~Allie~

I yawned and stretched, walking into a different part of my home where my bed was sitting. I lay down in it and was about to change my clothes when suddenly I remember Stella was still outside.... eating? No no no, it didn't take anyone that long to eat. I frowned deeply, ah crap, she had run away again... hurriedly I jumped up and ran out of the cave, telling one of my out-of-place servants to stay here and keep watch in case she came back. She would be transforming soon, and I wanted to be there when it happened.

Sighing, I ran across the black sand, searching. Finally I stopped and pulled out a device I had made, I muttered some words of magic and it started beeping, I swore lightly. She had already transformed.

Quickly I followed the devices directions to where she was. Maybe she was already doing it... killing that stupid dragon that always gave me trouble. Of course that's why I had kid-napped her in the first place... she was the only one who would be able to do it, and Hormani killed so many of my servants a year... it was for the best.

~Stella~

I charged Hormani, bending forward and flying after her quickly (flying, how strange!). All at once she turned around and screeched at me, then reared and threw Koran down. I gasped in surprise and quickly tucked my wings behind my back and dove after him, but he was heavier then me, he was falling faster... I kicked my legs, although it didn't really do me any good.

I saw Killana run to where Koran was falling, right bellow him. No, no, no. If he landed on her she would be seriously hurt. Somehow I got to him in time and I reached my hands out, grabbing his scruff and opening my wings, but he was way too heavy for me, and we continued to drop at a steady pace. I pulled hard and flapped my wings with all my might, we slowed down quit a bit but not enough, suddenly my hands slipped and he fell from my grasp, swallowed by the darkness. A few seconds later I heard the faint 'Thud' of him landing on the unwelcoming sand.

Hurriedly, I tried to get down as fast as possible, but then Hormani was upon me, catching me in her claws and shrieking in my face.

I held back a scream as her teeth reached down and ripped into my side, rearing back and tearing my skin away. I howled in agony and doubled over, covering my side with my hand to keep from losing too much blood.

Instinctively I lashed out at Hormani with my mind, digging cold claws into her conciseness. She screeched and drew away, dropping me in the process, obviously she hadn't expected it, and neither had I.

Quickly I dived down to the ground and flapped, pulling up before I hid the ground and lowering myself carefully, still holding my side. I could feel my heart beat rapidly as I bent down to look over my wound. I flinched at the sight of all the blood, and bit my lip at the horrible pain.

I fell over, breathing heavily as the red blood filled my vision... it was all red, I thought I was going to black out, but then I sat up suddenly and shakily got to my feet. I ripped off the bottom of my long dress and tied it around my thin waist a couple times, covering the horrible gash.

Taking a deep breath, I jumped as much as I could without jolting my wound too much, then took to the air again, reaching my mind out to Hormani, and attacking her barrier as well as I could.

But this time she was ready, she lashed out fiercely and I cried out in pain as my mind seemed to be torn apart by bloody claws.

I automatically threw up barriers around my mind in defense and lashed out, trying to induce the same pain that she had put on me. It only worked slightly though, and as I was distracted, she came at me and snapped her jaws around my waste. I clenched my teeth as she bit down into my soft skin, I could feel the warm blood dripped down my stomach.

I snarled in pain and reached up, putting my hands on her snout. I don't know how I did it, but I released a blast of pain numbing fire from my hands into her face. I could feel her scales ripple as the fire flowed underneath her skin. She roared in pain and dropped me from her grip, shaking her head to try and clear away the painful feeling.

At once I zoomed away, breathing heavily. I had to get as far away from her as possible before she got a hold of me again. I was no match for her physical strength, how was I supposed to kill her?! This barren land wouldn't be at peace until she was dead, and for some reason I was the one chosen to do it.

So I slowed down slightly and looked at my stomach, seering pain suddenly burst through my veins and I dropped from the sky like a shot down bird. I couldn't help but let a scream escape my lips at the horrible pain, then I felt Hormani attacking my consciousness and I blacked out.

~Chris~

I jumped off of Kooru as I saw something falling quickly from the sky, I raced toward it, squinting slightly. What was that...? A bird? No... it was... was... STELLA! I ran as fast as I could, then dove forward and caught her. We both hit the ground painfully and it knocked the wind out of me.

When I had finally re-gained my breath I rolled her over, surprised at the wet feeling... my eyes widened and I held my breath for a moment. She was covered with blood... her own blood? I could tell it was....

I set her down carefully and ran over to Kooru, pulling my pack off of his back. I pulled out a extra blanket and folded it in half, then ran over to Stella and wrapped it around her waste, tying it tightly so that the blood would be kept inside of her body. I sighed and looked at her, her face was frightened.

A couple minuets passed silent, then I saw a figure running toward us in the distance. It was hard to see through the darkness... and I couldn't really tell what it was... probably something else that wanted to kill us. I sighed and stood up, ready to face it.

As the figure came closer I recognized it as the woman who had taken Stella. My lip raised in disgust and as she came closer I didn't move one bit, just stood in front of Stella defensively. When she reached me, she didn't seem at all surprised at anything she saw, "You witch..." I spat out. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Hello Christopher. If you don't mind, I need to stop Stella from dying, so move."

I snarled and jumped her, pushing her onto the ground and snarling, "Why did you take Stella?! If you hadn't had taken her in the first place everything would have been alright!"

She sighed dramatically and didn't bother to try and get away, "You stupid boy, can't you see? I would think even with your little knowledge of magic you would be able to feel how strong she really is. She's the only one who can kill Hormani."

I blinked in surprise, while I paused she pushed me off easily and walked over to where I was standing before, leaving me sitting in the warm sand. At once I heard a hiss-like sound come from her. "She's gone! Now she's gonna bleed to death..." she sighed and put her fingers on her temples.

We both looked up to the silent night sky, wondering where she had gone... where she was.

~Stella~

I was locked in a mental battle with Hormani again. I had awoken to see Chris and Allie fighting and had taken the chance to get away, it was something I had to do on my own, kinda a pride thing.

Lashing out at her, I flew into her side, compared to her massive size I was like a fly bothering a vicious lion. But flies are fast and hard to catch, so maybe I had an advantage. I grabbed onto one of her back spikes and this time sent freezing cold down her spine, momentarily paralyzing her. I took her weakened moment to attack her consciousness again, grabbing a tight hold onto it and sending lighting bolts of pain into her mind.

I could feel her horrible pain though, because we were connected, and at once I drew away out of her mind, shaking myself and flying away quickly as she turned around and lashed out with her tail.

It didn't completely miss me, and smacked me in the face. I clenched me teeth and dropped, stunned. We continued on in this way for a long time... and it started to be a repeated process. I flew in and attacked physically, then mentally, and she did the same.

I started to see it was impossible for either of us to gain advantage over the other the way we were going at it. So I did something only someone who was desperately tired, or really stupid would do. I stayed still and waited for her. I closed my eyes and concentrated, then right when she was almost upon me I stopped my wings and dropped at a breath-taking pace, my eyes still closed, my lips twitching slightly in concentration.

~Killana~

My eyes were fogged with tears as I looked down on Korans twisted body... at least half the bones in his body were broken. He was dead... was there something I could have done for him? No... I was totally helpless... I bit softly into his scruff and dragged him over to the deep hole I had made for him, I slid him into it and covered him up, looking away from the horrible site of his contorted, bloodied body in the hole.

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I don't have much to say... or I might give something away. xP

Poor Koran. :( He was really a good Snow Leopard, he wanted to be looked up to and he tried as hard as he could... But in the end, death is the only thing that waits for us, and we all must face it alone.

This chapter will be for Ben, who, although we've had our fair share of fights, I hope we can still be friends and all that. :P