"OW!" Stevan shouted, clutching his leg in pain. "Oh, oh, ohohoh, ouch...!"
"Are you okay?" Nina cried, putting her arm around her son. John was just as concerned, crouching beside Stevan and inspecting his leg.
Several of Shirnav's minions came stomping into the room, sneering through the fense that kept Stevan, John, and Nina trapped. Obviously, they were looking for a bit of amusement.
"And what seems to be the trouble, ma'am?" the first man said in a mock-polite tone that really wasn't that funny. His friend thought it was hilarious, however, and their laughter brought several more guys to the room, grinning and eager for something interesting to happen on the long drive to the secret HQ, where they were headed with the prisoners now.
"The problem," Nina snarled, "is that my son is hurt! His leg is badly injured!"
"And how, exactly, did he hurt his leg?" one man shouted from the large crowd.
"I...fell on it," Stevan said quickly.
"Trying to escape, no doubt," one man muttered, and there was a general murmur of agreement.
"Voa, voa, voa, vat's going on?" a loud voice boomed. In stomped Shrinav himself! "Ve having a bit of trouble vith ze prisoners?"
"The little one hurt hisself," one man explained. "We think he was flying up to escape!"
"Do you, now?" Shrinav sneered, walking heavily up to the wire fence. "Vell, zen, I believe a punishment is in order, is it not? Bring in ze Dragons!"
A couple of men jumped up eagerly and rushed out of the room.
Shrinav began to pace in front of the fence, inspecting the prisoners with a careful eye. "You vill be good for Saxvistan," he said thoughtfully, seeming to ignore the cold stares that returned his threefold.
Just then, the men returned, leading none other than Gana, Kivo, and Io.
"Perfect," Shrinav muttered. "Tree for tree. Let zem in."
The dragons put up a good show of snarling and snapping as a man unlocked the door into John, Nina, and Stevan's room. The dragons entered.
John rushed at Gana, while Nina ran to Kivo, and Stevan paired up with Ionkor. As quick as Shrinav could blink, his prisoners were in the talons of the dragons and out of the wire enclosure.
"Stop zem!" he roared, but his efforts were in vain. He could only watch with fury as the dragons flew through the back hatch of the truck and out into the rising sun.
Then, he felt his truck slow to a halt. Startled, he rushed up to the driver, intending to tell him a thing or two, but he was met with a very unwelcome sight.
"You three are brilliant!" John shouted, the wind blowing on his face. "HAH!"
The group made an interesting spectacle. John and Gana flew side by side. Nina was on Kivo's back, clutching the dragon's neck, her eyes tight shut. Stevan, however, was gazing around himself with glee and whooping and hollering; this annoyed Ionkori very much, obvious through his scowling.
"So, where're we headed?" Kivo asked, eyeing her terrified rider.
"Poliece...Station!" Nina squeaked through clenched teeth.
"Aw, come on, mom!" Stevan scolded. "Enjoy this ride! It's not every day that you get to ride on the back of a dragon!"
Nina opened her eyes slowly, as the dragons changed course for the station. Tense and jerky, she sat up, but, after several minutes, she was relaxed, enjoying the flight with her son.
Soon, however, the poliece station came into view. The dragons and John dipped sharply (Nina closed her eyes again) and landed in the yard.
"Let's go," John said. "If Starre's as smart as I think she is -- and she is -- she'll have contacted poliece. They can tell me if she's okay!"
Nina was about to run to the station, but paused, and turned around. The three dragons were sitting on the grass, looking slightly dejected, but still happy for a job well done.
Well, we'll just get going now, Kivo said, turning to fly away. See you 'round.
"Wait!"
John, Nina, and Stevan looked at each other, and grinned softly. They'd all called out at the same time.
"Where are you heading?" Nina asked, hoping John and Stevan would pick up on her idea.
Gana shrugged his wings. Back to Saxvistan, I guess, he said.
"Well," John continued, "where will you go in Saxvistan?"
Uh... Io began, I...well, I'm not exactly sure.
The alleys, maybe, Kivo offered.
"Well, then," Stevan said slyly, "we'll just have to find a place better than the alleys, will we not?"
"And I know just the place," Nina said. She didn't have to continue; everyone knew that she had finally found her way to pay the three wonderful dragons back.
"Now, come on," John said. "We've got to find Starre." With that, the six companions went into the station to find the seventh.
Unbeknownst to them, they would also find the eighth.