Suzi: "You are being so mean to everyone!"

Adeena: "Am not! Just Lykouleon. He's too calm."

Suzi: "You are still being mean. And I got your notebook!"

Adeena: *grabs notebook and hits Suzi on head with it* "Idiot!"

Suzi: *lying on floor with swirly eyes*

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights.

Chapter Four: Leave taking

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Adeena's room, before dawn next morning

She was seated at the table, dressed for travel, facing the door. The chair on her right was occupied by Zoma, still half asleep. The chair on her left was occupied by Ruwalk, who besides stuffing his face, was teasing Zoma. Crewger was lying in front of the fireplace. Breakfast was almost gone when there came a knock at the door.

"Enter" called Ruwalk since Adeena had just put a piece of fruit in her mouth.

The door opened and in walked the other three Dragon Officers, looking quite bleary eyed.

"Your packs are ready and waiting in the main hall. Is there anything you can think of that might have been forgotten?" asked Alfeegi.

"Money, enough for at least four extra mouths on the way back" said Ruwalk.

"A bow and quiver of arrows. I left mine behind" said Adeena after swallowing.

"I've put some funds in both of your packs. If it's not enough, send word. As for the bow and arrows, …" came Alfeegi's reply and turning to Tetheus "… do we have any available? Or have you assigned them all to your fighters?"

During this bit of conversation Adeena had gotten up and walked over to the three Dragon Officers standing by the door. As she approached they all got very fidgety and started to look worried and uncomfortable. She stopped in front of each one, kissed him on the cheek, said "Thank you" and then returned to her spot at the table. Before they had time to recover, Ruwalk (with laughter in his eyes) grabbed Tetheus and said "Let's go get that bow, shall we?" and dragged him out the door.

"Just about done Zoma? We have to be leaving soon." asked Adeena, sitting in her chair once more.

"Yeah. What about them?" Zoma asked, pointing at the two Dragon Officers still in shock by the door.

"Well …, if those two chowder heads don't come over here and give me a proper greeting, I'll have to do something worse than what I've already done to them."

To which statement both Alfeegi and Kai-stern rather abruptly started moving. They quickly went to the table and each gave her a hug and kiss, still looking slightly puzzled by her attitude of today compared to what they had experienced the previous day. As they withdrew towards the door, it opened to admit Lykouleon, who surveyed the scene and asked "Where are Tetheus and Ruwalk? I expected to find them here as well."

"They left" Adeena replied icily, Alfeegi and Kai-stern getting startled looks on their faces once more at her tone.

"Still mad at me I see" came the calm reply. "I do hope you were nicer to Ruwalk last night."

"We exchanged some words and ideas" came the still icy reply as Tetheus and Ruwalk walked through the still open door. Ruwalk walked past Lykouleon to his seat at the table and sat down to finish his breakfast while Tetheus went to stand with Alfeegi and Kai-stern, who were still looking rather stunned.

At the raised eyebrow query from Adeena, Ruwalk said "All set" and popped a slice of fruit into his mouth.

"He doesn't look too upset this morning" said Lykouleon, and looking at his other Dragon Officers stunned faces, continued with "but what have you done to them this morning? They look like you hit them in the back of the head with the flat of your blade."

"I've done nothing that you didn't already ask me to do. It's not my fault they can't take things like this in stride. Zoma, you had something you wanted to ask the Dragon Lord? Why not ask him now?"

"Lord, ha ... ha … has there been any word of Cesia?" stuttered Zoma, and then tried to hide his blushing features behind a glass of milk.

"No. Nothing since she and Kai-stern separated. We've asked Sarazar but she can give us no clear answer" came the unwanted, but expected, reply.

Zoma's face fell, Ruwalk lowered his head as if to hide his expression, and Adeena moved abruptly to the open window, keeping her back to Lykouleon.

"Am I missing something?" asked Lykouleon in a puzzled tone.

"If you've finished eating, Zoma, Ruwalk, would you mind taking Crewger and the others downstairs. I have some things I want to say to the Dragon Lord" came a very tightly controlled voice from the area of the open window.

"On our way" replied Ruwalk gathering the rest of the aforementioned group quickly and herding them out the door. "Go easy on him. I don't think he knows even half of it" and shuts the door behind him.

"Lykouleon, come over here" Adeena said from the window. As he arrives at her side, she continues, "Tell me what you know about Cesia, and anything you suspect about her too."

"Why?"

"Just humor me, will you?" she snapped.

"Ok. She's not yokai even though she was mostly raised by them. Nadil and his officers want her, for her powers. They're the ones that took her when she was a young child" he paused looking at her, trying to figure out where this was going.

"Go on" still not looking at him.

"She has the power to amplify anyone's power. She's my latest seer. I don't know anything else for fact but she appears to be at least half dragon. She reminds me of you at that age actually. She's looking for her parents" he finishes, still trying to figure out why she asked.

"She was four the day she disappeared. Her father was a Dragon Fighter, her mother was one too," she said quietly, staring out the window.

"How do you know this? Were you her guardian at sometime?" he asked curiously, fascinated by the tone of voice she'd used.

"How do I know!?! HOW DO I KNOW? Shouldn't a mother know these things about her own child?!" she screamed at him, face to face. "I was looking for her the day your Dragon Officer found me and told me to go back to my hole in the ground. Said you would find her and bring her back to me. What a joke! I waited years for Cesia's return but she never came. You never found her! And then your precious Dragon Officer never showed up this last time, so I go looking for her and instead find Kai-stern and my grown-up daughter looking for Wind. Can you understand why I'm so mad at you? CAN YOU!?!" and turned to face the window once more, unshed tears sparkling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. We found her shortly after my officer returned and told us about her. If I'd known who she truly was, you both would have been here within days. I didn't know exactly who she was – only that you were looking for her. As the person taking care of her didn't seem to be mistreating her, it was decided to leave her there. I am truly sorry. I wish I could go back and change things, but I can't. Adeena, forgive me." This last said in a very quiet, contrite voice.

"If I get her back, safe and sound, I'll consider it" as she turned away from window and moved to the door. "It's time for us to leave so I'll say my farewell to you here and now" and she walked out the door, with Lykouleon following behind her, somehow knowing he would be joining them on their trip.

Adeena: "Here ends chapter four. What a twist! How will Lykouleon get away?"

Suzi: "I know! I know!"

Adeena: "Quiet you, or I'll sic Rath on you!"

Suzi: "Eeepp!" running away as fast as she can.

Adeena: "Any way, please let me know if you like it. Good or bad but please no flaming! and remember I took liberties with the story line."