I am in pain.
You may have noticed my lack of updating in general in recent times. Well it's because a crisis has happened in my professional life, which has greatly reduced my free time to zero. Hell, in the last two weeks I've had to work even on goddamn SUNDAYS!
And third, from now on any town, village or city in Katolis I will name it as a word in Welsh. For example, the bay town where they met Captain Villads is called 'Didostur' (Ruthless).
Aaravos' eyes traveled sluggishly to the candles. Upon a pedestal was a row of four candles, all lit. Each candle melted at a different pace: the one in the left end would take a full day to melt completely; the second a month; the third a year; and the one in the right end would take a decade. Those candles had been his calendar since the beginning of his wretched imprisonment. His only way to mark the passage of time, as the plane of existence to where he was banished lacked a day-night cycle.
The candle foremost in the left was through three quarters of its length, meaning it would soon be sunset. It was at that time that the mirror in his study, the one correspondent to the other in Viren's dungeon, vibrated lightly.
"Oh, I have a call!" with giddy enthusiasm, Aaravos tossed the book he had been skimming through behind his back. He put himself before the mirror and tapped the reflective surface, picking up the call.
The figure on the other side was a familiar moonshadow elf. An outcast, like himself. But unlike him, she was free to walk the physical world, as long as she didn't draw Xadia's attention to herself.
"Why, hello again, my dear customer. What can I do for you, today?" he didn't need divination to guess that the woman required something only he could provide.
"I require something only you know how to craft, Alucard."
Aaravos tensed. "One thing, my dear: do not call me that. That has not been the name my person carries in a very long time." his tone was smooth, but the power behind the words made it very clear he would not tolerate being called such.
Lujanne nodded. "Very well, my apologies, Aaravos. Now, back to the matter at hand…"
The artifact the moon mage requested was child's play to make. Of course, it would make no sense if he were to craft it, bound to where he was. What Lujanne wanted was instruction on how to fabricate it herself. Information that Aaravos gladly shared, in exchange for some information he required. Particularly about the recent guests she recently hosted.
Once business was concluded, Aravos returned to his solitary contemplation, now imagining his next steps based on the new knowledge he had gained. He knew the werewolf little king and the vampire prince as well, were at the Moon Nexus, where Lujanne had taken refuge. He knew Lujanne and her cohorts were plotting an insurrection against the dragon monarchy, in hope of restoring their tribe. The 'Cursed Princes' as he began calling them were quickly becoming involved into a scheme bigger than they could understand.
"Perhaps I will join the fun…by giving start to my own game."
It was a few hours of plotting later (the day candle almost completely out) that Aaravos felt a twinge of pain in his head. Through his arcanum, he had tried to establish a mental link with the vampire prince. His success came when said prince's life was nearly extinguished. He felt as if a silver stake had barely missed his heart. A terrible shame would have been if the vampire boy was lost, but fortunately he survived, in part due to his brother's own 'blessing'.
Still, that near death experience made the vampire boy's sleeping arcanum detectable for just one moment. One moment enough for Aaravos to pick it up and trace it.
"Callum was his name…I'll be watching you."
Didostur, coastal town of the Weeping Bay. Katolis.
Dear Aunt Amaya,
I hope you are doing as well, given the wacky circumstances. To me it feels like a lifetime since I left on this mission. Guess it's because so much has happened, even though it's been barely a week.
Good news is, I found Ezran. Turns out the elf girl - Rayla, by the way - didn't kidnap Ezran. He willingly went with her to return the egg of the Dragon Prince to Xadia, and hopefully end hostilities.
At first, I didn't trust her myself. But she's proven to be a friend to Ezran and she even saved my life-
Callum paused his writing. He wasn't about to reveal in what circumstance she saved him. He himself still couldn't accept that Soren…He shook his head violently. This had to be made quick, so he resumed his writing.
She is nothing like those stories say about elves and I'm willing to trust her, as well. Ezran, upon learning that King Harrow passed, decided to return home to take the throne and he's being escorted by your tracker, Corvus.
Meanwhile, I decided to continue Ezran's mission to carry the egg back to Xadia. I know this isn't what you want, aunt. But I don't think its a good idea to try and bargain the egg. It would only antagonize the Xadians if they had to pay a ransom. I now believe peace can be possible if we try to make amends by returning the egg to its mother. You may not approve of this but it's what I truly believe to be the right choice.
I'll see you when I get back. Stay safe and well.
Love,
Callum
P.S.: Please don't be mad that I didn't follow the second part of your plan. The parth in which we demand things from Xadia in exchange for the egg, I mean.
Truth be told, there was more the prince wanted to confess, such as confirming her suspicions that he shouldn't have trusted Claudia and Soren blindly. But he dared not to even think of the subject.
Resolute, Callum stepped away from the desk in which he had been allowed to write his letter and handed it over to the woman at the counter. She looked over the destination.
"The Balla Fortress at the Border." her clinical eyes turned to Callum. "That's quite far away and somewhat perilous."
"I need it to get there as fast as possible."
"It's going to cost, young man. Fifteen pentarchs." she looked him over, clearly analyzing that by the look of his clothes he could afford it. And fortunately he could, as he had the foresight of bringing a fair amount of money from the castle. He handed her the correct amount of golden coins; the 'Pentarch' had become the official currency of the entire pentarchy nearly 6 decades before, when the human kingdoms first achieved a semblance of overall peace.
He saw the woman meticulously wrap the message inside a small canister, which was then tied to the paw of a large crow. Messenger crows were the main and quickest way to deliver messages across the Pentarchy. Callum paid well enough to have an A-class crow service, the smartest and most well trained birds of delivery.
Afterwards, he left the postal office in a haste to an alley close by the docks of Didostur. There he found a hiding and waiting Rayla. Upon arriving at Didostur, she proposed her human impression so they could board a civilian transport ship to the other side of the Weeping Bay. Callum quickly shot that down and decided to look for a captain that wouldn't ask too many questions.
"Good news, I've found the perfect captain for our dilemma." he announced with a twinge of mischief Rayla didn't pick up immediately.
"What makes this captain so perfect?"
"Oh, he's got a very special quality that will make him completely non judgmental based on your appearance. Or anyone's appearance, really." they reached the docks where a man dressed like a stereotypical pirate stood looking out into the ocean. "We're back, oh captain! My captain!"
The man turned to look at them. Or would look at them if both eye sockets weren't covered by eyepatches. Rayla blinked twice.
"Ahoy, maties! Me name be Captain Villads! The d is silent."
Villads would take them to the other side of the Weeping Bay in exchange for a small fee, which Callum could afford. Rayla was hesitant but willing, though she became nervous when the man mentioned a storm was coming.
Walking upon the crosswalk, Callum noticed Rayla walking in a hurry and would not dare to look down. Ezran had confided in him that his friend was terrified of water. Callum would have laughed, except his brother said she was very sensitive about it. That and in Moonshadow culture, showing any fear was shameful.
"Still, she had to be pretty brave, willing to travel over her very fear to accomplish the mission that much faster." he mused to himself. Callum had previously proposed they go around the bay, but Rayla wouldn't have any of it. Time was of essence.
Flashback.
By their urgency, Phoe-Phoe flew Ezran, Rayla and a terribly wounded Callum away. She landed not long after on the other side of the mountain.
"I knew we shouldn't have trusted those two!" Rayla groaned.
"Not now, Rayla!" Ezran practically barked at her, trying to help Callum dismount the phoenix. She assisted in setting him gently on the ground. Checked his pulse and breath. Still alive, thank Mene.
They had no medical supplies and going back to the Nexus was too risky. Rayla had a desperate idea and urged Ezran to spit on the wound. Confused initially, the prince did so and miraculously, the wounds slowly began to close while steaming.
Then Rayla's ears picked something up. She turned around, swords drawn.
"Whoever is there, come on out!"
Someone did come out. A man of dark complexion and locks of dark hair tied in a knot. He was dressed like a hunter and poised like one. In his hand was a chain with a hook at the tip. Yet he kept his hands up in sign of surrender.
"I don't know who you are, but you better turn around before I do something to relieve stress." Rayla threatened the stranger who, despite his surrender, kept his cool.
"My name is Corvus. General Amaya sent me."
"My aunt?" Ezran murmured.
"The tracker…my aunt sent after Ezran." a voice said haggardly. Everyone turned to Callum, whom had just woken up. Ezran rushed to his side, helping sit up.
"That's right. I was ordered to find and rescue King Ezran."
Ezran didn't leave his brother's side. "Well, you found me, but I don't need rescue."
"So I've come to realize." Corvus sounded a tad awkward.
"It was you." the older prince said groggily. "You helped us."
Seeing Ezran's and Rayla's confusion, he divulged. "When Claudia had Rayla tied up, something hit her and made lose focus on the spell. That was you."
"Yes. I arrived just in time to see that from afar. But it was enough to realize those two were no friends of the princes."
That statement, spoken neutrally from the man, had stung the two boys.
"You should go with him." Callum said, earning surprised glances from the king and the elf. "That was the whole idea before. With him you can go back to Katolis and take the throne."
"No way, Callum, you're…" but despite his protests, the young vampire slowly got back on his feet, albeit wobbly.
"I'm fine, Ez. Thanks to you. See." he showed the whole in his jacket and shirt made by the stake. There was now freshly healed skin underneath.
"I'll be fine. This way, we can both do our part to prevent a war."
It was only after a full reassurance that Callum was properly healed that Ezran agreed. He gave both Callum and the egg of the Dragon Prince a fierce hug. After a heartfelt goodbye, the two brothers went their separate ways with their escorts. Ezran, with Corvus, goes back to Katolis to claim the throne. Callum, with Rayla, to Xadia to deliver the dragon egg back to Queen Zubeia.
End of Flashback.
Now, the vampire prince leaned against the mast of the Ruthless, boredom beginning to set in. Previously, he had spoken with the enthusiastic blind captain for a while. The conversation ended up with the prince asking about sailing.
"How are we going in that way when the wind is pushing us in the opposite direction?"
"Appearances can deceive, lad. In reality no ship can travel directly into the wind. instead we use a technique known a 'tacking,' to zigzag across a wind." Villads pointed forward to the triangular sale. "That sail be called a 'lateen' and when going against the wind at a angle, the wind pushes the sail forward. But never in a straight line. Rather the ship zigzags."
Callum listened attentively, picturing the process in his mind. It felt like it should be a tad more complicated than that but he got the gist of it.
Berto, the parrot, pipped in. "You got all that, Fangs?"
Callum gave the bird a withering glare. "Yeah, I got all of that. Instructive, detailed but simple enough."
"Aye, of course. A captain worth his sea salt knows how ta explain the fine art of sailin', even to a landlubber. What, did ye expect me to say a vague, meaningless metaphor involving a melon seed that doesn't really explain anything?"
Callum laughed awkwardly, having interpreted that as an attempted joke. "Not really, but thanks for not giving me a meaningless explanation that doesn't really explain anything."
"Yer welcome, lad!" the captain paused for a moment. "So, why is your merry crew in such a hustle to cross the Weeping Bay?"
"Oh, we've got something to deliver in the east."
"Are you in a hurry to sink your teeth in someone, over there, too?" of course the darned parrot would stick his beak in. Callum retorted at the animal.
"Not really. That's kinda not my thing."
"First time for everything, bloodsucker!"
"Big talk from a talking feather duster."
"Hey, peace now!" the captain intervened, his voice eclipsing the prince's and bird's. "Apologies on behalf of me first mate. Berto tends to be a tad snappy ta strangers."
Callum glared daggers at the bird who glared back. Sighing, he turned away from it. He thanked Villads for his time and went to the lower deck. He took notice of Rayla, who half-sat half-lied on the stairs.
"So, how you doing?" he asked sympathetically.
"Oh, just great. Practicing my swamp impression." True enough her face looked far too green for comfort.
Though not unsympathetic, Callum couldn't resist cracking one. "Looks much better than your human impression."
"Ugh, so why have you come down here, to share on my misery?"
He shook his head. "That parrot doesn't know when to keep his beak shut."
That brought some mischief to Rayla's face. "Just wait until we get to Xadia. Close to my home city there are flocks of feathery cretins that would put that one to shame."
Callum was hesitant to ask for clarification. But when Rayla chuckled teasingly, he joined her in the fun. Once the laughter died out, awkwardness set in. Truth was, the pair had not discussed anything other than the mission since they parted ways with Ezran. At the Moon Nexus, they had come to an understanding and briefly talked in cordial terms, but that was it. All in all, Callum and Rayla were not quite friends.
He would have sat beside her, try and comfort her but felt that would be too intrusive. Therefore, the prince was almost thankful that the sun chose that moment to peek from the edge of a cloud. Hissing at the light above, he put his hood on.
"I'm going below deck. It's too sunny for me." without another word, he passed by Rayla who preferred to stay above.
Down there, the prince sat down and took a tired breath. Absent-mindedly, he passed a hand over the place where he had been wounded. It didn't hurt anymore, in spite of the circular scar it left behind.
Now that he had time to slow down and think, it felt so unreal that Soren ran him through. Callum would feel terribly betrayed…
"Then again, I nearly lost control next to Claudia. Maybe, Soren is not to blame for acting so rushly. Still…" his hand traveled again to the place where his friend had stabbed him.
Despite doubting he would get any sleep, Callum closed his eyes and tried to drift off.
Aaravos hummed. "So the vampire prince is asleep. Excellent."
The ancient elf gathered his inner magic. Normally what he was attempting would be impossible, but his target was a quasi-vampire and was in possession of his Key. With those factors, Aaravos was confident he could establish a connection with the little prince.
"Welcome, little vampire."
Callum knew he had to be dreaming. He just had to be because he didn't recollect entering the alien yet aesthetically pleasant room before.
The walls were made of a material Callum couldn't identify, of a blue-green hue. Shelves filled with books and tomes reached high until the ceiling. A desk with a chair rested pristinely next to the window, from which light cascaded in. The only activity in the room came from the crackling flames in the fireplace.
"Welcome, little vampire."
Startled, Callum almost jumped out of his skin. The greeting came from the armchair facing the fire. The person sitting on it was completely hidden from view.
"Uh! Oh, hello! I…hello, sir. Sorry I just …stumbled into your house. I kind of just appeared here." Awkward as he felt about it, the theory that it was all a dream was forgotten.
The person behind the armchair chuckled lightly. "No need to apologize. After all, you are a guest."
Callum blinked, unsure how to reply. Tentatively he approached the man(?) to meet him. And just as he was about to turn and see the stranger…
Callum was startled awake by the sound of two pairs of footsteps, one louder than the other. Rayla and Captain Villads had just descended.
"What's going on?" he rushly sat up, trying not to look too dishevellled.
"We did not beat the storm. Alas, we have to wait it out. Only good thing we arrived just in time to make port on the isle at the heart of the bay." The sailor shrugged.
Rayla, on the other hand, was more negative. "In other words, we're wet and saved no time at all."
Aaravos frowned. "Oh, well. We'll continue next time."
His mental link with the little prince had been severed, but then again, he knew from the get go that the time allottedwould be short. Still, Aaravos had successfully made a connection with the boy through his dreams. The next attempt would be facilitated by it. So long as that boy keeps that old relic of his intact and in his possession.
Minutes, hours passed as the candle of the day diminished further and further. A plan began forming in his mind, one he could fit with the parallel schemes he was running simultaneously. After all, when one got to be as old as himself, keeping different machinations active that interwined with one another to achieve a unified goal was second nature. And now, he found he could forge a new piece to fit with that puzzle.
The disgraced elf grinned. Oh, if he could pull it off…those children and Xadia would be damned. And he would be very satisfied to end Avizandum lineage.
In the physical world, there was a storm happening above his intended target. Yet it wasn't enough. If Aaravos' magic hadn't been sealed away, he could have created ten storms with ease. But alas, stranded and most of his power stripped, it would be impossible. Key word being 'would'.
With his connection to the vampire prince, he could influence the physical plane. And he didn't need to create a big storm, but simply to intensify the already existing one.
Nevertheless, it would still require a great amound of Sky magic to do so. An amount beyond his current capabilities. Once more, the Midnight Star cursed his current predicament.
"Oh well, if the easy path won't cut it, best to take the easier one."
Namely, dark magic. The art of taking the magic essence from outside sources. And fortunately, he had just am immense source of sky magic essence near the prince. Just one smidge of the immense power contained within that dragon's egg was enough for his plan.
The ship rocked violently, discomforting the passengers in different levels. Rayla was the worst off, her swamp impression reached near perfection when she emptied the contents of her stomach on the deck. Callum was in the middle and avoided looking at the mess, lest he followed suite. Captain Villads (and Berto) barely seemed bothered at all. So much so that the captain began chatting about his lost sight to pass the time.
Aaravos smirked. Yes, even without being hatched, the dragonling was a maelstrom of sky primal energy. He just needed to drain it one infinitesimal portion for his purposes.
"Segar yks eht. Peew sduolc eht. Swolb sdniw eht."
Villads tale was cut short when the Ruthless began rocking more violently.
"Oh, that not be right!" the captain exclaimed.
And that was only the beginning as the ship shook and wagged even more. Rayla moaned exasperatedly.
"Oh, Mene! What have I done to deserve this?" she had to cover her mouth to prevent another dose of vomit from coming up and out.
"This is unnatural." Villads murmured, his voice strangely subdued.
"Uh, isn't this how a storm gets worse, normally?" Callum asked, opting to put the egg of the Dragon Prince on his backpack.
"Nay!"
"Something is off!" Berto added.
Then the ship tilted, propelling the passengers and cargo in the opposite direction. Villads recomposed himself first and raced above deck. Callum helped a nauseated Rayla back on her feet and carried her upper deck.
The storm raged out of control. Where before was just wind and rain, the clouds poured down a rainstorm, lightning cracked and thundered all above and the air pushed with the strength of a hurricane.
"The storm is out of control! We are adrift!" Villads shouted, trying to steer the ship under control.
True enough, the Ruthless was no longer bound to the docks and was drifting away from the isle.
"This can't get any worse." Callum sighed.
Aaravos's lips curled up as he made a swiping gesture with his arm.
A large wave erupted against the Ruthless, rising high above the main deck.
"The universe loves to prove me wrong." the prince exhaled in defeat.
The massive wave crashed into the ship and spilled on the main deck. Cold water washed the two youths, soaking them to the bone. Rayla was hysterically trying to get away from her terror and failing. Callum, who took the worst of the wave, was tossed against the edge of the ship. The universe truly had it out for him! Why was…
"THE EGG!" he heard Rayla shout against the wind. Callum's blood ran cold, noticing his back pack felt lighter. The backpack that contained the egg, which he obviously brought to the main deck!
Said egg was rolling around on the floor.
Aaravos smirked triumphantly. He made a swiping gesture with his whole arm.
Rayla's first instinct was to run and grab the egg.
"Brace for it!" Villads shouted. On the side of the ship, another massive wave crashed, flooding the whole deck. Rayla lost her footing and slipped. When she came to, she couldn't spot the egg. Only Callum leaning over the rail.
"What happened?" she dreadfully asked, on the edge of hysterical.
His answer came out in stammers but it was enough.
"You dropped it overboard!"
"No, I didn't! It was the wave that dragged it overboard!" he had to shout to be heard over the wind.
Rayla looked down at the turbulent water, apprehension mixed with anger. "Oh, Mene help me!" and, to Callum's dumbfounded surprise, Rayla jumped into the sea.
There he stood, holding onto the rail. Seconds passed and he couldn't spot her or the egg. Wait, did she even know how to swim?
"She's not coming back up." taking a heavy breath, he jumped after her.
The water was cold and turbulent, but Callum was able to keep afloat. A good thing that one of his favorite activities during the summer was swimming. That practice served him well, now.
There was a gurgled scream behind him and he saw Rayla's arm above the surface, sinking. Callum swam over to her. He took a deep breath and descended after her. He could vaguely distinguish the shape of the girl and the glowing dragon egg, going down into the darkness.
"That won't do." Aaravos frowned. He was not happy about this. He had accomplished part of his goal, to separate the egg from those children. Oh, how delightful it would be to have that cretin Avizandum's spawn drown before even being born!
But…if that foolish boy were to drown, his dream would be nigh impossible. True, by manipulating Viren he could still find a way to free himself. Yet, without the vampire boy under his thumb…
Aaravos sighed and dispelled his magic.
Miraculously, Callum managed to pull Rayla back to the surface. The girl was panicking, holding on to the prince for dear life. Were the circumstances not so dire, he would have awkwardly acknowledged that a girl was way too close for comfort to him.
"Hey, we're okay now!"
"I won't be okay until I'm out of all this wetness! At least…" she trailed off, looking at the prize snuggled between them. The egg of the Dragon Prince was safe.
The sea was no longer turbulent and the sky cleared. Callum pointed up above them, where the clouds parted and the sun peeked.
"The storm is stopping. We're in the eye of the storm." Rayla stated, a strange feeling she was forgetting a detail.
Without reason, lightning of different hues struck down from the departing clouds. All of that energy was concentrated on the egg. The two teens panicked, yet, before they realized that the electricity wasn't hurting them, it all stopped.
The egg in their arms shook and cracked. Little by little, fissures spread all over its shell.
Far away from them, on their way to the capital, Corvus was halted by Ezran. The two were riding the very unusual steeds that the boy king had called in. He looked in the opposite direction and laughed overjoyed.
"King Ezran, what happened?"
"Something great. The dragon prince has hatched!" he smiled and howled into the sky. Their steeds howled with him.
Aaravos was content. He had exchanged intel with Lujanne and her tribe, a good business which got him to understand better these 'Cursed Princes'. Unlike Viren's biased perspective, Lujanne was more neutral to the boys, after all.
The highlight of the day, though, was establishing a connection with the vampire prince, which he already had plans on how to exploit to bend the boy to his will.
However, this day also had its failures. Mainly the fiasco to erradicate Avizandum's bloodline forever. Oh, well, he would have other opportunities. Oh, yes he would, with the vampire prince soon at his command.
"Enjoy the little miracle in your arms, Prince Callum. That dragonling may just soon become your salvation in the hour of your greatest thirst." he chuckled callously at the thought. "We shall talk again, Callum."
Rayla for a moment had forgotten that she was surrounded by water. For in her arms (and Callum's) was a miracle.
"Oh, Mene!" she sighed, on the verge of tears. Any doubts she may have had over this self-imposed mission were snuffed out. The little miracle looked at her, whining in seemingly curiosity and snuggled up to her face.
The stunned Callum slowly broke into a soft smile. The newborn turned to the prince and sniffed him with the same curiosity.
"Hi! Uh…Azymondias, right?"
The little thing cooed and licked his face. Callum felt tiny sparks on his cheek. It was soothing, to say the least.
Soon enough, Captain Villads tossed a roped and they climbed back on board. As Callum glanced upwards, he was actually thankful for the sun shining through the parting clouds. It felt as though things would be alright.
Ding-dong! The dragonling is born! This was the first divergence I had planned since I wrote Callum out of Team Zym for season 1; to have Zym hatch during the voyage of the Ruthless. Because since Callum never stole nor needed Claudia's primal stone, sacrificing it wouldn't have as much of an impact. Plus the egg never felt on the frozen lake, so there was no need.
To be clear Aaravos intensified the storm (via dark magic) in order to drown and kill the egg. But when Callum risked his life to save it, he had to change tactics because Callum is necessary for his plans. So Aaravos decided to help hatch Zym with ideas of having him as a future snack for Callum. Nasty and ominous.
If you thought Callum's injury was too brushed off…well, it was because I don't have the energy for that part. Some parts of this chapter feel rushed, I know. But like I explained in the beginning, my time and energy are at a record low. Let's just say that Callum's injury was healed up in part with Ezran's spit, Callum's own awakening powers and Aaravos small interference. How's that?
Mysteries remain, like: what did Lujanne asked Aaravos to teach her how to craft? What are the steeds (not banthers) that Ezran and Corvus are ridding?