Elven Roses

Krako leaped off of the bedpost and came to his side. Aldrec placed a hand on his shoulder, and closed his own eyes.

"Ah, yes, your family's back, Tulyr," he said after a moment. "Oh, and Noroa and Garen are with them. But there are two others that I haven't seen before. A human and an elf. The human wears glasses, has a large nose, and is slightly unshaven. He has an Android Task Force uniform on: pretty high-ranking, judging from the decorations."

"A human with a big nose …" Mericlou said distantly. And then her face brightened with recognition. "That must be Tescadji, then!"

"A friend of yours?" Aldrec said, not recognizing the name. "You never told me about him."

"He's more a friend of Skori and Sedriil than of mine," Mericlou explained, opening the door. "He used to work with them in the AEF before the war. When it ended, Tescadji stayed behind when it was reorganized into the Android Task Force while my brothers retired and went into the civilian life. I haven't seen him since long before I met you, love; I wonder what he's here for?"

"Maybe they got wind of the prank calls?" Aldrec said, following her into the hallway.

They are looking for you, Krako said, resting his hand gently upon her arm. Your family is worried, pretty one. "Worried …?" She said, and then paused to listen to the noise that came from the den.

" …and you need to keep looking for her, brother." The voice was Skori's.

"Skori, I've tried nearly a hundred times, already," Sedriil said. "Wherever Meri is, she's hidden too well. Aldrec's got her too well protected."

"Then we'll have to find some other way," Skori retorted. "I'm not leaving without her!"

"Brother, be reasonable," Noroa said consolingly. "There's nothing any of us can do right now. And besides, Jenius says that the riot's been spreading to this part of town. We have to go."

"There are better means of finding her back at HQ," Tescadji said.

"Skori, I'm worried about Meri as well," Garen said. "But you have to listen to reason. If what Tescadji says is true, then we're all in grave danger here."

Mericlou, upon hearing her family's state of disarray, rushed into the den. She leaned heavily upon the doorway when she arrived.

The arguing, which had risen to a considerable volume, stopped cold, when her family's collective gaze met her, and then Aldrec and the baby dragon as they appeared. All but Jenius, who himself stood slack-jawed at the sight of Krako, was stunned at her arrival.