"My WORD!" exclaimed Peren, "You're growing so FAST!" He chuckled as he
watched the sleek black dragon finish off her noon day meal.  Giving him
a sardonic sideways glance Sheava took the last bite of what was a
completely satisfying lunch.

     *Now, now dear Peren; wasn't it you who had visions of soaring
through the air astride "A Great Black Beast"* she jokingly questioned
him.
     
     "Yeah, but I didn't realize that my "Great Black Beast" would be so
fat that there would be soaring room for seven!"  He slapped the side of
her scaly body then absentmindedly began rubbing all the sand off her
hide.  "Are you going to able to carry me with no wings?"
    
     *Of course.  I carry twice your weight each day in food alone.  My
folk have always been excellent flyers.* There was a hint of pride in
her thoughts that reassured Peren that he would be able to ride her if
she said he could.  *Besides, genious, what would I do with wings when I
burrow underground?  They make nice ornamentation, sure, but completely
useless if ya ask me.*

    *Well,* Peren sent through their bond, *you keep growing, cuz i'm
looking forward to  soaring.*  He finished wiping the sand from her
body.  Placing his back against Sheava's, he let his mind wander;
reestablishing a connection with the land around him.  The land here was
much, well, healthier; was the only way he could describe it.  Sheava
had been apprehensive to leave the wastelands.  In fact they had argued
about it for days.  Finally, however she agreed to leave on the
condition that they would make trips back once in a while to her
hatching ground.  Reluctantly, they made their way farther and farther
from the waste borders, with each step Peren felt the familiar sense of
rightness that came from the land return.

***

The burst of flame caught the side of the building and immediately began
spreading from thatch roof to thatch roof.  People ran screaming as the
attacks of fire continued.  A lone woman darted from one building,
desperately cradling a small bundle within her arms.  

     "Too easy, my dear....you're making this way too easy." He flew in
quietly and quickly behind her.  Coming up from her right, he brought
out two blades, and made short work of the victim, instantly forgetting
about the squirming bundle now underneath her.

     A rider caught up to him a little later on to give him a report of
the situation.  "It's done.  The village is demolished, and everyone is
either dead or," he grinned maliciously, looking around at the scene of
near carnage, "will be shortly.  A few of them managed to escape and run
for the hills, but they aren't worth the trouble of pursuing."

     "Excellent," the leader smiled, "did everyone get a share of the
plunder?" he asked  greedily eyeing the full purse on the liutenant's
belt.

     "Of course," he replied "we left your share in the town center. 
You looked a little preoccupied at the moment."  Scanning for one last
time the woman's body the two riders left the scene, racing back to the
heart of what once was a prominent trading village.

***

     Peren awoke with a start, clutching the end of Sheava's tail that
lay on the ground next to him.  "Did you feel it?"  he asked frantically
getting up and gathering his things.  "Its not that far, if we hurry, we
might be able to help..." 

     Looking away Sheava sighed gently and rested her head upon the
ground.  *Leave it be, Peren.  There is nothing you can do.  And,* she
sent, a thought that made Peren suddenly uncomfortable and wanting to be
far away from the incident, *there is a certain justice here...*

     With that, she closed the link between them and fell back into a
fitful sleep.

***

     In a sour and difficult mood, Peren left the sleeping Sheava and
began walking in a random direction.  He would make sure that they would
investigate the situation when he returned to her.  He couldn't forget
the final expressions of the woman that was slaughtered mercilessly in
his vision.

     For what seemed like  hours, Peren roamed the woods trying to put
the vision in the back of his mind.  He turned and made his way to where
his dragon companion lay, obviously sleeping and not particulary phazed
by what Peren had seen.

     *heartless bitch* he whispered through the bond.  Apparently she
was still sleeping because he felt no response.  Immediately he was glad
the bond was not that sensitive, not wanting to hurt his friend and
realizing that his vision was probably no more than a dream anyway. 
But, he wondered, what did she mean when she said "There is a certain
justice here"...?

- Justin

[NRPG:]  Now what, I wonder, would motivate such an attack?...



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