//Aranel//

I froze. She knows Kuruka, so she probably knows me. I see her glancing towards me pointedly, but not in any suspicious ways. I think of the map in my head. The headquarters to the Council is a few miles north, and in between there is the cave. The cave where I had my dream. Kuruka comes into almost all my dreams now, convincing me to meet up with him. "Hey, you guys? Guys? Yello!" I yell, trying to get their attention. They turn to me and stare, especially that new girl, Ash. "I have an idea. I've been down here before, a few years ago, and there's a cave a bit north of here. I've stayed in there before, it's near the coast and surrounded by rocks so no boats can reach there. It can only be reached if you fly in, as a bird." Everyone seems to mutter their acknowledgment, then they turn to Kimya. "Sounds alright by me. Everyone get your things, we're flying to Aranel's cave." I inwardly growl, annoyed by the fact that everyone responds to Kimya. They get their bags and I feel this thing in the pit of my stomach, like someones twirling a fork in it like they're trying to get sphagetti. They all transform into birds of prey and I become an eagle, grabbing my bag in my talons. I still have that weird feeling in my stomach, but I dismiss it and by fifteen minutes we're at the cave. Kuruka isn't anywhere to be seen so I relax a little, but my hands are sweating and my stomach is doing summer saults. We all lay down on out mats after starting a fire, and they're all asleep, except for me.

~Joy~

Sun
light dance around the cave, reflecting off the sea. It woke me and I looked
around in bewilderment, where...? Then I remembered last night and sat up. I
felt uneasy and easily packed up my bed and scanned the cave.

Aranel
wasn’t in bed, but neither was Kimya.

Rastus
was deep in sleep, and probably wouldn’t be awake for awhile unless someone
woke him.

I
changed into a yellow tank top and light denim shorts with frayed edges. I gave
my hair a comb and picked up my sword. I didn’t need my bow right now...we were
safe.

Behind
me, Malva’s eye lids were flickering and she rolled over. Matthew small snores
broke off with a snuffle and he sat up with wild hair, before flopping back
down again and staring at the roof

Then
I remember the other girl, who knew Kimya. She wasn’t in the cave either. I
guessed that she and Kimya must be catching up...but what about Aranel?

“Morning
Jo- Raven,” Malve smiled and waved at me, almost fully awake.

I
nodded at her, but my thoughts were the vow I made silently to Kimya. We could
never be friends she’d always be more of a mother, in a way. Did she know what I
had said inside? Did I still trust her? I shook my head. I way was to just not
think about things like this. Matthew was sitting up again looking frazzled and
running his fingers through his mess of hair.

I
walked over to Rastus and nudge him with my foot, “time to wake up...” I had to
nudge him a few more times just to be sure he was alive, and then I had to kick
him to wake him up.

“Whaaaat?”
he complained.

“It’s
time to get up,” I said looking over my shoulder at Malva getting some sort of
breakfast ready.

He
open one eye and looked outside. “Itz not morning,” he slurred in a husky
morning voice.

“It
is for you. But for everyone else it’s late” I smiled and walked away.

Malva
looked up as I came near and handed me an apple, “breakfast.”

“Thanks,”
I hid under my hair and walked outside.

It
was a beautiful morning and I was glad to bask in its glory. I bit the apple
and climbed up the cliff. From a high ledge I finish the apple and threw it
away. I smiled, feeling the sun warm my back and looked out over the sea. I
close my eyes and felt the wind comb my hair and made it silky. I felt free...
amazing.

The
wind whispered things I couldn’t understand be I listen all the same. I’d
understand one day if I tried hard enough. I was feeling utterly wonderful with
my arms spread out and not as alert to everything around my when a hand reached
out and grabbed from behind.

I
had been in some sort of trance and it took me a few moments to snap out of it.
Moments I could lose. A few seconds and I was back to normal but was held
firmly and felt something around my neck. It pulled on my mind and body, making
my kicking legs become jelly. I fell, arms twisted around behind me. Everything
became foggy and I couldn’t...

Just want to add, before I mention joy wanting to be call Raven. Well forget that. I have to use that name later.

Ash~

I opened my eyes and screamed through a wet rag, I was in a metal cage, in what looked like Kuruka's new HQ. I had just been sitting on the cliff chatting with Kimya a minute before, and now I am back here, in the lion's den. Back with Kuruka. I look around, hoping to see someone, anyone. But I can see no one. Then Kuruka comes in; in his hand he has Kimya, and on his shoulder, staring down at Kimya, is silent eagle. Kimya seems to be in pain, like his stare is burning her skin. Then Kuruka turns to me and says "Look what I found outside my little Summer house, this piece of vermin. Should I kill her now, or kill her painfully--" Broken out of my still slight grogginess I look up and yell, "I will do anything you want, just don't kill Kimya!" My spirit has already been broken, I can't lose Kimya now. "Anything" he says, "anything, you want, just don't hurt Kimya." He drops Kimya and turns to Silent Eagle. "Not today my friend, not today." Then he walks up and slips a silver manacle on my arm. I don't understand how I, a many-hundred-year-old dragon can be so helpless. Then he took his magic staff and hit the emerald on my necklace. If I was to serve him, I must be in full control of my powers. He then gestured for Kimya to be taken away, so that he would have a hostage to make sure I worked well. Then he turned to me and said in a silky voice, "Well, call all your little friends. I am sure they would like to see my new home. Call all five of them." Five, I thought, what about Malva and Aranel? "Aranel is already here," he said. "Now get to it. I have Silent Eagle ready to slit Kimya's throat if you don't." He must have not seen Malva, since she is invisble so often, I mused. Well if he hasn't seen her then I won't call her. I must warn her.

I stretched out my thoughts, turning into smoke except near the manacle; my now scaly self felt raw, my scales soft out of long disuse. I knocked out everyone except Malva. I spoke in Malva's mind, telling her all that happened, telling her she needed to save us, to find the council or if she knew how, to get us herself. Then I solidified again, and looked up at Kuruka. "It is done," I said, then I collapsed from exhaustion.

So Blue Fairy is the only one who can help us and the only one who hasn't posted once (except to post her charrie...). Malva can't help us without Blue Fairy... Is she away?

Matthew Wang

When I woke up, I was in a cell, along with the others. Everyone except Malva. That idiot. I told him to keep in contact with me so I could tell him exactly what was going on. Exactly. And now he's missed somebody, somebody who could be anywhere. Someone who could go to the Council. Even Kuruka wouldn't want to go head on with the Council.

Idiot.

And, of course, he's got me locked in here with the others. This charade doesn't need to go on any longer. I mean, really, who did they think had informed the CIA and everybody else? Aranel just wants to find her dad. Kimya is an ancient warrior who's still exploring how the world has changed. Lanni wants nothing to do with her former employers. Rastus is just... shy, clumsy, and overall nice. Malva is still searching for her family. Lupa is a psycho killer who can't decide if she wants to be a wolf who lives without restraints or as a person with a brain. Joy is trying to figure out what, exactly, is going on. Most of them are so young. Aranel is a bit older, and Kimya's ancient.

But me? I'm the innocent looking kid who blends in. I'm the one who makes everybody else introduce themselves. I'm the one who calls Rastus "Ras" because I disagree with his name.

Quite a good disguise, don't you think? The small one, the innocent one. Little Matthew Wang

But I'm older than them all. Do any of them remember the moon landing? World War II? All the stupid little human wars? I'm probably older than Kimya. Kuruka thinks so. The Chimera legend, the stories of Silent Eagle, they stretch back so very far.

But somebody did this to me. Split me into two parts, two functioning Matthews. The worst part? I don't remember the past. I don't remember all the things that I've done, all the centuries that I've lived. The other half of me doesn't remember them either. I don't know who did this to me, but once I become one person again, I'm going to hunt them down.

"Kuruka!" I call. Nobody else is awake yet.

He appears in front of the cell. I can't shapeshift in this stupid thing. He must have a really strong power source. "What?"

"Explain why I'm still in here."

"Well..."

"Explain."

"Shouldn't why trick them just a little longer?" He grinned, all pointy teeth. "Think about it. The longer you know them, the more the betrayal will hurt." But I don't want to hurt these people. Sure, they may be naive, and Kimya has to be smarter than this to have survived for so long, but really, they don't deserve it.

"I need you, Chimera," Kuruka says persuasively. "I'm no fool. There'll be something that I've missed, something that I've overlooked, and they'll find it. Some way to escape. I can't let that happen. That's why I need you, Chimera, I need you on the inside so you can warn me how they're going to get out. So I can stop them."

There is some logic in what he's saying.

"Fine," I say. "But I'll be the same person before the month is out, is that understood? You'll stick me back together."

Kuruka nodded. "Of course."

"How's dragongirl doing?"

"She's doing everything I tell her."

I nodded. "I'll wake them up in five minutes."

Kuruka nodded, and began walking away. I almost call out to him, to tell him out Malva, but something stops me. She won't be any trouble. She can't do much damage. I don't know exactly what Kuruka wants with Aranel and everybody else, but whatever his plans are, I'm sure she won't be able to interfere much.

As much as I tell myself that, I don't say anything for a different reason.

Am I seriously going soft?