Tipsy wiggly legs,  

And blinky bobbly eyes,  

Tiny sleepy head.  

Double daily dose!

A brisk wind pulled the long grass of the plains straight, waving it like long flowing hair. The sky shone brightly with a distant sun, burning with life. In the distance, a path was being forged by a heavy footed beast.  

The quiet herbivore plodded across the dry fields on its way to the river. It had grown extremely thirsty, as it had gotten lost on its way. The familiar route had become twisted and uncertain. Small storms of lightning and howling thunder tore at the peaceful air.  

Turning around, the creature spotted a glimmer in the distance. In the late hours of the afternoon, a sparkle of the setting sun reflected off the distant stretch of water. Relief filled the ponderous beast as it lowered its head and moved towards it.  

A sudden wind picked up and the air contorted harshly, ripping the light in a funnel around the startled being. Raising its head to look up, it saw a bizarre black sphere into which the world seemed to be draining away. It pulled at everything around, including the great beast. It felt its own weight lifting off the ground.  

Then as suddenly as it came, the tearing ceased and the world settled. With utter certainty, the creature knew where the river was. But fear now burned within it. It ran, ran to the north, away from the river and its nesting grounds.

Shaele moved through the grass, scanning below the surface of the ground to a depth of 6 centimeters. Nothing.  

A distant buzzing sound distracted her attention. She lifted her head from her search and spied a glinting reflection moving through the air. Her stomach rumbled.  

Crouching low, Shaele stalked the flying thing. Never losing sight of it, she moved below the creature, following its movements precisely. Then it turned and came down to land directly in front of her rounded snout.  

She stared at it. It was a ramfly, just what she needed. It fluttered its wings, clearing them of accumulated dust. Quickly, before it could launch again, the grey feline pounced on it.  

The little insect buzzed frantically under her paw, but could not escape. With a deft motion, she swallowed it whole. Then she sat down and waited.  

Her internal mechanisms quickly disassembled the ramfly, removing its memory component and installing it in her own systems. Then with a small chime, she stood up again and resumed her searching, now with more memory!

It was not the forest's normal noises. Something was making very loud woody snapping sounds. As if the tree trunks themselves were being shattered.  

Ini-ta pattered down the earthen path, seeking out the source of the peculiar disturbance. The others in the village had urged him not to explore, but nothing like this had ever happened before. It was something to be experienced, not handled.  

KRAK!  

A painful snap came from ahead, just off the trail in the darkness of the trees. The little Pimi-Mele peered into the thickness of the shrouded forest depths. Everything seemed blotted out, like a fog had filled the entire region within. Bravely, Ini-ta stepped through the brush and into that obscurity.  

The fog did not clear as he approached. In fact, it didn't seem to be fog at all, but rather a great stone wall. As he neared it, the wall wavered. Brave though he was, a falling wall was not something he cared to stand against.  

Darting backwards and gazing up, he saw the great barrier shift and halt. Then it bent further down and a great jagged door came into view. Two glassy windows glittered in the slivers of light that penetrated the forest canopy. Ini-ta stared in wonder. The whole structure was moving!  

A huge column lifted, punched through three ancient tree trunks, and plunged into the earth just before him. He bounced once as the ground shook heavily. Fear crept into his heart, his body would not move.  

It was not an ancient structure after all. This was a dragon!

Etense nes vo trocia. Prache te no vatra. Vorasch-e ka tona puresch-e.  

Bright glows the little one, spirit alight with freedom and safety. Severed from the realm of eternal dying, pure essence of love and hope.  

A small shimmering hand tapped the familiar shining helm. Strengthened arms protectively wrapped around the airy being. An old habit not easily broken.  

The sound of soft footsteps neared. The broad helmet twisted around, staring through reflective lenses. A feline was reflected in the polished surfaces.  

"Hey, Ewansa!" called the cat cheeringly. "They sent me around to find you. You're supposed to be going with us, remember? The others are all there waiting for us. C'mon!" Waving, he started to return from whence he came, but looked over his shoulder to see if the armoured friend would follow.  

A slow mood moved Ewansa to turn to follow the furred creature. Sheltering the wisp in its arms, it strode carefully along.  

Noticing Ewansa following him, Cat smiled and chatted back, "Did you come up with a name for that little thing yet? We can't keep calling it, "What was that?!" forever you know."  

Ewansa said nothing from under the solid frame. The tiny spirit turned and smiled at Cat, then waved and giggled, quickly flying shyly around the irregular appendages cradling it.  

"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something," noted Cat as he rounded the corner and into the Continental Transport Facility.

The sands swept violently across the soft shorn lands. Chittre scurried across the granular surface with surprising alacrity. His tiny legs making a line of quickly erased dents. Behind him strode the cloaked figure, weary of the years' travels.  

Cresting a mound, the little shelled being turned and screeched excitedly. The storm was picking up strength, but the sound of the little one was not of concern. Coming alongside the crab, he buried his staff in the ground with a sudden thrust. Bracing himself with it against the fierce wind, he stared across the wastes that lay before them.  

A dark mass, the brewing storm. Yet within it, tall columns, and possibly structures... the city.  

He lifted forth his hand to feel the winds. Grimly he sighed. "Chittre, my young friend. Only one of us will make it to that great city." His eyes did not turn to face the expectant creature. "Let's go. It will happen before nightfall."  

With a chirrup of approval, the little sand critter scurried ahead, while the tattered shadow trailed behind, bearing the great split staff.

Dust clouds billow forth from the pounding footsteps of the great royal Charren beast. The canopy on its back sways calmly, as a barge on seas expecting a storm. A sandy white pennant flutters defiantly in the wind.  

Squinting across the shimmering desert before him, Lord Tequeste reaches across his throne to bring forth the emerald star. Holding it up, he glares into its depths. The centre sparkles dimly. Patiently, he turns his body left, moving the star across the desert field. The stone remains unchanged.  

The great Charren atop which he rides suddenly rises to the left, tossing Tequeste off balance, knocking his arm against the side of the throne sharply. The emerald star flares suddenly with an inner light and a shearing sound. Dismissing his annoyance at the beast's carelessness, he darts his eyes up in the direction of the star.  

"There!" called Tequeste to his mount. He stands and runs to the thing's crest, grasping it and pulling it around to the east. "Go there, Mino. Our journey's end is there."  

The beast pauses briefly, slows its gait, and ponderously reorients on the distant destination. The billowing clouds begin to drift east.