Before him stood the four dragonmaids, obedient to him and in awe and curiosity. Then the girls waited for the further command of Azrael, and he had already decided upon what to do.
"Alright, you girls go now," he said in his calm, commanding voice. "I'll find you when I need you."
The dragonmaids looked at each other, and the tallest one bowed her head slightly. There was no need for words to be spoken, for they just turned into shadow, their scales flickering once in the faint light, and vanished into the night.
Once more, the cavern lapsed into the strange silence that only the steady pulsing of the heart in his hand betrayed-and Azrael's quiet breathing.
And his eyes lit with purpose as he forced himself up and out of the cave. That was one mission accomplished, and then on to ano
