Dissenter's Camp.

"It looks like you've got yourself a quaint little operation here," Jereez commented as she walked beside the elf Mantonus across the clearing at the centre of the camp towards the bonfire. He smiled wryly as she said it.

"This is just one of our moveable outcamps," he told her, causing Jereez to look slightly impressed, "we'll have to move it soon though, now that your friends have seen it." He nodded a head towards the cage holding Jereez's followers.

"Ah yes," she agreed, not really certain what more to say. She was mostly still grateful that Mantonus had arrived in time. It'd had been a long time since she'd seen him, or any of the rebels for that matter, and when she had, Mantonus had been far from the top of the list of members close to leadership. She hoped that didn't reflect her sister's impatience with the rebels. If only she wasn't such a closely watched target, Jereez might have allied herself with the rebels, as she had done early on. But sadly, she had quickly found that it had only lead to a higher death rate when she conspired with them. This was the first time in a few years that she had broken away from the decision to leave them well alone.

"Here," Mantonus said, taking a bowl from an attendant nearby and passing it on to Jereez. She peered into it for a moment and smiled oddly. The bowl was filled with a fine, light powdery pink dust.

"I didn't know you had trade with the fae," she commented, dipping a finger into the powder and putting it in her mouth to suck the fine grains off. It tingled in her mouth. Mantonus nodded.

"For a little while now," he explained, and began to seat himself on a log in front of the fire, "we realised they just might hold the key to defeating your sister. If we can build a good reputation with them, then perhaps we might show them the true ways of your sister and convince them to help us. But it's a long, difficult process of trust." He stirred the soup in his own bowl thoughtfully. Jereez suddenly moan in delight, having taken an entire spoonful of the fae dust she was consuming.

"Been a while since I had this stuff," she commented delightfully in an attempt to change the topic of conversation.

"It's in your sister's interest to keep your supply diminished, and your powers weak," Mantonus agreed and Jereez rolled her eyes.

"You know," she told him through mouthfuls, "I think I just remembered why I don't come here often." Mantonus looked intrigued.

"It's because every second sentence that's spoken contains the words 'your sister'. I mean, I know she's annoying and you're fighting a war of freedom and all, but, get a grip man." She squeezed his shoulder, convincing herself that she could so easily dismiss the situation.

"You can t ignore her," Mantonus replied intensely, his elvan tranquility concealing deeply routed emotion.

"I can try," Jereez disagreed, yawning and finishing her bowl in record time. Already she was beginning to feel a lot stronger than usual. Good stuff, that was. Mantonus pretended the imp had never said any such thing.

"I've heard some disturbing news Jereez," he continued.

"Oh, not disturbing news," Jereez replied sarcastically, "we never get disturbing news!" She sighed at Mantonus disgruntled look, "What is it Mantonus? Wait, my sister..." She said the words at the same moment he did.

"Your sister," Mantonus raised an eyebrow, "she's getting close to finding the dragon's breath."

"Impossible," Jereez scoffed, "that's just a fairy tale." She found it hard to believe Mantonus was putting his faith in such information. How could he be taking it seriously?

"Exactly," the elf replied, "we believe she is intruding upon fae land, to steal it from a dragon atop the mountains in the DarkVeil Forest. She has to be stopped."

"Well, I think you have it all wrong," Jereez replied doubtfully, "my sister may be stupid, but she's not quite that stupid."

"I tell you what," Mantonus responded after a moment of silent contemplation, he pulled the bright red gem from inside his coat, "I'll give you this, if after you've returned from investigating the rumours, and stopped your sister if they're true." Jereez s mouth dropped. All this time she d been pretty much betting Mantonus would give it to her, no questions asked. Now, in hindsight, that seemed a pretty stupid thing to believe.

"Oh, very cunning," she replied, "you've gotten trickier since last time I saw you," she paused, "ok, but I can't go by myself." Mantonus nodded and smiled a little slyly. He was about to solve two problems at once.

"You can take them with you," he told her, looking towards the prison cage then back to Jereez to gauge her reaction.

"You've got to be joking!" Jereez exclaimed indignantly, "they'll never agree to come with me." She was beginning to feel cornered again. Mantonus shrugged.

"Motivating them is not my problem," he told her and Jereez sighed, giving in.

"Ok," she agreed, "you've got a deal." She held out a hand to Mantonus to shake, and as he accepted it. Jereez pulled him into a friendlier hug, giving the elf a pat on the back. They had history, this was no time to get so business-like. Just then, a strange bird call whistled through the clearing. Suddenly everyone in the camp perked up expectantly, then began to rush around busily.

"What was that?" Jereez asked in concern, pulling away from her old friend.

Mantonus grimaced, "That was the sentry call," he explained, "we're being attacked." Jereez's eyes widened and she gripped his hand as though it were something to be crushed and then pummeled into the ground repetitively.

"Wha...?" she began to ask, but the elf interrupted her before she could reply. The camp was already a hive of activity. People were beginning to draw their weapons. The first aggressor stumbled his way past the sentries into the camp and immediately several rebels leapt upon him. Suddenly Jereez could smell burning.

"Hurry," Mantonus told the imp, pushing her toward the prison cage and trying to pull his hand from her iron grip.

"Get out of here," he told her seriously, looking deep into Jereez s eyes, "We can fend for ourselves, but you must stop your sister." Jereez though she might vomit up an icy mass of her inner trailings as she floundered towards the prison cage, ignoring the sounds of battle behind her.