Standard followed a woman with a nervous tic down a hall to stand outside a classroom. As she walked, she would softly snap her fingers every other step, making Standard bit back his irritation. Her nametag labeled her as the Humanities dean at the local community college. She rapped briskly on the door.

A professor stuck his head out the door. The dean pulled him into the hall for a quick whispered conversation. Standard entertained himself in the meantime by popping the joints in his fingers and hands.

The professor looked to Standard. "Mr. Dane, welcome to CFCC. My name is Dr. Calotte." He took Standard's hand in a firm handshake. "Come on in."

He led Standard to the front of the class. "This is Standard Dane, class." He glanced at an index card the dean handed him. "A transfer student from another community college. Mind telling us why you transfered?"

Standard stared at the class. "My mother recently came to this area. She said it seemed like a good place."

"Very good. Well, it looks like there is a free seat next to Ms. Katie, there in the middle row." The teacher pointed to a woman halfway down the isle.

Standard sauntered between the rows of desks to the human the professor had indicated. She sat with her head bent over a sketchbook. As he drew closer, he saw a brilliant orange gryphon forming on the page. Standard slipped into his seat, staring at the rough sketch until the professor called for attention.

"Ok guys, let's get back to Rome." The teacher said, flipping on a projector and dimming the lights.

The class dragged on for the better part of an hour before Dr. Calotte closed his text and dismissed. Standard waited as the class filed out, until the girl with the sketchbook stood. He fell in step behind her and followed out into the packed hallway. He hung back a couple of steps and called out to her. "Hey, with the sketchbook!"

The young woman stopped and he did a short jog to catch up with her. "You're-" He glanced at the sketchbook. "Katie"

"Yes." She replied. "Standard, right?"

"Yes." He answered proudly. "I just wanted to ask what you were drawing in class."

Katie flipped through the book and held up a page. "This? This is my new woodbaby, Icarus. He's a gryphon."

Standard supressed a shiver of delight and feigned nonchalance. "What's a woodbaby?"

Breaking into a wide smile, Katie happily explained. "Its a fine art fantasy puppet made here in Ocala. You can control the head with a rotating knob on a cable."

Standard dropped his smile, playing at boredom. "So its just a puppet?"

"Its not just a puppet to some." Katie's voice carried a sharp edge. "To some people, they're almost alive."

"Whatever." Standard scoffed. Over his shoulder, he called out a parting shot. "See ya, nerd."

The rest of the day passed by in a hazey blur as Standard squirmed through his classes. His mind focused on only one objective: telling the Mondane what he had seen that day.
~~~~~~~~~~

The quiet atmosphere of the room was broken by the steady click of Amoren's talons on the stone floor. He paced the lenght and breadth of the room, usually reserved for private conferences. He shuffled his wings as he paced and his tail switched about nervously. At any small noise, he would look to the door, only to return to his pacing.

Sitting on a couch, Ayla and Lemidicus watched him. Kylie, on a nearby cushion, called out. "Amoren, why don't you sit down?"

Amoren twitched sharply. "I'm sorry." He smiled sheepishly and sat back on his haunches, muscles bunched and tense. Within moments, though, he sprang back up and resumed walking his small circuit on the floor. "I just can't stay still. I'm sorry."

Lemidicus ground his beak. "Look mage, sit down, or The Knight so help me, I'll make sure you don't breed and your fancy bloodline will end right in this room."

Ayla cuffed Lemidicus across the back of his head. Ignoring his startled exclamation, she admonished him. "Stop it."

Lemidicus lay his ear tufts flat against his head. "I wasn't going to kill him, only cut off his-"

"Lem!" Ayla snapped. Lemidicus sat back with a carefree shrug.

Amoren glared at the bright green gryphon, thrashing his tail. Behind him, with a loud click in the quiet room, the door creeped open. Amoren jumped at the sound and spun to face the door. He held his breath in the long moment before a white nose peeped into the room. It was soon followed by an equally white body. Melhelm closed the door behind himself carefully.

He scanned the room and its few occupants. "My contact wished for the utmost secrecy in this meeting. Kylie, if you trust these few, then so do I. Let it be totally understood though, that this is not to be spoken of outside this room."

Melhelm watched as each of the four nodded their agreement. His demeanor softened as Amoren, the last, nodded. "With no further ado." He stepped back and opened the door once more.

A cloaked figure stepped through the doorand pushed back the deep hood. Ayla sat in shock gaping while Lemidicus dropped his front half to the floor in a deep bow. Amoren stood stiffly and bowed his head cautiously. Mab stood in the center of the room and look from gryphon to dragon to unicorn.

She sat on a pile of unused cushions and nodded to the others. "Sit, please." She said with a wave.

They all sat nervously, looking to one another for reassurance. Mab began to speak in a brisk tone. "Sir Silverfrost has told me everything everything he knows about this situation, as well as giving me this scroll." Mab pulled the roll of parchment, wrapped in a protective sleeve, from a pocket in her cloak. "But I believe I will understand better if I hear it from you."

Amoren's tongue felt frozen and the silence of the room, only broken by Mab's exasperated sigh, felt loud enough to deafen him.

Kyle took the iniative with a soft chuckle. "Forgive my companions, Highness. When Melhelm told us a personage from the palace, it was assumed to be a confidant of yours. My friends are a little unsure in the presence of royalty."

"I understand." Mab replied. Her tone was simple and calm, not arrogant about her position, but accustomed to the respect she recieved.

Kylie looked from Amoren to Lemidicus. "I think that it would be better for Lemidicus to lead. Then Amoren, if you will."

"Yes." Lemidicus cleared his throat and addressed Mab. "My princess. On the day of my resonation, I sensed something strange. A presence, like Mercutians, but-" The green gryphon struggled for a word. "Wrong. The spirits were intent on harming something. There may have been two, but they were trying to break through the Knight's Spell." Lemidicus's speech stumbled to a halt and he looked to Amoren.

Amoren took up his end of the telling with a slight hesitation. "Not too long after I resonated with my partner, she went to a faire near her home. I saw something very disturbing there: what looked to be a half human, half dragon hybrid. She exuded magic that seemed to be the opposite of our own. Corrosive even." Amoren paused for a moment. His next words came out strong. "Some older records speak of creatures who can shape shift. Children of the Mondane."

Mab's tone was even and measured as she questioned him. "Are you sure?" Her grey eyes bored into him.

Amoren shook his head. "I don't know for sure. I've tried to do some research into it, but I don't have the proper access."

The faerie princess's mouth turned down at the edges in a pretty frown. "Your family would hush this up?"

Amoren nodded. "I fear so."

Mab touched the wrapped scroll on her knee. "I'm glad I came." She picked up her abandoned cloak and wrapped it around herself. Melhelm stood and opened the door.

Mab paused just inside the door and addressed Lemidicus. "We have a vacant position on the royal guard. If you show up, Timbailee with give you a fair, if tough, trial. And you, Lord Amoren, shall have access to all of the records in the archives and the main library. Also, at the palace there may be some volume that might prove helpful to you. Report directly to me if you find anything."

Amoren dipped in a full bow, followed by Lemidicus and Ayla.
~~~~~~~~

Mab slipped into the quiet hall with Melhelm. The white revontalet watched her out of the corner of his eye as they walked along. "And your verdict, my Lady?"

The Crown Princess's face was set in a contemplative frown. "There is much to consider." She flipped up her hood as they emerged from the back entrance into the alley. "But my mother will be informed."

Melhelm nodded as they walked around a corner of the large building and onto the main street. Glow lamps above flickered to life in the twilight glow of the three setting suns.

A clatter rose behind them in the alley and the pair turned to look. A small white caitshidhe barreled out of the alley. It slammed into Mab and they went down in a tangle of cloak and limbs. The caitshidhe popped up and blurted out an apology before running off again. It disappeared around a corner swiftly and was gone.

Melhelm hurried over and held otu a paw to assist Mab. "Princess, are you alright?"

She waved away his assistance. Mab stood and brushed off her cloak. Her head snapped up suddenly and she stared in the direction the caitshidhe took.

Melhelm followed her gaze. "My Lady?" He inquired.

"The scroll is gone. That caitshidhe took it."