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Mericlou repeated Aldrec's actions, and Krako se and sharp as any dog's

I have come to help you, Krako said; the voice in Mericlou's head was no and seriousI have seen the outside world, and there may be trouble

"What do you mean?" Mericlou said, with more than a sed his hands froh," Aldrec said, as the baby dragon approached an arboreal rune-covered archway at the clearing's edge, which seee He passed his hand through the thin air between the two trees As he did this, their runes careen life, and Krako vanished as he stepped forward through the archway

"How thoughtful," Aldrec said, grinning towards where Krako once had been He took his wife by the hand and approached the cupola "He opened the doorway for us and ic Well then, shall we go?"

They stepped forward through the archway Now that she was used to it, Mericlou made no reaction as the ness of the nowhere place, and then into her house

The room was as she had left it, with her bed sheets still ruht before, huddled in fear fro was different in the air, Mericlou thought So

"Someone's here?" She heard Aldrec say to Krako, who, like a flaoyle, had perched himself atop the bottom left-hand bedpost "Who is it?"

"Who's here?" Mericlou said, feeling her insides suddenly freeze Her family was not supposed to have been back until tomorrow The imse ether at the side of her bed was silent Had someone taken the prank calls a step further, and broken into her house? She wondered, half in despair, half in fear

"Krako says there are seven people in the next roo towards the door "Four of them are androids, two are humans, and there is one elf"

"How does he know that?" Mericlou said, beco aware of faint voices in the den "The door was closed, and he was only here a ons can cast spells better than most elves," Aldrec said "Their blood can cure wounds, and one of theirabilities that they unfortunately lose as adults, is the power to see through walls" He turned to Krako "Let on