Taran ran a taloned hand through her headfur. She, like the others reclining about the Common Room had been summoned to undertake a journey to the Elven Nations, a complex territory not that far from the Guild. Crossing her wrists and dangling them over the end of the couch she reclined on, Taran flicked her right ear in query.

Lux looked up from where she sat in the midst of a cocoon of pillows, clipboard in hand. “Yes, Taran?”

“I just have one question: why us?”

The others around her murmured assent, glancing around at the conglomeration of Guilders. Besides Crystal and Muse, there was Aryante, Blaze, Kynekh, Ember, Etherrawen, Likeshine, Raeliyah, Malistryx, Kimbo and SilverFlame, the latter looking quite perplexed as to the entire situation.

Lux chuckled. She held up a hand and flicked her ears to show that she was responding in good nature. “That’s a good question, actually, Taran. But I think you all know the drill by now; as to how we pick members to go on missions.”

Kimbo grinned, twitching her red- and black-furred shoulders. “True, true. So, we’re here. But where are we going?”

Muse rose and rolled a map down the face of the fireplace, tacking it to the corners. “Elven Nations,” he said succinctly, gesturing with a dexterous left paw, claw extended.

They crowded round, eager faces pressing against each other in a comical fashion. “Hey! I have to breathe!” Back went the flow, leaving Muse pressed up against the fireplace. “Is there going to be a time when I’m not trampled?” he lamented, staggering off to the sidelines.

“At least it wasn’t the family jewels this time,” cajoled Ary, perched on a low table.

Before Crystal could lob a ball of coldfire, Lux called to attention. “People, people! Please, I need to get this info out to you first!” She raised her feathered tail tip from where she lay and pointed to various spots on the enlarged map as she spoke. “This all should be routine for you by now … we have lives in the balance.”

“Sorry, Lux,” they murmured, chastised.

“Anyway,” she continued, “these are the lands of the Elven Nations. The Admin and Moderators agreed last night to send a party there in hopes of finding a cure for the mysterious sickness that struck us a few days ago.”

“Why the Nations? They’re nothing but a bunch of prisses,” Likeshine commented.

“What about the City of Masks?”

Lux shook her head. “The City is definitely not someplace to go if we need medicine, Eth. I prefer to stay out of their territory, even today.”

Raeliyah lifted her hand. “We’re going because of Crystal’s sister, aren’t we?”

The seraph ludrakoni nodded. “Very astute, Rae. Yes, because of Crys’ connections and Kalaki’s help in the past, perhaps we can get them to aid in our troubles.”

Mali hurr’ed, shaking her head. “We’re going into this blind; you know that, don’t you? There’s no guarantee that they’ll even let us into their territory. From what I’ve heard, Kalaki damn near got her post rescinded because of the stunts she’s pulled in the past.”

Crystal cleared her throat, drawing eyes towards her. “Yes, my sister was put into a precarious position each time, but she’s too valuable where she is in the eyes of our Council and the Nations.” She paused to grin. “Not only that, but she’s incredibly stubborn and a skilled politician. We shouldn’t have a problem getting in; I contacted her last night and she’ll be waiting for us when we arrive.”

“How … convenient, sis,” murmured SilverFlame, his triad crest quirking up and down with a wry smile.

Crystal smiled back. “Of course, bro. Of course.”

Jezamyn folded her paws and glanced out the sealed window. She was utterly bored out of her mind, what with the quarantine and all. The Fire Prime flicked her tail in irritation, looking up only when she caught a flicker of bronze tail passing her open door.

“Eldarath! Hey, Eld!”

The bronze tail tip stopped moving and a head replaced it. “Do I know you?” the large male dragon asked, his cool blue eyes hooded.

Jez put a paw to her mouth, forgetting momentarily what she was going to say. Then she remembered. “You’re CP’s brother, aren’t you?”

The head swayed and the rest of Eldarath sat framed in her doorway. “One of them, yes. Why do you ask?”

“Uhm, I heard that there was a party heading off to the Elven Nations. I wondered if you knew anything about that?”

Eld shook his head. “If you’re asking about whether I can get you in, forget it; I’m having nothing to do with it. They picked who they needed and everyone else is staying here to help with the sick.” With that, he turned around and padded back down the hall.

Jezamyn frowned, partly angered at Eldarath’s tone and her own inability to get out of the mountain. They probably won’t be able to get anything out of those elves anyway. The Primes themselves were very aware of the Nation, having skirted their territory in their search and building of Sar’Tahreen. Through the lore of past Fire Primes, Jez knew that the Guilders would be hard-pressed in order to get any access into the city.

She curled back up on the window seat, cheek pressed against the glass, breath fogging the pane up and clearing it again. She had to do something! Inactivity of the past few days had spun her mind like a crazed top, threatening to explode within her like a cabin fever bomb.

… Then it hit her! “Why didn’t I think so before?” she chastised herself, jumping up and leaping off the padded seat.

“Keedra? Keedra! Get your lazy ass up here!”

Lower jaw stuck out at a pout, Keedra hoisted her hindquarters up onto the ledge where her brother sat, cross-faced. She danced away from the arcing slash Randor aimed at her, busying herself with coiling the rope back up around her waist. They were about fifty feet up now, near a cracked window.

Randor peered in, breathing on the glass in a half-hearted attempt to see better. Wrapping a cloth around his fist, he peered in once more, scratching an X on the pane with the other free hand, scoring the glass first. With a careful, deliberate punch, Randor broke through the pane, ducking behind the ledge as the pieces tinkered on the floor.

They stood there, near-frozen to either side, waiting with baited breath for someone to come and discover where they’d been. If anything, they’d take wing and beat the hell out of the place in a hurry.

Moments passed … no one came. Randor peered around the corner, motioned for Keedra to follow. Together, they slipped through the broken pane and into the Guild.

Copyright 2002, Crystal Shekeira. All Guilders are © themselves. The Gryphon's Guild is trademarked to Tserisa Supalla. Sar'Tahreen & the Primes belong to Jezamyn. All other names, places and events are © MH. Do not alter, copy or distribute.