The last part of Pierre and the Red Dragon, written for  WDragon, starring his character Jacobi. This has been a wonderful and challenging piece to write, and I thank mr WD for being so patient and helpful

Warning; this story contains a satire of the furry fandom; including species diversity, TF and drama. If you can't handle a joke that doesn't include the words "yiff" or fur puns, you'll probably not like this, its pretty scathing. If you can handle this, then feel free to read on.

Songs in this story include:
Stand by Me by Ben. E King (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZNL7QVJjE)
Somewhere beyond the sea, by Bobby Dairn (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8OlDPqYBLw)

Jacobi belongs to  WDragon and only he can re-upload these stories

All other characters were created by me

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The wolves and the fox were sneering and spiting at Jacobi, Thrazzi and Ossl. They had not yet seen Pierre who is standing behind the reptiles.
“What are you ugly things doing outside your reservation?” asks one of the wolves, who's fur was a violent colour of red splashed with almost tasteless pink markings. She spat into Jacobi's face.
The dragon shudders, appalled. “We don't belong to any reservations, we're visitors and if this is how you treat visitors then -”
“Look how big and stupid it is!” the fox screeches, cowering at the legs of the wolves. His fur, in contrast to the wolf's, is a hideous pale yellow; as though the sun had drained most of his colour. “Dragons are always so slow, not quick and smart like us foxes!”
The fox rushes out from behind the wolves and trips over his robes. Thrazzi laughs at him.
“Well you don't seem very quick or smart.” Pierre says stepping around his friends and regarding the fox almost sympathetically. The fox on the other hand stares, horror struck at him and dives back to the safety behind the wolves.
“AGH! YUCK A HYOOMAN!” he screams.
The wolves edge forward, growling and snarling.
“Let's grab him and drag him off,” the fox yaps behind them “We'll transform him into one of us!”

Thrazzi grabs Pierre and pulls his wings over him protectively, snarling.
“You leave him alone you weirdos!” he shouts.
The wolves and fox seem to be distracted. They had turned away from them and were staring daggers at three more people walking downhill; a muscular rhinoceros, a graceful impala and a colourful parrot. They all wear ragged, dull clothes and had a sad, frightened feel to them. The fox and wolves start jeering at them and throwing rocks at them. The rhino steps in front of the impala and parrot, the rocks hitting him.
Agast, Pierre and the reptiles watch as the three ragged animals run away, the wolves and fox screaming and yelling as they leave.
“Horrible!” Jacobi says, shuddering “How could they treat those people like that?”
“They're just as bad as humans.” Pierre sighs miserably.
“I think we should follow them,” Ossl says and then points to the fox and wolves “Better than hanging around these loons.”

Night falls and the three animal people had made their way to some rolling grass covered hills with some huge ancient stone pillars in the distance and some sinister looking large bones close to these ruins, covered in mosses and yellow with age.
From afar, Pierre and his reptile friends watch the animal people's progress. The rhino's back was scratched and scarred from the rocks thrown by the wolves and fox and he winced as he walked. The parrot and impala help him. They reach a cave at the foot of one of the hills, from which a raven and a shark emerge to greet them before all five enter the cave.
“Seems like an odd jumble of animals.” Pierre comments.

They sneak to the cave's entrance and peer inside. Despite the smoky fire in the centre, most of the cave is in darkness. Hundreds of animal people are crammed inside; birds and bats resting in ledges carved into the cave walls and ceiling, while others rested on the floor; mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians. Like the others they saw earlier, they all wore rags and had pained, sad expressions on their faces.
Pierre and his friends enter slowly and cautiously. As they come nearer, the cave's occupants look up, some fearfully. One of them, a bulky elephant, got to his feet.
“Welcome strangers,” he says in a rumbling, calm voice “Come and sit by the fire.”
“Thank you,” Jacobi replies, exchanging confused looks with Pierre, Ossl and Thrazzi “Why are you living inside these caves?”
“To keep away from the wolves and foxes of course,” a tall brown horse says “They keep attacking us if we leave this place.”
“But we don't have enough food here,” the elephant, who seemed to be the leader of these people “We have to go out to find some.”
“And get attacked,” Pierre finishes, looking sickened. “Why though?”
“They hate us for what we are,” says a tapir. She has scratches and wounds all over her arms and body and Pierre felt a jolt of shock at them “We don't look like them, they hate us for it.”

There was a sombre pause, during which Thrazzi glances around the cave. Elaborate patterns in bright colours adorn the walls and in some parts were decorated with paintings of animal people. They had a grace and warmth to them, with well proportioned bodies and looked as though they could come alive.
“Look at those!” the gargoyle points out the patterns. “Who made them?”
“We did,” says the shark they had seen earlier “The foxes and wolves hate and fear us for it.”
“They even hate their own kind,” croaked another voice. From the back of the cave, a wolf shuffles forward. Her legs shuffled painfully, one of her eyes is puffy and bruised and her once shining silver fur was matted. “They cast me and my fellows out for not accepting their ways, for saying no.”
Behind her other wolves and foxes emerged from the shadows, in magnificent reds, browns, blacks and silvers, but all sad and frightened looking.
“You mean they're jealous? Well I can see why; they're whiny, stupid and boring. But why haven't you done anything? You all look stronger and bigger than them, why don't you stand up for yourselves?”
“Thrazzi is right,” Pierre says standing up “You can't just lie down and let these horrible people walk over you. You need to tell them to stop it!”
“We don't want to hurt anyone though.” the rhino says, shaking his head.
“What even after all they did to you? After they threw rocks and hurt you?”
“No. What do we gain from violence?”

Pierre and his friends retreat away from the others.
“Well they're going nowhere fast,” Thrazzi mutters to the others. “Lets just go face those wolves and foxes and beat them up!”
“That won't do anything, they'll still persecute these people. No we need a way to get this lot to get confident again and-” Pierre begins, but Jacobi interrupts him, snaping his fingers.
“I have an idea!” he says and turns back to the cave dwellers and addresses them.
“Tell me, what do these wolves and foxes adore?”
“Mmm, well they seem to try and do anything to be unique, even dying their fur,” the elephant says “Its not a pretty sight.”
“They also love they're so called art,” the shark puts in “The anatomy is all wrong and the colouring is sloppy.”
“Oh and of course they absolutely HATE humans,” the horse adds, nodding to Pierre “So you need to be careful, they'll target you.”
“Right then!” Jacobi smiles, clapping his hands together and striding happily to the cave entrance “Come on then!”

“What?”
“You can't go out!” the tapir cries out looking shocked “They'll hurt you!”
“No they won't,” Jacobi says smiling “I have an idea. Just follow my lead.”

“I hope you know what you're doing.” Thrazzi whispers to Jacobi at the mouth of the cave, Ossl, Pierre and the animal people following behind.
“So do I.” the dragon replies.

Outside the sun is beginning to rise. Pierre notices the huge bones and pulls the arm of the horse.
“What are those?” he asks.
“They were wolves and foxes. They were pleasure seekers and wanted to see how far they could go. So they kept eating and eating and eating until their bodies were damaged beyond repair.”
“Oh...that's horrible,” Pierre shudders. “And why do they hate humans?”
“Don't know,” the horse replies shrugging “Its been generations since humans lived here. We've forgotten what has happened”

Not too far away, in some more ruins the wolves and foxes were lounging and relaxing. One was painting on a blank sheet of marble, a crudely formed figure with huge shoulders, a stick-thin waste and tiny legs. One of them shouts out suddenly.
“Undesirables coming!”
As Pierre, the reptiles and the animal people approach, the wolves stand up and start snarling and sneering, while the foxes dart behind them.
“What are you doing out of your reservations you revolting crawling creatures?” asks one of the wolves aggressively, who's fur is a sicking shade of orange with clashing purple stripes.
“I'll tell you what we're doing, we're not going to let you bully these poor people ever again.” Jacobi replies in an impressive booming voice.
After a minute of stunned silence, the foxes start sniggering and cackling. One of them in a truly dreadful shade of green bounced up.
“They're not people!” he says in a voice like sandpaper. “Look at them, in rags and all filthy. And there are traitors among them!” he points to the wolves and foxes with the other species.
“And you're an annoying little sprog, now shut up, I'm talking,” Jacobi growls back at him and the fox yelps and retreats again. “Oh and I forgot, I have a secret weapon with me.”
The dragon seizes Pierre and holds him up.
“What are you doing?!” the human asks, aghast.
“Trust me.” Jacobi whispers back, as the foxes and wolves begin recoiling and cringing at the sight of Pierre. “What's the matter? Scared of a little human?” he says the crowd at large in a jeering voice. “Look at him, he's not even that strong, you could snap him easily!”
“Gee, thanks a lot!” Pierre snorts, but suddenly slips out of Jacobi's hands. One of the wolves had seized him by the ankles and dragged him into the throng.
Thrazzi and the horse try to help Pierre, but the other wolves formed a protective circle, snapping with their teeth.
Meanwhile another wolf approaches Pierre who is being held by two others. This wolf carries a jug full of purple liquid. Grinning, he tries to tip the liquid into his mouth.
“Drink this,” he intones in a voice trying to sound mysterious and dangerous “And become one of us, one of us, one of-”
“Oh shut up and give me that!” Pierre barks at the wolf, shaking off the others and snatching the jug. He takes a gulp and then looks confused “Its just water with food colouring!”
“WHAT?!” The wolf cried out in shock “But you're supposed to change into a wolf...or maybe a fox.”
Pierre tips the rest of the water all over the wolf and then storms off, pushing through the throng back to Jacobi's side.
“Nice one!” Jacobi says, smiling at Pierre.
Pierre huffs “Did you really need to do that?”
“Shh, not now, we're on a roll! Besides the best bit's coming soon!” the dragon whispers, then to the wolves and foxes “Ok now you had your fun and games, now lets get down to brass tactics,” at this he cracks his fingers, as though readying himself for a fight. “Just leave these people alone and I won't have to use my secret weapon.”
“Never!” the green fox screams “You're nothing to us! We have some beautiful art, see?” he holds up a roll of parchment.
Jacobi squints at the parchment “What is that giant thing between its legs supposed to be?”
“And we're the most unique beings in this land,” the fox continues, ignoring him “We're varied, strong and beautiful-” he ends with a coughing fit.
“Nice,” Jacobi comments dryly “Well you don't seem to original to me. I mean that guy over there,” he gestures to another fox with similarly coloured fur “Look at that guy, he's green too.”

The first green fox stares in horror at the other fox, then anger crept up his face.
“He's right! You stole my original pattern!”
“No, you stole my pattern!”
Both foxes lunge at each other...but the ensuing fight was not very spectacular; the combatants merely poking, pushing or pulling ears. Jacobi looks pleased with himself.
“And you over there,” he points to a turquoise fox with pink stripes “That fellow over there seems to have the exact same colour as you.” he gestures to a wolf with turquoise fur and violet stripes.
Both wolf and fox start fighting again, right next to the green foxes.
“Come on, join in!” Jacobi says happily.
“Are you sure?” Pierre asks, looking unnerved “It looks pretty violent.”
“Oh come on, you're just too soft!” Thrazzi replies gleefully “Oi you! That guy over there looks exactly like you!”
“Excuse me, but for your information, I am a kistune, OBVIOUSLY! I am a nine tailed being of Japanese myths and legends. This makes me superior to everyone else!”
“You only have one tail though, fraud!” Thrazzi sneers.

“Well I don't like this. I know these people have done bad, but this is no way to solve the problems they have.” Pierre says, crossing his arms and huffing.
“-and he stole that big yellow...erm, I don't know what that thing is, but he stole it!” Thrazzi cries out at the growing mass of quarrelling wolves and foxes, before turning to Pierre “Well if you don't like it then just shut up!”
“Fine!” Pierre shouts back storming away from the scene.
Ossl stares after Pierre then glances at Jacobi and Thrazzi before lumbering after the human.

On the hill where they had arrived Pierre was sitting alone; resting his face on one hand and looking glumly out into the distance. A snuffling noise and something cold touching his back causes him to jump and yell out in surprise.
“Hello Ossl.” Pierre says, after sighing in relief.
“You ok?” the giant asks, picking up Pierre carefully.
“Not really,” Pierre replies, stroking Ossl's nose “I'm worried about Jacobi and Thrazzi. I'm scared they're becoming no better than those sailors or those card game people.”
“You mean how they're making those foxes and wolves fight each other?”
“Pretty much.”
“You think there could be another way to solve this?”
Pierre doesn't answer, but cuddles up to Ossl, looking even more sad. The giant remains silent for a while.
After a while Ossl gets up.
“Lets go see what the others are up to.”

When they arrive, the foxes and wolves are still squabbling, watched by a delighted Jacobi and Thrazzi, while the other animals look sombre.
“Well this looks like another job well done!” Thrazzi comments, slapping his hands together.
“What a mess!” Ossl gasps, looking around at wolves and foxes. Some were slumped and resting, the others feebly fighting on.
“This needs to stop.” Pierre slips down from Ossl's hand and approaches the mound of wolves and foxes cautiously.
“Listen up you lot!” he shouts “Stop fighting for a moment!”
All the wolves and foxes instantly stop in mid-fight; one fox had his teeth still firmly dug into a wolf's leg as he stares up at the human.
Pierre then clears his throat: “Look at yourselves; you've become even more savage than you were last time! Its no good fighting just because someone looks different or similar.”
“Oh joy, here comes a morality speech.” Thrazzi groans, rubbing his temples.
“It doesn't matter what you look like or how much art you make. What matters is that you treat each other kindly and with respect.”
“UUUUUUUGHHH!” Thrazzi grumbles, but the foxes and wolves stare at Pierre in awe.
“You're also all unique in your own way. You don't need to dye your fur like this. You there.” he beckons a wolf forward “What in the whole wide world would you love to try and do?”
“Well...erm, I'd really like to draw something like those trees over there or the sky maybe.”
The other wolves and foxes hiss at this, but Pierre glares at them.
“Don't go judging him. I bet that you'd like to do something weirder than that.”
The wolves and foxes look ashamed. Satisfied, Pierre turns back to the others.
“I think I've planted some seeds in their minds. Let's give them a bit to ponder.”
“Should have let them tear each other apart.” Thrazzi grunts.
The gargoyle jumps at a sudden splashing noise. In a nearby river, wolves and foxes were diving into it and then emerging on the other side; the water in the river turning all manner of colours. Without the garish dyes, the foxes had become natural and vibrant oranges and reds, while the wolves turned grey, white or black.
The freshly washed animals then walk away into the depths of a pine forest.
“Where do you think they're going?” Jacobi asks.
“Probably to find a new beginning.” says Pierre.

Back at the hills, the animals are gathering objects such as baskets of paints out of their caves.
“I won't miss living inside here.” the horse says to Pierre.
“Are you sure you'll be ok?”
“Sure! It will be easier with no one throwing things at us, we'll be free to roam wherever we please. There's lots of places we haven't found yet. It will be an adventure!”
“I think we've had our fill of adventures,” Pierre mumbles ruefully “Please be careful though.”
“We will, don't you worry!” the horse says.
The elephant leader lumbers up to them.
“Thanks to you, we can now enjoy a life without fear,” he says, patting Pierre on the head and ruffling his hair “I hope you find your way home safely, oh and in the meantime; keep an eye on your friends over there. They'll need a helping hand.” He nods towards Jacobi and Thrazzi.
“Don't worry, me and Ossl will make sure they won't do that again.” Pierre replies solemnly.

He and Ossl then shake hands with the elephant, the horse giving Pierre a huge goodbye hug, then leave for the hill, waving back to the animals.

“Do you think we'll ever get home?” asks the orange card game dragon wearily as he slumps onto the dusty floor.
Back in the purple draped room, Pierre was studying the archway again and mumbling to himself.
“Of course we'll get you home, just a question of which slot to pick. We've already been to three already.” the human replies “I guess its just a case of pot luck.”
Taking a token he ponders before picking a vibrant pink slot.
“Not my favourite colour, but its worth a shot.”
The portal splutters and opens up to reveal a land of pastel colours.

“Well this isn't right at all!” the dragon comments.
“Just as long as we don't encounter any more annoying and painful piles of-” Thrazzi begins, but he is interrupted by a shrill voice from a pastel purple four legged creature.

“Hey there! We're Your Small Horse! We scream messages of friendship at people all the time despite the fact we fight over petty matters and food scraps on a regular basis. Also we teach you about tolerance...even though we treat other things like slaves or as outsiders who are obviously inferior to us and we're clearly the most perfect creatures in the world. Hey are those dragons there? They make great slaves! ”

“What kind of world do you think that was?” Ossl asks a few seconds later back in the dusty room, as the portal closes.
“Lets never find out.” Thrazzi replies, shaking and looking nauseated.

At the archway Pierre inserts another token into an orange slot. The portal opens to reveal a bustling town with unusual buildings with decorative mosaics and silver domed buildings. Strange creatures; from dragons and werewolves to minotaurs, manticores, satyrs and reptile people of all sizes; from tiny kobolds to larger ones.
“Its...Its home!” the orange dragon exclaims.
The other card game creatures rush forward through the portal. The orange dragon stays behind though.
“Just want to say, thank you. If it weren't for you we'd have been screamed at for who knows how long. I hope you all get home as well.”
With a last wave, he walks through the portal. Pierre and the reptiles watch as three smaller orange dragons rush up to him; two children and a slender female. The bigger dragon smiles and picks both young dragons, hugging them tight while the female dragon takes hold of his arm.

“Makes you wonder why those silly card game humans call them monsters.” Pierre says, as the portal closes. He hands a token to Thrazzi. “You pick one this time.”
“Lets try this one.” the gargoyle says after a moment of pondering, picking a misty grey slot.

The portal this time reveals a dark forest of tangled trees covered in frost. It was eerily silent, not a sound to be heard; no birds singing, no rustle of leaves or even wind.
Stepping into the forest, the frost cracks underneath Pierre's and the reptiles' feet, the sound echoing ominously around.
Crunching through the trees, they soon find themselves on a worn away pathway leading to a wall with open rusted gates and beyond, a huge mansion. It looked very old; with moss growing on its slate roof and ivy twisting up its stone walls and wooden veranda. All the windows are closed and dark and there was no movement or any sign that anyone lived there.
As soon as they step onto the veranda, a huge oak wood door swings open with a sinister creaking sounds.
“This seems awfully familiar.” Pierre says, scratching his head.
Inside is a vast entrance hall, with a flight of stairs in front, branching off in two directions with doors to other rooms all around. The whole place was dusty and smelled of decay. Windows were thick with grime and once tidy ornaments were now coloured grey by filth covering them.
It was completely silent.

“Maybe we should split up? Blergh!” Pierre suggests, running a finger across a table covered in cobwebs.
“Why? That will just make things more difficult, more dangerous and would just be plain cliché.” Thrazzi replies grumpily.
“Its what they do in the motion pictures. Now we should split into pairs and-”
“I'm not going any further!” Thrazzi huffs “Not even for all the treasure in the entire world!”

As soon as he says this, the front door slams and the locks click.
“We can't get out!” Jacobi says.
“Thats ok, there should be some keys inside or maybe a crowbar or anything,” Pierre says looking around him “Now we should split into pairs and search a side of the house and come back here in about ten minutes.”
“I'm going with Ossl, he's big and tough enough to deal with anything.” Thrazzi says at once.
“Are you scared?” Pierre asks, smirking. “Its just an old house.”
“I'm never scared, unlike you silly humans. Heh, you'll probably run screaming back here and-”
From above them comes a loud creaking and groaning, like footsteps.
Thrazzi yelps and dives behind Pierre, whispering “What was that?! WHAT WAS THAT?!”
“Ah that's just the house,” Pierre replies, smiling and patting the gargoyle on the head “It makes noises when it becomes hot or cold. Right well me and Jacobi will take this side, why don't you and Ossl go the other way.”

Later Thrazzi leads Ossl down a musty corridor. Thrazzi's eyes darted this way and that and he kept chewing on his claws. Ossl meanwhile looks pretty calm.
Something creaks and Thrazzi jumps.
“Its only the floor.”
“Of course it was. I wasn't scared, just poised to attack!” Thrazzi grumbles, brushing back his mane and puffing out his chest
Something squeaks close by and Thrazzi leaps behind inside rusted suit of armour.
“What was that?!” he asks, lifting up the visor and peeking out.
A tiny mouse dashes out from a hole in and runs down the hallway.
“Hah! I knew it was only a mouse!” Thrazzi shouts, triumphantly stepping out of the armour. As he does so something whistles and howls and he jumps behind Ossl.
“What is that?!”
Ossl investigates further down the hall and discovers a boarded up window, through which wind was blowing and whistling through the small cracks in the wood.
“Ah, its just the wind!” Thrazzi says happily. Something cold touched his shoulder.
“Ok Ossl,” he smirks “Nice one. But I'm not scared.”
“What?”
“You're poking me in the shoulder to try and spook me. Well jokes on you!”
“I'm over here though.” Ossl says, from down the hall.
“Wait...then, who....”
The gargoyle slowly turns. A humanoid skeleton wearing a cobwebbed top hat on its skull was standing behind him, holding a corked dark green bottle.
“Excuse me my fine fellows, but would either of you happen to have a cork opener? I seem to have misplaced mine.” the skeleton says in an uppity voice, his teeth making a chattering sound as he speaks.
“AAAAAAAAGH!” Thrazzi screams.
Grabbing Ossl's arm, he rushes away.
“Well how rude!” the skeleton tuts, placing folding his bony arms.

In another hall upstairs, Jacobi and Pierre are checking each room.
“Anything?” Jacobi asks, as Pierre exits one of the rooms.
“Nothing but empty boxes.” the human replies sadly.
“Cheer up, we'll find a way out. Why don't you have a look down the hall, while I search in there.” says Jacobi, pointing to another door.
Opening it, Jacobi discovers even more dusty empty boxes; their sides and lids ripped and slashed apart. Elsewhere in the room is a huge dolls house, its once bright walls and roof were now discoloured. The dolls inside are also weathered, their faces blank and their clothes ragged. There is a rocking horse nearby with a matted mane and peeling paint.
He is about to turn back into the hall, the room suddenly gets colder and the door slams shut, locks sliding audibly. Panicking, he darts over to a boarded up window and tries pulling the planks out, but then something makes him stop. A strange light bursts from the doll house and begins to form a shape in front of the stunned dragon.
Two children formed in front of him; a boy and a girl holding hands. They are opaque and wear old fashioned clothes that were stained with something silver.
“Come play with us.” they say in wispy, rasping voices “We have no one to play with. And you can be our friend forever and ever more.”

Jacobi screams and started hammering on the door, which buckles and swings open. He dashes down the hallway, almost trampling Pierre.
“Jacobi! What happened?”
But Jacobi didn't reply. He kept running, bursting through another door and into an overgrown garden full of tangled weeds and leafless trees. He ran straight past Ossl and Thrazzi, running in the opposite direction, who stop for breath in front of a ring of pillars, all but one of which had a stone gargoyle sitting on top of them, claws raised over their heads and mouths wide open showing their fangs.
“I'm too tired,...go on without me!” he gasps.
“OK.” Ossl says, shuffling away.
“Oh what cruel fate!” Thrazzi cries out over dramatically “Now even my friend Ossl has left me to save himself!”

Thrazzi glances around for some cover, then spots the only pillar without a gargoyle. Clambering up it and poses like the statues.
A few minutes pass and the skeleton stumbles into the ring of pillars.
“I wonder where those chaps have gone. Ah well, looks like another day without wine for poor old me.”
He turns and walks back to the house, haunch shouldered and sniffing sadly.
Thrazzi sighs in relief and is about to climb down from the pillar, but a humming noise distracts him.
One of the other gargoyles had started to move, becoming less stone and more organic. It then pulls out a bass and starts plucking it. The other gargoyles also start moving.
Then the bass gargoyle starts to play a tune and another starts to sing:
“When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see
No I won't be afraid, oh I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
So darling, darling, stand by me, oh stand by me
Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me.

“Hey you guys sure do know how to sing a great tune!” Thrazzi says, impressed.

Jacobi meanwhile has ran into a huge spiders web and thrashes to try and get it off his head, but only succeeds in falling into a spiky bush. Wincing and spitting out bits of web, he gets to his feet and walks into someone.
“Sorry.” he grunts, but he realises the person he walked into isn't there, but he feels something icy cold in his middle.
A transparent figure steps out from him of a woman in a huge hoop-skirt, carrying a battered parasol and...her head.
She lifts up her head which looks mournful.
“Its alright sir, I can't feel anything anyway.”
“GAH!” Jacobi cries and runs away again, knocking down several gnarled looking trees.
The ghost lady sighs sadly.
“First visitors we've had in years and they run away.” she mutters to herself.

Jacobi rushes straight past the gargoyles on their columns. One of the gargoyles was playing a piano made of tomb stones, while Thrazzi had taken centre stage and was singing eagerly.
“This one is a personal favourite of mine.” he says in a deep, rich voice.
“Somewhere beyond the sea,
Somewhere waiting for me,
My lover stands on golden sands
And watches the ships that go sailing.

Somewhere beyond the sea
She's there watching for me.
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to her arms I'd go sailing

It's far beyond the star,
It's near beyond the moon.
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon

We'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
And happy we'll be beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailing”

Meanwhile, Pierre and Ossl return from searching a huge library.
“You know it seems super lucky we just found these keys inside one of those books in there.” Ossl remarks, the keys hanging from his nose horn.
“Does seem very convenient, but lets not look a gift horse in the mouth-”
But Pierre is cut off as Jacobi dashes in wide eyed and stuttering.
“There are ghosts everywhere!” He yells as soon as he had found his voice.
“That's just your mind playing tricks on you. Though I don't blame you,” says Pierre, glancing up at cobweb covered chandelier “Looks like no one has lived here for years. I'd hate to stay here.”
“Lets just pick up Thrazzi and get out of here please?” Jacobi asks, looking twitchily around as something upstairs creaks alarmingly again.

At the gargoyle's pillars Thrazzi was now singing a rock ballad. All manner of ghosts and spiritual creatures watch him, some waving lights and others cheering.
“And now for a next song, why don't we slow things down a little with-”
“No time for that! We need to get out of here!” Jacobi says, rushing up to the gargoyle and trying to pull him away.
“Aw come on! I was saving the best song for last!”
“But look at the...the things all around you!” Jacobi whispers, quivering at the sight of the surrounding throng.
“Oh ok, you scared red lump,” Thrazzi grumbles “My friends, I am afraid I must depart now. But it has been a real joy to perform with you!”

“Aww,” the ghost lady's head “Well fellows, looks like its another lonely night for all of us.”
“Why do outsiders always find us scary?” asks the skeleton “I didn't even get to drink one drop of this exquisite wine!”
“Blame the wonder twins over there.” another ghost, this one of a knight in full armour and a lance straight through his chest, jabbing a thumb towards the two ghost children.
“Come play with us and-”
“Oh can it, we never get any company thanks to you two!”
At the front of the house, the door bangs open as Jacobis shoves his way out into the cold driveway again, followed by Ossl, then Pierre and a somewhat reluctant Thrazzi.
“That house wasn't so bad when you get used to it-”
“DON'T TALK, KEEP MOVING!” Jacobi hisses.
The gargoyle gulps and follows without another word.

Back in the curtained chamber, Pierre was listlessly working through tokens and testing them on the machine. This time, he just sticks his head into each portal instead. Meanwhile, his reptile friends are resting nearby.
“No.” Pierre mumbles to himself, retracting his head from another portal and then opening another. “Nope, not that one either, oh wait look over here you lot!”
Through this new portal is a familiar land of misty forests and a coast with four tall towers.
“I never thought I'd be happy to see this old place.” Thrazzi says, fondly. “We're home at last!”
“Not all of us.”
“What do you mean Ossl?” Jacobi asks, Thrazzi glowering impatiently.
For an answer, Ossl simply points down at Pierre with his tail.

“Oh, I forgot about that. Tell you what, why don't we stick with you until you get home?” Jacobi says grinning, while Thrazzi grimaced.
“I appreciate that, but I only have one token left.” Pierre replies, holding it up “And there are no others in the machine.”

Jacobi's cheery expression slackens into a saddened expression, while Ossl nuzzles Pierre in the back.
“I hope you can find your way home.” Ossl says, smiling sadly
“I'm going to miss you Ossl.” Pierre cuddles the giants nose.
Thrazzi hops over and regards Pierre.
“Not bad, for a human.” he grunts.
Pierre looks rather abashed by this and pats the gargoyle on the arm.

“Oh who am I kidding?” Thrazzi suddenly bursts out as Pierre starts making his way to Jacobi. The gargoyle dashes up and pulls Pierre in to a tight hug “I'm going to miss you.”
“I'll miss you too,” Pierre says, looking winded by his hug “You sure you'll be safe from those sailors?”
“Ah don't worry about them, we'll clobber them if they come back! Oh but humans like you would more than welcome!” he adds with a grin before relinquishing Pierre.
The human then turns to Jacobi.
“Well,” the dragon starts “Its been a very...interesting journey. It was a lot of fun though!”
Pierre chuckles and shakes Jacobi's claw.
“Do you think we will ever meet again?”
“You never know, we might bump into each other really soon. Just take care of yourself now.”

Their farewells said, the reptiles walk through their portal. They turn and give Pierre and last wave before the portal closes.
Pierre suddenly realises how quiet the draped and dusty room is without the reptiles. Sighing, he places his token into the last remaining slot, a soft blue coloured one and another portal opens. Before he steps through it, he looks back and then pulls back one of the purple drapes. The whole curtain falls away to reveal a large fairground. It looked as though it had been abandoned for a long time, the colours of the tents nearby were faded, a Ferris wheel was rusting away and there was not a sign of anyone else. Shuddering, Pierre dashes away and into the portal.

Something soft and warm had enveloped Pierre and he could hear birdsong and the rustling of leaves. Stirring, he slowly opens one eye. The room was messy; a nearby table is cluttered with bits of machines and a huge open toolbox. Models of strange flying craft hang from the ceiling and posters of explorers and machines festoon the walls.
Pierre sighs.
“Good old home, he thought blearily and then a sad thought popped into his head “It was all a dream.”
But then his hand brushed against something. He spies a pack of cards on the bedside table next to him. Picking them up, he notices it once held a picture, but all that was left is a blank square near the top of the card. Curious, he reads the description of one:
“Super Duper Musketeer dragon
This dumb dragon thinks its a human because it dresses in clothes. Because its obvious inferiority to humans, its been tamed for card games easily and-”

Pierre gags and puts the card back, making a mental note to throw them as soon as he can. Then his eyes lit up; these are the cards he had won off Takuto. If the cards existed, maybe it wasn't a dream. Thinking this over, his gaze wanders back to his work desk and onto a pair of headphones lying on it.
“Of course!” he says out loud “I just finished those.”
Getting up and stretching his legs, he snatches up the fixed headphones and rushes downstairs, past a tiny kitchen and outside. His home is a tiny little cottage next to a country road. Stepping onto the road he sees a familiar sight in the distance. A huge city.
“Paris.” he says to himself.

“Yes, definitely Paris.” Pierre thinks again at the edge of the city; a neat road lined with poplar trees leading to it, classic buildings with multi-stories, rectangular windows and metal roofs. Nearby a footman in a smart blue uniform opens the back door of an ornate stagecoach for an elegant lady, before climbing into the front. After a few seconds the stagecoach rises into the air and joins the rest of the air traffic.
Pierre wanders through the city, past a wide stretch of green with the familiar bronze Eifel tower in the background. Approaching a nearby house, he knocks the door and a posh looking lady in a dress and feathered hat appears.
“Yes?” she asks in a pompous voice.
“Your headphones ma'am.” Pierre replies politely holding out the headphones.
“Wonderful!” she cries out, snatching them off Pierre and rushing back inside.
“You're welcome.” Pierre mutters scathingly as soon as she's gone, before walking off.
As he walks past a window of the house, he jumps at the sound of loud blaring music and sees the lady dancing wildly in her lavishly decorated living room, head-banging and waving her arms in the air.
“Okay,” Pierre thinks to himself “What a strange woman.”

Wandering further through Paris, Pierre happens upon a group of people of watching a huge screen mounted on a tower with a news jingle playing before a young woman sitting behind a desk.
“Bonjour Madame et Messieurs,” the woman on the screen says politely “The Poseidon Project which was launched three years ago has been flooded when one of its port windows was destroyed. Authorities report it will take years to repair the damage and it is suggested that sabotage is the most likely cause.”
“Outragous!” a pompous looking gentleman wearing tuxedo and a huge monocle “What low level vagabond would do such a thing?”
“They must have been really crass to do such a thing.” A woman beside him
Pierre gulps and grimaces.
“In other news, an infamous band of poachers has been arrested at the harbour of Calais. Their captain,” An image of a familiar looking man in a blue hat and tunic appears on screen “lead the poachers on several excursions to hunt rare animals for illegal trading. Their latest indented victims was a small island of reptilian people who resisted their attacks. Ambassadors from this island will be arriving in Paris this afternoon.”

Everything seemed to go silent for Pierre, starting unbelieving at the screen. He turns slowly away and wanders in a stupor.
A few minutes later he stands on a Metro platform. A train comes gliding in, gracefully coming to a stop at the platform (it resembled a steam engine of old, merely for decoration). The train ride felt very short to Pierre and it seemed like no time at all he was off at another station and walking up the steps of the Notre Dame cathedral, looking at the gargoyles. One of them had his chin resting on his hands, reminding him of Thrazzi. Feeling restless, he was about to turn and walk away again, but runs straight into something scaly.
“Sorry!” he says automatically.
“No no, I'm sorry- hey! I know you!”
“What?” Pierre blink confusedly
He had just bumped into a familiar looking dragon accompanied by a weary looking large yellow and purple serpent. The dragon starts bouncing around Pierre excitedly like a huge blue and red dog.
“You're the human who helped us get rid of those sailors! And you rode on my back!” she says happily, and then to the snake “Isn't that right Joel?”
“Yes, sure.” the snake replies, “Sorry I'm just not feeling all that great. That boat thing we rode on was really rough.” He groans and puts a weary tail tip to his forehead
“I'm sure you want to see Jacobi and the others?” The dragon asks Pierre.
“Well, I don't want to intrude...”
“Nonsense! Come on.” she grabs Pierre with his tail and throws him onto her back and then trots off happily, ignoring the stares of nearby pedestrians. The snake sighs and slithers after them.

At a nearby restaurant (called Le Bonaparte), three familiar faces are sitting around one of its outdoor tables underneath an awning. The giant Ossl was teetering uncomfortable on his tiny chair, while Jacobi was examining his empty cup of coffee.
“They're not very big are they?” he comments, peering into the cup's depths
“Its a human cup, Jacobi.” Thrazzi replies. The gargoyle was perched on the awning. “Oh hey up, its Joel and Adelind.”

The blue and red dragon comes to a halts and lets her passenger off.
“Well well, a familiar face!” Jacobi cries out happily, dropping his cup back on the table.
“It's Pierre! How are you little fellow?” Thrazzi asks, leaping down and shaking the human's hand.
“Fine, but...how?”
“What's the matter?”
“This is all real?” Pierre asks, dumbstruck.
“Uh, yeah!” Thrazzi scratches his mane “You feeling ok?”
Pierre gulps and seems to struggle for words. A sudden cracking and crunching noise distracts him. Ossl had broken his chair and was now sitting ontop of a pile of broken wood.
“Oops, sorry.” he mumbles.
“Why did you even try to sit on it? It was clearly too small?” Jacobi asks.
“I wanted to be polite.” Ossl says sadly, as a waiter bustles over to clean the mess.

“And of course this is all real,” Jacobi says to Pierre “Don't you remember that Poseidon-”
“Shh!” Pierre clamps a hand over the dragon's mouth and glances worriedly around. “Don't say that out loud, look!”
He snatches an abandoned newspaper from a nearby table and brandishes it at Jacobi.
Jacobi scans the front page and his face slackens.
“Oh. Looks like we caused quite a stir, eh?”
“Its all over the news.” Pierre hisses “I just hope no one ever finds out about that.”
“Or about that card game.” Thrazzi puts in.
“Or that.” Pierre sighs. “I still find it hard to believe this all happened. Or how.”
“Makes you think doesn’t it.” Jacobi muses.

“How did Pierre and his reptilian friends travel across entire lands? Find out next episode!” Says the television in the living room, watched by two children.
“Well its got to be a dream.” says one of them, a boy sitting on the coach.
“No no, they wouldn't use that old trick again,” says the other, a girl and much older looking than the boy and sprawled out on the floor, a large fluffy black cat curled up beside her.
“Come on you two.” their mother calls from the kitchen “Dinner is ready.”

“Want to watch the next episode tomorrow?” the boy asks jumping off the couch.
“I'm interested, but it does seem a bit odd doesn't it?” The girl asks getting up, the cat mewling and following her.
“Yeah, at least the characters are fun though.” the boy replies, pressing a button on the television.

The screen, which was playing the end credits, blurs and then goes dark.