Miwohada ambled lazily over the barren plains.

Two reddish slanted eyes scanned the ravaged horizon, and Miwohada sank to his belly for a brief rest. Exploring this planet had turned out to be a much bigger task that it had originally seemed. The bishel dragon was built for combat, not wandering, his heart's calling.

Miwohada was a portal of the fiercest breed. He had a thick, sturdy red body and sharp talons and spines that seemed to glow with the light of the dark sun. He was practically a walking jar of poison, his blood and saliva both fatally poisonous to all but himself. However, he had not seen a single life form on this planet to even consider biting. It was a wasteland.

But...what is this? Miwohada said to himself, eyeing a particularly steep hill before him. Sighing, he rose to his feet. The interesting things tended to be just beyond hills like this one. He began walking again, a blood red shadow against the dead earth.

With several thrusts of his powerful hind legs, Miwohada managed to make it up to the top of the hill. Shaking dust out of his proud face, the terran male lifted his head, and gazed in awe at the sight before him.

It was a magnificent dome, silver and cream. The rounded top stretched far over Miwohada's head, and there were no openings in the sturdy sides. In fact, the surface was totally seamless, as though the dome had been carved from a giant stone and placed here, in the middle of nowhere.

Fascinating, Miwohada said to no one in particular, gliding across the ground to stand before the magnificent structure. He placed a claw on the cool material that made the walls, cocking his head and sniffing to pick up a familiar scent, a scent of home. There was none.

Worthless, Miwohada spat, baring his teeth in frustration. It is all worthless. Why did I even come here?

Miwohada turned, and kept walking.

"Please, let me go!" someone screamed.

Miwohada's head jerked up, and he gave a startled roar as a door opened right where his claw had been. He quickly shrank back into the shadow of the great dome as a strange creature was flung from the hole, crying out in fear and choking on the air she could not breathe. The door closed tight again, and the girl fell to her knees.

The girl began to wail incoherently, and Miwohada looked on in utter pity. The creature was in a predicament far more serious than his own. She was unable to breathe. Miwohada would have suffocated long ago, but he kept his own blood flowing. He could easily do the same for this girl.

Miwohada moved to use his magic, then paused. Did he really want to save this being? What race would so carelessly murder their own young? Even the fabled Hirgyae of his old Clan's mythology did not commit such appalling crimes against their own wyrms. Miwohada stepped out from his shadowy dwelling, and walked up to the girl.

And he saw in the child's eyes such an unmasked, gut-wrenching sorrow, and he knew she was different somehow. That was all he needed to see.

Closing his eyes and concentrating with all of his might, Miwohada focused his mind on the sobbing child, and sensed the blood that coursed through her veins. He willed it to move as it always did before, and it did. Miwohada's magic filled Kara's lungs with the air she needed to breathe, and her eyes widened in shock.

"What are you?" she murmured, staring into the dark eyes of the occult being, shivering with fear. "I...I don't want to die!"

Miwohada bowed his head. I do not wish to harm you, little one, Miwohada replied. I only wish to ask you this. Where do I now find myself, lost with no hope of escape?

Kara shuddered again. "Get away from me," she gasped. "You...you monster!"

Miwohada stepped back a pace. You are too bold for your age, Miwohada said, remembering that it was against his custom to bring death upon wyrms. You should learn respect for your elders.

"Why?" Kara snapped furiously, standing up and wiping tears of fear out of her eyes. "What have you 'elders' given me? You've given me nothing! Nothing! Just a life that I wish I didn't have!" Kara was unable to speak after that, choking on her tears.

Miwohada drew his head back in wonder. Never had he seen a wyrm of any species behave so outrageously. Then again, he had seen many shrapes and bishen of other species behave worse. Perhaps she was made to grow up before she was ready.

Little wyrm, Miwohada said softly. What is it that you need? How could I help you?

Kara lifted her head. "I...I..." she began, but she suddenly felt herself tongue-tied. What did she need?

Child, Miwohada said, just as gently as before, what may I call you?

"Kara," the girl sniffled. "What's your name?"

I am Miwohada, the bishel replied. I come from the Poisonblood Clan, and that is where I wish to return. Do you know anything of them or their whereabouts?

Kara blinked. "Poisonblood?" she asked blankly. "You're going to kill me, aren't you. Please don't hurt me!"

Miwohada ignored the girl's frightened outburst, not realizing just how strange he seemed to her. He had seen so many different beings in his travels that nothing surprised him anymore, and certainly not this being. There were too many similar to her. Instead, he was immersed in an overwhelming sense of dissapointment and defeat.

You know nothing! the bishen roared to the skies, his cry echoing around him and making Kara draw away, her back to the wall of the dome. Nothing! Oh Gratira, in your greatness, end my torture! Am I doomed to wander for the rest of my days, with no rest in sight? Tell me, I beg of you!

Kara gave a sharp scream of fear at Miwohada's outburst, losing any sympathy she might have felt for the wretched being. She was consumed in horror, and something inside her, some memory that she didn't know existed, told her that terrible things were about to happen. She had never felt such a feeling of utter agony, for she was now convinced that her life would soon be over. She clutched her throat, and backed up several steps.

Miwohada turned, and looked at the girl with a confused gaze. Why do you fear me? he asked, his eyes full of sorrow. You know nothing of who I am or what I am. How do you know whether or not I mean your harm?

Kara had never been so frightened in her life. "I just have to look at you!" she gasped. "It's in your eyes! You are Their creature, and they've sent you to finish me off!"

Then why am I keeping you alive? Miwohada replied icily. Indeed, the bloodstone pulsed with the effort it took to keep two alive at once. Miwohada had rarely been forced to use his powers on his travels, since few atmospheres were as ruptured and destroyed as this one. He did not have the experience he would have liked to have, and Kara was fortunate that her blood was not going too fast or too slow. It required a great amount of concentration on Miwohada's part to move the lifeblood through Kara's complicated system of nerves, what with all the twists and turns.

Kara wiped a tear from her eye. She tried to reply, but her words were lost in a sob.

Miwohada bared his teeth in frustration. Why do I waste my time? she demanded of Kara, though he did not expect, or want, a reply. Why do I waste my time with beings like you? Beings that hold in their hearts nothing but hatred and prejudice? Perhaps there's a reason that you and your people are confined in that dome there, kept away from the fine fabric of the universe. You can be assured that your neighbors appreciate it greatly! Naieve races like you are the ones that tend to destroy things, and I can see right now that your race in particular would be disasterous if you knew even the tiniest fraction of the things I know about our universe. And now, if you will excuse me, child, I take my leave. Don't fear, I'll let you starve to death instead of suffocate, since I'm assuming there's very little for you to eat in these parts. Good day.

And with that, Miwohada turned and walked furiously away, his mind already on where he would go next.

Which left Kara quite alone.



Ben clutched his knees to his chest, gazing out the window, though his tortured mind was not at all focused on the pretty scenery. He was deep in thought.

If only there were something I could do, he said. Something is bothering me about this whole thing, and I don't know why. Why was she sent out? What did she do?

Just then, there was a knock on Ben's door. His head jerked up, eyes wide, and he stayed totally silent.

"Ben?" Ci asked. "Are you there?"

Ben did not want to talk to Ci. He stayed quiet, not moving a muscle.

"Ben!" Ci said sharply. "Say something!"

Ben bit his tongue to keep from obeying the half of him that told him to listen to his elders. That side of him was the side that They were able to train. His human side rebelled against Their ideas, which was the big problem with Halflings. They could not be trained.

"Maybe they have him in therapy or something," Ci muttered. A moment later, Ben could no longer sense her presence. Relieved, Ben relaxed, and laid his head back on his pillow, thinking.

What could he do?

And They had taken an interest in her. He could feel it. But...what were They after?

"Kara."






See Miwohada