Hey, everyone. I've got an announcement to make. For those of you who are following "Saint Cadpig," I wanted to let you know that the first several chapters of the new, completely rewritten version of the story have been completed. I'm not fully ready to post them yet, but they should be coming very, very soon. So stay tuned to this channel because even more Cadpig fun is just around the corner. But for now, I give you the next chapter of our current story:

XI. The Emperor. XI.

The Bohemian Bloodhound, midday. Walton and Russell were relaxing in their usual chairs, enjoying the usual sparkling water and sparkling conversation. Walton was busy relating some amusing anecdote or other.

"So I said when he asked me my opinion of his poem, which was completely rip-off of one of mine, I said, 'Does a dog praise his fleas?' " Walton laughed heartily at his own perceived wit.

"What do you know about fleas?" Russell barked gruffly. "You never get them. Me, on the other hand, they're always crawling all over! Barkeep, another water!"

"Yes Mr. &tc." the bulldog said.

"You've changed your pen-name, again, I see," Walton remarked.

"Yeah, but I think I'm going to keep this one this time," Russell answered. " '&tc.' Just seems to really capture my charming personality."

Walton tilted his head to one side slightly. "I can see that."

Suddenly, then, he felt a pair of paws get a rough grip upon his shoulders. Walton jumped in shock within his chair, at the fearful force through which he had been grabbed. But when he looked up, the shock dissipated.

"Maud," he said dreamily.

The bicolored Irish Setter smiled down at him. "There you are! And I thought I invited you to that pound break-in! You know, I don't usually take kindly to when a guy stands me up! The last one who did found a bottle-rocket in his kibble…."

"How did the break-in go, Maud?" Russell asked.

Maud let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a growl. "Somehow those oppressive human pigs got wise. We barely got out of there before they nabbed us! So, that symbol of wicked, vile tyranny still stands. But not for much longer; I shall strike it down! I'm planning another attempt for next Tuesday."

Walton felt as though Maud's paws were digging rather forcefully into his shoulders by this point. He quickly, and futilely, tried to free himself from those claws. "Maud, I would have been there, honestly! I would have loved to come, but–"

"Don't tell me you forgot where you were going and ended up at the fish shop again. That excuse only works the first seven times."

"No, I did not go to the fish shop!" Walton protested as he turned from Maud to Russell. "Though I would love to. I hear they do eyebrow-threading now!"

"What, they have the fish thread eyebrows?" Russell asked in disbelief.

Walton did as best of a shrug as he could with Maud's claws still digging into him. "I guess so. That's why I want to check it out. Do you actually have to lay underwater so the fish can do it, I wonder? And just why should I trust these fish not to make a mistake and take out my eye? I mean, are they professionals? Have they gone through the proper training program?"

Maud dug her claws in even harsher and deeper, causing Walton to yelp in pain. "Okay, okay," he said. "The reason I couldn't make it was because I had to do a bit of a job for Father Bibe." This last part he said in a hushed tone, not wanting any of the other patrons to hear.

Maud immediately let go and actually looked guilty for what she had just done. "Oh, Walton, I'm so sorry! I didn't know that Father Bibe had wanted something done. If I had been informed of it, I never would have invited you to the revolution."

"It's okay," Walton said, turning to Maud and giving her that goofy smile which told her that he had forgiven her long before she had even apologized. "I should be thanking you, though. It was only because you taught me how to set off a Catherine Wheel that I was able to pull it off. Unfortunately, somebody let down their part of the effort."

"Somebody by the name of Brother Tabernae," Russell added. "Not to name names, of course."

Maud laughed. "Ah, yes, Roland. No surprise there. He always was a right fool!"

"No, actually, I think that's Walton," Russell replied. "Isn't that right, Brother Stultus?"

Walton nodded happily.

"So, what was he supposed to do, anyway?" Maud asked.

"Oh, he was supposed to collect those two girls," Walton said.

"What two girls?"

"The ones that just came in a few days ago. You know, the white ones, the dog and the wolf."

"Don't sound familiar," Maud said matter-of-factly.

"Don't sound familiar?" Walton responded in shock. "But Maud, you met them! And I thought I was the one with the bad memory! Don't you remember? They looked like–"

"Like that!" Russell said in alarm. As he did so, he pointed to a certain white Dalmatian, a certain white Westie, and a certain white wolf who were escorting a grey dog, a dog that seemed completely out of his wits by the looks of him. He was laughing and babbling incoherently, attracting worried looks from all the other patrons. Worried looks, and ones of mischievous interest.

"Yeah, pretty much exactly like them," Walton said. "I mean, the resemblance is uncanny."

Maud tilted her head and squinted her eyes. "Is that…. Roland they have there? That must mean…."

"Uh-oh," the three said together.

Before they knew it, Roland was at their feet, having been swiftly and unceremoniously deposited there by Cadpig. She herself was standing over him and looking at the three almost like a taunting hunter just waiting for its prey to scatter so that the fun could begin. It was hard for the targets of her piercing glare to believe that the real wild predator was the one standing behind her.

"Why, hello, boys," Cadpig said. "And hello, Maud."

"Cadpig, Lollie!" Walton said, ignoring Jake – but for once, not intentionally. "It's so nice to see you again. Would you like a drink? Order whatever you like; it's on me!"

"Maybe something for your friend as well," Russell said, nervously eyeing Roland, who was squirming on the floor, trying desperately to free himself of the makeshift straightjacket Jake had fitted him with.

"If you want my advice," Walton continued, "stay away from the stuff out of the bottle. You never know where it's been. Crystal-blue lakes in the Swiss Alps, my foot!"

"Cut the bologna!" Cadpig said.

Walton turned to Russell. "I didn't know we were having bologna," he said, apparently taking the suggestion quite seriously.

But he was jerked back by a fierce tug on his purple collar. Now Cadpig had his attention.

"Listen up," she said. "This kooky canine just tried to jump us last night. Any idea why?"

The three all offered nervous "No, I couldn't imagine"s.

"Really?" Cadpig said pointedly. "I would have thought, since you all know this city like the back of your paws, that you would have bumped into him at one time or another."

"We might of bumped into him, yeah, but that doesn't mean we knew him," Russell said.

"And you never had any opportunity to speak to him?"

Russell shrugged. "It's a big city." This immediately drew sharp looks from Cadpig and Jake, the surrounding patrons, and even from Walton and Maud themselves.

"He's right, it is," Lilly said with a small nod of agreement.

"Not helping!" Cadpig replied, quietly but firmly.

"I told you we should have left her at home!" Jake muttered.

"Look," Maud said, taking charge of the conversation. As usual. "Cathead, is it? Well, we've never seen this charming individual before at all. So if you've got some problem with him, we're not the ones to call."

"It's Cadpig," the Dalmatian replied flatly. "and I'm not buying it. Now, I don't mean to call you liars here, but you may be a little… factually challenged."

The very idea that she might be factually challenged caused Maud to huff in anger. But she did not answer Cadpig; she had a better idea. So, instead, she turned to Jake with a nasty glare. "And Jake, I'm disappointed! After everything we've been through together, you are allowing these… these outsiders to make such accusations toward me!"

"We went on three dates!" Jake barked.

"You can live a lifetime in three dates," Maud countered.

"No, it just felt that way, stuck with you!" Jake counter-countered.

Lilly realized at this moment that the argument might be helped by switching to a different tack. So she tapped Cadpig on the shoulder. When Cadpig looked back, Lilly subtly handed her the cloak and the dagger. Cadpig, much less subtly, took the opportunity to immediately thrust it out before her.

Walton and Russell jumped back into their chairs, while even Maud looked perturbed.

"She's got a dagger!" Russell yelped. "That's a dangerous implement! She's going to attack us!"

"Oh, quit being such babies," Cadpig snapped. "I just want to know if this seemed any more familiar."

"Well, of course it's familiar," Walton said nervously. "It's a dagger! The all look practically the same! And they're dangerous!"

Cadpig turned the dagger so the hilt was facing her suspects. "But as you can see," she said coyly, "this one's a very unique dagger. It's got all these nice, pretty moon symbols on it. Silver moons, pretty silver moons…."

Walton and Russell shuttered at these words.

Cadpig cocked an eyebrow. She sensed that she was getting somewhere. "You boys know something about silver moons? What about you, Maud? Anything? Anything at all?"

None of the suspects answered.

"Hmmm…." Cadpig said, pleased with how things were proceeding..

"Okay, you got them," Jake whispered, "now twist the blade in a little farther. Figuratively, of course."

Cadpig knew he was right. It was time to bring this baby home. "You know," she said, "before our frenzied friend here went completely off his nut, he mentioned something about an Order of the Silver Moon. Now, does that ring any bells?"

Walton and Russell were positively sweating and shivering now. Cadpig had them completely on the ropes. She could tell that they were about ready to confess everything. But while Cadpig reflected on how she must have a special gift for sweating perps, her hopes were shattered. For the three were saved just in the nick of time.

"The Order of the Silver Moon?" came a deep, commanding voice from behind. "That's nothing but a myth!"

Everyone – Cadpig, Lilly, Jake, Walton, Russell, Maud, and the other patrons, turned to see the proud form of MacGregor standing there. He approached slowly.

"Ah, my two fine ladies," he said, "it's so wonderful to see you again. Now you simply must let me buy you that drink…."

"Actually, I got that covered," Walton volunteered, but he was quickly shut up when MacGregor flashed him a stern look.

"Well, well," Cadpig said coolly, "why am I not surprised to see you here?"

MacGregor gave her a very wide (and very, very fake) grin. "It's the most popular spot in town for canines. What can I say? I'm a regular!"

"Okay, so maybe you'd like to explain who this is!" Cadpig said, pointing the dagger at Roland.

"Never seen him before," MacGregor answered, a sudden fire coming into his voice that told all that he would not be trifled with. "And, for my two cents, I don't think young ladies should be playing with dangerous implements, do you? You should drop it before you end up hurting somebody!"

"I'm the one who'll decide what I do with – yaaaaaahhh" Cadpig dropped the cloak and dagger and began to fall to her knees. Her head felt like it had burst into flames. A satisfied look crossed MacGregor's face as he watched her struggle.

Jake and Lilly quickly grabbed Cadpig to steady her.

"He's hurting her!" Lilly yelled.

"You stop this, or else!" Jake threatened.

MacGregor just shrugged and smiled cheerfully. "Why, I haven't even touched her!"

Not physically, perhaps, but in her mind, Cadpig could feel his presence. A dark presence, a presence as black as his fur was white. He was burrowing into her mind, trying to seize it, trying to take it over. Cadpig knew instantly that MacGregor was trying to mentally cripple her.

But through all the pain, Cadpig had hope. She knew that this arrogant white wolf-dog had just picked the wrong girl to mess with. For, if there was anyone who had mastered their mind enough to fight back against any attack, she could.

Cadpig moved quickly in her mind, collecting enough energy to form a barrier between the darkness and her mind's central channel, where the pathway to the chakras was located. She knew that any force which sought to control a person had to first control their seven chakras, their seven seats of consciousness. And Cadpig was not about to let this happen.

It was painful, but the barrier stood. Cadpig felt the dark energy halt and vainly break itself against her mental barriers. The others, looking on, noticed a slight look of frustration inexplicably appear on MacGregor's face. He was being denied and Cadpig could feel that he did not like it. She felt herself almost smile because there was more denying left to do – and she knew MacGregor really would not like what was about to come.

"Om Tara Tutara Tura Soha Om!" Cadpig said under her breath. Her eyes opened, she was ready. Immediately, her mental barriers shot out a blast of green energy that expelled MacGregor's black energy from her mind and ricocheted it back toward him. Cadpig knew well that, for most practitioners, that would cause massive damage. Perhaps even sending all the damage his way that he had been about to send hers.

Cadpig did not want to see it go that far. No matter who MacGregor was or what he had done, not even he could deserve to feel the full effects of such a dark maneuver. But if he felt just enough to knock him unconscious, no harm, no foul.

Cadpig let herself smile at her victory as she rose back to her feet. She watched as MacGregor's energy flew back his way, cutting a straight path for his own mind. But the smile was soon gone. This was because she had discovered that MacGregor was not most practitioners. For, as the dark energy was about to strike him, he used a great and concentrated mental push to send it flying away, this time in the direction of Lilly.

Before Cadpig could do anything, Lilly screamed in pain and collapsed toward the ground. She was only saved from hitting the floor by Jake firmly seizing her body and lifting it back up. But Lilly had already been rendered unconscious. Cadpig knew that things otherwise looked grim. Lilly had just begun her training and could not successfully resist like she had. This Cadpig knew all too well.

Cadpig was able to establish a psychic link with Lilly, but this was little cause for hope now that she could see that her worst fears were true. MacGregor's energy had gone straight for Lilly's chakras and had taken most of them over, shutting down Lilly's consciousness piece by piece. Cadpig knew she could try to expel the evil energy from Lilly, but she did not know if she could transfer it fast enough to stop the darkness before it devoured Lilly's consciousness completely. Actually, scratch that. For Cadpig doubted very much that she could do anything that fast.

Cadpig let out a panicked gasp as she realized that she might be too late to save her friend. After everything that had happened, after what she had promised Lilly and all she had done to protect her, she might have already failed her. This time, she might truly be too late after all.

Would Cadpig be able to save Lilly in time?

Or would Lilly succumb to MacGregor's dark power?

Whose force and will would ultimately prove stronger?

Read on.