(Two of four)


***  A Close Escape  ***



She knew she shouldn't be answering the questions the voices kept bugging
her with even as the words spilled from her lips. But there was no way she
could stop them. 

She tried to fight them. Knowing that her answers would bring pain to
herself and death to those she loved, but the voices were strong. So she
started concentrating on pictures of different things to take her mind away
from the voices. This trick worked until the pictures in her mind seem to
grow grayer and grayer and, then the bad pictures flashed before her. The
bad pictures that had haunted her dreams for the longest of time. This was
almost worse then the voice that kept after her for answers to the questions
she knew she shouldn't. It all became to much for her, the fighting the
voices. The pain that seemed to attack her whole body, and finally her mind
fought back and shut itself down forcing her mind to slip into the blackness
of nothingness where she was finally safe. 

The voices couldn't touch her there.

Xaxan knew something was wrong the moment his human's mind began to *feel*
funny. Something happening to her was affecting his own thoughts and he knew
if he didn't do something soon the human known as Trevor might find out more
then was good for him.

More then was good for Xaxan's own Queen.

He tired to make his human get up and leave, but as soon as the thought
would enter his mind, something else would come to mind and he couldn't seem
to keep up with what he was trying to get her to do.

Then he came up with the idea of showing her the pictures he had shown her
in her dreams and it scared her enough that her mind finally shut down...
and the voice of the one named Trevor could no longer bring a response from
her. 

Xaxan waited. Biding his time undetected until the Trevor left the girls
apartment, and then waited a bit longer to make sure he was really gone.

When he figured enough time had gone by, he *woke* his human host from the
darkness he'd left her in and force her to get up and move towards the
dragon beast outside.

She had told the dratted human male more then she should have before Xaxan
could stop her and now that he knew about the cave... Xaxan was sure others
would come to know about it too. Some human's just didn't know when to keep
their big mouths shut. This Trevor seemed to be one of those.

He had to get there ahead of them and warn his queen. She would know what to
do to keep her hive safe.

Yes... Get to his Queen...

............... 

"You did right by coming here and telling me of this," his Queen told him
sometime later after he had arrived on the purple beast and been granted an
audience with her. 

"Thought it would have been better if you had been able to kill the human
instead of allowing him to leave to tell others," the Queen added and Xaxan
knew she was just a bit upset with him.

"I am sorry my Queen," he made the female bow low before her as if in
apology. "I know not what it was that the Trevor human used to trick this
unworthy human host of mine, but I could not seem to stop her from speaking.
This Trevor human must die."

"Oh he will," the Queen promised, and if a wraith Hellspawn Queen knew what
bitter amusement was, Xaxan might have recognized the tone in her reply. "He
will die along side of every last human who invades our lands."

Xaxan was quiet. He knew his queen was thinking, and knew it was healthier
not to interrupt her when she did so. So he waited until such time as she
spoke again to give him his new orders.

He didn't have long to wait.

"You will take this pitiful human female somewhere no one can find you until
morning," the Queen told him. "Then when the sun comes up you will go to the
place that the human's have infested and if she is not yet dead... You will
find a way to kill the female who rules over the dragons."

"But what of you my Queen? And the others of the hive?" Xaxan dared to ask,
knowing her order was more then it seemed. For if he killed the human woman,
then others would surely take the life of his own host body, and without
her..... "And who will bespeak Amar for you if I am..."

"You will do as you are told without questions," the queen's tone was now
angry. Xaxan did recognize that emotion. "I could give this honor to another
and it will be his name spoken of during the victory that will follow."

It was an honor Xaxan decided he could do without, but he bowed low to his
Queen knowing she might well decide he wasn't needed even for that *honor*
if he spoke up again. Then backed away from her before turning when he
reached the entrance of the big cave and made his way back outside to where
the big beast was waiting.

It was all Amar's fault. If the newer Hellspawn had done the job he had been
made for then Xaxan might have had a longer life. But no... The human
hopping 'spawn hadn't been able to stay in any one place long enough to get
done what he was suppose to do... and not Xaxan would have to pay the price.

Was there no justice?

They mounted the beast and took off. As they lifted to the proper height,
Xaxan searched the females mind to try and locate a place where they could
hide out until morning... and the end of life as he knew it. Then she
flashed upon a place that seemed to bring a fight to her, and Xaxan was evil
enough to force her to go to that place. Why should he be the only one
living the last few hours of his life in fear.....

Fear... it wasn't an emotion that his kind recognized... Maybe he'd been
around this human to long and was finding out more about them then was known
before. If only his queen could see the advantage in that, instead of
thinking him tainted by the experience. 

One moment they were in the air above the cave and the next they were inside
a vas cavern with a lake covering over three quarters of the bottom. He
directed the human to have the beast land on the sandy dry part as far from
the water as it could and then dismounted the beast to await morning.

He was hoping it would turn out to be a Very *long* night.

================== 

Nrpg:

Coming next..... the Nomad's meet with Cynthia..... I've got the post
started but wanted to get these other ones out first..... since it's been so
long..... 

The next two will be out in a day or so... I've already got the forth one
written :)

***Submitted by: *****

Lenna & Blanchie
Xaxan
Cleft Warren

Aka
Barbara