Noise in the night made Tiger awake. There was something there. Also, Tiger noted that Gale was missing once again. This was the second time this had happened and it perhaps was going to be quite common.

Tiger closed his eyes once again to get some sleep. But thoughts of Truth filled his mind. He wondered if Truth was alive. He also wondered if Truth felt any guilt for abandoning them.

Quite often there were thumpings coming from the ceiling as well as voices. Sounds like a quite disgusting disagreement, Tiger thought.

He stretched, went to the restroom and came back to try and fall asleep again. In short, after some tossing and turning, he did.

The next morning Gale was present again. She seemed completely normal (as normal as she was). “Shall we head out?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Maple.

The walked by the market square in the dawn’s early light. Few shops were open. Only the Fake Limbs Shoppe was open. And no one ever visited there. Why should they? Not everyone needed or wanted a fake limb lying on the dining room table.

Eventually, they reach the place of the fire.

Memories played in his brain like a play he had once seen a year ago. The flames danced and dodged, sang and skipped, and told a story. A story hiding behind, stealing away a love, and leaving notes.

As they moseid through the streets, it was silent. Nothing but their foot steps sounded as they strode. Tiger felt that something was off. Looking over his shoulder he saw a looking glass in rubble of a razed house. Turning back, he counted his steps.

One foot.

Two foot.

Three foot.

No foot.

Wait, that wasn’t right.

“Does anything feel…off? To you?” asked Tiger.

“Most definitely,” answered Gale and Maple at the same time. They then both urst out laughing.

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Tiger trotted ahead as the other two talked and dallied. They needed to hurry and find Truth. At the rate they were walking, it was unlikely they would be there by twelfth chime. That would not do. Why should it?

“Hurry up!” Tiger yelled.

After a moment, the two girls started to quicken their pace. Then they all started to half run, half speed walk toward the exit gate of the burned section of the city. As they neared, the exit came into view. It was unguarded and ajar. Someone had definitely slipped out recently.

Tiger pushed the gate more ajar and saw only blackness.

***

He awoke to greenery and a shrubbery. It was always a shrubbery. Looking around, Tiger saw houses and shrubberies as well as an old crone.

The crone looked down at him and threw a scone at his face.

“Why did you throw a scone at my face, good ma’am?” Tiger asked.

“I believe a friend is here with you as well,” the crone said, ignoring his question. “Come, let yourself see them once again.”

Tiger cautiously followed. Down a mahogany wood hallway with red tapestries and carpet he went. A clock ticked nearby.

They emerged into a sitting area where a grey dragon, a blue dragon, and a honey-organgish dragon sat behind a short table.

As he got closer, he relized they were his friends. All of them. “Truth? Is that you?” Tiger said.

“Indeed he is,” said the crone. “And i’m sure you know Gale and Maple. But I am the Matriarch. Lets talk over dinner, shall we?”

Eating, they talked. Most were question and even a few accusation for Truth.

“I did not want to be a pawn on the board for another’s scheme,” Truth said. “I wanted to be my own person and be a god of my own world. I wanted control.

Rather harshly, Gale said “What if control is not for you? Could you be defying the god of this realm? We all want control. And none will ever gain it. At least here. Perhaps in another dimension, where detectives are smart and solve the writing on the wall.”

“Perhaps.”

“You should be a little less harsh on Truth, don’t you think?” Maple said to Gale.

They retired to bed and slept till the morning came.Tiger shared a room with Truth. He chose to do so of his own accord.

Tiger slept on a bed where Truth slept on the coach.

Thump.

Something above him sounded. Very much like it did at the inn. Was it just imagination? Or was something there. Perhaps the Master was watching him and testing him as they did in the cave. Unlikely. But then, thinking back to the cave, why would the Master take interest in them? Did he tell anything to the Soveriegn?

***

Tiger awoke when the Matriarch called for them to arise and come. Guests had arrived. The guests were all blue dragons, except one, who was orange.

Tiger saw as Recognition flashed across Truth’s face.

“M-mom?” he croaked. “I thought you were dead!”

“You thought wrongly, “said one of the blue dragons, presumable Truth’s mother.

“And you’re Courage, correct?” Truth said to the orange dragon.

“That too is correct.”

Truth started to walk to his mother, but the Matriarch put out an arm to stop him. “Not yet,” she said.

Not yet.

Not yet time to ask question.

But is now yet to be cautious.