[Chalia]

Damn Queri!  It was so typical of the quicksilver queen to do this...

<! Sianna, the queen must be protected! !>

<- Yes, beloved. ->

A shriek of feminine draconic defiance filled the air and Chalia's
eyes widened.  Oh, GODS!  Lunath, you couldn't have picked a worse
time!

Male riders began fighting with their dragons, and several dropped
out of the sky as the urge to mate overcame human wills.

<! Tell Molla that we need a 'female' honor guard around Queri, and
tell Queri that Rhia is going to be very unhappy about this. !>

<- You want me to reprimand my Queen? ->  Sianna's incredulous voice
echoed in her head and Chalia gave a short bark of laughter as she
relayed orders to the female dragons.

<! You have a point. !>

-----
[Queri]

Daughters and sisters rose to surround her and Queri grumbled.  It
was so unfair!  There was a bellow of victory as the certain
knowledge that eggs were hatching filled her.  Eggs!

Innel roared to her children and the two remaining remained in the
general flight path as part of the wing moved to protect the humans
whose riders had dumped them for the mating flight.  Innel's children
were very brave and very foolish...  The Wings spread out to surround
them as Queri watched from above, and a sadness filled her as they
puffed flames at other dragons who came too close.

< Return Sarilyn and those humans you have taken, and we will leave!
>  Queri commanded, hoping in her heart that they would listen...

<% Never! %> one of them cried over a broad band, screaming his
defiance to them all.  <% You will never have us, our mother, or our
brethren!  Never! %>

<- Sister -- ->  Sianna's voice echoed in her mind as Queri winged
higher, trying to escape the agony...  but there was no choice, as
she had known there would be none when Innel had come out of her
little cave, her madness and that of her rider infecting everything
it touched.

The knowledge of it was oppressive, saddening them all, but if Queri
had learned one thing from her human, it was that sometimes you had
to do what was necessary, no matter how much it hurt.

< Know what your madness has brought me, Queri, queen child of an
honorable lineage to, Innel. >  Queri broadcast the throught to all
dragons, her sorrow and her helpless rage coloring her thoughts with
scarlet and black.  < Kill them, my children, my brethren.  Kill them
and let us mourn. >

And even before the flames erupted from all sides, sending Innel's
children screaming to the earth, Queri began to keen for their loss,
and for the horror of what she had commanded.


-----
[Haedin]

"I wouldn't be so sure, she downed two riders when she was driven out
of   
Xylian and held a grudge for 12 years. She's not exactly known for
her   
rational thinking!" said Tem, the sweat now dripping down the side of
his   
face. He wiped his hands on his breeches. Was it him or was it
getting   
hot in here?
"I think Tem has a point." ventured Lothar, the prospect of being
caught   
in a flaming inferno was very unappealing!

Haedin laughed a dark, chilling laugh.  "Lothar, did I not say that I
always have a plan?  Look out the eastern window if you please..."

Two dragons had landed there, *with* their riders.

"Money can be a powerful thing in a moneyless society, Lothar.  You
would do well not to forget that..."  Haedin studied the man before
him and lightly caressed his face.  Tem flinched, and Haedin's
mocking laughter filled darkened the air.  "Oh, my darling boy... 
Not so proud now, are you...?"  Haedin nodded to the guards.  "Bind
him.  He's coming with us...  I have need of someone like you..."

Haedin, Lothar, and his prisoner were led out the side door, where
several dragons and riders awaited, enough to carry himself, a few
'guests' and his personal guard.  The other dragons were so busy, no
one noticed that a few were missing...  He nodded to the group that
would remain until the end of the battle and smiled coolly.

"You have your orders..."  The captain nodded and the dragons
launched themselves into the air.  As they gained altitude, he could
see the servants scattering into the fields as the first lick of
flame took hold and the manor began to burn.

They winked out, reappearing over Daorith.  Gold crossed palms and
the dragons vanished.  Tem was dumped at his feet and Haedin looked
down at the 'dragonrider.'

"Feel free to tell your dragon where you are, Tem, but if you do,
keep one thing in mind..."  Haedin's hand swept out casually
indicating a large number of manned ballistas.  "This place was built
to defend against *things* even more fearsome than dragons.  Do not
think that your beloved friend would survive a large number of
ballista bolts through him...  And should anything untoward happen,
*anywhere* on my lands that I can attribute to a dragon, you will
die... and your dragon with you.  Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good."  Haedin smiled.  "My men will shoot an unpartnerned dragon on
sight...  Wilders come here every once in a while, don't think to
have him sneak in and rescue you...  But... I don't care to start
negotiations off with threats.  Come inside, Tem.  We have a great
deal to discuss..."


-----
[Chalia]

They had blocked every conceivable exit to the hatching area that
they had been led to.  Sickened and keening, the dragons still flew
as the ground forces arrived and Sherri's men began giving up, first
one at a time and then in droves.  Smoke rose from the manor house,
which was a surprise, since none of them had gone near it.  Soon it
would be entirely engulfed in flame...

And they waited...


-----
[Ethear Mahen]

There had been no bloodshed, which was good.  A few scuffles, but
then, when they saw they were outnumbered and vastly overpowered, the
Tellari guardsmen gave up.  They were mercenaries, one and all, and
held very little faith to Lady Tellari.  One was heard to say that
while bedding the bitch had been an experience, it wasn't worth
losing body parts over.

He left a detachment to try and keep the house from burning to the
ground, and the rest took flight again, heading for the place where
they knew the Lady to be waiting.  On foot again, they headed for the
cave...  Superior numbers and posing dragons again causing Sherri's
people to re-think their priorities.  The mercenaries went, without
question, to join the others, and he led his forces to the hatching
ground, sending off small squads here and there to search for
captives.

They came upon the hatching ground to see creeling hatchlings and
dazed young people...  And one full-grown and pissed off dragon with
a dark haired woman at her side.  His men spread out and young people
began running to them, away from the dragon and the mad-eyed woman
beside her.

"Give it up, Lady Tellari, there is no place for you to go."

"Innel will kill you all..."

"I think not, my Lady..."  Dozens of bows appeared, half of them
trained on Sherri.  "Innel will die with you, Lady Tellari.  Even a
LandBorn fool knows that...  And even a dragon will be hurt by a
longbow at this range.  Give it up."

[Tag James]

-----
NRPG --
Okay, Jeanette, James...  Don't now where Sarilyn dragged Billy off
to for a mutual debauching, but there's a good chance for an
audience...

James, it's up to you if Sherri buys it...  I will note that given
the proclivity for 'safe' hatching grounds, I doubt that there is
another way out, but there could be (though I very much doubt that
it's another dragon sized opening...  Then Innel wouldn't feel safe
with her babies... but again, up to you.)  There is, however, prolly
not enough time to pack up any of the hatchlings and get out.

Everyone outside, feel free to join in the killing and mourning of
the two dragons that died.  Tem's dragon is okay, as he is off with
Lunath and the two are prolly napping right about now...

Everyone who stayed at the Warren, you're probably aware that Queri
went off *without* Rhia, so if y'all want to be worried about it, go
for it :)

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill E. Flansburg
Queri, Sianna, and their humans
Xylian Warren
DragonLands
             X-FILES                         DRAGONLANDS
 Assistant Director                   Rhiannon, WarrenLady  *Xylian*
 Sterling Kincaid, TL, ECHO           Elswyth and Aedra   *Keldarra*
 Damien Cunningham, UD DELTA          Katla and Satinka *Whiteriver*
 Xan X. Xavier, Trainer,              Zera and Mazel       *Norwall*

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			      Vasaris, the Fuzzy Dragon
 Jill E. Flansburg	          |		            vasaris@az.com
 CS HMC 1994	                |		jflansbu@muddcs.cs.hmc.edu
 History, WWU 199?                |		vasaris@divcom.umop-ap.com
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