A flash lit the dark desert sky as the fireball exploded on the ground. It left a large scorch mark on the rocky floor, but nothing more than that. The man who was the intended target had already stepped away, trying to stay in the shadow of the mountain. Smirking, he grabbed into his pouch and pulled out a beetle, crushing it in his fist. His eyes turned black. While he ran at his opponent, he incanted the spell. "Erif fo niar!"
A stream of burning embers appeared from his hand and shot towards his opponent. This is no good, the man thought. I can dodge one fireball, but not this! He quickly grabbed into a pouch of his own and pulled out a worm, crushing it. Raising his fist, he cast a spell to raise a wall of stone in front of him. "Htrae evom!" A wall of stone came up from the ground and blocked the incoming firestorm. "Hah, you didn't count on that, did you?" The man shouted from behind the wall.
"Oh, but I did…" The man muttered as he grabbed a small paw resembling that of a cat. "Gnipsarg fo dnah enots snettik." The ground rumbled as a giant stone cat claw burst through the ground. It was twice the size of a man and with an amazing display of power it burst through the wall.
The man behind the wall yelped. "Alright, that's enough! I'm out of ingredients!"
This surprised the other man. He scratched his beard as he looked at his sparring partner. "What, already?"
The man shrugged. "Yeah, I kinda went overboard with the first few spells." The two of them clasped their hands together to conclude their sparring match, as they were suddenly startled by the sound of clapping nearby.
"Well done you two! You are really training hard!"
The eyes of the two men went wide. "Mistress Claudia!" They both dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
Claudia giggled. "Alright, alright, get up."
As the men got up, they saw a figure appear next to her. "Ah, my lord Callum. Have you come to see how we were training?"
Callum shook his head. "No, Claudia wanted to take a stroll. She thinks it's romantic, with the moon and the stars and all that." As if on que, Claudia giggled, but now in a more girlish manner. She grabbed his arm and clung to him. The men looked to be a bit uncomfortable with the display.
"We just stumbled on you while we were walking." Claudia said, still hugging Callum's arm. "But good to see that the two of you are training! Are you ready for the big day?"
The two looked at each other. "Well… I suppose. We try to practice as much as we can without going through all of our ingredients. We still want to have some left for the actual battle."
"Pffft, don't worry about that. Once we've won, we've basically conquered Xadia. We can get all the ingredients we want then!"
Callum looked thoughtful for a second. "You know what would be cool? If you could draw magic from your opponent to cast your own spells."
The three looked at Callum. "What do you mean?" Claudia asked.
"Well, to cast dark magic, you just have to touch a magical creature, right? Doesn't matter if they are alive or dead. Wouldn't it be cool of some elf came running at you and you just pull the magical energy out of them to cast a fireball on some other elf?" Callum looked excited. Claudia had instructed him to think of new ways of using dark magic. He had toyed with this idea before, but now that they were going to fight actual magical creatures, this use of dark magic could become a very valuable addition.
Claudia put her finger to her chin. "Well… that would be possible, but it would be hard as well. Usually, the ingredients are somehow related to the spell that you are going to cast. But I do remember my dad using his staff to store energy and using it for all kinds of different spells, so it might be possible."
"Great! I will focus on that! Perhaps I will be able to figure it out before the battle."
Claudia grinned and kissed him on the cheek. "Just a few more days! Exciting, isn't it?"
Callum smiled. "Yeah, it is!"
They waved at the two cult members and walked away. Callum could still be heard talking excitedly about dark magic, with Claudia just cingling to him and admiring him. The cultmembers stared at the two until they appeared out of view.
"Well, not to speak ill of the mistress, but the way she handles her new 'pet' is really strange."
The other cultist looked shocked. "Why would you say that?"
The cultist didn't look at his friend, still just staring at the temple that Callum and Claudia disappeared into. "I Saw them making out once. It's not right."
His friend still didn't get it. "Why not? I mean, they look like a nice pair…"
"No, you dolt! It's because he's enchanted, that's why! Don't you think it's a bit….you know, abusive?"
His friend just shrugged. "We've been given dark magic as a tool. That means we get to decide how to use it."
The cultist looked at his friend and frowned. "That seems like a good excuse power. But nevermind, let's talk about something else. What do you think of the plan to attack the Storm Spire? Think it'll succeed?"
"I hope so… I've got a family to look after. It'd be good if those damned dragons were dead though. No more threats from Xadia. It's what we've been training for for two weeks now, ever since the mistress returned, right?"
The other cultist nodded. "Agreed. I can't wait to kill those damn dragons. We've always been afraid of them. At the very least, we must show them what we're worth."
The two cultists stayed there for a while, before returning back to the barracks, them and many others preparing for the coming storm.
-/-/-/-
It was still morning, but only barely that. It had taken Rayla quite some effort to crawl out of bed. She didn't want the day to begin, but she also knew that she couldn't avoid the day, or her duties. Even if temporarily, she was still a dragonguard. Her shift started this evening.
She sighed and looked at her room. Various articles of clothing were just strewn around the place. The desk had piles of paper on them; sketches made by Callum who lay there in unsorted heaps. At least my room looks the way I feel… She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was oily and stuck to her face and her eyes were sunken from worry and lack of sleep. Geez, I've certainly looked better. The past few weeks had been rough on her. After Callum's disappearance, she had argued and begged with Bosor and the king and queen to let her go off on her own to find him, but they all gave her the same answer; you are still a dragonguard, and you have a responsibility towards your brothers and sisters, to your king and country. It didn't help that Aureaum Umbra implied that disregarding her duty would certainly make her a betrayer now, to which the punishment was death.
She shuddered. It had been a hard talk. Bosor later tried to explain the situation to her. They all took the disappearance of the prince very seriously, and, seeing as she was emotionally involved with Callum, they wanted to prevent her from making things worse. Rayla figured that since she was the cause of this mess, she couldn't blame them.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that shook her out of her thoughts.
"Rayla? Are you up?"
"Yeah…" she replied. She didn't feel like talking to Catlyn, so she hoped she would just go away.
Ofcourse, that hope was in vain as the door opened and the older moonshadow elf came in and softly closed the door behind her. She gave Rayla a careful smile. "Hey… We missed you at breakfast."
Rayla just shrugged. "I didn't feel like eating."
"You don't feel like anything do you? You look like a mess!" Catlyn stepped towards her and moved a strand of hair out of her face. Rayla flinched, but didn't stop her. As Catlyn saw her flinch, she smiled sadly at her. "You're still not alright, are you?"
Rayla swallowed. "I'm alright. I'm just..." she gestured at the room as if that was any answer. "A mess, I guess."
"I'd say." Catlyn said as she looked around. "You've been avoiding me and the others for nearly two weeks now."
"No I haven't. I've been to the meetings!"
"Well, you were present, but you rarely said anything. Mostly one word answers." Catlyn crossed her arms as she looked at her. Rayla looked downright uncomfortable.
She balled her hands into fists as she looked away from her friend. "I'm alright, okay? I'm going to be fine!" She was startled when Catlyn suddenly bumped into her and wrapped her arms around her. "What, didn't you hear me!? I said I'm-" Her shouting was interrupted by Catlyn shushing her.
"Shhh…" She moved her hands soothingly along Rayla's back.
"W-what are you doing?" Her voice started to tremble now. No! I won't cry! I've cried enough about this whole mess!
"It must have hurt."
When Catlyn didn't stop her soothing motions, Rayla felt her inner walls slowly crumble away, threatening to release a torrent of pent up emotions. "...Catlyn, I said I'm fine…I...I..." She tried to make some sort of protest, but the words didn't come out. She tried to move out of Catlyn's grasp, but there was no strength in her hands. She felt her legs sag, and Catlyn lowered to both of them to the floor, on their knees.
"You've been trying so hard to put up a brave face these past few weeks. That's really admirable. But you're still running from it, and that's no good."
Sitting on the ground, Rayla found that she could do nothing but hold onto Catlyn as all the bottled up emotions from two weeks ago rushed over her. Tears pricked in her eyes. She hiccuped as she tried to stop it all. Then, Catlyn patted her on the back of her head softly.
"It's okay to cry."
And with that, the last barriers crumbled away. Rayla cried in earnest, a long wail sounding through the room as tears streamed down her face. Catlyn held her for a time, just waiting for her friend to get it all out. Eventually, the words came.
"A've...A've made so many stupid mistakes…" Her voice was thick with emotion, her words barely understandable through her old accent.
"That's alright Rayla. Everybody makes them."
"B-but A dunna know i-if A can still call 'im ma boyfriend…"
Catlyn held her a little bit tighter. "Only you and him can answer that. But, do you still want him to be?"
"...yes." A tiny voice sounded from the mess of hair on Catlyn's shoulder.
"Then I think Callum probably wants the same."
"Sorry, am I interrupting?"
Both of the elves on the floor were startled as a new voice sounded from the doorway. As they looked up, they saw a female skywing elf standing there with short, dark hair and wings with black and purple feathers.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Catlyn asked tersely, a bit miffed that they were interrupted.
"I'm Icra." The girl said. Her voice had a high pitch to it and sounded melodious. "Bosor recruited me. He said that I could bunk here?"
A new series of sniffles interrupted from Catlyn's shoulder as Rayla processed the news.
"Some timing…" Catlyn muttered. She quickly thought of how to proceed. Rayla must be distraught by all of this… her boyfriend gone, missing… and the feeling of being replaced… She detangled Rayla from herself, grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. Rayla stared back weakly, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. "Alright Rayla, listen to me. You go take a walk, get some fresh air, and get cleaned up a bit. I'll take care of stuff here, make sure that this Icra lass gets settled in without touching your stuff."
Rayla said nothing but nodded as she got up.
"Hey, it's gonna be fine, alright?" Catlyn said with a smile as she gently squeezed Rayla's shoulder.
Rayla nodded, though she wondered how it ever could be 'fine' again. She's right though. I can't think straight. I need to clear my head. "Thanks Catlyn. I think I needed that."
Catlyn laughed softly, still wary of the presence of the new elf hovering by the doorway. "No shit you did. You'll be alright. You're strong. For now, take a walk, alright?"
Rayla smiled softly and walked out of the doorway, trying very hard not to think about the fact that Icra filled the last empty spot in the dragonguard and that if anybody else was recruited, they would replace her.
-/-/-/-
Callum focussed on the goat in front of him. It was right there. Callum thought it looked stubborn. His eyes shifted to his right. Three wooden targets had been set into place for him. His eyes swiveled back to the goat. It looked at him with an accusing glare, like it knew what was about to happen.
He felt a tinge of sadness and guilt inside of him, but it was quickly extinguished. Claudia had been clear after all. "Do whatever it takes to master those dark magic spells!" So Callum had been practicing relentlessly. His eyes turned black and he aimed his hands, one at the goat and one at the targets. "Enim si ygrene ruoy, erif fo llab!" Thin almost translucent threads of energy shot from Callum's fingers towards the goat. As soon as it touched the goat, it screeched and kicked and tried to get away as its energy was drained and was pulled into Callum's palm. He felt the goat's energy coarse through its body. Callum focused the energy in the fireball spell he wanted to cast, and the ball of fire appeared in his other hand. He looked to the targets, aimed at their centre and pushed with his hand. The ball shot towards the targets and obliterated them in a giant explosion.
Pleased with the result, Callum looked around and evaluated his progress. The goat lay on the ground, panting heavily. It hadn't used up all of its life energy, but it got close. Transforming raw energy into a spell takes a lot more energy than just using the proper ingrediënts… I suppose I can only get one proper spell out of this goat. An elf should have more energy, so perhaps I should count on firing two spells before they are completely gone. Though it might also have to do with the fact that goats aren't magical creatures. The only reason I can practice like this is because of the Xadian berries we feed them. He figured that was also the only reason why Claudia's resurrection spell had worked at the time. Had Viren's army not eaten Xadian food during their march, Viren might not have come back from the dead at all. It worked as a catalyst, enabling you to use the energy of normal creatures for spells as well.
Next, Callum looked at the targets. They were completely destroyed. He nodded, satisfied with the process. They would be going soon now, very soon. It was a good thing that he was getting adept at dark magic. Claudia had helped him try to get a feel for the magic, but the fact that he could recall texts and images from the spellbooks she had helped a lot as well. Coupled that with his affinity for magic, he had been growing in power at a tremendous rate. HE felt quite confident that they could take on the dragons and dragonguard together. I don't get why Aaravos is afraid of them. Sure, the dragonguard are elite fighters, but even Viren bested two guards on his own, and he's not even a soldier. He just used magic. Of all the guards, I've only seen Bosor use magic. That means that all the others are at a disadvantage. He already had discussed with the other cult members on how to best take out each member. Pincealo is dangerous at a distance. Ground her, pull her close with tentacles. Catlyn and Keryn are a team, so we should separate them. Kiyara is lethal with a blade, so we should pelt her with ranged spells. Bosor is strong and dangerous, but slow. We should try to stall him, lure him away until we can use everyone to deal with him all at once. Rayla- As he thought of Rayla, a tiny piece of his mind panicked, yelling at him that something was very, very wrong as he thought of his plans to kill her. But he ignored it. His mistress had been clear. 'Do whatever it takes to take them out, so we can get to the dragons.' Rayla knew how to improvise, which made her unpredictable. We need to make sure she's stuck somehow, by freezing her or using tentacles. As for the dragons, well...he grinned. I have some plans of my own.
He stretched, readying himself for another practice round. I should probably try other elemental spells. Getting ready to walk away to get another goat, he felt his face itch and scratched. A bit of skin flaked off and stuck to his finger. He looked at it pensively. That's right… Dark magic corrupts… He felt his face. The skin felt thin and cracked at places, his eyes were more sunken and last time he had a mirror at hand, he knew that his hair was showing streaks of grey. Callum sighed. Normal use of dark magic wouldn't cause corruption that fast, but he had been casting spells none-stop for nearly three weeks. Some of those spells were pretty powerful, and pretty taxing. He didn't like the corruption. He vaguely remembered it was a 'wrong' thing, something he had a vision about. But he pushed that thought away. Claudia wants me to get better at dark magic, whatever it takes. He briefly thought of the romantic moments they had together. Claudia seemed to be completely in love with him. She said she wanted him to love her back, so he did. To him, it was as simple as that.
He then looked at the goat, unconscious but still breathing. Claudia also said she wants me to look good… He stretched out his hand towards the goat, and cast another spell. Waste not want not, he thought as the goat died and the energy changed Callum's form, changing his visage back to his old self.
-/-/-/-
It was a sunny day at the Storm Spire, and though it was still chilly this high up, the sun was pleasantly shining down upon the elves working there. Rayla was making her way to the top of the Spire. She hoped that she would be alone there. This was the first time in weeks that she felt a bit better. There was still a lot of uncertainty in her life, but she felt that after Catlyn's talk, she had a better grasp of things. Still, there were a lot of unanswered questions left. What am I going to do now that I'm no longer a dragonguard? How am I going to get my parents and Runaan out of those coins? And above all, where's Callum?
As she reached the top, she was glad to see that it was abandoned right now. The guards would sometimes use this as a place to spar and practice, but this time, she had the place for herself. She sat down at the edge and dangled her legs over the side. Having worked at the Storm Spire for over half a year gave her the confidence that she wasn't just going to fall or being blown off. She leaned back and closed her eyes. As the sun warmed her, she started to feel content, which was a feeling she didn't have in a long time. She knew that the feeling probably wouldn't last. The wounds were still fresh. But she would take the moments as they came.
As she tried to think of nothing at all, she was startled by the sound of feathery wings. Hoping beyond hope, she opened her eyes and whipped around. However, her hopes were immediately crushed as she recognized the blue form and white hair of Ibis, landing in the centre of the plateau.
"Good Morning Rayla. I hope I'm not interrupting?" He regarded her carefully as she tried to smile at him, despite the pain of disappointment.
"Ibis… No, no, I was just...gatherin' my thoughts, that's all." She got up and walked towards him. "So, what brings you to the Storm Spire?"
"Well, I did say I would come check up once in a while and...quite frankly, I've gotten some disturbing scrolls in the past week. Not to press a sore point, but...one of the scrolls said that you were demoted? And Callum is missing? What happened Rayla?"
Rayla froze over. She felt like those two questions were two stones being chucked through the glass wall she had just built between herself and her storm of emotions.
Ibis looked concerned. "Rayla, are you alright?"
She shrugged, trying very hard to hide the pain. "I dunno… I really don't."
"Hmmm…. Well, I don't like seeing you like this. Would you like to talk about it?" he said as he dispelled his wings.
Rayla winced, as the movement looked similar to Callum's, reminding her yet again that he was missing. "I guess? I'm just so confused."
Ibis sat down next to her, motioning for her to do the same. The plateau was warm. It had been heated up by the sun for quite some time. The feeling of warmth started to spread to her core and she felt herself relax again, but only a little. "Start from the beginning Rayla. Sometimes it helps to just put the thoughts in your head in order, like pieces of a puzzle."
Rayla sighed and recounted her story, only this time, it started somewhere before she left for the Silvergrove. She told about how she had felt alone and how Callum's letters were vague, about how she felt depressed and that the dragon king allowed her to leave to recover for a bit. She told Ibis with a smile about how her own people received her when she had returned and of the fun she had with Ethari now they were back together again. The story continued about finding out about Runaan being still alive, about her mission in Neolandia and her encounter with Viren, and finally about her meeting Callum back at the Storm Spire, where they broke off with her throwing a tantrum.
"My...that's a lot to take in!" Ibis said thoughtfully. "I can understand your predicament… What are you most bothered about right now?"
For a minute Rayla just stared off in the distance, weighing the various things that happened against each other. "I guess whether or not Callum actually cheated, and that I forced him away by getting him to do dark magic."
"Alright, go on."
"Well, thing is, I was so mad at him when he confessed that he cheated, but when I asked about it, he said he had never kissed that other sl-"
"Rayla, language!"
"Right, sorry. Well, all they did was cuddle, and the way Callum talked about it… thinking about it back now, it looked like he was trying to say that that girl forced him into it? But then, is it really cheating?" Her tone was hopeful. She hoped there was a way, a reason as to why this could all just blow over.
Ibis mulled this over for a second. Ah, young love. How best to approach this? Hmmmm… "It seems to me like the two of you created a storm in a cup of water…" Ibis sighed. "My guess is that Callum felt he cheated on you because he felt guilty of his actions. Maybe cuddling is not cheating in your eyes, but it seems to me that he overstepped his own boundaries, so to him it might be. I can imagine that if his teacher, who he would look up to, said he was cheating on you, then this would only further cement the thought in his head that he had betrayed you, even if those actions aren't really betrayal. If he was just dragged along by some elf who wanted to take advantage of him, then Callum would still feel guilty for letting himself be dragged along."
Ibis' reply only made the spark of hope grow inside of her. "But then...he never really cheated on me, did he?"
"Not by his choice I'd say." Ibis gave Rayla a sympathetic look. "But these things are hard, and are only really learned by trial and error. You must understand, this is the first real relationship the two of you have ever been here. Even if you trust the other with your life, you are still testing the boundaries of what you are comfortable with, what's normal to you. What you want and do not want out of it."
Rayla was smiling slightly now. The way Ibis said it did make the whole ordeal feel a little bit smaller, like it was put into perspective. Her smile faded though. "And what about the dark magic part?"
She feared that here, she might get some actual reproach, but she was surprised when Ibis just shrugged. "It was not right for you to do that, but you just wanted your parents back. I understand why you did it. Don't forget, I've seen your parents as well as I came by here in the past, though I've never known them on a personal level. They seemed like good people."
A sad smile appeared on Rayla's face. "They were. I thought of them as traitors when they disappeared but… now I know they were actually heroes." Also thanks to Callum…
"So you see? It's not all bad. You made some mistakes, and maybe Callum made a mistake as well, but that doesn't make the two of you evil. You are just a couple of young people, stumbling through life." Ibis' tone was joval now, trying to make light of the situation.
It did make Rayla laugh. "It's awful though. I wish I was older so I was past this all."
"Oh, don't wish for that! That part will come soon enough. Now-" he said as he stood up. "I'm going to see queen Zubeia. I bid you good day Rayla."
"Thanks, you too." She smiled at Ibis as he disappeared from view and returned to staring off in the distance, contemplating her thoughts.
-/-/-/-
Viren squinted at his desk. The pipe of papers in front of him was daunting, but he had resolved to work though them, even if it took all night. They were reports from all nations, including Xadia. While the council had decided to make Del Bar as neutral as possible, they had send scouts and spies to every nation to report back to them. It wasn't a very extensive spy network. Most of the 'agents' as the council called them were actually Del Bar merchants who would write up any interesting tidbits they heard or saw and reported this back to the council in exchange for coin. One of Viren's jobs right now was filtering this information, giving proper payment to those who provided the council with good intel and to advice the council on how to act on it.
As Viren worked through this pile of papers, he started to notice something. A pattern, something he was familiar with when he was the head mage in Katolis. It concerned the reports from Neolandia. The sum of all these reports were that they were hoarding supplies and that troops were moved to fortresses close to the border. Furthermore, there was a heavy increase in demand for dark magic ingrediënts. The True Light was also propagating their way of life much more aggressively, in so much that they were now calling out officials for not using their mages enough to help the populace. It is clever… Viren thought. It is a subtle way to quickly get the True Light mages working in places of power. However, this increase in activity on all fronts signified something larger. They are going to war. But against whom?
None of the reports mentioned a mobilitation of an entire army, just the strengthening of their borders. Judging by how much food and supplies they were gathering, Neolandia was expecting an attack soon, and was preparing itself for a prolonged conflict. The strange thing is, none of the other countries are giving any signs that they are preparing for a war. So why is Neolandia? Viren decided that he would bring this to the council. Perhaps they know something I don't.
When Viren went to the council hall, he was surprised to find that some of the council members were gathered around a stranger; a tall man wearing a hooded, brown cape. "And who's this then?" Viren called out as he approached the group.
The chatter stopped and the stranger turned, revealing a clean shaven face, locks of long black hair and ice cold blue eyes. They regarded Viren for a moment, before answering in a deep voice. "We've met Viren. Not too long ago I'd say."
Viren squinted at the stranger, but the voice was very familiar. "I'm sorry, I'm sure we have. Who are you exactly? And-" He eyed the other councilmembers. "What is your business with the council?"
"Ah, Viren…" one of the councilmembers started. "You have met this man before. A few days ago in fact. Only at that time, he was not a man…"
Viren's eyes widened. "Zeron!?"
The stranger nodded. "Yes. What? Don't look so surprised Viren. You yourself have always tested the boundaries of magic and pushed them with all your might. Are you really that surprised to find someone who can shift their form?"
"What kind of magic is that?" Viren whispered. His mind was racing. This dragon can change forms? That is unbelievable! I must learn that power!
The stranger smiled, but didn't answer, instead changing the topic. "There will be plenty of time later to discuss the arcanums and dark magic." He turned back to the council members. ""For now though, are you in agreement? Can I stay here for the time being?"
The council member smiled. "Yes, of course. You are always welcome at Del Bar, friend."
This confused Viren. "Why does this dragon need to stay here?" Viren made no attempt to hide his hostility. He didn't hate the dragon, but he didn't trust it either.
Before the council members could reply, the strangers answered for them. "There is a conflict approaching, one that will shake the very foundations of this continent. The cult you founded in Neolandia is mobilizing it's forces for a covert strike at the heart of Xadia, the Storm Spire."
"What!? That's preposterous... Why would Claudia do that?" Viren whispered this more to himself than to the others. How on earth is she planning to defeat the dragons at the storm spire!? They would need great power to succeed! Could it be that they completed the Heart of a Dragon already!?
To this, Zeron did not have an answer. "I do not know their motives behind their plan. All I know is that it will happen within the next few days. Whether they succeed or fail, it is probable that Xadia will retaliate."
Viren groaned. This means that his hunch about the reports was correct, but he couldn't figure out for the life of them why Claudia would wish to strike now. "And what of Xadia? Do they know of the impending attack?"
"Not as far as I know." Said Zeron, who was now taking off his cloak and stashing it in a leather bag. He seemed to be making himself comfortable. "Last time I was there, they had a fully staffed guard at the ready to defend the royal family." Zeron started off in the distance, remembering that he had mentored one of the dragonguard who was now out there, protecting the king and queen. "It will be a hard fight…" he muttered.
"Then how come you didn't warn them? You are a dragon of Xadia, aren't you!?" Viren said in an accusatory tone.
"Viren, calm yourself!" A council member admonished him. "He has never shown us any hostility, and has always graced us with his wisdom and council. What more do you want from him?"
"The truth." Viren said, staring down Zeron who was calmly staring back at him. "I saw him at the dragonmoot. He has worked for Xadia before. I want to know why he isn't helping them now."
"If I recall correctly, you were there yourself. What I told the king back then still holds true; I am not his subject. I merely worked for him because…" He hesitated, squinting at Viren. "Well, that's not any of your business, now is it? Anyway, if I came back to warn them, they'd want me to fight for them. If I would do so, then I would no longer be a neutral party and I would make many enemies throughout this continent. If I would refuse, then I would make an enemy out of King Aureum Umbra. So, instead, I simply choose not to be there."
Viren mulled this over. "This could all be true. Yet it still doesn't give me a reason to trust you."
"I do not ask for trust, Viren, not from you at least. Sleep with your eyes open for all I care. All I want is shelter for the coming storm." Zeron looked towards the closed door leading out of the mountain. "And from what I know, it's going to be a big one..."
Viren didn't reply. He just stared at the stranger before eventually taking his leave. However, he felt himself come to a resolution of sorts. Oh, I won't trust you Zeron. I'll be watching you and I'm going to find out what you are after.
-/-/-/-
There was a knock on her door. "Come in!" she said jovally. Ever since her talk with Catlyn, Rayla had tried to put up her best happy face and be kind and social to her fellow guards. Most of the others had played along. They were honestly sad to see her go, but were understanding of the situation. She had talked with Gaia, the earthblood elf healer, and she thought that Rayla simply had some growing up to do. This gave her hope that perhaps one day she could return to being a dragonguard. She thought of taking it up with queen Zubeia, but ever since she was demoted she was afraid of setting foot in the great hall.
The door creaked, and the heavy footfalls and clinking of bronze armour announced the arrival of Bosor, her captain. "Rayla, I came to see you."
Rayla rolled her eyes before turning in his direction. No shit. What else would you do here? She sat on the bed and looked at him expectantly. "What can I do for you captain?"
Bosor grabbed a chair and sat down opposite her. The chair creaked underneath the weight of the heavy warrior, but it held. "First of all; how are you doing?" The captain wasn't wearing his helmet today. Rayla could see genuine concern in his eyes.
"Well...um...I'd say okayish?" She rubbed her neck sheepishly. She always thought that Bosor was a bit of a stuck up type, but she had to admit that he would make a pretty good captain. "I've been tryin' to keep up with my chores and patrols. I didn't miss any, did I?"
"No, no you've been an exemplary dragonguard the past few days. I do not know what brought about this change, but I am happy to see the 'old Rayla' return to the forefront." Bosor seemed to think a bit, stroking his short blonde beard before continuing. "Have you had any trouble with Orris?"
Rayla grimaced. Orris had been an arse, as always. He seemed to be quite pleased with her demotion and tried to make her life extra hard. "He's been difficult to deal with. I'll admit I had to threaten him a couple of times to keep him off my back."
Bosor nodded. "I expected as much. I have reprimanded him myself, but he keeps searching for a confrontation… I still have to decide whether to make his position permanent or to oust him from the guard."
"You are actually considering that?" Rayla was surprised. She had never liked Orris, but she had valued his fighting skills and figured she had to learn to work with people she didn't like.
"The dragonguard only consists of eight members. It is paramount that they know how to work together. He could be the best fighter in Xadia, but if he can't control himself, he would only weaken the dragonguard, not strengthen it." Bosor stretched a bit, feeling cramped sitting down. "Anyway, I did not come to you to talk about that. There are two topics that I want to breach with you."
Rayla gulped, feeling apprehensive by his tone."Alright, go on?"
"First of all, there is news from Katolis. Prince Callum has not been sighted there. So far as we know, he has not crossed the border."
Rayla's eyes widened. "Then we have to search for him! You have to let me-"
She was stopped as Bosor held up his hand. "I know what you are going to say, but the king's order still stands. As long as you are dragonguard, your place is here. And I fully support that order." He said this with a finality that broached no argument.
Rayla bit her lip. Everything inside of her was screaming to go search for Callum, but she had lost a lot already. She did not want to become an outcast as well. She did not want to betray her fellow guards. "Alright… I'll stay."
"Well… that brings me to the second topic.I have found someone to fill your position. One of the tidebound tribes have finally deigned to send one of their warriors our way."
Rayla breathed out, a sigh of both relief and disappointment. Guess I saw that commin'...
"I expect the warrior to arrive in two days' time. It's best you start gathering your belongings. Your position as a member of the dragonguard will end then."
Rayla closed her eyes, trying to hide the pain caused by those words. "Thanks for letting me know, Bosor."
He stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rayla, you do not leave in disgrace. You have proven yourself a capable warrior. Perhaps in a few years time, when you are past your turbulent years, you can reapply if there is an opening."
Rayla looked up to him. She was smiling, but there were also tears. She knew that Bosor's words were in vain; dragonguards were appointed for life. It was unlikely that there would be an opening for quite some time. Still, it was nice of him to try to cheer her up. "Thanks Bosor."
Bosor smiled awkwardly, having never been good at being tactful. "Why don't you spend some time to write a letter to your human prince? You can leave the letter here, in case he comes back. It wouldn't hurt to express your feelings before you leave. Perhaps it will help close the wounds."
Rayla nodded. It sounded like a good idea. "I'll think about that."
He gave her another awkward smile, and looked around, trying to think of a while to not end the conversation on such a heavy topic. "How is Icra settling in, by the way?"
"Oh, just fine. She's not as talkative as Pincaelo, but she looks to be a sweet girl." The skywing elf was a bit older than Rayla, but not much. She had mostly kept to herself and hadn't tried to make conversation unless Rayla started it. Rayla got the idea that Icra knew about the situation, and tried to give her space, as they were bunking together. It hurts that I have to leave so many kind people behind….damnit!
Bosor saw her grimace and briefly considered asking what was the matter, but he knew there were probably many things going through her mind right now. "I'll leave you be Rayla. Just remember that the king and queen have always been thankful of your services, and it has been my privilege to serve under you this past half year." With that, Bosor left and closed the door softly.
Rayla sighed and stood, taking stock of whatever she was going to take with herself. Her eye immediately fell on Callum's sketchbook. She grabbed it and thought of the many joyful memories she had of him. There's a bright side to this I guess. I can finally get out of here to search for Callum! She sat down and stared longingly at a sketch of the two of them. The rest of the night was spent leafing through the book, once more desperately wishing he was there with her.
-/-/-/-
Dust clouds could be seen in the distance, marking the spot where the small army of dark mages were traveling, quickly disappearing in the distance. The group was led by Callum and Claudia, and they had taken fifty of their best trained warriors with them for their mission to slay the dragon king and take his heart.
Aaravos looked at the cloud from his vantage point, contemplating this new turn of events. This 'True Light' cult has grown strong indeed, this is true, but attacking the enemy at their point of strength is nothing but folly. He had cursed his luck when Claudia had brought back that particular boy. Before Claudia, Aaravos had to deal with Viren. Viren was easy, predictable. He craved power, even if he made all the excuses in the world that it wasn't for himself. He was easy to manipulate. This daughter of his is different, more emotional, more impulsive…
He hated the fact that he couldn't talk her out of this plan that she had cooked up with this Callum person. The charm spell made a person do whatever the caster wanted, to the best of their abilities. Apparently, Claudia had been clever enough to give Callum the right orders. This kid had cooked up a half-decent plan to complete multiple objectives in short order; complete the Heart of a Dragon, wipe out the ruling dragons and absorb the power of the young wyrm. Aaravos hoped that they would succeed. I need power to escape my prison. Either the Heart of a Dragon, or the power of that fledgling whelp will do.
As the dust clouds disappeared beyond the horizon, he found his thoughts grow dim and dark. But how can they succeed? They are fighting against a fully formed dragonguard and two archdragons. They are betting a lot on Callum's skills with dark magic and the sky arcanum. If he should fall, this entire plan will be in shambles. And if Claudia fails to return, my chances of ever being free are slim indeed…
He stared at the horizon though his control spell, before yawning. I'd better get some rest… With his mind, he steered the bug into a corner of one of the caves that riddled the mountain. The bug would defend itself if disturbed, but would not move away without Aaravos' directions. Still slightly worried about the outcome of the coming battle, he moved around his prison, trying to find some solace in books he had read a thousand times before.
-/-/-/-
Rayla hummed a sweet old tune as she sat down at her desk. This'll be the last time I'm writing something here, I guess… She had cleaned her room and stowed all of her belongings in her bag. The moon necklace Callum gave her hung around her neck, and the bag with coins was safely tucked inside her vest. She had looked at them every day. Her parents seemed happy to see her, Runaan seemed confused. I'll find a way to release you, I promise. She had thought as she stowed the coins safely away.
Today was her last day here. The tidebound tribe had arrived, as Bsor had said two days ago. They were waiting at the grasslands beneath the mountain right now. Despite the fact that this meant that she had to leave the Storm Spire, she was still in high spirits. It had been a very sunny day and she was looking forward to get out of here and start her search for Callum.
There was only one thing to do now; write her last letter to Callum as a member of the dragonguard. She hoped that she would find him soon, but just in case he did show up here she wanted there to be some word or message to him from her. I want him to know how I feel. It was a pretty good idea of Bosor actually. It might help to put some of my feelings in the letter. She took a deep breath, dipped her goosefeather pen in the small ink jar and began to write.
My dearest Callum,
It is strange to write this letter to you. These past few weeks have been all kinds of strange to be honest. How are you doing? And where are you? I have so many questions.
I am writing this letter just in case you show up at the Storm Spire and I'm not there to greet you. Why? Well, we didn't exactly parted on good terms, and I want to make it clear how I feel about that and how I feel about you. So, here goes I guess.
Let me start off with an apology. I am so sorry Callum. I really behaved like an idiot. There are a lot of excuses I want to make, like that I was confused and emotional. But that still makes me an idiot. I shouldn't have scolded at you. I shouldn't have thrown stuff at you. I shouldn't have screamed at you like that. Instead, I should have remained calm and listened to you. But I couldn't. I lost control over myself and I'm sorry for that.
I guess we still have some things that are unresolved. I feel very conflicted about your confession, but I think that we can only get through this if we talk about it. I need to know more about what happened at your school, and why you feel so guilty about it. Because, honestly? To me it still doesn't sound like you actually cheated. Maybe there are still some things I don't know that you have to tell me, or maybe we are just overreacting. We'll only find out if we talk about it.
A part of me still really hopes that you can help me get my parents and Runaan out of the coins, but it was unfair of me to ask you to use dark magic. There is no excuse for doing that to you. We both know what you went through when you had used it that one time. You were ill for some time and nearly stopped breathing. When I asked you that, I wasn't thinking about the consequences. I was emotional from your confession and just wanted your help in getting my parents back. When you refused, something broke inside of me. I felt betrayed, even though you've been nothing but supportive of me. Please believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for asking that of you. I will never ask something like that again.
What's important to me right now are two things; we are both sorry for what we did, and I still love you very much. I love you so much that it hurts to be without you, you know? If you have any doubt about us; don't. I love you, and I want to be with you! I just hope that you still feel the same.
So, now that you know this, perhaps I should explain to you why you haven't found me at the Spire. Well, the thing is, that whole mission to get the coins back was kind of irresponsible. That, together with what happened between us was enough for the dragon King to throw me out of the guard. Yes, I know that will probably make you mad, but honestly? He's kind of right. I'm too young. What do I know of leading all the other warriors? As soon as I get pressured, I break down! It's a good thing Bosor is taking over. I think he will make an excellent dragonguard captain! I also think he has a good eye for new recruits. I've bunked together with Icra for a couple of weeks. She's a skywing elf. She's kind and talkative, but not so excitable as Pincaelo, which is a nice change of pace.
So, there you have it. You now know how I feel about things. I hope that I get back to you soon, so I can give you all the cuddles and kisses you need. Should you read this and wonder where I am, well, I'm probably looking for you silly! But my home is in the Silvergrove, so I will probably go back there often.
I hope that you are alright, and that I will find you soon. I send you all the love of my heart,
Forever yours,
Rayla
She put down the pen and quickly wiped away a few tears that had been blurring her eyes. She blew on the parchment to dry the ink, folded it and closed it with the wax seal of the dragonguard. As she stood and made ready to leave her room for good, she suddenly felt a cold wind blowing through the cracks of the door. The air smelled of storm and rain. She frowned. That is strange… It was sunny a moment ago...
-/-/-/-
The Storm Spire rose in front of the large group of humans as they closed in on their target. It was a sunny day with few clouds in the sky. An encampment could be seen in front of the Spire. Callum and Claudia stood in the shade of a tree, trying not to attract their attention as they surveyed the situation.
Claudia stared at the Storm Spire. "It's still as big as I remembered."
Callum snorted. "You expected it to shrink or something?"
This made her laugh and she gave him a playful shove. "Come on! You know what I mean! It's been a while since I've last been here." She had a sad smile on her face. Though she had escaped the battle with her life, she had to do terrible things to restore her fathers. And he wasn't even with her right now.
Callum stood next to her and squeezed her hand, guessing what she was thinking about. "Don't worry about it. This time, you will be victorious!"
There was a commotion in the distance. Some of the elves had spotted the group of humans. It looked like they were grabbing their weapons.
"What a strange bunch of elves." Claudia said, shielding her eyes from the sun. "They are blueish, and have...fins?"
"Tidebound elves. " Callum answered for her.
"Ah, mistress." one of the cult members approached her. They were all dressed in white, hooded robes, though the robes were short enough that they could move around in them freely. It was the standard wear for the mages of the True Light. "Should we attack?"
Claudia seemed pensive for a moment. "What do you think, Callum?"
"I think we should wait a bit. Let me cast a spell first, to prevent them from fleeing or gathering reënforcements." He started to disrobe, pulling off his sweater and scarff.
"Oh, that's nice!" She ran her hand along the tattoo's on his chest. He didn't flinch as she did. "What are you going to do?"
Callum grinned wickedly. "Let's start with a big opener…"
-/-/-/-
Catlyn was unsure what was going on, but she had her daggers out and was following the tidebound elves who were now rushing up the hill, tridents at the ready. Pincaelo flew close behind her, bow at the ready. Once the group of humans was sighted on top of the hill, the tidebound elves had quickly gathered their weapons. They had tried to talk them out of attacking these strange newcomers, but this only annoyed the tidebound elves as they still thought of every human as an enemy. Catlyn had gotten them to agree to only capture them to see what they were up to. For such a large group to show up at the Storm Spire unannounced was strange indeed!
Suddenly, the sky began to grow dark. As Catlyn looked up, she saw dark clouds appearing from out of nowhere. As she looked back to the group of humans in front of her, she saw that one of them was covered in glowing runic tattoos. What on earth is going on here!? As they got closer and closer to the humans, she heard them starting to chant… spells!? Their eyes turned to black and dark, purple tendrils shot out towards the fast approaching elves.
Lightning flashed through the sky as dark magic spells were shot off and impacted with the first tidebound elves. Some were scorched, some were hurled into the sky and another one fell to the ground , gasping for breath. Shitshitshit! This is bad! Catlyn looked back to where Pincaelo was still hovering. "Pin!" She called out over the sound of the rushing wind. Pincaelo shot an arrow, but the wind blew it off course, causing it to fall into the grass harmlessly. "Pin, don't bother! The wind is too strong!"
Pincaelo put down her bow. "What should I do then?" She looked scared. Catlyn figured she couldn't be that experienced with combat if that was her reaction. "Fly off! Get help!" Catlyn had already figured out that this situation was a lost cause; they were outnumbered and outmatched. She estemated about 40 to 60 dark mages versus maybe half that number of elves. "Get the other dragons! We'll stall them!"
"A-alright!" Pincaelo spread her wings and flew upwards. However, the wind increased in strength. Catlyn was horrified as she saw the wind slam into her fellow dragonguard. Pincaelo struggled for control for a few seconds before the wind casually tossed her about like a leaf caught in an autumn storm. She screamed as she was tossed to the ground and picked up again. Catlyn gritted her teeth. There was nothing she could do about it. Then she looked at the figure with the glowing tattoo's. Or is there?
-/-/-/-
"Keep at it boys!" The cultists shouts were exuberant as they tossed the elves about with their magic. Since they outnumbered the elves two to one, it was easy to keep them at a distance, even if the elves fought back faroushisly.
Callum maintained his focus on the storm spell. The elves were too close now to be affected by it, but he looked with some satisfaction as at least one skywing elf was caught in the storm, unable to escape. They won't get reënforcements if they can't call for help. Claudia will succeed this time, like she wants.
Then, suddenly, the fighting on the battlefield shifted as the elves rallied around someone. Though heavily wounded, the tidebound elves did not stop fighting until they had breathed their last, and they were now fast approaching Callum. The cultists tried to stop the tide of elves, but had to jump out of the way as several thrown tridents nearly impaled them. There was only a single line of darkmages protecting Callum from the onslaught. He prepared himself to cast something to defend himself when out of the blur of moving elves, someone jumped over the cultists and landed in front of them. He was surprised to be face to face with Catlyn.
"Dark mage! I will ki-...Callum!?" Catlyn held her daggers high, ready to strike when she froze as she looked at his face.
"Oh, hey Catlyn!" was Callum's joval reply. He smiled at her, but then looked concerned. "Could you step out of the way for a bit? Those elves are trying to kill me, so I probably should kill them first." he said as he drew the rune of fulmunus.
"Wha!? Callum! What are you doing! Stop this! These elves are our friends!"
Callum looked confused. "Are they?"
A sizzling sound was rapidly approaching. Catlyn noticed and ducked out of the way as a bolt of dark, flaming energy flew through the spot where she just stood. "Callum! They are the enemy! Kill them!"
"Her too? Alright! Anything for you Claudia!"
Catlyn watched in disbelief as Callum's smile turned into an evil grin. "Enim si ygrene ruoy, dezimixam!" He stretched out his hand towards her face, his eyes turning black and black tendrils stretching from his fingers. Then all of a sudden she was pushed out of the way by a tidebound elf who had broken through. "I will kill the dark mage!" he roared as he raised his trident to impale Callum.
Callum simply shifted his attention towards the newcomer. "Your mistake." He released the spell. The elf screamed as black tendrils shot towards him and wrapped around his body. The energy was sucked out of his body, which began to smoke and sizzle. His muscles disappeared and his skin was stretched across his bones.
The husk fell to the ground, the lifeless eyes reflecting the stormclouds above them. Catlyn was frightened. She had never seen the power of dark magic up close like this. What was even more terrifying was that Callum had just killed an elf in cold blood. As she looked at him, she gasped involuntarily as she saw that his entire facade was cracked and corrupted. His left hand was pulsing with unreleased dark energy, his black eyes staring at her as he slowly walked towards her. She scrambled back, looking around for any kind of support, but to her shock she saw that most of the tidebound elves had already been subdued or killed. "No...nonononono!" She got op, frantic in her movement and brandished her dagger.
Callum's arm shot out towards her and the dark tendrils of energy lifted her in the air. Some of the black energy flowed to his other hand, making it crackle with dark purple jolts of lightning. "Sekips ygrene kc-Agh!" Callum flinched and put his hand to his cheek. The skin was torn open and was bleeding profusely. He looked back at the elf who held out an empty hand, having just thrown a dagger. In an instant he noticed her reading her other arm. He had to act quickly. With no time for long incantations, he focussed his power and pushed her away from him with all his might. "Yawa!"
Catlyn was suddenly thrown back into the air with such force that she lost her grip on the other dagger. The group of humans was rapidly shrinking below her as she flew through the air. She was struggling to control her body, flailing around helplessly. Then the wind pounded into her and she was thrown into a different direction as she had exited the safe space around Callum. This is it, she thought. This is how I'm going to die! She pressed her eyes shut as the wind tumbled her around before she felt a hand grab her arm and pull hard, nearly pulling it out of its socket. She opened her eyes. Pincaelo! Her friend looked frayed, but was hanging on to her for dear life, trying to fight the wind to keep them from smacking into the ground.
The wind didn't relent though, and they were trusted sideways, the side of the mountain rapidly approaching. Catlyn tried to yell to watch out, but the sound was drowned out by the storm. Within moments, the both of them crashed into the mountain, tumbling down until they landed hard on the stairway leading upwards. The both of them groaned.
"Can you walk?" Catlyn asked, checking herself for injuries.
"Auch! My wings! Cat! I-I think I broke my wing!" Pincaelo was in tears as she twisted and turned, trying to get a better look.
Catlyn held her and examined her wings. One of them had an unnatural bend to it. She hissed. "Quickly, we've gotta get up there. We have to get you to Gaia, and we have got to warn the others!"
-/-/-/-
The group of humans had made quick work of the tidebound elves and were now in the process of harvesting anything useful from their bodies. Claudia was directing them, urging them to hurry.
"C'mon people! Let's go, let's go! There's a dragon waiting at the top of the spire!" She turned to Callum, who was staring upwards, his tattoo's still glowing softly as he maintained concentration on his storm spell. "So, what do we do next?"
"I should cast the Ventus Spiralis spell on everyone, so they can actually breathe up there. Then we have got to climb. I can't fly us up there by my lonesome, and I don't stand a chance if I go up there by myself." He looked back to Claudia. "But if we stick together, then I'm sure we'll be fine. This mission will succeed Claudia! I promise you that!" His cracked, greyish face broke in a smile.
Clauda stared at her friend's face. Though scarred from the heavy use of dark magic, she could still see the boy she loved in his face. "Oh Callum…" Wrapping her arm around the charmed young man, she kissed him passionately.
He kissed her back before untangling himself from her. "Just make sure everyone stays close to me. I will keep them safe." Callum said, his black eyes frowning in concentration. "Remember, I am the eye of the storm."
-/-/-/-
Everyone had huddled inside the great hall when the storm broke out. Nobody was sure what had happened as the skies were mostly clear a few minutes ago. Ibis looked worried. Rayla was about to go to him when she heard the hurried steps coming from the hall.
"They're coming!" Catlyn shouted. She stopped for a bit to catch her breath. "I-I… I couldn't stop them."
The dragon king snarled. "Who dares to attack the Storm Spire!?"
"The...the-" Catlyn was panting. She had tried her hardest to get up there quickly, but the storm had made their advance treacherous. "The mages… the dark mages…"
Pincaelo now entered after her. She stumbled in the great hall and let herself fall to the floor. Gaia rushed towards her. "Oh my, poor dear, let me look at you!"
The king ignored this, still focussed on Catlyn. "How many?"
"At least 50 that I saw. They...are led by a mighty sorcerer." Catlyn was kneeling on one knee, still catching her breath. She hesitated. Should I tell them?
"A small group…" the dragon rumbled. No wonder that none of our border posts noticed them…" His eyes widened suddenly. "What of the tidebound delegation!?"
Catlyn winced, hesitating but a second before answering. "Slaughtered to the last."
A gasp went through the crowd. Everybody was stunned by the news. Queen Zubeia looked around quickly, trying to process all this information. She turned to Ibis. "Ibis, you've always helped us when needed. Can you reach the other dragons and ask for help?"
Ibis thought about this only for a moment before shaking his head, a grim expression on his face. "It's no use. This storm is not a natural occurrence. It is preventing anyone from entering the area around the spire, even the dragons. I could slip out using my own bond to the sky arcanum, but even if I reached anyone in time, which I doubt, then they wouldn't be able to get close enough to help." He looked up to the great female storm dragon. "Your majesty, you would be able to traverse the storm though. You are a storm dragon. You could flee and bring yourself and Zym to safety."
"Possibly, but that course of action is not without its risks." Bosor had stepped forward, addressing Ibis and the queen. "These mages are led by Viren I presume. We cannot begin to guess what magic they have at their disposal. With this storm, we are unable to cover you should you make your escape. They could very well bring you down without any of us able to do something about it."
Ibis frowned. "Yes...I hadn't considered that. I suppose I could aid you, but I do not know what my magic could do against fifty of those mages. My king, what do you suggest?"
Everyone turned towards the king, but the great moonshadow dragon hadn't moved, seeming frozen in place. For the first time since anyone could remember, the great dragon king looked afraid. He coughed, then snarled, until the snarl turned into the roar. All in the cave, including the dragon queen covered their head. "Damn those mages! Damn dark magic, and damn all humans!" He looked at the gathered dragonguard,or what was left of them. "Very well then. We are in dire straits. We are trapped by this storm and we are on our own. We might be facing our doom, but remember, you are the dragonguard, the most elite fighting force in all of Xadia!" The king looked menacing as he spoke. "I will not pretend that this fight will be easy for any of us. But if you have to give your life for Xadia, make sure they'll pay dearly for it!"
Catlyn held up her hand. "One more thing, my king. I have discovered the identity of the mage who leads them." She looked at Bosor. "It's not Viren."
Rayla breathed with relief. At least we won't be facing that mad man again. The last time she faced him, she had very nearly died herself. Callum had saved her, and he was the only reason she still lived today. Oh, Callum, where are you? I need you here… She was pulled out of her thoughts by the harsh voice of the dragon king.
"What!? If not Viren, then who?"
Catlyn looked away, avoiding Rayla's gaze. Just that subtle movement made Rayla's heart drop a bit with worry, though she couldn't tell why. "I saw the mage from a distance, and managed to close in. I tried to kill him but failed. But… I got close enough to see his face." Catlyn swallowed, then looked directly at Rayla. "It's...It's Callum Rayla…. He's coming for us."
Rayla's eyes widened and her heart plummeted in her chest. The dragon king roared and screamed betrayal while the dragon queen covered Azymondias with her wings, who was trembling with fear. The various dragonguard looked at each other, some confused, most very angry, but none of that registered with Rayla. Her heart was wrenched with fear and guilt as she thought of having to fight the one human she had grown to love.
Callum...no!
Author's notes:
Well, here's the update. Sorry for the delay everyone. We had a renovation planned around this time, but it all started a little early, and I didn't have the time to finish this chapter before that ate up all my time. I wrote some parts, then had to rewrite several parts to make it shine. All of this also means that the next chapter will be released a little later than usual… I'll try to post it as soon as it's done.
Anyway, I do hope you enjoy the story. Things are coming to a head, as they should in the final episode. What will happen? Who will survive? Find out next time!
As always, please leave a review to let me know your thoughts. I do appreciate it!
Review responses:
Gustrubio: The bigger they are, the more powerful the artifact. And I don't know if Claudia would be that far gone. I'm sure though that the longer things go on, the more she'll slide down the crazy path.
Knighthunter911700: Cheers, good to hear you enjoyed it!
Oragonking: Everybody has a story. Perhaps in the next season I'll shed more light on Aureum Umbra's story. As for Zeron… he's … special.
Brenne: Well, Ibis knows about it now. And in this situation, Rayla isn't sure what to think right now. Callum just disappeared. Maybe she'll find out the truth soon enough.
Rainbowhawk1993: Alright, I love your speculation! I'm not going to answer any of your notes, since that would be spoiling, but some of them are at least partly correct. As for Ezran, heś probably too far away to directly influence things, but these events are going to have a major impact on him as well.
Mdauben: They should be worried, but Claudia always had the appearance of being to overconfident in her prowess with dark magic, and Callum is mind controlled, so he can't work against her plans. Without Viren to temper her, she's going all out!
Mateusz Weryski: Cheers, thanks for your review! The two will be meeting soon enough, but what will that meeting be like? Find out next time!
Guest: Maybe. Thing is, Aureum Umbra is her king as well, for the time being. And the king is entitled to his own opinion, just as long as he acts reasonably. I think Zubeia would be more inclined to protest if the king would publicly denounce Callum (or other humans) like that.
Dragon Lord Draco: Ayup, but that's how stories are made!
NightOwlHope: Thanks for your review! Concerning my opinion; sure, it'll be a shock, if she recognizes it as hypnosis that is. There are going to be two more "seasons" after this one. The entire goal of this writing project was to continue where the show left off and finish it in a way that would make sense and fit the animated series. So don't worry, this is not the end...