(Kivessa) Kivessa sighed with relief. The Pashe-ki were finally fleeing.
*Ah, good. Charmiaz, can you see who's been injured?* Kivessa asked her silver dragon, who was flying high in the sky. Kivessa climbed down the tree she had sought refuge in, and walked over to the nearby meadow, where she told Charmiaz to land.
*Yeah, just a sec...* Charmiaz replied, then swooped down and backwinged to a halt. *Uh oh...one of Arenta's wingsails has been severed, and Torbie and Elan are nowhere in sight... in fact, WE'RE the closest to them!*
*Then, I guess we better get over there then!* Kivessa yelled, and scampered up Charmiaz's side. She strapped herself in, and Charmiaz took off with a hard jerk. A few seconds later they were on the ground again, next to Arenta. The wound had already crusted over, luckily, but the ground was spattered with deep crimson droplets of blood. Plaeshette was drenched in blood, but she didn't seem to care as she sputtered out what had happened.
"The... Pashe-ki... it... it tore right into..." she tried to keep her tears from showing in her eyes.
Kivessa didn't have anything to say, not knowing what would be right to say at that moment. She got off of Charmiaz and went to inspect Arenta's wing. It didn't look pretty. The sail had been torn off from half-way down the wing right to the leading edge of the wing.
Charmiaz moved over to Arenta, careful not to step on Kivessa and Plaeshette, and nudged Arenta's wing with her nose, giving some encouragement. Charmiaz moved her wingtip up to touch with Arenta's, and instantly, Arenta's wing started bleeding. Arenta bellowed in pain, and Charmiaz quickly thought to Kivessa.
*The only way we can help is if we mold her a new wing...* Charmiaz said, and suddenly got a very odd look in her eyes. She put her front arm on a large rock nearby, and she delicately touched her wingtip to Arenta's again. She closed her eyes in concentration, and suddenly, Arenta's wingsail started seaming together. And the rock started shrinking.
*Charmiaz, are you using the rock's molecules to repair Arenta's damage?* Kivessa asked Charmiaz, suprised that she hadn't thought of it herself.
*Yeah, and I guess it's working* she replied. Kivessa abruptly felt extremely tired, and flopped to the ground. *Charmie, that's a total drain on MY energy. I wonder how you must feel.* Soon, Charmiaz was finished repairing. The new flesh was tinged slightly silverish, but at least the flesh was there.
"Thank you so much!" Plaeshette said, grinning through her dirty face. *I bet I'm just as dirty,* Kivessa thought to herself.
"No problem," Kivessa replied. "Just get back home safely."
"The Pashe-ki have retreated, right? So that won't be a problem," she replied as Arenta tested out her fixed wing. She climbed up Arenta's extended forearm and strapped herself in. "See you later!" she yelled just as Arenta took off, flying normally again.
*Let's go home Charmie, I bet Tavin is waiting,* Kivessa told Charmiaz. Kivessa got back on Charmiaz and she sprung up into flight.

Kaya sat on a small recliner in Kivessa's lair, waiting impatiently for her return. She should have been back by now; unless she had run into trouble, that was. Kaya twitched and twiddled her thumbs, becoming impatient.

Elan frowned, scanning the battle, leaning over Torbie's neck. The little silver was digging in the soil with one claw, making a big smiley face.

"Whatever are you doing?" Elan asked, wearily bored.

:I'm making the ancient sign of the ancients,: Torbie explained with a draconic grin. :It's an ancient, ancient, ancient sign.:

Elan cocked an eyebrow. "You're bored, aren't you?"

:Hee hee! Yup.:

Elan flicked the little silver behind her horn, and Torbie responded by throwing her neck upward. Elan took temporary flight, yelling as loudly as she could.

:Oops! Coming, Elan!: The silver dashed as quickly as her feet could take her and safely caught Elan.

"You big silver ball of Black Eagle droppings!" howled Elan. "You could have had me killed!"

Giggling, Torbie nuzzled her rider. :Don't worry! I'm always here for you!:

Elan grinned, but soon it fell.

"A dragon's down! We're so far! Omigosh, Torbie, we've got to get there!"

:ACK! Hop on, Elan!:

It was apparent to the two as they began rising above tree level that they wouldn't reach there in time before Kivessa and Charmiaz would.

:Elan, you're not armed.:

"I'm not... oh, dear."

:Don't worry... the Pashe-ki are retreating... I suppose that we'd better fly back to Dragon Moon.:

"We could only heal two, then?" Elan frowned as they began to fly back to Dragon Moon. "That's hardly acceptable! They may boot us out!"

:You, maybe! Never me! I'm special!:

Elan gave her silver a deserved bop on the head.

Kaya peered down the hall, looking past the darkened to see what was in them. her blood ran cold as something darker than the shadows themselves moved.
"So, Wingleader Kivessa, do we go get weapons, or scream and run?" She said, her voice on the breach of panic, trying to make it clear to Kivessa she was not going to lead the situation.
"Both," Kivessa replied, her voice quavering slightly, "there should be come weapons on this floor."
"Oh yeah right, like we're going to fend ourselves off with a spatula!" Kaya exploded comically.
"Shut up, and run towards Eli's lab! Its on this floor!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Kaya said and began to sprint, hoping the Pashe'ki hadn't noticed them yet.
Someone came sprinting down the hall from the oposite direction, heading towards the Pashe'ki. He grabbed Kaya's wrist and kept sprinting. She pivoted and ran to keep up so she wasn't dragged by her wrist.
"P'zaz, slow down! I need to breathe!" She yelled at him, as her legs began to tire.
The pace slowed a bit, and suddenly P'zaz threw something back at her. It was cold and darkly colored. She caught the gun deftly, and poised it to be ready in her hand.
Kivessa and Tavin had sprinted ahead of them, and there were many people behind them, many still in riding gear from the Pashe'ki attack outside the citadel before.
She caught her breath and ran ahead of P'zaz a few paces, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
"I'm almost sure you're not going to die, but just in case, I love you." She told him, then they ran the rest of the way to the battle.
Kaya began to wonder who had gotten hurt when they had entered in the first place.
Her thoughts strayed to aiming, and finding where they had come in.
The battle was coming to an end as most of the Pashe'ki who had attacked lay lifeless on the floor, when more poured in from somewhere unknown. Kaya was almost out of bullets, and hoped maybe someone would come with more weapons. There still were a few Dragons with their Riders outside the citadel, hopefully they'd get back soon.

Torbie was lazily flying when, all of a sudden, she caught a mind message flying out from Charmiaz.
:Help! Pashe'ki are in the Citadel! Ammunition and medical assistance is needed!:
Torbie swerved violently, nearly upsetting her daydreaming rider, who clutched onto the saddle-horn of her seat and nearly fell.
"Whaaaaa?! Where are we going?!"
:The Pashe'ki are in the Citadel! They need ammunition and medical assistance!:
"Hey, for once, we're good at both of those things. Great! Let's go!"
Torbie shunted powerfully with her wings and soon dove toward the storehouse. It was unguarded, probably because of the invasion. Elan hopped off of her ride, dashed inside, and then rushed back out, her arms up to the brim with weapons and bullets, and a sack full of more besides. She was breathing hard by the time she loaded them onto Torbie's back.
Torbie took off weakly, but finally managed to get her wings back into stride as she sluggishly moved to the top of the tower where she had received the coordinates to the invasion.
Elan prepared her medical supplies and Torbie grabbed sacks of weapons in her mouth. They charged into the room without caution...
And dumped the arsenal they had dragged up there to the feet of a violent Pashe'ki that lunged at the unarmed pair.
Bullets were rolling everywhere and Elan just managed to duck out of the way of a piercing beak. Torbie squealed in fear; she wasn't much more than a teen yet, and she still faintly smelled like a hatchling. It was enough to send any young dragon into fits of fear.
"Ooooh, boy!" Elan howled. "Fly for it, Torbie!"
:But what about...:
"The stupid black thing is in my way! Just get out while you can!"
The young silver didn't leave; she charged and butted the black eagle with her head. The big bird went rolling, but then a second black eagle snapped up from the shadows and pierced through her small forearm. Torbie and Elan screamed in fear, dodging to the back of the room as the two Pashe'ki closed in, separated from the weapons and the only way out...

Kivessa kept running down the hallway, turning at the lab's door so sharply she skidded and just about fell. She knew he usually kept the weapons in the closet to the left of the door, right beside his desk. She ran to face the closet, and quickly threw the doors open. The lock that was usually found fastening the doors shut was nowhere to be seen.
*Empty!* Kivessa yelled in her mind, and cursed quietly out loud. Not wanting to waste any more time than she had already, she frantically searched around for anything to help her in the battle. *Scissors? No those won't do...* she chucked the scissors aside and brushed some paper off of a particularly messy table. *Ah!* Kiv had found a gun. She grabbed it, and as she ran out of the room, she strapped it to her wrist, making sure it had bullets. It did.
She checked the hallway to make sure it was safe to exit by peeking her head out carefully, pointing her gun in each direction. It was hazard-free, so she ran lightly.
*Charmiaz, how you doing?* she thought to her silver dragon, just as she stopped right before an intersection of hallways. She pressed herself against the wall, straining her ears for any betraying sounds.
*Fine... just a few scratches, but other than that...* Kivessa knew Charmiaz was in flight by the tone of her strained voice. *Elan's in trouble! Ondran just flew by her lair, and she was seen cornered by two Pashe-ki!*
*Well, I'm... on the main level, that's at least 15 stories up! I won't make it in time... let's hope someone gets there before...* Kiv let the sentence hang in the air. She could hear people shouting, and running in her direction. She looked around the corner carefully where she thought the sound was coming from, and saw a group of people, unknown by the shadows of the strange lighting. Behind the group was at least one Pashe-ki.
Kivessa pulled herself back against the wall. Holding her gun in front of her with both hands, she debated what to do. *Wait for them to get closer and risk losing a valuable person, or risk getting myself trampled?* They were getting evidently closer, so she made her decision.
Kiv stepped out into the middle of the hallway, pointing her gun in front of her at the oncoming crowd. They must have held a lot of trust in her, for they all hit the floor like rocks. The Pashe-ki lept to devour the surrendered, but Kivessa fired her gun and the first one flew back a good ten feet with the impact, knocking the sadistic creature behind it down as well. The group of five people - Kivessa had made a quick count as she ran over to them, wanting to be rid of the Pashe-ki as soon as possible - got up and fired at least one shot each at the pinned down Pashe-ki. The two creatures were dead.
*Uh... Kiv, we have an infiltration on the bronze floor,* came a voice, recognized as Tavin's, in Kivessa's mind. It took a few seconds to click in. There were freshly laid eggs on the bronze floor... and they must be kept at all costs...
*All Dragonriders, if not engaged in current battle, to the bronze floor!* Kivessa broadcast through Charmiaz to all dragons within reach. *Let's just hope this isn't going to be a slaughter...* Kivessa thought grimly to herself as she ran along with the five others to the stairwell.

"Ah," Plaeshette sighed as she floated through the air on Arenta's back. *Wow, Arenta... our first battle!* she thought, hugging the Bronze's neck. *Ah, yes. And quite an eventful one at that!* Arenta replied, smiling. *I hope you don't try that stunt until you're sure of how to do it!* Plaeshette reffered to how Arenta tried to become invisible with little success and had her wing torn. They landed softly at the bronze level and emerged into Plaeshette's Lair. "Where were you?" Euloxu demanded as they stepped inside. "Oh, get a life!" she flicked him off, remebering how seething mad she was at him; he who didn't want her to protect her planet. He sighed, "Well, Arenta... how was it?" She too turned her back on him and growled under her breath. He sighed again and went into the kitchen. Just then... Plaeshette heard a terrible shreik and ran to the enterance... only to face something so terrible... so hideous... so horrific she herself shreiked, "Black Eagles!" She ran and got her sword off the table and jumped on Arenta, *Charge!* Arenta screamed, making Plaeshette laugh.
They arrived on the main floor, struggling to fight off a large eagle on the way up. Swinging senslessly, she stabbed its wing. It shreiked in pain and retreated. Plaeshette winced at the hideous sight above; people chased by eagles, and a few of her teammates trying thier hardest to kill. *Arenta...* Plaeshette instructed with utmost importancy, *Find Kaya and Kivessa and tell them that we are in desprate need on the main floor! And hurry!* she added as the bronze zipped away. She picked up her sword and had begun to fight two smaller eagles when the large black creature she had injured before appeared. The smaller eagles scurried, in fear of the larger one. With one fowled swoop, Plaeshette was on her back; flatted by the eagle's foot. Struggling to get up, she ran to the wall. It had scraped her shoulder as it was now bleeding profusley, and it was going numb from loss of blood. She swung her sword and hit its wing again, although it did no more than to hinder the eagles steps and make it angrier. Plaehsette was knocked against the wall, almost unconcious when she heard a faint call for help nearby...

*Bronze floor, now!* Kaya heard an urgent pull of Fyra in her mind, transmitting the order from Kivessa.
*Okay, okay.... watch me run stairs* Kaya swore under her breath, and ran full out up the stairs.
Kaya slammed into the first door she saw, bursting it open to find Plaeshette at mercy to a Pashe'ki, leaning wearily against the stone wall, blood drying into her clothes and seeping into her hair, giving her a haunting look.
Kaya leveled her gun, aiming it to the Pashe'ki's soft chest.
The Pashe'ki lifted its head slightly to notice her, and when it did she let out a shot. It came close to her target, hitting the Pashe'ki a bit lower than she intended, but still in the vital organs.
A hideous shreik escaped its jaws as it crumbled to the ground, bleeding profusely.
Kaya didn't hesitate to run to Plaeshette. She already knew the wound seemed to be bleeding from the shoulder, but she had run no further checks with her Ecolocation or such. She did so now, thankful the wound hasn't caused any problems to her muscles or tendons, but worrying about the loss of blood. She ran to the next room to find something clean to bind the wound with, since her clothes were stained in blood.
Kaya clamped her hands over her mouth to stiffle a gasp as she almost tripped over a limp looking body on the floor. She quickly found the cloth she was looking for and did up Plaeshette's wound as best she could, then went over to the other body. She couldn't identify it, she didn't know the person, and gave a mental cry to anyone in the vicinity with more advanced medical training for help.
*I've got two wounded, one looks almost fatal, HELP!*