By the time they reached flat, soft ground the group set up camp. Soren was a trained warrior, but he absolutely loathed camping. He was still finding traces of dirt in his ears from sleeping on the ground from the night prior. Nevertheless, he swallowed his feelings and proceed to keep watch while Claudia, Callum, and Rayla set up a fire. Nyx was told by Rayla to rest near a tree, not wanting the SkyWing to sprain her already injured wing.
Callum dusted off his blue jacket then looked over his shoulder at his new wings. They felt so weightless he almost forgot they were even there. He was still in awe at the fact that he now had wings. Real sylph wings that were so long their feathered tips almost reached the ground and dragged behind him when he walked. Callum spread them open and wrapped them around his body. They felt really soft and warm like a blanket, he wanted to snuggle up inside them and never come out. Now he understood why Nyx slept like this.
Speaking of Nyx, Callum turned around to see the SkyWing grunting as she sat down. She tried covering herself with her wings like she normally did before going to sleep but when she did she grimaced in pain. The burn from Corvus's iron chain prevented her from being able to fly as well as being able to stretch her wings.
Callum started at his jacket and smiled compassionately. He walked over to Nyx and draped the jacket around her shoulders. Nyx flinch at the generous gesture and looked up. Callum didn't say anything, he just nodded and smiled. Nyx nodded back in thanks and felt her cheek beaten a bit.
Aside from Rhiannon, Nyx still wasn't entirely used to others being kind just for the sake of it. Though now she could see why the princess fell for this little halfling. He was every bit as stupidly reckless and unapologetically kind as she was. He jumped off a cliff to save a man who tried to hunt him moments earlier just as the princess rescued Nyx's life after she did nothing but steal a priceless jewel and try to escape.
Yep. They were definitely made for each other.
She almost jumped when she felt the alicorn and glow toad muzzle against her side and curl up together to sleep beside her. The glow toad released a tranquil glow as he slumbered near the alicorn, who's right-wing partly blanketed the toad. Nyx had to admit, it was kind of adorable.
Soren saw the animals sleeping beside Nyx and he felt a warm and fuzzy feeling growing in his stomach. For a girl who didn't have her dragon's breath, she sure as heck could hold her own in a fight. He only wished he could have done something to prevent her from getting harmed.
By the time Claudia started cooking dinner, using the cooking tools she gathered from the Banther Lodge, night had already fallen. The crescent moon bathed the land in its ethereal glow and the stars twinkled like fireflies. Speaking of which, fireflies started appearing as well, glowing softly while floating gently above the group like tiny levitating lanterns.
Rayla had her wings wrapped around her shoulders, the hook claws locked together to resemble a bat-like cape. Callum and Ezran sat side by side, the eldest brother had one wing wrapped around his little brother, as they both scribbled away in their respected notebooks.
Rayla looked over and saw her boyfriend drawing sketches of his new wings alongside a full-body drawing of Rayla with her wings. Callum drew her in a pose that looked as though she were dancing, her wings spread out, and partly folding around her body like the trails of a gown. He looked up and saw Rayla staring at the drawing, immediately blushing. Rayla giggled, ruffling his hair.
Not to sound vain but, Rayla always liked it when Callum drew her in his art style. It wasn't just about the accurate proportions, or flawless shades and lighting, but the way Callum could so effortlessly capture emotions and sketch them on paper never ceased to enthrall her. In her eyes, he wasn't just drawing images, he was capturing their essence, their soul, in a way.
As for Ezran, he was writing down the accounts of their adventure, something he had been doing these past couple of days before going to sleep. Rayla too caught a glimpse of what Ezran was writing.
"What ya writing there, Ez?"
"Huh? What'd you say?" Ezran looked up, looking briefly lost before he regained his grip on reality. "Oh, sorry. I was scribbling down the accounts of our quest."
Callum couldn't help but chuckle. In spite of everything that's happened, his little brother still saw this whole ordeal as an adventure. Of course, Callum knew Ezran was smart and he wasn't blind to the serious situation of things, but the young prince always chooses to remain optimistic, which contrast to what others may believe, was not synonymous with ignorance.
For a ten-year-old, his penmanship could make an old grown poet weep with envy. The way he effortlessly wove words together and described locations and emotions as though he were reliving them all over again was capable of magically transporting anyone anywhere.
"I just hope Dad isn't too mad when he finds out why we left home."
Rayla's smile began to thaw like melting ice. Her heart caught in her throat. A familiar emotion of anger and regret crept up from behind Rayla and she felt her body run cold like she had been dipped in ice.
"You might want to sugarcoat the life-threatening parts, though," Callum suggested, pointing at one paragraph that spoke of their encounter with the giant fish. Ezran pulled his book away, closing it with his pencil cemented in between the pages of where he was writing.
"Hey, I don't tell you how to make art, you don't tell me how to write a compelling story."
Callum held his hands up and scoffed. "Writers. So dramatic."
"Alright, hazelnut soup, piping hot," Claudia announced while pouring the hot liquids into individual bowls. Rayla was just happy that she could get her mind off of the king with a delicious meal. Even Nyx couldn't resist the enticing aroma.
Soren excited slurped the soup without using a spoon. "Mmm. So good." He licked his lips, savoring the taste and narrowing down the ingredients used in it. "Do I detect a hint of peppercorn?" He said, chewing on something crunchy.
"Uh..." Claudia's eyes shot open and darted back and forth as she remembered that she may or may not have accidentally mixed up the hazelnuts with nut beetles while she was picking them. She was almost certain she got most of them out until Soren mentioned the crunching taste.
She gave her brother an awkward smile, "Sure, let's with that."
Rayla and Callum didn't seem to mind, though Ezran stared at the food suspiciously before shrugging it off and eating anyways. It was all going to the same place. Soren grabbed an extra bowl and handed it to Nyx.
"Thanks," she said nonchalantly as she accepted the bowl. Soren shrugged in response. The dragon girl wasn't exactly an easy person to start a conversation with.
Ezran looked up at the stars and pointed to a familiar constellation right above them. "Hey, look! It's Draco."
"Oh, yeah." Callum waved at the stars, "Hey, Draco!" He said. Rayla laughed at his silliness.
"Draco," Soren repeated, remembering the familiar name, "Wasn't he like some great dragon king or something?"
"Not just any dragon king. The very first dragon king and the father of the Tuatha De Dannan." Callum explained.
"Wait, does this mean you're related to him, Rayla?" Claudia asked, eyes wide with amazement.
"Not exactly. Before he ascended to the stars he made his disciple Danu the first Queen of Xadia. In fact, that's what Tuatha De Dannan stands for; Children of Danu. She upheld Draco's teachings and wrote them down in a thousand scrolls that the royal family still holds in the archives of Tir Na Nog to this day."
Claudia tapped her chin, "Tir Na Nog... why does that sound familiar. Oh! I remember, from the books in the restricted section of the library back home. It says that Tir Na Nog is a small island surrounded by a magical mist and the home place of the Tuatha De Dannan. Legend says that all living things of Xadia first started there."
"Somebody's done her homework," Nyx said in a dry tone of voice before taking a sip of her soup which was already halfway gone.
"You know, I just remembered we never finished our twenty questions game," Ezran said.
Nyx shook her head, "Oh, no. No, no, no, I'm still getting water-log flashbacks. I'm hitting the hay early." She grunted as she got up and Soren instinctively reached out to try and help her but stopped midway once she stood up and dusted her arms.
"The sooner I rest up the sooner my wing will stop aching. Night, night, kiddies." She gave them a salute and retreated to the tree she was sleeping next to earlier, the shadows of the forest draped over her as she curled up against the tree trunk, her tail curling around her ankles.
"Not much of a conversationalist, is she?" Callum said.
"I heard that!" Nyx hissed, making Callum flinch.
"We're not going to sleep right now, are we?" Ezran asked hopefully, "There's so much I want to know. Like, in Xadia, is it true that there's magic everywhere you look? How exactly does that work? Is magic engraved into a faerie or animal's body, or is it like an energy that floats around like dust particles?"
Rayla laughed in amusement at Ezran's curiosity. "Slow down there, curious one. To answer your first question, yes magic is pretty much in everything in Xadia. It's a biological thing found in most plants, animals and of course—" she points to herself and then to Callum, "Fae creatures. No, it's not exactly the energy that floats around that you can bend to your will. It's just part of the vibrancy and spirit of things, you know. In fact, in ancient times we didn't even call it magic."
This almost made Claudia do a spit take. "What do you mean?"
"Well, before the great divide, we didn't see our powers as magic or anything separate from something else. It was just there, like how a bird naturally knows how to fly, or how a lion knows how to roar."
"But I thought humans weren't born with magic." Callum pointed out.
Rayla pondered for a moment. "I read all about the history of the continent in the ancient library, and from what I found it never said humans didn't have magic. Just that their natural gifts manifested differently than faeries, but were no less important."
"What are you saying?" Claudia asked, growing more and more fascinated. What was Rayla trying to say? That humans could do magic long ago? What did she mean by their talents manifested in different ways?
"It's hard to describe but..." she stopped midway and turned to Callum, pointing to his sketchbook. He gladly handed it to her.
Rayla wasn't the best artist but whenever she needed to describe something and struggled to convey the image in her head into words, Callum allowed her to sketch it out on paper, even if it wasn't flawless. Her skills improved somewhat, but she didn't consider herself anywhere near as skilled as Callum.
She tried drawing out an illustration from a book that stayed with her ever since she was a young hatchling.
"Just like the mages from the books back in Katolis, humans worked alongside fairies and dragons to create potions and magical items for everyday use. Like mirrors that could communicate through long-distance, levitating crystals that made wagons fly, and these creatures called Golems. Humanoid artificial creations made from earth or wood to guards homes or sacred locations." Rayla explained as she tried her best to sketch out the image from her childhood. It was engraved into her brain like carving on a stone tablet.
When Rayla was done she wasn't too confident the image was very good, but the important thing was that it conveyed what she remembered. Claudia took the sketchbook in her hands and saw a rough, and though flawed, still recognizable drawing of a gleaming city with faeries and humans coming to and fro various shops and stores, with tiny mirrors in their hands, and wagons with crystals that allowed them to fly above while being pulled by Pegasi, Zym whinnied happily to recognize one of his ancestors on paper.
Some humans some were even riding on flying carpets with crystals seamlessly sowed onto the exotic designs. Mermaids sat in fountains, and unicorns strolled into town with their riders. The land was absolutely beautiful, with buildings that looked as if they were made of marble with plants sprouting around like a forest was interwoven into the architecture.
Even Soren was impressed by what he saw. Though he had a hard time wrapping his head around the idea of this once being how the world used to be. It was hard to imagine such a different time compared to now.
"Did it really used to be like that?" He asked.
"Humans may not have been able to make a flower blossom with a snap of a finger or create lightning on a whim, but they were clever, inventive. In a way, our two kinds represented the perfect balance for each other." Rayla said.
Evie curled up around Claudia's shoulder, hissing at the image when she spotted what looked like a snake sprite. She hung her head sadly, remembering her siblings. Seeing her so sad broke Claudia's heart.
"I don't get it." Claudia said, "If it was so perfect, why did humans need dark magic to begin with?"
Rayla sighed sadly. "I've been asking that question for years and everyone gave me the same answer: That humans became greedy and wanted more. The human kingdoms were once plentiful with magic just like the rest of Xadia, but after the divide and with so many dark mages looking for sources to their power, the magic eventually... started dying out."
"And the same could happen to Xadia if we don't stop this war," Callum concluded. It made sense, why the human kingdoms seemed so... dry in comparison to all the magical wonders that Xadia had to offer, but that world was in danger of being plucked by greedy people like Viren.
Claudia turned the pages of the sketchbook to look at the drawings Callum made of his friends, Claudia included. Each one was happier and livelier than the last. In a way, Callum's ability to capture human emotion and moments in time with just a pencil was magic. It wasn't grand or spectacular like making a mist wolf appear from its bones, but this simple talent used to bring joy and inspire courage to others as just as valuable as her knowledge of potion-making.
She remembered what Rayla told her once, "You say humans are nothing without magic, but I don't think that's true. Your mother made you and others happy with her cheerful attitude and love of flowers. She gave you beautiful memories to cherish forever. What could be more magical than that?"
Claudia looked up at her friends and smiled. "You were right, Ray. There really is more to magic than we thought." She closed the sketchbook and handed it back to Callum. "I think I finally get it."
Soren shook his head. "Nope, still confused."
Claudia rolled her eyes and pushed her brother back by pressing her hand on his face. Soren spits out the taste of dirt and bugs from his sister's palm, sticking out his tongue in disgust. Everyone laughed at Soren's comedic antics, even Nyx couldn't help but snicker as she snuck a peek over her shoulder. Even as they laughed she could tell this group of friends was very close.
She started regretting choosing to sleep early. She could have been one of the first to see Blondie rolling in the dirt, whining like a baby. Just the idea brought a smile to her face. The knight looked annoyed but then got payback by tossing some dirt in his sister's direction.
"Hey! Soren, you're getting mud on my soup!"
"Good, it'll go with the bugs you snuck in there. Yeah, I figured it out! Peppercorn doesn't have tiny legs."
Ezran spits out his soup and his face slowly turned green. Callum patted him on the back. "Okay, I think that's our cue to go to sleep." Ezran, still feeling nauseous, gave his brother a thumbs up.
"Yeah, we've got a long journey ahead of us," Rayla said. They cleaned up their things, put out the fire, and got ready for bed. After a while everyone was sound asleep, except for Rayla who laid awake on the grass, looking up at the stars. Callum laid beside her. The couple looked up at the Draco constellation. He couldn't sleep either, not with her tossing and turning so much.
Rayla turned her head and noticed Callum wide awake. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"
"Nah. I was just stargazing," Callum said, trying to come off as flirty. Rayla unrolled her eyes. No matter how upset or distraught she was, Callum always managed to make her smile, or at the very least reassure her that she wasn't alone, even if he didn't say anything.
Seeing as they were both awake now, they figured they could pass the time by watching the stars twinkling above. No matter where they looked they always found one of the many stars that formed the constellation of the great dragon king, Draco.
"Is he really up there?" Callum asked with a hopeful longing as he looked up at the sky. "Can he see us?"
"I don't have a lot of evidence to prove that he does, but I like to think so, and it's what's written in the ancient texts. As far as I know, they're pretty accurate."
"Earlier you mentioned something about an ancient library," Callum said, becoming more invested
Rayla giggled. Of course, Callum would ask that question. "Yeah. The palace of Tir Na Nog is home to the largest library in the world."
"How big are we talking?"
"Very big. Books as far as the eye could see. Walking through its halls is like stepping a whole other world where time has no limit. I would spend hours in there getting lost in the pages of the old texts passed down from my ancestors."
"Oh, so Ms. Strong, independent dragon warrior princess was a book nerd."
Rayla elbowed him in the ribs. "Watch it, I can still whoop your sorry feathered behind any day."
Callum laughed which slowly died down as when a thought came to him. "Did those books happen to mention anything about the afterlife?"
Rayla's spirits dropped. She knew why he was asking that question. Much to her relief, he would be more than satisfied with the answer. "Yeah, they did. I read somewhere that while Draco's stars are the resting place of the dragons, they always open up a space for humans and faeries. They watch over the mortal world, seeing who deserves to rest in the heavens and who doesn't."
"Do you think our parents are up there?"
Rayla turned to the side, hand-folded behind her neck as she smiled at her boyfriend. Callum watched in awe at the way the stars danced in her eyes, matching the star symbol of the pendant she always wore around her neck.
"Yeah, I do. I can picture your mom smiling and saying how proud she is of her feathered-baby boy for having such a fast, strong, and daring girlfriend."
Callum smiled at the thought then turned to the side to face Rayla. "And I can just picture your dad wanting to chop my head off seeing me with his precious princess."
"No way, he'd love you to pieces."
"I think you mean in pieces." Callum joked, he blushed as Rayla laughed. He reached for Rayla's hand, intertwining her fingers with his.
"He never meant for it to happen," Rayla said.
"What do you mean?"
Rayla bit her bottom lip, her breath lunged in her throat. "The magma titan who's heart Viren used to end the drought was a friend of my father's. My dad was never one who believed in vengeful killing, but he felt justice was needed. My father was trying to kill someone but it wasn't Queen Sarai."
Callum sat upright in alert. "What?"
Rayla too sat up, afraid to look him in the eye at first but found the will to do so. She gulped. "Your mother jumped in and was caught in the blast... the blast which was meant for Viren."
Callum couldn't believe it. All this time, his mother's death was nothing more than an accident? King Lain never meant to kill her, he was aiming for Viren, the one responsible for the death of his friend. Sarai wasn't the victim of unfair justice, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"When my father came home I've never seen him so distraught. It was the first time he ever took the life of an innocent. I'm sorry, Callum."
"He... He never wanted to kill her?" Callum's voice cracked, tears already streaming down his cheeks. Rayla shook her head softly in reply. Callum sobbed and she held him close. Callum reached for the bag that contained the dragon heart and opened the box.
The heart glowed like a beam of moonlight, and the sound of its beating spoke to Callum in a wordless language only he could understand. He could feel the presence of the dragon king before him, weeping and mourning as Callum had been doing for years. One of his tears landed on the heart, and it's beating went from sad to hopeful. Callum felt a wave of peace sweep around him like the arms of his mother.
"I forgive you." Callum whispered, his hand hovering over the heart and repeated, "I forgive you, and I'm sorry for what my stepfather did to you. To your family... to your people. I promise we're going to make things right. I swear by the old code. I swear."
Rayla sobbed, feeling her father's heartbeat. It sounded happy, peaceful. As Callum closed the box he felt as though a giant weight had been lifted off of his shoulders after so many years. He felt a sense of closure. The dragon king never meant to kill his mother, and he felt every bit as heartbroken over the loss as Callum did. Listening to the heart was like listening to his feelings. The dragon king still lived, and his heart needed to return home.
"Are you okay?" Rayla asked while wiping her tears with her sleeve.
Callum took a deep breath. "Yeah. I'm going to be fine. And, I forgive you too."
"Me? For what?"
"For... wanting to kill Harrow at first."
Rayla pulled back, covering her mouth just as she gasped. "How did you..." she looked at the box. "Even in death, Dad is such a tattletale."
Callum chuckled, "It's okay,"
"No, it's not. It's true when I first arrived in Katolis my plan was to avenge my father. My mum didn't think it was wise to attack impulse but I was just so... so angry! Humans took my father, my best friend. In spite of their mistakes my father still believed humans were capable of good, but after that, I wasn't sure I believed it. My anger brought me to Katolis, but it was my fear of turning into a vengeful monster that stopped me from taking Harrow's life. I spent days lost in the forests, wondering what I should do. Then I lost my memories and I met you and Ezran and Harrow and... I'm glad. I'm glad I lost my memories because it allowed me to realize that my father was right. Humans are worth fighting for, in spite of your mistakes."
Callum took Rayla's hands in his and leaned in for a kiss. "Rayla, I don't blame you for feeling the way you did, but you were strong enough to know that taking a life was wrong, even before you lost your memories." Calum cupped her face with his hands, gazing into her beautiful lilac eyes. "Maybe we can't change the beginning of the story, but we can change how it ends. I love you, Rayla."
Rayla sobbed as she held Callum's hands in her own. "I love you too. You mean more to me than you will ever know." She hugged him close and Callum rocked her back and forth, kissing the side of her head. It was such a relief for Rayla to get it off her chest. It still hurt and she wished things could have gone differently, but Callum was right. They couldn't change the past, but they could learn from it. They both choose the path of peace over war, and with the return of the dragon king's heart back to Xadia, they would seal this truth, and hopefully, it will be the first step into healing the scars of war.
What the couple didn't realize was that they were being watched. Claudia heard the two wake up and though she kept still she heard their conversation. Evie slept soundly beside her and a tear trailed down from her right eye down her nose.
You can't change the past... but Claudia really wished she could.
(~)
It was a beautiful sunny morning. Well, it would be if not for the gray clouds looming overhead, but bits of the sun could still be seen. Claudia breathed it all in, in her arm was a woven basket of flowers and apples. The sweet smell of tulips, daisies, posey, and lilacs mixed with the juicy apples sent a wave of positive energy coursing through her body.
She saw the snake sprites fluttering over a rose bush, their pollen dropping on the petal which blossomed before her eyes. Claudia approached her little friends.
"Nice work, you guys," Claudia said, reaching to pluck one of the roses until Branch started hissing and snapping his fangs at the mage. Claudia pulled back, almost having her finger bitten off.
"Branch, what's gotten into you?!" One by one, the other snake sprites started hissing at Claudia, protecting the roses which started to change from red to black before her eyes.
"Ivy? Poppy, Aspen, what's wrong?" Claudia gasped when Evie appeared, snatching the basket away from her, dropping her flowers which wilted and died once they hit the floor.
"Evie? Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends."
"You left ussss to die!" The snake sprites hissed in unison and, if Claudia didn't know any better, she could have sworn that they had begun to grow in size, going from the size of cute little garden snakes to full-grown pythons that could squeeze a person's skull right off.
"What? No! No, I would never—"
"You betrayed ussss! You never cared for our kind. You only care about power."
Claudia tried canceling out their voices by covering her ears. The scenery around her became distorted, blurry, and dissolved into an empty voice of darkness and purple mist spiraling around her.
"NO! No, that wasn't me!"
"Wasssn't it?" Another voice spoke from behind Claudia, and a snake sprite shifted, transforming into a woman cloaked in black. When she removed her hood Claudia was appalled to see a mirror version of herself with eyes black as night, half of her hair pure white, and purple veins growing around her skin like vines.
"Don't be afraid, Claudia." The copy said, her voice slithery like a snake, and not in a cute way like Evie.
"Too late! I don't want anything to do with you! Why can't you just go away!"
"You know it'sss, not that easssy."
Claudia pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in frustration. "Okay, would you quit it with the 'ssss' already. I get it, you're a snake."
"It's your dream, kid."
"Well, I want to wake up. Now!"
The copy shrugged nonchalantly, "Fine. Wake up, but you know I'll still be here when you go back to sleep."
That was the last thing Claudia wanted to hear. "Look, I've made my choice. Probably the first time I've ever thought for myself, and I'm not turning back. I'm through with dark magic and I'm through with you!"
"Don't you get it? You've been using dark magic for so long it's already a part of you. Once it's inside you there no getting rid of it."
Claudia shook her head. "No. I refuse to believe that."
"Why do you think I'm here? You're smart, Claudia. Deep down, you know I'm telling the truth."
"I don't care. If Rayla and Callum can choose a different path then so can I."
"Do you need to choose? Who says you can't still use what you know for good?"
"I can't! Dark magic is evil."
"Is it really?"
"Yes!" Claudia exclaimed, her impatience growing with every breath. "Dark magic killed Evie's family, and it corrupted my father. It's done nothing but bring misery and destroy what was once an amazing world. How can you expect me to still be a part of that?"
"Because you miss it."
Claudia pulled away, clasping her hand over her heart. "I... no, I don't."
"You miss the surge of power you used to feel. You miss being able to bond with your father over which spells to use. And you can't tell me you didn't think it was tempting to one day have all the unlimited magic at your fingertips with enough training."
Claudia tried to cancel out her words. There was no way they could be true. She experienced being affected by dark magic first hand and it was awful. It felt like a part of her was being ripped out of her. She couldn't be a part of that. And yet, she couldn't forget those moments of prideful accomplishment when she managed to get her first spell to work. Ignoring the unsettling feeling that came afterward that numbed with time, but it was still there.
No, Claudia didn't want to believe there was a part of her that could ever miss such an abomination of magic.
"Is it really your choice? Or are you just going along with somebody else like you always have? You know in your heart you were born to do magic, not just cute drawings and write sonnets. You can have unlimited power and you can choose what to do with it. You can have your family back. Your father... maybe even your mother. You can make a real difference. Just accept it, Claudia. Accept who you are."
"I can't do that! Don't you get it, I don't want to be you!"
"You can't get rid of me that's easy!" The copy's body shifted into a snake again and opened her jaws wide to swallow Claudia whole.
...
Claudia woke up with a gasp, eyes wide with bangs under her eyes. She was gasping so hard it looked as though she had been suffocating. Her skin was unusually pale and there were visible dark bangs under her eyes.
"Claudia, are you okay?" Soren held her close, checking her fever by placing a palm behind her forehead. "What happened?"
Claudia looked around and was relieved to hear the sound of Ezran laughing as he chased Zym around. The alicorn galloping happily, his tail swishing back and forth and his spiky mane billowing behind him as he went.
Nyx and Callum were already awake, cleaning up camp while also preparing some berries and fruit for breakfast. While working Nyx was exercising her wings, which we're feeling a little better. The healing cream Claudia spread on her burns should help her get back to normal. It wasn't as instant like a dark magic spell, but it still worked and that's what mattered.
At least, that was what Claudia told herself. She looked back at her concerned older brother. "Yeah, I'm okay," she said, breathing in and out. "Had a bit of a rough night."
"I know what'll perk you right up," Soren said in a suspiciously perky tone. He poured her a cup of a familiar hot beverage. "Hot brown morning potion, piping hot."
Claudia took the cup and chunk down the liquid in one gulp. Instantly, any ounce of sleep left her and she was up and about as if nothing happened, though she still had the noticeable bangs under her eyes.
"Whoa! You were right, that really did perk me up. Okay, what's on the menu today?"
"We found some moon berries." Nyx said, offering the mage a lief with sweet-smelling red berries, "These should keep us full. For a day."
Just then, Rayla swooped in on her wings spinning like a leaf spiraling inside a whirlwind. She zoomed over the campsite and through the trees with great speed and agility before landing feet first with a graceful bow. Everybody clapped.
"Show off," Nyx said with a scoff.
"Sorry, but at least your wings are still attached. I forgot I even had mine for six months."
"Fair point."
"How are you holding up?" Rayla asked as she tossed the fish to Soren. Claudia immediately felt sick at the sight of them.
"Getting there." Nyx replied, then turned to Claudia, "Got to hand it to you, Midnight, that remedy of yours isn't half bad."
The compliment warmed up Claudia's insides, more so than the hot brown morning potion. "Take that, snake me." She whispered to herself while clenching her fist in victory.
"What was that?" Soren asked.
"Nothing, I didn't say anything. Who told you what?"
Soren blinked and just said nothing else while stepping aside. He cooked the fish, which Ezran and Claudia politely declined.
"Fill up those belies folks. Once we hit the trail we will be officially outside of Katolis's borders." The realization of what he just said struck Soren like a bolt of lightning. "Which means it'll be nothing but dirt, and caves, and mud, and dirt until we reach the magical faerie land."
"For a knight, you're not much of an outdoorsman, are you?" Nyx said, flopping one of the berries into her mouth.
"Camping's never been Soren's strong suit." Callum said, then whispered, "Although, I think it's because he's scared of bugs."
"I'm not scared of bugs!" Soren exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment.
"Aww, don't worry, Blondie. If you get spooked I'll happily devour any ghastly caterpillar that crawls your way." Nyx said, wriggling her fingers at Soren, the act resembled a spider's many legs and Soren shuddered. Caterpillars were so fuzzy with multiple legs. It was gross.
"Not funny, Nyx."
"And while we're out there we can squeeze in some flying lessons." Rayla suggested, smiling as Callum threw his arms into the air and releases a rousing, "Woohoo!"
"Just don't go jumping off of any more cliffs, okay," Ezran said after swallowing more berries. The others laughed minus Claudia, who stared blankly at the berries in front of her. The aftermath of her dream was still fresh in her mind's eye. her eyes lid felt heavy as sleep was creeping up on her again. She reached for the pouch of her hot morning potion, but her distorted vision made her accidentally give Evie's tail a firm squeeze.
Evie hissed and Claudia pulled back, eyes wide in horror. Unlike in her dream, Evie didn't stay angry but hissed in apology, rubbing her head against Claudia's finger.
"Clauds? Are you okay?" Rayla asked while tucking a wild strand of hair behind her friend's ear. The mage wasn't looking so good, she looked as if she hadn't slept a wink all night.
Claudia shook her head, pulling her hair back with her fingers. "I'm okay. I'm alright." She lied as she got up and dusted her clothes. Evie flew up and curled around her shoulder, rubbing her scaly head against the mage's cheek.
"You sure?" Rayla asked.
"Yeah, I'm just...I'm not all that hungry." Claudia handed the dragon princess her plate of berries and picked her bag from the ground. "We should probably get going. That dragon isn't going to deliver itself to Xadia."
Claudia tried feigning her exhaustion and worries behind a mask of sunny optimism, but Rayla could tell something was off with Claudia. Once everyone else finished eating, Soren rallied everyone together and marched onwards.
(~)
Amaya grew up in Katolis. It was her home, one which she protected with her life. Now, thanks to Viren, she and Gren have become fugitives. Traitors to the kingdom, to her own family. In another life, she would blame the dragon accompanying them, but she was every bit a victim of circumstance as they were. Not to mention, she was Rayla's aunt. Whether Amaya liked it or not, this dragon, Siveth, meant a lot to someone she cared about and she gave Rayla her word that she would break her free.
She succeeded in keeping that promise, now they had to work together to aid their children. She may be a dragon, but she was an aunt, a sister mourning the death of a sibling. For Amaya, it was almost like looking into a mirror. If that mirror gave her reflection scales and horns, that is.
Currently, Siveth remained in her human form. A stunningly beautiful human woman with light skin, green eyes, and ebony hair. With her cloak, she almost looked like a dark sorceress from a storybook. Amaya still didn't feel comfortable being around her, but then she would remind herself that she had lost her wings. Every now and again she would notice Siveth wince in pain whenever her back brushed up against something or when she walked for long periods of time. She had a part of her torn away. Details like these made it difficult for Amaya to not feel guilty over the resentment she still held towards her kind.
The trio managed to successfully evade any curious bystanders, their cloaks hiding their faces. Gren kept his eyes peeled as he walked beside her, alert for any suspicious noise. Pip, ever so loyal, stayed perched on Amaya's shoulder, alerting her with a flick of his wing or a tap of his beak against her cheek. Callum trained this bird well. She smiled proudly. She prayed to her sister's spirit to keep their boys safe from harm.
Siveth wasn't familiar with the path they were taking. The sky grew gray and tiny droplets of rain drizzled from above, seeping into their cloaks. The humans arrived at a place that was secluded near a mountain. A line of stairs led to what Siveth could only describe as being a graveyard of fallen heroes. The area was littered with statues of knights, some of which have been dead for centuries. Beneath the statues were the tombs of the fallen.
Siveth hissed under her breath to see that some of these so-called heroes were holding the severed heads of dragons and faeries as their trophies. The proud looks on their petrified faces made her want to leave her claw marks all over them. She could too, dragon claws could carve through the stone.
Why did they bring her here? Was this some kind of sick joke? Was this a warning that if she went out of line they would do this to her? She might not have her wings, but she could still change into her full dragon form. She could easily bit their limps off and leave them for dead.
Humans were still under the delusion that dragons ate them. The very idea made her want to spit in their direction. Dragons have only ever chewed in self-defense, not once did they swallow. Besides, even if they did Siveth had long since given up on meat. She preferred forest fruits, nuts, berries, and oats. She wasn't a barbarian.
Before she could ask why they had the audacity to bring them here the human woman stopped in front of a statue. Unlike the others, this was the only statue that didn't personally offend or disgust Siveth. The statue was that of a beautiful woman wearing a crown and riding her horse. Her hand stretched out as though offering someone to ride alongside her. Her face was gentle and kind, even Siveth was half tempted to take the woman's assistance.
Beside the tomb were candles, long since snuffed except for one. Amaya lit one candle and kneeled before the statue. The bird on her shoulder flew off to rest on her interpreter's shoulder.
Siveth noticed the resemblance between Amaya and the statue. Of course. This was the queen. Her sister. Siveth didn't know how to feel. This woman had lost someone dear to her, and yet her people have done unspeakable things to all of the fae kind. Stealing their life-force for their dark magic, skinning them alive and placing their remains on a wall like trophies to admire. And in spite of all of that, she was feeling... sympathy for this human and her loss.
Well, this never would have happened if they hadn't started this war in the first place. They created dark magic, they choose to destroy part of the continent, leaving the magical sources of the natural world to die out thanks to their greed. They were the ones who killed Siveth's people, what did they expect? Did they expect the faes to sit idly by and do nothing? This was on them. If they hadn't attacked first the dragon king, and maybe their queen, would still be alive.
Siveth looked up at the statue of the fallen queen. She didn't deserve to die, she thought. She wasn't supposed to.
Siveth grabbed an unlit candle. Amaya looked up at the dragon. "May I?" Siveth asked, her eyes shimmering with hope. Amaya breathed in, letting her anger slide away and nodded at the dragon, gifting her a small smile. Siveth blew a puff of fire at the candle and a tiny blue flame flickered. She placed it a few feet apart from Amaya's and kneeled before the statue.
For the first time in ages, a dragon and a knight grieved side by side.
(~)
The team walked for hours with only a few stops in between. They followed an old and worn out road, long since abandoned with grass and weeds sprouting along the pathway which was almost completely gone. Decades ago, this path was once used by merchants to traverse across Katolis to various other kingdoms, but when new roads and pathways were made, safer ones, this one was completely abandoned, almost forgotten. Stepping onto it was like stepping into a glimpse of the past.
The road leads up a hill, which was wide enough for all of them to climb without fear of a rock slide. Soren was the first to stop, taken in by the view. Bellow, they could see almost every inch of Katolis. The town with streams of smoke rising upwards from chimneys, and the streams and woods surrounding the border, and lastly the castle which was so far Ezran could balance it on the tip of his thumb.
"Whoa. I can't believe how far we are now." The young prince said. He rode on Zym through most of the journey, the little alicorn taking an instant liking to the young prince. Bait rode behind him, enjoying the luxury of hitching a ride on a larger animal rather than use his stubby little legs for most of the journey.
"And we're so high up. I can see everything." Callum said as the wind picked up. He felt the sensation beneath his wings which he partly opened. His heart swelled with giddiness seeing the fathers ruffling in the breeze. A natural desire to allow himself to be carried by the wind was as tempting as snatching the last cookie from the jar without anyone looking.
Callum began to wonder what it would feel like to see Katolis from a bird's perspective. Maybe he could when they finished their mission. He could already imagine the look on his stepfather's face. In all this time Callum didn't worry too much about what his father would say once he learned of his true parentage. He would accept his stepson regardless if he had wings or no, after all this was the same man who welcomed a village boy with open arms years ago.
"How much longer until we reach the border to Xadia?" Ezran asked.
"On wings, it would probably take us at least three days to get from Xadia to Katolis." Rayla said, "On foot, on the other hand, a few more days... maybe a week."
"Any chance your full dragon powers are back?" Callum asked hopefully. Rayla tried breathed fire again, and while she managed to release a small puff of fire, it still wasn't enough for her to change into her full dragon form.
Rayla coughed, dark smoke spewing out of her mouth. "Nope. Not yet." She said in a raspy voice while shaking her head and pounding her chest. "But I'm getting there. I've only been stuck in human form for six months."
"And my wings are still recuperating. Looks like we're still walking." Nyx said. The rest of the group groaned as they continued on their way. Callum and Ezran took one last look at their kingdom and followed the others.
"Come on guys, it's not so bad," Ezran said, ruffling Zym's mane. "We're having our first big adventure outside of Katolis, just like we always talked about."
"This isn't a game, Ezran." Soren said, "That giant fish and those hunters were only the tips of the iceberg. Things are only going to get harder from here on out."
"I hate to say it, but Soren's right," Callum said.
"Relax, Sore-Bear," Claudia sprung ahead of her brother and started walking backward while talking to everyone. "If we can handle a basilisk, a few hunters and a giant fi—!" Claudia covered her mouth and swallowed hard before clearing her throat. "Then we can totally handle whatever this crazy forest throws at us. Look at us; we've got a knight, a half-faerie, an alicorn, a witty crown-prince, and not one but two dragons. Plus a humble, yet drop-dead gorgeous, non-dark mage and her adorable snake sprite assistant." Claudia boastfully flipped her hair while Evie held her head up high.
Bait croaked, feeling insulted that she forgot to mention him. "Oh, and a very clever, and equally handsome, glow toad," Claudia added. Bait croaked in satisfaction, wagging his tail with his slobbery tongue draped over the side of his lower lip.
Claudia threw her first into the air, "So what' ya say we drop the angsty teen drama novel gist and tackle this hero's journey head-on!" And so long as she was distracted on the quest instead of her nightmares, all the better.
"That's the spirit!" Ezran said enthusiastically.
"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Claudia poured herself another cup of hot brown morning potion and drank it in one gulp.
"Isn't that your twelfth cup today?" Rayla said with concern.
"Is it?—Maybe—who knows—I don't—enough talk—onward to Xadia! Woohoo! Adventure!" Claudia threw her arms in the air with a high pitch speedy voice and one eye twitching. She could feel the full effect of the morning potion really kicking in. She quickly out her pouch away and kept on moving before Rayla could ask any more questions.
(~)
Siveth lost track of time as the deaf human woman grieved her sister. Dragon culture had a deep respect for the departed, and speaking before the grieving process was done was seen as impudent. Siveth too she's a tear or two, both for the queen and for her brother.
When Amaya wipes her tears and gathered her things Siveth felt free to speak. She tapped Amaya's shoulder and the human woman turned to look at her. "I remember your sister," Siveth said while signing. "She was brave and true."
'Then why did he kill her?' Amaya asked, her puffy red eyes narrowing at the dragon disguised as a human woman.
"She wasn't supposed to die," Siveth replied while signing back. "It was the dark mage who killed our dear old friend, Sol Rogen, the Magma King."
Amaya's eyes widened. A king? The magma titan whose heart they used to save their kingdom was a king? And a friend of the dragon king? No wonder the dragons were so upset.
"My father blamed no one else but the dark mage. When he had him in his clutches that was when your sister jumped in. She was caught in the blast to save the dark one. My brother was too late to stop it. For many moons, he grieved. Killing an innocent life is a great offense for the Tuatha De Dannan."
Amaya remembered that day well. She remembered Amaya running on horseback, her long braid whipping behind her, sword up as she rushed for Viren. The dragon's fire came raining down, striking the ground beneath them when Sarai pulled Viren out of the ground and onto her horse. The blast sent a shockwave that threw them into the air. Sarai's spine cracked against a boulder and Viren was spared, rolling on the ground with a grunt.
Amaya remembered seeing the dragon king hovering over them, watching, waiting until Sarai drew her last breath. The last thing Amaya remembered was seeing the dragon king roar so loud it shook the heavens and he flew off with the rest of his hoard. All this time Amaya perceived his roar as a cry of victory when in reality it was a cry of grief and regret. A dragon grieved for the queen he never intended to kill. She was never his target, but the one who really did kill his friend.
Viren.
It was all Viren's fault.
Using the magma titan's heart was his idea. Sarai's death was his fault. His dark magic has brought nothing but misery and short-lived privileges. Amaya's fingers curled inward forming into tight fists, her nails piercing her skin almost drawing blood. She looked back at Siveth, her eyes returning to violet, and bits of her scales sprinkled across her cheekbones. Amaya felt a jolt when Gren touched her shoulder. He always could tell when she needed someone near.
Amaya signed to Siveth, 'I know this doesn't make up for it but I'm sorry for what Viren did to your friend, and for what my brother-in-law did to your brother.'
"I'm sorry too," Siveth replied, signing as she did, "I'm sorry I didn't trust you and refused to help."
'If I were in your place I would be hesitant to help the murderer of my sibling too. He grieved for his mistake as well. I remember Harrow hating himself for acting on his dark impulses.'
Siveth could tell Amaya was being sincere, but as of now, she didn't have the heart, nor the energy, to forgive the king. The queen and Amaya could forgive, but until she heard the apology from the king himself she would never know peace.
"If anyone is to be held accountable for his dark impulses it's the dark one, himself." Siveth signed, her pupils becoming slits and more of her scales appeared across her skin.
Amaya nodded in agreement. 'Then we must keep moving. We need to reach the kids before Viren does.'
Siveth nodded in agreement. Perhaps her brother was right and humans could be redeemed.
(~)
This chapter is shorter than the others because the previous draft was waaaaaay longer, so I cut it in half.
Sadly, this will be the last we hear of Amaya, Siveth, Gren and Viren for a while. But not to worry, I will make up for it with a chapter dedicated to the two groups while we focus on our main heroes for the next couple of chapters.
Oh, and I posted Flame and Sword: An Arthurian Retelling on Archive, Wattpad and FictionPress. As the title says, it's a retelling of the King Arthur legend incorporating some of the more obscure elements of the myth, including Geoffrey of Monmouth' 'Vita Merlini' which includes one of the earliest depictions of the Morgan Le Fay character as a benevolent enchantress queen from the island of Avalon, alongside her eight sisters, who tended to Arthur's wounds. This was before she was revamped as his half-sister and a traitor. Which never made a lot of sense to me since she still took Arthur to Avalon to be healed, and her last name Le Fay literally translates to 'The Fairy', which wasn't the last name of Arthur's mother Ingrain, who was supposedly Morgan's mother in the myth.
I suspect, based on my research, Morgan eventually merged with Morguase, one of Arthur's original half sisters, and was confused as the mother of Mordred (who as Arthur's nephew or possible romantic rival for Guinevere depending on the version). Short summary: Arthurian legend has been revamped and retold loads of times that when you get down to it there really is no such thing as a 100% authentic King Arthur story. How many of you have heard of Annowre, the evil enchantress who tried to seduce Arthur? Or that Lancelot was the adopted son of the lady of the lake? Or the Green Knight? Or that one time Arthur fell in love with the fairy queen in that poem The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spencer? Okay, that probably doesn't technically count as part of the official mythos, but I think you get my point.
So, in my version Morgan and Arthur are NOT related, and are instead friends who could potentially grow into something more (wink, wink). Oh, and Morgan is a shapeshifting dragon princess of the Tuatha de Dannan and Arthur is a sweetie pie who loves to paint and ride horses, also Excalibur is Morgan's sword and she disguises herself as Lancelot while in Camelot... did I forget to mention Arthur had a third sister named Anna? No, I am not making that up.
If your interest is peaked please give the story a look and share your thoughts. Until next time, God bless, *kiss, kiss*