XXXV

Xelloss peered at the retreating dragon army. So far as he trailed them they were following a beeline for their desert faster than they had originally advanced. It was unclear who was in charge. The retreat was disorganized enough to fit in the Golden Lord's Sea of Chaos. Dragons slowly filtered in to join the swift retreat as the scattered stragglers were able to catch up with the main body. It was as different from the neat battle formations that marched north as possible.

From his seat near the top of an ancient pine situated high on a mountain, the entire golden army was easily visible as it traversed the valley below. Xelloss sighed and materialized a cup of tea and leaned back against the great tree. One sharp amethyst eye remained on the dragons. It was a dreadfully dull assignment, and he'd much rather be back on Wolf Pack Island. Alas if the dragons did turn towards the island, only Xelloss would be able to slow their progress long enough for Xelas to prepare. So really there was no other suitable demon for the assignment.

Three more dragons joined the end of the ragtag procession. Xelloss teleported to the next mountainside. A burnt snag provided the demon with a new seat. The new perch was slightly ahead of the dragons' march. Several more cups of tea were materialized and sipped to pass the time.

Xelloss sorely wished his master had not forbid him from revealing himself to the dragons. He was quite sure he could wring a bit more speed out of them if he was allowed to harass the army on its way south. A smirk graced his lips as he imagined the dragons' panicked flight.

The day passed agonizingly slow. Evening descended covering the land in a cloak of darkness. The dragons did not stop until all the light had faded. Xelloss could see well enough, but in the dragons' eyes the world was completely black. Stars were covered by clouds.

"One more day," Xelloss sighed. "After that they'll be well beyond any reasonable path to Wolf Pack."

Lina awoke to a dark room. A single candle cast a wavering glow answered by wavering shadows around the large room. Lina took a deep breath before pushing herself up from the comfortable warmth of her guardian. Saluna yawned and stood with her.

"Still no Xelloss?"

"Not for another day or two," Salarte stretched as he stood. The flickering of candlelight on his fur gave him an eerie aura.

Unconsciously a small sigh escaped from her downturned face. "I see." Although all of the demons were more hospitable than she could have hoped for, it was very unsettling being left on an island with strange demons who she barely knew. "Guess that only leaves two things to do."

Without any more hesitation Lina was off at a brisk walk. Both wolves had to trot to catch up.

"What would that be?" Saluna asked genuinely curious.

"Food and then sleep. What else?" Lina declared enthusiastically.

Salarte snorted. "What else indeed. Every time we've left the library today had included a trip to the kitchen."

Lina smiled broadly, "Well I am eating for two."

Saluna bobbed her head in agreement. Salarte just shook his large head and mumbled, "At least."

The demon wolf could not help thinking that the food supply they secured at their Lord's bidding was disappearing alarmingly fast. What was originally expected to last over a week would probably be gone in another day and half.

By the time Lina finished her midnight snack, Salarte amended his estimate on the food. It'd be gone within twenty-four hours for sure. He was not looking forward to the many trips this realization implied.

Lina was yawning steadily as she climbed the stairs to Xelloss's room. Several times her gaze was drawn to the two large demons shadowing her every move.

When they reached Xelloss's room, the two giant wolves filled up the hall as they lay down. Lina closed the door and lit a ball of magelight. She looked around the empty room. Although comfortable, it was quiet and lonely. A hand drifted to her stomach along with her gaze. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if it was visibly growing daily.

Desperately she wished for one of her friends to confide in. Shaking her head she marched determinedly to the cabinet to change before going to the bed and lay down intent on moving forward. Within minutes she was asleep. It wasn't pleasant dreams that filled her sleep. She tossed and turned with nightmares of destruction.

Xelas Metallium the Demon Lord Beastmaster was restless. She paced the halls of her castle. Heeled boots clicked steadily on the floors and stairs as she circled. Thoughts swirled around her mind. Plans and scenarios chased each other as they played out entire futures.

Rare was the occasion that she could not instantly formulate intricate plans to fit perfectly with the situations presented to her. The current turn of events, however, presented too many wild card variables. Lina and Luna. The Lord of Nightmares. Also to a lesser extent was her fellow Demon Lords. Although she was sure they would not be pleased if they found out about Lina, she was unsure of their reactions.

Mixing all of the above with dragons, who were easily the most predictable factor, left too many possibilities to be easily sorted out. Xelas let the rhythmic tapping of her boots walk her through each possible combination of events. Mentally she mapped out the best strategies.

One unknown threw a kink in every scenario she carefully crafted; the Lord of Nightmares. There was simply no guessing on the actions and motivation of the Mother of All. Eventually Xelas could only shrug and decided to accept her plan for everything else and play with whatever curve balls the Golden Lord threw into the game.

By the time Xelas reached this conclusion the approaching dawn was coloring the eastern sky. She made her way to the balcony outside her throne room. Clearing her mind, she searched out for Xelloss. He was much further south than she expected.

At least it appeared the dragons would be out of the picture for at least as long as it took them to regroup. So there were only six players on the board for the time being.

Pulling back to herself at Wolf Pack Island, Xelas left Xelloss to ensure the dragons truly were returning to their home. That left Luna as the most pressing issue outside her castle. Xelas walked back inside, she had several things to see to before Luna chose to visit again. There was no doubt in her mind that it would not be long before Luna would call again upon her little sister.

Xelloss picked at the charred tree he'd spent the night in. The dragons were finally stirring. The sun sat brilliant on the horizon. All of the dark clouds blew over during the night making way for a bright new day.

Even though it did no good, Xelloss stared at the sun. The drudgery he felt from this awful assignment would be much better matched by a heavily overcast day. Even a nice thunderstorm to liven up the view would be more welcome.

As the dragons moved, so did Xelloss. From one vantage point to the next he kept an ever watchful eye on the enemy. He wished for the sands on the northern edge of the desert to appear on the horizon with every jump. They marked the end of his assignment.

Lina awoke desperately hungry. Loud rumblings accompanied the gnawing ache in her stomach. If she hadn't known better, Lina would guess that she hadn't eaten in two days or more; instead of the handful of hours since her last meal before moving to bed in the middle of the night.

Hurriedly she changed clothes and went seeking the comfort food had to offer. She was not surprised in the least to find her two wolf entourage waiting in the hall. They were in the exact positions she'd left them. Probably under orders to stick to her like glue until Xelloss returned.

Lina didn't dwell on it. "Let's get some food, I'm starving."

"You say that you're starving everytime you go eat, I find it highly unlikely." Salarte commented before rising.

Saluna's tongue lolled out in a canine grin. Her partner may be cranky but she suspected he was grudgingly growing attached to the sorceress they'd been assigned to protect.

After Lina made another large dent in the food supply, she headed back to the library. Until Xelloss returned or Xelas showed herself it was the most interesting place to pass the time.