Suzi: *stops running and looks at Rath* "I am not a demon."

Rath: "Demon! Demon! Demo .. oh. You aren't? Are you sure?"

Suzi: "Positive. Here, you can have my 'Where to find the nastiest demons in Draqueen' book" * hands book to Rath*

Rath: "Yay!"

Dragon Officers: *grab Suzi and put her in the dungeon* "Now, to get the book out of his hands!"

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights.

Chapter Six: Now we total 5

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The Faerie Forest, two days later

"Elder, I have done all I can" said Rune sadly.

"Then it is enough," came the gentle reply. "The water ways are healed and safe and we have part of the forest back. We will make do. Come, we have visitors."

They walk to the central clearing, Rune with his head bowed in sorrow so he does not immediately see who the visitors are.

"Dragon Knight of Water, why do you grieve?" asked a female voice unknown to Rune. "You have done more than anyone expected. Be of good cheer. You have saved those you hold most dear."

To which Rune replied, "It is not enough. I still couldn't wake her" and sat down rather dejectedly.

"Adeena, go easy on him. He's young yet and doesn't understand" came a voice beloved by Rune, causing him to look up and across the clearing to see …

"Lord Lykouleon! What … " he started but was unable to finish.

"What am I doing here?" smiled Lykouleon. "Looking for you. We need your help to save Rath. Will you come with us?"

"But what about the forest?" Rune asked anxiously.

"We will grow" the Elder replied. "When you come back there will still be much to do, and you will be able to help once more. Go. Help your friends now, my child."

"Where are we going Lord?" asked Rune.

"We need to find Thatz and then go after Rath" came the reply. "We'll also be looking for Cesia."

"We leave here in the morning. I suggest you get a good night's sleep" came from the one the Lord had identified as Adeena.

"Who are you? You look very familiar" queried Rune, to which statement he received laughter from Lykouleon, Ruwalk, and Adeena. Zoma looked almost as confused as Rune.

"The lady you're addressing is the Dragon Knight of Wind, Rune," said Ruwalk, moving slightly to allow Adeena to relax against him. "Her name is Adeena and she's Lykouleon's cousin."

"Enough Ruwalk" Adeena said quietly. "It is enough for him to know I'm a Dragon Knight. He doesn't need to know family relations, or other ... relations."

"The last Dragon Knight. When did you show up?" asked Rune curiously.

"At the castle? Three days ago with Kai-stern and it took forever to get to see Ruwalk" smiling mischievously up at her resting pole.

"See Ruwalk? Wouldn't you have wanted to see the Lord?" still rather curious, Rune continued his questioning.

"See Lykouleon? Whatever in the world for?" she asked with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Enough Adeena" broke in Ruwalk. "Rune, Adeena, Lykouleon, and the rest of the Dragon Officers you know were once Dragon Fighters together. During an engagement Adeena was thought to have been killed. Before her body could be found a messenger came for Lykouleon, and the rest of us as well. We were never allowed to go back and look for her – thanks to Lykouleon. That's what the anger is about."

"Ok, but that still doesn't answer the question about you, Ruwalk," stated Rune.

"Oh, that" (sweat drop) blushed Ruwalk. "Well ... uh … um"

"Ruwalk and I were engaged way back then," said Adeena with a laugh at Ruwalk. "I needed to see him to tell him something I hadn't been able to back then. That's all. Too bad Kai-stern had to send Tetheus and then Alfeegi instead. Things might have been a little less irritating to them. I did hear they drank a little too much that night. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep and I suggest you do too" and she settled herself against Ruwalk and went to sleep.

After a little more talk, the others did the same.



Camp beside a stream, two nights later

"Where's she going?" asked Rune of Ruwalk, as Adeena walked away into the woods in the same direction Lykouleon had minutes earlier.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think we need to follow her" came the reply. "Let's finish setting up camp. They'll be back later."

Up stream, about a hundred yards from the camp, at the base of a small waterfall Adeena comes upon Lykouleon sitting on a stone at the edge of the water.

"It's a little difficult to get clean if you don't get wet" she said as she approached.

"I wasn't exactly trying to get clean. I needed to be by myself for a while" he replied, turning to face her. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Actually, yes. For me to help Rath I need to know everything you know about him. I need to know his entire history – no exceptions, nothing left out."

"I'm not sure I can do that. I know what you're asking, the information you want. Unfortunately, everyone who knows is hated by Rath. I don't want that to happen to you."

"I'm not worried about that. If you want me to help him, you need to tell me. You have until the evening of the day we come upon the Dragon Knight of Earth to tell me. After that, I ask some else, brother" and she turned back towards the camp.

"Wait" called Lykouleon, and as she turned to face him once more, "what did you just say?"

"Be a little more specific, if you please. I recall saying quite a bit just now," she said with a touch of anger.

"You said brother instead of cousin. What did you mean?"

"You answer my question, I'll answer yours" came her irritated reply.

While this conversation had been going on Ruwalk and Rune had approached silently.

"I didn't know they were that antagonistic towards each other," commented Rune as he watched Adeena and Lykouleon.

"Not really. Actually they care about each other very much. Want to see something to prove it?" came Ruwalk's reply.

"Why not" said Rune, waiting to see what Ruwalk would do.

"Watch" as Ruwalk stepped heavily on a twig, causing it to snap, which in turn caused the two facing off to stop their arguing, and in less than two seconds, draw their swords and stand back-to-back looking into the surrounding woods trying to locate what had made the noise.

"Oh" mouthed Rune, being speechless at the speed and skill they showed.

"You two can relax" Ruwalk called out as he started moving towards them with Rune a step behind. "It's just Rune and I coming to check on you, make sure you haven't killed each other yet."

"I hope you don't think that was funny," commented Adeena. "I don't enjoy holding this sword."

"I have to agree" contributed Lykouleon. "Let's head back to camp. We all need some sleep" glaring at Ruwalk.

So saying, he put actions to words, and the four went back to camp. As Adeena moved past him towards her bedroll, Lykouleon said "I will consider your words and speak with you about it later."

Adeena: "Chapter six over. Another new twist. What does Adeena mean by calling Lykouleon brother? What happens when the Dragon Knight of Earth joins the party?"