Crona woke up late the following morning. The sun from the balcony shone into the room and warmed her hindquarters and raising her body temperature. She shrugged and opened her eyes, scooting away from the sun beam; not that she didn't like basking, just not while she slept. Crona was about to go to sleep again when she realized that she was alone. Her head jerked up and she looked around the empty room.
"Terra?" The pillow the two of them had been laying on was empty except for her. Crona heard footsteps in the hall and turned as Thundra appeared from behind the curtain.
"Good morning Crona." She bowed with a gentle smile. "Did you sleep well?"
Crona nodded. "I slept about as well as I usually do."
"Well good." Thundra continued to smile missing the subtle hint of sarcasm in the dragoness's response. "I'm sorry to say Terra, Amp and Maya are at the academy right now. They'll be back later this afternoon."
"Academy?" Crona raised a brow. She had never heard of there being a dragon academy before. When growing up she had learned from the elders in the local temple. "Like at a temple or something?"
"Oh no," Thundra shook her head. "We have special academies to teach our young dragons the ways of the elders. It's where they go to learn their flying abilities, breath attacks and the history of our ancestors so they may better themselves for future generations to prosper."
"Huh," was all Crona could manage to utter. It sounded almost exactly like what she had gone through as a child. Yet somehow it all felt different from the way Thundra's tone of voice came out. It was like she had never experienced a hardship and this dragon academy was the greatest thing in the world. As off as everything sounded, Crona began to find herself intrigued by the idea. "Do they teach magic there?"
Thundra's smile grew wider. "Ah, my dear, very few dragons rise to the level of being able to learn any sort of magic from the elders. You have to prove yourself to be of the highest character in their eyes and excel in every other field of study."
"Really," Crona almost wanted to grumble in disappointment. She had no breath attacks and therefore her skill in magic and control over time and space were her only true areas of expertise in terms of harnessing the elements.
"Yes, I have never seen anyone be considered enough outside of guardian ranks to be chosen to learn high level magic. Magic around here is considered an outside element beyond our natural breath attacks and is therefore regarded as a form of enlightenment to a greater power." Thundra sighed and looked out across the city beyond the balcony. "I hope that one day Amp and Terra may reach a higher purpose than what they are right now. Though the unfortunate thing about time is that nothing is ever certain."
"It's only natural." Crona pointed out, getting to her feet and walking with Thundra to the balcony, paying no attention to the city at all. "Every parent wants their child to become something special."
"Indeed." Thundra nodded and looked down at the white dragoness. Crona was coming across as far more intelligent and mature than she had first imagined.
"But you know," Crona continued and looked down at her talons sadly. "Being special isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes being special is more of a curse than a blessing."
Thundra's smile faded. "You sound like you speak from experience." Crona didn't reply. Thundra's smile quickly returned. "Very well then Crona. I will cherish your words and only hope that Amp and Terra may grow up happy and strive to be the best that they can be." With that she cheerfully trotted back into the pavilion leaving Crona to her self. When the dragoness turned around she got her first real look at the extensive dragon city and her jaw dropped. She spread her wings and fluttered up to a hovering position above the balcony. Buildings stretched as far as her eyes could see. The pavilion was on an inclining hill leading towards the top of a small mountain. Bellow her were residential dragon pavilions, each section being more elaborate than the next as they went up the hill. Judging by the way their pavilion was decorated, Crona could tell that Nitrus and his family were in high standings in this dragon society. As Crona looked up the hill she noticed taller buildings that stretched to a great temple at the top of the hill. Around it were slightly smaller temples, all resembling ancient Greek architecture with gothic and oriental designs interwoven with the structures. The largest temple was a towering spire with a staircase that spiraled around it to the dome high above.
"That must be where the Guardians meet." Crona muttered to herself. Then a thought popped into her head. She landed back on the balcony and wandered out to find Thundra. She found her in a study a couple rooms across the main chamber of the pavilion. The inside was far larger than Crona had ever seen any dragon pavilion. The main chamber could have easily roomed a dozen adult dragons and each room was large enough to fit another seven. Thundra spotted the young dragoness taking in the sights and got up from her cushion she was laying on.
"Is everything alright Crona?"
"Y-yeah," Crona shook her head snapping out of her daze. "I just had a question, that's all."
"Oh? By all means ask away. We have nothing to hide here." Thundra sat on her haunches and smiled down at Crona.
Crona swallowed hard. "Your mate, Nitrus. He said he was the guardian of ice. And Amp is a candidate to become the next lightning guardian? Is that right?"
"That's correct." Thundra nodded. "Nitrus is helping train Amp to become a guardian when he's old enough one day."
Crona's lips twisted up as she thought over Thundra's words. "Is Amp the only candidate for guardian? Or is there another dragon, or dragoness that he's training with?"
"Oh no, Amp is the only one training to become guardian right now. His father was the first guardian of lightning but passed away several years ago due to illness. Therefore his son Amp will take his place when his training is complete."
"Volteer?" Crona lowered her head and felt a deep sense of despair.
"Volteer?" Thundra raised a brow skeptically. "Who is Volteer?"
"The guardian of ligh..." Crona raised her head to speak but her voice cut off when she saw Thundra's perplexed stare. "Never mind." Crona shook her head. "Is Nitrus the first ice guardian?"
"Yes he is." Thundra almost sparked with a sense of pride. "He was chosen out of a group of nearly twenty males to become protector of our world using the element of ice."
"I see." Crona muttered staring at the floor hard. Her head was starting to hurt from thinking about what she was hearing.
"Crona, are you alright?" Thundra asked leaning down towards her. "You look like something is on your mind?"
"N-no. No! I-it's nothing. Really."
"Are you sure? If you need to talk I'm more than willing to listen."
"I'm fine. Really." Crona insisted. Her eyes came to fall upon a few sheets of paper behind Thundra and she suddenly remembered. "My scrolls!" She gasped, looking around with a panicked look on her face. "I lost my scrolls in the forest!"
"Oh, you mean these?" Thundra turned and walked over to a bright red cloth and took it delicately in her jaws. She set it down in front of Crona and unraveled it with her talons. Inside were the scrolls Crona had been carrying around with her. "Amp and Terra brought these back when they found you alone in the enchanted forest. You were laying on them when they found you but Terra assumed they were important so she carried them back herself."
"Oh thank you!" Crona chirped excitedly and practically flung herself on her scrolls. Thundra smiled as Crona scooped her notes and studies up in her arms before setting them down on the cloth again. "I don't suppose I could use a writing instrument from you could I? I want to write something down."
"Absolutely." Thundra nodded and turned to a corner where a collection of ink wells and feather pens sat. "I'm assuming you know how to write?" Crona almost laughed out loud and Thundra even had to emit a slight chuckle at the silliness of her question. "I suppose you wouldn't ask if you didn't."
"Thank you very much." Crona put on a fake smile to keep her real thoughts from showing upon her face. She took her scrolls back to Terra's room out on the balcony and returned for the ink well, carrying it nimbly between her talons. Thundra continued to smile as she watched the white dragons disappear into her daughter's room again.
"What a strange young dragoness." She thought to herself before returning to her previous tasks.
Crona spent several hours out on the balcony sunning herself and scribbling down her thoughts. Her mind was a cluster of flustered thoughts and ideas. At last she had to stop and take a break. She was rubbing her forehead with the ball of her paw and looking over her notes and was almost appalled at the utter mess of thoughts she had jot down on her scrolls.
"None of this makes any sense." She muttered to herself. "How can this Nitrus guy be the guardian when the last I heard it was Master Cyril and Stella was supposed to be in training for guardian?" She groaned in frustration as she recalled Thundra's explanation. "Wait, didn't she say Nitrus was the first guardian?" She had originally thought that Thundra meant the first ice guardian from their city but now she was beginning to wonder if she meant the first guardian ever. "But how can that be possible?" She stared down at her notes unaware of the approaching footsteps from behind her.
"Hey Crona." Terra called. She and Amp entered her room and saw the white dragoness out on the balcony with her head in her paw. "Are we interrupting you at all?"
Crona's head snapped around in surprise. She had gotten so deep into her thinking that she had drowned out the rest of the world. "N-no." She almost squeaked.
"You look a little stressed." Terra pointed out. "Everything okay?"
"Y-yeah." Crona nodded getting to her feet. Her head was starting to hurt again; it was a sign that she had been thinking too much again.
"Well, if you want, Amp and I were thinking about showing you around the city so you can get a chance to see what is what around here."
"That is if you're not too busy." Amp added seeing the scrolls scattered about on before her.
"No not at all." Crona chuckled nervously. "I'd love to see your city. It seems like it would be interesting."
"Alright then." Terra smiled with an eager nod. "You need help cleaning up at all before we go?"
"I've got it." Crona shook her head. "I'll meet you two outside in a minute." Terra and Amp smiled and ducked back under the curtain. When their footsteps disappeared Crona turned back to her scrolls. With a wave of her paw the scrolls rolled up and clustered together in a neat pile. With another wave of her paw Crona set them down in the corner of Terra's room before picking up the ink well in her talons and returning it to Thundra's study.
The city was much larger down in the streets than Crona had originally expected. As Amp and Terra escorted her through the streets showing her the other pavilions and leading her up the hill towards the upper levels of the city.
"This is the temple where the masters and guardians congregate to discuss current events." Amp pointed to an elaborately decorated domed temple with Corinthian columns lining its halls. "When I become guardian one day, I'll be able to join the other elders in their political debates here and help make the city a better place to live."
"Not that it isn't already perfect already." Terra rolled her eyes. "There are no conflicts between neighbors. Everyone works for the better of one another and not just themselves."
"It's like nothing bad has ever happened." Crona finished.
"Well, we aren't without tragedy of course." Terra nuzzled Amp's cheek comfortingly and Crona realized what she was talking about.
"I lost my parents when I was younger." Amp muttered sadly. "Both contracted a fatal disease and I was left without anyone to take me in."
"Amp I've told you before that wasn't true. You've always had me and my family to turn to no matter what."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Crona sighed sadly. "I know what it's like to lose family." Crona's voice began to crack and shook the painful memories from her head. She looked at Amp and Terra with a forced smile, her eyes glossy from holding back her tears. "You're really lucky to have each other as friends."
Terra blushed and Amp gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We're more than friends." He replied. "She's my fiancée."
Crona's eyes nearly popped out of her head and her jaw fell open. "What! You're... you're engaged? B-but, you're both younger than I am!"
Terra's cheeks flushed deeper and even Amp blushed as well. "Well," Amp continued. "It's an arranged marriage. We hatched in the same hatchery and we've been best friends ever since."
Crona was dumbstruck. All of this information was coming in so strong and fast she didn't notice herself toppling over until it was too late.
"Crona!" Terra cried when the white dragoness hit the ground. Crona groaned and blinked several times, staring out at the world around her. "Crona? Crona! Are you okay?" Terra and Amp leaned down close to her with looks of deep concern on their faces. Crona blinked and her senses started to come back to her. She sat up and held her head in her paw and waited for the swimming to stop. All around other dragons were gathering to see what the problem was. "Amp, can you do something?" Terra whispered urgently.
"It's alright everyone!" Amp announced turning to the onlookers. "She's alright. Just a little overheated."
As the guardian in-training continued to disperse the crowd Terra looked into Crona's eyes. Her pupils looked slightly dilated and her breathing seemed rather labored. "Come on Crona, let's get you out of here."
"Y-yeah. Sure." Crona nodded dumbly and rose to her feet.
The ice dragoness moved around her and did her best to support her as to make sure she didn't fall again. Much to her surprise, Crona spread her wings and took to the air. Terra followed before calling back over her shoulder, "Amp, let's go!"
"Coming!" He hollered back and flew after them. It didn't take long to catch up and by then the fresh air was clearing Crona's mind considerably. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked worriedly.
"I'm fine." Crona smiled and tried to cover up the nausea in her stomach. "Just got a little too overwhelmed."
"Well maybe getting away from the city will do you some good." Terra suggested. "It always does for us."
"That would be nice." Crona nodded taking in another deep breath. The ground flew by beneath them and soon they spotted the Silver River up ahead. The afternoon sun glistened off the water's surface almost blinding the dragons but made for a brilliant contrast against the dark green forest beyond it.
"Anyone up for a drink?" Amp asked before diving down.
"Amp, wait for us!" Terra called. The girls dove after him and skimmed along the water's surface upstream until they came to a large riverbed. The pebbles turned to sand at the water's edge and on the opposite side of the river rose a large cliff that stretched farther upstream and around a bend from which they could hear the mild roar of a waterfall.
Amp came to a bounding landing on the pebbles and Terra tackled him form behind, being careful not to hit his quills. The two lovers laughed as they rolled over one another, kicking up sand and rocks in a playful wrestling match. Crona smiled slightly but paid them little attention. She walked over to the riverbank and stared into the clear water that rushed past. The current was gentle here and the trickle of the water against the rocks was soothing to her.
Behind her, Amp and Terra got up laughing and came up to where Crona was standing. The white dragoness bent down and took in a big mouthful of water. The sudden taste of mercury overwhelmed Crona's taste buds and she cringed before spitting the water out in a spray of contempt.
"What was that all about?" Amp asked as Crona continued to cough and sputter.
"I'm not sure." Crona spat onto the sand and stuck her tongue out; a childish gesture on her part but she couldn't stand the horrid taste in her mouth. "The water tastes funny."
Terra looked at Amp before leaning down and taking a small sample in her mouth. Like Crona, she made a wretched face and discharged the water in a spray of ice. "Ugh! You're right!" She hissed. "Amp,"
"No way!" The lightning dragon shook his head. "I'm not drinking it." Terra rolled her eyes before looking back at Crona.
"I don't know what it is." She gave a repulsed growl and looked back at the water. "The water has never tasted like that before."
Crona nodded and narrowed her eyes at the water's surface. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it tasted like blood."
Terra glanced at Amp with a troubled look. Crona looked around with a furrowed brow. She started to move upstream and Terra followed looking around nervously. Amp paused for a moment to make sure the girls were not watching him before taking a quick swig of the water. He curled his lip and was about to spit it out when Terra called his name.
"Amp hurry up!" The lightning dragon stopped in mid-spit and nearly choked. He ducked his head under his wing and spat on the ground next to him.
"Coming!" He called and hurried after them. Crona was walking in the shallows, the water lapping at her ankles. They rounded the bend in the river and Crona squinted ahead.
"What is that?" She pondered aloud, grabbing Amp and Terra's attention. The two of them glanced upriver; something was sticking up out of the water. As they drew closer, they began to recognize the main bulk of the object was a fallen tree trunk; and in between its mangled branches was a body. Terra gasped in horror.
"Is that... a dragon?" Amp squinted at the body tangled in the tree's branches. Crona glanced from the lightning dragon to the tree trunk again. Without warning she splashed out into deeper water and began paddling out to the tree trunk. "Wait up!" Amp hollered and dove in after her.
"I'll come too!" Terra called and was about to follow after them when Amp turned back to her.
"Terra, go back to the city and get the elders! Hurry!"
"Uh! R-right!" Terra paused for a second. She took a hesitant step backwards, before turning back to the shore and taking to the air, beating her wings as fast as she could.
Crona finished paddling out to the tree trunk and grabbed onto the trunk's slippery surface with her long talons. The black dragon's body hung limply on the branches that barely supported him. Crona and Amp could see the stream of blood that still flowed from his open wounds. Crona lifted the dragon's half-submerged head out of the water as Amp scrambled onto the log.
"Keep his head up." Crona ordered as he took hold of the dragon with his front paws.
"I got him." Amp grunted. The body felt extremely cold and flaccid in his grip. He smashed some of the branches that the black dragon was tangled on. Just then his grip on the log gave way and they plunged back into the water.
"Amp!" Crona cried looking around frantically for him. A second later the lightning dragon's head burst up from the water. "Amp are you alright?" Crona called.
"I'm fine!" He nodded and struggled to hoist the black dragon's head out of the water. "Let's just get back to shore!" He started kicking his legs hard and using his tail blade as a sideways paddle. It took a good five minutes to swim back to shallow waters. Amp was finally able to lift the larger black dragon onto his back, flattening his quills so as to refrain from pricking him too much. "Come on buddy, we're almost there." He groaned to himself.
The two dragons staggered onto the shore and collapsed on the sand, gasping for breath.
"Are you okay?" Crona asked as she looked over at Amp.
"Yeah," he panted. "Just a little winded."
Crona got to her feet while Amp took some time to catch his breath. The black dragon was unconscious, and barely breathing. As Crona looked him over she noticed the many deep wounds that marked his body. She leaned in to study them closer and her eyes narrowed. She couldn't quite place her talon on it but seeing these sort of injuries sparked a sense of familiarity. There were lacerations across the black dragon's body. The ones across his right eye, forehead chest and snout were particularly deep; almost to the bone.
The sudden realization hit Crona like a blow to the head and she let out an angry hiss.
"What is it?" Amp jerked lifting his head and looking around alertly.
"Apes." Crona growled looking at the surrounding forest for any signs of movement.
"What?" Amp raised a brow skeptically.
"Come, we have to get out of here!" Crona ordered. She looked across the river and up the cliff on the opposite side. The late afternoon sun shone through the trees but nothing moved amongst the underbrush.
"But I don't understand," Amp protested.
"I don't care!" Crona snapped instantly silencing the lightning dragon. "It's dangerous to stay here! So unless you want to hang around I suggest you get that thorny tail of yours in gear and move!"
Amp immediately did as he was told, almost frightened by the white dragoness's sudden change in temperament. With a heavy grunt he forced himself up off the sand and headed back towards the dragon city as fast as he could. Crona followed close behind making frequent glances over her shoulder and around the shadows that seemed to be growing darker by the second. Each time she looked behind them she half expected to see a swarm of the filthy barbarians burst out from hiding and chase them down.
After several minutes she paused. Amp sensed her stop and did so himself.
"Hey, what's the hold up? I thought you said we needed to get out of here!" He was already tired from carrying the limp dragon but adrenaline fueled him to push on.
Crona shook her head. "Something doesn't feel right about this." She muttered. After another moment's pause she turned back and hurried alongside Amp back towards the dragon city. Little did Crona know how right she would be.
