The morning after the events in the Shining (Or Silver, as Voden kept insisting under his breath) Talon Academy weren't pleasant. A thorough investigation into the murders of Elder Matthew and several guards lasted well into the morning. Jules wanted no part in the investigations, preferring to have his group take off for Warfang immediately. Neptus was willing to let the foursome move on, but many of his guards wanted to grill Voden for information. It was only thanks to Neptus' interference that the scholar was able to avoid them.
Jules and the others stood together just to the north of the academy. Voden was more than eager to get a move on. Jules and Hontus were a bit ahead, discussing which direction to fly in next. That left Seraph at the back, standing beside Neptus.
"You'd best watch yourself out there, Seraph." Neptus said. "I fear the worst has yet to come for our kind."
"I'll try to keep safe." Seraph replied, turning towards Hontus. "So long as my allies are by my side, I think I'll be okay."
"Ah, that's the Seraph I remember." Neptus chuckled. He stepped forwards and hugged Seraph with a wing.
"I'm happy that I got to see you again, Uncle." Seraph said sadly.
"The feeling is mutual, my dear." Neptus frowned. He patted her on the shoulder. "I wish the best for you and your companions."
"Thank you, Uncle Neptus."
~~...~~
Blankridge and the other younglings had flown for as fast as they could.
None of them said a word as they travelled all night. But Blankridge could tell from the girls' eyes that they still couldn't handle the fact that Rune was... kidnapped. Blankridge himself was having a hard time keeping his distress to himself. He flew at the lead of the group to keep the others from seeing his tears.
With no idea where else to go, Blankridge led the others directly north towards Warfang. For two days they flew, stopping only to eat and sleep. They had to keep going, in case Guardian Scelus or his guards were in pursuit of them.
I can't believe that Rune's gone... Blankridge sniffled. If only I was a few seconds faster, I could have chased that lady through the portal...
On the evening of the second day of travel, the younglings were flying through the airspace that led to Warfang. Black clouds had swarmed over the city far in the distance. It made Blankridge sick to his stomach to think they might have to fly right into the airspace. Part of Blankridge wanted to keep going, for both Rune's sake and the girls' morality. But even if Blankridge fancied himself a heroic leader, it was hard to keep up such an appearance.
"Say..." Blankridge said as he looked back at the girls. "It's getting late. "Maybe we should land somewhere and spend the night."
"But we need to get to Warfang!" Nellie exclaimed. "We have to find Rune!"
"Warfang is the biggest city in all of the dragon realms." Roxanne said. "Even if we got there tonight, we'd need time to work on a plan on how to find him."
"I'll look around for a place to land." Blankridge said. He turned his eyes down to the land below. Amongst the many hills scattered about the outskirts, one of the largest ones had a small cave entrance in the side of it. It was the best thing Blankridge could find. But it was getting hard to see, as the sun was starting to set.
"Hey, how about that cave?" He asked the girls. "We can spend the night there, and I'll start a campfire."
"Fine by me." Roxanne said.
"I... I guess that'll have to do." Nellie sighed. She looked over at Emerald. "What do you think?"
The green dragoness didn't say anything. She just flapped her wings to glide down to the hill, a scowl on her face. Blankridge watched her with a grimace. He flew down after her, and Nellie and Roxanne took the rear.
The four young dragons came to a landing at the base of the hill and trotted into the cave. The mouth of the cave was narrow, but the deeper they went, it opened up and descended deep underground. Many stalagmites and stalactites decorated the entrance. All together, they resembled a dragon's fangs.
"Wow..." Blankridge looked around.
"I guess this is as good a place as any to spend the night." Nellie sighed. "Let's stay away from the darkness, though.
"But what if someone sneaks up on us while we're asleep?" Roxanne asked. "Unless we sleep in shifts, anyone could sneak up on us."
"Gee, if only there was a way in which this situation wouldn't have happened." Emerald said through gritted fangs.
Nellie and Roxanne looked back at Emerald, who just glared back.
"Hey, there's no need for that." Roxanne snapped.
"Oh yes there is!" Emerald exclaimed. "Why couldn't any of you just listen to me! All we had to do was spend one night at the village, and then leave without any problems! But NO! You and Rune just HAD to insist on bailing in the middle of the night, running us right into that Guardian's guards!"
"Stop it!" Nellie shouted. She took a few steps closer to Emerald, who just scowled at her. "Yelling at us about it isn't going to fix anything."
"I don't care!" Emerald shouted, her voice cracking a bit. "None of you ever listen to me. I've been trying to be the voice of reason ever since that night in Glenhaven. But no matter what I say, I keep getting ignored."
"Well, maybe we'd listen to what you have to say if you weren't always so bossy." Roxanne snapped.
"Bossy?!" Emerald exclaimed. Her talons dug into the ground as she glared at Roxanne. "I'll have you know I'm not bossy! I'm just trying to keep my friends in line!"
Blankridge carefully scooted back away from the girls as the argument got more heated. He could never stand to get caught up in these kinds of things. All he ever wanted to do was have adventures, not argue over how to have one. He turned his eyes towards the darker part of the cave. He tilted head and squinted, trying his best to see what was at the back of the cave. But the darkness seemed to go on forever.
And that's when an idea popped into Blankridge's head. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small torch. Blankridge lit the end of it and carried it in his mouth. He trotted forwards into the back of the cave. It went on further and further, with a slope leading downwards. Blankridge kept going down, until he found something surprising; a perfectly-rectangular doorway.
Blankridge immediately turned around and ran back to the girls. He arrived in time to hear Emerald uttered a string of some rather choice words. Nellie stepped back from Emerald, her face flushing and a forepaw over her mouth.
"Heh." Roxanne smirked. "I should have known you weren't as 'prim and proper' as you let on."
"Shut up." Emerald snapped. "If I knew them, I must have gotten them from a low-born rabble-rouser like you."
"What?!" Roxanne growled. She spread out her legs, as if getting ready to attack.
Before that conflict could go anywhere else, Blankridge ran in-between all of the girls and spat his torch onto the ground.
"Girls, this isn't just a cave!" He shouted, swinging around and kicking dirt about. "It's a tunnel entrance!"
All of the girls yelped and jumped away from the dirt.
"Blankridge, watch it!" Emerald shouted.
"Oh, lighten up." Blankridge chided as he faced her. "If you're all still spooked about someone finding us out in the open, let's venture into the tunnel. It even looks like it heads north to Warfang."
"How can we be sure that there's a back entrance?" Roxanne asked him, wiping dirt from her scales.
"We won't know until we find out." Blankridge ran behind Roxanne and pushed her towards the back of the cave. "Come on, let's go!"
"Hey, get off!" Roxanne shouted. She forcibly sat down on her haunches and crossed her forepaws. "I'm not a hatchling; I can walk forwards on my own, Blank."
"Then let's go!" Blankridge ran around all three of the girls. "Let's venture into the tunnel, go to Warfang, and heroically rescue Rune!"
Blankridge relit his torch and picked it back up to lead the way. Roxanne shrugged and trotted forwards towards the tunnel entrance. Nellie glanced towards Emerald. The green dragoness returned to her silent scowling as she followed behind Blankridge.
"But Blankridge, what about-?" Nellie began to ask. Blankridge looked back towards her, his eyes pleading. He just wanted the bickering to stop. With a defeated sigh, Nellie took up the rear.
The group walked through the entrance and down into a cavern beneath the hills. They walked forwards for the better part of an hour. At first, the ground was rough and the walls were jagged. But as time went on, the rock floor was replaced with polished tiles. The walls became smooth, and various markings began to appear in intricate patterns. At the start of the second hour, they discovered many gem clusters growing on the walls and ceiling, providing an artificial light source.
For the first time in his life, Blankridge felt like a real explorer. Here he was in a dark cavern, with almost no clue where to head. But thanks to Emerald's compass, he was able to keep track of which way was north.
Behind him, Roxanne looked about at the cavern with enthusiasm. Nellie had her reservations at the rear of the group, always looking over her shoulder
"Wow..." Roxanne remarked, her wings fluttering. "I've never seen a cave like this before. Granted, I've mainly seen caves in portraits back home, but still..."
"Meh." Blankridge muttered around his torch. "Mi mish mi muddm mum mem moomem."
"What?" Nellie tilted her head in confusion.
Blankridge looked back at her. "Mi meh mi mish mi muddm mum mem moomem."
"Blank!" Emerald shouted. "We can't understand you with the torch in your mouth, you dummy!"
Blankridge blinked in surprise. He looked down at his torch, and then turned around to offer it to Roxanne. She reluctantly took the torch while Blankridge spat the taste of the wood out of his mouth. Emerald merely groaned and rolled her eyes.
"What I said was that I wish I could've come here sooner." Blankridge said. "Maybe once we've rescued Rune, we can make a return trip through the cavern and see what secrets it's got.
Emerald snorted and looked away. Roxanne took his place at the lead, while Blankridge went to walk at the back besides Nellie.
"Are you okay, sis?" He asked.
"Yeah..." She nodded. But then she jumped in fright when she stepped on an old twig. "Eep!"
"Hey, relax." Blankridge draped a wing over her. "You big bro is always here to keep an eye on ya."
"I know..." Nellie smiled. "Thanks, Blank."
"You're welcome, Ne-" Blankridge stopped when he felt Nellie nuzzle his forehead. "Hey! Don't do that!"
"What? It's just a harmless nuzzle." Nellie pouted.
"It's gross!" Blankridge exclaimed, backing away from her. "Now I have to find a way to wash it off!"
Blankridge ran far ahead of the group, rambling about "Sister cooties". Roxanne chuckled at his antics, while Emerald rolled her eyes. Nellie only frowned and continued walking by herself.
By the end of the second hour, the cavern had grown much more spacious. The roof became much higher above their heads, and the walls had fallen away. They soon found themselves on a series of bridges and paths over a great abyss. Luckily the gem clusters had increased to the point where everything was well illuminated. Blankridge took his torch back and put it away in his satchel before taking off into flight.
"Come on, we can fly now!" He exclaimed. The Nellie and Roxanne immediately took off after him, but Emerald stayed on the ground.
"Hey, are we ever going to stop for the night?" Emerald asked. "My paws are killing me."
"Oh, would the princess like a paw massage?" Roxanne snorted.
"Of course not." Emerald spat. "I just think we could use some sleep."
"I'm with Emmy on this one." Nellie glided back down beside her. "I could some rest."
"Eh, why not?" Blankridge shrugged. He turned back around to land, forcing Roxanne to land with them.
The pathway they all stood upon was wide enough for the foursome to sit down in a circle. Blankridge took some flint and tinder out of his satchel so he could start a fire. He then settled in to relax.
"Hey, you know something, girls?" Blankridge asked.
"What, Blank?" Nellie asked.
"For all that arguing that's happened over that scroll, we still don't know what it says." He rolled over to lay on his back. "How's about finally cracking it open?"
"Why do you wait until now of all times to bring it up?" Emerald glared. "I was just about to get some rest!"
"Well, think of it as a bedtime story." Blankridge chuckled.
"Seriously, Blank?" Nellie asked with an eye ridge raised.
"Alright, how about this; reading the info on those fiend guys will take our minds off of arguing." Blankridge sat back on his haunches and fluttered his wings.
Nellie and Roxanne exchanged glances, unsure of what to think. They glanced towards Emerald, who took off her satchel and ran her forepaws over it uneasily.
"Well..." Emerald muttered. "I guess we needed to read it sooner or later..."
She pulled the scroll out of her satchel and slowly opened it. The others gathered together around Emerald as she cleared her throat.
"The Dark Fiends, or crepsculi in ancient draconian, are being based off ancient magic from long before Lord Spyro's time." Emerald said as she adjusted her spectacles. "Long ago, dragons were able to channel the magic of the natural world by calling upon the fragmented spirits of deceased dragons. Thos spirit fragments were encased in elemental magic, giving them artificial bodies."
"So... they're like zombies?" Blankridge asked as he scratched his head.
"No, Blank." Nellie rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows Zombies aren't real."
"But-" Roxanne started to say.
"Can I please continue?" Emerald demanded. Roxanne sighed and shook her head yes, and Emerald resumed. "The crepsculi lived half-lives; they were mindless beasts connected via a hive mind. They always obeyed whoever summoned them to the physical world. And when they suffered severe damage, the magic keeping them on the physical plain would break apart. The crepsculi would then fade away into nothingness, releasing the spirit fragments back into the world."
"What did they look like back then?" Nellie asked.
"Hmm..." Emerald looked through the scroll for a moment. "Ah, here we go..."
As Emerald cleared her throat again, Blankridge glanced around at the other girls. Nellie had scooted up to Roxanne to drape a wing over her. The yellow dragoness wiped her eyes with her forepaw.
"The physical appearance of the crepsculi was dependent on the type of magic used to create the bodies." Emerald said. "For example, when using earth and other nature-based magic, the crepsculi took the form of animated patches of rock and plant-life. A young Spyro happened to take part in a warm against swarms of this type of crepsculi, which were called grublins during that era. Another evil dragon created crepsculi using ice magic. These monsters were called the Frostbiters."
"The monsters we've been fighting were made of spooky black mist." Blankridge said. "So what are they called?"
"I guess they're just called the dark fiends." Emerald shrugged.
"There was that time in Crossgale where several of the monsters combined together." Roxanne said. "What caused that to happen?"
Emerald moved further down the scroll. "According to this, the dragon who summoned the crepsculi can use the summoning magic to combine the magic that makes up the creatures' bodies. They grow to massive size, but the fragments of spirits stay separate. That ensures that the behemoth doesn't gain sentience and go rogue."
"Weird..." Blankridge shivered. "I'd have to see one of those big nasties for myself."
"Hmm..." Roxanne stepped up to look at the scroll. She pursed her lips in thought. "Could the summoning magic be used for other means?"
"Like what?" Emerald asked.
"What if those spirit fragments weren't kept separate?" Roxanne asked. "What if they were meshed together? In some way to bring back the dead."
"Bring back the dead?" Nellie repeated. She shivered from head to tail. "That's horrifying. Why would anyone want to do such a thing?"
"Well, several dragons did throughout history." Emerald said. "There were a few evil dragons who were concerned with bringing themselves back from the dead. They left behind twisted rituals for their followers to resurrect their souls."
"Ick." Blankridge shivered. "I'd hate to run into one of them."
"Well, that's that, then." Emerald looked up from the scroll. "I've read the scroll. Is everyone happy now?"
"Yes, thanks." Blankridge smirked. "Now we know where those spooky things came from."
"But what about how to get rid of them?" Nellie asked. "How do we send the fragmented souls back to the beyond?"
"Ugh. Give me a minute..." Emerald groaned and looked over the scroll again. When she found what to read, a chill ran up her spine. "Well... according to this... The crepsculi are bound to the dragon who summoned them. The summoner is the only dragon who can send the harvested spirits back to the underworld. Otherwise..."
"What? What?" Nellie insisted, leaning forwards.
"Otherwise..." Emerald took a breath. "The crepsculi may be temporarily destroyed, but they'll just reform again elsewhere. They could be anywhere, at any time, according to the will of the summoner."
"So we can't defeat them?" Nellie asked worriedly.
"Hey, no sweat!" Blankridge moved to sit down beside his sister. "All we have to do is find the summoner and smack him around until he gets rid of the crepsu-whatevers!"
"What, do you think that's easy to do?" Emerald glared. "The dragon who's summoning so many crepsculi at one time must be really powerful. We'd be like... like bugs to them."
"Hey... uh... don't sell yourself short, Emmy." Blankridge said. He struggled to put on a brave face. "Whoever it is, we can take them."
Emerald gave Blankridge a look of incredulous irritation. Nellie and Roxanne glanced at Blankridge, equally put off by his bravado.
"Do you ever listen to yourself, Blank?" Emerald demanded. "Can't you ever stop and think about the ramifications of these things? We've seen so many of those monsters at once time. And there's possibly even more of them out there."
"Yeah, so?" Blankridge shrugged. "We stopped them before. We can keep fighting them until we deal with the dragon who's controlling them."
"Blank, it's not that simple!" Emerald stamped her foot. "The dragon who's controlling them... the dark dragon... they could be even more powerful than anything we've ever seen before! And even with our training, we're just kids. KIDS!"
"Hey, calm down..." Blankridge stammered, his grin melting away.
"She's right, Blank." Nellie said. "I want to rescue Rune, sure. But the last thing I want to happen is coming face-to-face with the dragon that's been creating all those monsters." She put a forepaw on Blankridge's shoulder. "And I couldn't stand to see you getting seriously hurt trying to fight them."
"So, what are you trying to say?" Blankridge asked, backing up.
"What we're saying is; cut the theatrics." Emerald said. "We need to keep a low profile, and focus on the mission of finding Rune. The last thing we need is for you to go running off into the maw of danger and getting your head bitten off."
"But..." Blankridge stammered. "If I don't face the danger, how could I ever be like Spyro was?"
"Is that what you think this is about? Emulating the great Lord Spyro in his younger years?" Emerald stomped on the ground in frustration.
"N-No!" Blankridge stammered. "It's about-"
"You really think Lord Spyro blindly ran into danger?" Emerald pointed an accusing talon at Blankridge. "Spyro fought against evil and monsters because he had no choice! And we're out on a dangerous quest because we have no choice! Rune needs our help to get away from those dark dragons!"
"But he IS a dark dragon." Blankridge said. "And a black dragon at that. He's plenty capable of-"
"Oh, come off it." Emerald demanded. "We're not a band of heroes seeking thrills and adventure. We're just a bunch of kids who've gotten in way over our heads. Once we find Rune, we're going home."
"But what about Rune's quest to-?" Nellie started asking.
"I said, we're GOING HOME." Emerald turned towards Nellie with a sneer. "I'm sick of you all not listening to me! Once Rune's safely back with us, we're turning around. He can go on a quest to find his real family when he's an adult! That way he won't have to drag the rest of us through the mud!"
Blankridge and Nellie looked at Emerald, completely stunned. Roxanne sneered at Emerald, but decided not to say anything. Though when Emerald turned around, Roxanne glanced at Blankridge and Nellie, making a sign with her tail that Emerald was crazy.
"Well, if we've finally gotten THAT out of the way..." Emerald rolled up the scroll and put it away in her satchel. "I've enough of this discussion. I'm going to bed. We still have to find our way to Warfang in the morning."
"I'm sleeping too." Roxanne said, curling up beside her belongings. "Goodnight."
Blankridge frowned. He gave Nellie a quick hug and walked over to his own satchel. He sighed and rested on his flank.
"Are you alright, Blank?" Nellie asked quietly.
"Yeah..." Blankridge flapped a single wing in response. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Blank." Nellie curled up on the ground.
Before long, the air was filled with the snores of the three girls. Blankridge could only lay on his side with his eyes darting this way and that. He'd never really sat down to think about things since their journey began. Had he used this whole thing as an excuse to go thrill-seeking? It was the first time in his life that he'd gotten to leave Glenhaven. He kept telling himself that it was to help Rune find his true family. But part of Blankridge felt like he was just saying that so he wouldn't feel greedy.
What's coming over me? Blankridge wondered as he rolled over. Rune's my brother. I'd give anything in the world to help him out... Even if his wanting to run away was... my once in a lifetime chance to finally leave home. Wait, no! I shouldn't word it like that!
Blankridge tossed and turned, struggling to come up with a way to rationalize his feelings.
I really do want to be an adventurer, like Spyro was. But that doesn't mean I want anyone I know to be in danger! Blankridge started tearing up a little. He wiped the tears away and shut his eyes.
Why must there be so much drama? Why can't we just have a fun adventure?
~~...~~
Albanion woke up in the middle of his tent. He stretched out his limbs and yawned. He passed through the flap of his tent and looked around at the horizon. The dark clouds hung over Warfang as prominently as always.
Albanion just couldn't bring himself to head into Warfang. He knew that his lord was likely waiting for him to report in now that the city is under dark dragon control. And yet, Albanion couldn't come to grips with what had happened. Thus, he and his companions had spent the last few days camped out on the eastern edge of the outskirts of Warfang.
How could you do this, Baneth? Albanion wondered as he looked towards the west. Even after all that time you'd spent planning this operation. Even if I had sworn loyalty to you... to think you would still go through with this. Warfang was your home. What would King Urobos think of you?
Albanion sighed and turned around to look at his companions. Aegis had gotten up earlier and prepared a breakfast of various fruits. Elza sat beside him, using her wind magic to keep the air around the campsite cool and crisp.
"Good morning, Albanion." Elza greeted as Albanion emerged from his camp. "Are you feeling well?"
"About as well as I can, considering..." Albanion sighed. He turned back towards Warfang, when he spotted something he hadn't before. A great number of non-dragon made their way out of Warfang. The crowd travelled in scores of wagons and carriages as they travelled to the east.
"What's that about?" Aegis wondered.
"I don't know. So let's find out." Elza said. She spread her wings and took off into flight. With a sigh, Albanion followed after her.
"I suppose I'll just pack up our supplies?" Aegis called after them. He turned away and shook his head.
Albanion and Elza came to a landing a short distance from one of the wagons near the end of the chain. Many of the cheetahs and moles nearby turned to glance at them.
"Excuse me." Elza called out to a group of moles in a rusty old carriage. "Could you please explain where this wagon train is headed?"
"We're heading to Faezhrine." One of the moles said. Their accent was always thick and unusual to a dragon's ear frills. But they knew better than to comment on that aloud.
"Why?" Elza wondered. "This weather isn't the most accommodating to a wagon train of such a size.
"We had to get out while we could!" Another mole exclaimed. "Ze mozt horrible thing haz happened! Ze zity of Warfang haz been taken over by ze dark dragonz!"
"Dark dragons?" Albanion asked with feigned curiosity.
"Yes!" A female cheetah shouted from across the way. "They attacked a few nights ago without warning! Their leader killed the Guardians! And the Pappas has gone missing!"
"Is their leader forcing non-dragons to leave Warfang?" Albanion asked.
"No; we were given the option to evacuate. Most of us are fleeing to Faeshrine, while others are heading west." The cheetah looked down and shivered. "It was a better fate than what happened to those poor dragons..."
Albanion and Elza exchanged worriedly glances. Elza took a deep breath and addressed the moles again.
"What... What's happened to the dragons of Warfang?"
"Mozt of zem hav been imprizoned." The first mole said. "Ze black king haz declared martial law on Warfang. Thoze that fought back have been zlaughtered."
Albanion felt a tad sick to his stomach. The very idea of those events was poisonous to him.
"But the younglings have been spared." The cheetah said. "The eggs and underage dragons have been put into stasis. What's being done with them, we don't know."
"I see..." Albanion glanced back at Elza. She was struggling to keep a brave face, he could tell. Braver even than himself at the moment. Albanion sighed and glanced back at the wagon. "Thank you for the information. I wish the best of luck to you all."
"Where are you headed?" The mole asked.
"Warfang." Albanion stated.
"Warfang?!" The travelers exclaimed.
"Didn't you listen to what we were saying?!" The cheetah demanded. "Warfang is a war-zone! You'll never survive amongst all those dark dragons!"
"I thank you for your concern." Albanion nodded. "But I believe that my companions and I will fair much better."
"What has you so convinzed?" A mole asked.
"Call it intuition." Albanion turned around and spread his wings. "Come, Elza. We've got work to do."
"As you wish, Albanion." Elza said. She said her goodbyes to the travelers and followed Albanion across the sky. The travelers looked after them with stunned expressions, and a cheetah figured they were doomed.
When Albanion and Elza returned to their camp, Aegis had finished packing up all of their sleeping supplies.
"So, what's the news?" Aegis asked as he tied up a knot.
"We venture into Warfang." Albanion stated. "Tonight."
~~...~~
The Guardians made their way across the Veros Outskirts during the next few days. During all of that time, heavy storm clouds were visible in the vicinity of Warfang. The group made their way northeast as directly as they could. Seraph's resolve to head to the great dragon city was now twofold. Whether it be to find her children or to find answers, Seraph knew she must get Warfang as soon as she could.
"I don't like the look of that storm." Voden said. "They're not like usual weather phenomena; they've stood in that exact spot for the whole trip."
"Let's be thankful that the storm isn't over us." Hontus nodded.
The foursome continued on their journey until the sunset of the third day. Jules brought the group to a landing on a lush patch of grass. The grass at atop one of the many hills on the outskirts. From where Seraph sat, Warfang looked less than a day's journey away. All around, the sky was a stunning shade of red from east to west. Far off in the distance, the twin moons could be vaguely seen far off in the heavens. It was so beautiful, it almost made Seraph forget about her troubles.
"We've made decent progress so far." Jules said, stretching out his back. "Let's stop to set up camp."
"Why don't we keep flying?" Seraph asked. "I'm sure we can make the distance."
"We'll need all the rest we can get." Jules said. "We can enter Warfang proper after we're well-rested. That way we can conduct a thorough search for the children."
"Ancestors know I'm worried about them, but that's not all..." Seraph said with a sigh. She looked down at the pocket where she hid her uncle's silver-gold coin.
"Love, we need to get some rest." Hontus said. He draped a wing over her. "We can't find the children if we're too tired to stand."
Seraph looked Hontus in the eyes, and then down at the ground. She gave a heavy sigh. "Alright. If you think that's best..."
"Hey, do any of you see what I see?" Voden asked. He was facing something to the east.
"What is it, Voden?" Jules asked.
"Look, over there!" Voden motioned with a wing towards the outskirts. Far off on a distant hill, a glimmering speck of orange and red danced atop one of the far off hills. A trail of smoke rose up into the clouds.
"Could that be a campfire?" Hontus asked.
"Hmm..." Jules approached the edge of the hill and flapped his wings. "It's possible."
"That must mean someone else is stopping for the night on the outskirts." Seraph said, walking up beside Voden. "Do you think they'd appreciate some company?"
"I don't know." Voden looked towards Jules. "What do you think, sir?"
"Well, we're stopping for the night either way." The captain nodded. "We could fly east to seek that party out. You could even argue that we'll be slightly closer to Warfang if we're further east."
"Well then, let's go say hello." Hontus said as he leaped into the air. The others nodded in agreement and flew off after him towards the distant campfire.
It was only a short while before the foursome arrived at the campsite. Sitting a short distance from the rolling flames was a single, old dragon. A large pack sat at his side. He wore a pair of old robes around most of his silver body. His face was worn with age, and his mane fell to the bottom of his neck. The old dragon hummed a gentle tune to himself as he looked down into the flames, his eyes shut tight.
Jules cleared his throat before speaking. "Excuse us, kind sir..."
The old drake opened his eyes and looked up at the foursome.
"Well, well, well..." The old dragon smiled. "Some Guardians of Glenhaven, venturing to the north close to nighttime."
"Young?" Jules snorted. "We are most definitely not young!"
"Compared to me, you are." The old dragon laughed. He got up onto his feet, stretching his great neck and wings. He stood roughly a head and a half taller than the other dragons. "Would you four care to join me for a meal?"
"We would be honored." Seraph bowed her head and sat on her haunches. "Thank you, elder one."
"Elder?" The old dragon chuckled again. "No, I'll have none of that. I'm just a travelling old drake, moving from place to place depending on where he needs to be."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Voden asked curiously.
"Don't you worry about that, Scholar."
"Might I know your name, sir?" Hontus asked as he sat down beside his wife.
"My name doesn't really matter. Call me what you will."
The four dragons exchanged concerned glances. The males put their heads together and spoke a few things under hushed tones. Seraph glanced over at the old dragon, who resumed looking into the fire. Seraph was a tad unnerved. Something about this dragon struck her as strange. She didn't see many silver-hided dragons. The only other one she could remember was that merchant in Lakewryng, and they certainly weren't the same person.
Eventually, the other dragons broke up their huddle, and Jules shrugged his shoulders.
"As you wish, old man." He said. "I guess we'll call you... Old Man."
"Very well." The old drake smiled again.
"In any case, I am Captain Jules of the Glenhaven Guardians." The yellow dragon saluted. "These are my companions. The scholar Voden, the blacksmith Hontus, and his mate Seraph."
"It's quite the pleasure to meet you all." Old Man said. "Here, I'll cook you some dinner..."
The foursome seated themselves around the campfire as Old Man reached into his pack. He produced a frying pain, a pair of tongs, and several slabs of lamb steak. He placed the pan over the flames and placed the steak in it. The old drake carefully used the tongs to flip the steaks over every now and then.
Hontus scratched his chin curiously. "What a fascinating contraption. I usually just cook the steaks with a burst of magical flame."
"I prefer to use magic only when necessary." Old Man said between flipping the steaks. "And besides, this frees up my mouth for talking."
It does, eh? Seraph wondered.
"So, Sir Jules..." Old Man stood up. "What has you and your companions travelling so far from home?"
"We're on an important mission." Jules said. The captain began recounting the tale of everything that happened from Glenhaven up until the death of Elder Matthew. Old Man followed along as he cooked the steaks, listening intently. The elderly drake's smile faded into a serious expression, but when the story ended, Old Man tried to hide it under a smile.
"Ah, so you're going to search for your children in Warfang?" Old Man asked. "I'm not sure if heading right there is the safest thing to do right now."
"Why wouldn't it be?" Hontus asked.
"Can you not see the storm clouds." Old Man extended a wing towards the north. "There's word spreading out that the dark dragons have come out of hiding, and have taken hold of the city."
Seraph and the others gasped in shock. Warfang, taken by dark dragons? But Warfang had stood as a mighty city-state for over a hundred years? How could it fall to dark dragons, when they were supposed to be on the decline? Jules took the news the hardest, as his eyes went wide and he jumped to his feet.
"NO!" He exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, but it's the truth." Old Man said. "You need to stay away from Warfang. It's bound to be a war zone in a matter of weeks."
"But I need to find my daughter!" Jules shouted. "I have to rescue my Emerald!"
"And my children, too!" Hontus exclaimed. "Blankridge, Nellie, and especially Rune..."
"Please, don't take it out on me." Old Man said sadly. "I'm sorry that your younglings have ventured into such dangerous territory, but it won't help if you head straight to Warfang right now. If they saw you, your lives would be forfeit... but I can guarantee that the children will be unharmed."
"What?" Jules blinked, and then glared. "And how would you know that?"
"It's in the nature of the dark dragons; none of them will ever bring harm to a youngling. To harm a child is forbidden by their customs." Old Man moved the steaks from the flames and blew them out. "Surely your scholar would know about dark dragon customs."
"He's right." Voden nodded. "From what I've learned from books and from my time at the old academy, most dark dragons treasure the life of young ones."
"So you're saying our children are safe in Warfang for the time being?" Seraph asked with a modicum of hope. Old Man sighed and sat back on his haunches.
"I suppose that would depend on the definition of 'safe'." He said. "At the present time, the rumor is that the younglings of Warfang are being... detained in a certain place."
Seraph let loose a harsh breath. "They're prisoners."
"It's well beyond my forepaws." Old Man frowned. "Please, don't shoot the messenger with a fireball."
"I won't." Hontus snorted. "Though I admit this news makes it hard for me to sit idly by."
Seraph looked Hontus in the eyes. It was clear that he was trying to fight back tears of worry. Seraph was having a harder time, though she prevailed.
"You know, now that I think it over again..." Old Man scratched his chin. "I believe I've heard something about a particular young dragon travelling across the land."
"You have?" Seraph looked towards him.
"Oh, yes." Old Man nodded. "I think the rumor was that it was a thirteen-year-old... black dragon."
Seraph and the others gasped and their eyes widened. Seraph's heart leaped up into her throat. Jules struggled to dig into his pocket for his pipe. Hontus's eyes became twitchy, and Voden bit his lower lip. Had the secret gotten out about Rune's true form?
"What's wrong?" Old Man asked as he looked them over.
"Oh, I don't know if I can tell you..." Seraph said worriedly.
"What do you mean?" The silver drake tilted his head curiously.
"Our boy Rune..." Hontus said, taking a deep breath. He glanced at Seraph, then at Jules. The red dragon motioned towards the old drake, asking with his eyes for permission to tell him the truth. Jules snorted and nodded his head yes, but Seraph stammered too much to give an answer. With a sigh, Hontus looked at Old Man. "Rune is the black dragon."
Seraph thought that the old drake would be surprised. But Old Man seemed... nonchalant. He sat back on his haunches and nodded yes, as if he had already suspected the revelation.
"I take it that your boy Rune was adopted?" Old Man asked.
"Well, yes." Seraph said. "Roughly six years ago, in fact. Our Elders found him all alone in the middle of the Arcus Desert. Elder Telus entrusted Hontus and I with raising Rune, and we loved him like a son. For years, I thought that Rune was a fire dragon. I didn't know of Rune's true identity..."
"But I did." Hontus sighed.
"You did?" Old Man raised an eye ridge.
"I swore an oath of secrecy to Elder Telus." Hontus frowned and looked down at his forepaws. "I kept a close watch on Rune, to see whether elemental magic apart from fire would turn up. Things seemed uneventful, until quite recently when his nightmares started. Strange dragons appeared in Glenhaven, and it was revealed that Rune had a disguise over his scales... "
Hontus looked sadly towards Seraph. She looked at him pitifully. She had long ago gotten over her initial anger at Hontus's secrets. It was that same anger that drove Rune to run away. Seraph felt pain in her chest and looked away. Shame on her.
Old Man frowned and shook his head.
"I won't judge you, Sir Hontus." He said. "I understand the pains of having to put orders over duties to family..." The silver drake put his pan aside again. "But in any case, you say that Rune had a magical disguise?"
"Yes." Jules said. "It was something akin to a layer of dark fog surrounding every single scale on Rune's body. The dark dragons who fled Glenhaven wore similar disguises."
"Ah... So Rune and those dark dragons were shrouded in darkness.." Old Man said. "A rather apt description. I've heard of this before."
"You have?" Jules asked.
"Quite, yes." Old Man flipped the steaks over again. "It's an enchantment based around dark magic. It's called the Shroud of Darkness."
Seraph and the others exchanged glances briefly while the old drake continued.
"The Shroud of Darkness has enabled the dark dragons to go deep into hiding in the aftermath of the Twilight War. It's only detectable by dragons who have trained for years in the ways of the mystic."
"Of course." Seraph stamped his forepaw. "It's the same as what that assailant in the academy wore when she attacked my uncle."
"Her name is Nerona." Voden said begrudgingly. "But yes, she wore the same shroud."
"But why would Rune be wearing such a disguise?" Old Man queried.
"We don't know." Hontus said. "Rune had the disguise on when they found him in the desert. No signs of anything out of the ordinary came for six whole years."
"Intriguing." Old Man nodded. "And Rune himself wasn't aware of the disguise?"
"No. He was just as shocked as we were when he found out." Seraph said. "And he claimed to remember part of his original family."
Old Man's eyes flashed wide. "His original family? What did he say?"
"Not much..." Seraph shook her head. "He mentioned having an aunt and an uncle... and then there was his running-away letter..." Seraph reached into her satchel for a moment until she produced the letter the younglings left them. It pained her to read its words over again, but she did anyway. "His letter say that 'his family is waiting for him at the Well of Souls'."
The old dragon froze in place. He looked away, taking a deep breath. Seraph watched him curiously as he twiddled his forepaws together.
"Are you alright, Old Man?" Seraph asked. "You're acting very strange all of a sudden."
"Forgive me; I was just thinking." Old Man shook his head. "Forgive me; I believe it's high time I actually serve out these steaks."
The silver drake produced a few plates from his pack and served the steaks on each one. He passed one plate to each of the foursome and sat back on his haunches. Seraph took the steak and calmly ate form it. She had forgotten the last time she had sat down to enjoy a decent meal. While the others ate the steak, Old Man reached into his pack to produce a small, blue fruit.
"What's that?" Jules asked.
"Why, it's a lunar apple." The silver drake said. "They're usually native to the deepest reaches of the Mushroom Forest."
"You don't eat meat?" Hontus queried in-between two of his bites. Old Man took a bite of his lunar apple and swallowed.
"Oh, I eat meat from time to time. I just prefer something sweeter every now and then."
Old Man sat quietly as he dug into his apple. Seraph only shrugged and enjoyed her own meal. When the old drake was finished, he dug a hole in the dirt and buried the core. He then clasped his forepaws together and muttered some kind of chant under his breath. Seraph watched him curiously, while Voden raised an eye ridge.
"...Peace be with them all. Faram." Old Man said before opening his eyes again.
"Was that a prayer to Lady Cynder?" Voden asked.
"It was mostly done towards the ancestors, and a respect towards nature, but I suppose so." Old Man said. "It's something I picked up during my time with the dark dragons."
"Ah, so you studied with dark dragons before the war?" The scholar asked with an enthusiastic smile.
"I wouldn't stop at just 'studied with'." Old Man chuckled. "I spent most of my life learning from Lady Cynder herself, when she was alive."
"You knew Cynder?" Hontus asked.
"And Lord Spyro." Old Man nodded. He then frowned and sighed. "Forgive this old drake for reminiscing on the good old days..."
"Exactly who are you? Really?" Jules demanded. "I've never met a dragon quite like you before."
"Who I am doesn't really matter." Old Man said. He wiped his muzzle off with a cloth and sat back again. "What matters is that, whatever happens in the coming weeks, that you don't blame the dark dragons as a whole for what happens."
"What?" Jules exclaimed.
"The dark dragons aren't collectively to blame for the conquering of Warfang. They're merely following the orders of Lord Baneth."
"Well, what are we to do, then?" Jules sneered. "What do we do if we encounter the dragons who have caused trouble in Glenhaven and that Academy? Do we simply pat them on the back?"
"Things aren't as black and white as they seem, Captain." Old Man insisted. "If you want my advice, you should camp out here for a day or two. Take some time to form a plan of action."
"Hmm..." Jules glared at the old dragon for a moment. His forepaw idled briefly over his pipe pocket. But he put his paw down and sighed. "Fine. Forgive me for losing my temper."
"It's no trouble, captain." Old Man said. "I understand the woes of a father wanting to save his young."
"You do?" Jules asked.
"I'd... rather not discuss it in detail." The silver drake sighed.
"Very well." Jules looked back at his companions. "It's getting late. We should all turn in for the night."
The others nodded yes and spread out to lay down about the campfire. Old man doused the fire and sat back on the far end of the hill, just before the curve.
"Goodnight, Guardians of Glenhaven." The old drake said.
"Pleasant dreams, stranger." Seraph replied.
After that, all was quiet.
~~...~~
It was late at night. The silver dragon stood up and glanced around at the Guardians of Glenhaven. All of them were fast asleep. Seeing the opportunity, the silver dragon stood up and glided down from the hilltop. He came to a landing in the valley and sat back on his haunches. The old dragon shut his eyes and clasped his forepaws together. He inhaled slowly and deeply for concentration.
After a moment or two, the old drake felt the presence of another dragon. She sat down across from him, looking upon him with her ethereal green eyes.
"Good evening, milady." The old dragon said with a bow of his head. He kept his eyes closed the whole time, yet he could sense how she blended into the darkness of the night.
"I take if you found the Glenhaven Guardians?" The dragoness asked.
"Actually, they found me." The old drake replied. "Come tomorrow morning, I'll lead them in the right direction."
"Good. Perhaps we can stop Baneth's plan after all."
"Is Rune alright?" The old dragon asked worriedly.
"He is... struggling to adjust." The dragoness sighed. "But he's still safe, for the time being."
"What about the other children? Have you found them?"
"We're doing what we can, but we've yet to find them. They're always on the move."
"I see..." The silver dragon frowned. "For the time being, I'll keep these Guardians from entering Warfang for their own safety. Once I've found Albanion's group, I'll lead them to the Guardians."
"Do as you will." The dragoness nodded.
"Where is Cyrus? Has he been intercepted?"
"Alas, he hasn't. The boy's party is insistent on venturing into Warfang. All we can do is adjust our plans accordingly."
"I see..." The old dragon sighed. "Well, thank you for speaking with me, milady. I must return to my work."
"May the Ancestors look after you." She said.
The silver dragon opened his eyes, and the dragoness was gone. He stood up on all fours and spread out his wings. With a frown, he looked up at the stars in the sky.
"Rune... Cyrus..." He whispered. "Please, stay in one place. Let us find you."
~~...~~
"Ugh. Blasted traffic." Wraith grunted.
He drove the wagon forwards from the driver's seat, urging the horses onwards. Lilith sat behind him, keeping an eye on Cyrus and Tina. The pair were resting all night long.
For two days the group had travelled east. They had left the region of Avalar the previous night, and were now making their way along the veros outskirts. It was quite late when the vicinity of Warfang became visible. Far up in the heavens, the twin moons could be seen hovering over the world. Wraith had hoped for a decent, if boring travel to Warfang proper. But trouble started when a caravan of carriages starting coming from the opposite direction.
Wraith had to keep steering left and right to avoid an onslaught of cheetahs riding in wagons. Just when he thought he was out of a "lane", he'd end up nearly colliding with another wagon.
"It's bad enough with it being dark as a dungeon." Wraith sneered. "Why do I have to contend with an infinite supply of cheetahs?"
As Wraith swerved to get out of the way of another wagon, one of the wheels ran over a rock. Cyrus and Tina were shoved against the side of their wagon. The prince banged his head against a box and grunted as he awoke.
"Hey, what gives?" Cyrus complained.
"Sorry, Your Highness." Wraith said as he brought the wagon to the farthest left he could go without going off the main road. "I'm having to contend with a lot of traffic tonight."
"Traffic?" Cyrus asked curiously. After double-checking to see if his shroud of darkness was still intact, the prince stuck his head out the side. He sat back and groaned. "I can't believe this. We can't have any delays on our trip to Warfang!"
"It's quite strange, isn't it." Lilith remarked. "I've never seen so many folks leaving Warfang at one time before."
"Do you think that something's happened in the city?" Wraith asked.
"What could have-?" Cyrus began to ask, but then stopped himself. His eyes went wide, as one thing in particular came to mind. "Oh no."
"Hmm?" Lilith looked down at the prince. "What's wrong, my prince?"
Cyrus started shaking. He wrapped his tail about himself, struggling to keep himself calm.
"You don't think... it's happened, do you?" Cyrus asked.
"What are you talking abou-?" Wraith stopped when it dawned on him. He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I don't know, Your Highness. If an assault on Warfang was going to happen, I'd think that the king would notify us."
"That might not be true." Lilith said. "As far as he knows, we're long gone on our search for the prince."
"What should we do, then?" Cyrus asked.
"Well, the only way to find out is to continue on to Warfang." Wraith said. "Let's try not to lose our heads, alright?"
"Okay..." Cyrus said nervously.
Wraith had the horses veer off to the far left, completely off the main road. He had them pick up the pace, so they could get within decent viewing distance of the city proper...
~~...~~
When Blankridge and the others woke up, they used the compass to immediately find their way to north. The caverns seemed to blend into each other for the most part, no matter how big they grew. Nellie was flying at the lead beside Emerald. Blankridge and Roxanne flew just behind them.
"These caverns seem to just go on forever, don't they?" Roxanne asked.
"Yeah..." Blankridge said uneasily. "I guess they do."
Emerald didn't say anything. She seemed to carry her bad attitude with her from the previous night. Blankridge was relieved, if only because it meant she'd stop yelling at the others.
"Hey guys, do you see that?" Nellie asked.
"What, Nellie?" Roxanne wondered, flying over to her.
"Look, over there." Nellie pointed with her forepaw. "I think I see something."
Blankridge and the others looked where Nellie was pointing. Far off in the distance, there was a bright light shining from what looked like the ceiling. But as they got closer, they discovered that a long staircase going up higher and higher.
"Do you think that's the way out?" Roxanne asked. "Where does it lead?"
"There's only one way to find out!" Blankridge declared. He zoomed past the girls and made for the light.
"Blank, wait up!" Nellie called. She chased after him, followed closely by the others.
The light grew brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding. Once Blankridge was close enough, he discovered that the light was shaped like a box. It wasn't until he slammed into something hard that he realized it was a doorway.
"Oof..." Blankridge rubbed his head. "I think I found a way out."
The girls were just behind Blankridge, just in time for him to push the doorway wide open. He stepped through into the light... and found himself in a deserted alleyway.
~~...~~
After so much travel, and with the twin moons prominent in the sky, three groups of dragons finally arrived at the gates of the city of Warfang. Blankridge and the younglings emerged from a cave entrance from the south. Cyrus and the undercover Deep Shadows arrived in a carriage from the west. And Albanion and his elite ensemble approached from the east. None of the three groups were aware of the others, but they all knew the same thing.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Instead of hearing the hustle and bustle one might expect from a city so large, there was next to nothing. Black storm clouds raged over Warfang, pelting the city with an endless storm. High above the Dragon Spire, there floated a great black fortress. The Nexus loomed over all of Warfang, the eye of the storm.
"Oh no..." Cyrus muttered, his eyes wide.
"What is THAT thing?" Nellie asked, scared out of her wits.
"So, our lord really has succeeded." Albanion said with a mournful sigh.
~~...~~
Greetings, friends and loved ones.
To be honest, I don't have anything to say here. So I guess I'll just move on with business going as usual for now. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to what comes next. See you next time!
Tenebra ecce Veritas