Turn back now, you are about to enter my mind! Okay, here's the deal: This is a 1st draft of the 1st section of the story! It doesnt always go smoothly, and yes you have to figure out who is talking sometimes. Also the names are just shitty temp names I dug up really fast... ect ect, yadda yadda... just read: Characters: Trit (Aly)- Main character, great martial artist, loves green tea... Zena- Aly's younger cousin, also a great martial artist... her and Aly's entire past is a "long story" Leo- Prince of Er-sha, also Sabin's student along with Aly and Zen, lover of lions Len- Granddaughter of Tim the wise, obsessed with cows Tri- Old friend of Aly and Zena Isk- Mysterious chico Worm- Soldier who went awol (absent without leave) Nick- Tavern owner and beer lover Jacob- Gets attacked by the Griffins Also: Baha (dragon) and Shadow (panther), Aly's and Zen's companions ____________ PART 1: (to reach part two or three, scroll down till you see stars on the left side...) "I love lying in the field like this." "Huh???" "I SAID, I love lying in fields." "Oh... yeah... the bugs are really... annoying..." "Oh deal." "Oh, yeah, like you deal when it gets too hot?" "Oh geeze, I was just saying-" "Suuuure you were." "YOU are impossible." "Look, I am TRYING to tannn here if you haven't noticed!" "Since when does moving your mouth stop you from tanning? I guess since you're mouth is so damn big and all-" "Psht" "...you would-" "PSSSHHHTTTT!" "Fine..." Aly returned to looking towards the horizon and continued her thoughts on the sunny spring day. , she thought. Aly was startled by something blocking her sun. She opened her eyes only to find herself staring straight into the eyes of a very hungry black panther. "Dang, don't do that to me Shadow!" she whispered. "Go bother Zena." The giant cat shifted her position so she was towering over Zena, who promptly yelled out a hey in protest and sat up when she saw her beloved cat hovering over her. Zena tried pushing Shadow out of the way in vain, for Shadow refused to yield. Finally Zena got up, grabbed some of the freshly caught fish off the line and chucked them into a shady spot. She mumbled something about a spoiled kitten as she resumed her position laying out against the rock and Shadow went to the spot and devoured her lunch. Aly, who was also laying against the rock, was facing East, and Zena was facing West as was their tradition. Aly preferred the sunrise for it brought with it a new day, and Zena preferred the sunset for the simple reason that it meant night and night meant parting. "I haven't seen Baha all day," Aly said with concern and irritation. "So?" Zena mumbled. "Sooooooooooooooo, she usually doesn't go off like this!" Aly retorted in frustration. "Well maybe she got horny..." "WHAT???" "...I mean, if I was a dragon I'd love it... Sex in mid air... wow..." "ZENA! I think YOU are obviously the horny one of the group!" "You say that like it's a bad thing Aly..." "Slut" "Bitch" "Whore" At this Zena sat up, completely annoyed, and gave Aly a dirty look. "Well you are," Aly half pouted. "Jerk." "Oh whatever, just drop it already." "Thank you!" Zena said, exasperated. She didn't pass up the chance to give Aly one more look before she again resumed her position. Both girls wondered how they ever managed to put up with each other, cousins or not. "Holy crap what is up with those clouds?!" Aly burst out after an entire minute of peace. Zena opened her eyes and was beyond annoyed at this point. "Uh, lets see... don't tell me... they are whiteeee... andddd... OH NO! They are really puffy! What will we do? But where's this holy crap you mentioned? I don't see any of that... oh well..." Zena responded in a snappish voice as she closed her eyes yet again. "Uh... smart ass... I'm referring to the clouds TO THE EAST!!!!!!!!!!" "Oh," Zena said blankly as she grudgingly sat up and turned around. "Whoa, that IS some weird shit!" "Thank you, is that an official statement or would you care to elaborate?" "Well what the hell is it?" "Oh, yeah, like I know!" "Figures." "Okay, I don't see you offering anything beyond ‘weird shit' Zena." "I prefer weird shit to holy shit Aly." "Uh, oooooookayyyyyy." "Well, its not like you are-" "Enough!" Aly yelled in an attempt to regain control over the downhill conversation. The both noticed Shadow behind them. The cat had walked over there after she sensed Aly's irritation, and sat down behind them just as Aly had broken the 60 second silence. "They are quite strange," Shadow said in an attempt to offer something to the conversation. "Hm... What DO YOU make of it?" Aly asked as she turned to Shadow. "I'm not certain. It seems like a large flock of birds... or something," The cat responded, more to herself than to her human companions. "I wish I had your eyesight," Zena complained. "Something really ain't right here," Aly remarked while shifting her position. "Griffins!" All 3 of them jumped up and spun around to find Baha sitting behind them. "Baha! How long have you been there?!?!" "Just a minute or so..." the dragon responded. "OKAY, how the HECK does a *dragon* sneak up on someone?!" Shadow growled. "Griffins... aren't they like... extinct?" Aly asked as she looked around at her companions. "Apparently not," Shadow stated after a brief pause. They all returned their gazes to the East horizon. "How do you know they're Griff-" the cat cut herself off when she, and everyone else, realized that the ‘cloud' was noticeably larger. "Phoenix told me," she responded, referring to her aunt- the fire dragon. "They are moving in fast, we should go to the cave." "Whattttttt? They are just Griffins!" Zena complained, not wanting to leave the mid-day sun. "Just Griffins? Uh, Zen... that many Griffins would wipe the valley with your bones in 3 minutes.... They're kinda like piranhas..." "Well then lets grab a cow and see how fast they skeletonize the bastard." "Uh, sure, you can stand with the cow and time it." "Only if you kiss my ass." "I would but its so damn big-" "Stop bickering and lets get moving," Shadow ordered in frustration. "Cant you guys go though a day without bickering?!" "Fat chance there," Aly mumbled. "She started it?" Zena attempted, but everyone was already walking towards the cave. After a short walk they reached the cave, which was their temporary home. They turned around and watched the Griffins approach. After a while Zena and Aly could make out the creatures avian body and lion head. "Damn ugly," Aly whispered. Everyone nodded in agreement. They began to shift towards the inside of the cave and waited for what was to come. An eternity passed, or it seemed like one at least, and the Griffins engulfed them. They flew madly, driven by some strange force. Everyone did their best to protect themselves from the Griffins, but the cave did not move back far, and the beasts invited themselves in and invoked chaos. Baha was just happy that she could fit into the cave, seeing how she was the size of an elephant and still growing. Finally there was calm. Everyone felt relieved as they counted their cuts and bruises. Finally they moved outside to get out of the now dusty cave, only to find the entire valley was covered in dust. "Great," Zena remarked as she kicked at a small rock. "Well, the Griffins screwed up all our stuff, we might as well salvage what's left and go see what Sabin has to say about all this shit," Aly suggested. "I'm for that. And I already looked around, I don't think anything's worth salvaging... lets just go," Baha said. Everyone nodded in agreement and climbed onto the dragon's back. With a giant leap Baha was air born. Zena mumbled something about dragon sex but was quickly silenced by a sharp nudge from Aly and the animals did not notice. After a short flight Baha set them down on the edge of the forest so they could walk the rest of the way. She began to roll on the grass to relieve the unbearable itch that was caused by her friends riding her back. The 3 grounded travelers began walking to the north, while Baha flew off to announce their arrival to Sabin. Aly began to hum "It's a small world" because she knew it would drive Zena mad, and she had nothing better to do during the ˝ hour walk. "Aly!" "Yes?" "Shut up." "I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean." "Stop humming damn it." "Oh, alright." After a short walk in peace, Zena began kicking rocks across Aly's path for she too was bored. After a dozen or so successful attempts she sent a rock on a collision course with Aly's leg. "Ow, hey! What is your problem?!" "I dunno, what's yours, maybe that will refresh my memory..." "Don't be a smart ass Zena!" "Don't be a wimpy ass Aly!" "Slutty skank!" "I told you not to call me that you-" "Uh, children, hello... this is your peace officer speaking... chil out and grow up please," Shadow said, interrupting again. "I'm going to take the scenic route so maybe I can get a deer, I'll see ya gals in a bit..." ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 2*** ****** ******** ********** ************ "Sounds like a tasty plan to me," Zena responded, but Shadow was already out of sight. They walked on in forced and uncomftorable silence, each person trying not to annoy the other. Finally they managed to have a friendly conversation about the Spring. They were only a short distance from Sabin's cabin when suddenly they heard a rustle in the trees and a young man jumped to the ground, sword in hand. He immediately took on a fighting stance and stared menacingly at the 2 girls. "So which one of you think you can take me?" the stranger asked. "Hm..." Aly said as she looked to Zena. Zena returned the glance for they were thinking the same thing. "Paper rock scissors?" Zena asked. "That's fair," Aly responded. They both clenched their fists, and shook them 3 times. Aly chose paper, and Zena chose scissors. "Damn, that sucks," Aly complained. "Alright! Come on chico, I have a little kick ass for you..." Zena shouted out in joy. "But uh... loose the sword if you would." "And if I don't?" the stranger challenged. "I'll kick your ass in an unfair fight." Zena stated mater-of-factly. "Fine, have it your way," The man said with a grin as he stuck his sword into the ground. Zena approached the stranger cautiously and they circled each other. Zena charged and they began to kick and punch, neither one managing to get a strong hit in. Aly began to tap her foot in impatience, wishing she had won the right to kick the cocky kids ass. Aly continued to watch as the stranger kept getting in more hits, and Zena became more frustrated. Aly scowled. She didn't know who this guy was, and worst of all he was kicking ass. "Ah!" Zena screamed out as she fell to the ground and hit her head hard. The man laughed and went back to his sword. Aly dashed at him and slammed into his back, both of them went tumbling to the ground. Zena began to pull herself together, and saw Aly facing the stranger, and the stranger moving his sword menacingly in the air. Just as Zena stood up Shadow ran up and slammed into the strangers back, just like Aly had with the exception that the cat didn't tumble. She pinned the man down hard against the ground. "Ah, damn! You gals don't know how to fight fair, geeze! Keep sneaking up on a guy like that. Now could you please get off of me mystery person number 3?" the stranger said in a good natured tone. "That's no person chico," Aly responded with a grin as she confinscated the sword. "What?" The man asked, started. Shadow placed one of her giant paws next to the man's face. "SHITTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he yelled and he spun onto his back and managed to scramble to his feet. Everyone started laughing as he slowly backed away, mouth dropped open. "Hm... not so brave now are we?" Zena said between fits of laughter. "Is that thing... is it... I mean... is it going to kill us?!" he asked. "Hahaha, not unless she misses a meal! What's your name?" Aly responded. "Leo... Prince Leo actually," he stated, not taking his eyes off the cat. "Hm... a prince eh?" Shadow inquired. "IT TALKS TOO? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Leo yelled. At this the 3 girls could no longer contain themselves and they began to crack up laughing again. After a few minutes they gave up on trying to stop laughing and walked the short distance to the cabin. Leo followed, but at a distance. They finally managed to control themselves when they reached the clearing and find Baha and Sabin talking. Leo stopped dead and turned ghostly white. "Hello Sabin," Aly greeted. Sabin turned and smiled, but was shocked when he saw Leo. "Is Leo okay?" Sabin inquired. "Huh? Oh, him... he's a little freaked out by talking cats and dragons I guess," Zena shrugged. "Where'd you pick this guy up, he's totally clueless!" Aly complained. "He's from Erth-sha," Sabin responded. "Hm, that explains it, not many ancients there," Shadow said. "Tha- That's a... dragon..." Leo stammered as he took a large gulp. "Aren't we the observant one," Aly mocked. "So who won?" Sabin asked. "EX-CUSE MOI?" Zena blurted out. "You set us up? Geeze!" Aly complained. "I won thank you," Leo said, managing to pull himself together. "Hmph," Shadow cried out. "Uh... well, after I kicked their ass that thing jumped me so I guess it won!" Leo quickly stated. "My NAME is Shadow, and I am able to sexually reproduce so please refer to me as a she thank you very much," Shadow growled. "Anyways, I told Sabin about our Griffin encounter," Baha interrupted. "Great, the dragon talks too!" Leo whined as he sat down on a stump. "Name's Baha," the dragon grumbled. "Right, Baha, got it..." Leo mumbled in response. "So what do we do? Those Griffins are headed right for Nirawa!" Aly asked with concern. "Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll skeletonize that prick who calls himself king," Zena said with a grin. "Wouldn't that be nice, but I'm thinking they may tear up the residents," Aly responded. "True..." Zena shrugged. "Well its not like we can just walk over to Nirawa and see what's happening," Sabin stated. "Yeah, that be a bitch if we got caught or spotted," Zena added. "I'm going to see what the others are doing about this, I'll be back," Baha said as she jumped into the air and flew off. "Others?" Leo asked. No one responded. "Others?" he repeated. "Other dragons," Shadow explained. "Other dragons?!" Leo said in shock. "Uh yeah," Aly mumbled. "I never realized they actually existed... wow..." Leo muttered. "Hm... Why don't you four go to Trembler's Peak. An old man lives there who knows a lot about the ancient creatures, he should be able to explain this," Sabin suggested. "His name is Tim." "Well I don't have any better ideas so I'm for that," Aly responded. "Ditto," Zena added. "Let's go," Shadow said... "But lets eat 1st!" "You get a deer?" Zena asked. "Nope, too busy saving your asses," Shadow responded. "We could have taken him," Aly said as she looked at Leo. "I bet," Leo said. "At any rate there's plenty of deer in the smoke house. "I'll grab it, you guys try not to kill each other, alright?" Sabin said as he walked to the back of the cabin. "Hm... I'll set the table," Leo mumbled as he walked inside. Zena and Aly exchanged glances. "How long has he been here?" Zena asked. "Beats me, but we've only been gone a month," Aly shrugged. "Well he didn't learn to fight like that in a month that's for sure!" Zena argued. "His style is similar, but his basic moves are different. He definitely learned most of it somewhere else," Aly explained. "So how is it that he kicked your butts?" Shadow inquired. "That's what we wanna know!" Zena responded. "I mean, maybe we're just rusty and haven't been practicing hard enough all month." "Yeah, that could be it. I think we are too use to fighting each other," Aly added. "Oh yum that looks good!" Shadow said as she saw Sabin approach with a large chunk of meat. "Let's eat!" Zena said and they all walked inside and seated themselves. "Whoa, that cat is way to human," Leo complained when Shadow sat in a chair. "Deal," Shadow responded. Sabin gave her a slice and she dug in before everyone else was served. Everyone else helped themselves. During the meal Sabin explained the Griffin thing to Leo. When they were done they got up and headed for the door. The four of them said their goodbyes to Sabin and they headed north to the mountains. "This would go faster if Baha flew us over," Zena moaned. "It's not easy for her to move her wings when we're on her back Zen," Aly reminded her. "Oh she'd live." "And walking won't kill you." "Shutting up won't kill you." "Zen, you're a bitch." "And you're not?" "Ha! Compared to you I'm an angel!" "Yeah, -" "HEY! We've been walking 5 minutes here gals! What, are you going for a new record or something?!" Shadow yelled in frustration. "Sorry, geeze," Zena responded. "So Leo... what's your story? You're future king of Ersha huh?" Aly asked. "Um, not really... my 2 older brothers would have to keel first. But I don't want that to happen because one, I happen to like them & get along with them and two, I don't want to be king." "Ha, well that's odd," Zena said. "What, that he doesn't want to be king or that he actually gets along with his relatives?" Aly mocked as she gave Zena a look. "Hey, don't give me that look, you don't get along with me either!" Zena stated. "Just asking," Aly innocently stated. The path started to get rapidly steeper and they went the rest of the way in silence. Every one was deep in thought and concentrating on where they were going. Finally they reached a cliff that was obviously inhabited by someone. They looked around and saw a few cows grazing and a hut on the far end of the flat land. "Hm... this must be it," Shadow said as she walked towards the hut. Everyone followed her to the hut and Zena knocked on the door. No one answered and so Aly shrugged and opened the door. The hut was a mess. Trash and dust everywhere. The only signs of life was a fresh bowl of... well, of something... sitting on the table; still warm. "Great... let's look around outside, maybe he's over the hill," Aly suggested. They reached the top of the hill and looked down to find a girl meditating next to a grave. She appeared to be the same age as Leo, Aly, and Zena. After a short pause Leo began to walk forward but was quickly stopped by Aly and Zena grabbing his shoulders. "Hey," Leo protested. Aly and Zena both stared at him in annoyance. "What? What I do?" "Let her finish in peace Lee," Shadow explained. "Leo," he corrected. "Whichever," Shadow replied. Leo sat down to wait and everyone else just looked around. After a few minutes the girl looked up and was startled to find she had company. She slowly got up and marched up the hill towards the group. "You guys lost?" the girl asked. "No, we are looking for Tim," Shadow stated. "Is that so," the girl inquired, not bothered by a talking cat. "Well you've found his place." "Will he be back soon? We need to talk to him," Leo explained. "Um... no, he won't be back for... well, a long time. But if you really want to see him he's over there," the girl responded, pointing towards the grave. "Down there? But the only thing over there is that grav-... Ohhh... I'm sorry," Zena said. "He was my grandfather, he passed away last winter... The name's Ellen, but you can call me Len..." she explained. "We're sorry to hear that," Aly responded. "So what can I do for you?" Len asked as she passed the group and walked to the hut. "We needed to talk to him about a flock of Griffins," Shadow replied. When Len heard the word Griffins she stopped dead and spun around. "What about a flock of Griffins?!" "Um, well... they were kinda attacked by a flock of em," Leo explained. "Holy shit!" Len yelled. "Yeah, we've dealt with some of that too," Zena said sarcasticly. "What?!" Len asked. "Don't mind her, she's being an ass," Aly responded. "What do you know about Griffins?" "Nothing, just some legends..." Len mumbled. Just then the cows began to moo in horror and run to the far end of the cliff. Baha landed beside the group and introduced herself to Len who was again unphased. Aly explained everything to the dragon. "Well, it's getting late. Let's go inside and I'll make a fire. It get's cold here at night." Len offered. "You live alone?" "Sure do," Len answered. The hut only had two "rooms," the back one being the bedroom and the front the kitchen. They squashed into the hut and Baha rested her head on the ground by the door. Shadow explained everything to Len in great detail while Aly and Zena assisted in telling the days occurrences right up to when they found Len at her grandfather's grave. Leo and Baha listened intently to catch the details they missed. When they were done Len sat up and threw a few more logs onto the fire. "Hm, sounds like a fun day," Len stated. "In a way, yes," Aly responded. "Well my grandfather use to tell me a lot of stories, and some of them were about Griffins. I don't know what's fact and what's fiction, but my grandfather wasn't the type to tell tall tales. At any rate one story was about how the dragons locked the Griffins into a cave a few years ago. Supposedly because the Griffins were ignorant or some shit," Len said with a shrug. "Oh really? Well, the dragons DID lock them in a cave," Baha replied. "And the reason was that the only Griffins left were insane. To much inbreeding maybe, I dunno. This was about 70 years ago... right before I was born." "How old are you in human years anyways?" Len asked. "17, like Aly," Baha responded. "Well I'm 18," Len said. "16," Zena said. "20 human years, 12 normal years," Shadow added. After a pause everyone looked at Leo. "Huh? Oh, right... 17," he said. "Don't mind him, he's a little slow," Zena mocked. "At least I can kick your ass little girl," Leo retorted. "LITTLE?!" Zena yelled. "You wanna take this outside and settle it once and for all?!" "Down Zen, save it for tomorrow," Aly said. "Well let's get some sleep, we can talk more tomorrow," Len said as she went to her cot. "Yeah, maybe you can fill us in then Baha. You seem to know a few things we don't," Zena said as she glared at the dragon. "Oh I do, I do," Baha said with a grin. Everyone sprawled out on the floor the best they could and went to sleep. In the morning Aly woke up and went outside. She found Len milking a cow but decided not to bother her. Instead she walked over to a tree and did her morning exercises. Zena soon woke up and joined her and before long they began to challenge each other. They were very evenly matched and each wondered who would win this morning. They fought hard due to the fact that they could not overpower Leo yesterday, and Aly soon found herself with the upper edge. She knocked Zena over and Zena was unable to immediately recover. Aly claimed her victory and looked up to find Shadow and Baha had awoken and began to watch them. "G'morning," Aly said with a smile. "Morning," Baha and Shadow responded. Zena stood up and wiped the dust off of her. "Bah," Zena groaned. "Leo asleep?" Aly asked. "Yeah, should I wake him," Shadow said with an evil grin. "Haha, go right ahead!" Zena replied. Shadow walked into the hut and after a few seconds they heard Leo scream. "DON'T DO THAT!!! GEEZE!" Leo yelled out. "YOU TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK!?" Shadow walked outside laughing, followed by a very grumpy Leo. Len finished the milking and walked over with two large buckets of milk. She put the smaller one down in front of Shadow and took the other into the house. "Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, Thanks Len!" Shadow yelled after her and began to drink her breakfast. "Well I think it's my turn to challenge you to a real fight Leo," Aly challenged. "Uh... fine, as long as the cat doesn't try to kill me again," Leo replied. "No problem there," the cat stated between sips. Leo handed his sword to Zena and took the defensive position Sabin taught him. Aly did the same. Len walked out and also watched. Aly was very cautious and concentrated on learning Leo's style. She figured it wouldn't be wise to rush it like Zena had yesterday. After blocking a few hits Aly smacked Leo upside his head to annoy him and give herself an edge. Leo didn't say a word but gave Aly a disturbing look. He gave a sudden kick and Aly just managed to dodge it. She kicked back, but Leo grabbed her leg and threw her off balance. Aly rolled as she hit the ground and jumped right back. They circled each other a few times before Aly tried to smack Leo again. Leo ducked and punched Aly in the stomach. Aly felt a sharp pain in her stomach but ignored it for she saw an opening. She kicked Leo in the head. Leo went flying backwards and as Aly's pain passed. Leo surrendered, his pride, and his head, were pretty hurt. Aly helped Leo up and Len told them to get their breakfast while it was still warm. ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 3*** ****** ******** ********** ************ "I'm gonna go figure out where the Griffins are, I'll be back later on," Baha said and before anyone could protest she flew off. "Shoo, I was wondering how to feed a dragon!" Len said in relief. Shadow stayed to finish what was left of her milk and everyone else walked inside to find a large bowl of carrot soup awaiting them. "Hey, that looks yummmmy!" Aly said. "And it smells good too," Zena said as she sat down. "Well I hope you like it, the carrots are fresh from my garden," Len said as everyone else took a seat. "MMMM, this is great," Leo complimented, "But how in the world do you get a garden to grow all the way up here?" "There's a nice clearing in the middle of the woods," Len replied. "Coolie," Aly said and everyone finished quietly. When they were done Len stood up and walked outside. Everyone followed her out the door and watched as she walked over to the cows. She stopped half way and Mooed to them. They ran to her, Mooing as they came. She led them to the house and fetched some hay out of a shack. As she spread it around she Mooed to them softly. "So... What's the plan Aly?" Zena asked. "Hm... well since Tim isn't here we might as head towards Nirawa and see what became of the Griffins," Aly responded after a pause. "Think she'll come?" Zena asked, nodding toward Len. "Well it would be nice, she seems to know about Griffins," Leo said. "So does Baha, but guess where she is!" Shadow complained "Not here," Zena said as Len joined the group. "Who?" Len asked. "Baha," Aly responded. "Maybe she's busy getting laid," Zena mumbled. "ZENA!!!!!!!!!!! DAMN, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Aly yelled as she glared at her cousin. "Ohhhhhh, NIFTY SPOOTY, dragon sex... In mid air too!" Len said with a grin. "Um..." Leo said as his eyes got wide. "Save me," Aly sighed as she threw her arms up. "So are we going or would you gals rather talk about... geeze, why am I even giving you a choice???" "Well if you people are going after those Griffins then I'm definitely tagging along," Len said in a tone that seemed to say ‘don't argue with me, I'm going!' "Good, lets move out then! Baha will just have to find us," Aly said as she turned to the steep path they came up. "Wait there's an easier way," Len said as she pointed to the forest. They began walking and she Mooed to her cows who immediately ran over and followed them into the woods. After a few minutes she Mooed to them again and the cows stopped following and began to graze on what little grass they could find in the forest. "Whoa, that's pretty neat how you talk to those cows," Aly remarked. "Thanks," Len said as she made a sharp turn and began walking down an old path. This path wasn't as steep as the other so the trip down the mountain was pretty easy. There were few trees along the path due to the rugged soil, but about half way down they ran right into a herd of deer. Shadow immediate sprang into action and darted at the herd, hoping to grab one of the younger ones. The deer snapped their heads up and ran like mad, pushing and shoving to get away from their attacker. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Len yelled at the top of her lungs. ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 3˝*** ****** ******** ********** ************ Shadow slammed on the brakes just as she was ready to grab one of the deer. She spun around and looked at Len in amazement. "What in the heck?!" She growled. "Look, I know you have to eat meat and stuff but I'm a vegetarian so don't mess with the animals on my mountain!" Len scolded. "Yikes, sorry!" Shadow apologized, with her tail between her legs. They continued their walk down the mountain and after a few minutes of silence Len began looking at her companions and stopped dead. "So... peoples... what's the plan?" Len asked. At this everyone else stopped and turned around and after a few seconds Aly found that everyone was staring at her. "Well... since you have subtly put me in charge I will share with you my plan," Aly began. "We walk down this mountain, head toward Nirawa and when it gets dark we pick a spot to sleep. That's as far as my wonderful foresight has gotten." "Well that's a lame ass plan!" Len exclaimed. "We could see if Tri is still around..." Zena offered. "Yeah, that's a great idea Zena! And he could tell us what's become of the Griffins and we will work on our plan from there," Aly said. "Come on, we might make it there by midnight if we hurry." "Yippie," Leo moaned. The party picked up the pace and was soon at the base of the mountain. Shadow stayed in the forest and Zena nodded to her as they walked on. Shadow would have to take the long way to Tri's town but would probably get there sooner due to her speed. The human travelers soon found the Northern road to Nirawa and followed it through several villages. In the late afternoon they were in the middle of a large clearing and no one else was on the road at this hour. Suddenly they heard a THUMP behind them and they spun around to find themselves face to face with Baha. "HEY, BAHA! There you are! But you shouldn't be out here, you might get spotted," Aly said with glee. "I know, but I just found you and wanted to know where you were going," Baha responded. "To Tri's town, meet you there?" Aly asked. "Right, c yas," Baha said as she jumped into the air and flew away. "YOU GOT SOME SPLAININ TO DO DRAGON CHICA!!!!!!" Zena yelled after her. Baha dipped her wings in response and continued to fly off. ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 4*** ****** ******** ********** ************ The travelers made good time and were in Tri's town about an hour after dark. They began searching the streets, mingling with the locals. "So... where does this Tri person live?" Leo asked after several minutes. "Um.... well, ...you see..." Zena responded. "We don't have a clue," Aly finished for her. "I'm just loving your guy's organizational skills!" Len remarked sarcasticaly. "Thank you, really," Aly replied. "Relax, I do have a PLAN on how to find his house," she continued with a fake smile at Len. They continued to walk down the main street until they reached a large house. "See, it's called a town hall!" Aly stated, pointing at the building. "Yeah, yeah, special," Len said as she walked in. Everyone followed her inside and Aly asked the man behind the desk if he knew of anyone named Tri living in town. They lucked out, the man knew him well, and were soon on their way with directions. "Well, this must be it," Zena said as they reached a medium sized house, slightly run down. "Let's hope so, I'm starved!" Aly said as she banged on the door. After a long pause they heard footsteps and a young man, 18, opened the door. He was dripping wet and wearing only a towel around his waist. "NO I DON'T HAVE YOUR DAMN MONEY, I TOLD YOU TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW YOU PRICK!" he said before the door was even 3/4ths of the way open. "That's nice," Zena said as she shoved passed him and let herself in. "HI TRI!" Aly said. "Opps... hey... Aly..." Tri said as he signaled them to come in. "...Hi Zena..." "Hey," Zena replied. "Yo," Len said. "Hi ya," Leo said as he looked about. "You guys hungry? You looked tired," Tri asked. "Starved!" Aly said. "Well... um... if you wanna check out the kitchen I'll get dressed," Tri said as he pointed to a door. "Sounds good to me," Len said and led the way to the kitchen. Tri and Aly staid behind and stared at each other briefly. "So... Aly... long time no see huh?" Tri mumbled as he closed the door. "Yeah, sorry about that, you live kinda close to the border of Nirawa ya know?" Aly responded. "So why'd you come, assuming there's a reason..." "Long story... reallyyyy long," Aly said. After a pause in the conversation Aly laugh-giggled to herself. "WHAT?" "Haha, nothing... just thinking how buff you are... work out much?" At this Tri straightened up and cleared his throat. "Oh yeah, all the time. Women just die for the muscles ya know? The reason I'm so ‘buff' is because my wife loves it..." "YOUR WHAT?!" "My wife," Tri said matter-of-factly. "In fact we were upstairs when you knocked... That's why I was so upset when I answered the door..." "You evil little liar!" Aly shouted. At this Tri began cracking up. "I had you going there didn't I?" "Oh get dressed!" Aly said as she marched into the kitchen. "Welcome to the kitchen Aly, would you mind helping? I mean, I don't plan on cooking and serving your lazy ass," Zena commented. "Oh chill, I was just chatting with Tri! We burst into his house, eat his food, and—" "You were talking? About what, how madly in love you are with him?" Zena mocked. "Zena, SHUT UP!" Aly sneered. "Yep... you and those blonds," Zena continued. "Zena, you are just begging for a fat lip," Aly threatened as she grabbed some lettuce and began to prepare salads. "Did he show you his bed... room?" Zena asked. "No, I'm not a whore like you, remember?" Aly spat out. "LOOK, just because I can get laid doesn't make me a whore!" Zena yelled. "Are we clear on this?!" "Hell no... slut," Aly responded. "That's it! You are going down!" Zena yelled as she crossed the room and attacked Aly. Aly spun around to face her cousin. ‘Oh good, she's pisssed, this will be easy,' Aly thought as she prepared for the attack. Zena slammed into her and they went flying across the floor. Aly tucked in her legs and kicked Zena off while they were still sliding across the floor. She stood up, grabbed a tissue for her bloody nose, and continued to prepare dinner. Len and Leo exchanged glances and continued to drink their water. Zena stood up and also continued cooking. "You need to chill out Zen," Aly said after a few seconds. "I've told you not to call me a whore Aly," Zena said between clenched teeth. "Yeah, yeah, get over it. I'm not the one who..." "Just drop it already" "Fine" At this Tri entered the kitchen, dressed, and stared at Aly. "Is there a reason you have a wad of tissues on your nose?" he asked. "Yeah, SOMEONE attacked me," Aly said, glaring at Zena. "Ah," Tri remarked, looking at Leo and Len who shrugged. "Sit. Your dinner will be ready soon," Zena demanded. Tri looked at the strangers sitting at his table and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, hello... I'm Len, this is Leo, we've known them for less than 2 days," Len said as she nodded toward Aly and Zena. "Ah, great, I'm really lost now," Tri said as he sat at the head of his table. Zena brought over some tortellini and some sauce she had whipped up, and Aly followed with her salad and the dressing she had thrown together. Everyone began to eat and between bites they took turns explaining the whole story to Tri. "I'm so sick of telling this story and it get's longer each time!" Zena complained. "I know, sheesh!" Aly agreed. "I guess I should have expected you after I heard of those Griffins," Tri remarked, speaking for the first time since he sat down. ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 5*** ****** ******** ********** ************ "So what do you know about the Griffins?" Aly inquired. "Well... let's see..." Tri responded as he gathered his thoughts. "We don't have all night hon," Zena remarked impatiently. Tri shot her a look of annoyance and continued. "They tore through a town to the West, flew into Nirawa, didn't harm anyone there, and then they dissapeared without a trace," Tri said. "When was this and did you see them?" Len inquired bluntly. "This morning at dawn and yeah. I saw them just as they went into Maru- that's the town to the West- and I've heard many people talking about how the Griffins disapeared into thin air. Those things are scary and I'm so glad I didn't get in their way. I wish I could have helped the people in Maru but they just buzzed by so fast... Not too many people were hurt though," Tri responded. "Oh great, this should turn out to be an adventure and a half!" Zena complained. "Dang, and I LIKE lions too!" Leo burst out. At this everyone turned and stared at him, wondering the sanity of his outburst. "Opps... I mean... I like lions a lot, and Griffins are cool because they have lion heads, but I'm not siding with the Griffins or anything!" he clarified. "Um..." Aly said as she shook her head in wonder, "anywayssss... what we should do is to get Baha and Shadow to sneak around Nirawa tomorrow and we'll get supplies in town while we wait for them to scout about..." "That sounds like a plan to me, now can we please go to bed, I'm bushed!" Zena stated as she jumped out of her seat. "YOU, TIRED?!" Aly said in shock. "At this hour?!" "Hell yeah, weird huh? But you can stay up with your boyfriend if you like!" Zena mocked and she stuck her tounge out. "Zena, if you don't shut your lying mouth up I'm gonna-" Aly said as she scowled in anger. She was completely sick of Zena's jokes. "So I see you gals are still bickering 24/7," Tri said, cutting Aly off. "Of course... though it is better than a bloody nose!" Aly responded as she twitched her sore nose. "Or a stomach ache, blah!" Zena continued as she recalled being kicked across the kitchen. "I guess bickering keeps you gals healthy," Leo commented with a grin. "And you haven't bickered most of the day, what a shock," Len added with a laugh. The cousins exchanged glances and smiled at eachother. Several minutes later Zena said her goodnights and began to work her way to the door. She paused to glance at Leo and Len, signaling them to retire with her. "Well, it seems to me that I'm having trouble staying awake, I guess I'll be going to sleep too," Len said as she stood up, stretched and made for the door. "Yeah, same for me I guess, g'night," Leo said as he too began to exit. Tri stood up to show them their rooms but Zena stopped him. "Oh it's alright hon, I know the place well enough, I can show them to their rooms," Zena said as she grinned at Aly. Aly rolled her eyes and kept them pointed toward the ceiling until Zena, Leo, and Len had departed. "Thanks Zena," Tri called after them as he retook his seat. "Oh I wish I could kill that nut sometimes," Aly growled under her breath. "Anyways, I'm gonna go to bed too I guess." "Oh come on," Tri protested, "you have to stay and talk for a few minutes at least! Besides, Zena went to all that trouble..." "Blah..." Aly moaned, "fine, you win, I'll stay for a bit." Meanwhile, Zena led the way upstairs and showed Leo to his room. She then proceeded into the last empty room with Len right behind her. "Oh good, there are only two beds in here, Aly will have to sleep somewhere else," Zena said with a grin. "Okay Zena, I don't know you, but I sure as hell know that you're up to something," Len remarked as she claimed one of the beds. "Oh come now Len, I'm only letting the kids catch up, is there any harm in that?" Zena asked as she searched for clean sheets. "Under normal circumstances, no, not at all. But when you say it I begin to wonder," Len responded. "Then lets just leave it at that!" Zena said as she chucked a pillow and some clean sheets at Len. They both made their beds and went to sleep. Downstairs, Tri and Aly sat around in silence. Neither knew what to say, but both were thinking of the past they had spent together and how their worlds came tumbling down so terribly that they had not seen eachother for several years though they had been close friends. "So... Tri Guy... who do you owe money to?" Aly inquired after clearing her throat. "What?! How did you know- ...oh yeah," Tri burst out before he had a chance to think, "Sorry about greeting you like that, I thought you were this idiot who's been extorting money from me just so I can keep the house that I fully own... makes sense huh?" Tri said as he cracked his knuckles. "Hm... I guess not... well other than that, how are you getting along?" Aly asked. "Okay I guess. My dad died in his sleep 2 years ago and left me this house along with some land in Nirawa that's been reposesed by that idiot king..." Tri said with a shrug. "At least he went easy huh?" Aly said as she shut her eyes and sighed. "Of course, and I got married yesterday so everything's great," Tri joked as he changed the subject to something less painful. "Oh please, you? Married? That will be the day!" Aly mocked with a grin. "Oh well, enough teasing, why don't we get to bed?" Tri asked as he stood up and waited for Aly to follow suit. ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 6*** ****** ******** ********** ************ "Sounds good to me," Aly said as she yawned. "See, I told you I was tired!" Tri grabbed a lamp off the table and led the way upstairs, only to find that the only bedroom left was Tri's, and there was only one bed in it. "Well, Aly, it looks like you'll have the comfort of my bed tonight," Tri remarked as he faced her and grinned. "WHA, WHAT?! Whoa, if you think for one sec that I'm gonna-" Aly said with concern. "Relax, relax! What in the world is wrong with my bed?" Tri inquired inocently, knowing that Zena had tainted her mind enough to make her jump to the conclusion that they would be sharing a bed. "Um, it's yours for starters..." Aly replied with irritation. "So?" Tri mocked as he grabbed Aly's hand and pulled her into the room. "So that's where you sleep and thus where I don't!" Aly retorted as she snatched her hand away from Tri and crossed her arms, trying to look serious. "Oh, is that the problem?" Tri asked with pretend shock, "Well chil, I'm gonna sleep in Leo's room, there's a spare bed in there." "Oh... alright... that's cool I guess..." Aly said, feeling rather sheepish. "Of course, we could share this bed and cuddle up," Tri said as he gestured to the king sized bed and tried to repress an outburst of laughter. "No!" Aly said as she pushed Tri out of the room, "Geeze, you are getting worst than Zena!" "I know, it's fun to tease you!" Tri said and both of them stood smiling and staring into eachothers eyes. After a few seconds of silence Aly shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Hey Aly," Tri said hesitantly. "HM?" Aly responded and raised her eyebrows. "I'm really glad you and Zena came back... I was beginning to wonder about ya... and... I really missed the both of ya..." Tri said quietly, "Well, good night Aly!" "Nite Tri Guy," Aly said and she watched Tri retire into Leo's room before closing her door and going to bed. When Tri entered his room he accidently slammed the door and woke Leo up. Leo sat up, rubbed his eyes and stared at Tri briefly. "If you tell me it's morning I'm gonna shoot myself," Leo grumbled. "Relax, it's still evening... sorry I woke ya," Tri said as he collapsed into his bed. "Shoo..... So... I'm gathering you, Aly, and Zena knew eachother well?" Leo inquired. "Yeah, old friends... I haven't seen them in years though..." Tri mumbled. "Why? Not to pry but it is odd..." Leo asked as he laid back down. "Blah, it's a long story that can't be made short... forget it..." Tri again mumbled and he turned out the light. "Alright, have it your way..." Leo mumbled as he closed his eyes. Just before he fell asleep he thought, ‘Funny how none of them want to get into the long stories of the past.' CHAPTER 7 Aly awoke at dawn and slowly got out of bed. She noticed the sun making it's morning climb so she stood by the window for several minutes and watched. As she stood there her thoughts turned to her past. She recalled how blissful her childhood was, but soon she thought about the turn of events that destroyed that bliss and forced her and Zena to run. Soon a lone tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Aly spun around and headed for the door, wiping the tear off her cheek as she went. Aly stepped into the hall, fully composed, and noted that all was silent. She checked in on Len and Zena and found they were still sleeping. She began to walk toward the stairs, but paused at Leo and Tri's room. She cracked open the door and found that they too were still asleep. Aly crept downstairs and began preparing bacon and eggs for everyone. After a moment she recalled that Len was a vegetarian and grabbed a few bagels for her. When everything was done she began to set the table and serve the food to the empty seats. Just as she turned to go upstairs and wake everyone, Leo walked in. "Morning Aly" Leo said as he looked at the table full of breakfast. "...How long have you been up?" "A bit, have a seat... the others comin?" Aly said and she and Leo took a seat. "Yeah, they'll be down soon," Leo said as he began to munch on his breakfast. As if on cue, Len walked in and paused at the doorway to sneer at the bacon and eggs. She caught sight of the bagels and made a bee line for them. "Moo!" Len called out just as she reached the plate of bagels. "Pardon?!" Aly said as she snapped her head from Zena to Len. "Opps, sorry, force of habit... hallo," Len replied as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to fully wake up. At that moment, Zena entered the kitchen, also mostly asleep. "Huh? Cows? What are cows doing in the kitchen?" Zena mumbled as she stumbled toward the table. "Someone needs more sleep," Leo mocked as Zena sat down and began to pick at her food. "Oh no, Zena is more awake with less sleep. Too much and... well, this is the result!" Aly remarked as she watched Zena attempt to maneuver the bacon into her mouth. ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 7*** ****** ******** ********** ************ "Yeah, yeah, yeah, leave me be," Zena grumbled quietly and continued to eat. The 4 of them ate in silence and took their time. After a few minutes Len looked from Leo to Zena to Aly to the empty place setting. "Hey Aly, you better go get Tri, his food is getting cold," Len remarked as she grabbed for another bagel. Aly was the only one finished eating so she grudgingly got up and wiped her face. "I guess I must," Aly said as she stood up, threw her used napkin onto her plate, and walked out the swinging door. "Hey, good one Len!" Zena said, more awake now than before. "I'm just following in your footsteps, and besides, you insist that they need some time alone," Len stated with a sly grin. "I'm not completely following," Leo complained as he put his fork down and scowled slightly at the 2 girls. "Aly and Tri use to be best friends and all... I'm Tri's friend too of course, but not as close as Aly is... Besides, maybe Tri can get her to start dealing with the past," Zena replied as she stood up and looked in a cabinet for something else to go with breakfast. "The past? Don't tell me, it's a ‘long story' right?" Leo mocked and rolled his eyes. "Isn't it always?" Len laughed. "OH! Who wants green tea? Aly loves this stuff," Zena said as she pulled some tea bags out of the cabinet. "Go fer it," Len replied as she finished off the last bagel. Meanwhile, upstairs, Aly was searching for Tri. She had looked in the room he and Leo slept in only to find it empty. Aly knocked on the door to Tri's room. "Hey Tri, you in there?" Aly shouted as she tapped her foot in impatience. No answer. Aly sighed and opened the door, to find herself staring face to face with Tri. "What in the heck are you doing, your food's cold!" Aly scolded. Tri continued to stare back at her in an annoying manner. "Hell-O!" Aly said with annoyance. "I was just getting changed, sheesh! I was about to come join ya guys downstairs but I heard you knocking," Tri responded as he tried to walk past Aly. Aly blocked the doorway and refused to let him by. "So you just stood there? That makes sense," Aly said and she grinned at Tri's attempt to get by. "I figured it would annoy you, and it looks like it did!" Tri laughed as he leaned into Aly. After a few seconds Aly gave in and allowed herself to be pushed against the wall and pinned against it. "Gotcha," Tri whispered as he grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah, but that's not quite a smart move," Aly said as she smiled back and narrowed her eyelids. "Why?!" Tri asked in surprise. In response Aly snapped her arms up, freeing them from Tri's hold. Before Tri could react Aly grabbed him, spun around so that Tri's back was now to the wall, and flipped him onto the ground. Tri landed on his back with a thud, trying to figure out what had just happened. "Oh....... I see..... dammmmmn , play fair!" Tri whined. "Awwww, I'm sowry Tri Guy," Aly teased as she pulled Tri to his feet and brushed off his shoulders. "Come on, I'm sure your breakfast is cold by now! Serves ya right," she said as she led the way downstairs to the kitchen. Tri's food was decently warm, and he ate it quickly before it got any colder. Zena served everyone the green tea, which Aly especially enjoyed. When everyone was done they all dumped their plates and such in the sink and walked outside. "So did you two enjoy yourself last night," Zena asked off-hand as they stepped out the door and onto the open porch. "ZENA! I SWEAR I'M GONNA SHUT THAT MOUTH OF YOURS UP FOR GOOD ONE DAY! Dang!" Aly yelled as she became slightly red in the face. On the street people were walking by Tri's house, most on their way to work, and a few of them who were walking past glanced in Aly's direction when she yelled out but continued walking. "You are really going to far hon" she said, emphasizing the last word to mock Zena's frequent use of that word. Aly took no notice of the people who had been staring at her just moments ago. "You mean you guys aren't madly in love?" Zena asked, faking innocence. "That's it, skip warm up, lets practice so I can kick yo ass," Aly said as she shoved Zena down the front steps and onto the yard. The girls began to circle eachother and look for an opening. Tri took a seat on the steps and Leo and Len followed suit. As the two girls began to close in on eachother a crowd formed on the other side of the fence that separated Tri's house from the street. Aly nailed Zena between her middle ribs, nearly knocking the wind out of her. The crowd ‘ooo-ed' as Zena stumbled backwards, nearly falling on her back. As Zena recovered she quickly swung her leg at Aly's feet, trying to knock her off balance. Aly jumped the attack, only to get kicked in the hip when she landed. Aly hesitated, trying to find a good move, but Zena reacted faster and again kicked Aly in the hip, sending her flying to the ground. "What were you saying Aly?" Zena asked triumphantly. Aly simply rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Zena. Zena laughed and extended a hand to Aly. "Nevermind," Aly mumbled as she grabbed Zena's hand, pulled herself up, and began to dust the dirt off her clothing. "Ouch, doesn't that HURT?" Tri asked with his eyes bulging. "Naw... not when you're use to it.... hey Tri, wanna spar?" Aly said as she turned to face Tri and attempted to keep a straight face. "NO! I've had enough thank you, but if I ever turn suicidal I'll let you know," Tri responded and began looking at the crowd that was already quite large. "Don't worry, we just break every bone in your body, but we won't kill ya," Leo mocked and turned his head to grin at Tri. He then followed Tri's gaze and began looking at the crowd also. "Looks like we have an audience." Aly Zena and Len looked towards the street. Aly felt a bit foolish since Zena had beat her so easily but shrugged it off and walked to the steps to have a seat. "Hey Leo, how is it that you began studying under Sabin anyways?!?" Aly asked as she crossed her arms. "My dad suggested it, he and Sabin are old friends or something, and there aren't many good martial arts teachers in Er-sha," Leo responded as he stood up and stretched. "When I got there, Sabin told me that you gals had just taken off for a "vacation" 3 days ago." "Well Leo, let me show you what a great ‘artist' I am," Zena challenged as she looked Leo in the eyes and took on the defensive position. Leo slowly stood up, made a big deal of removing his sword, and began to approach Zena. "Hon, no matter how long you stall your ass is still mine," Zena said with impatience. "A little sure of ourselves aren't we Zena?" Leo responded as he reached Zena and they began to circle eachother. Zena was concentrating too much to bother responding. She knew that she would have to be less reckless than the first time they sparred or else her butt was gonna get beat yet again. She hoped that Leo would make the first move, but was also aware that the crowd was waiting for some action. Leo became sick of waiting so he moved closer to Zena, but didn't yet strike out. He saw Zena's body tense up, ready to strike at him so he made his move. He kicked at Zena, aiming high for her upper chest, right below the neck. Zena moved fast and blocked the kick with her arm as she moved away from Leo's attack. She successfully attempted to grab Leo's leg, but he had already prepared for that and he jumped up and around to free himself. However, when he landed, he found his legs being kicked out from underneath him and he fell to the ground. Zena assumed the fight was over, and the crowd showed they agreed with her by clapping and cheering. She walked over to Leo and stepped over him so that she was standing with a leg on each side of Leo's hips. "I told ya you were going down," Zena said with a grin. Leo, annoyed with Zena's victory stance, tucked in his legs and kicked Zena away. She went stumbling back, nearly falling over. "Oh, now you've done it!" Zena growled and dashed at Leo who had just stood up. Zena punched at Leo's gut but he blocked it and nailed her in her side. Zena was annoyed since she had already won, so she punched him in the center of his chest. Leo went back a few paces and Zena kicked at him several times, not giving him a chance to gather himself, until finally he went down, and staid down. "Okay, okay, you win!" Leo said as he tried to catch his breath. "I guess I need a few more years of study before I can take you girls." Leo said and he managed to stand up. A man in a long black coat began pushing through the now giant crowd, cursing and yelling at the people in his way. The five of them watched as he made his way to the gate and threw it open. "You better have my money Tri or I'm gonna have you arrested!" the man demanded. Several people in the crowd recognized the man and began to boo at him. Tri stood at the bottom step and watched the man march over to him. When the rude man was a few feet from Tri, Aly shot to her feet, jumped down the stairs and blocked his path. The man tried to move her out of his way, but before he could lay a hand on her Aly shoved him back so hard that he landed flat on his ass. The crowd became dead silent as the man got to his feet. "You little bitch, I'm gonna-" the man growled. "HEY! I'm the only one who's allowed to call Aly a bitch!" Zena yelled as she walked toward the man. He spun around to look at Zena and told her to shut up. "Thanks... I think... Hey Zen, you're on a roll, why don't you show this jerk the way out?" Aly asked as she grinned at her cousin. Tri nodded his approval and smiled, while Len stood up to get a better view of the action. "No problem!" Zena said as she grabbed the man's collar and spun him around. She punched him in the face, giving him a nice dark black eye. The man stumbled backwards and slammed into the fence. He covered his eye in pain and stumbled out the gate. The crowd cheered as he left. "And don't come back!" Tri yelled after the man. Zena turned to face her friends who were all standing on or by the stairs. "Dang Zena, you're on fire!" Len cheered as the crowd broke up and left. "I know, I'm just the greatest. I can kick anyone's butt, I-" Zena said as her ego grew in size. "Okay, that's enough Zena," Aly said, cutting her off. "Let's get going, we have to find Baha." "And Shadow!" Zena added, sounding a little too hyper. "Yeah, her too... Let's move out! Tri, you gonna come?" Aly asked as she turned to her friend and raised one eyebrow. "Hell yeah! Besides, I wanna see Baha again. I haven't seen her since you saved her butt so many years ago... you're parents were so going to faint when they saw you walking up to her!" Tri said and laughed at the memory. "Hm, those were the days," Aly said as she smiled and lost herself in her thoughts. "Wake up Aly, move out!" Zena said with irritation. Aly snapped her head toward Zena and stared at her blankly for a moment. "Hello, lets go already!" Zena yelled as she walked out the gate. "Coming mommy," Aly responded as she and everyone else followed Zena down the road. CHAPTER 8 ************ ********** ******** ****** ***Part 8*** ****** ******** ********** ************ The 5 of them walked down the road and followed it out of town. They soon reached the city limits and found themselves surrounded by fields and forest. "Hm..." Tri said as he looked to the right. "There's a clearing through these woods, no one should see us there," and he pointed in the direction he was looking. Aly swerved off the road and began walking quickly through the trees. Everyone followed her lead and after several minutes they were in the field Tri had been referring to. "Now what, we can't wait all day and hope they actually find us," Len complained. "Yeah, hey, hello!" Leo said as the cousins wordlessly sat down in the middle of the field. They leaned against eachother for support and began to meditate. "This sucks," Len said after a few minutes. "Are they always like this?" Len said as she turned to Tri. "Just wait," Tri said with a grin. Len threw her hands up and began kicking at stones. Aly shot her eyes open and turned to Tri, Len, and Leo. She grinned and stood up, never taking her eyes off the group. "Um... what?" Leo asked. "Huh?!" He said as a giant shadow passed over the clearing. Everyone except Zena looked up to see Baha flying overhead. The dragon circled and then nose-dived for the center of the clearing. She tucked her wings in part way, causing her to go faster and faster. "This is sooooo not good," Len mumbled as she looked at Aly. Aly turned her head to look at Len, but she was still grinning from ear to ear. Leo took a step back, wondering if Baha had gone nuts, when suddenly the dragon threw open her wings, and landed softly on the ground. "Moo," Len said as she blinked her eyes. "HEY BAHA!" Aly greeted the dragon. Baha smiled in response and slowly folded in her wings. "You must be Tri," Baha said as she turned to him. "Hello again." "Yeah... and you have grown a lot since I saw you 7 years ago!" Tri responded as he looked up toward the dragon's towering head. "Seven years ago?" Leo asked, slightly annoyed. Len crossed her arms and repeated the question when no one answered. "Yeah, the 3 of us met Baha 7 years ago, I saved her butt, yadda yadda," Aly responded with a distant look in her eyes. "Uh huh," Len responded as she looked toward Zena who was still meditating. "So like what is she doing by the way?" Len asked as she pointed toward Zena. "Meditating," Tri responded and looked at Len as if she had just asked a dumb question. "Thank you, I couldn't tell!" Len snapped at Tri, "but WHAT is she doing?" "Ack," Tri said as he stepped back from Len, "Well... I'm guessing she is calling Shadow... that um... big cat, right Aly?" "Correct," Aly responded. She snapped her head toward Zena but was looking past her into the forest. "Calling Shadow?" Leo asked. "Um sure." He said as he and everyone else followed Aly's gaze past the still-meditating Zena. Shadow appeared from out of the trees and was running at a full gallop right for Zena. "Either that's Shadow or someone had better do something FAST," Tri said with concern as Shadow quickly crossed the clearing. "Tis Shadow, relax," Aly mumbled as she began walking toward Zena. Zena opened her eyes and immediately looked toward the black cat. Shadow slammed on the breaks just as she reached Zena. Everyone walked over to Zena and Shadow as Zena stood up and patted her cat on the head. "You called?" Shadow asked as she stretched out her front legs and trotted around the group. "Yeah," Zena replied. Tri and Leo watched the cat move around them and felt slightly uneasy. "I brought you some food," she said as she nodded toward Tri and Leo. "HEY!" the two guys yelled in unison. Shadow laughed and rubbed up against Zena's legs. Zena scratched her behind the ears and the cat began to purr. "That's so cuteee," Len remarked in a childish voice. "I want a kitty that's several hundred pounddddds." "Sure ya do," Tri mocked as he rolled his eyes. "So when did you gals pick her up, cuz last I checked the only ancient you knew was Baha... and we had only seen her once." "Right after we were exiled... and we ran into Baha again after that and all 4 of us traveled together," Aly responded as Zena and Shadow began play fighting. "I would not be caught messing around with a giant cat," Tri said as he stared at Zena and Shadow. "Aw, is Tri afraid of the widdle kitty," Shadow said with a toothy grin. She walked over to Tri with a menacing look and twitched her tail. Tri began to step back and scowled at the nutty cat. Aly and Zena laughed at poor Tri. "Get it away from me-" Tri said but was cut off when Shadow placed her front paws on his chest and knocked him down. "It? It? I think you would know better than to call me ‘it' Mr. Tri!" Shadow said as she continued to pin Tri down. "I'm sorry, sheesh, get off already!" Tri begged as he struggled in vain to push the cat off of him. "Trust me Tri, you do not wanna mess with her, I know from experience!" Leo laughed, glad that he was not the only one to get picked on. "Oh come on Tri, show that cat who's boss!" Len mocked as she shooed Shadow away. "There, see?" "Dang, thanks Len, at least SOMEONE came to my rescue," Tri mumbled as he stood up and gave Aly, Zena, and even Leo a dirty look. Aly smiled and shook her head. The group moved toward the edge of the clearing and stood by the trees to discuss what had been going on. Tri briefly explained what he knew about the griffins to the ancients, including how they had disappeared after they crossed the border. "You're right Tri- the last town they ravaged was Maru, they didn't destroy anything in Nirawa except some forests," Baha said as she snorted in annoyance. "I couldn't find any trace of them save for those woods." "That's all I saw too- a few trees harmed and then nothing! They passed close to one town near the border, very close," Shadow added as she licked her lips- a sign that she was uneasy. "This is really odd to say the least." "Yeah, why in the world would an animal change it's behavior after crossing a human boundry?!" Len remarked as she scowled. She too was frustrated that the trail was dead. "Good point Len, but maybe it was the river that made them change their pattern," Leo replied. He had studied a great deal of geography last year and he was now glad he did. "Huh, what river?!" Len asked in surprise. "The River de Vida," Aly replied. "De veeda?!" Len said as she tilted her head to the side. "No, de Vida, but maybe it should be de Muerte," Zena said with a small laugh. "Muerte?!" Len said as she dropped her mouth open. "Sure, ever since King Tweek took over they should have renamed the river," Aly responded with a grin. "WHOA, rewind!" Len yelled. She clenched her fist as if ready to knock someone upside the head. "The border between Nirawa and Keetanya follows a river..." Aly said very slowly to mock Len. "And we are in Keetanya of course," Leo interrupted. "Right, and the river-border is called River de Vida, don't you know your geography?" Zena continued as she looked at Len and shook her head. "Which means the River of Life," Baha said before Len had a chance to answer. "Oh... and no I don't know my geography, I was living on a frickin mountain! And I'm not originally from here anyways so there!" Len said with disgust. "Oh... well that could do it... anyways, since King Prick... I mean Tweak, took over and screwed stuff up, Zena suggested that we call it the River de Muerte," Aly continued to patiently explain. "River of Death," Shadow translated and began to lick her paw. "Ahhhhh, gotcha," Len said as she smiled and nodded. There was a long pause and Aly looked at Tri who had not said a word for awhile. Instead he stood with his arms crossed, pouting. "Tri?" Aly asked as she lifted one eyebrow. "Aly?" Tri responded bluntly. "Ya alright?" Aly asked with a slight scowl. "Maybe," Tri said, overdramatically pouting. "Oh I'm sorry," Shadow appologized. She stopped licking her paw and looked up at Tri. "I was just a little too hyper I suppose, and besides, I love picking on guys!" "Oh yeah, don't worry Tri, I share your pain," Leo said as he nodded his head. "These girls are all insane!" "Yeah, that's great... Okay Baha, time to spill it!" Zena said as she spun around and faced the dragon. "Yeah Ms. Run-off-just-as-you're-about-to-explain! Tell us what's up," Aly added as she too faced the dragon and crossed her arms. Baha soon found everyone staring at her and figured it was now or never. "Okay, the dragons have a problem, and I've been running back and forth to join in the debates. Choice A, they stay on the island with the rest of the ancients where no human can find them. This choice includes letting the Griffins do whatever the heck they want on the rest of the planet. Choice B is they interfere and try to lock the Griffins back up," Baha explained to the group who listened intently. "Please tell me they picked B," Tri moaned, upset that the dragons would consider not helping. "Well if they pick A it wouldn't take the Griffins long to attack the dragons in revenge for being locked up. And what's worst is they would have plenty of time to build up their army and they could destroy the whole planet before they went after the dragons," Baha continued to explain. "Choice A sucks!" Len yelled. Everyone looked at her briefly as if she was nuts. "It does! Don't stare at me, I'll yell if I want to!" Len screamed again and everyone rolled their eyes at once and returned their gazes to Baha. "I second Len's outburst," Zena said with a sigh. Everyone nodded in agreement. "So what's left is Choice B, however, the dragons have worked for many years on making themselves forgotten by most," Baha said as she gritted her teeth. "Like people from Er-Sha!" Leo said matter-of-factly. "Yeah, the ancients left Er-Sha 1st, there wasn't much cover there from the humans who hunted us," Shadow said as she scowled at Leo. "HEY, don't look at me like that, I never hunted anything except for food!" Leo said in defense of himself. "Anyways," Baha continued, "since I've been spotted several times before and I know you gals and all that, the others have allowed me to continue the hunt for the Griffins. Not that they could stop me anyways," she said with an evil grin. "So since I'm good at keeping out of sight from human eyes, I have volunteered to help you people in finding the Griffins." "WHAT? HEY! We can't get spotted in Nirawa either!" Aly said in frustration. Leo and Len were about to ask why, but thought better of it. "I know that but the dragons are still fighting over how much they should get involved, and some are saying that the more they wait the worst it will be while others are saying so what we don't know where they went and on and on and I'm so sick of it. Wusses!" Baha snorted. "We have to do something at any rate." "Damn," Zena said as she made a fist with her right hand and pounded it into her left palm. "Well what's the plan ya fools?" Len asked impatiently. "Yeah, what's the plan Aly?" Tri added. "Okay... wellll.... Since we don't have much of a choice here," Aly said as she scowled at Baha who shrugged in response, "I propose that we meet at the river a few hours past dusk and cross it without being seen. Until then we should do a little shopping." "Hold up Aly, who said this is over? I mean, yeah I want to get to the bottom of this and all, but if we get caught we are so dead, and then we die, and the land will be lost! Personally I'd rather beat the crap out of those dang Griffins but we are really jumping in over our heads!" Zena said, being unusually realistic. The thought of getting caught scared her, but that's not to say she was afraid of going. "Land is lost?!" Leo asked. "What's that suppose to mean." "Long story," Zena snapped at him. "SORRY!" Leo said, taken aback. "Well, there is a great risk for any of us in Nirawa... They aren't exactly friendly to illegal visitors. So I leave the decision up to you, I for one have to go, I can't stay here knowing that the innocent citizens of Nirawa are in danger," Aly stated as she turned and began walking back to town. The group looked at eachother, questioning their intents. Baha mumbled something about seeing them tonight and she and Shadow disapeared. "I don't know about you three," Zena remarked as she gestured toward Tri Leo and Len, "but I go where Aly goes, and she has a damn good point." Zena sighed and followed after Aly. Tri and Leo exchanged glances. Len cleared her throat to break the silence, and Tri looked at her and blinked. "Well, those girls took off on me once several years ago and I didn't see them of get word from then since yesterday; I'll be damned if I let them disappear on me again! I am so going," Tri spoke and he too turned to leave. "Well Len, it's down to you and me, and I don't think we have such noble reasons for going but-" Leo said as he scratched his head. "Well I'm not going to let them have all the fun... I mean gee, go get some action or return to a lonely old mountain? That's not too hard, I'm going!" Len said, secretly knowing she would miss her cows dearly and hoped they would be fine. "Good, I'm going to. I don't know much about those nuts but I'm sure as heck not gonna back home because things got hairy. This is getting interesting anyways," Leo said as the two of them caught up with the group.