The computer beeped, alerting them of a call. Trixie answered it.
"Hello, Frina," Blakk greeted, looking past the red-haired girl.
"What do you want?" Frina asked crossly, not looking at the screen.
"I just wanted to tell you that your parents survived the fire," Blakk said. Frina turned around to face the computer.
"What?" she whispered.
"They're alive and well, in my custody."
"What?" she repeated. "Where are they?"
"Right here," Blakk said, stepping aside to reveal two people.
"Mom! Dad!" Frina exclaimed. Evalor, her mother, was first to speak.
"Thad, can we speak to our daughter privately?" she asked. Frina could easily hear the sharp bitterness in her voice.
"Fine," Blakk said and left.
"Frina, we thought you died!" Evalor exclaimed.
"I thought you died!" Frina said.
"Listen, Frina, we have to get out of here!" Rivon, her father, pleaded.
"Piece of cake," Frina said. Evalor and Rivon hung up.
"Cake?" Pronto exclaimed excitedly.
"No cake," Frina said. "I said piece of cake, like it's easy."
"Sneaking into Blakk's place is not going to be easy," Trixie corrected.
"Last time I saw my parents was when I was 5, and I'm 12. Think about it. A five year old girl, with no parents, no money, no food, no water, nothing. I had to find a way to survive. Compared to what I've been through, getting my parents is going to be easy," Frina assured them.
"How did you survive?" Eli asked.
"Well, I didn't know my parents were dead yet, and before the fire, they said if we ever got separated, we'd meet each other at Orik Forest."
"Orik forest?" Eli repeated. "But that's so far from, well, anywhere!"
"We had some friends there that would take care of us until my parents would get there. When I was in wilderness, I hunted for food as a carnivore, or if there weren't many other animals, I would turn to an herbivore and eat any plants there. When I came through cities and there wasn't any where to hunt, I learned to be quick and careful, and I could take stuff from stores."
"You're a thief?!" everyone exclaimed, except Pronto.
"What did I miss?" he asked. "I was thinking about the cake Frina promised to get me."
"I'm not getting you a cake, Pronto," Frina said. "And I hardly stole anything. Maybe some yogurts, but that's all!" Eli motioned to Trixie and Kord. They whispered, but Frina could hear them. Eli was telling the others to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't take anything.
"Okay," Kord agreed. "I completely understand."
"You know I could hear you, right?" Frina said. "And I'm not going to rob you. I never was. But, whatever helps you sleep at night."
"Let's go get your parents," Eli said. "Are you going to be a dragon?" Frina nodded. Eli let out a little whoop of excitement. Outside, Frina turned to a silver dragon. Eli clambered up onto her back.
"If you'd like to ride, Trixie, you can," Frina said.
"Can I?" Kord asked.
"Sorry, I can't support a cave troll's weight," Frina apologized. "But maybe I'll be strong enough next year." Kord's expression lightened up a bit at the idea of riding a dragon that soon. He got on his Mecha with Pronto and rode toward the Blakk Industries building.
"Hold on tight, Trixie," Eli warned. Frina could feel Trixie's nervous hands hold on tightly to one of the ridges on her back. Frina unfurled her wings and took off at top speed. Eli was whooping, while Trixie was screaming at the top of her lungs.