Chapter 4
[Later that Day...]
Edward and Susie spent a good hour just talking about Sosvolun and other things. Deep down, Edward regretted that he could not really help except giving her a friendly ear.
Solor and Raven, meanwhile, let him speak to Susie. They both knew that Susie had been longing for a kindred spirit, or someone who understood the troubles of being a hybrid. But, eventually, Solor called out to them both via the link. [Alright, you two. Edward's traveling to Lair now. Soskrein, do you want to follow us?]
[I'd rather not] Susie responded, making a face. [I don't get along with most dragons in Lair at all... except Maldriin... maybe I should go and say hi to her...]
[I would be interested in seeing this realm's Maldriin,] Edward noted, [Also, some of the other folks I know from my version of Lair. Would there be a Golmul there? He's one of my top level generals back home. He really stepped up a decade ago to maintain the troops!]
[Well, we should get going, then,] Solor said as he flew down to meet Edward and Susie.
"You feeling better?" He asked Susie.
"A bit," she said with a smile, "Edward's a good listener and I wish I would be able to maintain his wisdom after he leaves..." She sighed, "But, at least he will remember all this and maybe help my twin some."
"Edward," Solor said, "The dragons here are colder than the ones you know. They will hide their weakness to the best of their ability. What you saw earlier today with my father was a rarity. Don't expect that from others, and you will need to do the same with them. Don't show any of your weaknesses."
After a short trip through a Tear, the group had arrived in the Light domain of Lair. Edward recognized the mountain behind them as the one Solor grew up in, with his mother. The Heir of Light morphed into his full size, with Susie and Edward shifting as well to take off. Many dragons were curious of the newcomer, but made no attempts to reach out to him.
"I hope you're not expecting anything exciting", Solor said to Edward. "There haven't been many additions done to Lair... although the volcano that once housed the platforms of the Circle has been destroyed."
"Let me guess... by Grand Earth standing up?" Edward asked.
"So it happened in your world, too, then", Solor stated with a smirk. "Yes, when the climax of the war arrived on our doorstep, Grand Earth decided he had done enough sitting on the sidelines. Next thing you know, the volcano is gone and he's heading for a Tear to Mount Olympus."
"Too bad Terra wasn't invited to visit, then," Edward said, "When the war was over, both Terras rebuilt the volcano with one exception: They made it possible for Grand Earth to come and go as he pleased. You should have seen the look on his face!
"It was my way and the team's way to thank Lair for letting the mortals join in the fight and to cement a long term alliance. The Circle was actually stunned seeing how powerful the two terrakinetics really are when they put their minds to it."
"I'll bet," Solor said, "Wonder if our Terra can do that?"
"It would overtax her abilities," Edward said, "That's why I talked the two I know into teaming up...to share the load. It really made a difference.
"I'm not expecting to see much else different, to be honest. I am curious for one, and this would be part of my mission parameters as well as some extra credit."
They landed in front of Iilahkun's former cave and Solor said, "I'm sure that you recognize this, correct?"
"Moonlight's cave," Edward said, "The entrance looks a little different, but, that's to be expected. The entrance formed differently, that's all. I will not go in, through."
"It's all right," another familiar voice piped up.
Edward averted his gaze and Sol said, "I would look upon the face of the Child of the Circle who is my eldest son in another reality, please."
Edward complied, of course, "Thank you."
Sol smiled and said, "I figured you would want to visit. Normally, I would not allow this, but, I know this will be overwritten when you return home. Come on in."
The group entered, Edward's communicator out and recording the events.
"Edward," Sol said, "Welcome to my cave. I'm honored by you wanting to visit us."
"You honor me as well," Edward said, "I know that this could be difficult, even for one of the strongest dragons within Lair. I feel as if I should have been raised here...or that my twin should have, I should say."
Sol sighed, "Me too. Iilah was so desperate for even one egg to call her own whelp and when she couldn't and Life sadly told her that she could never bear an egg she sank into a suicidal depression."
"Solor told me," Edward said sadly, "Makes me wonder where history diverted into a different universe. I suppose that it was when Nova...that's the name Iilah chose in my realm...actually was able to lay the egg that contained me as opposed to here."
"Edward," Sol said, "Tell me, what is she like now? And how is she alive?"
"I'll answer the second one first," Edward said, "Nova used an unauthorized Tear to try and find me. The Tear deposited her 3,150 years or so into the future as well as dropping her in my universe. I was already in Starborn's realm when I got the word that a female dragon was in a nearby cave and had said that the Circle took away a whelping because he belonged to no clan. Needless to say, I returned to my home realm and discovered her there.
"Today, she is elderly and I think within 20-25 years, I will indeed be singing a memorial song for her. She has reunited with your counterpart, though, and he has forgiven her. The Circle, given her age and her heartbreak, pardoned her saying that they couldn't punish her worse than she had already suffered. It was their way of apologizing without loss of face, I believe. She was expecting to be punished, so, when they agreed to let her finish her days in my realm, she was understandably surprised."
"I'm surprised," Sol said after a moment, "Then again, it is something I would expect Iilah to have done. She so badly wanted even one egg that had she had one, she might have done what you describe. But, it took me a long time to get over her death. When your Nova dies, if you don't mind my asking, does she have any wishes for her burial place?"
"She does, Sol," Edward said with a smile, "She wishes to be laid to rest next Iilahkun and so when your counterpart's song is sung and he passes his power and title to Starborn, that the family is together. According to Rachael, Iilahkun appeared to her one night and gave her blessing for Iilah to be laid to rest near her."
Sol smiled, "If my counterpart is anything like me, he'd allow this as well. I miss her, even now. Then again, I miss both of my mates. I'm technically too old to have any more whelps and when Iilahkun's final brood died, it was almost too much. Losing Solor to banishment hurt."
"You did the right thing, though, Sol," Edward said.
"I know", the older dragon said. "If it were not for us banishing him, we might not be here today." He looked at his Heir, smiling. "Because of this, he was able to warn us about the Darkness attacks... and he was able to stop us from committing a terrible act in our desperation to end the war. I am glad that I sent him to live with mortals."
"You did what any father would do," Edward said, "You could have gone along with the vote to execute your son, but, chose the harder route in banishment. He's a better dragon for Lair, and, also a better person as he's learning how to also be human.
"I'll admit that there's one more thing you could do for him and his wife, but, even if this encounter wouldn't be erased from your history; I still have no say in what the Circle here does."
Sol sighed, lowering his eyes. "I know what you wish, and believe me, I wish I could allow it as well. But the remaining members outnumber me; I cannot remove that enchantment. As much as I wish to give Ruuvak her happiness, I cannot go against the Circle and allow them to have children. They feel that they have been gracious enough, allowing him to marry a mortal. A hybrid with part Trigon is out of the question to them."
Solor nodded, in understanding. "I do not blame them; our DNA is unpredictable with hybrids. Throw half-demon into the mix, and while I wish I could have a child with my wife... I am fearful of what I might have to do. If they cannot control the darkness inside them..." He let out a haggard breath, his own tears threatening to fall. "I cannot kill another of my children."
"What?!" Edward said, "You're kidding me, right?" He sighed, "Don't answer that, I think I know basically what happened. Soskrein … had two other siblings. The first one, I was forced to kill to try to delay Trigon's arrival. The second one was sacrificed to bring Trigon to the realm. I have since then taken a vow not to kill an innocent and defenseless hatchling."
"It's not as simple as that", Sol said for his son, who could not speak. "To my Heir... all of the Twilight hatchlings are his children. I am certain he mentioned that his DNA was used to create them. He was the only one to kill them; at first, he was fueled by his anger, and destroyed them mercilessly. But as time went on, he learned of how they were created, using innocent hatchlings or eggs, and forcing them to age rapidly. Since then, he saw killing them as a mercy. Soskrein is the only one we have found that has not been forced to age as part of the Traitor's sick experiments. But these battles have taken a toll, and Solor vows to never kill an innocent child, no matter how they were born, ever again."
Edward walked over to Solor and said softly, "May the First forgive you, Brother. As Soskrein once told me: I forgive you in their place. I've been where you're at and, I know it's not easy. You have a daughter who loves you without question. I can tell already that Susie's aging at a normal rate, so, you have nothing to worry about."
He hugged Solor then, allowing the Heir to show some weakness in the privacy of Iilahkun's cave.
Eventually, Solor patted Edward's arm, letting him know that he was done for now. "Thank you", he said gently. "Now... we should get moving. I brought you here to take you on a tour, not cry like a newborn."
"You have the same guilt inside that I have for that one whelp," Edward merely said, "Keep your oath, my brother in arms. That's how to best honor your children's memories. Crying brings release and with that, healing also occurs."
Soskrein nodded, though she did not leave her father's side. "Where shall we go first? Is there anywhere – or anyone - in particular you want to see?"
Edward smiled, "I am curious about Maldriin and an Earth dragon called Golmul."
"We're closer to the Life habitat than Earth", Solor mused. "I suppose we can go there first. Maldriin may be watching over her eggs, so we'll have to approach her carefully. Nesting dragonesses are dangerous if you aren't cautious, and from what I understand... you haven't dealt with one of those yet."
Edward nodded. "I'll admit, any births I've dealt with were all live, except for Soskrein's hatching. I'll be careful."
Solor nodded as well, while Susie stretched out her wings, flying first. Soon the other two dragons joined in, while Sol opted to stay behind. "Let me know how your journey goes, Edward", he called out. "I look forward to hearing what you think of our home."
"I will report in, then," Edward said, "Hopefully, we will not be long."
To Solor, "Mally's older than she is back home. She's 710 there, so, here, I'm guessing 760 or so. As I haven't dealt with a nesting dragoness, how should I tread...other than 'lightly?'"
"She's 754", Solor said, answering Edward's first guess. "Only a few years younger than I. And as for the treading... well, for starters, don't approach her nest via air. Dragons instinctually avoid flying over nests because the mother may think it's a threat, and will attempt to shoot it down with her fire. We will land a safe distance away, and lower our heads, to show we're not looking to fight. And if she does let us near... don't touch ANYTHING, even if it is to see how the egg is doing. If an egg is starting to roll away, then you may catch it, but ONLY to return it immediately to Maldriin." Solor chuckled. "Not even her mate is allowed near the nest right now; the eggs are fresh – only a few days old, and her instincts are on high alert."
"I will admit that I am curious," Edward said, "I can certainly understand the caution here and would be surprised if she will allow us to get close. I can try to make it clear that we mean her or the eggs no harm. If she accepts that or not..." He shrugged, "I won't force the issue, that for certain. Any mother that senses a threat to her babies is capable of killing. I would suspect that a Life dragon would be quite willing to kill to protect her brood."
"You have no idea", Solor said, looking down and seeing the nest. "Alright... this is a safe distance. She's nesting under the tree positioned at three o'clock here, the large one with dozens of vines. Land here, and slowly poke your head through the vines after announcing yourself. Unless you want her to break your snout with a rock."
"Would my hybrid form work better?" Edward wondered aloud as he landed as softly as his form would allow.
He had noted that Mally was in her full dragon form and looked mostly like his Mally, except a few scales looked younger, as if she had seen some fighting in the war.
"Stay in this form", Solor told him. "She'll recognize you as a dragon, and not a threat that way." He approached the wall of vines. "Maldriin! I am here! May I come in? I brought my daughter and a friend!"
Maldriin seemed to growl at first, but soon nodded once she realized who it was. "Of course, Filkiin. What is your friend's name? I've never smelled a dragon like him before."
"He is Edward. He is simply taking a tour of Life's domain", Solor said, slowly poking his head through the vines. "He is from outside Lair, so please do not hurt him if he does something wrong."
"Of course", the Life Heiress said. Susie entered next, and the Heiress gently nuzzled the hatchling. "How are you, dear Soskrein?"
"I am alright, Aunt Maldriin", the whelp replied. "How are your eggs?"
"Warm and full of life", Maldriin said. "There should be no complications with their hatching. I only hope they are as strong as their father." She turned to Edward, nodding at him. "I am Maldriin, Edward. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Heiress," Edward said, "Filkiin has told me that you are expecting your first brood. Congratulations are in order. May the First bless this brood and their mother."
Maldriin blinked at the old dragon, but soon gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, Edward. I appreciate the congratulations, but only half of this battle has been won; I still need to wait for them to come into this world and see it with their own eyes." She tilted her head at him. "What kind of dragon are you, may I ask? You're not a Light dominant dragon, that is for sure."
"You'd be right," Edward admitted, "I am a hybrid of all seven clans." Mally's jaw dropped, "You're kidding me, right?"
"No," Edward said, "I was hatched in another universe and I am quite old by most dragon's standards."
"But...how?" She asked, "Hybrids aren't usually hatched, except for the Twilight ones...All seven clans?"
"My mother was desperate for a hatchling and she mated with dragons from all the clans," Edward explained, "All but one are gone though."
"Who is left? He must be old and weak," Maldriin said.
"Not if he's the Grand Light of the Circle in my universe," Edward replied.
"Another Feylfil?" She asked, "I should have seen that in your face."
Edward waved it off saying, "No offense taken, Heiress."
"You said you're an older dragon, correct?" She asked.
"I'm 3,150 years old, give or take a few years," Edward said. Susie chuckled seeing Maldriin's gobsmacked expression.
"How is that possible?" Maldriin asked.
"I'm immortal," was the short and sweet answer.
Maldriin wanted to say something about that, but she decided it was best not to push that further. "Well... considering you're a hybrid of all clans, I suppose there are powers you might have that one clan alone cannot. Very well, then... but if you're truly immortal... by the First, how lonely you must feel from time to time." She looked at him with sad eyes. "I apologize, Edward... but I cannot imagine being as old as you are... or as old as my mother is... though, I suppose one day I will learn."
Edward sighed, "There were many times I have felt alone. But, in my realm I know I am not alone anymore. I know who my family is, mortal and dragon. I have a mate who loves me as deeply as I love her, I have two daughters, one a hybrid dragon-human mix and the other is a fire dragon whelp. Plus a brother who also has two daughters as well. and, when my mate joins the First, there is someone else who has agreed to wait to put her claim in. You'll be surprised: She's your twin in my realm."
"Another Mally?" She asked, "Why is she waiting instead of claiming a mate now?"
"She can't," Edward said, "She's 713. My mate will not live nearly as long. But, the Mally in my realm has had a crush on me since before we met. It got bad for a while, but, she's managed to cool things down. Rachael's OK with this arrangement and even gave me her blessing to grant Mally's claim after Rach's death."
"You're married to Raven," she said, "Interesting. I take it your one daughter is hers as well?"
"Yes," Edward replied, "Grand Life there lifted the enchantment on Starborn and myself. She got pregnant shortly thereafter. Cally's a bright hybrid with most of my abilities as well as Raven's.
"I do have a request, though: Would it be all right if I looked at your eggs for a moment? I promise, I mean them ho harm. You can stay over them if you wish."
Maldriin thought about it and slowly stepped aside. Edward took a look and smiled, "They do look healthy."
One actually did roll and Edward used his powers to gently roll the egg back into place.
"Dark powers?" She asked.
"Fully under control, Maldriin," Edward assured her, "The egg is unharmed."
"Who provided the Dark DNA?" She asked.
"The Traitor himself," Edward said, "I am not proud of this fact, though. It's a curse I will have to live with."
"You should be thankful", Maldriin pointed out. "Without the Darkness, you would simply not exist, Edward. It is a burden, yes, but for you, that is the price of living. Some people are gifted, true, and some are not. Sometimes the price is very high, and you are born without a limb, or a functioning heart, and living becomes a struggle. But with determination and endurance, that price is paid in full. Can you truly say that, even with the Darkness in your life, you do not enjoy the life you live?"
Edward hadn't thought about that recently. Hearing this Maldriin had him rethinking on how to look at the Darkness in his DNA. "I can't say that I haven't", Edward told her, smiling.
"Then you understand", Maldriin said with a smile. "Thank you for coming to visit me, Edward. I truly appreciate it. But perhaps you should continue your journey; I won't provide much entertainment while I'm nesting."
Edward smirked, "You have given me something to consider, Maldriin. That, alone, is worth the time. May the First watch over you and your family."
The group withdrew the way they had came and headed off to Earth's realm.
As they reached the desert portion, a few curious heads popped out of the sand, looking up in interest. One in particular seemed to climb out, looking up at the Light dragon with a friendly smile on his face, waving. Edward immediately recognized the dragon as Golmul, and from the distance, he looked exactly the same. But as they landed, the Heir of Fire noticed a terrible scar running along his face, and his left eye had greyed out.
"Honor, Heir of Light", Golmul said, his tone friendly and warm. "Here to see an old war hero?"
"You're not much older than me, Golmul", Solor told the dragon with a smile. "Stop acting like you have no worth anymore."
"Maybe I have worth in having whelps", the Earth dragon said, shrugging. "But as for fighting? I'm as useful as a grain of sand, now." He noticed Edward, nodding his head. "Greetings, companion of Solor. I am Golmul... former soldier in the Earth clan."
"I am Kiinnum, Golmul," Edward said, "I wished to visit with you as I am from a different Lair in another realm. The reason for my visit is I am on a mission for my realm's Circle to determine the differences between this Prime universe and theirs. Might I ask you for some information in exchange for information?"
"If that is your wish", Golmul said, moving to sit on the sand. "What would you like to know? Perhaps my eye?" He pointed at the left eye, which no longer moved. "I lost this during the end of the Darkness War. I protected the one called Terra from a Twilight dragon's attack. I lost my sight, but I was able to shield her until Starborn arrived to take out the lost soul."
"Interesting," Edward said, "I know she's quite capable of defending herself, but, that is not to diminish your sacrifice. I know that she would have been grateful for the help. Had I been there, I might have been able to repair the damage before it became permanent."
"Do you have a Golmul in your realm?" He asked.
"I do," Edward replied, "He is a general in Lair's forces. Equal in rank to Starborn, and only answers to me. As Sosfil is the Commander here, I hold that rank in my Circle's universe.
"That reminds me, Filkiin, your sister is next on my list. I would like to compare notes with her, if she is available."
"Sounds like a plan", Solor stated.
Golmul nodded in agreement. "Alright then... so I have offered my information, and you have offered some of yours. What else would you like to know?"
"What was the end of the War like?" Edward asked.
"It was madness", Golmul said. "If you had told me I would be standing guard in the mortal realm, I would never have believed you. If you had told me I would be fighting light and darkness hybrids, I would have called you a liar." Golmul sighed, shaking his head. "I had always wanted to see the mortal world, but I never realized that I would be fighting out in the open against our enemy... though I think that some humans should understand we had been fighting in this war for millions of years. We stopped the destruction of entire countries, and still many of them do not trust us, do not want us in their world."
"Give them time," Edward said, "They will eventually come around. A similar thing happened in my universe, except that the fighting was limited. The Dark Dragons attacked Titan Tower, aiming to destroy it. They failed, though. They weren't expecting a more powerful force to already be there as well as backup from Lair.
"Then, they attacked Washington, DC and that force was repelled as well. You should have seen Starborn, though! He activated his Blessing and that was enough to turn the tables on Oblann's assault force. We had been summoned to the White House to talk to the President and I saw the initial Tears forming. We got the President out of there and we battled. One dragon was brought down by Starfire alone. That dragon wasn't happy and moved to kill her, only to be knocked away by Starborn. Another met the combined strength of Superman and myself.
"The final fight was back in Jump City, though. Darkness had successfully summoned Trigon the Terrible. Starborn and I fought him in the petrified remains of the city, but, when he tried to attack the Titans, the native Raven's powers reactivated. Raven, my mate and I banished Trigon from the realm for good.
"Turns out that Oblaan was Trigon's sire. He decided to end us all for stopping his plans, but, he really underestimated the strength of Starborn's love for Starfire. You see, Starborn there and here is a direct descendant of the First Light. He accessed a Primal Blessing and sent Oblaan to the flames of the First's rage for eternity.
"After that, as Vilea had switched sides, she surrendered to Lair and ended the war. Unlike here, from what I understand, she agreed to return to Lair and take her father's place within the Circle. The Dark Dragons are welcomed back on a provisional basis."
Golmul smiled as he heard the recap, "I take it we're more welcome there?"
"For the most part," Edward replied, "Several nations were understandably concerned that the Circle would take over. We had to bend over backwards to assure them that we had our own area and had no real interest in ruling over the nations of the world. The Circle is content to advise the world leaders, but, won't insist."
"That is what we wish to show", Golmul stated. "Humans fear us, because of our size, our power. It will be many years before we are allowed into their society. But dragons can be patient. After, in about 100 years, most of the humans who were alive during the war will be long gone." He gave a smug grin. "We shall see if humans are more willing to accept us then, if we have to."
Solor gave a small chuckle, but Edward could hear the small bit of sorrow. [Ruuvak will not be there by then, either...] he commented, Edward feeling his sorrow. [I will be hurt for a long time... but hopefully I shall find the strength to move on.]
[You will, my friend,] Edward replied, [It will be difficult and I hope that Susie's there to help you through the worst of it, or any other children you have. But, you will always have that hole in your heart and soul where she resides. I have already faced this with Callisto and my first wife, Paula. It took over 1500 years to get fully over Callisto and at the time, I did not know she ate ambrosia and became a goddess. When I was told she had taken her own life, I lost it. I had already given her up for dead when her mind shattered. When Paula died, it took over 240 years to recover and find Rachael. When Rachael was killed, I went on a rampage. I killed Malchior and almost killed Starborn. Soskrein stopped me and she was barely two. If Mally had not intervened to restore Rachael to life, I wouldn't be here. I would have either been executed by the Circle or committed suicide. I wanted to die that night.]
[Oh, man!] Solor replied, [This is what you were telling Susie about?]
Edward nodded in agreement there, as Soskrein picked up on the mood. "Well, Golmul, we'd love to stay, but we need to find Commander Sosfil."
Golmul scratched his chin. "She is likely to return from a mission to India, this time of day. She will wish to report directly to the Circle, near the ruins of the volcano. Perhaps you will catch her if you hurry."
"Thanks," Solor replied, "Did you get what you needed here?"
"I'm satisfied," Edward said as he clamped down on his emotions. It was one thing to show his weakness in front of the native Titans and Solor's family. But, not in front of the native Golmul here. Here, he had to be strong and without visible emotion.
A familiar sensation filled his heart, and he knew right away someone was pulling his sorrow away. He glanced over at Susie, who was looking at him. [I'm only borrowing it] she told him, [so you won't accidentally show weakness to him. He'd probably understand, but I know the importance.]
Edward mentally thanked her, unfurling his wings. "Thank you for your information, Golmul. This will help greatly with my mission... though I am sorry for your eye."
"Forget about it", Golmul said, waving a dismissive claw. "It means I get to spend more time with my mate and broods. A blessing in disguise, really."
[You're still bothered by that incident,] Susie said, [Your sorrow, even now, is intense. You have to let this go, Edward. If you cannot, it will cripple you someday. There will be a day when your mate can't pull these emotions out and it would not be fair to your one daughter to have her absorb these feelings.]
[I know, sweetie,] Edward replied, [Even the Japanese there eventually forgave me.]
Edward smiled at Golmul, "That's a good outlook to have, Golmul. Your mate and children would certainly enjoy the time spent with you. Thanks for your time."
[Solor?] Edward asked, [Remind me when we get back to look at the historical files on the end of the war, please.]
[Will do, friend,] was his reply as the three dragons took to the air and headed for the destroyed volcano.
It only took a few minutes to arrive at the remains of the volcano, and as they landed, a Tear opened up, with a familiar looking dragon stepping through. Solor called out to her, smiling. "Hail, sister! How was your mission?"
Sosfil glanced over at Solor, surprised by his voice, but quickly averted her eyes. "It went smoothly, Heir of the Light. Our relations with India have been improved; we may see a treaty allowing us to fly over their skies later in the month."
Solor, however, frowned. "Sosfil, you do not need to avert your eyes. We are family. You have just as much power as I do."
"You are the next Grand Light", Sosfil said. "And I saw that Primal Blessing attack, brother. You are much stronger than I; therefore, you deserve more respect than I."
"That doesn't matter," Solor replied, "We are equals. I really doubt I could access that again, anyway, even after Father passes on his title and powers to me."
Sosfil, though, would have none of that. "You are the strongest Heir in the history of the Light Clan, brother. I know that if anyone can wield the power of the First Light, it will be you."
"You give me too much credit", Solor said, finally sighing and giving up on that battle. "Besides that, I'm not even here to argue about that. Sister, this is a friend from another world, Edward. He was sent by his Circle for recon, and would like to ask you a few questions."
Sosfil glanced up at the newcomer, and though she kept her head lowered, she no longer averted her eyes. "I will answer them to the best of my knowledge, then. I cannot guarantee you will like our answers, though."
"Well, for starters", Edward asked, "were you ever jealous of your brother for him being named Heir? This was proven to be a near fatal flaw of our Sosfil in my universe, but fortunately, she was shown the error before she was irredeemable."
"I was", Sosfil immediately admitted. "But I was there in the final battles. I was hoping that my service would show our father that I was worthy to be Heir, not my brother. However, I saw Oblaan vaporized before my eyes, and I saw who killed him. Any feelings of doubt in my brother vanished, and I relented the desire to become Heir. I am now satisfied with my position as Commander, as I was forced to resign in Japan and return home."
Edward raised an eyebrow, "I hold the same position in my one universe, Sosfil. It is a high honor for the both of us. Why were you forced to resign your post in Japan? I do have an idea why, but, would love to hear your version, though."
Sosfil lowered her head more, sighing. "I was called back to Lair. I was told to say goodbye to the life I made there, that all of my time would be spent on fighting the Traitors. I was told to lead a platoon of dragons against them, to wait for the perfect time to strike. But our plans were ruined by Solor, who could not sit idly by while the Circle was planning to make a very... very big mistake."
Solor shook his head, "I hadn't told him about that, Sosfil. And neither shall you. It is not our place."
Sosfil immediately realized her folly, and swallowed nervously. "Either way, Edward, that is why I had to resign. The war was becoming too much for us; we had to put more focus on it."
Edward was puzzled, but, figured one of the Circle may be willing to tell him, "No worries you two. If it is not your story to tell, I can accept that. Sosfil, there's no need to be nervous. You did not know.
"I will assume that if the Circle wishes me to know, they will release that information.
"My world got lucky, then. The war itself did come to a head and spilled into the mortal realm. Oblaan summoned Trigon early, but, his daughter told Starborn the entire plan. He escaped, but, was badly hurt inside. About as much as your brother if I understand it correctly, and, out of respect for the Heir, I need no further information on that. Well, I was invited to return to Lair for the first time since I was a hatchling and informed the Circle of the plot. Grand Earth, like here, destroyed the volcano and later on I found something out...I might as well tell you this. You're gonna want to sit down for this: Had Iilah been able to lay even a single egg, the baby would have been my twin here. In my world, the Grand Light is my father. Actually the only one left out of all seven. There, her desperate play worked. I never knew five of them, and, Starborn vaporized Oblaan, the Dark Father...or the Oblivion damned Traitor. Well, he showed up after two failed attacks before Trigon was summoned; one was an attack on Titan Tower, another was to take out Washington, DC. Luckily, Starborn and I got the Justice League to be allies in the fight. We expelled Trigon in the Second Battle of Jump City, and, man...was Oblaan PISSED. But, he made a fatal error as in my world, Starborn and Starfire of the Titans had just become mated with the blessing of the Circle. Oblaan insulted her after petrifying her. You can guess what happened then."
Sosfil was going to say something, but another voice rumbled instead, as the Grand Earth walked up. "We have heard of your conquest, Edward Barnes", the large dragon said. "And it is an honor to have an off-worlder visit us." As he spoke, the rest of the Circle landed on the ground, fully in business mode. Sol landed last, looking at Edward sheepishly.
"They asked me why I left", he said. "I could not lie."
The Grand Fire looked at Edward, smirking a bit. "Ah... a grand fire burns in your heart, Child of the First. We are told you have questions for us for your mission."
"We will answer these questions", said Grand Death, and Edward recognized the dragon as the one that replaced original one he had met. "Whatever you wish to ask of us will be answered without any hesitation, whether it be our greatest glories... or our most horrible shames."
"Well, I am honored to be here, Exalted Circle," Edward said, averting his gaze until he was told otherwise, "Thank you for taking the time out of your duties to grant me an audience. I'll endeavor to take as little time as needed."
"Child of the First," Earth said, "We would look upon you. You are a guest in our lands and while we all appreciate that you know the manner of tradition and respect, we shall make an exception. Our duties may be delayed once in a while."
"Thank you," Edward replied, "I suppose I can get the 'horrible shames' out of the way first. I hope you'll pardon Sosfil, but, she mentioned that Filkiin here actually prevented the Honorable Circle from committing a terrible mistake. I am most curious.
"Also, for Grand Fire: I thank you for your compliment. I will pass that along to my Grand Fire. He would appreciate that his heir was given a neutral appraisement of his inner fire. You honor me, sir."
The Circle sat in silence for a moment (besides Fire, who gave a small grin), before turning to the Grand Death, who in turn gave out a low sigh. "My predecessor... my father was the oldest member of the Circle when the war was ending. Before we asked the Titans and Justice League to help us, he came up with a plan to help us capture a Dark Dragon and destroy the Dark Lair immediately. The plan... involved allowing the Dark Dragons to destroy a human city and let them think that we no longer cared."
"We should have immediately thrown the idea out", Life said. "My mate was reaching the end of his term; had he continued longer, he would start to lose his mind, like the Grand Darkness did before we were even born."
"My Heir, knowing this was not the way we worked, defected to his Titans, telling them what we were planning. They, in turn, contacted the Justice League, and when the day for the plan came, it ended in complete failure, much to my relief", Sol told Edward. "When Death attempted to punish Solor for his treason, I called him out for his decision, saying that he was losing his way, and we needed to replace him. Begrudgingly, the rest of the Circle agreed, and Grand Death gave up his Title to his son, who you see today."
"That," Edward said, "Was certainly a justifiable act of Treason, I think. Life, I am a little surprised that you might have gone with this. We all know that the humans, even as flawed as they are, still are part of the First's creation. I merely state the obvious, and, I would have backed Filkiin's play. If it's counted as a weakness, with respect and honor...so be it. I would hope that when I am elevated to the Circle that my colleagues would tell me if I am starting to slip into the same insanity that befell Oblaan in both realms to allow me the time to make sure my heir is ready.
"What sort of issues have dragons had with the various governments? I assume that some governments are hesitant to allow flyovers by Lair's dragons?"
"Indeed", Grand Water said. "The humans fear us. Some of us have been assaulted by fearful humans, and have been called the heralds of the end of the earth. Which is ridiculous; even we do not know when the world will end, and our mission will finally be over."
"But we do not condone violence; if a dragon is assaulted, they are to return to Lair immediately", Fire said. "We have been working hard with those that accept us, and have told them point blank that we do not fight in their wars; we are not their allies, but the guardians of the balance. I think this is why some of them are reluctant to give us rights in their countries, but we are slowly breaking through to humans that we are not a threat."
"We've had similar issues, to be honest," Edward mused, "I have tried to tell some governments, to reassure them that Lair simply is not interested in ruling or lording any superiority over them. Heck, in the world the Circle sent me to, I was the only full-blood dragon there and may be again in a decade or so. I've been content to not take over the world. It doesn't interest me. Even when I did get involved in war there, I allowed others to lead. Granted at the time, I didn't know it wasn't something that I should have taken a pass on, yet, I have realized that there are times when it's best to let them fight it out on their own. But, some governments are too worried that they'll lose their precious control over subjects. Others are more amenable to getting advice from beings far older than they are and availing of that wisdom and experience. It helps when they know that, at least in my home, I support governments who treat others fairly, as citizens and not just subjects. Other governments I leave alone. It's not worth the trouble to do a regime change to get a ruler that is agreeable to the rest of the world. But, I digress.
"How much of a mess was it before and after the War ended? How many cities, other than Jump, were attacked, for example? Also, how many Dark Dragons refused to accept the formal end of hostilities?"
"It was a large mess", Grand Earth stated bluntly. "After discovering the League had joined our side, they began attacking any city that had a hero, in an attempt to destroy our allies and ruin our already shaky image. However, it was because of them attacking so many locations that one of them messed up and was captured. Add the Twilight experiments into the mix and..." The largest dragon blinked, as if realizing something, then looked down with sympathy. "I apologize, Heir. I remember that they are a touchy subject to you."
"It is alright", Solor said, though Edward could feel his sorrow in his heart. "I need to face it sooner or later... it still hurts, but not as badly as it did before."
Grand Water finished it up. "In the last month of the war, Vilea suggested they use the Twilight dragons they created. And Filkiin asked to be the first one to hunt them down. During a clash with Vilea was when we discovered how they were made, and shortly after that, Filkiin found Soskrein's egg. The rest of the war was fought in Jump City, as Oblaan was sick of our Heir of Light messing up his plans, and wished to teach him a lesson, make an example of his body."
"A lot different, then," Edward said. He spent the next several minutes detailing more about the end of the war and his universe's Soskrein and how she was the sole survivor. The Circle was surprised to hear that she was the only Twilight out of three to have survived. But, to hear how Vilea transformed into Vicky and her capture as well as integration into Lair, Life said, "This is incredible, Edward. Life found a way and in doing so, the entire course of two universes was changed."
Water said, "Life ebbs and flows like the tides as well as finding its way around obstacles."
"I see why my counterpart wanted you as his Heir," Fire said, "The flames that you brought to the fight shortened the war there immensely and burned away Vicky's evil. Your mentor/trainer must be very proud of you."
Edward nodded, smiling. "That he is... I'm picking up quickly, despite not living with dragons all my life."
"You will get the hang of it, Child of the First", Life told him. "And in the end, the Grand Fire will give you one last gift... a way to die naturally. We know you are immortal, Edward; I can sense how powerful your regeneration is. I am glad you chose to accept his offer; it would take you thousands of more years for it to finally start to decrease in activity, if ever."
"I would not want to make those who are with the First wait forever, anyway," Edward said, "I have seen what that insanity is capable of. I want no part of it."
The dragons nodded in agreement, before finally deciding enough was enough. "There is not much else we can tell you, Edward", Sol said. "We mostly keep to ourselves, and continue our duties as the Circle. Other than the war, there has been nothing exciting going on here. If we may, we would like to speak to Sosfil about her mission to India, and give her the next command we wish for her to take."
Edward smiled, "Of course, Exalted Circle. I would like to watch from the side, though. It would help my mission and further my training a little bit. However, if you wish Starborn, Susie and I to leave, we will comply, of course."
"We understand your desire to learn, Edward", Water said gently, "but we usually do not share anything that does not need to be known to others. What is to be said now is only for our commander. If she wishes to share information with you later, that is her choice. Filkiin, would you escort Edward and Soskrein back to your tower?"
"Of course, Grand Water", Solor said, bowing his head a bit. "Thank you for seeing us on short notice." He corralled the young hatchling, who had remained silent for the rest of the trip, and moved beside Edward. "Come on. They try to be more open about planning and such, but old habits die hard."
"Been there, done that," Edward said with a friendly smirk, "Thank you for your time, Exalted Members of the Circle. May the First continue to bless and honor your work." He bowed his own head and unfurled his wings to take to the skies once more.
"Thank you for your blessings, Edward," Earth said, "Take care."
With that, the three dragons took their leave and Solor opened a Tear back home.