When Callum woke, four hours later, Rayla was already dressed. She hadn't slept for more than an hour and now paced a groove into the dark hardwood flooring of the receiving room.
The crown prince understood, giving her a wordless embrace after dressing himself. Looking outside down into the plaza surprised him mildly. It was just as busy as during the height of day, but now the majority of people down there were moonshadow elves.
In the time they had left, Callum and Rayla went over the Bloom again and made sure that Rayla had a grasp of the basics of debate. Take notes. Stay in your limit. Bring your arguments clear and hard. Keep it impersonal. Shut up when it's not your turn.
He came away from this little crash course feeling like he'd channeled Opeli - a disturbing thought.
His teacher had always told him that he knew what to say but lacked the confidence to say it.
The pleasantness of the past night had passed and a restless, businesslike atmosphere hung over them.
After a few hours of concentrated work, they were startled by a knock at the door.
Callum opened it and Raszagal made Sirta nod a greeting at them both. "You've had a rather eventful day yesterday, I hear. How are you, Sire?"
"I'm feeling okay. Elven healing is a marvel, Majesty."
"That is good to hear. Lady Rayla, for the last time, are you ready and willing to face this trial and its judgement? There are no guarantees here. None. This is us, playing with rules that were not made to necessarily find truth but to determine the best course of action. Are you absolutely sure you wish to gamble?"
"Yes, Excellence"
"Then let's give them the bad news, shall we?", Raszagal said with a smirk on her face, "I've told the scheduling committee to give us four uninterrupted hours today. The Senators are not made for sessions this long."
"Wait, four hours?! This is gonna decide a huge part of my life and we only have four hours?!", Rayla gaped.
"As I just finished saying! It's a plenary session, not a trial. No witnesses, of which we have none but ourselves, no demand for proof, of which we have very little, just furious debate. Just what we need to get you out of your sentence, distraction and malleable minds. You are but one point of order among many. Either way, it will feel like an eternity, minute for minute. You'll see, Lady Rayla. Come along now."
They strode out of the room only to be assaulted by "Zym!", Callum laughed as the dragon whelp jumped into his arms, making him sway, "What are you doing here?!"
"He's our first argument, Sire", Raszagal said with a loving look at her son, "And just a joy to behold. I felt you would enjoy seeing him again. I do enjoy the nickname you've given him. I'm thinking of adopting 'Rasz', myself. So much less verbose."
Rayla buried her face in the dragon's soft mane and breathed in its familiar, slightly singed smell.
A smell that had almost gotten them burnt to a heap of ash.
Yasra fell in line behind them, but she wasn't as important today as the Interpreter had brought her entire honor guard. It didn't escape Callum's notice that Yasra's colleagues appeared to probe her about her time with them.
Zym apparently was to stay behind at the guest house and they said their goodbyes, again. This confused Callum, given that Raszagal had called him their `first argument`.
The plaza in front of their residence was packed, once more, but the Canon Guard shoveled people aside, allowing for smooth passage to the marble entryway of Parliament.
And what an entryway it was.
Gigantic, six feet thick marble pillars rose to support equally impressive, richly decorated triangular gables. Part of the decoration were runes, made of gleaming gold, spelling out a four-word sentence that Rayla translated for him as 'Dedicated to the Senate and the People of the Xadian Federation'.
"That seems like a lot of Common for those few runes", Callum said blinking upward as they passed under the lettering.
"That's cause I gave you the meanin'. The real translation is… uh, it doesn't work, actually. Common doesn't have the grammar for it. Imagine there's a word that essentially puts together 'to' and 'the'. So what it really says is 'To-the Senate and People. The rest is kinda just… implied. Old timey, sure, but still a complete draconic sentence."
"Weird", Callum said.
"Yeah, that's the word", his fiance said, forlornly, "I should've taught you some"
"You should do that. Tonight. Over more Scotian fall-down-the-stairs food", Callum smiled.
This made her laugh a little and she gave him an adoring smile.
The building was partially inside a natural hill that formed most of its exterior, safe for the roof which was a gigantic dome with an oculus in its center. Inside was nothing but a massive circular plenum, allowing for observers in the upper ranks and politicians closer to the middle.
Thousands of stares from the public gallery followed Rayla and Callum as they stepped onto the marble flooring in the center of the plenum.
Raszagal pointed ahead to a platform with two speaker's pedestals. "These are yours. You are defender and accused, so you will be last in the rotation."
"Standin' for four hours? I can squat for that long!", Rayla replied, trying to sound boisterous.
She strode ahead, gripping her podium with both hands. Callum marveled at her. She looked collected. Ready. Defiant.
"Katolin Royals choose a title, no? What is hers?", Raszagal asked, quietly.
Callum told her and a flash of recognition shot across the Dragon's expression.
"Well, well, that should raise some heads. We have a few such clubs in our bag, Sire, it's going to be fun."
"Not if we lose even just a little."
After a reassuring look at him, Raszagal motioned him ahead, "Be sure to only speak when given leave to do so by the Speaker of the House. Don't overstep your time limits too much. We do love our rules here."
Slowly but surely, the plenum filled up. Slightly behind him and to his left was the blue wing, a friendly face already looking down from a raised podium. There was Triton's current interpreter.
At the nine-o-clock position was an empty podium, marked with the symbol for sky. Raszagal's place.
Ahead was a singular podium, occupied by the Speaker of the House, a very old, very sour looking earthblood lady. Raszagal was currently speaking to her.
At three-o-clock was the red wing. From their speaker platform stared a much changed Senator Rasha, furious anticipation playing in her eyes.
To his right was the silver wing, headed by an interpreter who had the same grandmotherly aura as Ivine. Poison was going to come flying from this direction as soon as she would open her mouth.
Finally, slightly behind him on the right, the green wing shuffled into their seats, headed by an interpreter who seemed rather very comfortable.
The sound of people finding their seats subsided only very gradually and Callum took the time to nudge his fiance in the side. She gave him a firm, reassuring smile which he loved to see. He'd been rather very worried about her state of mind, going into this, but Rayla just never disappointed when it came to being focussed under pressure.
Then suddenly, a distant bell sounded and silence fell over the gigantic space. By the fourth strike, the speaker rose, placing her hands to both sides of her on the podium.
"Welcome, Senators, Dignitaries, Visitors. We commence this session of October 16th in the first year of Raszagal. Today's points of order are as follows. One; The matter of one Rayla, Katolin Lady of the Crescent Reflection, former Assassin Sicarius of the Lucid.", when the country and title had passed her lips there were confused whispers in the silver wing. When her rank and affiliation were added to this, the confused whispers got louder. Selendis' interpreter looked rather annoyed. In general, it seemed like the senators' interest was piqued.
That club had found its mark.
"She stands accused of crimes against the Xadian state but cannot be tried solely as a Xadian citizen due to her emotional and formal attachment to Callum, Lord Upon Twin Towers, Crown Prince and King-in-Waiting of Katolis", it was now the blue wing's turn to break into quiet excitement. This was a ridiculously good start!
"An issue submitted to the body by her Excellence, Queen Raszagal. Four hours are allotted", a quiet, collective groan went through the stands, but nothing too overtly disrespectful.
"Two; Confirmation of our declaration and intent of war against the human lands. Also submitted by her Excellence, Queen Raszagal. One hour allotted."
She read out three more points. Redistribution of farmland, regulation for some class of magical item and finally a discussion on the benefits of standardized currency.
A full day, to be sure.
The speaker then focussed her gaze on Sol Regem. "On the topic of Lady Rayla. The charges are as follows. Two counts of desertion; for abandoning an assigned post and disobeying an order to kill. Betrayal of Secrets; for speaking to an outsider, in depth, about the state. Perjury; for breaking a binding oath. You have the floor, Red Wing. One minute. Questions and their answers will be accounted against your time. Begin."
Callum could immediately tell that the time limit was going to be annoying. The reverberation in the space forced people to enunciate, to speak slowly and with measure. It allowed for much less information, but delivered more clearly. This was probably intentional, giving note-takers a better chance at keeping track. Every single person in the building - safe for the observers - had a few blank pages in front of them.
The interpreter nodded and the sun king's rough, gruff voice spilled from her mouth.
"For those of us who have neglected to read the brief on her situation; She was sent as part of the team that was supposed to eliminate the Katolin king and prince, the ones responsible for reaping our own king and prince. It was to be equal justice, as we have always answered the Abuser's attacks! But Rayla decided she knew better than Queen Raszagal and the entire chain of command, abandoning her duty in a critical moment, leading to the death of all her bandmates as well as the failure of the mission. The Auxilia accuses you of dereliction, Lady Rayla. I accuse you of being a traitor to Xadia and your bond with this Abuser only proves it. You hide behind his affection for the sake of this trial, I hope, because if you actually felt anything but disgust for him, I would tear you limb from limb myself, given the chance"
Callum and Rayla were writing his points down, frowning. There were certain memories connected to this voice.
The speaker cleared her throat, "Regent, will you please restrain your personal attacks. Queen Selendis, if you please. One minute."
The silver wing's speaker clasped her hands in a gesture that Callum had seen on Ivine, "I have personally interacted with you two before, albeit in a different body. That person has now perished, as a direct result of your insubordination, Rayla."
This was a shock. What?!
"Ivine, my Interpreter of Bastion Korhal was murdered by one of your admirers, one Tribune Lessa under Iowend. I understand she has continued on to the Breach where she has found accomplices in building defenses for the humans. If you had followed my request and advice then, Ivine would live and you would have been forgiven and your service reinstated. This would have been the best course for you to take, given that you had further disrupted Auxilia operation in the hamlet of Larwein, causing the deaths of over a dozen town guards and Templars."
The speaker waited for further words. When none came, she turned to the interpreter for the green wing. "Lord Karmanor. One minute, please."
"Beyond expressing my deepest condolences to Queen Selendis for the alleged actions of one of our own, Madam Speaker, we have nothing to add. Our involvement in this case is peripheral at best."
"Noted. Lord Triton. One minute."
"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to introduce you to the reason Rayla refused to perform her duty. Empathy. Reading the report her superior sent, it becomes quite obvious that a refusal to kill is at the core of her supposed crime. Yes, if she had killed the human guard who discovered the presence of her band near the Twin Towers of Katolis, we would not be here. And that is precisely the problem."
With those words, Zym waddled into the center of the room and jumped up onto Rayla's podium. There were aghast stares and whispers among the delegates around the room. The interpreters of Sun and Moon seemed unsurprised but not very collected. This was failure on an incredibly unfortunate scale.
"We ought to have been here, sooner. We ought to have heard of the Dragon Prince's survival. Azymondias returns, carried by hands of different counts of fingers. Returned to us by the Prince, now King-to-be of our most established enemy. A show of peace and good faith. Returned to us by Rayla, now Queen-to-be of our most established enemy. A show of sacrifice and duty. Selendis, you mentioned Ivine's meeting with the accused. What was the content of your request?"
With angry hesitation, the interpreter answered, "I ordered her to give Azymondias into my more qualified care. She refused."
"`More qualified care`. I see. When Lessa arrived at the border, she spoke to my Interpreter, Anzha. You will forgive me if I tend to favour her quote of you; `From where we are sitting, the prince is tainted by human companionship. We must take final measures against him as a potential spy!`"
There was actual uproar in the white and silver wings now, one furious, the other screaming for proof.
"YOUR TIME", the speaker yelled and the noise subsided, "...is very much up! Queen Raszagal, if you will."
"Sol Regem, as you said, Rayla defied the chain of command. A chain that is attached to me as a founding pillar. For all intents and purposes, she defied my direct command to assassinate Prince Ezran and King Harrow. I have the power to forgive her this largest part of her infraction and, for obvious reasons of family, I will do so without hesitation. You also spoke of equal justice. This has been fulfilled. Our king was taken from us and in response we took their king. Our Prince was returned to us, and in response we did not take their prince. So you see how hollow your argument of a failed mission really is. It was a mission with a terrible attrition rate, but given the outcome I'll say it was extremely successful. Equal justice was intended, equal justice was attained. Your comments about her bond with the crown prince are unrelated at best and childish at worst. Dragons have record of such things occuring."
"Your time, Excellence, is over, and you are skirting the definitions of personal attack", the speaker said with a growl, "This session will not devolve into name-calling and riot, please. Lady Rayla, if you would. One minute."
Callum felt her straighten, an uneasy breath hitching in her chest as she extended a hand to pet Zym, "T-Thank you Madam Speaker", she started with far too much air, "I'd like to address the accusation of causin' Ivine's death. This is the first time I'm hearin' of it and I'd like to give my condolences to her family as well as her Excellence Selendis. As f-far as I know, Interpreters have a strong bond with their dragons, so I believe her loss is painful for you. I still won't take the blame for her passin'. Lessa is an old friend of mine but I do not c-control her actions. I'd also like to add that I didn't a-appreciate you sendin' Templar Canon Guard to take Azymondias by f-force, threatenin' to kill us."
There was a lot of annoyed whispering in the silver wing now.
"On the topic of k-killin', I'd like to remind you that it was Interpreter Chalise, your mate's… uh, servant, I guess, who ordered the attack on Larwein, the town gua-"
"Lady Rayla, you are overstepping your limit", barked the Speaker, "Crown prince Callum. One minute."
Rayla looked a little dejected, but Callum simply picked up where she had left off.
"Thank you, Madam speaker. As my fiance was saying, uh, the town guard and we were forced to defend ourselves. Her and I did not hurt anyone during this fight but we, uh, are responsible for removing two dangerous human bounty hunters from Xadia, Kel and Ithral Ortis. Ithral died in Larwein to the ambush we set up for them. You know that was interrupted by the templars' attack. Kel was killed by… well, me, near the Wall of Fire and the westward Ibalin, where we buried her. The grave's pretty n-noticeable. On that point, I'd like to show something to the delegates, if that's okay?"
"Please do", the speaker said, lamely.
Callum drew the rune and touched his booklet with his speaking notes. "Alatus."
As it was flung upward, the hall erupted with confused yelps. A few long minutes passed before the speaker could make herself heard over the din to bring order back into the session.
"You dare bring a primal stone into this building?! I will have you removed!", the old woman yelled furiously.
To her utter shock he held up his empty hands, then Callum said, "I'd like to make s-sure that everyone here understands that human mages are able to change, that we do not have to rely on the, uh, problematic art of dark magic, but we need your s-support to learn to connect to the primal sources."
The speaker stuttered a little, "P-please, Sire, I'm sure your point is appreciated but I don't quite see how it relates to the lady Rayla? Thirty seconds?"
"It relates b-because without this skill, Azymondias and the two of us would be dead. I used f-ful… fulminis to k-kill Kel Ortis."
Aghast, loud discussion now broke among the delegates and the speaker let it go on for a few long minutes before shouting, "Thank you, Excellence. RED wing, please!"
"An impressive skill to be sure, I'd be interested to hear how you've managed to cheat it from nature! We will not assist you further in your defilements! Leave it to a human to learn sky magic for the purposes of murder!", shouted Sol Regem, "Raszagal, you grandiously forgive a crime that you only suffered under partially. Of course you gave the command and of course you are entitled to dole out pardons - but only on the very small part that is actually related to you in this case. The Sicarius did not defy you directly, as much as you'd like to make it look as such, she defied Legate Runaan and broke her Assassin's oath! Given that she still has both her arms and hands, I'll wager she found some way to cheat tradition, as well! The fact that she swore to obey when ordered and did not is the problem here, not who she chose to spare or for what reason! Finally, her bond with the Abuser is very much a component of her crime, since, without it, she would not be wasting our time here!"
"Excellence, you will restrain yourself! Again, racial slurs do not befit your stature! Silver wing, please", the speaker said.
"I resent the accusations thrown at me by the accused. Larwein was a tragedy, caused by their interference in the normal operation of the region of Korhal, their apparent relationship caught the attention of the Lucid and their defiance disrupted the social fabric of the community. Interpreter Chalise's choice to send Templars to root out the perceived social threat was her error, not my mate's. We have removed her from power. In our personal meeting, I acted in Azymondias' best interest. While Lessa and I did have a disagreement over who should escort the prince I did not threaten his life. There's no proof of such heinous speech and there never will be because it was never said. Speaking of things unsaid, since Queen Raszagal has mentioned `a record` publicly now against our accords; we suppressed the fact of mixed relationships for very good reasons. They have names we will all recognize. Aaravos and Elarion!"
Confusion dropped a spell of silence on the plenum. The same emotion was etched into Callum's and Rayla's faces. The name had some impact, apparently.
"The fact that the human has attained control over an Arcanum adds to this problem, startling similarities between him and Aar-"
"Are you quite finished, Queen Selendis?!", barked the speaker, "Lord Karmanor!"
The earth king gave Selendis a very shifty, confused look, then said, "I'd like to note that the fact of the mission being as loss-heavy on our part is quite important, despite your arguments, Queen Raszagal. After all, we could've simply come back for Azymondias at a later date, ensuring the success of both missions. However, now that I'm saying it, it also strikes me that then the principle of equal justice would be rather violated. Further, Selendis, you're saying you knew of Azymondias but didn't reveal this information to the Senate or the Queen - a strange act you will have to explain."
Selendis' index finger started tapping on the side of her podium while she furiously scribbled notes with the other hand.
Karamanor then turned to the center of the room, "Crown Prince Callum, you said `fiance`. Explain the term please."
"It, uh, means we've promised each other to marry, which is comparable to becoming summands. Engagement, the act of, uh, becoming fiances, is as important as the, uh, sharing of secrets in the Bloom ritual, which we've also started."
Rayla's head whipped around to stare at him, a light flush shooting into her cheeks, the reality of it just now becoming completely clear to her. Engagement was post-incense stuff!? He hadn't made that clear at all! It was shockingly romantic, sure, but... maybe a bit fast?
"Though, we're not as far along there, only having exchanged Ismil and Askander. Uh, but..."
He rummaged in his right pocket and pulled out one of the incense pyramids.
"The rest's, uh, coming, at some point soon."
When he was done speaking, he mistook her surprise for worry and gave her an encouraging smile.
Interested whispers could be heard in the silver and blue wings, more sparsely in Karamanor's own.
The speaker said, "Lord Triton."
"Karmanor is correct when he says that you will have to explain yourself, Selendis. You have inadvertently admitted to hiding Azymondias' survival from this body! An act that casts more doubt on your earlier assertion that you did not, in fact, threaten his life! Truly, it makes it seem as though you were looking to incinerate a smouldering conflict between the federations! Further, I will point out that Aaravos' relationship with Elarion has little bearing on this case. Yes, they were a mixed couple, that does not automatically mean that all such arrangements are somehow evil or tainted and I resent the staggering racism and personal challenge you have cleverly hidden in your appeal to ancient history!"
More confused glances flew across the room. The names meant things, but nobody seemed to understand how they related although in some faces was writ large the dawning of a shocking implication.
"Finally, I believe it is time we got back to speaking of such things as possible! A story of hate and strife, maybe, but not one that will have to remain so! I say put her back on the fount-"
"Time, Lord!", the speaker shouted, a strange, worried quality to her voice, "Queen Raszagal?"
"Anyone here who isn't blinded by their own wings will have to admit that the auxilia's mages use their craft offensively. We did indeed understand the tactical use before the elves, and they before the humans. Don't act as though humans are uniquely qualified for the taking of life! To Sol Regem's point about my forgiveness of her crime, the circumstances of her situations matter very much! Soldiers are taught to follow orders, yes, but she tried to have her mission adjusted to fit a change in circumstance that invalidated those instructions, as she will doubtlessly tell you! Soldiers have a moral duty to stand fast in the face of orders, given in bad faith! Further! From your own interpreter I hear that you found these three crossing the moonstone path! In per-"
"One of my own interpreters told you this?!", the sun king yelled.
"You will wait your turn!", the speaker screamed and Sol Regem shot her a furious stare, "Thirty seconds will be subtracted from your next speaking limit! I said this would be an orderly discussion, NOT riotous! Please continue, Excellence. Thirty seconds more, a gift from across the aisle."
"Thank you. Sol Regem, you, too, knew of my son's survival and said nothing. Why? Could it be that you are still lusting after Xadia's throne? Still hoping to strike me down, now covertly rather than in honorable combat? You and Selendis both ought to try and get a grip on your temper and nerves! It makes this a little too easy!"
"Excellence, you once more test the limitations of personal attack! Mind them! Lady Rayla!"
The moonshadow elf jolted a little, having stared at the smallest, beringed finger of her left, lost in confused thought.
"Uh, I told Legate Runaan about the p-prince's egg. He didn't agree that we s-should change our mission, which is somethin' that he could have done, uh, Azymondias himself removed my bindin', I didn't `cheat tradition`, I was ready to sacrifice a stupid hand for the return of a baby to his mother, uh, um, I a-also hoped we'd get a chance for peace from this a-and, uh, I really didn't want to kill anyone, I d-don't know how it feels, but I s-saw what it did to m-my… my fi… my fiance and, uh, he is still, uh, not recovered from it and..."
Callum placed a hand on her wrist. For a long second, she looked at him and he looked back, seriously. A face that said: 'Stop rambling'
Rayla breathed deeply.
"I'm sorry about that, I'm losin' my composure a little. This is the first time I'm speakin' publicly and I'm apparently really, really good at it."
A few quiet, friendly laughs could be heard in the ranks and Sol Regem whipped around to scan his own fraction for any amused faces. He found plenty and frowned. At this point Raszagal's motivations were obvious. She was using this cute, young couple as a front to cover her reassertion.
And expertly so, given that elves were supremely empathetic creatures.
More annoyingly, she was winning, and easily. When Azymondias had been returned, his plans, his subterfuge, it had all evaporated. Betrayed by his own Interpreters, his own fraction now knew that he had conspired.
His regency was likely over, a point of order away. Same for his life, likely to be ended by Raszagal herself in an unequal rematch.
Well then. She had won the war, but he would at least do what he could to win the battle.
Make her success taste at least a little more like defeat.
He was going to pull this wretched, useless, Abuser-loving traitor down with him.
"I appreciate your problem, Lady Rayla, and will grant you a fifteen-second extension", the speaker said, with shocking softness.
"Thanks. So. I don't want to kill. More, I want us to stop killing each other. I did what I did for those reasons. I pledged `My heart for Xadia`. I am here because that oath is still important to me. I want to be able to live in this federation, my home, without the shame of my p-parent's actions or unfair accusations being thrown at me everywhere."
"And that is your time. Prince Callum?", the speaker said.
"Thank you. Red Wing, you accuse me of u-using magic to kill. You'd be right, I did. However, I also used it to s-save one of your own dragons, shot down over Katolis. This was a little more than a month ago. She was hurt and Rayla went to defend her, but was unable to free her by herself. Not like she didn't try hard enough, they had tied her d-down with metal chains. At the time I didn't have the sky arcanum and had to use, uh, dark magic to b-break those. Red Wing, I hope you'll tell the Assembly that it happened, since it's the truth. Uh, I obviously wouldn't admit to using dark magic if it wasn't used to save her."
Sol Regem shook his head slowly, "I will not support your statement. It's foolish to admit that you are tainted by the crime of abuse, but rather gut wrenching to hear you say it so shamelessly"
Behind him, quite a few angry voices told him to tell the truth. That was enough to make Callum smirk, however there were a few more faces who didn't seem so sure about him now. Maybe the argument had backfired, on the whole.
"We are currently at minute fifteen of this session", the speaker said, "Sol Regem, thirty seconds"
Rayla gaped. Fifteen minutes?! She could've sworn at least fourty-five had gone by. The Lady of the Crescent Reflection had to admit she now understood why the Senators didn't like the time allotment for the session, this was far more intense than she had ever thought possible!
A few flying skywing servers appeared, dropping glasses of water on the speaker's podiums.
Callum eagerly took a drink, then onc more nudged his fiance. She wanted to kiss his cute face so badly, yearning for a bit of actual comfort, but it would've felt out of place, so she simply smiled at him.
"They did cross into Xadia on my watch, yes, Raszagal, but I would say we do have you to thank for my inability to stop them, right then and there!"
Sol Regem's voice, now steeped in absolute hate, sent a shiver of dread down Rayla's back.
It was the same sound that had almost killed them at the border.
After crossing the moonstone path, Rayla and Callum had encountered the sun king. He was perched in a canyon, his eyes wounded beyond function. Regardless, his ears and nose detected them immediately.
"Welcome to Xadia and regio Korhal, foreigners. What is your business here? I mean, other than dinner?", he said with mock cordiality.
Rayla shook her head at Callum and Zym, telling them to be quiet, "Excellence, I'm Rayla. Moonshadow Assassin. I have a human prisoner with a lot of information that will help in the war"
"Ah, that explains the offensive smell, young Scotian. Though, why is there another smell, singed like a dragonling's mane?"
Seconds ticked by in which the moonshadow's brain tried very hard to come up with a good lie.
"Uh, I found the Dragon Prince?", said Rayla, out of time. She laughed a halting, nervous chuckle while the gigantic Archdragon's head swiveled to face them fully.
She waved at Callum behind her to get moving. Her friend grabbed Zym and nervously tiptoed off to the side, trying to find a place where they would be safe from any incoming dragon attacks.
No simple feat.
"Give him to me. I'll keep him safe for you, bring him to his mother. It will free you to continue your mission"
"No thanks!", Rayla said, cold sweat pooling in her hands. He would smell that too. "I heard you're not in very good, uh, standin' with the queen right now, so that'd be, uh, a bit neglectful?"
"Neglectful! What makes you say that?", the dragon asked, now grimly amused, "Don't you know I'm very good with toddlers?"
"I don't doubt that!", another painfully nervous laugh escaped her mouth. Damn it, why was it so impossible to control that impulse?! "Uh, but, I've been ordered to bring him, sooooo…"
"And I am ordering you not to bring him. What's the problem?", the dragon said, his mouth opening slightly. An orange light gleamed inside it and Rayla tensed.
She was about to get blown to bits of ash.
"The problem is that", she bent over to pick up a large rock, careful to not disturb any pebbles, "I really don't like you!"
With that she flung the rock to her left, then soft-jogged to the right. The ruse worked, somewhat, in that the Archdragon was momentarily confused. Then came the sound of hissing gas behind Rayla and she started running for her life.
A moment later, she could feel heat approach her from behind. Cold, light yellow flames started engulfing her and in the blink of an eye they would turn blue and deadly.
Callum's hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her sideways into a cavity in the rock. They retreated further inside, as not a foot in front of them, a solid looking wave of blue fire blasted by, making the rock glow a dull orange.
A dead eye appeared in front of the entrance.
Then came the most hateful, quiet, collected voice Rayla had ever heard.
It was not making a threat. It was stating a fact.
"I will utterly destroy you, traitor"