Act 1, Chapter 6
The dead of night had come once again in Faeshrine.
Saul, Olivia and Angela had left Bergan's office, and were walking through the buildng to find Johnathan after he left to prepare his friends for the trip. After eventually finding him, the four dragons proceeded to head for their guest quarters, which had been prepared for them by Bergan's staff.
Along the way, Saul informed the two dragonesses on what Johnathan had been assigned to do. At first, Olivia had her reservations.
"Do you think it's wise to send him along, Saul?" She asked.
"Yes." The Commander answered stoicly.
"But isn't it highly dangerous?" Angela queried. Saul sighed.
"Olivia, Angela, think for a moment." The adult male declared. "Elenar's husband has wronged us, and yet no punishment has fallen upon him, the Queen, or their family for what's happened. And since Bergan's daughter Tyrrany is planning to get revenge all on her own, it's only fitting that we lend Johnathan to the cause. Do you see where I'm coming from?"
"I suppose I do, Saul..." Olivia replied. The Commander's wife let out a low yawn from her muzzle. "It's getting awefully late." Olivia stated. "I think I'll turn in for the night."
"I shall as well." Angela added, rubbing her left eye.
"You two may do as you wish." Saul replied. "However, Johnathan and I shall stay awake for a bit longer."
"How come, Pops?" The young Earth dragon asked.
The Commander gave his son a stern look, which made the younger drake flinch.
"There is a certain matter that I need to discuss with you." Saul said adamantly.
"What is it, Saul?" His wife queried.
"It's something I need to discuss with him alone."
Olivia and Angela only looked at the Commander, saying nothing else for a short time. Johnathan, however, shook with increasing anxiety.
I just KNOW he's planning to bitch at me for what I tried to do the other night. They all know, and are just waiting to jump at me for it.
"If you say so, Saul." Olivia declared.
The Commander's wife turned to walk down the hallway, stopping only to glance momentarilly at her son.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Johnathan."
"Uh, okay, Mom." The young Earth dragon replied.
As Olivia walked down the hall, Angela walked in the same direction, stopping to kiss her nephew on the forehead.
"Hey!" He protested.
"Sleep well, Johnny." The dragoness said warmly.
"Uh, right..."
Angela turned and continued walking down the hallway after her sister. After a few moments, they were gone, leaving Saul and Johnathan alone in the hallway.
The Commander turned toward his son with a cold expression.
"Johnathan, follow me." He demanded. "There is something I wish to talk to you about."
The younger dragon felt a lump forming in his throat.
"Uh... what about, Po... father?" He asked.
Saul proceeded to walk down the hallway in the opposite direction the two dragonesses took. At first, Johnathan was too worried to follow afterwards. The Commander noticed this, and let a low growl escape his throat.
"Come, Johnathan." He said irritably. The younger dragon flinched at his father's voice.
"Uh, yes, father."
Johnathan followed after his father, staying a short distance behind out of worry.
As the two Earth dragons walked through the hallways of the building, Saul made a beeline towards the most barren parts of the HQ. The further they walked, less and less FTC soldiers were standing guard. Saul grinned with satisfaction, knowing that no soul would overhear the things he would say.
When he decided that they were far enough out of earshot, the Commander turned to face his son.
"Johnathan, there is an important matter I must bring up." He stated with all seriousness. "It is a matter concerning your friends."
"You mean the Crazy Aces?" Johnathan asked, becoming worried. "If any of them stole of broke anything, I swear I didn't know about it!"
Saul shook his head.
"That's not it." He responded. "It's not what they've done, so much as what I want them to do."
"What?" The younger dragon asked, taken aback. "But I thought-"
"Allow me to explain, Johnathan." The Commander interjected.
The adult Earth dragon took a deep breath.
"Son, do you remember that night in Warfang four years ago?" He asked. "The night when we learned that King Bane murdered your grandfather Richteriel?"
In almost an instant, Johnathan's anxiety was completely replaced with rage. He snarled as the memory of Bane striking him in the back of the neck returned to the surface of his mind.
"Yeah." He declared with animosity. "If that bastard weren't already gone, I'd kill him myself for what he did!"
"Unfortunately, he is already gone." Saul stated. "However, his sons aren't."
"I know that, Pops." Johnathan replied. "But what does that have to do with the Crazy Aces?"
"Johnathan, when were were on the ship heading north, I told you I don't want you or your gang committing crimes against Aeroshard." The Commander raised an eye. "Do you recall this?"
"Uh... of course." The younger dragon answered, becoming nervous again. "I know you were serious about it."
"Dead serious." Saul said sternly. "However, that doesn't mean you and your friends can't commit crimes against other cities."
Johnathan raised an eye of his own.
"What do you mean, Father?" He queried.
"I have a task for you and your friends, Johnathan." Saul declared. "You and your lot are to travel along with Tyrrany and her group. While you are aiding her in her personal quest, you are to search for the two Princes of Warfang: the Black dragons Cyrus and Rune."
The younger Earth dragon sneered at their names.
"What then?" He asked.
"You are to kill Cyrus." Saul declared.
Johnathan was taken aback.
"What?" He exclaimed, shocked and alarmed. "You want me and the Crazy Aces to murder Prince Cyrus?"
Saul smacked his son across the back of his head.
"Hush, you fool." He whispered angrilly.
"Sorry, father." The younger dragon muttered, rubbing his head.
"But yes. You and your friends are to take Cyrus's life. And you shall kidnap his brother Rune as well."
This added statement made Johnathan's eyes grow wide.
"But... my boys and girls have never done anything like that before." He protested. "Sure, we've beaten the crap out of people here and there, occasionally stab a few, but we've never kidnapped anybody, and we sure as fuck haven't knocked people off."
Saul grimaced at this.
"Do you not wish to get revenge on the beings who've broken up our family?" He demanded. "The Black dragons have brought nothing but trouble for our bloodline. Both of your grandfathers lost their lives at the hands of a Black dragon: My father Gaius lost his life by Urobos' forepaws, and your Mother's father Richteriel has lost his life thanks to Bane. We deserve retribution, but we are denied this by the other Light dragons, especially our traitorous relative Telus of Glenhaven. It may one day come to a point where either Prince Rune or Prince Cyrus end my life, and then yours, and no punishment will ever be placed on them. Does this not bother you?"
Johnathan thought for a moment.
On the one paw, he was partially afraid of the Black dragons. Throughout history, they were known to be some of the most powerful dragons ever seen, thanks to their mastery of all twelve of the Elements of draconian magic. Killing even a teenaged one would be no easy task. On the other paw, what his father said was right: Both of his grandfathers were dead because of Urobos and Bane: Rune and Cyrus could no doubt be allowed to do the same thing to Saul and Johnathan someday. This was something that had to be nipped in the bud.
The young Earth dragon sighed.
"I'll do as you ask, Pops." He stated. "Though I gotta ask: Why aren't you asking me to kill Urobos, Cyrus and Rune all at once? It seems odd that you'd want two of them to live, since you hate them so much."
"Urobos will die of old age any day now, so he's not worth it." Saul declared, snorting. "As for Rune: I wish to put an end to his miserable life myself."
"Why?"
"It's because of that little pest that I was denied my right of vendetta four years ago. Most of the other Leaders of the territories had taken a liking to him, even Telus, of all people. Were it not for Rune, Warfang would belong to Us this very moment. So, as retribution for ruining my plans, I want you to take him captive and bring him to me. Is that understood, Johnathan?"
"Whatever you say, father." The younger Earth dragon responded seriously. "Tomorrow morning, I'll tell the Crazy Aces all about the plan."
"Good. But that is not all I must tell you." Saul said coldly. "You are not, under any circumstances, to tell anyone besides your friends what you are up to, nor are you to be affiliated with me or Aeroshard in any way. If word got out that I was planning regicide, my entire life, and yours and your mother's as well, would be brought down to ruins."
The Commander brought his head down to glare into his son's eyes.
"Is that completely clear, Johnathan?"
"Uh... Clear as Crystal, father." Johnathan replied, shaking nervously once again.
"Good."
Saul righted himself, and turned to walk down the hallway the way he came. "Now, we should retire to bed. Come."
"Yes, father."
Johnathan proceeded to follow his father down the hallway towards their bedchambers.
As they left, they were completely unaware of a large Fire dragon, who was standing on the opposite side of the wall. It was Vice President Flamaedelus-Anthony, and he had been listening in on their conversation the enitre time.
The Vice President sneered.
"So, that is what he's planning." He whispered in an adamant tone. "Bergan was correct, as usual. It certainly wouldn't do if that boy succeeds before everything is ready. I'd better consult with Bergan straightaway."
And with that, the Fire dragon turned to walk across the adjacent chamber he was standing in and walked out into the next hallway, preparing to head for the Purple dragon's office.
...
The the storm continued to rage over the Tarune Forest, it had terrible effects on the White dragoness.
As the hours passed, Tyrrany slept upon her mattress, tossing and turning to and fro beneath her covers. Her dreams were plagued with horrible memories; memories of the lowest point in her entire life. The feint pitter-patter of rain outside her window only served to further solidify the painful times she once faced, as did the wind blowing against the foilage just outside her window in the gardens and trees below.
Tyrrany mumbled to herself sadly, and tears fell from her eyes.
"Help me... Somebody. Anybody..."
In the dragoness's nightmare, she was deep in the northern parts of the Tarune Forest.
...
It was in the middle of the night, during a terrible thunderstorm. A powerful force of wind blew across the forest canopy, forcing many of the trees' branches to bend towards the south; some of them were even broken free and sent flying onwards.
The White dragoness was a young hatchling: barely a few days old. Her limbs were short and chubby, and her talons were somewhat blunt-edged. She had very little hair on her head, and her four horns were only stubs.
Millions of ice cold water pelted the hatchling's scales on all sides, the freezing temperatures of the water causing her to shiver. The storm's winds blistered part of the dragoness's underbelly, and the lips on her muzzle were badly chapped. All four of her chubby limbs were drenched in black mud, as were most of her scales. The Red glyphs on her body were dulled by the stains of mud and rainwater.
The hatchling could barely see where she was going as she slowly made her way across the forest. Fear and sorrow engulfed her entire being as she tried to find shelter, and her belly was filled with pain from her increasing hunger.
The little dragoness didn't know how she ended up here, wherever "here" was. She didn't know anything at all: not even her own name. All she could recall was breaking out of her egg, and finding herself in the middle of a puddle of slimy mud. Since then, she had been trying to find a place to hide from the freezing water, and also something to eat. Unfortunately, she had found little success in either department.
As the hatchling continued crawling through the thick mud, she wailed miserably, and the constant swath of rainwater upon her face hid her tears from view. Even though she could not speak, her mind was developed enough to form thoughts.
Help...
The hatchling couldn't stand this horrible way of living. She wanted to get out of this terrible place, and she was desperate for food. And yet, she was completely helpless, and all alone.
Help me... Somebody...
The dragoness continued on her way until she came upon a hollowed-out log. The hatchling filled with relief as scampered around to the side to climb in.
Shelter... Finally...
The dragoness proceeded to climb into the log's opening and crawled deep inside it. She then came to a stop, started shifting around to get comfortable, and proceeded to lie down to get some sleep. For a few moments, she felt relaxation come over her.
Now I can get some sleep...
But soon, a low shrieking noise began filling the log, and was coming from just behind the hatchling. The little dragoness immediately woke up shook in fear.
What is that?...
The hatchling proceeded to turn around to find out what the noise was, and jumped in fright. Just behind her at least six pair of horrible, Fiery Red eyes, all of which were upside-down. With a yelp, the dragoness turned and ran out of the log as fast as she could. As she did this, all of the Red eyes chased after her, and once they were out of the log, they took the form of strange, furry, winged creatures, which all took to the skies and shrieked loudly.
The creatures weren't chasing the hatchling, but she ran as fast as she could all the same, too afraid to turn back. As she ran through the mud and the weather, she cried miserably allover again.
Why am I alone? Why am I stuck here?
The hatchling wailed once again.
Why?
The little White dragoness continued fleeing through the canopy, competely overcome by her sorrow.
...
When the morning came, Tyrrany woke from her slumber in tears.
After a quick yawn, the dragoness noticed that she was lying on her mattress in her chamber in the FTCHQ. She calmed herself down, and then wiped her face of the tears.
"Just a nightmare." She decided, relife filling her spirit. "I'm home."
Tyrrany got out of her bed and walked over to the large portrait by her window.
Her eyes glanced upon the youthful face of her father in his teenaged years. She sighed calmly, and a small smile formed on her face.
"You've done so much for me, father..." She stated solemnly. "And yet you've suffered, just as much as I have."
Tyrrany turned her gaze to look at the teenaged face of her mother Elenar. A small gash in the paper was prominent between her eyes; the remains of an old kife stab the White dragoness made out of anger. Tyrrany snarled at her mother's form.
After years of training her physical and magical abilities, the young dragoness would soon be able to hunt down the dragoness she believed to be the source of all her pain.
"We've suffered because of you." She spat with venom in her voice. "You broke my father's spirit, and left me for dead. Well, you better beware, mother, if you even deserved to be called that..."
Tyrrany reached out with a forepaw and slashed her talons through Elenar's visage with great vehemence, slicing several large gashes in the portrait.
"...I'm coming for you. And when I find you, you'll be sorry for everything you've done to us."
After violating the portrait, Tyrrany turned around and approached her dresser.
The dragoness spent the next half an hour preparing for the trip to Warfang. She put on a fresh disguise, and then packed an extra set of clothes into her satchel, along with a fresh container of Purple makeup. She then packed up a few daggers, a map, a compass, and various other items she deemed necessary.
Tyrrany knew that getting to her mother Elenar would be no easy task. For starters, Elenar was the Queen of Warfang: That meant that she no doubt had an enitre army of dragon and Nondragon soldiers at her beck and call. And then, there was the group of warriors known as the Deep Shadows, around half a dozen Dark dragons with beyond-average physical and magical capabilities: a force all their own to be reckoned with. And lastly, there was Elenar herself, as well as the Black dragon Urobos. The Dark Grey Queen was a master of the Pain element, with magical abilities that made the average Pain dragon seem like an mere hatchling. And then there was Urobos: Even in his old age, he still had incredible skill over all twelve Draconian elements, no doubt surpassing Tyrrany's skill in all of them.
If the White dragoness was to have her vengeance, she would need a plan.
"Perhaps Father will help me in this regard." She decided. "I'm seeking vengeance for him as well as myself, after all."
Tyrrany gathered all of her stuff together, and then hung her satchel around herself. Before she turned to leave her chamber, she glanced back behind herself and looked upon the suitcase that contained her violin. She thought for a moment, bringing a talon to her muzzle.
"Would it be a good idea to bring it along?" She wondered out loud. "It may only serve as a burder, and yet it wouldn't hurt to have something to keep myself entertained during the long trip to the city of Commerce..."
After passing the idea around in her head for a brief while, the dragoness finally decided.
"I'll bring it with me. And if Father believes I should leave it behind, then I'll do as he asks. The least he would do is say no."
Tyrrany turned around, picked up her suitcase in her mouth. She then returned to the doorway, turned the knob, and walked down the hallway, shutting the door behind herself with her tail.
As she made her way to the front of the building, she began to think again on her nightmare. She fought back a few tears, and continued on her way.
It felt so real... as if I was alone allover again...
...
During that same timeframe Flame was sound asleep in his bedchamber in his parents' mansion.
The Mansion was built upon one of the many floating platforms on the higher level of the city of Faeshrine. The building stood five stories high, and was made of a combination of Marble and Red Stone. It sat on the center of a platform that was a large as half a cityblock, and was surrounded by a large, vibrant garden. A metal fence of black spikes. ran about the platform's perimeter, and stood about seven feet in the air.
Flame's bedchamber was fairly large, despite being relatively spacious. A circular mattress sat in the center of the room, and was covered with various smaller cushions around the outer edge and a blue cloth blanket. A dresser made of Light Brown wood sat upon the eastern edge of the room, filled with a few sets of fine clothing. On the opposite side of the room was a large family portrait, consisting of Flame and his parents. A massive, glass window ran across a considerable portion of the far wall, letting in the sunlight as it approached from the East.
As the young dragon snored peacefully, a knocking came at his front door.
"Excuze me, zir." A female Mole servant called from the other side.
Flame mumbled a bit in his sleep, but stayed asleep.
The servant knocked on his door once again.
"Zir?"
When no responce came, the Mole was about to knock a third time. However, she was cut off by an adult Fire dragoness.
"I'll wake him up." She commanded. "You go attend to your other duties."
"Az you wizh, Lady Melizza." The Mole replied, bowing.
Melissa was Flame's mother, and Flamaedelus's first wife. Most of her scales were a Vibrant Red hue, while the scales around the lower sections of all her legs were patterened like bursts of Red-and-Orange flames, as was her underbelly. An elegant Black cape was worn over her torso, which fell down to her legjoints. Her Ruby Red mane was trimmed down to the midway point between her jaw and the base of her neck. She had two Bright Red eyes, and two thin, Orange, Diagonal horns just behind them. Various pieces of Silver and Gold jewelry were worn on a few of her foretalons and on both of her horns. A set of Spectacles sat upon her short, yet not beaklike, muzzle.
As the Mole servant turned to leave, Melissa opened the door and approached the sleeping Flame. She pulled away her son's covers, and shook him awake.
"Wake up, Flamaedelus." She demanded.
The young Fire dragon grunted irritably as he was rudely awakened.
"HEY!" He exclaimed, getting groggily onto his feet. "What's the big-?"
Flame soon found himself looking his mother in the eyes, and Melissa cleared her throat. Immediatly, the younger Fire dragon and chuckled nervously.
"Uh... Hi, Mom." He said sheepishly.
"Get ready for the day, Flamaedelus." Melissa commanded. "President Bergan will be expecting you around noon."
"Alright."
Flame got up out of bed, and approached his dresser, shaking his head to remove the tiredness from his mind.
Despite his father's insistence that Flame not get a coin of his family's wealth until he reached an appropriate age, the young Fire dragon wasn't forced to go without all the luxuries of nobility. He was allowed to have and wear fine clothing, was attended to by his parents' butlers and servants while in their home, and even received the same fine tutoring that most noble children were granted. But despite this, it was made clear that these luxuries would taken away from him if he proved to be overly dependant on them.
The young dragon grabbed a fresh brown cloak and a scrunchie from a dresser drawer, and his Brown goggles from the top of it. As he dressed himself, his mother spoke again.
"I have been informed that Bergan is assigning you to be his daughter's guardian during your trip to Warfang." She stated coldly.
"Uh, yeah." Flame responded, pulling his cloak over his torso. "I'm supposed to keep her from getting hurt."
Melissa snorted.
"Seems like a waste, if you ask me." She said. "That girl has proven to be perfectly capable of defending herself."
"I suppose so, Mom. But if the President tells me to do something, I do it."
The dragoness nodded, while Flame placed his goggles over his neck.
"Fair enough." Melissa responded. "Though sometimes I worry about you, Flamaedelus."
"How come, Mom?" The younger dragon had just pulled his hair through his scrunchie.
"You may be getting too attached to the President's daughter."
"Too attached?" Flame grabbed a burlap sack off the floor nearby and slung it over his neck. "What do you mean?"
"Flamaedelus," Melissa stated, "You and Lady Tyrrany have been friends for a very long time."
"Yeah, I know that." Flame replied, turning to walk towards his mother. "What's your point?"
"It would be ill-advised if you try to become more with her, for a variety of reasons."
The younger dragon cocked an unamused eye.
"What would be your number one reason?" He questioned. "Because Tyrrany's a White dragoness."
"Of course not." The dragoness scolded. "It's because Lady Tyrrany is already betrothed to Prince Johnathan."
"Oh." Flame said, rolling his eyes. "To be honest, Mom, I don't really think it's going to happen."
"And why is that?" Melissa demanded angrilly.
"Well, isn't it obvious? Tyrrany doesn't really care for Johnathan much. If at all."
The dragoness sighed in irritation.
"Flamaedelus, even if that is true, she's STILL going to marry the heir to Aeroshard."
"Why?" Flame exclaimed defensively. "If she doesn't want him, doesn't she have a right to say no?"
Melissa growled at her son, which made him flinch.
"Do NOT raise your voice to me young man!" His mother snarled.
"Sorry, Mom." The young dragon replied softly, bowing his head.
The dragoness sighed, shaking her head.
"But to answer your question, in a few ways, Tyrrany does not have much say on the matter." She said calmly. "The union of Aeroshard and Faeshrine is all-important for the future, and the marriage between the two cities' heirs is the ideal way for said union to unfold. Lady Tyrrany knows and accepts this, as do most of us. You should do the same, Flamaedelus."
The young Fire dragon groaned.
"Can't we just drop this, Mom?" He asked. "I need to get ready to leave for the caravan."
"I suppose you're right." Melissa moved to approach the doorway. "I have things to do as well: I need to leave alongside your father for a business trip."
"Business trip?" Flame repeated, following after his mother. "Where to?"
The dragoness didn't answer for a while: She only looked on blankfaced.
"Mom?"
"It doesn't concern you, Flamaedelus." She said sternly. "Come: We must be on our way."
"Uh, okay Mom."
As the two dragons walked down the hallway, Flame thought to himself.
I guess I'll ask the President when I see him next.
...
"Destine, dear," Bergan scolded lightly, "Please let go of your brother's mane."
Bergan was in his office, sitting on his haunches upon the floor behind his desk, his tail wrapped around his legs. He was joined in the room by all four of his nursemaids, as well as his four cub-aged children. The Purple dragon decided that, since he and Tyrrany were going to leave the city for some time, he would spend a part of the morning with his younger children. The little dragons' mothers were all too happy about this.
Maria had climbed up onto her father's back, and was hugging the Purple drake's thick neck as best she could. Leon sat before Bergan, playing with his father's tail like it were a toy. Firion and Destine were sitting in front of the Purple dragon as well: the Pink-hided girl was grabbing her half-brother's mane and pulling it tightly, causing him to yelp in annoyance.
When Destine heard her father tell her to let go, she did so immediately, her eyes full of dread the whole while. Firion then rubbed his head, grimacing.
"You'we a meanie-face, Desty!" The Golden-hided cub sneered.
"No no no, Firion." Bergan stated, waving a talon in the air. "That's no way to speak to your sister."
"But she puwwed my haiw, Daddy." Firion protested.
"I know, but you shouldn't talk to her with such foul words." The Purple dragon turned to look into the Pink-hided cub's eyes. "And Destine, you know it's not nice to yank on your siblings' manes like that, right?"
"Yes, Daddy." Destine said quietly.
"Are you you going to tell Firion you're sorry?" Bergan asked, an eye raised.
"Okay..." The Pink cub turned to look into her brother's eyes. "I'm sowwy, Fiwy."
"That's my girl." The Purple dragon looked over at his Red-hided son. "Now, what do you say, Firion?"
"Uh... It's okay, Desty." Firion mumbled.
"There." Bergan declared, smiling. "Everything's all better now."
The Purple dragon reached out and ruffled both cubs' manes with a forepaw, which made them giggle. As Firion and Destine laughed, Bergan turned his attention towards Leon, who still wrestled with his father's tail.
"Having fun, Leon?" Bergan asked, grinning.
"Tons!" The Water cub exclaimed.
"I'm glad for that, kiddo, but Daddy's going to be needed his tail back soon." The Purple dragon then looked behind himself at Maria. "And you'll have to climb back down soon, sweetie."
"Why?" The Blue and Red cubs asked sadly.
"Well, I'll have to be getting up to leave soon." Bergan explained. "Your Daddy's got a lot of important work to do."
"Can't we go with you, Daddy?" Firion asked pleadingly.
"Yeah." Leon agreed. "You nevew let any of us go with you, Daddy."
"I'm sorry, little ones." Bergan lamented. "But I can't take any of you with me."
"Awww." All four cubs said sadly.
"But why?" Maria asked, tearing up a little.
"Daddy's work can get very dangerous sometimes." Bergan answered. "I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt."
"What about Tywwany?" Destine questioned, pouting a little. "How come you awways take her pwaces?"
Bergan sighed.
"Tyrrany is a little... different, Destine." The Purple dragon stated. "Plus, she's a lot older than you. You wouldn't completely understand."
As luck would have it, right as Bergan was saying this, Tyrrany opened his office and peered inside.
"Good morning, Father." The dragoness said coldly. "I"m ready to leave."
"Ah, speak of the Devil." Beragn declared. "Come on in, dear."
Tyrrany pushed the door all the way open and walked across the office. Upon seeing her, the four nursemaids bowed their heads.
"Good morning, Milady." They said together.
"Hi." The teenager dragoness replied halfheartedly.
As she approached, Bergan carefully lifted Maria off his back and sat her gently on the floor beside her siblings.
"Why don't you all greet your older sister?" Bergan suggested to the four cubs, smiling.
"Okay, Daddy." They all said in unison.
Tyrrany came to a stop before her father's desk. Her brothers and sisters walked around the desk, and stood before the older dragon, some of their tails wagging.
"Hewwo, Sissy." Maria greeted happily, hugging Tyrrany's clothed foreleg.
"Hi, Tywwany!" Leon and Firion declared, doing the same with their older sister's opposite foreleg.
"...Hi..." Destine said awkwardly, keeping a short distance away.
Tyrrany rolled her eyes at all this.
She knew her four younger siblings didn't despise her like the older children did. In fact, most of them seemed to adore her, though Destine thought she was a bit scary. Despite this, Tyrrany didn't reciprocate their affection.
The dragoness's four half-brothers and half-sisters had all gotten things Tyrrany was denied. They all grew up under the care of their mother, and were loved dearly. Furthermore, they were all normal Light dragons: They never needed to hide their scale colors out of fear of being hunted like monsters. All these luxuries served to drive Tyrrany crazy with envy: Just the sight of their smiling faces was enough to make her shake with frustration. But the dragoness knew better than to show the cubs that she disliked them, especially not in front of her father Bergan, who loved all his children equally.
Tyrrany ignored the cubs and looked up at the Purple dragon.
"When will we be leaving, Father?" She queried.
"You're certainly eager to get going." Bergan chuckled. "That's not like you in the slightest.
"Well, I finally have a reason to be excited." The teenaged dragoness declared. "I want to get going as soon as possible!"
"Calm down, my dear." Her father stated, getting up onto his feet. "I was just about to prepare to leave before you walked in the door."
"Oh." Tyrrany replied sheepishly. "I guess I'll head outside, then."
The disguised dragoness turned around to leave, but the cubs held tightly onto her legs.
"Wait, Sissy!" Maria pleaded.
"Let go of me." Tyrrany said coldly. "I need to get going."
"But we wanna pway with you fiwst!" Leon protested.
"I don't have time to 'play'." The teenaged dragoness spat.
"Pwease, Tywwany?" Firion asked, eyes pleading.
"No."
Maria sniffed slightly
"You nevew wanna pway with us." She said sadly.
"Too bad, so sad." Tyrrany said sarcastically.
"Oh, come now." Bergan said sternly. "You don't have to be so foul-spirirted about this, Tyrrany." The Purple dragon walked around the desk to approach his cubs. "I'm sorry, little ones, but we really do need to be on our way."
Firion, Leon and Maria all let go of their sister, moaning sadly the whole time. Bergan sighed at this.
"I'll tell you what: When Tyrrany and I return from our trip, she'll play with all of you all day the next day."
The teenaged dragoness's eye lit up in alarm.
"What?" She asked, taken aback.
"Pweeeeeeeeeeeeease, Tywwany?" The cubs begged, eyes wide.
The dragoness sighed in contempt.
"Fine." She spat.
"Hurray!" The cubs cheered. They tried to hug their sister's legs again, but she pushed them back.
"Enough with the hugging." She demanded coldly. "I need to get going."
Without another word, Tyrrany turned around and walked out of the office. Bergan spent this time looking around at his three nursemaids.
"I trust you'll all take good care of my children." He stated.
"Of course, Sir." The adult dragonesses said in unison, bowing.
"Good." The Purple dragon smiled down at his cubs. "I have to go now, little ones. But remember: I'll back as soon as possible. Okay?"
"Okay, Daddy." All four cubs replied.
Bergan turned to approach the office doorway. Just as he was walking out, he turned to glance at them one last time.
"Goodbye, my little ones." He said sadly. "I'll miss you all."
"Goodbye, Daddy." The cubs responded sadly.
Bergan turned back around, and left his office.
...
The sun was directly over the Tarune Forest: Noon had finally come.
Many Dragons and Nondragons were hard at work in two spots of the city of Faeshrine. Just before the FTCHQ, a massive caravan of Wood-and-Metal carriages and wagons were lined up in formation. A mass crowd of FTC employees were busilly preparing the caravan with a plethora of different supplies: Some carriages were prepared to carry merchant goods, while other carraiges were filled with items ranging from household appliances, tools, clothing, and the like. The remaining carriages, and a few of the wagons, were primarilly used for transportation: various Mole, Cat and Dragon employees climbed up into the vehicles and waited to get going for Warfang.
As this happened, a group of eight teenaged dragons dressed in various rags and bandanas were led by a group of employees towards the carriage at the very back of the caravan. This group was the Crazy Aces; They were told by Johnathan to head for one of the carriages to join the caravan, and also not to steal a thing while waiting.
On another side of the city, all along the docks, over a dozen seafaring vessels were prepared to set sail. Three of these ships were the ones that belonged to Saul and Aeroshard, while most of the others belonged to the FTC. The Commander's ships were prepared to head back south to Aeroshard. Half of the FTC ships were prepared to head West to the Central Islands, while the other half was going to head south as well. However, their destination was kept secret from most of the citizens.
Just before the caravan of wagons, on the FTCHQ's front stoop, stood a large gathering, which consisted of Bergan, Tyrrany, Flame, Arthur, Anthony, Melissa, Saul's family, and various other high-ranking officials.
Among the senior partners of the group were Arthur's parents: His father Richard, a Green dragonfly, and his mother Megara, a yellow dragonfly. These two were in charge of the FTC's Dragonflymail and beaurocratic divisions, and as such aided Bergan with all of his paperwork.
At the moment, Richard and Megara were helping Bergan pass out various scrolls with the FTC seal among the various senior partners.
"While I am gone," The President spoke, "Each of you are to follow the instructions on these scrolls. You are to follow the directions I've laid out to each of you by the letter. There are to be absolutely NO exceptions to this. Do you all understand this?"
"Yes, sir." The others said in unison.
"Good." The Purple dragon grinned.
"My wife and sister-in-law will be heading back to Aeroshard." Saul declared. "We'll need to rally our workforces to send supplies to the Isle of Brizl'dur to beging construction on the new city. Johnathan shall be joining the caravan to aid Tyrrany's cause."
"Understood." Bergan replied. "Now then: Anthony, Melissa, Richard, Megara..."
"Yes, Mr. President?" The four asked in unison.
"Say your farewells to your repective sons, and then be on your way." The Purple dragon commanded. "You will not be seeing them for quite some time after today."
Bergan turned around to approach the caravan, and then turned to glance at his daughter.
"Come along, Tyrrany."
"Yes, father." The dragoness replied, moving forwards.
For the next few moments, most of the senior partners of the FTC and Saul's minions left the front stoop to head for the boat docking bay. The Vice President and his wife spoke to their son Flame, while Richard and Melissa did the same with Arthur.
"I trust you'll do your best to look after Tyrrany." Anthony stated.
"Of course, Dad." Flame replied, smiling. "I'll guard her with my life."
"Try to stay safe during the trip, son." Richard stated to the younger Green dragonfly.
"I'll do what I can, Pops." Arthur declared, grinning.
"Don't get cocky, Arthur." Megara scolded. "Being cocky is what got your uncle Benedict into trouble with those Cougars."
"I get it, Mom." The teenaged dragonfly said, rolling his eyes.
On the other side of his stoop, Angela hugged her nephew Johnathan goodbye.
"Good luck, Johnny." She said warmly.
"You bet I will, Aunt Angie." The young Green dragon chuckled.
"Be careful with that switchblade of yours." Olivia advised. "I don't want you pulling it out at the wrong time. You could bet into serious trouble."
"I'm not stupid, Mom." Johnathan protested. "I know better than to show off with it."
Saul rolled his eyes at this comment. Once the two adult Earth dragonesses turned to walk away, the Commander pulled his son a short distance away and glared down at him.
"Make sure you keep your friends in line during this operation." He whispered in an adamant tone.
"I got it, Pops." His son responded, nodding. "Prince Cyrus is as good as dead."
"And make sure Rune is brought to me alive." Saul commanded.
"I'll do the best I can, Pops." The adult dragon sneered.
"Did I not tell you show me the proper respect when speaking to me?" The Commander demanded.
"Uh..." Johnathan stuttered. "Sorry, father."
"That's better." Saul turned his son around and pointed him towards Bergan's carriage. "Now, get going: Your mission has just begun.
"Alright. Goodbye, father."
Johnathan slowly walked towards the carriage that Bergan entered, while Saul turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
I am putting my faith in you, boy. You had better not fail me.
...
Once all the preparations were finally put together, and not a single thing was left to attend to, all the vehicles set forth on their journeys. The many seafaring vessels left the port all at once, and prepared to make way across the ocean. At the same time, the caravan of carriages and wagons moved onwards to the West, leaving the city limits and heading along the forest pathway.
Over the next few hours, the caravan traveled through the Tarune forest, and eventually passed into the Veros Outskirts. All the while, Bergan enjoyed himself as he sat in his personal carriage.
Bergan's vehicle, the second to last carriage in the caravan, was also the largest one of all. It was made entirely of Metal, and twice the average length. The interior consisted of various pieces of fine furniture: two leather couches ran along the northern and southern sides of the chamber, while a few wool cushions sat around a table that was bolted down on the center of the room. Upon the table sat various pieces of the teenagers' luggage: Flame's burlap sack, Tyrrany's Golden satchel, and so on. The Purple dragon sat on the northeast side of the chamber, while Tyrrany sat to his left, looking out a glass window to her side. Flame and Johnathan shared the opposite couch, while Arthur fluttered about the room out of boredom. A small wooden chest with a metal lock sat just before the adult dragon, its silver key hanging on a chain around the dragoness's neck.
Bergan sipped from a small glass of red wine as he viewed the countryside, a satisfied grin on his face.
"Quite the lovely day." He declared. "Wouldn't you four agree?"
"I guess, sir." Flame answered, shrugging.
"Well I happen to think it looks pretty cool." Johnathan added, grinning. Flame and Arthur rolled their eyes at this.
Suck up, The Red dragon sneered in his mind.
Tyrrany groaned from her spot on the north couch.
"Is something wrong, dear?" Bergan asked, concerned.
"The countryside is fine enough," The dragoness said halfheartedly, "But what's the point of riding in a vehicle to Warfang? Couldn't we just fly there?"
"I should say not." Bergan scolded.
"How come, Sir?" Arthur queried.
"There's at least a dozen reasons why hiding amongst this caravan is a superior tactic."
"Could you name a few, then?" Tyrrany demanded. Her father sighed.
"Well, for starters, there's at least a hundred dragons in this caravan." He stated. "Since the five of us need to be inconspicuous, it's recommended that we hide amongst the many merchants and other traders, so that we don't stick out like sore talons."
"I guess that makes sense." The dragoness stated.
"There's also a much bigger reason." Bergan extended a forepaw to his daughter. "Would you please hand me the key to our chest, dear?"
Tyrrany sighed, and then immediately placed the key in the Purple dragon's paw.
"Thank you, Tyrrany." He replied, smiling.
Bergan then proceeded to open the chest.
"Now then, I have recently come across a few exclusive items, which I plan to sell to some very exclusive customers."
"Exclusive items?" Johnathan repeated, an eye raised.
"And who're the customers?" Flame added, confused.
"One question at a time, please." Bergan scolded.
The Purple dragon searched through the chest's contents, and eventually pulled out a large Gem.
The Gem was made entirely of a clear crystal, and shined brilliantly in the sunlight that entered the carriage. The Gem was also the size of an adult dragon's clenched fist, and was attached to a length of Golden chain, which was finely polished.
The three male teenagers were taken completely aback by the amazing light of the Gem.
"Wowza!" Arthur exclaimed, eyeing the crystal.
"Where'd you get a gem like that, sir?" Flame asked, astonished.
"This isn't just any Gem." Bergan declared. "It's called a Serenity Gem. While most common gems are used for healing purposes, Serenity Gems are purely ornamental in purpose. However, they are also incredibly rare, making them some of the most sought-after, and incredibly expensive, Gems in the entirety of the Dragon Realms. I only came across this one through some extremely shrewd bartering tactics."
"Who're you going to sell it to?" Johnathan wondered.
"Nobody you'd be familiar with. That's all you need to know." The Purple dragon said sternly.
"What else are you going to sell, sir?" Arthur queried.
"With all due respect, Arthur, that's on a need to know basis."
"If you say so, sir."
All the while, Tyrrany continued to frown as she looked out her window.
"I still think we should've flown." She said with contempt. "Travel by land takes too long for me to stand."
"All good things to those who wait, Tyrrany." Bergan said reassuringly.
"I've been waiting for years now, father." The dragoness stated in irritation.
"Then surely you can wait a little while longer." The Purple dragon replied.
"Yeah." Johnathan agreed, smiling. "And besides, we could always pass the time by talking about stuff."
The dragoness turned and glared angrilly at the Earth dragon, which made him shudder.
"Is that so?" She asked sarcastically. "Well, I've got the perfect topic to start with!"
She immediately turned towards Bergan, a sneer clear on her face. The Earth dragon gasped in alarm, while Flame and Arthur looked on in concern.
What's his problem? The Fire dragon wondered.
"Is something the matter, dear?" The adult dragon asked, confused by the sudden change in atittude.
"Father," Tyrrany began, "just the other night, Johnathan came to my chamber and-."
"Told her what an beautiful dragoness she is!" The Earth dragon quickly blurted out.
Tyrrany shot the Johnathan a razorsharp glare for a brief moment, which made him tremble with discomfort. Bergan and the other teenagers, meanwhile, were taken aback by the sudden comment.
"Excuse me?" The Purple dragon asked, an eye raised.
"Y... Yeah." Johnathan stated, laughing nervously. "I told Tyrrany that she was an amazing young girl, both with and without her disguise."
"With and without, you say?" Bergan queried. He turned to look at his daughter. "Did you happen to show Johnathan your hide the other night before you revealed it last night, dear?"
"... Yes, father." The dragoness answered coldly. "I... figured there shouldn't be secrets between me and my future husband, so I figured I might as well show him my scales. He was surprised at first, but he's come to accept it as who I am." The dragoness glared again. "Right, Johnny?"
"Yes, of course!" Johnathan declared, chuckling awkwardly again.
"I see..." Bergan stated. "Well, it's good to see you two getting along so well."
"Yeah..." Tyrrany responded sarcastically."
All the while, Flame looked on in both astonishment, and irritation.
Okay, what the flying fuck happened that night?
When it looked like the conversation was ending on its own, the Red dragon decided to let the subject drop.
Nevermind. I don't want to get worked up over this. Whatever those two are hiding, I'll find out from Tyrrany when I find the time in Warfang.
...
It was the middle of the night when the caravan finally approached the city of Commerce.
The wagons and carriages moved through the Eastern gate, and headed straight for the southeastern district, which had a massive clearing that was reserved for vehicles to trade goods and services. Once all the wagons and carriages of the caravan came to a stop, a mass number of the FTC employees set to work preparing for the coming day, and the many business endeavors to follow suit.
Tyrrany turned to look out her window. Excitement filled the dragoness's being as she scanned the surrounding city blocks.
"We're here..." She said with amazement. "We're finally in Warfang!"
"Yeah..." Johnathan agreed, though less excited.
Flame and Arthur didn't comment, for they had fallen asleep: the Red dragon sprawled out on his side of the couch, and the dragonfly resting against Flame's nose.
The dragoness turned towards her father and smiled.
"Can I go for a tour of the city, father?" She asked, eyes pleading.
The Purple dragon sighed.
"Not now, dear." He replied. "It's much too late at night for you to get started."
"But father-"
"Please don't argue with me, Tyrrany." Bergan stated solemnly. "I can tell you're much too tired to get a move on. Take a tip from Flamaedelus and Arthur: Get some sleep for now."
The dragoness sighed defeatedly. She noticed that it had become increasingly harder for her to keep her eyes open, and parts of her limbs ached.
"I guess you're right, father." She admitted.
"What about me?" Johnathan asked. "I don't feel nearly as tired."
"You should still try to sleep for now, Johnathan." Bergan stated.
"As you wish, sir."
Tyrrany and Johnathan did their best to get comfortable on their respective sides of the carriage. The dragoness curled up into a tight ball on her side of her couch, while the Earth dragon grabbed a few of the cushions from around the table and formed a makeshift bed on the carriage floor. Eventually, the carriage was filled with the various sounds of four different patterns of snoring: Tyrrany's being the softest, Arthur's being the quickest, Johnathan's being the slowest, and Flame's being the loudest.
Amid the chorus of snores, Bergan turned towards his window. Far off in the center of the city stood the mighty Warfang Temple, the largest building in the entire city. And up in the sky, there floated the massive Black fortress known as The Nexus.
Bergan chuckled determindly as he focused on the Temple, eyes filled with intent.
"Tell me, Elenar." He whispered, grinning. "Do you still wish to make amends with me?"