Act 2, Chapter 3

It was a slow day for Wraith. Whenever Rune left for Glenhaven, Wraith's sessions with Cyrus seemed to take only half as long. Sure, he was a Deep Shadow as well as the princes' magic tutor, but he often found his days uneventful. Most of the other Deeps Shadows took care of the important jobs: Grail and Kiros were in charge of the city's police force, Elza served as the queen's advisor, Gale was the chief doctor of the city clinics, Aegis and Lilith ran the Dark dragon school, Albanion was the princes' bodyguard when the queen was away on business, and Nerona handled public relations. The only other Deep Shadow who didn't have an important objective was Rose, although she usually helped Nerona when the latter needs it.

Wraith usually spends his afternoons just wandering around the Temple, hoping for something to happen. He actually started reminiscing about the time when he had to find the runaway prince Cyrus, and the whole scheme to revive the Queen. Not a good sign. Sometimes, he'd go out into the city to visit a few of the pubs and diners to relieve boredom. But most of the time, life for Wraith was pretty dull.

During the start of the evening, Wraith was walking down the hall, heading towards the temple's cafeteria to grab a bit to eat. He sighed.

Another boring day.

As he was walking, he noticed two dragons approaching him from down the hall. It was Albanion and Aegis. When they got close enough, he stopped to greet then.

"Hey, guys." He said. "Where you two headed?"

"Greetings, Wraith", Aegis responded, nodding.

"It's been a slow day today," Albanion added. "Aegis and I are heading out on the town for a while."

"Really? Any place in particular?" The dark red dragon asked.

"Yes, we're off to the Gilded Scales bar over in the Southwestern part of Warfang." Aegis answered. "Would you like to join us?"

Wraith thought for a moment. "Well, I don't have anything better to do…Sure."

"Good." Albanion said. "You need to get out more often than you do."

The Gilded Scales Bar wasn't a very big one. It was of decent size, with an average feel to it. The bar was owned by a silver-hided dragon named Sigmund, who also served as the bartender. Sigmund was a surly drake somewhere in his late forties. He had bronze horns that grew separately on the top of his head, and then curved downwards and came close together at the tips.

The three Deep Shadows walked into the bar, with Albanion at the lead. The Gilded Scales was one of Albanion's regular hangouts, and he was one of Sigmund's regular customers. When the dark grey dragon approached the bar. Sigmund was cleaning a mug with a rag. When the bartender saw Albanion, he set the mug down and smiled a little.

"Greetings, sir." The bartender said. "What'll you have today?"

"I'll just take the usual." Albanion answered. "Give the same thing to my two friends here."

"Certainly, sir!"

Sigmund set to work grabbing a few clean mugs, while Albanion and the other Deep Shadows walked towards the back of the bar, where the dragon-sized tables and booths were. Wraith had a look around. Two earth dragons served as bouncers at the front of the bar. There weren't that many other patrons around. There were a few cheetahs and wolves sitting here and there at the front. There was only one dragon in the back: A purple dragon with three orange horns, two of which were like ram's horns. He was dressed in a fine cloak, drinking from a mug of ale and seemed to be going over a pile of papers. A small pipe sat on a napkin, a small bit of smoke rising up.

Albanion noticed the purple dragon as well. "I know that man."

"Hmm?" Wraith asked. "Who is he?"

"His name is Benjamin. He is one of the traders visiting town. I wonder what brings him this far from the caravan, though."

The three Deep Shadows sat at a table in the back corner, a good distance from the magician. Soon afterwards, a tiger waitress walked up and placed three mugs of ale before them.

"Thank you, milady." Aegis said.

"Your welcome, sir." The waitress replied. She bowed and walked away.

"Albanion, did you bring the deck of cards?" The dark brown dragon queried.

"Of course." he answered, producing a deck.

"You two play cards?" Wraith asked.

"From time to time." Albanion replied. "It's a mild enjoyment after a long day. Care to join in?" The dark red dragon shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

For a good while, the three Deep Shadows played rounds of poker, drinking from their mugs and chatting the whole time. They gambled with small amounts of coins that each dragon was carrying on their person.

"Times sure have been changing like the seasons, haven't they?" Wraith asked.

"How do you figure?" Aegis asked. Wraith smirked.

"When I was a kid, Alby and I were living in the Floating Plains, working for Urobos. Then, sixteen years ago, we left our old home to work in that floating city. Then, after it was destroyed, The Nexus was built, and we lived there for several years. And then, King Bane conquered Warfang. We've been living here ever since."

"Yes, it seems we keep having to change our home every few years." Albanion agreed.

"It makes me wonder: Where are we headed after this?" Wraith asked.

"We all could be living in Warfang for many years to come." Aegis said. "The tension between the Light and Dark dragon races has died down in recent years. We're slowly returning to the way things were before the war started."

"I doubt things are this simple." Albanion said. "I fear that we are on the verge of another great catastrophe."

"What makes you say that?"

"Saul was not the most welcoming of our return. I believe he still seeks to take Warfang for his own."

"Even if he wanted to, he'd be hard pressed to succeed." Aegis replied. "Several countries voiced their support for Queen Elenar."

"That doesn't mean Saul won't find those who support his point of view. Like the Cougar tribes, for instance."

"The cougars are little more than barbarians." Wraith chimed in. "The other feline tribes of the Tarune forest have had trouble with them too."

"Either way, there is proof that the Dark dragons still have a ways to go before being universally accepted." Albanion said. "And besides all that, there is still one more thing, which may prove worst of all."

"And what's that?" Aegis asked. Albanion looked around at the other patrons, and then leaned in and whispered.

"The curse of Runileon the Wicked."

"Ah, right." Wraith said. "That's going to be a problem."

"Would you care to elaborate on this curse?" Aegis asked. "I am unfamiliar with the name."

"That's amusing." Albanion said. "Considering Runileon was alive when you were a young dragon."

"Oh?" Aegis asked. "Well, considering I am in my early-fifties, this intrigues me."

"Allow me to tell you the story of Runileon, the White Monster." Albanion said.

"You see, several decades ago, The monarch of clan Aries, Queen Terinali, traveled to the city of Aeroshard. While she was there, she happened to make love to the ruler of Clan Libra, King Obelisk. This was an act of adultery on the king's part: Obelisk was a married man. To keep Terinali silent, Obelisk bribed her with a massive wealth of gold, which she accepted. When Terinali returned to her home, she discovered she was going to have an egg. To keep the father's identity a secret, Terinali married one of her closest subjects, a man named Zeritus. She bribed him to act as though the child was his.

"When Terinali laid her egg, the shell was pure white, and the dragon that hatched from it was white as well. The hatchling was named Runileon. He was the first white dragon born in hundreds of years."

"What made his hide such a color?" Aegis asked.

"I cannot say, because it is unknown." Albanion responded.

"What did he look like?"

"As Runileon grew, he had several frightening features. He had a blood red underbelly, with a slim yet muscular build. He had blood red eyes, and a mane as dark as the night. He had five large silver horns on his head: The ones in the center and on the sides of his face were curved, while the two horns between them were bent at downward angles. Two more horns grew out of his lower jaw like tusks. He had the symbols of clan Aries on his sides, which glowed red. He also had the symbol of clan Libra on his front left paw: a set of scales, which glowed red as well. He had to use magic to hide this smaller birthmark.

"It was not just Runileon's appearance that was frightening. He had control over all twelve elements of magic, just like a dragon."

"And he could wield all twelve of them at once, creating the then-mythical purple energy known as Convexity." Wraith added.

"Yes. Because of his incredible skill and power, many expected great things from him. This led him to become prideful and arrogant, caring little for others. At the same time, he was vengeful and aggressive, because he was forced to hide the fact that he was the son of two clans: Aries and Libra, the latter being kept secret. When he grew to the age where he could select a bride, he refused to marry: Due to the matriarchal bylaws of Clan Aries, every Queen receives dominant authority instead of the King. Not willing to give up his power, Runileon instead chose to keep several dragonesses in his own personal harem."

"That's most unbecoming of a king." Aegis commented.

"The power he had wasn't enough for him. He left the mountains and made for the isle of Brizl'dur for the next Council of the Monarchs. When he arrived, he demanded that the current ruler, his younger half-brother Dogun, step down. Runileon revealed his Libra birthmark, and used it as proof that he was the rightful heir to the throne. Seeing that his point was a valid one, the Council members decided to have a vote as to whether Dogun should step down and hand over his rulership. A few of the Light clan monarchs, even Dogun himself, agreed. However, all six of the Dark Clans declined, especially King Hyperion of Clan Capricorn, who suspected hidden trickery in Runileon's words.

"Outraged to have his birthright declined, he returned to the Mountains of Inferdus in a huff. For many years, Runileon kept Clan Aries isolated from the rest of the world. He refused to appear at the Council of the Monarchs, and never sent any representatives. So, King Dogun decided to travel to the Mountains of Inferdus to try to get onto good terms with his brother. He brought a large group of his people to the Mountains, so that the two clans could trade goods peacefully. When Dogun's entourage arrived, Runileon flew into a rage and slew him. He also proceeded to kill as many of the Light dragons as possible. However, some managed to flee the mountains.

"After this massacre, Runileon declared a vendetta against all other dragon Clans. He left the Mountains of Inferdus, forcing an army of his own people to attack other dragon cities and settlements. Runileon used the power of gems to augment his magical ablility, which he used in turn to summon countless numbers of crepsculi, as well as possess the minds of his followers, turning them into mindless killing machines."

"I guess, considering the massive amount of gems available to him, his power was incredible." Wraith said.

"Yes. He used the gems' power to enhance his size, becoming a giant among men. He proceeded to wage war on the dragon clans, starting with all six Dark clans, because they were the ones who prevented him from taking his birthright. Multiple dragon clans stood together against him, fighting his minions all across the Dark dragon territories. He killed many dark dragons relentlessly and without mercy. He was given the nickname, 'Runileon the Wicked'."

"Why didn't the dark clans call to the light clans for aid?"

"At first, they did. However, the Light dragons that escaped the massacre at the Mountains of Inferdus had told the Light Clans what had happened. And as the war progressed, the Light Clans grew to fear Runileon's very name, calling him The White Monster. And since Runileon was now only targeting the Dark Clans, the Light Clans believed that if they stayed out of the fight, they would be spared.

"During the battle against Runileon, five young dark dragons stood up to fight against the White Monster personally. The first three were the sons of King Hyperion: Valchen, Urobos and Umbra, the three heirs to Clan Capricorn. The other two were Runileon's own children: Prince Alexander and Princess Catherine. Unlike their father, the Prince and Princess were regular Pain dragons. He didn't love them; he just let them live out of obligation. That would later prove to be a mistake.

"The five young heirs fought through Runileon's forces and confronted the Wicked One himself, fighting him in a battle to the death. The five young dragons were able to combine their powers and defeat Runileon, mortally wounding him. However, Umbra and Valchen were slain in the process. As Runileon lay dying, he glared at his children, and transformed his very essence into pure energy to use it place a terrible Curse upon the two of them. He declared that, one day, one of his descendants would be a white dragon, one more evil and far more powerful than he was. He then passed away, fading into nothingness.

"For years afterwards, those who take the throne of Aries had been nervous, always fearing that, someday, one of them would be born White-hided. For the longest time, it never happened, so the royal family let the Curse slip into the back of their minds…"

"..Until Elenar's daughter's egg was laid, right?" Wraith asked. Albanion nodded.

"Elenar feared for the child's life. She didn't want anyone knowing her child's egg was White, or they'd demand that it be smashed out of fear. She left if in the care of Bergan, who presumably has raised their daughter to this day."

"And just recently, Elenar's daughter was in Warfang." Aegis said. "She was scene alongside those thugs who attacked and attempted to murder Prince Cyrus. That begs a few questions, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Wraith agreed. "Like, why would she be in Warfang in the first place? Why would she attempt to kill the prince? And isn't it strange that she'd appear on the same day as the Caravan from Faeshrine?"

"Nobody's seen the girl since the incident." Albanion added. "And yet, the Caravan is still in town. Maybe it was a coincidence."

"Still, I have the strangest feeling we haven't seen the last of that girl." Aegis said.

Albanion looked at a wall clock.

"It's getting late. We should leave."

And so, the three Deep Shadows gathered their belongings and left the Bar. Albanion paid Sigmund on the way out.

…

It was late at night.

The air was thick in the prison cell, heavy with moisture in the confined space of the temple prison. Thin patches of moss grew on the massive stone slabs of the cells, creeping across the walls to slowly, but surely invade other cells. The massive iron doors were bolted shut, several locks holding each door shut. The hinges were tinged with only minuscule rust, having been oiled only several months back. Guards stood to attention every couple dozen meters down the main hall of the prison, armored in light, but practical chain mail, expressions bored.

Johnathan sat at the far end of his small prison cell in a horrified stupor. Thick iron chains bound his hind ankles to the far wall. His brown cloak had been taken away, along with his knives and other accessories. His once brilliant green scales were spotted with patches of dirt and grime. His thick build had dwindled, his ribs showing underneath.

"This can't be happening." He muttered frantically. "It just can't!"

It had been days since Johnathan and the others were arrested. They were all sent to separate prison cells. The earth dragon had a feeling he'd never see them again. He thought little of them at the moment anyway: His focus was on his own fate. He had failed to do what his father told him to do; kill the princes of Warfang. To make matters worse, not only had he been captured by Queen Elenar, but a letter about his deeds was being sent to his family in Aeroshard.

"This is horrible." Johnathan whimpered. "What're Mom and Aunt Angela gonna do when the find out? Worse, what's Dad going to do? He's gonna exile me for failing him! Or worse, kill me!"

Johnathan curled up in a ball. "By the Ancestors, I'm so screwed!"

"Shut up in there!" One of the guards exclaimed.

The young drake hugged himself, crying silently.

In the silence, Johnathan could here footsteps approaching from outside. They came to a stop right before his cell.

"Greetings, milady." One of the guards said. "What brings you down here?"

"I'm here because I feel like having a little chat with the miscreant who attempted to murder the queen's son." A female voice said.

"As you wish, milady."

Who's that? Johnathan wondered.

"Why don't you two take a break for the rest of the night?" The woman asked.

"But we need to keep an eye on the prison, milady."

"That won't be a problem as long as I'm here. I highly doubt a teenager in chains will make it past me."

"If you say so, milady."

After a moment, one of the guards unlocked the door. The door was pushed inwards, and a feminine figure walked into the light. The woman was dressed in dark robes, similar to the robes worn by the dragon who arrested Johnathan.

It's one of those Deep Shadow guys.

The two guards walked down the hallway, leaving Johnathan and the dragoness alone. The earth dragon crept back against the wall.

"W.. What do you want?" He asked weakly.

"You stupid boy." The dragoness sneered. "What fool attempts to murder someone of high profile in the middle of the afternoon in broad daylight?"

Johnathan didn't respond. He instead glared at the ground.

"Answer me, boy." The dragoness demanded. "Or else you'll have to answer to Bergan."

Johnathan flinched in confusion. "What did you say?"

The dragoness reached into a pocket in her robes and produced something. A moment later, light exploded into existence as she lit a candle. Johnathan wince in discomfort.

"You could've warned me!" He exclaimed.

"Hush." The dragoness hissed. "Do you want to alert the other soldiers?"

"Who are you?" Johnathan asked, rubbing his eyes.

"My name is Nerona." The dragoness answered. "I happen to be personally acquainted with Bergan."

"So, you're here to help me escape?" Johnathan asked.

"Yes, but only if you agree to do as I say."

"I do." The teenager quickly said.

"Good." Nerona sat the candlestick and its holster on the ground as she began working on Johnathan's chains, unlocking each one in turn and ending with the muzzle. Johnathan got up on all fours, flexing his limbs and lower jaw.

"Thanks." He said.

"Don't thank me yet, boy." Nerona said, picking up the candlestick. "There's still the matter of getting you out of this prison."

"How are you gonna do that?" Johnathan asked.

"Quite simple really: A distraction." Nerona turned and walked out of the cell. Johnathan moved to follow her out, but the dragoness stopped him.

"Hey, I thought you were helping me escape." He complained.

"Yes, but you can't just go running down the hall with guards on patrol to catch you." Nerona scolded.

"So what do we do?"

"We make a distraction. But first…"

Nerona quickly shoved Johnathan backwards and shut the door.

"Hey!" Johnathan protested.

Nerona reached into her robes and pulled out a small, black, round object.

I'll need to thank Bergan for sending these to me.

The dragoness tossed the orb down the east object as far as she could. It bounced against the floor a few times, before crashing into the far wall. As soon as it did, the orb exploded into a mass of black smoke, filling the corridor at a rapid pace.

Nerona quickly hid back inside the cell as guards began to rush towards the source of the commotion.

"What in the world's happen?" One exclaimed.

Once they had passed by far enough, Nerona slipped out of the cell, Johnathan following close behind.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Now you flee." Nerona said. "Follow after me."

"Okay…"

Without another word, Nerona fled down the cleared hallway. Johnathan chased right behind her, a dozen thoughts rushing through his head.

Who is this woman, and how does she know Bergan?

…

It was close to closing time for the Gilded Scales bar. "Benjamin" still sat at the table, drinking from another round of ale. He was the last customer in the bar. The other patrons, as well as all the servers, had left for the night. His pipe still sat nearby, smoking as though it had just been used.

"That was a rather amusing story." He said, to no one in particular. He moved his pipe in front of him and dropped some green ashes into the bowl.

As he continued drinking from his mug, slowly and casually, Sigmund the bartender glared at him.

"Excuse me, sir!" He shouted. Bergan glanced over at the bartender.

"Yes?" He asked calmly.

"I'd like to inform you that it's close to closing time. Please hurry up with your beverage and leave."

"Closing time?" Bergan asked, cocking an eye ridge. "My, how time flies when one's enjoying himself."

The purple drake rose up and approached the counter. "Your establishment is truly wonderful. It was a pleasure."

"Thank you, sir." Sigmund replied.

Bergan made his way towards the exit, but then stopped. He turned to look at the bartender.

"You've been a most wonderful host, so I feel obligated to warn you."

"Sir?" Sigmund asked, confused.

"Being a magician, as well as a dragon with the Time element, I can see into the most recent future from time to time." Bergan said. "And I can see into your personal recent future.

"I see…" Sigmund stated. "And what do you wish to warn me about?"

"Your establishment is quite old, and is naturally not the most well-constructed buildings." Bergan continued. "Very soon, an accident is going to happen, and the whole thing will come tumbling down.

"Are.. Are you threatening me?" Sigmund snarled.

"Of course not." The purple drake replied. "The building's destruction is inevitable. I'm merely telling you this so that you have a chance to get out of harm's way."

"That's enough!" The bartender bellowed. "Time magic or no, I will not stand for this insult! Get out of my bar!"

"Are you certain that this is the path you wish to take?"

"GET OUT!" Sigmund looked over to the bouncers and signaled for them to approached.

"Oh, if you insist…" Bergan turned back towards the door and walked forwards, pushing past the bouncers. "There's no need for that; I'm leaving of my own accord."

As the magician walked out, he turned to look back at the bartended.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, my friend." And with that, he was gone.

Sigmund snorted in irritation. The bartender resumed preparing the bar to close, while the bouncers returned to their positions.

Unbeknownst to them all, Bergan had left his pipe on the table. The smoke from the pipe slowly rose up to the ceiling. The entire ceiling was covered in feint, shifting smoke. And yet, the smoke was completely odorless, even to a dragon.

A small match was sitting atop the pipe, which was still lit. The tiny flame was slowly making its way towards the bowl, which had a small amount of green ashes contained inside. Inch by inch, the flame moved across the pipe on its own, as if guided by an unseen force. Eventually, the tiny flame dropped into the bowl of ashes.

A spark of green fire instantly exploded from the bowl and rose up along the smoke. The flames spread across the entire ceiling, burning everything in its wake.

Sigmund and the others cried out in horror.

"BY THE ANCESTORS-!"

That was all he could say before the ceiling collapsed.

…

It was night. After traveling relentlessly for several days, Tyrrany, Flame and Arthur finally arrived at Glenhaven. Throughout the whole trip, Tyrrany was still mad at Flame. She spoke to him when necessary, but ignored him the rest of the time.

The three teenagers came to a landing right inside the north wall of the city. Tyrrany was wearing her outfit to disguise her scales. She looked around at the city of Glenhaven.

"Wow, this place sure is different from Warfang or Faeshrine." Arthur said.

"Yeah…" Flame agreed.

"Finding my brother will not be an easy task." Tyrrany said to them. "First, we will need to find a place to stay at while we're here. Then, we'll need to find this 'Nellie' that father mentioned."

"How are we going to know what that "life-or-death situation" is?" Arthur asked. Tyrrany thought for a minute.

"I don't know. Perhaps we'll find out soon enough. Or, maybe he meat for us to cause the life-or-death situation."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Anny." Flame said.

"We can't dawdle here. Come on!" Tyrrany said, moving forward. Flame and Arthur rushed after the dragoness. As they wandered through the silent streets of Glenhaven, Arthur started whispering to Flame.

"You really shouldn't have done that last night, man."

"I just wanted to-"

"Well it was a bad idea. Who knows how long she'll be that way with you?"

"Maybe you're right…"

All three of them stayed silent after that. The whole time, Flame watched Tyrrany's every move. He sighed.

I'll never give up on you, Tyrrany.