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Chapter 7: Captivity

Agrok woke slowly with a deep groan of pain as her entire body ached with deep bruises. Her head pounded even worse than the rest of her body, it was like an entire mountain was resting on the top of her skull. The gryphoness tried to lift her head only to find her neck was locked in some kind of restraint. She tried to bring her foreclaws to fight against the restraint, but she found those bound in the same restraint. Agrok opened her eyes to find she was locked with her neck and foreclaws in a large block of wood that was bolted to the ground. The block was at the back of a small stone room with damp moldy air, it could only be a dungeon. There was a bit of movement beside her and it was too large to have been rats. "You are finally awake, I was beginning to worry that he had caused internal injuries when he slammed you against that wall," a soft feminine voice spoke from beside her. Agrok turned her head as much as she could and turned her eyes to see who was speaking. She nearly gasped as her eyes fell upon a silver scaled dragon's face. She looked as though she were a living statue made of pure silver with sapphires for eyes. The muzzle was about the same length and taper as the drakes but her scales were much smoother in texture along her snout. There were no horns on this dragon, which brought back her memory of just who she was looking at. "You saved me, at the cost of your own freedom," Agrok said aloud, "I can only wonder why, and how you got to be so small when you were a great silver leviathan last I seen you." The dragoness smiled softly, "One does not have to have a reason to help some one in trouble. I must admit to have many of them in this case however. The greatest of which would be your potential, you have the strength and courage with skill to back them up. You can be something great that can make a difference against the Legion. They have fought nothing like you before and that gives you an even greater edge." "So you saved me so I can fight your war for you. Why does that make me feel used," Agrok replied bitterly. The other female sighed softly, "You don't understand the full of my intentions, that was simply my greatest reason and certainly not enough of one for me to give up as much as I have. I must admit to having watched you for a few months now, ever since I followed the Legion to this world. You have intrigued me with your indomitable spirit and your will to press on and make your way in the world. I have watched your tender kindness to an orphan and your family and friends. I suppose I could sum it up by saying that you have a beautiful heart and soul worth saving." "T-thank you, but I am really nothing special," Agrok blushed a bit rosy at her nares, "You probably already know that I am Agrok Asreigh, but I have not had the liberty of knowing who you are." The dragoness nodded a bit, "Yes, that is correct even if I had not intended to use your name until you had given it to me. To answer your half asked question, I am Tensaih, last surviving member of clan Shieldra, the first and last clan of the dragons of Ketzial." "Under better circumstances I would say it is a pleasure to meet you Tensaih, forgive me if I have trouble finding this enjoyable beyond the fact that I am alive," Agrok said softly with an apologetic tone, "I must also ask you forgive my curiosity when I ask if you have just said you are the last of your kind." Tensaih looked down at the floor, "There is nothing to forgive sweetheart. To answer your question, I am indeed the last of my species and when I pass the blood lines will die with me." "Could you not mate and breed to at least give a new path for the blood of your people? Certainly that would be better than extinction," Agrok offered her solution. Her cell mate shook her head gently, "I am not normal, I am incapable of finding males sexually attractive and forcing myself to be with one leaves me feeling so filthy and wrong; it takes several months to fully recover. I am a snout twister is what my people called us, I believe your people called the human women like me.. Oh dear what was that, tail nibblers?" "You're a tail nuzzler," Agrok asked with a bit of shock. Tensaih laid her ears back and nodded, "Yes that is the term, I do hope this does not make you uncomfortable in my presence. I am not some crazed rapist that will hold you down with magic and take what I wish from you." The gryphoness gave a soft sigh, "My father always taught me to be tolerant of others differences and to try and learn about and from them. There are plenty of other things that are much bigger reasons to be uncomfortable than your personal preferences in attractions. Besides, it;s not like such a lovely creature like you would have any interest in such a strange and runty broadwinged girl like me. I look like an adolescent male." "Who ever told you that is a blathering idiot or surely must have been roaring drunk," Tensaih huffed her distaste in anyone who would push that viewpoint, "Most likely a bad case of both simultaneously." Agrok burned a very dark red at her nares as she squirmed a bit under such statements, "Oh now you are just trying to make me feel good about myself, surely a dragon could not find a gryphon attractive." "You should know better from your father and his mate," the dragoness turned her gaze down and away from her, "It is how I said, I had many reasons for helping you the way I had. Know that I do not assume you to be the same as myself in the least. If you wish I will leave you alone from here on out." The gryphoness could not reach her hand claw, so she flopped her tail over Tensaih's , "Please don't, I would prefer to face this with a friend at my side." Her cellmate turned her gaze back to her as best she could, "You really mean that? You really do consider be your friend?" "You saved my life and so far there is much to like about you. I would call this a good start, aside from the entire dungeon portion," Agrok replied with an encouraging grin. Tensaih offered a weak smile in return, "Yes, hopefully this is a temporary arrangement. Perhaps we could pursue a friendship when this is over with and we are both free again?" "I think I would like that very much, I have a few friends but not very many at all. All we can do for now is wait and hope for a chance to get out," the gryphoness replied and settled herself in to do just that.

* * *

Tahkra kept her appearance of calm on the outside even as she was a shattered wreck inside. This meeting with Necrotai and Owen was not helping her in the least either. Both men had come to offer what aide they could in retrieving Agrok, which brought the demand to know what they could do. Tahkra simply did not know what to do about her sister being captive. "Look, Owen, Necrotai, believe me when I say that I appreciate the offers of aid with all my heart, but the truth is I do not know if it is even wise to try to retrieve Agrok. She may be my sister, but can I really justify the potential loss of others to save just one warrior," she asked her allies. Necrotai shook his head, "No, as a leader you cannot ask that if the risk is too high. Unless of course the call of the people cries out for the return of their lost for the sake of feeling secure." "Yes, it probably wont sit well with the people to know that she was left in the hands of those savages," Owen added with a grim nod, "They may have executed her already if she is lucky, other wise they probably have or will subject her to cruel tortures and inquisitions to get every last drop of information they can from her." "Stop it! Just stop," Tahkra cried as her eyes quickly flooded with the tears she was holding back, "I know what they are probably doing to her, I know that. I don't need it smeared all over my beak. She is a hero and a valuable warrior to you, but she is MY sister and truest friend. You think YOU have a hard time with this? Some one I love is in the most dire trouble one can be in, and all my resources have to be held back to protect everyone else. I can't do anything to help my sister, I-I-" The door to the dwelling opened as Malehk made his way into the dwelling, "Krinzehl called me, Tahkra is everything alright?" She looked up at her mate and before she could speak he was at her side with his forelimbs and wings wrapped tightly around her, "Malehk, she's out there all alone and they are probably doing terrible things to her right this moment. I can't-" "Shhh, I know sweetheart," Malehk cooed softly to her, "We'll think of something, we just have to hold on and be strong for her. I know she is out there fighting them with her iron will right as we speak." Necrotai turned a disgusted look upon Owen, "This meeting is over, it is for the best if you leave." "My apologies, sometimes it is hard to remember that some royal families can be common soldiers at times. I simply did not think," Owen replied before he made his way to the door, "I wish you luck and any resources you may need from me are at your disposal." Tahkra did not see him leave, she had her face buried in Malehk's neck rough to sob freely for her sister. Heavy boots moved toward them as there was a sound of metal armor unbuckling. A moment later a heavy bare hand gently stroked at the back of her neck while she pressed tight into Malehk's embrace. "I am sorry you must endure this Queen Asreigh, but I am afraid that endure it you must. Your people need you and I am certain they will volunteer to do what it takes to get Agrok back on their own. She is smart enough to survive and tough enough to endure what ever they may try to throw at her," Necrotai spoke softly and encouragingly to her, "I will have my scouts moving through out their territory looking for signs of prisoners being held and gryphons in particular. As soon as we find her and get a chance to do so safely, we will be trying to free your sister." His hand left her neck and his foot steps started to move away before he paused, "And don't think to tell me that you can't ask me to do this, because you aren't. I am doing this of my own free will and I already have had volunteers amongst my scouts and even my Black Guard to join the mission once we have a target." The sound of the hide door closing marked the Bizshra's exit as Tahkra continued to hold tight to her mate and weep The had little else left in her at that moment and it made her feel so helpless and useless to her family and her people. How could she expect the people to believe she could protect them when she could not even protect her own sister? How could she ask others to risk their lives and perhaps rob their own families their loved ones just to save her own? It was a double edged blade that cut her no matter which way it moved. Her only course of action was to move it in a way that only hurt her and her family. "He's right you know," Malehk spoke softly to break the silence, "Agrok is strong and smart enough to get out of this alive, all we have to do is stay strong and not give up on her." Tahkra looked up at him with her ears flat against her skull as tears continued to stain her cheeks, "I know that Malehk, but I can't stand to think of what they might be putting her through. She's my little sister, I'm supposed to protect her." "She is a warrior Tahkra, she protects you now and she gave up her freedom to do just that. Stay strong for her, love. She needs you to be the strong and wise queen you are so you can solve this problem and get her out of there," Malehk replied firmly. Tahkra wiped her eyes with a careful forepaw, "Alright, I'll do it. For Agrok. I just hope we solve this in time." *

* * *

Tensaih's back and neck ached badly from being forced into the awkward position for days with little to no sleep. Her only consolation was the life and the presence of the lovely gryphoness. Even her scent was pleasant, especially compared to the dank scents of the dungeon. A sincere wish to set her free danced in the heart and mind of the dragoness while she rested her neck against the wooden block that held them both. Even as her physical body rested, the mind and soul of the shimmering serpent struggled against the bindings on her arcane might. If she could break free of the bindings it would be rather simple to escape the clutches of GahlByrn and his minions. "Tensaih, are you awake," Agrok asked with such a soft tone that the dragoness could hardly hear her voice. She couldn't help but feel a bit warmed by the sound of that lovely voice, "No Agrok, I am quite awake. I am resting but I remain awake. Was there something you needed to discuss?" "Just curious about some things that deal directly with you. I do not mean to pry but you intrigue me and I would love to know more about you," the gryphoness admitted with a bit of a falling of her ear tufts. Tensaih smiled at her and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder with her tail, "Do not fret sweetheart, I am glad to share my history with you. I am interested in you after all and friendship must grow from mutual trust and sharing. Tell me what it is you would like to know." "Well, I am wondering about how you figured out you were a tailnuzzler, no, I should not call you that," Agrok stopped herself after she had let the word fall from her beak. The dragoness was a bit confused by her disdain for what she had said, "Why is that hun?" "You may not realize it, but that is a derogatory term for those like you and I will not be so ignorant or cruel to place that label upon you," the gryphoness replied with a bit of a stern determination in her voice that warmed the heart of the dragoness. Tensaih turned her head a bit to hide the single tear of old pain and new joy in the tolerance of this stranger, "Thank you Agrok, your kindness and open heart means more to me than you could ever imagine. I am glad I have done what I have to save your life." "Thank you for sparing me that fate, having my soul consumed was not something I was looking forward to," Agrok replied softly. The dragoness could only nod to that, "Yes, not a desirable situation to be in. As far as your questions, they are all related really. I discovered my attractions when I fell for a beautiful lady during my training as a mage. We were good friends and I thought I cold trust her so I admitted my strange attractions." "That does not sound like it went well at all," the gryphoness spoke with a sympathetic tone. The silver female shook her head sadly, "No it did not, she betrayed me and told my parents along with everyone else she could get to listen. My confusing secret was out and the ridicule was flooding in like a tormenting tsunami of pain and misery My kind are not welcome amongst my people and to live in solitude was pure torture for a social species like mine. I tried everything right up to trying to mate with a close friend of mine. That was a miserable failure that lost another friend." "You couldn't do it so he was offended,"Agrok asked gently with a tone of support. Tensaih shook her head as best she could, "No, I did indeed let him have my body, and while it was physically pleasant, I felt so wretchedly wrong after wards and almost dirty. He didn't handle my emotional pain from sharing with him very well. He couldn't look at me any more, let alone talk to me. He had felt as though he had raped his best friend or even his sister. I found out later on that he ended his own life after a long spiral into depression." "Oh my, that is rather terrible. I am so sorry for the loss and I hope he rests well with his ancestors," Agrok offered with a gentle tone of sincerity. The dragoness sighed softly, "That was only the beginning of my troubles, after it was spread around that I could not handle being with a male I was forced into exile from my people. I was not very far away, but everyone else made it a point to avoid me. All I had was magic and my personal studies and experiments. Then the Legion came. They began slaughtering the humans and other races of our world until we dragons stood against them. I was not informed of the events unfolding outside my den for some time until a young human came to plead for my help. By the time I left my den to face the Legion my entire race had been wiped out." "So you faced them alone," the gryphoness gasped, "That was insane and incredible at the same time." Tensaih nodded gently, "Perhaps, but there was no one else left to challenge the Vyrekai under GahlByrn's command. I faced them and I beat them one by one, sometimes in pairs. I even bested GahlByrn himself to drive him and his forces back to the wretched place from which they came. I placed a powerful ward upon my world that would seal it off from punch-gates permanently. Unfortunately I had to place the final seals through a punch-gate on another world. In order to keep it safe I had to leave my home for good. As for GahlByrn's interest in me, he has been obsessed with me since his defeat on Ketzial. He is convinced that some one that skilled and powerful must be his breeding consort." "Tensaih, no! Why on earth did you let yourself fall into his hands? I would have rather died than to know some one like you put themselves into the claws of one so obsessed in such a manner," Agrok protested the events that had already occurred The silver female shook her head gently, "And I would rather be put through what is to come than to know I let some one like you die while I watched and did nothing. You see where we are at a point of conflict between our personal moral stand points." Agrok started to speak but her voice caught as a gurgle in her throat as she suddenly became paralyzed. The cell door opened once she was incapacitated and a young red scaled fire dragon stepped inside. His lean build was unusual for his breed as his lack of horns betrayed his Shialan roots. Tensaih could feel his power, not very significant at all to her; perhaps he could have been a journeyman at best. Two armored and armed guards followed the lanky male into the room. The human's features were hidden by their armor so the dragoness could not guess at their state of health. "Well, well, well. Looks like the fabled Tensaih has fallen prey to her loin's desire. A pity that you are now at my mercy since I have none. It must be truly maddening to have to bow to some one far less powerful than you," the red scaled male grinned a wicked toothy grin that made him appear more frightening than he ever could be. Tensaih fired right back, "Well, if you intend to execute us by crushing our bodies under your ego, I would say you are off to a commendable start. Now if you don't mind, I would like to avoid your emotional masturbation and get on to what ever message you were charged with delivering to high profile prisoners." "Mind your mouth you snout twisting whore. Unnatural filth like you shouldn't dare speak to me in any form of defiance or insolent tones," the male snarled and hissed at her, "Master GahlByrn has decided to be hospitable and allow you to sleep outside your blocks this evening. He has decided what he wants to know from the cat-bird slut and will have his inquisitor start in the morning." Tensaih noticed the other dragon moving closer to Agrok as he spoke, eying her intently, "How generous. You have delivered your news and the gift, what business have you here now?" "Hmmm.. I just might welcome this little whore to captivity myself," he snarled as he reached down and pulled the gryphoness' tail up to reveal her to him and Tensaih, "Oh wow, look at that. So luscious and alluring. I bet she is barely touched at the most. She is going to be so wonderfully tight and sweet." The vile male began to lift Agrok's hips and adjust his position to prepare himself for the disgusting deed. Tensaih lashed out at him with her breath weapon, washing a beam of frost down over his body from his neck and down along his tail. The bastard tried to scream but his breath froze in his throat. Tensaih shouldered the frozen corpse at the guards to stand over the slowly recovering gryphoness defensively, "That fool didn't know enough about me to realize the binds that hold my magic in stasis do not effect my breath weapon. Take that back to your master and tell him I will not behave properly if his lackey's continue to try and take my prize for themselves." The armored humans took hold of the frozen dragon and dragged it from the cell with every show of disdain in their body language. They closed and bolted the door behind them to leave Tensaih and Agrok to recover from the encounter and rest for the night. The gryphoness shook her head as she stood to her feet, "Thank you again my friend, I couldn't imagine having that little bastard under my tail like that. I hope freezing him was lethal." "Very much so, it is possible that he could be revived with effort but the odds on GahlByrn spending the resources are next to none, " the dragoness replied gently as she settled into as comfortable a spot as she could find, "I couldn't sit there and watch him do that to you, no one deserves that." Agrok padded over to her and gave her chin a gentle nuzzle before she settled down with her. Tensaih felt her heart pounding in her chest as the gryphoness snuggled herself against her chest and shoulders to lay her head on the dragon's flank. "Rest your head on me, it will be far more comfortable than the hard ground," Agrok offered with a gentle smile. Tensaih felt her skin darken beneath her scales as she let her eyes trail along her companion's body, "Are you sure you want me doing that? You know what I am and my interests." "Are you afraid that you will attack me in my sleep," Agrok asked with a warm expression, "Some how I feel you have better self control than that. But if you really feel I owed you something in the middle of the night, I could tolerate some one as kind in heart as you." The dragoness felt her stomach dance around in knots of nervousness and hope, "You don't really mean that, you have been with males have you not?" "I have, and I do find them very attractive and quite pleasant in a moment of passion," the gryphoness replied calmly, "I have never thought of a female in that same manner before, although I have met a few whom I found very lovely and desirable to be around. I would be lying if I said you were not one of them. Don't get me wrong, I am not offering or asking to engage in anything sexual with you. I am just saying that if it were to happen, it would be some one like you I would experiment with. The idea doesn't sound too terrible to me outside of the strangeness of my potential lover being female." Tensaih was glad for her scales to hide her dark blushing as the words coming out of that lovely beak felt so good to her ears and her heart, "If I were more territorial I would ask to stake claim on your first experimentation if they ever come." "Granted. If I ever want to try being with a female I will come to you. You are beautiful, warm, caring, and you would know what to do and likely be tolerant of my lack of knowledge," Agrok replied warmly. Tensaih smiled just as warmly, "You know, even more so than the pleasures of the flesh, this very sort of warm and caring contact is what I have wanted and needed all my life. Your kindness and open mind have left me in a warm and fuzzy minded state, almost as if I were in a state of afterglow." "Well I'm glad it was good for you, but I'm a little confused as to how this was supposed to be physically gratifying," Agrok teased. The dragoness giggles softly and laid her head on the flank of her new friend, "You silly, beautiful girl. I am glad that since I had to go through this, that I do so with you." "Together we will survive this, we are stronger than they know when we stand together," the gryphoness replied as they both closed their eyes. Both captive females lay half curled together with their heads on one another for warmth and comfort, both physical and emotional. They both felt the warmth of mutual support during their trial of captivity. Tensaih could only hope that their time in there would be short and they would have to endure very little.

* * *

The twin moons stared down at Grenz like a pair of mocking eyes. The red glaring while the blue winked at him, it was enough to make the frustrated warrior want to gouge them both out. The massive broadwing made it a point to be alone on his quiet little hill as he let the pain and worry run it's course through his system. He was afraid for the well being of his rival and powerless to do anything to help his friend. The fear and helplessness triggered his old defenses by showing themselves as anger. He was looking for a target and he knew it, so he stayed away from everyone to keep them safe from himself. Out there, all he could do was glare back at the moons. "It is peaceful out here," Jirri said softly to let him know she was approaching from behind before she sat next to him. Grenz gave a soft sigh, "It is only peaceful on the horizon, love. Inside this bird is a raging storm that would flatten this landscape if it should ever escape. That is why I came out here to keep anyone I knew from getting caught in it." "I know Grenz, but I am your mate and I cannot let you weather said storm on your own. You need some one right now and perhaps your love for me will keep me safe from the darker emotions within your heart," the priestess replied gently, "It is the burning wrath of Skardesh that flows through you to drive you on to avenge the missing and fallen. You are stronger, faster, and more driven now than at any other time. Let the calming love of Arsiel flow through me and help you to control and focus this wild fury in your heart." The broadwing growled deeply as his anger and frustration welled up in his throat like some sort of foul bile, "You can't help me focus this Jirri, this is a disease that infects and destroys everything I touch when I am like this. It will taint you too if you stay around me. I mean, how could you possibly help me focus the feelings of my own faults in Agrok's capture? I should have been there dammit, I should have been at her side as her partner should be. No, instead I was off gallivanting around and trying to pretend I'm some sort of leader while I attacked nearly defenseless caravans." "Grenz, you had orders you needed to carry out. If those supplies had made it to the Legion, then they may have had more of a chance and done more damage. You cannot always be there at every one's side. Agrok is a warrior and she knew the risks of her actions before she attacked. I spoke to Reyfis about what happened," Jirri returned with as soothing a tone as she could muster. Grenz shook his head as his pain and anger rushed to the surface, "What do you know? You've never had a partner before, you don't know how we're supposed to watch out for one another and make sure we both make it out of every mission alive and free. How could you possibly do anything but speculate?" "Because I do have a partner, maybe not a field partner but I do have one. You seem to have forgotten that you have another partner the same as I have, because you agreed to be my partner in life. No matter how much you lash out at anything that comes near you, I wont back away and leave you to hurt all by yourself. I love you Grenz, you are my mate and you need me. I wont back away because I love you, even if you have forgotten that you love me too," Jirri snapped right back at him with every bit of anger in her eyes. The big male stared at her for a moment as regret poured from his heart, "I, I'm sorry Jirri. This is why I wanted to get away, so I wouldn't do this to you. I knew how I would get and you deserve far better than that." "You deserve a better mate than one that would abandon you when you are hurt like this. I understand that you are just trying to fight against something causing the pain. I was prepared to face such outbursts, but they still hurt none the less. Fighting the pain is acceptable, but dearheart I am not who or what you should be fighting. Turn that energy to something more constructive like forming a plan to do something once the mages find Agrok. Tahkra is having a terrible time planning anything because she cannot rightfully ask others to risk their lives to free her own sister. On the flip side of the coin, she cannot just abandon one of our champions and her own flesh and blood," Jirri explained warmly as she wrapped her forelimbs around his neck to gently caress his feathers. Grenz sighed a deep heavy sigh of partial relief as he held his mate close in his forelimbs, "I will help think of something, for Agrok and Tahkra. I wont abandon her or her family in such a time of need. But there is something that needs to be done first." "What is that my warrior," the priestess asked gently as she looked up into his eyes. Grenz spread his wing to offer his feathers to her, "We have not yet properly traded feathers to announce our union. I offer myself to you Jirri, heart and soul." Jirri did not hesitate to spread her wing for him in return, "And I offer myself to you Grenz, as much of my heart and soul that the Consorts will share." They both reached their beaks to one another's wing to select a suitable secondary and remove them. The selection ended with a cheek to cheek nuzzle, because in such a dark time there had to be hope. Without warmth and hope, all was lost. That was something that they just could not allow.

* * *

The sounds of pleading in another cell woke Agrok from her strange dreams of warmth and comfort like she always had growing up. In those dreams she was safe and secure, working just as she had always wanted as a warrior. Ronin was at home when she came home to rest after her day of patrolling the borders and sending hunting parties home. There was no male presence aside from her father in her newest dream, instead she found herself visiting Tensaih with Ronin. That part confused her quite a bit as she certainly liked the dragoness, but she had never felt any attraction to females before and she wasn't sure she felt it now. Tensaih began to stir and resist waking up as she nuzzled Agrok's side and snuggled into her warmth. The gryphoness almost wondered how she slept through the pleading of the other prisoners until she remembered that her own senses had undergone training to be alert and not shut down at all while she slept. It was tempting to consider waking the silver female, but Agrok decided she should let her rest. The odds of either of them sleeping so well again during their stay was quite slim indeed. She contented herself in the silence by snuggling into the cuddling hold of her companion and examining the difference in their general scents. Agrok herself had a bit of a spicy feathery musk about her while Tensaih seemed to have a more earthy reptilian scent. The gryphoness could definitely notice the hidden feminine markers in the dragon's scent. It was rather pleasant over all and she was glad to have her around rather than some unwashed human male with their strange and often offensive scents. She knew that bad scent was not nearly a rule for humans, but they could easily develop them without constant washing and grooming. A terrible sadness gripped Agrok's heart as she thought about Ronin. She must have been so worried and scared with her new mother in the hands of the enemy. The gryphoness wanted nothing more than to hold her tight and let her know that everything was alright. Only when she felt herself cut off from her adopted daughter did she truly feel just how powerless she was. Her strong front crumbled and her heart finally bleed on her foreclaws for her child. Agrok could no longer hold herself so defiantly against her captivity and she began to weep quietly. Tears rolled down the curve of her beak to collect at the tip before they became heavy enough to fall and wet the belly scales of the dragoness. Tensaih stirred once again at the wetness on her sensitive belly and opened her tired eyes, "Agrok, are you alright? I thought I felt something like a tear drop on my belly." "No, I am not alright, I have allowed something horrible to befall some one very special," the gryphoness replied with a shake of her head and a quaking voice. The dragoness was up in an instant to hold her tight and support her as best she could, "What happened hun? Was some one brought in that you know?" "No, I have a daughter, a wonderful little human girl I had adopted days before the mission. She lost her mother at birth, and her father stayed behind during the initial invasion to help her and the other civilians escape the slaughter. Now she had me and I went and got captured and I can't let her know that I'm okay," Agrok replied bitterly as she held tight to the warm presence of the dragoness. Tensaih swallowed a bit as she obviously held back her own emotions to be strong for the warrior in her arms, "You will get your chance to hold her tight and show her you are fine once again. Come hell or high waters I will find a way to free you so you may bring hope to your people. We just have to be strong and give the Legion nothing while we take everything they try to give. Always hold out, for everyone you love. If they get anything they can use, they will most certainly use it if for no other reason than to show you how powerless you are against them. Show them you are not helpless and stand strong in the face of their worst." Agrok looked up at the mage with a bit of the fire she felt before, that pure defiant fighting spirit that drove her against her social disgraces to be who she was. She could not say anything before the door to their cell opened once more. A rather grim looking, very thin man entered in a black robe with a red sash over his shoulders and an absurdly tall black hat with gold trim that seemed to grow out of his head like a part of his pointy chinned face. The cold hazel eyes seemed to fit well in that pale skinned face as he stepped into the cell and eyed the pair of females with disdain. "How sweet, finding friendship in one another. This is going to be a glorious assignment for certain. Breaking you while you have the support of another, oh the sting of despair that will fill you. The draining of hope in your eyes as you realize the futility of it all even with the support and care of your companion. These are the inquisitions I live for," the human grinned a rather evil grin that seemed directed at Agrok. She stared right back at the strange human, "And just what makes you think you can break us? We are each stronger than you know and we do stand together against your 'gifts'." "Stupid girl, I am the grand inquisitor who hath been chosen by GahlByrn himself for my ruthlessness and cruelty in extracting information. I have not yet failed to find out what I wanted to know, even when they hold out quite stubbornly," the inquisitor replied before he pointed at Agrok, "Bird, you are the one I get to work with so get up and come along with me. we are going to get so very acquainted with your home and your secrets." Several armed and heavily armored men stepped into the cell to stress the the authority of the inquisitor. Agrok reached up to touch Tensaih's cheek before she pulled away to approach the human. He nodded at her and turned his back on her to begin walking into the corridor with every expectation that she would follow. The gryphoness was tempted to prove the arrogance of such a move to a known threat as she had been. The idea was quickly shoved aside, however, as she may have been able to take him and his guards but she had no idea how to get out of the dungeon. Following the inquisitor was a good opportunity to examine the dungeons and perhaps locate the path to the outer keep. At the very least she could work out what places were just more dungeon and eliminate possibilities before any attempt to escape. The guards closed the door behind them and the inquisitor spoke aloud as he lead them toward the chambers in which his art was practiced, "I am a bit different from my lesser colleagues, you see. They take delight in cutting and breaking the body, burning and freezing a subject. I choose a much less barbaric and far more civilized method of persuasion with the arcane arts of causing harm. They are limited by the life span and the amount of physical damage their material can live through, where I can do far more intense and horrifying things to you without killing you." "A lot of good it will do you to waste arcane resources on me, I'm just a grunt on her first real mission," Agrok replied dismissively as she watched the walls details and the number of steps to each door and new hall. The inquisitor laughed, "Hector Drahlmen has never successfully been lied to. I always get my answers and no one has ever resisted more than a week under my tender care. By the time we're done, you will beg me to ask you more just so you can tell me every little thing possible." Agrok said nothing, she simply focused her attention on her surroundings and keeping her posture bold and proud while she searched for signs of a way out. There was nothing distinct to use as any sort of land mark within the damp bare stone halls until a golden ray of hope struck her. Forty six paces to the right of her cell, ninety six paces left on the right hand side of the hall was a small path that had real sunlight pouring in to outshine the torch light. Freedom lay beyond that hall, but she could not make her move just then. She refused to leave Tensaih behind, the dragoness had given up her freedom to save her life and Agrok could not leave her alone in that wretched place. It was only a matter of opportunity now that she knew where to go, the first chance they had to escape would be the moment of their freedom. Drahlmen laughed a bit, "Isn't it so tempting to see the light of day and yet so defeating to know you would never make it out alive? Just so mentally and emotionally frustrating to build hope and dash ti away with the very same offering. I do so love the despair of others." Agrok refused to give him any enjoyment by reacting at all, she just looked strait ahead and focused on a point far beyond the walls. The human seemed to be covering annoyance at her defiant behavior. It was not long at all before the inquisitor called a halt before an iron bound door that appeared very heavy and a bit large for humans. The moment the door was opened Agrok knew exactly why the door was so large. Inside the large stone room was many horrifying devices designed to inflict wretched crippling pain upon her own kind. From the apparatus for turning limbs to sit opposite their natural position, to the device that clamped onto and removed talons from bound foreclaws, and even the infamous wing pins. The scent of old blood was heavy against the mold and mildew of the dank damp air. The devices were thankfully out of care and service for some time and would likely be beyond use. "Such glorious imagination that devised these beautiful instruments of pain specifically tuned to you bird creatures. So convenient that the original owners kept them coated in the blood of your people so that I may use that to echo the memories of what these things can do. I wont be feeling what they do, but you will share every ounce of pain while the link causes your mind to project the illusion of what you feel happening to your body." Agrok suppressed a shudder as she heard the tales of the horrifying pain that killed captive gryphons by shock alone, "Do what you will, I will never do anything to help you." "Oh but that is where you are wrong my sweet little taloned harlot You will be showing us how these things worked and what they look like when they are in perfect order. It will be quite simple to reproduce them in proper functioning condition after we watch your ordeal. You yourself may very well hold out against it all, but the odds that every captive that comes into the tender treatment of these devices to be as strong as you , well, they are indeed rather slim. So you will be helping us obtain information regardless of your cooperation today or not," the inquisitor smiled sweet;y at the gryphoness before he gave a nod to the guards who grabbed her by the forelimbs. She thought to fight back until she felt the spearheads pressed against her neck from the other fighters who were not dragging her into position to be strapped down on the wing pin. They pulled her wings roughly to spread them out on the device and clip the rolling axles to the tips. Thankfully the device was in such disrepair to have rusted solid so that the gears could not be cranked and the pins could not roll. She did feel an extra feature to this particular device that she had not heard about as the guards clipped her tail to a vertical spool that left her tail with plenty of slack. The gryphoness was completely prone and helpless on the cruel device as Hector the inquisitor removed a metal rod and a blood red crystalline orb from a pouch under his robe. "My oh my, perhaps I should save this for the last since it does look to be the most menacing device in this room. Or perhaps we will use it first to make sure you are properly snapped to submission," the cold hearted human rubbed his chin in indecision for a moment, "We shall save some things for tomorrow, prepare yourself to answer my inquiries. The orb will link you, the rod will tell me if you are lying." The guards all backed away as the inquisitor held the orb over Agrok's head and began a quiet chant. Energy flared inside the orb as it sent tendrils to the old blood on the cruel devices around the room and most especially the blood stains beneath the gryphoness. Her reality began to fade as the link to the painful echos of the past began to solidify in her mind so that she could see the room through the eyes of some unknown victim of the device. Agrok felt the tighter clamps on her wings, bringing a painful discomfort to her. "Now then, we will start with something simple. What is the name of your species," Drahlmen demanded. She could hear the demands made to her link as well as an echo to her captor, "Where is the stone bird?" "We are simply coyotes, picking away at lesser creatures for food," Agrok replied with a venomous tone. The inquisitor scowled at her as his rod told him she was lying. He allowed the echo to play on further as the past guards stepped to the crank behind her and began to turn the spool with her tail to coil it painfully tight until the vertebrae within popped and began to dislocate quite audibly. She knew it was all in her mind and the past but the pain was very real to her. The gryphoness groaned and suppressed a pain-filled scream as she tried to stay defiant. "What deity do you worship," Drahlmen demanded as he stared at the writhing form of his captive with an expression of great disdain. The echo screamed in anger, "Where did those druids hide it?" "My mate's genitals,"Agrok spat her reply. The human shook his head and let the echos progress further. The crank was turned even more until the tension on her tail gave with a ripping of flesh and skin as her tail pulled free of her body in the illusion. Agrok howled in pain as the illusion was so complete as to let her feel the hot blood flowing down her rump and nethers to pool beneath her. It took every scrap of her being to keep her mind clear on the fact that this wasn't real else she begin to suffer the systems shut downs the past victim must surely had been experiencing. "Such exquisite cruelty and suffering, I almost hope you prove to be more stubborn so that we may observe this wondrous device further. Alas I must come out of this session with something or my lord will believe I volunteered just to harm you without purpose," Drahlmen gave a sigh of torn resignation, "On we go, tell me, who is your father?" "The sperm cell that fertilized my egg," Agrok managed to spit her reply under a quavering sobbing voice. The human shook his head in dismay as he played the echos of the past further. The ghostly men of the past grasp the hand cranks on the wing pins and began to turn them along their toothed gear tracks. The pinned tips of her wings began to roll with the pins and curl around them with a cracking of bone and the screeches of horrified pain from the gryphoness as she felt what the victim of the past had felt. Never had she imagined such suffering and torment before that moment. They cranks stopped turning after only a foot of her wings had been rolled up and shattered by the pins. "Oh the marvelous brutality of this device! I simply must have more of you avians to place in my version once I have it rebuilt," the inquisitor nearly purred in delight at the suffering of the gryphoness, "What nation do you hail from, and where is it?" "I hail from the nation of true warriors, and it is located at your throat beneath my talons. Your time is very short, inquisitor, I will have my vengeance," Agrok tried to growl defiantly, only managing to gasp and groan in pain as she poured her venomous words onto the floor. "Fine, we shall let this run it's course to take that fight right out of you. No one defies the will of GahlByrn, you stupid little feathered whore! Choke on your own suffering," Drahlmen cried with an angry snarl as he let the echos completely loose. "Men, don't stop cranking those wings until she tells me what I want to know," the echo of the past inquisitor snapped with as much anger as Agrok's current tormentor displayed. The cranks started to turn again, a bit faster this time as they ate away at her counter part's wings. Bone snapped and crumpled under the irresistible pull of the coiling pins, some sharp splinters even tore their way through the flesh with small rivers of blood flowing from the wounds. Agrok screamed and sobbed with pain that was so intense she lost control of her body. The warm pungent puddle spreading beneath her and soaking her feathers was not just an effect of the illusion. Those cruel gears continued to crank despite the savage damage that was being inflicted to her wings. There was no one to plead to as her body convulsed with the powerful waves of pain and agony while the pins rolled up her wings steadily up to the wrist joints. Agrok thrashed and struggled to free herself and flee the pain she was suffering, but the bonds held tight to the device. Her mind began to loose focus and become feral with pain and the need to fight her way out of the situation so she could flee her tormentors. Just when she felt herself trying to shut down to escape the pain and stress, a shockingly familiar voice began to shout through the echos of the past, "What in the hell is going on in here? By the gods man, she's just an adolescent, get her out of there! You men unwind those wings now!" "What the blazes is this," Drahlmen asked with a rather displeased expression. The man who had been barking orders came into Agrok's view, it was General Carpenter. His echo was about to say something as he stepped toward her drawing his long sword, but she never got to hear it. Drahlmen cursed and ended the echoing link before he jammed the orb and the rod back under his robe. "Not even the past is reliable! No matter, we still have the information about how effective and simple this machine is. It will be very simple to reproduce indeed," the inquisitor stepped up to her and examined her face and eyes, "Damn it, you are strong enough to hold out but you can't keep yourself from going into shock? What kind of defiant warrior are you? Get her off of there and get her back to the dragon, Lord GahlByrn will not be pleased if his new toy is slain before he gets a chance to decide what his plans for her will be." The guards began to unstrap her limp body from the wingpin so they could move her with greater ease, "Ugh, she smells like piss. Damned beast just had to go and wet herself like a giant infant!" "Shut your mouth and get her back so the dragon can tend to her before the shock sets in fully. Make sure to bring her a wash basin so she can clean her feathered whore, GahlByrn will be even less pleased if his intended consort smells of urine," Drahlmen snapped at the men before he left the room in a huff. Agrok felt the bonds all release her body, but she had not the strength to escape. All she could manage was to tremble and sob against the remaining pain. The men hoisted her forequarters onto their shoulders and began to drag her back to her cell. The gryphoness was just a bit relieved to feel her tail dragging on the floor behind her after the ordeal with the wingpin. Several of the other men broke off from the group transporting her back to the cell. Agrok felt some gratification in the blades pressed against her flanks and neck while the two men dragged her limp form through the corridor, they took her seriously as a warrior. This show of caution was something she would have expected some of her own kind to toss aside at her being female and small to boot. These experienced conquerors took her as a real threat and refused to risk the off chance that she was playing possum. It was an entirely unnecessary gesture, however, the gryphoness was unable to fight even if she still had the will left in her at that moment. Agrok could smell herself as they reached the cell, her scent was rather humiliating to her and it was only made worse by the cold wetness of it still in her feathers and fur. The men hauled her into the cell and simply dropped her in a heap at the door. Tensaih started to surge toward her with a gasp, only to be forced back by threat of sword and spear. "Agrok! What have they done to you, are you alive? Is she alive," the dragoness demanded with a white hot anger burning in her voice. One of the men grunted with disdain as the others arrived with the small tub of soapy water, towels and blankets, "She aint okay, that much is certain. She might live with some care, but she had quite a bit more of a number done on her than even Drahlmen expected. The people of this place really don't like her kind. But he was right about one thing; if she dies, GahlByrn will kill us all. So when he works on here I will leave you two unlocked so you can make sure she makes it through and I'll come back to lock you up in the mornings after. Make no mistake, this is not kindness, rather it is self preservation." "Understood, please leave and lock the door so I can tend to her," Tensaih pleaded as she paced like a mother franticly trying to reach her children. The man nodded and took his comrades from the cell to lock them in. The dragoness was on Agrok before she could even curl up to tremble. The gryphoness was held in the tight embrace of warm caring scaled arms as she trembled with shock and sorrow for the young one she had shared the pain with. She really didn't know what they wanted, but they did that to her anyway. The very idea mad her stomach turn as she rested her weight on Tensaih, unable to support herself. "Agrok, is that.. urine I smell upon you," the dragoness asked gently as she held the nearly broken warrior. The gryphoness looked down in shame as she struggled to explain herself, "I was in so much pain, they had me linked to an echo of the past in which a young female was subjected to the wingpin. My body was writhing beyond my own control to escape the pain." "Shh, you do not have to explain yourself to me," Tensaih replied softly, "There is no shame in enduring what you have, but you need to be cleaned up. Can you take care of that yourself or do you need me to do it for you?" Agrok slumped fully into the arms of her cellmate as she started to surrender to the oblivion that was calling her to rest, "I would be in your debt if you would return my dignity to me." "Very well, but stay with me sweetheart, you cannot sleep now. We must wait until you come back from the shock of what was done to you," the dragoness urged as she shook her gently to help keep her awake. Agrok groaned softly in protest even as she fought to stay awake as she was asked. Tensaih reached for the rag that was left for them to use and dipped it into the water. Agrok forced her forelimb to move her foreclaw to the dragoness' arm, "Tensaih, do not worry about what you must touch. I trust your intentions and do not believe you are taking advantage of the situation." Tensaih gave a nod as she urged the gryphoness to turn around so she rested with her back against the silver female. The dragoness gently and tenderly began to wash Agrok's furred belly with the sopping wet cloth. The soapy water was cold, but some how Agrok felt a warmth radiating through her under the kind touch of her reptilian companion. She could feel her humiliation being washed away with the fragrant liquid in her fur, the warm contact felt almost motherly. She could not help but blush softly as Tensaih cleaned her most guarded of regions, but she found herself nowhere near as embarrassed by the contact than she would have been normally. Agrok nearly melted into the dragoness as she dried the gryphoness. The wet blanket was set aside and the remaining dry one was pulled around the freshly cleaned gryphoness. Tensaih held her and made sure she stayed awake for what felt like hours of warm comforting contact. Agrok blushed softly to herself as a part of her didn't want that warm feeling to ever end. Tensaih checked her eyes and nodded gently, "You seem to be out of the worst of it. I do believe it is safe to rest now, and you most certainly need it. I will leave you be so you can sleep. If there is anything you need, just ask. You are not alone here, we are in this together." Agrok forced herself against the strained and exhausted muscles of her body, to turn and hold tight to her companion, "Please don't leave me, rest with me. I really need some one right now. I really need you." "Then I shall stay with you," the dragoness replied as the gryphoness shuffled up a bit to rest her head against her neck. They were trapped in a cold cell, in the hands of the most ruthless conquerors any world had ever known; but somehow Agrok felt warmer and safer than she had in a long time. Sleep snatched her up in strong yet gentle foreclaws and gave her the gift of some very strange dreams.

* * *

Ronin stared at her lunch with no will to eat what was offered her. Every portion of her meal reminded her of how much she missed and how scared she was for her adopted mother. The vegetables came from the ground, where they buried the dead, and the meat came from an animal that had been killed. Part of her believed and hoped that Agrok would escape and come back with not a scratch on her, but another part was certain she would end up like Ronin's father. She didn't want to cry, heroes like Agrok didn't cry and she wouldn't either. She would be brave and strong for her new mother and make her so very proud when she came home. "Ronin, please do try to eat something sweetheart. You need to keep up your strength," Kahlah urged with a gentle voice as she rubbed the child's back. The young girl squirmed a bit in protest, "But I'm not hungry and my tummy feels yucky. I think it's scared for momma too." "I know sweetheart, we all are," the female drake curled an arm and a wing around her to hold her tight, "But you still need to eat, even if just a little bit." Ronin pressed into the wing to try and back away from her plate, "But what about momma? Who's going to find her and help her come home? She must be scared and all alone with the bad guys while we all sit here and eat." Saltriss shook his head gently, "We have been searching, Ronin. Kahlah and the other mages have been scrying as hard as they can to try and find where they are keeping her. I know that Necrotai is just waiting for any word on where she is to storm in and get her out of there and bring her home." The girl looked up at the male drake as she lost hold of the tears she had been fighting, "But why isn't Aunt Tahkra doing anything? She's her sister and this is her country, not Grasolahn!" "Tahkra has to think about more than just her own feelings, honey," Kahlah replied softly as she scooped the crying child up onto her lap to hold her tight, "She curses her position every moment that passes while Agrok is out there. Her generals have all brought her lists of volunteers who wish to retrieve your momma, but she cannot act on them." Ronin pulled back a bit to look the drake in the eyes, "Why not? She's the queen, everyone has to do what she says, and people even want to go get momma." "Yes, she can order the people around and they even want to be ordered to do this, but it wouldn't be possible to rescue every last captive that ever gets taken in any war that may happen in the future. The danger in saving Agrok is so very high because of who has taken her captive. Your aunt Tahkra can't look at this situation from her eyes and her heart, she has to look at the situation from the face of this nation and the eyes of the people. Your momma is and holds nothing that sets her apart from any other soldier aside form being the queen's sister. The first queen can't abuse her power, else another leader after her will do the same and some one will use it to justify being just as bad as GahlByrn," Kahlah tried to explain to the child as she caressed her head gently. Ronin shook her head, "But we have to do something, there has got to be something she can do. She's the queen!" "There is, and she has us all doing the only thing we can. We mages are searching for any sign of Agrok in all the places that can be searched while we try and crack the shells of those that cannot be searched,"Kahlah replied with a very gentle and nurturing tone. A gentle tapping on the support frame announced the arrival of new guests, "Stay put Kahlah, I've got it. Whoever is there, please do come in." Ronin watched Saltriss stand and make his way to the door to let the new arrivals, her frustration threatening to boil over. She was scared and she knew it, but everyone else seemed to do nothing at all. They didn't seem to care at all that Agrok was taken captive, they just kept doing everything as they always did. "Abigail come back," Raizehl called out as a streak of feathers and fur darted into the room with incredible energy. Saltriss made an attempt to grab the darting gryphlet, but even his reflexes were too slow to get a good hold on the wiggling fuzzball. She bounded under the table and popped her head in front of Ronin to smell the scent of the food on the human's plate. Ronin tried to make a grab, but the crafty little gryphlet managed to evade her. The girl stood to give chase in an attempt to help coral the playful gryphlet. Raizehl soon entered the dwelling along with Jirri and Grenz, who settle themselves before the door to help trap Abigail in the dwelling. "Oh my, please settle down sweetheart," Raizehl pleaded as she tried to get a hold of her daughter. Abigail squeaked with a playful pounce toward and then away from her mother, obviously enjoying this new 'game'. Ronin made a dive while she was distracted, only to hit the ground as the feline grace of the gryphlet thwarted her attempted capture. The little downy imp darted toward Grenz and Jirri, only to come to a halt before the huge male gryphon. It was as though she had just noticed him for the first time. Abigail immediately reared up and made mock pawing gestures at the huge male in an attempt to get him to play. Grenz stared down at the adorable display as she bounced at him and even swatted his beak and forelimb playfully before scampering back a bit to crouch her forequarters down and wag her tail a bit. "So now you think you're tough huh? Going after the biggest guy in the room to assert dominance over the rest," Grenz asked with a tone of mild amusement. Abigail squeaked a reply and pounced at the big male again. When she backed up, Ronin made another diving grab at the gryphlet. Abigail squealed in surprise and scrambled away to hide behind Grenz and peer out at her attacker. The huge broadwing gave a deep chuckle, "It's okay Ronin, I think I've got her handled now." "Oh thank you so much Grenz, Abigail you can't run off from momma like that," Raizehl scolded her daughter, causing the little one to lay her ears back. Ronin returned to her seat feeling a bit of the sting of defeat. Not only was her adopted mother missing, she had been bested by an infant while everyone else did nothing she could see to get Agrok back. She nearly trembled with rage as she thought how all the adults were there playing with a gryphlet while Agrok was locked away some where in a dungeon. Grenz smiled down at the gryphlet, "Oh think nothing of it, all I did was lay here and look interesting. Isn't that right, squirt?" Abigail chirped at Grenz and sniffed at his feathers a bit before she curled up and made herself at home between his forelimbs. Ronin couldn't help the tiny twinge of jealousy at seeing the gryphlet curl up with Grenz like he was her father. Her own father was gone and Agrok was captive, leaving poor Ronin all alone. "I believe you've been claimed as 'papa', dearheart," Jirri smiled at her mate and the little one cuddling up to his warm chest. Grenz frowned a little as he looked down at Abigail, who was falling asleep with her head on his forelimb, "That could be problematic if Raizehl happens to take up with a handsome fellow later on. It would be hard to let her go to a new papa" "There is no need to worry about that, I'm much too old to try and hunt down a mate," Raizehl waved off Grenz' concerns, "If you would be willing, I think you would make a fine father figure for her. Just look how adorable you are together." Kahlah smiled at the lovely scene before her before the corners of her mouth sank back down to a frown as she motioned for Ronin to sit with her again, "Quite adorable indeed, I think you have little choice in this matter dear gruff and tough Grenz. But this is not why you are here, is it?" "No, we have heard from Krinzehl," Jirri spoke up for their small band, "She has found a way to break through the scry shields." Kahlah reached for Saltriss' hand and squeezed it hard, "Oh my goodness, we need to get started right away. We have so many shielded places to scry through; she has to be in one of them. This is just, how did they do it?" "Slow down, dear Kahlah," the priestess smiled to the mage, "They have a bit of confirming to do, but it is strongly believed that Krinzehl's personal apprentice has found her. If it is Agrok, she is being held in a cell that has a rather large amount of arcane 'noise'. I know you want to know how, and I will tell you it was very simple." The female drake stared at the priestess as she had paused to build suspense, "Well, go on, how simple was it to break through the shields of a Vyrekai like GahlByrn?" "It was a brand new apprentice who discovered the secret," Jirri replied, "Something so simple that anyone could easily over look the vulnerability." Kahlah reached her hand up to her own head to prepare for a headache of frustration that threatened, "I almost hate to ask how an apprentice could do such a thing." "You don't break the shield, you peek under," the priestess nearly giggled, "Most scry through the air or along the surface of the ground, this apprentice tried sending her spell along under ground. As it turned out, she could look up into the unshielded bottom like a naughty boy peeking up a girl's skirt." Kahlah stared at the taperwing with a dumbfounded look, "It was really that simple?" "So simple, it's hard," Grenz replied for Jirri. The drake mage shook her head, "No way it can be just that simple, the shield spells have been in use for thousands of years, and successful in that time!" "Arsiel's greatest lesson for her daughters is that the simplest solution can often be the best one," Jirri replied with a smile, "This is even more true if the problem is involving complex elements. Often times these complex problems work because people assume they require a complex solution." Ronin waved a hand to catch the adult's attention, "Does this mean we know where mommy is?" "We are quite certain we do, yes," Jirri replied with a warm smile to the human child. Ronin jumped up like a spring, "We need to tell Aunty Tahkra right away so she can get her out of there!" "Tahkra is not ready for any news right now, she is holed up with Malehk in their dwelling," Jirri countered, grinding her beak a bit. That wasn't enough for the girl and she tried to prove her point by jumping up onto the low set table to shout her views, "Why not? Good news like this should be the best thing, unless she didn't want to find Agrok!" "Ronin," Kahlah gasped with shock. The girl was not done with her absent aunt with that first outburst, "Everyone says she loves Agrok, everyone says she's supposed to be the queen. If that were all true, she would get her out right now, not hide in her room with Malehk. Probably doing gross grown up stuff." The wind fell right out of her wings when a pair of strong foreclaws gripped her shoulders and jerked her around to face Raizehl, "That is ENOUGH, young lady! How dare you? How dare you treat Agrok's sister with such disrespect! Tahkra is holed up with Malehk because she can't control her crying right now. She has the power, but not the right to force people to go fight, bleed, and die, just to save her own sister. She knows all this, she wants to charge in and rescue Agrok more than anyone else wants her to, but she can't. Letting her know that we found Agrok when she is so hurt as to not have any composure is like Grenz waving candy over your head where you can't reach it. Honestly, honestly how would you feel if you had all that power and YOU couldn't use it to save Agrok? Hmm? Think about that you selfish brat. I know Agrok didn't teach or allow you to be this hateful and disrespectful. If I ever hear anything so disrespectful come out of your mouth again, I will swat your butt all the way across the village and back again for good measure. I don't care who your mother is, this is intolerable behavior!" Fear and guilt washed over Ronin as she tried to shrink into herself while the gryphoness held her by the shoulders. Tears rolled down her cheeks with a sour mingling of fear, guilt, and mourning sadness. A dark look filled Kahlah's eyes as she wrapped her arm around the child's waist, "You are right about her behavior, Raizehl. However, you and I will talk about this later. Right now, you had better get your claws off of her as quickly as you can." Raizehl let go of Ronin, who turned and held tight to the drake with her face buried against her chest. A tense silence filled the dinning structure until a single curious squeak came from Abigail as she looked up at her mother with a look of confusion. "Every one have something to eat, I am uncertain when I will be back," Kahlah said flatly as she lifted Ronin up to hold her against her chest and carry her out of the dwelling into the night air. A soft sympathetic trill came from the little gryphlet as she watched them go. Ronin felt everything, everything she had not yet felt from the war and even before. The sadness at her real mother's loss, the loss of her father, Agrok's predicament, and now the backlash of her own venomous behavior. In that single instance under the angry eyes of the gryphon mother, the child's defenses had been stripped away and the things that hurt her so dearly had finally struck her heart. She was shattered and broken inside, all she wanted was her new mother, her hero, to hold her tight in those warm feathers and to tell her that everything would be okay. But she was trapped, somewhere in the hands of the enemy that had taken her father away from her. The chill night air did not help her in the least and she started to shiver a bit from it until Kahlah shifted her leathery wing to rest over Ronin's back to help shield her from the cold. The drake carried her to the dwelling she shared with her mate. When they entered, Ronin found herself washed in a bright blue-white light from above while Kahlah laid her on the bed in the primary chamber. Ronin had never felt a mattress made of sheep skin around straw before that moment. She found it to be a little stiff, but still comfortable and warm. Kahlah settled down next to her in a rather feral manner, curling herself around the child to hold her against her chest with her long tail closing her in to a warm scaly embrace. It felt more like the kind of embrace an animal mother would give to her clutch or litter, but some how it was so much more comforting to Ronin than anything she ever felt from another human attempting to comfort her. The human girl continued to weep as the drake held her and stroked her head softly, "You know she was right, don't you Ronin?" The girl couldn't find her voice, all she could manage in reply was a nod against the comforting scales of the drake's chest. Ronin found the reptilian female to be surprisingly warm to snuggle up to in her cold pit of despair. She had a new pain in her heart, she had just savagely attacked her own aunt with as hateful and hurtful a statement as anyone could ever make in such a time. Thankfully, Tahkra was not present to witness the event when it had happened. Kahlah held her for what felt like hours before she finally spoke again, "You know what you said will hurt Tahkra dearly when she finds out." Ronin nodded her head against the slick scales of her current care taker, "I'm sorry Kahlah, I never meant to hurt anyone, I just wanted my momma back." "I know sweetheart, believe me I know," Kahlah replied as she gently pulled Ronin away from her to look her in the eyes, "But you have done and said very hurtful things to people who are hurting very much at their powerless state. I wont ask you to do anything myself, but you really have to ask yourself what you are going to do about the wrong you have done to certain individuals this evening." Ronin didn't know what to say, for all she knew there wasn't anything to say. Kahlah certainly did not ask her to say anything after that point. The female drake simply laid with her and held her until sleep came to take the girl into the frightening and shameful dreams that would hold her firm into sleep until late in the next morning.

* * *

Agrok had grown very quiet since her time with the inquisitor, and that worried Tensaih a great deal. What ever that monster had done to her, it left the warrior so very weak, humiliated, and so hurt that she had wet herself during the process. The silver scaled female could not imagine what could do that to such a strong willed and determined warrior as Agrok. She had become more clingy in what ways she could manage any comforting contact from Tensaih. That was another disturbing trend that the Vyrekai found herself so worried about. She had to get her cell-mate and companion to talk again, it was the only hope for snapping her out of the dark stupor she was in. "Agrok, please tell me how you feel. I need to hear you speak and know you are going to be okay," Tensaih pleaded as she curled her long tail around the hind quarters of the gryphoness, "Please, I can't lose you now. I gave myself to this to save you, I can't face it without you Agrok." She would never get her reply, for at that moment the heavy iron latch of the door ground against it's self to free the door onto it's hinges. The figure that stepped inside did not come with a single gaurd, he didn't need any and he knew it. GahlByrn looked Agrok over for a moment, even moving right up to her to lift her limp beak in his hand and stare at her listless eyes. "What has that fool done to her," the foul conqueror demanded as he released her beak to begin working on the latch of the holding block. Tensaih could not hold back her disdain as she spat her reply, "What does it matter to you? You sent him to gather information from her, surely you wanted him to be extra cruel in his extractions." "I never gave any such orders, I demanded a gentle hand until I had decided what I wanted to do with the feathered female. I may wish to keep her around as an object of amusement. It would appear as though Drahlmen has sated his own hungers for cruelty and the pain of others against my orders. A pity, he was a rather effective inquisitor but we can't have him disobeying my command for his own wishes and desires. That will come in time however, I have other tasks I wish to begin," GahlByrn replied dismissively as he opened the block to release the mage, "Come along, we have much to discuss." Tensaih carefully slipped her head and wrists out of the block and sat back on her tail to stare at the black scaled male, "Where are we going, and what about Agrok?" "We are going to my chambers to discuss your future with the Soul Legion. Your little friend will remain here in her block until you return," he replied with a rather calm tone. Tensaih felt a cold knot tie in her stomach at such a prospect of being alone with the tainted mage. She knew what he would demand of her and just how far he would go to get it. She couldn't even fight back if she had to, all there was to do was to resign herself to what ever would happen. "So it is my turn to face the Legion's attempts to break my spirit and impose your will over all else. Very well then," Tensaih said boldly as she stood on all four to make the long walk, "Let us get this over with so I can return and lick my wounds." GahlByrn gave a bit of a snicker, "Come now my dear, I wish to make you my queen, harming you will simply not do. Now come along and we can discuss your possible position." The cold knot in Tensaih's stomach now trailed along her spine, right to the tip of her tail. This was not looking good in the least for the power bound Vyrekai, and it only got worse when the evil male opened a punch gate in the doorway of the cell to what could only be his own hidden lair. Inscents filled the air as the light smoke of the dimly lit chamber escaped into the cell, adding an aroma to the dark blacks and crimsons of the sparse decorations of the self proclaimed emperor's home. Tensaih hesitated at the gate, only to be nudged through by the larger male. The chamber was carved smooth from natural red rock and carpeted with black rugs around the huge red pillow that was the foul serpent's bed. Once he stepped through behind her, Tensaih could see the only other furnishings were the small table with the inscent burners and shelf after shelf of spell books and components. Agrok cleared her throat to catch her attention, "Tensaih, fight with all you got. Give them nothing, even if they break your spirit. Give them just a husk and nothing to show for their efforts." The dragoness looked back to catch the determined look in her companion's amber eyes and return a nod of agreement. She was not alone, even when she was nearly broken and unable to fight for herself, Agrok was standing with her till the bitter end of this nightmare. GahlByrn growled as he closed the gate and cut the two females off from one another. "Such a defiant little thing. There is a lot of potential there, if she can learn to obey the true master of all the realms," the male shook his head before he waved to the bed pillow, "Sit and relax, this conversation may take a bit to hash out." Tensaih watched her captor closely, she had no idea what his true intentions were and she certainly did not like anything she could imagine. The silver female had little choice but to comply with his instructions, so she slowly settled herself on the bed of her most hated enemy. The male caressed her form with his rusty red eyes for a moment before he approached her. Tensaih felt her heart pounding against her ribs, threatening to burst through in near panick as GahlByrn circled around behind her. The black scaled male settled onto the bed right up against her back and began to stroke his draconic hand along her side to drink in her curves and form. The feel of his hot breath against her neck only reminded the silver female of just how vulnerable she was with her magic bound so tightly. "Simply perfection, not a scale out of place or badly shaped and so well toned and formed. You simply are the finest female that dragon kind has ever produced and you have been graced with a power of incredible proportions," GahlByrn nearly purred into her ear as he caressed her neck with his muzzle, "You deserve a powerful mate who can give you anything you desire. I can do just that, and I have earned such a powerful mate to stand at my side and deliver a clutch of such strong lineage as ours." Tensaih cringed her neck away from his snout, "Are you mad? I could never give myself to such a tyrant as you! Even if I could bring myself to function with a male, I would never let you touch me." "Come now dear Tensaih, I am no tyrant," he countered with a soft kiss on her neck, "I am not entirely a being of war and power, I do have a softer side that most have not the chance to see. You would find me to be very loving and gentle with you as we rest, tucked away together in our lair. Hidden away from my fight against those who see fit to guide people like pawns in a game of chess. Pathetic politicians who have no sense our touch with the world or the people they squander." The silver female struggled to pull away from the crazed male as he began to hold tight to her, "And what of those same people you slaughter and devour for your own power? How can you say you fight for the people when you throw their lives away just because they don't want to follow you? You are nothing but that which you pretend to fight for us all." "In every crusade, sacrifices must be made for the greater good," GahlByrn snapped back at her, his anger beginning to rise. Tensaih struggled harder to free herself from the grasp of the angry male, "Like you sacrificed my family, my entire race? What would ever make you think I wouldn't hate you, let alone care for you enough to ignore my lack of desire for males to be with you?" "So be it," GahlByrn growled as he forced her onto her back beneath him, "If you wont be my mate by negotiation, then I will force your instincts." "No!" Tensaih lashed out with her frost breath, blasting at his face with a tight beam. "Not going to be that easy my dear play thing," the larger male growled to her as the frost struck his arcane shielding. Gahlbyrn forced her down and used his body to pull her legs apart, despite her struggles. Panick set in as the silver female realized just how close her enemy was to violating her body and just how powerless she was to stop the more powerful male. She pushed and squirmed with all her might, thrashing like a trapped animal to escape her coming fate. It was no use against the strong frame of her assailant as he forced himself upon her. She had no real hope of escaping the night mare she had been forced into, but she pleaded and fought her fate none the less. Tensaih clawed, thrashed, and even tried to bite at the assaulting male in hopes of driving him off of her. All the while feelings of shame, weakness, and disgust hammered at the very foundation of her heart and spirit with the rough use of her body by her captor. GahlByrn obviously grew tired of her attempts to fight back, the large male pinned her hands down and took control of her neck with his strong jaws. Tensaih still had some fight in her though, and she used that to try and turn her hips so he could not stay with her to use her body. Unfortunately the large male wasn't out of restraining tricks either; he simply responded by curling his tail tightly about hers to hold them close enough together that he never lost position. The female mage sobbed between deep moans as tears of defeat and shame rolled down her cheeks. The physical pleasure put her at odds with her own body, bringing a twisted flavor to the wretched situation and striking an even harder blow to her heart. It was like her own body was betraying her and bringing pleasure with the grotesque waves of pain and disgust.. There was both relief and an even deeper disgust as she felt him finish with her, "Mmm, you really are an amazing female. You will make a fine queen, both publicly, and behind closed doors. Savor this sensation, for every time you experience it, you will become mine a little bit more with each tryst." "No, I can't and I wont," Tensaih sobbed as the large male moved himself off of her to allow her to curl up on herself. GahlByrn gave a wicked grin before her surged toward her once more. His strength was too great for her to resist as he forced her onto her stomach and employed a spell to help tie her down with the stone of the floor around them. Solid stone bands curled around her wrists and her neck while he pushed her tail up over her back to be pinned by yet another stone loop. A fresh panic washed over the frantic female and forced her to struggle as best she could, but it was no use. He had her completely helpless and accesable to suffer at his complete lack of mercy. "You don't have any choice in this matter, your body will betray you. I've seen one of my minions do this before," GahlByrn explained as he grasped her hips from behind, "You will only know mating with me, every day, and in doing so your body will begin to mark me instinctually as your mate. My scent, my image, my very voice will begin to trigger your body into thinking that it is time to mate. You might hate me with a passion, but you will be obedient because you will need me." Tensaih sobbed as she tried to free herself from her stone bonds as her nightmare got worse, "Please, not there, anything but that. Take me like normal again please, just not there." "I'm afraid I like this, and I will have you fully to myself when you do come around," the male growled as he made her violation complete and plunged her painfuly into the worst hell she could possibly have lived through. Tensaih cried out in pain as her captor showed no mercy or concern for her well being. GahlByrn's use of her seemed to grow more heated and lusty with this new drive, bringing his advances much more rough and reckless. The abused female howled in agony as she tried to endure his cruel handling, at long last the pain and the emotional trauma finally became too much and brought the merciful creeping dark of fading conciousness. Her body finally defended it's self by shutting down to spare her the cruel actions of her captor.

* * *

Tahkra stared at the maps of her own territories and those beyond that the Soul Legion held. It was a rather large border to hold and protect and all she had for ideas was to hope Malehk was able to see some way to do so. Beyond her concerns for her people, the young gryphon queen's heart and mind held tight to the fact that her only sister was out there in those enemy lands. She couldn't imagine what she was enduring at the hands of the savages that slaughtered two nations already. It was simply no use, Tahkra could not focus with such a crisis weighing on her heart and mind, particularly when it was on a trade she had little to no knowledge of. "Damn them, damn every last hairless, furry, and scaly one of them," Tahkra spat at the map with watery eyes. Malehk didn't have to ask what had his mate so on edge, he simply held her close under a forelimb, "I know beloved, but before the consorts can see to that, we must beat them first." "I know that Malehk, I just wish I had her here with us, I would feel more sure of myself. I couldn't even protect my own sister, how am I supposed to help you protect our nation," Tahkra replied bitterly. Her beloved king held her tight and nuzzled her cheek softly, "The mages will find her, I know they will. When they do, grant me a small unit to get her out, make it volunteers only to avoid any question of your abuse of power. Let us get her out." "I can't Malehk, there will be times I have to deny even voluntary rescue efforts for the dangers involved, this is one of them. We cannot deny the fact that she was captured by the horrible mage in command of our new foes, I don't think I need to express the level of threat and danger he represents to us all," she shook her head in bitter defeat, wishing with all her heart that she could grant his request. Malehk didn't have a chance to say any thing else before a gentle knock sounded against the door frame of the command structure. Both king and queen looked up to catch sight of their drake allies and thier adopted niece. Right behind them was Krinzehl and a young female gryphon that Tahkra did not recognize. "Forgive the intrusion, Queen Asreigh, but I believe Ronin has something very important to say," Kalah spoke formaly to let them know that the visit was more than just something a child wanted to do. Tahkra smiled at the young human, "If my own family coming to see me is an intrusion, then Titania is already lost. Please do come in and share with us what it is you wish to say Ronin." The human girl stepped slowly into the leather walled structure with the rest of her party close behind her. Tahkra watched her move closer and stop just in front of her to stare at her feet for a moment. "Aunt Tahkra, I did something wrong to you," Ronin raised her tear filled eyes to meet Tahkra's, "I seen you weren't doing anything to get momma back and I thought you just didn't want to. I said that you didn't care and that you didn't love her. I'm sorry for what I said, Kahlah told me everything and I know everything I said is not true." Tahkra reached out and pulled the girl to her feathered chest to comfort her, "It is quite alright little Ronin, There are adults who should know better that think the same things. How could anyone possibly expect a little girl to understand the very grown up reasons for my inaction? You appologized for your words and that is rather big of you." "Thank you Aunt Tahkra," Ronin hugged the queen of her new nation tightly before she looked up again, "There's more, Momma is still alive. The mages found her and I know you can't do anything, but it might help to know that she is still alive. Maybe the people who want to save her can be allowed to go and get her or something." Tahkra stared down at the girl for a moment, a dull ache throbbed in her heart for her inability to allow such a thing, "I can not allow that to happen, but I am not giving up Ronin. We will think of something, I promise you that." "What if you didn't let them, what if they just did it because they love her and want to help her," Ronin asked with a hand brushing her red hair from her eyes. Tahkra froze for a moment, that very thought had escaped the young queen. She looked up at Malehk who seemed just as stunned as he looked back at her. Tahkra turned her gaze to the gathered mages, "Ronin, thank you. Go run along and find some friends to play with, we have much to discuss with Kahlah and the other mages." "Can I go see grandma and grandpa," Ronin asked. The gryphon queen gave a nod, "Yes, I do believe they were in much better spirits today. A visit from thier grandaughter might do some good." "Okay Aunt Tahkra," the human girl hugged the gryphoness around the neck once more, "I'm really sorry about everything I did." Tahkra smiled at her, "Don't worry about it bunny, just do not repeat that behavior in the future. Now run along." "Yes Auntie," Ronin scambered out of the command structure to make her way to her grandparent's dwelling. "Well, that was entirely too easy on her," Kahlah observed. The gryphon queen turned her gaze to the female drake, "Lessons don't always have to be so harsh, sometimes it is harder to face some one who is understanding and caring when you hurt them. Shame in one's own actions can indeed be a potent deterant for bad behavior, provided the child has learned compassion for others." "A wise observation young queen Asreigh," Krinzehl spoke up as she took her place just behind her queen, "But I trust you can deliver a whippin' when action warrents such a response?" Tahkra turned her eyes to Malehk who nodded back at her, "My dear royal mage, we are at war with the Soul Legion, are we not?" "That's my kitten, cute and cuddly with razor claws. But will you really come up with a plan to adress Agrok's captivity," Krinzehl asked in reply. Malehk raised his head with pride in his mate, "I know that look in her eyes, she already has a plan and I think I know what it is." "Well, what are we going to do," Kahlah asked with an urgent coiling and flopping of her tail, betraying her aggitation. Tahkra looked the drake dead in the eyes, "More inaction. You are going to tell me where my sister is, and I will look over the names of those who either requested or deserve leave time. Once I have decided how many and who, Malehk and I will adress the people about Agrok and inform those who have leave that they are off duty." The apprentice gasped and drew her head back as the notion struck her, "You are going to leave your sister out there and just give people time off?" Tahkra turned a stern gaze upon the other young female, summoning every ounce of her commanding presence, "Do not accuse me of anything yet girl. Trust your queen to handle this situation as fairly and properly as possible. I shan't abuse my power and risk so many lives to save a single gryphoness just because she is my sister. Niether will I leave my people out there to rot." "Tamahri, let Queen Asreigh know what surrounds her sister and where," Krinzehl intervened to push the conversation back to the bussiness at hand, "I trust her to know what she is doing and you trust my wisdom as your master. I get the feeling we will see Agrok home quite soon." "Naturally," Tahkra replied with a new glimmer of hope in her eyes, "She is too important to us to leave out there. Though without direct action, I cannot garantee extraction."

* * *

Agrok raised her head as best she could against the block that held her neck and foreclaws pinned, some one was coming. The gryphoness tracked thier foot steps as they came closer to her cell door. With Tensaih gone in the presence of GahlByrn, she could only guess that it was time for her second session with the inquisitor. The notion didn't frighten her in the least, she could easily endure the physical pains he would put her through. The only thing that tore at her heart and mind form her last session was the man she had seen at the end of the bonding vision. Some one she had began to trust, that her sister trusted, was the one behind the torture she had witnessed from the past. Was every one she was fighting for really such monsters as that with dark hidden pasts? "My lord, you could destroy the beast with a thought, why do you need our protection to return the Ketzialan to her cell with it," the voice of a young adult human male sounded through the door with the approaching footsteps. Another muffled voice answered, this one she remembered as that of the dragon in charge, "I do not want her damaged, she is a prime specimin to be examined. When she sees her friend again she may become angry and lash out. You will provide me with a barrier of flesh and armor to decide and cast what spells are appropriate to subdue her. Your presence may even deter her potential violent reaction." The door latch clicked as the heavy mechanism released it's hold on the locking bar, "But.. Yes lord GahlByrn." The door opened to reveal three human soldiers and one that appeared to be some sort of humanoid canine that resembled a wolf with light gray fur. They all had heavy armor on and carried a tall shield designed to form a wall when held together. The weapons they carried were all different by taste of the warriors who held them, a couple swords, one axe and a spiked mace were leveled at her. Agrok almost found the display flattering to see how serious a threat that the dark lord of the Soul Legion treated her as. "What's the matter GahlByrn, are you affraid of one lithe little gryphoness," Agrok spat her taunt at the wicked beast as he stepped into the cell with an arm around Tensaih. The dragoness looked very shaken and withdrawn into her self as she held her left arm to herself and stared at nothing on the floor, "Very funny bird, I am no fool to take needless arrogant risks. Your little girlfriend is back and I would rather not give you a chance at something heroic." The gryphoness stared at her cellmate and let a growl escape her chest, "What did you do to her you winged basilisk?" The gaurds all moved in to ready thier weapons at the gryphoness with the blades pressed against her ribs and her neck, while the mace was held ready above her head. Once they were all in place, one of the men reached over to unlatch the block and push the top open. GahlByrn did not answer until he had walked Tensaih to the block and urged her to take her place within it before he replied, "I took the first steps in showing her where she belongs, at my side. It is only a matter of time before her body marks me as her mate, and her heart soon to follow." Agrok caught his scent upon the dragoness just as the block was closed over her head and neck, she exploded with rage and tried hard to lunge at the dragon, "You piece of parasite ridden crap! I'll tear it off and shove it up your own ass! You're as good as dead and it will be an Asreigh that does it!" The block was closed, but not latched. The man attempting to latch the locking mechanism was forced to throw his weight upon the block to try and keep the enraged gryphoness from escaping. The mace wielder realized his fellow was failing at his task and jumped on the block as well. The weight of the two armored men was finally enough to get the latch closed and locked. "An interesting notion, I will be sure to deny you such an opportunity. Take some rest my future queen, we shall begin again tomorrow." The black hearted mage turned and walked out of the cell as if he were strolling through a park. The gaurds filed in behind the dragon with the last one closing and locking the door behind them. Both females sat in silence for a long moment before Agrok struggled to shift and wrap her hind legs around Tensaih. She spread her warm feathered wing over her cellmate to give as much comfort as she could. "This is too much, just too much to pay for my life," Agrok spoke softly to the dragoness, "I can't and I wont let you go through that again. No matter what the risk, I'm going to claw our way out of here at the very first opportunity we get. You traded your life for mine, now it's time to trade my life for yours. We're in this together, you hear me? We're in this together." Tensaih was quiet for a moment before she finally spoke just above a whisper, "Your strugle damaged the lock on this wooden monstrosity." "That a girl, that is good to know. Stay with me through this, I can't do all this alone," Agrok replied as she tightened her grip with her hind legs. The dragoness let a soft sigh, "You are not alone, we are in this together."

* * *

Grenz was rather uneasy and every bit as anxious to hear what Tahkra was going to announce in her adress to the people about her own sister. He knew what he wanted to hear, but he also knew what he was most likely to hear. The contrast between the two made him feel rather irritable and sitting next to Altair and Krintahl was not helping his mood in the least. The only thing keeping his temper under control was the beautifuly calm and serene presence of Jirri at his side. Grenz offered his lovely mate a warm smile when her eyes turned to meet his. "Be at peace my brave warrior, that is the urging I have received from the consorts," Jirri offered with a gentle rubbing of her beak against his. Grenz returned the gentle caress with a soft purr, "I know my priestess, and I try to stay calm and composed during this crisis. It is just difficult with all the factors involved." "Love, Agrok was at peace with thier union and you need to accept things as they are," she quietly scolded her younger mate. The huge broadwing nuzzled his mate along her neck, "I know sweetheart, I just can't help but feel a bit angry about the whole thing. You cannot deny that he was wrong to go about things as he had." "You are right and I am at odds with the situation, but I maintain my professional state of calm and serenity. We can not control our hearts, we can control how we behave," Jirri replied softly. Grenz didn't have a chance to reply before a herald presented Tahkra as the queen of Titania for her adress regarding Agrok's situation. The young queen looked simply radiant in her simple tiara with her feathers all so well cleaned and groomed. Malehk stood as a perfect match for her with his strong form offering a distplay of physical strength to the political and emotional strength of the queen. Beyond the formal appearance of the queen, Tahkra's eyes held a sadness and desperation that Grenz only recognized for his time around the family as a whole. Several human maons quickly constructed a platform for thier gryphon queen to stand upon by over turning empty crates and laying long planks across them to provide a flat surface. Tahkra thanked them quietly and stepped lightly up onto the platform with Malehk right at her side the whole time. General Carpenter and a few of the Queens Own Talons stood close gaurd to protect her from any off chance a would be assassin might have made thier way so deep into the plains. The three men and two gryphons were ready and willing to give thier lives without hesitation to protect thier queen, or to take the life of any who would threaten her safety and well being. Tahkra looked out over the gathered warriors and thier families, far more than the training village had known before, "Welcome people of Titania, as you may well know, I am your elected queen, Tahkra Asreigh. I live my life to guide, serve, and protect you all and this, our newly fledged nation. In the service to you and your nation, we have made a first strike and entered a war with an enemy that is alien to this world. This war was inevitable and we made sure that we made the first hard hit to weaken our foes and show them that they have met an enemy they could never break or wear down. To show them that the combined might of Grasolahn and Titania, two ancient enemies, is far greater than they have anticipated." There was a murmur amongst the gathered spectators as they listened to thier queen's speech, every last one wondering what news there was of the captive sister of thier queen, "We have won a great victory in our first military action, with the trememndous help of Grasolahn and Bizshra Necrotai. But this victory has come at a price, as does any war time action. We have lost some of our brothers during the fight to protect Randulahn. Every last name of those who fought and died and who may fall in the future of this war will be displayed on a monument so that thier brave sacrifices will be remembered throught the continuing history of Titania. Let us never forget our heros." Tahkra let the crowd absorb that as Grenz watched her eyes glitter a bit while she mustered the courage and strength to continue, "My own family has paid a heavy price for this act of war as well, my own sister has been taken captive after she risked her life and freedom to prevent the Soul Legion from gaining reinforcements from off world. I know I speak with a calm and composed demeanor, but I assure you that I am truthfuly a mess inside. As your queen, I simply do not have the luxuary of showing weakness in the face of the duties of my office. I will not let my personal emotions interfere with the decisions and conciderations I must make for this nation and our people. It is my duty, which I carry out with a heavy heart, to announce that we have found Agrok Asreigh, and have concluded that the situation is too dangerous to attempt a rescue at this time, nor does it appear that the situation will change through the course of this war. Even for my own family, I cannot ask others to take such a high risk for a single warrior as deaths are nearly assured along the way. She has been taken to the northernmost keep known as Tentuhl, where she is held by several rather powerful mages and the elite gaurd of our enemies leader himself. That information has been confirmed, GahlByrn himself is at that keep and has been tracked to the area where Agrok is being held. With all this, I.. I.. I can't finish this I'm sorry.." Jirri grasped Grenz' shoulder as they watched Tahkra crumble against Malehk's chest with fresh tears streaming from her eyes. Only those who were blind or traitors to the whole could deny that the queen was hurt by her own decision to leave her younger sister in the hands of the enemy. Everyone present could not deny that she did not wish to do what she had to. "Carpenter, we discussed this possibility, I must see to my mate while you finish the last order of bussiness. The nobility shall lead by council until Tahkra recovers enough to return to her post, unless the matter truly requires the attention of the queen," Malehk stated his declaration of the situation as he curled a wing around his beloved and lead her off the platform toward their private dwelling. General Carpenter saluted his king, "Yes m'lord. As you warriors may well know, you all did an outstanding job in this offensive opperation. Several of you have been granted leave for upsatnding performance and personal values in the field, as well as time for recovery after losing comrades or loved ones. I will read aloud the names of those who are present, and send couriers to deliver written orders to those who are not. Your leave begins the moment you hear or read your name. Grenz Krishna, if you are not busy with your leave time later this evening I would like to discuss training others in that line breaking technique of yours. Altair Windthrush, Jandahl Starwind, Gabriel Simmons, Kardak Malorne.." Altair bristled with frustration and shook his head, "This is madness, the sister of the queen can't be left out there. We should be allowed to volunteer to get her out of there, what is Tahkra thinking? So many would gladly do this if she only asked us or even gave us her blessing." "Hold your damned tongue you idiot. Can't you read between the lines here," Grenz growled at the smaller scout, "Think about this for a moment, she just told us where Agrok is and gave us leave time. Essentially she enticed us with a scent and cut the leashes near an open gate. Her position and the precidence are delicate, this is the only way she can even come close to begging us to help her. She's desperate." "If Tahkra asks for soldiers to help her get Agrok back, it will be viewed as abuse of her position the moment she has to deny retrieval of anyone else for the risk factors. She has to be fair, so this is her last ditch effort to open a window of opportunity for hope. The only question you should have right now is what you will do with this chance that Tahkra and the Consorts have opened for you," Jirri added with her own calm and gentle priestly tones. Altair nodded gently, "Alright then, do you have a plan yet or are we winging something?" "First thing is first, we need to find a competent mage on leave, or perhaps even Kahlah, to help contact the mage that informed us that they had given themselves up for Agrok's life. Something tells me they will prove invaluable in getting her out," Grenz replied with a look around at the crowd. Altair nodded and looked at Krintahl for a moment, "You work on Kahlah or some other mage and we'll get some supplies and enlist the help of Vechan. He will want in on this opporation, it's his favorite kind of thing to do. We'll keep in touch with our communicator badge thingamajigs." Grenz nodded and held up his foreclaw as though he wished to shake hands with Altair, "For Agrok." Altair grasped the offered foreclaw for a brief moment, "For Agrok."

* * *

Filth, that was the only way to describe the feeling that Tensaih had all over her and most notably, inside of her. GahlByrn had covered and filled her up with his filthy touch and there was almost no way she could shake the feeling of some horrible muck covering her inside and out. Her body was physically clean, he had made her wash up after he raped her, that did nothing at all to make her feel clean. The only time she felt clean in the slightest was when Agrok touched her with her tail, a hind paw or her wing. Something about the contact of that caring gryphoness made her feel warm and clean again while they shared the contact. That clean feeling vanished the moment the contact had to be broken and the arcane bound Vyrekai was left with the creaping filth. "Hello? Are you able to hear me," the sudden question from a strange voice startled the self loathing dragoness for a moment. Tensaih recovered quickly as she recognized the effects of an arcane link and tried to think 'loudly' to her unseen contact, "I hope you are reading my mind, otherwise I can not communicate in return as I am bound." _ "I was expecting such a situation, thank you for focusing your thoughts so well for me,"_ the gentle voice in her mind felt as though she had smiled, "What is your status in there?" Tensaih decided to make the reply short and quick to avoid exhausting the other mage, being unaware of her personal reserves, "Cold, underfed, Agrok has been tortured and I have been raped. We are currently uninjured and capable of quick movement." _ "It is good that you are uninjured, you have my deepest appologies for the delay that allowed your ordeal. Try not to get hurt in the next day or so, Agrok's comrades and I are coming to get you both out of there. We have a very small group that is to infiltrate and extract you to a safe distance to gate home,"_ the other mage offered with a soothing 'tone' to her words. A new spark of hope flared in Tensaih's heart at the mention of a rescue party heading out, "Thank you, thank you so much. I'm not sure how much more of this we can take." _ "Just hang in there sweetheart, help is on the way,"_ the link broke with those reasuring words. The dragoness licked her lips before she spoke, "Agrok, I just received word from your comrades. They have a very small rescue team on the way, but it will be a day or two before they get here." "We just have to hold on then," the gryphoness curled her tail with Tensaih's, "I wont let him hurt you like that again before then, I promise you that coming for you will be his biggest mistake." The silver scaled mage winced a bit at the thoughts that brought up, "Please Agrok, don't do anything stupid. I couldn't stand it if you got hurt or killed trying to protect me, I can endure and survive." "Hush now," Agrok did her best to stroke her back with a wing, "I am a soldier, and if I am to die protecting people I would rather be protecting some one who is worth the fight." Tensaih could say nothing more, the kind words reached deep inside her damaged heart and pulled the shards back together. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as that warm wing finally began to wash away the filth of GahlByrn's touch and ignite a warm spark in the deepest reaches of her heart. The dragoness couldn't help but feel a bit silly when she realised she was falling for the lovely gryphoness with her kind natured heart of bold steel and strong conviction. Even when she could do nothing to help, she radiated a soothing wave of hope that kept Tensaih holding on if only to stay by her side. This was the whole reason that she had given herself up to save the gryphoness. If she could bring this much hope to the caged dragoness, then she could help drive a nation of tribesmen and refugees to topple the realm's greatest tyrant and drive him from their home.

* * *

In the end, enlisting Vechan's help was as simple as accepting tha aide of a covert scouting camp that Necrotai had ordered in place just outside the enemy's borders at the point where Grasolahn met Titania. it really was the most logical place to run for any prisoner escaping the clutches of the Soul Legion. It was close to friendly territory for either nation, and close enough to preceived hostile territory for either side that it was the last place anyone would expect a fugative to flee. Grenz was still a tiny bit uneasy about working souly under the guidance of the Bizshra, but he had proven to be a firm ally so far. "Don't look so edgey bird, this lot wouldn't dar touch my friends," Vechan gave the massive broadwing a slap on the shoulder, "Altair's the best company I've found and the best partner I could ask for, I'll be damned if some prick is going to screw that up for me." Grenz shook his head, "I don't really think you lot would turn talons on us, but old instincts and all." "I read you loud and clear, catbutt, and I don't blame you one bit," the human scout admitted, "It is a strange adjustment, even for me. Hell, I liked you lot before this whole alliance mumbo jumbo. I got to scout your borders and see how you folk lived and treated one another. It somehow seemed more civil than home." The broadwing chuckled softly, "Funny how that works. As for how this will work, I want you to come with us and all the others to hang back to protect the camp and the healer. Kahlah will be gating us closer and be on gaurd to gate us out when we are clear, but she will nto be coming along either. The less magic we have on hand, the better. Last thing we need is GahlByrn sensing some mage gift amongst us and setting a trap. We don't know what is going on at the keep, the two massive arcane presences are clouding any scrying with 'arcane noise'. So we have no choice but to get in close and scout it out our selves and form a plan on site." "I''m glad you invited me along, this sounds like just my kind of party. I will give the orders to the scouts here, although Necrotai himself is rumored to be showing up within the next hour or two," Vechan pointed out. Grenz gave a bit of a grunt, "Just what we needed, a national leader showing up on a small covert mission." "Give the Bizshra some credit," the scout countered, "He knows the ins and outs of these types of missions, there wont be a standing army gathering here, or any kind of usurping of your comand. I'm sure he just wants to be here to welcome home the intrepid heroin of Titania." The broadwing gave a snort, "Fine, we'll see what he brings and what he does when he gets here. What ever happens in the camp, we stick to the plan outside the camp." "Agreed," Vechan gave a crooked smile, "we rough and tumble types know the better ways around a heist and a scrap." Grenz chuckled softly, "Amen to that. I'm going to have Kahlah get in touch with our targets once we are on the move to get them out. You get everything else in order, I want to be on the move before Necrotai gets here. We've all waited long enouhg to retrieve Agrok." "Now you're speaking my kind of language," the scout grinned broadly at the prospects of swift action. Grenz looked away from the scout as he moved back into the camp to issue the orders. His keen eyes stared far beyond their extraordinary range of vision to the north, toward the missing gryphon and her unknown resuer who had given up her freedome for Agrok's life. Kahlah had shared what she had learned of their captivity and it was not something Grenz wanted anyone to endure. "Hold on girls, we're coming and you will be free soon," he whispered into the wind.

* * *

Agrok felt the cold numbing her muscles as the dampness of the dungeon chased away all warmth from her lone body. Tensaih was close, but not close enough to combine their warmth and chase away the cold of the lifeless stone floor. The guards had not spent much time feeding the captive females since Agrok's attempts at striking at GahlByrn. The most either one had gotten was a bite or two before the humans droped their dishes before them and left them locked in their immobile state. Her eyes turned as far to her right as they could, allowing her to just barely see Tensaih. The dragoness had a cloudy look to her expression, as though she were listening to some one, "More news from home?" "Yes, they are on their way, two gryphons are flying in a human scout with several more humans moving by ground to set up safe hops for the journey to friendly territory. Almost directly south, a touch east," Tensaih announced. Agrok gave a nod as best she could, her tail having been twined with that of her dragon comapnion since that wretched day, "Good, we will be free soon and you will be safe from that beast for good. You can come stay with me, I have room, and I think you would like Ronin." Tensaih's eyes widedned and her pupils shrank to near pin points, "He is coming, and she couldn't break the link in time. If he or the two with him finds it, all hope is lost for rescue." "Kahlah can do this, especially since I intend to give them as much hell as they can handle when they get here," Agrok growled grimly as her angry eyes locked on the door as every muscle in her body quivered in readiness for the fight she intended to start. The sound of the foot steps were different than normal, there were no boots amongst them. Agrok was pleased by that as she wished a shot at GahlByrn with no help to interfere with her strike. Her tail finally uncoiled from Tensaih's as it started to flick back and forth with the agitated energy flowing through her body, sending quivers of tension anticipation through her muscles. The cell door opened, and a different dragon stepped through. It was female by the lean and suple form and femanine scent, scales of deep crimson that looked like deep pools of blood. These blended well into the dark ashen gray scales of her belly, which all accented her angry pale yellow eyes all too well. Immediately after the female eneterd, Gahlbyrn followed with a strange smaller male in his wake. The second male looked like a leaner version of GahlByrn himself. The female looked rather upset, clearly not pleased with the wretched lord of their murderous armies. There was only one human with them this time, who looked nervous about approaching the block, "Tensaih, I do believe you know what it is time for. I do hope you have been resting up since our last training session." The dragoness froze with fear and panic as the human reached down to unlock the block. Agrok tried to lurch forward and snap the hapless gaurd in two, but her body would not respond to her mental commands to move. All she managed was a furious growl and tensing of her muscles that caused the human to jump back when he lifted the block up to free Tensaih. GahlByrn gave a wicked grin to the furious warrior, "Silly avian, did you really think I would be so stupid as to think you would just let your new friend be taken to such conditioning? A simple paralysis spell does wonders in caging the fiery temper of any chained beast. I must say though, I admire your courage and tenacity. Perhaps you could serve me in some form or another, that body of yours does have it's charms." "Spell or no spell, you can't hold me forever," Agrok spat back at her tormentor, "When I break free, I'm going to tear you in half." The larger of the black scaled males shook his head, "Tisk tisk, so hostile toward your gracious host. TO think I was going to share Kehtral's treats with you too." "I tolerate your obsession with Tensaih, but if you had touched this little feathered bitch, you would have found nothing more than the fetahers remaining from my meal," the female hissed with a snear at the gryphoness.. Agrok growled deeply as Tensaih was lead out fo the block as the human let it fall into place to hold her once again, "I have a better idea, Gahlbyrn. Let out of these stocks and I'll shove your whore up your ass then tear you both inhalf at once." "Kehtral, you will hold your tongue and remember your place. I am the master and lord of your very existance, what whim I have is your own desires as well," GahlByrn snapped at the insolent female and delivered a back handed slap across her snout, "Disapoint me again and you will be fully replaced. I don't need you for anything that Tensaih cannot do once she is conditioned, so your continued position is hanging on my mood." Agrok heard something the dragons did not, or if they had they had not recognized the sound for what it was. The sound was the metalic click of the latch for the block failing to engage and lock the gryphoness in place. She only had to wait until the dragon released his spell to make her move. "Looks like you over stepped your bounds again Kehtral," The other male laughed, his voice a bit whiney in tone and pitch. The blood red female spat a retort right back at him, "Shut up Mishaka, at least I'm winnign my worldly advances, you're being held back by a freak in self enhancing armor." GahlByrn growled savagely at the both of his underlings as he turned his back to the gryphoness and finally dropped his spell, "Enough, both of you! My patience with your insolent incompetence is growing so very thin. If I have to stomach much more of it, I'll have no choice but to add you to my own power base to make sure your energies are not being squandered." Agrok quickly cruled her body to bunch up her hind legs for the mighty push she would need to throw the block off her self. She had to move quickly to keep the advantage of surprise and distraction. It was probably suicide, but the gryphoness thought she had a way to hold all three of the filthy Vyrekai at bay. Once her body was in the proper position, she shoved up with her shoulders and neck to force the block to swing open. Before it hit the ground, the swift gryphoness crouched back down and made her pouncing leap at the largest male dragon. GahlByrn proved to be as sturdy as she had hoped and before anyone knew what was going on, her hind claws dug into his sides. Agrok crossed her foreclaws around the front of his neck to sink her long sharp talons deep into the sides of his neck, hoping to use her weight to pull them through the scales. She had missed the fatal strike by a franction of an inch, but his pulse throbbing against her talons deep in his neck told her she had something even better for their escape, "Stand down, both of you. If I fail to hold myself up for any reason, my talons will shread the major vessals in your lord's neck." Mishaka seemed to be concentrating before GalhByrn growled savagely at his underling, "She speaks true, and you know I will take you with me Mishaka. Stand down, now!" Kehtral and her hated counterpart both backed away and stared intently at the gryphoness holding their leader hostage, "Good, now remove the bindings from Tensaih. I would rather her be free to protect herself and me if need be. And if anything happens to her..." Agrok clenched her talons a bit in the dragon's neck for emphasis. GahlByrn growled as the arcane bindings on Tensaih shimmered into physical sight as bands of runes that began to shatter and disipate as they were removed to allow the dragoness free use of her powers as a mage. The silver female flexed her hands as if feeling them for the first time with her power flowing through them once again. A chunk of the floor suddenly lifted and slammed Kehtral against the cell wall, injuring but not killing the wicked dragoness. Tensaih's eyes burned with a white hot anger as she watched the other female writhe in pain, "That is your warning shot. If you ever call Agrok a bitch again, it will be your last mistake you whimpering power hungry harlot." Mishaka laughed uncontrolably at his counter part's misfortune, "Looks like that self important attitude picked a bigger fight than you could handle hey Kehtral? I can see why Lord GahlByrn favors Tensaih over you, not only is she far more attractive, she is more than twice as powerful and practiced." "Shu.. shut up m.. Mishaka," The blood red female coughed against her broken ribs where the floor stone had slammed into her chest. Agrok cleared her throat and clenched her hind claws into her hostage's sides to bring attention back to her very important captive, "As much as I appreciate and approve of that one hun, we need to make our escape and ditch this winged basilisk somewhere." "Agreed, now that I am free, I have shielded the link against tracking and interception," Tensaih replied, seeming much more herself with her magic restored and her shackles cast aside. The gryphoness tapped her dragon captive with her wings, almost like a human rider spurring a horse, "March out the front gates, and call off any gaurds we encounter. it would be most unfortunate for you if I were to be wounded and loose my grip. Tensaih, can they hear what we are saying?" The silver dragoness gave a nod, "They can now that I have extended the link to my ears." "GahlByrn is going to take us outside the keep, we'll have him gate us somewhere at random on this planet then Tensaih will gate us directly to you once we send our new pet home," Agrok explained her plan to Tensaih and Kahlah. GahlByrn gave a snort as he stod stone still, "What is to stop you from killing me the moment my gate closes? If I am to die, I do believe I will do so in denying your freedom." "I give my word that you will be released to return to your foul ranks, but I will finish the job if you fail to leave immediately upon release," Agrok replied with a bit of a hesitation. She could feel his cheeks draw up into a grin, "I like that idea, the torment I can inflict upon your heart and soul, just by doubling my efforts to take other worlds, and bringing the troops I free up here to conquer your world as well. Every life you know has been extinguished because you had let me go, the amount of emotional pain I can inflict is glorious. Let us be on our way then Bird, I wish to begin slaughtering in your name. I bet the guilt breaks you in a month's time." "Your forces would have done this anyhow, sacrificing myself to prevent it would be an empty offering," Agrok replied coldly as her captive began to walk out into the dungeon halls. Mishaka eyed the gryphoness up and down as though he were cataloging her form and structure, "Impressive creature theory, and quite effective in action too. Hmm, I shall have to jot down some notes when I have some time." "Are you serious," Kehtral barked at him as Tensaih followed close by the marching GahlByrn, "Our lord is being held hostage and forced to help a high profile prisoner escape and you're drooling over the creature that has him held at talon tip?" The voices began to grow more distant as Agrok's captive was setting a good pace, "Just because you lack the ability to scrape useful information from the situation, doesn't mean that I lack the imagination or foresight to use that same information. We can't do anything to help GahlByrn anyway, might as well salvage what we can for when he returns." GahlByrn gave an anoyed growl at his underlings as Agrok shifted her hind paws a bit to get a better grip while he walked. The gryphoness spared a glance at Tensaih as she walked along side the captive tyrant. The silver female seemed to be lost in thought, perhaps planning her next move as a free person or even thinking of ways to collect her debt of vengaence on the vile beast that Agrok had her talons clenched in. They met no resistance inside the dungeons, but whne they entered the bright sunlit courtyard they were met by half a regiment of Legion troops preparging for deployment. They all jumped immediately into action at the sight of their lord being hald under the talons of a prisoner and formed a large semi-circle around the trio. "Halt! Release your captive and lay flat on the ground," the commanding officer demanded. GalhByrn growled with irritation, "Do you not see the high profile of the hostage you fools? Stand down before she does something unpleasant . This bird is in quite the foul mood and frankly, so am I." The human with the decorated helmet signaled his men to back down and let them pass as the gate master opened the large iron gate of the keep. The light gray stone of the walls and towers reflected the sunlight quite well and made it difficult for Agrok to see her suroundings but when her eyes adjusted, she could see the archers on the ramparts with bows drawn and trained upon them. GahlByrn seemed increasingly annoyed as he carried her across the courtyard, his wings twitching with each step toward the gate. "Idiots are going to suffer for this display of stupidity and incompetence," the dark hearted mage grumbled to himself as they passed slowly through the gate. Tensaih shook her head genly, "They are blindly loyal to such a vile beast. You should be glad they wish to protect you as their brutal and abusive lord." "Yes, training arrows on your little girlfriend while her talons are in my neck is certainly a competent way to protect me," GalhByrn spat as the energies in and around him began pool rapidly enough that even agrok could feel them moving. Tensaih quickly snapped a twin set of shields around herself and Agrok before the spell was unleashed. Not a single particle of energy hit those shields, instead the men on the ramparts cried out in agony for a brief moment before their skeletons threw the flesh form their bones and exploded at the same time. Every last archer was nothing more than indiscribable piles of gore splattered all over the ramparts. Agrok noticed a faint glow about the dragon's eyes as he drank in the trickle of power released by the pain and deaths of his own men. "I'm uncertain if I am disgusted with such a wasteful act against living beings, or if I'm pleased that you are reducing the number of your troops for us," Agrok shook her head with dismay. GahlByrn gave a dismissive snort before he began to walk again, "Such incompetent beings serve no purpose to me. Those who knew better should have stopped their comrades to save their own lives." Agrok had nothing to say to that, she really couldn't have said anything that would have made a difference even if she could think of anything. This being, this monster beneath her claws was of a kind of mind set that would only consider any thoughts of kindness or mercy to be weak and thus hate the beings that had them. It didn't matter if the person he was judging was weak of body or weak of mind, they were to be hated and exterminated. With the powers that she knew he held, anyone too strong was to be forced under control or to be consumed and added to his own strengths. They did not have some charismatic leader who had lost his way in some sort of cause, they had a mad dog driving those who served him with an iron fist and swift, lethal punishment for any sign of weakness or failure. She had to tell Tahkra about this beast, to warn her that redemption was not a possible course of action before her sister could even dream the idea. "There was a clearing about two days march from here, gate us to there," Tensaih ordered as she stared off into the horizon to the east. Agrok clenched her hind claws into the male's sides like a set of vicious spurs, "You heard the lady, make your gate so we can end this little date." GahlByrn hissed with pain, "Do you mind you grouchy little bird? I want to be rid of you as much as you want to be home. There's no need to dig those nasty little claws of yours into my body." "Quit crying and make your gate already," Agrok snapped, clearly at her wits end with the hippocritical tyrant. The black scaled male closed his mouth and began to weave the energies around them in his mind until the air it's self split and tore open into a perfect ring to reveal a lovely green and grassy clearing surrounded by leaf baring trees. He wasted no time in stepping through the gate with Tensaih walking close at hand, her hands a glow with a readied spell. Once every last bit of the trio were through the gate, GahlByrn let it fall closed and crossed his arms over his chest, "We're here, now would you mind so kindly as to get your damned talons out of my neck?" Agrok hesitated, the temptation of pulling her talons through those vital blood vessals was indeed so very great. She could end his tyranical reign for good, but would it truly put a stop to the Soul Legion? The two with him seemed so very high ranked by the manner in which Kehtral seemed to react to her lord's interests in Tensaih and the way Mishaka spoke to and about her in their banter seemed to suggest an equally high rank, or at least close enouhg to be in competition for power. Would they see it fit to abandon Eldarohnd if the people had slain the leader they feared, or would they have something to prove? Agrok also had her morals on her mind, was it more of a moral loss to break her word and slay the tyrant, or was it worse to break her word and become just like him? A soft touch on her shoulder brought her eyes to meet Tensaih's as they just stared into one another's eyes for a long moment. The dragoness had more reason than Agrok would ever have to slay the dark Vyrekai they had in a helpless position. Her eyes told a different story as Agrok felt herslef drawn into the mingled emotions of the silver female. She had her answers in those eyes, his death would not stop the Legion, they had to do this for real without a quick one kill victory. Granted they would lose their most frightening power if she slew GahlByrn, but they would lose the credability of their champion. Forever would other nations view the warriors of Titania as treacherous beings who would not hesitate to take an opportunity to strike down a foe. The gryphoness gripped tighter with all four claws, "I'm going to let go, but first, you remember this feeling, this moment. You live in it and know that your life is hanging in my grasp, quite litteraly. You think about this every time you toy with another's life and you remember how helpless and vulnerable you truly are. When the time comes, an Asreigh will strike you down, once and for all." GahlByrn was quiet as she withdrew her talons form his neck and slid down his back to back away slowly under the watchful eye of Tensaih, who was ready to deliver an arcane strike at the first signs of retaliation, "You think I don't know what it's like to have another toy with my emotions, my health, my very life? Do you two even know how I got my stat, what made people follow me in the first place?" "I know what you did to my entire species, along with my clan," Tensaih snapped back. GahlByrn grinned at that for a brief moment before he turned away form them, "I started as an abused child, experimented on for hamrful spells by my father, in trade I was taught magic. My power grew faster than he liked, so he used his seat on the Council of Vyrekai to have me officially bound. He didn't want his punching bag to become too strong for him to handle. Trans-multiversal exploration was because of me, I fought for the rights of every mage to explore other worlds and begin colonization of other worlds by our great Shialan dragon races. The council locked down hard sanctions on every mage when the people's voice became loud, and during that time I broke free of my bindings and slew my own father. He was the first mage who's soul I added to my own soul mesh. Without his controling influence pushing the council, they lost their resolve and surrendered a portion of their power to let the mages of the realms practice more freely. I was a hero, then I realized, my father was right, the strong did rule over the weak. No matter what people try to put in place to let the weak be free of the stronger being's iron fist, they had to be ruled in order to allow it. They had to be ruled by an even stronger group of individuals who oppressed the will of the other weaker strong ones. So then, if I was stronger than anyone else, why should I ever bow to anyone? Now the realms tremble at my name and the strong grovel at my feet while I exterminate those who are weak enouhg to need protection to survive every day life." Agrok shook her head with disgust, "You're wrong. It is not an oppressing hand that is used by the strong who protect the weak, it is the gentle hand that the ones with false strength cannot tear down. Hate and blood-thirst only prove to cloud and narrow vision, making one even weaker than they were before while they push out all the things that reinforce the heart and soul. To take the harder path of the defender with a kind heart is the true declaration of strength, what you do is nothing mroe than throwing grass and dirt while you try and cover some weakness you don't want the world to see." "Believe what you want, those kind herted defenders have fallen in the scores to my Legion and my magic," GahlByrn opened his gate again back to the very chambers he had taken Tensaih to before, "Remember this , gryphon. When I crush your little nation and sit victorious over your planet, I will show you the fate of those who waste their strength. I think I wont waste such a cute little thing like you, you will serve alongside Tensaih to please my every whim." Agrok stared after the mage as he stepped through and closed his gate, "You only wish, Titania will never fall and you will feel the bite of my talons in your throat again." "A firm reply, but he is gone now sweetheart," Tensaih rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, "You'll get another chance before this war is over, right now we just need to get you home to your family and friends." Agrok smiled gently at her companion, "Yes, let us go home now." "I do not have a home to go to," the dragoness pointed out as she traced the link back to Kahlah to open her gate to reveal the drake mage along with Grenz, Altair, and several Grasolahn scouts. She smiled at her new friend, "It's settled then, you live with me now. Until you find somewhere else you'd rather live, at the very least. Oh, as long as you can stand children, I have an adopted daughter." "I think I would like that," Tensaih smiled with watery eyes as the Titanian party surged through the gate and swarmed Agrok. Kahlah was allowed to move ahead of the two males to throw her arms around her neck, "Thank the Lord of Realms, you made it out unharmed. We were all so worried sick about you!" "I am fine, Tensaih may need to be checked out though. She caught the real treatment, I only suffered a phantom session with the torturer," Agrok pointed out the difference in their brutal treatment. Tensaih waved a hand in protest, "I am fine, really, time will heal what he did." "I'll be the judge of that," Rio announced as she pushed her way through the large males trying to get past Kahlah to Agrok, "You saved the life of my daughter, I'll not have you hiding any injuries that may have caused you and suffering any further." Agrok felt a but of a burning at her nares as Rio began a light examination of her new comapnion. Tensaih did not resist the touch of the healer, she simply raised limbs upon request and kept her personal shields lowered for her energies to scan over her body. "Tell me, vaguely what he did," Rio ordered gently as her hands felt over the boned and muscles of the dragoness' chest. Tensaih took a deep breath and fought to get the words out, "He.. he took what he could of me, every where he could." "You poor thing, I wish i could wipe the memory, but what I can do isn't complete. It would only cause more problems with this issue. Is there any remaining pain or soreness from that event," Rio asked softly. Tensaih swallowed hard and looked around at all the males that were present with an uncomfortable eye. Agrok pulled away from Kahlah to sit with her left side against Tensaih's right and curled a warm wing around her back. "Never mind hun, I think I found it. Boys, please back off a bit. These ladies have been through a bit and need a little space, especially our dear silver heroine. I'll give you Agrok after a quick once over then I'll perform a full examination of this one before we try and meet everyone else," Rio took charge and waved the curious scouts off with hand and wing. Agrok gave her new friend a soft nuzzle on the cheek, "Rio is very good at what she does, she'll have you feeling like new in no time. I'll show you around the camp and introduce you to the people that surround my life, that sound good sweetheart?" "I..I guess that sounds like a good idea, Iam just not very good at being social," Tensaih admitted , "I've always been reclusive and was even in a bit of an exiled social state before my world was attacked." Grenz stepped forward from the knot of gatered 'rescuers' and dipped his head, "Fear not, we're a rag tag bunch to begin with so you have an excellent chance at fitting in. Just to be sure things stay comfortable, I'll keep any overly friendly or grumpy people at bay so you two can settle back down and start finding a niche again." "No time to get all warm and fuzzy, I've already told Tahkra that we have some very interesting people to see her shortly," Kahlah announced as she looked a bit up at Tensaih, who was only slightly taller than the drake, "We are still linked, can you gather the gate point from my mind and get us home more quietly than I can?" A new gate slide open to reveal the very hill that Agrok and Tahkra had shared with Kenten and Malek that fateful day, "You mean like this?" "You're a Vyrekai," Kahlah gasped, "Why couldn't I sense it before?" Tensaih raised one shimmering brow, "Did I want anyone reading my true strength before?" "She does make a point, dear scaley mother," Agrok pointed out before she made a quick darting dash through the gate, wanting to be in familiar and friendly territory once again. Grenz gave a bark of laughter, a happy sound that seemed quite appropriate with the home coming. Agrok could never deny that it felt good to be home again, but there was a part of her that wished she could be back in that cell with Tensaih again. Without the pleasantries that the Legion shared with them of course, there was just a certain warmth when they were so close that she had never felt before. The time had passed however, and there were many things to do before she could truly settle down and be home for real. The first of which was bounding through the grass ahead of Tahkra and Malehk with the four generals close behind. Ronin reached the returning rescue party first, like a small streak of green cloth and red hair she jumped into Agrok's open forelimbs and hugged tight to her adopted mother, "Momma! I missed you so much!" "I missed you too sweetheart," Agrok held the girl tight against her arm feathers, unable to hold back the tears of relieved joy. No one interrupted them, the bonding of mother and daughter being a sacred thing to those who were present. Gryphoness and human girl just sat there and held on to one another so tightly as they both shed tears of joy. Tahkra and Malehk settled beside the pair quietly as they arrived. The whole world seemed so distant as Agrok's entire being focused on her adopted daughter in her forelimbs. After what felt like an eternity, Agrok broke the embrace, "I need you to go play for a bit sweetheart, I have some things to do before I can come home at last." "Okay momma, love you," Ronin gave her one last hug before she ran off toward the village, The gryphoness turned her eyes to her sister, "I do believe you need a report on what happened to us out there." "Yes, as the queen I should know, but first," Tahkra threw her forelimbs around her sister and held her tight, "Welcome home Aggy." Agrok purred softly as she held tight to Tahkra, "Thanks Tahk, it's good to be back." "Come along you, they can do all the reuniting stuff," Rio said to Tensaih, "We should get started on patching you up and getting you fed so we can decide what you are going to do with yourself." The dragoness gave a nod as she followed the violet tipped drake, "Yes, thank you kind healer." "Call me Rio, healer sounds like something a brutish grump would snap at me and you seem a bit more mellow and elegant than that," the drake replied as the two of them disappeared in the small hills and grass. Agrok broke free of Tahkra's embrace and stared her sister and her queen in the eyes, "We should get back to the village to start debriefing." "Yes, let us go to my dwelling and we'll discuss what happened before we address the people," Tahkra agreed before she turned the brightest expression there could be on Malehk, "Some of us have been going crazy trying to figure out how to get you out of there without setting a bad precedence for future leaders." Agrok gave a nod as she walked beside her sister in the direction of the dwelling she shared with Malehk, "Thank you Tahkra, I would have rather died in there than lived with an opening for some possible tyrant to abuse their power. Oh, Grenz, can I ask a personal favor of you and Jirri?" "What did you need, Tailflicker," the huge broadwing asked in reply. The smaller gryphoness smiled at her friend and rival, "You know, if anyone else called me that I would snap their neck. With you, it is a comforting term to hear, strange how that works. But enough musing, I need you to ask Jirri to go and assist Tensaih with her healing then show her to my place to get settled in." "Are you sure you don't just want me to do it," Grenz offered gently. Agrok shook her head gently as they walked, "I know what he did to her, a male would not be a wise choice to assist her in finding my dwelling. She would benefit greatly from Jirri's warm and kind presence." "Ahh, I understand now," Grenz nodded sadly, "I wish she didn't have to suffer such a degrading event to save your life. I do believe Jirri would be happy to assist your friend in this time of need." She smiled gently, "Thank you dear brother." Grenz only gave her a gentle cheek rub and hurried off toward his own dwelling to fetch Jirri. It was strange to the young warrior, things were always different when she came back to the training village. Even as everything changed, the population, the purpose of the village, or the nature of relations between the people within, it always felt more like home every time she came home to find each change. One change was burning in the back of her mind, but she would address that with Tahkra during the debriefing. For this brief moment, Agrok could breath and let herself feel the joy of being safe and secure in her new home village once again.

* * *

Tahkra sat patiently as Agrok told her tale of captivity. The young queen held her emotional ground and stood firm as she listened to the things her own sister was subjected to. Part of her wanted to weep and hold her little sister tight and safe behind her armies, but the leader in her held her firm and solid on the outside. She had to address the situation with some detachment to handle things properly from her position. Agrok was one of the finest warriors they had, gryphon or human, and they needed her in this fight to give the hope a champion could bring to their people. One key point could easily make her that champion in the eyes of the people, beyond her already budding fame as a highly successful warrior and a female. "So you had your talons against the vital blood vessels in GahlByrn's neck and you released him," Tahkra asked again to be sure of the tale, "He destroyed his own men with a horrific spell just for aiming at you on his back while you were in such a position? Interesting. Why did you let him go Agrok?" Her younger sister stared her dead in the eyes and replied, "I seen his subordinates, if they were competing for command of the Soul Legion, they would have been trying to prove strength and power to the lesser troops. To defeat the foes that had slain their master would have become the focus of both factions. War would be upon us, whether it be by organized and calculated combat or under the crush of two fronts desperate to put an end to us, we would be fighting here. And.. I gave my word I would release him once we were clear, so he would move like I had demanded." "Kahlah, Saltriss, do you confirm the nature of these subordinates. Not that I distrust Agrok's assessment, but it is best if I can point to others who know these monsters as they are," Tahkra turned her gaze to the two drakes that had been their ambassadors from the yet unseen home world of the Skanshial dragons and drakes. Kahlah stood and nodded to the gryphon queen, "Yes Queen Asreigh, Kehtral and Mishaka are both trying to gain more power than the other. Kehtral herself being the last remaining of the elites of the Soul Legion known as the Nine Powers of the Legion. We are oddly unable to find information on the other eight, but it is well known that Mishaka himself was only second to Kehtral. He only kept himself out of the nine to prevent any unwanted attention while he worked his command and his schemes. If GahlByrn were to be slain here by a gryphon before the Legion is weakened to near nothing in this realm, Mishaka and Kehtral would bring every troop they had to this place to try and stomp the foes that took him down at last. There is even a worse possibility, that one or more of the nine would resurface to do the very same." "That is not a concern," Tensaih added as she entered the dwelling alongside Jirri, "Those missing members of the nine are dead and their remains are on my world, where I have locked the realm." Kahlah stared at the new Vyrekai for a moment before Tahkra spoke, "You witnessed their deaths at the hands of your people?" "Queen Asreigh, I did not witness their deaths, I dealt them," the dragoness replied with a stern set to her shoulders, "They slaughtered my clan, and all of my species. I had nothing left as an exile and could not stand to let them take what remained of my world so I challenged them as a whole. GahlByrn himself suffered his only direct defeat at my spells, even with the help of his nine lackeys. It is why he is so obsessed with me, he wants my power at his side under his control." Tahkra gave a nod as she listened to the tale, "If what you say is true, then you are equal parts asset and liability. The details of your escape reveals a second defeat that wyrm has suffered, at the talons of Agrok. We will be under the same push whether or not we allow you to stay or ask your aid. I for one would not wish to let it be said that Titania has put out a powerful ally in a time of need for both us and her. If you wish to stay you are most welcome within our nation, but we are young yet with no currency and forming edicts. You will have to pull your weight like the rest of us. Do I even need to ask what you can do for this little corner of society?" "I am a well studied and practiced Vyrekai ranked mage, I can do anything you might need in the category of the arcane. From combat to plumbing, I can cast it for you," Tensaih rested a hand over her heart and dipped her head. The young queen smiled as she stood and walked gracefully to the dragoness, "For now, while this conflict rages, we need you with the Queens Own Talons. I know you've had a rough time in captivity, but if you can manage it we need some sort of barrier to protect these lands from arcane bombardment by their mages, when you have the strength of body and heart to do so of course. I will have Rio find a place for you to stay-" "Tahkra, she is staying with Ronin and I," Agrok interrupted, "End of discussion on that matter, I'll have it no other way." She was uncertain what to think of such a strong declaration form her sister, "Well, that does solve the problem of living space quite nicely. Now then, we have to address the people about your return and show them how much of a hero you are as opposed to a traitorous coward for letting that lizard live. Let them see what I see." "General Carpenter, may I ask you to move on ahead and form a guard escort whilst I speak to my sister about something," Agrok asked suddenly, bringing an even deeper confusion and curiosity to the surface of Tahkra's mind. The human gave a nod as the other generals stayed behind to hear what it was Agrok wished to say, "Well dear sister, what is it you needed to say that could not be said in front of a specific general?" "There was more to the vision I was tortured with, when they wings were fully rolled up, a man entered and demanded to know what the men were doing. It was Carpenter, I don't know what part he played, but he was there," Agrok revealed her secret to the gathered generals and allies in the dwelling. Tahkra gave a gentle nod, "This matter needs to be looked into, but we will address the business at hand first. We need to cement this victory and bolster morale of our civilians and troops alike. Agrok, like it or not, you've stepped into the role we need to fill. You've had the most success against this new threat and you have even had the enemy's greatest power by the throat, you fit the bill for a champion of our people perfectly." "I would rather not have that kind of attention but if it is necessary, I will do what I must to help get us through this war," Agrok replied with a determined look in her eyes. Tahkra knew what was burning in her little sister's heart, she wanted to finish what she had started when her talons were in GahlByrn's neck. The look was not that of a maniacal vengeance, it was one of focus and purpose. That brought relief to her as queen and sister to the newly freed warrior. It was so very nice to not have to worry about the safety of her loved ones for a change, to just be secure in the knowledge that they were around her once again where they would be safe. Now her thoughts could return to directing their people in building the foundations of their nation and keeping the lands and peoples safe from the very beings that had had her own sister in their clutches. With the addition of Tensaih to their ranks, if she was truly as powerful and skilled as her exploits suggested, they were well geared to put up one hell of a fight against the Legion at the very least. Tahkra gasped as a thought struck her between the eyes, "Oh my, Tensaih, I'm sorry. I never asked if you accepted the position I had offered you. I didn't mean to assume you would take it, my apologies. I'm still getting used to the balance of humility and control that is necessary to be a good leader." "It is no worry," the dragoness smiled and waved off the apologies, "You are doing well from what I can see, and I do most graciously accept the place you have offered me. It is more than I have had in a very long time." The queen took a deep breath as she stopped, causing her small pack of generals and friends to nearly run into her, "Tensaih, it is probably a personal matter, but I must ask why you were exiled. I am not retracting my offer of home and employment, but I must know if we will need to stand up for you or protect you from an angry former home world." "You are right, it is a very personal and very sensitive matter," Tensaih gave a soft sigh of resignation as she prepared to reveal her secret, "You are also right in that you need to know, but know that what I speak of here is done so in confidence of my own privacy on the matter. I prefer others not harass me me on the subject." Tahkra turned to face her with a hard stare, "You better believe that there will be hell to pay if I find one of my inner command circle is spreading rumors like freshly matured hens." "I will take your word for it then," the silver female replied and a small smile, "You see, my people looked down harshly upon people like me. Be it male or female, those who are attracted to the same sex are quite savagely hated. So when my father discovered I was, as your people call us, a 'tail nuzzler' he was kind enough to spare my life and exiled me instead." The queen was shocked and more than a little confused on how to address such a revelation, "Well, we may have a word for it, but it is so rare here that no one really knows how the people here normally react to it. I personally see nothing wrong with it, no one can tell you how to love, but I advise keeping this to yourself unless you find a lady of interest to confess to. I cannot say for certain how my people will react." "If anyone some how finds out and gives you trouble, you come to me strait away," Tarse added quickly, "Tolerance of intolerance is not something I personally would like to allow amongst my brethren." Fredrick added quickly, "If they are human you add me to that mix, it;s hit and miss with our lot, but we need to learn to live and let live if we are going to integrate into a gryphon born society. Which we do need to, with Mishaka and Kehtral lurking about there can be no quick end to this conflict." "It's settled then," Tahkra gave a smile and a nod to Carpenter as she started to walk toward him and his chosen guards at the quick makeshift podium that had been erected for her, "Your secret is secure, and if it should leak you are protected by word of the queen." Tensaih took her turn to look shocked as she followed alongside Agrok, "This is so very kind of you, I will find some way to repay you for this." "Don't," Tahkra replied flatly, "It is only right and one should not be thanked for doing what they should. but if you really feel the need to reward my understanding, you can kick that bastard dragon's ass right off his body when the time comes. Pardon the common terminology, but I could not think of a better way to express my feelings on the matter." There was no time for anyone to comment on her rather unladylike remark as they had reached Carpenter and the podium where a sizable crowd awaited their queen. It was easy to spot the small groups amongst the crowd that marked each village's attendees. Even after the plains had united, there was still some levels of clan pride and unity that would remain until deep into the war with the Soul Legion when 'us' and 'them' would become Titanians and their enemies. It was only natural, but seeing the groups all bunched together as one crowd was the first signs of the beginnings of that true unity. Tahkra looked to her left to find the loving eyes of Malehk just behind her, she looked left to find Agrok and Tensaih sitting side by side just behind her as well. The queen cleared her throat and smile at her gathered people, "I see our mages have been busy. That is a good thing, I want you all to bring these bits of news back to your individual regions and spread the word of what is said here today." She waited for a moment to let them all begin to wonder what she had to say that was so important, "Titania has risen with gryphon and human alike standing side by side to raise our banner in defiance of a would be conqueror that has invaded our universe, and most of all, our world. We have suffered some losses in this first victory, including the capture of my own sister. As you can see, she is sitting here behind me now. This is not the result of military action, in fact the private group of friends that went after her against the orders of the generals and myself never reached her. I know what you are thinking; so how then did she come to be here? You may or may not know that many of our commanders and trainers regard Agrok as the best and the brightest combatant we have ever produced as tribes or as a nation. She waited and watched until there was a moment of lax misjudgment on the part of our enemy and struck like a snake. Her talons still hold the blood of a tyrant dried along those sharp curved weapons. Our very own champion had her talons in the neck of our greatest enemy and made it clear that we can and will kill him when the time comes. However, that time was not the time of her escape. That beast has two commanding entities here waiting for an opportunity to seize power and the loss of their leader would put us in the sights of two being desperate to prove they can beat the foe that slew their tyrannical ruler. I have confirmed this fact with our allies who have a deeper insight into the nature of our enemy." The crowded gryphons and humans all shuffled about and murmured to one another under the eyes of the queen before one voice was raised above the hushed tones, "How was she taken captive in the first place, and what good does hurting a tyrant do if he still lives?" "I'm glad you have asked such a question," Tahkra would have smiled if she was not aware of the painful price that was paid for Agrok's life, "We have met a new ally, she witnessed Agrok's heroic stand at the mines where she prevented a surge of reinforcements from reaching the Legion forces. She witnessed potential that gave her hope and stepped in to save her life with a trade of her own freedom. Despite her appearance, she is not one of theirs by any means. No, Tensaih has saved our captured warrior and aided in her escape after paying a heavy price for her capture. I will not elaborate on that price and I beg of you all not to inquire about that price as it will make her recovery all the much harder. What you can know, is that this brave dragoness has joined us against the Soul Legion to add her considerable arcane might to our arsenal. And our very own warrior has shown our foes that their leader is indeed very mortal, having had her talons deep in his neck with his life veins beating against her talons. GahlByrn had to fear for his life and to know what it meant to be at the mercy of Titania. He lives now with wounds that will surely scar and mar the perfect hide of a dragon that had never before been wounded in such a manner. On this day, you should be proud. Our armies have beaten theirs and saved or neighbors and new allies, and our strongest warrior has held their leader under her talons in defeat as well. All that remains is to finish this war with the clear message sounding through the foundations of this world. 'We are the peoples of Eldarohnd, and we will not cower like sheep when you shove your way through our lands. We will not back down when you threaten and strike at us, we will rise together and we will fight back with a fury of the likes you have never seen before. From our amassed forces, down to each individual warrior, we will show you our might far beyond what you ever imagined you would face. Your surprise is over and our weapons and talons are drawn!'" The crowd erupted into a frenzied roar of defiance at their unseen enemies, ready to tear down any barrier or line of troops that may have been placed before them. It was an intoxicating feeling to lead the hearts of men and gryphons into such a unified frenzy of courage and approval for their queen. Tahkra could see how it would be easy to get lost in the moment and seek more such highs. One could easily take this power and lead a people on a bloody crusade against some imaginary foe that every other being fit in some convoluted way, just to feel this kind of power and adrenaline inducing moment. She would not fall into such a trap, she would not be like their current foes in any way. Tahkra resolved to be stronger than that, for the plains, for her people, for the whole of Eldarohnd, and for the realms all around. "Go home and spread the word, we will fight like Agrok, we will sacrifice of ourselves like Tensaih, and we will never give up. Even if we are beaten and our last is in their hands, broken and beaten, just like Agrok they will strike a blow from which the Legion will never recover," The queen ended her speech there before she turned and left the odd podium that had been constructed at the last minute. Her people were strong in their ties together, they had a champion now as she could hear them chanting Agrok's name like a battle cry. Her people would fight and her own sister would bring them courage and hope with her very capable talons. Now, at long last, the young queen could get her first true night's rest since the day that first battle took place.

* * *

Home, at long last Agrok was home, where Ronin had been waiting for her since supper. The Child was simply buzzing with energy as she gave Tensaih a good look over and began the streams of questions about what she was and where she came from. The dragoness was very good natured and kind about the whole youthful interrogation, making a bit of a story teller show of answering those rapid questions. Agrok was pleased to see her new friend fitting in so well with her adopted daughter, it made the addition of the dragoness to their home so much smoother. Ronin had finally run out of questions about Tensaih's social habits and past and turned her attention to the beautiful glistening silver scales, "They're so shiny! Are they made of real metal?" "No, they are just colored very much like it," Tensaih replied with a very warm smile as Ronin brushed a hand over the scales of her forearm, "They are so close that it is impossible to tell with the naked eye." The human girl beamed as she looked at her own reflection in those metallic scales, "Wow, that's so neat. Do you breath fire too?" "Once again, no," the dragoness smiled and let a fine mist escape her mouth with her breath to fall over Ronin and make her shiver for a moment. Her eyes went wide, "Oh wow, it's so cold! You breath frost, so you're a frost dragon? But you're so warm!" "Ketzialan dragons were ice dragons," Tensaih corrected her as she settled back in her pile of the cushions Agrok used as furniture in the front room of her stone house, "A common mistake is to think that an ice dragon would be cold, but that suggests that we are absorbing heat when in fact we are expelling heat energy form our bodies. It helps the energy core that helps provide our ice breath weapon. I am more tolerant of and resilient to the cold than any other kind of being out there, other than the types of ice dragon that grow stronger with the more intense cold surrounding them. I myself prefer to be warm and toasty most times, it's just more comfortable." Ronin looked a little crest fallen to Agrok, "What's the matter sweetheart?" "I don't know all of what she said, I don't know those big words," the girl whined just a little. Tensaih folded her shining ears back, "I'm sorry hun, I keep forgetting that not everyone has such a vocabulary. What I was trying to say was that I am not easily bothered by the cold, but I like to be as warm as you or anyone else does." "Thank you for explaining for her Tensaih, but I do believe it is late for little girls to be up asking poor dragonesses about every last fiber of their beings," Agrok announced, bringing sounds of protest from Ronin. Tensaih gave the child a warm hug and a kiss on the forehead, "You better listen to your momma, I'll be around for some time yet. I work for your aunt in the army now." "Oh alright, will you help tuck me in," Ronin asked with big pleading eyes. The silver female smiled and pat her back, "I think I can do that, if you let me up little miss snuggle bug." Ronin giggled and scrambled off Tensaih to let her up, skipping up the stairs toward her room. The dragoness sat up and settled forward on all four feet to pad quietly after the human girl. Agrok walked beside her, finding an odd warmth in her presence and in Ronin's acceptance of the strange female. She wasn't sure if there was some strange kinship forged between them by their mutual support during their captivity or if something else was going on. All Agrok knew was that the presence of the dragoness beside her brought a kind of warm peace within her that kept the worst of her memories distant. Ronin was standing at her door when they reached the top of the stairs, the last door on the left. One would have to make it by every other room in the house to reach the child's room, adding some security to the most vulnerable member of the household. Agrok would give every drop of blood in her veins to protect her daughter and she made certain that anyone who wished to would have to go through her to reach the girl. It was a natural instinct and view of a gryphon mother to protect their young so fiercely, even when there was no threat present. She would not be like her mother, Ronin would be safe, loved, and taught to be a proper female for her species. "Waiting for us I see, eager to go to bed and wake for the new day hmm," Agrok smiled at the girl who was nodding vigorously. Ronin skipped inside of her room as she replied, "Oh yes, then I can find out more about Tensaih and other dragons. Oh, Grenz promised he would teach me how to fish too." The dragoness smiled at Agrok before she turned that smile on the human girl, "You have quite a day planned. You had better get into bed and get some rest so you have the strength and energy to face it all." Ronin nodded and scrambled to the bed and wiggled her way under the the dark green comforter before Agrok cleared her throat, "Forgetting something are we?" "What do you mean momma," the girl asked with only her head poking out from beneath her blanket nest. The gryphoness moved to the clothing chest at the foot of the bed and removed her daughter's night clothes to hold them up. "Oh," Ronin threw her covers aside and climbed out of bed to take the soft gown from her new mother, "Why do I gotta wear clothes at home anyway? They are all hot and stuffy and they get itchy sometimes." Agrok gave a gentle smile to the girl as she stripped out of her day time clothes, "Because young human ladies and men have parts that need to be covered and remain private from others. It is polite and proper of you to be clothed. That is not to mention that I can get into trouble for letting you dash about with your bare skin showing to the world." "But you and Tensaih don't wear any clothes," the girl protested. The gryphoness gave her a gentle poke in her bare belly, "I'll tell you what, you can run around naked the moment you grow a coat of feathers like mine or scales like Tensaih's that cover all your parts. Okay?" "Okay, that' easy," Ronin replied cheerfully before Tensaih ambushed her with the forgotten gown over her head. The moment the girl's head popped through the top of the gown Tensaih added her bit to the deal, "No magic, I don't care who you try and sweet talk into doing it. I can tell and I will undo it strait away, then you can face your mother when I tell her about it." "Aww, okay I'll just wear clothes then," the girl gave a but of a pout as she wiggled her arms into the sleeves of her nightgown. Agrok smiled and scooped her daughter up to set her back down in her bed with careful tickling talons, "Good, I don't want to have to think up a fitting punishment for that kind of strange behavior." Ronin squealed with laughter and squirmed under the gentle assault, "Hey! No, no more tickles!" "You promise to be good then," the gryphoness asked with a playful grin as the round backs of her talons brushed over the sensitive tickle spots along the girl's belly. "Yes, yes I promise," she squealed and laughed before her mother let up. Agrok smiled and leaned her beak in to give Ronin a tender nuzzle on her cheek, "Good, I would rather enjoy spending good time with you, playing and teaching rather than having to punish bad behavior. Now you get some sleep, wiggle worm." "But what if bad guys come to get me while I sleep," Ronin asked. The gryphoness pulled the covers up over her chest, "Then they will have to go through the best gryphon warrior in the world to get to you." "But what if they use magic," Ronin asked as she pulled her blankest close around herself. Tensaih smiled and settled on the edge of the bed to give the child a gentle kiss on the forehead, "Then I will know they are coming before they even get close to the house, and they will have to get through the finest gryphon warrior and the greatest Ketzialan mage to ever live." "Oh yeah, I forgot," the girl grinned sheepishly, "Can you make the light stay on in here? I really hate the dark." The dragoness smiled broadly and stood up, "I can do better than that, just watch." Agrok rested a foreclaw over Ronin's belly as they watched the mage work her magic together. Her first spell was cast without word or gesture, just a sudden movement of dust through out the house as it all gathered into a ball that hovered in the exact center of the room. Agrok was willing to bet the only stir that Tensaih was causing was in the energies she and Ronin could not see as the next spell's arrival was rather obvious. The ball of dust, about the size of the human girl's finger tip, began to change and reform it's very substance to slowly become a tiny smooth polished sapphire that began to glow faintly. The glow of that gem was unlike any other the two had ever imagined, very dim yet somehow it lit every corner of the room to eliminate every last shadow. "There, now monsters and bad guys have nowhere to hide and thus, nowhere to attack from," Tensaih declared with a smile, "Now I'm going to scoot and let your momma say goodnight. Sweet dreams Ronin." The girl waved at the dragoness, "Thank you Tensaih, and have sweet dreams too!" Agrok smiled with pride at her daughter, hugging her through the blanket as she nuzzled her cheek again, "You sleep well my little fiery haired imp, I will see you again in the morning. I promise this time." "Okay momma, you sleep well too, I love you," Ronin hugged her beak and gave a gentle kiss on the curved tip. Agrok felt her eyes watering a bit as she gave her a lick on the cheek, "I love you too sweetheart." Ronin pulled her blankets close and rolled onto her right side to close her eyes as the gryphoness very quietly padded her way out of the room to find Tensaih standing in the hall with a smile on her face. There was a little sparkle to those deep sapphire eyes as they held her in an approving stare. It was hard to understand, but Agrok felt better under that stare to know she was met with approval by this lovely dragoness. "There is a strange irony here," Tensaih spoke softly into the silence as she turned her eyes away, realizing that she had been staring. Agrok raised a brow and shifted her head to catch her eyes again, "And what is that my overly cautious friend?" "I am not overly cautious, I value your friendship and I do not wish to ruin that with personal tastes and attractions. But that aside, Tikhana actually taught you so very much about being a mother it is truly a beautiful sight to behold when you interact with Ronin," Tensaih replied, giving in to the efforts of the gryphoness to meet her eye to eye. Agrok was both flattered and a bit confused by her statements, "How did you know of my mother, since you obviously have no idea how she treated me." "I have been watching you and your people, remember," Tensaih replied with a gentle smile, "During that time I seen perfectly well how Tikhana showed you exactly what a mother should never be like. Knowing how you need to be is very easy for you, you just need to be as unlike her as possible." Agrok nodded gently, "I'll give you that, but you should come with me now. I wish to keep talking, but I want to lay down while we do so. We've had to stand for far too long." "Agreed, shall we move back down to the family room," Tensaih asked as she stretched her neck and back in preparation for the short walk. The gryphoness shook her head and stepped to the door next to Ronin's, "We're going to my room, it is the best place for the conversation I believe we are about to have." "What conversation would that be," the silver female asked with a bit of a fold in her ears as they started to lay back. Agrok smiled and walk slowly to her nest of pillows and cushions that set in a bowled spot in the floor the masons had made for her, "Oh, about you and me, and these attractions of yours, most specifically your overly reserved behavior." "Look hun, I told you already that I do not wish to make you feel uncomfortable around me," Tensaih replied quickly, "I would prefer to keep a bit of distance so I don't mistake anything you may do that might be confused as the wrong kind of signal." The smaller gryphoness turned and rested a foreclaw on her friend's shoulder, "Tensaih, I wouldn't be awkward or mad at you. Of all the people around, I would understand what it is to not know other's signals. I value your friendship far more than any awkward situation could ever destroy, besides the fact that I would probably indulge you if you made such a move. You would obviously be in need and I have yet to find out if I do hold any attraction to females myself. This also does not take into account that I owe you my life, hun." "That debt was paid when you freed us from.. him. If I had to endure that once more, I wouldn't have made it," Tensaih admitted with a bit of a tear forming at the corner of her right eye, "I would have died inside and it would have been a slow withering death for the husk of my body." Agrok raised her other foreclaw to caress a silver cheek, "How did it go with Rio hun?" "I suffered rectal damage that had started with infection. We caught it early enough that she was able to eliminate it strait away and repair the damage, as well as purging the last of his presence within me. If I had not been with you when we escaped, if I had gone off on my own and not been healed, or if we had stayed in there longer, it would have been a slow and agonizing death," Tensaih replied softly with a little wavering in her voice. Agrok pulled her in and held her tight, despite the fact that the dragoness was a bit larger than she was, "So he is gone in every way, and I am here instead with you. We did it girl, together we beat their captivity and made it out intact. You and me, Tensaih, we can beat anything as long as we're together." "I suppose you are right, but I was of little use until you made the initial break," she countered. The gryphoness smiled at her and touched her nose, "IF you had not been there to protect me, he would have killed me the moment I let him go. He was afraid of your reaction if he tried to hurt me. Oh and to tell you a bit of a secret, I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable when you washed me. It felt nice to be cared for so intimately." "Are you trying to seduce me now, or are you trying to goad me into seducing you so you can tell yourself it was my idea," Tensaih accused with a little smile. Agrok grinned back at her as she pressed close, "Neither, I'm just over expressing my comfort with anything you would likely do. I want you to just relax and be casual and comfortable around me, I want to know you as you are. If you're being reserved and walking on egg shells to not offend me, I'll never get to know the real you." "Now you're talking like you are sizing me up as a potential mate," the silver lowered her eyes again. The gryphoness mustered her courage and placed her foreclaws on the dragon's cheeks to hold her steady as her beak opened and caught over the sides of her muzzle. Fortune was on her side as Tensaih gasped with surprise at the sudden advance, allowing her access to the dragon's tongue. Agrok caressed her own tongue over Tensaih's in a warm and intimate gryphon kiss, holding her tight with her forelimbs. The dragoness hesitated for a moment before she wrapped her arms around the gryphoness and held her just as tight while she joined her in the kiss. Once the tender moment had run it's course some time later, Agrok broke gently and smiled, "There, that's much more than any admiring glance or long appreciative stare and you can't undo it. Now please relax and let me decide how I feel about your interest in me, okay? You never know the results, you may be pleased with them." "Very well, I will try to relax more about you," Tensaih replied with a warm smile, "But you have to give me something simple in return." The warrior cocked a brow, "And what is that?" "If you ever feel the urge to try it with a female, do not try to heat me up so I advance on you, you come to me and tell me or make the first move. I really need to know you want to before I can bring myself to do anything with you comfortably," the silver explained. Agrok pulled at her to urge her to follow as she moved to settle into her bed, "Deal, but I want you to stay with me tonight, you help keep the nightmares at bay." "I think I would enjoy that, for you do the same for me," Tensaih smiled warmly as she followed Agrok into the bed where they settled down side by side. The gryphoness rubbed and settled her cheek against the side of the dragoness' neck in a more submissive posture, balancing this out with her wing over the back of the other female to keep her protected and warm, "Then let us guard one another's dreams until morning." ** ** Tensaih used her magic once again to lower the lights so both the formerly captive females could find a comforting darkness in which to sink into the restful oblivion of much needed rest. Agrok did settle into strange dreams, but they were warm and pleasant dreams that she would speak to Rio about when she woke.