Rex could see all of Stone Hill. Every sheep, every windmill, every monster big and tall walking up and down the streets. Zinnia took one last flap of her wings and stretched out her neck looking down at the small dark alleyways. She squinted and couldn’t see anything from were Taffy told them to look. The park up ahead looked empty and deserted with a few bird monsters feeding some worms and small berries growing on tree leaves. Rex leaned in at the bird girl.

“Maybe this should have been a little easier if we asked what they looked like first” said Rex gritting his tooth embarrassingly. Zinnia came to a complete stop sending the small dragon up to her large black horns.

“Ah oh” she said with her mouth wide open. She flapped one wing real hard as she wiped her face in frustration. Rex gently slid back to her backside and sat back down arms crossed. He looked at the rest of the townsfolk walking around. Most were taking there time walking by on sidewalks or stopping and looking at things through windows.

Everyone around here is taking their time. He thought. Maybe I should look for someone or something that’s running away. They shouldn’t be too far right? Right? He stood up and leaned to the edge of the bird girl. Zinnia noticed this and slowly tilted herself at an angle to give him a better view. There was an older lizard man in all plaid coat looking at the small window display of a humble clothes shop. He had a firm grip on his cane and a stroke of his small beard with the other.

Then the old man strangely stops and looks at the entrance to a pair of trash cans. Rex noticed this too and watched as the three trash cans began to rumble. The man huffed and holds his cane out like an angry farmer with a loaded gun.

“Oh! Whose there?! Ghosts?! I ain’t going yet! I’ll show you a thing or two!” he swung his cane like a sword. Zinnia scrunched her neck in confusion. Rex shrugged and gestured to her to get closer. She nodded and tilted towards the old man and the trash cans. “Will c’mon out and take me like uh-like uh lizard you!” he took on great strike and sent two of the trash cans into the alleyway. Out came two rat like monsters with square buck teeth and large round ears. In there little paws was a small backpack with the other with holding a lunch pail.

“Gotcha!” exclaimed Zinnia diving right into the sidewalk. The old man jumped and dropped his cane in panic.

“Oh nuts to this! I’m outta here!” He grabbed his cane and ran off flailing his scrawny lime green arms in the air. Rex jumped off from Zinnia’s back. He turned and looked at with his mouth off to the side.

“Ooookay?” she said letting out a puff of back smoke from her small nostrils. “Oh well. We have some thieves to catch” The other trash can sprouted another rat but much fatter and tougher looking than the other two. It wore a thick striped sweater and cracked one of it’s knuckles.

“You callin’ me out birdy?” said the rat puffing out its chest. It pounded it like an ape challenging another to a fight. Zinnia gave it a piercing gaze and snorted at the large rat. “I thought so”. He dug inside the trash can and flipped it to the side. The can began to spin rapidly dumping out small bits of garbage and paper from the store. Zinnia let out a small roar and let out a great gust of dust to try and stop it. The can rolled out of the way and bounced into the air. Rex stared in awe as the can looked like it blocked out the sun. Zinnia shielded herself with both wings. The can darted right at her skull and crashed between the palms of her wings. The force pushed he back several feet back leaving a trail of dust from her talons.

She let out a vibrating screech at the can. Rex clenched his claws onto his head and chased after the other two rats. The can vibrated and fell to the ground with a loud clink clank. The rat emerged with his large teeth shining a bright light. Zinnia tried to move and soon felt a powerful sharp stab in her foot. She howled and tried to kick the rat off. Every kick felt a lot tougher for her to get him off as if she was already being worn out.

“Get off! Get off! GEEET OOOFFF!” she stomped on his back and crushed him into the dirt. He released her and backed off. Huffing she winced at her dark bruised foot and felt drops of sweat from her forehead.

“Oh? Feeling a little drained?” he said wiggling his large square teeth. Zinnia gritted her teeth in anger.

“What did you do to me?” she snarled at him. He laughed and curled a whisker with a tiny claw.

“Just a super bite that drains half of your available strength” he said puffing out his chest once more proudly. “its a specialty among rats like me. Well almost anything with teeth like these” he stroked his teeth with delight. Zinnia growled to herself.

He’s too fast, and one more bite like that, I could get into real trouble. I hope Rex gets back soon. I just got to hold him off.

Rex caught up to the two run away rats. The slightly taller brown and cream colored rat handed the other one the lunch pail and turned facing the dragon. His small arms stretched side to side.

“What are you doing?” the other said slowing down. The rat turned his head slightly.

“Go on! I’ll take care of dis’ big palooka!” she nodded and slowly scurried off over a fence. Rex leaped to on all fours and lowered his head. His nose let out small puffs of angry smoke. The rat gulped and took a step back. “dis’ was a baaaaad idea” he said. Rex’s orange spikes on his head lit up and soon bulleted right at the rat.

“Skull dash!” he exclaimed crushing the rat from waist. The rat was sent hurling into the air and landed into a wall of bricks. Rex jumped over the fence and hopped to the ground arms stretched out. The rat got back up slowly and shook off the hit.

“Alright ya tough lizard! Ya wanna fight? Getta loud of these claws!” he pulled eight sharpened claws from his tiny paws, each gleaming from the sunlight. Rex grew a small grin. Finally he got a battle in today. He snorted out more dark smoke from his snout. The rat moaned a little. “ya I’m in over my head. Ol’ well! Let’s get this over with!”

“Just give me the stuff you stole and I gladly will” said Rex taking a large stomp at the rat. It gulped and held it’s ground.

“I would, but I can’t. So now I gotta fight youse!” He took off into the air dashed right into the dragon. His claws furiously swiped at the head of Rex as he shielded himself. The rat backed off and charged right into Rex’s stomach sending him into a wall. “Hey! I’m doing it! I’m doing it!” Rex slowly got back up and glared at the rat with a growl.

Rex kicked some dirt back and ran back on all four claws. The rat dodge a claw attack from the dragon and then another by a whisker. The rat countered and smacked Rex a few times at the head and waist. Frantically he took small bites at his green tail and one at his arm. The dragon dove into the air and headbutted the vermin into the dirt. Dust scattered and blocked Rex’s vision from the hit. Suddenly he was smacked with a hard swoop of the rat’s long curly tail sending the small dragon across the dirt yard.

The little dragon stood up and inhaled a small chunk of air. His nostrils were really fuming with black smoke. The rat let out a confused and tired laugh. His ears lowered.

“Dodge this” Rex let shot out a swift barrage of green fireballs right at the rat sending him straight against a stony wall. The rat covered in black charred fur fell to the ground and landed on his back. He let out a gasp of black smoke. The little dragon slowly walked over and looked at the rat. He grabbed him by his tail.

“Wait! Alright! Alright! I give up! I give up! You win! Don’t eat me!” in shock, Rex stopped and dropped the rat’s dragging tail to the ground.

“Wait what?! What are you talking about?” he said putting his arms against his hips. The rat stood up.

“I mean you kinda charbroiled me there. Aren’t cha gonna finish me off or somethin?” Rex slouched his back at him. His eyebrows both are lowered in a you got to be kidding me look.

“I don’t know what world your living in but dragons don’t just eat random people. Anymore. For like ten hundred thousand years.” he said pulling up the rat and dusting the black parts off if his fur. “Just give me back the stuff you stole so me and Zinnia-” he paused. He forgot about Zinnia! He yanked the rat as close to face as possible. “What’s your name?” asked Rex holding the rat tightly. The rat half smiled with worry.

“Ta names Whiskers”

“Cool. My names Rex. Can I have the stuff you stole back now” he asked slowly putting him down.

“Gee I really wish I can, but da boss will be mad at me and my sis again if we screwed up giving him food and shiny stuff” Rex lowered an arms and placed on one hip.

“You mean the fat guy attacking my friend?” he asked. Whiskers shook his head up and down.

“He keeps bullying us around or else something bad may happen. I want to fight him but he’s bigger and way too strong for me” Rex grabbed on his paws.

“That’s pretty rough but why do you let him?” Whiskers sat down with a gloomy look.

“We used to have home until some monsters kicked us out. Then one day he showed up and offered us everythin’ for a few things. At first he was a nice guy but then he started wanting us to call em ‘boss’ and went downhill from there” Rex smiled and patted the last bit of dark dirt off of his back.

“Look I’ll help you out if you promise to bring the stuff back to my friends. I think you can help both of us. Okay?” the rat’s eyes widened with glee. They twinkled with joy as he cupped two paws together.

“You really do that for me?” said the small rat. Rex smiled and hopped on all fours and quickly ran off. Whiskers brushed off some more dirt off his face and grinned determinedly. “I hope his friend is doin’ okay”