CHAPTER I

Underneath the Gallivanter, a platform has lowered itself. Sitting at the edge, with her boots dangling down, Kirsten can only see the cloud that envelops the airship she is on.
She sighs, as she was hoping to see something of the world outside. See what it looks like from up here.
A yell nearly escapes her, as she feels two arms snaking around her. But looking down, she recognizes the black gloves and sleeves that her boyfriend wears.
"Everything all right with you?" he asks.
"I am," she replies, as she reaches to his head to scratch the back of his neck. "But better now that you're here."
"Why are you here, anyway?" he wonders.
"Just enjoying the view," she answers. "What I can see of it, anyway."
She hears him snicker. "It is winter. There would be a lot of clouds up here."
"Yeah," Kirsten replies. "Almost like we don't need that smoke machine to hide our ship."
"Guess not," he replies.
"Speaking of hiding," Kirsten says, "wonder why Yulemanden didn't give us some kind of secret base, where we can hide the ship."
"Maybe because it's a warship," Kyle answers. "Santa Claus does reward the good, and punishes the naughty. War isn't exactly a good thing, so..."
"Yeah, I guess so," Kirsten replies.
"Still, it's not like we didn't want what he did give us," Kyle replies.
She smiles. "Think the Fire Troop will want to look at it?"
He shrugs. "They never told us they were curious to know about who they were before Oblivion. Maybe they don't wanna know."
Kirsten taps her chin. "Maybe it's something we should talk to them about, first."
"Good idea," Kyle replies, as he tightens his arms around her.
Smiling, she caresses his arms.
Looking around him, Kyle can see how the clouds float past them, around them, even how they feel as they touch his face.
"You know, I used to think that clouds were like land," Kyle says.
"Oh?" Kirsten wonders.
"Yeah," Kyle responds. "That if you fly high enough with a hot-air balloon, you could put an anchor down on a cloud, and not go anywhere."
"Except where the cloud goes," Kirsten reminds him.
"Not exactly," Kyle says. "I was told that our planet spins around, so I thought that technically the clouds are just standing still, and only look like they're moving, because we are moving."
"Ah," she replies. "That's... interesting."
"Of course, now I can see that's not how clouds work," Kyle continues. "Which is too bad, because that would give us a perfect place to hide the Gallivanter. Who'd think to look in a cloud?"
"Maybe you can make a cloud that works like it's ground," Kirsten suggests.
Kyle scoffs. "How would that work?"
She smiles. "A guy with so much imagination, and you can't think of anything? You surprise me."
He shrugs. "I'm happy to see I can still do that."
Feeling herself flutter inside, she turns around to hug him back.
"So um..." she says, "why are you here?"
"Looking for you," he answers.
"Need me for something, then?"
"You're my girlfriend," he responds. "I always need you."
She grins. "Then you now have an idea of what it's like, to wake up in the morning, and find you gone."
He sighs. "I guess I deserve that."
She tightens her grip on him.
"So what do you say?" Kyle asks, hugging her back. "We go to our secret place inside the Astral Dragon, and play a little game? You can be a princess again, if you like."
"We can't!" Kirsten remembers. "I still haven't finished your knight's armor."
"Ah yes, almost forgot about that," Kyle admits.
"But you know, I wouldn't mind playing a different sort of game, too," she says. "Like, maybe, when you're the Turtle, you could pretend to be like Archibald, ruling over an entire turtle island."
Kyle frowns. "And who would you be?"
She grins. "Turtles are slow, and not good fighters. I could be the leader of a pack of wolves, to protect you and your island."
He chuckles. "That would be the complete opposite of what we usually play."
"Yeah," she acknowledges. "What do you say?"
He scratches his chin, thinking about this.
We are flying over Slovenia now.
Hearing the voice of the Van speak inside their heads still spooks Kirsten a little, while Kyle responds as though it is nothing new. "Send the Astral Dragon to talk to the Dragon Whisperer."
"How do you think she'll take the news that we're still alive?" Kirsten asks.
"About as well as our Non-Human friends," Kyle says.
"Better, I hope," Kirsten moans, looking down as she thinks back about it.
Kyle looks at her. "You do know that they just didn't want us to always solve their problems, right?"
"Yeah," Kirsten responds. "But I can't help but feel... they way they sounded when they told us they didn't want our help... And it's been a few weeks since we last heard of them, so..."
"It's taken Anaïs months to turn the SUITs into the DRATs," Kyle reminds her. "And she's not finished. Who knows how much time the Non-Humans need, just to restructure the Secret City."
The Astral Dragon cannot find the Staff.
"What?!" Kyle responds.
Either it is not in the mountain, or it is destroyed.
"Hope it's the first one," Kyle says. "What do you say to taking the Van, and visiting the Den?"
She smiles. "Thought you'd never ask."
The two of them grab each other by their hands, and make themselves disappear from the platform.