Summary: Following the assassination of King Harrow, the princes discover the egg of the dragon king. While Ezran takes rule of Katolis, Callum returns the egg back to its mother to end the centuries old war. When Callum enters Xadia mortally wounded, he is discovered by Rayla, a moonshadow elf assassin. Together, they travel the lands overcoming dangerous obstacles, learning that fighting for peace takes just as much strength as fighting in war.
Author's Note: This is a CallumxRayla story, showing how their relationship develops from strangers to friends to more, essentially starting from season 3 of TDP, not season 1. I'm not sure how far I'm going to take this yet, but there will at least be 5-6 chapters to start.
Important to note! In this story, Rayla and Runaan never assisted with the assassination, though it did still happen. While Callum went alone to return the egg to Xadia, Ezran stayed behind to rule over Katolis and keep Viren in check, as he is a sketchy SOB. Same as in TDP, Callum has already connected to the sky arcanum, met Lujane, and has been chased down by Claudia and Soren before entering Xadia.
Certain key points will be explained and clarified as the story progresses.
Thanks and enjoy! :)
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Chapter 1.
Leaves and branches whipped against Callum's body as he sprinted through the wild Xadian undergrowth. He zig-zagged his way through the forest blindly, trying desperately to lose the Sunfire elf who pursued him. Coming to a small clearing, Callum quickly looked around for his next escape route, making sure to keep running. He already made the mistake of stopping once, earning him two arrows in the back; one in his right shoulder blade and the other stuck clear through his right flank.
Initially, it hurt like hell, and he almost passed out a few times from seeing a foreign object protruding out of his gut, but the adrenaline kicked in and he ran, learning his lesson to keep moving. He did his best to ignore the way his fluttering cloak and jostling pack tugged on the arrows.
Keep moving. Keep moving.
Callum was panting now, lungs and legs burning from exhaustion. Glancing over his shoulder he spotted the elf a few hundred feet away. Calculating the distance, Callum turned around abruptly and blasted a fulminis spell at the elf with everything he had. The lightnings arc was the biggest he'd produced yet, and blinding white tendrils spread through the trees with their familiar crack.
Callum wanted to wait and see if his spell had hit its target, but the proliferating pain in his abdomen was telling him to hurry up and get going. He couldn't waste these precious seconds.
His pace drastically slowed after a few minutes, the adrenaline rapidly wearing off. He couldn't even step up or slide over logs and was barely holding himself upright when he stumbled. The panic and fear he felt moments ago were wiped from his memory, his mind now only telling him he needed to stop and rest. He didn't even care if that elf caught up to him. He couldn't possibly go any farther.
He found a thick tree trunk and leaned against it for support as he slid to the mossy ground. He dropped the pack, for once thankful it only had one strap and that it was around his good arm. He gingerly leaned against the trunk, eyes closed, heaving out short, pained breaths. He didn't dare move his injured shoulder. The fear of an even worse pain he was experiencing was enough to keep still.
After a few seconds—or minutes maybe, he couldn't tell—he cracked an eye open and peered down at the bloody arrow poking out of his clothes, poking out of him. God, it was disgusting. His hand hovered around it, too afraid to touch it.
How the hell am I supposed to get this out? Should I…even pull it out? I don't want to bleed to death!
Callum dropped his hand and rested his sweaty forehead against the cool, smooth tree bark. Though he was still warm, he was beginning to feel the heat leaving his hands and feet. The occasional shiver quickly developed into an uncontrollable tremble, presumably from shock, jostling the arrows embedded in him.
I'm gonna die here.
It wasn't a question, but a fact. There was no way out of this. No tools to use, no smart plan, no one to call for help. He was going to die. If his wounds didn't kill him, infection would. If the elf found him, well…he'd be dead either way.
Ezran's childish face flashed in his mind and hot tears fell, staining Callum's dirty cheeks. His little brother…now a king, but still only a child. He would never get the chance to see him again. He would never know what happened to his older brother. Ez had already been through so much…lost so much…
Callum glanced down at the egg, his vision blurry through the tears. Or maybe he was losing consciousness?
And the egg…What would happen to it? Surely, it would die here with him if he wasn't able to take care of it. Maybe if that elf did find him, he could take it with him? That was Callum's original plan anyway, to ask the elves for help to transport the egg and cross Xadia.
And look where that got you…
Callum screwed his eyes shut as the throbbing pain in his side became unbearable. He wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.
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"Wake up, human."
Callum's eyes fluttered open at the unknown voice. Did he pass out? A fresh wave of pain exploded in his body; yep, arrows still there. He tried lifting his heavy head off the tree to see the stranger, but couldn't even manage that. All his energy was spent.
"You're in pretty bad shape." They said, crouching down a few feet away from him. He tried to focus his eyes but couldn't make out much. White hair. Horns? His head felt heavy and light all at the same time. It was disorienting. He reached his hand out to grab his pack, pulling it closer to him protectively.
The stranger flinched at his movement and pointed a blade at his throat, but he didn't register the threat.
"I saw you fightin' with that Sunfire elf. Why are you in Xadia, human?" They asked sharply.
Callum remained silent, his mind struggling to find the right response. Maybe this person could help him? Or, at least the egg. He prepared the best abridged story his cloudy brain could think of.
"Name's Callum. Of Katolis. I'm trying to—to get the egg back home." He grimaced. Extending his arm, he pushed his pack toward the stranger, hoping they got the hint to look inside. "We thought it was destroyed, but—" he paused when a wave of dizziness washed over him. He tried to ignore it, closing his eyes while he continued. "Our high mage took it. It has to go back home—back to its mom. All we want is peace."
Some time went by in silence, and for a moment Callum wondered if the stranger took the egg and left him to die. Or maybe he passed out again? Cracking an eye open he saw the stranger still crouched before him, his pack in between them, and a blurry dragon egg poking out, shining bright.
Even if he died the egg had to live. Ez had to have the opportunity to grow up and rule beside Xadia in peace. Cool, welcoming tendrils of sleep pulled his mind further into a sinking darkness and he mumbled out his final plea.
"Take it home…we jus' want peace." His words sounded muffled to his ears, like he was speaking underwater. Even the pounding of his heart, which was roaring in his ears earlier, couldn't be heard now.
He was fading. This was it.
I'm sorry, Ez.