Rayla was falling. She knew this, even though her eyes were closed. Dread filled her stomach. She forced her eyes open and looked around. She recognized the shape of clouds whizzing past around her, the larger ones in the distance slowly rising as she fell down further and further. She turned her body, expecting the Storm Spire to be behind her, but she saw nothing. She looked up, hoping that Callum would be there. And he was! She saw him coming closer to her. She stretched out her arms and shouted his name.

"Callum!" She felt hopeful. He came towards her, ever closer, arms outstretched. But the wings he once had didn't appear. He looked panicked. He was close enough now that she saw his lips moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She strained to touch his fingers. Just when they touched, Callum's eyes went wide and he exploded in a cloud of feathers, quickly dissipating to all sides. Rayla looked around for any sign of Callum, but all she saw were feathers disappearing in the distance.

She screamed. She turned around, expecting to meet the ground soon, only to see to her absolute horror an endless ocean stretching beneath her. Rayla now screamed in earnest, eyes wide with terror, flailing her hands and legs in the vain hope that this could somehow stop her fall…

Then she hit the water.

The impact nearly shattered her bones. She held her breath and closed her eyes shut. After a few seconds, she opened them. She saw that she was sinking, the light from above slowly dimming. Around her, she saw figures sinking with her. In front of her, she saw the lifeless body of Runaan going down headfirst, with Ethari next to him. To the right, she saw both of her parents slowly sinking. Her heart pounded in her chest as dread filled her being. She tried to turn. Wherever she looked, she saw bodies slowly disappearing in the depths of the water. Ibis, Lujanne, Nyx, Ezran, Zym… Callum! The moment she saw his body float down, his lifeless eyes staring at her, she lost all control and tried to scream. Water immediately rushed in. It burned her lungs as she gasped for breath…

Coughing heavily, Rayla sat up in bed. It took her a moment to orient herself. A nightmare…another one… Rayla groaned. Can't I get one night of uninterrupted peaceful sleep!? She got up and walked to the desk. She lit the luneflame, grabbed a large earthen bowl and filled it with water from a jug. She wanted to splash the water in her face, but when she saw her own reflection in the water, she hesitated. Left-over dread from her nightmare filled her being as she remembered drowning. She took a deep breath and slowly put her hand in the water. It was cold. The sensation slowly woke her up. She lifted her hand to her face and smeared the water over her eyes, trying to remove the evidence of several sleepless nights.

She sighed. She didn't understand why she had these nightmares. She always forgot most of them come morning, but it left her feeling worn. This can't go on any longer, she thought to herself. I'll have a talk with Ibis soon. Maybe he has an idea on how to get rid of nightmares. With a snap, she extinguished the luneflame and went back to bed, trying to steal away a few more hours of bliss before the morning came.

-/-/-/-

Morning came much too soon for Rayla. She was woken by a soft knock on the door from Bosor, who had just ended his shift. "Captain, are you awake?" Bosor called through the door. Rayla yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah…" she said, wondering for how long that would be true.

"Good. I've ended my shift. Pincaelo is also off to bed. Keryn and Kiyara have taken over as you instructed. We have nothing to report."

Rayla nodded, then remembered that he couldn't see her through the door. "Alright, thanks, Bosor! Goodnight."

Rayla heard him laugh and say "Good morning!" as he was saying goodbye. He's alright, she thought as she let a smile poke through. She put on some clothes. They had recently gotten a shipment of supplies from neighbouring cities. Ibis had instructed her on how to handle those. If she arranged things properly, she only had to order one of those once a month. But this shipment also contained extra clothing for her, from which she now benefited. She enjoyed the soft linen in familiar moonshadow elf style and wondered what village it was from as she made her way to the great hall. There she found Catlyn already having breakfast, having put a plate with food up for her as well.

"Ah, Rayla, you're up!"

Rayla waved and sat down. "Yup, another brand-new day!" she said with all the enthusiasm she could muster.

Catlyn didn't buy it, however. "Are you alright? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you enjoyed a special stash of moondraught last night!"

Rayla blushed. "Eh, nothin' of the sort! I don't like that stuff anyway."

"Oh? Ever tried it?" Catlyn leaned over, interested in what her captain's experiences were.

"Nooo… it just doesn't seem fun to get so wasted that even walkin' becomes a challenge!" Rayla said defensively.

"Really…" Rayla didn't like the look Catlyn was giving her now. It was full of mischief. But then, Catlyn shrugged. "Anyway, none of my business. You just look tired is all."

Rayla nodded. "That's how I feel. But I'll get over it, somehow." She grabbed some fruit and cooked fish and filled her glass with juice. She wasn't big on breakfast, but it was the most important meal of the day, or so she was told.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Catlyn asked. "The same as usual?"

Rayla nodded. "Mostly, yeah, though I suggest we do some sparrin' before our shift starts. But before that, I want to check in with the king and queen."

"Waiting for some important news?" Catlyn looked at her intently.

Rayla thought about avoiding the question but didn't think it would do her any good. "...Somethin' like that."

Catlyn looked around the great hall. Even though there wasn't anyone nearby, she still leaned over the table and dropped her voice to a whisper. "So… there's a rumour that's been going around."

Rayla's eyes shot up to meet hers. She continued to munch her fruit but was put on guard immediately by the statement.

"Rumour has it that you are in love… with a human."

Rayla swallowed. "Oh really…" she said nonchalantly as she reached for another piece of fruit.

Catlyn waited for more of an answer, but when she didn't get any, she continued. "Alright, a mate of mine, Dundril, was here as part of a delegation right after the battle. He said that he saw you smooching with a human boy, who then proceeded to fly off into the sunset…" Rayla didn't answer, but looked Catlyn right in the eye.

Even though she was a fair bit older than Rayla, Catlyn couldn't help but be impressed by the stoic, icy glare she was getting from her captain right now. Unfortunately for Rayla, Catlyn was cut from the same cloth as her. They were both moonshadow elves. Giving up wasn't in their nature.

Eventually, Catlyn pressed for an answer. She slammed her hands on the table. "So? Is it true!?"

Rayla was taken aback by her enthusiasm. Catlyn was smiling as she asked her these questions, which was somewhat suspicious, but Rayla detected no malice in her attitude.

Rayla didn't want to answer these questions. Her private life was complicated enough as it was, but she couldn't, and didn't want to hide the fact that she was in love with Callum either. She relented, hoping that if she answered her questions, that would be the end of it.

"Alright, alright! Geez!" Rayla held up her hands in defeat. "You know, as your captain I don't appreciate you pryin' into my private life, but yes, since you're askin', and since apparently half the elf population is now gossipin' about it, I have indeed kissed Callum when he went home."

Catlyn gasped, looking delighted. "I knew it! You've got to tell me all about it!"

"Wait, what? Why would I do that? So you and the rest of the guard can make fun of me?"

"Captain!" Catlyn looked shocked. "We would never do that!"

Rayla looked at her suspiciously. "So why do you want to know all this?" When she asked the question, Catlyn seemed embarrassed, almost shy. That was strange, because to Rayla, Catlyn had always looked like a true moonshadow elf. She was cocky, straight to the point, and fearless.

"Well… honestly? I thought it was… kind of romantic." Catlyn looked away with a dreamy smile on her face as she admitted this.

"What?!" Rayla gave her a weird look.

"Well, you've got to admit, it's all rather exotic. You, the former-assassin-now-captain of the Dragonguard, in love with a human who should have been your enemy. You are in love, aren't you?"

"Oh! Yeah, big time." Rayla said with a goofy grin as she thought about her various moments with Callum.

Catlyn grinned along with her. "It's just one of those stories that I've read about. You know, if anyone ever gives you flack about being in love with a human, you should come to me. I got your back! Not that you need it, of course!" She hastily added.

Rayla just laughed. "Look at you. A fearsome warrior from the moonshadow elf villages. I didn't think you'd be such a big softy!" She was actually relieved that there was a soft side to the snarky warrior in front of her.

Catlyn grinned. "Don't tell Keryn that. Cause I'm not, most of the time. But deep down inside?" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I'm a hopeless romantic."

Rayla leaned her head on her arms, a dreamy look on her face. "You know, Callum's an actual prince," she said, her voice filled with some kind of pride and achievement.

Catlyn gave a heavy sigh. "Ah, you've got the good life, then. After you're married, you'll be living the rest of your life in castles and palaces, with everything taken care of. You're so lucky!"

Rayla laughed, but internally she felt a stab of sadness. She was cooped up in the Spire, and Callum was all the way over there in Katolis. What kind of future would the two of them have? She sighed and hoped that she would hear from him again soon.

-/-/-/-

Callum looked at the mess that was once Lord Viren's private study. All the bookcases were empty, all the various chests and containers upturned and, in some cases, broken apart to find hidden containers. Half of the room and some of the hallway was filled with wooden crates used to sort the various items. Callum, with the help of Belt, had settled sorting everything into two categories: 'books' and 'items'. And within these two categories, there were two more categories: 'dark magic', or 'mostly harmless'. And this had kept them going for the last few weeks. It had now been three weeks since the battle at the Storm Spire. Three weeks since he'd last seen Rayla. He stopped moving books and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day. Somewhere, many miles away, was Rayla. He wondered whether she was thinking of him, or whether she was busy with her Dragonguard stuff.

"So… what's it like to turn into a bird?"

Callum sighed. Belt had been a great help in moving and sorting the various stuff, and he was a quick study. He was also inquisitive and would not stop asking questions. Sometimes, Callum suspected Belt of asking these questions just to see how far he could be pushed.

"Not a bird," Callum replied. "It's a sky magic spell called Manus Pluma Volantis. They're mage wings."

"So, you get like an extra set of wings?"

"Something like that."

"On your back?"

At first, Callum was annoyed by these questions, but he quickly realised that Belt's interest stemmed from his yearning to learn everything about magic. Even the most simplistic and mundane things would be of interest to him. "No, actually, your arms turn into wings. They stay that way as long as you focus."

Belt was moving the jar of toad-eyes to the 'dark magic item' section. "Huh. I wonder if you could still cast spells while you have wings."

Callum stopped leafing through the books in the 'mostly harmless' section. Huh, that's actually a good question.

While there was still a pile of stuff left to be sorted, Callum was rather pleased with how far they had gotten these last few days. They had cleaned out Viren's study, and his various underground laboratories as well, though it had taken them a few tries to get the combination to the dungeon where they had found the egg. The underground dungeon was the worst, filled with various magic animal parts, and even elven skeleton parts.

Callum was just glad that Rayla wasn't here to see this, though she'd had a glance when she cornered them the day he'd met her. Again he caught himself staring out of the window as he reminisced on those days.

"Are you alright? You look like you're missing something." Belt looked at him curiously.

"Yeah, I think so too," Callum whispered, more to himself than to anyone else.

Belt was leafing through a book but looked up at Callum in a weird way. "Tis about a girl?"

Callum blushed hard. "N-no! Why would it ever be about a girl? I don't even like girls! I mean…"

Belt said nothing, but raised his eyebrows, especially after that last remark.

Callum struggled to fix this situation, but there was no salvaging this. He hung his head in defeat. "It's about a girl."

A grin crossed Belt's face. "I knew it!" He slapped Callum on the shoulder. "Good for you, man!"

Callum sighed, ready for the onslaught of questions that was sure to follow, but… nothing came. When he looked up, Belt was back to filling boxes with various goods from the pile. He looked hard at a jar with pickles, trying to decide whether it belonged in a 'dark magic' or 'mostly harmless' box.

"So, uh… you don't want to know more?"

Belt didn't even look at him as he answered. "No, not really." He looked at Callum and caught his surprised look. "What? Oh, is this me being awkward again?"

"Well… honestly? Yes." This wasn't the first time Belt had asked a question and then completely dropped the subject. Callum didn't quite understand why Belt was acting like he was. He wasn't stupid, or slow, but somehow he failed to get any social cues.

"Ugh, sorry… um… what were we talking about?" Belt looked embarrassed by the situation, though Callum guessed that he didn't know what to be embarrassed about, and that embarrassed him.

"Oh, just, you know, casually invading the private life of a prince by asking inappropriate questions," Callum said sarcastically, realising too late that Belt probably did not speak sarcasm.

"Oh, right! Fun times! You like a girl!"

Callum facepalmed. Belt smiled and continued packing. Callum sighed. "You know, she is really nice… She's beautiful, and kind and smart and witty… and she's an elf." Callum felt the need to just talk about it, being actually glad that Belt had asked the question. Whether or not Belt was a good listener remained to be seen.

"An elf?" Belt was surprised. "Are those the ones with the pointy…."

"Ears? Yeah, elves!"

"... I was going to say horns," Belt said as he traced lines above his head.

"...right. Anyway, she's a good elf! I mean, I think most of the elves are good. It's just the war that has mucked things up between humans and elves."

Belt shrugged. "If you say so…"

Now Callum was annoyed. He was getting zero input and response from this guy. "Do you have a special someone, Belt?"

Belt tripped, the books he was carrying went flying through the air. He gave Callum an incredulous look. "Me? In a bond with someone else?" He laughed. "I wish."

Now Callum was intrigued. "What? Why not?"

Belt leaned against the wall and gestured at himself. "I… I like books, Callum, and science, and magic. I like to study." He gestured at the piles and piles of books in the corner of the room. "This I understand. But people? People are… strange and illogical. They don't make sense. They don't mean what they say half the time. I wish people would just say what they wanted or thought. It would make things easier."

Callum tried to read Belt's face. He wasn't sure if Belt was sad about it or not. It explained why he acted the way he did though. "Well, at least you're good at sorting stuff," he said as he gestured at the piles and piles of boxes already taken care of.

Belt nodded. "I like putting things into order. It's one of my pet peeves." Belt looked at the boxes with the dark magic ingredients in them. "What are you going to do with those, Callum?"

Callum gave the horrendous collection one look and knew what he wanted right away. "I think I'll throw them all into a pyre."

Belt was shocked. "What?! B-but… that's a waste! And some of those ingredients are pretty rare."

Callum knew this. Some part of him felt bad about this. He didn't want to waste stuff, but he also knew something else. "For every ingredient, something has suffered and died, Belt." He looked him in the eyes. "Do you really want to use those, knowing something else paid a horrible price?"

Belt paled. "I guess you're right…" he muttered. He gestured to the crates with books. "And what about those?"

Callum looked at the books. Though there were a lot of books in Viren's study, not a lot were about dark magic specifically, and only a handful were actual spellbooks. "Well… I want to make sure people don't start practising dark magic again. And I need to prove it to King Aureum Umbra."

Belt looked thoughtfully at the crates. "Well, if it were up to me, I'd say deliver the books to King Aureum. The spellbooks and the more sinister dark magic books all fit in one crate. And…" Belt hesitated. "If you really want to make sure people don't practise dark magic again, then burn the rest. It's very hard to erase things from history, but at least it'll make it very difficult for people to get started again."

Callum nodded. It was solid advice. He had been thinking something similar. He eyed the crate warily though. That thing is heavy! I will never be able to carry it using my mage wings. Which means another week of travel, assuming I can cross the border… and I need the seal of the king for that… He looked chagrined at the offending crates of materials. "Belt, fetch the guards. It's time to build a bonfire."

-/-/-/-

Rayla presented herself before the dragon king and queen. Ibis was in the great hall as well, as of course was Zym. Zym happily flew in her direction. It seemed like he missed the scratches she would often give him on their journey here. Rayla greeted Zym, a bit hesitant, not wanting to appear too informal in front of the king.

"Rayla of Xadia, good morning to you." The king's voice rumbled through the great hall.

"And to you, my king, my queen." She bowed before them. Zym bounced against her knees, trying to get her attention again. She laughed. "And to you too, young prince." She ruffled his hair. The king snorted at the informal display, but Rayla paid it no mind for now.

"I've come to seek an audience with you."

The dragons regarded her with curiosity. While King Aureum Umbra's gaze was stoic, the queen had a much softer and warmer look on her face.

"Granted." The queen said. "What can we do for you?"

"Well… I had a couple of questions…" She looked away nervously. The constant gaze of the king was unnerving. "Um… can I ask who that dragon was that you spoke to at the dragonmoot? Just curious!"

King Aureum Umbra's eyes narrowed. "You may not."

"Oh, alright…" Rayla said in a small voice. She bit her lip, but persisted. She really wanted to know, after all. "Has there been any word from Katolis? Any messages? Anything?"

"No." The king's shadow dwarfed her. Her heart sank a bit, and she felt her confidence waver. The queen looked a bit more sympathetic when she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Rayla. All we know is that the human army has crossed the border with the help of the sunfire elves about a week ago. A checkpoint has been established, but so far, Ibis has had no further messages."

Rayla looked to the ground, at a loss for words.

"Why don't you come sit with us for a bit, before you resume your duties? You look like you need some rest," the queen said with a gentle voice.

"A-alright." She moved over to the queen, keeping a wary eye on the king. The king didn't look pleased with this, but he said nothing of it, merely resting his head and closing his eyes. Rayla moved to a rock on the queen's side of the cavern so she could sit more face to face with her, though the queen still had to stoop for that.

"What's bothering you, Rayla? Are your duties taking a toll?"

"Uhm… it's nothin'…" Rayla wanted to avoid talking about the stuff that bothered her, mostly because the king was present. He made me captain of the Dragonguard! What if he starts thinkin' that was a mistake!?

"Rayla, it doesn't take a dragon to see that you barely get any sleep… what's the matter?"

Rayla sighed. "It's a lot of things. Sure, the new duties take some gettin' used to, and I've never been a captain before, but the other elves seem to have some experience workin' with others, so I'm not too worried about the Dragonguard." She looked up, looking into the giant eyes of Queen Zubeia. "But each day, I miss him more. It's this constant feelin', this dread that there is a reason I don't hear from him. Almost a month has passed. He could have been back by now!"

"Ah, I see…" Queen Zubeia said.

King Aureum Umbra snorted. "And this relation with this 'human' is entirely platonic?"

Both the queen and Rayla looked over to King Aureum Umbra, who still had his head on the ground, eyes closed. "Why would that matter?" the queen asked before Rayla could respond.

Now the king opened his eyes and raised his head. "It's not proper. Humans were the enemy, are in many cases still the enemy. Some would even say they are the lesser species."

Rayla dared not to respond, but inwardly, she was boiling. They had worked so hard to prevent war and hatred between the two species. It angered her to the core to see the king still harbouring such thoughts.

"And do you believe that, King Aureum Umbra?" Queen Zubeia snarled, frightening both Zym and Rayla.

The king looked at the queen dragon, his face hard to read. "My personal beliefs are irrelevant, but if you must know, I think it'd be better for her to focus on her own kind. I fail to see why she couldn't bond with another elf from her village."

"She's an outcast, even amongst her own kind! Either they've shunned and banished her, or placed her on a pedestal so high that no one can reach her! Which you did, by the way, by naming her 'Rayla of Xadia'. So I think she is allowed to miss the one person in her life who truly sees her for who she is, regardless of whether he's a human or an elf."

Rayla stared, mouth agape, as she listened to the queen's tirade. The king gave them both a long, hard look. Finally, he said "I'll leave you two alone, then," and slipped out of the great hall.

Both females let out a breath they didn't know they were holding and looked at each other. There was a silence in the great hall, but it was not uncomfortable. It was Rayla who finally broke the silence.

"Thanks for that," she said in a small voice.

"Don't mention it," the dragon queen rumbled. "It's about time someone took him down a peg."

Rayla smiled, glad that at least she wasn't the only one thinking it. She wondered about the king though. "Is there a reason that he is so incredibly harsh?"

The queen contemplated the question for a bit. "Not that I know of. There is very little that I know of Aureum Umbra. He lived in the North-eastern parts of Xadia, and though he is an archdragon, he didn't become a Prime until a few decades ago. It was only after his promotion that we saw more of him here. By that time, he held the same anti-human views we all did."

Rayla thought about that. "I mean, I can understand it, even if I don't agree with it now. I was the same. I thought humans were scum until I met Callum, and Ezran, and many more humans after that. They aren't that different from elves. Some are eejits, but most of them aren't."

Queen Zubeia looked at her intently. "And what do you think of their use of dark magic, then?"

"Well... it's only a handful of people that actually do dark magic. You can't blame the entire population for what that one guy does, right? I mean, it's still disgustin'. I was so furious with Callum when he used it. I know he did it to save me and the fire dragon Pyrrah, and he became really really ill right afterwards. It was like his own body rejected the notion of using dark magic. But I was still mad at him!"

Her voice became quieter as she remembered the afternoon that she had watched over his body as the life slowly drained from him. "I only forgave him once he…. He…." She swallowed, finding it hard to talk about that moment. Zubeia was still looking at her, still listening.

"He almost died. Like, he came really close. His eyes were these huge black circles," she said, while gesturing to her own, "and his breathing nearly stopped. When that happened, I panicked. I couldn't lose him. Not then, certainly not over that."

She took a deep breath, glad to have that off her chest. "I think that was when I realised I love him."

Queen Zubeia smiled. "So, did you tell him?"

Rayla laughed awkwardly. "Gods, no. When he woke all of a sudden, he seemed to be alright again. The dark circles were gone. I just… closed up, I guess."

The queen actually laughed at that, her deep rumble echoing through the caverns. "Ah, young love… so how did the two of you get together?"

Rayla snorted. "Well, that one was actually quite silly. It was in the midnight desert. I was feelin' rather down. I had just found out that I was banished from the Silvergrove, and I felt like a failure." Another stab of pain in her chest. She was getting used to them now, these last few weeks. But they still hurt. "It was Callum who cheered me up. I wanted to keep some distance, you know. I couldn't bear for him to see me all weepy, back then. I was a mess… But Callum wouldn't leave me alone. He stood with me and told me how brave I was, and… and how strong and funny I was…" She smiled sadly.

"Ah, so that's how you found out he loved you as well."

Rayla giggled. "Actually, I thought that's what he was sayin', and that moment I kissed him. But it turned out he didn't expect that and he was really awkward about it! It's kind of embarrassing, really." She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "Lookin' back, I think he wasn't sayin' these things because he liked me, though he did. He was sayin' these things because he honestly believed they were true, and he didn't want to take advantage." She sighed. "That was… actually really sweet of him."

"But he didn't show his affection for you then?"

Rayla shook her head. "No, not in words anyway. I got mad. I felt stupid! I told him I would kill him if he would ever talk about this to anyone!"

Queen Zubeia now laughed hard. Zym looked up from his nest, wondering what the fuss was all about. "Oh, I'm sorry, Rayla. It's just rather funny. I wish I was there to see it."

Rayla laughed a bit herself. "Don't be. I guess deep down inside, the both of us are still awkward teenagers, despite our responsibilities. Anyway, after I saved a skywing elf who had captured Zym, the elf asked why I even bothered after what she'd done. And Callum proclaimed it was because I was a hero! I never saw myself like that. I was a failed assassin, but Callum thought the world of me." She hugged herself, remembering the moment fondly.

"I was just stunned! I mean, how could someone think so highly of me? But he did, and then… he kissed me." She laughed. "Immediately after, he was awkward again, thinkin' he had overstepped or somethin'. But I made it very clear how I felt."

"And how did you do that?"

"By grabbin' him by the scarf and kissin' him back," Rayla answered with a wicked smile.

Queen Zubeia smiled back. "Good."

Rayla looked up to the great queen dragon. Even though she's a dragon, she's also a real person. Rayla felt good talking to her. It made her feel like she still had a friend here at the Storm Spire.

"So… Can I ask how that works for dragons? How did you meet Avizandum?"

The dragon was silent for a while. "It is… difficult to find a mate for a dragon. We dragons live a long time and generally, we mate for life. So you have to be really careful about who you select as a mate." The queen leaned her head closer to Rayla as she whispered, "Otherwise you're stuck with a grumpy one like King Aureum Umbra."

Both Rayla and the queen laughed. Eventually, the queen continued. "I was strong back then, so I kept my eye open for a strong mate, both in body and spirit. I suppose it's not that different from elves. You search for qualities you can appreciate." The queen looked to the entrance of the great hall, thinking of memories long past. "Avizandum was special to me. He could create the most wonderful storms and would invite me of all dragons to fly along with him. The storms were his way to show me how much he cared… He courted me for decades before we finally agreed to be bonded."

Rayla listened with rapt attention. Though she lived in Xadia, she had never wandered far beyond the Silvergrove. She didn't know that much about dragons, and she found this stuff fascinating.

"In the end, he gave me his heart, and I gave mine. It wasn't long after that fair Queen Luna Tenebris passed. The dragonmoot was called, and a new king had to be elected. Avizandum was the strongest of dragons, and I was his mate, and fertile as well."

Rayla rubbed her chin as she processed this information. Something had been bothering her ever since she had been elected captain of the Dragonguard. "Hmm, actually, I have a question about that. As far as I know, King Avizandum was elected by the dragonmoot, and Luna Tenebris before that, and Sol Regem before that. So for the past millennia, all of our regents were elected."

Zubeia smiled. "Good. A student of history. It pleases me to know that you interest yourself in the history of Xadia."

Rayla nodded, but continued. "And now King Aureum Umbra has been elected. So why are you still a queen, and is Zym still a prince? Not that I don't want you as a ruler, your majesty," she hastily added, "nor that I don't think Azymondias will grow up to be a mighty dragon and a great leader, but it doesn't make much sense."

Zubeia nodded. "T'is true. For a thousand years, the royal house has switched from dragon to dragon by election. But this was not always the case, nor was it meant to be this way. Truth to be told, Sol Regem is the last of his royal line and never produced an heir."

Now, Queen Zubeia hesitated. "We dragons don't allow ourselves to speak ill of our kin, but know that there were reasons, good and necessary reasons, that the dragonmoot decided to remove the crown from Sol Regem and give it to Luna Tenebris instead."

"And Luna Tenebris, didn't she have an heir?"

The queen shook her head. "Oh, indeed, she had many. But none she saw fit to succeed her. That is why she tasked the dragonmoot to find a new royal line for Xadia, and that is when Avizandum was elected king, making me queen by default." She sighed heavily. "When he passed, I became the queen and sole ruler. Protecting Xadia was my prerogative and my burden. And I failed miserably…" she added with a voice heavy with regret.

Rayla gasped. She put a hand on the enormous paw of the queen, the only part of her that she could reach from her spot. "No… no, no, this isn't your fault."

"It is, Rayla of Xadia. Even though I did not intend for events to go as they went, I too made choices that could have prevented further suffering. Instead, I ordered the human king and his son killed as revenge and slipped into darkness long after. The dragonmoot was right to elect a new leader. Xadia needs a strong one to lead and defend in these trying times." Queen Zubeia cheered up a bit, adding "And King Aureum Umbra has been most merciful. Though he now reigns, he has chosen not to break the elected royal line. He has not deposed me and promised the crown to Azymondias when he is old enough. King Aureum Umbra may be a strict and harsh leader, but he is a fair one, and we do well to respect that."

Rayla agreed. "Yeah, I know. I shouldn't complain. I just… I just wished he could be a little nicer at times, you know?"

The queen didn't reply, but nodded. They understood each other.

Rayla still had one more question to ask, though she dreaded asking it. "Do you… think that the king will prevent me from seeing Callum?"

Queen Zubeia snorted. "Rayla, I may not be the ruler supreme anymore, but I still have some sway. If you can arrange a fully functional Dragonguard to be here, I'm sure that we can miss you for some time to be with your human prince." With a smile, she added, "You know, we could call it a diplomatic mission to improve 'relations' with the people of Katolis, or at least, one in particular."

Rayla laughed. The queen had actually winked at her. "Thanks a bunch!" Rayla said while getting up. "I do feel a lot better now."

"So do I," the dragon queen replied. "I like these talks. I think it's good for the both of us."

Rayla agreed. They hadn't discussed everything, but Rayla didn't feel ready to discuss her nightmares anyway. I think they'll go away soon enough. I just have to push on. Rayla hopped off the rock and waved goodbye to Zym. On her way out, she ran into Ibis, who had just finished carrying a few bags to the entrance.

"Ibis! Goin' somewhere?"

Ibis turned around. "Oh, hey! I've been meaning to talk to you. I'm going home."

"What!?" Rayla hadn't expected that. Ibis had stayed with her these past three weeks. He was basically part of the décor in the Storm Spire.

Ibis was amused by Rayla's reaction. "I do have a home, Rayla. That I stayed here for so long was due to necessity, but you seem to have everything well in hand by now."

"B-but what do I do if I need somethin' for the Dragonguard? Or what if they ask me to do somethin'… diplomatic?" Rayla sputtered, wrinkling her nose in distaste as she said the word.

Ibis laughed. "The Dragonguard has at least partly been rebuilt, and I see you have an ally in Queen Zubeia as well. You'll do fine. Besides, my beautiful daughter most certainly misses me."

"Oh… you never mentioned you had a daughter."

"You didn't ask." Ibis stuck out his arm, and Rayla reluctantly grabbed it.

"Be safe, Rayla of Xadia. May you be the best captain of the Dragonguard we have ever had!"

"Thank you, Ibis. Good luck on your journey, then." Rayla was reluctant to see her ally and teacher go, because that had been his role these past few weeks. He had taught her about leadership, logistics, communication, diplomacy and all sorts of things required to be a captain of the guard.

Ibis gave her a smile and grabbed his bag, holding his staff in his left hand. Outside waited a blueish, spikey dragon, with a similar mane as the queen and Zym had. Rayla figured it was a young storm dragon. Ibis hopped on, gave her one last look, and with that, he was off. Rayla watched him go. Well, looks like I really have to learn how to manage on my own now, she thought as she stared off into the distance.

-/-/-/-

A week had passed since Prince Callum had arrived in the capital of Katolis. Callum had done everything he could to make sure that the influence of Viren's dark magic was truly gone. All of the ingredients were destroyed, all the spell books were safely stored in a crate, awaiting transportation to the Storm Spire, and any leftover items, such as books, furniture and a large mirror found in the dungeon, were given another place in the castle.

Callum missed Rayla terribly. But there was little that he could do about it, so he tried to remain busy. He did send a message to the Breach, to be forwarded to Rayla of Xadia, captain of the Dragonguard. He just hoped someone would be so kind to get the message to the Storm Spire. He wasn't sure the message would reach her, because he doubted that there were many elves who were ready to play the postman for some human prince right now.

He took a deep breath. Time will tell, I suppose.

In the meantime, Callum also had instructed Belt in the ways of the sky arcanum and primal magic theory. It was less of him teaching and more of a joined study. Callum told him what he knew, and together they poured through the various books on magic. Most of it was of a historical nature, but Callum was glad to read that there had been elven archmages that had connected to multiple arcana. There was no mention of any human mage being connected, but this didn't dissuade him. He could very well be the first. So technically, he thought¸ for me there are no limits!

It was on a warm day in the midst of July that Callum was woken for a bit of a surprise.

"…-um." Drool escaped from the corner of his mouth as he snored on softly, still holding some paper in one hand, charcoal in the other.

The banging continued "Prince Callum!"

"Wha?" Callum slowly awoke. "RightImcoming!" He spoke as he yawned. He looked out the window. The sun was already making its way up in the sky. Is it that late in the morning? Callum groaned. He had fallen asleep at his desk. His back ached. He stretched, and stumbled to the door, his eyes still groggy. He opened the door, and…

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday Prince Callum… Happy birthday to you!" Callum was stunned. Before him stood the crow master, the captain of the guard, several guards and servants and a baker he vaguely recognized from the city. In front of the door was a giant plate with all kinds of delicious treats. And then it hit him. It IS my birthday! Callum reeled, steadying himself against the doorpost.

"Guys… you didn't have to do this!" He forced a smile, still feeling groggy.

"Nonsense, Prince Callum! It is your birthday, and we are very glad you are back with us. The entire city has prepared a festival for you to enjoy today."

"That's…great. That's great! Thank you so much..." Callum looked around. All the servants and the guards were looking at him expectantly. "Well, thank you for doing this. It really means a lot to me. I'm going to get dressed in something more representable, so I'll see you at the festivities?"

The guards and servants smiled, nodded and slowly dispersed as Callum grabbed the plate and closed the door behind him. His arms trembled as he set the plate down somewhere, and he let himself fall against the cold stone wall and sink to the floor. Sobs broke through. My birthday… it's my birthday… He was alone. No Ezran, no Rayla, and no King Harrow, not anymore. He had made it a tradition to draw his family on his birthday, so he could see how much he had improved. It had been hard when his mother had passed. Callum felt the stab of pain in his chest. He was scared. He didn't want to go through this alone, but there was no one around. No one…

A knock on the door, short but insistent. Callum waited. He was in no state to open the door, and though he longed for some company, he didn't want the guards or servants, he wanted his friends.

Another knock. "Callum? Callum!" Callum groaned. He did not feel in the mood for Belt's antics.

"Callum, I've got some news. Great news! Ow, and some bad news too, I guess."

With a heavy sigh, Callum got up. He wiped away the tears on his cheeks and opened the door an inch.

"What?" Callum grumbled.

"Oh, hi, Callum!" Belt said with excitement. "I just got word that your brother was seen in the outskirts of the city! They'll arrive within the hour, I reckon!"

Callum's eyes widened slightly. Ezran is back! His smile returned and he opened the door. "That's great news!"

Belt smiled. "I thought you might like it!"

"Hold up, I'll be right out." Callum closed the door. Belt waited in the hallway as he heard the slamming of closet doors and the rustling of clothing. When the door opened, a much cheerier Prince Callum appeared, wearing fine, easy-fitting clothing. He was still wearing his trademark scarf. "Let's go! We might as well enjoy a bit of the festivities before Ezran arrives!"

Callum rushed down the hallway. Belt hesitated for a moment. He still hadn't told him the bad news. But Callum looked incredibly happy, so Belt figured that he would wait a while and let the young prince have his moment. He chased after Callum as they both made their way to the city centre.

The rest of the day could easily be described as one of Callum's happiest days these past few months. The festivities distracted him from his urge to get back to Rayla, and while people were still uncertain about what had happened to their soldiers, they still loved their prince. Flea markets were put up in the streets, shops would give discounts to all wearing a red scarf and various activities could be done within the city. Belt tagged along out of habit, and Callum didn't seem to mind.

The crowning moment that day was when the bells at the gates signalled the king's return. The city was buzzing with the news, and Callum sprinted to the main road to intercept his brother. He was well on time, for his brother too enjoyed the festival and took his time making his way to the castle.

Callum pressed through the crowd and shouted. "Ezran! Ezran, over here!" Ezran didn't hear him at first, being offered pieces of pie to try out by a baker and gladly indulging in it.

"Perhaps you should throw a rock to get his attention!" Belt saw Callum glaring at him for the suggestion, but he merely shrugged. "Hey, it worked for me!"

Callum pressed forward, finally reaching the column of nobles. The guards automatically moved to stop him, his face being just another one in the crowd, but it was Opeli who recognized him first. "Let him through!" she said to the guards and they let Callum pass.

Belt pushed himself through as well, saying "I'm with him, you know, formal crown business?" The guards gave him a look, but he seemed harmless and Callum nodded as well.

"It's good to see you, my prince. Happy birthday," Opeli said in a formal manner, but Callum could see in her eyes that she meant it.

"Thank you, Opeli. It's so great to see you guys!"

Ezran turned around as he heard his brother's voice, his face completely stuffed with pie. "Hawfy bwirfdaai!"

Callum laughed, glad to see his brother like this. "Thanks, Ezran! I see you are enjoying yourself!" Callum had to laugh at Ezran's irresistible urge to stuff his face with pies and tarts whenever he saw them.

Ezran swallowed the mouthful but coughed when not all of the pie went down the right way. "So, how are things in the capital?"

"Well, you know, the usual. Actually, there was some unrest because people didn't know what happened to the army. I guess that's something you should clear up."

Opeli nodded. "The soldiers that had joined Viren will need guidance. They haven't done anything wrong per sé. They followed the leader of Katolis, as a good soldier should. They also need help. Their transformation seems to be permanent. At least, they were still in that state when we left the checkpoint."

Belt muttered some questions as to what this 'transformation' might mean, but his question was lost as Callum heard the word 'checkpoint.'

"You've established a checkpoint already!?" Callum nearly shouted.

Opeli smiled and nodded again. "We used the old fortresses. Both armies have been put to work building a bridge, with the sunfire elves providing resources. It should be the fastest bridge built yet!"

Callum turned to Ezran. "Ez… King Ezran, I…" Callum wanted more than anything to get his horse and ride straight to the Storm Spire with the evidence he'd gathered, but he didn't want to seem rude, and he needed his brother's seal as well.

Ezran looked at his brother and recognized his plight. "I know, Callum." His face turned serious. "You can go to Rayla, we won't stop you. But there's something you should know first." He beckoned Callum to come closer.

"Oh?" he said as he leaned in.

Whispering as much as he could in the crowd, Ezran told him what he had seen in his vision through Zym. "I saw all the dragons get together to discuss the war with the humans."

"Huh? When did you see that?" Callum couldn't quite hide his disbelief.

Ezran noticed. "Eh… I sometimes get… messages from Zym? More like visions. It happened before, when you were crossing the lava. You had to get Zym to fly to block out the sun."

Callum stared for a bit. He found it hard to believe that Ezran could see what Zym could see. However, Ezran already had the power to talk to animals. It wasn't that hard to imagine there was more to Ezran's powers than they both knew. And his description of the event was correct as well, as it wasn't something he had shared with anyone else yet.

"Huh, well, what do you know?" Callum said at length. "So what's so important about those dragons?"

"Well, remember the king dragon? He asked some black dragon to do something to you."

Callum's eyes widened with shock. "Wait, what!?"

"Keep it down!" Ezran looked around. Opeli was watching him but gave them the privacy they desired. The guards kept the crowd at a reasonable distance, who were still cheering and waving as the rest of the column slowly marched towards the castle. The guy Callum brought with him was watching them very closely, but when their eyes met, he quickly looked in the other direction and pretended not to look. Ezran thought it very suspicious.

"Right… so I don't think he's supposed to kill you, more like to see if you are really a good guy. It had to do with you using dark magic."

Callum's face got a dark look. "Oh, that." Why does this keep coming back to me!? It's not fair! Callum quickly pushed his thoughts to the back of his head and forced a smile. "Well, they've got nothing to worry about. I destroyed most of Viren's work, and I'm bringing the spellbooks with me to give to King Aureum Umbra. I hope that's enough proof."

Ezran smiled back. "I know, I never doubted you!"

Callum's smile turned genuine. "So, can I leave?"

Ezran nodded, then frowned. "You need a seal though. We designed one at the checkpoint together with Queen Aanya so that the elves could see what our seal was. We have a prototype with us." Then, Ezran's face lit up "Actually, I think that this is a great birthday gift! Opeli?"

Opeli nodded and produced a scroll, bound with a ribbon. Opeli unbound it so Callum could see its contents. "This is the seal that will be given to whoever wishes to cross into Xadia. You need to present this to your aunt, as well as Janai who represents Xadia on the other side of the border."

Callum held up his hands to take the scroll, but hesitated. "Wait, don't you need it to make more copies?"

Opeli shook her head. "We have the stamp already forged, and the wording of the letter doesn't matter. What does is that the stamps on the paper are correct. So be careful with those."

"Thank you so much!" He looked at his brother. They were home at last, but he felt selfish wanting to leave so soon. "Ezran, I'm sorry I can't stay any longer."

Ezran laughed. "Callum, it's alright! I'll be fine, though I hope you'll come back soon and bring Rayla with you." Callum smiled at that. When Ezran didn't say anything else, Opeli coughed and gave Ezran a pointed look. Ezran sighed. "Yeah… there is one other thing"

Callum looked wary at the pair, afraid that they would throw a wrench in their plans.

"Since you are a prince, you represent Katolis. That means you'll have certain… duties?" Ezran looked uncertainly at Opeli, who just nodded with approval. "You can't just go away. You need to make sure that what you do is in service of Katolis."

"Alright, go on," Callum said carefully, wondering where this would lead.

"So, we've decided that it's alright for you to become a real mage and study in Xadia. But there are three conditions." Ezran watched his brother's reaction, feeling nervous that he was now in a position where he had to command his big brother. Callum tried not to show his own trepidation and remained silent.

"Okay, so first of all, you must send updates back home on your progress. Second, once you return, you must pick an apprentice so you can spread the knowledge of magic through the kingdom of Katolis." Callum nodded. So far, that was completely in line with his plans.

Ezran took a deep breath. "Thirdly, you must be available for diplomatic missions whenever we need you to. You'll be in Xadia, so you'll be our ambassador for the time being."

"At least until we have a real ambassador across the border." Opeli supplied.

Callum nodded. "Alright, that seems doable. So… am I free to go."

Opeli nodded. Ezran grabbed his arm. "Go to her, Callum. Tell her I said hi!"

Callum grinned. "Thanks, Ezran." He knelt and hugged his brother.

"Take a detail of guards with you when you leave. You are still our prince," Opeli said when he stood up.

Callum nodded and broke away from the group, towards the castle. Bringing a group of guards with him was something he had been hoping to avoid since it could slow him down. Then again, he couldn't use his mage wings and carry all those books. He may very well need those guards to get them up the mountain. He rushed back to the castle, passing Belt along the way.

"Hey! Wait up! Where are you going!?" Belt shouted after him.

"Back to the castle! I got the seal! It's time to head on out of here!" Callum shouted. And there is one more thing that I need to do…

-/-/-/-

Callum stood in front of the empty study. All that remained was the furniture and some empty boxes. Callum took a deep breath. Well, I did say I was going to thrash it. Callum wasn't a hate bearing person, but he was angry at Viren for causing this mess and felt justified in venting his anger on the furniture of what once was Viren's study. He breathed in deeply and traced the rune of aspiro. Releasing his breath and keeping the pent-up frustration of the last month in his mind, he blew against the furniture. Tables toppled, and chairs went flying. Several boxes broke apart against the wall. Then he used fulminis against a particularly large bookcase, causing a big chunk of the wood to break off and fly away. Callum used the aspiro spells to tear off the curtains and fulminis to destroy the bookshelves.

Several guards came rushing towards the entrance of Viren's old study to see what was going on. Callum shot lightning, and bookcases and chairs exploded into pieces of wood, boxes went flying through the air. Soon he was panting from the enervation of casting so many spells in rapid succession. He only used aspiro one more time, this time to blow out the small flames that were present from several impacts of his lighting spells.

It is done, he thought. The room was a mess. Callum figured the only things of Viren's private property that weren't destroyed were the paintings. Those were stored away in boxes in hidden dungeons. Viren's portrait was left untouched only because his stepfather was in it. And Callum still couldn't believe Claudia was completely evil, so he had saved all portraits of her as well. More likely she had to do those things because her father told her to.

"Well, you certainly did a number on the place." Callum turned around to find Belt standing in the doorway.

"Oh, this? Well… he got what was coming to him," Callum said as he looked over the destruction he brought to this room.

Belt laughed and walked through the rubble towards him. "Hey, there's something I need to tell you."

"Hmmm?" Callum turned around. Belt had an unreadable look on his face which put Callum on edge.

"I need to leave you for now."

"What, so soon? I thought you'd join me! You know, two humans wanting to study magic in Xadia!" Callum had looked forward to the prospect of having more humans learn primal magic. It would mean he wasn't alone, that others could do it as well.

"Well, maybe I'll catch up with you on your journey, but I need to head north for a bit. I don't know how long it will take," he said while avoiding his eyes.

"Up north? That's… pretty broad. What do you need to do?"

"That's… my own concern." Belt's eyes met his. Callum was taken aback. All of a sudden, Belt didn't appear to be an awkward young adult anymore. His eyes were hard and icy. Callum was confused. He had figured Belt was an awkward young man, and it struck Callum only now that he had been very trusting of a stranger he knew absolutely nothing about.

"Right… okay, well, you do you, you know?" Callum awkwardly replied.

Belt just smiled. He stuck out his hand. "Good luck, Prince Callum. I hope that Ibis will see a great apprentice in you."

Callum shook his hand, still a bit shook. "Right, yeah, maybe, you know... if the dragon king will let me."

"You'll persuade him, I think." Belt patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the room. Callum stared after him until he was out of sight.

What a strange man… he thought. Callum had mixed feelings about Belt leaving. Belt had the makings of a friend, he thought, but there was something about him that he'd only just noticed. Something lurking below the surface. Callum figured that Belt probably had some problems or personal issues to deal with. He just hoped he'd be alright.

He stood up and walked through the room, planning to take one last look before departing for Xadia. He looked at the remains of the desk the archmage must have worked at every day, and felt some satisfaction that the last remains of Viren's presence were now finally destroyed. Then, Callum noticed something. A hollow piece of wood stuck out between the rubble. In it was a small leather book. It looked quite unremarkable, but Callum figured it must be important if it had been hidden within the desk. Maybe a diary?

Callum was curious, but also wary of reading something of such a personal nature. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what went on in that man's head. Still, curiosity got the better of him. He skipped through the pages, skimming the text. "These are notes…" Callum muttered as he moved from page to page. "...Something about… Viren looking for artefacts in Xadia!". A marker stuck out from the book. Callum flipped to the page with the marker. These seem to be notes about some object Viren was searching… His mind was racing as he read the final passage on that page.

"…While the existence of such an object remains open to debate, it cannot be denied that a great many heroes of Xadia had possession of something of a similar nature. They all had an object that gave them great power and helped them overcome their obstacles. Therefore, as high mage of Katolis, it is of extreme importance that I come into possession of this 'Heart of a Dragon'."

-/-/-/-

The cloud whooshed past as Rayla fell to her death. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. The ocean rushed up to meet her. Rayla made herself small and managed to minimise the impact. As soon as she was in the water, she opened her eyes. Again, she saw the familiar figures of her friends and family sinking below. She knew that if she tried to swim towards one of them, all the others would immediately be pulled down, as if suddenly grabbed by invisible tentacles. And if she tried to surface, she would suffer the same fate.

Rayla fought to keep her terror of the bottomless ocean under control. There is no way out. No way, but…down. Having nothing left to lose, and almost out of breath, she stared at the pit below, waiting for her air to run out. The abyss stared back at her. All of a sudden, she saw a flicker. Two blue sparks of light, and a black shape moving down in the water. Rayla didn't know what it was, but with the precious few seconds she had, she figured it must be responsible for drowning her and her friends. She mustered her willpower and swam downwards. With long strokes, she went deeper and deeper, the light fading. Her lungs burned. She let the air escape but tried her best to keep the water out.

Deeper she went. Again, she saw the flicker of lights, two blue glowing eyes, staring at her from the deep. With her last bit of air, she let out a cry as she reached for her sword, as water rushed into her body.

She woke up with a cry, her hand outstretched as if holding her sword. Rayla breathed heavily. Eventually, she could calm herself. Damn these nightmares! She washed her face and looked in the mirror. She looked pale and her face looked thinner than usual. These nightmares were getting more frequent, maybe once every two nights. She would go to sleep feeling nervous about whether she would get one. But tonight, something was different. She had seen something there. Something was watching her in her sleep. She thought that maybe it was just part of her own twisted imagination, but her instinct told her that this wasn't the case. Somethin' has its eye on me… and I'm goin' to find out what it is…

-/-/-/-

Claudia crushed the little beetle in her fingers and incanted the spell. Viren couldn't hear what spell it was from this distance, but he knew that there were only a few spells that used such beetles, so it was easy to guess. With the beetle's magic energy, she transformed the small heap of sand into a small loaf of bread. The crowd around her was astounded. Viren watched from atop the cliff as Claudia instructed a dozen or so new members of their little 'group' in the art of dark magic. Soon, every one of them had crushed a beetle and attempted to copy the spell, some succeeding, most failing and some fainting in the process. Still, more people were learning the art, and Claudia was becoming more and more adept at both dark magic and leading these new members of their order. 'The True Light' they had called themselves. But only because Viren thought that Claudia's suggestion, 'the Superb Army of Darkness', was too negative for their purposes. Viren had watched their progress with a mixture of pride and trepidation. It had been close to a month since his resurrection. And in all that time, he hadn't cast a single spell…

"You spend a lot of time up here, Viren. Is something bothering you?" Viren turned around to meet Aaravos, or rather, his butterfly avatar.

"Claudia is doing well," he said, avoiding the question. "I think it won't be long before we can send another group to one of the kingdoms to spread the word."

"Good, good! We need more followers. Humanity needs to be stronger if it is to stand against Xadia. Especially if we are to rally against the dragons." The voice of Aaravos was still sweet and heavy with promise. But Viren turned away, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"What's wrong, Viren? Ever since our… little stunt at the Storm Spire, you haven't been the same."

"Yeah, dying does that to a man," Viren replied bluntly. When he saw the still questioning pose in the creature, he sighed. "Dark magic alone will not be enough, or at least not the spells that we have at our disposal." He gestured at the crowd below. "Turning dust to bread are mere parlour tricks compared to what the archmages of Xadia can do! We need more power!"

"Yes, that we do. I have good news in that regard." The creature watched Viren intently. "What if I told you that there is a way to master all the six primal elements?"

Viren's eyebrows shot up. "I'd say that this is something incredible, and I would be very interested."

"Good. To the north of here is a lone mountain in the desert. We must go there and slay a being called the 'emperor reigar'."

Viren thought for a moment. "I know of reigars. Silver-winged birds I believe. What's different about this one?"

"The emperor reigar is born with four wings instead of two, with each wing containing a single magic property. If done properly, that magic property can be used via dark magic if you use its feathers as the ingredients."

"Really? And what magical properties are those?" Viren asked, now clearly interested.

"No one knows. Each emperor reigar has different powers. We won't know until we find it. I only know that it's there."

"And how do you know that?" Viren stepped towards the creature. He still had the feeling Aaravos was holding back on him, even though he kept helping them even after his defeat.

But the creature didn't give Viren his answer. Instead, it said "Be ready at sunrise tomorrow. Then we will leave." It jumped in the air and flew away.

Viren watched it fly off before turning his gaze back down towards his daughter who was helping the various members of his group. He sighed and reached into his robe. He had received word from Muardalt. He reported that he and his friends had established themselves in the capital of Duren under the guise of mystical healers and had begun to attract a following of people who also wanted to learn more about this new 'belief'. At the same time, they had spread propaganda about the elves in taverns to get the people of Duren to turn against Xadia.

Muardalt said he was intent on keeping the two groups separate, so that if one failed, the other wouldn't be compromised. A bold plan, Viren thought, but because of that it just might work.

Viren sensed a presence behind him. Since he could still see Claudia at work below him, he figured that Aaravos must have returned for something. "I thought we were done for the day, Aara-". Viren turned around, but instead of the purplish butterfly creature, before him stood a massive black dragon, watching him with pupil-less, blue, glowing eyes. Viren's own eyes widened with shock.

"Viren of Katolis, the infamous dark mage. We meet again." Its deep voice rumbled softly as it spoke.

Viren was too shocked to utter any words. He tried to think of a way out of this situation. The only weapon he had was his staff, but he doubted that without other support he could fend off the dragon for long.

"I've been watching your actions. They intrigue me. I have some questions for you, but I must warn you. Do not attempt to harm me." His eyes narrowed as he uttered the warning.

Viren coughed and tried to regain composure. "Zeron, wasn't it? We saw you at the dragonmoot… as you saw us."

"Yes, a curious thing, to spy in the heart of the dragon's lair, so to speak. I hope it was worth your while."

"Why didn't you attack us?" Viren blurted out. He had to know.

"Because that would not gain me anything. Besides, you have a more important role to play." Viren was struck by how different this dragon was. In appearance, it was half the size of Thunder, completely black and hairless. It had six or eight black horns of various sizes that adorned his head, and its entire body was composed of shiny black scales. Viren was used to seeing at least some variant of colour or hair. Then again, Viren had to admit that he had never seen all types of dragons. He wondered if this was a star dragon.

"Alright. What then can I do for you?" Viren said as he tried to look regal, losing the last of his hostile stance against the creature.

"You are training others in the ways of dark magic and have recently sent a group towards Duren. I want to know your intentions."

Viren pressed his lips together. He didn't want to divulge his plans to the enemy, even though this dragon hadn't attacked him yet. However, he wondered if lying would get him very far. He and his group below the cliff were ill-matched against this creature. Viren also wondered if its smaller size meant that it was less powerful, or if that too was a ruse, a way for it to lull others into a false sense of security.

"We want others to learn dark magic. Below, my daughter is teaching her students to turn dust into bread, so that their children may not starve. In Duren, a friend of mine is setting up a healer's post to help people in need. Is that wrong?" Viren said the last bit in a patronising tone.

The dragon said nothing for a moment, but narrowed its eyes. "If so pure your intentions, why did you try to conquer the Storm Spire? Why try to kill the dragon prince?"

Viren felt forced to answer truthfully, at least partly. "Because in the entire history of mankind, no dragon has ever had the best interest of humanity at heart."

Again, the dark dragon remained silent for a while, then it got up. "Very well, Viren of Katolis. Thank you for answering my questions. You have told me much of value."

Viren wondered if there was some hidden meaning in that comment, but didn't ask as the dragon turned to fly away.

"One more thing, Viren. If I may offer some advice?" The dragon turned its head back towards Viren, who raised his staff slightly, not wanting to offend but not wanting to be defenceless either. "Tread carefully in your dealings with Aaravos. No power comes for free."

Viren could do nothing but contemplate what Zeron had said as he watched for the second time that day a creature of great power fly away.

Author's Note:

Right, so here is the next update. Only three more chapters to go. I think the story is progressing quite nicely, but I've run into some problems behind the scenes. From the get-go I figured that I would write one chapter a week, with each chapter being around 5000 words. That would mean that the entire story would be 45K words, give or take, and that I would finish the entire story around christmas because of extra writing time during the holidays.

However, the chapters are becoming bigger than I anticipated. This is not a bad thing for the story. There are just so many things happening, and so many things that need to be written, explained and told for the story to make sense. I also found myself having to scratch any additional ideas or "side quests". For example, in the previous chapter, Callum was supposed to get hit by an arrow on his way home since he resembled a bird or flying elf. I had thought out an additional story arc for that, but it would take me half a chapter at least to get that stuff in, which would mess up the rest of the chapters and the story progression. It's not that I want to keep a hard limit on how big the chapter is, it's just that it takes up a lot of my time to write such a chapter.

I suppose in the end, it's not a big deal. I've still posted one chapter a week, and if the chapters are becoming bigger, that just means that I've written more, which is the goal of the project itself. I hope you enjoy the story. As always, leave a review with your thoughts, I always appreciate them!

Review responses:

mdauben: Well, this chapter would answer your question, at least partially. But can he reach Xadia unscatched? We'll see in the next chapter!

Oragonking: Heh, well, this chapter contains a few hints as to who he is or what his purpose is... I'll let you figure it out.

Pabs117: Ezran probably had some adventures of his own, but as stated above, I'll probably leave that undiscovered due to time constraints.

Guest: Really? That's quite interesting actually. Do you have a source for that?

Rovendra: Glad to hear! I try to keep Friday as the update day, so you guys have something to read during the weekend.