"Listen, I need you to give me the egg. I have to get it to the roof, right away."
"What why?" Asked Ezran defensively as Rayla reached out to his shoulder.
"Just trust me." Continued Rayla urgently.
"Right, right. that makes sense. Since we go way back." Said Callum cheerfully with sarcasm. "Like that one time, ten minutes ago, when you chased me through the castle trying to stab me? Good times."
"That was before we found the egg." Zill commented with a pout.
"Yes, because you weren't following us around while invisible like a creep BEFOOORE we found the egg!" Exclaimed Callum in a not so happy tone.
Zill tried to think of a way to deny Callum's words before ultimately giving up with a shrug while smiling.
"You might not realize it, but I'm trying to help you. Any moment now, others will be arriving." Said Rayla with urgency. "Others like me."
Callum's eyes widened as he realized it. "Assassins."
"She could show it to them so no one would have to die." Zill rolled with Rayla's plan with a smile.
Ezran, after a few seconds of consideration, shook his head. "I'll take you to the roof."
Rayla groaned as Callum and Ezran began leading them to the roof. Zill glanced at her and smirked.
"What?" Growled Rayla as she glared at her younger brother.
"Nothing." Chirped Zill as he followed the princes while ignoring eye contact.
After a few seconds, Rayla's shoulders dropped and she begrudgingly followed the rest of the group.
It was time to meet up with Runaan.
xxXxx
"You're here; i know you are." Said Rayla calmly as she stood on the walls of the castle.
"And I'm here too!" Added Zill with a smile.
"What are you two doing here?" Asked Runaan angrily as he appeared from nothing behind them on a ledge.
"Runaan, you need to call off the mission." Said Rayla calmly and Zill nodded in agreement.
"You've lost your minds." Said Runaan angrily.
"Please, listen to me. We've found something. The egg of the Dragon Prince." Pleaded Rayla
Runaan flinched. "That's impossible." He said as he dropped from the ledge.
"The egg wasn't destroyed, it was stolen. Their High Mage was going to use it for dark magic, but the human princes found it, and they're only trying to help-" Rayla couldn't finish as Runaan cut her off.
"No. Humans are liars. This is a trick and a trap. You're a fool, Rayla." Said Runaan angrily. "And you! You shouldn't be here! This is NOT one of your games--"
"Ezran, show him the egg." Said Zill tiredly, causing Runaan to become alert and draw his bow.
Ezran and Callum, who were hiding nearby, came out of their hiding spot with the egg in Ezran's hands.
Runaan dropped his bow upon seeing the egg. "It's beautiful." He said in shock.
"How can we take vengeance for an act that never happened? You have to call it off." Pleaded Rayla.
"Rayla, you know it doesn't work that way. We bound ourselves. There's only one way to release." Said Runaan as he recovered from shock.
Zill raised a brow in confusion at that sentence. "No it isn't. Either the dragon prince or the dragon queen can just pull it off without effort."
Runaan and Rayla turned to Zill suddenly with confused looks causing him to realize that he messed up since even Runaan doesn't know about that.
"I...uh..read about it once." Said Zill sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
"If that's true, then no one has to die. Runaan, please.This is a miracle, a chance for peace." Begged Rayla desperately.
For a second, Zill thought he changed the story as he saw Runaan's determination to finish the job wavering. But, for better or worse, Runaan stuck to the story.
"Even if that is true, even it is possible to remove these bindings, The humans struck down the King of the Dragons. Justice will not be denied. Now, give me the egg."
Zill didn't know whether to be afraid or relieved by the story going unchanged as he got ready to fight.
"Callum, Ezran, go." Rayla ordered firmly as she pulled out her swords before glancing at her brother. "Go and hide them, i can take care of myself."
As Callum and Ezran ran away, Zill stared at the full moon approaching. He made illusions of the two princes only visible to Runaan in large numbers and had them run around the castle.
"I can do both." Said Zill as he stood next to Rayla ready to fight while his illusions aimlessly ran around the castle.
Rayla groaned and decided not to waste energy arguing. She got ready to fight.
"Don't do this. I will kill you, Rayla." Said Runaan as he glared at Rayla. "Shade's at his weakest, he can't protect you."
"Maybe, but it wouldn't matter if you can't find her."
"Then I'll have to take care of you first."
xxXxx
In hindsight, fighting an highly trained assassin when your strongest weapon is rendered nearly powerless was not a good idea.
Zill could only help Rayla by hiding her with illusions while Rayla had to protect him. But to protect him, she had to know where he was; something she was very good at...too good at as she did it instinctively.
Runaan knew that. So using Rayla as a compass through seemingly random attacks, he was able to find Zill among the illusions. He didn't want to kill the boy and even if he did, he wouldn't have had the heart to do it. So he aimed low to minimize the risk of killing him.
He landed one arrow that pierced Zill's leg.
"Zill!" Rayla cried out as Zill fell to one knee.
Runaan didn't stop his attack and Rayla was forced to block. She glanced at a balcony in her line of sight with worried eyes.
Runaan noticed this and stopped. "You're just trying to stall me."
"Interesting theory, care to discuss?" Said Rayla mockingly as she glared at Runaan with her weapons ready.
"And i thought only startouched had cosmic vision." added Zill with a smile as he got the arrow out of his leg and covered it with Shade.
"Your justice will come later." Said Runaan in a serious tone before jumping away.
Rayla stared at him to make sure he was really leaving before quickly running towards her brother.
"Zill!" She said worriedly.
"I'm fine, he had the courtesy to not cause any permanent damage...i think." Said Zill cheerfully.
Rayla sighed knowing that Zill will be okay. "Don't cast any illusions on it. I know it'll be painful, but it'll be easier to manage if something happens." She ordered firmly. "I'll know if you do."
Zill nodded in affirmation. He winced in pain as he stood up as the only thing stopping the bleeding was Shade acting as a bandage.
"Go invisible and wait by the exit, okay?"
Zill nodded and obeyed as Rayla jumped away.
'Just wait until the full moon is gone; you won't hear the end of this!' Said Shade angrily as he tightened his hold on Zill's wound.
"Yeah yeah, I'm stupid. Just keep covering the wound." Said Zill tiredly as he limped to the exit of the castle.
It didn't take too long to get to his destination using magic to go through a few walls. As soon as he stopped moving, Shade began talking.
'Is this the kind of adventure you wanted?'
"Shut up, you weren't the one to take the arrow."
'Except that i felt it because we share a sense of pain.'
"Can you please berate me AFTER we're done here?" Said Zill and Shade begrudgingly went silent.
As if on que, Rayla and Ezran appeared shortly after. Zill, deciding the joke around a little, made a fake bush using illusions and hid inside.
As the two approached the exit, he popped out and scared them
"Hiya." Zill greeted the two cheerfully.
"Hi." Replied Ezran cheerfully after letting out a scared sound.
Rayla frowned at Zill's behavior, but before she could say anything about it she saw Callum who was still in the castle.
Rayla and Ezran waited with bated breath for Callum to arrive, but Zill playfully watched the scene unfold as he knew that it was going to be fine.
And it was. Callum soon arrived and Ezran was the first to speak.
"Callum, did you talk with dad?"
Callum shook his head as sword clangs could be heard in the distance. Rayla saw this and handed Callum his bag.
"Say the word and I'll go back into that tower with you." She said with a determined look.
"No. It's up to us now. We have to return this egg. We have to keep it safe and carry it to Xadia." Callum replied as his gaze shifted from the egg to Ezran.
"And find its mother!" Ezran chirped.
"And establish peace between lands!" Added Zill.
"We could change things. We could make a difference." Said Rayla with a determined expression.
"Just the four of us."
croak*
"The five of us-"
"Uhm...hehe" Zill pointed at his shadow where Shade was clearly not wanting to be part of this.
"The six of us."
xxXxx
Shade's weakest on a full moon and strongest on a new moon.
Tell me how i did. Leave a review.
Toodles.