An Author's note: Well it seems like I've added two new readers to my list: tenshijaki and ragingphoenix. Thanks for checking out my story. Hope I can keep everyone nice and entertained. And just so you know, ragingphoenix, this story is going to be pretty long. I have a very persistent muse (not as talkative as Tenshi's, but very persistent. In fact mine does not talk at all, at least not as far as I know.)

I regret to inform everyone that my poor little laptop, the Clunker, seems to have passed on to laptop heaven. Poor thing and I only had it for a year! It is very sad. Please observe a moment of silence for the Clunker, the vehicle which brought you all those nice chapters.

However, because of the Clunker's downfall I managed to get a brand new Toshiba that is not another hand-me-down like the Clunker was.

Okay, enough of that. On with the show.

Chapter Seventeen

Storms

Robin felt someone shaking him awake, which he did not what to be at the moment. He was dreaming, an interesting dream that included him and Starfire alone in a lake house in the mountains somewhere where there where no villains or teammates within a hundred miles. Very reluctantly he opened his eyes and saw Raven kneeling beside him, looking worried, something she did not usually look.

"Raven, what's wrong?" he asked, trying not to sound annoyed by the fact that Raven had interrupted him during the part when Star decided to go swimming in the lake in a bikini.

"I have to talk to you." She said "You remember right before I was captured by Sumal? The dream I had?"

Robin thought for a moment. Oh, yeah, the one with the dragons. He nodded.

"Well…I've kind have been having more of them."

"What!?" Robin was wide awake now "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was kind of distracted by the whole lost powers thing." Raven growled "But that is not important, just listen to me for a moment."

Raven told him about her experiences with Malachi. When she got to the part when they had transferred memories, and the ensuing revelations, Robin was astounded.

"So this Malachi has encountered those things before? What did she tell you about them?"

"She calls them the Uglies, but she doesn't know what they are really called. She says that when they invaded her world they literally consumed everything they could, and what they did not eat they destroyed or spoiled. She says that she managed to get some refugees away and they moved to another dimension called Dermiania. Apparently Malachi does a lot of dimension hopping. She does not know where the monsters came from, but she said that if they are allowed to spread too far they will try to do the same thing here on Azarath that did on her world."

"Wake the others up." Robin said, now completely serious "We have to figure out what to do next."

The others listened silently while Raven told them about Malachi and what she had told Raven. Mingled expressions of doubt and fear were soon etched on the other Titan's faces.

"How do we know that this dragon is being honest? I mean the last one wasn't exactly Mr. Truthful." Beast Boy said with a strangely angry expression.

"But if it is for real, then what?" Cyborg said "If these things really do kill and eat everything they see and if they spread…a lot of people could get hurt. We can't just walk along as if nothing is wrong! We have to do something."

Robin looked at Raven "They both have a point. I'm not sure trusting dragons is the right thing, but I know I could not live with myself if these monsters end up destroying Azarath. Do you think we should trust Malachi or not?"

"But dude, think about this!" Beast Boy said "Malachi…Malchior. Don't the names seem a little too similar? What if it's really Malchior giving Raven these dreams? What if he is trying to trick her again!?"

"I'm pretty sure that Malachi is a female dragon. Plus she's green, not black. And…she's actually not technically a dragon. She's a human/Beastlord Halfblood with the soul and powers of the Dragon of Time. She's Dragonborn. And as for her name, I happen to know that Malachi was the name of a Biblical prophet in the Old Testament. I think the name translates to 'God's messenger' or something like that. I'm not sure if Malchior's name means anything, but I do know that it is not Biblical." Raven replied.

"But that doesn't change the fact that it might be Malchior in disguise. I don't know much about magic, but if he can impersonate a wizard why not another dragon?" Beast Boy said.

Raven sighed "For once Beast Boy you have come up with a completely possible scenario. It is possible that Malchior could be using a dream to influence me, and this whole thing could be another one of his lies, but…If it is real, and Malachi is being honest then those things can be a serious threat to Azarath. I…I don't want to lose this place again!"

"Again?" Beast Boy looked at her completely puzzled.

"Remember when you guys went to the shrine under the old library? When I had gone back to the Tower I tried to go back to Azarath, but Trigon interrupted my spell and threw me into an illusion that made me believe that I had reached here, but that here had been destroyed. For a while I really thought I had lost this place until after I vanquished Trigon. I checked back and found Azarath safe and sound but…I don't want to go thru losing my home again. I don't really like everyone here, but it is still my homeland." Raven took a deep breath. "I have an idea. I think we should continue on with our journey, but I think we should make a brief detour. We edge close to the kingdom of the Caninoids. I know their ruler pretty well. If we can warn him about these monsters than maybe something can be done. And it is not too far out of the way."

Robin nodded "It's a good idea. Tomorrow we will head to this Caninoid kingdom. Raven, the next time you have a dream about Malachi tell us about it, alright?"

Raven agreed readily, after the Malchior incident she was not going to take any chances.

"So remind me again why we have to take a boat?" Jinx said with utter disgust for the word "boat".

"It is quicker than taking the land road. I've told you that before." Raven said as she led Mithrah up the plank to the boat she managed to hire for them. They were in a small port town no different than the last town, except for the fact that it had a dock. And the fact that the people did not care if you were a Halfblood as long as you had money. In fact judging from the greedy looks some of the citizens were giving them it could be said that these people would take money from just about anyone at all.

"Say it again." Jinx glared at the leaky looking thing before her in distaste. She had not even gotten aboard the thing yet and she was already feeling sea sick. She hated boats.

"You see that body of water over there?" Raven was losing her patience. "The large obvious one? That is Kahlarur's Bay. It's practically a mini sea. If we try going around it will take us at least a week. Crossing by boat will only take us two days. We are strapped for time here, Jinx. We are taking the boat."

Jinx ground her teeth. She couldn't even deal with nice modern boats that moved nice and smoothly, let alone this horribly rocking…thing! Ug! This was going to be horrible!

Little did the Titans know that someone was watching them as they walked aboard. This person smiled when he saw where they were going. They were making this far too easy!

Once they were off the fun began! At least it did for Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Robin. Cyborg and Beast Boy were trying to teach Starfire the words to "A Pirate's Life for Me" even though they did not know all the words or the tune. Robin did not participate, but he was amused by their antics and watching them closely, particularly a certain alien princess. Raven just rolled her eyes and muttered something about boys and aliens. Poor Jinx, however, was utterly miserable leaning over the side of the boat and expelling everything inside her stomach to the waves.

"Beast Boy, you are aware that you are performing a river dance, not a jig, correct?" Raven asked as the green moron went prancing by her. Her eyes got even more exercise as the idiot leaned over front of the boat and declared himself king of the world. Then she grinned inwardly. Sneaking up to Beast Boy she lightly shoved him from his perch. He did not hit the water, but ended up shifting to osprey and flapping madly so he was not run over by the swiftly moving ship.

"Is it at all possible for you to act your own age?" Raven asked the disgruntled looking green bird.

"Nah." Beast Boy said as he sifted back "I'd much rather be the modern day version of Peter Pan. I don't think I'll ever grow up! Not completely at least."

Raven sighed "Beast Boy, growing older is a biological function. You can't just stop your own age."

"I never said I wasn't going to grow older, I just said I wasn't going to grow up. Just because my body gets old does not mean I have to stop doing the things I like to do." Beast boy grinned at her "its kind if like you. Your only seventeen but you still act like you are years older than that." Realizing what he just said might be offensive to Raven he tried to explain further "I mean, you're so smart and insightful and all of that, but that had nothing to do with your age."

Raven blinked. Did Beast Boy just say something bordering on profound? Surly the world must once again be ending! But she had to admit that he had a point. This irked her greatly. He was looking at her again. It was an odd look, something that was akin to admiration, but somehow different. She was not sure how to respond to this.

"Soooooo," beast Boy said, trying to fill the awkward silence that had now emerged "You mentioned Beastlords a while back. What's a Beastlord?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious, and since I can become an animal I figure this is something I should know."

"Well, Beastlords are a species that can communicate and turn into animals." Raven explained "They resemble humans, but they really are a separate species all their own. They can breed with humans, but I think they are biologically different than humans. There are not many Beastlords left, however. A lot of them died out. In fact in this dimension they are pretty much extinct, though you do find some half-Beastlords running around."

"So they are like me?" Beast Boy asked.

"Only in the fact that they can become animals, for one thing they are not green. Unlike you, they can only turn into one animal per Beastlord, instead of being able to turn into multiple animals. However they can communicate with all animals, and they even have a special ability to command animals. Basically, if a Beastlord where to use his command ability on you than you would be compelled to obey."

Beast Boy shivered. That thought was a bit on the scary side. He didn't like not being in control of his own body. Then he remembered something else.

"You mentioned that your mother can talk to animals, is she-"

"No, she just talks to animals; she can't become one or command one. She gets that ability from her Nazlar half. Remember I told you that she also has a bit of Nazlar blood. Not as much as I do, but enough to give her the abilty to communicate with animals. Most Nazlar have the ability to talk with animals, in fact I've heard that they can also communicate with plants as well as animals."

"So, if you are more Nazlar then her, then why can't you talk with animals? And I know for a fact that you can't, because I would have been able to tell by now."

Raven shrugged "I just never developed that ability. I'm not sure why."

"You should try. It'd by cool for me to be able to talk to someone while I'm in another form. Why don't you try it?"

Just as she was preparing to answer Beast Boy the wind started to pick up. She looked and saw dark storm clouds approaching. This was odd, very odd. There should not be storms like this in the Bay at this time of year. The captain noticed this as well, and started giving out commands to his sailors. Robin volunteered the Titans to help, and the captain accepted. However, it was very clear that Jinx was going to be useless, and Cyborg began to help her below to recover.

They were halfway down the deck when the wind and rain suddenly hit the boat with the force of a giant delivering a punch. It was so quick, and powerful and unexpected that it swung a loose beam toward Cyborg and Jinx. Unable to dodge in time, Cyborg tried to protect Jinx with his body. The end result was they were both thrown into the sea, which in the space of two minutes had gone from nice and blue and calm to rocky and grey with huge waves. Almost instantly the two were swept away out of sight.

Knowing that only two of his team could possibly retrieve the two Titans overboard, Robin bellowed "Starfire and Beast Boy go get them and bring them back!"

Beast Boy leaped into the angry waves without fear, turning into a dolphin on the way down. It was not a bit calmer down below, but unlike a human a dolphin could handle a storm pretty well. He swam off in the direction he thought that the two had landed, echo locating as he went.

Starfire, who could fly in the fast reaches of space without even a spacesuit, flew into the sky without fear. He only concern was visibility. She hoped that she would be able to see her friends in this weather, and that she would be able to reach the ship in time.

Robin watched Starfire fly away with concern. He knew that she would be fine, but he could not help worrying about her. Something, a six sense, warned him of danger, and he turned around just in time to receive a large plank to the face. Not completely prepared for this he sank to the deck, wondering what had hit him. He heard Raven screaming angrily at someone, but he could not seem to concentrate. His eyes closed as he drifted into unconsciousness.

Raven had been astonished when one of the sailors had hit Robin from behind like that. Shouting angrily she brought her sword up and lunged at the man who had attacked her friend for no reason, but the other sailors ganged up on her. Still, she fought pretty well, and might have even won but for the fact that the captain grabbed Robin's unconscious form and gently explained to Raven that if she did not cooperate then she would get to see another one of her friends thrown into the sea. Gritting her teeth in frustration and desperately wishing for her powers, Raven dropped Whistler and allowed the treacherous sailors to tie her hands behind her back. She could feel the memories of Sumal creeping up on her and threatening to surface, but she fought the panic attack down by mentally repeating her mantra over and over in her head. It seemed to help a bit. Even when they blindfolded her she did not fall apart like she had during the battle with Killer Moth, Kitten and Fang.

She heard someone chanting something and heard the familiar whoosh of a transport spell being activated. They were taking her and Robin somewhere, and it was very possible that the others would be unable to track them.

She only wished she knew why they were doing this, and where they were going.

Robin opened his eyes, but he still could not see a thing. He wondered if the blow to the head had rendered him blind, but then his eyes adjusted and he saw that he was just in a dark cell that did not have any lights other than the practically mandatory flickering candles. He noticed that someone had chained him to a wall. Normally this would not have been too much of a problem due to the fact that he owned several lock picks and a few skeleton keys and kept all of them in his costume, except for the fact that he no longer had a costume on. Some intelligent someone had decided that the best way to remove all of his gadgets was to literally strip him to his…well his underwear.

"Hagggggrrrrrrrrr. Awake are you?" Robin heard someone in the cell with him "Such a fuss they make over a small little thing like you. Why I wonder?"

Robin looked over and saw what appeared to be a huge white wolf with large bat wings that was easily the size of Mithrah. It had intelligent golden eyes and it was either smiling at him or snarling at him. Robin could not really tell.

"Please don't tell me that you are the interrogator, are you?" Robin said.

The wolf yipped in what Robin supposed was amusement. It sounded like amusement. He hoped it was amusement.

"Not me." the wolf replied, and turned his head. Robin now noticed the huge metal collar around the wolf's neck. It was attached to the wall just like Robin's chains. So this creature was a fellow prisoner. And possibly an ally?

"I was with a friend, have you seen her?" Robin asked.

"They only brought you here. If a friend you have then she was taken someplace else. Not here." The wolf replied.

"Did you here anything, maybe? Her name is Raven and-"

"Raven! Raven!" The wolf lunged at Robin, and he was afraid he was about to get his head bitten off, but the wolf did not hurt him; he just got in Robin's face, mouth open and teeth glittering. "Raven Roth, is that who you mean? Little half-Nazlar with a red chakra gem? Is that who you mean? Daughter of Flario?"

"Yes, that's her. She's my friend."

"Ahoooooooooooooooo!" the wolf howled "No! No! Now he has her! Poor little one! My pack is doomed now! I should never have left her!"

"You know Raven?" Robin looked at the wolf.

"Yes. Yes. Here my howl, little human." The wolf pulled away from Robin and he allowed himself to breath "Once I was a familiar to a human named Hadiran. Good little human he was, and my packmate as well as a friend. He trained as Makhar with another little female named Raven. She was friend to me as well, but never did she admit it. Fooled she was by an evil Halfblood named Sanath. He pretended to be a packmate, but he was a liar. One day he killed my human for his friendship with Raven. Ever since then I have tried to get revenge on Sanath for hurting and destroying my pack, but my hunt has been a failure."

"Who is this Sanath, Raven's never mentioned him to me."

"Sanath" the wolf growled the name "Is crazy Halfblood in head. Has the drooling sickness, I think, or something akin to it. Wants to hunt all who are not Halfblood. He is an evil monster that does not deserve the life which That-Who-Created-All-Things gave him."

That did not sound good. Robin looked at the wolf. "What does he want with Raven. I know what she is, but she isn't the type to start a race war. I know her, and she is not like that."

"I know that, silly little Deaf One." The wolf replied "Did you not hear when I said that Sanath is crazy in the head? He thinks to make her his mate, is what I think."

"WHAT! Did she…I mean…how would he get that idea!" Robin bellowed.

"No interest in Sanath did Raven ever show. She is probably not even aware that Sanath has been sniffing around her for years. Where did he get that idea? Maybe the little people in his head told him this. I do not know, and I do not care. I wish to taste his blood on my tongue, and I care about helping Raven. What does it matter what Sanath thinks? All that matters is that he is stopped. Now answer this, Oh Deaf One, who are you and how do you know my pack sister?"

"I'm Robin, the leader of the Teen Titans. She joined my team on Earth about a year and a half ago."

"So she is of your pack now. That does not change a thing, but it is good to know that she has found good packmates to hunt with. I feared that she would be ever alone. It is not good that a human be alone. They are like the Kin in that way, we both need packs. Deaf your kind may be, but you are like my people in many important ways." The wolf looked a bit puzzled. "But why do you name yourself after a little prey-bird? Seems that is a silly name."

"That's, a bit on the private side. Let's just say that it was in honor of my parents."

"Say no more, then, Prey-Bird. A vow to a sire and a dame should never be broken."

"Could you tell me your name?" Robin asked.

"Herggggg. Prey-Bird, your kind could no more say my true name that you could truly tweet and fly. Your kind calls me Winterwing, and I suggest that is what you call me."

"Okay, now." Robin said "How do we get out of here, Winterwing?"

"That I do not know, Prey-Bird. That I do not know."

Raven was being led…somewhere. She was not sure where, because of the blindfold. She was sure that they were indoors, because she could not feel the wind or anything like that, and she was also sure that they were no longer at sea, because she could feel solid ground beneath her feet. Oh, and the stairs gave it away as well. She was being led up some stairs, and there were a lot of stairs. She had been going up them for about thirty minuets. She must be someplace big and probably very high. She was sure she was being led in an upwards direction, so she was probably going to be put in a tower somewhere.

She wondered what they had done to Robin. They had better not have hurt him! Raven had never had brothers until Cyborg and Robin had come along, and she was not interested in losing them now. She was a bit concerned for the others, but not as much as she was for Robin. They, after all, were free and she and Robin were not. It crossed her mind that they might be hurt from the storm, but knowing Beast Boy and Starfire they were probably fine. She now guessed was magical in nature. Only a magic storm could have blown that hard that quickly with no warning. She bet someone had probably set a trap for them, and it was pretty annoying how quickly the Titans had fell for it.

Should have known that captain was crooked after he quoted that price to me! Raven mentally berated herself Ships never go that cheap! Boy, I really can be an idiot when I put my mind to it!

Whoever had captured her, they were sure being gentle about it. Unlike Sumal, who had been perfectly happy letting his mindless drones drag her around, these people were practically treating her with kid gloves, as if they were afraid of hurting her. She wondered why.

She heard a door open and close, and she assumed they had reached whatever cell they were planning on throwing her in. She was led a little bit further, and then she felt something cool and metal touching her ankle and some chains rattling. She did not need to be told what that was. She then felt hands untying the blindfold, and at last she could see. She had considered hitting the first person she saw on general principles, but the sight of her new prison made her freeze in horror.

She knew this room. The silk curtains, the huge bed, the well carved desks and chairs, the fireplace, everything was familiar, though she had not been here in years. For Pete's sake she had played here as child!

This was the bedchamber of King Norcklex and the late Queen Heryea, the rulers of the Caninoids. Well, Raven supposed that it could not be called Queen Heryea's room anymore, since she was…well…gone.

But why would King Norcklex want to kidnap her and hurt her friends? She knew the king well; heck he was like an uncle to her! She could remember him watching her play with his son, Prince Arcktos, and even playing with them whenever the courtiers were not around to complain. Norcklex was a kind man; he would never do something like this!

Yet…this was his room, Raven had not one doubt about that. She remember it well. Instinctively her eyes flew to a certain dresser beside the bed. A dresser that had once held a nice little secret present for Queen Heryea. Raven wondered idly if the present was still there. After all, Heryea never found it. Heryea was…

The door started opening again. Starled, Raven turned as someone walked in. It was not King Norcklex or Arcktos or anyone else that Raven would have liked to see. In fact, she would have much preferred the ghost of the Queen to walk in to the person that was coming now.

He was about the same size as Cyborg, but a bit less on the broad side. He had huge white horns that almost resembled a single loop-de-loop on a roller coaster, they kind of looped in the middle and pointed forwards. He had short black fur and large cloven hooves. He did, of course, have claws as most minotaur's did, even though he was only half minotaur. His face was…distorted. It was not quite Nazlar but not exactly minotaur either. He was, in fact, very ugly, but that was not why Raven looked at him with such loathing in her eyes.

"Sanath!" she growled, and if she still had her powers her eyes would not have just glowed red; they would have split completely into four.

Sanath grinned, his sharp teeth flashing.