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>	* Star, tell Flerrion and every other dragon at the warren to get here
^right^ now! We have >a very big problem! *

>	Rising out of the nearby trees was another cloud of wraiths. Only this
time, there were a
>lot of them. A very large number of them.

	^�Move it!^� D^�Altar shouted. ^�Get airborne as quick as you can. You^�re a
harder target on your dragon and the wings will be here in no time.^� Jason
and Sharees didn^�t argue with the man, sprinting for their respective
dragons, who leapt into the air as soon as their riders were secure on their
backs.

	Curiously, the wraiths didn^�t attack the riders immediately. The three of
them had made safe distance from the lake, Thornguard having ^�ported back to
the warren with Norin and Tair^�n just as the cry had gone up. In that
moment, Gamma wing chose to make their entrance onto the scene, the almost
perfect formation marred by the conspicuous absence of two dragons.

	< Flerrion says we should take our position, > Starfire informed his rider.

	* Well let^�s do so, * Jason replied, pulling his knees in and Star dipped
his wings, dropping underneath the formation, then drifting upwards to take
their place. * He^�ll probably have words for us later though. *

	The wing moved slowly back and forth for a moment, as if testing their
enemy, before a quick hand motion from T^�rell split them in two, half the
wing disappearing from the scene in a quick ^�port, the others closing ranks
to accommodate the absence.

	The wraiths, however, didn^�t move an inch.

	As Gamma wing ^�ported into the local airspace, T^�rell felt it time to
spring the trap he had been drilling them in for days.

	A single dragon made the first move, jumping the wraiths before they could
do a thing and felling a group of them. As they began to move, the dragon
abruptly disappeared.

	* That^�s the signal, * Jason told his dragon, *let^�s do it! *

	The first group of riders started ^�porting in randomly, executing perfect
slash and run attacks on the wraiths, jumping in and out before they could
concentrate on one individual. Portions of the wraith cloud began to wither
under the assault, the dragons^� flame taking its toll on the unmoving mass.

	Whatever communication system the wraiths had, it obviously took time.
After sitting sedately and being slaughtered for several minutes, they
finally decided to move on the dragonriders.

	Not that it mattered very much.

	The moment the wraiths moved, the rest of Gamma wing joined the attack,
strengthened by the entirety of Beta wing. Dragons flitted back and forth
through the wraith horde, flame lashing out and turning pockets of wraiths
to ashes.

	< Hold on tighter, > Starfire advised his rider as the dragon dropped
suddenly to avoid a wraith, who in turn was being pursued by another dragon.
< Falling off would be terribly embarrassing. >

	* Not to mention hazardous to my health, * Jason replied, gripping his
mount tighter. * There, to the right. * Starfire tilted his head and
projected a stream of flame, scorching two wraiths coming in at an angle.

	< We are a good team, > Starfire commented approvingly, casually
incinerating a wraith that came to close.

	* Don^�t get too cocky, * Jason warned his dragon. * T^�rell will have our
hides otherwise. *

	< I remember, > Starfire replied easily, < I also^�>

	The dragon^�s reply was cut short when a tremendous bolt of pain flashed
through him, echoing in the mind of his rider. The force of it almost
knocked Jason from his straps, his death grip on them saving him from a
nasty fall.

	* Star, what^�s wrong? * Jason wasn^�t able to get any coherent reply, his
dragon to busy writhing in mid air, reaching with a hind claw, trying to get
to a part of his midsection. Through the pain he was experiencing through
the bond, Jason managed to look over his shoulder to where Starfire was
stretching.

	* Shit! * A wraith had attached itself to his friend, seemingly trying to
burn it^�s way through him. Without thinking, Jason reached down and closed
his hand around a part of it, willing himself to ignore the incredible pain
in ^his^ arm while he endeavoured to rip the thing off his dragon^�s hide.

	It did eventually come loose, wrapping itself around Jason^�s wrist and
threatening to move his body. Jason screamed in agony, feeling his flesh
being eaten into by the wraith. Mercifully, he lost feeling in his hand
right about then.

	Starfire twisted his neck around, trying to see what was happening with his
rider. Jason, with an effort, leant forward in his straps and held out his
arm in front of his dragon^�s snout.

	* Do it Star! *

	< No! You^�ll^� >

	* Just do it now! *

	Starfire, still groggy with his own injury, let a small gout of flame issue
out, cleansing his rider of the wraith. Jason felt the acid-like feel of the
creature dissipate as it was reduced to ashes, only to be replaced with the
agony of his arm being burnt away down to the bone.

[..]

	The battle was winding down, the few stray wraiths left being hunted down
and exterminated. Beta wing did a full sweep of the forest and apart from
one or two isolated cases, reported that the wraiths were all gone. Ja^�ks
signalled his wing to return to the warren and after one final survey of the
area, T^�rell did the same.

	* Tell Starfire and Chamelle that I want to speak to their riders when we
get back, * he told Flerrion as they prepared to ^�port back. * No matter the
situation, they need to know that running off alone isn^�t a habit they
should fall into. *

	The green was alive with dragons and riders, most of the humans headed
inside while their bondmates took up positions on the warren^�s crater or
outside their apartments. Sharees was helping Jason down from his dragon, an
unusual act in itself considering, when T^�rell strode up to them.

	^�You two: just what the hell do you think you were doing?^� Sharees glanced
over her shoulder at the wingleader and glared.

	^�Will you give me a hand here?^�

	^�Wha^�^� T^�rell^�s eyes widened as he took a step forward, for the first time
seeing just why the rider would need a hand to climb down from his own
dragon.

	^�You were saying?^� Jason looked at T^�rell with pain-filled eyes, and then
fainted.

****

NRPG: Damn I^�m evil }:>

Submitted by,
			Jason and Starfire
			Daere Warren

aka

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        / \      _-'
      _/|  \-''- _ /
 __-' { |          \          'Listen to them - the children of the
     /              \          night. What sweet music they make!'
     /       "o.  |o }
     |            \ ;                           -Dracula-
                   ',
        \_         __\
          ''-_    \.//          Michael Turek
            / '-____'           mdt02@uow.edu.au
           /		        ICQ #32360480
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