Something woke her.

A sound. Something out of place in the small cell where they had been 
keeping her.

She opened her eyes slowly to find out what it was and froze upon seeing
*him* standing at the end of the bed looking down on her.

She stared up at him to afraid to move, he eyes following him as he came
around to sit on the side of the bed next to her. Nor could she move when
 his hand came up, fingers tracing over the splint Nancia had applied to 
the arm where it ad been broken by his blow.

"This wasn't a very smart move to make my dear," his eyes on the hand 
tracing over the splint. "Who would have thought a little mouse like you
would have though she could win against me. Or have the guts to try."

Her skin burned where he touched her. Though his touch was gentle, she 
knew better then to be deceived by it. Nancia had called him the devil 
and Loran knew this to be true.

"You are luckier then most, being that you are still alive. Others might
 not have been so lucky had they attempted to do what you did little mouse.
But you I have a special need for.. for now." his eyes lifted to seek and
hold hers.

Loan wanted to turn away. She didn't want to look at him, but she couldn't
help it. Some force around him commanded that she obey.

"Do not mistake that to mean you are indispensable. Soon I will no longer
have any need of your human body at all.
But in the mean time I have decided to be merciful to you and rescind my
order to keep you away from your queen."

"I can see Sphere?" she dared to ask in a soft hopeful voice. Then 
wondered what his asking price for his show of mercy would be. It didn't
really matter. She would do it.

"Yes.... if I have your word... that you will behave yourself and that 
there will be no more showings of... temper on your part," he told her 
as if scolding a naughty child. "By following orders you will show me 
that your word is good. Do as you are told and you will be allowed to 
spend a few more hours each day with your Queen. Disobey and you will 
be held here and not allowed to see her at all. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded her head to afraid to speak for fear he would take away his 
offer. For the chance to be with her queen she would promise anything. 
And then make damn sure her plans for escaping worked right the first 
time. For she knew one chance was all she was going to be allowed to 
have. 

He'd kill her for sure if she failed.

"Thank...you..." she said and bowed her eyes to make him think she was
submissive. But her mind was already speeding up her plans to get out of
there. All she needed was one or two trips to see Sphere and if Nancia 
didn't back out on her .. or turn her in... she just knew she could pull 
it off.

She had too.

"Fine. Then if you would like to see her now, come with me," he stood up 
and offered her his hand. She had to work hard not to show how repulsive 
the simple offer effected her, but placed her good hand in his and allowed
him to help her up off of the bed.

To see Sphere she would do almost anything.

He led her from the room and down the hall way. The three guards fell 
into step behind them, following until they came to the cave. Once there 
he motioned for the guards to open the large wooden gates and stepped back 
to allow her to proceed him into the cavern. 

"Remember your promise little mouse," he reminded her then left, the 
guards remaining to take up their positions near the entrance. 

<<Sphere I'm here love!!>> Loran called out rushing to the Queen's side.
Forgotten was everything around them for the moment as the two of them
touched and shared again the love bond between them. 

<I was afraid!> Sphere told her, wing wrapping around her rider. <*HE* 
came to see me. He scares me. He's the same yet different, but still 
saying I will be his soon. The he said you would not be allowed to come 
see me anymore.>

<<They've done something to him,>> Loran told her, shivering as she
remembered the change in some of the humans around her as well. <<Somehow
they did something to the humans as well... Oh Sphere... we have to get 
out of here.>>

<Yes.. we do. He said I will soon be like them and then I won't need you 
any more. I love you my human and don't want to live without you. We must 
get out of here!!>

<<But where will we go?>>

<To my mother,> the queen told her. <I remember how loving she was to us 
when we were in the egg and I think I can get us there from the pictures 
she used to show us when she would tell us about our home. We will go to 
her and she will protect us!>

<<Yes... >> she allowed herself to hope. <<Then that is what we will do.>>

First though she had to see Nancia and find out if the girl would go along
with the plan she had come up with. Everything depended on the girl's help.
For without it she didn't know what they would do.

Time to get things in motion.

She turned and walked slowly back to where the guards were stationed by 
the door. Waited until they gave her permission to speak.

"Please ... with my arm in this cast... I beg of you to allow me the help 
of another to help me in oiling my Queen," she said softly and waited 
until they acknowledged her request. 

The door to the cavern was opened before they could say anything, and 
Loran had to hide her relief when she saw Nancia walk in with a try in 
her hand, followed by two others with meat for the Queen.

"I was ordered to bring the queen's rider a meal," she told the guards 
and lifted the tray to show them. "And give her this robe for he thought 
she may be chilled and was worried about her health."

The girl was dressed in the same white robe she had brought in to Loran. 
It was part of the plan the girl had come up with and the rest of the plan
depended on their ruse working to pull it off. With the long sleeves of 
the rob hiding the cast on her arm, they had hopes of fooling the guards 
when they made their exchange.

"Very well she may eat, but you will stay and help her take care of the 
beast before you go," the trainer gave the order then the men sat back 
and ignored the women.

Loran and Nancia wondered back over to the queen followed by the men with 
the queen's meal, and as Nancia set up the tray barring the riders food,
Loran took the robe and slipped it on. Then before she turned back to her 
own meal, she motioned the men forward and waited as they deposited the
buckets of meat near the queens mouth. She had to hide her smile as the 
men moved away from there quickly before Sphere could make a meal of them too.

"Okay you know what to do next?" she whispered sometime later when the 
two of them had moved over to oil the far side of the queen.

"Yes... I stay here while you leave pretending to be me," Nancia repeated
that part of their plan. "Then I go back to your cell when they say it's 
time and you'll come get me out later just before we're ready to go?"

"Right... just be real sure to keep the hood on to cover your face and 
make sure your hair falls forward so they think it's me. Our hair color 
is about them same so I'm sure they won't notice. Just make sure to keep 
you head down so they can't see your face."

With the queen oiled, Loran/Nancia moved to retrieve the food tray and 
slowly walked without saying a word to the great door. She wanted to run 
to them, but forced herself to walk slowly and then stood there until the
doors were open and she past by without a second glance. 

Outside she stalled long enough to find the spot on the wall where the 
key to the lock was placed and then moved on.

Her heart rate accelerated as she kept on walking down the corridor 
towards the kitchen area, but when she came to the fork in the cave, she 
took the right hall leading back towards her cell instead of the left one
towards the kitchen. 

Once she found the right room, she again looked around to see if she 
could spot where they might hide the key to her door, and noticed that 
there was no lock as she had assumed. Only a bar that could be dropped 
into place that prevented the door from being opened from the inside.

Well that was good to know, she thought and looked around for a place 
to hide and still be able to see them when they came back. 

It was Sphere who warned her sometime later that they were on their way. 

<They do not suspect anything so far,> the queen told her rider and kept 
up a running monologue until they came into the girls line of sight. 

They led Nancia/Loran to the cell door, but when she should have entered
alone, the trainer followed her in and the others turned to go.

Loran nearly panicked, sure now that their plan would be found out and 
*he* would fulfill the promised threat of never allowing her to see 
Sphere again.

She heard a scream coming from inside the cell and had to fight back the 
urge to race forward. She was free now and could as easily take off 
without the other girl and escape before their switch was discovered. 
Her feet moved, taking six steps back the way they had come, when she 
heard the second scream and the girls pleases for the man to stop. She
stopped, her heart spoke to her. 

<Forgive me Sphere...> she cried knowing she couldn't leave the girl 
to face what should have been her fate. It was her fault the girl was 
in this mess. 

Sounds of footsteps coming closer reminded her that she could be 
questioned if caught here so she quickly retraced her steps to her 
hiding place until they past.

Moments where lost, she didn't know how many but prayed she wouldn't 
be to late to help her friend. Slowly she slipped from her hiding place,
looked around and listened for the sounds of anyone else coming then 
made her way to the door of the cell. 

As the door hadn't been locked when they had entered, she had only to 
push it open slowly and step inside.

What she saw early made her scream. The unmoving body of the trainer 
laid on the bed. The knife sticking out of his back gave testimony as 
to what had happened. 

"I couldn't take it again..." Nancia cried when their eyes met. "I
couldn't.... he.. he made me...he hurt me.. and I killed him for it."

The tattered state of the girl's clothing, and the dark bruises forming, 
told Loran what all had taken place, though she had known already. She 
had to fight back the need to throw up, thinking this should have been 
and would have been her if the two of them hadn't traded places. 

"We need to go Nancia..." she said softly moving to pick up the girls 
long robe and helped her to put it on. "We have to leave now before his 
body is discovered."

"Yes... leave. We need to leave," the girl muttered and allowed herself 
to be led from the room out into the hall way. "We need to leave... to 
go to..."

What else she would have said was cut off as Loran dragged her into a 
small opening to wait as three men walked past them and preceded on 
down the hall. 

When she was sure the coast was once again clear she started them back 
to towards the queen's cave. 

<<Sphere love be ready we are right outside and I when open the gate 
you need to come out quickly so we can mount you!>> she warned the 
beast and felt her own relief and fears echoed in their mind bond.

<I am ready... hurry my rider... hurry!! Before *he* comes back>

Sphere exited the cave and leaned down to help her rider and the other 
human mount her then slowly made her way to the opening that led to the
outside. Once there they heard the warning given by the humans guarding 
the opening and Loran yelled for the queen to lift off and fly away.

Something whizzed past her and she spared a quick glance back over her
shoulder to see archers setting up along the rim of the rock facing, 
bows pointed in their direction, then heard Nancia cry out as an arrow
pierced her upper leg. 

Underneath them they both felt the queen bunching up her muscles to make 
the jump into the air and then they were airborne. 

"Hang on to me!!" she screamed back to her friend. "We'll soon be at a 
place where they can help you!!"

"NO!! I can't do it!! I can't!" Nancia screamed and tried to pull out 
of the grip Loran had on her to keep her from falling as they winged 
away. 

"You have to hold on!!" Loran screamed, fighting to get a better grip 
on the girl. "We'll make it to Geode soon and they can help you!! We'll 
be free there!!"

"NO!! I can never be free ever again!!" Nancia cried. "You don't
understand!!! They did something to me when he raped me!!! They put 
something inside me that they wanted me to take to the Warren!!! They 
KNEW we were planning an escape and they let us go!!! They wanted to 
use me to spread this thing in the Warren to help defeat them!!!"

"What are you talking about!"

"I can't... tell you... but I .. I won't do what they want!! I have to 
end it now before this things takes over what little bit of me is left!! 
Let go of me my friend!!! Let go of me it's the only chance the two of 
you and Geode have to survive!!! I beg of you let me do this one last 
thing for you!!! LET GO!!"

Loran didn't want to. She fought to keep her hold on the girl, but 
Nancia gave one final push and slid her body over the side of the queen 
and before Loran could stop her, Nancia let go and fell downward to her death.

<My rider do not feel sad,> Sphere forced her thoughts into her riders 
mind when she felt the girl's link to her shutting down in her sorrows. 
<The human did what was right. She loved you enough to give up her own 
life to save ours. Do not let that sacrifice mean nothing. You should 
honor her and see that her life meant something.>

<<You're right my love. Come... if you're sure you know where to go, we 
need to make the jump now before it's to late.>>

Indeed. For other dragons from the rogue Warren were already in the air
pursuing the escaping pair. The one dragon Sphere feared and hated the 
most was in the lead and not to far behind them. Sitting on his back, 
Loran recognized the man she feared. The one who she knew would kill 
her if they were caught.

She turned back and when Sphere flashed a picture in her mind of a large
geode crater she forgot about everything around them and focused her 
thoughts on the image, keeping it in her mind. 

Then seconds later they were there in the air above it and being 
surrounded by other dragons. 

<MOTHER!!!> Sphere called out above the dim being created by the 
thoughts of other dragons. <Mother tell them to let us land!!! They 
are scaring my human!!>

<<Daughter? Sphere!!>> Melith called out and moved to the entrance 
of the hatching cave to look up in the air. 

<Please mother!>

<<LET THEM LAND!!>> the Sr. Queen called out and saw the other 
dragons veer off making a path to allow the new queen to land. 

Loran slid over the side of her dragon to the ground and turned to 
face a tall dark headed rider approaching her.

"Please.... I need to talk to the person in charge," she told him 
when he came to stand before her. "I have news of an attack that 
will soon be taking place against this place."

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

Nrpg: humm... a hellspawn being planet in Geode... thought it might 
make a nice twist....I'm sure someone would have thought about it. 

Well Loran and Sphere are in Geode now... and boy do they have a 
tale to tell... just think of the things one can over hear when 
others don't think they are listening.... humm....

*****Submitted by: *******

Loran & Sphere
Geode Warren

aka
Barb