(Vasem)

Pain kept Vasem awake. Excruciating, burning pain. He felt weak from the blood he had lost, but now at rest, less of it leaked out from the bases of his wings. He would not bleed out, that he was certain. But he could not get comfortable enough to fall asleep. All he could do was keep his pain to himself, completely separate himself from his partner so that Lavel could get a good sleep.

Every time Vasem had guessed an hour passed, he glanced at the pool from which they emerged. He cast his mind outward searching for anyone, friend or foe. He and Lavel could do little in their state, weary and hurt and so inexperienced, but he had to keep watch. Larger dragons could not fit through this entrance, but a smaller dragon like Morzan's could.

As before, all he could see were tiny ripples lapping at the edges of the pool. They reflected some of the light Lavel's werelight put out. Not a single fish swam near. They were alone.

He wondered how the battle was going in Doru Araeba. Whether the traitors harnessed their unusual strength to defeat the Riders or if numbers ultimately triumphed. He wanted to think that the Order would succeed. Little more than a dozen Riders joined the mad Rider, and even with the power Morzan possessed that so terrified Lavel, they were so few.

But he could not be sure. What if the Order was not as prepared as it looked? What if the traitors did emerge from this victorious? What would the traitors do? They could rule over the other Riders, or kill them all. Without the knowledge of their true intentions, Vasem could not guess accurately.

The ground above them began to rumble and shake, and a low thud reverberated through the lava tube. Bits of earth rained down on them until the shaking stopped. The ceiling showed no visible cracking. Vasem rose his head again to sniff for volcanic gases in case this tube became active. But he smelled nothing out of the ordinary. They appeared to be safe for the time being.

Vasem nudged Lavel gently, waking him. "The very island just trembled. I do not know why. I do not know if it will happen again."

"Then I should heal your wings," Lavel said. His eyes turned to Vasem's wings, surveying the damage. "Just in case."

"Only if you can handle it. Eat first, and take your time. I can still swim if I must, but the cave is in no danger of collapsing."

He watched Lavel perform some of the poses from the Rimgar before grabbing something from the saddle. His nose could smell salted fish and nuts of some sort. It always amused him to think that he was bonded to the only elf in Alagaësia who thought the practice of solely eating plants made no sense. Their teachers in Ilirea, as well as any elves or human Riders they met, looked at Lavel's tendencies with disgust so Lavel usually had to acquire any meaty foods in secret. Usually, that meant taking from some of Vasem's kills, a practice he was happy to help with. As a carnivore, he could not understand why a creature capable of eating meat would resist doing so. It is the way of life that prey will be hunted.

The smell, though, made Vasem's mouth water. He loved fish, a product of when he learned to hunt underwater in Dosjorya. Fish helped keep his scales shiny, as shiny as they could be when his lacked the true gem-like qualities of other dragons'. And the taste always made him want more. He could always get more. Not many dragons joined him in fishing. But he would have to find his own fish later; he would not take Lavel's.

"Where exactly did he break your wing arms?" Lavel asked once he was finished and ready.

"Right at the shoulder. The rest of both arms feels okay. The membranes are intact."

"My wards were not enough to stop his attack. I think I might have overlooked something... or just was not strong enough."

Vasem snorted. "You cannot protect me from everything. Do not even try. Just feel good that we survived."

"How can I feel good after seeing Sharjarth and others die? I saw you die once. Of course, I want to protect both of us from everything."

Choosing his words with care, Vasem said, "if you insist, then learn from this, whether it was lack of strength or oversight. Now, if you can, my wings are continuing to hurt."

A warm hand lightly brushed the tender and broken flesh where his left wing joined to his body. He flinched as the touch sent stabs of pain through his back.

"Sorry. I do not want to hurt you."

"It is going to hurt no matter what. Do not worry about that. The end will be worth it."

Lavel softly started singing in the ancient language. Gritting his teeth, Vasem forced himself not to flinch as Lavel's hand brushed both wing arms. He was merely surveying with magic and needed cooperation. And Vasem did not want his Rider to worry too much.

"Do what you must. Let me know if you need me to do anything," Vasem said.

Lavel murmured a few words, then said, "It was a clean break in both joints. Bone and most muscles, nothing else. Fragments broke your skin, not the spell. This will be the most complex healing I have ever done, but I think I can restore everything. It helps that you can still feel."

"Take your time. Do not overexert yourself. I shall lend my strength. Trust that your training thus far will not fail you. I trust you."

"Thank you."

Though a novice Rider and an elf child, Lavel knew more about healing than others his age. He had pursued the topic on his own time and pestered his teacher for more lessons. He wanted to be a healer, a Rider who helped save the injured, the sick, the weak, and the ones drawing close to death. He wanted to be the kind of person he could not be in Dosjorya. And he wanted to be able to heal his dragon from any injury. All of his lessons Vasem knew too. Lavel had the necessary knowledge for this wound. He just lacked the experience.

Beginning with a whisper, Lavel's voice slowly rose as he uttered healing words in song form. Vasem deepened his connection with Lavel and poured his exhausted energy into the Rider. Lavel worked slowly, and for a while, Vasem felt no change.

After some time Vasem began to feel an intense itch build in both joints. The pain was still there, making the whole experience more unbearable. More and more, the sensation of ants crawling on his skin made his body want to move on its own accord. Unable to control himself, Vasem started to shake as he would to dry himself. The motion jerked his wing arms, bringing fresh waves of pain. Vasem whimpered, a pathetic sound for a dragon.

Lavel's chant faltered as the motion made a wing clip him. "Sorry," Vasem said, but only to himself. He did not want to break Lavel's concentration again.

More time passed. The whole process was difficult for Vasem. Once more he had shifted himself, sending knives of pain through his healing joints. Twice he shot bright pale azure flames into the dark expanse beyond, temporarily blinding them both. Vasem had never injured himself so badly before, and those few minor injuries he had acquired during training had always been tended to by a Rider in full, one who knew how to heal quickly and comfortably. Lavel would perform this healing slowly and gradually, a way to minimize mistakes but prolong Vasem's misery.

Eventually, the pain and the itching faded. Lavel's song stopped abruptly. "It is done," he finally said, voice laced with fatigue and worry.

Cautiously Vasem lifted his wings. The space did not allow him to stretch them to their full extent but he could test his range of movement. His wing joints felt a little stiff but were fully responsive with no pain. He had full movement. Satisfied, he folded them against his body.

"Thank you, my dear Rider."

"You feel good?"

"Well enough that I feel confident I can make it to Ellesméra without issue. Perhaps Oromis can double-check everything, but you did well."

"Just... how bad are your wings?"

The question caught Vasem off guard. "What do you mean?"

"Something is not right, is it? Are you still hurt?"

"They are a little stiff, but no pain. That might work itself out with a flight. My wings move properly. Really, you did well."

"Are you sure? I do not want you falling out of the sky."

Vasem gently nudged his Rider. "Yes," he said with confidence.

Lavel hugged his snout. "Good. I was worried."

"I know you were. Your emotions are filtering through me."

He could feel more than just Lavel's worry over his injuries. He knew Lavel still felt scared and saddened over what he witnessed during their escape. That they could have died. That Nierya and Sharjarth did. And neither knew what was happening on the island.

"We need to go see what is going on," Vasem said, glancing at the pool of water.

"Not yet. I do not want to risk our lives in case the battle still rages. I say wait a couple of days. How long was I asleep?"

"Several hours I would guess."

"Then we should still wait. Let things settle down. Battles in Dosjorya lasted a day at their longest, not counting sieges. I do not see this being a siege."

Vasem grudgingly nodded. Of course, it was smart to wait. They will have to eventually leave, if nothing else to perform the proper rites to their dead mothers. Maybe the traitors, even if they are victorious, will have left and he and Lavel can fly to Ellesméra peacefully. And they both needed sleep. Lavel had food, Vasem could hunt underwater with help, and Lavel could get them fresh water with magic. Yes, the best course was to wait.

"Did you sleep any?" Lavel asked.

"No."

"I thought not. Sleep well, and regain your strength."

He did not argue. His eyes were starting to feel heavy.

The sharp smell of dead fish woke Vasem from a deep slumber. Opening his eyes, he spotted a pile of large silver fish right in front of his snout.

"Lavel?"

"You were dreaming of eating a Nïdhwal. I thought maybe I could humor you a little. And those snalglí you ate the day Nierya met with us will not last you forever." His Rider's voice held little mirth despite his words.

"We'll have to explain to the other elders why we waited to come back from hiding," Vasem said. "And thank you for the fish."

"No, I do not think we will have to explain. Mother could have had us hide in a normal cave in the mountains but instead wanted us to fly all the way to Ellesméra. Oromis and Glaedr are not the only teachers available that could have been given to us. She believed there was something bigger than we thought. They will know we were influenced by that fear."

Vasem sniffed the fish. Lavel had been thinking while he was asleep. His fear was even stronger. "Maybe. How long was I asleep?"

"More than a day."

"That long?"

"You flew for our very lives. Of course, you were tired."

He sighed. Many words went unspoken between them. Words that were festering into sorrow and terror in his Rider. It was his duty to guard Lavel against the demons external and internal. Not just as a bonded dragon but as Lavel's closest companion. "When we are ready, we will leave this cave and make sure Nierya and Sharjarth are properly honored. We shall be stealthy in case the traitors are still around."

"Okay. I do not look forward to it though."

"You should not. It is unnatural for immortal beings to face such death in any form."

"It will hurt as much as it did in Dosjorya. Vasem, it physically hurt to return home, to an abandoned ruin, knowing my parents were killed there and I never had a chance to help save them. Now I feel helpless on top of that, and scared that I may lose you too because I am so powerless compared to Nierya, let alone Morzan."

Ignoring the fish, Vasem rose and sat in front of Lavel, who had perched deeper in the lava tube. "I know this hurts you. It hurts me too. But you do have me. The full and complete me. I shall not leave you, so long as you do not leave me. Let me shoulder your burdens for a time."

"No, that is unfair to you."

"How is it unfair for a Rider and dragon to share their worries and concerns? We are bonded by ancient magics on a deep level. It is not our first time experiencing this. We are two that are one. Two individuals, one soul. We always have been. Give me your worries, your concerns, your fears. Do not force yourself to endure them alone... again."

Lavel did not speak for several moments. "I do not want to lose you again. Whatever force allowed us to have this second chance gave it to us for a reason. To be together, whole, complete. But with this happening, how can we survive?" Vasem closed his eyes as a shiver raced through his whole body the moment Lavel's gëdway ignasia touched his snout. His Rider whispered his next words. "How can we endure another war?"

"By doing what we must, not only for ourselves but for others who also suffer. We may have been given this chance so that we can be together, but we may also have been given it because we have something no one else here has. And we can use that to our advantage. Use your past experience to banish your fears; we shall not die easily."

"But how can we mentally endure another war? War tears apart, war snuffs out many bright flames, war darkens all who are forced to participate. Just look at what it did to me."

"Again, by doing what we must. And that is helping those who suffer from the stain of war. Did Dosjorya win the war by using you to kill as many Dargonians as you could? No. Dosjorya won because you did what others could not. You fought the Priests who could lay waste to the land before they had a chance to do so. You destroyed some of their weapons stores so that the Dargonians could kill fewer people. You helped to guard those who wished to escape the violence and those who fell under attack.

"How does that translate to here? If they are victorious, then we must learn the situation and determine where we are most needed. We must finish our training so that we can stand guard anywhere the traitors decide to attack next. Who knows if they will stop at attacking Ilirea and Doru Araeba? If they are defeated, then we can use our talents immediately to help the injured. Regardless, by doing what we must, as Rider and dragon, we will make a difference and make it through another war."

Vasem backed his snout away from Lavel's hand, breaking their physical connection. "First you must find peace within yourself. All else will follow. But no matter what, I will protect you and you will protect me. We are together, in war and in peace."

Lavel looked away, and his thoughts became more shielded. "Training. That is something we need. A partially trained human Rider killed an elder elven Rider easily. He had to have had an advantage. We need training so that we can find a way to counteract that if indeed there is a way. Otherwise, we are better off hiding in some far corner of the world."

Minds still distant, Vasem thought about something he knew a little about. Something that Lavel could not know about yet. A potential source of power that could make a young Rider able to overpower an elder. But that source comes at the cost of the freedom of others. Something that, if verified, made him furious, and would do the same for Lavel. But with his limited knowledge, he could think of no counter to this source of power. He reestablished their mental link.

"Yes, we need training. No matter what, we need training, even if things went well on Vroengard. So when we leave, we honor Nierya and Sharjarth, keep them alive in our hearts, and obey their direction by returning to Ellesméra. We can learn more, and maybe we can come to understand what happened and how we might proceed."

"How are you able to remain so rational through this?" Lavel asked, nearly silent.

"Because I must. You are more emotional than most elves, and it clouds your reason and logic. And I am able to because I endured our... separation from a different perspective. We complement each other."

Lavel's hand gently patted his snout before pointing to the pile of fish. "I am glad to be bonded to you again. Please, take that fish as a token of my gratitude."

Smiling internally, Vasem returned to the fish. The smell must be getting to Lavel. That and their conversation, though at least the conversation seemed to have a positive effect. In their past lives, Lavel could not be reassured or swayed quite so easily when his mind fixated on a line of reasoning. Now, he was more open to arguments and reason. Now he possessed a greater intellect and in situations like this, Vasem was thankful for that.

Elven Lavel amused him in many ways, and without a thundercloud hovering over them, Vasem could enjoy all that made his Rider unique. A mixture of Dosjoryan and Alagaësian philosophies and experiences, a melting pot of human and elven customs, of all the physical similarities and differences between old and new selves. One could say that the present person, Lavel of House Flianí, was not the same person he bonded to in Dosjorya, Lavel Sucoret. But it did not matter to Vasem. Lavel was still Lavel, he loved the new person he was becoming and would guard him against every threat, inside and out. What he never said to his Rider, though, was that if things had become too bleak, he would support flying them as far away from Alagaësia as he could for their safety.

Slowly, he ate every fish, making an effort to allow as little blood and juice to drip onto the soft ground as possible. Anything that soaked into the ground was out of reach, and less for him to savor. Even after talks of such dreary subjects, Vasem's stomach would not be dissuaded from a good meal.

"Do you need more?" Lavel asked when all of the food was gone.

"Do you dare question my ability to hunt?"

"It is easier for me to hunt for you while staying hidden."

He snorted. "I am filled for now. Let us sleep in turns until it is time to leave. Try not to dwell on what has happened."

"I will try."

Vasem would be lying if he said he was not nervous to see what had happened. What apprehension he felt was not entirely from Lavel. Somewhere on this side of Vroengard, Sharjarth lay dead, and somewhere else, Nierya's body likely sits lifeless. Three days have passed, three days of not knowing what they would find. At least Lavel made his peace with the fact he could witness another war zone. He would not let Lavel leave this cave if he was not ready.

After strapping himself down to the saddle, Lavel uttered a more elaborate spell allowing for air bubbles around their heads that would replenish themselves with air already in the water. Vasem knew he did not have to rush to leave the ocean. He could lay and wait below the surface so Lavel could cast his mind out. The werelight moved to above his head. A silent signal told Vasem that his Rider was ready. Unhindered by pain and not immediately in danger, Vasem gently slipped into the water.

The swim went much smoother. Between his paws, tail, and wings, Vasem could move swiftly beneath the waves, outrunning any other dragon who might have cared to join him. If there were any other dragons around. Lavel could not search the whole of Vroengard for signs of the Riders, but he could search the immediate area.

"I feel a few Riders and dragons. Their minds are shielded but they are not hostile to my touch," Lavel said.

"Are we safe to breach the surface?"

"Yes."

Vasem dove to the rocky bottom and used the jagged floor to launch straight up out of the water in a burst of sea spray. He quickly transitioned into flying, gaining altitude. Were it not for the situation at hand, he would have allowed himself to enjoy the whole experience, roaring to the sky so that all nearby knew of his delight. But he stayed silent, mood subdued.

It did not take him long to begin spotting the signs of violence. Smoldering trees wafted up wisps of haze and smoke into the morning air. Many other trees fell from the weight of massive beasts crashing into them. A few more minutes passed before Vasem started flying against the face of the mountains, and he spotted a lavender-colored form.

"Sharjarth..." he whispered, spiraling downward. The slope and the forest made it difficult for Vasem to land, but he managed. Up close, the sight of his mother's dead body awoke deep, primal emotions that threatened to choke up his thoughts and blur his vision.

Lavel never showed him the exact memory of the blood-red sword impaling Sharjarth, only saying that the sword killed her. Dried blood painted Sharjarth's throat and all the way down to her stomach in splatters. She had several other gashes around her body, mainly from the resulting fall into the forest but also a couple of clean cuts made by a blade. One was around her heart.

"Her saddle is missing," Lavel whispered, still not dismounting Vasem.

Vasem took a deep breath. Someone must have taken whatever she had on her after her death. Not just her saddle, but the dragon helm she wore into battle. That did not bode well for them. The Order would not have taken her saddle and left her to rot. The traitors are much more likely to commit such an act. But only if given a chance. Steadying himself, Vasem unleashed a torrent of sky blue flames towards Sharjarth's body, cremating her as the wild dragons often did.

It made no sense. Why would anyone be so vile, so destructive? In neither of his lives could he come up with a satisfactory answer. Some just found comfort or sick joy in inflicting irreparable harm. And sorrow. Such individuals always bred sorrow. None were completely sane.

He closed his mouth to stop his flames when Sharjarth's entire body was engulfed. His grief mingled with Lavel's, pooling into a deep well of sorrow. Without a thought or plan, Vasem touched his snout to Sharjarth's burning nose one last time, and that sorrow spilled out as an icy rush.

Beneath the flames, Sharjarth's soft tissues turned immediately to ash and her bones morphed into lavender-colored stone. With nothing more to burn, the flames quickly died out. Maybe it was a trick of the eye, but Vasem thought he saw the flames absorb into the stone skeleton.

Taking a step back, Vasem closed his eyes. Projecting his thoughts, he said, "Mother, it is done. May you find peace in the void. May you and Nierya never know pain again. Thank you for your gift of life to me. Thank you for all you have done. Rest in peace."

Lavel added a few words of his own. "Alagaësia is a darker place without you providing light. I am grateful to have known you and to be raised by your Rider. I promise that no matter what fate befell Nierya, she shall receive the same honor we give to you. I give my word as a Rider."

Vasem touched the now lavender-hued skull with his snout. Then he walked away, blinking out tears from his eyes, completely unsure of what they would find once they crested the mountain.