Chapter 49. "About the dragon cities"

Luna was sitting at some stone next to the main entrance to Celeste Tribu, finally repaired after dragons' escape. She was awaiting there for her mate. Since the battle, there passed no more than a day and the wyverness already knew that the dragons managed to break army's morale and flee, one of royal messengers mentioned something about dragon guardians' coming. The wyverness was a bunch of nerves, awaiting for her mate impatiently. She kept blaming herself in her mind for not stopping her mate from leaving safe city to lead an attack on those dragons. Before her, leaning against trees and conversing, there were her two personal guards. Even if they seemed to ignore her, they kept watching her. It was their job, after all. Luna hung her head sadly and sighed. Then, she laid on the grass and started watching the sky. It was already the midday. So she had spent there at least several hours already. Her daughter was being looked around so she didn't worry at her at all, only about her mate. And then, there could be heard some noises. Luna raised her head and looked around.

"What's this?" She asked the guards.

"The army is returning!" One of soldiers explained. "I can see Principe Oscuro!" Hearing that, the wyverness stood up and jumped in the air, flying to the source of noise. She had to see her mate right away. The princess flew above the head of army, where she noticed him. Oscuro was walking slowly. On his back, except his sword, she noticed Lanzador and another, green blade, which she recognized as Cobro's one. At her mate's chest, there were some medical leaves, which meant that he must have taken a blow. The wyverness rapidly dove to her mate.

"Oscuro!" She called and then, she fell into her mate's grasp. They hugged each other lovingly and Luna kissed her beloved. "Oscuro." She repeated.

"I'm back." The prince smiled slightly.

"Oh, you have no idea how scared about you I was." The wyverness confessed. "The messengers told me that you were wounded, but refused to give any details, I've heard that you've lost and..." Oscuro interrupted her, kissing her lips.

"I'm fine. And the dragons escaped us." He assured her.

"What happened?" The princess asked.

"Clavius and Cobro are dead. Dragons killed them. That broke army's morale. And then, there appeared three dragon guardians and Cynder herself." The prince explained. "Maybe we still could have killed those dragons, but I didn't want to sacrifice so many lives more for those dragons." He said. The couple, surrounded by army, walked into Celeste Tribu.

"Let's go to our home. Araceli is missing you." Luna suggested. The prince nodded.

"Yes, I'll have rest and then go to father." He agreed. "He's in Throne Hall, as I guess?"

"Yes, he is." Luna confirmed. Oscuro ordered something one of generals and he and his mate turned, leaving the wide corridors and whole army behind. They headed to their home.

"I've met so-called Viento de la Muerto." He explained, smiling ironically.

"Who is he?" Luna wondered.

"Rather they. Those are brother and sister. They're feral dragons, not older than twenty years old. Such a youngsters caused us so many problems." The prince sighed deeply. "I hope you remember an incident with feral dragons on the southern border?"

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?" Luna watched her mate curiously.

"They're children of that couple I've killed." Oscuro explained.

"Are they strong?" The wyverness asked.

"No, they're weaklings. They have potential, but still, they're weaklings. I can hardly believe that they've managed to live here killing my soldiers for so long." The prince refused.

"So, are they dead?" Luna asked with hint of hope. She would love the dragons hunting her mate to be dead.

"Not." Oscuro refused.

"You've shown them mercy." The wyverness guessed, surprised.

"Not." The prince disagreed. "Those dishonorable youngsters have more luck than skill. The dragon guardian of earth saved them. He's the one who slashed me." He explained.

"So they're still alive." Luna said with disappointment.

"Yes, but I doubt, if will they be threat to me. That dragoness won't be able to fight normally for long time. She didn't leave the battle unharmed. And now, if they decide to remain in the forest, I'll simply hunt them down. There will be no mercy." He promised.

"How many wyverns have they killed for all these years?" Luna asked.

"Many. But now, I'll spread the news that this Viento de la Muerto is just one great lie. If they decide to stay here, they won't survive even a month." The couple walked in silence for several minutes more. Then, they reached their apartment and entered it. There, Oscuro was greeted joyfully by running to him little wyverness.

"Daddy!" Araceli jumped to her father and Oscuro caught her in the midair and hugged lovingly.

"Oh, there you are, my little princess." He said. "So, did you miss me?" The hatchling nodded and nuzzled her father. Oscuro giggled joyfully and wanted to say something, when all three of them heard knocking at the door. "Come in." He ordered. The door opened and there appeared some wyvern with characteristic for royal messengers armor. He bowed deeply.

"Principe Oscuro, Verdad, Señor de la Celeste Tribu expects to see you in Throne Hall immediately." The messenger said.

"Fine, I'm going." The wyvern bowed and left. Oscuro sighed deeply and kissed both females. "I'll be back soon." He promised. The wyvern left his apartment and headed to Throne Hall. The walk took him about twenty minutes. He didn't hurry, but wanted to think everything through, not to be surprised by his father. He didn't know how would he react on the news. After all, he still didn't know about death of two of his sons. Oscuro stood before the gate to Throne Hall. He took deep breath and entered. There was no one except his father. He looked very tired, Oscuro could swear that since his leaving, his father had got on at least ten years. The prince stood about ten meters before his father and bowed deeply.

"Father, you've called me." Oscuro said silently. Then, he took off scabbards of Clavius's Lanzador and his original weapon, ornamented knife and Cobro's green sword. He put those gently on the ground before himself. This gesture explained to the king everything. In his eye, there appeared a tear.

"How did they die?" Verdad asked after a moment of silence.

"We surrounded dragons. Clavius attacked Vixen and threw her out of the circle. She started escaping and Clavius followed her. Sable flew for help to her and Cobro attacked him. There were two duels, but then, Cynder appeared to help Vixen and her brother was supported by Stella, the dragon guardian of lightning. Still, neither of them really interfered. They died killed by Sable and Vixen personally." The prince explained tersely.

"Personally by Sueño's children?" Verdad asked and Oscuro bobbed his head slightly. The king sighed deeply and stood up. "So be it." He stood up and stepped before his son. He grasped the scabbard of purple swords and watched those carefully. "Lanzador." He whispered. "I will take this sword and I will kill those brats with it." He promised.

"Father..." Oscuro wanted to argue.

"Cobro and Clavius will be buried tomorrow, the mourn in whole city will last for next three weeks." Verdad didn't cry. He suffered in the bottom of his heart, but he let no tear. "Dragons want to have war? They will have it."

"What do you plan, father?" Oscuro asked, seriously concerned.

"After the mourn, you will lead a group of Sombras. The best ones you find. You mission will be to kidnap two of the dragon guardians and, if possible, kill Sable's family. Not those two brats personally, but the ones precious to them."

"It will cause war." The wyvern noticed. "Why would we need the guardian?"

"Firstly, to crush their morale. Secondly, I will exchange those guardians." Verdad explained.

"What do you expect instead?" Oscuro asked with worries.

"Sable and Vixen." Verdad grinned ominously. "I will exchange life of two of the guardians for those two Sueño's brats." He explained.

"I can hardly believe..." Oscuro tried to refuse.

"I'm leaving the mission of gathering the group of Sombras and kidnapping the guardians. And tell them to use paralyzing poison, we shouldn't take unnecessary risk. Understood?"

"Father, do you realize that dragons will declare war, if we do this? They're already mad at us for those incidents in Warfang." The wyvern noticed.

"The guardians are reasonable and so are Sable and Vixen. They will agree to those terms without making any trouble. The only trouble is capturing those guardians. I can even give two of Sombras Lanzador, in the case they had to fight any dragons." Verdad ordered. "They will hate us, but they won't cause the war." Oscuro watched his father carefully. It sounded reasonable. Dragons were peaceful race and they would rather sacrifice two lives than cause war.

"I understand, father." The prince bowed. He knew that it wouldn't be easy operation, he had to plan it very carefully. "Can I do anything else for you?" He asked.

"No, that's all. You are dismissed and tell the guards not to let anyone else inside until I change my mind." He ordered.

"Of course." Oscuro turned around and left. The gates closed behind him. And then, hundreds of questions appeared in his head. "Dear ancestors, so we're really attacking the dragons? And I really believed that Sable's coming would bring the peace. I was so naïve!" He kicked some stone angrily. "I only hope father is right about this war possibility. It would be hard war for us." And then, he started thinking coldly. "So, I need to kidnap two guardians: Tremor and Candice would be obvious target since they live in this same house. I could just sneak into their house in the night and poison them. Then, I'd simply take them out of the dragon lands the fastest I can. No threats, no ambushes which could fail. I just need... Wait a moment. Wouldn't it be much simpler to kidnap Sable and Vixen? I could..." The prince stopped. "Dear ancestors, he doesn't need the guardians to get Sable and Vixen. He wants something else!" He realized. So his father lied him. "But what? He doesn't need a dragon, I could kidnap any other. An execution of the guardian would give him no real profit. Father wants something else. Something that can't be carried by a group of wyverns, something both big and important. And we would have to be able to keep it in our paws, something that can be protected." Oscuro's eyes grew wide. He knew what was it. His eyes grew wide. He knew what was it. He cursed silently. Then, he noticed the royal messenger running next to him. He caught his paw. The messenger tried to slip out, but Oscuro pressed him to the wall.

"Stop." He ordered. The wyvern stopped and bowed, realizing who was standing before him.

"My apologize, Principe Oscuro." He said. "What do you need?" The messengers knew the rules. They could have a message to some noble, but if prince asked them to do something else, they simply couldn't refuse.

" In the eastern section, at level twenty-third, there lives a wyvern Turok. Send him to the Core and tell him to wait at eleventh level, I'll find him there." He ordered. The messenger nodded and continued running. Oscuro sighed deeply and went to eleventh level of Core. He sat down on one of the stone ledges and started looking around. He was looking around nervously, he was in hurry. He didn't wait long, he didn't even notice when some a little older than him wyvern landed. He was one of the best of his spies.

"My prince." Turok bowed gently.

"Has Leal used her secret exit this morning after the coming of the royal messenger with news about battle?" Oscuro asked. The wyvern wondered for a second.

"Yes, she has, an hour after sunrise. An hour later, sje used it again to return to her chambers." Turok agreed.

"Thanks, go home. That's all I needed to know." Oscuro stood up and took flight. He headed straight to Leal's house. Oh, he would have serious talking with her.

In next five minutes, he stood before the apartment of that princess, after a second of waiting, he was let in. Leal smiled to him slightly. She was in surprisingly good as for someone who had just lost mate, as he noticed.

"Please, sit down." The princess suggested and both of them did it. "So, what brings you here?" She asked curiously.

"I would love to say triumph, but as I see, you're not giving up so easily." Oscuro said.

"What do you mean?" Leal watched him curiously.

"You paid my father a visit today. And you suggested him another attack on dragons." The prince explained. The wyverness nodded.

"Which is?" She asked.

"You want to kidnap two guardians to exchange them for something valuable."

"Yes, Sable and Vixen." Leal confirmed.

"No, if you wanted them, you could kidnap them just like that. It'd be much easier than guardians. And you need two guardians because you want something much bigger and more important than Sable or Vixen, whom you persuaded Verdad not to kill, if they manage to escape. You want something bigger even than guardians themselves." Oscuro explained. Leal watched him with admiration. She didn't expect him to figure it out. She nodded, wanting to hear what would he guess. "So, I have a dilemma: is it Warfang, or Teria? Those are the only two cities that we would be able to defend, if dragons tried to get it back." Leal cackled in reaction.

"Oh, clever person you are, Oscuro. I prefer Teria, it's easier to keep it and it's smaller, so it will be easier to purchase it. I suggested Verdad to lie you a little, so that you wouldn't oppose too much. But you figured me out." She clapped slowly. "So, what now?"

"Dragons won't agree to do this. You know it. They will never exchange one or two dragons for whole city. Definitely not Teria." Oscuro warned her. Leal just shrugged.

"Maybe they won't, but maybe they will. I believe they will. I know that you won't fail your father, so we practically have those two guardians in our paws. The only trick will be to sell them for a price that will satisfy us." She smiled. "It can be the beginning of conquering dragons. Step by step, city by city."

"One step too far and they will crush us. Don't forget that even if other wyvern kingdoms might not be in good relations with dragons, they can still stab us in back for their own profit." Oscuro noticed. "Your plan is very ambitious, not to say impossible."

"You exaggerate." Leal belittled his words. "And fear not, I have already planned everything."

"So, you gave up on Sable?" The prince noticed with disbelief, changing the subject.

"Not exactly, but Verdad is currently mad at dragons. I need to use the situation, it would be such a waste to ignore this opportunity. And Sable can wait. We have time."

"Use the situation, you say." Oscuro sighed deeply. "And for a moment I believed that you would lose your influence after Cobro's death." The prince stood up. "I believe that I've heard all that I wanted to hear. Goodbye." He turned around and headed to the exit. He left the apartment quickly. "The dragon city." He said to himself. "I can already imagine whole this mess which will start after the mourn." He snorted angrily. "Three weeks, that's quite enough to gather the team that will possibly be able to capture the guardians." Oscuro felt that his heart was pounding. No one ever had kidnapped both guardians at this same moment, even Cynder would catch them one by one. "Such a mission... If I fail, I'm dead. And if I not, oh there begins the real mess." He said to himself and hissed angrily. And in his naivety, Oscuro believed that the lost battle was the end of this conflict. The worst thing was that his honor, his loyalty to father told him to do it. It was his duty, after all, whether he liked it or not. The prince from the bottom of his heart didn't want to know how this all would end up.

Farady squeaked painfully and involuntarily released herself from Ivory's grasp, as the medic bent her left wing a little too far. "Ouch" The lightning dragoness said with painful hint.

"Sorry, my fault." The white dragoness apologized and caught her wing again. She bent it much slower and more carefully this time. She noticed that it was very hard for the free dragoness just to lay down and loosen her muscles, so Ivory could check her wing's state precisely. "You're not used to having a medic's control, are you?" She guessed. Farady smiled slightly hearing that.

"That's the second time in my life." She explained herself.

"The second? And where was the first one?" Ivory wondered.

"In Teria, years ago, when your mate saved me and Zheek." She said. "We spent in there about a month. What a great city, isn't it?" She noticed.

"And still, there are even bigger ones." Ivory added.

"Like Warfang."

"Like Warfang." The medic confirmed. She watched the free dragoness with worries, since she seemed to be seriously bothered by something. "What's wrong?"

"I'll most likely settle down in Warfang once we're done here. Zheek plans so and I need to look after him. But this thought scares me. I think that I'll be lost in there like a hatchling in dense mist." She explained. Ivory nodded with understanding.

"I was lost there at first too." The medic confessed and the another dragoness watched her with disbelief. "I guess everyone was in the start, more or less. But with time, you'll find your place in there." Ivory assured her.

"Why have you left your home city?" Farady asked.

"When Flush died, every place in there kept reminding me about him. I've never meant to forget, but those memories were so intensive and painful that I felt like I was losing my mind. I most likely was. Sometimes, I visit Teria with my son to see the family and Flush's grave and after six years, every time when I come there, I get terribly melancholic. I will never forget about my mate, but I either can't let my broken heart consume me when there are people around who need me." Ivory explained. Then, she sighed deeply. "Whoa, that was deep of me. Back to here and now, you won't be able to fly for next month."

"Whole month? I heard that when Vixen had her wings broken, it took you only two weeks." Farady noticed with disappointment.

"Yes, but she had broken endings of the thin bones of her wing in such a way that theoretically, she could fly, but it would give her terrible pain. In your situation, I need to heal much thicker bone, which will take longer." Ivory explained. "So, you're free now. Don't forget to come to me at the evening." She said. Farady, happy to hear that, stood up quickly, thanked the medic and left the cave only to fall on Tremor.

"Oh, sorry." The guardian, who didn't notice her at all, apologized.

"Never mind." Farady smiled. "Could we have a walk? I need to talk with you." She pleased. She really liked the earth guardian and it wasn't only because he, like other guardians and Cynder, told her and Zheek to call him by name. For unknown to her reason she really liked all the earth dragons.

"Sure." Tremor agreed and they started walking slowly. "What's on your mind?

"I need to ask you for a favor." Farady said.

"Which is?"

"You need to teach me how to fight in close distance." The dragoness clarified. "I'm good with my lightning already, but I don't stand a chance in serious melee fight." She said and Tremor watched her carefully.

"You want me to do it because you plan to face Oscuro again, don't you?" He guessed. Farady hung her head sadly. "I will not help you in vengeance, I thought I've made that clear."

"It's about Oscuro, but that's not what I mean." Farady took deep breath, as if she was about to confess something that she'd rather keep for herself. Indeed, she was. "Back then, when we fought Oscuro, I could do nothing. I was completely helpless. All I could do was watching him killing my brother, the only family I have. I can't let this happen again. I need to be stronger, so I could protect Zheek." She explained. It was hard for her to admit her weakness. Tremor watched her carefully and smiled slightly. But it wasn't smile of joy, but understanding. He thought of Gaia and her death in the eastern city.

"We have only two weeks until our planned attack, so you'd better prepare for intensive training. It's not long enough to teach you everything I know, but I'll give my best to fill the gaps in your technique." The guardian promised. Farady smiled and nuzzled him thankfully.

"Thanks, Tremor. You know, if all the dragons in Warfang are like you, then I'll love this city." She said half-jokingly. Tremor smiled slightly.

"Well, maybe not all, some can be terrible pain in the tail, in fact, but I'm sure that you'll love Warfang anyway." Tremor assured. The lightning dragoness smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I guess so." She agreed dishonestly. She didn't admit that, but thought of coming to Warfang was so... frightening to her.