It was deep in the night. The Storm Spire was covered in darkness, the dark storm clouds obscuring any light from above. Its interior halls were softly illuminated by magical candles. A soft rumbling could be heard as the dragons were sleeping. Rayla had always thought that this was a comforting sound. They were there, and they were alive and well, which meant that the Dragonguard was doing a good job.

She was walking through the Spire, trying to look casual, but actually looking for Callum. She had cried out most of her emotions and right now felt a slight discomfort as she couldn't find her boyfriend. If I can still call him that… She was still trying to figure out what that moment actually meant for her, or for them. Had she been trying to break up? She didn't think so, but she was angry, oh she was so angry! He says he cheated, then refused to help me get my family back! The thought made her teeth clench.

She sighed. She didn't want to deal with those emotions right now. As she walked the halls of the Spire, she thought that perhaps the both of them should sleep it over. Perhaps it will all be better in the morning. She tried to smile a bit to lift her spirits, but the Spire was not a large complex and as she was done walking the halls she felt her slight optimism being crushed with worry. No Callum.

With some urgency, she climbed the steps to the top of the Spire. Perhaps he's meditating? Or training or flying or something? It was still pouring. The rain pelted her form and she had to focus to not slip and fall down the steps, or worse, off the edge. As she reached the top, she quickly looked around for her friend. ….no Callum...Maybe he's flying? He's got to be, right? He's got to be here somewhere!

Feeling frantic now, she paced around the plateau, looking up into the ink-black sky. "Callum!" A flash, and a loud thunder followed. She jolted, but tried to remain steadfast. "Callum!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs now. "Callum! Callum!"

-/-/-/-

Sharpening her blade was one of Catlyn's favourite pastimes. It was a soothing exercise, a familiar one that put her mind at ease. Her brother Keryn was doing the same on the stool next to her. "So that prince didn't look too happy."

Catlyn grunted in acknowledgement of her brother's question but didn't reply as she switched from a whetstone to a cloth to rub away some filth on the hilt of her blade.

"You think they broke up?" her brother pressed. He knew she was privy to their captain's council, and he was just as curious as his sister was.

Unfortunately for him, Catlyn didn't feel like sharing. She kept her eyes on her blade as she answered. "Mind your own business brother-mine. This is not for you to know."

"Huh… well excuuuse me for asking." Keryn went back to cleaning his blade in silence.

Catlyn hadn't meant to sound so annoyed by his questions, but deep down she was worried. Rayla was still supposed to be on her holiday. Why is she back so soon? And Callum… he was rather nervous the entire time he was here... and why did he leave so angry? She put down her blade. Something's happened. Something bad between the two of them. "Keryn, could you take my watch this evening? I'm going to look for-"

A knock on the door interrupted the both of them. Catlyn and Keryn looked at each other. "Yes? Who is it?" Keryn asked as he grasped his blade, more out of habit than anything else.

"It's Rayla." Her worried voice came through the door. " C-can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course!" Catlyn moved towards the door as Rayla opened it and came through. Catlyn had to do a double-take; the once strong and confident captain of the Dragonguard looked worn out, ragged and, above all, soaked. "Oh my, what happened to you!?" She grabbed Rayla's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"I...I-I…" She didn't know where to start. With the cheating? The coins? The fact that I couldn't find him anywhere? Tears started to well up again and she choked on her words.

"Och, this won't do. Keryn, make yourself scarce, lad. This girl needs some girl talk!"

Keryn gave his sister an aspirated look. "What!? This is my bedroom too! Can't you-"

"Keryn, now!" She glared at him.

Her brother sighed and looked annoyed, but stood up nonetheless. "Right...right…" He grabbed his blade and tools and went out, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, Catlyn looked Rayla in the eyes. "Rayla, start from the beginning. What happened?"

Rayla sighed. She figured that it wouldn't hurt to tell Catlyn, so she did. For the next hour, she talked about her short holiday in her home, how well-received she was, how she found out that Runaan might be alive, of her meeting with Soren, and later, Viren. She talked about how she rushed back to the spire and how glad she was to see Callum, but then how her heart broke as he made his confession.

Catlyn listened, for the most part, asking a few questions for clarification. When she mentioned the confession, she asked: "He cheated on you?"

Raya said nothing but nodded.

Catlyn whistled as she eyed her blade on the table. "I suppose skinning the scunner alive would make too much of a diplomatic incident?"

Normally, Rayla would laugh about this. But right now, she felt too mournful to do even that. "Please don't hurt him," was all she could manage with her soft voice.

"Why not? It seems like he deserves it." Catlyn was joking about the skinning, of course. Well, only half-joking.

"'Cause I love him. And I need him to get my parents back, and Runaan."

"You think that Callum is powerful enough to do that?" Catlyn gave her a sceptical look.

"Well…" A faint blush of shame appeared on Rayla's cheeks as she started to realise what she had asked of Callum, and how wrong it was of her to do that. "I… I had a thought and...I think I messed up." She couldn't look at Catlyn. I don't want her to be disappointed in me.

Catlyn was silent for a while, hoping that Rayla would gather her courage and just tell her. When no reply came, she prodded her. "C'mon Rayla, you can tell me! It's me! Catlyn! I'm your moonshadow friend!" She tried to cheer her up, but it seemed to make Rayla only more apprehensive.

Eventually, Rayla answered. "Thing is… Viren made the coins with dark magic, so it may take dark magic to get them out of the coins..." Rayla was still staring at the floor. She cringed as she heard Catlyn gasp.

"No...Rayla, did you ask-!?"

"Yeah, I did. When Callum told me that the sky arcanum couldn't release them, I asked him to use dark magic."

This stunned Catlyn. She considered herself a liberal moonshadow elf, being overly jovial and touchy with other people, in so much that it made others cringe (which she took some joy out of). But certain things in society were still very much taboo. Dark magic had always been viewed as an evil thing. To think her captain would ask a human to use it, even to save a loved one, was unthinkable! "I don't understand, captain. I thought you… I thought you were one of us!"

Rayla now looked up at Catlyn and immediately noticed the difference in the atmosphere. Catlyn had called her 'captain' and had thrown her walls up. Another stab of guild entered her stomach, as she now realised she may have alienated a friend. She desperately tried to undo the damage. "A-A wasn't thinkin'! A'm sorry! A just… A've not seen my ma and da for so long! A-and Runaan…"

"But that's no excuse! You do know why dark magic is evil, right? It's fueled by the life force of magical creatures! Why would you ask Callum to do something like that!? And what would your parents think if they found out the cost of their freedom?" Catlyn wasn't subtle in her words, and Rayla shrunk visibly under the impact of them.

"A'm sorry…" she whimpered. "A dunna know why A asked…" Rayla had now curled herself up against the wall, trying to contain the tears and emotions that tore through her.

Catlyn took a moment to relax and take in the situation. She was shell-shocked to hear that her captain asked a human to perform dark magic, but as she looked at Rayla, she realised she wasn't looking at the face of her captain. Rather, she was looking at a scared, sixteen-year-old moonshadow elf who hadn't seen her parents and mentor for a long time. She thought they were dead. If I were her, wouldn't I do anything to bring them back as well? Wouldn't I do the same for Keryn? She found it to be a difficult thought. Breaking a taboo like that wasn't something she had ever considered, but then, she was never put in the situation that Rayla was in. Gosh, that must be difficult! To know that Rayla actually knows someone who CAN bring her parents back, but doing so requires an act of evil…

Feeling sorry for both her captain and her friend, she bend down and hugged Rayla tightly. "Shhhh…. It's alright. I'm here for ya."

The sad elf leaned into her and started to sob again, just as a hard knock came from the door. Startled, Catlyn called out. "Who is it?"

"It's me!" her brother's voice called out. "Are you two done yet?"

Catlyn huffed. Her brother could be a bother sometimes. Can't a girl get some peace and quiet?! "Not really! Go to Pincaelo or something! I know ya like her!"

A groan could be heard from the other side of the door. "Don't shout that stuff!" Keryn hissed. "Anyway, you two should get out, like, now. The dragon king wants to see Rayla."

Rayla and Catlyn looked at each other, and Catlyn couldn't remember a time where she had seen her captain looking more fearful.

-/-/-/-

Viren was stunned. He had expected a more grandiose setting with men who wore rich clothing. He had expected the council to be a bunch of wannabe dark mages who dabbled a bit. It would have been easy to manipulate such a group. But secretly, he had hoped to find something more, something that could actually help him and grant him new knowledge on dark magic. And as he looked at these figures, he felt like he wasn't going to be disappointed.

All of the eight figures looked like old men. Their hair was grey, white or nonexistent, their figures were skinny and they all wore brown, plain robes. What was most apparent though were the signs of corruption on them. They all had grey, cracked skin to some degree, and their eyes were pitch black. Their voices were cold and deep as they addressed him.

"So, you have come here, Viren."

"Like we predicted."

"Why have you come here, Viren?"

"Do you seek knowledge?"

"Do you seek power?"

"What brings you here, Viren?"

The cascade of different voices threw Viren off his game. He looked around nervously, clearly out of his depth. "I...I thought I would gain some sort of knowledge. There were rumours of a court of dark mages." He looked around at their stony faces, regaining some of his self-confidence. "And it seems that I found them."

One of them spoke up. "Indeed. We are the Council of Ziard. We try to follow the principles of the famous sorcerer of old who first used dark magic."

Viren smiled. "Ah, yes, I know the name from the history books. I am familiar with his teachings."

"Then why did you not put it into practice?"

Viren's smile faltered. "Sorry?"

"Ziard was never greedy. Why did you seek to use dark magic to gain more power and influence?"

The smile was now completely gone. He did not expect this. "Well, it's true that I've-"

"Ziard practised restraint in his power, using it only when necessary. Why did you never seek alternatives, Viren?"

"That's not true! I simply-"

"Ziard was not vain. Why did you hide your corruption?"

"What!? Well, I-"

"Ziard was compassionate and only killed when he had to. Why did you destroy so many lives, Viren?"

His head whipped around as the voices boomed accusations at him. He got frustrated. "What is this!? Some tribunal? By what right are you judging me!?"

One man stepped forward, down the steps of the raised platform. The man wasn't anything special to look at. He was old, mostly bald, and had heavily corrupted features. "By the right of your own conscience, Viren. Please understand. We do not want to judge you. We invited you for a different purpose."

Viren brandished his staff, ready to defend himself, should this meeting turn violent. "And what's that?" He asked carefully.

The old man smiled kindly at him. "To put you on the right path. And perhaps, in time, you can teach us in return."

-/-/-/-

"...and therefore it is prudent to ensure that total access is granted to all the delegates of the Usipularian Hold. For if this does not happen, then the repercussions will be such, that-"

Ezran nodded, which the ambassador took as a sign to continue, but it was actually a reflective nod of Ezran jolting awake again. Bait had taken his place on the king's lap and gave a croak as he felt his human friend shift underneath him. Ezran groaned inwardly. Ruling is sooo boring. He looked at Opeli who kept her eyes on the delegates. Ezran knew from experience, however, that she was watching him as well. He figured that she would both scold him for falling asleep, as well as inform him of what was said in words he could better understand. Opeli's a good teacher. I know she can be harsh, but she is helping me.

"To prevent any further strife between our people, we must make sure to" "Ray!" "enable communications-"

Ezran perked up. The delegate looked pleased that he finally got the monarch's attention, but Ezran had instead focussed on his ears. I thought I heard something.

"-and after we've established another centre of" "Sad!" "trade here in Katolis, we-"

Ezran frowned. I thought I heard a familiar voice. He looked around the room, which confused the people around him, but the delegates droned on. The only people here were the guards, the delegates and Opeli. As he settled back, he heard the voice another time. "Ray!" He blinked and then recognized the voice. Or rather, he recognized the tone, the sound of a small friend he hadn't seen in a long time. Zym! He's learning to speak! He also immediately realised the importance of the moment, and what he had to do."Ehm, Opeli?" He whispered to his teacher.

Opeli looked at him curiously. "Yes, my liege?"

"Could we take a small break? I gotta go do you-know-what."

Opeli frowned and wrinkled her nose. "But sire, that is unbecoming of a king! Try to hold it for another hour or so."

It really bothered Ezran that he had to use such childish excuses. He was eleven for crying out loud! But he really didn't see any other easy way out of this situation. "Sorry, I just really gotta go!"

Opeli gave a deep sigh. "Very well." She turned to the delegates. "His majesty wishes to take a small break. I will arrange for refreshments to be brought." The delegates looked slightly annoyed at the interruption but brightened a bit at the sound of refreshments after the long, arduous meeting.

Ezran hopped from the throne and put Bait on the seat. "Keep it warm for me, buddy."

Bait gave an affirmative groan and made himself comfortable. With two guards flanking him, he rushed his way out of the throne room to the royal lavatories. Once inside, he locked the door, sat on the toilet and focussed on his inner connection with Zym. From the moment he heard his voice up until now, Zym had been pulling at his consciousness, trying to show him something. Alright Zym, I'm here. What's going on?

"Ray sad!" Zym piped through the hall for the second time.

The dragon Queen Zubeia nuzzled Zym with her snout. "We know, my dear Azymondias. But be quiet. The king speaks."

Aureum Umbra looked slightly annoyed at the interruption, but even he couldn't be mad at the little baby dragon, so he let it slide. He looked down again at those assembled in front of him. Rayla looked remorseful and afraid. Catlyn stood next to her, a hand on Rayla's back to support her. And Bosor flanked her on the other side, stoic as always. Keryn stood by the doorway, making sure none of the other Dragonguard entered, but the king was sure that those not on patrol were nearby to hear what was going on.

"So let me get this straight; while you were away, instead of recovering, you went on a mission by yourself where you encountered the dark mage Viren. Instead of fighting him, you traded information for these artefacts. Then, when you got back, you had a falling out with the human prince, who is now missing?"

Rayla stared at the ground, her hands balled into fists. She nodded. I'm stupid I'm stupid I'm stupid….

The dragon king sighed. He didn't like this. There were obviously things that the little elf girl was keeping to herself, and the longer this drama lasted, the less she looked like the strong heroic elf from when he had first met her. Instead, she now looked more like a young child who was unable to deal with her problems, let alone lead a team of elite soldiers.

Zubeia also spoke up. Her tone was soft and motherly, but also slightly admonishing. "I can understand the need to try to free your loved ones, but what made you go to the dark mage's hideout by yourself? You could have been captured, tortured and killed. Or worse, you could have ended up like them." A dragon claw pointed accusingly at the small leather satchel Rayla had fastened to her belt.

"I wasn't thinking." Her small voice said. "I only thought of seeing Runaan again." She had told them the whole story. When the dragon king enquired why she returned sooner than expected, she came clean about the mission she undertook, her meet-up with Soren, and that she spoke to the dark mage instead of fighting him. She also told them about the fight she had with Callum, though she had been vague about the reasons.

The dragons were silent for a while, until the king spoke, having thought of the consequences of this turn of events. "We must find the prince as soon as possible. To have him perish here would put Xadia at risk of war once again."

Rayla winced as the king used the word "perish". He's not dead. He just ran away…

"Why did you have a falling out with the prince, young Rayla?" Zubeia asked gently.

Rayla pressed her lips together. She was trembling now, and she wasn't sure what emotion was responsible for that. She felt so many: fear, sadness, guilt, regret…

Catlyn leaned in and whispered in her ear. "It'd be best to just tell them. Better they hear it from you than from the prince."

Tears sprung in Rayla's eyes as she felt another stab in her heart. I'll be a disgrace forever! Oh gods, what have I done!? She nodded weakly and stepped forward. The heavy emotions visible on her form made even the dragon king look her way curiously.

She began to speak with a soft, trembling voice. "I have made a mistake. When Callum came back, he admitted he might have cheated on me."

Zubeia gasped while the king remained motionless. Zym didn't understand the words but just wanted the meeting to be over so he could fly to Rayla and comfort her with cuddles. Catlyn stood by her side, a sad, mournful expression on her face, while Bosor's face was unreadable, as stoic as he was.

"When he did, I became angry… but I needed him. I needed him to get my parents and Runaan out of there. So I held back and talked to him about that. When he said that the sky arcanum couldn't do stuff like that, I asked him to use… dark magic."

As she said that, the temperature in the room seemed to drop below freezing. The king hissed, while the queen's eyes went wide like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even Bosor took a step back and looked at Rayla in disbelief.

Rayla swallowed. She had already made up her mind about what she wanted to say. She let herself fall on her knees in front of the dragons, eyes downcast. "I was stupid, and in pain. I...I only thought of myself. When Callum wouldn't help me, I chased him out of my room. I know it won't help anyone, but...I'm sorry." She felt useless as she said it. But that's what I am, I guess… useless...

The king grumbled loudly and stood up straight, lording down on the Dragonguard gathered before him. The queen put a paw on his shoulder. The king gave her an annoyed look, but the dragon queen said nothing, just giving the dragon king a look that he seemed to understand. He nodded to her and then addressed the guard.

"Dragonguard, we have a situation on our hands that requires both my judgement and your cooperation. First, the judgement." He looked at Rayla, who now looked back up at him. Her eyes looked empty, like she had now spent all of her emotions. "Rayla of Xadia. You have acted in a way unbefitting of a Dragonguard. You have set yourself on the path of danger, without thought of what you being captured might mean for the defences of the Storm Spire. Furthermore, your actions with the prince of Katolis have possibly put our peace with that nation in jeopardy. Lastly, you have betrayed the core tenets of Xadia by asking a human to perform dark magic."

The words came down on Rayla like heavy rain and pelting snow. As she looked up at the giant head, a maw filled with teeth, she briefly wondered if this would end with her being swallowed whole. A part of her hoped it would. I don't want to feel like this. Put an end to it…

"In the past, I have given you leniency because of your heroic actions, but no more. My judgement is that you are to be stripped of your rank as captain. Furthermore, your position in the Dragonguard is now temporary, until a suitable replacement can be found." As the words left the king's mouth, Rayla let her head fall down. All she had achieved had crumbled to nothingness. But the king was not done. "Bosor. In the short time you have been a member of the Dragonguard, you have shown nothing but exemplary behaviour, befitting of an elite warrior of Xadia. I therefore promote you to the position of captain."

Bosor's eyes widened. He saluted. "Yes, my king."

"Your first assignment will be to find the human prince. If he can't be found, send a message to Katolis immediately to see if he has gone back home. Once you are done, find two more warriors to complete the Dragonguard."

"Your will be done!" He saluted once more and marched out of the room. The other Dragonguard who were waiting by the entrance were stunned by what they just heard. They hesitantly saluted as Bosor walked by, already giving orders to the various elves.

Rayla sat down on the floor, still on her knees. Catlyn shook her by the shoulder. "Come on, Rayla, we gotta go." But the girl gave no response. Catlyn signed and heaved her up. Rayla stood but was in a zombie-like state. Catlyn gave her a worried look. She looked back at the dragons. The king pretended not to see them, but the queen looked worried, though not enough to offer any help. Catlyn then took Rayla and pulled her arm across the shoulder, half walking, half dragging the poor girl back to her room.

The great hall within the Storm Spire was quiet once more. When all but the dragons were gone, Zym's mother spoke, addressing the king. "It was nice of you to care so much about the human prince, sending the kingdom a message and such."

The dragon king gave her a look. "I don't. He can die in the desert for all I care. But I cannot let his disappearance lead to strife or war. That would cost many Xadian lives, and he is not worth that."

Zym looked confused. He didn't understand all this grown-up talk. He just understood this was about Rayla and Callum, the pair that had brought him to his mother. He made a mournful sound. "Ray sad, Cam 'way. Bad."

A loud knock shook Ezran out of his vision. "Sire, are you alright!?" Ezran shook his head, dizzy from being engrossed in the vision for so long. "Yes, yes of course I am, why wouldn't I be?"

The guard hesitantly responded. "Well, sire, you've been there for...quite a while. Opeli is asking after you. Apparently, the delegation is getting impatient.

"Eeeh…. It's the jelly tarts! They…. They gave me explosive diarrhoea!" Ezran blurted out, saying the first thing that came to mind.

"...Okay, we'll ...we will stand guard from down the hallway, sire."

Ezran groaned. Right now, the situation of the delegation wasn't the worst of his problems. Callum, where are you!? He very much wanted to know first-hand what had happened between him and Rayla. As Ezran made ready to go back to the throne room, he felt that he still had a bit of a connection left to Zym. With one last mental effort, he sent a message. Oh, Zym? Good job on the 'words'! Pretty soon, we'll have real conversations!

He faintly heard a word come back from the other end. "Happy."

-/-/-/-

Claudia was giddy with excitement. The True Light bastion in Valros was in sight. Their mission had only taken a couple of days and had been completely successful! I was so lucky that Callum just happened to land in that forest! If that hadn't happened, we may have had to sneak past those Dragonguards to get to him. She doubted that would have gone well, but she would have tried for him. She needed a friend, and as she looked at Callum who was riding his horse next to her, she knew that she wouldn't be alone any longer.

She thought back to the moment she had cast the spell. Callum's eyes had glossed over for a bit. He looked surprised, though not shocked. When Claudia had asked him if he would like to get away from the Storm Spire, he had readily agreed. It's a good thing we brought an extra horse. Otherwise, we wouldn't be as fast as we were. She had taken several cult members on this expedition, and Aaravos had cast a spell that would make their mounts as fast as the wind for a couple of days. All in all, she was very proud of what she had pulled off.

When they entered the bastion, Claudia immediately took Callum to her room. Callum willingly followed her, but he hadn't made any further comment since she charmed him. Aaravos had told her that people under the effect of the charm spell would appear more withdrawn to others, while in reality, they had lost part of their free will to the caster. As their body and mind adjusted to the spell, they would slowly return to their normal behaviour, but now they would adore the caster and listen to their every word. Thinking of Aaravos, I should probably introduce Callum to that bug. But I want to talk with him first. She had tried to make small talk on the way home, but Callum's responses had mostly been one-word answers, and she didn't want to press any sensitive subjects with the cult members nearby.

She dragged Callum inside her room and closed the doors. Callum just stood mindlessly in the centre of the room. "Take a seat, Callum," said Claudia as she did so herself. Callum wordlessly grabbed a chair and sat down. He looked around, seeming to take in the room. It was cosy, with red drapes before the windows and a few plants in pots in the corners. The room didn't scream 'Claudia', but that was because she was on the road a lot.

"So, what do you think?"

Callum looked at Claudia. "The room looks nice. Have you lived here long?"

Claudia blinked. This was the first time he had asked a question since the spell. He must be adjusting more quickly to the spell than I thought. "Yeah, me and dad set up camp here shortly after the battle near the Storm Spire. The town was already there, but it started to grow into a city as we helped the people here."

"That's nice."

Claudia smiled. "So...what do you think of dark magic?" She was curious. Since she hadn't given him any suggestions to like or dislike anything, he should just give her his honest opinion.

"Dark magic is evil and wrong." He said with a frown. "You destroy the life of a magical creature for power. It is like the complete opposite of what the arcana are about."

Inwardly, Claudia groaned. It reminded her of their discussion at the moon nexus. "Alright, I get it, prince judgyface. But you eat meat. Where do you think that meat comes from?"

Callum's frown deepened, his brain searching for a proper answer to this girl's question. "I think that's different. Viren used dark magic a lot of times to make things easier. We need meat to live, so we kill to survive. But you don't need to use dark magic. It's a choice. A choice that kills something else."

"Is it, though?" Her finger rubbed over the spine of her spellbook which lay on the table. "Listen, I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone before."

Callum perked up and leaned in, figuring this was important. "After the battle of the Storm Spire, I went to look for my dad. He-" She swallowed, trying to contain emotions she had buried deep inside of her. "He had died, thrown off the top of the mountain by that elf. I didn't know what to do. That bug creature was with him. It looked hurt, but was still wriggling."

"Bug creature?" Callum prompted.

"Oh, you haven't met our bug pal? I'll show him to you later then. Anyway, I found a cave and hid him there, as well as the bug creature. I wanted to get my dad back, and I needed a lot of magic to do it. So I went to look for powerful magical creatures for two full days, but I couldn't find any. The only thing I found was a deserter, a crownguard soldier who had run away from the battle. I persuaded her to come with me, said I needed help. She came with me. Once she was in the cave, I knocked her out, and not really knowing what I was doing, I began to cast a spell." She took a moment of pause. She felt that her body was tense from reliving that moment. Callum's expression was careful, guarded. "I was able to transfer the life energy from that deserter back to dad. It took a long time, but eventually, I succeeded! My dad was alive again!"

Claudia smiled brightly, proud of her accomplishment, but to her shock, the expression on Callum's face changed from guarded to horrified. Reacting almost on instinct, Claudia gave her first real order. "Callum, don't look at me like that over again."

His face immediately slackened. "Okay."

She smiled carefully. "So you see? Sometimes you do need dark magic to help someone!"

Callum smiled. "I see, Claudia. You're right."

"Yes! I knew that you would underst-." She had her arms already in the air when the coin dropped in her head. He's agreeing because I charmed him… "Oh, right… of course…Well, I think we should just get started and see how good you are with dark magic. Do you want to help me with some spells?"

Callum jumped up enthusiastically. "Yes, I love magic!"

"That's the spirit." She liked that a bit of the real Callum was surfacing, even if it was probably twisted a bit by the charm spell. "Now, I've got this spell that creates an orb or something, but we are kind of stuck with what to do next. The spell is supposed to create the 'heart of a dragon'..."

-/-/-/-

Another session had ended, and a tired Viren walked out of the great hall beneath the mountain. Time to get some fresh air, he thought. For the past three days, he and the council had done nothing but discuss dark magic and its use. At first, the experience was agonising. All his views on dark magic were challenged. Though they told him it was to reevaluate his principles and not meant to be judgmental, it was still vexing to be confronted with his own mistakes time and time again.

Still, it wasn't without its benefits. He now knew that Del Bar was ruled by this council, and that they called themselves the Council of Ziard because they were all dark mages. However, unlike Viren, they held a few peculiar views about the use of dark magic. As Viren was thinking back to their conversations, he was suddenly interrupted by a rush of wind and a dark shadow crossing over him. What? A dragon!? In Del Bar!?

"Wait, Viren!" The ragged voice from one of the sages rang out as he rushed out of the dark hallway. The black dragon flew straight at Viren but flapped its wings to slow its descent, causing hard winds to hit the mountainside. Viren braced himself, but as he recognized the dragon, he made no further offensive movements. The sage ran up beside him. "Don't attack, Viren, as strange as it sounds, he's friendly."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" Viren muttered as he watched the dragon land on the narrow path up the mountain. It was a tight fit. The black dragon kept a watchful eye on the sage and Viren as it folded its wings and stomped a bit closer.

"So you made your way here after all, Viren? I wondered if you would take the opportunity when it presented itself." The deep voice of the dragon resonated in his mind. Viren thought of the last time he saw that dragon, nearly more than a year ago. It had been civil, if a bit threatening.

"Zeron…" Viren muttered. "I thought it would be prudent to check out this council." He looked towards the sage. "It appears that we have a lot in common, yet can still learn from another."

"Is that so? Tell me then, what have you learned…" The dragon made no move to come closer but had his complete intention focussed on Viren.

Viren hesitated in answering this question. I feel like I'm asked to recite my lessons to a schoolteacher. Who does this dragon think he is? He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You can answer him, Viren. He is a friend of Del Bar." The old man's black eyes and cracked skin made for a terrifying visage, but it was a face that Viren had grown used to long ago. He had looked like that, before his resurrection. He just hid it with dark magic.

Viren grumbled. "Alright. It appears they follow the teachings, or should I say, the example, of the first dark mage, Ziard. They use their powers to help others, but only when there is great need. They don't use it lightly. And they have added some tenets of their own. Apparently, they only gather ingredients from that which has already perished."

The sage next to him nodded. "Taking life is one of the greatest offences one can commit in this creation. One should always avoid such an option."

"Very wise," the deep voice rumbled. "Are you persuaded at all by their teachings?"

"I'm not sure I can agree with their refusal to change their visage.." he said as he nodded to the smiling sage, "...but I can see where they are coming from. It does make the practice of dark magic a lot harder, and a lot more costly. Ingredients will be hard to come by, and people are not inclined to listen to those who look like monsters. No offence, of course!"

The sage shrugged. "None taken. But you yourself are not far from that, are you?" he said, gesturing at Viren's ashen skin and grey streaks of hair. "Corruption is the price we pay for practising dark magic. It is called dark magic for a reason, after all. But since it is a power we can use, we reason that it is a power we must and can use, if we do so, in a controlled manner." The sage now gestured at the city below them, as if it were an example of what might come of such use of power.

Viren looked at the city. It looked like it was prospering, despite the isolation Del Bar was in right now. He also noted that none of the people below were pointing at the great black dragon sitting against the mountainside. "They don't see you, do they?" Viren surmised.

"No, they do not," Zeron replied.

Going back to his thoughts, Viren recalled his talks with the council. He came to discover that the various members of the council (sages as they called themselves) were solo practitioners of dark magic before the death of King Florian. They used to practise dark magic as a hobby, keeping each other up to date on their discoveries. They read the history of dark magic and based on that compiled a code that should make sure that dark magic could be used wisely and hopefully be accepted by all humans and elves. After King Florian's demise, the councilmembers, being already in influential positions for the most part, took control of the city, and later on, the country. Right now, it was doing quite well, despite its isolation from Duren and Katolis.

Viren turned back to Zeron. "I don't disagree with the council, of course. Careful use of dark magic is...slow, but efficient, and seems less costly in the long run. But what brings you here, oh great black dragon?"

Though Viren said it in a mocking tone, the dragon didn't react to it. "I came to see how the council was doing. While Xadia as a whole might disregard the notion of humans practising dark magic, I myself am more neutrally aligned in the matter. I focus on the use. Power, in whatever form, can be used for both good and evil. You, Viren have done many a great evil with it, even if you had the best of intentions at times. But I sense that you have yet a part to play in this world. My hope is that the council can temper you for that."

This confused Viren, though he tried not to show it, instead changing topics. "And what of Xadia? Do you think they will ever relent and let humans practise this magic?"

"As things stand right now? No. But that is also because they deny their own history."

"Ahum, yes!" The sage piped up, not wanting to be left out of the conversation. "Though the unicorns were responsible for giving humans the primal stones, it was actually an elf who helped Ziard on how to utilise dark magic after its discovery."

Viren looked surprised. "An elf?

"Yes, indeed." Zeron supplied. "A secret bit of ancient knowledge, unknown to most, except for the most ancient of dragons. Do you care to guess his name?"

Viren frowned, then his eyes widened. It couldn't be. "Let me guess… Aaravos?"

The dragon seemed to grin and nodded. "One should always be wary of the motives of one granting great power to another. Be careful Viren. A time of great change is coming, for all of Xadia." And with that, the dragon stretched its wings and flew skyward, retreating into the distance.

-/-/-/-

With the wave of a hand, the spell ended, the black tendrils of dark magic disappearing as Callum's eyes turned back to normal. The crowd of cult members gave Callum applause. Callum smiled and urged them to try the new spell themselves.

Aaravos watched the scene unfold from the shadows. It had been almost a week since the human girl had brought this human boy from the Storm Spire, and already this boy was an enigma to him. He was extremely gifted at learning new spells and casting them, and for some reason could cast spells of the sky arcanum without a prima stone. With the permission of Claudia, he had interrogated Callum about that, but the answers had been less than satisfying. No elven heritage. No special upbringing. No logical connection to anything related to the arcanum. How can it be that this boy is so talented in magic!? If only he had met this boy instead of Viren, he could have accomplished so much more!

"What do you think?"

Aaravos turned around, the legs making a skittering sound as the large bug body turned. Claudia approached him. "He's a very talented boy. It's amazing how he mastered so much in such a short time…" His voice was suspicious, but Claudia paid it no heed. Instead, she leaned on her staff and watched Callum teach the other cult members the new offensive magic they were developing.

"Yeah, he's got an eidetic memory or something. If he's seen something, then he can recall it very easily. Works great for his sketches too! You should see some of his work! It's a shame he didn't bring his sketchbook…"

"Hmpf… well, as long as this boy helps you finish the 'heart of a dragon', then I'm all for it. Have you made any progress with it?"

"We have, actually!" she leaned over the edge. "Hey, Callum! Can you come up here for a sec?"

Callum looked up and waved at Claudia. "Oh, sure! Coming up!" He drew a rune and incanted the spell. "Fuga!" With a rush of wind, he was propelled upwards, landing smoothly on the ledge she and Aaravos were standing on. The crowd below stood in amazement as he did that.

Claudia giggled. "Showoff."

Callum answered with a smile, then turned to the creature before him as it spoke to him.

"So, Claudia told me that you have made some progress with this special primal stone I- we want to create?" Aaravos asked.

"Yes, actually! Turns out we have almost all the ingredients needed for the spell. However, a key component is missing, so we still need to get that," Callum said jovially. Since Claudia said to him not to be afraid of Aaravos and trust him, he did just that.

Aaravos found that demeanour actually quite unsettling. Even Viren had given some sort of a reaction to his form, a strange mix of disgust and admiration. But this boy seemed to completely ignore this in his charmed state. "How can you miss an ingredient? I've gathered everything for you! We just need you to put the spell together and create the stone!"

Callum shook his head. "I've looked at the parchment, and I think there's an error in the translation. Might be because the original text was written in poem form. The ingredient we've got wrong is that we have got the heart of an emperor reigar, while we only need a few feathers of that animal for the spell."

"Pfff, we got plenty of those," Claudia said.

Aaravos was still in the dark. "So what are we missing then?"

Callum raised his eyebrows. "Well, why did you think the artefact was called the 'heart of a dragon'?"

Aaravos stared at the two. "That...will be a challenge, then."

Callum shrugged. "Well, it's the only way we can complete the spell and create this primal stone. According to the text, the original one was made using the power of both unicorns and dragons. If we have to use dark magic to create a similar object, then we have to create some dragon power of our own!"

The bug remained motionless. Aaravos was in deep thought. I had hoped that using the heart of a strong magical creature would be enough, but no, of course it has to be a dragon! Ugh… Not that I would mind using their hearts for such spells but with the limited power we have, any offensive on a dragon's lair is doomed to fail. Looks like I have to postpone my plan once again…The bug seemed to sag a little.

"Aw, don't worry, bugpal! We've got a plan for getting a heart!" Claudia said, tapping her staff. "In a few weeks' time, we're going to attack the Storm Spire with our army of dark magic cultists!"

This seemed to catch the bug off guard completely, its body making a few skittish movements. "You...you what!?"

Claudia nodded. "I talked to Callum about it, and he figured that this would be the fastest way to get what we want."

"This is unwise, Claudia. Viren didn't succeed, and he had the armies of four nations at his back! Why do you think you'll succeed?"

Claudia looked smug and motioned to Callum. "Callum? Why don't you explain the plan."

Callum took a step forward. "If we move in stealthily enough, we won't have to fight any other Xadian armies or dragons. Then it's just us and the cultists against the Dragonguard and the dragons. Viren and my step-dad killed Thunder with just the two of them. With an army of dark mages, we should be able to handle anything they can throw at us."

Aaravos frowned, though his bug form was unable to do that. His voice sounded less than pleased with the plan though. "There are other dragons out there who are a much easier mark. It is stupid to throw your army away like that."

But Claudia shook her head. "Look, I get it. The dragon king is powerful, the queen probably as well, but we've got several things going for us! First of all, Callum knows the Dragonguard. He knows exactly who we're up against and what their strengths are. Secondly, every single one of us knows magic. The guard doesn't, so taking them out will be a piece of cake. Lastly, the dragons won't leave the lair at the same time. One of them has got to protect the Dragon Prince. So we will only be fighting one dragon at the time."

When Aaravos didn't respond, Claudia pressed on. "Think about it. We will be able to get the heart, we will eliminate the dragon king and queen, and maybe even get the Dragon Prince! It's a win-win-win!"

It was silent at the plateau for a long time. Aaravos felt the temptation of agreeing with this plan, but the memories of the last battle were still fresh in his mind. He survived, of course, but barely. And he really didn't see how they could succeed against multiple dragons and highly trained elves. They are underestimating their opponent… he thought. Still, the human boy is right. There is a small chance of success here. But I don't want to sacrifice my bug form for that chance. It cost me too much to create…. What to do, what to do….

Eventually, Aaravos relented. "Alright. Then do it. But I still think it is too much of a risk, so I have a condition."

"Alright. What's that?" Claudia asked.

"I will not be joining you. This form cannot cast offensive spells anyway, so at most I could be a distraction. Those dragons would kill me quite easily. But what I can do is create a spell of binding." The bug moved its arms in a stylish manner, creating runic patterns in the air as if it was already casting.

"What does the spell do?" Callum was always curious about new magic. This was the first time the creature admitted to being able to cast spells.

"It binds a creature to me. When you are in dire need, you can focus on the spell, and it sends you back to me in an instant."

"Would it work on someone who's unconscious?" Claudia thought that they could still be knocked out by a surprise attack. Magic wouldn't do them any good if they couldn't cast or focus.

"No, but if you grab hold of someone, they will be transported with you." The bug gave them a stern look. "Under no circumstances grab hold of a dragon while doing that. I do not wish to encounter an archdragon while in this form. I trust you understand this."

Claudia nodded. "Alright! Then we've got a plan!"

The bug regarded her carefully. "Indeed we do. Now leave me. I will prepare the binding spell for this endeavour."

As Callum turned to jump down the ledge again, Claudia grabbed his hand. "Actually, Callum, could you come with me?"

"Sure, Claudia!" Callum said as he let himself be dragged off, back towards the temple.

Claudia looked him deep in the eyes. As she held his hand, she felt a blush creep to her face. Even if he would always listen and obey her, she felt the need to explain herself. "I-I would like to spend some time with you. I've been a bit lonely."

Callum just smiled at her. "That's alright! I will keep you company!"

-/-/-/-

The clouds moved slowly through the air, obscuring the half-moon that was still visible. It's turning dark again, Rayla thought as she looked up from the Plateau. It will take a couple of weeks, but still. She didn't like it. She wished the moon were full. She needed her strength, especially now.

I've lost so much…

She thought of the mission with Runaan she screwed up. I'm the reason he's trapped. She thought of her parents and their imprisonment. She couldn't get them out, even asking for their release was wrong, because it used dark magic! She thought of how she failed to kill Viren, permanently, that is. And she thought of Callum, who was now missing. A message had come from Katolis. The prince wasn't there. She didn't know how the Dragonguard replied. She wasn't a captain anymore.

I'm not anything anymore…

In her hand, she held a necklace, the one he had given to her on her last birthday. I wish you were here! Oh, Callum, I want you back! Tears started to stream down her face as her emotions overwhelmed her. She was reminded of her first kiss. She was breaking down in the oasis, and Callum had cheered her up. That lit up the spark of interest she had for him into a brightly burning flame. And even though it was awkward and embarrassing, she thought of that moment with fondness as well, because Callum had been there for her.

But she was breaking down now and this time, there was no Callum to comfort her. Oh Callum...wherever you are, I hope you think of me...

Author's note:

And here you go. Reading the reviews, I'm starting to notice people are getting pretty...excited about the direction the story is taking. At the very least, that means readers are getting invested!

I'm not entirely happy with the Callum/Claudia scenes, but unfortunately, I'm lacking the time to work them out any more than this. There might also be some typos because I was rushing at the end. My apologies for that. I'll rectify them once the entire story is finished. Only two more chapters to go after all!

As always, if you've enjoyed the story, please let me know!

Review responses:

Gustrubio: Hehehe, yup, this is what I mean with "getting invested"! As for Rayla, she has a breaking point. I honestly don't think that when presented with the opportunity to release her family from those coins, that she wouldn't consider using dark magic, especially since in this story she's in a very fragile state, emotionally speaking.

As for our favorite dragon, well, here you go.

Mateusz Weryski: Yup! Things are going downhill for Rayla. But the darkest is just before the dawn, right? Also, no problem for just commenting on one of the sites. I'm just glad you comment at all!

Dragon Lord Draco: Well, right now Claudia is only supported emotionally by a big, glowing bug controlled by a space elf. She's probably not the most stable right now, and I'd like to think that she wants the friendship she had with Callum to get a better grip on herself. She's lonely, but she wants to use Callum to solve that, so she seeks him out for selfish reasons.

As for the dragon king, yeah, he'll be pissed once he finds out.

Mdauben: Nope. I'd love to write some more Rayllum, but they will have to wait a while for that. Claudia will make good use of Callum, that's for sure.

Brenne: Well, here you go! I'll keep the updates coming!

Rainbowhawk1993:

Oh boy, wall of text...here we go!

1. Yup, though she already has that now. She's definitely regretting asking him to do dark magic and then getting angry at him.

2. That happened partly I suppose.

3. Well, he got close! They still need that final ingrediënt.

4. I'm not sure the "power of love/friendship" will break any charms or spells in this universe. So Rayla better keep those blades sharp!

5 & 6: Okay that's just season 6 and 7 stuff right there. But it's true we're heading towards an endgame, especially for this season.

NightOwlHope:

Hehehe. If Rayla finds out that he was kidnapped by Claudia, she would definitely freak out. However, she has more concerns. Her life is falling apart, and she has no one to help her get her parents back. The question is; will she be able to hold it together for the time being?