As a thunderstorm raged over the Mushroom Forest, it had terrible effects on the white dragoness.

As the hours passed, Tyrrany slept upon her mattress, tossing and turning to and fro beneath her covers. Her dreams were plagued with horrible memories; memories of the lowest point in her entire life. The feint pitter-patter of rain outside her window only served to further solidify the painful times she once faced, as did the wind blowing against the foliage just outside her window in the gardens and trees below.

Tyrrany mumbled to herself sadly, and tears fell from her eyes.

"Help me... Somebody. Anybody..."

It was in the middle of the night, during a storm even more terrible than any before or since. A powerful force of wind blew across the forest canopy, forcing many of the trees' branches to bend towards the south; some of them were even broken free and sent flying onwards.

The white dragoness was just a dragonling. Her limbs were short and chubby, and her talons were somewhat blunt-edged. She had very little hair on her head, and her four horns were only stubs.

Millions of ice cold raindrops pelted the young girl's scales on all sides. The storm's winds blistered part of the dragoness's underbelly, and the lips on her muzzle were badly chapped. All four of her chubby limbs were drenched in black mud, as were most of her scales. The red glyphs on her body were dulled by the stains of mud and rainwater.

The hatchling could barely see where she was going as she slowly made her way across the forest. Fear and sorrow engulfed her entire being as she tried to find shelter, and her belly was filled with pain from her increasing hunger.

The little dragoness didn't know how she ended up here, wherever "here" was. She didn't know anything at all: not even her own name. All she could recall was breaking out of her egg, and finding herself in the middle of a puddle of slimy mud. Since then, she had been trying to find a place to hide from the freezing water, and also something to eat. Unfortunately, she had found little success in either department.

As she continued crawling through the thick mud, she wailed miserably, and the constant swath of rainwater upon her face hid her tears from view. Even though she could not speak, her mind was developed enough to form thoughts.

Help...

She couldn't stand this horrible way of living. She wanted to get out of this terrible place, and she was desperate for food. And yet, she was completely helpless, and all alone.

Help me... Somebody...

The dragoness continued on her way until she came upon a hollowed-out log. The hatchling filled with relief as scampered around to the side to climb in.

Shelter... Finally...

The dragoness proceeded to climb into the log's opening and crawled deep inside it. She then came to a stop, started shifting around to get comfortable, and proceeded to lie down to get some sleep. For a few moments, she felt relaxation come over her.

Now I can get some sleep...

But soon, a low shrieking noise began filling the log, and was coming from just behind the hatchling. The little dragoness immediately shook in fear.

What is that?

The young dragoness to find out what the noise was, and jumped in fright. Just behind her at least six pairs of horrible, fiery red eyes. With a yelp, the dragoness turned and ran out of the log as fast as she could. As she did this, all of the red eyes chased after her, and once they were out of the log, they took the form of strange, furry, winged creatures, which all took to the skies and shrieked loudly.

The creatures weren't chasing the dragonling, but she ran as fast as she could all the same, too afraid to turn back. As she ran through the mud and the weather, she cried miserably allover again.

Why am I alone? Why am I stuck here? The girl wailed once again. Why?

The little white dragoness continued fleeing through the canopy, completely overcome by her sorrow…

~~…~~

When the morning came, Tyrrany woke from her slumber in tears. She quickly sat up and looked around; she was lying in her mattress in her bedroom. She was safe.

"It was just a nightmare…" Tyrrany sighed, wiping the tears from her face. "I'm home."

Tyrrany got out of her bed and walked over to the large portrait by her window. Her eyes glanced upon the youthful face of her father in his teenaged years. She sighed calmly, and a small smile formed on her face.

"You've done so much for me, Dad..." She stated solemnly. "I… I don't know if I can ever repay you for saving me."

Tyrrany turned her gaze to look at the remains of Elenar on the portrait. No matter how many times she looked at that portrait, Tyrrany's anger burned bright whenever she gazed upon it. But this time, Tyrrany growled in anticipation. After years of training her physical and magical abilities, the young dragoness would soon be able to hunt down the dragoness she believed to be the source of all her pain.

"We've suffered because of you." She spat with venom in her voice. "You broke my father's spirit, and left me all alone. Well, you better beware, Mother, if you even deserved to be called that..."

Tyrrany reached out with a forepaw and slashed her talons through Elenar's visage with great vehemence, slicing several large gashes in the portrait.

"...I'm coming for you. And when I find you, you'll be sorry for everything you've done to us!"

After violating the portrait, Tyrrany turned around and approached her dresser. The dragoness spent the next half an hour preparing for the trip to Warfang. She put on a fresh disguise, and then packed an extra set of clothes into her satchel, along with a fresh container of purple makeup. She then packed up a few daggers, a map, a compass, and various other items she deemed necessary.

Tyrrany knew that getting to her mother Elenar would be no easy task. If the white dragoness was to have her vengeance, she would need a plan. And hopefully Jonathan and that ridiculous gang of his wouldn't get in the way of things. Once all of this was over, she'd have to MARRY that imbecile. That wasn't going to be a fun ride. But things needed to be handled in order; dealing with her mother came first.

Tyrrany gathered all of her stuff together, and then hung her satchel around herself. The last item she picked up for her adventure was her violin case. She ran her talons along the case's surface and nodded in satisfaction.

"No reason not to bring it along." She said. "After all; music helps me relax."

Tyrrany turned around, picked up her case in her mouth. She then returned to the doorway, turned the knob, and walked down the hallway, shutting the door behind herself with her tail.

As she made her way to the front of the building, she began to think again on her nightmare. She fought back a few tears, and continued on her way.

It felt so real... as if I was alone allover again...

~~…~~

Flame was sound asleep in his bedchamber in his parents' mansion.

The mansion was built upon the eastern mushroom of the three giant stalks at the center of Faeshrine. The building stood five stories high, and was made of a combination of marble and red Stone. It sat on the center of a platform that was a large as half a city block, and was surrounded by a large, vibrant garden. A metal fence of black spikes ran about the platform's perimeter, and stood about seven feet in the air.

Flame's bedchamber was fairly large, despite being relatively spacious. A circular mattress sat in the center of the room, and was covered with various smaller cushions around the outer edge and a blue cloth blanket. A dresser made of light brown wood sat upon the eastern edge of the room, filled with a few sets of fine clothing. On the opposite side of the room was a large family portrait, consisting of Flame and his parents. A massive, glass window ran across a considerable portion of the far wall, letting in the sunlight as it approached from the East.

As the young dragon snored peacefully, a knocking came at his front door.

"Excuze me, zir." A female mole servant called from the other side. Flame mumbled a bit in his sleep, but stayed asleep. The servant knocked on his door once again. "Zir?"

When no response came, the mole was about to knock a third time. However, she was cut off by someone clearing her throat. The servant turned around and saw an adult fire dragoness standing before her.

"I'll wake him up." She dragoness said. "You go attend to your other duties."

"Az you wizh, Lady Melissa." The servant replied with a bow.

Melissa was Flame's mother. An elegant black cape was worn over her vibrant scales. She adjusted her spectacles as she stepped forward to open her son's door.

Melissa sighed as she looked down at the sleeping young dragon. She pulled away the covers and shook him awake. "Come on, Flamaedelus. Time to get up."

The young dragon grunted irritably and shifted around. With a sigh, his mother shook him even harder and turned on the lights in the room.

"HEY!" He exclaimed, getting groggily onto his feet. "What's the big-?"

Flame soon found himself looking his mother in the eyes, and Melissa cleared her throat. Immediately, the younger fire dragon slid onto the floor and chuckled nervously.

"Uh... Hi, Mom." He said sheepishly.

"Get ready for the day, Flamaedelus." Melissa prodded him in the chest. "President Bergan will be expecting you around noon."

"Alright…" Flame walked around his mother and approached the dresser. He shook his head to remove the tiredness from his mind.

Despite his father's insistence that Flame not get a coin of his family's wealth until he reached an appropriate age, the young dragon wasn't forced to go without all the luxuries of nobility. He was allowed to have and wear fine clothing, was attended to by his parents' butlers and servants while in their home, and even received the same fine tutoring that most noble children were granted. But despite this, it was made clear that these luxuries would be taken away from him if he proved to be overly dependant on them. And that was why Flame tried not to get too attached to any of them.

The young dragon grabbed a fresh brown cloak and scrunchie from a dresser drawer, and his brown goggles from the top of it. He stood in front of a mirror and took his time preparing himself for the day. Melissa, meanwhile, approached from behind with a serious expression.

Flame frowned. "What's wrong, Mom?"

"I've been informed that Bergan's assigning you to be one of his daughter's bodyguards during your trip to Warfang."

"Uh, yeah." Flame responded, pulling his cloak over his torso. "I'm supposed to keep her from getting hurt."

"Seems like a waste, if you ask me." Melissa snorted. "That girl has proven to be perfectly capable of defending herself."

"I suppose so, Mom." Flame shrugged. "But if the President tells me to do something, I do it."

The dragoness nodded, while Flame placed his goggles over his neck.

"Fair enough." Melissa responded. "Though sometimes I worry about you, Flamaedelus."

"How come, Mom?" The younger dragon had just pulled his hair through his scrunchie.

Melissa stepped up to stand before her son. "You may be getting too attached to the President's daughter."

"Too attached?" Flame grabbed a satchel from the corner of the room and put it on his back. "What do you mean?"

"Flamaedelus," Melissa stated, "You and Lady Tyrrany have been friends for a very long time."

"Yeah, I know that." Flame replied, turning to walk towards his mother. "What's your point?"

"It would be ill-advised if you try to become more with her, for a variety of reasons."

Flame sighed. He looked up at his mother with a slight scowl. "What would be your number one reason? Is it because Tyrrany's a white dragoness."

Melissa balked, and then scowled. "Of course not, Flamaedelus. It's because she's betrothed to Prince Jonathan."

"Oh…" Flame gave a groan. He looked himself in the mirror to finish sprucing up. "To be honest, Mom… I really don't think it's going to happen."

"And why not?" Melissa demanded.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Flame brushed his mane. "Tyrrany hates Jonathan's guts. Do you honestly think she'll want to have kids with him? Let alone run an entire company with him?"

The dragoness sighed in irritation. "Flamaedelus, even if it's true that Tyrrany finds Prince Jonathan detestable, she's STILL going to marry him."

"Why?" Flame exclaimed defensively. "If she doesn't want him, doesn't she have a right to say no?"

Melissa growled at her son, which made him flinch. "Do NOT raise your voice to me young dragon!"

"Sorry, Mom." The young dragon replied softly as he bowed his head. The dragoness sighed to calm a bit.

"But to answer your question, in a few ways, Tyrrany does not have much say on the matter." She said calmly. "The union of Aeroshard and Faeshrine is all-important for the future, and the marriage between the two cities' heirs is the ideal way for said union to unfold. Lady Tyrrany knows and accepts this, as do most of us. You should do the same, Flamaedelus." She lowered her head down. "Like you said: When President tells someone to do something, they do it."

The young fire dragon groaned. He'd set himself up for that. And now Flame couldn't come up with another counter-response that didn't give away how he REALLY felt.

"Can't we just drop this, Mom?" He asked. "I need to get ready to leave for the caravan."

"I suppose you're right." Melissa moved to approach the doorway. "I have things to do as well: I need to leave alongside your father for a business trip."

"Business trip?" Flame repeated, following after his mother. "Where to?"

The dragoness didn't answer for a while: She only took a deep breath and faced forward. Flame grimaced. "Mom?"

"It doesn't concern you, Flamaedelus." She said sternly. "Come: We must be on our way."

"Uh, okay Mom."

Flame became silent as he followed Melissa down the hallway. Along the way, he sighed a few times and shook his head.

I guess I'll ask the President when I see him next.

~~…~~

"Destine, dear," Bergan scolded lightly, "Please let go of your brother's mane."

Bergan was in his office, sitting on his haunches upon the floor behind his desk, his tail wrapped around his legs. He was joined in the room by all four of his nursemaids, as well as his four younger children. The purple dragon decided that, since he and Tyrrany were going to leave the city for some time, he should spend a part of the morning with his younger children. The little dragons' mothers were all too happy about this.

Maggie had climbed up onto her father's back, and was hugging the purple drake's thick neck as best she could. Kale and Destine were seated before their father's forelegs; the pink-hided dragoness tugged on her brother's mane and pulled it tightly, making him yelp.

"Destine, stop!" The blue-hided youngling shifted left and right to try and get free. But Destine only giggled and kept pulling.

Eventually Bergan had to step in by bringing his forepaw down and grasping his daughter's paws in such a way to make her let go. Destine looked up at her father sheepishly, while Kale rubbed his head and glowered at her.

"You're such a jerk, Destine!" He yelled.

"No no no, Kale." Bergan stated, waving a talon in the air. "That's no way to speak to your sister."

"But she pulled my mane again!" Kale protested. "You saw her, Dad!"

"I know, but you shouldn't talk to her with such foul words." The purple dragon turned to look into the pink-hided cub's eyes. "And Destine, you know it's not nice to yank on your siblings' manes like that, right?"

"Yes, Daddy." Destine said quietly.

"Are you going to tell Kale you're sorry?" Bergan asked, an eye ridge raised.

"Okay..." The pink cub turned to look into her brother's eyes. "I'm sorry, Kale."

"That's my girl." The purple dragon looked over at his blue-hided son. "Now, what do you say, Kale?"

"Uh... it's okay, Desty." The blue cub mumbled.

.

"There." Bergan declared with a smile. "Everything's all better now."

The purple dragon reached out and ruffled both cubs' manes with a forepaw, which made them giggle. Maggie giggled as well as she hugged her father's neck tighter.

"Ugh…" Bergan gagged a bit. "Maggie, you need to be more careful; you're on the verge of choking your poor father."

"Sorry, Dad…" The red dragoness shrugged as she lightened her grip. "But it's not every day that you're in town. How else am I supposed to practice climbing?"

"Doesn't your mother help you?" Bergan asked.

"Kind of…"

"Hmm…" Bergan scratched his chin. "Perhaps, if there's time, I'll have a little talk with her about that."

And this was very much how things went for some time. Bergan tried to get some last-minute work done, while also spending some quality time with his darling children. But while Kale, Destine and Maggie happily played around and upon their father, Bergan's oldest son was off to the side. Frederick sat at a smaller desk and went over some music sheets for his piano. His slumped down and he tried to concentrate, only to sigh and start from the beginning. This happened several times, which made Bergan frowned.

"Frederick, my boy…" Bergan said to get the golden-scaled boy's attention. "Why don't you put those away and come join your family?"

"I…" Frederick sighed and turned to look at his father. "I guess I'm waiting for Annie to get here."

"Ah, I see…" Bergan stroked his beard. "I suppose that's only fair. Though you won't have much time left after she gets here."

"I know…" Frederick sighed again. His siblings looked at him uneasily, and then turned toward Bergan.

"What do you mean there's not much time left, Dad?" Kale asked worriedly.

"Well, I'll have to leave soon." Bergan explained. "Your Daddy's got a lot of important work to do."

"Can't we go with you, Daddy?" Destine asked pleadingly.

"Yeah." Maggie agreed. "You never let any of us go with you, Dad."

"I'm sorry, little ones." Bergan lamented. "But I can't take any of you with me."

"Aww." The three younger children said sadly. Frederick only sighed and bent his head low.

"But why?" Maria asked, tearing up a little.

"Daddy's work can get very dangerous sometimes." Bergan answered. "I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt."

"What about Tyrrany?" Destine asked with a little pout. "How come you always take her places?"

Bergan sighed. "Tyrrany is a little... different, Destine. Plus, she's a lot older than you. You wouldn't completely understand."

As luck would have it, right as Bergan was saying this, Tyrrany opened his office and peered inside.

"Good morning, Dad." The dragoness said flatly. "I'm ready to leave."

"Ah, just who we were talking about." Bergan declared. "Come on in, dear."

Tyrrany pushed the door all the way open and walked across the office. Upon seeing her, the four nursemaids bowed their heads.

"Good morning, Milady." They said together.

"Hi." The cloaked dragoness replied halfheartedly.

As she approached, Bergan carefully lifted Maggie off his back and sat her gently on the floor beside her siblings. He smirked and leaned down to the three younger younglings.

"Why don't you all greet your older sister?" He suggested with a wink.

Tyrrany was halfway to her father's desk when she heard this. She tensed up and froze in place as Maggie, Kale and Destine all rushed around the desk. One by one they slammed into her forelegs and wrapped themselves about her. Tyrrany's purple face flushed a bright pink as her three younger siblings hugged her.

"Morning, Sis!" Maggie exclaimed as she brushed her head against Tyrrany's chin. Destine and Kale made their own signs of affection by walking around their sister and brushing themselves against her legs, their tails raise into the air like kittens.

Tyrrany just sighed and put on a patient smile. "Hello."

As Tyrrany walked forward, her three younger siblings followed after her. Tyrrany sat down on her haunches by the front desk as Bergan sat down in front of her. Off to the side, Tyrrany noticed that Frederick was approaching her cautiously.

"Uh… H-Heya, Sis." Frederick bowed his head a bit. Tyrrany gave a sigh of pity.

"Heya, Squirt." She said, using a forepaw to rub Frederick's head a bit. The golden-scaled youngling smiled at this a little.

"Do… Do you think we have enough time to play one more song together today?" Frederick asked her.

"Hmm…" Tyrrany bit her lower lip; she just couldn't shoot down any request her brother made. She turned to look at her father. "Dad, do you know what time we're leaving?"

"Why do you ask? Eager to get going?" Bergan raised an eye ridge.

Frederick frowned, while Tyrrany sighed. "I mean I want to know how much time there is left." She rubbed Frederick's mane again. "I want to take some time to do a duet with the Squirt, here."

"I understand." Bergan nodded. "Unfortunately, I was just about ready to get up and go before you walked in the door."

"Oh…." Tyrrany nodded. "I see…" She looked down at her brother and frowned. "I'm sorry, Squirt. Looks like there isn't time."

"Okay…" Frederick bent his head low and sighed in disappointment. Tyrrany felt awful seeing him like this; she wanted to drape a wing over his back, but couldn't moved it out from under her cloak.

"Here, why don't you walk with me while I'm heading outside?" Tyrrany suggested. She stood up to turn around, only to grunt in pain as Maggie scrambled to climb up onto her back. Tyrrany's legs trembled as she struggled to adjust to her sister's weight.

"Don't leave already!" Maggie pouted. She wrapped her wings around Tyrrany's neck and locked her wing-thumbs together.

"Maggie, watch it." Tyrrany scolded. She took a step forward, only for Kale and Destine to cling to her tighter.

"Can't you play with us for once?" Kale asked sadly. "You only ever spend time with Freddy."

"Uh…" Frederick grimaced. "N-Not that I like taking up your time, Sis."

Tyrrany sighed and looked down at her siblings; they all gazed at her rather sadly. Try as she might to be angry… she just couldn't bring herself to snap at the cubs. Tyrrany looked back at Bergan, who walked around the desk. "How much time do we have before the caravan leaves, Dad?"

"The caravan leaves when I say it leaves." Bergan chuckled. "But we can't be delayed for too long; business is business."

"Aww…" The younger dragons all frowned again. Tyrrany frowned a bit as well. On a whim, she leaned down and nuzzled Kale and Destine on their foreheads.

"Listen, why don't you all walk with us?" Tyrrany suggested. "That way you can all say your goodbyes when Dad and I leave with the caravan. Okay?"

The younger cubs perked up a little bit, and Maggie loosened her grip on her sister's neck. Frederick, however, still frowned; He stepped up beside Tyrrany and nudged her a bit.

"So, there's really no time for the two of us to play another duet?" He asked uneasily.

Tyrrany sighed. "No, Freddy. There isn't time…" She rubbed her brother on the head again. "But when I'm in Warfang, I'll play some music on my violin for you. Okay?"

"Okay…" Frederick smiled a bit. "And I'll play my piano for you, Sis."

Bergan walked around his children and pushed the front door open. "Come on, everyone. Let's get going."

Tyrrany and Frederick were the first to follow the purple dragon out of the office. Next came Maggie, Kale and Destine, and finally the nursemaids. Each dragoness walked beside their respective child, with Frederick's mother holding a patient smile as her son stayed beside Tyrrany.

~~…~~

The sun was at the highest peak in the sky, casting all of Faeshrine in a marvelous glow of sunlight.

Many dragons and non-dragons were hard at work in two spots of the city of Faeshrine. There was a ring of carriages and wagons stationed around the stalk of the giant mushroom that housed the FTCHQ. The vessels were made of wood and metal, and a crowd of FTC employees was busily preparing the caravan with a plethora of different supplies. Various moles, cheetahs and dragons climbed up into the carriages and waited to make the journey to Warfang.

A group of at least eight teenaged dragons were told to wait quietly as the carriages were lined up. It was Jonathan's gang; the Crazy Aces. And they weren't particularly pleased to have to stand around and wait. They were so tempted to pickpocket some loose items.

Meanwhile, along the docks of the city, the seafaring vessels belonging to Saul and Madam Nymph were being prepared for their own voyages. Also being prepared were some vessels belonging to the FTC: their clear sails bearing the company's logo proudly.

Bergan stood before the caravans underneath his company. He faced a considerable crowd of dragons, all listening intently to what he had to say. Tyrrany and her siblings were off to the side, while Flame and Arthur were on the opposite side. Flamaedelus and his wife Melissa stood opposite Bergan, while the other senior partners were gathered around them. General Saul stood off to another side with his family, while Madam Nymph and her own family were opposite him.

Two dragonflies were helping Bergan pass around various scrolls. They were Arthur's parents: Richard and Megara. They were in charge of the FTC's dragonflymail service. And the scrolls they were passing around were marked to be given to specific individuals in the crowd.

"While I am gone," Bergan spoke, "Each of you are to follow the instructions on these scrolls. You are to follow the directions I've laid out to each of you by the letter. There are to be absolutely NO exceptions to this." He pointed his talon around at the crowd. "Do you all understand this?"

"Yes, sir." The others said in unison.

"Good." The purple dragon grinned. He looked over at Saul. "I wish you all safe travels as you make your way south toward Aeroshard, Lord General!"

"Wouldn't you know if our trip was fated to be disastrous?" Saul scoffed.

"Perhaps." Bergan chuckled. "But it's just a common courtesy to wish people safety over the seas."

"Fair enough." Saul said with a nod.

"Remember: Try to hold off your raid on Glenhaven until after the Day of the Bonds, Saul." Madam Nymph said as she cleared her throat. "I'd like to spend some time in my sister's home before you burn it to the ground."

"I won't be burning anything." Saul snapped. "Glenhaven is MY city: I'm not going to destroy it."

"Indeed…" Bergan chuckled again. "Now then: Flamaedelus, Melissa, Richard, and Megara…"

"Yes, Sir?" The foursome asked.

"Say your farewells to your respective sons, and then be on your way." The purple dragon commanded. "You will not be seeing them for quite some time after today."

Bergan turned around to approach the caravan, and then turned to glance at his children. The four younger dragons had crowded around Tyrrany, and were frowning as she stood up to walk toward the caravans. With a frown of his own, Bergan stepped up to his five children and leaned down to look the younger ones in the eyes.

"Little ones…" Bergan said with a softened face. "I know that I have to leave you behind again. And I know that you'll miss me. Almost as much I'll miss you."

"When are you coming back, Dad?" Frederick asked sadly. Bergan flinched; he didn't want to give the answer. Instead, the purple dragon just took a heavy sigh and leaned down to nuzzle his son on the forehead.

"Just understand that I love you, son." Bergan reached out to pull his children into a tight hug. "I love all of you, and I'll think of you every day."

The young dragons cried as they hugged their father. Tyrrany stood off to the side. She tried to be stoic… but she could feel her own tears threatening to emerge. She sucked in a breath and stood tall; she wouldn't let herself show weakness. Not in front of all these dragons.

Most of the senior partners of the FTC, as well as Saul and Nymph's sailors, had left the area. The vice president and his wife were speaking in hushed tones with Flame, who frowned as he hugged each of them. Richard and Megara flew around Arthur, speaking quietly about this or that. But eventually, Arthur frowned and hugged his mother before floating over to where Flame sat.

"I trust you'll do your best to look after Tyrrany." Flamaedelus stated.

"Of course, Dad." Flame replied. "I'll guard her with my life."

"Try to stay safe during the trip, son." Richard stated to the younger green dragonfly.

"I'll do what I can, Pops." Arthur crossed his arms

"Don't get cocky, Arthur." Megara scolded. "Being cocky is what got your uncle Benedict into trouble with those cougars."

"I get it, Mom." The teenaged dragonfly said, rolling his eyes.

Across the way, Saul and Olivia looked down at Jonathan as he adjusted his cloak.

"Be careful with that switchblade of yours." Olivia said. "I don't want you pulling it out at the wrong time. You could bet into serious trouble."

"I'm not stupid, Mom." Jonathan protested. "I know better than to show off with it."

"Make sure you keep your friends in line during this operation." Saul said seriously. He leaned down and looked his son in the eyes. "And remember: the princes are to be brought back alive."

"I get it, Father." Jonathan said with a serious face. "I'll make you proud."

Saul sighed. He draped a wing over Jonathan's back and hugged him close. "I love you, son."

Jonathan blinked in surprise. "I… love you too, Dad."

Saul stood up tall and took a militant stance. "Best be on your way: your mission has just begun."

"Okay…" Jonathan looked between his parents, and then turned to walk off toward the carriages. Saul sighed as he draped his wing over Olivia and walked off toward the docks with her.

Once all the preparations were finally put together and not a single thing was left to attend to, all the vehicles set forth on their journeys. The many seafaring vessels left the port all at once, and prepared to make way across the ocean. At the same time, the caravan of carriages and wagons moved onwards to the west, leaving the city limits and heading along the forest pathway.

Over the next few hours, the caravan traveled through the Mushroom forest. All the while, Bergan entertained himself as he sat in his personal carriage.

Bergan's vehicle, the second to last carriage in the caravan, was also the largest one of all. It was made entirely of metal, and twice the average length. The interior consisted of various pieces of fine furniture: two leather couches ran along the northern and southern sides of the chamber, while a few wool cushions sat around a table that was bolted down on the center of the room. Upon the table sat various pieces of the teenagers' luggage: Flame's burlap sack, Tyrrany's satchel and violin case, and so on. The purple dragon sat on the northeast side of the chamber, while Tyrrany sat to his left, looking out a glass window to her side. Flame and Jonathan shared the opposite couch, while Arthur fluttered about the room out of boredom. A small wooden chest with a metal lock sat just before the adult dragon, its silver key hanging on a chain around the dragoness's neck.

Bergan sipped from a small glass of red wine as he viewed the countryside, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Quite the lovely day." He declared. "Wouldn't you four agree?"

"I guess, sir." Flame answered with a shrug.

"Well I happen to think it looks pretty cool." Jonathan added. "It's been ages since I last rode in a fancy carriage."

Flame and Arthur rolled their eyes at this. Flame also growled in his mind at the prince. Suck up.

Tyrrany groaned from her spot on the north couch. Bergan frowned at her. "Is something wrong, dear?"

"The forest is fine enough," The dragoness said halfheartedly, "But what's the point of riding in a vehicle to Warfang? Couldn't we just fly there?"

"I should say not." Bergan scolded.

"How come, Sir?" Arthur asked.

"There's at least a dozen reasons why hiding amongst this caravan is a superior tactic." The purple dragon put his wine glass down to refill it.

"Could you name a few, then?" Tyrrany demanded. Her father sighed.

"Well, for starters, there are at least a hundred dragons in this caravan." He stated. "Since the five of us need to be inconspicuous, it's recommended that we hide amongst the many merchants and other traders, so that we don't stick out like sore talons."

"But… you're a PURPLE DRAGON." Tyrrany protested. "And the world thinks I'M a purple dragon, too. Aren't we the most recognizable dragons in the entire realms?"

"Not if we keep ourselves scarce." Bergan wagged a talon. "People don't go around inspecting caravans to hunt for purple dragons. We'll be just fine way in the back. I promise."

"Fine…" Tyrrany sighed and slumped against the couch cushion.

"There's also a much bigger reason riding in the carriage." Bergan extended a forepaw to his daughter. "Would you please hand me the key to our chest, dear?"

Tyrrany sighed, and then immediately placed the key in the purple dragon's paw.

"Thank you, Tyrrany." He replied, smiling. Bergan then worked to open the chest. "Now then, I have recently come across a few exclusive items, which I plan to sell to some very exclusive customers."

"Exclusive items?" Jonathan repeated, an eye ridge raised.

"And who're the customers?" Flame added.

"One question at a time, please." Bergan scolded. The purple dragon searched through the chest's contents, and eventually pulled out a large gem.

The gem was made entirely of a clear crystal, and shined brilliantly in the sunlight that entered the carriage. The gem was the size of an adult dragon's clenched fist, and was attached to a length of golden chain, which was finely polished. The three male teenagers were taken completely aback by the amazing light of the gem.

"Wowza!" Arthur exclaimed, eyeing the crystal.

"Where'd you get a gem like that, sir?" Flame asked, astonished.

"This isn't just any gem." Bergan declared. "It's called a Serenity Gem. Unlike most other gems found in the realms, Serenity Gems are purely ornamental in purpose. You won't be finding any secrets of the ancients in this."

"So, what good is it, then?" Tyrrany demanded.

"What it lacks in magical power, it makes up for it with its incredibly rarity. It wasn't easy finding this one, I can assure you." Bergan chuckled. "It took some extremely shrewd bartering tactics to get the previous owner to part with it."

"Who're you going to sell it to?" Jonathan wondered.

"Nobody you'd be familiar with. That's all you need to know." The purple dragon said sternly.

"What else are you going to sell, sir?" Arthur flew up to Bergan's muzzle.

"With all due respect, Arthur," Bergan prodded the dragonfly in his thin belly, "that's on a need to know basis."

"If you say so, sir." Arthur grimaced and flew away. Tyrrany, meanwhile, just sighed and gazed out the window.

"I still think we should've flown." She said. "Travel by land takes too long for me to stand."

"All good things to those who wait, Tyrrany." Bergan said reassuringly.

"But I've been waiting for years now, father." The dragoness said irritably.

"Then surely you can wait a little while longer." The purple drake scolded.

"Yeah." Jonathan agreed. He gave a very small smile toward the dragoness. "And besides, we could always pass the time by talking about stuff. Like how we'll be spending our lives together."

The dragoness scowled at Jonathan, making him shudder. Flame scowled as well, but tried not to draw Tyrrany's attention.

"Hmm, that's actually a rather interesting topic." Bergan grinned. "Yes, let's discuss it."

"What?" Tyrrany's eyes went wide.

"There are so many places to hold your wedding, and plenty more for your honeymoon." Bergan chuckled warmly. "Ah, yes, I can see the two of you standing in the grand cathedral in Warfang, saying your vows. Of course, it'll have to wait until after Saul has reclaimed the thrown of Glenhaven; he wants to be absolutely sure that you two are seen as royalty."

"Yeah, that would be great…" Jonathan grinned at Tyrrany. "I'll bet you'd look stunning in a crown, Annie."

Flame snarled, but Arthur poked him on the muzzle to get him to calm down. Tyrrany, however, pulled her hood down and glowered at Jonathan.

"Oh yes. And my WHITE SCALES will sparkle in the sun, won't they?" She snapped at the prince.

Jonathan grimaced. "Uh… you can show whatever scale color you want, Tyrrany." He extended a wing to drape it over her back. Tyrrany was ready to snap at him, but then she noticed Began smiling down at them.

"Ah, yes." He nodded. "Wouldn't that be something: seeing my beautiful daughter with her white scales standing tall and proud as the princess she's always deserved to be." Bergan leaned his head down close. "The world deserves to see the smile of my white princess."

Tyrrany blushed a bright pink at the way her father looked at her. And then Jonathan scooted so close that their flanks practically touched. Equal parts embarrassment and frustration flowed through her veins.

"But alas, it will all have to wait." Bergan flapped his wings. "There's so much work to be done before we can even plan the wedding. So much vengeance needs to be achieved."

"Yeah…" Jonathan pulled his wing back. "That bitch Elenar needs to pay!"

For once, Tyrrany agreed with Jonathan. She extended her talons and wracked them on the floor. She imagined herself standing triumphantly over the beaten and battered body of the hag who abandoned her so long ago. She also imagined Jonathan there as well, along with his little gang, as they took turns striking at the fallen queen with their magic.

Elenar had damaged Jonathan's family, not just her own. It was a strange thing to consider; most of the time when Tyrrany thought of Jonathan, she saw the brutish imbecile who lusted after her. And yet now, with him talking about Elenar, she saw the same kind of anger and hatred in his eyes that she often felt herself. Perhaps she should give him a chance to prove himself; to show that he's worthy of being with her in this coup to get revenge.

But that would have to wait. All she could really do now was sit back and enjoy the carriage ride. Warfang was quite a ways away; she had all the time in the world to plan her revenge.

~~…~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

The time of this writing is late March of 2020. And luckily that Coronavirus hasn't gotten to my health. It has, however, made times rather troublesome. Hours keeps shrinking, car keeps falling apart, and my creative drive to post stories has gone away. But I'm still updating The Legend of Rune. So here's hoping that I'll be able to look back on these times and laugh.

As for the story itself, Tyrrany and friends have finally begun their journey across the lands to reach Warfang. Who knows what kind of trouble is waiting for them there? What will Queen Elenar do when she learns that her first-born child is coming after her? Only future chapters will tell!

Tenebra ecce Veritas