After taking a breath, and having another bite from the meat he's eating, Kevin went on with the story with his mouth a bit full, "Basically after we escaped from them, me and Jill wandered around through Avarilan. We didn't have any sort of idea where to go. We just kept walking, hoping none of them would find us." He swallowed down his food and took his gaze out to the wall that surrounds the village, "But after a day, or maybe almost two days of wandering aimlessly in the new world...Twenty-five Lost Souls, by my count, found and surrounded us. Jill was...Scared to death, and I did not blame her. I was too. There were too many for me to fight. I don't think I could've protected her, let alone myself, if I tried. I thought we were going to die." He giggled to himself before bringing his eyes back on us with a smile, "But guess who came and saved us. Normal cheetahs? Nope. It was our feathered friend."

Rick asked while sitting with his legs crossed, "Pax? That's how you've met Pax?"

Kevin nodded, "Yup. That gryphon was the one who found us. And let me tell ya, he kicked all their asses until the three of us were the only ones standing." As he still held the food in his hand, he started scratching the back of his head with the other one, "When me and Jill looked at him while he was staring at us, we were scared of him. Probably MORE scared than encountering numerous cheetah monsters. We'd thought he was going to kill us too." After scratching his head, he took another chunk of meat in his mouth and began to chew on it.

While my arm was held around Emily, I shot my gaze at Damon laying on his stomach and just smiled, the night I first laid my eyes on him came to my head. I remember what that was like meeting him. The green drake must've sensed that I was staring at him and he looked back at me. He also seemed to have known what I was thinking about too as he flashed me a toothy smirk on his snout before returning his attention on the guy telling the story.

Kevin swallowed down another bite and giggled, "But, it turned out he didn't think about hurting us. He was mostly curious about us than anything."

Damon said, "From my experience for meeting humans like you, I knew he would be."

Cora shot up her head softly with a giggle in her throat, "Same here."

The smile went off Kevin's face as he waved a hand and went on, "Anyways, we told him what happened to us, what we are, and where we came from. Then after we did, he wanted to help us. So, he told us that he came from this village and we walked with him there." He sighed before he took one last bite and finally ate all the meat Suzue cooked for him. As the last piece of meat went down his throat, he said, "I'll tell you this, the experience of cheetahs and other gryphons seeing us at first sight wasn't TOO pleasant. A lot of them thought we were some kind of new monsters that arrived to threaten their lives."

"I also knew they'd be a bit hostile to you guys at first." Damon laughed.

Kevin gave him a mock expression, "Hey, I didn't like cheetahs readying their weapons with gryphons screeching at us in aggression."

Rick chuckled and crossed his arms, "Well that's a different kind of a welcome party than we had, I'll tell you."

Kevin just grinned at the grownup figure in the group, "I figured. You had a much warmer welcome than me and Jill did!" He waved his hand, "Anyway we weren't treated well at first and Pax defended us. With all his words, he calmed them down, and then me and Jill had our cue to tell everyone what the heck happened to us. That was the moment when everyone started to realize we're innocent creatures from another world that were in trouble and they all had to help us." He shrugged his shoulders, "Well, ALMOST all of them. A few creatures living in the village still didn't trust us right away, but as time went on, they did."

Cora as her red tail swished along the grass asked, "And you and Jill lived in the village for three years?"

Kevin replied as he turned his gaze to her, giggling softly, "Sometimes I lose track of time, but yeah we have. And I'm surprised that we lived here that long." Then he lowered it, mumbling mostly to himself, "Gosh...Three years..."

Suzue while she was still sitting beside him said with a smile to us, "Three years is a long time, but I enjoy their company." Kevin gave the white furred cheetah a fond look while she continued, "And I wouldn't mind sharing my company with more humans."

Rick uncrossed his arms with a hum, "Mmm, that'd be nice."

Kevin said to Rick as he nodded, "And sure is nice to talk to more humans for once in a while." Then he said to everyone in the group as the fire still burned in the firewood, "So, that's it. That's everything that happened to me and Jill up to this point. Nothing much else happened after living here for a long time. Me and Jill are pretty much like cheetahs living among other cheetahs in the village. We do what most of them usually do. Ought to just fit in with them."

My eyes focused on his face and I playfully remarked, "Fitting in with the cheetahs? You probably tried fitting in for three years, but problem is you haven't fitted in yet because your face hasn't grown any fur." I giggled at my own joke and Kevin just wrinkled his brow in confusion. I finally elaborated in seriousnous when I pointed at him, "Your face is shaved. I sorta thought since you were stuck in this world for three years you probably could've grown a very huge beard." Beside me, Emily rolled up her eyes, but I think she knew I had a point there.

The new human got the idea and smirked as his hand rose and rubbed his own smooth chin, "Ah, yep, no beard here. I wouldn't like having one. I always shave my face. At least I have one way to shave in this world and not let it grow." He chuckled when his hand went off his chin, "And hey, despite not having fur on my face I still fitted in with them." Then Kevin let out a breath before he continued, "Anyways, other than having fun living with cheetahs, we also get to have fun living with gryphons too. And Pax has always been a pal since the day we met him."

Suzue giggled deeply at the human she took care for, "And he's like that to you more than Jill."

Damon's eyes made a playful frown as his tail curled up to his side, "Really? Are you his favorite?"

Kevin looked at Damon and gave him a sure nod, "Yeah, I guess you can say that."

Cora slightly tilted her head to the side, "Why? Does he not like Jill?"

Emily narrowed her eyes, "Is it because she's a girl?"

After they spitted questions at him, Kevin replied with a shake of his head and a chuckle out of his lips, "No, he does like her and he does like girls. Otherwise he wouldn't have took off with her today."

Emily spat in a disgruntled way, "Not unless he's planning to ditch her in the woods." I tried not to snicker at that. Don't think Jill would like being ditched because she's a girl. Hell, I can imagine what your face would be like if you were ditched because of that.

The new human just giggled at her, "He wouldn't dare. Actually, she'd make SURE he wouldn't. Trust me on that."

As Emily's eyes softened up a little, Rick nodded at that, "Then I hope we get to meet your pet bird and your girlfriend soon. Well, mostly your girlfriend. I want to meet another person in this world."

Kevin formed a frown and raised a finger, "Ah, first of all, Jill's not my girlfriend."

My girlfriend's father shrugged, "Whatever."

Then Kevin held up two of them when the frown went away, "Second, Pax is not much of a pet if he doesn't do a lot of things you tell him to do." He lowered his hand back down to his lap before snickering at himself and shooting his eyes up at the sky, "They'll probably be back soon. Let's give them some more time." Kevin then started to wipe his hand that was holding the meat he already ate on his leg since it was dirty still. I held in a breath and let it out. Sure....We can wait.

I pulled my arm off my girlfriend as we all just sat around, my gaze still on Kevin. My thoughts went to what I've learned from him. It turned out he and Jill were from Florida too. They weren't from Ft. Lauderdale like me, Emily and Rick are. They were actually from a town up in northern Florida called Branford. And yep, they did leave that town by ship. And what kind of ship it was, it wasn't a cruise ship, nor a small luxury yacht owned by some rich man, but it was actually a type of ship that was used for commercial fishing, called 'The Tortuga'. Kevin's father, Clive, owned the ship since he was a commercial fisherman himself, and he and Jill came along with the guy and a few of his pals to help out with the job and catch some fish to make some money. That did explain why they were out over the ocean to begin with.

But, this certain night arrived and what happened in that certain night was the exact same way as the cruise ship. The green light showed up in the sky, and it brought The Tortuga, along with them, to this world as well. But it didn't end up floating on the water still, it ended up on land, just like The Lady Carina. And from what Kevin said, not very long after ending up on land, still confused about what sort of thing happened, that's when The Lost Souls and a few Dark Dragons came out of nowhere and started to attack.

Kevin and Jill had escaped from the monsters in that night, and it was plainly obvious that Clive and about four of his buddies had not. They weren't so lucky. Not like them. Not like me, Emily and Rick.

And I'm sure Kevin's dad and his pals aren't dead on the ship. I'm sure they were kidnapped and brought to that huge crystal to be forced inside of it. Since Kevin and Jill actually escaped before that would happen, they didn't see what happened to them. But I know that's what happened to those people. Why? What's that crystal for? My eyes glanced past Emily and Rick toward Cora. She doesn't know, I know it that much. Then they trailed off toward Damon. But he probably does.

That's when I came up with another idea. I was thinking about the gryphons and the cheetahs living in the village, including Suzue, Pax, and Synis. Perhaps one of them knows too. I'll have to ask one of them about it if I get the chance.

Kevin finally said one little word after he was done wiping the mess off his hand on his leg, "Well?"

Rick frowned, "Well what?"

He smirked, "Hey, I've told you my 'unwelcome to the new world' story." Kevin gestured to us, "Now tell me yours. What happened to you guys?" Then he glanced at the dragons for a second before turning back to us humans, "And how'd you meet them? I'm kinda betting how you met them was a little better than how me and Jill met Pax. That right?"

Rick chuckled a little, "Well, since you were betting on it, let me tell you this...You lost the bet."

Emily grinned a bit, and said while she held out her hand and moved it a bit back and forth, "Yeah, PROBABLY not that much better." Her hand flopped down on her lap, "You and Jill only encountered Lost Souls and Dark Dragons, right? Well, me, dad and Scott had met a monster one night that was more scarier than them. A VERY scary one that I REALLY want to forget." I nodded slowly beside her as I remembered the wolfir that night.

Kevin just rose both his brows and muttered, "Yikes."

Damon's face was filled with pride as he pointed at himself with a claw, "And as you can figure, I saved their butts from it. Just in time actually."

I added with a smile, "In that nick of time, that's pretty much how we met him." I gazed at Cora, "We haven't quite met her yet."

The short red dragoness mentioned on her end, shaking her snout, "That's right. I wasn't there when that happened. They only found me a few days after that night."

I admitted, "And let's just say how we met her wasn't exactly pleasant either."

Suzue's purple eyes blinked a couple times when she hummed, "Hmm...I do know there are other dangers in Avarilan." She chuckled cutely while she shrugged with her arms, "But I haven't seen anything like that in my life. Just the danger that's usually common in this world."

Rick stated with a grin, "Unlike me, Em and Scott, you're lucky you didn't."

"Right." Then Suzue asked with a quirked brow, "But this 'very scary' monster you guys brought up, what was it exactly? I'm just wondering."

My girlfriend's father tried to respond, "Well it was-"

Kevin cut him off when he stood up and pointed towards the blue sky with a big smile on his face, "There they are." I wondered whom he was referring to for a second, but then I realized who he was talking about a moment later when I followed his gaze. I see a gryphon flapping its wings in the air over the village and it started gliding down toward the ground. I think someone's riding on its back. It looked human. That must be Jill riding on it. And the gryphon must be Paxadorf.

Me, Emily, Damon, Cora, Suzue and Rick all stood up on our feet after Kevin as all our eyes locked on the gryphon flying down to land near us. From what I can tell where I'm standing, Pax appears to have dark blue feathers and fur along with a yellow beak on his face, and also his bird like forelimbs look yellow too.

I heard the woman riding on his back scolding Pax in fright, "Slow down, bird brain!" I can't blame her. They seem to be going fast for landing. And it looks a BIT late to do that. Seconds later, Pax's feet landed the ground hard about twenty feet away from us. Upon landing, his body jerked forward and the human riding on him fell off his back with a shriek, "Eeeyaah!" Jill landed on her side on the ground with a thud and everyone gasped when we saw her fall. My eyes went very wide in concern. Oh crap.

Everyone had the same thought as I did, so we all walked to where they were to make sure she was alright. When we were about to where they are, Pax, after settling his feathered wings on his back, caught sight of us three new humans and two dragons coming towards him with Suzue and Kevin with his golden colored eyes. Pax squawked in surprise as he backed away a bit, the voice coming out of his beak sounded deep when he spoke, "Whoa. What's going on here?"

All of us stopped, our eyes still focused on Jill lying in front of us. I ignored his question when I asked out loud with my own while not taking my eyes off her, "Is she okay?"

Pax followed my gaze, looking down at the human who fell off him, "Ummm…."

Jill rolled on the ground and got on her hands and knees, slowly breathed in while her face was inches from the ground.

Pax then giggled while he watched her for a moment, "Looks fine to me." With that, he turned his attention back on me, Emily, Rick, Cora and Damon with a frown, "But who are you guys? I never seen you here before." He tossed his curious gaze directly toward Kevin and Suzue, while Jill had already gotten up off the ground with a low groan, "Hey Kev, Su, who are they?"

I let out a whoosh of air, after seeing Jill standing on her feet, seemingly fine. Well that answers it for me too. She's alright. After she dusted herself a bit, she immediately turned her body toward Pax. In her eyes, I can see she's more than alright. She looks pissed. While the gryphon still had his attention drawn to us instead of her, Jill with an angry growl strode up and kicked the side of his stomach hard.

"KRAWK!" Another squawk flew out of his beak when the sharp kick made Pax stumble a bit away from her. He finally looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Ow! What'd you do that for?!"

Jill replied by angrily shouting at him, "You idiot! Didn't I tell you to slow down?! Look what happened to me!"

But Pax protested as his tufted tail flicked behind him, "Aw come on, girl. That was just an accident."

The human woman had her hands firmly planted against her hips, "Bullcrap it was."

Pax formed a smirk on his beak, "Hey, ain't my fault you didn't hang on."

"I couldn't because you made a rough landing!"

The gryphon shook his head, "Still not my fault."

Then Jill shook her fist at him, "And the next time that happens again, I'm going to shove my fist up your ass so you won't sit straight for a week! Got it?!"

He wiggled his haunches, "I'm not afraid of a fist up my butt."

"Then instead of that, I'm just going to punch your balls, HARD, if it happens again! Remember that!"

Pax's ears flattened against his head and his eyes widened up too, and instead of a squawk, he let out a squeak of fear. I internally laughed. Better remember that, Pax. While the gryphon and the woman gawked at each other, I looked at Jill's features. Since Kevin didn't tell us what she'd looked like while telling us his story, now I know right in front of me. She appears to be young in her mid twenties like Kevin here, and is wearing casual human clothing as well. In her fierce look, they hold hazel eyes, and on top of her head has long black hair that goes a bit past her shoulders. She looks beautiful especially with a very slim body she has.

I decided to greet the blue gryphon and another human since they were just staring at each other now. I walked closer to them, stopped, and gave them a wave and a huge smile, "Hiya."

Pax looked at me. But Jill also turned to me with a fierce gaze, sneering, "Hey do you mind? I'm scolding the stupid bird here! Who the hell are you?"

I made wide eyes. God she's still angry! With her anger, I don't think she's noticing the fact that I'm a new human who showed up in her new home...Yet. While I took a couple steps back from her, I held up my hands, my smile reduced to a nervous one now, "Whoa, hey don't take it out on me. I just came to say hello."

She still didn't wipe the glare off her face, "Sorry but when you fall off a gryphon with a risk of breaking your back or a few ribs, it does tend to make you fucking angry." With her full attention on me, a new person, in her eyes I think she was getting that fact now. When she looked at everybody else she never met before, including Damon and Cora, I think her eyes showed a bit of shock as well.

Pax came up and lowered his head down beside hers, staring at me while he whispered to her, "Jill, aren't you seeing this? It's a new human in the village." He looked past me to see Emily, Rick, Damon and Cora and added, his voice a bit louder, "Actually THREE new humans with two normal dragons at that."

Jill then pushed his beak away, "Don't come near me. I'm still pissed at you." Pax raised his head above her with a low squawk.

Man...I guess it's no wonder Pax finds Kevin as his favorite. Kevin just laughed away as he came to stand beside me. I turned my head to him and asked, "Umm, is she..." My eyes gestured to Jill, "Well...You know?"

Kevin shook his head with that grin still on him, "Nah don't worry, she's cool. She's usually like this."

Jill snapped at him, "Only when someone pisses me off, Kevin."

He rolled up his eyes and said to her, "Jill, your back and ribs are fine so get over it." He politely gestured to me, "Besides, we have guests that arrived here while you were gone and they're fellow humans, woman!"

After I formed a smile and made a weak wave at her, Damon smugly said nearby, "Hey, don't forget the dragons who arrived with your fellow humans, little guy!" Cora giggled in her throat as her wings curled on her back.

Emily and Rick came and stood more closer with me and Kevin. As Emily stood still beside her father, while he stood in between me and her, she spoke to the angry woman with a smirk, "Hey girlfriend, glad you're not hurt, and try not to snap at me while I'm telling you my name, okay?" Jill's eyes finally softened up a bit in response. Emily chuckled and then introduced herself, "My name's Emily."

My turn came, "I'm Scott."

Rick giggled and made a nod, "And I'm Rick."

Both Jill and Pax looked at Damon as he introduced himself as well, "My name's Damon." His wing tip pointed at the short red scaled dragon beside him, "And this brat here is named Cora." Cora formed a glare and hissed at him. Suzue, who was standing near them, just quietly snickered.

Pax said to them after our introductions were over, "So that's your names, eh? Nice to meet ya and welcome to the village." After Cora looked at him with her angered expression immediately off her face, Pax gazed right at me, Emily and Rick in front of him, his eyes showing some astonishment, "Man...New humans...Didn't expect to meet more of them, honestly." I only shrugged my arms. You and Suzue certainly had the same thought. The blue gryphon smiled, "Well, I shouldn't be rude like Jill here and better tell you guys my name." Jill just rolled her eyes at that while Pax expanded his wings, and slowly held his beak to the sky with closed eyes, "My name is Paxa-"

Cora giggled at Pax showing himself off, "We already know your name, Paxadorf."

Paxadorf's blue feathered form twitched before he looked down at her with brows raised, "Oh? You did?"

"Heh, we have." Rick motioned his hand past me towards Kevin, "Kevin talked about you while you were gone. That's how we know your name."

Pax looked at Kevin with his beak starting to part in a gryphon's version of a smile, "He did?"

Jill, who was still mad at him about before, leaned back her head and groaned loudly, "Yes, you parrot, he did."

Rick shrugged with his hands and wrinkled his brow, "Yeah. I mean, how else could we have known your name?"

Suzue nearby raised her hand, a playful smirk on her muzzle, "I would have told you."

My girlfriend's father giggled and nodded at that, "Okay, that's another way how."

Pax started to giggle deeply and nod slowly after his wings folded on his back, "Guess my introduction is already out of the way." I giggled at him. Certainly has. Then he sucked in a breath and let it out, speaking to me, Cora, Emily, Damon and Rick, "Well, alright, so, I'm guessing Kevin and Suzue here were being good hosts to you guys while me and Jill were gone? I'm just sorry that we missed your arrival here."

Jill took a deep breath and smiled a bit with a giggle for once, "Yeah...Definitely missed the welcome party."

Damon replied with a smile on his muzzle, "Don't worry about it. You're both here now to meet your new arrivals."

Cora's snout smiled big when her wings fluttered a bit on her back, "And I get to meet another human and another gryphon while you're both at it."

Then Rick said, "And to answer your question, yes, Kevin and Suzue were good hosts. Well, they weren't our hosts for long, but they still did a great job."

Kevin grinned at me, Rick and Emily, then at the dragons next, "Speaking of that, I better keep doing a great job. I haven't formally introduced you new guys to Jill yet. I'm gonna do that right now." He looked up at Pax, "That alright with you, big bird?"

Pax waved him off with a paw off the ground, smiling, "Go ahead. I don't care. Be a good host."

Jill shook her head a bit with a frown on her face, "Kevin, you don't have to do this. I mean is it a little late to do this? They already know my name anyways."

Kevin raised his brows playfully, "I know, but I want to." Me and everyone else, except Jill, giggled. She didn't argue, all Jill did was just stand in her spot beside Pax as Kevin formally introduced us to her with a hand held out, "Fellow humans, and two scaly dragons with fellow humans, this is Jill Garland. The only other human living in the cheetah-gryphon village."

After Kevin lowered his arm down to his side, Jill grinned a little and swiftly waved her hand, "Yeah, hi." Her eyes held a bit of guilt when she let out a breath and said to me, "By the way, um...Scott, was it?" I nodded and she continued, "Uhhh...I'm sorry that I was being a bitch to you a few minutes ago. I was just angry and I'm sure you know why."

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at her, "Eh, it's no big deal. I'm not mad at you anyways."

Her smile came back on her lips and it was wider than before, "Thanks." Then when her hand went to her shoulder and touched it, her eyes went wide, "Oh no! Where's-" Jill looked down at the ground where she landed and found a wool bag lying around. I realized it was there too. Oh! I didn't even notice that! It must've slipped off of her when she fell off Pax. A relieved look showed up on her face, "Ah, thank god." She strode to it and picked it up by the handle. Afterward, Jill opened it up and peeked inside to see its contents. She let out a sigh of relief, "Phew. At least they weren't smushed or anything."

My brow wrinkled up in curiosity, "What's in that?"

Jill sharply turned her head to me and giggled, "Oh, this is just a bag full of berries." She walked up and rose her bag to show me along with Rick and Emily. We looked in there and see that there are loads of black berries inside it. Jill explained, "Me and Pax left the village to go find some makrub berries today. I was in the mood for them. By luck, me and the big bird found a bush full of them." The name popped up in my head. Makrub berries? I thought they were a bunch of black berries. Guess this world has a name for them.

After Jill closed the bag and withdrew it away from our faces, Cora gasped as her tail wagged, "Did you say makrub berries?" I smiled at her. Apparently the creatures living in it, including dragons like Cora, love them.

Pax nodded with a wide look, "Yep, little dragoness. A lot of them!" He growled in delight, "I can't wait to have a few." Me and Emily giggled together. I can tell big birds love them too.

Jill narrowed her eyes at him, "You know what Pax, after your stunt with me on your back I'm probably not giving you any of them."

He gave her a hurt look, "But I told you, it was an accident."

"Then I'll 'accidentally' not give you a single berry!"

His yellow beak dropped agape at that and then he formed a glare, "Now that ain't fair!"

Kevin jokingly joined in with his arms crossed, "Yeah, Jill, that ain't fair!"

As Jill hoisted her bag on her shoulder with one arm, she pointed her finger at him with the other one, "Don't you go helping him out, or I'll not be sharing them with you either."

He giggled and then shrugged his hands, "I don't want one. I already ate anyways."

Damon tilted his head when he crooned a little and flicked his green tail, "Can you share one with me? I haven't had one for a long time."

Jill smiled at him, "Sure! For those who haven't defended the blue ass bird, you'll get one."

Pax squawked, "WHAT?!"

Cora jumped up in victory, "Yay!" The white furred cheetah near her let out a laugh after the short eager dragon landed back down with her tongue hungrily swished across her own muzzle.

I nodded with a smile, liking the idea, "Sure. I'll have one."

Pax groaned and kneaded at the ground in defeat with his talons, "This is total shit."

Suzue shook her head and giggled in playful pity, "You poor gryphon." She turned herself away, seeing the fire that's still burning in that fire pit near her house and said to herself, "I'd better put that fire out. Don't think we need it anymore." She strode forward with the intent of doing so.

Kevin walked up and raised his hand to rub the feathers on Pax's chest, "Hey pal, don't worry about it. Just get on Jill's good side and maybe you'll get one later."

Pax looked down at Kevin with hope in his eyes, "I better get one. She does owe me one for letting me fly away from home with her to help her find some."

While Kevin was still petting Pax's feathers, Jill remarked as she shifted the bag on her shoulder, "Which I think that was a big mistake by the way." Then she frowned at me, Rick and Emily, "And while I'm sharing berries with each of you, maybe one of you can tell me what happened to you guys before you came here?" She flicked her hand at Kevin, "I don't think I need to tell you what happened to me and him since he probably already did."

After Kevin got his hand off Pax's chest, he grinned at her, "I did." Then he turned his back on the gryphon, facing us, "And I'm still waiting for a full explanation from you guys."

Pax cocked his head in curiosity, "Yeah, I'm wondering about you three. Are you guys from the same place Kevin and Jill are from in their world? And how'd you end up in Avarilan? Same matter as them?"

Rick sighed and nodded in agreement, "I guess we'll get down to our turn for telling a story now." He turned his body a bit, "Come on. Let's go sit near Suzue's house. We'll tell you guys everything."

*****

Luna, as me and her were strolling side by side on the dirt trail after we had a long flight over the trees above us an hour ago, asked me a simple question, "Hey Mike, have I ever told you about the tallest building in all of Wingspan?"

I looked up at her and replied, "The tallest building in Wingspan?" I softly shook my head, "No. I don't think you have told me about that before." Then I was wrinkling my brow at her, curious about this building, "So?"

The black dragoness had stretched her wings out for a moment before curling them back up, a fond memory flowing behind her silver eyes with a smile starting to form on her muzzle, "Well..." Her gaze was held up to the canopy of the woods as we continued to pad together, "It's just this building is the one me and Illuminus used to go to when he wasn't busy teaching young dragons." Her snout turned to mine, "It's one of my favorite things being with him back then. Me and him would sometimes sit on top of that building together, and watch the sun go down."

I smiled at her, "Had a nice view, huh?"

"Sure did." Then she giggled when we slowed down our pace a bit, "Well, I know that Wingspan has the huge wall that surrounds my home and all, not to mention it has a good view as well. But let's just say the building is a little bit MORE special to me. When I think about it, Illuminus looms around in my mind." Luna chuckled a bit before she remarked, "And knowing how you are right now, if you've seen it in front of you at this moment, you'll probably start shaking in fright and wouldn't want to sit around on it."

I narrowed my eyes at her, "And knowing how YOU are, I'll probably be shaking in total fright when you snatch me off the ground again, fly me all the way to the top of that building, drop me, and leave me alone on it. Then you'll start laughing while listening to my cries for help since there's probably no other way for me off there."

Luna slowly snaked her snout down to my level, "Do you really think I'm that cruel?"

"Does, you keep on flying with me in your grasp while I'm begging you to go back down to the ground when I knew we flew for a long time, answer your question?"

Her silver eyes narrowed, "I thought you were over the whole long flight thing."

I rose my brows when I started to smirk, "Oh I am. I was just giving you an example of how cruel you are." I winked.

Luna's air smacked against my face when her nose let out a snort and that had me blinking a few times. I started rubbing my eyes when she rose her head above me, "Hmph." When I was done rubbing them, I saw that hers had turned ahead from mine and a second later, she formed a smile, "Speaking of flying, me and Illuminus didn't start going to that building until I got over my fear and ACTUALLY started to fly."

I frowned, "No kidding? He didn't carry you up to that building before you did?"

"No...On that first day, he explained that he had wanted to wait for me to get used to flying before he'd take me there. I think he was wanting my first experience of being on top of that building be as memorable as possible. And to start it off was for me to fly up there."

I shrugged my shoulders before looking ahead, "I guess so. That does sound like a good idea."

I heard her let out a pleasant breath through her snout, saying in a soft tone, "Yeah, Mike...It was."

We both walked on in silence after that. During it, I found myself having a smile on my face, thinking about the building she mentioned. I know that I should tell Luna right now about what I saw in my sleep, but I was trying to remember it. I was trying to remember if I've seen the 'tallest building in all of Wingspan' in any of her dreams. I don't remember actually. I think I was probably more focused on Luna and what she did in each of them than pay attention to how tall each building in her dream was. I shrugged my shoulders to myself. Oh well...I'm sure when we get to Wingspan, Luna will show me it before I go back home. And if she does show me that building, then she better NOT grab me with her paws, fly us to the top and leave me up there! Cuz if she does, whether I'm still afraid of flying or not, which I still doubt about the latter, I'm seriously going to kick her scaly ass.

That's when some words I thought of just stuck to my brain.

Before I go back home.

Then, I just remembered a few of Bajara's words from that night before we brought her back to her former home. Her voice sounded like a complete echo when I heard her.

But do you REALLY want to go home?

I dipped my chin as I was feeling some confliction buzzing in my head. Luna...

But I didn't ponder around for too long as me and the dragoness both heard something. Laughter. It sounded like it came from ahead.

Both of us stopped our pace, then me and Luna shot curious glances at each other before turning our heads forward. Who could that be? I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

I decided to use the sight, and I'm sure Luna was thinking the same thing. I closed my eyes tight and my mind started searching for anything nearby. For the source of the laughter. Not very long, I've found someone's viewpoint. And just as I had expected, through that viewpoint, I can see a Lost Soul, and that meant I'm looking through the eyes of one of them. Then when that gaze turned to its left, there were about three more.

Everything went black as I was searching with my thoughts again, looking for a different viewpoint. When another one showed up, I was now apparently looking through the eyes of a small creature up in a tree branch, a bird I believe. What I saw really shocked me. On the same trail that me and Luna are walking on, there are a WHOLE LOT of black furred evil cheetahs walking in the same direction, like there's an army of them. Not only that, but there are Dark Dragons travelling on both sides of the army of furred ones as well. I counted five evil dragons so far, but there's a lot more of them just like The Lost Souls.

When I can hear the bird chirping in a cute sing song voice, one of the Dark Dragons passing through underneath that tree branch it's sitting on looked up and roared at the tiny innocent creature in anger and to scare it off. It accomplished that, and I was seeing through its viewpoint that it's flying up toward the sky in fear.

I gasped when my eyes shot wide open, and I can see the army of enemies ahead from a far distance. Then I turned my head fast to Luna, who had just opened up hers, and told her in a low tone, "Luna, we got company coming."

Luna growled deeply and glared, "They're on this trail." She twisted her neck a bit to look down at me, "We can't fight them, there's way too many." Then she swung her body off to another direction and ran away with wings folded tightly against her back. Her voice carried behind her as her huge black form left the trail and entered the woods, "Quick. Let's hide." After watching her leave me on the dirt trail, I shot a quick glance ahead, seeing the army again, and I mentally agreed with her. Yep, better hide.

While I shifted my bag on my shoulder, I didn't hesitate another second to run off the dirt trail after Luna on the same path she took. With the trail behind me, I sprinted until I caught up to Luna, now running behind her. We both ran through the woods a bit until the dragoness skidded to a stop in front of me. I stopped myself as well, her black tail barely touching me, and I can tell that her eyes were fixed on something.

Luna looked over her shoulder and said, "There's a cave over there. Follow me." Then she started to run again to that direction and I immediately glanced toward where she looked at. I can see it too. It was a cave with a very wide entrance. That's when I picked up my pace and started to jog this time, determined to hide in there along with her. I was breathing in deeply, while my heart pounded in my chest. While I jogged after her, I can see Luna after running past a few trees, quickly went in there, her tail was the last to disappear in it.

Not very long, my form disappeared from the sun and got covered up by the slight darkness after jogging through the mouth of the cave. I saw Luna with her back turned on the light outside was watching me as I joined beside her. I can see that in this cave, she stood at full height since the ceiling above her was high enough her horns wouldn't be able to touch it. She started to turn around to face the entrance after sucking in a deep breath. I looked up at her for a second before turning around towards the entrance myself.

I asked her after we stared outside for a moment, "Do you think they saw us?"

Luna shook her snout softly, "Don't think so." Then I turned my head and watched her shut her eyes, using the sight again, "I'll check and make sure." I waited for a few moments until she opened up her silver eyes and told me, "They seem to be on the trail still. We must have got away before they spotted us."

I nodded a bit, "That's a relief." I still couldn't get my thoughts out of what I saw. A river of enemies walking through the woods on the same trail. God, there was a lot of them! Luna was right, and I'm sure of it as well, there was no way me and her can fight them all. Wonder where they're heading off to? I hope no one else runs into them... 

I asked her another question, "So what do we do now? Wait here for all of them to be gone before we go back on that trail?"

Luna looked outside again, suspicion was in her eyes.

"Luna?"

"Before I answer your question...Maybe I better check on them one more time." Her eyes closed on me. I watched her again for a minute this time till she popped her eyelids open. That's when she looked down and gave me a fearful look, "Mike...I don't think it's a good idea to stay right here."

I made a frown, "Why?"

"Because they stopped walking on the trail, and I heard them talking....They're about to split up and wander in the woods."

My mouth opened in disbelief, "Are you serious?"

Luna narrowed her eyes at me, "Don't take my word for it, little guy, see for yourself."

Well alright, I'll see what they're doing. I didn't say another word to her as I shut my eyes, my vision turning dark. My mind searched for any viewpoints, and a few seconds later, I found one among the Lost Souls and Dark Dragons. Judging by how tall the viewpoint is standing near Lost Souls, I'm staring through the eyes of a Dark Dragon. What I saw through it, I'm seeing that they have stopped walking, and then I started to see several enemies on both sides of the huge crowd stroll away from the dirt trail and head off in the woods, splitting up. The Dark Dragon I looked through did the same thing, its gaze on the woods as it padded toward them.

My brain snapped in realization. Luna WAS serious! They're splitting up and heading off in the woods on both sides of the trail! When I opened my eyes, my face turned pale and I muttered, "Ah, crap."

The black dragoness sighed, "Told you....And the cave's not too far from the trail. I can feel it." I agree with her. When I looked through that viewpoint and after shot my eyes open, I can feel its direction and it's not very far from here. I also agree on why it's not a good idea to stay here. With that trail not so far away from this cave...It probably won't take forever for one of them to find this place, with us standing in it, and call for its pals.

Then the fight me and big girl won't win will happen.

Luna said, "We can't stay here. I would have suggested we leave now..." A groan left her snout, "But trying to leave and wander away from here is a bad idea also. One of them might spot us and then we're in trouble." But then she arched her neck to look behind her with a hum welled in her throat, "Hmm, but there is a tunnel in this cave."

I looked over my shoulder and saw that she was right. This isn't a small kind of cave, there's a tunnel in here. Like the wide cave entrance, even the tunnel was pretty wide for maybe about four dragons to walk side by side. Her voice went on as I gazed up at her with her tail swishing a bit behind her, a smile had formed on her face, "We don't have to take the chance to head outside and leave this place, we can just walk deeper in this cave and find another way out of here."

"Are you sure?"

A giggle came with her reply when she looked down at me, "Not like I haven't done it before." Her scaled body started to slowly turn around and face the road of the tunnel, her silver colored eyes still on me, "Come on. We better go now before they find us."

I had a pit forming in my stomach when I brought my eyes towards the darkness deeper in the long tunnel ahead, "I don't know..." I have been in three caves in Avarilan already, but they didn't have tunnels. This one's different, and I just had a bad feeling about this one. Who knows what can happen in there? Or better yet, who knows what's in it? Luna did say that there are many dangers living in Avarilan that are more dangerous than Lost Soul and Dark Dragon, and I still didn't know what they are. We haven't encountered something like that yet, but if we're going down that path...There probably wouldn't be another friendly female dragon coming to greet us.

Luna shrugged her shoulders, "It's either that, or we take our chances of actually going outside and try sneaking past them. I'd rather go this way. Now c'mon, let's go." I tossed my gaze back to the outside of this cave, then I remembered my fear for almost losing Luna a few days ago. Despite what I'm feeling...I think we'll take our chances going down the tunnel. It seems better than going back outside while the enemy's wandering out there.

When I looked up directly at her silver eyes, I slowly said, "Yeah...Let's go." Then from a nod given by Luna, we both started walking away from the sunlit entrance further in the dark, long tunnel. I hope we can find another way out of there. I hope we don't run into anything more dangerous than what we've already fought against.

And another thing, if one Lost Soul or Dark Dragon does find this cave...Then I hope it doesn't holler for its comrades and decide to wander down this tunnel and find us.