Cota headed to the Zagan Rider meeting room. Most of the other people already had their friends there and were in the same classes. Cota was all alone, he didn't know anyone, and he hadn't taken any of the classes. The Guild leader was standing in the center of the room. Cota quickly kneeled and, twisting one shoulder toward the ground, bringing his fist into his chest and sweeping the other hand behind his back, he bowed. Staring at the floor infront of him and trying to keep perfectly still. The guild leader quickly began telling everyone the orders in which they were responsible for carrying out.

"Each Rider will charge forward at my signal. You will weave so you are not a target and use ghost feet so you are not heard. We shall be using a position b formation attack, changed to a v swoop and split into a..."

Cota's mind was blank, he knew attack methods, but this kind of thing was taught in the Graduated student class for Zagan Riders. Cota had no idea what it was. He just listened attentively and tried to think. The guild leader commanded them to their horses and bid them ado. He could not come with them. Cota leapt up and swiftly turned out the door. He ran out across the past and towards the stable, bent low with his arms slightly out to his sides like a swooping bird. James taught him that, it made a runner faster and took less energy. He slid to Pat's stall. A student from the Horse Keeper's guild was waiting with Pat already saddled and waiting.

"Here, Cota. Pat is all ready"

"Thank you, Tyne" Cota nodded his nervousness showing slightly as he did.

"Cota" Tyne called as Cota mounted Pat.

"Yes?"

"You and Pat are a team and I've seen the bond between you. It is very important for a Rider's horse to love its master deeply. Pat shows his honor for you and you show a friendship to him. Be safe and be together... and make it back safely" Tyne smiled an awkward smile.

Cota flashed a smile and was off. He raced across the field toward the portal. Closer and closer, he came to it. He looked down when he felt something unusual in his cloak pocket. He reached in and pulled out Kira's stuffed raccoon toy. He couldn't help but to smile. It meant she cared about him and wanted him to feel safe.

"Pray for me Kira. I don't want to die tonight. I'll hold on to this as a good luck charm for tonight," Cota whispered and put the raccoon safely back into his pocket.

Kira stepped out of the carriage. She folded her arms tightly around herself and tried to become as small as possible. Lily stepped out and followed Minerva, up a twisting stone path. Kira had covered her ears and when the whispers momentarily stopped, she looked up and had to run in order to catch up with Lily. The path had many turn offs that went nowhere and paths that twisted back upon themselves. Paths that went into walls and some that stretched toward the sky. Along the path, there were many different plants. They were strange plants, some glowed and some shot sparks, some would bite and some even seemed to blush. There were also strange statues that didn't make any sense at all. There were statues of strange oddly shaped things that spun or whistled. There were stone carvings of invention designs that Leonardo Da Vinci would have been jealous of. There was a big copper block with a hole in the center. It was title. 'A Hole Surrounded By A Block'. A little ways down there was a box made out of strands of silver and copper and some other shinny metals. It looked like a cage in Kira's opinion and she didn't like it at all. It had a sign inside it that read: No Thinking Zone. Kira looked up at Lily for an explanation, but didn't get one. Kira decided to explain this place in the only way she saw fit. A poem.

This is a place I can't tell you where but birds fly in the water and fish swim in the air. This is a place A place where plants bite and even the stars seem to show might. This is a place where nothing makes sense where every thing is relaxed and nothing is tense. This is a place Where down is up and up is to the right. If you come, you'll be in for a sight. This is a place Words can't describe and if they could, only one man could read them. For this is a land of science far beyond most people's logic Welcome to the land Of Dumbledore.

It was really more scientific then confusing. There was a pattern to the madness and if you figured out the pattern, it all would probably seem very intelligent, instead of confusing. For confusing it was, and greatly so. Kira looked up at Lily, who smiled.

"I've been in his office once, yet this reminds me of it more, then I can explain. It's almost like if you took all the decorations, made them bigger and let him throw them around to his liking" Lily smiled.

"Indeed. but that's Dumbledore for you. He'll never change" Minerva stated.

"Let us hope not" Lily smiled.

Kira yawned, all this walking and running and excitement was wearing her down. The whispering came back and Kira immediately dropped to the ground, covered her ears, and squeezed her eyes shut. The whispering seemed even worse this time. It told of a new victim, it described how they died! It told the look on their face and the sound of their final scream.

"Kira" Lily spoke, kneeling next to her and gently stroking her head.

"Make it stop" Kira pleaded and began rocking back and forth. "Please"

Lily could do nothing to comfort the small child he had grown to love so much. She just tried to get her up and walking, just to keep moving. Kira was an obedient child and when Lily told her to stand, she stood. Lily turned to Minerva, who nodded and walked faster toward the house. Kira had to jog to keep up. Kira tried to focus on something else, like how big Dumbledore's house must be. It's gotta be huge, Like Hogwarts. He is paid a lot so it must be fancy. I think it's a big stone castle with great big windows, many paintings, a Persian rug... Kira thought about all this, yet when she turned the corner, she saw a large two-story house. It was painted in a wave of metallic colors. Like... like the picture of a nebula that Kira had seen in James's astrology book. It had little white specks of a glowing white color all over it. Minerva walked to the wall and tapped it with her wand. She sighed and then said.

"Orange Puffs and Peeps"

Minerva turned towards Lily. "Any idea what a peeps is?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Minerva nodded slightly and then turned back towards the wall as an entrance way formed. Lily followed Minerva through the entranceway with Kira behind her. They walked into a room with no doors or windows, yet had a stream running down the middle. There were some koi fish in the stream and plant life too. Kira looked into the stream and smiled, it was strange to see the fish living in the house, but she figured it was probably normal here so she decided not the question it. Handing from the ceiling was a big, thick, metal... cage? Kira didn't like it and hid behind Lily. Minerva simply walked forward and announced that Lily was there.

"Ah, good, good" A disembodied voice stated.

Kira heard footsteps and peeked around Lily and saw Dumbledore appear near the cage. He smiled his greeting and tapped the cage with his wand. It slowly started falling... no, it was unraveling. The cage dropped, letting the outside layer fall to the ground and the next layers spiraled, all together, it formed a spiral staircase. Dumbledore walked down the staircase and shook Lily's hand.

"Thank you for coming" He smiled and his eyes shone. Kira didn't know many people that smile during the whisper and storm of the attack. Yet this man seemed unbothered, Kira figured he couldn't hear them at all.

"Thanks for inviting us" Lily responded. Dumbledore nodded politely.

"It was no trouble. Now, You must be tired from your journey. Why don't we all retire to the lounge and relax" Dumbledore prompted, walking forward. An archway apeared infront of him. It was very strange looking and had different colored glass imbedded through out it. Minerva stepped forward and briskly followed Dumbledore. Lily followed her and Kira, still clinging to Lilly's cloak, was pulled behind. Dumbledore showed them to a room where there was four, big, oddly shaped, yet comfortable, chairs, a coffee table, and a few books. Kira released Lily's cloak and looked at the books.

"Are you reading already Kira?" Minerva asked.

"...I... I try" Kira answered.

The adults started talking, in a gentle atmosphere. They did not mention You-Know-Who, at all. Kira flipped through the book. It was very hard to understand and some of the words were 12 letters long. Dumbledore smiled down at her.

"Would you like to get a book you can read?" He asked.

Kira nods nervously and Dumbledore stands up.

"I should head out" Minerva stated and walks toward the door.

"Have a safe trip" Lily nods.

"Good bye" Dumbledore walks into a different hall. He walks along it and then turns and opens a door. There are books everywere! K

"You have a lot of books" Lily states, dumbfounded and not knowing exactly what else to say,

Kira stays quiet and had a puzzled look on her face.

"Something the matter, child?" Dumbledore asks.

"No... I just don't know why you would keep all these here... I like to read a book before I get a new one"

Dumbledore smiles. "I did"

"You read all of these?" Lily asked, astonished.

"Yes, you see, they are in order of what age I was at when I read them. You see over here are the first books I read when I was about five and Minerva alphabetized them on her last visit, apparently it annoyed her that she couldn't find something when she needed to"

"She labeled all the reference books too" Lily noticed.

"Did she? Well, that would be new. I guess I know what she was doing when I was at the Ministry earlier"

Kira is told to take as many books as she wants and that there is a small room that is sound proof so she can't hear the whispers. She smiled weakly and trots down the hall with three books. Lily smiled as she watches her go and then turns back to Dumbledore.

"I can't thank you enough for letting us come here"

"Don't thank me... I just thought about it and I really didn't want Kira to hear Voldemort's voice" Dumbledore paused, looking down the hall the tinny child had disappear into. "...She is a Volucris" He shakes his head.

"... Yes, James told me that- But she wouldn't hurt anyone!" Lily confirms

"Maybe not, I know she wouldn't hurt anyone now, but... if the lab got her back... I just worry, that is all" Dumbledore smiled. "Just be sure that you are very careful. She's got the burden of a lot of responsibility resting on her shoulders. If it gets to be too much, it may crush her"

Cota rode forth, his eyes straight ahead on the horizon. There they would stop, the storm was coming up again, and they needed to rest. Cota sat, shivering in the twilight. They had been riding for a long time and it was time to sleep now, this horrible day was long from over. Yet if they did not rest, tomorrow might never come. Cota rubbed his hands, quickly, up and down over his shoulders in an effort to warm up. It wasn't helping very much. Cota's mind drifted to what it must be like back at the Academy. Everyone will be settling in for the night. The council members will be up long into the night, deciding and planning. James will be with them. Lisa, Oweiry, and Derek will stay together, warm and safe. I'll be here, on the edge of our opponents land. Waiting to fight an evil that can't be beaten. Not tonight, not by us. I feel it in my heart that we will loose tonight, well, that we won't kill him tonight anyway. I shouldn't tell myself that, but, I can't help this feeling. Cota shook his head.

"Don't think about it" A voice from behind said.

Cota turned and looked behind him to see a man on a dark blue horse. The horse has a black main and tail, blue eyes and dark gray hooves. The man stops next to Cota, he has styled, short, black hair, dark brown eyes and a slightly muscular build. He is a head taller then the other riders and is the only one who had been on a mission before.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something, but you were alone out here and I don't want anyone scaring themselves" The man explained. "I'm Zalik. You must be Cota, right?" The man's voice was very strong and smooth.

Cota nodded, not caring how Zalik knew his name. They both sat in silence for a long time, each contemplating the mission and what the outcome was likely to be.

"Are you worried?" Zalik asked.

"How can I not be?" Cota answered, he knew better then to relax and state that he couldn't be more scared, because that would make Lord James looked bad.

Zalik nodded and they both turned back toward the camp. The moon was quickly rising as the sun shot down, fracturing the horizon. The day seemed to rush by. Cota looked at the moon; it must have been 8:00. Yet it seemed like he had woken up no more then five hours ago. Cota stared up at the stars; his hands were behind his head as he lay on his back, wondering what the morning would bring. Be it death or victory of something in-between that, he didn't know.

James leaned forward. His elbows and arms were resting on the stone ledge of the balcony. He was thinking about his wife and unborn child. He was thinking of the innocent girl that had been born to die and was now somewhere out of his sight. He thought of the 19 year old that was out on a mission destined to fail. James looked up at the stars; they shone brightly and comforted him somehow.

"Good night" James whispered.

Lily looked out her window, she was very thankful that Dumbledore had let them stay the night. However, she wished that his concern of Kira becoming evil hadn't been a motive. She sighed, she missed seeing James. They had been apart when he was on fieldwork plenty of times. Yet, she felt that he should be there with her. Her and the baby, and Kira, and Cota. Lily looked out at the stars; she could faintly see their star. Her and James's star. The brightest star on their wedding day.

"Good night" She cooed.

Kira was on the roof. She listened to Dumbledore's speak on astrology, nodding her head enthusiastically from time to time. Dumbledore smiled and got up to leave. He bid her good night and headed down the stairs. Kira stayed and looked up at the stars.

"Please little stars, watch over Cota tonight. Shine your light down on him and protect him" She prayed, a young child yet knowledgable that stars held power. She finished her prayer with a simple- "Good night" and trotting back into the house.

Cota saw Lily and James's star sparkle and found himself smiling. He looked over at his teammates. They were all preparing for the night and talking to one another. Cota looked back up.

"Good night" He spoke; his voice came out in a mystical tone and seemed to reach the heavens themselves.