From: Ismail Abdur-Rahman <onyxscarab@yahoo.com>

"Damn!" Darrkon cursed as he saw S'ron and Makron and a large portion
of the wing blink from the sky. Calindeth and Alora had returned to
their regular attack. "Damn, damn, DAMN!"
*What's going on Calindeth? Why'd S'ron leave?*

*Naomi is in trouble! Amethyst called for him!* the gray dragon
replied, flaming a wraith that wandered too close.

"Damn!" The masked rider couldn't believe the new wing leader would
abandon his post. Of course Naomi was warrenlady, but S'ron should have
sent someone else to lead the rescue attempt. He thought about Naomi's
offer that he lead Alpha Wing, *I suppose I'll be the one who takes
over!* he grunted as the thought was sent.

Calindeth's response was not without its hint of humor *That seems
obvious doesn't it. You were one of Naomi's top choices.*

Despite his anger, Darrkon couldn't find it in himself to utter another
"damn." Instead, he went into action.*Calindeth, let the remaining
dragons know I'll be assuming lead in S'ron's absence!.*

*They already know.* his dragon replied.

Darrkon ordered Calindeth and Alora to the center of the battle *Stay
in constant motion so I can see all that is happening!*

Calindeth made no reply. He knew none was needed The dragon pair flew
in a loose circle allowing Darrkon to take in the action of the small
fighting force. Aurianna pointed to things she thought he may have
missed, and sent her thoughts to him through her dragon. After one
sweep Darrkon had all necessary information.

*Calindeth, the unpaired dragons, how many are there?*

*Seven total. Amber's wingmate has been injured and has returned to the
warren. Solar flies alone, his partner's rider is unfit for flight.
Sentinel has yet to be assigned a regular partner, nor has Daelynn.
Lonnisgrave, Werenth, and Irrin fly a trio.*

"Seven." Darrkon thought, "Great, just great!" He knew what he had to
do, he just didn't want to do it. *Have Solar join Daelynn* he knew a
little about these two and thought they would work well together. *Tell
Lonnisgrave and Amber to join as pairs, and keep Werenth and Irrin
together. Send Alora to back up..." Damn! Darrkon realized who he had
left Aurianna to fly with. He hadn't told her about their history so
she wouldn't mind, but he still didn't trust the man. *Have Alora back
up Sentinel.*

A bitter taste filled Darrkon's mouth as he said the words, but he had
no choice. He knew he could not show any sort of favoritism or bias in
battle. He couldn't keep Alora here to watch Calindeth's back.
Experience is what made Naomi consider Darrkon for the position as wing
leader. That same experience made the dragon and rider pair the most
capable of surviving a wraith fight on their own. Sentinel was less
than a year old. He needed the help.

< ... >

Darrkon watched as the battle progressed. By splitting up the trio of
Lonnisgrave, Werenth, and Irrin more ground was covered. All of the
newly joined pairs worked well together. Irrin and Werenth, having
partnered often, knew the others flying habits well. Solar and his
rider R'mon were seasoned riders, the pair of Daelynn and Chelsea were
eager to learn, they followed the elder riders commands precisely.
Lonnisgrave and Amber fought with a youthful energy which made up for
their relative inexperience. They left openings the wraiths could take
advantage of, openings older pairs and wingmates never would have made.
But the quickness of youth allowed them to close those openings
quickly.

Alora and Sentinel fought together as well as could be expected, this
was the young beige dragon's first real wraith fight after all. They
didn't fight with the familiarity Alora and Calindeth possessed,
obviously from their many talks scheming to join their riders, but
Sentinel did hold his own in battle. Darrkon grudgingly admitted L'kor
was a good part of the young dragon's success.

Minutes passed and the number of wraiths steadily dwindled. After only
a few stragglers were left, Darrkon had Calindeth call Alora back to
them. He ordered Norwall's dragons to form into larger searching
parties and destroy any remailing wraiths they found. He and Aurianna
were going back to Norwall to check on the situation...

< ... >

What he found deeply disturbed him. Carnage met his eyes every way he
turned. Men, women, and children lay battered and broken all about.
These were warrenfolk, people Darrkon had hesitantly come to accept as
his third family, and now so many of them lay dead or dying. Few of
those he saw were dragonriders, or fighters of any kind.

Darrkon felt that fiery rage, which he had allowed to overcome him so
many times past, building again. This time he harnessed it, redirected
it, and allowed it to fuel his actions without taking control of them.
Before he could make any decisions Calindeth called to him *Darrkon,
Makron's rider needs you at the dining hall.*

Darrkon didn't reply. Instead he just turned on his heel and sprinted
to his destination. Aurianna didn't ask any questions, but followed
along with him. When they opened the doors to the Dining Hall, the
scene which greeted them would have turned the most grizzled soldiers
stomach. People lay dead everywhere, their evening meals interrupted. A
group of soldiers closed on one figure. That figure was Alpha wing's
leader.

>"S'ron!" He whirled around and saw Darrkon and Aurianna run in, swords
already in their hands. >"Calindeth told me..."

>"Hellspawn!" S'ron spat out, slicing through the middle of another
attacker. "All Harkkon's  men >are infected with the damn things. Now,
would you give me a bloody hand?"

>Although they were outnumbered, the superior skills of the three
riders soon dispatched the rest >of the attackers. S'ron was ready to
race off again, but Darrkon grabbed his arm.

>"S'ron, what the hell's going on? First the wraiths, then this?"

>"It was a trap," S'ron grated, shaking his arm loose. "They just
wanted us out of the way before >they attacked. They took Naomi, then
went for the rest."

>"Took her? Where?" S'ron looked at the other rider, his dark eyes
boring into the others.

>"A hellspawn took her. Galen as well. God knows how many others they
have taken as well."

>"What? Where is she?"

>"Who knows?" S'ron said angrily. "I'm going to try and find her before
she gets out. If she does >then there might not be any chance of
getting her back at all. I need you to get everyone you can >find and
wipe out those hellspawn. Kill anyone who isn't from Norwall." Darrkon
and Aurianna >blanched at the sound of death in S'ron's voice, so
unlike the person they knew normally.

>"Is that all you want us to do?" Aurianna asked him acidly. S'ron
turned back and smirked.

>"Yes, there is one thing. If you see Harkkon, don't kill him just yet.
I'll do that myself and I want >to make sure it's as long and as
painful a process as is possible."

>And then he was gone.

Darrkon had seen that look in S'ron's eyes before; in the eyes of men
he had fought with, and in the mirror behind his mask. It was the look
of a man who had lost control; a man just short of madness and pushed
beyond desperation. Darrkon never thought to see that look in S'ron's
eyes, he always seemed so controlled. What could have pushed him to the
point of breaking?

*He's in love with Naomi.* came Calindeth's reply. The dragon had
finally come to accept the words meaning among humans, though it still
made no sense to him.

*What?!* Darrkon responded. From the shocked look on Aurianna's face
she must have received the same news from Alora. *Are you sure?*

*He acts much the same way around her as Haroc's rider did. Or hadn't
you noticed?*

Darrkon had to admit, the few times he had seen them together recently
there seemed to be a strange tension between the two Would that mean
Naomi has feelings for S'ron as well?

*More than just feelings...from what others say.*

Darrkon knew the others were dragon, who often proved to be right about
humans. Just as he thought the words Aurianna spoke, "That's why he was
so...but what do we do? We can't follow his orders."

"Not directly." Darrkon replied, "But there is some legitimacy to it.
The problem with nobles and their parties is they always want to stand
out. That makes them easy targets. Harkkon's men will have his crest
somewhere on their clothing. I doubt the Hellspawn would have thought
to change that. They wanted to seem normal. That'll be their
undoing...we'll pick them out and take them down!"

Darrkon and Aurianna headed purposefully away from the gruesome sight
in the dining hall. *Calindeth have any available dragons and their
riders meet me on the green ASAP! We have to get organized. These
Hellspawn are monsters, but they're no fools!"


Submitted by

Ismail Abdur-Rahman
bKa
Darrkon&Calindeth

NRPG: Anyone wanna join in the search and fight...jump on in!

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