"Who goes there?" The gatekeeper demanded

"Sargent Derek Miller." Derek replied, "From Rect with a report to Knight Commander Brigston."

No answer to that comes for a minute or two before the gates slowly start to swing open, just enough so that Derek can ride his horse into the space between the two gates. The man at the gates swings them closed behind the horse and looks up at Derek. "Have you been here before Sargent?"

With a sigh he replies, "I was trained here before I left for Rect." He swings down off his horse with a slight jingle of his mail coat. With a stretch he sighs and gives the dark horse a pat on the side of the neck.

"Where is Brigston's office?" He inquires with a sigh, "I'd like to get my report to him soon."

"So you can get back to Rect?" The young gatekeeper asks back, "Normally they would send a messenger dragon wouldn't they?"

Derek just smiles for a moment, "Normally they would. But since I was coming down here for other reasons, they thought to send it with me."

"What reasons?"

The Sargent looks at the gatekeeper for a moment. His eyes growing a bit hard, "Do you always ask these questions of you superiors, private?"

Unperturbed the man looks back, "Its my job Sargent. I'm to make sure everyone has a reason for being here these days."

Derek sighs for a moment, "Well then, my last day of my five years is up within the week. I'm here to turn in my gear and then head home. Is that good enough for you private?" He almost barks out.

The private backs away and looks at the taller man, "Yes it is, Sargent." His voice growing a bit colder as he opens up the gate for Derek and his horse to go through.

Without another word Derek walks into the main area of the base. Surprised at its size and complexity, not having seen it for 4 years and not through the eyes of a Sargent before.

"It seems bigger then last time, boy." He says to his horse. "Or maybe I'm just seeing more of it now." He walks his horse over to the stables and waits for the stable keeper to take the horse. Before the man leaves with the dark beast he grabs his arm, "Take the gear to the quarter masters."

The man nods, "Sure Sargent." Derek reaches over and grabs one of the saddlebags and throws it over his shoulder, "Let them know it's from Sargent Miller and I'll be by later to for the accounting."

Derek turns around and starts off again and then stops, "Where's Knight Commander Brigston's office?" He asks the stable keeper but is too late. The soon to be retired Sargent walks off to towards where he remembers the administrative offices to be.

He keeps searching for an hour, not finding anyone to ask for directions or any maps of the place. A sigh escapes his lips as he becomes more and more frustrated, "I'm a scout, by gods, and I can't find one damn building." He starts to mutter.

He stops at an intersection and looks left and right. Still nobody to be found. But there is movement down towards the left. His feet take him that direction but his instincts move him towards the shadows of the buildings. His frustrations have made him slip into his scouting habits as he tries to find at least someone. He leaves the shadows caused by the buildings and looks around to see if he can spot the movement again.

"Nothing." He says, "Is this base deserted?"

"No." Comes a voice from one of the large buildings to the side.

The blade at Derek's side leaves its scabbard as he jumps and turns to face the voice. He falls almost to one knee as he tries to search the darkness.

"I didn't mean to startle you." The voice says.

"What did you mean to do?" The man with the sword asks, lowering it but not returning it to the scabbard.

The voice moves closer, "Nothing really. You just seemed to be lost."

"Lost?" Derek starts, "I wouldn't be lost if…" He stops as the head attached to the voice appears. A great white head comes into the sunlight. The head at least as long as Derek is high and a little over half that in height.

"If?" The dragon asks a bit hesitantly, looking at the Sargent and at the still drawn sword. His eyes squint in the light and almost pulls back his head into the darkness.

Sensing a bit of nervousness on the dragon's part, combined with his own fear at facing the large head that has to be attached to an equally large body, Derek returns his blade to his scabbard. "If I could find someone to tell me where Knight Commander Brigston's office is."

"I take it you haven't heard?" The dragon starts to creep a bit more into the light. The long neck coming out of the darkness of the building followed by the body. Derek backs down the road so the heavy battle dragon can enter the street. The wings folded along the long graceful body. Hiding their true length.

"Heard what, dragon?"

The large dragon looks back and forth almost nervously. Scanning down one road to the other. He lowers his head and speaks quietly. "Knight Commander Brigston was a traitor. Because of him, or allegedly because of him, griffins have been able to get into Ocklad."

Derek looks at the large dragon, "That doesn't explain why there is no-one here, dragon." He says quietly.

"Call me Slizer, not dragon."

"Ok Slizer." Derek almost stumbles over the name. "Where is everyone."

"Dragon Lord Firepoint says that anyone with any relation with the Knight Commander is to be left to him and the dragons." Slizer looks around for a moment again, "Well his squadron actually."

"So everyone is hiding from the ensuing on-slot?" Derek asks with a laugh.

Slizer almost smiles, "I suppose you can say that." He looks to the sky again, his eyes nervous.

"You seem nervous Slizer. Think they might grab you for talking to me?"

The dragon looks down at the human again, "I doubt that, but it would probably be the end of my dreams to actually do something in the world."

"I had that dream once." The man says bitterly, "Well we might as well face the music. Where is the Dragon Lord's office."

The white dragon starts off slowly down on to the streets, "I'll take you there." The large maw lets out a sigh, "And I do suppose all dreamers must wake up and face reality."

Derek catches up the large dragon and gives the large forearm a friendly slap, "That is one way to look at it, Slizer." He sighs as well, "A fatalistic way of looking at it but it may be the right way of looking at it. My dream was that I would leave my home in Eldiad and join the King's forces. Avoiding the Duke's draft and actually making something of my life. I've spent 5 long years in his service. My time is up and I haven't done anything meaningful."

The dragon turns his head to look at the armored Derek, "Mine was similar I suppose. My clan did not want me, nor does the human king, it appears. I left the Flikal Mountains as you humans call it to volunteer for the forces here. In the year I've been here none of the new squires have wanted a mutant like me." The dragon's tones are bitter and filled with self-pitty.

Derek misses the emotion in the dragon's voice, "Mutant? In what way?" He asks.

"I'm white for one."

"I thought all moon dragons were white."

"They are during the full moon. But they change to black as the moon turns to new. I'm white all the time. And my night sight isn't as good as a normal moon dragon. But I do suppose that has its benefits I don't mind the light of the sun. Most moon dragons can stand it but they rather work at night and generally squint during the day."

Derek has another good look at the large white dragon, "I do notice that you aren't squinting now like you did when you came out of that building."

A building came into view before the two could continue their conversation, "Well this looks like it Slizer. I shouldn't be too long if you do want to talk. This should be my last day in the army. And I've a feeling you may not be wanting to hang around here long yourself."

The dragon looks down at the man again, "You are probably right. Nothing his holding me here because I have no rider. And I get sadder and more frustrated each day."

Derek grins, "Well then maybe we'll leave this base together." With that he gave the dragon another friendly pat on the forearm, unable to reach a shoulder, then walked towards the office.

* * *

"What do you want?" The man at the desk asked at Derek walked into the office.

Holding his ground the tall man looked down at the man sitting at the bench.

After snapping a crisp salute to the officer Derek answers. "I have a message for Knight Commander Brigston, sir." He says in an evenly controlled voice. Making sure that the rest of the room hears.

The lieutenant looks up again, his face going pale. "Say that again."

"I said, I have a message for Knight Commander Brigston, sir." The same, evenly controlled voice, "I have been informed that he is not available to receive the message and to give it to Dragon Lord Firepoint."

"Who told you that?"

Derek holds his ground, "I am a scout, sir."

"So?"

"By regulations dictating the conduct of a scout, a scout may not reveal his sources of information, unless it is to another scout and only under the strictest confidence."

Before the lieutenant could ask again another man speaks out, "It was the mutant, sir." Derek turns his eyes towards the new man. Eyes suddenly cold and deadly, his face rock hard and impassive. The man who spoke out suddenly had other places to go.

The scout's eyes turn back the lieutenant, his posture back to exactly the same position as it was before the other man interrupted as if he never left. The officer's face has gone paler still, "I will inform the Dragon Lord that…" He pauses for a moment collecting himself, "Wait over there." Remembering who was the superior officer.

"Yes sir." The Sargent salutes and turns around to wait by the seats. Standing at ease, his body radiates the cold menace that he has learned the hard way with his trade of being a scout.

The lieutenant leaves his desk and does his best to look unhurried as he rushes down the hallway towards the door at the end. Minutes pass before he comes scurrying back.

"The Dragon Lord will see you now. But I'll have to." Derek's hard eyes turn towards the officer, as hard and deadly as they were the first time.

"You'll have to do what?" Derek pauses and then adds on, "sir?" The last said equally hard and cold as his eyes. He doesn't wait for an answer before he marches down the hallway to the Dragon Lord's office.

His feet are already past the thresh hold before the desk officer says, "take your sword." In a quiet voice, as if he doesn't want to be heard.

* * *

With a thud of his boot Derek snaps to attention and salutes the man behind the desk. He waits for the return salute from the Dragon Lord before dropping his hand to the side.

The man behind the desk looked to be in his late forties, but hasn't lost any of the muscle that keeps him a fighting solider. The pale green eyes look over Derek, resting for a moment on the sword still in the scabbard.

"At ease Sargent." His voice like gravel.

With a quick step, his legs spread to the proper distance and his foot hits the ground with a loud thump. His hands go behind him.

The Dragon Lord lets out a sigh, "I see you are going to be difficult, scout."

"Difficult, sir?" His voice is still hard, barely rising at the end for the inquiry.

"Yes difficult." Dragon Lord William Firepoint answers with authority. "The only time a scout acts the way you do is when he's expecting trouble from his superiors or he's getting ready to kill one of them."

Derek keeps his look hard as he listens. His stance remains unmoving, as rigid as if he was at attention.

"Which is it Sargent? You're not planning on killing me are you."

"That thought never crossed my mind, sir."

The hard look from the scout is returned by one equally as hard, "That's one lie scout. Don't let me catch you in another. You may not have come here looking to kill me, but I know how you scouts are trained to kill anything that is in front of them. And that includes me." He pauses only a moment, "You have a message for Brigston?"

"Yes sir."

"Well what is it?"

Derek reaches into his pocket and pulls out a message tube and places it on the desk before the Dragon Lord. His hand motions are slow and careful, as non-threatening as they can be.

The older man picks up the message tube without taking his eyes off the younger man. By feel he opens the tube and pulls out the paper. Briefly he looks down and flips through the pages. His eyes look up, "Have a seat, Sargent."

Derek stands still. "I prefer to stand, sir."

"I said have a seat." The man orders. His eyes harden even more. The pale blue eyes holding the young mans as he sits. The sword-belt becomes a hindrance as he settles into the wooden chair.

Minutes pass as the William reads through the parchment. "I take it you are Derek Miller."

"Yes sir."

"Have you read this?" William asks, but answers himself, "No you haven't. What do you know of Brigston."

"He is in charge of the 2nd home guard division. He is said to have the best troop and best scouts in the King's forces."

William Firepoint takes a moment to evaluate the man before him. "Nothing more?"

"Nothing more, sir."

"Well it seems your friend Ericson has asked Brigston to hold onto you."

"Sir?"

"The message says that you're at the end of your 5 year tour. And that you were the best scout in Rect, if not the entire northern nations."

"Doubtful sir. I've only been a scout for 3 years. My experience is limited."

"Are you saying I'm lying Sargent?"

"No sir, just misinformed."

"Well you would have been right Sargent. I was lying about that. The letter says that you have the potential to become one of the best scouts, but only if you don't do the stupid thing and leave the king's forces."

The scout remains silent.

"No answer to that? I expect not. Major Ericson requested that Brigston do his best to convince you to renew your tour."

No answer comes from the scout.

"What is your answer to that, Sargent."

"No sir."

"No?"

"That's correct, sir. My 5 years are up. I'm returning back to Eldiad and to my parents mill."

"Why?"

"Personal reasons, sir."

The Dragon Lord leans back against his chair, "We can't let you leave now that you're involved in this."

"Honestly, sir, you can't legally make me stay."

"No we can't. But we can keep you here all the same." After a hard stare, "You're dismissed."

Derek stands up and salutes and walks out.

* * *

Slizer was waiting for him by the quartermaster's building. "Well that went well." Derek says first.

"It doesn't sound like it."

The young Sargent looks up at the Dragon, "I don't think I've given you my name. I'm Derek Miller." The dragon just nods, "Do you know what date it is?"

"5th of the 9th month."

The Sargent looks up towards the sun, "And well past noon. That means I'm no longer a Sargent." He grins. "I'll be back in a few." He walks into the building.

A few minutes pass and the man comes out, without his armor but still wearing his sword and belt.

"Now Derek will you let me know what's going on. I saw that weasel of a human spot me and then go off running towards the dragon buildings. Probably a bad sign."

"You maybe right Slizer. The Dragon Lord doesn't want me leaving the base but he doesn't have grounds to hold me here. Especially since I'm a civilian now."

"What are you going to do?"

"Oh hop over the wall come night fall. After all it was my job to sneak in and out of places."

The dragon smiles for a moment and then laughs, "Well since I don't seem to be wanted here I could always just fly you over the wall. Make it two jail breaks instead of one."

Derek looks up at the large dragon, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Why not." He says, "Its not like I'm going to be able to make meaning of my life sitting here. I might as well go with you and have some fun."

A laugh comes from the scout, "You might be right." He looks the dragon over, "You're a might bit larger then a horse, and I'd have a fair ways to fall, if I slip off."

"You have a couple of large belts?" The dragon asks, "If you have a couple you can hook together and place around my neck just above you should be able to hold on that way."

Laying down the saddle bags, the tall man goes through them, "I think these will do." Buckling them together and then around the dragon's neck, "Not too tight is it?"

"No. Climb aboard."

The scout smiles, "This is going to be interesting when they go looking for me tonight and we're long gone." He grabs a hold of the belt and climbs onto the broad neck of the dragon.

"I suppose there's another good thing to being a mutant. I seem to be able to form an air shield over my back so that you won't be hit by the winds or the cold."

"Well that's a good thing." He hooks his calves and feet around the belt and holds on with both hands. He saddlebags rest under his legs, between him and the dragon. "I'm ready here."

The dragon settles back on his rear legs and then springs into the air.