Continuing Story

[Rubywolf]

Albatross's robe of feathers was rustled and unkept. Shadows had crept under his eyes and his voice was wheezy. He didn't look like he had much life in him. We bowed, and he squinted at me suspicously. "I pray you Ladyship has recieved a good rest?"
Still looking down, I replied, "Yes, my Lord. It was the best I've had."
He nodded and spoke to Shadow. "Take your Shadows and see if you can spot the griffon's camp." i stared at Shadow, hoping that he would explain who or what his Shadows were. I didn't wait long. Shadow nodded and the Master left. Shadow lifted his head and howled, the music filling the chamber and seeping underneith the doors. Within minutes, A score of pure black wolves stood in front of us, Firewrath among them. It was then that I realized that "Shadow" was not Shadow's real name, he was a commanding officer, and that he was a spy.
"We are to locate the griffons' camp. We set out immidiatly," Shadow ordered. The wolves, Shadow included, went out the reinforced door, much to the annoyance of the reinforcers, who had to start over. One of them mumbled something about there being a back door. Shadow snarled at the elf and it was bowing on the floor, begging for mercy before I had blinked. I went to the window to eer outside. Shadow's troops had dissapeared. Wait, no they hadn't. There they were, blending in perfectly with the shadows, invisable to anyone who did not know that they were supposed to be there. They snuck farher into the shadows and then they were gone. I snuck upstairs to start my plan.
When I got upstairs, I took out my featheres and bid them to turn to spinxes. They did, and I ordered them to find out how Albatross got Magic, because I was going to get some.

[samehl]

I had to think of a plan. Fast. The sphinxs' went straight off and I sat on the four poster bed, contemplating a way to get my freedom. I needed magic, therefore power, that much was obvious, but for now I needed to find a place in this castle, room, or whatever this was, to hide. It was surreal, the whole thing. I felt like I was Alice and Wonderland, but this was real. All of it. There I was, lost in thought, when I heard footsteps. They were so loud that the element of surprise must not have been in mind. I looked for a place to hide. My heart was racing, a frantic drumming in my chest that I was almost sure of that they could hear a mile away. There was nowhere to go. I could hear them at my door and in an act of total desperation I jumped under the bed. The door was broken open in a shatter of wood shards. That was when they came for me.

[Dragon Writer]

i was dragged out of bed, and down a hallway, through a door. before i knew it, i was in the air, surrounded by griffons, on all sides of me. there was no escape, and after i was a few hundred feet in the air, i stopped even trying. To be let go would be death...and then we were there, wherever THERE was, and i pulled myself away from the griffons, to be face to face with...albatross's daughtor.

[Rubywolf]

She was gorgeous. She smiled at me and her eye's sparkled. "Forgive us for spiriting you away like we did, but we enjoy the element of surprise, Cassandra."
Cassandra.
My name.
I had forgotten my name.
Cassandra, a cursed trojan prophet who was forced to always tell the truth, but no one believed a word that she said.
Cassandra.
She who warned all of the fall of Troy, and then was forced to sit back and watch her profecy come true.
No one believed her.
I had forgotten my name!
My name.
'Tis my opinion, and 'tis my opinion still, that they might all have been saved had the truth been heard, in the flames of Troy.
Cassandra.
I dropped to my knees and wept.
Through the sobs I demanded of Albatross's daughter, "Who are you?"
Albatross's daughter stood straight and tall. "I am the daughter of the waters and the flames. I am the daughter of gods and goddesses. I am unfit for any mortal fowl to even gaze upon," She said, (the griffons looked abashed) "I am the wind. I am the White Sparrow."
Sparrow? I was thinking of something a little more... powerful. Like an eagle, or a falcon. Oh well.
"What do you want from me?" i asked, still crying.
"My dear, I wanted to rescue you. I wanted to save you from that awful worm who dares call himself my sire! I wanted to save you, my darlin-"
"yeah, right," I said, having stopped crying, "we all know that that is a herd of lies, so try something origional."
Sparrow's tone changed instantly. "I want your secret," She screamed, grabbing me and shaking me, "You know what I'm talking about! That fairy tale, that your stupid Grandmother used to tell you and then forgot when we asked her about it! The one where the little girl hatches the dragon egg? What word does she use? What word? What word? Tell me!"
Oh. that word. that's what all this is about. Yes, I knew the word.


Mommy.

[Dragon Writer]

But i would hardly tell this witch, who would take me from a frying pan, and throw me in a fire, and ask me to be greatful for it...she was no better then her father, and i for one was NOT going to let her get any worse. and so i was silent, even she glared at me, yelled at me, threatened to throw me off a cliff. she was just a sparrow and i....i had two sphynxes. i was fondeling the feathers, and wondering whether i should attack, when i first heard the growling of wolves.

[Rubywolf]

I spun around to see Shadow sitting not ten feet away, an image if calm. All around him, shadow wolves were posed for attack. I took this as a cue and commanded my sphinxes into being.The griffons were ready for attack, and we were heavily outnumbered. Our only hope was for reinforcements that would not come.

then something clicked into place in my head. Of course. sparrow hada dragon egg. if Shadow ad his shadows would only act as a diversoin, I could find it.
luck was on my side.
one of the griffons attacked. soon, a full out battle was undergoing. I ordered one of the spinxes to help fight and the other to follow me. We crept away, searching for Sparrow's home. A field covered with tents was our jackpot. sparrow's tent would be the biggest. i found it in no time.
We went inside. it was unguarded because of the fighting. It looked like my bedroom at the castle. a large golden chest was sure to hold our prize. It ws locked. I ordered the sphinxe to open it. The sphinx had to. It broke the lock. inside was a red egg, the size of a large chicken egg. I carefully wrapped it in Sparrows bed sheet and then we went back to the battle.
It was one bloody mess. Shadow saw me and snarled, "where were you?" i smiled for an answer.
Something else had made sense when I discovered that Sarrow had a dragon egg. Magic was the power of words. I summoned all the might that I had and then said one word.

Fire.

Fire broke out behind me. i spoke to it, sothed it, and then hurled it at the griffons. There feathers were soon aflame. sparrow changed into a sparrow and flew out of harm's way. I didn't matter. I would get her another day. the winners of a battle , we flew home, the griffons resrting to panic, the sphinxes as feathers, the dragon egg safe, and me? Humble me? A girl whose dragon was going to overthrow Sparrow and Albatross.

It would just have to grow a little.

[wordwielder]

[Dragon Writer]

that hit me. "Why?"
"why are you cassandra..."
"because it's my name..."
"why?"
"because..." there was a shuffling at the door, and i quickly grabbed my dragon, and hit it under the bed. the door opened to shadow...or maybe someone else. i just didn't know...
"the master wishes to see you." he said, expecting obediance.
he got it....

[nitafan13]

I entered the main hall were everything was still in cofusion. I thought to myself Why would the master want to see me? Does he suspect that I have magic? The shadow and I went to the chamber where I had first seen the master. This time though, there were no sphinxes to open the door. The shadow gestured that I should open the door. I hesitated, then pulled open the golden handle. The door closed behind me with a fomidable 'boom' reminding me that i still didn't know what was going to happen. I kneeled with my head touching the floor and asked "What is it that you wish?" There was silence and I was afraid that he hadn't heard me. I asked again "What is it that you wish?" There was still no answer. Trembling from head to feet, I looked up...

[samehl]

And saw the face of the the Sparrow. She smirked at me and held my gaze with almost hypnotizing red eyes, not bright red, but almost a muddy red. Her hair was greasy and unkept and hung limply down her back. Just as her eyes, everything she wore and was was red. She looked like blood with eyes. I was shocked. A thousand questions rose in me but I tried to quell them all by swallowing. She noticed my discomfort however, " My darling," she said with almost what could be called a country drawl. " Let me explain how I come to be on this throne. But first, you have not greeted me as all must. Come darling," she said with a smile, mocking me. " Kiss my hand." The classic 'kiss my hand thing.' Not going to happen I thought. I said in my most spiteful voice I could muster I spat, " I'd rather die." " Sweetheart," she said, "If that is what you wish, it can be arranged. But it won't be quick. I need you first."

[Dragon Writer]

"need me? Like i'd help YOU!"{
"oh, but i think you will...i can destroy those you hold dear."
"good luck finding anyone..."
"other then the dragon in your room you mean?" she laughed at my shocked expression. "did you REALLY think i wouldn't notice the missing egg? honestly, my dear, how utterly STUPID do you think i am? no...i believe that dragon will do quite nicely when it comes to blackmailing you..."
"what do you want?"
she smirked.

[Rubywolf]

And then i knew...

I rose to my full height and i gave Sparrow a force worth reckoning with.
i said five words.

"Air" i flew as the air beneath my feet lifted me. A wind came and broke all of the magnificant stained glass windows. Sparrow stopped smirking.

"Earth" The Earth buckled and heaved. The floor split, the doores cracked and flew open. Hundreds of creatures came in awaiting to see the cause of the comotion. the crack in the floor spread toward the throne. Sparrow jumped ou of the way just in time. The Throne split in half.

"Fire" flames, white and blue, floated beside me. They formed cords and flew at Sparrow, wrapping her from head to heels.

"Water" Hey! I was thirsty! water formed a goblet of ice, filled itself with water, which I drank. It was cold and sweet.

"Dragon" he came. he flew on his miniscule feathered wings and landed on my sholder. then he stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry. Dragon spit drenched sparrow. He's perfect. he has got that sassiness, just like mommy.

[Dragon Writer]

"now...i suggest you bow down to ME, before i get angry..." i whispered. her glare was like daggers, but she obeyed. i smirked...a bit too soon as it turned out, when the door flew open, and i felt something hit me in the back of the head...
the last thing i saw was the look of satisfaction on sparrows face as the darkness overwhelmed me.

[Rubywolf]

Ow.

Ow.

Owowowowowowowowowow.

My head hurts.

It really hurts.

Owowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowow.

My ear hurts, too.

Hold on. Why does my ear hurt?

Oh. My dragon is chewing on it. Heh. It's trying to eat me. That's cute.
I tried to sit up.

My head split open.

I lay back down quickly.

Owowowowowow. i remembered that albatross had healed Shadow. I could heal, too.

Heal. AHHH..... That's better. Ok. Now where am I?

I am laying in a dark room. A small cot is my bed. One wall is all bars. Ah. a dungeon.


As if that would hold me.

Bend. The bars bend. I walk out of there. I walk down a dark couridor. I turn into another. my dragon on my shoulder isscared. I can tell by his heartbeat. He needs a name. I think that he looks like a Flame. yes, he is Flame.

I am lost. Oh. i know the way out.

Ok. Build a forcefield around me, Cassandra, and Flame. Now blow us a clear way out of here. The explosion is enormous. Fire and rocks crash through wall after wall, leaving a tunnel.

Levitate. We float right out. The fresh air greets us. i look back. Oh. We were in the dungeon of Albatross's castle. Ok.

Levitate everyone in that castle and ring them out here. A few seconds later, a thousand or so creatures were floating in mid air. Griffons and wolves, Sparrow and dwarfs. Let the games begin.

[Dragon Writer]

sparrow glared at me.
"i suggest you went back to those dungeons..."
"what? there is no way i'm going to-"
her words took on a sharp, cutting form. "go back." my body began to twist around.
"NO! I"M NOT GOING!" i wretched myself away, but my triumph was short lasted, mostly due to the fact that me and flame were now spirling out of control...