Rogue moved silently through the long grasses, trying to make out the stiff form in the distance.  She cursed at her nearsightedness and continued stalking her target, knowing the closer she got, the more she could make out.  She paused and thought about this mission for  a moment.  What was she getting herself into?  And who in the world would be out here, specially on this night, standing like it was pinned to a board?  Only one answer to this question, of course, Tsar.  She smiled to herself.  He smiled as she reached him, a rare thing , unless it was the evil version that  is, then looked toward the horizon. 
     "You are the first, Water Child,"  his voice rumbled in the dark.
     Even in human form, Tsar still had an almost frightening growl to his voice.
     "Be patient god-like One, they will be here," she answered, a lopsided grin on touching
her lips.
     As if summoned by a dog whistle,  Narel appeared, a flush of red on his cheeks. There seemed to be a nervous glint in his eye but Rogue could relate to that.  Right now, she felt as if she was in line for the most frightening roller coaster ever and there were only a few people ahead of her.  Narel's inane chatter passed the time until a figure bounded into view.  Rogue smiled at their newest member as he bowed, a twinkle in his eyes. 
     "I pray never to see a woman more radiant than you for if I do it will surely be in heaven.  And Rogue . . . I'm not ready to die yet," Aydn said, his voice like velvet.
     Rogue rolled her eyes suggestively then peered out across the field.  Was that thing
scampering across the meadow what she thought it was?  Yep, defiantly cat-boy.  Galileo
skidded  to a stop, inches from the trio and grinned a kitty grin.  Tsar looked at each of them as if trying to figure out a difficult math problem.  A corner of his mouth rose slightly and he shifted into a huge red dragon. 
    "Do you remember your quest?" he rumbled.
     They looked at one another, nodding slightly.
     "You are on a mission for me but, not for me alone.  Many the people will not survive without you.  Bear in mind,  as you have been told many times, magic there is considered evil and the people who use it are known as the witches.  Witches burn very well.  I must reiterate this."
     He stirred slightly and covertly watched Rogue.
     "Any questions before you leave?" he asked. Hearing none he continued.  "Then I would suggest closing your eyes." 
     All obeyed except for the showoff of a feline. They braced themselves for the worst.
     The drop was sudden and an icy blast of wind shocked Rogue.  She clenched her teeth, hoping none would notice her trepidation. Slowly she opened her eyes and glanced about her at her new surroundings.  It was dark with an almost supernatural fog snaking about her feet.  She thought she spotted a critter leaping from shadow to shadow but shook her head.
     *Your imagination is getting the better of you . . . * she chided herself. 
     Rogue could barely see her hand in front of her face.  Her companions were merely darker spots in the mist.  Everyone stood peering about trying to penetrate the fog.  They stood in an alley, stone walled buildings to either side.  An odor of rot pervaded the air.  Under foot the cobblestones were slimy and scum pooled all about..
     "We should wait until this fog clears," Narel said almost angry that the weather would do such a thing.
     All nodded, watching for the slightest movement.  The atmosphere, so hushed by the fog, caused all to speak in lowered voices as they discussed options.  The sound of friends was comforting.

     "Shh, quiet!" Narel hissed.  "I think I hear something!"
     Narel cocked his head and stared up into the sky.  Suddenly the ground shook violently as though struck by a great hammer.  Heads snapped around, trying  to locate the source of the quake. 
     "Duck and cover!" Narel yelled.
     "Yeah, but where?!" Oldest retorted.
     Oldest pointed to the nearby building wall.  As they began to move to the shelter of the edifice a huge ball of fire smashed into the roof peppering the group with stone shrapnel.  They all turned to each other, wide-eyed, only to be nearly jolted from their feet as another huge ball slammed into the ground.  Narel chanted and gesticulated wildly.  A glittering dome appeared over the group as debris rained down.
     "I don't think these are normal weather conditions!" Aydn screamed shakily.
     "Yeah, I can hear it now, 'We have a slight chance of flying fire balls, followed by winds gusting up to light speed!'" Rogue responded with a slight giggle.
     "Yeah or, 'Don't go out tonight folks, flaming fire balls are on the loose, and you don't
want to meet up with one of those!'" Aydn followed.
     Oldest and Narel shook their heads but Rogue was sure she saw a slight smile from each.  Looking around for a safe place to hide until this storm was over their only cover proved to be the free standing wall of a newly destroyed building.  Aydn broke cover a dashed toward the refuge.  With a sigh, Rogue followed.  Narel and Oldest exchanged glances and but trailed along.
     "Come on slow-pokes!" Aydn called over his shoulder.
     Rogue's foot hit a pool of slime and she stumbled forward into Aydn.  Deftly the bard caught her around the waist and dragged her along.  They dived behind the wall and landed together in a heap.  Breathlessly Rogue managed a quick thanks.
     Aydn peeked over the wall and was relieved to see Oldest and Narel were closing
rapidly.  As Aydn and Rogue huddled behind the wall the bard unable to refrain from giving her occasional naughty grins.  Something slammed into the wall above them and looked up in time to see the top portion crumbling in on them.  A stone struck Rogue in the shoulder and another bounced heavily off Aydn's back.  She pulled on his arm and dragged them from beneath the rain of wall rock.  Side by side they watched their cover collapse.
     "Oh sure, 'Get behind the wall, we'll be safe there.' you say, 'It'll be fine.' you say!" Aydn mumbled. 
     "As if this is my fault!" she retorted sharply. 
     They sprinted toward the approaching Oldest and Narel.  Again Narel spoke the words of power and formed a pure black disc that reminded Rogue of a starless night.  It hovered complacently at the mage's feet.
     "Get on, we need out of here!" he yelled above the roar of falling meteors.
     Rogue leaped onto the disc followed by Galileo.  Aydn hesitated only to be hauled up in the platform by the Dragon.  Narel stepped onto the disk and with a mental command lifted the quartet into the air.  Altitude gave them a panoramic view of the devastation surrounding them.  A once secure wall city lay in ruins.  Hundreds of fires burned. Nothing had escaped. 
     "Do you see any survivors down there?" someone murmured.
     Flame tinged their faces a ruddy red and highlighted the dark smudges of soot.
     "Well, we should still go back," Oldest said.
     "I don't think so . . ." Narel was pointing behind them.
     A huge firestorm was forming only a kilometer from them.  Already they could feel the oxygen being sucked from their lungs.  The mage steered the disk to the west and the promising safety of the bay.  Rogue looked longingly toward the inviting green water.  To her horror she realized the very sea was boiling!  The surface was torn and steaming and tears welled in her green eyes at the thought of the terrible toll in sea life.  In the distance a ship, burned to the waterline, was smoldering, the waves extinguishing the last tongues of flame. 
     "Can you see anyone aboard?" Narel asked.
     Rogue shook her head, knowing nothing could live in that caldron.  Galileo scanned the horizon. 
     "Head north!" Oldest called over the rising winds.  "There is a forest!"
     Aydn clapped his hands with glee at the thought of cool woods. 
     "If the wind blows the fire over to that forest, and we're in it . . .  "  Rogue trailed off, her voice  trembling at the thought. 
     "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it . . ." Oldest replied.
     Narel set them close to the edge of the forest and Aydn shifting into his capuchin form. With a bound he raced into the trees.  As only a monkey can, he scampered to the top of a forest giant and peered around.  Oldest found a faint path and followed it with Rogue close behind.  Narel voice brought them up short. 
     "Should we not go look at the city first?" he asked.
     They realized he was right, of course, and chagrined they returned to the landing sight. 
     "Freeze, I hear something," Aydn's disembodied voice wafted down from over head.
     All stood in various attitude of listening.  Something was moving in the bushes.  Aydn, human once more, dropped to the ground and carefully inched closer.  Narel shot him a reproving glance and readied himself. 
     "Mama?" a faint sweet voice called. 
     From the bush stepped a beautiful little girl.   She no bigger than a bugs's ear but had the wisdom of her innocence.  Frightened eyes shimmered in the moonlight and Rogue could feel her  heart melting. 
     "No sweetheart, it's not your mama," Aydn whispered to her. "When did you see her
last?"
     "When she tucked me 'nite 'nite," the little angel replied. 
     Oldest looked at Rogue and, when she gave him a confused look, tossed his head at the girl.  Rogue approached the child as though she were a skittish sea creature.  Slowly the Water Child knelt beside the girl and looked her over. 
     She must have been walking through a briar patch as she was covered head to toe
scratches.  Rogue was concerned that if not healed the child would be covered in scars.  Narel fumbled in a pouch and drew out a tiny cusamar berry.  He poured her a cup of cool water and crushed the berry into it.  The child took the cup and downed the draft gratefully.  As Rogue watched the tiny scratches slowly healed and disappeared.
     "What's your name, lass?" Aydn asked gently.
     "Kara, and I'm three!" she answered with a sweet little girl voice.
     Rogue settled herself on the turf beside the girl.  Kara gave Rogue a little smile and
unconsciously the woman found herself reaching for the girl.  Kara tip-toed over and climbed into Rogue's lap.  Smiling, the Ocean girl put her chin on Kara's head and began softly singing a WaterOnes lullaby.  The child drifted into dreams and Rogue could feel herself starting  to float away.  As she closed her eyes an afterglow formed.  The soft light drew her back, glowing in the distance.  She pointed  it out to her companions and  they stood peering into the dark.  Of course Aydn was off like a shot, flying through the trees with ease.  Narel helped Rogue to her feet, careful onto to disturb the sleeping child and together they trailed slowly after Galileo.
     It didn't take long for them to realize the light was coming from a small cottage.  The
dim glow of a lantern bracketed the door as Oldest stepped up to the portal.  The Dragon's knock produced the fearful countenance of a man in his early thirties.   Rogue,  hidden in the shadows with Kara and Aydn in his primate form, could see the man clearly.  Narel circled the building, as ever, suspicious. 
     "May I help you?" the man asked.
     "Who is it, Martin?" a woman's voice was tremulous with fear.
     "We have found a child in the forest and we were wondering if you knew her . . ." Oldest replied and beckoned Rogue nearer.
     A look of recognition spread across Martin's face.
     "Kara! Child what are you doing here?" his fear changed rapidly to worry.  "She lives
down the road toward town."
     He told them that Kara's parents were neighbors and he had no idea how she had gotten so far.  Martin volunteered to take her to her parents in the morning.  Carefully he took the sleeping child from Rogue and passed her off to his wife as she stood behind him.  Aydn chose that moment to proclaim himself and leaped onto the man's shoulder.  In typical monkey fashion he raised hell.  With a bound he landed on the woman's shoulder, determined to stay with the lost child.  Grace was the wife's name and it suited her.  Without a thought to the capuchin she carried the girl up the loft stairs and lay her between her own children.  Aydn the monkey appeared to be satisfied and dropped to the bed.  He curled up next to Kara and drifted off to sleep.
     "Perhaps you have room for us tonight?" the dragon inquired.
     Martin shook his head.
     "With five already in the house we are crowded," he said. "But please, my barn is clean and warm, feel free to make use of it.  It is the least I can do for your finding Kara."
     "That would be most kind of you," Galileo told him.  "We would be grateful."
     Martin took down a lantern and lit it. 
     "Please accept a meal from us in the morning, I am sure Kara will want to see you
again," He handed the lantern to the cat dragon.
     "We shall detain you no longer," Oldest stepped back from the door and took Rogue's
elbow. "Good night, good Martin."
     "Good night, sir," Martin closed the door as the duo reached the corner of the cottage.
     Narel waited for them in the dark.
     "A barn, huh?" the mage said.  "I have slept in worse."
     They settling into the barn and Martin was true to his word.  The fresh clean smell of new mown hay greeted them.  Each gathered a pile of the fragrant stuff and spread Archer's sleeping bags across it.  Rogue drifted off to sleep to the quiet murmurs of Narel and Oldest discussing the following day.