David stood with the other dragonriders who had gathered, watching the
wraiths flying and dropping off what looked to be tribute.

The leader, or at least that was what David had puzzled out, was talking
to Waylene.  The voice hissed through the air, and David could not help
but wince when he caught the words.  Something about them pulled at his
memory, made his mind feel as if it were twitching violently.

*The queen wants us to dstroy them!* Kaylin thought loudly, his huge bulk
shifting back and forth, belly full of gas ready to be ignited.

*Hold on a second Kaylin...* David thought, and caught another sentance
from the wraiths leader.  His mind fuzzed over again, and David felt
dizzy.  Grabbing the shoulder of a nearby rider, David held himself
steady.

"Are you ok?" The rider asked.

*The wraith is hurting you, I can feel it!* Kaylin though, and flamed one
of the nearby creatures.  Other dragons followed suit.

>Suddenly the human-like wraith emitted a scream and soared high into
>the sky. Waylene looked over to where the lines of wraiths had moved to
>just outside the warren, to them being flamed to ash by several dragon
>who had finally gotten the presence of mind to answer Aura's angry
>orders.

The scream pierced David's skull, and brief, shattered memories began to
trikle into his consciousness.  Fighting a wave of nausea, and with the
help of the nearby rider, he managed to avoid passing out.

>The screaming wraith zipped back to float just above Waylene, "I brought
>your thingssss back to you .. and you kill usssss! Evil issss here!
>Evil!!"

>"Evil?!" Waylene asked incredulously.  "It you who are evil! Killing
>innocents! What do you expect? What do you hope to gain!"

Sevral riders managed a roar of approval.

>"The amulet ... we musssst have the amulet! We mussst sssstop the evil
>onesssss...."

David looked up, a vision of an amulet captured in his mind for a brief
second.  "The amulet..." he whispered to himself.  "I remember."

"What did you say?" The rider asked.

David just shook his head and straightened up.  He didn't feel sick
anymore.  "I'm not sure." He said, and nodded, "Thanks for the help."

>"Amulet?" Waylene asked, not having a clue what the thing was talking
>about.

>The wraith soared back into the skies, dodging as a dragon suddenly came
>at her. The single wraith that had remained with her suddenly was ash and
>she screamed again, almost as though she were in agony over the loss of
>her minions. "We want the amulet ..." She screamed one last time then
>sped out of the warren.

>Waylene shook her head, "What Amulet?"

David heard his warrenlady, and knew he could help.  Walking towards her,
he thought about what he would say.... and what he remembered.
>"I think I know .." He said, in answer to her question.

Waylene turned to see David standing a short distance away, his face
looking a bit tired, but his eyes showing that his mind was thinking
heavily about something.

"Well, what do you know David?" Waylene asked after the rider had not
answered.

He thought about it for a while longer, and shrugged.  "Back a few years
ago, when the wraiths had just started to act strangely and Malk.... I
can't remember his full name... was leading them."

Waylene nodded, remembering the event vividly.

"I had come across an amulet..." He shook his head, as if trying to
remember.  "I... can't remember how, but the last time I remember having
it was in the caves.  But I lost it somehow..."

"Perhaps it dropped in the caves?" Waylene asked, her voice eager.

David thought on it, and shrugged his shoulders.  "I just can't
remember... but Minty was around as well.  Maybe she would know?"

******** SUBMITTED BY *********

Justin