Elizabeth waited until Parker was ready to go, before leaving the tavern. Normally, she would be fine doing things on her own, but here, in this world, the rules were slightly different. She would need her dragonoid companion if she was to survive. She caught up to Parker in minutes, surprised he stopped.

"Who exactly are we looking for?" Elizabeth asked, cautious. "You still haven't said how you plan on getting to Beleriand, wherever that is."

"Some call it Middle-earth," Parker said with a smirk.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock. "Middle-earth? You mean the same realm where Bilbo Baggins lives."

"Well, he wouldn't be born in this time, but given how we're in Paravane Trepess, where the past, present, and future align, I'm sure we'll meet him and his nephew, Frodo Baggins," Parker explained, hesitantly.

"Frodo Baggins? Who is that?" Elizabeth asked, cautious.

"Eliza, please. Let me handle this," Parker said, waving a scaly hand in front of her.

"My name is Elizabeth, not Eliza! I don't know anyone who calls me by that name," she said, flustered.

"Consider it a first time," he said, heading down the square. "We're not just looking for anybody, but at the same time we are."

"Meaning?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"This road will be dangerous. We need a warrior, someone with skills!" Parker said, confidently.

"Someone like her?" Elizabeth asked, pointing to a female, white dragonoid facing off against a couple of thug dragonoids. She looked at Parker, who stared at the dragonoid, intrigued. "You alright?"

"I'm fine!" Parker said, returning to the present. "Um… let's go." He wandered off before she could catch up to him. Still, it was worth finding out about this new dragonoid… at least, until Parker grabbed the white dragonoid's staff and kept her there, flinching. "Hello, Amanda!"

Whack!

Parker was thrown to the ground by Amanda's staff. Elizabeth collapsed beside him, in an attempt to check up on them. They were both stopped the moment Amanda pointed her staff at the red dragonoid.

"That was a warning, should you attempt that again," Amanda said, positively annoyed.

"Attempt what?" Elizabeth asked, confused. She asked Parker instead, "Do you know her?"

"Um…" Parker looked at Amanda, smirking. There was no response from the white dragonoid, only annoyance. His smirk went away in understanding, "…well. Amanda and I have met before, the day I arrived in this town." He stood up, facing the female dragonoid. "Last time, you weren't so friendly."

"Well, maybe if you didn't steal my staff, then none of this would ever happen. Then we'd all walk away quietly!" Amanda boasted, staring at the thugs circling around them. "Now would be the time!"

"Um… you're right. Here!" He pulled out from his pack an extendable staff, which he passed to her. "You owe me one."

"Actually, you owe me two!" Amanda said, knocking out two thugs in one staff punch. She looked back at Parker in recognition. "You'd better pay up!"

"You'll get those two favors, along with some amped up rage!" Parker said, kicking another thug towards a wall, knocking him unconscious. He moved Elizabeth back as he took out three more thugs with a tail swing. He was quite enjoying this! At last, he and Amanda sent all the thugs either unconscious or flee, before he met up with her again. "So, will you come with us? I can make it worth your while." He said, extending his hand to her. "No running, no deal. Promise?"

"Hmm…" the white dragonoid smiled at him, before taking his hand and shaking it, "…it's a deal!" She pointed to Elizabeth in confusion. "Who's the wench?"

"I'm sorry. Wench?" Elizabeth asked, fuming.

"No need to be so defensive. I was just asking," Amanda said, gritting her teeth.

"Elizabeth Bowler," Parker stood behind the human teenage girl, putting his hands on her shoulders, "meet Amanda. Amanda's come from the south, in the Land of Dragons, or so I was told." He looked at Amanda, confused. "Right?"

"It's true." Amanda nodded. "My family is heading that way now. A bit of an oriental spirit they are." She smirked. "If you're heading to the Land of Dragons, then you'll need more than just three to get there."

"Can you help us?" Elizabeth asked, curious.

"Of course. Follow me," Amanda said, leading the way through town.

.

The trio found their way to a food stand. There was nothing but dragon fruit on the booth. Elizabeth stared at the fruit in awe, wondering where it came from and how these shop owners managed to snatch some—

Hey! Maybe they were that dark green dragonoid and his purplish-pink dragonoid.

"Excuse me, are these dragon fruits for sale?" Elizabeth asked the dragonoid couple.

"Well, the price is on the fruits," the purplish-pink dragonoid said, speaking in a feminine voice. She came out from behind the stand after the dark green dragonoid. Elizabeth gaped at their height. They were shorter than Parker, Amanda, and herself, almost knee height. Were they hobbit dragonoids? She had to know!

"Are you hobbit dragonoids?" She asked, bringing her question up front. She noticed Parker and Amanda looking at her. She ignored them as she pressed the short dragonoid couple some more. "It's just… I remember reading about hobbits in a book. I wonder if you two are like that, given your height."

"What a very rude thing to say!" The purplish-pink dragonoid spoke, astonished.

"Easy darling!" the dark green dragonoid said, in a masculine voice. "She's just curious." He faced the human girl, telling her, bluntly, "We're just short dragonoids. But our hearts are bold and ready for anything, including battles."

"Do you know how to fight?" Amanda asked the dragonoid pair, curious.

"With pitchforks. I don't know how that'll help you out." The purplish-pink dragonoid said, curtly. "I'm Penelope. This dragonoid here," she pointed to the dark green dragonoid, "is my husband, Draco."

"It's a pleasure," Draco said, making a small bow.

"This is really bad timing! We need to get moving!" Parker whispered to Amanda, annoyed.

"Not now. These two might prove worthy!" Amanda whispered back, alluding him. She faced the two short dragonoids, asking them, "My friend here, Parker Dooley, is seeking out his family as am I. As far as I know, we lost them after the First World was destroyed. Maybe you could help us out."

"As it so happens, our quests align," Penelope said, intrigued. "Draco and I lost our family, too, after the First World's destruction. If we're lucky, we'll all reach the Land of the Dragons."

"It's on the way past Beleriand," Parker admitted, calmly.

"That's where we're going then," Penelope said, encouraged. She pointed to hers and Draco's shop. "Um… just let's close up shop. We'll leave in the morning, unless you find someone else to help us, then we'll leave sooner."

"Don't worry. There's still two more creatures to find." Parker said, all smiles.

"Who?" Elizabeth asked, curtly.

"Two cats. They're important," The red dragonoid said.

"Two cats?" Amanda was shocked. "Cats are annoying! All they do is shoot hairballs and talk nonsense! They'll be no help to us!"

"Well, that's why we need to find them, before they talk our ears off," Parker muttered aloud.

"Good luck!" Amanda said, annoyed.

"Listen, meet me and Eliza at the Siren's Sound tavern." He said, telling the group and referring to Elizabeth. "We'll leave in the morning. Right now, Eliza and I need to find those two cats. We'll see you later." He gestured to Elizabeth, "Come on, Eliza!"

"It's Elizabeth!" The human girl corrected him, following him out of the market.

.

"Reload!"

Elizabeth heard the twang of arrows shooting at the targets. She and Parker walked down an alley for a short time. Already, the feeling there was an incident in town scared her. Before she had the chance to find out who was shooting those arrows, Parker pulled her towards a wall, shielding her, before an arrow twanged towards them… or so she thought.

Elizabeth was in shock, after the red dragonoid released her, but not without checking up on her. She was amazed at his quick timing, but also scared.

The arrow hadn't even reached them. Instead, it reached its target at the other end of the alley.

"Are you all right?" Parker asked her, concerned.

"I think so." She nodded, calming down a moment later. "What was that?"

"I think we're about to find out." He said, nodding to a part of the alley, where bags had been set up to form a wall. It was also where an Oriental Shorthair cat was busy shooting arrows at targets, using her crossbow.

"Pull!" The Oriental cat cried, watching a brown Burmese cat pull a lever, causing two dummies to lift up. The Oriental cat moved swiftly to attack the dummies, firing arrows at them. By the time she was done, the Burmese cat un-lodged the arrows from their targets. She looked up at the two trespassers, annoyed that they interrupted her, "Parker Dooley, Eliza Bowler."

"Hello," Parker nodded.

"Why does everyone keep calling me Eliza?" Elizabeth asked, concerned.

"If you're looking for someone to join you on your quest, you've come to the wrong place," the Oriental cat said, annoyed.

"Listen Jine, we need your help. If you and Tracker come with us, we might have need of you," Parker said, concerned himself.

Jine laughed. "I'm sure you do. Does it involve Aslan?"

"Why yes, it does," Parker said, grinning.

"Whatever he wants, it doesn't have anything to do with us. Ever since that pointy-eared dog messed things up in the First World, Aslan barely shows up. He must be scared," Jine said, annoyed.

"Aslan?" Elizabeth asked, curious.

"He's the Great Lion. The one who is created the First World and helped everyone evacuate, before the world's untimely destruction." Parker said, enamored, "Everyone knows the tale."

"Everyone from the First World knows that story. How would you know? You only just arrived," Jine said, annoyed.

"What do you want?" Parker asked, curious.

"I want my land back," Jine said, admitting bluntly. "Tracker and I aren't going to the Land of Dragons. There's a world specific to talking animals. The Land of the Talking Animals, as it were. A realm all to ourselves." She looked up, asking Tracker, "Isn't that right, Tracker?! A home for the talking animals! No humans, no dragonoids! It'll be just us."

"Aye, if we can get there!" Tracker stated, waving the arrows in the air, before stuffing them into a cylinder basket.

Jine faced Parker and Elizabeth, convinced. "You see? The only help we'll be to you is to get out of Paravane Trepess. After that, you're on your own."

"Right, and…" Parker's voice faded. His saw another vision, revealing dragonoids, a part of his team, going down one by one. There was Jine and Tracker, escaping the fray, fleeing through a portal. Before the vision, he saw himself and Elizabeth, alone amidst the slaughter. At last, he was pulled back to reality, but not without feeling a strong headache coming on. "…what was that?"

"Are you all right?" Jine asked, concerned.

"Parker?" Elizabeth asked the red dragonoid, also concerned.

"We'll leave in the morning." Parker said, walking back the way he came from, but not without telling Jine and Tracker, "Meet us at the Siren's Sound tavern by then. We'll head out as soon as everyone's ready. Deal?"

"You've got it!" Jine called out, giving him a thumbs' up.

"I'll take that bet!" Tracker said, keen on seeing this through. "I love it already!"

"Me, too," Jine smiled, pleased.

"Wait. Parker, wait up!" Elizabeth cried, following Parker out of the alley and back into the town square. It was time to rest.

*.*.*

References:

Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins are from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth series, including The Hobbit and its sequel trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.