Author's Note: As of June 27th, 2016, the entire fanfic has been rewritten. That means this chapter, all that came before it, and all that follow it now contain different content that they did previously. You are strongly encouraged to go back and reread the entire fanfic from the beginning, as the revised continuity may confuse you if you jump in part of the way through.
"Where is he?" Thorn muttered to herself under her breath. She stood in the middle of the throne room in the same dress she had worn to her coronation surrounded by dozens of nobles, merchants, two or three priests, and other important high society members. Despite the large crowd, most of Thorn's royal court had decided not to attend. Mermie and the Dreaming Council were performing some sort of ceremony in their tower, while Gran'ma Ben had decided to accompany Taneal on her yearly pilgrimage a few days prior, and hadn't returned yet. Fone also had yet to make an appearance. Thorn thought back on his words on the roof, and suddenly didn't think a strange display of unknown foreign cultural music would make this party any better. She said a few words of feigned gratitude to the group of nobles that had just recently approached her, and made her way to one of the servants standing at the edge of the room.
"Lily." She said as quietly as possible, not wanting to alert any more mingling socializers to her presence.
"Yes my queen?" Asked the servant girl.
"Fone still hasn't arrived, and I'm worried he'll do something foolish. Please find him and tell him that whatever he's planning isn't a good idea."
"Yes your majesty." The servant quietly slipped out the door and frantically began searching for her charge. Thorn turned back to the party as a member of the Noble Council's inner circle approached her.
"Ah, Councilman Gabriel. I didn't expect to see you here. I though after your wife had passed that you took some time away from the inner circle to readjust yourself."
"I did, your majesty. I have returned upon hearing the news of you inviting Pawans into the palace. Many members of the council are fervently opposed to this action, but I will stand by whatever decision you make. I decided that if you were going to be making bold moves in the name of progress, then you'd need more than your grandmother as the head of the council and representative to the royal court to coax some loyalty out of them."
"The sentiment is much appreciated, Councilman, but I assure you that the loyalty of the Noble Council has never been in question. Despite some resistance, I have managed to convince enough of them that a renewed relationship with the Pawans is a move in the right direction, especially since their chieftain died almost two years ago and his sons have been much more receptive to talks of rebuilding the road system between our two nations. I believe that if trade can resume, then we can all put the past wars behind us and focus on building up our nation into the kingdom it once was."
"I admire your vision, your grace. This event celebrating the Pawans was a genius move, especially since the merchants have a chance to compare notes between nations. But the princes still haven't arrived. If they don't show, this whole gesture will be pointless." She saw Lily poke her head back through the door, and motion for Thorn to come outside.
"Excuse me Councilman. Some business had emerged that I must attend to. Please, enjoy yourself. The celebration has only just begun after all." She walked away from his slightly confused stare and out the door, to see Fone Bone standing with a strange silver box and orange rope, and Lily looking very exhausted. "Thank you Lily, you can go now." She said.
"Yes, my queen." The servant girl left to attend to the guests inside.
"What is that thing?" Thorn asked. Before Fone could answer, she stopped him, "Never mind, you can explain it later. I'm sure it's really interesting and does something amazing, but right now, this isn't what I need." Fone Bone looked slightly hurt.
"I thought you wanted to liven up the party. Now you're telling me to run all the way back to my car and put all of this up again? I have some good music here, quality stuff I know you'd enjoy. What's gotten into you?"
"I just think that a wild display of strange music from what they'll think is a magical box of weirdness isn't exactly helping the point of celebrating the Pawans as a people and welcoming them back into the city. Plus this is your first public appearance as a Dragon Saint. Do you really want to make yourself look like a fool in front of all of the Atheian elite? And the Pawan guests?"
"Well you do have a point." Fone Bone, slightly bereft, coiled the extension cord back up and set it and the player inside one of the bushes in the courtyard. With that done, he returned to the conversation at hand. "I'll keep this away from the party, but promise me when that, when this is over, you'll listen to some music with me. You'll like it, trust me."
"Ok, you've got a deal. Come on, we've got a party to attend. Don't think for a second that I'm dealing with another one of these haughty self-important nobles without some help." They walked back to the door.
"Come on, they can't be all that bad, can they?" Fone opened the door, and was greeted by a host of gasps and exasperated glances in his direction. As he and Thorn made their way through the crowd to talk up important individuals and introduce everyone to him, onlookers kept shooting Fone strange looks. "Looks like I spoke too soon." He said to her under his breath. She chuckled slightly. She looked around to see if anyone was looking. Satisfied that no one was, she responded.
"Wait until the Pawans get here. Then the pretentious parade will really kick off."
"Ah, Queen Thorn. I didn't think we'd get another chance to speak after the rather abrupt end to our earlier conversation. Has your business been resolved?" Councilman Gabriel sauntered over through the mingling crowd to meet up with Thorn and Fone. Gabriel looked at Fone as he wandered over, and immediately his eyes shot daggers, masked quickly by an expression of curiosity. "And who might this be?" He asked, a slight strain in his voice.
"I think you already know who my guest is, Gabriel. You've no doubt seen his carving in the Queen's Square."
"Ah yes. Dragon Saint Fone Bone, Locust Slayer and Rat Rider." He put particular emphasis on those last two words, "You did us a great service all those years ago. My family was killed by rats, you know. It's a good thing you put a stop to that war, or else many more families would have shared mine's fate."
"No please, No thanks are necessary. In my position, any inhabitant of this valley would have done the same. I'm just glad things have improved vastly since I was here last." Responded Fone, with genuine modesty in his voice.
"I agree things have improved, but I don't think just anyone would have done what you did. Those filthy rats and savage hill Pawans for example. They wouldn't have had the spine to do what needed to be done. Or the cowardly dragons, hiding in their caves while the valley burned. They wouldn't lift a finger to save us. But I still stand by the queen's decision. If she says they can be trusted, then they can be trusted. I've never known her majesty's judgement to be wrong."
"Thank you Gabriel. It was nice meeting you again." A guard ran up to Thorn before she could speak.
"The Pawans are here." He whispered in her ear, "They said they would… appreciate it if you announced their arrival." She chewed the thought for a moment.
"Open the doors when I saw the word princes. Then they enter and get their flourish and flare. And I get a solid standing with the new rulers."
"Yes my Queen." Said the guard. He ran back to the doors and gave her orders to the men standing near them before relaying the message to the Pawans outside. Thorn stood up on her throne after a minute, and motioned for everyone to quiet down. This happened rather quickly. Then she began to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, friends and new arrivals, I have an announcement to make. It is with great jubilation that I announce the arrival of our guests on honor tonight, Princes Caydmar and Rankyne." The doors opened and in stepped the princes, arrayed in fine Athenian style formal wear. Both were twins, Thorn's age with short brown hair. With them came two bodyguards, four servants, and a handful of merchants to talk business with the Athenians.
"It is a great pleasure to be standing in the halls of the Athenian Palace." Said Rankyne, "Though I hope you don't expect us to kneel. We're not here seeking vassalage, despite what some rumors claim."
"We're here to reestablish the trade routes our father and uncle burned in their petty war. My brother and I hope that this gathering may allow both our kingdoms to once again prosper through mutual cooperation." Their words were greeted with fervent applause from the crowd. Thorn began to speak again.
"Now that our guests of honor have arrived, the main meal will be served shortly. Until then, please enjoy each other's company."
"So, Fone Bone. Now that the meal is underway and the merchants and nobles are talking business, I was hoping you could recount to us the story of how you and the Queen defeated the Locust." Said Prince Rankyne. Everyone had moved to the dining hall a few minutes prior to begin eating. Most of the rest of the guests were seated at the smaller tables while the princes, Thorn, Fone, and a few Atheian councilmembers and Pawans were seated at a large long table, with Thorn at one end and the princes at the other.
"I'm not really sure where to begin. I was here for over a year, and the whole time seemed like one big adventure. Where would you like me to begin? My arrival at the Dragon's Stair? The start of the war with the Rats? The coming of the ghost circles? Or would you like to skip straight to the juicy part: the descent into Tanen Guard?" Fone was seated on Thorn's right side, across from Gabriel, on a raised stack of cousins that put him about level with the rest of the guests.
"Start at the beginning. Spare no detail. I want to hear everything about your adventures." Said prince Caydmar.
"Then we'll probably be here all night. We might not even get to the actual fights against the Locust's forces until tomorrow."
"We have time. We are staying a few days anyway. The merchants can handle the negotiations and such, and the details can be hammered out at any time, but how many opportunities will we have to hear such a tale of unmatched proportions from the lips of the Locust Slayer himself?"
"If you insist, I'll tell you, though it will take a while for things to pick up. My cousins, Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone, and I had been running for our lives for two weeks. The townspeople of our home, Boneville, had run us out when Phoney, an undoubtedly disliked person beforehand, had decided to run for mayor…" Fone continued with the story for another hour and a half, relaying the story up until right before the great cow race was about to start. Suddenly, as he was about to reach the climax of this chapter of his story, one of Taneal's priests approached Thorn and bowed.
"My Queen, Taneal wishes to express her deepest regrets that she was not able to join you tonight. But if you need anything, know that I act on her authority." He spoke softly. After he had finished speaking, he began to return to his table. Then everything happened at once. A man dressed in extremely traditional Pawan servant's robes burst into the room.
"Queen Thorn!" He shouted, "I have an important message for you." Thorn's brow furrowed. The priest swiftly drew a small vile from his robes. He threw it onto the ground, and out from it billowed thick smoke. The Pawan dashed at the Queen while the guests were blinded, and he placed a dagger at her throat before she could move. When the smoke cleared, the priest and servant were holding Thorn hostage at the far end of the room.
"Thorn!" Fone shouted.
"Silence!" the priest screamed. "For too long our brothers of Pawa have suffered at the hands of the House of Harvester! Now, their tainted lineage will fall, and a new alliance of the Pawans and the Dragon Church shall rise from the ashes and liberate this valley from oppression!"
The servant prepared to slit her throat. The whole room stood rapt in horror. Suddenly Councilman Gabriel drew two short daggers from his cloak, and in one swift motion killed both would be assassins on the spot.
"Well, it seems this whole party was a farce." He said as he walked over to the corpses of the two men. "And it looks like your friend Taneal betrayed you to the Pawans, my Queen. At least my time in the Vedu paid off with some useful combat skills." He pulled his daggers from the two dead men. "I'm glad you're safe. What do you want to do with the traitors?" Thorn stood in shock. She composed herself, and shouted orders.
"Lock down the palace!" She shouted. "No one leaves until we get to the bottom of this! In the meantime, throw the Pawans into the dungeon and someone find me Taneal's assistant! I want to know exactly where she went on her "pilgrimage"." The guards grabbed the Princes and forced them to the ground.
"No!" Shouted Fone. "You will do no such thing. The Pawans and Taneal are innocent." Thorn's rage started boiling over.
"They just tried to kill me, Fone! What is so innocent about that?! Why is that not clear?! Why aren't you taking my side?! After everything we've been through why are you still opposing my judgement?!"
"I am taking your side, believe me, I just don't want you to make a hasty decision. This whole thing feels wrong. If they wanted you dead, why did the princes show up at all? Why not just kill you when you first had those doors opened? Or poison the food? Or any number of better ways that wouldn't leave them at the mercy of the guards? And Taneal has been your friend for years, why would she try to kill you now, as opposed to any one of your meetings where you have less protection? And the weird flare was a bit unnecessary. Explaining exactly who it was that was trying to kill you makes this whole thing seem set up somehow."
"Well Fone, what would you have me do? These are members of the Pawan servitude and the Dragon priesthood. If Taneal and the Princes aren't behind this, then at the very least people close to the top in both organizations must be, and until we can sort out the truth, I need to be very cautious about how I proceed."
"That man isn't a Pawan!" Shouted Rankyne as he struggled against his captor. "Look at him, he doesn't look anything like we do! He's got blond hair! You won't find any blond Pawans in the whole valley! And his dress is all wrong. That garb is from at least fifty years ago, nothing any Pawan servant would wear today!" The guards began to drag Rankyne and Caydmar out of the door. The servants and merchant were also being detained. Fone ran over to the body of the priest, and bent over to examine him. After a short time, he drew in a sharp, quick breath, and stood up.
"Everyone stop!" He shouted, "I have proof that the Pawans and the clergy are innocent. This man," he pointed to the priest, "Is not a priest. He may wear priestly robes, but I recognize his face. He was a disciple of Vedu back during the siege, and was the one that knocked Taneal's shrines down the morning of the battle. And his accomplice isn't a Pawan either, as Prince Rankyne just pointed out." Everyone in the room paused, and even the guards stopped carrying away the princes.
"So we have two imposters, one belonging to the disciples of Vedu, attacking the queen and declaring that the Dragons and the Pawans, two groups that couldn't be closer to the queen's favor, want her dead. I don't know about you, but that seems extremely suspicious. We also have a guest here tonight who used to belong to the same order as the imposter and who hates not only the Pawans, but the Dragons as well." Fone turned to face Gabriel, who started sweating and tensing up.
"Tell me Gabriel, did these men know you would kill them, or was that display spur of the moment to gain some favor with the Queen and the people." Thorn looked from Fone to Gabriel to the dead priest, and the same conclusion dawned on her as well. She rose, and moved to stand beside Fone facing Gabriel.
"Guards. Release the Pawans. And arrest Councilman Gabriel for treason and attempted murder of the Queen of the Valley."
"Surely you can't be serious, your majesty. This is some half-baked evidence from an outsider. How can you be so sure you can even trust him?" Gabriel started panicking, and frantically looked around for an escape route as guards closed in on him.
"Outsider? You're more of an outsider than Fone will ever be. Fone has been by my side through the worst times of my life, and he's been persistent in supporting me no matter how many times I've lashed out in my brash fury. And you're a snake and a pig who tried to have me killed. So who do you think I'm going to believe?" The guards caught him as he tried to bolt for the exit, and slammed him to the ground. He fell unconscious instantly. The guards dragged him off to the dungeon as Thorn approached the gathered group of Pawans. She also turned to the guests still lingering.
"You are dismissed. The negotiations will resume when everything has been straightened out." She turned to the Pawans. "I apologize for my rash behavior. I hope the guards weren't rough on you. Please accept my humblest apologies for this whole mess." She began to bow, but Caydmar stopped her.
"You don't have to apologize for anything. You were just reacting how anyone would react to almost being killed by people you thought you could trust. My brother and I know the feeling. When Briar seized control of the Pawan villages, zealous soldiers paraded through our town conscripting anyone strong enough to fight. When we refused, they almost killed us, and forced us into the army against our will. When it all settled, and our father took control, we considered having those men put to death. But we spared their lives because it was the right thing to do. You made that same choice, and that's all that matters. We can talk more when you're ready." The Pawans retreated from the room to chambers the servants had prepared for them. Thorn wandered out of the palace and onto the steps of the courtyard. Fone followed her. They both sat down on the stairs together and watched the sunset over the gate to the palace in silence. After a few minutes, Thorn started talking.
"I'm sorry about what happened back there. I got angry, and I guess I haven't learned to control my violent temper yet. I snapped at you, and I shouldn't have. And you still tried to help me even though I was so furious with you. I don't deserve someone as dedicated as you in my life." She stared into Fone's eyes, and then turned her head away and cast her eyes at the ground.
Fone decided to muster up his courage at that moment. He took her far cheek in his hand, and gently her face back towards his. This second moment of contact felt infinitely more intimate than the first one on the roof earlier that day. He looked into her eyes as tears welled up in their corners, and gently brushed them aside.
"I told you, I'm not leaving. No matter what happens, I will stay by your side and defend you until my dying breath. That's a promise." Their faces glided closer, but something inside Thorn made her stop.
"I told you, I don't deserve to have you in my life. I mean, when have I ever done anything for you? I'm not worth sticking around for anyway." She brushed his hand off of her cheek.
"Yes you are." He stood up and looked her dead in the eye. She was captivated by them. Never before had she noticed that his eyes looked so… deep. "You, more than anyone in the world, are worth it. You're worth everything. Because I…" The words caught in his throat. Five years of trying to build up the courage to tell her that he loved her, and the words adhered to his insides like glue, refusing to leave. He took a deep breath, and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen. It didn't suffice.
"I l-" Suddenly before he could get his words out a gunship appeared above them and descended to the ground between them and the palace gate. "Will the universe let me finish my goddamn-" Again his words caught in his throat. The door opened, and out stepped Phoney and Bartleby, along with two bones Fone had never seen before. "Phoney… You're here. Why? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why are you here?" Phoney said nothing, but walked straight up to Fone and punched him square on the nose, knocking him to the floor. "What was that for?!" Fone shouted as he got back up. Phoney exploded.
"For not being there when Smiley died!" He shouted. He collapsed to the floor, his eyes downcast and defeated.
"What..." Fone began to real in shock. Before he could digest what was going on, more people joined the party. The princes burst through the door.
"We heard a great commotion, what was the… Bloody stars!" They stared at the dropship Phoney and company had landed in. Lastly the gate opened, and in stepped Taneal and Gran'ma Ben, with the Great Red Dragon and Ted in tow. They stopped to take in the scene for a moment, before continuing with their business. Gran'ma Ben spoke.
"I don't know why you're here Phoncible, but you and your friends can come along all the same. Taneal and I were on a pilgrimage to Deren Guard. We met with Dragon Council, and they immediately sent us back here with Ted and the Great Red Dragon. They've summoned Fone, Thorn, and the Pawan Princes to an audience. Apparently the dreaming is going out of balance. Again. Why does that always happen when you two Bone boys show up? Well no matter, come on let's get going." Silence hung in the air like a shroud. Before anyone could say anything, Thorn screamed.
"What the fuck is going on?!" She looked around for an answer. Phoney met her gaze and looked her in the eyes with a dead stare.
"We're at war, your majesty." He almost spat the last word as he looked around at the crowd of people in the courtyard, "And you're all almost out of time. Glaian is coming, and he's going to kill every human he can get his hands on."
"So, do you think the Morudagni will show up?" Asked Vokelle.
"He has no reason not to. The black eye's sympathizer is with them, after all. He and that insufferable insect should dissuade and suspicions they could have of our intentions. And I thought we agreed never to use the old clan names again." Said Lorimar.
"We did, but why should we honor the wishes of someone who boldly proclaims that she will take out one of our greatest inconveniences and then turns around and sends the same person to do her bidding."
"I said take care of, not take out. Now with this audience, his fears should be taken care of, and for the time being at least, he'll be on our side and continue to further our cause. And it won't just be him. All of our potential allies will be in one spot. And they'll learn the truth about the approaching force and assume that is the cause of the disturbance."
"And you think you can keep the waking of the two most powerful souls ever to exist a secret with a simple half-truth?" Asked Korin.
"I don't intend to. I intend to distract them with the Spark as well."
"The Spark?!" Shouted Quimrath. "Are you insane? A nightmare entity and the Spark together could do massive damage! It could even destroy the everlasting dream!"
"Not if we point it at a target." retorted Lorimar. "Besides, it needs a host if it is to serve as the Catalyst."
"You don't intent to harness the Awakened Council's sleeper agent against them, do you? You know how dangerous that is, right?" asked Korin.
"It could prove to be, but it's the best move we have. They won't be aware they have the Spark until its presence can open the Successor's black eye. And by the time they realize what's happening, the nightmare will become our tool to wield against the waking world."