Madame Mabel smiled as she watched two people of whom she'd known for awhile race each other around the city of Asylum. "Well I'll be, he actually did it. He just finished ahead of her. Clever he is!" The old courtesan walked to the edge of the cliff and watched the two talk to each other down below.

Seri hugged Neven, "Now that's a dragon race. Alyson did a fine job keeping the Bronze Man on his toes so to speak. So, Neven, are you up for swimming in the lagoon? I am. Quake, would you mind taking us down to the lagoon?"

"Try and stop me," Neven grinned from ear to ear, "That was a heck of a race but I fancy racing you while we are swimming. What do you say?"

The elemental seemed transfixed by all the tactics both of them used. Fancy flying tactics combined with elemental ones. She was impressed but she was glad to stay on the ground. "Sure. Give me a minute to collect my thoughts."

Caliaphy fluttered to and fro. She was so excited at how well Alyson really flew. "She was awesome! She did her very best but had lots of fun too. Serna are you ready to go swimming now?"

"Absolutely!" Serna smiled, "I'm ready when you are Caliaphy."

She looked over at the platinum knight and the ranger, "I can teleport us all down to the lagoon now.

"Yes. Thank you Caliaphy." Madeous walked over the kurori next to the shield maiden.

"Willow, are you coming with us, too?" The kurori noticed the ranger standing off to the side still.

"Sure," The Ranger smiled as he joined Madeous at the side of Caliaphy.

The kurori blinked Serna, Madeous and Willow down to the lagoon. "This is what I was telling you about Serna. This is where we went swimming with Alyson when she was little. This place is as safe as you can get. She even came here by herself often to play with me and Seama."

"Wow! This is so beautiful!" Serna took in the whole area, "And its so calm too! I can see why this is your favorite swimming spot."

Madeous remained on the shore and found a nice shady spot to sit down and watch the shenanigans unfold between Alyson and her friends.

*********

Lazheros remained on the edge of the beach as the gold dragon approached him and bowed before the old dragon out of respect and experience.

In the voice of the spirit and not Alyson, the gold spoke to the bronze, "I am Perthenxio. I am the guardian of the gauntlets of strength. I acknowledge you as the superior *aujir darastrix.* You have bested me in a fair challenge set before you by the elementalist. Hail and farewell!"

In a brilliant beam of gold and blue light that shot skyward, the gold dragon's form now spent from the race returned once more into the gauntlets on the wrists of the elementalist.

Alyson looked up at the bronze dragon, "Yeah...I still have a lot to learn what it means to fly as a dragon. That was fun but a valuable learning experience. I'm spent. I need to recharge."

The bronze dragon chuckled, "You did quite well, Alysiane. I am impressed. Truly I am. You lack the stamina of a true dragon which I'm sure you gain more in your quest to find the other pieces of the Crimson Dragon armor. For now, I shall remain to entertain your friends awhile longer in as my true self. Help Quake polpmorph correctly and maybe an added surprise will come of it."

"That was impressive!" Irzen told no one in particular.

"Eh! You've seen one dragon race--" War Scribe began to say.

"--No, let me guess, you've seen them all!" Irzen concluded her thought, "You REALLY don't like having the attention off of you, don't you, Scribe?"

War Scribe grinned sheepishly, "Well, at least she didn't do a nosedive into a mountain."

Irzen just shook his head sadly and said no more.

"Shall we alight to the water's edge?" Irzen asked War Scribe.

"Why?"

"So we can work on our tan," The Swordsman deadpanned, "Why do you think? So you can steal the show, show up Alyson and show off that smoking hot body of yours."

"I admit I am vain, Irzen," War Scribe reluctantly confessed, "But I am not THAT vain."

"SUUUURRREE, you're not!" The Swordsman grinned, "And Genghis Khan was a stand-up comic, too!"

War Scribe stuck her tongue out at Irzen before she placed her hand on his shoulder and teleported the both of them to the lagoon.

"Okay, we're here. Now what?" War Scribe asked no one in particular.

"Now strip!" Irzen commanded while removing his cloak, armor and sword, "You're a Chronicler of Validor. I know you've prepared for this occassion. So don't stand on ceremony. Strip down to that two-piece, shiny black leather bathing suit that hugs every square inch of your body and try and put Alyson to shame."

War Scribe harumphed as she stripped down to a one-piece, shiny black leather bathing suit that hugged every square inch of her body, "Ha! Mister Smarty Drow! It's a one-piece not a two-piece--so there!" She promptly stuck her tongue out at Irzen.

**********

Quake gathered her group of humans with her using her earth meld ability they took the elevator down through the hard rock face and emerged on the beach at the edge of the lagoon. "Lady! That was spectacular! You won't ever catch me doing that flying stuff, ever. If it was a race through lava, heck yeah."

Alyson turned around to see Quake, Neven, Seri, and Madame Mabel standing there. "That's all good and fine when you're in your true form, Quake. I wouldn't exactly try that now, you might end up blackened and crusty."

Quake gasped suddenly, "Lady, look out!"

"AHAHAHAHA!" Lazheros had entered the water of the lagoon and flicked his tail in the shallow water next to the elementalist. She was completely drenched again. He flicked his tail once more but this time she had a chance to counter his splashing.

"Lazheros," Alyson whipped up a whirlwind to counter the second incoming wave. It caught the water and sent it right back at him.

"Hmm?" He craned his neck around to see her and got a face full of sea water in his face.

"Right back at ya!" The elementalist waved to the bronze dragon, "Ahahaha!"

Quake and company broke out into laughter, "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Seri took off her shirt, pants, and boots. Revealing a short cloth bodice and skirt for swimming. "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

Neven took off his cloak, boots and tunic leaving on only his pants. The Thief raced into the water after Seri.

Lazheros shook off the excess water from the elementalist's counter attack and settled down in the same spot from last night. ~ Not bad. I'm just getting started, Alysiane. ~

The elementalist looked over to Quake, "Let me know when you'd like when you want to revert to your natural form."

"Okay, lady!" Quake smiled as she stood at the edge of the water, "Umm, I don't know if I can float, you know with my tail and all."

"You could always use it to keep you above the water." Alyson replied.

The elemental turned to the elementalist, "You know that robe he gave you...its very revealing when you're wet. Doesn't leave much to the imagination, lady."

Alyson leaned closer to Quake, "I believe he planned it this way but at least I don't have to worry about the sea salt bothering my skin now."

The bronze dragon watched Alyson and Quake talk for a minute, "Well, are you two coming in? The water is just right."

"Yeah, yeah." Alyson waved to the dragon again.

"Is he always like this?" Quake asked her.

"When he's in the cleric form, he's polite and respectful, when he's his true self, he tends to be very ALOOF!" Alyson raised her voice.

"Hahaha!" The bronze dragon chuckled louder and the vibration stirred up the water again. "Ahahaha"

Seri dove below the water and resurfaced a few feet ahead of him. She turned onto her back to wait for Neven to follow her.

Neven caught up with her and promptly began to splash some water in her face, "Ha! It looks like you're all wet, Seri! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Caliaphy flew over to Lazheros, "Oh, thank you very much for granting my request! You won't regret it! Teeheehee!"

Lazheros chuckled again, "Hahaha! Go and get the shield maiden and show her the way out here, Caliaphy."

The kurori flew back to the shore and motioned Serna to follow, "This way!"

"Okay!" Serna ran after Caliaphy, "Slow down! I don't have wings you know."