Chapter 17 – To The King
Looking over Callum, Rayla bit her lip, stroking his hair as he mumbled. "I'm here Cal, I'm here." At least now, the dark lightning had stopped, but he was still tossing and turning as if he were in pain. "It's alright. You can do this. You can work it out, I know you can."
He groaned, flinching and rolling to his other side.
Having rested for a while, and after accepting Corvus' help, Pyrrah was standing and stretching her wings. "He can't hear you."
"You don't know that," she muttered, not bothering to look at the sun dragon, "He always hears me. Even in his deepest nightmares, he hears me."
She shrugged and walked to the edge of the cave. "We should get moving soon. I don't know how they haven't found us yet, but they will soon if we don't get out of here."
"Can Callum be moved?"
"Yeah, his problem isn't physical, so he can be moved easily enough."
"Wait, we can't leave!" Corvus snapped at the pair, "The king is missing!"
"He's not missing," Rayla reminded him, "He just went for a walk."
"And he hasn't returned. We don't know where he is!"
"Right."
"That's the definition of missing!"
Pyrrah nodded. "He has a point."
After a moment, Rayla sighed, "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. He's missing."
"You shouldn't have let him go." The hunter looked out over the forest. "We need to find him."
"Well, weren't you telling me what a big, strong tracker you are?" the dragoness teased, "Isn't this your whole job?"
"Yes," Corvus replied, smiling at her, "Yes, I shall bring the king back safely. You have my word."
As he ran off, Pyrrah smirked, rolling her eyes. "Ooh, we have his word." She sat back down against the wall, "Stupid human."
Rayla looked over at her, giving a little smile. "That's a strange coincidence."
"What is?"
"I call Callum 'stupid lizard' when he gets on my nerves."
The dragon glared at her. "You dare call the future king a 'lizard'?!"
"Oh relax, he finds it endearing." She smiled, brushing his hair back again as he tossed.
Pyrrah glared at her for a while longer, then huffed. "You're wasting your time."
"What?"
"You. You're wasting your time if you think he's ever going to like you."
She flushed a little, and turned away in an attempt to hide it. "I-I don't know what you mean."
"Please, you couldn't be more obvious if you tried." Pyrrah ran her hand back over her horns. "You like him, more than a friend, and it's disgusting."
"What did you say?"
"An elf and a dragon?" she scoffed, "The mere idea is sickening. Your kind are just… not worthy of us."
Rayla glared at her once more. "Then where do the Variants come from then?"
Pyrrah growled. "Those creatures are abominations. Variants are a disgrace to the dragon bloodline. Mongrels. Any dragon that would lower themselves to that… and take part in creating one of those, should throw themselves into the oceans and drown."
"Did you ever consider that the dragon may just be in love?"
"In love with an elf?! Preposterous! Sickening! And you, pining away after the prince… as if there's any chance for the two of you."
Hand closed into a fist, Rayla stood up and stormed over to her, grabbing her by the neck and pushing her into the wall. "Listen here Pyrrah, whatever feelings I have for Callum, they are none of your business! So, keep your stupid western ideas to yourself!"
"Umm…" They turned to see that Corvus had returned, looking a little tense at the pair. "Are you two… alright?"
"We're fine," Pyrrah huffed as she got free from Rayla's grasp with ease and turned to the hunter. "You were quick."
"What's wrong?" Rayla asked, noticing he was alone. "What happened? Did you lose his trail?"
"No," he confessed, "It's worse than that."
"What do you mean?"
He looked to the ground and shook his head. "King Ezran's trail ends very clearly, very badly. His footprints are replaced by banther tracks." He paused, then looked at the elf. "The king's been eaten by a banther!"
Rayla gasped suddenly with a look of shock on her face, but then, she couldn't hold it in and began to laugh. "Great job. You've lost the King of Katolis."
"I don't see what's so funny, elf," Pyrrah huffed from her side.
"No, it isn't funny. So why are you laughing?"
Rayla shook her head as she knelt by the Dragon Prince once more. "Your king happens to be a very special boy," she explained, "He can talk to animals. So, if there's banther tracks, it means Ezran caught a ride on the banther, not in the banther."
The sun dragon frowned at her, but then shook her head. "Human, I'll come with you to look for him."
"Y-you don't have to."
"If I stay here any longer with the elf, we will end up killing each other," she huffed, already walking down the path. "Besides, dragons heal a lot faster than you pathetic creatures."
Corvus frowned as he followed her. "You really need to work on your people skills."
~#~
Callum sat on the floor in the middle of the circle, the gems floating above him. Tears ran down his face as the stones crumbled around him. He covered his head with his hands. "I don't understand… I don't know what to do!"
"Cadonumis."
He looked up at his real name, searching the sky. "Who's there?"
"Cadonumis," the voice repeated, and he realised it was a female voice.
He stood, looking for the source. "C-can you help me?" he begged as the stones crumbled a little more. "Please! I'm trapped, I don't know what to do."
There was no reply this time, but as he felt the panic setting in once more, he noticed something by his side and turned. A figure, their form transparent stood beside him. It was female, but he couldn't tell the species. They had no draconic wings, and if they had horns, they were hidden by a thick, white veil that came over their head and eyes. He examined their clothing: long, thick, and warm looking with delicate embroidery on them, their hands covered with gloves, and with a bracelet around one wrist.
He stepped back, but the rock collapsed from under him, and he jumped forwards. "Who are you?"
"Someone who loves you very much," they said, lips curling into a smile, "I'm here to help."
"How? I don't even know what's going on."
"Your body is out of harmony with the Sky Arcanum. You need to synchronise it."
He looked around, trying to work out how. "I don't get it."
"Listen Cadonumis. Listen."
"Listen?"
"Yes. Listen."
He did, calming his breathing, but then he shook his head. "I don't hear anything."
"You must really listen Cadonumis. Concentrate."
He stared at this strange figure before swallowing and closing his eyes, trying his very best to listen. For a while, there was nothing, but then, slowly, he heard it. "Music?"
"That is my harmony. You can use it to orient your own."
He listened intently, eyes screwed shut as he tried to memorize the tune. He opened his eyes and started to press the twelve stones, working out the pattern to copy the sound. It took him a few attempts to learn which stones made which noises. Then, he had to match the note to the sound, closing his eyes to listen to it again and again.
He looked at the floor below him, the circle shrinking to the point the ghost was no longer standing on it. He had time for one, maybe two more attempts.
He knew he had the first eight correct, each gemstone shone once activated and if he got it wrong, they all turned out. The last four were the problem. He listened to the music once more, counting each note. "One… two… three… four… five… six… seven eight… nine." He opened his eyes and touched one.
It chimed and lit up.
He repeated the technique. "…seven… eight… nine… ten," he said to himself, concentrating on the last note and matching it to a rune. Another lit up, but another stone vanished below his feet.
Swallowing, he reached for the two remaining gems. He didn't have time to listen to the whole tune again. He had to take a guess. He looked between the two unlit stones, then reached carefully for one.
"Cadonumis!"
Before he could touch it, he pulled his hand back and looked at the ghost. She looked scared.
As the stone below his feet began to crumble, Callum changed his aim and touched the other stone. It lit up. Without a moment's hesitation, he touched the only remaining one and it too became lit.
The stone shone brightly, and the music became loud enough to hear without closing his eyes. Suddenly, the stone circle returned, and he was free to move around. Overjoyed, he looked at the ghost. "Thank you. But… who are you? How did you do this?"
The figure gave a sad smile, their hand moving to their heart, and with the movement, Callum noticed something on the bracelet. A mark he'd drawn once. Something Rayla said only the royal family could wear. His eyes widened. "Mother!"
"I'm glad I could have this dream my dear son. I know… I know you are gone, but to imagine you… to pretend… for a moment, I could help you. It's a great final wish."
"Mother! No! I'm alive!"
"In my heart, you are always alive. But I know you are not."
He moved towards her, reaching for her hand, but she passed right through his grasp. "No, mother! I'm real! I'm coming home!"
She smiled, reaching for his cheek, but her hand went through him too. "I love you, my brave son."
"Mother!" he shouted as she disappeared. The platform and the gems faded away, and he rushed through the blackness, gasping as he opened his eyes.
"Callum?"
He turned to the voice and smiled when he realised it was Rayla. "W-what happened?"
She gave him a hard glare. "You were an idiotic lizard, trying to save that sun dragon."
He rubbed his head at the memory. "Oh yeah… that witch… she hit me with some… spell."
"It threw your Arcanum out of harmony with your body," she scolded him, but sighed, "Did you… get it back?"
He thought about it, then held up his hand, letting magic build until it crackled around his fingertips. "Yeah, I'm in harmony again," he sighed, then looked around the cave. "Where are Ez and Pyrrah?"
She looked down. "Remember that tracker? Corvus? The one who helped us escape the nexus?"
"Yes?"
"He caught up and… and told Ez… he's king."
The dragon's jaw dropped. "You mean…"
"He knows about his dad."
Callum took a moment, then sighed. "So… what's going to happen now?"
"I don't know. He went off to be on his own but… hasn't been seen since."
"You mean he's missing?!" Callum panicked as he got up to his feet, "We need to go find him."
"According to Corvus, he got on a banther's back. He could be anywhere. Pyrrah agreed to go search for him with Corvus."
He quirked a brow at her. "That sounds like a bad idea."
"Better than her staying here with me," the elf huffed.
"Why? Did she say something to you?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle."
His eyes narrowed a little, not believing her, but then he looked outside the cave. "We need to find Ez." He stepped forward, but then gasped, holding his side and looking to see a bloody wound. "Oww!"
"You need to sit down," Rayla said, pulling him to sit beside her, "It's a shallow wound, but it's going to hurt while you heal."
He groaned softly as he sat, leaning against her shoulder.
~#~
Back at the settlement, repairs were being made from the dragon attack. Soren sighed as he stroked the black horse before him. "I'm sorry girl. I didn't want to hurt you. But I needed to stop Claudia from going after the others." He looked at the creature's foot which was raised off the ground. "I didn't want to. I hope you can forgive me."
The horse snorted and pulled away from him, limping away.
Soren sighed. "Yeah, I wouldn't forgive me either."
"Soren?"
He turned at the call and reached instantly for his sword. He looked at the large, black creature that was poking around the edge of the stable, growling. "Soren, up here."
His gaze moved to the young boy on the creature's back. "Ezran? W-what are you doing here? And… what are you doing on a banther?"
"I needed a lift," he explained, climbing down from its back and turning to the creature. "Thanks for the help. I'll be fine from here."
The banther gave him a lick, then ran off into the woods. Soren frowned as it left. "I… I don't understand. W-what are you doing here?" The guard quickly looked around them. "And… where are the others?"
"I wanted to talk to you alone," he sighed, walking over to the wounded horse and stroking her side. "Pyrrah told me about you helping her."
"How is she?"
"Hurt, but she'll be fine," he explained, then looked at the horse's foot. "Aw, you poor girl… you stepped on something sharp." The horse snorted and Ezran frowned, looking at Soren. "You… you did this to her?"
"It's only a small cut," he explained in his defence. "She'll be… wait, how did you know I did it?"
He looked away with an embarrassed smile. "I have a way with animals."
"I see," he said, walking into the stable and sitting on a bale of hay, "So… what did you want to talk about?"
Sitting beside him, Ez stared at his feet. "I found out… about my dad."
"Oh… so… you know?"
"Yeah. I know the truth," he sighed softly. "You knew, didn't you?"
"Yeah. From the day we set off to find you." He looked at the little boy sitting beside him, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. Callum… he asked me not to."
"Why?"
"Probably so… it didn't hurt you." The blonde gave him a sad smile. "He really cares about you. He told me he calls you his brother."
"Yeah, it's nice to have a brother. I always wanted one."
"Even if he's a dragon?"
"Hey, having a dragon near you on a cold night? Man, Callum is better than the warmest fire."
The pair laughed at that, then fell into silence. Soren tried to think of how he could comfort the boy. "You know… it might not be the same but… I know what you're going through… sort of."
"What do you mean?"
"When I was a kid, my mom and dad split up," he sighed, "I remember hearing them fight a lot at night after we went to bed. And then one day, they told us Mom was moving back to Del Bar, where her family was from. And then, they said we had to choose." He paused. "It was one of the hardest choices I ever had to make. I could go with my mom… to a peaceful life where… I probably would have become a guard of some small, quiet town… or I could stay… and guard something more important."
"So you were always going to be a guard?"
"Yeah, pretty much. And I decided I would do more good being a part of the Crownguard so… even if it meant letting my mother go… I chose… I chose to stay with Dad. I never asked Claudia about her choice, but she probably stayed to learn Dark Magic from Dad." He looked over at the wounded mare as she walked. "And then she left."
"But how could she do that? Why would she leave you?" Ezran asked, confused.
"I think she needed to leave for herself. To be happy somehow. You might have noticed my dad is pretty intense."
Ez frowned. "He's been taking blood from a dragon for ten years. He's a bit more than intense."
The guard smirked shallowly at the words. "Yeah… just a little."
They fell back into silence before Ezran sighed. "Soren… come with us."
"What?"
"Come with us, to Xadia. Leave Claudia and… come with us."
He thought honestly about the offer, but then shook his head. "I can't. As much as I want to… this uniform…" He touched the crest on his breastplate. "It means… I have to protect Katolis."
"Then… what will you do?"
He shrugged. "I will go back to the capital. Maybe there… I can do something to correct the mistakes of my father. Maybe… I can help change things."
"You sound like Callum."
"Do I?"
"Yeah. He wants to change the way things are too."
Leaning back and looking at the sky, the guard chuckled. "Well, if anyone can, it's him."
"Yeah," Ez mumbled, "And me."
"What?"
"I'm king now Soren… I… I can make a difference. I can help Callum… create a bridge between dragons and humans. I have to go back home."
"Are you sure? T-that would mean Callum going on without you."
"He'll understand," the young boy said before looking up and seeing two figures approach. Both had dark hair, but one had a veil wrapped around her head, covering her face. Ez recognised her tattered dress at once. "Pyrrah?" he asked, getting off the bale and walking towards her. "Should you be up and about?"
"I'm fine human," she huffed, but there was a look in her eyes that showed gratitude for his concern. "You're a hard one to track."
"Yeah, gave me a run for my money," Corvus huffed. "Catching a ride on a banther? That… that was weird."
"Says the human speaking to a dragon," she huffed at him. "Ezran, you need to get back. We are ready to leave."
"Yeah… I need to talk to them about that," he sighed, looking over at Soren. "Soren, you sure you don't want to come?"
"I'm… I'm gonna stick with Claudia, she is my sister after all."
Pyrrah growled. "Your sister put a dark magic bolt in my side."
"Yeah… sorry about that." He said with a slight shy smile, lowering his eyes from the dragoness.
She grumbled, then looked away. "I'm leaving now. The stink of humans is making me sick. Ezran, let's go."
Soren smiled at her, then knelt down, holding Ezran's shoulder. "Tell Scales I told him to keep up his training," he said, then the pair spared a moment to hug.
Once done, he stood and glanced over at Corvus. "Look after him."
"With my life," he replied. As they left, Pyrrah looked back and stopped for a moment, taking in the sight of burnt buildings, and people working to repair. Inside one of the un-scorched houses, the weeping of a husband and his children could be heard, their mother and wife had been lost to the flames.
Corvus also stopped, glancing over at the shifted dragoness. "Never seen the damage you do before?"
She glared at him, but walked on without a word.
SL: So, in the show, Ezran goes to Claudia for his heart to heart. Since in our AU, Soren doesn't get paralysed and has seen his errors earlier, we get a heart to heart between our two little baby boys!
RK: Ah, I remember the days when Story shipped Corvus and Pyrrah...then I came along and sabotaged it. XD
SL: Pyrrah and who? I'm a full Soren and Pyrrah girl now.
