Warfang was in a state of emergency.

The Deep Shadows could barely keep up with the panic and chaos as dragon families mourned for their missing children. And even after the fires had been put out, there was still the matter of stragglers from the Sons of Culmubrae and the Extremists who'd gone into hiding.

Elenar had no choice; she needed the Guardians.

After a shadowy message was sent to the Prime Temple, the Guardians were on their way post-haste. And it was good that they did; it was all the Deep Shadows could do to keep the peace on their own in these trying times. But when the citizenry saw the banners of the great and glorious Guardians making their way down the streets, there were many cheers to be heard all the way to the council meeting.

The coliseum was just about overflowing with citizens. High Queen Elenar sat in one of the thrones in the arena, with Urobos seated at her right. The Deep Shadows stood at the ready all around.

The Guardians of the Prime Temple had arrived as soon as they could. But they weren't alone, of course; King Horus was along for the right.

"Horus!" Elenar exclaimed.

"I was already on my way to Warfang, milady." Horus said as he sat down in his assigned throne. "My sister had sent me a letter telling me of the trouble my son had gotten into."

Horus glanced in Apella's direction. She looked ready to break formation to run up to him, but she took a deep sigh. Elenar, meanwhile, felt pity for the both of them. Apella hasn't seen her niece and nephew in days… and the last meeting she had with either of them didn't go well.

"Could you please explain exactly what's happened in Warfang?" The Ice Guardian asked, snapping everyone back to attention.

"I'll do my best to summarize…" Elenar said cautiously.

And so, she told them of everything that had happened. The series of fires had served double-duty as a means to oust the two terrorist groups AND a distraction to draw attention away from The Nexus. She also explained how she'd confronted Bergan in the Pit of the Fallen, where he'd confessed to taking Warfang's children.

The Guardians were quite appalled at the revelation, as were many dragons around the area.

"Why would he do such a thing?!" King Horus demanded.

"He claims that it was altruistic." Urobos said. "That he only whisked the children away to parts unknown so that they'd be safe from all the vicious drakes of Warfang who'd do them harm."

"And… I suppose that my own children are among their number as we speak?" The fiery king sucked in a breath.

"Quite possibly, Horus." Elenar said nervously. "I… I'm sorry."

Horus dug his talons deep into the sides of his throne as his wings shook with anger. Once again Apella looked ready to rush over to embrace her brother despite the many dragons watching. After a moment, the fury on Horus's face gave way to worry and sadness, and his limbs shook as he tried to calm himself down.

"I… We… Something must be done." Horus declared. "We need to find the children."

"Well… there IS some good news." Elenar glanced over at the Deep Shadows. "Wraith, step forward and tell them what you told me."

"Err, yes, Your Grace…" Wraith carefully made his way forward and cleared his throat.

"We've recently had some very unexpected contact from The Nexus." The crimson drake declared. "Right out of the blue, a portal opened up on the very steps of the Dragon Spire. Elza of all dragons contacted me, and she sent various white dragonlings through the portal."

"She did?!" The Fire Guardian exclaimed.

"Yes…" Wraith nodded. "But while the white dragons were brought home, we, unfortunately, lost contact with Elza before she could send more kids through… thanks to BERGAN."

The Guardians exchanged various uneasy glances, while Horus slumped back in his throne. Elenar, meanwhile, felt anger flowing in her veins. She'd come so close to finding her sister again, and the chance slipped right through her talons like sand.

Why, Bergan? Why have you done this?

"The missing children is but one of several looming problems." Urobos declared.

"Oh?" The lightning Guardian looked in the old drake's direction. "What else is there?"

"Well…" The elderly drake took a cautious breath. "Do you remember the last time that General Saul stood in the coliseum four years ago?"

"Of course I remember." Horus declared. "He'd come close to declaring war on Warfang out of spite. But he was forced to turn away after most of the dignitaries of the various kingdoms turned against him. But what relevancy does he have here?"

"Quite a bit…" Urobos declared.

The old black dragon got Horus and the Guardians up to date regarding the recent incident regarding Prince Jonathan and his rowdy gang. He also described how the prince was sent to capture the Rune and Cyrus, as well as the seedy details of his father's greater plans.

"…You see, my friends, Saul's preparing a march on Glenhaven."

There were quite a few gasps of alarm from Horus and the Guardians. Even the Deep Shadows were unnerved by the declaration; especially Wraith and Albanion. The crimson drake couldn't help but back out of direct view.

"As we speak," Elenar continued, "Saul is preparing to retake the desert city as part of his vendetta against the Elders who exiled him four years prior."

"Then we must help the people of Glenhaven!" Horus shouted as he leaped from his throne. "Send word! Send soldiers! Send everything we possibly can!"

"It's going to take quite a bit of effort to get help Glenhaven's way." Elenar said with a frown. "And even if we could mobilize Warfang's army to march south by nightfall, we'd never get across the central ocean in decent time."

"Can you send your shadow dragons upfront?" The earth Guardian asked. "With their combined power, you could all teleport straight across the ocean."

"Sure… and we'd be completely drained of our power for days." Wraith said as he tapped his talon on the ground. "That kind of grand scale of magic takes a lot out of us, you know. We'd be useless in the fight against Saul's forces."

"Then… what can we do?" Horus asked worriedly. "How do we send help to Warfang?"

"Well…" Said a voice from behind Horus's throne. "I have a plan if you're willing to listen."

Horus's eyes widened in shock. He rose from his throne to see who'd snuck up on him, while Elenar sighed. It didn't take long for Horus to look like he'd seen a ghost, for a purple dragon with shiny golden back-spikes had emerged from hiding. He stepped around the thrones and walked over to come to a stop beside Elenar. Every other dragon in the entire arena was completely stunned; the civilians, the Guardians… even the Deep Shadows. Every dragon… save for Elenar, Wraith, and Urobos, who had been expecting the drake's appearance.

"Sp… Spy… Sp…" Horus was left stammering as he looked the legendary dragon up and down. "Spyro?!"

"I apologize for not joining the meeting sooner." Spyro said as he fell back onto his haunches. "Cynder was insistent that we wait for the right moment."

Horus's ear frills pointed straight up. "C-Cynder's here, too?!"

The fiery king got his response in the form of a low chuckling coming from the side. He and a few of the Guardians looked over, and nearly jumped out of their scales when they spotted the elderly black dragoness. She flapped her wings and strode forward to turn around and come to a seat beside Elenar, opposite from Spyro.

"It's good to see you all again." Cynder declared. "But we really do need to get the important stuff." She grinned over at the purple drake. "Care to continue with your plan of action?"

"Right…" Spyro cautiously cleared his throat.

"Now hold on a moment!" The earth Guardian exclaimed. "I have so many questions! How are you two alive again?! And why if Spyro in his prime, while you're… uh…"

Cynder raised an eye ridge. "Old?"

The earth Guardian gulped and clamped a forepaw over her mouth. That earned a snicker from Cynder, while Spyro just sighed.

"Everyone, concentrate on what's important!" Spyro fanned out his wings and stamped his forepaw. "I can understand that all of you are wondering what we're doing here. But you'll have to save those for later; for now, we need to concentrate on both keeping the peace here in Warfang, and sending a group of dragons as a collective envoy to Crossbolt and Glenhaven."

"Crossbolt?" Horus repeated.

"We can't get an army across the ocean… and we don't have to." Spyro declared. "Tintreon is the current ruler of Crossbolt. Who better than him to send dragons south across the desert to mobilize with Glenhaven?"

"Ah, yes…" Urobos nodded. "That could work."

"But there's more trouble brewing than just Saul's army…" Elenar said as she sat up higher. "Saul is receiving some outside help… from Bergan."

That revelation garnered even more gasps from the gathered dragons. All Elenar could do was frown as Spyro and Cynder looked at her in pity.

"Bergan is doing some kind of experimentation in the realm of Convexity." Elenar continued. "I… don't claim to fully understand what he's up to. But if he's giving some outside help to Saul… then I can't help but fear the worst. But as such…" Elenar stood up on all fours. "I've decided to head south to Crossbolt. I will be the prime envoy."

That got quite a bit of surprise and alarm from the gathered dragons… but surprisingly the Deep Shadows were the ones most horrified. Elenar expected as much: after all, she hadn't told them yet.

"I'll speak to Tintreon when I get to Crossbolt." The queen continued. "With any luck, he'll agree to gather his forces to march for Glenhaven, while I go on ahead to speak with the Elders directly via teleportation."

"WAIT!" Came a bellowing cry from the Deep Shadows. Elenar looked over in time to see General Grail marching his way up to the ring of thrones.

"You can't just leave Warfang!" Grail exclaimed. "You're the High Queen! You mustn't put your life at risk by going into danger down south!"

Elenar scowled slightly but raised her head high. "Rune is going to Glenhaven, Grail. He's the only one amongst my children that isn't missing. And I can't just sit idly by while his life is put at risk… especially considering his condition."

"But…" Grail's glare weakened. "What about your own safety, Your Grace?"

"I won't be going alone." Elenar flapped her wings. "Surely you didn't think that I wouldn't pick a select group of Deep Shadows to act as my bodyguards?"

"Fair enough…" Grail backed up a bit. "Then, who have you chosen?"

"Albanion and Wraith, for starters." Elenar declared. "They know most of all of you what Bergan is capable of."

Albanion tensed up, while Wraith ran a forepaw through his mane. The two exchanged glances and held their tongues, while Grail stepped back to join them in formation.

"Well, that's that part of the plans given out." Spyro said as he cleared his throat. "But of course, there's now the matter of who will look after Warfang in the queen's stead."

"Will it be you and your wife, My Lord?" Horus asked enthusiastically.

"That will have to be a no." Spyro shook his head. "Bergan's actions have filled the air with uncertainty. There's no telling what's waiting in store for the armies that will clash in the Arcus Desert. As such, Cynder and I will be joining Elenar's entourage; in case things get wildly out of hand magic-wise."

"I… I suppose that's fair enough." Horus wiped his brow down.

"And that's why…" Cynder put on a grin. "YOU will be looking after Warfang."

Horus's crown nearly fell from his head. "Me?!"

"Who better to look after the people of Warfang, than the Steward of Warfang?" Elenar asked.

"But, But, I…" Horus clasped his forepaws together and fidgeted with his talons. "I had that title when I was serving under the traitor Richteriel. I'm unfit to look after Warfang."

Elenar felt nothing but pity for Horus; she knew all too well the feelings of regret and failure that were clear in the fiery king's eyes. And self-doubt was creeping in as well… no, she had to nip it in the bud.

"Horus… You spent years doing your best to keep the peace in Warfang." Elenar said. "I know that you only have the best interests of the citizenry at heart. I ask you to take on the temporary mantle of the ruler of Warfang once again so that I might work toward returning your heirs to you…" Elenar bowed her head before Horus. "Please, Horus. You're the most reliable dragon for the job. The ivory crown is yours once again."

Horus seemed quite stunned by her words. He cautiously stepped forward and placed his forepaws upon the crown to lift it away.

"Well… I guess I accept the mantle." Horus held an uncomfortable grimace as he made to sit back down. "But only temporarily, of course."

"Of course…" Elenar stood up tall and sat in her own throne. "Hopefully, I won't be away from Warfang for long."

"Indeed…" Cynder flapped her wings and cleared her throat to draw everyone's attention. "Well, if we've established all the things we need to do, let's hurry up and do them! That army could be marching this very minute! It's time to travel south to Crossbolt, youngins'!"

"Fair enough…" Elenar gave a low chortle, while Horus and the Guardians looked at Cynder incredulously.

"There's just one last thing I have to do…" Elenar looked in the direction of the Guardians. "Can I trust the four of you to aid Horus in his efforts to look after Warfang?"

"We certainly wouldn't refuse," The lightning Guardian said, "But it might be dangerous for all four of us to stay in Warfang. Someone has to keep watch over the Prime Temple, you know."

"I suppose that's true…" Elenar sighed.

"We'll hash out the details later today." The Ice Guardian said. "We wish you the best in Warfang, Lady Elenar."

The four Guardians, plus Horus, bowed their heads toward the queen. The queen bowed back, and just like that, the council was over.

Granted, the citizenry didn't leave the coliseum stands quietly. Some were still grieving, others were worried about the future… and quite a lot of them wanted a good look at Spyro and Cynder. The purple drake stood tall and proud if a bit embarrassed. Cynder, however, held a proud smirk as she smiled and waved at the many dragons and non-dragons.

"Is that really appropriate behavior?" Apella asked Cynder. "Erm, not that I'm being judgmental, Your Grace."

"It's for them, young lady." Cynder said quietly as she continued to smile at the crowd. "Spyro and I have been symbols of peace and unity for a long time. Our appearance here, in the flesh, is going to last for ages, no doubt."

"So, we might as well use this as a chance to spark some hope." Spyro said as he waved as well. "We're here, we're alive… so we need this day to be the start of times getting better."

Many of the dragons around the two heroes seemed quite convinced; even Elenar felt just a bit more hopeful that things would go well. But the only one to frown was Urobos; the elderly drake just couldn't shake the dreadful visions from his mind…

Before long, the coliseum was mostly emptied. Horus and the Guardians had left to start work on tending to the city. Elenar, Urobos, the two heroes, and the Deep Shadows were all who remained. With a flourish of her cape, Elenar faced the Deep Shadows.

"Albanion, Wraith, say your goodbyes and step forward. But be quick about it; we have work to do."

Right away the Deep Shadows turned to speak among themselves; Cerulean in particular spoke hushed words of encouragement to the still-skittish Wraith. Meanwhile… Elenar turned toward Urobos with worried eyes.

"Should we have… mentioned what happened to Cyrus?" Elenar asked.

"No. Definitely not." Urobos shook his head. "The people of Warfang are already in a state of worry and panic with their children lost in some alternate realm. The fact that there's a rampaging corrupted prince looming over them constantly would have only made things worse.

"But…" Elenar tensed up a bit. "I feel like we're lying."

"There wasn't anything we could say that would have made things better, Elenar." Spyro said softly. "It was for the best."

Despite Spyro's reassurance, a pit formed in Elenar's stomach. She'd only seen it for herself briefly… but what Cyrus had become was more than enough to scare her half to death. She'd entrusted Cyrus to protect his fellow students, and it only led him to fall under the influence of a terrible corruption! It was almost enough to make her collapse and cry.

But Cynder stood by Elenar's side. The elderly dragoness draped a wing over the queen's back and looked her in the eyes.

"He can be saved." Cynder said soothingly. "If someone like me could be rescued from corruption, then it's almost a guarantee that the same can be said for Cyrus."

"Okay…" Elenar took a calming breath. "I believe you."

Once the last of the farewells, goodbyes, and mutual blessings had been passed around, Albanion and Wraith stepped up to join the others in the middle of the ring. Wraith muttered under his breath to get a head start on his chanting, while Albanion held a cold, stern face.

"Albanion?" Urobos asked cautiously. "Are you ready?"

"I'm… prepared." The grey drake grumbled.

The elderly drake patted Albanion on the back. "I'm sorry that we can't search for Elza. But we all have our jobs to do; just hold faith that we'll find her."

Albanion said nothing… he simply stared forward in the most serious demeanor he could muster, despite the tell-tale signs of the tears he'd been crying every night.

Just like last time, Elenar, Wraith, and Urobos stood together to begin the collective teleportation magic. However, unlike before, they were abruptly joined by Cynder, who grasped their forepaws and almost joined in the chanting.

"What are you doing?" Urobos asked in surprise.

"You didn't think I'd just stand around and not help, do you?" Cynder snorted. "I may be an old bag, but I'm still the Grand Shadow!"

"I… I guess that's true." Urobos said awkwardly. Cynder glanced over at Spyro, who'd stood watching the entire time.

"Come on, you. Help them out a bit." Cynder prodded him in the shoulder. "I know you've got some kind of shadow magic in those purple veins."

"I was never as adept at it as you were, Cyn." Spyro sighed.

"That's no excuse, Spyro." Cynder snorted. "You've got magic to spare for a lifetime, and these three need to get across an OCEAN in seconds. So no messing around; whip up some of your power to make things easier!"

"Alright, alright…" Spyro sighed. "I'll do my best."

"Should I try it as well?" Albanion asked. "Or is poison magic just not enough?"

"Sorry, Albanion." Elenar frowned. "I'm sure your assets will be vital once we're in Crossbolt."

Albanion simply sighed and stayed close to the group… as a great, shadowy aura surrounded them all. Bit by bit, they all sank down into the darkness.

Elza… Cyrus…. Hope. Elenar thought miserably. Please, be safe.

And just like that, they were gone.

~~…~~

It was rather early in the morning over Glenhaven; so early, in fact, that the sun had yet to rise. Tyrrany forced herself to wake up nonetheless; she had a big day today. After slumping onto her paws, she stretched out her back like a cat, and then stood up tall and gave a hearty yawn.

Time to get to work, she thought to herself as she smacked her lips.

Tyrrany made her way over to the corner of the abandoned hovel she and the others were staying in. She was on the second floor; she kept the broken window-blinds shut tight as she took a quick bath. It wasn't the most glamorous of baths; she mostly had to use her own magic to fill up a big tub with water and then soaked herself in it to get as clean as she could. Then, after drying herself off with some wind-based magic, she wiped down an old mirror and gathered up her makeup supplies.

As Tyrrany put her disguise together, she went over her plans for the day. It had finally come; the scheduled arena battle between the water dragoness Nellie, and her rival Roxanne. The two would duel dramatically in the palace arena… and Tyrrany had to be sure to rig the fight in Nellie's favor.

Hmm, there's always my convexity power… Tyrrany thought as she glanced across the way at her violin case. I could simply play some tunes, give Nellie a boost, and see the battle brought to a swift end in seconds…. Tyrrany stopped to apply some purple makeup to her cheeks. Seems so easy that I'm already bored.

But as Tyrrany continued, she thought back to something her father Bergan had once told her during her own combat training:

"Anything can happen in a one-on-one battle. You never know what one combatant of the other might do to achieve victory. Things only become less predictable as more combatants enter the fray. And any one action taken by any one fighter can swing the battle in one side's favor or the other. You need to be able to take any action or counter-action that keeps the battle in your favor. Running into battle wildly will only end in ruin."

Tyrrany snorted as she imagined Nellie tripping over herself and falling flat, giving Roxanne all the opportunity in the world to light her up with a well-placed burst of lightning. The white dragoness scratched her chin.

I guess I'll have to keep my eyes peeled during the fight. Can't let anything go wrong.

Once Tyrrany finished with her makeup, she moved on to putting on her black stockings and her long black cape. She then stood up tall, looked herself over, and snorted in mild satisfaction. As far as anyone in the palace would be concerned, Tyrrany was just some random minstrel wandering about. Nobody would need to focus too much attention on her… she hoped.

Tyrrany marched across the way, picked up her violin case, and descended down the staircase to find the others. Flame was asleep atop an old couch in the corner, with Arthur the dragonfly snoozing atop the fire dragon's head; his back was propped up against the drake's horn.

Tyrrany sighed as she watched her two friends sleeping. They looked so peaceful together, despite having to put up with such a cramped space for days. And even though they didn't mention it around her, she could tell that the two of them were excited for the Day of the Bonds to get started. Tyrrany double-checked the calendar in her satchel; today was the first day of the celebration. Tyrrany sighed and turned her head out the window; even if all she saw was the alleyway beyond, the dragoness couldn't help but imagine all the fun stuff the many young dragons of the city would get getting into today.

It even got Tyrrany reminiscing on things from last year, back in Faeshrine. So many teenaged drakes were making googly-eyes at the fair dragonesses around her age. There were sweets and candy galore on sale, and a carnival was up and running over by the docks. Tyrrany could even remember the giddy look on Frederick's face as her brother practically dragged her down to see a puppet show for the little ones. Tyrrany sighed… that was actually a pretty fun time. Tyrrany had gotten so caught up in all of this important stuff, that she'd forgotten just what a special time this was supposed to be for young dragons… for her.

Maybe… maybe we could take a break from the mission. Tyrrany thought. Once this arena match is over and done with, we can just… hang out together. Walk around the town…

With a sigh, Tyrrany cautiously stepped up and rubbed Flame's shoulder. She also leaned down to nudge Arthur with a talon to the belly.

"Guys, get up." Tyrrany said softly.

"Azzzz Five more minutes zzz" The dragonfly mumbled. Tyrrany just snorted at this and leaned in to bring her snout up to Flame's ear frill.

"WAKE UP!"

"AAAH!" Flame's head bolted upright in an instant. This catapulted Arthur from the drake's head, sending him flying across the room. The dragonfly gasped awake and struggled to right himself in midair, but he was just barely able to keep from splattering against the wall. Tyrrany backed up and grimaced; perhaps she'd yelled a bit too loud.

"Arthur?!" Flame shouted in surprise. He hopped onto his feet and trotted over to the dragonfly, who peeled himself off the wall. "What happened?!"

"Ugh…" Arthur flapped his wings and took off into the air. "You launched me at mach speed. That's what happened."

"I did?" Flame grimaced.

"That was… kinda my fault." Tyrrany sighed. Flame and Arthur turned toward the dragoness as she made her way over to her.

"What's going on?" Flame asked. "Why'd you startle us?"

"I just wanted to wake you guys up." Tyrrany frowned as she pulled her hood over her head. "Come on: get yourselves ready, then we'll head out for a quick breakfast from the market downtown."

"Breakfast?" Arthur asked in surprise. "That actually sounds nice. But, I don't exactly have my coin curse on me, if you catch my drift."

Tyrrany just rolled her eyes at that. "I'll cover it, guys. Don't worry."

"Wow…" Flame blinked in astonishment. He reached up to adjusted his mane, and then pulled his goggles up over his eyes. "Thanks, Annie."

"You're welcome." Tyrrany smiled. "But don't take too long; we need to be able to get over to the market, and then back to the center of Glenhaven in time for the arena match."

"Right, right, the fight between Nellie and… whats-her-name." Arthur shrugged.

"It's Roxanne." Tyrrany clarified. "She's that yellow dragoness, with the two airheads following her around."

"Ah, right…" Arthur rubbed his head. "Well, there's no time like the present. Let's go get some grub!"

The dragonfly flew about the dragons' heads and then out through the open window beside the door. Flame and Tyrrany exchanged dubious glances and then hurried to follow their friend outside. Tyrrany kept her head pulled tightly over her head as she ventured out into the bright light of day.

~~…~~

The trio kept themselves scarce as they made their way out toward the downtown marketplace district. This would be the first time since arriving in Glenhaven that the trio would actually take the time to see the sights of the marketplace. Tyrrany just hoped that it wouldn't take too long; she always kept her eyes turned toward the nearest clock-towers scattered here and there across the city.

And between all of that, the dragoness could feel her stomach rumbling. It had been a while since she'd been able to stop and enjoy some fine dining. Though even if she had more than enough coinage to cover whatever they were going to eat that day, she still felt this odd itch at the back of her head; that she'd be wasting her time if she got something elaborately sweet.

The mission is more important… she told herself. Don't get too distracted by food…

Tyrrany's nostrils tingled as the scent of toasted bread was escorted to her by the wind as she turned a corner. She licked her chapped lips, and her belly rumbled. Oh, she desperately needed a bite!

Oh, it's so hard to concentrate.

"Say, Annie, I've got an idea." Arthur suddenly said. Tyrrany blinked and shook her head as the dragonfly flew up to the side of her head.

"Once this arena match is over," Arthur said as he tapped her hood, "why don't you take the time to talk to this Nellie girl about your half-brother Rune?"

"Hmm?" Tyrrany blinked in surprise.

"I mean, you're trying to get on his good side, right?" The dragonfly nodded. "Maybe, if you surprise him by bringing up topics that he likes, or show him some of his favorite food, it might help get him to see you in a positive light."

"Huh… I guess that could work." Tyrrany shrugged with her wings. But then her stomach ached once more, and her desire for food strengthened. "Oh, let's hurry up!"

Tyrrany's patience ran out just before a bakery, and she quickly ran inside. She stepped right up to the counter and slammed her purse down, much to the surprise of a plump pink dragoness.

"I want three of your best tarts!" Tyrrany exclaimed as she fished for her currency. "Money is no object!"

"Alright, alright, Miss…" The dragoness said awkwardly. "Just settle down."

Flame and Arthur stepped into the bakery; the red drake sat to Tyrrany's right, while Arthur came to a landing atop his head. When the pink dragoness came back with the tarts, she was quite surprised to see the dragonfly perched atop Flame's head.

"What is THAT?" She asked incredulously.

"Hey…" The dragonfly crossed his arms. He slid back down behind Flame's head and leered at the dragoness from behind it.

"Uh, please don't mind Arthur, Miss." Flame gave a polite nod of his head. "He's just my dragonfly."

"Your… dragonfly?" The dragoness repeated curiously. "Is THAT what dragonflies look like?"

"Yes, this is what we look like…" Arthur grumbled.

"Oh my." The dragoness blinked. "They're much cuter than I expected."

Arthur flinched at that; he looked both flattered and insulted at the same time. Tyrrany just sighed and pulled out a few of her coins to distract the dragoness. "The tarts, please."

"Oh, right, of course…" The dragoness chuckled awkwardly as she accepted some of the coins and slid the tarts forward. "Here you go, Miss."

Tyrrany passed two of the tarts to Flame, who shared one with Arthur, while she focused on eating her own in silence. Oh, it was so delicious; leaps and bounds better than the trail rations that she and the guys had been eating since leaving Crossbolt. Finally, Tyrrany's rationality returned, and she sat back in her seat and rubbed her full belly. As she did so, she finally returned her thoughts to what Arthur had brought up outside: Learning about Rune.

Rune. Prince Rune. Tyrrany's half-brother, Rune. It felt so weird thinking about that concept. The last time she'd seen one of her black dragon brothers, she'd snapped and attacked him out in the hope. She couldn't make that same mistake again. She had to just stop, breathe, and work hard at getting Rune to like her… and to convince him that her random attack on Cyrus was a misunderstanding. Rune was the gatekeeper to getting into the House of Elenar; she couldn't mess this up.

But while Tyrrany was enjoying her meal, she didn't notice someone enter the bakery and approach from the side… not until she felt a forepaw on her shoulder, which snapped her back to reality. She tensed up and instinctively turned to growl in anger… only to tense up upon seeing a familiar face.

"Miss Tyrrany?" Asked the bewildered voice of Flamaedelus Sr.

Tyrrany couldn't believe her eyes OR her ear frills. And neither could Flame and Arthur, for that matter. Not even when Arthur's father Richard flew around the backside of Flamaedelus's head and came to a landing on the adult drake's shoulder.

Tyrrany stayed stunned into silence, while Flame and Arthur were overjoyed. Arthur flew into the air to embrace his father, while Flame stepped up and gave his own dad a quick hug.

"Wh-What are you doing here?!" Flame asked incredulously.

"I could ask the same of you three." Flamaedelus raised an eye ridge. "Weren't you all supposed to be in Warfang?"

Tyrrany quickly sucked in a breath as she sprang from her seat. She fled to Flamaedelus's side and tugged on the sleeve of his overcoat.

"We can't discuss it here…" She quickly whispered.

"Excuse me…" The pink dragoness tapped her paw irritably. "But could you please explain why you're making a commotion in my bakery?"

"My apologies, Ma'am." Flamaedelus nodded his head. "I just wasn't expecting a reunion with my son; it's been a while since we parted ways."

"We should take them back to the carriage, Flamaedelus." Richard declared as he wrapped an arm around Arthur's torso. "That's a better place for getting things off our chests, I'd imagine."

"Yeah…" Tyrrany sighed in relief. "What he said."

~~…~~

Once Flamaedelus and Richard had purchased their own food, they escorted the trio of teenagers down the city streets toward where their caravan of FTC carriages was settled in. Along the way, Tyrrany and Flame got the two adults up to date on all the things that had happened since their departures from Faeshrine.

Despite having to reveal her failures, Tyrrany actually felt a bit relieved. Flamaedelus was one of the few dragons that she felt she could trust, outside of her father. He always had sound advice for her when she was growing up and would keep any secrets she had to share. Who better to help her along in her mission in Glenhaven than him?

Before long, Flamaedelus opened the doorway into his carriage, and the teenagers stepped inside. Richard and Arthur came to a landing on a little alcove in the sidewall, while the three dragons sat down around the central table. Flamaedelus put his food down upon it, before slinking back into his seat and sighing.

"In hindsight, I wish I'd recommended to Mr. Bergan that we send more scrolls back and forth…" He snorted. "It seems like there's been a real mess in Warfang."

"I know, Sir…" Tyrrany frowned. "But we're trying to make things right."

"What's happened to Prince Jonathan?" Richard asked.

"We don't know." Flame shrugged. "Probably still in Warfang or something."

"Hmm…" Flamaedelus tapped his snout. "Well, wherever he is, I sincerely doubt that Bergan would abandon him. But we'll leave the prince's face in Bergan's paws… for now, the both of us have our own missions to stick to."

"What IS your mission, Sir?" Tyrrany asked.

"Did you happen to notice that airship flying around the palace this morning?" Richard asked.

"You mean that ominous structure loaded with nasty cannons that could blow holes in everything in a multi-mile radius?" Arthur asked cheekily. "No, we never spotted it."

"Hardy har har, boy…" Richard rubbed the top of Arthur's head as he rolled his eyes.

"Indeed." Flamaedelus snorted. "To be serious for a moment, our mission is to convince the Elders to part with the airship, so that we might pilot it away from the city."

Tyrrany wracked her talons on the table. "Is that something Father told you to do?"

"Ah, you're a smart one, Miss Tyrrany…" Flamaedelus shook his head. "Now, we don't have all day to get that vessel out of the city. Richard and I will be heading for the palace soon. So you three are more than welcome to use the carriage as a safe house during your own mission in town."

"Well… we'll likely be going with you to the palace soon." Tyrrany replied. "My own mission involves an arena match being held there today. I can't miss it."

"And why not?" Flamaedelus pursed his lips.

"Well…" Tyrrany placed a paw upon her violin case. "It involves making sure things go the right way… so I can get on Prince Rune's good side."

"If you say so, dear…" Flamaedelus reached for one of the tarts on the table. "What time is this arena match?"

"I think it's later in the afternoon." Flame said.

"Well then…" Richard clasped his hands together. "No point in standing around, then! You kids have work to do, and we adults have work to do…" He flew through the air and came to a landing atop Flamaedelus's muzzle. "So, let's get to work!"

Arthur gave a little laugh, while Flamaedelus raised an eye ridge. "You're certainly much more lively when the teenagers are around."

"Oh, I can't help it; It's been too long since I've seen my boy." Richard nudged Flamaedelus's face. "And don't act like you're not feeling the same right now."

Flamaedelus just sighed as he ate his tart. He sat up from his seat and walked over to the door to push it open. The drake then glanced back at the trio and softened his expression. "We have a bit of time, still… why don't we all stick together for now?"

"Sounds like a plan, Dad." Flame smiled as he hopped onto all fours. He trotted after his father, while Arthur flew around his head.

Tyrrany was the last one to leave the carriage; she kept her violin case snugly against her side as she stepped out. She sucked in a breath and did her best to put on a smile. And while Flame, Arthur, Flamaedelus, and Richard made idle conversation on their way down the road, Tyrrany couldn't help but feel uneasy. Everything was going well… almost too well.

Stay calm, Tyrrany… She told herself after taking a deep breath. This day is only beginning.

~~…~~

Bergan was struggling to keep his composure.

He'd been too late. After struggling to make sure all of the convexity gems were sent along to their rightful positions, Bergan did everything in his power to get the Crazy Aces back to the fortress… but he'd been TOO LATE. Just as he was arriving, just as he'd settled his paws upon the cold stone, he watched as the very last of the white dragonlings had been shipped on back to Warfang.

All his hard work to save those younglings… all of his hopes to prepare them for a brighter future… GONE before his very eyes. Surely Elenar and the Deep Shadows would be on high alert around those kids… while the remains of the extremists were still at large!

Bergan retired to the main chapel, where he'd been skulking in anger ever since. He sucked in his breath, put on a smile, and tried to vent with every meditative technique he'd learned over the years… but it was failing. He'd come close to pouring all of his frustrations out onto Elza in the form of screams and magical blasts… but rewiring that portal was the best he could do on short notice.

That damn portal… Bergan scowled as he thought about General Cyrus.

How did Bergan not foresee the prince falling for the affections of Tina at the worst moment? Did Cyrus truly fail to realize the obvious deception at work? Oh, it drove Bergan to drill his talons into his cloak…

But judging from the sounds coming from the hallway, Bergan wasn't the only one fueled by anger. The howls and roars of rage echoed down every corridor of the fortress, and many of the unattended younglings were scared out of their wits. There was crashing and smashing, and yelps of surprise coming from the Crazy Aces here and there.

Cyrus was awake… and on quite the warpath.

Speak of the demon… Bergan sighed and rolled his eyes. I'd give him a lecture, but I don't think he's in the listening mood.

Amongst the scores of frightened voices, there came one singular voice that stood out louder than the others. Bergan heard fast footfalls approaching the chapel from the side corridor and the voice of a panicked prince. Bergan grumbled and stood up; perhaps NOW the boy would finally lend Bergan an ear frill.

The purple drake stepped up to the door and pulled it open in time to see a very panicked Lantel running toward it… with a very furious Cyrus approaching from just behind.

"WHERE DID THEY GO, YOU FUCKER?!" Cyrus roared as smoke billowed from his nostrils. "ANSWER ME!"

Bergan simply slammed the door shut behind Lantel, and then spread his forepaws out on the stone surface. With a bit of chanting, the purple drake spread some of his magical power out into the door to give a nice and good reinforcing. And just in time, too: Cyrus abruptly slammed against the stone and shook a bit of dust from the roof. Lantel came to a stop beside the altar of the chapel and took heavy breaths to calm himself down.

"OPEN THIS DOOR!" Cyrus screamed as he slashed at it repeatedly.

"No.," Bergan said promptly.

"NOW!" Cyrus slammed against the wall. "HE KNOWS WHERE THEY WENT!"

Lantel gulped and backed up, while Bergan simply snorted.

"You're not going near Prince Lantel, Cyrus." Bergan declared. "Especially not when you're engulfed in a mindless rage."

Cyrus screamed furiously… but then just snorted and stomped away. Bergan sighed in relief; at least the black prince was still obedient. Bergan turned to look over at Lantel, who leaned against the alter and panted heavily. The fiery prince must have had quite a terrible run around after Cyrus woke up.

"Feeling alright, lad?" Bergan asked as he stepped forward.

"Relatively… speaking…" He said between pants. "I'm still… imprisoned…"

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that." Bergan picked up an empty bowl. "Care for some tea?"

"I don't… drink tea." Lantel said as he calmed down. "So forget it."

"Suit yourself." Bergan shrugged.

It didn't seem like Lantel was in the mood to leave the chapel for a while. Cyrus was still roaming around, and there was nothing for him out in the courtyard. He was stuck here… with Bergan. The purple drake took a sip and grinned; perhaps it was time to try the deal again.

"Might we continue our discussion from before?" Bergan asked. "You were quite rude to me the last time I made the offer."

"What else is there to say?" Lantel demanded. "Another big, haughty speech about your machinations? Or evil plan?"

"Hmph. Not quite, lad." Bergan shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps we should instead have a discussion about some common ground. You see, Lantel, you and-"

"Oh, wait a minute…" Lantel snapped as he wracked his talons upon the table. "Let me guess what you're going to say!"

"Hmm?" Bergan raised an eye ridge. Lantel simply stood up taller and cleared his throat to sound haughtier.

"This is the part where you go 'We're not so different, you and I!'" Lantel lifted a forepaw into the air and pretended to hold a bowl of wine. "'Oh, we are just so similar in our upbringing, way of life, etc!'" Lantel put on a scowl. "Well save your breath, because I'm not going to buy it for a second, Mr. I-Can-See-The-Future-But-Only-When-I-Feel-Like-It!"

Bergan snorted; he nearly spilled his tea as he gave a little chuckle.

"Actually… I was going to compare you to Prince Rune." The drake declared as he took a sip.

Lantel balked and leaned back "What?"

"I mean… think about it." Bergan put his bowl down. "The both of you are princes in line for your respective crowns someday. You have… or, had… the respect and admiration of your peers. You both endured rough times during your early years, too. In fact…" Bergan wracked his talons upon the stone altar. "I'm quite surprised that the two of you aren't friends."

Lantel gave a small growl from his throat and then sneered. "There's no way I'd ever be friends with anyone in that blasted family!"

"Hmm, you're sounding a bit prejudicial right now…" Bergan said flatly. "Here's hoping that the Order of Culmubrae hasn't rubbed off on you."

"What?" Lantel blinked. He then shook his head and growled. "No! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Then what DID you mean?" Bergan raised an eye ridge. "You hate King Baneth for humiliating your father four years ago, yes? And that hatred spread to Rune. You hoped to pummel Rune's face into the dirt to get some semblance of revenge against Baneth."

Lantel's eyes widened. "H-How do you know any of that?"

"Oh, I have my ways…" Bergan picked up his bowl of tea once again. "But, challenging Rune didn't go so well, did it? You saw what he was really capable of; the full power of a black dragon." He took a sip. "Luckily, Queen Elenar, the dragoness you've also hated, came and saved you from something much worse than simple humiliation."

Lantel bit his lower lip and brought a forepaw up to the scales beneath his eye. He nervously fanned out his wings and gnashed his fangs.

"But it makes me wonder: why go after Rune at all?" Bergan asked curiously. "Sure, you had your desire for bravado to defeat a black dragon… but why Rune? Of the two twins, he's the pacifist. Unless you hated him for having affection for your sister…"

"It wasn't that." The fiery prince snapped. "I challenged Rune because… because…" He wracked his talons together. "N-No, I don't want to talk about it."

Bergan gave a grin; even if Lantel wasn't talking, the purple drake could see right through him.

"Because you don't want to hurt Cyrus."

Lantel flinched and then scowled. "A-Are you kidding?! Look what he's become! Look what YOU did to him!" The prince stomped on the floor. "You're crazy if you think I'm not looking to knock some sense into him!"

"Knock some sense into him…" Bergan grinned. "..to get him back to normal… to the Cyrus you like."

The prince flinched again but struggled to stay furious. "Don't get me wrong! Prince Cyrus was an arrogant prick in his normal state! He was always showing off, being obnoxious, and only thinking about himself before his subjects!"

"Hmm, it sounds like he would've made the perfect punching bag." Bergan declared. "And yet, despite the target he painted on his chest for you to vent your frustrations onto… you never once tried to throw a single punch…" Bergan grinned wider. "…because of your crush on him."

Lantel growled and backed up a bit. "N-No! It was because that's what Cyrus WANTS! He was always looking for an excuse to fight me!"

"And why was that?" Bergan asked. "Did it have anything to do with your attempts to show off around him?" He tapped his talons on his bowl. "Or your continued insistence on calling him a princess?"

Lantel's anger faded a bit. "I… uh…"

"You certainly didn't do a good job of getting his behavior to die down." Bergan continued. "I can't even BEGIN to imagine what you were hoping would happen if you managed to defeat Rune in that duel… wouldn't it have made both your sister AND Cyrus angrier if you put Rune in the medical wing? And if Sandra wasn't disgusted with you, Cyrus certainly would have…"

"It doesn't… it doesn't matter anymore." Lantel flapped his wings indignantly.

"Oh, but I think it does." Bergan continued after another sip. "Cyrus would have been clawing for a chance to get back at you to avenge his brother. And no amount of I won't give you the satisfaction would have saved you from a duel. But even with Elenar ending it as a draw, you STILL have to deal with Cyrus's anger… you've certainly gone out of your way to make Prince Cyrus hate you, Lantel, despite you not wanting to lay a TALON on him."

"St… Stop it…" Lantel shook his head. "You're trying to confuse me."

"Confuse you? But we've already spelled it out." Bergan flapped his wings. "You're infatuated with Prince Cyrus, but want him to hate you. Oh, how I wonder why…"

Lantel gnashed his fangs, and his eyes darted this way and that. He seemed convinced that members of the Crazy Aces were lurking around the columns and pews. Bergan, however, simply fell backward onto his haunches and finished off the last of his tea.

"What makes you think I have a crush on him, anyway?!" Lantel screamed. "After everything you've said, what makes you think I don't hate him back?!"

Bergan put on a serious face and clasped his forepaws together. "Because I know that LOOK, Lantel."

The prince blinked in confusion. "Wh-What look?"

"I see the way you look at Cyrus when you think nobody notices." The purple drake said. "I see the pain, the worry… the fear that he'll never be the same way again. And that's just since you've been here in Convexity… there's a whole lot more evidence suggesting your true feelings.

"Y-You're lying." Lantel snapped. "You know nothing!"

Bergan casually reached into his robes… and pulled out one of his crystal balls.

"Am I?" He asked with his eye ridge raised yet again. "Care to think otherwise?"

"N-No…" Lantel's eyes widened as the ball glistened in the light. He rose up to try and swipe it out of Bergan's forepaw, but the purple drake vanished in the blink of an eye. The next thing Lantel knew, Bergan was standing behind him with his talons wracking against the ball's surface.

"Why don't we take a trip down memory lane?" Bergan asked. The ball began to glow a brilliant white.

"No, no!" Lantel covered his eyes. "Don't!"

A snarl of memories began to play before Lantel's eyes.

First, he saw himself and Sandra stepping through the front gates of the Dragon Spire, nearly four years prior. They met with Queen Elenar and the Deep Shadows and were properly introduced to Rune and Cyrus. Rune and Sandra hit it off well enough, with Cyrus taking off on his own with his friends… while Lantel stood standing with a contented sigh.

Another vision showed Lantel doing physical stretches in the gym on his own. He looked up to see Cyrus across the way, strutting and posing before the dragonesses as he prepared to do his own exercise routine. But while the dragonesses simply rolled their eyes and looked away… Lantel couldn't help but watch.

A Winter Solstice holiday arrived one year, and all of the dragons in the princes' classes gave out gifts to one another. Cyrus found a rather large gift addressed to him; a fancy grey cloak with his royal birthmarks emblazoned proudly upon it. But the gift had no sender name… which Lantel made sure of. Nobody needed to know.

And lastly… there came a vision of Lantel seated at his desk in his private bedroom. He had a quill and a scroll of parchment. Lantel drew an image of himself and Cyrus, seated together on a hill beneath a tree, with their tails curled together.

And then, just like that, the visions stopped. And Lantel was left shivering in place. Even if the two of them were alone in the room, Lantel felt like the entire realms had discovered his dirty secret.

"…And there we have it." Bergan declared. "Normally I don't like prying for private information…" He put on a scowl. "But I do hate with when people LIE. I find that LIES grind conversations to a grinding halt."

He put the crystal ball away and watched as Lantel quietly cried to himself.

"I'm not gay…not technically." Lantel said quietly. "I like both drakes and dragonesses. I always have."

"And that's fine enough for me." Bergan shrugged. "Nothing to hide in this day and age, my boy. Aren't there plenty of dragons your age who are free and open about their infatuations?"

"It's not the same when you're royalty." Lantel sucked in a breath and wiped his eyes. "Especially the royalty of a place that's set in its ways."

Bergan silently nodded; he knew all too well what kind of double-standards the nobility forced upon their royal peers. But now wasn't the time to reflect on his personal past; now was the time to get Lantel to see reason.

"Let's bring things right back around to what we initially spoke about…" Bergan put on a wide grin and patted Lantel on the back. "The final piece of common ground between you and the two black dragon princes."

Lantel shivered. "My mother."

"Indeed… in a sense…" Bergan flapped his wings and stood up taller. "I've recently opened up a way to travel to the Well of Souls…." He reached into his robes once more. "And I've got a copy of something you'll find most interesting."

Bergan pulled out a scroll and held it open before Lantel's snout. The prince read its contents, and his eyes widened in realization.

"The revival ritual." Lantel gulped. "But… But Queen Elenar declared necromancy to be a crime!"

"She did… and yet she was the last person revived. Doesn't seem FAIR, does it?" Bergan rolled up the scroll. "And now, because she refuses to let King Saul have his murdered father back, a big war is brewing on the horizon."

"A war that you're helping him WIN." Lantel sneered.

"Don't stray off-topic, my boy." Bergan chuckled. "The point is: you should come with me to the Well of Souls once the messy business is resolved. I'll help you bring your mother back, and you can have your family put back together again in Warfang…"

"How generous…" Lantel scowled. "And just what do you want in return?"

"Only your collaboration, and a promise not to try to sabotage anything." Bergan replied jovially. "And I'll even keep your little secret from Cyrus, whilst also keeping him from coming after you to vent his current frustration."

Lantel shivered at that. "Wh-Why don't you just return him back to normal?"

"Oh, that would involve a great deal of hard work, my boy. And besides: Cyrus is quite fond of his new form, in a manner of speaking…" Bergan extended his forepaw toward Lantel. "So, do we have a deal?"

"Uh…" Lantel stammered; the scales on the back of his neck ached as he looked at that sardonic grin on Bergan's face. The prince had no way to shut the purple drake down; no witty comeback, no daring escape plan, no hope of escaping Cyrus's wrath. There was only one option left…

Lantel sucked in a breath as he carefully grasped Bergan's forepaw. An enigmatic chuckle escaped Bergan's lips.

"Splendid." Bergan said. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement, my boy."

As they shook, the fiery prince only closed his eyes and hoped he was doing the right thing.

Oh, I hope you're okay, Sis.

~~…~~

Never in all of Elza's life had she hated the Arcus Desert so much.

There was little that she and the teenagers around her could do that night, but sleep and wait for morning. And during that morning, the cruel sun woke them up with terrible heat. Immediately they had to shed their loose garments, and stick to only the bare essentials as they made their trek to the east.

Blast it all… Elza's tongue lolled out as she struggled to keep herself cool with tiny gusts about herself. It was just like that blasted trek with Albanion and Aegis four years ago… only much worse, as she was countless miles away from her husband.

Elza would have given anything to be able to spread her wings and take off through the skies; so much time would have been saved. But the heat was so intense; Elza barely had the strength to lift her wings. And Tina and Chalice were barely able to keep up with the wind dragoness as they walked side by side. The only one who was dealing with the heat expertly was Sandra… of course, she wasn't being the most helpful.

"What are we going to do?!" Sandra yelled.

"Oh, keep your head on straight…" Chalice grumbled as they ruffled their mane. "We won't get anywhere by panicking."

"How can you be so calm?!" Sandra demanded. "We're lost in the middle of nowhere!"

"We're not completely lost…" Elza snapped. "I've been through these sands before. We just have to get to the city or…" she stopped to catch her breath. "Or some kind of oasis."

"But where do we FIND one of those?!" The princess exclaimed. "I can't see anything for miles!"

Tina had a frustrated expression. She glanced at Chalice, who shared the sentiment, and the two of them stepped closer to Sandra to glare at her.

"Wh-What's with you two?" She asked worriedly.

"You could be a bit more useful, Sandra…" Chalice snapped. "You're the one who's keeping it cool, relatively speaking. Why not fly up into the sky and look around for the oasis?"

"You mean… UP THERE?" Sandra gulped as she turned her eyes toward the sky. "Up where the sun can get in my eyes?"

"All you have to do is not look at it." Tina stamped her paw in the sand. "Just keep your gaze down at the sand, and look for anything out of the ordinary. Something green, and grassy, and surrounded by water. You can't miss it!"

"But, I…" Sandra shivered a bit. "I've known flown that high up on my own before."

"What?" Tina asked incredulously. The fiery princes twiddled her talons together and gulped.

"It's just… I always used to have someone with me, like my brother, or… or Rune."

"You can't be serious." The dark-yellow dragoness rolled her eyes.

"I'm being completely serious!" Sandra flapped her wings indignantly. "I can't help it: there's something about being alone up so high over nothingness that just freaks me out. Wh-What if something happened to me, and I plummeted out of the sky?!"

"Girls, ENOUGH!" Elza shouted, catching all of them off-guard. The wind dragoness sucked in a harsh breath, despite the humid air singing her throat. She coughed a bit and then turned to sit on her haunches before the princess.

"Princess Sandra, we're all in a very serious situation here." She said in a serious tone. "We're stuck out in the desert with no real clue as to where we are. We need someone to look about for a safe resting place so we don't all become severely dehydrated, or worse…"

Sandra gulped again.

"I know that things are scary: I'm scared for the well-being of my eggs…" She looked down at her belly and frowned, before glaring at the princess once more. "I want nothing more than to whisk them off somewhere safe. But I can't do that if I don't know where safety is. Please…" Elza cried a little. "I'm asking you as a soon-to-be mother; help get my babies to safety."

Sandra stepped back a bit as her ear frills drooped. She sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to flap her wings.

"Okay…" She said nervously. "I'll… I'll give it my best shot."

Sandra lifted herself off of the sand and flew around in a circle about the other dragonesses. The princess spun about faster and higher each time until she was finally up in the air. Despite her worried mutterings, Sandra forced herself to turn skyward and take off high into the air.

"So…" Chalice fell backward onto their haunches. "Do you think she'll be able to find an oasis?"

"I hope so…" Elza slid her tongue out of her maw. "This heat is getting worse and worse every sec-"

"You're not going to believe it!" Sandra shouted as she came to a swift landing, knocking Chalice over and giving Elza a jolt. "We're saved!"

"There's no way you found something that fast." Chalice snapped as they stood back up. "Get back up there."

"It doesn't matter! Didn't you hear me?!" Sandra practically skipped in place. "We're saved!"

"Oh, really?" Tina looked all around. "I'm not seeing any oasis water."

"I didn't see an oasis…" Sandra flapped her wings to shake the sand out of them. "But I did see some ruins! And in those ruins… were dragons!"

"Huh?" Elza flapped her ear frills. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure!" Sandra excitedly pointed a talon into the sky to the southeast. "The ruins are just behind that sand dune! And those dragons heading this way!"

Elza, Tina, and Chalice turned their heads to follow Sandra's direction. They moved as fast as they could to climb up to the top of the sand dune to get a look around.

Elza could scarcely believe her eyes: a series of ruins dotted across the landscape on the horizon. And sure enough; nearly a dozen dragons were flying above the ruins and making a beeline toward the group. She nearly collapsed onto her haunches; it was like a miracle!

One by one, the dragons landed to surround the group. Chief among them, an ice dragon, came to a swift landing before the adult dragoness and looked around incredulously. He bit his lower lip as he locked eyes with Elza and examined her features.

"You… You're one of the Deep Shadows from Warfang, correct?" The drake asked cautiously.

"Yes… I'm Elza, sister to the High Queen." Elza said as she rose her head up tall. She then panted and collapsed slightly into the sand. "And I'm in need of some water."

The icy drake nodded in understanding; he extended a forepaw and immediately created a flowing source of water between his talons. He then had the water flow into a bowl, which he passed to Elza. At the drake's discretion, he had several of the other water dragons set to work creating bowls of water for the teenagers.

"Thank you…" Elza panted as she passed the bowl back to the drake.

"You're welcome." He nodded. "I am Guardian Zecht. What's happened that has brought you so far from Warfang?"

"Oh, much has happened…" Elza grimaced. "But there's little time! We need to get to Glenhaven and warn the Elders! The city is in danger!"

"What?!" Zecht shouted.

Elza didn't waste another second with words; she spread her wings and took to flight as best as she could. Dumbstruck, the icy drake quickly took to the skies to follow her, as did the teenagers.

"Elza, slow down!" Tina cried out. "Think of the eggs!"

Elza grimaced as she tilted herself to descend back to the sands. As she did so, she gnashed her fangs and waited for the Guardian to land beside her.

"Slow down, Milady!" Zecht cried out. "We came with carriages for our non-winged companions at the ruins. We can get you on the carriage for a safe trip, and during which you can even explain what's happened."

"Alright…" Elza sighed in defeat. "But still, we need to be quick…"

Elza picked up her pace and marched forth, with the rest of the dragons following behind her. She could feel the strands of her mane standing on end as she struggled forth.

We have to warn the Elders…

~~…~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones

I'm getting closer and closer to finishing off a lot of the new scenes, before the original Act 2 from 9ish years ago is fully wrapped up. There's much to do, and much to see before things really get kicked into high gear. I hope you're all enjoying the ride to the end!

Tenebra ecce Veritas