Merry Christmas everyone! It's that time of year again and 2020 is almost over! I felt the urge to write this chapter as I heard about the great acts of kindness people from around the world are doing for the sake of others.
Now is the time, like all other times when disaster and calamity strikes us, that we demonstrate as people the best that we can be. It has been a difficult and trying year but we have demonstrated that come what may we shall overcome, adapt, and eventually triumph.
On a personal note, I thank you all for sticking with me through the story thus far. It's been a long run, and rest assured that though the spacing in between updates is great, I am still going to finish these stories, one way or another. I am also currently trying to piece together a prologue for the sequel to World Fury and those of you who have visited my DeviantART page have found the teaser art I posted for the RNV Resolute.
Anyway, I'm just saying thanks to you all, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and stay safe. Now then, onto the story.
Also, a several people requested or hinted at more dragon/human pairings. I hope this is what they meant, and this is a relatively new area of writing for me so please, no backlash.
FYI: I was listening to practically nothing but Christmas Hymns and songs while writing this. I even listened to the Chipmunks.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SPYRO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.
Chapter 55: A Festival For the Future
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(Warfang)
(...)
It was three days after the demonstation. Neal sat at the table watching Eve's enchanted quill move back and forth as he went over the spellbook he had recieved from Balthisere. Eve had originally been indignant that Neal had even cracked open the book when the Book she was bound to contained Archsage Gartome's entire Grimoire.
However, her indignation had faded once she realized that, despite the believed superiority and completion of Gartome's Grimoire, upon review she discovered that, though it held powerful and complex combat magic, it was sorely lacking in the way of universal or general purpose magic.
For example, whereas Gartome had written down the 'A+' ranked Light element spell for destroying undead hordes, he had neglected to include the 'E' ranked Light spell for purifying the necromancy-tainted lands from which the undead could rise again or the 'F' ranked spell for detecting any malevolent presense. He had written down the 'S' ranked Water spell for destroying Fire-based fiends and abominations but not the 'G' ranked Water spell for purifying drinking water or the 'C' ranked Water spell for conjuring a small rainstorm to allieviate a drought.
In short, Gartome was clearly a combat mage and did not have much use or need of utilitarian magic. This fact was confirmed by Balthisere himself when Neal asked him and he was informed that there are several different 'Schools' of Magic and just as many different 'Types' of Mages.
The accepted Schools of Human Magic were: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, and Transmutation. Necromancy, while not illegal per say, was generally frowned upon but was studied by a select few who believed it was better to know and understand it so that they would be prepared in the event a rogue necromancer began plagueing the innocent.
The types of mages was even more broad ranging from combat magi to healers and clerics, from alchemists to enchanters and druids, to more utilitarian magi and support magi to court magicians and street performers.
Anyone calling themselves 'magi' had a rank from G-S and had spent some time at a Mages Academy studying a single School or some combinations of Schools.
There were even some mages, according to the older records, that had dragon blood flowing through their veins giving them even more potent magical abilities.
Neal had resolved to inform Danny about this since the knowledge of him and Darte was everywhere. Not to mention there were reports of couples between humans and the other races of Warfang becoming more commonplace.
Even Alliea, the Commander of the entire human force currently present, had been seen out and about with Tremor, the dragon assigned as the go-between for the humans and dragons.
Plus, if the dragons had any data on whether of not humans and dragon could or actually had at some point concieved children together it was likely in the Warfang Grand Library or somewhere in Volteer's personal archives.
As he was contemplating this, Danny came into his room, without knocking, smiling from ear to ear and he sat down in the chair opposite Neal and stayed silent. Neal glanced to Danny for a moment, who still was silent. Finally Neal set the spellbook down and turned to Danny.
"Okay, I'll bite, what's going on?" Danny chuckled wryly.
"Guess." Neal sighed but decided to play along.
"Alright, is it a person, place, thing, animal, vegetable or mineral?" Another chuckle.
"No. Come on you can do better than that." This time Neal smiled.
"Alright... hmm... Oh! I got it, it's someone's birthday." Danny shook his head.
"Nope. Your's was in July, mine was in October." Neal frowned.
"Technically they go by the seasons in this world you know, right? Anyway I think it's winter here now judging by the snow outside unless a number of ice dragons decided to play a trick on the city so that rules that out... Hmm... what could possibly make you grin like a fox in a hen house?" Neal suddenly sat ramrod straight as a thought crossed his mind.
"No... it can't be..." Danny chuckled.
"Darte's pregnant?"
...
Danny's smile fell and he shook his head.
"No, but believe me Venomia is spending every moment of her time trying to convince us to do so. Literally as soon as she wakes up she's like that but Darte and I can't say anything because she's still on bedrest and sleeps most of the day. Still though, no wonder the stereotypical mother-in-law is always despised. Guess again."
...
Neal thought for a moment before Danny sighed.
"You just said it was winter here. Think! What did you and I possibly love most about winter?" Neal shrugged.
"No school?" Danny shook his head.
"Close but no cigar."
"Playing in the snow?" Another head shake.
"Grandma's homemade hot chocolate and cookies?" Danny barked a laugh and shook his head again, smiling.
"Now that I really do miss but still not what I'm happy about." Neal thought for a moment, scratched his chin, then he noticed that Danny had on a striped red and white shirt and chuckled.
"You know you look like a giant peppermint stick in that shirt, right?" Danny chuckled and nodded.
Then it dawned on Neal. He'd said that line to Danny once before, several years ago.
"That's the shirt you always wore right about Christmas time, isn't it?" Danny nodded.
"Yeah, I got a tailor to make it for me. I've been talking to Volteer and, as it turns out there are roughly three-hundred and ninety-eight days in a year here. If I'm going by our world's timeline then right around this time would indeed be Christmas. Well, to be more precise it is December twenty-first." Neal smiled and laughed.
"So four days until Christmas, huh?" Suddenly, he froze, his expression becoming one of panic.
"What in blazes am I going to get them?!" Danny looked to him curiously.
"Get who?"
"The kids, Danny, the kids! Frost, Domino and Rivet!" Danny sighed.
"Calm it down. Yeesh, I didn't think you'd fly off the rails like that. You'll strip your gears They probably don't have any holiday like Christmas in this world anyway."
...
Suddenly, the sound of bagpipes blew through the inn and Neal's door, which Danny had shut, was unceremoniously kicked in by Lyca and Fen (who was the one playing the pipes). Neal suddenly found himself in a vice-like embrace from Lyca as she laughed and he returned the embrace.
Danny meanwhile had plugged his ears and glared daggers at Fen who, unapologetically, kept playing a moment more before releasing the instrument.
Neal had been swept up by Lyca's laughter and himself was smiling before giving his betrothed a kiss and staring into her eyes.
"So, what're we celebrating?" Lyca smiled and released the embrace.
"The Winter Star Festival is only four days away! It's a festival that is said to have ties to a day long ago when relationships between humans and wolves were more commonplace. It was said that long ago, a star appeared in the skies of a divided land. An elder from each wolf clan, Greymane, Blackcoat and Whitecoat received a vision that high upon a mountaintop a child was to be born that would unite the wolf clans together under one rule. The mountain in question was home to the then small Red Fur clan, my clan." Fen nodded and picked up the story.
"For several days the elders journeyed forth to the territory of the Red Fur clan, each was curious but also, given our nature as wolves, wary. The Red Fur wolves were said to be descended from wolves who had left their clans long ago and had united with humans who had left their homeland. Countless generations had created a new wolf race with fur the color of rich mahogany the same color as the rock from which their mountain home was made." Lyca nodded then continued.
"The elders knew that the child would likely have a mixed parentage being both wolf and human, but didn't know how the child would have the capacity to lead the entire wolf race. Once they arrived at the village of the wolves, they saw the child and they understood." Fen picked up the story.
"According to the tale, the elders had been at a strained peace for some time because by some coincidence, each had had a child go missing from their family. The Whitecoat elder's second daughter, the Blackcoat elder's youngest son, and the Greymane elder's youngest daughter. Imagine their surprise when they reach the village and find their children, now grown, standing watch over a Red Fur clan male and a Grey Fur female who held a small bundle tightly to her body." Back to Lyca.
"As it turns out, the children, sick of their clan's fighting, had fled the warring clans to a neutral clan, the Red Fur which didn't engage any sides in combat. The children of the Blackcoat and Whitecoat elders had mated, while the daughter of the Greymane elder had mated a Red Fur male. Their children had, in turn, grown up together, fallen in love, and now concieved the child that was said to unite the clans." Back to Fen.
The child's father, the Red Fur male, was the only child of the Red Fur clan's chief who had perished in a landslide some years prior. He was also said to have been descended from not only the cheiftain's bloodline but was also the descendant of an exiled human prince who sought shelter on the mountain. Thus, the child was the great-grandson of all the wolf elders and also had human royal blood in his veins." Lyca smiled and finished the story.
"Afterwards, the fighting among the clans ended and we all united, the chieftain families becoming lords and answering only to the throne of Red Rock Summit. The star that guided the elders to the child is only seen around this time so it is a portent of great good."
"Just as the elders were granted the gift of seeing their grandchildren and great-grandson so to do we wolves exchange gifts with others in celebration of that great time. It's generally done among families but on the rare occasion someone has no immediate family, strangers can share gifts as well and sometimes that sharing of gifts can lead to something more." Lyca snorted but kept her smile.
"Hence the reason wolves also have a fertility festival exactly nine months after the Winter Star Festival." Fen agreed.
"For us wolves, family is the most important thing in the world to us. We are a very social people and absolutely abhor being isolated or alone. It isn't uncommon for two families to unite during one year's star festival and be listed as a single clan by the time the fertility festival rolls around."
Danny, who at this moment had kept silent, grinned again and rose.
"Speaking of which, my brother and I, that is, the humans from our home, have a celebration around this time as well. It's a religious day but it's also a day for family's to come together, swap gifts, and generally enjoy everyone's company before the new year dawns." Fen gave a bark of a laugh and came to where Danny stood.
"Since we've a festival planned, why not just celebrate the two together then?" Danny nodded.
"That's a splendid idea. Oh, Neal, best start thinking about what you're going to get for those kids of yours and Lyca." Neal snorted but also smiled.
"Yeah and you better start thinking about what to get for Darte. Plus you may have to get something for the kids as well since you're trying to be the 'fun uncle'." Danny froze for a moment and then sighed.
"You're right. I'd forgotten that. Well, so long!" He fled the room leaving Neal laughing and Lyca and Fen puzzled.
"What's a 'fun uncle'?" Neal laughed.
"It's a joke between brothers. When one of us gets to thinking dour or acting like a stick in the mud the other is supposed to act silly or do something crazy to break the other out of it. Now that I have a family, and kids, Danny thinks he's going to need to help me spoil 'em, keep them in high spirits." Lyca huffed and looked away which made Neal chuckle.
"You do good enough on your own with the extra helpings you give 'em with every meal, not that I'm complaining. I remember the first time I laid eyes on those kids, how thin they looked. I made up my mind that I would ensure as their Father that I'd do everything I could for them. Naturally when you and I decide to add to the family they'll get the same care."
Lyca blushed at this but nodded and looked away sheepishly. Fen meanwhile was laughing uproariously as he went out the door before tuning up the bagpipes and starting up again. Neal then embraced Lyca and gave her a kiss before giving a nod to the window.
"What's say we take a walk around town? Maybe see if we can't pick up something for the kids?" Lyca nodded and together they walked out the room. Downstairs, Fen was still playing the bagpipes only he'd been joined by other wolves now while other patrons enjoyed the music and the carousing. Lyca motioned for one of her staff, a young wolf named Petr, to tend the bar while she stepped out.
Once outside, Neal wrapped an arm around Lyca and, amid the bustle that had become commonplace in the Lower Residential, they started to walk through the district on their way to the Market district.
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(...)
Meanwhile, as Neal and Lyca was just starting their walk; in the Noble District, Spyro and Cynder were beginning to stir awake. While they were still groggy, Ampere, being the dutiful butler he was to Constance and her family, entered the room quietly and swiftly threw the curtains wide open letting the sunlight pour in.
Naturally, Cynder woke with a start and rose to her feet. Unfortunately Spyro, who was a heavy sleeper, was entangled in the covers (as was she) and together they both fell out of the bed with an undignified yelp and then fought to untangle themselves while Ampere looked on with a smile.
"Good morning Lady Cynder, Lord Spyro. I trust you both slept well last night?" Cynder was the first to untangle herself and gave Ampere a sour look.
"We did; but still, why wake us so early in the morning?" Ampere chuckled.
"Your Mother's instructions, milady. Dawn has come and gone and it is nearly midday. She believed that was more than sufficient time for you two lovedragons to enjoy one another's company and now it is time to get out and enjoy the day." Spyro awoke and let out an involuntary shiver.
"Why is it so cold?" Ampere pointed out the window with his wingtip.
"A freak storm came through last night and all but buried the city in snow. Already several fire dragons have been tasked with melting the snow in the streets to allow stores to open for their usual buisness hours and the Guardians have allowed their students at the Academy to enjoy the snow day. If it's any consolation Master Spyro, your brother Sparx seems unwilling to leave his room today due to the cold. It might be worthwhile to simply enjoy your day with your mate without the peanut gallery commenting on every thing that crosses his mind." Cynder chuckled at that which caused Spyro to smile sheepishly.
"Well I suppose a day out and about would be nice. To be honest I was quite done with snow after Dante's Freezer but since we don't have to pursue no enemies or fight any apes I guess we can enjoy today." Cynder nodded started to fix the bed but was stopped by Ampere.
"My Lady, you cannot possibly mean to replace the same sheets and quilts back on the bed, do you? Given the propensity for mates to enjoy their time together a little too well, I simply must take the bedding and have it cleaned." Cynder blushed at what Ampere had said and dropped the sheet she had picked up.
"How can you say that with a straight face Ampere?" Ampere smiled and shrugged his wings.
"I am a member of your Mother's staff. You are too young to remember but there was many a time I had to take care of your Mother and Father's bedding after their 'cuddle sessions'. Sometimes more than once."
Cynder's blush turned even brighter and even Spyro blushed before they decided to hurry and exit the room before Ampere started telling them old tales. Once they were gone, Ampere chuckled.
"Young love. Ha ha ha, how I remember it so fondly. To be quite honest I remember my first day on the job with you and Master Eclipse, Lady Constance." The shadows moved and Constance materialized into view with a stunned expression.
"How did you know I was hiding there checking up on them?" Ampere chuckled.
"That, my lady, is something that Master Eclipse swore me to absolute secrecy about. Besides, is it or is it not my duty as your butler to always tend to be at least three steps ahead of you?" Constance surprised him by actually pouting and looking away indignantly before slowly cracking a smile and laughing at his reaction.
"You know, I can't help but feel that Eclipse would be so proud of Cynder were he still here. I miss him terribly, you know?" Ampere gave a solumn nod and sighed.
"They say time heals all wounds but in honesty how much time is needed to heal a heart that's been torn in half? I remember you were in a deep dispair for months after Master Eclipse's death and Cynder's abduction. There were times you even tried my patience to the extreme." Constance chuckled at that and gave a small smile.
"I never truly apologized to you for putting you through all that all those times, did I?" Ampere shook his head and his expression softened.
"Think naught of it my lady. I understand fully where you were in your thoughts and how you were feeling at the time." Constance glanced back to Ampere and smiled.
"Didn't you have someone close to you Ampere?" Ampere sighed and nodded.
"Yes but like you, my lady, they were victims of the war. My mate and my son both fell against Gaul's forces. My daughter, who was only nine at the time, chose to live with her grandparents rather than I who she viewed as a coward for not fighting. I'm certain she lives in Warfang now but she has never sought me out to speak to me nor have I wanted to seek her out. Elektre's parents were absolutely clear as crytal on that account." Constance was stunned.
"They forbid you from seeing your own daughter?" Ampere nodded.
"From their perspective I can understand. At a time when dragons were required to fight against the Dark Master, I chose instead to take up a domestic role as your's and Master Eclipse's butler and instead Elektre was the one who followed in her Father and Brother's pawprints and enlisted with the Guard. I may be an electric dragon but, as you've no doubt noticed my lady, my power is nothing compared to others of my kind. The most I can create is a jolt to momentarily stun or incapacitate someone, never kill." Constance gave him a smile and nodded.
"Eclipse always said it takes more courage not to kill a foe and hope they change their ways than to end their existance." Ampere snorted.
"My former in-laws would vehemontly disagree with you my lady. So would my daughter, I would assume."
"If you'd like, I can help you find her and meet with her." Ampere froze like a deer in headlights and violently shook his head.
"What in the Ancestor's names would I say to her? 'Sorry I wasn't there for you growing up?' 'Sorry for not standing on the front lines and fighting alongside your Mother when she needed me most?' 'Sorry for not... for not being there when apes raided our home and... and slaughtered your big brother who held them at bay so you could escape?' How could I possibly look her in the eyes and tell her anything?" Ampere suddenly stopped, realized his slip in composure, coughed, and got his emotions in check.
"Are you sure, my lady, that you are not part Fear Dragon? What you just asked me about is my greatest fear." Constance took a step towards him.
"Ampere...-" Ampere shook his head slightly and collected the discarded bedding from Cynder's room and left the room without a word. Constance remained and sighed deeply.
"If there's anyone who deserves some sort of mercy, it's you, my old friend."
As she said that, she suddenly remembered something and her head shot up.
(The Hatchery Logs! Of course! Ampere's daughter would be listed with the dragon species... Since Ampere was technically a commoner and mated someone from the lesser nobility, they would be in the Logs from Polaris Plains!)
Her mind set on what she needed to do now, Constance vanished into shadows again and headed for the Temple.
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Outside Warfang Hospital, a snow-speckled fire dragon stood watching the building cautiously. Beside him, a young earth dragoness also stood, keeping an eye on him as he took steadying breaths.
General Infernon and his 'bodyguard' Lieutenant Terra were waiting outside the hospital where Lady Venomia and Ash, Infernon's brother, were staying while Venomia recovered from a sickness that had come very close to taking her life. Ever since their fight in the square a week ago, Infernon, and Ash, had been under what was essentially under house arrest. Infernon had bore witness to his mate's scathing disapproval and anger at keeping such a secret.
However, yesterday, things had changed and Kaerie had softened her gaze and had told Infernon to try and make peace with his brother. Try and atone for what he had done.
Unbeknownst to him, Venomia, along with Darte and Danny, had been trying to get Ash to also bury the hatchet (preferably with no bloodshed).
Infernon stood outside the building for a moment before giving a resigned sigh and turning away. Terra moved to stop him but Infernon shook his head.
"What in the blazes was I thinking, Terra? My brother is Ripper, the criminal who held the Lower Residential in a wave of fear for months. The dragon responsible for injuring numerous Guards several times. How can I face him and just sweep everything that happened between us under the carpet?" Terra nodded understandingly but then glanced back to the building.
"When Neal stepped in and stopped the two of you from doing any more damage than you'd already done, he said that blood is thicker than water. While you need not force yourself sir, you will need to address this at some point. Putting it off will only start rekindling whatever anger Ash has for you and you for him." Infernon shook his head.
"I was never angry at my brother. He was always there for me when we were hatchlings. If anything, I was saddened, shocked at the revelation that he is Ripper, but moreso than that, I was afraid. You never saw my brother fight, have you?" Terra shook her head.
"No, sir. I've never seen him fight." Infernon chuckled.
"Most think that emotions like anger and rage give a boost to a fire dragon's flames. In truth, it weakens them. We lose control, we're unable to focus. Ash and I appeared evenly matched because he was genuinely furious at me. Had he been in control of his emotions, I doubt Neal would have been able to stop him. In all the years we sparred, I was never able to best him." Terra gave Infernon an incredulous stare.
"Then the rumor was true?" Infernon nodded.
"It is entirely likely that, had Ash not vanished for several years and Ignitus pass away when he did, my brother would have been selected as the next Guardian of Fire after Ignitus. Ignitus would have never admitted it to me, but he was seriously considering taking Ash on as his apprentice and, from the time of Gaul's raid on the Temple, was actively trying to get him to consider the chance."
Infernon gazed at the clouds as more snow came down. Terra could have sworn what she thought was a melted snowflake fall from his eye but it was in fact, a tear.
"All things considered, it would have been better for us all if Ash had taken up Ignitus' offer."
"..."
"I mean, how? Can you tell me Lieutenant? How can I possibly muster up the courage to tell him two little words? Would they even make a difference?"
"General..." The sound of someone clearing their throat got their attention.
"If I had, under the old laws, that meant that I would have been sequestered in the Temple until I'd mastered my element." Infernon froze midstep and craned his neck around to the hospital entrance.
There, along with Danny, Darte, and the Lieutenant assigned to guard him, was Ash. He took a deep breath and faced Infernon.
"If I had, as you said, taken up Ignitus' offer, I would have never learned of what you did. Nor would I have let my mate die on my back. I wouldn't have met Venomia, Darte wouldn't have been hatched, Danny and Neal wouldn't have saved Venomia. It looks to me that not taking the offer worked better for me." Ash took a step out of the entrance's overhang and Infernon gasped.
Ripper's, no Ash's, eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"I let my anger at something years ago cloud my judgement. As a result I nearly unleashed my flames on my daughter and her mate. It took some time but, I'm finally starting to realize how much of a fool I've been, holding onto my anger for so long." Infernon nodded.
"You're no more or less than a fool than I. I'd been lying to an innocent drake all his life. Ancestors, when you think of it, I was even worse. In my concern for not letting the truth come to light, I neglected the boy's training, as well as his progress. His time in the Guard has been almost nothing but hardship until he was, by some miracle, assigned to protect Neal." Ash chuckled again.
"Something I have to thank you for, Infernon. I got to spar with Flame and see just what his weaknesses were and now that there is a chance, we can help him adress them. Plus, I'm glad that Neal stopped me that night." Ash stopped and turned to Terra.
"Lieutenant, I've spoken with Venomia, Darte and Danny about this but I'm willing to accept whatever punishment the Guard requires for the damage I'd done as Ripper." Terra nodded but otherwise remained silent. Ash then turned back to his brother, tears starting to fall.
"As for what good those two little words would do? They may be unsaid but the tone of your voice is clear as crystal Ferno." Infernon gave a short bark of a laugh and he shook his head.
"What did Mom tell you about calling me that?" Ash mimicked Infernon's laugh and shook his head slowly.
"As I recall, both she and Dad just laughed that I gave you a nickname. Since your name is so long and mine is short, it was the perfect way to get back at you without harvesting more Iron Crawler webs." Infernon shuddered as if recalling some memory or another while Darte and Danny came up to Terra.
"Mom's asleep so we figured we'd let her have some time to rest and walk around the city. Any chance you'd like to join us?" Infernon looked to Ash who held a neutral expression but then smiled and nodded.
"I'd enjoy that. That is, if that's okay with you, Brother?" Ash finally nodded.
"I think I can tolerate you for a few hours, Brother, is only for my daughter and son-in-law's sakes." Infernon stopped for a moment but then relaxed when Ash's expression took on a full-blown smile and the two brothers began laughing at their exchange.
At that moment, Danny saw a dragon slowly coming up the street, carefully using his fire breath to clear the snow and ice from the stone avenue. He immediately recognized him.
"Flame! That you?" Infernon and Ash both looked as the young fire drake cut off the flow of mana from his flames and turned to look at them and then to his Father and Uncle, his expression changed from joy to fear and he backed away.
This made both Infernon's and Ash's expressions fall. As if some paternal instinct awakened, both brothers stepped forward and embraced the young dragon. Flame stood frozen, unsure what was going on, when Ash broke the embrace and gazed at Flame deeply and smiled.
"I was correct, you favor your Mother. Especially her eyes." Infernon then lowered his head to Flame and sighed.
"Flame, my boy, my son, for so long I had tried to remain at a distance, to try and not let any sort of affection show for you should someone learn the circumstances of your hatching. My excuse for so long was that I was protecting the memory of your Mother and my Brother, but in truth I was just trying to protect myself and in doing so, you were caught in between mine and my Brother's fury when we crossed paths again after all those years." Ash came forward to Flame and let out a deep sigh full of regret.
"There are so many things I have to apologize for. Especially to you. For so long I looked at you and only saw the living proof of my Brother's duplicity and my mate's actions. I may not be your biological Father but, if you don't mind giving me a chance, I'd like to try." Infernon came forward, looking unsure.
"I thought the knowledge of Flame's parantage was now public knowledge. Any who see you claim the boy as your son will see you as being weak and will turn against the boy." Ash huffed, sending sparks from his snout.
"I am many things Infernon, weak is not one of them. Flame is the child of my mate, she lives on through him and thus my love for her lives on to him. Any who would move against the boy or any of my family will find my flames turned against them. They who know the truth are wisely not telling every crier or pub owner within earshot and those who don't know the truth shall never know the truth if I have a say in it."
Infernon, stunned by his Brother's declaration, turned to Flame.
"You have a say in this Flame. What do you want to do?"
The young dragon looked between the two adults, his expression a mix of relief yet bewilderment.
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The Central Avenue. It was a massive street that ran from the main gate all the way up to the Noble Quarter and then up to the Palace. On one side was the Old Town which included the Lower Residential, Lower Markets, the Temple and the Academy. On the other side was the Grand Market, the Upper Residential, and the districts for the moles, cheetahs, and wolves who also lived in the city.
Walking alongside Tremor, Alliea couldn't help but admire the majesty of the city.
Lately, Tremor had been taking a more active role in showing her around the city. It had started as simply getting to know about the denizens of Warfang better and seeing how their lives functioned as compared to the isolated Blue Waters and repetition had given way to familiarity which had in turn led to her simply seeking a chance to get out of the barracks and asking Tremor if he would accompany her.
Tremor, to his credit, never refused to escort her.
Dragons, as they are such a long-lived race, only grew quickly up until their twentieth hatchday at which point their growth rate slowed dramatically. Tremor and Alliea were the same age, twenty-nine, yet the difference in height and size was obvious.
Firstly, Tremor was about as tall as the horse Alliea had decided to train. Nosetip to tailblade he was twice as long. His wings stretched out roughly as wide as he was long, and his scales, especially in this winter weather, were an emerald green that made him look absolutely dashing when wind blew some snow at just the right angle.
Her mind had entertained the thought that Tremor was her knight in shining armor.
Tremor on the other paw, had been thinking along the lines of not letting Alliea ride a horse into battle but why not ride a dragon into battle? He had come close to voicing the thought before but had always stopped out of fear of voicing something that, if interpreted the wrong way, could cause Alliea to send him away and request another go-between.
Plus, there was an unspoken rule among dragons: if unmated, and seeking a partner from another race, only allow your chosen partner to ride on your back.
There was also something more between them. They had grown closer over the past few weeks.
Looking around the market, it was plain to see just how easily the humans had been intigrated into society. Everywhere they looked they saw humans mingling with other members of different species. The cheetahs and the wolves mostly, but then there were dragons, both male and female, who seemed to be magnetically drawn to their human counterparts. There were also some moles and atlawa.
Naturally there were those who preferred the company of their own species but today, for some reason, both Alliea and Tremor noticed only interspecies groups together.
As they walked around the Market, Tremor nudged her over to where a store owner was selling seasoned beef that had been slow roasted over an open fire until it almost fell off the bone. Ever the gentledrake, he paid the wolf who then took a sharp knife and a large plate (more like a platter) and began cut strips of beef from the rotissarie and lay them gently on the plate.
A moment later, the wolf turned and brought the plate to Tremor who shook his head and motioned with a claw to Alliea who was stunned for a moment but graciously accepted the plate. Then they went to one of the tables that had been set up close to the roaring firepit. Tremor rested on the enchanted heat pad provided for dragons and Alliea took a seat next to him, her back to the fire.
Other dragons nearby had seen the exchange and gave him a smile and a nod as they passed which he returned sheepishly as he and Alliea enjoyed their meal.
One of the behaviors of dragons is that when they enounter a prospective mate, one thing they can do is show that they can provide for their family. This usually means showing that he or she is an exceptional hunter or is wealthy but can also mean smart, inventive, persuasive, basically any number of things that might deepen their bond with their prospective mate.
If Tremor was anything, he was inventive and smart but was also technically a member of the nobility. After a moment, she gave him a smile and set the fork down and turned to face him.
"It's lovely today isn't it?" Tremor nodded.
"Indeed. Winters in Warfang generally do not have this much snow but still, I suppose it does make the city seem somewhat festive." Anniea looked around at the square and nodded.
"Is there some sort of festival being prepared?" Tremor nodded.
"The wolves have their Winter Star Festival, the cheetahs have the start of their Winter Hunt, the moles celebrate the Mountain Light Festival. We dragons though, we celebrate what is known as the Ancestor's Night. It's a night in which the skies are clear and nearly every star and celestial body in the sky is visible from the ground. It's a night under which dragons who are courting will propose to their mates before their Ancestors. Belief is that those who do propose and then mate on this night will be blessed with a large family and good fortune."
The earth dragon sighed and shook his head.
"Ancestors know we all could use good fortune after the war against Malefor. There are many dragons who would give anything for a large family. You cannot tell because of the festival but our numbers have diminished greatly. In the past parents would wish for two or three children at the most. Now there are those who wish for five, six or even more. The voice of the common folk is that the sight of so few hatchlings attending the Academy and playing in the streets is disheartening." Alliea gave a faint smile.
"How many children would you like to have, should you find a suitable mate?" Tremor sighed.
"I don't know if it's possible for me." Alliea cocked her head to the side.
"You don't have anyone in mind? A young drake like you? I'd imagine you'd have potential mates all but swarming you." Tremor laughed.
"No. Not like that. I just don't know if such a thing would be safe or not considering-" He suddenly clammed up and turned away looking embarassed.
"Considering that you find yourself attracted to me, a human, correct?" Tremor blushed brightly and gave a small cough. Alliea chuckled and continued, her face also starting to glow.
"Would you think it wrong of me if I said I am attracted to you as well?"
THAT got Tremor's attention and he turned back to look at her.
"Truly?" Alliea nodded.
"I've been thinking for a while, since you always agreed to escort me whenever I left the barracks, that perhaps there could be something between us. Looking around at how many humans have paired up with either dragons or wolves or cheetahs, what would be so wrong if we were just one more pair in the mix?" Tremor shook his head.
"I love that, believe me, but... How could a human and dragon breed true? I mean, sure there's the Forger, Danny and Lady Venomia's daughter, Darte but how could it work in reverse?" Alliea shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe we just trust to the will of the gods or the ancestors or whatever will look out for us." Tremor smiled at that and twisted his head around to nuzzle Alliea's cheek and smiled.
"Eight." Alliea looked to him.
"Pardon?" Tremor's smile broadened.
"The number of children I'd like to have with you, if possible." Alliea kissed his cheek and nodded.
"When this is all settled and the lands are no longer in danger. Until then, let's research on the topic as much as possible before we commit ourselves. As for us being mates," She leaned in closer so that only he could hear.
"I'd much rather ride you into battle than some horse." Tremor chuckled at that and nuzzled her again.
"Then I suppose that makes you a dragon's knight." Alliea nodded and embraced him.
"From the looks of the square around us, that makes me one of many." Tremor chuckled and leaned further into the embrace.
"Not for me. For me, there's only one. You."
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()
In the Archives of the Warfang Temple, Neal, along with Volteer, Lyca, and Constance were going through the older sections of the library. As he blew the dust (gently) off an old text that he'd just pulled from the shelf he sneezed once then turned to Volteer.
"Are you absolutely sure those texts are in here, Volteer?" Volteer huffed indignantly set another book down.
"I'm certain of it. There is only a slight margin of error in my organizational system for filing these old records away. Eh... what was it exactly you were looking for again?" Neal sighed and started flipping through the pages.
"I'm trying to find whether or not it was possible for humans and dragons to have offspring together." Volteer nodded understandingly.
"I believe I'd heard of that before but, your mate is Lyca. Why look for dragon and human? Your brother?" Neal gave an affermative answer and flipped another page.
"That's part of it. I also wanted to find out if there was any truth to what Balthisere told me that some human magi who were exceptionally powerful at spellcasting may have had a dragon in their bloodline at some point." Thoughtfully, Volteer tapped his chin with a foreclaw and glanced around at the library.
"That does sound plausible and familiar... Hmm... It wasn't unheard of if I recall correctly; however, back then there were more dragons and our species, as you well know, prided itself on not breeding ourside of our species. It was a rarity, most often resulting in the dragon being either stripped of his or her titles and exiled or simply being cast out. Our numbers now aren't at a critical point but there are noticibly fewer dragon than there were before the war." Neal nodded.
"Hence the proclamation from the royal family and the noble council to be proactive with large families." Volteer nodded.
"Also why the information you brought has been taken seriously with every single force across all dragon territories mobilized to protect the Hatcheries. Seeing so many families shattered, it has made us as a species realize how important family is." Neal gave a smile and nodded.
"Nothing's more important than family, right?"
"Undeniably so. In fact this little research project of your was something I'd been meaning to take a look at for quite some time since you and your brother arrived and word of humans surviving reached us here. Doubtless you've noticed how some of the humans in the force that came have seemed to couple up with others already?" Neal nodded.
"I noticed that on the way here. I think I even saw Commander Alliea and Tremor together heading for the Square before we arrived here." Volteer chuckled.
"Good for him then. He was always a little worried about what he'd do with the lad." Neal turned to look at the electric Guardian.
"Who?" Volteer peeked up from the book he was reading and smiled.
"Terrador, of course. Tremor is his grandson, you know? His father was Commander Granite who was, sadly, killed in battle and since then has been in the care of his uncle, Stone, who is the Minister of Defence. While technically nobility equal in rank to Cyril, they don't flaunt it like he does. Plus they're a military family so they tend to lack or not care for the social graces that Cyril dotes upon."
As Neal and Volteer went back and forth, Lyca suddenly found a book with the image of a human riding a dragon emblossed on the cover and opened it and started reading.
"This tome is hereby created and written by Generals Draskill and Amanda, Dragon and Knight of Their Majesty's Dracoknights for the Defence of Warfang against the evils of Malefor."
Volteer all but leapt over the piles of books strewn about to come behind Lyca and started speed reading the book. Neal also came up and read the book but at a slower speed than the more excited Guardian.
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(^)
By Order of Their Majesties King Aurlon and Queen Elicia of the Human Lands and by Request of King Galleon and Queen Mercia of the Dragons, we, the Dracoknights, have been created to assist in the fight against the wicked fallen dragon Malefor.
Of Their Majesty's combined forces, we are a unique lot. Drawn from both dragon and human who have come to accept each other as equals and even gone so far as to accept each other as comrades, friends, lovers, and eventually mates. While some look down on and scorn us for pledging ourselves to our dragon mounts and they to their human riders, we will be the ones to carry the banner our hope against Malefor's evil.
Let it be known that I, Amanda Reisevitter of Cold Harbor, embrace my new station in life with wholehearted gratitude despite the cold glares of those who I once called family. I was chosen because of my skill with the lance by a dragon named Draskill, son of Lord Tectis to be his knight and guard his back while he fought the minions of evil.
Through the battles we fought against the foe (and with each other), we eventually came to respect, and later love, one another. Alone, we are vulnerable, together we are unstoppable. This record is to be kept in regards to all that we learn about each other and about or positions.
Firstly, one must be willing and volunteer to be a dragon knight. If there is any animosity on either half, they will not function well together.
Second, there is to be no gender discrimination amongst our ranks. There are already several female dragons who have accepted male humans and multiple female humans who have accepted male dragons.
Third, it is not against regulations to develop the bonds between dragon and human. Though our ranks are few in number, among our number are those who have mated their dragons like myself and Irvine, my second-in-command. There are also those who have become friends like Isarah and Bergic, and lovers like Fiero and Michelle, or are somewhere in between.
Fourth, as I am writing this, the next part is evident. Dragons and humans can indeed breed true. When I became aware of this fact (and for this I thank The Healer for this and for Their Majesty's concern) I found myself promoted along with my mate to our shared rank of General and taken off the field for the time being.
On a personal note, Draskill is positively over the moons with excitement at becoming a Father. But his overprotectiveness (that trait that makes dragons absolutely adorable but sometimes insufferable) is nearly driving me to my wit's end.
I have consulted the mages, escpecially with Archsage Gartome and he has found records that female dragons who mate human males will lay eggs while female humans who mate with dragon males with birth live young. Our species physiology adapts to whether the sire or dame is dragon. There are also several magi among the humans who have dragons somewhere in their ancestry. Apparently dragon blood can manifest itself in humans with interesting changes.
The most obvious change is the ability to grow wings, a tail, horns, and claws limbs. These capable of such a change are known as 'dragonewts'.
Other, more subtile changes, include faint outlines of scales under flesh, an increase in magic power or potential, a stronger affinity for the dragon parent's element, and eyes that are a different color than normal humans.
If the records hold true, then a child should be born within nine months of conception, no more different than a normal baby. Dragons lay their eggs in either the fifth or six month (I cannot recall which) and then either leave them in a hatchery or incubate them at home until they hatch.
As I conclude this, I am happy to state that I am nearly upon the nineth month and both my joy and that of Draskill grows by the day. I truly hope that this feeling of happiness never ends for us.
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()
Neal froze as he read the last part of that segment and mulled the wording over in his head. He quickly looked at the top of the book and gasped when he saw the date.
Winter, 1155
Volteer saw the date and also frowned.
"The next spring was 1156, the year the council put that abhorant plan into action." Neal nodded and then started skimming through the book.
"This is a list of members of the Dracoknights. Active members, Inactive members, Company formations, which members are friends, mates or soon to be mated, who's on maternity leave. There's even a list of offspring and prospective human and dragon candidates for induction into the Dracoknights." Volteer nodded and began looking where Lyca had indicated she'd found the book.
"I honestly can say I've never seen that book or even heard of the Dracoknights until today. Then again until humans made a reappearance I never had cause to look through these old archives except to catalogue and place them. Part of me is curious as to what happened to them but another part of me is afraid of what I'd find out given the events that happened shortly after that book was written." Volteer caught something out of the corner of his eye as he moved a thick book out of the way and started shuffling through a pile of old parchment sheets and gave a gasp when he found what had gotten his attention.
"It's a council edict issued without the knowledge of the royal family. Notice how it has a coucil seal but not a royal seal. This is highly irregular but given what we're learned about this particular council I wouldn't put anything past them. Let's see..."
In accordance with the plans to subjugate the humans, any and all instances of hybridization are to be dealt with immediately. This includes the Dracoknights that Their Majesties sanctioned after Prince Draskill fled after falling for that human noble. In this decision the council is unanimous.
Orders to all members of the Special Service of the Council Guard: Eliminate all members of the Dracoknights, human and dragon. Dispose of any hybrids.
Volteer dropped the missive and ran to the nearest window and retched in disgust. Neal picked up the missive and his frown turned into outright anger as he read it and then crumpled it in his hand.
"Damn I'm glad this council is no longer among the living. I'd have killed them myself." Volteer recovered and nodded, still shaking with disgust.
"You'd have certainly had an ally and dare I say several other allies if any of those wretches were still among the living. Thankfully, Malefor dealt with them in some form or another. Still, normally there would be another missive attached if the previous objective had been completed. You don't suppose-?" Neal shrugged.
"There's always a chance at survival. During the Second World War citizens of conquered countries banded together to form resistance cells to fight the Nazis and did everything from assassination to search and rescue, even rescuing and transporting Jewish families fleeing the SS to safety in neutral or allied countries. If there was ever a reason to fight and survive, I can't think of a better one than family." Suddenly, Neal had a realization and went back to the book.
"Look here, what was the woman's name? Amanda Reisevitter? It says she was from Cold Harbor. Maybe, just maybe she and the rest of the Dracoknights fled there when the council enacted their plan!" Volteer gave a smile and nodded.
"It's likely. The human islands were inaccessible to us once the fog barrier went up. There's a chance that their decendants are still there." Neal smiled and went to a complete map of the continent, one which included the human territories.
"Bit by bit we're being pointed in the direction of the old territories. Maybe that'll be our next stop once the threat to the hatcheries blows over." Volteer nodded.
"In that case I'd like to accompany you when you do go there. Normally Cyril is the one caught up in bloodlines and family ties but I seem to recall I had an ancestor, Maelstrom, who fell in love with a human woman from the island of Polaris. I'd like to see if his descendants still live." Neal nodded and closed the book on the Dracoknights and smiled.
"In any case, I can't think of anything that would be better for my brother to hear. Plus, if this became public knowledge, I think this would do some real good." Volteer nodded but then froze as he thought of something.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Neal, as you are a Guardian, your presense is requested by the King and Queen." Neal cocked an eyebrow at that.
"May I ask what for?" Volteer smiled.
"Why, the Ancestor's Night Celebration of course." Just then, Constance gave a whoop from the other side of the archives causing Volteer to frown.
"Lady Constellation, we may be the only ones here but this is still a library. Some decorum, please!" Constance came running up with a book in hand.
"No time for that now Sparky, I've got a family to reunite!"
Volteer could only stare and gape as Constance zoomed past and out the door before he could even get a single coherent thought put together. Neal looked to Volteer, who was still gaping, to the still open door through which Constance had left, and then to Lyca. He then jabbed his thumb to Volteer and smirked.
"I think she broke Volteer."
While Lyca burst out laughing, Neal quickly summoned Eve's Book and pointed to the Dracoknights Ledger and set her to transcribing it. Once she was done, he had her alert Danny to the discovery and then snapped his fingers as he thought of something and left with Lyca and headed towards the Orphanage where Domino, Frost, and Rivet were celebrating with the friends they had made there.
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(^^^)
Infernon, Ash, Terra and Flame reached the Square just in time for the celebrations to begin. There were multiple couples dancing, feasting and celebrating. At the sight of so many celebrators, Infernon felt a brush against his wing and looked over and smiled.
"Zenia, you came."
The dragoness stood the same height as Infernon and had reddish-gold scales. Her head was crowned with four gold horns, the spines going down her back were the same color as was he tailblade. The only thing out of place was a large scar that ran down her neck where she had been attacked by an ape raider years ago. The attack had made her mute but despite the injury, she had a dignified appearance which immedately made Ash smile.
"Lady Zen, I'm glad to see you." Zenia, Infernon's mate, smiled and nodded to him. Then she caught sight of Flame and her expression took on one of sadness. With a paw she made a motion to Flame that, having lived with them for so long he knew how to communicate with her and nodded.
"It's alright, Aunt Zenia. I know that you and Uncle Infernon did what you did. It's okay." He came forward and nuzzled Zenia who gave a small smile and returned it before he stepped away and, glancing out the corner of his eye, he spotted Ember and immediately perked up. Ash saw this and followed his sight and smiled and nudged his forward.
"Go get her, son." Flame blushed at that but nodded and walked toward Ember who, once she saw him, broke into a large smile and came to him. They nuzzled for a moment before going to join the other revelers. Ash gave a small sigh and glanced up to the sky and gasped as he saw the first stars beginning to shine.
One in particular looked extremely bright. He smiled and a tear fell from his eye.
"You see our son, don't you Helena? I feel foolish that it took me so long to finally be able to see him as my son and reconcile with my brother. I only wish I'd had the chance to speak to you once more. I think... I mean, I'd like to think that you knew how things would eventually turn out but I sure wish you were still standing here with me."
A chuckle from behind him got Ash's attention and he rounded to see none other than Furnace, the Fire Guardian standing behind him.
"Lord Furnace, I-" Furnace stopped him with a wave and nodded.
"Tonight is the Ancestor's Night Celebration as you well know. It is quite possible she may be with you, unseen but still felt. While your current mate is recovering, who knows, maybe her spirit will deign to take her place beside you if but for one night." Ash chuckled, unconvinced but still nodded as the Fire Guardian turned and started down the Avenue towards the Castle. Still, something he said stuck and he glanced back to where he saw the star was but was shocked to find it had vanished amongst the sea of stars.
A faint chuckle reached his ears and he started looking around with a start as he heard something faintly whispered.
'Never say never, my love.'
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()
Constance's time was limited, knowing that she would be required to be at the Castle before the midnight hour. After leaving Volteer she had hurried home and all but bodily dragged Ampere out of the house and instructed him to follow her. He was initially worried something had happened but then judging by Constance's face it was something else and he willingly followed her as she went from the Noble Quarter down the avenue, passing Lord Furnace and Lord Leviathan and heading for an area of the city he rarely, if ever visited.
This part of the city held the lower nobility (those who basically were from distinguished houses but not enough to rate the 'title' of 'nobility'), the districts allocated by Royal Decree to the other races of the realm, the Grand Market often called the Square where the commoners held their festivities. There was also one other building here.
The Warfang Orphanage.
Several dragons had lost loved ones in the war, no where was this more apparent than with the number of children who's parents had sacrificed themselves to save their offspring while they held the forces of evil at bay. Though many had been adopted into good families, there were still more who had yet to find a home or the pain of losing their loved ones was still to raw. Ampere had to admit he'd thought of seeing about delivering some goods here on occasion but for some reason or another he never got around to it.
Upon reached the orphanage, Ampere was shocked to see Neal there with his brother and both their mates. More surprising was that Neal was pulling on a suit of red fabric with white trim that looked a few sizes too big for him. That was quickly rectified by placing a large pillow in front of his chest and him closing the coat and fastening the belt, giving him a a rotund appearance. A fake beard, mustache, a pair of glasses and a red hat topped with a white ball completed the look. Stepping back, Danny chuckled.
"Now you look like the genuine article brother. Who'd have thought Santa Claus could travel across dimensions?" Neal chuckled under the beard although to Ampere's ears it sounded more like a 'Ho Ho Ho' than a 'Ha Ha Ha'. Neal then pulled out a piece of parchment and started going down the list with a large water dragon who was nearby and he spoke to him.
"Is this everything that the young ones requested?" The dragon nodded.
"Indeed Guardian and, may I say that, while I am unused to this custom or this 'Santa Claus' I must admit the idea of a toy maker who gives gifts to children does sound appealing, especially in this day and age when the children here need more hope and joy than most others." Neal gave a nod.
"That's the point. Children need hope and joy in their lives. These kids have lost their guiding lights in the world. It falls to us to ensure that they get the same chance as everyone else to live a life of happiness. You yourself do good work here Padré." The dragon cocked his head to the side.
"Padré? I'm afraid that term is unfamiliar to me." Neal nodded and explained.
"Padré is another term for 'Father'. In the world my brother and I grew up in there was an orphanage ran by the Catholic Church and the people who operated the orphanage were priests. Since priests are addressed as 'Father' and the Spanish translation is Padré I thought it the best translation. Plus, it's to cover my embarrassment that I haven't yet asked your name or the name of the dragoness who helps you here." The dragon laughed good-naturedly and nodded.
"I don't think I introduced myself either which is a terrible lapse on ettiquette myself. I am Tidaal, and my mate who helps me tend the orphans is Electra-"
Ampere dropped what he had been carrying from a foreclaw that seemed to have gone dead and looked to Constance with accusing eyes. Constance, breaking protocol, pulled Ampere close and hugged him.
"You've been there for me so many times my old friend. Please, allow me to be here for you if only once."
The noise had drawn the attention of Tidaal who approached and bowed.
"Lady Constance, it is a pleasure to see you here. May I ask who this gentledrake here beside you is?" Constance pushed Ampere forward.
"This is Ampere, Electra's Father." Tidaal went arrow straight and faced Ampere.
"T-This is our first meeting sir, I... I was under the impression Electra had lost her parents." Ampere sighed but nodded.
"In a way she did. We all lost something in the war, Tidaal. My daughter, she lost so much and I lost her when I wasn't there for her when she needed me most. The fact that you've never heard of me until now must mean she still hates my guts." Tidaal emphatically shook his head side to side.
"No, Ancestors, no. If anything she always seems remorseful around this time of year. I never understood why but I think I understand. You serve Lady Constance who is nobility. Unless requested, or a member of the Guard, commoners like us generally aren't allowed in the Noble Quarter. Under normal circumstances, she'd never be able to see you."
Neal cleared his throat and got a mischievious look in his eyes.
"I think I know how we can do this." Ampere looked at Neal curiously.
"Do... what, exactly?"
Almost immediately, Lyca and Darte were there with a blue ribbon and tied it around Ampere's neck like a bowtie. He looked at it curiously but then saw Neal nod to him and then motion for Tidaal.
"Tidaal, if you would please introduce me to the children. Once I start handing out presents, I'll tell Electra there is a present for her outside." Tidaal smiled and nodded as he opened the double doors to the orphanage.
Once inside, he cleared his throat and called the children down. The orphanage was large and har roughly sixty or seventy young dragons ranging for seven to fifteen years old. Playing with the children was Rivet, Domino and Frost. Eve was also there in her shrouded form and was enjoying herself. Frost however, seemed to be paying more attention to Eve than to the children. Something that earned him a small tail slap from his sister.
"Children! Gather around here! There's someone who has come to visit you all!"
Immediately, the children dropped what they were doing and came into the foyer to meet the new arrival. Eve, who had been party to the plan, could only smile as Neal entered the building toting a large sack. The children were wary but the visiter let out a jovial laugh and set the bag down gently.
"Good evening children. My name is Santa Claus and I came here at the behest of the Forge Guardian since he heard that there were children who needed a little joy and hope in their lives."
Hearing that one of the Guardians had sent for him immediately put the children at ease. Domino and Rivet, both still young, sat enthralled by the visitor, unaware it was Neal. Frost on the other hand had recognized Neal's voice but simply smiled and kept silent, seeing what he was doing.
The visitor, Santa, pulled a list from his coat pocket and glanced at it before nodding.
"Now then the majority of you have been nice this year. A few have been naughty but, given the circumstances, I believe I can overlook it just this once. However, from now one you must all strive to be good little drakes and dragonesses, yes?" The children nodded, curious as to what he was doing. Then, adjusting his glasses, he picked up the list.
"First off we have... Aqueri. Aqueri?" A small water dragon, likely eight years old, came up to the visitor who reached into the bag beside him and pulled an object out.
It was a toy biplane, all metal, no removable parts, but it did have a spinning propellor.
"I have it on good authority that you saw the machine that Neal Foster used the day he went to Darkfort. As such, this is a model of the same aircraft he used." He placed the toy into the child's outstretched paw and his face broke into a massive grin, tears gleaming in his eyes.
Seeing that Aqueri was given a toy from Santa, the other children began to crowd but Santa just laughed and motioned to the list.
"When I call your name, come forward to recieve your present." At that moment, Santa looked up and saw the lithe female dragoness standing behind the group, a wane smile on her face, her belly visibly distended with pregnancy.
Neal made a point of glancing at the list and then looking around.
"Hmm... Who is... Electra? Is Electra here?" The dragoness started and Neal saw Tidaal barely constraining his laughter. Slowly, almost gingerly, she came forward.
"I am she. May I ask what this is about?" Neal looked to the list and then to her.
"There is a present for you as well but it was too large to bring inside with me. It's outside if you'd like it now."
(?)
Electra, curious, stepped beside her mate and Neal and stepped outside. Tidaal followed suit and stopped when she froze, eyes wide, mouth working up and down but no words coming forth.
There, beside Constance, stood Ampere, bow and all, looking like he was ready to either flee or embrace her. Electra took the choice from him.
With a speed that shocked Tidaal and Neal who had been sparing glances outside in between giving out presents to the children, Electra ran forward and embraced her Father with such force he almost lost his footing. She held her Father tightly as if fearing at any moment he may vanish into thin air. Ampere, initially shocked, slowly wrapped his wings around his daughter, tears now flowing unrestrained.
"My daughter, my darling daughter, my little sparkler... It's alright now, Daddy's here. I'm here and I'm real." Electra reluctantly broke the embrace and stood before Ampere.
"Grandmother and Grandfather... They... They were wrong Daddy. I was wrong. A-All the things I said to you those years ago... Can you ever forgive me?" Ampere came forward and nuzzled his daughter in a display of paternal affection and smiled.
"My dearest child, I forgave you long ago, but can you ever forgive me for not being there when you needed me most?" Electra nodded and craned her neck under his.
"When I told Grandmother and Grandfather that I'd fallen in love with Tidaal, they disowned me, told me I was just as big a coward as you were. They tried to train me to take the place of the daughter they'd lost to the war, but I never could do it, harm someone, that is. I found violence abhorant." Ampere chuckled.
"Your Mother was the same, only she had been forced to overcome it once she and I mated and you and your brother were hatched." He took a step back and gazed at her.
"My child, for so long I was terrified of seeing you. I feared you still had the same anger for me that you had back then. Now I see just how big a fool I have been." Ampere then saw her belly and gasped.
"You're..." Electra nodded sheepishly.
"Yes." She chuckled with mirth. "You're going to be a grandfather."
Ampere came forward and embraced his daughter again, only this time he gazed to Tidaal and coughed.
"Get over here son, we have a tradition of group hugs in this family and you certainly qualify as such." Tidaal slowly came forward and was embraced by both his mate and his Father-in-Law who smiled and nodded to them both and then to Constance.
"My Lady, I don't know how to thank you for this gift." Constance chuckled and looked to the orphanage.
"Don't thank me, thank Santa, he was the one who pointed me in the right direction after all."
(?)
Back inside, Neal had reached close to the end of his list and found the one name on the list that he knew would have been the most difficult to gift.
"Last name on the list is... Draqel."
A small shadow dragon stepped forward. Neal's heart ached for the child as he was the youngest in the orphanage having just turned six the day before. He was the only one on the list who didn't want a toy or anything mundane. He was also the only one who had never known a family, having been left here in the orphanage four years prior.
He wanted a family.
Neal looked at the list and then down to the small dragon and knelt so that he could look him in the eyes.
"I must say I've delivered some difficult gifts and granted some unique wishes but lad, your's tops them all." Draqel, unsure what Neal was saying, began to tear up until Neal wiped his eyes.
"I didn't mean it that I couldn't grant it, lad; but, out of all those here, you wanted something more than a toy or bauble." Neal rose to his feet and snapped his fingers.
"I think I know just the thing! In fact, I think I hear them now."
Outside, a young couple from the Noble Quarter landed outside the orphanage. They were both shadow dragons and had planned to start a family but for some reason or another were unable to conceive. For them, adoption was the only option. Neal had already sought them out and informed them of the child and his wish and they had happily accepted.
As they landed, Neal gingerly took Draqel by a wingtip and walked him out to the couple who were absolutely beaming. Neal glanced down to the little drake and smiled.
"Here they are Draqel, this is Avys and her mate Neysol. They want to adopt you."
Gingerly, Draqel came forward and nodded to them. He then looked to Tidaal who came forward to formally ask if they intended to adopt the little one. When they both nodded in the affermative, Draqel beamed and came forward but then meeped in surprise as Avys scooped him up in a motherly embrace and nuzzled the child. Neysol came towards Neal and leaned down so that only he could hear him and smiled.
"Thank you Guardian, for the joy you have given my mate and I. Truly, you coming to Warfang is the greatest thing that has happened to this world since Spyro and Cynder defeated Malefor." Neal chuckled bashfully at that.
"Nothing as great as saving the world but still, bringing a little joy into the world is the least I can do." Neysol nodded to him and then looked to the sky and gasped.
"It's almost time for Their Majesty's celebration. You had best go to them, sir." Neal nodded and then looked to Danny who was getting ready to leave with Darte and walked over to him.
"You coming?" Danny shook his head.
"Can't right now, I've got somewhere else I need to be." Neal thought for a moment and nodded.
"Merry Christmas, brother." Danny nodded and returned the gesture before he and Darte started off.
With the gifts to the children handed out, Neal started off for the Castle.
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(')
Back at the hospital where Venomia was staying, Danny and Darte went to another area of the building where more critical patients were kept. Going down a hallway, they came to two rooms. One room was guarded by two dragons who had very serious expressions and the other was unguarded.
The unguarded room housed Hunter and Bianca. Hunter had recovered well but still had a ways to go before he was 100%. Skylar, who had temporarily taken Hunter's place as liason with the dragons, had been in and out checking up on him and informing him of the current events. The guarded room however housed Goro and Gaul who had been in even worse shape than had been suspected and worse is that the old mage had yet to fully regain consiousness.
Gaul had been awake and was trying daily to regain his strength (much to the concern of the guards) but yet, he constantly checked up on Goro, making sure he was breathing properly, alerting the healers when he came to which was infrequent, and generally not being as big a troublemaker as the guards had feared he would be.
Coincidentally, the two guards were Toxis and Growler, both clad in armor Neal had Forged and they snapped to attention seeing Danny approach. Growler smiled and inclined his head to him and Darte.
"Goro is awake today. He and Gaul have been talking since midday." Danny nodded his thanks and Growler opened the door for him and Darte.
Inside the room, Goro was up and wake though still bedridden while Gaul was next to him on a small chair and laughing about something. When they entered Goro stopped and smiled.
"I suppose congradulations are in order, Danny?" Danny nodded to the old ape and took a seat by Gaul and Darte by Danny. Gaul chuckled and shook his head.
"I suppose it's about time you stopped by to see how we were doing." Danny chuckled at the jab and nodded.
"To be fair, I'd heard the two of you were still out of it and goodness knows you apes need your beauty rest, you most of all, Gaul." Goro went from a chuckle to full blown laugh at Gaul's feigned indignant look and continued until he groaned and had to stop.
"Heh, for goodness sake Forger don't make me laugh that hard I'm barely holding myself together as is. That Fanghur... he really did a number on me." Danny nodded.
"We were lucky. I think if he'd really wanted to he could have completely destroyed the ship and later recovered the Astral Sword and none would have been the wiser." Goro nodded.
"His subtlety is exactly why I'm worried. As you've seen first-hand, none of Gaul's bloodline care much for subtlety or prefer outright action over planning. Tell me, what did he tell you while I was out cold?"
Danny relayed all that he had learned from Neal and, for the first time in his memory, saw the venerable ape mage turn ghost white in shock.
"If they go through with this, it'll start another war... They must be stopped. The problem is that Shadra has limited forces at her disposal. I know this sounds like a good thing but if I recall correctly there is a hatchery here for the nobility but for the commoners or those who prefer their species homelands, there are several hatcheries all over the land. The most she could hope for is either a distraction while striking at her main target or overwhelming her target with sheer numbers and speed." Danny nodded.
"Blitzkrieg tactics, I know what you're talking about. Thankfully they won't have the advantage of surprise as Neal made sure that the hatcheries were alerted almost immeidately upon his arrival in the city." Goro gave a slow nod while Gaul stood baffled.
"Blitz... krieg...?" Danny nodded.
"It's German for 'lightning war'. It was a tactic pioneered by the Germans during the Second World War and was used on several occasions and has been a staple of military tactics even since." Gaul looked interested and pressed for more information while Danny explained.
"The first instance was in the opening days of the war when German troops invaded Poland, a nation of almost equal size to Germany and basically conquered it in less than a month's time. That same force, once Poland was occupied and Germany officially at war with France and Britain, did a complete reversal, charged back to the western front and, under the command of a General named Rommel, bypassed the French Marginot Defense Line and routed the British and French forces and drove them back to the shores of Dunkirk in northern France." Danny took a moment before continuing.
"In less than six months, Germany succeeded in doing what they had failed to do in five years of fighting in the First World War. They conquered Poland which they still saw as East Prussia, they dealt a near crippling blow to the British, forcing them to retreat from Dunkirk, and had knocked their longtime enemy France out of the war with the capture of Paris. Britain would be on their own until the United States entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor and later the Soviet Union joined them after Germany invaded shortly after that." Danny paused for a moment and thought.
"Logically speaking, if Shadra has limited forces, if I were her, I'd send token forces to the distraction areas and then send my main force to whichever hatchery is the most isolated." Goro nodded and then turned to the door.
"You two outside, step in here please."
At the request, Growler and Toxis entered the room with grave expressions. They had heard everything and both of them were thinking quickly. Danny caught on and nodded.
"Already thinking about this, are you?" Growler nodded.
"When it comes to isolation, three come to mind: Howling Grove in the Dark Forest, Home of the Fear Dragons. Glacier Cliff in the Northern Icelands, Home to the Ice Dragons. Lastly there's Phantom's Ravine in the Shadowlands, Home of the Shadow Dragons. Of these, Phantom's Ravine is the most difficult to reach because it, like the name implies, is literally a ravine cut into the earth and is surrounded by members of the Shadowguard, elite Shadow Dragons who can come out of any shadow anywhere at anytime so long as they're in range of the Hatchery." Danny nodded again, his mind confirming it.
"That's the one. I'm almost sure of it." Goro paused for a moment in thought, then looked up and straight at Danny.
"If I recall correctly, the Shadowlands are bordered by the Freshwater Dragons, the Canine Territory, Forge Mountain, former home to the Forge Dragons, the Dark Lands where lies the Well of Souls, and the ruins of the human kingdom of Avalon. If they were to launch an attack, chance are they go through the ruins of Avalon." Goro was siezed by a coughing fit and had to lay back and rest but he remained conscious and looked to Danny.
"Relay what you've learned to Neal as soon as you can. The best way to stop Malefor's plans is to ensure Shadra is put in check before she can make too many moves. If you let her get too much of a lead, you'll not stop her in time." Danny nodded as Goro's eyes closed and he slipped into a semi-restful sleep with Gaul sparing a moment to pull the covers over him. He then felt Danny's eyes on him and turned to face him and the dragons.
"You dragons may think whatever you like but we apes respect our elders. We have our own culture and traditions, history and heroes. Goro is the closest thing I have to a Father or Grandfather and no matter what I will look after him." Danny nodded respectfully and then looked to the others.
"Neal and the rest of the Guardians are at the castle, right?" Growler nodded.
"Right about this time Their Majesties have their own part of the Ancestor's Night Celebration. Still though, are you planning to tell him tonight?" Danny shook his head.
"No, let tonight be a night of hope for all. Tomorrow is when we draw out the plans."
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Hi everyone. Okay, so this is Part 1 of the Christmas/ New Year's Special. I decided to split it since the chapter was getting a little long (hope ya'll don't mind). The other half is nearing completion but I've had to slow work a little bit as I'm also repairing the house.
A winter storm broke a limb off the tree near my house and basically impaled the roof over the kitchen so, yeah, 2020. It ain't done with me yet...
