Of Dragons and Gargoyles Part 2: The Way Things Are... A "Gargoyles" Fanfiction by Matt Little (myrlynn@execpc.com) Hello again! If you're reading this, I hope that means that you read my previous one. If not, then you won't recognize Bolt. That's ok, you didn't have to read it (although you should...hey, I can plug myself, can't I?) to hopefully appreciate this one. We'll get all the usual legalese out of the way now, you know, None of the characters in this are mine except for the ones I made up. I do this solely for non-profit; it's a hobby of mine. The characters you're familiar with are property of Walt Disney/Buena Vista Televison. Author's Note: This story happens a month after Goliath, Elisa, Angela and Bronx visit Scotland in 'Shadows of the Past'. Any relation to other characters and stories are purely by accident. Warning! I'm a AD@D gamer so I'll probably lapse into being graphically descriptive in combat, nothing personal; I just get worked up by it! ************************************************************************ Prolouge 2594 A.D. Manhattan With a loud roar, the gargoyles sitting atop Castle Wyvern broke free to greet the night. Jumping down, they proceeded to continue on with whatever they had left off the night before. The current leader of the clan, a large pale green one named Duke, approached the old gargoyle that was on his way back to the little room that he called home these days. "Excuse me, Elder. I have a question. That young gargoyle last night, Excaliber? What did he want to hear about?" he asked hesitantly. 3G paused for a minute, then stared at his leader with his one good eye. "He wanted to hear about Goliath and the original Manhattan clan, Duke. Why, think he'll overthrow you?" 3G had asked many questions when the last leader had died under mysterious circumstances; he never thought that Duke should have been made clan leader, and it was well known. However, the old warrior was firmly rooted, and many gargoyles would wonder and ask questions if something happened to him. "No, just curious..." Duke said, a glint in his eye. He hated the old gargoyle; the old one had been firmly against his becoming leader from the start and had been a pain ever since. Duke walked away. 3G stood by as another gargoyle ran up to Duke, and started sucking up to the big gargoyle. The way that Duke acted towards him told of many a night that the other acted this way. 3G was reminded of a liine out of an old, old movie he had seen long ago, and laughed at the irony of the situation: "There goes the next chief of police." Just then, a teenage gargoyle landed upon the battlements of the castle, clutching a young gargoyle. 3G saw that it was young Excaliber. The hatchling ran over to him, and looked up at him with wide eyes. "3G! Are ya gonna tell me a story tonight?" 3G turned to the teenager. The current fashion was the same as back in 994; she wore just a halter and loincloth. By the way that she fidgeted around (and by the way she looked) he figured she had a beau somewhere waiting for her. "Go ahead, Mary. I'll take care of him." She grinned and leapt off into the night. 3g grabbed ahold of Excaliber, and together they walked downstairs. On the way, 3G started telling Excaliber the story he had lined up for tonight. "It started very a very long time ago, in the Year of Our Lord 820 A.D., in the home of our ancestors..." ************************************************************************** Chapter one 820 A.D. Scotland The great beast wandered at the outskirts of the town. He had to be careful. The last time he had almost been spotted. He didn't know how the others of his race managed to change into other shapes, be didn't actually care. He was not ashamed of his form, it sent the peasants running in fear! He remembered back to a time when he would boldly walk into town and demand his tribute; now, they would openly defy and attack him! His rear leg still ached from where he had stumbled into one of their traps. It was payback time tonight! He had watched this town for two weeks, learning the patterns of it's people, figuring when would be the perfect time to strike at these pitiful humans that dared to challenge him! And that time was tonight! However, what he didn't know, was that these 'pitiful humans' knew about him and planned to take care of him, once and for all. They knew what he was, and they planned accordingly. They waited until their families went away before springing the trap. If it didn't work, they would probably all die any ways. It walked on all fours for the time being, reverting to its hind legs only when it needed to see the stars. It had done this same task numerous times. Tonight would be no different, or so it thought. I'll be able to sleep in my lair for a full week, it thought to itself, while the humans rebuild their petty little town, then he would return and take all the little humans for food to it's larders. Suddenly, a bright glare attracted his attention. It came from the town. He could see a large bonfire burning in the middle of the town. That's strange, he thought, moving to take a closer look, why would they start a bonfire in the middle of summer? Stepping closer, he stepped into a pit that had been dug the night before, impaling his foot on the stakes that had been placed on the bottom. He screamed, pulling out his wounded foreleg. From behind him, twenty humans in armor rushed him, embedding spears into his flesh. Although it did not hurt him that much, the audacity made him roar out loud. He clawed back at them, smashing half of them against trees. The rest thrust again, hoping to keep him off balance long enough for the rest of the plan to work. The great beast contented himself with killing the rest of the pesky humans that poked at him, flinging their twisted and mangled bodies all over the forest. As he impaled the last one on a branch, a voice spoke behind him. "Dragon!!" screamed a human from behind him. He stood up on his hind legs and swiveled toward the sound. Ah, he thought, they do recognize their true masters. Stretching out to his full height of one hundred and seventeen feet, he roared into the night before dropping back to all fours, he slowly walked forward towards the human. "Aye, dragon, walk closer to yer doom," whispered the armored human. His eyes shifted back and forth to the buried traps that the had painstakenly made these last few days. His hand wrapped around the medallion around his neck. He could feel the power that flowed from it. Used properly, it would end the threat; improperly, they would all be destroyed by the menace. "Hold dragon! I wish to speak wit' ye fer a moment," stated the human, raising his hand up in the air. The dragon paused, then rumbled "Why? So you can beg for your pitiful life?" "Nay, dragon, or should I call ye...Firestorm?" answered the human. The dragon stepped back for a minute. He knew that the humans had named him during his rampage in Europe. But when he was forced to flee to this godforsaken island, he never thought that his reputation would follow him so far. He narrowed his eyes at the small human in front of him. "Aye. I know yer true name. I heard all 'bout ye from some traders. I know how to defeat ye. But, I will give ye a chance to leave my home, and this island under an oath never to return again!" With that, he raised up his medallion. Staring at the little disc around the human's throat, the dragon began to smile, then roared in laughter. "Stupid human, Don't you know that magic has no effect on me or my kind?" he said as he started to move forward. "I know that, but what isn't cast upon ye will effect ye! Eventis Moratave!" he shouted, raising his medallion up. Instantly, if front of the dragon, the pit that had been rendered invisible by the medallion's magic came into view. As Firestorm hesitated, six human fighters ran up and looped iron chains around his legs. Spreading his wings, he made to take off. "Discobel! Fire!" shouted the knight, as he fell to one knee. From the town gate, a side-pulled catapult let loose the sawblade-like projectile it held in the throwing arm. As the dragon lifted off, the discobel raced toward the dragon, shearing off the left wing as it passed before wedging itself in a huge oak tree. Roaring in pain for the first time, the huge red lost balance, toppling into the pit. Reaching up with his one good foreleg, he grasped the edge of the pit. When the chains dropped past, the weight from them almost made him lose his grip. But he grimly held on, staring with rage and loathing at the filthy human that had caused this. "By my oath, human, you and your family with pay for this," the dragon said, "I swear it!" "By my sword," drawing a magnificent broadsword from its sheath, "I swear that ye are joined with the earth until such time that the magic fails, so swears Lord Leonard MacDonnell, Keeper and High Steward of these lands!" With that statement, he thrust the sword into the dragon's paw. Firestorm, forced to release his handhold, never even blinked as he fell into the dark pit. As he fell, Lord MacDonnell heard him say, "By my Oath, Human! Remember that!" The knight lifted the medallion, holding it out to arm's length, and began chanting: Sevelaris oth Mathistar, bealenvay atar Jeste!" The medallion glowed briefly and the pit disappeared. Falling to his knees as his men raced to help him, he raised himself up, spitting on the spot where the pit had been. "That's what I think of your oath, dragon!" he whispered. Then passed out. The years passed by swiftly, and the tale of Firestorm sank into legends to scare children. But the medallion stayed in the hands of the MacDonnell family, safe, until many years later... Chapter Two 1994 A.D. Scotland The two children looked at the ancient medallion, encased in the glass case. With the innocence of youth, they stared at the amulet. Finally, they began prodding each other to touch the case. After about five minutes, the smaller of the two reached up and grabbed the case. They peered inside, staring at it in awe. It seemed to glow even when the light wasn't on it. When they turned it around to see the back, it slipped out of their hands, crashing to the floor, shattering the case and the medallion into small pieces. Panic-stricken, they raced from the study in horror. The broken amulet glowed for a minute, then faded away, its power gone. The woodland had been abandoned for centuries. The people that lived there had told of a deep voice roaring in pain on nights of the full moon. Crops failed, pestilence thrived, families broke apart until finally, the town was abandoned and people stayed away. The forest was quiet. No bird sang, no squirrels chattered, no frogs sang their songs. The ground trembled, then split asunder. A great form burst from it, drawing a deep breath and roaring into the night. "I Live...again!" whispered the huge monster, laughing. Chapter Three Scotland One Month Later The small skiff rocked thru the breakers, nearing capsizing and sending the four occupants into the sea. With difficulty, they reached a small beach, pulling the raft up on it. Elisa looked around. All she saw was a small beach and cliffs. "Where did Avalon send us this time, Goliath?" she asked. "I do not know, Elisa, but it seems familiar," the big gargoyle said, wrapping his wings around him. He sensed that he knew this place, but he could not remember. The young gargoyle next to him spoke up. "Why don't we climb the face of this cliff and get our bearings?" Angela suggested. She walked over and sank her claws into the wall. "Hmm. I suppose that would work. Stay close until we know our surroundings." With that, he bent down so Elisa could get on his back. With her safely on his back, he started to climb up the wall along with Angela and Bronx. Elisa placed her head on Goliath's broad back. I could get used to this, she thought, gripping him slightly tighter. Goliath never changed his pace, but a small smile graced his lips. He thought of Elisa as part of the clan, of course, but there was something else... No, he couldn't think about her like that. Making it to the top, they looked out over the ocean for a minute. "It's beautiful." Angela sighed. She had hoped that she would find someone on this voyage also, someone to share her dreams with, like Elisa and Goliath had. They'll probably never admit it to each other, she thought, but at least they had someone. All she had was her dreams. She sighed again, looking at them. Elisa and Goliath were standing by the edge, his arm around her shoulder, looking like two young lovers out on a midnight walk. Maybe someday, Elisa thought, that will come true. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Suddenly, Bronx started to bark loudly. The whirled around, expecting any number of enemies to have shown up. Instead, Bronx was pawing at something that was covered by weeds and undergrowth. Puzzled, Goliath walked over and brushed the weeds aside. Underneath, he found a set of solid mahogany doors, iron-bound with a bas-relief of a gargoyle's face over the top of it. Goliath staggered back. It can't be, he thought. Xanatos took the whole castle, or so he said. It would be kind of hard to move it, he said after a short while. Grinning, he turned around to Elisa, Bronx and Angela. "I know now where we are." he said. "Where?" Elisa replied. She had already figured out that some structure had been built here at one time, but what she didn't know. "Where are we Goliath?" Angela asked. "This is where I and my rookery brothers and sisters were hatched and grew up! This is the site of the old Castle Wyvern!" Goliath replied. Turning, he walked over to the door, "And this must lead down to the rookery itself." "Wow" was all that Elisa could say. She had heard all about where the castle had been. Now, she looked around, imagining what it would have been like with all the gargoyles and men-at-arms running about, preparing for battle. She saw Goliath shouting out patrol orders to his clan, standing majestically... next to Demona. At that, she frowned. Angela, however, looked around at the rubble. She had never seen the castle, nor had she seen any of the sites that Goliath had been telling her about. Suddenly, she desperately wanted to see the rookery. "Can we see the rookery, Goliath? Please, can we?" she looked at him, pleading in her eyes. Goliath knew at that instant, that the Trio would be hard pressed once they got back to New York and had to deal with the beautiful young gargoyle. "Yes, I think I would like to do that also," he replied. It was the only thing left of his past that he could hold to at this moment. Angela squealed with joy, rushing over to open the doors. "Be careful Angela, we don't know what is down there. It has been over a thousand years since I was last here." Goliath cautioned. "Bronx, go with her," he told the gargoyle-dog. Bronx loped over by her as she attempted to pry open the doors. Elisa walked over towards Goliath. She placed her hand on his arm. He turned towards her, smiling. "She's never been to her birth place, Goliath. Plus her being so young doesn't help matters any." she said, smiling. Goliath placed his hand over hers for a moment. "I've forgotten what it's like, being that young again." he sighed wistfully. Then he shook himself, as if he didn't realize how he had been acting. "Yes, well, lets go down and take a look, shall we?" he said, walking over to where Angela struggled with the door. "I think it's stuck." she said as she pulled. "Hmm. Let me try." Goliath responded. He wedged his claws in the crack of the door and heaved, the muscles on his back and arms standing out. With a loud roar, he tore the two doors apart. A solid bar dropped to the ground, bent and useless. Down below, in the darkness, two eyes the size of tires opened and began to glow, then twisted and became smaller in size. Then they blinked out. Elisa bent down and picked up the bar. The weighed it in her hands, then threw it back to the ground. "I'd say that bar is made from solid titanium. It's too light to be steel." she responded after a moment. "Titanium? What's that?" Angela asked. "It's a metal alloy that is stronger than steel, yet lighter in weight. That does not concern us right now, however. What does, is that someone, or something, braced the door from the inside to keep everything away from here." Elisa responded. Goliath was watching Bronx as the were discussing. Bronx looked anxious, no doubt, but he looked like he was going to see a friend. Maybe he has the scent of those of us that used to be here. No, it's been too long for the scent to have stayed here. Then what can it be, he wondered. He lost his train of thought at the touch of a hand upon his arm. Looking down he saw Angela. "Are we going down Goliath?" she asked. She looked eager. "Yes, but be very careful." he rumbled. With that they journeyed into the darkness. He fed better than he had when he was rampaging over on Europe. Firestorm enjoyed his new freedom, but long centuries made him think of his oath. He smiled as he thought about what he would do to that pathetic knight's kin. Lord MacDonnell, indeed. The only thing his family would lord over would be the pits where he threw the lifeless corpses when he tired of them. He already had reconnoitered the area. That miserable town was deserted, so he relieved some frustrations on it by leveling it to the ground. After that, he caught a sheepherder and his flock unaware. He grinned, flicking a piece of wool out of his teeth with the herder's stick. It had been a good day, indeed. With that, he crawled back to his pit to rest from his travels. Tomorrow, he thought to himself, tomorrow he would find the clan MacDonnell. And then.... He smiled as he went to sleep. Chapter Four Later On That Night Goliath lead down the stairs. He used his other senses keep track of Elisa and Angela. Bronx moved silently next to Goliath, his senses alert for any danger. That's strange, Goliath thought, none of the natural moss we used for light is here anymore. As he walked further, he noticed that the stone steps were chiseled better, making them easier to walk on. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, He stopped and waited for Angela and Elisa to come down. He could tell by the scent of oil in the air that Elisa had her gun out. "Who dares invade my private sanctuary?!" growled a deep voice. "My name is Goliath. A long time ago, my clan and I lived here. I did not know someone had taken up residence here. I apologize." Goliath replied, trying to decide where the voice came from. "I suppose the bar on the door gave you no indication that this place was occupied, though?" it rumbled again. Goliath cocked his head for a minute. He could have sworn that he heard a snicker come from where the voice seemed to be coming from. He felt Bronx leave his side. "I shall have to destroy you for invading my sanctuary. I hope that yo.... get off me.! You're ruining the effect!!" the voice said. They heard the sounds of Bronx licking someone, and of that person laughing out loud because of it. "I do not like being toyed with!" growled Goliath, his eyes beginning to glow. Two red gleams signaled that Angela had also had enough. Goliath heard Elisa cock her gun. "You never did have much of a humor, Goliath, even growing up. I suppose, though, this has gone on long enough. Delat!" he cried. And the room glowed. The first things that Goliath and the rest saw was a male gargoyle, pretty close to Goliath in height and build, maybe just a bit smaller. He was a dark blue in color, with bright blue eyes. His hair was long and black, and draped over his left shoulder in a ponytail. He had two large horns that swept back and over the back of his head. He had a bunch of white spots on his upper and lower torso, a few on his left leg and left arm, fourteen in all. He sported a large earring through his left ear. He was also petting Bronx and held a large smile. The cavern that once held the rookery had been converted into a small home of sorts. A small library sat in one corner, along with and ancient stuffed chair and lamp. On the walls were sixteen light fixtures, four per wall. An ornate chandelier hung from the top of the cavern. A tunnel led off from the main chamber, it being cloaked in darkness. A large pile of what appeared to be feathers inside a gigantic wooden box lined the back wall. In the last corner, an easel stood in the corner, covered up. The strange gargoyle stood up and went towards Goliath, Bronx following at his heels. "I do not know how you know me, but I think I would remember you," Goliath growled, the glow from his eyes fading. "Well, I suppose that you wouldn't recognize me in this form; you would be more comfort...." he trailed off as Elisa and Angela came out from the stairwell. Staring at the two, his mouth dropped; he began to make choking sounds, and promptly passed out. "What in the...?" Goliath whispered, turning around. All he saw was Angela and Elisa. Shrugging, he picked up the gargoyle and took him over to the box of feathers. Angela and Elisa wandered around the cavern, looking at stuff, Angela bye the library, Elisa by the easel. Goliath put the unconscious gargoyle down in the feathers easily. A glint caught his eye and he bent over to pick it up out of the feathers. Angela picked through the books. She had seen books before, on Avalon. She grabbed one at random, pulling it off the shelf. The title had worn away from being so old, and it seemed like it was a well-worn book. She paged through it. It seemed to be an autobiography on a man in the 1300's by the name of Sir William Wallace. Shrugging, she put the book back and grabbed another. Elisa walked over and stared at the paints. They had been used recently, she could tell. She walked over and took a peek under the cover of the easel. And stared. Her jaw dropping, she eased the covering back on, and walked over to Goliath. He was staring at a oval disk in his hands. It seemed to be midnight blue in color. It reflected the light when he moved it around. "Goliath!" she whispered, "That painting in the corner? I think you should look at it!" she said in a low tone. He wasn't paying attention. "Goliath! Snap out of it, big guy!" she said, as she placed her hand on his arm. "Huh...What?" he said as he snapped out of it. His eyes widened when he saw her. "Elisa! I know who this is!" he said. Neither one noticed the gargoyle come around. Nor did the see Angela walk over to the painting. "NO!" the strange one cried out.... just as Angela pulled the covering off....to reveal a portrait....of herself. Chapter Six The Story Silence hung in the air. Angela stared in shock at the painting of herself. She was sitting on the grass, wings cloaked around her, legs pulled up underneath her. She had a coy look on her face, like she was ready to laugh at any instance. The strange gargoyle leapt out of the feathered box and rushed over to the easel. He grabbed the painting and rushed towards the tunnel. He stopped for a minute and stared at Angela, right into her eyes. She was struck by how deep those brilliantly blue the eyes were.... and by incredibly sad they looked. "You were not supposed to have seen this." he whispered, then ran for the tunnel. "Bolt! Hold!" yelled Goliath. The gargoyle faltered, then stopped. Sighing, he turned back around and looked at Goliath. "So you do remember me, my rookery brother,eh?" he smiled. Looking back at the tunnel, he turned to Goliath and Elisa, "I have to put this away. I will be right back." with that he disappeared into the tunnel. Angela ran over to Goliath. "Did you see the painting?" she said. Elisa spoke up. "I saw it. I don't know what it means, Angela." "What what means?" Goliath asked the two of them. "Angela found a painting, Goliath. Of herself. And it was pretty old." Elisa responded. She looked at Angela. She didn't seem to be afraid; in fact, she seemed rather, interested. "We will ask him when he comes back." Goliath said. He set the blue oval back on the frame of the box. He knew what it was. Just then, Bolt walked back in the room. Walking over to them, he invited them to sit on the framework. "Do you need anything to eat or drink? What I have to say might take a bit. Anyone?" he asked. They shook their heads no. "Then I will explain as best I can." "Yes my brother, I am Bolt, your rookery brother. I will explain how I came to be like this in a moment. Now, since I already know you, Goliath, I would be a bad host if I did not introduce myself to the ladies. How do you do. My name is Bolt." he said, holding out his hand. "Elisa Maza, NYPD detective." Elisa replied. He shook her hand. "Uh...My name is Angela." She held out her hand. Bolt took it and kissed the top of it. "My pleasure." He said. Angela blushed, while Goliath frowned. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, I shall begin," Bolt said. "I'll just fill you in on recent events, since it won't be long until sunrise." He turned to Goliath. "After I left that night, I did exactly as I said that I would do. I returned to my lair," he said, waving his hand around, "to sleep. I don't know how long I slept for. Then the dreams started. First, it was you and the others, in danger. I tried to help, but all I could do was watch. Then I dreamed of an island surrounded by mist, a land of gargoyles with human guardians. After a while, I started zooming in on one particular gargoyle.... you, my dear," he murmured. "I started seeing you in all my dreams. They were so beautiful, almost as beautiful as you are," he spoke, holding her hand in his. "I got so I saw you when I was awake; I learned how to paint from a nearby village, and started painting your image. The one that you mistakenly saw was my masterpiece. I didn't know you were real," he uttered. He looked into her eyes. He saw the beginnings of what could be love start there. Even thou he would probably hate himself for the rest of his life, He had to try and crush that spark of love. He would never forgive himself if she came to love him, he being what he is. He turned to Elisa. "You are more than welcome to stay the day here, Ms. Maza. I could use the company. It's been too long since I talked to someone." He dropped Angela's hand and got up. "My paintings have kept me up and alert, but I was unwilling to rejoin the clan, not yet. I still needed to take care of a few things, Then I would return to my clan. And it would have been probably in the next week or so." "What did you mean when you mentioned me staying her for company? I mean, don't you turn to stone?" Elisa asked. "Me? No. I don't turn to stone. I'm not even a gargoyle." he heard Elisa and Angela gasp. He walked far enough away from them and polymorphed back. His wings grew to monstrous proportion to his body; His tail elongated, as well as his body. His faced drew out, became more reptilian in nature. Two sharp horns grew out of his skull. His skin turned into oval scales like the one that Goliath found. When he finished, Bolt was one hundred and seventeen feet long with a wingspan of the same. He towered over them. "This is what I am. I am a dragon." Goliath just smiled. Angela's mouth dropped open. At that moment, dawn came to Scotland. They froze into their stone sleep where they sat. Elisa looked at he friends, then over at the grinning dragon, who was pulling out a strange wooden box. Opening it up and grabbing a nearby table from the library section, spilled the pieces on the table before setting the board down. Looking at Elisa, Bolt grinned and asked, "Do you play chess?" Elisa groaned. Chapter Seven The Next Night The sound of breaking stone echoed the chamber, along with the roars of the three gargoyles awakening from their stone sleep. Elisa and Bolt, who was back in his gargoyle form, watched as they stretched from the long day. Goliath walked over to Elisa, while Angela timidly walked over to Bolt. Bronx wandered around before settling down next to Bolt, who started to scratch him. "Hey, big guy," Elisa said, stifling a yawn. "If my presence has started to bore you, Elisa, I can leave." Goliath replied, looking at Elisa. Elisa, too tired to notice the smile that danced on his lips, started to explain what had happened. "It's alright, Elisa. You have the look of someone that has seen the stars born. Go to sleep, I will protect you." Goliath stated, gazing at her. "Thanks, Goliath. Your 'brother' kept me up all day talking about the world and it's changes in the last thousand years," she said. Cocking her head, "He also told me some interesting stories about you." Goliath looked taken aback. "About me? What did he tell you?" he asked. "Oh, I can't betray his confidence; besides he swore me to secrecy." she said, looking over at Bolt. Her eyes clouded over at the sight of Angela and Bolt, talking to each other. Bolt seemed to do most of the talking, while Angela and Bronx sat back and listened. It looked like Bolt was slightly uncomfortable with Angela so close, but he tried not showing it. Goliath followed her gaze over to Bolt. Whatever he had just said had Angela laughing. They looked good together, he thought for a split second, before remembering that Bolt was a dragon. He still couldn't cope with the fact that Angela was his biological daughter, by Demona. To him, she was his clan's daughter, and was treated as such. Still, he thought, she did turn out as he hoped. Smart, beautiful, resourceful. A small part of himself was proud of her. Elisa and Goliath walked over to where the two were talking in low tones. "....then Goliath stepped over the ruffians, before passing out, drunk as a skunk, himself. We had to drag him back to the castle before our leader saw him. I never saw him take a drink after that!" he laughed, Angela joining in. Goliath blushed. He remembered that incident, and it was because of that he never drank with any of the others. Angela turned toward Goliath. "He's got the best stories about you Goliath! Can we stay longer? I would like to learn more about the old days." she said. Then she turned back toward Bolt. He shook his head. "Angela, we must find out why Avalon has sent here. Maybe another time." he said. Her face fell at that. But she perked up immediately at the idea of exploring her original birthplace. With the face of a child that has just discovered chocolate, she clapped her hands and ran over to the staircase. She jumped the steps, taking six at a time in order to get to the top. "Angela! Be careful!" Goliath yelled. He shook his head. "Spoken like a true father!" Bolt said, laughing. Goliath looked over towards Bolt, noting his smile. "You know as well as I that Angela is the clan's daughter." "But she's your's, Goliath. Look at her! She's got your wings and coloring, but has Demona's body style." Bolt replied. They started to walk up the stairs. Goliath looked sharply at the polymorphed dragon at the mention of Demona's name. "How did...?" "Elisa sort of filled me in on what's been happening in Manhattan. I was curious about you and the rest of the clan." he said sheepishly. Goliath just turned around and looked forward. His thoughts turned inward, to his Angel of the Night, and how she changed. Elisa yawned. She had been up for almost thirty-six hours straight. She needed sleep, but didn't want to leave Goliath and the rest alone. Bolt looked at Elisa. He noted that she was almost asleep on her feet. Stopping, he turned to her, "Elisa, you should go down and get some sleep. I'm afraid that you'll hurt yourself if you don't." She looked at him. "Maybe you're right. I'm so tired I could probably sleep for days." Goliath glanced over at her, stopping. Putting his hand on her shoulder, "You should go down, Elisa. I'll have Bronx watch over you. If we find anything, we'll come and get you. If you want." He said. "Thanks, big guy. I think I'll follow the advice this time." With that, she turned and walked back down the stairs, Bronx in tow. Bolt watched Goliath, who watched Elisa walk down the stairs. Yep, he thought, I think that Goliath has definetly gotten over Demona, even though he'll never admit it that he's found someone else. Not even to himself. He grinned. "What are you smiling at?" asked Goliath. "Nothing, my friend. Nothing at all." he explained. As Goliath helped fill him in on the recent events, Bolt's thoughts wandered back to Angela. Maybe, he thought, just maybe we.... no, I can't deny her the right to find someone. I just hope she finds a gargoyle, and that what she sees in me is just a crush. She's a big girl, she'll figure out that nothing could come of an interspecies love. With that in mind, he turned his thoughts back to Goliath and his adventures. They got to the top. Goliath made him promise not to tell any more stories about himself without Goliath around. He agreed, figuring he could find a way around that easy enough. They walked over towards Angela, who was standing on the edge, looking out over the ocean. "Ready?" Goliath asked her. He spread his wings. "Yes." she replied, looking over at Bolt. Bolt caught the look and turned away. This isn't working like it was supposed to, he thought. She's supposed to look up to me, sure, but that's because I'm her elder, along with Goliath. Why does she keep looking at me like that? They took off, catching an updraft and soaring back over the mainland. He moved a little bit off to the side while Goliath showed her the sites. He figured that if he didn't show interest, she'd stop thinking of him like it seemed she was. What he didn't realize, was since she had matured, the others had been constantly vying for her attention. She liked it, but only a little bit. She wanted to find someone independent, warm, caring; what it seemed most ladies looked for. He didn't realize that he was everything that she had been dreaming about, and that made him irresistible in her eyes. She determingly drew him into their conversations; asking him about his side of a story, what a certain landmark was for. He replied in short, clipped answers; as if he didn't want to talk at all. Goliath watched all of this uneasily. In his youth, Bolt was at ease with the female gargoyles of the clan... except those he was attracted to. He would act like this to them to, he realized. He made it a point to talk to him later about it. They flew on, one uneasily, one with the concern of a father, and one that was smitten by the first signs of love. Chapter Eight Elsewhere on Scotland. Firestorm grunted as he pulled his four-ton bulk out of the pit. He had gotten his strength back up through the last month. Now was time to fulfill his oath to 'Lord MacDonnell'. At the thought of him, he snarled. I'll destroy your family MacDonnell, he thought. And I hope that you are watching me do it from wherever your soul went to. He smiled at that. Tonight I'll find his family and make them pay for his mistake. Tonight Firestorm raids again. With a mighty leap, he jumped into the air, wings pumping as he gained altitude and started flying. Two hours later, he sighted a grand structure jutting out from the forest. Circling, he let his dragonvision sweep over it. There's no defenses!, he thought. That's strange. How do they defend against siege? He shook his head and continued circling. Dropping lower, he saw an emblem on the front of the place. Was this it, he thought, was this the home of the hated MacDonnells? No matter. These wretched humans either were or knew of them, and for that they would die. Pulling his wings in, he dived. Goliath noticed the explosions first. Shifting his wings he saw a shadow diving upon a burning structure in the distance. Angela and Bolt noticed then, and all three tucked their wings in and dived towards the commotion. Firestorm was enjoying himself for the first time in centuries. The humans ran around at the sight of him, screaming in fear. He grabbed a couple of the humans and dropped them at a hundred feet, laughing when they splattered across the hard ground. The structure was burning brightly, flames licking at the front of the manor. He was coming around for another pass when he was hit from the side by three figures. Goliath and the rest had tucked their wings in and dove upon him, striking with the weight of them combined and knocking him from the sky. He struck the ground hard, trying to roll with the impact. He finally stopped, braced against a tree. "Goliath! That dragon is bigger than any I've seen or heard of! Be careful!" Bolt roared. "Stay here! I'm going to go and see if I know this one!" With that he flew down too take a closer look, Goliath and Angela hovering behind. Firestorm watched the lone gargoyle glide closer. He had stayed in his crash position to lull them closer, so he could attack them. He knew about gargoyles, knew that they protected humans at night. He knew that they were capable warriors, although he doubted that three would be able to defeat him. When Bolt flew in close enough to see the dragon, Firestorm abruptly turned and leapt at the changed dragon. Even though he expected the attack, Bolt was still surprised enough for Firestorm to catch him with a foreleg and swat him away like a fly. Bolt flew through the air, bouncing off a tree before coming to an abrupt stop against a boulder. With a cry of rage Goliath jumped upon the big dragon, pummeling it with powerful hits. Firestorm started to bow underneath, but with a cry of rage, he jerked up, causing Goliath to lose his grip and fall to the ground. Picking up the dazed Goliath, he bent over to bite him in half when Angela landed on his and sank her talons into his hide. Roaring in pain, the big red let go of Goliath and tried to roll atop Angela. She jumped off into the safety of a nearby tree. Goliath got up and climbed a tree to get height for a takeoff. As he leaped, a huge tail smashed the tree he was just in. Angela, seeing Goliath take to the air, jumped off and followed him. They formed up, looking back to see Firestorm jump into the air, following them. "Split up and circle back around! We have to see if Bolt is alright!" Goliath yelled. Angela nodded in agreement. They split off left and right. Firestorm proceeded after Goliath, seeing him as the bigger threat. Seeing that he was being followed, Goliath swooped down lower to the ground to lose the red in the trees. He glided in between the trees, while Firestorm simply went through them. Seeing his disadvantage, The dragon slowed down, changing himself into a massive red gargoyle. Eyes blazing, he glided around the trees almost as well as Goliath. Angela landed next to Bolt. It didn't seem as though he had so much as twitched since he had been hit. She turned him over, and laid her head on his chest. "Please don't leave me." she whispered, tears flowing from her eyes. She heard a heartbeat, and thanked god that he was still alive. She got up, picking him up before climbing up on the rock and taking off, carrying the unconscious dragon in her arms. She gained altitude, keeping an eye out for the red dragon. Goliath landed among the trees, waiting for Firestorm to show up. He realized that he had to think clearly to defeat this enemy, so he slowing calmed down. He watched as the red gargoyle flew through the trees. Not knowing if the shapechanging ability of Bolt was natural to all dragons, he watched as the red gargoyle flew by slowly, then came back before landing in a small clearing nearby. "Hello! Gargoyle! I saw you defending that mansion from the evil red and have come to offer my help!" the strange gargoyle shouted out. He paced around, looking at the sky often. Goliath watched for a short while. The red one seemed to be trying to offer his help, so Goliath jumped to the ground and walked towards the clearing. Firestorm watched as the gargoyle strode into the clearing. It was a big specimen, the largest he had ever fought. But it was just as stupid as the humans, he thought. Walking blindly in here; a dragon would never had done such a thing. If I were him, I would have killed me, just in case. This went through his brain in a split second. Outside, he smiled, extending his arm in greeting. "I am Blaze, my friend. I help protect the humans in this area." "I am Goliath. Where were you when the dragon attacked the house?" he asked, tentalively taking the offered hand in greeting. Firestorm fought back an urge to rip his arm off. His brain thought up an excuse quickly. "I sleep farther in the forests. I was coming to perform my duties when I saw the three of you attacking the foul creature! By the way, where are the other two?" he said, looking around quickly. "They have probably returned to the cliffs by now. One was injured in the fight, and the other probably went to help him." Goliath stated. He gave a good once-over ti the red gargoyle. Almost a full head above Goliath, he had massive shoulders and legs, with a chest as broad as Goliath's own. Twin horns jutted from his brow, sweeping back over the top, creating a form of natural defence against heaad attacks. He, too, wore just a loincloth. Goliath looked at the sky, noting how close to sunrise it was. He decided against bringing this gargoyle back to where the rest were. There was something about him; he just couldn't put his finger on it, though. "Meet me at this spot tomorrow and I will introduce you to the rest of us." "Sure! No problem! I'll meet you here." Firestorm said, upset the rest weren't here yet for him to destroy. But he'd return and rest, and then be fresh when he destroyed them. I guess your family lives a while longer, MacDonnell, he thought. Grinning at Goliath, he climbed a nearby tree then leaped into the air, catching an updraft before soaring away. Goliath watched him leave, then climbed his own tree before gliding back towards the cliffs. He watched behind to make sure he wasn't followed all the way home. When he got back, he waited for a minute, watching for any enemies before continuing back down to the former rookery. When he got to the bottom, he noticed Elisa bending over the inert form of Bolt with Angela cradling his head. He slowly walked over towards them. "How is he?" he murmured. Elisa and Angela both looked up in panic at the voice. He noticed that Angela's face was tear-streaked. Looking at the still form, he noticed that nothing seemed wrong except for a nasty looking knot on the top of his head. "I can't say for sure, but I think he's either got a major concussion, or that he's in a coma." Elisa stated flatly. She had been having to deal with both Bolt and the way Angela was handling this. Bronx was sniffing his hand, whining. "Come, Angela. The sun is rising. All we can hope is that he'll be awake when we awaken." Goliath could tell that Angela cared a great deal about Bolt already, and hoped they would find his smiling face at the next sunset. At that point, the sun rose, locking them in stone for another day. Elisa was watching them turn to stone, then turned back to her charge. To her amazement, she found him stone. That's weird, she thought. I didn't know that dragons could do that. Of course I nothing just about nothing about them anyways. She sighed, then made herself as comfortable as she could, in preparation for another day. Meanwhile.... The man let go of his youngest boy. The boy ran from the room, rubbing his butt and crying at his punishment. The man watched him leave, then walked over to the mantle. He picked up the broken medallion. Bedtime stories flashed through his head, stories that his father told him, that his father and told him, down through the generations.... He looked up at the battered sword that hung above the fireplace. Putting the medallion down, he unsheathed the fine broadsword, marveling at it's design and craftmanship. Replacing it in the sheath, he walked over to the suit of armor that stood in the corner. He remembered the alterations the suit had had to fit on his body. A small sigh made him abruptly look up, hand closing on the sword's pommel. His wife stood in the doorway, staring at him. "Ye intend ta go out after him, don'cha?" she asked. "I hav'na choice, Katie. My ancestor imprisoned the beast once. And now that it's loose, I hav'ta finish wha' me ancestor started." he replied. His accent came through thickest when he was upset or worried... or both, like now. He braced the sword against the floor and wall, then pulled a suit of padding and chain mail from a nearby closet. Donning the pads and chain, he reached down and took a greave from the display, placing it upon his shin, then tied it down before reaching for the other. Katie MacDonnell watched her husband strap on the ancient armor of his ancestors. She helped him tighten straps and buckles to ensure that none would fall off. Strapping on the broadsword, he also grabbed a large shield. She stared at him before placing on his helm. "Come back safe to me, Joseph." she whispered to herself as he walked past her. Joseph MacDonnell, lord of these lands by hereditary right, walked over to the family stables. Walking among the horses, he went to the end and stood in front of the door. Above the door was the nameplate 'Hellcat'. He never knew for what reason he had bought this horse; he was too massive to race, to proud for a drafthorse of any kind. He had never put him out to stud, and nobody ever rode him. He wouldn't let any person near him with a saddle, but when Joseph opened the stall door with one, he just snickered at him. "Aye, ye know what we're to do, don't ye," he said to the massive horse. I guess this is what the warhorse of old were like, he thought, strapping on the heavy saddle. He then pulled himself upon the horse; he was an excellent rider, due to his youth. The horse shuffled under the sudden increase in weight for a minute, then settled down. With his left hand on his reins, and his right on the pommel of the sword, he slowly rode out into the darkness, a warrior of a forgotten time. Chapter Nine The Next Night The big red slowly ate a big bear; he'd caught it outside his lair that morning when he returned, and saved it for later. When the sun fell, he changed back into the red gargoyle and flew back to the site of the 'meeting'. He'd land by them all, then shapeshift back into a dragon so he could see their fear before killing them. Laughing at the expressions he invisioned on their faces, he sped toward his destination. The shattering of stone and roaring brought Elisa awake. She looked around for a split second to get her bearings; then she realized that they were still in Bolt's lair. Bolt! She turned to look at the unconscious dragon, wondering if he'd be able to break free of his stone prison. To her relief, she saw the stone remains around him. But much to her dismay, he was still out, although the swelling on his head had gone down from his sleep. Angela and Goliath walked back over to them, Angela reaching for his hand. Goliath looked down upon the form of his rookery brother, noting the stone around him: Did that mean that he was a full gargoyle when he changed? he wondered. "I must go and speak with a possible ally, now. He says he's from the area, so any additional help could be useful." he stated to them. "Do you want any help?" Angela asked him, staring at Bolt. "No, If I think he's at least somewhat trustworthy, I'll bring him back here. Bronx will watch the door, and come and get you when I return." Goliath said. With that, he turned around and walked up the staircase with Bronx in tow. Goliath reached the top, and with a running start, jumped off the edge and circled back around to go to the preselected meeting area. MacDonnell stopped to drink from a small stream. He had found no sign of the dragon after searching all day. He was lucky that it was cool outside so he didn't fry in his armor (God was it heavy!). He was nearing the site of an old castle that had been purchased by an American, then shipped to New York. Americans, he thought. How they ever managed to become a superpower was beyond him. The disguised red paitently waited for the lavender gargoyle and his friends to show up. He could hardly contain himself. Then he spotted him gliding down toward the spot, but nobody else was with him. Firestorm swore under his breath. Now he'd have to try and coax the location of the rest out of him before he destroyed him. With a smile, he went to greet him. Goliath looked at the red gargoyle coming to greet him. He extended his arm in greeting to the red. "I'm glad that you decided to come back, friend Blaze." he said. Firestorm looked blankly at Goliath for a split second before he realized that Blaze was the name he had given to him. Then he smiled again, saying "Of course. You said you needed help, and we are all brothers in nature, right?" he told Goliath. "Yes. The injured one that I spoke of is still injured, so the other one is watching over him." he stated. The perfect chance! "I have some healing skill, if you would lead me back, maybe I could help the poor soul." he purred. Goliath stepped back to consider this. "Then follow me." With that, he climbed a nearby tree and lauched himself in the air. Firestorm couldn't believe his luck! The fool was going to take him right to the encampment!. He grinned, then climbed his own tree to follow Goliath. A little while later, Bronx noticed Goliath coming back. He rushed downstairs to get the others. He got to the bottom and started barking. "Goliath must be back!" replied Angela. She gently put feathers under Bolt's head, then she, Elisa and Bronx proceded upstairs. Neither one noticed Bolt's eyes open up. Chapter 10 The Battle Of Wyvern Cliffs Goliath touched down next to the great hole where castle Wyvern once sat. As Blaze landed, he noticed Angela, Elisa and Bronx walking up from the former rookery. Blaze looked at Goliath. "Is either on the hurt person?" he asked. "No, he must still be hurt down below. May I introduce Angela, Bronx, and Elisa Maza." he said proudly. "Have you come to help Bolt?" Angela said, standing next to him. Firestorm decided that keeping up this falsehood was no longer necessary. Turning to face the young gargoyle, his eyes started to glow and he smiled evilly. As Angela backed up from him, he said" Help? No, no, I've come to take care of you all!" Laughing maniaclly, he turned back into his true form. Swatting a stunned Goliath away, he then pried Bronx off his leg where he had latched on. He caught Elisa with a finger and threw her against a nearby boulder, knocking the wind out of her. Angela's eyes flared red as she lept up at the dragon's face. He caught her easily with his paw, throwing her to the ground in front of him. He roared in pain as Goliath sank his claws into his side. Lashing out with his tail, he managed to glance it off Goliath, spinning him off to the side. A roar of bestial pain jarred MacDonnell's ears. That's right up around the bend! he thought. Climbing back onto his horse, he spurred the warhorse forward, readying his shield and drawing his sword. Rounding the bend, a war cry on his lips, he hesistated. His voice forgotten for the monment, he just sat and stared at the sight of gargoyles and the red dragon fighting. Firestorm turned back to the female on the ground. His dragonfear kept her motionless on the ground. I'll kill this one first, he thought. He had seen the resemblance between Goliath and her, assuming him to be her father. It should demoralize him completely, watching her get ripped to shreds in front of him. As Firestorm reached down for her, a twelve-and-a-half ton of blue fury struck him, knocking him flat about forty feet away. "Don't you touch her, you worthless piece of filth!" growled Bolt. His eyes were glowing as he advanced on the prone dragon, claws extended to rip out his life. His tail picked up Angela and placed her by Goliath. Blaze screamed in fury. Where did this dragon come from? He knew of no other dragons in the area! If he had, he would have went to take care of them first. With a snarl he jumped at Bolt and locked arms with Bolt. Bolt struggled under the red's strength. He knew that he would not win a test of strength with him. He staggered, then fell to his knees, the big red slowly pushing his arms back. Elisa ran over and helped Goliath up. He reeled back, still stunned from the hit. Angela let Elisa support Goliath, then ran towards the two dragons, eyes glowing red and growling. She jumped on top of Firestorm clawing at his face. She caught an eye, puncturing it, and continued to rip backwards, peeling a patch of skin back. With a battle cry, "For Scotland and the MacDonnells!" Joseph spurred his horse toward the dragons, swinging his sword. Reaching the two, he slashed at the red. Unfortunately, the two shifted positions and he sliced the big blue along the flank. Roaring in pain, the two let go of each other. Bolt stared at the armored human. "Don't do that again!" he hissed. He then limped at Firestorm. Firestorm, meantime, managed to toss Angela off of him. Clutching his bloody face, he turned to face Goliath and Elisa, then inhaled. Bolt leaped over at Firestorm, grabbing his head and pointing it at the sky. Firestorm belched forth a stream of fire. Bolt slashed Firestorm's sides with his left leg, drawing even more blood. In retaliation, Firestorm grabbed Bolt by the body after his flame, picked him up, and tossed him towards the cliff face. Bolt landed heavily on his side, ripping his right wing on the rocks. Goliath roared and charged at Firestorm. he had believed that he was a friend; now a friend was hurt, and his daughter was hurt. Anger overwhelmed him and he rushed at the big red, striking him in the side with every bit of strength he possessed. Firestorm was reeling; the male gargoyle just broke ribs, the knight was back hacking away with the sword, the gargoyle dog was chomping on his leg, and the other dragon was advancing again with the female gargoyle. Joseph was exilarrated. He was fighting a dragon with ancient weapons, with gargoyles. He never felt more alive than the feel of his sword biting into the flesh, or the smell of blood in the air from the wounds. He noticed the dragon raise his leg to crush the gar-dog. He rushed over and sliced the leg, causing it to flop uselessly at its side. He never saw the tail lash out, striking him in the back and sending him flying towards the rocks. Firestorm fell back; his wounds were numerous, his right foreleg hung uselessly from the knight's sword, he was fading in and out of consciousness while defending against the attacks of the gargoyles claws, and the other dragon. He abruptly ran forward, catching the blue by surprise; he bite down hard on the shoulder. He felt the shoulder break under his bite. Next thing he knew he was flying, the blue having grabbed him and tossed him over his shoulder. He hit the ground, scrapping across the ground before stopping before the edge. He stood up shakily; blood dripped from numerous wounds, his one remaining eye was clouding over. He saw the gargoyles flank the blue. The human women was over by the knight. He stood up as straight as he could, watching the blue inhale. He screamed "I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!" as Bolt's lightning bolt caught him in the empty eye socket, exploding his skull. As the bloody parts rained down, the headless corpse swayed , then toppled over the edge. "Rest in Hell." Bolt whispered. Then he toppled forward. Elisa took the knight's hand. He looked at her, then looked down. "I can't feel anything." He stated flatly. Elisa nodded. She had feared that the poor soul's back had taken the brunt of it. The only reason that he was still alive was for the fact the armor had absorbed most of it. Although, from the blood on his lips, it didn't absorb enough. Looking around, he noticed his sword laying close by him, along with his shield. The sword was nicked in many places, and stained with blood. His shield was almost bent in half fro the dragon's hits. "Please," he said, looking at Elisa, "let me die with my sword in my hand." Elisa sniffed back a tear as she placed the ancient weapon, battered but still whole, in his hand. "You're going to be alright." she murmured to him. Oh god, she thought, I can't believe I said that to him. "Is..is...is my horse alright?" he whispered. Elisa looked around, and saw the warhorse sniffing Bronx, and vice versa. She turned back, nodding. He smiled. "Take him and my body back to my keep," he said, giving her directions, "and tell my wife that I fulfilled my ancestor's quest." She nodded, tears now coming from her eyes. He looked past her, eyes clouding over, "Yes, father, I'm comin'" he whispered. Then he inhaled, exhaled, and failed to draw another breath. Elisa reached over and closed his eyes. Goliath and Angela knelt by Bolt. He awoke, looking around. His eyes fell upon Goliath. "Did we finish him?" he asked. Goliath nodded. Bolt smiled, then turned to face Angela, who was stroking his forehead. "Are you alright, lass?" he inquired. She placed both hands on his head, "Yes, I'm fine, although I wouldn't be if you haden't been their for me." she replied. He could clearly see the love in her eyes now. The sun was going to be rising in a few minutes. He struggled to a sitting position, then shapeshifted into a burly young human male. "Thank you, my friends. Thank you for being here. Goliath took his unwounded arm and clasped wrists with him. "You are of my clan, and my brother. That is the gargoyle way." he simply said. Then he turned to face the rising sun. Angela manuvered around so his injured arm wasn't in the way, then gave him a long hug. He clung back with his one good arm, squeezing her tightly. "I'll see you tonight." she whispered in his ear. Then she too turned and squatted as the sun rose, turning the gargoyles into stone. Bolt got up painfully and walked over to Elisa. Bending down, he wiped the drying blood away from the knight's lips. He looked at Elisa. "I know of this man. He is Joseph MacDonnell. His family it was once said defeated and imprisoned a creature of enormous power. He must have somehow known about the red and came to face him. He was very brave. We'll have to take him back to his widow." he said. Elisa nodded her head. She had already planned on it. Chapter Eleven Epilouge Bolt and Elisa loaded up the body of Lord Joseph MacDonnell onto his faithful steed. Telling Elisa to stay and watch over the gargoyles, he journeyed to MacDonnell's home. He was crying when he presented the body to the family, telling them of how brave he was and how they would have been proud of how he reacted while facing the dragon ( he omitted the fact that another dragon and three gargoyles helped) and that he had watched him kill the beast before succumbingto his wounds. He told them he was paralyzed with fear and awe as he watched the two fight. With that, he presented her with the sword. To this day, the battered armor, shield and sword are on display at the MacDonnell's mansion. They were placed into a bulletproof case, still grimy and blood covered, as a treasured monument to a man's heroism. When he returned, he found that Elisa had fallen asleep again, braced up against Goliath. Smiling, he polymorphed back into his dragon form, then picked her up, depositing her in the feather bed. He then went back outside, and grabbed the three gargoyles, bringing them inside one at a time. Once that was done, he bound up his shoulder and other small wounds. After he finished, he pulled out a pen and two sheets of paper. One he addressed to all, the other strictly to Angela. After he wrote them, he folded them up, placed them in Elisa's pocket. Looking around he gathered up some personal belongings he needed. Bolt walked over to the stairs; turning back, he strode over to Angela. Bending down, he placed a kiss on her on her cheek. Then he walked up the stairs. That night, when the stone shattered and roars filled the cavern, Elisa got up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She got up and stretched, when two slips of paper fell to the ground out of her jacket. Frowning, she bent over and picked them up. Angela and Goliath walked around, calling for Bolt. After a few minutes, Elisa called them over. "I found a note for all of us inside my jacket." she said. Clearing her voice, she read: My Friends, I could not stay. I see that my leaving the world only brought hardship to you all. So I am going out into the world, to discover what it holds for me. Don't worry; I'm sure that I'll see you all again. I just couldn't say goodbye all over. Take care, Bolt As they all absorbed the words, Elisa handed over the other note to her. "This one is just for you." She placed her hand on Goliath, and they both walked towards the staircase, with Bronx. Angela opened up the note and read: My Dearest Angela, When I look into your eyes, I see the love that I had been denied all these years. I wish that I could return it. I do love you, my Angel, I do, but our love could never work. I am a dragon, while you are a beautiful young gargoyle. I release you from any bonds that I hold over your heart. I wish you luck in your quest, and pray that I'll see you soon. Good bye, My Love, Bolt Angela put down the letter and cried. They returned to the skiff, hearts heavy at finding a friend, then losing him once again. Angela's heart was especially heavy. She had found the love she had dreamed of, only to have it snatched away from her. The fog enveloped the little craft, as a silent figure watched from the cliffs. *************************************************************************** Epilouge 3G finished his story, and looked at the young gargoyle nestled in his arms. The big lavender hatchling would make a fine warrior someday, he thought to himself. Maybe even a leader... Unfortunately for the elder and the hatchling, another thought the same way; but that one didn't like the idea. *************************************************************************** Well, that's the second story done! I hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing! I'll start writing a third soon, considering I already have a hopefully good idea. So, without further applause, I leave you with my e-mail address (myrlynn@execpc.com) and this tip: Never pet a burning dog! We Are Defenders Of The Night! We Are Gargoyle Fans! BTW: The movie mentioned in the prologue, for those of you who aren't Sean Connery fans, was from 'The Untouchables', starring Kevin Costner and Sean Connery.