'I would advise killing the mage,' Garnet growled. 'He could summon magic to save them all, even when bound. But regardless, you may bring them to this cave.'
.
Parting the sea of dragons, she led them towards a ground level cave. Unlike the other caves, it had a door. A heavy wooden door that could be locked from the outside with three metal bolts.

Dianne: "Bring me a lock and chain, and I can prevent him from using his magic. We need information."

{ Aava and Barnabas dragged the prisoners to the cave.}

Barnabas: "Interrogate the werewolf first. He mentioned taking Phyllis' son, so he must know where he is."

'Seth! Fetch what she asked for,' said Garnet, and a small grey dragon scurried off. After a tense pause, he returned, dropping a length of tough chain and padlock at Dianne's feet. Armin stood in the cave entrance, looking at the unconscious prisoners.

{Dianne takes the chain, produces a knife, and begins carving intricate symbols into it. When she finished, the runes glowed faintly, and Dianne tightly bound the mage, locking it all with the padlock.}

Dianne: "Very well. Now, there's not much to do until they awaken. Barnabas bring me their gear, outside the cave. Maybe they brought some clues with them."

{Barnabas gathers everything they had in their pockets and piles it outside. Dianne begins to look through it carefully.}

Along with the tranquilisers and chain grappler, the poachers had also been carrying a couple of knives, a syringe full of purple liquid, some flashlights, and a small emergency medkit. Nothing particularly interesting.
.
'They probably didn't need to bring much because they portalled straight over here from wherever they base,' Armin murmured.

{Dianne picks up the syringe, looking both intrigued and uneasy.}

Dianne: "What the hell is this sh!t?"

'Poison, maybe? I don't know. You'll have to ask them.'
.
As if on cue, the werewolf in the cave began to stir, groaning softly and pricking up his ears.

{Putting the syringe down, Dianne walks back into the cave.}

Dianne: "You. What's your name?"

'Wha... Who...?'
.
The werewolf winced, cracking open his eyes. He stared at Dianne for a moment, then at Armin.
.
'...Uh, Rocky. Name's Rocky.'

Dianne: "Ok, Rocky..."

{Dianne grabs him by the throat, holding him off the ground.}

Dianne: "If you want to keep your guts inside you, where they belong, I suggest you answer all my questions. There's a horde of angry dragons out there who would love nothing more than to tear you all apart, and the only thing stopping them is me."

A jolt of fear went through the werewolf, which would be tangible to Barnabas. He quickly spoke up in a placating tone.
.
'OK, OK, I'll answer your questions!'
.
'Let me tear him apart anyway!' yelled one dragon from outside.

{Dianne ignores the dragon outside, dropping the werewolf.}

Dianne: "I know there's more of you. Where are you based up?"

'Shacklestone City. Northern industrial district... Our base is a big warehouse building...'
.
//That makes sense with Fred thinking they might be in Shacklestone,// said Armin to Dianne.

Dianne: "You got an address? And the people you dragged off. Are they alive?"

'Ungh... Can't remember the address... But you can find it easy... And... What? We didn't take any people.'
.
'She means the dragons,' said Armin sternly.
.
'Oh... Whatever... Yeah, some of them are definitely still alive. Dunno how long they'll be alive, though. Depends what the boss decides...'

{Dianne kneels down to his level.}

Dianne: "What's your boss' name? And why did he want them alive?"

'His name is Dill... Dill Thompson... And I don't know... He never specified why he wanted them alive. He's probably just keeping them so he can cut 'em up and sell 'em at a later time. Or something.'

Dianne: "That doesn't make sense. You traffickers too? Selling people off as slaves and chattel?"

'No... Never seen anything like that since I joined this group...'

Dianne: "And what region does this group hail from? Who are your buyers? Where is your HQ proper?"

'We got buyers all over the continent... Were based up on the edge of Agamidae before moving here... We move frequently to help stay undercover.' The werewolf squinted at Dianne. 'Why ya interested in this stuff?'

Dianne: //Wow, this guy really is a moron...//

Dianne: "Why do you think, genius? How many people are in this group?

''Bout thirty,' the werewolf replied.
.
By that point, the other poachers had woken up and were watching and listening warily.

Dianne: "Thirty of what? All werewolves? A mix of vampires and spellcasters?"

{Dianne glances at the other members, thinking that Garnet will probably want them killed when she was done. She had no problem with this.}

'Vampires, werewolves, humans, couple o' spellcasters... Nice little mixture.'

Dianne: //Yep, we'll need everyone for this. When we're done here, get Fred on the phone.//

{Dianne says to Armin over the rings.}

Dianne: "Busy little creature, that Dill..."

{Dianne then stands, looking to the other three.}

Dianne: "Here's the deal. The first of you three to tell me the address of your base gets to live. Better remember quick."

'Northern Industrial Park, 5 Smugglers Road,' said Herbert instantly, and the others gave him a filthy, though helpless look.

{Smiling under her helmet, Dianne walks over to the two vampires and kneels down.}

Dianne: "Rocky's been very cooperative, like the good boy he is. Herbert just gave me the exact address of your base. But, tell me, why should I keep either of you alive? Have any information I can use?"

(Actually, she never heard Herbert's name. Just pretend she referred to him differently.)

'You might as well kill us,' said one vampire unhappily, but resolutely. Both of them knew further information, but they had no intention of revealing it. They wanted Dianne to go to the base and be caught out by Dill's trap. They might not get the money, but their comrades still could. In any case, they didn't trust her not to kill them after they talked.

{Dianne picks them both up by their collars.}

Dianne: "Are you sure? You look like you might be hiding something from me, what with that stalwart attitude?"

'Oh, you know. Some of those people are friends of ours. Not exactly keen on you murdering them just cuz you don't like their job, so I'm not helping you.'

Dianne: "You call slaughtering children a job? They picked this path, I'm just their unceremonious end."

{Dianne walks them out to the angry dragon mob.}

Dianne: "Garnet, these two are withholding information. Shall I feed them to your people?"

'Throw them on the ground. They won't live long, I assure you,' said Garnet.
.
'What about the others?!' one dragon screamed. 'Are you showing mercy to those monsters who took our loved ones just because they coughed up some worthless info? Hand them over right now!'

{Dianne ignores the dragon in the crowd.}

Dianne: "This is your last chance. You want to live, tell me what I want to know. Otherwise, these people you've hurt get to have their way with you."

The vampires nervously eyed the mob. 'Well, I...'
.
Before he could finish, one dragon - Phyllis - sprung forwards, shoved Dianne aside, and sunk her teeth into him. Foaming at the mouth, she lifted him into the air, shaking him violently while driving her teeth in deeper. Her eyes showed nothing but insane rage.

(She grabbed one of the vampires, to clarify)

{Dianne falls with a grunt.}

Dianne: "Phyllis, stop!"

{However, Dianne knew better than anyone that the wrath of a mother mourning her child could not be stopped by any force. She only hoped Garnet could do something.}

The other dragons roared their approval. Phyllis pinned the vampire to the ground and tore his head off. She then snatched up the second vampire and brought him to the same fate. With blood dripping from her maw, she turned to the cave. At that point, Garnet spoke.
.
'Enough, Phyllis. You've taken your revenge; now step back and wait peacefully while Dianne finds your son.'
.
Armin, standing a little back, grimaced at the poachers' mauled bodies. //Dragons are the worst creatures to piss off.//

{Dianne sits, frustrated, lifting her helmet and rubbing her face.}

Dianne: //Damnit! He had something else to say! These damned brutes have no concept of strategy!//

//Don't worry about it too much,// said Armin soothingly. //We know enough. Now let's go and wipe them out.//
.
When she was done, Phyllis was once again led away by her mate, now bloodied and trembling. The other dragons had worked off some steam and appeared calmer now.

{Dianne stands, looking to the night sky, then to Garnet. Aava was a little horrified at what she saw and was sitting behind a rock, waiting for Dianne to be done.}

Dianne: "Garnet, I have no more use for these prisoners. Do with them as you will. The patrols will remain in place all night. My companions and I must sleep now, then tomorrow, we March on Shacklestone."

'I understand. And, I'm sorry. I know you wanted that vampire alive, but no authority in the world could have stopped Phyllis in that moment.'
.
She turned to shoo the dragons away, telling them that if they still wanted to kill the prisoners tomorrow then they could, but they'd have to share.
.
'Let's go,' said Armin, giving Aava a mildly concerned look.

Dianne: "I know...I've...been in her shoes before..."

{Aava comes out from behind the rock, shuffling after Dianne as they went back towards the lodge.}

Aava: "Well, that was...dramatic..."

Armin stayed close to Dianne as they headed back. 'They've had their friends and kids taken away by these people. We couldn't expect them to sit quietly.'
.
He pulled out his phone as they entered the firelit lodge, texting Fred to explain everything that had happened. Outside, the dragons were settling down to sleep again. Ryder stayed close to them this time.

Aava: "Sure, but he could have had valuable information."

Dianne: "When you lose people close to you, you don't always think rationally. These people are mourning. They fear the worst. It's important to remember that."
{Getting into the lodge, Dianne begins removing her armor.}

Armin took off his armour and sat down beside the fire in Dianne's room to continue talking to Fred.
.
'He says that he can send some of his people to help in Shacklestone, and he'll also let Jerry know that we'll probably need his help. He's asking if you want him to contact anyone else.'

Dianne: "Everyone. Tell him to send everyone he can to help. I want these poacher bast.ards hung up by their entrails. I don't have time to construct centaurs and they have hostages. If it wasn't for that, thirty poachers would be child's play."

{Aava, now in her sleepwear, enters the room and lies on the bed.}

Armin typed a response. After several minutes, he spoke up.
.
'Apparently Luxia's out of town, and can't be reached. Rex can come if he gives Esme to Pythia. Fred will send as many people as he can, but he wants to leave some protection in the city just in case anything happens back home.'

Dianne: "No, I want Rex to keep watching her. I didn't mean Luxia, she's too old for this kind of dirty work. Very well. I guess we'll meet them outside Shacklestone tomorrow afternoon?"

Armin sent one last reply. 'Alright, all done.'
.
He then walked over to the bed, dumped his phone on the nightstand, and lay back with a yawn and a stretch.

{Dianne changes into her sleepwear, then lies between the two of them. Aava immediately snuggles up to her.}

Dianne: "Let's get some rest..."

Armin cuddled up to her other side, nuzzling into her neck, relishing the warmth and closeness. He thought of the dragons outside, fearing for themselves and their loved ones. He knew he couldn't dwell on whether or not the captured dragons were still alive.
.
'Night, everyone,' he said, then added a quieter 'Love you' just to Dianne.

{Dianne snuggles into him, settling in.}

Dianne: "Love you..."

(Skip?)

----
.
When morning came, the valley was slow to fill with light. The sun wouldn't rise above the mountains for several hours. It was also foggy, and very cold. In this dull landscape, few of the dragons awoke, but most subconsciously huddled closer for warmth. The ones who did wake up plodded off to gather wood to make more fires.

{As the fire in their room died, the temperature fell drastically over the hours. Subconsciously, Dianne progressively gripped Armin tighter and tighter, trying to escape the bitter cold.}

After a while, her grip became painful, causing Armin to stir and wince. Opening his eyes, he attempted to prise her fingers off of him. He quickly realised that this cold was dangerous.
.
//Let go, so I can light the fire...// he said telepathically.

{Dianne stirred a little, letting go, but immediately curling onto a ball, shivering. She didn't seem to be awake.}

Aava: "...Mmmm...God /d@mn/, it's cold!....Someone light the d@mn fire..."

Armin climbed out of bed and made his way across the dark room to get the fire going. The strike of a match rang out. It took a few minutes, but eventually the fireplace was burning nicely and the heat started to fill the room.
.
'It's lit,' he said quietly, climbing back into bed. He immediately wrapped his arms around Dianne and pulled her against him.

{Dianne was still shivering at this point. Her extremities were cold to the touch. Aava snuggled in behind her and went back to sleep. As the room warmed, her shivering ceased and she began to sleep peacefully again.}

About an hour later, Armin started to wake up properly. He surveyed his companions, then nuzzled into the top of Dianne's head and breathed out slowly.
.
//Things to do today... I guess I should wake them up, but they look so peaceful...//

{Dianne seemed to be nowhere near waking. The winter lethargy has set in. Aava seemed too comfortable to wake.}

Armin hated to disturb her, but he knew they had to get up eventually. However, he decided there was no need to rush. He let her sleep undisturbed a while longer, and then he started repeatedly nudging her and whispering telepathically in an effort to gently rouse her.
.
Outside, the dragons had lit more fires and were seemingly having breakfast. Many had caught prey and were eating, close to the fires for warmth.

{Dianne began to stir, opening her eyes.}

Dianne: "....Status report...."

Aava: "Hmmm....What?...."

'Huh?' said Armin, peering down at her.

Dianne: "...The poachers....did any more show up?.."

{Barnabas appears at the foot of the bed. Seems she was talking to him the whole time.}

Barnabas: "Nope. Just that group of four. All quiet the rest of the night."

Dianne: "Good..."

{Sitting up, she looks to Armin.}

Dianne: "Armin...get my armor, please..."

Armin rolled onto his back and stayed there for a moment before getting up. He started to gather her armour and dump it on the end of the bed, not asking why.

{Tiredly, Dianne changes, then puts her armor on. Aava does the same.}

Dianne: "Let's go find some food, then contact Frederick."

Armin was already heading to the kitchen to look around. However, there was nothing there except the dried herbs, spices, and some canned meat and fruit.
.
'Might have to do what everyone else is doing, and go and catch something. Or ask them where we can get eggs.'

Dianne: "Ok, go catch us some fish. We just need a little breakfast."

Aava: "I think that works."

'Alright. Get the oven heated up while I'm gone. I'll bring some fish back and bake them.'
.
Putting on his coat and boots, he ventured into the cold outdoors. It was still foggy, though the cloud had thinned somewhat over the morning.

{Dianne readies the oven, then leaves Aava to tend it as she walks out to find Garnet. She approaches the mass of dragons, looking for their chief.}

'Morning, Dianne,' chirped Ryder, who was sitting nearby and had seen her come out.
.
The cluster of dragons was smaller now; several had wandered off to hunt or tend to other tasks. Garnet was sitting at the foot of a crag, gnawing the last scraps of meat off the bones of a deer.

Dianne: "Good morning, Ryder. Did they kill the prisoners already?"

'I don't think so. When these guys wake up, pretty much all they care about is food. Once they're not so sleepy and hungry, I'm sure they'll remember the prisoners.'

Dianne: "Sounds familiar...Alright, I need to talk to Garnet. We'll talk after."

{Waving goodbye, she heads for the chief.}

When Garnet saw that Dianne was approaching her, she kicked aside the remains of her meal - now little more than scraped-clean bones - and turned to meet her.
.
'Good morning. I hope you slept well.'

Dianne: "Well enough. I think I nearly involuntarily entered hibernation, but I digress..."

{Dianne takes off her helmet, looking at Garnet seriously.}

Dianne: "Me and my people are going to storm the poacher's HQ today. My hope is that your people will be in there, but I need to be honest with you, I don't know what kind of state they'll be in. Do you want to send people with us for retrieval?"

'Yes. Someone will need to carry them to safety. Even if the older dragons are healthy, there are younglings that cannot fly. We'll focus on getting them out. You cover us and take care of the poachers.'
.
Her face was solemn. She held back her rage against the poachers, but her worry for her tribemates was clear.

Dianne: "Ok. One other thing. Do not send me undisciplined dragons. I know your tribe is hurting, but this is a delicate situation. One misstep and all the hostages could die. I need dragons that can follow orders."

'For a dragon going through such emotional turmoil to discipline itself is no easy thing. I will send only those who have not lost anyone personally. Otherwise, you're likely to see reactions like that of Phyllis last night.'

Dianne: "And that is all I ask. Thank you, Garnet. I will prepare my team and find you again when we are ready to leave for Shackestone."

Garnet inclined her head. 'I must go and choose people to accompany you. I will see you later.'
.
She took flight. Back at the lodge, Armin had returned and was baking two fish, one for each of his companions. He himself had hunted a deer and gorged heavily on blood. There was a kind of hyper-alertness and held back energy about him as a result.

{Dianne gets into the cottage, smelling the fish.}

Dianne: "Smells great."

Aava: "Yeah, shouldn't be too much longer now. Hey, you ok there, Armin? You seem a little...Hyper..."

Armin gave Dianne a quick glance as she came in, then started to gather plates and cutlery in preparation for the fish coming out of the oven.
.
'Yeah, don't worry. I just drank a lot since we're probably going to be fighting later. It's a bit like a coffee rush.'

Aava: "...A lot of what?"

Dianne: "Blood, Aava."

Aava: "Oh, right. Vampire..."

'What did you think?' Armin questioned. Going back to the oven, he carefully retrieved the fish and served them. 'Be careful. Those will, for obvious reasons, be extremely hot.'

Aava: "I don't know, booze, maybe?"

{Dianne and Aava accepted their meals.}

Dianne: "It looks delicious, thank you."

'You're welcome. So, what's happening after this? Are we heading to Shacklestone and meeting Jerry and the others there? Jerry must have driven all morning to get there.'

Dianne: "Yes. After I finish my fish, I need to call Frederick and see where he's at. We need to meet outside of Shacklestone."

'I'd better get ready, then...'
.
While the two of them ate, Armin briskly walked to the bedroom to put his armour on. Outside, Ryder was sitting, in his dragon form. He was wearing his armour too. Some of the other dragons were eyeing him a little enviously.

{Once Dianne finished breakfast, she dials Frederick while Aava packs up their things.}

Fred picked up almost immediately.

'Hello, Dianne. I suppose this means you're on your way?'

Meanwhile, Armin came out of the bedroom, with his armour on and sword strapped to his side. He leaned against the wall, listening in on their conversation.

Dianne: "I'm about to be. I need to know where your people are and where to meet them. Garnet is sending a team with us to retrieve the hostages."

'We are just southwest of Shacklestone City, quite close to the Windglen area.' (Armin grimaced when he heard the name.) 'If you fly that way, you should see Jerry's car very easily. I've brought twenty people with me, and I will be coming in myself, too.'

Dianne: "Excellent. We will begin making our way there now. Also, did you find out anything about their Dill Thomson fella, or is he just another nobody looking for a quick score?"

'I found very little about him. However, the group call themselves the Draco Pirates, and they've been running a mostly online trade in dragon-based products for close to a decade. They sell blood, meat, bones, teeth, organs, and dragonskin. However, they don't reveal their members' personal info, and I haven't had time to dig deeper, so I can't say much about them other than their business.'

Dianne: "Ok. After today that website is going to become inoperable. We're on our way. I'll give a debrief once we arrive."

'Very well. We will be waiting.'
.
Fred then hung up.

Dianne: "Ok, let's find Garnet, then go meet Frederick."

{Grabbing her hammer, she walks out to find the chief.}

On the west side, Garnet was talking to a group of six dragons. The only recognisable ones were River and Havoc. As Dianne's group approached, she turned her head.
.
'I assume you're about to leave. These are the dragons I've chosen to accompany you. Their job will be to get the captured ones to safety. Although they aren't helpless, they won't be prioritising combat. So you must protect them.'

Dianne: "Alright. Everyone stay close. We're headed for Shacklstone's outskirts."

{Dianne shifts, letting Aava on before taking off and heading for the rendezvous point.}

Armin shifted and took off after her. Ryder was next, and then the other dragons followed, forming something close to a V formation in their flight. Garnet watched them go. All anyone could do until they returned was worry.

{Dianne headed straight for the rendezvous point. As she flew, she was quietly dreading what they might find in the base.}

Once they entered the Shacklestone region, they would see a cluster of people waiting at the foot of a grassy hill. Beyond the hill lay a lake surrounded by forest. There was a clearing near the lake thar looked like it would be a good camping spot. Armin avoided looking at it as he flew towards the group.
.
'Hello,' said Frederick as they came down. He was wearing more modern armour - kevlar or something similar. Around him were vampires, a couple of elves, and Joey the mage.

{Dianne lands, looking at everyone. Aava was looking curiously at the other elves. She hadn't spoken with another member of her species since she became Karnraak. Jerry walks up in full tactical gear.}

Jerry: "Hey, Dianne. Ready to save some kids?"

Dianne: "Yeah. Here's the plan. Barnabas Will scout it out first, calling out guard placement and telling us where the hostages are. Priority one is getting them out safe. Then, kill every last poacher there. That's the only way the tribe stays safe."

Armin shifted back to human form. 'Well, this warehouse is further north. We have to travel up there. Whoever can't fly can just jump on Dianne.'
.
The two elves, one male, one female, glanced back at Aava but said nothing. Fred's people were equipped in a variety of ways: some wearing full plate armour, others wearing armour like Fred's, and they were carrying guns, swords and daggers. Some also had belts or satchels with other supplies.
.
'If everyone is ready, we should go,' said Fred.

Dianne: "Let's. Everyone, stay low. We don't want them to see us coming."

{Once everyone was on, she takes to the skies, staying low and heading for the warehouse.}

Armin shifted again and swept after her, followed by the other vampires, Ryder, and the six retriever dragons, who tried their best to stay low and inconspicuous. Eventually, the industrial site would come into view, and upon it, the warehouse. It was large, and surrounded by a nasty-looking spiked fence with a padlocked gate. The area inside the fence was too narrow for Dianne to land in. Breaking through the gate might be their only way in.

{Dianne leads the group around a corner, out of sight from the warehouse.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, go. Scout it out. Tell me exactly where the hostages are and where the guards are posted. Go."

If Barnabas looked inside the warehouse, he would find two floors and several rooms. The ground floor consisted of a corridor with different rooms branching off each side, and a metal staircase. In the last room to the right, there were several cages stacked up along the back wall. They contained baby dragons, some around Esme's age, others only a few weeks old.
.
The strange thing was, there didn't appear to be any people in the warehouse. No matter where Barnabas checked, he would not find the poachers. The only sign of life was the baby dragons.

Barnabas: //What the?//

{After searching the warehouse thoroughly, Barnabas comes back.}

Barnabas: "There's some baby dragons stacked in cages on the north side, but, there's nobody there. No poachers, nothing."

Dianne: "Damn. They must have figured we'd come after their party never returned...But they left the babies?"

Barnabas: "Yup. Somethings wrong with this picture..."

Fred looked intrigued. Perhaps he should have been more worried, and be still was, but he always liked a mystery.
.
'It's possible that, yes, they knew someone was coming and had to flee. And they may have left the dragons because they simply didn't have time to gather them all. If there are things missing - papers, stock, and so on - it's another sign.'
.
'Well... Let's go in,' said Armin.
.
'Yes please,' whispered one of the retrievers. 'If the babies are there, we have to get them!'

Dianne: "Absolutely, but we need to stay vigilant. This could be some type of ambush. Stay alert."

{Shifting to human form, Dianne begins to lead the way to the warehouse. Jerry keeps his gaze high, wary of ambushes.}

The retrievers shifted and followed. As they approached the building, the first obstacle that presented itself was the spiked metal fence and its padlocked gate.
.
'Are we going to just smash this down?' Armin questioned.

{With a controlled swing, she destroys the lock with her hammer.}

Dianne: "Yup. Let's go."

{She walks through the gate first.}

The building remained quiet as they approached. On the left side was an empty loading bay, and directly in front of them was the main entrance. When they tried the door, they would find it to be unlocked.
.
'They really must have left in a hurry,' Armin muttered. A long corridor stretched ahead of them with a metal staircase at the end. Six rooms branched off from the corridor, three on each side.

Dianne: "Barnabas, lead us straight to the children."

{Advancing carefully, the group makes their way towards the baby dragons.}

Once they reached the furthest room, they would see the cages. Twelve of them, six stacked on top of another six. Each cage contained an infant dragon. Some were clawing and biting the bars, others were restlessly dozing, others were just sitting there. A few had sawn-off horns, but seemed otherwise unharmed.
.
As soon as the group began to enter, most of the fledglings started to growl menacingly, opening their wings to appear bigger.

Dianne: "Retrieval team, you're up. Get them outside, we'll escort you. Frederick, how's our exit?"

'Clear. I have someone watching the front door, and they say it's all quiet out there.'
.
The retrievers started to pick up all the cages.
.
'Here's Leviathan!' Ryder whispered, ecstatic, as he found a cage holding a blue and purple dragon.

Meanwhile, a few hundred yards from the warehouse, Dill's group were crouched between some dilapidated buildings, watching through binoculars.

'They've gone in,' Dill whispered. 'Start moving closer, slowly now.'

The poachers had gone to great lengths to hide. They were using magical cloaking devices that made them invisible, and anti-stink spray so they couldn't be sniffed out. They began to approach the warehouse, taking care not to make unnecessary noise.

Dianne: "Hey, little buddy! We're going to get you home!"

{Dianne whispers to Leviathan, putting a hand on the cage. Once the group got outside, Barnabas growls.}

Barnabas: "They are near..."

Dianne: "What? Where?"

Barnabas: "I don't know. I can taste their fear, but...I can't see anything..."

Armin moved his head, scenting the air. '...No smell, except for the stale scents that were already here.'
.
'Maybe--' Fred began.
.
Suddenly, a feeling of power rose up. A portal snapped into existence beside the retriever team and the babies. Before they could react, a blast of power shoved them all through. However, it didn't go far. The portal spat them out down the road before closing. Then, a huge ward materialised around Dianne's group. It covered the whole warehouse and extended to the fence line. Separating them from the retrievers and trapping them.

Dianne: "Sh!t!"

Jerry: "Woaaaah, what the hell is this?"

Aava: "It's a trap!"

{Dianne looks beyond the ward at the retrieval team.}

Dianne: "Go! Get out of here!"

'Fly! Get high and fast!' said River. Quickly, she and the other dragons shifted, grabbed two cages each, and took flight.
.
Dill barely glanced at them leaving. With an unseen smile, he and the Draco Pirates walked straight through the ward. They stopped, surveying Dianne's group, who had all drawn their weapons.
.
'Hi, little trespassers. Actually, I'm very glad you came.'

Dianne: "Trespassers? Says the squatters on a ruined land."

{Dianne walks to the front of her group, hammer in hand.}

Dianne: "You're either very brave, or very, very stupid for doing this. Let's find out which. What do you want?"

'Something simple.'
.
The invisible platoon started spreading out, aiming to surround Dianne's group. Armin's gaze flickered between the places where he thought they were, listening very intently to their footsteps. Everyone was on edge.
.
'Hand over the blond pretty boy, Dianne. He's got a 50k bounty on his head and we want to be rich.'

Dianne: "Stupid it is. 50k, split between thirty people? That's chump change. Honestly, I'm embarrassed that I've been trapped by people, who can't do simple arithmetic."

{Barnabas growls again, hearing the cloaked adversaries approaching.}

Barnabas: "They're cloaked! That's why I couldn't see them!"

Aava: "Invisible? I don't like our odds..."

Dianne: "I'm not giving him to you. I don't care what you have. Now that I know you all exist, none of you are going to survive."

'Then, good luck fighting people you can't even see, sweetheart,' said Dill condescendingly.
.
It was already clear that this was going to be a very unusual battle. When the poachers moved, the only visible sign was a slight distortion in the air. Most of them were holding melee weapons and had a variety of armour, from leather, to kevlar, to even dragonskin.
.
One jumped at Fred, and by noticing the distortion, Fred managed to turn and shoot him. The bullet was stopped by the poacher's armour, but he fell back. Another went for Jerry, lunging at him from the side with a sword. A werewolf holding a mace swung at Aava, aiming to smash her to the ground.

{Dianne dashes forward at an alarming speed, her hammer becoming white hot. She was looking to incinerate Dill straight off. Jerry turns and shoots the poacher, point blank with a shotgun. Barnabas catches the mace before it could contact Aava. Yelping in surprise, Aava then starts to pummel the werewolf with her wooden fists.}

Jerry: "We need to get back inside! Try to bottleneck them!"

Dill shifted into a hyena and darted off with vampiric speed. The werewolf backed up, only to be stabbed in the side by Armin, who managed to thrust hard enough to pierce the werewolf's leather armour and the flesh beneath. The poacher Jerry shot fell back with a yelp, the bullet penetrating his armour but not killing him. Suddenly, a ball of fire appeared and flew at Jerry, flung by an unseen mage.
.
//Some of you start going around the back way,// said Dill telepathically to his group.

{Jerry falls back, narrowly avoiding the fire and shooting in the direction from which it came. Aava grabs the werewolf with her hair, seeing him a bit better with the contours of the hair. Finding his neck, she drives a wooden point through it.}

Aava: "We need to do what Jerry said!"

{Grabbing Jerry to his feet, Aava and him run for the building. Dianne, seeing Dill run away, runs back to the group.}

Dianne: "Inside, now!"

The werewolf crumpled with a heavy sound.
.
Armin backed up to the warehouse door, making sure everyone else was coming too. Fred was trying to keep his distance from the invisible enemies, shooting towards any hints of movement. He, Ryder, and everyone else started to pile inside, but there were a lot of them and the door wasn't very wide, so it was slow going.
.
Just then, another unseen mage shot Dianne with a quick blast of light magic.

{Dianne raises the slain werewolf. Upon being hit by the light magic, she lets out a pained cry, stumbling and falling. Jerry was trying to hold them off while everyone got inside. Seeing this, he focuses fire where the shot originated.}

Jerry: "Get her inside!"

Armin, hearing her cry, frantically tried to get back to her but was blocked by the wave of people coming in. However, two of Fred's vampire subordinates grabbed Dianne's arms as they ran and pulled her inside. The light mage was shot once, non-lethally, then raised a ward to protect herself from further shots.
.
//Run inside, little grubs,// was Dill's gleeful thought. //We'll get you either way...//

{Once everyone was inside, Jerry shuts the door. Shaking herself off, Dianne stands. Through the ring connection, Armin would feel rage.}

Jerry: "Watch the back side. We don't have much time."

Dianne: "Find something to mark them...Paint, sawdust, anything...Hell, use their blood if you have to...Barnabas, find that damn mage making this ward and kill them. They might be outside the ward and they're likely cloaked."

Once everyone was inside and the door shut, they had a few seconds of respite.
.
'Mark them? Mark what?' said Armin, looking at Dianne with confusion.

Aava: "They're invisible right now. If we throw sawdust on them, we can shoot the floating particles. Get it?"

Dianne: "Quickly, start looking."

{Walking into a side room, she starts looking for anything she can use.}

Armin followed her, and once he realised what this room was for, he grimaced with disgust. It looked like a butcher's shop, with tables and sharp instruments. There were barrels of what looked like ground-up bone or horn, and a huge refrigerator with a glass front. Armin saw slabs of meat, scaly skin, bottled blood and organs. He nearly retched.
.
//...I think I found out what happened to the other captured dragons...//
.
Half of Fred's people were staying near the front door while half were watching the emergency exit door at the back. Though they could hear movement outside both doors, nothing had happened yet.

{Dianne looked around with utter disgust. Aava turns pale.}

Dianne: "Goddamn it...use the blood bottles and ground bone. You see a shimmer, toss some at then."

Aava: "Eeeew..."

{Dianne starts grabbing blood bottles and handing them out to the people by the doors, giving them the same instructions.}

Fred wrinkled his nose at the prospect of making a mess, but he accepted a bottle without complaint. Ryder saw then coming out of the room with the blood and ground bone, and he went very pale as realisation hit. Armin decided not to hand him a bottle.
.
'Incoming!' someone warned, just as the front door was kicked open. Poachers tried to force their way in, ruthlessly stabbing. Fred's people threw the blood at them, which had the intended effect; the blood remained visible where it clung to them. Fred and everyone else attacked with renewed confidence, pushing the enemies back from the doorway.

{Dianne had no time to comfort Ryder. Once the hostiles came through the door, Dianne rushed after them as they fled, grabbing one and dragging them back in. Dianne wrapped her arm around thier neck, using them as a meatshield. She then closed the doors again.}

The one Dianne had grabbed was a human. He reached backwards, pressing the barrel of a revolver against her side and pulling the trigger, in a desperate effort to penetrate her armour. Fred, meanwhile, deliberately shot a hole in the door so he could aim his rifle through it and shoot the figures outside.

{Dianne grunted, as she felt the impact, but the round did not get through the armor plating. Dianne takes the revolver from him and levels it at his own head, maintaining her grip.}

Dianne: "Where's your mage? The one putting this ward up? Spill your guts or I'll splatter your brains!"

{Jerry had a similar idea to Frederick. Getting Aava to acompany him, he goes upstairs with his anti dragon rifle, carefully looking out the windows for any bloodstained figures.}

There were a few figures visible out the front, trying to wipe blood off themselves. It was easy to shoot them while they were standing around.
.
The man started to stammer a response, but before he could finish it, a huge blast shook the back of the building. The emergency exit door was blown off its hinges along with part of the wall. All the guards who had been standing behind it were flung back, into the walls, the floor and each other, some actually being knocked out. The poachers who stepped over their bodies were still free of blood. With intent, they began to advance.

{Jerry fires a round, ripping through one of the figures. When he heard the explosion, he turned and started to make his way back downstairs with Aava. Dianne turns and begins firing the revolver at any shimmers, trying to drive them back. She recalls Barnabas, simultaneously shoving the human into the side room.}

Dianne: "Barnabas, get what we need!"

{Dianne charges through, hammer in hand. She swings at the shimmers in close quarters with her burning weapon, trying to kill them all. In the side room, Barnabas pins the human, snarling in his face.}

Barnabas: "Where's the mage, a$$hole?!"

The poachers fired back at Jerry, trusting their armour to protect them enough. When Dianne swung, her hammer destroyed two of them. Then, another blast of light magic struck her at close range. Armin, seeing where it came from, killed the light mage. Then another poacher withdrew a stake and, using magic, threw it at Armin with great force. The stake should have splintered on his armour. Instead, it penetrated the back of his cuirass and plunged into the flesh. Armin stumbled, then screamed as the pain and realisation of what just happened caught up with him.
.
'O-On the road out front! Outside the ward!' said the human, froghtened.

Barnabas: "Finally!"

{Slashing the human's throat, Barnabas takes off for the front road. With his ability to blink, no ward could hold him. Dianne fell back, dazed. She could feel herself weakening. She wouldn't be able to take much more light magic. However, as she sat, she saw Armin take the stake. With a horrific realization, she was overcome with adrenaline and rage. Standing and Roaring, she charges forward, lifting the hammer till it touched her heels, then bringing it down with all her might. This act produced a wall of fire and vitrified debris so hot and so fast that it went out the door, incinerating everything it touched ten meters in a line. She then quickly turned to armin, pulling out the stake as quickly as she could.}

Dianne: "Ryder!"

Every enemy in the path of the blast was killed, while the ones who weren't in the line of fire looked on in horror. Dill, hiding outside, grimaced.
.
//Damn. We need to end this fast...//
.
The mage on the road was standing still, so he could not be seen. Barnabas would have to figure out his position to kill him.
.
Armin let out a pained whimper when the stake was torn out, then shuddered and went limp. Ryder abandoned his place by the front door and hurried over. 'Oh geez...'

{Dianne looked at Armin with worry, then looked to Ryder.}

Dianne: "Ryder, listen to me carefully. In about a minute, that ward is going to go down. When that happens, I need you to take Armin and anyone else you can the hell out of here. They only want him."

{Aava and Jerry move to cover the new, burning hole Dianne blasted into the side of the building. Barnabas knew he couldn't see the mage because he was standing still and concentrating. So, what better way to make them move and break their concentration than by scaring them abruptly? Appearing suddenly in the general vicinity of where the mage's fear was strongest, Barnabas gives an earsplitting shriek, trying to scare the mage into moving.}

'Got it,' said Ryder seriously. 'What about you? You're coming, right?'
.
Fred ran upstairs to shoot through the window Jerry had been using earlier. His remaining guard force watched the front entrance, as there were still poachers outside, as well as around the back. The Draco Pirates seemed to have lost about half their members.
.
The mage gave a tiny yelp and fell over backwards. From a sitting position, he threw a blast of fire magic at Barnabas, not having any light magic.

Dianne: "Of course I am, but me and the cloaked draugr are going to make a distraction to cover you. I'm going to unleash two pyroclastic blasts, one to cover you, then one to cover me. Get the people who can't fly away. Aava, Jerry, Joey, that's definitely you three."

{Barnabas found them, lunging through the fire and locking his jaws over their neck.}

(Dill: 'Sorry, sweetheart, but that's not what's written on my script.')
.
The mage struggled, beating at Barnabas with a dagger. However, he didn't have much chance.
.
Ryder nodded. Suddenly, there were footsteps upstairs. Some poachers had climbed up the building to get to the second floor from outside. One attacked Fred, grabbing him up and slamming him repeatedly against the wall. The others ran downstairs. One smashed Ryder with a club while the other, a burly 7-foot werewolf, jumped on top of Dianne, tackled her to the floor and started punching her. Meanwhile, Dill ran past and grabbed Armin, just as a portal appeared right in front of him. He dived at it.

(Dianne: "So, wait a minute, I damn well nearly beat you, so you use plot armor and a cutscene? Bullsh!t! D:<"
XD )

{Dianne hits the floor hard, struggling against her assailant. She sees Dill go by and take Armin through the portal. Screaming in frustration and rage, she drives her hand through the werewolf with every last ounce of strength she has. Aava runs up the stairs and shied bashed the goon attacking Frederick. Jerry shoots the shimmer that clubbed Ryder. Barnabas snaps the mage's neck, looking expectantly at the ward.}

(Dill: 'Sorry, but that's the perk of being a main villain. :D')
.
The ward flickered, and as the mage's life drained away, it disappeared. As soon as his attacker was gone, Ryder roared and sprung for the portal, unafraid to follow, but it closed right in his face, making him grind to a halt.
.
'Aaaargh, dammit!'
.
The few poachers who still lived were rapidly running away now, loudly cursing Dill for abandoning them. Fred, bruised and dazed, ran downstairs to see what was going on.

{Dianne weakly pushed the dead werewolf off of herself. With her strength exhausted, she could do little more than lie there. Jerry began shooting at the backs of the fleeing shimmers.}

Jerry: "That's right you b@st.ards! Run!"

{Aava came down with Frederick, rushing to Dianne's side.}

Fred hurried to Dianne, despite wincing on almost every step. He looked around - at the blown-in door, the fire damage, the splashes of blood, and his half-conscious guards.

'...Where's dad?' he asked slowly. He would normally be more on the ball, but he had been hit quite hard by the goon upstairs.

Ryder bit his lip. 'They took him...' He knelt down beside Dianne, checking her over.

{Dianne begins to weep bitterly, feebly slamming her fist against the ground.}

Dianne: "Damn it....gods damn it!...I couldn't save him... I...I couldn't...."

Aava: "Well....what do we do now?"

Fred's expression sharpened. He knelt down. 'Dianne, calm down and listen to me. The family who wanted Armin. I know where they live. We can get him back, but we don't have much time. I don't know exactly what they'll do to him once they have him, but it won't be anything good.'
.
Ryder, feeling helpless and lost, walked to the fallen guards and started checking them over, helping some of them up.

Jerry: "He's right. The bounty he kept yammering about is the same bounty my dad tried to collect. We can intercept them."

Dianne: "But...what if he's already dead?..."

Jerry: "Unlikely. If you bring a mark dead, you lose 35% of the prize. He said he wanted to be rich, so it's in his best interests to keep Armin alive."

{Dianne's sorrow turned back into rage. Clenching her fist, she turns to look at Frederick.}

Dianne: "The bounty holder...where /are/ they!?...."

'They live on the fringe of Chalcedony. 27 Wayfarer Avenue. Their names are Violet and Trevor Summers, and their daughter Rachel was murdered.'
.
Frederick stood up. Ryder and his exhausted, battered guards watched from nearby.
.
'Shacklestone was annihilated before Armin could be arrested and sentenced. So they decided to take matters into their own hands, offering half their life savings to anyone who could capture him. It's possible that they want to kill him personally, so we need to hurry.'

Meanwhile, Dill stood on a dusty cliff overlooking the town of Chalcedony. The portal had spat him out not far from his destination. Beside him, slumped on the ground, was Armin, the stake wound in his back still bleeding heavily, too weakened to put up any kind of a fight.
.
'Alright, my little murderer buddy. Let's go,' said Dill. He threw Armin over his shoulder and began the walk towards town. As he did so, he pressed a button on his arm and both he and Armin went invisible.

{Dianne laboredly sits up. Taking her helmet off, she looks around at everyone. Despite the light magic, her eyes were still red.}

Dianne: "...Everyone, please listen...I need your help...I don't have the strength to get there...I need magical energy...I can sap it from living beings, but it will leave you weaker for a while..."

Aava: "You can take mine. Go save Armin."

'Take some from me as well,' said Frederick.
.
'And me,' offered Ryder. 'You've got to get him. Nobody else is dying today.' His expression was solemn, and he was thinking about the dead dragons from his tribe.

{Dianne removes her gauntlets, putting her hands out.}

Dianne: "Take my hands..."

Ryder reached out first, without hesitation. He was not afraid. What had happened today had changed him. The joy of finding the babies alive had been swept aside by the grief and horror of everything else.

{Aava takes her other hand. Both would feel a strange sensation as Dianne absorbed their energy. Dianne breathes in deeply as she felt her strength returning. Once she took about half from the both of them, she lets go.}

Ryder slowly straightened up. 'Woah. That's weird.'
.
'Do you need more?' Fred asked, watching her keenly. A faint air of impatience hung over him. He wanted to get his injured associates home and he wanted her to leave for Chalcedony.

Dianne: "A little more."

{Dianne takes his hand, pulling him close.}

Dianne: "I am going to bring him back. I don't care if I have to wipe that entire town off the map to do it. They will regret this..."

{Aava stands up, shaking herself off.}

Jerry: "I'm coming too."

Once she was done absorbing his energy, Fred took his hand back and surreptitiously wiped it on his clothes.
.
'Do try not to destroy the whole town. It's the Summers family you want.' He looked back at his people. 'Ryder, would you be willing to accompany me? Some of these people will need to be carried back.'
.
'Oh, sure,' said Ryder. He looked back at Dianne apologetically. 'Sorry, I think you guys are on your own from here on out.'

{Dianne stands, nodding.}

Dianne: "Of course. And Ryder...I'm sorry...."

Aava: "Let's get going, Armin's not going to save himself."

Jerry: "Keep us posted, we'll do the same."

Dianne: "And...Let Rex know what happened..."

{Shifting to dragon form, Dianne prepares to leave.}

Ryder shifted too, letting the injured guards climb onto his back.
.
'Yes, stay in contact,' said Frederick. 'Even flying at a good speed, it's going to take you hours to reach Chalcedony, and it will be dark when you arrive. Be careful.'
.
He shifted into a white dove and took off.

{Dianne sighs. With Jerry and Aava on her back and the draugr in her clutches, she takes off for Chalcedony. She felt sick with worry, praying silently that she won't be too late.}

(posting new room)