Yarel realized it was time to admit it. He was exactly where he deserved to be.

“Yeah, maybe you should move back to your mother's!” I shouted. “Then you can get all the babying you want.”

“Maybe I will!” Kitty replied.

There was not enough caffeine in the world to deal with this.

Two in the morning. It was supposed to be his off day.

Ten thousand gone. Ten thousand and twenty seven, actually. One should never round down when counting casualties. Every single one of those lost had a life, a path that was cut short by this menace. How many more would it take?

“How long have the dragons been gone?” Kosima asked. She busied herself coiling up rope to mask the concern etched into her face.

“About a hundred years,” Laurence replied. “Give or take. Just up and left one day.”

“What's on your mind, love?” Ellie asked, rolling on to her side. She wrapped an arm around his waste and cuddled up. Jeremy's head was propped up on a few pillows as he stared at the ceiling.

“Just thinking about five years ago,” Jeremy replied. “It felt so surreal back then. It's just funny, now.”

“Hey, there,” a soft voice said as a hand gently rested on Jeremy's shoulder. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Have you ever taken the time to watch a rock erode? I have. It is a fascinating process, seeing the weather eat at something so solid, so permanent. First the rough edges fade into smoothness. Then the more dominant features. Everything that gives the stone character. Long before the stone breaks away into dust, it has lost all its original character. Only the marks left by wind and rain give it shape before long.

“So what do you think, Willard?” Sandra asked as she plopped down onto the couch. It had been a long day. And it wasn't over yet, as much as she would have liked it to be.

“Mrow,” Willard said wisely.

“What, you solved it?” Hubert exclaimed. He rushed over from the other side of the lab, nearly tripping over a bench. “How in the hell?”

I held up the metallic cube, which was now glowing from several surfaces. “It wasn't really that hard.”

“I saw you talking to him over there,” Jenny accused. Her arms were crossed as she glared Sam down. “What was that about?”

“Um. I said hi?” Sam said, bewildered. “Isn't that something people still do?”

The time rift tore open in a flash of colors and vertigo-inducing haze. Two figures materialized within, clad in the jump-suits that seemed to be the common trend among time-travellers. Three guards stood waiting, weapons trained.

“Geez, really?” Alfy said. “This is what, the third time this week?”

I heard the clatter of dice on wood as I walked into the back. Sounded like I found the right place. I threw back my hood just as I got to the table. The gambling stopped pretty quickly after that.

“Whatchu want, tin-star?” one of them asked.

“Another one?” Joe asked. He didn't need an answer.

“Yep,” Iris answered anyway. “Third one this week.”

Sasha stared at the rain dripping down the cafe's window. “It's just been a long time since I've made any new friends, y'know?”

“Oh, we're not enough for you, now?” Gary asked.

“It's magic!” Kelila shouted, clapping her hands.

I glanced side-long at her. “Pfft. Don't be insulting. If I was doing magic, you'd know.”

“There's only a few minutes left,” Joey said. I could tell he was trying to keep his voice calm, but some panic leaked through.

“We've almost got it,” I said.

“Did you notice the tentacle count on that last grue?” Harry asked, slightly out of breath. He rolled from on top of me to my side, still holding on with his legs. I giggled as he forced me to flip with him.