With Warfang mostly refurbished, Elenar decided it was time for something big. She gathered up her Deep Shadows, and avian couriers in the service of King Horus. It was time for the dark dragons to officially return to the dragon realms, and the shadow queen wanted to make sure that there were no more hostilities.
Warfang Coliseum was filled to bursting with many dragons and non-dragons. Some used to live right there in the ancient city, while others were visiting from all corners of the dragon realms. It was to be the first council held in twenty years.
Many cushions were set up all across the interior of the council; they formed a wide ring around the perimeter, and were just close enough to each other for the dragons' voices to carry around easily. Elenar sat in a large cushion near the northern entrance to the stadium. Rune and Cyrus sat on either side of the queen, and Urobos was just to the left of Rune. Rune watched nervously as various leaders from across the realms made their way into the stadium from the southern entrance.
"Uh, mother…" Rune said nervously. "Are you sure it was a good idea for me to attend?"
"Of course I do." Elenar patted her son on the head with a wing. "There are some here who seem particularly pleased to see you. Such as those three."
Rune blinked and looked at the entrance. To his surprise, Telus, Krystallos and Attonita made their way into the chamber. The three elders of Glenhaven all smiled upon seeing Rune as they took their seats in three of the cushions. At first Rune sighed in relief… but that quickly soured when King Saul followed the elders into the stadium. He cast a brief, but furious glare at Rune before quickly moving to sit down beside his elders. Olivia and Jonathan followed the king inside, the former hiding the latter's face with a wing as they joined the earth king.
"Not everyone's happy to see me, mother." Rune grimaced.
"Oh, don't worry about them." Urobos insisted. "They won't hurt you. I promise."
Rune sighed. "I hope you're right."
Next among the group of dragons was a fancy-looking lightning dragon in blue robes. He had a crown of intricate jewelry as he approached Elenar's throne. The yellow drake had a hearty smile, as did the two other dragons just behind him.
"Elenar!" The lightning dragon declared. He bowed his head and grinned. "By the ancestors, the rumors were true!"
"You know this dragon, Mom?" Cyrus asked curiously.
"Of course I do." Elenar bowed her head to the dragon and smiled. "It's been a long time, Prince Tintreon."
"It's King Tintreon these days." The lightning drake chuckled. "Say, do you remember my brother Graham?"
The shorter lightning dragon to Tintreon's left leaned over and bowed his head. "Greetings, milady."
"I think I do…" Elenar scratched her chin. "Though it's been a long time."
"Aye." Tintreon nodded. "We're glad to have you back. Right, Flagra?"
"Of course, my king." The fire dragoness to his right smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I never thought I'd ever speak with someone revived from death. Err, pardon me if I'm being rude."
"No, no, It's fine." Elenar bowed her head again. "I understand that it's a strange happenstance."
While Elenar spoke with Tintreon and his brother a bit more, Rune noticed something peeking out from underneath Flagra's wing. A small, pink head poked out and looked around nervously. The young dragoness eventually locked eyes with Rune and gasped.
"It's you!" A familiar voice declared. Rune reeled back in surprise as the youngling stepped out from the red dragoness's wing and approached Rune, to the surprise of all the adults. The dragoness hobbled up and gave Rune a hug with her wing.
At first Rune was confused. But the more he looked at the pink dragoness's features, the more he remembered his time in Crossbolt…
"Ember…" fire dragoness said in confusion. "Why are you harassing the prince?"
"This is the boy who saved me, Mom!" Ember declared as she pointed a talon at Rune's chest. "From those monsters! Remember?"
"Aye?" Tintreon raised an eye ridge. "You're the boy who rescued my niece?"
"Uh… yes?" Rune leaned back nervously as the lightning king bore down on him.
"He did what now?" Urobos asked curiously.
Rune took a moment to explain his encounter with Ember during his travels in Crossbolt; how she was attacked by crepsculi, and he and Roxanne saved her.
"Well, aren't you quite the little hero?" Flagra smiled.
"Uh, thanks…" Rune blushed. Urobos and Elenar chuckled, while Cyrus smirked at his brother. With a slight grimace, Tintreon bowed his head to Elenar once again.
"We'd best go sit down for the council." He said. With a motion of his talons, his family followed after him to take their seats.
Rune watched Tintreon and his family go sit down in their cushions. But just after they left, a surprisingly-familiar face stepped into view. For a brief moment, Rune thought that Seraph had arrived along with the dragons from Glenhaven. But upon closer inspection, he realized it was someone different.
"Ah…" Elenar bowed her head. "Good to see you again, Princess Nymph."
"Its Madam Nymph now, miss." The icy dragoness smirked.
Unlike Seraph, Nymph had a beak-like snout, and her mane was worn in a short bun atop her head. A small, teardrop-shaped glyph sat by her left horn, just like on Seraph. She was a few years older and slightly taller as well. She wore an elegant, royal cloak over her wings. Various silver bands decorated her forelegs, and she wore an intricate pendant around her neck.
Nymph inspected Elenar's features up and down for a moment. "My, my, my. It's like you haven't aged a day."
Elenar grimaced. "Um… thank you, Nymph."
"By any chance…" Rune said softly. "do you have a sister named Nymph?"
The icy dragoness looked down her beak at Rune and harrumphed. "Indeed I do, child."
"Uh… nice to meet you." Rune bowed his head. "I'm-"
"You must be that boy whom Hontus and Seraph adopted." She said blankly. "You look an awful lot like how they described him. Rune, was it?"
"Uh, yes, ma'am." Rune bowed his head again.
"Of course." Nymph looked back at Elenar. "Here's hoping that this council meeting doesn't last all day: I've got matters waiting for me in Dante's Freezer."
"What was that all about?" Cyrus asked.
"Beats me." Rune answered. "Maybe I'll ask Seraph when I get back to Glenhaven."
Eventually, almost all of the leaders had taken their seats, there was one dragon in particular whom Elenar was waiting for. However, he had yet to arrive.
"Where could he be?" She wondered out loud.
"Who, Mom?" Cyrus asked. Elenar glanced at both of her sons in turn.
"Rune, Cyrus, there's a certain dragon whom I'm... acquainted with." Elenar sighed. "One that I'd like you to meet. And if we're lucky..."
"Hey, is that him?" Cyrus asked, pointing a talon.
"Hmm?" Elenar turned to look at the southern entrance.
A large Fire dragon was walking into the Coliseum to join the other Leaders.
The dragon had a fiery red hide and a bright orange underbelly. He was in his late thirties, and was of moderate build and height. He had dark red eyes, and two yellow horns that pointed backward atop his head. His yellow mane wane was pulled back in thick braids, and he had a short, yellow beard upon his chin.
The dragon wore a thick, brown noble's cloak over his hide, which had an intricate pattern of silver threads woven into the edges. He had pair of well-woven, cloth gloves over his forepaws, which stopped just after his ankles. A pair of silver rings was worn on each of his horns, all of which had a small topaz jewel embedded into its side.
The dragon came to a stop before Elenar and bowed his head.
"It is truly an honor to finally meet your in person, Lady Elenar." He stated.
"Who are you?" She questioned.
"My name is Flamaedelus-Anthony, the Third." He declared, "I am the vice president of the Faeshrine Trading Company, and the Second-in-Command of the city's territories."
"Um, it is pleasant to meet you as well, sir." Elenar replied awkwardly. "If you pardon my asking, where is-?"
"Do to a certain matter that was vitally important," The Fire dragon stated, "The Wizard of Faeshrine was unable to arrive."
"Wizard of Faeshrine?" Cyrus whispered curiously.
"As the next-to-highest authority figure, I was sent in his place." Flamaedelus continued. "I have been given emergency powers by my employer to agree or disagree with any decisions made at this council."
"I see..." The Queen stated solemnly.
"The President of the FTC sends his regards, if that makes up for his not being able to attend."
"Thank you, Sir."
Flamaedelus lightly kissed Elenar's left forepaw, and continued on to take his place among the gathered leaders. And that was that; nobody else came through the doors.
"I really wish he had been able to arrive..." She stated solemnly.
"Are you okay, my dear?" Urobos asked, concerned.
"I'm fine." Elenar shook her head. She stood up from her seat and cleared her throat to gather the council's attention. And with a wave of her wings, everyone else in the coliseum quieted down to listen to the shadowy queen speak.
"First of all, I wish to thank you all for coming." Elenar began.
"For over a hundred years, the eight Dragon Clans existed in harmony and prosperity under the watchful eyes of Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder. Were it not for their great deeds, none of us would exist today. But unfortunately, twenty-some years ago, they passed on to the next life…" Elenar sighed. "And the generation that preceded us made a grave mistake. Despite the efforts of myself and my late husband, King Baneth-"
A low growl rose from over in Saul's direction, but the queen ignored it.
"-A petty quarrel between two of the kingdoms erupted into a full-fledged war, that lasted far too long." Elenar closed her wings. "When it finally ended, the dark dragons were believed to be nearly extinct. However, truth be told, my people snuck away and went to live in hiding.
"We created a floating city called the Hive, where dark dragons could live in peace as the aftermath of the Twilight War came about. We wanted only to survive, and wait for the day that we could return to Warfang to reclaim our ancestral home."
A murmur spread throughout the crowd.
"In the intervening years, we disguised ourselves and occasionally walked among you to gather the supplies we needed to keep our society running." Elenar gave her wings a flap. "Despite our peaceful way of life, there were a group of light dragons who sought to destroy every last dark dragon alive. They called themselves the Order of Culmubrae. And due to circumstances beyond our control, the Order found our home and destroyed it. This led to a rough following set of years, and my husband…" Elenar sighed. "My husband walked down a path of vengeance."
The murmur grew louder, and Elenar sighed as Urobos rose up to his feet to stand beside her.
"We can't hide what Baneth did." Urobos said sadly. "He attacked Warfang, forcibly transformed many children and younglings… and ultimately plotted to wipe light dragons from existence. Nothing could ever justify his actions…" Urobos wracked his talons. "We only ask that you consider that Baneth realized what path he was walking on, and turned himself around in time to help fight back against Malefor, giving up everything in the process."
"And after Malefor was dealt with, I've done what I can to restore Warfang to its former glory." Elenar said. "And now that you are all here, the time has finally come for the original perpetrators of this conflict to-"
"Where's the Pappas?!" King Saul angrily yelled.
The other leaders murmured nervously amongst themselves, while Elenar rumbled uneasily. Saul wracked his talons and glared daggers at the shadow queen.
"Well?" Saul demanded. "What have you done with him? You released many of the captive light dragons, but kept the Pappas under lock and key, as well as a few other respectable dragons."
"Respectable?" Urobos snapped. He wracked his own talons as he glared at Saul. "I knew Richteriel for many more years than you did, Saul of Glenhaven. And for a time, I might have agreed you… right up until it was made apparent that Richteriel was a traitor."
"Ha!" Saul looked down his snout at the aged black dragon. "You'd certainly know a thing or two about treason, Gregory."
"Sit down, Saul." Demanded Elder Telus. Saul looked at the elder incredulously, but the glare shot from him made the earth king falter. Saul sat back on his throat, and Telus looked at Urobos. "But to be honest, I'm curious about Richteriel's fate myself. What's become of him?"
"We were waiting for the appropriate moment…" Elenar said. She looked across at the guards near the back of the chamber. "Bring in Richteriel and the other prisoners."
The murmur spread further amongst the crowd as several dark dragons left the chamber. Rune shook nervously as the gathered leaders glanced amongst themselves. King Saul and Queen Olivia looked to be seething in fury.
Soon enough, the doors were pushed wide open. The sounds of rustling chains filled the air as everyone else in the coliseum went silent. Before the gathered leaders, Richteriel was led forward in shackles. His head was still bandaged, but he held a proud face. A magic-negating collar was affixed to his neck, and the dark dragon soldiers growled at him as they forced him before the gathered leaders. Following just behind were Elder Aecor and Guardian Odynne, though they had a bit more fight in them than the Pappas. Their mouths were gagged with metal muzzles, though they still shouted furiously through them.
Richteriel turned his head to look at Elenar, Urobos, and the two black dragon princes in turn. "Ah… the royal family. Gathered together, but without the pretender to the throne. Such a pity."
Urobos gave a silent scowl toward Richteriel. Elenar stood up in a regal stance; she was silent for a time, as if in defiance of the old dragon who'd basically signed her death warrant all that time ago.
"These three are some of the last surviving, and highest-ranking, members of the Order of Culmubrae." Elenar said loud and clear to the audience. "There was a fourth among their member: A scientist named Neptus…"
"But my sister requested that he be placed under house arrest in Dante's Freezer." Nymph declared. "Rest assured that he's facing his own trial back home. He's a member of our royal family, and must be dealt with on our own terms."
"Of course." Elenar nodded. "However, this is not a trial where their cases can be argued; clear evidence was already gathered years ago, when the remains of the Order's soldiers were sifted through in the aftermath of The Hive's destruction, as has been explained to me some time ago."
"You lie!" Saul shouted. "You think you can drag our beloved Pappas before these gathered dragons and-?!"
Richteriel suddenly burst into laughter, cutting off the earth king. The aged earth dragon had a malevolent smile as he supposedly looked upon Elenar.
"You think I need evidence gathered against me?" Richteriel asked. "The time for hiding my Order's existence from the dragon realms is at an end. I freely, openly, and GLADLY admit to seeking the elimination of the realm-spanning sickness that is the dark dragon race. And yes, these two were part of my Order as well."
Gasps rang out throughout the crowd; several dark dragons spewed hatred and bile toward the Pappas. Saul was stunned into silence, while Aecor and Odynne looked upon Richteriel in horror.
"How dare you?" Urobos said angrily. "After all the years we lived and worked together in Warfang, Richteriel? After all the times we saved each other in times of crisis? After we called each other friends?!" Smoke blew from the aged black dragon's nostrils. "How dare you betray us?!"
"There was a time when I thought the Terror of the Skies, and her descendants, were pacified." Richteriel said calmly. "In my youth, I imagined that Poison, Wind, Shadow, and Fear could be tempered to do good. But oh, where did that naivety get me?" The old dragon lifted a chained forepaw to point at his face. "I once questioned the way King Hyperion was ruling Warfang. And what do you think your father did once his precious Cynder was out of town, Urobos?" Richteriel snorted. "Did you think that my eyes plucked themselves out of my head?"
Urobos gave a disturbed rumble, but he shook his head and growled. "My father was only one dragon; his actions don't determine the behavior of family that comes before or afterward."
"Oh?" Richteriel tilted his head. "But what happened after Cynder and Spyro passed away? Surely you don't think I orchestrated an entire war, do you?" He shook his head. "No, the gathered leaders barred their fangs to destroy one another, all by themselves. And with leadership dying out across the realms, my Order stepped out of the shadows to assume command and rebuilt. And it just so happened that YOU secured my position of power when YOU up and ran away from Warfang, bringing your whole family and all of your fellow dark dragons with you."
Urobos growled again. "We trusted our secret with you! My people caused you no harm for years! You had no right to launch an attack against us!"
"Oh, but you were always threatening to return to dump your dark dragons onto Warfang." Richteriel said. "And you would allow a boy king whose mind was corrupted by convexity to take over? Tell me: how many years could Baneth have ruled Warfang before the madness took him over?" He grinned. "About as long as it took him to launch his attack?"
"That's just speculation." Elenar hissed.
"Did I strike a nerve, Queen Elenar?" Richteriel chided. "Perhaps you save your next Fury for your father-in-law." He grinned wider. "After all, what did Urobos do after you and so many of your subjects died in The Hive? He did what he's good at: he RAN AND HID."
"I only did what I needed to, to protect my grandson!" Urobos snapped.
"Ah, yes, your grandson Rune." Richteriel turned his head down toward the young dragon, who shivered. "My, he's been through a lot: so many scars. It's a miracle he's even still alive." He turned his head toward Cyrus. "Oh, and your other grandchild. The one groomed for years to one day be the next king. What kind of regime would HE enact, I wonder? Will he muck about with the Revival Ritual once again?"
Rune and Cyrus exchanged worried glances.
"What do you hope to gain from all of your mockery?" Elenar demanded. "Do you think that, somehow, it'll save your life?"
"Oh, no, I'm near the end of the rope in any case." Richteriel shook his head. "I just want to remind all of the dragons here what trouble the descendants of Cynder have caused to the dragon realms over the years. And it's only bound to get worse in due time" He spat on the floor. "Do what you want to me, Aecor and Odynne: you'll never get rid of the Order as a whole. There will ALWAYS be dragons to keep your wretched bloodline in check."
"Just like there are dragons who are tired of the pain you've caused." Called the voice of Telus.
Richteriel's muzzle became a sneer, and he turned his head toward the earth elder. "You."
"I let you and Gaius sweet-talk me into joining the Order many years ago." Telus said as he stood up. "Yes, I admit to everyone here: I used to be part of the Order of Culmubrae. But that ended early in the Twilight War, when I found myself battling wind dragons from Aeroshard. It didn't take me long to realize that they were fighting out of desperation…" The elder sneered. "I took a few lives, I'm loathe to say it. But I swore that I'd stop soaking my talons in blood and change my ways. I wanted to find a way to redeem myself…" Telus glanced at Rune, and sighed. "And that chance came when a little black dragon was found half-dead in the desert."
"Elder…" Rune said quietly as he bowed his head.
"Queen Elenar…" Telus looked the shadowy dragoness in the eyes. "I swore to keep Rune safe and healthy in Glenhaven until a time came when he wanted to reveal himself to the world. I didn't expect that time to come so soon, but it has…" He bowed his head in respect toward Elenar. "I hope that it is some fraction of the atonement that is due."
"I… I'll take your actions into consideration, Telus of Glenhaven." Elenar nodded. She then looked at Richteriel and scowled. "But I think I've had my fill of listening to the poisonous words of this war criminal."
"Should we execute him?" Urobos asked.
"And make him a martyr for the Order?" Elenar raised an eye ridge. "No, I think not. Something more befitting is needed for Richteriel and these other two members of the Order. But for now, we'll keep them locked in chains, and carted off to the deepest pit of the dungeons below Warfang!"
Elenar's scales glowed with a dark aura as she glared at Richteriel, Aecor and Odynne. She lifted up a paw and stamped it hard on the ground, sending out a minor shockwave of magic. Moments later, pools of black mist began forming beneath the three dragons' paws. The gathered leaders watched in awe as the three aged dragons sank into the dark abyss. Aecor and Odynne struggled and fought against their chains to break free, to no avail. Richteriel, however, stayed calm with his smug grin as he sank slowly.
"The black dragon line is a blight on the realms." Richteriel said. "It won't be long before your sons wreak the same kind of havoc that Hyperion and Baneth did before them… just you wait…"
With that, the former Pappas vanished into the darkness along with his companions. The pools of darkness dissipated, and the leaders of the Order of Culmubrae were gone.
"Well, good riddance to him." Said the cocky voice of a fire dragon. Many of the leaders looked over toward King Horus, who stood tall upon a cushion the whole time.
"You…" King Saul said incredulously. "How can you be okay with this? You were held prisoner along with many other light dragons!" He glared a bit. "In fact, you SURRENDERED, if I recall correctly!"
"Yes, I did." Horus brushed mane hairs out of his face as he adjusted his crown. "But you know what? I'm glad that I did; many more lives would have been slain needlessly if I didn't order the surrender." He leaned back in his cushion. "I didn't want to fight Baneth's forces; I'd spent years waiting for the dark dragons' return." Horus frowned. "By the Ancestors, as Steward of Warfang, I would have welcomed Baneth back with open forelegs had he only approached me diplomatically… But alas, I can see why he didn't, after the way Richteriel stabbed him in the back all that time ago."
Saul leaned his head back incredulously. He then snarled, and turned his gaze back toward Elenar.
"You might be buddy-buddy with that coward, but you won't get through to ME." He snapped.
"Saul, I released you and your family from the prisons just like every other light dragon." Elenar snapped. "I've apologized several times for the hardship you've had to endure. What more recompense do you need?"
"Someone must pay for the blood spilled from my father's neck!" The earth king shouted. "His murder is still unsolved, and I'm not unconvinced that dark dragons had something to do with it!"
"From what the Deep Shadows have told me, none of them had anything to do with that." Elenar said. "And my late husband himself denied the murder. And I'm not blind to how many lives he's taken." She fluttered her wings in exasperation. "There's nothing more I can do."
Saul looked at the queen for a good few seconds. He then wracked his talons on the floor. "Isn't there?"
"What are you going on about, Saul?" Urobos demanded.
The earth king looked down his muzzle at the aged black dragon. "The two half-pints, Rune and Cyrus, performed something called the Revival Ritual to bring back the shadow queen, did they not?"
Elenar winced, while Urobos gasped in realization.
"Oh yes: we and the Glenhaven Elders know all about your sons' quest to revive you, Elenar." Saul leaned his head up in smug satisfaction. "And clearly, it was successful. So, why not have them travel back to the Well of Souls to-"
"No" Urobos roared. "They will NOT be performing the ritual again!"
The two princes exchanged uneasy glances as the earth king snarled.
"So, they can bring back their mommy, but you won't allow them to revive my father?" Saul extended his wings. "What right have you to deny this?"
"King Saul…" Elenar took a careful breath. "Of course I'm grateful that my sons brought me back. But the Revival Ritual is a dark magic from well beyond even the time of Spyro and Cynder. There are simply too many risks involved." She lowered her head down. "I'm very sorry, and you have my condolences for the loss of King Gaius. But we simply can't permit you to try and revive him."
"You Dreadwing's whore!" Saul roared. All of the other monarchs and their families recoiled in horror. Elenar's eyes widened in alarm as the earth king stamped his paws. Rune felt a twinge up his spine, as if a fight was about to start.
"You sat as a rotten corpse for several years while your husband plotted to attack Warfang!" Saul snarled as he dug his talons into floor, his body glowing with a green aura. "Many light dragons lost their lives on his orders! Many orphaned children have been irreversibly corrupted by Baneth's dark magic! No amount of supposed self-sacrifice will ever wash away the blood on his talons, nor will you ever be seen as the rightful rulers of Warfang in my eyes!"
Saul spat at the floor in Elenar's direction. "As ruler of Glenhaven, I declare war!"
Many of the gathered dragons gasped, especially Elenar. Rune and Cyrus shrank down in their thrones as the shadow queen rose up.
"No!" She exclaimed. "Not another war!"
"You hear me well enough!" The earth king snapped. "The Eternal Night has long since ended, and your font of dark magic is drained!" He held up a talon. "I will give you and your kind an entirety of a week to surrender Warfang and leave the dragon realms. If you don't comply, I will have my forces storm into the city and wipe you all out!" He gnashed his fangs. "Warfang was not meant to be controlled by the likes of you. What do you say, She-beast?"
Elenar balked. "I…"
"ENOUGH!" Roared a furious elderly voice.
Saul looked to his right in time to see an earth bomb come hurtling toward him. Saul was knocked off his paws and sent crashing to the floor, much to the shock and horror of the other monarchs. The earth king clutched his bruised face as he looked up in disbelief at the enraged face of Elder Telus.
"Elder Telus?!" Saul exclaimed.
"How long did you think I was going to endure your mad ravings?!" Telus shouted down at Saul. "After all the efforts I've gone through to try and make peace with the dark dragons, after the years I've spent looking after Prince Rune. You think I'm going to just let you declare war on his family?!"
Before Saul could say anything in response, Telus struck him across the face with a fist, spilling a bit of blood on the floor. Olivia shrieked in horror. "Father, stop!"
"I won't have Glenhaven drawn into ANOTHER war!" Telus hissed down at Saul. "I had to endure one mad earth king causing pain and ruin needlessly. I won't let it happen again!"
Telus grabbed Saul's cloak and ripped it off, not caring as he tore the fabric to shreds. Olivia shrieked again and tried to rise up to stop Telus, but Attonita and Krystallos stood up to block her path.
"Let me go!" Olivia shouted. The ice and lightning elders had sullen faces as Telus stripped Saul of his lordly robes and jewelry.
"Get off me!" Saul roared. He forced himself up onto his forepaws and gnashed his fangs at Telus. "Traitor!"
"The only traitor here is YOU!" Telus declared. "A traitor to the peace of the dragon realms, hungry for dark dragon blood!"
"You think I'm the only one who wishes to see them removed from power?" Saul declared. He glanced about the coliseum. "Surely there are OTHERS who've suffered losses at the hands of black dragons." He focused his gaze on King Tintreon. "What about you? Didn't Baneth send crepsculi to wreak havoc in Concurrent Skies?"
"Whether he did or didn't, I can't say." The lightning dragon shrugged his shoulders. "But from what I understand, Prince Rune came to my niece's aid." He sighed and placed a forepaw on her back. "My family would be in mourning if it wasn't for him. If anything, I'm indebted to Prince Rune, and by extension the dark dragon royal bloodline."
Saul's expression was incredulous. He gazed over at Madam Nymph. "What about you? Surely YOU couldn't possibly wish to defend these Dark Bastards either, Nymph! Not after they killed King Oceanus in the war!"
"Well, it all depends…" The water dragoness replied. "Personally, I don't care either way about who rules Warfang. Sure, I miss my father, but HE let the war drag on out of spite for wind dragons." She fluttered her wings. "And besides, Prince Rune is my sister's foster son. If I try to do anything that would put him in harm's way, Seraph would surely wring my neck. I'd rather not put myself in danger of another family feud by fighting in a war on Warfang. So count me OUT, Saul."
Saul looked to be growing progressively more desperate. He turned his attention toward Flamaedelus. "Listen, the FTC and Glenhaven have been close allies for the last fifteen years. Surely you share the same opinions as-"
"I'm going to stop you right there." Flamaedelus said. "See, I believe that my employer and the shadow queen have a certain… acquaintanceship with one another. It would make taking up arms against her and her people quite hypocritical." He looked down his muzzle. "So, no. I don't share the same opinions as you."
Saul stepped back, his eyes sinking in.
"Oh, and why don't I point something out?" The fire dragon continued.
"What would that be?" Telus asked.
"King Baneth didn't conquer Warfang; he took it BACK from the dragons who stole it." Flamaedelus said. "Having Elenar sit as the dowager queen until Rune and Cyrus come of age makes perfect logical sense. Not only that, but there are far fewer dark dragons now than there were during Spyro and Cynder's time. It's only fair that Warfang be declared the safe haven for all dark dragons in the realms. And maybe, someday, we'll find some surviving members of the dark dragon royal bloodlines, so we can gradually give them back THEIR lands as well." Flamaedelus sat back on his haunches. "I know that my employer and I are waiting patiently for the poison dragons to return to Faeshrine."
"Say, that reminds me…" King Horus said, his attention turning toward Saul and Telus. "Didn't King Gaius seize control of Aeroshard from the wind dragons?"
Saul had a look of horror, while Telus grinned.
"Indeed he did." Telus declared. "Perhaps Aeroshard should be turned over to the dark dragons as recompense."
"SHUT UP!" Saul hissed at Telus. "I won't stomach another word of humiliation!"
"Oh, but you WILL." Telus's expression turned deathly serious. He gazed around at the assembled monarchs. "Saul has proven himself, multiple times, in this ONE COUNCIL, that he is not to be considered an ally." He put a hand on his forepaw. "As Elder of the Guardians of the Southern Continent, I motion that Saul be declared unfit to rule, and be deposed!"
In one second, Saul had a look of horror, as did his wife Olivia. In the next second, Saul flashed his fangs and spread out his forepaws in preparation of a fight. And in the third second, all magical chains appeared around his legs and wings, and he collapsed to the ground as several dark dragon soldiers surrounded him.
"He just keeps making things worse for himself…" Urobos said with a snort. He looked toward Elenar, who nodded and took a regal pose before the council.
"All those in favor of stripping Saul of his title as king?" She asked.
The air was filled with a chorus of aye's, and Saul's heart sank into his stomach. He was forced to stand on his feet as the soldiers turned him around to face Elder Telus.
"You are king of Glenhaven no longer." Telus scowled at Saul. "And as acting ruler of Glenhaven, I hereby strip you of your military rank, and banish you from Glenhaven's territories! You will live out your days as a commoner. I pray that the Ancestors lead you down a path of enlightment, before you follow the same dark path as Richteriel."
"You can't do this!" Saul shouted angrily. He tried to unleash his magic, but a magic-negating collar was quickly grafted around his thick neck. Saul roared and snarled as the dark dragons pulled him away from Telus and toward the back doors. "I have more loyal followers than you think! I'll take back Glenhaven, you hear me?!"
"Well don't expect to find any allies in Crossbolt!" Tintreon snapped.
"Or Ignys!" King Horus added. "You're running out of allies, Saul!"
Flamaedelus and Nymph quietly exchanged glances; they'd hold their tongues, for now, as they watched Saul get dragged away.
"Father, why?!" Olivia shouted to the side. Elder Telus turned to see his daughter glaring at him and crying. "How can you do this to us?!"
"This is the path he's chosen to walk, Olivia." Telus replied.
"I can't abandon him!" Olivia exclaimed. "Damn you, I can't leave my husband!"
She ran around Telus and made a dash to follow after Saul. She mewled as she brushed herself against Saul's side. Saul looked down at her worriedly and nuzzled her head… but then the two stopped in their tracks and gasped.
"Johnny…" They said together. Saul and Olivia turned around. The dark dragons tried to force him to keep going, but the earth drake dug his talons in and refused to budge.
Jonathan had been rather quiet for the entire council. He'd kept his head covered with a wing off to the side of the elders, quietly sniffling the whole time. Elder Telus looked down at his grandson uneasily. He took a few careful steps forward and took a calm breath.
"Jonathan…" Telus said softly. "Your father's wrong-doing isn't your own. You don't have to go down the path he's taken."
"Johnny…" Olivia said uneasily. The young earth dragon carefully adjusted himself, his face still hidden.
"You're still the prince of Glenhaven, and will always be my grandson." Telus continued. He put on a cautious smile as he slid a forepaw toward one of Jonathan's. "You're free to come home."
Jonathan carefully moved the wing from his muzzle… and stabbed Telus in the forepaw with his dagger. Telus roared in pain as he pulled his forepaw back, the young earth dragon taking his dagger back in the process.
"Fuck you, you lousy old fart!" Jonathan snarled at Telus.
Jonathan had three nasty scars running diagonally down his face, going right between his eyes without scratching them. The earth prince dashed around the side the earth elder and made his way toward his parents.
"Jonathan, stop!" Telus ordered.
"Choke on your farts!" Jonathan turned and pointed a talon toward the earth dragon. "I'm going with my FAMILY! And one of these days I'll be coming back to Glenhaven, retaking my throne, and slicing that fat neck of yours wide open!" Jonathan extended his wings for emphasis. "You cantankerous old BACKSTABBER!"
Telus reeled his head back unbelievingly, while Krystallos worked his healing magic on the injured paw. Jonathan flourished his cloak and turned around, but not before briefly locking eyes with Rune. The black prince grimaced and shrank down as the earth prince glared vehemently for a moment.
"Desert beetle…" Jonathan whispered angrily. He then turned around and followed after Saul and Olivia to leave the coliseum. Telus sighed and sat down on his seat beside the other elders with a forlorn expression.
Soon, the air was silent and still as the other leaders glanced amongst each other awkwardly. Elenar sighed and sat back in her seat.
"I really wished for things to go differently." She sighed. "I wanted all of the realms to be united once again."
"Don't be concerned with the likes of him, Your Grace." Krystallos said. "Saul takes after his father a bit too much."
"Why don't we get back to the original matter at paw?" Flamaedelus asked. "Are we not all here to unite as a singular dragon race?"
The monarchs looked amongst each other and rumbled in calm approval. Elenar sighed as she took a regal stance once again.
"Indeed." She nodded. "We are all dragons. Let's work together to make our realms a better place for future generations."
"We are all dragons." Horus declared.
"We are all dragons!" Tintreon exclaimed. And his family joined in.
One by one, the various leaders voiced their approval. Cheers rang out to the assembled crowd. "We are all dragons!"
"From this day forward," Elenar said proudly, "Let it be known that the annual Council of the Monarchs is reinstated. Once a year, we'll all gather to discuss the future of the dragon realms."
The monarchs voiced their approval.
"And let's be sure to bring along our heirs to intermingle, just like the councils of old." Horus said. "Let's make sure that they become good friends, and work hard to prevent another realms-wide war from ever happening again!"
"Sounds good to me." Tintreon grinned. "Granted, my ward is too young to make the journey. But perhaps in time…"
One by one, the monarchs rose to approach Elenar and shake her forepaw. They also nodded their heads warmly toward Urobos and the two princes. Everyone seemed so happy. Even Rune could sit back and smile; he even laughed when Ember came up and gave him a rough hug.
After all that time of hiding away from other dragons, he could finally be himself again. Rune could finally be open to everyone about being a black dragon. He spread his wings and sighed happily. Everything would be different now.
But little did anyone know that Saul, as he was being escorted out of Warfang, glared back at the coliseum. His head filled with thoughts of rage as he considered the dark dragon royal family. Elenar, Urobos, Rune, Cyrus… they all made his blood boil.
I don't care if even Lord Spyro bears witness. Saul thought with a scowl. I'll wipe the black dragons from the face of the dragon realms, and I'll see that wretched Elenar put right back in the dirt! There won't be another black dragon king ever again!
~~…~~
The winter months seemed to come faster than Rune could keep track of. After so much time living in Warfang and being with his original family, he was almost blindsided by the reveal that it was time to travel to the south. Not that Rune was complaining about seeing his foster family again.
Rune rode a specially-guarded carriage, with Albanion and Elza keeping watch over him with a few soldiers. Rune left the window open so he could gaze outside; the desert sands were cool around this time of year. After winter's end, the prince would be returning to Warfang.
Rune sat on his haunches as he adjusted his cloak. It was one of the many new pieces of clothing he'd found himself wearing. Silver stockings covered all four legs. A necklace of silver hung around his neck, with a sapphire in its center. Various rings covered his horns. He felt positively ridiculous.
"Is all of this really necessary?" Rune asked as he looked himself over.
"Your mother insisted that you look your best when greeting your foster family." Elza nodded.
"But I feel so… weird." Rune grimaced.
"Come now, Rune." Elza lowered her head down toward the prince. "Isn't this at least better than letting all of those scars hang about?"
Rune looked down at his chest. There were still quite a number of scars on his scales from the Malefor Ordeal. Nothing any of the healers in Warfang had done could remove them. Rune sighed and leaned back.
"They're not all that bad…" He shrugged. "It's still preferable to being all dolled up like some strange trophy."
Elza just frowned and sat up straight. "Well, regardless, we'll be in Glenhaven soon."
Albanion and Elza were unsure of what kind of reception they'd receive upon approaching the northern gate of the desert city. Their carriage slowed to a halt as a few soldiers stepped forward.
"Uh… greetings." An ice dragon said cautiously. "Am I to understand that this is the Royal Entourage from Warfang?"
"Indeed it is." Albanion snorted in the coachman's seat. "We're here to ensure the safe arrival of Prince Rune.
"Of course…" The ice dragon nodded to some other soldiers, who cleared the way and opened the gate. "Elder Telus sends his regards."
The ride through Glenhaven felt oddly different. Many of the soldiers formerly serving under the Saul were long gone. Perhaps they packed up and left Glenhaven to be with the Traitor-King, as some had taken to calling him.
The carriage came to a stop in a large pavilion in the northern part of town. Rune's eyes beamed as he saw the familiar faces of Hontus and Seraph standing tall near an oak tree. Elza pushed the door open for Rune, but the prince was so eager to see them that he shadow-jumped via her shadow to appear on the grass before them.
"Ack!" Elza gasped. She stepped out onto the grass and sneered. "I wish you'd stop doing that."
"Sorry…" Rune said behind himself before turning to gaze up at Hontus and Seraph.
"Rune, my boy!" Hontus declared happily. The red dragon grasped Rune tightly with a wing and held him in a tight hug. "Welcome home!"
"I'm… not exactly home yet." Rune grimaced. But he couldn't help but smile up at Hontus.
"My, you look handsome." Seraph said as she looked over Rune's fancy clothes.
"Seraph…" Rune blushed. He felt a forepaw on his shoulder. He looked up and found that Albanion had stepped up to look him in the eyes.
"You take care while you're here in Glenhaven, alright?" Albanion asked.
"Of course, Uncle." Rune bowed his head. Albanion smiled and leaned down to bump his forehead against the prince's. Elza did the same, and Rune smiled again.
"We'll miss you, Rune." Elza said softly. "Be good."
~~…~~
A short while later, Rune and his foster parents arrived at the courtyard of the IceFyre Household. Hontus approached the door, which was unlocked from the inside. Captain Jules opened the door and gave a slight nod as Hontus and the others approached.
"C-Captain Jules?" Rune asked in surprise.
"You didn't think the others would be left here unattended, did you?" Jules raised an eye ridge. Before Rune could ask what he meant, the captain stepped out of the way to let the others into the room. As Rune strode inside, an orange blur came hurtling towards him.
"RUNE!" Blankridge exclaimed.
Rune yelped and shadow-jumped away, just before Blankridge collapsed with a grumble onto the floor. The orange youngling stood up and shook his head as Rune re-materialized across the way. Nellie giggled across the way, and then approached to give Rune a hug.
"We missed you, Rune." Nellie said. "We've been waiting for you all to come back for ages."
"I've been going stir-crazy without you, man!" Blankridge shouted. He ran over and fell back onto his haunches. "Mom's kept me locked up in the house after school for months!"
"And whose fault do you think that is?" Seraph asked sternly as she entered the home. Hontus and Jules made their way toward the kitchen, while the aqua dragoness came to look down at the orange youngling.
"Mom…" Blankridge pouted. "Nellie and I have said we were sorry, like, a thousand times already!"
"And you'll say it a thousand more." Seraph snorted. "Just be thankful that Jules allowed his daughter to postpone her own punishment to come over."
"Emerald's here too?" Rune asked.
"Uh-huh."
Rune and the others looked over to see Emerald walking down the hallway. She wore a large satchel on her back. She wore a new pair of spectacles, though the scar on the left side of her face was still there.
"You're here too?" Rune asked in amazement.
"I wouldn't miss a friend's party…" Emerald put down her satchel and went to look Rune over. "My, my, my, you look so regal now. You're definitely prince material, Rune."
"Uh…" Rune lightly flushed. "Thanks, I guess." He then blinked. "Wait, did you say party?"
Before any of his friends could answer, Seraph called from the kitchen. "Rune?! Could you come in here, please?"
On a whim, Rune trotted across the living room and made his way into the kitchen. Seraph stood proudly to the side of the table, and she motioned with a wing toward a large, blue cake. The cake was surrounded with blue-icing, and had fourteen black candles atop it. Hontus was on the other side of the table, and he had a big grin as he and Seraph lowered their heads down toward him.
"Happy Hatchday, Rune." They said in unison.
The prince's jaw nearly hit the floor. In all of his preparation of traveling to the south, he'd nearly forgotten about his own special day. "You remembered?"
"Why wouldn't we remember?" Hontus pulled Rune closer and rubbed his mane, making it messy. "Did you think we forgot everything about you in the last few months?"
"Well…" Rune turned his gaze toward the cake, and he smiled. "Is that blueberry?"
"Your favorite, like always." Seraph smirked. Rune got a good whiff of the icing; it was freshly-prepared. They really pulled out all the stops for him.
"If all of you are done standing around…" Jules said; the captain had been standing across the way the whole time, just out of view. He held up a small kitchen knife. "Let's cut this cake and get the prince's party going."
~~…~~
The party might have been a small one, but it was still wonderful. The cake was delicious, and the dinner of steaks was even better. Jules said that Voden couldn't come due to work, but the scholar had sent along a fresh satchel set as a gift.
Speaking of gifts, Rune's friends had gotten him a present. Emerald had given him a second-edition printed tome of the History of the Dragon Realms wrapped in fine leather. Nellie presented Rune with a new set of training armor; it was deep silver in color, and glowed with a very feint bit of ice magic. The folds and creases in the armor looked just like some of Nellie's illustrations.
"I made it myself…" Nellie smiled. "Well, with Dad's supervision."
"Wow…" Rune took off his cloak and worked to try on the armor.
"Yeesh…" Emerald grimaced as she looked upon Rune's back. "Those scars look pretty brutal. Err, sorry, Rune."
"It's fine…" Rune tried on his helmet. He turned around and looked himself in the mirror. "This is great! Thanks, Nellie!"
"Don't forget what I got ya!" Blankridge declared. He stepped forward and plopped down what looked like an old map of the Arcus Desert surrounding Glenhaven.
"There's all sorts of places you and I are going to go exploring this winter!" Blankridge's eyes beamed. "Now that you're here, Mom's finally going to un-ground us!"
"Hmm…" Rune pursed his lips. "I'm not sure how joining YOU on adventures is a present, Blank."
"Aww, don't be like that." Blankridge pouted. "I've never explored the desert sands before, Rune: I wanted to have you along for the ride. And no, that Well of Souls thing doesn't count."
"Duly noted…" Rune snorted and tried not to laugh. As the prince looked around at his friends, he realized that something wasn't right; somebody was missing from his party. "…Is Roxanne coming?"
Blankridge, Nellie, and Emerald all held uneasy faces. They exchanged glances, and held an awkward silence. A dour expression overtook Rune's face; he didn't like where this was going.
"Things between us and Roxanne… haven't gone so well." Nellie said uncomfortably. "Ever since we all got back to Glenhaven, she just got more and more distant."
Rune sighed sadly. He hadn't spoke to Roxanne ever since the day he admitted he didn't share her feelings. Rune had hoped that they could still be friends… but it looked like that ship was sailing away.
"Hey, don't feel bad, Rune." Nellie lightly nudged his shoulder. "You tried your best to be civil. Roxanne made the choice to cut herself off. And I'm sure she'll realize her mistake in no time and come back to being our friend."
"I hope you're right…" Rune snorted. He looked over his armor again and tried to put on a smile. At the very least, he could still enjoy his fourteenth hatchday party.
~~…~~
It was almost midnight. Captain Jules had left with Emerald hours ago. Blankridge and Nellie helped Seraph clean up before going to bed. Hontus and Seraph hugged Rune and said goodnight, leaving him alone in his old bedroom.
Rune lay awake; just like always, he had trouble sleeping. But at least it wasn't because of nightmares. No, he was just a bit excited. He looked out across the city at Glenhaven Palace and sighed in content.
His fears were gone. He had no secrets to hide anymore. The light dragons accepted him. He was a prince again, with two loving families instead of just one. He could finally be himself…
So why did he still feel uneasy? Was it because Roxanne wasn't talking to him anymore? Was it because there were still some dragons who despised him that were now forced into hiding? Rune turned his head toward the night sky. The twin moons were still visible, although they were now much further apart. Everything should have been fine now…
A low chuckle broke Rune's concentration.
"Huh?" Rune blinked and looked around. "Who's there?"
The chuckling grew louder; it sounded awfully familiar. Rune got on his guard and growled. "Show yourself!"
The chuckling died down, and something spoke in the back of Rune's mind; It sound like his own voice… but something was off.
Oh, there's a bit of a problem with that. He said.
Rune shivered in horror. "M-Malefor!"
Wrong. The voice snapped. He's trapped in the underworld now. I'm just a little present he left behind for you.
"What are you talking about?" Rune demanded. "Who are you?"
Have yourself a lookie-look in that mirror over there, genius. The voice chided. Maybe that'll give you a hint.
A nervous shiver crawled along Rune's spine. He'd had his fill of mysterious voices talking to him and commanding him around. But, a turn of the head wasn't too much to this one time, was it? With a steadily-rising heartbeat, Rune turned his head toward the mirror.
At first Rune only saw his own reflection. He saw his scarred chest, neatly-trimmed mane, clean talons and horns, demonic yellow eyes that glared back at him evilly-
Rune nearly had a heart-attack, while the voice in his head laughed.
"Don't you like the way I look?" Rune's reflection asked with a sardonic grin. "I guess I take after the big purple creep, don't I?"
"Wh-Who are you?" Rune asked angrily. He spread out his limbs and growled. "What do you want?"
"What do I want? I don't know yet." The reflection snorted. "I'm sure I'll figure it out as I go along. As for who I AM… well…" The reflection gestured to himself with a forepaw. "I'm you. Isn't it obvious?"
"You're not me." Rune snapped.
"Aren't I?" The reflection wracked his talons on the floor. "I'm the you that you've buried deep within yourself and pretended didn't exist. The hunger for power; the wrath at those who've wronged you. All of your deepest, most powerful emotions that you've kept buried away…" The reflection flashed a big, toothy grin. "I'm all of that, rolled up into one package! I'm the REAL YOU!"
"Sh-Shut up!" Rune gnashed his fangs. The reflection just rolled his demonic eyes.
"Ooh, you've really shown me." He snorted. "Whatever. There's not much I can do now. But you'll be hearing a lot from me in the near future…"
The reflection blew purple smoke out of his nostrils, which made Rune flinch. "I'll be right here, Desert Beetle. And just you wait until I start looking for some fun…"
The reflection gave a few laughs, which made Rune growl. He blew flames from his mouth and angrily approached the mirror to wipe the grin off his reflection's face. But as Rune blinked on the way over, suddenly the chortling stopped. The demonic eyes were gone, and the reflection changed positions: it was back to normal again.
Rune stopped in his tracks and gazed at himself worriedly. He sat back on his haunches and frowned at himself. The prince could almost hear that horrible cackling echoing in his subconscious.
"This can't be good…" Rune grimaced. He lumbered over to his bead and climbed into the straw. Maybe he just needed some sleep, and he could put that frightening encounter behind himself.
His life was going to be very different from that point onward.
The End… or Is it?