Hello There,

I know it's been a long time since I've updated but I have been increasingly busy with the upcoming holidays. I wanted to let you know updates will come later than I hoped about once a week if I'm lucky. Please hang in there as I continue to write I love the characters and I don't plan to stop anytime soon.

Cheers

Catbut

...

Chapter Nineteen:

The first break of sunlight roused the sleeping company from their slumber. The group made quick work of packing up their belongings and headed out toward the little sleepy Demacian town. Garett was in front of the group his quiver slung over his shoulder with bow. Shyvana studied him as he moved along in front of her she smirked as she listened to him walk. His footsteps were nearly as silent as her own each step more calculated more confident since they spoke. She was happy she could be of service to someone it had been a long time since anyone had listened to her council. She mindlessly caressed the pendant hanging around her neck its smooth surface and fine edges bringing her comfort. She smiled and peeked through the canopy of leaves into the bright sunlight.

The group walked for several hours coming to edge of the mighty woods of the great barrier into open fields and rolling landscapes. Shyvana took in the sight with wonder her eyes gleaming beautifully as she scanned her surroundings. Jarvan stopped beside Garett and placed his armored hand on his shoulder nodding his head at the younger man. Dagonett stepped up beside Shyvana and laughed at the expression on her face

"Welcome to civilization lass" he smirked and winked at the dragoness.

Shyvana shook her head blushing as she wrapped her arms around her torso; she couldn't help but smile everyone's mood seemed to have improved since they left the barrier behind and started journeying closer to their homeland.

"Lord it's been an age since we've last been in town among people. I could use a stiff drink myself. Eh lads" Dagonett said looking at his comrades smiling. He stretched his back and yawned raising his arms into the air.

Jarvan snorted and shook his head "That it has lieutenant. However, don't get to comfortable we are here to resupply and find information about the dragon then we must depart"

Hart crossed his giant arms over his heavily armored chest and sighed "We know captain, as soon as we are done this little adventure the sooner we get to go home. So, let's be off then"

Connors looked at Hart then back at Jarvan and chuckled "Harts right lets get going I can smell the booze from here"

Dagonett slapped Connors on the back and started walking through the clearing toward the little Demacian town far in the distance. He spun around on his heels and looked at his comrades and shrugged "I think he meant now eh lads"

Jarvan rolled his eyes and started following his friend, hart and Connors falling in behind him. Shyvana hesitated but Garett smiled and flicked his head towards the others.

Shyvana leaned toward Garett getting his attention and whispered "What's booze? I have heard you guys refereeing to it often but I haven't met it yet" she wasn't looking at him her eyes on the ground watching her feet. she peeked up at him through lavender bangs.

Garett coughed and looked at her deadpanned. He shook his head and then began to laugh but an annoyed look from Shyvana silenced him "Booze miss Shyvana is a drink, you know alcohol, you buy it at the taverns in town" he said smiling at her.

Shyvana looked confused then she remembered her father telling her about it briefly during her youth although she never understood the point in consuming the beverage. "Oh, yes humans drink it to become inebriated correct, its normally severed at some sort of festivity"

Garett scratched his cheek and nodded "Umm yes most people drink to have fun not everyone drinks to get drunk. But yes, you get the point of it"

Shyvana nodded satisfied with herself "Have you been drunk Garett"

Garett scratched the back of his head and looked around sheepishly "Maybe a couple times. Normally when we were off duty us soldiers used to go to the taverns in the city and drink. Laugh, dance, fight and try our luck with the ladies" he said nudging Shyvana in the ribs.

Shyvana laughed and shook her head "Oh, yes, I can see it now Garett the real ladies' man" she snickered.

Garett blushed but he caught Shyvana snickering and pretended to be offended "Hey now take it easy miss, I wasn't all that bad back home. I'm a real gentleman"

Dagonett laughed from the front of the group and yelled back to the two of them "Gentleman my ass lad, you used to get piss drunk and scare all the pretty things away"

Garett turned crimson red and snorted stomping away from Shyvana toward the laughing lieutenant. Shyvana rolled her eyes and trotted up to Jarvan giggling. Jarvan looked down at the dragoness and smiled "When was the last time you were in a town Shyvana?" he asked.

Shyvana bunched up her lips as she thought about it her eyes trailing the ground something dangerous flashed through them and Jarvan felt guilty for bringing it up he was just about to open his mouth when Shyvana said "It's hard to recall the exact date but I believe it's been around eighty years"

Jarvan stopped and looked at her confusion spreading across his face "Wait did you say eighty years you have been living in the great barrier"

Shyvana kept walking and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder and smiled her bright violet eyes sparkling in the mid-afternoon sun "Yes I did, my father and I had no need to interact with humans so we stayed away from them"

Jarvan rubbed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaled deeply "So you haven't spoken to humans other than myself and my men in eighty years. And yet you walk toward an entire village of them so confidently"

Shyvana shrugged her shoulders and twirled her long hair in her fingers "Again I had no desire or need to speak to them, when I was young I was driven out of many human villages so I began to hate them until I met you however; you have shown me kindness and for that I will be forever grateful so I must speak to humans again I hope they show me the same kindness you have"

Jarvan smiled her was proud of her she was taking charge of what she was learning to become human again the rage slowly dying down. When he first met, her she was a hurricane of anger but slowly it simmered and a spark shone brightly in her eyes she would reclaim the life stolen from her by the dragon; she was one of the bravest people Jarvan had ever met.

"Well c'mon prince stop staring at me we have places to be" she said mischief sparkling in her eyes and she skipped away toward the others her long lavender hair dancing in the wind.

Jarvan blinked and snapped his mouth shut he wasn't aware that he'd been staring at her and he felt a blush heat his cheeks. He cleared his throat and followed the dragoness. As they neared the little town of Uwendale Shyvana slowed her pace and took a deep breath as the stench of embers and charred flesh attacked her nostrils. She signaled everyone to stop as she raised her hand into the air long black talons erupting from her delicate hand. Jarvan looked at her and nodded to his men to stop his heart beat quickened as he felt the cool steel of his lance fastened securely to his back.

"What's wrong shy why have we stopped?" he whispered to her his steel blue eyes locking with her dangerous gleaming eyes.

Shyvana hissed through clenched teeth her fangs bursting from her gums as she growled menacingly "a dragon has been through these parts. I can smell the ashes of their destruction; the greasy smell of charred flesh lingers in the air here. How far are we from town"?

Jarvan scanned the sky dropping down low beside the dragoness and flinched as heat poured off her body "Not far now a few miles at most"

"Sir, what are we going to do if the dragon attacked Uwendale the village would be destroyed" Garett said a fierce look contorting his normally boyish features.

Shyvana snarled and summoned her strength tiny scales tearing her porcelain skin apart "There is no time to waste, hurry" she began to sprint toward the scent of dragon fire.

Jarvan turned and looked at his companions nodding and started jogging after the fleeing dragoness. As her rage flued her flames she began to run faster and faster her senses becoming acute her eyes glowing brightly until she stumbled across the chaos of the town. She slowed as her breathe caught in her throat and she dropped to her knees. Jarvan and the others caught up to her and stopped just behind her, she could hear Connors gasp for breath.

The small farms surrounding the city were aflame screams cut through the air and the smell of burnt flesh assaulted their nostrils. Shyvana could see people running from the flames fear fueled them towards the heart of town in the distance. The sight before them was chaos and destruction homes burning to the ground others smashed from the dragon's relentless assault. Shyvana snapped her head up peering through the flames at a small house that was partially collapsed she could hear whimpering from within without thought she shot forward and bolted for the home. The flames were building higher and smoke burned her eyes as she smashed through a window to get inside. The heat was immense inside and she hoped that whoever was in the house was all right. The crying was coming from the back of the house, the smoke was so thick it was difficult for her to see but she pushed on using her hands to guide her. she stumbled when the floor gave way and crashed into the lower level of the house, landing on crushed metal, it dug into the flesh of her thighs leaving a long grizzly gash. Shyvana hissed in pain and rolled onto her hands and knees the metal digging into her palms. She coughed and stood on shaking legs she could hear shouting above her drowning out the sounds of the crying. She took a deep breath and concentrated trying to located the whimpering it was coming from upstairs and she jumped and clutched onto the crumbling floorboards. The broken wood splintering her arms and abdomen as she pulled herself up. She wheezed as more smoke filled her lungs and bit at her eyes causing them to water. Eventually she came to find the owner of the soft cries locking eyes with young girl. The girl took in Shyvana's appearance and cried louder Shyvana kneeled and held up her hands she cooed softly trying to appear less menacing

"It's okay I'm not going to hurt you. I need to get you out of here" she said coming closer to the little girl holding out her hand.

"Mommy" the little girl cried and clutched Shyvana's hand.

Shyvana picked her up and wrapped her arms around her torso "It's okay, we'll find your mommy. I got you"

Shyvana looked around the house trying to find a way out the flames were enveloping the entire house now and she could feel the ground shaking there was a little window beside her and she smashed the glass out with a curled fist shielding the child with her own body. She looked down and saw the ground below clutching the girl tight she jumped landing heavily on her feet, she hissed in pain and ran from the house as it started to crumble. She set the little girl down panting heavily as footsteps echoed from behind her; Jarvan and Dagonett came running around the house and stopped beside Shyvana.

"What were you thinking running in there like that shy, you could have died" Jarvan practically shouted at her fear lingering in his blue eyes, his chest rising and falling quickly as he caught his breathe.

Shyvana turned to look at him and rose to her feet flinching "I hear crying from within the house if I did not go this little girl would have burned alive. A fate no human should have to endure"

Jarvan looked behind Shyvana and saw the little girl, she was no more than three with long blonde curly hair. She looked up at him with big blue eyes clutching Shyvana's leg.

"Hannah, baby where are you, oh god please no" a woman's voice cut the silence.

The little girl turned and ran tears filling her blue eyes "Mommy, here"

A woman emerged from beside the house her face cut and scraped her long blonde hair plastered to her neck. she dropped to her knees and embraced her child and tears pooled in her eyes as she looked up at the strange woman and what appeared to be two soldiers.

"Did you save my baby" she wept and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand smearing dirt and blood on her face.

Shyvana limped forward and smiled at the two "I did mam I heard her crying and went to help"

The woman kissed the top of Hannah's head and looked at Shyvana smiling "Thank you so much I can never repay you for your kindness"

Shyvana coughed and clutched her side "think nothing of it I was only doing what I thought was right. I'm glad she is safe now"

"Please, what is your name" the woman hugged Hannah tightly and rose to her feet walking toward Shyvana.

Jarvan touched Shyvana's shoulder and she smiled warmly "Shyvana mam, my name is Shyvana"

"Thank you Shyvana I would be lost without you. Now please follow me I can take us to safety the dragon only attacked the farm lands, town hall should be safe" she said ushering them to follow her with a flick of her hands as she rushed toward the center of town.

Shyvana turned to Jarvan and Dagonett and nodded following slowly behind the mother and child; she stopped and looked at Jarvan when he did not follow "C'mon let's go"

Jarvan shook his head "Il go tell the others where to meet us. Dagonett you go with Shyvana"

Before Dagonett could answer a loud roar split the sky and brilliant red flames poured down from the heavens the last thing Jarvan saw before his world went black was brilliant violet eyes.