AN: Finishing up the last chapter and moving us on toward the transition to the next story arc. :) It's a bit short, but hey, still good.

Chapter 43.3: Draconic Justice

Justice. It was a term many took for granted, until it was necessary to face it head on. Scott sat atop his headquarters building on Earth, his legs dangling from the side of the roof. He had no fear of falling. It was a reasonably tall building, but he highly doubted that he would be hurt from the impact after such a fall. After skidding across the ground in dragon form so many times, fear of falling was no longer an issue.

Down below he could see people going about their business. All the word outside their community walls was filled with death, fear, and monsters. Here in this place there was music, there was light and laughter. Scott's eyebrows slowly pressed together as he tried to understand the emotions that welled up within him. When had he started to care about other people having a better life? Why should he care about any of them? Who had ever truly given a damn about him until recently?

Those fears and negative sentiments evaporated almost as quickly as they formed nowadays. As much as the belligerently assholish part of him wanted to hate the people wandering around down below, he could not.

A slow smile crossed his lips as he reached another in a serious of epiphanies. He softly whispered, "They're all like me now... Lost everything and just want to pick up the pieces... Have something."

Scott looked up from the wanderers down below then up to the stars above. He was losing himself, it was obvious. Every day that passed took him further away from the miserable sack of fat that he had once been only a few months ago.

He took a breath then closed his eyes. "Who was I to judge them?" he asked the night breeze. Whether he meant the prisoners he had sentenced, or the people down below, was unclear.

"Something's coming isn't it? That's why you keep talking to me in my dreams?" he asked softly.

Dreams, something he should not have due to the system, but something he now did have on occasion. It was always the same sort of dreamscape as well. The world was a barren wasteland filled with nothing but the cries of terrified and lonely souls. A gentle but firm voice constantly told him to "Remember."

"What am I supposed to remember?" Scott opened his eyes then shook his head. "Do those dreams even mean anything?"

His fingers curled into fists. The knuckles burned white for a moment as he tried to force himself to remember something, anything, that he was supposed to remember. After a time he relented. "I just wish someone could tell me what to do here? What am I supposed to remember?"

Scott remained on the rooftop for a few more minutes then started to turn away, to head back inside. However, as he did so he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. "A feather?"

Why did he notice a feather of all things? He nearly brushed it off as just a moment of oddness, but a slight shimmer of light caught his attention. Feathers do not normally shimmer in the light. Interest piqued, he hopped onto the roof proper then walked over to the strange little feather.

A low, slow, whistle escaped is lips and he picked it up. The slight shimmer became a soft radiance. The pristinely white feather glowed with a gentle golden light. "What have we here?"

Scott tried to view its stats, but he received no message screen. Despite the unearthly nature of the little feather, there was no system information for it.

"Remember ..." whispered a soft masculine voice on the breeze.

He tilted his head to the side then gently ran his fingers along the feather to get a better feel of it. Was it something special, or were his eyes playing tricks on him? He would like to think the former, but sometimes he wondered if he was slowly going insane.

Scott had many memories that he did not wish to recall. None of them were likely to involve glowing feathers.

During the time that Scott pondered the purpose of a pretty feather, a tired fox girl frowned at the most recent expense report. She adjusted her glasses then made a curious noise. "We should be in the black, but we're still in the red." she mumbled.

Her ears flicked slightly while her tail lightly swished to one side. "The prison wasn't so bad, but it was a financial hit."

The special properties of Dragon Farm Prison had been quite expensive, though the basic aspects had been cost effective. Still, the majority of the money earned during the looter subjugation had gone to building the prison or reinforcing the parts of the castle used as holding cells.

Ashton made a huff of annoyance when he noted a mathematical error. She had forgotten to carry the one near the start of one of her numerous calculations.

After correcting her math error, she noted that the current faction funds were in fact, slight in the black. A tired smile crossed her lips for a brief moment before she stretched her arms and yawned delicately. "Goodness, I need some sleep."

Before Ashton managed to stand up, Sonja sauntered into the room, a bottle of alcohol in hand. "A bit of warmth for the weary?"

"I've never really been a big drinker, but sure." said Ashton. If anything after the last time she had gotten a little tipsy, she was a bit leery of alcoholic beverages.

Sonja set the bottle and two shot glasses down on the table then pulled up a comfortable office chair. "Probably the last chance we have to bond as sisters for a while."

Ashton smiled at her. "True. We're supposed to start our separate training regimens tomorrow."

"Yes, we all need to seek greater strength."

Ashton nodded to Sonja then took her glass. "What is this, vodka?"

"No, it's called Howling Flame Whiskey. It was a specialty of the last place that I worked."

"Last place you worked... you mean when you were..."

"A slave? It's alright to say it. I'm still a slave after all." said Sonja without any hint of concern.

"You say it so easily." said Ashton.

Sonja snorted. "I never understood the human preoccupation with crying over their fate. Things happen. Deal with it."

"I suppose, but I don't know if I could deal with being someone's slave." admitted the business fox.

"No one would do it by choice. You either learn to handle the obstacles in life, or you do not." said Sonja before downing a quick shot of whiskey. She sniffled loudly then threw back her head and made a howling noise like a wolf.

Ashton burst out laughing at the bizarre sight. "What in the world?"

Sonja's cheeks became flush and she laughed a little as well. "You haven't tried it yet, sister."

"Seriously?" asked Ashton before she nervously eyed the shot of whiskey.

"Ha, don't be such a man. Drink up." said Sonja before she poured herself another shot.

"Well, if you say it like that!" exclaimed Ashton before she laughingly downed her drink. The moment the liquor hit her tongue her eyes widened. She gulped it down without thinking then threw her head back and shouted in surprise, "A-Hooo-hoo-hoo". It felt like her whole body was on fire, especially her throat.

She fanned at her poor unfortunate mouth with her hands while tears streamed down her face. Sonja laughed a little then reached over and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders. "There we go! Let the beast out!" cried Sonja before she poured another shot with her free hand and slammed it down the old hatch. It wasn't long before she howled again.

Ashton nearly told her something unladylike, but the after taste caught up with her. It was surprisingly flavorful unlike nearly all liquor that she had tried in college. The burning sensation faded quickly as well. "Hey... Why not?"

The fox girl slammed her shot, made an attempt to howl that sounded more like a duck had been set on fire, and then shared a laugh with Sonja. She had sounded so ridiculous that she could not help but laugh.

It was not long before the howling morons began to sing a little. Soon, they were singing and howling the night away.

While Ashton and Sonja became closer as new sisters, another figure appeared atop the roof. She called out softly, "Scott..."

He looked over to the new arrival and blinked. A slow smile spread across his lips. "Hey, Shara."

Shara shared a brief smile of her own then made a slight coughing noise. "I'm not disturbing you or anything, am I?"

"No, not really." said Scott.

"Good. That's good." She took a step closer then stopped and fidgeted a little.

"Was there something that you wanted?" he asked her curiously. She was not usually so shy unless something was wrong.

"I... Well, yes." said Shara. She took a deep breath then said. "Scott. We, need to talk. Is that, OK?"

"Of course." he said with a slight nod.

Shara looked into his eyes for a moment then closed hers. It was time to have a long discussion about several things. That night promised to be a time where many things were revealed about the strange people who ran the Blackthorne Faction.