Sharna awoke to a pounding headache. She didn't think any part of her was without pain. She cracked her eyelids open. They didn't know she was alive. And, judging from the scatter of courtier bodies around her, the king was still running rampant in the castle. She rose slowly, making sure there was no one to see her. Neither of her wings were broken; it looked as if her head had taken the worst of the fall. A quick inventory showed no serious injuries, but one of her tail spikes had been sawed off; presumably by a guard wanting a "souvenir." Ah, well, I can grow it back. The skin around her crest hurt terribly, and her vision was a little blurred.

Sharna flew off to the ledge she had departed from and clung to it, watching the activity inside. There were only two people in the chamber. One was the king, with singed hair and a nasty gash across the fine brocade on his arm. He reeked of Karla's magic. Good. Karla got her shot in. The other huddled figure was the focus of the king's attention, and looked like she was torturing herself. The king drew a dagger and held it out, ordering her to do something. The huddled figure raised its head. It was Karla! Sharna nearly let go of the ledge. Her eyes darted around the chamber. She could see a large group of crossbow-armed guards in the other room. So she would be alone and unarmed against soldiers who were under the total control of the one they were protecting--not a good situation.

What do I owe her? Sharna thought as she watched Karla lift a hand for the dagger. I have paid my debt. But a deeper, truer voice whispered, she would have done the same for you. That was all the convincing she needed.

Leaping from the ledge with the lightning agility that was the gift of all dragons, she lunged across the room just in time to see Karla plunge the dagger into he own heart. The world seemed to move in slow motion. She dodged arrows and lashed out at the king with her talons. The arrows stopped as the guards were released from the spell. She grabbed the scepter and rushed to Karla's side.

"I thought you were d-dead," Karla gasped.

"I have my ways of staying alive. Don't you die on me."

"Afraid I can't he-help it" Karla managed. And that was it.

Sharna leapt to her feet. She didn't have enough power! Karla could only be saved with magic now. But even if Sharna drained her life energy, it wouldn't be enough. The scepter! Of course! A tremendous amount of power would have been put into that thing! Sharna placed one hand on the dagger, still embedded in Karla's chest, and crushed the scepter with the other hand. She allowed its and her power to flow through the dagger and heal the dying tissue. Slowly drawing the dagger was agonizing. The pain of holding so much energy, doubled with the fact that she was draining part of her own life energy to finish the task, caused her to collapse when she had fully freed the dagger. She only hoped she had done enough.

Evidently, the king had not rid his guard of everyone with honor. When Sharna awoke, it was to a full guard that was defending them from a mob of angry courtiers.

"That thing has killed the king! And you protect it?"

"It saved your pitiful life," muttered one of the guards. "You were next in line." The courtier paled and quickly excused himself. The mob, losing its figurehead, disbanded quickly. Sharna gently shook herself and rose, only to collapse again. That's what I get for draining a quarter of my life energy, she thought. She lifted her head, slowly this time, to see the guard who had stabbed himself earlier. "I thought you were dead," she said. Her voice must have startled him, because he jumped and pivoted to face her with startling agility. He was pale and heavily bandaged, and his eyes had the faded look of someone recently healed by magic.

"Many of us seem to be hard to kill these past few days," he said with a grin. "You have been out nearly a day, you know."

"A day!" a wave of dizziness overtook her again as she tried to stand again.

"You shouldn't do that," he said. A concerned look came across his face. "And what makes you a judge of what I can and cannot do?" Sharna growled.

"I know a great deal about dragon healing," he said.

"Oh, really?" Sharna allowed sarcasm to leak into her voice. "And I suppose you're going to tell me that you frolic with the dragons in the hills of Taracona?"

"All true--except the frolicking part," his grin widened.

Sharna realized her jaw was hanging. In an attempt to regain her dignity, she made a show of moving into a more dignified position. "What is your name?" she asked imperiously.

"Tynan," he said. He never seemed to stop grinning. "Have you heard of me?"

"Yes, I believe so." Heard of him!? Any dragon knew of him. He was the assistant, and (in this case) spy, of the draconic ambassador in Belle Atlantica.

"Your friend is doing fine," he said, ignoring her shock. "Where did you find so much power?" Sharna held out the lump of gold she still had clenched in her fist. "It was the staff," she explained. "I doubt anyone in their right mind will miss it." Tynan nodded, eyeing the thing suspiciously. "Any chance of moving my friend to better accommodations? I like sleeping on stone, but humans are fragile creatures."

"Ah, yes." He said, looking embarrassed but ignoring her veiled insult. "We'll move her to a guest room"

"I am not going anywhere right now," Karla moaned in the background. "I hurt too much."

"You're awake!" Sharna didn't try to hide her delight.

"And wishing I wasn't," she said. Karla moved to rise.

"I wouldn't try that," Sharna warned as Karla toppled to the floor.

"Thanks for the warning."

"Well," Tynan said, "I hate to break up a happy reunion, but you both need your rest." Before either of them could protest, he had put them both into a magical sleep.

Sharna was tiring of waking up in strange places. She was in a room that was obviously designed for the comfort of a small dragon; a very rich small dragon, judging from the quality of the cushions she rested on.

"You're quite heavy, you know," a draconic voice said behind her. "I had to work a size spell to carry you here." Sharna lifted her head weakly to see a small, gray-green dragon.

"And where, exactly, is here?"

"My rooms, at the capital of Belle Atlantica," the dragon replied. There was only one dragon that lived at Belle Atlantica. That would make her--Jessith! "My, I seem to be meeting so many royals these days."

"I felt the same way when I first came here," replied Jessith; she was the dragon half of the team of Taraconian ambassadors; and possibly the most powerful dragon Sharna had ever spoken with.

"It's so nice to hear a proper voice again," said Sharna. She so longed for proper conversation which reminded her of Karla. "How is my friend?"

"Who, the human? Better off than you are."

"What do you mean? She had a dagger in her heart."

"Yes" Jessith looked at her. "You mean you didn't realize you drained over two thirds of your life force?" Two thirds! Sharna was suddenly very light- headed. She knew sorcerers who had drained one third and died! No wonder she was so tired.

"Well, I was a bit distracted at the time," she said, trying not to betray her nervousness.

"Can you sit up?" Jessith asked.

"I won't know until I've tried." She somehow managed to force her feet under her. There was something wrong. "Hey!" Sharna exclaimed. "I'm still small!"

"Of course you are. How else would you fit in this room?" There was a knock at the door, and before Jessith was halfway there, Karla stormed in, glaring eyes riveted on Sharna's weak body.

"How could you risk your life like that!?" Karla demanded.

"Would you rather I had let you die?" Sharna retorted calmly. Karla opened her mouth to say something, then stopped, realizing any answer would sound foolish. Sharna continued. "It was worth it." Karla looked at her, searching for some hidden agenda; finding none, she grinned in surprise. Sharna couldn't help but pity her. She had obviously had a harder time with the constant threat of death than she had let on. They both needed a break. "Really," Sharna enforced. She returned Karla's gaze and grinned as well.

"I hate to interrupt," Jessith said, "But Karla's visit isn't just to see you."

"Oh!" The sound of two strong facades snapping back up was almost audible.

"How would you like to be an advisor to DracoDvana?" Karla asked. Sharna grinned, surprised.

"What does she want with me?"

"Well, she only knows what dragons like Jessith want and not" Karla trailed off.

"Uncivilized ones?" Sharna finished. Karla nodded, embarrassed.

"Will you be staying?" asked Sharna.

"Well, will you?" said Karla. "I would like to, but if you're not" Sharna laughed, and Karla looked at her as if she had just eaten someone.

"What?" asked Sharna, still grinning.

"I've never heard you laugh before." Karla looked embarrassed. Sharna blinked as she realized Karla was right.

"No, I guess you haven't," she said, her grin widening. Jessith cleared her throat, bringing them back to the present.

"I'm staying if you are," Karla said.

"It looks as if we're staying, then! Now, out with you both. I need my sleep," she said, yawning as if to emphasize the fact. "And I intend to wake up in the same situation I went to sleep in!"