With the start of a new week, the banquet hall was reserved for the royal family.
Elenar sat herself down at the side of a long, elaborately-decorated table. She moved the crown from her head and sighed as she settled in for a meal. She was just to the left of the grand throne placed at the end of the table; one which would remain empty. The queen sighed a servant poured her a clear glass of cold water. Elenar put a slice of lemon in the glass, and carefully lifted it to gesture toward the throne.
"Good morning, my love," Elenar whispered sadly as she held the glass in the throne's direction for a few moments. "I'm always thinking of you."
Elenar brought the glass to her lips and drank. As she emptied its contents, she spotted two black dragons approach from a side door. Urobos was leading Cyrus toward the banquet table.
"You made some excellent progress last week, Cyrus." The elderly dragon said with a chuckle. "Keep up your training, and I'm sure you'll leave quite a few impressions on your fellow students."
"If you say so…" Cyrus sighed. "I never feel like I'm any closer to that, granddad."
Urobos and Cyrus sat down in the chairs across from Elenar. The elderly dragon nodded with a smile toward the queen before turning his attention to a mole servant. Cyrus, meanwhile, gave a warm smile to his mother.
"Hey, Mom." The prince said as settled into his seat.
"Hello, dear," Elenar said with a sigh.
The prince frowned. "Are… Are you okay, Mom?"
"I'm fine. I'm just… trying to relax." Elenar rose her neck up and attempted to adopt a regal pose… but she soon slumped back in her cushion and groaned. She raised a wing-thumb to scratch her head. "That crown gives me such a headache all the time."
"Well, here's hoping we can do something about that soon." came a voice from behind the queen. Elenar turned her head to see Elza approaching with a smile. She was followed by Dona, who carefully strode forward. There was a familiar, shifting bulge beneath Dona's cloak, and she looked left and right to be sure nobody had peeked beneath it.
Elenar pursed her lips and nodded toward the guards. "Secure the room."
As Elza and Dona sat down next to Elenar, the guards rushed about to make sure that nobody could make their way into the throne room without being announced. Once the coast was clear, they nodded toward Elenar, who sighed.
"Alright, it's safe," Elenar whispered to Dona. "Let the little one out."
The shadowy dragoness just snorted as she pulled back her hood. The little form of Riven crawled her way out from under her mother's cloak and made her way down to the floor. Riven looked around at the big, wide surroundings, while Elza and Elenar watched her with warm smiles.
"Oh, she's such an adorable little thing…" Elza said. She glanced at Urobos. "Wouldn't you say so, sir?"
"Erm, uh… yes, of course." Urobos nodded.
Riven darted around the side of her cushion as her mother watched her. Riven made her way under the table and quickly came out the other side. Cyrus looked down and nearly yelped when the dragonling popped her head out from under the table to smile at him.
"Hi, Cyrus!" She exclaimed.
"Err, h-heya, kiddo." Cyrus put on an awkward smile.
Riven crawled out from the table and darted around Cyrus's cushion. He stiffened himself upon his haunches and wrapped his tail around his ankles as the dragonling began climbing up. He groaned as her little talons dug into his back. She scampered up toward his neck, where she locked her wing-thumbs together around it. Cyrus blushed as the dragonling hugged him this way.
"Hmph. Good to know she likes you." Dona snorted.
"Yeah… good…" Cyrus coughed a little. "Geez, she's stronger than she looks."
Dona swelled with pride at that. Elenar and Elza just exchanged curious glances, while Urobos kept his attention on the few servants permitted into the room while Riven was about. The old drake was always uneasy whenever the little white dragoness was exposed to non-dragons.
A few moments later, the doors were opened up, and a few guards strode inside to stand at attention.
"Presenting Prince Rune, and Lord Albanion!" Declared one of the guards.
Elenar's expression perked up, and she looked toward the front of the room as the guards pushed the doors open. In strode Rune, looking rather plain this morning. He was followed by Albanion of course, and the both of them approached the banquet table with haste. Dona gave a huff and stood up to move one seat down from Elza. This gave Albanion room to sit beside his mate, and he leaned in to kiss her before taking a proper stance at the table.
"Good morning, everyone," Albanion said with a sly smile.
Rune, however, just slumped into his cushion beside Cyrus without so much as a word. Riven gave a happy squeak upon seeing Rune and unhooked her wing-thumbs to turn and glide to him. Rune barely even grunted as she landed on his back to hug him.
"Runey!" She cried happily as she hugged him.
"Hi, Riven," Rune said with a groan. He reached down for a spoon to pick it up and stir some sugar into a cup of tea by his plate.
"Are you feeling alright, lad?" Urobos asked Rune. "You seem a bit out of it today."
"I'm fine, Grandpa…" Rune took a drink from his tea. "I just… had a rough night last night. Had trouble sleeping, just like when I was a kid."
"Oh, dear…" Urobos grimaced.
"Riven, come over here." Dona lightly scolded. "It's time to eat."
"Okay, Mommy." Riven unhooked her wing-thumbs again and hopped down to the floor to make her way over to Dona. Rune stretched his neck out and sighed, glad to have the weight off his shoulders.
Soon, everyone in the room spoke about their usual goings-on. Albanion and Elza talked about how the wind dragoness was coming along rather healthily. Dona explained that Riven's reading skills were developing to the point where she could start attending school. And Urobos was his usual jolly self; he kept everyone entertained and joked about his eventual retirement from being an Elder. Everyone was happy and content… except for the queen.
Every week when they had this family banquet, Elenar was reminded of how incomplete it always felt. The throne, the head of the household, was barren; nobody was to sit in it so long as there was no king of Warfang. But that wasn't the only empty seat; Elenar always kept a special spot open next to Rune. The spot was reserved for her.
Elenar looked over at her sons and sighed; they were growing into such fine young dragons. Cyrus was looking more like his father every day, and Rune had a chip on his horn, and-
Wait, a chip?
"Rune, what happened to your horn?" Elenar asked.
Rune blinked and looked up at his mother. "My what?"
"Your horn." Elenar pointed at the silver horn at the bottom left on his head. "The end of it is missing."
"It is?" Rune asked, growing more astonished. He tried to bring a forepaw up to find it but just couldn't reach it. Nor could he reach with his wing-thumb. "Uh, can I get a little help?"
Cyrus grimaced as he looked over Rune's horns. He stood up and reached out to clasp his forepaw atop the broken horn. "It's this one."
Rune shivered; the gap was small, but still there. When Cyrus let go of his brother, Rune doubled over and shook uneasily. Elenar looked him over curiously; there was something rather strange about his behavior.
"Rune, what's wrong?" Elenar asked.
Rune's eyes darted around for a moment… but then they lit up as if he realized something very important. He locked eyes with Elenar and spoke as loud and clear as he could.
"What's wrong is that you named me after Runileon."
The table went silent. Elenar leaned back in her seat as an icy chill traveled along her spine. Albanion and Elza were just as stunned as her, while Urobos awkwardly coughed. Dona became uneasy, and she wrapped her paws tightly about Riven to hug her. Cyrus looked around in confusion, while Rune kept his steely gaze on his mother.
"…Excuse me?" Elenar blinked.
"Everyone I've tried to talk to about Runileon has dodged the question," Rune said. "They kept telling me it was something only you could tell me about. And this is the first chance I've had to talk to you about him, Mom."
"Rune…" Urobos cleared his throat and sat up taller. "That dragon isn't an appropriate subject to have at the banquet table."
"And why isn't he?" Rune demanded. "I can't find any information about him in the library. And if he's such a bad topic…" Rune rumbled in frustration. "Why was I named after him?"
Elenar just sighed and shook her head. She always dreaded having this conversation with her son. There was so much she needed to say but didn't know how to find the right words. After taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with him yet again.
"Rune…" She said forcefully. "The first thing you need to know is-"
BAM-BAM-BAM!
There was a pounding on the far side of the banquet hall. Elenar and the others looked toward the back doors as a pair of guards stepped outside to investigate. Eventually, one of those guards re-entered the room and rushed over to whisper into the queen's ear frill.
"Your Grace, Prince Lantel and Princess Helianne have arrived." The guard said cautiously. "The Prince of Sunlight demands an audience immediately."
Oh, of all the times for an interruption… Elenar groaned internally. "Well, tell them to wait until I've made my way to the throne room. I'm in the middle of a meal with my family."
The guard grimaced. "The prince… claims to have a grievance. He's not taking no for an answer."
Elenar gnashed her fangs. "It can WAIT."
"He's… threatening to contact his father if he isn't spoken with right away, Your Grace."
Elenar groaned and rubbed her head with a wing-thumb. That Lantel boy can be so difficult most days.
The queen took a deep breath and looked straight at Dona. "I'm sorry, but it looks like Riven has to be hidden away early."
"Right... Of course…" Dona snorted in derision. She then sighed and scooped her daughter up. "Come along, dear. Let's get you to your room."
"Aww, but I wanted to spend time with Rune and Cyrus." The little girl pouted. The princes couldn't help but frown at the dragonling.
"Maybe next time, kiddo," Cyrus said.
Dona opened up her shadow and sank into it with her daughter. As soon as Dona and Riven were gone, Elenar nodded to the guard to let Lantel and Helianne in. Everyone at the table sat up straight as the doors were pulled open. Sure enough, the golden prince came striding into the room, with his sister Helianne hot on his heels. Rune's eyes widened upon seeing them, and he sank into his cushion. Elenar couldn't help but raise an eye ridge at this; what had gotten into him?
"I can't believe you're going ahead and disrupting the royal family, Lantel!" Helianne snapped.
"Shut it." He snapped back. He then walked around the side of the table and ignored the odd looks from Albanion and Elza. Lantel came to a stop right before Elenar and bowed his head. "I need to talk to you, Your Grace."
"So I've heard…" Elenar turned around and glared at him. "It had better be important, Prince Lantel."
"I'll keep it quick…" Lantel raised his head and looked her in the eyes. "Your son Rune has dishonored my sister Helianne!"
The declaration made everyone else flinch in surprise. Albanion and Urobos glanced at Rune, who grimaced and looked away. Elenar, meanwhile, felt like she'd been hit on the head with a brick.
"You accuse my son… of WHAT?" Elenar demanded.
"I just told you! He came to my sister and-"
"He did no such thing!" Helianne growled at her brother. She then looked at Elenar and grimaced. "My High Queen, I'm really sorry that my brother felt like bothering you with such a load of-"
"You're protecting him." Lantel hissed at Helianne. "And I have proof!"
Helianne's eyes widened, but then she snorted and glared at him. "No, you don't. You're just making things up because you hate him."
"That's where you're wrong." Lantel declared. He looked back at Elenar and raised his forepaw. "Take a look at THIS, Your Grace."
Lantel opened his paw and presented something, to which Elenar lowered her head to inspect it. It was a small, cone-shaped chunk of silver that seemed to be broken off… from… Elenar nearly fell from her cushion as she filled with dread. It was a chunk of horn.
"I found this on Helianne's bedroom floor last night." Lantel declared. He looked in Rune's direction; the black prince had turned his head to the side and averted his gaze. "And I can't help but notice that our dear Prince Rune is missing a chunk of his horn!"
With a heavy sigh, Elenar turned to look at her son. She placed the chunk of horn on the table and passed it forward to Urobos. With an uneasy expression, Urobos picked up the piece of horn, hopped out of his cushion, and walked over to his grandson to hold the chunk up to the prince's damaged horn. Rune shivered as the piece of horn popped into place perfectly.
"Rune…" Urobos said cautiously. "What have you done?"
"I…" Rune stammered. "I, uh…"
"He certainly didn't do anything WRONG!" Helianne exclaimed. She shoved her brother out of the way so she could stand before Elenar. "First of all, Your Grace, the furthest we went was kissing!"
All of the adult dragons had wide eyes, and they looked at Rune in shock. Cyrus was incredulous as well; he looked at Helianne, hoping that she'd reveal that this was all somehow a joke being played. But instead, the princess continued speaking as a blush formed on her green cheeks.
"And second of all… even if we had, err…" Helianne gulped, and then shook her head. "Listen, the point I'm trying to make is that I was perfectly happy with Rune; there wasn't any goading, manipulation, or anything remotely related to dishonoring!"
"And… this happened in the middle of the night?" Elenar said. "Past student curfew?"
Helianne's eyes contracted, and she shrank down a bit. "Err… I mean… uhh… Y-Yes?"
Elenar slumped into her cushion again; what a fine, hot mess these rowdy teenagers had made. She took a breath, ran her talons through her mane, and did her best to keep her composure.
"Alright, thank you for bringing this to my attention, Prince Lantel." She said to him with a nod. "I'll be having a long chat with Rune about this." She glanced over at the flora dragoness. "And Princess Helianne, even though you are… infatuated with my son, you need to understand that fooling around in the middle of the night is a violation of the rules."
"But…" Helianne stammered.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to be reprimanded," Elenar said calmly. "You'll be placed under probation for a week, and your aunt Apella will be informed to keep a closer watch on you."
The princess slumped back in defeat and pointed her snout at the floor. "I… I'm sorry."
Elenar sighed. "You've been under good behavior up until now, Princess Helianne. Please don't ruin your reputation."
The princess didn't respond; she just shook her head and sighed in defeat. Elenar looked down at her pity; Helianne wasn't a bad girl. And whatever she and Rune were doing at night, surely it wasn't anything too extreme. She knew her son well enough to know he wasn't one to…
Elenar shook her head and looked back at Lantel, who held a steely glare. "If that is all you wished to report, Prince Lantel, you and your sister are free to-"
"I challenge Prince Rune to a duel!"
The declaration hit Elenar like a brick to the stomach. She was momentarily stunned into silence, while everyone else at the table looked at Lantel in shock. Rune most of all was horrified as the golden prince stood tall and proud, while his words echoed throughout the banquet hall. And the more they repeated in Elenar's mind, the angrier she got.
"This… this isn't an appropriate thing to announce in the banquet hall," Urobos said.
"I don't care." Lantel stuck his snout in the air. "My declaration is binding."
"No!" Elenar snapped. "Absolutely not!" She rose from her cushion and loomed over the golden prince. "This isn't something to fight over, Lantel!"
"You can't deny me my RIGHT!" Lantel beat his chest. "I've been reading up on draconian bylaws!"
The golden prince reached into his satchel and pulled out a big tome. He slammed it down on the table beside Elza and opened it to where the bookmark held. He then pointed down at a passage circled in red ink. Elenar, Albanion, and Elza leaned down to study the page. Urobos grumbled as he rose from his seat to walk around to get a better view. And all the while, Rune and Cyrus exchanged uneasy glances.
"If a member of the steward family is unsatisfied with the behavior of a member of the black dragon bloodline," Lantel read aloud, "the former may challenge the latter to combat to determine who is right! And I am DISGUSTED with Rune's behavior!" He slammed his paw on the table. "It's about time someone beat some sense into him!"
"Ugh, what a wretched law." Elza grimaced. "Who would create something like THIS?"
Urobos's eyes became grave, and he fell backward onto his haunches. "It… It was put forth by Spyro himself."
Elenar couldn't believe what she was reading. She slumped into her cushion and finished off another glass of water; it was far from strong enough for her liking. Her head felt like it was spinning. She glanced at Rune, who was shaking in his seat. She just couldn't believe this was happening.
"Where do you get off, Lantel?!" Helianne demanded. "You can't just pick a fight with whomever dragon I like!"
"This isn't just about YOU, Helianne." Lantel snapped.
"You've…" Elenar's eyes narrowed as she looked back at the golden prince. "You've been planning on doing this for a while, haven't you?"
"Yes, I have," Lantel said proudly.
Elenar groaned once again and shook her head. "And, you've wanted to use this challenge as a means to physically assault my son?"
"He shouldn't have to hide under your cloak, Queen Elenar." Lantel snapped. "It's about time he be a REAL dragon and face the consequences of his actions."
"What actions?" Urobos demanded in exasperation. "What has Rune done to you?"
"My reasons are my own." Lantel snorted. "I challenge his behavior, and he must fight me in the arena. If I'm denied this, then I'm going to report this violation of draconian law to every noble house in the land! They won't stand for a violation of a noble's rights!"
"Alright, ALRIGHT!" Elenar howled. She slammed her forepaws down and glared down at Lantel. "You want to have your challenge? Then you'll GET your precious challenge. You and Rune will face off in the arena in three days, at high noon!" She growled in her throat. "Are you SATISFIED, Prince Lantel?"
The prince put on a sardonic grin. "I will be when I'm the victor."
Elenar blew smoke from her nostrils and leaned back. "By royal decree, You and Rune are not to speak to one another until the battle starts." She pointed a talon at the front doors. "Now get out."
Lantel had a smirk of satisfaction despite the glares on the older dragons' faces. He bowed his head in respect toward them and then turned around with a flourish of his cape. He silently cast an angry aside glance at Rune, who sucked in a breath and looked away. Helianne quickly shot Rune a sympathetic frown before following her brother out of the chamber.
Once the twins were gone, Elenar gave a quiet sigh. She looked at her plate and had to try hard not to get sick to her stomach; the shouting had ruined her appetite.
"Excuse me…" Cyrus said across the way. Elenar glanced up to see her other son rise from his seat. "I'm done eating. Is it alright if I-?"
"Just go." Elenar huffed. "I'll see you later, Cyrus."
Cyrus nodded to his mother and then said his goodbyes to his other family members. Lastly, he nudged Rune on the shoulder before taking off to leave through the same doors that the twins left through. Elenar took a deeper breath and then glared at Rune.
"Why?" She demanded. "Why did you have to get intimately involved with Princess Helianne?"
"I… I couldn't help it?" Rune said awkwardly. "You and Grandfather have always said that some feelings just… happen." He flapped his wings. "I've been spending a lot of time with Helianne. And… well… the feelings happened."
"But we never said that you should get so close to… to…" Urobos shivered. "No, I can't say it out loud." He wrinkled his nostrils and glowered. "You don't understand the risks involved in that kind of intimacy, young dragon."
"What risks?" Rune demanded.
"What if Lantel had burst in while you were in the middle of an act of intimacy, no matter how harmless it may be?" Urobos declared. "He might have attacked you right then and there. A lot of brothers have that instinct regarding their sisters."
"I just can't believe you would sneak into a dragoness's bedroom in the middle of the night." Elza declared. "That's not like you at all."
Rune flinched, and his eyes darted this way and that as he stammered. "Actually… uhh…"
Elenar and Elza looked at the prince with even more dread. The queen's glare deepened as she loomed over him. "Have… Have you snuck into Helianne's room before?"
"N-Not her room… not usually," Rune said with a gulp. "We… I…"
"Rune, what WERE you doing?" Albanion demanded. "Out with it!"
"I…" Rune shuddered again. "I can't say… She wanted to keep it a secret."
"Keeping it a secret will only make it worse." Elenar snapped. "We HAVE to know; your future could be on the line!"
Rune growled, and he grasped his head in his forepaws. He sucked in a breath and forced himself to look his mother in the eyes.
"If I say it, you have to keep it a secret." He said.
"You're not in a position to be asking that." Urobos scolded.
"Grandfather, please," Rune begged. "It's something Helianne's not ready to tell anyone; not even her own family."
"Rune…" Elenar's eyes shrank. "Did… Did you two…?"
"No, no, it's nothing like THAT." Rune insisted. He glanced at the doors, and then back at the adults, before bringing his voice to a whisper. "I've been helping Helianne get over her fear of flying."
"Wh-What?" Elenar leaned back.
"She doesn't like flying in public." Rune continued. "She has scars on her wings and is always hiding them. Her family knows about them, but they keep quiet about how she got the scars. And she's been having me visit her at night so I can give her a confidence boost; there's nobody else out there to watch her flying." Rune frowned at his mother. "I know it's violating curfew… but I really like Helianne, and I want to help her reach a point where she can fly during daytime again."
Elenar blinked… and this time, she felt a bit of relief. She took a deep breath as she processed the information. Her son hadn't gone too far with a dragoness; he was merely being the noble dragon the queen knew he was. Unfortunately, there was still quite a mess to be cleaned up.
"Why doesn't Lantel know this?" Elenar asked.
"As I said; Helianne wanted to keep the flying sessions a secret," Rune said. "She… I think she wants to surprise her family when she's finally ready to take flight. That's all I know."
"Uh-huh…" She looked at Rune's broken horn. "And did that happen as a result of a flying accident?"
"Sort of…" Rune scratched his head with a wing-thumb. "I guess it broke off when I tumbled around trying to get her back to her room."
"Mhm…" The queen sighed and repositioned herself in her seat. "Rune… you must stop visiting Helianne at night."
Rune gasped. "But…"
"I know you wanted to help her, but rules are still rules." Elenar snapped. "I have half a mind to even forbid you from helping her fly ever again."
Rune's eyes widened, to which the queen sighed.
"If you want to teach her again, you must make amends… starting with the challenge of combat." Elenar put one paw atop the other. "I don't expect you to throw the fight… but maybe Lantel should win."
Rune flinched. "Why?"
"Because he won't be satisfied until he wins." Elenar snorted. "I've dealt with his type before. He's not going to swallow his pride any time soon. Just let him have this victory; let him savor whatever vengeance he wants. Because if he loses, he's only going to try even harder to defeat you."
"But what if he uses the victory to gloat?" Rune insisted. "What if he insists on fighting me again anyway? Am I just supposed to let him bully me?"
"If he goes too far, then, of course, we'll put a stop to it." Elenar stamped her paw. "But at the moment, he's got draconian law on his side, and all I can do is enforce the law…" She then sighed and frowned at her son. "And in the meantime, I want you to meditate with Spyro and Cynder as often as you can. Their presence should be the best thing to help you keep your mind clear."
"Alright…" Rune sighed. He rose from his seat and turned to leave… only to stop and cast a frustrated look at his mother. "But what about Runileon? I still don't know anything about him."
Elenar flinched but then sighed. "If Lantel wins the challenge, then I'll tell you everything about him. Is that fair?"
"Alright; it's better than nothing…" Rune sighed. "Good day, everyone. I… need to go and… meditate."
"Hmph, sounds like a good idea…" Urobos raised an eye ridge. "Perhaps Cynder can get through to you where we can't."
Rune just rose from his seat and made to leave; he didn't even bother with any goodbyes. Elenar watched as her son made to leave the chamber. And once he was gone, she slumped in her seat and sighed. Just like that, her tiny speck of unease at the banquet table and grown to completely engulf whatever happy feelings she had. She put her forepaws on her head and sighed.
"Elenar?" Urobos asked uneasily. "Are you alright?"
"What am I to do, Urobos?" She asked as she looked at him. "No matter who wins that duel, King Horus isn't going to be happy when he learns my son has been fraternizing with her daughter."
"Maybe some good can come of the romance blooming between Rune and Helianne," Elza said. She placed a forepaw on Elenar's shoulder. "If those two become serious about each other, then perhaps Horus will give his blessings for them to be together."
"As if younger generations ever care if their parents approve of a budding romance." Albanion snorted. The comment made Elenar flinch. Albanion saw this and grimaced. "Err, I meant no disrespect, Elenar."
"It's fine…" Elenar just sighed and rose to her feet. "I… I think I need another drink."
Albanion and Elenar exchanged uneasy glances. They soon rose to stand beside Elenar as she made to leave the banquet hall. Urobos, meanwhile, just fell back onto his haunches and grimaced.
"I suppose I'll tend to the arrangements for the arena match." The aged drake sighed. "You just… take it easy today, Elenar."
"Right…" Elenar turned around and made for the exit with Albanion and Elza just behind her. The guards saluted the queen and pushed the doors open for her. But Elenar didn't bother with a doorway; with a stamp of her forepaw, a great pool of shadows emerged around her. She shut her eyes and let herself sink into the magic. It stayed open just long enough for Albanion and Elza to follow her down.
And as the magic whisked her off through the city, Elenar sighed and reflected on the past once again. Young infatuation always led to trouble; who else but she could attest to that?
~~…~~
Lantel and Helianne walked down the corridor side by side. The princess shot her brother several nasty glares, but he wasn't fazed. He'd made his declaration, and now he looked forward to dishing out some well-deserved justice toward Prince Rune.
"I can't believe you're doing this, Lantel." Helianne snapped. "Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone?"
"Because there are injustices that need to be fixed, Helianne." Lantel snapped back. "And rolling over and letting the prince pound you in the rear isn't going to fix things."
The dragoness balked, and then snarled; tiny flames shot from her nostrils. "We weren't doing THAT!"
"Oh?" He raised an eye ridge. "And just what WERE you two doing in your bedroom, Helianne?" He tapped his talons. "Were you having a poetry jam?"
"It's none of your business!" She yelled with a blushing face. "Besides, you know that Rune's too much of a sweetheart to try anything vulgar!"
"Just because he hasn't YET, doesn't mean he's not capable of it." Lantel scoffed. "He's still a guy. And guys are always fantasizing about just how far a lady will let them go. All it would take on Rune's part is a little bit of backbone…"
"You better stop before I rip out YOUR backbone!" Helianne growled and dug her talons into the floor. Lantel just puffed out his chest and loomed over his sister; she knew he was right, even if she didn't want to-
"Hey, asshole!"
Lantel growled. He exhaled through his nostrils and turned around, and saw none other than Prince Cyrus stomping down the hallway. Helianne saw him and turned around with a groan as he approached.
"Well, if it isn't Cyrus." Lantel snorted. "What brings you out and about to-?"
"Where do you get off challenging Rune to a fight?!" Cyrus hissed. He came to a stop and dug his talons into the floor in the same manner as Helianne "You know damn well that he doesn't like fighting!"
Lantel just rolled his eyes. "It's because he's a cretin who thinks he can do whatever he wants. Kind of like YOU."
"He doesn't think like that, and you know it!" Cyrus snapped. "In fact, I'm not entirely convinced that he even went to make out with your sister at all."
"Excuse me, I'm right here!" Helianne snapped. She stood in front of Cyrus and growled at him. "And I'll have you know that your brother is welcome in my room whenever he wants."
Cyrus just rolled his eyes and stepped around Helianne to keep glaring at Lantel. "So maybe Rune DID make out with her. Boo hoo for you, Lantel!" He scoffed at the big golden drake. "How about you give me a REAL reason you want to fight my brother?"
Lantel's eyes narrowed. He leaned his head down and stared angrily at the black prince. "Because he's the closest thing I'll ever get to getting revenge on Baneth."
Cyrus blinked in surprise. Helianne turned around and looked up incredulously at her brother. "Excuse me?"
"That's all you're getting out of me, Helianne." Lantel turned around and whipped his tail around in her face.
Helianne glowered at her brother, but not with nearly as much anger as Cyrus. In the blink of an eye, Cyrus used his time magic to put himself back in Lantel's path. As Lantel recoiled, Cyrus fanned out his wings and put on the angriest face he could.
"So it's because he's a black dragon, is it?!" Cyrus demanded.
"Get out of my way, Cyrus." Lantel scowled at him.
"If you really have an issue with black dragons, if you REALLY want to get into a scrap, then challenge ME!" Cyrus growled. He stood up as tall as he could to glare daggers into Lantel's eyes. He surrounded his body with elemental lightning and stamped the ground in a show of force.
"You and I have been butting heads for ages!" Cyrus screamed. "I'm the one you've been mocking and arguing with all this time! So if you want to fight someone, then fight me!" Cyrus stamped his paws and roared. "FIGHT ME!"
While Cyrus seethed with hatred, Lantel just loomed over him with a cold expression. The golden prince didn't move to attack; he didn't even growl. He just took a deep breath, rolled his eyes, and calmly stepped around Cyrus to continue down the hallway.
"Not you," Lantel said as he kept walking.
Cyrus walked him incredulously. He growled and turned to follow after Cyrus.
"Why not?!" Cyrus called after him. "I… I used to be King Baneth's ONLY heir!" He stomped as he glared at Lantel's back. "For six years, only I was next in line for the throne! I was my father's legacy! You should be fighting ME!"
"Come on, Helianne." The golden prince said in a huff. "We've got to send a letter to Dad."
"Fine…" Helianne just scoffed. She walked around Cyrus and made to follow after her brother. Cyrus's eye twitched; he was downright bewildered by how Lantel refused him. But he wasn't going to take that so easily.
"Don't you turn your back on me!" Cyrus bellowed. He stomped after Lantel and Helianne, who refused to look back.
"Good day, Cyrus," Lantel said. He turned a corner, where some cheetah guards were standing by. Lantel leaned his head up to speak casually to the guards. "Prince Cyrus is being rather bothersome and is trying to interfere with the scheduled challenge. Please inform Lady Elenar of his intrusion."
Cyrus flinched in disbelief as the guards saluted Lantel. They turned to glare at Cyrus, but he immediately vanished from the hallway thanks to more of his time magic. Once he was sure that Cyrus was gone, Lantel snorted in contentment and made to move on down the hall.
"Good riddance…" Helianne sighed. "I can only stand so many arrogant princes in one day."
"Oh, is that a dig at me again?" Lantel growled. "I'll have you know, Helianne, that I'm ultimately trying to look after you."
"Yeah, sure…" Helianne rolled her eyes. "As if I'm a princess that needs such love and affection from her darling brother…"
The two resumed bickering as they continued down the hall toward their rooms. The guards just shrugged and got back to standing at attention. And just down the hall, around a corner… Prince Cyrus was lurking. He scowled as he took harsh breaths through his nostrils.
Cyrus was so ready to leap into a fight with Lantel right then and there. He would have wiped that smug grin off Lantel's face and used it to mop up the prince's golden blood from the carpet. Cyrus imagined so many ways he'd use his awesome magical power to break the spirit of that imbecile… and yet Lantel refused to fight him. If Cyrus were to leap out and attack unprovoked, he'd be the villain. Everyone would be chewing him out for abusing his powers.
So of course, it would be Rune who got the chance to beat some sense into Lantel… and he didn't even want to! Once again Rune was being given everything that Cyrus wanted: and Cyrus had no choice but to watch from afar as Rune didn't even appreciate what he was given. Even in hatred, Lantel preferred Rune's company over Cyrus.
"Damn it…" Cyrus scowled. "Why am I always rejected and denied?"
Cyrus made to walk back to his room. Even in his seething anger, tears rolled down his face.
"I'm a black prince, too." He cried as he walked to his room. "I… I'm a black dragon."
~~…~~
Three days went by faster than Rune would have liked.
The Deep Shadows quickly rescheduled their classes to make sure that Rune and Lantel never stood in the same room together, for fear that a fight would break out prematurely. Rune was relieved at first, but soon it became apparent that the Deep Shadows thought he would start trouble rather than Lantel. Getting the stink eye from Grail was bad enough but from the entire roster of his teachers? How grueling.
For now, Rune had the arena challenge coming within the hour. He stood in his room and gradually prepared for the battle by putting on a set of silver armor. It had its practical purposes, to be sure, but everyone insisted that he have it polished to shine in the light of the arena. It would put on an interesting show, they said. That was also why Rune was made to wear his black sword and scabbard on his flank. He would just barely be able to reach back with his teeth to draw it… though it still made him feel foolish.
Before he left, he wanted to see if Spyro or Cynder could offer up some advice. So, he traced the circles on the floor and sat in meditation. It wasn't long before the smiling form of Cynder sat on her haunches across from him.
"Hello again, Sunshine." She nodded.
Rune looked around and sighed; still no sign of Lord Spyro. He sat down on his haunches and shook his head. "Just what could the spirit of a legendary hero have to do that keeps him so busy?"
"Oh, you'd be surprised what ancient spirits have to do, Rune." Cynder chuckled. "Now, shall I presume that you want to ask me for advice yet again?"
"Well… kind of." Rune sighed. "Honestly I was hoping that Spyro could tell me what to do for once."
"Well, sadly he's too busy right now." The black dragoness nodded her head. "And something tells me you're not in the mood to hear what I have to say for the third day in a row about your little issue with this Prince Lantel."
"Right…" Rune rubbed his upper foreleg and sighed; he'd come to meditate several times ever since the challenge was declared. Cynder mostly told him what he'd heard from the Deep Shadows: don't use this challenge as an excuse to beat Lantel to a pulp. They all insisted that Rune should consider the consequences of the challenge if Lantel were to win or lose. But even after explaining that he had no choice but to fight, everyone always told Rune the same thing; that he shouldn't have gotten into this mess by fraternizing with Helianne.
"I'm beginning to think that I have to let Lantel beat me senseless over being with his sister…" Rune sighed again. "And I can't even tell anybody what Helianne and I have been doing at night. It's just…" He growled and dug angrily at the floor. "All I was trying to do was help her be confident in herself."
"That… and smooch with her under the starry sky." Chided the voice of Runefor from behind.
"Hush up, you!" Cynder growled at Runefor. The white dragon yelped and curled up in a ball. The dragoness then sighed and looked back down at Rune in pity.
"If you and Helianne truly care for one another, then you wouldn't want to do anything that hurts the other," Cynder said. "She shouldn't be forcing you to keep secrets for her. They're only going to find out what's been going on…" She leaned down and smirked. "And honestly, the truth is much preferable to these rumors you've mentioned."
Rune gulped and rubbed his shoulder. "Mother's been trying her best to tell everyone not to talk about it. But, naturally…" He flapped his wings in frustration. "Now the whole school's talking it. And they think we… that Helianne and I…" Rune felt his cheeks flushing, so he took a deep breath. "I don't want to say it out loud."
"Well, surely Helianne's feeling just as embarrassed as you right now." Cynder winked. "Whatever the outcome of the fight is, if Helianne still wants to be with you, then you can take it as a sign that you're meant to be together."
"But… what if we're not supposed to be together?" Rune frowned. "She's a princess of the Sunlight royal house. I'm a descendant of… well, you." He shrugged.
"And why would that be an issue?" Cynder raised an eye ridge.
"We're both royals of two different kingdoms." Rune continued. "Grandfather said we're... that black dragons…" The prince sighed sadly. "We're not supposed to court other royal bloodlines."
"Urobos said that?" Cynder asked curiously. "My, that's certainly ironic of him."
"Huh?" Rune blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Hmm, maybe I've said too much…" She snickered. "Listen, Sunshine; don't get too worked up about lineages or bloodlines or anything like that." The elderly dragoness relaxed on the floor and wrapped her tail around her legs. If you two really like each other… give it a try. Maybe it'll work out, maybe it won't; I can't see the future. But if there's a chance that you'll have the time of your lives together… then you don't want to walk away regretting what could have been."
"Well... alright." Rune nodded, "If you think it's a good idea, then I'll go for it."
"Just remember to try and take things slowly." Cynder winked at him. "Affectionate kisses and hugs are a fine way for young dragons to bond together."
"Uh… okay." Rune flushed and scratched his foreleg again; he tried not to think about moments of intimacy with Helianne… despite how pleasant the thoughts were.
Suddenly there was a distant knocking on a door somewhere beyond the glyph circle.
"Prince Rune!" Wraith's voice bellowed from beyond. "You're expected in the arena soon!"
"I guess I have to go…" Rune grumbled. He stood up and bowed his head to the dragoness. "Thank you, Lady Cynder."
"You're more than welcome, Sunshine." Cynder chuckled. "Just be sure to tell your brother to pop in for a chat sometime; I haven't spoken with him in a while."
"Right…"
~~…~~
Rune sighed as he made his way down the long corridor toward the arena. He could already hear the sounds of an eager crowd as they waited for the spectacle to begin. Wraith walked alongside him the entire time; he constantly glared at the prince's back.
"Have I mentioned at all that I'm very, VERY disappointed in you?" Wraith said angrily.
"At least once a day…" Rune said glumly.
"Well, that's not nearly often enough." Wraith harrumphed. "I would have expected Cyrus to fool around with some random noble lady in the middle of the night… but YOU?"
"We weren't fooling around, Wraith," Rune replied with a swing of his tail. "We were… well… we… I can't tell you."
"Ugh…" Wraith rolled her eyes. "So you've claimed several times." The crimson drake beat his wings. "You've put all of us into a tight spot with your secrets. This just isn't like you, Rune."
The prince growled under his breath; how many times did he have to hear that?
They kept walking until they arrived at the doorway that led out into the arena from the western side. Quite a sizeable crowd was waiting for him: Cyrus, Helianne, and almost all of the apprentices were seated on their haunches and waiting for him.
"Well, here we are…" Wraith snorted and then glared at each of the apprentices in turn. "What are you all doing here?"
"We came to cheer him up, Mr. Wraith," Holly said enthusiastically.
"It's Master, not… You know what, forget it." Wraith rolled his eyes. "Just make sure that you're all in your seats before the match begins. And YOU…" He poked Rune in the side of the head. "Try not to get too messed up."
Rune rubbed his head and grumbled. Before he could reply, Wraith snapped his talons and disappeared. Rune just groaned and looked around. Brisa and Holly were quickly on their feet and rushing over to check up on the prince.
"Wow…" Brisa's eyes dazzled upon looking at Rune's armor. "That's some fancy gear! Where'd you get it?"
"It was, uh… forged recently," Rune said; he leaned up as the girls walked around him. "Hey, watch it."
Ozul and Ricin were a bit more reserved as they looked him over; the former grimaced as he gazed out at the arena, while the latter peered at him from behind his journal.
"Man, this is going to make for a great scene…" Ricin snickered as his quill traced along a page. He tilted his head and looked the prince up and down. "When I'm done, you'll hardly recognize yourself, Rune."
"Uh, thanks…" He said dubiously.
Rune looked over at the others. Chalice watched the prince with pursed lips. They glanced at Helianne, who shivered and looked nervously away. Rune frowned and stepped closer. Cyrus, meanwhile, just flapped his wings and rolled his eyes. Rune grimaced; the trio looked like they had been arguing together recently.
"Uh…" Rune said as he got close. "I guess it's almost time."
"Mhm…" Chalice raised an eye ridge. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"I have no choice," Rune said. "Lantel's the one who made the challenge. I can't back out; he's not even taking a victory by default; he really, REALLY wants to fight me."
"Yeah…" Helianne coughed as she stepped closer. "Listen, uhh… I'm really sorry about this."
"Are you?" Chalice questioned. The grey dragon peered into the princess's eyes, and she flinched back.
"I've tried getting Lantel to back down several times, but he won't budge." Helianne protested. "He just won't listen to me!"
"Well, maybe things would have gone differently if you two would just… oh, I don't know…" Chalice glared at Helianne and Rune in turn. "Told everyone the TRUTH!"
The other apprentices gasped, while Rune and Helianne shivered. Cyrus glared at Chalice and stepped in front of Rune to shield him with his wings.
"They didn't do anything!" The shorter prince flared his wings.
"Well of COURSE they didn't get intimate." Chalice exclaimed. "But they're both hiding SOMETHING. Why else have they been averting their eyes whenever the issue is pressed?"
"Chalice…" Rune began to say, but the grey dragon stopped him.
"Rune, you're my prince AND my friend." They said. "I can't just stand idly by and watch as this princess forces you deeper into trouble."
"I didn't WANT to get him in trouble!" Helianne stamped her paws. "It's just… I just want to keep it a secret."
"Even if it ruins YOUR reputation, and his?" Chalice demanded. "Do you REALLY prefer people whispering behind your back?"
Helianne gasped. "Th-They've been whispering about me?"
"Well…" Brisa rubbed her head and chuckled awkwardly, while Holly looked away with a blush. Ozul sucked in a breath and clamped his jaws shut… while Ricin chuckled mischievously.
"I've been taking some notes, and making my own rendition…" Ricin turned a page and winked. "Wanna see?"
Everyone backed away from Ricin… except for Cyrus, who walked up, saw the page, and immediately bonked the indigo dragon on the head.
"That's my BROTHER, Ricin." Cyrus sneered.
"Sorry, sorry…" Ricin covered up the page. "F-Forget I said anything."
Across the way, both Rune and Helianne gulped and tried not to blush; that was all the implication they needed to know the full extent of the rumors. Chalice frowned at the both of them and tried to soften their voice.
"Even if Lantel is still looking for a fight, you two can at least put a stop to the rumors if you come clean." Chalice pointed outside at the distant crowd. "Just march out there, get everyone's attention, and just tell the truth. It will be better for the both of you."
Rune frowned at the crowd; he'd been out in front of the people a few times before, but it never quite got much easier. But if he was nervous… Helianne was horrified. Her eyes constricted as she gazed out at the many faces. She shivered beneath her cape, and she took sharp breaths. Her ear frills drooped, and she backed up to cower behind Rune. He could only sigh in pity, before draping a wing over her back.
"I'll… Just have to fight Lantel." Rune said in defeat.
"Are you serious?" Chalice asked incredulously. "I mean no offense… but is she worth it?"
Helianne scowled at Chalice, but Rune stood his ground.
"Yes…" Rune said as he stood tall. But then he frowned at Helianne. "This… This likely shouldn't take long."
Helianne stepped out from under his wing, and she leaned up to brush her head against his.
"If you get hurt, I'm sorry." She said quietly. "But… if you do fight Lantel back… promise me you won't hurt him too badly?" She tried not to cry. "He's still my brother, after all."
"I know…" Rune hugged her. "I won't hurt Lantel; I don't even want to. I promise."
"Aww…" Holly smiled. "You two are really cute together."
Rune and Helianne stepped back and blushed. They looked into each other eyes, and smiled; each one felt more confident when standing with the other…
DONG!
They both flinched as that confidence flooded right out. A chime had sounded signaling that the match was to start in five minutes.
"T-Time to go, guys," Ozul said with a gulp. "We… we don't want to be late."
One by one, the apprentices wished Rune luck and turned to walk down a corridor that connected to stairs to reach the bleachers. Along the way, Ricin tried to show some more drawings to Brisa… who slapped his face. Ozul shivered as he followed Holly, who playfully stuck her tongue out at him. Chalice was the last one to head for the stairs… but not before frowning at Rune and Helianne.
"You're both making big mistakes." They said sternly. "It's not too late; you can fix all of this."
"Just let it go, Chal." Cyrus snapped. "They're not little kids; they don't you holding their paw and guiding them through life."
"I know, I know…" Chalice huffed as they walked up the stairs.
Helianne planted a kiss on Rune's cheek before turning to head the same way. Soon, only Cyrus was left to stand beside his brother, who stood up tall and approached the doorway. Rune tried to psyche himself up… but still felt a little weak in the knees.
"Rune, whatever happens, we'll all be rooting for you," Cyrus said. He then leaned in to whisper into his brother's ear frill and sounded much angrier. "Kick his arse."
Rune stiffened; he could see the fury hidden in his brother's eyes. "Uh… I'll do what I can, Cyrus."
With that, Cyrus vanished up the stairs, and Rune took one last breath before he stepped out through the doorway…
Rune walked out into the expanse of the arena and looked around. There was a full house in the crowd; the most he'd ever seen in the arena bleachers before. The area was wide enough to double as a coliseum if Warfang didn't already have one. Across to the east, Prince Lantel strode forward from his doorway.
The crowd ooh'd and ahh'd as they beheld Lantel's armor. It was a fiery set of red plate armor. The chest plate and shoulder guards were molded to resemble a ram's head. And his helmet was crowned with two swirling Ram horns, which were molded into place to go around the prince's two real horns. At Lantel's waist was a red sword scabbard, upon which glowed a majestic golden sun.
Rune gulped as he came to a stop and stood in a battle stance. Lantel stopped across from him and lifted the visor covering his eyes. The golden prince scowled as he glared silently at Rune; he looked ready to attack right then and there. But instead, he turned toward the north to gaze up at a special booth on the side of the arena. Rune turned and followed Lantel's, and they soon beheld Elenar up above.
The high queen sat regally upon her cushion, with Urobos and Dona on either side of her. The rest of the Deep Shadows were gathered as well; it made Rune shake to see so many of them passing judgment with their eyes all at once. The only two who weren't scowling were Urobos, who was uneasy, and Dona, who had the faintest smirk as she leaned back to enjoy the show.
Elenar rose tall, and everyone in the crowd went silent. She cleared her throat and stamped her paws as a show of dominance over everyone else.
"Prince Lantel, of the Kingdom of the Sun, has issued a challenge of combat in the arena," Elenar said loud and clear. "As tradition goes, the challenger has one final chance to call off their-"
"Not happening!" Lantel shouted. "He's not getting out of this that easily!"
"Right…" Elenar snorted in frustration. "Next time, wait for me to finish speaking, Prince Lantel."
She looked over at Urobos, who cleared his own throat and stood up tall. "The rules for the battle are as follows…"
Rune took steady breaths as he listened to his grandfather give the rules. He struggled to psyche himself up for when he needed to spring into action.
"…Armor may be removed, but after it falls off, it's not to be used to attack your opponent…"
Are you ready to deal with this blowhard once and for all? Runefor asked in the back of his mind.
Shut up. Rune snorted. He's going to win.
So you're just giving up? Runefor scoffed.
"…the match will end if either combatant is knocked out, or if the challenger yields."
"Yeah, right," Lantel growled. He glared at Rune, who shivered but didn't budge.
Look, he's mocking you even now! Runefor exclaimed. Wipe that look off his ugly mug for good!
If he beats me, then Mom will finally tell me about Runileon. Rune declared. All I have to do is make it look convincing. Then I can finally get some answers.
"..And as a final precaution, the combatants' swords will be enchanted to prevent bloodshed." Urobos finished. "After that, no elemental magic is permitted during the match."
Rune was halfway through sighing in relief before Lantel's muzzle fell open.
"What?!" Lantel roared. Urobos blinked and looked down at him. A murmur filled the crowd as all eyes fell upon the high queen.
"We need to ensure that this is a fair fight," Elenar said. "We can't have your life be put in danger-"
"Oh, COME ON!" Lantel stamped his paw. "You think this challenge is going to have any meaning if the fight is rigged?!"
Elenar blinked. She exchanged glances with Dona and Urobos, who were a tad perplexed. The high queen then looked back down at Lantel. "If this match is rigged, then it's in your favor, Prince Lantel."
"Oh, no! I'm not having any of that!" Lantel stood up and sucked in a breath. "I didn't issue a challenge just to be handed a cheap victory. If I'm fighting at my best, then HE should fight at his best! I am NOT Rune's lesser!"
The crowd's murmurs grew louder, while Elenar exchanged incredulous glances with Dona and Urobos. Soon all eyes were upon Rune, who stepped back and grimaced uneasily.
Well… this should be interesting. Runefor chuckled. Rune just growled and wracked his talons on the floor; why wouldn't Lantel make it easy for either of them?
"Well, if you demand my son to fight unrestrained, then that's how it shall be…" Elenar said flatly. She cast a glance down at Rune, who shrank back. Elenar's eyes were sunken in, and she held her jaw in place. The black-hided prince could see the disappointment in her eyes. There was no getting out of this battle the easy way.
"Very well, then." Urobos sighed. "Elemental magic is allowed, and your swords will be… left unchanged." The old drake shivered. "But killing blows and Furies are forbidden. This is not a fight to the DEATH; is that clear?"
"Fine by me…" Lantel snorted.
"Enough dawdling…" Elenar stood tall and flapped her wings. "BEGIN!"
Cheers of delight erupted from the crowd as Lantel gave a powerful growl. He grasped his word's hilt and his fangs and pulled it out with one swift motion. He then swung the sword around in his maw, so it faced the other direction, before adopting a ferocious battle stance (not unlike one Apella frequently used).
Rune simply gulped as he tried to draw his own sword… and nearly failed to pull it free. He barely had enough time to draw his blade before Lantel charged forward.
CLANG!
Lantel's sword clashed with Rune's; the black prince was forced backward a few inches. The golden prince reeled back and dashed around to make another tack, forcing Rune on the defensive before he was struck down.
As the fight unfolded down below… Dona watched with great interest. She glanced at Urobos and Elenar, who sat back with uneasy expressions.
"What's gotten into you two?" Dona asked. "I would think you'd be pleased to see the future High King demonstrate his skill in a noble battle."
"What kind of battle is this?" Urobos snorted. "It's one prideful prince picking a fight with another prideful prince, who fooled around with the former prince's sister."
"Definitely sounds like something nobles do to me." Dona laughed. Elenar flashed the shadowy dragoness a hateful scowl. Dona blinked in surprise; it was almost enough to make her shiver. Nonetheless, Dona stood tall to watch the show; it would be interesting to watch.
~~…~~
Rune crashed against a wall as he struggled to evade a blow from Lantel. He then dodged around the perimeter to try and get away from the golden prince, who always kept his eyes locked on him. Lantel's body seemed to radiate with sunlight as he spun around.
That sunlight began to pool around the golden blade of Lantel's sword. He stepped back at a short pace and tilted his head to the side as more and more light poured into his weapon. And then, the whole thing erupted like a miniature star. Lantel squinted the eye above the blade as he fiercely charged forward. He beat his wings and leaped forward. Rune and the crowd gasped as the drake flew wildly through the air, creating an arc of light from his sword. Rune yelped and dashed out of the way as Lantel nearly landed on him.
The ground rumbled on impact; Rune was nearly knocked off his paws as he scrambled away.
Quick as a flash, Lantel was back on all fours, and his sword barely lost its glow. The golden prince kept his eyes locked on Rune as he slashed forward at the air. Rune barely had a second to think that Lantel was only attacking the air… until he realized that a beam of light was flying out of the blade and hurtling toward him. Rune dodged the beam, only to be hit by a second one. And then a third. Rune had to shut his eyes and wince as the heat of the sunlight blasted through his icy armor.
As Rune scrambled to run around, he reached within himself and called upon some elements to try and shield himself from the Solar magic. First, he tried some shadow around his chest plate… but another beam cut right through it.
Next, Rune called upon the wind to make himself move faster. He spread his wings and zoomed throughout the arena, out-running each of Lantel's beams.
But the golden prince wasn't one to give up so easily; he came to a stop and channeled more magic into his blade. The sword grew so bright and so hot, that it made Rune's eyes ache to even look at it. Many of the people in the crowd winced and had to cover their eyes as well.
And then… Lantel struck the ground.
There was a loud bursting noise, followed by a wave of light.
Rune shut his eyes tight, but even that didn't protect him from how painfully golden the blast was. Rune winced and came to a stop to rub his eyes, which were now filled with spots. By the time Rune's vision came back… the first thing he saw was a tail-tip hurtling toward his face.
WHAM!
Rune was knocked off his feet, and his sword was knocked from his jaws. The sword clattered noisily on the ground, while the black prince just rolled around on the floor and groaned.
Up in the crowd, most of the younger dragons were murmuring unhappily. They'd realized that Rune wasn't fighting back, and grumbles of disappointment filled the air. On one corner of the arena, the apprentices had gathered together with some other students.
"What's going on?" Holly asked. "Why isn't he fighting back?"
"Maybe really doesn't want to hurt Lantel." Brisa shrugged.
"Well, he could at least defend himself." Ricin grumbled. "Getting smacked around like that just isn't like him."
Down in the arena, Rune just sighed as he rubbed his muzzle. That tail-whip was the first REAL attack that Lantel had used; everything up to now had seemed like a flash light-show. And now, the golden prince was pacing around Rune, growling and sneering as he glared down at him. Rune did his best to keep calm; he had to remember the bigger picture. Not only did he want to keep Helianne happy, but he also wanted answers from his mother about who Runileon was. If getting smacked around was the best he could do, then-
"FIGHT ME!" Lantel screamed. He turned his blade away rammed into Rune's waist and knocked him off his paws. Rune cried out as he rolled around on the arena floor and landed on his side. He gazed up to see Lantel digging his talons into the floor and extending his wings. "Fight me, coward!"
Rune scowled; he was quickly growing sick of that word. He forced himself to roll over and rise to stand his ground. He licked his tongue; he could still taste his sword's hilt. But he preferred to just leave it where it was for now.
"What do you want from me?!" Rune screamed at Lantel.
"I just told you, imbecile!" Lantel growled around his hilt. "I want you to FIGHT!"
He filled his sword with sunlight and flung another beam at Rune. The black prince ducked under the attack and beat his wings indignantly.
"Is this seriously because I spent time with Helianne?!" Rune snapped. "Lantel, I wouldn't do anything to hurt your sister. She's a wonderful girl, and I only want what's best for-"
"This is NOT! ABOUT! HELIANNE!" Lantel screamed.
With every furious word, he swung his sword and hit Rune with beam after beam. Rune reached within himself for earth magic to try and stay standing… but it almost failed as he lost balance. The golden prince claws the ground furiously as he crept closer.
"It's about YOU," Lantel said with hateful eyes. "And what your family has done to mine!"
"What?" Rune's limbs shook as he stepped back. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you have any idea what the last four years have been like?!" Lantel bellowed at Rune as his sword began to glow again. "The shame and humiliation my family has had to endure?!"
"What humiliation?" Rune exclaimed. "Isn't your family doing fairly well for itself?"
"No, you IMBECILE!" Lantel hissed. He stomped forward, while Rune stepped back a few paces.
Ooh, he looks pretty upset. Runefor chided, the first thing he'd said since the fight began.
Shut up… Rune took a deep breath. "Lantel, explain yourself!"
"My father Horus has been a laughingstock among the noble court back home!" Lantel snarled. "Ever since the day when your father attacked Warfang!"
"Wh-What?" Rune flinched. He dodged out of the way as Lantel unleashed several more beams his way. Rune panted heavily as struggled to get away. But while he wasn't looking, he tripped over something and fell over onto his side. He looked down and balked; it was his sword. Laughter spilled from the crowd, making the prince flush with embarrassment.
"Oof…" Brisa gulped. "That's going to be hard to live down."
Ozul shrank down and felt a blush. "I've done the same thing a few times."
Rune tried to pick himself up… only to be grabbed from behind. Lantel's grip on Rune's tail was like iron; he dragged Rune across the floor.
"My father gave up almost immediately before King Baneth." Lantel grasped Rune's helmet and smashed it against a nearby pillar. Everyone in the crowd gasped in alarm as Rune cried out in pain. And while the air was silent, Lantel leaned in to shout into Rune's ear frill.
"My father, once the pride of Warfang and Aether-Sol, turned belly-up." Lantel scowled.
"He was left trapped in a prison cell like a common Criminal! And then, when your MOM came back from the dead, he just up and handed the ivory crown to her in a heartbeat!"
Rune struggled to get free of Lantel's grip by sliding into his shadow. But the golden prince stuck his sword in the floor and grabbed Rune's neck in his jaws. Lantel pulled Rune back out and swung his neck around, sending the shorter prince flying a few feet away. Rune landed with a thud and panted in pain as Lantel stomped toward him.
"To this day, they call my father a coward!" Lantel growled, grabbing his sword again. "They say that he'll bend over and let YOUR Family do whatever the fuck they please!" He dug his talons into the ground as he loomed above Rune. "And worse yet, my father reassigned my sister and me to this damn school! Where we have to live with YOU!"
Lantel swung his sword to slash at Rune's face. The black prince yelped and tuck-and-rolled out of the way as Lantel cut into the floor. Lantel just snarled and charged after Rune again.
"And if that wasn't bad enough, my sister decided to get into your study group, where she's been hitting on you!" Lantel roared. "My own sister, trying to suck up to the same damn family who humiliated my father!"
"It's not like that!" Helianne screamed from the audience.
"Shut up!" Lantel barked up at her. Rune took this opportunity to scramble across to the other side of the arena. When Lantel realized this, he snarled in rage and unleashed more beams of light in Rune's direction. Rune dodged around the bulk of the attacks but was hit in the flank by the last one. He collapsed onto the floor yet again and watched as Lantel approached.
"Stop holding back!" Lantel snapped.
"I don't want to fight you, damnit!" Rune exclaimed. He got up onto his paws and panted harder than ever. "I'm sorry that you've had to go through all of this. But fighting me won't prove anything." He forced a smile onto his face. "You win, okay? Let's just call this off already."
"NO!" Lantel roared. He spread his forelegs, spat out his sword, and charged up his magic. "You think I'm going to just bend over and let you do what you want?! Do you think I'm afraid of a black dragon?! Well, I'm NOT!"
Lantel unleashed a torrent of golden flames from his maw, which flew toward Rune at high speed. Rune curled up and surrounded himself with a layer of icy magic. The ice barrier protected him from the bulk of the flames but melted to near nothing right at the end. Rune winced as a bit of the magic stung his back. But before he could move to get away, he was struck in the side by Lantel and knocked over again. He landed on his belly and groaned as Lantel barreled after him yet again.
"Stop messing around and FIGHT ME!" Lantel screamed as he smashed his fist down on Rune's back. "Use your full power, you coward! I want the world to know that I'm the first in a long line of Solar dragon royalty to face off against a black dragon at his full might!"
Lantel forcibly rolled Rune over onto his back. He then took several paces back and blew hot steam from his maw. He panted heavily, letting his magic burn under his scales. Lantel didn't make another move to attack. He just stood waiting… and waiting…
Lantel wanted Rune to make a move. The black prince panted heavily as he forced himself onto his haunches. Rune's body ached; every movement reminded him of the beating he'd just taken. The air was achingly silent; Rune could swear that he could hear the heartbeats of the crowd.
All Rune had to do was nothing at all. Lantel would tire himself out eventually, or Queen Elenar could end the match prematurely. Rune didn't have to fight; he could lose, and finally, get the answers he wanted. It didn't matter if Lantel gloated about this later; he could have his pride, and Rune could swallow his own.
So, then why was Rune so angry? Why did his blood boil? Why did he have to endure Lantel's ranting, raving, and beat-downs? He dug his talons into the floor and growled. Rune's heartbeat increased dramatically and he shook and writhed on the floor.
Rune's eyes ached; his vision was blurry. There was laughter up above. Rune's ear frills twitched; it was familiar, mocking laughter that he hadn't heard in a long time. The prince that loomed overhead tilted his head back and cackled, just as he always did when he knocked Rune to the ground. Time and again, Rune could never beat him.
The green-scaled dragon flashed Rune a toothy grin as he kicked him in the back.
"Well, is that all?" Jonathan asked sardonically, his eyes glowing red. "I'd expected more, Desert Beetle!"
More laughter came, but not from Jonathan alone. It came from the others in the arena; all the other students who joined Prince Jonathan in his torment of Rune. So many faces, so many other faces surrounded Rune as they took delight in his latest in a long line of humiliating beatings. Rune grasped his head as the laughter got louder; they were always mocking him. Always taking delight in the weak little fire dragon who had no other means of defending himself…
But he wasn't just a fire dragon, was he? Rune's core rumbled as realization dawned on him. Oh no, he was so much more; and he'd make it clear once and for all just who exactly they were mocking…
~~…~~
Lantel stood tall as he panted heavily. He'd never taken such delight in a combat arena before. He watched as Rune just lay on the ground, refusing to move. It was satisfying, Lantel had to admit. He'd wanted for years to have this moment; to finally beat down on the son of the dragon who had humiliated his family. A smile tugged at the edge of the golden prince's muzzle; he'd never felt so alive.
Lantel gazed up at the crowd. Some of the students were cheering him on, while most of the others kept their eyes worriedly on Rune. The golden prince snorted; they shouldn't have had so much faith in someone who didn't even like fighting. Lantel looked up higher, where he saw his sister watching with paws over her worried muzzle. He glowered at that; he couldn't believe she liked Rune that much. Even after everything, Baneth had done to them; what was wrong with her? Why didn't their Aunt Apella do anything to stop her sooner?
Speaking of Apella, Lantel looked up to try and find her. He scanned the booth where the Deep Shadows were gathered. He saw the usual wardrobe of cloaks: Albanion, Elza, Aegis, Lilith, Grail, Dona, Rose… even Sir Cerulean was there beside Wraith. But… no Apella. Lantel scrunched up his face: Why wasn't she watching? This was for her as much as it was for the others.
Regardless, Lantel faced forward and snorted; this wasn't how he wanted to end things. If Rune didn't finally unleash what he'd had, then how could Lantel tell anyone he defeated a black dragon in combat? Winning by default? How pathetic was that?
But after a while, Rune finally stirred; he stood up on all fours and shook in place as he gazed down at his forepaws. The crowd started to murmur as they waited for Prince Rune to make a move. Lantel blew more steam from his maw as his talons wracked against the floor. On a whim, Lantel wracked his brain, and he tried to come up with a witty remark.
"Well?" Lantel demanded. "I'm waiting, Scribbles, You ready to actually fight back… or would you prefer I start destroying you with poetry?"
Rune took a deep breath and spoke lowly as he continued to face his paws.
"I tried to play nice."
The crowd murmured in confusion and unease. The apprentices looked at each other in confusion. Cyrus, Tina, and Chalice all exchanged uneasy glances. Helianne draped her forepaws over the side of the banister and wagged her tail curiously. What was the prince doing?
"What was that?" Lantel demanded. He turned his head and motioned toward an ear frill. "I didn't quite catch that, Scribbles."
"I said that I tried to play nice…" Rune repeated. He growled from his throat as he lifted his head… and glared at Lantel with his wicked, yellow eyes.
"…But I won't do it TWICE!"
Lantel flinched in surprise and alarm as Rune immediately leaped through the air, talons extended. The red prince dodged to the side as Rune sliced into the stone floor. A feint, purple aura surrounded Rune's back as he whirled around to snarl at Lantel.
"Wh-What's with your eyes?" Lantel demanded.
"You wanted my full power? Well, you've GOT IT!" Rune screamed the last part of his sentence at full blast. A series of dark red waves erupted from his maw and struck Lantel full blast. The golden prince collapsed onto the ground and shivered a bit as tendrils lapped at his mind.
"That was fear magic!" Wraith exclaimed from the booth.
When Lantel looked up again, his vision was clouded over by red mist. He looked around and rumbled uneasily as he tried to spot Rune. And when he finally did, two sinister yellow eyes barreled toward Lantel at high speed. The larger prince howled and unleashed a burst of golden flames to protect himself.
The fire washed over Rune's body… only to be blasted away by powerful cyclones. But Rune counted Lantel's fire with a blast of powerful cyclones. The winds spiraled in such a way as to suck every bit of flame from Lantel's maw and dissipate them into nothingness. They also took some of Lantel's breath; he coughed and gagged as he struggled to keep breathing. And while Lantel was too busy gasping for breath, he didn't notice the arcs of lightning that flew from Rune's maw and struck him on the back. Lantel howled in pain and twitched so violently that he lost his footing and collapsed onto the arena floor.
"What's wrong, Lantel?!" Rune cackled as he spiraled around the injured prince. "I thought you wanted this!"
Lantel struggled to push the lightning away so he could fight again. But Rune didn't give him the chance; the black prince charged forward at speeds exceeding what he had before. Lantel cried out as he was knocked off his feet and sent flying several feet against the side of a stone pillar. With a flinch, the golden prince forced himself upward and whirled around to face the prince.
What was going on? Why was Rune cackling and glaring with such sickly eyes? It was like he'd become a different dragon altogether. Lantel's eyes darted around, trying to think of a plan…
That's when he spotted his golden sword across the way. Sucking in a breath, Lantel tilted his head back and unleashed another burst of Sunlight in the arena. Rune hissed across the way as another flash-bang filled the air, giving Lantel just enough time to dash across and grab his sword in his hilt.
The blinding magic faded much faster this time, and Lantel shifted his sword in his maw and adopted another fighting stance. He whirled around to face the prince… only to find that he wasn't anywhere nearby.
"Wh-Where are you?!" Lantel hissed, sounding as ferocious as he could. "Stop hiding, coward!"
Rune's voice spoke… just behind Lantel's ear frill. "Right here."
Lantel spun around and unleashed an arc of Sunlight about himself, blasting the walls with golden rays. But Rune was nowhere to be seen. As Lantel pondered what was happening… he suddenly felt his feet sinking into the floor. He looked down and gasped; a pool of shadows had been unopened up beneath him! Lantel scrambled to leap out, but the shadows opened wide and swallowed him…
The golden prince suddenly found himself tumbling out of a pillar several feet higher. His whole body toppled over as gravity seemed to change around him…
CRASH!
Lantel collapsed into a heap on the floor; pain arched throughout his body. He fought back pain-induced tears as he struggled to stand up and looked around. Soon enough, he spotted Rune emerging from another pool of shadows across the way. A layer of black mist formed from his maw… and soon took the shape of his sword.
"That was a neat light show…" Rune said sinisterly, as he swung the blade around in his jaws. "I want to give it a try."
Lantel at first snickered; Did Rune think he had enough scraps of Solar magic to do anything against the star within his core? Lantel slowly got up to his limbs and was about to make another cocky remark… when an eerie purple glow surrounded Rune's body. The purple magic flowed across his scales and into the black blade, making the whole thing radiate with dark purple magic. Lantel's eyes widened; he stumbled back a few paces and struggled to surround his own body with Sunlight…
Rune swung his head around, sending an arc of purple light through the arena. Lantel shut his eyes and took a defensive stance… only to be knocked off his feet. His eyes felt like they were burning, and electricity pulsed through his body.
As Lantel collapsed again, he felt like the whole world had turned dark. He couldn't see anything, or hear anything; he writhed around in fear as he tried to create more sunlight. But every single spark of light he made was quickly swallowed by the darkness. The only thing he could see, were the two sickly eyes as they dashed toward him.
Rune leaped through the air and bore down on Lantel with a snarl. The black prince filled his forepaws with earth magic and slashed furiously at Lantel's armor. Talons scraped against steel as the red plating was torn from Lantel's back, making him howl in pain. But Rune didn't even stop there; he jammed his talons into Lantel's scales and traced deep, nasty gashes into the flesh.
Lantel screamed and flailed his limbs about. He struggled to get free, but Rune climbed onto his back and pinned him down with his weight. Rune also grabbed Lantel's head and slammed it repeatedly against the side of the pillar. Over and over Rune smashed Lantel's helmet into the stone, until it cracked and split open. Rune then let go and rose from Lantel's body as he moaned in pain.
Rune loomed over Lantel with malevolent glee as the golden prince looked up at him in fear. Was… was this what fighting a black dragon was really like? Was this what Horus had to endure from Baneth?
"How's THAT for fighting you?!" Rune laughed.
"I… I'm sorry." Lantel panted. He struggled to force himself to look Rune in those hideous eyes. "I-I yield! I yield! You win!"
"I don't think so." Rune declared. He sucked in a deep breath, and the purple aura burned ever bright about his scales. The black prince extended his talons toward Lantel's neck as purple lightning danced across it. Lantel gasped in horror; his eyes widened as he struggled with all the strength he had left to escape. But Rune was STRONGER, thanks to his magic; there was no hope of escape for Lantel.
"No, please!" Lantel flailed about in Rune's grip. "What are you doing?!"
Rune never felt so strong before. He beamed with pride as he gazed down at the cowering prince. Rune brought a talon down close to Lantel's face; he was going to make sure that the golden prince, this little boastful PRICK, never forgot the day that he decided to pick a fight with a REAL DRAGON! He brought the purple, crackling talon down toward Lantel's eyes, and…
"ENOUGH!" Screamed Elenar from above.
Rune flinched. He pulled back his talon and looked up in time to see the high queen come to a landing a short distance away. He looked her right in the eyes and saw her furious glare as she stomped forward
In an instant, Rune's magic was gone. The purple aura faded away, and Rune's mind became rational once again. And in place of his pride, Rune felt fear. He scrambled backward a few paces and collapsed onto his haunches as his mother angrily loomed over him. Rune's blood turned to ice, and he lowered his head submissively before her.
Elenar held her scowl as she glanced between Rune and Lantel. The golden prince shivered as he struggled to get back up onto his own feet. He wiped his eyes with a paw as he frantically looked around; the darkness was gradually fading away, letting him see again.
The crowd had gone silent again; one could hear a pin drop in the arena as the queen fanned out her wings.
"This challenge is over," Elenar said coldly. "The both of you LOSE."
Rune didn't say anything; he just held his head down before the queen and shivered. Grail and Wraith flew down to land beside the queen; neither of them looked pleased with Rune.
"Get Prince Lantel to the medical wing and treat his wounds," Elenar ordered. She then scowled in Rune's direction. "And escort my son to his quarters; he's to remain there for the rest of the day."
"Yes, Your Grace." Grail and Wraith said. Grail went over to escort Lantel, while Wraith grabbed Rune by the mane.
"Come on, you." Wraith snapped under his breath as he snapped his talons. "Congrats on beating Lantel down. I hope you're proud of yourself."
Rune just held his tongue and gazed down at his forepaws in shame. He'd lost control… and it nearly cost another dragon his life.
~~…~~
Greetings, friends and loved ones.
I've added quite a bit of stuff to this chapter to spruce it up. But the most important parts remain the same.
Runefor doesn't just magically steal Rune's body whenever he wants. It all has to do with stress; things that eat away at Rune's mental faculties and make him erupt into anger. You don't think rationally when you're angry… and you quickly come to hate yourself after you've calmed down. And that, my friends, is Runefor in a nutshell.
Tenebra ecce Veritas