Chapter 53

by Amanda Cast

Grizzle

Rubio trudged tiredly behind Pandora. The dimensional bag helped to ease the burden a great deal, but some things could not fit. Pandora carried the majority of the packs as well as the pelt. Rubio carried the blankets and smaller items that made camping easier.

It had taken Pandora longer to lure a bear to her than she originally intended. Usually the bears of Bear Valley were more than eager to wander to a human encampment and eat their fill. Pandora never had to wait so long before, and most people would not risk dealing with the natives to hunt there.

Pandora knew little about the culture, but she did know that it revolved around bears. Why? She could never guess. She would be sacrificed first thing if they saw her, and that was the last thing that she wanted.

“Mother, I’m tired,” Rubio whined again.

“I know, dear. We’re almost there and then Grizzle will let you rest for a bit.”

He kicked a rock and it skirted over the ground, hopping and jumping over the bumps in on the surface of the narrow trail. It struck the back of Pandora’s heel lightly and she craned her head back and gave him a stern look.

He sulked and adjusted his pack. This caused her to realize how much the straps were biting into her skin and muscle. She jostled the packs around so that the straps rested in different areas of the same parts of her body.

“See, look,” Pandora said and tossed her head in the direction of smoke rising up over the trees. “He’s home.”

“Thank cheese,” he said.

“Cheese?” Pandora said dryly.

“Sure, cheese. Gotta thank something.”

“You could thank me,” she teased with a gentle smile he could not see.

“You get thanked for everything,” he said, “I think cheese should get thanked, too. Do you think that Grizzle will let me have some cheese?”

“I don’t know,” Pandora said. “He might be feeling generous and he might not. It’s hard to say.” All she wanted was to take a load off her shoulders. Soon she would get her wish, but sometimes soon just was not soon enough.

Rubio sniffed the air. “Oh, it smells like bread!” he said. “You and Momma never make bread.”

“That’s because neither of us know how to bake,” she said. “And we can’t afford the flour.”

“Is that why we eat that weird nut thing you make?” he asked.

“It’s wholesome. Greg said so,” she told him. She frowned. “You should be grateful for what you do have. We all sacrifice every day so that you and your brother and sisters don’t go without.”

“And soon you’ll be leaving us.”

“We’ll be back,” Pandora said. “You should no worry so much.”

“You worry,” he counted.

“Yes,” Pandora agreed with strained patience. “But I worry so that you don’t have to. You’re just a child. I want you to be able to act like one.”

“Do you even know how children act?” he asked, incredulous.

“Like you are now,” she said sharply and he clamped his mouth shut and did not say another word the rest of the hike. They reached Grizzle’s cabin and Rubio dropped all of his things at the edge of the clearing and ran toward the door. “Grizzle!” he shouted.

The door opened and Grizzle stood in the door way wiping his hands on his apron. Pandora could see the flour handprints on the stained garment. “Hello, hello,” he said warmly. “I see you have another pelt for me, Pandora.”

She nodded. “I do. Can we come in and rest for a little bit?” she asked.

“Certainly,” he agreed.

“Rubio, go and get your things and bring them in,’ she said.

“But I’m tired, Mother.”

“Maybe I should have brought Emmy. She never complains,” Pandora said to the tree passed Rubio. His face turned beet red, but he stormed over to the pile he had left behind and started to layer it back onto his body.

“Did you need all of that meat?” Grizzle asked. “Nothing like a good bear meat sausage in the morning.”

“I’m sure we can work out some trades,” Pandora said. When she stepped inside she draped the pelt over her left arm and started to unload the right side of her body. The packs of dried, salted, and otherwise preserved meat dropped with a heavy thud onto the wooden floor.

“So, Claws,” he said, addressing Pandora. “Still hunting in Bear Valley? That’s dangerous.”

“That’s why I get paid so well. They’re pansy bears anyway. They’re so used to having food handed to them they don’t know what to do when it fights back.” She gave him a mild smile and finished dropping the other packs. “I came for some healing potions.”

“Healing potions, huh?” he asked. “The usual?”

“I have some deerskin and a couple of wolf pelts, too,” she said. “They’re not healthy ones though. Got them in the winter and they weren’t eating well.”

“Shame,” he said. “You know, I’d be willing to make a nice trade for that bag of yours.”

“I know you would, Grizzle, but my cousin would kill me,” she said. “Have you heard any news from the outside?” She watched as Rubio waddled into the cabin and chunked his burdens on top of Pandora’s. He scowled at her and went to go sit on one of the stools by the fire.

“How that kid can stand the heat,” he muttered and then turned his attention back to Pandora. “All I heard is that there is a new Empress,” he said. “Sweet young thing about your age, I’d reckon.” Grizzle was only middle aged, but he liked to pretend he was older sometimes. He scratched his head thoughtfully. “Her name is Liara. They’ve only been married for about two months and he’s already whining that she might be barren.”

“Only two months? And you heard about it already?”

“News like that travels fast. I heard it from the elves, actually. They don’t pay any attention to what they say to me. It’s almost insulting, but I imagine they thought they were doing well to wait a few weeks before telling me.”

“Probably right,” Pandora agreed. She only knew one surface elf in her life, and he was dead.

Grizzle shrugged his broad shoulders. “So, Claws, what else do you need for your little family?”

“I think that Shaggy would like a book to read. Do you have anything?” she asked.

“What time does that poor boy have for a book?” he asked. “You and your cousin are always leaving him to watch the little ones. Parenting is full time.”

“You did all right with your son, didn’t you?” Pandora asked. “Anyway, he finds his time, and the kids aren’t so bad.”

Grizzle gave the sulking Rubio a long stare and then directed a meaningful look at Pandora—eyebrow raise and all. “If my son acted like that I’d blister his bottom.”

“Oh, wait. Gold. Do you have any gold jewelry?”

“Gold? What is with you and gold? It doesn’t do you much good in the mountains, does it? Who are you showing off for?”

Pandora frowned at him. “Does it matter what I need gold for? I have good stuff to trade with you for. I just need gold.”

He snorted. “I had you in mind when I made this trade,” he said and went over to his bed. He kneeled down and pulled up a plank of wood and then pulled out a box. “It’s not pretty, but the girl and boy I got them from were running off to live happily ever after and left this behind. They’re nothing fancy, but they’re pure gold.”

“Rubio, come here,” Pandora said. “I need you to inspect this.”

“You don’t trust me?” he asked.

“Oh, I trust you, but not the people you might trade with,” she said. “I can’t afford to skimp on quality. I hope you understand,” she said and Rubio came up to her, sniffing the air. She could see the excitement in his eyes, but she hoped that Grizzle was not yet wise to the reason.

Grizzle lowered the box so that Rubio could get a closer look at it. He plucked out one of the pieces and examined it. After a long sniff, he said, “It’s the real deal. Those are real rubies too.”

Pandora nodded. “Twenty pounds for that.”

“Fifty.”

“Outrageous,” Pandora said, “But I’ll be fair and go up to twenty five.”

“That isn’t fair, Claws,” he said. “Forty-five is the best you’re going to get. Take it or leave it.”

“Well, unless you have some dragons passing by to trade scales, you’re never going to lose the jewelry here in this outpost. You might as well level at my twenty five and take the jar of bear eyes.”

“Bear eyes?” he asked. “You have bear eyes.”

“Yeah, I also kept the other organs.”

“Blood?”

“Some.”

“Fine, twenty-five and the eyes. I’ll reimburse the preservation jar.”

“Deal,” she said and they shook hands. Rubio took the jewelry and clenched the earrings and rings in his hands tightly until Pandora reached down with her open palm. He grumbled, but handed them to her. “Do you have anything else?”

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “What do you need?”

Pandora shrugged. “How many healing potions do you have?”

“I only have twelve left,” he said. “Four for the pelt, usual deal, but if you want more you can always bargain with something else.”

“How about two more for a quart of blood.”

“Outrageous.”

‘Not really,” Pandora said. “I know a bit about magic. The mages that frequent your little hut would pay a nice gold or so for a few drops. A quart is near priceless.”

“And you only want two more?” he asked.

“I can be fair. Besides, it doesn’t do me a lick of good, and I can always kill another one.”

“Fine,” he said and he shook hands with Pandora. She could tell from the waver in his face that he did not believe her, but so far she had been honest enough with him, so he would take her word. “You said you wanted some books?” he asked. “I might have a couple.”

Grizzle had a small book shelf in the corner of his living room. It was usually bare, but occasionally someone would come by and trade a book for some wires or any other number of things. It was the elves that bought the pelts, and they brought the survival tools and sometimes delicate dishes.

Now there was one lonely little tome. It was dusty and smelled of wet leather, but Pandora picked it up anyway. She blew off the worst of the dust and wiped off more with the tips of her fingers. “Children’s stories,” she said. “It will do, I guess.”

Their trading went on well into the night and Grizzle offered to let them spend the night and they ate some of the bear meat along with some vegetables from Grizzle’s small garden. The next morning as Pandora was packing everything up Grizzle stopped her.

“Claws, I have been wondering…”

“Hm?” Pandora asked, preoccupied.

“Have you ever thought of marrying?” he asked.

She froze in mid action and then slowly turned to him. “Are you asking me to marry you?” she asked.

“Uh, no, not that I wouldn’t be flattered,” he said quickly, “But I was thinking more to my son. You’re like a daughter to me, really.”

“Oh,” she said, half relieved. “No, I haven’t thought about marrying,” she said. “I am usually very busy with taking care of my household.” She finished stuffing the potion box into her bag and tied it around her waist as she stood up.

“Well, would you think about marrying my son? You would make such a wonderful trade and a wonderful mother to my grandchildren. I think you’d make a wonderful wife.”

She took a deep breath, held it, and then sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Grizzle, but I can’t marry your son.”

He rubbed his hands together. “Why not?”

“Well, for one, he and my cousin were once lovers, and…that would be wrong. It would cause problems between my cousin and me. For another thing, I have four… I mean, three children to look after as well as Shaggy. I can’t get married and leave them behind. Your cabin would not fit us all. Plus, I am not cut out for marriage. I lack passion. Your son would cheat on me. I would kill him.”

“Why would you kill him?”

“Because he would insult me too much,” she said. “It is best that I never marry. I lack the passion to make a man happy. That is just the way I am.”

“Oh,” he said and his shoulders slumped. “Well, think about it. I think you would make a good tradesman’s wife.”

“I can’t promise even that, Grizzle. You son was a lover to one of my family. It is just too strange. Perhaps he and she would be happier. It is obvious that it is her he prefers.”

“There are women men sleep with, Claws, and then women they marry.”

“I am neither, Grizzle. I am sorry.” Pandora started to load herself up again. The items she now had were much lighter. “It is no insult to you, Grizzle, but I am not cut out for making a man happy. I’ll see you.”

<Chapter 52>

Chapter 52

by Amanda Cast

Pancakes and Sausage

Pandora rose early and enjoyed the silence of the complex. After five years she grew accustomed to the noises of dragons playing and exploring their powers with Greg. In the early mornings Pandora did not get to hear the familiar sounds. Now she was left in her own little world with her own space. She longed for the moments as she longed for the company of someone other than Greg, Serene, and the hatchlings.

Greg helped Topaz form the kitchen more than Pandora or Serene did. It was a complicated work of cabinets and counter tops, and it was always warm. She checked the vents and then the ice box. It was not as nice as her uncle’s had been, but it served its purpose and they had unlimited space without dimension manipulation.

There was plenty of meat in it, but she was uncertain if it would last them long enough. She decided to dry the bear meat so that they could have something during the time she was away. She hoped it would be enough.

“Amazon?” Greg asked from the doorway. Pandora jumped and turned to face him. “What are you doing up right now?”

“What are you doing up?”

“I… had to use the bathroom and your door was open so I thought you would be here.” He walked over to the ice box and peaked inside. “We’re not doing bad. It’s still only the middle of summer.”

“I know,” Pandora said. “But I have to go away for a while, so I want you to be well situated.”

He was quiet for a while and then he quietly shut the ice box. After a tense moment he looked up at her. “Where are you going?”

“Well, first I’m going to go hunt a bear and get you some more potions as well as get some more meat and sinew. I’m sorry, Greg. Serene went out of control and I have to go take care of it.”

“Why can’t I go with you? Why can’t we all go?”

“Because it’s more than just your normal tight spot. She is now the Emperor’s Mage.” Pandora took a deep breath and turned away from him. She could not stand the thought of the realization of betrayal on his face.

“How the hell?” he asked. He said quietly after that, “How did that happen?”

“I don’t know. It was part of the plan, Greg, but we wanted to feel around it first before we came to you about it.” She sighed heavily and walked away from him. Her guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders and they slumped. “She ruined everything and now I have to go and help her.”

“She’ll get you both killed,” Greg said and closed the distance between them in a couple of long strides. He gripped her shoulders and then wrapped his arms around her entirely. She froze and stiffened instinctively. “I don’t want you to die, Pandora.”

“I don’t want to die either, Greg,” she told him and forced herself to relax.

“Then why don’t you let her get out of it on her own? The kids need you. I need you.”

Pandora broke free of him. “Don’t say that,” she said. “I need you to watch over them while I’m gone. I’m taking Topaz with me when we go to the city, but I need to take Rubio with me when I go hunting. Topaz is going to be changing the entrance and making another room today.”

“We are supposed to discuss everything, Pandora,” he reminded her.

“I’m sorry, Greg. There just isn’t time.”

“Why is she with the Emperor?”

Pandora licked her lips and looked away. “You know how we started looking for Uncle Lindal a few years ago after we got situated?” Greg nodded and Pandora mimicked the movement. “Well, we haven’t found him because he isn’t alive.”

Greg’s eyes narrowed and he jerked his chin to the side, but his eyes stayed focused on Pandora. “He’s dead? When did he die?”

Pandora took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Her throat trembled. “Around the time we were fleeing he was being beheaded. The head was already delivered before we even left. They were going to show it to us in some dramatic presentation.”

He frowned. “And now you are going out for revenge.”

Pandora nodded.

“Your uncle was a criminal, Pandora.”

“So? We’re murderers. Seems like you’re surrounded by criminals,” Pandora said. “You would be surprised what you had to do to survive, wouldn’t you? Doesn’t matter now, does it? The Emperor made a deal and he broke it. He crossed the wrong twelve year olds.”

“So this is vengeance. You’re going to risk your lives for vengeance? What about the kids?”

“You can take care of them. You know how to and they trust you.”

“I can’t do this without you,” he said softly.

“Yes, you can,” Pandora said. “I leave you alone with them all the time. You’ll be fine.” She stepped farther away from him. “I’m going to make breakfast. Could you get the kids up?”

Greg sighed and gulped. His face was etched in deep emotion pain that made Pandora stop breathing. She did not want to hurt Greg, but she knew that she must. Greg needed passion that she could never give him. Simply caring about him would never be enough. He left her and hit the door frame on his way out.

Pandora squeezed her eyes shut and leaned against the counter. She hated caring so much. Life was easier before she met Serene.

After a moment she started to make breakfast. She made pancakes created from nut flour and made syrup out of blueberries. To go with them Pandora fried up some venison sausage. Only two of the plates had the pancakes, but the other four were piled high with sausage and had little containers of blueberry syrup on the side.

By the time Pandora was balancing the tray through the door Greg already had them at the table and dressed for the day. Rubio was wearing his dark green and brown hunting tunic. There was a cap on the table next to him.

Greg helped her set the table and lay out the food. Pandora bent down and laid Topaz’s food in front of him. He started to gnaw on the sausage right away.

“When is Momma coming back?” Star asked as she speared a sausage with her fork.

Greg gave Pandora a meaningful look and thrust a big triangle of pancake into his mouth so that he would not have to say anything.

Pandora set down her fork and laid her palms on the table. “Momma won’t be back for a while,” she said. “She… um…”

“No, go on, Pandora,” he said with a steel edge in his voice. The children looked from one to the other in confusion. Greg only called Pandora by her name during tense moments, and they knew it.

“She is currently in the Imperial City. I will be leaving to join her.”

“Mother, no!” Rubio said. “What about our hunting trip. Greg said we were going hunting.”

“We are still going hunting,” Pandora said. “It’s just that I have to go help Momma out. Greg will stay here and take care of you. I want you all to watch out for each other. Emerald will be able to reach me in dreams so I can let you know how everything is going.”

“First Momma and now you?” Star asked. “Are you going to abandon us?”

“No, dearest,” Pandora said with shocked sincerity. “We would never abandon you. We’ll just be gone for a little while, and then… then we’ll be back. I promise.”

“Are you going to bring Momma straight home?” Rubio asked. His food was forgotten in front of him.

Pandora shot Greg a desperate look but he was unsympathetic and gave her a stone cold frown. Pandora took a deep breath. “Momma and I love you very much. We are just trying to eliminate a threat to your safety. It is a sacrifice for us because we want to spend every moment with you that we can. I don’t want to leave, but I must.”

“Is there anything else you want to tell them?” Greg asked bitingly. Pandora flinched at his tone.

“I will be taking Topaz with me when I go.”

Star and Rubio started shouting at once. Emerald looked upset for a brief moment but she quickly masked it and started eating without concern.

“Why does he get to go and we have to stay behind?” Star asked furiously.

“Yeah!” Rubio intoned.

Pandora sighed. “Because Topaz chose a form that is easy enough for me to explain having around. He can also get into places that none of us can get into. He’ll be ignored by anyone and everyone. No one will suspect him of spying.” She turned her gaze to Topaz who was gnawing contently at his food. “He already has the art of it down. You, Star, are a beautiful little girl that men would try and hurt and take advantage of. Then you would get all ice cold and blow your cover. Rubio… you should not have listened to Greg about your appearance.”

“What is wrong with his appearance?” Greg asked.

“He’s a half elf with red hair and red eyes. That is a big warning flag. I cannot explain why I have him running around with me in the Imperial City. Granted, most, if not all, humans are entirely ignorant about dragons, but they know that elves and humans do not come in those colors.”

“Well, why can’t Emerald go?” Rubio asked.

“I’m needed here for communication purposes,” Emerald said.

Both Star and Rubio glared at her. “You’re a freak, Emmy,” Star said. “You should be furious, too.”

“Topaz is not mad,” she said as she dipped a small bite in the syrup. “Why should I be mad?”

“Topaz gets to go with her,” Star yelled with an emphatic pointing of her finger.

“I am pleased to stay home,” Emerald said. “Greg is responsible and will take good care of us. It is Topaz’s loss that he leaves. He will not further his training.”

“We have a life time to train,” Rubio said.

Emerald shrugged. “Mother said she will come back to us. She will come back.” Her green eyes bore into Pandora with unfailing trust. “Mother always keeps her word.”

“What about with Momma coming home soon. She said she would come home soon,” Rubio said.

“That was just Mother trusting Momma to do what she said. You cannot blame her for misplaced trust.” Emerald stopped talking to pull the sausage off of the fork and chew it patiently.

Greg, Rubio, and Star seethed quietly for a long time. They ate very little, but Topaz and Emerald finished their breakfast without complaint or comment. Pandora forced herself to eat, but the pancakes stuck in her throat and the sausage tasted bland and dry.

Pandora did not want to leave her haven and return to a world that only wanted her dead anymore than the hatchlings wanted it. Why did Serene always get her into these messes?

<Chapter 51><Chapter 53>

Chapter 51

by Amanda Cast

My Bad

Greg and Pandora sat across from each other for several minutes, but to Pandora it was an eternity. Finally Greg stood up and sat next to her. “What is wrong, Amazon?” he asked.

She gave him a small smile and then it faltered and she sighed. “I met someone today.”

Greg blinked and his brow wrinkled together. “You… met someone?” he asked uncertainly. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. How did you meet someone?”

She sighed again and looked away. “It was a dragon. He was spying on me,” she said. “His name is Lisille.”

“Sounds girly,” Greg mumbled and scratched his ear. “But… what did he want?”

“He wanted me… us…to come and live with him and the dragons… I guess.” She sighed.

“Tokyo told us to stay away from the dragons. They can’t be trusted anymore than the elves can,” he said and glanced over his shoulder to check for the hatchlings. “We had better take this conversation elsewhere. We don’t want little ears to hear.” He tapped his ear.

Pandora nodded and took his hand as she stood up. “Let’s go to my room. Serene put some spell on the door.”

“Serene loves her spells,” he said and squeezed her hand.

She ignored the gesture and led him through the hallway and pushed her door open. She looked around cautiously before leading him through and shutting the door.

“I cannot get over how stocked your room is,” Greg said and went to one of the chairs in the corner. She claimed the other making certain that the ward was working.

“Topaz wanted to make me happy,” she said as she sat down. “I don’t know what to do, Greg. I was so angry…”

She reached into her belt pouch and pulled out the cloth she had found on the twig. She did her best to smooth it out and then handed it to Greg.

“What were you angry about?” he asked as he inspected the cloth. His thumb stroked it over and over again. “It feels nice.”

“I think it’s of elfin make,” she said.

“Looks like camo,” he said and handed it back to her. “Or some sort of it. Um… camouflage, anyway. Look, Amazon, was the dragon wearing that sort of cloth?”

She shrugged. “I honestly wasn’t paying much attention to what he was wearing. I was more concerned with him trying to seduce me.”

Greg blushed and covered his face quickly with his hands. “He was trying to seduce you? How in the world could you tell? No one has ever tried to seduce you before.”

She shrugged. “He thought I was amazing for a human. Immortals are quite frequently attracted to mortality. It makes them feel… something, I think.”

“So you think we’re like drugs to dragons and elves?” Greg asked.

Pandora thought about that for a moment and then nodded. “Yes, I suppose so. Anyway, I was more like a novelty item to him anyway. He had never seen something like me before.”

“Something like you? You aren’t a thing, Amazon. You’re a… fascinating young woman.” He reached up and pushed some hair out of her face. “You should cut your hair again or grow it out.”

“I should leave it for now,” she said. “I hope that Serene comes back soon. I hate that she is not here.”

Greg’s face twitched from a smile to a frown and back to a smile again. “Uh… yeah… that would make things interesting,” he said. “I like being a…”

“What?” Pandora asked.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” he said nervously. “What do you want to do about the dragon? What can we do about it?”

“I don’t know,” Pandora said and leaned back into the chair. The cushions gave, but stone did not. “He hasn’t been watching for too long. He did not mention Serene. He mentioned you and the children, but not Serene. She’s a bit hard to miss too.”

“That is true,” Greg agreed. “So he knows where we live. Should we move? Can we do it in time?”

“We can move the entrance and change it up a bit. That should make it harder for him to find us.” Pandora scratched her cheek and then squeezed her eyes shut. “He promised to leave and to let me find him when I want him.”

“When?”

“That’s the word he used. I don’t think it will happen. I hardly know him or his uses so I don’t see why I would.”

“Always so pragmatic,” Greg said dryly and then stood. “I had better go get some rest. No telling what a long day I’m going to have tomorrow.”

Pandora nodded and watched him go. She relaxed into the chair and closed her eyes. The day was not good. The traps were empty or destroyed and a dragon knew where they lived. Nothing was working right.

She then remembered Serene pushed out of the chair. She went to her stone chest and concentrated on it hard so that it opened. There was a mirror sitting on top of several layers of cloth. She loomed over it and saw her reflection, but when her hand touched it her reflection disappeared and Serene’s face took its place.

“Oh, thank the gods,” Serene said from the mirror. “What in the world took you so long?”

“I ran into trouble,” Pandora said and returned to the chair with the mirror held in front of her. “Anyway, where have you been? I’ve been waiting to hear form you for weeks.”

“Oh, well, you know… things got sped up a bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know how I was supposed to change the records at the schools?” Serene asked.

“Yes,” Pandora said warily.

“Well, onethingledtoanotherandIhadtokilleveryone.” She took a deep breath and then smiled, but her eyebrows were drawn so low that half of her eyes were hidden.

Pandora frowned and raised an eyebrow. “You… did what?”

“I killed all the teachers… at all the schools.”

“Why?”

“It was all confusing, but it ended up working all right. There is no one to remember that neither of us completed classes or to even say we never went.”

“Did you kill the students too?” Pandora asked.

“No,” she said uneasily. “I did kill a lot of the journeymen though. I had to make sure that we could get our spots.”

“You weren’t supposed to kill everyone.”

“We can’t pussyfoot around this, Pandora. We’re out for blood, remember? We take down anyone we have to take down. And I hope that you remember that these people imprisoned us and tortured us. Do you remember that?”

“My old teachers never tortured me,” Pandora said. “Did you kill them, too?”

“No, but did tweak their records. I did have to take care of the ones that ran the camps though. It makes sense, I promise,” Serene said. “You’ll have to trust me.”

Pandora sighed and nodded after a long moment. “All right,” she agreed. “What are you doing now?”

“I… uh… I’m the Emperor’s Mage.”

“No,” Pandora said firmly. “This is too soon! You’re taking it too fast. We’re just kids.”

“We’re seventeen, Pandora. We have been through more than people who are immortal. I think we can handle one stupid, egotistical man.”

“And his army,” Pandora reminded her. “This is serious, Serene. You should have come to me first.”

“Well, I couldn’t. It came up. I had to enter the tournament, and they took all of my magical items away. It’s a good thing that glamour rings have wonder hidden enchantments. I’m sorry, Pandora, but you’re going to have to hurry back to the city and take your place by the Empress. You’ll like her.”

Pandora scowled disapprovingly at her cousin. “You were supposed to come back so that we could talk to Greg about all this and then leave. Now, not only have we lied to him, but you’re leaving me to deal with this alone.”

“It couldn’t be helped. You have to hurry.”

“I can’t just leave Greg and the children. I have to get them more potions, and the food stores could get down low… and Topaz isn’t ready.”

“I need you to hurry,” Serene said. “I can give you a month at the most, but then you have to be here. I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.”

“You should have thought about that before you went off on your own like that. We had plans, Serene. How could you go and change that.”

“Well, you know what Greg always says,” Serene muttered.

“He doesn’t even know what that means! Look at me, Serene. You’re making me lose my temper.” Pandora took a deep breath. “I have to talk to them in the morning, but just so you know I have a dragon stalking me. I don’t know what he’ll do to them when I’m away.”

“If he’s stalking you, he’ll probably leave the others alone. Don’t worry about it, Pandora. He deserves this after what he did to my father.” Serene’s voice hitched and she shook her head. “Just hurry, Pandora. I need you here with me. The children will be all right with Greg and Topaz will be a great help.”

“What if… what if they try to breed him? He’s only six; he can’t be... doing that with dogs.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Serene said. “Don’t’ worry about it so much. Get the potions from Grizzle and Greg and the hatchlings can take care of themselves. We’ve taught them everything we know.”

Pandora sighed and rubbed her forehead with her free hand. “How can you do this to us, Serene?”

“We planned this together. It’s just going a little different. The best plans of mice and men.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Mice don’t have plans.”

“Yeah, but men do, and they get laid to waste a lot. The plan isn’t demolished; it just had to change a bit. Everything will be fine. I promise. Get the potions and come to me. Same time tomorrow if we can manage it. I’ve been busy. Plus, I think that he is interested in me.”

“That isn’t good.”

“No, it isn’t. Not when you want to kill the man and… well, I have to watch what I say. Just hurry, Pandora. This is serious, and remember: We have to hate each other.”

Well, you’re not making it difficult, Pandora thought. “I’ll do my best. I’ll talk to you tomorrow and let you know.”

Pandora was too annoyed with her cousin for the usual loving farewell. She simply dropped the mirror into her lap and covered her face in her hands. The muscles along her skull tightened and she began to get a headache.

Pandora put the mirror away and left her room. She needed to talk to Topaz, since he was going to be going with her when she left. She knocked on his door and slipped in. He was sleeping on his pile of gold.

“Topaz, dear?” she whispered and edged closer to him. He opened his eyes and blinked at her.

“Mother?”

“Do you remember when Momma and I told you that we would be leaving the family for a little bit?” she asked.

He bobbed his head up and down. “Yes, Mother,” he said and stretched before hopping off of his pile. “Are we leaving now?”

She shook her head and opened her arms so that he could press his flank against her chest. She hugged him close and buried her face into his fur. “No, but Momma has sped things up a bit. I need you to do me a favor and craft another room and move the tunnel entrance a bit so that it cannot be found so easily. I’m going to take Rubio out and we’re going to go hunting bears, so I need you to take care of the others while I’m gone.”

“Does that make me in charge?”

“No, Greg is in charge, but he’s not strong enough to fight on his own. He’s only a normal human man. I might need the three of you to watch over him and make sure that no dragons or elves hurt him.”

“Why would dragons or elves try and hurt him?” he asked and sat down. He leaned into Pandora and she hugged him close.

“I don’t know, love, but I just want to be careful.” She kissed the top of his head. “There are too many people that have tried to kill Greg, Momma, and me.”

“I’m sorry, Mother,” he said quietly. “I will do my best to make a nice room and move the entrance before you get back. Are you sure you don’t want to wait for me?”

“I would love to, but I can’t. Momma sped things up too much and I have to act quickly. It takes too much time to travel. Get some sleep. I love you.” She kissed him on top of his head again and then gave him a good rub down before standing and leaving the room.

<Chapter 50<Chapter 52>

Chapter 50

by Amanda Cast

(un)Welcome

The morning was cool and inviting as Pandora wandered through the woods around the complex. She wished that Serene was there to share it with her. Serene always enjoyed a lovely morning in the dappled sunshine. Between the rich smell of green growth and rich soil it was intoxicating to her half elf cousin.

The thought of her cousin made her uneasy. Serene was supposed to be back earlier so that she and Pandora could make their plans, but she was late. It could be for any reason, and Pandora knew as well as any body else that Serene was easily distracted. Pandora hoped that it was neither danger nor a boy that kept her from home. Serene loved boys far too much.

Pandora massaged her stomach as if to ease the queasiness, but the knot did not go away. It tightened and she grimaced. Pandora halted and took several deep breaths with her eyes closed. A stray hair tickled her cheek and she pushed it back and shook her head. The short strands settled back into place and she sighed.

“Where are you?” she whispered and stared out toward the valley’s mouth.

After a moment Pandora started to walk again. She decided to ignore the purple sparrows that darted around overhead and watch the floor for any signs of animals. She was not hunting, but it was always good practice to identify any markings that she could.

She noticed something hanging from a twig and she moved closer to it. The fabric was unfamiliar to Pandora and she reached out and touched it. “Hmm soft,” she said and tugged it free. The fabric was primarily a dark tan, but there were darker spots dotting all through the fibers. She held it under her nose and gave it a sniff.

“Elves?” she said, perplexed. It smelled like flowers and freshly cropped grass. There was also the subtle suggestion of sandalwood. Pandora wrinkled her nose and crumpled it in her hand. She wondered what the elf was running away from when he lost part of his shirt and if he was still in her valley.

“Damn it,” she swore in Greg’s language and debated on continuing her rounds with the traps or going to warn Greg and have Topaz lock up the complex so that the elves could not get into it. “What if they already know?” she thought out loud. Moving was not something any of the members of the small group wanted to do.

Pandora’s mind was spinning in place as she tried to figure out what she was supposed to do. Her children could be in trouble and she was away, but then they could still be safe and she could endanger them by going to them. Emmy? She thought and reached out for the dragon.

There was no response. Emerald had to open the connection. As long as she did not Pandora could only assume that they were safe. Eventually she would wonder where Pandora was and try and contact her. Then Pandora could warn her about the danger, but would it be too late?

Pandora kicked a tree and then hit it with the side of her fist. Anger and frustration welled up inside of her and she felt the urge to fight. She gripped the tree and pressed her forehead hard against the bark. Her fingers tore away the protective husk of the trunk and she rocked back and punched the tree again.

Her chest heaved as she pulled in the air and pushed it out again. She took a step back and collapsed down onto her knees. Pandora hunched over so that her torso was bobbing over her thighs. Her fingers gripped the back of her neck and she fought to bring her temper under control. She did not want her children to see her in such a state. It frightened her that thoughts of danger to them could put her into such a frenzy.

She took several deep breaths and slowly calmed herself. She whimpered quietly and then lifted her head and sat back so that her bottom was on her heels. She rubbed her palms on her cloth leggings and then stood up.

Pandora pushed her hair back and out of her eyes. Elves in her valley were not a good thing, but she could not lose her good sense at the wrong time. She took another deep breath and continued to check the traps. Some of the more obvious ones were broken.

She kneeled down beside one of the snares. The vine rope was severed in two. She looked up at the tree tops. The purple sparrows were staring down at her. She stood back up brushed her hands off on her leggings. “This is not good.”

The leaves behind her rustled and she spun on the ball of her foot to see if someone was there. “Nothing more than the wind,” she muttered.

“No, not really,” someone said from behind her. She turned back to see a man with white hair and startling blue eyes several feet away from her. He was leaning casually against a tree as though he had always been there. He had long pointed ears just like her Uncle Lindal, but something about him told her that he was a dragon. Tokyo’s warning rang in her ears.

“What do you want?” Pandora asked in Draconic.

“Ah, just as I suspected,” he said. “I can’t say that I’m surprised and that I’m not.” He pushed off of the tree trunk and sauntered over to Pandora. “You are brave, and I appreciate that in a Speaker.”

“How long have you been watching me?” she asked and squared her shoulders. He stood taller than Greg.

“Long enough to know how dangerous you are,” he said. “Now, what is a human like you doing in a dump like this? You could be an elite soldier for the Emperor… yet here you are.” He waved his hand as if to encompass the whole valley.

“It’s beautiful,” she said and set her jaw. She watched him warily.

“Not beautiful enough for a woman like you,” he said with a smarmy smile.

Pandora sneered despite herself. “You must not have watched me long enough,” she said. “I suggest that you leave this valley and forget anything you have seen here.”

“Or what?” he asked.

“Or I might kill you,” Pandora said boldly and he laughed at her.

“You’ll kill me?” he asked. “Have you ever even killed anyone before?”

She leveled him with a look and his expression changed several times in a few seconds. It settled on a disbelieving smile. “No,” he laughed.

“You don’t have to believe me,” she told him. “It only matters if you don’t leave.”

“I don’t think I want to leave. I am intrigued by you and your little family,” he said.

Her blood ran ice cold. “You stay away from them,” Pandora said in a quiet, controlled voice. Her fists clenched at her sides.

“Oh? Are you worried about four little dragons and a human male?” he asked. “I won’t harm them, don’t worry. I’m interested in you, not them.”

“And why are you interested in me?” she asked.

“Because you are a human Speaker,” he told her. “You are a rarity… if not a first.” He chuckled softly. “I would like for you and yours to come and live with me.”

“We are doing just fine where we are. We’re quite happy, actually.”

“How can you be happy here? You are setting traps to catch animals for food. How do you hope to take care of them?”

“We’ve lived here for five years with no difficulty,” Pandora said. “If you’re curious, I was twelve at the time. This is our home. We are not leaving. You leave.”

“You were twelve when you settled this little valley?” he reached out to touch her face and she jerked away and stepped back. He curled his fingers in and dropped his hand. “So you are only seventeen years old. You are…so young.”

“I am,” she agreed. “Go back to your home and forget about us. We want nothing to do with the dragons, elves or humans. We want to be left alone.”

“You can’t be left alone forever,” he told her. “Eventually you have to come out and play with the rest of the world.”

“That will have to wait until the children are older and able to take care of themselves.”

“But you won’t live that long without help,” he told her and touched she was so petrified by what he said that his cool fingers actually did touch her cheek. “I can see the flame eating away at you. It is devouring your very being. Without bonding your soul to a dragon you will die tragically young.”

“That is a risk I must take,” she said. “My death does not concern me.”

“Who will watch after your little dragon children if you will not be around to protect them? The little human whelp?” He shook his head. “You should be with the dragons.”

“No,” Pandora said. “We will take care of our own problems. Please leave.”

“My name is Lisille,” he said. “When you want to find me, just say my name and elves and dragons will point the way. I will leave for now though, since you asked so nicely.”

Pandora watched him turn to leave. Part of her wanted him to stop and talk to her longer, but the other part of her was afraid that he, too, would try to take the hatchlings away and force them to be something they were not. She stood and watched the woods for him, and did not leave the clearing until well into night. Even Emerald’s thoughts could not compel her to leave.

<First><Chapter 49><Chapter 51<Latest>

Chapter 49

by Amanda Cast

Dragons Fly

“Mother?” Rubio called from another part of the complex. Pandora took the opportunity to turn away from Greg and leave the den. She was glad for the reprieve. She did not want to hurt his feelings.

“Yes?” she asked.

He peeked his head out of the room. His hair was spiky and red with a bit of orange and yellow. Greg hand talked him into the color and the style. It was one that Greg adopted when he had the products. “Mother! Did you find anything?”

“No, dear,” she said and kneeled down and held her arms out for him. He ran into them and she hugged him tightly. “What have you been up to?”

“Oh, I’ve been reading,” he said. “Do you think that you could trade with Grizzle for some chickens?”

Pandora frowned. “What do you want chickens for?” she asked.

He pouted and she quickly changed her expression. He smiled at her and said, “I want to try and make another dish, but it requires a lot of eggs and chickens. Do you think we can start raising chickens?”

“You know that we can’t afford to keep anything domesticated,” she said. “Greg says we have to have corn and grains and other things to feed them. We would have to keep them somewhere and we can’t keep them near our home. It will attract trouble.”

He pouted again. “But Mother… I really want some chickens.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry, dear, but I can’t promise anything. I’ll talk to Momma when she gets back and we’ll discuss it then. This is too big of a decision for me to make on my own.”

“But you’re not alone,” he said. “Greg is here and so am I.”

Pandora shook her head. “Chickens is a serious decision. All three of us need to be involved. Momma would be very upset with us.”

He pouted and tried to give her the puppy dog eyes that worked so well with Topaz, but red eyes were disconcerting no matter how long you looked at them. The children only had their secondary forms for a couple of months.

“I’m sorry,” she said and stood up. “I need to talk to Topaz. Can you put this back into my room?” She handed him the vial and he nodded excitedly. He darted around her and she turned to watch him disappear around the corner in the hall.

Her boots echoed as she walked down the hall. Since Topaz had decided that he could better serve the family as a dog they had to rethink how to form the door. He could not open anything with a complicated latch. They simply decided on a crudely enchanted cloth that would block out most of the sound. She pushed it to the side and stepped in.

Topaz was curled up in the corner of the room with his nose pointed into his body and his tail covering his head. His ear twitched when he heard her approach, but he did not look up at her.

“Greg says it was his fault that you bit him,” Pandora said. “Aren’t you happy to see me, Topaz?” she asked.

He raised his head and looked over at her with dark brown eyes. His gray, wiry eyebrows were incredibly expressive and he did a good job of looking pitiful. “I’m sorry, Mother,” he said and then buried his face again.

“What is wrong, Topaz?” she asked.

“He didn’t step on my tail,” he admitted. “I… I was having a nightmare during my nap. He came in… and I… I’m sorry. He isn’t mad?”

“No, he isn’t,” she assured him. “do you want to tell me what you were dreaming?”

“You and Momma were in trouble and there were the dark elves… and… the dragons.” He snarled despite himself. “They were trying to kill you and then they… they tried to take Emmy.”

“Ah, darling,” she said and sunk down next to him. “Did you tell Greg about this?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry, Mother. I didn’t mean to bite him. Is he all right?”

“Yes, he is,” she promised. “Now, why don’t you stop hiding here and we can all go out for a little bit for a walk.”

“Really?” he asked hopefully.

She nodded. “Yes, we can.”

“Mother, when is Momma coming back?”

Pandora shrugged. “She’ll be back before we know it. The more you fret over it the longer it is going to take. Come on, I know you want to go for a run.”

He scrambled to his feet and stretched. He was a large hound that was the about the size of Greg when he was on his hide legs. Serene had brought a book back home with dog breeds in it. Royal hunting hounds were his favorite and had chosen them for his secondary form.

No one knew until he turned up as one.

He licked Pandora’s hand with his spotted tongue. “When is Momma coming back?”

“When she usually comes back,” Pandora said.

“What did she leave for?”

Pandora suppressed a sigh. She hated it when Serene was gone. She hoped that her cousin had to go through this nagging as well. “She needed to get you more books as well as get some other nice supplies.”

“Why can’t any of us go with her?” Topaz asked.

“Because, dear,” she said as they exited the room, “You are not trained in the ways of Shadow Magic and you lack subtlety.” She patted him on the head. “You’ll learn though with some practice.”

“Do you think so?”

“You only have eternity to learn,” she told him. “For now you have to learn here, and you have been doing an excellent job.”

“When is Master Tokyo going to visit us again?” Topaz asked.

“I don’t know, dear. Only you and Emmy can talk to him.” Pandora kept her hand on Topaz’s back. “I still don’t understand the stones as well.”

“But you can turn yourself into it,” he said. “Momma can’t do that.”

“That’s because Momma is more of a flashy mage and I’m more of a prudent fighter. I can use what magic keeps me alive and easily melds into what I already know. I can mold my body because I have better control over what it does than Momma does. She works outside of herself and I work from within.”

They entered the living room where Greg was sitting and looking miserable. When he noticed that they were there he smiled at them and then called Topaz to him. Topaz went hesitantly and Greg rubbed him down hard. One thing led to another and they were wrestling on the stone floor.

“Still want to run?” Pandora asked.

“Oh, yes,” he said and Greg and the dragon disengaged. “Do you want to go, Greg?”

Greg chuckled and ruffled the top of his head. “Well, I guess. I’ll go round up the others. There was plenty of room in the den, but he still managed to brush against Pandora as he entered the hallway that led to the private chambers.

“He likes you, Mother,” Topaz said.

“Of course he does, dear. We’re friends.”

One of his eyebrows and ears perked up and he tilted his head to the side. “Mother… for someone so… you… you are naïve.”

Pandora sighed. She knew what Topaz was talking about, but had hoped to dissuade him of his belief. Sometimes children were far too observant. “Don’t let it concern you, dear. I am too engrossed in you four to be of any use to anyone else.”

“Mother, can we get in dragon form and do some flying?” Rubio asked as he entered the room.

“Of course, dear,” Pandora said. “Are your sisters on their way?”

He nodded and bounded across the den at her. He flung his arms around her middle and squeezed as tight as he could. “Ok, ok,” she said, adopting Greg’s common word. “You’re going to kill me if you keep that up.”

“Oh, sorry,” he said and beamed at her. “I’m just so excited that we get to go flying. I can’t wait until we get our scales too.”

“Oh, don’t grow up too fast on me,” Pandora said with a warm smile. “You’ll out grow our caves here faster than Topaz can shape them up.”

Rubio eyed Topaz and then shrugged. “I don’t care. I just want to fly!” He grabbed a hold of Pandora’s hand and dragged her to the exit of the complex.

“We have to wait for the others, Rube,” she said and planted her feet. He tugged and then jerked back. They were strong for children their age, but they were still no match for their “Mother”.

He huffed and went to the stone couch and sat down hard on it. The cushion hissed as air was forced out faster than usual.

“You’re going to rip the seams if you treat it like that,” Pandora said. “We have to work very hard for everything here. I wish you would appreciate it more.”

He looked away from Pandora and Topaz sat down and let his spotted tongue loll out of his mouth. His long hairy tail swept across the floor.

“No,” Pandora heard Greg say, “Put your shoes on. We’re going outside.”

“But Greg, I don’t want to,” Star said. “Can’t we just stay here and play games.”

“Mother is going to let us fly,” Rubio shouted.

“Really?” Star shouted back.

“Yes,” Pandora and Rubio said together, but Pandora continued alone, “Now hurry up and get out here so that we can leave. Emmy? What are you doing?”

“I’m getting my bag, Mother,” she yelled, but was in the den before Star and Greg were. “We’ll need some place to put our clothes when we get to transform.”

Pandora nodded and touched the little dragon’s head affectionately. “You’re very right,” she said.

“I’m glad I’m a hound,” Topaz said. “I don’t have to wear clothes.”

“Well, aren’t you lucky,” Star sneered as she entered the room with Greg following behind her. He already looked exhausted from fighting with her about leaving. “But you don’t get to look as pretty as us either.”

“Please don’t antagonize him,” Pandora said.

“Come on, kids,” Greg said and clapped his hands together with false enthusiasm. “Let’s get this party started.”

The kids whooped and sidled through the tunnel. Topaz waited outside and widened it a little so that Greg and Pandora did not have to do the same, but it was still too narrow for them to go side by side.

When they were outside, Topaz sealed it shut. There was a constant fear from all of them that they would be discovered while they were out.

“So, who is making dinner tonight?” Greg asked as they slid and hopped down the path that led to a small meadow. It was surrounded by trees on all sides, but for some reason it was simply a field of grass and flowers.

“I might,” Rubio said. “I’m the fastest at it, after all.”

“Do you think we could have tea, Mother?” Emerald asked. “I do love your blend.”

Pandora smiled fondly at her. “I don’t know. We might not have anymore sweetener left.”

“We don’t need any if you just use a few more sweet berries,” Greg offered. “I think we might have some stored still.”

“That changes the flavor though,” Topaz said and shook his wiry head vigorously. “It does not need sweetener anyway.”

Greg frowned at his back but did not respond. The young man reached back and pulled his hair off of the nape of his neck. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Pandora jerked him back before he could walk into a low hanging branch and he gave her a shy smile. She simply nodded to him and looked away.

When they reached the meadow Greg took Rubio to get undressed and Pandora took the girls for modesty’s sake. The girls handed Pandora their clothes for her to fold and put into the bag that Emerald had provided.

It did not take them long to change back into dragons, but they did take time to test their wings and stretch them. Pandora sauntered over to her usual spot under the largest tree in the line to fold the clothes and watch the dragons fly. Greg joined her shortly with Rubio’s outfit.

“They are impossible sometimes,” Greg said as he watched Star take off, “But they are beautiful in their true form.”

“They’re beautiful no matter what form they take,” Pandora said as she smoothed out the fabric of Star’s dress.

“So, how do you think their training is going?” he asked and leaned back to watch her.

Pandora turned her gaze onto her children and then shrugged. “It is hard to say, but I think that by the time Serene dies that they will be ready to take on anything. They are raised by humans and near humans, not dragons or elves. They should be able to adapt better than anyone else of their race.”

“Do you think so?” he asked. “I mean, the dragons I’ve met other than them aren’t that great, but they’re pretty scary.”

“We haven’t fought dragons yet,” Pandora said, “Only other Speakers and mages.” She paused and reviewed the sentence in her head, “Only Mages and other Speakers,” she said and then nodded, pleased.

“Do you think we’ll have to?” Greg asked.

“We’ve fought everything else so far,” Pandora said, “Dragons are only a matter of time. I imagine that Serene and I will find a way to kill them should the time come.”

“Yeah, but what if Serene isn’t around. She hasn’t been around a lot lately. She’s always running off.” He looked away from Pandora with his head bowed and brow creased. “I know you worry about her every moment she is gone.”

“Of course,” Pandora agreed. “She is my cousin, and I love her dearly. I have faith in her though. She is a very determined half elf. They have all the great things humans and elves have to offer. Only another half elf speaker who has the use of Shadow magic and Fire and Ice could possibly hope to defeat her.

“What if the Emperor finds her? He’s after you two.”

Pandora frowned and wished that he had never gone with Serene into the cities to gather news. He knew more than either of them wanted him to worry about. “He will not harm her, or I will kill him. I might simply kill him on principle.”

“When do you intend to do that?” Greg asked.

Pandora bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “I don’t know yet, but when I find out… I’ll let you know.” Maybe, she thought, but knew that the thought and words were a lie. Serene and Pandora were already formulating a plan to not only kill the Emperor, but to destroy him as well.

<First><Chapter 48><Chapter 50><Latest>

Chapter 48

Ok, everyone, thus begins part 2 of Enchanting Scales. Everything is going to be going through a few changes, but bear with me and everything will be just fine.

by Amanda Cast

The Healing Potion

Birds chirruped and whistled in the trees. Little purple birds darted between the branches and the leaves. Their scissor tails sliced through the air. Pandora whistled to them, but they did not respond in a favorable manner. They hopped and flew away from her. She smiled to herself and took a deep breath.

For now, she had no one to worry about but herself. Greg was watching the children and Serene was off stealing something. All Pandora had to do was check the traps they used to catch rabbits and the snares they used for the deer. So far everything was empty so she just walked on by them and listened to the birds sing in the shade of the valley forest.

As far as valleys went it was a small, but it had a strong enough ecosystem to support three humans and four growing dragon hatchlings. There were plenty of fruit bearing trees and vines to give them nutrients that meat and roots could not provide. With Greg’s help they had learned how to dry the fruit and meat so that it would last them through the sketchier months. He had also schooled the hatchlings on how to use their magic to help.

Mother? Emerald’s mind-voice touched Pandora’s thoughts.

Yes, dearest? Pandora allowed the dragon to continue contact with her mind.

Mother, I think Topaz might have bitten Greg.

Pandora frowned and stopped walking. “Why did he bite Greg?” Pandora said aloud. She always forgot to keep her mind link silent when something like that happened.

He stepped on his tail. I don’t think Topaz meant to do it, but Greg is upset and bleeding. I think you should get back.

Since Pandora hated hearing the sound of an anxious Emerald, she turned around and headed back for the cave complex. She discovered shortly after settling into the caves of their valley that deer trails were not the safest way to travel. More than once she and Serene had run into predators. Luckily the predators had learned where they belonged on the food chain and left them alone. Greg was never to walk the trails alone, so he spent most of his time with Pandora, Serene, or two of the hatchlings.

Twigs snapped under her feet and the bushes rustled with startled animals. She sped up and was glad that she was not hunting. The noise she was making disturbed even her.

Emerald was waiting outside for her with Star. They were in their secondary forms. Both of them had chosen human bodies and were pale, but the similarities ended there. Emerald was taller and sturdier. Her hair was long, black, and straight. It shined white when the light reflected off of it and separated in sections at her shoulders so that some flowed in front and the rest was in the back. Greg had convinced her that straight bangs would make her look perfect. Pandora thought she looked a lot like an exotic and creepy version of herself, but she was a beautiful sort of creepy.

Star patterned herself much after Serene, but chose human because Rubio had decided to model himself after his concept of a half elf and she could not stand being like her brother. She was blond with blond hair loosely curled. It bounced and moved like a living thing crafted from spun gold. Her eyes were the color of sapphires and ringed in silver and were crafted out of angles subtle curves. She appeared delicate and frail, but she was just as sturdy as her sister.

“Mother!” Star said and ran up to her with her curls bouncing wildly on her back. She was huffing when she reached Pandora. “You need to punish Topaz. He shouldn’t have bitten Greg.”

Pandora sighed and kneeled down. She picked up star with a grunt. “We will see what Topaz and Greg have to say before we talk about punishing anyone,” she said. “It could have been an honest accident.”

“Greg always lies to make you happy, Mother. He knows you don’t want to believe anything bad about Topaz. We all know that he’s your favorite,” she said with a sullen frown.

“Don’t say things like that, Star. It’s unbecoming. I love you all equally. Topaz just needs more attention than the rest of you,” Pandora said and balanced the dragon on her hip and held her with her left arm. She pushed Star’s hair back and tucked it behind her round ear. “You’re a good girl, and I know you’re fond of Greg, but that doesn’t mean that Topaz is bad.”

“He almost killed a girl, remember, Mother?” Star insisted. She reached up and pushed Pandora’s hair back. Pandora had cut it short so that it would be easier to maintain. It fell right back into place when Star removed her hands. The little girl looked frustrated.

“Mother,” Emerald said at Pandora’s free elbow. Pandora’s heart jumped and her muscles twitched, but she made no outward sign of being started.

“Yes, Emmy?” she asked, adopting the nickname that Greg had given her. She set Star down after brief, but tight hug and then kneeled down to hug Emerald.

“I think you should hurry,” she said. She took Pandora’s hand and Pandora took Star’s. They walked the rest of the way together. Pandora walked quickly, but the girls kept up with her just fine.

The opening to the cave was kept small unless there were special occasions that demanded a bigger opening. They unlinked and had to squeeze in by waddling in sideways. Pandora’s chest rubbed against the stone all the way.

“Oh, thank God, Pandora,” Greg said. He had long since taken the ring off and spoke on his own. Emerald had figured out how to recharge the ring, but they kept it in a box to use when needed.

“Are you all right?” Pandora asked and walked over to him. The cave was kept lit by light stones mounted in fixtures formed from the cave walls and ceiling. At first Topaz was satisfied with smoothing everything out and carving out rooms for everyone. After he had made the bed frames and furniture, he decided to be a bit more artistic.

Serene and Pandora agreed that education was very important for the hatchlings, but they lacked books. Within a year Serene and Greg were leaving Pandora and the hatchlings in the valley to go and find some. There were always different books to interest, but Topaz always enjoyed pictures and architecture books. Anything could inspire him, and his room was the most elaborately designed space in the complex.

With Pandora’s help he edited his idea for the living room and with Greg’s, he found the perfect colored stone to decorate the floors and walls. The floors were currently white marble and the walls were made of obsidian. Pandora did not like it, but she had no heart to tell Greg or Topaz that.

“I’m fine, it’s Topaz and Star I’m worried about,” he said as he pressed a pile of bandages against his legs. “Do you think I could have a sip of the healing potion?” he asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Pandora said, “But I’ll have to kill another bear in order to afford to get more if we run out.”

He frowned. “Look, I’m sorry, Pandora. I wasn’t paying attention. I stepped on his tail and he just reacted. Why the hell did he have to pick a goddamned hunting hound? Shit… damn… I’m sorry, Pandora.”

“Girls, will you please go to your room?” Pandora asked. She looked over her shoulder.

Emerald complacently left, but Star looked at Greg like he had just betrayed her and shook her head. Pandora lowered her eyebrows and dipped her chin. Star’s face wrinkled into a frown, but she turned violently on her heel and stormed off.

“Maybe we could try capturing some purple sparrows,” Pandora said, “And sell them.”

“Or Serene could steal some,” Greg offered. “I don’t think we should try and sell the birds. They belong here.” He started to get up but Pandora waved him down.

“Don’t move, I’ll get it,” she said and went to her room where the bottles were kept. She was the most frequently injured of everyone and needed them the most. She opened the cabinet and looked inside. There were only three bottles in it. She picked up one and popped the cork. She sniffed it and then swished it around.

She closed the cabinet and then went back to Greg. “There is only dose left in this one,” she said. “I might have to go to a neighboring valley.”

“Are you going to go with Topaz?”

“No, he’s needed here to maintain the cave,” she said. “And to protect the lot of you.” She smiled. “I might take Rubio or Emerald with me. Star needs to stick around and keep the food stores.”

“I think you should probably take Emerald. Rubio cooks.”

“Oh, well, you’re generous,” she said with a small smile and he produced a pleased smirk.

He took a sip out of it and closed his eyes as he felt the magic healing him. “There is one thing to say about this world,” he said, “Magical healing is the best. If we had it back home we would really have a population crisis.”

“Humans are seen as a population crisis anyway,” Pandora said. She sat down on one of the stone and cushion chairs across from him. “Are you going to stay with us forever?” she asked.

He frowned and blinked at her before looking away. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked.

“Well, no. You’re good with the hatchlings, but I’m afraid that you might be unhappy. Don’t you ever get lonely?” She clasped her hands together and hung them between her legs.

“How can I get lonely? I have four kids that need watching and two very lovely young women with me.” He smiled, but his eyes were strained and the smile did not show.

“You are not happy,” she said and held out her hand for the vial. He handed it to her and she pushed the stopper back into place.

“I guess I miss home,” he said. “I think of my parents every now and then.” He shrugged. “I missed graduating from high school.”

“Were you supposed to be graduating this year then?” she asked.

“No, actually,” he said with a wrinkled brow. “It was supposed to be about two years ago. Usually well, people graduate from high school when they’re about your age.”

“When they’re seventeen?”

“Well, around that time. Usually it’s eighteen.”

“Oh.” She shifted uncomfortably and then stood up. “If it makes you feel any better… around this time I would be completing my final tests to become a member of the Empress’s Guard.” She shrugged. “Life comes at you fast, and sometimes it makes you move.”

“Well, it more like jerked me from my belly button,” Greg said and then sighed. “I’m sorry, Pandora. I don’t know where else to go. You, Serene, and the kids are all I know and trust here. I can’t go to the humans. I can’t go to the elves, and I can’t go to the dragons. The UD is out of the question.” He shrugged. “I’m safe here and well fed. I’m happier here than I will be anywhere.”

“Don’t you miss having…” she trailed off. It was foolish to be worried about if he missed being able to fall in love with someone. She was doing just fine without it, and so could he.

“Miss having what?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know… other normal people to talk to?”

He chuckled and stood up. He stepped close to her. Too close. Her instinct was to back away, but she thought it would be rude. “After so many years with you, you’re all the normal I know.”

She had to tilt her head up to look at him. Even with her height he was still taller than her. Over the five years they had been hiding in the caves he had grown a great deal more than Pandora had. “I am nothing like you.”

“But I’m not normal for here either,” he said. He dipped his head closer and Pandora took a deep breath in preparation.

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