It was dark in the room, the occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the royal bedchamber. Ezran hugged Bait tightly. He was still afraid of lightning, but he could push the fears away as he thought of all the other things that had transpired. It had been a long day. He had some correspondence with Queen Aanya, and they had finalised their plan on how to deal with King Aureum Umbra. Letters had been sent to that end. He hoped their plan would have the desired effect. But all the thinking and worrying had taken its toll on the child-king, and soon he was fast asleep. His dreams were filled with the roaring of dragons...
The great hall rumbled at the sound of one dragon roaring at another. Zym was frightened. He hid under his mother's wing and kept a watchful eye on the two dragons. Queen Zubeia looked at the two with worry.
"Your antics have almost killed the captain, Zeron!" King Aureum Umbra roared. "I expected you to be more responsible."
Zeron remained stoic. He merely watched the great white dragon as the king roared at him.
"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
The black dragon straightened himself. "Only that I did as you asked, using my own limited methods."
Queen Zubeia had already guessed what was being discussed and was seething with rage, causing Zym to cower underneath her. "Really!? You sent this dragon to spy on her, King Aureum Umbra? And you," she said sternly as she turned to the black dragon, "What magic did you use to cause her those sleepless nights? How cruel can you be!?"
Despite the onslaught, Zeron remained unmoved. "I was asked to discover their allegiance. I was not asked to go about it nicely."
The queen's eyes widened. "'Their'? Who else did you use your magic on!?"
"Prince Callum of Katolis."
The queen turned an angry gaze to the king, but he ignored it completely as he addressed Zeron once again. "So I can assume that it was you who so grievously wounded our captain?"
Zeron nodded. "Though, if I may, that wound is only an illusion, as was the dream. It would never have been fatal, and its effects in the realm of the waking will be gone in a couple of days."
The king and queen looked at each other. Then, King Aureum Umbra sighed heavily. "Very well. At least tell me you were successful in your endeavours."
The black dragon moved into a more comfortable pose as he reported his findings. "The human prince's pretty clean. There is no darkness in his heart. He earnestly sought to banish dark magic from his realm. He is also a kind person and tried his best to avoid conflict in his capital. He does have a burning passion to be with the elf. That's his sole motivation. I'd say that when given the choice, he'd put her before the needs of his kingdom, but that doesn't make him a bad person, only a bad prince."
The king grumbled. "That's good for Xadia... And what of Rayla?"
Zeron was silent for a while. "She is more complicated. In her dreams, I offered her options, where she had to choose who to save, or see who she would miss most. However, she fought the reality I created for her and made her own choices. Eventually, she even found the power to attack me in her dreams."
The king actually snickered. "So she used your own magic against you…" Then, a thought struck him. "You think she is a moonshadow mage as well?"
Zeron shook his head. "Her feat didn't take any magic, though it probably helped that she was a moonshadow elf to begin with. No, what she did was done through sheer raw willpower. She is very special, if only for that. Where her heart truly lies, with Xadia or the prince, that I do not know, not yet. I only know that she would give her life to protect that which she cares for."
The king seemed to think this over as silence reigned for a while. "I understand. So in the end, we are still unsure about the captain."
"Perhaps. But if I may, her sole task is protecting the queen and Zym, for which she has already proven that she would gladly give her life. Compared to the loyalty of the last Dragonguard, I'd say you couldn't wish for a better captain."
The king nodded. "Very well, then. I suppose I have to be satisfied with this answer."
"And what about the prince?" Queen Zubeia asked. "You know he requested to be trained in magic."
The king looked at her, then back at Zeron. "Well? What do you think, Black One?"
"Observing him, I discovered he was a brilliant young man. I think he could become a very powerful mage if given the opportunity. However, whether that's good for Xadia remains to be seen."
"I understand. So we will deny this request, then," the king said with finality.
"I wouldn't go that far," Zeron countered. "If he is truly as pure-hearted as I think he is, he could be a boon for both humanity and all of Xadia. No, instead of denying him tutelage, I say we properly test him. Pit him against his own kind to see if he has what it takes to use his powers for the good of all."
Queen Zubeia was silent. She had mixed emotions about this discussion. She had found the methods used by the king and the black dragon very cruel, but she also remembered the time she sent a group of assassins to Katolis. With these thoughts, she hung her head in shame. Oh, how far we've fallen…
The king spoke up. "Alright. I suppose you have something in mind?"
The black dragon grinned. "I do. As it happens, there's trouble in Duren…"
-/-/-/-
It was quiet in the room. No light was coming from the other side of the door, or through the keyhole Keryn was currently peeping. "I can't see anything…" he whispered.
"And I can't hear anything," said Pincaelo, who had her ear pressed against the door.
"This is unbecoming of a Dragonguard… spying on their captain…" Bosor leaned against the wall and eyed the pair at the door with disdain. Yet he didn't move away.
"What do you think they're doing?" asked Pincaelo.
Keryn spoke as he looked up to the rest of the group. "Well, if I were alone with my lover…" His wicked grin told them the rest.
Bosor actually shuddered at the thought. "An elf and a human… it's not decent…"
"Ow, grow up and get your head out of the earth!" Pincaelo said loudly. "Give them a break! There is nothing wrong with what they are or aren't doing!"
Keryn quickly shushed her, but it was already too late.
"What is going on here!?" The angry voice of Catlyn carried from down the hall as she marched up the passage to their captain's room. She gasped as she saw the group before them. "You dare spy on our captain!?"
"Well, I…." "I tried to stop them!" "I mean, is it really 'spying'?"
Catlyn glared at the group. "Get back to your posts! All of you! Leave our poor captain be! Whatever diplomatic talks are going on in there are none of your concern!"
The group had the good grace to blush as they slowly shuffled down the passage, back to the hall. Catlyn watched them go and grinned. As soon as they were out of sight, she bent down to peep through the keyhole. Unfortunately for her, it was just at that time the door opened.
"Autch!" Catlyn fell backwards after the doorknob had rammed into her eye socket. A surprised Rayla stood in the doorway, Callum coming out after her.
"Well, seems to me that you're not much better than your compatriots," Rayla said as she looked at the now blushing Dragonguard.
Catlyn was grinning, however, and didn't seem apologetic in the least. "Sorry captain, I just couldn't resist," she said sheepishly.
Rayla looked at her sternly, but a smile cracked on her face. "Ah, well. I couldn't expect any differently from a moonshadow elf, now could I?"
Catlyn got up, still grinning as she looked at the pair. Rayla still wore her linen shirt, but was wearing her sleeveless vest, which meant she was probably carrying her swords again. Callum was still wearing the same clothes as always, though why he was wearing a shawl indoors in summer was anyone's guess. The both of them looked like they had only just woken up, with Rayla's hair being a bit wild and Callum's being an absolute mess. A thought struck Catlyn and she smiled wickedly.
"So, you've slept together, then?"
"No, we haven't." Rayla said tersely, just as Callum replied, "Yes, of course."
Rayla gave Callum an incredulous look. Callum just stared back at her. "What?" It took a moment for him to realise what was implied. "Oh. Oh! Nononono! We would never…! No, I didn't... I mean, we didn't sleep together. Nope, not at all!"
Catlyn just watched the two, arms crossed, with a broad smile on her face. "Aw, you two are just adorable." She laughed as she walked away, while the captain of the Dragonguard and the prince of Katolis, both teenagers, were left behind while blushing furiously and unable to look at each other.
"That… was awkward," Callum said at last.
"Horrible," Rayla added.
"Right."
Rayla took a deep breath. "Well, come on, let's get some breakfast."
They spent the morning catching up. Rayla talked about all her duties and responsibilities as captain and her own thoughts about it, as Callum talked about the discoveries he'd made while trashing Viren's room, and the festival the city sprung up for him before he left.
"Really, they threw a festival for you? Just for you?" Rayla's eyes were big.
Callum looked back uncertainly. "Well… it was my birthday. They tend to do that kind of stuff if you're a prince," he said with a small voice.
Rayla just stared. She had been to a couple of festivals in her life. There were two in Silvergrove each year, but they were small, as their village counted only about a hundred elves at most. She sighed. Rayla disliked city life but she had always wanted to visit a festival or some grand party.
"Rayla, is something wrong?" Rayla looked over to Callum. He looked back at her with worry in his eyes.
"Hmm, no, I was just thinking…" she said as she looked at her plate.
"Well, a coin for your thoughts?" Callum tried to quickly grab a coin from the inside of his vest, but this smooth gesture was ruined as the coin flew out of his hand, bounced off the table and rolled down the hall.
Callum looked chagrinned at the coin in the distance, but Rayla laughed. "Ah, Callum, you always find a way to cheer me up."
He smiled at that. "But really, what were you thinking about?"
Rayla's smile dropped a little. She didn't seem sad, just put out. "I was just thinking how I've never been to a proper party before in my life."
"Really? Not one?"
Rayla shook her head. "I mean, we did have festivals in Silvergrove, but our village was rather strict and everything was focussed on trainin' and fightin'. And don't get me wrong, I enjoy that too! But just relaxin' and takin' part in festivities, that never really happened." She sighed wistfully as Callum was processing this new information.
"Alright alright, but, what about your birthday? Birthdays must be special for an elf, right?"
She gave Callum an annoyed look. "You'd think so… Well, you're in for a rude awakening. My parents did throw some small parties when I was little, but as soon as I went to live with Runaan and Ethari, that stopped." She pushed away her plate, no longer hungry. Callum listened with rapt attention. The more he came to know Rayla, the more there was to learn about her, it seemed.
"Runaan was strict. I loved him like a father, but he could be harsh... " Suddenly her eyes focused on Callum as she swallowed. "Did… did you find anythin' of him when you….?"
Callum's eyes widened a bit as he processed her question. "Oh, I… no, I mean… we did find some secret dungeon, but it was empty and abandoned." He hesitated, and Rayla still looked at him expectantly. He wanted to be honest, he just hoped it wouldn't hurt her. "Rayla, we did find some elven bones. They looked really old though… I don't think they were of him."
Callum watched with worry as Rayla seemed to waver for the tiniest moment, her eyes widening and her face draining of colour. But then her strength returned. She balled her hands into fists. "What did you do with them?"
"We burned them." Callum blurted out, hoping that this would be the right answer.
She paused for a moment, then nodded. "That's probably for the best," she said.
It was silent for a while, each contemplating their own thoughts.
"So, when is your birthday?" Callum asked, at last, trying to get back on topic.
"Oh! Uhm…" She tapped her finger to her chin. "Well, it's this month, and my birthday is when the moon is almost full, so… I'd say a couple more days or so?" When she saw Callum's questioning look, she added "I'll have to check the calendar."
"So…. you don't know what day it is?"
Rayla looked at him oddly. "I… know we're nearing the end of Sona, the month of summer."
"Right, for me, it's the 26th of July."
"Oh! We have different dating systems?"
Callum shrugged. "I guess so… In the human kingdoms, all our days and months are named after old rulers and gods. What about Xadia?"
Rayla thought for a moment. "Gods mostly, though we don't really keep track of time the way humans do. The only reason I have a calendar is because of my position as captain." She made a face as she remembered the letters she had to write and notes she had to keep. It wasn't much, but she hated writing. "Oh, that reminds me! Can I see your seal?"
"Sure." Callum produced the paper, and Rayla looked it over.
"Can I copy this, Callum? I might actually need it if others come seekin' an audience. I was actually the one who had to check this, but, you know, skewered," she said jokingly as she pointed to her stomach.
Callum found it hard to laugh about that. "Right... By the way, if your birthday is coming up, do you want anything?" he eagerly asked. Her birthday! That'd be a good time to give her something special!
Rayla seemed to think it over. "I mean, yeah, there were things I wanted, but they are all gone now. Each year I would get a letter from my parents, and Runaan would make my favourite dessert." She looked at Callum sadly, giving a weak smile. "So… I don't know how I'm goin' to spend my birthday this year."
Callum looked at that sad smile only for a second before he moved over next to her and gave her an intense hug. Rayla was surprised but immediately felt warmth spread to her being. She suppressed a sob. I've cried enough, I'm not goin' to cry again.
Callum broke the hug, but still held onto her as he looked at her face. "I'll find something for you," Callum said with confidence. He wiped away a tiny tear from her face she didn't know was there.
"Thanks," she said with a tiny voice. "I'm sorry that I missed yours. Was there somethin' you wanted?"
"Hmmm… not really, I guess." Seeing her disappointment, he added. "I mean, I like to draw, so maybe you could take me somewhere nice, so I can sketch something. Or maybe even paint something, that'd be nice." He had actually tried painting a few times in the past, and found he quite liked it. It wasn't something he could do on the fly, however, so he preferred sketching.
Rayla nodded. She wanted to surprise him with something special as well. She still got butterflies thinking about the time when he gave her his sketchbook. That gesture meant a lot to her and she wanted to return the sentiment.
"Captain! Prince Callum!"
Both turned around as Bosor approached. "You have both been summoned by the king and queen."
-/-/-/-
Both Callum and Rayla walked into the great hall and bowed before the dragons. Callum frowned as he saw the black dragon seated beside the king. Who is that dragon? he wondered. Rayla gave the dragon a sidelong glance. She had seen it before at the dragonmoot and figured it was some kind of advisor to the king. It made her feel uneasy, however, though she didn't know why. She tried to focus on the king.
"My king, my queen," she said as she smiled at Queen Zubeia. "You send for us?"
"We have, young ones," the queen addressed them informally. "We have news that concerns both of you." She turned to Callum. "First, about your mission, and your request to be trained by the mages of Xadia…"
Callum swallowed. He really hoped that he could stay in Xadia, though, if he was honest, he was already working on a plan B to stay near the Storm Spire as an ambassador for Katolis. In his heart, he just wanted to be close to Rayla.
The king spoke. "We have found that you have brought sufficient evidence to convince us of your efforts to destroy the presence of dark magic in Katolis."
The black dragon spoke up as well. "You could have hidden away the books and ingredients you found, or sold them for gold to neighbouring kingdoms. Instead, you were adamant about their destruction and burned them on a pyre. You even trashed the dark mage's room to spite him. I can appreciate such devotion to your mission," the black dragon said with a smile.
Callum was puzzled. He hadn't told them that part. Again he looked the black dragon in the eyes and got a sense of familiarity which made him feel uneasy.
"T-thank you," Callum replied. "So… does that mean…?"
"Not yet, Prince Callum," the queen said gently.
The king gestured with a claw to the dragon. "Zeron has convinced me of your good intentions, but I must know if you have the good of all in your heart, or just that of humanity."
"I- well of course I do!" Callum blurted out. "I mean, look how well I get along with elves!"
"I think your romance with the captain is a little biased, don't you think?" the queen said with a smile. Callum stammered something incoherent and looked at his shoes, blushing furiously. Rayla blushed faintly, but she had to smile as well. The queen was not mocking them, and she sensed her approval.
"In any case," the king continued, "as it stands, we do have a mission for you. We've had reports that there is trouble in Duren. Elves and magical creatures are disappearing at Duren's border, and a cult is trying to introduce dark magic en masse in the capital. I want you to go to Berylgarten and root out this cult. If you do this, we will see this as sufficient proof that you indeed want to better both humanity and the world at large."
Callum gulped. That's a big mission. Like, a huge mission! And he wasn't that familiar with Berylgarten.
"To check your progress and to help you with any danger you might encounter, we will send one of the Dragonguard with you."
Rayla grimaced. She figured something like this might happen. Please don't be Bosor, she thought. Or Kiyara. Though they were the most capable fighters she had, she didn't think they would try very hard at keeping Callum alive.
Callum sighed. He couldn't very well expect them to send Rayla with him, even if he wanted to. She was the captain after all...
All of a sudden, the queen turned to Rayla. "Rayla of Xadia, we command you to go with the prince of Katolis. Check his progress, and bring back an honest report of his actions so that we may judge if he is worthy of our knowledge of the arcana."
Both Rayla and Callum were speechless. Neither of them had expected this. The king noticed and felt the need to clarify. "Don't misunderstand us, Captain Rayla, this is as much a test of his good intentions as it is of your loyalty and character. Should you fail, we will know." The king leaned closer, bringing his giant head eye to eye with Rayla. "You should know I hold you in high regard, Rayla of Xadia. Do not fail."
"You may take a day to gather your strength and collect supplies, but we urge you to make haste," the queen added.
Callum nodded. He figured that if they would travel light, he could make proper use of his mage wings. Rayla straightened up and bowed. Callum stammered a 'thank you' and made a clumsy bow as well.
"That will be all," the king said, settling in a more comfy pose.
"Good luck," the queen said softly, looking at them with bright eyes. "May the light of the moon and sun guide you." Rayla smiled at the dragon and gave another bow before leaving, Callum in tow.
King Aureum Umbra watched the pair as they left. Without taking his eyes off them, he addressed Zeron. "Can you check their progress, to make sure that we are not being deceived?"
The black dragon smiled. "Consider it done."
Callum and Rayla went to the plateau in front of the entrance. The sun was rising in the sky. Rayla took a deep breath. "It's good to be back on my feet." She looked fondly at her boyfriend and gave him a smile.
The way she smiled at him made his insides tingle. "So, we've been offered a day," Callum said to her.
Rayla looked back to the sky, ever stretching outwards before them. "A day before jumping back into the fray…" she said sadly.
"Yeah… So…. how do you want to spend it?"
Rayla's eyes twinkled as she looked into his. The smile she gave him sent shivers down his spine.
-/-/-/-
The mountain loomed in front of them ominously. "Here it is. Charming little place," Aaravos said. The creature looked at its companions. "Are you ready?"
Claudia gripped the sunstone-staff tightly. "Oh, I'm ready, alright!"
Viren looked less sure, but he didn't protest and merely pointed to the mountain with his own staff. "And I suppose we must climb this all the way to the top?"
Aaravos laughed. "Oh no, where would be the fun in that?" His eyes started glowing, and a hole in the mountain opened up. Several human skeletons could be seen near the entrance. It couldn't look any more uninviting.
"An illusion! Clever!" Claudia said excitedly. She was already brainstorming on the possibilities of magic this creature had. If it hides its lair with illusions, then maybe some of its feathers can be used to cast illusions as well!
Viren frowned as he looked at the skeletons. They were wearing various different types of clothing and armour. As he investigated them, he noted two things. One, they were all very old, and two, they all died by deep puncture wounds, judging from the holes in the armour and the broken bones. "Be careful, Claudia. Whatever this creature is, it's dangerous."
"Aw, and what about your little bug pal?" Aaravos said with a mocking tone.
"I'm not worried about you. You would probably outlive us by a thousand years," Viren replied. Aaravos just laughed.
Claudia beckoned the two. "Come on! We have to get ingredients for our little cult." Without hesitation, she stepped into the darkness.
Aaravos folded its wings and skittered after her. Viren was last. Claudia's enthusiasm was beginning to disturb him. It had been alright when Soren was with her. Even though he was a dumb oaf, he was the best swordfighter of the entire guard. But now, all she had was a creature created by a thousand-year-old elf with dubious allegiances, and an old man with no special powers.
Viren looked down at his staff. It still had energy, but Claudia's shows for the people of Neolandia had taken their toll. It needed to be recharged soon. He hesitated as he looked at the dark entrance. He hadn't cast any real spells since he was resurrected. He felt a hesitance to use dark magic again and he had a faint idea why that was. Still, humanity is under threat from Xadia, he thought. Steeling himself, he pressed on into the darkness, following the others close behind.
-/-/-/-
The pair had strolled around the Storm Spire for a time, sometimes chatting, sometimes just enjoying each other's presence. They both relished the feeling of not really having to go anywhere, and Rayla had made it clear that they should just enjoy this day, both because she was still recovering and because she felt they had earned it. Callum didn't object.
When they entered the hall, they felt the eyes of various Dragonguard and Callum's human escorts on them. Callum let go of Rayla's hand to talk to his guards and dismiss them. They could rest for a bit and return at their own pace, for which they were grateful.
Rayla watched the exchange and kept an eye on the various Dragonguards as well. Kiyara was stealing glances at the humans while working on her blade, while Pincaelo was sleeping with her head on the table. She was amused by the contrast between the two Dragonguards, one being completely at ease with the situation, while the other was always tense. Rayla wondered what Kiyara's story was. There was something about the young elf that always made her seem tense and on guard.
She was shaken out of her thoughts when Callum returned to her. "Okay! So, the guards will get back on their own. That leaves us here in the Storm Spire with the rest of the afternoon for ourselves!" He smiled the same goofy smile as always, and Rayla felt butterflies in her stomach as he looked at her. "So, what do you want to do?"
Rayla didn't answer but took his hand and led him through the hall and down the passageway, all the way to her room, ignoring the scrutiny of everyone watching in the hall. Rayla pushed Callum inside and locked the door behind him.
"Woa… what are you planning?" Callum crossed his arms and looked at his girlfriend. He found it difficult to decipher her look. Her eyes were focused on him. She looked shy, alluring and ...hungry? He was surprised as the word popped into his head.
Rayla bit her lip as she looked at Callum. He seemed out of place, like he didn't know what to do with himself in her room. He had crossed his arms and was looking at her with this goofy smile. Despite all that, he had a boyish manner about him, something that was drawing her to him, ever closer.
Rayla crossed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him. She felt ridiculous. I'm bigger and stronger than him, why do I feel so vulnerable!? She barely dared to look at him, very conscious that this was the first time they were together like this since the midnight desert (not counting last evening, but then she had still been in a lot of pain, and laying down was all she could do. Now, however, she felt like she could actually enjoy her boyfriend's company).
She looked up when she felt his hands roaming over her back, stroking her softly. She remembered his question now. "You know, sometimes, a girl just wants some attention."
Callum snickered. "Oh really?"
She smiled and looked at him. Callum looked back into those deep violet eyes and felt his heart flutter. "Kiss me, my prince," she said in the sweetest tone he had ever heard. He gladly obliged.
While their first kiss had been an awkward occurrence on Rayla's part, and the second an accidental spontaneous outburst from Callum, they had overcome their shyness and had learned to kiss each other with passion. Callum and Rayla both remembered the time after the battle, as they rested in each other's arms and kissed and nuzzled, giving comfort after the day's terrifying moments.
But now was different. Now they had chosen their own time to be together, to enjoy each other, and as they both sat down on the edge of the bed, they carefully explored their limits.
It was Rayla who first broke away after their long kiss. "Shall I tell you a secret?," she said, a bit short of breath, "I've never kissed a man before you." Callum just stared at her. "Well...I… haven't either… a woman, I mean!"
She giggled at his reaction. "I think that we're getting pretty good at this," she said as she caressed his face. It felt smooth. She was glad he still hadn't grown one of those horrible human beards.
Callum let her. He enjoyed her touch and put his hand on hers. He tilted his head slightly as he mulled something over.
Rayla rolled her eyes. "I know that look. You're thinking about something stupid."
"Not stupid!" Callum said defensively. "Just thinking about how little I know about elves. Is this-" he gestured between the two of them, "-how it usually goes with elves, or do you have some courting custom or something?"
Rayla blushed, though it was barely visible in the soft candlelight. "Well, we do, though I only know the typical customs of the moonshadow elves." She moved from her bed and walked over to the corner of her room where her swords were resting. She grabbed one, flicked it open, and gave it a few experimental swings. Callum watched as she went through the movements with grace.
"Our weapons have special meanings to us moonshadow elves. They can be given as a gift, or a promise. They can have names. They can bind people. But by default, each elf has a weapon, and they will always carry it." She stowed her weapon and looked back to her boyfriend. "But when a man or woman wants to show they're 'available', they will tie an empty loop to their belt, like some kind of sheath. This signifies they are available for a bond. If a person is interested, they can craft a small weapon and engrave their name in it." She grinned. "The next part is kinda funny. The person has to use either stealth or speed to put their weapon in the sheath. If they succeed, then the other person has to at least take the giver on a date, or give them a kiss, even if they don't want to."
Callum's eyes widened at that. "Wait, what? How is that fair?"
Rayla shrugged. "I mean, it's not as if you'd walk around with a sheath all the time. Usually just at festivals or parties. And to be honest? I think it's all pre-arranged. At least it was with my parents. My father would tell my mother beforehand that he would wear a sheath, so that she could attempt to fill it with her handcrafted dagger." She laughed as she thought back to when her father had told her about that particular exchange.
"Usually that goes smoothly. However, another elf had set his eyes on my da and happened to have brought his own dagger. So my da, my ma and this other would-be suitor chased each other all across the festival and the neighbouring forest." Rayla had burst out laughing at that last part.
Callum laughed, though he was a bit hesitant. "Do you mind if I do it the human way? Cause otherwise, I don't stand a chance."
Rayla jumped onto the bed and sat crossed legged in front of him. "Do tell me of your human ways, human."
"Oh, uhm, what do you want to know?"
Rayla tilted her head. "Well, what do you do when you like someone?"
Callum grinned and looked at her with a sly expression. "Well, as I recall, first you annoy them, you bugger them with lots of questions, then you take a trip to the edge of the earth and eventually you save their life!"
"Haha. But really, how do humans do things?"
Callum let himself fall on his back on the bed. "Well, I dunno. I mean, we try to let the other one know we're interested, but there's no set way of doing anything. In the higher courts, we do have balls that have certain customs. Like, if you dance a mazurka twice with the same person? You're basically proposing!"
Rayla looked at him with wonder. "Oh! What's a mazurka? And what is proposing?"
Callum groaned inwardly. Apparently, there was a large culture gap between them. I should be glad we're at least speaking the same language! "Right, so the mazurka is just a slow, stupid ball dance. And proposing means that you propose to marry that person, to be with them for the rest of your life," he explained.
Rayla whistled. "Sounds like a big deal. The dancing part sounds fun."
Callum felt uncomfortable as she said that. "It's really not! Let me tell you about all the horrible dancing lessons I had to take!"
In the end, they spent the rest of the day really getting to know each other. They talked at length about their different upbringings. Rayla tried to get him to enjoy a specialised version of a game of tag, typical to moonshadow elf culture, and Callum tried to teach her to sketch in his sketchbook (which Rayla had gladly returned to him, though on the condition that he made more sketches).
Teaching Rayla to sketch actually went quite well, up to the point where Callum showed her some paints he had brought with him ("In case I get to stay here for a while,'' he confessed). This immediately led Rayla to the idea of giving Callum his own very special face markings, to which Callum fervently objected, which led to an altogether different kind of game of tag.
It ended with them rolling on the ground, laughing, paint plastered everywhere. They stayed there in perfect bliss, forgetting for the moment that, come tomorrow, they had to face danger yet again.
-/-/-/-
The next morning the two of them had said goodbye to all in the Storm Spire. The Dragonguard was supported by some smaller dragons from the east, so Rayla was fairly confident that they could keep the Storm Spire safe while she was out on their mission. A dragon offered to see them to the checkpoint, greatly speeding up their journey. They reached the checkpoint within a day and rested there.
To both of their surprise, there was little tension between the elves and humans there, but Callum figured his aunt might have something to do with it. They didn't stay long, however, and after exchanging some pleasantries, Callum used his mage wing spell to fly both of them straight to Berylgarten, the capital of Duren.
Berylgarten was a blooming city unlike any other both Rayla and Callum had ever seen. Houses were given ample space between them, so that lush gardens and green fields could flourish. Even as the city got denser when they flew closer to the palace, Rayla had to note that for a human city, it was quite pretty. The roofs were adorned with flowers and plants would creep up the walls of the various houses. The palace itself was a marvellous structure. It didn't have walls and a moat like the old castle in Katolis. Instead, it was elevated on a platform, with four large towers on the corner and a five-story tall pyramid-like structure in the centre, with a large dome on top. It was truly a marvel to behold.
Callum landed them in front of the palace. The guards were startled, and Callum half expected to get the same welcome as he had in Katolis, but before anyone could react to their arrival, Queen Aanya herself was already storming out of the gates of her Palace.
"Captain Rayla! Prince Callum!" she shouted across the distance.
Callum bowed, with Rayla following suit. "Queen Aanya! Did you know we were coming?" Callum said, surprised to see her so quickly.
Queen Aanya smiled. "We do keep an eye on the skies. There be dragons out there, remember? But when I heard it appeared to be two persons flying around, I figured it must be the famous mage from Katolis and the warrior elf from Xadia." Her face turned serious. "You couldn't have come at a better time for me. We need your help. Berylgarten is in uproar."
They followed Queen Aanya back into the palace. They marvelled at the interior. Great columns rose up to the ceiling, and statues adorned small alcoves. Even the people inside the palace were all adorned to look their best, all wearing expensive linen and silks adorned with golden jewellery.
Callum noted one young woman walking by. He figured she was a little older than him. The reason he was ogling her was her dress: it was a bright purple silk dress. Two long broad strokes of purple silk rose up from her midsection and wound themselves around her bosom, leaving ample skin exposed to admire, but still kept enough hidden to wonder.
Suddenly he felt a soft slap to the back of his head. As he turned around, he saw Rayla glaring daggers at him. "Really, Callum?" she said tersely.
Callum felt his cheeks redden and quickly mumbled an apology before hurrying after the queen. Rayla shook her head. She wasn't sure what had just happened, or why she felt jealous when Callum had looked at the woman like that. She had never really felt jealous before, up until that moment. But as she glanced back, she had to admit that she doubted she would ever look as good as the woman did when wearing a dress like that. She shook the negative thoughts from her head, resigning herself that at least Callum did seem to accept her the way she was. She picked up the pace and joined the others just as they entered a large doorway.
The queen led them to a meeting hall. She quickly explained to them what had transpired these last few weeks. "It's very strange! There has been a surge in dark magic users the same week I had it banned! It's like they planned this beforehand!"
Rayla and Callum looked at each other worriedly. "What can we do?" Callum asked.
Queen Aanya turned away from them and walked to a cabinet, only to return with a large map of the city and outskirts. "This here," she said as she pointed to a large building on the map, "used to be a very old temple. It was abandoned, but now it is the home of a group calling themselves The True Light.'"
"How original…" Rayla muttered.
The queen ignored that remark. "I have sent people to investigate. They have told me that they use dark magic to heal people."
Callum had a weird look on his face. "Heal people?"
Queen Aanya looked him in the eyes. "Yes. So it may be that this is well-intended. However, it puts our peace with Xadia in jeopardy. The healing happens free of charge, so people come and go there all the time now for all kinds of illnesses. They were even able to heal some of our prisoners from Viren's curse."
"What's Viren's curse?" Rayla asked curiously.
"Oh, he had cursed all his soldiers with some kind of sunfire elf rage," Callum explained. "You know, burning lines across the skin, fiery eyes, scream a lot?"
Rayla nodded, she understood. "Alright, so we need to go in and stop this cult."
Queen Aanya took a deep breath. "Well…. No. If all they are doing is healing people, they aren't doing anything nefarious, as far as I can tell. I've already tried to have the building shut down once, but the people made it very clear that they preferred to have the healers stay."
"Alright… so what do you want us to do?" Callum asked carefully.
"Investigate. If all they are doing is to heal people, then perhaps we have to renegotiate our deal with Xadia. I know the dragon king won't like it, but I can't ignore the wishes of my people either."
"Nonono you can't!" Rayla shouted. "We're now at peace! And you want to break it because some lunatics start using dark magic, which is evil, by the way, just to heal a couple of people!?"
"Why is dark magic evil, then? I am not convinced. Last time I heard it being used in Duren, it was used to save a hundred thousand men, women and children from starvation." The queen had put her hands on the table and had entered a staring contest with the elf. The tension in the room was palpable.
Callum was disturbed by what he heard. He could understand the queen's reasoning, but he also could see what knowledge she lacked. "Queen Aanya, I understand your concern. We will just investigate for now," Callum held up his hands to placate the two women ", but you should know that to use dark magic, you have to sacrifice something. For feeding your people, they had to kill a magma titan. For healing these people, I think they are killing something else."
The queen cast her eyes downwards. "I had forgotten that."
Callum put a hand on her shoulder. "My dad always called dark magic a shortcut. Even if it works in the short term, there's always a price to pay in the long run."
The queen sat down. Callum was impressed. Even in her tired and worried state, she still looked more like a regal ruler than a ten-year-old girl.
After a few moments, she looked back at him. "Thank you for your wisdom, Prince Callum."
He simply nodded. "Don't mention it. We will look into it now, and when we find something, we'll get back to you." He and Rayla bowed and turned to leave. As Rayla walked outside the door, Callum hesitated.
"What is it?" Rayla asked.
Callum blushed. "Uhm, why don't you go on ahead? I need to ask something. Be right back!" Before Rayla could reply, the door was shut in her face.
"What's with him!?" She let out a frustrated sigh. Weird humans…
Queen Aanya looked surprised as Callum had shut the door behind him. "Was there something else you needed?"
Callum fidgeted with his thumbs. "Well, I know we don't know each other very well, but since Rayla and I will be staying here for a while, I have a favour to ask of you."
The queen listened as Callum told her his plan. When he was finished, she was grinning. "Oh, that's so sweet! I think that can be arranged."
-/-/-/-
Callum and Rayla explored the marketplace. It was a hot day, but the both of them figured they had a need to keep a low profile, so they immediately looked around for a shop selling clothes and cloaks. Before they got there, however, they were confronted with the scars of the war. In this case, the confrontation took the form of a lump of mud hitting Rayla in the side of the face.
"Ugh!" Rayla exclaimed as she wiped away the sludge. She whipped around to see who had thrown it, her hands already going for her swords. She saw a crowd of angry onlookers and cursed herself that she hadn't taken the trouble to disguise herself sooner. One woman clad in simple brown robes stood at the forefront. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, was wearing a dark red headscarf and was still holding out a muddy hand.
"Get lost, elf! We don't want your kind here!" The rest of the onlookers seemed to agree and shouted obscenities at her.
Callum took her hand. "C'mon, let's get out of here," he whispered urgently.
But Rayla would not be dissuaded by this display of hostility. She held her hands to her sides, a clear sign that she wasn't armed. She approached the woman with confidence, though Rayla found it hard to keep from snarling at her. "Yeah? What have I ever done to you, woman?" she half-shouted, trying both not to be too aggressive, but also to be heard by the jeering crowd.
The woman was taken aback, clearly not expecting the elf to talk back to her. "Your kind took my brother!" she screamed back.
Rayla breathed in sharply. Her instincts told her to fight or flee. Instead, she tried to once again use her least favourite tactic: diplomacy. "I understand how you feel, but I have lost people I care about as well. Both of my parents were killed by humans, and later on, my adopted da was killed as well!"
Most of the crowd didn't hear her response and continued yelling obscenities. The woman heard her. Rayla could see her struggling with her emotions. "I don't care!" she yelled. "Your kind is evil!"
Rayla sighed. She didn't want this, but she couldn't avoid confrontations like this if they were going to move forward. She had taken the princes along on the journey because she had believed delivering the egg would bring peace. Now she believed that if she could just reason with these people instead of fighting or running, there could be peace as well. She looked at Callum, who gave her an encouraging look back. She took a deep breath as she turned back to the crowd.
"Don't you understand? We also thought that of you! That you were monsters, that you were… not worth savin'." Rayla thought of her words back when she had first met the princes. Oh, how I've changed since then. She grabbed Callum's hand as she continued the speech. People were still yelling obscenities, but more people around the woman were listening to her earnestly.
"I've learned differently, that we are not enemies. I know now how amazing and beautiful humans can be, and I hope," she said as she looked at Callum, "that this will count for us as well, if you will give us a chance."
She tried to smile at the woman, who was still frowning back. Rayla stepped forward, feeling very vulnerable without a blade in her hand to protect herself against the hostility. "I know your pain, but I haven't killed your brother."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "How can you be so sure? Your kind are killers! I've heard so myself! I bet you don't remember half the people you've killed!" The crowd mumbled approvingly at that statement.
Rayla closed her eyes and forced herself back to a state of calmness. She was getting agitated, and she knew it. "I know for a fact that I've never killed your brother, because I've only killed once in my life. And unless your brother was the high mage of Katolis, I doubt I have ever done anythin' to you or your kin."
The woman pressed her lips together, the fury disappearing from her eyes. Rayla felt relief as the woman finally seemed to believe her, but then someone else picked up the shouting. "You hear that!? She's a killer! She said so herself!" Others joined in.
Callum squeezed her hand and nodded towards the shop they intended to go to. Just as they turned around to leave the angry crowd behind them, Rayla glanced at the woman. She thought she saw her mouthing the word 'sorry'. She gave a slight smile before disappearing into the shop with Callum. Once inside, she pressed herself against him. She groaned into his shoulder.
"I should have been more careful!" Rayla admonished herself for admitting that she killed Viren.
Callum put his hands on her shoulder. "You couldn't have known. The humans at the checkpoint were actually kind to you. We all hoped that people wouldn't be stupid like this anymore. We all wanted to believe that."
Rayla didn't say anything but nodded, giving him a careful smile.
They spend some time in there to catch their breath, and Rayla purchased some clothing to fit in with the crowd. She opted for a light-brown cloak that would cover her horns, a large linen sweater that would cover her outlandish clothing, and a pair of gloves for her hands. She didn't appreciate the extra layer of clothing, but she had to admit she would stand out a lot less while wearing this. Callum didn't really have a need to cover up anything, his face not being recognized by anyone so far, but he did buy a cloak for when it would get colder at nightfall. He was still walking around sleeveless and figured he needed to come up with some sort of new design for a sweater so he wouldn't constantly rip apart the sleeves when he cast his mage wing spell.
It was late afternoon when they finally arrived at the temple. It was an old building. Unlike the other buildings nearby which were built using bricks, this one was constructed using stones of various sizes and held together by greyish white mortar. A triangular roof of ancient timbers and old faded red roof tiles covered it. It was busy, with people walking in and out regularly. Callum and Rayla had decided that they would first explore the building, then start asking questions.
As they moved inside, Callum marvelled at the positive atmosphere. Normally, hospitals and the like were a lot more depressing with all the ill being treated. He looked around. The building was mostly one large open space with beds placed at regular intervals from each other. People would happily chat with one another as they waited for one of the white-robed figures to heal their illnesses.
They were just in time to witness one of the healers tending to a patient. Callum watched with horror as he recognized dark magic being used to mend a broken arm. The 'healer' held one hand in a pouch, as the other lay atop the woman's broken arm. He incanted the spell. Dark wisps of energy spread around the man's arm; within seconds, it mended itself. People applauded and cheered.
"Well, that's a right happy bunch right there," Rayla noted with her usual sense of humour.
"Apparently… I wonder what kind of ingredients they're using. They are very covert about that."
They walked around for a bit, observing the people. There were apparently only a few permanent patients. Most of the sick and ill would be gone quickly, their ailments not that serious or life-threatening.
After having observed the room for an hour or so, they were approached by a rather rotund man. He was balding and had a beard, and wore the plain, white robes all of the other healers wore. "Greetings. I noticed you have been waiting here for quite a while. Can I be of service?"
Rayla observed the man cautiously. She didn't trust anyone in this room, apart from Callum, that was. Callum stuck out his hand, which the man took and shook.
"Hi! I'm Callum, and this is Rayla."
"Callum, and… Rayla? You have an unusual name, miss," the man replied. Rayla thought she heard suspicion in his voice, but she couldn't be certain.
"We heard that you heal people here using dark magic." Callum blurted out, trying to distract the man from the name business.
The man narrowed his eyes. "We… prefer to call it the 'light', or just magic, if you will. There's nothing dark about it."
"Oh, really? And what about all the poor creatures that have to suffer for your healin' spells?" Rayla said.
This gave the man pause. He eyed them suspiciously. "I see you are well informed."
Rayla didn't reply, but crossed her arms and kept her eyes on him. Callum thought she could have gone about this more subtly, but maybe this was the right way to get the information they needed.
The man sighed. "It is true that we have to sacrifice some creatures to get the ingredients we need, but truth be told, the same happens for the meat we need to consume to survive. We try to restrain ourselves and use these powers only for good. Can you really blame us for that?" The man spread his arms in a placating gesture as he said that.
"The timing is rather suspicious," Callum noted, trying not to sound hostile. He wanted to keep things friendly. "You appeared just as the queen banned dark magic."
"It was rather inconvenient. I don't understand the queen's rejection of our light. It has saved our people in the past."
"Perhaps because if the dragon king learns about this, he will burn Duren to the ground!" Rayla said pointedly.
The man's eyes narrowed. "We will not bend to his will because he holds a knife to our throats. We are free to make our own choices. And if we don't harm others in the process, who can blame us."
Rayla and Callum looked at each other with uncertainty. Everything the man had said seemed reasonable so far.
"I think we are done here for now," Callum said finally. "Thank you for answering our questions."
The man gave a slight bow. "Honesty is the way forward. I truly believe that."
"One more thing," Rayla said as the man turned to leave. "What kind of ingredients do you use for the healin' spells?"
The man paused before answering. "Mostly magical plants. Earth primal magic is the magic that heals in elf society, and the same holds true for dark magic."
Rayla nodded. "But you do use animals occasionally? You just said so."
The man seemed annoyed at that. Rayla wondered if it was because he figured he had slipped up. "Only when there is great need. We are not a butcher's shop."
Rayla eyed him intently, nodded, and walked out of the door. Callum smiled apologetically and walked after her.
"What did you do that for?" Callum didn't understand her sharp questioning of the man, even if the questions were relevant.
"He's lyin'," Rayla said as they walked down the street. "About the ingredient part anyway. You said it yourself, they were very keen on keepin' their use of ingredients hidden when performin' those spells."
Callum nodded, understanding her point. "So, what do we do now?"
"We check the border. Creatures went missin' there, and elves as well. Maybe we can find something that would link those disappearances to this place."
Callum felt his stomach churning. He had the sickly feeling that this whole mission was about to get a lot messier than he had accounted for.
Muardalt looked at the retreating pair as he notified one of his robed members. "That's them?" the man asked.
"Yes," was Muardalts reply. "You know what to do." The robed man nodded and quickly hurried away, taking others with him. Muardalt sighed. Things were going so well... Ah, I shouldn't worry. If the queen of Duren can't stop us, what do I have to fear of the prince of Katolis and an elf assassin?
He remembered Viren's warnings. Apparently, both of them had actively worked to keep the dragon prince out of Claudia's hands, and Rayla had tried to kill Viren. It's fortunate she was unsuccessful, he mused. It would have been a great loss for humanity. He wondered if he should feel guilty about what he was about to do to the two teenagers, but he pushed the feeling away. Humanity comes first. In time, everyone will see it that way.
-/-/-/-
The trio ventured deeper into the caves. Claudia used her sunstone staff to illuminate the cave with a soft, purple light. They were silent for most of the trip. Occasionally, they ran into some skeletons. Viren thought he heard some bats fly above them. It was Claudia who broke the silence first.
"So, what are we going to do with the feathers once we've killed the reigar?" she asked of Aaravos.
"That depends on their magical properties, though if one of them is illusion, I'm sure it'll come in handy. Each wing is said to have at least a hundred feathers. That's good for a hundred powerful spells."
"If this creature is so powerful, and it was living in Neolandia all this time, it's a wonder it's still alive," Viren said with disbelief in his voice. He thought of all the trackers the dark mages had sent out to find and kill magical creatures like this one.
"Well, it wasn't for a lack of trying on the humans' part," Aaravos replied as he gestured to another corpse that was pinned against the wall, a piece of rock sticking out of its chest.
Claudia turned around. "Do you think it's more powerful than you, Aary?"
The creature visibly winced at the nickname, but regained its composure quickly. "More powerful than me? No. More powerful than the creature I'm using as a body currently? Perhaps…"
Viren made no comment but urged them to move forward.
Eventually, the cave widened into a vast cavern. Faint light could be seen from above. There was a large gap in the ceiling. Viren gasped as he saw stars in the sky above them. Impossible, we entered the caves around midday!
As they all looked up, none of them noticed the various objects on the ground until Claudia stepped on one of them with an audible crunch. She looked down. Beneath her feet was an old, withered feather, the size of her elbow. It was grey and dirty, having been discarded long ago. Claudia froze in her tracks. "Dad? You seeing this?"
Her father stood next to her and crouched down. "This is an old feather… but it's huge!"
Aaravos stood a ways behind them. "Yes, it is," said his disembodied voice. "Look ahead."
They all peered into the darkness. In the distance, they could see the faint outline of a pile of giant feathers, before it shifted and slid back into the darkness. Viren felt fear enter his heart. That thing has to be immense!
Claudia intoned a spell. "Illumináre!" The sunstone burned brightly and the darkness fled before it. Even so, Claudia noted that despite her illuminating spell, the visibility was much lower than it should be. That thought fled, however, when they saw the emperor reigar before them. It was gargantuan. A torso the size of a banther. Long legs with sharp claws were folded beneath it. Its wings were huge, like sails of a ship. A long neck extended from its body. Its head was roundish, with two black eyes staring at them. A long, sharp and pointy beak protruded from its face.
"Gods above…" Viren muttered in disbelief.
Claudia paled as well. "Don't worry, dad. We got this!" She gave her father a smile, but Viren saw right through her fake confidence.
Even Aaravos seemed fearful. "Watch out, this being is ancient. Fight as you've never fought before!"
The emperor reigar opened its beak and spread its wings, which were now glowing softly in different colours. A piercing screech echoed through the caves. With lightning speed, it moved forward to kill the intruders to its lair.
-/-/-/-
Rayla and Callum were camping near the border. The border area between Duren and Xadia was immense, but there were some logical spots to check for their search. Both of them had resigned themselves to a week of camping outdoors while they investigated the disappearances. So far, their search hadn't turned up anything, but they were only just getting started so they were still optimistic. Or perhaps it was the fact that it was just the two of them sharing a passionate kiss while sitting close to the campfire that lightened the mood. In any case, they were content.
"I could get used to this." Callum said at last as they broke off yet another of their 'sandwich-making' sessions.
Rayla giggled. "It's nice. You are gettin' better at this, you know." She looked at him with a teasing smile.
Callum looked offended. "You mean I was bad in the beginning!?"
"Well, you were droolin' a little…"
Callum felt his blood rise to his cheeks. He was astonished at her remarks, then he saw her eyes. She is teasing me!
"Well, mark my words," he said in a mocking tone, "The next sketch I make of you will be with a troll's head!"
Rayla burst out laughing. "I'd actually like to see that!"
Callum grinned and stood up.
"Where are you goin'?" Rayla said, immediately missing his warmth beside her.
Callum gestured as he picked up his sketchbook and sat down a bit away from her. "Why, I'm going to sketch you, of course."
"Oh, really?" Rayla thought for a bit as Callum searched for an empty page. A wicked idea crossed her mind. "You know, I can pose for you if you want," she said seductively, pressing her chest slightly forward as to emphasise certain body parts.
"Na, that's alright. I'll manage." Callum didn't pick up on the hint, not even looking up. She puffed her cheeks in annoyance but was not put off by his lack of response. Instead, she stood up and took off her cloak and her assassin's vest. Now Callum looked up as the weapons attached to her vest clanged on the ground.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh don't mind me, I'm just rather hot." Inwardly, she sniggered at the double meaning behind that statement. Callum didn't reply but watched in awe as she pulled the vest from over her head and sat down opposite him, her wrappings the only thing covering her chest. "Besides," she said as she laid down on her side, "If you want to sketch me, I want you to sketch me from my good side."
Inwardly, she was very proud of herself. It had bothered her somewhat that he had looked at someone else this morning, though she could understand his attraction. But she wanted him to look at her that way. And as she saw his eyes going over her body, she knew she had the desired effect on him. Technically, she was more dressed than when they had been at the lake, but she knew the setting was different. It felt dangerous, exciting.
Callum gulped and started sketching. He was almost afraid of looking at her, even if she was offering to pose like that. He didn't know what had gotten into her, for the moment completely forgetting what had transpired this morning. He just knew he wasn't about to question his luck.
Rayla watched him sketch her. She enjoyed watching his eyes. They would focus on the paper, then quickly, almost guiltily glance in her direction before returning to the page where he was sketching fervently. The next time he looked up, however, he squinted, then looked alarmed.
"Rayla, watch out!" He jumped to his feet and started to draw a rune in the air. Rayla didn't waste time and leapt for her weapons, but as she jumped, something tackled her legs and she was flung to the ground. As she looked at her legs, she saw a rope with some heavy iron balls tied around them. Bolas! The name of the weapon rang through her head. We're under attack!
Again, she scrambled for her weapons, just as a lightning bolt tore through the sky. She didn't look, but she heard a man scream in agony. She finally reached her swords and looked about to see where the attack was coming from, only to see a giant man stepping into the firelight before her. He was bare-chested, bald, and wielded a giant club. He didn't speak but raised his weapon to attack her.
Dodging the strike was impossible with her legs tied together like that, so she tried to block his attack. The club struck her sword and very nearly shattered her collarbone. She yelped as her arm went down. She tried to raise it for the next strike but was too late as the club struck her head with thundering force. The last thing she heard was Callum screaming her name before she blacked out completely.
-/-/-/-
Rayla slowly came to consciousness in a dark room, lit only by a few candles on a table. She groaned. Her head hurt like the boots of Garlath himself had crushed it. She gingerly raised her head and looked around for Callum. He was seated a little ways away. He was staring at her, eyes wide. He had a gag over his mouth. She tried to say his name, but found that she had been gagged as well. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her feet were bound as well.
She looked around. The room was dark. It stank of sweat and… blood!? Rayla felt terror gripping her as she saw more and more of her surroundings. A table stood against the far wall, an array of knives and saws hanging above it. To the left, she saw various buckets with red stains on them. But what she saw to the right of the table was truly horrifying. Various corpses were hanging on chains from the ceiling. Most of them appeared to be of various creatures, whole or cut up, but in the dark, Rayla couldn't be sure that some of those didn't vaguely resemble humanoid figures. The thought terrified her.
A door opened, and the man they had spoken to earlier entered. "Ah, my dear guests. Welcome to my inner sanctum. Allow me to light up the room for you, so its purpose becomes more apparent." He snapped his fingers, and as he did, two things happened. Various lanterns that were hanging from the wall sprung to life, lighting the room completely. When the man did so, his visage changed to something horrible. The fat balding bearded man now had flayed, grey skin, and pitch-black eyes. "Ah, what a shame. The last of my appearance spell must have passed with that bit of magic. Oh, well."
Several more men entered the room. Rayla recognized at least one of them as the giant who had clubbed her down. Callum reacted violently, trying to scream despite being gagged. She gathered he recognized several others as well.
The group regarded the two prisoners with malice in their eyes. The fat man spoke again, demanding their attention.
"I suppose I should at least introduce myself. I am Muardalt, a student of Viren. He's told me all about you." As he saw their shocked expressions, he added, "Oh, yes, Viren is alive and well. He has set up shop far away from here. This little expedition of ours is our way to make sure dark magic remains alive and well, despite your best efforts."
Another man stepped in. This one seemed older. Callum recognized his posture as that of a soldier. The man had a thick brown beard and was wearing a bandana. "Muardalt, are you going to tell them your entire plan, or can we just go ahead and kill them. I mean, really…"
The others shifted around uncomfortably. The soldier turned around as he noticed the hesitance in his comrades. "Oh really, killing elves is fine, but killing one human is a problem for you!?"
Muardalt put a restraining hand on the man's shoulder. "No, they're right to be uncomfortable. We practice dark magic for humanity's betterment. We shouldn't sacrifice a single human for it if we can help it." He thought for a moment. As he spoke the next words, Callum and Rayla could do nothing but look at each other in horror as they heard what awaited them.
"Kill the elf. Harvest her for ingredients. And please use her brain matter to place an amnesia spell on the prince. Make sure he forgets everything."
Author's Note:
Here we go! So I'm still on schedule, though it was close again. Only one more chapter to go. As a reminder, this is my take on season 4. Presumably, there will be seven seasons, so not all plot points will be resolved in the next chapter, only the ones that had been focused on in this story. And yes, I'm thinking of writing out the other three seasons as well, but no promises about that yet. Let's first see if we can finish this story properly.
This week will be extremely busy. I sincerely hope I will have the time to write the last chapter. The good news is that I've already written about a third of it, but it still needs alot of work. As always, if you like the story, please leave a review! Your reviews keep me going!
Review Responses:
Oragonking: Yup, you got me there. I have already replied to your PM, but I did mess up in the first version where I made Kiyara over 300 years old. Thanks for notifying me! As for the connection between Zeron and Callum, Zeron did say he would use his magic somehow to check on him...
mdouben: I'm glad to have them back together! I love writing Rayllum, and it's hard to do that if they're apart.
Rainbowhawk1993: Thats alright! Thanks for your indepth reviews as always! I hope this chapter is the answer to some of your points!
Pabs117: Kiyara is a mix of two types of elves. In the canon, this was possible, and though not common, certainly not rare. Though so far, we haven't seen a mix in the show yet.
Kinghthunter911700: Thanks! I hope you keep on reading!