Many years ago, in Mount Erebus…
The dragoness Elenar made her way through the many passages of the mountain city. She was the princess of the shadow dragons, and first in line for the throne. Many saw Elenar as full of fairness and grace; her mane was a midnight-black, and it fell neatly behind her silver horns. Though Elenar was lacking in gracefulness today; she bumped into a carton or two as she hurried along the corridor. She tripped on her silk cape several times, and her tiara nearly fell off her head more than once.
The many upturns and downturns of the mountain interior were kept illuminated by countless clusters of draconic gems. The walls and floors of every hall and chamber were meticulously carved out of the rock of the mountain. But many of the doorways were made of wood, and sometimes even metal. In the center of the mountain, the Great Chasm served as the hub for the network of corridors running up and down the mountainside. Hundreds of shadow dragons made the mountain their home; all of their scales were either a dull grey or deep crimson.
Elenar rushed with great haste to make it to the throne room of the mountain. She wasn't looking where she was going, as she smacked into a few of her subjects as they emerged from their shadows.
"Erm, excuse me!" Elenar exclaimed as she continued on her way.
"What where you're going!" An older dragoness snapped at her.
"Sorry, ma'am!" Elenar called over her shoulder. She couldn't help it if she was being hasty today. All of her shadow-jumping from her morning's errands had left the princess sapped on magical energy. And it was the worst time possible to be unable to shadow-jump; she'd just received a very peculiar scroll from a dragonfly not five minutes ago. And she couldn't let just anyone see the contents of the scroll; she needed to see her mother.
Elenar was in her early twenties. While technically an adult, she was years away from achieving her full height; the older dragons always dwarfed her by at least a head and a half. And sometimes, dragons just didn't see her coming at all.
One such example of this came when Elenar rounded a corner and smacked into a wind dragoness. Elenar and the wind dragoness both grunted as they collapsed onto the cold floor. Elenar's tiara fell off her head, and she flushed with embarrassment; it happened again.
"Sheesh, where's the fire…?" The wind dragoness grumbled. She rose up to her feet and frowned down at Elenar. "You alright, Elenar?"
"I'm… I'm fine…" Elenar stood up and scooped her tiara off the floor. She struggled to get it back onto her head as she frowned at the wind dragoness. "Sorry about that, Elza."
Elza brushed blue mane hairs out of her face as she stood upright. Her grey robes were scuffed up with dirt, but she didn't care. After helping the princess straighten out her dress, Elza made to walk beside Elenar… but soon the shadowy dragoness took off into a sprint once again.
"Hey, wait up!" Elza called after her.
"Sorry, but I need to get to Mother!" Elenar exclaimed.
"Well don't disturb her alone!" Elza snapped. The wind dragoness spread her wings and gave herself a little boost of speed to keep up with the princess. "You know how Mom gets when council meetings are interrupted!"
Elza had known Elenar for many years; ever since they were younglings, in fact. Elza had been taken in by the shadow dragon ruling family when she was a little girl, and had since been raised as Elenar's sibling.
"What's gotten you so worked up, anyway?" Elza asked as she sprinted just behind Elenar.
"I just got a scroll via Dragonflymail!" Elenar declared. She dashed around a food cart, giving the merchant quite a spook in her wake.
"Via what?" Elza scrunched up her muzzle.
"I'll explain when we get to the throne room." Elenar declared. "You'll want to hear what happens; it came from Aeroshard."
"Aeroshard?" Elza's eyes widened. Aeroshard was the city of the wind dragons. Elza hadn't been there since she was a dragonling.
"Again, I'll explain later, sis!"
A few minutes later, Elenar burst through a set of marble double-doors, giving the shadow dragon guards quite a shock. The princess came to a quick stop and panted heavily as Elza slowed to a stop at her side.
"M… Mom…?" Elenar asked as she caught her breath. "I… need to talk to you."
Elenar and Elza raised their heads to behold the throne room. It was an expansive chamber on one of the uppermost floors of the mountain city. The center of the room was cut open to allow the Great Chasm to continue onward. The walls were decorated with massive clusters of red, green and blue crystals. Just beneath the clusters, two long lined of soldiers stood on guard.
A group of old shadow dragons looked at the princess incredulously as she stepped forward. And over on the far end of the room, two middle-aged dragons sat upon two silver thrones.
"Elenar…" The dragoness, Queen Murkandre, groaned as she rubbed her head with a wing-thumb. "This had better be important."
Murkandre was tall and majestic; she towered over every other dragon in the room. She had for bronze horns; two broader ones curled backward from just above her topaz eyes, and two smaller ones curled from below and behind the larger ones. Her silvery mane fell down her neck, and a medallion emblazoned with the crossed möbius signs hung about her neck. And she had quite the irritated expression as her daughters stepped around the great chasm to approach the thrones.
Elenar hung her head low as the dragons of the Shadow Council leered at her and Elza. The shadowy princess tried to strike a regal pose as she sat on her haunches, but her willpower quickly melted into trepidation as her parents glared at her.
"This is the third time this month you've barged right on in during a council meeting, Elenar." Her father, Alexander, said as he wracked his talons on the floor. "Care to explain yourself?"
King Alexander, despite being in his early fifties, was a surprisingly short dragon; he could barely look into his daughter's eyes from even atop his throne. He had two broad horns, which grew from his neck like tusks. He had a black mane, which was trimmed short and pulled back into braids. The king was dressed in black robes, which partially hid the pair of red möbius glyphs on his sides.
"I swear that I wouldn't interrupt a council meeting without a good reason." Elenar bowed her head.
"That didn't stop you the last two times." Alexander snorted, making the princess wince.
"But it's important this time: I mean it." Elenar reached into her satchel. "A scroll arrived within the last hour from Aeroshard."
"Aeroshard?" Murkandre grimaced.
"Yeah…" Elenar pulled out the scroll and presented it to her mother.
"That seal is broken." Alexander snapped.
"I know." Elenar grimaced. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. And I figured, well…" She scratched at the floor a bit. "Seeing as I'm the future queen, and all…"
"You're not the queen yet, Elenar." Murkandre scolded. "But nevertheless, I'll see what this scroll has to say…"
Elenar took a deep breath and hung her head low as her mother read the scroll. She didn't need to see the Shadow Queen's face to know that Murkandre didn't like the contents. A rumbling filled the air as the queen clawed at the floor.
"What's wrong, my love?" Alexander asked with concern. He placed a forepaw atop one of hers
"King Boreas…" Murkandre shut her eyes and sighed. "…Is no more."
Elza's eyes widened, and she used a wing to cover her muzzle. Elenar just looked at her in pity. The council, meanwhile, muttered uneasily amongst themselves.
"Not a fortnight ago," The queen continued, "during the battle in the Arcus Desert, the Wind King's life was taken from him by none other than the combined efforts of King Oceanus and King Gaius."
"Oh, dear…" Alexander frowned.
"And that's not all." Murkandre shook her head. "In a fit of rage, a gang of wind dragons descended upon the two kinds for revenge. Gaius managed to escape, but Oceanus was killed. After that, the surviving wind dragons fled back to Aeroshard." The queen rumbled uneasily. "The letter doesn't say what the wind dragons are planning to do about the loss of their monarch."
"I see…" The king wracked his talons on the floor.
"Are..." Elza asked worriedly. "Are there any survivors among the royal family of wind dragons?"
"The scroll doesn't say." The Queen answered. "I am sorry, my dear."
Elza sat back onto her haunches and looked down at her paws. Elenar sat next to her sister to drape a wing over her back.
This wasn't the first time a scroll arrived with news of a grim fate for a clan of dark dragons. Not too long ago, news arrived that the Fear dragons of the Whispering Rainlands were dealt a serious blow by the fire dragons. King Horus brought wildfires to the forests and jungles in the hopes of destroying Fear dragon territory. Many died in the flames, chief among them being the royal family of Fear dragons. Any who survived were scattered to the four winds. And now, only two races of dark dragons remained: Poison and Shadow.
As Elenar sat with Elza, there came a distant knocking at the front of the throne room. The princess and her sister turned to look, as did the king and queen, as another shadow dragoness walked inside.
"Excuse me." She said calmly. "There's another scroll that needs attending to… Your Majesty."
"Another interruption…" Alexander grumbled. He adjusted himself on his throne and glared. "Very well. Step forward, Dona."
Elenar and Elza stepped out of the way as Dona made her way around the chasm. She was a few years older than Elenar, but shorter by at least half a head. She wore a set of plain brown robes, though she kept her sides exposed to reveal the glowing möbius signs to all who beheld her. There was also a sway to her hips, which made her satchel shift to and frown.
Dona's crimson eyes momentarily darted across the room as she approached the queen. Elenar watched uneasily as Dona came to a stop between her and Elza.
"What's this about another scroll, Dona?" Alexander asked. "Is it from the same source as the first?"
"Not quite, Your Highness." Dona shook her mane of red hair as she sat back on her haunches. She rifled through her satchel for a moment. "Moments after Elenar ran off to give you that scroll, another dragonfly arrived from elsewhere, bearing this scroll."
Dona produced a small, silver scroll with a red seal. Upon that seal were the letters F.T.C. in bold print.
"Hmm?" Murkandre took the scroll and held it up curiously. "FTC? I can't say I'm familiar with that. What do they want?"
"Read on and find out." Dona bowed her head. "I'm not one to pry through monarchs' mail."
Dona flashed Elenar a toothy grin. This made Elza sneer, while Elenar just sighed; this wasn't the time to argue with Dona.
Murkandre opened the scroll and took a moment to read its contents. Dona just backed up to sit beside Elenar as the queen read.
"Why didn't you let me know before I ran off, Dona?" The princess whispered.
"Perhaps if you learned to be patient," The other dragoness stated coldly, "You would've learned sooner."
Once the Queen finished reading her scroll, she held a puzzled look.
"What is it, Murkandre?" Alexander asked.
"The founder of the FTC, this… Faeshrine Trading Company…" She gestured with a forepaw. "…has made a request to speak with me about some kind of business proposition."
"What?" Alexander blinked.
"He wants to meet somewhere privately to discuss a matter that will supposedly benefit the whole of the shadow dragon kingdom." Murkandre put the scroll down and grimaced. "Why, I can scarcely being to comprehend what to do about this."
"Well, forget it, then." Alexander snorted. "We need to focus on fortifying our defenses in case Gaius or one of those other fiends plots to steal control of the Well of Souls from us."
"But what if he wants to aid us in that?" Dona asked. "Perhaps the founder of the FTC might be able to-"
"And what if it's a trick?" Alexander snapped. "Some kind of ploy from light dragons to make us vulnerable? It's not worth the risk."
"We don't have to give this stranger access to our kingdom." Murkandre said. "Once he arrives in the Shattered Vale, we can declare that he can't go any further."
"Shattered Vale? You mean he's already on his way here?" Alexander sneered.
"Indeed; his letter was sent nearly a week in advance of his trip." The shadow queen showed her king the date on the scroll. "He's a tad presumptuous, isn't he?"
"Who is this founder, anyway?" Elenar asked. "Does the scroll say, Mother?"
"Hmm, it does mention a name near the very bottom…" Murkandre hefted up the scroll and squinted her eyes. "The founder of the FTC is a dragon named… Bergan."
Elenar's eyes flew wide open. She took several paces back and bumped into the railing that surrounded the great chasm. Could it be? Did she hear that name correctly? The princess hadn't heard that name in years; she thought he was lost to her. She repeated the name in her head several times, while everyone else looked at her puzzled.
"Elenar?" Elza tilted her head. "What's wrong? Who's Bergan?"
Elenar eventually snapped back to reality. She shook her head and looked between her parents with pleading eyes. "Can I go see him?"
"Ba-what?!" Alexander balked. "Why would you want to meet this stranger?"
"He's no stranger to me." Elenar declared. "I used to know Bergan; he lived in Warfang under Lady Cynder's custody when he was a boy. And I haven't seen him since the war started."
Murkandre and Alexander exchanged uneasy glances.
"I think it's extremely dangerous for you to go see this… Bergan." Alexander seemed disgusted to say the name. "There's no telling what he may want."
"Then send a squadron of guards with me." Elenar stood up tall and glared at her father. "Have them surround the Shattered Vale and put his boat on lockdown. If that's what it takes, then fine. I just want to speak with an old friend again."
The king huffed, and looked at Murkandre with a grumble. "What do you think, my love?"
"Hmm…" Murkandre scratched her chin. "This could be a chance for Elenar to put her diplomatic training to the test. We'll have our daughter speak with the founder of the FTC to find out what proposal he wants to make. After she's gathered information, she'll share it with us. Then we'll make the final decision as to whether he's worth our time."
Murkandre lowered her head to look Elenar in the eyes. "We're trusting your judgment, my daughter. I hope you don't let us down."
"I'll make you proud." Elenar said with a regal pose and attitude. "I promise."
Elenar looked at Elza. "Want to come with me?"
"What for?" The wind dragoness frowned.
"I just think you'd like to get out of this stuffy mountain for once." Elenar put on an encouraging smile.
"I understand… but I, well…" Elza sighed. "I'm sorry, Sis: I've got a lot on my mind. I don't think I can go with you."
"It's just as well." Dona snorted. "I can't imagine your miserable state would help improve chances of making any kind of deals with this FTC."
Elza snarled. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Dona."
"Still, 'my opinion' is valid enough to be considered fact." Dona flapped her wings and stuck her snout in the air. "You'd only get in the way."
"Shut up!" Elza snarled louder.
"That's ENGOUH!" Murkandre bellowed, making the younger dragoness jump in surprise. She stepped off of her throne and came to rise up before the trio.
"Elza, if you wish to stay, then stay. You're under no obligation to go." The queen declared.
"Y-Yes, ma'am." Elza bowed her head.
"And as for you, Dona…" Murkandre glared into Dona's eyes, who shook worriedly. "You'd bet learn to watch your tongue around me and Alexander. You're on constant thin ice as it is."
"My apologies, your grace." The short dragoness said solemnly as she bowed her head.
"Good. Now then…" Murkandre rose her head back up and looked at Elenar. "Pack what personal belongings you deem fit for travel. You'll be leaving for the Shattered Vale on the morrow; that's when this Bergan's boat is scheduled to arrive."
"How do you know that?" Alexander asked.
"He listed the date right here in the scroll…" Murkandre sat back down on her throne. "Evidently this Bergan is very good with time management."
A grin nearly split Elenar's face; she'd keep that little accidental pun a secret for now. Instead, she bowed her head and smiled. "I'll get ready soon, Mother."
"Very well." Murkandre nodded. "The three of you are dismissed."
With that done, Elenar turned to leave the throne room. There was a skip in her step as she thought of all the things she'd say to Bergan. But just behind her, Elza and Dona walked silently; they cast each other the most hateful glares they could the entire time. Their rivalry would live on for many years to come…
~~…~~
The Shattered Vale was the collective name for a series of valleys and mountains scattered all throughout the southern section of the frozen continent. But it was also the name of a large fishing village on the very tip of said continent.
Elenar gazed around at the village as she stepped out of her carriage and onto the snow. Many thatched roof buildings were scattered about, their owners tidying up for the princess's arrival. At the very center of the village was a large statue of a proud black dragoness: Lady Cynder. The many shadow dragons that lived in the village, and even a few of the non-dragons, would frequently offer blessings upon the statue in the hopes of good hauls while fishing.
Half a dozen large fishing ships were docked in the harbor. While most of them where tall and majestic, the one at the very end, closest to the village square, was humble in size. Elenar had a good feeling that this was the boat she was looking for.
Elenar stepped forward, and four of her parents' guards emerged from the shadows nearby. They wore silver armor as they took formation around Elenar, much to her annoyance; she was hoping that her parents would call her bluff about needing all of this security.
"Take me to the smallest boat." Elenar ordered. "That's where the founder of the FTC will be."
"As you command, princess." The head guard said. And they all marched in lock-step toward the boat.
Elenar and her guards made their way onto the harbor and up to the fishing boat. Several moles and cheetahs dressed in fur cloaks were unloading various items from the deck and onto the docks. One of the moles spotted the princess's entourage, and rushed off to alert someone. As the princess came to a stop by the gangplank, someone emerged from the captain's quarters and made his way to meet them. The mole from before sounded a horn before stepping down the gangplank and making a dramatic gesture.
"Presenting the founder of the Faeshrine Trading Company…" The mole said. "President Bergan!"
Elenar could barely believe her eyes. Were it not for his amethyst scales, and those sparkling red eyes, she would think she'd found the wrong dragon. The boy she knew in Warfang had grown up. His body had become muscular and toned. His ram-like horns were thicker, and small golden stubble hung from his chin. A plain, black cape hung over his back, while his mane was worn in small braids. His most elaborate item was a golden satchel upon his back.
Bergan came to a stop on the dock and looked upon Elenar in surprise. He turned his head from side to side to look at her, as if unsure of who stood in front of him. Unable to take the silence any longer, Elenar pushed past her guards and stepped closer to the purple dragon.
"…Elenar?" He asked cautiously.
"Hi, Bergan." She smiled.
Elenar wasn't sure who made the first move, but a moment later, both dragons had come closer. She pressed her head against his chin and accepted a long, warm hug.
"I missed you." He whispered.
"Same." She whispered back.
The guards approached and surrounded the two dragons. Bergan opened his eyes and cautiously stepped away from Elenar. The princess just sighed and took a regal pose.
"Watch yourself around the princess, stranger." The head guard snapped.
"Right…" Bergan grimaced.
"Don't give my friend here any trouble." Elenar ordered. "He has all the permission in the world to hug me."
"Err, as you wish, princess." The head guard sighed. Bergan sighed as well, though his was in relief. He signaled for his mole attendant to head back onto the ship to get back to work.
"So, you have servants now?" Elenar asked curiously.
"He's an employee." Bergan chuckled. "Most of my employees work on my ship."
"And quite a ship it is." Elenar looked over the vessel from bow to stern. "You must have done pretty well for yourself over the years."
"A bit, yeah…" Bergan scratched his head with a wing-thumb. "Listen, is thereanywhere private that we can speak together?"
"I'm sure we can find somewhere in town." Elenar smiled. "Unless you need a place that's extremely top-secret."
"I'm sure a room at the local tavern would be fine enough." Bergan said.
"Not without heavy surveillance, you." The head guard spoke up.
"Alright, alright…" Bergan grimaced.
~~…~~
Bergan and Elenar made for the nearest tavern in the Shattered Vale. Naturally the squadron of soldiers surrounded the building to ensure that nobody could get in or out without their noticing. Elenar found it frustrating, but Bergan did his best to put up with it. They went up to the second floor of the building and got a private room, while more of the guards blocked off the door.
"I'm not going to lie, Elenar: I was really hoping that your mother was the one to see me." Bergan said as he took his cape off. "Err, don't get me wrong: I'm very happy to see you again. It's just… I have something important to discuss with Queen Murkandre."
"Well, I'm the future queen." Elenar declared. "And Mother wants me to see what you have to say on her behalf."
"Fair enough…" Bergan sighed. He sat down in a cushion and placed his satchel down on the table. "Elenar… I fear the worst for your people."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sure you heard the news about the loss of King Boreas, yes?" Bergan tilted his head. "It won't be long before the wind dragons lose control of Aeroshard and its surrounding territories."
Elenar gasped. She then sat back in her chair and pursed her lips. "Do you think that, or… do you know that?"
Bergan sighed sadly. He looked Elenar in the eyes. "I know for a fact. I've known it for a long time. I even tried to warn them, but…" He scratched the floor with his talons. "They didn't listen to me."
Elenar felt uneasy. "So, your visions never went away, did they?"
"Not at all." Bergan shook his head. "In fact, they've only gotten stronger as the years have gone on."
"Where have you been all this time, Bergan?" Elenar demanded. "Nobody's seen hide nor scale of you ever since the war started."
"I guess you could say I've been away for… training." Bergan nodded. "I was called upon to travel somewhere, where I was taught how to better control my time magic."
Elenar looked at Bergan uneasily. She had so many questions for her old friend. But she shook her head and took a regal pose; the formalities had to come first.
"Tell me what you've seen regarding the shadow dragons." She said coldly. "My ear frills are wide and ready."
Bergan balked at that, but then he sighed. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a crystal ball. Elenar looked upon the crystal curiously; she'd never seen something so perfectly cut. Bergan shut his eyes and ran his talons along the surface of the crystal. After a moment, dark clouds formed beneath the crystal's surface. The more Elenar looked at the clouds, the more she could see distinct shapes: she saw Mount Erebus in all its glory. An army formed on the foothills outside of the mountain, bearing the sigils of the various light dragon armies. Those armies descended upon the mountain… and screams rang out as shadow dragons were slaughtered.
Elenar's eyes widened in fear, and her blood turned cold. No…
Throughout the destruction of the shadow dragons, something ominous appeared in the moonlit sky. A dragon of white scales watched the carnage with glee; his eyes were demonic, and his mane was wild. The white dragon laughed manically as the last of the shadow dragon royal bloodline was dragged out into the snow and slaughtered.
No, no, no… Elenar leaned back in her chair and panted frantically. Try as she might, she just couldn't look away from those horrid eyes.
Bergan lifted his fingers from the crystal, and the surface turned clear once again. The purple dragon's face had the same mask of fright that the princess had. He took a moment to catch his breath before looking Elenar in the eyes.
"It's going to happen in less than a year." Bergan said grimly. "If the shadow dragons stay in Erebus, they're all going to die… just as prophesized by Runileon the Wicked."
Runileon… it was a name that all shadow dragons feared. Just looking at the crystal, Elenar could swear that the white dragon's ghostly visage was still there… taunting her. She tried her best to take on a regal pose before addressing Bergan.
"What do you propose we do?" Elenar asked.
"Your people need to flee Mount Erebus as soon as possible." Bergan said.
"Do we travel to Warfang?" Elenar asked. "Can King Urobos help us?"
"Warfang won't protect you either." Bergan shook his head. "All dark dragons, the ones that are still around at least, need to give up their old homes."
"And go where?" Elenar demanded.
A glint appeared in Bergan's eye. "Faeshrine."
"Faeshrine?" Elenar repeated. "The Poison dragon domain? How is that city any different from Warfang?"
"Well…" Bergan grinned. "I've been busy over the last year, Elenar. I've been having arrangements with Queen Persephone regarding the mushroom forest." He adjusted himself in his chair. "Faeshrine has been seeing quite a lot of economic advancements, thanks to my little visions steering things the right way."
"I don't see what that has to do with-"
"Come live in Faeshrine." Bergan declared. "You, your family, and all of your people need to move to Faeshrine for sanctuary. And so should all the other dark dragons across the entirety of the dragon realms."
Elenar blinked in surprise. She leaned back to consider the options; moving entire nations of dragons from one city to another would take a lot of time and planning. And there would definitely be resistance to the idea from more stubborn dragons in the populace. But every time Elenar imagined dragons refusing to leave… the sickly cackle of Runileon loomed in the distance.
"Wh-Why Faeshrine, and not Warfang?" Elenar asked. "That's the part I don't understand."
"Because of its location." Bergan nodded. "Its right smack dab in the Mushroom Forest. Many light dragons refuse to travel too deep, due to it being the ancestral home of Lord Spyro. So if the dark dragons live in the one city that's surrounded by the Mushroom Forest, no light dragons would ever dare to attack."
Elenar felt uneasy. While many dragons across the lands respected Lord Spyro and all the places he lived as a youngling, she couldn't be sure that the war would come to an end if her people found sanctuary in that forest. Still, if it meant she could be closer to Bergan…
"Your proposal has merit, Bergan." Elenar nodded. "You've never been wrong with your visions before, and I won't start disbelieving in your now. But, try to understand that it may take some doing to convince my parents that we need to leave Erebus."
"Thank you." Bergan had a soft smile.
"There's one last thing, Bergan…" Elenar stood up and approached the door. She carefully made sure that nobody on the outside could hear what came next. She then examined the windows, where she pulled down the blinds. After taking a deep breath, Elenar took off her robes and placed them in a neat pile off to the side.
"What are you doing, Elenar?" Bergan asked.
"As the future queen, I'll be expected to make most of the decisions for my people." Elenar said. She walked over to the bed and climbed atop it to relax. She then looked over at Bergan, who watched her with a puzzled look.
"Bergan, there's something I promised you the last time we met…" Elenar adjusted herself atop the bed, so that she could expose certain… areas. She also fluttered her eyes, which made the purple dragon reel back incredulously.
"I… I thought that was just childish teasing." Bergan said cautiously.
"It doesn't have to be." Elenar smiled. "So… did your visions foresee this?"
"To be honest… they did." Bergan gulped a bit. "But I didn't think it was likely. I thought that…"
"That I'd stopped loving you?" Elenar tilted her head. "Of course not. I've waited for this day for a long time, Bergan."
"Well… okay." Bergan stepped closer to the bed. He took in every inch of the shadowy princess, and felt warmth in his chest. He reached out with a forepaw for Elenar, but kept his talons at bay.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"I'm just… considering the consequences of this." Bergan sighed. "I'm sorry; it's the visions."
"Well, the visions can be damned." Elenar grasped Bergan's forepaw and pulled him atop her. "Whatever consequences there are, we'll face them together."
"As you wish…" Bergan's face flushed red as his body embraced hers. He lowered his face down to nuzzle her, and he wrapped his limbs about her…
For better or worse, neither Bergan nor Elenar would never forget this night: The night when their daughter was conceived.
The dark is here, don't fear the unknown.
Rest by my heart, for you're within my own.
So we shall never part, no matter where you go.
You will find a place, to lay your head low.