Tina slumped over in her cell and sighed. She tapped her talon on the side of the wall and sneered as she gazed out at the ominous abyss that sat outside her window. All she could do was think about the events of what had happened…
~~…~~
All of the children down in the dungeons of The Nexus were gradually woken up. Bergan ordered the Crazy Aces to escort the children upward through the stairwells and corridors to make their way out into the fortress's courtyard. Many of the younglings were scared, and rightly so; they had the horrific visage of General Cyrus glaring down at them.
It sent shivers down Tina's spine to see Cyrus mutated into such a horrific form. He snarled and growled whenever some of the younger dragonlings got too close.
Bergan sighed as he looked out amongst the many children. General Cyrus sat at his left, while Elza stood at his right. The wind dragoness still had the dazed look in her eyes; that Serenity Gem still worked like a charm. Down in the crowd, Tina, Chalice, Lantel, and Sandra were locked in chains. They struggled to break their bonds, but it was no use. And all around the courtyard, the members of the Crazy Aces stood at the ready, awaiting Bergan's next command.
The purple drake frowned as he looked upon the children. The white dragonlings looked scared stiff of their surroundings. Bergan had hoped that some "fresh air" might have helped them calm down. But perhaps the pale faces of the gang members' masks were a bit too much./
"What are we doing out here?" Cyrus demanded. "Having a massive staring contest?"
"Oh, calm down." Bergan whispered back harshly. "We need to find a delicate means of helping the children get used to their new home away from home."
"Whatever…" The black drake snorted. He looked around and spotted something. "Here comes one now."
Bergan looked down to see a little dragonling carefully tip-toeing their way up to Bergan's forepaws. They shook in place as they gazed up with watery eyes at the purple drake.
"Where are we?" The dragonling asked fearfully. "Why are there monsters out there? Where's my mommy and daddy?"
Bergan sighed; his heart practically melted upon hearing the scared wails of the children. He crept down before the crowd cautiously and slumped down onto his belly. He put on a soft smile as he looked down at the scared little boy.
"Your mommy and daddy are in Warfang, little one." He said softly. "You'll see them again very soon. Everything's going to be alright."
"R… Really?" They asked with a sniffle."
"Yes, really." He said again. "Now, just take a few steps back and sit with your little friends. You're not alone, okay?"
"Okay…" The dragonling waddled back to their original place, and Bergan gave a soft sigh; sometimes it wasn't easy to speak with these little ones.
Bergan stood up taller and looked around at the older younglings; many of them weren't taken in by the purple drake's warm words. He figured as much; after all, they didn't exactly consent to be brought here. But, not wanting chaos to erupt, Bergan cleared his throat to get the children's attention, and put on the friendliest smile he could.
"I'm well aware that some of you are quite upset about being taken from Warfang so suddenly." The purple dragon said aloud. "But please understand that you haven't been kidnapped. I merely spirited away The Nexus from the dragon realms temporarily."
"How long are you going to trap us here?" One of the dark-red students demanded.
"Trapped? You've got it all wrong." Bergan sighed. "This place is a sanctuary of sorts; to protect some of you from the Sons of Culmubrae, the Extremists, or even both in certain cases."
"Yeah, sure…" An earth dragon snapped. "Then what's the deal with the creeps in the white masks?"
"We're not creeps!" An ice dragon snarled. "We're the Crazy Aces!"
"Aren't the Crazy Aces part of that gang that tried to capture Prince Cyrus?" A water dragoness asked.
"Technically, yes…" Bergan made a gesture with his forepaw. "However, they've had a sort of… change of employment. Now they work for me, and are here to establish a bit of order."
"Oh, order, huh?" A lightning dragoness tapped her talons on the ground. "Is that why those four over there are locked in chains?"
A lot of eyes fell upon Tina, Chalice, Lantel, and Sandra. They'd been placed near the front of the group, where Cyrus could keep a close watch on them. Immediately the fire twins struggled in their bonds, hoping to get someone to help free them. A few students even moved to help… only for Cyrus to blow smoke from his nostrils and growl. The students immediately backed up, while the white dragonlings cried in fear.
"Cyrus, please…" Bergan scolded. "Control yourself."
"Hmph…" Cyrus flapped his wings and rolled his eyes. The purple dragon then sighed and faced the crowd once again.
"Those four are a special case." Bergan shrugged his shoulders. "Our dear General Cyrus demands that these four be locked away for the time being. The rest of you are free to roam about The Nexus as you see fit. I'm even planning on getting some classes up and running in a few days, to-"
"Classes?" A shadow dragon student stood up and grimaced. "So you're a teacher now?"
"Actually, I run an entire academy back in Faeshrine…" Bergan chuckled. "But the point is; I'm well aware that there are bright young minds among you all, and I wish to stimulate those minds by educating them on a whole host of marvels and fields of scientific study…" He tapped his talons on the floor. "The classes are tailored to suit each and every student in the crowd. Nobody's going to be left behind."
"Yeah, I'm sure you're totally trustworthy…" A wind dragon rolled his eyes.
"Well, we'll see how things go in time." Bergan smiled. "And in case anybody asks: No, I'm afraid now's not a good time for you all to go back home. There's still some danger lurking in Warfang, and I don't want to risk the lives of any students. Especially not the white dragonlings."
"So what are we supposed to do, then?" An ice drake demanded.
"Well… have a look around." Bergan gestured with a forepaw. "Take in the sights and sounds of the realm of Convexity from our little fortress. Read some books. Talk with your friends. This isn't supposed to be a prison, little ones: I want you all to be comfortable."
"I'd be feeling a lot more comfortable if you'd free Lady Elza from her mind control!" The wind dragon from before beat his chest and hissed. He pointed a talon at the Deep Shadow, who had been staring off into space the whole while. Bergan just sighed again and shook his head.
"If I freed her now, she'd be trying to kill me and thwart me at every turn." Bergan snorted. "No, I think I'll be keeping her passive until I'm secure that everything's going smoothly. Which means I'll be keeping a close watch on her. So don't try anything funny, kiddies: I'll see it coming a mile away."
"And what about the prince?" A shadow dragoness asked worriedly. "Why is he so big?"
"Don't be too concerned about the prince." Bergan gave a hearty laugh. "He wanted to be seen as a strong, masculine dragon. And he finally got his wish."
A number of the dark dragon students exchanged uneasy glances. Bergan figured as much; they weren't exactly going to adapt so smoothly to this turn of events. He simply shrugged his shoulders and stepped back from the crowd.
"Well, for the time being, have yourselves a wonderful day." Bergan said. "Let's make sure that everyone here stays safe, alright? Adventure around at your own leisure and risk." He looked down at the white dragonlings and put on his friendly smile. "Let's get you all to a nursery, okay?"
The white dragonlings weren't exactly thrilled to follow the purple dragon, but they didn't especially want to be stuck sitting around beneath the surreal abyss that was Convexity, either.
"Elza, dear, would you please lend me a forepaw?" He asked sweetly.
At once, Elza stepped forward to push the doors open. The younglings followed her and Bergan into the building, while the Crazy Aces went about to keep law and order in the other students… or at least, the closest thing to law and order that they had.
"Oh, and I nearly forgot…" He looked over at the great black dragon. "Cyrus, my lad. We'd best get your… friends off to a safe place to keep them."
"Hmph." The black dragon snorted. He snapped his talons, and the four dragons suddenly became surrounded by a black aura. They were lifted up off the ground and gradually floated their way forward through one of the side doors. Lantel and Sandra did their best to fight their chains and gags, while Tina and Chalice resigned themselves to be carted along under Cyrus's control. And all the while, Tina just looked up at Cyrus sadly.
How could this have happened? She wondered. How could Cyrus allow himself to be mutated into that big, hulking… THING? Did he just forget about what Convexity does to a dragon? After all of that weird stuff we saw happen way back during the whole Malefor thing?!
As Bergan had the dragonlings escorted down the hallway that led to a nursery, Cyrus moved past him to head to the dungeons with his prisoners. Soon, the purple dragon followed after Cyrus to make sure each of the foursomes was sealed off in separate jail cells.
The first one to be locked up was Chalice, who had kept their mouth shut the entire time. Nothing Bergan said or did get any kind of response from them. Next was Sandra, who looked to be just about ready to break down in tears. Cyrus had taken to putting a blind over her eyes and dumping a sheet of cloth over her face. Tina wasn't sure why; maybe he was just that spiteful toward her for hurting Rune's feelings.
Next, of course, was Lantel, who struggled and fought the hardest to break free. He shivered and gnashed his fangs from the way Cyrus growled down at him. Ultimately it was pointless, as Lantel found his limbs bound and spread apart on far sides of the jail cell.
"I just want to reiterate once again that I'm not too happy about all of this." Bergan said with a frown. "Would if I could, I'd send you straight home to be with your father Horus."
"Screw you!" Lantel snarled. "You could easily order Cyrus to let us go! You're the one that's controlling him!"
"Only barely." Bergan shook his head. "I'm controlling him in the same way that a zoologist controls a wild animal. Best not to poke him with a stick, or he's liable to go nuts."
Lantel responded to that by throwing out a series of rather colorful insults. Bergan just sighed and shook his head; he couldn't say that he hadn't anticipated that response. Tina thought that Lantel was being too nice about the whole thing.
As the last one to be locked up, Tina was taken quite far away from the other teenagers. It seemed like Cyrus had a special place in mind to keep her prisoner; the deepest, darkest part of the cell block. As Tina was put on the ground, Bergan gave a rather soft sigh.
"Alright, once we're done with the last of your guests, we can set to work on our primary objective…" Bergan said as he walked down the hallway. "Elza, if you'd be so kind, pull out a ledger so we can start keeping track of the inventories, please."
The wind dragoness kept staring forward as she nodded her head in agreement. Meanwhile, Cyrus took the chains attached to Tina's collar and grasped them. He forced her to walk forward after her, to which she struggled and fought. Cyrus merely grunted as she fought against him, although Bergan looked upon him with concern.
"And just where do you think you're going with her, Cyrus?" He asked.
"I want fifteen minutes alone with her." Cyrus said around the chains in his muzzle. "The two of us need to… talk."
"Well, suit yourself. But be quick about it." Bergan tapped his forepaw. "There's much work to be done, and I'll need your assistance."
With that said, Bergan and Elza continued on their way down the hallway, leaving Tina alone with the behemoth of a drake.
Cyrus set to work chaining Tina to the wall. She shivered as the cold metal stung her scales, while the black dragon backed up to loom in the doorway. He gazed down at her silently as she struggled and fought in her chains.
"Cyrus…" Tina looked upon him fearfully; the scales on the back of her neck ached, and she shivered as his corrupted eyes roamed over her face. "Whatever you're thinking… don't do it."
Cyrus lifted a forepaw up into the air… and gently brought it down upon one of Tina's. The dragoness flinched and pulled her forepaw away, which made Cyrus sigh.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Tina." He said calmly.
"You're… you're not?" She asked in genuine shock.
"I NEVER wanted to hurt you." The big black dragon insisted. He lowered his head so he could look her more closely in the eyes. "But this was the only way you'd ever take me seriously."
"Wh-What?" Tina flinched.
"I could never get you to stop and listen to me when I looked a girl." Cyrus snorted as he showed off his rippling muscles. "I wanted to be the REAL me; the big and powerful black dragon I was born to be!"
"Cyrus…" Tina said cautiously. "You never had to change the way you looked to get me to take you seriously."
"What are you talking about?" Cyrus demanded. "You've always been giving me pet names like Runt and Shorty."
"Yeah, but that's because I like you so much." Tina shifted to fall back onto her haunches. "We've been friends for a long time, you know? And I know how serious you can be when you set your mind to something… like when we all left on that quest to bring back your mom."
Cyrus blew smoke from his nostrils as he lifted his head up a bit higher. He tapped his talon on the floor as he rumbled in thought.
"Chalice said something about you trying to get me to ask you out." He said calmly. "Was that for real?"
"Of course it was real, dummy." Tina snapped. "You're always wanting to be the charming, flattering prince. And I always enjoy sneaking off to be with you somewhere private… and yet you've never tried REALLY making me your girlfriend."
"I…" Cyrus looked away and growled. "I tried. Really. But it didn't work out…" He snarled and glared back down at her. "You're often sneaking off with Chalice, too. It made me think that he… she… that CHALICE is a rival for your affections!"
"Chalice is… Chalice." Tina sighed. "And Chalice is just a friend. And at the end of the day, I'm just not interested in Chalice the way I'm interested in most other dragons."
"What?" Cyrus blinked. "Other dragons?"
"This might be a bit hard of me to say… and not quite the circumstances I was hoping for…" Tina sighed softer as she struggled to stand up tall. "But Cyrus, whether you looked masculine or feminine… I would have always liked you." Tina flashed an awkward smile. "Let's just say… I'm not picky."
Cyrus tilted his head and snorted; perhaps it was going over his head in his big, meathead-like state. Tina bit her lower lip and flapped her wings as best as she could.
"I suppose I was never one for conventions…" Tina said. "But, uh… I want to be with you Cyrus, really. It's just…" She awkwardly gestured to him with a bound forepaw. "I can't be with you when you're like… THIS?"
"You mean looking like an actual DRAGON?" He asked defensively.
"I mean twisted into this big ugly… THING!" Tina exclaimed. "You're straining your body by looking like this, Cyrus. It would be one thing if you worked out for years to get this body. But you're poisoning your body with all of that convexity." She put on a worried face. "There's no telling what it's going to do to you in the long run."
Cyrus gave a frustrated growl and just shook his head in annoyance.
"Lady Cynder was corrupted into an adult form from a very young age. She spent YEARS in that state… and turned out FINE." He huffed. "On top of that, she was FORCED into taking the convexity, whereas I chose it happily." He beat his muscular chest. "Convexity has made me into the mighty black drake I was born to be, Tina. This is who I am, whether you like it or not."
Tina just sighed and shook her head; she couldn't get through to him like this. She'd need some outside help… actually, she needed to get herself and the others free. But what to say to get Cyrus to relent?
"I… I don't want to lose you, Cyrus." Tina said sadly. "Please don't leave me to rot in a cell." Tina shook her restrained limbs "I get that you're angry at Lantel and Sandra… and even Chalice. But why am I locked up?"
Cyrus cast his eyes down to the floor, and he wracked his talons cautiously upon the stone. He then looked her in the eyes and sighed.
"I… didn't think there was hope left." Cyrus said. "For there ever being an us… now that I'm like this."
The great black dragon fanned out his fat wings in the cramped cell. He then closed them up and snorted as he looked upon the little dark-yellow dragoness. There was a sadness in his eyes; Tina could see it plain as day.
"Anyway, as for letting you go… I'm not sure yet." Cyrus snorted. "Bergan has left me in charge of you and the others. I won't bring harm to those arsehole fire twins, or that ambiguous Chalice… but I don't want them running around starting trouble. Nor can I be sure that I can trust you to not mess with Bergan's plans."
"I won't cause you any trouble! I promise!" Tina exclaimed. "And… And why are you working for Bergan now, anyway? He's the reason all of the younglings were taken from Warfang!"
"But he's RIGHT that there are still bigots infesting the city as we speak." Cyrus insisted. "Nothing my mom did ever got those murderous creeps caught." He held up both of his forepaws. "The extremists made life a nightmare for white dragons, and the Sons of Culmubrae kept trying to kill my brother and me." He clamped his forepaws into fists and struck the floor. "Well, I'm sick of Warfang being a WarZONE. If Began has a plan to make our city a better place, then I'm working with HIM."
Tina tried to think of what to say… but couldn't think of anything. She was loathed to admit it, but Bergan did have a point in that regard: Queen Elenar had made little progress in making the city safe for the younger dragons of Warfang.
"But… But that doesn't mean his way of doing things is the right way." Tina protested. "He still brought all of these children here against their will."
"What, was he supposed to send out permission slips to all their parents and wait patiently while Warfang BURNED?" Cyrus scoffed. "He did what he had to do, Tina. All we can do now is go forward to make Warfang a better place."
"So… So that's it, then." Tina frowned. "I'm stuck here."
"Only for the time being…" Cyrus gave a soft breath as he leaned his head down toward hers. "I only want to make sure that you don't get hurt, Tina. Do you trust me?"
"I….." Tina lowered her head to the floor and sighed in defeat. "I guess trust you, Cyrus."
The black dragon smiled at that. "I have to leave now: Bergan needs my assistance. But before I go… may I kiss you?"
Tina flinched back a bit. Did he seriously just ask for a kiss? Exactly what about this moment made Cyrus think that it was appropriate to ask for that? Just look at him: he'd swelled up into a ridiculously-huge, overly-muscular meathead! And yet… Tina didn't want to think about what might happen if she enraged the black dragon; not in what kind of a position she was in.
"If I let you kiss me… will you let me out of some of these chains?"
Cyrus rumbled in his throat a bit. "… I'll loosen some of them. But that's all."
"Fine…" Tina sighed in defeat; perhaps that was the best she could hope to get out of him right now.
So, with a heart full of trepidation, Tina lifted her head up and puckered her lips. She shut her eyes and waited for Cyrus to have his fun.
And it didn't take long to feel his lips press against hers. There was an odd layer of warmth, followed by the feeling of his weight shifting against her. Her scales shuddered as she felt part of his tongue slid its way into her maw. Ugh, was this how all kisses felt like? She hoped not; maybe it was just the convexity coursing through Cyrus's veins that was making him act this way.
I'll just assume that your head is being messed with, Cy… for your sake.
After what felt like far too long, Cyrus finally broke the kiss. He then reached down with a forepaw to tinker around with part of Tina's shackles. Before long, the chafing began to finally die down, and Tina sighed in relief as her ankles got some sweet release. But alas, they still held onto her just enough to keep her from wiggling free.
"When are you going to let me go free?" Tina demanded as she opened her eyes. "If you really love me, you'll let me out of here."
"Not yet: I already told you." Cyrus scolded. He backed out of the cage and closed the door shut. After locking it, the black drake swung his tail from side to side. "I'll send Aunt Elza to bring you food later."
"Wait!" Tina exclaimed. "Your aunt! Think about your aunt! Are you really okay with her being mind-controlled into being Bergan's puppet?! Think about how much she's done for you over the years!"
Cyrus rumbled in his throat as he rose his head up. He bit his lower lip as he thought to himself. Tina sucked in a breath; maybe that was the one thing he needed to hear to start thinking rationally.
Please, please, please…
"It doesn't matter." Cyrus declared. "She'd only be trying to stop Bergan from helping the children. She can remain in that state until we've fulfilled the mission."
And just like that, all of Tina's hopes came crashing down, and her ear frills drooped. Cyrus just ignored that as he grasped the cell door to close and lock it.
"I'll come to visit you later tonight, so we can talk about things here and there." Cyrus said as put the key away in his satchel. "For now… See ya."
And with that, the black dragon turned and marched his way down the corridor. And Tina was left all alone. She sighed in defeat and slumped against the wall. The only thing she could do now was hope to find some means of escape.
Cyrus isn't completely gone. He could have taken me by force: I was completely helpless. Tina thought with a shudder. But instead, he only wanted a kiss, and he promised that I wouldn't get hurt. I guess Shorty hasn't been turned completely evil after all… Oof, I probably can't call him Shorty anymore...
She sighed and shook her head.
I wonder if there are some means of convincing him to let me and the others go. If he wants me to be his girlfriend, then maybe I could sweet-talk him into doing what I want. Then again, knowing Lantel, he'll probably try to incite a rebellion from the first moment he gets out of his shackles. And some of the students just might listen… unfortunately, that would give Cyrus an excuse to use his newfound power to get… violent.
Tina shuddered at the idea of Cyrus unleashing his convexity powers to torture Lantel, or worse… it made Tina sick to her stomach.
I shouldn't think like that. For now, I need to just focus on thinking of a plan.
The first thing Tina did was think back to what Cyrus said about Cynder's corruption all that time ago.
Okay, so Cyrus was corrupted by convexity into the hulking brute he is now… just like what happened to Lady Cynder long ago. Lord Spyro managed to free her of that corruption. But… how do I replicate that to help Cyrus?
Tina spent a good fifteen minutes working on how to free him. She came up with one plan, maybe two… but as she played the scenarios out in her head, they quickly fell to disaster.
Oh, this is hopeless. Tina sighed. Chalice was always better at thinking this stuff up. I need them to come up with a plan… but that would mean having a plan to free Chalice so Chalice can make a plan! UGH!
As Tina was scowling in frustration, she heard someone approaching from down the hall. She perked her head up in time to see Elza stepping into the light. She held a tray of food in her muzzle as she stared forward blankly. Elza carefully opened the door, placed the tray of food on the floor, and pushed it forward so it was within reach of Tina.
"Uh… thank you, Lady Elza." Tina said with a frown; it was so surreal seeing the wind dragoness like this.
As Tina ate the meat, she glanced up at Elza; the Deep Shadow stood as still as a statue the whole while. She didn't even look at Tina; she just gazed forward at the stone wall behind her.
Why's she acting this way? Tina wondered. What kind of weirdo magic did Bergan work on her? Why would-?
It was at that moment that Tina finally laid her eyes upon the gem Elza wore around her neck. It was mostly concealed by her dark robes, but the sparkling top of the gem shined through. It wasn't exactly evidence to go off of, but it was the one and only thing that was different about Elza's attire; maybe that was the key to figuring this out.
I have to get that gem away from Elza… Tina grimaced. But how?
A minute later, Tina was almost finished with her meal. She looked up at Elza again and wracked her brain. Until, finally, she got an idea. Tina lightly nudged the tray with her muzzle and pushed it forward before Elza's forepaws.
"I'm finished eating." Tina said as she looked Elza right in her glazed eyes. "You can take the rest away, please."
Elza silently stepped forward and reached down to grasp the tray with her muzzle. Tina then abruptly pulled the tray backward a bit. Without a word, Elza moved her neck forward a bit more to grasp it. Then Tina moved the tray even further back, forcing Elza to slump forward even more. And it was just enough for the tip of the gem on her necklace to slide forward out of the neck-hole, until finally, the whole thing plopped out.
Tina grinned in satisfaction; she tossed the tray off to the side so that Elza would mindlessly reach over to grasp it. Once Elza had exposed the gem all the way, Tina snapped forward with her forepaw and grasped the gem. She then pulled back with all her might, going as far as the chains would allow her to go. Elza struggled against the tugging of the necklace; she focused completely on the tray and didn't bother to stop as she choked a bit.
Come on… Tina thought as she pulled with all her might. Break, darn it…
Elza kept tugging more and more, until finally…
SNAP!
The stress on the chain was finally too much, and it snapped in half. Tina was slammed back against the wall; the gem crashed onto the floor and bounced around. Meanwhile, Elza slammed her head against the wall and fell forward in a heap. Tina winced as she looked down at the Deep Shadow.
I hope I didn't cause too much pain.
After a moment, the wind dragoness began to grumble and moan. The glazed look in her eyes was gone, and she shook her head and snorted in frustration.
"Ugh, what…?" She blinked and stood up. "What happened?"
"Lady Elza!" Tina exclaimed happily. "You're back to normal!"
"Wh-What?!" Elza looked down at the dark-yellow dragoness in surprise. "T-Tina? What happened? What are you chained up? And…" She looked out the window and balked. "What's going on? What happened to Bergan?"
"Well…" Tina sighed. "It's a long story. You might want to sit down for this… uh, but maybe after you get me out of these chains, please?"
"Sure, dear…" Elza clicked her tongue. "Right away."
As Elza set to work freeing Tina from the bonds, the younger dragoness explained everything that had happened so far: the fires spread across Warfang, the children gathered in The Nexus, and how Bergan somehow transported the entire fortress to the realm of Convexity.
"…And he used you to help him put the children to sleep, too." Tina said. "He had you use a Siren's Song."
"Ugh, of COURSE…" Elza snarled furiously as she removed the collar from Tina's neck. "I'm going to have Bergan's head on a pike when I'm through with him!"
"Uhhh… s-sure." Tina chuckled awkwardly. She shook her limbs out and stepped off to the side to massage her wrists and ankles; they were still quite a bit red from the tightness of the chains previously.
"But first of all…" Elza sighed and sat down. "We need to find a way out of this place; it's not safe anymore. We'll need the means to transport all of the children out of here and back home."
"Yeah, but how do we do that?" Tina asked with a shrug. "I don't know the first thing about channeling convexity magic, and that's the only thing I can think of as a semi-clue as to how to get back."
"You were thinking the convexity might help?" Elza asked with a snort.
"Well yeah. It's not like we can just walk right on out of here, Lady Elza."
"Hmm…" Elza tapped her chin as she turned around. She tilted her head back in thought for a moment, and then sighed and put her forepaw down.
"Alright… I think I've got the workings of a plan going." Elza said. "But Tina… I'm going to have to get you back into the chains for a while."
"What?" Tina exclaimed.
"We need to keep up appearances that we're not up to anything." Elza continued as she picked up the chains. "I know this sucks, but it'll only be for a little while. I've got some reconnaissance I've got to do in the meantime. Just trust me, okay?"
"Well, okay…" Tina said glumly. She straightened out her neck as Elza put the collar back on.
"So… what's the plan?"
~~…~~
Elza took slow, steady breaths as she concentrated on making her way through the corridor. She needed to be careful not to attract too much attention to herself as she skulked around the hallways.
The atmosphere around The Nexus was so… different. Everything was quieter, save for the hushed whispers of the younglings as they made their way about the fortress. Most of the younglings avoided direct contact with Elza; perhaps they feared that she served Bergan blindly. That fact made Elza snarl; she'd have to pay the purple cretin back for all he'd done.
The chapel was awash with purple light of varying hues as the energy crashed down through the opening. Thunder boomed as the flow of convexity darted its way across the multiple metal beams and collided with the altar. And standing at the altar, with that sardonic grin on his face, was Bergan. He used a metal gauntlet to control the flow of the convexity; twisting and binding it according to his will.
Were Elza and Bergan alone in the chapel, she just might have tried to make a move against him. But alas, Bergan was far from alone: The hulking form of Cyrus stood across from the purple drake. And there were four members of the Crazy Aces gathered about, watching silently as Bergan worked his magic.
What's he doing here? Elza thought silently.
Soon, the light show came to an end at a wave of Bergan's forepaw, and smoke rose up from the top of the altar. There, glistening with shades of purple and violet, were a series of convexity gems. The gang members gasped in surprise, While Bergan carefully picked one of the gems up between two gauntleted talons.
"Incredible, isn't it?" Bergan snickered. "I've never been able to produce such large convexity crystals before. Nor have I been able to mass-produce them as I have now!"
Bergan gathered up the crystals and put them inside a large sack. He then placed the sack down on the floor behind him; several other sacks were stuffed to the brim with crystals.
"Is that why you stole The Nexus, then?" Cyrus snorted. "To use its technology to make a whole bunch of convexity gems?"
"Well, I needed to come up with quite a lot of the things in a hurry. And making them the old-fashioned way was taking far too long." Bergan fluttered his wings and snorted. Before Cyrus could even open his jaws, the purple drake tapped him on the snout. "And no: I'm not telling you what the old-fashioned way IS. You'll have to figure that out for yourself someday."
"Hmph. Fine…" Cyrus rolled his eyes. He looked over at the sacks of convexity crystals and lapped at his limps. "So… why do you need so many convexity crystals, anyway? It can't be to give yourself phenomenal cosmic power."
"Indeed." Bergan chuckled again. "I don't want to tell you up-front and give you the wrong impressions. For now, suffice it to say that a certain somebody was promised a heaping helping of convexity to power some new toys I made for him." Bergan fluttered his wings. "At the rate, I've been working to produce these crystals, I think his liberation schemes will be up and running within a few days."
"Uh-huh…" Cyrus raised an eye ridge.
That can't be good, Elza thought with a shudder. She could already think of one dragon in particular who might be collecting those gems.
As Bergan was gathering up crystals to place inside a cloth bag, Cyrus looked down at the large tray of crystals gleaming in the light. He licked his chops hungrily as he reached for one of them… only for Bergan to swat his forepaw away.
"Uh-uh-uh!" Bergan waged a talon in Cyrus's face. "I'm afraid you've had plenty of convexity to last you for years, my dear General."
"Are you serious?" Cyrus growled. "You can't just make more crystals to replace the ones I consume? Who's going to miss a single crystal?!"
"It's not a matter of keeping supplies stocked, Cyrus." Bergan continued as he put the bag away in his cloak. "It's a matter of keeping you from killing yourself."
Cyrus flinched. "Wh-What?"
"Just because you know how to swim, doesn't mean you should go deep-sea diving into the ocean." Bergan adjusted the metal beams to begin channeling some more of the energy. "And believe me… convexity can be a very addictive pool to swim in."
"And how would you know?" Cyrus demanded.
"I don't have to know from personal experience; instead, I look back upon history to learn from the mistakes of others…"
The chapel lit up with purple light as Bergan continued to create more convexity crystals. The purple drake hummed a merry tune to himself as he continued the process all over again.
"You're referring to Malefor, aren't you?" Cyrus asked.
"Perhaps…" Bergan stopped the machinery and gathered up the new batch of crystals. "But I prefer a story about another purple dragon; one who just might have some parallels to your experiences."
"What are you talking about?"
"Would you care to hear a story about a purple dragoness?" Bergan asked cheekily as he wiped down the altar. "It's not too long, and it just might be eye-opening for you."
"Ugh, fine…" Cyrus rolled his eyes. "But make it quick, Bergan."
Bergan gave a nod as he adjusted the machinery once more. He cleared out his throat and shifted to stand up taller to begin the story.
"A long time ago, there was a purple dragoness. She was fair-faced, full of grace, and dressed in pretty lace…" Bergan snickered, especially after the gang members in the room groaned at his rhyming. "The point is, she was very beautiful and equally powerful. Many dragons were in awe at the way she commanded the various elements of magic. At least… they were, for a brief time. But alas, things changed, and she was upstaged."
"Upstaged?" Cyrus repeated curiously.
"Indeed…" Bergan set up the machinery to create more crystals. "By her own younger brother, too. He proved to have even more potent magic in his blood and shocked the world with his power. And as the two grew, more and more dragons loved the brother, whilst ignoring the purple dragoness. In time, some even forgot that the two were even siblings. And by the time she was finally an adult, some had even forgotten she was even ALIVE."
The machinery roared to life as Bergan set to work creating more crystals.
"The purple dragoness hated being ignored and forgotten by the whole of society!" Bergan shouted over the noise of the thunder. "Her anger and jealousy grew so vast, that she decided to leave home and find some means of gaining power and recognition! And she left under the cover of night, leaving her parents shocked to find her missing the next morning!"
The thunder stopped, and the light disappeared. Bergan scooped up more crystals to store them away.
"The dragoness quietly wandered throughout all corners of the dragon realms. She gathered up as much information as she could about different schools of magic…" Bergan wiped off the altar once again. "She studied with the moles, the Atlawa, the cheetahs, the lagomorphs… any groups of beings who had non-draconic magic, all so she could have a leg up upon her naturally-gifted brother. And one day, her travels led her to the foot of Mount Erebus."
"She went to the shadow dragons?" Cyrus snorted. "What's the point in that?"
"I can't say for sure… but she was definitely interested in learning what she could about the Well of Souls…" Bergan chuckled. "And after learning everything she could, she compiled all of her information into a manuscript; a little book of all the spells, rituals, and mysterious practices to be found in the dragon realms. And this book was made into copies, to be hidden away in all corners of the kingdoms."
"Why would she bother with that?" Cyrus asked.
"I can't say for certain…" Bergan shrugged. "Perhaps she just thought it was a good idea. Or maybe someone convinced her to do that for future generations. No matter the reason, she did what she did, and then stepped forward with her big plans."
"Plans?" Cyrus tapped a talon on the floor. "What plans?"
"Revenge, of course." Bergan sighed. "Revenge against the family that spurned her and her talents in her youth. The purple dragoness wanted to prove, once and for all, that she was superior to her brother… and even to her own parents. She came under the cover of night… with an army of crepsculi following behind her."
Thunder boomed as Bergan began to create yet another batch of convexity crystals.
"The dragoness launched a brutal attack, intent on burning her home city to the ground. She disguised herself, too just so she could save the reveal of her identity for her BIG MOMENT. That is, she wanted to beat her brother down in a fight to the death, and give away her identity just moments before the life left his eyes."
"I… see…" Cyrus rumbled uneasily.
"Of course, fate had different plans." Bergan declared. "Before she could cut down her brother and reveal her true form, who should arrive on the scene but their parents? Old age had done little to diminish their fighting spirits, which they were quick to prove in battle. They fought back brutally, and even dealt a killing blow with a slash across the neck of the purple dragoness!"
Thunder boomed once more, but not of Bergan's design.
"After the blood spilled down her neck, the dragoness fell over and died quickly. Then the mask fell from her face… and boy, were her family members horrified to learn the truth."
Cyrus gulped awkwardly, while the Crazy Aces all exchanged uneasy glances.
"And that was the sad end of the jealous purple dragoness." Bergan sighed. "Her family did everything in their power to hide the truth from the public. They put on a big show of shaming the slain villain who had invaded their home… while secretly burying her body in the family graveyard, with all knowledge of her evil deeds hidden."
"Is… is there a point to this story?" Cyrus demanded.
"The point of the story, my dear General, is that you'd best be sure you don't become obsessed with trying to prove that you're superior to your brother." Bergan turned and made a dramatic gesture toward the black drake's musculature. "I mean, look at you now! You've got power, and you've got the respect of every dragon here. Surely you don't need to worry about how others compare you to Prince Rune, right?"
Cyrus gave a growl and tapped his talons on the floor once again. "How I see myself in comparison to Rune is of no concern to you, Bergan. I'll help you with whatever plans you've got going here regarding the convexity. But sooner or later…" He lowered his head to glare into Bergan's eyes. "I want more."
"Hmph. Only time will tell if you keep that opinion…" Bergan snickered. He turned toward the bleachers of the chapel and extended his wings. "Alright, let's get all of these crystals to the vault. I want each of you to carry some. But don't go trying to swipe any convexity crystals for yourselves. Trust me: I'll know if there's any missing… Kass."
One of the drakes in the group flinched. He backed up against the dragoness to his side, who pushed him away.
"Get off of me, Kass." She snapped.
"Ugh, give me a break." Kass groaned. "I swear I wasn't planning on stealing anything, Mr. Bergan."
"Hmph. See that you don't…" Bergan laughed. He picked up a bag and tossed it over to Kass. "Line up, all of you. I can't carry all of these myself."
One by one, the Crazy Aces stood up to approach Bergan to gather up some of the sacks at his discretion. And all the while, Elza quietly snuck around the pillars to find some means to escape the room undetected. It helped that the flashing purple thunder and the awkward shouts of the teenagers provided natural distractions. Of course, being a Deep Shadow, Elza had had more than her fair share of finding ways to sneak around undetected.
But as Elza left the room, Bergan casually tugged on his collar. He wracked his talons on the stone altar and began to hum another merry tune.
Keep your nose close to the ground, Elza. Bergan thought with a smirk.
~~…~~
Aeroshard.
The room was quiet as the sunset drifted off into the evening. The only sound was the rhymic pattern of the bulky earth dragon strumming his talons upon his table. He waited, and waited… just as he had for the fifth night in a row.
Just like all the other nights, Saul had a pot of tea prepared in the center of his table. But he didn't drink it; he hated the stuff. No, it was reserved for a certain merchant to make his appearance. There was much to be done, and Saul couldn't do a lick of it without the approval to move forward.
Saul heard a knock on the doorway, and his face perked up. He looked over and cleared his throat. "Who goes there?"
"It's just me, Saul." Came the voice of Olivia from behind the door. "I just wanted to check up on you."
The drake sighed and slumped back in his cushion. "Alright… come on in, dear."
The earth dragoness walked in carefully and shut the door behind herself. She was dressed in her evening gown and walked carefully over to Saul as he rose up to greet her. Saul extended a wing to hold his wife's back, though she seemed just a tad hesitant at first. Saul frowned; it wasn't like her to be so cautious around him.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly.
"I'm just… a little concerned." Olivia frowned. "Several days have gone by, and you've done little to enjoy your time at home."
Saul bit his lower lip. "And just how can I relax? I've got a war battalion to keep in pristine fighting condition."
"But you've had no time to spend on the Day of the Bonds festival." Olivia replied. She lightly nudged Saul's cheek with her nuzzle. "This might be the first time in a long while when Jonathan wasn't around to make a ruckus."
"I know, I know…" Saul hugged his wife just a bit closer. He glanced down at his desk, where all of his plans and strategies were neatly arranged upon scrolls and maps. He sneered a bit as his eyes turned toward Glenhaven, and he lightly let go of Olivia.
"But we're not home, Olivia." He said sternly. "Aeroshard is fine… but it'll never be Glenhaven."
Olivia looked down at the map and winced a bit. She wracked her talons on the carpet as she looked sadly between the map and her husband. She tried to relax against Saul, but the General could see the worry and fear in her eyes.
"Olivia… we need to do this." He insisted.
"Uh… I…" Olivia bit her lower lip.
"Don't you want to go home?" Saul asked. "Don't you want to walk down the path through the gardens like we used to? To sit and enjoy the breeze in the prairie? To watch matches in the arena?"
"Of course I do, Saul." Olivia exclaimed. "I miss my home every day!"
"Well, we can all go back soon. Very soon!" Saul flapped his wings. "As soon as I have the final piece of the puzzle, we can march for Glenhaven and take back what's rightfully ours!"
"But… But think of what might happen when we get there." Olivia pleaded. "Our soldiers grew up in Glenhaven. There are friends and family over there…. Including our family."
Saul very briefly went pale; he thought about all the smiling faces of the extended family. Mimet… Jules… Emerald… Attonita… he hadn't seen them in years, but could still remember them vividly. But then his thoughts turned to the one drake he hated more than anyone else: Telus. And just like that, Saul's trepidation turned to rage.
"Your family, maybe." Saul said through gnashed fangs. "But I can never forgive Telus for betraying us, Olivia." He flapped his wings and sat down in his cushion once more. "I understand that he's your father, but he's also a filthy usurper. He's responsible for our exile…. For denying Jonathan his birthright!" He slammed his fist upon the table. "Never forget that!"
"But, Saul…" Olivia shivered a bit.
"We are marching on Glenhaven as soon as possible!" Saul declared. "And when we get there… for your family's sake, they'd better surrender quickly!"
Olivia flinched again, as a few tears formed in her eyes. She immediately turned on her heels and ran for the door. Saul's anger broke down a bit as he watched her grasp the knob.
"Olivia, wait…" He pleaded. But it was too late; she was out the door and crying down the hallway. And Saul was alone once again, with a big weight in his heart. He sighed and shook his head; he'd have to talk with her more softly the next time he saw her.
But he couldn't go after her; not this late at night. Not when there was a chance that the shipment would finally be here. Saul's regret melted away as he glanced at the wall-clock.
Where is he? Saul thought bitterly. He rose up from his seat and walked over to the balcony. He scanned the various streets, hoping for some kind of fancy carriage to make it clear that Bergan was on his way. But alas, the streets were quiet. No signs of purple dragons anywhere.
Saul was so close to launching his liberation efforts. He had the army, as well as most of the recourses. All he needed was the go-ahead from Bergan to finally march. Saul had tolerated a delay to the westward march to give his people in Aeroshard some time to celebrate the coming arrival of the Day of the Bonds. But the holiday was practically here already; he didn't want to waste another second.
I'm so close… Saul thought with a scowl. He grasped the banister of the balcony and slightly dented it. Years have gone by, and I've dreamed of taking my kingdom back ever since. How can I just stand around and wait when I'm at the very edge?!
Saul wanted a better life for himself, his wife, and his son. They all deserved it, after the humiliation they had to endure. He made an alliance with several powerful dragons: Faeshrine and Frostwryng were backing him on this. He'd delayed so that Madam Nymph could tend to her sister. He tried to be patient so that his soldiers could grow accustomed to the curious new gauntlets that Faeshrine provided. So why was he waiting around for so long? What was Bergan doing? Didn't he WANT to help things along? Where was he-?
"Good evening, my good friend."
Saul flinched and quickly whirled around. Sure enough, there he was, standing in the shadows with his red eyes shimmering in the light of the room. He lifted a bowl to his muzzle and casually took a drink of some of the tea.
"Ah, delicious." Bergan gave a hearty chuckle. "You should be paying your butlers more for their work, Saul."
"Yeah, yeah…" The General stepped into the room, closed the balcony door, and tapped his forepaw bitterly upon the table. "It certainly took you long enough to come to see me."
"Well, I've been very busy, Saul." Bergan said as he put the glass down. "Had some chores to do here and there… and they were quite bothersome." He clasped his forepaws together. "Now, is it safe to assume that Flamaedelus and Richard delivered the shipment, so to speak."
"Indeed…" Saul sat down and continued to tap on the table. "They showed me a rather impressive prototype, but I've yet to see anything in action." He leaned forward and sneered. "So, any idea when the supplies to get the gauntlets up and running is going to get here?"
"Hmm…" Bergan pulled out a pocket watch and looked it over casually. "Well, you might be in for a little surprise if you glance down at the table right now."
Curious, Saul immediately looked down. Sure enough, there was a small object wrapped in a cloth sack. Saul carefully picked up the sack and emptied its contents onto the table. A purple light emerged from the sack's opening, and his eyes widened as the majestic surface of a violet crystal slid out.
"It's…" He said in awe. "It's a convexity gem."
"Of course." Bergan nodded.
Saul grasped the crystal and held it up in the light. The light cast a multitude of hues through the convexity's surface and filled his mind with warmth and wonder. He turned it this way and that; there wasn't an imperfection to be found.
"Amazing…" Saul said. But soon his joy gave way as he steadily did the math in his head. The General sneered, and then cast an annoyed look at Bergan. "Is this it? A single crystal?"
"Well, aren't we the choosing beggar." Bergan huffed. "Not enough jewelry for you, Saul?
"You know what I mean." Saul snapped as he put the crystal down. "How is a single crystal supposed to power an entire army's worth of magical gauntlets?"
Bergan balked. "Did you honestly think that I would be bringing you only a single crystal? What kind of fool do you take me for, Saul? This is MY plan, after all."
Saul simply adjusted his cloak and sat back in his cushion.
"No, no, that crystal there is simply an extra one, for YOU." Bergan insisted. "All the rest are in storage. In fact, I've asked some friends of mine to bring them in. Observe…"
Bergan gave a calm clap with his forepaws, and the doorway to the room was pushed open. Saul sprang onto all fours and tensed up as someone intruded. And then, to his surprise, he immediately recognized several teenaged dragons stepping into the room… o rather, he recognized their pale masks.
"The Crazy Aces…" He said in bewilderment.
Saul watched as the teenagers carried a series of large cloth sacks into the room and placed them in piles all around him. As this went on, Bergan helped himself to another bowl of tea.
"What are they doing here?" Saul demanded. "Aren't they supposed to be in Warfang right now?" he looked all around and shivered. "And… Where is Johnny?"
"Things have been quite busy like I said." Bergan nodded. "But you shouldn't be too worried about your son. He's quite alright. In fact, you'll be seeing him again soon."
"I will?" Saul asked. He then took a sigh of relief and sat down. "Well, if you say it so, then it's so…" He glanced around once more at the sacks. "So… is that what I think it is?"
"Is it indeed…?" Bergan chuckled. "Would the lot of you be so kind as to show our General here the merchandise?"
At once, the gathered teenagers set to work opening their respective sackcloths. Various shades of purple flooded into the room, filling Saul with shock and awe. The general looked all around; there were so many gems gathered up in those sacks. Dozens… hundreds… maybe even a thousand altogether. A smile tugged at the edges of his muzzle, and a triumphant laugh escaped his throat.
"Ah, is our King Saul pleased with the shipment?" Bergan asked curiously.
"This is perfect." Saul declared. He held up the largest gem into the light once more, and his eyes were dazzled by the purple light. "More than enough I need. There could be one for every soldier in my army!"
"There might be some extras…" Bergan said as he stood up. "And bear in mind; they've been distilled and properly shaped to fit into the gauntlets. It would be a bad idea to guzzle them down yourself."
"Bah…" Saul lowered his gem down and stowed it away in his cloak. "I'll do with it as I please."
The General whirled around and pulled his door open to calling upon several guards. Immediately they ran in and stood at attention, only to be surprised at all of the mask-wearing teenagers in the room.
"What's going on, Your Grace?" A brown earth drake asked. "What are they all doing here?" He gasped upon seeing Bergan nearby. "And what's HE doing here?"
"Yeah…" The other guard, a fire dragon, looked around at the glowing sacks. "And is that… Convexity?"
"Focus, soldiers!" Saul snapped. He stamped his foot and pointed around at the sacks. "I want these sacks transported to the carriages of the war party. Keep them under a heavy watch, and make sure NOBODY swipes any for themselves."
"Y-Yes, Sir…" The soldiers saluted Saul. The fire drake stepped out to call more guards to help, while the earth dragon set to work arranging the sacks.
Before long, Saul was watching in delight as several soldiers were gathering the sacks to transport them out to the war party. With giddy paws, the General walked up to his desk and opened one of the drawers to peruse its contents.
"My, you certainly seem excited." Bergan said from across the way.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Saul asked. "There's finally nothing left to delay the march."
"Hmm, I could think of one thing…" The purple drake scratched his golden beard and stood up taller. "Might I remind you of the Day of the Bonds celebration?"
"Oh, enough with that blasted holiday!" Saul exclaimed. "I've waited and waited for nearly a week since arriving in Aeroshard to get things underway." He slammed his fist upon the desk. "You've brought me the final piece of the puzzle, and I'm not wasting a day longer sitting around in this fortress!"
Saul pulled out a large horn from the drawer and held it in the light. It was long, slick, and adorned with the family seal of the Earth dragon royal family: the green inverted circle. Saul held the war horn close to his chest as he slammed the drawer shut.
"I've been patient for long enough." Saul snapped. "And its high time I get the ball ROLLING."
"Very well, my friend." Bergan shrugged his shoulders.
Saul turned toward the balcony and marched out with determination. As he stood out in the open skies, he brought the war horn to his muzzle and blew as loudly as he could. The thunderous melody rang out throughout the entire area, drawing the attention of every draconic soldier in the streets and barracks. All eyes were upon Saul as they stood at attention and waited for his orders.
"Prepare the war carriages!" Saul howled out to the crowd. "Get them ready to move! We make the westward march… TONIGHT!"
Hundreds of brave cheers rang out throughout the city. Saul looked around as every able-bodied dragon made their move to prepare for the launch. A terrific grin spread from ear frill to ear frill as the General whirled around and strode into the room.
"My, that was to the point." Bergan chortled. "No time for a rousing speech, Your Grace?"
"No time for that." Saul shook his head as he packed the war horn away in a satchel. "I need to fetch Olivia and get her prepared for the journey."
"You're bringing Olivia along?" Bergan asked curiously. "She's not the fighting type."
"Glenhaven is her kingdom as much as mine." Saul declared. "It wouldn't be right to leave my queen behind as we liberate her home from the usurpers."
"Hmm, an interesting way of looking at it." Bergan said as he stroked his beard. "Well, here's hoping that you don't bite off more than you can chew."
"As if I had anything to worry about…" Saul snickered as he adjusted his cloak. "With you on my side, what could go wrong?"
What indeed… Bergan thought. The purple drake clasped his forepaws together and bowed his head. "Well, thank you for thinking so highly of me, old friend."
"Sure…" Saul smirked once again, and he made his way over to the door to pull it open. "Now, I've got only a few things to do before I…"
Saul looked back at Bergan… only to realize he wasn't there. Saul blinked, and then rubbed his eyes. Where did the drake go? Saul was tempted to look around to see if he could spot where Bergan hid… but then he shook his head. The General had more important things to worry about than playing some glorified hide-and-seek with the merchant.
With a snort, Saul stepped out of his room and stuck a forepaw in his pocket to grasp the convexity gem. A grin spread across his face.
Soon, I'll finally get EVERYTHING I deserve!
~~...~~
Greetings, friends, and loved ones.
This year continues to be a rather… interesting one, huh? Sorry that it took me an extra week to get this chapter done: things came up here and there, and I needed just a bit more time. Here's hoping the schedule is back to normal going forward.
Act 3 is up and running, and I've got quite a bit of "setup" planned as we head into the big and exciting parts later this year. I hope you all like it. J
Tenebra ecce Veritas
