Six months passed with little incident. Luna and Nyx kept in touch, Gemma arrived in Grey-Castle, talk of Pasirima and the clay army all but ceased.

Luna found out a lot about her fellow teammates. Rai had inherited her spot from her father when he retired. James had come from the north, which explained the fact he sometimes slipped back into his first language, and he'd lost his arm in a fight. What he'd fought had never been explained to her, but from the way everyone talked about it, it was a big deal. Mendax was the Society leader but was more of a father figure to everyone. Each of the seven squads was headed by a deputy, and Squad six was led by Axel who seemingly addicted to Wolfsbane. Luna didn't mind, everyone had flaws, though was confused as Wolfsbane was poisonous. If anybody understood they didn't bother to explain.

Nyx continued to grow his skills with Charlie and Jags help, learning how to manipulate objects and to an extent, read minds. He tried to create invisible walls too, but each time it was bigger than a matchbox it gave him a massive headache.

Minx's spines came through and her fire sacks developed, letting her breath fire. She grew to the size of a small goat. Ramsipia continued to speak to her and offer advice, but only Luna knew about it.

Quin also developed his powers through Axel's help, now able to create candle sized flames from nothing. His birthday came and went.

Life was going good.

Until the day three squads were sent to investigate the disappearance of one of the dominant sea Dragons to the south.

That was when everything went to hell.

~

Luna was throwing grapes at James when the news came in. Their squad was on house duty, which meant they had to tidy rooms, work the check in and cook. James and Luna were on check in.

"Pop!" Luna said, throwing another grape at him. He stooped down and caught it in his mouth before going back to filing.

"You got the stamp?" He asked between mouthfuls of fruit, shuffling some paper. Luna looked around, grabbing the stamp and throwing it at him. He nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

The door opened and Luna glanced up. August opened one eye but closed it again when he saw it was the postman. She smiled as the man handed her a single letter before leaving. James frowned, sliding a stack of papers onto a shelf under the desk. Luna turned the letter over in her hand. She recognised the handwriting instantly.

"Who's it from?" He asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Nyx," she replied. "Meden, I haven't heard from him in a good two months."

She opened it and began to read.

Dear Luna,

How've you been? Sorry I haven't been able to write. Scuro and his girlfriend have taken of the bakery from that old couple and are getting married in a few months, so I've been extremely busy helping out around the farm.

Anyway, I'll get right to the point. Me, Charlie and Jags are going to be visiting Grey-Castle in a few days. My parents want me to pick up some specific seeds (can't remember what they are, my parents have given me a list) so if you're off I was wondering if you wanted to meet up? I'll be leaving in a couple of days and so should be there by Monday if you want to meet up.

Nyx.

Luna glanced at James as she slipped the letter into her short pockets. The summer uniform of the Society was exactly the same but with brown shorts instead. James had already cast his jacket aside and she was close to doing the same.

"Have we got next week off?" She asked. James nodded.

"Half the week."

"First half?"

He nodded. She grinned. He frowned.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm blowing you and Rai off. Sorry." She shrugged as he groaned. At that moment Rai came downstairs, closely followed by Colton. He pointed at her.

"Don't leave me alone with that!"

"That?" Rai asked, raising an eyebrow and skipping over to join them. She eagerly eyed the grapes. Luna sighed and pushed the bowl over to her. Raj popped one in her mouth. "What are we talking about?"

~

Nyx, Charlie and Jags arrived in Grey-Castle early Monday morning. The man on the gate nodded, still half asleep, and let them pass. Charlie and Jags said goodbye quickly since they already had plans with Gemma in the morning. Nyx pulled his hat down over his eyes as he walked, shrugging his bag over his shoulder.

The streets were almost completely empty, only a few people strolling around. He wondered if Luna would even be awake yet. He walked past a street where a few people were opening their stalls. Each step was accompanied by the usual flashes of the past and future. Over the past six months Nyx had learnt to discern them from reality and could, ultimately, ignore them.

A girl ran passed him, dragging a small child. Vision.

A tall figure stood watching from the shadows, yellow eyes shining as a pure white smile materialised. Vision.

He turned left down an alley and saw a sign swinging back and forth in the summer breeze. A man with a blue dragon stood outside, watching the door. Nyx shuddered, something seemed off about him. He brushed it off and placed his hand against the door to the Hunter's society.

He opened the door and walked inside, the sound of a jingling bell breaking the silence. He looked around to see a dragon sprawled out on a stool that lazily waved to him as they made eye contact.

"Luna's in the common room," the dragon purred, rolling over to sun its belly.

"Thanks."

Nyx walked into a side room and just stared. Luna was in there. She was standing on one of the tables with her foot atop some guys back.

"No body tells Mendax or James gets it!" She growled. Minx rolled her eyes and nudged Quin.

"I think she's finally lost it," the dragon chuckled. Quin snickered.

"Glad to see some things never change," Nyx smiled, walking forwards. Luna's eyes widened and she grinned.

"Nyx!" She leapt off of the boy and ran over, crushing him with a bear hug. Nyx smile broadened as he heard her voice in his head - her thoughts.

"Hey!" He hugged her back, noticing that despite the warm weather she was still wearing his scarf. "Hows it going?"

"Good!" She laughed, finally pulling away to let him breath. He waved to Minx and Quin and they smiled back. "Let me introduce you to my squad mates! James and Rai!"

Luna waved at the boy on the table who was struggling to get up and a ginger girl who was busy playing dominoes with a goose. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, instead he let continue.

"I've got a full day planned, Minx and Quin are off training though for the first half of the day..."

He shrugged and glanced at them. "It's ok."

She nodded. "I though I'd show you my favourite spot in the woods, then we can head to the market to get your stuff and then Gemma said she'd meet us back here."

He smiled. "Sounds great."

~

Luna sat beside Nyx, listening as he chatted and caught her up on all the news from Penen. She could sense he was holding something back, but she didn't care. She was just so happy to see him.

She led him into the forest from the West gate, down a dirt path to an open field where Axel had taken her, Minx and Rai for horse riding lessons. Daisies and daffodils poked their petals out amount the sea of long, unkept grass. Luna shifted her weight slightly, leaning against a tree trunk before glancing at Nyx. He looked older, slightly taller than the last time they'd seen each other and his chin was covered in a thin layer of stubble. She was glad to see he had held onto her hat but was unsure whether they'd be swapping back. She hoped not, it suited him.

"Luna, if you found out you could do things no one else could, what would you do?" He asked suddenly. She turned away from him, watching the clouds roll across the blue sky.

"I guess I'd use my new, super amazing power for good, you know? Like Quin is."

"Quin?"

"He's training with Axel in order to learn how to harness the power of fire to take down beasts," she explained. Nyx smiled.

"He's a good kid...what made you take him in, way back when?"

She shrugged. "He didn't dwell on his past to much, plus he's just a kid. I gotta be responsible."

"Uh huh?"

"And Charlie would have hated me if I didn't."

"There we go."

They sat for a while, enjoying the sunshine and the gentle breeze that ruffled the leaves of the surrounding vegetation. Luna sighed happily, resting her head against Nyx's shoulder. She wished it could be like this forever, but in the back of head she was dimly aware that two days from now Nyx would return to Penen and she would be back training. Nyx smiled.

"If you had a power you'd use it for good? Why not just hide it?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"We're growing up now Luna. No more thinking about the future, now we've just gotta live it," he adjusted his hat looking up at the sky. "Powers would just be a burden."

Luna frowned and sat up, studying him. He looked sad.

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "I've got some things going on. Mostly this." He held up his hand and she saw a silver tattoo, like Quin's but with a skeletal dragon instead of a snake. She whistled.

"You got a tattoo. Very grown up."

He shook his head. "You don't understand Luna. I-" he fell silent, looking off into the forest. She scowled.

"What's wrong?"

He held up a finger for silence and slowly got to his feet, helping her stand. "There's a guy. Standing behind that tree watching us."

Luna froze. "What does he look like?"

"Tall, richly dressed. Dragon on his shoulder..."

"Ruddy Varistor," she snarled, pulling out a knife. "Come out here or get lost!"

She could see him now, standing there in the shadows watching them. He didn't move. Luna gritted her teeth.

"Make your decision you stalker!"

He stepped out, dead eyes glittering. The dragon on his shoulder was looking skinnier than the last time she'd seen it. Varistor had been stalking her and Minx since he'd burst into their room to attack them. He hadn't tried to hurt them again but every now and then she'd see him watching them from the street or down some dark alley.

She rolled her eyes she saw the knife in his hand. "Bugger off!"

He didn't reply, walking across the clearing towards them. She raised her own weapon.

"Last chance Varistor!"

He stopped. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he sprinted towards them. Luna took up a fighting stance but Varistor only made it three steps before hitting an invisible wall. Beside her Nyx huffed.

"This guy giving you trouble?" He asked. Luna looked at him to see he had one hand raised. His eyes were a cloudy white.

"Nyx?"

"Answer me. Is this guy bothering you?"

Slowly she nodded. Nyx's scowl deepened. The knife flew from Varistor's hand, slamming into one of the trees and wedging itself in the trees bark. Varistor's eyes widened.

"You're the Mystic he told me about."

Luna looked at Varistor then back to Nyx. "Mystic? Like, the people who were wiped out in the creation story?"

Varistor suddenly turned and ran back off into the woods, back towards town. Nyx collapsed on the grass, breathing heavily.

"First time I've done that on a person," he coughed, a trickle of blood rolling down across his lips. He wiped it away. Luna grabbed her bag and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to him. He thanked her and downed all of it.

"What the hell was that?" She whispered.

"Remember what I said about powers?"

She nodded. He flicked his index finger and the knife wiggled it's way out of the tree, shooting towards them. Nyx caught it in one hand and passed it to her.

"This is my power."

~

Minx's head snapped up as there was a knock at the window. She looked at the source of the sound. She got up and shook herself before making her way over to the window. Luna and Quin were asleep and Nyx was passed out in the floor by the bookshelf. After checking with Mendax he'd been allowed to crash with them until he left. She didn't know where Charlie was staying.

Minx hopped up onto the window sill and pushed it open. A small blue dragon darted in, smiling to her. Varistor's dragon.

"Minx."

"Blueberry," she responded in dragon tongue. He smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your tamer," Blueberry rubbed his arm. "I don't know why he's been following you guys."

Minx shrugged, leading him to the door and out into the corridor. Downstairs she could hear voices chatting in dragon tongue and various other languages.

Minx led him into the darkened common room where a group of dragons, Colton, two cats, Rai and surprisingly Jags were sat around one of the tables playing cards. Colton looked up when he saw them.

"You in?" Colton honked. He was dealing.

"Yep," Blueberry replied, pulling out a spare chair and sitting down. Minx sat beside him and Colton dealt each of them cards.

"We're playing rummy," one of the cats, Baby-doll, purred, running a paw through her white fur.

"Yep," Rai responded. That was something Minx had learnt within the first week: Rai regulary held these meetings, and she could do to the fact she had the unique ability to communicate with beasts and animals.

And of course she kept this a secret from everyone else.

Jags grinned as he shuffled his cards. "Minx."

"Jags."

The second cat, a stray named Stray (he'd come up with it himself), raised an eyebrow. "You two know each other?"

"Both from Penen," Minx explained. She had a decent hand. "Hey Gregg, did you get that tooth sorted out?"

The purple dragon at the table grinned and shook his head. "Nope. So what's new with you guys?"

August hobbled in, rubbing his snout. "Sorry, what'd I miss?"

"Nothing. You're gonna have to wait until the next round," Baby-doll muttered.

August shrugged. "Fine my me."

Stray sighed, trying to untangle his long matted silver fur. "I heard three different squads were sent out after that one dragon...what was his name?"

"Her," August corrected. "Seafoam. Reports said steam just kept rising from the ocean, the water was too hot to go in and she just vanished."

Jags whistled, looking at the card on the table before exchanging it with one of his own. "Damn. You heard back yet?"

August bit his lip. "We lost contact."

Rai glanced up from her cards, taking Jags' old card and switching it with her own. "Tried talking to James?"

"Not my problem."

"Right," Rai sighed. "I'll let him know tomorrow. Blueberry, you want something to eat?"

Blueberry's eyes lit up and be nodded. Rai got up and disappeared into the kitchen.

"I don't know why you stay with Varistor," Stray said. "You could come and live with me and Purge."

The dragon sitting beside Jags grinned wickedly. He was a common ringtail, green scales striped with yellow and black like a snake. "Yeah, we could be the three amigo's."

"More like the three stooges," Colton laughed. "But he has a point Blue."

"He'll just find me again," Blueberry snorted. "Last time he locked me in a box for three days. He would've killed me if I wasn't a blue gem."

"Come live here. That ruddy stalker was bared for life after attacking Luna and Minx." August sighed, knowing it was no use.

Rai came back in with two bowls. She placed one before Blueberry and the second in the middle of the table.

They talked for a while about life and what was happening, about Pasirima and how all talk of him had just disappeared over night (the subject of most of the previous meetings), about training and other subjects. Blueberry was the first to leave, worried about what Varistor would do if he wasn't there when he woke up. Jags was the second closely followed by Stray, Baby-doll and Purge. Minx rested her head against the table as Rai opened the curtains, the first rays of dawn crept through, lighting the room up slightly.

Rai flopped back into her chair, taking the bowl of strawberries from Colton and biting into one.

"I should probably wake up James so he'll have enough to time reestablish communication..."

Minx smirked, reaching across and taking a strawberry. "But you're not going to, are you?"

Colton snorted, fluffing up his feathers and bobbing his head in agreement. Rai chuckled, rubbing her bloodshot eyes and taking another strawberry. She stopped, looking out to watch as the Clutch bone lurched last on its way to God knows where. Rai sighed, shoving the strawberry in her mouth and leaning back, closing her eyes. Minx waited in silence, listening to the sound of her own breathing mingled with the fading noise of the clutch bone. Luna would be waking up soon; she always awoke with the sun. After a while Rai spoke.

"Nope," she mumbled, weariness lacing her voice. "Considering we've only known each other for like, what, six months? You know me so well."

~

The dragon opened her eyes, it made no difference. Seafoam couldn't move, dirt was pressed up against her scales and wings so close she could barely breath. She could feel someone nearby and reached out with her mind. It was Ramous.

"Ramous?"

"Seafoam. Be quiet. He'll hear us."

Seafoam was confused. "Who will?"

A different voice replied. "Just shut up Seafoam!"

Gashan? Her heart rate quickened, she had a suspicion she knew what this was. She was praying she was wrong.

"How many?" She whispered.

"Us three and three squads from the Hunter's society. We have little time. He will turn us against them." Gashan responded.

A deep rasping voice broke the conversation up, filling Seafoam's head.

"My brother will see what I can do even when I'm asleep," it laughed "soon I will consume all and I will erase the stain."

Seafoam didn't respond. She was slipping again, back into the darkness.

"Just three more and the six guardians will have fallen. Meden's fail-safes will be gone. I will rise and have free roam over this world I created. Six stand, six will fall, the world will burn as Pasirima calls. Finish it Seafoam, finish it. Surely it was passed down to you? No? The sea, the rock, the grass, the horn, the falling sky. Finish it."

Seafoam felt fire race through her veins and the pressure increase. She screamed as it increase and increase until it felt like she was going to explode.

"Go on, you know that last guardian. I've establish a way to watch her already. They think the clay army, my clay army, have vanished. Little do they know that someone is always watching. Say it!"

Seafoam couldn't breath now. The words came out as a whisper and the pressure recessed slightly. She said it again then screamed the last line as loud as she possibly could, he was in her head and she couldn't think rationally anymore.

"The sea, the rock, the grass, the horn, the falling sky and the false Blackthorn."