A/N: Well this is it for the couple of chapters I had written up over that long period a few weeks back. As of tomorrow, its back to actually writing again. With any luck there won't be a long gap between now and the next chapter. If there is, well I'm sorry in advance. That said we are getting close to the end so I'm really going to try to push and keep a consistent writing schedule until this story is done. Anyway, enough of me yacking, hope you all enjoy.
The sun was setting around them. In the dim twilight Spyro and Cynder eyed the four young dragons. Each of their children paired off with another was a sight they both couldn't ignore any longer.
"I-I…" Ivarik stuttered as Spyro stared at him incredulously.
"Come on now, speak up." The purple dragon said calmly. He seemed stable, but there was a burning in his eyes that Ivarik didn't dare to overlook.
"I just really like her, that's all I swear!" Ivarik blurted out.
"Aw, Ivarik!" Aria shouted as she nestled closer to him. The lightning dragon froze at her touch. When she pecked his cheek, he had to wonder if she was actively trying to get him killed.
When he mustered the courage to return Spyro's gaze he found it unchanged, and cautious. The lightning drake gulped, his mouth felt dry, but he tried to speak anyway. "I wouldn't do anything to make Aria feel uncomfortable. I promise, Spyro, dragon of legend, sir." The youth fumbled, unsure of what to even call the purple dragon. Spyro only raised a brow slightly, clearly aware of the effect he was having.
Taelas turned from his sister and friend with a sigh. His eyes fell squarely on his mother. Her dark figure stood over both him and Lyara. He felt the silver dragoness at his side. She seemed to have finally caught on that something wasn't right, however it hardly seemed to be affecting her.
"What's wrong? Is she upset with you?" Lyara whispered to him. Despite her attempts at a private conversation, Taelas was very confident that his mother could hear her.
"Try us." The purple dragon countered quietly.
"What did I do?" Lyara asked, clearly confused.
"You must be joking." Taelas sighed, dropping any semblance of a whisper. "Parents always size up the potential mates of their children. It's practically tradition."
"If you'll recall I didn't quite get to that part of my life with my parents." Lyara answered through gritted teeth as she turned a forced smile towards Cynder.
"Right." Taelas answered awkwardly under his breath. "Sorry, I didn't consider that."
"Care to explain yourself Taelas?" Cynder asked, interrupting the, not so, private conversation. Her voice was sharp like a knife. There would be no avoiding this.
"What's to explain?" Taelas shrugged, realizing there was nothing he could do but stand by his decisions. "I won't deny it. It's exactly what you see, courting, and no more."
"Is that so?" Cynder asked, her eyes sliding over to Lyara. The silver dragoness met her gaze and separated herself from Taelas a bit.
"It's as he says." Lyara added, her tail wrapping delicately around Taelas'. A sight that didn't go unnoticed by the black dragoness. Weather it was a show of strength, or a sign of needed reassurance, Cynder couldn't tell.
"You didn't strike me as the type to…" Cynder trailed off, slightly unsure how to phrase her accusation. "Distract yourself."
"I didn't plan to." Lyara said nervously as a small smile broke onto her lips. She looked at the ground and twiddled the grass between her talons. "Things just sort of…happened."
"Did they now?" Cynder asked skeptically, turning a narrowed eye onto Taelas.
"Nothing like what you're thinking." Taelas said exasperated. "A kiss or two, nothing more."
Lyara's cheeks lit up as she realized what was being insinuated about them. Her tail unwrapped from Taelas' suddenly as a nervous energy coursed her body, signs that Cynder didn't miss. "N-Nothing like that!" She stuttered quickly.
Cynder looked between the two, her green eyes seemingly scanning for any weaknesses. The silence prompted Taelas to tilt his head. "I assume you approve?" He asked. Lyara straightened at the question, puffing out her chest a much as she could.
The smallest of hooks formed on Cynder's lips. "Of course, I approve." She said before reaching out and flicking Taelas' forehead with a lone talon. "Just don't do anything stupid." She added before looking to Lyara. "And if he does do something stupid, I trust you'll tell me."
"Of course!" Lyara answered happily as she leaned against Taelas in relief, the pressure leaving her body all at once.
"Ancestors." Cynder sighed shaking her head. "If you want children to start relationships, just send them off on a life-endangering task. I suppose we should have known."
"You think Ivarik will pull through?" Taelas asked, eyeing the other gathering of dragons quietly talking.
"Your father is all bark." Cynder said rolling her eyes. Taelas grinned at the comment as he honed his hearing on the conversation.
Ivarik and Spyro stared at each other. Aria, who'd begun the conversation in a bubbly mood, was quickly souring. Each question Spyro posed deepened her frown. Neither of the other dragons took note of her however until she stamped her paw.
"Oh, enough already!" She shouted, making them both flinch and turn to her.
"Aria, I-
"I know you want to make sure I'm safe." Aria said, interrupting her father. "But I'm old enough to choose for myself."
"But-
"No buts." Aria chided firmly. "Ivarik's protected me plenty of times while we were away. More importantly I like him. That's what is important. Right, father?"
"You're…right." Spyro said, finding himself somewhat at a loss.
"I am." Aria answered firmly. "We're just courting, so do you approve or not?"
Spyro looked at the lightning dragon who gave him an innocent smile. With a sigh he nodded. "Children grow up too quickly it seems." He said idly.
Aria smiled and moved closer, brushing against his leg. "I'll always need a father." She said lovingly. The gesture brought a smile to Spyro's lips. He looked back to Ivarik who seemed slightly unsure about what to do.
"You'll protect her?" Spyro asked quietly.
"With my life." Ivarik answered without missing a beat.
"Careful!" Syra nagged, prompting an exasperated look from the earth guardian. The fire dragoness hesitated and took a step back allowing Tera to proceed.
"I'm not that fragile you know." Ryn coughed as he slid off the guardian's back and onto a cushioned area. He flinched even from the gentle landing. Then, before he could really react three moles nearly smothered him, as they passed bandages, salves, and other medical accessories.
Syra could hear her friend through the rummaging moles as he protested to being poked and prodded. The medics didn't seem to pay him any mind as they went about their work. No doubt they were used to flailing dragons at this point.
"Will you be staying?" Tera asked, drawing her from the distracting scene.
"I, uh…" Syra stuttered as she looked back and forth between the guardian and her friend. Now that things had settled down, she realized she'd ultimately be left alone with him. The pressure of what conversation might flourish tightened her stomach into a knot.
"I'll keep an eye on him." She said finally.
Tera nodded. "You did a brave thing tonight." She smiled at the thought. "You might be a fire guardian in the making."
"T-Thank you." Syra said bowing her head slightly.
Tera gave a small snort at the gesture. "Such formality." She said idly as she made for the exit of the tent. "Stay safe young one." She called before fading from view. Outside, Syra heard the rush of wind as the guardian took to the air, the canvas flaps of the tent rustling as a result.
Quietly, the fire dragoness turned back to her friend who had been oblivious to the conversation as he was still surrounded by medics. Syra grinned as she listened to Ryn's idle complaints. Occasionally, she'd hear a small yelp from him as another wound was cleaned and treated.
Some time passed, and slowly the moles began to leave one at a time. Syra thanked each of them as they passed, feeling that someone should show some gratitude. The last mole poked at the green dragon examining several aspects of his now bandaged form, much to Ryn's disdain. The earth drake would flinch and brush him away whenever he could manage, but the mole persisted. Finally, he seemed satisfied and waddled away, Ryn scowling at his back the whole time.
"Is he going to be alright?" Syra asked as the medic approached her. She eyed her friend over the mole's shoulder, seeing the clean bandages and several sections of scales that were coated in salve.
"He should be fine." The mole said with a sigh. "Young dragons heal quickly, but that doesn't mean you should push yourself like this."
"We'll keep that in mind." Syra said doing her best to play off the comment.
"That wound on his abdomen has been stitched but will leave a scar." The mole continued. "He shouldn't move or he'll tear it open again."
"I'll keep him in one place." Syra answered firmly.
"Good." The mole nodded. "This is the guardian's private triage; you shouldn't be bothered here. Just try not to make any noise. Does he have any kin we should notify?"
Syra hesitated for a moment at the mention of family. Kalim of course came to mind. Given what she knew about the relationship however, she had a hard time imagining Ryn would want him there. After a brief pause, she shook her head. The medic looked at her, a clear curiosity in his eyes. Still, he simply nodded and turned to leave.
The dragoness breathed a sigh of relief, for some reason she'd felt on edge around the mole. With him gone, her weariness suddenly crept forth. She turned tired eyes upon Ryn to find him staring at her. He quickly turned away when their eyes met, lying his head back as he lay on his side, staring at the extremities of the tent.
Syra pursed her lips as she considered where to begin. Now that she was alone with him, she found herself struggling for words. The silence pushed against her, suffocating her. "How are you feeling?" She started awkwardly.
"Peachy." Ryn answered flatly.
"You weren't around much today. Not at all actually." Syra continued, trying to ignore his tone. "Where did you run off to?"
"Not important." Ryn said, brushing off her question.
A fang poked out from under Syra's lip as she felt her temper flare. She quickly suppressed it however, choosing instead to exhale steadily. "Did you run into your grandfather?" She asked, considering what could put him in such a foul mood.
"Why should you care?" Ryn asked shrugging her off.
"Because I'm…your friend." She answered awkwardly.
"Of course." Ryn said rolling over. "That's all we are after all." He mumbled under his breath.
Syra leered at him. While he may have thought he was speaking quietly that was far from the truth. "I heard that." She growled.
"Good." Ryn retorted.
"What's gotten into you?" Syra asked stamping her paw, her irritation beginning to show through.
"What's gotten into me?" Ryn asked, in disbelief as he raised his head to look at her directly. "You've got the audacity to ask me that? After what happened?"
Syra didn't answer him. She knew what he was referring to. Their one night together, a decision she'd made in the wrong state of mind. A mixture of rejection and frustration that she'd allowed to override her mind just long enough to make a mistake.
"Finally lost that spark?" Ryn spat. "Figures. You've been itching for a fight ever since I met you. Now that there's an actual argument to be had, you shy away."
The green dragon lay his head back down, clearly having lost any interest in continuing a one-sided conflict. Syra considered leaving then and there. She felt a burning in her throat and she swallowed to suppress it. She knew he was right.
"I'm sorry." She muttered sadly.
"Sorry?" Ryn asked incredulously as he raised his head up once more. There was a fierceness in his bronze eyes. However, the moment they locked onto the fire dragoness they began to soften. She looked pitiful. He could see liquid around the rims of her eyes, tears she was desperately trying to fight back. His anger still simmered beneath the surface, but even he wasn't heartless. He couldn't bring himself to tear into someone already so downtrodden.
"Forget it." He muttered as he dropped his head once more onto a cushion. He stared idly at the edge of the tent willing her to leave him be.
"Ryn?" Syra asked after some time, her voice fragile. The earth dragon's eyes shifted to look at her, but he was otherwise still. "I don't expect you to forgive me." She continued. "Ever since we met you've helped me. You listened when I complained. You came and found me when I ran." She paused for a moment to look over his bandaged body. "You protected me when I was in danger."
The earth drake didn't move, he barely even breathed. He watched as the dragoness shifted nervously on her paws, her train of thought seemed to flounder.
"You've been a good friend. A great one in fact. In return, well, I suppose I've been the opposite." The dragoness paused for a moment. Silently, she wondered if he'd jump in, but he remained quiet. If not for his piercing sidelong stare she might have thought he was ignoring her. "If you can't forgive me, then I wouldn't blame you. But you should know I'd do anything to keep you in my life."
"You don't seem to get it." Ryn said after a few moments. His words made the dragoness cringe, her wings drooping as she prepared herself for a verbal onslaught.
"Tell me, did that night mean anything to you?" Ryn asked skeptically. "Or was it really that easy to just shrug me off? Call it a mistake, and move on?"
Syra blinked a few times. When she remained silent, Ryn sat all the way up, turning to face her with a hard stare. "Well?" He asked. His tone was calm, but full of force.
Syra wriggled under the question as she looked away. Thoughts of that night flitted through her mind, all of which brought blood rushing to her cheeks. Her talons twitched as she grasped at words. They were stuck in her throat however, and she swallowed as she tried to keep a level head.
Finally, she regained the courage to look at Ryn. Her jaw quivered as his eyes bored into her. "It was…" She started. "Not what I had planned on."
Ryn snorted in irritation. "That settles that then."
"I don't mean it like that!" Syra cried desperately. Ryn's eyes only narrowed, his doubt on full display. "Of course it meant something, I just…" The dragoness trailed off.
"Just what?" Ryn asked with vitriol.
"At the time, I wasn't thinking straight." Syra explained. "I just acted. Then when it was over, I was afraid."
"Afraid?" Ryn asked raising a brow.
"I didn't know what you'd think of me." Syra mumbled. "I mean, we just…we aren't mates, we aren't even courting." The dragoness fidgeted as she dodged around the topic. "I called it a mistake hoping you might just overlook what happened." Cautiously, she looked to Ryn. She found him one part inquisitive, and one part annoyed.
"You were worried about that? That I would judge you?" He asked. "That's why you just shoved me aside?"
"I didn't want to burden you anymore." Syra replied quietly. "You deserve better than to take care of a rash, moody, dragoness."
A stillness fell over the room then. Syra's eyes fell back to the ground in sorrow. The air was thick. She imagined her eyes were red, she'd been on the verge of tears for minutes now. Her throat stung, and she sniffled slightly as the seconds passed.
"When did I ever say you were a burden?" Ryn asked. Syra's eyes widened slightly as she looked up at the earth dragon.
"But…after everything…" Syra choked.
"I never once thought of you like that Syra." Ryn said calmly. "Stubborn maybe, but not a burden." The earth dragon paused for a moment. "I've grown rather fond of you if you hadn't noticed."
Syra felt her cheeks flush. A small smile cracked across her lips and she hiccupped as tears began to fall from her eyes. Ryn frowned and nodded for her to come closer. Syra obliged, perhaps too eagerly, as she nearly crashed into him. She knew she should be gentle as she nuzzled against him, but couldn't help herself as she nestled at his side. The moment passed in silence as she slowly regained her composure. Still resting her head against his shoulder, she sighed.
"What does this mean for us then?" She asked, doing her best to keep any nervousness from her tone.
Ryn sighed as he draped a wing across her back. Syra couldn't help but coo from the warmth. The tent was drafty after all, and now that she settling down, she was beginning to notice the chilled nighttime breeze. The sound she made almost made her stop short. She had to take a moment to understand just how differently she felt at that moment. For so long she'd been angry, bitter, or sad, it almost felt strange to simply feel, content.
"Well." Ryn said slowly. He could feel the dragoness sinking against him. His injured side protested, but he ignored it, far too happy to be bothered by such a trifle. "I like you." He said simply. He didn't have to look at her, he could feel the blood rush to her cheeks as her body heated up. He couldn't help but smile. "Is it safe to say you feel the same?"
"I was always a fan of myself." Syra commented. She felt the green dragon roll his eyes and nudge her gently with his foreleg. She snickered, taking far too much pleasure in her own dull wit. "I feel the same as you." She added quietly.
"A courtship then." Ryn said leaning over and pecking her cheek unexpectedly. After a brief moment of surprise Syra turned and planted a kiss on his lips. It wasn't the first time this had happened of course, but it tasted sweeter than any embrace that had come before.
When Syra pulled away and Ryn opened his eyes he was met with a dragoness trying to stifle a yawn. He raised a sarcastic brow, waiting for her to finish fighting the involuntary reaction.
"I'm sorry!" She said emphatically as she regained herself. "It isn't you, I'm just-
"Tired?" Ryn asked, receiving only a timid nod from his partner. "Let's get some sleep then."
Syra smiled and nodded eagerly as she nestled closer into the crooks of his body. As she lay her head down on the ground, for the first time in a long time, she felt at peace.
"To think we'd see another cataclysmic prophecy in our time." Blaze said shaking his head.
He stood in a tent, the other guardians at his side. A makeshift table stood in front on them, covered in maps, notes, and various war preparations. On the other side, were the four dragons he'd called forth. Spyro and Cynder stood beside their son as well as Lyara. The two younger dragons had just finished explaining the prophecy they'd only learned about the previous day.
"Like father like son I suppose." Spyro sighed, not knowing what else to say.
"It stands to work in our favor, so there's no sense in worrying about it." Valas mentioned from the side. The scarred dragon sat as he usually did, with an even stare, unreadable to most. He kept his distance from the others, clearly aware of the divide in their standing.
"There's no clear conclusion to it." Lyara argued. "There's nothing to say we will succeed, just that we will try."
"Ignore it then, if it pleases you." Valas muttered. "I only wanted to give information. I didn't mean to demoralize either of you."
Icryious cleared his throat. "Prophecy aside." He said bluntly. "The time draws near. The encounter last night made it clear that they will not wait long. They could charge us at any moment."
"You said our friends were alright?" Lyara asked, quickly.
"I saw to them personally." Tera replied. "Ryn was a little worse for wear, but he will recover. Knowing the durability of earth dragons, he'll likely be on his paws today."
"That's good." Lyara sighed in relief.
"Be honest Blaze." Cynder said, drawing the fire dragon's attention. Much like Ignitus before him the fire dragon had turned into a leader even amongst the guardians. If anyone could give her a straight answer it was him. "Can you hold them alone?"
Blaze contemplated the question for a moment. There was a point in his life where he would have balked at the black dragoness, spurned her question and given a harsh retort. Those times had long since passed. He chewed his lip as his eyes swept over the table before him.
"It's hard to gauge." He answered slowly. "In numbers we outmatch them. However, after seeing what one dragoness did last night, well…"
"You know we can't stay." Spyro said quietly.
Blaze nodded. "You've a far tougher battle ahead of you."
Taelas looked between the two as the realization dawned on him. "You're going to fight Sol and Arum?" He questioned, looking to his parents. They eyed each other and half smiled.
"We don't have much of a choice." Cynder replied. "Few can get close to the tear between the realms without succumbing to it."
"But the prophecy said you wouldn't succeed. It was clear on that." Taelas reasoned.
"Perhaps not alone." Spyro replied. "But with two other dragons of prophecy with us, maybe we'll stand a chance."
Taelas turned to look at Lyara who gave him a reassuring smile. The purple dragon returned it before speaking again. "You mean you aren't going to try to stop me from fighting?"
Spyro shrugged at the question. "While I'd rather you and your sister stayed far away, we don't have much choice."
"Make no mistake Taelas." Cynder said as she saw a smile burst onto her son's face. The words alone tempered Taelas' attitude. "In the past, we didn't hold you back because we thought you couldn't handle a situation." She explained. "Spyro and I kept you from fighting because we knew we could take care of anything that threatened you."
Silence fell over the room as Cynder frowned, letting the implication sink in. The onyx dragoness shifted slightly, feeling the recent wounds that were now marring her silky hide. Additions to a lifetime of battle, and pain. "Understand that we are asking for your help because that surety is no longer there. Just as Spyro once saved the world, the same burden may fall on your shoulders now."
Taelas didn't respond. Suddenly, he felt heavy. The realization of what was depending on his actions, his ability to succeed, smothering him. He considered all the times he'd wished for an opportunity to be a hero and couldn't help but silently chastise himself. In the depths of his thoughts, he felt a tail wrap around his. He blinked as he turned to Lyara who forced a small smile and a shrug.
"The burden is not yours, but ours. You know that." She said quietly. The words put the purple dragon at ease, if only a little.
"To leave our fates to children." Srix commented, shaking his head. "I don't like the odds."
"We were a year or two younger when we faced Malefor." Spyro countered easily. "The odds certainly didn't favor us then either."
"All the same I'd prefer to stop gambling the fate of the planet on the prowess of purple dragons." Srix sighed.
"Seems we don't have any other options." Tera commented. She seemed just as uneasy, but managed to toss a small nod of acknowledgement towards the younger dragons all the same.
"Then it is settled." Blaze said with finality. "You four will take advantage of the fighting here and confront the gods. Kill them, and we can end this."
"You make it sound so easy Blaze." Cynder chided, a half-amused smile forming on her lips.
"For the four of you, I've every confidence." The fire dragon smirked. "Just try not to take too long."
"They won't know what hit them." Spyro answered as he moved towards the entrance of the tent and passed through. The others followed shortly after. Once they'd all exited, Valas snorted quietly, drawing the attention of the other four.
"How confident are you in them guardian?" The lightning dragon asked bluntly.
Blaze crinkled his nose and frowned as he turned back to the table before him. "Doesn't much matter how confident I am." He answered quietly.
Outside the tent, Taelas squinted his eyes. The midday sun was bright above them and a stark contrast from the interior of the tent he'd just been in. He took a few steps as his eyes adjusted and then stopped short as he nearly ran into his sister.
Aria stared at him as he fumbled and backed up slightly. "What is it?" Taelas asked. Silently, he noticed Ivarik a short distance away, his usual candor replaced with a sobering expression. "Why are you here?"
"You're leaving, aren't you?" Aria asked. "To go and fight them."
She'd been there when the four dragons had gotten a summons by the guardians that morning. She'd naturally wanted to join the meeting, but Spyro and Cynder had refused. Which of course had prompted her to do the next best thing, wait outside the tent.
"Well, I…" Taelas stuttered.
"Don't bother lying Taelas, you were never very good at it anyway." Aria said flatly, making her brother hang his head.
"We've a responsibility to see this through." Lyara said stepping up beside the violet drake.
"Take us with you then." Aria argued.
The silver dragoness gave a pitying smile. "You know we can't do that Aria."
The azure dragoness looked away, having already expected the obvious answer. It didn't make it sting less however. "Taelas can I talk to you?" She asked quietly. As her brother opened his mouth to reply she interjected again. "Alone." She specified.
Taelas shut his jaw and gave a small sigh. He looked to his parents who had been observing the exchange. They both nodded. "We won't leave until the assault happens. Just meet us back at the outcropping." Spyro said.
As they turned to leave, Lyara leaned in and pecked Taelas' cheek. "Don't take too long okay?" She asked looking between the two.
Taelas nodded, and as Lyara turned to leave Aria cleared her throat abruptly making the silver dragoness take pause. As Lyara turned to look back at her, Aria spoke again. "Any sister of mine would come back from this intact, alright?"
Lyara grinned at the sentiment. She nodded happily as she turned to leave. Ivarik joined her and together the four dragons took to the air, leaving the siblings alone on the ground. Aria remained quiet, something Taelas wasn't expecting. The dragoness was usually keen to say whatever was on her mind. He waited for a moment, but she still made no indication she would speak.
"Maybe we should take a walk?" He asked easily. "There's a pond not far from here. It's usually pretty quiet there."
Aria only nodded and together they set off. For several minutes, they wove their way through the tents, pushing past busy moles and dragons alike. Some of the dragons nodded to them, stories of their trip to the focal points already spreading among them. They took the gestures in stride, returning them when they could. Despite the bustle, there was a palpable tension in the air. It felt ready to burst at any moment. That crushing feeling was not lost on the siblings either.
They came to the pond Taelas had mentioned soon enough. They found it mostly abandoned, save for a few dragons and moles milling about in the distance, gathering water for various tasks. Taelas sat down and he felt Aria sit beside him, she was close, her tail swishing across his on occasion as she fidgeted nervously.
Taelas considered pushing her to speak, but knew it was probably an ill-advised idea. He sighed quietly, serenely. It wasn't meant to prompt her to speak, but the dragoness jumped as she struggled to say anything regardless.
"It's strange to just sit, isn't it?" Taelas asked quietly as he stared at the still water. His sister didn't reply, he didn't expect her to. "Feels like a long time since we weren't dealing with focal points, gods, or convexity. Strange to think that not long ago we were just sort of…living."
"D-Do you miss it?" Aria asked quietly, her voice cracking a bit. "The calm I mean?"
Taelas took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He contemplated the question for a few moments as he scanned the nature before him. "In some ways I do." He said finally. "I think I finally understand why mom and dad wanted us to have peaceful lives."
"I guess in some ways, you got what you wanted." Aria replied. "To be like father."
Taelas chuckled at the thought. "To think, not long ago I used to blame him for trying to keep me from adventures like this. I really didn't know anything did I?"
"It was part of your charm." Aria replied, the smallest hook of a smile forming on her lips.
"Good thing I have a sister to help me out I guess." Taelas laughed.
Aria nodded happily. "I'll always have your back, you know that." She said bumping her shoulder against his. Taelas expected it to be nothing more than that, but as she collided with him, she became still and eventually leaned into his side. The purple dragon grew still, any trace of a smile fading from his lips. He didn't need to see her to know that she'd grown similarly somber.
"You have to see this through, don't you?" She asked quietly.
"I do." Taelas muttered firmly after a few seconds.
"Spyro and Cynder too." She mumbled. Taelas felt a tear stream down his scales, but ignored it. He waited for her to continue. "I can't lose all of you." She said finally. "I wouldn't be able to bear it."
"You won't have to." Taelas replied, solidifying his tone as best he could.
"You promise?" Aria asked.
"Promise." Taelas answered flatly as he extended a wing to cover her warmly.