Another late night had come.

Flamaedelus sighed as he leaned over the balcony of the fortress. He sighed as he overlooked the FTC employees as they unloaded supplies from the locomotive and onto a series of carriages across the way. His time in Aeroshard was short, and he intended to make it even shorter as soon as he got the chance.

Once, Aeroshard was the kingdom of the wind dragons. It was well-renowned for its natural formations that surrounding the city's walls, through which winds frequently blew and created musical notes. It was also just far enough outside of the desert for grasslands to grew, allowing for more natural farmlands and fruit-bearing trees. Aeroshard was known as the whistling city and was one of Spyro and Cynder's favorite places to visit during their tour of the realms. Oh, how the wind dragons adored playing music for their heroes: they invented flutes, clarinets, trumpets… Flamaedelus wished he'd gotten the opportunity to hear the lovely songs and ballads that wind dragons wrote.

And that's why Flamaedelus's blood boiled when he looked at what Aeroshard had been reduced to. He clutched his telescope so hard; he nearly cracked its surface with his talons.

The natural formations around Aeroshard's perimeter were mostly destroyed in a join-campaign by King Gaius and King Oceanus. And once the wind king, Boreas, was slain, the earth dragons seized Aeroshard as their own territory. All of the wind dragons vanished without a trace, and Gaius ordered the whistling city to be refortified for military purposes.

Great walls were erected here, stone bridges were placed there… and a lot of the trees were torn down to be used as firewood. The notes on songs and ballads about Cynder were burned to ashes, and each and every statue of Cynder was torn down or remodeled to depict her as a monster. All of Aeroshard's beautiful history was just… brushed aside in favor of outdated propaganda.

But that wasn't what got Flamaedelus's blood boiling. No, what really filled him with fury was the state of the populace. Saul declared himself the de facto ruler of Aeroshard just after his exile from Glenhaven… and he made sure to remind every citizen living there of that fact. Posters and statues of Saul were erected all over the streets depicting him as either a war hero or some kind of savant.

And while Saul and those of the noble class lived quite the high life, and the soldiers were well provided for… the same couldn't be said for those remaining. Plenty of the poorer dragons were sickly and starving here and there. Younger dragons wore rags to keep warm and frequently tried to rob the various food carts and the few stores.

Flamaedelus watched as one particular youngster attempted to pick the pocket of one of Saul's soldiers. It didn't take long for the soldiers to spot the teenager, and soon they were upon him. After a quick chase, they pinned the dragon to the wall, hefted up a baton, and… it made Flamaedelus turn away in disgust; he had to put the telescope away.

If Bergan saw this, he'd be disgusted. The red drake growled in his throat. What kind of ruler allows his people to fall into such disarray?

"Do you plan on joining us back in the dragon realms, Flamaedelus?" Saul's voice asked from behind. "We're waiting for you!"

Flamaedelus rolled his eyes and snorted in derision. He turned around to look back inside the planning room of the fortress.

Like most chambers of Saul's headquarters, it was lavishly decorated. The floor was a fine redwood, and the carpet was large and eloquent. The table that sat upon it was round and surrounded by gaudy cushions for dragons. Saul sat in one seat at the head of the table, while Nymph sat to his left. Richard the dragonfly hovered overhead and waited for Flamaedelus took his spot to Saul's right before he landed on his dragon's shoulder.

"Enjoying the sights of the windy city, are we?" Nymph asked with a smirk.

"About as well as I can, from way up high." Flamaedelus shrugged his shoulders. "Though I'm not sure I'm about to take a look around on the street level."

"Oh?" Saul smirked.

"I just have a feeling that I wouldn't be particularly… safe." Flamaedelus declared as he adjusted himself in his seat.

"I can assure you that my soldiers are the most-trained in all the continent." Saul declared. "Some of them are even veteran's from Glenhaven's military, who declared their loyalty and migrated here for my sake."

"Ah, how charming…" Richard said with a slight grunt.

"I've got to say that I've seen a few of the soldiers in action." Nymph declared. "And I find your soldiers to be positively primeval."

"Hmm… thank you very much." Saul gave a slight grin. Flamaedelus just rolled his eyes at that, while Richard covered his mouth to avoid scoffing too loudly. Though from the look that Nymph shot Flamaedelus and Richard, she was evidently hoping that Saul would have gotten a clue. Such a pity.

"Alright, let's go over my battle plans one more time…" Saul gestured down to the map of the southern continent. "I have several battalions ready to be deployed at just about any time. But for four years, they've mostly stayed stationed here in Aeroshard to defend it against anyone attempting to seize the land for dragons unfit to walk here."

"You mean dark dragons, I presume." Richard said.

Saul snorted. "It will be a rainy day over the desert before I allow dark dragons to take this fortress. But, that's beside the point…" He grasped a figure representing a dragon and lightly pushed it across toward Glenhaven. "I know Glenhaven's defenses better than anyone. The natural walls surrounding the city make it impenetrable by land for earth-bound beings; there are four narrow gateways out of the city in all four cardinal directions, meaning that cheetah and canine soldiers would be forced into bottlenecks. So, naturally…"

"You want to send dragons over the skies." Flamaedelus said as he clasped his forepaws together.

"Exactly." Saul grinned. "My draconic forces can march westward on food, camping here and there along the edge of the grassland areas. But once we're within flying distance of Glenhaven, they can take to the skies, and easily swoop down to seize the city. And by staying just out of sight of Glenhaven, they can evade any snooping gazes of scouts who would alert the Guardians to my army's presence."

"Mhm…" Flamaedelus and Richard nodded in unison.

"Naturally, I didn't initially take into account the scores of those… crepsculi-summoning gauntlets." The earth drake bit his lower lip. "If they lack the convexity crystals needed to power them, then we'll have to leave them on the sidelines for now."

"Alternatively…" Nymph placed her forepaw on the table. "You could delay your westward invasion by a few days. Why not give Bergan time to supply you with the convexity?"

Saul scowled. "Because I've waited long enough to retake my city! I demand that I retake my birthright from the wretched Elders who backstabbed me."

"I think it would do you some good to delay it by a few more days, at least." Nymph declared. "Need I remind you that the Day of the Bonds is almost here?"

"Yes, Yes, I've heard it all before." Saul rolled his eyes. "You want to spend time with that sister of yours and leave before things get messy."

"There's also the fact that Glenhaven's military would be relaxed during the festivities, you know." Nymph continued. "If you spring into action just before the holiday starts, then the soldiers will still be ready to counter your invasion-"

"Liberation!" Saul interrupted. "Glenhaven is MINE by right."

"Sure, sure, liberation…" Nymph rolled her eyes. "The point is: if you wait for Glenhaven's soldiers to stuff their bellies and satisfy their romantic desires, then by the time your forces arrive, they won't be able to mobilize fast enough to properly fight back." She tilted her head and gave Saul a patient smile. "And besides: wouldn't you rather than the people of Glenhaven take you back in open arms, and look back on that day with a bit of bitter-sweetness?"

"Hmm…" Saul wracked a talon on the table.

"Nobody's going to be too pleased if you storm the city during one of their favorite holidays." Flamaedelus said with a flourish of his cloak. "They'll be frustrated that you ruined it for them, and will resist your attempts to reclaim your crown all the harder. And furthermore…" The red drake cleared his throat. "You need to take into account the location of your son's wedding ceremony. Surely you'd want him to get married back home in Glenhaven, during a time of peace, yes?"

"Of course." Saul declared. "There's no better time for a royal wedding."

"Then you need to practice some PATIENCE." Flamaedelus grasped the dragon figure and pulled it further away from Glenhaven. "You need to stop and think things through."

"Are you implying that I haven't got any patience?" Saul sneered. "I've been waiting YEARS for the moment to retake my home."

"Then what are a few weeks more?" Flamaedelus declared. "Wait for some kind of sign. Wait for Bergan to bring you the supplies for those gauntlets. Wait for the chance to use a new form of weaponry to scare the soldiers of Glenhaven into submission. You might even be able to take back your home with minimal bloodshed if you handle diplomacy right."

"Ugh…" Saul scoffed. "You think diplomacy is going to work with those old fools seated in Glenhaven Palace? They're not going to just give me back my crown and kiss my paws for forgiveness."

"Maybe not…" Flamaedelus adjusted his collar. "But at the very least, Bergan wants us to wait for his instructions to become clear; he doesn't like it when his subordinates try to be too pragmatic."

"I am NOT his subordinate; I'm his EQUAL." Saul scowled. "Don't insult me again by implying otherwise!"

"Fine, fine…" Flamaedelus sighed. He stood up from the table and cleared his throat. "In any case, I need to be ready to leave for Glenhaven. I want to catch the same carriage that Nymph is taking."

"Ah, I promised my family that I'd ride with them tonight." Nymph stuck her snout in the air and chuckled. "We want to discuss the contents of one of the letters that arrived recently from my sister."

"You got a letter?" Richard asked curiously.

"Oh, yes." Nymph's eyes beamed. She reached within the confines of her fancy purse and pulled out a small scroll. "It just arrived via dragonflymail this morning. Seraph's been telling me all about how proud she is about Blankridge and Nellie. In fact, one of them is preparing to-"

"Alright, alright, save it for later." Saul grunted. "I've got some work to do still; even if they're not marching on the morrow, I need to be sure that my battalions are ready for the long track across the prairies toward the west."

"Well then… Flamaedelus turned toward the door. "This is where we take our leave of you, then."

"Hmm, quite right." Nymph nodded. "My family's waiting for me before we board the caravan."

"Well, then…" Saul tapped his talons on the table. "It may be some time before we see each other again. Take care, you two."

"I certainly will." Nymph declared. She looked at Flamaedelus. "I'll be waiting for you on the street level, you two."

"We'll be with you soon enough…" Richard stretched his arms over his head as he floated beside Flamaedelus's snout. The red drake nodded and rose to head out of the room with the dragonfly… but then he came to a stop and snorted. He just had to get things off his chest now, while he still had time.

"There's one more thing I want to bring up…" Flamaedelus looked back at Saul with a slight sneer. "It would behoove you to take better care of the citizens of Aeroshard: They're your people too."

Saul scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that a lot of them are poor and/or starving. Bergan doesn't like seeing anyone suffer like that…" Flamaedelus cleared his throat again. "He wouldn't like it if you try to hide it from him, either."

"I'll… keep that in mind, Flamaedelus." Saul said with a grunt. "Just be off on your way, already."

In one ear frill, out the other, Flamaedelus thought with a sigh. He just made his way out of the war room, walking just slow enough for Richard to keep up. I don't understand why Bergan chose HIM of all dragons to be an ally.

"Well, that was charming as always." Richard grimaced.

"Let's get out of here before he says something I'll regret." Flamaedelus scoffed.

It wasn't much longer before Flamaedelus and Richard were making their way down the front stoop of the fortress, which sat in the center of Aeroshard. Nymph was across the way, speaking with her husband and son before pushing open one of the carriage doors to get seated. It wouldn't be long before the caravan would take off down the main road to head out through the city gates. Flamaedelus and Richard stopped before their own carriage and pulled it open; the red drake decided he wanted a bit of privacy away from the haughty ice dragons for the rest of the trip. Once inside his carriage, Flamaedelus sat down in his seat and gave a long sigh. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he yawned; he'd been awake for far too long. Having Saul talk his ear frill off for most of the day didn't help matters at all.

"What shall we do once we arrive in Glenhaven?" Richard asked.

"Well, that depends…" Flamaedelus reached into his coat and pulled out a scroll. "Let's just see what the scroll says."

The drake red it to himself for a moment; his face became a mask of unease. Richard frowned at that. "Uh… what does it say?"

"Not much." Flamaedelus put the scroll down. "We're to lay low, and stick to the shadows as much as possible. Let Nymph have her happy family fun-time with her sister. And then…" Flamaedelus gave a long sigh. "We keep an eye on Glenhaven Palace. There's a certain… something that Bergan wants us to acquire."

"Mhm…" Richard scratched his chin. "Well, here's hoping that all goes well."

"Aye…" Flamaedelus sighed as he gazed out the window. "Here's hoping."

After a bit of time, the carriage rumbled to move forward. A few moments later, the rest of the carriages began strolling forward along the main road. Flamaedelus gave another yawn as he settled into his seat, and watched the many fortified buildings roll on by.

For a brief moment, Flamaedelus saw a few more of the local orphaned dragons wandering about the empty side-streets. There were more of Saul's soldiers out and about as well, corralling the orphans away from the main road. There was a young fire dragon amongst the crowd; he was trying to reach for an apple that had rolled underneath a food cart beside the road. A soldier spotted this… and was quick to pounce with ferocity. Cries of "urchin" and "thief" rang up and down the street; it made Flamaedelus's scales crawl. It was all he could do to keep from leaping out of the carriage to relieve the soldier of his horns for beating that child.

"I hope the boys are okay." Flamaedelus frowned.

"Me too…" Richard sighed.

~~…~~

The rain poured down harder and harder than ever before. The little dragoness shivered as she struggled to curl up in a ball within the fat side of an overturned log. Lightning crashed down a short distance away, making her squeak in fright. She cried as she held a wing over her muzzle, and she shivered all over as the terrible cold wracked her scales.

The night-time had lasted for what seemed like an eternity. No matter where the dragoness ran, she couldn't find the sun. And that terrible lightning and booming thunder hounded after her wherever she was. She was trapped in an eternal storm… ALONE.

Why…? The little dragoness whimpered. Why was I left all alone? What did I do wrong?

Thunder boomed again; it was very loud. Then it boomed again, even louder than before. Then it got louder and louder… and LOUDER! It was right behind her, ready to assault her ear frills and leave her deaf!

The thunder was so loud that Tyrrany quickly sat up in bed with tears in her eyes. But almost immediately, Flame was by her side. The red drake scrambled to drape a wing over her body.

"F-Flame?" Tyrrany asked in surprise.

"You're safe…" He whispered as he pulled her close. "It's just a little rain. You're in a bedroom at an inn in a town. You're not all alone."

"Okay…" Tyrrany said quietly.

Gradually, Tyrrany calmed down, and she looked around at her surroundings. They were in a room with a single bed; all of the two-bed rooms had been taken by the time they'd arrived. The curtains over the windows were pulled tightly shut; Tyrrany could just barely hear the pounding of rain just beyond them. Arthur was curled up in a little makeshift bed on the end-table across from the bed. Tyrrany had changed out of her dark robes and washed off her makeup hours ago, while Flame chose to stay clothed in his brown cloak and goggles across from her.

"Are you okay?" Flame asked worriedly.

"Yeah…" Tyrrany rolled over and curled up into a ball. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need more sleep."

"If you say so." Flame nodded. He shifted to roll over to have his back facing away from her. "Just remember; You're among friends, Annie."

"I know…" Tyrrany gradually closed her eyes and yawned. "Among friends."

She gave a low yawn and curled up in a ball. Flame scooted up close to her and wrapped his limbs about her back. Tyrrany flushed a little; she probably should have told him to get off of her… but she just wanted to feel someone hug her, for once. She carefully closed her eyes, and hoped to dream of something better this time…

Tyrrany had barely been back to sleep for fifteen minutes before a loud pounding came at the door. Immediately her eyes shot wide open and she fell over onto the floor in a panic.

"Hello?" Harlon's muffled voice asked outside the door. "Miss Tyrrany? Mr. Flame? Are you two still here?"

What's HE doing here so late?! Tyrrany thought with a gasp. She hurriedly scrambled to hide inside the little washroom around the corner and slammed the door shut. She fumbled over herself to pick up her black cloth to throw it over her body.

Flame had finally woken up about this time, as did Arthur. The two of them grumbled as they slowly sat up and faced the pounding door. Flame then looked back at Tyrrany and frowned. He motioned toward the door with a talon; his face was asking whether they should pretend to all be asleep.

"I'm sorry if this was a bad time." Harlon said. "I just wanted to talk to you with a bit of privacy before you all left for Glenhaven. And I wouldn't have any other time to come talk to you before or after this evening.

Oh, for the love of the Ancestors… Tyrrany groaned. She stuck her muzzle out and harshly whispered. "Arthur, come help me while Flame deals with this guy."

Flame and Arthur nodded in unison and sprang to work. The red dragon stood before the door to open it, while the dragonfly quickly flew into the bathroom. The dragoness reached into her toiletry bag and fetched her purple makeup, which she had Arthur help apply to her face. Meanwhile, Flame carefully opened the backpack after positioning himself to stand right in front of where the bathroom was, before finally and slowly opening the door. Harlon was standing outside, naturally, but so was Lillia to Flame's surprise. The young dragoness yawned as she struggled to keep herself awake.

"Err… hello." Flame said awkwardly.

"I… don't think this was a good time, Dad." The dragoness muttered.

"As if any time would have been a good time…" Harlon sighed.

"Well, in the middle of a stormy night has to be the worst possible time to try and speak with me privately." Tyrrany sneered as she spoke through the crack in the bathroom door. "Please go away."

"I promise that it won't be long." Harlon frowned. "There are just a few things I want to be sure of. And I want to prove to you that you can trust me."

Tyrrany rolled her eyes as Arthur applied a layer of the makeup to her cheeks. "Fine, but make it quick. And stay away from the bathroom."

"Very well…" Harlon nodded.

With a shrug, Flame opened the door a bit to allow Harlon and Lillia to step inside. He then quickly shut the door and locked it before whirling around to eye them suspiciously. Tyrrany, meanwhile, tensed up as she struggled to get the makeup on faster.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Flame demanded.

"Well…" Harlon took a breath. "It has to do with white dragons, and how they often go into hiding."

A chill traveled up Tyrrany's spine, and anger burned in her throat. Already her mind raced with all the awful things this guy could be up to; was he going to try and extort something out of them? She wondered if she had to call upon her magic to deal with the nomads.

"Start making sense." Flame demanded of Harlon, who sighed.

"I'll be as blunt as I can be…" Harlon shifted around a bit. "Lillia… show him."

His daughter gasped. "Are… Are you sure, Dad?"

"I need her to understand that we mean no harm to white dragons."

Tyrrany flinched. She held her tongue as a shiver ran up her spine. Did… Did he know? Did he figure out her secret? How? What was he going to do to…? Another shiver ran along her spine. Wait… no harm?

Tyrrany held her breath as she listened to Lillia sighing. There was a moment where the dragoness ruffled her nomadic robes and held something before herself. There were a bit of magical noises, which made Flame gasp. And then, seconds later, Tyrrany heard Flame very carefully creeping toward the bathroom door.

"Annie… I think you'll want to take a look at this." He said as he grasped the door. "It's… it's quite the surprise."

"What are you talking about?" Tyrrany demanded.

"Just… Just come look." Flame said with wide eyes. "You wouldn't believe me if I just told you."

With a frustrated groan, Tyrrany covered herself about as much as she could and pushed the door slightly open. Flame backed up against the wall, while the dragoness turned to look at Harlon and Lillia… and boy did she get a surprise. Tyrrany almost didn't recognize Lillia, with that white-scaled face.

"You..." Tyrrany's stammered as her eyes widened. She fell backward onto her haunches and looked upon the worried face of the younger dragoness with unease and trepidation. "You're a… a… a white dragoness?"

Lillia shivered at the way Tyrrany balked at her. The younger dragoness backed up to hide behind her father's wing. Harlon just sighed and shifted his wing to hug his daughter against his side.

"Yes. She always has been." Harlon said softly. "And I'd do anything for my daughter."

"Dad…" Lillia said with a brief flash of embarrassment. "How can we be sure we can trust her with our secret?"

Tyrrany could hardly believe what she was hearing. Even if she'd known that other white dragons existed in secret across the realms, she never imagined she'd get so up close to one. However… that didn't mean that she instantly trusted this Harlon. He was already a strange and shifty dragon during the while ship ride. And her daughter Lillia was annoying at times. She couldn't trust them. And yet… she couldn't help but be curious. She stepped partially forward out of the bathroom, with Arthur flying out to come to a landing on Flame's snout.

"Wow, another white dragoness?" Arthur asked in amazement.

"Another…?" Lillia repeated curiously. She peeked out from behind her father's wing and looked in Tyrrany's direction. Tyrrany shivered and pulled her cloth against her body all the more to protect herself.

"Why do you come to me?" Tyrrany demanded as she locked eyes with Harlon. "Why reveal your daughter's secret to us?"

"Well, I wanted to show that, if you revealed your own true form, then we wouldn't tell anyone." Harlon said. "And no, I wasn't spying on you, Miss Tyrrany." He flapped his wings. "I just happen to know that you're the daughter of Bergan… and Bergan would do anything to keep you safe." Harlon lowered his head and frowned. "Which is why I can't help but feel concerned that he'd send you so far outside of his reach. I understand that you're not a child… but you're still a bit young to be on your own."

Tyrrany sneered. "What I'm doing on my own is none of your business, Harlon."

"I know, I know…" Harlon sighed. "But please understand; you're not the only one in seclusion. There are other white dragons out there who are hiding from extremists."

"And what would you know about hiding from awful dragons?" Tyrrany demanded.

Harlon bit his lower lip. "More than you might expect…"

The drake looked down at Lillia, who had stayed silent for a while now. Tyrrany couldn't help but glower at the younger dragoness. But the more she looked at Lillia, the more Tyrrany was in awe of how perfect her disguise was.

"How… How did you hide your scales?" Tyrrany demanded curiously.

"With a shroud of darkness." Lillia replied. "Lots of the nomads know how to use them. I just use it for… well, different reasons."

Tyrrany wracked her brain; from what her father told her about recent events over the years. Plenty of dark dragons were in hiding form the Order of Culmubrae for nearly two decades, and they accomplished that with a bit of dark magic. But never had Tyrrany ever heard of white dragons being capable of the same trick. She was tempted to ask; tempted to just throw down her dark clothes and beg to learn how to pull off the magic. But no…. she shivered as she stayed her forepaws. There was always the chance that this was an elaborate hoax. Anyone could have been waiting outside the bedroom… waiting for just the chance to catch the daughter of Bergan's true form and expose it to the world.

"Whatever." Tyrrany snorted. "Is that all you wanted of me? To show me that you're a white dragoness? Well, you're done now." She flapped her wings. "Have a good evening."

Lillia frowned and looked down at her paws. Harlon just patted his daughter on the shoulder and tried to give Tyrrany a warm face.

"There's no need for hostility, Miss Tyrrany." Harlon said. "We won't be long. But before we go, could you at least tell us what Faeshrine is like these days?"

"Faeshrine?" Flame repeated uneasily. "You've been to Faeshrine before?"

"Yes, but not for a long time." The adult drake nodded his head. "It's been many years. And my clan has gotten so used to our counter-clockwise trek across the realms, that going off the beaten path for even a week would throw them off for months." He slumped backward onto his haunches. "So, all I can do is asking about what life is like over there these days."

"Well, I don't know what Faeshrine was like before my father became its ruler." Tyrrany huffed. "There are a lot of bright lights, giant mushrooms, trolleys, and various things that my father's students invented."

"Students?" Harlon repeated curiously.

"Yeah. Students of Faeshrine Academy." Flame added. "It's a fancy-schmancy school for young dragons."

"I see…" Harlon grimaced. "So, he's brought certain dragon-made innovations to the ancestral home of the dragonflies."

"I guess you could say that." Arthur shrugged as he flew around Tyrrany's head. "The dragonfly clans have grown in size over the last decade, thanks to the gradual removal of frogweeds and toadweeds from the area." He came to a landing on Tyrrany's snout. "If anything, I'd say that Bergan's been doing the dragonflies a favor."

"Mhm…" Harlon tilted his head to look down curiously at Arthur. "Are you… bonded with miss Tyrrany?"

"Actually, no; he's bonded to me." Flame declared. "Arthur just likes to help Annie out a bit during most days."

"Ah…" Harlon nodded.

"He's very pretty…" Lillia said as she stepped out from behind her father again. Arthur balked in surprise as the younger dragoness stepped closer to look at him in awe.

"Uh… th-thanks?" Arthur asked cautiously.

Lillia turned to look up at her Harlon with a soft smile. "Will I ever be bonded to a dragonfly, Dad?"

"That's not how it works, little one." Harlon shook his head. "You'd have to be hatched in the mushroom forest, and you've never even been there."

"Aww…" Lillia pouted, much to Arthur and Flame's amusement.

Tyrrany, however, was not amused. She was growing increasingly suspicious of Harlon's behavior as time went on. Why would he be so invested in Faeshrine's development if he hadn't been there in years? Harlon seemingly had no dragonfly of his own; he couldn't have been born there. And just look at those red scales; his mate must have been from Faeshrine if they were to have a white dragon as a child. Unless…

"Are you wearing a shroud of darkness, too?" Tyrrany demanded of Harlon.

Immediately the drake's expression turned uneasy. "Err…"

"Remove it." She stamped her paw. "Reveal your true form, if you're so keen on revealing secrets."

Harlon sucked in a quick breath, and he did his breath to stand his ground. He pulled Lillia backward to have her stand at his side as he put on a stoic face.

"No, I will not." He said with a shake of his head. "I prefer to keep it on."

"Err, what's the problem?" Flame asked cautiously. "I mean, you revealed your daughter to us. If you're a dark dragon, we're not all that bothered by it. Right, guys?"

"Meh…" Arthur shrugged.

Tyrrany just glared up at Harlon. "If you're not going to reveal your true form, then get out."

"Excuse me?" Harlon blinked.

"Get. Out." Tyrrany spread out her limbs and glared harder. "I don't want you around me."

"Please, I mean you no harm or offense." Harlon frowned. "It's just that I prefer to-"

"You'd parade around your daughter to strangers while keeping your own identity a secret." Tyrrany glowered at him. "You're an irresponsible moron!"

"Hey…" Lillia pouted as she stood up closer. "Don't insult my dad like that."

"Oh, shut up!" Tyrrany snapped, making Lillia flinch. "The both of you have wasted enough of my time. I need to get some sleep before we continue onwards on our journey. So stop making us stand around yammering about nonsense!"

Lillia lightly gasped, and then drooped her ear frills. "Why do you have to be so mean? I just wanted to be your friend."

Tyrrany leaned her head back momentarily; she wasn't expecting a remark like that. However, rather than let that hang in the air for long, Tyrrany put on her nastiest scowl and flapped her wings proudly.

"I don't NEED new friends." She declared. "Just get out."

Lillia had a hurt face as she backed up to stand beside her father. Harlon comforted her with a wing while looking down at Tyrrany with a dour face.

"Please… we never meant you any harm, Miss Tyrrany." Harlon said cautiously. "We can provide you help if you need it."

"Get out." Tyrrany said.

"Do you need transportation? We can get you a cart."

"Get out." Tyrrany said again.

"If you don't know how to make a shroud of darkness, I can teach you-"

"GET OUT!" Tyrrany screamed.

Harlon just sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Lillia put your shroud back on."

"Okay…" Lillia glumly held her forepaw before herself and created a small sphere of dark energy. The energy soon spread across her foreleg and most of her body, before she shifted to take on the form of a blue-scaled dragoness once again. She then rose up onto all fours and followed behind her father as he approached the door.

The moment Harlon pulled the door open, the boom of thunder broke through the air, making Tyrrany flinch. Harlon looked back worriedly at her, but Tyrrany simply put on her scowl and clacked her talons on the floor.

"Leave." Tyrrany snapped. "Never bother me again."

"Very well…" Harlon carefully pushed the door open so Lillia could scoot on by him. Harlon then carefully made to follow behind her, but not before glancing back at Tyrrany. "I wish you the best of luck, Miss Tyrrany."

With a scowl, Tyrrany marched forward and slammed the door in Harlon's face. She then pressed an ear frill to the door to listen as his foot-falls gradually moved away from her door. Tyrrany felt a shiver on her back, and then she cautiously sighed in relief as she made her way to the bathroom.

"Arthur, help me get this makeup off my face." She ordered. "Now."

"A…Alright." Arthur said quietly.

As the dragonfly followed Tyrrany to the bathroom, Flame just walked around to the other side of the bed to sigh.

"Did you really have to shoo them away so abruptly?" He asked.

"YES." Tyrrany said bluntly.

"But it kinda seemed like they were on the up and up." Flame continued. "At the very least, we could have used a carriage to speed our trip to Glenhaven."

Tyrrany was in the middle of pulling down her hood as he said that. She flinched and worriedly bit her lower lip as she considered her options. Maybe he was right? Maybe Harlon could have given them some help to get out of Crossbolt all the faster?

But then she thought about the terrain of the area; there were many hills and valleys through the Fractured Hills, with barely any roads for non-dragons. She snorted and continued to remove her hood.

"It would have only slowed us down." She declared.

"Were you planning on flying south, then?" Arthur asked as he picked up a rag.

"Shut it, you." Tyrrany poked him in the gut. She ran the water and fell back onto her haunches. "Just focus on getting my face washed off."

Arthur just sighed as he got to work. Flame, meanwhile, just slumped into bed and sighed.

"At the very least, that shroud of darkness could have been useful." Flame said. "It would have helped you speed up your disguises without need for your makeup or cloak."

Tyrrany's eye flinched again. She glanced over at her makeup case, and down at her stockings and hood. They were always so sticky, and heavy… and her wings ached from being weighed down all the time. She looked down at her forepaw and held it out to try and concentrate on the dark sphere she saw in Lillia's paws. Oh, what she would have given to pull off a magical trick like that. She could finally walk around in the sun… flapping her wings to take off for flight into-

Thunder boomed outside, making her jolt. Immediately Tyrrany grabbed her cloak and pulled it over herself to shiver. Arthur gasped and flew down to her snout to pat it.

"Hey, hey, take it easy…" The dragonfly said soothingly. "It can't get you, Annie. You're safe."

Tyrrany just snorted and lightly flicked Arthur off of her muzzle. She then straightened herself out to try and stand tall.

"Just… Just help me get clean." She ordered.

Arthur sighed and got back to work again. Tyrrany put down her cloak and frowned at herself in the mirror. Part of her didn't trust Harlon… but another part of her cursed herself to shooing him off before he taught her that magic. She also imagined Lillia's white face frowning at her in the mirror. All that girl wanted was to be friends? Friends with… another white dragoness? Did this Lillia want some kind of kinship?

It's too late to patch things up, she told herself. I'll just have to avoid them in the future.

~~…~~

Evidently, sleep wasn't something that Rune would be getting so easily. He tossed and turned as he struggled to get comfortable upon his straw mattress.

Too many things kept passing through Rune's subconscious; the extremists, the Sons of Culmubrae, Dona's where scheming, Bergan lurking somewhere, Rune's sister attacking his brother, the fact that the other students at the Dragon Spire were afraid of him, the fear of descending into becoming a monster… and all through it, Rune was trapped on a boat in the middle of the sea.

Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts… he told himself.

Seraph was waiting to give him a hug. Blankridge and Nellie wanted to play with their foster brother. His friends wanted to celebrate the holiday with him. And Roxanne… Roxanne glared at him. She hated him for breaking her heart. And he had to spend another half a year being unable to make things right with her. Everything was coming crashing down again.

Damn it… A tear streaked down his face. Nothing he ever said or did made things right…

Suddenly, the prince sat up in his bed. He opened eyes… but they weren't under his control. Rune felt himself rise up from his bed and slide his paws onto the floor.

Oh no, not again… Rune grimaced as his body walked toward the mirror; he found himself smirking at his own demonic eyes once again.

Oh YES, it's happened again! Runefor chuckled as he fanned out his wings to flap them. It's about time I get back in the driver's seat!

You're not looking to try and take anyone to bed again, are you? Rune sneered.

Oh, please. Nobody here interests me like that… Runefor scoffed. But then he scratched his chin and gave an elated chuckle. Although there IS someone that we owe a visit to!

I thought you said to just forget about Dona. Rune snapped.

Oh, no… Runefor chuckled out loud. We'll deal with someone who's deserved a beating for a long time.

Immediately memories of a certain earth prince tormenting a younger Rune flooded through his mind. Rune growled at those memories… and then at Runefor as he pushed the door open. No… no, don't do this!

The prince crept slowly and quietly down the hallway of the ship and toward the stairs. The brig was to be found at the very bottom of the hull, where there was potential for dragons to get the most sea-sick.

Does that prick get sea-sick? What color does a green dragon turn when he has to throw up…? Runefor snickered. Quite the mystery, huh?

Stop! Rune protested.

But Runefor wouldn't stop. The prince just kept walking down those stairs and turned down to make his way to the lowest section of the ship. And there he was; splayed out on the wooden floor of his little cage. Jonathan snored lightly as he sat curled up in a tight ball in the center of the cell. Rune felt his anger burning a bit as he looked upon his former bully… but the feeling of anger radiating from Runefor made his stomach churn.

Oh, this is just perfect… Runefor grinned maliciously. Sleeping like a little hatchling… unaware of his imminent demise!

Rune struggled with all his might to regain control of his body as Runefor approached Jonathan's cell. The prince slammed his forepaws against the bars of the cell and rattled them vigorously.

"Hey, fuckface!" The prince cackled. "Wakey-wakey!"

The green drake grumbled as he slowly woke up. Runefor was giddy with violent excitement as he bore down at the imprisoned prince, while Rune shuddered with worry.

Why are you doing this? You could just as easily leave him alone for the rest of the trip!

Oh no. Runefor growled. We've kept our distance for long enough. It's high time we pay this cretin back for all of the headaches he gave us in our youth!

"Breakfast time already…?" Jonathan asked as he gave a yawn. "I'm starving…"

Oh, I've something you can eat alright… Runefor grinned wickedly as his mind raced with all the terrible things he could do.

Jonathan blinked a few times and then gazed up in surprise at the black prince. And then, the green prince gave a sardonic grin as he rose to sit back on his haunches. "Well, isn't THIS a surprise?"

"Hello… Johnny." Runefor said with a snort.

"Geez, your eyes are a lot uglier than I remember them being." Jonathan snorted. "Were they always that hideous shade of yellow? Or did you just grow into it thanks to puberty."

Runefor snorted as he sucked in a deep breath. It would have been so easy; right then and there, one quick burst and this piece of trash wouldn't see it coming…

Oh no, you don't! Rune yelled.

The prince shifted and growled as he temporarily lost balance. He banged his head against the bars, much to Jonathan's surprise and confusion.

What's the matter with you?! Runefor hissed. This is the perfect opportunity for revenge!

We're not hurting Jonathan. Rune snapped. He felt his body shake as he struggled to keep himself from moving an inch. He clamped his jaws shut and swallowed back the magic that was building up.

But he DESERVES IT! Runefor hissed even louder. He attacked Cyrus! Not to mention all of the years he tortured and bullied us during our time hiding our true self! Do you really want to just let him off the hook for all of that?!

No. Rune dug his talons into the floor and clamped his eyes shut. But hurting him won't accomplish anything. And besides, we've already come close to crippling one annoying prince; I'm not going for two.

"What's gotten into you, Desert Beetle?" Jonathan chided. "Did you come to just beat yourself up for my amusement? Aww, I never would have thought you cared so much about me."

The green prince gave a shrill laugh, much to Rune's frustration. He could feel his own anger for the bully building up again.

There, you see?! He's just BEGGING for a blast of lightning to the face! Runefor exclaimed. Show this piece of crap the full power at your disposal! Make him pay!

NO… Rune took deep, steady breaths and did his best to think simple thoughts; he wouldn't let anger get the better of him this time. He refused to allow Runefor to have any more control.

"Uh, hello?" Jonathan tilted his head and snorted. "Can you hear me, Desert Beetle? Or are you lost in your own little world?"

As the earth prince laughed in Rune's face, the black prince opened his eyes and calmly glared forward; his eyes were normal once again.

"Scarab."

Jonathan blinked. "What?"

"The beetle that lives in the desert is called a scarab." Rune blew smoke from his nostrils. "Maybe you'd know that if you ever bothered to pay attention in your classes."

"Oh, I learned well enough." Jonathan snorted. He grabbed the bars and grinned. "And besides, it doesn't matter what the name is, so long as it eats SHIT day in and day out. Just like YOU." Jonathan looked Rune up and down. "You certainly LOOK the part: You are what you eat, mom always said!"

Runefor growled while Rune took a deep breath. He tried to get up and walk away… but found that his legs barely budged.

Oh no, you don't! Rune's other self hissed again. If you can prevent me from liberating Jonathan of what's left of his face, then I can prevent you from chickening out and walking away.

"What's with you, Sand Dune?" Jonathan snorted. "Forget how to walk? Too bad your mommy isn't here to teach you."

Rune blew smoke from his nostrils; dealing with both of these two at once was insufferable. At the very least, Rune could take this opportunity to let off a little steam.

"You attacked my brother." Rune scowled at Jonathan.

"Hmm… that I did, that I did." Jonathan snorted.

"And you spat in my mother's face, too." Rune growled.

"Guilty as charged." Jonathan gave a playful shrug. "I wonder if your Sister knows about that? I'll bet it'll make her all toasty inside; she thinks that Elenar is a bitch, just like I do."

Rune's eye twitched. Slowly but surely Jonathan was getting to him again. And Runefor still wouldn't let him walk away. Rune didn't want to just stand there and take it. But even if he had to stand there…

"Think what you want of her…" Rune puffed out his chest. "She still locked you in a cage, and is shipping you off to Glenhaven."

Jonathan's laughter stopped, and he glared a bit. "So what?"

"So, your grandfather, Telus, is going to have some very select words for you…" Rune tapped the cage. "You're in for a world of hurt, Johnny."

"Oh please; I'll figure something out." Jonathan snorted. "Sooner or later, I'll have the means to spring myself. Just you wait, Desert Beetle. You're the one who's in for-"

Rune suddenly reached through the bars and grabbed Jonathan by the neck. As Jonathan gagged in surprise, Rune filled his foreleg with earth magic and pulled forward to slam Jonathan's face into the bars. Rune then let go, so that Jonathan fell backward and hit the cage floor. Rune could hear Runefor cackling in delight, while Jonathan coughed and rose up onto his paws.

"You fucker!" Jonathan snapped. He stomped forward and tried to grab at Rune through the lock, but his wrists were still bound; he could barely slam them against the bars.

"I'm not going to take your garbage anymore, Jonathan." Rune scowled. "I had to hide my elements when I was pretending to be a fire drake. But those days are over."

Rune held out his forepaws: He let lightning dance across the talons of his left forepaw, while icy mist surrounding his right one. Then he slammed both forepaws down, turning the magic into pools of shadowy mist, which he sank down into. Rune then emerged on the other side of the cage, much to Jonathan's alarm.

"I'm a black dragon, Jonathan." Rune said forcefully. "Just like my brother… whom I heard kicked the arses of you and two of your little goons. I might be more of a pacifist, but I WILL defend myself to the fullest of my ability if you try to start a fight."

"Oh, fuck off." Jonathan growled. "Fuck you and your extra-special magic powers. You're just a big fucking blowhard, just like your dad was."

Rune's eye twitched as he had his magic fade away. He sucked in a breath, not wanting to talk about his strained relationship with Baneth. But that only made Jonathan grin.

"Didn't have the best ties to your daddy, did you?" Jonathan cackled. "Luckily, I've got both of my parents who adore me. And he won't hesitate to spring me out of jail when he finds out what's happened."

Rune could taste Runefor's hatred on his tongue. The words formed, but Rune wasn't sure if he dared to speak them. And yet that smug look on the earth prince's face was burning him up inside… wait, his face…

"You know, I think General Grail did a pretty good job." Rune nodded.

"What are you talking about, Sand Dune?" Jonathan snorted. Rune felt a sardonic grin spread as Runefor gradually influenced his words…

"He made your face a little prettier."

Jonathan flinched and brought a forepaw to the scars along his muzzle. Oh yes, finally Rune had a way to get at him. He could hardly contain his sardonic giggling as he stepped closer.

"Yeah, I'll bet you've had trouble getting the girls to like you before." Rune continued. "I think you tried to get Nellie to be your girl, didn't you? Maybe now she'll stand to look at you."

"Shut up!" Jonathan growled.

"To be fair, I got scarred a bit myself…" Rune walked around the cage and swayed his back from side to side. "But I was lucky: all of MY scars are on my back. I never have to acknowledge them when I look in a mirror…" He stopped and grinned at Jonathan. "And, all the girls think they're super-cool battle scars. You should see me whenever I'm in the Dragon Spire: I've got an entire harem following me around every day!"

I've told you, they're not a-

Just let me have this!

"Alright, listen up, you black-faced shit!" Jonathan slammed his bound forepaws against the bars and snarled. "I'll have you know that I still get ALL of the girls' attention! More than half the ladies in the Crazy Aces have the hots for me! And you know what ELSE?!"

"What?" Rune scowled.

Jonathan gave his own sardonic grin as he sat up straight. "I'm engaged to your sister!"

Rune blinked in surprise; What? As he looked at Jonathan in confusion, the earth prince cackled again.

"That's right! I'm going to make your sister my wife!" Jonathan grinned. "And then I'm going to pound her supple white arse all night long! Night after night!"

Jonathan laughed in Rune's face… who just shrugged his shoulders and snorted lightly.

"Go ahead." Rune said flatly. "I've never met her: Why should I care?"

Jonathan's laughter immediately died down; perhaps he was hoping for a bit more impact in his revelation. In any case, Jonathan just sneered at Rune… while a spark of realization went through the black prince's mind.

"Hold on a minute: You're going to marry my sister?" Rune repeated curiously. "Wouldn't that then mean that my mother would become your Mother-In-Law?"

"Err…" Jonathan grimaced.

"If anything, it sounds like you're looking to being related… TO ME." Rune snickered. "Looks like Saul didn't think things through when he made the arrangement, did he?"

"Oh, fuck you!" Jonathan yelled again. Once again the earth prince slammed against the bars to no effect.

"Sounds like you're running out of insults?" Rune snickered. "Maybe you should try calling me Sand Dune again?"

"I'll kill you!" Jonathan screamed. "Mark my words, Rune! Once I'm busted free, I'm going to hunt you down, bound and gag you, and haul your ass off to my father, where we'll have a father-son bonding moment as we SLIT YOUR THROAT!"

"Uh-huh. Sure you will." Rune nodded. "Thanks for confirming that your father is aiding and abetting your war crimes, by the way. I'm sure Telus will want to hear all about that at your trial."

Jonathan just growled in frustration, while Rune gave a confident smirk. He then fluttered his wing dramatically as he turned around to walk down the hall to the stairs.

"You're a dead drake, Rune!" Jonathan screamed as he grabbed the bars. "You hear me?! You're a dead drake! A DEAD DRAKE!"

"Oh by all means…" The prince turned around and gave his worst death glare. "Come and get me. I dare you."

That finally stunned Jonathan into silence. With a smirk, the black prince turned around and strode forward to head up the stairs.

As Rune ascended the staircase, he gradually felt the full faculties of his control returning. And that's when a pit opened in his stomach. He'd just listened to Jonathan threatening to threaten him with murder. And General Saul, too, evidently.

Oh, relax. There's nothing to worry about… not when I'M in control. Runefor snickered.

All you ever do is cause issues that I worry about. Rune snapped.

Oh, so it's MY FAULT that Johnny Boy over there tried to kill Cyrus? Runefor chided. Is it MY FAULT that Saul is a prejudiced dick who has it out for our family?

Well, it's not like you're helping the situation.

Ah, so I suppose that all you have to do is give Jonathan a great big hug and talk about your feelings. Runefor snorted. Listen to HIS side of the story, and learn about all of his troubles. Then, maybe the two of you could finally be friends!

Rune felt the urge to spit on the floor; must have been Runefor's influence again.

Face it: that prick has had it out for you for a long time. He's even worse than Lantel was. At least you only partially disliked Lantel. But Johnny Boy? He's been a pest for most of your life. He's a rotten, green-faced piece of crap that deserves a swift beating!

Rune could feel Runefor's anger in his throat again. He came to a stop and took a long, steady breath of air. He then sat back on his haunches and tapped his talons rhythmically on the floor.

Well, even if I don't like him… Rune thought calmly. Even if I despise Jonathan, that still doesn't mean he deserves such a beating. I won't stoop to his level. I refuse.

Sure, idiot… Runefor snorted. Keep telling yourself that.

Rune took another quick breath before rising up to continue walking to his bedroom. He wouldn't stoop to Jonathan's level. He wouldn't let Runefor put blood on his paws.

~~…~~

The early hours of the morning cast Crossbolt in a foggy haze. The brightest lights to be found were the constant bolts of lightning darting from tower to tower all across the city. At the very least, the rains had stopped. That meant it was time for Tyrrany to get a move on.

She got up about an hour before the guys did so she could shower and apply a fresh set of makeup. By the time they were up, she was already slipping into her dark cloak.

"Come on, guys." Tyrrany insisted as she pulled her hood over her head. "We need to get moving."

"Where, to find breakfast?" Arthur asked with a grumble.

"No; to get out of Crossbolt." The dragoness slid a stocking on. "We still have a mission, you know."

"Right…" Flame sighed. He stretched out his back and lightly smacked his lips. "But we won't be able to get far without a bite to eat. You know that as well as I do; we'll end p collapsing and starving."

Tyrrany flinched; she didn't want to think about the consequences of being without food too far from civilization.

"Alright, alright… we'll purchase some fruit form a food stand somewhere near the southern gate." Tyrrany declared. "We'll bring as much as we can carry, but that's it."

"Sounds good to me." Arthur declared.

As she got ready for the day, Tyrrany's conversation with Harlon and Lillia left her feeling uneasy. Did they really expect the heiress to just spread her forelegs and accept them happily? Just because Lillia was another white dragoness, didn't mean that Tyrrany could trust her. Nor did Tyrrany intend to become buddy-buddy with every other white dragoness she came across.

Once she was ready, Tyrrany put her satchels over her cloak. She reached for her violin case, but Flame scooped it up and hung it about himself first.

"If I share the load, then both of us can get a move on faster." He insisted.

"Fair enough…" Tyrrany pushed the front door open and flapped her wings. "Let's go, you two."

"Are you sure about this?" Arthur asked. "We could at least stop to take in the sights and sounds of Crossbolt. It might make for some fun while we're out here."

"I don't want to spend any more time in Crossbolt than is absolutely necessary." Tyrrany insisted. "The prince… Rune… is still on his way south. He could arrive in this city any day." She ruffled her wings indignantly beneath her cloak. "I need as much distance between us as possible."

"Okay…" Arthur grumbled.

Before long, the trio was out the door and making their way along the city streets. Tyrrany led the way to a nearby trolley station, which took them down toward the south. The trio briefly looked around at their surroundings with unease; it wouldn't be long before the many dragons of the city would be waking up to go about their day. Still, it was surreal to see the streets so barren; Tyrrany felt a shiver on her back. Gone were the hustle and bustle of dragons wandering about to do one of a thousand tasks; the southern continent was already so unlike any city she'd been to before.

Granted, I have been to the southern lands a few times before… She sighed. But I was always a recluse; hiding in one of Father's carriages as he did his business. She looked down at the cobblestone roads and grimaced. I hope you're okay, Dad.

As the trio made their way to the trolley station, Harlon gazed out at them through his window. He'd really hoped that they would stay; not for his sake, or Lillia's, but for their own.

"You be safe out there…" The nomadic drake gave a sigh. "May the ancestors watch over you, daughter of Elenar."

~~…~~

Greetings, friends, and loved ones.

This chapter turned out slightly shorter than I was expecting it to be. But oh well; that's not really too bad of a problem. After all, there's still plenty of cool stuff coming up in the next few chapters. At the very least, I hope that you guys find all this new stuff entertaining.

Next chapter, we're back over to the Glenhaven Gang! And I'm sure that everything will be just fine. See you then!

Tenebra ecce Veritas.