Chapter 72: Consensus for Survival

- The Human Boy

"You don't know me!"

The thunderous roar that Sol Regem retorted back at Lain drew the immediate attention of the fleeing moon elves - whom were nearby - intrigued by this teenage elf tearfully and angrily yelling at the Arch Dragon.

"Your just a youngling…" the Sun King bellowed dismissively lashing out with a volley of claw strikes upon a group of wraiths cornering a family of moon elves - whom had been about to further pounce upon them - before he was interrupted again.

"Shut up!" Lain growled running forwards into the newly created clearing - made by the collapse of one of the squares meeting buildings - so that he could glower angrily upwards at the inflight dragon and accost him properly.

Gripping the hilt of his mothers black bladed dagger; the elven teenage boy - backed up by Tiadrin - outstretched his arm and pointed the blade at the dragon and wrote a silver rune in the air with the tip the weapon.

ᚹᚻᛁᚱᛚᚹᛁᚾᛞ

Biting back his rage at being attacked by two ungrateful 'elf children', Sol Regem shrugged off the 'whirlwind' spell - written by the boy - and sent it rebounding back into more destroyed buildings.

"You dare attack me little boy!" He snarled baring his teeth menacingly. "I hold more power I my body than any elf will ever know!"

"You may be an Arch Dragon and a former Dragon King, but you have always been remembered for one thing..." both teenagers retorted loudly.

"Savagery!"

Drawing the attention of a small crowd of other surviving moon elves, whom were huddling in the ruins of their home, to look up and emerge forwards to witness the two stubborn yet truthful young elves yelling at the Sun King.

"Whilst we are happy that our town isn't being attacked by wraiths…" Tiadrin scowled bitterly glancing around her and surveying the enflamed destruction. "We could have managed to defeat them without your help. It was only our council's guards that befell the 'blight', and besides I'm sure that the Moon Raiders would have had the situation handled in a far less brutal manner".

"You are naïve if you think that elven power alone is enough to cease all wraith activity within Xadia! Younglings…" Sol Regem responded contemptuously.

"Simply killing wraiths will not erase the darkening from seeking out a new host…" the dragon explained both darkly and ruefully. "In order to lessen the numbers of enemies within the Dark Kingdom we must eradicate every last corrupted elf wraith and Arathim. No matter how painful it is to do so".

"Besides..." Sol Regem snarled back, clear frustration shown throughout his draconic features. "The Skeksis are otherworldly beings that must be defeated if Xadia, and our planet, have any chance for a brighter future! And I will not be lectured on the morality of war by mere children who do not understand the necessity to always do must be done for the greater good!"

Thrusting himself higher into the night sky, the Arch Dragon of the Sun swished his tail behind him purposely destroying the tall clock tower of the church of Séphirâ, bringing rubble raining down upon a single surviving wraith.

"No don't!" Taidrin yelled angrily, and belatedly. "That church was one of the last in Xadia that still carries both the word of Master Licht and Lord Valerian!"

"Someday you will understand; and then you will thank me!" Sol Regem roared as he turned his huge body around in mid flight and began to fly away, beginning his departure from the Silvergrove - leaving tilts residents to pick up the ruins of their existence behind him.

Huffing indignantly as he left, Sol Regem ignored the sight - out of the corner of his eyes - the scowls from the two angry and distraught teenage elves glowering up at him.

Gliding through the air and further engulfing the lower courtyard in flames, the Sun King incinerated all the physical remains of the recently 'turned' - defeated and killed - wraiths to ashes on the wind. Removing all earthly remains of their traitors presence, as well as the darkening, from the area.

Huffing outwards and sending plumes of smoke from his nostrils, Sol Regem decided to abandon his continued slaughter of the wraiths seeing as he'd already mostly done away with them, before turning his massive body around and flying back in the direction he had come.

However, this time, instead of going back to the borderlands where he had declared his self imposed exile to be based, he was now intent on visiting the Storm Spire to demand answers from his successor.

'Avizandum… what have you been doing!' He mused furiously. 'The Dragon King needs to be personally involved when any form of aggression from the Skeksis and their acolytes resurfaces… this disaster is yet more evidence of your failure to be the King we need'.

Leaving the purification and salvation of the Silver Grove behind him, he continued flying onwards stewing in his bitterness and grief at his past failure to prevent the Skeksis ruled Dark Kingdom from turning Xadia, and the wider world, into the corrupted cesspool of darkness and regret that life now found itself in.

Growling, the Arch Dragon of the Sun bitterly recalled the last conversation he'd had - many centuries ago - with a young elven oracle about the chance for Xadian salvation regarding humanities evolution.

At the time he, as well as many other dragons and High Elf Lords, had scoffed at the notion that the 'lessers' would ever amount to anything more than mere farmers and hunter-gatherers.

Moreover, he had always harboured a deep resentment towards the insinuation that together elves and dragons were so weak (both independent of each other and as allies) in comparison to their otherworldly enemy that they were going to need help in ending Skeksis rule.

Elves could ask for help if they needed it but Dragons they were not in the habit of ever demeaning themselves in the face of accepting their own personal weakness.

Moreover, the mere fact that the original group of dissenting elven theologians and academics whom had presented this unified idea, had been led by the highest ranked oracles of Xadia stung the draconic race's pride and convinced quite a large majority of dragons to fall to paranoia about future potential propinquities forming between elves and humans.

Which in turn could lead to political alliances that could see the two sides attempt to subjugate dragons to the will's of bipedal creatures.

Such was the fear amongst dragons that their dominion over Xadia could be usurped, they constantly took an interest in the daily lives and careers of elves; as well as regularly flying over the human realms to instil terror in the exiled former Xadians to remind them about the chance of death by dragon fire or being devoured alive if they rebelled again.

Huffing smoke from his nostrils Sol Regem shook his head back and forth; banishing those memories from his mind before unleashing a torrent of angry green flames from his gigantic maw down upon a portion of the protective forest that surrounded the Silver Grove. Incinerating the trees and fauna instantaneously.

"Avizandum!" He roared flying as fast as he could in the general direction of the Storm Spire to berate his successor, almost deafening the elves below him, "you better have a damn good reason for not being here!"

Looking up at the sky as the dragon vanished below the horizon line, two teenage elves clenched their fists in barely concealed rage at the former dragon king.

Narrowing his eyes, Lain swore an unvoiced expletive before vowing to strike back at Sol Regem for belittling the moonshadow elves and destroying all physical trace of their 'wraith-corrupted-kin' before they could be laid to rest in the traditional moon elf way.

He also vowed vengeance against the skeksis for being the ones who'd brought the wraiths and arathim to the silvergrove and caused the darkening to corrupt the disgruntled council guards.

"Lain..?"

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, which jolted him form his internal rage, he turned sharply around preparing to retort at whomever had grabbed him. But suddenly the elven boy found himself staring straight into the eyes of his stepfather.

"Dad… I-", unable to find any words to convey both his rage and grief, the fifteen year of boy broke down in tears and threw himself into the embrace of his stepfather.

"Loren wouldn't want you to go running off to avenge her…" hearing his stepfather's voice laced too with sadness, and anger; although Lain could tell that emotion was being restrained.

"I understand what's in your heart; she was your mother. I loved her too, and we will save her but we can't rush into the Dark Kingdom without a plan".

"I understand as well…" Tiadrin spoke up, moving forwards and taking Lain's hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "The invaders killed my father, and whilst the the rebel guards killed my grandfather. It was the blight - brought in by the wraiths that has devastated my family".

Sighing, the girl shut her eyes and rested her head against her friend's shoulder.

"Please Lain…" she murmured. "Don't be reckless! Insulting the Sun King was more than enough impulsivity for one lifetime", she murmured before softly punching him in the gut.

Grinning as he squeezed Tiadrin's hand, making her look up at him, he suddenly became aware of his stepfather - joined by Ethari - cooing loudly at how he and the chiefs granddaughter were so familiar with each other.

Blushing bright red at having his feelings for Tiadrin discovered by his stepfather, who smirked and embracing his role of embarrassing his stepchild, Lain simply lowered his head and allowed his head of silver hair to cover his eyes.

Quietly, almost imperceptible, so that neither his stepfather nor Ethari could hear, Lain whispered the three words he held so important to the girl holding onto him.

"I-I-I love and... care about you".

Shocked and genuinely touched by the words said and the feelings expressed beneath, Tiadrin felt her heart racing and heat instantly flushing in her face.

Yet, just as she was about to respond a sudden blaring horn was heard coming from the tallest watchtower alerting the group to the arrival of formalised reinforcements.

"We'll talk later…" she whispered back to Lain giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing him from her embrace.

"Come on…" she spoke again, this time loud enough for Ethari and Runaan, whom had joined them, could hear too, "that horn-blast is only to be used at arrivals of Lux Aurean Golden Knights. We need to go hear what they have to say".

Turning around and heading off at a quickened pace; the girl felt the residual warmth of Lain's arms around her waist, making her decision to leave him just at the point of hearing his 'declaration' feel more painful than romantic.

Shaking her head of thoughts of romance Tiadrin grounded herself back in the present by recalling that she still had no idea whether or not her mother and younger siblings had evaded the wraiths, or if her desired revenge against the Skeksis now grew to include the deaths of more of her family.

'I will talk to him…' she mused internally, 'and I will say how I feel'.

Arriving in the courtyard of the watchtower, Tiadrin rushed forwards and threw her arms around her mother.

"Tia!" Her mother, Paulina, exclaimed joyful that her eldest child wasn't dead. "Where have you been! I've been trying to locate you for the best part of forty minutes now…"

"I'm fine mum", Tiadrin replied trying and failing to not break down in tears, "but dad and grandfather…"

Immediately, she felt the full weight of her mother's grief as Paulina dropped to her knees and pulled her in tightly for an embrace, as she wept for her dead husband killed by wraiths and arathim.

More so, Taiadrin knew that her mother was grieving the loss of her own father, Tia's grandfather, murdered by disgruntled council guards whom had succumbed to the pull of and then given themselves completely to the darkening - transforming themselves become wraiths.

Just as she was knelt down to support her grief stricken mother another, familiar, voice sounded from behind her.

"Tia… there you are! Thanks be to Licht that your safe and unharmed!"

An exasperated frown etched it's way onto her face as she recognised the worried voice of the boy both her grandfather and father had been trying to arrange a marriage with.

"I'm fine Chalkòs…" she groaned lifting her mother back to her feet and encouraging her to sit down on a nearby bench. It wasn't that she disliked Chalkòs, in fact he was her oldest and most dearest friend but he had a tendency to be a little overprotective of her.

Moreover, she knew that he harboured romantic feelings for her. And as much as she had tried to tell her father and grandfather that she only saw Chalkòs as a brothers the two older moon elves continent to push for a marriage between them.

Tall with blond hair with green highlights plus striking golden eyes she had always known that her childhood friend was beyond beautiful, not that the admirers always clinging on to his arms and following behind him had placed any doubt of that in her mind.

Yet, in this moment all she saw was resolute fear shining in his tear filled eyes as he raced forwards and hugged her.

"I can help you", Chalkòs interjected his voice muffled as he hugged her and spoke through her short cut hair. "You know I can! I would do anything for you…"

Feeling heat spread across her face Tiadrin acquiesced to her childhood friend's request to be of help and quickly returned his embrace tightly.

"Thanks Chalkòs", giving him a quick kiss on the cheek she added, "please remain with my mom whilst I go find my little brother".

She was about to move off when another voice, wheezing as if from running, suddenly interjected itself into their conversation. "You don't need to worry Tiadrin…" Lain exclaimed, bent double with his hands on his knees and panting, "Tobi is fine. He's with Ethari right now".

Looking up at the other elven boy before him, after having replenished enough air in his lungs, Lain spoke. "Hey Chalkòs…" he stated fondly as he made forwards and embraced the other boy. "I'm glad your safe".

Despite, now, knowing that they both shared feelings for her - Tiadrin was pleasantly surprised this friendly both teenage boys were around each other. They always remained amiable and didn't hold any resentment that they were apparent rivals.

"Hi Lain", Chalkòs replied blushing slightly in embarrassment at Lain's embrace before he caught sight of the smirk worn by Tiadrin as she turned and left them alone. "I'm sorry for your loss…" he murmured softly.

Feeling the other boy flinch, he immediately regretted his words as he now knew Lain hadn't entirely accepted his mother's loss yet. "Lain…" he began but he was stopped by the other boy.

"Thanks Chalkòs…" Lain sniffed tearfully. "I guess this means we're both officially orphans", he spoke coolly trying to lighten his friend's guilt.

Despite having a stepfather, whom he did get along with and love, Lain had always felt sorry for Chalkòs - as the other boy had never known his parents and had been starved of love as a child raised by his uncaring grandparents.

Only upon being adopted into another family, after his grandparents had died, did he begin to open up with other young elves like him.

Tiadrin being the first, and Lain the second.

"I guess so…" Chalkòs mumbled into Lain's shoulder. Just as he was about to say something more, he heard the other boy whisper: "Ethari and Runaan are here".

Springing back from their embrace the two elven boys schooled their expressions from shared grief and understanding to their shared anger towards the Dark Kingdom.

"Hey guys", Runaan yelled running up to them, closley followed by Ethari, "do you know what the Golden Knights have said yet?"

Before he could respond he was interrupted by an out of breath Tiadrin - carrying her little brother in her arms - appearing at his side and slumping down on the bench beside their mother.

"Has anyone heard anything yet?" The girl wheezed. "I saw several of the golden knights meeting with my grandmother but I wasn't allowed in".

"Nah nouts been said yet" Runaan replied. "I guess the golden knight's commander wants to speak with the elders before announcing whatever bogus plan Lux Aurea has for us", he scoffed.

"That's not fair…" Ethari frowned, countering his boyfriend by placing a hand over his face. "I'm sure Lux Aurea has changed its views from the time when the sun-fire elves used to consider the Silver Grove a semi-autonomous province of theirs".

Even with a Ethari's hand over his mouth Runaan continued to glower at the mention of Sun Fire elves - but just be then the quiet soothing voice of Tiadrin's grandmother spoke to the gathered moon elves from the above balcony of the Grove's town hall.

"Citizens of the Silver Grove…" the elderly female elf enunciated. "Today we grieve for our loved ones taken from us by sword and by the blighted curse", taking a deep inhale of breath and forgoing her usually stoical expression she continued.

"Although our hearts shall forever remember the pain from this day I beseech thee to not allow yourselves to become vengeful!"

Standing tall but with clear grief and tear streaks on her face, Tiadrin's grandmother spoke to her assembled townsfolk.

"Please don't seek revenge for you would only invite the darkening to flow and course again maybe corrupting you too!"

Laying her hands down on the lectern of the balcony she stood on, Tiadrin's grandmother stared weary eyed down at the gathered audience below. "That which we all fear and do not understand would turn you into yet more wraiths for the Skeksis to send after us".

Bowing her head Tiadrin's grandmother, the sole member of the Council of Elders whom hadn't been killed by their guards rebellion, gestured toward a tall dark skinned, orange haired, golden armoured female sunfire elf.

"Captain Olvolvia…" the elder spoke again, "the floor is yours".

Stepping forwards with her armour clinking as she moved, Captain Olvolvia flexed her fingers as she wrote sun-runes in the air to boast her voices frequency.

ᚻᛁᚷᚻ ᚠᚩᛁᚳᛖ

"I am sorry for what had befallen your village", Olvolvia stated flatly, "but I'm here because the rulers of each elven territory inside Xadia have decided what our next move will be against the Dark Kingdom…"

Unfurling a scroll from her tunic the Captain read aloud from edict.

"Citizens of Sun, Moon, Earth, Sky, Ocean and Star - within the Eastern Continent of Xadia - we are desperate. The threat posed by the Dark Kingdom has always been great but as of this current era the Skeksis have become more active outside the bounds of their controlled land.

And so we your leaders have decided to go along with a plan designed by Almec Sundari - Arch Mage of Astoria - to forcefully return Master Licht from his celestial journey.

For this plan to succeed we must have volunteers from all six elven tribes to come forth and join us in the planned building of a great machine. Aside from this monumental undertaking we will also need additional assistance in the undertaking of the invasion of the Human Realm".

Holding up her right hand to silence the shocked voiced of those elves whom blanched at the idea of teen gaging in military activity with humans, the Sunfire elf captain simply plowed on with her announcement. Ignoring the interjections that she hadn't managed to cease.

"We do all this for the greater good! To ensure Xadia's continued existence, to destroy Skeksis rule and threat and tame the rising power of the human realm. We must recapture a certain - once exiled - boy to bring about Kataclysmós!"

R.I.P:

Robbie Coltrane. Lovable/brilliant actor from Harry Potter and James Bond.

James McDivitt. Apollo 9 and Gemini IV astronaut.