Chapter 3: Azrael

The trio made their way into the woods, leaving the castle behind them.

"Hey Ez, you okay? That guy was kinda coming on strong there..." Callum began.

Ezran was silent, walking straight ahead. Callum reached for his shoulder.

"You okay...?"

"Of course I'm okay!" Ezran snapped. "I'm the king! I have to be okay. I'm always okay. Dad was always okay!"

Callum and Rayla exchanged worried glances.

"No. Dad wasn't always okay. I mean. He'd act like it, because he was the king..."

"Exactly!" Ezran replied, continuing on. "And so am I!"

"Ezran...you need to get better at actin." Rayla observed.

"Why is it that wanting to have peace makes them think I'm being a child?!" Ezran demanded, turning to face them. "Do all adults just want to kill each other? Is that all that matters when you get older?"

"It may just be that you...are...a child. They feel like it's easier to ignore you, just don't let em get to you." Rayla assured. "You're still the king, no matter what they think."

Ezran turned and stomped off.

"I'm gonna go talk to some squirrels."

Callum sighed, looking back to Rayla.

"He's definitely letting them get to him."

Rayla nodded. "Yeah. He's gonna be alright. Just needs to cool down." She paused, looking away for a moment, before looking back to Callum.

"We uh...need to talk about somethin."

Callum looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Uh oh."

"So...ya know how I love you, right?" Rayla began, smiling nervously.

Callum's shoulder's slumped.

"Am I getting dumped?" He asked. "I've never been dumped before, I'm not sure I know how to handle it, I should probably get Ez..."

"Callum. I'm not dumpin you." Rayla said firmly. But her eyes seemed to soften, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. Then she raised a curious eyebrow.

"Wait. Why would ya get Ez?"

"I dunno. Emotional support?" Callum replied with a shrug, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Emotional support? Callum, it's me..." Rayla began.

"I'm a really fragile person, Rayla! I am not thick skinned at all! The other day I saw a really big doggo walking down the street, and I tried to pet it, and it barked and ran away! I spent the whole day thinking about it..."

"Was that the night ya cried yourself ta sleep...?" Rayla asked, looking at him with genuine concern.

"I mean...it led to other feelings but...yes. Yes, okay? That was the night I cried myself to sleep."

Rayla let out a light chuckle, but then her shoulders fell a little, as she looked back at him with somewhat sad eyes.

"There's somewhere...I need to go. For a while."

Callum frowned.

"Somewhere...where?"

Rayla looked away.

"Xadia."

"I mean, yeah I guess that makes sense. Kinda figured something like this would come up. For how long?" Callum asked.

Rayla continued looking away, and rubbed her arm.

"I don't know."

Callum's shoulders fell a little.

"Oh."

"Callum...my parents...they're out there somewhere. Ah know they are. And I gotta find them. I gotta clear their names. I gotta clear my name. I gotta get mah self un-banished...I gotta lot of stuff to do."

Callum followed her gaze.

"So you're gonna leave soon? Are you gonna come back...?" He asked, feeling a knot in his stomach as he heard her speak.

"I'll try to. Of course I'll try to. But...I don't want to make any promises I can't keep, Callum." Rayla said, her eyes pleading with him. "I need you to understand, please...I don't...I won't make you wait for me..."

There was a tense silence.

"Wait for you?" Callum asked, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Wait for you? Really? What if I want to? What if I want to wait, what if I don't want to lose you in the first place? Rayla this sounds like a break up..."

Rayla stared back at him, a tear rolling down her face.

"It's not, not really...Callum...I need you to understand. Please." She begged, closing her eyes.

Callum looked back at her. And he realized his anger, his sadness was hurting her even more. He could see it in her face. He took a deep breath.

"Okay." He offered, trying to calm the pain in his heart as he spoke. "I understand."

Rayla reached a four fingered hand out to him, and took his hand.

"I love you." She said, forcing him to look into her eyes. "That will never change."

Callum nodded.

"I love you too. Let's go find Ez." He turned and walked away, toward the wilderness.

Rayla watched him go, then bowed her head.

And turned, punching a tree trunk in frustration.

She barely felt it.

"Think of all we have gone through, child."

Talon looked up. His master gazed out across the plains.

"Journeying across those cursed lands, amassing this army. Enslaving a dragon..."

"Yeah, lets see if he actually shows up..." Talon replied. "He's not shown a great amount of loyalty."

Azrael shrugged.

"Loyalty is earned. But in the case of the dragon, it is owned. If he wishes to survive, he will do as I say."

Talon sighed, looking down at the ground.

"What do you think she would make of all this? This army we've created? The things...the things we did to form it?"

Azrael bowed his head.

"It doesn't matter now."

"I'm sure she'd have quite a bit of commentary on your face." Talon added.

Azrael let out a chuckle, turning to look at Talon.

"Dark magic tends to corrupt the features. And the amount I have coursing through me..."

"You could try to fix it, you know." Talon pointed out. "You used to manage it. Now you let the dark magic run wild upon your appearance..."

"Vanity stopped mattering a long time ago." Azrael interrupted swiftly. "I am without a Queen. I am without subjects. How I look no longer matters."

"My men would tend to disagree." A gruff voice called.

The two of them turned, as the armored barbarian stepped in.

"Commander Rhizan. I was wondering where you were hiding." Azrael replied. "Your men escaped our last conflict with no casualties. Surely you are not here to complain."

"Of course not." Rhizan replied. "Merely curious as to what comes next. Where are we heading?"

Azrael looked across the valley that lay before them.

"We are awaiting word from a contact of mine. Then we will know where to move."

"My men are eager for the conquest, the glory, and the coin you promised us." Rhizan continued.

"Oh if only you could understand how little all of those things mean." Azrael replied, turning to glare at him from under the mask. "How I would trade all of it to bring my people back."

His hands tightened into a fist, and he looked at the barbarians that surrounded him. They were all eager, ready to fight.

"All that we've lost...but they do not know. We are all that's left, Talon. Shall we show them?"

Talon looked up at Azrael. He nodded.

"It will make them strong. It will make them see what they must do."

"What?" Rhizan asked. "My men are strong enough..."

Azrael smirked under his mask.

Then he removed it. To reveal his horribly scarred face.

The barbarians exchanged worried looks. He rarely took off his mask around them.

Azrael cleared his throat, as he turned to face them.

"Do you want power?" He asked simply.

They exchanged glances. Then they raised their blades and cheered.

"DO YOU WANT POWER?!" Azrael repeated.

The cheers grew massive, as the group of brigands and pirates allowed the excitement to flow through them.

Rhizan watched their enthusiasm with worried eyes, before looking back to Azrael.

"Then you must feel pain." Azrael hissed, holding the orb up, fully exposed beyond his cloak.

It was black as night. But the darkness slithered from it, towards the group of barbarians.

"Breathe it in brothers. If you wish to have the power that I wield...you must feel why I fight."

Talon watched as the darkness slithered over the army.

The reactions were mixed.

Some broke down in tears.

Others merely sank to their knees.

Some strong few merely focused on breathing, and took it, determination in their frames.

"Stop this Azrael. This was not part of our agreement." Rhizan warned.

"Relax." Talon said, giving the commander a nudge. "They'll be fine. A little pain never hurt anybody."

"You see it now. What I have seen. What we have lost..." Azrael said, exchanging a glance with Rhizan. "Our revenge will be swift. They have allowed our sons and daughters to be taken from us...so we shall take theirs! We will take these lands, kingdom by kingdom...starting with Katolis. Then, once these lands are united under our flag...we'll burn Xadia to the ground."