Notes for the reader: This is only the very beginning of the story, but it's as far as I've written as of right now.


Great...What next? Thought Xirai as he drove himself on, just ahead of his pursuers. First I'm injured by my own "ally", now I'm forced to flee from these weaklings, whom I could easily crush without pausing to think. I swear I'm going to kill Kiklai when I get back.
He chanced a look back over his scaled shoulder, noting that his pursuers had dropped to a lower altitude than he. He had to keep them after him, and they seemed to be giving up their pursuit. I'll just have to give them some incentive, the stupid little things. They'll keep after me if I'm injured, even if it takes all day, just in the hope of a meal.
Glancing back again, Xirai assessed his attackers' position, then quickly dove down and back. The creatures, which had been slowly losing their quarry, screeched with delight when he dove, and quickly followed him down, angled to intercept and ready to tear apart his wings with their razor-sharp claws.
That's right, follow me down. Let me lead you. With a collossal effort, Xirai pulled out of his steep dive, and into a loop, coming back on a level behind his enemies. I must not kill them, but nobody said anything against hurting them. He thought. Opening his mouth, he spewed white-hot flames straight into the group, singeing one quite badly. The rest, realizing what had happened, dove straight down, and then arced back in a loop to get behnd Xirai again, and out of reach of his fire.
"Kill the spy! Don't let him escape!" One of them cried. "Lord Sireanok wants him dead, and if we fail, we die in his place!"
So..They work for Sireanok...I'm not surprised... Thought Xirai, beating his wings to gain height again. Xintar'Nul will be pleased
Onward he flew, with the others close on his tail, all the while cursing his fate at having been chosen for this task.

"But father, where could he be? He's never been this late before..." Kireen said to her father. "We should send somebody to find him. He could be in danger."
"Patience, young one. Xirai will return. He always does. This is by far the hardest mission we've sent him on. It is to be expected that he will be gone longer." Xintar'Nul said, simply. "Don't worry. Once he returns, you can see for yourself that he is fine." The high chancellor sat on the pile of cushions in his chambers, where he had been when Kireen had entered. Just as he finished, a messenger entered the room.
"Sire, Xirai has been spotted, and he is being followed." The messenger said, kneeling before the high chancellor.
"You see, Kireen? I told you he would return." Xintar'Nul said to his daughter. Then, turning to the messenger, he spoke again. "Rise. Take word to Kiklai, tell him to get Xirai's pursuers into custody, but not to harm them if at all possible. We need them alive." The messenger bowed, and hurried from the room.
Rising from his seat, Xintar'Nul's silver scales clicked and rustled softly. "Calm yourself, daughter. Let's go out to the landing fields and wait for Xirai to arrive." Kireen turned and nodded slowly to her father, the light from the window where she stood reflected off her gilt scales, making them glow like the sun.

They're making me crazy! I'm not some rabbit for hounds to chase... Though I guess that's what this job made me... Thought Xirai as he winged his way towards the distant city. He could just barely see it now, right on the edge of his vision. Hopefully I'll make it... I'd hate to disappoint Kireen. He thought. Just then, he saw a bright flash in the trees below, and before him. The kind of flash created by light reflecting off of a polished sword blade. They've seen me, then. Now to bring these bastards home! Snapping his wings out straight, he began a slow ascent, which would bring him to rest in the landing fields now looming up on him. Reaching out with his mind, he found who he was looking for, the commander in charge of the landing fields. Clear the fields. These guys are dangerous. Keep some men undercover nearby. I want them restrained immediately. Severing the contact, he tilted his glide downwards a bit more, and looked back over his shoulder. "Fools! Your master will never have me!" He cried back, goading them to follow him down, screeching with anger.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, Xirai's body shifted to a half-human form, retaining wings and tail, and he spun to face his pursuers. Raising an arm, he waved to them. "Come and get me!"
Seeing their quarry on the ground, Xirai's pursuers redoubled their efforts, and focused on him alone. "You two, get behind him, but stay to the sides. Fold your wings and land on my signal." Yelled the largest of the three. The other two nodded, and sped off to get behind Xirai.
Xirai kept a close watch on the three, and didn't even bother turning to watch the two fly over him. Perfect. He thought. Now all I have to do is... Glancing over his shoulder, he scanned the distance between himself and the three dragons encircling him. Yes, and they're at the perfect distance! This should make it even easier! Xirai searched deep within himself, and called forth the power from deep inside his soul. Lashing out, he wove the energy into a corporeal net, which entangled the three, who had just dropped like stones from the sky, and landed in a perfect triangle around him. Quickly severing the bands of energy entangling him, he held the web around his would-be captors. "Come get them, Kiklai!"
At Xirai's call, another half-dragon, a red, emerged seemingly from nowhere, and beckoned several other dragons out of the cover of the trees. "That was a bit more than you needed to do, you know, Xirai. Simply binding them would have been sufficient." The commander stated as he walked around each of the three bound dragons in turn. "Though I'll admit, it did the job well." Glancing back towards the city, he mutters something to himself, then looks back at Xirai. "Xintar'Nul was here, looking for you. Kireen, too. I sent them off when you said you wanted the field cleared, but I don't think they went far..."
Nodding, Xirai moved off towards the city walls. "Thanks, Kiklai." He said, smiling. He glanced over his shoulder as he headed to find Kireen and Xintar'Nul, watching as his pursuers were systematically trussed and hauled off to the dungeons.
"It's less than they deserve, I think..." Said a voice from nearby. Xirai glanced about to spot who it was, and smiled. "So you didn't go very far after all... I've missed you." He laid a hand on Kireen's shoulder, and smiled warmly at her. "I'm sorry if I worried you, Kireen." She was his sister, or at least in a fashion she was. Xintar'Nul had adopted Xirai when he was found abandoned by his parents, a white dragon, and an elven woman. He had been given the very best in schooling and combat training, and grew to be one of the most trusted and respected members of draconic society. He was now a guardian for the council of dragons. Their trusted warriors they could use for tasks beyond the guards or the normal warrior clans amongst the dragons.
A blush crossed Kireen's face at the touch, but she didn't look away. Rather, she put a hand on Xirai's for a moment, then threw her arms around him. "I was so worried... I thought you might not come back, you were gone so long..." She wept into his shoulder, hugging him still more fiercely. "Promise me you'll never scare me like that again... Promise me..."