The sun is above the horizon when I wake up. I shake Ilan to get him out of his sleep, and I tend to the fire. I take probably my last gulp of water and hand the canteen to Ilan. My stomach rumbles with hunger. I need food.

"Altair, that was the last of the water …" Ilan informs.

I sigh. "Okay." How are we going to make it back to the village?

I pack my bag, yet again, and Ilan puts on his helmet. "Take that off," I tell him.

"But I like it!"

"I told you, you're going to scare Trico, and it will make us take longer to get to the mountain."

"Fine." He drops the helmet into the grass.

Then, we start walking forwards. The day drags on and on. It is chilly and cloudy; it may rain. We have thought about hunting, but there aren't any animals around except a few birds, which would be hard to catch. The savanna spreads out for leagues.

But finally.

The mountain's wall is tiny on the horizon. It is brown, but that is all I can see from here. Many leagues from here stands Trico. My best friend.

The mountain is now close. Healthy green trees dot the few ledges, and clouds brush the top of it.

"This is the mountain?" Ilan asks. He hasn't talked in awhile. Energy has depleted in both of us.

"Yes." I answer.

"Where are the ruins?

"Oh, the mountain kind of sinks in the inside. The ruins are there." I explain as I picture the gray ruins adorned with wild vines.

"How are we going to get inside?"

I hadn't thought of that before now. "I don't know."

Ilan offers a solution "We could climb up the side?"

"No, we could fall off." I start thinking harder. Something in my head is telling me that the answer is Trico. But Trico can't help us. He doesn't know we're out here.

But I could call him.

"Start calling for Trico. He might hear us." I start yelling for him. "Trico! Trico!"

We call for a long time, but nothing happens. Not a roar or whine or feather.

Clank! My shield drops on the ground. I pick it up as an idea comes through my head. How far can Trico's tail respond to shooting lighting? I shine it up at the top of the mountain.

Red lightning shoots the top edge of the mountain. Trico! He's here! He's - roar!

Trico knows I'm here! He's coming! Giddiness overwhelms me as I run to the base of the mountain. I look up and see Trico looking down at me. He bellows again and glides down to me, his gray feathers ruffling in the wind. His eyes turn yellow with excitement. He picks me up by my tunic and takes off with me in his grasp.

"Wait! My friend is down there!" I yell.

Trico makes a questioning sound and lands on the nearest ledge.

I point down at Ilan, who is a tiny dot to me now.

Trico picks me up again and then dives down and grabs Ilan with his talons.

"Aaah!" Ilan screams at the top of his lungs.

Trico swerves around stone towers and archways, wood bridges, and broken glass eyes. He then dives down into a temple and then makes his way into where he used to be chained up.

Ilan has finally stopped screaming as Trico lands in the dark, damp room.

Trico sets Ilan and me down on the cold stone ground. Then a growling escapes from him. Then a snarl.

"Uh, Altair? Why is Trico mad?" Ilan gets up off the ground and hides behind me.

Why is Trico acting like this? He snarls again, but then I notice: he's not making the noise. If he's not making that noise, then…

I hastily look around in the dark room. My eyes haven't adjusted so I struggle to see what is around me. But I happen to glimpse at two pink eyes. Another growl escapes from the other trico.

Trico trots to his friend and and communicates with it using little grunts and yips.

The other trico looks wearily at me, but doesn't make a sound. My Trico comes back over to me and presses his cheek down into my hand. I pet him gently.

The other trico comes out of the shadows with armor on.

This is the trico that attacked my Trico! I slowly back away from fear.

Ilan moves back with me cautiously.

Trico sits down and makes a puzzled bay. Are they friends? More than that?

A/N Yes, I am sorry to say, this is another short chapter. I kinda have writer's block and I have been putting this off a lot. I am requesting a beta person, btw. I don't know how it works, tho.