Embarrassed, Maxxus stopped the communication. Why had all that information slid off his tongue so easily? He had not even admitted those things to himself, and still, he had informed Josie of his deepest thoughts. Did she have some kind of magical powers that drew such confessions from others? Was he hypnotized by her eyes? Those were ridiculous ideas. He was stressed, and it had gotten the better of him. He needed to leave the worry behind and refresh his soul. Once that was done, he would be able to control his thoughts and his tongue.

Winding his way through the palace would cause him to confront all the stress firsthand. Every corner of every room was loaded with crops and other supplies. To avoid seeing them, he went upward to the roof. Refusing to look down and focus on the throngs of citizens hurriedly preparing the city for devastation, he kept his eyes on the sky. His transformation took only a moment and then the ebony weredragon took flight. His destination was the nearest waterfall, still giving off energy and administering calm to those who sought it. He passed over it, filling his lungs with the scent of fresh air, cleansed of the evil near the village. On the second pass, he crossed through the plunging water and let it soak in to soothe his soul. His body begged for more. Seldom did he choose to land in the pool as a dragon, but today it felt necessary. In the center, the deepest part, he spread his wings and raised his face to the pounding falls. Standing there, he asked, “Give me the strength to save this world for its inhabitants. Grant me the wisdom to find a solution. I need to know that all will be well. Can you share a sign with me the way you do for Tae and Eveline? Please, give me the confidence to lead my citizens to victory."

Opening his eyes in disregard for the water streaming in and almost blinding him, he saw a vision in the ripples of the water: a pale face with black hair flowing gently as the pool moved. How ironic. He begged for help, and his mind played tricks instead, showing him Josie when he needed a savior.

Leaving the pool, reluctant to return to the city, he flew aimlessly until a target he had not been seeking came into view. The volcano was spewing lava, sparks rising into the otherwise clear sky. It exuded power and seemed to call him. He found a foothold among the burning ash, uncaring of the damage it might do to his claws. Sucking in the hot air, he felt the power lift him up. He was not alone. The land was fighting along with him. It would not die easily. Talonian history did not tell of a beginning for this world, and it would not tell of an end. It was his sworn duty to make sure of it. He gazed into the blazing fire and once again spied familiar faces. A sob escaped him. How could he save his home when he was losing his mind? There in the fire was Josie and behind her stood Maxxus.

Rest: that is what he required. Sleep would rid him of the insanity. There had only been minutes at a time to sleep for days. They added up to less than an hour. No wonder he was losing it. The palace would not suffice, not for a peaceful sleep. He would seek out a cave where no one would disturb him. Freedom from ruling for a few hours would restore his wits. He knew the perfect spot. Many times, he had hidden there as a child when his temper became too much to bear. He still carried scars from climbing the rocks to get to the cave in the shadows between the waterfall and volcano. Now climbing was not necessary. As an adult weredragon, he had the advantage of flight, and he intended to use it.

The cave was well hidden, blocked from view by foliage and in a deep shadow cast by the volcano. It was his private sanctuary. Maxxus had never told anyone about it. He would spend days camped out there when his life became too complicated. He stored supplies there: food, water, blankets, and wood. Standing in its opening, he felt oddly at home. It was smaller than he remembered, but he had been small too. The last time he had entered the cave was shortly before he had transformed for the first time. He had not come after that, though he was not sure why.

Walking further inside, he discovered there was a pile of wood and a stack of old blankets. They held the stench of long ago fires in their ragged stitches. It was a comforting scent. He spread them on the hard, rocky ground and lay his weary body on them. Here he could rest. His eyes closed, and he was gone.

Dreams swarmed in his head. Not the ones that had plagued him in the moments of sleep he had managed to capture in the last few days. Those had been terrorizing, filled with empty wastelands, starving weredragons, and diseased children. These were of warm, soft arms holding him tight. Whispers of encouragement were mixed with words of love.

His lonely heart and ravaged body soaked them up like the sponges that grew in the ponds. Even in sleep, he knew his mind was playing games. He did not heed the warning. It was all too delightful, and his soul was hungry for it. On he slept, until the dawn of a new day.

Maxxus rose with the sun. He was refreshed, and his mind was clear. He shoved the visions out of his brain and let the anxieties back in. He had been gone from the palace for too long. The citizens would be searching for the king, thinking he had abandoned them to their fate. He had not given Kelan the message from Josie. It was possible some of the scouts had come back with news. There were duties to attend to, and they would not be taken care of in a child's hideout. It was time to return to reality and all its pressures.

He stopped by Kelan's home to relay the message. Kelan was in the shower, so Michelle invited him to eat breakfast and then talk business. She placed a full plate before him, declaring, "All this was going bad, so we can feast on it before it rots. I'm sending some with Kelan for the men working in the mines. I can't let it go to waste."

"You're the king, aren't you?" Keshel, Kelan's young son, asked.

"Yes, I am. Did they tell you that in school?"

"Nope! I'm too young still. Mommy teaches me. I'll go to school in five more weeks. Right, Mommy?"

"Four and a half now," Michelle replied.

"You are a smart young man. Are you looking forward to it?" the king asked, charmed by the boy.

"Kind of, but I'll miss Mommy and playing on the balcony. Will there still be school by then? Daddy told Mommy Talonia was in trouble and we might not get to have school or gardens or anything good."

"Keshel! You're not supposed to listen to adult conversations, and you certainly shouldn't repeat them," Michelle admonished with a blushing face.

"He has a right to know the truth. Surprising the children with catastrophe would be a mistake and make it more difficult for them to adjust. Keshel, I hope that you will be able to attend school when it's time. I am working with your father and scientists on Earth to fix Talonia. If things get worse, I will need you to be a strong example for the other children. You can assure them that we will be okay someday. Do you think you can tell them that?" Maxxus asked.

"You bet!" the little boy shouted. "I'm a tough hombre."

Maxxus looked to Michelle for an explanation.

"I brought videos from Earth when I came here. Keshel has watched them too often. He speaks more like me than a Talonian: using slang, contractions, and words from other countries. Hombre means man. It's Spanish."

"Maybe I should watch them. It might help when dealing with Earth's leaders."

"You can watch them with me. They're funny. Cowboys and Indians dress strange and ride horses. Daddy says I won't need a horse, because I'll be able to fly like him. I want one anyway," Keshel pouted.

"I saw one of those on Earth. They are beautiful creatures. I bet all little boys on Earth want one. But, you are special. You get to be a weredragon. They are bigger, stronger, and breathe fire," Maxxus told him.

Michelle smiled. It was good to see the king share a few moments with her son. Kelan had told her how upset and panicked Maxxus had been. Keshel was excellent at distraction. She saw his shoulders lose their tenseness and the firm lines of his lips relax while explaining the wonders of being a weredragon.

Kelan's arrival came too soon, and business took over the conversation. Michelle took a reluctant Keshel out to the balcony for a counting lesson so the men could speak without having to censor their words.

"I should have come yesterday to give you the instructions from Josie. I found myself seeking refuge with the land instead. It was a selfish endeavor. I left my kingdom without a king and delayed delivering an important message. I make too many mistakes. Perhaps Acer made the wrong choice in heir," Maxxus proclaimed.

"Mistakes are common in leadership. Acer made plenty of them as do the rest of us. You are new to the role and expect perfection of yourself. However, the people do not. Most of what you see as mistakes they never see at all. The citizens are looking for someone to tell them how to handle this situation, and you are doing that. They do not recognize the stress and worry you are going through. There has to be an outlet for it and if spending a few hours with nature gives you the strength to continue, then so be it. No one was harmed or in danger. Now you are back and have delivered the message. We go forward from here."

Maxxus heard the words but still chastised himself for hiding out. No one could be harder on him than himself. He made a slow walk through the city to make up for his absence, spending plenty of time answering fearful questions and praising the efforts of his citizens. He left them with smiles and the comforting assurance that help was coming.

The reassurance did not last long. Marching into the southern edge of the city, one of the scouts brought an entire village. Maxxus drew in a sharp breath and ran to greet them. "Come into the square. Rest, and I will have provisions brought to you," he told them.

To the scout, he asked, "Where are they from? What did you discover?"

The scout replied, "I never made it to their village. They were already halfway here when I ran into them. They had stopped at a small pond to rest, and I had landed there for a drink. I was informed that the waterfall near them was no longer blue and it had a bitter taste. They used it anyway, boiling it to drink. Watering their garden with it caused the plants to wither and die. Their elder left to come here and report the issue weeks ago. He never returned and obviously did not make it here. Not knowing what else to do, they started walking. Of course, they passed many excellent places where they could have remained, but they wanted to find their elder and speak with you."

"Why did the whole group need to come? They could have stayed in a safe spot and sent one representative. Why walk when they could have flown?" Maxxus inquired.

"I asked both of those questions, sire. No one would volunteer to come alone, and they all feared whatever evil had ruined their village would follow them to the next resting place. They are under the impression that an evil entity is punishing them for something. I tried to explain, but they wanted to see you. As to flying, they said there were too many children to carry safely, and there were supplies to bring as well. They have brought all their grain and stored food. I will turn back now and continue my journey. As I go, I will search for their missing elder," the scout promised.

"Stay and rest for the night. Visit your family. You have earned a break. I will settle this group and inquire about the exact location of their village," the king replied.

He approached the group with trepidation. What had they encountered on their trek across Talonia? Were their fears of finding other devastated spots founded? What had kept the elder from reaching the city and where was he now?

As he neared, everyone's eyes turned to an older woman sitting on a large bag that he figured must contain some of the grain they had carried all this way. She must be their official spokesperson, he thought, perhaps the mate of their missing elder. Instead of forcing her to rise, he went down on his knees to have the conversation. "Madam, can I get you anything special to eat or drink? You seemed to have carried a rather heavy burden a long way."

"Give the children a treat if it can be spared, some fruit as they have not had any for a long spell." Her voice was quiet and quivering, but the words sounded like a command. This was a tough lady, Maxxus decided. He waved a worker over from the garden and asked her to fetch fruit for the children.

The woman nodded in satisfaction, and Maxxus asked, "What village did you come from? How far have you walked?"

"We come from halfway across the planet. If we had gone left out of the village, instead of right, it would have taken the same amount of time to reach the city. We chose right, because it was the direction my mate took, and I hoped to find him. We have been walking for a month, according to the sky and the marks our historian makes on his paper."

"Where is your communicator and why did you not use it?" he demanded.

"It has not worked since the explosion. We did not realize the importance of replacing it until the waterfall began to fail."

The same story had been told by those in the near villages. Maxxus would see that the communicators were replaced. Acer must have overlooked that detail. Kelan was correct. The previous king made costly mistakes.

"Did you encounter other places with the same destruction?" Maxxus asked.

"One valley had lost a portion of its greenery. I pray the evil has not followed us to the city. It might have been better for us to stay away," the woman said, wringing her hands.

"Dear lady, you did not bring the evil. It is a consequence of the bombing by the Savra. Your village did nothing to cause this devastation. You will find sanctuary here. We will add your crops to the storage areas, as we are rationing food. You will be given places to reside and jobs to perform after you have regained your strength. Welcome to our capital. I am the king, you may call me Maxxus, and I swear I am doing all that is possible to restore Talonia.