Minx shot towards the dragon only to watch as it started to plummet back down. She pushed forwards, getting close enough to see Luna clinging to his back for dear life.

She had no idea what had just happened, but one thing she knew was that if the dragon hit the ground he would take out half of the town with him. She was level with it now, pulling into a steep dive she grabbed his snout, smacking him as hard as she could.

"Wake up!" She screamed. Thirty feet.

His eyelids fluttered. They didn't open. She smacked him again, harder.

"Wake up!" Twenty five feet.

She growled, hearing Luna shout something that was lost in the wind. She tried again, this time lunching him in the nose before grabbing onto his eyelid, pulling it open. The pupil focused on her for a second.

"Wake up! Wake up wake up wake up!" Fifteen feet.

His eye focused on her again, this time contracting. Minx felt his neck muscles twitch.

Ten feet.

His wings swept up, head snapping up as he slowed his fall, twisting in mid air. She did the same, flying along side him. His tail came up too late, slamming into the wall and sending grey stone shards into the crowd below.

"The Mystic was in my head," He started in dragon tongue, turning around and soaring back towards Rai and Mendax.

"Yes, we didn't know he could do that," She responded slowly, keeping her voice down.

"You have a voice in your head too, no?"

She hesitated. "Yes."

"Are you the guardian?"

"I don't know what that means."

He fell silent, sweeping around and landing about a hundred metres from the main gate. He lurched forwards, using one claw to steady himself. Minx hovered by his face for a second before darting back to see Luna holding her sword with her eyes screwed shut.

"Am I dead?" She uttered. Minx took the sword from her shaking hands, pulling it out from Jashalock's back. He winced but didn't cry out.

"You wish," Minx placed a hand on her shoulder. "You ok?"

"I think my stomach just forced it's way into my head," she chocked, still hanging onto the dragon's back.

"Stop squeezing," Jashalock snapped. "Get off."

"Yes sir."

Luna slipped off of his back, collapsing in a crumpled heap in a puddle of muddy water.

Jashalock shook himself, stumbling backwards. Lightening flashed across the sky, chased by thunder seconds later. Minx ignored Luna as she started to throw up, instead clambering up onto his neck to inspect the damage. Luna had the common sense not to drive the blade in too deep, but nevertheless it was still pretty back. He tried to stand and fell back down.

"Luna! Minx!"

Minx turned to see Quin running toward them, closely followed by Rai and Mendax.

Jashalock muttered something barely audible and flew off, vanishing into the storm clouds, dripping blood in his wake. Luna was still crouched down, but she'd stopped throwing up and was instead trying to stand.

Despite Quin's initial lead Rai got there first, pulling Luna to her feet and enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Are you ok?" She grasped, letting Luna go.

"Ugh," was all Luna managed to get out before clutching her forehead and leaning against a tree.

Mendax stood but the smear where Jashalock had previously been, dipping his fingers in the blood. "Where did it go?"

Minx landed beside him. "That way." She pointed off in the direction Jashalock had gone. Mendax sighed, standing again and placing his hands on his hips.

"I'm getting too old for this," he sighed. "If only Hatchet were still-" he caught himself, rubbing his face before pointing to her. "Minx, can you follow it and make sure it's either dead or isn't coming back?"

"Yes sir," Minx saluted before padding off down the road. She spread her wings and took off, shooting away. All she had to do was follow the trail of blood droplets to her target.

~

Luna sat with her legs crossed beside Nyx holding a glass of water. The bar they were in was crowded, some there to gossip, others to drink the memories away.

Quin had gone back to the Society with Rai and Mendax, so it was only her, Nyx, Charlie and Gemma. Outside it was still raining, cascading down from the heavens by the bucket load.

"That was really reckless of you Luna. You could have got hurt," Nyx stated bluntly, taking a sip from his glass. Luna shrugged.

"I had no choice Nyx."

"It was still stupid of you."

She shrugged again, drinking her water. Nyx fell silent.

"How did you do that thing?" She finally asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know...I just wanted to help and suddenly I was just up there."

"But you couldn't make him do anything else?"

He shook his head again. "No. I just knew that I couldn't hold him for much longer. I was trying...I was trying to create a mind barrier. This wasn't even recorded in the book." He frowned. "You're trying to change the subject."

She shrugged again. "What do you want me to say Nyx?"

"Just say you won't do anything like that again Luna. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"I can't promise anything," she snapped back. Nyx's eyes clouded.

"I don't care Luna. I don't care if you keep your promises or not, but just say it to make me feel better."

She laughed bitterly. "Why? You're not in charge of me Nyx."

She knew she should stop, but rage had started to simmer up within her.

"All promises are empty."

He looked down at his glass. "No they're not Luna. Promises mean something, even if it's just to the person you give them too."

She stood, pushing her chair out behind her with a grating noise.

"Luna?"

"I'm going for a walk."

He watched her go, she could feel his eyes on her back. She stepped outside, the cold almost taking her breath away. She didn't understand why his calm air was making her so aggravated. She couldn't understand why it felt like he was suddenly a different person.

She couldn't understand why, after the secrets he'd shared, she was afraid of him.

~

Nyx sighed, grabbing his hat from the barstool beside him before saying a quick goodbye to Charlie and Gemma. He stood, running outside after Luna. He had sensed her thoughts; the anger, the conflict. He hadn't dared read her mind, he was afraid of what he might hear.

He stood outside in the rain for a second, trying to work out which way she'd gone when he caught a glimpse of her retreating down a side alley. He sighed and jogged after her.

It was dark, water pooling in the gaps between the cobbles and at the edge of the pavement. A figure stood at the end of the alley, only now did Nyx realise it was a dead end.

"Luna?"

No response.

He frowned and moved forwards. He wasn't getting any vibes off of her; it was like she was just empty space.

"Luna?"

The figure turned and now Nyx could see it wasn't Luna. The man was maybe twenty, wearing the uniform of the Hunter's society. But he had no face.

Just a crudely drawn smiley face, the ink running in the rain. Nyx took a step forwards, now he could see he was made of not flesh, but clay. He gulped.

"Are you ok?"

The thing tilted his head to one side, staring at him. Things, long sharp prongs resembling spider legs twitched around behind his back. Two edged their way forwards, caressing the man's head.

"Sir-"

The appendages suddenly dug deep into the man's skull, slowly ripping his face in half. Nyx watched in horror as jagged teeth formed along the horizontal split, like a mouth turned on its side, and a pale worm-like tongue writhed around in the newly formed mouth.

Nyx stumbled backwards, tripling and landing heavily in a puddle. He gapsed but when he looked back the thing was gone. He placed a hand on his heart and tried to slow his breathing. Was that a vision?

He didn't think it was. Visions were usually slightly distorted, like you were looking at them through glass. But that couldn't have been real...it had just vanished.

Nyx picked himself up, using the wall for support.

"Just a vision," he mumbled to himself, darting back out into the abandoned Street. He thought for a moment; Luna would have gone back to the Hunter's society...why hadn't he realised that before. He gulped and walked briskly towards his destination, all the while mumbling to himself.

"Just a vision, it was just a vision."

He only wished he believed it.

~

Minx paused, someone was following her. She turned around to see Jags and Purge watching her from about twenty metres away. She rolled her eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Jags shrugged. "We wanted to help."

"Yeah," Purge piped up. "That dragon was huge!"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but don't get in the way."

Jags grinned as he and Purge ran up to walk beside her. Minx ignored them and kept walking.

The trail was getting clear and clearer with every step; where she had been following drops of blood she was now following broken trees, dents in the path and pools of dried purple in the dust. She could smell him two; a mixture of the normal scent that all Dragons have and iron. Luna must have hurt him more than they initially thought...

"Is it true, the rumours I mean," Purge asked in a hushed voice. Minx frowned.

"What rumours?"

He sighed. "That he's Jashalock, the horn, ruling dragon. Guardian."

She shrugged. "I guess so, why is that so important?"

"Come on Minx, you know the story."

He looked at her blank expression and gasped. "You don't? Most Dragons know the prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

Jags bounced up and down. "I know I know! Let me tell it!"

Purge grinned. "Fire away Tanuki."

Jags cleared his throat, black eyes glittering. Then he started.

~

When the day turns to night and the world falls quiet. The eighth will arise and lead the army of silence. The clay returns and the monster wakes, the Society scatters and the ground will shake.

The truth comes out in a flurry of fire, the last boy of Meden's shall light the pyre. Each guardian tries to stand and fight. The world will end under the cover of night.

Six stand, six will fall, the world will burn as Pasirima calls. The sea, the rock, the grass, the horn, the falling sky and the false Blackthorn.

~

"What the hell does that mean?" Rai groaned. Squad two had vanished, three, four and five were still MIA, seven was refusing to fight. Now ten people from the final two squads plus Mendax had gathered in the common room around an old scroll they'd had found.

James nudged her and she fell silent. Mendax continued.

"We don't exactly know. Hatchet was the only one who knew it's true meaning and he only told Axel."

Luna saw Rai glance at the staircase. Axel had locked himself in his room after failing once again to find any Wolfsbane. In her head she cursed him. Didn't he understand this was more important than him?

"Luna. He was your great uncle, you know anything?" One of Squad one, Winston, asked. Luna shook her head.

"I didn't even know be existed until six months ago."

Winston shrugged, looking at the scroll. "Mendax?"

"I know a little, not as much as Axel though. There are five guardians we know of. Three of which have gone missing in the past six months," Mendax stated. "That dragon could have possibly been the fourth."

"And the fifth?" James jumped in, placing his work on the table. Mendax looked at Luna. She sighed.

"The sky? Cloud runner, Skythorn, Sundragon to name a few,"

"Are any of those ruling Dragons?"

She shrugged. "Cloud runner and Sundragon are both rulers."

He groaned loudly. "Damn it! Does anyone have any Wolfsbane?"

Silence.

Mendax sighed, rolling the scroll back up. "Right, tomorrow everyone goes out and tries to find some, OK?"

"Course Sir," Rai nodded. "We'll find some."

An ear-splitting howl broke the awkward silence followed by a loud thudding. Luna and Rai stood at the same time and looked at each other.

"We'll go check on him," Rai grabbed her hand, dragging Luna out of the room. As soon as they were in the hallway she smiled. "Thanks, I don't think I can deal with him by myself."

Luna gulped. "Is he violent?"

She shrugged. "Depends how far gone he is."

"Worst case?"

"If it was worst case we'd all be dead already."

They stopped outside his door and Rai took a deep breath, wiping her palms on her shorts.

"Ready?"
She nodded slowly. "Ready."

~

Minx found Jashalock collapsed inside a cave, bleeding out. His bleary eyes wandered over to the trio and he laughed.

"Your leader sent you."

She nodded, padding in to sit beside him. He chuckled, glancing at Jags and Purge.

"You brought friends. A Tanuki and a ringtail."

She nodded again. "Yes," she hesitated. "Do you need help?"

He was silent before shaking his head. "No. It's too late for me."

He motioned to his tail and Minx followed his gaze. Half of it was gone already, sinking into the ground. He smiled weakly.

"He has a hold on me."

Jags frowned. "Who does?"

"Pasirima. He's waking up. You know, you hear him in your head Tanuki, don't you? How loud is it now?"

Jags hesitated. "Like...like a quiet instant voice. Like I'm next-door and he's talking to me through the wall."

"What's happening to you?" Purge poked the scales just above the line of mud. Jashalock winced.

"He's consuming me, like the others. Seafoam, Ramous, Gashan."

Purge's eyes widened. "The vine ringtail?"

Jashalock nodded. "You must find and warn Tein-Lung."

"The Cloud runner?"

He nodded. "She will know...will...wi-"

He shivered and his chin hit the dirt, his muscles convulsing and twitching. Minx moved forwards but he was already gone, the colour fading to grey and black. They just watched as his body melted away into the ground. She blinked.

"He's gone..." Jags sighed.

"Minx, I'm going to go and see Tein-Lung," Purge turned and walked out of the cave, his wings twitching.

"Purge, think about-" she started.

"I met Gashan once. Back when I had a tamer," He snapped. "He helped me, helped me pass through that phase in my life Minx. If he's gone, if this Pasirima guy has taken him, I have a debt to repay."

With that he turned and spread his wings, vanishing off into the growing storm. Jags gulped. "What do we do now?"

She shrugged, padding back outside. Jags followed her, waiting in silence.

"We tell Mendax. He'll know what to do."

~

Jashalock felt them around him.

"Welcome to the party." Ramous snarled.

Jashalock couldn't feel anything but then and...and something else. "What's happening."

"He's changing them. Then us. Then everything," Gashan piped up. "It will end. He will take the final two."

"What's he doing with them?" Jashalock asked.

Silence.

"Ramous? Gashan?"

"We don't know," Seafoam stated. "Nothing good. Meden has abandoned us."

"No he hasn't. He will come back. He will free us," Ramous snapped. Jashalock heard Seafoam snort. Then he felt a chill run down his spine and instantly froze.

"Yes. Hold onto that. I enjoy watching the hope drain from their eyes as they realise what they will become."

Images flashed through his head; things with drawn on faces, a girl with pink hair riding into battle, a black shape exploding in a frenzy of blue fire.

Jashalock gapsed and shuddered. "Who are you?"

He didn't need to ask. He already knew the answer.

"I am the great one. The dark earth. I am Pasirima, Jashalock. But you already know that, don't you?"