. "Dad!" Jake called. The ent called out, flames burning away at his wooden body. He tried to bat at the fire, dousing it, but it was not enough. Pyrothraxus wiggled his fore claw and the flames slowly died out. "Now, tell me what it is you want with me," he growled, his nostrils still smoked. The ent could see a glow deep inside the throat of the Red Dragon, meaning he could fire his breath again. "The sapphire jewel," the ent replied, gasping, his body still smoldering. "You stole my sapphire jewel." "Jewel?" Lao Shi asked. "Jonathan, give him back his jewel!" "Sapphire jewel?" Pyrothraxus asked, thinking for a moment. He settled down onto his haunches like a great cat and curled his tail around his legs. Lifting a claw up to his chin, he tried to remember which sapphire jewel he stole from this particular ent. He had so many of these jewels in his hoard, the very hoard he had to eat in order to Ascend. "I'm sorry, but I had to eat my hoard in order to Ascend. I don't have this jewel." "Aiyah, Jonathan!" Lao Shi threw up his arms. "I've seen you cough up Spanish Doubloons since that day, now just cough up the jewel!" "Alright," Pyrothraxus sighed. He started to hit his abdomen with a fist, causing him to cough and spit. He felt something come up through his throat and he leaned his head back. Finally when he felt the object shot out into his mouth, he spat it out. The ent rose his head up and found the sapphire jewel lying on the ground in a puddle of slimy saliva. He could smell the stench of sulfuric acid burn around at the pavement. Carefully, he picked it up once the fumes disappeared. Then, the ent turned around and regarded Pyrothraxus with intense hatred. He slowly lumbered off after that, hopping over a few low buildings and disappearing into the night. Pyrothraxus lowered his head and shook it. Jake glanced down at the hole in the pavement that his father's acidic saliva had created. "I didn't know your loogies were acidic," he said, glancing up at the Red Dragon. "Sulfuric acid," Pyrothraxus said. "Same type of acid that's found around a volcano." "Jonathan!" called Lao Shi. "Gaoyang zhong de guyang! What the duce were you doing stealing jewels?" "Uh, I haven't stolen anything in 1500 years," Pyrothraxus snapped, approaching the tiny blue dragon. "Besides, I stole that item about 3 thousand years ago, when that guy was much bigger than me." "Dad, why did you take it?" Jake asked. "Because I was an evil Chromatic Red Dragon who acted like a little punk," Pyrothraxus replied. "That's why." Heads perked up as the sound of thumping became louder and louder. Pyrothraxus picked up the noise of sirens coming around the corner. "Uh-oh," called Jake. "We must leave now!" called Lao Shi. "Aiyah, Jonathan, do you have to make such a big mess?" Pyrothraxus glanced back at the damaged his thrashing had made to the neighborhood he was in and he gave a sheepish smile: "Heh, woops. Well, this is coming out of my taxes." "Why me?" Lao Shi growled. "Come on, let's get out of here before that chopper comes close enough to take pictures!" Pyrothraxus sighed again, extending his massive, broad, bat-like wings. Casting his fly spell, he kicked off into the air with little effort and made his first downward stroke. Jake and Lao Shi followed behind him. Jake could hear the echoing sound of his father's broad wings flapping which each slow downward stroke. The two smaller dragons were having some trouble keeping up with the Ancient Dragon, who's great wings could carry him a lot farther than them. Jake flapped his wings faster, trying to keep up with his father. For some strange reason, Pyrothraxus seemed preoccupied with something. "Dad!" Jake called. "Dad, hang on! Wait up!" "Jonathan, slow down!" Lao Shi called. Pyrothraxus turned his head slightly and then angled his wings, slowing his pace down. The other two, smaller dragons grabbed hold of the Red Dragon's neck scales and held on. "I think it's best we just hitch a ride," said Lao Shi. "Dad?" Jake asked. "Are you alright?" "Just thinking about the days when no one knew I was Pyrothraxus and my past never came back to haunt me," he replied. "I missed having everyone think of me as some ordinary human. Sometimes, I wish that I was—just an ordinary human." Lao Shi was rather shocked to hear something like that coming from a Chromatic Red Dragon. Red Dragons typically did not want to be something weaker than what they really were. Pyrothraxus seemed to be the exception. Pyrothraxus was always the exception to every rule when it came down to Red Dragons. He swiftly back-winged, landing near the electronics store in the parking lot. Pyrothraxus folded his wings back and lowered his head for his passengers to hop off. Jake and Lao Shi reverted into their human forms. Jake sniffed the air, finding a peculiar stench hanging over his head. "What smells like rotten eggs?" he asked. Pyrothraxus craned his head around, lifting up a foreleg and taking a sniff under his armpit. Then, he lowered it and rumbled frustratingly. "It's me," he replied as he merely shrank himself. "Apparently, I need another lilac bath." "I've got some lilac spray inside," Fu said. "Just for something like this." They went inside and Pyrothraxus hopped himself onto the couch in the back room, settling himself down on the cushions. "Aiyah, Jonathan!" called Lao Shi. "I don't want that burning sulfur smell on my couch!" The Red Dragon snorted, black smoke escaping his nostrils. He got up and leapt off the couch. Jake walked up to him, glancing up at him. "Dad?" he asked. "It's nothing, Jacob," he replied. "I'm just worried that more will try to come after me for —whatever they want with me and I just don't want you to get hurt in the process. Seeing you being beaten by that ent made me realize I might be a danger to you." "You're not," said Jake. "The last thing I want is for any of you to be hurt by my past," Pyrothraxus sighed. "It was one of the reasons why I didn't want to tell any of you the secret." "Jonathan," began Lao Shi. "You should have thought of all of that before you stole jewels and wrecked villages." "I was an evil dragon back then…" he growled. "Never mind. I'm just glad you're safe, Jake." "Dad, I'm gonna get into trouble anyways," said Jake. "That's all a part of being the American Dragon. A lot of dudes don't like me either." "I guess you're right about that too," Pyrothraxus nodded. "Heh, I'm shocked you weren't worry that something might happen to me because of your own enemies." "One of the reasons why the magical world mostly knows of Jake's identity as the American Dragon is to keep his enemies from getting to him and his family," said Lao Shi. "Which includes you. No one must know that the American Dragon is the son of the Crimson Dragon. It will keep both identities safe. That way when Jake is not doing his duties as the American Dragon, and you are not doing your duties as the Crimson Dragon, you both can safely be Jonathan and Jacob Long with no disturbance from both your enemies in the magical world." "I guess that'll work," Pyrothraxus shrugged. Fu reappeared with a can of lilac air freshener: "Sorry, this was all I could find." "It's good enough," Pyrothraxus stretched out and spread his wings partially. "Lay it on me, Fu Dog." Fu Dog sprayed around the Chromatic Red Dragon, making sure he covered every inch of him. "You know, Pops," Jake began. "I always wanted to know why the heck does lilac cover that burning smoke and sulfur smell of yours." "I don't know," Pyrothraxus shrugged as Fu sprayed his flank. "It just does." "Have you ever tried other stuff?" asked Jake. "Jake," began Lao Shi. "Nothing else works on the smell." "Yup, there appears to be a sort of concealing magic within lilac that covers a Red Dragon's scent," said Fu. "Best wizards wondered about that, but no answer could ever be found. But why ask questions when you know it works anyways, right?" He sprayed up in front of Pyrothraxus' face as the Dragon shut his eyes. Pyrothraxus sneezed. Fu leaned back and tossed the empty can: "Well, that's it." "Thanks, Fu," Pyrothraxus folded his wings back. "Now Susan won't complain about the stench." "Dad," began Jake. "Mom doesn't care about what you smell like." Pyrothraxus sighed again and shook his head. "Come on, pops," Jake motioned for the door. "I've got school tomorrow." "Be careful, Jake," said Lao Shi. "Jonathan, take care." The flight back home was just as quiet as the flight to the shop. Pyrothraxus, as always, kept a cloak about himself to keep off the radar of any aircraft flying by. The darkness did well to mask his form from sight also. As soon as both made it through the door, Jake and his father went up stares. Jake, finally in his PJs, tucked himself into bed as his father walked up. Jake's ruby eyes looked up to Pyrothraxus who settled onto his haunches like a great cat, curling his tail slightly around his feet. "Dad?" Jake asked. "What was it like back then?" "Back when?" Pyrothraxus asked. "The 80s?" "No, a thousand years ago." "Oh, a thousand years ago…" Pyrothraxus thought. "What was the magical world like?" "Well, back then," he began. "There was no magical world, no mortal world. There was no segregation between the two. Mortals and magical folk all lived together. It was a bit of a rocky relationship, but we managed. The world was a lot bigger then too. You could fly freely without having to worry about running into a helicopter and you didn't have to hide your form unless you wanted to. Hiding among mortals was not a need, but a choice. Still, humans did become very scared if they saw me land on the edge of a village. But we were more free then than we are now." "We're not free now?" Jake asked. "You call this freedom?" the Red Dragon snorted. "Look at us. The fear of being discovered by the government making us cower in the shadows. We believe that if we were ever discovered that it will be like it was when we were forced to hide in darkness beneath the world of the mortals. All of the genocide, the racism…humans fearing what they did not understand. We chose this pathetic existence because the mortals forced us to. We were the better of the two, deciding to call off the War of the Dark Times and go underground because the humans weren't willing to do it." He growled. "Chromatic Dragons deserve the very hate they issued, but because of a few rotten apples, the whole magical community of Earth had to suffer for it. It's not right. In a way, I'm with Ithfaedeus. I'm sick of seeing the magical world being shoved into a pitiful existence that we did not deserve because of human arrogance. But his methods of going about it are wrong. We can find a way to live together again just like it was before." Jake's eyes became downcast. This was a side of his father he really has never seen before, a side he knew he had to get to know. Since the day his family found out about Jonathan Long's true identity, it was like trying to get to know a complete stranger all over again. Jonathan's past was slowly unraveling. Susan, Jake, and Haley only knew the parts about the last 40 years that Pyrothraxus was Jonathan Long, but that was a pale glimmer to the lengthy centuries he has been alive. There was an extra 5852 years of Pyrothraxus' history to learn about, things he has done, whether they were good or bad. Pyrothraxus insisted that most of them were bad and only the last 18 centuries were the good ones. Still, that was a long time for Jake and Haley to really perceive. "Jake," rumbled Pyrothraxus. "We'll talk about it later. Good night." "Night, Dad," Jake said as his father turned out the light. Pyrothraxus cracked the door and softly walked down the hall into his own room. He knew he missed dinner, but ever since he became a Dragon Ascendant, he no longer needed to eat food for nourishment. He no longer needed to breathe, eat, or sleep, although he pretended to do the latter because it gave him time to reflect with his eyes closed. After the ascension, he realized why many dragons did it. Their size made it difficult to find food or places to rest. Allowing the energy of the Great Wheel of the Multiverse to fuel their bodies was all the nourishment they needed. And he had much to think about, mostly because of how the ent was handled. Pyrothraxus could not help but to notice the ent's strength compared to his own. The Red Dragon was weakened by something he did not understand. During the whole fight, he felt drained of his powers. Something was sapping the strength away from him. He thought it was mostly due to his drudging work and the mounds of TPS reports that his boss enjoyed burying him under. He needed to rest, that was all. Pyrothraxus slowly walked in as silently as he could in hopes not to disturb his sleeping wife. He glanced over when his keen ears caught the sound of Susan shifting in the bed. Not really wanting to disturb her slumber, the Red Dragon decided to curl his body up around the foot of the king-sized bed. Leaning his head up to her head, Pyrothraxus flickered his forked tongue out and allowed its tip to kiss her olive-colored cheek. "Bensvelk thurkear, aritov," he whispered softly to her. "Nhee wurunwi." He lowered his head down and closed his eyes, drifting himself into deep thought while he guarded his slumbering Susan. Calx de Aster Pandarus slowly moved towards a glowing sphere of fiery crimson, orange, and bright yellow mixed with flecks of violet. He slowly knelt down to the sphere and his dark eyes narrowing as a smile slowly spread across his face. Behind him walked his assistant. Pandarus broke away from the orb and turned to his assistant, his smile melting into a scowl. "Almost full?" the assistant asked. "It is full," said Pandarus. "You just ruined my moment with it." "Sorry." Pandarus moved away from the orb and opened up a spell book: "Ever since the Ancient Dragons left, they took all the most powerful spells with them. One of those spells they took was the spell known as Planar Shift." He finally arrived at the spell Planar Shift. "We have spell books filled with the higher level spells, but we can't cast them. But for a brief moment thanks to a certain accountant, I will be able to open a gate between our world and the plane of Pandemonium." Pandarus walked back over to the orb and placed his hand on it. The orb began to flash brightly and the wizard withdrew his hand. Tendrils of shiny ribbons extended out from the orb to his hand. The energy of the orb flowed into his palm and gathered into a ball of orange light. "Tarvi ifni ekess wer lyrik symba!" he said raising his hand up to a blank wall. A glowing point spread out from the surface, growing into a swirling purple mass of clouds and light. A wind of foul stench rushed out from the central point of the vortex. The assistant winced from the smell, covering his nose and mouth. "You smell that, Derrick?" asked Pandarus. "That's the stale stench of Pandemonium. I've read about its foul odor, which comes from the putrid River Styx." "Smells like somebody died," said Derrick. "They don't call it the River of the Dead for nothing," said Pandarus. The vortex slowed and the clouds dissipated. It revealed a large cavern with dirty water dripping from the stalagmites above. There on the floor of the cavern were several mounds of treasure of various valuable items. Along the walls were bits of rusted armor and wet and still rotting corpses from beings who dared to venture into this dank cavern. The corpses were of soldiers or warriors dressed in period armor, most notably Roman. "Someone did die!" said Derrick. "A lot of people died." "Anyone who wanted to disturb his hoard, no doubt," said Pandarus. He finally came to a chest covered in gilded gold and rich crimson velvet. At the center where the lock was, there was a star glowing in a faint light of violet. "Ah, there it is." "There could be traps in there, Pandarus!" said Derrick. "You'll end up like them." Pandarus paused for a moment and waved his hands calling upon a spell to reveal any traps hidden within. There were traps, but they were so obviously old and had not even been reset since the last time they were used. The constant dripping of the awful water eroded some of the traps. "Seems clear to me," he said. Pandarus approached the box and brought out his wand. He could sense there was magic coming from the chest. "Jikmada!" A bright white flash sparked at the tip of his wand and struck the lock on the chest. The hatch flung open and a cloud of crimson fire and black smoke swirled out from the box. Pandarus stood back as the cloud billowed larger and larger, reaching out to the ceiling. The cloud soon took shape and became solid, transforming into a colossal Chromatic Red Dragon. On the toe of the right forefoot of the dragon was a golden wedding ring. Pandarus knew exactly who that was. "Pyrothraxus!" he said in a gasp, readying his wand for whatever spell the Red Dragon was going to send out. "Furtificus, vos rudimentum ut rapio ex meus cella specialis," said Pyrothraxus. "Ego teneo quis vos adveho pro quod est non hic." "What?" Pandarus asked. "What language is that?" Derrick asked. "Tamen vos mos persolvo pro vestri committo," Pyrothraxus continued, his voice boomed throughout the cavern. "It's Latin," said Pandarus. "It's just an image giving a message. That's not the real Pyrothraxus." "Pyrothraxus knows Latin?" asked Derrick. "It was considered the common language centuries ago in Europe," said Pandarus. "And Pyrothraxus is from Europe." "Ego Pyrothraxus Rutilus, vomica vos ut nex!" the image of the Red Dragon shouted, raising a claw up. "Quod iam, peto vestri oblivio." "Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good," said Pandarus as the image of Pyrothraxus disappeared. Pandarus looked in the box, finding that there was nothing in it. "What did it say?" "I failed Latin in high school," he replied. "But that didn't sound good." A roar echoed through the cavern and shook the ground. "That did not sound good either," said Pandarus. Something thundered between the columns of rock. A massive shadow reared up and a creature revealed itself. Pandarus' gold eyes widened as an enormous Purple Worm with a spiked back and thorny cheeks bellowed through the cavern. Pandarus and Derrick ran back through the portal with the Worm thundering behind them. The wizard cast his spell, trying to redirect the monster away from him. The Worm bellowed and shifted its course, diving into the ground of the basement as the portal between Pandemonium and Earth closed. Soon, the Worm disappeared, making its way through the underground of New York City. Pandarus looked at the orb, which held the magic he used to get to Pandemonium. The orb was now empty. "Purple Worm," he gasped. "Purple Worm, what the heck is Pyrothraxus doing with a Purple Worm?" "Could that be the trap that killed those soldiers?" asked Derrick. "Possibly," said Pandarus. "That Red Dragon tricked us! The Stone of Aster wasn't in the box!" "It might have been in Pyro's other hoard," said Derrick. "You mean the one he devoured in order to Ascend?" Pandarus asked as he gritted his teeth in anger. "No! That means the Stone of Aster is—inside Pyrothraxus!" "What do we do about that Worm?" asked Derrick. "You think that I care about the Worm?" "It might surface and expose the Magical World." "I really don't care about that too," said Pandarus. "The only thing I care about is getting the Stone of Aster from Pyrothraxus, even if that means I have to cut it out of that lizard's stomach!"

000 "Mr. Rotwood," began his secretary. "That's Professor Rotwood!" Hans Rotwood called. "Right, sorry, sir," she said. "There is a visitor for you." "Tell whoever it is, I have no time for visitors," said Hans. "I have business to take care of, faculty meetings to plan." "I'm sorry, he sort of showed himself in," she said. "He's already in your office." "Mein Gott…" Hans said in a sigh, his face flushing red. "Who is this intruder…" As he opened the door, he noticed a horse sized, Chromatic Red Dragon lying on its belly in front of his desk. "Hey, Hans…" said the Dragon. Hans quickly slammed the door and looked back at his secretary. "Thank you, Miss Graves," he said. "I'll speak to this visitor myself. If I get any calls, tell them I cannot be disturbed!" Finally, he went through and closed the door, locking it behind him. "Mr. Jonathan Long!" Pyrothraxus lifted up, sitting upright like a cat. "What are you doing here?" Hans asked. "Not that I am complaining…in fact I am not complaining one bit because you're in your dragon form…and I have to get my camera, excuse me…" "No pictures, Hans," Pyrothraxus. "Jonathan, why are you here?" Hans asked. "I find this rather odd, but in no way am I angry…in fact, I'm overjoyed." "I need your help," the Great Wyrm replied. "My help?" Hans asked, walking around Pyrothraxus, studying him intently. He lightly plucked at the digits of the Dragon's folded wings, inspecting the veins lining the membranes. "What do you need my help for?" "Something I can't go to Jake's grandfather for," said Pyrothraxus. "Something I really don't want to hear Lao Shi cluck about if you know what I mean." "Ja, that blue Chinese-looking dragon likes to gripe at you, from what I've witnessed on my outings…er…following you…" "Do I need a restraining order, Hans?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Huh? No! Please, don't do that. Okay, ja, I follow you and Jake around sometimes, but it's in the name of science that I go through great lengths to document the last surviving Chromatic Dragon Red Dragon in the world." "Jee, Hans," said Pyrothraxus. "You're making me sound like an endangered species." "You are!" said Hans. "You are endangered. I need to put you on the List for Endangered Species. But right now no one believes me on the existence of dragons, but here's hoping." He walked over and pulled out from his desk drawer a magnifying glass. "Alright, what do you need, Jonathan?" "I need an expert Cryptologist's opinion," said Pyrothraxus as Hans walked around him. "Something is wrong with me." He paused for a moment just as Hans lifted himself up to peer into Pyrothraxus' glowing eyes. Hans turned Pyrothraxus' head to one side to look at the right eye. "Uh…Hans, what are you doing?" "I thought your eyes were just two glowing orbs, but I see very well an iris and a pupil," said Hans. "And the light that creates that glowing look is coming from a piece of tissue at the back of the retina called the tapetum lucidum. I suspected you had one, and it's so condensed that your eyes just appear to glow regardless to how powerful the light source is." He covered up the eye as best as he could with his hand so he could shield the eye from reflecting the light of the florescent bulb above. "Ja, there it is, your irises are red with just a freckling of orange and your pupils glow because of that extra layer which means in reality, they are black just like the pupils of other living creatures. So, it is an illusion! And of course, just like snakes or even cats, your pupils are slit." He finally backed off. "Did you know you have a yellow freckle like right in the lower half of your right iris?" "Yeah, my mom told me about that once," said Pyrothraxus. "And you have two irises," said Hans. "With two lenses. I find this so fascinating. I have to write it down!" "Can we just get back to my problem, Hans?" he asked. Hans sat down at his desk and began to jot down what he discovered: "Sure." "I feel weak," said Pyrothraxus. "Like I'm not getting enough sleep, even when I am getting enough sleep." "Are you drinking too much caffeine?" Hans asked, looking up from his notes. "No, it's not what I'm drinking," said the Dragon. "Or eating…it's like something is zapping my energy away." "What are your sleeping patterns like?" Hans asked. "Well, since I Ascended," Pyrothraxus began. "I really don't need to sleep, but this fatigue I'm feeling makes me feel like I do need the sleep." "What are you eating?" "I don't need to eat anymore," he said. "But when I do, I eat mostly Susan's cooking, which I've been eating for—well since we've been married. So, it can't be that. Then I would have a Starbucks coffee during lunch." "Ah, too expensive," Hans said with a wave of his hand in dismissal. "Yeah," said Pyrothraxus in agreement. "So, I have no idea what's wrong with me. I think something is zapping my energy, but whatever it is, whoever it is, they're covering their tracks. I can't detect them." "Well, let's see if that's what's really happening," said Hans. "I've always wanted to try this out on a cryptid. Oh, this will be so fun!" He walked over and pulled out a Polaroid camera from a cabinet behind his desk. "Hans," said Pyrothraxus, raising up a claw in protest. "I said no cameras." "This isn't your ordinary camera, Jonathan!" Hans said. "This is not something you take a family photo with. This is a camera specially designed for the study of magical creatures. It takes your picture and shows you the power of your magical aura. With this, I can see if your aura has been affected in some way." "Okay," he said. "Just as long as you don't mail it off to the National Enquirer." "Bah, idiotic rag that spews lies!" Hans said in a disgusted snort. "I would never do something like that. Now, just stand up straight." Hans raised the camera up and took the picture, the flash blinding Pyrothraxus momentarily. The Red Dragon wavered for a moment, his claw wagging in the air. "Can't see…" he said lowly. The camera spat out the Polaroid and Hans took it out, waving it in the air. Pyrothraxus continued to blink, trying to remove the spots from his eyes. When the picture developed, Hans peered down upon it, getting out his magnifying glass. "Ah, yes," he began. "Ja, that is good. You're aura is interesting, Jonathan." The Red Dragon moved around to look at the image. "I can generally see other people's auras," he said. "But never mine." "Your aura is purple," said Hans. "With lots of reds and oranges around it. Very nice. I know that the reds and orange means you are Fire Aligned, but why do you have purple in your aura? Purple is a negative energy, psionic in nature. Like you could manipulate the very fabric of space…or something." Pyrothraxus gave an innocent shrug despite knowing why he had purple in his aura. He had a feeling that his aura would show the energies of the Stone of Aster, which now resides in the pit of his stomach powering his incredible magic. "Ah, here it is!" Hans said in a gasp. "Puncture marks! Someone was draining your magic. See? Puncture marks in your aura." He handed the magnifying glass to the Dragon. Pyrothraxus moved it away. His eyes could see the fine details without it. The magnifying glass just distorted the image for him. "Now that I know that my magic has been drained," he began. "I'd like to know who it is that's doing it." "I can't help you there," Hans said. "But that is what I found. That is solid proof your magic is being stolen by someone. Do you feel weak now?" "No," he said. "Not so much, just the leftover fatigue from last night. Hans, you have to promise not to tell anyone I was here. Not even Jake, understand?" "No problem," said Hans. "Everything we say here—strictly confidential. If Jake Long asks, I'll say I called you in here to discuss his blatant delinquency—or something." "Thanks," Pyrothraxus said. His form wavered and reverted back into the familiar human form of Jonathan Long. Jonathan reached into his brown coat and pulled out his thick-rimmed glasses, placing them on his nose. The glasses were cosmetic, an attempt that Jonathan made to hide his strange red eyes. "And, Hans, listen, someday, the world will know about us magical creatures." "I just hope it happens within my life time," said Hans, handing Jonathan the photograph. "It will." "Well then, if you come out and say what you are," he began. "You better have me there with you to be your personal dictator on your life as a dragon. I want the world to know that Hans Rotwood discovered you! It'll teach that pompous, bloated idiot Dr. Engelberg a thing or two. I was right, I've always been right! Dragons do exist." "Someday, Hans," said Jonathan as he opened the door. "And you'll be the first to claim me. But until that time, you have got to keep me a secret. I don't like the idea of being poked in some secret government lab." "I would never do that to you," said Hans. "I know you are a person first and a specimen second!" "Thanks…" Jonathan said as he shook his head in dismay. "Well, goodbye." "Goodbye." 000 "Bye, Ma!" Sam said as he waved and headed for his SUV. "Be careful," she said, shivering from the chill of the rain. "And right to your mama once in a while! You know I worry about you. Going off to fight terrorists and such." "Ma," said Sam. "I'm a scientist. I don't do that kind of stuff." Sam smiled as he waved again, entering his vehicle. As he started it up, he made his way down the street. Sam Davidson was an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel with a degree in physics. Currently, his project revolved around the EM Spectrum, monitoring the flow of the electromagnetic field and the ionic sphere, which enveloped the Earth and protected it from cosmic radiation that could damage electronics and cause blackouts as well as health issues within various life forms including humans. The EM field was a fascinating engine to study. A lot of times, he went up to the North Pole to watch the EM field in action through the lovely display of the Aurora Borealis. Fluctuating greens, shimmering yellows, and dancing reds filled the skies at night there as the sun's radiation trickled down the magnetic lines of the EM field and gathered at the pole. The display even gave off a noise like a shimmer of metallic, which sang across the snowy mountains. Sometimes, especially during high solar activity, the Northern Lights would inch their way down to southern parts of Canada and even to Ohio. One year a while back, it came all the way down to Kansas and the people there were treated to a rare show that they could only see if they drove across the northern boarder. Sam worked a long side of NASA on a few projects and was transferred to Space and Cyber Command just recently following an interesting shift in the magnetosphere. He was researching on whether or not this shift was due to something natural or something man-made, or perhaps something that has been a part of the Earth, but never truly detected until now. For all he knew, this strange shift had a focal point, and that was centered in New York City. Originally, the focal point had moved south to Key West, but then moved back to New York and then stayed. Space and Cyber Command had also received reports on strange sightings around New York and destruction of property with no one to point a finger at. Sam was not someone who combats terrorists, however, when Command came back with each of the incidents coinciding with the odd fluctuations of the EM field, he had to look into it. Frankly, Sam wondered why it was always New York that had the strange stuff happening to it. He was a native New Yorker, born and raised in the city. He came from a rather poor family and figured that because of lack of money meant he would not go on to become anything more than a laborer like his father. But Sam had an eye for math and physics. He always loved to test how things moved and reacted with other objects in real time, so in order to help pay for college, he joined the Air Force. He finally got the PhD he so desired, but decided to remain in the Air Force as one of their best physicist, leaving his family behind. He traveled all over the world to learn of new sciences. He even had a love of astronomy and enjoyed working for NASA. After all, astronomy and physics did go hand and hand, which is why astrophysics came to be. But primarily, he was a geophysicist and he focused a lot of time on the EM field. While most of NASA looked to the stars, Sam knew that there were still things about the Earth man had yet to learn. Apparently, she was capable of throwing out surprises especially what was happening now. He had some interesting reports of strange creatures lurking around New York as if it started a new sort of urban legend. Despite being a lover of science, he did like the fantastic world of the imagination too. A lot of times he would wonder if such mythological creatures existed, how would they move in the world, what would their physical limits be? These ideas kept his mind sharp. It was one thing to study what existed, but to apply that knowledge to hypothesis on things that do not was fun for him. He mostly did that as a hobby, which is why some of his AF buddies often called him a Cryptologist. Sam's thoughts were broken when he heard his cell phone ring. Reaching over, he grabbed the cord that dangled from his ear and answered it. "Colonel Davidson here," he said. "Davidson!" shouted a feminine voice through the ear bud. "General Reynard," Sam said. "Yes, ma'am." "We're picking up some strange energy readings coming from downtown," said Reynard. "It's different than the ones we've been monitoring." "I'm in New York now, ma'am," he said. "I know," she said. "I need a visual confirmation on what is going on. It'll give us an idea on what is that causing it and if it's related to the other strange energy we're getting. Can you make it over there? I'll send you the information to your GPS." "I can try," said Sam. "Good," she said and the phone clicked off. "I just came by to visit my mama and now this…" Sam said in a sigh. "What the fuck is going on here? I'm gone for a few years and all hell breaks loose." He did recall that getting around New York was difficult and he thanked the fact that there would be some spots of open road that he could weave through to get to his destination. Though he had a dot on his GPS on where this energy was coming from, something else made it apparent he was heading in the right direction. Several vehicles recklessly drove down the opposite side of the street, colliding with other stopped vehicles as they tried to get away from whatever it was that was causing the disturbance. Then, something black flew out and landed in the street. Sam swerved on the slippery road until his SUV came colliding against it with its passenger side doors. The side door airbags popped out and inflated. "What the hell?" Sam asked as he got out of the vehicle. The thing he collided with was a piece of hard tar with a double line yellow stripe. That was a part of the street. It looked like it was torn apart by something with huge sharp teeth. Sam panted in shock from it, mortified that his town was diving into something he did not understand. "Oh, God…" he said, backing away from just as he heard the sound of something roaring in front of him. Someone patting him on the shoulder and he jumped. "Sir?" "Oh, Christ," said Sam. "Sir, you shouldn't be here," said the voice. It was a police officer. "You need to get to a safe place." "Hey, I'm Lt. Colonel Davidson," said Sam, hoping that his identification would buy him some answers from the police officer. "I work for the Space and Cyber Command. Can you tell me what is going on here?" "I honestly can't tell you, colonel," she said. "It's big and it'd purple." "Big and purple?" Sam asked. What is it? The purple people eater? It did not take long for his question to be answered as a enormous purple something or other plowed itself its way down the left lane. It looked like a worm with a ribbed body and it was indeed purple. Though, what did not classify to Sam, as it being a worm was the fact it had a set of jaws and teeth. "Worms don't have teeth," he said. Sam leaned his body against his crashed SUV as the worm barreled by him. A giant purple-colored worm that looked to be almost the size of a football field, seemed somewhat plausible by a physics standards, though just impossible by a biological classification. There was no none species of worm out there that was purple nor as huge as that creature. "So, where's Paul Mua'dib when you need him?" he asked, recalling the book Dune having giant worms crawling around its pages. The police officer turned back to him. "Sir," she began. "Please? Follow me." "I'm fine," said Sam. Then, he heard a new sound. It was a different roar that came from the opposite direction. It sounded like it came from a creature that was a bit bigger than the worm. "What was that?" Sam asked. "Whomever you found, just get them out of the way, something much bigger just showed up," said the voice on her radio. "Sir, either come with me or not," she said. "I've got other civilians to gather." "Well, I'm no civilian," he said. The officer rolled her eyes and ran down the wet streets, ushering other confused and frightened New Yorkers to safer places. Sam heard the sound of glass shattering as obviously looting had started in the chaos. Looting was the least of his concern as he heard the sound of the flapping of the largest wings echo from the direction the roar came from. Sam's mouth dropped when a winged shadow scattered the misty clouds. Wind rushed up around him, blowing wet newspapers and flyers around. The thing bellowed a trumpeting roar and every window shattered at the sound. "Oh…oh…" Sam said with knees shaking. There was this sudden dread that washed over him and he felt paralyzed. His mind was screaming in fear but his voice was lost. Then, he knelt down on the pavement and curled up into a tiny ball. Never had he ever been so afraid in his entire life as the fear he felt when that winged creature passed over him. Something fell and smacked him on the crown of his head. He heard whatever it was plop into a puddle and he was suddenly jerked back to reality. The fear was slowly subsiding and Sam reached down and picked the object up. It was a brown, leather wallet. Inside were credit cards and about 10 dollars in change. There were even family photos as well. There was a driver's license. Sam wiped the plastic cover and read the name of the owner of the wallet. "Jonathan Francis Long," he said. "J-Jonathan? Long?" He knew that name. It was his old friend from high school. He and Jonathan Long grew up together. Sam in high school dated Susan Shi before Jonathan did, but as it turned out, Jonathan was the one who married her while Sam went off to the Air Force. Sam remembered Jonathan being a bit of an awkward kid in school, but likeable. He was always trying to be cool, but most of the time failing miserably. And he was such a dork when he tried. That memory brought a small chuckle to Sam. He had to have some answers; did that creature eat his best friend? "Jonny!" Sam shouted as he ran towards the direction in which the creature flew. The flying monster was following the purple worm. It was like some sort of monster battle out of a Godzilla movie. Two giant monsters beating each other over a densely populated city. Sam remembered that he and Jonathan loved to watch those old cheesy movies too. He finally arrived at the battle scene and there the winged creature was. Sam froze again, but not exactly from fear. He froze because he could not believe his eyes. He could not believe what he was seeing. The winged creature was four-legged, had a long, muscular tail, red scales with tiger-like striped patterns and horns. It was enormous, surpassing many airliners in size. Sam had seen the movies, he has read the books, he had seen cartoon shows with creatures baring some resemblance to the one he saw in the street of New York. "A dragon…" he said. "A real—live dragon…" Steam rose up from the dragon's body as rain pelted its scales. "Oh my God, I cannot believe that thing is real…" Sam said as he watched the dragon confront the purple worm. The scene was odd. It did not look like the dragon was about to fight the worm. The dragon spoke in a voice that was eerily familiar to Sam and in a language he was familiar with. "Vos es un nocens vermis," the dragon said, which garnered a rather disappointing grunt from the worm. "Ego mos sino vos ut subsisto hic. Ego mos transporto vos domus." "Latin?" asked Sam. "Is that dragon speaking in Latin?" He recognized the Latin language when he heard it because he came from a Catholic family, he heard it spoken, he heard it sung, but this was the first time he heard it spoken so casually and out side of church. Though, the grunt from the worm was odd as well. It seemed that the worm understood the dragon. Then, the dragon waved his claw and a hole appeared under the worm. Suddenly, the worm disappeared into the street. Sam, feeling that everything was over, decided to continue to look for his old friend. "Jonny!" he called, looking to the crowd of fearful onlookers. He paused for a moment and noticed the dragon turning his head as if Sam had called his name instead. Sam looked and noticed the dragon gesture something. He reached around to his claw and appeared to pat his hindquarters. Sam knew that gesture as well and he looked down at the wallet in his hand. The dragon's fiery eyes were upon him. There was some sort of spark of recognition between both Sam and the dragon. "Ti bensvelk," the dragon said in a language that Sam did not recognize. Then, the dragon leapt powerfully into the air, disappearing in the mist. Sam stared for a long time at where the dragon had launched into the air before turning back to the street where the worm used to be. There was nothing, only crushed cars. For the first time in many years, there was silence in the streets of New York. No one spoke. The silence was broken by a ring from a cell phone. Sam reached behind and picked it up from his pocket. "Colonel!" called Reynard. "You there?" "Yes, ma'am," he said. "We got another energy signature," she said. "That's the one, the one we've picked up before." "Really?" asked Sam. "Which is it, the worm or the dragon?" "What?" she asked. "Ma'am," he said. "The strange energy signature you picked up earlier was from some sort of giant purple-colored worm. It had to have been. That was the first thing I saw. Then, I saw this dragon come and defeat the worm, banishing it, I think." "There's no such thing as dragons." "With all do respect, ma'am," he said. "Apparently that dragon doesn't know that, or else he stop existing. General, there's a dragon in New York City." "Okay," she said. "Do you know where it went?" Sam held up the wallet, looking down at the license: "Yes, ma'am. I do. And I think it can give us some answers." "Answers?" she asked. "Dragons talk?" "This one does," he said. "Speaks Latin and some sort of language I don't know about and I'm sure he speaks English too." "He?" "Ma'am," he began. "I think I can get this dragon to the lab, but I'll need some persuasion. Don't worry, I know he won't harm us, but…a little added push might get him to listen." "How do you know that?" "I—went to high school with him." "You what?" "I didn't know it before," he said. "Apparently, the dragon can shape shift too. Just bring a new SUV over, the worm totaled mine. And some personnel as well. He won't make a fuss if he knows what's good for him." "I hope you are right," said Reynard as the phone clicked off again. "I'll send over a sensor to make sure this is our guy we're looking for." "Yes, ma'am," Sam said. "Jonathan, why the hell didn't you tell me you had a—secret?" Loose Something?

"You idiotic dimwit!" Lao Shi cried, leaping upon Jonathan and wrapping his pudgy fingers around tall man's neck. "Ben tian sheng de yi dui rou!" "Lao Shi!" Jonathan called. "You're—choking me…" "Dad, stop it!" said Susan. "Please, stop choking my husband." "Baituo, an jing yi dian!" Lao Shi said. Jonathan's face flushed, growing frustrated with the small Chinese man, grabbed him by the arms and tore him from his throat. "Would you just listen to me for a moment, this isn't my fault!" Jonathan said as he set the man down. "You ruined everything we worked for, we built up for the last 10 centuries," said Lao Shi. "No, everything you built up for the last 10 centuries. You started this, you and Galen, and then you had to go and expose yourself to mortals?" "I did not expose myself," Jonathan said. "Without good reason. Besides, I transformed in a place where no human saw me transform. What they saw was a Red Dragon, they did not see Jonathan Long turn into that Red Dragon." "But they know that dragons exist now," said Lao Shi. "That Purple Worm would have destroyed the city," said Jonathan. "If I hadn't intervened, innocent lives would have been taken. Exitus acta probat. The ends justify the means." "Dad, he's right," said Susan. "If Jonathan hadn't had done what he did, people would have died." "Dragons are supposed to protect the people right?" asked Jonathan. "You charged us with protecting the magical world and its secret from mortals," said Lao Shi. "That's your job, Lao Shi," said Jonathan. "However, that does not apply to me. I made a promise to Galen that I would protect everyone. Now, someone released that worm, someone with magical powers. I did not. If you want to point your finger at someone for exposing the magical world, then point your finger at the one who conjured up that monster. You're so damned high and mighty when it comes to me…you hate me so much, Lao Shi, that you'll find anything to pin on me just so you can prove your right that I'm a bumbling idiot." He turned away from them. "I'm not an idiot. Living for over 5 thousand years doesn't make me an idiot. The idiots of my kind are the ones who get killed by dragonslayers." Jonathan turned back to Lao Shi. "If you want to blame this incident on somebody, go find the moron who did it." "The thing is though, Jonathan," began Fu Dog. "That Purple Worm came from Pandemonium. No wizard alive today can cast a spell that can go into Pandemonium. You're the only one who can." "And that's why you think I did it?" Jonathan asked. "I've taken a good look at some of the spell books you have, Fu. I noticed that the higher level spells haven't been erased from them. So, that means, as long as the wizard has power, he just memorizes the spell and casts it." "But you're the only one who can cast a spell to transcend the planes, Jon," said Fu. "You're the only one powerful enough." "Have you forgotten your histories?" Jonathan asked. "My kind also fueled magic for those more powerful spells so that human wizards can cast them as well." "What are you saying, daughter's husband?" Lao Shi asked, crossing his arms. "I'm saying that—that," he said as he pulled out the photograph. "Someone's been draining my magical energy." He handed the photograph to Lao Shi. Fu looked over Lao Shi's shoulder. "Wow, that's your aura?" Fu asked. "That's a powerful aura. But, why is it mostly purple? Shouldn't your aura be a mixture of gold, orange, and red? You're a fire and air elemental sorcerer." "The gold, orange, and red are there," said Jonathan. "It's just that it's being drowned out by something else." "The purple," said Lao Shi. "Something you swallowed along with your hoard to ascend?" "Yeah," said Jonathan. "It's not important right now. The important thing is someone is using that power right now. And I think he did it to of course open the portal to release that Purple Worm." Susan walked over to the couch and sat down, listening to her father, husband, and magical dog talk. She glanced up and saw Jake and Haley watching from the second floor. Right now, they felt it was not their time to come in. Especially Jake. He wanted to know who it was that was stealing his father's powers. "Why didn't you tell me that someone was stealing your magic?" asked Lao Shi. "Because, I can handle my own problems without your permission," said Jonathan. "I'm older than you, I should be able to handle them. Also, because I'm sick and tired of you yelling at me for every little thing. It's like I just fail because you're in the room." "You are hard on him, gramps," said Fu Dog. "Who asked you!" Lao Shi shouted. "Alright. I will make some calls and see who it was that released that worm and if we find them, we'll find out who's been stealing your powers." "Fine," said Jonathan as he collapsed on the chair. He leaned over and patted his rear again, feeling around the empty back pocket where his wallet once was. "Honey, I need to call VISA." "Why?" Susan asked. "I lost my wallet," he replied. "I think it happened when I was fighting the worm." Lao Shi crossed his arms and chuckled in satisfaction of Jonathan messing up and losing his wallet. "Oh, don't even start, Dad," said Susan. "What?" he asked. "I didn't say anything." "You were thinking it," she said, crossing her arms. Jonathan got up and sat down beside of her on the couch, wrapping his arms around her. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I love you," he said. "I love you too," Susan smiled. She tilted her head when she smelled something coming from the kitchen. "Oh! I think that's the rolls for dinner." Susan got up and headed for the kitchen. Jonathan glanced up and smiled at his son and daughter. "You're gonna be okay, Dad?" asked Jake. "Yeah, Jakester," said Jonathan, his ton held a light optimistic note. "We'll find who's doing this and stop him before he takes anymore of my powers." Jake smiled slightly and nodded. Then, a knock came from the door. Fu Dog sank to his all fours, ready to take on the roll of a normal, non-speaking family pet. He walked over and curled up near Jonathan's ankle. Lao Shi walked over to the door and opened it. There, standing on the other side of the door was an African American man dressed in an Air Force uniform. On his shoulders were two silvery oak leaves. He was a lieutenant colonel. Lao Shi's eyes widened, hoping that the officer was not here for who he thinks. "Hello," said the officer. "I must have gotten the wrong house. I'm looking for a Mr. Jonathan Long." "Daughter's husband!" Lao Shi called. "There's someone here to see you, and he's dressed in a uniform." Jonathan rose up from the couch and adjusted his glasses, walking over to the door. "Is there something wrong?" he asked. "Oh, no," said the officer. "Are you Jonathan Long? I found your wallet. I think you dropped it." The officer handed the brown wallet over to Jonathan. "Oh, yeah," Jonathan said. "This is my wallet. Thank you, Mister…" "You don't recognize me, do you?" the officer asked. "Has it been that long already?" "Uh…" "It's me, Jonny!" he said. "It's Sam Davidson!" A spark lit up in Jonathan's ruby eyes as recognition dawned on him. It was his old friend Samuel Davidson. "Sam!" he shouted, opening his arms up, inviting his old friend in. Sam and Jonathan gave a half hug. "Hot damn," said Sam. "It's been too long, hasn't it? But you're still as nerdy-looking as ever. Now you look like Beaver Cleaver's dad." "Well, look at you," said Jonathan. "You shaved your head. Last time I saw you. You're hair was…" he paused and stretched his arms out from his head. "Out there…" "I got rid of my fro, dude," said Sam. "They wouldn't let me in ROTC if I kept it." "I heard about you going into the military," said Jonathan. "We sort have lost touch when you left." "Well, I've been busy," said Sam. "Been going into secret places I'm not supposed to know about, huh?" Jonathan asked. "You know, those types of places that if you told me, you'd have to either kill me or something." "Something like that," said Sam. "So, you a pilot or something?" "No," said Sam. "You know I was going into physics. I love that stuff." "Oh, yeah," said Jonathan. "I remember that perpetual machine you made." Sam chuckled and glanced down at Lao Shi: "Man, I'm surprise you didn't recognize me too, gramps." "Sam Davidson," said Lao Shi. "I remember you. You were the one I wanted Susan to marry! Not this boob." "He still hates you, doesn't he?" Sam asked. "Yeah," said Jonathan. "After 20 years, I still look bad to him." "I could never understand why," said Sam. "I still don't understand why," said Jonathan, peering down at Lao Shi. "Despite the fact I finally am able to meet him on his level." Then, he looked up at his children. "Oh, I need to show you the kids. Jake, Haley!" Jake and Haley came down from the second floor and paused right before the Air Force officer, looking wary of him. "Jake, Haley," said Jonathan. "I'd like you to meet my old friend Sam Davidson. He and I went to school together. We were in elementary together, junior high, and high school." "Class of '86," said Sam. "Best class of them all." "Still is," Jonathan said. "Susan, you won't believe who's here!" Susan came out from the kitchen: "Who is it?" "Sam!" Jonathan said. Susan's dark brown eyes lit up: "Oh my God. Sam! I hardly recognized you! Especially with that uniform." "He's a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force," said Jonathan. "You sound like it's huge news to you, Jon," said Sam. "Well, compared to my job, it is," said Jonathan. "What do you do?" "I'm an…" Jonathan said, but then paused and slumped down in shame. "An accountant." "You sound like that's a bad thing." "It's—tedious," said Jonathan. "All I do is crunch numbers all day. I mean, compared to what you do…" He walked around, seeing a NASA pen on Sam's jacket. "Did you work for NASA?" "Yep," he replied. "I work as an accountant for a boss I don't even like," Jonathan began. "And my best friend works for NASA!" "Cool!" Jake said. "Did you go up in the shuttle?" "No," said Sam. "But I specifically made sure it is able to go up. There's a lot of things that NASA has to do to prepare for lift off. Or…disaster…" "Yeah," said Haley. "Like it blowing up." "Haley," said Jonathan. "It has blown up a lot in the past," said Haley. "You have cute kids, Jon," said Sam. "Heh, they get that from their mother's side." "No," said Susan. "I think that's from yours, honey." "Haley's my little genius and Jake's my skater," said Jonathan. "He wants to be like Tony Hawk someday." "I bet the doctor bills are high too," said Sam. Jonathan invited his old friend to share a bit of dinner with his family. Sam informed him that he was transferred to the base in Rome, New York to study geomagnetic. Haley of course listened in with keen ears, but Jake soon became bored with all the large words he was not familiar with. Sam brought some photographs of the Aurora Borealis he had taken when he was in Alaska to share with the Long family. Jonathan, remembering back in his day many centuries ago and roaming around what is now known as Russia, seeing those very lights in the sky. He remembered that they made a shimmering noise and they were quite beautiful. Though, listen to Sam talk about his job made Jonathan feel that his own line of work could not compare. It could not at all. By night he may be Pyrothraxus the Red, the last Ancient on Earth, knowledgeable in all things of ancient magic, but by day, he was just Jonathan Long—accountant. Worse yet, he worked for his enemy, the Hunstmaster—Eric McGreggor. This made him feel even more ashamed. Though, he kept his face as happy as he could despite the souring feeling inside. He started to hate his job now that he had awakened his draconic side again. The Red Dragon that was Pyrothraxus wanted something more than what he had. "Ah, Sue," said Sam. "Those were the best pot-stickers I've had in a long time." "Glad you liked them," said Susan. "I've got more." "I don't think I could eat anymore," he said. "Though I seem to remember Jonathan having this talent of packing away food into that black hole of a stomach and not gain a single pound from it." Jonathan laughed. That was one of the advantages of being a dragon, even if he was a dragon transformed into a human for almost 40 years. "Seriously," said Sam. "I think I went into physics just to see if Jon had a black hole in his stomach." "I just had good metabolism," said Jonathan. "I'll box the leftovers up for you," said Susan as she walked into the kitchen again. "I'll go help," said Lao Shi. "Come on, grandchildren. Your father wants to catch up with his old friend." They all disappeared, leaving Jonathan and Sam alone. "I'll tell you one thing," said Sam. "The guys back at the lab will fight over this. I think some of them might dissect the pot-stickers just to see what the ingredients are and why they taste so good. We get good food there, but not food as good as Sue's cooking." "Well, that cooking talent of hers helps in her business," said Jonathan. "You think she cooks that good just for us? We're her test subjects. She owns a catering company." "Really?" asked Sam. "Yeah," said Jonathan. "And it's well known too. They even did some catering for taping of soap operas and a movie once." "So, her food isn't just good," said Sam. "It's celebrity caliber." "Yeah," said Jonathan. "She's got one of the best ratings in town." He turned away. "She's more like the breadwinner than I am, you know." "If you hate your job, man," began Sam. "Why work at it?" "How do you know I hate my job?" Jonathan asked. "I know you, Jon," said Sam. "I know that look. You're not satisfied." "Well, it's not like I can just pack up and be an Air Force scientist like you," said Jonathan. "I was never good at science." "Yeah, but you had other talents," said Sam. "You could have been a football player. You had the arm." "I—didn't want to try out," he said. There was a reason why he did not want to try out and it of course revolved around him being a 250-foot long Red Dragon who could toss Mac trucks like they were soda cans. Susan came out and handed Sam a bag. "Oh, I better hide this when I get back to the lab," said Sam. "The smell will draw them in for miles." Susan blushed and laughed: "It's good to see you, Sam." "Like wise, my fair lady," said Sam, bowing slightly as he got up. "Nice to see all of you and to meet you as well. Hey, Jon, you wanna walk with me out to the car?" "Sure," said Jonathan. "I'll be right back." "Don't you go stealing my husband and taking him to a bar this late," said Susan. "I remember you two doing that in high school." "Yeah, and we had fake IDs back then too," said Sam. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he'll be back before his bedtime." Jonathan rolled his eyes at that statement. As they walked outside, Jonathan looked at Sam's shiny, black Ford Explorer. Then, he looked at his old, dent-coated 99 Nissan Stanza. "Wow, that's a shiny car," he said. "It's a company car," said Sam. "So to speak. They walked down the stoop and to the Explorer. Jonathan looked up, seeing the crescent moon rise up into the sky. The clouds had cleared from the earlier rainstorm leaving a clean sky. "Nice night," he said. "Nice and cool. Not too hot, you know." "Yeah," said Sam. His voice sounded distant. "You know, I didn't come here for a visit, I came here on business." "You came here to bring me back my wallet," said Jonathan. "And I thank you. I was gonna call the credit card companies to lock them up before someone stole my identity." "You're identity," said Sam. "The Jonathan I remembered didn't do very well in Latin back in high school. Funny how he was able to speak it perfectly today." Jonathan froze. He remembered he spoke Latin to the Purple Worm. The worm only obeyed commands in Latin because that was the language he normally spoke when he was around the worm. Then, he began to think back to earlier when he heard his human name being called out by a man dressed in the blue Air Force uniform. He thought he recognized that voice from somewhere. Then, he turned back to Sam. "Where did you find my wallet, Sam?" he asked. "Downtown, when that worm attacked," Sam replied. He looked to Jonathan. "I'm real sorry, man. But I gotta do my job." "What do you mean?" Jonathan asked just as he saw several Air Force enlisted men wearing camouflage and carrying weapons climb out of the SUV. "Just don't make it hard on us," said Sam. "We're just gonna go to Rome and ask you some questions." Jonathan's slight dull expression faded away to something more calculating. "You are not taking me anywhere," he said. He heard the sound of their weapons clicking as they released the safeties. "You think your bullets could harm me? They'll bounce off of me and strike you. I'd suggest you put your weapons down." "Jon," said Sam. "No," said Jon. "I'm not going with you. Don't think I knew that this was coming. I'm just surprised that it happened this soon, but the real shock is that it's my own best friend handing me over to the government labs for study. That hurts a lot more." "Oh yeah?" asked Sam. "We've known each other since elementary school and not once did you tell me you were a dragon. How does that make me feel?" "You think I could just come out and tell you?" Jonathan asked. "This is not a secret I could just reveal. Mostly because though I may have looked like a 7-year old back then, I was really over 5 thousand years old." "What?" Sam asked. "Here, let me show you," he said. Jonathan's body shifted and he grew smaller and younger looking. Then, all that was standing there was Jonathan as he looked when he was in the second grade. Even his voice sounded like a child's voice, but the tone held the wisdom of an adult. "See? I'm a shape shifter, I could alter my form to make it look like I was aging like a normal human child would." Then, he shape shifted back into his adult human form. "I was an old dragon parading around in a child's body." "God," said Sam. "That's disgusting." "Oh, come on," said Jonathan. "I kept to my act. All the while, I was learning about humans as I 'grew up' with them. I couldn't tell you no more you could tell me about whatever secrets you learned while you're in the Air Force. It's the same principle." "Sir," began one of the airmen. "The General is expecting us." "Get in the car, Jon," said Sam. "Please. I don't want this to get ugly and I don't think you do either. Think about your kids. If the General finds out that you and Susan—a human had kids…they'll be subjects too. Just come with me and we'll talk this out." Jonathan looked sadly up back at the house. Then, he looked back at Sam and his face melted into disgust. "Fine," he said. "Richards," said Sam. "You drive, I'll ride in the back with my—old friend." "Friend," said Jonathan. "I'm starting to wonder now…" Jonathan and Sam got in the back and the SUV drove off. "I heard you speak another language too," said Sam. "You spoke Latin, and then you spoke something else. Is that the language of your people?" Yes," Jonathan said, his face not even looking back at Sam. "And my 'people' have a word for guys who backstab them. Shashti ogelend. That's what you are." "What does that mean?" the sergeant in the back asked. "Filthy traitor," said Jon. Sam lowered his head. In some way, he was a traitor—to his dear friend Jonathan. The trip on over to Rome was mostly done in silence. Sam and Jonathan did not even look at each other during the entire trip. Jonathan crossed his arms, digging himself into the leather seat. If he were in his dragon form, smoke would be appearing from his nostrils to show the frustration, sense of betrayal and anger he was feeling. But his eyes smoldered, which seem to set the sergeant beside him to unease. The human knew that look; it was a look of a predator. To the corporal, there was no doubt about it, this dragon probably in one part of his life or another, has had a taste of human flesh. Jon had removed his glasses and his gleaming red eyes with their cat-like slit pupils were very visual. Sam began to realize why Jonathan wore those glasses. They were his way of hiding those strange red eyes. Sam thought that Jonathan's eyes were brown with a slight touch of red. Some humans had that coloration. Now that he was able to really get a look at Jonathan's eyes, there was no doubt about it, his eyes were red blood and they glowed like hot coals. This person who he thought was his friend was not human. Jonathan kept himself controlled, fighting the Red Dragon instinct of bursting out of the SUV and slaying his captives and then flying away. He knew that would spell out further trouble for him and his family. So, Jonathan kept himself in control. "York," said Sam. "Run the sensor over him. I want to make sure who's energy it really is." The sergeant got out a laptop and a strange dish connected to it. He ran the dish over Jonathan's arm. "The energy matches with the one we detected from Key West," he said. "Jon, you're a huge beacon of electromagnetic energy," said Sam. "Nice to know that," said Jonathan, not paying attention to either of them. "Jonathan," began Sam. "We started detecting all of these strange energies just this past year. I was assigned to work on a project that monitored the EM field at a finer setting and I found something else." Jonathan just remained silent. "What I found apparently was you, Jon," said Sam. "Well, your energy. I thought it was an energy that came from the Earth itself, until it started moving around. And it would appear and disappear. Then, I heard rumors about strange sightings of monsters and such, especially one capable of dealing collateral damage. And each time these stories would come up, the strange energy would make itself visible to our network." "So, you figured it all out that it's related to me," said Jonathan. "Guess you don't have a PhD for nothing, then, Sam." "Jon," Sam said. "I'm just trying to study the Earth. I'm trying to understand what it does and why it does it. But then, I noticed that there are energies it produces that to me don't seem natural." "Oh," Jonathan said. "Just because you've never seen it before, you immediately classify it as unnatural. Magic has been around for centuries, thousands of centuries. Before you mundane mortals had any way of detecting it, magic was everywhere. Now it isn't, now we have to hide because you mundane mortals are afraid of things you don't understand. You don't trust wizards, you slay dragons, you be happy to bash an Orc on its head just because it was merely walking towards you." "We never did that," said Sam. "Do you realize how much of your history you've lost over the last 10 centuries?" asked Jonathan. "You've just now started recapturing what you lost by digging up old burial grounds and ruins. There's a lot of stuff that you've read about in which your historians just dismissed as superstitious myths from those ancient times. You think that because you have science now, you can just look over those histories and label them fairy tales. Well, Sam, I'm not a fairy tale. I'm a real person. I am flesh and blood. So, what you thought you knew was wrong." "Jon, look," he began. "I'm sorry. Sure, I thought dragons were myths for the most part, but I did wonder if they actually existed. I mean, how can you explain a creature that just seems to reoccur everywhere in the stories of various peoples who for the most part isolated from each other. How could that be if maybe—maybe dragons really did exist at one time? So, I though on how scientifically dragons could exist and I began to think they were pretty much the size of large dogs, but not the size of an airliner. You defy physics. You shouldn't even be able to fly. And don't give me a copout that you use magic to fly either." "I don't always use magic to fly," said Jonathan. "Though it does help in certain situations." "Alright," said Sam. "Well, now that we're talking, let's talk about how you practically lied to me since we were six. Oh, excuse me, grandpa, how old were you then?" "That's not the point…" "Yes, it is," he said. "I want to know how old you are right now, the full number." "5893 years old," Jonathan replied. "I—had a birthday two weeks ago." "April 12th?" Sam asked. "So—April 12th is your real birthday?" "I was born April 12th, 3,885 BCE," Jonathan said. "You were born before we even had a written language," said Sam. "Before the pyramids went up in Egypt." "When I was a child, humans were nomadic people," he said. "The last bit of the Ice Age," said Sam. "Well, most of the glaciers were starting to retract by then," said Jonathan. "But Europe was still a bit frozen." "You were born in Europe," said Sergeant York. "Italy," said Jonathan. "You're Italian?" Sam asked. "Etruscan is the proper word since it's was one of the oldest 'countries' in the area I was born in," said Jonathan. "But if you want to go even further, let's just say I'm actually Roman and we'll end it with that." "That explains the Latin," said Sam. "Alright, so, obviously you came here…" "About 776 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed," said Jonathan. "So, I think that counts me as being an American. And I've got rights under the Constitution and I think this is really going against those rights." "So, you were here before the colonists," said Sam. "I don't remember George Washington crossing into Delaware and seeing a big red dragon flying over." "Because when I got here," said Jonathan. "I decided to make a lair in the Adirondacks and fall asleep for a thousand years." "You didn't go anywhere else?" Sam asked. "You just stayed in the Adirondacks?" "Until 1968," said Jonathan. "Then I woke up. And I'll tell you that I was a bit shocked by how much the world had changed." "Okay," said Sam. "Why walk around looking like a kid?" "Well," Jonathan began. "I didn't at first. I knew I would not be accepted in this new world as I am, so I walked around as a squirrel because they seem to be able to go around anywhere with little trouble from humans. Especially in the cities. The closest thing to English I knew was what was spoken in the British Isles during the 9th Century. Old English. I mean, how funny do you think I would look if I said: 'Ic habbe feoh á œt?' So, though I did recognize that English did in fact change over the 10 centuries I was gone, I had to relearn it before I could transform into a human form." "So, then you became a kid?" "I also knew that if I were to become human, it would be difficult for me to integrate myself into your society well because of cultural differences," said Jonathan. "And I knew that it would also be odd for a grown man to go around asking 'What's that? What's this? What's that over there?' So, it was better for me to be a child and allow society teach me what I needed to learn to survive it. Also being a child allowed me to gain a history that no one would be able to question. A child is clean, innocent, Sam. A child doesn't have a record." "Not in my neighborhood," said Sam. "A 3-year old child, Sam, has no record," said Jonathan. "That's why I made myself look like and I was adopted by the Longs afterwards. You knew I was adopted, Sam." "I knew," said Sam. "I just didn't know why. You said your parents were dead. Well, are they really dead?" "Truthfully?" asked Jonathan. "Father is dead. Mother is not. And you do not want to meet her. She would eat you. And I'm not kidding." "You still couldn't tell me." "I couldn't tell anyone," said Jonathan. "It's only been the past year that I had started transforming to my true form again." "And why is that?" "Because I'm a dragon and I couldn't stand staying in human form for 40 years," said Jonathan. "It's like a smoker going without his cigarettes for a day. You don't know what it's like to spend a part of your life in the form of something else. It's very difficult and it's psychologically challenging. Especially the fact that I'm spending those times as in that form in a small space with creatures that are not my people, are not my culture, and me being confined. "I'm a dragon, Sam. Dragons don't like to be confined. We like open spaces, we like to be in control of not only our lives, but—a lot of time others as well. And as a human, I wasn't in control. And I'm still not in control. And I hate that. Humans have been through rough times too, but I'm not human. I don't deal with the same situations that humans deal with on the same level. It's different for me. And I'm an old dragon, so it's even harder for me to conform. But I did it, fought my draconic instincts, I went against my culture so I could fit in with the rest of humanity. But I had a reason to hide. The very same reason—which is what you're doing now. I didn't tell you about what I really was not to hurt you or anyone. I did it to protect myself from the backlash of society if humans found out that I was a dragon." "I did not want to do this," said Sam. "But I have a job to do. We need answers. Maybe if you could explain some things to the general, she would be willing to work with you and we wouldn't have to do anything." "Like experiment on me?" Jonathan asked. "Cut me open? Look at my intestines? See what I had for dinner? Well, you were there when we ate, so you already know that answer." "More like how you digest food…" said Sam. "You're a physicist," said Jonathan. "Not a biologist." "Physics fits in biology too," he said. "You still need to know the locomotion of animals in order to understand how they move. And I'd like to know how you're able to stand up despite being so huge and not being crushed by your own weight." "I'm not that big," said Jonathan. "There's actually other dragon races that are even bigger. Prismatic Dragons to name one…their hatchlings are the same size as me." "Where do they find enough food to feed them?" asked York. "You know, I never asked them that," said Jonathan. "Mostly because I was scared of being squished by the parents. But if you want to know, they're very few in number and for good reasons." "Probably wipe out a whole ecosystem just trying to gather food," said Sam. "What I'm very angry about right now," Jonathan began. "Is that we've barely contacted each other over the past 20 years and then…all of a sudden you show up at my doorstep being all nice, wanting to see your old friends again…but in actuality kidnap me, take me away from my family. Me being a dragon does not mean I can't feel betrayed by a friend. I have feelings too." "I'm sorry…" "You can say you're sorry all you want, Sam," said Jonathan. "But if you really want to make it up to me and show me you're still my friend, then turn this car around and take me home. Then, you can say you're sorry." "I can't." Jonathan crossed his arms again, shaking his head. "Just talk to the general." "Fine," said Jonathan. "I'll talk to this general, and then I'm going home." Talking Trouble "Uh-oh," said Fu. "Just what I thought." Lao Shi walked over to Fu Dog as he peered into his crystal ball at an image of a dark colored Ford Explorer pulling up to a military gate. "I knew that guy was up to something," said Fu. "Where did he take Jonathan?" Lao Shi asked. "Rome, New York," said Fu. "There's a military laboratory base there run by the Air Force. It's called Griffis." "Air Force…" Lao Shi said with a sigh. "The mad scientists of the military. "Yeah…" Fu said as he shook in fear. "The guys I'm afraid of when I think of the mortals experimenting on us." "Jonathan…" Lao Shi said. "I warned him. Well, I'd like to say he deserved what he got… but Susan would hate me for it." He walked over to a comfy chair and collapsed upon it in exhaustion. "We have to get him out of there," said Fu Dog. "He said he could handle it," said Lao Shi. "Let's see how well he does it." Fu Dog turned around and watched as Jonathan got out of the vehicle. The man's shoulders were slumped. Guards walked around him, one of them placing his hand on Jonathan's shoulder to guide him towards the center of the large lot, which encompassed the base. There were hangars at the base that were large enough to hold something that was the size of Jonathan in his dragon form. These were the remnants of the base's previous function. Fu could hear the sounds of jets taking off in the background. The air force base was near the international airport also located in Rome, New York. "That's not good," said Fu. "I bet Jonathan's thinking about escaping somehow—taking off just when they're not looking. I just hope he doesn't fly right into a 747 leaving the airport. That won't be pretty." He looked back at Lao Shi. "It'll be the first plane crash in history involving a hit and run with a dragon." "Again, he deserves what he's getting," said Lao Shi. "If Jonathan decides to do that, then, he will prepare himself for whatever consequences he'll get." "We still have to get him out of there," said Fu. "Pyrothraxus the Red can get himself out," he said. Fu Dog shook his head in dismay and watched as the guards took hold of Jonathan's arms. 000 Jonathan's eyes were downcast as he was led over to a group of soldiers surrounding a woman wearing air force dress uniform and with two stars on her shoulder. "Come on, Jon," said Sam. "Who's she?" he asked. "She's my boss." The woman held smiled slightly and held out her hand to Jonathan: "Mr. Long, I'm Lieutenant General Ginny Reynard." Jonathan crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in fury at her. He refused to take her hand. The general lowered it and nodded. "I see," she said. "Well, I'm glad you're here. I've got a lot of questions." "I've got some questions too," said Jonathan. "I've done nothing to you people, so why am I a prisoner?" "You're putting out energy which concerns us," she said. "Something I exhume naturally…" Jonathan said. "Something I've been born with and it's a natural function of my body." "Regardless to that, it does concern us," said Reynard. "How am I supposed to know that the energy, which comes from my body, might be of a problem to you?" Jonathan asked. "Humans are not harmed by the energy that comes from my body unless I use that energy to harm them with. How dare you imprison me for something I have little control over naturally." "It isn't just about that," said Sam. "Jonathan, you are a species that from what we recall in modern recorded history, has never existed…" "Does that give you the right to kidnap me?" Jonathan asked. "Colonel," said the general. "We don't have time to have a philosophical discussion with the dragon. Now, let's just get him inside so we can start the tests." Jonathan turned back to Sam: "You promised!" "Ma'am," began Sam. "Maybe we should just talk to him first, work out something. Jonathan has been my friend for almost 40 years now. I know for a fact if we just sit down and talk, we might learn something from him without having to cut him open." "I want to know if the energy he puts out could be a danger to our networks…" she said. "I can answer that question right now," said Jonathan. "No. If it was, I wouldn't be able to do my job at the firm." "There could be some environmental factors as well…" "Dragons have been a part of the environment much longer than humans," said Jonathan. "I'm not some sort of recent mutation." "Well, then," said Reynard. "How's this, Mr. Long? You possess abilities we don't have. We want to know if we can replicate them. The only way to do that is to figure out how you are able to do them naturally. I want to learn about this energy you produce, what it does and how you are able to use it." Jonathan laughed, turning his back to her. "This base's functions is weapon research and development," she said. "Among other things." "And you want to see if I could be used as a weapon?" he asked. "We want to understand your abilities and use them for our own purposes," she said. "Perhaps produce something more efficient than what you are capable of." "MAD…" Jonathan said. "So, that's what it really means. Mutually Assured Destruction. Well, you're certainly mad to think I'll help you with that." Sam shook his head and Jonathan glanced back at him. "Makes me think that's what happened to those rumored space ships crashing into Roswell," said Jonathan. "Did you use their technology as weapons too? Well, I suppose that's typical. Magical humans use their skills as weapons a lot also." "So, there are humans capable of using magic," said Reynard. "Yeah, they're called wizards and witches," said Jonathan. "Where do you think that came from?" "Get him inside," said Reynard. "Now!" "Let's go, sir," said York, taking hold of Jonathan again and giving his shoulder a nudge. Jonathan planted his feet down to the pavement as York started pushing. The dragon-in-human- form was like a solid piece of granite; he was not going to move. "He's not moving, ma'am," said York. "You, you," she said as she pointed to the other soldiers. "Get him inside." They tried to move Jonathan, but found him just as unmovable. His body would not give. "We can't move him," said one of the soldiers. "Mr. Long," said Reynard. "Please, don't be difficult." "The only way I'll move is back towards the SUV so I can go home," said Jonathan. "Otherwise, the dragon's staying put." The men continued to push on him, but Jonathan still would not move. Finally, growing tired of them pushing on his back and pulling on his shoulders, Jonathan stepped aside and tossed one of the soldiers to the ground. Another soldier lunged for him, but Jonathan dodged and grabbed his arm and swung him away. Two more soldiers ran for him, but Jonathan grabbed them and flung them towards the general. They spun around and collided with her, causing her to fall to the ground. Just as they were about to get up, a gigantic claw slammed down upon their bodies, trapping them between the talons. Genny Reynard looked up, her eyes widened when she met the blazing gaze of the Great Red Wyrm Pyrothraxus. "It's obvious you won't listen to peaceful reasons…" said Pyrothraxus. "Then perhaps you'll listen to something more persuasive." "Jonathan!" Sam said, rushing towards the Red Dragon. He stopped abruptly when he saw Pyrothraxus' massive head swing around towards him. He could see the red iris of the dragon's eye widen slightly, showing off the glow of the slit pupil a bit more. At such a close range and with the pupil more dilated, Sam could even see the veins inside the dragon's eye, which told him that the glow was merely a reflection of the streetlights that lit the base. Still, the glow frightened him. Pyrothraxus' lips pulled back, revealing the many daggers of sharp teeth and the two pairs of canine fangs. Smoke appeared from his cavernous nostrils. Sam began to feel this overwhelming sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. He never felt fear like this before. He shivered violently from it as he continued to gaze deeply into the dragon's eyes. Then, as the eyes turned away from him, that sense of dread subsided slightly. Pyrothraxus looked down upon the general, who's head poked out between the toes of his foreclaw. The eyes seemed to glow much brighter as he leaned closer to her. "Now, General," Pyrothraxus began. "You will let me go…" Let me go… Let me go… Those words echoed into her mind and she began to feel something wrap around her consciousness. She stared into the glowing orb and found herself trapped within the mesmerizing gaze. Let me go… "I—I…" she began. "G—give the o—order to…" Sam finally awoke from his fear; feeling that whatever energy was that made him feel that was now focused on the general. He looked over to his old friend now turned into a dragon and saw rays of light shining out from his eyes down upon Reynard. All of those books he read, the hobbies he had on myths, he knew what he was seeing and he knew he had to stop it. He reached for a gun that was dropped and released the safety, running towards the Red Dragon's head. "Jonathan, stop!" he called. "And close your eyes or so help me, I will shoot them out." The spell was broken when Pyrothraxus blinked, turning the eye closest towards Sam. "S—Sam?" "Don't look at me!" he ordered. "Eyes down!" "I just want to go home," he said. "Eyes down!" Pyrothraxus finally complied and lowered his eyes, turning them away from the general. The slit pupils contracted, minimizing the magical energy that came from them. "Now, let her up," said Sam. The dragon raised his forepaw up and Reynard along with the two other soldiers squirmed their way out from under it. She dusted herself off and nodded to Sam. "Nice work, Colonel," she said. "I don't freakin' believe this…" Pyrothraxus said. "That's three times you screwed me over, Sam. What the hell kind of friend are you? First you kidnap me, and then you break your promise, now you've got a gun pointed at my eye. What did I do to deserve this?" "Nothing, Jon," said Sam. "Nothing. You did nothing." He lowered his weapon as more soldiers ran up and aimed their guns at the dragon's eyes. Pyrothraxus lowered his full body down to the pavement and leaned his head to the side in a restful position. His claws, as they repositioned themselves, scraped gashes into the black asphalt. "General?" began Sergeant York. "What do we do with him? How do we hold something his size?" "Didn't think about that, did you?" Pyrothraxus asked, shutting his eyes. "You don't have anything that is strong enough to bind me." "We have wire that's strong enough to pull several tons," said York. "How much would you say your friend weighs, Colonel?" asked Reynard. "Off the top of my head?" asked Sam. "I'd say, given his length, probably 690 tons." "Hey, is that a fat joke?" the Red Dragon asked. "I don't weigh that much." "Oh, Mr. Long?" asked Reynard. "How much do you weigh?" "650 tons, tops." "Ma'am," began York. "We don't have anything at this base strong enough to pin him to the ground." "And he has his strength even in human form," said Sam. "Plus whatever magic he has as well. If he can shape shift, there's probably other stuff he can do too." He glanced sadly at Pyrothraxus. The dragon opened one eye just slightly. Sam could see the sadness in that one eye and Pyrothraxus could see the concern Sam had. "Ma'am," Sam began. "We should just let him go. We don't have anything that could bind him. Our hangars won't hold him. He's too big." "This is the discovery of the century, Colonel," said Reynard. "Tell me your scientific mind can't see that." "I can," he said. "Believe me, I can. Finding out that dragons do exist, I'm hopping up and down in excitement over it, but, General, trying to hold something as big as Jonathan against his will…it just seems impossible. And I did promise him we would just talk to him. Maybe without forcing him onto the lab table, we could learn things just by asking questions. I know Jonathan…" "You don't know him," said Reynard, pointing at the Red Dragon. "That creature is not your friend. He probably never was. He hid himself from you, probably hid his true nature as well as his true form. So, you don't know who he is at all. The man you knew as Jonathan Long was a cover identity for that creature to walk around under our noses." "What the hell kind of accusation is that?" Pyrothraxus asked, his head lifting up off the pavement. "Who do you think you are, making some sort of assumption as that? Fine, you want me to admit that I did hide? Fine, I did. But only my appearance. I never hid my personality. Sam, this is me…but only what I look like on the outside. You've known what I am on the inside. And I've never hidden that from you. I'm the same guy who snuck with you out to bars when we were teenagers…well, when you were a teenager and I was pretending to be one. I'm that same guy who no matter how hard I tried, could never get the Stewardess right." "Yeah, I remember that," said Sam. "And you looked so dorky trying to do it." "You and I did Thriller together," said Pyrothraxus. "Remember? For the school dance, we did Thriller. And I still remember the steps. And you and I joined Cougar Scouts together. I couldn't tie knots, and you showed me how so I could get that badge. But you couldn't start a fire and I—when the judges came by to see if you'd get your fire starting badge—I kinda helped you cheat and lit the fire with my breath when you and they weren't looking." "You helped me get that badge?" Sam asked. "We're supposed to be best friends, right?" Pyrothraxus asked. "That's what best friends do. They look out for each other. And you weren't all that great of a climber and I helped you out by using my—superhuman strength to pull you up. But you helped me make that Popsicle stick bridge. Dragon's aren't all that finely dexterous with their claws, Sam. Tying knots and making tiny bridges is a difficulty for us. But you helped me." "So that's why you could never sew your own badge very well," said Sam. "Or darn your own socks when we went out into the woods for our survival badges." "I had to get you to do it because I couldn't," said Pyrothraxus. "But the survival stuff, I knew about. So, I helped you get that. I wouldn't let my friend down; I wanted you right with me. It's always been me, skin or scales, I'm still Jonathan Long." His eyes turned towards the general. "Ask me questions, General. Go ahead. But you have to let me go afterwards. You can't keep me lying here all night and you can't keep these soldiers here to watch over me all night either. Sooner or later, they'll fall asleep and I'll make my escape. It's only a matter of time." The General began to consider Pyrothraxus' offer, scratching her head at it. Just as she was about to say something, another soldier rushed up behind her and pulled her over to the side. Sam walked over to Pyrothraxus' side as the dragon lowered his head back to the pavement again. His frilled ears drooped to the ground and his neck frill flattened. His right ear frill perked up when he heard a strange, yet faint whistling sound coming from the sky above. His instincts shifted into gear and he sensed something weird happening. Pyrothraxus let loose a deep, agitated growl and he curled his claws, gathering up the powdered pavement in between his toes. Sam could sense his friend's agitation and he placed his hand on Pyrothraxus' scaly snout. "What's the matter, man?" he asked. "Something's horribly wrong," the dragon replied. "What?" Pyrothraxus' eyes roved over to Sam and said in a fearful whisper: "We need to get out of here, now…" "What?" Sam asked. "We need to leave this place, right now…" Reynard walked back over to Sam and Pyrothraxus: "We've just got a report that Aerodel Flight 855 just dropped out of the sky. It's heading here. They can't get the international airport cleared for a proper emergency landing, and that bird is coming down fast." She looked over at Pyrothraxus. "We need to get you inside the hangar." "General, that plane won't hurt me if it hits," he said. "I'd be more concerned with your own safety." "I don't want you escaping in the confusion," she said. "General, what sort of aircraft is Flight 855?" asked Sam. "Boeing 747," she replied. Pyrothraxus lifted off the pavement as the soldiers moved away, making their way towards the hangar. The dragon turned away from them, heading for the opposite direction towards the whistling sound he heard. "Jon?" Sam asked. "What are you doing?" The Red Dragon did not reply as he opened his wings up, leaping into the night sky. "Jon!" Sam shouted after him. "Get everyone underground," said Reynard. "Colonel, let's go. He's gone." "What caused the plane to drop out of the sky like that?" he asked. "They said something big and black ripped a wing off of the plane," said Reynard. "Big and black?" asked Sam. "That's right," she said. "Maybe your friend there isn't the only big monster around." 000 Clouds blew wildly around him as he looked around for the falling plane. Pyrothraxus closed his secondary eyelids, protecting his eyes from the freezing moister. He knew he was close because the sound of the whistle was getting louder. He looked up and saw a bright light through the churning clouds. The dragon ducked out of the way just as the lengthy fuselage of the jet passed speedily by him. Pyrothraxus folded his wings up to his body and made his dive towards the plane. He flattened his neck frills and ear frills, trying to reduce the drag of the wind across his body. Spreading his wings slightly and angling them flat, he managed to maneuver himself over the plummeting jet. The tips of of the leading edges of his wings created twin streams of contrails. Pyrothraxus turned his eyes slightly to the left and saw the missing wing of the 747. What was left barely counted as a stub. That would be enough to cause the jet to drop. As he positioned himself over the hump of the jet, he extended his claws out and gently pressed them against the icy-cold, slick surface. The wind combined with the altitude was so cold ice began to form along his body as well. Though being a Red Dragon and having a blast furnace for a heart, he did not much mind the bitter cold. Don't puncture the hull, Pyrothraxus thought. Don't decompress the compartment. The spell he knew that he had to perform was a touch-activated spell. All he had to do was to touch the plane without having to grapple it. He held on with the pads of his paws, keeping his talons angled up and away from the metallic surface so not to puncture it or break any of the glass windows. He looked up and saw that the ground was rushing swiftly close to him. Pyrothraxus shut his eyes tightly and mumbled to himself, bracing his head against the jet. Feather fall… Suddenly, the wind was calm, barely blowing across his snout. He opened up his eyes and saw the clouds were not whizzing as swiftly by him as they were before. In fact, everything was slowed to a safe and comfortable crawl. It was like he was floating as he was descending down. It was not him that was descending softly and safely down to the ground, it was the jet. Pyrothraxus was just on top of it, floating down along with it. He extended his wings out and angled them, helping to guide the jet's descent down. His eyes spied the landing runway of Griffis Airport and an open area where he could set the jet down. All around him were law enforcers and emergency vehicles. He spied a few SUVs of course obviously from the air force base. 000 Lieutenant Colonel Sam Davidson came out of the Ford Explorer with his superior General Genny Reynard. When they received the radio feed that the plane had slowed its descent, they made their way to the airport to see what was going on. Sam shook his head, a grin of disbelief appeared on his face. Reynard was none to thrilled though, her arms folded across her chest. Flagmen signaled to the enormous Red Dragon to set the jet down just as the landing gear engaged. Ignoring the disapproving grunt of his superior, Sam came running for Pyrothraxus, clapping his hands. "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Jon!" he shouted. Pyrothraxus landed down beside the jet and moved away. He collapsed to the ground and rolled completely on his back, sprawling his wings out. Despite never needing to breathe again since his ascension, the dragon was gasping for air. He was even shivering from the ordeal. Sam glanced over to the jet and saw people leaping out onto the emergency ramps, sliding down to the emergency personnel below. There were a few wounded here and there, but from what he could tell, nothing too sever. Some of the passengers were pointing at Pyrothraxus, confused by his presence. It was obvious that a few of them figured out that it was he that saved them from a horrible crash. As Sam made his way to the dragon, he found several police officers on the scene walking towards him as well. Sam pushed his way through them. "Sir?" one of them asked. "It's okay," he said. "The dragon—is under the authority of the United State's Air Force." "So, that really is a dragon?" the other officer asked. "Yeah, that really is a dragon," said Sam. "Excuse me." He looked up, seeing Pyrothraxus tremble. "Jon?" Sam asked. "You alright?" Pyrothraxus' pupils were dilated, but not the same type of dilation they were before when he was casting his spell on Sam's superior. The glowing pupils trembled a bit. Sam knew that look as also. "Hey, can anyone get a medic over here?" he asked. Sam turned back to Pyrothraxus and snapped his fingers in front of his eyes. "Jon, look at me. Come on, look at me. Say something." A medic ran up with his kit: "Something wrong?" "Yeah," said Sam. "Could you tell me what's wrong with him. I think I have an idea, but I need to know." "You're kidding right?" the medic asked. "I'm not a vet." "He's not an animal," said Sam. "I went to high school with him. Just look at him, okay?" "Fine," she said as she got out a light pen. She leaned up to Pyrothraxus' lower eyelid and shined the light into his eye. The medic flinched and backed away just as the light reflected back to her, blinding her. "Whoa! That's bright. Those retinas are a bit too reflective. My cat's eyes don't shine as much as his." "Well?" Sam asked. "It's shock," she said. "Just give him a few minutes to collect himself and he'll be fine." The medic moved away, mumbling to herself as being the first human to actually diagnose a dragon with acute stress disorder while at the same time wonder what her boss would say if she told him that. "Jon?" said Sam. "Come on, man. Wake up." The glowing pupil was still on him, but the dragon made no movement to respond. Then, Sam placed his hand on Pyrothraxus' thorny cheek. "S—Sam," the dragon whispered. "So, I'm not—an animal?" Sam laughed: "What gave you the idea that I thought you were?" "Being four-legged." "I'll try to get you in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the heaviest, longest, and tallest person in the world," he said. "How's that?" Pyrothraxus closed his eyes for a moment and sighed: "That's the first time I've ever dropped out of the sky like that. I've—never rescued a 747 before." "You're as big as a 747," said Sam. "Hey, just because you're over 5 thousand years old, doesn't mean you've done everything there is to do." He patted the dragon's cheek. "So, basically, you're tellin' me that's the first time you've ever gone sky diving." "Yes," he said. "And I don't want to ever do that again. I've dived through the sky, but not at those speeds." "Super Jon," said Sam. "That's what they're gonna call you on TV. Super Jon. Now all you need is a cape and a big 'S' and you'll be set." Pyrothraxus chuckled as he rolled over to his side. He gave his purple neck frill a shake, loosening the grit from the tarmac. "Uh-oh, here comes your 'boss'," said Pyrothraxus. "Jon, get going," said Sam. "Go on, fly off." "What?" "Go, man!" Sam said. "Before she gets over here with those soldiers." "What about following your orders?" he asked. "It's not worth ending a long time friendship," said Sam. "We're more than friends, Jon, we're like brothers." Pyrothraxus rose up off the ground: "You're more of a brother to me than my real brother, Sam." "Yeah, that's fine," said Sam, urgently pushing on the dragon's foreleg. "Now move! Fly your scaly hide outta here!" Pyrothraxus snorted out some of the dust from his nostrils and nodded. Then, with one great leap into the air, he took to the sky, extending his great wings for that downbeat. The wind rushed up against Sam, causing him to stumble forward slightly. "Stop!" the general called. "Stop him! Colonel, stop him!" "How am I supposed to stop him, ma'am?" Sam asked. "He's in the sky now." He looked up and saw that the Red Dragon had vanished the moment he reached a stable altitude. Sam suspected that his old friend also had the ability of teleportation, which now would not surprise him. "This is insubordination, Colonel," said Reynard. "Let him go, General," he said. "What has Jonathan done? He saved a city from a giant worm attack and now he saved a jet from crashing. You don't lock up people like that, you say 'thank you' and let them continue on. He's done nothing wrong, so why are we imprisoning him? Doesn't that go against the law too? Besides, don't you want to find out what made that jet drop like that?" "I suppose your right," said Reynard. "But don't think I'll let this go about your dragon friend so soon." Sam shrugged and glanced back up into the night sky again. One thing he was certain of, Jonathan/Pyrothraxus was going to be in a lot of trouble once he gets home. Sam wondered if he should stop by to try and defend Jonathan from the wrath of his wife for being out so late. Shocking Discoveries "Only 5 passengers were reported to be injured during the incident," said Barbara Wells. "One was reported to have a concussion from hitting his head against the seat. But so far, no sever injuries or death has been reported." They all sat up at the edge of their seats, leaning over the cubicles and sitting down on desks and chairs to watch the plasma TV screen above. Jonathan smiled as he leaned up on his cubicle, watching the scene unfold. There was a shaky camera recording of him helping the plane to land onto the runway. There was another view of him near Madison Square banishing the purple worm also taken by someone who had a shaky camera. "It has been unconfirmed whether or not this creature is the same creature which appeared earlier yesterday afternoon," she said. "This information is being withheld by the Department of Defense. But I think the main question on the minds of the people of New York is —where did this creature come from? Does this creature mean any ill towards us?" Jonathan shook his head. "I do have with me a man who can possibly answer some of these questions," said Barbara as the camera turned to a balding man with a German accent and a manacle in his eye. "Oh, Hans!" Jonathan laughed. "Shhhh!" Jonathan turned to an elderly lady who gave him a fierce glance. "What, he's my son's principle," he said. "This is Professor Hans Rotwood," she said. "Don't tell them too much, Hans," Jonathan said in a low voice. "Hello, Ms. Wells," said Hans. "It is nice to finally be able to come out and state all that I have learned about cryptology and not have anyone call me crazy." "Professor," said Barbara Wells. "You state you know what sort of creature this is. Could you inform the viewers?" "Ja," he said. "I can. It's a dragon." "A real dragon?" "Of course its real! All this time, we thought dragons were just fairytales and creatures found in movies and video games, but they are real creatures. Tell me how a creature who has never existed before in our world appears several times in our mythologies? Every culture has its own dragon and each one has a general characteristic—large reptile with wings…mostly…and some sort of breath weapon. Has the dragon become something we related to various predators that used to hunt us, or how we explained dinosaur bones when we found them in the past? No, the dragon has always been real! The dragon just has been hiding mostly." "In Western cultures, the dragon is often a representation of evil," began Barbara. "So, can you tell us, does this dragon mean us any harm?" Jonathan shook his head. He turned to the sound of some whispering going on in the next cubical. "I can assure you, this particular dragon has no relationship to how Westerners think of when they see a dragon," said Rotwood. "Despite him looking like what a Western Dragon looks like, his attitude is more like the Chinese Dragon." "He?" "Ja, he is a male dragon. And he means us no harm. If he did mean us harm, he would have already harmed us and gotten into trouble for it." "So, this dragon has been hiding himself for a long time," Barbara said. "Why is that?" "Humans," replied Rotwood. "Humans killed dragons out of fear and misunderstandings, so in order to protect himself, this dragon went into hiding." "Is there a possibility that there are more dragons living around in various places of the world?" "I wouldn't doubt it," said Rotwood. "You have some items that you managed to gather from the dragon," she said. "Some say that there's possibly two dragons. One in Rome and the other in New York City." "No," said Rotwood. "The one that appeared in Rome is the same one that appeared in New York. And I'll show you why. That particular dragon is called a Red Chromatic Dragon. Each Red Dragon has its own pattern of black, tiger-like stripes that run the length of its neck, back, and tail. I have very clear photographs of our resident Red Dragon." He brought out some photographs of the dragon in various fighting scenes where the images of its back could clearly be seen. Jonathan rested his head on the edge of his cubical and chuckled at how detail-oriented Rotwood was when it came to him. He was the only species of magical creature that was willing to even continue contacting Rotwood. Mostly it had to do with Jake and school. "As you can see from the tape last night and these photographs that the stripe patterns are the same," said Rotwood. "That means that both sightings were caused by the same dragon." "Could the government handle something like this Red Dragon?" she asked. "Why would they?" he asked her. "Dragons are basically like any creature, as long as you don't provoke the dragon, he will not attack you. So, as long as we do not meddle in his affairs, he will not attack us in any way. He just wants to live, but he is a protector of what he perceives as his land…his territory…" "Nice," Jonathan whispered. "So, he protects that," said Rotwood. "We are just a part of his territory. After all, he was here first." "He was?" "Ja," he said. "He was. He was here before the Founding Fathers came to this country. So, we must respect that we share this land with him. And as long as we respect him, he will do the same for us. There is an old saying…" As Rotwood began to recite the saying, Jonathan, knowing it, recited it along with him. "Thou shall not meddle in the affairs of dragons," they said in unison. "For thy flesh is tasty and good with seasoning." "I've traced that saying all the way back to the 2nd Century AD," said Rotwood. "As a warning to humans who dare to settle very near a dragon's lair. A dragon will not mind human settlements so close to its lair so long as they do not pry upon it's personal home." "So, it seems we should not look at dragons as merely animals," she said. "They are not," said Rotwood. "With my personal dealings with our Red Dragon, this is how I managed to look upon him. To think of him as an animal is an insult to him and deserves probably no less than a good searing from his flames. To think of him as like a human is also considered insulting, but not as much as being called an animal. So, what is a dragon? It is not an animal. Dragons look to humans as humans would look to animals in the wild. And any dragon who befriends a human is pretty much like a human having a very loyal house pet. Because the dragon is larger and much more powerful and also a being of longevity, he perceives himself as being the better species. This may be considered arrogant to us, but it is very much true. "Physically, magically, height, weight, and the fact that they do not suffer from many diseases as we do—they are the better species. But there are some things that dragons cannot do but humans can. So, who is really the better? Is it us or has it always been the dragon? This dragon I've dealt with is not as arrogant as the rest of his species mostly because he understand that some species have certain abilities that are not shared with others. We're all different, that is what he sees. But we must share this world together." "From our report, it seems he can speak Latin," she said. "But from what I'm getting from you is that he can speak English too. Is that correct?" "He speaks English very well," said Rotwood. "As is expected from an intelligent creature such as he. He speaks many other languages as well. He's been alive since before the Great Pyramids of Egypt were built, so it is expected." "You said dragons live long lives, but I never thought that their lives could span the entire length of human civilization," said Barbara. "That is amazing!" "A single dragon can bare witness to the rise and fall of many nations," said Rotwood. "So, in a way, dragons are just about the best sort of record we have on this planet. If you ask nicely, he might be able to tell you stories about Alexander the Great…stories you may not even know about Alexander. What historian wouldn't want to know that?" "It seems like we could benefit much from our new scaly neighbor," said Barbara. "That we can," Rotwood said in agreement. "I know I have learned much from him…" "Alright, that's enough TV," called the floor supervisor. "Everyone, back to your stations." Jonathan glanced around as he heard several workers groan just as the supervisor switched the channel to the financial report on Wall Street. He sank back down to his desk and started typing out equations on Microsoft Excel for the current financial report he needed to get done. Jonathan smiled again when he remembered the other night visiting Rotwood and telling him to go ahead with the plan of exposure. Jonathan as his true identity Pyrothraxus advised Rotwood to make it subtle, showing a few images to a willing reporter who would not take what she heard out of context. Rotwood knew of one, Barbara Wells, who had taken upon herself to figure out the strange incidents that were happening in New York since Jonathan begun playing an active part in the Magical World again. Becoming active and spending time in his dragon form made it more difficult for him to hide himself in the shadows so easily. Jonathan heard that Wells was also hot on his trail. This information Rotwood gave him some time ago right after the Red Dragon's ascension to his god-like immortality. There was another concern he had and it revolved around Flight 855. Something caused that jet to drop out of the sky for some reason. Jonathan remembered seeing the wing as he reached out to catch the plane. Something managed to tear it off. No, he thought. It was not torn off, it was melted off. That was something he could not figure out. What creature could melt the wing off? Why would a creature want to melt the wing off of a jet plane? He knew it had to have been a magical creature because he knew that no non-magical creature could do something like that. It had to have been big in order to do the damage it did. Dragons are big…no, there are other giant creatures out there besides dragons… He hoped it was not a dragon. Such a revelation would harm this new reputation he managed to get for himself. Of course he and other magical creatures knew that as with anything, there were good dragons and there were bad dragons. Humans, on the other hand, have a habit of lumping everything into one group just to point their finger at it. They do it all the time with themselves. Just because a few minority races (African Americans or Latinos) in the United States have committed crimes, many members of the Caucasian stock assumed that all minorities were bound to become criminals. It was a lazy way of categorizing with little work to be done about it. Humans of one group just assume to blame the breed and not the individual. And that is what stereotypes were. Humans did the same for his kind as well. Just because there were evil dragons out there, did not mean that all dragons were evil. Some dragons tried to help humanity, but were shunned because humans assumed they were "like all the rest". When Pyrothraxus went into the human world, he tried not to have that same eye the humans had for his kind. He treated humans based on their character, not their race, color, or ethnic background. This was why he felt Sam was more like a brother to him than his own little brother Zestos and why he fell in love with an Asian woman. He saw past their species and their color of their skins to become a member of their family. It was the same way with Galen and Sayan'i and the other Metallic Dragons. But racism was no stranger to dragons either. Chromatic Dragons were expected to view Metallic Dragons as weak and pathetic. There he went again, thinking that because he thought differently meant he was the better dragon. Jonathan sighed and shook his head, trying to focus back on the airplane incident. He was glad he was there to show humanity that the stories about his kind were not always true. He wanted to bring whoever did it to justice for their crimes. Jonathan curled his fingers in frustration when he came up with no idea who or what it could be. "Jonathan!" shouted a voice over the cubical. Jonathan looked up, his red eyes wide, pushing his glasses further up the ridge of his nose. It was his cubical neighbor Ray Carr. "You see that news cast?" Ray asked. "Yeah, everyone saw it," said Jonathan. "Well, I don't know," Ray shrugged. "Usually you have your head buried so deep in paperwork that you don't notice anything happening around the office anymore." "Well, I think the boss hates me," said Jonathan. He knew why that was…his boss having a thing for making a Red Dragon doing nothing more than mindless paper work for the rest of his existence. "The boss hates all of us," Ray said. "Well, did you actually see it, or just ignore it?" "I saw the news," said Jonathan. More than that, I was the news! "You know, Emmet over there in cubical 9 says Chanel 6 is giving out 500 bucks to anyone other than that Rotwood guy who can send in a picture of that big monster flying around New York," said Ray. "I'm not…" Jonathan said in his own defense, but then caught himself. "I mean, he's not a monster." "Hey, he's big, ugly, has fangs and claws," Ray said. "That's a monster to me." "What do you want, Ray?" Jonathan asked. "I've gotta get these TPS reports done before Lumberg gets over here and chews me out again." "You wanna go dragon hunting tonight?" Ray asked. "What?" Jonathan asked, horrified by the question. "No!" "Come on," said Ray. "500 bucks. I'll split it with yah. 250 for you, 250 for me. I got this great camera…" "How about I just give you 500 bucks so you'll go away," Jonathan said, rising up from his cubical. "You know what? You go out there alone and hunt for your dragon." Then stepped out of his cubical. "Or better yet, you can use your fabulous camera to take a picture of my ass as I'm walking away!" "What the hell is eatin' him?" Ray asked as he watched Jonathan walk down towards the men's restroom. Jonathan pushed his way through the men's room door, hearing it slam against the wall. He breathed heavily, trying hard to still his own growing anger. The rage of a Red Dragon was often difficult to quell, even for the Red Dragon. He was hurt by that statement and his first reaction would be to make Ray pay for it. That was what all Red Dragons do. They lived on vengeance when they have been wronged. That is what Pyrothraxus would do…he thought. Not Jonathan Long. Jonathan's face was flushed as red as a lobster—or as red as the scales in his true form. The color worried him. He never felt so angry, so insulted by some human's greed before. Glancing around, Jonathan checked all of the stalls before entering the handicapped stall. There were only two stalls and two urinals for this particular section of the office. With a heavy sigh, Jonathan allowed himself to shift into his dragon form. He still kept a fairly human size, though his body seemed to take up much of the large stall. Pyrothraxus twirled a claw and the top latch on the stall locked. He picked up the sound of the door opening and feet walking in on the hard tiles. "Hey, Jon!" called Ray. "Yo, I'm sorry if I offended you." "Ray," Pyrothraxus said. "Go away." "Hey, I though we both could benefit from the pictures of that dragon," said Ray. "Given the hard economic times and stuff. I hear your old Stanza needs an axle adjustment." "I don't take advantage on other people," said Pyrothraxus. "Yeah, but this isn't a person," said Ray. "It's a monster." "I wish you wouldn't use that word, Ray," said Pyrothraxus. "Didn't you hear what that— professor said on the tube? The dragon isn't a monster." "Sure is as ugly as one," said Ray. Pyrothraxus fumed; barring his fangs and letting loose a deep growl. His claw gripped the tissue rack and snapped it off with a snap. The metallic rack hit the floor with a clang. "You okay in there?" Ray asked. "You're starting to worry me." "I'm fine," said Pyrothraxus, looking down where the rack fell. "Is that the 2-ply rack?" Ray asked, seeing the rack roll away. Then, he saw the roll of toilet paper roll away as well. "Hey, you're loosing your roll, man." "Forget it," said Pyrothraxus as he climbed on top of the toilet and crouched down, coiling his tail around his legs as best as he could. "You sure you're okay in there?" asked Ray. "Lumberg's looking for you. He said the big boss wants to speak to you." "McGreggor?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Wonderful…" "I don't know why McGreggor always wants to see you," said Ray. "What do you keep doing? Is it good or bad? I want in on it!" "None of your business," he said. "Sheesh," said Ray. "Touchy. Like I care about what you do, Mr. Bigshot. See if Maude and I come over for dinner this Saturday." "Don't bother," said Pyrothraxus. "We'll probably be busy again anyways." "Have it your way, smartass," Ray said. "I was just trying to help you out, you know. Score some free money for once. You changed, man…these past months, you've changed. You're not the Jonathan I knew anymore." "No," he said. "I'm still the same—the world has changed…" He poked an eye through the crack in the door. "And I wonder sometimes if I should just give in…" The door unlocked and pushed open. Ray turned around and caught a whiff of sulfur. He heard the sound of something rustling and turned around. "Well, why don't you just claim your 500 dollars now," began Pyrothraxus. "Take out your camera phone, snap a shot, and send it on its way? We'll split it, just like you promised, 50-50. After all, I hope to get something out of this for showing myself." "Oh God…" Ray slid up against the wall. "J-Jonathan? Wow…you look bigger on the TV set." "If I can change shape, that means I can change sizes too," he said. "Well, take the shot!" Pyrothraxus brought himself close to Ray. "Come on, do it. I'll even pose like I'm trying for a spot on the New York Post." Ray felt around for his camera, but then lowered his hand. "I—I can't…" he said. "Good answer," said Pyrothraxus. His form reverted back into its human shape. "It's different when you find out the person you want to take advantage of is a friend, isn't it? It's so easy to do it when you don't know the guy." "I don't know you," he said. "You're—I can't believe you're really the Red Dragon." "Well, even a dragon has to work," said Jonathan. "And you think I'd get a job walking in with smoking jaws all the time? There is a reason for this disguise." He crossed his arms. "Mostly, it has to do with what you said about me…calling me an ugly monster just because I have fangs and claws. You think because I look the way I do, I'm a monster. Can't judge a book by its cover, so, why judge the dragon by how fierce it looks?" He pushed his way through the door. "L-look, I won't say anything," said Ray. "Just don't eat me or nothin'." "I haven't eaten a human in a thousand years," said Jonathan. "Besides, I don't trust human flesh now. With all the toxins in the air and in the water, who's to say what sort of toxins you're carrying inside your body that could be passed onto me if I do eat you? I could be downing mercury and PCPs for all I know. Especially with what we handle around the office. Oh, and the MSGs could also be bad for me too. I mean, you love to eat Chinese food a lot. Not eating humans could be the healthiest thing a dragon would do these days." "Yeah, right…" said Ray. "Oh, McGreggor wants to see you, remember?" "Right," said Jonathan as he walked away, heading for the elevator, pressing for the very top floor. As soon as he got there, a secretary was waiting for him at a desk, filing her nails. "He's waiting on the other side, Mr. Long," she said, not even meeting his eyes. "Thanks," he said as he went in. The office he stepped into was enormous and dark. The only light in room was a large window behind the desk. There, Eric McGreggor was gazing out to the streets of New York below. "You do not need to hide yourself with me, Pyrothraxus," he said. Jonathan let his form go and grew out into his dragon shape. The office was large enough to hold his true size even, allowing him to coil around the length of the wall. Pyrothraxus lowered his head down, his eyes smoldered brightly in the shadows. His wings rustled against the floor as he carefully repositioned them, trying not to catch the Berber carpet on the talons. "Nice work saving those people on that plane," said Eric. "Perhaps you really have changed since the Huntsclan creation." "I told you," said Pyrothraxus. "I am different." "I—didn't want to believe you," he said. "I didn't want to believe that you were not bound by your own race's moral choices." "What's on your mind, Huntsmaster?" the Red Dragon asked. "I'm worried," he said. "The Huntsclan is worried. You being discovered by the Air Force, it makes me wonder what else they'll discover about you. I am worried that in delving into your past they will find us as well. We run a secret organization with weaponry that the government has never seen nor even attempted to develop. To find out that we have created these weapons, they will seek to destroy our organization out of fear that we would use it against them." "You use your weapons against us magical creatures," said Pyrothraxus. "Yes," said Eric. "But it will turn around for us as well. Even if I convince them that we only hunt magical creatures because we believe we are protecting humans…they will not buy it." "Protecting humans," Pyrothraxus said in a deep, resentful growl. "Haven't you learned anything, Eric? Not all of us want to do ill towards humans. I will not deny that there are criminals and evil doers, but to sentence all of us just because a few…" "I cannot discuss this any further," said Eric. "But you are right, just as there is evil among the magical world, there is also evil in the human world. Still, the Huntsclan will not forgive easily what you have personally done. You were that evil, Pyrothraxus." "I know I was," he said. "But the point is that I am not anymore. Don't judge my entire species on what I have done. Just judge me…but at least allow me to make it up to you." "Don't utter a word about the Huntsclan," said Eric, pointing a finger right at the dragon's snout. "Not its existence, nor its creation or your involvement on how it was created. We are the only ones who have the records on the incident at Bar. No one else does." "Obviously so you can keep working in the shadows, doing your ill dealings in the magical world," said Pyrothraxus. "I've promised you I would not take your life for the lives you've taken those centuries ago," said Eric. "You owe me this." "Fine," he said. "Not a word." "There is one other thing," said Eric. "That I must state. About the incident yesterday with the Purple Worm." "You know something about it?" he asked. "We received some information that a lot of magical energy was being gathered in the building owned by our resident Wizard of Wall Street," said Eric. "The energy signature which we monitored was yours." "I assure you I was not helping the Pandarus," said Pyrothraxus. "I know," he said. "Because I found the real energy signature—your signature of course in your home." "So, you know where I live now…" said Pyrothraxus. "It appears that it is the same house where I have found the American Dragon coming in and out of," said Eric. "Eric…" Pyrothraxus. "Is your son the American Dragon?" Eric asked. "And don't you think I don't know about his relationship with my niece Rose." "Let's just keep them out of our little squabble, Eric," said Pyrothraxus. "Very well," he said. "Anyway, because of this information, I've found that it is possible that Pandarus is zapping your magical energy. When the energy reached its peak, the Purple Worm appeared." "Pandarus…" said Pyrothraxus. "Yes, Huntsmaster, I have been feeling a bit fatigue lately because of my magical energy was lower than normal. And you think you found who did it?" "Yes," he said. "Do you know why Pandarus would steal my energy?" "No," said Eric. "That's all I know, Pyrothraxus." "It is a start, then," said the dragon. "Thank you. I appreciate it." Eric leaned down and pulled out a sheet of paper, filling it out and then lying it in front of the dragon. "Give this to Lumberg," he said. "Tell him I'm giving you the week off with pay so you can figure all of this out—with Pandarus and with the Air Force. It won't count against your vacation." "Wow, giving the creature you hate a little extra something-something…" Pyrothraxus said with a cocked eyebrow. "That's new." "This is also to protect me," said Eric. "I want a full report when you are done. Don't think I won't get anything out of this." The dragon's form melted away, reshaping back into a human form. Jonathan put his glasses back on his nose and took the note from the desk. "The day you return, report back to me, Pyrothraxus," said Eric. "Yes, sir," Jonathan said as he walked out of the room. He passed the secretary desk and gave one final glance to her. Then, he pulled out his cell phone, calling for Lao Shi's Electronics. "Lao Shi's Electronics," said Fu Dog on the other line. "How may I help you?" "Fu?" he asked. "It's Jonathan. Is Lao Shi there?" "Yeah," said Fu. "Hang on. Hey, Gramps! It's Jon!" There was a brief pause and a little struggle with the phone before Jonathan got Lao Shi. "Well, daughter's husband, what is it?" Lao Shi asked. "I just got a message as to who's been stealing my magic," said Jonathan. "I'm heading over to your store now." "Alright," said Lao Shi. "I'll see you when you get there. And don't be late!" "I'll get there as fast as traffic can bring me," said Jonathan. "I'm leaving work now." "Oh, since people know you're around, why don't you fly here?" said Lao Shi and then he hung up. Jonathan rolled his eyes at that statement. 000 As he passed the door, Lao Shi shut it quickly and flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed". They all hurried to the back of the room and Jonathan made himself comfortable on a chair. "It was Pandarus," he said. "Pandarus?" asked Lao Shi. "He was zapping your power?" "He also was the one who released the Purple Worm," said Jonathan. "Lao Shi," said Fu Dog. "This could be the thing that would bring down that criminal wizard once and for all and bring him before the Dragon Council. You know magic exposure is forbidden. Since Pandarus was the one who did it, it would be him that gets punished for it." "We still have to get him to admit the incident was his fault," said Lao Shi. "That is the difficult part." "I told you, Lao Shi," said Jonathan. "It wasn't my fault." "Yes, yes," he said in a dismissive tone. "You're off the hook for now, daughter's husband. But don't think I'll forgive you for exposing yourself." "Oh, come on, Lao Shi," Jonathan said. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to save that plane. Because I wouldn't have been brought to the Air Force base where that plane was about to crash. I did good, why can't you just say that I did good?" "Alright," he said. "You did good, Jonathan. But sooner or later, people will find out about who the mystery Red Dragon of New York is." "I'll handle it when that comes." "Just keep my daughter out of it!" "You know I wouldn't do anything that would put my wife in danger," he said. "I love her too much to let that happen." "I know." "Lao Shi," began Fu Dog. "I think it'll be a good idea if we let Sun Park into this as well. We could use her help in exposing Pandarus." "Call her up, Fu," said Lao Shi. "Dialing now," Fu said. "Hello, Sun? Yeah, it's Fu. We found out who let the Purple Worm out. Pandarus. Uh-huh…yeah..." "Do you know why Pandarus would want to release that creature?" Lao Shi asked Jonathan. "No," he said. "I don't. I think it might have been an accident, but still, it's worth bringing him to justice for the other stuff he's done." Lao Shi's eyes narrowed when he saw Jonathan turn around. He could tell the Ancient Dragon was thinking about this and there was something he was hiding. "Uh-huh," said Fu Dog. "Oh! Really? Yeah. I'll tell him. Bye." He hung up. "Well, she's coming over and she said she has a feeling as to why Pandarus did it. She said her sources state he's after the Stone of Aster." Jonathan's eyes widened and his head perked up. "Aiyah!" Lao Shi called. "Not the Stone!" "Yep," said Fu Dog. "That's what it is." He turned to Jonathan. "What's the matter, Jonathan? Your face looks a little green…which is odd for a Red Dragon." He started laughing. "Maybe we should call you a Green Dragon now!" "It's nothing," he said as he rose up from the chair. The front door opened as Jake came walking in: "Yo, Gramps, I'm here." "Jake, good," said Lao Shi. "Come and sit down. We found out who released the Purple Worm." Jonathan crossed his arms as he saw his son sit down beside his grandfather. Jake looked over at his father and smiled. "Hey, dad," he said. "What's up?" Jonathan's brow was furrowed deeply in thought and he turned away from his son. "What's wrong?" Jake asked. "What happened?" "Pandarus," said Lao Shi. "He released the Purple Worm from the plane known as Pandemonium. He stole your father's energy to fuel his own magic to open a temporary gate in order to get inside and release that Worm." "Actually, Jonathan was right on the accident," said Fu. "That Worm was guarding a magical device known as the Stone of Aster. Pandarus was trying to get to it." "Great, well, I'll just go AmDrag and school Pandarus in the ways of butt kickin'," said Jake. That statement garnered a grunt from his father. "What did I say?" he asked. "Jonathan?" asked Lao Shi. "Do you have any idea why Pandarus would want to get the Stone of Aster?" Jonathan asked. "I don't even know what it is," said Jake. Jonathan shook his head and looked to Lao Shi: "Well, this is where you're supposed to fill him in, isn't it? Since he can only have one Dragon Master." "Something tells me you know a lot more about it than I do, Jonathan," said Lao Shi. "I do, but it's not my place to say anything, it's yours." "Oh, don't you two start this again…" Jake sighed. "The Stone of Aster is a very powerful magical artifact from the ancient world," said Lao Shi. "From your father's world." "Basically it's the magical equivalent of a death ray," said Fu. "Except the charges are unlimited. But there are other beliefs that the Stone can alter the fabric of space and time and whoever wears it can reach into psionic energies that only the Powers that Be can touch. They can see and touch things that you and I cannot even see and touch. And Pandarus' ancestor created it over 3 thousand years ago. However, it was stolen by someone. The history scrolls are a little fuzzy on that. But some how, the Stone of Aster came into Pandemonium. Who took it there?" "Jonathan?" asked Lao Shi. "I did," he finally admitted. "I stole the Stone of Aster and took it to Pandemonium where I placed it into a box and charmed a Purple Worm to guard it. Only I didn't leave it there. I recently went for the Stone and hid it in my hoard when I came here…which means when I Ascended—the Stone of Aster…" "The Stone of Aster is inside you!" Lao Shi said. "Jonathan! You ate the Stone!" "So that's why your aura looks funny," said Fu Dog. "You're digesting the Stone of Aster." "Dad, why did you steal the Stone?" asked Jake. "Do I really need to answer that question?" asked Jonathan. "He's a greedy Red Dragon!" shouted Lao Shi. "Of course he would steal something like the Stone. I'm surprised you didn't use it." "I did," said Jonathan. "There is a reason why it's called the Dead Sea." "Jonathan, you didn't!" Lao Shi gasped. Jake shook his head in disbelief. "Jake, I told you, a little over 1500 years ago, I was one of the worst Chromatic Red Dragons to ever walk the Earth or fly through the sky," said Jonathan. "It was what my mother wanted. You won't believe the amount of conditioning Galen and Sayan'i had to break through in order to make me into the father you know me as now." "Mortal civilization got started much later after magical civilization," said Lao Shi. "Pyrothraxus and Chromatic Dragons like him made a name for themselves by causing great disasters. Such disasters were written off by the mortals as various biblical plagues. Malystryx was one of the worst. The Red Maurader she is called—your biological grandmother on your father's side, Jake. There were many mighty disasters she caused in her day and she taught these talents to her two favorite sons, Pyrothraxus and Zestos." "No other Ancient Dragon could touch her," said Fu Dog. "As there is a reason why the Dead Sea is what it is now…there is a reason why the Sahara is a desert." "My mother—your grandmother, Jake," said Jonathan. "She can alter the ecology of a continent. I mean look what's happening to the Sahara? Is the desert stopping its movement down Africa? No. It's continuing to spread. Her magic is still influencing it." He got up and ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to impress her, so I stole the Stone of Aster to boost my magical power and try to change the ecology of an area. I succeeded and I was rewarded for it. She found that I had more talent and so, paid more attention to my magical development. This started the rift between me and my baby brother Zestos. Mom had other children, but she killed them all when she found out they were of no use to her. Her only two 'talented' children were Zestos and I, which is why we survived her wrath to become who we are now. Oh, if she finds out what I've become and find you, Haley and your mother…I don't know what could happen…" Jonathan shut his eyes tightly. "I don't even want to think what could happen." "But she's locked up like the others, right?" Jake asked. "No, she isn't," said Jonathan. "Is she dead?" asked Jake. "Has the Sahara stopped spreading?" asked Jonathan. "No," said Fu. "Even we know about that." "As long as she remains alive and on this world," said Jonathan. "You will continue to see the effects of her magic in Africa." "Aiyah…" Lao Shi said, shaking his head. "Malystryx is still alive and she's still here. You have the Stone of Aster, and Pandarus released your Purple Worm! That was your Worm, Jonathan!" "I got rid of it," said Jonathan. "Alright, one thing at a time," said Fu Dog. "We'll talk about Malystryx later," said Lao Shi. He turned around to see Sun Park walk into the back room. "Hi, did I miss anything?" she asked. "Yeah," said Fu Dog. "Besides the fact that we just found out that Jonny here ate the Stone of Aster, and Malystryx is still on Earth. Oh, and Jon, to impress his mommy back then, created the Dead Sea with the Stone." "I got nothin'," Jonathan shrugged when he saw Sun Park's horrified expression. "Oh, and the Purple Worm was Jonathan's pet," said Lao Shi. He reached for a rolled up newspaper and swatted Jonathan on the arm. "Ouch!" Jonathan said. "What was that for?" "For you not telling me that Purple Worm was your pet!" "If I did, then I would get this long speech from you about how stupid I am and it would give you another reason to hate me, Lao Shi," said Jonathan. "Okay, that's enough," Sun Park said. Jake reached for his father and Jonathan knelt down to him. "Don't worry," he said lowly. "You don't have to call Malystryx grandma if you ever meet her. In fact, I wouldn't suggest you do." "She's not my grandma," said Jake. "Yeah, I know," he said. "She stopped being my mother a long time ago too." "Well, here's what I know now," said Sun Park. "Pandarus wants the Stone of Aster and he wants the dragon who took it." "That's me!" said Jonathan. "We need to get him to admit that he was the one who released Jonathan's pet from its pin," said Lao Shi. "That will get the Council to make its decision to incarcerate him for exposing the Magical World." "Right," said Sun Park. "From what I heard, he wants to meet on his own terms, at a nightclub he owns. Tonight. He says he still has some of Jonathan's powers left over and he'll release something else if he doesn't get what he wants. This nightclub is called the Witch's Brew." "Hey, I've been there," said Fu Dog. "They have the best kibble this side of the East River. Strictly magical creatures only, no mortals." "And it's big enough to house some of the larger magical citizens," said Sun Park. "It can even house a fully grown Chromatic Red Dragon with room to spare." "He wants me in my dragon form," said Jonathan. "He's got it." "Alright, well, let's get to it," said Jake. "Dragon…" "Wait," said Lao Shi. "This place isn't for youngsters. For once, I will have to suggest that you sit this out, young dragon." "Say what?" Jake asked. "I think Lao Shi is right, Jake-a-roonie," said Jonathan. "You need to stay here. And I think I should go in unescorted. Have you guys hang back in the shadows to catch what Pandarus is saying. I'll be the bait." "Aw man…" Jake sighed. "I've told Haley to stay home too," said Sun Park. "If we need you, Jake, we'll call. But I think fully trained dragon guardians should handle this." "If I don't get the training," said Jake. "How am I supposed to be ready for something like this?" "You will," said Lao Shi. "We'll do the next one together as a part of your training. This is better handled by us." Jake sat back down and crossed his arms as he watched his father, his grandfather, Fu Dog, and Sun Park leave the store. Underworld "We could use him, ma'am," said Sam as he drove down towards Jonathan's house. "Instead of exploiting his body. Who's to say that Jon's the only magical creature around? He could be an important informant into this world beneath ours." "I do not trust him," said the general. "Colonel, he's betrayed you…" "I betrayed him," said Sam, interrupting his superior officer. "We had a bond that we swore never to break. Never turn on each other, always help the other. That bond had nothing to do with any sort of secrets that we might hide in order to protect the other. Knowing what he was without him knowing and then luring him out with my friendship just to trap him with an intention of treating him like some sort of lab rat. I don't want to do that to him again. I want to make this right." "Against my better judgment, perhaps you are right," she said. "He is more valuable to us as a liaison with this hidden world. That is if you can convince him to quit his job and work for us. Something tells me your friend would not like working for the government." "He might if the pay is right," said Sam. "He wants to be more than what he is now in the human world, I know it. Or, he's just really unhappy with his job." "Talk to him," said Reynard. "See what he says. I give you permission. Perhaps you're right, we need someone like him among our ranks. It would make our job a bit easier." "Our job?" asked Sam. "This facility is under orders to monitor the Dragon," she said. "We sent an AWACKS, the system tuned to these energies your friend puts out, it's spreads all over the world. The Pentagon is interested, the President is interested. We are to monitor your friend, the energy he puts out, and any other strange anomaly that might occur—like that Purple Worm that appeared on the same day your friend revealed his form. And there was another one too that happened before." "A sighting of Jonathan as a dragon prior to this one?" asked Sam. "They've built it up as a hoax mostly because of the fact that people who were in the area at the time suffered from acute amnesia," said the general. "However, someone did capture the incident. Your friend Jonathan Long, in full dragon mode, battling something that looks like Godzilla in Times Square. Jonathan blasted some sort of blue beam from his mouth and weakened the monster, and then summoned some sort of doorway to another place—planet— realm—dimension—whatever the hell you want to call it, and pushed that monster inside. Then, after that, it started raining and people just forgot they were attacked. Your friend has friends, and they have some sort of system. They don't want any of us to know about them." "Jonathan told me there was a world hiding below ours," he said. "Out of fear that we might harm them. But like I said, this is why we need Jonathan. He can help us understand how that world works and maybe connect with that world again like we did in the past. And if the President wants this base to start gathering up data on magical energies, Jonathan will be a great help to that." "Don't worry," she said. "Ask your friend, and I'll inform everyone else. We'll see what the President says." "Well, here I am," said Sam as he saw Jonathan's house in his sights. "And here we go." "Good luck, Colonel," she said. He pulled the black Ford Explorer up to the side of the curb and got up. Sam straightened out his blue blazer and swept his shoulders with his hands. Taking a deep breath, he began to formulate what he was going to say to Jonathan. Jonathan, remember that I said it seems you hate your job, well, I've come to make you an offer…no…no…Jon, do I have a deal for you…no…no…come fly with the Air Force, Jon… no…no…we have better pay…? Sam knocked on the door. He heard the sound of someone leaning on the door. "Who's there?" asked a child's voice from the other side. "Jake?" Sam asked, recognizing the voice. "Hi, Jake, it's Lieutenant Colonel Sam Davidson, is your father home?" "No," Jake replied. "He's out. I'm babysitting my sister." "No you're not!" said another voice. Sam recognized it as Haley. "Well, do you know where he went?" asked Sam. "I need to talk to him." "No," said Jake. "Only he'll be back in a while." "Do you know when?" "No," Jake said. "Maybe you should just come back tomorrow. It's getting late and it's past our curfew." "Maybe your curfew," Haley said. "Shut up!" "Alright," said Sam with a sigh. He backed away from the door. "Tell him that I wanted to see him—to apologize." "Right," said Jake. "Good night, Colonel." Sam headed back for his SUV and got inside. Just as he inserted the key into the ignition, Sam glanced up. He saw a light coming from Jonathan's house as the front door opened. Out came Jake onto the stoop. He motioned for his sister to stay put as he closed the door. Then, in a whirl of blue mist, Jake had transformed into a human-sized, anthropomorphic, red-scaled dragon. "It seems Jonathan's powers has passed to his son as well," said Sam. "Wonder what he's up to." Just like that, Jake had taken off into the air. Sam started up his engine and drove off, following the dragon. Swerving through the amber-lit streets, he tried to keep pace with Jake. The dragon banked and rounded a corner of a building, disappearing into its shadowy alley. Sam pulled over to the curb and got up, running after Jake down the alley. He managed to catch sight of the dragon landing at a dead end of the alley. Then, something happened that Sam could not explain. Jake phased through the brick wall. Wonderful! Sam thought. Now what? He made his way over the wall and touched its surface. He gave it a knock with his fist, verifying its solidity. Jake could phase through it, though he could not. He began to reach back into his own mind about stories he heard in books with magic. He recalled that certain places would not let certain people in and he had a feeling this was one of those places. On the other side of that wall was obviously this Magical World Jonathan hid from Sam. There was no doubt about it; a human was not allowed to go there. But he had to see it for himself. Sam tried pushing against the wall to see if it would give, then he tried tapping on the bricks in various areas to see if a door would open. "Open sesame," he said, hoping that would do it. Nothing happened. Sam's shoulders slumped and he sighed again. "Figures." Sam yawned and headed back towards his SUV, deciding to call it a night. He planned on going to a hotel so he could come back tomorrow and visit Jonathan again with his offer. Sam paused, hearing the clanking of a garbage can as it fell to the ground, spilling its contents. A cat yowled out and a voice yelped in shock. "Gehen weg, dumme Katze!" shouted the voice from behind a dumpster. German? Sam thought. "Schnell!" the voice repeated. "Schnell!" A balding, ginger-haired, middle-aged man with a monocle and wearing a black commando sweater and pants fell out from behind the dumpster. The man's pants were partially covered in some of the grime from the streets, but only because he had been crouching in the trash. He had black paint on his face to conceal his pasty skin in darkness. Around the man was a camera. Sam brought himself into a fighting stance, ready to defend himself against whoever this was. "Dumme Katze," the man continued. He looked up to face Sam and paused in shock. "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" Sam asked. He thanked all those times he spent in Germany. "Ja, I do," the man said. "What the hell were you doing?" Sam asked. "I was—uh—taking some lovely night pictures of the street, ja," the man replied. "Uh-huh," Sam said, not believing one word the man was saying. "Who are you?" "I am Professor Hans Rotwood," the man replied, gripping his camera in pride. "Cryptobiologist." "Hans Rotwood?" Sam asked, recognizing the name. "Hey, I saw you on the TV earlier today." "Ja, that was me," he said. "Talking about our resident Chromatic Red Dragon." "What are you doing here, really?" Sam asked. "Perusing a Cryptid," said Rotwood. "A magical creature. Just went through that wall over there." He took another pause and looked at Sam, noticing the uniform. "What's an Air Force officer doing here? The government finally decided to step in and steal my thunder? Are you finally going to give me Tenure yet? After all, the Red Dragon is my discovery. I deserve Tenure!" "Tenure?" Sam asked. "No! I'm not—my name is Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Davison. I'm a geophysicist for NASA." "NASA?" he asked. "What is a geophysicist doing here in the middle of a dark alley?" "Classified," said Sam. Was für ein Haufen Scheisse," Rotwood said. "Don't give me that. You saw what went through the wall, didn't you?" Sam looked away and merely bobbed his head. "I need to get through there," he said. "But, I can't." "I thought I heard someone tapping," said Rotwood. "Well, you were probably going about it wrong." "You know how to get through that wall?" "I've watched many magical creatures pass through that wall over and over again to see what they do," he said. "So, ja, I know how to get through." Hans led Sam back to the wall and placed his gloved hand on the wall. "It's solid," said Sam. "That's because your mind thinks that it is," said Hans. "Give me your hand." Sam rolled his eyes and took the German's hand. "This wall is bewitched," said Hans. "As with anything magical, you have to want something really bad, and let yourself have it. I've wanted many times to pass through this wall, and one day, I let myself have it. So…here we go." The two fell through, phasing through a bone chilling darkness before landing on solid ground on the other side. Sam came face down on a cobble stone street. Already, Hans was on his feet with a big grin on his face. Sam got up and looked around. Before him was a vast cavern lit up by eerie purple and green light. The light spilled out from archaic designs on the walls and stalagmites above. There were buildings built in stone, but shaped in horrifying beautiful, twisted architecture. All about were creatures of legend, orcs, goblins, eldarin, elves, drow, driders, fey folk, and various others representing all walks of mythologies. Sam got out of the way as a naga slithered by him. He was breathing heavily. He turned a circle, capturing every inch of the place in his eyes. "Professor, what is this place?" he asked. "Willkommen zu Underdark," said Hans. "This is where all the magical creatures in the world were banished to over a thousand years ago after the War of the Dark Times." "Dark Times?" asked Sam. "Jon was right?" "Jon?" asked Hans. He turned back to Sam. "Wait a minute. You know who Jonathan Long is?" "I know who he is—and—what he is…" Sam said. "He told me about the war between magical creatures and regular humans. He said we humans won and magical creatures disappeared into our myths." "We didn't win the war, Colonel," said Hans. "It was a draw. Both sides were badly damaged. The magical creatures decided to leave on their own volition." "Right," he said. "So, why are you here again, Colonel?" "Because of Jon," said Sam. "Because he's my friend and I—kidnapped him last night to take him to Rome and use him like a government lab rat." "The very thing each of these magical creatures is afraid of," said Hans. "I thought putting a magical creature on the cutting table would be enough, but it isn't. Learning about them means walking among them. So, here I am." "Okay, so how do I find Jon?" asked Sam. "Or, don't tell me, he finds me…" "No, we have to go and look for him," said Hans. "So, does he walk around in his human form in the Underdark?" asked Sam. "Does he walk around in his dragon form? I saw his kid phase through that wall. He must have been following Jon too." "Jake?" asked Hans. "Well, he does have duties here in the Underdark. When the Ancients left, they left stewards in their stead as guardians of the Magical World. Jake is one of these stewards—an apprentice actually. I've heard them refer to him as the American Dragon. Follow me." "American Dragon…" said Sam in a laugh as he walked alongside Hans. "Where are we going?" "To someone who might know where Jake went," said Hans. "Actually, he might have followed his father. So, it's best we ask where he went." He paused for a moment and looked back at Sam, pointing to the uniform. "You probably shouldn't be wearing that. Take the regalia off your jacket. If they find out that a man from the military is here…well, I don't think we'll reach Jonathan in time for him to save us from being mauled." Sam took off the blazer and started to strip it of his rank and insignia as well as all of his awards, metals of service, and his nameplate. He tugged every last bit of it in all of his pockets. Then, he closed his jacket up. "There," he said. "Now I look like I'm just wearing a nice blue suit." "Looks good," said Hans. They walked down towards a pub on the corner. As they stepped inside, Sam noticed that the temperature had gone up considerably. It was growing hot. "Why is it so hot in here?" he asked Hans. "That's why," said Hans, pointing to a muscular humanoid with a serpent's lower half, flames from its hair and elk horns upon its head. The creature stood behind the counter. "That is a salamander. A creature from the Elemental Plane of Fire. Howard. Howard!" The salamander turned around and his fiery eyes lit up in recognition. "There's the professor," he said. "The usual?" "Not tonight," said Hans. "Have you seen the American Dragon anywhere, or any of his friends?" "I haven't," said Howard. "Hang on. Bernice!" "What?" shouted another voice. Sam saw a woman with purple-black skin, pointed ears, and flowing white hair step out from the back room of the pub. Then, he heard the sounds of many legs pad over as the woman came out from the counter. Though the upper torso of the woman was that of a drow elf, her lower half was a spider's eight legs and abdomen. Sam beheld a drider. "Hey, Hans," she said. "Apparently, the professor is out on another dragon hunt again," said Howard. "Not again," said Bernice. "You managed to get your fame by unveiling the Crimson Dragon." "He unveiled himself," said Hans. "And I'm not on a dragon hunt again. The American Dragon is following the Crimson Dragon, I think. We're just looking for both. My friend here wants to meet him." "Sooner or later, every human would want to come down here," said Howard. "This place will become a regular mortal tourist attraction." "It would be good for business," said Bernice. "I don't know," he said. "No offense to you, Hans, or your friend here, but I just don't like the idea of having my pub overrun by a bunch of hairless apes. Two humans here is fine, maybe three, but 20? Don't think so." "What?" Sam asked, stepping forward. Hans stopped him. "Do you know where the Crimson Dragon might have went?" asked Hans. "Who's the Crimson Dragon?" asked Sam. "I haven't seen him," said Bernice with a shrug. "But I did see two representatives from the Dragon's Council walk into the Black Caldron. They had a human with him. I guess he was a wizard or sorcerer, because the bouncer let him in." "What did the human look like?" asked Sam. "Believe it or not, I thought he was right out of a time warp," said Bernice. "He looked like a total geek wearing a brown suit right out of Donna Reed." "That's Jonathan!" said Sam. "What's this Black Caldron?" "The hottest night club in the Underdark," said Howard. "Okay," said Sam. "Well, Professor, let's go." "You can't," said Bernice. "It's no humans allowed. They won't let you in." Sam sighed and sat down at a barstool. "Come on, Bernice," said Hans, fluttering his eyes. "Can you get us in, britte?" "Oh, you know I can't say 'no' to that accent," said Bernice. "Howard, how about I take my break now? I know who's working the backdoor there. He owes me a favor." "Just get back here as soon as you can," said Howard. "You know how the customers pile up." "I will," she said. "Come on." The moment they stepped out of the pub, Bernice led them down the cobble stone road. As they walked, Sam continued to spin in circles, seeing everything that there was to be seen and taking a census of all he could even figure out logically. He saw two humans walk down the street, both of them looking like teenagers. They looked to be twins as well, but one was dressed in a costume that came off looking rather Emo, with the dark clothes, the pierced lip, slumped shoulders, and the hair hanging in her eyes, and the other was dressed too cheerfully to be real. "I didn't know there were other humans here," he said. "Not humans as you know it," said Hans. "Magical humans, humans who's blood-lines come from various roots like Merlin, the Oracle of Delphi, or humans who's ancestors were mingled with other magical creatures. Magical humans have been able to live in the mortal world before, but any mortal human who even catches a glimpse of the magic a wizard or witch is able to do—tend to become afraid…and turn on that human." "Salem," said Sam. "And other 'witch' burnings." "Yes," said Bernice. "Even magical humans must hide down here. Oh, sometimes we magical creatures run into nice humans like yourselves, but not often." They came to the Black Caldron. Bernice led them to the back of the building where a small, purple-skinned, bat-winged imp sat guarding the back door. The imp's wings flapped and he fluttered up to their eye level. "What kind of a bouncer is that?" Sam asked. "Anyone could easily pass by him by just stepping on him." "Hold your tongue, human," said the imp, holding up his wand. "I am a powerful user of magic." "Oh, don't be so hard on him, Éwyr," said Bernice. "He doesn't know any better." "What do you want, Bernice?" Éwyr asked. "To let these humans into the Black Caldron." "You know mortals aren't allowed," he said. "I'll pay you good money for it," she said. "Double the cover charge," said Éwyr. He pointed at Rotwood. "And only he may enter. The other can't." "Why?" Sam asked. "Is it because I'm black?" "I care little for the color of your skin, human," said the imp. He sniffed the air. "But your smell is nothing I like." "I'll pay triple for him," said Bernice. "Quadruple," said Éwyr. "And I hope you know what you're doing." "Fine," she said, handing the imp 10 gold pieces from her pouch. She turned and gave the pouch to Rotwood. "Here, your mortal money will do no good inside. You owe me big, Hans." "I'll pay you back," he said and watched her scuttle up the street. "What's wrong with the way I smell?" Sam asked as he and Hans went through the door. "You smell like the ones who banished us here," said the imp. "Now, hurry and get inside before I charge more!" "Come on," said Hans, pulling on Sam's collar. "Why did he say that?" Sam asked. "The same reason why I told you to take off the symbols of the US military," said Hans. "They don't like the symbols of their oppression—the military—the government." "Right…" he said. "Believe me, I get it." As they pushed themselves through the darkened, stone corridor, Sam could hear music on the other side. It sounded like a mixture of gothic techno and orchestra tones. Colored lights flashed, swirled, and strobed on the other side of the opening. They came out from the corridor onto a balcony looking over a dance floor filled with various creatures dancing. Along the balcony were more creatures either dancing, socializing, and drinking. Sam looked up and saw several floors going up. Each floor was spread out so that much larger magical creatures like giants and huge trolls could even stand on them. The dancing floor was built large enough to accommodate a stadium full of people. Sam scanned the crowd and spotted a human-sized red- scaled dragon leaning over the balcony railing. "This is no place for a kid," he said, taking note of the alcoholic beverages being passed around. "Ja," said Hans. "I agree with that too. There's no doubt about it, Jake must have followed his father in. But this place doesn't seem like a place Jonathan would go into." "You don't know Jonathan like I do," said Sam. "He was a real wild guy back then. Maybe family life has mellowed him, but I think he can get in the spirit of things if he needs to." "Where is he anyway?" "I don't see him." Hans grabbed Sam and pointed over to the other side of the balcony: "Look, there's Lao Shi and Ms. Park." "Lao Shi?" asked Sam. "Grandpa?" "You know who he is too?" asked Hans. "Jon's father-in-law," he said. "He was gonna be my father-in-law. Jon beat me to it." "You mean you and Susan Long were once…" "Jon, Susan, and me," he said. "Yeah. But it was all for nothing. I went to the Air Force, Susan said she couldn't come with me and she and Jonathan were in love." He looked back towards where Lao Shi was. "He's a magical creature too, isn't he?" "He's one of the Dahakoan," said Hans. "The dragons Jonathan created a thousand years ago to protect the Magical World." "So, that means Susan is a dragon too?" "Yes," said Hans. "But it's all genetics. Like blue eyes, the power sometimes is found in one member of the family, but not all. Susan is considered a squib—a non-magical being born to a magical family." "I guess marrying me would have put her in danger of being discovered for what she was," said Sam. "But she loved Jonathan more than she did me. And I never had any hard feelings about it. It was her choice; Jonathan had nothing to do with it. Made no sense for two best friends to fight over a girl. Especially if that girl only loves one of us." "You still love her?" "I do," he said. "But you know, I love both of them. And what makes them happy makes me happy." "Look," said Hans. "There he is. Jonathan." Sam looked down below the balcony and saw his friend Jonathan Long walk out onto the dance floor. Jonathan turned his head, looking around for something. Sam knew that this was the time to move. "Come on," he said, pulling on Hans. "Let's get lower." Wingman Jonathan glanced around the dance floor, looking for Pandarus. He felt someone push him from behind and looked over his shoulder. It was just one of the dancers. Jonathan wove his way through the dancing crowd, his red eyes continued to scan for Pandarus. He raised his head to the balcony where Lao Shi and Sun Park were. Then, he looked to the bar on the main floor where Fu Dog was enjoying a martini. He straightened out his brown jacket and took in a breath. The only thing he wanted to do was get this over with so he could go home and be with his wife and children. Jonathan was sick and tired of his past catching up with him. Hopefully, this would cover everything and he would not have to think anymore of it. Above, Lao Shi kept his eye on the dance floor for any sort of movement. "I just hope this plan of Jonathan's works," he said. "I don't want him to give the Stone of Aster up to Pandarus. It could mean doom for us all. The stone has unlimited power." "Jon has swallowed it, how would Pandarus get it out?" asked Sun Park. "Simple," he said. "Pandarus could just cut it out. Jonathan has not digested his hoard. I don't think any Ancient Dragon ever digests their hoards completely. One of the reasons why a Dragon's Graveyard is a prime place for looters." Lao Shi's eyes wondered sleepily over to the stairs leading to the dance floor and caught two figures descending it. One he recognized as Hans Rotwood, and the other—he remembered as being Susan's old boy friend, and his first choice for her husband Sam Davidson. What were they doing here? His eyes shifted to a familiar red form standing on a balcony higher than his. It was Jake, his grandson. "Jake?" he asked. "What?" asked Sun Park. "There's Jake!" he said. "And Rotwood's here too with another named Lt. Colonel Davidson." "Someone from the military?" she asked. "How did they get in?" "I don't know," he said. "We have to do something." They shifted into their dragon forms and pushed their way through the crowd. "You handle Rotwood and Davidson," said Lao Shi. "I'll have a word with my grandson." The light blue, eastern-looking Korean Dragon took flight and descended down to where Hans Rotwood and Sam Davidson were. She landed right in front of them. Sam swiftly got into a fighting stance while Rotwood just shook his head. "Hallo, Ms. Park," he said. "Hans, what are you doing here?" she asked. "Just checking out the sights," he said. "You know her?" Sam asked. "She's the home-ec teacher at the school," Hans replied. "Home-ec teacher?" Sam asked. "What?" "Yes, we magical creatures can sometimes live in the mortal world and have ordinary jobs," said Sun Park. "But it still doesn't explain why you're here." "I'm here for Jonathan," said Sam. "Why?" she asked. "To cut him up?" "No," said Sam. "To offer him a job. And why is he here, huh?" "This is not mortal business," she said. "This is magical business." "I say differently this time," said Sam, taking off his jacket to reveal the regalia attached to his shirt. "Look, I'm the only one who can help you magical creatures. I'm the only voice you got with the American government, and with Jon's help, we can make it work for both our worlds. But if you guys make it difficult, we'll make it much more difficult for you." "Like living like this isn't difficult enough," she said. "Oh, it can be a lot worse, Ms. Park," he said. "Mr. Rotwood, was Jon the one who created this Underdark place?" "He was one of six who created it," said Rotwood. "And it's Professor Rotwood!" "Well, if he created it, I can make him destroy it," said Sam. "And you magical creatures will have no place to hide." "You can't make Pyrothraxus do anything," said Sun Park, barring her fangs at the Air Force officer. "And certainly not that." "Just watch us," he said. "But I don't want to be the one to order him to do such a thing. I want to help him. But first, I want to know why he's here." "To have a good time…" "He's married," said Sam. "And he has kids. What good time is he gonna have? He's without his wife and he left his kids at home. His wife is probably working late because of her catering business. So, he's obviously not here for the hot babes. Guy like Jonathan with a pretty wife would act like a eunuch to every other chick he meets for now on. Why is he here?" Sun Park's scaly lips curled up and her eyes narrowed at the mortal, though, she still remained silent. "Looks like I'll have to get it out of Jon instead," he said, pushing passed the Korean Dragon. He made his way towards the dance floor where Jonathan was standing. "No!" she called. 0 Above, Lao Shi made his way towards Jake, waving for his grandson. "Jake, Jake!" he called. "Jake!" Jake turned around and his red eyes lit up. He backed away from the railing and swallowed, seeing the fury in his grandfather's eyes. "What do you think you're doing here?" he asked. "Uh, wanting to know the favorite drink here," said Jake. "You're too young to drink here!" Lao Shi called. "I thought we agreed that you'd stay home." "Dad could need my help," said Jake. "And I want to help him." "Pyrothraxus can handle himself," said Lao Shi. "And he has us. When the time comes for you to handle a case like this, you'll come along. But this must be handled by the adults. Go home!" "No," Jake protested. "I won't. Dad could get hurt." "And if Pandarus has something powerful enough to hurt Jonathan, then what do you think you can do to help?" "What do you think you can do either, gramps?" Jake asked. "There are things we know that you don't know," said Lao Shi. "You haven't learned enough and I don't have the time to teach you right now! Just go home." "But grandpa," said Jake. "Go home!" Lao Shi barked. "Now!" "Fine," he said. Jake backed away and started to walk down the stairs. Then, he swished his tail and knocked Lao Shi down, taking off into the air. "Jake!" Lao Shi called. "Get back here!" Jake flew down towards the dance floor, ready to tell his father that he was there to help. Then, something flew out from the ground and grabbed him. He was knocked from the sky, landing just behind the dancing crowd. The music shut down and the crowd stopped dancing. Everyone turned to the crash. Jonathan glanced back and saw his son being pinned down by a net. Jake's dragon form melted and he reverted back to his human form. Jonathan sniffed the air, recognizing the scent from the net. It was sphinx hair. "Dad…" Jake called. "Jake!" Jonathan shouted and ran for his son, pushing people away from him. He knelt down and gripped the rope with his hands. "Dad, sphinx hair!" Jake said. "It'll…" "It does nothing to me," he said. "Darastrixi are immune to its effects." Jonathan rose up when he heard a sinister laugh coming from behind him. The spot lights in the dance club turned and focused their beams on a billow of smoke coming from the floor. Jonathan's hands curled into fists when he saw a shadow immerge from the smoke. Dressed in a black, flowing robe, and a cloak, Pandarus made his presence known. In his right hand was a wand made of silver. "Pyrothraxus!" he called. Jonathan rose up and faced Pandarus. "So, this is what you look like in your human disguise," said Pandarus. "I would have thought you'd make yourself look more—athletic—handsome, wearing the latest of stylish clothing…not something Beaver Cleaver's father would gawk at." "Then it's not much of a disguise if people think I should appear one way just because of who I am," said Jonathan. "But if you're wondering, I am rather athletic." He took his jacket off and unbuttoned his V-neck sweater and shirt to reveal the finely toned chest and abdominals underneath. "Now, if you don't mind," said Jonathan. "I'd like to have the power you stole from me back—and well—you to leave me alone. I'll be taking it and my son home." Jake looked up, noticing the complete change in his father's tone of voice and his posture. Whenever he was being Pyrothraxus, whether or not he was in that form, he was a completely different person. "Only if you give me what rightfully belongs to me," said Pandarus. "You stole something from my ancestor Pathemos, Wizard of Ur. And then, you used it on the Dead Sea, taking away the food my ancestors harvest from it. You turned it into a lake of almost pure salt and the land into a desert afterwards! You will pay for your crimes, Pyrothraxus!" "If I'm correct, Pathemos was going to use the Stone of Aster for even worse deeds than what I did," said Jonathan. "It doesn't matter what he was going to do…" said Pandarus. "It matters what you've done!" "I seem to recall that Pathemos was one of the nastiest wizards in Mesopotamia," said Jonathan. "I mean Gomorra was his idea. He blasted that poor city with the meteor spell and all was left of the city was a crater. And that was after he sent his troops in to ransack the place. Scared the locals so much they thought their god did it. Heh, funny what a human wizard can do with a mixture of bat guano and some gold shavings, isn't it? I think I was doing everyone a favor by taking it. He created the Stone to further extend his powers and give him immortality to continue his reign of terror. Samaria was a paradise until he came around." "It's still my birthright!" Pandarus called. "Regardless. I will take what is mine." Pandarus raised his arms up and swirled his wand around in the air, chanting softly to himself. Jonathan looked up and sensed the magical energies begin to rise around him. He sensed his own energies emanating from Pandarus. The wizard was using the Red Dragon's magic to fuel his own. Clouds began to swirl around the ceiling as lightning flashed. Wind blew a few ginger-colored locks into Jonathan's eyes. At the height point of the spell, a lightning bolt struck from the cloud, impacting the disguised dragon. Jonathan cried out as the bolt jolted him to his knees. Lightning fluctuated through his body, frying his skin. Jonathan grunted and lifted a hand up, focusing his energy to redirect the lightning. The bolt poured out from his body and into a single point on his palm. With that, he shot the lightning bolt back at Pandarus. The wizard rolled to the ground just as the bolt struck the wet bar, blowing the backlighting behind the shelves. The bartender ducked behind the counter as the sparks flew out. Jonathan heard the crowd gasp both in shock and in awe. "A wizard's duel!" someone shouted. "You heard that, Pandarus?" asked Jonathan. "They're calling out a wizard's duel. It wouldn't be very fair, you know. You're using my power against me, which really doesn't do much. Just give up and leave me be." "No," he said. "Not until I have your power and the Stone of Aster." Pandarus called forth a table from the far end of the room with his magic and sent it flying towards Jonathan. Jonathan ducked and somersaulted just as it crashed onto the other end of the club. Jonathan snapped his fingers and called forth a fireball into his hand. He tossed it at the wizard and Pandarus fell to his side allowing it to pass over him and setting the back wall on fire. The extinguishers turned on, putting out the fire. "How did you know I have it within me?" asked Jonathan. "I looked in the place you hid it last," said Pandarus. "It wasn't there. The only thing that was there, your guardian Purple Worm." "So, it was you who released Gaias from his home," said Jonathan. "Yes, I did." Pandarus waved his wand, calling forth a spray of acid from the tip. Jonathan countered, waving his hands in an upward motion and the acid splashed upon an invisible wall before him. Jonathan then planted his feet onto the hardwood floor and thrusted his hand forward. The air rippled as a forceful pulse was sent shooting from the invisible wall. It impacted Pandarus, sending him flying against the wall behind him. Pandarus slowly rose up painfully from the floor, rubbing his lower back. "And you didn't even put him back," said Jonathan. "He went on a rampage in the mortal world. Do you realize how many people saw it?" "Do I care?" "You exposed the Magical World to them," said Jonathan. "It doesn't matter to me," he said. "What matters is that I will have the power I need to do what my ancestors could not. Rule!" Pandarus called forth another rush of the trapped magic he had hidden in the orb and shot a powerful, blue-white beam from the tip of his wand. Jonathan raised his hand again and the beam merely impacted the invisible force field wall he had up. He then redirected the beam back towards Pandarus. The wizard rolled out of the way just as the beam shot a hole through the back wall. Jake watched this from his net almost in disbelief on how powerful his father was in magic. He knew that his father was powerful, but he did not know just how much power Jonathan had. He rarely saw his father casting actual spells aside from polymorph or teleport. Jonathan turned to the others: "My fellow creatures, this wizard exposed us! Isn't that considered treasonous within our laws?" He heard a few rumbles of agreement and saw a few heads nod. Some of them were in between the decision. Though, that did not matter to him. What did matter was that finally Jonathan's name was cleared. There was the proof; Pandarus released the worm, not him. Jonathan looked back up to Lao Shi who then nodded. That was all the proof both Lao Shi and Sun Park needed. Two council representatives were present; now, it was time to reel in the defendant. Sun Park shuffled through the crowds down to the lower level with Sam and Hans trailing behind her. Lao Shi made his way down as well, filing towards Jake. Pandarus glanced around as saw the dragons begin to close in on him. "No," he said. "I will not go out this way." He again cast his spell and webs flew out to catch the dragons. Soon, they were down on the ground, completely immobile. "No!" Jonathan called. "I'm not through with you, yet, Pyrothraxus," said Pandarus. He raised his hand again and struck a dark spot in the ceiling with a lightning bolt. White powder fell upon Jonathan. "What is this?" he asked. Then, his question was immediately answered. His head began to swim, his skin began to burn, and his bones began to ache. Jonathan shook violently, his body locking up into a contorted, painful position. He twisted around, his mouth gaping wide. "Dad!" Jake called. "Dragonbane!" Pandarus said and laughed mockingly as he watched Jonathan's body convulse, toppling onto the floor. "Jon!" Sam cried. "Hans, what's happening to him? What is that powder?" "Dragonbane," said Hans. "I've heard of it. It's a vine plant that grows in middle Europe. It's a toxic plant, highly poisonous to dragons. Dragonslayers used its powdered form to weaken the dragon before killing it. It takes away everything that a dragon is, its power, its breath weapon, its strength, its magic. If the dragon isn't killed right away, the poison continues to work its magic and the dragon dies a horribly painful death. That's what I heard. But I've never seen it used." Jonathan lurched up, letting loose a painful wail. The sound itself was not human. It was loud, it was booming, and it was very draconic. The sound itself caused the patrons of the Black Caldron to flee in terror. Jonathan's body continued to convulse as his form morphed. His bones broke and reset as wings sprouted from his back. His clothes ripped from his body as it grew and grew, becoming as large as an airliner. His hands twisted into paws as talons sprouted out from under his fingernails. His head ached while his horns grew out from the back. His hair fell out onto the floor, revealing his frills. A tail sprouted from his lower back and his skin hardened into scales and turned fiery red. While Pyrothraxus was completing his agonizing transformation, Pandarus went behind the counter to grab a long lance. The lance itself had a lengthy, barbed spearhead made from enchanted adamantine. The lance shaft was almost 12 feet long. Sam looked over and saw Pandarus pull this lance out. He tugged on Hans, pointing to the lance. "A Dragonlance," said Hans. "A lance specifically created to slay dragons." "You've got to be kidding me!" Sam said. "So that's what Jon meant. I gotta stop that asshole!" Pyrothraxus, fully reverted back to his natural form, laid on his side. His mouth gaped wide open and his tongue hung over his teeth. His chest heaved in and out as if to mimic a laboring breath despite the fact he no longer needed to breathe. "Dad," Jake said, trying to move closer to his father's back. "Dad, get up…" "Jake!" Lao Shi called from his sphinx hair net. "Don't touch it! Don't touch the powder. It'll kill you!" "He's right, Jake!" said Sun Park. "Dragonbane harms any draconic creature. That includes us!" "Now," said Pandarus as he began to raise the lance up, pointing the sharpened tip at Pyrothraxus' chest. "I will cut the Stone from your body!" "No!" Jake cried. "Get away from my father!" Sam rushed out onto the dance floor and with a grunt, tackled Pandarus to the ground. The Dragonlance skidded across the floor far from the wizard's grasp. Pandarus looked up at Sam with confusion. "Who are you?" he asked. "I'm his wingman!" Sam shouted and punched the wizard in the jaw. Pandarus was knocked out. Sam looked over at Hans. "Hey, help me tie him up." They grabbed Pandarus and dragged him to a bar stool, tying his hands and feet. Sam remembered something he learned from his books and took hold of Pandarus' wand. Grabbing both ends, he snapped the wand in two. Sparkling magical dust flew out from the pieces and landed onto the floor. Hans came to Lao Shi and Sun Park, freeing them from the sphinx-hair nets. Then, Sam walked over to Jake and freed him. "Thanks," said Jake. "No problem," said Sam. "Dad!" Jake called and ran over to his father. "Don't touch the powder," said Fu Dog, coming out from behind the counter. "We have to do something!" Jake said. "I can't leave my father like this." "Lao Shi, you're dog talks," said Sam. "And this should come as a surprise to you?" Lao Shi asked. Sam sighed and walked over to the unconscious Pyrothraxus: "Can I touch the powder?" "Yeah," said Fu Dog. "It doesn't harm humans." "Jon," said Sam as he climbed up onto the Red Dragon's face. He started to wipe the powder away from Pyrothraxus' left eye. "Jon, come on, wake up. Jon? Francis? Don't quit on me now, man. Francis!" No answer. "He's not answering," said Jake. "Is there a cure?" "What can we do?" Sam asked, looking back at Lao Shi. "Clean his body," said Lao Shi. "Wash all the Dragonbane off. And we have to do it soon. He'll die if we don't." "Get a fire hose," said Sun Park. "We'll spray it all off." "I'll get it," said Jake. 0 He felt the fists of the larger and older boys jab into his ribs. He fell down to his knees and coughed, feeling the wind knocked from his lungs. This was never a good day when he was being beat up again. Though, he could take them all in one lunge, he knew that it would blow his cover. Jonathan Francis Long had to keep his cover. No one, not even 8-year old bullies could ever know his secret. So, he took the beating with his pride in tact and fought the raging Red Dragon instinct to devour these stooges one by one. "Come on, Francis!" a larger and bloated-looking boy said. "Get up." "Francis has no parents!" the other boys teaed. Jonathan's eyes fluttered as he reached for his glasses. One of the other boys stepped on them just as he was about to grab them. He looked up at them and regarded them with pity. All they were doing was trying to make themselves feel bigger by picking on what they thought was weaker than them. Humans, he could never understand them fully. Though, he forced himself into this child's form so he could grow up among them, learn from them, and hide in their numbers. Unfortunately, this meant he had to endure certain obstacles. This was one of them. Jonathan found it easier to deal with if he just sat there and took their ridicules. "Come on, get up!" the boy called. "Come on." "I'm fine down here, thanks," Jonathan said in the cheeriest voice he could under the bruises and the pain he had in his stomach. "Leave him alone!" a voice called out. Another boy jumped out from behind Jonathan and collided with the bullies. He started to kick and punch them and he even gave them wedgies. Jonathan watched as this boy in the horizontal striped shirt continued to pound the bullies. He held his own against them despite them trying to wrestle him to the ground a few times. Then, when the boys found they could not match their strength against Jon's savior, they ran. Jonathan finally got a good look at the boy as he walked up to him. The boy had chocolate covered skin. In his time, such skin color would garner the person a name of Ethiopian, but the new American name was 'black' or 'colored'. Though, skin color mattered not to Jonathan. This boy was a new student to the school. Despite legislature, there was still some segregation between whites and blacks in the school systems and not many black students came to the school. The boy held out his hand: "Need some help?" Jonathan took it and the boy lifted him up off the moist grass. He noticed his clothes were now covered in grass stains and mud. His adoptive mother would not like this at all. "Thanks," said Jonathan. "Why did those bullies beat you?" "Oh, they're always doing that," said Jonathan. "It's because I'm adopted. But I don't care." "You should stick up for yourself," he said. "No," Jonathan shrugged, trying to make himself act like the age he looked. "I don't believe in fighting." "That's silly," said the boy. "You need to defend yourself." Jonathan looked away: "I can't." "Why?" "I just can't." "You're weird." Jonathan rolled his eyes at that statement. The boy leaned over and picked up the broken glasses, handing them back to him. "Here, I think these are yours," he said. "Thanks," said Jonathan, taking them. "What's your name?" "Sam," said the boy. "Mine's Jonathan." "I heard them call you Francis." "That's my middle name," he said. "I know…it's stupid." "Yeah, it is…Francis…" Francis… Francis! Francis! Pyrothraxus coughed when he felt water splash down into his throat. "Francis!" called the voice. "You—know I hate that name…" Pyrothraxus sputtered. He painfully leaned his head up to find Sun Park and Jake continuing to wash his body free of the powered Dragonbane. "Got you up, didn't it?" Sam asked. The Red Dragon's ear frill lifted slightly when he heard something roll onto the hard dance floor. He turned his one open eye to it and found Fu Dog rolling a large, glowing sphere towards him. The orb glowed purple, red, orange, and yellow, swirling with those colors. "I think I found where Pandarus was keeping your magic, Jon," said Fu Dog. Pyrothraxus was still weak. He plopped his head back down and let loose a sorrowful rumble, closing his eye. "Jon," said Sam. "Wake up." Pyrothraxus only rumbled. "Jon," said Sam. "You're shorts are on fire." The dragon mumbled something softly and Sam chuckled, imitating the sound. "Hang on, Jon," said Fu. "Hey, kid, grab a chair and bash the orb in." "Will it help Dad?" Jake asked. "Couldn't hurt," said Fu Dog. Jake grabbed a chair from one of the tables, hefting it over his head. Sam backed away slowly just as the American Dragon slammed the chair into the glass. The sphere exploded in a flash of fiery light. The magic knew where it needed to go, returning to its master in a rush of brilliant crimson. Even with the missing magic back where it belonged, Pyrothraxus had not moved an inch. "Dad?" Jake asked as he came to his father. "Uh-huh…" Pyrothraxus rumbled, still semi-conscious. "Kid," said Fu Dog. "He's not gonna recover just like that. Dragonbane takes away everything. Doesn't matter how much magic we pump into him. Give him a couple of days." "Can he shapeshift?" Sam asked. "Not in this condition," said Lao Shi. "How are you gonna get him outside?" The dragons and Hans looked at each other and shrugged. Sam rushed back over to Pyrothraxus' head and climbed on top. He began to press against the dragon's cheek and rocked his head with his weight. "Jon," he drummed. "Jon, Jon, wake up! Come on, Francis! Wake up!" "Don't like…being…called that…" Pyrothraxus rumbled again. Sam could tell that there was a strain in his voice. Just trying to talk was a challenge. "I don't care," he said. "You gotta have some juice left. Shapeshift into something, anything so we can get you out of here." "Nothing you can do, mortal," said a tired voice. Sam looked up and saw Pandarus raising his head up. "It'll take him 16 hours before he can even cast magic missile. He can't use any spell—let alone polymorph. Besides, it won't be long now. I have allies. They'll come here and get me out. I do own a considerable part of this town and the police do listen very well to me." "Not before you stand before the Council for what you've done," said Sun Park. "Sun Park," said Lao Shi. "You take Pandarus with you back to Draco. I'll handle Pyrothraxus." "You sure?" she asked. "He is family," Lao Shi said. She walked over and grabbed a hold of Pandarus' binds, lifting him up and leading him out. She lifted up the Dragonlance and took it with her as well. Just as soon as they were far away enough, she tapped a special magical device that allowed her to be teleported directly back to the Isle of Draco. "Jon," said Sam. "Please, you gotta shapeshift." "Can't…" Pyrothraxus whispered painfully. "Can't move. Can't stay awake…" "What do we do?" Sam asked the others. "If I had my kitchen," said Fu Dog. "I could whip up a shrinking powder. But there's a problem. Pyrothraxus is an Ascended Dragon. He's immune to any spell that changes his shape unless it's a spell he casts upon himself. Meaning—if a wizard tried to turn Pyrothraxus into an ant to squish him—it wouldn't work. Jonathan would have to mix the powder himself and then throw it on himself in order to get the powder to work." "The powder you used on him before worked," said Jake. "That was before he Ascended, remember?" said Lao Shi. "You can shape shift a magical mortal being, but not a demigod. Which is basically what Ascended Dragons are." Demigod? Sam thought. "So, how do we get him out of here?" They shrugged again. "You guys are hopeless," he said. "Hey, Professor, you know anything?" "Nein," said Hans. "I'm sorry, Colonel. I've only read about what Dragonbane does, I've never seen it used. Washing it off of him only prevents any further poisoning. But the toxin is already in his system. Now, it's up to his body to fight it. And that's why he can't use his magic. His magic, his power, everything inside of him is fighting the toxin." "But he can direct it," Sam said with a crooked smile. "Mind over magic. Jon, I swear to God, if you don't turn into a squirrel, I'm gonna ram that Dragonlance through your chest. And then, I will ship your organs off for scientific study. We'll have a field day while we pick at your heart, Jon. And then, I'll marry Susan!" Both of Pyrothraxus' eyes flared open. Smoke began to appear rising up from his nostrils. Knowing that got a response out of the Red Dragon, Sam chided on. "I'm gonna have fun with her," he said. "You know the old saying, once you go…" Pyrothraxus rose up onto his shaky legs and bellowed furiously at Sam before he could even finish that sentence. The floor shook violently from the sound and the hot wind coming from the dragon's mouth nearly knocked the colonel down. Sam staggered and fell to his knees. "Yo, I was only joking, Jon," Sam said, sensing that familiar dread rise up around him. "Easy, pal. You know I would never do anything like that to you or Susan. But hey, you're up." Pyrothraxus started to pant, his tongue hanging out from his jaws like a dog. As he panted, a wisp of smoke escaped. He fought desperately to stay on his feet. "Come on, man," said Sam. "It's squirrel—or raccoon, or mouse—or whatever you want —time…" "Come on, Dad," said Jake. Pyrothraxus dipped his head and his form began to shrink. The enormous body of the Red Dragon melted into a puddle, reforming slowly, contracting and reshaping. The body filled out again, becoming a small red fox. "A fox?" asked Fu Dog. "Eh, whatever works." It was not long before they got the little red fox that was Pyrothraxus home. Susan had already come home and when she found out what had happened to her husband, she broke down in tears. She could not believe she came so close to loosing him. Sam shook his head as he watched Susan lay the fox down on the couch, scratching its ears. He told them that he would be back soon for Jonathan to discuss things. He still had not gotten the chance to apologize. As Sam walked out of the house, Fu Dog followed him. "Sam," he began. "I'd like to know, where did you get the idea to break Pandarus' wand?" "I read a lot of fantasy books," he said. "I see," said the Shar Pei. "I guess this is icing on the cake to you, then." "Yeah," he said. "But it's more than that. I'm his wingman. And as you learn in the Air Force, you never abandon your wingman." "Why did you come to the Underdark, Colonel?" Fu asked. "I want to offer my old friend a job," he said. "Him and I working together like we used to. If he comes and works with me, he could be a help to everyone. Maybe it'll help all of us to be more open to you. It'll make things easier." "Well, Jon did say he wanted to reunite mortal and magical creature one day," said Fu Dog. "He comes from a time where we did coexist. But he will run into obstacles from both the mortals and the magical creatures. Even we can be a bit stubborn about whether or not we want to coexist again with you mortals again. But he is the right guy to go to for this. He's lived in both worlds." Sam nodded and walked back to his vehicle. He rolled down the window. "Hey, Fu Dog," he said. "Don't say anything about it to them yet. I wanna talk to Jon myself. I have a feeling Lao Shi might disapprove." "Since when has that stopped Jon?" asked Fu Dog. "But I'll keep my flaps sealed. Night, Colonel." He started up the SUV and drove off. Once more, Sam contacted his superior. "Well, did you get an answer from the dragon?" Reynard asked. "Not yet," said Sam. "We ran into a problem. Apparently, Jon was on a mission of his own against the real perp who released that Purple Worm. But I have discovered their 'magical world'." "You did?" she asked. "Where is it?" "In a completely different dimension," said Sam. "It exists outside our own planet. That's why we could never detect them. There's portals that lead to this dimension. Jon apparently created it for them when we mortals won that war a thousand years ago." "To hide the magical creatures?" "Yeah," he said. "To keep us from hunting them. But I'll return again to ask Jonathan. Right now, he needs some rest." "What happened?" "He was wounded in the battle against this guy Pandarus," said Sam. "The wizard that caused the Purple Worm incident. Jonathan went after him with the Magical World's—uh— police force—I think. They did not like me being down there ruining their stakeout. Well, Pandarus dumped this powder on Jonathan called Dragonbane. I got a sample of it. It comes from some sort of vine and when its in concentrated form is highly deadly to dragons. Jon was knocked out. But he'll be alright." "Good," she said. "Return to base." "Roger." The Chase He knew that this transmission would not bode well. The master would not be pleased. Despite the fact that he had the information he needed, that would not be enough to sate his master. The information he gathered several months ago on the Doorway to Baator. Though, unfortunately, he could not transmit the information right away because of the orbital relationship of Baator relative to Earth. He had to wait for a window to open. The universe turned on an axis with the Prime Plane spinning inside the Wheel of the Outer Planes and the Outer Planes turning at a much slower rate. Communication was often difficult because of that. Ithfaedeus bid his servant, the Dahakoan ex-councilor Chang to leave the room as he began his transmission spell. He knelt over a lowly burning lump cinders and breathed into them. The cinders brightened. The Black Dragon chanted softly, his mind focusing on the place he was trying to connect to. In his mind's eye, wrapped in choking clouds, was a smoldering, glowing planetoid. Fire raced out of its shattered surface as lava bubbled up from fissures. Lightning laced the brown clouds above, formed from static electricity. Acid rain splashed on the heated rocks and more noxious fumes rose up to mix with the clouds above. This was Baator—the Nine Hells, a place where evil gods, spirits, devils, and such monsters resided. It was here that Pyrothraxus and the Metallic Dragons banished the remaining five other Chromatic Dragons left on Earth. Trapped on the hellish plane to live out their eternal existence, forever for serving the likes of Asmodeus. Just as they were banished, so was their master, the devil lord Asmodeus, sent to be bound in the lowest level of Baator. And it was the lowest level that Ithfaedeus sought out his master Zestos. The connection was made and Ithfaedeus was thrown back by a blast from the burning pyre. The ground quaked below him as sharp, black rocks jut out from the surface. Cracks revealed glowing, molten lava from underneath. The rocks formed into a familiar shape, a dragon not unlike Pyrothraxus. To say the least, this dragon was almost an exact duplicate of Pyrothraxus, but that was where the similarities stopped. The dragon had a broken right horn and a glowing scar over its right eye. As it opened its mouth, Ithfaedeus could see the magma drip out from between its teeth. The Black Dragon cringed before the mixture of flowing magma and solid igneous rock avatar of Zestos. "I am putting forth much of my magic to even appear here," Zestos said, his voice sounding like the hiss and crackle of lava meeting the ocean surface. "I don't know how long I can sustain the avatar. So, you've better have brought me something worth the effort, Ithfaedeus." "I have, Master," Ithfaedeus said. "I know where Pyrothraxus has hidden the gate. He wears it around his finger in the form of a wedding ring." "And did you get this wedding ring?" "No," he said. "I didn't get close enough." "Did you try?" "Well," he began. "I sent a Tarrasque after him a few months ago, but Pyrothraxus defeated the monster, summoned the gate, and tossed it in. I did not know he had the gate on him until he summoned it to get rid of the Tarrasque." Zestos began to growl deeply; the cracks about his form began to glow brighter as his anger rose. He lunged for Ithfaedeus and knocked him to the ground with a powerful claw. Ithfaedeus howled, feeling a burning sensation of the hot rock hitting his scales. He curled and gripped the burning wound. He could hear the sound of his own flesh sizzling slightly. "I—swear I did not know!" Ithfaedeus said in defense. "I did not fail you! But now, it will be harder to get the ring because Pyrothraxus has Ascended." "But he is still weak," said Zestos. "Because he has a conscience, because he cares about whether or not those little creatures get hurt, he will be easily swayed to give it up." "I do not think so," said Ithfaedeus. "Then, how about this? If you don't get the ring, the next time you summon me, I will burn you alive! Then your soul will end up back here and you'll be stuck here forever! Only with a solid body can we escape this realm. But if we're dead, then there's nothing we can do." "Yes, Master," he said. "And one other thing," said Zestos. "Kill Pyrothraxus. When he dies, despite all that he's done to switch over—he will still be bound to come here. He'll be the one trapped here." "What of his family like the American Dragon?" "When I'm freed," he said. "I'll enjoy feasting upon them. Now, go." With that, the magma dragon crumbled back to the ground and setting fire to the grass. Ithfaedeus turned around to find Chang rushing to the site, wiggling her fingers and calling up a spell. A rain cloud appeared over the fire and rain fell, putting the flames out. "What did the master tell you?" she asked. "The usual," he said. "Kill Pyrothraxus. But I need to get the ring from him as well. Zestos was not pleased that I did not attempt while Pyrothraxus was fighting the Tarrasque." "He expects the impossible," said Chang. "Pyrothraxus is 100 time more powerful than he was when you fought him on the beach. He's a Red Dragon, after all." "Yes, and who knows what sort of magical items he had stored in his hoard that he managed to swallow to Ascend with," said Ithfaedeus. "However, I will defeat him, even if it may destroy me in the process. If that happens, you must summon Zestos." "I thank you for the honor," she said. "However, I do have some news for you. It seems Dragonbane has weakened Pyrothraxus. The wizard Pandarus wanted something from Pyrothraxus, the Stone of Aster." "Aster?" asked Ithfaedeus. "The stone that give the use the power to alter reality and has the power to give the user the energy to destroy cities?" "Whole countries, master," she said. "So, Pyrothraxus was the one who stole it," said Ithfaedeus. "Did Pandarus get it back?" "No," she said. "He was apprehended by the Dragon Council. Pyrothraxus is recuperating. This would be the time to take the ring from him." "And take the Stone too," he said. "To give to Zestos?" Chang asked. Ithfaedeus' lips curled into a smile. Maybe he would bring the Stone of Aster to his master Zestos. "We will decide that when it comes," he said. "You don't want to give the Stone to Zestos?" she said. "I never said that," said Ithfaedeus. He lowered his head to her and hissed, a spittle of acid dripped from his lower lip. "Now, we will not discuss this further." "Yes, master," Chang said. "Since the world knows of us dragons," he began. "It's time for me to make my presence known as well. I tire of hiding in the shadows. It's time to take the more direct approach!" The Black Dragon bellowed and leapt into the air. Banking off, he headed for New York City just as the sun began to rise slowly into the sky. 000 Traffic was horrible in the mornings. This was one of the reasons why Jonathan got up so early before work. Leaned slightly over to the side as he waited for the line of cars to move. One thing he hated doing in the mornings before work, waiting in traffic. Though, it was all a part of living a human life. Susan did not want him to go to work today. She knew that he was still a little weak from his fight with Pandarus. Though, Jonathan insisted that he should, at least to wrap things up with his boss McGreggor, who wanted a full report. Pyrothraxus, the enemy of the Huntsclan, was about to walk into work and report his findings to the Huntsmaster. That was a state of irony. Jonathan hoped that if he showed up to work today, report to McGreggor, he would have the rest of the week off as promised. He really did not feel like going to work today, especially with traffic being this bad. Inch by inch, the cars moved slowly forward. Stopping and going. Going and stopping. Jonathan sighed and took a sip from his coffee cup. He heard a slight hiccough from the engine and he grumbled. Great, I have to take this thing to the shop again…he thought. At least get me to work. I don't wanna have to take the subway. The line began to move and Jonathan spied an opening in the lane to the left of him. He needed to get over to that lane in order to turn into the street where his job was. Jonathan turned on his blinker, though he realized how fruitless that was. No one in New York paid attention to blinkers. He thought at least the blinking yellow light would tell the driver behind him that he intended on moving in front. Jonathan craned his head back as he watched the other car attempt to move forward before he was ready to move into that spot. No you don't! Jonathan started to move his car into the empty spot in the lane, scooting more and more in the way of the car behind him. Just as he thought he was about to fully get into the lane, he felt his beige, 10-year old Nissan Stanza bump against something in front of him. Oh—crap… Jonathan turned back to the front to see that he had accidently bumped against the shiny, chrome fender of a black and stylistically flame-detailed Dodge Ram 5200. He poked his head out the window and called out to the driver. "Sorry!" Jonathan turned on the hazard lights just as the driver of the truck did the same. Leaning over, he opened the glove compartment and began to sift through the papers for his insurance card. Already, the driver of the truck had gotten out of his vehicle and was heading over to Jonathan's little Stanza. Jonathan glanced up to see the driver, red-faced, approaching his window. The driver tapped on the window and Jonathan rolled it down just slightly. "Hi there!" he said. "Sorry about your truck. I really wasn't watching what I was doing. I have my insurance information here…" "You messed up my fender, little man," said the driver. He was a much larger, and more muscular man than Jonathan. He looked like he could tear Jonathan apart with just one jerk. But Jonathan knew that would not be possible. "I am very sorry about that," said Jonathan. "My insurance will pay for everything." "I just got that truck detailed!" the man shouted. "I can pay for it," said Jonathan. "My insurance will pay…I'll get a higher premium…" The man was not sated by Jonathan's offers. He thrust his hand into the car window and reached for Jonathan's shirt collar. Jonathan let out a yelp of surprise as the man lifted him out through the window. "Now, just a minute!" Jonathan said as he was suddenly thrown to the pavement. "I'm gonna tear you apart, four-eyes," he said. "Four-eyes?" Jonathan asked. "Now, just hold on…" He rose up from the road, holding up his hand in defense. "We can talk about this…" The man swung his huge fist in a semicircle towards Jonathan. Jonathan ducked down as the fist swished passed above his head. "Look, mister," he said. "You don't want to get into a fight with me. Especially over a little scratch." "Little scratch?" the big man asked, again grabbing Jonathan by the collar and hoisting him up to eye-level. "That's not a little scratch." Jonathan glanced down and saw the fender of the truck. There was hardly a scratch on the truck at all. Perhaps there was a small mark where the two vehicles made contact, but as his eyes zoomed in—not even he could tell the difference. And I have much more powerful eyes than he does and I can hardly see that scratch! Jonathan thought. This human is blowing his top over nothing. "Look, mister," said Jonathan. "Don't get into a fight with me. Seriously. I'm not as feeble as you think I am." The big man took Jonathan's collar in one hand and pulled back with the other, ready to deliver a good shiner to the transformed dragon. Jonathan's muscles clinched up tightly, preparing themselves for the impact. He knew he could take the punch and it would be better that way. "Sir," shouted a voice. "Put the man down, now!" Jonathan looked over his shoulder to find a police officer, her hand on her side arm, standing between two vehicles. Those vehicles now had their hazard lights on. "Yes, ma'am," said the big man, letting Jonathan drop. "Ow!" Jonathan said as he impacted the pavement. The officer walked over to him and held out her hand to help him up. He took it and rose again. "Thanks, officer." "Now, what's this about?" she asked. "You're holding up traffic!" "Well, I was just about to get into this lane when I accidently bumped this 'nice' man's fender," said Jonathan. "I was about to give him my insurance when he literally yanked me from my car and tried to start a fight with me." "He screwed up my fender!" said the big man. "My nice polished fender. It's a mess." Jonathan stepped out of the way as the officer moved over to inspect the scratch. "That little thing?" she asked. "You're having a hissy fit over a tiny scratch? I'm gonna bring you in for attempted battery, and both of you for obstructing traffic over this spat. Now, I'll direct traffic and you two move your cars. We've got a bad pile-up already and that's without you two in the street." "We'll move them," said Jonathan. The big man just grunted in disgust. As Jonathan got into the car, he felt a tremble rumble through the floorboard. He glanced up as he saw the officer knock on the glass of his window. "Come on!" she said. "Forget the car, let's go." "What?" Jonathan asked. Ocuir arcaniss… With Detect Magic now activated, Jonathan could pick up the presence of a magical creature heading towards him. He could smell something in the air. It smelled like stinking swamp gas. Stinking swamp gas, only one creature he knew smelled like that. As Jonathan rose out of his car again, he saw a bus being tossed to the side of the street. "Pyrothraxus!" bellowed an angered voice as a skull-like, draconic head appear through a debris cloud. Ithfaedeus! Jonathan thought. He would not dare scream it aloud with humans around him. "What the hell is that thing?" the big man asked. "Looks like one of those dragons I've heard about," said Jonathan. "Only this one is black." "Pyrothraxus," said Ithfaedeus. "There you are. I'm tired of beating around the bush. No more stooges this time. I'll confront you again myself. I want the ring!" "Who is he talking to?" the big man asked. "Don't know," said Jonathan. "You two leave the street now!" said the officer. She pulled her gun in one hand and her walkie-talkie in the other. Just as Jonathan and the big man started running followed by other people, the officer called for back up. Then, she ran after the two men. "Don't run from me, Pyrothraxus!" Ithfaedeus called as he darted for Jonathan. "I think that thing's talking to you, pal," said the big man. "How can you tell?" Jonathan asked. "Give me the ring!" the Black Dragon bellowed again. "Oh, lucky guess," said the big man. "He's demanding for some ring and you're wearing one." "Huh, coincidence?" Ithfaedeus lunged for the two fleeing humans, snapping his jaws at them. Jonathan grabbed the big man and pushed him into an alley. The officer followed them. Ithfaedeus hissed and slammed his head into the tight space, trying to wedge it between the two buildings. He began to claw at one of the buildings. His forward-sweeping horns ripped holes into the side. "You two get down!" called the officer aiming her pistol at the Black Dragon. "Uh, miss," said Jonathan. "I don't think that's a very good idea!" "You better back away, pal!" she called. Ithfaedeus just hissed at her, his forked tongue flickered out from his jaws. "Have it your way," she said as she fired onto his head. The bullets just skittered off the hard plating. "Pathetic little two-leg," Ithfaedeus said in a deep chuckle. He pushed his head in, snapping his jaws once more. The officer jumped back from the huge dragon's head. Then, he leaned his head back as acidic spittle dripped from his jaws. Jonathan knew that sign. He had to warn the others. "Hey!" he called. "Get back behind the dumpster! Now!" "What?" the officer asked. The putrid smell the Black Dragon's acid became stronger. Jonathan made a lunge for the officer and duck behind the dumpster as the black-green spray shout out from Ithfaedeus' twin mouth sacks. The acid then impacted the big man. Jonathan heard the hissing sound of the acid as it ate away the human's flesh, leaving nothing behind but a black puddle of goo. The officer glanced over to see the puddle and became horrified by the sight. "Oh, God," she whispered. She turned to face the Black Dragon, who started to chuckle again. "Give me the ring, Pyrothraxus," he said. "And I will leave this city." "Who is he talking to?" the officer asked. "You?" Jonathan shrugged. "Oh, I'm talking to him," said Ithfaedeus. He turned again to see Jonathan start up the fire escape. "Stop running, Pyrothraxus!" "Hey!" the officer said. "Hey!" "Stay there," said Jonathan. "He's interested in me, not you." Just as soon as he got to the top of the building, Jonathan began to run across the roof. Ithfaedeus followed. "You can't hide from me," he said. "You can't run from me. I know what you're doing. You don't want to transform. You don't want these people to know who you are. It doesn't matter anymore, Pyrothraxus. I will have the ring. And as you are now, you're the perfect size to be devoured." "Isn't that a little cannibalistic?" Jonathan asked. "Dragons eating other dragons?" "You did it once before, didn't you?" he asked. "Just like your mother." "That was a long time ago." "Not too long," he said. "You did it before you left for the lands across the ocean. But, because you joined up with that Gold Dragon and his bumbling band of weaklings, you only fed off of us—Chromatic Dragons—your kin!" "It was the only way to stave off Twilight," said Jonathan. "At least for me." He leapt off of the edge of one building and landed down on the rooftop of another. As he landed, he tucked himself and rolled. Jonathan glanced up when he heard a growl. Ithfaedeus jaws spread wide, ready to devour the disguised dragon whole. Jonathan rolled out of the way as the jaws snapped shut, biting off an air vent. Ithfaedeus growled and shook his head, spitting out the grate. He looked around for Jonathan, but found that his enemy had eluded him. He must have teleported somewhere…he thought. Where? No matter, I can sniff him out! 000 "Jonathan!" Lao Shi said in surprised as Jonathan appeared in his store in a cloud of smoke. "What are you doing here?" "Hiding," he replied. "What?" "Ithfaedeus," said Jonathan. "He's after me." Fu Dog scooted himself towards the television set and turned it on, putting it on the news channel. There, he saw a bird's eye view from a helicopter the Black Dragon Ithfaedeus destroying 20th Street. "Uh, Lao Shi," he said. "It's the Dark Dragon, and he doesn't look all that happy." Lao Shi turned to the television and sat down to watch it. "Pyrothraxus!" Ithfaedeus bellowed through the speakers. "You can't hide from me!" "What did you do, daughter's husband?" Lao Shi asked. "Do?" Jonathan asked. "I was in traffic on the way to work. I bumped some really angry truck driver in the fender. He tried to start a fight with me, and then, Ithfaedeus showed up. I didn't do anything! You always seem to think it's always my fault something bad happens. He's after the Doorway. He's after the gate, my ring, Lao Shi. And this time, he's decided to be a little bit more personal about it." "You can't give him the ring, Jonathan," said Lao Shi. "If he gets it, he'll release Zestos." "I know that," he said. "Hey," began Fu, leaning in closer to the screen. "Is that the top of our shop?" Lao Shi and Jonathan hopped up as the floor jumped beneath them. They heard the sounds of massive footfalls outside the shop. "Uh, Lao Shi, I'll be in the basement…" said Jonathan, turning for the backroom door. "Oh, no you don't!" Lao Shi said, grabbing his coattail. "This is your fight, now get out there and fight it." "I'm not well enough to fight him," said Jonathan. "Fàng pì," said Lao Shi. "You're well enough. Now, get out there." "Pyrothraxus!" bellowed Ithfaedeus from outside. "Come out and play." Jonathan once more started for the basement, but Lao Shi tugged on his coat again. "You had no problem in fighting him before, what's different now?" asked Lao Shi. "Exposure!" "You've done that," he said. "Now, get out there." Fu Dog opened the door as Lao Shi pushed Jonathan outside. Jonathan took one look up at Ithfaedeus and started to run again. Lao Shi watched and sighed as the Black Dragon chased after the transformed Red Dragon. "Fu," he said. "Get Sun Park on the phone." "Jake too?" he asked. "Yes. And if Sun feels that Haley is strong enough to help in the fight against the Dark Dragon, we could use her." Outside, Jonathan continued his run down the sidewalk as people crowded close together as best as they could to get out of the dragon's way. Ithfaedeus spat, sending a splash of acid towards Jonathan's path. He leapt out of the way of the acid pool, seeing it melt through a mailbox and down into the pavement. "Come on, Pyrothraxus," said Ithfaedeus. "I grow tired of this. Transform, or else I will eat you whole. And I'll just spit the ring out after I digested you. It doesn't matter if these pitiful creatures see you transform." "You don't know anything about the press," said Jonathan as he paused in his run. He glanced up at the sky, spying the news helicopter ever vigilant on his trail. "They're vultures." "Trying to keep your secret identity?" Ithfaedeus asked. "Like a superhero? Who do you think you are? Batman?" Jonathan turned and saw a newsstand behind him: "No, I'm Super Jon." Ithfaedeus lunged again for Jonathan as he rolled behind the newsstand. "Your Sunday paper," he said. "And hurry!" "What are you gonna do?" the clerk asked. "Swat his nose with it?" "Something like that," said Jonathan. "If you can do that, the paper's free, pal," he said. Jonathan took the paper and stood up from behind the stand. "Alright, Ithfaedeus. You want me? You got me." The Black Dragon growled again as Jonathan came out into the middle of the street. He heard the sound of police officers calling out to him, telling him to get away from the creature. Jonathan just grinned. As Ithfaedeus leaned down, ready to once more attempt to devour him, Jonathan wound his arm back like a baseball pitcher. He tossed the paper with blinding speed and it impacted the Black Dragon between the eyes. Ithfaedeus was thrown back to the ground, squishing a line of cars beneath his great bulk. Jonathan turned to the clerk at the stand. "How's that?" he asked. "Paper's free, pal," said the clerk. "Did you see that?" said a woman to her husband. "He knocked that creature out with a newspaper." Jonathan heard the thump of another set of helicopter blades. He looked up again and found military helicopters were approaching the area. Then, he heard Ithfaedeus begin to moan as he moved around on the ground. The Black Dragon lifted his head painfully up. "I'm not that easily—defeated," he said. "You'll have to do better than that, Pyrothraxus." "Ithfaedeus," said Jonathan. "The military is here. You want them to capture you and turn you into a lab rat? Get out of here!" "I'm surprised you care so much." "None of our kind should be used as such, Ithfaedeus." "I will not leave until I get your ring!" he bellowed. "Now, hand it over. The master wills it." "So, you have been in contact with my baby brother," said Jonathan. "Very well. Have it your way!" Jonathan exhaled out a massive plume of fire. The fire spread out over his body and up into the sky, filling it with sticky heat and choking clouds. Ithfaedeus covered his face from the burning cinders that rained down from the sky. The fire took shape into that of a massive dragon. Then, as the dragon landed, the fire about its body died, revealing crimson red scales, purple frills, thorny horns, and enormous wings. Ithfaedeus looked down to see the gold ring on the Red Dragon's right paw. He could not believe he did not sense it before when he fought him back on the beach, but now he did. That was the ring, that was the Gate. "Pyrothraxus," he said. "Ithfaedeus," Pyrothraxus replied back. He looked down to the people in the streets. "Maybe we should take this fight somewhere else. I don't want to harm any innocents." "Pathetic," said Ithfaedeus. "How's this, then," he began. "There isn't enough room." "We can make room," Ithfaedeus said as he bounded towards Pyrothraxus. The Red Dragon countered, waving his claw in the air. Ithfaedeus paused in mid jump, suspended by Pyrothraxus' magic. Pyrothraxus growled and pushed with his claw, sending Ithfaedeus flying backwards many yards down the road. The Black Dragon collided with a tall building, reducing it to rubble. As the Red Dragon approached the fallen Black Dragon, Ithfaedeus lifted his head and spat his acid upon Pyrothraxus' foreleg. The acid splashed upon his red scales, singing the scales. The Red Dragon bellowed in pain and lurched back, gripping his foreleg. Ithfaedeus made his advance, charging for the Red Dragon while his mind was focused upon the leg. Pyrothraxus lifted his head up, seeing the smaller Black Dragon leap upon him with jaws open. He pushed the Red Dragon into the building, latching tightly to Pyrothraxus' jugular. The Red Dragon thrashed, kicking dirt and dust into the air, flapping his wings as he tried to get the Black Dragon off of him. From above, the helicopters got a prime view of the fight between the two titanic beasts. One of those helicopters held someone who wanted to help his old friend. Sam Davidson, the moment he got a call about the Black Dragon heading for New York, set out to follow him. All he needed to know was that it was big, it flew, and it was black…and it spat acid—the same acid he found on that plane not too long ago. He found his culprit. And apparently, his friend Jonathan Long has a personal beef with the Black Dragon as well. Sam mentally cheered his friend on while he watched from the helicopter. "Sir, we should at least attempt to scare one of them off," said the pilot. "One of those dragons down there is the dragon responsible for the plane crash," said Sam. "And the other—well, he's gonna be a team player in a little bit. But if Jonathan doesn't chase that monster away soon enough, we'll get in there." Pyrothraxus felt the teeth of the Black Dragon skink into his scales and pierce the soft skin underneath. That was when the hot lava that made up his blood began to ooze out. Ithfaedeus jerked back, bellowing with smoke coming from his tongue. Pyrothraxus lifted up, his glowing, orange, fiery blood splashing into flaming pools on the ground. As he stepped out of the rubble, the wound began to heal immediately. "Too hot for you?" he asked. Sam lowered his binoculars, blinking in disbelief. "You see that?" he asked. "Jon's blood is like liquid fire! Like lava. And—his wound just healed. He's got like Wolverine's powers or something. He can regenerate his wounds." The burnt wound on Ithfaedeus' tongue also began to heal up just as fast and the Black Dragon hissed. "Apparently so does the other dragon," said the pilot. Once more, Ithfaedeus started for his enemy, but Pyrothraxus exhaled his breath weapon again. His body melded with the fire, becoming a part of it, flowing with it. Ithfaedeus saw the streaming, winged, fiery comet begin to spin around him. Then, it collided with him, sending him flying up into the air again. The comet continued to impact the Black Dragon, burning away at his scales and the membranes on his wings. Ithfaedeus exploded into a dark mist, which began to blanket over the area, shutting out all light. Pyrothraxus could not hear anything, see anything, or even feel anything. He was locked inside Ithfaedeus darkness. The darkness spread out to Sam's chopper as well. Though the pilot cried out that he could not see to guide the aircraft, Sam could not hear him. The air suddenly became frighteningly cold and hollow as if all joy was sucked out at once. He called out for Pyrothraxus, but his voice was stolen. Itmen! Sam saw a golden light began to grow out from a single point. Sound suddenly rushed into the compartment like a gush of air. He could see this glowing light build up and he looked down to see where it was coming from. The glowing light was Pyrothraxus! The Red Dragon glowed like the golden rays of the Earth's Sun. His radiance fought back the darkness, bringing back warmth. As the darkness receded, the scene was once more filled with the buildings of downtown New York City. The darkness revealed Ithfaedeus' form cowering before the light. This light was not the light of goodness coming from Pyrothraxus, but his radiant aura that was fueled with heated range. His ascension to near-godhood was not based upon good or evil, but his own fiery emotions. And Ithfaedeus, upon sensing this through the aura, was afraid. Pyrothraxus had that look in his fiery eyes again—a look he had not had in a millennia. "Don't try that again," he said. Sam felt the aircraft jolt as the pilot managed to gain control. "That was close," said the pilot. "What the blue-blazes was that?" "Darkness," said Sam. "Pure, unyielding darkness. That Black Dragon's got some tricks up his sleeve. But Jonathan's got unyielding light behind him. Light like the sun. Hot—boiling. The sun can be a blessing and a curse." "Tell me about it," he said. "Especially when we have solar storms." Lao Shi, Sun Park, Jake, and Haley finally arrived on scene, landing on a building. They barely missed the darkness that Ithfaedeus cast, but were relieved to see Pyrothraxus still going on strong. Jake gripped the sides of the building, his red tail wagging in anticipation. "We've gotta help him," he said. "And I've been wanting to kick some Dark Dragon butt for a long time!" "No, Jake," said Lao Shi. "Just wait until your father needs us." "Forget you," Jake said as he jumped off the ledge, spreading his wings. "Jake!" Haley called after him, taking off as well. "Children!" Sun Park said. "Come back here!" "Aiyah," Lao Shi said, throwing up his arms. "Wo men wan le!" Pyrothraxus then exhaled once more and sent another cone of fire towards Ithfaedeus. The Black Dragon prepared himself, as the flaming dragon rushed forth to whisk him up into the sky. He saw that the fire had a purple tint to it and it fluctuated with electricity. He looked around and saw reality itself warp around him as the fire continued to spin around his body. When his body was thrown to the ground once more, he felt as if he fazed right through the pavement. The fire became like a ghost of purple light and it lifted his body from the solidity of the ground, only to send him speeding off into a building. Ithfaedeus moaned in pain and lifted his head up only to see a ghostly specter of purple energy and orange flames reform into Pyrothraxus. "I see—you really do have the Stone of Aster," he hissed at the Red Dragon. "I suppose you want it as well," said Pyrothraxus. "Good luck taking it." "You swallowed it," Ithfaedeus said. "It's in your bloodstream now, coursing through you. But it must be a strain for you to use such power. You're slumping a bit more. It's weakening you. You have to rest in order to harness it. It's—too much for you to fully handle." Pyrothraxus stepped forward only slightly, but the warped reality the Stone caused, brought him close to Ithfaedeus' body. "Then, I will need some energy to help me control it," he whispered softly. "That's why you haven't—killed me yet…" Ithfaedeus said. "Vampire…" "Don't call me that," Pyrothraxus growled. "You want me to be what I used to be. The cold-blooded killer that I was, taking lives without caring, without remorse. That is a side of me you should be thankful I'm suppressing. But since you've asked so nicely." He gripped the Black Dragon by the throat. "As you stated, I'm tired of beating around the bush. Let's finally end our rivalry, Ithfaedeus, once and for all." He lowered his head down to his captive's neck. "With your essence flowing into my body." With that, Pyrothraxus bit into the Black Dragon's throat. Jake landed down onto a building near where his father was and watched this horrifying sight. This was not his father. He knew something was wrong. He saw some sort of ghostly, blue- white glow appearing around Pyrothraxus' jaws, coming out of the neck wound of Ithfaedeus. The Red Dragon pulled back and began to inhale the ghostly stream. Jake turned to the Dark Dragon and noticed that he started to age. His body became thinner, his wings became more tattered, and his horns looked brittle. His eyes turned milky-white, as if he was suffering from cataracts, another sign of aging. Pyrothraxus was sucking the life out of the Dark Dragon. Though Jake hated the Dark Dragon, he did not want this to happen. He could not stand to see a living creature, no matter how despicable, die so painfully. "Dad, please, stop," he said, though his words were drowned out by Pyrothraxus own joys of ecstasy in draining Ithfaedeus' life force. He knew that Ascended Dragons were immune to energy draining abilities, but his tricks went beyond that immunity. It was one of the weapons he used during the war. This special skill, he received from his mother Malystryx. Suddenly, a stream of ice shot out of the sky and impacted Pyrothraxus, freezing him instantly before he could finish. Ithfaedeus laid on the rubble, barely even alive, his scales pale, his breath wheezing in and out of his lungs. He could not even move. A light even brighter than the one Pyrothraxus produced shined from the sky. Sam's helicopter banked off a bit as two more dragons landed near the frozen Pyrothraxus. One of them was silver, and the other gold. "Sir, those guys attacked your friend," said the pilot. "I say we take them out." "No arguments here," said Sam. "Jon was actually in the middle of killing that other dragon, and they had to ruin it. All squadrons, form up. Attack that silver dragon and that gold dragon. When we're done, we'll shatter the ice and free Jon." The Gold Dragon turned around when he heard the sound of several attack helicopters flying towards him. "Hey, hold it, Sam," he called out to the helicopter above him. "I'm a friend of Jon's too." "Hold your position," Sam ordered through the COM channel. He pulled out a bullhorn and called out to the Gold Dragon. "How the hell do you know who I am?" "I've been watching the two of you," said the Gold Dragon. "I'm Galen. I think Jon has told you about me." "You're the guy who helped him hide magic from us?" he asked. "That's me," said Galen. "It's alright. Jon's not hurt. He's just a bit—confused right now. This is Sayan'i. She just froze him for a moment so he can collect his head." As Galen explained himself to Sam, Ithfaedeus slowly began to heal up. He moved slowly, growling. Looking up, he saw that Pyrothraxus was frozen solid in ice and Sayan'i and Galen were standing before him, talking to the helicopter. This was his chance. His strength was returning and he now had a chance to take down the Golden Bandit—the one who changed Pyrothraxus. He began to rise from the rubble as his body returned to its youthful look. Jake noticed the Dark Dragon rising up and called out to the two Ancients. "Look out!" Then, Galen's body glowed even brighter, his golden glow turning to a bright blue-white light. Sam covered his eyes, Jake squinted against the light, and Ithfaedeus was blown back to the ground from the force of it. Then, the Dark Dragon chuckled as the light died out. Galen turned to face Ithfaedeus, listening to his chuckle. "Now, I understand who you are, Bandit," said the Black Dragon. "Now I understand. You've hid that secret well. Have you told Pyrothraxus who you are—who his 'best friend' is? You two are like brothers, yet, he would never be your equal—not unless you grant it to him." "Go home, Ithfaedeus," said Galen. "You're done here. Go home." "I should have known it was you," he said. "Why don't you tell Pyrothraxus who you really are? I can't believe he's that dense." "Go home," Galen ordered again. "You think because you're Mr. Big of all us dragons that you can order me around?" Ithfaedeus asked. "I'm going to count to 3…" "Well, even you will fall before my master." "1…" "It won't even matter how powerful you are…" "2…" "Or how powerful your legions will be…" "3…" Galen took in a deep breath and blasted forth a blue-white beam of light from his mouth. Jake knew it to be the disintegration spell since he had seen his father use the same technique of firing the spell a few times before. However, this version was more powerful than his father's. Not only that, it seemed more natural, as if this heated gas breath weapon that could atomize anything in its path was a part of Galen just as the fire breath was a part of Pyrothraxus. The shockwave from that breath weapon knocked the helicopter backwards. The other helicopters followed it, being ordered to stand down while Galen blasted his weapon at the enemy dragon. The white light subsided and all was left was long gash where the beam had blasted. Though Ithfaedeus was nowhere to be found in the crater. The blast was enough to free Pyrothraxus from his ice. Though, he was only semiconscious. "I'm up here, Bandit!" said Ithfaedeus. "You missed." "Call it a warning shot," said Galen. "The next won't. But you can leave now and spare yourself a frying." "So glad you're letting me go," he said. "And be sure to just snap your fingers to make all the lives you took come back. If you didn't have that power, you wouldn't have used such a powerful weapon on me." "Go. Home." "Very well," he said. "But I take this bit of tasty information back to my master." He flapped his wings and banked away from the city, laughing with delight. Sayan'i turned to Jake and then poked at the Gold Dragon. "Galen," she began. "The boy, and his family." "Prepare for a mind hiccup," Galen chuckled, snapping his claws. He glanced back to see Jake now take on a rather confused and vacant expression, something similar to what everyone else who viewed this scene held. People trapped by the rubble then rose up from the rocks only to pause to look at the three dragons who were there. As Jake awoke from his confusion, he saw his father lying on the ground with melted ice on him. "Dad!" he shouted as Pyrothraxus slowly rose up. The Red Dragon growled angrily, his eyes coming to meet Galen's golden ones. "Jon," said Galen. "Calm down. You're not thinking straight. Get control of yourself." Pyrothraxus snapped his jaws at the Gold Dragon and then leapt up into the air. Jake took off following him. "Dad!" he called. Pyrothraxus paused in his flight and dove for his son, jaws wide open. Jake gasped just as the Red Dragon's jaws snapped shut barely an inch from his body. He curled himself up slightly, becoming afraid for the first time of his own father. "Get away from me…" Pyrothraxus growled in the most heated and angered tone Jake had ever heard. His voice was like the piercing of a Dragonlance into his son's heart. Jake trembled when he looked to his father, hearing him growled furiously at him. He could not understand his father's anger. Why was he mad? Then, Pyrothraxus took off again, banking north towards the Adirondack Mountains. "Dad," Jake asked. He glanced back at Galen. "What's wrong with him?" "He's a Red Dragon, kid," said Galen. "Just plain and simple as that." "Can you do something?" "No," he said. "It wouldn't be right." "Of course you could do something," said Sayan'i. "You have that power." "Then, I would be no better than Asmodeus or Vecna," said Galen. "You know that, Sayan'i. Let Jon cool off. This just hasn't been a good week for him. Farewell, Jake." Then, both dragons vanished in a flash of light. If Jake did not know better, it seemed Galen had a secret too. Uncle Sam Wants You "Where's my husband?" Susan demanded, looking down at her father. "Where's Jon?" "He—flew off, Susan," replied Lao Shi. "We don't know where he went. He…" "We can't describe what he tried to do," said Fu Dog. "Then, Galen and Sayan'i showed up to stop him from doing it." "Dad was sucking the life out of the Dark Dragon," said Jake. "I heard the Dark Dragon call him a vampire and said that he was like his mother. Grandpa, Fu? Do you know anything?" Susan sat down on the couch, leaning over to place her head in her hands. Fu Dog scratched his head. She picked up the phone and began to dial it, calling her father's cell phone. However, the only voice that answered was the voice mail. "He's not answering his phone," she said. "Fu?" Jake asked. "I've never heard of anything like this," he replied. "Apparently, this is a well kept secret, even from the rest of the Magical World. The Darastrixi don't want us to know about it. Though, there are very nasty magical rituals that anyone can perform to drain the energy and life out of a victim. That's one thing vampires do in order to feed to keep themselves young. I wouldn't doubt it that when your dad was reaching twilight, the dragon's final stage before death, he—may have done this to sustain his life force." "My dad is not a vampire!" said Jake. He turned to his grandfather. "Grandpa…" "I do recall a very taboo legend within our people," said Lao Shi. "It revolved around your biological grandmother Malystryx, Jake. They said that she was the most powerful dragon on the planet. No one could take her down. And how did she get this way? The story went that she fed upon the life force and magic of her conquered victims. She would bring them close to death and then suck the life and magic out of them until they were nothing more than a dried husk. The victims she preyed upon were other dragons. After all, magic comes from your father's brethren. Without them, this world would be devoid of it. It's possible she taught this skill to Jonathan. So, in a way he is a vampire." "So, why did he almost kill me back there?" "The Dark Dragon's essence is evil," said Lao Shi. "Jonathan had a moment of relapse in thought. It could be a number of things. It could be his pride. Only he really knows what is going on. But you must remember, Jake, your father is first and foremost a Chromatic Red Dragon. He's been so adamant to keep his temper under control, but these last few days have taken their toll on him. Red Dragons are vengeful creatures." "Yeah, we're lucky he didn't go all Godzilla on New York after everything that happened," said Fu Dog. "Just stop!" Susan shouted. "Don't talk about him like that! He's not a monster." She finally collected herself. "I just want my husband back. I don't care what happened, what he did, he did it to save the city. That's what you should care about. That's what I care about. Now, why don't you two do me a favor and go look for him." Lao Shi sighed and nodded: "Fu, let's return to the Underdark. Maybe they'll be able to tell us if they've seen him since the attack." "Lao Shi, Jon doesn't visit the Underdark," said Fu. "He probably wouldn't go there." "Where would he go?" Susan asked. Fu clapped his paws: "His lair." 000 Above the hills leading to the Adirondacks, military helicopters followed the flight path of the Great Wyrm Red Dragon. Sam knew he could follow Pyrothraxus' path by monitoring the energy he put out. This time, he was not going to let the dragon get away from him. "Are you sure we should follow him in this state?" the pilot asked. "He could just turn around and attack us." "That's why we're keeping a safe distance," he said. "I know Jon. When he gets mad, he gets mad. It's just best to keep out of his way until he's cooled." They reached the ridge where they saw the Red Dragon bank right and began his descent. Sam glanced back at the other helicopters, ordering for them to hang back while his helicopter moved forward. Behind him, sitting in their seats were soldiers already geared up for the drop. One of them was Sergeant York who had met Pyrothraxus previously. "Alright," said Sam. "Lieutenant, head down there." "Yes, Colonel," he said. He glanced down at the mountains, taking note that Pyrothraxus had landed. Pyrothraxus glanced down at his reflection in the pond and sighed. He was disgusted with himself. He nearly harmed his son. He felt like he was reverting back to the ways of his brethren —voracious, chaotic, evil creatures. He felt that in some ways that was more natural to him because of that was how he was born. But he knew for a fact that these tendencies are more taught than programmed in birth. His mother whispered through his egg evil thoughts, which helped in his development in becoming what he once was. It took Sayan'i to almost rip his mind apart in order to reprogram him to be what the Metallic Dragons wanted him to be. However, Pyrothraxus wondered if what she did was right as well. He knew Galen wondered that as well. Now, it seemed that conditioning was coming apart. But in his mind, he knew he could not perform any acts of malevolence unprovoked. He logically knew that he could not harm his son, or any of his family. He loved them too much. Though, Pyrothraxus was afraid that he would not be in control of his breaking emotions. He knew he was fighting an internal battle with the nature of the Red Dragon. He fought that internal battle in the first few years of conforming to human life. Now, he was fighting again because he released his draconic side from hiding. He still wondered if perhaps it was safer for everyone if he would be permanently turned into a human. His draconic nature could not conform to modern society. There had to be a middle ground between his 40 years of being human and his natural form. Looking back down at his reflection, he splashed the water with his claw. The ripples distorted his reflection. The distortion seemed accurate. He was distorted, he was confused with himself, and he still held much of that horrible chaos. Pyrothraxus reared back onto his hind legs and arched his head to the sky. He bellowed a powerful roar, spewing a cone of fire from his mouth. The Red Dragon's ear frill twitched when he heard the sounds of helicopter blades. Growling, he then retreated into a shadowy area near a rocky cliff of the mountain. The shadowy area was the mouth of an enormous cave large enough for him to duck down and crawl through. This was his Adirondack lair. He was in no mood to deal with anyone right now. Above, a singular attack helicopter dropped down, unloading several soldiers armed with semi-automatic weapons. Among those soldiers was Lieutenant Colonel Sam Davidson. The soldiers readied their weapons as they made their approach to the mouth of the cave. Sam could tell that this cave was not a natural occurrence in the rock. Pyrothraxus must have dug this lair for him to live in. However, he realized that it was rather old, taking note of some hanging stalactites and a few stalagmites on the floor. Some of the stalactites were broken off, which indicated the cave's recent use. Claw marks laced around the floor of the opening of the cave. Then, there was something else he noticed, a smell in the air. He knew that smell very well. "What is that stench?" asked York. "Smells like—rotten eggs," said a soldier. "Or natural gas." "Hydrogen sulfide," said Sam. "Also known as brimstone. The smell you find around a volcanic tube. I seem to recall a few times Jonathan smelling like that a lot and no matter how many times he bathed, he could never get rid of it. I suppose the scent is natural for his kind." They slowly entered the mouth, lightly stepping across the stone. As they went on deeper through, they turned on their flashlights, igniting the cave in a reddish glow. "You think his eyes will detect our lights, sir?" York asked. "I don't know," said Sam lowly. "I seem to recall Jon saying once when we were kids— well, when I was a kid and him pretending to be one—he said on a Cougar Scout camping trip he had difficulty discerning color at night. However, he could see really well in darkness. I'm not sure if he'll be able to detect the red light very well, but I do know that when he sees us, he will." As soon as they reached the back of the cavern, they paused, noticing that it was empty. Sam glanced around, running the light of the flashlight up around the ceiling. Then, he looked down around the walls and towards the floor. He noticed that the cave floor was built with a slight illusion of perspective. The angle of the rocks seemed to be concealing something, a hole in the floor itself. As he move closer to the hole, he noticed that it was much more massive than it appeared to be. It looked like it could fit something Pyrothraxus' size. "This is a decoy cavern," he said. "The real lair is down there." He then ignited a green glow stick and a stopwatch. Dropping the glow stick down the hole into the lower chamber below, Sam began to count the seconds before it disappeared. "500 feet straight down," he said as he heard a soft splash of the glow stick when it hit the surface of water. "He's got a pool down there." "We've got rappel gear that can go as low as 400 feet, Colonel," said one of the other soldiers. "Still not enough to swing across the pool," said Sam. "Look, I'll go down by myself. You guys stay up here." "Sir," began York in a protest. "We can't let you go down there alone with that—that…" "That what?" Sam asked. "That monster? Is that what you were going to say? Creature? Animal? You don't need sharp teeth and claws to be a monster, you know." "Sorry, sir," said York. Sam began to tie his ropes up, anchoring them to a stalagmite, and strapped the harness on. York and some of his soldiers took hold of the ropes and steadied them as Sam began his rappel down. Then, Sam began his descent slowly down to the dark depths of the dragon's den. As he began to rappel down, he heard a deep and angered growl echoing from the darkness. Sam paused in his descent to find a pair of fiery glowing eyes staring back at him from the far end of the chamber. There were other glowing points of light as well. Below the eyes were two nostrils also glowing and spewing out smoke. A mouth parted and Sam could see a glow inside the jaws as well. That was all he could see of his friend. "Jon," he said. "Uh, we need to talk." The growling became louder. Sam saw flames lick out from the Red Dragon's jaws. "Every time I get a chance to talk to you," said Sam. "Something happens. Look, if you're wondering, I don't care what you were trying to do with that other dragon. No one cares. We were only there to monitor and provide assistance if things got worse." Pyrothraxus continued to growl at Sam. Just as Sam reached the end of the rope, the Red Dragon belched his flames towards him. Sam cut himself loose before the flames reached the rope and dropped down into the cool water below. He opened his eyes underwater and saw flames race out across the surface. As the flames ceased, Sam poked his head up, gasping for air. "Leave me be," Pyrothraxus bellowed, causing a few loose rocks to tumble from the ceiling of the cave. "Qe bihainwor muntrek!" "Colonel?" York called through the hole at the top. "You alright down there?" Sam glanced up through the hole: "Yeah, we're just talking. Stay up there. Do not come down." "Yes, sir." "Jon," said Sam. "I know if you wanted to hurt me, you wouldn't have missed. You're just blowing steam—or fire right now. I don't know what's wrong with you today. Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? You and Susan have a fight?" "Go away." "Alright," he said. "Your business, not mine. Listen, I've come to give you some information. That dragon you fought earlier, we believe that it was the one who caused the plane to drop out of the sky like that." Sam noticed that the growling had lessened somewhat, indicating that Pyrothraxus was now listening. Something he read about the stories on Chromatic Red Dragons, they love receiving information—especially useful information. "We know it was him because of the acid," said Sam. "That creature spits acid. He flies, and he's black scaled. Those were the descriptions. I don't think that there's anything else around here that can do what that creature did. We found acidic residue on the severed wing of the plane and went over the flight logs of the pilot when he reported the UFO. It matched the descriptions of that black dragon you fought." The growling stopped and Sam could hear the sounds of the Red Dragon's claws as he shifted his weight around. "That's all I needed to tell you," said Sam. "Well, that and something else. But, I think right now, it's best that I pick some other time to ask about it. But I'm running out of time to ask you. I'll just have to go and do it myself." He glanced back up at the hole. "Sergeant," he said. "Lower the rope a bit. I'm coming out." "That's good, sir," he said. As the rope began to lower down, the soldiers adding their ropes to Sam's, he turned around to the dragon. "Well, Jon," Sam began. "Guess this is goodbye. I'll drop you a line here and there, but with this new project I'll be working on, I may be traveling again. It was good to see you after all these years and, to know the biggest secret you've ever held—wow. Never thought my bro turned out to be a dragon. Tell Susan bye for me, will you? And don't step on too many taxis." Sam gripped the rope, tying it to the harness again. He called for his team to begin to pull him up out of the water. Pyrothraxus rose up. Sam heard the sound of coins jingling. "Sam," Pyrothraxus began in a much softer, yet saddened tone. "Don't leave." Sam let go of the rope, unhooking himself again. He began to swim towards the shore as several torches came on, lighting up the massive cavern. When he came to the shore, Sam stopped in awe. He saw Pyrothraxus sitting up on a glistening hoard of gold, jewels, and all other sorts of fine rarities from ancient history. There were some recent history items in the hoard such as a television from the early 1970s, Vaseline-radium goblets and platters sitting on a circular table made of wood, glass, and brass from the 1940s. Sam knew that table. It belonged to Jonathan's adoptive mother. There was even a gold-rimmed rotary dial phone sitting on that table as well. On the other side of the wall was Jonathan's first car, a 1978 AMC Gremlin, bought used for 2 thousand dollars. The old subcompact car looked rather out of place among the riches. However, because of its own rarity in the world, it had become quite a collectible. Pyrothraxus' Gremlin looked to be still in good shape. Though Pyrothraxus had eaten quite a lot of his hoard to Ascend, a lot of it was left behind, saved in this lair. The hoard he swallowed was the hoard he left in a private place only Galen and Sayan'i knew of. They were not aware of this hoard. "Damn," said Sam. "That's—quite a collection you've got there." "What did you want to talk about?" "Something you might be interested in," said Sam. "Something that Fu Dog said you could help me with. He said that you wanted to find a way to bring our two worlds together. Well, apparently, since my report was filed, it went to the Pentagon. They had some concerns, however, the scientific community ties to the Pentagon persuaded them to look further into this. The President's advisors were informed as well. Basically, we want to learn more about the magical world, to understand it. We want to catalog every inch of the magical world for scientific study. Not for weapons research, but for study of anthropology, archeology, and biology. There are species in the magical world that we only thought were legends, and some we've never knew existed. Thing is, I know you'd be the man—dragon to help us in this research." "The President wants this study?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Sure, he's interested," he said. "Everyone is. I've been asked to form a team of scientists from both military backgrounds and civilian backgrounds. But we need someone who knows what he's talking about when it comes to things like what pixie dust does." "Stuns you," said the dragon. "See?" said Sam. "I didn't know that. The scientists won't either. They'll go into field research to study it and make the mistake of touching it. We need a guide and I want you to be that guide." "Scientists," said Pyrothraxus. "People who's profession may be biased to magic and magical creatures. The last thing I want to hear is a constant 'but that's impossible' or 'that does not exist'." "They're going to say that whether you want them to or not," said Sam. "They're gonna be new to this. In this matter, you're the professor teaching us. And that's why I came to you. I don't think the other magical creatures would agree to it." "They won't." "Please, Jon," said Sam. "Do this for me, will you?" "Who will administrate this?" he asked. "Well, since you're insistent on making sure that we don't use our research for weapons," began Sam. "There's only one administration I can think of that would do it. It's run by both military personnel and civilian personnel. NASA." "NASA?" Pyrothraxus asked. "I—get to work for NASA? NASA would fund this project?" "Well, we do more than just go into space," said Sam. "Besides, all that energy you call magic was discovered by one of our satellites. They want to keep close tabs on all of this." Pyrothraxus snorted. "Don't make light of this, man," said Sam. "I'm serious. I need your help." "I already have a job," he said. "A job you hate," said Sam. "We pay more than what you're probably getting there. We have better benefits." "You don't understand," said Pyrothraxus. "I have an obligation." "What?" asked Sam. "At your firm?" "It's more than that." "What is it?" "I can't tell you," he said. "Why?" "It's a secret," Pyrothraxus said as he rose up from his hoard. He slowly walked towards Sam. Sam started to shiver slightly from the chill in the cave. Pyrothraxus leaned over and exhaled his hot breath upon the human and suddenly his clothes became dry. Sam stood there, blinking in surprise. "Okay, how did you just do that?" "Magic," the Red Dragon replied. "Yeah," said Sam. "I need you, the base needs you. NASA needs you. I mean, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not many people get to work for NASA." "Especially not with my level of college education," he said in a snort. "Come on, Jon. I want you to come work with me. It'll be like old times again. Like when we were lab partners in physics class with Mr. Richards. We had fun then." "Only because you understood what he was saying," said Pyrothraxus. "I needed a translator." "And I was your translator," Sam chuckled. "I seem to remember you really sucked at that class." "Hey, I've got 244 feet on you, Sam," Pyrothraxus growled, leaning his snout even closer to the military officer. "I get it," he said. "Still, will you?" "No," said Pyrothraxus. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I can't quit my job." "Damn it, Jon, how can you pass this up?" Sam asked, walking away from the dragon. "Over a desk job for a finance company who barely pays you above minimum wage. You're caught in the dimension of that movie Office Space. Filing your TPS reports, brown-nosing to some white-collared boss who comes into work from his yacht in the Caribbean." "Not this boss," said Pyrothraxus. "You have no idea what this boss does." "Don't tell me, he's a drug dealer?" "No." "What does he do?" asked Sam. "I cannot say," he said. "I've made a promise." "Dude, if pushing some illegal numbers at that company, now's the time to quit!" "It's not that," he said. Pyrothraxus settled himself down on the cave floor. "Nothing like that." He sighed and shook his neck frill. "Alright, fine, I'll do it. I'll need to talk to my boss about my resignation. There's some loose ends I need to tie up with him in order to quit." "Fine," Sam shrugged. "Keep your secrets and do what you need to do." Pyrothraxus' claw came near Sam and he gently pushed him with the curved, backside of his talon. "Remember, you have secrets of your own," he said. "Stuff you would have to kill me over if you reveal them to me." "Just think, if you come to work for me, I'll give you high enough clearance to know those secrets," said Sam. "And when I do, you have to tell me about your boss. Is he a magical creature too?" "No, but he does have ties to the magical world," he said. "And that's all I'll say now." Sam stood back as he watched the dragon roll onto his back, looking back at him from an awkward position. Pyrothraxus spread his wings slightly as he wiggled his back, using the rough rock to give his shoulder blades a scratch. "So, when is this team going to be put together?" he asked. "Tomorrow," said Sam. "I'd like for you to be there tomorrow to meet the team." "How many people?" "A crew of 15," he said. "16 when you show up." "And what sort of disciplines are they from?" "Well, aside from myself in geophysics," said Sam. "I managed to round up six scientists from Berkley. One's an archeologist, another is an anthropologist, the third is a biologist, the fourth a paleontologist, fifth is an architect that studies historic buildings, and the sixth is a zoologist. I've got a taxonomist from Stanford. Uh, we'll need him for the categorizing of the flora and fauna we'll encounter. I've got an agrogeologist and a linguist. Also, there's a historian on the team as well. The other five are assistants and military personnel helping me to oversee the team. And you—well, you'll answer to none of them. I'm gonna make sure that you'll get full autonomy to do what you need to do in order to help us in this. I've told them that they'll need to understand that what you'll tell them they're gonna disagree, but—they have to trust what you say is true." Pyrothraxus rolled over again once he felt the itch go away. "You mind if I sit down?" Sam asked, turning his head over to a golden throne with velvet red cushions. Pyrothraxus rumbled at him, motioning for him to sit on the throne. "Nice seat," said Sam as he sat down. "It's Danish," he replied. "Originally owned by a king of theirs." "Danish king," said Sam. "Nice. I could get used to hanging around in a place like this. Makes me wonder, you have all this gold, and you live in that hovel? I'd buy a mansion with all of this." "You try explain to the pawn shop how I managed to get a hold of a gold and sapphire collar from Upper Egypt circa 1560 BCE," said Pyrothraxus. "Especially with security the way it is. I'll be put in jail for suspicion of smuggling ancient artifacts for the rest of my life—which by the way is a very long ways away." He gathered up gold coins into his claw. "I have all this wealth and I can't even use it. But dragons don't use the hoard they accumulate, they just— collect it." "Colonel!" called York. "The general says you need to return to base." "I'll have to cut this short, then," said Sam. "Jon…" "I'll help you out of the cave," he said, watching Sam rise up from the throne. Pyrothraxus lowered down to the human, lowering his head to the ground. Sam climbed up onto the dragon's head and made his way down the neck to his back. He settled himself between the wings. Pyrothraxus lifted his head up and turned it towards Sam. "Hang on tightly." "I'm hangin'," said Sam. He leaned down as the dragon took off from the floor and headed out the hole. Sam's men stood back with their guns at the ready as they saw the enormous Red Dragon emerge from the hole in the floor. Sam looked over Pyrothraxus' shoulder and waved at the others. "It's okay, he was just giving me a ride out of there." "Lower your weapons," said York. Pyrothraxus growled, annoyed by the fear he smelled from the other humans. They still did not trust him. "Hey, how do I get down from here?" Sam asked. Pyrothraxus lowered his belly to the floor: "Slide down." He extended his foreleg out for Sam to use as a slide. The human slid himself down to the ground, grunting at the roughness of the scales on his back and buttocks. Just as he reached the foot, he fell over and landed on his side. York rushed out to help him up. "Jon," said Sam. "Go home to Susan. I'm sure she's worried. And in the morning, come to Rome and I'll introduce you to the team. But come as a human. I want it to be a surprise." Pyrothraxus rumbled and nodded in agreement. He followed them out the mouth of the cave onto large ledge where the pond and helicopter were. The dragon watched as Sam and his men got into the helicopter and took off. Sam gave one last wave just before the helicopter disappeared over the ridge. Then, he took off, heading back for New York. 000 Susan waited for him the entire day to return. Jake and Haley sat on the couch while she watched the skies for any sign of him. Just then, a sound of enormous wings flapping could be heard outside, however there was no one there. Susan smiled though, knowing this was an illusion. Something huge and heavy landed in the streets and the door opened up. Standing in the doorway was her husband in human form. "Jonathan," she said, relieved to see him. Susan came running for him, holding out her arms. Jonathan took his wife into his arms and held her tightly. She pulled away from him. "Don't ever run off like that again." "I'm sorry," said Jonathan. "I have a bit of a temper, I was afraid that I might do something to my family I would regret." "You almost did," Jake said under his breath. Jonathan heard it, though. "I didn't mean to do that, Jake," he said. "Don't worry, Dad," said Haley. "I forgive you." "Thanks, pumpkin," he said. "Jake, listen, there are things going on inside of me that I am having some difficulties controlling. I flew off because I didn't want you to get hurt." Jake shook his head and crossed his arms: "What about the vampire thing." "I'm not a vampire," he said. "However, that was how I was able to stave off twilight for so long. It was a horrible ritual my mother taught me and I have no excuse for it. It's just that I've fed off the Dark Dragon before and I wanted to finish my meal." "Could you do that to me?" asked Jake. "I can do that to anyone," said Jonathan. "But I know responsibility. You'll have to trust that I won't. I won't ever do something like that to you, any of you." Jake wondered if he would ever trust his father after what had happened. He shook his head once more and looked away, his red eyes narrowing. Haley walked up and hugged her father's waist and Jonathan returned the embrace. "You worried me, Dad," she said. "And Sun Park." "I think I worried a lot of people," he said. Jonathan moved to the recliner chair and sat down. "We have a lot to talk about. Sam followed me all the way to my lair to purposed something." "What?" asked Susan. "A job," said Jonathan. "For me. To work at NASA." "Jonathan, I'm not moving to Florida," said Susan. "And why would he ask you to work at NASA? You don't have the education. You're an accountant, not an astronaut." "NASA," said Haley. "I thought about someday working there as one of their scientists." She looked back at Jake. "Once I graduate out of Harvard of course." Jake rolled his eyes. "Of course Jake's barely even Stanford material," said Haley. "Leave me alone," Jake said in a huff. "Well, for one thing, we won't be moving to Florida," said Jonathan. "And yes, I do have the education. I know about the magical world. That's why they're asking me to work for them. They want to learn too." "Jonathan," said Susan. "You know Dad won't agree to this, and you also know that you don't know the magical world—at least not how it is today. You've spent over a thousand years living outside of it, part of that sleeping in a cave, and the other part, hiding from it as a human. There are things you don't know." "You didn't know how to even get to Isle of Draco now," said Jake. "And that fight with Pandarus was the first time you ever set foot in the Underdark you created." "But I know ancient history," said Jonathan. "And I know about the creatures that live in the Underdark. That's the knowledge they're looking for." "Still, my father seems more of the person to do this with Sam," said Susan. "No offense, Jonathan, but you're knowledge is a bit out of date. Of course, you know my father won't do it either." "That's why I agreed to it," said Jonathan. "I knew Lao Shi wouldn't. I'm Sam's only option. Besides, he came to me." "He came to you because you're his closest friend," said Susan. "He wouldn't be sure about what Dad would say." "He came to me because Fu Dog suggested it," said Jonathan. "If Fu Dog thinks I'm a good avenue of the magical world…" "You're a good avenue for the more ancient and powerful magical world, not the modern magical world," said Susan. She patted his head. Jonathan sighed. "I guess you think I should go to Lao Shi?" he asked. "I think you should," said Susan. "Grandpa is gonna say no," said Jake. "If he does, that won't stop me," he said. Jonathan combed his fingers through his hair. "Susan, I just remembered, I left my car back there when Ithfaedeus attacked me." "It's probably impounded by now," said Susan. "We'll no doubt receive a call about it in the morning." As the night progressed, Jonathan snuck out of the house and began to walk down the street. Once he was a good pace away from his house, he reverted back into his dragon form and took off for the sky, flying over the tall, stoic buildings of New York City. With a soft downbeat of his wings, Pyrothraxus began to scan for someone special. His search ended when he saw a green a green glow in Central Park. He banked towards the glowing green light and landed to find the Huntsclan out on one of their hunts, capturing a unicorn. Pyrothraxus had to stop them. Leaping over the trees, he landed right behind them, causing the ground to shake below. The Red Dragon lifted his head up and roared loudly. "Pyrothraxus!" he heard one of the huntsmen call. "Destroy him!" "Wait!" shouted a familiar voice. "Wait! We cannot! I have promised a truce between us. He will not be harmed." "Huntsmaster," said Pyrothraxus, seeing the tall, hardy built man with the mask and dragon-skull helm step out from behind his troops. "Leave the unicorn alone." "Set the unicorn free," the Huntsmaster said. The Huntsclan obeyed and the unicorn was released, dashing off into the woods. "What do you want, Pyrothraxus?" "I came in search of you," he said. "You and I need to talk." "Very well," he said. "Leave us to privacy." "Yes, Master," one of them said as they dashed off to the shadows. Pyrothraxus turned his head as he watched the Huntsmaster walk around him to a comfortable bench in the park. The Red Dragon settled down onto his belly, folding his wings loosely to his flanks. The Huntsmaster pulled his mask off and looked up at the dragon, regarding him with only slight hostility, no more than usual. "I figured you want my report," said Pyrothraxus. "About the power." "Yes," said Eric. "But only after you returned to work." "I may not return to work very soon," he said. "I figured that I get it over with now." "Oh?" Eric asked. "And why's that?" "I've got a new job offering," said Pyrothraxus. "And where is this new job?" "Why?" the Red Dragon asked. "To send references," said Eric. "Though I do utterly hate you for what you've done and because you are a dragon, you are a good accountant. And I keep my business life and my personal life separate. The references would be just business only—to report on the good conduct of Jonathan Long, not Pyrothraxus." "It seems I'm two people now rather than one," said Pyrothraxus. "I feel the same way," said Eric. "Well, where is the new job?" "It's with the military," he replied. "What?" asked Eric. "If you work for them, it'll lead them to the Huntsclan." "Then perhaps you should consider your options from this moment forward," said Pyrothraxus. "I still make my promise, I will not voluntarily reveal your organization, Eric. However, this is the United State's government we're talking about, they'll eventually find out." "Yes, but I do have liaisons in that government," said Eric. "The secret can still be maintained." "Do what you have to do," said Pyrothraxus. "This will not end our agreement. I agree to not attack you as you have agreed not to attack me, but I cannot guarantee the same for the military once they receive word." "Very well," said Eric. "And what about the report?" "As you stated, it was Pandarus," he said. "He was stealing my power to open a portal to Pandemonium. He was searching for a magical device I had stolen long ago." "What was that device?" "The Stone of Aster." "The 12th Stone?" asked Eric. "Yes, I know of it. You have it? Where is it?" Pyrothraxus lifted up his right claw and in the center of the padded paw appeared a glowing, purple colored, five-pointed star. "I see," said Eric. "That trumps my plans on stealing it from you. Unless I cut it out of you." "Pandarus tried," said Pyrothraxus. "And he's in custody now." "Alright," said Eric. "And about the military. Do whatever you want to do. But be warned, you go against me and we will strike back." "I'll take that into account," said Pyrothraxus, dipping his head. "Have fun at your new job." The Red Dragon leapt into the sky, leaving the Huntsmaster and his warriors. Science and Magic "Sign this," said Sam, handing Jonathan a clipboard. "What is it?" Jonathan asked. "It's a form stating that simply you won't say anything about what you see or hear under penalty of treason," said Sam. "Treason," he began. "Isn't that punished by execution?" "Yup," said Sam. "And we do have some of the Dragonbane left over from Pandarus' stash." "Yeah," said Jonathan. "That would do it." He signed the paper. "My lips are sealed." "Good, that means I can show you everything I know," he said. "But after the orientation." They walked swiftly down the hallway towards the meeting room where they were going to meet the team. "I suppose making me sign that thing states you're willing to trust me with some of this country's most guarded secrets." "Well, if I can trust you, that means you have to trust me, man," said Sam. "It's a two-way street. I give you a little, you give us a little." Jonathan stopped just before they reached the door. He tugged on his tie and swallowed, not sure what about what will happen on the other side of that door. Sam noticed that he was fiddling with his glasses, a sign that he was nervous. "You okay, Jon?" Sam asked. "I—I don't know if I can go in there," he said. "I can smell a lot of IQs in there. Enough to power a town." "I told you," said Sam. "You're the teacher, not them. They're here to listen." He opened the door and began to walk through, only to pause and find that Jonathan did not follow him. "Jon," Sam said. "You're over 5800 years old. You are a living history book. These guys have nothing on you." "It's not that," said Jonathan. "It's hearing them spout out how impossible all of it seems. Hearing them condescend my knowledge. Becoming some sort of joke…" "Butterflies in your stomach already?" Sam asked with a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, you'll do fine. I'm sure you've done speeches in front of important people before." "Nothing like this." "Proves my point again," said Sam. "No matter how old you are, you still have yet to do everything." Jonathan sighed as he entered the room behind Sam. Sam motioned for Jonathan to sit down in between two of the scientists there as he approached the podium to address the team. Jonathan began to feel under qualified just by sitting down between the two scientists. One he noticed was in fact the archeologist Sam said was on the team. She had in her hand one of her textbooks on Gaelic art. The other scientist was the zoologist. Apparently, he brought several books on reptiles. Obviously, Jonathan realized the books were to help him make sense of the dragon sighting. Jonathan sighed. They came so prepared, and yet, he had nothing—nothing but his magic. "Good morning, everyone," said Sam. "I am Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Davidson. And I am a geophysicist affiliated with United States Space Command and the National Agronomics and Space Administration. One thing I must inform you, everything you hear here stays here. It is a matter of national security that nothing is uttered outside this room. As some of you are well aware, a year ago, NASA sent up a satellite to monitor Earth's magnetic field. We were monitoring the pole reversal, which is a phenomenon that occurs gradually on our planet. As we began to gather in the data, we discovered something rather unusual. There was another electromagnetic signature emanating from the planet, and this signature moved from place to place. First it was discovered in New York City, and then it moved to Key West, Florida. Recently, it had returned to New York and it did not move since then. I moved up here to Rome, New York, to study this odd phenomenon. For the moment, it appeared to be a single, isolated occurrence, but other times, there would be two or three popping up. Sometimes, there would be energy signatures of different frequencies appearing around the New York area, and in remote areas of the world. The recent shuttle mission was sent up to fine-tune the satellite to focus more on these strange electromagnetic energies. They were nothing like we've ever encountered before." Sam took a pause and looked at Jonathan. Certainly, this bit of information was not released to the public. No one knew that the government had accidently discovered magical energies with their equipment. Sam pulled up a film on the plasma screen behind him showing various graphs of the data taken from the satellite. Then, there was another graph along side the data on the electromagnetic spikes. "As you can see, here are the electromagnetic signatures showing up in New York," he said. "And here are reports from eye witnesses of strange sightings of monsters showing up in New York City. They correspond with each other. At first, we dismissed it, which is until recently when two of these creatures showed up in broad daylight and were even captured on film." The screen showed the scene of the Purple Worm and Pyrothraxus engaging each other. "Well, we discovered that the energy signature we first discovered matched the—creature known as the Red Dragon of New York. And as you can see, each time it shows up, there's a spike. Not only that, but the energy he gives off goes everywhere. It is as if this creature fuels the energy we discovered." One of the scientists raised their hand: "How can that be? One creature fueling all this energy we're picking up. It would take an incredible amount of power to do it." "Unfortunately," said Sam. "The energy signature, as it moves away from the creature, depletes. He is one dragon. But when the black dragon showed up, we noticed a greater spike in the energy. Just think what the world would have been like if there were maybe 10 thousand of these creatures." "What's so important about it?" another scientist asked. "Is it harmful?" "Well, it is really fascinating because there are creatures in this world, who are sensitive to this energy," said Sam. "They can manipulate it. And they have a name for it—magic. Real magic, not illusions done by magicians. Wizardry." "Creatures of legend," said the archeologist. "The dragons are also creatures of legend and myth, but other creatures too." "Yes, Dr. Wiseman," said Sam. "And it is to study these creatures and their world, as well as how they use this energy, how it is made—everything…that is why you are brought here." He looked around at the scientist. "There is a world beneath our feet. This world, from what I have been told, was forced to hide from us due to human ignorance and fear of what we did not understand over a thousand years ago." Dr. Caroline Wiseman flipped through her books. "Middle Ages?" she asked. "They've hid themselves during the rise of Western Civilization," said Sam. "From what I understand, it was caused by those who were in charge of the Western Roman Empire expansion during the Early Middle Ages. From the magical creatures' point of view, it was caused by human kind's hatred of them. They call that event the Dark Times." "It has to be more than that," said Caroline. "Well, that's why we're here," said Sam. "That's one of many questions that have been asked." "I'm interested on how they managed to stay under our noses for so long," said the physicist on the second level. "Well, I did manage to answer that," said Sam. "They live in an intersecting dimension called the Underdark." "Intersecting dimension?" "I can't explain how it exists, Dr. Richards," said Sam. "I just know it does. But I know someone who might explain that to us." Dr. Albert Richards shifted in his seat and looked towards Jonathan. He knew most of the people here from various conferences, but this one was unfamiliar. Someone did not belong here. He raised his hand again. "Yes, Dr. Richards," said Sam. "I know almost everyone in this room personally," said Richards. "And I have at least heard of the rest, but this man sitting in front of me I don't know. Who is he?" Jonathan turned around to Dr. Richards and swallowed. "This is Jonathan Long," said Sam. "He's an important addition to this team." "Is he from Cambridge?" asked a scientist. "Oxford?" "MIT?" "UCLA?" "Uh," began Jonathan. "Actually, it's North Edward Milton Tech." "Isn't that a community college?" asked Dr. Wiseman. "His knowledge comes from his experience," said Sam. "Rather than academics. He is our contact into the magical world." He turned to Jonathan. "Maybe we should show them now." "Sure," said Jonathan, shrugging. "If you would all follow me outside," said Sam. "You'll have your first hands-on experience with a real magical creature." As they walked outside, Sam led them down to the open and empty parking lot. The scientists glanced around, hoping to see something interesting. As a few minutes passed, their hopeful expressions soon faded to disappointment. Dr. Richards crossed his arms and grunted his disapproval. "Well, where is this magical creature?" he asked. "Right here," said Sam, pointing at Jonathan. "Then, what was the point of bringing us outside if he was the magical creature?" "Jonathan?" Sam asked, smiling as he looked back at him. "Show them." "You probably should stand back," said Jonathan. "I might step on you." He heard the sound of them chuckling. They chuckled from the statement itself, thinking it absurd that he could step on them. Jonathan took his glasses off and folded them up and put them into his jacket pocket. Then, his body began to shimmer with a red light. Jonathan appeared to have been set on fire. Dr. Richards stepped forward, unsure about what he was seeing before him. "Is he spontaneously combusting?" he asked. "Nope," said Sam. The fire engulfed Jonathan and began to spread out, growing outward and upward. Then, the fire died down, revealing the massive form of the Red Dragon Pyrothraxus. The dragon leaned down and bellowed at the scientists. Then, Pyrothraxus gave his neck frill a good shake, chuckling at them. They stepped back, nearly fleeing in terror at the sight of him, but their curiosity kept them in their place. Sam ducked down when he heard the dragon roar out. He glanced up when he heard Pyrothraxus settled himself down on the pavement, rumbling deeply. "Great Scott…" breathed Richards. "He—he…he's the Red Dragon?" "Yup," said Sam. "He," said Richards, motioning to what the size of Jonathan was. "And then he…" Richards raised his hand up to the size of Pyrothraxus. "He's big, isn't he?" Sam asked, chuckling. "Where does he put it?" Richards asked. "Where the hell does it put all of that?" "Yeah, Jon," said Sam, looking back at Pyrothraxus. "Where do you put all that weight? I mean you're over 650 tons, where does that go?" "I—honestly don't know," said Pyrothraxus. "I just know that I have learned a spell that allows me to shapeshift and shrink when I need to." "Amazing!" called out Dr. Gibson, the zoologist. She walked around the Red Dragon and scanned his flanks intently with her eyes. "You're like a creature made up of other creatures, fins like a fish, feet like a hawk, wings of a bat, body of a cat, tail and neck of a snake, head of an alligator, and horns similar to the antlers of impalas." "I'd say his feet look more like something a theropod dinosaur would have," said the paleontologist as he pushed his way through the other scientists. "Well, his back feet have that look, his front feet seem to still have opposable thumbs." Pyrothraxus raised a forefoot up and stuck out his thumb, giving it a good wiggle. "Front paws are somewhat ape-like aside from only having four digits then," said Dr. Gibson. "Guys," said Sam, seeing the scientists all flank the Red Dragon, touching his scales and leaning in to get a closer look. "I'd still like to know where he puts the weight," said Dr. Richards. "And because of his size, how is he able to keep himself aloft. He's not an airplane." "Guys," said Sam. "We're not exactly here to study the dragon. He's not the subject, he's a team member." They paused, turning back to him. "His real name is Pyrothraxus," said Sam. "He is a 5893-year old Great Wyrm Red Dragon." "Older than the pyramids in Giza," said Wiseman. "I can see why you would be a good addition to the research team, Mr. Long. Were you there when the pyramids were built?" "I flew by them a few time during their construction," said Pyrothraxus. "When I was very young. I was old enough to be on my own, still young during those times." "Unfortunately," said Sam. "Jon came over to North America around 900 ACE, so he missed about a thousand years of Western history." "The end of the war, which separated the magical from the non-magical was when I came across the Atlantic Ocean," said Pyrothraxus. "Why?" Richards asked. "To hide. Even the Underdark couldn't hide me. So, for the last thousand years, I've made the east coast of North America my home." "The second European since the Vikings to come here," said Caroline. "It makes me wonder if the Mohican tribes have a legend revolving around a creature like you." "I've heard the Mohican tribe once called me Big Red Lizard that Walks on Air," said Pyrothraxus. "I once flew very far south—as far as what is known as Virginia, only to fly back. I wanted to make sure that this place was devoid of any other dragons or any other magical creature that could pose a problem to me. Surprisingly, outside a few elemental spirits and werebeasts, there weren't any. And the Native Americans lived in harmony with the few magical creatures that existed here. They've done so for well over 20 thousand years." "Since the crossing," said Caroline. "When I felt that I would be safe from harm," Pyrothraxus continued. "I went into draconic dormancy—or sleep. We Darastrixi can sleep for centuries. Then, I awoke in the late 1960s, and now here I am." "He's been hiding in human form since then," said Sam. "A creature thought only to be legend hiding in the city of New York for over 40 years as a human," said Wiseman. "Incredible, Mr. Long." "More creatures of legend than him have been hiding here for longer," said Sam. "And that's why we're here. Observation and documenting. Jon's here to be our guide through the magical world. He knows things we don't about it. And he also has contacts in the magical world that only will answer to him. We're outsiders, he's not." "Dr. Wiseman," said Pyrothraxus. "To give an example, there are many artifacts that you have studied, which happen to be magical artifacts. I'll help you find which ones those are." "That would be a great help," she said. "There are magical creatures, both sentient and non-sentient," he said. "Draconic creatures are not all sentient. Elves, dwarves, orcs, trolls, ents, imps, those are usually sentient. If you wish to start a scientific catalog on magical creatures that live in this world, you'll need to know about these creatures, where they live, what they eat, what eats them…and so forth." He turned to Richards and the others. "The physicists, astronomers, and such, from what Sam told me, you're job is to study the physics of magic itself. Magic manipulates the physical world, but it also taps into other dimensions. A powerful wizard can transcend the mortal plane to other dimensions of existences and even to the land of the dead. Would you like to write up a symposium on how that's done?" "That would be interesting," said Richards. "But I have my doubts on whether or not you can do it. It just seems impossible." "Einstein was the one who deduced the idea of multiple Earths," said Sam. "Magic, it seems, could be the thing to prove him right." He turned to the paleontologist and anthropologist. "You all's jobs are to study how these creatures came to be. Something happened in this world that created creatures like Jonathan. What made the dragon so huge? Why does his body spread this strange electromagnetic energy around? What part of the evolutionary development made him breathe fire and manipulate magic? What is the common ancestor of Jonathan's people—or even any one of the magical creatures here?" "That could take several life times!" said the paleontologist. "I mean, paleontology itself was just started in the 19th Century and we've only now started to realize that a considerable amount of the theropod dinosaurs were feathered. And we haven't even completely figured out the Ordovician Extinction Event." "Gamma Ray Burst," said Richards. "That's one of the theories." "Thing is though, Dr. Trey," said Sam. "This guy's gonna be around long enough to oversee your predecessor's, predecessor's predecessor—times 10! He'll keep track." He looked to the others. "The point is to get this ball rolling. Yeah, it's gonna take us a very long time to complete this project, but it has to start somewhere." "I'm in," said Wiseman. "I'm sure you can tell me about many of the artifacts we've dug up over the years, Mr. Long." "More than that," said Pyrothraxus. "I can tell you whether or not they are magical as well. There are many ancient artifacts that you have excavated, which possess magical energies. I can tell you about them and what they do." "I could have used you on my last trip to the Ukraine, then." "I'm in," said Richards. "Only so I can figure him out." He pointed at Pyrothraxus. The dragon made a growling sound. Richards stepped back, wondering if he was getting angry and fearing if he would become lunch. Pyrothraxus sensed the fear and scratched his neck. "Sorry, just clearing my throat," he said. Sam received other approvals as well. The zoologist Dr. Beth Gibson still scanned over Pyrothraxus' body, studying how each animal that makes up his features fit together. Pyrothraxus lifted off of the ground and his form shrank down, becoming human again. As they made their way back towards the meeting room in at the base, Jonathan felt his phone vibrate. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?" he said. "Susan? Hiya. What's that? Well, I've met everyone. They seem nice." He pulled away, looking back at Caroline as she walked beside him. "It's my wife. Lots of smart people here, I feel a bit out classed. What does Lao Shi want me to do? You're kidding! I'm shocked he's willing to do it. Alright, I'll tell him. Maybe it'll give Sam a chance to explain the project to the Council. I mean, it does seem interesting. Yeah, they all started poking at me the moment I transformed. I have to be careful, one of them might strip one of my scales off for a cell sample or something. Love you, Susan. Bye." Caroline giggled. Jonathan rushed up behind Sam, tugging at his arm. "Sam!" Jonathan called. "Sam! You're not gonna believe it." "Believe what?" Sam asked. "And whatever it is, I believe it. My best friend is a 5 thousand year old dragon, I'll believe anything now." "Lao Shi and Sun Park sent Pandarus to the Dragon Council for his trial," he said. "Yeah, I remember that was mentioned," said Sam. "Well," began Jonathan. "You were a witness to him exclaiming that he was the one who exposed the magical world. They want you to appear on Draco Isle to testify." "Draco Isle?" asked Richards. "I've never heard of that island." "No human has," said Jonathan. "Before the Dark Times, it was a place where the Metallic Dragons held their Council of Wyrms. And it was hidden from mortal sight. When the Metallic Dragons and the few remaining Chromatic Dragons left for a higher plane of existence, they left in their wake another type of guardian of the magical world after the war. These guardians were given Draco Isle as their home base. And it has continuously remained out of the sight of humans since then. Only dragons are allowed on this island with some few exceptions such as in this case." "A dragon-only island," said Sam. "Okay. I'll go. They want me to testify against Pandarus. Sure. He messed with my bro, he's goin' down." Jonathan chuckled as Sam gave him a shoulder shake. "I heard what you did," he said. "Coming to my rescue like that. Just like—you've done before." "Yeah, but I think those times you didn't really need it," said Sam. "That time I did," said Jonathan. "Dragonbane is very agonizing to have on the body. It's like taking a bath in the harshest acid you can think of. The pain is so intense a dragon just passes out from it." He looked back at Sam. "Promise me you won't attempt to use the sample you gathered." "Jon," said Sam. "I can't promise that we won't study it…but you have to admit that if that stuff can be used against bad dragons, how can we not try to use it?" "I suppose that's good justification," he sighed. "Don't worry about it to much, man," said Sam. "It'll be okay." "I hope so," said Jonathan. Trials and Revelations Lao Shi did not like the idea of a mortal coming to the Isle of Draco, however, it was one more witness to finally put Pandarus behind bars. Jonathan was more than thrilled about having Sam come along, telling him all sorts of stories about the Isle of Draco and what to expect. Those two together, it was like high school all over again. As they got off the subway to Grand Central Station, they came to the elevator. Sam paused and pointed. "Why are we taking the elevator?" he asked. "It's the only way to Draco," said Jonathan. "I know, they did some changes when I was asleep—so not even I am sure about it. Just trust me, that thing leads to Draco." "Hop in," said Lao Shi. He, Fu Dog, and Jake Long filed into the elevator first. Then, Jonathan came afterwards. "Come on, Sam!" he called after his friend. "It's like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyworld." "You mean it—drops you?" he asked. "Really fast, giving you the sense of freefall?" "Yep," said Jonathan. "God, I hate those rides." "Me too," said Jonathan. "Get in!" Lao Shi shouted. Sam swallowed and got into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Jonathan shifted into a human-sized version of his dragon form. The orc behind him pushed him aside to get at the controls. "Keep your hands, wings, claws, tails, whatever—inside the car at all times," he instructed. "Hold onto your butts." "Here we go," said Pyrothraxus. "Jon, can we talk about this?" Sam asked. "Come on, Sam," he said. "It isn't as bad as it seems." Before Sam could answer, the orc operator pulled back on the lever and the elevator dropped suddenly with great speed. Both Sam and Pyrothraxus were glued to the ceiling while Lao Shi and Jake rode down the shaft as if it was just a simple drive. Fu Dog hunched over, holding his lunch, while he held onto the railing. As the elevator car came to an abrupt stop, the doors opened. Jake and Lao Shi walked out, perfectly fine. Fu Dog swung around, heading off to the bushes somewhere and Pyrothraxus and Sam fell out of the car. Sam slammed into the ground first, lying face down and then Pyrothraxus toppled over him, lying on his back, with his wings spread. "Amateurs," said Lao Shi. "I hate…that elevator," said Pyrothraxus. "Shake it off, daughter's husband," said Lao Shi as he began to walk away. "Hey, is that any way to talk to the dragon who caught Pandarus?" "You caught him?" asked Sam, pushing the Red Dragon off his back. "I was the one who knocked him unconscious. If I'm correct, you were out like a light." Pyrothraxus rose up: "I was the bate." "Yeah, I saw the pretty light show you and Pandarus were having," said Sam. "And your ass still got beat. Ooo…I'm the great and powerful Pyrothraxus, except when I get baking soda dumped on me." "Not funny," Pyrothraxus said with a growl, scolding his friend with a hot eye. "Dragonbane is not funny." Sam turned around and sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Alright," he said. "I'm sorry, man." Pyrothraxus' face softened and he chuckled deeply. He swiftly gathered Sam up in a strong foreleg and rubbed his knuckles against the officer's crown, laughing playfully. "Hey, Jon!" Sam shouted. "Cut that out!" "Come on!" said Lao Shi. "The Council is waiting for us. I don't want to keep them waiting." Pyrothraxus and Sam gathered themselves up and started out in front of Lao Shi, Jake, and Fu Dog. "Man, my dad is even more embarrassing than usual," Jake said. "It's only because when those two get together," said Lao Shi. "I can remember all the mischief they caused years ago as teenagers—well, when your father pretended to be one. And he did it quite well in fact." "Though, I have to admit, G," said Jake. "Despite him being a bit depressed lately over us discovering what he really is…it's good to see my dad laughing again." "Indeed," Lao Shi said in a nod. His eyes focused hard upon Pyrothraxus' body. There was something odd about it. It looked slightly transparent and around his outline was a faint purple glow. Lao Shi stopped and stared at the Red Dragon. Fu Dog paused to look back at him. "Lao?" he said. Jake turned around as well. "Grandpa?" "Fu," he said. "Does Jonathan look transparent to you?" Fu looked back at Pyrothraxus, who playfully jabbed Sam with the side of his wing as they walked. Sam returned the gesture by punching him in the side. "I see it," he said. "His aura looks a bit strange as well. Where are the orange and red colors of a fire and wind elemental sorcerer? All I see is purple." "The Stone of Aster," said Lao Shi. "What's wrong with my dad," asked Jake. "I am not sure," replied Lao Shi. "But your father's aura has changed. The Stone of Aster is changing him. This could be trouble. Your father used the Stone's to help him defeat the Dark Dragon in New York. The Stone requires payment." "What type of payment?" "The will of the user," he said. "Only, an Ascended Dragon's will can not be given so easily. Fu, we must keep an eye on Jonathan." "No problem," said Fu Dog. "The last thing we need right now is reality to go all catterwonked all because Jon has no idea what's happening to him." Up at the front, Pyrothraxus looked to Sam, taking note that the human was now taking in his surroundings. He saw the massive statues of the six Ancient Dragons who founded the Dahakoan Dragon Council. Sam paused before the one that looked like Pyrothraxus. "Yeah, that's me alright," said Pyrothraxus. "A thousand years ago, it along with the others was carved in our honor. They remind the Dahakoan of their past and why they exist." "It looks life-sized," said Sam. "It is," said Pyrothraxus. Sam walked up to the statue and touched it: "Polished granite. Where did they find enough granite to carve out a life-sized statue of you, Jon?" "Geomancers," said Pyrothraxus. "They can summon the minerals of the Earth." He walked slowly passed Sam. "There's a lot you need to learn as well, Sam." "Just trying to figure out how they managed to haul an enormous lump of granite here to be carved into a 200-foot long dragon…" said Sam. "Yeah. I guess so." Pyrothraxus stopped and felt a pressure build up in his chest. He grunted, clearing his throat. Jake dashed towards him, taking hold of his scaly shoulder. "Dad?" he asked. "Jon?" Sam asked, concerned. "Hmm?" Pyrothraxus rumbled, lifting his head to his son. The pressure faded slightly. "I'm fine. I suppose I'm still a little weakened from the battle and the Dragon Bane." "Do the effects of that poison last that long?" Sam asked. "Well, I might have escalated a relapse by fighting Ithfaedeus," he said. "Don't worry about me." "If we have to," said Lao Shi. "We can stay the night, Jonathan. I'm sure the Council will not mind. And this will be educational to the colonel." "Sure," Sam said in a shrug. They continued their long walk up to the Council Hall. Sam studied with awe at the magnificent architecture. The style was a mixture of high gothic and Greco-Roman with large Corinthian columns lining the façade. Arched, stain-glass windows decorated the outside give the inside a myriad of sparkling colorful sunrays. Sam turned to Pyrothraxus, hearing the dragon rumble. The massive bronze doors swung open and several figures dressed in intricately decorated robes descended the perfectly carved stairs. One of them, a man looking like he belonged to the same race as Sam, stepped forward. He was dressed in robes with African tribal designs and bright colors. "Welcome back, Chinese Dragon, American Dragon," he said. Then, he faced Pyrothraxus. "And of course Crimson Dragon." "Councilor Andam," said Lao Shi, approaching him and taking his hand. "Crimson Dragon?" asked Sam. "It is the title they have given me," said Pyrothraxus. "They are Dahakoan as well." Sam noted how each of them seemed to represent the cultures and peoples of Earth. However, one did not seem like the others. A tall, lithe woman with shimmering blue hair and pointed ears stood among them. "Her too?" he asked. "That is Omina," said Pyrothraxus. "Atlantean Dragon." "A sea dragon, then?" "Basically." "We have with us the Council of Magus as well," said Andam. "They are here to prosecute Pandarus." "And we have our witnesses," said Lao Shi. "Especially to what he has done." "I hear a mortal was among the witnesses," began Omina. "Mortals are forbidden to venture into the Underdark," said the Dragon of Japan. "I went in search of my friend," said Sam. The Council turned towards him and a few of them regarded him with some animosity and hostility. Sam shrank back slightly, hiding himself behind Pyrothraxus. He was not afraid of them, however, he did not like the look they gave him. "We will discuss this later," said Andam. "Chancellor Selendra is waiting." Andam lead them into the structure. Inside waiting for them were two humans and one elf. They too where dressed in fashionable robes, however, their robes were trimmed with strange script. They carried in their hands tall staves topped with jewels. The Elven female stepped forward. "Councilor Andam," she said. "Chancellor Selendra," said Andam. He turned to the others. "This is Lao Shi, the Chinese Dragon, his grandson Jake the American Dragon…" He then motioned over to the Red Dragon. "And this is…" "Pyrothraxus," said Selendra. "I know who you are. There aren't many Chromatic Dragons roaming around here lately." "Only two," said Pyrothraxus. "Ithfaedeus is the other." "So, the Dark Dragon has a name," she said. "I never knew that he would turn out to be one of the five who you banished beyond the gate." "Things have a funny way of revealing themselves." "They do indeed," said Selendra. She and the other mages walked away, following the Dragon Council into the main court. Sam and Pyrothraxus walked side by side, only with Sam looking back at his old friend with curious eyes. The Red Dragon glanced at him. "What?" he asked. "How the hell do these guys know you?" "They don't know me," he said. "They know of me. You're forgetting something about me, Sam. I'm not exactly the man you've known for almost 35 years as Jonathan Francis Long. Before that I was Pyrothraxus, and I have a long history with that name." "Just promise me this," began Sam. "When all of this is done, you and I are going on a little camping trip so you can tell me the whole story about you." "Sure," the Red Dragon shrugged with the shoulder blades of his wings. "I could use a little time out doors." "Just you and me, pal," said Sam. "No one else." "No one else," said Pyrothraxus. "So, since we've agreed to the outing, I'm guessing you won't be asking any further questions while you're here?" "Yeah," said Sam. He could not help but to notice the slightly snide tone from Pyrothraxus. "Save it for the trip." "Good," the Red Dragon rumbled and swiftly parted from Sam's side. He bounded lightly over to Selendra and Andam, talking with them. Sam turned back to Lao Shi. "What in the world is up with him? That's not the Jon I know." "No," said Lao Shi. "It isn't. That's Pyrothraxus." "He's putting on a show for the Council of Magus," said Fu Dog. "Acting like a self- centered, arrogant Chromatic Red Dragon would. It's what they expect." "Chromatic Red Dragon…" Sam shook his head as he sighed. "Lao Shi, when I was a kid, I read old stories about the valiant and honorable Metallic Dragons and the devious and malicious Chromatic Dragons. You won't believe about what all I know from those stories. But to think that Jon's one of them. I never thought those stories held any sort of weight even after I found out about his secret." "That's because you never really knew him," said Lao Shi. "You're not the only one. None of us ever really knew him. Not even Susan." "Yeah," said Jake. "It's been hard for all of us. We tried to hide our secret from him and Dad hid his from us." "In other words, you all were a family of strangers," said Sam. "That's sad. My mama would never have let something like that happen. Families shouldn't keep secrets like that no matter what." "I know," said Jake. "I feel like we're paying for it now." Sam looked around the court as he entered with Lao Shi, Fu Dog, and Jake. Already the Dragon Council and the Council of Magus were sitting down in long-backed, gold and oak thrones. Pyrothraxus had settled himself down onto his belly, coiling his massive body around the Council, taking an authoritative position to the others. The Red Dragon had returned to his true size. He gave his purple-tipped neck frill a shake and snorted a puff of smoke from his nostrils. There was a tiny satisfied grin on his lips. Pandarus was going to pay for trespassing in one of his lairs and for letting his pet Purple Worm out. "Bring in the accused," said Selendra. Another pair of enormous doors opened up and two guards walked out with Pandarus. He was shackled much similar to how a convict would be shackled, both his legs and hands were loosely bound, only giving him the ability to walk. Pandarus spied Pyrothraxus reclining comfortably. He could see the purple aura around the outline of the Red Dragon and the almost transparent look he held as well. Pandarus chuckled darkly when he saw how much the Stone of Aster was affecting Pyrothraxus. The magical talisman was mutating the dragon with its power. That is what you get for stealing what is mine, monster, he thought. Pyrothraxus regarded the wizard, his fiery glowing eyes narrowed as two columns of black smoke slowly rose from his nostrils. "Pandarus," began Selendra, rising from her chair. "You have been charged with exposing the Magical World to the mortals through your actions of conquest and with stealing a powerful and dangerous artifact being guarded by Pyrothraxus Rutilus. Do you have a plea in defense against this?" "Stealing?" Pandarus asked. "I was merely taking back what belonged to my family. It was Pyrothraxus who stole the Stone of Aster from my ancestor 3 thousand years ago! He should be standing before you, not me!" He turned back to the Red Dragon. "Don't look so smug, worm." "Mind your tongue, Human," Pyrothraxus said, growling at the wizard. "Before I decide to pick my teeth with your bones." "Silence!" called Andam. "Pyrothraxus, that is enough." Sam swallowed and took in a deep breath: "Was that a part of the act?" "Well, humans were a part of his diet one time," said Fu Dog. "I am not the one on trial here," said Pyrothraxus. "Pandarus is. Now, just take his magic, send him off to prison, and be done with it." "The Stone of Aster was created by your ancestor to rule the world," said Selendra. "He wanted to become a god. If it weren't for Pyrothraxus, he would have succeeded." "Ask the dragon what he did with the Stone when it was in his possession!" said Pandarus. "We know all about the Dead Sea," said one of the other wizard councilors. "Pyrothraxus, was that the only time you used the Stone for evil?" "It was," said Pyrothraxus. "After I used it I swore that I would not again. The Stone's price is too high to pay. I was a fool then, I am no fool now." "We have several eye witnesses that stated you intended to take the Stone for yourself and use it for the same reasons your ancestor created it," said Selendra. "Total dominion over us." "Under my rule, we would not have to hide anymore from the lowly mortal humans," said Pandarus. "They would serve us." "And we would serve you," said Andam. "No, Pandarus. That is not what we want." "Look at you, all of you!" said Pandarus. "Living in complacency in a shadowy world created by that monster." Pyrothraxus growled. "You hide yourselves because he and his ilk commanded it," said Pandarus. "We are all slaves to the Ancients. But I would have freed us with the Stone. No Chromatic or Metallic Dragon would have dared to go against me with the Stone. But now, by not allowing me to slay Pyrothraxus and cut it out of his gut, the Stone is lost—only to fuel his power! Now he is God among you." "Andam," said Pyrothraxus. "I've enough of his absurdity." "You see?" Pandarus asked. "You follow his word!" "He is the only remaining founder of this council on this world," said Andam. "And because of that, I must look to his wisdom. Pyrothraxus is right. Selendra, do what you must. Take his magic." "His wand has been broken," she said. "By a mortal, so I hear. When a wizard's wand is broken, either by magic or mortal hands, that wizard holds no power. Take him to Antarctica." "I object to this!" Pandarus shouted as the guards came closer to him. He began to make an escape from them, hobbling across the floor. Selendra rose from her chair and swung her staff at him. "Vilzriquath!" she shouted as a blue-white flash appeared at the tip of her staff. Pandarus froze solid, unable to move. "Remove him from this court," she said. "Wow," said Sam. "She's got good aim." The guards picked Pandarus' frozen body up and took him out of the court. Selendra settled down and turned towards the others. "I would like to know the mortal who broke Pandarus' wand and who was the one that brought him down," she said. Pyrothraxus' eyes turned to Sam as he rose up and walked out to the center of the court. "I did, ma'am," he said, saluting. "Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Davison, United States Air Force." "I've never known any mortal who would know to do that," said Selendra. "How did you come by this knowledge?" "Begging your pardon, ma'am," said Sam. "But though we—uh—mortals for the most part believed magic to be fairytales, some of those legends weren't exactly lost. As a kid, I used to read a lot of fantasy books." "I can vouch for that," said Pyrothraxus. "He's a Tolkien fanatic. Tolkien wrote in the Return of the King that the evil wizard Sauruman's staff was broken to take his power away. I'm guessing that's where our mortal friend got it. Tolkien and other writers base their works on legends." "It was a lucky guess, ma'am," said Sam. "You have our thanks in helping us apprehend him," said Selendra. "You're welcome," said Sam. "I hope that this would help in the future relationship between us mortals and the Magical World. Which is what I'd like to discuss." "Yes, it seems because of the incident," began Councilor Andam. "That mortals want to learn a bit more about us. But you must understand, Colonel, that we are not quite ready to receive them." Pyrothraxus lifted his head: "I think perhaps if I become a mediary between the two worlds, that may help. I intend to work closely with Lieutenant-Colonel Davidson with information about the Magical World to help mortals understand us. It was because they did not understand us during ancient times that led to the Dark Times and the war it sparked." "Selendra, what do you think?" Andam asked. "Perhaps the most powerful of us can help them understand us fully," she said. "To see that Pyrothraxus is responsible with the great magic he possesses may show them that we mean no harm." "Andam," said Pyrothraxus, curling his neck around to the councilor from Kenya. "They must understand that like themselves, there are bad and good magical creatures. Just like there are bad and good humans." "Then, you may represent us, Pyrothraxus," said Andam. "Thank you," he said. After the trial was over, Sam was allowed to roam around the halls in order to learn a bit more about the world beneath the human world. He walked down a long corridor and happened upon an enormous, three-tiered library brimming with all sorts of books. To him, this was the promise land. Books, millions of books! He deduced that not even the Library of Congress could have this many in their stock. Magical globes of light floated around the various tiers, lighting the shelves. Sam took his blazer off and hung it up on a coat rack on the wall and walked inside. He looked around at all the books and scrolls. Sam paused to see two dragon statues sitting upon a pedestal. One dragon had six wings and the other had five heads. Sam walked up to the statues and knelt down to study them. The two dragons stood side by side, holding each other claws and their free claws held up in a familiar teaching position. The two of the five-headed dragon's heads looked familiar. The central head looked like a Chromatic Red Dragon with the swept back, thorny horns and ears and neck frills and the head positioned to its immediate right looked like a Chromatic Black Dragon head, with the skeletal face and forward sweeping horns. Both statues were carved out of gray stone. The statue of the six-winged dragon also looked a bit familiar. Sam could have sworn that the statue looked like Galen, Pyrothraxus' old friend. "King Bahamut and Queen Tiamat," said a voice from behind him. Sam turned around and saw Selendra walk up to him. "Who?" he asked. "King Bahamut and Queen Tiamat," she said. "Two powerful draconic deities. They hold hands to represent the balance between the light and the dark." "These are shrines to them?" Sam asked. "We have no use for shrines anymore," said Selendra. "But we never forget who brought magic to a world that was never meant to have it." "Magic was never meant to be here?" Sam asked. "That is what the legends say," said Selendra. She pulled an auburn lock of her hair behind her pointed ear. "The only ones who truly know for sure are the Dragons." "Can you tell me the story?" Sam asked. Selendra smiled at him and led him to one of the tables. "I suppose you will share this with your superiors," she said. "Well, this little bit might be interesting for our resident archeologist to learn about," he said. "Long ago," Selendra began. "Earth was devoid of magic. The Dragons stated that this happened millions of years ago because it took a long time for magical creatures to develop into what they are now. The Dragons are the oldest of all magical creatures, so it's only natural that they would remember the story. The legend goes that the God of Gods, a being known as the High God, did not plan for Earth to have magic." Selendra focused her eyes on the statue of Tiamat. "The High God…said that there were other Earths that had magic and there was no need for this one to." "Other Earths?" Sam asked. "We are a part of a vast Multiverse," said Selendra. She pointed up at a circular stone hanging up on the wall above the entrance. The stone had many tracks carved into it and nine circles all lined around a central crescent moon with smaller circles inside it. Each of the circles were carved with strange script, each one representing different languages spoken. "That is a map to the Multiverse. Each circle is a reality. The outer track is the immortal planes of the Powers that Be and the inner section is the center force that gives life to the Multiverse. And it is also where the High God lives. The lines connecting the nine circles are the roads of the Shadow Plane, how one can move from one reality to another." She turned back to Sam. "The Purple Worm that escaped was from one of the immortal planes. Pandemonium." "Einstein was right," said Sam. "There are other realities. And there are other Earths." "Yes," said Selendra. "But one deity disobeyed the orders of the High God." She focused her eyes upon the statue of Bahamut. "Bahamut, the King of Dragons, Lord of the North Wind. The story goes that in one of the realities, there exists a planet called Oererth where the two main Dragon species Chromatic and Metallic grow to enormous sizes." She looked back at the statue of Tiamat. "This planet was a project done solely by the High God herself…" "Herself?" Sam asked. "This High God is a girl?" "More than that, she was Bahamut's consort before becoming High God," she said. Sam looked at the two statues: "Tiamat?" "We refer to her as 'You Know Who'," said Selendra. Sam scratched his head as he studied the statues from his seat. "Bahamut saw these Dragons to be incredible feats of power," said Selendra. "However, they had one flaw—a flaw that Earth Dragons like Pyrothraxus share. Because of their sheer size, they become cannibalistic and vampiric. Even the High God could not make them perfect. Or some believed, she did not want to. Bahamut wanted to recreate those Dragons, so, he chose our Earth to be the place. He knew that creating the Dragons would also create other magical elements and creatures as well. He knew that he would also be punished if the other deities found out. He infused an asteroid from our solar system asteroid belt with elemental and magical energies and flung it towards Earth." "Why?" "To restart life with the new code—getting rid of the old life that was here," said Selendra. "He caused a mass extinction so he could plant magic here?" Sam asked. "Which mass extinction did this Bahamut cause?" "There have been theories, however, the accepted one was the mass extinction of the dinosaurs," she said. "The K-T extinction? You think he caused that to bring magic here?" "It seems to fit. But one thing that we lack is what you have. Perhaps the mortal world can shed some light on it." "Well, I am a geologist," said Sam. "I'd be the guy to go to on that. I'll find your Bahamut's smoking gun. So, what did—um—You Know Who had to say when she found out?" "She punished Bahamut," said Selendra. "She knew that she could not cast him out because the balance had to be maintained, but she charged him with the fate of Earth. He was also shunned and was told that forever more, all magical creatures coming from Earth to visit other words or other realities—and even the planes themselves would be shunned. This included the Dragons that would be created. We are the outcasts of the Multiverse." She looked at the six- winged dragon and sighed. "He was cast out of his grand palace in Celestia and was sent to live on a floating island in the Astral Sea with his misery. However, misery loves company and any good Ascended Dragon from Earth goes to live with Bahamut on that island." "So that's where the Metallic Dragons went," said Sam. "Yes," she said. "What about the evil Chromatic Dragons, where do they go?" "Bahamut did one time try to welcome them because he believed they were all in this together. And they were his children as well. But the Chromatic Dragons hated Bahamut for causing them such misery and refused to join him. There is a bit of a story behind all of that as well. You see, the Dragons that Bahamut originally created were neither Metallic nor Chromatic. They were something else. They were the First Dragons, Gray Dragons." Sam rested his head on his hands and listened intently. "Bahamut wanted not to create another line of Metallic Dragons, and of course he did not want to bring into this universe another horde of evil Chromatic Dragons," she said. "He wanted to create a Dragon race that was noble, but fierce, and protective of the world that he had altered. And so, the Gray Dragon was created. They were fierce-looking creatures, with many fangs and horns dotting their bodies. Their scales were as gray as stone. They were exactly what Bahamut wanted. The legend states that the Gray Dragons looked on the 'lesser' creatures, both magical and non-magical, like a parent would their children. However, this would not last long. "There was unrest among the Gray Dragons, some wanted to not just be teachers among the sentient creatures of Earth, but they wanted to rule over them. One group wanted to become the benevolent dictator over us 'lesser' beings, and another wanted to enslave us, or use us as cattle." "Yikes," said Sam. "So, what happened?" "A war," said Selendra. "As the two factions split, they began to battle one another. During that time, the magical energy that surrounded this world was great and so even god-like spells could be cast and the Dragons used those spells to fight their war. The world was devastated, thrown into darkness and many Dragons died. You see, Dragons are the source of the magic. When a Dragon hatches, magic fills the land, and when a Dragon dies, he takes the energy with him." "That energy that I picked up on the satellites coming from Jon—uh—Pyrothraxus," said Sam. "His energy signature, that's magic?" "Yes," she said. "He fuels the remaining magical energy of this world. If he leaves, magic itself will slowly vanish. Well, when the war was over, there were not many Gray Dragons left. They went their separate ways. Their ideologies became so different that the magic inside of them mutated their forms. And so, from the two factions arose the Metallic Dragons—the ones who wanted to become benevolent leaders—and the Chromatic Dragons, the ones who wanted to conquer and enslave. The Metallic Dragons decided to continue to do what Bahamut instructed, protect the world now that the threat of their Chromatic brethren may destroy it." "Jon's a descendant of the faction who wanted to enslave us…" Sam said softly. "I just can't really see him doing something like that." "You apparently only know Pyrothraxus as his disguise," she said. "So, then, you really don't know Pyrothraxus." "I thought I did," Sam sighed. "The general is right, I don't know him. I never knew him." "The Chromatic Dragons and Metallic Dragons of our world differ from any of the Dragons of the same make on other worlds," said Selendra. "They are like the Dragons of Oererth, they are oversized. A normal Red Dragon Great Wyrm would be about 90 feet in length." "Jon's 240 feet," said Sam. "Advanced dragons. You said there were flaws in this oversized design." "Vampirism," said Selendra. "Only the Metallic Dragons saw it coming and found a way to Ascend and becoming immortal. Chromatic Dragons, unfortunately suffered the most. Another reason why they hated Bahamut. They believed their size and power—oddly enough for a Chromatic—was a curse." "Why?" "When a Chromatic Dragon approaches the dragon's death—twilight," she began. "Their magic turns against them. Unless they accept death, or are slain, their magic slowly rots their bodies until they become undead aberrations called dracoliches." "I know what a lich is," said Sam. "Has Jon ever—did he ever become a dracolich?" "From what I've heard," said Selendra. "All those years you two were together, going to school, he was halfway becoming one. Pyrothraxus' true form was almost a skeleton. He used his polymorph spell to hide the rotting parts of his body. He only recently Ascended." "What is this Ascension?" "Difficult to say, Colonel," said Selendra. "Not even we mages know exactly what it is. However, it is believed that when a Dragon goes through it, he becomes a deity as well." "Jon's a god?" "A lower level deity," she said. "Demigod to be exact. When they ascend, they suddenly are given the Divine Spark, which replaces their soul and their bodies act like avatars to house the Spark while on the mortal plane. However, it is better that such a being live on the Immortal Planes than here. Gods do not belong here. They never need to eat, sleep, breathe, nor will they age or die from it. And they will not die from diseases or pestilence as well. But they can be slain, and their Spark goes to whatever Immortal Plane it needs to go. Unfortunately, for Pyrothraxus, that is the same place where he sent his brother—Baator. And he will become trapped there. Do not let his body be slain." "Even if his body is slain, he won't die…" "No, he won't die," she said. "But he will be trapped. And they will torment him. Pyrothraxus isn't the only benevolent Chromatic Dragon. But Chromatic Dragons who find these upstart betrayers are driven to kill them on sight. Pyrothraxus is a fugitive among his own people." "I'm friends with a fugitive dragon demigod," Sam sighed. "And here the Catholic religion told me not to acknowledge any other gods and I'm friends with one." "Demigods do not require worshipers," she said. "And a few Ascended Dragons do not have them nor do they want anyone to worship them. I'm sure that Pyrothraxus feels the same way." Sam sighed and got up off the chair: "Thanks for telling me all that. It's a bit much to take in with this Bahamut guy coming and messing with the ecology of the planet to create his 'super dragons'. Realities, High God, my best friend is a god…it's just a lot to take in." "I'm glad I was of some help to you," said Selendra. "We magical creatures are not all about secrecy. Some secrets are needed to be kept, but mortals do need to know the truth. But, I am not sure how the mortal world will take the information." "It'll cause a quake, that's for sure," said Sam. "Just give it to them one at a time. I wanted to know though. And I think the learned population might be able to handle it better than most others." He wiped his hands on his pant legs. "But I'm glad I was able to help you capture that guy." Selendra rose from her seat as Sam went for his jacket. "You know, I wanna come back in here," he said. "To read these books." "I'm afraid you would not be able to read them," she said. "I'm not allowed?" "No," she replied. "It's not that. You're welcome to pull one off the shelf, but they are written in a language you may not understand." "What language is that?" "Draconic," she replied. "This is a Dragon's library. The Dahakoan also speak Draconic and they write in Iokharic, the written script of Dragons. Also, this library contains spell books, which are also written in Iokharic. Because magic comes from Dragons, spells cast are spoken in Draconic and written down in Iokharic." "Is there a way I can read the books?" Sam asked. "Maybe a magical translator?" Selendra giggled as she pulled a large, leather-bound book off of one of the shelves. Then, from a pouch, she pulled a magnifying glass. She handed the book and the magnifying glass to Sam. On the front cover of the book were a magic circle design and a five-pointed star at the center of the circle. Iokharic encircled the outer track of the circle. The circle glowed purple for a moment as Selendra handed the book over to Sam. "This may be of some interest to you," she said. "And this magnifying glass will allow you to read what is inside." "What's the book about?" he asked. "Read it and see," she replied. "I can take this with me?" "Yes," she said. "I will inform Councilor Andam that you are checking it out for a moment. When you are done, just tell Pyrothraxus you wish to return the book." "Thank you," he said as he tucked the book under his arm and walked out. As he began to walk down the corridor again, he saw Pyrothraxus walking up from the opposite direction. There was something wrong about him. Sam could actually see it now. The Red Dragon's body looked shadowy or ghostly. Sam could see the faint outline of a purple glow about him as well. Pyrothraxus' head hung low as if he was exhausted and he walked with heavy steps. He raised his head up and he smiled at Sam. "Hey, pal," he said. "Where have you been?" Selendra, hearing his voice, walked out of the library. "In the library," said Sam. "Excuse me. I need some air." The colonel swiftly brushed by Pyrothraxus and the Red Dragon turned his head in confusion. "Was it something I said?" Pyrothraxus asked. 0 "I don't know him," said Sam. "His son doesn't know him, his wife doesn't know him. No one knows him. He was evil once. How am I supposed to tell that to the general? Oh, by the way, I've learned Jon's past. Yeah, he was an evil dragon. He's not now, but he was. Oh, and here's an added bonus, probably most of the monsters that may attack New York City are more likely to be after him because he's a fugitive. So, basically, his very presence poses a danger to innocent people. And I know what she'll say. 'We have no choice then. Lock him up!'" He paced around on the beach. The sea air blew against his cheek. He hoped the sound of the waves slapping against the sand would calm him down. However, that was not happening. Sam got out a pack of cigarettes and pulled one out. "I can't tell the general about all of this. I don't want that to happen to him. He can't help his past." Sam placed the cigarette into his mouth and brought out a lighter. "I didn't know you smoked," said a deep voice from behind him. Sam jumped, startled by the voice as an enormous shadow covered him, blocking out the setting sun. Sam fell to the sand. He looked up, his eyes meeting the two enormous glowing orbs of Pyrothraxus. "Where the hell did you come from?" Sam shouted, shaking with fear. Being this close to him and those eyes looking directly at him, Sam was still affected by Pyrothraxus' fear aura. He swallowed. "D-don't tell me, you can teleport." Pyrothraxus settled down onto his belly, bringing one eye uncomfortably close to Sam. The glowing orb lit up the ground around him. Sam shrank from the eye. He still was not quite used to being this close to something that big. There were times where he could forget it, but this was not one of them. "What's wrong, Sam?" Pyrothraxus asked. "N-nothing," Sam replied. "I just needed some air and I don't need you looming over me like that. Now, just—go away." The eye blinked: "Did Selendra tell you something?" "It doesn't matter," said Sam. "Okay, I get it. I don't really know you. The general is right. I never knew you. I think you only said that to me so I'd think it was like old times. Well, it isn't. It was like old times with Jonathan. But you're not him! You never were. Jonathan never existed. And I get that. Now, just leave me alone. I need to get my head around all that information so I can report it back to the base." Pyrothraxus backed off. He was still a bit confused. Sam lit the cigarette and gave it a puff. Pyrothraxus lifted a claw and played with the sand with one talon. "I'm sorry if whatever I…" he said. "Don't," interrupted Sam. Pyrothraxus continued to dig a human-sized hole in the sand with his talon. Sam sat down and got out that book, looking through it. The Red Dragon sensed the magical energies emanating from the book and leaned his head in to read it. "That's a powerful and dangerous book you've got there," he said. "I don't care," said Sam. "Besides, according to this book, I can't use whatever is inside it. So, it doesn't really matter, does it?" "Sam, what did I do?" "Being yourself—your real self," he replied. Sam closed the book and started off down the beach, walking swiftly to put some distance between him and the Dragon. Pyrothraxus got up and started after him, walking slowly. He took one step over Sam, causing the human to duck. Sand fell about Sam as the huge foot came down. Once more, he was in the optical spotlight the gigantic Red Dragon. Pyrothraxus leaned his head down and brought right eye close to Sam. "I'm not going to leave you alone," he said. "Not until you tell me what I did." "This book is right," said Sam. "Dragons do like to think the whole world revolves around them. Maybe you can get it into your fat, arrogant head that it ain't always about you!" "Sam!" Pyrothraxus bellowed. The ground shook beneath Sam's feet at the sound of the Dragon's voice. He ducked to the ground and curled into a ball, holding his head. Sam looked up, trying to swallow his fear again. "You're 5893 years old, and I've only gotten to know 40 of those years," he said. "That's merely an eye blink. I don't know you. And quite frankly, I'm starting not to like the real you." "The real me?" "Yeah, Pyrothraxus," he said. "Because you're sure as hell not Jonathan. Jonathan's not the guy who destroyed an entire area and created the Dead Sea. He wouldn't do that. He also wouldn't enslave people either, or act all snobbish like he's above everything else. And he's no vampire! Or a demigod. He's a geekadoofusdork who has two left feet, stuck his foot in his mouth every time he tried to talk to women, and a bad sense of fashion. But Pyrothraxus apparently is something different. He's this calculating, cruel, hideously evil—now turned good fugitive on the run from his own people. But old habits die hard." "Sam…" "Okay, you wanna know what you did?" he asked. "Fine. How about you basically ignoring me? It was 'get the hell outta my way' earlier with you. Why? I don't know. There was nothing else, you wanted me out of the way." "I'm sorry," said Pyrothraxus. "You don't mean that." "I do," the Red Dragon said. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for a Dragon—a Red Dragon—to admit he's wrong? And apologize? But since I've lived among humans, I've learned how to say it. Dragons don't understand the meaning of the word apology. Because just what you said, they're heads are too big for their own good. I'll admit it, Dragons are virtually socially inept." "You got that right," said Sam. "Sam, I don't want to lose my friendship with you over what happened today," Pyrothraxus said. "I had no idea I wronged you." "Jon," began Sam. "You—being what you are—actually scares me. A lot. Because of your history, because of who might be coming after you. Because now—there's something wrong with you. I know you can feel it. It scares me. I thought it would be rather cool to have a best friend who's a dragon. But, the more I think on it, the more I realize there's a danger." "Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "I want to tell you something. There is a part of me who doesn't want to be a dragon anymore. It's because of what you said. I am an outcast. I'm a Chromatic Dragon who switched sides and other Chromatics would want to hunt me down and hunt down anyone who I associate with in order to get to me. I am a danger to anyone who gets close to me. That's why I hid myself. For 40 years not even the magical world knew I was around. And the Metallic Dragons, well, if you must know—Metallic Dragons all hate Chromatic Dragons with a vengeance. They seek to destroy us. When I came to them, they wanted to kill me. And they still do. They can't get over that. Perhaps the only two who don't feel that way are Sayan'i and Galen. I'm hated on all sides. In fact, I often think it would be better for everyone if I find away to permanently become human. But I can't." He laid his head down on his forelegs and huffed a sorrowful sigh. "I don't fit anywhere. Even when it comes time for me to leave this world, there's nowhere for me to go. I'm sure you've heard about how Earth Dragons are treated up there…" "Yeah, I'm told they don't particularly like anything coming from Earth," said Sam. "All because of what Bahamut did." "Bahamut had good intentions," said Pyrothraxus. "It just backfired on him. Proves that even gods have faults. We're freaks, Sam. It's our size, it's our power, it's everything that we are. We're freaks." "You're not a freak," said Sam. "Tell them that." "I'm not going to tell the general about what I learned," said Sam. "That plane fell out of the sky because Ithfaedeus was after me," Pyrothraxus said, closing his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Pandarus released Gaius from his cage all because of I had the Stone of Aster. Then, Ithfaedeus attacked New York, why? Because of me. There's going to be more attacks and they'll all be because of me. I'm a danger to everyone. I know that." Sam walked over and laid his hand on Pyrothraxus' snout, caressing it gently. "Jon, why is Ithfaedeus after you?" Sam asked. "Why does he want you dead besides the fact you switched sides? It has to be more than that." "There is," Pyrothraxus said as he moved his paw, revealing the gold wedding ring around his digit. "This ring I wear. It isn't some ordinary wedding ring. This ring is the Gate to Baator. Ithfaedeus seeks to free Zestos, my brother, from his prison. Not only that, but when Zestos is freed, he will bring his followers with him and they will call forth Asemodeus like they did before. That was the Great War over 1500 years ago, prior to the Dark Times War." "So you're pretty much the dragon version of Frodo Baggins?" asked Sam. "And you guard that ring? What happens when Asemodeus gets free?" "Not even your technological advanced weapons can stop his darkness," said Pyrothraxus. "He'll bring forth—you might say a biblical Revelation." "The only thing that's standing between him and the End of the World is you?" "That's why I'm a target for every nasty magical creature out there," he replied. "That's why I'm a danger to everyone—to my son Jake, to Susan, to Haley and Lao Shi—and even to you. Now you know, Sam." Sam sighed and looked away from Pyrothraxus. "What are you going to do now that you know this?" he asked. "Will you tell General Reynard?" "No," said Sam. "Because I know that she'll take that ring away for one, and for another it'll give her another reason to attempt to lock you up. She doesn't trust you even after I put you on the research team. Because I need you, I can't afford to let that happen." "She's a smart human, she'll find out." "Yeah, well, I think between the both of us, we have enough brain power to out smart her." Pyrothraxus lifted his head up slightly and smiled: "Thank you, Sam." Sam patted his nose: "What are friends for?" Dark Shadows Sam walked around the courtyard grounds of the Dragon Council. He wanted to learn everything he could about this magical world while he was there. The night passed uneventfully to the next morning. He was up early as the sun began to peek just above the horizon. Most everyone was still asleep. Sam turned out towards the beach to find Pyrothraxus resting on the warm sand. Red Dragons loved lying on anything that had some warmth to it. His eyes were closed and he seemed like he was sleeping. Sam did not want to disturb him. The others were still in their quarters, sleeping the early hours of the morning away. Sam walked down through a row of pillars and into a large ornate building. There, he spied several statues lining the walls in what appeared to be a museum. Each statue was carved out of marble, but they were not statues of gods or heroic warriors. These statues were images of fierce monsters and enemies. Sam felt a sense of dread when he looked upon them. He passed one statue and saw a plaque at the base. The tall statue was of a Cyclops with a club in its hand. "Cyclops. The #19 enemy of the Magical World," Sam said as he read the plaque. He walked all the way down to the end of the hall until he reached statue at the far end. It was the statue of the Black Dragon he remembered to be Pyrothraxus' enemy. "The Dark Dragon," said Sam. "The #1 enemy of the Magical World. Ithfaedeus." Then, he turned around to find something that did not look like the others. It was a statue of a human wearing ornate, archaic-looking armor and a dracolich skull for a helm. In his hand was a staff with twin prongs at the tip. Sam walked up to the statue and looked at the plaque. "The Huntsmaster of the Huntsclan," he said. "#4 enemy of the Magical World. Huntsmaster?" "The Huntsclan," said a voice coming up behind him. Sam turned around and found a tired Jake Long wiping his eyes as he walked up. Jake yawned. "They are humans who hunt magical creatures. Both Grandpa and Dad state that the Huntsclan believe we magical creatures to be a threat to mortal humans." "Jon told me there were humans centuries ago who hunted magical creatures down," said Sam. "So, despite the fact that most humans have forgotten that magic exist, there were still who remember and still hunt you down?" "Yeah," said Jake. "The Huntsclan is an enormous organization. They've existed for over a thousand years. Each member possesses a birthmark on their bodies. It looks like a dragon. Because their organization is so massive, it means they have resources and agents everywhere, even in hospitals where they keep an eye out for babies born with that birthmark. If a baby is born with the birthmark, that baby is taken from the mother and then trained in the Huntsclan. They are exposed to the Magical World, but are told it is evil." He turned away from Sam and sighed. "My girlfriend has that mark," he said. "Your girlfriend is a huntsman?" Sam asked. "Yeah," said Jake. "But I was able to convince her that not all Magical Creatures are bad. After that she came to accept us. She even likes my Dad despite the fact that he was the one who…" "Jake!" bellowed Lao Shi. "I was looking all over for you." "Hey, G," Jake said. "I was just informing the colonel about…" "Yes, I realize what you were doing," he said. "Go. We are about to leave for New York soon. Rouse your father and pack your things." "He's sleeping on the beach, Jake," said Sam. "My Dad doesn't sleep," said Jake. "He doesn't need to. He probably is just in deep thought." The black and green-haired teenager ran off and exited the museum. Sam looked down at Lao Shi. "You didn't tell me there was an organization that knew about the existence of the Magical World since before you guys disappeared," said Sam. "When we disappeared from mortal eyes, so did they," said Lao Shi. "And it was not necessary." "How massive is this organization?" Sam asked. "That's not your concern," said Lao Shi. "What sort of influence does it have?" Sam asked. "What's their inventory?" "I will not answer anymore questions," said Lao Shi. "Then I will get the answers from Jon," Sam said as he made his way to the door. "He will not tell you either," said Lao Shi. "In fact, he would be the last person that would inform you." "Is it because this group was formed after he came to North America?" "No," said Lao Shi. "And that is all I will say on the matter. You better gather your things together, Lt-Colonel. And whatever you possessions you got from here, stays here. It will not come with you." Sam huffed as he walked out of the museum. He made his way over to the beach where Pyrothraxus was lying. Sam came to a cheek horn and pushed against it, trying to rock Pyrothraxus' head. The Red Dragon opened an eyelid slightly. A sliver of fiery light peered through the opening as the glowing pupil rolled over to the human. He looked tired. Pyrothraxus huffed and a wisp of smoke escaped his cavernous nostrils. "Jon," Sam began, leaning his elbow over the cheek horn. "I need to ask you something." "Hum-humpf?" the Red Dragon rumbled, shifting his forelegs underneath his chest. "Tell me about the Huntsclan," said Sam. "Huntsclan?" the two eyes flared opened and the Red Dragon lifted his head up, knocking Sam backwards. Pyrothraxus leaned his head down closely to the colonel until his beaked snout was touching Sam's nose. "Who told you about the Huntsclan?" "Your son," said Sam, still trying to hold onto his courage. "Jake." "What did he tell you?" "He told me it was an organization that's been around for over a thousand years," he said. "The Clan hunts magical creatures and up until recently, were the only mortal humans who knew of the existence of the Magical World. Also, he told me his girlfriend is one as well." Pyrothraxus' eyes narrowed and he growled lowly at Sam. "Uh, Jon…" Sam said as he leaned back. Though the further back he leaned, the closer Pyrothraxus came. "Personal space…Jon, if you—don't mind. You're a bit too—close…" Pyrothraxus leaned up: "The Huntsclan is the enemy of the Magical World, the only mortal enemy we had to truly worry about. Though there were militias that hunted magical creatures before, none were as powerful nor as numerous as the Huntsclan. They produced weapons that mimic magical artifacts. Science on a scale that no government has even met." "These guys created weapons that could outdo our own?" Sam asked. "And much more," said Pyrothraxus. "I faced once a monstrosity of machine that only Hollywood effects could produce—a mech-suit. It was built to be as big as me and for one purpose only, to take me down." "When?" "Several months ago," he said. "It was in a secret place where I was meeting Sayan'i. Then the Huntsclan showed up with their mech and tried to kill me." He turned back to Sam. "So, you see the problem. Also, the Huntsclan has political ties as well. That is how they are able to stay hidden from ordinary people for so long. The Huntsclan has affiliates everywhere, in every country and branch of government. I would not be surprised if there were a few members at your base watching me now as we attempt to introduce the mortal world to the magical world and vice versa. They may try to stop it." "How?" "They will not use their military might," said Pyrothraxus. "But their political one. Just as we are trying to peacefully bring the two worlds together, so can they shatter them apart once more by their sharp tongues. They will try to convince the uneducated that all magical creatures are evil." "They would want to start up that war again?" Sam asked. Pyrothraxus shifted his position and rolled over onto his back with a heavy sigh: "The Huntsclan were one of the problems that caused the first war between magical creatures and ordinary humans. We were forced underground because we were too few compared to them. I do not know if they would want to start another war, but to have the whole world against us again— that is what they want." "Can't we all just get along," Sam said in a sigh as he settled himself against Pyrothraxus' thorny cheek. "For now, I'm just amazed no one's asked the government to call upon a dragonslayer on me yet," Pyrothraxus said with a chuckle. "Well, things are different than they were back in your day." "My day?" the Red Dragon turned his head around, snorting hot air into Sam's face. "You're making me sound like I'm a grumpy old fart." "You're a Great Wyrm," said Sam. "Didn't you tell me that's the equivalent of being a senior citizen in dragon years? I think that states it enough—'old fart'." "Things are different now than they were then," said Pyrothraxus, resting his head on the sand once more. "A lot different. And I don't think that is a good thing." He looked back at Sam. "Sam, can you tell me of the Air Force's policies on bigotry in the workplace?" "Well, if you're right about the Huntsclan being everywhere," said Sam. "And the possibility of members being in the military, well—I don't know what the rules are on being a total ass towards someone of a different species, but I suppose they are the same for being a total ass towards someone of a different race. Calling someone a racial slur or attacking them for being a different race is against the Civil Rights Act." "Now that the United States government knows that I am a dragon," said Pyrothraxus. "I wonder if those laws will protect me." "You are a US citizen, I don't see why not," he said. "Hey, I'll fight for you if something happens. Not that anything should—they would be stupid to try and do something to you physically." "Still," said the dragon. "Those are the things that I wonder and I am sure the Council would question as well. This is why they are worried." "Legitimate reason to be worried," said Sam, sitting down on the sand near Pyrothraxus' massive glowing eye. "You and I are the two representatives of our worlds," said Pyrothraxus. "We need to keep the peace between them." "Jon, I have to admit," said Sam. "The day I first met you, I had no idea that I would be some ambassador into a secret world I never knew existed." Pyrothraxus leaned up: "You better go and pack your things. We'll be leaving soon and Lao Shi hates being held up." "I have better return that book to the library," said Sam. "I took some notes from it. Never knew magic was so complicated and at times–scientific." "What did you learn?" Pyrothraxus asked, rising to his feet. Sam craned his head upward, his eyes focusing on the dragon's glowing pupils: "I learned that magic takes time to even conjure up. It is not just you waving a wand or your hand and something just magically appears. It's more involved than that. You have to concentrate on the energy around you to create the spell, gather up specific items to empower the spell, and say the words." He scratched his head. "That book also gave some other details. That amulet you swallowed. That book gave me a lot of details on it. It is a sentient artifact." "I know," said Pyrothraxus. "Jon, that thing is doing something to you," said Sam. "I can see it. In certain lights, you look a little ghostly." "The Stone of Aster has some side effects," said Pyrothraxus in a flat tone. "Physical mostly." "Mentally as well," said Sam. "That thing can take over your will." "I am an Ascended Dragon, Sam. The Stone has no power over my mind." "It may not have any power over mind, but it can take over your body, Jon," said Sam. "Oh?" Pyrothraxus asked. "And what made you the expert of magic all of a sudden?" "I spent all night reading that book," said Sam. "Do you know who wrote it?" "I suppose you'll tell me," Pyrothraxus snorted. "It was Pathemos," said Sam. "The same guy who created the Stone of Aster. That book was his journal." "It's more than a journal, Sam," he said. "You just read a spell book." "I suppose you knew who's book that belonged to," said Sam. "The clue was on the cover," said Pyrothraxus. He lifted his right paw and faced its palm at Sam. There at the center of the palm was the magic circle five-pointed star, the same one that appeared on the cover of the book. "Come on, Sam. We'll discuss it later. I don't feel like getting it from Lao Shi for not being speedy." As the councilors waited for Pyrothraxus and Sam to arrive, they wanted to speak to Lao Shi. Jake was already starting to pack up to return to New York and Fu Dog helped him. Jake spied Councilor Andam walk up to Lao Shi, pulling him off to the side. Lao Shi glanced back at Jake, and then to the Kenyan Dragon. "Dark times are heading our way, Chinese Dragon," he said. "There is something I should inform you of now. The council has decided to allow both Jake and Haley to have two Dragon Masters." "What?" Lao Shi gasped. "Two masters, why?" "They are not ordinary Dahakoan," said Andam. "Because of that, they must learn from both Dahakoan and Darastrix heritage. With that, we believe that they will help in bringing us back into the light. Pyrothraxus must become their second Dragon Master." "In the words of our forefathers," Lao Shi began. "Si geou ti! I will not!" "You must," said Andam. "That bumbling idiot will do nothing more than ruin us!" "That 'bumbling idiot' was the one who gave us our powers," said Andam. "I realize you have some hostility towards Pyrothraxus. You had hostility towards him because you thought he was a mortal." "He is not mortal," said Lao Shi. "Now he's even farther from being mortal than he ever was." "Now, you hold hostility towards him for not being a mortal," said Andam. "Pyrothraxus is a well of knowledge. He knows things that even we have lost through the ages. We were lucky the Metallic Dragons managed to save what they could of the Library of Alexandria for our disposal. The Western World has destroyed much because of the people in power feared knowledge would be their undoing. Pyrothraxus can share his knowledge to his children so that we all may benefit from it." "No matter how much I protest this," said Lao Shi. "It does not matter to you or the Council. I suppose Sun Park has agreed…" "She has," said Andam. "In fact, she is more than thrilled to sit in on one of his lessons to learn something for herself. I suggest you do the same. The Korean Dragon will have Haley ask her father to become her second Dragon Master. You must have Jake do the same." "Very well, Councilor," Lao Shi said in defeat, bowing. "I have no choice and will comply. Does Pyrothraxus know about your decision?" "No," said Andam. "You will tell him upon your return to New York." "Yes, Councilor," he said. The trip back to New York was not as eventful as the trip over. Sam and Jon watched each other intently. Sam saw the strain in Jon's eyes. He could tell that he was fighting against the power of the Stone of Aster. Lao Shi saw this as well. It was another reason against Jonathan, another reason why he did not trust him. Jake looked between his father and his grandfather, worried that their relationship might become farther apart. When they returned to New York City, Lao Shi took Jake to his shop while Jonathan and Sam teleported to Rome, New York. Of course the general would want to know all that Sam had learned while he was on the Isle of Draco. Jake sat down on the couch as Lao Shi took his seat on a stool. "Jake, there is something I need to tell you," he began. "This is something I am deeply against, but I have no power over." "What is it?" Jake asked. "The Council has decided that for your benefit and for Haley's that you both would have a second Dragon Master," he said. "Second Dragon Master?" Jake asked. "You mean you're being replaced?" Fu Dog asked. "They're finally breaking up the team? Aw no! Who's this new Dragon Master I'll have to warm up to? Does he like pets?" "Fu," said Lao Shi. "I won't be going anywhere. I will still be Jake's Dragon Master. But the new master will be Pyrothraxus." "Jonathan?" asked Fu Dog. "Dad?" asked Jake. "He'll be my new Dragon Master." "He will teach you the ways of the Charir Darastrix," said Lao Shi. "Something I cannot teach you. Both you and Haley will learn from him." "You didn't want him to teach me?" asked Jake. "No," said Lao Shi. "I believe that the knowledge your father possesses should remain inside his head. It is dangerous. And he is dangerous. Your father is going through a transformation brought on by the Stone of Aster. I do not know what that will do to him. I only want to keep you safe, even if that means keeping you safe from your own father." "Dad won't hurt me," said Jake. "I'm his son. Why would he harm his own son?" "Don't you remember what he almost did a few days ago, kid?" asked Fu Dog. "He almost turned you into lunch. I hate to say this, but Lao Shi is right. Red Dragons are known to eat their own young. Though, your father does love you, there is something wrong with him. Still, Lao Shi, the Council is right too. He could learn something. I'm sure Jon will know what to teach and what not to teach." "Jake," said Lao Shi. "You must go to your father and ask him to be your Dragon Master. Tell him I give my permission under the orders of the Dragon Council." Jake's brow furled and he stared blankly at his sneakers. He did not want to believe that his father was capable of eating him, despite the fact he really was. He knew that one time was a mistake, however, he did not care. He wanted to learn all that he could from his father because he knew that would help him defeat the Dark Dragon. Still, Jake began to suspect that something bad was about to happen. That must have been the only reason as to why the Council would allow him and his sister to be taught by their father. Perhaps, Jonathan knew what it was that will happen, Jake wondered. "When will he teach me?" asked Jake. "I think a weekend thing would do," said Fu Dog. "You teach him during the week and Jon can teach both of them over the weekend. That way Jon can be at the base." "Is something bad about to happen?" Jake asked. "We don't know, kid," said Fu. "But it's better to be safe than to be sorry." "Right," said Jake. "When your father comes home," began Lao Shi. "Tell him that you want him to be your Dragon Master." "Sho' thing, G," Jake said, as he rose up from his seat. "Later." Jake headed out the door, leaving Lao Shi and Fu to converse. Lao Shi got up and poured himself a pot of ginseng tea. He needed something to calm himself down. "I still don't like this," he said. "Jonathan teaching Jake or Haley." "He will be able to teach them things we can't, Lao Shi," said Fu Dog. "I don't care what he'll be able to teach Jake," said Lao Shi, sipping the tea. "It's what's happening to him. That is what I am afraid of. And I'm afraid some of that is rubbing off on Jake as well." "He is the son of a Red Dragon," said Fu Dog. "Don't remind me…" 000 "Will you hurry up, Jon!" Susan yelled through the door. Her voice was muffled slightly by the sound of the shower. "I want to go to bed, now." "Just a minute," Pyrothraxus called back, leaning down to scrub his back with the foamy brush. He rumbled pleasantly while he scrubbed, trying to make sure the lilac-scented soap covered him well. "I haven't had a bath in two days. I smell like sulfur." "I don't mind the sulfur," she said. "Well, I do!" "Honey, we need to say good night to the kids," said Susan. Pyrothraxus turned off the water after he washed the foam off and stepped out of the bathtub, wiping himself down with a fluffy towel. Susan opened up the door to find him wiping behind his ears with one claw and scrubbing his teeth with another. He leaned over and spat in the sink. "Is the whitening toothpaste working?" he asked, showing off his sharp fangs. "Honey…" "I need to know," Pyrothraxus said, as he scrubbed away at his long, upper canine fangs. "I should lay off the coffee. I think it's staining my teeth. I should call the dentist and have him bleach my fangs on Monday." "You're teeth are stained because you're 5893 years old, Jon," said Susan, taking hold of his thorny chin and pulling it down to her level. "I really think it's the coffee," he said. Susan pulled him down further and kissed him. Pyrothraxus let loose a purr when she kissed him, closing his eyes. "Better say good night to the kids," she whispered. He pulled away and brushed his flank up against her as he headed towards the door. Susan smiled, watching him leave. "I'll be here when you get back." He walked down the hall to Haley's room and pushed the door open with a claw. She was up studying in her bed with a science book in her hand. "Haley," said Pyrothraxus. "Time for bed." "I'm only on the last paragraph, dad," she said. "Alright, pumpkin," he said. "Finish that up and then turn the light out." Pyrothraxus leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you, dad," said Haley. "Night." "Sweet dreams," he said. "Say it in Draconic." Pyrothraxus chuckled: "Nhee wurunwi, hianag." Haley giggled. He left her room and came to Jake's room. He was lying face up with his head resting on his arms. "Jake?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Wanted to come in and say good night." "Night, dad," said Jake. Pyrothraxus snorted, sensing something in Jake's voice that disturbed him. "Is there something wrong?" he asked. Jake turned to him and leaned up. He glanced down at his father's right paw, noticing the glowing purple radiating on the floor. His legs seem to fade to inky black, and then turning transparent as they touched the floor. He looked back at his father, seeing that faint purple glow around him. "This thing that you ate," began Jake. "The Stone. It's doing something to you. And it scares me a little bit. I'm just sayin'." "If you want the truth," he began. "I'm glad I swallowed it. It's safer with me than with anyone else." "It's changing you," said Jake. "You see what's going on? Your scales are turning black." Pyrothraxus rumbled and looked down at his feet. He closed his eyes and forced his red color to return to his scales. He could feel the entity that he was fighting against to crawl back into the black depths of his chest. "There," he began. "Better?" Jake looked away. "Jake," he said. "It's just a side effect. You know, like some medications have side effects. It's not hurting me." "I can see you straining," said Jake. "You have a tired look on your face, dad. I just…" "Jake," said Pyrothraxus. "Worry about being a teenager. Worry about school, or homework, or even doing your duty as the American Dragon. But don't worry about your old man. I'll be fine. This is my problem. It's been my problem for over 2 thousand years. I can deal with it." Jake laid back on the bed as his father walked out of his room. Pyrothraxus sighed again and shook his head, making his way back to his bedroom where his wife waited for him. He came in and looked over to find Susan already in bed, reading a magazine. The TV was on and David Letterman was playing. The Red Dragon leapt into the bed beside her and laid on his side, watching the television set. "Jake's worried about me," he said. "Well, if he didn't care," said Susan. "He wouldn't be worried." "I know. But it has to do with the Stone of Aster." "Well, you did swallow it," she said. "What do you think?" Pyrothraxus asked, looking back to her. "You do look a little different, Jon," she said. "Your scales aren't as red as they used to be. They have a purple tinge to them. And I know you've heard this, but sometimes you look transparent. I keep worrying that you might go invisible and I'll never be able to see that handsome face of yours again." Pyrothraxus chuckled. "It can't control you, can it?" "It can try," he said. He kissed her lips and then pulled back. "But I won't let it." Pyrothraxus pulled the covers over his legs and laid back on his back. He snuggled up against her while she read and placed his chin on top of her head. He threw a foreleg over her waist, huffing with a purr as he took in her scent. "Jon," she said. "Not tonight." "What?" Pyrothraxus asked, lifting up. "I seem to remember that it's the female that has to initiate the whole mating thing when it comes to Red Dragons," she said. "And I'm not in the mood right now." "Cant' I just cuddle with the most beautiful women I have ever seen in all my 5000+ years?" Susan lowered her magazine and looked at him, huffing at his attempts at wooing her. "Yeah, about that," she began. "When did we start dating? In high school? Weren't you over 5000 years old in high school as well?" "Yeah?" he said. "So?" "Shouldn't I consider you a little on the pedophilic side, Jon?" she asked. Pyrothraxus looked around: "Uh, we didn't even really officially do any thing until college. Well after the consensual age for you humans in the United States." "Well, I just thought I'd point that out." "We've been married for over 20 years and you just now decided to address that?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Well, most of those 20 years, I thought you were the same age as I was," she sad. "Then I realized I was married to a senior citizen for most of my life." "Susan, if I was a pedophile," he began. "Then the moment you hit 20, I would have left you for a 12-year old. I love you and for what I see, age has nothing to do with it." He snuggled up to her again, purring. He kissed her head and closed his eyes, enjoying that she was in his arms. "I guess you didn't expect to fall in love with a—kinda sorta human," she continued. "In your whole undercover work?" "No, I didn't," he replied. "But I'm glad I did. Should never expect the unexpected. Life would be boring if you did." "Alright, Casanova," Susan chuckled. "I love you too." He rumbled again, holding her close to him while she picked up her magazine and read it. Then, she put it back down again once she was finished and turned off the TV. Susan curled up into Pyrothraxus' forelegs, laying her head against his plated chest, closing her eyes. They were just happy being in each other's arms as they fell into slumber. 000 Hans Rotwood came into the administration office, walking passed his secretary. "Mr. Rotwood," began Ms. Graves. "Someone came into your office, wanting to see you. It's that same man again." "Thank you, Ms. Graves," he said. "And for the last time, it's Professor Rotwood!" He walked into his office and paused, seeing a human-sized Red Dragon lying on the floor of his office. Hans Rotwood's monocle fell from his eye when he saw the dragon. "Mr. L-Long!" he called. "It's a surprise to see you!" "Got your message," said Pyrothraxus. "You wanted to see me." "Well, yes," said Hans. "But not this soon." "Sooner the better," he said, rising up. "What happened? Is my son making good grades?" "Oh, no," said Hans. "It isn't about Jake. I know you've been a bit busy lately, but I'd figured you might want to see this." "Hmm?" Pyrothraxus asked as he watched Hans climb up to a shelf to bring down a long wooden box. He carefully came down to the Red Dragon and put the box down on his desk. Opening, it, Hans produced a long, wooden rod that was tipped with gold ringlets at the base. Pyrothraxus growled when he sensed the power coming from that rod. It was a magical item. "Hans, where did you get that?" he asked. "Oh, this?" Hans asked. "Family heirloom. You see, my family, the Rotwoods, were once a part of the aristocracy of Germany. Only my grandfather was the third son." "I see," said Pyrothraxus. "The first son gaining most of the inheritance, the second getting the rest, and your grandfather getting nothing." "Not entirely nothing," said Rotwood. "But not the castle, if you mean. But I did get this. Which is why I wanted you to come here. I want to know just exactly what is it. I have a feeling it is a magical item, but only you can confirm it." "You're feeling is right," said Pyrothraxus, leaning up onto his haunches. He held out his claws and Hans placed it into the palms. "It's a magic wand. What is it called?" "My grandfather called it Blitzstock," said Hans. "A lightning cane," he said. Pyrothraxus looked along the shaft, noticing the archaic writing on the gold. "Do you know when it was made and who made it?" "No," he said. "I'm afraid not. This looks more modern than the wands I remember. Must have been made some time after I left Europe. However, this wand is made from Blood Wood. Blood Wood is a forest of tall oak trees that grow only in Ireland. These trees acted like magical sponges, absorbing the energy into their trunks. Wizards who could get a hold of these trees could create some of the most powerful magical artifacts in the world." He twisted the base of the wand off and looked into the hollow area of the shaft. "I'm sure the trees are gone now, probably replaced by a parking lot." Pyrothraxus noticed a powdery substance that smelled like sand and ozone inside the wand. "Blue Dragon's blood, dried and powdered. Your grandfather is right. This is a lightning cane." Then, he lifted the wand up and slapped it against his palm. "Shochraos!" The wand came to life, sparking bolts of blue-purple electricity racing up and down at the tip. "Oh, you got it to work!" Hans said, gasping. "I awoke it," said Pyrothraxus. "I've heard that some wands only have a limited charge," began the professor. "And when they run out, they are either useless or have to be recharged. Tell me, is this true for that wand?" "No," said Pyrothraxus. "The dried dragon's blood helps in that. Can't take the charge out of a creature with unlimited elemental power." He looked at the wand again. "This is a special wand. It can be used by both magical creatures and non-magical creatures who have some knowledge on how to wield magical items." "Really?" asked Hans asked. "I can use that?" "Well, you know about magical items," said Pyrothraxus. "Hans, close the blinds." Hans shut all the blinds in his office and watched just as the Red Dragon swung the wand. "Shochraos!" Pyrothraxus called and a bolt of lightning flung out from the wand and struck the floor. He jumped slightly. "Wow, this thing has a powerful recoil." He placed the wand back in the box. "Hans, I see you have other items that are marked with Draconic," he began. "You must have some knowledge of it." "If you're wondering if I can read it," Hans began. "Yes. Some. A few words here and there. I have to use books to help me translate. But some words." "Well, that wand is powerful," he said. "I'd suggest you keep it out of sight." "I will," said Hans as he put the box back up onto the shelf. He turned back around to find that the Red Dragon had reverted back into his human form. Jonathan leaned against the door. "Oh, I wish I could do that," Hans said. "That—shape shift thing." "Well, as you know, Red Dragons can't do it naturally," said Jonathan. "So, I had to pick up a spell book and learn it." Hans nodded as he took out his Polaroid camera and took a snapshot of the black mark on the floor. "I hear the spell Prestidigitation can be used to clean up stains," began Hans. "So, could you…you know?" "Yeah," said Jonathan. He twirled his hand and the spot on the floor vanished. "Überraschen," Hans breathed. "Danke." "No problem," said Jonathan. "Anything else?" "No," he said. "That's it. I'll walk you back to your car, ja?" Jonathan put his glasses back on and opened the door for Hans. They walked out, talking as they went. Outside, Jake was talking with Trixie and Spud. It was lunch break and most of the kids were either outside eating or playing basketball or throwing a football around. Jake stared out into space not even touching his food. Then, he glanced up just as he saw Rose walk up to him. "Hey," she said. "Hi, Rose," said Jake. "Don't mind Jakie," said Trixie. "He's just off in his own little world today." "Body's right in front of us, but his mind is off in space, man," said Spud. "What's wrong?" asked Rose. "I'm just thinking," he said. "Jake," began Rose. "I know about the 12th Talisman." Jake looked back at her. "You don't hang out with a secret organization bent on the destruction of all magical creature without learning about things," she said. "Your father risked a lot swallowing it." "He said he's glad he did it," said Jake. "Better he do it than someone else getting a hold of it." "And he's right," said Rose. "The Stone of Aster is probably the most powerful artifact in the world." "It's changing him," said Jake. "How is it changing him?" asked Trixie. "He looks ghostly," said Jake. "Sometimes, his scales turned this oily, purple black color around his feet. It looks like it's growing up his legs. His aura is purple when it's supposed to be this fiery orange or gold color. He looks like he's fighting some internal battle." "The Talisman is a sentient artifact, Jake," said Rose. "And it has the ability to control whoever comes in possession of it." "My dad's immune to mind control," said Jake. "This thing might go beyond an Ascended Dragon's immunity against mind control," said Rose. "Just a head's up, Jake." Jake sighed and ran a hand through his black-green hair. "My father's a vampire," he said. "But he's also a demigod, and now he could turn on us all because of some magical, sentient artifact that's inside of him—poisoning him. My grandfather's right. My dad is a dangerous man. He's dangerous even to his own family." "Jake," said Trixie. "Don't think that about your dad. Papa Dog may be what he is, but he cares about you. He knows that if something is wrong with him, he would try to make sure you're safe first." "Right," Jake said. He looked up when he saw Hans Rotwood walk out onto the courtyard of the school. That was when he saw his father walking alongside the principle. "What is my dad doing with Rotwood?" he asked. "I don't know," said Trixie. "It's a conspiracy!" called Spud. "Your dad and Rotwood are plotting behind our backs!" "Shut up, Spud," said Trixie. Jake got up and started walking towards the two adults as they made their way down the sidewalk towards the gate on the other side. Jonathan paused when he saw his son and his friends heading for them. That was when he smelled something putrid in the air. The odor was faint at first, however, familiar. It smelled like an open garbage can that was left out in the sun for too long. "You smell that, Hans?" he asked. "What?" "A dumpster or garbage can?" he asked. "It stinks." "Ack," Hans sighed. "Stupid kids playing around the dumpster again." Jonathan looked around to see a shadow below a tree that was oddly shaped. The shadow did not look like the tree's shadow. "Hans, that shadow," he said. "Look." Hans looked over and also saw the strange shadow. It began to grow out from the tree and soon took a more solid shape, becoming three-dimensional. The shadowy form rose up. Jonathan backed away, his eyes wide when he saw the creature that was the shadow finally taking form. Hans backed away. "Shadow Dragon!" he cried. "Crap!" Jonathan called. "Hans, get the kids inside!" The Shadow Dragon reared up and bellowed, spreading his wings wide and scattering the school children across the playground. Hans got out his whistle and blew it, ordering the range of classmates back through the main double doors. Jonathan glanced over and saw his son dashing off with his friends. The Shadow Dragon growled and turned towards Jake. "Pyrothraxus!" it bellowed. "Confn spical tenpiswo!" Obviously, this dragon did not know how to speak English. And not only that, but the dragon was chasing after his son. "What?" Jonathan asked. "Hey! I'm over here! Pyrothraxus is over here! I'm Pyrothraxus, damn it! Si mi Pyrothraxus! Jaci ui ti, si mi!" The dragon continued to ignore him as it made his way towards Jake Long. "Wux bisek malai!" Jonathan bellowed at the Shadow Dragon. "Damn it." Over on the other side of a dumpster leaning up against the concrete wall of the high school was Brad, the star quarter back and infamous bully. The blonde, handsome, but not so charismatic teen poked his head from behind the dumpster, seeing the black-scaled dragon going after Jake Long. He pulled out his camera phone and began recording. "Man, if I capture this on film and send it to the TV station, I'll be famous," he snickered. "Si geou svent wux, Pyrothraxus," hissed the Shadow Dragon. "Oh," said Jake. "So you want to tango with the AmDrag, huh?" "Jake!" Rose called. "Don't!" "So'kay, yo," Jake said with some confidence. "I'll teach this sucka a lesson. Dragon up!" "Jake, no!" Jonathan called when he saw the blue glow of Jake's chi cover his body. Soon, his son had transformed into his Dahakoan form—the American Dragon. "You're goin' down, punk!" Jake said as he leapt into the air. However, unbeknownst to him or the others, Brad had captured the transformation with his phone. "Little Jakie Long is a dragon?" he asked. "Well if he's a dragon—then…" He turned his camera back to Jonathan Long who was still shouting in that strange language back at the dragon. "Jake has red eyes—like his father. Jake's dorky old man is a dragon! Come on, you poor excuse for a parent, transform!" "Plythu," the Shadow Dragon hissed as he swung his tail at the smaller, charging, red- scaled dragon. Jake dodged the tail, but then was batted down by the Shadow Dragon's claw. "Jake!" Jonathan called. "Son!" He could not transform, not in front of all of these people. He could see the eyes of the students from inside the high school pearing down at the battling scene in the courtyard. A crowd of people outside was watching as well. He knew if he transformed, his secret was out, the whole city would know who Pyrothraxus pretended to be. The Shadow Dragon reared back and belched forth it's dark, creeping breath. Jake's eyes widened just as he saw the cloud of darkness wash over him. "Jake!" Rose called. "What the heck is that stuff?" Trixie asked. "It looks like black smoke," said Spud. "It's a Shadow Dragon's breath weapon," said Rose. "A cone of darkness that can drain the life out of anything it covers. If Jake doesn't get out of that cloud, he'll die." "Jake!" Jonathan cried, falling to his knees. Then, a flash brightened his vision and the Shadow Dragon backed off. Jonathan glanced over to find Rotwood with his wand outside. "Shochraos!" he cried, sending forth the bolt of lightning from the tip of the wand. The lightning bolt struck the Shadow Dragon and it roared in agony. "Hans!" Jonathan called. "Rotwood's a wizard?" asked Brad. "Oh, this is gonna be good." "Jonathan!" Rotwood called "Now, while it's distracted." As the blackness faded away, Jake appeared to have returned to his human form. He looked dried, like he was loosing the moister in his body. Rose rushed to him and began to drag him away from the Shadow Dragon. "Hey!" Jonathan called, finally getting the Shadow Dragon's attention. "You want Pyrothraxus? You got him!" A glow followed that statement and covered Jonathan's body. Flames licked up towards the sky and finally took shape in the form of the enormous Great Wyrm Red Dragon Pyrothraxus. Brad captured every minute of it. "He's not only a dragon, he's that big red one from the news!" he said. "Svaust rinov wux re, jaseve, jaka!" Pyrothraxus bellowed in his native tongue to the Shadow Dragon. Usv si geou svent wux." "Si mi Thernax," the Shadow Dragon said. Pyrothraxus realized the voice was very feminine. "Wux vur douta dask svent sia rumag vur vraki. si geou tepoha thirhe." "My mother and I killed your mate?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Svadrav?" "Ghoros yth jahen jedarka sari houpeir," she replied. "Hemata!" "Tir ti relgr ve hemata," Pyrothraxus growled. He walked in front of her, holding his head up high. "Wux agmasaon svent sia deevdru." "Hak origato jacida lowan qe dout lae algbo lae xikin ihk douta prekitri!" Thermax bellowed, leaping upon the Red Dragon with outstretched claws. Pyrothraxus reared up onto his hind legs and caught her, slamming her down onto the ground. The Shadow Dragon kicked him off of her and belched her black breath at him. Though the energy draining spell on her breath would not affect him, he had a very difficult time seeing through the darkness. He heard her growl and pounced upon him again, sinking her teeth into his neck. Pyrothraxus scraped his claws across the pavement, making deep gashes into the ground. He bucked at her jaws, forcing his weight upon her and sending her toppling onto her side. Pyrothraxus rose to his feet, panting: "I don't want to kill you. I'm not that monster anymore. But don't force my hand." The Shadow Dragon rose up as well, growling as her white, pupiless eyes narrowed at him. Her shadowy wings spread wide again and she bellowed. Slowly, she began to sink back into the form of a shadow, becoming a two-dimensional blob of ink on the ground. She moved towards Pyrothraxus, making her way to his shadow. Pyrothraxus spread his wings and launched into the air, but it was too late. The Shadow Dragon had a firm grip on his shadow. The Red Dragon fell to the ground as the inky shadow merged with his own. Once his body touched his shadow, he began to sink into it. "No!" Pyrothraxus bellowed. Jake leaned up, coughing when he heard his father's cries. He watched as the massive Red Dragon began to sink down into his own shadow, clawing at the pavement. "Dad!" he called. "What's happening to you?" "Jake!" Pyrothraxus called. "I'm sinking into the Shadow Plane." "Oh-no," Rose gasped. "Jake does your father know the spell Shadow Walk?" "I—I don't know," Jake said. He ran towards the sinking Red Dragon. "Dad, Shadow Walk!" "I don't know it," said Pyrothraxus. Finally, the shadow was up to his head. "Go to your grandfather. Ask him for help!" Then, he vanished within his own shadow. Jake looked around, seeing the two- dimensional form of his father on the pavement, struggling against the grip of the Shadow Dragon. "Jake, if he kills the Shadow Dragon," began Rose. "He'll be trapped in the Shadow Plane forever unless he finds his way out. And the only way to do that is to cast Shadow Walk. "That dragon said my father killed her family," Jake breathed. "That's why she attacked us." "Forget about that," said Rose. "Trixie, Spud, I need you to keep an eye on Mr. Long's shadow. If it starts moving, that's bad." "Why is that bad?" Trixie asked. "The moment a person begins to leave the spot where they first enter the Shadow Plane," began Rose. "They begin to move into the shadows of another dimension. And if he tries to leave while he's in the shadows of that dimension, he enters that dimension, not this one." "And he's gone forever?" Spud asked, slapping his face. "Oh-no!" "No," said Rose. "It just means it may take him a while to find a way back to this one. The sooner we get him back here, the better. The last thing we need is our heavy hitter against the major evils of the Old World and the Old Ways vanishing on us long enough to allow who knows what to come back." "Right," said Trixie. "Come on, Jake," said Rose. "Hey, Papa Dog!" Trixie called at the shadow of the Red Dragon. "Just stay put. Don't move. Jake's gone to get help." "Trixie?" Pyrothraxus asked, glancing up into the darkened, bleak sky above. He heard the sound of Jake's friend's muffled voice echo through the twisted landscape of the schoolyard. It looked like New York City, but everything was all wrong. The colors were muted and desaturated. The buildings were distorted, barely recognizable. Everything looked like dusk. There was no sun, no moon, just dark, churning clouds. He heard the sound of thunder off in the distance, but no storm was coming. "Stay put, Papa Dog!" Trixie's voice called again. "I know!" Pyrothraxus bellowed back at her, looking around. He sighed. "Stay put unless you want to find yourself in a dimension further than your own. Why the hell did You Know Who choose this rotten place to be the superhighway for her 9 dimensions?" There was a constant chill in the air and Pyrothraxus could not help but to shiver from it. He exhaled his flames, trying to warm himself up. However, even his flames held no warmth. The flames of a Red Dragon, some of the most powerful and hottest fires in all the planes— formed from the Elemental Plane of Fire itself—had its heat stolen away by Shadow. Even the light of his fire was dim. He felt damp, which only added to the chill. The dampness did not help make his fires any more potent than a flame on a match. He looked down upon himself to find the color of his scales stolen away, only to be replaced by shades of gray. His eyes glowed dully in the muted darkness. The Shadow Realm was not a happy place and a considerable amount of his spells he knew, were not going to work well here. Pyrothraxus' eyes lit up just as he saw the inky shadowy form leap out from behind the dilapidated school. He waved his claw and the Shadow Dragon collided onto an invisible wall. She slid down and growled at him. "Force field," said Pyrothraxus. "I think it's the only spell in my arsenal that works right now." "How clever of you," the Shadow Dragon snarled. "I'll just take your shadow then." "Ah!" began Pyrothraxus. "It's a sphere. Goes down even underground. Since there's not much I can do, the only thing I can do is wait for my son to get back with Fu Dog's book of spells. I'm sure he's got Shadow Walk in there somewhere." "You are weak here," said Thernax. "Your spells are of bright light and fire. Both spells types will not work here. Only shadow spells work here. And all you could muster is a force field." "My fire spells might not work, but that doesn't mean I can't whip you around with a tornado," said Pyrothraxus. "You would not dare kill me," she said. "I'm your only way home." "Ah, but here's the problem. Even if I ask nicely, something tells me you won't take me home. So, in actuality, you're useless to me." "Then, we are in a stalemate," said the Shadow Dragon. "Me bringing you here to weaken you and you putting up that force field up to keep me from further harming you." "Looks like it," Pyrothraxus shrugged. "And I'll just wait for Fu." "If you think I'll back down that easily, you're wrong, Red Dragon," she said. "I will enjoy feasting upon your flesh like you feasted upon the flesh of my mate and children those years ago." "I'd be careful," Pyrothraxus chuckled. "I'm a little spicy." "The Shadow Plane mutes any fire that you have inside of you, including that potent lava blood that all Red Dragons have," she said. "Come out of your ball, coward." "That's not smart," he said. "Calling a Red Dragon coward." Pyrothraxus scraped his claw on the ground, hiding what he was writing with a careful wing. Then, he banished his force field and leapt into the air. The Shadow Dragon leapt attempted to leap upon him as he rose up. She landed on the place where he had written something on the ground. She felt something hot building up under he claws as the words began to glow. "I have written exploding runes for you…" she mouthed, reading the inscription just as dust exploded forth from the ground. The Shadow Dragon was flung back and collided with the rock wall across the courtyard. Pyrothraxus let loose a bellowing laugh. "Fire spells may not work, but that old trick still does!" he laughed just as she wearily picked herself up off the ground. The Shadow Dragon growled and charged for him, slamming him laughing against the school building. The two dragons broke through the walls, falling through several stories of the building before hitting the lobby level. They locked onto each other's necks, scratching and clawing at their bellies as they rolled on the ground. Desks and chairs flew up as dust and debris scattered about the school. Above in the Prime Material Plane, Trixie watched as the two shadowy forms engaged each other. Spud turned to the sounds of sirens screeching as men dressed in uniforms came out of black vans. One man was dressed in an Air Force uniform with two silver oak leaves on his shoulders. He was African American, like Trixie. "What's going on here, where's the Red Dragon?" he asked. "You're Lt-Colonel Davidson," said Trixie. "Jake told us about you." "So, you know about…" "That he and his dad are dragons?" asked Spud. "Does my mom's lasagna fight crime at night?" "What?" Sam asked, confused. "Never mind him," said Trixie. "Look down there. That's Papa Dog's shadow." "Jon?" Sam asked, recognizing the shadow of the Red Dragon fighting against another shadow on the courtyard. "Where are they?" "Shadow Plane," said Trixie. "I don't exactly know what that is, but that's where he was dragged to. Jake has gone to get Fu Dog and Gramps." "Shadow Plane," said Sam. "I know what it is. Can he get out?" "No, but that's why Jake's getting Fu Dog," said Trixie. Suddenly the ground trembled as the two shadows slammed against the school. "Whoa," Sam stumbled forward. "What was that?" "That started when they started having the ultimate shadow puppet fight!" said Spud. "Seems like anything that can happen there effects here too," said Sam. "Jake better hurry." Rising up from behind the dumpster, Brad closed his phone. He had already gotten all the footage he needed from the fight. He caught it all on video, the Shadow Dragon, Jake's transformation, Rotwood using his wand, and then Jonathan Long transforming and fighting the Shadow Dragon. He grinned sinisterly as he silently made his way to the other side of the schoolyard. Just as Sam and his team began to arrive, Brad was making his escape, climbing over the fence and running down the street. Cat's Out of the Bag "Did you say that Jonathan's trapped in the Shadow Plane?" Lao Shi asked, a smile curling up his face. "Yeah, Gramps," said Jake. "And we need to get him out of there." Lao Shi curled his fists and started laughing. Fu Dog, Jake, and Rose looked at each other and shrugged. "Gung hei faat coi!" Lao Shi cried, leaping into the air and clicking his heals. "G, we have to get him out of there." "Oh, no, let him stay!" said Lao Shi. "Let him stay for all eternity! Oh, after all, he is immortal! He could stay there and never bother us again!" "Grandpa!" Jake called. "I can't believe you'd leave my dad in the Shadow Plane with that Shadow Dragon." "If I feel like I should keep that ben tiansheng de yi dui rou forever in the Shadow Plane, then I will!" "Lao Shi," said Fu Dog, pulling out his spell book. "You can just keep Jonathan trapped in there. We have to get the big guy out. If something bad decides to come stomping on New York and neither you or Jake can handle it, who can? Jonathan, that's who. As much as you hate him, he's got his uses." "He's a danger!" Lao Shi protested. "I know that you're worried about the Stone of Aster," said Rose. "But the Stone may be the least of our problems if more creatures from the Nine Hells find other ways of getting here. And there are other threats as well. My 'uncle' has been keeping in touch with the Huntsclan in Africa. They're stating there's some rumbling going on under Kilimanjaro. It's becoming active again. And there's a lot of magical disturbances around the volcano. Big, like energy signatures similar to Pyrothraxus'. And it also smells like hydrogen sulfide as well." "Yeash," said Fu Dog. "Who do we know that has a thing for causing problems in Africa and is an immediate member of the family?" "Malystryx," said Lao Shi. "Gaoyang zhong de guyang." "My—real grandmother?" Jake asked. "She's still here?" "Jonathan said she was still alive," said Fu Dog. "But I never expected her to still be around Earth. I thought she would have moved on to some other plane of existence because of the Dark Times war or something. But, it's Malystryx, you think a bunch of magic-hating humans is going to scare her? We're talking about a being that's not only a vampire, but has the same magical power that's on par with an Exarch—a fully powered deity. You're dad's only on par with the demideities—and that's how far Ascended Dragons are allowed to ascend, but your grandma? If she wanted to implode the sun, she probably could and have no remorse about it afterwards. That's what happened to her after she absorbed the life force and magic of half the dragons on Earth, and probably made a few dragon species go extinct on other worlds too with her vampirism." "That's what she wanted dad to become," said Jake. "She wanted him to become her champion," said Fu Dog. "But certainly not as powerful as she was. She wanted no equal." He gave his chin a scratch. "No doubt she's 5 times bigger than your old man too. All that power absorbing only serves to make her as big as the Powers that Be themselves. And a god is big, Jake. They're bodies make up whole continents. Laws of physics? She doesn't care for them." "Jake, your father is the only one who could even have a change to go against Malystryx," said Rose. Lao Shi sighed: "Alright, Fu, let's get over to the school. Hopefully, Jonathan hasn't moved since then. If he has, we'll have a devil of a time trying to find him. In the Shadow Plane, people can move over 50 miles per hour if they start walking. And the farther they move away from the point of entrance, the more lost they become." Fu Dog glanced over to the TV set he had been watching before Jake came in and made a move towards it. "Just let me turn this thing off before we go," he said. "Breaking news on the Eye of the Sky on the Red Dragon of New York," began a familiar reporter. "Huh?" Fu Dog asked. "Hey, it's that Barbara Wells chick. The one who interviewed Rotwood." "What?" Jake asked. "She's reporting on the event today," he said. "Guess the station got the footage of your dad kicking Shadow Dragon butt fast." "But how?" asked Jake. "The Red Dragon was seen today battling another black-scaled dragon," said Barbara. "This one having purple frills and a shadowy appearance. The two creatures were having a heated battle at Fillmore High School. Suddenly, the black creature took hold of the Red Dragon and made him sink into his own shadow. Since then, we've been told that a continued battle between the two shadows is racing on, causing quakes beneath the parking lot and school building. So far no casualties. The school has been evacuated while the battle continues. The area around the school has been blocked off." "Quakes?" Jake asked. "The Shadow Plane is a transitive plane that shares its existence with ours," said Lao Shi. "If two very powerful beings fight in that plane, effects of their battle can be felt here." "We've gotta get dad outta there," said Jake. "More on the report," began Barbara. "We finally have the identity of the Red Dragon." "Say what?" Jake gasped. "What?" Rose asked, leaning towards the television set. "An anonymous tip has told us the name that the Red Dragon disguises himself under," she continued. "His name is Jonathan Francis Long. A resident of New York City for 43 years, Jonathan Long is a husband and father of two children—Jacob and Haley Long. He even went to Fillmore High and graduated in 1986 along side his high school sweetheart now wife—Susan Long." "Aiyah!" called Lao Shi. "Aw man…" Jake swallowed. "Oh-no…" said Rose. "Currently, as we have been reporting from Rome, New York, that Mr. Long has taken up employment with the air force base," she said. "Thanks to our anonymous tip, we were also able to get a hold of video of Mr. Long transforming in the courtyard of the high school when the other black dragon attacked. And, we also have the video of his son transforming into a smaller dragon as well, only to be beaten by the much larger black dragon." The TV set showed the images of Jonathan Long transforming into his true form and then speaking to the Shadow Dragon in his native tongue. The camera panned over to Jake Long, who then reverted back into his human form after being subjected to the Shadow Dragon's breath weapon. "Oh yes," said Lao Shi calmly. "Get Jonathan out of the Shadow Plane." His fists clinched again in anger. "So I can skin him alive and use him for several pairs of boots!" "Lao Shi," said Fu Dog. "That isn't Jon's fault. Someone had a camera there and took the video." "Someone exposed us," said Jake. "I mean—really exposed us." He looked away, his head hung low. "People know about me," he said. "About my dad—about my whole family—being dragons!" "They don't know everything, kid," said Fu Dog. "But about you and your dad being able to turn into dragons—yeah—they got that part down." "Jake, this could be worse than you think," said Rose. "That group your father is now working for is trying to keep things low key. All of a sudden, someone video taping your father transforming into a dragon, and realizing he works at Griffis—it's going to make it even rougher for him and that General Reynard you've told me about. The relationship between them is already very rough." "My dad's friend Lt-Colonel Davidson can help smooth things over," said Jake. "There's only so much Colonel Davidson can do," said Rose. "I just want to get my hands on the guy who ousted my dad and I," Jake said. "We'll have time enough to do that later, Jake," said Rose. "Right now, let's get your father out of the Shadow Plane." 000 Sam fell to his knees when he felt another tremble from the pavement. The ground shifted underneath him as he watched the two shadows continue to toss each other around. He saw a building crumble adjacent to the school. Trixie and Spud were already in a safe place, hanging out with the soldiers. Behind him came Dr. Richards, Dr. Wiseman, and Dr. Trey, the other members of his team. Along side of them was his Lieutenant Wesley Quincy and Sergeant Abrams York. "Colonel," said Quincy, saluting. "How's the battle going?" "Jon's wrestling her," said Sam. "He picks her up, throws her down, then she kicks him off, bites him in the neck. They don't seem like they're tiring any time soon." "Draconic stamina," said Dr. Trey. "Must be a well of energy coming from them." He walked around the grounds to watch the fight. "If Jon kills that dragon, could I have it to dissect it?" "As Jon," said Sam. "You really want to do an autopsy on a dragon?" asked Richards. "Yes," he said. "Find out what makes them tick. Can't do that to Jonathan, might as well do it to this one." "Don't ever think you can cut my buddy open like a frog on a high school lab table!" Sam said. The ground began to buckle. Cracks splintered the pavement. "This can't keep up," said Sam. "If they continue on, this whole area will start looking like Los Angeles after an earthquake." Quincy leaned back after York patted him on the shoulder. The sergeant whispered something in his ear. Quincy looked over at Sam. "Sir," he said. "We have another problem?" "What?" Sam asked. "Word just got out," he replied. "Jonathan Long's identity has been revealed. The public knows he's the Red Dragon. Not only that, but they know his son can turn into a dragon as well. This news lady, Barbara Wells reported on them with footage captured from someone inside the courtyard while the battle was taking place." "Say what?" Sam asked. He pulled out his iPhone and played back the video clip shown on the news. "See?" he asked. "Look how the angle is shot. This wasn't taken outside the schoolyard. It was taken inside." "Some student took it?" asked Sam. "Or a teacher," said York. "Who filmed this image of Jonathan transforming?" asked Wiseman. She turned around to peer over Quincy's shoulder. "Either a student or teacher," said Sam. "Professor Rotwood is the principle of this school. He might know who did it." "Rotwood?" asked Richards. "I know that name. He's a cryptology fruitcake. Tossed out of the university for his insane ideas about a hidden magical world. Never even got a chance to finish his doctorate." "Well, apparently he was right about the whole thing," said Sam. "He even knew that my best friend was a dragon before I did." "Did Rotwood capture the image?" asked Wiseman. "No," said Quincy. "See? That's Rotwood there—with a magic wand?" They watched the video as Rotwood began to fire the lightning bolt at the Shadow Dragon. "Since when did that bungling moron learn how to shoot lightning?" asked Richards. "That moron has had more exposure to the magical world than any of us," said Sam. "I ought to know. He taught me how to go through a wall in order to get into the Underdark." "Where do you think Rotwood might be?" asked York. "Home, probably," said Sam. "The school has been evacuated so no one would be hurt while those two dragons had their fight. I need to tell Jonathan about what happened." "While he's fighting?" asked Trey. "He's taking to damn long," Sam said. "Where is his shadow now?" "Over there," said Wiseman. "Along the wall." Sam looked over to where the archeologist was pointing at and found the two black, inking, draconic-shaped blots struggling against each other on the brick wall of the school building. The ground shifted again when the larger shadow was thrown to the pavement. Sam ran for the shadow. "Jon!" he called. "Jon! Can you hear me?" "Sam?" echoed a faint, but familiar voice. "Is that you?" "I need to tell you something." "Can't it wait?" Pyrothraxus asked, listening to the voice of his old friend from the Shadow Plane. His body was pinned to the cold ground by the Shadow Dragon. Thernax growled at him, holding his neck in her claws and squeezing it. "Ack! You're choking me!" "I will kill you, vampire!" she hissed. "I'm—not a vampire," he grunted. "You lie," she said. "Well, not anymore!" Pyrothraxus said in his defense. "Can't I just call a timeout?" "There is no timeout, fool!" she growled. "I will rip your heart out, vampire. Devourer of my mate and children, you will die!" "Please, give me a—timeout?" Pyrothraxus asked as she pressed against his windpipe. He choked on her claws. "You're hurting—me." "Jon!" said Sam. "I'm a—little busy, Sam!" Pyrothraxus called. "Maybe you should call back tomorrow." "No," said Sam. "Someone filmed you transforming." "What?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Someone filmed you transforming with what looks to be either a video camera or a camera phone!" Sam shouted. Pyrothraxus struggled against the Shadow Dragon's talons as they slowly began to pierce his scales. "You're secret is out!" said Sam. "The city knows! They know about you, and your son!" "Shadow Dragon," Pyrothraxus pleaded. "Please, just let me up—I need to hear this." The Shadow Dragon looked into his eyes, noticing a flash of anguish. She backed off, allowing him to rise from the rubble of the twisted Shadow Fillmore High School. Pyrothraxus coughed, getting up onto his all fours. "Sam," he called. "Sam." "Jon?" asked Sam. "You alright." "She choked me," said Pyrothraxus. "Wh—what happened?" "We don't know," said Sam. "Hang on. Just a minute." "What?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Sam?" He suddenly felt Sam's presence and connection to the Shadow Plane leave him. Thernax began to advance upon him again. "Wait," said Pyrothraxus. "Just a few more minutes. He's coming back." "Mr. Long," called a new voice. "Dr. Wiseman?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Are you alright down there?" she asked. "I'm a little cold, but I'm alright," he said. Pyrothraxus shifted his weight and then grunted when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. "And a little bruised." The Shadow Dragon chuckled at his pain. "How is it possible that you're cold?" asked a new voice. "You're a shadow!" "Dr. Richards?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Uh, I'm not a shadow, I was dragged here by a Shadow Dragon." "How is this even possible?" he asked. "Why is it that I can only see a shadow and nothing blocking out the sun to create it?" "It's a little hard to explain," said the Red Dragon. "Shadow Plane is transient to our own, so I'm both here and there at the same time. So, I am the one making that shadow." "The ground where your shadow is—it's cold," said Wiseman. "Can you get out of this Shadow Plane?" "No," he said. "The only one who can get me out of here is the Shadow Dragon and right now we're not on speaking terms." "Like I would ever free you from this place," said the Shadow Dragon. "I should keep you here. Let you rot." "No—no, wait a moment," Pyrothraxus called just as Thernax spread her shadowy wings. "As you said no matter how nicely you ask me, you know I will never send you back," she said. "Let this place be your prison, Pyrothraxus. Let the Shadow Plane be your tomb. I never will see my family again, so shall you never see yours again. And you have to live with the pain of that reality. For all eternity." "No, no…" Pyrothraxus pleaded. "Veitrelg, arideevdru Malystryx," she cackled mockingly at him as she rose into the churning, dark clouds above. "No!" Pyrothraxus called. "Xsio wux! Xsio wux ekess uoinota!" "Mr. Long?" asked Dr. Wiseman. "What happened?" "She left me," Pyrothraxus replied. "Thernax—the Shadow Dragon—left me." "Uh, can you get out?" asked Dr. Richards. "No," he replied. "She used Shadow Walk to drag me in here. I don't know that spell. It's not in my spell list." "Spell list?" asked Richards. "You have a spell list?" "Yes!" Pyrothraxus hissed up at the sky. "I have a list of spells that I have memorized over the ages. Shadow Walk was not one of them." "The kids said they were getting someone named Fu Dog," said Wiseman. "He has a spell book. Would you be able to learn it if he gave you the spell?" "No," said Pyrothraxus. "He'll have to come and get me, and then cast Shadow Walk to return us both back to the Prime Material Plane." "Why not?" asked Dr. Richards. "Because I'm an Evoker!" Pyrothraxus bellowed in frustration. "And Shadow Walk is an Illusion spell, I can't learn it! It has to do with spell casting discipline and I'm limited to certain spells!" He raised a trouble claw to his head. "Magic isn't like science, you can't just pick up a book and say: "Hey, I'm gonna learn how to split atoms today despite the fact I'm a biologist!" It doesn't work that way for us. The only thing I can hope is that Fu Dog is a high enough leveled wizard to cast the spell to get me out of here. Otherwise I'm stuck and I'll have to find maybe some obscure portal back." "What about teleporting?" asked Wiseman. "I seem to remember the Colonel saying you can teleport." "It won't work here," he replied. "That's a Conjuration spell. Conjuration spells are warped here. Meaning, if I try to teleport, the image of where I am is being clouded by the shadow of the plane itself. I'll only teleport back here. Because I'm already here to begin with." "Teleport somewhere else," said Richards. "Like the base. Then teleport back. You'll be back in our plane." "No," said Pyrothraxus. "If I teleport to the base, I'll just teleport to the Shadow Plane mirror version of the base. Do you see what I'm getting at?" Pyrothraxus could hear an audible sigh from Richards. "I never thought magic would be so damned complicated," he said. "Do you think I can just say: "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" and just be anywhere I damn well please?" the Red Dragon asked. "That's the stuff of fairy tales you hear about—I'm working with real magic. Real magic has certain limits. That's the way You Know Who designed it." "You Know Who?" asked Richards. "Tetragrammaton," Wiseman replied. "What?" he asked. "God," she replied. "They call God 'You Know Who' apparently. You didn't read that report the Colonel gave?" "We actually have a real name for 'God', but we prefer to call her You Know Who," said Pyrothraxus. "God's a woman?" asked Richards. "God's a five headed dragon," said Wiseman. "Imagine that." "My head hurts," he sighed. "Where's Sam?" asked Pyrothraxus. "He's coming," said Wiseman. "Here he is—and he's got the General with him." "Great!" Pyrothraxus growled. "General, it's not my fault. That video is not my fault." Above in the Prime Material Plane, General Reynard walked around the massive, dark shadow of the Red Dragon. She could not comprehend how the shadow was there and the dragon was not. She heard Pyrothraxus' voice come from the shadow, echoing out like some specter possessing it. Kneeling over, she felt the pavement where the shadow laid and noted its coolness. Then, she leaned up. "Transforming in the middle of a school is not only a breach of security," she began. "But also you endangered civilian lives as well." "That Shadow Dragon was trying to kill my son!" Pyrothraxus called in his defense. "Apparently your son can transform into a dragon as well," said Reynard. "Something you failed to mention, Mr. Long." "That was none of your business to know, General," Pyrothraxus growled at her. "When you signed your contract," she continued, walking around his shadow. "You agreed to disavow all knowledge pertaining to the Magical World. You deliberately lied to me and the President." "I did not agree to discuss the abilities of my own family. I am a civilian, I have a right to privacy when it comes to that." "I wonder about that, Mr. Long," said Reynard. "What sort of civilian you are. For over 40 years you have lied to this country about your origins. You're an Italian immigrant who came here illegally." "Excuse me!" Pyrothraxus called. "But when I came to this country, this country didn't even exist! It was wilderness. The last Europeans who had ever been here were the Vikings. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, I was asleep! And as for being an 'Italian immigrant', I was born before Italy was formed from the ruins of the Roman Empire. I was born before the damned pyramids were built—before Man began its civilization. You have no right to condemn me for coming here 'illegally'. I came here before that legislature was put into action, before your own ancestors came here! The only 'Americans' who have nearly the right to kick me out are the Indians! So, why don't you put your damned foot back into your mouth before you say anything else stupid, General!" Reynard grimaced in fury, curling her hands into tight fists. Sam swallowed and approached her cautiously. "General," he began. "Ma'am, I should inform you that you need to be happy he's down there and you're up here. Because one thing I have learned from those books back at the Isle of Draco—is to never insult a Red Dragon. Lest you want to be barbeque." "Is that a threat, Colonel?" she asked. "No, ma'am," he replied. "That's a suggestion. Mind what you say around him. I've always known Jon to have a bit of a temper. And now with 640 tons on him added with a nasty case of halitosis, it won't be pretty." She huffed and walked away back towards the other soldiers. Sam sighed and looked down upon the shadow. "Jon?" he asked. "I'm here," Pyrothraxus replied. "Is that 'woman' gone?" "She's gone," he said. "She does not like you. I don't know why." "I do," said Pyrothraxus. "She's afraid of me. This is what happens when humans are afraid of something they don't understand. I've seen it before." "I think she understands you," said Sam. "I just don't think she likes you because of— what you are." "She's a bigot." "It doesn't matter what she thinks, man," he said. "The point is the President likes you. Well, he likes what this project is doing. And since you're a big player in the project, he likes you." "Good. How about he comes down here instead of her." "Wish it was that simple," chuckled Sam. "Say, what's it like down there—where you're at?" "The Shadow Plane?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Yeah," said Sam. "Cold, a bit damp," he replied. "And you know the old black and white movies like the Wolfman. They're all grainy and dark—and no color?" "Yeah?" "That's what it looks like down here," said Pyrothraxus. "Black and white and shades of gray," said Sam. "You alright?" "Cold," he said. Sam glanced over to see the several people arguing with soldiers on trying to get by. He smiled, recognizing Fu Dog, Jake, and Lao Shi. There was however an unfamiliar face standing with them—a blond teenage girl wearing a pink shirt and blue jeans. "Just hang on, Jon," he said. "Help is on the way." "Thank goodness," said Pyrothraxus. Sam left the shadow alone and walked over to the familiar faces. Already, General Reynard was arguing with Lao Shi on whether or not he could come through. "I will not permit unauthorized civilians into this area," she said. "We are not exactly your normal civilians, General," said Lao Shi. "I am Jonathan's father-in-law." "And I'm his son," said Jake. "I don't care," she said. "You must leave." "General!" said Sam. "These guys are gonna help Jon get out of where he is. Let them through." "Yeah," said Fu Dog. His voice caught the soldiers off guard. "I've got the spell book right here. It'll get Jon out in a jiffy." "Colonel," began Reynard. "That dog just talked." "Yeah, that's Fu Dog," said Sam. "And unless you know how to read spell books, General," began Fu Dog. "I suggest you step aside!" The soldiers stepped aside to allow Jake, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog in, but barred the girl from getting through. "Hey, let me in," she said. "I'm with them." "They're authorized, not you," said one of the soldiers. "It's okay," said Sam. "Let her through." "Colonel," began Reynard. "What is going on?" Sam looked back at the girl, and then to the General: "She's Jake's girlfriend. Rose, right?" "Yeah," she said. "See?" Sam asked. "Fine," the General huffed again, walking off. "Make it quick so I can berate your pet dragon!" "He better not have heard you call him that," said Fu Dog. "Boy, what's eatin' her Chow Mien?" "You have no idea," said Sam. Rose looked at the Colonel, leaning in: "Don't tell me. You know." "About the Huntsclan?" Sam asked. "Yeah. And what that birthmark on your hand means." "Pyrothraxus made a promise to my uncle not to say anything," said Rose. "If the Huntsmaster finds out that Pyrothraxus told you about us, the truce will be over." "Truce?" Sam asked. "Jon said nothing about a truce. No, I found out about the Huntsclan on my own. And your boyfriend here told me about you. Jon just filled in some missing blanks. Nothing on a truce. And I'm keeping my promise not to tell General Reynard about this either." "So, you're withholding information about our organization from your superiors?" Rose asked. "Isn't that illegal?" "It's a court marshal offense," said Sam. "But that's how much I care about my friend. I haven't even told her about the ring either." "He's lucky to have a friend like you," said Rose. "I never knew a human would be so dedicated to a Chromatic Red Dragon." "That's because I don't see him as a Chromatic Red Dragon," said Sam. "I see him as the geekadoofisdork I grew up with all through grammar school, middle school, and high school. Stick around, little lady, you should hear some of the stories we have to tell." Fu Dog knelt down to the shadowy form of the Red Dragon sprawled out on the pavement. He opened up his spell book and flipped to the page containing Shadow Walk. "Okay, Jon," he said. "Here it is. I'll read it off to you, and you can cast it." "What?" Pyrothraxus asked. "You mean to tell me you can't cast Shadow Walk either?" "What?" asked Sam. "I thought you could." "Are you kiddin'?" Fu Dog asked. "That's too high of a level of spell for me! And I'm a potion wizard, I specialize in potions, not verbal spells." "Fu," began Pyrothraxus. "I can't cast Shadow Walk. One of the disciplines I gave up was Illusion." "Oh-no!" Fu Dog sighed. "What was the other discipline?" "Divination," he replied. "Guess that makes you not a good scryer then, huh?" Fu Dog asked. "Never was one of my talents. However, being a very powerful and very old dragon, I was allowed to have certain schools in my spell list that are outside of my discipline parameters. But still, because Shadow Walk is a Shadow Illusion spell, it conflicts with my Light and Fire spells." "Yeah, don't want that," said Fu Dog. He looked back at the confused scientists. "It's like mixing comet with ammonia. You get something nasty from it." "So, if you can't cast this spell to get him out," began Sam. "And he can't cast it, then who can?" "An Illusionist," said Lao Shi. "A wizard who specializes in those particular spells. Or a Shadow Dancer." "Or another Shadow Dragon," said Fu Dog. "That Shadow Dragon already left," said Sam. "Another options?" "There are portals that may lead back to our world," said Lao Shi. "He has to find one." "That could lead him anywhere on the Grid!" said Fu Dog. "That could lead him to Toril, or Eberron, or Krynn, or even a completely different dimension all together. It could take him months to get back home." "He has to get back home," said Rose. "If what the Huntsclan is picking up is correct, then Malystryx could be stirring from her long nap." "Did you say Malystryx?" asked Sam. "His mother?" "My mom?" asked Pyrothraxus. "She's here?" "Still in Africa," said Rose. "Okay, I have to get out of here right now," said Pyrothraxus. "Where's the nearest exit?" "I don't know," said Fu Dog. "Then, I'll make one," said Pyrothraxus. He pulled the gold wedding band from his talon and held it up. "Jon?" asked Sam. "What are you doing?" "Jon, don't do what I think you're doing," said Lao Shi. "What's he doing?" asked Sam as he watched the shadow appear to take something off his finger. "The ring," said Lao Shi. "He's going to open the portal to Baator." "Baator?" asked Richards. "Where is that?" "Baator," said Wiseman. "An obscure ancient word for Hell." "He's going to go through Hell," began Richards. "Just to make here?" "It's the only gating option I have left," said Pyrothraxus. "I have to open the portal to Baator. I'll go through, then, reopen the portal and end up back on the Prime Plane." "Absolutely not!" shouted Lao Shi. "The last thing we need is for you to end up on Baator and your brother getting word of your arrival. We've got enough problems with Malystryx stirring." "I can handle my brother, Lao Shi," said Pyrothraxus. "With or without your permission, I'm going." He set the ring down on the ground. The portal activated, a dim, but deep and hellish glow appeared before him. "Sam, point the equipment you monitored me with at Africa. You'll find an energy signature at least 12 times greater than my own." "12?" he asked. "You mom's that powerful?" "She's this planet's worst nightmare," said Pyrothraxus. "Pray she never wakes up." The Red Dragon pushed himself though the dim glow of the portal, above his shadow becoming smaller and smaller. Sam stepped back just as Pyrothraxus' shadow disappeared from the pavement signaling his exit from the Shadow Plane. He looked back at Lao Shi and sighed. "I was told by Selendra to keep Jon away from Baator," he said. "That if he went there, they would torture him. Now, he's walking in there like—he's just walking down the street with little thought what could happen." "The prospect that his mother might return," said Fu Dog. "That's what scaring him. Don't worry. Jon knows what to do." "Colonel?" called a voice behind him. Sam got up and swung around, seeing Reynard walk up. "Where's the dragon's shadow?" "Jon's gone," he replied. "Where did he go?" she asked. "He found an exit," said Sam. "So, he took it and now he's gone." "That's good," said Reynard. "Where is he?" "He went to another plane of existence in order to escape the Shadow Plane," replied Lao Shi. "Ah," she walked around the short man. "When will he be back?" "Uh, we don't know," said Fu Dog. "Hopefully soon. Hopefully—very soon." "The sooner the better," said Sam. "Don't worry, my dad knows what he's doing," said Jake. "I hope so," said Reynard. "Because I don't. And I hate unknowns." "Right," said Sam. "Uh, Lao Shi, what's this about Africa that the Dragon Council is concerned about?" "The Dragon Council didn't…" Lao Shi said. Then, he saw Sam wink at him. "Oh, yes, the Dragon Council is very concerned about the movements going on under Kilimanjaro." "Movement in Kilimanjaro?" asked Reynard. "We haven't received word of it." "That's probably because the Tanzania government hasn't released it," said Lao Shi. "However, I have close ties with the Kenyan Dragon—Councilor Andam." His eyes turned to Rose. "He has informed me of a disturbance under Kilimanjaro. It is putting out a large magical signature. And since the Dragon Council is on speaking terms with your facility, I feel it is my duty to inform you of it. Perhaps this could be a learning experience for your newly formed census of the Magical World." "Be a scientific discovery," said Sam. "Yes, but without your pet dragon to help us anylize the data," began Reynard. "We wouldn't be able to make sense of it." "Wouldn't hurt to start collecting now," said Richards. "While he's making his way back to our reality." "Alright," she said. "Call up the construction crew and start rebuilding this area. We'll return to base." "Yes, ma'am," said Sam as he saluted. When she finally moved away from the group, he turned back to Lao Shi. "Nice save." "We magical creatures are used to covering up in the face of the government," said Lao Shi. "Guess it comes natural," he said. "Though with me, I could be severly punished for lying to her. I'm risking a lot here for Jon." "There are some things in the Magical World that we are not certain we can trust you with," said Lao Shi. "Jonathan seems to trust only you with that information but no one else. Perhaps because you have much more wisdom than your superiors on how to deal with it." "Like the ring?" asked Sam. "You know yourself that the ring should remain with Jonathan," said Lao Shi. "If General Reynard finds out about the Doorway to Baator, she will take it from him. Though she cannot possibly use it, however, his separation from it will threaten our world. His power keeps the gate closed. But even that power is waning. You'll be in more danger of something coming through than he would." "Yeah," said Sam. "Doctors Wiseman and Richards. Quincy, York, let's go." "Right," said Wiseman. "I'll keep you inform on the data we've gathered from Africa, Lao Shi," said Sam. "Thank you," said Lao Shi. He turned towards Jake who stared off into space. "Jake?" "My grandmother," said Jake. "My real grandmother—someone I have never met before —is coming back. All those stories dad's told me about her—all those horrible stories." "They're true, kid," said Fu Dog. "Ever last one of them. Malystryx is a force never to be reckoned with. In lame man's terms, she's a bitch." "I remember when I used to question how I was ever related to my father due to his dorkiness," said Jake. "Now, I'm wondering how I managed to be related to him due to his bogus family." "Come, young dragon," said Lao Shi. "We must return to the shop and await your father. And then, I will have a nice long talk with him about this exposure." In Search of Jonathan

Sam leaned in closely to the monitor as he watched the hot spot pulsate under a typographical layout of Kilimanjaro. He folded his fingers together and his eyes narrowed intently. This hotspot was suspected to be Jonathan's real mother. Everyone was so worried about this Malystryx. He had never heard of the name before. Though he heard Jon mention her a few times, but rarely by name. Nor did he ever state what all she had done. However, from the sound of Lao Shi's voice echoing his fear on her eminent awakening, Malystryx seemed to be more trouble than she was worth. Even Pyrothraxus decided not to wait on Lao Shi finding a Shadow Dancer from the Underdark to free him from the Shadow Plane. He just dove right into Hell. "I've found no record of a name of Malystryx anywhere in ancient history or myths," said Dr. Wiseman. "I mean, whatever she has done, it probably happened prior to human recording." "Jon's older than human language itself," said Sam. "His mother must be older than that. Jon told me she was called the African Terror and the Red Marauder." "I've looked up Red Marauder," said Carol. "Nothing comes to mind." "I seem to remember something," said Sam. "Jon said that Sodom and Gomorra occurred because of a wizard named Pathemos. However, what he had done was so great, that the people of Sodom and Gomorra thought it was done by God." "A wizard blew up those cities?" asked Richards. "Well, they weren't big cities by today's standards," said Sam. "But back then, to them, blowing up a famous city must have been a great feat. Jon said that before his kind started disappearing, because there was so many of them, higher level of magic could be tapped. So, Pathemos cast a spell called Meteor and blew up the two cities. But again, they didn't blame it on him, they thought God did it because most people outside of the learned magical creatures, only thought that such powers were reserved to gods." "Of course," said Carol. "Don't look for the person, look for the event that ties to the person." "Any sort of catastrophic event that happened in Africa, no doubt Malystryx was the cause," Sam said. "And you'll find her in history." Carol leaned back and stretched. Then, she looked over at some of her books telling of Egyptian myths. "Would she have been the one to cause the 10 Plagues of Egypt?" she asked. "I wouldn't put it passed her," said Sam. "Jon said she was a sadist." "The 10 Plagues were a punishment," said Richards. "The people of Sodom and Gomorra thought the destruction of their cities were punishments too," said Sam. "Really, it was done by evil people. No doubt that some of the events helped divide mortals and magical creatures up. That's why the Dark Times War happened. Magical creatures can wield powers that mortals think only God should. Jon alone seems to be able to do some pretty remarkable feats. In fact, I have no idea what his full power is. I guess out of worry he might harm innocent people, he's restraining himself." "Fighting in a world we cannot see," said Richards. "And yet the effects of that fighting damages our world…being able to change his shape, his size…turn into chemical combustion at will…teleportation, however plausible that may be just not feasible to us now…the things we've seen him do astound me. Not only that, but he doesn't need to breathe, or eat, or sleep. And despite his great weight, he can survive falls that should shatter his body into mush." He placed his head in his hands. "My brain just exploded." "Not only that, but even with the surface area of his wings," said Sam. "They would snap in two the moment he tries to lift off the ground. And yet, he can fly." "His kind defies physics," said Richards. "No," said Sam. "They just delve into parts of physics we haven't understood yet. There's stuff out there that defy our current understanding of physics. So, we have to find new ways of explaining it. And so far, magic seems to be the best option." "A copout." "Not this time," he said. "Not this time." "Colonel," said Carol. "When is Mr. Long coming back?" "It shouldn't take that long, should it?" said Sam. "I mean he said he's basically making a U-turn in Baator." "If he can't get out of the Shadow Plane," began Richards. "How the hell does he manage to get into this Baator place?" "Uh," Sam began, tugging at his collar. He remembered he promised Jonathan that he would never reveal what his wedding band does, especially to anyone working at Griffis. He did not want to risk the General confiscating it from him. Sam looked back at Richards who gave an expectant look on his face. The balding, middle-aged man wanted an answer. "Well?" said Richards. "How is he gonna get out?" "Magic?" "Magic got him in the Shadow Plane," said Richards. "And I recall him yelling at me for suggestion he casting a spell to get out. He said he couldn't. Even he stated that there was some sort of science that has to do with magic. How is he getting out?" "We need to understand magic," said Carol. "That's what these questions are for." Sam began to think back on his old roll playing books that pretty much were similar to how magic worked in real life. He shrugged and sighed. "Uh, the Shadow Plane has many gates," he said. "Leading to various places. Jon went through one of those gates." "How did he know it lead to Baator?" asked Richards. "Because he probably knew that was the closest gate," said Sam. "Look, I don't understand it myself…" "You're hiding something," said Richards. "I'm not," said Sam. "I'm not! Just—just get back to monitoring Malystryx. I'll go call Lao Shi and see if Jon made it back." "Wouldn't he be coming back here?" asked Carol. "No," said Sam. "He'd probably go to Lao Shi and have a little discussion with him." "Probably to hide more things from us," said Richards. Sam refused to even honor the physicist with a retort. Instead, he walked out of the lab. Richards looked back at Wiseman and crossed his arms. "I'll tell you why this Dark Times War happened," he said. "Because some people don't know how to be truthful." "Maybe they don't quite trust us yet," said Wiseman. "Trust us?" asked Richards. "They seem to trust Colonel Davidson pretty well." "Well," said Wiseman. "That's because the colonel and Mr. Long go way back. Jonathan knows he can trust him with anything." "And that's what I'm afraid of," he said. "I'll report this to the general and she'll decide what is to be done. We'll get that information out of both of them one way or another." 000 Pyrothraxus dodged behind a burnt rock formation, hoping that it was big enough to hide his enormous form. His polymorphing spells were on the fritz again. Transiting to Baator screwed much of his own magical spells up. He peered from behind the rock, watching the platoon of Baatezu passing by in a solid formation. His only hope that they would not see him, nor see what he was about to open up. The last thing he needed was New York to be invaded by the devils from the Nine Hells. He glanced around his location. Avernus was what this level was called. It was the first layer of Baator. All around him was red sand and scorched rocks. Fissures irrupted with noxious fumes and bubbled up glowing lava from below. The choking air did not bother him. He almost wanted to say this place looked like home, since he was a Red Dragon. Volcanic activity was a Red Dragon's wet dream. However, he did not like being here for too long. He wanted to be back home, back with his wife in her arms, and with his children—in their happy little two-storey home in the suburbs. He missed his old beat-up Nissan. The sooner he reactivated the ring and went through the gate, the sooner he was back in New York. Pyrothraxus glanced up at the sky, making sure no one was flying around above, spying on him. Dark clouds churned in the black sky above and lighting flashed. No, this place was not home. He took in a deep breath and pulled the ring from his finger. Holding it up, Pyrothraxus began to whisper silently the incantation to activate the portal. Then, something unseen slammed into his body. The ring was flung from his grasp and skidded across the red sand. Pyrothraxus toppled over. "No!" Pyrothraxus called, leaning his head up and positioning his forelegs under his body, preparing to rise. Suddenly, the invisible body picked up the ring. "Look what we have here," said a familiar feminine voice. "I haven't seen this object in a millennia." Pyrothraxus felt himself lifted up off the ground as a pair of claws held him up. His eyes came to a pair of poisonous green eyes and a crooked, crocodilian smile. "Shäzyx, look who I caught!" the deep voice from the Chromatic Green Dragon chuckled. "It's our dear brother, Pyro!" Suddenly, a Blue Dragon faded in from invisibility, grinning as lightning sparked up around her dramatically frilled ears. "I knew I recognized him from somewhere," said Shäzyx. "Nice work, Venoshous. I'm sure Zestos will be pleased to see his big brother after all these years." Venoshous exhaled a cloud of green, poisonous gas in Pyrothraxus' face, causing the Red Dragon to cough from the horrible smell. "Where's your little white toy Glacialyx, Shäzyx?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Oh, she's not here," said the Blue Dragon. She slinked over to the Red Dragon and poked him with her talon, sending a painful bolt of lightning through his body. Pyrothraxus vibrated and bellowed in agony from her electrocuting touch. When she backed off, he passed out. "That was fun," she chuckled. "Come on, Venom. Let's take our dear brother home." Venoshous nodded with glee and hefted the heavy body of the much larger Red Dragon onto his back. Shäzyx held up the ring and placed it around her finger, grinning with satisfaction as she did. She flicked out her pale, purple, forked tongue and grazed it against the ring. Then, she followed, leaping out to catch up to Venoshous. They came to a fuming opening into a cavern. Lava poured out from open fissures into deep chasms bellow. Shäzyx never really liked Zestos' chosen local, but who was she to argue with a Red Dragon? She preferred deserts herself, however, in their current location, there were none to be found. She glanced down at the unconscious Pyrothraxus. "All thanks to you, traitor," she hissed at him. She turned to the opening of the cavern. "Zestos, yth re tenpiswo!" "Svabol tepoha wux dronilnra ve?" a booming voice sounded from the opening. "Vi regipre," she replied. "Wer neban." "Traitor?" asked the voice. Then, a large, Great Wyrm Red Dragon appeared at the opening. A scar sliced across his left eye and his right horn was broken off. His eyes glowed deep crimson, demonic red. His horns were tipped with black and his red scales showed the gleaming, bright red of unearthly youth. Smoke appeared out of his nostrils as he growled deeply, regarding his subordinates with contempt. Shäzyx knelt down to him, lowering her head in submission. Venoshous giggled and dropped the limp body of Pyrothraxus. "Guess who came to visit!" he cheerfully bellowed. "Pyrothraxus!" Zestos called. "Ithfaedeus may have failed me time and time again, but I knew you would not, my lieutenant." "You should have sent me instead of him," said Shäzyx. "I did not want to risk losing you, my dear," said Zestos. "Let me see him!" The Green Dragon moved away so that his leader could examine the body. Zestos began to feel around Pyrothraxus' foreclaws. "Where is it?" he asked. "Where is the ring?" "I have it," replied Shäzyx. She raised her claw up. "Give it to me!" he bellowed. "Give me the ring." The Blue Dragon took it off and idly handed it to him. "You could have said 'please'," she chuckled. "Please…" Zestos growled at her. "I don't have time for your playful banter." He rose the ring up to examine it. "It won't work," she said. "Not without his permission." She pointed at Pyrothraxus. "Not for us," he said. "But we don't need Pyrothraxus to use it. Our master can make it work." "Oh, yes," said Shäzyx. "Him. Of course. Should we take Pyrothraxus down to him as well?" "No," replied Zestos said as he put on the ring. "There is no need. I have a plan for my dear big brother. Our master knows the path to the Doorway where Time Began—the only stable gateway to the Outside. We'll throw him in there instead." "What if he makes it out?" Shäzyx asked. "You know the law," he began. "Anyone who escapes must be killed on sight—utterly destroyed. Anyone touched by the Outside is a danger. If he goes back to Earth, any magical creature he meets will want him dead. He'll be too busy dealing with them to handle us." "And you know where the Doorway is?" "I do," he said. "But first, chain him and then wake him up, I want to have a word with my—big brother." 000 "Lao Shi's Electronics, Fu speaking," began Fu, answering the phone. "Fu?" called a familiar voice on the other line. "It's Sam." "Hey, what's up, Colonel?" asked Fu. "Has Jon made it back yet?" asked Sam. "No," said Fu. "He's not here yet." "How long does it take someone to basically open a portal to Hell, and then open another portal from Hell to here?" Sam asked. "Just so I'd know. I know it's an odd question." "Well, barring no one sees him," said Fu Dog. "Not that long. Ten minutes maybe?" "He's been gone for a couple of hours," said Sam. "You know, the whole idea of him going to Hell and being gone for a couple of hours, should we be worried?" "Yeah," said Fu Dog. "We should. Hang on." He glanced back at Lao Shi who was stocking shelves. "Hey, Lao Shi, Jon hasn't made back from Baator." "Oh good," said Lao Shi. "Maybe he'll stay there." "Uh," said Fu Dog. "Remember the ring he's got? What if Zestos gets it?" Lao Shi sighed: "What do you expect me to do? Go and look for him? I don't have the power to go into Baator, or the power to survive it. And we offered to go look for a Shadow Dancer, but no, he wanted to hurry it up…" "He had a good reason," said Fu Dog. "Malystryx." "Aiyah," he sighed. "Who is that? Colonel Davidson? Tell him that Jonathan isn't here!" "Sorry, Colonel," said Fu Dog. "What should we do?" asked Sam. "I can't just sit at the base and do nothing while my friend could be in danger." "Pray for a miracle?" asked Fu Dog. "That's all we can do. Hope that Zestos doesn't find him." "And what if he did?" "Then we're both in the dog pound," Fu Dog laughed with uneasiness. "Oh-boy. Why do I have a feeling that Zestos has him?" "Can you check?" Sam asked. "My crystal ball won't look into other planes," said Fu Dog. "But, Lao Shi's got a magical compass tracker on Jonathan. He always had one ever since Jon started dating Susan back in high school." Sam laughed: "Did Jon ever know about it?" "No," said Fu Dog. "And he still doesn't. Susan does though. But the old man never took it off. Now that thing can see into the other planes, well at least tell us where exactly on Baator he is or where he's heading." "It's good enough," said Sam. "You have my cell, call me when you find anything else." "Sure thing," said Fu Dog. "Later." He turned back to Lao Shi. "Hey, get out your compass. We can track Jonathan with it." Lao Shi rumbled to himself and tossed a cardboard box aside. "Fine!" he shouted. Fu Dog and Lao Shi walked deep into the back room. Lao Shi began to dig through the old boxes until he found a glowing, golden globe with sparkling stars inside its translucent surface. There was a single point of light within the surface traveling around a nine- layered plane as it orbited the outer track of the globe. "Well, he's still there," said Fu Dog. "But why isn't he coming out? Is there anyone with him?" "You know it doesn't detect anyone else near by," said Lao Shi. "But he is taking too long to get out." Fu Dog walked over to the other side of Lao Shi: "Well, what's taking him so long?" "Probably been caught by Zestos," said Lao Shi, shrugging without a care. "You say that like you could care less if he did!" "It's not like Zestos could use the ring," said Lao Shi. "He could still kill Jonathan just for the heck of it!" said Fu Dog. "We gotta go save him." "How?" Lao Shi asked. "What do you suggest we do? Jonathan knew the consequences when he went in. Now he's paying for it." "Lao Shi, it's your duty as part of the Dragon Council to protect magical creatures," said Fu Dog. "Well guess what Jonathan is? A magical creature! He's Pyrothraxus for flippin' fleas' sake! Go in there and get him!" "I wish he wasn't Pyrothraxus, for once…" Lao Shi sighed as he tucked the compass into a pocket in his blue robes. "Well, let's go to the Underdark, maybe someone might have a quick teleportation spell to get there. However, it will take Pyrothraxus to get us out, and I hope he is in the condition to do so." "Now, you're talkin', gramps!" said Fu Dog. He turned at the sound of the doorbell ringing as someone came walking into the store. Jake took off his red jacket and sat on the counter. Fu Dog walked up. "Oh, hey, kid." "Mom is going nuts!" Jake called. "Dad hasn't returned home yet and she's just bouncing off the walls, yo. Haley ran off to Sun Park for dragon training, and I was ordered to come here to see if you guys know where Dad is." "He's still in Baator," said Fu Dog. "Why hasn't he gotten out yet?" asked Jake. "We think he may have been captured," said Lao Shi. "So, we are going to the Underdark to find someone who might have a teleportation device to get us there in order to help him." "Who might have captured him?" asked Jake. "Your uncle," said Fu Dog. "Uncle Zestos! Remember, you have an estrange family you barely know about." "Right, Uncle Zestos," said Jake. "I'm going with you." Just as Lao Shi was about to protest, Fu Dog touched his sleeve. "The kid could be of some help, you know," he said. "Two dragons are better than one. And you're not exactly in the top most physical shape to take on Pyrothraxus' baby brother. I mean, he may be Jon's baby brother, but he's no baby—ah-googoo!" "Very well, young dragon," said Lao Shi. "You may accompany us. But I must warn you; Baator is one of the most horrible places anyone could ever find themselves in. It is full of many dangerous obstacles. That is why it is known as the Nine Hells." "That and it's layered like a giant onion," said Fu Dog just as they walked out the door. "A rotten onion. Stinks like one too." "It is a spherical plane that orbits the Great Wheel," said Lao Shi. "The Great Wheel is the name of the track that keeps all the Outer Planes in orbit around the Prime Material Plane." "Earth, right?" asked Jake. "Well, Earth, and Abeir-Toril, Krynn, Oerth, Eberron, Athas, some place called Pharagos —I've heard bad stories about that planet," Fu Dog said as he listed all the planets he could think of. "And well, various other planets that are connected along the Planeshift network. And well all the planets that aren't too as well as nine alternate dimensions, four main elemental chaos planes, the Astral Sea, the Ethereal Plane, the Feywild, and the Shadow Plane." Jake looked up at the sky in shock: "Okay, run that by me again. How big is the universe?" "Big!" Lao Shi replied. "Oh, it's big," said Fu Dog. "You Know Who made it that way. But it was bigger. You see about 250 million years ago, a demigod named Vecna found a way into Sigil, the central fulcrum of the Great Wheel—a place where no deity is allowed to be in—and he started screwing things up. The caretaker known as the Lady of Pain couldn't even stop him. You see, Vecna had this idea that he wanted to tear down You Know Who's Multiverse and destroy it, then rebuild it in his own likeness. Well, when he started messing with Sigil, everything went upside down, including the Multiverse! I mean there were cracks in reality, cracks in time, cracks in all the planes. The Outer Planes were being knocked off their tracks and some of them even began to crumble into dust. I think the Abyss lost a few layers that day." "I don't think anyone noticed," said Lao Shi. "The Abyss has infinite layers." "Well, when everything was just breaking apart at the seams, that made planeshifting even more difficult because well, even planets and planes were going out of alignment with each other. The network was getting all screwy. It was like creating a landslide inside a subway tunnel, people got held up, and people who were caught in the landslide either died or were injured." "Ouch," said Jake. "So, what happened?" "Well, some idiot tried to shift from one plane to another. He ended up in the Astral Plane, but what he created was a rift—a rift to the Outside." "The Far Realm!" called Lao Shi. "The existence outside our own! And he let in a horrible monster, a creature that looks like a gold dragon with three heads. We call him Go'rath, the Hydra! But I do believe in other circles he is known as King Ghidorah and the Gravemind." "The Far Realm was responsible for the destruction of the universe prior to our own," said Fu Dog. "Every magical creature knows this who has studied the planes. Myself included. You Know Who took down the previous High God while she was just a Great Deity. Mostly because he was incompetent and he allowed the destruction to take place. Then, when she became High God, she created the Multiverse as we know it, but with a rule, that nothing from the Far Realm must enter it so that her creation stays safe. And if anything does come through, it is to be handled with extreme prejudice." "Also, if anything from our Multiverse goes into the Far Realm, and then returns, it is considered an Abomination," said Lao Shi. "And must be destroyed or imprisoned for all eternity." "Until the light of the Life Force Crystal goes out," said Fu Dog. "And that's the rule. But someone let the Hydra in because of what Vecna was doing. You Know Who finally came down from the Void and reached out to all sides of the Great Wheel, holding together what remained of her creation. That is why there are only nine dimensions in the Prime Material Plane left. There used to be an infinite number of dimensions, infinite possibilities…now there isn't. All because of Vecna. Well, You Know Who dealt with Vecna and cast him out." "She didn't kill him?" Jake asked. "Nope." "Why?" "Only she knows why," said Fu Dog. "Hey, if you ever see her, ask her!" "Great, what's the chance of that?" Jake sighed. "One in 10 googolplex," said Lao Shi. "You Know Who never interferes with mortal lives. She's forbidden to. But she sees, hears, and knows everything. She is watching us right now." "Sounds like Santa Claus," Jake said. "And the Hydra?" "He's trapped in a dimension," said Fu Dog. "Don't know which one though. But I'd hate to be the guys who have to deal with him!" Meanwhile, in Alpha Dimension Knoxville, Tennessee… Malcho and Manda slithered through the mounds of debris, trying to get a good view of the fight. There, they saw Kiryuu holding his son in his arms. Manda's eyes began to tear when he saw the two having their moment. At that time, he honestly believed that they were truly father and son. In the other mound of debris was King Ghidorah. Malcho was eyeing the still form intently. He saw the center head rise up, the two red eyes blinking. "Uh-oh," he breathed. If it isn't the feather duster and the Atlantean Gecko, began a deep voice that chuckled darkly into their heads. "Uh-oh," Manda breathed as he looked back. "Malcho." "If you have a plan, amigo," Malcho began. "I suggest you use it." "I thought you had the plan," Manda cried. "Caramba, never trust a sea snake," growled the Great Feathered Serpent. He spread his wings and lifted off, flying towards Kiryuu and Godzilla. Malcho slipped by the undetected and landed in a dead forest near where they were, hiding under the trees. He concentrated, gathering what spells he had left, preparing to defend himself and the others if he could. Manda followed him, landing in front of the two. "Marx?" Kiryuu asked. "Family moment over!" Manda cried, pulling out his gun. "Look, Kiryuu, I said I'd help you and I mean it." "Godzilla is wounded," Kiryuu began, looking back as King Ghidorah began to rise. How interesting, the gecko wishes to help save his friends, King Ghidorah chuckled. "I hate being called a gecko," Manda growled, pointing his gun at the golden dragon. He fired the bullet and an explosion impacted King Ghidorah, incasing him in a sphere of electricity. The space dragon lifted his head in agony and bellowed out. He was frozen for a moment, the sphere stunning his body as still as a statue. "Uh…" Kiryuu began. "That is not a law enforcer's regulation pistol." "No," Manda replied. "It's my special altered caster magnum. Atlantean technology—also known as Technomancy. One of the last weapons we managed to effectively use on King Ghidorah. My powers are of no use against him, but this can slow him down. I'll defend Godzilla." "I was hoping that you would," Kiryuu smiled slightly. He warbled softly to the mutant, pointing at Manda. Godzilla nodded and closed his eyes, falling limp. Kiryuu's golden eyes opened wide when he saw his son drop unconscious. "Don't worry," said Manda. "He'll be fine. I got him." He glanced back at King Ghidorah, noticing that the spell his bullet had cast upon the dragon was slowly wearing off. "Go kick his ass and kick it hard. For everyone." Kiryuu rose up and shook his spines. King Ghidorah broke free of his bonds and shook all three of his heads. Though before he could lunge for his opponent, Kiryuu had gone from being on the ground to being on his back. What? King Ghidorah asked just as a syntech blade came down and sliced off the center head. "Kiryuu!" cried Manda. "No! He's a hydra!" "What?" Kiryuu asked just as he dodged the other two heads' attack. Lightning sprayed everywhere as he leapt from the dragon's back to the ground. "A hydra!" Manda cried. "Cut one of his heads off, two more grow in its place." Words to live by, King Ghidorah chuckled as he turned around. Kiryuu's eyes widened as he saw the stump that was the center head began to wiggle. It split in two and two necks grew out from the center stump, forming into two more heads. Now, King Ghidorah was a four-headed dragon. "You can't decapitate him, that won't work!" Manda cried. "Don't you know mythology?" The two new heads reared back and sprayed their lightning at the mecha as he leapt from his spot. "I thought the Hydra was something Hercules fought," Kiryuu cried. "I didn't expect…" "Where do you think the myth came from?" Manda cried. "It was King Ghidorah!" King Ghidorah reared back again and all four heads made another lunge, snapping at Kiryuu. He dodged each attack, except one. One of the heads managed to get a hold of the mecha by the arm—his mechanical one—and bit hard down upon it. Kiryuu reared his head back and bellowed out in agony from the fangs biting into his syntech, crushing what was left of the plates on his arms. Kiryuu tore away from King Ghidorah. He glanced down and noticed how his hand twitched violently. The syntech will heal, but his robotic arm was damaged. He had to get a new one. He held onto it and gasped virtually, though his body was making the gesture he was out of breath. And a four-headed Ghidorah continued to mock him with his laughter… 000 "Oh, yeah, whoever is dealing with him is in for a lotta hurt!" said Fu Dog. "Nothing can kill a creature from the Far Realm unless it's You Know Who or her ex-husband Bahamut, the King of Dragons. They are the only beings who have ever existed prior to the Multiverse's creation." "And that is why we must hope that no one ever tries to open a gate to the Far Realm," said Lao Shi. They stopped at the dark, empty alley dead end. It was the entrance to the Underdark. "Brrr, just thinking about the Far Realm sends a shiver down my spine, yech!" said Fu Dog as they phased through the wall. "I mean that's where the Illithid come from—Mind Flayers. Ten-foot tall humanoids with octopi heads that suck out your brain! Yech. So, what store are we going to shop in?" "No store," said Lao Shi. "I've a better way of finding Jonathan and teleporting us there. I'm going to find Krllact." "Oh-no!" Fu Dog cried. "But he's a Mind Flayer! Creature of the Far Realm, we don't need his help." "His kind have the ability to planeshift from place to place," said Lao Shi. "And if Pyrothraxus is incapacitated, who will get us out of Hell once we go in?" "But do you have to go to one of those brain suckers to do it?" Fu Dog. "I mean, first he reads your mind, then he eats it. And if he doesn't eat it, he'll just wipe it out so you can be come his zombie slave." "Krllact isn't one of those," said Lao Shi. "He's an old friend of mine. Besides, he doesn't eat the minds of people who he—tolerates or likes." "Are you sure?" "If he was, I would have been brain dead a long time ago," said Lao Shi. "Besides, if anything else, Krllact will be able to tell us if Jonathan is in the hands of Zestos or not. And we must be sure before going there. Just be on your best behavior and no Mind Flayer insults." "I get it," said Fu Dog. They came to a dark, twisted, gnarled looking store at the end of the street. Mostly Drow roamed this part of the Underdark. Jake could have sworn he saw a Drider or two scurrying about in the darkness and eerie purple light. Slime dripped from the stalactite above near the old store. Jake began to feel sick to his stomach when he smelled the stench of the air around him. It smelled like death. Just as Lao Shi was about to knock on the door, a voice hissed into his mind. I see you outside, Lao Shi. Come in, and bring your grandson and that bigot dog with you. Though, the words were only for him. Lao Shi glanced back at Jake and Fu Dog. "Well, he knows we're here," he said. "He says we can come in." "I didn't hear anything," said Jake. "He's telepathic," said Lao Shi. "But I only heard him. Come on." The storeroom inside was as bleak as the store outside. A spider crawled up the black column just as a silky, black robed figure descended the far staircase. Just as Fu Dog had described, this being's head looked like an octopus with four tentacles sprouting out around a lamprey mouth. Fu Dog shrank back when one of the tentacles parted to reveal the fanged mouth behind it. It seemed to have given a smile. Of course Jake could not tell what was a smile or a frown on this creature. He had never seen anything like it before. Apparently, much like his own father, Lao Shi knew some things outside the normal dragon training. The Illithid's skin shined an oily purple in the dim light. His white eyes focused on Lao Shi and Jake as he slowly approached them. "It has been a long time, Lao Shi," said Krllact, turning a slender, clawed hand to the elderly man. "I've missed your visits." "I have been busy lately," said Lao Shi. "Mostly with the training of my grandson Jake." He turned to the teenager who was still standing silently aghast at the strange being before him. "Jake, this is Krllact. Say 'hello'." "H—hello…" Jake said and swallowed. Krllact knelt down and held out his hand to Jake. Lao Shi nudged him. "Go on, young dragon," he said. Jake hesitantly took it. "Hello," said Krllact. He gripped Jake's hand tighter, pulling him closer and placing a tentacle on the teen's head. "Son of Pyrothraxus." "You—you know who I am?" Jake asked as the Illithid pulled away. "I know," he said. "I know much about your father even before everyone else realized he still hung around the mortal plane. I knew he was hiding. You cannot mistake a mind so— incredibly complex as his." "I'm sure you probably would love to make a meal out of that mind too…you…" Fu Dog began. Lao Shi swiftly grabbed his chops and held them shut before he could say another insulting word. "There is no need for you to cover his mouth," said Krllact. "I already knew what he was going to call me before he said it. But I do appreciate the gesture." "Fu Dog, if you don't keep both your voice and your thoughts to yourself, I'll toss you out myself!" said Lao Shi. "Fine, I'm leavin'!" said Fu Dog. "Besides, I wonder what Veronica is up to at this hour. That Drider knows how to swing it! When you're done, just give me a holler and I'll call Sam." With that, the enchanted Shar-Pei left the store, leaving Lao Shi and Jake alone with the Mind Flayer. "Well, if you must know why I'm here," said Lao Shi. "I didn't come for a social call." "You are hunting for Pyrothraxus," said Krllact. "He is lost in the Nine Hells and you need me to help you get him back." "If that is at all possible," said Lao Shi. "Or maybe you could just tell us where exactly he is, or even better yet—if he's been captured." Krllact settled himself down on a comfortable, violate, velvet chair and closed his eyes. Lao Shi watched as the Illithid began to concentrate, contacting the interconnecting minds of other Illithids. It was a vast network of minds, each one reaching out to even the furthest of the nine dimensions and deep into the Outer Planes themselves. He could even peer back into his home plane, the Far Realm, where his kind first originated. Krllact's eyes opened again when he received his silent answer. "He has been captured by his enemy and brother Zestos," he replied. "Dad…" Jake said with worry. "What's happened to him, what are they doing to him?" "Tormenting him," said Krllact. "An then—they intend to…" He broke away and turned from the two, his eyes becoming unfocused. "What?" asked Lao Shi. "What do they intend to do?" "I cannot see anything else," Krllact replied. "You best tell your dog to notify your Air Force contact where his best friend is. I'm sure that he could be of more help to Pyrothraxus' situation than I." "What do you mean by that?" Lao Shi asked. "Leave, Lao Shi," said Krllact. "I am afraid that your minds are beginning to smell rather delicious…I'd hate to waste good friendship over food." "What?" asked Jake. "Uh, best we leave now, Jake," said Lao Shi. "I think we've outstayed our welcome. Thank you, Krllact." "Farewell, Lao Shi," he said. "And do come again. I have missed your visits." "I'll try to stop by more often," said Lao Shi as he dragged Jake to the door. "Lao Shi, check your compass," said Krllact just as they were about to go through the door. "You may not like what you see." "Right," said Lao Shi. Just as they got onto the stoop, the door slammed shut. "What just happened?" asked Jake. "Sometimes it's best not to stay in the presence of a Mind Flayer for too long," said Lao Shi. "We start looking more like entrées rather than people." "And that's how you managed to maintain your friendship with him for so long?" "Short visits with him tend to be the best," said Lao Shi. "But he is a kind person once you get to know him. Just it takes a while to know him because of the short visits. Fu Dog! Fu Dog!" "Yo, Fu!" said Jake as they began to walk around the street. "Where are yah? Oh, he said check the compass." Lao Shi brought out the compass and watched as the small glowing dot that represented Pyrothraxus began to move about the Nine Hells. He started to move towards an area at the very rim of Avernus. Lao Shi knew exactly where he was heading. "Aiyah!" he called. "Zestos is taking him to the Doorway Where Time Began! Baator must have just orbited towards it." "Orbited?" asked Jake. "The Outer Planes orbit on their tracks," he said. "They don't stay in one place. They go around the central fulcrum of Sigil. However, there's the Doorway Where Time Began, the rift in the Astral Plane that was caused by that idiot 250 million years ago—the rift that brought the Hydra to our Multiverse! When Tiamat healed the Multiverse, she had to restart time because it cracked. So the Doorway was created. She couldn't quite close off the Far Realm, so; instead she gated it with the Doorway. And Zestos is taking your father to it!" "Why?" Jake asked. "He plans to banish Jonathan to the Far Realm," said Lao Shi. "Dad can just come back, right?" Jake asked. "Right? He can just come back…" "If he does make it back, he will not be the father you knew," said Lao Shi. "He would be an Abomination. And the law states that they must either be utterly destroyed or imprisoned until the time when Tiamat turns the light of the Life Force Crystal—the battery of her Multiverse— off." "Basically, the end of the Multiverse," said Jake. "Yes. And your father is a demigod. They are not easily destroyed. The best thing to do is to imprison him. That was why Carceri was made, it is the prison for Abominations." Jake did not want to hear anymore. He did not want to hear the fact that his father may never be able to return home again. Jake ran from Lao Shi, calling for Fu Dog's name. "Jake, wait!" called Lao Shi. "Fu!" he cried. "Fu! Get Sam on the phone, Fu! Fu!" Fu Dog was leaning up against the wall, talking with the lovely Drider Veronica. She flipped her shoulder-length, white hair about her shoulders as she listened to his entourage of one-liners. Then, she giggled. Veronica turned away when she heard the sound of Jake Long calling for Fu Dog's name. "Uh, Fu," she said. "I think someone is looking for you." "Huh?" he asked. He turned back to see Jake running up to him. "Kid, what happened? Did that brain sucker tried to have you for dessert?" "No," said Jake. "It's Dad, he's in trouble!" "Well, he's in Baator," said Fu Dog. "That's the place to be in trouble." "No," said Jake. "It's worse. Please, I need to talk to you alone." "Okay, kid," said Fu Dog. "Just a second, my eight-legged lovely." Veronica giggled slightly and her purple-black skin flushed darker. She batted her ruby eyes and waved just as Fu Dog and Jake walked away. "What can I say, I love chicks with more than two legs," Fu Dog laughed. "Okay, kid, what's the problem?" "Zestos has Dad," said Jake. "And he's gonna banish him to the Far Realm." "Holy Jesus!" Fu Dog yelped. "Are you sure?" "Yeah," said Jake. "I'm sure. Lao Shi saw it on the compass and I think that's what Krllact was trying to say." "Oh boy, this is bad," said Fu Dog. "The last thing that needs to happen is your dad becoming an Abomination. Oh-man, first your grandmother awakening in Africa, now Zestos has your father and is gonna banish him into the Far Realm, turning him into an Abomination." "Krllact said something," said Jake. "He said that Sam might be of more help than he. I don't know what he meant by that." "Me neither, kid," said Fu Dog. "But I did promise him that I'd call once I got some sort of info. Guess it couldn't hurt. Hang on." He pulled out a cell phone from under his heavy wrinkles and Jake grimaced, hoping not to know what else the dog was hiding under there. Fu Dog began to dial up Sam Davidson's phone and waited for him to answer. "Hello?" asked Sam. "Sam, it's Fu," said Fu Dog. "Well, I got some good news and some bad news." "Good news first, Fu Dog, what's up?" "Well, we know what's keeping Jon," said Fu Dog. "And that's the good news." "Okay," began Sam. "What's keeping Jon?" "Here's the bad news," said Fu Dog. "His brother, Zestos. Not only that, but Zestos intends on tossing his older brother into the Far Realm once Baator orbits closely to the Doorway Where Time Began. And if Pyrothraxus gets out of the Far Realm, he's an Abomination, and every magical creature in the Multiverse has to hunt him down and either kill him, or imprison him for all of eternity." "Okay, yeah, I'd say that's bad," said Sam. "I'd say that's very bad. I mean he's already a criminal to most of his own people—now he'll be a criminal to everyone? That kinda makes it hard for us to work with the magical world when our liaison becomes a criminal. And—that's the last thing I'd want for my friend." "Oh, I haven't told you the worst part of it," said Fu Dog. "But for now, I should save it. I'll explain that later on." "Jon told me what the Far Realm is and does," said Sam. "It's pretty much an infinite probability plane where anything and everything happens. And because of that, it can drive anyone from this universe mad—or not, but still…basically bat-shit crazy." "You got it," said Fu Dog. "I don't know why but the guy who we met said you could be of more help than—us to Jonathan." "I don't know why either," said Sam. "I'm sunk just as much as you…" He paused and pulled away from the phone. "Hang on." Fu Dog sighed and waited until Sam came back. "Look, I need to get back to work," he said. "But—I'm sure something will happen. Thanks for keeping me posted though." "Right," said Fu Dog. "Later, Colonel." He sighed and shook his head. "What the heck was I thinking?" he asked. "How could Colonel Davidson help? He doesn't know anything about our world." "He knew that to take away Pandarus' powers, his wands had to be broken," said Jake. "Lucky guess," said Fu Dog. "Come on, kid, let's go find your grandpa. Maybe we can find another way to stopping your uncle from tossing your dad Outside." 000 "Wake up, Pyrothraxus," chuckled Zestos. He shook his older brother on the shoulders. "Wake up." Pyrothraxus snorted as his head bobbed up and down. His body was in agony from the constant beating he received while in his brother's care. His glowing blood dripped out from open wounds striping his sides and back. His wings were more tattered than before. Though he was already beginning to heal, it still did not take away the pain he was feeling. His limbs were stretched out, bound and chained on a rack. They used this rack to carry him here and they stood upon a stone walkway over looking a cliff. Before him, beyond the cliff was a pool where wind whirled around a central point. "You know," began Zestos. "I will miss our family reunions, brother." "Where are we?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Where Time Began," he replied. "The restart of all we know." "Zestos," said Pyrothraxus. "You have the ring. Just let me go. You don't know what you're doing. Don't throw me in there!" "Whatever emerges from that torrent whirlwind—though he may look like my brother— he will be far less my brother than the traitor I see before me," said Zestos. "But maybe as an Abomination, you'll be easier to control." "Zestos, please, our mother is awakening," said Pyrothraxus. "Even you know she's dangerous." "Well then," began Zestos. "I'll just have to handle her when I return to Earth. I'm sure my master will deal with her with ease. She is nothing compared to the Lord of the Nine." "Your master is a fool," Pyrothraxus growled. "What you try to achieve is nothing more than some idiot's dream." "Funny that's coming from the dragon who's bound and chained, and soon to be hanging over the rift leading Outside," said Zestos. "Foolish you don't want to kill me," said Pyrothraxus. "Ah," he said. "But I don't kill family, I much rather see it suffer instead. Which is what I will do to my niece and nephew when I return home. I'd love to see my lovely sister-in-law and what all I could do to her." "You touch her and I will absorb your damned life force!" Pyrothraxus cried as he struggled against his restraints. "And that's another reason to get rid of you," said Zestos. "Even in death, you are a danger to me. You know the second law of the Multiverse, just because it's dead, doesn't mean it isn't dangerous. And even then, I cannot allow you to follow me. No, it's best you be lost to a fate worse than death than to release you from your misery." "Such a loving brother you are," Pyrothraxus growled just as he was cut down from the rack. Zestos lifted his claw up, showing his brother the gold wedding ring on his finger. "Oh, and thank you for your lovely gift," he chuckled deeply. Pyrothraxus could not muster up enough strength to even attempt to strike his brother. He gripped the ground and gasped, his eyes closed tightly while tears streamed down his cheeks. "You have become weak, dear brother," said Zestos. "Perhaps I should end your misery. But no, this is more fitting of a traitor." With that, the Red Dragon slammed his fist into the rock. Pyrothraxus felt the upheaval of the ground beneath him as a hand rose around him, entrapping him. The hand was made of solid stone. Zestos motioned and the hand closed around his brother. Pyrothraxus screamed just as he felt the pressure of the fingers squeezing tightly around his body. The massive stone arm continued to rise up until it was over the whirlpool. Pyrothraxus felt the hand pull back and then toss him into the whirling wind below. He let loose a bellow just as he disappeared into the pool. Zestos cackled loudly, hearing the final sounds of his brother's call in the well before completely disappearing. He turned back to his companions. "Venom," he began, looking at the Green Dragon. "Find Glacialyx. She is in Cania. Tell her to make ready. We shall prepare our allies, we have a world to rule." "The humans have changed the world since we last left it," warned Shäzyx. "Their technology can even mirror some of the most powerful and destructive spells." "Would they be so diligent to use them against us?" asked Zestos. "They have used one device against each other," said Shäzyx. "A powerful weapon that can produce the heat of the sun itself. They've only used it twice. But they fear if they use it again, then their enemies will do the same. It will only lead to their destruction." "I can produce and explosion to mirror their weapon," said Zestos. "Their world is so much in turmoil right now, that any sort of explosion similar to that weapon might set off a devastating chain reaction. We may not have to waste troops after all. Let the humans kill themselves off for us, then we handle the Magical World. And our world will be ripe for our master to conquer it. So long as I get my share, of course." "What of Ithfaedeus?" asked Venoshous. "Give me all of your power," said Zestos. "It is time to relay a message to our prestige Dark Dragon." 000 Chang approached her master, nervous. The Black Dragon slept in his abandoned subway lair, his mind pondering what plans he could use to finally defeat Pyrothraxus and take the ring. Chang touched Ithfaedeus' forepaw, pushing it to try and wake him up. "Master," she began. "Master Dark Dragon. Ithfaedeus." Ithfaedeus rumbled and shifted, turning his body. "Master!" Chang shouted. "What?" Ithfaedeus bellowed, his head swiftly lifted up. In irritation, Ithfaedeus spat a line of green-black, bubbling acid towards her. Chang leapt out of the way as the acid splashed into a hissing puddle on the floor. Acid continued to drool down the Black Dragon's chin as he growled at his servant. "What is it, Chang?" "Message for you, sir…" Chang gasped, staring in horror at the hissing puddle of acid that nearly hit her. "It's Zestos." Ithfaedeus rose up quickly and began to groom himself, trying to make himself presentable for his master. He gave his neck frill a shake and scraped the grime off of his forepaws with his forward sweeping horns. Then, he leaned on his haunches and dusted himself off. Chang set a glowing, hellish globe in front of the Black Dragon. Ithfaedeus glanced down at it and saw the fiery red image of Zestos appear inside. "Ah, my old friend," said Zestos. "Nice to see you again." "It is always a pleasure to see my master," said Ithfaedeus. "What can I do for you?" "I would like to show you something," said Zestos. He rose his claw up to allow Ithfaedeus to see a golden wedding band around his finger. "Do you see what this is?" Ithfaedeus stared in disbelief. He shook his head, preferring not to reply. "It is the ring!" Zestos said. "Pyrothraxus' ring. And I have it!" "You have it…" Ithfaedeus said. "How? Where is Pyrothraxus?" "Lost," he replied. "To the Far Realm. Even if he returns, he'll be hunted down and either slain or imprisoned. So, it really doesn't matter." "How did he…how did you?" asked the Black Dragon. "What…?" "Apparently, I've been a good boy this year," said Zestos with a chuckle. "And that's all you need to know. Now, what were you doing this evening? Sleeping on your ass?" "I—I was planning to attack Pyrothraxus…" Ithfaedeus replied. "Honest." "Right," Zestos said. "Well, looks like I beat you too it, and I'm still trapped here! Well, not for long." "Let me be the first to welcome you back from your prison, then, brother," said Ithfaedeus. "I will be at the place where you will emerge and I will join you in your fight." "No," the Red Dragon said. "You're fired, Ithfaedeus." "W—what?" Ithfaedeus asked. "F—fired?" "You're usefulness has come to an end," said Zestos. "And I'm letting you go." "B—but, I've always served you with diligence," said the Black Dragon. "Unwavering loyalty!" "And don't think I do not appreciate that," said Zestos. "But I think it is best I seek skills more worthy for the future elsewhere. We had a good run together, Ithfaedeus, but it is time to let you go. Farewell." The image of Zestos faded from the globe. Ithfaedeus lowered his head to the floor and huffed. He had been canned. "What are we to do, master?" asked Chang. "Now we no longer serve Zestos…he has no further need for us." "Pyrothraxus is in the Far Realm," said Ithfaedeus. "Along with the Stone of Aster." "You had plans on taking it," said Chang. "I can't take it," said the Black Dragon. "He swallowed it. It's now flowing through his bloodstream. But…just because it is inside of him, does not mean he can control it fully. We wait. Pyrothraxus is tenacious. Not even the Far Realm can hold him for long. Especially not with friends like Galen Garath around." "Galen can survive the Far Realm?" Chang asked. "Do you not know who Galen is?" the Black Dragon asked. "He's King Bahamut in disguise! After all these years, the consort of the High God has been doing more than just breaking a few rules, he's flat out disobeyed her! He has interfered with the lives and choices of mortal beings—Pyrothraxus mostly. And for what? To prove we Chromatic Dragons can become like we were before the schism? Even for a Watcher, he is a fool." "His power is second only to You Know Who," said Chang. "If he ever wanted to, he could overthrow her." "He doesn't want to," said Ithfaedeus. "It isn't his style. No, Bahamut would never let his precious 'best friend forever' suffer the horrible fate of the Far Realm. He'll get Pyrothraxus out, or find another who can equally survive the Far Realm to get him out." "What about the Law?" "Laws can be bent," said Ithfaedeus. "Never broken. That's what You Know Who always told her creations." "Bahamut will bend the law to allow Pyrothraxus to return," said Chang. "Rather convenient, I'd say." "When he does," began Ithfaedeus. "I will be waiting for him when he returns. The Stone will be mine, even if I have to bleed it out of Pyrothraxus' body. And then even Zestos—and his master will bow before me." Lost Sam walked outside and lit a cigarette. His hands shook with stress as he stared blankly across the tarmac. The sun was slowly creeping its way down below the rim of the world and the sky was set on fire in the west. Clouds of spun gold lit the world around him and saturated all the colors. However, all of these wonderful images did not help his stress. He could not help but to think about his dear friend, Jonathan. Jonathan was lost. He was called upon to find a way to assist Jonathan in getting back home, but Sam was left with not a thought in his head on how to do it. He wanted to know what he could do to help. Saving Jonathan from his insanity was not something that Sam was taught in all his years in college. He was left with nothing more than the emptiness that he could not do anything for his dear childhood friend. That was when Sam closed his eyes and whispered for help. He did not know what else to do, but whisper his troubles to the open air as if it could provide him with all the answers. He sighed when he realized how foolish it seemed that the wind would not answer back. Taking one last long, frustrating drag upon his cigarette, he bid farewell to the sun and turned around to go back inside. "You know, there are other ways of calling me besides just hopefully whispering to the wind," said a voice from behind him. Sam turned around only to find the last light of the sun glowing brightly. The glow seemed to take on a shape of its own, casting its orange-gold rays about the black pavement. "I figured I'd be poetic about it," said Sam as an enormous golden foot came down in front of him. He traced the foot upward until he stopped at the gigantic draconic head looming a hundred feet above him. "Hi, Galen." "Hey," said the Gold Dragon. Sam laughed, realizing how informal the dragon was. He greeted the human in the manner than any Average Joe would. "You know," Sam began. "I know who you are." "I figured that major detail couldn't slip by an incredibly smart person like yourself," said Galen. "It was obvious when I saw that statue," said Sam. "Why didn't you tell Jonathan that you are Bahamut?" "Jon always had a problem with the higher powers," said Galen as he settled down on the tarmac. He lifted his head up just as a plane flew by. "He never really liked his predicament and mostly it's because of what I did. All of this you see around you, including yourself, was my selfish ambition to out do my ex-wife." Sam scoffed: "You have got to be kidding me. So that's the answer to our existence on this planet it? You wanting to show up your ex? Wow. And here I was about to think the answer was 42." "That's the universal question," said Galen. "I know it's sad. I wanted to show her I could attempt one little thing that she has done to prove I wasn't a screw up." "Screw up?" asked Sam. "Can you believe it?" Galen asked. "A screw up. Bahamut, the Great Platinum Dragon, Lord of the North Wind, King of all Dragons, and second only to the High God is a screw up." His head lowered. "I know I was shocked too." "Funny, you don't refer to Bahamut as being yourself," said Sam. "Because when I'm Galen I'm not a screw up," he said. "I don't suck. Jon befriended me because of a lie, because I was afraid that he would walk out if he knew that he was really working for the person he despises the most. All Chromatic Dragons who come from Earth have a deep rooted hatred for me as King Bahamut. And that reason is because of my wanting so much to recreate what Tiamat did. She's really amazing. She's evil, but she's amazing. Of course her position right now prevents her from acting evil. Keeping the balance of existence is more important than corrupting a few mortals here and there." "I suppose so," said Sam. "So, all the Chromatic Dragons hate you because you created them." "No, everything you see here, I created," said Galen. "And it's not supposed to be here. And the rest of the Multiverse knows that so, they treat everyone from this particular version of Earth like they the scum between their toes. And despite the great power I gave the Gray Dragons, making them so gigantic, and so magically gifted that the others would have no choice but to except their existence. No, it just showed how big my head really was. When they became divided and their species changed to what they are now, the Chromatic Dragons, seeing their alienation from the rest of the Multiverse prevented them from attempting to become more than they are. Chromatic Dragons always never had any sort of satisfaction with the status quo. They wanted more. But my arrogance prevented that from happening. So, they hate me for it." "Even when they change and become good, they still hate you," said Sam. "That's right," said Galen. "Jon doesn't hate Galen, he hates Bahamut. And if he finds out that I really am Bahamut, he'll think that becoming good was me trying to control him–that it wasn't his choice. And it would shatter everything he believes in. He'd think that I was trying to control his destiny to fix my own." "Did you make him good?" Sam asked. "Was it really him?" "It was him," said Galen. "Even I couldn't predict that a Chromatic Dragon especially someone like Pyrothraxus, could turn a new leaf. He made the decision. Then, I began to truly realize that my ex-wife was right all along–again! Good and evil are just words, Sam, what matters is what you do. Jonathan chose a new path because he realized that the old was not fulfilling. He discovered that genuinely good people would sacrifice anything for the ones they care about the most. And he wanted to be a part of that. Jonathan is good just for the sake of good, not because he feels he's honor-bound to it or because it's morally right. He does good because he believes its right, not because someone tells him it's right. And I want him to continue with that belief. But if he finds out that I am Bahamut, then he will think that all the good he has done was really me behind the scenes pulling his strings. And all the work he's done, he'll feel was not his doing, but mine. He doesn't like the Powers that Be all because he doesn't want to have some god be the one to direct his actions." The Gold Dragon looked away. "Besides, I want to be his friend, not his god. That's another reason why I don't want to tell him." "Then why is it that I was able to figure it out and he wasn't?" Sam asked. "I mean, I barely even know you and yet I was able to figure out who you were." "I presented myself in that manner," said Galen. "I don't want Jon finding out, so he doesn't. That's how my godly powers of suggestion work." "You wanted me to find out?" "I think that for you to do your job correctly, you need to know who it really was that began a new cycle of creation on this planet," said Galen. "That's why. I didn't create this planet, nor did I create the life that was here before I destroyed it, however, all life that came afterwards was of my own doing. Do I lay claim to it? No more than an artist lays claim to a painting that is put up for all to enjoy. I am the one who created it and my signature is everywhere, including in the vary atoms that make you up, but I do not guide your destiny nor prevent you from enjoying the life that has been given to you. You are in control of that, Sam, not me. Jon is the master of his own life as well. I just want to be your and his friend." "Well, since you want to be my friend," said Sam. "Can you do me a favor?" "What are friends for?" Galen asked. "What do you need?" "Can you save Jon?" Sam asked. "I can," said Galen. "Because I am a being that was born before the creation of this Multiverse, I can enter the Far Realm with no harm come to me." "Is there a catch? Should I ask will you do it?" "I will, Sam," said Galen. "I'm not heartless or cruel. I don't want to see Jon swim around in that mess of Strange Matter either." "Did you just say Strange Matter?" asked Sam. "Oh, dear God–I mean you...no wonder Lao Shi told me anything that goes in there can't come out unless it's destroyed. Strange Matter will rewrite the matter that makes up Jonathan and if he comes in here, any matter he touches will also be turned into Strange Matter. The whole planet will become Strange Matter." "Don't worry about it, Sam," said Galen. "I assure you, he hasn't changed. When he reemerges from the Far Realm, he'll still be Jonathan." "What about that law?" "Before he can return to Earth, I'll have to do some begging of my own," said Galen. "You're gonna ask your ex-wife if he can come home," said Sam with a chuckle. "She can be a bit difficult to work with." "She's your ex!" "Well, Jonathan has been swimming around in that soup for a while," said Galen. "I better fish him out. The horrible things he's seen in that place, he'll have nightmares about it for a while." "Good luck," said Sam, watching Galen rise to his feet. "Just worry about what you'll have to say to the press when you have to explain to them about this little project you and Jonathan are working up." "Totally forgot about that," said Sam. "What about Africa?" "When you come to that hill, tell me," he said. Galen spread his wings and reared back onto his haunches. Suddenly, two more pairs of wings sprouted from his back as his scales faded from gold to brilliant platinum. His body appeared to have a blue-white aura around it and a brilliant ray of a halo shined behind his head. Sam had to admit, he was impressed. There was no doubt about it now, he was looking at a god. With one swift downbeat of his wings, Bahamut took off. Sam had to brace himself to the ground in order not to be swept back by the sudden gush of wind coming from the dragon's mighty strokes. Sam could have sworn he heard the sound of a sonic boom coming from the air as the massive Platinum Dragon arched his way into the sky. "Damn, he can break the sound barrier," Sam said. He watched as the dragon winked out of sight. 0 Boiling, churning, dark clouds spun around him. There was neither up or down, just nothing but chaos. He opened his eyes and saw matter itself without form or substance, threatening to consume him. Yet, it still kept its distance. Strange matter. This was the ooze, the soup, the essence of insanity. His fate was left to no one. There was no hope of rescue or even a sliver of a chance of escape. He was trapped. His brother knew what he was doing when he tossed him beyond the rim of consciousness. There was no going back now. Though a part of him wished for death, the other part wished for freedom from this madness. The air was syrupy-thick. He felt like he was going to choke on it. Every movement he made resisted against the force of the empty space. Here, he was the alien. Here, he was the freak. Though, he had always been the freak. Returning home was out of the question. Everyone knew the law. And even if they did not know the law, they could easily sense that there was something wrong with him and would want to destroy him. He was forced to either return, be destroyed, or be imprisoned. He was trapped here. All seemed lost, as lost as he was. Lipid pools of blue orbs floated above him. Though they seemed harmless at first, he knew their terrible secret. He would not touch them lest nightmares burst from inside. He would not touch them. Milky-white slime fell like a waterfall from a layer above. He would not go near it. It could be acidic, it could set him on fire. That was the danger of this chaos-filled realm. Anything, everything, and at the same time nothing will happen simultaneously. It made no sort of logical sense, but then again, it was never meant to. Everything was hazardous to the touch, to the eyes, to the ears, and to the smell and taste. He glanced about himself, shocked to find that he still looked normal. He did not grow eyes on his hands, nor tentacles sprouting from his armpits. Where were the effects that were supposed to happened that represented the fall of sanity? Not even in the maddening darkness wanted him. He was truly alienated. Jonathan could barely move. The gray, strange matter that he swam in was becoming thicker. It felt like he just dove into jello. A little bit of a kick and he was able to wiggle slightly free. He was growing exhausted. Everything was becoming worse as he tried to move. Why did he want to move? There was no hope. He was not getting out of his situation. No rescue. No hope. Nothing. Silence. He hated being there. He hated his brother. He just wanted to go home. In his own sadness, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift. That was all he could do. He had given up. It seemed the universe was going to give up on him as well. As he closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate, he felt the coldness of nothingness enclose around him. It was like resigning himself to death, however, no death came. He hoped death would come, at least he would feel it's cold release from this horrible nightmare he swam in. The Far Realm was a terrible place to be trapped in, even Jonathan knew that. It invoked every feeling of despair and visions of ill-repute. The creatures were the things even the monsters of the Abyss had nightmares of. This place was every bit as terrifying and as jarring as formless strangeness should be. It had no character, no face, no voice. Now, lost in the vastness of the void that existed outside the realm of logic and of reason, Jonathan continued to float aimlessly. As he had succumbed to the madness, allowing it to flow into him, and seep out like writhing maggots from his fingers, he heard the sounds of confusion around him. Noises of flies over rotting flesh, the sound of fluids squishing on hard surfaces disturbed and reminded him of his imprisonment. He thought he felt a skeletal hand reach out and touch him and he shivered from the icy touch of it. He opened his eyes as he felt his center of gravity shift towards wherever the bottom was. Gravity became unpredictable. He suddenly felt his arm being pulled away from him. His arm began to stretch taunt, extending much farther than it naturally could stretch. He began to feel like his arm was a rubber band about to snap under the strain. He suddenly felt his other arm being pulled in the opposite direction. Then, both of his legs were being drawn tightly away from his torso. Then, the unseen force let his limbs go and he was sent flying through the ethers. His body was caught by another force and it wrapped him up. He felt his whole body contract into a small point and then implode in upon himself. The darkness followed him. He felt something touch his mind, something foul. Jonathan cringed at the touch and tried to withdraw back. The thing's power was greater than his own. A piece of me, a piece of you. But we are all connected. You come to me, battered and broken, but is your mind ready to be dissected? Those rhymes, the canto of discord that he hears. He knew that voice all to well. We are together, and now we will share this grave forever. Jonathan did not dare open his eyes. He did not want to see the face that mocked him with its rhymes. Open your eyes, Jonathan. Relive what once was. But the lies you have told them, they will certainly make a fuss. You have weaved your tangled webbed, and now like a little fly, you are caught. There is no escape from the sins you have wrought. Jonathan gasped as he startled himself awake. He leaned up from the bed, gasping for air. Blinking his eyes, he began to take in the dim light of his room. He looked around at his surroundings. He knew this room, but he had not seen it in a long time. It was not his room at his house. His wife was not lying beside him, resting comfortably. The bed was not even big enough to fit both of them. He was sleeping on a twin bed. An afghan spread across his bed in colors of drab olive, brown, beige, and pale yellow horizontal stripes. He looked up to find his walls painted in off-white. One of the walls was lined with cedar wood paneling finish. This was his old room from when he was pretending to be a child under the care of the Longs. A wooden desk sat at the far corner covered in grammar school books. Toys of super heroes from the Silver Age of comics were placed neatly on a shelf. There was a closet filled of clothes worn by a preteen in the 1970s. He had posters of a disco band that he liked hanging on his wall. He remembered that he bought all those things to help keep up the facade of being a young boy to his adoptive parents. However, he did start liking some comic book characters like Superman and even enjoyed reading the comic books that such characters starred in. Jonathan looked down upon himself, noticing that he was dressed in a navy blue pajama suit that was lined with white. A broad collar ringed his neck. He leaned over and grabbed his glasses from his wood nightstand. Jonathan held them up and examined them. They were a pair of Browline glasses, the pair he used to wear back in his disguised childhood. Jonathan placed them on his nose. He looked down at his hands, noticing how young and small they were. Jonathan shakily rose from his bed and went to the wood-framed mirror in his room. The image staring back at him was not a dragon-disguised as a 40-year old human man, but a dragon- disguised as a 10-year old human boy. He even still had his freckles. He recalled he got rid of those features when he aged his body more. "Jonathan!" called a voice through the door. Jonathan leapt back in shock. His body shook from head to toe when he heard that voice. "Jonathan, breakfast is ready!" "Mom?" Jonathan asked. His mother–his adoptive mother Willine Long was calling for him. She sound just like she used to back nearly 30 years ago. Jonathan swallowed and made for his door, opening it up and walking down the hall. He turned and walked down the wooden stairs into the living room. The Longs had a very nice house. They were comfortably well off, but not rich. Howard Long had a comfortable job working as a supervising underwriter at a firm. It was almost your typical suburban family, with the husband going off to work and the wife staying home and cooking food and cleaning the house. However, they were well enough off to have a maid come in and assist in maintaining the house. The only difference was that Jonathan was adopted. He turned a corner and entered the kitchen where the family was eating. There, Jonathan saw Willine, Howard, and even his 'elder' adoptive sister Patchouli. She was named after a flowering mint that grew in Asia. "Have a seat, Jonathan," said Willine. "I made you your favorite omelet." "Thank you," said Jonathan. Something was amiss. His adoptive parents were unusually quiet and Pat had a funny-looking smile on her face. Jonathan sat down at the table and looked at his omelet. Willine always cooked it with some spices and a few bits of bacon here and there. It satisfied Jonathan's draconic desire for eating meat. He never really had a taste for eggs particularly, but he found omelets to be satisfactory. Though, this omelet had something different in it. It looked like it was sprinkled with some green herb. "I added something special," said Willine. "Well, dig in, sport," said Howard. "Come on," said Patchouli. They were all waiting for him to eat? Jonathan's red eyes passed between the three, studying them suspiciously. Was this a dream or was the life he had, his son, his daughter, his wife, all a dream and this was reality? He felt a force making him go along with this family scene without question. Jonathan, without any conviction, took a bite of the omelet. "I hope you enjoy the added ingredient, son," said Willine. Jonathan felt his throat tighten after he swallowed the bite. His throat was on fire. "I figured you should get a daily dose of fresh herbs in your diet," she continued with that fanged smile. Jonathan gripped his throat and began to hyperventilate. He tore his glasses from his eyes. They were bulging out of their sockets. "What's the matter?" Willine asked. "Don't you like Dragon Bane, Jonathan?" Jonathan fell to the floor as the Long family began to rise from their seats. He vomited the food from his mouth, coughing and wheezing. "Oh, that's not very nice, sport," said Howard. "And here your mother worked so very hard on that just to have you throw it all up on the floor." "Bad baby brother!" said Patchouli. "Very bad," said Willine. "Especially the lies you told us." Jonathan looked up: "What do you mean?" "You didn't think we would find out, freak?" Howard asked. "How disgusting that we could adopt a fully grown monstrosity like yourself–who pretended to be a child!" "What?" "A dragon," said Willine. "My son who I rescued from that orphanage is really a dragon– a dragon who happens to be a damned senior citizen! You're old enough to take care of yourself." "We don't like to be lied to, Jonathan," said Patchouli. Jonathan felt the transformation start. He gripped his stomach as his PJ's began to rip. His size increased. Hands twisted into claws, his face began to elongate into a terrible draconic snout. Wings sprouted from his back. "Look at the lying freak!" Willine called. "Does your tummy hurt, Jonathan?" As Jonathan finally exploded painfully out into his full draconic form, Willine brought something out from behind her back. It was a Dragonlance. "Maybe this would make you feel better," she said. Pyrothraxus laid on the floor, curled up in a fetal position, his body writhed with agony. He watched with wide eyes as his loving adoptive mother pierced his heart with the lance. "No!" he bellowed out as he felt the lance go all the way through. He shut his eyes, hoping that this was just another nightmare. He begged to wake up from whatever this was. "Jonathan!" called another familiar voice. Pyrothraxus opened his eyes up and found himself no longer inside the distorted vision of the kitchen of his adoptive parents' home. Instead he was lying flat on his back. "You awake?" asked the voice. Pyrothraxus turned to find Sam Davidson standing beside him. "Yeah," he said. "Sam. I'm fine. It's good to see you. Nightmare, I guess." "Must have been a bad one," said Sam. "Oh well." Pyrothraxus made an attempt to move, but found his limbs were bound to the floor. His wings were stretched out completely and painful clasps held them down to the concrete. His neck was bound as well as his tail. "What?" Pyrothraxus asked. "What's going on? Sam?" "Sorry, Jon," shrugged Sam. "But I gotta do this. Just think, you'll finally be making a nice contribution to science." He turned around and faced General Ginny Reynard. "I am ready to proceed." "You may, Colonel," she said. "It was nice knowing you, Mr. Long." "Sam, what are you doing?" Pyrothraxus cried just as he saw to massive blades coming down being driven by robotic arms. "What the hell is going on?" "Vivisection," said Sam. "I want to know what makes you tick, while you're alive of course. This is for the lies you told me all these years, Jon. I'm gonna make you suffer like I have suffered–like all humanity has suffered from the likes of you." Pyrothraxus swallowed as he saw a gouger come down near his face. "We'll need to remove one of his eyes so we can figure out how they work," said Sam to a technician. "Begin the extraction." "No!" Pyrothraxus cried. "With one of the eyes removed, we can have an easy access to the frontal lobe of his brain," he said. The gouger dug deep and painfully into Pyrothraxus' eye socket. The Red Dragon's eye popped out, dangling loose by the long optic nerve. A surgeon came to cut it free. The dragon bellowed as he felt his eyeball being cut free. The now severed nerve hung from a closed lid. Pyrothraxus could smell the anamantine metal that made up the blades above. Like a Dragonlance, these blades were perfect in piercing his hard scales. "Lower the blades," said Sam. "Let's cut him open." "Sam, please..." Pyrothraxus said, his voice breaking up into sobs. "Please, no. Please." The blades pierced through his chest, causing him to scream with pain. His glowing, lava-like blood spilled over his chest. The blades continued deeper. A saw folded out from the mechanical arm and began to cut away at the dragon's sternum while the blades sliced a line down to his stomach and spilling out his intestines. He could not understand how he could be still alive with the horrible pain going through his body. His cries of agony came quiet whispers as the machine harvested his organs. Once more, Pyrothraxus closed his eyes while the invasive scientists began to poke and prod his body for their much needed scientific data. The painful invasion of his body was suddenly interrupted by a jolt from whatever the 'outside' was in relation to him. His world shook all around him and a muffled voice called out from the void. "Jon! Jon!" "Oh my God, what happened to him?" asked a second voice. It was feminine. "What the hell is this stuff all over him?" asked a third voice. It was as masculine as the first, but a little more gruff and deeper. "Jon! Wake up. Richards, don't touch that! Call an ambulance!" "How the hell is an ambulance supposed to fit him in the back?" "Look at him! How can his body be so contorted like that?" "We need to get him out of the street." The world continued to spin into the darkness. 0 Sam walked in, spying Susan across the hallway. Her eyes were downcast, her black hair pulled back from her face. She leaned over her legs with her head down. "Susan?" he said, walking up to her. He sat down beside her and placed his hand across her back. He gave it a comforting rub. "How is he?" "No change, they say," she said. He heard a sniffle come from her as she lifted her head up. He saw that her eyes were red and salty, silvery streaks flowed down her cheeks. A loose lock fell into her face and she pushed it away. "They can't say what's wrong with him." Sam took off his blazer and threw it on a stiff-backed chair beside him. "Jon is tough," said Sam. "He has survived many troubles, you know." He smiled at her in the hopes that would make her feel some hope. Though, deep down even he knew that this time the man that he grew up with will not be the man that may recover in the emergency room. They found Jonathan lying on the street, his back broken, his legs twisted in painful positions and his arms folded like a pretzel. Blood was all over his body. He did not look like anything recognizable. It frightened Susan when she saw what had become of her husband after his emergence. Sam sighed and then brought his hands together, folding his fingers in front of him. "You know, the saying goes that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," he said. "Is that supposed to make me feel better about this?" Susan said. "I'm just trying to help." Susan rose out of her seat and leaned against the window. Sam heard her begin to sob loudly. Tears dripped off of her face and splashed onto the metallic window sill. "You know what they will do to him when they find him," she said. "After where he has been, you know what they will do to him. His mind is probably still there, just his body is here. That man in there is an empty shell!" "Susan," said Sam. "Don't say that." Susan lifted up and stared directly into Sam's cool black eyes. Her chocolate eyes flashed her anguish. Her face became lined with her distraught. She was not the beautiful woman he once had a crush on back in high school, she was different here. "You don't know!" she said. Susan screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking with each word. "You don't know because you never lived in that world. But I have. And Jonathan has. Even if he hasn't ever told me until a year ago that he lived in that world, he still did. There are things you just can't understand. They'll kill him or worse!" Sam shook his head and gave it a scratch. He honestly did not know what to say after that. He heard of what would happened, but he hoped that there was some sort of loop hole. "I don't want my husband taken away from me," said Susan. "Well, according to their logic, that's not your husband anymore," said Sam, getting to his feet. "He's something else." "His body is here," said Susan. "His mind is somewhere else," said Sam. "I just hope that it is safe, wherever it is." Sam opened up his arms and Susan leaned in. She wanted to feel someone hold her for just a moment. She wanted to feel safe as well. Sam's eyes roved across the waiting room and spied a shadowy figure sitting down at one of the waiting tables. The figure itself appeared to have no particular recognizable shape or form. It appeared to Sam like an illusion on the wall. Yet, it was there. He held Susan even tighter. He wanted to protect her from that figure. Yet, most important, he wanted to protect Jonathan as well. He looked into the window where Jonathan lay deathly still as if looking for reassurance that no harm would come to him. The still body's eyes twitched under the lids. Tubing were attached all over his body, hooking him up to the life support machines. It seemed silly to hook a demigod dragon up to machines to keep him alive. He was still in his dragon form, lying on that bed. His glasses rested on the table beside him. Sam wondered if right now Jonathan needed them. Though, he felt it just did not seem right if they were not at his side. Sam turned his attention back to the shadowy figure in the corner. "Yeah, that's right," he said internally. "I'm watching you." They were not going to take his friend away from him tonight. All's Not Well

Jonathan had many visitors that day. Though he was still unresponsive. The human doctor came in with X-rays of the dragon's body, baffled by what he saw. Much of Jonathan's important internal organs like his heart, lungs, and stomach had atrophied due to disuse from being a demigod. The only thing that seemed to still go on strong was the dracus fundamentilum, the powerhouse secondary pump that assisted in the creation of his elemental powers. The nurse found it difficult to even keep his fiery blood contain in a vile each time she attempted to take it. Vanessa, the Drider who ran the local magic store in the Underdark provided the human hospital with adamantine needles in order to safely puncture the Red Dragon's tough armor. Adamantine could not melt from Jonathan's blood. Susan leaned in and held Jonathan's claw. She knew that sometimes it was helpful for those who were comatose to feel the comfort of a loved one's hand in theirs. She lifted his claw up and brushed it against her cheek, letting him feel the cool tears dripping from her eyes. She looked at his face and noticed that even he was shedding tears. It was a response. "Jonathan," she said in a sob. "It's Susan. I don't want you to leave me." She lowered herself onto the sheet that covered him. Susan placed her husband's arm around her. "Jonathan," she whispered. "Why?" "Susan?" asked Sam as he came in. "Jonathan's mom showed up." "Malystryx?" Susan asked, sniffling. She wiped her eyes. "No," said Sam. "Willine Long and Howard Long is here too. I think we need to explain about Jonathan to them." "Oh God, no," she sighed. "As if anything couldn't get any worse. How do I explain about him or even me?" "You're gonna tell them what you are too?" Sam asked. "I have to," she said. "I have to tell them that I'm a dragon too. And that my father is a dragon and their grandchildren are dragons. I've got no choice. No more lies. Jonathan wouldn't want it that way. They need to know." She leaned down and kissed her husband's thorny cheek. "Jon, your mom and dad are here–you're adoptive mom and dad. I'm going to tell them everything, about you, about me, and about Jake and Haley and my father." Jonathan let loose a soft whimper and his body shifted. "I think he's in pain," she said. "You better get the doctor." "Right," said Sam. "I'll call him." "I'll handle Willine and Howard," said Susan. She walked outside Jonathan's room and went into the ICU waiting room where family and friends were gathering. She saw her son and daughter talking with their grandmother and grandfather and her own father sitting alone in the corner. She also saw that shadowy figure in the corner as well, keeping an eye on Jonathan. Lao Shi was staring at the shadowy figure. Fu Dog of course was not there. The hospital does not allow pets in the building, regardless to them being magical, talking familiars or not. She walked over to Willine and Howard Long. Standing behind them was Aunt Patchouli. "Hi, mom and dad," she began. She was always told to call them that. It was something Willine loved. "Susan," said Willine. She turned around with very wet eyes. Her hands were shaking, holding tightly to a handkerchief. Howard on the other hand was speechless. He did not know what to say. "How–how are you both?" Susan asked. "We're–um," Willine paused and lowered her head into her hands, weeping. "He–what does he–look like?" "What do you mean?" Susan asked. "Is he..." she began, motioning with her hands to her face. Then she made her hands act like claws and her face twisted into a monstrous look. "Or does he look–normal?" Normal? Susan thought. Is this what they are going to think when they see him? That he doesn't look normal because he is a dragon? This is worse than I thought. "Normal!" Lao Shi shouted from the other end. "Normal in what way? In how you look at the world or how we do?" "Dad, not now!" said Susan. "This isn't the time to discuss the difference between magical creatures and mortals." "So, you're one too?" Howard asked. Susan took in a breath: "It skipped my generation. But yes, I am a dragon as well. And no Jon doesn't look 'normal' or how you think is 'normal'. He's in his dragon form. That's how he was found when he came out of the portal." "Portal?" Willine felt like she was going to faint. "What do you mean portal? What does she mean by that?" "Honey, take it easy," said Howard. "All this time, he never told us what he was?" Patchouli said. "He never said anything. Did the adoption agency know?" "I would suspect not," said Lao Shi. "Even Pyrothraxus wanted to keep them in the dark about his true nature." "True nature?" Willine asked. "My son is a monster!" "He's not a monster!" Jake called. "Yeah," said Haley. "How could you think that?" "It's expected of mortals to think such things," said Lao Shi with a bit of holier than thou tone in his voice. "They can't think of anything else when they see us. They see all of us as monsters. Why do you think the Dark Times War happened?" "I have no idea what you're talking about," said Willine. "Of course you wouldn't," said Lao Shi. "Mortals act like it never happened." Suddenly, the whole room irrupted into argument. Everyone on either side started yelling at each other. Susan shifted her gaze from one side to the other, her emotions boiling up inside her mind. They were arguing, saying hurtful things while Jonathan was in a coma. This was not what he wanted. Then, Susan let loose an ear-piercing scream. The room fell silent. "Stop it!" she cried, calling everyone's attention. "Just stop it! This isn't want my husband would want. He doesn't want to see family fighting. Especially not while he's in a hospital bed. Our worries should be on his well-being, not whether or not he's a monster." She turned to the Longs. "Which he isn't, by the way! He's not a monster, I'm not a monster, we're just different than you, don't you understand?" "As I stated, mortals will never understand," said Lao Shi. "You just keep quiet!" Susan cried. "That's enough out of you too. You're no different than them, Dad!" Everyone backed off and sat down. Susan brought their attention to her again. "Mom and Dad Long," she began. "You need to know everything before you go in and see him. But don't be angry with him. He had a very good reason for not telling you, for not telling all of us." She looked back at her own father. "And I will tell the story, not you." Susan started at the beginning informing the Longs about the Great War. She told the story as it was told to her. She stated that in school, because she was a part of the Magical World, she was allowed to take a secret history class that talked about the history of the Magical World. Though she knew she could not share in it, she wanted to learn about it. She told them that through the efforts of Jonathan and Galen, the magical and the mortal worlds were united against a great evil, Jonathan's biological brother Zestos–who was trying to conquer the world for the evil demonic god Asemodeus. Howard and Willine just shook their heads in disbelief. They could not believe that such a tale was true. Susan continued on, telling them how Jonathan banished the evil away. She then explained the Dark Times War which divided and then finally segregated the two worlds completely. She said that though both sides lost, the magical side was hit the worst. "Because of that, there began the law that no magical creature was allowed to reveal themselves to mortal eyes," Susan said. "This included Jonathan." "So, because of this law, he could not tell us who he was?" Willine asked. "That's right," said Lao Shi. "Because mortals persecuted us, we felt that we could no longer live among you. So, we live in the shadows, beneath your eyes and only in your stories." Susan said that Jonathan came to America almost 10 years after the Dark Times War and hid himself even from magical creatures. She explained that when Ithfaedeus, a servant of Zestos escaped the prison, Jonathan had no choice but to go after him. She said that in order for him to meld in human society, he had to start from the ground up, and that was why he disguised himself as a child. "He didn't understand this new modern world he awoke in," said Susan. "I mean, he didn't even speak the modern English language. The only human languages he knew were Latin and French, and even they were in a form of a dialect no longer used. No one would be able to understand him. He needed someone to teach him but without knowing that they were teaching him. That's why he needed parents." "We should have realized there was something wrong," said Howard. "I mean, he was always a well behaved kid, maybe a little too well behaved. He rarely disobeyed rules. He was always so neat and orderly. Of course he had a horrible habit of collecting things." "That must have come from him being a dragon," said Willine. She allowed herself to laugh. "Like the dragon Smaug from the Hobbit, he hoarded treasure." "Oh, he has a hoard," said Lao Shi. "Two hoards to be exact. And each mound is filled with riches beyond your dreams." "He had three, but he swallowed that one," said Jake. "And he said that one was my college fund." "It was my college fund," said Haley. "How else was Dad going to pay for Harvard?" "He could buy the whole school," said Willine. "We still should have realized," said Howard. "I knew," said Patchouli. "I always knew he was a bit odd. Did you know he used to sneak at of the house at night? He would climb out the window and just disappear." "That window was 30 feet high," said Howard. "He flew off, Howard," said Willine. "It's obvious." "Why did he disappear at night?" "Jonathan has to return to his true form ever so often so that he could keep his magic from completely changing him into a human," said Lao Shi. "We never really know why it is the way it is, but if a dragon changes into a mortal form for an exceeded amounted of time and does not ever return to his true form, then the magic permanently turns him human. He not only becomes human in body, but in mind as well. He forgets that he was ever a dragon and lives in the memories he formed while as a human. With Jonathan, if he were to have stayed human, then he would become your son, Jonathan Long. He would have no memory of you adopting him, or even for that matter who he once was." "Jonathan often told me that–that was what he wanted," said Susan. "He wanted to become human and leave the life as a dragon behind." "Jonathan Long, his long past is a terrible one," said Lao Shi. "And because of that, there are things that can turn up. One was Ithfaedeus. Another is his brother Zestos. And the third is his real mother." "His real mother?" asked Willine. "She's still alive?" "Very much so," said Lao Shi. "There are events happening in Africa and we believe she is the cause of it. When she awakens, the first thing she will try to find is her son. She believes humans to be nothing more than food or slaves. If she discovers what Jonathan has been doing all this time–helping humanity and any other 'lesser creature', she will try to destroy everything he desperately wants to protect. This includes you. Especially yourself, Mrs. Long. Malystryx would want to kill you first because Jonathan replaced her with you." "Oh dear God, no!" Willine said, holding up her handkerchief to her eyes. "Please, Mama Long," said Susan. "Don't think this is Jonathan's fault. His mother was a cruel woman, she taught him to be evil, she taught him to do horrible things. But you taught him wonderful things. Jonathan feels you are more his mother than Malystryx is all because you showed him love and caring. Malystryx is just a bitch. Believe me, Jonathan will do everything he can to protect you, and all of us." "How can he?" asked Willie. "With him like that? Do you know what's wrong with him?" "His mind has been tormented by the Far Realm," said Lao Shi. "In many ways it is still there. The body was only brought back to us. From what I was told, Jonathan has lost all hope in himself. He is afraid. We are talking to him, hoping that will bring him back. So, you see why he would want to leave all that behind. Because of his life as a human, he has grown ashamed of his horrible past. Even if there was no rule about mortals not knowing about us, I am very certain that he would still not tell you out of his own shame." "Maybe you coming in and telling him that everything will be okay will help him a little," said Susan. "Just tell him that you love him no matter what he looks like." Willine lowered her head, wringing the handkerchief in her hands. "I know I should," she said. "But all of this, all of a sudden, I don't know if I can." "You can," said Susan. "Just remember, no matter what he looks like, he's still Jonathan. He always has been." Susan slowly led the Longs into the room where Jonathan still remained comatose. Sam looked up as he watched Jonathan's adoptive family walk in. Patchouli paused at the door when she saw her not so baby brother monstrous form lying on the bed. She shook her head, pulling her brown hair with her hands. She backed away from the door. "I can't," she whispered. "You don't have to," said Willine. She watched as her daughter walked back towards the ICU waiting room. Then, she turned around and swallowed. She noticed that despite the efforts of the breathing machine tubes in the dragon's nose, he made no effort to breathe on his own. "Why doesn't he breathe? Someone call the doctor back!" "Willine!" called Susan. "It's okay. He's alive. It's just a little difficult to explain right now." "He doesn't need to breathe," said Sam. "Still I don't know why they hooked him up like that. It's silly. The doctor nearly had a heart attack when he saw the condition of Jon's vital organs. Just don't worry about that. Trust me, you'll get used to the other little shocking things about Jonathan later." He backed away and turned for the door. "I'll be in the waiting room if you need me." "Right," said Susan. She faced the Longs. "Do you want to be alone?" "Well," Willine said. She did not know how to answer that. In some ways she did, but in others, she did not. "I think we should be alone," said Howard. "I'll just be down the hall," she said. Susan finally left to look for Patchouli. Clearly, she needed more of a talking to than her parents. Willine settled down on the chair next to the bed. She saw the heart monitor flashing a flat line. Normally, she knew that this meant that the person was dead. So, she reached up and touched Jonathan's neck. It was warm. The dragon moved slightly to her touch. Despite the fact he did not breathe or even have a pulse, he was still alive. "Jonathan?" Willine asked. "It's Willine, your mother. Um, Jonathan, I'm not mad. I'm not mad at you for not telling me. Your–your father isn't either." She turned to her husband. "Say something, Howard." "Hi–um–sport," he said. His voice fell to a whisper. "I don't know if I should call him 'sport' anymore." "It doesn't matter," said Willine. "Jonathan, whatever happens, know that I love you. You will always be my son, even if you are older than me." She clasp her hand around his claw, which caused him to shift again in response. "Jonathan," she said. "I love you." She hoped that one statement would maybe bring him out of whatever hell his mind was going through. However, the only response she received was another whimper. Though tears flowed down his cheeks once more. He had heard her. Howard turned around and just left the room, still confused as to what he should say. He was not very sure if he could face his draconic adoptive son at this moment. Willine stayed beside Jonathan, keeping her hand on his. 0 Sam could not keep himself awake in the waiting room. Watching over his friend was emotionally exhausting. He worried about what sort of condition Jonathan would be in when he awoke. He recalled Galen promised him that Jonathan had not changed, but even he could not be sure. Sam allowed his eyes to slowly shut as he welcomed the sleep he so needed badly. His head drooped and his arms fell limp in the chair. Darkness was all around him as he drifted off. "Asleep on the job?" came a voice from the beyond. Sam opened his eyes and stood immediately up at the voice. A powerful, blue-white glow appeared before him and grew out forming the body of a six-winged Platinum Dragon. There he was, standing in the ICU waiting room in all his shimmering glory was Bahamut, King of Dragons. But Sam knew him simply as Galen. Sam looked around at the room for the others. Surely they would have seen him too. Everyone except for them seemed frozen in place. "What the hell?" Sam asked, looking around at all the statues. "Don't worry about it, Sam," said Bahamut. "Don't worry about it?" Sam asked. "You froze everyone and I'm not supposed to worry about it? What did you do, stop time?" "No. The clock still works." Bahamut pointed up at the analog clock on the wall. Sam looked up at it. The numbers on the face of the clock seemed off. They looked like gibberish than numbers. "Well, this is an interesting front page," Bahamut said, lifting a newspaper up from a table. "Garbledygook high lights." "All the writing is nonsense," said Sam. "This is a dream." "Yep." "You can enter dreams," said Sam. "Wonderful. Wait, did you make me go to sleep?" "No, you really are tired," said Bahamut. "But unfortunately, you need to wake up. Jon needs you more than ever." "Why?" "Look over at the corner," said Bahamut, moving out of the way. "Notice someone missing?" Sam looked over at the corner where the hooded, shadowy figure was. Only, he was not there anymore. "That guy's gone," said Sam. "Wait, who was he?" "An Emissary of my ex-wife," said Bahamut. "Sent here to encase Jon in a block of Agathys ice and send him to Carceri." "Shit!" said Sam. "But, I thought you were going to prevent that." "I told you Tiamat is difficult," said Bahamut. "She said that this would teach me a lesson about not interfering with mortals. Why do you think I divorced her?" "Screw what she says!" Sam cried. "I can't let him get Jon." "I need to give you something," said Bahamut. He pulled out a pendant from behind his back. "This will tell that idiot to lay off of Jon. And if he wants to make a fuss about it, he can come talk to me. I'll take whatever grief Tiamat gives me for interfering with her little stooge's job." He handed Sam the pendant. Sam glanced down and noticed that the pendant was was a platinum, circular talisman with a glittering nebula and a star encased in a glass ball. "What is this?" Sam asked. "Is it magical?" "Well, the effect is," said Bahamut. "But the pendant isn't. No, it has more ceremonial meaning than magical effect. This is my divine symbol. My priests wear it." "You're making me your priest?" "No," he said. "I'm not. But this will tell him that you spoke to me and I'm the one who is protecting Jonathan. It'll be the proof. These medallions cannot be replicated. Only a god can give them to a mortal." "Do I give it back to you afterwards?" Sam asked. "Nah," said Bahamut. "You keep it. Call it a piece of bling." "Isn't that disrespectful of what this symbol is?" "I see humans wear giant gold crosses around your necks and calling it bling," Bahamut said. "Isn't that disrespectful to Christianity?" "Point," said Sam. "You hold that medallion up and say that Bahamut says to back off," the Platinum Dragon said. "What if he tries to attack me?" "That necklace will protect you." "Thought you said it's more ceremonial than magical," said Sam. "I did, but I didn't say it was without magic," said Bahamut. "One of my divine portfolios is protection, and it will protect you. He may be employed by the High God, but he isn't as powerful as me. He's a stooge, nothing more." "Thanks," said Sam. "Sure," said Bahamut. "And now, it's time for you to wake up." Sam was jolted from his dream as Willine came running into the waiting room, screaming with fear on her face. "Colonel!" she cried. "Susan! Some hooded man walked in while I was talking to Jonathan. He waved his hand and this block of red ice began to grow around the bed." "Crap," said Sam. "Susan, that hooded guy is after Jon." "An Emissary of the High God," said Lao Shi. "He intends to take Jonathan to Carceri. That is where all Far Realm-touched Abominations are taken." "We have to stop him!" Susan cried. "I won't let him take my husband." "We cannot interfere," said Lao Shi. "This must be done." "No, it doesn't," said Sam. "What?" Lao Shi asked. "The law prohibits mortals from interfering with judgment." Sam pulled out the medallion from his pocket: "I think this gives me jurisdiction." Before Lao Shi could even react to seeing the medallion, Sam bolted for Jonathan's room. He was followed by Susan and Lao Shi as well as Willine. Jake and Haley soon came after. As soon as they all came to the room, they found the shadowy figure standing before Jonathan's bed. Red ice grew out from the floor, slowly covering the bed and binding the Red Dragon. Though, Jonathan made no response to the ice. He did not even know he was about to be imprisoned. "Hold it!" Sam called. The shadowy figure hissed at him. Sam held up the medallion. "Bahamut called. He said: 'Get the fuck away from my friend.'" The shadowy figure continued to hiss at Sam. The Air Force Lt Colonel stood firm with the medallion held high. "I won't let you take him," he said. He made his move in between the bed and the shadowy figure. "You'll have to go through me to get to him." The shadowy figure made its move towards Sam, its bony fingers reaching out. Then, the medallion glowed brightly. The shadowy figure hissed and withdrew, crouching down before the holy light. "That's right, back off," he said. Suddenly, the shadowy figure disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Sam lowered the medallion and sighed, looking back at Jonathan on the bed. Ice still covered the dragon's body, but slowly it was melting away. "Handy little piece of bling," said Sam, looking back at the medallion. "Where did you get a Faith Medallion of Bahamut?" asked Lao Shi. "He gave it to me," said Sam. "Bahamut gave you that necklace?" Susan asked. "How, when?" "Long story," said Sam. "It's not important." "Why would Bahamut give a human mortal one of his medallions?" Lao Shi asked. "I said it doesn't matter," said Sam. "Maybe the big guy just likes Jonathan." He faced Jonathan on the bed and knelt down. Looking back at the medallion, Sam placed it softly on Jonathan's chest. Another response came from the motion, the dragon had opened his eyes. "Jon?" Sam asked. Jonathan's glowing eyes roved over to him at the sound of his name. Then, they blinked and soon closed afterward. "He opened his eyes," said Sam. "Get the doctor." Sam put the medallion around Jonathan's neck, hoping that it would protect him from any further attacks. The doctor came running in a few minutes later. "What are all of you doing in this room?" she asked. "Two people at a time, that's the rule." "We all just got so excited to hear that Jonathan opened his eyes," said Willine. "Most of you will have to leave," said the doctor. "Now!" "I'll go," said Willine. "You can stay, Susan." She turned around and went out the door with Howard following her. "Jake, Haley," began Susan. "Go with grandma. Dad, you too." "Alright, daughter," said Lao Shi. "But I still want to know where you got that medallion, Colonel." "Later," said Sam. As soon as the room emptied except for the doctor and Susan and Sam, the doctor began to feel around the dragon's face. Jonathan for a brief moment opened his eyes. He turned and looked at the doctor focusing on her for a minute, but then closed them. "He's coming out," she said. "This is normal. People coming out of a coma will go through stages of consciousness. But this is a good sign. He was actually making full eye contact." "Is he aware of where he is?" asked Sam. "Difficult to say," she said. "But he knows there are people around him. But for now it may be difficult for him to identify who they are. When he does, he'll begin to have other reactions. He may grunt when he sees a familiar face as a way of trying to communicate with them, or he may lift his head up slightly when he hears a familiar voice. But it'll be a while before he is communicating verbally again." "Doctor," began Sam. "Jonathan is an Ascended Dragon, he's a demigod. I don't see how he could be like this." "Well," she began. "From what you told me about where he's been, I wouldn't be surprised if it just traumatized him so much he had to shut off higher functions in order to cope. Demigod or not. If I had been to that place, I'd probably be even worse off than him. When he awakes completely, he'll be fine. He'll be up and walking. There was no damage to his brain what so ever, all the damage is more mental than physical. He just couldn't handle it." She leaned up and took her pad, writing her notes down as she headed for the door. "Though when he does fully awake, I'm gonna suggest a psychiatrist," she said. "A good one. Because he'll need it. Most coma survivors do because of the disorientation they feel after being out for so long, but I think he'll need extra work." "We've got a shrink at the base," said Sam. "His services are covered by the government." "Well, he can go there," said the doctor. "I'll be checking up on him in a couple of hours, but do let me know if anything else happens before then." She left them alone again and Sam knelt down to the Red Dragon, taking his claw into his hand. Jonathan opened his eyes slightly at the touch. He opened his mouth and let loose a moan in attempt to talk to Sam. Sam leaned in and tried to listen to the dragon's soft whispers. "What?" Sam asked. "What is he saying?" Susan asked. "Isthasy ui confnir," Jonathan whispered. "Isthasy," said Sam. "Ui confnir?" He turned back to Susan. "What does that mean?" "'Brother is coming'," she replied. "Brother is coming. He means Zestos, his younger brother. My father said Zestos has the ring." "The wedding ring," said Sam. Jonathan closed his eyes again and fell back to unconsciousness. "His mother is moving in Africa, and his brother is making his way here with his allies," said Sam. "How can we get Jon back on his feet again? He can't stay like this for long." "I know," she said. "I'll go ask my father." Susan headed out the door and towards the ICU waiting room. Once more, she saw the Longs sitting down, talking with Lao Shi, her son Jake and her daughter Haley. She heard them discuss what all Lao Shi and Jake did for the Magical World. When Willine heard what her grandson was doing as the American Dragon, she was horrified. She was not horrified by the fact her grandson was a guardian dragon in training, but she was horrified that her grandson would put himself into so much danger. "Dad," she began. "Can I talk to you?" "Of course, my daughter," said Lao Shi. "What is it that you need?" "Jon said Zestos is coming," said Susan. "I think he's saying that Zestos may appear sooner than we expect. I was wondering if you know of a way to speed up his recovery." "My son is talking?" Willine asked, rising from her chair. "He is, but it isn't that important..." said Susan. "What do you mean?" she asked. "It is important to me. I want to speak to him!" "He's not talking in a language you would understand," said Susan. "He's talking in his first language, not his–fifth. I think English is his fifth, I can't say for sure." Willine sighed and sat back down. "Well, there is a way," said Lao Shi. "However, I disapprove of this way." "What way is it?" Jake asked. "Perhaps it would be best if we feed into Jonathan's vampiric side," said Lao Shi. "You mean, allow him to bite us?" Susan asked. "No, there is another way to obtain life force from willing hosts," said Lao Shi. "And would only take a sample of life force from each of us with no side effects." "How?" "There is a reason why vampires feed off of blood," said Lao Shi. "Blood contains life force energy. But we loose blood each time we injure ourselves. But we are still able to make more. As long as it is not too much blood loss, all of us will be fine after the process." "Blood transfusion," said Willine. "Give Jonathan a blood transfusion? You know, one thing we could never get was what type blood he was." "Mostly because he kept melting the needles that went into him," said Howard. "You know, come to think of it, I always found it odd that we never made a big deal of that." "I wouldn't doubt that Jonathan used suggestion on you to keep your minds occupied with other thoughts," said Lao Shi. "Especially off of specific details that could out his true identity." "I'm still getting over the shock he can control minds," said Patchouli. "I wonder what else he's been suggesting when we would come to close of finding out." "We have the equipment here," said Lao Shi. "The adamantine needles will do. All of us can contribute a half a pint of blood. That should be enough speed up his recovery. Then the Divine Spark will take over the rest." They all nodded with hesitation. Susan nodded as well. "I'll tell Sam," she said. She prayed deeply that this would work. On the Loose

A couple of days went by after they hooked Jonathan up to a catheter with various blood pouches, there was indeed more signs of recovery. More hours in the day, he was awake and at times even alert, responding to his various visitors. He even spoke, though in Draconic, much to the dismay of those trying to communicate with him. Taking in the fresh life force of others through the blood made him stronger. Willine was there in the room along side of him, talking to him despite his inability to speak English for the moment. She was told by Lao Shi that it was possible he regressed slightly from the horrible nightmares of the Far Realm. Though the difficulty in communication did not stop her from chatting to him. Willine had a smile of relief when she realized that he could understand her to an extent. Though, she realized that she was the one who had to teach him English all over again. "Say 'mom'," she said. "Dask," said Jonathan. "Mom." "Dask." "No, Jonathan," Willine said, pointing at her self. "Mom. Mooom. Now, you try." "Daaasssk," Jonathan said. "Oh good grief," she sighed. "This is like when you were 3, or pretending to be 3." "Si mi bivai, dask," said Jonathan. Susan walked into the room and sat down on another chair. "I've tried over and over again," said Willine. "To get him to say something in English. I try get him to say 'mom' and all he says is 'dask'." "Dask means mother in Draconic," said Susan. "Well, I don't want him to say 'mother' in Draconic, I want him to say it in English," said Willine. "He'll come around soon," said Susan. She looked down at her husband and gave a smile. He smiled back. "How are you?" "Bensvelk," replied Jonathan. "What did he say?" asked Willine. "He says he's feeling good," said Susan. She turned to Jonathan again. "Liar." "Si mi zaja," said Jonathan. "Oh, shut up," Susan sighed. "How did you learn his language?" Willine asked. "It's ingrained through genetic memory," said Susan. "Even I have it. We're literally born to know that language, even if we don't use it." Jonathan turned his head to Willine, his glowing eyes focusing on her. "Re wux gethrisjir ekess svent ve?" he rumbled weakly. "Jonathan!" Susan said, her eyebrows raised and her eyes wide with horror at the question. "What?" Willine asked. "What did he say?" "He asked you if you were going to kill him," Susan said. "What?" Willine said, placing her hand over her mouth. "Jonathan, no! No! Why, why would you ask that?" "Si jahus persvek vi malrunwa zahae fronah ehtahir ekik zahae arirthos lae vi darastrix," Jonathan replied. "He says he had a dream where you attempted to kill him after finding out about his secret," said Susan. "Wux tuor ekess svent ve usv levnim ve. wux shio visp ve wux shilta nurti itov vi soti," Jonathan said. "You wanted to mutilate him for the monster he was," said Susan. "Then he had another dream where he was captured by the government and then killed for their science experiments." "Wer karif thaczil visp ve aritisvelkilti l'graic," he said. "He was shown every fear, every nightmare of the consequences of his secret revealed," said Susan. "And you all hated him for it." "Si jahus tesantamaso vur loaw. Wux ouith ve." "He says you delighted in showing him pain because he feels that his lies caused you pain," said Susan. "You hurt him." "Wux re tesantamaso di ve, di svabol si mi," said Jonathan. "Soti." "He says you are afraid of what he is and you think he is a monster," said Susan. Her voice was breaking, tears once more flowed down her cheeks. "Si jahus visp mobi shilta qe thric martivir rionib hesi jiil xiekivi," Jonathan said. "Wux tepoha agantal dartaka udoka–darastrixi. Angis sjek yth jahen bensvelk ekess wux." "He says that there can never be peace between humans and dragons," said Susan. "Because you always hated dragons despite some dragons being kind to you." "Jonathan, I don't hate you," said Willine. "And I don't want to kill you or hurt you." "Si ouith wux tagoa di arilapieti," said Jonathan. "He says he thinks he hurt you because he lied," said Susan. "Jonathan," Willine began. "I–honestly don't know what to make of all of this. And my head is spinning around because of this news. But I'm trying hard to be understanding because I know you need that right now. I will admit you can't think that I will accept–what you are, not on a whim, not like magic. You have to give me time. Howard–he's taking it even rougher than I am. And Patty, I don't know what she's thinking." She ran a hand through her salt and pepper hair. "I mean you manipulated our minds, you would just run away in the night without telling us where you were going. And you were doing it all because you couldn't tell us, but knowing now what you did–yes it scares me! I don't want to be scared by you, but it has scared me. And it still scares me. I hear what Jake and Haley do at night and that scares me. You want me to be understanding of you, but you have to understand what I'm going through with this news too." Jonathan's head grew heavy as he laid it back down on the pillow. Willine noted that this was him returning to unconsciousness once more. He slowly closed his eyes and finally slipped back into the darkness of slumber. "I suppose that was a little bit too much for him to handle," said Willine. "I hope I wasn't too hard on him." "You told him the truth," said Susan. "That's what counts. He likes the truth." "I wonder if when he's fully conscious and awake that he'll remember this," said Willine. "I don't know," said Susan. "Well," said Willine. "I have better go and eat something. I'm getting rather hungry. If he wakes again, tell me." "Sure," said Susan. She rose up to bring herself to Jonathan's right side. Leaning down, she rested her head on his plated neck and nuzzled up against his thorny chin. "Don't worry, I'm here." Willine looked back just as she was about to close the door and smiled softly when she saw her daughter-in-law cuddle her husband. She felt the sting of a tear welling up in her eyes. Willine yelped in surprise when she nearly ran into Sam Davidson's chest. "Oh, gracious," she gasped. "You scared me." "Sorry," said Sam. "You okay?" "Yes," said Willine. "He's still speaking in that–language of his." "Draconic." "Yes," she nodded. "I can't understand him." "That makes both of us," said Sam. "The only Draconic I've learned recently is ava'yorn hello, veyet'toon goodbye and svaklar ui wer segrac?" "What does that mean?" "Where's the beer?" said Sam. Willine laughed. "Yeah, if I'm ever in a dragon bar," he began. "I'll know what to say." "I'm just going to get something to eat," she said. "Right," Sam. "Well, I just thought I'd relieve Susan from her watching duties. I think she needs a rest." "Right," said Willine. "Good luck." Sam nodded and headed into the room. He found Susan lying her head down on Jonathan's chest and Jonathan once more unconscious. At the sound of him entering, she lifted her head up and brushed her shiny black hair away from her face. "Hey," said Sam. "You alright?" "Yeah," she said. "I've come to relieve you," he said. "I figured you need a break. I'll watch him." "I do," she said. "I need to pick up the kids from their dragon training." "This must be hard on them too," said Sam. "It's hard on all of us," she said as she rose to her feet. Susan leaned over and kissed Jonathan's cheek. "I'm sorry, Jon. I have to go get the kids. But I'll be back. But Sam's here. He'll keep watch over you." "Hey, pal," said Sam. "Don't you worry, I'll be here." "I love you," she said to her husband, holding his claw. Then, she let it slowly drop to his side. It twitched for a moment as if searching for a hand to hold. Sam passed Susan and came to Jonathan's claw, taking it into his hand. "Hang in there, pal," said Sam. "Thank you, Sam," said Susan. "Thank you so much." "It's the least I could do," said Sam. "You know he's like a brother to me. Ever since I saved his butt from those bullies all those years ago, we've been nearly inseparable. I just wish I didn't go off with the Air Force like I did." "I'm glad you're back then," said Susan. "Well, Jon was the one who brought me back," he said. Sam turned to Jonathan. "You hear that? You're the reason I came back. And I'm glad I did." Susan smiled sweetly as she left the room. Sam continued to talk to Jonathan, recalling all sorts of memories they used to share back in school. The nurse came in to check up on Jonathan and was even kind enough to bring Sam some coffee to help him out while he kept watch over his friend. However, even the coffee did not help. Sam was exhausted again. His head bobbed up and down as his eyes grew heavy. As his eyes closed his head finally leaned on his shoulder. His hand came loose from Jonathan's claw and dropped away. Sam fell fast into sleep. Pyrothraxus' eyes opened sharply as he rose his head off his pillow. He gave a soft rumble as he rose from the bed. Looking over at his arm, the dragon pulled painfully free the I.V. from his scales. He growled from the sharp, brief pain and then proceeded to get to his feet. Pyrothraxus leaned over and sniffed Sam's slumbering form. He chuckled in satisfaction and pulled away. He backed from the bed and Sam's body and then vanished. Sam awoke suddenly and wiped his eyes. He yawned and blinked away his sleep to look over at the hospital bed. His eyes came into focus and he swallowed. Jonathan was gone. "Oh shit!" Sam shouted. "Oh shit! Jon? Jon?" He rushed out the door and looked around the hallway for any sign of him. Then, he turned back and pressed the button to call the nurse. "Yes?" came a voice over the speaker. "Yeah, hi, this is Lt. Colonel Sam Davidson in room 345," he began. "I'm the one watching Jonathan Long. Um, he just got up and left." "Left?" asked the nurse. "Yeah, left," he said. "I mean he's gone! I closed my eyes and took a short snooze and when I awoke, Jon was gone." "Okay, I'll send the doctor over," said the nurse. Within a few minutes later, the doctor and her nurse came into the room. The doctor stood there, staring at the empty bed. "What happened to him?" she asked. "I don't know," said Sam. "The only thing I can think of is Jonathan getting up and teleporting somewhere." "Teleporting?" asked the doctor. "He can teleport." "He's barely able to stay conscious for more than two hours," she said. "How could he teleport?" "I don't know," said Sam. "All I know he's gone now and..." He broke off when he heard a bellowing roar coming from outside. Sam opened up the window, pushing back the curtains to look outside. By the light of the setting sun, Sam watched as a dark violet colored shadow drop down and take flight, banking in between the skyscrapers. He sighed and leaned against the wall. "I have to make a phone call," he said. "Excuse me." He pulled out his cell phone and began to call up Susan's number. "Hello?" "Susan?" asked Sam. "Sam?" she asked. "What's wrong?" "Jonathan go up and left," said Sam. "And he teleported to the roof of the hospital and then flew away." "I'm calling Dad," she said. "Hang on, I'll put you on three-way." Sam waited until he heard Lao Shi's voice on the phone as well. "What happened?" Lao Shi asked. "Right now, I'm busy with Jake." "I know, Dad," said Susan. "But Jonathan just up and left the hospital." "What?" "He's not cleared for dismissal," said the doctor in a raised voice. "Yeah, the doctor is here saying he isn't cleared for dismissal," said Sam. "All I did was take a little snooze while Jonathan was unconscious. Then, when I awoke, he was gone. I saw this black-purple shadowy thing fly away after hearing a roar outside. "Did you say black and purple shadow?" asked Lao Shi. "Oh dear." "What?" asked Sam. "What happened?" "I am afraid my worst fear has come to light," said Lao Shi. "The Stone of Aster as taken control of Jonathan's body. Jonathan is unconscious inside his body, but his body is still strong. The Stone of Aster, being a sentient artifact, is now piloting Jonathan." "But Jon's still in there, right?" asked Sam. "Yes," said Lao Shi. "But like you said, he was still unconscious because he is just coming out of the coma. I should have realized his various low levels of awareness and consciousness would allow the Stone to gain control of his body. We have to stop the Stone before it uses Jonathan to harm the city." "It would do that?" "Of course it would!" called Lao Shi. "The blasted thing was created by an evil wizard. What do you think?" "Okay," said Sam. "How do we stop it?" "We have to weaken the body," said Lao Shi. "How do we do that?" asked Sam. "I mean, Jon's pretty powerful and I don't want to do anything that might hurt him and cause him to be in the hospital for even longer." "Hurting a patient is also against the law," said the doctor. "Especially if he is recovering. In his disoriented state, he is a danger to himself and others." Sam turned to her: "It's not Jonathan that flew off, that was only his body. Jonathan has this necklace inside of him that he swallowed. The necklace is alive, capable of thought. It's like a computer AI. And it's controlling Jon. Jon's still knocked out in there. That necklace isn't confused or disoriented, it knows what it wants and it's using Jon's body to get it!" "Fu Dog says he knows how to weaken Jonathan," said Lao Shi. "But we will need the Army's help in it." "Okay, I'm not ordering a bunch of soldiers to go blast him with tanks," said Sam. "No," said Lao Shi. "Fu Dog is going to the Underdark to buy some powdered Dragon Bane." "They sell that stuff?" "Unfortunately, yes," said Lao Shi. "But only on the black market. The open selling of the poison is outlawed. However, Fu Dog knows some contacts that he can immediately get a hold of before Jonathan does any real damage to the city. We need a human capable of sniping, though. Fu Dog will create a watered down solution of Dragon Bane and put it into an adamantine dart. You bring it to the sniper and he must shoot it precisely at the back of the head where the top of the neck and the head meet." "I'll have to get a helicopter to do that," said Sam. "But we've got a specialist on base. He tests some of our new gadgets. What will this solution do?" "It will weaken Jonathan enough to bring him down," said Lao Shi. "Like a tranquilizer." "You sure one dart will work?" "One dart is needed," said Lao Shi. "It's where the sniper will shoot that will ensure the effect. He cannot go any higher or lower than that spot." "Okay," said Sam. "Where do you want to meet?" "Empire State Building," said Lao Shi. "As soon as you can. When you are ready, call me." "Right," said Sam. "I know who to call." He heard the phone hang up and then began to dial another number. "Hello?" came a voice over the phone. "Sergeant York," said Sam. "Yes, sir, Colonel," said York. "I need your eyes," said Sam. "And I need your loyal secrecy. Get a tranquilizer injection rifle and a helicopter. Then, meet me at the Empire State Building in less than an hour." "Yes, sir," said York. "Uh, why?" "We've gotta save Jon before he hurts himself or anyone else," said Sam. "Trust me. And not a word about this to the General. If she asks, just tell her we've got another black dragon on the loose and we're gonna tranquilize it." "Yes, sir," said York. "You can count on me." 0 The mind was locked away in darkness, bound tightly with mental restraints. Muffled sounds of the mind tried to make their way through and be heard, but it was fruitless. Death was in control. The black and purple, shadowy dragon began its descent upon the city. Its great jaws opened wide and a bright violet light appeared at the back of its throat. It unleashed its fury of purple flames upon the buildings. Their tops began to crumble with each earthshaking blast. The dragon howled at the sky and twin purple twisters of fire spiraled through the city blocks, etching a jagged line through the streets. Cars caught in their wake exploded while the passengers called out their final screams. Amid the chaos, a military helicopter landed upon a helicopter pad near the Empire State Building. Several soldiers came out to meet an old, Chinese man and his dog as well as his grandson. The first to approach them was Lt. Colonel Sam Davidson. "Lao Shi," he said. "Fu Dog. This is Master Sergeant Elwood York. He works under my command and has training in sniping." "Mostly tree to ground sniping, but I can handle a helicopter too," said York. "I believe we've met before when Mr. Long was kidnapped by that Shadow Dragon." "Yes," said Lao Shi. "I am Chinese Dragon Lao Shi, his father-in-law. This is my familiar Fu Dog who is also a potions specialist, and my grandson, guardian dragon in training–the American Dragon Jake Long." "Yo," said Jake. "Hello," said York. "Colonel, what exactly is going on?" "York," said Sam. "You have to promise me you won't tell the General. Please. This isn't Jon's fault. None of this is. He's still unconscious inside his body, but something is controlling his body's actions. We have to take him down with no harm coming to him or the people of New York." "That black dragon is Jonathan?" asked York. "Yeah," said Sam. "You know this will get both of us court marshaled," said York. "I know," said Sam. "But I don't trust the General. She seems adamant about imprisoning Jon just because he's a dragon. I'm trying to find ways around that so he can still keep his freedom and work with us." "Right," said York. They paused and looked over to hear another explosion. The glow of flames lit up the horizon of the city of New York. Sirens could be heard with the police and fire department trying to rush to the scene. "Well," began Fu Dog, holding up four darts. "This was all I could whip up. Four darts. One for the shot and three if you mess up. I couldn't get enough Dragon Bane to make more. As stated, Dragon Bane selling is outlawed because of what it could be used as against the Dragon Council." Inside each of the darts were a milky-white liquid. "All four of these darts have been watered down so they will only knock Jonathan out," said Fu Dog. "Rather than kill him." He handed the darts over to York. "Are you sure these will penetrate that hard shell of his?" York asked. "The dart tips are made with adamantine," said Fu Dog. "Adamantine is a metal specifically smelted to pierce any dragon armor, regardless to hardness. You wanna shoot a dragon with a gun, instead of using the bullets you normally use, make adamantine bullets. However, only in the Magical World is adamantine smelted. It can't be made anywhere else." York took the darts and loaded one up into his Dan-Inject JM Special. "This is also what you need," said Lao Shi. "It is a drawing of Jonathan's head. I've marked where you need to aim for in red. Remember, no lower or higher. Higher, you'll run into his hard cranium and the dart won't penetrate properly, lower and the injection will not take effect. The dart has to get right up under the cerebral cortex. Once it makes the injection, it will temporarily paralyze Jonathan." York could not help but to notice how long each of the needles were on the darts. However, they were able to fit in his gun easily. "What will you do?" asked Sam. "We are the distraction," said Lao Shi. "I'm certain that the Stone has sensed the animosity that Jonathan feels about me. It will no doubt feed off of that and once he sees me, he'll attack me." "I'm going too," said Jake. "Gramps will need the help." "I suppose so," said Lao Shi. "I'll go with the Colonel," said Fu Dog. "Fu?" asked Jake. "You sure?" "He'll need the help when they go after Jonathan," said Fu Dog. "I can tell them how a Red Dragon flies so they can make the necessary compensation." The two dragons transformed into their dragon forms and launched themselves into the air. Fu, with the assistance of Sam, climbed into the helicopter. "You know, I've never ridden in one of these," he said. Sam handed Fu Dog a pair of headphones. "You talk into the microphone so we can hear you through our headsets," said Sam. "Also, they help dull the sound of the blades down." "Okay," said Fu. "Taking off," said the pilot. "Strap yourselves in." York strapped himself into a specialized sniper chair which could roll out from the opening of the helicopter. Fu Dog held up the drawing of a Red Dragon's head and touched York's back. "There's something you need to know," he said. "All of you need to know. Think of Red Dragons as giant bombers." "Bombers?" asked Sam. "Yeah," Fu. "They make their raids from the air, unloading a payload that is their breath weapon. No dragon can cast a spell from the air, they have to be grounded in order to cast a spell. However, the only thing they can do is teleport or put up a shield if they have it. Jonathan has that as his spell. However, the shield won't allow him to fire through. I doubt the Stone of Aster has calculated that we would be attempting this. Red Dragons only have one weapon, their forward weapon–their cone of fire. So, they are more vulnerable in the air if they are making a raid. Combat is generally done from the ground though so they can cast their spells. They can land on any surface to cast a spell, they just can't be flying while they do it." "So, we have to fly over the dragon's back to take the shot," said York. "Chief, you got that?" "Yes, sir," said the Chief Warrant Officer pilot. Lao Shi and Jake banked, heading for the sound of the screams. "Remember, young dragon," he began. "Your father is inside, however, he is not in control. I do not know what level of consciousness that Jonathan has right now. I don't if he can even hear us if we attempt to call out to him." "What if he can hear us?" asked Jake. "If he can, we can attempt to coax him into fighting the Stone," said Lao Shi. "If he can't hear us, then the only thing we can do is just distract it until Sam comes from behind to tranquilize him." "Okay, G," said Jake. They banked off to follow the helicopter. Sam looked out over the ruined landscape. Fu Dog peered over his shoulder. "He really did a number here," said Fu. "But it could be worse." "How?" asked Sam. "The Stone of Aster could be used to Pyro's powers and really know how to put them to good use," said Fu Dog. "Erase the whole city off of the face of the Earth." "Pilot, increase speed," said Sam. "Yes, sir!" said the pilot. He turned his head to the sound of a bellowing roar. They headed for the glowing flames and a dark, shadowy, draconic shape perched up on a sky scraper. "Going silent," said the pilot. "Get it as quiet as you can," said Sam. He looked out to see Lao Shi and Jake flying near him and signaled. Lao Shi dipped his blue, draconic head and took the signal to proceed. "Let's go, Jake," he said. "Just take it like any other magical monster attack." "I'll try," said Jake. They swooped down among the flaming buildings and turn-about in front of the massive shadowy figure before them. Lit by the flames, Jake could see what had become of his father. The Chromatic Red Dragon was inky black, blacker than the growing night sky itself. Where once his tiger-like stripes were black, they now glowed with a fierce purple light. His eyes matched the color as well. The purple aura that was once faint was now pulsating with vigor about his body. Sparks of electrical energy fluctuate around his body. Jake noticed something glowing like liquid fire dripping from his father's mouth. It was Pyrothraxus' blood. "G, look!" he said. "The power of the 12th Talisman is so great that it is burning your father from the inside out," said Lao Shi. The shadowy dragon extended its enormous wings and belched forth a powerful stream of purple-white heated air towards the two smaller dragons. Jake and Lao Shi swiftly parted as the heated gas raced towards them. The shockwave was enough to send several loose buildings crumbling to the ground. "His breath weapon!" Jake called, flapping his wings frantically to catch up to his grandfather. "G, his breath weapon!" "Disintegration," said Lao Shi. "The Stone of Aster is an unlimited power source. I pray he does not attempt any of his Epic Level Spells. Those are the ones that only gods can dispel." The dragon leapt from his perch and swiftly began to pursue the two smaller dragons. "He's after us!" Jake said as he began to dive down. "That's the idea!" said Lao Shi. "Let him follow us. Now, it's up to the Colonel." As the two dragons dodged the mighty jaws of their pursuer, Sam tapped York on the shoulder. The Master Sergeant nodded and readied his gun. "You need to lower me about 20 meters away from the point of injection," said York. "That's pretty close, Sergeant," said the pilot. "It's closer than I want to be," said York. "But that's the range of this thing. Hopefully the kid and the old man can keep him occupied." He lifted the rifle up, holding the scope close to his eye. Sam motioned for Fu Dog to remain silent while York took the shot. York held his breath and fired. The shadowy dragon banked and the dart went whizzing by his neck. "Damn-it!" York called. Fu Dog handed him the other dart. "Shot two," he said. "Make it count. I don't have much left." York shoved the dart in and aimed again for the vulnerable spot behind the head, right at the top of the neck. He took in one final breath and the dart was shot. The dart impacted the neck and the dragon bellowed out just as the poison began to seep its way into his brain. He dropped from the sky, crashing into a line of cars abandoned in the street. Pyrothraxus was twisted and mangled, his wings splayed out in various uncomfortable directions and his legs twisted underneath him. His head leaned to its side and his tongue rolled out over his jaws. The dark color slowly faded away, revealing the rich crimson red scales that it once tarnished. The helicopter landed a few ways away from the Red Dragon as Jake and Lao Shi landed on the cars. Jake transformed back into his human form and bolted for his father. "Dad!" he said. "Dad!" Pyrothraxus did not answer. His eyes were shut tight, his breathing was labored. "He will not answer you," said Lao Shi. "Jonathan is still comatose. It was the Stone of Aster that guided his body to do these horrible atrocities. But now the Stone has been sent back to the recesses of his mind again." "Okay," said York, as he climbed over a car. Sam followed him, helping Fu Dog up. "How do we get him back into the hospital?" "Same way we got him into the hospital before," said Lao Shi. He looked back at Sam and winked at him. Sam just laughed. 0 It took another few days before Pyrothraxus was showing any true signs of regaining full consciousness. He slowly opened an eye and then the other eye, moaning. The Red Dragon yawned and stretched his forelegs on the hospital bed, giving his neck frill a good shake. He wiped an eye and blinked again, clearing his vision. Pyrothraxus found his wife laying her head on the table while his best friend Sam was reclining back on the couch in the room. The room was strange to him. He began to recognize the features of a hospital room. He let loose a rumble, which awoke Susan. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked. Sam roused as well and yawned. His eyes grew wide when he saw Pyrothraxus leaning up in the bed. "Hey, buddy," said Sam. "You're speaking English." "Uh, yeah," said Pyrothraxus. "If I spoke Draconic, you wouldn't understand me–unless I asked where the beer was." Sam laughed. "Jon," said Susan. She walked over to him. "You don't remember talking in Draconic to all of us?" "I did?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Why am I in a hospital? I'm an Ascended Dragon, I don't get sick." "You were in a coma," said Susan. "When you came out of the Far Realm, you were comatose." "I was?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Is that why my head feels like someone just smacked me with an anvil?" "It hurts?" Sam asked, chuckling. Pyrothraxus leaned over and placed his head in his claws: "Like you wouldn't believe. Why do I feel like something pierced my neck?" "Um, it's nothing!" said Sam. "Absolutely nothing." "Okay," said Pyrothraxus. "Uh, so what did I miss?" "Your mother dropped by," said Susan. "Actually, she's still here." "Malystryx?" "Your other mother," said Sam. "Willine." "Oh, good God no!" Pyrothraxus said. He leaned his head back as it started to feel heavy again. His eyes spun around inside their sockets, their fiery light whirling. "Oh, what did she say? Did she call me a monster? Did she threatened to disown me? Is my sister here too?" "Yeah, all three of them are here," said Susan. "They took it rather rough," said Sam. "But Willine is coping, I guess is the right word for it." "Coping?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Willine doesn't cope. She has a freak out and starts climbing the walls." "She's trying," said Susan. "Wonderful," the Red Dragon sighed. "Now, go easy on her," said Susan. "All of this came on a little sudden." "Coming on a little sudden for me as well," said Pyrothraxus. "I should go get her," said Sam. "And tell everyone that you're awake, man. I mean we were all worried." "Did anyone try to take me while I was 'asleep'?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Yeah," said Sam. "But I scared the dude away." "Oh," he said. "Okay." Just as Sam left, Pyrothraxus turned back to the door. "Wait, what?" he asked. "Susan, what did he mean by..." "Jonathan," Susan said, whispering comfortably and patting his head. "It doesn't matter. No one's going to take you away ever again." "How did he...?" "Sam just knows some tricks," said Susan. "Okay," said Pyrothraxus. "I am a little confused here." Susan laughed and kissed him on the cheek though Pyrothraxus kept his befuddled look on his face. Sam came back with Willine. Her pale blue eyes lit up when she found her adopted son leaning up to see her. "Uh, hi, Mom..." Pyrothraxus began. "I–I can explain all of this..." Willine slowly approached the bed as Susan got out of the chair. She helped Willine into the chair and she scooted closer to the dragon. "Really," said Pyrothraxus. "I got really badly sunburned and..." "Jonathan," said Willine. "Pyrothraxus, there is no need to hide. I know everything. Deevdru." "Excuse me?" Pyrothraxus said. "Did I say that right?" Willine asked. "I hope I didn't say it wrong." "You said 'son' in my...who told you how to say..." Pyrothraxus said. "Did I just wake up in a backwards place or something?" "Jonathan!" Willine said. "I'm trying to tell you that no matter what you are, you will always be my son." She came closer and brought his claw into her hand. "I'm glad it was our family who took you in and taught you about human culture. I'm glad because that way you would have a good view on humanity. Who knows what might have happened if some horrible person came and adopted you? I can't think of such a thing." "I'd probably run away and take on a different disguise and try again," said Pyrothraxus. "Would you try again?" Willine asked. "I've lived long enough to know the difference between a good human and a bad one," he said. "Trust me. I've ran into plenty enough bad ones, but there was one good one that showed me differently." Willine smiled. "Christine," said Sam. "Who?" Willine asked. "Lady Christine," said Sam. "A french noble from the early 4th Century who was supposed to be sacrificed to him because the lottery drew her name. Her father tried to prevent it for years, but it drove the villagers to riot. Christine realized what had happened and decided to sacrifice herself to save her village and her father from Jon's–I mean–Pyrothraxus' wrath. She showed Pyrothraxus the meaning of the word sacrifice, goodness, and compassion, and love with her act. In the end she was still killed–so to speak." Pyrothraxus turned away, his eyes downcast. He did not want to look at Willine once he spoke his word. "Devoured," he said. "Is the correct term." Willine withdrew her hand. "Now, I am the monster to you again," he sighed. "But you did feel sorry for what you've done," said Willine. "Only for her death," said Pyrothraxus. "Not for all the other maidens that were brought to me. Not for the lives that I killed beforehand, not for the villages I set ablaze or the civilizations I crumbled. I–was a different person then. I wasn't a person at all." "Even Charles Manson is a monster," said Willine. "Despite him being human." "I am the same as him," he said. "The horrible things I did then. Too numerous to count." "Now, stop it!" Willine said, slapping the dragon's claw. "Now stop it! That's enough. No son of mine, adopted or not is a Charles Manson. You feel sorry for what you did back then, and you're working hard to correct it, aren't you?" "Yes," said Pyrothraxus. He looked back at her. "I am. Trying my best. Though, something tells me I failed somewhere." "We'll talk about that later, Jon," said Sam. "Well, it's all we can ask of you," said Willine. "You are sorry for all the bad mistakes you've made, we've all made them. And what makes you not evil is that you learn from them." "I suppose," Pyrothraxus cocked an eyebrow at her strange logic. "Then, that's all that matters," she said. "I can grow to learn about you again, Jonathan. You were always a strange boy, even when you were hiding all of this from me. You and I have a lot to learn from each other again." "I guess so," he said. "I have an idea," Willine began. "When the doctor finally dismisses him, Jonathan should stay with me for a while!" "What?" Susan said. "Wait, but..." "Oh, now don't worry, Susan," said Willine. "It'll take all this trouble off your hands. I mean, you have two children to look after and a sick husband isn't what you need to hold you down even more. And this will give me and Howard a chance to get reacquainted with our son. We live in that large house with all those acres. He could lay around as huge as he is and rest up." "Actually, Sue," said Sam. "I think that maybe the best thing." "We sold our old house, you know," said Willine. "And finally just decided to move into our Vermont summer home. Oh, and it's such comfortable weather too, not too hot, not too cold..." "Jon's a Red Dragon," said Sam. "They love heat." "Cool weather is fine," said Pyrothraxus, still showing off his befuddled look. "He can lay out on the front lawn and no one will bother him," said Willine. "And we have that nice little lake. I seem to remember Jonathan loving to wade in the lake when he was– um–younger." "I was 5,858 years old then, ma," said Pyrothraxus. "Not all that much younger." "Susan, please?" asked Willine. "Let him come home just for a little bit." "Mom," said Susan. "Zestos is coming and Malystryx is stirring from her nap in Africa. We need Jonathan to be here." "I'm–not gonna be ready to fight them," said Pyrothraxus. "Jonathan?" "I'm just not," he said. You can't expect him to go charging off into battle after being in a coma," said Willine. "Willine," said Susan. "He's a demigod! He doesn't get sick, he does age, he doesn't die. This is nothing to him!" "I think I should go," said Pyrothraxus. "Maybe my absence will keep Zestos away from you and the kids. He'll most likely come after me, not you." "No," she said. "He'll most likely come after us so you would come to him." "Let him come to Vermont," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll be ready. I just need some time to recuperate from the Far Realm." Both Sam and Susan shook their heads in disbelief. They could not believe that Pyrothraxus was running away. Keeping Things From Me

"Your room is upstairs on the left, Jonathan," said Willine. "Thanks," said Jonathan as he quietly shuffled his way up the stairs. He dragged his suitcase up with him, his glasses hanging low on the bridge of his nose. "Trust me, said Willine. "It's for the best. You can rest here without any worries about magic or your family, or the Air Force. You need this." Jonathan made no other comment as he finally reached the top step. "And if you feel that you need to be in your–um–natural self," began Howard. "Go right ahead. The front lawn is yours." "The weather man says it's going to be clear for the rest of the week," said Willine. "It's going to be a lovely first week of autumn. The leaves are already turning." "I just hope we don't get any damned leafers," said Howard, crossing his arms. "Especially if he's going to be all sprawled out on the lawn in his dragon form." As the afternoon waned, Jonathan made good use of the large lawn in front of the quaint country home. He laid in the soft green grass, an enormous wing folded over his body and his massive head tucked under the wing. His other wing was curled around his lower half of his body, making the Red Dragon look like a mass of membrane skin. He shivered slightly when the wind blew across his wings, bringing the chilly fall air. Willine came outside and sat a tray of tea down on a table. She waved politely as one of her neighbors walked up to join her for tea. "Hello, Martha," she said. "Hello, Willine," said Martha. Martha Wilkins glanced over her shoulder to the enormous mass of red scales curled up on the lawn. "Oh-my, is that...?" "That's my Jonathan," said Willine. "We were shocked too. But I am glad that we took him in." "It's a little unnerving with him there." "You'll get used to it with exposure," said Willine. "He's been through so much, I wanted him to come here for a break and just be himself. Well, it was either that or Jonathan skipping off alone to that dank cave he has in the mountains. I didn't want that to happen." "He has a cave?" asked Martha. "Yes," said Willine. "Jonathan, come say hello to Martha Wilkins.” Pyrothraxus made no motion to rise. However, a single claw parted its way between the wings and waved. "I suppose that's as good as any," said Willine. "Oh, he must be very fatigued," said Martha. "Let him rest, Willine." "Yes." She heard a deep growling snore come from the dragon on her lawn. She poured some tea for Martha and both began to politely sip and make idle chit-chat. They discussed the weather, what was going on with Farmer Eggleton's pumpkin harvest this year and Polly May's new dress. Willine wanted to catch up to the latest events since her absence. But she kept one eye on Pyrothraxus who rested soundly. Grayish-white smoke clouds rose from his nostrils, indicating his peaceful slumber. "You know, I heard about what happened in New York a few days ago," said Martha, catching Willine's attention away from the dragon. "That black dragon that came and caused so much damage. They say that 157 people were either killed or injured in the attack. More went missing. I heard it happened relatively close to the hospital that your–uh–son was in." "Yes," said Willine. "I know about it. But the Army was able to handle the situation, thank goodness. You know, Jonathan works for them. He's been telling them all about how to protect people against such monsters. That's why they were able to defend the city so well. It's– too bad he wasn't there to fight it." She leaned in to Martha and whispered. "It's best not to talk about it in front of Jon." "What black dragon?" Pyrothraxus asked. Willine jumped at the sound of his deep, powerful voice. She had not expected it to be so loud as she never heard his voice in his true size before. Her tea cup trembled in her hand as she turned around. Her pale eyes were wide. "Jonathan!" she shouted. "Don't scare me like that!" Martha shared Willine's expression of terror, looking into the dragon's fearsome visage. Pyrothraxus lowered his head to his forepaws, taking on a submissive pose. His ear frills dropped to the ground and his neck frill flattened. Willine could have sworn that he let loose a breathy whimper. "Jonathan," Willine sighed. She leaned over and patted his snout. "I'm still not used to your–hugeness." "I'm sorry," he said. "It's alright," she said. "What dragon?" "It's nothing, Jonathan," she said. "I don't want you to worry about it." "Sam chasing an emissary of the High God away," he began. "Then I hear this news about a black dragon attacking the city while I was in the hospital and no one wants to tell me what happened." "You need your rest," said Willine. "That's what's important. Not this news of a monster attack. Now, go back over there and lay down. Shoo! We're having women talk." "Huh?" "Women talk, Jonathan," she said, giving him a playful slap on his snout. "Oh, you men all alike no matter what the species. You get bored of us girls chatting. So, go back over there and sleep. Or, I have an idea, why don't you go behind the house and enjoy a nice cool dip in the lake." Pyrothraxus rose up onto his all fours and snorted, eying her suspiciously. He could tell that his "mother" was up to something. She was hiding something from him about the attack. However, he still felt a little fatigued. The Red Dragon gave a shake to his frills and lumbered off behind the house and towards the lake. "Why don't you want to tell him about the attack?" asked Martha. "It's because the attack wasn't caused by some 'black' dragon," said Willine. "It was Jonathan." "What?" "There is this thing inside of him," said Willine. "And it controlled him while he was comatose. It was like he was a puppet hanging from strings, he had no control over what he did. He was still unconscious through the whole thing. I don't want to tell him because it would break his heart." Martha took a ship of her tea. "He needs to heal," said Willine. "I'll wait and tell him. I just don't know how he will take it. Susan told me so much about Jonathan that I didn't know. Right now, if he finds out that there is still something inside of him wanting to commit evil in the world, I don't know what may happen to him." She lowered her tea softly to the table and stared at it. She saw her reflection ripple through the light brown liquid and found the worry lines etch their way across her face. "Martha, I don't ever want to say this to anyone," she began. "But even as a child, despite being so well behaved, Jonathan was always trouble. And then, I found out why and he has become even more trouble. I should never think of him like that. Ever." She felt a tear fall down her cheek and wiped it away. "You know when we took him to the doctor to get a shot, I sat and watched as the needle penetrated his skin, he didn't make any move. He didn't cry, he didn't pitch a fit over it. He just stared at me with those strange red eyes. I should have known from the get- go that there was something funny about him when I saw those eyes. I didn't, Martha. If I tried to bring it up, the words would be stolen from me. Then I learned that Jonathan was casting some sort of spell on me to keep me from saying anything." "He was controlling you?" Martha asked. "Yes," said Willine. "But it was only to keep his own identity. Otherwise, we had a normal relationship. It's just that there were the things about him. Patty said he would go off in the middle of the night even when he was 3–or disguised as a 3-year old. In reality he transformed and flew off for a little while and then came back and went to bed. And then there were these other times when he seemed so sickly even when there was nothing wrong with him. He looked as if he was–like an old clock ticking away to the very last. Susan told me that he was actually dying." "Dying?" Martha asked. "I know it seems silly now," said Willine. "I mean look how youthful he looks. I suppose that bold red color is a youthful color on him. Susan said before he ascended–whatever that means–his scales looked faded, like more of a salmon color than brilliant crimson. It was because he was dying. He was getting old, and he was just counting down the years. Can you believe it? I adopted an old man who disguised himself as a young boy. It was so hard to believe but then Jonathan showed it to me. He turned into that boy–that little boy I saw at the adoption agency in the wooden bench, kicking his legs back and forth, waiting so patiently. There he was, after all these years. That dragon could just call upon that form on a whim. He used his spells to age his disguise to make it look like he was growing up. That's how he fooled me and Howard." Willine sighed and sipped at her tea again. Martha poured a cup for herself and then poured one for Willine when she was finally done with hers. "I'm glad you came over, Martha," said Willine. "Talking about this to someone helps me deal with it better." "You can't talk to Jonathan?" asked Martha. "I don't know what he'd say," she replied. "He'd probably think it was just silly of me to complain so much. I mean it's all over now. I know, that's a fact. There's no going back." "Would you rather not know that he is what he is?" "I don't know," Willine said. When Martha felt it was time to leave, she bid Willine goodbye and began walking down the street back to her house. Willine was once more left with her own thoughts of what she could do about her adopted son and the truth behind his dark secret. Most of the evening went by in silence. The three Longs got together for dinner and ate. There was not much to talk about. Willine was not sure if she wanted to speak. Jonathan of course did not speak at all. He just ate. Howard as well ate in silence. When the dinner was finished, Jonathan decided to go back up stairs to his room. He reverted into a human-sized version of his dragon form and hopped into bed, lying on his side. He could still sense that both Howard and Willine were hiding something from him. His head turned slightly towards the wooden door when he heard Howard peek through the opening. "Good night, Jonathan," said Howard. "Or–um–is it mel'thurkear? Is that right?" "You don't have to say it that way," Pyrothraxus rumbled. "English is fine." "Just trying to adjust," said Howard. "Well, night, son." "Howard, I'll say good night to him," said Willine in a hushed voice. "You just go on to bed and watch the news." Howard grumbled and walked away. Willine walked in and Pyrothraxus leaned up off the bed letting the covers drop to his lap. Willine sat down on the bed beside him. "You didn't have to do this," he said. "I'm not exactly your son and that's even more apparent now than it was before. I mean, I was alive and out there fighting battles since before you were even born. It doesn't feel right to call you mother." "But you still do it," said Willine. "Maybe because my own mother was so horrible." "I can still be your mother if you want it," said Willine. "But–do you want it?" Pyrothraxus asked. "I heard you talking about me to Martha Wilkins. I heard what you said. I am more trouble now than I was before and I was trouble then too. You were horrified that I cast suggestion on you when ever situations arose that could reveal my secret." Willine looked down. "Suggestion isn't even a harmful spell," said Pyrothraxus. "If I try to make you harm yourself or anyone else, it negates the spell. I merely just gave you suggestions, helped your mind rationalized what you were seeing so you could dismiss it. I didn't mean for you to think I was hurting you." "I had no idea," she said. "But it still didn't make it right. You were controlling my mind." "No," he said. "I wasn't. I merely just waved my hand and said: 'these aren't the droids you are looking for'. That's all. But there is something you're hiding from me. It has to do with that black dragon. I want to know." "I don't want you to worry about it," said Willine. She lowered him softly to the pillow and rolled up the covers to his chest. "Something is going on here," said Pyrothraxus. "What happened to the dragon? Was it killed? How was the situation handled?" "You'll just make yourself sick with worry if you continue on," said Willine. "Now, just relax and go to sleep." "I'll make myself sick if I don't find out," said Pyrothraxus. "And I don't really need to sleep." "We'll discuss it in the morning, how's that?" Pyrothraxus sighed and then stared directly into her eyes. Willine felt herself become locked to his gaze as his eyes flashed. "You know it would be in your best interest if you tell me what happened." Tell me what happened... Tell me what happened... "A black dragon..." she began in a dream-like state. "Swooped down from the hospital. Sam came in, shouting that you had vanished." Tell me what happened... Tell me what happened... "Sam called Lao Shi," said Willine. "Lao Shi said it was the Twelfth..." "Willine?" Howard came in. "Are you coming to bed? Willine?" Willine blinked as Pyrothraxus broke contact with her. "Jonathan!" Howard called. "What the hell were you doing?" "You did it to me again," said Willine. "You tried to..." She got up and moved towards the door. "Wait a moment, I'm sorry!" said Pyrothraxus. "Really. I just wanted to know..." "We'll discuss it tomorrow, Jonathan," said Willine. "After breakfast. Good night!" The door slammed shut and the Red Dragon was left alone in his room. "Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?" Pyrothraxus asked. "What happened?" He got up off the bed and paced up and down the room like a restless panther. "Twelfth...twelfth what? The Twelfth Talisman? Is that what she's talking about? The Stone of Aster? What about it?" He growled in frustration and quietly came to the door. Pyrothraxus opened the door and poked his head down the hall. He heard the sound of Willine and Howard's TV set turned to the news and let loose another growl. Then whispered and vanished in a mist of crimson. Pyrothraxus finally reformed down the stairs and started for Howard's office. Howard Long had an old computer hooked up to a DSL line. Truly, they were out in the boonies. Pyrothraxus could very well manipulate a computer even with his claws, though he did it better in his human form. He knew this would not take long. He took the mouse into one claw and gave it a good shake, waking up the monitor. Then, he opened up the web browser and began to search for videos on the attack. He knew that somehow, someone must have video taped it. Just like someone video taping him transforming in the school courtyard, this could also have been caught on video as well. Nothing was safe from the eyes of the media anymore. However, for once he was glad. YouTube had a good quality video from the local news that someone recorded and uploaded. Pyrothraxus turned down the sound and played the video. There it was, the black, shadowy dragon perched upon a building, sending purple fire down into the streets below. The dragon was not a Chromatic Black Dragon. It was too big to be one and its horns were not in the right position. They were swept back, not draping forward like horns of a bull. The neck frill was also very prominent and so were those tiger stripes. They glow fiercely violet, like the aura around the creature. Pyrothraxus backed away from the screen, his jaw hanging open. "Oh God!" he said. "Oh God! Oh God, no! No! It can't be! No." He knew the stripe pattern, he recognized the body. The Red Dragon looked all around himself and then pulled up his right claw. There upon the palm was the purple, five pointed star glowing brightly like the aura of the dragon in the video. "Oh God, no!" he said. "It was...it was me. It was me! I did it. I–did it all. I killed those people!" He pulled up another video, this time from someone who shot it with his digital camera. The video was shaky because the human was running. Despite the shakiness, Pyrothraxus could see the images of New Yorkers wrapped in flames, running frantically around and screaming. He saw a mother pushing a stroller with her baby inside and the flames came near to render them into black, charred dust on the street. Pyrothraxus backed up against the wall, his face contorted, his breath heavy. Tears began to stream down his face while the images of people dying in the streets continued to play on the screen. He heard the dragon bellow its roar and then dive off from the building. The camera panned upwards and Pyrothraxus could make out two shapes, one long and blue, the other slightly shorter, but red. They were Lao Shi and Jake Long. The dragon snapped its jaws at them. Then it exhaled its flames at them. They dove away from the searing heat. "Jake," Pyrothraxus said. "Jake. I–I attacked Jake? Oh, Jake. Oh, I'm so sorry." He wiped his eyes with a claw. A shadow of a helicopter appeared above the dragon. Then, the dragon fell from the sky, crashing down onto the ruined streets below, its body looking shattered and disfigured. Pyrothraxus watched as the dragon's black color faded back to crimson red–his color. It really was him. There were comments down below on the video. Some of them asked if it was the Red Dragon of New York who attacked them. Others stated that it could have been some other Red Dragon since it was possible that other Reds could in fact still be around. Though Pyrothraxus knew if he went home, he would not be welcomed there. This was why Willine offered to take him in to her Vermont home instead of having him return to his life in New York after his stay at the hospital. She wanted to protect him. This was why Sam agreed with her decision as well, he wanted to protect him. Even Susan reluctantly agreed after she realized the reason why. It was all for his protection. Pyrothraxus looked down upon his right claw, seeing his ring finger vacant. His brother has his wedding ring. His mother was stirring in Africa, and he was a danger to all who stood around him. He harbored the Stone of Aster, a weapon designed to only to destroy. There was no conquering in the mind of the Stone. Pyrothraxus felt its presence inside of him like a lingering, choking fog. It wanted to destroy. It did not care who's lives it took, or who could be used for its benefit. There was only mindless destruction. Not even the most evil of Chromatic Dragons were like that. Even his mother wanted control, not total annihilation. Though she would kill many to achieve it. Pyrothraxus saw what Pathemos created when he watched the video. Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds... Pathemos had created a ticking atomic bomb trapped inside a simple amulet with a purple star encased on its surface. To it, there were no sides. And Pyrothraxus had swallowed it. Ever since he swallowed his hoard to become fully immortal, he denied that the power of the Stone could overcome him. That was all it was, denial. He denied it to his family, he denied it to his friend, now they deny the truth to him what happened while he was sleeping. The Stone took control, the Stone was his body's mind while his own mind was locked away. There was nothing to fight the Stone. Pyrothraxus sniffled and his head drooped heavily as he walked out of the office. He made his way to the kitchen and picked up the phone from the wall. He dialed for home. All he wanted was to hear the loving voice of his wife. It was growing late and he knew she would probably be in bed already. She would probably be angry with him for calling her so late, but even in her anger, he found comfort. He just wanted to hear it. "Hello?" came the sleepy voice on the other line. "Susan?" asked Pyrothraxus. "It's Jon." "Jon?" asked Susan. "It's late. Why are you calling me?" "I–I got lonely," he said. "Jon, you have your mother and father there," she said. "Call me in the morning." "But," Pyrothraxus began. "Good night, Jon," she said. "Susan, wait!" Pyrothraxus said. "I did it! I killed all those people. That black dragon was me." There was a long pause on the phone. All he could hear was her breath, which was now cracking in a sob. "Sue?" "I'm–I'm alright," said Susan. "Sue, I know," said Pyrothraxus. "Did–did Willine tell you?" she asked. "No," he said. "I found out on my own. Though I did try to cast a spell on her to make her talk." "Jon," Susan sighed. "Don't do that." "She hates me now," said Pyrothraxus. "By the way. And now I hate myself." "Don't. It wasn't your fault." "Tell that to the mother and baby I just roasted." "What?" Susan asked. "One of the videos showed a mother pushing a baby in a stroller and both got burned," he said. "Oh, Jonathan," Susan sighed. "Look, sleep on it. Just sleep on it. Please? We'll talk about it in the morning." "Can I talk to Jake?" Pyrothraxus asked. "He's sleeping," she said. "I want to talk to him." "Jonathan, please, not tonight," said Susan. "I need to talk to him," Pyrothraxus said, his voice deepening into a whisper. "Please?" "Okay," said Susan. "Okay. Give me a moment." He waited at the phone for a few minutes for her to return with Jake. When he heard the other end began to move, his eyes sparkled at the sound of an annoyed, tired, teenage voice at the end. "Dad?" Jake asked. "Hey, Jake-Michigan," said Pyrothraxus. "How–how ya doin', kiddo?" "Dad it's 12am," he said. "I got school tomorrow." "I know," said the Red Dragon. I know. I want to tell you I'm sorry. I am so sorry that I tried to hurt you. Twice." "Twice?" "Once when I was fighting Ithfaedeus and then the last time," said Pyrothraxus. "That black dragon was me. I know. I saw it all. I saw a video, I saw a couple of videos. It was me. I didn't see you, I didn't see anything. I didn't hear anything. But I nearly killed you, son." "Dad," said Jake. "I know it wasn't you." "It was me." "No, it was the Stone," said Jake. "I know that." "You were right, Jake. I can't control it. There goes my draconic arrogance, thinking I'm in full control when I'm not. You see why I sometimes don't like my own species? We get so full of ourselves that we just...we just do stupid things." Pyrothraxus wept, his tears splashing on the receiver. He leaned against the wall, sinking down to the floor. "Who, who took me down?" he asked. "Colonel Davidson," said Jake. "Actually, he had his friend do it–that Sergeant York guy. It was an adamantine dart loaded with diluted Dragon Bane." "Good shot," said Pyrothraxus. "I wonder what the General is saying now. She probably wants my head mounted above a fire place or something." "They're not gonna tell her," said Jake. "They're going to make up a story and say it was some other Red Dragon." "God, Sam's risking his job again for me," said Pyrothraxus. "After what I did, I really don't deserve this. I should call him..." "No," said Jake. "Go to bed, Dad. Worry about it tomorrow." Pyrothraxus sighed: "Alright. I will. Love you, Jake." "Yeah," said Jake. "Night." He heard the phone being hung up on the other side as the dial tone rang out again. Pyrothraxus let the receiver slip out of his claw, dangling from the wall mount. He raised his right claw again to look at its palm and the star glowing on it. "I should cut you off," he said. "But–you'd grow back just to spite me!" He began to pout, curling himself under his wing in the dark kitchen. He heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him. "Jonathan?" Willine had heard him talking on the phone and came down to see what was going on. "Jonathan, dear Lord, why are you up?" she asked. Willine knelt down to him, wiping away some of the tears from his face. "What's wrong?" she asked. "What happened?" "I saw the videos," he replied. "I saw the black dragon destroying New York City. That was no black dragon. That was a Red Dragon with scales that only looked black. That dragon was me." He turned to her. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't any of you tell me?" "We wanted to protect you right now," said Willine. "I wanted you to recover in peace, not go into some deep depression over what happened. And it wasn't you. They told me that you were only being controlled by something else." "You believed them?" asked Pyrothraxus. "You just took it at face value? I just told you that I used to eat virgins from a French town as a bargain with the resident lord so I wouldn't attack it! And did you know what I did when I was young? Did you know what I used to do with the Stone of Aster before I swallowed it? The Dead Sea comes to mind. It wasn't a salt lake before. I poisoned the waters with salt to screw up the irrigation and starve out the town as well as make them suffer from dehydration! They had to get their water from somewhere else, and this was a desert, water isn't easy to come by. And that was just an experiment to see what all I could do with the Stone. My mother Malystryx created the Sahara Desert because she wanted to roast some hairless apes with the sun. Why? Because she could. No reason, she just wanted to screw with a bunch of hairless apes." "Jonathan," said Willine. The Red Dragon began to weep again. "Jonathan," said Willine, bringing him close to her. She leaned Pyrothraxus up against her and held him close, allowing him to cry on her shoulder. "Whatever this Stone is, it was the one who killed all those people, not you." "I was its vessel," he said. "It used my body." "Stop it," she said. Willine pulled his face close to her so she could look deeply into his eyes. "This was not your fault. Don't beat yourself over it. And go upstairs and get back to bed. You should sleep it off." "I can't sleep off burning a mother and her child," said Pyrothraxus. "Jonathan, you tell me you've killed, maimed, raped, and God knows what when you were evil," said Willine. "But this bothers you?" "Why would you ask such a question?" "I adopted a Chromatic Red Dragon," said Willine. "Colonel Davidson told me everything that Red Dragons tend to do." "I'm a Red Dragon that has a conscience," said Pyrothraxus. "When I was evil, I didn't care about who I stepped on to get power. Now I do. That was wrong. All my magic, I can't bring that mother and her child back." "Jonathan," said Willine. "Go to bed. You need your rest. When you wake in the morning, your head will be clearer." "I really did wake up in an opposite dimension," said Pyrothraxus as he rose up. "This doesn't make sense." Willine followed behind him as they ascended the stairs. She walked him back into his room and as he got into bed, she pulled the covers over his shoulders. "Jonathan," she said. "I don't want you taken from me, or from Susan, or from your children. That's why I didn't want you to know. I want the world to believe that it was a different dragon." "They saw my red scales," said Pyrothraxus. "After the effects of the Stone wore off." "They are going to tell people that it was a different dragon," she said. "Even the General will think it's a different dragon," said Pyrothraxus. "Jonathan," began Willine. "Just like you tried to get the information out of me with your 'magic' eyes, I have no doubt you could full an Air Force General and a whole city." "Do I want to? I should be locked up." "Where? Where would they put you?" Pyrothraxus laid down on the pillow. "What am I going to do?" he asked. "Go to sleep," she said. "And we'll have a lovely breakfast tomorrow." "Lovely breakfast," he sighed as he slowly began to close his eyes. She rubbed his chest, listening to him purr deeply. Then, Willine rose up and headed for the door. She walked through the door of her own room and climbed into bed. "What happened?" asked Howard. "Jonathan found out what he did," she said. Howard sighed and shook his head: "I never thought that raising a boy would be so damned complicated." "It's not raising a boy," said Willine. "It's raising an already fully grown dragon with a past we never knew about. That's the difficult part." "I know," he said. "I suppose I'm still in denial about all of this. I don't want to see him as that." "Neither do I," she said. "But if I go that route, I'll go bat-crazy." Howard leaned over to kiss her on her cheek: "Good night, honey." "Good night." Willine turned off the light and finally pulled the covers over her shoulders. Tremors

He rolled around in the darkness. It swept over him like a fowl wind, freezing him to the bone. Flecks of violet light punctured the cloudy air as the darkness wrapped itself around him. He felt himself tumble down farther, being pushed along by churning chaos. He was there again, inside the Strange Matter soup of the Far Realm. Just a few moments ago, he was shutting his eyes as his adoptive mother left for bed. Now he re-entered the horrible realm again. This was what being an Abomination was like. An Abomination? You have become greater than that. He whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice into his head. A golden glow pierced the inky darkness. Pyrothraxus turned away from the light, knowing what it was behind it. He dared not look at it. Why turn away from me? I am peace, a salvation that you have long deserved, absolution that you begged for years to be heard. Embrace me, do not shun me. Pyrothraxus shook his head. The thing inside of you was taken from me. The atrocities you have caused through it because its evil will never let you be. I can be that control of the darkness from within. I can wash away your filthy sin. He wanted to deny the voice. Do you need an example? Pyrothraxus' eyes opened and he rose up from his bed. His breath became labored as he looked upon his claws. The blackness that invaded his peaceful dreams began to crawl up his skin. Become one with me and I can make the pain go away. Pyrothraxus let loose a growl just as the inky blackness continued its way up his neck. His stripes began to glow violet again as the purple aura pulsed around him. His fiery eyes became purple-white and vacant. He started to cough, falling out of bed. His whole body was as black as the vacuum of space. When his claws touched the floor, they became more transparent. As he coughed again, the fiery blood started to drip from the corners of his jaws. Do you want the pain to go away? It was not the Stone that spoke to him. The Stone had no voice. The Stone was just essence itself, destructive upon others. It was a singularity of emptiness, sucking in all that came in contact with it. The voice however was a part of the Stone, or rather the Stone was a part of it. Pyrothraxus heavily strode towards the mirror in his room and looked upon his refection. He could barely see his face. He tried to call out, to form some words from his mouth. He wanted help, something to tear the darkness off of his scales. No audible words came from his mouth. Instead they were replaced by a garbled growl as his blood continued to drip from his lips. The hot liquid splashed upon the floor and collected into pools, igniting the polyester carpeting into flames. Pyrothraxus coughed when he saw the fire rise up and he quickly attempted to bat it out with his claws. He placed his claw over his mouth and swallowed his blood back down his throat. His throat was raw. He backed away from the mirror and headed for the door. As a single black claw came out to touch the door, Pyrothraxus yelped in fear. The door began to fold in upon itself as the air around it rippled. The door shrank down and imploded into a single point, only to poof out of existence. Pyrothraxus growled in horror. Let me in. Pyrothraxus shook his head and curled up. He focused his thoughts internally upon the Stone's power. He opened his mouth and attempted to speak again. "I took you...you are mine to control." The shadowy blackness, which tarnished his lovely scales, began to withdraw. His scales slowly returned to their brilliant red color and his stripes faded back to their black color. His eyes turned from violet white to fiery red and the last of his blood dripped from his throat. He took in a deep breath and exhaled a wisp of smoke from his nostrils. It will return. You can count on it. You need me. "I don't need anyone," said Pyrothraxus. "Certainly no help from a monstrosity like you." He returned to his bed and closed his eyes. Pyrothraxus rumbled, hoping that he would not be attacked again during the night. 0 Pyrothraxus made a good use of the day once more just laying around on the front lawn. A few times, he received stares from some of the neighbors who were out for a walk. They could not help themselves as they stopped in front of the massive Great Red Wyrm slumbering in the grass. One eye was half-lidded, the glowing, cat-like iris keeping a vacant vigil upon the humans as they walked by. It was how all Red Dragons slept. Smoke rose from his nostrils as he rumbled soundly. His body was curled into a ball with his tail coiled up under his chin. One of his hind feet came up to scratch his ear lobe. His forepaws were crossed under his long neck. Willine walked outside with Howard. When she saw the people walking by, pointing at the enormous dragon, Willine rushed out onto the cobble walkway. Howard quickly followed her. "Now, shoo!" Willine called. "Shoo! Get away. Leave him be!" Pyrothraxus stirred, uncoiling his body and stretched his wings. He opened his mouth and his forked tongue rolled out just as he let loose a sleepy yawn. He began to stretch out, arching his hind quarters up and wiggling his front paws only to lean down and rear up onto his front paws to stretch his hind legs. Willine ducked just as his massive red tail swung around over her head. As he shifted his stance, he sent several tremors through the ground. Willine covered her face when Pyrothraxus gave his over-sized wings a couple of light flaps. He snapped his wings to his sides, wiggling the digits around to pop them. "Jonathan, just go back to sleep," said Willine. "Don't mind them." "Jonathan go back to sleep," Pyrothraxus growled, his deep voice reverberated in the air. "Jonathan go to bed. Jonathan, don't worry yourself. You're either treating me like an old senile man, or a little boy too young to have any sort of real-world stress." "I'm only trying to make you feel more comfortable," said Willine. "I didn't mind you mothering me when I was disguised as a child," said Pyrothraxus. "It was expected, but now I'm disguised as a 40-year old man. At least treat me like such." "You're not disguised as anything," said Howard. "You're out there, scales and everything for all the world to see!" Pyrothraxus huffed and fell onto his back. "Quite frankly, I have a problem with it!" Howard continued. "It's disturbing the neighbors. Why did you suggest that he'd be allowed to do that, Willine?" "Sam told me that magic actually takes a lot out of a person," said Willine. "And given what happened to him, I don't want him to stress too much on his abilities. I want him to relax." "He can be a dragon inside the house, you know," said Howard. "But outside, I want him human." "I don't want to turn Jonathan into a hermit while he's staying with us." "Before we met him, that dragon's been sleeping in a cave since the friggin' 10th Century!" Howard yelled. "How's that for being a hermit? And from what I heard, dragons are nothing but giant hermits. They like being cooped up in caves." Pyrothraxus leaned his head down, lifting a claw to his forehead and gave a growl. His lips pulled over his fangs. "Zlonzic!" the Red Dragon bellowed. "Will you two just stop?" His bellow frightened the onlookers away and called the attention of Howard and Willine. Pyrothraxus rumbled deeply and quickly snatched both humans up into his huge claw. Opening the fingers up, he brought the two close to his snout. "Maybe this isn't working out," he said. "I should return to New York." "New York?" Howard asked. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news." "Howard, not now," said Willine. "Is there something else you're hiding?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Let's just say that because they didn't see their heroic Red Dragon, and saw that shadowy black dragon," began Howard. "Your PR isn't all that great." "Not my fault that I was hospitalized." "They didn't know that you were," said Willine. "You know," began Pyrothraxus. "I don't care about how they think of me. I am who I am and I will do what I must." He lowered them down to the ground. "And no one will stand in my way. I will go about my life as I did before as best as I can and if humans are going to attack me because they think I'm some sort of monster, then they have not matured since the old days." He sighed and shook his neck frill. "Just don't treat me like a senile old man or a little boy who can't handle the real world," he said. "I just went into Hell, I was thrown into a chaotic, horrible, indescribable place that even your nightmares could never conjure up–and when I returned, I would be forever more hunted because I have been changed by the place–because being there will scar anyone for life and even beyond life. I am lucky to even have some amount of sanity coming out of all of that." "And because of that, we're just trying to make things easier for you," said Willine. "I don't need things easier for me," said the dragon. "I don't need someone holding my claw everywhere I go, patting my head as if to say 'everything will be alright, Jon'. I have a job to do. What I need is someone to talk to, to unload everything that I had witness upon in confidentiality, and then not judge me for what I have experience. But apparently, I'm not getting that from either of you." He lowered himself back down to the grass. "Tell me, how long am I to stay here?" he asked. Both Willine and Howard looked to each other, and then back to him. They shook their heads and shrugged. "Wonderful," said Pyrothraxus. "Fine, I will stay here a little while longer. If they stare at me again, don't bother them. Let them. Maybe with more exposure, people will come to accept a dragon living among them." He laid his head down again and curled up for another nap. Howard grumbled again and walked back towards the house. Willine came up to him and paused just before his thorny cheek. She watched as the eyes began to close again. She wanted to reach out and touch him and hold him just as she did when he was 'younger'. He appeared to like that back then. Not anymore. Willine lifted a shaking hand to a cheek horn and placed on the smooth surface. Then, she withdrew it and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She lowered her head and walked away. Pyrothraxus opened one eye and lifted his head slightly up off of the ground. He roved his head over towards her and his jaws parted. His tongue came out and licked her back, nearly knocking her over. His tongue was barely moist and not at all slimy. Though she was started by the gesture. Willine looked back at the dragon and rose up from the ground. She leaned into his thorny chin as he nuzzled her with his snout. "Oh, Jonathan," she said. "I know you're trying to help me," said Pyrothraxus. "But I hate to tell you..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You're doing it wrong." She could not help but to laugh. There he was, the Jonathan she knew. He always had a slight sarcastic humor to him when he pointed out her mistakes. He curled his whole body around her and continued to nuzzle her affectionately. "Jon," she began, pulling away from him. "I don't want you to be depressed. And you're right, no more telling you to go to bed or just go take a nap. It's time for you to get off your lazy tail and start moving around. I could use your help in some chores in the house, you know." "Aw, ma..." the dragon said. "Now, enough of that," she said, patting him. "Get up, let's go." "Yes, ma," Pyrothraxus said as he rose up onto his all fours. His change was swift and smooth and it nearly brought out a shocked scream from Willine. Jonathan dusted the sleeves of his pale-orange polo shirt off and straightened out his khaki shorts. He brought out a pair of thick rimmed glasses from his back pocket and placed them on his nose. The glasses light brown shade dulled the fiery red eyes perfectly. The whole day was spent doing various chores around the house, sweeping, wiping, and dusting. Willine made good use of Jonathan's super strength though when she needed something heavy moved. Later, they were finally having dinner. This time it was more talkative. The Longs were lively after the day. Jonathan exchanged a few humorous stories of his life prior his trek across the Atlantic. Then, during dinner, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," said Howard. "Excuse me." Willine smiled at Jon, her eyes squinting with happy laugh lines. "You seemed relax for he first time since you came here," she said. "I feel a bit better," said Jonathan. "That's good," she said. "Jonathan!" called Howard. "A visiter." "I wasn't expecting anyone," said Jonathan. "Go and see who it is," said Willine. Jonathan rose up from his seat and headed for the door. Howard stood away from the door his face was pale. His hands seemed to tremble a little from the sight of the visitor. Jonathan turned to face the visitor. It was a hooded being with a scarf covering most of its features. However, it was not a shadowy emissary of the High God. Jonathan knew what those looked looked like. That was when Jonathan spied a purple-black octopus tentacle wiggle free from under the scarf covering its face and two white eyes staring coldly at him. "Ma, Dad," said Jonathan. "Go to the neighbors." "Jonathan, what's wrong?" Willine walked up from behind him. "Who is this?" "Never mind," said Jonathan. "Just head for the neighbors. Now!" "We should do what he says," whispered Howard. "Just let him visit with his–um–friend." The visitor nodded as Howard took Willine by the arm and guided her out of the house. As soon as they started down the dark walkway, Jonathan turned back to the hooded figure, his eyes narrowing. "An Illithid," he snarled. "Yes, Pyrothraxus." "What do you want, Mind Flayer?" asked Jonathan. "I am Krllact," the Illithid said. "I am a friend of Lao Shi. You have nothing to fear from me. I will not harm your surrogate caregivers." "Lao Shi never told me he was friends with a creature of the Far Realm," said Jonathan. "Do not think of me as such," said Krllact. "My kind has existed in this universe since the Hydra first punctured his way into it. However, unlike him, we have grown to adjust and live in harmony with our new home dimension." "Your kind have young who do nothing but possess hosts to create more of you," said Jonathan. "You even possess dragons." "Yes, it is the only way we can reproduce," said Krllact. "Even we have the right to survive." Jonathan crossed his arms. "I have not come here to discuss such things, Pyrothraxus," he said. "I have come to give you something." "What is it?" Krllact pulled a leather bound book from his enormous sleeve and handed it to Jonathan. As Jonathan reached out to take it, the book began to light up with familiar violet light and a symbol appeared on the cover. It was the five-pointed star of the Stone of Aster. This book was Pathemos' Journal. "Where did you get this?" he asked. "This was on the Isle of Draco." "I have my ways," said Krllact. "You need this book to understand what is inside of you." "Why give this to me?" "We brothers of the Far Realm must stick together," he replied. "I am no brother to you," Jonathan said in disgust. "And there you lie to yourself," said Krllact. "Don't fight it, you will only succumb to insanity if you do. Embrace it. What Pathemos did was wrong. He cannot control the essence of the Far Realm in a little trinket." "What did you just say?" Jonathan asked. "Ask yourself why you did not go mad when you saw the Far Realm for what it is, Pyrothraxus," said the Illithid. "You will find your answer in that book. Embrace the change, become one with the chaos and sculpt it. It needs direction. That is your only hope." Jonathan sighed as he tucked the book under his arm. "I bid you goodnight, Pyrothraxus," said Krllact. "May you put that book to good use." Jonathan watched as the Illithid silently walk away from the door only to disappear into the night. He turned back to the book and gripped it tightly. It continued to pulse as if it could sense the Stone of Aster swimming around inside Jonathan's veins. Jonathan cringed at the thought of the dark energy worming its way through his body. His stomach churned and he knelt over, dropping the book from his arm. He dropped down onto the floor and began to cough. The door opened and Willine and Howard came through. The two rushed to him just as the purple aura of the book began to engulf him. Jonathan's body swiftly morphed back into his dragon form. His scales were not red, but black again and the shade of purple tint causing them to glow. The dragon was on his knees. He curled his head under, coughing up his fiery blood again. "Jonathan!" Willine called just as she knelt down to him. She reached out for him. "No..." Pyrothraxus said as he gurgled. "Don't..." Willine shook her head, ignoring his warning and took hold of him. She leaned him towards her. She looked over at the book and saw the dark energy flowing out from it and towards Pyrothraxus. "Howard," she said. "That book." Howard grabbed the book and put it on a shelf. Pyrothraxus' form melted away to Jonathan. "Did that creature give that thing to you?" Willine asked. "That book is the journal belonging to Pathemos," said Jonathan. "He created the Stone. The Illithid gave it to me so I could...maybe learn more about what I'm dealing with. I didn't expect it to do that..." "I think it's time for bed," said Willine. "We'll deal with that book in the morning." She helped him up and walked him up the stairs for bed. New Toys

"Now, Jonathan," began Willine, holding up a flash card. "Say cow." The little boy in front of her pointed at the cow picture on the flash card, his bright red eyes glistening. "Béost," he said. "No, 'cow'," she said. "Béost," said Jonathan. "Rhyvos." "I started taking down those words he's been saying, honey," said Howard. "And took it down to the college. You know, one of the historians said he's been speaking an older form of English." Willine looked back at him: "What?" "He knows English, Willine," said Howard. "Just not the English we use. Béost is the word 'cow' in Old English. In fact, the professor down there state it's where we get the phrase 'beast of burden' as in cow, from." "Then what does rhyvos mean?" asked Willine. "I don't know," he said. "I showed them those other words he says and they can't identify it. Some of the words he writes looks like some sort of ancient cuneiform, whatever that is." "Rhyvos sy béost," said Jonathan. "Ealenglisc." "I think he just said English," said Howard. "Say it again, son. English." "Englisc," said Jonathan. "You know," began Howard. "I bet if we take him down to the college, and have him talk to the language professors down there, they could make him into some sort of child prodigy." "No!" Willine said. "I don't want my son to be poked and prodded at or examined like some freak in a side-show. I'll teach him current English and we'll forget all about this." "Come on, Willine," said Howard. "No," she said. "He's 3 years old, and been through some sort of traumatic event. I don't want anything else happening to him." "You're spoiling him," he said. "He'll turn into a momma's boy if you're not too careful." Willine shook her head and showed the card back to Jonathan again. "Cow," she said. "Béost," said Jonathan. "C–ooww." "That's it!" said Willine. "He said cow, Howard!" "Well, maybe if you help him match the word with the picture and what he knows of that old form of English, you could teach him properly," said Howard. "I mean, it's still English, just it's very old." Willine pulled out another card. "Sheep," she said. "Éow," said Jonathan. "I think he's saying sheep," said Howard. "He knows what the animal is." "Jonathan, say it in modern English," said Willine. "Sheep." "Sh–she–eep," said Jonathan. "Sheep. Éow." "He knows the difference, honey," said Howard. "Cúmeolc, cwœ?" Jonathan asked. "What?" asked Willine. Jonathan pointed at the refrigerator. She walked over to the fridge and opened it up. Jonathan pointed to the glass bottle of milk. "Milk?" she asked. "Cúmeolc," said Jonathan, nodding. "Cwœ?" "He's saying please, I think," said Howard. "Manners at the age of 3." Jonathan held his hand out and waited patiently for her to pour the milk into a small sippy-cup. She poured the milk and handed it to him. "Geþancian," said Jonathan in a polite tone as he sat down in the kiddie chair. "Usually, at that age, we have to tell them how to say please and thank you," said Willine. "Maybe his previous parents already taught him that," said Howard. "It's so unnatural," said Willine. "Just be happy we don't have to teach him manners," said Howard. "I like it." Willine shook her head and walked up to her adopted son. She touched his shoulder and the little child looked up at her. He had a little white bit of film on his lips from his milk and licked his lips. "Come on, Jonathan," said Willine. "Time for bed." "Slœp?" Jonathan asked. "Sleep, yes," she said. "Uh–okay." "So glad you learned that," she said as she took his hand. They walked up the stairs to his room. Jonathan and Willine heard the sound of music coming from the room next door. It was Patchouli playing her favorite Beatles album. Just as Willine guided Jonathan into his room, she poked her head into Pat's room as well. "Time to pack that up, Patty dear," she said. "Yes, mom," said Patty. "Gode niht, Patty," said Jonathan, peeking through the door. "Goodnight too, weirdo..." Patty sighed as she pulled the needle off the record. "Patty, that's not nice," said Willine. "So what, he doesn't even understand," said Patty. "He sounds like he's speaking German or something." "It's still not nice," said Willine. "Come on, Jonathan." She helped him up into his bed and then placed her hands together in prayer. Jonathan mimicked her and shut his eyes. "Now I lay me down to sleep," said Willine. "I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord..." "Vethisepa clax," Jonathan said, finishing the prayer. Willine sighed as she watched him lay down. "I suppose that's good enough," she said. "God understands all languages." Jonathan put his glasses on the nightstand and Willine placed her hand on his hair. Then, she kissed him on the forehead. "Good night, Jonathan," she said. "Gode niht, ácennicge," he said. Willine leaned over and turned out the light. She looked over her shoulder just as Jonathan turned around and closed his eyes. Then, she left, keeping the door slightly cracked to let in the night light. Just as he heard her walk down the stairs, Jonathan leaned up off of his bed. The boy pulled the covers away and hopped out. "Svabol tiric weirdo jatil?" he whispered to himself. "Munthreki." With that, his form shifted, growing larger and larger. He knelt to his hands as they morphed into claws. As he continued to transform, the boy climbed out the window and leapt from the gutter. As he landed onto the ground, his true, massive form took shape. The little 3- year old boy was not a little boy, but a fully grown, Great Wyrm Red Dragon who had seen many thousands of years before any of the humans who lived in this house were even born. His name was Pyrothraxus the Red, not Jonathan Long. Pyrothraxus swung his head around when he saw a lamp turn on in Patchouli's window. His heavy footfalls awoke her. The Red Dragon looked down at his massive claws, taking note of the enormous footprints they made. Again, like the many nights before, he would have to attempt to cover them up, only to hear Howard scream again about his yard being wrecked by 'vandal's. He understood the Modern English word for that. Still, learning this strange, new, dialect heavy version of English was trying for him. There were so many slang words. He barely even learned what the humans called Old English by the time he left Wales in the early 10th Century for the New World. Now, he was stuck in the New World learning this 'New English' brought over from Britannia long ago while he slept. At least the human female Willine proved to be patient with him. He always admired humans who had patience. He had grown quite attached to her as well. Patchouli opened her window and Pyrothraxus brought himself against the house with a very un-dragon-like squeak from his jaws. "Vobit," he said in his native language. "Zklaen ti origato wer upadoc vrak ocuir ve." "What's going on?" she asked. "Again with the noise?" She turned around only to find the massive Red Dragon desperately trying to stay still against the house. Her sleepy eyes widened as she stared at him. "Thric, thric, thric, gethrisj spical drekiw, moxt myvish," said Pyrothraxus, shaking his huge horned head at her. "Mom..." she whispered. "Dad...mom...dad...mo–monster...MONSTER!" "Ilieh..." the dragon sighed, lowering his head into a claw. "Patty! No. Monster. Bed. Now." It was broken English, but it was the best he could do. He had to do this every single night. Every night, she would see him like this, and every night he had to try and get her to go back to sleep while he took a short flight around the small community. "Monster..." she continued to scream. "Aweggán!" Pyrothraxus hissed at her. "Bed. Bed. Bed!" He kept pointing with his claw back towards where her bed was. "Lást bedrest," he said, finally pitching his voice back to the familiar child's voice she knew. Patty suddenly stopped screaming and stared at the massive Red Dragon again. He lowered his head and his glowing eyes looked at her. "No hurt," he said. "No hurt." "J–Jonathan?" Patty asked. Pyrothraxus sighed and pointed to himself: "Jonathan." "Are you the Boogie Man or something?" she asked. "Svabol?" "You know, the Boogie Man," she said. She placed her hands up to her head and tried to make a scary face. "Oogedity Boogety..." Pyrothraxus just mimicked her. "Oh, you still don't know English," said Patty. "I knew you were a weirdo. Just didn't know how much." "Svabol tiric weirdo jatil?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Speak English!" "Englisc." "No I mean American English, big dummy," she said. "So, what are you really?" Pyrothraxus reared up and extended his wings as silently as he could. He puffed out a small bout of fire from his snout and then lowered back down to her. "Si mi Charir Darastrix," he said. "What?" she asked. "English, please." "Fýrdraca," he replied. "A what?" "Draca," he said again. "Draca!" She shook her head. "Draco..." he said. "Draco, like the constellation?" Patty asked. "Draco the Dragon? Wait, you're a dragon? A real dragon? So, why can't you speak English?" Pyrothraxus rumbled, shaking his head. "Of course, if you can't speak it, then you can't answer," said Patty. "Wish you did though." "I do know English," said Pyrothraxus. "It's just that the English I know has been dead since the 12th Century. You've upgraded the language, mixing it with other languages like French and Spanish and a few of the Eastern Languages too. I hardly recognize it anymore." "I understood that," said Patty. "How did you..." "A spell," he said. "It won't last long. The reason why you can understand me is so I can do this." He brought his eye close to her and her image reflected off of its glowing pool. "It is better that this was a dream you had," he said. "A fanciful dream and Jonathan is asleep in the bed." "It's a dream..." she said as her eyes became heavy. "You are tired from the day, little Patchouli," said Pyrothraxus. "Time for bed." Time for bed... Time for bed... Patchouli slowly slid away from the window and climbed back into bed. Then, she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. Pyrothraxus sighed and launched into the night air, feeling the freedom of flight once more. He only flew a few laps across a 10-mile radius from his home, trying to keep his flights short. Then, as he landed back at the Long house, he reverted back into his human form–that of a small boy, went back through the window and into bed. He was suddenly jerked up when Willine opened the door. Jonathan sleepily wiped his eyes. "Dask-dask?" he asked. "Jonathan?" she asked. "I heard screaming." "Patty," he said. "Patty." "Patty screamed?" Willine asked. Jonathan nodded. "Okay," said Willine. "Go back to sleep." Jonathan nodded again and laid back down. He awoke again when he heard the muffled voices next door. "I was dreaming," said Patty. "I saw a monster again, the same monster! Why am I having these dreams?" "I should take you to the doctor tomorrow, Patty," said Willine. "They started ever since you brought home that little twerp," said Patty. "Don't talk like that," said Willine. "Just go back to sleep. We'll handle this in the morning." Jonathan curled up, a single tear dropping from his lower lid. "Si mi bivai, myvish," he whispered. He never meant to cause his new family any trouble. He only wanted to find his enemy Ithfaedeus, throw him back into his prison, and never deal with this again. Once he did that, he knew he would part ways with the Longs–more likely find a way to fake his death and then disappear back into his cave. He looked up at the ceiling just as he heard Howard Long call out from downstairs. "Oh, who wrecked the yard again?" he asked. Jonathan closed his eyes, pulling the cover over his head. He was trouble... Jonathan opened his eyes from the dream he had of days long passed. He thought about just how much trouble he was to the Longs then and especially now. Jonathan leaned up off of the bed and sighed. He was not going to get his rest tonight. He glanced over at the clock and noticed it was now in the waking hours of the morning. The sun had not even rose and the moon was on its way to setting. Jon scratched the lobe of his ear and got up. He made a decision, if he could not sleep, then he would do something productive. He got dressed in a pair of running shorts and a sweatshirt and tied on his running sneakers. Jonathan ran down the stairs and quietly snuck out the door. It was a cool and refreshing morning. Jonathan took a deep breath and began to stretch out his tendons. He swung his arms around, getting the blood flowing in his limbs. Then, he started to jog in place. With a deep breath, Jonathan took off jogging. It was an uneventful jog. A few times he passed a neighbor out walking his dog in the wee hours in the morning. The man had a flashlight and was wearing an orange, reflective vest so that cars could spot him. He even suggested that Jonathan should wear one too if he was going to jog in the dark. Jonathan thank the man for his advice and went right on jogging. The man did not even realize he just spoke to the Red Dragon that people talked about sleeping in Willine's yard. Jonathan was once more just another human being again, something he liked. He met another human who was also out for an early morning jog. She agreed to jog along side of him for a few miles and they conversed under their heavy breathing. She too did not realize he was a dragon. He was just another human to her. Jonathan was enjoying it. Then when that was over, she parted ways from him and jogged back to her own house. His keen eyes spotted a car passing by and he quickly moved out of the way. The car did not stop or even pause to stare at him strangely. To the driver, Jonathan was just another human out for a brisk jog. He kept his stamina up, breathing in and out as he set an easy pace. Finally when he felt he jogged enough, Jonathan headed for home. He passed the man with the dog one more time as he made his way back to the house. Already, the sun was starting to rise, casting a shade of pink in the eastern sky. The moon was setting, turning orange as it crept down below the rim of the Earth. Jonathan saw the house lights on. Willine and Howard were finally up, getting breakfast started. He opened the door and panted, smiling from his jog. "Jonathan!" said Willine. "Where on Earth were you?" "Out for a morning jog," he said. "It's what I normally do. I just haven't been because I've not been feeling well." "Glad to hear it, son," said Howard. "Good morning jog in the cool air can really clear the sinuses." "And I've got a lot of sinus to clear," said Jonathan. "You weren't jogging in your..." Willine began. "No," he said. "I wasn't. And I saw a few people on the road too. They just thought I was another human. It was so wonderful to have that feeling again, back when you, or my wife and kids, or Sam, or anyone knew about...what I am." "You never really wanted any of us to know?" "Mom, there's a huge part of me that wants to be human," said Jonathan. "Why? I don't know. I guess it's because when I was pretending to grow up as a human, I really got into a part. Now, being a dragon just feels awkward. And also, it has to do with being a dragon seems to get in the way and cause so much trouble for everyone. I dreamt last night about when I was pretending to be 3 and I heard Patty say that I caused her nightmares." "Oh, she was just upset because she dreamt some monster would appear outside her window every night," said Willine. "You never caused it." "No," he said. "Don't you see, that monster was me? When I transformed every night to take a small flight around the suburbs, she would catch me in the act. I would have to put her to sleep and tell her it was all a dream. But then she'd wake up screaming saying that she had nightmares about me. I didn't want to scare her, and I didn't mean it. But she was just frightened of me." "Were you also the one who messed up the yard every night too?" asked Howard. "Yes," said Jonathan. "I should fit you with the damned bill each time I had to fix the lawn. No doubt you could pay for it too with that hoard of yours." "I'm sorry," said Jonathan. "Really." "Howard, there's no use in getting angry," said Willine. "What's done is done. But you are paying for my roses, Jonathan." Jonathan slumped, the good feeling of the jog slowly seeping away from him. "Enough of that," said Willine. "Come and eat your breakfast. I'm sure to pay off all those years of messing the lawn, Howard can get you to mow today." "Sure," said Jonathan. "I can do that." "Probably never has mowed in years," said Howard. "You see his lawn in that old house of his? That thing is so small, only a weed-whacker is needed." "Actually, I use a simple push-mower," said Jonathan. "Well, here, you're gonna use a tractor," said Howard. "Unless you're willing to allow me to hitch your big draconic self up to several Tri-Deck Bush-Hogs. I wonder if we've got harnesses that'll fit." "Tractor is fine," sighed Jonathan. After they had finished their breakfast, Howard got Jonathan started on cutting the lawn. Jonathan covered much of the lawn with the tractor, criss-crossing lines through the green. Just to make the job go a little easier, he even hummed a few bars of Ole MacDonald. As he was finishing up on the last part of the front lawn, Jonathan saw a large MAC truck drive up with USAF painted on its side. Another identical truck came up behind it along with a black Chevy SUV. He stopped the tractor just as a familiar Air Force officer stepped out the SUV along with his assistant. "Sam?" Jonathan asked. "Hey, Jon!" said Sam. "Your dad get you on Bush Hoggining today?" "Yeah," he said. "What are you doing here?" "I got something for you," said Sam. "Something from work." "Sam, I'm not ready to get back to work yet," said Jonathan. "Yeah, you are," said Sam. "If you can mow the lawn, you can do this." He turned back to several enlisted men piling out of the trucks. "Alright, unload the harness." "Harness?" "Jon, your mom's been very active in Africa," said Sam. "We've been getting more reports around Tanzania. The Tanzanian Geological Society reported back harmonic tremors coming from Kilimanjaro. There have been other reports as well of a large figure in the night sky, flying around. Villages being burned to the ground by lava moving unnaturally fast and they claiming it taking the form of a dragon a few times. I wanna say it's your mother." "So do I," said Jonathan. "Well, I need you and I to take a trip down to Tanzania to find out," said Sam. "I'm not ready," said Jonathan. He glanced over at the various soldiers laying out the enormous black harness out in the middle of the yard. "What is that?" "I told you," said Sam. "It's your harness." "What?" "It's a harness," said Sam. "I'm gonna have you strap this on and..." "Why?" Jonathan shouted, horrified. "To fly me over various magical hotspots," said Sam. He leaned down and grabbed a strap, holding it up to Jonathan. On the strap was a black, shiny square. The strap was lined with these squares. "These are sensors. We've been developing them while you were in the hospital. These detect the electromagnetic frequencies created by magic. Through this, I can make a census of it." "Why do you have to ride me?" asked Jonathan. "I'm not a horse." "When the information is gathered, it is then fed into a computer operated by the rider," said Sam. "Basically you and I are a form of airborne detection like AWACS. Except instead of separating friend and foe, we are discerning between the electromagnetic frequency given off by magic from all other background radiation. You have a better way of doing that because of what you are, you would be able to know the difference first hand and then my job is to help train the computers to keep up. I'm not going to be guiding you up there, you're doing all the flying. You're the pilot, I'm the guy sitting at the back with a computer hooked up to essentially a Doppler system." Jonathan continued to watch as the men began to hook up the various links around the harness, testing the sensors out. "We're a noncombat airborne unit, buddy," said Sam. "Just like you wanted. Our job is to just collect information. However, I do want us to fly directly to Africa so we can get a more detailed scan of the affected area. And this can do that, something the satellites can't." "If my mother shows up, we'll be in combat," said Jonathan. "We'll handle that when we get there," said Sam. Jonathan turned back to the harness: "What exactly is it you want me to do?" "Get in your dragon form and put that on," said Sam. "I gotta suit up." "What?" "You'll see," said Sam. He walked off, climbing into trailer of the truck, leaving Jonathan to stare regrettably at the harness. "Mr. Long," began Sergeant York. "If you don't mind..." Jonathan sighed and backed up. With a simple banishment of the spell that kept him in his human form, Jonathan's body began to spread out, growing to immense size. He opened his mouth as his small human teeth elongated to horrible fangs while his nose and jaws lengthened into a snout. His arms became bulky and muscular and wings sprouted from his back. His hands and feet twisted into enormous claws. Horns and frills grew out from his head while his beige skin faded to fiery crimson. He reared back onto his hind legs and let loose a powerful bellow, signaling the completion of his transformation. Pyrothraxus leaned down to his belly as the airmen walked around him with the straps. They threw the straps up over his neck and buckled them. He lifted his claws up, fitting them through the holes. They climbed all over his back, tightening the straps with locking cranks. Sam finally came back out of the truck. He was dressed in black, patted leather and canvas with straps and a secured harness around his waist. In one hand was what looked like a biker helmet however augmented with tubing and an air-tight seal. Pyrothraxus glanced back to notice York securing several oxygen tanks to the black, padded area where Sam was going to sit. "What do you think, man?" Sam asked, turning around so that the dragon could get a better view. "You look like a biker right out of the Thunderdome," said Pyrothraxus. Sam patted his own chest: "This is air tight. And it's even jelled so I won't feel too much g-force going up." "I'm not a supersonic jet," Pyrothraxus laughed. "Oh, look out, I'm about to pull 9Gs. What the hell are those guys at the base thinking?" "The reinforced jelly padding is to help me from losing my lunch while I'm up there!" said Sam. "I–I get a little motion sickness flying around in airplanes." "Sam, I don't come equipped with vomit bags." "Don't worry," he said. "The suit works. I don't vomit, I just pass out. Also, the suit is an environmental suit. It keeps the temperature steady so I won't be freezing my ass in high altitudes. And the jell keeps me from suffering from high altitude sickness." "What's the oxygen for?" "High altitude sickness," he said. "You've informed me that Red Dragons like yourself love higher altitudes, and you guys can fly over Mt. Everest without getting winded. You can take the low pressure and cold temperatures, I can't." "The equipment as well?" "Specially designed for it," he said. "It's the same stuff they use in Antarctica too. It'll take the cold." He held up something that was in his other hand. "Do that polymorph object thing on this. Make it your size." Sam leaned down and placed it on the ground. Pyrothraxus gently touched the object with the tip of his claw and it grew into a size he could manipulate. He picked it up and held it close to his eyes. "This thing looks like a Bluetooth ear bud," he said. "That's because it's is one," said Sam. "Well, sorta. This will allow you and I to communicate while we're up in the air." He put on a similar ear bud and turned it on. Pyrothraxus did the same. "Can you hear me?" Sam asked. "Yeah," said Pyrothraxus. Sam placed the helmet on his head and walked up to the dragon's flank. "Let's give this a test," he said. Pyrothraxus helped him up. He could feel Sam getting himself settled on the saddle between his wings. Sam grabbed the computer panel and swung it over, switching it on. He bucked the many straps around his waist to the loose straps on the saddle, securing himself. "You know, I always wanted to do something like this." "Yeah, ever since you read Dragonriders of Pern," said Pyrothraxus. "Makes me wonder if this harness is a nod to that." "I did base it off of Ms. McCaffery's descriptions," said Sam. "I kinda guessed that," he said. Sam hooked himself up to the oxygen tanks and grabbed the handles. "Okay, I'm ready," he said. "Let's go." "Hang on," said Pyrothraxus, as he lifted up off the ground. He could feel Sam gripping his thick neck with his legs a little tighter when he started to move. "Relax, Sam." "Right," said Sam. "Hey, this was your idea," said Pyrothraxus. "Apparently, you got it into your head to do this, so, we're doing it." "I'm starting to think twice about it." Pyrothraxus gave a deep growl and shook his frill. "You ready?" the dragon asked. "Yeah, do it," said Sam. "You sure?" "I'm fine! Will you just take off already?" With a grunt, the Red Dragon swung around and started off, swiftly speeding up to a galloping gate. His neck lowered down as he took off down the narrow road, Sam hanging on tightly. Sam was jostled around with each motion of Pyrothraxus' shoulders. He thanked the fact that the designers thought about possible whiplash when they went to designing the helmet. He turned to his side, noticing the dragon beginning to open up his enormous wings. Then, with one swift bound, Pyrothraxus made his first downward stroke of his wings. Sam held on tightly as he felt his seat shift under him. His feet curled up in the stirrups as he was nearly thrown back from the leap. The Red Dragon continued to make several quick sweeps of his wings and he gained altitude. The country houses that dotted the rolling hills turned into small blocks in the grass and the road was nothing more than a thin gray line. As Pyrothraxus leveled out, he extended his wings, slightly angling them into a soft glide. He caught a thermal and hung slowly in the air, his wings barely moving. Sam turned his head and noticed birds doing the same thing. He began to suppose it made sense that Pyrothraxus would be able to read air currents like the birds. "Sam?" Sam was caught off guard by the sound of Pyrothraxus' voice in his headset. "Sam?" Sam was breathing heavily, swallowing a few times as he looked around him. "Sam?" Pyrothraxus continued. "You're scaring me, man. You alright?" "I'm–I'm alright," said Sam. "I'm fine. But I think I just pissed myself." "Uh..." there was a long silence after that. Pyrothraxus did not know what else to say. He slightly banked when he felt the air shift and made his way to another thermal. "Do you want me to land?" "No!" Sam called. "No. No. I'm fine. Really." He leaned over and pressed a button on the oxygen tank, opening up the valve a little bit more to keep him from blacking out. He took a deep breath and kept his eyes fixed on the back of Pyrothraxus' head. It was slightly obscured by his massive neck frill and long, curved horns. He could see the frilled ears of the Red Dragon though and some of his cheek horns peeking out from behind him. The neck frill moved slightly with each adjustment the dragon made in his flight. Sam realized that the enormous frill was a helpful part in his flying. If he did not have the suit on, he could probably feel how the wind was split from the frill. Sam pressed a few buttons on the computer panel and pulled up the screen, activating the sensors. He began to get a read- out of the land and several large blips appearing in a wooded area. "Hey, Jon," he began. "I've got a few pings here." "You're getting something?" "Sensors are functioning wonderfully," said Sam. "Exactly how I thought they would. We've been using some of those artifacts as a means to test them. There's some hot spots towards the southwest in that greenbelt. Do you know anything about it?" "There is magic in that forest," said Pyrothraxus. "Do you know what's producing it?" "Well, normally, I don't," he said. "Magical energy is actually a neutral energy. It doesn't matter who is wielding it because it will send out the same signature. However, it is what the wielder does with it that matters. Basically with all magical energy its like this. I'm picking up a radio signal. Where it is coming from? That direction. And there you have it." "Okay then," said Sam. "But still..." "Actually, I do know what's in that greenbelt," said Pyrothraxus. "When I was a–well– when I was disguised as a kid, I used to go exploring in that forest because I sensed magical energies and wanted to know what was making it. I found out it was a community of Brownies and Pixies. And they were at war with each other." "Brownies?" asked Sam. "Now, that's not nice...you don't hear me calling you 'Red Skin'." "Not that 'brownie'," the Red Dragon growled. "Brownie. They're a foot tall, wear animal skins that help them blend in with their surroundings which is why they are called Brownies. They're fairy folk or 'wee folk'." "Oh, those Brownies," he said. "Right. There's Brownies living in those woods?" "And pixies," said Pyrothraxus. "Of course when I found them, I couldn't reveal myself. Even the Magical World couldn't know who I was." "Well, at least we know the sensors work," he said. "That's good." He could feel a rumble pass under him as Pyrothraxus shifted again, banking slowly. "Jon, we have to go to Africa. So far, your brother hasn't made a move. We need to focus on what's going on with your mother." "What are we going to do?" asked Pyrothraxus. "She's very powerful. I can't even hope to defeat her." "That's why we've got a secret weapon," said Sam. "What?" "Dragon Bane," he said. "I've got enough to maybe even knock her out. We just need to get it into her veins." "Good luck," said Pyrothraxus. "Brought you down, didn't it?" Sam asked. Pyrothraxus sighed: "I just couldn't believe it came to that. I couldn't believe I became so dangerous my own best friend had to shoot me in the neck with Dragon Bane." "I didn't want to do it," said Sam. "But it was the only way." "I know." "I'm sorry." "It's not your fault. It's mine. I'm dangerous. Your general is right about me." "Dude, don't say that." "A thousand years ago, things made more sense," said Pyrothraxus. "A thousand years ago, the world was bigger and my kind was freer. Now, things have drastically changed. I'm a problem. I know I am." "Now isn't the time for you to go all emo," said Sam. "Don't do that. We can figure this out. We need your help." "Every problem that will happen, it'll be my fault." "No it won't," he said. "Something tells me this Zestos guy would do all he wanted do to us with or without you being here. He doesn't need you to fuel his want for destruction. You said it yourself that Red Dragons want to control everything. And your mother? Same thing. She's one too. If you weren't here, we'd still have to deal with them. In fact, if you weren't here, we wouldn't be prepared. We wouldn't know in advance everything that's about to happen. And we'd be worse off because of it. I'm glad you're on our side, man! Why can't you see that?" "You mean it?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Yeah!" said Sam. "The general doesn't know what she's talking about. She's scared because she doesn't know how to deal with a situation like this. When we go to war with an enemy, we at least know a little something about that enemy. They're human, they can be killed by shooting metal at them or exploding something in front of them. Different cultures, doesn't matter, they're still human. But this? These are creatures which conventional methods may not even work. And I know for a fact that no one would result to nukes unless they're that desperate. Can a nuke kill you?" "I don't know," he said. "We didn't have nuclear weapons in Medieval times." "Did you have spells that could do something that a nuke could?" "One," said Pyrothraxus. "And unfortunately, my brother knows it. To put it simply, it's called Hellball." "Oh, that doesn't sound nice," said Sam. "The caster creates a ball of blinding white light as bright as the sun," said Pyrothraxus. "And it varies in size. It then vaporizes anything in its path within a 10-20 mile radius. Some people have claimed being able to see the shadow of their bones through their skin. Anyone looking at it is instantly blinded. There have been reports of sever burns on the skin. And what is left is a crater of whatever it was that got vaporized." "Holy shit," said Sam. "Okay, that is a nuke." "Well, it doesn't produce any sort of radiation sickness afterwards, but I suppose that would be it," said Pyrothraxus. "Wizards categorize that as an Epic Spell. I've got two in my spell list." "Does Hellball fit in it?" "No," he said. "Mine is Nailed to the Sky and Rain of Fire. We can only have two. No more." "What do they do?" "I can send anything into orbit," he replied. "And it'll never come down. It will forever more be up in orbit. If it's living, it'll die once it reaches orbit. And Rain of Fire, well, remember the Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston?" "Yeah." "Imagine that storm but without the hail." "Damn," said Sam. "Glad you never used any of that on me." "Don't worry, Sam," he said. "Those spells are so powerful, they take a long time to even conjure up. They're more like last resort spells. However, that's why Zestos may be taking so long. He's preparing to use several shots of that spell of his. The others as well are preparing their spells too. Shäzyx can create lightning storms that may mess up power grids causing all sorts of city-wide blackouts. Venoshous can cast a spell that eats all other spells till the enemy caster can't even use his magic anymore. Ithfaedues, well, you saw what he could do. That unrelenting night was a resort of his Eclipse spell. And Glacialyx can swiftly lower the temperatures of any area until it's so cold, the moister freezes and becomes a blizzard. It's like a flash freeze of everything." "Again, damn," said Sam. "Then they have their master's legions," said Pyrothraxus. "A horde of devils at their command and who knows what all else fiend-turned monsters at their disposal. My brother, when he made the deal with Asemodeus, instead of ascending, he became a fiend, a devil. He looks like his former self when he changed. But I can see it in his eyes. They're black as coal. He got his immortality, but not the immortality that he wanted." "He wanted to be a god." "Yep." "He's a fiend, you're a demigod, I think you can take him on," said Sam. Pyrothraxus rumbled again and turned around, heading back for the house. He slowly back-winged, landing on the road they originally took off of. Sam took off his helmet. "You can defeat him, right?" Sam asked. "Alone," began Pyrothraxus. "Alone...I can. Alone, I can mop the whole floor with his ugly face!" He let loose an angry bellow and turned back to Sam, his eyes glowing fiercely. Smoke appeared from his nostrils. "Alone, I can crush his skull in and suck out his essence." He lowered his head. "However, Zestos began to learn the advantages of having servants loyal to him. He knows he can't face me alone, so no doubt he'll have the others there with him." "Not all of them, Pyrothraxus," hissed a dark voice from the shadows of the woods. Pyrothraxus swung his head around and saw slithering out from the trees a Black Dragon. "Ithfaedeus!" he bellowed. The Red Dragon got into a defensive stance, growling. His neck frill flattened. "Get away, Dark Dragon." "Is that any way to talk to a potential ally?" asked Ithfaedeus. "You're no ally of mine!" "I am," he said. "You need help, my help to defeat Zestos." "Why would you help me?" The Black Dragon growled and lowered his head, his thin lip curling around his teeth. "He fired me." "Canned you?" Sam asked. "You're kidding!" "My brother fired you?" he asked. "Yes, fired me!" Ithfaedeus bellowed. "After all these centuries of faithful service, he just fired me! It was because I kept failing to bring you to him." "The ring," said Pyrothraxus. "Well, he has it now." "How?" Ithfaedeus asked. "How did Zestos get it?" "Because Jon here was impatient and couldn't wait for Lao Shi to get a Shadow Dancer," said Sam. "After a Shadow Dragon trapped him in the Shadow Plane." "I had a reason!" Pyrothraxus bellowed. "Hey, apparently Lao Shi already knew of a Shadow Dancer who could help," said Sam. "That Krllact guy. He could fish you out of there. But instead, Jon ended up in the Nine Hells and his brother found him." "I'm surprised that you managed to survive," said Ithfaedeus. "And I would like to know that as well." "That part is none of your business," Pyrothraxus said. "Very well, Crimson Dragon," said Ithfaedeus. "You still need my help." "Why would you help me?" "Because you know what it is like to be shunned by your own," said Ithfaedeus. "I have no one else to turn to, except you. I know Zestos' plans, and you don't." "Something tells me there's a catch," said Sam. "What do you want in return?" "Nothing, right now," said Ithfaedeus. "Try again, Nasty," said Sam. "You don't want to anger me, two-legs," said Ithfaedeus. "I can melt that moronic look off of your skull with a spit of my acid." "Do it and you're barbecue!" bellowed Pyrothraxus. "Trust me," said Ithfaedeus. "I want nothing, right now." "Sam, you know what they say," began Pyrothraxus. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Something tells me he'll tag along whether we want him to or not. Alright, Ithfaedeus, if you know what my brother is doing, then by all means, you can help us. However, I wish to test you." "What sort of test?" "You are going on a trip with us to Africa to deal with my mother." "Malystryx?" asked Ithfaedeus. "Um, she's up and moving again?" "If you can help us bring her down, we'll let you in," said Pyrothraxus. "Good one!" said Sam. "And if you end up as a burnt spot on the ground, at least you'll go down as a hero! We'll even build you a statue at Arlington Cemetery for your bravery." "How kind of you," sneered the Black Dragon. "That is what we require," said Pyrothraxus. "Prove yourself to us and we'll allow you to remain with us unharmed." "Very well," said Ithfaedeus. "I will do as you ask. But I take no orders." "You'll take orders alright," said Sam. "Or else..." "Or else what, human?" "Or else I start slurping down the rest of your essence, Dark Dragon," said Pyrothraxus. "After all, it did taste rather good." He gave off a grin that sent a shiver down the Black Dragon's spine. "Vampire..." he hissed. "I hate it when people call me that," said Pyrothraxus. "When you are ready to leave, I will know," said Ithfaedeus. "Until then...farewell, Pyrothraxus." With that, Ithfaedeus vanished in a cloud of choking smoke. Sam leaned into the Red Dragon's neck. "Can we trust him?" asked Sam. "No," said Pyrothraxus. "Can I ask you something?" he began. "Why did he call you vampire? Why did Lao Shi say we needed to feed into your vampiric nature? Why?" "Isn't it obvious?" Pyrothraxus asked. "I'm a demigod vampire. I guess I can't hide it now." "A real vampire?" "It's a little different with dragons," he said. "Hard to explain. It's just that before I ascended, to keep myself from dying, I had to become–undead. And what I mean is, I had to become a bloodsucking vampire! My mother is often referred to as the Queen of Vampires. And that's a long, long story." "Does holy water affect her?" "No." "Sunlight?" "Well, as you can see, sunlight isn't a problem with me," he said. "So, no. Not a problem with her." "Rivers?" "She can cross them." "Do we need a giant stake?" "Do you feel like chopping down a redwood?" asked Pyrothraxus. "That's how big that stake needs to be." "The Dragon Bane will work, though." "Yes," said Pyrothraxus. "Okay, that's our only ace," said Sam. "So, if we kill her, will you die or go back to being normal?" "No," he said. "Okay, good to know." "Sam," began Pyrothraxus. "I need you to do me another favor. I know, I've been asking for so much from you. Krllact came by with Pathemos' journal. My mother has it locked up in the house. I need you to ask her for it. And I want you to keep it with you and decipher it for me." "Why?" he asked. "You can read it." "Because when I went near it, it started to react to the Stone of Aster," said the Red Dragon. "So, I need to be as far away from it as possible. Just take the notes down and read them off to me." "Sure," said Sam. "But I thought no good could come from that book." "After what happened in New York," he began. "I think it's my only hope in figuring out how to control this thing inside of me. Krllact said something about me. He said that he and I are brothers now. I don't understand why he said that. I'm not from the Far Realm. I think if we learn about what the Stone is and how to control it, maybe another incident like what happened in New York won't happen again. I don't want it to." "Okay," said Sam. "I'll get it and read it to you." "I really appreciate this," he said. "What are friends for?" asked Sam. "Besides, you owe me big! I do mean big." Pyrothraxus started walking back to the trucks: "Fine, I'll be your pet dragon for a month." "No, you'll be my pet dragon for a year, dude!" said Sam, laughing. "For a year, agreed. Can we stop by my house before we get to the base, though? I've been missing my wife and kids." "Sure thing, man," said Sam. "Wouldn't dream of letting you fly off to Africa without saying bye to your family." As they walked back to the house, Sam sighed as he looked up at the sky. Flying for the first time on a dragon's back was the most thrilling thing he had to do. And though it was a short flight, he'll remember it most because it was his first one. There will be more flights to come, though, especially as they take flight over the Serengeti to fly to Kilimanjaro. Of course, he knew he had to pack Africa by Toto on this trip. Joy of Flying "Daddy!" Haley called as she saw her father walk into the house. Susan rushed out of the kitchen, her face brightening up when Jonathan turned towards her. Haley had leapt into his arms. "Jonathan!" she gasped. "Oh, Jonathan! You're home." Jonathan gave a swift kiss to Haley's cheek and then set her down. He gathered his wife up into his arms and kissed her passionately. "Jake!" Susan called. "Jake, your father is home, come down here and see him!" "Okay," Jake called from upstairs. "I take it everyone missed me," said Jonathan. "That just fills my day with sunshine!" "Hey, Dad," said Jake as he appeared at the top of the stairs. "Jake," said Jonathan. His son walked down and placed his hands behind his back. Jonathan cautiously approached him. "So, how has school been, Jake?" asked Jonathan. "Rough," Jake said. "Everything grandpa warned us about if we exposed ourselves is happening. Though Trixie and Spud are still friends with me." "Of course we would be friends with you, Jakie," said Trixie as she came put to the top of the stairs. "Yeah, all for one and one for...um..." said Spud. "Most." Trixie rolled her eyes. "That's good," said Jonathan. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry to all of you." "No, it was my fault," said Jake. "I transformed. I got a little a head of myself. I wasn't thinking." "Then, I did as well," said Jonathan. "It's both our faults. But it was mine in the beginning. If I hadn't gone after Gaius, then none of this would have happened." "Honey, what's done is done," said Susan. She hugged his waist and kissed his cheek. "I'm just glad you're home." "I can't stay home for long," said Jonathan. "I have to leave again." "Why?" asked Jake. He crossed his arms. "My mother," said Jonathan. "Malystryx. She's making her move again. I have to stop her." "What about Zestos?" asked Jake. "He's preparing," said Jonathan. "It'll take a while. I need to handle my mother now so that we don't have her as well as Zestos. But, don't worry, Jake, I'll be back soon." "Will you?" Jake asked. He had no idea what his father was up against. He only heard the stories that Lao Shi told him about Malystryx. Jonathan sighed and placed his hand on Jake's head, giving it a good rub and messing up his green-highlighted black hair. "Have faith in me, Jake," said Jonathan. "I'm gonna need you cheering for me on the sidelines. If I know you are there, then, I can beat her." Susan gripped her husband tightly: "I don't want you to go, Jonathan. You just got home." Jonathan shut his eyes tightly: "I know. She's not going to take me down. I won't let her. No more innocent people will be harmed by her evil, I swear." "Good luck, Papa Dog," said Trixie. "Yeah, give her the old one-two hiyah!" Spud said, thrusting his fists in the air. "I wish I knew karate like Jake so I could," said Jonathan. "But all I got are my own methods. I guess that's enough." He turned away and headed back for the door again. "Dad!" called Jake. Jonathan looked back at him. "If she leaps at you," Jake began. "Grab her and roll backwards and then, kick with your foot against her stomach. It'll send her flying off of you and over you. Then, you can get up and attack." "I'll remember that," said Jonathan. "Thanks, Jake. Maybe you can teach me some more moves when I come back." "Yeah," said Jake. "I will." "Love you, Dad," said Haley. "I love you too, pumpkin," said Jonathan. He looked back at his wife. She moved in and once more gave him one final kiss. "Come back to me, Jonathan," she whispered. "I will," he said. "The war isn't over. This is just the preliminary round." With that, he walked out the door. They all followed him outside. Jonathan looked around him, seeing the humans staring at him. They looked on with fear of him. They saw a monster, not a man. Jonathan let go of his human form, swiftly shifting back into his dragon one. The cars in the road screeched to a halt as they were about to make contact with his enormous feet. His neighbors backed up against their doors, ready to flee inside. Pyrothraxus let loose a soft rumble and turned to them. "I just want to say one thing before I go," he began. "It doesn't matter what you think about me or my family. You can call us monsters if you want. But I'm not leaving. I am about to take down my own mother to save all of you because I know that if I don't, she will enslave you, treat you like cattle, breed you for food or labor. My brother will do the same. But I will be here to fight for you because you cannot. That's why I'm here." As he said this, one neighbor let go of his door and looked up at him. "I am here to fight for those who cannot fight themselves," Pyrothraxus said. "But I will protect my family if any harm ever comes to them. Because that's what the father does, isn't it? Wouldn't you do the same?" Pyrothraxus leapt into the air and spread his wings wide to catch the currents. The trip to Griffis was a short one. Once he teleported in, he was greeted by helicopters who guided him into the landing area in front of the hangars. Already, Sam was out there to meet him as well as Sergeant York and General Reynard. One of the airmen handed Sam a TR-15 Carbine rifle. "Ma'am, with all do respect, this little pellet gun isn't gonna do crap against his mother," said Sam. "She's got soft spots, right?" asked Reynard. "They all do. Find it and fire." She tilted her head up towards Pyrothraxus. "Mr. Long, nice to see you." "General," said Pyrothraxus, settling down on his belly while the airmen technicians began to strap the harness on him. "You're looking well," said the general. "I'm glad. As you have been informed, your mother is stirring something up in northern Tanzania. We've got reports now of men and women disappearing only to return back to the villages to murder their families. Care to enlighten me as to why?" "My mother is notorious for controlling servants," said Pyrothraxus. "She can empower her very scales and when she attaches one to the body of a subject, she can control that subject, provided that its will cannot succeed her own." "And she may be doing that?" "It's possible," said Pyrothraxus. "However, she wouldn't use these servants to murder people, only to secretly control the rest of the populace. There could be other reasons and other factors. I'd need to speak to the villagers to know why, general." "You can find out why later, Mr. Long," said Reynard. "I just want the bitch dead. No offense. I realize she is your mother." "I prefer to call her she who birthed me and nothing more," said Pyrothraxus. "I have no qualms about killing her for you." "Good," said Reynard. "Which makes this statement all the more sincere to say, Mr. Long. I am glad you are feeling better." "Thank you, ma'am," said Pyrothraxus. "And I am sorry I was not there to defeat the strange Black Dragon that attacked New York." "It is understandable," said Reynard. "Though with your father-in-law's help, we were able to handle it just fine without you." "General," said York. "Perhaps we could use the same procedure that we used against the strange Black Dragon as well. The colonel has been able to provide me with some more darts." "It'll require you to get pretty close, are you sure you are up to it?" "Yes, ma'am," said York. "And–uh–dragons are vulnerable in the eyes," said Pyrothraxus, lifting a claw to his own eye. "Let's just say Sam had the right idea when he pointed that pistol at mine." "Perfect thing to use that gun against, Colonel," said Reynard. "Mount up, both of you." Pyrothraxus helped both York and Sam up onto his shoulders, allowing them to climb into the palm of his claw. He lifted and then deposited them both softly in between his wings. York began to arm both his sniper rifle and the dart gun he used before. The adamantine darts shined on his holster. "So, we're flying on him all the way there?" asked York. "Um, no offense Mr. Long, but I think a commercial airliner could out fly you." "He's as big as one," said Sam. "And he caught that falling 747 not too long ago." "Um, still," said York. "Commercial airliners can't teleport, Sergeant," said Pyrothraxus. "Wait, we're teleporting?" asked Sam. "Okay, quick question...how the hell does that work? What do you use to teleport?" "Images," he said as he lifted up off the ground. "What images?" York asked. Dr. Caroline Wiseman came running out of the base with a folder. "Mr. Long!" she called. "I have them!" "Are they current?" he asked. "About as current as the satellites can give us," said Caroline. She began to place each of the printouts that she had in the folder on the ground, forming an enormous image of a satellite vector on Kilimanjaro. She had to turn a few around in order to organize them properly for Pyrothraxus to see. "How's that? They're black and white, does that matter?" "No," he said. "Absolutely not. Those smoke clouds down there and the lava flow here, those are the details I need. The surface of the mountain has changed from its Wikipedia page image." Pyrothraxus tilted his head over to his passengers. "I have to see where I'm going." "Images," said Sam. "Coordinates. Spacial coordinates. So that's how it works. What happens if you get an image that happened two years ago?" "I appear where that image was taken when that image was taken," said Pyrothraxus. "That's practically time traveling!" said Sam. "Oh, eat it Stephen Hawkings. You can go back in time." "Except time traveling backwards is forbidden," said Pyrothraxus. "Another You Know Who rule." "Uh, these images were taken about 30 minutes ago," said Caroline. "Does that matter?" "30 minutes doesn't matter unless you intend to change something that happened in the past. Whatever happened 30 minutes later after the image was taken has already happened with no repercussions to the timeline. If it wasn't, we'd be surrounded by You Know Who's stooges by now." "Yeah, I don't want to mess with them anymore," said Sam. "Okay, let's just take off before um–five-headed dragon bitch notices." "Did something happen while I was out?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Did you meet Tiamat?" "No," he said. "I met her ex-husband." "You met Bahamut?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Never mind that!" said Sam, putting his helmet on. "Just go, move! Take off!" "Just a moment!" called General Reynard. "You three need to know that since those photos were taken, whatever is there has started to move. Not only that, but the Tanzanian government has sent out its birds in pursuit. Our own troops deployed there are offering aid. I've told them you are coming, but they've informed me of several red colored–creatures in the area, flying around–not just one." "Several?" Pyrothraxus asked. A lieutenant walked up to her and handed her another paper with an updated image. "We've got F-15s in the air dogfighting with these things," she said. "They're red, they've got wings, and they look like you only half your size. And they breathe fire." "Other Red Dragons?" Sam asked. "Jon, aside from your mother, I thought you were the only one." "Apparently mom's been cooking up something," said Pyrothraxus. "She's been gathering an army of brainwashed servants from the surrounding villages, and now she has dragons of her own along her side." "How has she been hiding these other dragons?" asked Reynard. "We spotted you pretty easily." "You spotted my energy signature, you didn't spot me." "Still," she said. "We knew something was up. With her, there was nothing." "Because my mother is a crafty bitch, that's why," said Pyrothraxus. "She has abilities to do things that I could never even possibly imagine how." "She's outta your league," said Sam. "She's out of everyone's league," said Pyrothraxus. "I've informed ground command there to watch out for you," said Reynard. "They asked me how they'd know the difference between you and the other dragons flying around, and I said to them that you would be the biggest monster up in the sky and of course, you would be attacking those other dragons, not the planes." "We'll be able to signal them as well, right?" Sam asked. "Yes," she said. "And signal them immediately. Both of you are on the same frequency as them." "Okay," said Sam. "Guns are useless against them," said Reynard. "But however, they've managed to take a few down with missiles, mostly by hitting them in the wings. But each bird carries only so many missiles and there's only so many up there." "And if they are Red Dragons, my flames will do nothing to them," said Pyrothraxus. "Fire immunity. I'd do as much harm as just blowing hot air in their faces. However, being an air elemental wizard, I can manipulate lightning. They don't like that." "Do what you can," said Reynard. "Good luck." She set the updated image down on the ground and walked off. Pyrothraxus leaned carefully down to it and eyed it closely, updating his own mental image of the scene. "Jon, we won't like meld into your scales when you come out, will we?" asked Sam. "No," the dragon replied as he got back up. "Okay, that's good," said Sam. "You ready, Sergeant." "As ready as I'll ever be, sir," said York. He positioned himself sidesaddle on the harness in his sniper's nest. "Hang on tight, it's a bit of a bumpy take off," said Sam. Pyrothraxus began his trot, swiftly gaining speed as he ran down the runway in front of the base. York braced himself as best as he could despite the jolting he received. Sam leaned back in his seat against York just as Pyrothraxus leapt into the air, spreading his wings wide. The massive dragon swept his wings downward, gaining altitude. "Whoohoo!" Sam cried, gripping the straps tightly when he felt himself being jerked back. "Ow," Pyrothraxus growled. "You screamed in my ear." "Sorry, Jon," said Sam. "Oh, sweet buttery Jesus!" York swallowed. The Red Dragon banked and began to circle around the base for a moment. "You are looking good, colonel!" Sam heard the general's voice over his comlink. "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Colonel," said York. "I'm never riding in a plane again." "Why's that, Sergeant?" "Because he's a lot more fun," he said. "He's like a motorcycle with wings!" "You're cleared to continue on, Mr. Long," said the general. "Godspeed." "Um...roger," said Pyrothraxus. He turned his head just slightly. "Did I say that right?" "Yeah," said Sam. "Okay, take us out, Mr. Long." "Aye, aye. Dilithium crystals to the max, engines full speed ahead." "What?" asked York. "We were Star Trek geeks back in school," said Sam, looking over his shoulder. The Dragon angled his wings and started out over the land from Rome. Sam glanced down below and took notice that Pyrothraxus was following the Interstate, flying directly over I90. Suddenly, he felt an intense increase in speed. Pyrothraxus' wings flattened out. Sam looked out over the leading edge, seeing contrails appear at their tips. He leaned in closer towards the dragon's neck. York saw the cars that they passed below were all coalescing into a blurred streak on the road while the road itself appeared to be moving and writing like a snake. "Jon, why aren't you just teleporting?" Sam asked. "I have to make it out to sea first for such a long teleport," said Pyrothraxus. "Why?" "Because of the type of teleportation required," he replied. "I displace air when I teleport, and other things." "Oh," said Sam. "Oh!" "Oh what?" York asked. "He's cutting a hole through space to get to the other side," said Sam. "And something like that tends to do damage to the area around it. And when he displaces air, more air rushes in to replace that displaced air, creating a vacuum. Yeah, go out to sea." Just a few minutes later, they found themselves flying rather swiftly over Albany. Sam felt another jolt as Pyrothraxus picked up more speed. York thought he had better take back the statement that the dragon was slower than a commercial jet. Pyrothraxus turned his eyes downward as they neared the boarder to Massachusetts, continuing his I90 trek. "He's fast," said York. "I mean really fast." "Magic," said Sam. "I think this is a spell he's using. Wouldn't you worry about not having enough for Africa?" "If there are Red Dragons there," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll be able to replenish." "What does he mean by that?" asked York. "Um," said Sam. "Let's just focus on getting to Africa first." Pyrothraxus angled his wings again to gain some more altitude and I90 started to look like a gray thread laying across a carpet of autumn orange and gold. It did not take him long to finally reach Boston. Then with the great rush of speed, he made his way out to sea. Sam looked back as the brown and gray land gave way to the flat, deep blue-black Atlantic Ocean. Pyrothraxus let loose a bellow when he left the coast, beating his wings. That was when Sam began to realize the other reason why the dragon had not teleported yet. This was the first time since 905 AD that Pyrothraxus has ever flown over the Atlantic Ocean and truly left the continental shelf behind. Sam leaned over and looked down, seeing the dragon's massive reddish reflection on the surface of the water. "York, look," he said, pointing down. "Man, the boys are missin' this," said York. The sergeant looked behind him as Boston shrank into a small, hazy spot over the horizon. "I think we're nearing international waters now." "No doubt about it," said Sam. "And I don't spot a ship for miles." "Neither do I," said Pyrothraxus. "This is a perfect place to teleport." "I suppose the other type of teleportation doesn't do what this one does," said Sam. "Nope," he said. "Because it's shorter distances. Different methods of teleportation for different distances. Brace yourselves. You might feel a little chilly after we come out." "What does he mean by..." Everything suddenly was black. There was no sound, no wind, no sight that they could find. Though, there was cold, lots of cold. It felt like Sam was thrown into a vat of ice water. Then, in a flash, light appeared as Pyrothraxus emerged from the other side. “...that?" York found himself finishing his question. He started shivering uncontrollably despite the suit's design to keep in body heat. "The fuck?" Sam asked, also shivering. "Told you," said Pyrothraxus. "I always hated performing that method of teleporting." Even he was shivering slightly from the cold. However, his warm body soon made up for it. "Now, that was the weirdest experience I've been through," said York. "It was like we just went into outer space for a moment. No light, no sound, no air! And just cold!" "Thank goodness it was short," said Sam. He leaned over to look beyond Pyrothraxus' neck frill. "We're here!" Pyrothraxus' eyes turned towards the massive, smoking mount that was Kilimanjaro. Already, he suspected his mother's handiwork in the making, seeing the dormant volcano come back to life again through her magic. All around the mountain, he could clearly see explosions going on. There were fighters in the air as well as dragons. "That's not Malystryx's doing, Pyrothraxus," bellowed a voice over the wind. Pyrothraxus turned towards the voice. There was Ithfaedeus, the Black Dragon, beating his wings swiftly to catch up to the Red's powerful speed. "It's the Black Dragon!" York called, raising up his gun. "I've got a lock on him, Colonel." "Don't," said Sam. "He's on our side." "What?" asked York. "It's a long story," said Sam. "Lower your gun." He suspected that Ithfaedeus probably could not hear him through the helmet, so Sam decided to keep silent and let Pyrothraxus do all the talking. "If it isn't Malystryx, then who is it?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Your dear brother and my former ally," said Ithfaedeus. "He wants Malystryx out of the way just like you do. Even Malystryx hates Asemodeus." "I'm well aware of that," said Pyrothraxus. He turned his statement towards Sam. "When Zestos joined Asemodeus' host to become a fiend himself, Malystryx through a fit over it, stating that he betrayed her. One of the reasons why she finds me the family favorite and he the black sheep of the family." "But you wanting to kill her will ruin that as well," said Ithfaedeus. "So, these dragons are under orders of Zestos?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Yes," said the Black Dragon. "Summoned here by a powerful sorcerer with ties to Zestos." "That's all I need to know," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll need your acid, Ithfaedeus." "My acid is at your service, Crimson Dragon," said Ithfaedeus. "God, Lao Sh's gonna have a fit of his own when he finds out I've allowed you to be my ally in this," said Pyrothraxus. Ithfaedeus chuckled deeply and darkly. His voice managed to send another shiver down Pyrothraxus' spine. "Please don't do that," he said. "Now, I hope I can spit lightning as good as a Blue Dragon. That's the only thing I got against them besides my size." "Blowing them out of the sky is good too," said Sam. "That too," he said. Pyrothraxus beat his wings powerfully, reaching his top speed. He saw several F-16s in the air, firing their guns at two adult Red Dragons. Then, another Red Dragon leapt onto one of the jets and took it out, crushing it in its claws. "Save your ammo, York," said Sam. "Yes, sir," he said. Pyrothraxus and Ithfaedeus sped into the fray, both dragons parting and attacking different sides of the aerial flank. Pyrothraxus had his lightning spell prepared in his mind and took in a deep breath. Instead of his usual flames, a bolt of blue-white irrupted from his jaws, striking the wing of an adult Red Dragon. The dragon flailed in the air and fell from the sky, a black, burnt hole now in the membrane of its wing. Pyrothraxus made a wheezing sound when he took in another breath. "That burned my throat," he said. "You gotta do it again, man," said Sam. "Damn it." Ithfaedeus sprayed his acid upon the back of a smaller Red Dragon and then, with outstretched claws, grappled her. The Red Dragon bellowed in pain as the much larger Black broke her wings in his claws, her scales seared by his acid. Then, the Dark Dragon let go of her and watched with satisfaction as she plummeted down to the ground. Pyrothraxus turned his head just as a jet flew up beside him. "Unknown contact," began a voice in his headset. "I take it you're a friendly." "Answer him, Jon," said Sam. "He's talking to you." "What?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Uh, yeah. We're friendly. I'm definitely friendly. Just ask my wife." "Christ," Sam sighed. "Geekadoofisdork, just answer him straight." "I'll take that as a yes," said the pilot. "Pilot, we are from Griffis Air Force Base," said Sam. "I am Lt. Colonel Samuel Davidson. The black one is also with us. We're here to handle your problem with these UFOs." "UFOs?" Pyrothraxus asked. "They're dragons, not space ships." "We do appreciate the help," he said. As the jet broke away, he still continued his contact. "How do you suggest we take them down, Colonel?" "Ask the expert," said Sam. "Who's that?" "I'm riding him," said Sam. "Jon, the ball's in your court. You tell them how to take those dragons out." "Don't aim for their bodies," said Pyrothraxus. "Aim for their wings and aim for their eyes if you can. These dragons are immune to fire and heat, so explosives aren't that useful against them. And since you can fly faster, out fly them when they try to attack you. And just stay out of my way." "Roger that, sir," said the pilot. "Alright, we have tangos coming in hot. Let's clip their wings." Sam heard Pyrothraxus giving off a sound that seemed like a gleeful giggle. He was enjoying this. "Jon," he said. "Eyes on the prize." Pyrothraxus cleared his throat: "Sorry." He banked when he heard the sound of a dragon roar from above. A Red Dragon shot down passed him and Pyrothraxus dove forth. With claws outstretched, he flapped his wings, gaining speed in his dive. Sam and York braced themselves, holding on tightly to the straps. Pyrothraxus latched onto the smaller Red Dragon and tore his powerful claws into its neck. Sam watched as his long time friend leaned down and bit into the neck of the other dragon, sinking his long fangs into the flesh. "What is he doing?" asked York. "Same thing he did to Ithfaedeus," said Sam. Pyrothraxus pulled back and as he did so, a long stream of blue came from the wound of the dragon's neck. The blueish stream fluctuated and surrounded Pyrothraxus, seeping deep into his scales. As the glow slowly was absorbed, the smaller dragon began to wither away, looking more and more old with each second. Then, the dragon crumbled in Pyrothraxus' paws. He let go of the dust, scattering it into the air. "What the hell did he just do?" York asked. "Eating lunch," said Sam. "Was that enough to replenish your powers?" "I'll need more," said Pyrothraxus. He swung his head around and banked right. "Hang on!" Pyrothraxus spun into a barrel roll as he dove down through the layers of dogfights between the dragons and jets. He spread his wings again and corrected his flight path, flapping them powerfully. "Jon, don't do that again," said Sam. "I'm gonna be sick..." "Don't barf up there, Sam!" said Pyrothraxus. "I still don't come equipped with vomit bags." "I think we need to change that," said Sam. His eyes spied a much larger and older Red Dragon chasing after an F-18. Once more, he assumed the position, claws outstretched, ready to take the neck of the other dragon. A sound of a distant roar bellowed above the loud wind. Sam glanced up just as another dragon dove for Pyrothraxus. "Jon!" he cried. Pyrothraxus turned his head and spread his wings, slowing his dive. The other dragon reached out with its claws and jaws to latch itself upon the much larger Red Dragon's body. Sam and York ducked down just as the enemy dragon latched onto Pyrothraxus. The Great Wyrm bellowed out as he felt the talons dig into his hide. A small spirt of blood splashed out and landed on Sam's arm. Sam yelped when he felt the heat of the blood begin to burn through his leather suit. Let go of the handles, he quickly batted at his arm, putting out the burn. "Shake him, Jon!" Sam cried. Pyrothraxus roared out, swiftly jerking his body and flapping his wings frantically to get the dragon off. Sam braced himself against the neck, looking over the side. He saw that the ground was growing closer. The enemy Red Dragon pinned Pyrothraxus' wings to his side. He was falling. "What do we do?" York asked. "Shoot at it!" said Sam. "I thought bullets can't pierce their scales." "Maybe not, but it'll shock that dragon." York pulled out his rifle and started firing at the belly of the monster. The Red Dragon growled when he felt the shells impact his plates, but he did not let go. He managed to take hold of Pyrothraxus' neck frill, swinging around and pulling the Great Wyrm's head back. "Nomeno svaklar wux loreat, Pyrothraxus," said the Red Dragon. "Jon, he's gonna break your neck!" Sam cried. "Do something!" "Nautkynir gethrisja," Pyrothraxus bellowed. Within a golden flash, the Great Red Wyrm disappeared from under the other Red Dragon. "Svabol?" the younger Red asked. Another flash blinded the Red Dragon just as Pyrothraxus reappeared above him. The Great Wyrm slammed the palm of his claw against the back of the other Red Dragon, sending an electrical charge racing through his spine. Pyrothraxus opened his jaws and shot forth seven colorful streams of light from his mouth. Colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet covered the Red Dragon. It roared out in pain, feeling acid burn him, lightning zap through him. He started coughing against the sickly nauseous poison as parts of his body began to turn to stone. The only thing that did not harm him was the fire. Then, he vanished. "What the fuck was that?" Sam asked. Pyrothraxus coughed, huffing smoke from his jaws: "Prismatic Spray." "You alright?" York asked. "Yeah," he coughed again, flapping his wings to steady his flight. "That was a close one," said Sam. "Let me know if there's more coming," said Pyrothraxus. "Sam, are you alright?" "What?" asked Sam. "I heard you screaming." "Your blood got on me," said Sam. He looked over at the wound the other dragon had caused in Pyrothraxus' neck. It was starting to seal through the Great Wyrm's power of regeneration. "I'm fine. Just concentrate on flying." "Colonel?" asked York. Sam shook his head, holding his arm. "We'll have the doctor look at it when we return to the base," said Sam. "I'll land if you need me to, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "No!" said Sam. "Get us to the volcano. That's the only concern. When we land, York, get out the med kit." Pyrothraxus dove for the volcano. Right behind him was Ithfaedeus, who managed to take out the last Red Dragon on his way. He was lucky they were all mostly young adults and adults. Even a Great Wyrm Black Dragon could handle them with some ease. Both Pyrothraxus and Ithfaedeus landed upon a cliff on Kilimanjaro. There was an opening in the mountain itself as black smoke spewed forth from the mouth. "I sense someone else is here," said Ithfaedeus. "Besides your mother." "Who?" asked Pyrothraxus. "I don't know." Sam took off his helmet and strapped it to the saddle bag. Then, he unzipped his body suit and pulled out his arm to inspect the wound. York glanced back and pulled out the med kit. Though Sam's chocolate-colored skin made it difficult to see where the burn was, York saw some oddly raised areas on the colonel's arm. "Is that it?" he asked as he placed a pair of rubber gloves on his hands. "Yeah," said said Sam. "Pathetic, weak humans," said Ithfaedeus. Pyrothraxus swung his head around to the Black Dragon, his lip curled up into a snarl. Ithfaedeus lifted his head up and glanced away. Pyrothraxus looked back at Sam. "Sam, I'm sorry," he said. "Don't," said Sam. "It's not...it's okay, Jon." York began to bandage the wound up. "I should have thought this would happen," said Pyrothraxus. "You didn't know," said Sam, watching York cut the last of the bandages and securing them. "Sam, when we get home, I'm making you a ring of fire protection," said Pyrothraxus. "Since you work with me in this form, I should have thought that you needed one before." "Jon," said Sam, his dark eyes meeting the Red Dragon's glowing ones. "Let's just focus on your mother." "Living with the humans has made you weak minded, Pyrothraxus," said Ithfaedeus. "Not another word," said Pyrothraxus. "Let's just go in. I can smell my mother inside." "What about the other?" asked Ithfaedeus. "Burn that bridge when we get there," said Pyrothraxus. They made their way as silently as they could deep inside the cavern. Sam pulled up his body suit again and zipped it up. The temperature slowly became hotter and hotter as they got inside. The light from the outside grew in as they went deeper. Sam and York could smell sulfur gas all around them and they heard the sounds of boiling on the floors. Pyrothraxus did not show any mind to the heat. York leaned down just to see what was making the boiling noises. He gasped when he found pools of glowing orange lava, bubbling, spouting flames, and splashing molten rock on the path. Ice water from the glaciers outside seeped in through cracks and splashed upon the hot pools with a hiss. "I suppose this is the perfect place for you, Pyrothraxus," said the Black Dragon. "It is a volcano," said Pyrothraxus. "But I like my little two-story home in New York." "It stinks in here!" said York. He began to cough from the gas. "Hydrogen sulfide," said Sam. "We better put our helmets on. We can survive in low levels of it because our bodies can detoxify it, but in higher levels." The two riders put their helmets on and turned up the oxygen. "Sam, how much oxygen do you have in that tank?" asked Pyrothraxus. "3 hours a best," said Sam. "But we've got scrubbers too. The filters can extend the time- limit to about 4 hours. After that..." "After that, we'll be gone from here," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll see to it." They came to the end of the long cavernous hall into the heart of Mt. Kilimanjaro itself. As they made their way out into the large opening, Pyrothraxus paused with eyes wide open. He held his breath when he saw another Great Wyrm Red Dragon standing there in the center of the lair of Malystryx. Beside the Red Dragon was a Great Wyrm Blue Dragon and another Great Wyrm Green Dragon. The Red Dragon had a broken rite horn and a scar on his left eye. His eyes were black as the night and his scales glowed with a youthful vigor. This dragon was a demonic fiend, but more importantly, he was Zestos–Pyrothraxus' younger brother. "Zestos!" Pyrothraxus bellowed. "Zestos?" Sam asked. "Zestos," Ithfaedeus growled. "Ava'yorn, isthasy," said Zestos. "What are you doing here?" Pyrothraxus. "I was about to ask the same of you," said Zestos. "I am surprised to see you are–not an abomination." "It didn't work!" Shäzyx bellowed. "He hasn't changed! Look at him! He's normal." "And no one from the High God has taken him," said Venoshous. "Why?" "I don't know," Zestos said. He slowly approached Pyrothraxus. The fiendish Red Dragon's tongue slithered out between his jaws. He disappeared into a blur before Pyrothraxus' only to reappear again directly in front of him. Pyrothraxus held up his right claw up, teeth barred, ready to cast a defensive spell upon his hideous brother. Zestos' eyes widened when he saw the glowing purple-white, five pointed star imprinted in his elder brother's paw. He grabbed Pyrothraxus paw and brought it close to him. "What is this?" "It's nothing!" Pyrothraxus said. "Shäzyx!" Zestos turned to his Blue Dragon lieutenant. "Come here! I need your knowledge." He brought Pyrothraxus' claw close to the Blue Dragon. "What is this?" "I don't know," she replied, placing her claw over it. "It contains powerful magic, but magic not from here. This does not come from our dimension, nor any other." Pyrothraxus growled, his eyes flashed purple for just a moment. He took his paw away and held it up to both Zestos and Shäzyx. A flash of purple sent both flying back, slamming them to the cave floor. "Master!" Venoshous called. "You'll pay for that, outcast!" Shäzyx found herself sliding close to one of the lava pools and she brought her claws out to catch herself on the rock. She breathed heavily when she saw a spirt of lava leap out of the pool. Zestos found himself on his back. Leaning up, he faced his brother. He spied the strange purple aura around the older Red Dragon. "Kill him!" Zestos bellowed. "Ithfaedeus, take Sam and York," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll handle my brother." "Very well," said the Black Dragon. Sam and York unstrapped themselves from the dragon's back, leaping into Ithfaedeus' claws. "Jon," began Sam. "This is my fight," said Pyrothraxus. "I know that," said Sam. "But that purple flash. That wasn't you. That was the..." "I know," said Pyrothraxus. "If push comes to shove and I loose control, you know what to do." "Alright, buddy," said Sam. "York, you heard him. Load up that round." "Yes, sir," said York. Pyrothraxus unsnapped the harness from his neck. He did not want it to become damaged in the fight. Venoshous leapt at Pyrothraxus. The Red Dragon's eyes flashed purple once more and another invisible force sent the Green Dragon crashing into a wall. "Worthless Green!" Zestos called. "Shäzyx!" "Yes, Master," she said as she rose up. The Blue Dragon reared her head back and blasted forth a fat, blue-white bolt of lightning from her jaws. York could feel the hairs on his neck stand up from the massive charge of the bolt as it raced towards Pyrothraxus. The elder Red Dragon lifted his claw up and caught the bolt. "Impossible!" Shäzyx cried. Before she could protest anything else, Pyrothraxus sent the bolt back towards her. It had changed color, becoming purple-white as it struck her. Shäzyx bellowed out in agony as the bolt sizzled her blue scales. She toppled over, barely moving. Zestos looked back at her and then to his older brother. Pyrothraxus faced him once more, shaking his head. "How?" he asked. "How? She's immune lightning. How?" "I've learned some new tricks," said Pyrothraxus. "Never," said Zestos. "I will never let you best me!" "I've always been your better, Zestos," said Pyrothraxus. "Even before I became good, I have always been your better." Zestos bellowed a powerful, earthshaking roar. Then, in full fury, he shot forth towards his brother. Pyrothraxus reared up onto his hind legs and merely stopped the charging dragon with a claw upon his head. Zestos attempted to make several swipes at Pyrothraxus, only his forelegs were not long enough. Pyrothraxus stepped aside and let his brother go, allowing him to fall over from the weight of his inertia. Sam, watching this fight from the ledge that Ithfaedeus set him and York down, was laughing. Pyrothraxus walked over to his brother's side and with one claw, took hold of Zestos' single horn. He lifted his brother's head up. "I will not be defeated that easily!" Zestos growled. He flexed a wing and swatted Pyrothraxus down. He lifted up and bounded upon his older brother's downed body. Pyrothraxus' once more sent another purple flash out from his body and Zestos was thrown back. He rose up. "Do you have any idea what you did to me when you sent me to the Far Realm?" Pyrothraxus asked. "The horrors I've seen? I'm going to kill you for what you have done!" "Why not send me there as well?" Zestos asked. "Because even I have some morals," said Pyrothraxus. "I much rather just kill you." Zestos made an attempt to rise, but another purple flash came from Pyrothraxus claw, and Zestos found himself pinned by an invisible force. "What is this?" he bellowed. "Where did you get that power? You can't do this." "I can't," said Pyrothraxus. "You're right." As Pyrothraxus stepped towards his brother, his scales red color began to tarnish until it appeared black. His stripes once more glowed electric purple. His eyes also glowed the purple color as his violet aura increased. "But I can," said an alien voice coming from Pyrothraxus' mouth. Fiery blood began to seep out from the dragon's mouth. "Uh-oh," said Sam. "York, ready the dart." "Yes, sir," said York. He brought out his dart gun and armed it. Ithfaedeus' claw came down and the very tip of the talon forced York to lower the gun. "Just wait a moment, two-legs," said the Black Dragon. "Let us watch this." "But, you heard what Jon said," said Sam. "We can't let it gain control again." "I wish to see what the power of the Stone of Aster can do when it is fully unleashed upon my former master," said Ithfaedeus. "It will teach him a lesson for firing me!" "What is this?" Zestos asked. "I don't understand." "Then you are an even bigger fool than I thought, little Red Dragon," said the strange voice from Pyrothraxus. "Your fun has unfortunately come to an end. Now, your soul, I will gleefully rend." "That voice, those rhymes," said Ithfaedeus. "It can't be him, can it?" "Him who?" York asked. "Oh, no one important," said Ithfaedeus with a chuckle. Yes, it really is him! The Stone of Aster...how it was made, who it was made from. Of course, so that is why Pyrothraxus did not change in the Far Realm. Venoshousrose up from the ground and shook the rock off from his body. He turned to where Shäzyx was and then to where Zestos was. He saw Pyrothraxus grab hold of Zestos' body and sink his claws into his neck. "No!" called Venoshous. "Master! Get off of him, you freak!" He leapt for Pyrothraxus, knocking him off of Zestos' body. Pyrothraxus flipped over with his great strength and slammed Venoshous down onto the floor. He pinned the Green Dragon down with his claws, growling, his lava-like blood burning into Venoshous scales. "Very well, I will eat you first!" said the alien voice coming from Pyrothraxus. He leaned down and bit into the Green Dragon's neck. Then, pulling away, he started to suck the blue-white streams of life force from the neck wound. He inhaled the life force. It filled him with enormous power. It was the life force of a Great Wyrm. Sam watched the vampiric act happen silently, bitting his trembling lip. "Now you know why I despise vampires," said Ithfaedeus. As Pyrothraxus drained Venoshous, Sam noticed that the black-scaled Red Dragon's size began to increase. Venoshous slowly became a dried husk. Just as the final bit of his life force was absorbed into Pyrothraxus, the Green Dragon crumbled into dust. When he was finished, Pyrothraxus' body appeared to have grown at least fifty feet longer than it was before. Then, he turned back towards Zestos. Pyrothraxus licked his lips when he faced his brother. "Your turn, Zestos," he said. "Yes!" bellowed a voice from behind a boulder. "Kill him for me, my worthy son. At last, you will prove to me you are the cut above all my children." Pyrothraxus paused and his black color turned back into red. The presence of the other mind soon faded from his and his thoughts were freed. He looked around with cleared eyes, confused as to what just happened. When he finally regained consciousness, he turned to where the voice was coming from. There, perched up on a high ledge was a massive female Great Wyrm Red Dragon. He held his breath when he realized who it was perched up on the ledge. It was Malystryx. The African Queen

She was a massive sight to behold. She was almost three times as big as Pyrothraxus. Her size was due to her constant vampirism of other dragons including Great Wyrms. Her eyes gleamed with a feral look and her scales had a youthful vigor to them. Though, her coloration was off. Malystryx's scales seemed grayer than Pyrothraxus' own scales. What was most prominent were her black, tiger-like stripes on her faded scales. She almost looked like an albino variation of a Red Dragon. Her frills though were still tipped with pale blue. Her horns were twisted instead of straight like Pyrothraxus own horns, and they were also tipped with deep obsidian. Her talons were also black. Behind the frill of one of her ears were two abnormally huge, African fish eagle feathers. They were tied on a tether attacked to a piercing through the ear. Obviously, she had used some sort of spell to make the feathers fit for her size. Around her neck was an Egyptian inlaid, broad collar of gold and various jeweled beads. Around her forelegs were golden cuffs from Egypt and Ethiopia, containing the ancient designs of the people who once lived there several thousands of years ago. Malystryx styled herself after the ancient cultures of Africa only to make herself look like the ruler of all of them. To her, she was the queen of the great continent of Africa and her rule could not be challenged. She descended down from her high perch and approached her sons. Pyrothraxus still had Zestos bound, despite coming to from being under the thrall of the Stone of Aster. He glanced down to see Zestos wearing his ring on his index finger. His mind was whirling over what he should do next. He had to get the ring away from Zestos and perhaps use it to banish both his mother and brother to Baator. He made a reach for it, pulling it from Zestos' claw. Malystryx chuckled and waved her claw. Pyrothraxus gasped as the ring was snatched from his claw. It flew across the air and landed on the floor far away from both of them. "Ah!" Malystryx said, wagging her finger. "I know what you were thinking, Pyrothraxus." "Damn it!" Pyrothraxus shouted. "You forget our mother is a telepath," said Zestos. "Oh, great!" Sam said. "She's psychic?" "Unfortunately," said Ithfaedeus. "I see you brought me some food, Pyrothraxus," said Malystryx as she looked over at the Black Dragon and the two humans. "Though the humans will make a meager meal, that Black Dragon looks rather tasty." "I am not your dinner, cannibalistic witch!" bellowed Ithfaedeus. "Then you shouldn't have entered my lair," she said. "However, I might spare the Ethiopian for another cause." "Excuse me?" Sam asked. "Ethiopian? What? I'm not from Ethiopia." "It's because you're black, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "It's her word for you." "It's because I'm..." Sam stepped forward. "You're a racist bitch!" "Insolent soft skin!" Malystryx bellowed, causing the chasm to tremble. "You will learn your manners before your queen. Or I will teach them to you." "You're not my queen, lady," Sam said. "I serve one person, the President of the United States." "Sam," sighed Pyrothraxus. "Just let it go...Malystryx, you and I need to have a talk." "Malystryx?" she asked. "You do not call me mother? Why is this?" "Because he has betrayed you, dask!" said Zestos. "As he has betrayed us all." "You both have betrayed me!" Malystryx said. "Especially you, Zestos. No son of mine bows to such a despicable being as Asemodeus. And you, Pyrothraxus, siding with Bahamut." "I don't side with Bahamut," said Pyrothraxus. "I hate him as much as all Chromatics do for what he has done to us. However, I know that what we are doing is wrong." "Your conscience is your weakness, Pyrothraxus," said Malystryx. "I've come here to take you down," said Pyrothraxus. "I will not let you harm any more people from the surrounding villages here, or anywhere else." He lowered his head. "Even if that means I have to absorb your life force as well." Malystryx cocked an unamused eyebrow at her eldest son. Then, she threw back her head in a laugh. "You?" she asked. "Kill me? Pyrothraxus, you must be joking." She snapped her fingers and banished the hold Pyrothraxus had on his brother. Zestos rose up from the ground and prepared himself to attack his brother again. Malystryx snapped her fingers again and Zestos and Shäzyx vanished. "What?" Pyrothraxus asked. "No! I had him! I was going to kill him as well." "That can wait," she said. "Now, as you were saying. You want to kill me, take my life force?" "That's the idea." "I don't want to kill you, Pyrothraxus," she said. "Even if you joined the side of Bahamut, if you deny it despite of that, I can't do that. You're not the failure, Zestos is. We both have a common enemy, Asemodeus. I was amounting an army to face him." She passed Pyrothraxus, rubbing her flank against his. "You were enslaving those people," said Pyrothraxus. "For a just cause." "No it isn't," said Pyrothraxus. "No one should be enslaved to fight for a war they know nothing about. Leave those people alone!" "You have changed, my son," said Malystryx. "Ages ago, you would have jumped at the idea of enslaving the populace, terrorizing them, ordering them to die for you because they feared the control you had over them." "I was an idiot," said Pyrothraxus. "You're an idiot now," said Malystryx. "All that power you could have had, you've thrown away for that–O'eterus, or Galen, or whatever he calls himself. And that Silver Dragon wench Sayan'i. How dare you fall in love with a hideous creature like that?" "She's is not hideous," said Pyrothraxus. "Besides, I'm not in love with her anymore." "Oh, at least you've grown some sense," said Malystryx. "I'm in love with a human," said Pyrothraxus. "A what?" "And I've married her, and we had children," said Pyrothraxus, puffing out his chest with pride. "Your grandchildren are half dragons." Sam chuckled. York nodded, thrusting a cheerful fist at Pyrothraxus' words. Malystryx reared back and bellowed: "Half dragons! You would soil my bloodline with bestiality?" "They're not beasts," said Pyrothraxus. "They are," she said. "They're only good for cattle, food to feed us, their masters!" "I love my wife and my children, mother," Pyrothraxus said in spite. "And that will not change for all the world. Certainly not for the world you can give me. I don't want to live in your world." "Then you will die," said Malystryx. "You and your pitiful brother...and your beast family." Malystryx bellowed and charged for Pyrothraxus. Pyrothraxus planted his feet, ready to take on his much more massive mother. Before Pyrothraxus could block her, Malystryx vanished. She reappeared behind him, and sent him flying across the cavern with a powerful swing of her tail. "Holy shit!" Sam cried. Pyrothraxus painfully rose from the floor, shaking the dirt from his sides. He looked back only to see his mother taking hold of his tail and swinging him. She let him go and he crashed again. Malystryx made for her son again. Pyrothraxus breathed out a cone of fire and joined with it, escaping in his fiery form just as Malystryx was about to jump him. The fiery, winged shape flew to the other side of the cavern and landed, solidifying again. Malystryx rose up to find her son now swiftly making his way towards her. Malystryx disappeared and reappeared again, charging for him. Pyrothraxus grabbed hold of his mother by her wrists just as she leapt for him and rolled backwards. He kicked her off with a push of his foot and sent her crashing to the ground. Malystryx rose up, shaking her head. She smiled slightly as her whole body began to fall apart into several millions pieces. As Pyrothraxus landed onto the area where the many pieces of his mother were, he noticed those pieces reformed into large scarabs. Each one of the beetles began to crawl up Pyrothraxus body, biting into his scales with their pincers. He bellowed out in agony as he felt the million bites on his body. The scarabs began to glow blue-white, signaling their start to drain his life force energy. "Okay," said Sam. "How do we fight a dragon that can transform into millions of bugs?" "I've heard much of the magic of Malystryx, but never that," said Ithfaedeus. "Hey, you!" said Sam. "Do something! Anything! You said you would help." "Pyrothraxus said this was his fight," Ithfaedeus said. "Well, when he's gone, she's gonna come serve you as well as us on a hot spit," said Sam. "Now do you want to go out like that?" Ithfaedeus sighed: "Very well." The Black Dragon stepped slowly forward and spat his acid upon the insects that covered Pyrothraxus' body. The scarabs began to scream at the sensation of the burning acid and some of them began to fall off. Just as Ithfaedeus was about to spray away the next batch of scarabs, Malystryx reformed from the scarabs on the ground. "Don't look behind you," she whispered. Ithfaedeus turned around. He found himself flying through the air and slamming against the ground. The force was so strong, it knocked him unconscious. Pyrothraxus growled again at the feeling of the rest of the scarabs. He swatted his tail against his back, trying desperately to knock them off. Let me gain control. Let me help you. I can take her down easily. Just watch. Surely you know that this is a task I can not botch. "I don't need your help," said Pyrothraxus. "What is this?" Malystryx asked. "I hear another voice inside your mind." "It's nothing," said Pyrothraxus. The scarabs fell away from his body, reforming back into Malystryx. "It is something," she said. She sensed the change in him and she saw the strange purple aura around him. She grabbed his right claw and turned it up to her. Her eyes widened when she saw the five-pointed star on his palm. "The Stone of Aster! You swallowed it! It is no wonder how you can do all those tricks. You're warping reality. But who is the voice I hear?" "It's no one," said Pyrothraxus, fearfully as Malystryx leaned closer to him. Questions begged to be answered, but these answers can never be found. You can search all day, but your search will never have its final resound. "The rhyme is familiar," she said. "Who is that?" "No one," said Pyrothraxus. "Why are you so afraid?" "I'm not!" "Where have you been?" Malystryx asked. "No where." "You've gone to the Far Realm!" she laughed. "I can smell the Abomination taint all over you. But you've not changed. I don't see your body covered in multiple eyes, or tentacles. You're still the same." He is the same on the outside, but on the inside, he is vastly different. Malystryx pulled upon Pyrothraxus' arm, bringing him closer. "Let me see into your eyes, my son," she said. "Let me see this demon that is inside of you." He is my vessel, and I am his commander. With my power, he will be able to destroy his brother. With my power, even the Devil himself will tremble. Through patience and waiting, I grow stronger. Malystryx with your soul, come sate my hunger. Malystryx felt a pull upon her own soul as she gazed into Pyrothraxus' eyes. There was a power behind those eyes, a power that did not belong to him, nor did he have complete control over. She backed away just as three purple beams of light flowed out from Pyrothraxus' eyes, forming into three draconic heads. The heads snaked towards the Red Dragon and snapped their jaws. "Jon!" Sam cried. "So that's Pathemos' terrible secret!" Malystryx gasped. "He took a piece of that monster to make the Stone." The three dragon heads withdrew back into Pyrothraxus' eyes as once more the black and purple tarnished his red scales. A smile appeared on his jaws. He raised a claw up and motioned mockingly for Malystryx to attack him. "I've always wanted to fight you," she said, not really directing her comment to Pyrothraxus, but the demon controlling him. "I always wanted to see just why everyone was told to be frightened of you. Here's your chance to prove to me why." Pyrothraxus chuckled and snapped his fingers. Malystryx found herself sent flying up to the ceiling. Then, he motioned downward and Malystryx fell. Many times, he caused her to fly and fall. Then, when he was through with that, Pyrothraxus motioned again, and Malystryx was blasted against a wall. Malystryx rose up and once more fell apart again, forming into millions of scarabs. The possessed Pyrothraxus watched, still with a smile on his face, as the scarabs crept closer to him. He reared back and blasted forth a powerful purple beam of disintegration from his mouth and upon the scarabs. Each of the scarabs began to flare up in rows of flames. Though they would be immune to the fire of another Red Dragon, they could not stand the horrible heat of this new weapon that Pyrothraxus could produce in his altered state. Fiery blood again leaked out of his mouth as it was burned from the inside by the blast of the superheated gas. While Pyrothraxus was roasting his mother, Sam and York climbed down from the ledge to Ithfaedeus. Sam came to the massive Black Dragon's head and began to rock it as best as he could. "Come on, you moron," he said. "Wake up!" Ithfaedeus' red eyes fluttered for a moment as he awoke from his nap. "Don't ever call me a moron, human," he said. "I need you to give York and I a lift," said Sam. "Why?" asked Ithfaedeus. "I need you to raise us up high enough so York can shoot Jon," said Sam. "Despite the Stone of Aster taking control," said Ithfaedeus, observing the fight. "He's winning against his mother." "When he's done, he's gonna come after us," said Sam. "Do you want that?" "No," he said. "Get on my head." They climbed up onto the Black Dragon's head and settled themselves above his thorny brow ridge. Ithfaedeus rose up and paused, waiting for Pyrothraxus to finally finish the last bunch of scarabs. All in his wake was dust on the cavern floor. Ithfaedeus made his way towards the possessed dragon as York aimed for the back of the neck. Just as Pyrothraxus was about to turn around, York fired and pierced the scales with the dart. Pyrothraxus bellowed and fell over. Then, his black scales faded back to red. The purple glow died down. Ithfaedeus looked all around him to find the scarab form of Malystryx completely destroyed. "She's dead," he said. "He killed her. He actually killed her." "Over there," said Sam. "Jon's ring. Could you get it for him?" "I might as well," said Ithfaedeus. "It is useless to me. I cannot perform its spell." "It'll be a way to banish Zestos if we can't kill him," said Sam. Ithfaedeus set the humans down and then walked over to where the ring had landed. Sam walked over to the downed body of Pyrothraxus and placed his hand on his thorny cheek. He tried to push against the cheek of the Red Dragon, attempting to awaken him. Pyrothraxus slowly began to awaken, his eyes pulling back the many individual lids. Finally he started to slowly stir and his eyes turned towards Sam. "What...what happened?" he asked. "You killed her," said Sam. "What?" Pyrothraxus asked, moaning as he tried to move. His body was in pain from channeling the power of the Stone of Aster. "Killed who?" "Your mother," he replied. "How?" Pyrothraxus asked as he tried to lift his head up. "I'm...I'm not that..." "You did," said said Sam. "She's gone. Malystryx is gone." "How could I have?" Pyrothraxus whispered. "Why does my head hurt?" "You don't remember?" said Sam. "No." "The Stone of Aster took control of you," said Sam. "Then it roasted your mother." Pyrothraxus painfully forced himself to rise: "No. My mother doesn't go down that easily. You don't know her." "Jon, it's over," said Sam. "She's gone." "Colonel," began York. "Maybe he's right. We should look around. I mean, she could have tricked us." "Her...main lair chamber is up there," said Pyrothraxus, motioning weakly towards the ledge. "Stay here, Jon," said Sam. "We'll go look for you." "She might attack..." "You're in no condition to move around," said Sam. "Just stay there. Sergeant, come on." Ithfaedeus approached Pyrothraxus and dropped the ring in front of him. Then, he turned back and watched as the two Air Force soldiers started climbing the ledge. "I'll go with them," he said as he headed for the ledge. "If you eat them," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll eat you." "Parish the thought," said Ithfaedeus. "Since Malystryx is gone, her hoard is ripe for the taking." "So, that's why you...wanted to join me," said Pyrothraxus. "Your own damned profit." "Don't worry, I'll save you a brass button," said Ithfaedeus as he began to climb up the ledge as well, following the humans. "How...kind of you," Pyrothraxus grunted. He laid his head back down on the rocky floor. The three came to the sleeping chamber of Malystryx. There, laid before them was a vast hoard of gold, jewels, and various other priceless, ancient artifacts. Immediately, Ithfaedeus started to swallow the hoard, scooping it up in his claws and pouring it down his throat. "What's he doing?" asked York. "Swallowing it," said Sam. "That's how dragons move when they want to change homes. They swallow their hoard and then regurgitate it in their new residence. And I guess that's how dragons steal each other's hoard too. Hey, don't choke on it too much." "Be quiet," said Ithfaedeus. "Let me concentrate." "If Jon's right and Malystryx really is still alive in some form or another, she may be a bit mad at you for stealing her gold," said Sam. "I don't since the Red Marauder anymore," said Ithfaedeus. "She is obviously dead. To the victor goes to spoils!" "That would be Jon, you greedy leach," said Sam. "He obviously doesn't want her gold," said Ithfaedeus between swallowing. "Why let this lovely hoard go to waste?" Sam shook his head and began to look around the enormous hoard. This hoard was far lager than the hoard he saw Pyrothraxus having at his Adirondack lair. York was looking at it with wide eyes. There was so much gold, jewels, and various other priceless artifacts. He walked over to a mound of gold and jewels and leaned over to scoop some up into his hands. Sam turned his head to York and crossed his arms. "Sergeant," he said. "Put it down." "But, sir," said York. "I mean, she's dead, right? It's not like she'll mind. And I don't think that Black Dragon will mind either. I could use some of this to pay off my credit dept." "York, do you know why Jonathan lives the way he does?" Sam asked. "You think with all of what he owns in his lair, he could have had something better than a car that constantly needs repair, or a house with a sinking foundation. He doesn't. He owns the wealth of kings, and he can't use a single pearl necklace. Why? Because people would question his dubious explanation as to how he managed to get a hold of such valuable items. And they would lock him up for it. Same thing with you. The only thing we can do if that Black Dragon doesn't take it all, is just report it for an archeological team to come in here and prepare it to be sent to several museums. I'm sure there's a lot of historical items in here that everyone can benefit from." "Yes, sir," he said. "Besides, if you do take anything out, it goes to Jonathan," said Sam. "It's his right to own it. Family heirlooms, you know." "If you decide to take some of it," began Ithfaedeus. "It matters not to me. Fill your tiny pockets, humans. You can't carry much." "Sir," York began, walking back towards Sam. "Maybe we can find something Mr. Long can use." "Maybe," said Sam. He brought the sergeant closer. "But don't tell Slimy that." He pointed over at Ithfaedeus who was still busy swallowing as much as he could. They began their search for anything that might look useful in the future. Sam sifted through the various mounds of gold and jewels. Finally, he came upon a scroll hidden away under a golden goblet. He slowly unrolled the scroll and tried to read what was on it. It was written in the unmistakable Iokaric, the ancient script of the Dragons. He had tucked away that magical spy glass Salendra gave him that night on the Isle of Draco into a pocket. Pulling it out, he held it up to his eye. The language of Dragons soon became the language of English and he softly read to himself what the scroll had on it. "A wish spell," he said. "Considered the most powerful spell ever created, the spell wish can only be cast by the most powerful of sorcerers and Dragon Mages..." Sam smiled as he rolled up the scroll and stuffed it into his suit. This was a spell Jonathan needed, he decided. He knew he had to take it to him for only Jonathan was the most powerful wizard that could be trusted with such a spell. He also gathered up some of the gold into his pockets to bring back to Jonathan as well. After all, it rightfully belonged to him. "I suppose this is enough," said Ithfaedeus. "I'll have to come back for more. If I swallow too much, I won't be able to fly. Come, humans, let us return to Pyrothraxus." "York!" Sam called. "We're done here." "Yes, sir," said York. They walked out of the main sleeping chamber of Malystryx to find Pyrothraxus still laying on the floor of the audience chamber. Sam's face melted into a concerned furrow. The massive Red Dragon's color did not appear to be healthy to him. He looked pallid and sickly, almost like he did when he came out of the Far Realm. Just when Pyrothraxus seemed fine, had recovered enough to make this flight to African, he was once more ill. Sam guessed it was due to the Stone of Aster. The magical device inside of the Red Dragon gave him incredible power, but at a horrible price. Sam did not want to admit it, but he suspected that the Stone was eating his friend alive from the inside out. Pyrothraxus was deathly still, barely even moving. His eyes were closed. York and Sam made their way down the cliff with care. Once they got to the floor, they headed for Pyrothraxus. Ithfaedeus leapt down from the cliff and landed near the Red Dragon. "Since there is nothing more we can do, we should get out of here," he said. "Zestos might be back and with Pyrothraxus in his condition, I don't think we can survive." "He's got a point, sir," said York. Alright," said Sam. "Jon. Jon! Wake up!" He started pushing on Pyrothraxus' cheek again and the Red Dragon weakly opened his eyes. "Sam?" he asked. "You're...you're back? Was my mother up there?" "No," said Sam. "I told you that you killed her. Going up there only proved it. Come on, we need to get out of here just in case Zestos comes back." "I–I still don't believe I killed her," Pyrothraxus said, his voice barely coming above a whisper. "No time to discuss it," said Sam. "Come on. Up on your feet." Pyrothraxus rumbled as he painfully tried to rise to his feet. He staggered a few steps, gasping for air. Pain zapped through his body like lightning. He was shaking as he struggled to keep on his toes. Sam noticed his back feet looked like they were about to buckle inward. "Put the harness on," said Sam. "Sir, I don't think he's fit to fly us out of here," said York. "You think I'm gonna trust Snidely Whiplash back there?" Sam asked, pointing back at Ithfaedeus. He watched Pyrothraxus strap the harness on, testing their stability. "Jon, we'll just walk out with you. We'll get on when we reach the ledge." "Okay," he said as he began to take a step forward. Pyrothraxus fumbled slightly. He wobbled as he walked out the exist. Ithfaedeus and the two officers followed him. Pyrothraxus finally came to the opening and continued to wobble back and forth. Ithfaedeus pulled up right beside him. "Well, I suppose our business has concluded," he said. "What...what do you mean?" Pyrothraxus asked, weakly lifting his head to look at him. "I finally got what I wanted," said Ithfaedeus. "I wanted to know what it was that allowed you to survive the Far Realm, and I figured it out. He helped you. And now, I must say 'adios'." With a slap of his claw, Ithfaedeus sent the Red Dragon tumbling off the edge of the mountain. "Jonathan!" Sam cried, watching helplessly as Pyrothraxus tumbled over the rocks, going all the way down the mountains. Boulders followed him as he rolled on down. Sam turned back to the Black Dragon. "You fucking bastard! Sergeant, the dart gun! We've got one more shot..." "Yes, sir," said York, pulling out the dart gun. "Oh, what are you going to do with that, little dragonslayer?" Ithfaedeus asked. York fired upon the Black Dragon. Ithfaedeus suddenly vanished before the dart could make an impact. "God damn it!" Sam cried. "He vanished!" said York. "I knew we couldn't trust that guy," said Sam. "Jon!" He lowered himself to the ledge to find a pile of rocks half way down the mountain. He took off his helmet and got out a pair of binoculars. Sam spied a flash of red under the rocks. Pyrothraxus was trapped under the boulders. "Oh God..." he breathed. "York, call the rescue choppers." "Yes, sir," he said. York radioed in for several choppers while igniting a signal flare. The puff of orange smoke circled the sky. Sam looked down at the fallen body of Pyrothraxus under the rocks. "He said he wasn't ready," said Sam. "He said he wasn't ready. And I didn't listen to him." "He seemed fine when he was fighting," said York. "The Stone of Aster," said Sam. "It's eating him alive! That's not fine, that's an illness. I need to find a way to help him." Within a few minutes, the rescue helicopters flew in. Sam and York climbed in and the choppers took off. "We can't go far," Sam told the pilot. "Our friend's under some rocks." "Where?" asked the pilot. "Down there," said Sam. "You'll have a time getting him out." "He's the dragon we rode on," said York. "He's what?" "Just trust us," said Sam. "We need to get him out." "All right," said the pilot. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Sam climbed carefully over the pile of boulders that covered Pyrothraxus. He began to move some of the boulders away until he managed to clear away a small hole. He leaned down and shined his flashlight through the hole. The flashlight glinted off of Pyrothraxus' glossy, red scales. Sam moved the flashlight around to see just how bad off Pyrothraxus was. The Red Dragon appeared to be lying in a horrible, twisted, shattered position. His wings were sprawled and pinned down by the heavy boulders. His neck looked broken with the way it was curled back, but Sam could not tell if it was. Pyrothraxus' mouth was wide open and his forked, long tongue was hanging out. His eyes were closed. Sam had to deduce that the Red Dragon was knocked out cold. Sam leaned back up, turning around to some of the workers ready to help dig Pyrothraxus out. "Someone get me a rope," he said. "I need to get down to him." "I would be careful, sir!" called a worker. "Someone should go down there and see what kind of damage is done to him," said Sam. "I need to know how badly injured he is. All I know is that he's unconscious." "Colonel!" called York. He climbed up on the pile of rocks along with another soldier who carried a doctor's bag with her. "I called over an MD. This Dr. Rachel Sexton." "Hello, Doctor," said Sam offering his hand to help her closer to the hole he made. "Colonel," she said as she took his hand. "You said you have a friend under those boulders." "Yeah," said Sam. "You know how to repel?" "I'm pretty good at it," she replied. "I'll inspect his injury and see just how bad it is." "All I know is that we can't move him unless we move all the boulders," said Sam. "Don't be ridiculous." "York, didn't you tell her?" asked Sam. "Um, I din't have enough time," said York. "And I just didn't really know how to word it." "Tell me what?" asked Sexton. "You know what, Doctor?" asked Sam. "It's best you just find out for yourself. You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Several other men tied the repelling rope and held onto the rope to secure it. Both Sam and the medical doctor descended the hole. As they touched bottom, the doctor turned around just as Sam turned the flashlight upward. She gasped when she found out who her patient was. Sexton was about to scream, but Sam stopped her, placing his hand over her mouth. "It's okay!" he said. "It's okay. He's my friend." "Those things were attacking our planes earlier," said Sexton. "And you want me to heal one of them?" "He's not with them," said Sam. "This is Jonathan Long, he is a civilian who works for the United States Air Force. Both he and I are working together to help the US government in figuring out what all is going on and to learn more about the magical beings our ancestors banished a thousand years ago. He was weakened from a battle with several enemy dragons inside Kilimanjaro, and he...fell off the mountain." Sam looked back at the Red Dragon when he heard the sound of Pyrothraxus rumbling. The sound was pitiful. A solitary tear of agony dripped from a closed eye. "Jon?" he asked. "Jon?" He walked up and pushed against Pyrothraxus' cheek. "Jon?" "Sam...?" Pyrothraxus said, his voice barely audible. "What...happened?" Sam turned back to Sexton: "You fell off the mountain." "So...is...that...why...I feel like...crap?" he asked. "I...can't move...my wings, my legs...my tail. I can't move anything." "Doc?" asked Sam. "Can you tell me what's wrong with him?" "I'm not a vet," she said. "You know," said Sam. "That's what a paramedic said once too. I had to remind her that he's not a damned animal! He's a person. So, yes, you're not a vet, and he's not a dog. Now get to work." "Yes, sir," she said in a sigh. She began to climb over a forepaw and looked around his body. She noticed his right wing that had an open wound with his glowing blood seeping out. "His blood is phosphorescent?" "Uh, no," said Sam. "I'd be careful around it too. That blood of his is the same temperature as lava." "Impossible," said Sexton. "No creature can have a temperature like that. Besides the fact that his brain would boil in his own soup, every bit of his body would be set on fire." "Oh yeah?" asked Sam. "Watch this. Hope you don't mind if I light my lighter on your scales, buddy." "Feh," Pyrothraxus growled. "I won't even feel it." Sam brought out his cigarette lighter and turned up the flame intensity. He lit it and brought it close to Pyrothraxus' hide, running the flame along the scales. The scales did not even react to the heat of the flames. "What do you think you're doing?" asked Sexton. "Doctor, don't you get it?" asked Sam. "He's born in fire, he breathes fire, and his blood is liquid fire. Trust me, he's not boiling in his own soup. He's immune to heat, chemical combustion, and well, anything that fire happens to be. I can't explain why, but that's the nature of his particular species. That's why we built our little department, so we can understand creatures like him better." "Okay," she said. "You've made your point. If I can't touch his wound, how can I inspect it?" "Just tell me if you can see if it's broken." She pulled out her flashlight and pointed it up towards the wing. The forearm of the wing bleed profusely while a piece of the bone stuck out from the skins. "His forearm is broken completely," she said. "It looks like the radius. I wouldn't know how to begin to try and force it back in place. The bones are too big for me to manipulate." "Jon, if we can't dig you all the way out, can you shrink yourself?" asked Sam. "No, my power has been zapped," he replied. "We'll need manpower then to operate on him," said Sexton. She inspected the wound once more. "It looks like it's healing quickly though. But that's not right. How can a wound heal so fast?" "We have to hurry, then," said Sam. "I may not know much about medicine, but I did break a leg once. The doctor told me if it healed wrong, I could loose the use of the leg. He regenerates because he's immortal. But, if something isn't set right, he might heal incorrectly." "With the way that wound is healing, by the time we dig him out, it'll be completely gone," she said. "Then, we'll re-break it," he said. "That can be done, right? To reset the bone?" "Yes," she said. "But how? That wing is big." "Jon, you'll have to break your wing," said Sam. "Great," he said. "I wouldn't suggest he..." "Actually..." Pyrothraxus began. "I...know some first..aide..." "I don't care what you know," she said. "You could seriously injure yourself." "As if...I'm not...already..." "Jon, will this help?" asked Sam, pulling out the scroll he had tucked away. "What...what is it?" he asked. "It's a wish spell," said Sam. "Can you cast it?" "It's a universal spell, any wizard can cast it so long as they are powerful enough and have enough in their spell cache to do so," said Pyrothraxus. "If...I can't...use my...polymorph...then I don't have enough to cast wish." "You can learn it though," said Sam. "Yeah..." he replied. "Keep it on...you. Okay?" "No problem," said Sam, tucking it back under his body suit. She hopped off and walked to the other parts of the dragon's body. She pressed on his legs and felt his feet, trying to get some semblance of a reaction from him. Pyrothraxus grunted a few times. "Looks like you're bruised here," she said. "Is...that...why...it...hurts?" Pyrothraxus asked. Sexton sneered at him when she noted his sarcastic tone. "I can't tell any discoloration in your scales," she said. "It's red, and more red, and just red." "He's got a thick hide," said Sam. She leaned away: "Maybe he's got a dragon doctor that would be better at finding out what's wrong with him than a human doctor." "There aren't any dragon doctors," said Sam. "And if they did exist, it was a thousand years ago. Dragons like Jonathan haven't shown themselves for over a thousand years." Sexton sighed again and sighed as she moved all the way down to the Red Dragon's foot. She noticed it was bent awkwardly. She reached out and touched it. Pyrothraxus growled, wincing slightly in pain. "I can't tell if this is broken or just sprained," she said. "Can you wiggle your toes on this foot?" Pyrothraxus tried to move a single toe, but found he could not. The pain was too much for him. "No." She turned back to Sam: "Even if we can re-break the wing to set it correctly for it to heal, we don't have a splint large enough to accommodate him. His size is literally a detriment. I can't even fit him on a hospital table and I don't have enough alcohol to sterilize the area." "He won't get infection," said Sam. "He's immortal." "Sam's...right..." said Pyrothraxus. "I...can't get..sick." "Okay..." she sighed. "Look, both of you. We'll be needing something fireproof to wrap that wound up. I'll need to look at the foot in order to determine if it's broken as well and I don't have an X-ray camera big enough to put his foot in. If he heals as fast as you say, even his foot will be crippled. Those metatarsals have been damaged. He's not going to be able to pivot on his ankle. And since he flies, he won't be able to leap in the air to fly." "He has a flying spell..." said Sam. "I...have to stand to use it..." said Pyrothraxus. "And concentration is important. If I can't concentrate, I'll fall." Sam looked back at Pyrothraxus: "So, with the pain in your foot and your wing, you can't fly naturally or magically?" "No," he said. "And...all my magical...powers are going to my healing...I can't use any spell." "Okay, doctor," said Sam. "Besides healing him, how do we get him out without injuring him further?" "Well, usually in rescue operations, we lift the survivor out of the area," said Sexton. "Only, he's not exactly human-sized. I don't think we have anything that can lift something his size out of here and to somewhere I can operate on him." She looked around at the rocks. "And I don't suggest dynamiting the area. I don't care if your friend is immune." "That I do agree with," said Sam. "I'm a geophysicist. I know an unstable, volcanic area when I see one." "Would someone just...get me...out of here?" Pyrothraxus asked. "It's...a little cramped." Sam patted his snout: "You know I will. I guess just move the rocks one by one until we uncover him. It'll take all day though." "Just...do it," said Pyrothraxus. His eyes slowly closed again. "Up we go," said Sam, taking hold of the rope. Both climbed out, leaving the now unconscious dragon. The whole day was spent slowly unearthing Pyrothraxus from under the rocks. They managed to get construction machines from places like Moshi in order to do so. One by one, they moved each boulder away, uncovering a little bit of the Red Dragon at a time. When they finally moved the last boulder, Pyrothraxus attempted to rise. Sam ran for the Red Dragon as he painfully got to his feet. "Jon, don't!" he called. Pyrothraxus attempted to place his right foot down. A shock of agony raced through his foot. "Ah!" he gasped. "Jonathan, lay down!" Sam called. "Now!" "How are you...gonna...get me of...this mountain if...I don't move?" Pyrothraxus asked, hobbling on three legs. Another spike of pain was sent up from his wing . "Ah, my shoulder! My wing." He stumbled onto the ground, sending up dirt into the air. Pyrothraxus glanced back at his wing and shivered at the sight of the open fracture. "Oh...my..." he breathed, seeing the mangled wing before him. The Red Dragon tried to extend it, only to be rewarded with more pain. "That...that...I...I'm not going...to fly again." "Jon, you will," said Sam. "You will, don't be hysterical. It's like you've never had an open fracture before." "I–I haven't," he said. "Five thousand years old and you've..." "Dragons don't fall off of mountains, Sam!" Pyrothraxus bellowed, his great voice trembling the ground. "Unless they're pushed!" "I hate to tell you this, but you were pushed, pal. That Black Dragon did it." "Ithfaedeus...why?" "Because, I think, he's an asshole," said Sam. "Look, we need to focus on getting you well, then you can go and kick his ass." "I'll be happy to break his...wings for...breaking mine," Pyrothraxus growled. He once more tried to rise from the ground. "Jon, don't do it," said Sam as he watched the dragon get to his shaking feet. "Do...you have...a stretcher...my size, Sam?" asked Pyrothraxus. "No," Sam sighed. "There you go," he said. "I'll...get myself...down." "You are the most stubborn person I've ever met," said Sam. "I think I remember my mama saying one time she would like to take you over her knee and give you a decent spanking for all that stubbornness." "Let's...see...her do...that now..." Pyrothraxus said as he began his hobbling, painful walk down the mountain. "She probably could," said Sam. "Take every 670 tons of you and whip that tail. Make it glow in the dark red!" Pyrothraxus started to chuckle, but found even that too painful. "Ow, don't...make me laugh, it hurts," he said. "Look, Mr. Long," began Sexton, following them. Sergeant York came up behind her. "We still have to fix that wing and your foot." "Do you have a bandage large enough to do that?" Pyrothraxus asked. "No," she said. "But we can cut down some trees and make a couple of splints." "How will...you tie them...on?" he asked. "Right..." she said. "Look, I'm only doing what my job says to do and what the sergeant here asked me to do. I had no idea that the patient I was looking after was a four-legged, bat- winged, Godzilla!" "Excuse me...for not...being human," Pyrothraxus growled. "Dr. Sexton," said Sam. "We appreciate your help in this. Really. But you're right, his anatomy is very different and resembles more like an animal than a human. We should get someone who is more...familiar with his body-type." "I know of a veterinarian who may be able to help more than me," she said. "I don't know the first thing about resetting a wing to make sure it heals properly so he can use it. I might know something more about the foot, but his foot looks more like the foot of a lion than the foot of a human. My friend works at the wildlife reserve here. He's seen his fair share of cases of various wild animals, from giraffes to bats." "I just hope he has enough bandages to wrap up Jon's injuries," said Sam. "He also has a portable ultrasound," she said. "And since he's worked with very large animals, he may be able to know how to administer anesthesia better than I to something of your friend's size." "Actually, that's a good question on that..." said Sam. "Jon, can you take pain killers?" "You've seen me take aspirin for headaches before, Sam," he said. "I mean in your true form," said Sam. "I guess when you're in your human form, the dosage pretty much like an average human dosage." "The question is, would...pain killers work...on me...in my Ascended...state?" Pyrothraxus asked. "They...seemed to at...the hospital. Just...because I'm immortal...doesn't mean...I can't feel pain. In fact...being immortal makes...it worse. No...eternal release from...the pain." His eyes began to well up as he continued to limp helplessly down the mountain trail. "Which...is why...I'm in...so much...agony! Not...even a dragon...could...survive...that fall, so...my body...wants to die...and it can't!" He began to grumble under his breath various Draconic curses as he continued to hobble down the trail. Dr. Sexton pulled out her satellite phone and called her veterinarian friend. She informed him everything that she saw and who she was walking with. Though she got a few scoffs of disbelief on the phone, she said that he would change his tune once he saw the proof. She told him to just be prepared when they arrived. A few times they paused in their downward hike to allow Pyrothraxus to rest. He looked back at his wounded wing and shivered seeing the bone protruding out. Blood still dripped over the wing. He continued to weep from the pain of the exposed bone and his injured foot. Sam looked back the Red Dragon as he laid himself down. "Don't give up," he said. "I...I can't help it...it really...hurts," Pyrothraxus wept. "Look at me. I'm a Great Wyrm and I'm crying over...a 'booboo' like...a 2-year old." "An exposed bone is hardly a 'booboo'," said Sam. "You're allowed to cry. I'm not gonna question the manhood of a dragon who was pushed off an active volcano by his enemy. It hurts, it really hurts. Trust me, I've seen battle wounds. Men cry. You can cry too." "I...didn't know...you were in battle..." said Pyrothraxus. "There were a few times where I was sent to bases near war zones back during Desert Storm," he said. "And I've seen what it looks like when men are brought in from battle with their legs blown off. Even with morphine, they're screaming Bloody Mary. It isn't a pretty sight." "I've been in camps with humans who were brought in with arrows stuck in their chests, their limbs cut by swords," said Pyrothraxus. "And...well, actually...more men falling victim to the elements than battle. Gangrene comes to mind as well as dysentery and cholera..." "War was more like Hell then than it is now," said Sam. "Now, we just push buttons from afar." "Asemodeus doesn't have...buttons to push, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "He'll...bring the war...to us. Be...prepared to fight like...it was...in the Old World." "Jon," said Sam. "Let's go. It's growing dark." Pyrothraxus lifted up off the ground, grunting again in pain. He looked up at the sky. The sun was setting slowly in the west. "I can...scare away...any predator," he said. "I'll just use...my fire." "Don't!" called Sexton. "We must not damage this delicate ecosystem. Even I know that." Pyrothraxus lifted his head up painfully and attempted to puff a small flame from his jaws. However, what came out was nothing more than black smoke. He lowered his head and continued to puff, trying desperately to create his powerful flames. Black smoke continued to fill the air. "Damn," he sighed. "My flames...gone." "Jon?" Sam asked. "I...I can't...breathe fire," he said. "Why?" "I...guess...it's my elemental...energy..." Pyrothraxus replied. "It's...being...focused on...healing my body. Should have realized...that even my fire...would be extinguished...as well." "Well, I guess you're big enough to scare away the nasties," said Sam. Pyrothraxus lowered himself to the ground, his wings drooping. The injured wing trembled slightly. "Jon," said Sam. "Get up." "I...I can't," he said. "You know...I could probably survive this...and...shrug off the pain...but something...is making me feel...worse. My energy...is all tapped. I'm...fighting to...stand up." The stone, Sam thought. That must be what's weakening him so much. He glanced back at the doctor. "How much further is this reservation?" Sam asked. "A mile," she replied. "Jon, just try to hold out," said Sam. "Please." Pyrothraxus dipped his head down to wipe his watery eyes. He let loose a small whimper and nodded. Rising up, pain once more inching its way through his body, he started off, following the doctor. Several paces onward, he stumbled forward. Pyrothraxus fell across his broken wing and bellowed after he felt the sharp agony of it. "Jon!" Sam cried, rushing to his side. "I...I can't do it," he huffed, trying to rise again. Sam placed his hand on the dragon's enormous talon. "Please," said Sam. "Please, try." "It hurts!" "It'll be over," said Sam. "Trust me. It'll be over. Just make it to the reservation and he'll relieve you of the pain. He'll patch you up." "Sam..." Pyrothraxus knelt down again. Sam came to his snout. He remembered that dragons, no matter the breed, loved to nuzzle as a show of comfort to one another. Male or female, it was a standard expression among them. He leaned into the dragon's beaked snout and placed a hand over it, resting his cheek near Pyrothraxus' mouth. He slowly patted the snout with his hand, stroking it softly to try and comfort his friend. "Come on, man," he whispered. "Please, try." Sam turned his head and rested his other cheek against the snout, looking up at one of the pained, glowing eyes. He saw the nostril quiver as the dragon snorted, his breath becoming labored with each shock of pain. "Jon..." Sam continued. "You remember when we were Scouts and we were out on a hike. You and I teamed up so we could get our wilderness badges together. We hiked all day, and then, suddenly, I fell. I broke my leg. I was crying in pain. There was no one to come and get us, remember? We had to hike 10 miles back to camp. Though the best choice was to stick around, but you and I both knew that we would be better trying to make it. We knew the way back. So, you splinted my leg and we hobbled all the way back. I was hurting so bad, but you kept my mind off of it. You remember what you did?" "I...I sang...old scout...songs," said Pyrothraxus. "I'm...not feeling up...to singing." "I know," he said. "Which is why, I'll sing the tunes. But you got to get up." Pyrothraxus smiled weakly and softly pushed his snout against Sam's cheek in reply to his comforting. Then, he slowly rose up with Sam pushing against his nose. "That's it, buddy," said Sam. "Come on, get up." Pyrothraxus grunted again as he came to his feet. "York!" Sam cried. "Yes, sir." "You remember that old song we even sang during boot camp?" Sam asked. "Oh, how I hate to get up in the morning..." "Yes, sir," said York. "Let's start off, then," he said. "Jon, you remember we sang something similar in Scouts, right?" "I...suppose...so." "I'll start off," said Sam. "Dr. Sexton, lead the way." "Right," said Sexton. As she lead the group, the two Air Force men and the wounded Red Dragon down the hill. "Oh! How I hate to get up in the morning!" Sam began to sing. "Oh! How I love to remain in bed!" "For the hardest blow of all is to hear the bugler call..." said York. "You've got to get up, you've got to get up, you've got to get up this morning!" both sang in unison. "Come on, Jon!" said Sam. "You know the words." "S...someday...I'm going...to murder...the bugler..." Pyrothraxus panted as he painfully wobbled with the group. "That's right," said Sam. "Someday they're going to find him dead." "I'll amputate his reveille and stop upon it heavily," sang York. "And spend the rest of my life in bed!" both again sang in unison. On and on they sang various songs from the Army, the Air Force, the Scouts to try and keep Pyrothraxus' mind off of the pain. Sometimes it seemed to work, other times Sam would hear the dragon bellow out in agony if he twisted his leg wrong as he walked or moved his wounded wing too much. It only made him sing louder to keep Pyrothraxus' mind off the pain. Sam remembered just how ridiculous Jonathan sounded when he sang all those songs years ago, but he remembered why he did it. Pyrothraxus smiled slightly when he heard those songs again being sung by his friend this time. He knew how hard it was for Sam to do this because he always found those songs to be silly. Sam wanted to cheer him up. Finally, the group made it to the preserve's station. The sun was already starting to set. "I don't even think that he'll be able to operate on your friend with the sun going down," said Sexton. She looked on ahead when she saw a man with a flashlight walk out to greet them. "Terrance!" "Rachel," said the man touched by a British accent. "Good to see you." He paused and turned his head skyward to meet the pained eyes of Pyrothraxus. He swallowed, taking a step back. "Terrance," said Sexton. "Don't run." Terrance's breath became labored with the very fear he felt in his mind. His fright nearly splintered his vision. He wanted to run, he wanted to bolt, but he soon forgot about it when he saw the dragon collapse on the ground. Pyrothraxus let loose an agonized howl and began to curl up into a tight ball. His one good wing wrapped itself around his body and his form shook. Sam rushed to his side, patting the dragon on his head. "You...you weren't joking," said Terrance. "This...this is a dragon!" "Is it any less shocking than the ones we saw earlier?" asked Sexton. "I knew about them," he said. "But for a moment, I thought I was just hallucinating. But...this...that's a dragon!" "Yeah, he's a dragon," said Sam. "And he's hurt." Terrance brought himself slightly closer to Pyrothraxus and Sam. "Who are you?" he asked. Sam approached him and held out his hand: "Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Davidson, United States Air Force. And this is Master Sergeant Elwood York. And the dragon is a civilian named Jonathan Long. He works for us as a civil servant in the Air Force." "A dragon who's a civil servant..." said Terrance. "I've heard it all now." "He was wounded during our mission here," said York. "We were informed you could fix his broken wing and foot because you have knowledge on bat wings and animals similar to large cats." "I have that knowledge, not dragon anatomy!" said Terrance. "We're not asking for you to do surgery on his internal organs," said Sam. "His wing is broken...at the forearm. And his foot is fractured. All you have to do is reset the bones, bandage them up, and we'll be on our way." "That is if Mr. Long can move when you do so," said York. "Alright," said Terrance. "I'll look at his wing and foot. But I don't know if I have the equipment for this. Look at the size of him! How big is he?" "On record," said Sam. "255 feet in length. Though I think he grew about 40 more feet after the battle. So, close to 300 now." "Bloody hell..." Terrace sighed. "I don't think I have enough bandages for his wing or his foot. He's just too big." "Well, he can't get any smaller right now," said Sam. "You have to make do. And I'd hurry. He heals quickly and I don't want that wing to heal the wrong way." "Heals quickly?" "He's an immortal being with near godlike powers," said Sam. "But he can be wounded physically, only he regenerates his wounds super fast. You may have to break some bones to get it to set right." "Alright," he said. "I'll see what I can do." Terrance slowly approached Pyrothraxus, holding his hands out. "Easy, boy," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you." Pyrothraxus unwound himself and looked at the wildlife veterinarian. "Boy?" the dragon asked. "Do I...look like...a dog...to you?" "He talks?" Terrance asked. "Yeah," said Sam. "What, did you think only humans could talk?" "Alright," said Terrance. "Um, Mr. Long, can I see your wounded wing?" Pyrothraxus shifted himself slightly and tried to move his broken wing for Terrance to see. "Jesus!" Terrance called. "That bone...it's...God...how long has it been that way?" "Couple of hours," said Sam. "We walked all the way down here." "You walked..." he began. "Are you mad? I'm surprised he hasn't gotten it infected yet." "Immortals don't get infections," said Sam. "But they do feel enormous pain. So, can you help or not?" "I'll...I'll see what I can do," said Terrance. "One warning, his blood is very hot," said Sam. "So, you may need his help to aid you in fixing those bones." "Wonderful," he said. "Rachel, could you help me?" He turned to Sam and York. "You lot can go in for some hot tea and coffee if you like." Then, he lifted his head up. "Albert! Get the supplies and pull out the ultrasound. We've got work to do." They turned on the large stadium lights to brighten the lot with. Terrance realized that the wing had to be broken again in order to set it correctly. The only one who could do that was Pyrothraxus. The enormous dragon painfully took hold of his wing and snapped it in two, letting loose a bellow afterwards. Sam placed his hands on his ears as he heard the horrible sound. York took hold of his cup of coffee and tried to drink it despite the painful sounds the dragon made as the many vets tried their hardest to set Pyrothraxus' wing. They wore insulated gloves to protect themselves from the fiery blood and ordered the dragon to assist in holding the broken bones together. Terrance stapled the bones together as best as he could, using strong gauged wire and spikes to hold the pieces together. A man sat at the bottom of the operation with a fire extinguisher. As the liquid fire ichor dripped upon the grass, he sprayed it to keep it from igniting. Once the wing was set, they used medical tape to bind the wound after Terrance discovered his sharpest and toughest needles could not pierce the dragon's tough scales. They bound the wing up in linen and plaster, creating a full cast and then bound that to Pyrothraxus' neck to prevent the wing from moving. Terrance kept a steady flow of painkillers he used on elephants into an IV flowing directly into a needle piercing the back of the dragon's mouth. Then, when they were done with the wing, they turned to the foot. Jelling Pyrothraxus' foot up, they ran the ultrasound over it. It was broken as well, the fracture running along the familiar black line of the metatarsal that would prove fatal to animals if not treated. Terrance found this to be an easier task than the wing. He brought out two large trucks and braced both of them against the foot, setting it. Then, he set it in a cast as well. Terrance finished up his work as the night began to wane. He found Pyrothraxus completely unconscious from the pain. He walked into the station where the others were waiting. Dr. Sexton followed him. Sam rose from his seat. He looked exhausted from staying up and waiting on the two doctors. He could not sleep with all the pained screams he could hear outside. "How is Jon?" Sam asked. "Sleeping," said Terrance. "He's all knocked out from the pain. But I set his wing and his foot. I found no other major injuries, just bruises here and there. The wing and the foot were the only major ones I saw and was concerned about. He tried to stay still as best as he could, but I can't blame him for squirming a little bit." Sam sighed and took a look out the window. Pyrothraxus looked deathly still. "Colonel," said York. "We had a long day. We should be turning in." "I'm still a little jet-lagged," said Sam. "You can go to sleep. I'll stay up." "Yes, sir," he said. Terrance showed York to his room as Sam walked outside. Sam came to Pyrothraxus, reaching out to his snout and placing his hand on it. The Red Dragon murmured, but did not awaken. "Jon," said Sam. "I wanted to tell you that despite all that happened, I think we did great. That's what I'm gonna put in my report to the general. We succeeded." "We...didn't...fail..." Pyrothraxus murmured weakly. An eye slowly opened, though most of it was still hidden behind the secondary lids. "No," said Sam. "We didn't." "I...think...we did." "Why?" "She...still lives," said Pyrothraxus. "Dude, you did her in," said Sam. "I saw it." "No." "Yes, you did," said Sam. "Come on. Take the credit. You did it." "No..." Sam sighed and patted the dragon's snout again. He just could not argue with him while he was in this state. "Alright, buddy," Sam whispered. "I'll leave you alone about it. Just get some rest, okay?" "Okay..." said Pyrothraxus. The one opened eye followed the human as he made his way back to the station. "Sam..." "Yeah?" asked Sam. "Thanks...for remembering..." Sam smiled, watching the eye close again. "You're welcome, pal." The Little Death

"Lieutenant!" said a Marine. "More contacts coming!" Marine Lieutenant Joseph Adams turned to where the other Marine was pointing at. He looked beyond the shadows of the trees and saw a flash of fire explode out from the trunks. He heard the sounds of growling and snarling coming from between the trunks and tangled vines. "Arms up," he ordered. "Fire!" Upon that order, his troops raised their guns and began to fire upon the on-coming enemies. These enemies were unlike any enemy they had fought before. They did not react instantly to the pain of gunfire, their natural armor was tough against the shells. The creatures jumped out from between the trees. One of them slammed its weight against a Marine, knocking him down and began to tear through his clothes. They were monsters, whatever they were. They looked like the Red Dragons who were fighting a battle up in the sky much earlier, only more humanoid. They came out of nowhere, attacking the Marines. Adams looked up just as one of those creatures leapt out at him. He fired his gun, arcing it as the creature dove towards him. The creature screamed just as it impacted the ground, its fiery-colored blood oozing out of the bullet wounds. Adams stepped back just as the fiery blood began to splash on the vegetation on the ground. He quickly scooted away just as the vegetation below began to ignite. Adams tried to stamp the fire out, but his efforts only proved futile. He looked out around him, noticing more fire beginning to rise up from the dead bodies of the creatures his men killed. "Cease fire!" he called. "Retreat." "Lieutenant!" called another Marine. "We've got wounded. It's Edwards." Adams followed the Marine over to the wounded Edwards. He had a large gash in his chest, his uniform torn from one of the creatures' claws. Adams glanced around at the rising fire around them. Then, he turned back at Edwards. "We have to move him," he said. "We can't," said the Marine. "He may die if we do." "He will if we don't," said Adams. "Is there a place near here we can get medical treatment for him?" "Sir," began another Marine. "There's a ranger station not far from here. Towards the east." "Alright," said Adams. "Gather up Edwards, let's move." They slowly helped Edwards up and began to hobble along the trail as the fire began to rise up around them. Adams looked up, noticing the creatures backing away, laughing as the fire continued to rise. 0 Sam looked out across the tree line, noticing a strange glow above them. He leaned up from Pyrothraxus' enormous paw and his mouth lowered in shock. His eyes widened and he held his breath. Then, he raced over to the Red Dragon's massive head. "Jon!" he called. "Jon! Wake up!" Sam pushed against the Great Wyrm's cheek. When Pyrothraxus did not respond, Sam grunted. He took in a breath and then slammed forcefully into the Dragon's jaw. "Ow..." Sam gasped as he rebounded back. He tried again slamming his shoulder into the Great Wyrm's jaw. "Jon!" "Huh?" Pyrothraxus rumbled, slowly opening one pair of eyelids. "Jon," said Sam. "We've got a problem." He looked out over the ranger station. "Fire! Fire! The forest is on fire!" "What?" Pyrothraxus asked as he rose his heavy head. He looked out over the canopy of trees and saw the flames lick out half a mile from the station. The other lids of his eyes opened widely. "Oh...crap...uh, I didn't do it...I swear." "Never mind that," said Sam. "Sergeant!" Sergeant York came running out the station along with Terrance. "Bloody hell," began Terrance. "What's the noise about here?" "Fire," said York. "Look over there." "I'll radio the fire control to send out a plane to put it out," said Terrance. He ran for the radio tower. Pyrothraxus attempted to rise up onto his legs. He felt the stiffness of his wounded back leg and he nearly buckled from it. But the pain was going away. "Jon," said Sam as he watched the Dragon rise. "I'm okay," he said. "I'm okay. Just a little stiff." Pyrothraxus tried to open both wings. Like his leg, his right wing was just as equally stiff. He broke the bandages that held the wing to his chest and stripped them off. The bone had healed, the scales had healed, but he was still in no condition to fly. "Jon!" Sam said. "Your wing..." "Told you I was...a fast healer," said Pyrothraxus. "It's still too stiff. I won't be able to take off." Sam ran around to the banged hind leg and gave it a hearty pat: "How's the leg?" "Ow," said Pyrothraxus. "Tender." York and Terrance and Sexton came running for Sam and Pyrothraxus. "I just got the word that a battle was being fought in the direction of the fire," said Terrance. "Some of the Marines there were reporting some creatures that looked like your dragon friend here...but humanoid in shape as well." "Humanoid Red Dragons?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Oh no, she didn't..." "She didn't what?" asked Sam. "My mother," said Pyrothraxus. "She can turn people into these creatures that look like humanoid Red Dragons. They are under her control and she uses them as her eyes and ears. She must have turned some of the people from the local villages into them." "Wonderful," said Sam. "They're called Red Dragon Spawn," said Pyrothraxus. "At least that's the rough translation from Draconic." "What's the Draconic word?" asked Sam. "Kluchud," said Pyrothraxus. "Okay, I can't even begin to pronounce that," said York. "We'll go with Dragon Spawn, then," said Sam. "Sam," said Pyrothraxus, settling back down onto his haunches. "This proves she's still alive." "Why?" "The Dragon Spawn," said Pyrothraxus. "If Malystryx had died, then her Spawn would revert to their former selves...revert to being human again with hardly any memory of what they were when they were under her control. If there's still Dragon Spawn, then that means Malystryx did not die." "Are you sure?" York asked. "I'm sure," said Pyrothraxus. "I just told the general you did," said Sam. Pyrothraxus lowered his head and lifted his paw to it, slapping it against his forehead. "Perfect," he said. "Sam, I don't want you to lie for me again..." "I'll tell her we made a mistake," said Sam. "We thought you killed her until we found out about the Spawn." "Sam," said Pyrothraxus, shaking his head. "We did make the mistake," said Sam. "It's not a lie. It's the truth. I didn't believe you, Jon. I'm not used to this world you really exist in yet, so I don't know what to expect. To me, seeing someone get blasted like that equals an instant death. But you knew better. I made the mistake and we didn't have the proof for you to be correct until the Spawn. But we have yet to see the Spawn, so..." "They're real," said Pyrothraxus. "Colonel!" called York just as he saw four shadowy figures coming up towards the gate. Several of the guards raised their guns. "Help," called one of the figures. "We're friendlies..." "Lower your guns," said Sam. "Jon..." Pyrothraxus lifted up off the ground and began to back away from the gate just as the guards opened up the gate. Four Marines came through, one of the Marines was being carried by the other three. "We've got wounded," said one of the Marines. He looked up at Pyrothraxus and gasped. The other Marines tried to raise their guns at the Red Dragon, but Sam waved his hand in protest. "Don't even think about it," he said. "The big guy's with us." The Marines lowered the wounded man down. "Who are you?" asked the lead Marine. "I'm Lieutenant-Colonel Sam Davidson," he said. "United States Air Force. And that's Jonathan Long, a civilian who's working with us." "I'm Lieutenant Joseph Adams," said the Marine. "Sorry, Colonel, your civilian friend looks too much like the damned enemy that just tore a hole in my boy here." "You saw the Spawn?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Those creatures that look like you?" he asked. "Only our size? Yeah, I saw them with my own eyes. They set fire to the forest too." "Believe me now, Sam?" Pyrothraxus asked. "How the hell did your mom survive that blast you dealt her?" Sam asked. "She's Malystryx," said Pyrothraxus. "She's got ways of keeping herself alive." "Like a damned annoying cat," said Sam. "Sexton, how's this for a human patient?" "He I can deal with," said Dr. Sexton. She looked down at the Marine, kneeling to him. She opened up his clothes and saw the massive gash. "He's already loosing too much blood. I don't know if I can save him." "Psst..." Pyrothraxus hissed at Sam. "Come here." Sam walked over to the Dragon. "What is it, pal?" he asked. Pyrothraxus lowered his head to the human and then spoke with a low voice. "You still have that wish scroll?" Sam pulled the scroll out from his uniform: "Yeah." Before Pyrothraxus could say anything else, a fire ball came racing towards one of the lookout towers. They looked out into the night just as another wave of fire came through the woods. There, large red, draconic creatures leapt out from the trees. "Spawn!" said Pyrothraxus. "Okay, I believe you," said Sam. The guards and the Marines lined up, aiming their guns and firing on the Dragon Spawn as they leapt out from the darkness. A Spawn landed on one of the guards and grabbed hold of his head, pulling it free from his neck in a splatter of blood. Pyrothraxus extended his wings painfully and rose up onto his hind legs as a wave of Spawn bounded towards him. "Get behind me, Sam!" he called. Sam rushed between the dragon's legs, trying to get himself out of the way of whatever attack Pyrothraxus had planned for the Spawn. Then a Spawn rushed him and took hold of Sam's collar. He gripped tightly and dragged the Air Force officer out from under the Dragon. "Sam!" Pyrothraxus called. Sam pulled out a knife from its holster and shoved it deep into the creature's side. The fiery blood splattered onto him and burned through his leather suit. Sam rolled out onto the ground just as the Great Wyrm lunged for the Spawn, his mouth wide. Pyrothraxus snatched the creature up into his jaws and slammed down on it, his teeth piercing its flesh. The Dragon swallowed the creature. Another Spawn leapt out and Pyrothraxus swatted it with his claw, sending it flying back into the woods. Sam was down on the ground, covering himself just as Pyrothraxus massive forefoot thumped onto the ground, sending a wave of quakes rolling in the dirt. He came just inches of turning Sam into a flattened, bloody smear on the ground. "Sam!" Pyrothraxus bellowed, swinging his head around. "D-down here!" Sam called. "Between your forelegs." Pyrothraxus lifted his forefoot up, leaning his head down to the human. "You almost squashed me, Geekadoofusdork!" Sam called. "Oh, Sam, I'm–I'm sorry," said the Red Dragon. Sam got up just as another Spawn leapt upon the Dragon's neck. Pyrothraxus let loose a bellow just as the creature bit into his red scales. He bucked the monster off his neck. His foot came down upon the creature, smashing it into a melted smear. Sam scooted himself swiftly away from the Red Dragon, trying to make sure he would not become a flattened piece of flesh on the ground as well. "Please tell me you can control them!" Sam called. "I can't," said Pyrothraxus. "Malystryx holds their minds." "Isn't there something you can use to dispel what she cast?" "The scroll!" said Pyrothraxus. "The wish spell. I can use it to dispel what she has done." "It can?" said Sam. "Can you cast it now? Are you well enough?" "It's been 8 hours," said Pyrothraxus. "I got all my cache back. But this is going to hurt me after I cast it." Sam pulled out the scroll: "Okay, how do you cast it?" Pyrothraxus leaned down to him: "Put it in my mouth." "What?" "Just trust me," he said. Sam took in a deep breath and approached the Dragon as he opened his mouth. Sam placed the scroll beyond Pyrothraxus' teeth and he closed his jaws, swallowing. The Red Dragon rose up from the ground and focused on the Spawn attacking. Pyrothraxus rose up to his haunches and prepared the spell. I wish my mother would no longer have control over the tormented minds of these villagers... He closed his eyes and willed the power of the spell to come true, wanting nothing else but the suffering of those under his mother's control to end. The Spawn stopped their attacks and fall to the ground. Their forms reverted to what they formerly looked like, their clothes, dirty, tattered, clinging loosely about their bodies. There were men who were dead, died from their gunshot wounds the soldiers had caused. The Marines and the guards looked on with horror as they realized they had killed nothing more than innocent people. There were men and women lying on the ground who were once the Spawn, covered now in bruises, cuts, and bloody holes. "My God!" Adams called. "What did we do? They're people...they were people!" Pyrothraxus crashed onto the ground. The spell itself had exhausted him. Sexton left the side of the wounded Marine and came to the fallen victims of Malystryx's hold. Most of them appeared to be half alive. The ones who were shot were obviously dead. "Some of them are still alive," she said. "But unless they are rushed to a hospital, I don't know how long they'll last. The others, beyond help." "Tell me these people willingly allowed themselves to become those monsters," said Adams. "Why?" Sexton asked. "Would that make you feel any better about taking their lives, Lieutenant?" "They didn't willingly allowed themselves to become the Spawn," said Sam. "You just killed innocents, Marine." "Out of the need to protect my men," he said. "It was either us or them!" Sam sighed and looked back towards Pyrothraxus. He walked over to the Dragon and rested his hand on the snout. "Okay, what about Edwards?" Adams asked. "Can you help him?" "Without a hospital," she began. "I don't think I can. He's bleeding too much and I can't stop the flow." "Shit," said Adams. "If these freaks haven't shown up, this would never have happened." "Freaks?" Sam asked, overhearing him. "Yeah, these freaks," said Adams. "Dragons...monsters...stuff that belong in kid's cartoons. They should have stayed there." "Marine," said Sam. "I don't know if you've gotten the 411 on them, but they were here first. And they've always been here, we just never looked for them. And not all of them want to kill us." "How the hell are you supposed to tell the difference, Colonel?" asked Adams. "They all look the same to me." "Does my race all look the same to you as well?" Sam asked. "Uh..." Adams began. "Well..." "You better think about what you're about to say next, son," said Sam. "Unless you want to be charged for racist remarks towards myself and my friend here." "I'm not saying that your friend..." said Adams. "You're not?" "Sam..." rumbled Pyrothraxus as he began to stir. "Don't." Sam rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I might–be able to help the Marine," said Pyrothraxus. "You can?" Adams asked. "What about them?" "It'll be your choice, Lieutenant," he said. "I can only help one person so long as the wish spell remains active. After that, it'll be too late for even him." "Okay, save my buddy," said Adams. "My spells will once more be unusable, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "After this." "Another 8 hours?" asked Sam. "Yeah," he said. "But the wish is active for one hour. I can get us home even if I can't fly. After that..." "I'll get the Airmen to roll out the giant cot, Jon," said Sam. "And I'll call Lao Shi and Susan." He weakly rose to his feet and rumbled towards the wounded Marine. Then, Pyrothraxus lowered his head to him. He looked over at Adams. "All you have to do is say 'I wish'," he said. "I wish?" Adams asked. "What do you wish for?" Pyrothraxus asked. "I wish Edwards was better," said Adams. Pyrothraxus took in a breath and then exhaled over the body of the Marine. Edwards' wounds suddenly began to close as the blood on his chest disappeared. Then he opened up his eyes. Pyrothraxus turned to Sam. "Hurry," he said. "Take him and make your wish." Sam and the Marines all huddled together. York walked over and joined them. "Sexton, are you coming with us?" asked Sam. "I'm staying," she said. "I must see if I can get some of these people to a hospital. It was fun, Colonel, Mr. Long." Pyrothraxus dipped his head and folded his wings about the humans. "I wish we were back at Griffis Air Force Base," said Sam. With the final wish being made, the Dragon and the humans disappeared. They reappeared on the tarmac of Griffis. Pyrothraxus opened his wings up and began to slothfully lumber away from the humans. Edwards looked up at Adams and then to Sam and York. "What happened, sir?" he asked. "The Dragon just saved your life," said Adams. "The Dragon?" asked Edwards. He turned when he heard the sound of something massive crashing to the pavement. "Jon!" Sam called, rushing to the Red Dragon's side. He pushed against the Dragon's cheek, trying to awaken him. Pyrothraxus was unconscious again. Sam sighed and leaned against the cheek. "What happened to him?" asked Adams. "He's out of power," said Sam. "And considering the condition he was in when you guys showed up...I'm surprised he had enough to do what he did. One thing is for sure, he is not using that spell again unless it's absolutely necessary." He glanced back to see General Reynard and the rest of his team come walking up. "Lieutenant-Colonel, Master Sergeant," said Reynard. "Nice work. We got the word that all the dragons have been cleared out, things seem to be going back to normal around Mt. Kilimanjaro. What happened to Mr. Long?" "He's weak from pretty much saving our asses," said Sam. "And helping these Marines here. They ran into some creatures known as Dragon Spawn and were totally outnumbered." "Marines?" asked Reynard turning around to Adams and his team. "Yes, General," said Adams, saluting. "Lieutenant Adams, ma'am. We were lucky to run into the colonel and his team." "What were you doing down there, Lieutenant?" she asked. "Classified," he said. "Alright," Reynard said, cocking an eyebrow at him. "What about these Dragon Spawn creatures..." "They're created from humans," said Sam. "And they are controlled by Malystryx. Apparently, I was wrong in reporting that Malystryx was killed, General. Jon tried to warn me he did not have enough power to kill her. He only wounded her and she escaped. Jon managed to dispel her control, but it was too late, many of the people she turned into those creatures are barely alive. There's doctors right now that are trying to help those who can be helped." Reynard sighed and looked back at the unconscious Pyrothraxus. "He tried, General," said Sam. "Believe me, he tried. We ran into an old enemy of ours and he knocked Jon off the mountain. I'm surprised he had enough energy to get us home in his condition let alone saving these Marines' lives and dispelling the hold Malys had on those villagers." "Alright," said the general. "Let him rest. Come into the base, Lieutenant. I'm sure you and your men are in need of something hot to eat besides just basic military rations." "Yes, ma'am," said Adams. "We'll have a look at your wounded as well," said Reynard. "To make sure Jon did his job well enough." "Thank you, ma'am," said Adams. He helped Edwards to his feet and they made their way into the base. "And about Mr. Long," said Reynard. "What does he need?" "Just rest," said Sam. "Well, we'll have a little talk with him when he's feeling a bit better," she said. "I suppose you should let his wife know how he is." "Yes, ma'am," said Sam. "Uh, General," began Adams. "How did all these...creatures start showing up? What exactly are they doing here?" "Well, apparently, they've been here since as long as recorded history started," said Reynard. "Just that they've been hiding because of some war between them and us. They just started to come back out in the open that's all, and a few of them want to be real dicks about it as well." "Yes, ma'am," said Adams. "I wouldn't worry too much about our Dragon, Lieutenant," said Dr. Richards. "He's relatively harmless." "He's mostly our informant when it come to the strange and unusual," said Dr. Wiseman. "This is the first time we've had him go off into battle though." "Not the first time he's ever been in battle," said Sam. "About that as well," said Reynard. "It is illegal for civilians to fight in a battle." "General, we might need him again," said Sam. "I have to follow rules," said Reynard. "Even if that means drafting your pet Dragon permanently." "What does that mean?" "It means he can't be a civilian and continue to fight whatever battles that might show up," said Reynard. "It means we may have to give him a commission." "Now, wait a minute," said Sam. "That's not what Jon and I agreed upon." "Then he doesn't fight anymore battles," said Reynard. "But he very well could be our best weapon against anything else magical and nasty that may turn up," said Sam. "Then, we draft him," said Reynard. "Look, Colonel, either he becomes an officer or he doesn't fight anymore. I can't have civilians risking their lives, regardless to how powerful they are. Your friend there is a walking weapon of mass destruction, he needs to be enlisted under the full guidance of the United State's Armed Forces." "But..." "We'll discuss this when Jonathan awakens," said Reynard. "It'll give you enough time to figure out what to say to him about it." "Yes, ma'am," said Sam. "Good," she said. "Well, I'd like to be debriefed on the whole situation in Africa, Colonel." "Yes, ma'am," said Sam. Jake's Mistake

Susan walked up and answered the phone. On the other line was Sam Davidson. He informed her that they were still in Africa. Then, she curled her hands tightly around the phone when he told her about the accident. Her husband fell off the mountain. Her sobs alerted the attention of her eldest child Jake Long. Jake quietly took the upstairs phone off the hook and listened in on the conversation. "Who pushed Jon off Kilimanjaro?" asked Susan. "It was that Black Dragon you guys don't particularly like," said Sam. "The Dark Dragon?" asked Susan. "Yeah, him." "What happened?" Susan asked. "Jon's suffered from a clean broken wing and a fractured foot," said Sam. "But he's in pain from it. The doctor patched him up though. We're letting him rest." "Thanks, Sam," said Susan. "Take care of my husband, will you?" "You know I won't let him down," said Sam. "I know you won't," said Susan. "I'll talk to you later, I gotta go check up on the big guy," said Sam. "Bye," said Susan. She hung up the phone and Jake could hear her sobs coming from downstairs. Haley quietly walked out of her room and leaned over the railing to see what the noise was about. "What happened?" she asked. "What's wrong with mom?" "Shhh!" Jake said. He grabbed her and pulled her close to him. "Dad's been hurt, badly." "Who did it?" Haley asked. "The Dark Dragon," said Jake. "I'm sick and tired of that jerk beating my father up. I think it's about time to teach that sucka a lesson." "Jake, don't," said Haley. "You might get hurt." "I'm not going to let him win," said Jake. "Look, you stay here and keep mom company. I know I can find him." "But Jake," said Haley as he rose from the floor. Jake made for his room and climbed out the window and to the fire escape. Haley rushed after him. "Jake!" "Dragon up!" Jake called as the blue energy began to swarm around his body. Soon, what replaced the teenager with the red jacket was a humanoid, red scaled dragon. Jake looked back at Haley. "Stay here." Haley sighed just as she watched her brother take off into the dusky sky. The sun was already starting to go down and Jake knew he had the advantage of the growing night. It was already night in Africa though and he hoped his father was going to get some rest. For now, he had to handle his father's enemy himself. As he flew through the shadows of the building, Jake looked down into the darkened streets below. His keen ears picked up the sound of a struggle. Jake landed behind a dumpster and saw two shadows engaging in a battle. One shadow was incredibly long and another was humanoid. Leaping out from the shadows, he found the two figures entwined with each other. The larger and longer being was a naga, a magical snake creature with the head and face of a human. The other was a human wearing a ninja costume, a long golden braid protruding from the head and an energy staff. It was Rose, the Huntsgirl. The naga sliced down with its tail barb only for Rose to block it. She swung her staff at the middle of the naga, knocking it against the wall. Jake watched the fight. He worried over Rose's safety, but at the same time he had to protect magical creatures from the likes of the Huntsclan. He was not sure if he should stop her or stop the naga. He had no idea why she was fighting it. Though he recalled his knowledge of nagas. They were guardian creatures from India. Rose must have done something to upset the creature. Jake decided to make his move, leaping out in the middle of the two battling. "Jake!" Rose gasped. The naga hissed. "This doesn't have to get uglier than it is if both of you just back off," said Jake. Rose lowered her weapon. "She was about to make a grave mistake," said the naga. "Stealing the Amulet of Eos." "I have to return with that amulet," said Rose. "And I can't let you get in my way, dragon." She was playing her part again of a double agent, making sure that no one knew where her loyalties lie. Though, Jake had a deep feeling that the Huntsmaster knew anyway. After all, he knew who Pyrothraxus really was. "Rose..." said Jake. Rose sighed and shook her head, pulling off her hood: "Fine, I give up." "See that you do, mortal," said the naga as it began to slither away into the darkness. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," said Jake. "Thank you, American Dragon." As soon as the naga was gone, Jake transformed back into his human form. Rose tossed her staff to the ground. "Look, I'll see if there's something my dad can do to create an amulet like what you are searching for," said Jake. "When he gets better, that is." "What?" Rose asked. "Did something happen to your father?" "The Dark Dragon pushed him off a volcano," said Jake. "From what I heard, he broke his wing and his foot and he's in bad shape. But, he's healing." "I'm sorry," said Rose. "I suppose you heard I was out here or something. That's why you found me." "Actually," said Jake. "I wasn't looking for you. But I'm glad I ran into you, baby." He gave her a sheepish grin, which only made her laugh. "So, why are you out here?" asked Rose. "I'm gonna make the Dark Dragon pay for messing with my dad," said Jake. "He's gotta be handled once and for all." "Jake," she began. "The Dark Dragon is one of the Ancients. Even if he is a Black Dragon, he's still very powerful." "I've handled him before," said Jake. "And so has my grandfather." "I can't let you face him," she said. "At least not alone anyway. I mean, after all, I'm still expected to slay my first dragon." "I could care less if you slay the Dark Dragon," said Jake. "And his stooge Chang." "The only problem is that I don't have Dragon Bane to take him down," said Rose. "I suppose my staff is enough. We'll have to really plan out how we are going to attack him." She swung her staff to her back, allowing it to attach to the magnetic strip on her uniform. They began to make their way through the portal in the wall of the alley and down into the Underdark. This particular area of the Underdark was no place anyone wanted to ever go. Aside from the usual eerie gloom that blanketed the segregated world of magical creatures, there was an added darkness to this place. This was where Jake knew the Dark Dragon would go. Phosphorescent fungus scarcely dotted and lit the myriad rock formations, natural bridges, and dank tunnels of this particularly ghetto region of the Magical World. Jake could smell the stale stench of water dripping down from the twisted stalactites above into puddles below. This was where all the most nasty of monsters of the Underdark lived. All sorts of frightening horrors roamed here, anywhere from beholders to wraiths. They all skulk around in the pitch blackness. The Underdark has ways of knowing where a person wants to go, so it arranges its portals accordingly. Jake wondered if his father created the Underdark to do just that, or was it an accident that it happened that way. As they tried as silently to make their way down through the caverns, Rose picked up the sound of heavy breathing coming from around a corner. She grabbed Jake and both ducked down behind a illuminescent, moss-covered rock. There, floating through another tunnel was a ball of flesh and 10 small eyes on eye stalks. At the center of the spherical creature was a solitary, enormous eye and a huge mouth filled with rows of razor sharp teeth. "A beholder!" said Jake. "Keep down," said Rose. "The central eye affects magic, right?" Jake asked. "Yeah, meaning if it sees you, you won't be able to transform," said Rose. "But my staff doesn't run on magic." "Wonderful," said Jake. They looked over the rock only to find the beholder swiftly turn back towards their direction. They ducked down again just as the massive front eye continued to look around. They heard the monster growl slightly and then turn back away, slowly floating off down the tunnel. The two slowly and silently rose up from behind the rock again just as the beholder floated off. Rose and Jake began their walk again, trying hard not to alert the beholder to backtrack. As they walked, Jake's foot crunched against a rock. He paused in his steps and slowly turned back. "Jake!" Rose called. She stepped back from him. Jake slowly turned around only to find the beholder breathing heavily over his back. "Back away, slowly, Jake," she whispered. Jake began to back up, trying to keep himself from showing any sort of fear to the monster. Rose silently moved away while Jake had the monster's attention and pulled out her staff. Charging up with green light, she fired upon the monster. Several of the eye stalks turned towards her as the monster was thrown forward from the blast. It had a slight dark spot where the beam had impacted. Jake leapt out away when the monster fell forward and looked back behind him. "Alright," he said. "Time to...Dragon Up!" The blue glow of energy flowed over his body as he transformed into his dragon form. With the Beholder face down, he could use his dragon powers against it. He flapped his wings and jumped into the air, readying his fire. The Beholder rose up from the ground, turning around just as Jake was about to let loose his fire breath. The central eye focused upon him and his dragon form dissolved into his human form. Jake fell from the sky, landing painfully on his side. "Ow!" he called. Rose fired again to grab the Beholder's attention again, but then, one of the eye stalks fired its ray at her. Jake watched in horror as Rose's skin began to turn to stone. The Beholder had petrified Rose. He turned around and saw the Beholder slowly move towards him, the antimagical eye focused on him, keeping him from transforming. The creature's lips pulled back over its sharp teeth in a fierce grin. Jake got to his feet, balling his fists up and prepared himself. He was ready to leap upon the Beholder. "Stop, that is enough!" called a voice from the left. Jake turned around and saw the former Councilor Chang creeping out from behind a glowing, gigantic mushroom. "Chang!" Jake called. "Yes, Jake Long," said Chang. "Leave the boy alone, I will take care of him." The Beholder backed away and slowly disappeared into the darkness. When Jake felt its antimagic eye leave him, he turned towards Chang, preparing to transform again. Just then, Chang whipped out a lasso and caught Jake in it. "Don't make a move American Dragon," she said. "This lasso is made from sphinx hair. There is nothing you can do." He could feel the power of the sphinx hair draining him of his dragon abilities, binding him to his human form. Jake slumped slightly, his eyes drooping slightly as he felt his energy go. Chang turned to the petrified Rose and waved a hand, saying a silent spell. The statue slowly lifted off of the ground and began to float towards Chang. She pulled upon the lasso and Jake began to follow while the statue of Rose trailed behind. "The Master is expecting you, Jake Long," she said. "And you shall not be late." 0 Ithfaedeus paced up and down his Underdark lair. The light from the bioluminescent plants flickered off of his glossy, black scales. Beside him was a pool of water teaming with bioluminescent algae, which gave the cave an alien feel. The Dark Dragon was on edge. Pyrothraxus had of course survived his fall. He had no idea what he was thinking at the time when he pushed him. Surely the Crimson Dragon will soon be after his head once he recovers. Pyrothraxus was so much more powerful than he was now, especially after absorbing the life force of a few younger Red Dragons and a Great Green Wyrm. Venoshous was gone, now aside from Zestos, Shäzyx and Glacialyx were left. He had no idea what Zestos had planned or why Glacialyx had yet to show herself. His keen ears picked up the sound of feet shuffling through the caverns and he heard voices coming near the mouth of his lair. Ithfaedeus paused and the frill of his neck flattened slightly as he made ready to pounce on the intruder. Then, the voices became clearer and he recognized one, Chang. The other, he had to admit, made him smile with devilish glee. It was Jake Long, the American Dragon. Chang had captured him. Chang kept hold of the lasso, jerking at it ever so often to make Jake walk faster. Ithfaedeus settled himself down on the cold floor, his head tilted just slightly. There was another who followed Chang, a statue of a human female. "What have you brought me, Chang?" he asked. "For you, my Master," she said. "Jake Long, and a dragonslayer...a member of the Huntsclan." "You have done well," said Ithfaedeus. As Chang let go of the lasso, the Black Dragon waved his claw. The glowing water in the pool rose up into a column and snaked around Jake's body. Ithfaedeus clinched his claw and the water tightly bound Jake in its wet coils. "Yes, American Dragon," he said. "I also have command over water. All Black Dragons do, it derives from our natural element. Like your father controlling fire because of his natural element. Which makes he and I very much like opposites." Jake did not say anything. He stared at the Black Dragon with a cold hatred, a scowl growing on his face. The Dark Dragon moved closer and lowered his head, his yellow-green eyes staring deep into Jake's deep red ones. "Now, what would bring you all the way out here in the depths of the Underdark?" he asked. "I see that your slayer friend met with an unfortunate accident." "Change her back," said Jake. "No," he said. "I think she'll make a nice statue for my little lair here." Jake sighed and lowered his head. "My father will come after you," said Jake. "Just you wait." "I know," said Ithfaedeus. "But he won't do anything to me so long as I hold your life in my hands." Chang smiled. At last they will be rid of both Jake Long and his Ancient father. Chang turned around towards the mouth of the lair. A simple rock splashed upon one of the pools. She thought she heard the sound of another snooping around the lair, but as she turned to look for it, it was gone. Unbeknownst to her, someone was spying on them. To humans, she was known simply as Valerie, however, her true name was Veloihthrax. In her human form, she was a lithe woman with long black hair and dark eyes. She was dressed in casual clothes, a plain T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her closed were stained a little with dirt from crawling around the caves and avoiding the dangerous creatures in the Underdark. Valerie slowly backed away from the mouth of the lair. Her powers involved invisibility and she was skilled at sneaking around darkness, hiding in the shadows. She knew about the American Dragon and his relationship to the Crimson Dragon. She knew that it would come to this as well. She knew she had to put a stop to it. Pyrothraxus had to know what happened to his son. Valerie exited the Underdark and made her way down the street, casting off her invisible cloak. She had followed Pyrothraxus a few times during his flight. His high magical energy was easy for her to track. However, she sensed that he was not at his house when she finally arrived. Though, she hoped that someone was home so that she could say what she needed to say. Valerie took in a breath and knocked on the door. As the door opened, she saw a lovely Asian woman step out. Valerie could not sense any sort of magic within this woman, however, her scent gave her heritage away. She was a Dahakoan who did not gain the power granted to the race by Pyrothraxus and Galen Garath. "Yes?" she asked. "Are you Mrs. Susan Long?" asked Valerie. "I am," she said. "Who are you?" "My name is Valerie. I've come here to tell you that something has happened to your son." "My son?" Susan asked. "My son is in bed." "No, he isn't!" called another voice from behind Susan. Valerie looked beyond Susan to find a small girl standing at the foot of the stairs, dressed in her PJs. Her black hair was pulled up into pigtails. "Haley, go back to bed," said Susan. "Mom, Jake's not in his bed," she said. "I saw him leave." "Leave where?" asked Susan. "To the Underdark," said Haley. "He heard what you and Colonel Davidson spoke about on the phone. He wanted to get even for what the Dark Dragon did to Dad." "Mrs. Long," said Valerie. "Your son's been captured by Ithfaedeus. Is your husband home?" "No," said Susan. "He's at the base. Sam said he was in bad shape when they returned. Jonathan must be still knocked out." "Ithfaedeus must have done a number on him to knock Pyrothraxus out," said Valerie. "How do you know about my husband's real name?" asked Susan. "Or what happened to him? Who are you exactly?" "May I come in?" Valerie asked. "I swear, I mean no harm to you or your family." "If you do anything and Jonathan finds out..." began Susan as she backed up to let the stranger in. "He may take my life force if he so wishes," said Valerie. As she stepped in, Susan motioned for her to have a seat. Haley walked over in front of the strange woman, staring at her intently. "I can sense your aura," she said. "That's not your real form, is it?" "No," said Valerie. "It isn't. But like your father, I walk around in this form out of convenience and well, out of secrecy too." "Then, what are you?" asked Susan. Valerie sighed and lowered her head: "Please know that I mean you all no harm. I want to help Pyrothraxus. I believe in turning over a new leaf like he did. I believe in him and what he stands for now. We can change." Then, she looked up at Susan. "My real name is Veloihthrax, and I am the daughter of Ithfaedeus, the Dark Dragon. If my father kills your son, I offer myself to your husband in return for Jake's life." Jonathan to the Rescue

He awoke to a splitting headache. His head felt heavy as he tried to lift it. It was like he had a hangover from the best all-night party he ever went to. Now, he was regretting that fun ride he had as the headache pounded against his forehead. Though, he remembered that he was not at any sort of party. He was in Africa, using whatever was left of his magic to get everyone back to the base. Pyrothraxus slowly lifted up off of the pavement. His head still hung low as his headache continued to pound in his head like a migraine. When he opened his eyes, the light of the sun around him pierced painfully to his retinas. He lifted a claw up and rubbed his eyes and moaned. Pyrothraxus began to lumber his way towards the hangar. The doors were open as airmen were moving equipment in and out of the hangar. They paused as the enormous Red Dragon knelt down and stuck his head through the doors. Pyrothraxus squatted down as far as he could and brought himself inside. He could not completely fit inside the hangar and a good half of his body still was outside. But he wanted to block the blinding light. His head was in so much pain he could not concentrate to cast polymorph and transform into his human form. Pyrothraxus laid upon the concrete, turning to his side and closed his eyes, shutting the light out even further. One of the airmen, a sergeant, rushed through another set of doors of the hangar into the base only to return a few moments later with Sam Davidson and York. "Jon?" asked Sam. "Don't talk so loud," Pyrothraxus said. "My head is splitting." "Hangover?" asked York. "From casting that spell," said Sam. He walked down the stairs and around the Dragon's head. Placing his hand on Pyrothraxus' snout, he gave it a pat. The Dragon purred slightly. Out from the doors came the Marines that they saved last night. Lieutenant Adams leaned over the railing. "Should he even be in here?" he asked. "He can if he wants," said Sam. "After what he did last night, he's more than welcomed to rest in the hangar. And besides, he's a higher rank than you, so I suggest you give him the respect due to it." "What?" Adams asked. Pyrothraxus opened his eyes and lifted his head up slightly: "Huh? Rank? What? Sam!" He squinted and growled again, his head began to pound even more as stars appeared before his eyes. "Easy, Jon," said Sam. "What are you talking about?" Pyrothraxus asked. "I...don't have a rank aside from Mister." "More like Major," said York. He paused and saluted Pyrothraxus. "Sir." Pyrothraxus lifted head up a little more, turning towards York "Whahh...?" he asked, giving his massive head a shake. "Great, I jumped a dimension again." "No, but the General wants to have another talk with you, privately," said Sam. "What about?" asked Pyrothraxus. "About what we just said. So, you better either get in your human form or get smaller. She's waiting in her office." "Wonderful, I'm in trouble," said Pyrothraxus. "I'm always in trouble with that woman." "You better not say something like that to her," said Sam. "She's your superior now." "What?" Pyrothraxus asked, blinking out his confusion. He gave a huff and attempted to concentrate. Within a blink of an eye, the Red Dragon had vanished only to be replaced by a man dressed in a brown suit. Jonathan slowly walked up the stairs, still holding his pounding head. He pulled out his glasses from his pocket and put them on. "You know, Jon," began Sam. "You don't ever appear to really need glasses, so why do you wear them?" "I...wear them because my eyes are the main source for Dragonfear," said Jonathan. "The lenses are specially made to keep my fear aura down. I mean, it would look suspicious if I were to look at someone and they go running the other way–even if I'm in my human form. And the lenses are shaded slightly to obscure the color my red eyes. Makes them look more brown than red." "Ah," said Sam. "I guess the red eyes are the dead give-away of your true self." "Yup," said Jon. "They are." As they walked up, one of the Marines, the one named Edwards walked up in front of them. Jonathan looked at him with curiosity. "I just want to say thank you, sir," said Edwards. "You're...you're the one who saved my life back there." "Yeah," said Jonathan. "I appreciate it," he said, holding out his hand. Jonathan took it and shook it. "Never been thanked before," said Jonathan. "Sure. I...I...it was the right thing to do." Edwards nodded and stood back to let them pass. Adams just shook his head, crossing his arms as Sam and Jonathan walked through the double doors. Sam led Jonathan down the hall to General Reynard's office. As they approached, Sam stopped and gave a nod. "You're on your own, pal," he said. "She only wants to talk to you." "Why do I have a feeling she might stab me with a dragonlance?" asked Jonathan. "What are you so afraid of?" Sam asked. "You're a Dragon." "Yeah, and she's a human with command over all sorts of military vehicles that could make me into Swiss Cheese," said Jonathan. "She's not going to bite your head off," said Sam. "At least not this time. I mean, you saved people's lives. Why would she do that?" "She hates me," said Jonathan. "She doesn't hate you, she just fears you a little," said Sam. "Or rather, fears what you can do and what threat you pose. But if you go through with this, it'll gain her trust." Jonathan sighed and then knocked on the door. "Come in," said Reynard through the door. "Go on," said Sam. Jonathan slowly opened up the door and stepped through. General Reynard looked up from her desk and smiled slightly, giving him a friendly face. It was the first friendly face she had ever given him. "Sit down, Mr. Long," she said. "And close the door." Jonathan shut the door and sat down, scooting himself close to her desk. He looked around her office, noticing that she had won many awards for her service during her career. He saw her photograph in her dress uniform with an American flag behind her just as many military personnel would have. He also saw a younger version of her standing among other Air Force personnel, all with arms draped over each other's shoulders and smiling broadly. It was obvious that these men and women with her were her friends from a long time ago. She also had photographs of her family, her mother, her father, her sister, and a child. Jonathan deduced it probably was her daughter. He saw another photograph with the General in civilian clothing standing with the girl, both of them smiling. "I see you noticed my picture collection," said Reynard. "Is she your daughter?" Jonathan asked. "Yes," she said. "Her name is Nicole. She's 12 now. She goes to live with her grandparents when I have to be here on the base, but on the weekends, she comes home with me." "Where's her father?" "Divorced and doesn't want anything to do with either of us," said Reynard. "But I didn't bring you here to discuss my personal life, Mr. Long." "Right," said Jonathan. He lowered his head a bit and twiddled his fingers. "You act like I'm about to break you in half," said Reynard. "Let's just say I want to keep my distance," said Jonathan. "Well, I hope it doesn't come to that," said Reynard. "You'll need to be on my good side if you wish to continue serving with us." "Why did Sergeant York call me Major?" Jonathan asked. "I'm not military." "You were according to what you've told us," said Reynard. "Though I believe you said you were a general yourself." "The only way to prove that is to go find some dusty relic that says it," said Jonathan. "Well, since you have a military background," said Reynard. "I figured we make it official." "Huh?" Reynard pulled out three blue boxes from her desk draw. She handed two of the three boxes to Jonathan. "Here, open them up," she said. Jonathan opened the two boxes up and found two medals inside of them along with two ribbon bars matching the ribbons on the medals. The first medal was in fact the Purple Heart and the second was a Bronze Star. On top of the Bronze Star ribbon bar was a bronze V. "Uh, I may not know much about military awards," Jonathan began. "But aren't these awarded to only those who serve in the military? I can't accept these." "They are," said Reynard. "And yes you can since I am going to commission you as an officer. The Purple Heart is awarded to you for being wounded in battle in the service of the Air Force and the Bronze Star is awarded to you for your act of bravery while in combat in saving those Marine's lives and the valor of rescuing that plane as well as combat against an invading force, that Black Dragon as well as those Red Dragons and even saving those people from being under the spell of your mother." She also handed him a bound scroll. "What?" Jonathan asked, putting the two medals down. "Commission? Now, wait a moment. You can't. No. I refuse. Sam said I would just be a civilian, helping the team out in understanding the Magical World. He said I wouldn't be...now wait a moment!" "Mr. Long," said Reynard. "Civilian personnel in the service of the armed forces cannot fight battles. However, the Pentagon realized that if you are correct about this coming war, then they will need you to assist us in battle. You know more about fighting these creatures than we do, you know their weaknesses, what weapons are good against them, that sort of thing. The work you will be doing much later should be handled by a military officer, not a civilian." "I...no...I can't," said Jonathan. "Oh my God, Lao Shi is gonna skin me." Reynard finally handed over the other box and opened it up for him. Inside were two gold oak leaves and two black oak leaves. The gold oak leaves would be worn on a dress uniform and the black would be worn on a combat uniform. Jonathan still continued to shake his head in refusal. "This isn't a choice," said Reynard. "Be lucky I am giving you oak leaves. You could have been given the butter bar." "Major?" asked Jonathan. "Why Major?" Reynard stood up and placed her hands behind her back. Jonathan stood up as well when she did. "The reason is because of the knowledge you possess," she replied. "The amount of experience that you have. The pay grade of O-4 is sufficient enough for someone of your level of expertise. It will allow you to have a level of command when instructing those on how to handle what may come up. This can be seen as a form of Special Operations. The intelligence you have warrants the pay grade. So, I have to give you rank as well. Colonel Davidson also insisted that you be his second in command. That was a part of the agreement. You answer to him and myself respectively and no other." Jonathan tilted his head when he heard her say "Colonel Davidson". Wasn't Sam a Lt. Colonel? "Wonderful," said Jonathan. "Look, General, I...I can't." "You can, you will, you must," said Reynard. "If you want to continue working with us, gaining our trust and respect, you will." She looked down at the medals' boxes. "You should be honored to have those awards," she said. "Not many are given these awards on their first day of service. And I am certain you will have many more as well. Oh, and here is your badge and your dog tags." "Badge?" asked Jonathan. "Dog tags?" "Because you fly, you are considered a pilot," she said, opening up the box. Inside there were a pair of silvery pilot wings. She also handed him his dog tags. "And of course you know what you do with these." "Lao Shi will skin me if he sees them," said Jonathan. "I have no choice?" "Nope," she said. "Civilians are not allowed to fly in combat. And only officers can fly in combat as well. Which is why you are one." Jonathan lowered his head in defeat and took the boxes in his hands. "Davidson will show you where you will be fitted for your uniform and combat dress," she said. "Also, we've created special dress and combat collars for your dragon form." "I'm not gonna be sent off to boot camp, am I?" Jonathan asked. "As much as I love to see you do a thousand push ups, no," she said. "I need you here." She sat down and looked up at him. "Well, that is all," she said. Jonathan nodded and turned around, heading for the door with the items she had given him. "Oh, Major," she said. "You're forgetting something." "Oh," Jonathan said. He turned around and lifted his hand up slowly, giving her a salute. "Sorry...uh...ma'am." Reynard saluted back: "Dismissed, Major." Jonathan lowered his arm again and opened up the door, exiting her office. Sam was waiting on the other side. He had a beaming expression on his face. "See, it wasn't that bad!" he said. "Oh, and I dunno if you've noticed..." He started pointing at his collar. Jonathan leaned in and saw that instead of a silver oak leaf, Sam sported a pair of silver eagles instead. "I'm a full Colonel," he said. "Apparently after our little excursion into Africa, I managed to rank up enough points to get Congress to pass my request for promotion. I get to put the flags on my car and everything." "I guess this means I have to salute you as well," said Jonathan. "Only on certain occasions," said Sam. "Like when a four-star shows up or something. The Pentagon has been busy, huh, Major?" Sam gave a pat to Jonathan's shoulder. "Please don't call me that..." Jonathan sighed. "Come on," said Sam. "You got two medals, a pilot badge, and I got your new blue suit all set for you. I know your size. And you'll look great in the digital camo." Jonathan shook his head. "Hey, pal," said Sam. "Not even I have a bronze star or a V to go with it. Isn't this the recognition that you wanted? People recognizing you for being heroic, not some monster? That's what those two medals mean. It's the government saying that they honor you for what you've done. And this commission, it means they honor you even more. You'll get the respect you wanted. I mean, look at the bar I got. Mostly tour of duty awards. Here's a ribbon for being a good boy. I'm a scientist, I don't receive recognition like that. I mostly stay out of combat. I can't even fly because they say I don't have the right stuff. I'm not even an astronaut. I just work at NASA as a scientist with a military rank. I'm more of a civilian too, you know." Jonathan looked up at Sam. "Hey, open that up," said Sam, pointing at the scroll. "And read it." Jonathan opened the scroll up to find a message written upon it. It was the certificate awarded along side the Purple Heart. "The United States of America," Jonathan read. "To all who shall see these presents, greeting: This is to certify that the President of the United States of America has awarded the Purple Heart established by General George Washington at Newburgh, New York, August 7, 1782 to Major Jonathan F. Long, United States Air Force for wounds received in action in Tanzania on 3 September 2007, given under my hand in the city of Washington this 4th day of September, 2007." "He's quick," said Sam. "Gotta hand it to him at that. When I reported it all in, she told the Pentagon, they told the President, the President said...'give that Dragon a Purple Heart!' And then, if you sustain more injuries in battle, they give you little bronze stars to go with it." "A publicity stunt," said Jonathan. "You see any cameras?" Sam asked. "You need to frame that!" Jonathan chuckled. "I got one too, you know," said Sam. "For that burn." "I caused that," said Jonathan. "Yeah, right after that big Red Dragon attacked you!" said Sam. "So, really, it's that guy's fault. Not yours." "Major Jonathan F. Long," said Jonathan. "I'm not gonna get used to that." "Suck it up," said Sam. "And that's an order from your superior." Jonathan looked at Sam and then saluted: "Y–yes, sir." They went into a common room and several Airmen came out with Jonathan's new uniform. Sam threw off his blue blazer and settled himself down on a green couch, lighting up a cigarette. Sergeant York came in and joined him, sitting down on a recliner. The Marines they picked up also followed in, wondering what was going on. Adams leaned against the wall just as Jonathan came out, now fully dressed in his new Air Force service dress uniform. Sam started to laugh when he watched Jonathan come out uncomfortably, turning around to look at himself. An airman came out with his old brown, civilian suit on a hanger. "Say good bye to that suit, Jon," said Sam. "You won't be wearing it much." "This thing's stiff," said Jonathan, rolling his arms around. "You'll work it in, Major," said York. "Don't call me that," said Jonathan. "He has to," said Sam. "He's an NCO and you're his superior." Then Dr. Wiseman and Dr. Richards came in as well. Carol Wiseman's mouth dropped open slightly when she saw Jonathan wearing his new suit. She glanced up and down and then let out a laugh. "Oh my!" she said. "I heard, but I didn't think..." "Well, Mr...I mean Major Long," said Richards. "You look spiffy." "Put the hat on," said Sam. Jonathan leaned over and placed the hat on his head. Sam placed his cigarette in the ashtray and got up, taking note that Jonathan was wearing the hat wrong. He wore the hat to far up his crown. Sam reached up and straightened it out, pulling it forward until the shadow of the black rim of the cap covered his eyes. Then, he straightened out Jonathan's jacket and tie while Jonathan just stood there at attention. "Stomach in," said Sam. "And chest out." Jonathan did as Sam instructed. "Shoulders back," said Sam. "And feet together. Head up, but chin down, eyes forward. Okay, good. Don't move." Jonathan stood as still as he could. York grinned broadly. The Marines just smiled, but Adams stared intently. "He doesn't look right in that uniform," said Adams. "He should take it off." "Need I remind you that you're just a lieutenant," said Sam. "And I suggest you take notice of these birds that now fly on my shoulders lest you decide to make another remark about the Major here." "Sorry, Colonel, sir," said Adams. "I think he looks good in that uniform, Colonel," said Edwards. "Though, he'd look better as a Marine." "Nah, better in the blue," said Sam. "Aw, you Air Force boys get all the fun," said Edwards. "And the cool recruits." Sam laughed: "Okay, Jon. You can relax now." Jonathan let out a breath of relief and relaxed. He took off the hat and gave his head a shake. "Alright," said Sam. "Go try on the battle dress." "Sure," said Jonathan. He walked out of the common room, back into the dressing room. Carol looked at Sam and laughed. "He even has pilot wings?" she asked. "Well, he counts as a pilot," said Sam. "And because I'll be serving as his rider, I get a set of wings myself as a part of the crew. Same for York here." "I hear Air Force Chief of Staff, General Wilkins may have to create a new badge just for us," said York. "But for now, the regular pilot badge will do." A few moments later, Jonathan came out wearing the digital, tiger-striped combat dress uniform. As he walked out, an Airman came in carrying a cordless phone with him. "Uh, excuse me, Colonel," she began. "I got a call for the Major. His wife is calling. She says it's urgent." Sam nodded and motioned for her to give Jonathan the phone. "Hello?" Jonathan asked. "Susan, what happened?" "Jon!" she called. "I'm glad you're better now. You have to come home, quickly! Jake's missing. I have someone here who said the Dark Dragon has him." "What?" asked Jonathan. "Why does Ithfaedeus have him?" "Jake heard about what happened," said Susan. "Look, just hurry home and I'll tell you everything when you get here. I called my father and he's here too." "Okay," said Jonathan. "I'm coming home. Just hang on. I'll be there in a few minutes." He turned the phone off and looked up at Sam. "Jake's been kidnapped by the Dark Dragon," he said. "I need to go home." "You mind if I go with you?" asked Sam. "You might need some back up." "Same here," said York. "I've been meaning to take another shot at that Black Dragon." "Alright," said Jonathan. "I'll get dressed back in my regular clothes while you guys..." "Eh!" said Sam. "You're gonna need to tell her someday, and Lao Shi as well. Besides, we're going into a battle situation." "You're kidding, going in dressed like this?" asked Jonathan. "Ithfaedeus will laugh his ass off at me!" "It's a part of the regulations," said Sam. "Sorry, pal." "Now I know Lao Shi will skin me," said Jonathan. "Or join Ithfaedeus in the laugh." It took them a few moments to prepare. Both Sam and York were dressed in their full battle dress as well, sporting their weapons. Once more, York carried his sniper rifle loaded again with the Dragon's Bane dart. He carried the remaining darts in a pouch on his jacket. They walked outside, followed by the Marines, Dr. Wiseman and Dr. Richards. General Reynard came running out to join them. "Major," she began. "I don't normally approve of new personnel just running off without any sort of leave passes...but..." "It's my son, General," said Jonathan. "Besides, I'm coming with him, ma'am," said Sam. "It's time to take down that Black Dragon once and for all." "That's why I'm allowing it, Colonel," she said. "You three have orders to kill that Dragon and of course save anyone he's captured. Which includes your son, Major." "Thank you," said Jonathan. "Well, you heard the General," said Sam. "We won't let you down, ma'am," said York. "I know you won't, Sergeant," she said. "Good luck, all three of you. And maybe while you're down there, you can retrieve anymore of that adamantine metal that we can possibly use." "Lao Shi may know of some shops," said Jonathan. "But I don't know about walking around the Underdark looking like this..." "Too late now for them to gripe about it," said Sam. "Come on, Jon, we're wasting time." "Okay," said Jonathan. "You two have to hold my hands." The two humans took his hands. "Okay, it's just like last time, but a lot quicker," said Jonathan. "Hold your breaths." As they did so, within a flash, they were gone. The others looked around and Reynard shook her head. "Someday, we are going to figure out how to use that teleportation ability of his for ourselves," she said. "Or else I'm going to order him to start transporting everything I need transporting if we don't." "How does he do that, General?" asked Adams. "From what we know currently," said Reynard. "It has to do with this electromagnetic field that fluctuates around the Earth. Jonathan and creatures like him can manipulate it in what they like to call Magic. How they do it, we're still finding out. But if we can duplicate how they do it, we'll be able to do what he does naturally. That's the whole purpose behind this team." "So that's why you have that Dragon here," said Edwards. "So he can tell you." "To tell you the truth," said Richards. "I don't think even he knows, General. He just knows how to use the energy, he doesn't know why he can." "Well, we'll figure it out sooner or later," said Reynard. "That's why he's now wearing the Air Force leash. As a commissioned officer, we've got more control over him than we did when he was a civilian." "So, that's why you did it," said Carol. "It was the President's orders," said Reynard. "I'm just following them. And now he has to as well." 0 Jonathan, Sam, and York walked up to Jonathan's stoop and opened up the door. Susan was there waiting for him along with Lao Shi, Fu Dog, and another woman Jonathan did not know. Susan came rushing for him and took him into her arms. "Oh, Jonathan!" she called. "I'm so glad you're home!" The two came together in a long kiss. Susan leaned her head against Jonathan's shoulder and he held her tightly rocking her. "I was so worried about what happened to you," she said. "It's okay," said Jonathan. "I'm fine. Believe me, if it weren't for Sam and York helping me, I'd probably still be...well...I'd be worse off than I am." "Wo de ma he ta de feng-kuang de wai-sheng dou?" shouted Lao Shi. "What are you wearing, daughter's husband?" "Yeah, what's up with the army get-up, Jonathan?" asked Fu Dog. "Here we go..." said Jonathan. "Jonathan," began Susan. "What are you wearing?" "I've been drafted," said Jonathan. "You what?" Lao Shi cried. "Jonathan!" "Look, I'll explain about it later," said Jonathan. "Right now, I want to know what happened to my son." "Mr. Long," began the woman as she stood up. "Actually it's...Major Long," Jonathan said with a deep sigh of regret. "Major?" asked Lao Shi. He broke out into a loud guffaw, falling over to the floor and pointing at Jonathan. "Major! Fang-zong feng-kuang de jie!" Jonathan sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Dad," said Susan. "Now isn't the time." "Major Long," said the woman, approaching him. "My name is Valerie. Well, the humans call me that. But my real name is Veloihthrax." "Veloihthrax?" Jonathan asked. "That's an Ancient Dragon's name." "Yes, Pyrothraxus," she said. "I am like you, an Ancient. My father is Ithfaedeus." "What?" Jonathan asked, his face flushing red with anger. "You're his daughter? What are you doing here?" "Please," said Valerie. "I mean you no harm. I am not like my father. I believe in what you did. I'm not evil. My father has your son. He's setting a trap for you. He wants you and Jake and he wants to kill you both." "And you can lead me to him, right?" asked Jonathan. "Yes." "How do I know that it's not a trap?" he asked. "You have to put some faith in me," she said. "I swear, I won't lead you astray. I want to see my father dead too." "Why?" Jonathan asked. "Why would you want to do that?" "Because all that he's done," said Valerie. "The fact he helped Zestos many times in trying to bring Asemodeus here. We'll all be that demon's slaves, even us Chromatic Dragons. You think I want that? My father has to pay for betraying our kind to him." "If you are lying to me..." "I will pay the price," said Valerie. "I won't even put up a fight. You can take my life force." Jonathan nodded: "I'll hold you to that. Lao Shi, are you coming with us?" "If you think you can go alone on this one," said Lao Shi. "You're crazy. He's my grandson and my pupil." "Right," said Jonathan. "Jonathan," said Susan as she took him into her arms again. "Be careful. And bring our son back." "I will," said Jonathan. "You ready, Sam?" "You bet," said Sam. "Let's go, York." "I think I'll stay here," said Fu Dog. "Uh...just in case..." Lao Shi shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Well, Valerie," said Sam. "Show us where your dad is holding Jake." Valerie nodded. 0 They made their way down through the dark caverns of the Underdark. York glanced around, taking in the alien growth of the pocket dimension under the streets of New York City. Valerie led them all down through the winding tunnels. Sam got out his red flashlight and turned it on. "You must be careful here," said Valerie. "This is what you humans might refer to as the 'other side of the tracks' when it comes to the Underdark." "The bad neighborhood," said Jonathan. "Wow," said Sam. "You think we'd get mugged down here or something?" "Well, there are the Myconids," said Lao Shi. "A species of sentient, humanoid fungi who are a bit wary of strangers." "They don't usually attack unless provoked though," said Jonathan. "Walking, talking mushrooms?" asked York. "Okay, that is very strange." "It's the Aboleths and the Beholders you have to worry most about down here," said Valerie. "Aboleths?" asked Sam. "Beholders?" asked York. "Aboleths are giant, psionic eels who love to cause all sorts of trouble to any traveler down in the Underdark," said Jonathan. "I believe they come from the same place as the Illithids. As for Beholders. Well, imagine a floating medicine ball with a giant eye on the front and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Then, imagine this thing with also 10 other eyes on stalks that can cast all sorts of spells, including spells that can turn people to stone, atomize them, and cause all sorts of plagues or even cause instant death to a person. And they can cast all those spells at the same time to multiple people. And the center eye casts an antimagic field in the front to keep spell casters and clerics from using their magic while the other eyes are casting their spells on the other travelers." "Oh, crap," said Sam. "Yeah, that's nasty." "Aboleths coming from the same place as the Illithids," said York. "Where's that?" "The Farm Realm, York," said Sam. "Oh, that place," said York. "I thought those creatures aren't supposed to be here." "They're not," said Lao Shi. "But we don't know why they are allowed to continue to exist in our world. Perhaps they're not as much of a threat as some of the other aberrations that come from that alien universe." "Great," said Sam. "The problem is, because Aboleths are psionic," said Jonathan. "It's hard to defend against their attacks with magic. So, let's just hope we don't run any." They continued to walk unimpeded through the caverns of the Underdark. Sam paused for a moment, catching his breath and coming up close to one of the enormous glowing fungi jutting out from the wall and casting a ray of soft orange light across the darkened landscape. Above, he saw other plants growing down from the ceiling and casting their own glows as well in a variety of colors, blue, green, yellow, and red. Jonathan paused and looked back at him as he raised his flashlight up at the giant mushroom. "Sam?" Jonathan asked. "I just gotta ask one question, Jon," Sam began. "You built this place. How? How big is this place?" "It's the same size as the planet itself," said Jonathan. "You mean to tell me you used your power to create an entire dimension the same size as our own planet?" asked Sam. "How did you do all of this?" "It wasn't just me," said Jonathan. "It was Galen too." "Oh, right," said Sam. "Of course. Still. Okay, these plants and fungi. How do they stay alive without any sunlight? Is it all chemical based like it is near the thermal vents on the ocean floor?" "They use energy," said Jonathan. "Much like photosynthesis. I created a form of magical radiation called Faerzress so that there would be plants that the citizens of the Underdark can cultivate. Without it, life here would be nearly impossible." "You created your own sort of sunlight-like radiation to feed these plants?" asked Sam. "Shit. And this was all before you became a demigod, right?" "Yup," said Jonathan. "That's impressive," said Sam. "Can these plants survive outside the Underdark?" "They have a difficult time adjusting to sunlight," said Jonathan. "And without Faerzress, they will die." "I still like to take some samples when we're done here," said Sam. "And some rock samples as well. I'd love to see what sort of nutrients that these plants are either feeding off from the soil they're in or putting back into the soil as well. I hope you don't mind since you basically created this place." "Go right ahead. There's plenty of that here." "I suppose that's why you had to sleep for almost a thousand years, huh, Major?" asked York. "After creating a place like this, I'd need a long nap too." "It was a bit tiring after building it," said Jonathan. "Shhh..." said Valerie. "We're nearing my father's lair." Jonathan swiftly came up to her side and grabbed her upper arm. "I'm keeping my eye on you," he said. "I understand," said Valerie. "But I won't betray you, I swear." They all clustered together, leaning against the wall of the lair opening. Jonathan looked beyond, spying Ithfaedeus there at the center. Then he looked right in front of Ithfaedeus to find his son, Jake, bound by water. Beside him was Chang. As the group tried to get in a bit closer, Chang swiftly swung around and ignited a glowing ball of light. "We have company, Master!" she called. Ithfaedeus rose up onto his all fours: "Ah, welcome. I wondered when you would arrive, Pyrothraxus." Jonathan came walking into the lair with the others coming up behind him. "Let my sun go, Ithfaedeus," he said. "No," said Ithfaedeus. "I intend to keep him and you as well." Jonathan let loose a powerful roar and exploded out into his dragon form. Sam, York, Lao Shi, and Valerie all ran from him just as he did so in order to avoid being stepped on. Pyrothraxus let loose a deep growl, smoke appeared through his nostrils as he ignited his fires. "You better let him go or I will turn you into ash," he warned. "Ah!" Ithfaedeus said. He motioned towards Jake. The water that bound his body began to rise up to his head, threatening to drown him. "I wouldn't do that unless you wish for your dear son to meet with an unfortunate end." "If you kill him, I still am going to kill you," said Pyrothraxus. "You'll kill me if I give you back your son, you'll kill me if I kill him," said Ithfaedeus. "Let's just say I'm hungry for your delicious life force again," he said. "Especially after you pushed me off that mountain!" Pyrothraxus came closer to the Black Dragon. "You push me off the mountain, you kidnapped my son, threatening to kill him. I'm gonna tear you apart!" Ithfaedeus continued to chuckle: "Then, let us by all means end this once and for all." "Yes, let's," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll finally do what I was assigned to do in the first place, kill you for escaping your prison!" "Have at me, then, Warden," said Ithfaedeus as he charged for the Red Dragon. Pyrothraxus growled and reared back onto his hind legs. He swatted at the Black Dragon, sending him flying towards a wall of the lair. Then, he lunged for the Black Dragon. Ithfaedeus got up and gave his head a shake. He looked up to find Pyrothraxus coming for him. The Black Dragon spat forth his acid and it splashed upon Pyrothraxus' snout. The Red Dragon let loose a powerful and painful bellow, rearing back onto his haunches. The Black Dragon leapt out and knocked the Red Dragon over, clawing feverishly at his belly scales. While the two Ancients fought, Chang noticed Lao Shi in with the three humans. She made her way to him, transforming into her dragon form as well. "Chinese Dragon!" she cried. "Chang!" called Lao Shi. He transformed as well and the two began their aerial battle. Valerie looked up at the two Ancients rolling around, clawing and tearing at each other. "I have to help Pyrothraxus," she said. "Uh, yeah," said Sam. "You do that. We'll get Jake out of there. Come on, York!" "Yes, sir!" he said. She nodded and then transformed herself as well. Sam and York backed away as Valerie grew to her enormous size. She really was a Black Dragon, much like her father, however, because of her youth, she was a bit smaller than him. Her scales were a iridescent black and her eyes were a deep shade of green. Veloihthrax leapt upon her father's back and bit down onto his neck. Ithfaedeus cried out in pain as the smaller Black Dragon sunk her teeth in. In his distraction, Pyrothraxus managed to push the Great Wyrm Black off of his stomach. He rolled over onto his all fours and winced in pain from the acid splashing upon him. Some of the acid managed to get into his left eye and he closed it tightly. Though the eye will eventually regenerate, but for now, he was blinded in that eye. Ithfaedeus was standing there, holding his neck, dumbfounded by the smaller Black Dragon who attacked him. "Veloihthrax?" he asked. "What is the meaning of this? Where did you come from?" "It doesn't matter," she said. "I'm here now, and I'm going to make sure you're taken down once and for all." "Traitorous bitch!" he bellowed. "How dare you? How could you side with him?" "How could you side with Asemodeus?" asked Veloihthrax. "Don't you know what he'll do to all of us?" "Hah!" said Ithfaedeus. "It doesn't matter to me anymore. And besides, you're the bigger traitor. I'm not the monster here. He is! And you sided with him. You sided with an Abomination of the Far Realm! You are a traitor to your species." "What are you talking about?" asked Veloihthrax. "Oh, did Pyrothraxus not tell you?" he asked. "Did he not tell you about how he managed to get thrown into the Far Realm, and then miraculously come out without a scratch...or a tentacle growing on him?" "What?" "Tell her, Pyrothraxus," said Ithfaedeus. Pyrothraxus took in a deep breath: "I did go through the Far Realm. Only because my brother threw me in." "How about telling her how you got out," said Ithfaedeus. "Or rather, why is it that your brain isn't filled with slugs right now? How about what happened in your mother's lair? Do you know what went on? Tell my daughter, will you?" "I don't know what your'e talking about!" "The Stone of Aster," said Ithfaedeus. "The thing that's inside of you. You're more than an Abomination, you're one of his Acolytes!" Veloihthrax looked at Pyrothraxus in confusion. "What is he talking about?" she asked. "I don't know," said Pyrothraxus. "He's lying," said Ithfaedeus. "No, I honestly don't know," said Pyrothraxus. "Yes, I have the Stone of Aster in me, but..." "Tell me, does it talk to you?" asked Ithfaedeus. "In rhyme no less?" "What?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Does it talk to you?" Pyrothraxus shook his head. "It does talk to you," he said. "Even Malystryx knew that. She could hear him. She knew what was inside of you. She knew. Now I know as well. But you're so stupid, you still can never figure it out. Well, I'll spell it out for you, Pyrothraxus. You have the Hydra inside of you!" "What?" "Pathemos found a piece of that aberration's crystalline essence and used it to create the Stone of Aster," said Ithfaedeus. "And you swallowed it! You were an Abomination before you even set foot inside of the Far Realm. That's why you were never affected by it. You're his Acolyte. You deserve to be taken by You Know Who and encased in Agathys ice! She should have done that already." "She tried," said Pyrothraxus. "But Sam stopped her." "You know why?" asked Ithfaedeus. "It's because your human friend knows Galen's secret. And I have no doubt that Galen was the one who dragged you out of the Far Realm. But he isn't affected by the Far Realm because he's not really a Gold Dragon. He's Bahamut!" Pyrothraxus continued to stare confusingly at Ithfaedeus. "Yes, Pyrothraxus," said Ithfaedeus. "Everyone has pulled the wool over your head. Your human friend over there, Galen, and well, even the Hydra. You're nothing more than a tool for them! You're being used by the Platinum Dragon. That's why you are what you are! You're nothing!" He turned to his daughter. "And you are willing to side with him." "Ssejinw!" Pyrothraxus bellowed. "I'll have no more of your pathetic lies." "Keep telling yourself that, Pyrothraxus," said Ithfaedeus. "But sooner or later, you'll realize what I'm saying is true!" Pyrothraxus leapt upon Ithfaedeus and blasted him with a powerful stream of fire. He brought his mouth close so that Ithfaedeus could feel the full heat of his flames. The Black Dragon bellowed as the flames began to burn away his black scales around his head. As soon as he grew weaker, Pyrothraxus bit into his neck. He clamped on tightly for a few minutes and then pulled away. Inhaling, he called forth Ithfaedeus' blue life force energy. The energy began to flow into Pyrothraxus' nostrils and mouth from the wound. As he continued to absorb the energy, Ithfaedeus' form began to age rapidly. He looked like he was starting to dry up, his body shriveling like a leaf. Then, Pyrothraxus sucked in the last of the Black Dragon's life force and his body soon crumbled to dust. Just as the Black Dragon did, Pyrothraxus' body grew ever so slightly longer and taller than it previously was. The absorption of the life force also began to make his left eye rapidly regenerate. Pyrothraxus could open it now. He leaned back and sighed, looking at Veloihthrax. "I'm sorry," he said. "No," she said. "He deserved it. You did what I wanted you to do." As Pyrothraxus was trying to gather his own thoughts, Sam and York came to Jake's aid. When Ithfaedeus died, the water holding Jake fell and splashed upon the ground. Jake fell as well, slumping to the floor of the cave. Sam and York helped him up. "You okay, son?" Sam asked. "Yeah, thanks, Colonel," he said. "Dad!" "Jake," said Pyrothraxus. "It's okay. I killed him. No more Dark Dragon." "No, it's not that, it's Rose," said Jake. He pointed to a familiar looking statue in a field of glowing fungi. Pyrothraxus got up and walked towards her. As he did so, Lao Shi landed, reverting back to his human form. Along with him, bound in sphinx hair was Chang. Pyrothraxus leaned over and carefully brought the statue out. "The Beholder got to her," said Jake. "Petrified her. Can you do anything?" "The wish spell?" asked Sam. "It's not needed," said Pyrothraxus. "Curing petrification is easy. Thirku!" Just as he said it, the spell that kept Rose a statue was lifted. Color returned to her body as she suddenly fell to the ground, gasping for air. Jake rushed to her side and took hold of her hand. "Jake!" she gasped. "What happened? Where's the Beholder?" "Gone," said Jake. "It doesn't matter. You're safe. My dad's here." Rose looked up and saw Pyrothraxus standing over her. She dipped her head slightly and he returned her gesture. Then, he looked over at Lao Shi, who kept a firm grip on Chang. "What are you going to do with her?" "I'll take her to the Dragon Council," said Lao Shi. "And they will decide her fate. In fact, I better do so right now. I will see you all in a couple of days." With that, Lao Shi left with Chang. "Bye, gramps," said Jake. "Dad? It's hard to believe you killed the Dark Dragon." "It was the job I was supposed to do in the first place," said Pyrothraxus. "It was the reason why I awoke. But I can't believe you would just go off on your own to try and face him alone!" "I had Rose," said Jake. "I don't care," said Pyrothraxus. "Both of you are in deep trouble. I should tell the Huntsmaster as well." "He wouldn't care," said Rose. "It's expected of me to do something like this. If I die it only means I failed." "Damn you, Eric," he sighed. "If only he cared a bit more about his charges." "I still have yet to return with the skin of a real dragon," said Rose. "Even if I don't really want to." "The Huntsmaster knows very well about you and Jake's relationship," said Pyrothraxus. "He told me himself that day when I quit my job." "I better get going," said Rose. "I have to report back what had happened." "I'm sure he'll be happy to hear there's one less dragon in the world," said Pyrothraxus. "Right," said Rose. "Goodbye, Jake." She leaned in and gave him a kiss. Then she backed away. "Thank you, Pyrothraxus," she said as she disappeared into the darkness. Pyrothraxus looked back at his son: "You're grounded." "Dad!" he said. "I did this all for you." "You could have been killed," said Pyrothraxus. "If I hadn't come...you would have been." "He pushed you off a mountain!" "It's no excuse," he said. "Am I some sort of joke to you? Is that why you disobey me? It just seems like I'm a huge joke to everyone right now!" "You're not a joke," said Jake. "Really. I was sick and tired of him hurting you." "Let me fight my battles, Jake," said the Red Dragon. "They're too dangerous for you to take on. Capturing and killing Ithfaedeus was my job, not yours, and not Lao Shi's. And though it took me 40 years, I finally did it. But you do not run off and try to face him on your own like that. Even Lao Shi would say you shouldn't do that." "I'm sorry, Dad," said Jake. "I am. I just thought..." "Jake," said Pyrothraxus. "If he would have killed you, I don't know what I would have done. You scared me by doing this. Don't do something like this again, understand? Don't run off like that! I don't want to loose you." "Hey, go easy on the kid," said Sam. "He was only thinking about you." "Oh?" began Pyrothraxus. "And am I a joke to you too?" "What?" asked Sam. "Why? No!" "What's this about you knowing who Galen really is? He's Bahamut? Is that true?" "Jon," began Sam. "Is that true?" "Yes, it's true," he said. "And that's how I was able to protect you from that shadow creature. He sort of lent me his powers to do so. Look he didn't want you to know because he didn't want you to think that he was controlling you." "Is he?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Is that why I am the way I am?" "No!" said Sam. "It's all you. You chose this way. He had nothing to do with it. He only helped you along because he wanted you as a friend. And he wants me as a friend too. Jon, Bahamut doesn't want to control our lives. He wants us to make our own decisions. That's what this is all about." "I–I can't believe he lied to me," said Pyrothraxus. "All these centuries and he lied to me! And what about the Hydra being inside of me?" "I didn't know about that," said Sam. "But I'm sure Galen knew about it. But tell me, haven't you been hearing his voice?" "I've heard something," said Pyrothraxus. "A voice inside of my head mocking me. Wanting me to let it gain control. And then it does and I go somewhere else." "Who do you think it is that does it?" asked Sam. "Dude, the Stone is trouble. We need to figure out how to control it, even if that means suppressing it." Pyrothraxus lowered his head and sighed: "I know. You have that book." "Believe me, I'll figure it out," said Sam. "But if only I had samples of that crystal that the Black Dragon spoke about." "You want crystal pieces of the Hydra?" asked Veloihthrax. "Even if you get a small amount, there is always a threat of exposure to its horrible energy. You could be changed too." "I received that book from an Illithid who is a friend of Lao Shi," said Pyrothraxus. "Maybe he can be of some help. And we should hurry. I don't want to pose a problem when Zestos or my mother finally starts their attack." "And those Illithids are from the Far Realm," said Sam. "They would know what to do to block the Stone's influence over you." "It's worth a try," he said. "But I also need to know what Zestos is planning." "I can find that out for you," said Veloihthrax. "If you allow me, I can be your agent, Pyrothraxus." "By helping me kill your father," said Pyrothraxus. "You have proven your worth. I suppose that is good enough for now. Then, let the this be your true test. Find out what Zestos is planning and report it back to me." "I will," she said. "Major." "Don't call me that," said Pyrothraxus. Veloihthrax chuckled and then vanished in a cloud of darkness. "Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "I want to let you know, I'm mad at you. You didn't tell me about Galen." "He told me not to," said Sam. "He's a god, I'm not gonna argue with a god! He could rearrange my atoms or something. Re-sequence my genes. Besides he said that it was best you not know because he wanted you to continue to believe that everything you've done was all you." "And it was?" he asked. "Yeah," said Sam. "He told me himself. Look, don't put me in the middle of this. You two need to sort this out. But just think, one of your best friends is a full on, high powered god! Not only a god, but the High God's ex-husband. I mean this guy is near the top, from what I understand how the universe actually works. He could do anything for you if you'd ask him. I mean, I asked him to go and save you from the Far Realm and he did it! Only he could do that. You think anyone else could? Jon, Galen cares about you. He's like a brother to you too. And he's willing to break a shit-load of rules to help you out. The least you could do is say thanks the next time you see him." "If he's Bahamut," began Pyrothraxus. "Then why the hell didn't he know about the Stone? Why did he let me swallow it?" "Ask him," said Sam. "I don't know." "Dad," said Jake. "It doesn't matter who Galen really is. What matters is that he's willing to help us." "Yeah," said Sam. "When the shit hits the fan and that Asemodeus guy shows up, who'd you think can stand up to him? Us? No! You? Probably not. Galen, hell yeah. He's our ace in the hole." "I just don't like being lied to," said Pyrothraxus. "Even if it was the damned King of Dragons who did it." "So, yell at him when you see him," said Sam. "He's not gonna smack you over the head if you do, I don't think. But remember, he's your friend. He only did what he thought was the right thing. He told me himself that he makes mistakes, that he isn't perfect. Which makes me think that the Powers that Be that you guys talk about may be just extremely powerful entities that are beyond our understanding and who can manipulate the course of life. It's just hard to believe that God is fallible." "You don't know his ex-wife," said Pyrothraxus. "From what I heard, she's made plenty of mistakes of her own." "Well, anyway," said Sam. "Just don't worry about it right now. He is your friend. I'm your friend. I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry I didn't say anything. But I was keeping a promise." "Dad?" asked Jake. "Alright," said Pyrothraxus. "I won't think about it anymore tonight. I just want to go home and spend some time with my family." "Good way to spend the night," said Sam. "Come on, York." "Right," said York. "Coming." As they made their way out of the lair, Sam looked up at the Red Dragon. "So, are you still mad at me?" he asked. "A little," said Pyrothraxus. "But, I suppose I'll get over it. I just need some time to think about all of this. I'm glad the Stone hasn't taken control of me yet." "The Stone needs a rest too," said Sam. "But we'll figure out how to control it. Galen told me that it may come in handy during the coming battle." "Yeah," said Pyrothraxus. "Maybe that's why he wanted me to swallow it." "Hey, Jon," said Sam. "Just keep repeating to yourself: 'Everything is gonna be okay.' And it will." "Hopefully." Fantastic

He was happy to finally get back to somewhat of a normal life. It was just a matter of getting up every morning, going to work, then, coming home. Jonathan began to forget the fact he had to wear a uniform to work, or the fact he had to salute or say "Yes, sir" or "Yes, ma'am" when he saw someone of a higher rank than him pass by. It was still just a job. Dr. Wiseman brought in old scrolls that she felt were connections to the past that humanity had forgotten and Jonathan of course translated them. There were other things Jonathan had to do to get himself equated in military life. He had military guidelines in the form of enormous binders to look over. He took tests on proper flight etiquette and procedures. Jonathan nearly fell asleep during one of his instructional videos. Finally, when the day was through, Jonathan went home, looking forwards to seeing his lovely wife and his children. When he finally arrived, Jonathan threw his jacket on the coat rack, took off his tie and settled down on the couch. A few minutes later, his wife came in. "Jonathan," said Susan. "You're home early." "Wasn't much to do today," said Jonathan. "Except constant regulations I had to go over. I don't remember military life having 30 different rule books the size of cement blocks that I had to read through." "That tiring?" she asked. "It gets worse, the general makes me do push ups every time I don't salute her," said Jonathan. "Oh, she's getting a kick out of bossing me around." "I bet you look cute doing push ups," said Susan. "I need you to do me a favor, Jon. I have to prepare breakfast for a big corporate meeting tomorrow and I need some groceries. Could you be a dear and go buy them for me?" Jonathan got up and smiled: "Of course." "I wish I could, but I also have to make dinner for you all tonight," said Susan. "Maybe you can go buy them and I'll make dinner for once," he said. Susan laughed at his offer: "Honey, the last time you made dinner, we had to get take-out instead so we wouldn't starve. You either burn or over cook everything." "I like my food scorched," said Jonathan. "Yes, but we don't," said Susan as she led him out the door. "Now, go on! Here's the list." Jonathan nodded as he took the list from her, closing the door behind him. He got into his car and drove down the road to the grocery store. It was a busy day at the store. He angled his car down a long row of cars. Jonathan posed when he thought he saw a gap behind an enormous SUV, which meant an empty spot. Jonathan peered around the SUV with some hope. The spot was full, taken by a smaller car hidden perfectly behind the SUV. Jonathan sighed and continued on, slowly rolling down the isle. He turned and went up another isle, but still, the lot was packed. Jonathan drove his car out of the lock and down the road. His eyes spied an empty spot in the paid parallel parking near the curb. Angling his Nissan, he backed up and slowly pulled in, squeezing himself between a truck and a van. Then, he finally got out. Walking over to the meter, he put in two quarters and turned the dial. The meter read "60 minutes" and it was counting down. Jonathan looked back at the store and hoped he would be able to get out before the meter ran out. The last thing he needed was to get a ticket. As Jonathan entered the grocery store, he grabbed a steel cart and pulled it out, taking out the list and giving it a read. He mouthed to himself the list, going over what Susan needed. Then, his cell phone chimed in his pocket. Jonathan took it out. "Hello?" he asked. "Hey, Dad?" "Jake?" Jonathan asked. "Where are you?" asked Jake. "I'm at the grocery store, getting some things for your mom," said Jonathan. "Grandpa needs to talk to you," said Jake. Jonathan pulled the cart out, putting his phone between his shoulder and cheek. "So, put him on," said Jonathan. "In person," said Jake. "It's important." "Well, he'll have to wait," said Jonathan. "Your mom needs this as well. I'll be right over when I'm done, okay?" "Okay," said Jake. "You're not dressed in that uniform, are you?" "Actually, yeah, I am," he said. "Why?" "Aw man..." said Jake. "What happened?" "Nothing," said Jake. "Just...maybe you can stash it somewhere when you come over. Or turn it into something else." "Why?" asked Jonathan. "Because Lao Shi would laugh at me again?" "No," said Jake. "You'll see when you get here. Just hurry up, pops." "Al–alright," said Jonathan. "Bye, Jakie." He turned the phone off and dropped it into his pocket. As he began to file down one of the isles to pick up some fresh garden broccoli, Jonathan looked around. There were a few shoppers here he knew around the neighborhood and they were staring right at him. They stood still, their eyes were wide like deer looking at headlights. Some of them leaned in and whispered. But none approached him. He could sense they were too scared to do so. Jonathan decided to keep to himself, pushing the cart along as he came close to the broccoli. He dragged the cart over, creating a horrible noise of rubber screeching against the scuffed up tiling. A wheel would not turn like the other three. Jonathan leaned down and picked up a thick head of broccoli, tearing the plastic bag from a roller and dropping it in. He picked up another and dropped it in and then wound the end up and tied it. He plopped it into the cart and continued on to the carrots. Jonathan looked up just as a woman passed him, looking at him with great fear and then taking hold of her child, quickly walked away. When he was done with shopping for vegetables, Jonathan went to the butcher department, looking through the glass at the finely cut meat. There were ground round, chops, ribs, loins, and they all looked and smelled good to him. Jonathan had to remind himself that he did not need to eat anymore, but he could not help but to almost drool over the meat. He caught the glimpse of a slab of a cow's torso hanging on a meat hook in the back. He always loved going to the butcher at the back. That was when the butcher walked up to him and leaned over the counter. "Can I help you?" he asked. "Yes," said Jonathan. "I've got an order for about 6 pounds of ground round. The name is Long." "Yes, Susan Long called earlier for it," said the butcher. He went back to the back for a moment and then appeared again with a large bag nicely folded with a bar code on the top. "Here you go." "Thanks," said Jonathan. "Sure," said the butcher. "Hey, aren't you that dragon?" "Excuse me?" asked Jonathan. "That dragon, the big red one," he said. "I suppose I am," said Jonathan. "Yeah, thought so," said the butcher. "I'm hoping all that is for you." "It isn't," said Jonathan. "It's for my wife's catering company." "It's a shame, I'd figure something your size needs a lot of meat," said the butcher. "I'll cut you a deal on five whole cows in the back if you want." "Really," said Jonathan. "Love to take your offer, but...I'm fine. I don't need five cows. Besides it'll take more than five cows to sate something my size." "Just thought I'd offer," said the butcher. Jonathan sighed and took the wrapped meats and placed it into his cart. He gathered up the rest of the groceries and made his way towards the front to the checkout counter. As he walked towards it, more people who realized what he was parted away. Mothers held their children protectively and men eyed Jonathan with hostility. Jonathan pulled up behind a woman, waiting silently in line for his turn. Once his turn came up, he began to place the groceries on the roving belt, placing a divider between his and the woman's groceries. Then, when she was done and left, he came up to the counter as the cashier ran his groceries through the laser reader. Jonathan pulled out his wallet and readied his credit card. That was when another man walked up to him, wearing a white collar shirt and a store badge. He was the manager. "Don't ring him up," he said to the cashier. "And put his stuff back." "What?" asked Jonathan. "Excuse me? I'm a paying customer here." "Not in my store," said the manager. "We don't allow animals here, not even seeing eye dogs. And we certainly don't serve people who scare our other customers. I've watched you. Ever since you came into my store, I've watched the others drop whatever they have and just swiftly leave, or others just standing there, looking at you with fear in their eyes. Your very presence is threatening them. You're not welcomed here. Get out." "For one thing, I'm not an animal," said Jonathan. "And for another, I'm a customer. I have a right to shop here. I need these groceries for my wife." "I don't care," said the manager. "Leave or I'm calling the cops." Jonathan sighed as he placed his card back in his wallet. He could easily just transform and make the man give him the groceries, but what would that prove? Jonathan just walked away from the counter, looking back at the groceries he was trying to get for his wife, the pounds of meat she ordered. Then, with another heavy sigh, he turned around and left. As he made his way outside, Jonathan opened up his phone and called his wife. "Hello?" she said. "Susan, it's Jonathan. I didn't get the groceries." "Why?" she asked. "It's because they chased me out," said Jonathan. "They said they wouldn't serve an animal. They said I was scaring the customers." "Did you go in as a dragon?" she asked. "No," he said. "I'm in my human form. I just went in, got the groceries, and now they won't let me pay for them. He said he'll call the cops if I protested." "I'm gonna sue that store," said Susan. "Don't worry about it, Jonathan. Just come home. I'll drive by and pick them up instead." Jonathan walked sadly to his car: "I'm sorry." "It's not your fault," said Susan. "Don't blame yourself. They're just a bunch of scared, bigoted morons. I'll handle it. Just come home." When he hung up, Jonathan got into his car. Just as he started the motor, something was thrown against his windshield. The glass splintered in a circular pattern and cracks spread across like a spider web to the top. Jonathan ducked down just as the cracks began to spread. As he rose from behind the dash, he looked out the driver-side window to find a couple of men shouting back at him from the sidewalk. Another sound smacked against the back window and busted it open. Jonathan ducked again, only to rise and looked at the back. "Get out of our town, monster!" he heard another man shout. "You don't belong here! You belong in a zoo with the rest of the wild animals!" "We can't find a zoo that would fit him," said a third man beside the first. "You've heard of dragon slayers right? Why not find one of them?" Jonathan let loose a grunt and swiftly pulled out, slamming on the accelerator. He swerved around, narrowly missing one of the men who threw the brick at him. Jonathan heard the voices of the humans shout at him as he drove away. He turned slightly, looking at the review mirror as the attackers turned into small dots behind him. As he turned back around, Jonathan's eyes opened wide just as he saw a woman crossing in front of his speeding car. He slammed on the breaks, stopping the car abruptly. The woman's body slammed against his hood and she knocked her head against his windshield. Jonathan screamed, putting his car in park and getting out, rushing towards her just as she rolled limply off the hood. He knelt down to the woman, laying a hand down upon her. He began to breathe heavily, looking around. Several people rushed up to him. A few of them had cell phones, calling for police and an ambulance. "It was an accident," Jonathan whispered. "Just an accident. I can fix this..." The wish spell, the spell that can warp reality, undo any mistake, just by asking for it. He could use it to fix this enormous mistake. He could either heal her or allow himself go back maybe a few seconds into the past to stop his car before he hit her. With that, he closed his eyes preparing the spell. That was when he heard a click. Jonathan looked up to find a policeman holding a gun directly at his head. "Hands off the girl, dragon," he said. "And back away." "I can help her," said Jonathan. "Get up," said the policeman. "Now." "But, I can..." "You're not gonna use your voodoo on anyone," said the policeman. "An ambulance is on its way. Get up." Jonathan sighed as she got up, looking pitifully at the woman lying in the street. The policeman pulled his arms behind him and handcuffed them. "You have the right to remain silent, anything you do or say may be held against you in a court of law," said the officer. "You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one can be appointed at no cost to you." He dragged Jonathan over to his police car just as the ambulance drove up to help the woman. His partner was at the woman's side, assessing just how injured she was. As soon as the paramedics came with a stretcher to take her away, the two policeman drove Jonathan off to the precinct. "I need to let you know I'm a major in the Air Force," said Jonathan. "I think there's some rules about arresting someone like me." "A civil defense," said the policeman. "It's handled by us. You're gonna get some fines, my friend." "Fines for what?" Jonathan asked. "Attempted vehicular homicide," said his partner. "Reckless driving." "It was an accident." "I saw you pull out and speed down the road," said the police officer. "If you didn't notice, there were people throwing bricks at my car!" Jonathan called. "Of course I would try to get away as fast as I could." "How can a dragon be scared of a few bricks?" the partner asked. "I don't want my car damaged!" Jonathan called. "My insurance premiums are high enough." He heard the two policemen laugh at him from the front. Jonathan leaned back against the car window and sighed. Once they came to the station, Jonathan was dragged inside. They captured his finger prints and taken his mug shots for their files. "I wonder if I should get a mug shot of his dragon form as well," said the photographer. "No, this is fine," said the officer. He grabbed Jonathan by the upper arm and led him to the cell. "You have one phone call," said the officer, pausing before the pay phone and handing him some change. "Make it quick." "Right," said Jonathan. "First time I've ever gotten arrested." "Never been arrested before?" asked the officer. "Even with all those centuries behind you?" "No," said Jonathan. "Because no human cell can hold me. I'm only cooperating because I don't want anything else being held against me, but I can just easily leave if I wanted to." "Well, so glad you're cooperating then," said the officer. "Make your phone call." Jonathan lifted the receiver off of the phone and began to dial. He wanted to call his wife to let her know where he was, but he knew the best person to call who may be of more help would be Sam. Sam could then call Susan and as well inform Lao Shi as to what happened. He glanced over his shoulder to find the officer laying out the items in his pocket. He heard the sound of his phone vibrating on the table. "That's probably my wife," said Jonathan. The officer pushed a button the phone and the call was ignored. "You can call her back with your one phone call," he said. "No, I know who to call," said Jonathan. He dialed up Sam's number. "Hello?" "Sam?" asked Jonathan. "Jon?" Sam asked. "Hey, what's up?" "Oh, nothing," said Jonathan. "I've been arrested." "What?" Sam asked. "What happened, what did you do?" "I don't know, nothing," said Jonathan. "Look, I can't talk long. Just call Susan and do what you can do to help me out of this situation. Does the Air Force provide a bail? Or a lawyer?" "It does," said Sam. "The lawyer anyway. Okay, look, just don't answer anymore questions. That could bite you in the ass later. I'll call Susan, let her know what happened and I have to let the General know this. But just please tell me what happened." "Some people were throwing bricks at my car, busted both the windshield and the rear window out," Jonathan began. "And then, I just floored the gas and accidentally ran over a woman. I tried to use the wish spell to help her, but before I could cast it, I was arrested. They're calling it attempted vehicular homicide." "Okay, I'll let the General know this," said Sam. "Don't try to teleport out of the jail, it'll only make you look worse." "I know that," said Jonathan. "I'll be over there in a few hours," said Sam. "Just hang in there." "Thanks," said Jonathan. When he hung up, he looked back at the officer, who then got up from his desk. The officer led him to the cell and pushed him in, sliding the barred door closed. "Kinda fitting for an animal like you to be behind a cage," said the policeman. "I'm not an animal," said Jonathan. "You're sure as hell not a human," said the officer. "You're just wearing a costume to look like us." Jonathan sat down on the bench and lowered his head into his hands. Several hours did pass and Jonathan laid upon the bench, covering himself in his jacket. The officer had begun to fill his cell and other cells with other people they arrested over the course of the night. One particular woman dressed in a dirty shirt with a pair of very short, frayed shorts smelled like a sewer. She had bruises on her arms and on her face, her blond hair in a complete mess and matted. Her teeth were rotting. Jonathan could smell the meth on her and he choked at it. Another was a drunken man too gone to even care that he even share the jail cell with Jonathan. There were other prisoners though in the cell next to his and they stared at him. "Gone to the wrong party, soldier?" an African American man with a hoodie asked, leaning through the bars. "I'm not in the army," said Jonathan. "You're in a uniform, right?" he asked. "Yes," said Jonathan. "I'm in the Air Force." "What did you do?" he asked. "Apparently my crime is being a different species," said Jonathan. "You're one of those magical freaks I've been hearing on the news?" the man asked, laughing. "You do magic tricks? Hey, this guy's one of those freaks! Come on, show us a magic trick!" "Yeah...turn...the piss in the...toilet bowl...into wine...or something!" began the drunken man, leaning up off the floor. "No," said Jonathan. "I think you had enough alcohol, pal." "Come on, man," said the other man. "Do a trick." "I"m not a magician," said Jonathan. "You know magic, right?" he asked. "Do something!" "No!" Jonathan shouted. That was when the woman in the cell with him approached him and threw her arms around him. "Turn the bars into gold," she said, breathing her rancid breath into his face. Jonathan coughed. "I'm...not an alchemist," he said. "My magic is destructive. I cast one spell, I'll be in more trouble than I already am." "Come on, man, do something," said the hoodie man. "Make a beer bottle appear in my hands," said the drunkard. "Hey!" called the officer as he slammed his night stick against the bars. "Knock it off, all of you! Hey, Major, someone's here for you." Jonathan looked up to find both Sam and his wife Susan walk in. Susan rushed over to the bars, but the officer barred her. "Not too close," he said. "Susan," said Jonathan. "Sam." "Hey, pal," said Sam. "You alright?" "Well, I haven't been gang raped yet," said Jonathan. "If I say I think it's because I'm...black...would you be offended, Sam?" "No, I think it's because you're red, Jon," said Sam. "Why did this happen?" Susan asked. "He ran over someone," said the officer. "Rather viciously, I might add." "I didn't!" shouted Jonathan. "I won't deny I hit her, but it wasn't on purpose. And I was trying to help her." "Who knows what he was trying to do to her afterwards," said the officer. "Probably hoping to get a snack after hitting her." "You're an ignorant bigot!" Jonathan bellowed, letting loose an inhuman growl from his lips. "How dare you!" Sam noticed Jonathan's face flush red just as his barred teeth began to elongate into sharp fangs. Jonathan's skin began to look more like rough scales as his fingernails grew out into long claws. Smoke appeared from his nostrils as he exhaled. The police officer backed away, reaching for his pistol. "Jon," said Sam. "Calm down. Take a deep breath." "Jonathan," said Susan. "It's okay." "He can go ahead and shoot me," said Jonathan. "It won't do anything! Your damned tank busters can't pierce my hide!" "Wait, that guy's the Red Dragon?" the man with the hoodie asked. He backed away from the bars. "Yes, I'm the Red Dragon," said Jonathan. "Sam, I can't stand it in here. It was fine when it was empty..." "Sharing space with unwanted individuals," said Susan. "Something a dragon like Jonathan doesn't like." "Right, that whole predator territory thing," said Sam. Jonathan slumped against the bars: "Now you're making me sound like an animal." "Jon, we're all animals," said Sam. "Just that some people are just to stupid to admit it." "Right," said Jonathan. "The government will pay for his bail," said Sam. "And we've got a lawyer on hand to represent him. What did you do with his car?" "It's been impounded," said the officer. "And yes, we did find a couple of bricks in it. We're holding them for evidence." "Okay," said Sam. "You mind getting him out?" The officer walked over to the jail cell and opened the door, allowing Jonathan to step through. "Thank you," said Sam. "Come on, Jon, gather your things." The officer handed back Jonathan's wallet and phone and they were allowed to leave. Sam picked up the paper when the court date was supposed to be and they all got into Sam's black SUV. Jonathan rode in the back with his wife, looking down at his feet in shame. Sam looked back through the review mirror at him. "It's going to be okay, man," said Sam. "I spoke to the General, she completely understands what happened. She doesn't like what happened, but she understands. We're gonna back you up on this." "It's not going to help," said Jonathan. "No one trusts me in this town. People are afraid. I was assaulted by a bunch of guys throwing bricks telling me I should get out of New York." "Yeah, well, I got some bad news," said Sam. "Susan, you want to tell him?" "When I told Dad about what happened, he was in the middle of talking with the Dragon Council," said Susan. "That's why he wanted you to be there." "Oh, that's just peachy!" Jonathan huffed. "What did they say?" "Well, after what you've told Sam about people throwing bricks, they added their own stories," said Susan. "Apparently, some magical creatures were daring to come out of the shadows as they are and they were attacked." "You'd think the Dragon Council would plan on this," said Jonathan. "I mean, it's gonna be expected." "They're saying that the world is even more so not ready for magical creatures than it was back then," said Susan. "They're thinking about complete segregation with no contact with the mortal world what so ever." "How is that different from now?" asked Jonathan. "Closing the established portals to the Underdark," said Susan. "Which will prevent even you from going there if you decide to stay in the mortal world. Dad says if that's going to happen, he wants Jake and Haley to come with him and myself." "He can't take you away from me, Susan!" Jonathan said. "He can't take my children away from me. That bastard can't do this." "He wants to protect us," said Susan. "And of course, you have the option to come with us since you are the creator of the Underdark. But if you stay here..." "I can't see you ever again?" asked Jonathan. "This is completely going against everything I'm trying to do! I'm trying to bring our two worlds together, now they're tearing it apart." "Just calm down, Jon," said Sam. "We'll figure this out." As they pulled up to the electronic's shop, Jonathan mouth drew a stark line across his face. He walked with a stiff pace towards the door, sensing the Council inside. Sam opened the door and they filed in. He found the councilors Andam, Kulde, Kukulkan, and Omina standing alongside Lao Shi and Fu Dog. Sun Park, Jake Long, and Haley Long were also there. Jake and Haley's eyes were downcast. "You knew this day would happen," said Andam. "Your secret would be out to the public, but you knew that humans would not accept you or us." "I don't see hiding the solution either," said Jonathan. "We already are hiding. We are like scared rats in the gutter, scurrying away when we see a sign of a predator." "Humanity has not changed," said Omina. "Our reports..." "Only a few reports of humans attacking magical creatures do not warrant complete separation," said Jonathan. "You can't live in that cave I built a thousand years ago for the rest of your lives." "Then, we will find somewhere else to go," said Kulde. "Where we will be more welcomed." "Welcomed?" Jonathan said. He threw up his hands in frustration. "From what I heard from Jon," said Sam. "There's no where you'll be welcomed. He told me that the universe hates you because of the fact that Bahamut created you. What makes you think that the creatures up there in space won't treat you any worse? Give us a chance here. We're doing the best we can. Acceptance and tolerance isn't gonna come at the drop of a hat. We all have to get used to each other again." "We are thinking about protecting our people," said Kukulkan. "Protecting them is one thing," said Jonathan. "But Galen and I didn't choose you to be guardians so that you could just lock them away in darkness out of fear. The reason why we created the Underdark was because we could have a place to hide and flourish. Our numbers were so small then after the war. We suffered so much and lost a lot of our culture because of it. We nearly lost our own identity. The Underdark was used to preserve that. But if you continue like this, it'll be your tomb. The Underdark isn't infinite. I never built it that way. The actions of a couple of ignorant, scared, idiotic humans doesn't speak for the entire species. Do their actions speak for what Sam has been doing or for what I've been doing? You've lost your contact with the human world, but I haven't. I've lived in it, I've connected to it. And despite the fact I was attacked by a bunch of bigots, I am not going to loose faith in it." "Look, something bad is about to happen," said Sam. "You know, I know, and Jon knows. We all know something bad is going to happen. We need you. Our weapons may not be enough. And we don't understand the enemy we are about to face. You all do. You can't leave us when all is about to go to shit!" "I won't abandon my people," said Jonathan. He placed his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Sam's my people. I won't abandon them when they need me. That's my job." "It isn't ours," said Andam. "It shouldn't be because it doesn't need to," said Sam. "Helping people should be automatic, not an obligation." He sighed and looked down. "We are all created by the same being. And I met that being, spoke to him, watched him work. I even asked him to help my friend and without question, without asking for anything in return, he did it. I can see why he gains so much respect, why don't we honor him and do the same?" "Sam, you're Catholic," said Jon. "You don't worship Bahamut." "He said he doesn't want my worship, Jon," said Sam. "He wants me to be his friend. And I honor my friends." Jonathan took in a deep breath and looked away, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. "He still wants to be your friend too, man," said Sam. "Just let it go." He turned to the Councilors. "We all should just let that past go. Allow me to be the first of my species to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry that humans treated you guys so badly." "It is not the people of Africa who wronged us," said Andam. "It was the Europeans." "If it makes you feel any better, they kinda screwed us over too," said Sam. "But I wouldn't be here helping my friend if that bit of history didn't happen. Look, no one's perfect. And yes, that war was bad, but I'm sure there are people out there who want to forgive and forget. You can't just pack up and leave because a couple of idiots threw bricks at Jon or some redneck wanting to fight a couple of Orcs with a 40-dollar broad sword. If it was that easy, then every race, ethnic, or religion, or even different sexual oriented person who's been shunned by the majority would have done that a long time ago. And then our world would really be divided. Humans fear what they don't understand because it's instinctual, but that doesn't give them the right to be assholes about it." "I'm sorry," said Ormina. "But we cannot risk it any longer. We did try it your way..." "You only tried it for a couple of months!" said Jonathan. "That's hardly enough time. You think after desegregation, everything was just fine and dandy in this country within that month? No, it took a good few years before blacks and whites could even look at each other equally in the face! Same thing is happening here. The only thing is, they've never seen us before! They don't know what to expect. We're strange, we've got claws, horns, sharp teeth, some of us have eight legs, some of us have bat wings or pointy ears. Some of us have kinda purplish black skin, or are green or blue in skin color. They're not used to that. They're used to seeing members of their species who are just varying shades of brown. Nothing special about them!" "Hey!" said Sam. "Present company excluded," said Jonathan. "They can't do the things we can. So, yeah, they're gonna be scared. I mean a few of us are 100 times the size of some of their adults, and many of us live longer than they do as well. Of course they don't understand us. But we need to make ourselves more visible, but slowly. They need to slowly get used to us. Share our culture with them." "What about the war?" asked Kulde. "Most humans aren't going to believe that this war will soon turn into a boiling bloodbath caused by an ancient and evil god. They have forgotten the old ways and the old religions and what real Powers can do. The three religions that made them turn away made them ignorant to such threats as well." Jonathan stepped towards Kulde: "I can remember a time when I had the whole damned Roman Army at my command against Asemodeus. And they were Christian. No, it wasn't the religion that did it, it was the idiots pulling the strings behind it. Like it is now. Look who's the spiritual leaders in the modern world, they're just as much morons now as they were at the start of the Dark Times War." "You had mostly the Byzantines at your side, Pyrothraxus," said Kulde. "The Western Empire wanted nothing to do with the fight." "True, only because the Eastern Empire actually had some brains running the show, and some balls," said Jonathan. "And the fact that Asemodeus was at their doorstep. They didn't have much of a choice. But that's beside the point." "I agree that not everyone is going to believe this war that may happen," said Sam. "So far, it's been isolated attacks. Yeah, that was a nasty thing that happened in Africa, but even the President is skeptical about this war. Unless they do something really major to us, we're not about to raise the alert level here. And I still feel it's best we keep that whole war thing under wraps. But still, even then, you shouldn't abandon us if things start getting rough." "And you can't take my kids away from me," said Jonathan. He looked down at Lao Shi. "I am only thinking of what's best for my family," said Lao Shi. "I'm apart of this family too," said Jonathan. "Or...oh...right, you much rather I wasn't. Bigots throwing bricks at me don't hurt as much than the one I'm talking to right now." "I'm not a bigot!" shouted Lao Shi. "I don't know what you are," said Jonathan. "Or why you really are against me, but I do know of a way to keep you from hiding." With that determined note in his voice Jonathan swiftly rushed out of the store. The Councilors looked at each other in bewilderment. Sam rushed out of the store, followed by the others. He glanced up to hear the sounds of enormous wings flapping above. The wind rushed up around him, blowing papers and trash around the street. The massive form of the Great Wyrm Red Dragon disappeared over the edge of a few buildings. "Where did he go?" asked Andam. "What could he do to stop us from closing the the portals?" "I don't know," said Sam. "Come on, we'll follow him in my SUV." They drove through the streets, following as best as they could behind Pyrothraxus. Jake and Haley transformed into their dragon forms and followed quickly behind their father, reporting back to Lao Shi through a cell phone. "He's heading for Lower Manhattan," said Jake. "Why would he be heading there?" asked Lao Shi. "New York's seat of government," said Sam. "That's why." Seeing the Moon

A thousand years had passed since they once roamed the surface. One thousand years had passed since they had seen the sun. Only one day a year could they come out and roam the surface as they are. That one day was Halloween, when the dwellers of the surface dressed like them. But they wanted to see the sun all the time. They wanted to bathe in the moon's light. Because of the Law, they could not. Though a few of them were happy to live separately from the humans, others believed that the world above belonged to them. They were the first races, the Earth was theirs, but it was stolen from them by the weak humans who had more strength in numbers than of magic. The Magical Races were dwindling while the Men of the West were steadily growing and gaining power. How the war started was lost even to the Magical World, but they had it cemented in their minds that the humans were to blame. However, these particular creatures were some of the ones to blame for the fear that the humans began to have for all magical creatures. These creatures were Orcs, Trolls, Hill Giants, Frost Giants, Salamanders, Kobolds, Imps, Beholders, and all other manner of creatures with bad dispositions. And they all gathered in one spot down in the Underdark. They heard from the wire there was hopes of being allowed to go back up to the surface, but rumors spread fast and are extinguished fast. A few Orcs did dare to see the light and they started a fight by doing so. Some ignorant humans made fun of their look and they did as all Orcs would to beings lesser than them, they attacked them. They were only driven back into the Underdark by the police. The news spread across the caverns that the Dragon Council was trying to hide the incident, blaming the humans to give them reason to close the gates to the surface world forever. The last remaining Ancient in the world was also attacked by the humans, so the rumors stated, and incarcerated for being what he was. They did not want anymore of their own to be captured. So, they began to ban together. Within the Underdark, there was the place known as the Pit. It was a wide expanse of caverns that could hold just about every Magical Creature in the world all in one place. Orcs of various clans, Trolls, Driders, Drows, Kobolds, Imps, Hill Giants, Frost Giants, and many others all gathered around. There were even a few Dahakoan standing there as well, furious as to what had happened. There were millions of them all in that one spot, answering a call that they all heard at the same time. "I wonder who it was that called us," began an Orc in black plate armor. "Who ever it was," said a Troll. "They might have some answers as to what is going on." "They better give me what I want," said a Kobold. "What does a sniveling little lizard like you want?" asked an Orc. "I'm not sniveling!" shouted the Kobold. "And unless you want your side pierced, I'd take those words back." "Enough!" called a Drider. "Our enemy isn't standing here in the crowd, it's up on the surface. What do you want, lizard man?" "I wanted to see the moon," said the Kobold. "I didn't get a chance to see it last Halloween. It was cloudy." "I miss seeing the moon," said the Orc. "I saw the moon last Monday!" said another Orc wearing a shaggy pelt. "It looked like a thumbnail." "Oh yeah?" asked the first Orc. "And what were you doin' up on the surface?" "Gettin' a magazine," said the second Orc. "What sort of magazine?" asked the Kobold. "Playboy," said the Orc. He brought out the glossy magazine from his leather pouch and flipped through it, showing the Kobold all the images of naked, lovely women inside. "Well, I suppose that's the only good humans have ever done," said the Kobold. "They do make the best porn." "If we take them over, could we at least spare Hugh Hefner?" asked the Orc. "And some of those hentai film companies in Japan?" "You can have them as slaves for your pleasure, if you wish," said the first Orc. "But keep your bloody cock in your pants and your mind on the prize!" "I wouldn't mind taking me a pretty one," said the second Orc. "Me grandfather told me stories about how his ancestors used to ransack their villages for slaves, and took the prettiest ones for concubines. Made the boys scrub the boots while the girls..." The group began to chuckle at the story. "My ancestors would drop dead when they see just how pretty the human girls are now," said the Orc. "They even have teeth! The ones my ancestors stole didn't have no teeth." "Yes, and these girls are as fake as plastic flowers," said the first Orc in a scoff. "Their lips and tits stuffed with silicone and their bodies sown so tightly I doubt they'll be able to even spread 'em. I want something a little more real." "To each his own," said the second Orc. "I just want to see the moon," said the Kobold. "I want to see the sun," said the first Orc. "I haven't seen it since last Halloween." The second Orc brought out a flask of ale: "Then I'll drink to your sun, your moon, and me silicone bunnies." He took a short swig of the flask. "That still leaves who summoned us," said the Drider. "Agreed," said the first Orc. They all turned their heads when they heard clacking sounds coming from a dark area in the caverns. Fire spewed forth from the darken area and ignited a line in front. Then a massive Chromatic Red Dragon walked out from the darkness towards the fire. The dragon's horns were as black as pitch, as well as his eyes. There was something almost unholy about him as he came out from the darkness. One of his horns were broken and a large gash was cut across one of his eyes. Behind him was a massive Chromatic Blue Dragon, a female. Her orange eyes sparkled in the firelight. The horde of magical creatures backed away from the two enormous dragons, showing both shock and fear of them. There were still Ancients in the world. "Greetings, fellow magical creatures of the world," began the Red Dragon. "I am Zestos Rutilus. This is my companion Shäzyx." "You're that bloke who sided with the Lord of the Nine!" shouted a Troll. "I thought ye were roastin' in Baator." "As you can see, I've been set free," said Zestos. "Then that blasted wyrm truly is a bad warden to let you out," said an Orc on the far wall. "No wonder the Chinese Dragon hates him." "I wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him," said a Dahakoan. "Founding Father my ass. He's a sniveling coward, favoring humans over us!" "You're talking about my brother, pothoc darasv," growled Zestos, his eyes taking a deep glow from within their orbs. Then, he took in a deep breath. "Not that I don't mind. In fact it is the matter of my brother that I called you all here." "What about your brother?" asked the Dahakoan. He stepped closer to Zestos. The Dahakoan was in his dragon form, his scales were a mixture of deep blue and green blotches. "What about Pyrothraxus the Cravin' Loon?" He looked back to the other monsters. "Did you hear? He's a bloody Air Force officer now. That's right, he's working for the United States government, givin' away all our secrets, tellin' them how to invade the Underdark. Tellin' them how to make their weapons magical." Then he looked back at Zestos. "Even tellin' them how to mass produce Dragon Bane artificially like they do all their drugs and poisons. A lot good that did him. They stuck it in him twice! And he still goes back to them like a beaten little pup, cowering before his master. Some brother you have." "Yes, some brother I have," said Zestos said. "What else have you heard about my dear brother?" "He's an Abomination!" called a Beholder. "That's what I heard." "Abomination is what you heard?" asked a Salamander slithering along the rocky floor. "Nay, I've seen it! His body becomes all black and glows with this eerie purple light. I hear the voice of the Hydra inside of him, speaking his riddles. Everyone around him feel this presence in their mind, something whispering at them and then digging its claws into their brains! That attack on New York City, Pyrothraxus did it fully possessed by the Hydra himself. He should be thrown into Tartarus where all the Abominations belong!" "And what else do you have to say about my older brother?" Zestos asked. "How about this place he's built for you? Do you like it?" Zestos leaned back as he heard the various creatures of the Underdark begin to talk, whispering among themselves of what they thought of the only refuge they had from the world above. Then, the whispering grew louder until it was shouting. "We hate it!" the Orc with the dark armor cried. "We were just discussing it before you showed up!" "We haven't seen the moon," said the Kobold. "Nor the sun in a long time. That world used to be ours once. And then Pyrothraxus and his Gold Dragon friend put us here." "And when was the last time you saw the sun or the moon?" Zestos asked. "I saw it last Monday," said the other Orc. "I went into a gas station convenience store. And I saw the sun then. But it was going down. It looked so pretty, red...like your scales, sir. Set the whole sky on fire..." "Why were you on the surface, ghik?" asked Zestos. "I was buying a magazine," he said. "A pornographic magazine," said the first Orc. He grabbed his companion's hand and held the magazine up. "Playboy." "I like the Bunnies," said the other Orc, which garnered a laugh from the crowd. Even Zestos allowed himself a chuckle. "What did this human say when he saw you?" Zestos asked. "He thought I was the Elephant Man," said the Orc. "I would have broken his face in, but I wanted the magazine more..." "The Elephant Man," said Zestos, nodding and snorting out a whiff of white smoke from his nostrils. "I suppose that was the least of what he could have thought of you. We are monsters to these people. But it should not matter. Long ago, we were in charge, we held their lives in our hands. Now, the humans rule the surface world while we wallow in this dark hole in the ground. A hole that an Abomination created. Now that Abomination has betrayed us to the humans, to their new ways and their new god. It won't be long now before the Underdark is swarming with tanks, jeeps, and soldiers with guns. They'll get rid of us one by one." "Pyrothraxus created this place to preserve us!" shouted another Dahakoan. "Preserve you?" asked Zestos, stepping into the crowd. They parted just as his enormous paw came down. "More like seal you in a tomb. Look around you, does this look like a place where you be preserved and protected, or is this place a place where you just wither away?" "Our numbers have grown since we came to the Underdark," said another Orc. "Aye, that they have." "We weren't as numerous before we came here." "But you were very numerous back then," said Zestos. "Orcs took humans as slaves. Giants used humans as cattle. Now you are all down here while these lesser beings are up there, stealing your sun and your moon, and your stars. They run the world, not us. You hide. Yes, you had to hide for a while to survive, but is that necessary now? You can have your world back if you band together with me. I can free you from this grave of glowing mushrooms and this..." He grabbed a glowing, slimy weed from the wall, dangling it over the crowd. "What is this? Do you eat this?" They nodded. "This is disgusting," said Zestos. "Hardly fit for creatures such as you. I can't believe my brother created something like this..." "You know as well as we all do that it is your kind that supplies us with powerful magic," said a Deep Dwarf standing beside a glowing mushroom. "And beside yourself, there's only Pyrothraxus left." "Yes, only my brother," said Zestos. "Well, what if I told you that I can provide other Ancients? We will permeate this planet with our magic again. The Old Ways and the Old Gods will return and we will crush the humans of the surface world and kill them, or drive them to the darkness like we once were. Let them be trapped below for thousands of years, never to see the sun again and reviled for who and what they are!" He clinched his claw into a fist, rumbling in anticipation. "Uh, excuse me, Master Zestos," began the Orc with the magazine. "Could we at least keep a few of them with us for the porn?" Zestos lowered his head, the moment of his magnificent speech shattered by the Orc's question. "Yes, I suppose humans make good porn," he said. "When I rule the world, you can have your pick of the litter, and earn all the Woodies you want." "Thank you, sir," said the Orc. "I suppose you would like to have your pick as well," said Shäzyx. "Considering your tastes." "Bah, most of those filthy humans out there loose their virginity at 12," he said. "And the little ones don't make a good fill. Purity means nothing to them anymore, and so their meat becomes rather rancid from it. And for the ones that look like they have meat on them, well, I rather not know what silicone and Botox taste like." "Some say it's best to have a filthy slut than a virgin who doesn't even know which hole to have it stuck in," said Shäzyx. "Well, if you want a little action from those animals up top, then have your pick from the more seasoned ones," said Zestos. "Probably be scratchin' after looking at their knobby, diseased pricks. I have no problems with bestiality. You can fuck a horse if it pleases you." Shäzyx snorted. Zestos turned back to the crowd. "I can bring you the magic you desire, the dragons that fuel it," he said. "Pyrothraxus nor his Metallic Dragon friends never took a true census of all Chromatic Dragons remaining in the world. Just like you, we have hid. The time for hiding is over. Your sorcerers and wizards will be powerful again, your clerics will have their prayers answered once more." "They don't even know we're down here, that we even pose a threat," said the Salamander. "Then it's time to let them know," said Zestos. "I suspect you wish to join me?" "The Abomination is a liar and a jailer," said the Salamander. "He put us here to rot while he goes about his life on the surface." "The Dragon Council wants to close the doors forever, trapping us here so that we may never see the sun, nor the moon again," said the Dahakoan. "And your brother is showing no sign of stopping it. He's too busy with his human friends to even care about us. The Abomination must be stopped. That world is ours." "You were created to protect this world," said Zestos. "Didn't mean I have to," said the Dahakoan. "I've seen what they do to us. I've read the stories. If they don't do it to us, they do it to themselves. Wipe them all off the face of the Earth. Let the surface go to those who deserve it!" "I like your attitude," said Zestos. "But aren't you worried that Pyrothraxus will take your power away? If he does, you will be completely human, you'll become one of them." "Then, I'll make sure he doesn't," said the Dahakoan. "You all feel the same?" asked Zestos. "We don't want to be trapped," said the Kobold. "Then serve me," said Zestos. "And I will make sure you will never be trapped in this pit again." "Serving you means serving Asemodeus," said a Drow Elf. "I serve Lolth the Spider Queen, not Asemodeus." "And has Lolth promised to get you out of this dungeon?" asked Zestos. "The Powers that Be shun us because of the sins of Bahamut. But the only god willing to even answer us is Asemodeus. When I came to serve him, he promised me that this world will be equal in his vision. That is why he wants it so much, to free it from the curse You Know Who placed upon it because of Bahamut's crimes. And I hate to tell you, but when Pyrothraxus built the Underdark, he was channeling the power of Bahamut through him. When he banished me, he channeled Bahamut through him. All of this, Pyrothraxus built in the name of Bahamut, the Fallen Watcher himself! Bahamut was so ashamed of you, he used Pyrothraxus to seal you in this tomb! He allowed the humans to take your lands away and win the war that separated you. Pyrothraxus is his puppet. Asemodeus saw this. He only wants to free you from Pyrothraxus' prison as he helped free me from mine." He heard many of them murmur silently, uncertain about what Zestos had said. "If you do not wish to serve Asemodeus, that is your choice," said Zestos. "But, it means you will remain confined in this dark cave with these glowing...things, wasting away to nothing while they thrive above us." "If we serve you, you will bring back the Old Ways?" asked a Troll. "And free us?" "As simple as that," said Zestos. "But there will be a war. It will be a war that will mean our freedom. With my hand at Asemodeus' side, we will have an army that will rival theirs." "Their army is power," said the Salamander. "They have weapons that command the light and heat of the sun itself. And they can do it from far away." "If you haven't noticed," said Zestos. "The world is divided despite it saying it's united. The UN Council is nothing more than a room filled with jesters. They can barely even shit without causing some international incident. This world is on the edge of a knife, all it needs is a push. The United States is a hated country, who would come to their aid, who would do it out of obligation? Oh, these humans and their silly ways." "What is your plan, then?" asked the Salamander. "Send a message," said Zestos. "Simple, no? These humans are so paranoid, they're afraid of their own shadows, let alone a few mad Persians in the desert with sticks and stones. I want three messages sent out to three different and important cities. First is this city, right at the seat of its government. The next is Rome, the seat of what used to be the Western Empire, the empire that shunned us. And finally in the East, Jerusalem, where it all started. These three cities and the allies they have will know that we will not be pushed back again like their ancestors did so long ago. While they are trying to figure out just who sent the message, I will begin building the army." With that, Zestos exhaled out his flames and formed a fiery orb in his claw. He lowered his claw down to the Orc with the magazine. "I do believe you know where the seat of government is in this city." "I do," he said. "Foley Square. A portal from the Underdark exits directly at the Square." "Good, deliver that message," said Zestos. He produced two other balls of fire to two other creatures, the Dahakoan and the Salamander. "You go to Rome, and you to Jerusalem. I want the tensions to get even tighter up there when we make our move. I want those humans at each others throats. When we build our army, I'll send out special warriors to capture Pyrothraxus. The Abomination must be dealt with." He received an uproar of cheers from the crowd as the various Orcs, Trolls, Drows, Driders and other creatures raised their weapons into the air. Zestos knelt down, bowing before his audience, gleeful to now have their support. A crooked smile appeared on his jaws. 0 Pyrothraxus landed at the center of Foley Square, looking out over the Court House. He could hear the sirens in the distance, rushing towards him as he made his way to the seat of New York City's government. He could not let this go on forever. He had to say something. He was at fault for much of the destruction of the city, either through trying to save it, or when he was possessed by the Stone. He had to come clean, he had to make an example to both human and magical creature alike. He had to show them that he was a responsible being no matter what he looked like. Pyrothraxus glanced back and saw the policemen come out with their guns in their hands, pointing up at him. "I'm not here to cause any harm," he said. "I'm just here to say my peace. I'm here to take up responsibility for my actions." Pyrothraxus looked over to see a black SUV drive up onto the Square. From the SUV came Sam, Lao Shi, Susan, and the three Dragon Council members. "Jon, whatever it is you're gonna do...we can talk about it," said Sam. "Just calm down." "I know what I'm doing," said Pyrothraxus. He reared back onto his haunches and lifted his claws up towards his neck as far as he could place them. "I have wronged this city and I'm sorry. I'm giving myself up to the mercy of the government for the collateral damage I have caused either through trying to save it, or destroying it. I am responsible for buildings damaged, homes lost, and I am sorry. I wish to be put on trial for the damages I have done to this city and punished in accordance with the law. Just because I am a Dragon does not make me above the law. I am the same as anyone else in this city." "Good Gods," said Lao Shi. "Has he lost his mind?" "No, he's just taking responsibility," said Sam. "And he's right, he did cause a lot of collateral damage. That's why we wanted him in the Air Force because we can handle situations like that. But, Jon, this isn't the way!" "I'm trying to make peace with this world, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "I'm admitting I'm wrong. I'm willing to pay for what I've done. I shouldn't get away with trampling someone's house for saving a city." "Yeah, but I don't think this works either," said Sam. "I'm being peaceful." "Yeah, but this is a disturbance," said Sam. "What do you expect out of a 300-foot long Dragon?" asked Pyrothraxus. "You can tell the General that I'm willing to just give it all up. I'll even tell her about the ring and the potential danger I pose to this city and the fact that every monster here is out to get me. I'm a danger to you, to New York, to everywhere I go. You can tell her about what's inside of me, you can tell her everything! And she can do to me whatever the hell she wants. It won't matter anyway, my family is leaving me, all that I tried to do is being tossed aside. I don't want the Magical World to live in a crypt for the rest of their lives." "What about the war?" Sam asked. "Fuck the war!" Pyrothraxus bellowed, smoke appearing through his nostrils. "If all humans see are the evil in magical creatures, then it will be the evil magical creatures that will be their end. They'll know just how evil many of us can be. Including my own species. I want no part of it anymore. I should have disappeared with the others, followed Sayan'i into the Astral Sea. And I should have listened to Ithfaedeus." Pyrothraxus turned down to Sam, his face cold. "Some humans may be able to except beings like myself, and a few of us may find kindred spirits among you, but in reality, there can never be peace between us. We're just too different." "Jon, that's not true!" Sam. "Thric ner, plythu pothoc munthrek!" Pyrothraxus bellowed. "Ghoros si skjtaa vethikuekh persvek dout narod!" His eyes flashed brightly orange-yellow and he ended his sentence with a low growl, barring his fangs. But Pyrothraxus continued to keep his claws up. Sam stepped back at the statement he heard from Pyrothraxus. He could not quite understand all of what was said because he realized that Pyrothraxus was using the more rough sounding dialect belonging to the Red Dragons instead of Common Draconic. But he knew when he was being called a stupid human and he lowered his head in dismay that his friend would ever say such words in any language. "Alright, man, fine, I'm sorry," said Sam. "You can...do whatever you want to do. But I want to say this, if you don't report to the base by the time the sun rises, you're AWOL. And that's an offense right there. But if you want to get the MPs on your tail and be locked up, then be AWOL, that's fine." He turned to the others. "I have to get back to the base myself. If you want, I can drop you all off..." "We can take care of ourselves, Colonel," said Andam. "Alright," said Sam. He looked at Susan. "He's got until sunrise, which is in a couple of minutes. Sunrise." "I understand," said Susan. "I can't keep the General off of his tail for this," said Sam. "And right now, I don't want to. Especially with that piss-poor mood he's in. I know he wants to keep you all here, but he's going about it the wrong way." He dipped his head and got back into the SUV, pulling out of the courtyard. He continued to hear Susan plead to Pyrothraxus as the Red Dragon still stood there while the sun slowly began to rise. Just as Sam was about to pull out, a shimmer appeared near his SUV and a husky, green-skinned, black haired, Orc leapt out from the shimmer. Sam slammed on the breaks and his SUV slammed right into the Orc. The front of his car was smashed in by the Orc's thick body, and the Orc itself was sent flying back onto the ground. He dropped something from his hands as Sam got out of the SUV. "Dear God in Heaven!" Sam cried. The others rushed to his side. Pyrothraxus, leaned over to inspect the Orc. He saw what it was that the Orc dropped. It was a red orb that looked to have flames inside of it. Sam reached over to pick it up just as Lao Shi helped the Orc up. The Orc murmured something as he rose. Pyrothraxus looked over at Sam when he picked up the orb, noticing it glowing even brighter. "No, Sam!" Pyrothraxus bellowed just as the orb's light engulfed the human. The light of the orb sent forth a torrent of fire, burning through the streets. The wave of fire rushed through and the ground began to buckle underneath, churning up hot rocks from below. Pyrothraxus looked down at Sam, noticing he was burned badly. He snatched the human up in his claw and took off in a mighty leap. "Jonathan!" Lao Shi cried. "Jonathan!" called Susan. "Where the duce is he going?" asked Kulde as he watched the Red Dragon's form disappear in the black smoke from the fire. He turned back, watching the ground continue to crack and splinter, forming something massive with hot fire and rock. Buildings along the crack toppled over as people ran into the streets. Lao Shi leaned down at the Orc, slapping him awake. The Orc opened his red eyes and looked up into the sky. He saw the waning moon above and smiled. "I can't wait till I tell that Kobold," he said. "I got to see the Moon before he did." 0 He leveled out at a good altitude above the city. There, Pyrothraxus could see what all just happened. Below him was a burned mark created by the fire, smoke, and burning rock, etched into the Earth like a festering wound. It was a familiar mark, a curved mark with a crescent above, the Draconic phonetic letter for 'Z'. He knew that mark every well, it was the mark of his brother. Then, below the mark was something written in Draconic. "Wer Sthyri di wer Thaczil Boga wer Qumado geou wielg." The words shifted as if being commanded by the very master he hated so much. No longer were they written in Draconic, but in modern English. "The Men of the Land Across the Sea will fall," Pyrothraxus read. "Men of the Land Across the Sea...this land, North America. So, my brother has finally given his message." Pyrothraxus heard a moan and looked down at the burned and blackened human in his the palm of his claw. "Sam, hold on," he said. "I can fix you. I can wish you well. Huven...I wish your body was healed, Sam." He watched as the burns began to break away from Sam's face and body. Sam slowly began to stir in Pyrothraxus' paw, but he was not quite awake just yet. Pyrothraxus, on the other hand began to feel his weight change as the spell left him and entered Sam's body. His wings began to feel heavy to him as he tried to stay aloft. The wish spell had drained him slightly. "A pity, you wasting such a powerful spell on such a small and insignificant creature," called a female voice from behind him. Pyrothraxus turned around just to see his mother Malystryx hovering behind him. She swooped in closer and looked down at the mark on the ground and the message etched into the face of New York City. "Zestos does know how to leave a calling card," she said. "There were two other messages just like this one in Rome and Jerusalem. And there may be more in other places soon." "Rome and Jerusalem?" Pyrothraxus. "Why?" "He did this before, remember?" asked Malystryx. "It was the way to get the humans roused up. He would attack their holy cities and the humans would be in so much of a tussle, the wouldn't know where to begin to strike back. Rome is...or was the seat of power for the Western Empire, the empire that won the Dark Times War, and Jerusalem, well, it's like getting back at all three of your enemies in one shot. The spread of those new religions made our lives a bit more difficult...as if they already weren't with the humans before even when the humans followed the Old Ways. We just couldn't mix well. Like oil and water we were, despite the Good Dragons being good and helpful to them." "And I suppose you're helping him," said Pyrothraxus. "Why would I do that?" she asked. "I don't want Asemodeus to set foot on this planet no more than you do. You and I can be a powerful team. We shouldn't fight each other. You are my son, Pyrothraxus, you are of my blood..." "And so are my two children who you decided to shun because of their mother," said Pyrothraxus. "Perhaps I was a bit harsh," said Malystryx. "I wouldn't mind meeting my estranged family. We might learn to get along." "You stay away from them," said Pyrothraxus. Malystryx gave a half, smug, crooked smile at her eldest son: "I can see them if I wish. Like you can ever stop me. Not even with the Hydra's help could you hold me back. Or you would have done me in the last time we met. So, how does it feel to be the dog of the humans? You like that collar they put around you?" "I don't know what you're talking about," said Pyrothraxus. "The commission," she said. "Major Jonathan Long. You don't think I wouldn't find out." "You've been spying on me," he said. "And I couldn't sense you." "I'm good at hiding," said Malystryx. She looked down at the city. "Zestos is gathering his army. They hate you, they all hate you. They hate the fact you built that crypt you call the Underdark with the help of KingBahamut in the guise of that Gold Dragon friend of yours. I know all about that too. They know about the Abomination, they want your head on a pike now. And Zestos is more than willing to deliver you to them as such. Your human friends don't quite trust you either. They gave you that commission not out of respect, but so that they can keep you on a leash. You're nothing to them. You're not even a real Dragon anymore. You're a shameful excuse for the son I once had." "Shut it." "Don't like hearing the truth, do you?" Malystryx asked. "It is true, Pyrothraxus. All that you are trying to do, bring those two worlds together, it's all falling apart." "Give it time..." "There will be no time," she said. "You cannot mix oil and water. You said it yourself, we can never join. We're just too different. Oh, sure, there will be some humans, some Dragons, some Elves, some Trolls, some Orcs, who might become friends here and there, but the majority would not. But you are right about one thing, they don't belong in that hole in the ground you made for them. They don't belong there. They belong up here." Pyrothraxus looked down at his human companion. "Look at him," said Malystryx. "Our way is superior. Do you think with all their so-called advanced medicine and plastic surgery could they healed him so perfectly as you did with one spell?" "One spell that has now weakened me," said Pyrothraxus. "Still..." "No," he said. "Would have left him scarred. He'd probably loose the use of his mouth, be discharged from service, even if he survived. I swore I'd make him a ring of fire protection." "A ring of fire protection," said Malystryx. "Their firefighters could only hope to have such a device! Even with their armor against the flames, even they come out injured and burned, exposed from the heat. Our way is better. There is one thing I agree with Zestos as well, the Old Way must return." "He wants to bring it back?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Much more than that," said Malystryx. "Tell me if you don't agree." "I..." he began. "I don't know. To bring back the Old Ways, much would have to change, and the humans themselves will not like it." "It is not their world, it is not their say!" "It is their world as well," he said. "We were here first," said Malystryx. "So were the Native Americans when the Europeans came over," said Pyrothraxus. "There were many people where were 'here first'. The weak get trampled by the strong, their ways die because of it..." "You're thinking like a Red Dragon," she said. "Good. Our way is strong." "Then why did we loose the war?" he asked. "You know why," she replied. "We didn't have the numbers. Many left, abandoned us, and our kind..." "Our kind was dying," said Pyrothraxus. "Gone like the Ways of Old, making room for New Ways, a New God, and no more magic." "Our kind was not dying," she said. "Just resting. One thing I had to hand it to the humans, inventing the census. Taking count of all the people living in the country by putting it down on punctured cards, and now silicon chips. We should have done the same with our own kind. We assumed that because we couldn't find another Ancient for 200 miles, we were all but extinct." "Our kind is still here?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Zestos is plotting to gather as many as he can find," said Malystryx. "And I intend to find many of my own. You found one, that Black Dragon, Ithfaedeus little brat. She agreed with you on the fact Chromatic Dragons should return to goodness. Goodness has made you weak and stupid, Pyrothraxus. I'll have no hand in it." "Goodness has made me think about the things I've done over the course of my miserable 5 thousand years," said Pyrothraxus. "Why don't you look at your own for once, Mother." "I have, and I do not regret any of it," said Malystryx. "Except giving birth to your brother, and now to you, my son. But I don't want that regret now. Prove me wrong and side with me." "No," he said. "You need the numbers and the magic," she said. "When either I or Zestos release these Ancients from their slumber, the world will fill with Magic. The Fey Woods will grow once more, the volcanoes that once spewed forth the hardest of obsidian will do so again. The seas will churn, freed from their chains of their new masters. Even you will be reborn with new life and vigor from it as will I. The winds will carry magical storms across the land. I seem to remember you having some control over these storms because of your wind powers. Now, what can you do? Create a tornado or two? Maybe a hurricane if you're lucky? I've seen humans do the same with Industrial Light and Magic." Pyrothraxus looked down just as Sam started to rise from his palm. His eyes opened wide when he saw Malystryx flying near him. "Oh, shit..." he breathed. "Quiet, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "She's not here to trouble us. In fact, she was just leaving." "I'm not leaving without you," said Malystryx. "You need me. Zestos is building an enormous army. Your human friends won't be able to band together quick enough. They're so deep in their own squabbles to even muster up a combined effort against him. And he knows it. I can provide you with the army you seek." "What is she talking about?" asked Sam. "Nothing," said Pyrothraxus. "What makes you think they'll be willing to listen to you? You're the Vampire Queen, you killed many of their families, their eggs, their wyrmlings. They don't trust you as much as they don't trust me." "They will listen because they are loyal to me," she said. "These particular Dragons I spared. I knew someday I will need to call upon their help, and now, that day is today. The Dragons I saved are more powerful than anything Zestos could ever muster up. Their magic will change the world." "She's kidding right?" asked Sam. "I don't know," said Pyrothraxus. "See that I am," said Malystryx. "I can take you to them." "No, he can't go, he's gotta report to the base," said Sam. "Jon, it's sunrise. You're AWOL if you don't report right now." "Oh, sure," said Malystryx cocking her head slightly. "That's a good dog, run along to your master. Maybe he can throw you a nice T-bone steak for being such a good little puppy. You're no Dragon. Dragons do not follow the orders of humans. Good or evil, we do not follow the orders of humans." "I follow orders out of respect," said Pyrothraxus. "In hopes to get some back, eh?" she asked. "Like you'll ever. They see you as an animal, nothing more. Come back to your own kind, Pyrothraxus." Pyrothraxus sighed and then looked at Sam. Sam looked back up at him, seeing the longing in his eyes. Though Red Dragons were not particular comfortable being around their own kind, the idea of seeing another one would make him feel like he belonged somewhere. "Jon..." he said. "Red Dragons hate each other's company," said Pyrothraxus. "What makes you think the others will even gladly follow you?" "They will," said Malystryx. "There is a good reason for it. We intend to change our ways. Perhaps the lonely, solitary life is not the best thing for us at this time. We need to band together, set aside our egos, and finally join to bring back the Old Ways. They are more than happy to do so. You won't believe how close our people have become. Now all that's left is you." Pyrothraxus' eyes became slightly out of focus when he stared down at Sam. He closed them tightly. "Jon," said Sam. "Don't." "You want that army," said Malystryx. "Even with you helping the humans create more useful weapons to fight Zestos' forces, you won't make enough in time. You need an army that knows how to fight what's coming." "Jon!" Sam called. "I am a Red Dragon, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "I belong with my own kind." He looked back at his mother. "Let's go." "Glad you came around," she said. "But I suggest you leave your pet back at the house. He might get stepped on." "Sam's coming with me," said Pyrothraxus. "Why?" asked Sam. "You're my hostage," the Red Dragon said, his eyes narrowed and that same crooked smile appeared on his face. Malystryx joined him in the smile, chuckling. The Old versus the New

Back at Griffis Air Force Base, everyone was on alert after the attack. Another attack was reported in at Rome, and a third in Jerusalem. There was a forth in London, England. Once more, the words would appear in Common Draconic and then in English or whatever dominant language of that land was, etched as a 10 mile-long scar across the city. The message was generally the same: "Men will fall." They were getting calls from various branches of the armed forces, demanding to know what was going on and who was making those messages. The one in London was followed by a fierce lightning storm, which set fire to the city's oil reserves. The city was soon engulfed in smoke. Of course the Queen and the heads of state were evacuated before the storm struck. However, all contact ceased from that area as a strange blackout swept across the city. There were other reports too of similar instances of blackouts caused by discharges of an EMP from a high altitude source following the lightning storm. General Reynard came outside the base, looking around as her men prepared themselves for any sort of attack. Sergeant York came up to her and saluted. "Where's Colonel Davidson and Major Long?" she asked. "Not back from New York, ma'am," he replied. "They haven't been back since yesterday. Colonel Davidson said the major was arrested..." "I know all of that, but what happened to them?" she asked. "We're on alert and they're not back here!" "There was a report of seeing a massive Red Dragon in Foley Square," said York. "It looked to be Major Long, General. Then, the attack happened and Major Long flew away. He was then spotted with a much larger Red Dragon and they disappeared after that." "And the Colonel?" "I suppose he's with him." "They're both AWOL," she said. "Just when we need his damned advice now, he's not here to give it. Whatever that blasted team the Colonel created can do to figure out this situation, I want them to work on it now. The President is demanding answers." Another airman ran up to them and saluted. "General," he began. "Another message. It was sent to Washington D.C. this time. The message appeared to be at least 5 miles in length and it's the same as the one found in New York." "Where at D.C. was it?" asked Reynard. "The Mall, ma'am," he said. "Is the President safe?" "From what we can tell, it's a possibility, there is a shelter under the White House," he said. "They may have taken refuge there. But the lightning storm is starting. It won't be long before we'll loose communication there as well." "They're trying to scare us," said Reynard. "Who ever these assholes are, they are trying to scare us!" She looked around at the men preparing and then back at York. "Where is Davidson and his pet lizard?" she said. "If I have to, I'll wait till they return and then I'll ring it out of him!" "I'm afraid you'll be waiting a long time," said a deep voice. Reynard and the others turned towards a bright light. There, five massive Dragons appeared on the tarmac. Reynard raised her hand, signaling for her guards and they rushed over, their guns at the ready. These Dragons were gold, silver, bronze, brass and copper. The Gold Dragon stepped forward. "There is no need to be violent, we didn't come here to harm you." "What do you want?" asked Reynard. "We came here to set some things straight," said the Gold Dragon. "I am Galen Garath." "Major Long's old friend from a while back," said Reynard. "Yeah, I've heard of you. Can you tell us what the hell is going on here?" "Zestos is beginning his assault," said Galen. "Alright, where's my Red Dragon and my geophysicist?" "You might say, they've gone to get you an army," said Galen. "We've got an army," said Reynard. "The best damned army in the world." "Your technology will not be able to win this war alone," said Galen. "You'll have to trust that Jon and Sam will do the right thing in the end and bring this army here. But I will say this, what will happen is going to change the face of this world. Our kind will rise again." "Is that a threat?" "No, it isn't," he said. "But when our kind rises, our energy will flood this world, changing it, for the better or the worse, it is up to you. However, one thing about you humans is that you are adaptable. The magical version of you humans are even more adaptable. Perhaps siding with them will be useful. But you must learn to work together with the magical creatures who are not against you." "That's the problem, we don't know who's friend and who's foe," said Reynard. "That's what Jonathan was here to tell us. That was his job." "Then, let me tell you who your enemy is," said Galen. "Right now, Zestos is amounting an army of Orc and Goblin men and all manner of creatures from the Pit of the Underdark. These creatures hate humans because they believe humans stole away the most simple thing taken for granted...the sun and the moon and fresh air. They want the surface back and they will do all in their power to take it from you. The Orcs used to capture humans as slaves for humans made good slaves to them, strong backs, but weak willed." "We're not so weak now," said Reynard. "It's been a thousand years since they tried it," said Galen. "Things do change. Trolls fed off of humans. You were the bottom of the food chain when it came to the other magical creatures and then, one day, you toppled the chain, banned together and took them by surprise. To stop the slaughter, Pyrothraxus and I created the Underdark to preserve what remained of our culture, but you have to remember old wounds sometimes don't heal. They want vengeance for their ancestors dishonor. And they are willing to take it. That is you enemy." "And who are our allies?" asked York. "Jonathan is one," said Galen. "He is a being who sees the values of both worlds and wants to meld them together because we are stronger when we are together and not apart. I am another and so are the other Metallic Dragons. We have always fought for the protection of humans and magical creatures alike. And will will fight for you when you need us, but you must not dishonor our deeds. You must take what we say as high importance. We know the enemy and how it thinks more so than you. You have become arrogant since you've climbed the top of the mountain and the only way left to go is straight down. But if you're not careful, you'll have no one to catch you when you fall." "And what about the other Magical Creatures who aren't with Zestos?" asked Reynard. "They are scared," said Galen. "They fear you and they fear Zestos. They fear you because they are afraid that once the war is over, you will revert to your ways of shunning them, driving them back into darkness. They don't want to start a fight, but they will defend themselves. But humans have not proven themselves redeemable in their eyes for them to help you just yet. Though they appreciate Sam's attempts, it is not enough. Your leaders must go before them and admit the crimes of their ancestors." "You can't expect that," said Reynard. "I know I can't," said Galen. "But that is what they expect. Here is what I expect. They too must also go before you and admit their crimes against you. It was never one single being who started that war a thousand years ago, it was everyone. Both you and the other Magical Creatures must apologize to each other. The Magical Creatures believe you started it and you have no recollection of it because such tales faded from memory long ago." He walked closer to her. "I am tired of the bickering between you two. It ends now and if you wish to survive the coming war, then it is up to you to make the first step in ending it. Tell that to your President when you make contact with him again. Once the storm is over, I'm sure some form of radio communication will work." "And what does that say about you?" asked Reynard. "Jonathan said you left us. Does this mean you will also return?" "We cannot..." said Sayan'i. "Quiet," said Galen. "Yes, this means we will return as well. The Balance must be maintained. That means for every Chromatic Dragon awakened in this world, there will be a Metallic Dragon to meet him. You will be seeing a lot more of us in the future, General. We will fill the skies with our wings, flying alongside your planes and above your ships. How's that for a promise?" "I think I can live with that," said Reynard. "Good," said Galen with a soft smile. "That is the first step in truly trusting us, Ginny. And we always keep our promises. But, I'd be careful around the Coppers, they tend to want to riddle your head off." Reynard found herself giggling at his warning. "We should be returning back to the Astral Sea," said Dathus, the Copper. "You go on ahead," said Galen. "Sayan'i take them back until the time comes." "What about you?" Sayan'i asked. "I'll stay here," said Galen. "As collateral until Jon returns. I always wanted to try military food. Besides, I'm sure when he returns, he will want answers from me...lots of answers." Sayan'i lowered her head. "It doesn't help the fact that I lied to him for such a long time," said Galen. "What kind of a friend am I to do a thing like that?" "You had no choice," said Sayan'i. "Just like Jonathan had no choice when it came to his friends and family," said Galen. "But I've lied longer. General, if he comes back and wants to give me a good punch in the jaw, it'll be fine. Let him. I deserve it." The other four Metallic Dragons backed away and soon disappeared in a blinding white light. Galen shrank down to a more human-sized form, but still retained his draconic body. He slowly walked to the General and smiled with a cheery smile, blinking his golden eyes at her. "I think I should be able to fit inside, now," he said. Reynard nodded and the two began to walk side by side with York and the other airman following them. "You know, you remind me of another human female with red hair and a fiery disposition," said Galen. "Someone I knew long ago." "Do I?" Reynard asked. "Yes, I sorta fell in love with her," he said. "And she with me. But I tell you she bit me quite hard when she found out I was a Gold Dragon. Gave me a good smacking around too. I'll never lie to a woman again." "What was her name?" "Marina," he said. "With red hair clear down to her knees. She was a wizard, but with that fiery streak, she should have been a warrior. I loved her all the same." "I suppose falling in love with humans seems to be a thing for Dragons..." "Some Dragons," said Galen. "We don't know why we end up falling for a human considering your lifespans. Species isn't a problem when you're a shapeshifter. Just sad when you watch the human you're in love with wither and die before your eyes and you're still as young and as spry as the spring. But I say it's good for Dragons because it teaches us to cherish every day as if it might be our last. And the Dragons who do fall for humans tend to do that, they understand the limitations and appreciate life even more." "I suppose Major Long appreciates humans as well," said Reynard. "More than you know," said Galen. "More than I know too. More than any other Dragon. He sticks up for you a lot. He's done something no Dragon has ever attempted to do. It's within our power to do, but we never attempted it. He grew up as a human with a human family, from childhood to adulthood. He understands you more than you know, General." "Then, he must understand that he will be in a lot of trouble for doing this," she said. "Whatever he's doing." "He knows," said Galen. "And he's willing to tell you every blasted secret about himself as well because he knows. I won't tell you, I'll let him do that when he returns." "If he returns," said Reynard. "He will," said Galen. "He won't let you down. He won't let me down either." 0 Sam leaned against the back of Pyrothraxus enormous shoulders. He could hear the sound of the enormous Red Dragon's heart beating through the scales and the heat radiating from the surface. He heard Pyrothraxus let loose a growl as they landed. Then, he heard Malystryx speak. She did not speak in English, nor in Common Draconic, she spoke in Red Dragon dialect. He could barely make out a word through the deep guttural sounds she made, hissing and clacking. Pyrothraxus returned, speaking in the same tongue as she. He picked up the scent of sulfur all around him and he began to cough when he realized the air became toxic to him. Pyrothraxus paused, hearing the human cough and his head swung around. "Svabol wer Drasonameko ui xuut mrith jacion?" Malystryx hissed. "Si geou vorq," Pyrothraxus replied. He craned his head further, his snout nuzzled against Sam as he coughed. "Sam, Sam, what's the matter?" "The...air...I...I can't...breathe," Sam said, coughing between his words. He braced himself against the red scales. "My throat's on fire! It's the hydrogen sulfide." "Pathetic, weak human," said Malystryx. Pyrothraxus hissed and snapped his jaws at his mother. "Ssejinw, riika!" Pyrothraxus growled. "Svanoa bevi wux renthisj ekess ve persvek batobot..." Malystryx began, her ear frills widening, indicating her heightened anger. Tira ti jaci yenta ssejinw, riika?" Sam asked, gasping. "Zyak, thric ner, riika!" "He speaks Draconic," she said. "You've been teaching him. Do not insult me again, human." "He learns quickly," said Pyrothraxus. "Nice going, Sam." Sam continued to cough, spitting over the side of the Red Dragon's flank. "Where the fuck are we?" he asked. "A volcanic field," said Pyrothraxus. "An active one." "No wonder I can't breathe..." he said. "Do something." "If he dies, he dies," said Malystryx. "If he dies, I get charged with murder," said Pyrothraxus. "And I don't plan on going back with a dead friend. Sam, I'll produce an air bubble for you. It'll replenish with oxygen, so don't worry." "Didn't...know you could do that," he said. "Consider it a sort of magical filtration system," said Pyrothraxus. With that, he exhaled upon the human, blowing hot wind into Sam's face. The wind itself began to swirl around him, forming an invisible bubble between him and the toxic air outside. Sam began to breathe in. The air was not fresh, and it certainly smelled like a Red Dragon's sulfuric breath, but it was breathable. Sam nodded, wiping his forehead as sweat droplets began to form on his skin. The air bubble could not help much against the heat. "Follow me," said Malystryx. The two Dragons started off over the blackened field of volcanic glass and rock. Sam looked around him, noticing cracks in the fields as lava appeared through the cracks, glowing like a fiery river. Dark clouds rose up to the sky and churned and boiled, while static discharge in the form of lightning lit up the darkness. "Shit..." he breathed. "What the hell is this place? Can't be Hawaii." "No," said Pyrothraxus. "Probably a volcanic island. She just teleported us here in mid flight. I have no idea where this place is." As they came to the edge of the hill, they looked out over the black plain. There, fanning their wings and letting loose several mighty roars were thousands upon thousands of Red Dragons of various ages. Pyrothraxus could even see several Great Wyrms in the mess of wings. Mixed in were many Blue Dragons as well, including a few Great Wyrms of their own. Each of them were of enormous size, much larger than they would be normally. These Great Wyrms were either very old for their ages or were vampires like Malystryx. Both Pyrothraxus and Sam stood at the edge with wide eyes, looking out at the many Dragons down below. "Okay, Sam, start counting," said Pyrothraxus. "Huh?" Sam asked. "Me? Hey, who gave you permission to give me orders? I'm your superior officer, remember! You count. Wait, why do you want to count?" "Have something to take back to the general if we get back," said Pyrothraxus. "Take back to..." began Sam. "Wait, you're still with us?" "I never left you," he said. "I just wanted to see for myself this army my mother was generating. And with a second pair of eyes, we can convince the General that this is serious." "You got that right," he said. "Hey, over there, there's some of those Dragon Spawn things we fought in Africa." "Mom's been busy." "Are you coming?" Malystryx asked. "And don't think I can't hear you back there. Think about what you are going to say next, my son." Pyrothraxus trotted over to her side and they continued down towards the large group. "I see more Spawn created," said Pyrothraxus. "Kidnapped more innocent people from Africa?" "These are from everywhere," said Malystryx. "I intend to make a species that breeds true. And all in total service to me." "Wonderful, breeding slaves," said Pyrothraxus. "I suppose it's better than abducting them." "The strongest will be chosen for the process," said Malystryx. "Strongest I've chosen from the ranks of humans." "Only humans?" Sam asked. "I've tried the Spawn process on other races," said Malystryx. "Orcs, Trolls, creatures that are much stronger than humans. But apparently, the magic affects them. It is the same reason why you chose non-magical humans to make Dahakoan from. They could be changed where as the ones with magic could not." "I see," said Pyrothraxus. "The difference between your Spawn and the Dahakoan is that the Dahakoan have free will, the Spawn do not." "That was your mistake, Pyrothraxus," said Malystryx. "Not mine." "Free will is the Law," said Pyrothraxus. "It should never be tampered with." "Only the Powers that Be cannot mettle in free will," she said. "The Law says absolutely nothing about us messing with it." "Then don't come whining to me when You Know Who decides to give you a good pounding." Malystryx chuckled and then reared back onto her hind legs. She spread her wings wide and let loose a powerful bellow. That caught the attention of several Red Dragons, especially a rather large male Great Wyrm and one Great Wyrm Blue. Pyrothraxus watched as the Red Dragons and the one Blue Dragon launched into the air, only to land swiftly near them. The wind blew up around his face and he squinted his eyes. Sam leaned down against Pyrothraxus. "Wux dronilnra wer wopsit," said the large Great Wyrm, his deep, gruff voice reverberating as he spoke. He was the size of Malystryx, but at least twice her girth. His whole body ripped with hard muscle. Sam could see a couple of sparkling golden teeth in his mouth all carved with intricate designs and set with a couple of ruby stones. A golden band wrapped around his right wrist with engravings in the dialect of Red Dragons. There were a few battle scars on his right shoulder. His broad neck frill was tipped with bluish black and his wings were frayed on the edges a little more than Pyrothraxus' wings. His horns were black and curved along with his claws. "Si mi thric wopsit," said Pyrothraxus, barring his teeth. Once more, they were speaking in the strange dialect of Red Dragons. "Si shilta ocuir batobot, Jennu Ithael," said the Great Red Wyrm. "Shar wux re vi xsio wopsit." "Gethrisj glynu dout pigyn persvek vi basilisk," said Pyrothraxus. "What about a basilisk?" Sam whispered. "Chachai vi basilisk ornla qe desta loupon chachai dout rumag," the Red Dragon said. "If you insult my wife again, I'll gut your belly, wrap your intestines around my cock for a sock to masturbate in while I shit in your mouth," Pyrothraxus growled, switching to English. "No, wait, I'll shit in your mouth first so you can have the honor of tasting my wife's lovely cooking before you die, then I'll fuck your intestines." The two Great Wyrms stared each other down intently, barring each other's teeth. They sized each other up, as if they were about to fight. "Hey, if you two are gonna go at it, at least put me down first!" said Sam. The mood was broken as Pyrothraxus blinked, sighing and lowering his head. The other Great Wyrm Red began to laugh, his deep voice producing a growl as he laughed. "I think that's your best one yet, Pyro!" he said. The Red Dragon had a strange Welsh accent. "Huh?" Sam asked. Pyrothraxus returned the chuckle as the Red Dragon lifted his forepaw and patted him on the shoulder. The two shared the laugh. "Uncle Ignatius," said Pyrothraxus. "It's been what, 3–4 thousand years?" "And the whelp grows up," said Ignatius. "Nearly as big as me and certainly as filled out as me." He gave Pyrothraxus' pectoral muscles a good slap to test the hardness of them. "But you're getting a little soft," he said. "That's too bad." "Wait, you mean to tell me he's your uncle?" asked Sam. "What the fuck was all that about?" "A Red Dragon's greeting," said Pyrothraxus. "It is customary to fling insults at each other, testing the self control of the other. A Red who looses self control is a dead Red in battle." "It's expected," said Malystryx. "You have a lot to learn about us, pet." "Feh, Reds," the Blue Dragon growled. "I could never understand your barbaric culture." "Now, now, Barathus," said Malystryx. "Careful what you say." "I'm a little disappointed, Malys," said Ignatius. "Why's he so bloody soft?" "He's a fucking nurse maid," said Malystryx. "And spends most of the days sitting at an office chair." "I've been doing push ups lately," said Pyrothraxus. "Need to do a lot more," he said. Ignatius walked around Pyrothraxus and then leaned down to Sam. "And what do we have here? A little snack?" "Eat me and I'll pull yo tongue out and shove it up yo ass, mother fucker," said Sam. "Then I'd be askin', how's that ass taste now? As good as me?" Ignatius leaned back, a smirk crawling up his face. "Ah, the human isn't afraid of me," he said. "And is trying to size me up. Nicely done, human. Nicely done. Come down." Ignatius held his claw out for Sam to hop into. Pyrothraxus nodded slightly and Sam slid into the claw. Slowly Ignatius lowered him. "What is your name, mortal?" he asked. "Samuel Davidson, Colonel...United States Air Force," said Sam. "Military man," said Ignatius. "Good. Ethiopian, I suspect?" "I'm not from Ethiopia," said Sam. "I'm from New York." "The New World, Uncle," said Pyrothraxus. "Land across the Sea to the West." "Ah, that land," he said. "Where's your ancestors from?" "I...don't know," said Sam. "A lot of that was lost during the slave trade 400 years ago." "Why are you asking this, Ignatius?" Malystryx. "I'm asking to see if he's got Red Dragon in him," said Ignatius. "Only a someone with Red Dragon blood in him could stare me down like that. Most humans just piss themselves and run." "You don't scare me," said Sam. "Well, maybe you have it in you, maybe you don't, mortal," said Ignatius. "Who knows, you could be one of my illegitimates. I've been known to spray my seed all across Africa." "Yes, we know just how many half-Red Dragons you've sired," said Malystryx. "I could sire a bit more if I wasn't Ascended," said Ignatius. "Now all that my giant prick's good for is shootin' is dust. Eh, it doesn't matter. No harm is to come to this human, not even you will lay a hand on him, Malys. Whether he's related to me or not, he's got that look in his eye that any of my ill-begotten bastards would. So, I name him a member of my Clan Ixeoble...Firetongue. Sam Firetongue. Goes right along with that mouth of yours, eh? That's what the humans called me, Firetongue. So I adopted it to my Clan. But they called me Firetongue not for my breath." "Uh, thank you, sir?" said Sam. "Don't call me 'sir', boy," he said. "It's Uncle Iggy, understand?" "Uh, right, Uncle Iggy," said Sam. "My God, Mama's gonna have a field day with this. I just been adopted by Red Dragons." "Be glad he didn't eat you, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "It's more of an honor than you think, you've been adopted by the Lord of Atlantis before it sank." "A shame that it did too, I saw this bloody gray pooch come walking up and pulling on some stopper in the ground," said Ignatius. "And then, down went the island. I swear someday, I'm gonna roast that wrinkly, gray old dog for sinking my island. He's probably dead by now, though." "Wrinkly?" asked Sam. "Gray? Did that dog talk?" "Aye, that he did," said Ignatius. "Why, you know him?" "He's his in-law's familiar," said Sam, pointing at Pyrothraxus. "Sam..." Pyrothraxus sighed. Ignatius backed away, about to spread his wings: "I'm gonna kill that dog." "Uncle Ignatius!" called Pyrothraxus. "Fu Dog didn't mean it. It was an accident. He just got a little out of hand with a time traveling device." "You're preventing me from getting my revenge on the one who fucking sunk my home?" asked Ignatius. "I was lucky to get my hoard out. Thank the gods for my gold teeth or I would have lost everythin'." "Your hoard is in your gold teeth?" asked Sam. "Yeah, every last gold coin of it," he said. "Enough!" called Malystryx. "Yes," began Barathus. "Can we at least get on with the discussion here?" "In the style of my race, who the fuck are you?" Pyrothraxus asked. "Barathus," said the Blue Dragon. "I once hailed from Mongolia and its infernal desert. A lot good that did me. I dug myself in the sand so deep, no human could find me, until they started testing their damned Sun Weapons." "Sun Weapons?" Sam asked. "Sun Weapons," said Barathus. "Burned my back a bit." He turned around to expose a large area of dark blue against the indigo of his scales. It looked malformed. "Scars from radiation burns," said Sam. "A nuclear test in China did that to you? And you survived?" "Of course I survived," he said. "But I woke up encased in glass. Strange looking glass too." "That was a nuclear weapon," said Sam. "When did it happen?" "Oh, I'd say 40 years ago," said Barathus. "I'm sure if anyone saw me, they kept it a secret in their government. If I am correct, that's how things are run these days, eh? Secrecy." "Barathus is very good at secrets himself," said Malystryx. "Which is why I have chosen him to be your second in command, Pyrothraxus." "Excuse me, my what?" Pyrothraxus asked. "This war is coming," said Malystryx. "You need people loyal to you. Someone to serve you." "You want me to lead your damned army?" he asked. "Forget it." "You side with the humans?" said Malystryx. "You'll never win this war just because of them. You need us too." Pyrothraxus sighed, wagging his head. "Enough of this," said Ignatius. "Look at us huddled together, talkin' about nothin'. Get your asses over here and we'll have our little talk. I can sense our new little brother has something to say about our gathering. Where we've been for the last thousand years." "I've got some questions about that too," said Pyrothraxus. Ignatius chuckled as he began to walk away towards a flatter area. The husky Red Dragon snorted out a ball of fire from his nostrils, igniting the rocks in front of him until they glowed a dull orange. He settled himself down onto the ground and waited for the others to gather around the glowing rocks. As Pyrothraxus settled down, he looked at Sam, leaning towards him. "Sam, stay between my forelegs," he said in a low whisper. "Right," said Sam. He grabbed hold of a curved talon and slowly climbed up onto Pyrothraxus' huge left foot. Balancing himself with his arms, he walked across the plated armored foot, mindful of how the ridges folded over each scale. Once he found himself a spot to sit on Pyrothraxus' wrist, he sat down, draping his legs over the foot. Pyrothraxus looked up, letting loose a low growl as he exhaled a deep breath. "For one thousand years, I believed I was the last of my kind living on this Earth," said Pyrothraxus, casting his gaze between Barathus and Ignatius. "Not only that, I believed I was the last Red Dragon because I banished my brother, who was the only other Red in existence. Never have I thought there were still other Reds let alone other Chromatics here. I got lucky to find another Black Dragon who appears to be loyal to me, but you...you're family." He stopped at Ignatius. "Why didn't you contact me?" "I heard about what you proposed in the early 10th Century, son," said Ignatius. "Many of us did. But of course, it wasn't just that. We wanted no part of that war between you and your brother. I didn't want any part of it." "You were a coward," said Pyrothraxus. "I'll rip your tongue out for saying that, boy!" said Ignatius, his gruff, deep voice echoing over the plains. "Don't call me a damned coward." "Where were you then?" "On my long rest," said Ignatius. "Many of us were. Better than getting ourselves wiped out with no plan against the Lord of the Nine." "The Lord of the Nine is coming," said Pyrothraxus. "He is," he said. "And this time, I'm fighting with you. I regretted my decision of leaving you to him." "We also hid ourselves to keep from being enslaved by Asemodeus," said Barathus. "What's different from today?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Asemodeus doesn't have the same influence he once had," said Ignatius. "The forces that can stand up against him are much more in number than they were before. I think we can stand behind that." "And when we do, it will be we who will take this world, not Asemodeus," said Barathus. "This is about world conquest?" asked Sam. "You are gonna have a difficult time with that one." "And how so, human?" asked Malystryx. "Look, I don't know what it was like for you guys then, but humans have changed since you guys were last seen," said Sam. "I know about their Sun Weapon," said Barathus. "And I survived it." "First off, it's called a nuke," said Sam. "And secondly, I'm surprised you didn't get radiation poisoning from it. The burn is one thing, but you should have shat out your intestinal lining by now." "It merely burned me," said Barathus. Sam sighed and stood up: "That weapon is the most powerful weapon humans have in their arsenal. It has the ability to turn whole cities into a crater in a matter of seconds. I mean they made movies scaring people about the adverse effects of a full exchange on this planet, which would basically kill off most life as we know it. We have in our possession, enough nukes to pretty much turn this ball of dirt into volcanic glass, and you survived one?" "I was underground at the time." "But close enough to the surface to get burned," said Sam. "I bet you were pretty well within range of ground zero if not at the site itself. Our most powerful weapon–can't stop you guys. Well, maybe a nuke can't, but I know bullets can. I don't know why I'm saying this, but maybe I should let you people know who you're about to start a fight with. Jon here can tell you, he's seen it." "I've seen news reels of the wars the United States fought," said Pyrothraxus. "However, I do recall living during the time of the war the Americans didn't win, the Vietnam War." "And now your country has lost its luster," said Malystryx. "The rest of the world doesn't fear you anymore, why should we?" "We can still kick your asses," said Sam. "You know what we've been doing lately? We've been using some of his scales as target practice to find something that could pierce it. And we did. Depleted uranium wrapped in tungsten. A few 90mm of that and shoot it out of tank and we've just put a hole through your chest. Our guns may not work well against you, but our tanks and planes will. Our ships can too." "So you can poke holes in Dragon armor with your specially designed bullets," Ignatius said, chuckling deeply. "And how many of these ships, planes, and tanks can fire such rounds? You've got more men then you do machines. Oh, I've flown over a few of your wars in the Middle East. You still march with your legs just like you did when your knights rode on horses. Now instead of swords, you carry pea shooters. I'm not impressed. The Old Ways is strong with Zestos, but he's for the wrong Power. That Power will enslave us all. You think you can stand up against that?" "Don't doubt the will of the American spirit," said Sam. "We can fight. Our country was born of war and wilderness. That's all we did was fight. It wasn't given to us." "And if I met those forefathers then, I'd of believed they could," said Ignatius. "And you, maybe, but the rest of the lot, nay. You're all a bunch of whiners and belly and ass scratchers, sitting on your couches, getting fatter than cows, watching your daytime reruns, playing your fucking video games and meltin' your brains. The world's getting more and more stupid and you Americans are the first to slide into it. If you're not gettin' high on meth killin' your minds that way, then you're killin' your bodies with the disgusting process foods you eat. No wonder none of ya look appetizing to me anymore. I take one smell and all I can smell is the food you ate. I don't want that in my stomach. I can even smell the processed garbage on me own nephew! You've been eatin' McDonald's or something?" "White Castle," said Pyrothraxus. "That's even worse!" said Ignatius, rising up. "You don't know what they even put in those burgers. At least eat some real meat, you idiot! No wonder you look a little sickly. You've been eatin' their shit! What do they call it, Spam in a Can? Disgusting. I believe your country made that, boy." "I'm not a boy," said Sam, staring straight at Ignatius. "I'm nearing my 20 thousands," said Ignatius. "You're a boy to me. He's a boy to me too." "He's one of the few Red Dragons who have lived to be that old, Sam," said Pyrothraxus. "Which is why a lot of Reds actually respect him. He's earned it." "I can't be beaten either," said Ignatius. He pointed back at Malystryx. "Even that old bitch can't beat me. She never could. I master all the four elements and all the ones in between and I throw it back at her each time she tries. So trust me, I'm not impressed with your country or its army." "Actually, the army is pretty fit," said Sam. "And we eat specialty foods with protein and carbohydrates geared to keep us strong." "I should know," said Pyrothraxus. "I eat the food in their cafeteria. They take care of their soldiers." "Invite me then," said Ignatius. "I'll see how well you're fed. Then if I'm not satisfied, I'll change the menu. First thing's to go with that army is the food." Sam shook his head, standing up on Pyrothraxus' foot. He began to pull off his jacket, tossing it to the side. The heat was getting to him as he wiped his forehead. His shirt was soaked with his sweat, dark spots were under his arms, on his back, and ringed around his neck. Finally giving into the heat, he tore off his shirt until he was bare chested, fanning himself with his hand. Ignatius noticed something on Sam's shoulder and leaned down slightly. "You have a scar," he said. "Good. It shows you are a warrior and not afraid to fight even if you get cut for it." "Sam?" asked Pyrothraxus. "I didn't know you were shot." "Remember when I told you about my time transferring in that base when I saw men being attacked, coming back bloodied?" he asked, fingering the scar. "I was one of those who was shot. An Iraqi soldier fired upon us in the streets. I was there just to take a census of the land so our soldiers would know where to position their troops. I wasn't supposed to be there to fight. We were evacuating and he pulled his gun and shot me. I didn't even have a gun on me." "But you got that taste," said Ignatius. "You know the look of a man who is intending to kill." "He was a frightened man, just doing what his government told him to do," said Sam. "The wars we fight in the Middle East, they're not the wars that our grandparents fought. No fighting good against evil, it was about a commodity." "Most wars are usually fought over commodity," said Ignatius. "My people are a good example of that. We fight for commodity all the time. Our hoards, our honor, our strength. The more we got, the bigger our egos get, and the more we command over the lesser. And we're always watching our backs because who knows who may try to leap out and take what we got. Trust no one. That's the Red way." "Unfortunately, you have to go against those ways in order to build this army of yours," said Sam. "You have to forgive your differences so you can ban together." "Aye," said Ignatius said. "There's too little of us now, and the Old Ways need to be brought back as strong as ever. We need to start makin' wyrmlings. I'd volunteer, but you know what Ascension does a Dragon's cock." "Now you know why I took the other route," said Malystryx. "At least I can still breed if I wish." "Oh, shut your mouth, bitch!" said Ignatius. "You're cunt is as dried up and wrinkly as a piece of leather left out in the sun too long. Any egg you shit out would turn to dust." Malystryx rose up, her lips curling up in a snarl. She growled at Ignatius, flattening her frills. "Don't you speak to the African Queen in such..." she said. "I piss on your African Queen," interrupted Ignatius. "You know you don't frighten me." "Dude, I like your uncle," said Sam, looking up at Pyrothraxus. "So do I," he said. Malystryx snorted and turned away, spreading her wings to fly off. Ignatius chuckled as she flew away in her huff and snorted out a puff of black smoke. He looked over at Barathus who then dipped his head. Ignatius then turned to Pyrothraxus who took in a deep breath. "Good, now with the bitch gone, we can have a proper discussion," said Ignatius. "Can I ask you something?" Sam began. "What do you mean, the Old Ways need to be brought back and to do that make a bunch of wyrmlings?" "Children," said Ignatius. "When a Dragon is born, he brings new magic into the world. When he dies, he takes it away. The only downside of Ascension, you sacrifice the ability to further your species for power." "Thought you sacrificed eating and breathing," said Sam. "You do that too," said Ignatius. "But if I didn't breathe, then I wouldn't talk. Need air to talk! No, the most important thing is producing little ones. And we can't do that anymore, well, those of us Ascended Dragons can't." "And you want the Old Ways to return," said Sam. "Would make things a bit more comfortable for us, aye," said Ignatius. "What, you think your ways are better?" "I'm pretty comfortable with my ways," said Sam. "Oh yeah?" Ignatius asked as he leaned down to study the small human intently. "Tell me about your ways. Convince me in just how much better they are." "Well, you guys had crystal balls, we had to create our own ways of mass communication on a high speed level, so, we created radio, television, then the internet," said Sam. "And we can mass produce it rather quickly to make it available for many people. Even bums have cell phones on the streets calling up their estrange families. Did the homeless have crystal balls or scrying objects to call their families back in your days?" "No," said Ignatius. "But I do believe most of the shit those bums are callin' on their cell phones are sex services rather than their own families. And as for your internet, all you got to show for it is two sluts fucking 10 midgets while sucking off a goat." Sam sighed, shaking his head. He heard Pyrothraxus chuckled. "The internet isn't just for porn," said Sam. "Aye, but there's a lot of it on there," said Ignatius. "In fact I do believe since the invention of the internet, finding someone shoving his cock inside a dolphin's mouth was nearly unheard of. Such is the way of instant communication. It's gotten so bad the bloody soccer moms started pissin' themselves each time their kid walked beyond the steps because they're afraid of all the perverts out there. I'm sure in your childhood, you could walk two blocks down the street and your mother wouldn't give two shits about what happened to you. Now because your kids can't go outside, they stay indoors, getting fatter while they play their video games. Try again." "Then, only the birds and you guys flew through the air," said Sam. "Now, we have the power of flight." "Paid flight," said Ignatius. "And still like then, it's not available to everyone. And you need money to either get your own plane or get a ticket to go somewhere. One drop of water on the runway and the airport's closed for hours. I've flown through the worst of storms and never gotten lost. So much for radar and GPS, eh? Though I have to hand it to you, if only I could start up me own airlines, make you bloody two-legs pay me to fly your fat asses around the world. And I don't need extra petrol to get me there either." "Automobiles," said Sam. "No wonder you're so fat now," said Ignatius. "Whatever happened to walking? You have to get into your car every time you need to go barely a mile down the road for somethin'. And then you complain about the petrol prices. Well, if you didn't waste so much of the bloody thing, you'd be saving up, now wouldn't you?" "Thought you were going into the whole cars pollute the air," said Sam. "That sort of thing." "Fuck that," said Ignatius. "I live in a volcano. You think I care about air quality? Not only that, but I'm an Ascended Dragon, I don't need to breathe anymore. You can make this place as toxic as you like and I wouldn't give a fuck. Let them bastards who gripe about people eatin' meat and throwin' paint on pelts worry about that shit." "PETA," said Sam. "Aye, those bastards," said Ignatius. "Haven't they heard of the food chain?" "Not really," said Sam. "You see, that's what your ways created," said Ignatius. "Back then, your people were lucky to find meat that wasn't claimed by some lord. And the lords, well, as fat as your chubby kids are today. I could go on about that." "No offense, what's the meaning of this?" Sam asked, leaning back on the balls of his feet and crossing his arms. "Now we're gettin' somewhere," said Ignatius. "Barathus!" Barathus rumbled a chuckle. "Humor my new adopted son," said Ignatius. "Of course, sir," said Barathus. "I do have to say one thing," began Ignatius. "You can keep your damned Caligula porn, I managed to see the real thing." "You weren't the only one," said Pyrothraxus. "Aye," said Ignatius. "I think you and I sat and watched it a few times. Did he have to fit his whole fist up that man's ass?" Pyrothraxus dipped his head and let loose a deep chuckle and a slight snort. "And they say the stuff before the internet was simpler," said Sam. "So, don't tell me you're saying we should just lay down and let you walk over us, that's not going to happen." "Maybe not you," said Ignatius. "But I don't see much hope in the rest of the potbellied retards. To busy pickin' their asses and scratchin' their noses, or is the other way around? Well, Barathus?" "If you're so done with your cock contest, Ignatius," said Barathus. "I think I've said me peace." "Good," he said. Barathus looked back down at Sam. "Human, we are in a bit of a bind. One side, we have Zestos' army, the other side, the Metallic Dragons and their allies, lastly, we have you humans and your armies along with a certain anti-magical, secret society that could easily divide you up, providing their supporters with rather advanced weapons." "The Huntsclan," said Sam. "That's them," said Ignatius. "They're not many, but they've got a sweet tongue." "Eric currently holds a truce with me," said Pyrothraxus. "Unless he wants to break that truce and take me on, he won't make a move." "Don't trust him, nephew," said Ignatius. "No matter how far you can throw him!" "Eric doesn't want to risk exposure," said Pyrothraxus. "Well, we can always ruin that for him," said Ignatius. "I'm sure your United States government would be rather interested in the pea shooters he's got." "They would," said Sam. "But Eric could probably sell them anyway and make a profit, and further fund his own agenda to go against you guys." "That's why we have a problem," said Ignatius. "If I would have helped you a thousand years ago, Pyro, I would have two armies comin' after my tail. Zestos and your pretty little metal lizard friends. I want to live to see my 20 thousandth birthday, if you don't mind. Now, there's 3 maybe 4 armies we have to face, well for now. More still to come since your world is still very divided up. I don't like those odds. Malystryx wants to keep us all divided because she wants this rock for herself. I don't have control of her Spawn." He glanced over there to see Malystryx landing near her Dragon Spawn. She shot a spiteful look back towards Ignatius. "Who all in this group is loyal to you?" Sam asked. "Every Dragon here will follow me,"s aid Ignatius. "And Barathus. We're in control of them. I was the one who called them, Malystryx just took the credit to get you to come here. She thinks she's in control. She's wrong. But she can make Spawn, lots and lots of Spawn. Makes me sick with the way she does it." "Jon, do the Spawn retain some memories of their former lives?" Sam asked. "Somewhat," said Pyrothraxus. "Enough to remember how to use a machine gun, yes. Drive a tank, probably. And they'll do it all for her." "Aye," said Ignatius. "I may be able to take her down myself, but the problem being I'm just one Dragon. And she's got those Spawn who love and adore her like a damned goddess." "We have to be careful with what we say, they could be listening," said Barathus. Sam took in a deep breath, looking down at his shirt hanging over Pyrothraxus' paw. He stared longingly at the symbols of his office, the silver eagles on the shoulder boards. Then, he looked back at Ignatius and Barathus. "I'm not gonna lie to you, we could use the help," said Sam. "We still don't know much about how to fight Dragons, demons, and whatever it is he'll throw at us. It's been going slowly because my government doesn't believe there's going to be a war and even if it did, it wants to keep that a tight secret so people won't start panicking." "If I'm correct, the only country that ever tried to invade your shores were the British and they only did it over 200 years ago," said Ignatius. "The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in World War II, but, no, no one has ever tried to successfully invade the continental United States from across the ocean," said Sam. "At least in recent history. We've had rough times with Mexico, but that's across the boarder and again, not in recent history." "Well, you're not gonna get an invasion from across the shores, more like right under your feet," said Ignatius. "You prepared for that?" "Somewhat. We have reserves that stay home. Military bases inside the country that guard it. Fleets that watch the coast." "From what we gathered, your forces are spread out across the globe a bit too thin lately," said Barathus. "You might want to call them all back." "That's not an easy task," said Sam. "And it'll have repercussions on the areas we are currently occupying." "Should have thought of that before you started occupying them," said Ignatius. "Back in my day, when a country won a war, the king recalled the troops and left the loosing country to burry their own dead." "That's now how the United States works." "Well, maybe that's why nobody likes you," he said. "You're in everyone's faces all the time. Before World War II, you didn't even give a rat's ass about what went on across the ocean until a bunch of Asians crash landed in your island harbor. Now you care about everything. Trying to keep something like that from happening again, eh?" "How the hell do you know so much about these things?" asked Sam. "Jon had to mix himself with us humans to learn about what happened during his thousand year sleep." "I wasn't asleep," said Ignatius. "Ascendants don't sleep, we meditate. Through that, we can see everything that goes on in the world even if you can't see us. That's how. I managed to pick up on the changes of the English language over the centuries through my sleep, kept watch on everything that went on here. Still the same shit as it ever was, just with different toys." Sam sighed again: "I'm not arguing with you." "And I'm not here to start one," said Ignatius. "But I know how your government feels about us. They think this is all still a joke. We're magical creatures, full of whimsy and fluff." He reared up and raised his forelegs up, flapping them like little wings. Ignatius balanced himself against his tail. "Oh, I'm a pretty little pixie! I fly around, with Peter Pan, making people fly with happy thoughts and sparkly dust! Just say Bibbity Bobbity Boo and I'll make you a pretty little dress for the ball so you can get your Prince! Oh, magic is enchanting and wondrous! Filled with little fairies, pretty mermaids, unicorns, rainbows and pink clouds! I'm guessin' your President over there thinks I shit Lucky Charms or somethin'!" He lowered back down onto the ground. "I know magic isn't a joke," said Sam. "I've seen Jon zap the souls out of Dragons, turning their bodies to dust. I've seen him bring a person back to life with magic at the cost of his own strength while at the same time turning Spawn back into human beings. And those Spawn, well, a few of them when they turned back into humans were pretty shot up, barely alive and most of them dead. I've seen what magic can do. And I've read what magic can do." "You've just barely scraped the surface." "I know," he said. "But I know magic isn't a joke. It's like a gun, it isn't a toy, and people can get hurt if you're not careful enough." "Very good," said Barathus. "But your leader." "The President likes Jonathan," said Sam. "It was he who suggested that we start our team to better understand the magical world. When Jon said there's a war coming, well, he didn't know what to make of it...but I knew. Now, he's right. There is a war coming." "War's started," said Barathus. "Zestos made his first move. Ours is next." "The President will more likely excuse it as a terrorist attack," said Sam. "But that won't mean he wouldn't be adamant about finding who did it and bringing them to justice. If you wish to join us..." "The Old Ways must return," said Barathus. "And we bring back the magic to fuel our forces against Asemodeus." "The world won't agree on that," said Sam. "A compromise between us." He glanced back at Pyrothraxus. "Aren't you going to add anything to this?" "I'm keeping silent, Colonel, sir," said Pyrothraxus. "It's not my duty to convince them and he didn't ask me to. He wanted you to convince him." "Stop being a smart ass," said Sam. Pyrothraxus chuckled. "I'll just get down to it right now, son," said Ignatius. "If we go back with you, I take my Dragons with me to your lands, I don't want to speak to no second in command message boy sending the message to your leader. I want to talk to your leader directly. He wants to know about this war, he's gonna hear it from my big foul mouth. Outside, in the open, where everyone else can hear it." "That wouldn't be advisable," said Sam. "To bad," said Ignatius. He heard the flapping of wings from another Blue Dragon, a young female who flew over to the group. Ignatius rose up again. Sam felt Pyrothraxus stir and he slid off of the paw. His Red Dragon lifted up. "Excuse me, Lord Ignatius, Master Barathus," she said. "The Scryer has made another prediction. It seems Zestos may make another attack." "Where?" asked Barathus. "In the Atlantic Ocean," she said. "She said she saw ships carrying human aircraft in the ocean..." "Aircraft carriers," said Sam. "There's always a few off shore from the shelf. He's going to attack the ships? Jon, we have to warn the base, tell them to look for a big Red Dragon in the sky coming those ships. Did she get what fleet was going to be hit?" "No," said the Blue Dragon. "And the attack was not from the air, that is all she saw." "It's from under the water," said Barathus. "Sea serpents," said Ignatius. "They're big enough to grab two of those carriers of yours and pull them right under." "They will disarm you," said Barathus, looking down at Sam. "Rise in magic means the rise of much larger and more powerful magical creatures," said Ignatius. "Big ones like the serpents." "You guys are the ones causing the rise in magic," said Sam. "Sam, it's caused by all Dragons," said Pyrothraxus. "Myself included." "And, no, the simple solution isn't all of us just go away," said Ignatius. "Just in case you were thinking of that. Zestos won't leave even if you ask him nicely. We're staying and that's that. Well, you gonna allow us to deliver our message? We'll even do it nicely." "The President would have been no doubt placed in his secured bunker until he believes the crisis is over," said Sam. "Where's that?" asked Barathus. "East Wing of the White House," said Pyrothraxus. "Jon!" "What?" he asked. "Even Wikipedia knows that." "Good," said Ignatius. "We'll just fly right over..." "Uh, no," said Pyrothraxus. "You can't. I'm an...Air Force pilot, I've got these rule books and one of them says that area is a no fly zone for unauthorized air crafts. Even private planes can't fly within a 200 mile radius, with a big red dot in the 30 mile range of the Mall. They will be shot down with prejudice by a couple of ground to air missiles if they don't answer back to two F-18s tailing them. I mean, it's the capitol and all." "Fuck, we didn't have that much of a problem going to a capitol back a thousand years ago," said Ignatius. He turned to Barathus and laughed. "Then you can fly there," said Barathus. "He's got to have special permission," said Sam. "And if he was sent to the Capitol, it'll be most likely in an authorized aircraft, not flying around on his own over it." "They must be warned," said Ignatius. "Sam, if that Scryer is right," began Pyrothraxus. "Innocent sailors will die." "They've got sonar..." "It'll happen really quickly..." "They'll blast that beast with depth charges..." "That thing can wrap itself around the ship faster than they can unleash them..." "Oh come on, Jon!" Sam shouted. "This isn't the tales of pirates and the Kraken! You don't think our ships can handle a sea serpent? One serpent against a bunch of ships in a fleet. They've got a little bit more bite to them than cannons." "There's something you can't stop," said Ignatius very deeply. "Your technology is your downfall. Zestos knows it. And he's exploiting it. Shäzyx. She's figured out how to hone her lightning to disrupt your machines. The attacks where he's left the messages, each attack is followed by a lightning storm wiping out communication in that area." "Electromagnetic Pulse," said Sam. "She'll stop those ships dead in the water before the sea serpent shows up," said Ignatius. "Well, that EMP can't reach our subs," said Sam. "And we've got a few machines hardened against the pulse as well." "Looks like we've got a lot to tell your government," said Ignatius. "What about Malys?" asked Sam. "Planning on stealing my army, my son?" Malystryx asked as she walked up to them. "I'm not going to let innocent people die," said Pyrothraxus. "I have to do something." "Taking action finally," she said. "I suppose it's best that you do." "I'm going with the boy, wench," said Ignatius. "And there's not a damned bloody thing you're gonna do about it." Malystryx settled down on the blackened earth and a smile curled up her lips. She blinked softly at Ignatius. "So you say," she said, nonchalantly. "Go on, take my Dragons with you." With that, she took off, bellowing again. At her command, the Dragon Spawn took off with her, disappearing in the black clouds above. "I don't like the sound of her voice," said Barathus. "Aye," said Ignatius. "She's up to somethin'. Well, best not worry too much about her now. We're wasting time. Where do we go first?" "Griffis," said Sam. "Like were supposed to, Jon!" "Griffis," said Pyrothraxus. "I'm going to answer for this one." "Alright," said Ignatius. "Just lead the way." The husky Red Dragon reared back onto his hind legs and bellowed out to the many flights of Dragons beyond him. "Vinult vur kepla'nas ekess, iejir vilklviri," Ignatius bellowed to them. "Yth wiap ekess wer Z'ar Treskri!" Pyrothraxus leaned down to his friend, lowering his head to the ground. "Sam, I want to say I'm sorry for what I said," he said. "Earlier." "I didn't even know half of what you said," said Sam. "But I heard 'stupid human' in there somewhere." "Trust me, what I said was a lot worse than stupid human," said Pyrothraxus. "I said I was going to..." "Don't," said Sam. "I don't want to know what was said. Considering how–rough the Red Dragon dialect is, I don't want to know." "I didn't mean it, I was just frustrated," said Pyrothraxus. "But I still don't think I can do this. I don't have enough time to bring our worlds together and I'm worried." "Dude, it isn't about the Old Way or the New Way," said Sam. "Not anymore. What it should be about now is combining our strengths together. Human technology with Dragon magic. Like you and me, rider and Dragon. That's how it should be. If they see us up in the air, together, they'll see we can work together. We got the Huntsclan to worry about, we got your mother and Zestos to worry about. No doubt after the attack, the Huntsclan wants in on the action now, rallying up supporters to go against what we're trying to accomplish." Sam leaned down and put on his shirt and jacket. "Yeah," said Pyrothraxus. He turned just as Sam climbed up on his foot and then up on his shoulders, straddling them tightly. Sam gave a slight tap to the shoulders, signaling to Pyrothraxus he was secured. The Red Dragon lifted up off of the ground. He walked over to where Ignatius was and prepared to launch. "Now, you see this?" Sam asked, calling at Ignatius. "This is what I'm talking about!" Ignatius turned around: "A rider and a Dragon? A rider and a Great Wyrm. Don't see that every day." "Nope," said Sam. "But this is what I'm talking about. We can work together. Old and New. What do you think?" "We know how to fight our own kind and you have the weapons to make us even more effective," said Barathus. "He has a point, Ignatius." "He does," said Ignatius. "You've got my ear, boy." "Don't call me boy, bastard," said Sam, smirking at the husky, old Dragon. Pyrothraxus chuckled and pulled out in front of Ignatius and Barathus. Sam tapped again and the Great Wyrm launched into the air. He held onto Pyrothraxus' frill. Behind him, Ignatius and Barathus launched into the air, followed by the other Dragons. Sam glanced back, his breath stolen when he saw the many enormous wings of the Ancient Chromatic Blue and Red Dragons take to the skies. He swallowed hard and then turned forward, squinting from the rush of wind against his face. The Enemy Below

Zestos rose himself out of the lava pit, feeling the molten rock rejuvenate him. He shook the glowing droplets off his fiery scales and walked towards a deep pool in the massive cavern. Echoing through the caverns was the sound of industry. The sound of preparation. He knew it would be some time before they are ready to give their lives to the glory of his master, but it would not matter anyway. They were pawns and nothing more, but at least the mortal world would be weakened enough to fall to them. Then, he will summon his master and the world itself will be his to rule. A toothy grin spread across his scaly lips as he dipped his head down to the pool. He flicked a rock into the water and listened as it splashed upon the surface. The rock skipped a few times across the surface before finally disappearing under the glowing, cyan water. A wave appeared in the water, bursting forth slimy, lengthy forms covered in scales. Two of them, sea serpents. These were draconic creatures that ruled the depths of the water. Zestos looked up at the massive, scaly, slimy heads of the sea serpents. Their finned heads dipped in respect of him. Silently, he gave them their orders. The two serpents gave a nod and lowered themselves back into the water. He turned his head back to the sounds of industry. He could smell the smoke and fire and he reveled in it. His mind then focused upon Shäzyx who flew over the Atlantic Ocean. Hidden through her spells, she passed over the target of Zestos' interest, two massive aircraft carriers belonging to the United State's Navy. They was being protected by two destroyers and a six other frigates, as they normally would do. It was a small battle group of ships, but the carriers were her prizes. On top of the ships were lines of fighters belonging to the Navy and Marines. This battle group patrolled the southern eastern seaboard near Georgia and Florida, keeping a watchful vigil upon the horizon for anyone daring to attack the East Coast. Shäzyx banked off, catching a thermal to hover upon. And then, she sent out a ripple from her body. The pulse barely even echoed through the air and could not even be heard by human ears, but she knew it sounded. She could hear the sounds of the engines on each ships falter. Then, she moved on, knowing what would happen next. There was no need for her to stay. She arched her way back into the sky, heading for the stratosphere again to continue her tricks to blind the electronically advanced mortals. Humans thought they were masters of electricity, what fools they were. Down below, upon the aircraft carrier, the naval personnel stood in bewilderment. The engines were not responding, the radio was out. Several seamen signaled to the ships around them. All answers pointed to the same cause, their ships were not going anywhere. Everything electronic had died on that ship. The captain on board watched as one of his engineers pulled apart the radio in attempt to repair it, but only found melted wires. "What could have caused it?" the captain asked. "How could our equipment just die in an instant?" The engineer wiped her hands on her hips and shook her head in dismay. "One possible cause, sir," she replied. "EMP." "Skipper," said his communications officer. "We have been getting reports of EMPs happening all over the East Coast, mostly up in New England. They don't know what's causing it." "Nuclear devices?" the captain asked. "No," he replied. "No mushroom clouds. However, when the EMP happens, an explosion does follow and an earthquake as well. There have been reports of a message being written in the ground by fire, first in a language we can't understand, but then written in English. It says: 'The Men of the New World will fall'. These messages are being found everywhere and they're all happening in an instant." "Who is doing it?" "Still, no information," said the communications officer. "The EMP that struck us, the same EMP that struck our cities?" "Possible," said the engineer with a shrug. "Whoever it is, they know what they are doing." Suddenly, they felt the ship lurch forward. The ships around them also rocked back and forth from some unseen force below. Without their sonar, without their instruments, they were blinded to this attacker. Up from the depths came a massive scaly coil with a line of frills running along the backside. Other coils followed. One of the coils then fell upon a frigate, taking it down under the water. Then, a single, reptilian head rose out from the water, its jaws lined with sharp teeth, its head covered in frills and barbules. Barnacles covered the underside of its chin. Water splashed upon the glass of the bridge of the carrier. "What the fuck is that?" the helmsman cried. The crew fell upon their stations, taking hold to brace themselves just as another monstrous head rose up from the ocean. A feral sneer appeared upon the serpent's jaws as it looked upon the carrier. Swimming around, it dove over the width of the ship, only to dive under the ocean. Its coils began to wind themselves around the deck. Once more, it reemerged from the water, tugging at its coils, rocking the carrier. Inside, the crew heard the sounds of the metal begin to buckle from the strength of the serpent's coils. The captain looked out over the bow, seeing one of the destroyers explode just off port. Naval and Marine personnel dove into the water. The captain, with his brow furrowed in horror, watched as each ship was being ripped apart by these enormous monsters, helpless to stop them. Armed gunmen tried to fire upon the serpents, but their bullets just bounced off the monsters scales with little care. The carrier dipped into the ocean as the coil continued to constrict. The crew on board tried their best to cut at the coils, but to no avail. They were helpless. The second aircraft carrier broke in half as the sea serpent began to pull it under, billowing smoke and flames came from the tattered parts. The captain knew that that was going to be the fate of his as well. 0 Sam held on as tightly as he could, though he wished he had a saddle right now. Pyrothraxus kept up rather well with his much larger uncle and the rest of the mixed batch of Red and Blue Chromatic Dragons. They made several teleporting jumps already, keeping an eye out for the aircraft carriers the female Blue Wyrm known as the Scryer had seen earlier. Behind Pyrothraxus was Barathus. His gleaming red eyes passed from one side to another, watching out for the ships. Pyrothraxus head turned slightly just as Barathus bellowed out a roar. The enormous Blue caught up and flew beside the Great Red Wyrm. "The Scryer has seen another vision!" he called. "What?" Pyrothraxus asked. "How would he know?" Sam asked, trying as best to call out to Pyrothraxus despite the sounds of the wind blowing across his face. "The Scryer is talented in telepathy," said Barathus. "A city of white buildings, mirroring that of Rome itself, in flames!" "Mirroring that of Rome..." Sam began. "Jon, he's talking about Washington D.C." "Oh, great!" Pyrothraxus said. "That's just great. Another attack. At the same time?" "She cannot tell," said Barathus. "I must warn Ignatius." "No, let me," said Pyrothraxus. He flapped his wings harder, diving towards the massive Great Wyrm Red Dragon. Ignatius turned his glowing green eyes towards his nephew. That was somethin Sam did not understand about Ignatius. He appeared to be the only Red Dragon with green eyes. There was something that made those eyes green. He knew that sooner or later, he had to ask him. However, this was not that moment. "Uncle," said Pyrothraxus. "The Scryer's come up with a new vision. Washington D.C. is in flames as well." "Well, isn't that just jolly?" Ignatius asked. "Fat lot that'll do us. And here I was hoping to meet your leader, Samuel." "We can still save him!" Sam called. "We'll have to split up." "Aye," said Ignatius. "That we'll have to do." He turned back to the flight of dragons behind him, turning over until he was flying backwards. Sam just stared in utter bewilderment at the near impossible stunt. "Alright, you lot, half of you will go to the American capitol and the other half will have to save the two ships." "Who will lead them?" Pyrothraxus asked. "You get that choice, nephew," said Ignatius. "You're the leader, after all. You choose who will lead one flight one way and the other flight the other way." Pyrothraxus snorted and turned his head slightly back to the flight, mindful of Sam riding barebacked between his wings. "Ignatius," he began. "You and half of the flight go and save the carriers. Sam and I will go to Washington D.C." "Sounds like a plan," said Ignatius. "Hopefully, they'll be in a good mood and not shoot at us while we're trying to save them." "If you had something white, you could signal to them that you're friendly," said Sam. "Fuck, if only we had a White Dragon we could wave at them!" Ignatius said. "Oh well, I'll figure something out. I'm sure me underwear will do just nicely." "You're not wearing any," said Pyrothraxus. "No wonder it's so damned chilly!" the elder Red Dragon said with a boastful laugh. He whistled back at half the flight. "You lot come with me!" They bellowed back their replies and flew off following Ignatius. "What the fuck?" Sam shouted as he watched Ignatius and half the flight disappear. "Jon, how is he able to fly like that? And at that speed?" "He's more of an aeromancy master than I am," said Pyrothraxus. "He is almost 20 thousand years old, after all. Hang on!" With one flip of his wings, he dove into a spin, the rest of the flight following him. Barathus dove for him as well, flying again along side of him. "You're keeping awfully close to me, Barathus," said Pyrothraxus. "To protect you," said Barathus. "From Malystryx. I know very well what she may do if she decides to." "Protecting me from my own damned mother," said Pyrothraxus. "That an I heard you were in the Far Realm," said Barathus. "A few of us are a little unsettled by that." "You wouldn't be following the Law if you weren't," said Pyrothraxus. "Aye," said Barathus. "Just reassure me that you won't start sprouting tentacles and threaten to devour our sanity." "I have no intentions of doing that," said Pyrothraxus. "However, King Ghidorah might say otherwise." "So, it is true," he said. "That three-headed monstrosity is in you." "It's not like I wanted him in me," said Pyrothraxus. "But I have to come to terms with it somehow, or else he'll win." "I understand," said Barathus. "I suppose that's good enough." "You can tell your fellow Blues that as well," said Pyrothraxus. "I know what's in me and I know what he can do. And I have told even Sam if anything happens..." "It won't happen, Jon!" said Sam. "I'm not going to let it." Pyrothraxus let loose a sigh as they continued to speed onward towards Washington D.C. 0 Ignatius pumped his wings powerfully, his own flight of mixed dragons struggling to catch up with him. His eyes scanned the surface of the ocean, searching in desperation for the two carriers. He flapped his wings, angling them out as he glided swiftly towards the ocean. The wind his massive body created parted the water in a bow wave. Suddenly, his green eyes caught exactly what he was looking for. There was smoke over the horizon. Ignatius glanced back at the other dragons and bellowed. He heard their replies as they all swiftly made their way towards the columns of smoke. As the smoke grew closer, Ignatius' keen eyes saw the coils of two massive sea serpents. Many of the ships were already starting to sink in flames. One of the carriers was missing. Still, there was the second one and a sea serpent had its coils around it, constricting tightly. "Tir ti lowd mrith dout mitneir!" Ignatius bellowed at the Blue Dragons. He knew that lightning would be useful against the sea serpents, however, the last thing he wanted was to start a spark amongst flammable fuel. The ocean was already burning enough as it is. "Tir ti klae dout ixen! Uthrab astahi!" The Red and Blue Dragons began to circle around the fleet of burning ships. Ignatius started for the center, his eyes focused upon the carrier. His green eyes flashed more intensely as he formulated his own magical energies inside of him. He was much larger than the serpents, much larger than the carrier as well. He knew he could use that to his advantage. His claws were outstretched, his jaws wide. Ignatius flew over and grabbed for the carrier, taking it into his claws and launching into the air. Whatever, men that were on the deck leapt into the ocean immediately as the massive Red Dragon took to the air again. His magic would not allow the carrier to break under the inertia of his speed. Ignatius swiftly gained altitude. The serpent coiled around the ship rose up, his jaws snapped for the Red Dragon's hide. Ignatius felt the teeth of the serpent grip him, biting deep into his scales. He bellowed out his roar, his grip on the ship loosening. Then, the serpent roared as well, feeling the splashing of Ignatius fiery, glowing, hot blood inside its mouth. Ignatius laughed. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that, you tosser!" he said. "How you like the taste of me blood, eh? Does it taste like strawberries?" The heated pain of Ignatius blood caused the serpent itself to loosen its grip. The slimy, lengthy reptile slowly began to let go of the ship, unwinding its body. Ignatius grabbed it with a claw and heaved it off the deck. The creature fell back into the ocean. The Great Wyrm Red Dragon dove for the ocean and then backwinged, slowing his descent down. He gently lowered the ship to the ocean surface as best as he could away from the other burning ships. He banked off and watched just as the other dragons finished off both serpents. He rose higher into the air and began to swing his claw around. Above him, the clear sky grew overcast. Dark clouds slowly rolled in and thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed brightly and the sky opened up. Rain came down, washing over the flames and swiftly putting them out. He hovered over the carrier, watching as the remaining crew came out of hiding. Ignatius smiled at them. "You lot alright?" he asked. The captain of the ship came down to the deck, looking the worse for wear after he had been shaken around from the flight. His crew stared up, the color in their faces draining out at the sight of the massive Red Dragon. The captain held his cap tightly and shakingly glanced to the sky as well, swallowing his bile. "Red dragon..." said the captain. "I...heard there was...a red dragon...working for the Air Force. Please, tell me...you're him..." "Actually, I'm not," said Ignatius. The captain fearfully signaled to his gunmen. They raised their rifles up, aiming for Ignatius. "Now, just a minute!" Ignatius called. "I just saved your sorry mortal ass and your way of gratitude is to aim your weapons at me? Is this how you Americans say 'thank you'? No wonder the rest of the world fucking hates your pathetic, fat, lazy asses. The dragon you speak of is my nephew Pyrothraxus. He works for your silly Air Force, not me. However, he did send me and them over to help you." The captain signaled for them to lower their weapons. "That's more like it," said Ignatius. "You lot need to learn who your friends are, especially with what's coming next. We're about to save your butts from pretty much the worst evil you've ever seen, so it's not the best idea to piss us off. As for me nephew, he's off to save this Washington D.C. you hold in high regard." "Washington D.C. is under attack?" the captain asked. "Yes, lad, it is," replied Ignatius. "Half of your country is in flames right now." "Who is causing this?" "Me other nephew!" Ignatius replied in an odd bit of glee. "Isn't my family just a bunch of sunny bastards? And me sister-in-law wants to turn you all into cows, or some form of strange, weird entertainment...which ever comes first. And don't get me started on me cousins..." "This is being caused by your family members?" "Aye," said Ignatius. "But don't worry, at least one of my nephews actually has a head on his shoulders. He gets that from me." Then, a blue blur raced around Ignatius. The Red Dragon looked around him as the blur came into form. It was a Blue Dragon. "Ah, Scryer," said Ignatius. "There you are." "We cannot linger," said the Scryer. "There is still much work to be done." "Yes, I know, Zephirax," Ignatius said. He returned his attention to the ship. "We've better be going." "You can't leave us stranded out here," said the captain. "The radio doesn't work and the wires are fried. It'll take us a while to get it fixed." "No problem, I'll leave a couple of dragons here, they can assist in rescuing survivors and well...towing you back to shore." He bellowed out and a Red Dragon and Blue Dragon answered his call. They were much younger Dragons, not Great Wyrms and certainly not as big as Ignatius. "Zexenuma mrith wer driik vur itrewic wer gahriari," said Ignatius. "Vur tir ti sone astahi! Si shilta ti yenta batobot aurthon." The two dragons growled and rolled their eyes at him. "Don't you fucking sass me, wyrmlings!" shouted Ignatius, shaking his finger at them. "Si geou svadri dout kevessa ekik! Get to work." "Axun, ith," the two dragons replied, dipping their heads. They flew protectively around the carrier. "Um, excuse me, sir," began the captain, looking back up at Ignatius. "If I may be so kind to ask, what did you tell them to do?" "Oh, I told them not to eat you," said Ignatius. "And if they did, I would rip their spines out through their asses and wear them around my neck like a gay boa." "Oh," said the captain. "I thank you for telling them...not to eat us." "Well, you know kids these days," said Ignatius. "Don't want to listen to their elders. So, you have to get out the switch if they don't listen. Don't worry, you're in good hands...I mean...claws. Time is running out for your capitol. We must go now." He took off with the rest of the flight following him, leaving the carrier behind and the two dragons as well, flying around it. Ignatius swiftly flew up to the front of the flight, flying right next to Zephirax, the Scryer. Zephirax nodded at him as they flew side by side. The two dragons continued on over the ocean, the flight following swiftly after them. Ignatius mind went back to his nephew, hoping that he would be as successful. The relationship between humans and magical creatures, especially dragons, will need to improve if they are to ever be able to stand together against Zestos and his master Asemodeus. Ignatius knew Pyrothraxus and his human friend Sam may very well be the thing to do just that, however, he did have his doubts. Mortals can be very difficult at times, this he knew. City Ablaze

The smell was unmistakeable. The air carried the heavy soot and ash upwards and it tinged his nostrils. His nose twitched. His eyes befell the sight of blackened smoke rising up, engulfing the sky, the winds carrying it off to the sea. He heard his passenger cough, ducking down to hold onto his enormous neck. "Sam?" Pyrothraxus began, worried about the hard sounds of the cough. He turned his head back to the human. "Sam? Are you alright?" Sam's throat scratched against itself each time he took in a breath. His eyes watered as they stung from the choking smoke. "Sam?" Pyrothraxus asked. "The...smoke," he replied. "Hang on," said Pyrothraxus. He turned back to the wind. With a powerful bellow, he signaled to the flight of dragons following him. Matching his speed was the enormous Great Wyrm Blue Barathus who echoed his roar. The enormous, flying creatures angled their wings all at once, ducking below the black clouds. Sam held tightly onto Pyrothraxus' neck, bracing his body against the scales. He could hear the Red Dragon's heart beat powerfully inside the neck with every flap of his wings. It was strong. Sam dug his fingernails into the dragon's scales as best as he could to get a better grip. Not that Pyrothraxus would have noticed Sam clinging onto him with his nails. Pyrothraxus' jaw set as he dove down lower, leading the others towards the heart of the smoke. The smoke slowly began to thin out the lower they went, beset by heat and frightening orange glows. As they pierced through the smoke, Pyrothraxus held his breath. "Sam..." he began. "Sam..." Sam lifted his head up and leaned over to peer over the Red Dragon's lengthy, leathery wing. There was only one word he could describe what he saw. Hell. Washington D.C., the capitol of the United States, and the most important seat of its government, was set ablaze. Fires fueled by gasoline and natural gas lines raged on, covering the sky with the inky blackness that turned day into night. The smoke cloud itself was so thick, the sun's rays could not pierce through. Buildings of white marble, echoing that of Rome, blackened against the raging flames of orange, red, yellow, and white. Between the smoke, there was nothing Sam could discern as recognizable. He thought he saw the Washington Monument and the Mall, but rather, it looked more like a tall torch in the midst of thousands of torches. "Where's the Mall, Jon?" Sam asked, shouting over the roaring wind and the crackling flames. "I can't tell!" Pyrothraxus shouted back. "Is it down there? Or over there? What has my brother done?" "Burned Rome," said Barathus, flying swiftly up to them. "Or what he identifies with as Rome." "We're not Rome!" Sam shouted. "Yes, we are," said Pyrothraxus. "In many ways, we are, a new Rome, born from the ideas of the old." "The military of the new Rome and you working together to stop him," said Sam. "Just like..." "Just like during the Great War," said Barathus. "The war that brought mortal and magical creatures together to fight against Zestos and his master in far eastern Europe." "Russia?" asked Sam deeply concerned. "Is there a symbolic political meaning to this?" "No," said Pyrothraxus. "The people who would one day form Russia also helped us. My brother just lived there because it wasn't heavily populated and he could do many things in secret without any of us knowing." Sam took in a sigh of relief. "My brother taking down what he believes is the new Rome, because Rome itself was powerful enough to lend us the effort we needed to take him down the first time," said Pyrothraxus. "And that was back then." "With spears and swords no less," said Barathus. "This new Rome has something new to throw at him. However, this new Rome is also a bit more arrogant than the old. And as you can see, its belief of being indestructible...Zestos has taken advantage of that." "Basically, you're telling me he caught us with our pants down," said Sam. "I tried preparing you," said Pyrothraxus. "Just didn't happen soon enough." "Where is this leader you speak of?" asked Barathus. "If we can find the Mall, we can find him," said Sam. "But...I wouldn't suggest landing in that!" "Your leader is in one of what you call your market places?" asked Barathus. "No," said Pyrothraxus. "The National Mall. It's this place where the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Vietnam War Memorial, and the Capital Building are all situated in less than a mile from each other. It's at the heart of the city." "Your seat of government," said Barathus. "That's it," said Sam. He looked over the other side. Below him, he saw a winding dark area amidst the flames. Water from the ocean spilled over into this dark area which then told Sam exactly where he was flying over. Amid the fiery hell that was once the capital, this one piece was a welcoming sight to behold. Flames reflected off of a perfectly rectangular shape in an area of flat, burning grass. There lit like a torch taller than any other flames was an obelisk, burnt black, but still somewhat recognizable. "Jon!" Sam called. "That's the Potomac River, and there's the Reflecting Pool. That's the Mall." Pyrothraxus looked down among the flames, seeing the recognizable shapes. He bellowed out again to the other dragons, commanding them to circle. "Sam, there is no hope that we could even find the President down there," he said. "He may very well be dead." "The war room is within a heavily enclosed area," said Sam. "A bomb shelter just in case the President cannot make it out. He's down there. But he won't be for long if we don't do something." As they descended, Sam could feel the heat of the flames. He began to breathe heavily, beads of sweat appeared upon his forehead and lips. He wiped his mouth, tasting the salty water upon his tongue and he swallowed hard. He felt the Red Wyrm beneath him shift as he slowly began to descend upon the fiery landscape. The heat coming off the flames tingled his skin, drenching him further in his sweat. Of course Pyrothraxus was not one bit bothered by the heat. Sam braced himself against his friend's neck as the dragon lowered down. Barathus was sharing some of Sam's discomfort. The heat even bothered him. A whiff of flames whipped at Pyrothraxus and he angled himself against it to protect his human passenger. Barathus rose his foreclaw up and shielded his face. The other blue dragons followed his example. Sam breathed heavily, the heat causing his lungs to constrict. Pyrothraxus could hear the faint raspy wheeze coming from his human friend. Sam let loose a cough, trying to clear his throat. His eyes stung from the heat and his sweat. "Sam?" Pyrothraxus asked concerned. "Can you...you...do something...about this?" Sam chokingly asked in between fits of coughing. "Do something...about the fire?" "Hang on," said Pyrothraxus. As they began to touch ground, the Red Wyrm turned back to his fellow Reds. "Rihlilg wer ixen, svent coita morne!" Each Red Dragon rose up onto their hind legs, spreading their wings wide. Sam heard a low hum come from the heated air around him. He felt a vibration through Pyrothraxus' own neck as the hum crescendoed. The sounds of each varying pitch reverberated through the flames and the flames themselves joined in with a roar and crackle. Sam felt the heat around him slowly subside and his body chilled as cool air rushed against his skin, causing the tiny hairs to stand up. The hum changed pitch and the flames almost let loose a sigh. Sam looked around him, seeing the city all ablaze slowly become extinguished. The raging fire that destroyed the city died with the sounds of the dragons' hum. Barathus and the other Blues looked around and released sighs of relief as the fresh cool air washed over them. Pyrothraxus looked up, seeing the black smoke slowly fade, revealing the cool sky. The sky was still alight with fire, but that was the sun going down. Sam took in his first breath of cool air, finally able to breathe again. All that was left of the flames was blackened earth and burnt buildings. For the first time, Sam could see the White House, though it was not looking white anymore. Its iconic shape remained, the only recognizable thing about it. He smelled the ash in the air. The wind picked up the gray soot from the ground, blowing it about in dark clouds. Though, it did not choke him as badly as the flames. Pyrothraxus slowly approached the seat of government, or what was left of it. The other dragons hung back. "What do we do?" Sam asked. "How do we get in? Can you just teleport in and get him out?" "I have to know where I'm going," said Pyrothraxus. "If I don't, I could end up inside of a wall, or even inside of the President or one of his men." "So, what do we do?" asked Sam just as the Red Dragon lowered his head down to the ground. Sam slid off the side of his neck and walked around to the front of the massive creature. Just then, Pyrothraxus shifted swiftly into his human form, fully dressed in uniform. Jonathan then shrugged. "If you know where the opening to the bunker is, we'll just dig our way inside," he replied. "Barathus, letoclo udoka." "Axun," said Barathus. "Fronah, ekess shashti." Sam felt the shadows of the dragons surround him. He looked up, feeling completely unfazed by their massive bodies. He blinked, slowly realizing that he really was becoming more and more used to being around such enormous creatures. Sam turned to Jonathan and took in a deep breath. Then, a smile drew across his face. "Hey, Jon!" he called. "Show me why you didn't want to try out for the high school football team!" Jonathan turned to his human friend and he blinked. He smiled back and let loose a laugh. The dragon-in-human form pushed up his glasses and squatted down to a wooden beam. The beam itself looked too massive for an ordinary human to lift. Sam crossed his arms and watched as Jonathan tucked his hands under the beam and then lifted the beam up effortlessly. He balanced the beam in one hand and posed like a quarterback, ready to toss a football. "I'd tell you to go long, but I don't think you can catch this ball, Sam," said Jonathan. "Chuck it!" said Sam. With a grunt, Jonathan tossed the beam. The beam swiftly streaked between the dragons, swiftly flying across the Mall. Sam shifted and placed his hands upon his hips. "Damn," he said. With a cocked eyebrow, Sam turned back to Jonathan. "You're right, man. We would have been cheating if you joined the team." "Including the physical that would have outed my true form," said Jonathan. " On top of that, tossing a ball 10 miles away would have been the eyebrow raiser, but then when they would have tried to take my blood, weigh me, listen to my heart. Not to mention the fact I was slowly rotting away during that time." "Yeah...something would have been up," said Sam. "Though the idea of a dragon playing football...well...it makes me geek-out a little." The two friends grinned at each other. Sam heard the sound of an impatient rumble coming from Barathus. He waved at Jonathan, motioning him to move. Jonathan heard the sound of rumbling as Barathus and the others began to clear out the debris around the White House. Red and blue claws gathered the debris and moved it away. Sam began to look around as they cleared away the rubble for a door. Jonathan walked over to Sam. "The bunker would be made out of metal, right?" he asked. "Shielded with it, why?" asked Sam. "I think I may have an easier way of looking for that door," said Jonathan. "Barathus, the bunker is made of metal. Can you detect it?" "I can," said Barathus. "I should have thought of this before," said Jonathan. "Get started, Barathus." "He can detect metal?" asked Sam. "He is a Blue Dragon," said Jonathan. "Remember...electromagnetism." "Which means they can detect the magnetic properties of various metals let alone send out nasty EMPs to mess up our global communication," said Sam. "Exactly," said Jonathan. He watched Barathus move in. The Blue Dragon shifted into a human form. He looked like a dark-skinned man dressed in varying shades of blue robes. His long black hair was pinned up behind his back. Sam could not help but to notice how intense his blue cat-like eyes were. Barathus came to the middle of the cleared area and held out his hands. Sam heard the sound of a metallic hum come from the disguised dragon. It sounded like the hum of a power station charging up. Then, he lowered his hands and pointed towards the edge of the rubble what looked to be a concrete shard jutting forth. "There," said Barathus. Jonathan approached the concrete and grabbed the rest of the beams that were blocking it. He tossed them away as if they were nothing more than pillows. The concrete jutting out of the ground was in fact a shaft with a metal door. Jonathan grabbed the handle and turned it, but found it locked. "Well, Sam, you're my...superior officer," he began, looking back at Sam. "You give me permission to break this door down." "Sure," said Sam. "But if you do, whatever guards are down there might...fire at you." "Bullet proof," said Jonathan. "I hope so. Go ahead." Jonathan knocked upon the door, feeling for the most weakened area. He heard a hallow echo upon the door and then his eyes flashed with intent. Jonathan pulled back, curling his hands into a fist. Then, he slammed his fists into the door, knocking it clean off of its hinges. Dust fell from the opening as the door clanged down the stairwell. As the dust cleared, Jonathan waved his hands and peered down into the dark stairwell. "Hello?" he began. He looked to Sam. "Sam! Come on!" Sam climbed down and Jonathan looked back to the other dragons. "Wait here," he said. "They're not exactly expecting to see all of you." Barathus signaled to the other dragons, motioning them to move back away from the rubble. Jonathan and Sam walked down the stairs. As they descended down, it became darker and darker. Sam stopped and took in a deep breath of frustration. "Wish I had a flashlight," he said. "I know you can see just fine, Jon." "Well as fine as a infrared black and white security camera," said Jonathan. "I've got an idea. I can make a flashlight." "No fire, man," said Sam. "No fire involved," said Jonathan. "This is the simplest spell ever performed. It's called continual light. Apprentice wizards on their first day learn this spell." He leaned down and picked up a piece of concrete that had fallen from the ceiling. Jonathan rose up and held his hand over the concrete rock. With a snap of his fingers, the rock suddenly began to glow like a bright lantern, filling the shaft with adequate light. "Catch!" Jonathan said as he tossed the glowing rock at Sam. Sam caught it in his hands and his eyes widened when he was shocked to find it felt cool in his palm. "Now this is convenient," said Sam. "And here I thought you guys used candles." "Magical creatures have't used candles and torches for years," said Jonathan. "That's our lightbulb. And it doesn't run out of batteries." He scratches his head as they continued down the shaft. "In the Underdark, lighting street lamps is a decent paying job for low level wizards." "I think we've just solved the problem of wasteful street light energy," said Sam. "If I can ever get this proposed. Lightbulbs that require no power." Sam lifted the glowing rock up as they made their way down to a second door at the foot of the stairs. He stopped just in front of the door itself. "This door is most likely locked from the inside," said Sam. "But here we are. The emergency bunker if evacuation is not an option." "The attack probably happened rather quickly," said Jonathan. "They probably didn't have any time to get out to any other secured location." Sam banged upon the door. "Mr. President?" he began. "Mr. President?" Jonathan came to the door as well, banging upon it. "Hello?" he asked. "Mr. President?" "Mr. President, this is Colonel Sam Davidson from the Air Force," said Sam. "We're here to rescue you." He stepped back, waiting for some sort of sound. Then, he resumed banging on the metal door. "Mr. President!" Jonathan leaned in, listening for any sound through the door. "Is the door sound proof?" he asked. "No, but it may be really thick," said Sam. "It's shielded." He looked to Jonathan who took his glasses off. "You going to give it your special touch?" "Yep," said Jonathan. "Stand back." Once more, he thrusted his fist forward and busted the door down. Jonathan heard the sound of clicking as the door opened up to a lit room. Just as he heard the sound of gunfire, he braced himself between Sam and the bullets. Jonathan raised his hands, placing a shield up. The bullets impacted upon the shield, flashing purple as they hit. "Hey!" he called. "We're friendly!" "Mr. President!" called Sam. "Lower your weapons!" shouted a voice. "Air Force officers." "Yes, sir," said Sam. He saw a strawberry blonde-haired and gray streaked man walk out from behind a group of armed Marine guards. He was dressed in a black suit and silk tie. Sam saluted the man. "President Jonas Phelan," said Sam. He nudged Jonathan in the gut. "Oh..." he said as he straightened up and saluted as well. "Who are you two officers?" asked President Phelan. "Colonel Sam Davidson, sir," said Sam. "And this is Major Jonathan Long." "Sam Davidson and Jonathan Long," said Phelan. "Yes, I know those names. You two are a part of that magical project in New York." He looked to Jonathan. "And you're the dragon?" Jonathan took in a deep breath and nodded, lowering his hand: "Uh, yes. I'm the dragon, Mr. President." "Maybe you can tell us what the hell is going on!" called another man, with salty hair, dusting off his expensive, brown suit. This was the Vice-President Edwin Kelly. "What the hell are all these attacks?" "Uh," began Jonathan. "Mr. President, Mr. Vice-President...uh, the war's started." "War?" asked Kelly. "That thing you and your team only alluded us to?" He stepped forward, over the knocked-over chairs. "What the hell have you two been doing then? Dancing with sugar plumb fairies?" "Well, studying fairies was a part of the job," Sam said sarcastically. Kelly's face turned red and he shouted, "What the hell were you two doing?" "Enough, Ed," said Phelan. "This was a surprise attack..." "You two were supposed to prepare us..." said Kelly, pointing his fingers at Jonathan and Sam. "Well, you guys really didn't take us all that seriously," said Jonathan. "We tried. It's just that you're trying to catch up on a thousand years of knowledge in a matter of only a couple of months. And mostly, even back then, we didn't share our knowledge with mortals...certainly not at the level we are now." "Who was it that attacked us?" asked Phelan. "My brother," said Jonathan. "He is working for a...higher power though." "Your brother?" asked Kelly. "Is this war some sort of family dispute? Is this how you dragons have family feuds? You blow up major cities?" "No!" said Jonathan. "Like Sam...I mean the Colonel said, he's working for a higher power." "Who?" asked Phelan. "I'm sorry, I haven't had much of a chance to read over every detail in the reports you've sent us, Colonel." "To put it simply," said Sam. "The Devil." "The Devil?" asked Kelly. "Satan?" "No," said Jonathan. "He is what you and your culture equated as the Devil. His actual name is Asemodeus and before he went on his attempt to conquer the universe...thing...he basically was the warden for all the evil souls who went down to Baator for punishment after they died. Then, he, became like the evil souls he watched over and went a little crazy. He began to realize that there was no hope in good and believed the whole universe was corrupted. Basically, he gave up and started a war with the gods in the Upper Planes. They defeated him and sent him back to Baator where he's been amassing an army ever since." "So, why does he want our planet?" asked Phelan. "He fears entropy," said Jonathan. "He doesn't want his life to end when the universe finally ends. Even Asemodeus realized that he cannot last forever. Our planet is just one of many he wishes to conquer in order to stop it." "Basically he wants control over everything," said Sam. "Typical evil villain stuff. But he wants to take every life he can to do it. That's why he's a threat." "Yes," said Jonathan. "So far, our planet has been one of very few planets that managed to make a stand against him. So, because we are a threat to his plans, he wants to take us down as fast as he can. Magical creatures and mortals fought together in that war 1500 years ago against him and we won. That's why I am trying to help you because I know that we magical creatures cannot face him alone, nor can you. It's together will we be able to defeat my brother and Asemodeus." "Can we take these forces down?" asked Phelan. "You have powerful weapons," said Jonathan. "But lack the knowledge to use them properly against a foe you've never fought. We have powerful magic and we have that knowledge. Fighting a magical creature isn't like fighting another mortal. You tried to shoot me with your guns and I was able to stop your bullets. You think most magic takes a long time to prepare, but when a magic user has been prepared already, guns can be just as useless against him as an ordinary sword. Asemodeus has his own sort of technology, it's not swords and shields anymore. He uses arcane powered machines at his disposal as well. He has constructs, basically giant robots powered by magic to do his bidding. And he has my brother, who apparently despite his banishment, has been studying your technology. Shäzyx, a Blue Dragon under Zestos' command knew how to blind you. These enemies aren't ignorant to your advances in science." "So, what do we do?" asked Phelan. "Well, we can get out of this stuffy bunker," said Jonathan. "And you can meet your allies, others of my kind who actually want to help you." "We're not alone in this war," said Sam. "I would like to meet your allies, then," said Phelan. "I had received word from the base that another ally had come there as well. That was before the communication shut down." "Another?" asked Jonathan. "Who's at the base." "General Reynard said his name was Galen," said Phelan as they began to walk out through the stairwell. "He's a Gold Dragon. He said he is bringing in more allies as well." "Galen?" began Jonathan. He paused, his eyes flashed with a dark fire. "Galen!" "Uh-oh," said Sam. "Jon, Jon. Just let it go. Let it go." "Is there something wrong?" asked Kelly. "Is this Galen not to be trusted?" "He can be trusted," said Sam. "It's just that...Jon and Galen were old friends, but um, how do I put this...Galen kinda lied to him about something important. But it's nothing that would jeopardize our efforts against Zestos...but..." He looked back at Jonathan, lifting the lit rock up to him. Jonathan's head was lowered. Sam sighed: "Jon, just let it go. He had a good reason. Even you had a good reason for not telling me! Just let it go." Jonathan passed the humans as he walked up, silently fuming. He turned back to them, his eyes glowing lowly. "Galen is Bahamut," he said. "The King of Dragons, and the one responsible for bringing magic to Earth, creating everything you know. Because of what he did, he disobeyed a number of laws laws and he was punished. And we are all being punished as well for his crimes." "Yeah," said Sam. "Jonathan's best friend is one of the most powerful gods in the universe. And he made a mistake, and that's why Jonathan and many other Chromatic Dragons from Earth don't like him." "I spoke to a god?" asked Phelan. "Yeah," said Sam. "You did. Wait, you spoke to him?" "He was attempting to tell us all what was happening but then the communication was cut," said Kelly. "Was Griffis attacked?" asked Sam. "The communication was cut when we were attacked here," said President Phelan. "We don't know what happened to Griffis or Rome, New York." They came out the shaft of the bunker to Barathus and the other dragons waiting for them. Barathus was still in his human form. The President felt a growing dread rise in his throat as he looked upon the massive, scaly forms before him. His guards held tightly upon their weapons, also feeling that same dread. Barathus raised a hand to them. He walked over to the group as they came out. The President stopped and looked around at the destruction to his city. His lip trembled slightly as he felt his heart sink to his stomach. Though the fire was out, smoke still billowed from the ruins. All that made Washington D.C. what it is, was gone. "We've never been attacked like this before," he said. "No one, in any of our wars did this to us. No one." "In the New World," said Barathus. "You thought you could be untouched by any enemy. But all along, that enemy was lurking right underneath your very noses." "This, Mr. President," began Sam. "Is Barathus. He is apparently I suppose...second in command to the leader of the allies who are willing to join us." "Who is the leader?" asked Phelan. Barathus then pointed to Jonathan and Jonathan took in a deep breath and nodded. "I am," said Jonathan. "The one who really seems to command them though is my uncle, Ignatius of Atlantis." "Ignatius of Atlantis?" asked Kelly. "The mythological sunken city..." "It's real," said Sam. "Apparently, Jon's father-in-law's familiar sank it centuries ago." "Familiar?" asked Kelly. "Familiars are magical animal companions to sorcerers and other magical creatures," said Jonathan. "Lao Shi's familiar is a dog who happens to be a potion wizard as well. Familiars help their masters in magical experiments. It was Fu Dog, our familiar, that helped create Dragon's Bane darts for Sam's Sergeant York." "I see," said Phelan. He turned to Barathus who backed away and shifted once more into his true form. "Ignatius was sent after two carriers," said Sam. "To rescue them from one of Zestos' attacks. He may have just saved some of our sailors' lives." "Then I will have to thank him as well," said Phelan. He turned to the other dragons. "Thank all of you for...helping us." "We do this because we share this world together," said Barathus. "And only for that reason. We do not want Zestos or his master to take over our wold as well. In that we have a common enemy, mortal." "Mortal?" asked Kelly, his fists curling up at the dragon. "Do you know who you are talking to? Show the President of the United States some respect..." "Edwin," said Phelan. "It's alright. If we don't have their help, we may not have a county left. Let alone a world. I need to know if there are others of your kind...magical creatures helping out the rest of the world. Other cities were attacked." "We do not know," said Barathus. "Possibly in the East," said Jonathan. "But...Mr. President, we magical creatures, since the war we fought against you...many of us still hold old rivalries to the West. We are a little bit more open to you because you appear to be more open to us. You don't hold the same...history...as they do. Your traditions are different. In a way, helping you, we were hoping you could also speak for us to them, show them that we are not what they believed us to be...at least not anymore." "Mr. President," began Sam. "Both sides, mortal and magical started that war a thousand years ago which tore our two worlds apart. But, many of them still place the blame upon us mortals. As for us, well, we don't exactly remember what happened since such history was lost due to aging records. But some Europeans kinda remember the war due to stories passed down from generation to generation. So, it's possible they may blame Jonathan's people for starting it." "I see," said Phelan. "My family is from Ireland, I do recall some old stories of 'Dark Times'. Stories about dragons, elves, and goblins...but...I just passed them off as children's fairytales." He scratched his head. "Until the day I admitted a dragon into the Air Force. Those tales don't seem like tales anymore. I don't know what's real and what's not." He looked to Jonathan. "We need to get to Griffis." "Mr. President," said Sam. "Today, you are about to fly in style. Just remember to hold on tight." Jonathan smiled and chuckled as he stepped back. Barathus and the others parted to give him some room to transform. In a flash of fire and smoke, Jonathan's form grew. As the smoke cleared, in place of a human was now a gigantic Great Wyrm Red Dragon. Pyrothraxus gave a shake to his frills and lowered his belly down to the humans before him. Sam helped the President, the Vice-President, and the Marines on as they ascended the crimson scales of the dragon. They seated themselves between the triangular wing shoulder blades. He felt the dragon shift under him as Pyrothraxus rose upon his all fours. "I knew he was big," said Phelan. "Never knew he was this big." "He's pretty big," said Sam. "And he's still growing." "I thought the major was a senior citizen," said Kelly. "Shouldn't he not be growing anymore?" "We dragons keep growing until we die," said Pyrothraxus. "However, the natural life span for a dragon is around five thousand years." "Which is why when you see Ignatius," said Sam. "I am going to say, don't scream in terror." "Why?" asked Kelly. "He's freaking huge!" said Sam. "He's three times the size of Jon alone." "He's nearly twenty thousand years old," said Pyrothraxus. "He's one of the oldest dragons living." "How does he eat if he's so huge?" asked Kelly. "He doesn't need to," said Sam. "Luckily. Same with them. Which is why they aren't looking at us like we would taste good between two burger buns." "Thank goodness," said Kelly, staring in blank shock. "Hang on," said Pyrothraxus. He swerved his neck to Barathus. "Wiilirk ve." "Axun," said Barathus. Pyrothraxus spread his wings and lifted off, launching powerfully into the air. Barathus and the other dragons followed him. Phelan took one last look upon his city, seeing the blackened destruction before him. He was silent, his brow furrowed. He leaned forward over the dragon's shoulder to survey the damage. Nothing looked recognizable to him from the air, the capitol was too far gone. The destruction reflected into his eyes. Pyrothraxus looked back as well, seeing the still smoldering capitol. He pumped his wings, feeling the wind pass over them, adjusting their angle for greater altitude. As they passed over the destruction, Pyrothraxus saw just how far it extended. The surrounding county had been burned as well, homes destroyed, businesses burned to ash. Pyrothraxus grumbled, shaking his head in dismay. The other dragons did not share his emotions for the destruction as this was not their land nor their people who were hurt. After living with the humans for nearly 40 years, Pyrothraxus had felt a kinship to them. This was his land...destroyed. He felt his muscles flex as he pumped his wings harder, gaining speed. Silently, he sent his message out to Barathus, who then spread it to the others. "Kepla'nas ihk coi..." Just as they left the destruction behind, they vanished only to reappear above Griffis. Pyrothraxus looked down, seeing the base still there as a welcoming sight. Upon the tarmac were now several other dragons, Blue, Red, and a mixture of Silver, Gold, and Bronze Dragons. One Red Dragon towered above all of them and of course there was a particular God Dragon speaking to him with a Silver Dragon standing beside of him. However, standing a little aways from the group was another Red Dragon with curled, black tipped, bone-white horns. The Red Dragon was female. However, his eyes did not stay upon her for long and he once more turned back to the Gold Dragon. As they all landed, Pyrothraxus lowered his head to allow his passengers off. Immediately, General Reynard approached them and then saluted upon seeing the President. "Mr. President," she said. "It is an honor to have you here." "Thank you, General," said Phelan. "I see your base is still in one piece." "They attempted to attack us but apparently...as you can see, we have some friends to help us out," she said. "However when Galen returned with his dragons, immediately they turned tail and ran...or rather flew." "They?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Your brother and his cohorts," said Reynard. "As it were. They flew away as fast as they could. It was the darnedest thing. That Gold Dragon Galen and the Red Dragon who accompanied him, the two sent them shrieking away. She never said her name, I don't know who she is and each time I try asking, something in my head makes me forget about it." Pyrothraxus turned to the Red Dragon and his eyes were wide. "No that isn't!" he said, in realization as to who that was. "That isn't." "What?" asked Sam, walking around to the front of his friend. Pyrothraxus lowered his head, his beaked jaws coming close to him. Sam reached out to touch the beak. "Who is she?" "Galen's ex-wife," said Pyrothraxus. Sam paused and then his eyes began to bulge out. He froze. He knew what Pyrothraxus meant. "What is she doing here?" asked Sam. "What?" asked the President. "Who is she?" "Mr. President...uh...that's the Queen of Dragons," said Sam. "She's a god too?" asked Phelan. "You might say that," said Pyrothraxus, drawing an uneasy grin upon his face. Phelan shrank back from the toothy grin. "It's a bit complicated to explain," said Sam. "But she's here, and...we're in trouble! Why is she here?" "I don't know!" said Pyrothraxus. "Tiamat is here?" asked Barathus, turning to stare too at the strange Red Dragon watching the Gold Dragon intently. "Why is the Dragon Queen here?" The Red Dragon had glowing blue eyes instead of the normal orange glowing eyes most Red Dragons had. Upon her cheeks were five black, triangular stripes. She had an air of superiority to her, a deep power that even made Pyrothraxus tremble with fear. "I thought she had five heads," said Reynard. "Like Galen, she can shape shift into a regular dragon form," said Pyrothraxus. "Oh, why is she here?" His head lifted slightly and tilted upward when he saw Ignatius slowly walk up to them. "I'm guessing you lot just found out who decided to pay us a visit," he began. "Do you know why she is here, uncle?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Aye," said Ignatius. "I do. Because Bahamut is taking a personal stance in this battle, he's got to have her permission. Don't worry, she won't be here long. So, none of you blokes have to go and piss yourselves with worry over whether or not she's going to make our sun explode." "Why would she do that?" asked Phelan. "She's the creator of the universe, sir," said Reynard. "Bahamut was not supposed to seed sentient life on our world, and when he did, he broke her laws, so she has the right to destroy us if she deems fit. So far, she hasn't, thank goodness. But according to them..." she pointed at Sam and Pyrothraxus. "She is punishing Bahamut for what he has done. But according to Pyrothraxus, there's this 'No interference' clause with the gods...and by helping us, Bahamut would be breaking it. But this is a special occasion. I don't know why. No one wants to tell me. So, that's who she really is. Major..." "That part, they left out," said Pyrothraxus. "I don't know. Uncle?" "Sorry," said Ignatius. "I don't know it either. But this must be bigger than we thought if she is actually not making a fuss about it and even giving us a personal visit and permission." "I'm just hoping that it's also not about..." Pyrothraxus began. "I mean she'll...I'll never see my wife and...oh...Susan! Jake! Haley!" The Red Dragon got up off the ground, slowly lumbering off, his head dipped in worry. He began to mumble to himself, leaning back upon his haunches and putting his fore claws together. He felt the golden ring around his finger, shaking his head. Sam looked up at him, seeing his long tail pat the ground in agitation. "Jon, it'll be okay," he called. "I'm sure they got somewhere safe. They may have escaped to the Underdark." "I shouldn't have left them," said Pyrothraxus. "I was so stupid! I shouldn't have left them. I...what was I thinking?" "We all make mistakes," said Sam. He followed along the massive tail to the dragon's haunched body. The enormous wings were drooping low, touching the ground. Sam walked around the enormous footprints his friend had made in the black pavement. He once more walked around the dragon to his front. Pyrothraxus leaned upon his curled knees. "Jon, you know who can tell you if they're safe. One thing having a good friend who's also an all powerful god." "I'm not speaking to him," said Pyrothraxus. "Don't be unreasonable," said Sam. "Unreasonable?" asked Pyrothraxus, leaning back. He peered down between his legs at the tiny human before him. "How am I unreasonable?" "You deciding to condemn Bahamut for something you've done yourself," said Sam. "Don't be a damned hypocrite!" "I'm a hypocrite?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Yes, you are!" said Sam. "You never told me you were a dragon. And guess what? I forgave you. I understood your reasons and I forgave you. But I did feel betrayed by my best friend. I felt betrayed because you couldn't trust me with this secret. I would have kept it for you even back when we were kids...well, I was a kid and you pretending to be a kid. I would have kept it a secret. But you didn't tell me until now. And I respect why. This isn't something you tell people right off the bat unless you absolutely have to. I get it. It's the same with him. He couldn't tell you because he was forbidden by..." he then pointed to the blue-eyed Red Dragon. "Her! He was already in a lot of trouble because of what he did." Pyrothraxus closed his eyes and puffed out his large chest. He turned his nose up at the human. "Don't give me that crap," said Sam. "Just let it go. Swallow your pride, go over there to Galen and say you forgive him." "What's worse is you didn't tell me either," said Pyrothraxus. "You kept that as a secret after what I told you about myself." "I'm sorry I did," said Sam. "Really. But quit acting like a child and just go over there and talk to him. Go over there and ask him if Susan and the kids are alright." "Fine," said Pyrothraxus. He got up and swung his body around. Sam ducked down just as he saw the Red Dragon's tail swing around as well, nearly knocking him back. He felt the wind off of the tail as it moved and he covered his head. Sam staggered slightly, feeling the ground tremble as the dragon lumbered away. Barathus and Ignatius parted as Pyrothraxus moved towards the Gold Dragon. Galen turned around and a smile appeared upon his face when he saw Pyrothraxus move towards him. Pyrothraxus turned to the strange female Red Dragon with the blue eyes who then cocked an eyebrow at him. A smile appeared upon her face and she dipped her head as if giving him her silent permission. She let loose a deep chuckle. "Jon!" said Galen. "Glad you made it back. I have so much to tell you..." "I have something to say to you too, Galen," said Pyrothraxus. He then reared back upon his hind legs and opened a wing. Swiftly, he swatted Galen to the pavement with the wing and then leapt upon him. As if on cue, the moment Pyrothraxus had Galen pinned, Galen shifted his form, his scales turning platinum. Two other pairs of wings grew out from his side and his size became slightly larger. Pyrothraxus gripped Bahamut's neck with his claws, slamming the divine dragon's head down upon the tarmac. "It's about time you showed your true form, you lying bastard!" Sam, Reynard, and Phelan rushed over to the two dragons. "Jon!" called Sam. "This isn't what I meant!" "Major, let go of him, that's an order," said Reynard. She looked to the female Red Dragon. "Aren't you going to do something about this?" The dragon made no vocal reply and only shook her head, still smiling. "You're ex-wife isn't even going to help you, Galen," said Pyrothraxus. "She never does," said Bahamut. "Look, Jon, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But...Sam was right, this is just like you not telling Sam or your wife and children." "You heard that," said Pyrothraxus. "I can hear just about everything," said Bahamut. "The only one who can hear better than me is well..." He turned his head to Tiamat. "She's got the longest ears." The smiling dragon shrugged in dismissal to that description of her. "Pyro!" called Ignatius. "Get off of him! Now!" "He lied to me!" said Pyrothraxus. "He was my friend and he lied to me." "So the fuck what?" asked Ignatius. "We've been lying to the mortals for centuries to protect our own asses. The lies end here, it's time for truth. Now get off of him before I blast you off." Pyrothraxus growled and pulled away, getting off of Bahamut. The Platinum Dragon got off the pavement, shaking the gravel loose from his shining scales. Bahamut turned to his old friend and sighed, all six of his wings drooping. "Jon, I'm sorry," he said. "Really. But I had a good reason like everyone here had one." "Why?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Why didn't you say anything?" He turned to Sayan'i. "You knew about this?" "Of course I did," said Sayan'i. "All Metallic Dragons know who Galen really is." "Oh, so this is a secret you only share with Metallic Dragons?" "Well, Chromatic Dragons don't really make it easy for him to come clean." At the sound of her thunderous voice, the world nearly fell silent. However, she said it so casually, so plainly. Tiamat once more shrugged when all eyes were upon her. "Oh my God, she talks," said Reynard. "Despite the fact that I am punishing him for what he has done," Tiamat continued, ignoring Reynard. "You should not shun him for his actions. He did make you. At least be grateful for your existence instead of calling it a curse. If I wanted you all dead I would have done so at the very moment he began forming your proteins and amino acids." "Instead you made the rest of the universe shun us," said Pyrothraxus. "I did not. They decided to do that themselves. I had no hand in their choice to call you all freaks." "Are we freaks?" asked Sam. "No more than the platypus," she replied. "Bahamut was in the wrong to think he could create beings like those that live on Oererth. Despite that, this planet is a success. Despite some rough areas that need to be smoothed out." She turned to Bahamut. "Whether they live or die, it falls upon you. This planet only may you interfere. Stop Asemodeus. He has tried to control this world's sister, he wants this world as well." "I understand," said Bahamut. "Thank you." He then looked to Pyrothraxus. "What about...um..." "It's your fault for connecting the dimensions that allowed that abomination here to possess him," said Tiamat. She shrugged again. "You fix it. Be warned, if you fight Asemodeus personally, you could very well destroy all that you have created, Bahamut." Bahamut slumped and sighed, shaking his head. He shifted slightly. "Of course," he said in defeat. "Farewell." The blue-eyed Red Dragon suddenly winked out of sight. There was no dramatic flash, no expenditure of power for her passing, she just vanished. "She's not very showy with her exists," said Sam. "I half expected a choir of angels singing as she left or something." "Why would she need to show off now?" asked Bahamut. "Before she became what she is, she was very showy. No point in it now." He turned back to Pyrothraxus. "You're worried about Susan," he began. "She's fine. She did make it out safely. They fled to the Isle of Draco. However, they will not be safe for long." "What's going to happen?" asked Pyrothraxus. "Zestos plans on attacking it as well," said Bahamut. "Listen to me, all of you. You must be willing to help each other. This is our war, all of us are going to fight it. To make the magical world trust you, you must be willing to give aid to them as they have to you." "You dragons helped me escape," said Phelan, craning his head up at Bahamut. "It's only right that we help you as well. But we don't know how to get to this Draco place. I've only read about it in reports. If we can't find the island, then we can't send our ships over to help you." "You don't need to send ships, President Phelan," said Bahamut. "I will take you there myself. Gather up your weapons and your crafts, whatever you think may help us. I can easily transport us all there." "Alright," said Phelan. "General!" "Yes, sir!" said Reynard. "Everything you have at this base," he began. "I want it going with us. Helicopters, trucks, jeeps, I don't care. Everything you can spare." "Yes, sir," said Reynard. She called to her men. "Alright, pack everything up, we're going with the big Platinum Dragon." She walked away, continuing to bark out orders to the officers and enlisted men. They began to scatter around, running in between the dragons' legs as they gathered up their supplies and ammunition. The men and women tossed the supplies into army trucks as technicians fueled up helicopters, arming them. "This is an Air Force base," began Sam. "We don't have tanks here." "What you have will be fine," said Bahamut. "With the satellites out and the power out to almost everywhere," began Sam. "We wouldn't be able to radio for any assistance. We're all you got right now. You managed to shield the base from the EMP?" "That's right," said Bahamut. "Thanks," said Sam. He left to assist in loading up the trucks. "So long as Shäzyx is up there," said Pyrothraxus. "Those pulses will continue." He looked to the sky. "Someone's going to have to take her down." "That someone could be you, lad," said Ignatius. "With a little help of course." Pyrothraxus flipped his frill and tilted his head to the side: "I suppose that help would come from you, uncle?" "It's been a while since I've kicked some ass," said Ignatius. "After spending so much time on the moon, I need a good romp to get back in shape again." Pyrothraxus shook his head with a chuckle. He looked over to see several airmen saluting Reynard. "We're ready, ma'am," one of them said. "Alright," she said. She turned around to look back up at Bahamut. "Ready when you are." "This will not hurt one bit," said Bahamut as Pyrothraxus went to his side. He lifted a platinum claw and snapped his fingers. Within an instance of a flash, everyone, all the dragons, all the humans, and their equipment they had gathered, vanished.