Chapter Five: Calm Before The Storm
"It was just a dream, wasn't it?" Callum asked. He and Rayla were lounging in the main room with Rayla's swords propped up against the steps; she and Callum had attempted a little spar to keep from getting rusty in this time of peace, but ultimately Rayla had proven too distracted, so much so that Callum didn't feel comfortable sending spells her way anymore. They were now sitting close together on the steps, his arm draped lazily around her, and she leaned into his side.
"I know, but I can't stop thinking about it." Rayla said shortly. When she looked back at the spot where Viren had trapped her – why did she keep doing that to herself? – her hand reached up to take Callum's. "It wasn't even what happened to Zym, I can't stop thinking of Viren's threat."
Callum's eyes flashed and it only occurred to Rayla that she'd never told him about that. She internally sighed. Oops. "He threatened you?"
"He said he'd come back for me." she told him. "Obviously not, but he said something about adding me to some collection."
"Collection?" Callum asked, only calming down a little.
"He showed me a bag that looked like it had something in it. He said something about other Moonshadow elves." she said, and Callum watched as a shiver overtook her. "I don't know what he meant, but I have this feeling that I need to do something. Find that bag and do something about it."
"I don't know what to tell you about that, but I know this." Callum used his free hand to turn her face to his and they held their gazes. "No body was found, but there's no way anyone could have survived that fall. Even if he somehow did, it's been over a year. Verin's gone now; he can't hurt you, Zym or anyone anymore."
Rayla gave him a smile for the first time that morning. They shared a small kiss before she leaned back into him. "I know. What I don't know is, why now? I didn't even have a nightmare the first few nights after the battle."
"We'll figure it out, Rayla." Callum promised as he continued to hold her.
"Hey!" a loud, jovial and familiar voice rang out, ending the peaceful moment. Rayla and Callum quickly stood up and watched the entrance keenly like proper guards, as they were technically supposed to be doing. The figure sauntered in laxly, and was instantly recognized, if not by the wings, than by the heterochromia. She was twirling something in her fingers and failing to read the room by the careless smile on her face.
"Nyx." Callum greeted courtly, not needing to hide any kind of joy for seeing this particular elf again.
"There's my favorite interspecies couple!" Nyx walked right up to Callum and Rayla and happily slung an arm around each of them in an unreturned hug. "Word through the grape vine is that you two've moved up in the world. An't that right, Dragonguard and mage." With that, she turned to Callum. "I'm hurt, you know. You never said you were a mage. Would have been nice to know before."
"I was still a novice at the time." Callum told her, shrugging. "It wouldn't have been of much use either way."
"A human mage who's connected to an arcanum. Said to have traveled across Xadia with a Moonshadow elf to deliver the Dragon Prince home. I recognized that, alright." Nyx said, smirking and winking her amber eye. "They say it's proof that there is no need for dark magic, or something like that. In any case, it's a huge discovery, everyone's been talking about it." Nyx's smile fell and she looked down to her legs. It was Zym, growling and trying to shove her away by pressing his head to her shins. He was crackling with sparks of lightening. He clearly remembered Nyx.
Nyx watched in wonder as Callum drew a rune and shot his arm out, fanning his fingers above the prince. "Fulminous Domito." The sparks emitting from Zym were drawn toward Callum's palm, where they disappeared. Now free of lightening, Rayla safely picked the baby dragon up. Zym was still growling at Nyx as Rayla began to pet him.
"It's alright, little one." she soothed. "She won't take you away again."
"Oh, that was just the one time." Nyx dismissed, to her company's aggravation. She reached out to the prince, maybe to pet him, and jerked her hand away when he snapped at her.
"What's that?" Rayla asked, eyeing the item in Nyx's other hand. She held it up; it was a white metal stick with a letter and a cloth pouch tied to it, along with a design that Rayla recognized instantly. It was obvious that the letter had been opened and closed back up.
"I've never been able to let a shadow hawk go, but this one was for you." Nyx told her and handed her the letter. Zym jumped out of her arms onto the ground when Rayla moved to open the pouch. Inside were pieces of bent and snapped metal and shards a broken but still glowing crystal. It didn't take long for Rayla to recognize it as her flower from her old home in the Silvergrove. Now curious of the letter, she shook it open with her free hand. Her eyes skimmed the contents, widening at some point. She then gave the other elf an annoyed look.
"Get out of here before I report you." Rayla's voice was dry and matter-of-fact. Nyx raised her hands in a surrendering gesture, and she turned around and strolled out of the cavern. Callum and Rayla waited until she was gone, and thus out of earshot, to take their eyes off of her. When they were sure the coast was clear, Callum turned to Rayla, who was rereading the note with a look of concern.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"It's from Ethari." Rayla told him. "The Silvergrove's been attacked."
The Scepter of Darkness had calmed down and was back to its black color, with streaks of white now added to the golden aura around the orb. Aaravos and the humans were now half a day from getting out of the Moonshadow Forest. He was meditating beneath a tree, contemplating his next move. Claudia seemed to almost be having fun as she engaged in the sight-seeing her father had promised. Humans were so easily amused.
A strangled cry got his attention, and he looked at what they had truly chosen to wait for; Viren, a dagger in one hand, kneeled over the injured body of a shadowpaw. It's tail and paws twitched, telling him that the creature was just barely hanging on. He heard the splat of a hand slamming into a huge flesh wound, followed by a muttering of "Enim si efil rouy."
Claudia stopped to watch the lightshow as the dark magic took effect; a white, wispy something flowed from the beast, up Viren's arm and into his mouth and eyes. When the magic ceased, Viren seemed to be back to whatever prime he had been in when Aaravos properly met him. He stood taller, color returned, and the limp gone. The only thing was that his hand was now drenched in shadowpaw blood. Claudia smiled and walked up to her dad to hug him, without giving the creature a second look. During their time in the cave, Claudia had witnessed her father's true form; a walking corps of gray skin, countless wrinkles and and black, sunken in eyes. It had been griotique to see, but she had gotten used to it even if she preferred he keep his more youthful appearance no matter how many butterflies it took. She was far more unnerved by how, unlike that situation, Viren had actually seemed to deteriorate, grow weaker, without something to sustain him. Ever since that discovery, a part of her mind warned her that that same hideous appearance awaited her if she kept up the dark magic, but she'd always demand it to shut up.
It was a bit of a paradox to Aaravos, how humans could forge such strong, genuine bonds with a select few, yet be so ready to slay anything that don't fit into their cozy little circle of fellowship, even one another. Aaravos supposed he understood that last point, though; he himself wasn't fond of his own people. The other Startouch elves were as arrogant and self-righteous as the dragons and other kinds of elves were simply…lesser than him. He stood up.
"Shall we continue?" he asked. He had decided, the city of Concordia, capital city of the Earthblood elves, was next.
"A Startouch elf?" Queen Zubeia asked, intrigued. "Few have ever even seen them, let alone in the company of humans."
"The letter says it was a Startouch elf and two humans." Rayla reported. "Ethari says about half of the elves were killed, and they…" Rayla trailed off, looking away. It might have been a long time, but it still clearly hurt her. Callum placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"One of the humans knew our names." he reported. "Ethari seems to think she's a friend of ours, but we don't know who it could be, he didn't get their names. Somehow the other Moonshadow elves found out about…us." The last word was spoken with wariness, but he dropped his hand from Rayla's shoulder and took her hand with it, nonetheless. His grasp was firm and reassuring.
"And how have your people reacted to this news, my dear?" the Dragon Queen asked, curiously. Rayla put on a stoic face that both Queen Zubeia and Callum were familiar with. The queen had seen it countless times with all breed of elf, but Moonshadow elves had always seemed to be especially prone to retreating into stoicism in times of stress. Something about pride or saving face. Callum wasn't familiar enough with her people to know this, but he did know what it meant coming from her. They would either talk openly about it, or he'd have to pry it out of her tonight.
"They want me dead." Rayla's voice was chilled; another behavior that Queen Zubeia had seen countless times. Callum didn't take his eyes off of her for a few seconds. He would hold her and let her vent to him later, at the moment there were other matters. He looked back to the queen.
The Dragon Queen unfurled her wings and tensed up. "Absolutely not!" she growled, the growl itself having the volume of a roar from a large animal. "Peace may be fragile right now, but such disobedience will not be tolerated. I will consort with the moon dragons about this later today. In the meantime, Rayla, I have decided to reinstate the Dragongaurd. With your own life in even the slightest jeopardy, it seems unwise to go without further protection for both yourself, my only current gaurd, my son and I. The news will go out tonight, and the Moonshadow elves will be excluded until this nonsense is cleared up."
Rayla felt like she could breathe again. Finally, some good news. "Thank you, my queen." She bowed. She was than dismissed to continue her duties as a guard. Callum stayed where he was. He'd been quiet for the last minute or two. Queen Zubeia watched him curiously.
"Is there something troubling you, Prince Callum?" she asked.
Callum sighed, telling himself that the sooner they talked, the sooner it'd be over either way. "Queen Zubeia, what would you think of me becoming an archmage?" Her large, blue eyes widened, but she didn't speak, so Callum continued. "The moon mage Lujanne, at the Moon Nexis, told me about it. A master of all sources of magic."
At last, she spoke. "I trust this moon mage warned you of the dangers of such a thing."
"It can be as bad as dark magic in how it can corrupt." Callum paraphrased. "But I was raised in a place where I couldn't really do anything right. I've spent most of my life at the bottom of any hierarchy you could think of, feeling humble and undeserving of my place in life. The only reason I was a member of the royal family was because my mother married King Harrow when I was still small, but I was never a prince by birth and there were people in Katolis who never let me forget it. I was weak and small for most of my life. And my time in Xadia reinforced it; no creature's life is more or less valuable than another. I know that better than anyone and I swear I'll keep it in mind."
Silence. Callum was suddenly very tense. The recent discoveries of the letter had solidified this desire. It was simple, at least as far as he was concerned; the more magic he could do, the safer his loved ones would be. That and he just loved learning magic. He could imagine how wonderful it would be to be able to perform any kind of magic. The endless uses, the different feels of different arcanums, the security of those important to him. The queen sighed, and Callum's heart pounded in his chest.
"This is a very tall order, Prince Callum." she said carefully. "I'll make you a deal. In the next two weeks, you will help Rayla spread word about the Dragongaurd revival and bring together eight elite elves. Eight, not seven, so Rayla might accompany you on your journey. I will speak to her about this, she would be under my direct orders to ensure that you keep your word. Forgive me, this is not a matter of trust; corruption works it's best when one has no outside view of his actions. Rayla will be keeping you in line."
"Is it really that bad?" Callum asked. "That an archmage in training can't be left by themselves?"
"Not always." she said. "A few have managed to keep their minds and become good and well-known. Most souls, however, aren't so strong. Many archmages become enthralled by their own power, using it to abuse those they consider below them. Since Aaravos, no archmage has been allowed to learn their arts alone."
"Aaravos?" Callum asked, his interest now peaked. Would he finally be learning more about the mysterious archmage for whom his precious cube was named? The queen nodded.
"A Startouch elf, and a member of the Dragonguard centuries ago." she said. "He retired from the gaurd to become an archmage. When next anyone saw him, he had changed. Before, he had some rather nonconformist ideas, mostly involving humans, but he was largely a peaceful soul. When he reappeared, however, he became vocal, claiming dragons as arrogant tyrants, his fellow elves as the true lesser beings, and humans as deserving of power." Her lips curled in a sneer. "I can't even tell you the things he did."
"What happened to him?" Callum asked, trying not to sound too eager in light of their earlier conversation.
"Only know that my Avizandum imprisoned him in another place. A place that is neither the world of the living nor the afterlife. The single portal to this place, a mirror, was lost in the weeks after my egg. The absence of it makes me restless, wherever it is, it must not be allowed out of the sight of someone who can control it. All of Xadia must have been searched by now."
"What about the human kingdoms?" Callum asked. "There's a possibility that it could have ended up there."
"Hmm." The queen pondered. "A worthwhile idea. Send a message to your brother tonight. Let him know of the mirror and if he finds it, to let me know immediately."
"Yes, Queen Zubeia." Callum bowed and left when she gestured for his dismissal with a wave of a front paw.
The queen listened, hearing Callum's surprised yell, followed by Azymondias' happy chirps and yips and topped off with Rayla's laughter. The Moonshadow elves, the Dragongaurd, archmages, the mirror. Many heavy subjects had been discussed in the past few minutes, leaving her with a lot to think about. And yet, somehow, the laughter of the young ones seemed to chase away all of her worries.
Callum had once relayed to her a piece of wisdom that the late King Harrow had given him shortly before his regretful end; children often thought that adults were free to live the way they wished, but the truth was that the children were the free ones. Children were free of the burdens and harsh realities of adulthood. Hearing the horseplay going on in the other room, the Dragon Queen was certainly inclined to agree.
Despite everything, Queen Zubeia smiled.
Author's Notes: Who was surprised to see Nyx, even for just a bit? For the concerned, the shadowpaw Viren killed was a wild one, not Ethari's. 'Domito' is Latin for 'to tame' and Concordia is the same for 'harmony'. Review.