"Leiko, go to bed." Blake repeated himself firmly.
      "I wanna stay up too!" she whined.
      "I'll take her..." Prism moaned. Taking her hand he tugged her down the hallway. Blake spread the map over the table.
      "What's stuck up his butt." He picked the kitten off his shoulder, sitting it on the table.
      "I don't know, but we're at Trask, we need a plan." Bentora leaned forward to look over the map.
      "Like I said before. Find the cave, lure the dragon to the waterfall, freeze it, get the gem." He responded matter-of-factly.
      "Don't we have a back up plan? That's too risky. Prism would want a back-up." Emeryl asked.
      "Prism's a worries too much. We'll be fine." Blake rolled his eyes.
      "But, I'm not sure I can... I don't want to be responsible..." Emeryl replied softly.
      "Who cares? We don't need a baby-sitter. Prism is getting too stuck up." Blake lifted the map off the table as if to read it.
      "You're the stuck up one!" Emeryl retorted.
      Eric and Bentora peered at him queerly. With little other reaction, Blake twitched an ear.
      "I'm sorry..." Emeryl relaxed, "It's just... I was with Prism when Alan and he started the journey... He never had a chance to miss Alan because I insisted on falling in a ditch... All he's wanted this whole time was to go home. But we've kept pushing him... He's just trying to take care of us, I think he feels responsible..."
      "He doesn't have to, we can take care of ourselves!" Eric replied.
      "Can we? I mean... I'm young, Bentora might not be easily accepted, Eric, you're a nice guy but I have a feeling you'd be taken advantage of, and Blake, you have no social skills... at all." Emeryl sighed.
      "What are you babbling about?" Bentora wrapped her arms behind her head.
      "I think he's right." Eric stood up, leaning on the table, "We do need to learn to take care of ourselves. We can't just say it, we have to prove it to Prism."
      "We will. When we catch this dragon." Blake smirked.
      "We need to catch it first. And we still need a back-up plan." Emeryl calmed down. He paused to take a few breaths.
      "If that plan doesn't work, maybe we can keep it busy somehow." Eric slapped his hand against the table.
      Glaring at him with obvious agitation, Blake spread the map back over the table, "Don't do that."
      "Sorry." Eric plopped in his chair.
      "Do you think..." Emeryl paused, "No,nevermind."
      "What?" Bentora poked him.
      "Well..." Emeryl leaned over the map, "Waterfalls are on cliffs. If this plan didn't work, maybe we can create an explosion that would bury the dragon while we run?" Looking for approval he folded his hands shyly.
      Carefully Blake sketched it on the map with his fingers.
      "If we could get an explosion... that would work." He consented.
      "How would we get an explosion way up there?" Bentora asked.
      "Let's see. You're going to be running around so it wouldn't be you. Eric would be inside. I'm the one getting him inside, Emeryl is freezing the water..." Blake reviewed their positions.
      "What about Leiko?" Eric questioned.
      "Leiko? She's just a kid, she wouldn't be able to do that." Blake shook his head, "... Would she?"
      "That's very dangerous." Emeryl warned.
      "What have you been teaching her?" Bentora thoughtfully queried.
      "Fireball. She's not that great at it though." He shook his head. Unconsciously he tugged his kitten back by the scruff as it hissed at Spidey.
      "We need explosives." Eric replied.
      "But Leiko might be hurt." Emeryl objected.
      "Not if we're careful," Blake pointed to the map, "Besides, it's only if the first plan doesn't work."
      "So, that's the plan?" Eric asked.
      "Yup." Blake folded the map.
      "Great, I can go to bed!" he hopped up.
      "But..." Emeryl watched him leave the table.
      "Yeah, I'm tired too." Bentora pushed out of her chair.
      "I think we should work out the kinks." Emeryl stared at her, large eyed.
      "I think I should sleep." She answered, strutting away.
      Staring at his own hands on the table he peered up to see Blake still sitting across from him. A devilish smirk pierced his pale gray face that made Emeryl uneasy.
      "No social skills, huh?" Blake lay easily against the back of the wooden chair. Caught off guard by the confrontation Emeryl tensed and nodded.
      "I... didn't mean anything." He softly apologized.
      "Don't flatter yourself. It would take a much worse insult to bother me." Blake shrugged.
      Leaning his cheek on his knuckles he stared at Emeryl inquisitively. Shrinking in his seat Emeryl returned with a timid stare.
      "Aren't you going to bed too?" Emeryl finally asked.
      "Nah, I like the night better." He shook his head. After another moment of queer silence Blake plucked the kitten off the table. It lazily curled up in his hands before he could replace it on his shoulder.
      "I wonder what it's plotting." Blake muttered.
      "Plotting? You mean, the cat?" Emeryl stared at him.
      "It's such a small demon. How does it plan to take over the world? Maybe it thinks it can manipulate me." He thoughtfully stated.
      "The... Cat..?" Emeryl repeated again.
      "Then again, there are at least five more of its kind. I bet it won't be able to take over because of competition." He mused.
      "It's just a cat..." Emeryl felt the spider creep down his arm.
      "If I help it out, maybe we can rule together. I bet with its demonic abilities and my skilled necromancy we'd be able to take over without any problems." He contemplated the idea.
      "Blake..." Emeryl began, endeavoring to explain.
      "What?" Blake set the cat down.
      "Nevermind. Will you look over the plan? Please? I'm tired." Emeryl begged softly.
      "What? You think I just stay up and drink?" he spat snootily.
      "Umm... I don't know..." Emeryl nervously excused himself. As he sidled around the table Blake leapt up and whooped at him, startling the young elf. Frightened, Emeryl scampered down the hallway.