Selina had been pleasantly surprised to meet Jeremy and Travis and to learn that there were 45 more people left alive in the mountains. This was good news, good news indeed. Initial reports hadn't given her much hope that there would be sufficient towns folk and dragons left in order for them to survive in their own community. Conditions were much worse than she expected but this was only a first impression. First impressions can be deceiving.

It only took a few hours to feed the two of them and gather supplies to take up to the caves. Selina felt that the food Darrabar took with them was a bit excessive, however, when some of the others didn't wish to return she was glad that stores could be left behind so they wouldn't have to go hungry. This lack of trust was not something she understood, but she was not one for whom it was necessary to enforce her will on others. She could and would only suggest a course, she would never attempt to force a course of action on any other living being. It was against everything her father taught her to do so. Still, she was surprised at the animosity shown by Jacob against her and Darrabar. His words "Go back to live in Layton's Rage? I don't think so" rang loudly in her head. Nothing they, any of them, could say or do swayed this Jacob nor any of his supporters. Once it was decided. Who would return and who would stay behind it was a matter of collecting what poor belongings remained to these people and returning down the mountain.

They made the trip in almost total silence. Some with hope in their hearts and others with fear, palpable fear written on their faces. She wished it was not so. That someone could be this frightened was almost more than Selina could bear. Lost in her own thoughts, she wasn't aware that they had arrived until the voice of Travis stirred her from her reverie.

"We can't leave them up there alone" Travis said. "Selina, Jer, they aren't equipped for survival, don't you see?"

"Leave them alone to think things through, they must realize that we are offering them safety and comfort" answered Selina.

"I agree, Travis. We will wait a few days and then go back up to talk to them, and if you don't mind Selina, Travis and I will go without you. Maybe they'll listen to us if there are no strangers around. We don't know that much about you and in time we may be able to convince them that things are different. If they are different, that will show and actions speak much louder than words." answered Jeremy.

Selina said nothing just nodded her head, and smiled. She was appalled at conditions here in Layton's Rage. Nothing would ever have prepared her for the filth and squalor these people and dragons had endured. No crops planted, no eggs ready to hatch, nothing with which to feed these people. She wasn't sure how long the stores she brought with her would last, nor whether she could count on any more supplies from Fenton's Earth. She had directed Darrabar to leave everything they brought with them when they went to the caves to rescue these people. Some of them looked as if they hadn't eaten in days.

There was another worry, those ten who would not return. Used wisely there was enough food for the ten to survive on...for a month. She was concerned, but needed to see what could be done in town before turning her attention to the ones they left behind in the caves.

By her count there were 6 dragons and 35 people left who were original inhabitants of Layton's Rage. She knew of nothing in her own life that would allow her to truly understand what happened here. It was beyond her knowledge and that of any of the inhabitants of Fenton's Earth. Way beyond, and it did not surprise her that this Jacob and his followers would not know that things really will be different now. She needed to familiarize herself with the true conditions here and see what can be done to change things. Housing to be repaired or replaced, food to be provided. Crops to be planted and some form of government to be established. All with no time to spare.

"Gentlemen, there is much I must do before we can convince Jacob and his friends to return. It would be good if you were to return to your homes here. Set your houses in order. If anything is needed, we will provide as much as we can for you. Once you have resettled we need to meet to plan the best way to bring about a rebirth of Layton's Rage. A new direction perhaps? Possibly even a new name if you think it wise. If there are any problems in the meantime, please let Darrabar know and we will take care of it. I will need to know if anyone is familiar with the care of the dragons eggs, it would be good to set the nursery up as quickly as possible. However, we all must first see to housing and food." Selina took her departure from the group, leaving them to drift off towards the homes they thought they'd never be able to return to.

There was so much work to do that thoughts of Jacob and their other friends were driven temporarily from their minds. Fortunately most of their homes had sustained little damage, but they did need cleaning and some minor repairs. For all but Travis it felt good to be in a home again. The kitchen fires could be lit to ward of the dampness, and once the cleaning was done the scent of fresh pine permeated the air. Everyone was busy, and their silent moods began to lighten. All became so engrossed in the feel of being home that no one noticed when Travis slipped away. No one noticed when Travis decided to go back up the mountain to talk to Jacob. No thought of Jacob nor Travis crossed their minds until Travis came running back with the news that he'd been up the mountain to the caves and found that Jacob and the others were gone. He was very certain that nothing had happened to them, this was something they must have decided as soon as they left because everything was gone. Nothing was left behind and there was no trace of which way they could have gone.

Part 1



To Selbat, Father of the Egg Family, being entrusted with disposal of the unsuitable eggs had always been an honor. He had carefully, in the past, broken the egg open and mixed shell and contents into the compost pile that Muldat used for the community garden. The protein enriched the compost mix and made it nutritionally dense which allowed adequate crops to grow in the poor soil.This compost was necessary to the survival of all the humans in their community because they fed on the crops that Muldat grew.

It actually started with an accident, this small egg that incubated in the compost pile. He had placed it for breakage carefully and then they were attacked. Unthinkingly he covered the egg with the compost and when he went back to break it a few days later, he found that it had life inside of it. In all conscience he couldn't break the egg, although he knew that was supposed to happen. The egg was too small and unacceptable to Selina the Egg Mistress and while he agreed with her, once it had a dragon growing inside of it, he could not bring himself to break it and destroy a dragons life.

Selbat led a double life for years because of the tiny female dragon that egg finally hatched. He named her Doris when she hatched although he didn't know why. She was so tiny, and Doris seemed to fit somehow. He nurtured her and raised her away from prying eyes as she grew into young female dragonhood. Even went so far as incubating another similar sized egg in the compost pile hoping that a boy dragon would be produced. Doris needed a companion and he got lucky and hatched one for her. All those years and the deceptive life he's had to lead in order to insure the survival of Doris and her now husband Zack. He named him too and had no idea where these names came from. Some imprinted memory perhaps? He never knew, only now he had a serious problem. Doris had babies, and somehow he needed to find someplace for them to live.

He never thought of himself as a rebel, but that one act, the one time he couldn't break the egg, made him one. Some rebel, he thought. All he wanted to do was find a home for Doris, Zack and her brood and he had no idea where to start. He could confess his wrongdoing and be banished if that was his fate, but what then would happen to Doris? He would not be allowed to take her and since he had no experience with such an event, he had no idea what the council would decide to do with her. Banish her? Or would they put her to death? What a mess he'd made of things and nowhere to ask advice. He loved that little dragon, she was the sweetest little thing and although he wasn't her biological father he was her father and no one would ever understand that.

The news coming from Laytons Rage was not always good. It appeared that Selina and Muldat had their hands full with the population there. The dragons appeared to be happy for the changes but the humans were not all inclined to trust Muldats word. Who could blame them? They had known nothing but dragons who were mean and despotic, putting to death the much weaker human population at a whim. They were afraid of the larger dragons and many would not come down from the mountains to return to their homes. The rebel leader, one Jacob by name was someone he believed he knew, and somehow believed that the answer to his problem was Jacob.

Part 2



When Jeremy and Travis went down the mountain to see what was going on in the town, Jacob gathered his family and friends to explain their absense and to sound out his friends as to what they thought they should do. It wasn't that they enjoyed life on the run in the mountains, nor did they distrust all dragons, just those from Layton's Rage. They were still discussing the events when Jer and Trav came back up the mountain with food and the Egg Mistress or whatever it was that she called herself. "Go back to live in Layton's Rage, I don't think so" was his response and that of some of the other men and women. She talked a good deal, but their experience was with Daniella and the "wicked ones" as they liked to call some of the dragons. Life was hard, but at least they weren't residing in the belly of some hungry dragon. It didn't go well, not well at all.

It was decided that Jeremy and Travis would take those that wanted to go, down the mountain, and leave the others to make up their minds as to what they wished to do, or when they would join the community if that was decided. As soon as the party heading to the community was out of eyesight Jacob rounded up the stragglers and they left the cave that had been home to them for so many months. They weren't going to trust Selina, she knew where they were hiding and that was more than they cared for her to know. They had a months worth of food, plenty of water and they intended to put as much distance between them and Laytons Rage as they could. They had no idea what direction they were traveling in, and that it would bring them to the valley closest to Fenton's Earth. It was there that Jacob found Selbat, and Doris.

Actually it was Jacobs son who found Doris. Matthew had wandered off as young boys do. He came upon the ruins of an old farmhouse that was the home of Doris and her brood. By the time the rest of them found Matthew, he and Doris had become fast friends. He was playing with the youngun's when his father found him and Jacob instinctively knew that this was a good thing. He didn't know how it was going to be good, he just knew it was. Seldom did Jacob pray, life had been too hard for them to spend much time in prayers, but if he had prayed Doris would have been what he prayed for. If he had known such a thing existed. Another thing he would have prayed for if he knew it still existed was the suggestion of fertility that this section of the valley contained.

When he questioned Doris and Zack, they had no real knowledge of how meadow grass had started to grow. They only knew that to avoid detection all these years they had used this area as a waste site and had buried it to avoid detection. Over time the grass had begun to grow, thick green and sweet smelling grass. If grass would grow, so would crops, and if the body wastes of Doris and Zack worked to fertilize the land as it appeared to have done, then plenty of food could be grown for the inhabitants of this farmstead that might soon become a village. If Doris and Zack had lived there for years undetected by the inhabitants of Fentons Earth, then so could he and his family and friends. He would discuss the situation with Doris' father Selbat, work out some type of agreement that would benefit everyone concerned. As far as anyone knows, he found these tiny dragons and no one needed to be any wiser. Now he needed to climb the mountain and talk to Selbat

Quietly, over time, they had assembled in the mountains surrounding the Darkwing city of Layton's Rage. Their original intent had been to try to reach the Other's city but the path to Fenton's Earth had been too dangerous to undertake while the Darkwings were roaming and rampaging through the area. Although they numbered nearly 200, they had no weapons with which to fight if discovered, so they took refuge in the various small caves near the summit. If danger was encountered they would be able to take refuge without being followed by any of the Darkwings. The caves were cramped, but safety was more important than comfort. There they had remained, growing in numbers without being observed.

Water was plentiful and the coolness of the caves protected them from the daytime heat. Unfortunately food could only be found at night when the Darkwings were roaming so it was not as plentiful. Most of the adults were near starvation having given most of whatever food could be found to the children. This was necessary to keep the little ones from crying and giving away the fact that they existed to the dragons that represented danger to the group. Not all of the Darkwings were dangerous to them. Many of the dragons not aligned with Medlik or his predecessors were trying to help, but those had become fewer as the stronger dragons had begun to be hungry.

Jeremy saw from his lookout the death of Aram and had to leave his post because he could not watch the ravening dragons dismember his friend and eat her. Worse yet was the fact of his trip down the mountain to see if anything had been left of her. She was his friend, but he had people to feed and care for, better her death benefit those who loved her than the marauders who saw only their next meal. There was enough left to feed his family and the families of those of his friends who joined him... for a week, but that was a month ago and they were hungry...again.

If something didn't happen soon, they would not survive, and he knew this. It was nearly impossible to find food anymore, they had resided in the mountains long enough to deplete the roots and berries from the easily attainable area surrounding the caves. Forays into farther areas posed the risk of discovery which was to be avoided if possible. As far as he knew, the dragons that were led by Medlik thought that the people who were missing had been eaten by hungry dragons. That was the last he had heard from Aram before her death. While they were thought to be dead, they were safer than if they were being hunted and that suited Jeremy just fine. It didn't solve his problem, that of finding food, but it allowed him some measure of comfort. What comfort he could take from their situation anyway.

From his lookout he saw the Clan leave. What was unusual was the number of the dragons in the group. This suggested something other than a hunt for food. He found himself wishing that he still could ask Aram what was going on, but that solution was not available. Hours passed and the sky lightened in it's usual predawn manner, yet still the Clan had not returned. He was just about to leave his post when he began to see dragons arriving at Laytons Rage. Many dragons, too many to be the Darkwings that had left in the early hours of the dark. He wished it was light enough so that he could clearly see what was happening, but he would have to move closer.

Jeremy decided to let his family know what he had seen and to tell them he was going to try to see what was happening. He needed to make sure that they would be cared for while he was gone. If he was wrong and walked into danger he might not be able to get back to them and he wanted them to know that he hadn't just abandoned them. It was necessary to wake them and that might not be easy. Without food sleep was the only escape from their pain. He decided to wake only a few of them. If anyone wished to go with him then he would wake others to let them know what was going on.

Once inside the cave, he found that Travis and Jacob were all ready awake. He informed them of what he saw and what he planned to do about it. After much discussion, it was decided that Jacob would stay behind while Travis would accompany Jeremy to the gates of the old castle at the base of the mountain. They set out shortly before the sun rose and carefully made their way down the silent mountain. They arrived at a safe place and silently watched the comings and goings of many dragons they had never seen before. It appeared as if they were bringing food to the city. Boxes and bags of food, more food than they had managed to see in months.

Their hunger drew them forward, all caution thrown to the wind, they started down the small hill to the drawbridge just as a larger dragon they did not know arrived carrying a woman. The dragon carefully set her down and as he did so she caught sight of Jeremy and Travis. She stepped forward and called out to them "My name is Selina Hoffman, I am the Egg Mistress from Fenton's Earth, we are here to help. Please, come and join us"

Medlik was at a loss to explain his ennui. He was hungry, but not enough to account for his languor, his inability to enjoy life anymore. He still called the shots in the Darkwing community, what was left of it anyways. Most of the humans were gone. Some in hiding but most of them had been eaten by hungry dragons. That was a shame because the humans were the only life in the Darkwing community who knew how to plant crops and tend the eggs and the chickens. No new dragons had been hatched now in months. The chickens had disappeared along with the humans. Were they all eaten? He didn't know. All that was left of his energy was directed towards a consuming hatred of the "Others". How dare they be thriving and happy while the Darkwings were struggling to stay alive.

He and Lelbot had hated Chargot. He ruled with an iron fist, brooking no misstep from anyone. Even the smallest of transgressions was met with a swift and deadly punishment, but he now had to admit to himself that the community was doing well for itself under Chargot and Daniella's rule. They had discovered Chargot and Daniella in the glade where away from prying eyes they were giving vent to their passion. Daniella was very passionate, there was enough to go around, she was insatiable. Of course, she had no choice, once they had disposed of Chargot. She thought she could control Medlik and Lelbot the same way she controlled Chargot. They let her think it right up until they were tired of her. They enjoyed her while she lived, and she made a decent meal after she was gone. There were times when Medlik was sorry she wasn't available now, but not too sorry. There was Dremia, and she was just as good. Better actually, she was dragon and she could take what was offered her.

Thinking of Dremia these days angered Medlik. She was now the wife of Darrabar of the Hunt Family. Convenient that his Centhra passed away so suddenly. Made one wonder at her fading so far short of her time. There were ways to hasten the fading, and Medlik wondered if Dremia resorted to any of them. He was fairly certain that she hadn't, she was too much a goody two shoes, it wouldn't have been her style, but it would have given him pleasure to know that she had hastened Centhra's fading. It would have given him an immense amount of pleasure to ponder a Darkwing finally getting the best of one of the Others.Yes indeed, truly that would be a pleasure. Still he could, when the mood struck him, play with the idea that Dremia had wanted Darrabar badly enough to kill for him. She has him, no matter the method, but if Medlik had anything to say about it, she wouldn't have him for long.

Medlik had had enough of watching the Others enjoy life while he was so depressed. He needed a reason for his existance, and that reason was to make war on the Others community, and to bring Dremia back alive so he could make her pay. There were enough of them still alive and not debilitated by hunger that he could order an attack and it would be done. The plans are set, and the objective is to cause as much damage as possible and to bring back enough humans and food to last until the humans could produce enough to feed the Darkwing community. He knew that the dragons in the Other's community were in charge, but he also knew that the humans had the knowledge of farming because the Other's saw fit to provide it to them. Still, Medlik's main objective was to recapture Dremia. He wanted her, and he would have her again. Make no mistake about that, and when he had her back in his community he would make her sorry she was ever born.

Sounds from outside his resting place indicated that his raiders were gathering. It was time to get up and lead them to the battle. The victory would be his, Dremia would be his or his name wasn't Medlik the Dragon.



Elgarth, son of Darrabar of the Hunt family had requested second watch that night. He hadn't been sleeping well since the fading of his Mother Centhra, and he needed to feel useful. It did no good to lie in bed awake and mourning, he needed something to occupy himself. There was some question of his capability since he was injured seriously and left somewhat disabled. He knew what he wanted, and he was finally allowed to try. It was a very good thing because the battle might had gone against them without Elgarth's timely warning. He knew they were there even before the first flaming. He smelled them in the air. He remembered the odor of Darkwings from his last encounter, and he knew he had to sound the warning.

Medliks spies were not everything he desired and due to a miscalculation the first flaming that should have roasted Muldat of the First family in his bed did nothing more than damage the meeting house. By then, every able bodied dragon and man had joined the fray. When they tried to escape, Medliks army of cowards were met by Darrabar and the members of the Hunt family. Stragglers were hunted down by Selbat of the Egg family, and Muldat and all members of the First family worked to contain the fires that erupted where Medliks ragtag bunch had missed their marks with their flaming. All in all it was a pretty poor showing on the part of the once mighty Darkwings, and the battle, such as it was, ceased within a few minutes after it was joined. The only casualty was Medlik on the Darkwing side and the Meeting House on the side of the community. A few surface burns and scrapes to be treated but nothing more than that.

It was left to the Hunt family to travel to the Darkwing community and offer amnesty to any remaining dragons that resided there. Mostly women and a few younglings that would need to be provided for, and possibly offered places in the Other's community or allowed to live within their own familiar community with assistance of course. It would be a journey embarked on in daylight, accompanied by the defeated Darkwings that were no threat to the Others. What happens next remains to be seen, but Muldat hoped this would be the first step toward peace between the Darkwings and the Others. A necessary peace that would allow both communities to thrive and prosper.

When Centhra woke this morning she did so with an awareness that something was not the same. Her body, after centuries of familiarity did not feel as if it belonged to her. There was a heaviness, an indescribable sense of something going seriously wrong. She could see the sun streaming through the window, but it didn't appear to be as bright. Colors didn't appear true, as if she was peering through a filter of some sort. She knew, without being told that she was changing colors. The look on Darrabar's face said it all. Centhra was on the threshhold of the fading. She opened her mouth but could not create sound. Nothing of substance, just a faint whisper on the wind. One tear escaped her otherwise dry eye and slowly trickled down her cheek. Just one, there was no moisture left for another. She wanted there to be another, she wanted to scream and cry, she was not ready to go. She was not ready to leave Darrabar, the light of her life for all these hundreds of years that she had been his wife. This was not fair, she was only 800 years old. The lifespan of a dragon was half again as long. She wanted her full 1200 years, all of it. She didn't want to lose one minute of the life that should have been alloted her. She did not want to fade this soon.

Darrabar had loved her once, with all the passion and longing his young heart could muster. He loved her still, she was the dear friend and companion that older married couples become. She was the one he relied on, ever present and always faithful. She honored him with her love, with her devotion. Never in his wildest imagination did he think that the fading could come to her this soon. He gathered her to him and lifted her with his arms. "She weighs next to nothing. I had forgotten how light she was." he thought. Carefully he carried her outside into the sunlight while explaining that he needed to take her to Dragons Rock, it was time. She nodded, but his eyes were full of unshed tears and he only knew it because he felt her head move against his shoulder. He felt little, except the anguish of loss and the cold creeping through his body. It was a cold that the morning sun could not relieve. A lonely, abandoned type of cold. The cold of death.

What one dragon knows all know and as he slowly made his way, toward Dragon Rock the others began to join him. First came his children Terla, Algrim and Elgarth with his wife Layla. Then came Muldat and Sarcassa with their family which included Dremia and her sons. He saw Dremia weeping openly for Centhra, and he was pleased. By the time the procession reached Dragon Rock, the entire community had turned out to follow Darrabar and his wife to her final resting place. As he climbed the steps to the top of the rock, the others fanned out and created a semi circle at it's base. Silently they watched as he climbed. Once he laid her down, he kneeled beside her and bowed his head. All was silent and unearthly still. Slowly tiny tendrills of mist began to rise from the rock. First a few light fingers, growing heavier and heavier as time passed. Like fog, they began to envelop the rock and all upon it until the watchers could no longer see anything.

In the end, when the fog lifted all that was left of Centhra was a small pile of silver dust. The ashes were carefully swept into the urn that always remains on the rock. Darrabar mounted the flat section of the rock where Centhra had lain minutes before and walked to it's edge away from the gathered mourners. One swing of his powerful arm emptied the urn into the wind and he stood there watching as the glittering dust of what once was his wife Centhra slowly wafted to the valley floor below. Fighting tears he said the final words of farewell and slowly began his decent down the steps. Back to the world of the living, back to his hunt.