November 20

Word Count: 2780

There's a heck of a lot less ignorant fools who try to impale me on lances when I'm this small as well. Besides, flying makes me tired so now it's your turn to carry me." Snult hunkered down on Lasser's shoulder and rested his head on his neck. Lasser could feel the dragon's hot breath blowing against his skin.

"That sounds fair. Just don't sneeze while you're up there," Lasser replied. Snult let out an amused huff and the pair followed the odd parade of nobleman, who with a word from the princess had forgotten the dragon and headed back towards the castle.

The nobleman traded quips back and forth as if each and everyone of them had personally rescued the princess from the clutches of imminent doom and despair. Lasser could see some of them almost physically calculating how to jump into the conversation and win the attention of the princess for the moment.

No wonder the two girls ran away. A battery of this would drive anyone mad. It was nonstop showmanship the entire way to the castle. Several of the noblemen eyed Lasser, sizing up their competition, then dismissing him. Apparently a common forester dressed in plain muted greens and browns bedecked with serviceable pouches, sturdy black leather boots, and beaten leather archery guards didn't even register on their list of available eligible bachelors. From their pointy little embroidered slippers to the tip of their frilly feathered hats, Lasser doubted they'd last a night in the forest, especially with the newest terrors running around.

"Dragon food," Lasser accidently repeated to himself aloud. Snult chuckled in little wisps of smoke.

"I see you've never been to court. The whole lot of them have always been useless. Things don't appeared to have changed much since I've been asleep. Just promise me that no matter how much the pretty girls cajole and plead, you'll never put on one of those silly hats. I'd have to hate you then, and I'm just starting to get to like you."

"No frilly hats. Got it. How about the shoes?" The dragons answer was another chuckle. The parade crossed the drawbridge into the city that had been down for so long, it was beginning to grow weeds. People lined the road up to the keep's door and cheered incessantly as the princess and her courtiers rode by. A little boy ran up to Lasser and Snult blew a smoke ring in the air. The enchanted boy clapped and yelled for another before his mother came and whisked him away. The noise of the crowd was louder than any other Lasser had heard. He felt like a knight coming home from a long victorious foreign war. No wonder the noblemen were so full of themselves if the people threw parades every time they entered the city.

The keep itself was old Galadin, built sensibly for times of war. The women had apparently gotten hold of it, and strung bright banners and planted flowers in every nook and cranny. A stern brother met them at the door.

"The two of you are expected inside." The brother's tone was grim. The girls' bright mood suddenly vanished and the two became pictures of solemnity. They stepped quietly past the brother and into the castle. Lasser tried to follow them, but was stopped by the brother.

"You are not expected inside," he said forcefully.

"But I'm with them," he explained. The brother blocked his path.

"As are the rest of the louts. You know the rules. Get lost! All of you!" he shouted and waved his hands.

"But I don't know the rules…" The brother shut the huge door, cutting his explanation short. The rest of the noblemen dispersed quietly and disappeared into various places. In less than a minute, Lasser found himself alone without anyone offering him hospitality.

"But I'm the one that saved them," he said to no one in particular.

"I told you things were backwards in court," Snult warned.

"They'd be dead now if I didn't watch over them. That should at least count for a hot meal."

"Not to mention that you're a Great Mage who should get automatic hospitality anyway."

Lasser sat down dejectedly on a boulder outside the castle wall. "What am I supposed to be able to do, anyway? With this power I'm supposed to have?"

"Pretty much anything you want."

"Care to explain to me how it works?"

"I'm the dragon. You're the mage… how am I supposed to know how it works?"

"So I have all the power I can imagine? I just don't know how you use it?" Lasser asked.

"Yup."

"And you haven't the slightest clue of how it works?"

"Well, Belred, bless his soul, told me once it was kind of like growing hair. You did it all the time, and you didn't always have to think about it. You did have to think about how to manage it. Brushing it, cutting it, covering it with a silly hat… and once you cut it off, it took a while for it to grow back into full force. I miss Belred. He used to make the most mouth watering stew with these little pieces of…"

"Hair?"

"Yes. Didn't make much sense to me either. I don't have any hair."

"Right." Lasser sighed.

The door swung open and the brother peered out. He spotted Lasser on the boulder and pointed. "You. Come in."

Lasser stood and followed the brother inside. Someone swung the door shut behind them. A short page shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The brother disappeared into another door, and the page beckoned for Lasser to follow him.

They walked silently along the hallway and up two flights of steps before the page stopped at a door and entered. It was a small chamber, but opulent by Lasser's standards. A silk covered bed took over the far wall, and he pondered the colorful tapestry tacked above it.

The page turned, staring at the floor and mumbled, "Her Highness's maid said I was supposed to take care of you. Bring some food in an hour." With a quick nod and a speed that denied any questions, the page exited and closed the door behind him.

Snult half jumped and half flew to the side table and stretched out on his back with his paws in the air. He yawned. "Naptime," he said. His next breath was a snore.

Lasser paced to the window. A beautiful courtyard below sported a fountain, several small trees and a green garden. He turned to look at the room. The walls seem to close in. Lasser was definitely not used to confined spaces. He strode over to the bed and sat on the edge before falling back and staring at the ceiling. It definitely wasn't the sky or the canopy of trees he saw. Lasser closed his eyes and decided to follow the dragon by falling asleep.

Even at a sprint, Malek was quite aware that something was following him. It lurked just beyond his sight and Malek finally stopped wasting time by looking behind him every ten steps. When he'd first sensed it, he'd sped up. It followed. The faster pace was going to tire Malek out sooner or later, but he wasn't in the mood to find out what would happen if his stalker found a moment of opportunity.

The forest, usually a safe haven, had become a room with no windows, no doors, and no escape routes for when something attacked. Except for his bow, Malek was ill equipped to deal with the new danger levels the forest was sprouting these days. Another dragon attack might leave him…

Malek stopped short as the smell of acrid burning wood filled his nostrils. He glanced to his left and saw the tree trunk still smoking from the dragon's scorch. Malek took off at a run as fast as his tired body would travel. He heard the crack of the tree branch above him and crunch as the dragon hit the earth behind him. Knowing he'd need some distance to make his bow worth anything, he kept running, praying the dragon wasn't smart enough to hamstring him from behind.

A terrifying yowl sounded from behind him and the scuffle of the earth told Malek the dragon had stopped. He pulled an arrow from his quiver while running a good distance away. When he turned to line up his arrow, he was quite surprised to see Pylon lopping happily after him. Malek unnotched his arrow just in time for Pylon to jump up and knock Malek straight onto his back.

"You've grown." Malek squeaked out from beneath the cat who was licking his face. The cat's weight crushed him. "Get off, Pylon," he whispered. Relieved that the cat obeyed, Malek stood and brushed himself off. He was disgusted to find two bloody paw prints on his chest. "Ugh! Where?" Malek looked past Pylon to the cooling corpse of the dragon. Pylon seemed very pleased with himself as he sat cleaning his paws. He had not so neatly ripped the dragon's throat out.

"Well, Pylon. I suppose I should be glad you’re my friend, eh?" Pylon continued his bath with catlike indifference. "More likely you think I'm taking you to Mitty. I suppose you're smarter than me. I thought it was a dragon following me all this time. Well, come along then," Malek stated, suddenly feeling infinitely safer in the forest. He pulled out the glowing ball and noted the proper direction. However Mitty had traveled, she must have done it rapidly, especially if Pylon had not been able to follow. The cat's head was near even with his shoulders now. There'd be very little that could outrun him.

The pair headed off and traveled for about an hour before the trees began to thin. The forest began to fall away and soon they came to a road. After following the road for another hour, it began to look familiar. It was the road that led to Toumat.

"I don't believe it. She went home. That silly girl went home." Malek stopped for a minute in the middle of the road and debated whether or not to continue. If Mitty went home, did he have the right to force her away? Had she made the choice or had Nelyr taken her back for some reason? Why didn't she tell anyone or take Pylon? The unanswered questions were finally what drove him forward again. That and the final thought that occurred to him: had Mitty gone on her own, she would have never left without Pylon.

Malek glanced at the green cat as the grew closer to the town. He'd never get away with bringing Pylon in unnoticed. He'd probably been lucky so far not to meet any strangers on the road. Malek cut into a field and headed off the main road. He'd have to stash the cat somewhere before staking out the town. By himself, Malek was invisible. He'd have no trouble wandering into town and finding Mitty, especially when he had a glowing ball to help pinpoint her exact location.

Malek found the ruins of a shepherd's hut and figured it would be the perfect place to hide a giant cat. He turned to Pylon.

"Now you're going to stay here while I go get Mitty and bring her back here, okay?" The cat sat, lashing his tail. Satisfied, Malek headed towards town. Pylon followed. Malek stepped back towards the hut. Pylon again followed him and sat.

"Now, stay," He stepped back and Pylon stood. "No. You stay here." He sighed when Pylon followed him again. Malek searched through his pockets and found a piece of jerky.

"Oh, look! Yummy! Meat! Fetch!" he through it towards the hut. Pylon was not amused.

"Damn it! The only way I'm going to be able to pull this off is if I'm invisible, and I can't be invisible if I'm being followed by a giant green cat!" Malek shouted frustrated. Pylon simply sat in silent cat stillness except for his flickering tail. Malek took a deep calming breath. He looked at Pylon. He took another breath.

"Whatever do you see in her?" Malek asked Pylon. "Whatever do I see in her?" Pylon had no answer.

"Fine. But if we both get caught, I'm making sure you hang too."

As predicted, utter chaos occurred as Malek and Pylon strolled into town. People ran shrieking in all directions. Pylon effectively cleared the streets and the market while not a single person stared at Malek. No one so much as noticed him. Sidestepping yet another panicked merchant, Malek was almost glad the cat had insisted on coming along. He pulled out the globe and walked casually into the market where word had already reached. No one tried to defend their stalls. They'd simply run and locked themselves into the shops. Malek spotted their faces peering out at the cat.

Pylon trotted happily along peering into the different stalls, pausing to grab a cured ham from the butcher's. With a few chomps, he'd eaten it mostly whole. Malek stopped outside the jail where the ball became mostly blinding. He ducked it back into the pouch and jiggled the door. It was locked. The jailer 's fat face peered from the barred windows. He too was staring at the cat who was now downing several links of sausages.

"Hello. I have some business with you, jailer," Malek said to the fat man who'd yet to look at him. "Would you open the door so I could speak with you?" Again no answer. Malek waived his hand annoyingly in front of the man's face. He didn't so much as blink. Malek might have as well been invisible. Becoming impatient, Malek decided to try an even more direct approach.

Malek stepped over to the door and took out his lock picks. With little effort the lock gave way and he opened the door. Mitty stared wide eyed at him through the bars of her cell. The jailer remained glued to the window.

"It's a monster, it is! Look at it tear into that ham!" The jailer shouted excitedly. "I've never seen…" he turned back to Mitty. Malek stood straight in his line of view, but the jailer simply looked at the door and jumped. "How'd that get open?!" He threw his weight against the door and turned the lock. "Imagine the monster just walking in here because I left the door unlocked!"

Mitty stared unbelieving from the jailer back to Malek. "What's going on?" she mouthed to Malek as she pointed at the jailer.

"He apparently can't see me, or hear me for that matter. I don't think anyone in town can. You see me right," Malek stated as he shifted through his picks and found the one he was looking for. "I was so worried that coming into town with Pylon was going to get me caught that I turned invisible, I suppose." The lock clicked and Malek opened the door to her cell. The jailer didn't turn around until they were halfway to the jail door.

"Now where do you think you're-" Unable to finish his sentence after Malek hit him over the head, he slumped to the floor. Malek pulled Mitty along out the door and into the market where Pylon was finishing his devastation to the butcher's stall.

"Pylon!" She greeted her pet with a hug around the neck and a good ear scratching.

"I may be invisible, but you and the cat aren't, so I suggest a hasty getaway."

Mitty nodded and the three of them ran from the town of Toumat. As they passed her father's cottage, Mitty signaled for Malek to wait. She ran into the house and came back laden with a bundle of clothes. Malek spotted the tail end of the dragon cloth peering out from one of her skirts.

It was amazing how people stayed far away from them when they traveled with a big green cat. When they were far enough away for true safety, Malek turned to Mitty.

"Why did you go back?"

"I don't know. You were right though. They all hate me. They were going to hang me. I can't ever go back. I guess last night I just thought I wanted all of this magical stuff to go away… and when it magically did, I…" She stopped.

"You what?"

"I missed it."

Malek wished he had the nerve to ask whether he was included in the it.

"Malek."

"Yes?"

Thank you for coming after me."

He smiled. "What are fellow Great Mages for?"