'Indys sat on the hanging swing of her balcony, un rolling the letter from Ezra Cleave.

'Lady Indys,

    'I hope this letter finds you well, I've been reading the reports, it seems like you all are being put to test with the Scalders, and the assembling armies of the desert folk.  I was to be sent there to join you, but duties and happenings here at the Capital will further delay me joining you and Niko.  I'm sure you've heard about the Eagle Neena's attempt on the Queen's life, I've been assigned to find her.

    It will a daunting task, she was last seen flying over Wreakers Academy heading towards the Shrouded Isles, and the cover of the Vaunted Mountains.  I can only guess she seeks asylum among the vampires?  Another monster to hide amidst them? I am to find her, and then get word back to the Queen.  I'll not be alone, Pog, Gentry, Sly, and Weve will be the Rackals accompanying me on my journey.

    It is truly a dark time in which we serve, and by dark I mean, everywhere the darkness lurks.

    I want you to know I appreciate the friend you've been to me, holding my secrets and believing in me when I myself was having doubts.  I am doing much better, the General says I've made great strides since you and Niko left. (I think he says it more for his own pride, than to compliment me however.)

    I've discovered many things since you've been away, not only about myself but our kingdom, our Queen, our enemies.  Information, I feel you need to know, but information that could also be deemed...troublesome to the throne.'

    Indys could feel the knot in her stomach grow once again, it was never easy with Ezra.  She continued to read on, hoping the contents of the letter would lighten, instead she was being drawn into deeper to whatever Ezra was now hatching.

    'The Rackal's delivering this letter are Rema and Josa, they're a pairing.  Rema can be kinda pushy and short, when you go to tie the carrier tube to her, be careful she may bite!'

    "Would've been nice to know before."  Muttered Indys still sucking on her fingers from where Rema had nipped her while taken the missive from her letter tube.

    'Josa will stay with you, that way Rema can always find you with messages from me.  If at all possible when you receive word from me, let Rema and Josa have a day or so to themselves before sending her back to me.  Rema tends to jealousy, and can get very hostile when she's away from Josa for too long.'

    "What in Hada, Ezra?"  She cursed, from the letter, she was getting a moody, semi hostile bitch as a courier.  "Thought we were friends?"  She whispered glumly.

    'I trust her as much as Pog when it comes to delivering messages, she's one of the best.'

    Indys gave the female bird a hard look, "Ok bitch so your good?  Doesn't mean you can take chunks out of my fingers."

    Rema squawked, her eyes staring down at her, aloof.  Josa  just perched in the window, watching the exchange, his beak hanging partially open.

    "You just sit there and look cute Josa, we ladies are talking." 

    Indys smiled at the male Rackal, he met her eye, cocking his head to the side as if trying to understand what was said.  Indys reachede out a hand slowly, letting Rema see it and then reached out to pet her neck.  Rema shifted and fluttered her wings in argument but eventually let her pet her reddish fur and soft skin.

    "You and I gotta get along girl, your boy Ezra seems to find trouble as easy as a Popper does women."

    Rema gave a purred-gurgle as Indys scratched her neck.

     'I will send you word of what I've found out, it must be done discretely as possible, let no one read the letters.

She felt dread begin to wash over her, Ezra seemed to be just as crazy as when she'd left.

'Please be patient with me, once you've read what I've found all w....'

    "Lady Indys, may I enter?"  Jinx shouted, startling her from her troubled doubts.

    Indys paused a moment, looking through the balcony entrance, other than the empty plate that her fruit had been delivered on, her top floor residence was in tidy order.  Light, desert wicker chairs and furniture filled the large flat, light curtains that let in the cool breeze of the desert's night now stood staunchly defiant in the midday heat that was the Scorch.

    "You may."  She replied, folding the letter, there was more to read but she would have to get to it later.

    Jinx entered, the desert Qwarn covering his head, and face, exposing just his dark eyes, he pulled the face covering down as he entered.  Desert tradition would have you remove the face covering before entering any type of building! Jinx even after almost a year in the Scorch still was forgetting desert customs.  He seen her displeased look, and grinned apologetically.

"Do that in a desert bar Jinx, see how fast it gets you killed!" 

      He jumped in fright, before he could answer, as Rema and Josa each squawked and fluttered from their balcony perches, now flying low above the balcony, each spooked to flight by the squires entrance.

    "Rackals?"  Squealed Jinx, ducking his head and hiding behind the wall between her flat and the balcony. "I hate Rackals." He squawked.

    Indys laughed at her squire's fear and discomfort, "From the sounds of it, they've not much care for you either."

    Jinx shot her a look before grabbing up a vase and making as if to throw it from behind his wall hiding spot.

"Break that and you'll find  yourself before the Known!"  She threatened

     Jinx thought about it a moment before setting the vase back down, meeting the Known in the after life evidently not too high on his duties list.

"Then make them go away, please!"  He whined.

"Just come outside, and sit in the shade."

A large canopy now cast a shadow over her table and swing.

Jinx nervously obliged, taking a few steps on to the balcony.

    Rema, the larger of the two swooped down at Jinx, the squire screamed and then jumped belly down wrapping up his head. Rema hissed as she bolted up higher into the sky, the quiet, faithful Josa followed moments later, without the tormenting of Jinx.

    Indys laughed some more as Jinx stood up straightening out his shirt and calf length pants, both the color tan of the sands.  She wore only the snake skin breast band and the short, to short, panties of the desert.  She hated admitting it, but Popper was right, these were the clothes most suited for everyday life in the Scorch.

    She'd gotten used to seeing the men clad in only small, cool loin cloths.  It was like they were all serving the Queen in near nakedness.  On duty personal would have on their desert skins, and house uniforms, but off duty was a disrobing that began as soon as they were relieved of their duties.  Many of the hardened, muscled men or the royal houses had caught her attentions, but Scalders and constant thoughts of war had kept her from pursuing any.  Popper volunteered nightly to warm her hammock or, search it to make sure it was free of desert vermin, as he put it.  Knowing the only vermin in her hammock would just be Popper and his 'dirty' intentions, so she'd flirt perhaps a little, but always refuse his advances.

    The large mountain of a man that was the Dracgon of House Bastion had become a close friend to her in the past almost year now that they'd been stationed together. He'd been persistent in his pursuits of her, but never pushy, rude, or vulgar...well maybe a little, but nothing she ever took offense with.  His heart as open and kind as Niko's, she could see why the two were such good friends.  The two of them constantly preached of loyalty, not just to the Queen and the kingdom, but to one another, especially one another, and the Braid, always the Braid.

There was more between the two, Niko and Popper, they could link in such a way they moved as one, it was an awe inspiring thing to behold.  It was one of the few things that gave her hope they could win this war and defeat the Scalders.  If she could also figure out how to be a true part of the Alabastar, truly join with them, she knew she'd be at her deadliest.

    She was drawn from her revere by Jinx bumping the chair she was sitting in, trying to peek around her shoulder at the note.

    "Sorry, thought perhaps you word from Queens Lance, perhaps the Rackals have brought us good news for once?"

    "Shorten your nose Jinx."  She said sternly, lately it seemed she'd been leaning more on the side with Niko, and Moz, having to chastise her squire on numerous occasions for things left undone.

    "Sorry Indys, sometimes I forget my place, it won't happen again."  He said solemnly.

    Her face softened a bit, "No good news from the Lance I am afraid, just a letter from Ezra."

    Jinx seemed to almost flinch, "Ahh..." the squire quickly collecting himself, "Perhaps the Lady Dracgoness's heart is being swooned by another of her kind?"

    Indys reddened, "It's nothing like that you vert."

    "But think of it Lady!" Jinx's pale green eyes sparkling now. "Two Dracgons in a tangle, an intense tangle of Alabastar and draca, imagine the power of what such a union could produce."

    Indys was taken aback, her face once red, flushing to a pale white.  Was that going to happen?  Was that the Queen's plan, use her as a breeding mug, a female Dracgon in name only.  One to be mounted by her fellow Dracgons only to squirt out children?  The thoughts repulsed her, had she not already been sitting down she knew she'd have faltered, her knees weakening.

    "I hadn't really thought about it to be honest with you"  She gulped.

    "Really?" a shocked Jinx jaw hanging open, "How could you not?"  he asked incredulously, "You could birth mankind's next greatest hero, a hero even greater than the great Queen Lesna...an all powerful savior!"

    "Forget about it, I don't want to speak of it any longer."  She turned away from him, troubled and teary eyed.

    'Indys' Niko's mind blast through the 'knot' caused her to jump.  'Indys!'

    'Niko, I am here.'

    The stranglehold on the 'knot' loosened a bit, Niko's thoughts no longer a knee buckling buglers blast between the ears.

    'Indys I need you to fly to the ranch of Rani Pilute, were getting word here a Adze Point, of a butchering of some sorts.  Your the closest of the Dracgon, give it a look.'

    'I'm on it, will let you know what I find.'

    She felt the 'knots' release, Niko was gone without another thought.

    Her heart saddened thinking of her Captain, he was not the same anymore, the letter from Neena and her actions since almost crippling the man.  Niko was now just a shell of the man she'd met almost two years ago.  Niko was lost in a grief stricken maze, that only seemed to add more and more pain with each wrong turn he took.

    "Niko's got something he wants me to look into since I'm the closest to it."

    Jinx eyes brightened, to an almost brown?

    "I do so love the wide open sands in the waning midday sun, I'll grab a pack and sled."  Jinx went to leave excitedly.

    "Oh no Jinx, not you."  Jinx stopped, his face showing the hurt, "You will stay here and do your's, and Moz's work.  You've been abusing the poor man with those dice of yours this whole time."  She threw the letter back on the table, she'd get to it later.

    "So your taking Moz with you?"  He asked in disbelief.

    One of the squires was to go, so they could report if she found anything, but she was not going to be stuck with his non humor having ass either.

    "Hada NO!" She shouted, Jinx eyes lit up in hope, "I'll go solo, this is Moz's first day off in what two months?  He can have it, now get out of here."  She said playfully.

    "Lets roll for it, first to roll the clown wins."  Jinx flicked a wrist and threw a die on the table, the clowns brightly painted red and white face showing on the dice head.  He held another dice hoping to hand it to her in wishful anticipation.

    "Not happening rider," she said punching him in the arm with a draca strengthen punch.

    "Rackals nutts, Indys!"  he shouted jumping around the table and knocking her papers from it. "Your going to break my arm one day."  He moaned rubbing his arm trying to dull the pain.

    They both bent down and each grabbed a handful of papers.

    "Double or nothin, how bout that?  I think this is your lucky day."  His eyes and mouth both smiling widely.

    She stood up and smacked him on the head with the papers before putting them on the table, she smiled widely.

    "Get out of here, before I ask Niko if they're any extra chores he needs done. That reminds me, take meat to the roof for the Rackals." She smiled sweetly.

    "Yes my lady."  he said defeated, rising and putting the papers back on the table and grabbing his die.  "Perhaps another time then."  He gave a curt bow and exited through the beaded desert pearls.

    "Perhaps another time."  She agreed softly as he exited.  She walked to the edge balcony looking across the expanse of soulless sands, daunting, uninviting, hostile, and barren.  What price would they pay if they were to lose this war?

    She flung herself from the balcony, letting the hot air from her decent attempt to cool her, even if momentarily. Alabastar lightning whipped and cracked through the air, her vision now Dracgon piercing the sand seeing each individual grain in predatory mastery.  Thunder rolled and clapped as her wings unfurled raising her in flight, powered by the draca of a thousand dragons.  Each pull of her wings an exhilarating rush of Alabastar ecstasy, and draca delight.

    She let a loud, piercing roar, as only a female Dracgon could, numerous soldiers whooped and hollered as she ascended into the cloudless sky.  All the royal houses, keeps, manors, villa's, whatever name you wanted to call them were now being filled up with 'spinners' and soldiers.  All were nest of activity gearing for war.   The sky barren as the Scorch, greeted her, an angry backdrop to the Searing Eye, that was Nazra's Scorch's sun.