Disclaimer: Victious is not mine, but so much of this is, kinda-sorta. Whatever, don't sue.

:}

"Maybe." A female voice cut in. "Just, is that Samantha of the Puckett's?"

"Carly?" The blond asked, noting the leader of the rebels as she made herself seen.

"Not here." Carly said to her one time friend. "We need to get off the streets. Come, follow…"

Again, things moved quickly, with the rebels taking the Vega party and finding shelter for them, including a place for the horses. No one argued, understanding the need to disappear the small force of clansmen before their enemies could launch another attack. Once they were safe, it was time for questions.

"Okay, I was under the impression you hadn't traveled much?" Robbie asked Sam.

"I hadn't." The blond girl said. "But Carly here…" She gestured to the thin brunet. "Her dad is with the royal navy. An officer…"

"And I live with my brother, an artist." Carly filled in. "Sam was a friend from my time in the city of the Holly Woods. My brother, Spencer, he was trying something, and as a result, Sam and I met. Fast friends, but we had to split up last year when Dad got a new assignment, and I wound up here."

"A rebel?" The blond questioned.

"You were my friend." Carly insisted. "Made me so much more aware of how life is for the common folks. I got here, and things were bad for the working classes, worse then anyplace I'd ever been. I couldn't just ignore the way the poor suffered. Not after you showed me that whole other world. So once I realized how bad the Carson's were, I started working with the rebels, doing what I could while keeping my dad out of it, and in time, I kinda, sorta found myself in charge. Spencer does the hard work of keeping the locals off my back, and I do what I can to help the cause. Hearing about Lady Trina's arrival and knowing they were plotting to kill her, that was enough to get me moving. I'm just glad my strategy worked."

"Do you have anything that links the Carson's to this attack?" Beck asked.

"Screw that, do you know if the Carson's have a dragon?" Trina shifted.

"I can show you where they're keeping the beast." Carly said, resolved to help end this tyranny. "But you have to help us in return. Maybe a charter?"

"Would just put different merchants in charge." Ryder told her. "I do have an idea, but we need evidence, and a friend in court, to pull it off. Too bad my merchant contacts are useless for this."

"We have friends." Andre told them. "Azurban may not deal directly with the court, but I've spent years building friends. My reach, your reach, it's further then you think. Just, before we go too far," He turned to address the rebel leader, "I'm looking for a woman, skin like mine, who might be a member of my family. Any chance you've seen one of us around?"

Carly sighed. "You do realize, here in the south lands, and especially in the cities, that skin color is far more common. I mean, a good one in ten people have that skin color. Just saying, loads of women who look like that. I'd need more…"

"Clan Azur." Dre repeated. "They'd have…" He showed her the odd symbol he wore on his sleeve. "This symbol. I know, the city, kinda huge, but if we could find her, it helps. She'll know a good deal about whats going on in this city, and we need us some intelligence on what and where."

"I already have a lead on where they're hiding the dragon." Trina told the boy. "Carly here said they know. I just, we have to kill it, and that'll cause all kinds of problems, cause the Carson's, they can claim we broke in, did some damage, and it'd be their word against ours. Jade…?" She looked to the mage.

"I'm thinking them just having the dragon would be proof enough." The witch postulated. "I mean, we know, dragons, they tend to keep to themselves, and are powerful types who don't just serve. So, just them having this dragon construct should be enough to prove that they were behind the raids. Still…" She hesitated.

"I'll get you the proof." Carly groaned. "Sheesh. They may hide their sins, but it's not that hard to find stuff out. My dad, he made sure I could read and write, so I have access to loads of information most people don't, just because I can read some of the messages the Carson's send. Let me check, see what we have. Just, that dragon, it's not the heavy that holds us down. The Carson's have loads and loads of mercenaries, the soldiers he needs to keep the town under control. Those are the threat we'll have to deal with."

"No, it's the fake the dragon." Trina said, looking at the rebel leader.

"Definitely the dragon." Tori echoed.

"The mercs, they work for money, so they'll leave once the source of that money is neutralized." Beck tried to explain.

"The Vega clan has soldiers." Ryder shifted. "A whole army at their beck and call. No, this city, it needs the mercenaries to keep the populaces under control? If so, then they don't have nearly enough men. The Vega's, their allies, they have their own form of wealth, and can hire extras as needed. No, I'm thinking that the Carsons, cheap as they are, don't have enough soldiers to counter a serious uprising. No, once we deal with something as heavy as that dragon, we'll be free and clear to bring suit in the high court, maybe win us an injunction. Just, we need a contact there."

"And I told you, Sikowitz has one." Dre repeated. "Not sure who, cause he wouldn't say, but he told me he knew someone, and would go there, argue in our favor. So... we're good." He sounded more convinced then he felt.

"Not yet." Trina sighed. "We still need to let the Carsons know we're here, and we survived."

"If we just had a few dozen Vega tabards." Simon said. "Sorry, just had me an idea, and it's not that great."

"Dress the rebels up as Vega soldiers, and march then to the butte?" Carly asked. "Not that bad an idea, if we had the gear."

"Not that hard to get, assuming we know someone who can do a rush job?" Trina said, catching on.

"Jade, save your magic." Andre stated. "This falls in my area of expertise."

Andre, it seemed, knew some surprisingly useful magic. The ritual only required some clothing, old, damaged cloths that was all but on the way to be rags, a few other cheap ingredients, as well as time. The ritual that took just over two hours. "I like the way he's doing that." Cat told Jade. "Kinda like the craft magic use by so many of the Fay. Change at a fundamental level, but not that hard, cause the clothing, it's just fibers. Not that much resistance. You'd have no idea how powerful this kind of magic can be when used right. But to see a mortal, even a dragon touched, having spent the time to learn the spells, the rituals. It's impressive."

"So, he can alter clothing?" Jade felt oddly enthralled by the simple magics, powerful as it was, that the dragon touched minstrel had learned. "I had no idea such rituals existed…"

"Cause the wizard probably thinks these are beneath him." Andre breathed out. "Or just doesn't want to deal with the Twilight court. See, I channel some urban spirits, and use their abilities to alter the clothing. Down right useful, if you don't mind them sharing every experience for a few days. That, plus the offering. Still, know what you're doing, and all kinds of basic expenses go way down. See, clean clothing, all new, and just what we needed. Real as anything, as opposed to illusion, and while the quality isn't what I'd have liked, it does the job. Vega tabards for you guys, and a heralds tabard for me. See, everyone got what they needed, and we can now proceed to the butte, and maybe find us a dragon."

"Or maybe, you can explain how you learned that magic." A dark skinned woman demanded, letting them know she'd snuck in close to better understand who her lord had tasked her to seek out. Word of the attack on the Vega's had spread, and she had little difficulty in tracking someone who could well be her kinsman.. She had made a point of knowing a few people in the resistance, and they were more then helpful. "I know that spell, and I know it comes from my clan…"

"Azur?" Andre asked. "I serve Azurban too. She taught me those spells, so I can better keep up appearances. Respect for nature, as well as the first peoples, reflected in our magics. So, I'm Andre, and you are?"

"Sylvie." The woman said. "And what, Andre, brings you here?"

"I made a deal with Aleister's apprentice, to help deal with the false dragon, in return for…" He looked to the side, at Carly and her crew. "In return for a service to be offered later."

"If it's the service I'm thinking of, then I can see how Azurban would approve." Sylvie said, looking around. Her eyes locked on Jade. "Not sure which I'm more afraid of, you or that red winged horror show hiding invisibly near you."

"Cat's bound." Jade said as if that settled everything. "So, you're more aware then most. Can I ask, do we have a problem, if we deal with the drolum?"

"I have no problem with dealing with that abomination." Sylvie said, smiling at Jade. "You are cute…"

"Down, girl." Cat's voice rang out. "I have plans for her, and I'm not letting some sweet talker come waltzing in to seduce her while she's all vulnerable and chiz, cause as I said, I have plans for her. Love and her happily ever after."

The dark skinned woman turned and walked to the nearest chair. "Okay, let me know, whats the plan?" She asked as she sat down, ready for a long explanation.

"We have these tabards, and are gonna use them to pretend a whole bunch of clan Vega peoples accompanied the lady here, and use that to get us close to the fortress, on the butte. Then maybe we can find a way in to confront the dragon construct there, safely away from the people. With luck, we destroy it, and make the Vega dale, the Vega lands, safe. We'll see what else we need to do, and we do know we may well wind up with a war out of this, but we're hoping well have an ally in court…" Dre explained to his kinswoman.

"Sikowitz is a decent man, but not the most reliable of allies." Sylvie smiled. "What? I know about the seer. Let me check a few things out, then I'll go with. Not planning on doing more then watching, but I'm thinking you'll be wanting a witness when this is all over."

"Okay, the more the merrier." Trina said. Then, quietly, she addressed Jade. "Make sure she's not a spy."

"She's not." Jade promised, even as her spell revealed something about Sylvie. 'She's a dragon. Not a partial like Dre here, but all the way, fully changed, and a good century or more under her belt. No idea what she wants, but someone sent a full blooded dragon, still way too young, but a powerhouse compared to Dre here. So, why is she here, and why'd Azurban send her? I was under the impression that dragons see their own as more valuable then anything, so an heir, no way she'd risk her daughter…'

Cat, for her part, was silent, plotting out just what she'd need to do to get her charge through the battle to come. 'Just need me some of her skin, or his, and we have us a plan. Only, thinking we'll need to overcharge it, cause no way a dragon as young as she is would be a match for a killing machine this dragon construct probably is. Otherwise, I hate to do it, but I think we need to force the issue, have this fight where the people can see. Just, how do I make that happen?'

"If your charge is as potent as I think you think she is, then I'll help." Sylvie projected. "However, I'm thinking, we're going to have to force this battle, out in the open, cause while I do trust Sikowitz to do what he can, we need proof that the false dragon is a threat to the people, as well as that the Carsons are the one's behind it."

In the fortress, in it's underground, Sinjin returned to his quarters to rest before returning to his work. 'Alchemy does enchanting just fine. But the work, it's exhausting. How the hell am I supposed to figure out how to make a second dragon while doing so much other work. My team, they're never gonna figure it out on their own. I mean, their good, but not good enough…'

"I take it you're the one who made that fake dragon?" A balding man asked the young alchemist. "Please, don't scream. I'm not here yet, but I do need to converse with you. See, I understand how hard it can be sometimes, and am willing to offer you clemency, maybe ever work for your crew, if you're willing to just tell me the truth about the Carson's plans. Just, ignore that shadow over there, these things happen."

Sinjin screamed, and to his eternal surprise, not one guard, not even his own team, responded. "See, now I have this headache forming, and all you got was the benefits of that much screaming. I'm just lucky someone remembered to block the door, or you'd have run out, and I'm not here enough to have chased you… Oh, right." The seer seemed to look away for a moment. "Oh, okay then. I guess you could have run. My link would just haunt you until we could speak, face to face."

"What! Are! You?!" The alchemist screamed.

"Oh, just a white necromancer and professional seer who knows far more about scrying magics then you and that little bowl you made. Honestly, Water is great, but it's also fairly independent. Sure, you see and hear stuff, but it's way to easy to fool, cause it's easy enough to bribe into being fooled. Also, and this is important, a good mystic will know so many says to block your scrying. Like Jade, she's already summoned an air elemental, and it's been filtering what you saw from the time she realized she was being watched. Honestly, you've been fed enough false information, and now, what do you have?" The balding man gave him a strong look. "You wouldn't know, cause you're not the one scrying, are you? Nope, just the guy providing the tools. Betting you think, as long as your just supply, you're not responsible for the damage you're causing, right? We'll, the Queen on the Petrified Throne doesn't agree, and so her agent is likely to kill you just to balance the scaled."

Sinjin, for his part, was only escaping his panic by the curiosity that boiled up at this odd visitor. "How would white necromancy do a sending like this?"

"Oh, I have a network of my own." The Seer said. "I contacted the spirit world, and one of the haunts that lives in that city had the mobility to go visit you, thus the whole haunting threat, and it's was able to act as my proxy. A little base illusion, making you able to see it, and wallah, I'm communicating with you. Even feels like I'm in the room. Just, not here, and I have limited mobility cause I can't move it. As for the shadow, I hooked up a friend, who wanted to listen in, but as he's not a caster, all he can do is listen. Don't worry, he's good people. So, tell me everything about the Dragon."

Outside, the procession was advancing on the butte, the high grounds near the river where the Carsons had long ago built their fortress. Well defended, it was the ultimate fallback place in the event of an invasion, as well as the high ground for miles around. Siege weapons up on the butte provided control of a good portion of the navigable river, and guaranteed that all traders would stop in Carson. It was the center of their wealth. Trina was watching, thinking.

"Okay, they have one access, a road up to a gate, and a bridge. Not gonna be easy to get in if they don't want us." Tori said, taking in everything about the fortress.

"Don't much care about the obvious rout." Trina told her sister. "I wanna know where the fake dragon is hidden."

Carly pointed. "Towards the water side, they have a couple of caves in the side of the butte. Not easy to get too, but I'm thinking we can, if we try. One of those is where the dragon is, and the other, magical flying craft that help the Carsons control the river."

"You two, go." Robbie told Sam and Carly. "I'd go with, but I don't know if my stealth is up to this task. We get in, find the dragon, and I don't know, but we scout it out, make sure we know what we're up against. Betting it's like a dungeon in there, with loads of locked doors and checkpoints. Gonna make it hard, but we'll do what we have too."

"I agree, you need to stay." Sam told Rob. "I respect your abilities as an archer, but this is gonna be up close and personal. Not sure Carly here can handle that level of brutality if it comes to it. But she can come with, if she feels able. I just…"

Moving quickly, the blond intercepted her third assassin of the march, each of whom had been either looking to get close enough to use a poisoned blade on the Vega noblewoman, or otherwise poison her. Ranged attacks had already proven useless, as the air elemental had deflected any arrow aimed at any of the main people of the group.

Carly and Robbie had also seen the assassin, and moved. They were, as usual, slower to see this kind of threat then Sam, and so were often just dealing with whatever backup the killer may have had. So once again, the small blond proved invaluable in stopping someone from taking Trina's life. "Th-they seem so innocuous." Trina stammered as she watched the man fall, a blade hidden in his hand, and Sam's knife in his ribs.

"Yea, that's what they do." Sam assured her. "Not that may this good, but they're after the bounty. This, my lady, is how the Carson's fight their wars. Thinking I don't wanna leave you unguarded."

"We'll watch over her." Cat promised. "Been holding back, but I have a trick or two up my sleeves, just in case. When we get close, you peel off, and we'll do the rest."

:}

The shameless cliffhanger will have to wait for the next time. Hoping your continuing to read, though if your not, you won't see this note. Just, yea, Carson is it's own jungle, and we're seeing the pieces all fall into place. But can the Vega's and their allies find a way to prove the Dreaco golum is real? And what plans does jade have to neutralize it, since it is a powerhouse. Thoughts?