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Copyright Denver Demchuk 2007

Draven: ...Time, that once held so much meaning, seems to have become slow or far too fast to really see where things have gone. A year has gone by since I learned the truth about whom and what I am. The son of Dragons. A race of beings that had long since vanished from the eyes of humans along with so many others so long ago. Yet not all left for other worlds as some might have believed. Some had been sent ahead in time in order to make sure that they would survive, they would continue to exist in this realm. Everything after my Awakening was like a maelstrom, nothing quite set in place or readily understandable. Only instinct and desire had helped me get through the challenges and other events that had taken place around me. That and the help of those I call friend and lovers.

Variss was gone now, having fallen in love with another of her own people, with my blessings to her. Tianna has left as well due to an emergency that had come up in her own family, one that has resulted in a complete release from my companionship. I miss her more than I usually care to admit, though I know how she must have felt. It was painful to let her go, but family always comes first.

Family...It has also been a year since my supposed death was reported to them and the artificial corpse displayed at the funeral. I had been there, magick having granted me another face for that day so that I might watch my own family's reaction. To this day, I can't say what was worse, watching grief tear their hearts apart or the sorrow in my own heart as I watched it happen to them. It was a double bladed sword. I couldn't tell them what had happened to me or reveal what I was or all others like me, in Sanctuary and around the world would be placed in danger. If I did, the chances of my brother or father understanding anything were nonexistent. There was no way for me to return to the life I had been living, no way of telling them that, no matter what, I was alright...

Sometimes, I think that the only reason I have accepted everything that's happened is because of Rionel, Iolen, Sibbean, Mary, Sivvaren, and Ualla. Everything that they have done to help me adjust, their love, passion, and understanding, has eased some of the pain and brought new joys to take its place. I owe them so much that I can not begin to say it in words. I just hope that in time, they will know how much I care about them...

***

Dawn broke early and I stirred as the first rays of light caressed my eyelids. Opening my eyes briefly, I looked around the bedroom and closed them again, breathing deeply of the mixed scents the night had brought. Iolen and Sivvaren lay with me, my past love held tightly within my arms as the ebony Dragoness behind me lay with one arm under my neck, the other resting upon my left side, my tail wrapped around her right leg gently. Smiling, I kissed Iolen lightly upon the neck, lightly caressing her belly and side as well. She moaned slightly, murmuring into the pillow and pressing herself closer. Turning to carefully lay on my back, I pulled her closer before turning my gaze to Sivvaren and kissing her gently as well. Amber eyes opened to regard me with fondness and love as she yawned, slowly sitting up for a moment before laying her upper torso against me with a smile.

"Well, at least one of you is up," I said in a tone slightly above a whisper. "I think we might need to help Iolen find a reason to wake this morning." Sivvaren smiled and looked at Iolen who had wrapped herself around my right arm tightly, her tail curled around my right leg as she slept. Chuckling slightly, the dark Dragoness rose and moved around to the other side of the bed, kneeling on the floor before Iolen. I caressed Iolen's violet neck and shoulder, crooning to her and trying not to laugh as Sivvaren snaked her head closer to my Luv's belly.

Without warning, we rasp berried Iolen at the same time, I on her neck, Sivvaren choosing the belly as her target. With a loud shriek of surprise, Iolen sat bolt upright in bed, her emerald eyes wide, silvery chest rising and falling quickly as she gasped for air, having been startled so suddenly. I fell back to the mattress roaring with laughter, tears seeping from the edges of my eyes, Sivvaren faring little better at the expression of shock on Iolen's face.

"You Bastard!" She shouted, grabbing the closest pillow and starting to beat me with it, trying not to laugh herself as she finally realized what had happened. I tried to defend myself, but couldn't stop laughing long enough to do so. Sivvaren, not wishing to be left out, grabbed her own weapon and added to the blows that my Luv was already giving me.

"It wasn't-my-idea!" I said, having to wait between pillow attacks before I could say anything intelligent.

"Like hell it wasn't!" Iolen said, straddling my chest and pinning my hands above my head. She was grinning broadly now, definitely awake and seeking some kind of payback. Sivvaren promptly sat on my legs and tail to keep me from freeing myself and smiling innocently over Iolen's shoulder.

"Traitor," I growled, watching as the dragoness responded by sticking her tongue out at me momentarily.

"Now Love, that isn't any way to speak to her or anyone else in your harem," Iolen stated, using her tail to flick my nose. "And if you wish to see them at breakfast, then you'll have to convince us to let you go somehow. Any ideas?"

"I can think of a few," I remarked casually, moving my head to kiss just above her crotch lightly with a low growl...

***

...We got downstairs for breakfast later than usual and it was close to ten o'clock by the time that we had showered ourselves and dressed for the day. Mary, Sibbean and Rionel were still at the table and Ualla wasn't anywhere in sight. Greeting them as I sat down at the table, they looked me over and tried not to laugh about something as they turned to look at each other.

"What?" I asked, looking somewhat puzzled.

"Seems that you missed a spot while showering, Draven," Rionel commented over the edge of her coffee, her eyes bright with amusement. Raising an eyebrow, I looked at Mary and she gestured to something by my lips which I reached up to feel. Realizing that I still smelled of Iolen's arousal and the reason for it, I quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped my face off to the laughter of everyone else present.

"Have a light snack before breakfast, Hun?" Mary inquired innocently, brushing a brunette lock of hair out of her gray eyes.

"Iolen insisted upon it," I said with a sigh, looking somewhat mournful. "She said that I needed to keep my strength up for everyone's sake." That got me a dark look and a punch to my left shoulder as I chuckled slightly. The others also laughed a little and eventually conversation was started over the remains of breakfast as Iolen, Sibbean, and I started to eat.

Things had settled down in the year since my change. The young women that I called lovers and friend had earned their places in my heart and not just through lovemaking either. It went both ways and I knew as much about them as possible, the same holding true for what they knew about me. Each of them had a job already, either in Sanctuary or someplace else where there was a concentration of Anthromorphs and other beings like us. Safety in numbers you could say. As for myself, I had managed to attain my dream as a writer and artist to an extent. Not to the point where my name was being talked about on radio or TV, but I wasn't someone who's work would be put at the back of the stores right away. Most of the days, I spent walking or writing, trying to think of idea's or letting the surroundings whisper to me the kind of things that might make the stories more interesting. A good majority of them were fantasy, with some truths and some exaggerations as to what the magickal beings had been like in an age so long ago.

Today turned out to be similar in most regards. Iolen and the others left for their jobs, making sure that I knew what time to expect them back and if there was a chance I might feel like going out tonight for dinner or something. I kissed each of them as they left and went to the study to write, taking a break after a few hours, then returning to write some more. Early evening found me swimming in the pool as I waited for everyone to get back, mind drifting with the water around me.

'Almost unlimited cash, five beautiful women to love and talk with, books selling better than expected, a mansion to live in,' I thought, looking up at the sky which was slowly turning burgundy with orange streaks, giving a slight sigh.

'All of that and still...I'm almost alone in another sense. Or rather...too crowded and nothing to do except write or draw.' Turning round and swimming for the nearest ledge, I climbed out of the pool and went to my bedroom to dry off and dress.

Choosing black dress jeans, belt with a silver fireball shaped buckle, light blue shirt, black vest with gold embroidery, and an emerald trench coat, I wrote a hasty message for Iolen and the others to meet me in front of the Calgary Tower at 7pm before going out to the garage. The Plymouth Prowler was ebony with silver streaks and a dragon head painted upon the roof of the car. Both colors seemed to sparkle slightly in the lights of the garage and I smiled as I sat behind the wheel...

...Parking five blocks from the tower in one of the parking complex's, I was soon on foot and walking through the darkening streets, feeling a little better as the chill air started to ease my mind. It had been a while since I had walked Downtown for any length of time and though night had held some unease for me before, there was none of that now as I turned a corner and passed by a church and the alley behind it. Friday night, and already there were some youths gathering for the Youth Group hosted in the basement and Gym that were connected to the old sandstone building. Smiling I paused a moment to watch the groups leader open the back door and let everyone inside for part of the night. At least it was better for them to be there than doing some of the other things available on the street.

Crash!

Whirling around, I looked for the source of the sound and saw something happening down near the far end of the alley across the street. Some kind of struggle was taking place. The night darkened more than it should have as I calmly stepped off the curb in front of a vehicle that had just turned onto the street. There was a distant sound of screeching tires, the sound slowing and becoming drawn out as everything around me seemed to slow to a complete stop.

I let the magick work as it would as I sprinted across the street and partway down the alley until I could get a better look at what was happening. Two men were holding a young woman, barely 20 years I guessed, against the wall as three others kicked and punched at the curled form of a young man. Time was slowly returning to normal and I was torn between whether to act or wait to see how far this went before doing anything. Something flashed in the hand of one of the girls assaulters and I reacted, letting the spell go completely.

The lid of a nearby trashcan sailed through the air, nailing the knife wielder in the face hard enough to cause blood to flow, the weapon falling from his grasp. One of his friends turned from beating the man on the ground and saw me, hand reaching around behind his back and pulling out a handgun. I felt my eyes flash as I invoked my powers again, the gun turning to dust instantly as I ran at him, jumping into the air and kicking him hard in the chest. There was a resounding crack as his breast bone broke beneath the impact, followed by a gasp of agony from him. The attacker flew back into one of his companions, both going down hard on the pavement. Something struck the left side of my face making my head jerk to the right slightly, my eyes going to the idiot that had hit me with a piece of an aluminum pipe. There was no pain, only stiffness on the left side of my face as I turned to face him, one hand gripping his own where it held the pipe, my right grabbing a handful of his shirt. Bones shattered beneath my grasp as I crushed his right hand before turning and throwing the man into the opposite wall hard. There was a sickening crunch and the sound of a body sliding to the ground.

"Fuck this!" someone shouted and soon the air rang with gunfire. There was a cry of pain that died down to a gurgle, soon followed by more shots from the same gun, the bullets hitting me square in the shoulder and neck. I grunted with the pain and turned to glare at the one holding the gun. His eyes went as wide as saucers as I took a step towards him, the pain of the bullets like a hundred burning needles.

Grabbing him by the throat, I lifted the human into the air and smiled grimly, pulling back my coat a little so that he could see my flesh forcing the bullets back out before healing without a trace.

"When you are about to kill someone, better make sure that you know what you are dealing with," I commented in a tone as cold as ice.

Turning suddenly, I threw him down the alley, watching as he soared through the air for sixty feet before landing in a dumpster, the lid slamming shut.

Pausing for a moment to calm myself down, I looked around at what I had done; noting belatedly that the other young man who had been holding onto the woman was cowering in the trash a few feet away from her. Kneeling next to the youth who had been beaten, I shook my head in disgust. Death and human waste was already tainting the body, the gaping holes of three bullets he had taken to the head standing out amongst the blond hair. The soul had already left and I had no way of healing the damage without it. Turning to the girl, she was unconscious and laying limply under a downspout, her face extremely pale. Lifting her up, I looked at the young man for a long moment, face expressionless before turning and carrying my burden towards the street lights.

Police sirens were already sounding in the distance, and the last thing I needed was to deal with them, especially if none of the officers were Anthromorphs. There was no way I could just leave the girl without talking to her first, yet...Damn. Should have kept my nose out of what was happening. Setting her on the hood of a nearby parked car, I quickly searched the small purse she had for some kind of ID. Finding her driver's license, I used my magick to copy it and stashed the copy in my pocket, wiping the original off to remove my fingerprints before placing it next to the woman. I turned at the end of the block and was at the parking complex by the time the first of the police vehicles arrived and sped past me. I watched them, using magick to repair my clothing and remove bloodstains from skin and cloth alike before heading to my car...

***

Iolen: I stood waiting outside the front doors of the Calgary Tower for Draven to show up, hugging myself slightly against the chill of the night. The ankle length navy blue coat I wore could have passed for a robe, the buttoned front hiding the white dress, along with the necklace of gold and sapphire gems. Ualla, Mary, Sibbean, Sivvaren, and Rionel were waiting in the two cars we had parked down the street, just outside the no parking zone, all of them looking out the windows for some sign of Draven. My cell rang suddenly and I quickly answered it.

"Hello, Iolen speaking," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

"I'm coming down the street towards you in the prowler," Draven said, his voice sounding slightly uneasy and distant. "Tell the others to head for East Side Mario's up at Sunridge, we'll meet them there."

"Draven is something-"

"I'm fine, Iolen. Please...Just make sure the others are on their way over to Mario's..."

"...Ok..." I waved for Ualla and Rionel to drive up closer and told them where dinner was going to be happening, making sure not to mention how Draven had sounded over the phone. As soon as they left, Draven pulled up and opened the passenger door for me to get in, his face slightly pale. Giving me a wry smile and gentle hug, he pulled away from the curb and started heading for the restaurant. Something metallic hit my nose and I swallowed, the smell leaving a bad taste in my mouth, coppery, almost sickening in its sweetness. Blood... "Draven...are you bleeding?" I asked, looking at him with concern, not wanting to touch him in case I touched an injury and caused him to drive us off the road.

"I'm fine, Iolen. Just...got into a bit of a fight before I headed over to the Tower to pick you up," he said in a tone low and controlled. "I managed to heal myself before anything serious happened."

"What happened?" I said, partially relieved but still worried at the same time.

"Stopped five people from violating a young woman, but wasn't able to save her friend," Draven said coldly, eyes intent on the road ahead. "He was shot three times in the back of the head. I couldn't help him..."

"Oh Shit! Did anyone see you heal or anything?"

"One of them did, though I don't think the police will believe him. Not unless they are from Sanctuary," he replied, stopping at a set of red lights and giving a tired sigh. "I need to meet up with Plato and some others that might be able to help me. There are going to be a lot of unanswered questions that the police will want solved." Reaching out to touch his shoulder gently, he took my hand and gave it a tight squeeze, holding onto me as he continued to drive, the light turning green...

...Dinner was better than expected, though I felt slightly over dressed for East Side Mario's. Conversation of the days events passed between us, though Draven was mostly silent, keeping to the background and smiling or laughing at the small things that had made the day entertaining. I could tell that he was tired, the laughter sounding a little forced, more than once stifling a yawn before he said anything. From the way the talk drifted slightly, I knew that the others could sense it as well, their eyes growing full of concern.

"Let's get you home, Draven," Sibbean said after the plates had been taken away by the waiter, the bill coming soon after, which our Love paid quickly. "You don't look that great."

"I don't feel that great either," He said, giving a tired smile as he downed the remains of the fourth bottle of Smirnoff Ice. Usually, it took him close to an hour to finish one bottle of alcohol, however, he had just drank four in less than that time, which wasn't normal. Ualla took his keys, saying that she would drive us back to the mansion.

We knew better than anyone that a dragon could drink a couple kegs of brandy before anything started to affect the mind, yet, when combined with exhaustion, it was best to play it safe.

The ride home was uneventful and quiet except for the music that Ualla had turned on, the tunes helping us relax. Draven and I were in the backseat, I was partially lying against him as he held me close, his fingers gently running through my hair as I held onto his left arm, my head resting against his chest...

***

Sibbean: I followed Ualla as she drove, my thoughts turning to Draven and how he had acted during dinner.

"Something wrong, Sibbean?" Mary asked, kind of casually though she was watching the Prowler carefully. "You seem kind of lost in your thoughts..."

"Sorry, just...trying to concentrate on the road and something else keeps popping up in my mind," I replied, shifting in my seat a little at a red light.

"Anything that you care to tell me about?" She asked, glancing in my direction, her smile fading slightly as she noted my expression.

"Did you notice anything strange about Draven tonight?"

"More than a little," Mary said dryly. "Did you smell the blood on him or was it just me?"

"Blood?" I said a little too quickly, taking my eyes off the road a moment to look at her intently.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that avian's in general have better eyesight than they do a sense of smell," she commented with a sigh. "There was blood on Draven, or at least the scent of it on his cloths and skin. Fresh, it's only been on him within the last few hours. Enough to leave a coppery taste in my mouth."

"Damn. What the hell has happened this time?" I said, thinking out loud and turning to follow Ualla down another street. "He seemed distant at dinner; almost as if something happened that he was trying to forget. Not to mention a little tired as well."

"Remember the last time he was like that?" Mary asked, shivering slightly.

"After his fight against Gorth," I muttered. "He spent nearly the whole day like that, even when we were sparring, it's as if his mind was somewhere else..." Mary nodded and shivered again, silence falling within the car...

***

Rionel: ...Arriving at home, everyone went inside and changed into some different cloths for the evening. Choosing to wear a bath robe instead of jeans or anything else, I looked around for Draven and found him in the living room, the coffee table pushed to a corner and my love lying on the floor with large pillows beneath him, watching CSI: Crime Scene Investigators.

It was the episode where a young Hooker had been brutally choked to death, placing Nick under suspicion of being the murderer since he had spent the night making love to the woman.

Draven had removed his shirt and pants, exchanging them for a pair of blue sweats instead, not bothering to put on another shirt. Entering the room quietly, I felt the others follow me in and sit on the couches to either side of Draven, their eyes glancing at him from time to time even though they tried to follow the show on TV. As CSI broke for commercials, Draven looked up at us and sighed slightly before picking up the remote and pressing the mute button.

"I take it that Iolen hasn't told you what happened yet?" he said, more of a comment than question.

"No, she hasn't," I replied, looking to Iolen a moment before returning my gaze to Draven. Sighing again, he buried his face in the pillows a moment, then sat up and looked at each of us in turn before saying, "I was in a fight earlier this evening. Two men were assaulting a woman, pinning her to the wall while three others were beating a young man on the pavement in the alley. I intervened, but in the process, I was shot four times in the neck and shoulder. I'm fine, but I was unable to save the young man, who had taken three bullets to the back of his head. The woman I carried out of the alley since she was unconscious, and laid her on the hood of a car before leaving. I don't know how badly I injured four of the attackers, but the fifth was cowering in the corner by the time I had finished. He may have seen me heal myself..."

"Why didn't-"

"You stupid ass. You could have been-"

"-were you doing in the alley-"

"Did any of the police see you?" I demanded, quickly kneeling by Draven's side, hand resting on his left shoulder and squeezing tightly.

"I don't believe so. If they did, they never made any move to detain me or find out who I was. It's one of the reasons I was watching CSI," He said, looking extremely drained and giving the ghost of a smile. "I'm waiting for the news to come on which is right after CSI ends." As if speaking about the news had called it to appear, I noted belatedly that the intro was already playing on the TV, the mute still active. Snatching the controller from Draven's lap, I quickly turned the volume back on.

"-start things off tonight, Police are asking for help in a double homicide that took place downtown today. Two young men are dead, both around 23 years of age, one violently beaten to death and left lying against the alley wall of The Bay, the other face down just a few feet from him. The second was shot three times in the back of the head and appears to have been beaten before that. Four others were found injured or in states of hysteria and were quickly transported to hospital and are now resting in Intensive Care. A young woman, approximately 21-25 years old was also found at the scene, placed upon the hood of a vehicle just outside the alley. She is still unconscious at this time. Police have not released any names as of yet, though eyewitness's are being sought as to the man responsible for the brutal beating and shooting of the two men. If you have any information, please call CRIME STOPPERS. You can remain anonymous. Now, onto other news-"

I turned off the television quickly, setting the remote down as I looked at Draven, his face cold and almost blank of emotion.

"Just what I didn't need," He whispered slowly. "A death at my hands..."

"You saved someone though," Mary said, shifting to her raccoon form and curling up beside Draven on his right, her eyes sorrowful and looking at the others, as if pleading for them to voice their agreement.

"At the cost of another's life," Draven said, looking at her and giving a bitter chuckle, shaking his head slightly.

SLAP! SLAP!

Draven froze, his cold look replaced by confusion and anger, his cheeks red from the slaps that Sibbean and I had given him. I rubbed my paw slightly, palm still tingling with the force I had put into mine.

"Don't you dare start acting like that," I said coldly, even as Sibbean trilled in angry agreement. "You saved a young woman from being violated, which can be a living death for some who survives it!"

"You did what you believed was best, Draven," Sibbean said, having stood up and crossing her arms beneath her feathered breasts. "By human law, yes, you have committed murder, but it was to save someone from such a fate themselves. By Sanctuary law, you were well within your right to stop those men any way you saw fit. Remember, you are still learning the extent of your abilities, and your human form is gaining more strength from your draconic side every day. You couldn't have known how much force you were using at the time."

"Agreed. It was better to make sure that the young woman was untouched by them than it was to let her be raped," I said, my voice changing in tone slightly as a cold knot twisted itself inside my stomach. "You have no idea what its like to survive being raped, Draven. You felt what Gorth did to me on my last night with him. I know you did. For me, it was a hundred times worse, physically and emotionally. It is something that I would wish on no one else no matter how much I hated or loathed them." Silence fell amongst us as we waited for Draven to say something, his eyes closed as his body shook slightly, tears slowly trickling from the corners of his eyes.

"I never meant to kill him," Draven whispered, eyes opening slowly as he looked at us, the sorrow of what he had done hitting him hard. We embraced him tightly, whispering reassurances and comforts to him as our hands slowly, carefully helped ease his muscles and mind. After a long while, Draven fell into a deep slumber and we helped him lay back onto the pillows, Iolen and I agreeing to spend the night with him while the others went up to their own rooms...

***

Alice Trailstone: I looked at the photographs of the crime scene, leaning back in my chair and sipping the vanilla cappuccino. Rain had fallen moments before I had arrived at the scene, washing away most of the evidence that might have been found on the handgun on the ground and pipe that had been clutched in the hand of the dead thug. Whether that had been placed there to make him appear as an assailant, or he had been holding it before his death was still unknown.

For everything else that had been collected, and even from the ramblings of one of the survivors, nothing made sense.

In total, three guns had been found, but only one had been drawn and fired, the casings found on the ground, as well as four bullets that didn't include the three the young man had taken to the head. There were no bullet holes in the walls, or amongst the steel trash bins that had been placed at intervals along the alley for waste disposal. Twelve o'clock Am and still nothing was coming together.

"This is idiotic," I muttered to myself, throwing the pictures onto the desk and stretching carefully.

"Hey Alice, you busy at the moment?" Mike asked from the doorway. He was a tall man, somewhere around six foot seven, powerfully built, black short hair that curled slightly, bronzed skin and dark blue eyes. Dressed in a white button up shirt, shoulder holster that held his gun, black dress pants and belt, the look was completed by steel toe dress shoes that he had ordered online.

I almost matched him for height, standing six foot two, shoulder length blond hair held back with a set of clips with a lock of it falling to the right of my face. Not exactly voluptuous, my form was more to the athletic side, and hidden by a blue blouse, black jeans, and silver/black vest which held some pens and a small note pad. Black runners made it easier to get around and my side arm rested at my right hip for easy access.

"What is it?" I asked, giving a wry smile. "They catch Barney raiding the concession at the Cineplex again?" He laughed at that but shook his head. It was an old joke between us about the first case we had done together.

"No. The kid that was in shock has regained enough of his senses and seems to be more than willing to tell us what happened," he said in a deep baritone voice.

"From what I've already heard though, he's got one wild story to tell."

"Did you get the blood tests back on him yet?" I asked, picking up a black dress jacket and putting it on.

"Yep. He's got enough crack in his system that it borders on an overdose," Mike replied, handing me the test results. "Not to mention traces of Meth and a few other drugs that make me wonder how much he has to say will be true."

"Oh Joy..."

..."I tell you it's the truth. I'm not crazy or just another psycho," Bill Marquette said, both hands on the table and a pleading look in his eyes. His actions were hasty, almost jerking in their suddenness most of the time. Hair was bleached white and spiked with gel, piercings dotted his ears and bottom lip, his eyes dark and haunted by something that he still couldn't quite believe himself.

"One man stopped you from having...'fun' with the young woman and tried to stop your friends from killing Joshua Dennis Marsolove?" Mike said in a calm voice, writing this down even as he looked up at Bill from time to time.

"Yes," Bill said, nodding quickly and rubbing his palms together, his anxiety more than apparent and made even worse by the drugs he had taken earlier.

"How did he stop them? With a gun? Or some kind of martial arts?" Mike asked, leaning forward and giving Bill his complete attention.

"He beat the crap out of them man! How many times do I have to say it to you Cops?" Bill shouted, slamming his hands on the table top. "He just killed Alex and all you're doing is asking me the same dumb ass questions over and over. Why aren't you trying to find him?"

"We are, but we have to make sure that you are telling us everything. We also need you to give us a description of what this man looks like," I said, raising one had slightly, attempting to placate Bill. "Now, you are sure you've told us everything and left nothing out? The smallest thing could help us find this guy."

"I've told you everything but the stuff that would make you think I'm insane," He said, slouching in his chair and wiping the back of his hand under his nose with a loud sniffle.

"What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can tell us..." He kept silent for a long time, staring into the distance, head turned away from us as he crossed both arms tightly.

"His eyes shone...like-like they had some kind of bright fire within them. He looked at James when he pulled his gun and the eyes flashed. Next thing I know, James's gun had turned to dust and he was flying through the air," Bill said, bringing his hands together with a loud 'SMACK!' before continuing. "Then he went after Alex who had hit him across the face with a pipe. It didn't even faze him. Next thing I knew, I was listening to Alex's hand getting crunched like Rice Crispies then he was thrown into the wall. Chains pulled out his gun and shot the guy four-five times in the neck and shoulder and nothing. Nothing happened. I watched the fucking bullets hit and it didn't do anything to him. Then the guy grabs Chains and lifts him into the air, saying...he says 'When you are about to kill someone, better make sure that you know what you are dealing with.' He then tosses Chains around like a rag doll and into a dumpster a hundred fucking feet away. No one, no one can do that. Not even you, man." The last was said with a gesture to Mike and I saw that Bill was losing control again.

"Ok, we believe you, just calm down, Bill...Calm down. As soon as we leave, a forensic artist is going to come in. We need you to tell him what this man looks like and he'll try to draw the face so we can put out an APB on him. Ok?" Mike said at last, slowly closing his note pad and waiting for Bill to nod in understanding. Standing up, we left the room and gestured for the artist to enter along with an officer to make sure that Bill didn't suddenly try to hurt himself or the artist.

"Well?" Mike said as we turned into the observation room and watched how things went from there.

"Definitely an interesting story. Should send it to Jackie Chan or Steven Spielberg and see if they make a movie out of it," I told him, crossing my arms and regarding Bill from behind the one way mirror.

"That's what any normal investigator or officer would say," Mike commented, looking at me. "What do you really think?"

"That whatever happened in the alley scared the shit out of Bill Marquette and it's not the drugs that made him think the vigilante's eyes were blazing balls of fire," I said, looking at him seriously. He stared at me a moment before shaking his head.

"You can't possibly think that it's true. A man who has glowing eyes? He'd be on Ripley's believe it or not," Mike stated lifting the pad of notes and reviewing what was said.

"Right, and the man who pulled the truck 30 feet with a hook in the throat was just an illusion as well," I told him dryly. He shrugged and kept quiet for a bit.

"We're more likely going to end up with a picture of Cyclopes from the X-Men than anything else," Mike said with a chuckle.

"Then that is what we put out as our suspect," I said, shaking my head and turning to leave. "I'm heading home. I'll be in late tomorrow to continue on with the investigation. Put all the others on the back burner. This one needs to be solved quickly."

"Ok, have a great night, Alice."

"You too, Mike."

***

RRRINGGG! RRRIINNNG! RRRRIIN-!

"...Hello," I said, voice groggy as I tried to wake up enough to deal with whomever was calling.

"Alice Trailstone?" asked a skeptical voice on the other end of the line.

"Speaking. Who is this?" I asked, looking at the clock. Five sixteen AM. 'I'm going to shoot this bugger if I find him,' I thought tiredly.

"Frank Billings from forensics. I was assigned to the alleyway homicide that happened last night. Something's come up that I think you should take a look at," he said the phone line crackling slightly as he shifted his grip a little.

"What is so important that you've decided to call me at five AM?" I said, almost tempted to hang up without letting him finish.

"We've matched the sketch Bill provided to someone on the database," he said calmly...

***

"This had better be worth waking me up so early," I said, shrugging out of my jacket and tossing it into the nearby lab chair. The room had one wall completely made from glass while the rest was light blue walls with grey tiled floors. Computer terminals, testing equipment, printers, the whole nine yards was spaced and placed in an orderly manner around the room, everything marked for one case or another. Frank was a balding man of 45 years, hawk like nose, wispy brown hair ringing the sides and back of his head, and small glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Not an overly large man, he was thin and wiry looking, almost frail. White lab coat covered the plaid shirt and old faded blue jeans he wore.

I had put on a black turtle-neck shirt, white dress pants, and work boots before coming in to see what he was so excited about.

"Believe me, it is," Frank said, handing me a piece of sketch paper. The picture was of a man just entering his twenties, strong face with gentle features, clean shaven, and with long hair, shown pulled back in a gentleman's pony tail. A few locks had been left free to frame the face and the eyes had an intense look to them...almost...sorrowful. Notes on the side of the page said that eye color was unknown, hair was dirty blond or brown, and that this man had been well dressed all things considered.

"Well, at least it isn't Cyclopes," I muttered, looking carefully over the features, yet always coming back to the eyes.

"What was that?" Frank asked, shifting in his chair slightly and raising an eyebrow at my comment.

"Just something that Mike had made comment on after we interview Bill Marquette yesterday. Anyways, you said that you found a match for this face already?" I said, looking up at Frank a little skeptically.

"Yes, and it wasn't in the convicted criminal files either," He told me, gesturing to the computer. Looking, I started slightly at the face that was showing and looked at the sketch again, then back. It was the same person, no doubt about it, but the eyes were different. Not color wise, but just the expression. In the picture on the screen, the eyes were secretive, a deep emerald green, almost impish as if they knew something that we didn't.

"Draven Joseph Alexander. Born June 30/83, dead as of...This doesn't make any sense," I said, starting to read the information and going over the next line again.

"Date of Death July 3, 2004," Frank finished, nodding slowly and tapping the screen with his index finger. "You're looking for a dead man, Alice."

"How can that be? Does he have the resources to do something like this?" I asked, skipping a few lines to try and find some way of making sense of the new facts.

"No. He was a security officer for Nortel Networks in the NE of Calgary when he just stopped showing up for work one day. He didn't make enough money to change his name or identity, and his family isn't particularly wealthy either. He had to come in for police screening and that's how we ended up with his information on record," Frank supplied, leaning back in his chair and shrugging. "A week later, he was found outside the apartment building he lived in, leaning against a tree, dead. An old woman reported the dead body and tests were done to make sure that it was Draven and no one else."

"Then how do you explain the pictures?" I said, voicing my own thoughts as I stood up straight.

"Maybe Bill saw it in the obituaries or something like that. Or someone that was in an accident had plastic surgery and had their face altered to the likeness of a random picture taken," Frank suggested, shrugging again. "Could also be the doppelganger theory, every person has a duplicate supposedly somewhere in the world."

"Right..."

***

Draven: A week later, I found myself at Marlborough Mall. The food court at Marlborough was bustling with activity and conversation; the sounds easily ignored as I leaned back in my chair and watched the young woman serving customers from behind the counter at A&W. Sarah Ingrid, 21 years old, with long brunette hair pulled back in a pony tail, a few ear rings in each ear and no apparent bruises smiled as another customer left the counter with his meal before she turned to the next one. Plato and the few members of Sanctuary that were in Law enforcement had gladly provided the additional information I had requested, as well as ensure me that they would deal with those who had survived the alley fight. Plato had assured me that the survivors wouldn't be killed, but rather, have acute amnesia from the shock they suffered, being unable to provide the police with further information on their assailant. An eye would be kept on the investigators for now to see how far they got with their current information and plans were already being made to stall them in case they managed to get too close to who and what I was. Sarah...she was a different matter all together. I had to speak with her to find out how much she had seen in the alley before passing out, and if she had told the police what I looked like. Standing up after a few moments, I went to the line up before A&W and waited until she said, "Hello. Welcome to A&W. What can I get for you today?"

"A large Root Beer. I was wondering if I might also have a word with you, Mrs. Ingrid," I said politely, placing the copy of her driver's license on the counter along with a five dollar bill for the drink. She stiffened slightly, then looked at my face, her eyes growing wide for the briefest of moments before seeing to my drink and handing me the change.

"Just a moment," she said, hurriedly, vanishing around the corner to the kitchen. I heard her talking with the manager briefly, saying that she was going on break and would be back in fifteen minutes. Stepping away from the counter, I waited for her at a nearby pillar and she soon joined me, her face flush, but with fear or anger, I couldn't tell. Guiding her to a secluded table, I waited for her to sit down before doing so myself.

"I take it that you remember me?" I said quietly, handing her the copy of her license.

"Yes" Sarah replied with a slow nod of her head. "I must thank you for saving me though..."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to save your friend," I said quietly, bowing my head a little.

"Joshua. His name is...was Joshua," Sarah told me, drawing in a shuddering breath, her hands shaking slightly.

"I didn't have the chance to help him," I said, looking up at her and gently taking her right hand within my own.

"I know...I know...Just..."

"Shhhh...Don't blame your self for what happened. It was not your fault and it would have happened another night if not that one, Sarah," I added, trying to comfort her.

The pain of loss was deep and spiteful, the scent and emotion stabbing deep into my heart as I watched her.

Tears slowly, silently flowed down her face as she nodded quickly, biting her lip slightly. Sighing, I closed my eyes briefly and thought about how I should ask my question, but there was no easy way to do so. "Sarah, I have a question that I need to ask you," I said slowly, keeping my voice low, even as I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at me, hazel eyes regarding me with sorrow. "Did you tell the police what I looked like when they questioned you?"

"Yes," she replied, voice quivering as fear seeped into her scent.

"How much of my face did you remember?"

"Not much...It was mostly haze and brief flashes of your expression...I couldn't give the artist a clear picture," Sarah told me, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. Sighing with relief, I nodded and smiled slightly.

"Thank you for speaking with me, Sarah. I'm sorry for bringing up such painful memories, but I had to know. Please, do not tell the police that you have seen or spoken with me," I said, looking into her eyes. "This is just a request, nothing more. You must do what you feel is right."

"If I do?"

"That is a choice you make. I can't do anything to you for it and I won't do anything to you if that is your decision," I said simply, shrugging and letting go of her hand slowly to lightly caress her face. "I am not your enemy..." She closed her eyes and I stood silently, then turned and started walking towards the nearest mall exit.

"What is your name?" Sarah asked at the last moment, her voice lost in the conversation of the food court as I continued walking, ignoring her with guilt...

Alice: Turning on the car alarm from the Mall sidewalk, I turned around and ran into someone accidentally.

"Sorry. Wasn't watching where I was going," I said quickly, feeling strong hands take my arms gently to keep me from falling down.

"No problem," replied a pleasant sounding light baritone voice. I looked up and caught the briefest glimpse of his face before the man turned away and headed for a vehicle waiting for him by the curb. Shaking my head I walked through the sliding doors and stopped suddenly, shocked by the face I had just seen. Long, shoulder length brown hair, strong, gently defined clean shaven face, dark green eyes bordering on emerald and containing...

"Shit!" I whirled around to see if I could at least catch the license plate of the vehicle he had gotten into, only to find that there was no trace of the car in the parking lot. "Fuck! I can't believe I just let him get away," I snarled to no one in particular, extremely pissed off for having let such an opportunity pass me by...

***

Draven: I raised my hand to my nose and sniffed slightly, an intense rush sweeping through my body as I took in the woman's scent and felt something deep stir within me. 'What the Hell is going on?' I thought to myself, thinking back to the woman I had kept from falling only a few moments before.

"Something wrong, Draven?" Rionel asked, changing lanes and rolling to a stop before the red light.

"Just something...unusual. I could have sworn the woman I just bumped into was from Sanctuary. Yet...I couldn't tell what race of people she belonged to or anything else about her," I commented, frowning slightly as I tried to think about how this could be.

"What did you feel? Sensation wise?" Rionel asked, her voice becoming serious, though she kept her eyes on the road.

"A rush, like adrenalin, only more intense. Something within me stirred but I can't quite place what it is. There was also the desire to...to wrap her in magick and kiss her passionately...I can't quite explain it," I told her, shaking my head slowly.

"You don't have to say much else. Whoever that woman was, she hasn't been Awakened yet," Rionel said, giving a slight nod.

"You've just described what it's like when someone from Sanctuary senses an un-awakened soul and form. It's how I felt when I was with you, though not as strong since Jalessa got to you first. I had to use some magick as well, but on a more subtle level."

"Should we tell Plato about this then?" I asked, leaning back in my chair slightly.

"No. He'll find out sooner or later. Once first contact is made by someone receptive to an un-awakened person, the Watchers in Sanctuary will become aware of that person in a matter of days," Rionel said with a sigh. Reaching out to touch her shoulder lightly, I gave her a reassuring squeeze before I turned to look out the window, watching the city pass us by as we headed home...

***

Alice: "You bumped into our suspect, but didn't realize it in time to stop him?" Mike asked, chuckling slightly and shaking his head.

"It's not funny, Mike!" I said, still angry at myself for having let it happen. "I don't know why I didn't notice who he was before but...damn, this doesn't make sense. So far, we've got two deaths, one is Joshua Lambert, boyfriend of Sarah Ingrid, shot to death three times in the back of the head. The second being 'Chains', who turns out to be Rick McMaster, brutally beaten to death, his face and collar bones crushed to a pulp, extensive internal bleeding leading to his death before anyone could get there. Three other gang members beaten, though not as seriously, one of them scared shitless and on drugs. Seven shell casings and bullets, four of which look as though they've struck a brick wall, but there's no evidence of that in the alley where this all took place. A fourth gun missing and supposedly turned to dust by a dead man who I ran into at Marlborough Mall."

"Calm down, Alice," Mike said, standing up and grabbing my shoulders, giving me a little shake. "You're getting so worked up that you aren't seeing straight. Besides, I called you into the office to inform you of something that just came in today." He pulled out a file folder from his briefcase and handed it to me. Opening it, I sat down slowly as the Draven's face appeared beneath the cover in another photo, the name beside it...Draven Illydium Draconis.

"Frank found this match shortly after he talked with you last. However, we weren't able to reach you until you turned on your cell phone," Mike said, leaning back in his chair a little and giving a grim smile.

"Draven Illydium Draconis," I murmured, reading through the files information. A recently self made millionaire, four fantasy books published, mansion just on the outskirts of town (A recent move apparently), quiet, intelligent, almost a recluse in some regards but not others. Owns three shipping/courier business's, stocks, life insurance, drivers license, birth certificate...It was all here. "Where did Frank get all of this?"

"It actually arrived for the forensics department around seven in the morning, a small note attached to it requesting that it also be given to the lead investigator of the alley homicide," Mike commented dryly. "Don't ask me why, but for some reason, I don't get the impression that this guy is playing with us. It's too formal and not...twisted in a sense. It's as if he's trying to help along the investigation after seeing his face on TV for the last week."

"Right, and cows fly without help from humans," I commented, sitting down and turning back to the picture again. Draven had attempted a smile but there was still sorrow in his eyes. "You sure this Draven and the other one aren't related?"

"Definitely. DNA tests from the blood samples the Peter Laughede Hospital were compared with Mr. Draconis's own blood samples. There was no match, not even father to son or vice versa," Mike said, nodding slowly. "Unfortunately, it's out of our hands now."

"What?!"

Mike pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to me.

City of Calgary Police Commissioner

It has come to our attention that the recent Alleyway Homicide that has been given to Investigators Alice Trailstone and Mike Samson has failed as of yet to make any headway and come up with any suitable suspects. As of June 29, 2005, the Alleyway Homicide case is now removed from their hands and is to be handed over to Inspector Trevor Ferguson of the same department. Please note that this will not go onto your permanent records or affect your current wages at this time. All activity regarding the case is to cease between Investigators Alice Trailstone and Mike Samson immediately. Breech of this notice with result in suspension from work indefinitely. Continued investigation outside of this department will result in termination of status and an inquiry by Internal Affairs.

City of Calgary Police Commissioner,

Robert E. Legand

Robert Legand

"I can't fucking believe this!" I shouted, crumpling the piece of paper and throwing it against the wall. "This is bull shit! Complete bull shit!"

"I agree, but there is nothing we can do about it," Mike said, sighing heavily. "I've already tried talking with our supervisor about it and there is nothing he can do either. The case is out of our hands now." Picking up the folder, I flipped through it to Draven's address and quickly wrote it down on a small note pad before tearing the piece of paper off and grabbing my coat.

"Where are you going, Alice?"

"To get some fucking answers," I growled, shrugging into my jacket and heading for the door.

"You pursue this and it could end up getting you fired or worse!" Mike said, standing up and making as if to block the door.

"At the moment Mike, I don't care. If Draven Draconis is going to pull this kind of bull shit, I'm going to do everything I can to find out why," I said, glaring at Mike and waiting for him to move. "I know he's the one we're looking for. Don't ask me how, I just know."

"Another gut feeling?" Mike said, giving my face a searching look. I kept silent, but he shook his head slightly again. "I hate it when you get those feelings."

"Only because they end up being right most of the time," I told him as he stepped out of the way. "If Trevor comes for the file, don't tell him where I'm going."

"Where who's going?" He said innocently.

"That's right."

***

Draven: The church service for Joshua was everything that I had expected it to be. Solemn, tearful for the friends and family gathered, and draining for the priests and Church Father who conducted the majority of it. Leaning against the wall at the back of the second balcony which slanted towards the alter, I waited, listening, watching, and giving my own small prayer for Ingrid and Joshua alike. Following the custom of wearing black to signify respect for the dead, that was as much as was prepared to do while waiting for the service to end. The pentagram star that I wore as a pendant, scarcely larger than a quarter, I wore in the open. This caused more than a few frowns and mutterings from the friends and family gathered when prayers or hymns weren't being said.

"Excuse me, but may I have a word with you, sir?" asked a curt voice used to commanding respect. I turned to look at the priest who had spoken, his face grave, eyes filled with anger and disgust.

"If you have anything to say to me, Priest, then say it here," I told him, uncrossing my arms and standing up. He was at least thirty years old, black hair slicked back and brown eyes looking me over slowly, only to glare at the pendant I wore.

"I have come to ask you to leave the house of God and His children. There is no place for a worshipper of evil here," He said bluntly, but not without a little respect.

"What makes you think that I worship something so negative and destructive?" I said, smiling slightly and reaching up to gently lift my pendant with thumb and forefinger. "This? A symbol of an older faith that has been abused by those that worship a God that your faith created to keep those under your control in line. Threatening them with promises of torment and agony after death claimed them if they didn't do as the church wished," I replied, shaking my head. "I don't worship Evil, Priest. Your faith created the evil for men to worship and fear. I pray and seek balance, between light and darkness."

"So your kind say, and have said many times before. How many devil worshipers like you have killed throughout time?" the man retorted, his face growing crimson.

"I wouldn't know. Not as much as the Church did with the Inquisition and witch hunts that claimed to be cleansing the villages of evil when most times it was for the benefits of men to gain wealth and power," I told him, shrugging slightly. "Over nine million died because of it, and even more are dying in a pointless war in the Eastern nations, such as Iraq. All of it for their God which is so similar to your own."

"They are heathens!"

"They are human," I said, smiling. "Blindly killing for something that they've been told was the will of their God by their religious and political leaders. So much like the Church did so long ago."

"Be gone, Satan worshiper, you have no place here and you foul the ceremony with your presence!" he hissed, taking the crucifix that hung around his neck and brandishing it like a knife. I chuckled and shook my head, reaching up to touch the cross and feeling very little spiritual power coming from it.

"Your faith is misplaced and weak, Priest," I said simply, continuing to touch his holy symbol. "You don't have the wisdom to ask questions of yourself and you blindly obey the Bible you cherish, without seeking your answers within yourself first. Leave me be. If I wished to cause harm, I would have done so as soon as I entered this hallowed place." The service ended at that moment, and I leaned back against the wall, waiting for the people to leave for the Wake held down stairs, in the community hall and snooker room. The priest stood stock still, his face white and eyes wide with fear as he looked at me.

"Brother Erick? Brother Erick, where-ahhhh, there you are. Father Jacob would like to have a word with you downstairs," said an elderly priest who emerged from a nearby stairwell. The man was wide of girth with very little fat upon his bones, the white hair flowing back and settling around his shoulders. With a close cropped beard, he looked the part of a Father Priest himself. "What's wrong? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

"N-no, nothing wrong, Father Worthington. Just...talking with this sinner. I asked him to leave the church because of the devil symbol he wears, but he refuses to do so," Erick stammered slightly, holding his cross so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Really? Is this true sir?" Father Worthington asked politely, glancing at the star before returning his gaze to meet my own.

"The refusal to leave or the devil worshiping?" I said, grinning and tilting my head slightly to the left. The old man chuckled and patted Brother Erick on the shoulder.

"Go talk with Father Jacob, My Son," he told Brother Erick, smiling and giving a slight shove to send him towards the stairs. The other priest looked at Worthington for a moment before nodding quickly and doing as he was asked.

"That will gnaw at him for a few days, I think," I remarked, watching the man go and sighing.

"What might that be?" Father Worthington asked, turning back to me and raising an eyebrow.

"Whether or not he should start asking questions about his faith and himself."

"Hopefully it will bring him closer to God in the end, either way. I've tried to tell Brother Erick to not be so blind in his beliefs, but..." Father Worthington shrugged and smiled. "Back to you though, why is a supposed worshiper of Satan attending a funeral service?"

"Not to steal the skull and I don't worship your devil or any others, High Priest Worthington," I said, giving a respectful bow of my head. He returned it and gestured for us to start walking towards the other end of the balcony.

"So your reason for entering a place not of your faith is?"

"To pay my respects to one that I failed in trying to save," I said truthfully, eyes finding Ingrid standing beside the open coffin below and staring into the clean, peaceful face of her friend.

"You mean that in the literal sense I take it?" Father Worthington remarked. I nodded and he sighed, eyes following where my own were looking. "You did save someone at least, which is better than losing all you tried to protect."

"A bitter truth if anything," I said, sighing and looking up at the priest.

"Might I ask you a question, my Son?" He said, stopping as we neared the other stairwell.

"As long as you don't refer to me as 'My Son', Priest Worthington," I said, giving a wry smile. "No disrespect intended, but I'm not of your faith, and intend to stay that way until I pass on, and afterwards."

"No disrespect taken. What should I call you then?"

"Draco."

"Very well, Draco. What is it that your own faith tells you about death and life?"

"Everything starts balanced in a sense, as everyone has male and female energies within. Through our lives, we seek to gain a clearer understanding of that balance and try to maintain it by what we feel is right. Death is part of that balance, meant to make sure that something is left for the next generation, and to bring peace to the soul so that there is time to heal. Despite what the Christian faith has said about the religion I've chosen, I don't worship evil," I replied, looking at the figure of Christ on the cross and shaking my head.

"Evil was never part of what I asked you," Father Worthington remarked.

"True, but it is something that you would still have asked me. The Gods and Goddesses I pray to each have Light and Darkness within. They simply choose to express or use one or the other for their purposes and what they stand for. Just as all humans do."

"Agreed. Though, having one God does make things a little simpler," the priest said with a smile.

"It may, but it can also cause more problems when that God doesn't believe in acceptance unless people are converted to His or Her beliefs and will," I said, stopping and turning to face Worthington. "Might I take a look at your cross for a moment?"

"If you wish to, Draco," He said, pulling it over his head and holding it out to me. Taking it in my hand, I closed my eyes and felt a surge of energy, Light and Dark, both coexisting and helping each other as well as the one who bore the object. It was far stronger than what had been in Brother Ericks'.

"You're not exactly pure yourself, High Priest Worthington," I told him, grinning slightly and handing his symbol back carefully.

"True, but then again, I haven't tried to deny that fact like so many others who've joined this church," he replied, smiling as well and replacing the crucifix around his neck. "Besides, it helps me keep open eyes and mind to the outside world."

"Then I ask a favor of you if I may," I said, reaching inside my trench coat and pulling out a bouquet of crimson flowers with blue tipped petals and emerald green centers. "Give this to Ingrid and lay one of these flowers beside Joshua. As a request to his soul to forgive me since I was not able to save him."

"I will do so, but I can already tell you this, you have nothing to ask forgiveness for," Father Worthington said, accepting the flowers gravely.

"I pray you are right. Blessings be to you and your Church."

"May whatever Gods you choose to follow lead you to health and compassion," he said in response before turning to leave for the Wake...

***

Alice: The Mansion was on the outskirts of the city, the entire place enclosed with an 18 foot tall wall of grey stone, lights placed at intervals along the pillars that helped support it. The building was on a piece of land that was just over an acre in size, the front gates iron and crafted with vines, leafs, and flowers. Despite the repeated honks of my car horn, the gates stayed shut and there was no indication that anyone was home. Muttering under my breath as I got out of the car, I looked at the pillars to either side of the gate and noticed an intercom panel that also held a camera. Pressing the bell button, I waited for some kind of response.

"Yes?" asked a female voice from the speaker, the camera moving slightly to get a better look at me.

"Is Draven Draconis available? My name is Alice Trailstone; I'm with the Calgary Forensics Lab. I need to ask him a few questions in regards to a homicide that took place in a downtown alley a week ago," I said, crossing my arms slightly and smiling up into the camera lens.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Draconis isn't here at the moment, maybe if you call back at a later time?"

"Would it be ok if I wait inside for him to return?" I asked, giving a slight sigh. "Either that or I come back with a warrant..."

"A warrant for what, Mrs. Trailstone?" said a male voice behind me. I whirled around, drawing my gun at the same time only to have it knocked from my grasp by the person who had snuck up on me. "I don't take well to threats, either law enforced or weapon enforced." Draven gave a wry smile and stepped back, hands clasped before him as he regarded me. Black trench coat, and midnight blue shirt, black pants, shoes, he seemed slightly mysterious yet not as ominous as I thought he would have been.

There was amusement in his eyes, the feeling that he was secretly laughing at me causing anger to rise within my mind.

"A warrant to search your property for evidence that you were responsible for the death of a young man in an alley a week ago," I said evenly, carefully kneeling down to pick up my weapon, checking it before placing it back in the holster.

"Ahh yes, the wealthy businessman that has the money and supposed power to do anything and everything, including killing someone that was assaulting a young woman in a dark damp alley while her friend was shot in the head at point blank range," Draven commented, looking to the camera and nodding slightly. The gates hissed slightly as they opened and a Plymouth Prowler rolled past us and into a garage built to the side of the mansion.

"You seem to know more than a little about what happened," I said coldly.

"As does everyone else who has listened to the news reports and read the papers. However, if you think I am responsible for the murder, please, come with me," He intoned, giving a slight bow and turning to walk up to the entrance. Glaring at his back, I was tempted to run him down with my car but thought better of it.

After parking, I entered the lobby of the mansion and nearly stared like a gap mouthed idiot. Where I had been expecting wealth and power to be shown immediately, nothing but the simplest of items were apparent. Aside from small sculptures, paintings, and a mural painted upon one of the walls, there was very little to suggest that Draven was indeed a millionaire. Most of the items I could find at Future Shop, Wal-Mart, Zellars, The Bay, and Lay-Z-Boy furniture stores. "Not quite what you were expecting in the home of a murderer is it?" He remarked, hanging up his coat and turning to regard me with his emerald eyes again before heading into the nearby living room. Keeping silent, I followed him and sat down in one of the chairs offered to me.

"I need to know if you were involved in the fight on the night of the 22nd of this month," I said after regaining my senses.

"What makes you think I was involved in a fight that night?" Draven asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other.

"We have a witness that claims to have seen the face of the man that attacked the rest of his gang friends," I said carefully, pulling out my small note pad. "The forensic artist managed to draw a picture and we found two matches to it. One of them belongs to a young man named Draven Joseph Alexander, who died last year. The other picture came with a file that has all of your personal information and records."

"So seeing that I am the only living match to the picture the artist came up with, you suspect that I was in the alley to kill the man you found murdered," he said, nodding slightly. "If that is so, then why come out here on your own and without a warrant?" I kept silent, unable to find an answer to justify my actions. "Would it surprise you if I said I was already aware that I was under investigation as a potential suspect?"

"What? How would you know that?"

"My lawyer called me the morning after the Homicide investigation started and gave me as much information on what had happened as he was able to.

After that I made sure to gather a file that would give as much information as possible to the police investigators so that they wouldn't need to bother me unless I was being convicted of the said crime. It was just finished today and should have been in your hands already," Draven told me, putting his leg down and sitting up in the chair.

"Yes we received it just over a couple hours ago, that's how I learned where you lived. That aside, I need you to answer my question. Were you involved in the fight that night?" I said, staring at him intently.

"I was with my friends, Mrs. Trailstone. I can provide you with names and numbers if you wish, though I'm afraid that it will do you little good. Seeing as I also received word that you were no longer on the case," he said, his expression becoming slightly sorrowful. I was shocked, my heart racing as I tried to think of how he could know about such a thing happening.

"Who told you that I was no longer on the case?" I whispered, standing up.

"Your partner, Mike Ferguson informed me of the change when I went down to the police station to confirm that they had received the file I sent them," he replied coolly. Draven stood slowly, and started to walk around me, his eyes containing an unusual intensity as he looked me over.

Cold fear knotted my guts as I slowly started reaching for my gun, having the sudden impression that Draven was a predator and I had become the prey.

"Stop whatever you're doing right now!" I shouted, as he came into view again. Something moved by the lobby and I glanced over to see that two women were standing there in business cloths and staring at Draven and I. Turning back to Draven, I found that he had spread his hands slightly. A sad smile spreading over his lips.

"I think not," he said in a near whisper, taking a step forward. I fired without thinking, the guns recoil jolting me out of my fear only to see everything happen in what seemed to be slow motion. The bullet left the chamber, flying straight for Draven's chest, the muffled starts of the two women's cries of surprise, the air rippling around the bullet itself as the shell was thrown into the air and another round chambered. Draven calmly reached out a hand to the bullet and without a pause, caught it, a slight grimace crossing his face before the calm reasserted itself. Time shot forward to the present and I stared at him, not understanding what had just happened. Draven was breathing quickly, his eyes glowing with white flames as he raised the hand used to capture the bullet and opened it slowly. A small pile of dust fell in a sheet through the air, his hand lowering slowly afterwards.

"No...It can't be," I whispered, gun still raised. I pulled the trigger and Draven's eyes flared brilliantly, the trigger breaking, the gun growing slightly gray in color as well as feather light, and to my horror, slowly turning to dust within a matter of moments. I stared stupidly at my hand for the longest time before I felt something prick the side of my neck.

"Answers will be given when you awake," Draven said, catching me as my legs went suddenly numb and unresponsive. I tried to speak but could find no voice, a final horrifying moment passing before my eyes as darkness enveloped everything...

Draven: Making sure that the dart had done its job, I pulled it out of her neck quickly and placed a small napkin over the wound. It wasn't fatal, but still, there was no point risking infection.

"Thanks for showing up at the right time," I said, turning to look at Rionel and Mary as they slowly entered the room, Mary lowering the blow pipe and giving a partially impish smile before looking at Alice Trailstone.

"Shit, I never thought they would have let anyone as skittish as her onto the police force," Rionel muttered, as I lay the woman down upon the largest couch in the room.

"At least she didn't try to fight or scream like mad when her gun was destroyed," Mary said, leaning over the back of the couch and sniffing the air slightly. "Is it just me, or does she smell like a cat?" Inhaling the scents of the room deeply, I waited for a moment and nodded, Rionel helping to confirm the scent as well.

"She hasn't been Awakened yet," I said, touching her cheek lightly and shivering as I felt the magick that lay beneath in her true form. "Could one of you please keep an eye on her and tell the others what's happened when they get home. When she wakes up, I'll speak with her."

"What are you planning on doing?" Rionel said, looking at me with curiosity.

"Inviting Plato over for dinner," I said with a wry smile. They laughed and I rose to get changed before phoning the old philosopher in Sanctuary. It was going to be one interesting night...

Alice: Dreams of glowing eyed monsters, guns, and the dead rising from their graves to take revenge upon the living filled the darkness as I ran away, towards something that I couldn't be sure of. Draven was there, in the midst of everything, yet always the same, a wry smile and deep sorrow within his emerald eyes as they looked at me. The monsters always tried to touch him but couldn't, their arms, tentacles, tails, and legs turning to dust, even as I raised my gun and fired at them, at him, only to watch my weapon vanish as well. "All will be explained," he intoned, voice echoing in the void. He raised a hand and suddenly flames engulfed me, burning, searing away my flesh, the skin and muscle crisping, peeling away from bone as the marrow popped and crackled, the blood boiling instantly!

"AaaAAAAAHHHHH!" Sitting up quickly, I felt gentle hands take my shoulders and carefully push me back into a lying position, my heart racing even as I closed my eyes and tried to slow my panting breaths. Someone whispered comforting words to me, voice thickly accented, sounding almost African in heritage.

Looking around carefully, I found that I lay upon one of the couches in the living room Draven had directed me to enter. There was a young woman with me, easily 22 years old, dark African features and skin, her hair braided tightly to her scalp and held back by a gold clasp.

"Must have been one heck of a dream, Mrs. Trailstone," she commented, giving a wry smile and holding out a glass of water to me. Sitting up slowly, I pushed myself back against the arm of the couch and took the glass, sipping the cold water slowly and shivering. The woman was slim and tall, her form covered with a white dress with gold symbols and designs around the neck and hem, some of them weaving across the fabric over her body. Three necklaces, two of dark wood and enamel beads hung around her neck, the last one of amber and jet.

"Who're you?" I said, voice cracking slightly and hinting at how dry my throat was.

"Sivvaren, one of the other people that live in this mansion," She replied, giving a reassuring smile. I nodded slowly, then sat bolt upright as I suddenly recalled where I was and what had happened. "Please, do not be frightened. No one here will harm you, not even Draven, though after the way you tried to shoot him, I wouldn't have been surprised if you had been injured in some manner."

"What the hell just happened?" I demanded, looking around and noting the small pile of dust on the floor, my right hand feeling my holster and confirming that my gun was no long in my possession. Nor would it be returned if the truth of my memory was to be believed.

"Come with me, Mrs. Trailstone. Draven will explain things to you as best as he is able to," Sivvaren said, rising and leaving the room slowly.

Like the living room and lobby, the rest of the mansion was not extravagant or completely awe inspiring for the most part. Some of the statues that I saw were incredibly detailed in the manner of their carving but there was little else to hint at the wealth Draven supposedly had. Opening a set of oak doors, I found myself in a study of sorts, books neatly placed upon the shelves with a few resting on the angled desk set before the large bay window. A desktop computer took up one side of the desk while the rest angling before the window was clear of all but the necessary pens, pencils and erasers. Draven was standing beside the window, one arm raised and leaning against the frame as he looked out into the garden and pool that was spread out in the back yard, if it could be called such. It was bigger than anything the Calgary Zoo could even claim to have for a garden.

Sivvaren left with a gentle touch to my shoulder and closed the doors behind her. Draven didn't say anything; though I was sure he knew I was present in the study. For a long moment, a tense silence lay between us, distrust and fear, uncertainty making up most of what I felt.

"Do you remember what happened just before you passed out, Mrs. Trailstone?" Draven said in a gentle, soft tone of voice, turning his head to smile at me slightly.

"Yes. How-how did you do that?"

"How did I do something that is impossible? Something that shouldn't have been able to happen? In a world mostly ruled by science and logic?" He said chuckling a little and shaking his head a briefly. "You're not going to believe this easily so...Let me introduce you to someone that's become a close friend of mine."

The other doors to the room opened admitting an old man wearing a toga and other assorted cloths that made him look like a senator out of the movie Spartacus or Ben-Her. Bald except for a ring of hair around his gleaming scalp, and with a thick white beard to match, I raised an eyebrow slightly. "May I introduce the philosopher Plato, another scientific impossibility." My jaw dropped at this as recognition hit me hard and I took a step back, not quite knowing what to do. The old man approached me and guided me into one of the high backed reading chairs and started to speak, his voice gentle, soothing and utterly captivating my attention...

***

Draven: I watched her and listened to Plato, not for the first time thankful that I had befriended the ancient scholar. His words were as descriptive as they were informative, each one carefully chosen, though by no means prepared ahead of time. Once he was finished, Alice sat there, almost as if she was lost in a trance and staring at Plato in awe.

"You're really Plato?" she said in a near whisper.

"For over a thousand years, that's been my name," the old man replied with a slight chuckle, leaning back and looking at Alice with amusement, his eyes dancing impishly.

"This is just too crazy. I must be dreaming," She said, shaking her head and standing up to walk around the room slowly before her eyes rested on me. "How old are you then?"

"Physical age, only twenty-one," I told her, smiling. "Soul age, add on another six hundred years or so." That gave her pause, her expression turning to disbelief then bewilderment.

"I don't understand," Alice said at last, shaking her head. "If everything Plato has said is true, where did you get your powers from, and how did Plato survive after Atlantis?"

Sighing, I headed for the door and beckoned her to follow me, saying, "We aren't completely human, Alice. Not in an alien sense, but...in a manner that mankind has chosen to forget or ignore for the most part..."

Entering the dining room, I found that Iolen and Rionel were already there and waiting with the others, dressed in their finest and all of them with welcoming smiles. "It's time, Iolen." She nodded and slowly, started to shimmer, as if heat waves were encompassing her entire form. Alice gasped and stepped back in surprise as Iolen shifted from human to dragoness before her eyes in a manner of moments. Rionel was next, then Sibbean, Ualla, Mary, Sivvaren, and Plato. She stared at them, awe and fear filling her face as her gaze took in one after another, her mind racing to comprehend what was happening. Alice turned to me, a questioning look on her face, even as the wonder of what she was witnessing overpowered her fear. I nodded slowly and started my own transformation, clothing altering to fit my draconic form. Soon, I was standing with the others, a silver dragon and waiting for Alice to regain enough of her senses to act...

Alice: ...It was something right out of a fairy tale or other fantasy book where a mortal is invited to dine with other races far too fantastic to be real. Yet, here they were. Draven, Iolen, Sivvaren, Plato...All of them resembling beings that were anything but human. There was something about them though that was humane in quality, their words, views and actions speaking all too clearly that they still felt and acted like the rest of humanity regardless of their appearance. There was a brief moment when I thought I was dreaming, and then one of them would ask me a question or I would become caught up in the conversation around the table where the real world was talked about as if it was common place. Draven was fairly quiet, but it was a strong silence that emanated from him. Something that made me wonder all the more about what he was truly like and how he could have killed someone, even if it was in defense of another life.

Dinner ended and with it, most of the conversation with the other...women of the house.

"May I ask you to walk with me, Alice?" Draven said, rising from his chair and giving a deep bow before extending his scaled hand to me. For a moment, I was afraid of what would happen if I did take his hand. The others stayed seated watching me, the sensation of being the center of attention more than a little uncomfortable. Nodding quickly, I accepted his help to rise and was surprised by how gentle his touch was as he lightly took my hand in his own. Leading me through the mansion once more, we left the building through a large set of patio doors in a back lounge area and emerged onto the patio stones that lined the edge of the pool and slowly curved off into the garden. Night had fallen completely and a crescent moon was rising in the east, following the sun as if seeking to catch up with its day time companion. The air was filled with the pleasant scents of flowers and water from the center pond that separated one side of the garden from the other. My host said nothing as we walked, his eyes looking around at the garden and up at the sky, taking in everything as the peace of night wrapped around us.

As we arrived at the far end of the garden, Draven stopped, staring at a shadow covered statue of a female creature, the scales raised slightly by the stone mason that had created it, a still granite length of cloth flowing from her left shoulder and carefully wrapping itself around her body, leaving the breast and belly exposed. "Do you still think that you are lost in a dream?" Draven asked in something akin to a whisper.

"How do you know what I feel?" I said, turning to look at him in surprise and watching his scaled lips curve into a grin.

"It's how I felt when I first learned what I was, Alice," he replied, gesturing at the statue with his right hand. "I knew that what had happened to me, what I was and the memories I felt were real, but the human side of me...there were many days where I transformed myself before a mirror just to make sure it was real. That I was real and not just a person lost in a dream."

"A wonderful dream from what I have seen," I remarked, looking around at the garden and sighing, feeling more relaxed than I had been all week.

"One that you can have..." I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow as I felt the tiniest shiver of fear run through me.

"What do you mean one that I can have?"

"You're not human either, not completely anyways," He said, sitting down on a nearby bench and gesturing for me to join him. "It's one of the reasons why I asked to have someone else handle the Alleyway homicide, and sent you the file with information about me. I knew that you would come to see me about the case. It was the only way I could talk with you unhindered and convince you that what I was in reality is real."

"I can't be one of you," I said, shaking my head in denial and gazing into Dravens eyes, though I felt he was telling the truth. "There's no way, I was born into a human family, I have pictures, records-"

"As I did before I was Awakened. There is something else that I have to tell you, which explains how this is true," he said, touching my hand again.

Draven started to talk, and as he did so, images of the Sending, of Sanctuary, and others who had been Awakened were presented to me, each one leaving a feeling of elation and sorrow as one life was gained only to loose their families to protect others of their kind. I watched as Dravens' own past was presented to me, nothing hidden, everything bare and as painful and passionate as it had been before the Sending. What he lacked in memories, those of Iolen, who had been Jalessa in the past, added to the explanation of what had happened. I felt sorrow and joy for her, for what she had suffered in the past as well as what she had regained in the present. As words and images faded, I was left speechless, my eyes looking to the ground as I absorbed all I had been told and shown.

"I can't be one of you," I said in a whisper, closing my eyes. "I just can't..."

"You are, Alice, whether you want to accept it or not, you are one of many who were sent to the future to await a time where there would be safety and a need for our kind. For the magicks to start flowing again," Draven said, gently turning my face to look up at him. "It's your time to Awaken, but that can only be done if you are willing to learn the truth about who you were, and find peace within yourself which who you are now..." Silence fell between us and I tried to find some hint of a lie in his eyes, but there was nothing there. Nothing, but truth and the same unusual sorrow that he had in his human form.

"How is one Awakened?" I asked at last, taking a deep breath and resolving to show no fear or uncertainty.

"With passion and magick, Alice. Passion and Magick. If you want, I will give you a few days to think about this, but I suggest that you stay here and talk with Rionel and Iolen to gain a better understanding of what to expect," the silver dragon said, lightly caressing my cheek in a reassuring gesture.

"I will..."

***

Two days passed slowly, even more so after having called into work and surprising Mike with a request for time off to deal with personal matters. The department chief was more than willing to give me that time since it would keep me away from tampering with the Alleyway case. Or so he was thinking. I took the time to talk with Iolen and Rionel, and learned what I could about who they were as well as their connection to Draven. It was more than a little surprise with how honest they were and the explanations given were very...descriptive. Though it wasn't as strange as I thought it might have been, and laughter was a regular occurrence in almost every conversation as they shared stories about things that had happened while being with my unusual host.

"Was it worth the memories and transformations you've gained? Losing your family and friends?" I asked at lunch, still looking over their transformed bodies as I tried to get used to the idea of the werewolf and dragoness as being real.

"It depends on the person and how their lives were before the Awakening," Iolen said, leaning back in her chair and sipping her ice tea slowly.

"There are benefits that out weigh the sorrow and loss suffered by those with close family connections," Rionel added, nodding slowly, her gaze thoughtful. "And in a sense, we change very little some times, in regards to what we enjoy doing, and talking about. It's a release though, and uplifting sensation to finally have a part of yourself that you've never been aware with you every day. It's something that's hard to explain...The closest thing that comes to it is making love to someone that you care about deeply and having a deep passion filling you at the same time. The release afterwards..." The wolfess shook her head as her eyes closed and she sighed with pleasure.

"The feeling is something that has to be experienced in order to be known," Iolen said with a wry grin as she looked at Rionel for a moment. "Awakening gives you a taste of the sensation as it unlocks your memories and desires."

"So Draven wasn't being figurative when he said that Awakening someone requires passion?" I said, face burning slightly as I stared into my drink.

"No, he wasn't. Physical passion is one of the strongest ways of gathering the amount of magick needed to initiate the transformation. Or for any spell in a sense. Blood sometimes works, but...it is rarely used because of the pain that marks it upon leaving the body," Rionel told me, setting her glass down and leaning forward a little. "Trust me when I say this, Alice. Draven is a better choice to awaken you than some others that have been my pleasure and displeasure to come across. If anything, he'll be more frightened of harming you by accident than anything else..."

...I made my decision as night covered the country side, my eyes seeking out the familiar stars and moon as I waited for Draven at one of the benches placed upon the patio. Looking down at my hands, I found that they shook slightly, that fact not really surprising me since each passing moment I waited for Draven only made me more nervous.

"You wished to speak with me," said his soft, baritone voice from behind me, causing me to jump a little in surprise.

"I wish you'd stop doing that," I breathed, hand to my breast as I felt my heart beating like mad, though from the sudden fright or by what I was about to say, I couldn't decide for myself.

"Sorry. It's a habit that I've had since my Awakening," he replied, giving a wry grin. The expression on his face reassuring, his eyes now filled with uncertainty rather than sorrow.

"It's my own fault for being so skittish lately," I remarked, sighing and closing my eyes briefly.

"After everything that has just happened to you, can't say that anyone else in Sanctuary would blame you for feeling like this. More than a few could relate more than likely, including my self," he told me, shrugging.

"I don't doubt it...Anyways....I wanted to tell you that I've made my decision," I said slowly, taking another deep breath and holding it a moment before looking directly into his emerald eyes. "I wish to be Awakened...By you if you would so honor me..."

Draven: I closed my own eyes as Alice said what I had been half hoping, half fearing she would say to me. Looking at her once more, I reached up to slowly touch her cheek, watching as she raised her own hand to take mine gently.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" I asked, not wishing to frighten Alice, but wanting to make sure this was something she wanted.

"Yes..."

"Then I shall do as you have requested," I whispered, stepping forward and embracing her, kissing her forehead carefully...

...Undressing her slowly, I kissed the milky skin that was revealed to me, carefully caressing Alice as she stood before me, her uncertainty and my own slowly vanishing with each moment that passed. As her bra and panties slid to the floor, she shivered, letting out a low moan as I kissed her breasts, my arms pulling her closer, rubbing her back as I started suckling on her nipples ever so lightly. My own clothing vanished slowly, the gathering magicks removing any hindrance to what was coming. Alice was warm to the touch; her blood starting to burn with a fierce passion as I moved to her other nipple, giving the same care as the first and feeling my own desires awaken quickly within me. Laying her back upon my bed, I kissed my way from her lips, to breasts, and slowly along her stomach as my hands ran up and down her sides, her breaths becoming faster with each second. Cupping her already dripping sex in one hand, I caressed her slowly, drawing out a long low moan of pleasure from her as she arched back, eyes closed tightly as she lost herself in the sensations.

"Please..." She whispered, reaching down to caress my cheek, her eyes pleading for me to continue, to do anything but take away what she was already feeling. I kissed her sex, lips quickly closing around the sweet nub of her clitoris and bringing a gasp of ecstasy from Alice as her body reacted strongly to the sensation. I looked up at her, suckling, teething ever so lightly as my tongue pulled forth more of her juices to my lips, her eyes starting to glow golden even in the dimmed lights of the bedroom. Slowly transforming myself, I rose and bent over her, kissing her fiercely as I thrust myself deep into her burning sex, her cry of surprise drowned out by pleasure as she encompassed me completely, the sensation making me growl loudly with pleasure as I shivered, staying still for the longest moment as I felt my shaft throb quickly within her vagina...

Alice: I clawed at the quilt, trying to find something to hold onto as I felt Draven enter me, every nerve screaming pleasure at once and making me arch back, thrusting myself against him as a desire unlike anything I had experienced before overpowered me. I squeezed my sex around his throbbing member, urging him to continue as I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper within me. Draven responded, pulling back slightly and slowly driving back into me, his rhythm slow and nearly driving me insane. I couldn't believe how I felt, or the feeling of having someone within me after so many years of being alone. Looking up at him, I saw the same desire reflected within his eyes as he moved slightly faster, hands grabbing my shoulders to pull me onto his burning shaft harder. I felt the changes taking place, the heightening of senses as wave after wave of flames raced beneath my now furred skin. I cried out, the sound more like a wild cats' yowl of surprise than anything a human would ever make in the midst of passion.

Draven: Giving a brief trumpet of pleasure, I arched back, barely keeping myself from coming inside of Alice so soon. In response, I felt her claws dig under the scales of my shoulders briefly before she rolled us over, pinning me beneath her and riding my draconic member quickly, her furred breasts bouncing before me as her slit eyes closed in pleasure and exertion, trying to hold herself back from the brink. My balls swelled with seed as I lay back for a moment, hands on Alices' hips and pulling her down hard onto my shaft before I sat up and kissed her passionately again, our tongues twining, tasting each other.

'Gods!" I cried out silently, tensing and roaring loudly as I climaxed hard, my back tingling as my shaft jerked within Alices' sex, sending wave after wave of cum into her and triggering her own release at the same time. A roar similar to a cougar sounded within the room, quick and powerful, ending in a low purring growl as she went completely rigid before shaking like crazy. Her sex clamped like a vice around my member, milking me for all the seed I could give her as we slowly rocked back and forth against each other, basking in the afterglow...

Alice: ...I held onto Draven as he shifted us slightly so that he could lean against the head board and the pillows piled high against it. My heart was still thundering within my breast, and I was completely worn out by the intensity of the passion I had just shared with, this man...this dragon. He was still hard within me and the feeling was incredibly pleasurable, as were the strong arms that held me close to his chest, clawed fingers lightly caressing my back.

"Welcome to a new world, Alice," he whispered after a moment, a tired smile spreading across his lips as I looked up at him with a grin. Draven nodded to my left and I turned my head slowly to follow his gaze, a strange sense of peace coming to me as I gazed into the full length mirror and the reflection it presented. A tall female lynx stared back at me with a smug grin on her face, eyes half lidded with exhaustion and pleasure; face slightly marked by the dark stripes below the eyes and along the cheek fur. My pointed ears flicked slightly as I took in everything about my form, from padded feet to stubby tail, my grin only growing as I remembered who I was at last.

"Thank you," I whispered, looking back at Draven and kissing him passionately before pulling back and smiling broadly. "But I think I'll take the silver dragon over the white rabbit any day.."

"I'm more than willing to show you how far the dragon lair goes," he replied, rubbing my sides slowly and bringing a deep purr from my throat.

"Show me how far you can go first," I said, sliding myself off of his shaft a little and squeezing him with my sex tightly.

"With pleasure..." Draven said, and I quickly found myself lost in pleasure once more...

*Copyright Feb 13, 2005 Denver Demchuk*