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Chapter 16

"YIIIIIIPPPPP YAAAAAHH! YIIIIIIIP!"

Lloyd's ears perked from where he was sleeping in a sand nest he had dug for himself in the centre of the makeshift camp. It had not been the most restful of nights to say the least...the groans and moans of the injured over-riding the lethargy that everyone, even those without a scratch was suffering from. Aspenall had explained it was something to do with the mind voices, and the magic that had revived Dante and Rena from death...but that was a far as he had gone.

He lifted his head with a groan...not alarmed as the sentry's call was only that people were approaching from where they came from, and he knew that enemies could not have passed the camp without Vila despatching runners at the very minimum.

"Anything we should be worried about?" Aspenall asked, sticking his head out of the tent he had been sleeping in, next to Dante and Rena's still silent forms.

"Nah...we have travellers coming from the desert side, but they can't be enemies or an alarm would have been sounded," Lloyd replied, stretching and breaking down the walls of his sand nest in the process, "I feel like I have been bloody run over by a wart hog, and I didn't even do anything but pull my bow yesterday."

Aspenall grinned, "How do you think I feel pup? These old bones of mine are not fit for fights like yesterday's anymore."

Lloyd chuckled, "True I suppose...must have been that magic you talked about I suppose. Are Dante and Rena going to be okay? I did my best with that neck wound of his, but you can't exactly stitch up scales."

"That my friend is outside of my control...however I can say that I have seen them both die before, and be revived as if nothing at all had happened...it was not under the same circumstances though as it was a pure magic attack when they were sleeping, and from what we were all told by the sibs they wear, there were some issues this time. Oh...and if you are still around when they do come to, we must also stop them from having sex until they are recovered..." Aspenall noted, a slight grin on his muzzle as Lloyd's expression changed to surprise.

"Why? I mean as soon as get one of my wives into my arms, I am going to celebrate in the usual fashion after a good hard battle..." he exclaimed.

"Oh will you now?" Vila asked, slipping her arms around him from behind, and nearly causing the fennec to jump out of his skin.

"Fucking hell Vila! I wish I knew how you could do that to me...And why the hell are you here anyhow?" Lloyd asked, rubbing his nose and cheek across her neck and face in affection in order to take the sting from his words.

"You should have been back at camp last night like you agreed...You didn't show and Gounda could only say that fennec blood had been spilled, and you were moving further away. So I got the camp packed up and moving as twilight set in, so we could bail you out of a mess if you were in one...who died?" Vila asked.

"Of us? No one. There are a couple of scratches here and there, but we didn't join the combat. For some reason Rena was absolutely against employing our services for that, so we just provided archery cover when we could. She and Dante lost around 80% of their forces though...and they both died in the fight..."

Vila's eyes looked over to where Dante and Rena were lying together, "Mmm...I see. What's the dressing on Dante's neck covering?"

Lloyd tilted his head on one side, "You are not going to ask how they died, and yet are still alive?"

Vila shook her head, "I was...well-travelled before I came to the desert Lloyd...I know the Demi-sibs revived them. What I don't understand is why they didn't heal them completely."

"They couldn't," Aspenall replied with a yawn, "The skin spell Rena wrought had drained Dante's reserves to nothing before popping out while protecting them from penetrating injuries. So when they were both killed at the same time, all the sib's could do was heal the penetrations by stealing and borrowing all life force available, including from us all. The neck wound Rena inflicted upon Dante herself in trying to save him from a choke chain."

"Ahh...So they are very vulnerable at the moment..." Vila mused, turning back to her mate, "And none of the pack was harmed?" She asked again.

"Not really, just very tired and drained of energy...hence only a token guard in the vale back there...not that anyone would want to nerve picking through that bone-yard in the night. Why?" Lloyd queried.

"Because I extracted a promise from Rena before she left, and it looks like she tried to keep it...Your machoistic attitude nearly caused it to be broken though. We shall leave it at that I think," Vila replied darkly, "I shall see what I can do about the dragon's neck wound while they still sleep, I have my ways as you well know. Are you going to run salvage with the Captain?"

"If invited Vila...it is not our position to do so, as we were not part of the fight, nor were we the ones to lose our people."

"You are invited Lloyd...if your arrows hadn't broken their formations at the end, we would have lost even more breaking through...I was more than just a little spent," the otter replied, "Not that I think there is much to salvage."

"In the vale no...only the odd weapon and piece of armour for resale...In their camp though, there are a few things of interest I believe," the fennec replied, "We did not enter it while running our reccys for you, as the females captured within could have begged for relief with the information of our presence."

Aspenall sighed, "I feared that...any of them that are capable of walking?"

"I think most will opt for the blade to be honest...it is something that I have seen far too many times before with these bandit bands. It takes a very hard female to be able to survive in them for more than a month," Lloyd replied sadly.

"You and me both friend, you and me both. I will send Wealdon down to lead the squad in salvaging the vale before burial duties. That weasel can find a silver in a shit pit. It is only fair that I take the dirty duty and deal with the camp."

"I will lead you up there then, with just a couple of my subs, and a couple of our females...I have found in the past it is better that those of the same sex hand the damaged the option... call it a last bit of comfort and not abuse, so to speak."

"That is also true," Vila replied quietly, "Take Gounda and two of our daughters...They need to be brought into reality on how lucky they are to be in a pack like ours."

Lloyd nodded, "Well let's get it done then. There is not a huge amount of food that was uncontaminated by the battle, so maybe the camp will contain supplies that can feed us all."

"I would say that likely," Aspenall mused, "Considering the amount of time it must have taken to construct that ambush, they must have been lying in wait for us for some time. Before the image was cut, did you get any impressions from Kalaw on his state of mind?" Aspenall asked.

"Only that he was obviously getting more and more angry, but I did sense some uneasiness as well I suppose. Pretty difficult to judge when he wasn't actually saying anything. I am no expert on judging a dragon by his grunts," Lloyd replied, shouldering his quiver and bow.

"Well we will just have to wait and see if he panics and runs then before we arrive." The otter stated, glancing over at Vila who was starting to unwrap Dante's' neck. "I can't help but feel a little uneasy around your head wife Lloyd...will she look after my friends?"

Lloyd followed his gaze, picking up that Vila's ears were pointed in their direction, "I too am uneasy around her at times...but I will say this. If she means them no harm, they are in the best possible paws. There has been more than one occasion in the past where I feel that I am not the one actually running this pack...but I don't really care to be honest. I love her for what she is, despite that being controversial to many of the older pack members, and the fact that some of the males see me as weak for it."

Aspenall nodded, picking up the slight tilt of Vila's head as she absorbed the words, "Believe it or not, I was taught some of my moves by a grizzled old red vixen in the army...She could hold her own as well as any of the men, even sharing the bath house with them. Sometimes to make a judgement of strength based on if someone has a cock between their legs, is the last judgement they can make. Rena is a perfect example of that...there isn't a single man in this camp, including me that she couldn't kill with one hand behind her back. She can be young and foolish at times, but well...we would have lost the fight back there totally without her. I also know that she killed two dragons single handed and defeated a third before meeting Dante...who I might add she also killed. He just happened to be the first to come back to life again, and stayed her paw long enough to talk from the impression I get."

"It was something I noticed from where I was observing...she let her heart rule her though in the final minutes," Lloyd commented with a shake of his head.

"I think Lloyd, that she is only just discovering that she actually has a heart..." Aspenall replied quietly, stretching and buckling on his own sword, "I just hope that it is never taken away from her again in the future, as I would not like to be the one tasked with hunting her down and killing her from the rage that would cause."

"She could have chosen someone a little more practical to lose herself to though, I mean realistically it can only end in heartbreak for them," Lloyd replied as he turned towards the collection of still sleeping fennecs on one side of the campground.

"In what way friend?" Aspenall asked as he followed.

"Well even if they do have a life together, she will die of old age before he even starts to get his first grey scale. That much I do know about dragons."

Aspenall nodded, "I can see that...but as they say friend, love can find a way on occasions. She is certainly a powerful enough Mage, and from certain knowledge I have picked up, he is also. Maybe they can in the future, if there is one work something out between themselves if it comes to that. They have certainly managed to sort something out in the bedroom, and quite frankly I would have believed that impossible having seen his tackle at arousal."

Lloyd snorted, "I can imagine." He turned and nudged an old vixen with his foot, "Come Gounda, fetch Ariel and Jasmine, we must go and do our duties within the enemy camp. I am sure you know what that means."

The old vixen opened her eyes and nodded, "I fear so...but Vila was right. We will join you and the men in a quarter turn on the North trail."

"Thank you matron," Lloyd replied turning to Aspenall, "You had better get your salvage squad together and the orders cut as well for the vale. I will send over half my capable with the burial squad, we don't want this trade route to become a haunt for rumours. I am just going to drain the python in the pit, and we will be waiting for you."

"Thanks again friend. We will salvage everything, and then cut and divide here at the camp over food tonight," the otter replied, turning to see just who he had available that was strong enough after the fighting. Of those who had left Polomavit with him, only Grillion, Wealdon, and two others still breathed. If not for the fact that both the hired on Captains, and their Sergeants were also dead, he would be considering the chance of mutiny...The spell Rena had laid on all the men was very reassuring at this moment, as to take him out would be against the spell's geis.

~~~~

"I have done what I can with the wound on Dante's neck," Vila reported as they sat around a campfire next to where Rena and Dante still lay that night, "I can say though that his neck will be badly scarred, like the one on his belly."

"Any sign of them waking up yet?" Aspenall asked, indicating over his shoulder with his nose.

"No...not a stirring from either of them when I was finished with them. The women and I took Rena to the spring and stripped her, washing all the blood from her fur as well while the camp was male free, found some spare clothing on one of the pack beasts. She is going to have a nasty scar herself where the spear ended up in her. Dante we couldn't move, so used some water carriers and got the worst of the gore off him where he lies with washcloths. He was beginning to attract flies."

"Thank you," Aspenall responded, "You have better news than us I am afraid. Of the sixteen women left alive in their camp, twelve took the blade offered. Four who are little more than seasoned camp followers, are with the men here now. Not sure what to do with them to be honest...that will be up to Rena when she awakes, as they could slow us down."

"We could always offer them escort to Houli...we fennecs tend to be rather speciesist when it comes to sex...well those of us that live in packs anyhow, so they will find no business with us if Rena disapproves," Lloyd replied.

"It may come to that," Aspenall replied, "Though she has been rather free with her coin when it comes to making sure that the men have had few frustrations while in towns...paying as an additional benefit. From who we have left now though...maybe that was a good thing."

"Your group is in rather a sorry state after the ambush. They would have wiped you out all-together if they had had the element of surprise...as is, do you think the Princess will abandon the quest?" Lloyd asked.

Aspenall shook his head, "No chance of that...she is too driven, and we have travelled to far already. She will probably try and hire on more men as replacements if we pass through any towns with mercenary garrisons."

"There are none, at least not on this road. The Southern countries tend to shun mercenaries unless they need them...so they have their own fortified towns that are tolerated," Vila interjected, "I am familiar with this lot from looking at the armour you have salvaged today...they had a very good reputation, and wouldn't have come cheap."

Lloyd just shrugged, "Vila would know, I have never travelled south of these hills myself."

"Should I ask how you know this Vila?" Aspenall queried.

"You shouldn't, for the same reason that your commander warned you yesterday morning about asking too many questions. Just take my word for it as someone who did not originate from around here. Okay?"

Aspenall nodded, "I shall do so then."

"So about the salvage operation?" Lloyd asked, "We recovered quite a bit from the camp as you know."

"I can't make the split...that is up to Rena. I know that Wealdon recovered a lot of tradable goods from the battle scene. The weapons and armour that were used by the mercenaries were of good quality."

"Did I hear you say as my mind woke up that there are no large towns South of here...?" A weak voice asked from the darkness behind them.

Everyone's head immediately swung in that direction, as Dante's eyes opened to catch a glint from the firelight. Aspenall jumped up and took the couple of paces towards where Rena was huddled against his side. "You feeling alright Rena?"

The wolf bitch chuckled hoarsely, "That Captain is a bit of a silly question I think. Could you find me some water please? I feel like I have swallowed a sandstorm."

"Of course..." Aspenall turned away.

"I will sort it," Vila interjected, "And you Dante?" she asked.

"I will admit to disliking the taste of my own blood with is clinging to my mouth and throat," Dante replied gruffly, "Thank you."

Vila smiled, "I shall bring extra water carriers over then. You sort out between you who gets what before the bickering begins...and yes Rena...there are no major towns for a good way South of here."

Rena nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement, "What is the state of our men and horses?" she asked.

Eighty percent losses of men...but we have double the number of mounts we need, as Kalaw's crew had left theirs corralled in their camp."

Rena sighed, "I saw Flaughten go down as you know. I was hoping that this wouldn't happen...I should have just travelled on my own with Dante..."

"You would have been dead before you reached Gilensia, and you know it Rena..."

Her hand slipped around her back, tracing the line of her scar, "Speaking of that," she mused quietly, "Dying was not at all what I thought it would be like...It kind of didn't hurt at all..."

"Trust me love...it hurt me..." Dante said hoarsely.

A slight smile graced her lips, "Maybe I was dead then before the spear ran me through...our blood link could have done that with us being so run down on energy, so I didn't feel any pain."

Vila appeared again with some water, watching as the wolf bitch sipped gently at it with parched lips. Dante was not as delicate, just opened his mouth and allowing the water carriers to be tipped whole into his maw while swallowing repeatedly.

"Dracos my neck and throat is sore from where that fucking chain had me," he grumbled as he licked his lips dry again.

"The slash in your scales won't be helping either," Vila stated quietly, "I would advise that you both stay exactly where you are for at least another two days, except for necessities."

"We should move on Kalaw before he can set something else up..." Rena replied, trying to stand, but collapsing again from weakness.

"Kalaw can wait...you can't walk or ride in your current state, never mind fight and kill a dragon equal or stronger than your Dante," Vila countered, "Even I admitted defeat sometimes Rena in my past life."

"Why do you help us now?" Rena asked, her eyes drooping.

"Because I am changed, and you are our friends. Now before the herbs I dropped in that water take effect fully and make you sleep again, decide on the split."

A flash of anger glinted in the bitch's eyes at being drugged, but it faded as fast as it ignited, "Aspenall...we take half the enemies coin and jewels and all the useable horses. The armour, camping gear and weapons to the fennecs so it can be traded in Houli, as it will weigh us down."

Lloyd and Aspenall nodded in agreement, "That's fair I think...considering we wanted nothing more than the Rose." Lloyd replied.

"There is also a matter of four camp followers who wish to live..." Aspenall broached.

"Give them details of our mission, and the dangers involved. They must also understand they will be bound as well when I recover. If they opt to stay...well we have horses spare now, and their pay is not my concern..." Rena replied before her eyes closed again finally.

"Did you have to drug them?" Aspenall asked quietly as they turned back to the campfire.

"Do you think she wouldn't have tried to undo all that I have done to help her if I hadn't?" Vila asked. "The herbs in the water should also help speed up the recovering of magical energies as well...not just make them sleep. We shouldn't hear any more from either of them until at least this time tomorrow. They should both be rested enough by then to at least move around the camp."

"She is going to be really pissed off with you when she wakes up," the otter replied.

Vila chuckled, "Well if she wants to work off the anger, I am not above an unarmed tussle if that is the case. Personally though, I think both of them will be lucky to be able to walk to the pit without help."

"Well I myself am still totally exhausted as well, so if you don't mind I will retire for the evening now we have sorted out what to do with that lot," he gestured towards all the salvage.

Lloyd grinned, "I too am still feeling it, but didn't want to admit to it as I am not an old timer like you."

"And here I was thinking that you would want to follow up on your pledge of this morning..." Vila mentioned with a sly grin on her face.

Lloyd turned to face her, "Well I think I may be able to find some more energy from somewhere then..." he replied smiling, before being led into their tent which had been set up by the vixens and young while the salvaging teams were out.

Aspenall smiled, walking over to where his bedroll lay under a shelter, "Maybe one day I will have that comfort as well," he mused, memories of the seamstress coming unbidden to him again in the loneliness of his canvas.

~~~~

Two days later...

"We are moving out tomorrow, and that's final!" Rena declared forcefully.

"I still think you should stay until your reserves are rebuilt," Vila replied, "You are not short of food here, you are safe, and you are both still weak."

"I think by now that I know my own body Vila."

"I think you do too...but I am pretty sure that Dante can do very little accept flutter like a bird...and that leaves you no aerial reconnaissance."

"It is not like I haven't had that before," Rena replied hotly.

"It is not like you have been actively hunted before, or moved in a group either...You would all be dead now without aerial cover." Vila argued.

"No...Dante didn't spot this attack coming. I am not stupid enough to deny that we would all be dead without your husband and the pack. He can just walk...we must press on before Kalaw comes up with another nasty surprise while we are sitting here idle."

"Do you really think he will do? I mean this lot you extirpated must have cost him a fair old chunk...and from what you have gleaned from Dante's few memories, Kalaw has been trying to have him killed for centuries. How unlimited are dragon hoardes anyhow? That's not something I ever did have any experience of...nor did my organisation as quite frankly. I don't think we were ever contracted to take a dragon down." Vila mused.

"That is something I don't remember," Dante replied from where he was curled, Rena using him as a back rest as usual. He had remained silent so far, not interrupting as the tension within his mate was palpable through his scales, "Rena did not find the hoardes of those dragons she...well those that she didn't actually talk to first."

"I did not know that they would be spell hidden..." Rena said quietly, "I should maybe have studied my quarries a little more before I left my Master's library behind. Life for me could have been a lot easier these last few years."

"I thought as much..." Vila nodded.

"Thought what?" Rena asked.

"That you are no more a Princess, than I was a desert pack member...You will have to learn not to let things slip that easily, as you almost convinced me when we shared our talk before leaving the desert." Vila stated.

"What? I...Oh there is no point denying it with you anyhow...But what did I do wrong this time?" Rena replied resigned.

"Second time you mentioned your Master...This time you referred to the library as being his. Now I know that if you were royalty, the library would be yours or your parents, and he would just be a mentor within it. Guessing a father figure?" Vila asked.

"You are very perceptive..." Rena replied, "And yes, my Master may as well have been my father as he adopted me."

"I understand your needs more clearly now then," her ears swivelled quickly upwards as Rena followed her gaze, along with all the other fennecs.

"Hold your weapons! I am a friend!" A familiar voice shouted from the air in the direction of the sun.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Rena muttered, "Let him land Vila...Lord Miles is known to us and our party."

Vila nodded, barking a single command as bows had their tension let out of them. "Lord Miles?" she queried.

"Gilensia," Rena replied as Aspenall hurried over, "What does that featherbed want with us is I'd like to know. Has he come to try and arrest me or something?" She asked the otter.

"He can be up himself sometimes Rena, but stupid my student is not," Aspenall reassured her as the gryphon landed, stirring up the dust and fire embers.

"What are you doing here?" Rena asked him directly before he could say anything.

"Just dropping in to see if I could help Princess...I decided to take a bit of a break after I handed over to my successor. Our conversations and friendship gave me an excuse to see how you were getting on," Miles replied with a gryphgrin, "Plus well, I wanted to see of the old fart had survived you as well."

"Enough of that fledgling...and well you can see how we have been getting on." Aspenall replied, reaching out to shake the gryphon's paw.

"I can at that...I stopped off for a couple of brews with Abioye, and you seem to be far less in number now than when you left him, bar the fennec tribe of course."

"We got hit hard, and quite frankly there would be none of us to catch up to without our friends scouting abilities," Rena answered.

"I noted yours and Dante's new scars...I thought the Sib's would have sorted you out." Miles stated.

"They can only do so much it seems when there are no magic reserves left," she replied, running her hand subconsciously over the irremovable line in her fur.

"We both died in the attack when my magic ran out," Dante said quietly.

"Ah...that serious then," Miles noted, "It is nice to see that they did manage to bring you both back though. I wish I had reached you in time and maybe things would have run a bit better for you all."

"I am not sure that would have been the case, as you would have been another very large target, and I couldn't have given you the protection spell I wove on myself and Dante." Rena stated.

"True I suppose...But I am here now. May I join your quest my lady?" Miles asked with a false bow.

Rena giggled a little, her irritation spent, knowing he was putting on a show for those who were watching, "What of your holdings lord? You must have been away for some time in order to catch up with us already."

"One of the tricks in having a successful business Rena, is having those within it you can rely upon while seeking more business yourself...Or while you take a very well earned break. I will not begin to worry unless I am away for more than a year."

"Then an extra set of scouting wings would not be refused I suppose. Our friends here inform us that we will not be able to replace our men to the south."

"I am more than a set of wings Rena...as I am sure Aspenall can confirm. You are going to be at a distinct disadvantage without Dante when you attack Kalaw. I can help even things up a little there." Miles replied hotly.

"Feathers are flammable," Aspenall interjected, "And you have not taken on a dragon before."

"You wound me!" the gryphon exclaimed.

"I will be taking on Kalaw alone anyhow," Rena stated, "Not like I haven't hunted dragons before and won."

"That was as said before, dragons that have not been hunting you. And you had the element of surprise. Neither applies in Kalaw's case. You would not have killed me if I had known you were coming love...even with your extraordinary set of talents and skills," Dante rumbled.

"Don't give me opportunity to try again then," Rena replied, digging back with her elbow into his scales. "Well our aerial problem is solved now. Fellericksy will carry me while I continue to regain my strength, until I can find a replacement for Charles. I prefer to have a stallion between my legs for some reason..." She grinned as the others smiled, "Aspenall, you are to ensure that the camp is ready to move at first light...That is a direct order."

"Yes Ma'am," the otter responded formally.

"I still think you are pushing it...but I see it is an argument that I am not going to win." Vila stated, turning away and heading into the darkness.

"Well I will admit to being rather tired and sore from being on the wing myself since Houli today...however I have shed rather a few unwanted pounds since I set out. Though it is nice to be back in shape again, my body tells me that it would prefer to be back in Gilensia on a featherbed!" Miles joked, "So I shall retire now myself. I am sure we will have more chances to talk in the coming days."

Rena smiled, "Of course we will...and to discuss tactics and roles in the coming fight of course. We shall also retire now, because as Vila stated, I am not at all in shape myself at the moment...but I absolutely refuse to delay any longer. See you all in the morning."

"Goodnight Dante, Rena," Aspenall said, standing himself from the obvious dismissal as Dante unfurled his wing to cover his lover as she began to undress.

~~~~

Three sevendays later...

"There is definitely a dragon living in the cave about one league ahead. We didn't catch sight of them, but the signs are all there. This whole area has been hunted down to nothing, there are burnt pine stumps near the entrance...and crumpled piles of armour that obviously belonged to those that have tried to remove them before," Miles reported from where he was standing next to Dante.

"We didn't hang around too long for obvious reasons...as we would like to surprise whoever is in there to a certain extent, if we can." Dante continued.

Rena nodded, walking over to her lover, "Paw out again please," she asked.

Dante sighed, "It is a miracle I have any palm scales left love...do you have to do this again?"

Rena nodded, "Call it conscience love. I don't want to kill another innocent dragon...now that I know that there are at least some innocent ones in the world," she grinned, gently running her hand across the wrist of the proffered limb, "If the blood bond between you and your brother is stronger again, well we will know we are at the right cave. I can feel the masking spell is struggling to hold up."

The last few sevendays of travel had seen them drop their guards more and more...terms of affection being used commonly now in front of the remaining men, not bothering to keep up the pretence of a normal working relationship anymore. The fight and their resulting deaths had sobered some of recklessness and carefree attitude from Rena, and it was very noticeable and approved of by the greying otter who was also in on the scouting debriefing.

"There may be another way..." Dante answered, a slight grin on his face.

"And what would that be?" Rena queried, her knife paused over his palm.

"Well you know the demi-sibs spoke to us briefly about feeling a double echo the first time we...erm...we took some personal time together after the fight in that Inn...after of course they scolded us for calling upon their warped spell again so soon..."

"Go on..." Rena asked, a slight smile creeping onto one lip at that memory.

"Well I have also felt a double echo as well from our last two 'rest' stops...So maybe Kalaw is getting some feedback from our...erm...personal time though our blood link?"

"You mean he is having to jack off when we fuck?" Rena queried, causing Aspenall and Miles to laugh.

"I wouldn't have put it exactly that way...but if that is the case...well...if someone was to scout close to the cave, and we were too..." Dante ground to a halt as all eyes were on him at that moment.

"You know love...sometimes I wonder how someone as big and strong as you could be as timid around certain subjects when in public." Rena stated, a smile on her face, "It would certainly be a pleasurable way to find out I suppose, but well we don't exactly have an Inn around here, in case you hadn't noticed."

"I hadn't really thought of that aspect..."

Rena shrugged, "Well we ain't hiding our relations anymore, so who says all I have to do under your wings is dress and undress. As there is no game around here, I can also say it is a pretty good bet that there are no strangers either." She turned to Aspenall, "Send Wealdon out on foot to within hearing distance of the cave. Brief him as to what he is listening for...I will give him one mark and then we shall see if our quarrie is where we think he is."

Aspenall nodded, turning with a smile to find the weasel.

"So are you going to need a hand to expose Kalaw?" Miles joked, "I volunteer if so..."

Rena grinned, "I think this is something that we can manage quite easily together," she replied, "I am sure that one of those camp followers may take you coin though if what happens here in the firelight excites you too much."

"Rena!" Dante exclaimed, "I would...I mean...why not in the woods at least?"

The wolf bitch leant over and kissed him on the snout, "Because our guards will be down, and we will be unconscious as usual afterwards. You still want to avoid another little prick?"

"Nope...especially as from your scent you don't want to avoid a large one!" Dante replied with a smirk as she blushed visibly through her fur.

"Wealdon is on his way, though he asks that next time you wish to put on a show, please send someone else..." Aspenall said on his return with a smile.

"Who says that there will be anything to see?" Rena replied.

"See no...smell yes..." Aspenall stated, "The four girls are already discussing group rates..."

Rena just shook her head, "Well it shall serve a purpose as well then...call it a wind down before we force an attack tomorrow at dawn."

"About that love...I want you to let Aspenall take the lead this time..." Dante said quietly.

"No, absolutely not! And why? I told you that I wouldn't change who I am for you..."

Dante turned his head quickly and gripped hers in his jaws gently, before releasing her, "A skin spell isn't going to stop decapitation if Kalaw gets a hold of you."

"I will kill the bastard...and that is final. Don't try and stop me Dante...Don't even try or it ends here!" Rena warned.

"I was not going to try and stop you from killing him...but don't try and do it alone is what I was saying...I am not sure that an arrow attack like you tried on me will work as he is expecting an attack, and we know he has control of magic himself."

Rena huffed, "I get your point, but I am not one to send men into a dragon's lair either."

"If I may make a suggestion?" Miles asked.

"Go on..." Rena replied.

"Get him to come out of his lair..." Miles replied.

"If his is anything like mine is Miles...that will be nigh on impossible." Dante countered.

"Well we know you can't kill him Dante...but can you fight and injure him? I mean without consequence?" The gryphon asked.

"That I don't know...though looking at my chest, it could be the case."

"Can you tolerate your own fire?" Miles pressed on.

"I don't know that either Miles...I have never tried toasting myself..." Dante replied with a grin.

"You do need to breathe though...so might I suggest we build a large pyre at the entrance of his cave if we can, and then you fire one of your attacks into it? I mean, if the blast wave doesn't injure him, the smoke from the pyre will suffocate him until he has to break out."

"The idea has merit...but is a little cruel. I also vowed never to kill with fire again, as it is dirty and indiscriminate." Rena replied quietly.

"Kalaw has been wholly dirty and indiscriminate in his actions..." Miles pushed, "You are down to a minimal amount of men, and binding or no binding, I can see them refusing to enter his lair."

"Aspenall?" Rena queried.

"My protégé is right Rena...I won't be a sacrificial lamb either. We signed on to help you complete your quest...we did not sign on to be suicidal. It would not even be a breach of the terms, unless you were under direct attack."

Rena sighed, "Then we try it your way, and hope that Dante doesn't fry our quarry...because if he does, he dies as well." She turned and faced her lover, "Well after that, do you still want to follow through on your suggestion?"

"Well if I am to potentially kill myself by frying my brother tomorrow, it would be nice to go out on a bang..." Dante replied, winking at the others on his twisting of the phrase.

"Males!" Rena replied with a huff, summing up the entire gender in a single word, but with a smirk on her face.

Dante chuckled, raising his wing for her, "Well I think that Wealdon should be in position by now, so should we assume ours?"

"Ah ha, but no penetration tonight lover boy...I need to be fully flexible for the morning."

"Tongues then?" Dante asked, lowering his wing as she began removing her travelling armour.

"In your case anyhow...you can barely feel mine...and raise your wing again...hell roll on your back. If the hired men that are left are going to use your smell for their entertainment, they may as well see what they competing with when it comes of dreams of bedding me."

"It could just drive them into acts of stupidity when they see you for what you are when your guard is down..." Dante warned.

"Not like they haven't watched me use the pits that we have dug in camps...No...let's blow off all the rumours..."

"While blowing me off eh?" Dante joked, doing as she wished and uncovering her now naked body by rolling onto his back, "So who gets to instigate this time?"

Rena chuckled, climbing up with her tail waving in the air and breasts hanging loose so that all could see what they were missing, "Quickie or competition as usual?" she asked.

Dante reached forward and grabbed her, bringing her up for a large and slobbery kiss, "The sun's just setting...let's try and beat our record!" he replied, running his tongue lower and wrapping her breasts in a complicated figure of eight pattern, the tip teasing at her nipples, while a claw was curled up between her thighs.

Rena sighed in pleasure, letting her arousal grow as the belly pouch below her began to swell, "Sounds perfect...I hope we don't exhaust the others!"

Aspenall sighed, his face flushed as Rena let her last shred of dignity drop...He would never admit it as he loosened his belt though, but he would almost kill to be where Dante was at the moment as he watched the dragon manipulate one of the deadliest women in the world, like a potter forming a lewd sculpture from clay with his lubricated hands. He knew one other thing for certain as his undergarments dropped to the floor, and the intensity of the moaning from all intensified...there was one place that Rena was certainly not in control in the relationship...

~~~~

"Oh not fucking again!"

Wealdon smiled to himself as he loosened his own belt. He was hidden in a stack of tumbled rocks near the entrance to the scouted out cave. The draconic shout of frustration and pent up anger echoing out of the lair's mouth had given away the news that he would deliver back to Rena and his Captain. It definitely looked like the quest they were on was drawing to a close now...and though he would not admit it openly, he was actually going to miss it. In comparison to Polomavit or any of those in the past he had served under, well Rena was different. Though his wage pouch was bulging with enough to keep him for at least a decade if he was careful, he was not one to lie around doing nothing and he was at a loose end now. There was no way the guard would take him back after the spectacular walk out, legitimate reasons or not. Maybe he should look at joining a Mercenary company himself, as apart from thieving, fighting was all he knew.

A second higher groan sounded, perking the weasel's ears.

'Oh hello...' he thought as the sound of scales being pounded against scales started to leak into the open, 'Somebody has company.'

The resulting smells began to catch at his nose, 'Much as I would prefer to be watching, and maybe participating at camp...' he thought as his hands began to stroke his olfactory generated arousal, 'I can't let this go to waste...'

It became apparent though from the noises within the cave that there was only one participant enjoying what was going on, the other muted groans were of a distinctly none pleasurable nature.

~~~~

Aspenall blinked as the sib's green flash faded from his eyes, and the sticky mess his two employers had made of themselves relaxed into sleep on top of each other. Dante had won he believed, the twisting snake of his tongue rooting the hot bitch's sex for all to see until her back had arched and pulled her mouth free from his flaring head as she cursed in pleasure while her orgasm took her, and her face and neck were blasted by the seed she had been trying to swallow. It only took a few more strokes of himself as the smell of Dante's seed pushed him over, and his tip spat his load into the pile of leaves he was aiming at as the groaning of the squad of soldiers behind him echoed his while all their releases took them. He smiled a bit as his protégé also let out a very 'birdlike' squawk as he filled the camp follower who had won his coin.

He had to admit that he was not looking forward to the end of the quest. Aside from the fact that he had had more sex in the time with Rena than he had had in the previous 10 years of service...he was also approaching the dilemma of if he should try and arrest her or not for the murdering misdemeanours of her past. His own conditioning said that he should, and he was pretty sure that if he was to tell Miles in private of the things he had learned about her previous jobs, he would have support...But...He couldn't do that at the moment because the dagger's geis still held him strong.

He sighed, looking at the mess on his paws...and considering the mess the quest had made of his soul at the same time. "Well I can only do something about one of them at the moment," he muttered to himself as he headed towards the stream before the others thought of doing the same.

~~~~

"So you believe there to be another dragon occupying the cave with Kalaw?" Rena asked as she was buckling on her armour the following dawn.

"Kalaw was definitely not doing what I was doing outside...he had someone to play with." Wealdon replied, a slight smirk on his face, "He was also not very happy about what his body was forcing him to do either."

Rena smirked, "Sounds like a loveless release there then. Whoever it is will become collateral damage then if they are stupid enough to become involved."

"About that...You want to end this quickly, don't you?" Miles asked.

"Absolutely...And hopefully without losing anyone else," Rena replied, swinging herself up into Fellericksy's saddle.

"Then after giving it some thought last night after you...well after you fell asleep. I would say that what we came up with is the best option...even considering the other occupant of the cave."

Rena nodded, "I hate to admit it, but I do as well."

She turned to the men, "Well today is the day...you all either ride free from here with me with your purses bulging, or I fall to my own whim in taking on my greatest enemy. I can't promise that the latter will not be the case, but I say this now. If I do fall and I don't get up, do not try and avenge me. Your daggers will know if I am a lost cause, and the moment they release you from my geis, you are free to try and flee the repercussions that Kalaw will attempt to wreak upon you. Now saddle up and gather up all the fallen deadwood your horses can pull, we will try and make this bloodless and impersonal as Miles has suggested. His throat and heart is mine and mine alone though."

Aspenall saluted and hauled himself up onto his horse as well, "Well you heard her men...let's do this!"

"Yes Ma'am!" they all shouted as Rena rode out on pointe as usual.

***

Miles was breathing heavily as he landed next to Dante, "Everything that has been gathered is in place Rena...There was definitely some movement inside when I dropped the last load into the pile."

Rena nodded, "No doubt Kalaw will be wondering what the fuck we are up to," she turned to Dante, "Time to show him then I think love."

"You're not at least going to issue an ultimatum?" Dante asked.

"As if he would listen...but I will give him the chance of a clean fight if that is what you wish."

"I do love...that way there is a chance no-one innocent gets hurt. We dragons may be becoming rare now if what we have seen on our travels is true in the rest of the lands." Dante replied quietly.

Rena nodded and spurred Fellericksy forward into the clearing in front of Kalaw's lair, "Your brother has a softer heart than I Kalaw!" she shouted, "I give you this one chance to come out now and face me on a one on one basis. I have no business with anyone other than you, and my scout tells me that at least one other resides in your lair with you. Do you accept my challenge, or shall I be forced to drive you out into the open like the coward you are, to face all of us together?"

Kalaw squinted against the light from his cave entrance...he had been holed up now for three days after spotting his brother's silhouette in the sky when he was on a hunting expedition. He had known of course that they were getting closer from the strength and intensity of the urges that overwhelmed him on the times that the thrice blasted bitch romped with his hated sibling. He was more than a little worried when it became apparent that more than one aerial foe was now present...that was until he realised that one was a featherball. It would only take one well-placed spark if the gryphon they had somehow collected from somewhere was stupid enough to try and engage him.

It was puzzling him though as to why all the deadwood and green tree branches were being piled up in front of the entrance to his lair...it was hardly a barrier as such, and there was no way it could burn or smoke him out if they lit it, as he knew from his own fires that there was a natural chimney as well as the fresh water supply...but then again they couldn't know that. He considered blasting it away himself just for the hell of it, but he reconsidered and decided to save his own fires for the fight.

He cocked his head and listened to the bitch's offer for a one on one... He'd give her a one on one alright...just like his fucking brother...but only after she was knelt cowering and naked his claws before he ripped her head off.

"Drive me out if you can Bitch! You will not find me a simpering idiot like the others of my kind you have killed! I have the upper ground here! I am in the defensible position! You come to me in my lair if you think you can take me on, on your own! I will teach you what a real dragon is, not a domesticated pussy sucker like my derisible brother!" He shouted out at her, "And as for the trash that is in here with me, well you can take her body out as well when I have used her remaining blood to power my counter-spelling!"

Rena nodded, "So be it Kalaw...I was hoping to give you a quick and clean death...there has been enough suffering caused by our conflict, and too many innocents have died as a result of it."

"You will not have a clean death bitch! That I can promise you!" Kalaw shouted back.

Rena reined Fel back to where the others were waiting, "Well he has had his chance...love, I leave the first move of this final game to you."

Dante nodded, his heart heavy as he turned without a word and took off in order to gain enough altitude to prepare his attack. It was just too dangerous do it from a standing position as the back blast went everywhere. It was a shame that the other dragon in the cave was likely to be killed when Kalaw realised what he was about to do.

Kalaw watched as Rena spoke to his brother, not catching what the words were before his sibling turned and took off into the sky. 'He can't be off to get more wood, can he?' he thought as he vanished out of sight. It took but a few minutes before he heard the whistling building as Rena and the others backed out of the area immediately in front of his cave... "Ahh Shit! He can't be that stupid...he could kill me himself!"

Kalaw dashed back to where the useless husk of his captive lay moaning, dissolving her chains with a single word as he rushed to drag her over to form a partial shield. "Well you get to die today saving my life, whore," he spat out as he began to build a particularly strong shielding spell for his own scales. He felt his magical energy dip, so he plunged a single talon through the jugular of the dragoness, her sigh of both pain and relief echoing in the darkness as he used her blood release to complete his protections...He just hoped they would be enough.

The cave went silent for a heart-stopping moment and he ducked his head and eyes under her belly, "Time to join your sister..." was all he had time to say before his world and the rock walls around him exploded with superhot fire and shrapnel from the pile of branches that had been deposited. He felt her body tense in a final silent scream, her heart pulsing hard in her belly a final few times as her blood evaporated in the maelstromic inferno.

He screamed himself as his tail flaps burned off, the spell depleting as her energy ceased to feed it, trying to pull it into the lea of what was left of her body as the bones became exposed, flesh cauterising before it had the chance to bleed. His right wing elbow was also consumed, before the white-lightening ceased and the cave began to evacuate itself of smoke cloying sweetness of burned and charred flesh, the rock walls pinging and crackling as they began to cool.

He shouldered the husk of her corpse off him, quickly assessing his own damage. There was no way he was ever going to fly again unless he got control of the sib's powers, and his tail was almost half gone, just the white stub of bone protruding from his still smoking flesh. The scrying pool was gone, as was all his stored meat and all his magical energy reserves. He would have to rely on his brute strength and fighting skills alone.

Dante landed with a thump, almost cartwheeling as his right wing collapsed, his tail was also giving him extreme discomfort. "Back off from the fight now Dante...you have injured your sssssibling and we can't heal you if you do any further damage..." The warning echoed in his mind as he stumbled to his feet.

His eyes locked onto Rena's, who just nodded, "Yes I heard them as well. Don't intervene from now on; you have given me the advantage I asked for love."

"Be careful..." Dante replied, "From my own pains, he only has an injured tail and wing."

Rena nodded, "Enough to keep him ground bound though...And I always am." She turned Fellericksy and spurred her out into the smoking area with Aspenall, Miles and the remaining band following her. "Kalaw! I give you this one last chance. Come out and lay your throat open to me, and I will grant you the mercy that you don't deserve."

A hiccoughing was all she heard before Dante shouted out from behind for them to all duck and cover.

She rolled off Fellericksy in a single smooth movement, slapping her hard on the flank of the warhorse so that she bolted off to the side as a similar fire attack to Dante's blasted out of the cave, crinkling her leather armour in the heat and singing all her exposed fur as she buried her face in the ground. A couple of the others had not been so quick to react, and two of the remaining mercenaries were now just smoking corpses. Her head snapped around at the sound of a frenzied and pain filled squawking to see Miles rolling and flapping around on his back, feathers smoking and his right wing was obviously broken and bleeding above its elbow.

Kalaw burst from the cave's mouth, his mouth smoking and his wing dragging. He didn't even bother to issue a challenge, just charging straight at her before she could regain her feet.

She flipped herself over onto her back, Kunai drawn in an instant as she deflected the worst of his slashing claws and teeth, her free hand reaching for Oathkeeper as her skin spell prevented those that did contact her from doing any damage. She brought her pointed boot up under his belly in a vicious kick that caused him to break off himself for a second...but it was enough time for her to regain her footing.

"Good opening parry Kalaw...I still offer you a clean death though."

"Kicking me in the pouch was not a clean start!" Kalaw roared back, "And as for using my brother against me...that was a despicable move."

"It was the only way we could think of to prevent more deaths...to draw you out."

"You killed the dragoness who was in there with me...She made a good shield," Kalaw responded, beginning to stalk her carefully.

"If she was in there with you, there is no doubt that she was glad for her suffering to end," Rena retorted, watching for an opening. Her quiver and bow had been burnt beyond use on her back, but she didn't have time to divest herself of the tatters.

Kalaw roared, turning to snap at the two arrows that had suddenly appeared in his left haunch...

"BACK OFF!!" Rena shouted, "THAT'S a direct order Aspenall!"

"Yes Ma'am," the otter replied, "I was not going to kill him as you ordered last night."

"If I can't handle a tailless, ground-bound, magic-exhausted coward on my own, then I don't deserve to be above the ground myself! Go try and patch up your protégé."

"Yes Ma'am," Aspenall replied again with a salute, signalling the others to back off.

She turned back to where Kalaw was watching her warily, "Are we going to finish this now?" she asked, starting to close on him.

"Yes...though my urge to fuck you inside out has diminished somewhat!" Kalaw growled before lunging forward with another hiccough. His mouth opened and he released a second, smaller fire attack, the flaming lightening enveloping Rena in its deadly heat, the brightness blinding those who were watching.

The smoke cleared after a few seconds to reveal Rena standing there, naked but for her amber focus stone hanging and glowing around her neck, and drawn sword in her hand "Damn it! Now I am going to need another fucking scabbard for Oathkeeper." She cursed a twisted smile on her face as she brought the katana around in a swift sweep across Kalaw's lunging snout, partially blinding him, "Did you not think that I would protect my body from a dragon's fire for this fight?" She asked sarcastically as he reared up away from her in panic and pain.

Taking advantage of the gap she rushed under his downed guard and drove Oathkeeper through his chest plate, burying it to the hilt, blood spilling from the wound to soak her fur, before backing off as Kalaw began to writhe on the ground, life's elixir spilling from where fire once came.

"Your sword Aspenall," she ordered, taking it from the otter's hands as he held it out to her hilt first.

She wandered over to where Kalaw now lay on his back, Oathkeeper still embedded deep within his chest cavity. She stopped by his muzzle and squatted, parting her legs a little so she could look him his undamaged eye while it focussed upon her sexually aroused shadows. "You know Kalaw...I had kinda of hoped for a little more of a fight...I mean this seems to be so anticlimactic. I can see now why the sibs chose your brother as the real leader of the Draconis clan, as it is obvious that without the ability to hide behind another's shield and steel, you were totally and utterly pathetic."

"Bitch..." Kalaw coughed, spitting his lung's blood in to plaster against her sex.

Rena didn't even flinch, just dropping her free hand to wipe across where it had landed to mix with her own sexual scent before wiping it across his bloodied snout as she stood.

"If you had left Sekal alone...if you had not killed him, you would never have heard of me. You would have just gone on and on trying to kill Dante until you had succeeded. That would have been a dark day for the combined world, as I could just imagine what you could have done with his powers." She sighed quietly, moving down to his exposed neck. "I must however thank you though before I do this...as without your actions against my Master, I may never have discovered my own soul, and I would not have discovered my own love."

She summoned Dante with a single beckoning of a paw behind her back, waiting until his shadow enveloped her from behind. "I feel it is only right that you should have the chance to exchange a few words before this ends love," she said quietly, leaning back against his scarred belly where he stood, looking down at his dying sibling.

"All I will ask is why? Why when we could have lived in peace without me ever knowing about you or threatening you? Your own warped spell from the nest would have seen to that..." Dante murmured.

Kalaw's eye rolled slightly, "Because the sibs should have been mine! As long as they were yours, I was not number one. The time of dragons hiding in their caves should come to an end, could have come to an end with me! The furs are a lesser stain upon this world..." he coughed up some more blood, his words cut off.

"That could still happen now," Dante replied quietly, "I was never hunted by those that I lived in peace with around my territory...the world has enough evil within it, and enough power struggles. Dragons could never win a war, we are too few...Think of that when you go to wherever those of your beliefs always end up. We could have won a war of the heart standing together, even though I have lost mine now to another..." He gently traced a claw across Rena's chest, circling her left breast with a lingering and sensuous pause before he released her and turned away. "End it..."

Rena nodded, her eyes lingering on the sadness that was imbued though her love's every move as he walked away, tears forming in her own eyes as she lifted the heavier blade of Aspenall's officers sword.

Dante winced as the sound of steel through air filled his ears followed by a final thump and gurgling noises that came to a bubbling halt after a few long minutes. Aspenall's paw gently touched his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly as he swung his head down towards the Captain.

"No words can be said friend...but I feel for you." Aspenall said quietly as the sib on Dante's leg began to glow, getting brighter and brighter, as an exclamation of surprised pain came from Rena.

Dante snapped his head round to where she had dropped the sword in shock next to the lifeless head of his brother. Her sib was writhing with new energy just as his started to burn. He tried to step towards her, but a spell froze him rigid, his back arching in pain as the sibs drew all the remaining life power from Kalaw's blood, it filling him until he wanted to scream and burst as all the missing years of memories filled his head with a deluging flood that nearly drowned his conscious.

His eyes still focussed on Rena though as the fur burst around where the spear had penetrated her, fresh blood showing for a second before she healed as if nothing had been in evidence before. His own chest then split, the scar that defined him healing over just as the one around his neck did the same as the glowing sibs stilled again, their light fading without sleep taking him as usual.

"We are all whole again! The curssssse ssssspell isssss gone! Now you can be the leader that you were alwaysssss dessssstined to be from the egg...It isssss a ssssshame that you have lossssst four hundred and sssssixty yearsssss to your brother'sssss actionsssss."

"I am no leader!" he declared, his mind trying to process everything that had been dumped in it, including the extensive command of all magics known now and those forgotten by those in the millennia before.

"But you are Dante...You are the leader of the mossssst powerful clan name amongssssst dragonsssss...And you have one at your ssssside to hold you on a rightful courssssse for now. You must ssssstill ensssssure that your clan sssssuceedesssss your passsssing, but we will not ssssstop you from loving every moment of the timesssss that you have left with Rena...that we have decccccided. We can now sssssearch the ethereal power ssssstrings, and we know that we sssssibs are one pair of only ssssseven that are left...that includesssss those worn by the unicornsssss. All other clansssss have been lossssst for eternity."

Rena laid a hand upon him then and he looked down into her eyes, before bending to give a gentle kiss. "Team for life?" she asked quietly.

"Team for life," he replied... "I just hope that amongst everything I now know...there is a way for us to be together for a very very long time to come my love."

Rena smiled, but the expression dropped as Aspenall approached, a pair of handcuffs dangling from his hands, as stern expression on his face. "You knew this time would come Rena..." he said, a firm look on his face as she tensed, "The dagger's spell no longer holds us all as the quest is now over."

"But..." she started the words dying as with a chuckle the otter threw the restraints at Dante who caught them with a surprised look on his face.

"Call it a gift for the bedroom..." Aspenall declared, "You may need them when you take a dragoness to your couch."

"You bastard!" Rena exclaimed, grinning.

"Of course," the otter replied, "Though what the fuck I and the men are going to do now I don't know. We are in the middle of fucking nowhere, and are probably wanted by our own King for treasonable acts committed under your geis. As for the mercenaries, they are too few to be a company, and to many to join another without splitting up."

"If I may reiterate a prior suggestion," a pained squawk asked, Miles staggering over, his wing hanging limp and bloodied at his side.

"Go ahead featherball," Aspenall responded.

"Juliperiowunus," Miles stated, "You Rena and Dante have the money...You Aspenall have the experience to form and be General to the defence force. The men here could go straight if they had a King and Queen to serve under who cares not for their past deeds. I know the royals there personally from trade before the pass was filled. I will travel with you if you choose that path in order to secure a succession. They can exile themselves to Gilensia or somewhere else with the money and live a comfortable and prosperous life...they were not and never will be despots. It would be a good way for you to prove that dragons and furs can live together in peace again..."

"What do you think love?" Dante asked, "I know that I promised that I would never change who you are...but I could never in my own heart follow at your side if you went back to your existing trade..."

Rena took a deep breath... "Aspenall is the General then...but I am the Admiral! I will a warrior Queen, or no Queen at all if it comes to fighting, which I fear it will. I will not become fat and spoilt, and when we hold contests of skill, magical or strength, the winner faces me!"

Aspenall chuckled, bowing at the waist, "I think Miles has settled it then my liege?"

"He has," Rena replied, "I have somewhat lost my taste for fighting after today...at least for now."

"You will have to open the pass again somehow if this is to work," Miles said quietly.

Dante just smiled, turning towards Kalaw's now empty lair. He whispered a few previously curse forgotten words, causing Rena's eyes to open wide as his sibling's body parts lifted from the ground and floated into it. Oathkeeper dropped with a thud to the charred ground as a white haze began to form around Dante's paws. He clapped them together once, a beam of amber energy streaking from them to strike the cave's roof with an ear-splitting crash of displacing air. A massive cloud of dust and powdered rock enveloped the clearing causing everyone to cough until it settled, leaving a plain and smoothed rock face where the cave once was.

"Oh I think I can find a way," Dante said quietly into the silence that followed, "Now that I can remember how too..."

TBC in Dante's Rising...