It was a typical day for the city guard of the southern gate of Warfang. Four guards were standing at attention just outside the southern gatehouse of the outer wall.
The group consisted of a poison dragon, an earth dragon, and two cheetahs. They looked across the landscape and spotted three carriages approaching quickly from the south. The lead carriage bore the flag of Glenhaven, and two bannermen gave off a proud fanfare when they got close enough.
The guards were notified about the Glenhaven caravan days in advance. They prepared themselves accordingly as the carriages came to an eventual stop before their gates. As the vehicle finally slowed down, the door opened up, and an elegant red dragon in sparkling armor stepped out.
"Who goes there?" A guard asked, following the usual procedure. The red dragon merely bowed his head as he stepped forward.
"I am Sir Hontus, Guardian of Glenhaven!" The drake spoke loud and clear. "I've come with my fellow Guardian, Sir Voden, on an official invite from the High Queen!"
Hontus had changed little in the last four years: he still had the same cheery personality and rugged physique. He'd put on a few more pounds in his underbelly; not that that was enough to slow him down as he fluttered his wings with excitement.
Hontus showed off his official Guardian's seal to the guards, who merely exchanged glances.
"Lady Elenar told us to keep an eye out for you, Sir Guardian." The poison drake nodded. "I hope you and your companion enjoy your stay… although you might want to leave as soon as you can."
"Hmm?" Hontus frowned. "How come?"
"Things have been rather hectic in the city limits lately." The earth dragon said. "A lot of violence and bloodshed has happened over the last few weeks. It's quite gruesome."
"I see…" The red drake grimaced. "I'll… be sure to watch myself, then."
Hontus sighed heavily as he got back into his carriage. The coachman took off through the gate to head down the main road toward the Dragon Spire. In the meantime, Hontus leaned back in his seat and tried to stay positive.
Violence in Warfang? He really wished he'd seen the last of that after the Malefor Ordeal ended. Perhaps it was for the best that he was finally here to get Rune to safety.
"Are you alright?" The voice of another dragon asked across the way.
"As well as I could be, Voden," Hontus said with another sigh.
Voden was still a scholarly Guardian. It took him two years to get used to his elongated fangs after his transformation into an artificial dark dragon. He took to wearing bright robes when he wasn't in his official armor, to match his warm personality.
One of the first things the Guardians did was stop by a tavern. It wasn't to acquire drinks… although some of the selections looked rather tantalizing. No, it was instead so they could reserve a place to rest for a few hours before heading back out on the long trip south again.
"One of these days, we should really just plan to spend a week in Glenhaven at the last." Voden sighed. "It's exhausting to get here, and we're practically stumbling out again on the way back."
"Ah, sure…" Hontus mused. "It can be so tiring to just… sit around in a carriage for hours."
"Hey, sometimes a dragon needs to stretch his limbs," Voden replied. "Fan out his wings, work on posture… and maybe enjoy time in one of the greatest cities of the realms."
"Maybe next year, when we're celebrating Rune's eighteenth hatchday." Hontus snorted. "Right now, I just want to hurry up and pick up my son."
"Fair enough…"
With the reservations made, Hontus and Voden were on the road through Warfang once again. To relieve boredom, Hontus started watching the many citizens of Warfang outside his window. Dark dragons and light dragons walked amongst each other on most of the streets, just like in the days long before the Twilight War. While dark dragons had come out of hiding all across the realms, Warfang was now their central home. And it always left the Guardian amazed: he never thought he'd see such sights in his youth.
Voden, meanwhile, was looking out the opposite window of the carriage. He gazed up at the splendid garden before the Dragon Spire, as well as the great tower itself. He sighed as he wracked his talons on the side of his window.
"It's good to be back here again…" Voden said with a sigh. "I need to visit them more often."
"Hmm, you mean Dona and Riven?" Hontus asked.
"Of course." Voden looked back at the red drake.
After half an hour of travel, the carriage finally rolled to a stop before the front steps of the glorious Spire. Hontus and Voden stepped out into the sunlight, while their soldiers emerged from their carriages and took formation. Hontus grimaced; he would have preferred to come to see his foster son without the need for such enforcement. But, it was standard procedure among the Guardians to bring bannermen when traveling from city to city: Jules kept insisting on it.
"Ah, such beautiful architecture…" Voden sighed as he gazed up at the massive tower. "No matter how many times I see it, it always leaves me amazed." He looked back at Hontus with twinkling eyes. "Just imagine the moles building something like THAT in Glenhaven."
"Perhaps they will… in a hundred years." Hontus chuckled.
The red Guardian took a deep breath of the air… and grimaced. It didn't have the vague hint of sand that he was used to… but it also wasn't quite the cleanest. He coughed a bit to clear his throat and then tried to stand regally as he turned to face his soldiers.
"I'll, uh, be heading inside with Voden on my own." He said calmly. "A few of you can replenish supplies, but don't leave the carriages unattended."
"Yes, Sir." The soldiers saluted. Hontus gave a slight nod and then turned around to venture forth with Voden.
It didn't take long for the pair to come across a group of dark dragon soldiers, who stood guard just outside the front entrance. Hontus and Voden came to a stop and presented their seals to show their status, though one of the soldiers, a poison dragon, bowed their head and smiled.
"Welcome, Sir Hontus and Sir Voden." The soldier said. "We were told to expect your arrival today."
"And arrived we have." Hontus nodded back. "I hope you don't mind if we make our way to the high queen's throne room to exchange pleasantries."
"Not at all… but it might be in your best interest to have a Deep Shadow escort you through the Dragon Spire, Sir Guardian." The poison drake tapped his talons. "Just in case some extremist tries to cause you some trouble."
"Very well, then…" Hontus huffed. "But I'd prefer it if the Deep Shadow is either Albanion or Wraith."
The poison dragon balked. "How do you know them?"
"We're… acquainted." The red dragon said as he tugged on his collar. "Let's leave it at that."
The soldier nodded and said nothing, while Voden grimaced. "I can only hope everyone in the Dragon Spire is safe."
Before Hontus could speak again, his ear frills tingled at the sound of someone materializing out of thin air via magic. He stepped around the side of the carriage… and sure enough, Wraith of the Deep Shadows had teleported there in an instant. The crimson drake whirled around with a welcoming gaze.
"Aha! Hontus! I should have figured it was you!" Wraith stepped up and bowed his head to the Guardian. "Welcome back."
"Good to see you." Hontus sighed; of all the Deep Shadows, Wraith was always the most pleasant, in his opinion.
"Ah, yes. Hello, Wraith." Voden said as he leaned forward to look past Hontus. "How's Dona been treating you?"
Wraith flinched and then ran a forepaw through his green hair. "Err, about as well as she always does; with a chip on her shoulder." He snorted and shook his head. "Anyway, how did the trip north treat you two?"
"It was boring and too long." Hontus snorted. "It makes me wish I had your abilities."
"I'd figured as much." Wraith chuckled. "Come on, you two. Let's head inside before some weirdoes start trouble out here."
Hontus and Voden followed Wraith up the steps into the garden. Along the way, Hontus made to whisper into Wraith's ear frill.
"The city guards said something about violence spreading throughout Warfang." He grimaced. "Is there anything I need to be concerned about?"
"Oh, geez…" Wraith took a deep breath. "Things have been chaotic almost a month, Hontus." He began to count off his talons. "Firstly, extremists have been going after dark-light dragon couples. Then there's the Sons of Culmubrae who have randomly attacked just about everyone. And then there are the separate altercations involving BOTH of the princes."
"Both?" Hontus and Voden exclaimed in unison. The outburst nearly made Wraith jump. He stopped and held a talon up to his muzzle.
"Hey, keep a level head," Wraith whispered harshly. He gestured to some younger dragons that were passing by on their way to their classes. "We've got students out and about, you know. They've been on edge enough as it is."
"Fine, fine…" Voden whispered. "But explain what's going on. What's happened to Rune and Cyrus?"
"Oh, that was a fun day, believe me…" Wraith turned around and continued forward. "First Prince Rune and his friends nearly get killed by some of those lunatic Sons of Culmubrae down in the market-"
That made Hontus's blood turn to ice.
"-And then just a little while later afterward," Wraith continued, "Prince Cyrus was jumped by some thugs in a park somewhere."
"Is Rune alright?!" Hontus exclaimed, rushing to stand in front of Wraith. "Where is he?!"
"Hey, hey, calm down!" Wraith insisted. "Both princes are fine. Rune wasn't even hurt all that bad. The pricks who assaulted Rune are rotting in the dungeon as we speak. And the thugs who went after Cyrus-"
"Oh, thank the ancestors!" Hontus wiped off his brow. "Next time end with the good news."
"Right…" Wraith snorted. "Well, speaking of good news, the queen's got quite a surprise for you two. But I don't want to spoil it." He turned around and snapped his talons. "Come on, Guardians. To the throne room, we go!"
"Couldn't we just teleport there?" Voden asked.
"Hey; teleporting into the throne room uninvited is quite rude." Wraith rolled his eyes. "Trust a guy who got his rear spanked for doing that during King Urobos's meetings way back in the Hive."
"You could at least move us up a few floors." Hontus glowered. "I want to see Rune as soon as possible."
"Patience, Hontus, patience." Wraith patted the red drake on the shoulder. He stepped around them and continued forward. "We haven't even discussed the fact that one of the thugs who attacked Prince Cyrus might be Queen Elenar's long-estranged daughter."
Hontus and Voden blinked in alarm, and then exchanged bewildered glances.
"Err… come again?" Voden held a forepaw to his ear frill.
Wraith snorted. "Let me fill you in on some exposition…"
~~…~~
WHAM!
Cyrus grunted as he slammed into the floor of the arena.
The ape dummies howled and bashed their weapons against their shields. The prince scowled at them as he struggled to get back up. One of them tried to smack him with its club… but was knocked off his feet by a tail-swipe.
Ricin swiftly landed on his feet beside Cyrus. He spat several wads of poison at the dummy to make it writhe, before dashing around toward the prince.
"Come on, Cyrus!" The drake exclaimed as he pulled Cyrus up to his feet. "We can take them!"
"Uh-huh…" Cyrus snorted as he whirled around three more dummies that were heading for them. He was about to charge to unleash an attack… only for them to be bowled over by a bust of wind. Cyrus blinked and then snorted as he watched Brisa come to a landing with a flourish of her tail.
"Leaving them all for me, are ya?" Brisa looked at him and winked. "How nice!"
"Very funny…" Cyrus rolled his eyes and looked for a few more dummies to fight. He gasped as he saw one out of the corner of his eye, ready to bonk him on the head with a club. He yelped and scrambled out of the way as the ape smashed the floor ahead of him.
"Cyrus, pay more attention!" Snapped Chalice.
The grey dragon was across the way, standing beside some controls and watching the prince with pursed lips. They flipped a switch, and the apes stopped moving for just a moment.
"You need to keep an eye on the whole battle arena." Chalice chided. "Don't let yourself get distracted. You know how Grandpa gets."
"I know I know…" Cyrus glowered. "But I-"
"Flip that switch back NOW!"
General Grail was looming up above and was sneering at his grandchild. Chalice balked and hurriedly flipped the switch again. Right away the apes got to moving, and one of them made to smash into Chalice from the side.
But before he could be knocked over, the floor beneath the apes' feet suddenly turned to ice. The dummies tripped over themselves as they struggled to go after Cyrus, much to his amusement. It wasn't long before he spotted Holly trotting on by, making more ice to halt the apes' movement.
"This is fun!" Holly chirped as she made a bit of snow in her forepaw. She threw it at an ape's face… but it didn't even notice as he charged over to attack with a club despite the ice.
"This isn't a playground, Holly." Grail scolded. "This is a combat simulation. You all need to take it seriously." He glowered at all of the young dragons in the arena. "This isn't the time for messing around!"
"I get it, General…" Cyrus said in exhaustion. He looked off toward the bleachers and sneered a little. "But it would be pretty nice if some dragons would lend us some help!"
Prince Rune sat in the bleachers on his haunches. He had a textbook splayed out before himself and was giving a light hum as he read. On either side of him were Tina and Ozul. The former struggled to pay attention to what her textbook said, while the latter sat quietly behind his book and shivered.
"Hey, Rune…?" Tina lightly nudged the prince on the shoulder. "What's all this about Chrisala again?"
"Oh, she was Spyro and Cynder's first child; a daughter," Rune said as he held his pages and pointed at a portrait of a dragoness. "She had some talent in magic, but… uh…"
He sighed as he looked down at the pages. Curiously enough, he just couldn't concentrate on the writing today no matter how hard he tried. Eventually, he just sighed and leaned back in the bleachers to relax.
"Sorry, I guess I'm feeling a little-"
"Hey!" Cyrus shouted, catching the attention of the three dragons. "Will you guys quit messing around and help us fight these dummies?!"
"Sorry, Cyrus…" Rune frowned. "I'm not supposed to get stressed out in combat training: Mom's orders, you know that."
"Of course…" Cyrus rolled his eyes and looked at Ozul. "And what about you?"
"Uhh…" The crimson dragon nervously put his book down, blinked his weary eyes, and pointed at his bandaged neck. "M-My mom said something similar. I'm still healing, too."
Talk about a pain in the neck… Cyrus thought with a roll of his eyes. "Well then… Tina? Surely YOU would…"
"Nope." Tina shook her head and smirked. "I already graduated. Helping other students in the combat exercises would be cheating."
"Of course…" Cyrus put a forepaw to his face and grumbled. "Well, you could at least offer up some cheers of encouragement. Nothing is stopping you from-"
Grail slammed down on all fours behind Cyrus. The prince yelped and sank into his shadow out of fright, much to the others' amusement. The only two who didn't laugh were Ricin and Ozul, who kept quiet. Grail just snorted and reached into the shadow to pull Cyrus out by his tail.
"Are you going to just keep lollygagging, or are you going to FIGHT?" Grail demanded.
"Put me down!" Cyrus swung his limbs pathetically in the General's grip; the crystal on his necklace rattled around. Grail just rolled his eyes and plopped the prince down on his back. "Oww…"
"Cy!" Ricin exclaimed. He dashed over and helped roll the prince over onto his paws. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, Yeah…" Cyrus almost flapped his wings, but he tensed up and stopped himself; he almost made his stitches ache.
"Dumb boy…" Grail snorted as he stamped his paw. "If you've got the energy to throw a fit, you've got the energy to continue combat exercises."
"But I'm not supposed to aggravate my stitches." Cyrus protested. "Cerulean's orders."
"Well, what do you think you have healing magic for?" Grail snorted. "You all wanted a chance to use magic so badly for once. So use it properly, then."
Cyrus just groaned and tried to call upon a bit of healing magic around his membranes. It helped a little, but it didn't quite stop the stinging that was already there for the last week. And it didn't stop Ricin from wandering around the prince to dote on him at any chance.
"You've got this, Cyrus." Ricin put on a wide smile. "I believe in you!"
"Thanks…" The prince rolled his eyes and trotted over toward Holly and Brisa; the pair were engaging some more dummies in combat, and the prince felt like giving their ice and wind a bit of a boost. And Ricin trotted right along, wagging his tail as he rejoined the fight.
As the training continued, General turned his steely gaze toward Rune, who was still wrapped up in his book. Grail walked across the way, casting his shadow on the seated dragons. Ozul flinched, Tina lightly scooted out of the way, and Rune tried his best to keep from shivering under the General's glare.
"And just what is wrong with YOU, Prince Rune?" Grail demanded. "The queen's orders aside, this is the kind of behavior I'd expect from your lazy brother."
"Hey!" Cyrus protested from the arena as he ducked under an ape's club.
"I'm sorry, Sir Grail." Rune sighed. "I guess… my mind is just elsewhere today."
"Well, make sure your mind isn't plotting to wreak chaos and destruction." Grail snorted again. "Keep that wilder half of yours in check, boy."
Rune flinched and held up his book to try and keep reading. The issues in his own mind weren't even what he'd been focusing on lately.
For the past few days, Rune was thinking about his half-sister. After all these years of vaguely knowing about her, it was surreal to think she was somewhere in Warfang. But her father, Bergan, was in Warfang now, too; Rune just didn't know where.
Ever since Elenar first learned of Bergan's presence in Warfang, she reluctantly put out a search for him. It wasn't treated as an upfront hunt for a criminal; it was more subtle, with the city guards skulking around to keep themselves scarce. And yet no matter how discreet the search was, nobody could ever locate Bergan or his carriage; several reports gave the impression that they'd always JUST missed Bergan as he slipped away.
Rune just couldn't understand it: Why would Bergan save him from the Sons of Culmubrae, only for his daughter to try and harm or capture Cyrus? And why was she working alongside Prince Jonathan? Why-?
Oh, that fucking Jonathan piece of trash! Runefor growled. Why don't we go down to the dungeons and introduce his brains to the floor?!
Rune grimaced; he shouldn't have thought about that prince. Every time he thought of that smug grin or his flamboyant clothes, Rune felt violent thoughts sink in. No, it was best to just take a deep breath and keep him out of the picture. He needed to focus on his sister and Bergan.
Mom invited Bergan to that council of the monarchs four years ago, Rune thought. But he never came; he'd sent that vice-president guy in his stead. And now he's nowhere to be found just after saving me. I wonder what he wants…?
I've got a feeling we'll be seeing our dear sissy again real soon, Runefor mused.
Is that so? Rune sneered.
Think about it: She ran off somewhere before Grail's boys could catch her. And if she wanted to attack Cyrus once, she'll likely try it again… or YOU. Of course, you can always pay her back for her bitchy behavior.
Oh no. Rune scowled. I'm not letting you make me hurt anyone ever again!
We'll see about that, Skippy. Runefor hissed.
"Rune?" Somebody called from across the way. The prince blinked and looked over toward the doorway; Elza had arrived. She walked cautiously around the edge of the combat arena to approach the bleachers.
"Oh, hey, Aunt Elza." Rune sighed. "What is it?"
"Your mother sent for me." Elza smiled. "Guardian Hontus has arrived."
Rune was taken aback for a moment; in all the stress and commotion, he'd nearly forgotten about Hontus's arrival. Immediately he sprang onto all fours and gathered up his belongings.
"I'll be ready in just a moment!" He declared.
"Take it easy," Elza stressed. "You're to head for the throne room to speak to your mother first."
Rune stopped and sighed; he should have figured as much. He put his textbook into his satchel and then frowned at Grail.
"Could I, uh… have some time to say goodbye to everyone?" He asked as he rubbed his upper foreleg. "I mean… I don't want to interrupt your class, but…"
"Can it wait?" Cyrus panted as he dodged away from a vertical slash of an ape dummy. "We're a bit busy!"
Elza sighed and glanced over at Grail. "Could you give the prince a break to say farewell to his brother?"
"It's bad enough that I have to leave one prince out of his daily training due to stress." Grail snorted. "But to do the same to both of them? There's no excuse for that."
"Come on, Grandpa!" Chalice snapped at the General as they leaned against the wall. "Cut them a little slack! They've been getting their rears handed to them for an hour."
"Ugh, fine…" Grail waved a forepaw dismissively. "Shut it off."
Chalice nodded and flipped the switch. Immediately the dummies surrounding Cyrus and the apprentices all came to a stop and fell into heaps.
Holly blinked and stood up, having expected a blow to her flank. She tapped the closest dummy curiously. "Did we win?"
"Hardly." Grail snorted. "All of you… say your goodbyes to the prince. But make it quick."
"Fine…" Cyrus grumbled. He trotted around the dummies and made his way over to Rune. Holly, Brisa, and Ricin were just behind him, while Chalice glided over from the control console.
Pretty soon, Rune found himself surrounded by seven dragons. Everyone had varying levels of unease as they sat down in the bleachers.
"So…" Cyrus began as he sat just beside his brother. "It looks like you're off to Glenhaven for another half a year."
"Yeah…" Rune put on a soft smile. He pulled his brother in with a wing and hugged him. "I hope you'll be safe while I'm away, Cyrus."
Cyrus flushed a bit. "Uh, sure. Of course, I'll be alright…" He gave an awkward chuckle and patted his brother on the back. "Here's hoping that Glenhaven gives you some peace of mind, bro."
"Yeah…"
One by one, the apprentices stood up and said their goodbyes. Chalice and Tina were up first; they each gave playful grins as they nudged him on the shoulders.
"Tell the Glenhaven Gang that I said hiya," Tina said with a small wave. "Tell them I miss hanging out with them."
"And bring some souvenirs up north when you come back." Chalice added. "I want to find out if they've got any cool new spots to explore."
"I'll see what I can do." Rune chuckled.
"Take care, Prince Rune!" Holly hugged Rune with a wing and wagged her tail stump. "You be sure to have fun down south!"
"Don't forget to write." Brisa gave a wink. "We're all expecting you to improve on your poetry."
Rune winced a bit. "Uh, sure thing, girls…"
"Thanks again for the paint." Ricin grinned. "Even though it, uh… I mean, I'm sure you'll LOVE to see what I come up with by the time you're back."
"I'm sure I will." Rune laughed a bit.
"Uhh…" Ozul rubbed his foreleg as he nervously looked up at the prince. "I, uh… I hope things don't get out of paw for you."
Rune grimaced. "I… I hope so too."
With all of the goodbyes said, Rune stood up from the bleachers to head down. Tina and Chalice followed close behind for a short while.
"You take care out there, Prince Rune." Tina gave him a light nudge on the forehead. "Keep a level head, okay?"
"I will." Rune nodded.
"We'll be thinking of you every day." Chalice added. "Our circle of friends just isn't complete without you."
"Thanks…" The prince sighed and looked back at all of the apprentices. They all waved together, eager to see him off on his exciting trip south. Rune smiled back. He was happy to say that the apprentices had become very close friends over the last four years. And while he was happy to go see his other close friends in Glenhaven, part of him would be sad to leave them behind. And they were sad too, even if they tried to hide it.
But none of them were nearly as sad as Cyrus.
Rune looked across the way at his brother, who hadn't budged from his seat. Rune and Cyrus looked at each other with clamped jaws.
"…Goodbye, Cyrus," Rune said quietly.
Cyrus sucked in a breath and sighed. "…Goodbye."
Rune slowly turned around and hefted up his satchel. He trotted over to the door to join Elza upon heading out of the training area.
Cyrus frowned as he watched his brother leave. No matter how many times Rune left to stay in Glenhaven… it never got any easier to see him go. Cyrus always had the worst fear that his brother might not come back. He lost his brother for several years; there was always a threat that it could happen again. Especially with so many dragons trying to hurt both of them…
"Are you okay, Cyrus?" Ricin asked worriedly.
"I…" Cyrus sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm okay."
"AHEM!" Grail snapped from across the way.
Cyrus and the apprentices turned to look at the General, who tapped the control console and glared at them all in turn.
"You've had your goodbyes. Now, I want all of you in that combat arena!" He snapped his talons and pointed toward the dummies.
Ozul whimpered. "But-"
"NOW!" Grail stamped his paw as he adjusted the controls. "Chalice, Tina, keep Ozul from getting strangled if you must, but I want him getting EXERCISE!"
"Yes, Granddad…" Chalice sighed as they gently patted Ozul on the back. "You'll be okay."
"I hope so…"
One by one, the apprentices made their way into the combat arena. The last dragon to go was Cyrus, who kept glancing at the doorway that Elza and Rune had left down.
Goodbye… Brother. Cyrus thought with tears in his eyes.
~~…~~
Rune had to slow his pace as he walked beside Elza. The dragoness was careful not to overexert herself in the late stages of her gravidity. It was a far cry from the days when she could out-pace many of the other dragons with her wind magic. Still, as long as his aunt was healthy, then Rune could be content.
"How have you been doing lately, Aunt Elza?" Rune asked.
"Well enough, my prince." She chuckled. "I'll be back to my peak performance in no time. At least that's what Cerulean said."
"Right…" Rune sighed. He glanced cautiously toward Elza's baby belly. "Your hatchday's coming up, huh? I'm sorry that I'm never around to celebrate it with you."
"Oh, it's alright." She smiled at him. Elza extended a wing and pulled Rune into a hug. The prince shut his eyes and sighed as he basked in the familial warmth.
A contented rumbling noise came from within Rune's mind; one that wasn't his own. And when Elza broke the hug to continue walking, the rumbling became one of disappointment. Rune snorted and shook his head; no, he had to have been imagining that.
Eventually, Rune and Elza arrived at Rune's bedchamber. The prince opened the door and stepped inside to gather his belongings for his long trip to the south.
"I'll be right back in a minute." He said quickly.
Elza calmly relaxed on the floor. "Take your time, Rune."
Rune grasped a thick satchel that hung by the wall. It was packed with the prince's favorite books, a small pouch of draconic gems, and a few other personal items. He also had a pack that contained some fancy clothes that Elenar insisted that he bring along for any festivals he attended in Glenhaven. And of course, there were also his sets of armor in a suit of luggage; that would take some doing to get down to the Guardians' carriage.
Lastly, Rune stopped and looked over at his sword as it sat in its scabbard. He sighed as he walked over and carefully grasp it to tie it to the rest of his training armor. After all the trouble that had happened recently, he was beginning to think it was in his best interest to bring it along.
We'll never know when we might need it, Runefor said. Best to protect ourselves.
Shut up, Rune snapped.
Runefor hissed. Even when you agree with me, you insult me anyway?
You insult me just as much. The prince snorted.
After Rune attached his scabbard to the side of the suitcase, he made to wheel it outside with the rest of his belongings. But as he was halfway to the door, he stopped and had a curious thought. He looked down at the hilt and studied it carefully.
"Hmm…" Rune scratched his chin. What if he was caught off-guard when he didn't have his blade on him immediately? Suppose the sword was knocked from his grasp in battle, too. There had to be a workaround for this issue. In fact… there was.
Rune walked to the far end of his bedroom and fell back onto his haunches. He took a deep breath as he focused his eyes on the hilt of the sword. The prince held his left forepaw out toward the hilt and concentrated.
Come on… Rune thought as an aura of shadow magic began to surround his body. Let this work… please let this work.
Rune didn't know what he was doing, really. All he had to go on were memories of his father wielding the sword in combat. And both times, Rune was fighting against his father: First over an argument over Baneth's plans to take over the dragon realms, and again when his body was… possessed. Flashes of painful memories rose to the surface of his mind, but Rune pushed them away. He had to forget the context, and just focus on the magical ability itself.
The hilt of the blade rattled in place as the aura spread across Rune's foreleg. A bit of the aura began to appear around the hilt. The sword shook more and more as Rune tried to pull it to him.
Come on… Rune glared. Come to me. Come to me!
The sword shook more and more, but it remained in place. Rune growled as he pushed harder and harder to bring the blade to his forepaw. His heart began to beat harder as he concentrated all that he could. Why wasn't it working?
There was a knock on the door, making Rune gasp. Elza pushed the door partially inward and peeked her head inside. "Are you alright, Rune?"
The aura around the sword vanished, as did the prince's. He fell backward onto the floor and panted heavily. Elza gasped and made her way inside to rush to his side.
"Rune, what's happened?" Elza demanded as she helped him onto his paws.
"I… I'm fine." Rune sighed. "I was just practicing with my magic before going to leave, is all."
"Well, this is quite the time to try practicing magic." Elza snorted. "It's not like your mother's waiting for your or anything."
"I get it, I get it…" Rune sighed. "I'm sorry; my stuff's packed up now. I just need to get it outside."
Rune got to work gathering his luggage and carrying it outside. Elza picked up a few loose things that fell, but otherwise, Rune carried the bulk of it. And as he made his way down the corridor, he heard Runefor snickering in his mind.
Looks like you'll need a bit more potent magic to pull off a sword-teleporting trick. Runefor chuckled. Maybe Wraith can lend you some help when we get back home.
I've got nothing to say to you. Rune snapped.
You just DID say something to me. Runefor chided. Rune only glowered and stayed quiet.
As Rune and Elza turned a corner, he passed by a few students on his way to the throne room. Most of them shivered and stepped out of the way, just like the last few times he came down the hall. He just sighed and strode forward, even as Elza frowned at him…
~~…~~
Helianne took a deep breath as she walked down the corridor. She tried her best to keep calm… to not care when other students glanced at her funny.
The princess tried to keep positive for the last week; to keep a raised head and trot along like everything was fine. But everyone kept talking about what had happened. Lantel, the big tough solar prince… was defeated. He'd offered up a challenge to defend his sister's honor… and he'd FAILED. And now, Lantel was stuck in the infirmary, with Helianne left to wander the halls of the Dragon Spire without him.
Helianne went to see Lantel every morning and afternoon, whenever she had time. And when she was going from class to class, she kept her cloak tightly wrapped over her wings and tried to walk proudly. But now and then… they got to her.
"Hey, Princess Helianne!" An earth dragon called out. "Care to invite me and the boys over for some… quality time?"
She winced and marched forward, refusing to look at him.
"Aww, don't be like that!" The drake stepped after her for a short distance. "We know you like inviting drakes to your room at night!"
"Hey, keep your voice down!" A fire dragon nudged him in the shoulder. "That's Prince Rune's girlie! You don't want him putting YOU in the hospital, too!"
"Hey, he'll be leaving for half a year!" The earth dragon laughed. "That's all the time in the world for Helianne and us to have a… cram session!"
The two dragons laughed, while Helianne gasped. She picked up the pace and gnashed her fangs as the laughter followed her down the hall. But those vulgar comments were only the latest in a long line of them from the last week.
Ever since the match ended, Helianne had avoided Rune. And without Rune around her… the guys of the school started making comments of a similar nature. Everyone had gone on to assume that the two of them… that late at night, they… Helianne sucked in a breath and shook; she didn't even want to THINK about it.
Helianne had to avoid looking directly at male students half the time. If she stopped to so much as smile at them, they started assuming that she was coming on to them. And even then…
"Looking pretty sexy, sweetheart!" An ice dragon winked at her.
"When are we going to see what's under the cloak, Helianne?" A wind drake looked her up and down eagerly.
"Need some help getting COMFY at night, Princess?" A lightning dragon blew kisses at her.
She tried to make them stop. She tried to tell the various teachers that everyone was going after her like this… but it didn't stop them. Even some of the teachers started to think that Helianne had done something… improper.
"She should just come out and admit what she did."
"This is what she gets for flirting with one of the princes for so long."
"The Ancestors frown upon such dishonor and vulgarity."
Helianne sucked in a breath and shook her head. She tried her best to shut it all out; to just relax and walk proudly. But her chest ached; how could she have let everything fall so out of paw? How did Helianne allow everyone to think so badly of her? All she wanted was to fly…
"Helianne?"
Her eyes flew wide; it was him. She could hear him walking down the corridor behind her. She held her cloak tightly over her wings as she tried not to shiver, while a whole range of emotions ran through her head.
As the prince came to stand beside her, anger won out in Helianne's head. She thought about the way Rune had beaten Lantel senseless in the arena… she trotted forward while looking away from him with a sneer. She heard Rune take a cautious breath and trot after her.
"Uh…" He said to her left. "H-Hi, Helianne."
She shut her eyes and turned her snout upward. "I still don't want to talk to you."
"Right…" Rune sighed. "But, I just… I want to be quick. See, I'm leaving for Glenhaven again, so I-"
Helianne scowled; she'd almost forgotten about how the prince spent half a year living down south. Maybe… that would give her enough time…
"Good for you." Helianne snorted. "I guess you'll be off for another six months…" Her lip seemed to shake a bit. "You go and have a swell time." She stamped her paw and wagged her tail in Rune's face. "I'll just be here, looking after my brother."
"Can't you just let me say one thing?" Rune asked. "I got you something in the marketplace. I-"
"I don't want it." Helianne declared.
Rune grimaced. "You don't even know what it is. Can't I-?"
"No!" The dragoness yelled. She turned to glare right into his sad, golden eyes. Her chest ached as tears threatened to burst forth.
"Just LEAVE, Rune!" She yelled. "There's nothing you could ever give me that'll make all the trouble you've caused just… magically go away!" She stamped her paw again. "So, just leave me alone!"
Rune balked as his eyes were wide. He stammered for a bit… but ultimately just sighed and turned around. Helianne watched as Rune walked away with his head low and tail dragging the floor. Several students in the hallway backed out of the way and watched the prince walk along, while Helianne glared at the back of his head…
And nearly broke down.
Helianne turned around and shut her eyes for a moment. She was mad at him. He'd put her brother in the arena… so then why did Helianne feel so hurt that Rune just left her there?
She sucked in a breath and trotted forward to get out of the hallway… right between more drakes who gave her those ugly eyes.
"Heyyyyy, Princess Helianne…" A water drake watched her hungrily as she ran past.
"Keep running like that, and that cloak will just slide on off." A poison dragon snickered.
Helianne sniffled as she avoided them but still didn't cry. She had to be strong… she had to be a proud princess. She… she wasn't just a fragile flower. She was a proud, strong dragoness. A graceful, pure dragoness…
A dragoness who needed her brother to protect her from harassment. A dragoness who needed a black dragon to help her fly. And without either of them… she was just a big target.
Helianne ducked into an empty room… and broke down in tears.
~~…~~
Rune walked down the hallway with a shaking body. He took several deep breaths. He couldn't let himself get angry at Helianne. He didn't WANT to get angry… not at her, of all dragons.
But Runefor did.
The prince could feel his other's half's seething anger bubbling in their shared blood. Rune's digits fidgeted as they desperately wanted to turn and point at the princess.
Damn bitch… Runefor growled in Rune's head. She backstabbed us! We did EVERYTHING for her, and she threw us under a carriage!
It's your fault! Rune growled back. We should have just let Lantel beat us! Everything would have been fine! But you… you nearly maimed her brother! We betrayed her, and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!
FUCK YOU!
Rune suddenly jerked to the side and slammed his head against a few lockers. Some nearby students yelped in surprise as the prince fell to the floor. He grasped his head with both forepaws and growled as he shook about on the floor.
In his mind, the two halves of his personality hissed and growled at each other. Fangs dug into flesh, talons slashed at faces, and magical fire singed both black and white scales. And outside, he hissed and growled as chaos erupted in his mind.
"RUNE!" Elza yelled.
The prince rolled over onto his back and gazed up as the wind dragoness appeared over him. She had a horrified expression on her face as she scrambled to pick him up. She propped him up onto his haunches, held his face, and forced him to gaze into her eyes.
"Rune, please! Look at me." Elza insisted.
Rune hyperventilated as he gazed into his aunt's eyes. She draped a wing over his back and hugged him close, much to the confusion of the surrounding students.
"Rune… calm down." She whispered to him and ran her forepaw gently through his mane. "Think about family. Think about Glenhaven and everyone who loves you."
Thoughts of Glenhaven appeared in Rune's mind. Hontus and Seraph warmly inviting him into their home. Thoughts of Blankridge and Nellie as they eagerly wanted to catch up with their foster brother. The prince began to cry a little as both sides stopped to think of the good times.
Hontus, Seraph…
Blank and Nellie…
"Think about your family here in Warfang, too." Elza continued. "We'll miss you while you're away, but we think about you day and night."
The prince thought about his immediate family: His mother Elenar and Grandpa Urobos. His twin brother Cyrus. His Aunt and Uncle, and the cousins were asleep in their un-laid eggs. Both families always smiled upon the prince; they were always there for him.
Family…
Family…
Rune cried as he finally calmed down. Elza helped him to get onto all fours, and nudged him to keep walking.
"You can keep it together; we all believe in you," Elza said as she nudged him forward. "Now come on: Hontus is waiting for you."
"Right…" Rune said. He took a deep, steady breath and looked up at his aunt. "I… I'm sorry."
"It's alright…" She nuzzled his forehead. "Come on, Rune."
Rune took a few more deep breaths as he carried his belongings further down the corridor. He hoped that this would be the last time he had such an awkward outburst in public.
~~…~~
"…And that's the gist of what's been going on in Warfang." Wraith finished saying. "There's one more bit of detail, but I'll let the queen reveal that juicy tidbit."
"If you say so…" Voden grimaced.
The crimson drake had led Hontus and Voden to the very top of the Dragon Spire, where the Palace of Kings connected to it. The palace wasn't nearly as populated as the lower floors of the Spire, which gave Voden a sigh of relief; he honestly preferred it when the hallways were quiet.
"And right this way to the throne room," Wraith said as he whirled around a corner and fluttered his wings. "The queen's been waiting for about half an hour, now, so I'm sure that-"
Wraith came to a stop as he gazed down the hallway. To his surprise, Dona was standing guard before the double doors to the throne room. Hontus and Voden peered around the crimson drake to watch as the dragoness tapped her talons on the floor.
Dona didn't say a word as she looked over at Voden, and the scholar was just as silent. Wraith and Hontus looked between the pair and quietly scooted out of the way. Voden made to cautiously walked forward, and Dona moved just as slowly.
But then Voden noticed the little dragonling that clung to Dona's neck. She sheepishly peered her head up to look at the dark-orange dragon.
"D… Daddy?" Riven asked quietly.
That's what finally got to the scholar. A tear broke down his face as he quickened his pace to get to the dragoness. That wasn't fast enough for Dona; she sank into her shadow and quickly re-emerged right in front of him. She then growled as she scratched the carpet before the scholar, making him flinch.
"D-Dona…" Voden asked worriedly. "D-Did I offend you?"
"Yes, you've offended me." Dona snapped… but then her lip quivered and she shed a few tears. "…You've kept me waiting again."
Dona pressed her head up against Voden's chin. The dark-orange dragon sighed as he embraced her. He then looked down at the dragonling as she rose to try and get a good look at him.
"Daddy…" Riven said again. Her eyes widened, and she fluttered her wings as she tried to reach her father. "Daddy!"
"Riven!" Voden declared, putting on a warm smile. He lowered his head to nuzzle the top of the dragonling's head. "My little Riven!"
Riven squeaked and brushed herself against Voden's legs. He sighed and happily scooped her up to place her down on his back. Immediately the dragonling wrapped her wings about his neck and locked her wing-thumbs to hold herself in place. He grunted a bit from the choking sensation, but then laughed and smiled back at his daughter.
"Hmm, very nice…" Wraith tapped his foot awkwardly. "But we really mustn't keep the queen waiting."
"I'm going to need to take my leave of you," Voden said to the red Guardian. He fell back onto his haunches as Dona walked around him to brush herself against him. "I need to catch up with my wife."
"Do as you will," Hontus said with a hearty laugh. He looked back toward Wraith. "Lead the way, my good dragon."
"Right, sure…" Wraith tugged on his collar. He then turned around and pointed his snout toward the double doors. "The queen awaits!"
Hontus followed Wraith through the doors, while Voden stood up to walk down the hallway. Dona sighed at that; she would have just teleported away with the dark-orange drake, but with the way Riven was having a blast getting a ride from her father, Dona didn't want to interrupt it.
~~…~~
Elenar sighed as she sat in her throne room. Urobos was down at her side, like always.
The Ivory Crown felt particularly heady on her head this day. A whole week had passed since the attacks on her sons. There hadn't been any activity from the Sons of Culmubrae since… nor had there been any sightings of Bergan or their daughter. She shuddered to think that they could have been hiding anywhere in the great city. She wondered if he was responsible for keeping the Sons from launching any more attacks… and how long it would be before he decided to stop.
Keep a level head… she told herself. Keep calm…
The double doors were pushed open… and finally, Elenar could sigh in relief. The familiar form of the Guardian of Fire strode inside. It was good seeing him again; she needed an ally from the south to make her feel like she wasn't at risk of losing all diplomatic ties with the dragon realms.
Wraith followed Hontus inside. They sat on their haunches and nodded in allegiance toward the high queen. Elenar rose from her throne and glided down to stand beside the pair. She nodded toward Wraith and then sighed in Hontus's direction.
"Hontus, you know you don't have to bow to me." She frowned at him. "Anyone who helps raise my son will always be my equal."
"You're still the High Queen, and I'm still a Guardian." Hontus rose to his full height and smiled. "It would be unbecoming of me to not show you the proper formalities."
Elenar just sighed. She stepped up to give the Guardian a very quick, yet affectionate nuzzle to the neck. The queen then stepped back and looked toward Wraith. "Go bring the prisoner. You know which one."
"Right…" Wraith nodded. He then snapped his talons and was gone in a flash.
"Prisoner?" Hontus repeated uneasily.
"You'll be learning who it is soon enough," Urobos said with a grimace. "There's no easy way to tell you, so we'll just have to show you."
"If you say so, Lord Urobos." Hontus bowed his head toward him. "Good to see you again, by the way."
"Likewise, as always…" Urobos stretched out his back. "Though sadly I feel like I've aged five years since we last met."
Hontus eyed him cheekily. "Does that include the four since you closed your Alchemy shop?"
"Very funny." The old drake raised an eye ridge.
Not long after, the doors were pushed open by the guards. Elenar and the others turned to look back to see who it was. Sure enough, Prince Rune and Elza made their way inside carefully.
The moment Rune laid eyes on Hontus, he swelled up inside. He moved as fast as he could despite the weight of his luggage to rush for the Guardian. Hontus's face warmed up, and he extended a wing to embrace his foster son.
"Hontus!"
"Hey, kiddo," Hontus said as he rubbed Rune's head. "I hear you've been through some rough stuff lately."
Rune tensed up a bit. He looked up cautiously, expecting a stern expression from the Guardian. But instead, Hontus was just about as concerned for the prince as the rest of his family had been. Hontus patted Rune's back and carefully looked him in the eyes.
"Yeah, kiddo, everyone's explained to me what's going on." Hontus sighed. "But listen: whatever's happened here in Warfang, stays here in Warfang. The queen wants me to make sure you stay relaxed and happy during your time in Glenhaven."
"Uh… alright, Hontus…" Rune sheepishly nodded his head.
Hontus just sighed and pulled Rune into a tight hug again. "You'll be okay, son."
Rune flushed a bit… and then embraced the hug heartily. He even cried a little. Hontus had been the closest thing to a father Rune had in all these years. How could he not get teary-eyed? Rune could even feel similar emotions coming from Runefor.
When the hug finally broke, Rune wiped his eyes and sucked in a quick breath. "I've got everything I'll need on the trip south, Hontus."
"Hmm, let me help you with some of those…" Hontus took the handle of the luggage and made to pull it behind himself. Rune sighed in satisfaction and flapped his wings; he felt better already.
Unfortunately, that good feeling wouldn't last so long. The distinct whooshing noise of Wraith's teleportation roared up behind the prince, and a metal crate crashed onto the floor. Several guards moved from around the sides of the throne room to stand at attention, while Wraith wiped off his forepaws.
"Well, here he is…" Wraith grumbled. "Your brand new prisoner of war."
Hontus and Rune both turned around to face the cage. Rune shivered and tried to hold back his anger, while Hontus gasped in surprise. There he was, seated on his haunches and lightly tapping his talons on the floor. The earth prince.
"Jonathan?" Hontus exclaimed. He looked between the captured prince and the high queen. "You… You mean to tell me that one of the thugs who attacked Rune was the missing Prince Jonathan?!"
"Sadly, yes." Elenar snorted.
"Were it anyone else… I might have understood." Hontus bit his lip. "But the fact that it's the rightful heir to the throne of Glenhaven makes things different." The Guardian gestured to her with a forepaw. "Care to explain why I couldn't get so much as a hint?"
The queen sighed again. "Because… these things can be hard for me to say. I understand that Elder Telus has been searching for his grandson for years. I didn't want anyone to just bluntly declare that he's been locked in a cage for trying to attack my son."
"Hmm…" Hontus looked back at Jonathan and cast a glare. The earth prince remained silent the entire time; he gave a little sigh and just waited for something to happen. The Guardian stepped closer to the cage and glared down at the earth prince.
"So… I guess it's safe to assume that your father Saul lent you some help." Hontus sneered.
Jonathan just shrugged and shook his head. "Does it matter? He's already a criminal in Grandpa's eyes."
"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Hontus yelled angrily at the earth prince. "You've crossed a line, Jonathan! There won't be an easy path to redemption for this betrayal!"
Jonathan scowled at Hontus. "Telus betrayed us by exiling my father. Mom and I had no choice but to go with him; how could we live in the home of a traitor?!"
Hontus's eyes narrowed. He slammed a forepaw against the side of the cage, making Jonathan jump a bit.
"You're in the frying pan, Jonathan!" Hontus snapped. "You're lucky I wasn't there when you attacked my boy Rune all that time ago. I might have throttled you right then and there!"
Rune shivered; he rarely saw Hontus get this angry. But Jonathan was undeterred; he merely glared back at the Guardian and wracked his talons on the floor of the cage. Hontus took a deep breath and blew little bursts of flame from his nostrils.
"You're going straight to Elder Telus, boy," Hontus said coldly. "He and the other Elders will decide how to sentence you for what you've done. Until then, enjoy your view of the world from within that cage!"
Jonathan's eye twitched at the mention of his grandfather's name; he struggled not to shiver. Instead, he just shrugged and relaxed within the confines of the cage as best as he could. But as he turned his head toward Rune… he cast a cocky smile before frowning and looking bored at the ceiling.
Rune's own eye twitched. There was something up with the way Jonathan was behaving. Something he didn't like. The prince wanted to grill into Jonathan and demand to find out what was up with his behavior… but with the way everyone's eyes were currently burning into his back, Rune decided it would be best if he just sighed and ignored him.
"Right, so…" Rune turned to look up at Elenar and Urobos. "Is now about the time for us to go?"
"In a hurry to leave home for home?" Urobos gave a slight chuckle. He stepped forward and rubbed his grandson on the head. "I hope you have a good time while you're in Glenhaven, Rune."
"Thanks, Grandpa." Rune nodded his head.
"And please remember…" He leaned down to whisper into Rune's ear frill. "Don't forget to speak to Spyro and Cynder in meditation. It's for the best."
"I know, I know…" Rune sighed. He hugged his grandfather, and then looked up at Elenar. "I… I promise I'll be good, Mom."
Elenar looked down at him coldly for a moment, but that soon broke down into a worried frown. She stepped up and pulled her son into a hug. "I wish you could promise me that you'll be safe out there, Rune."
"I… uh…" His face flushed red. "I'll do my best to stay out of trouble. I can promise that much, at least."
"Of course…" Elenar patted him on the head. "I love you, Rune."
Rune's blush spread even more. "I, uh… love you too, Mom."
Oh, it was so embarrassing. There was a time when Rune would have been more than happy to accept a hug from his mother. But the older he got, the more he felt like a little kid in her embrace… and it wasn't quite in a good way anymore. By the time Elenar finally let Rune go, he felt jittery and wanted to wipe his head down.
Hontus bowed his head to Elenar. "I'm going to have my soldiers bring Prince Jonathan down to the carriages. We'll remain in Warfang for a few more hours until Guardian Voden joins us to leave the city."
"Fair enough." Elenar nodded. "I'd imagine that Voden wishes to spend a bit more time with Dona before he has to go again. But in the meantime…" She looked over at Wraith. "Would you care to help the Guardian speed things along with the transport of the prisoner?"
"Right away, Your Grace." Wraith bowed.
Hontus and Rune turned to leave the throne room. When they got to the doors, Rune looked back at his dark dragon family. Elenar, Elza, and Urobos all had small smiles as they nodded toward him. Rune took a breath and bowed toward them.
"Goodbye…"
Rune turned and followed Hontus out of the throne room.
~~…~~
Voden and Dona brought Riven back to her bedroom. They spent a bit of time talking about Riven's development in her few classes, as well as how she was starting to make friends with other white dragonlings. And of course, Voden spent nearly an hour playing with his daughter; he carried her around her room, helped her stack blocks, showed her how to paint better with her little set… just about all of the things a father could do to entertain the daughter he hadn't seen in months. And all the while, Dona sat and watched with a sigh; it was good to see Riven so happy with Voden.
"I got you something, Riven," Voden said with a smile.
"You did?" The dragonling's eyes lit up, and she wagged her tail.
"Oh, yes…" Voden reached into his satchel and pulled out a small book with a hardcover. He placed it down before Riven, who blinked and looked it over curiously.
"It's a storybook," Voden said. "Perfect for smart little dragons that are learning to read."
"Thank you…" Riven said proudly.
Voden curled up on the carpet before the fireplace, with Riven sitting down snugly in her father's grasp. Dona made her way over to sit down beside her husband, not wanting to miss out on her daughter's reading. Riven gently grasped the book and pulled it open to the first story. She squinted her eyes and licked her little lips as she prepared to read.
"The... Cat... Sat... On... A... Mat." Riven started. She looked up at her father. "Was that good, Daddy?"
"Very good." Voden smiled.
"Keep going, dear." Dona insisted.
"Okay…" Riven took a breath and grasped the book's edges. "The... Cat... Had... A... Big... Hat."
Riven moved her talons down to the second line of the paragraph. Dona scooted up a bit closer to Voden as the dragonling continued.
"The... Cat... Saw... A... Big... Rat." Riven read. "The... Cat... Then... Ate... The... Rat."
"Very good, Riven." Voden smiled. "Keep going."
"The... Cat... Ate... More... Rats. Soon... The... Cat... Was... Fat."
"Two more lines and you're done, dear." The scholar said.
"The... Cat... Told... His... Friend... Pat... How... He... Ate... The... Rats. And... That... Was... That..."
Riven wrinkled her muzzle and looked up at Voden with a pout. "This book is silly, Daddy."
"Lots of things in life are silly, Riven." Voden chuckled. "But if you learn to read the silly book, then one day you'll be able to read things that are not so silly like grown-ups do."
"Really?" Riven wagged her tail.
"Of course, dear." Dona leaned down to nuzzle her daughter's forehead. "My little princess can do anything she puts her mind to."
The dragoness carefully scooped up the dragonling and hugged her. She then carefully plopped her daughter atop Voden's back, where she wrapped her wing-thumbs about the scholar's neck once again. Voden sighed as he stood up.
"It's getting close to your naptime, Riven," Dona said as she picked up the book. "Maybe your Daddy will bring you to your bed and read you a story of your choosing.
"But I'm not…" Riven's maw opened wide as a yawn escaped her. "...Sleepy."
"Come on, Riven." Voden carefully swayed from side to side. "Let's get you to bed."
Voden and Dona carried Riven across the room to her crib. The dragonling carefully hopped down from her father's back and into the crib. Voden sat on his haunches and opened up the book to pick out a story to read to her, while Dona grasped a blanket and pulled it over her daughter's back. By the time Voden was finished reading the story, Riven gave another little yawn.
"Sleep tight, my little one," Dona replied. "I'll come to get you when it's time for dinner."
"Will Daddy still be here?" Riven asked.
Voden sighed and put on a patient if sad smile. "Of course, Riven. I'll be here."
"Okay…" The dragonling curled up in a tight ball. "I love you, Daddy."
"And I love you too, little one." The scholar leaned down and planted a peck on his daughter's forehead. "Sleep tight."
Before long, the dragonling had drifted off into slumber. Voden placed the book down beside her in the crib before backing up to make his way to the door. Dona sighed and carefully followed him.
Voden sighed as he gazed out the window to look at the city's skyline. Dona carefully sat down beside him and draped a wing over his back. The scholar welcomed the embrace, but just sadly shook his head.
"Dona, why do we have to keep living like this?" Voden asked.
"I ask you the same thing every six months," Dona replied. "Every time we see each other again, I give you the same offer; stay with me. Be a part of your daughter's life."
"Of course, I want to be a part of her life." Voden bit his lower lip. He wracked his talons uneasily as he turned to look at the dragoness. "But I have a duty as a Guardian. I must teach younger dragons until the day I die."
"You could be so much more than that, you know?" Dona replied. She grasped her dark robes and pulled them away from her sides. She revealed her glowing red möbius glyphs to the scholar, who only sucked in a breath as he beheld them.
"Why be a Guardian, when you could be a king?" Dona declared. "You married me, didn't you? By all accounts, you are a royal now." She placed a forepaw down on Voden's. "Let's live together; be my Shadow King, Voden."
"I can't exactly be a shadow king when I have no shadow magic…" Voden turned his head to the side and blew out a tiny match of dark-orange flames. "See? And besides…" He looked back at her and frowned. "By the ancestors, I mean you no disrespect, Dona… but nobody recognizes you as a queen of the shadow dragons. Your people…" He clattered his fangs as he built up the courage to say it. "They look to Elenar."
Dona rolled her eyes.
"What does this have to do with Elenar? She may be the High Queen of Warfang, but she's no shadow queen! The royal arrangements that Urobos made before The Hive's founding are null and void these days. The crown of the shadow dragons is mine by right…" She wracked her talons against Voden's forepaw again. "And I am YOURS by right. So why have you spent four years keeping an ocean between us?"
"Dona…" Voden sighed and looked down. "A royal may go on to become a Guardian, but the other way around isn't so simple. There are concerns among many Guardians and Elders about any one dragon gaining too much power through such methods. King? Guardian? It's either one or the other; rarely both."
Dona grumbled. Why couldn't Voden see what she saw? Why couldn't he just take an opportunity that had been presented to the both of them? She dug her talons into the carpet; why didn't he just cast off the bloody moniker of a Guardian to accept his role as a monarch? Dona herself would cast off the lousy position of Deep Shadow in a HEARTBEAT if it meant she could take her place as queen! The future of the shadow dragons depended on it! Why, if it weren't for Bergan's plans, Dona would have… would have…
A spark went off in her head. She thought about the coming days… and on Bergan's plans. Things in Warfang were about to become… sticky. Dona had already played a card from her hand… so she might as well go all in. A grin spread across her face, and she leaned up to plant a nuzzle on Voden's cheek.
"Voden, my love…" She said sweetly. "If you won't stay here in Warfang and fight to become my king… then I guess I have no choice but to pack up my things, put Riven on my back, and travel south to Glenhaven with you."
Voden's eyes widened, and he turned to look at her as if she had told some crude joke. When she didn't immediately snort and giggle, his eyes became much more hopeful. "W-What? Really?"
"You want me as your wife, don't you?" Dona asked with a playful expression. "And Riven as your daughter?"
"Of course!" Voden exclaimed. "I never meant to imply anything else! But…" He felt uneasy. "Isn't this rather sudden? There's so much for you to pack! And shouldn't you consult with Elenar to-"
"Elenar may be my superior as the high queen, but she is not my keeper." Dona declared. "I can choose where I want to go. And today, I choose to go with you."
"Well…. Alright, Dona." Voden sighed. He lightly nudged her out of the way so he could rise to his paws. "But there's much to be done. We'll have to pack up everything we can before nightfall; that's when I'm supposed to leave with Hontus to deliver Rune to Warfang."
"And the prisoner," Dona added.
Voden balked. "Er… right."
"Don't worry…" The dragoness nuzzled Voden's cheek again. "Riven doesn't need much. And anything I would require can be purchased on our journey. I'll be quick in informing Elenar of our departure. Just promise me one thing, okay?"
"Of course, Dona." Voden looked her in the eyes. "Just name it."
Dona looked him in the eyes. "I don't want to hide Riven's scale color from anyone."
"Wh-what?" Voden tilted his head curiously.
"I want to show the world my daughter's scales, and show that I'm proud to be the mother of a white dragoness," Dona said as she stood up. "And any dragon that disagrees with that can be damned. If any dragon tries to harm Riven for being a white dragoness, I will cut them down." She briefly flashed her fangs. "And I want you to help protect her."
Voden bit his lower lip. He sucked in a deep breath, and then looked back at Dona with as much fortitude as he could muster.
"I'll gladly protect my little girl, Dona." He declared. "I'll fight for her with all that I have. But I don't think it's wise to parade Riven around in the streets of Warfang when there are still extremists running about. We can simply wait until we pass through the gates and-"
"And keep her hidden away?" Dona frowned. "It's only by Elenar's bloody decrees that all the white dragons have to be hidden from view. I'm tired of children, especially MY CHILD, living as glorified prisoners because of the archaic worldviews of prejudiced dragons that I'll never care about!"
"But they're shadow dragons, Dona," Voden replied. "It's the shadow dragons who started the extremist movements. They're your people."
"Hmph." Dona stuck her muzzle up in the air. "Not if they want my daughter dead. They can rot in the Underworld for all I care."
"Right…" Voden sighed. "Well… I'll keep Riven safely beside me when we leave for the south. Just be sure to inform Elenar that you're leaving."
"Of course…" Dona stood up and planted a kiss on Voden's forehead. "I'll go talk to Elenar, and you pack up mine and Riven's belongings. Be back soon, my love."
And with that, the dragoness vanished into her shadow. Voden just sighed and looked around at the interior of the room. He got to work packing up some clothing and other items into suitcases. He tried to stay positive, but Voden just couldn't help but feel uneasy.
My little girl deserves to be free to wander around outdoors, like any child… The scholar sighed. But not in dangerous places. Not when there are dragons who'd want to hurt her.
~~…~~
Hontus and Rune had ridden in the carriages to the southernmost section of Warfang. They parked before that tavern the Guardians reserved a room in earlier.
Jonathan's cage had been stored inside the carriage at the very front; if he tried anything to escape, the guards would be after him immediately. But the earth drake just held his tongue and waited quietly, while Hontus and Rune prepared for their trip to the south.
"So, when are we leaving?" Rune asked.
"When Voden gets here," Hontus replied. "I can't exactly leave him behind, kiddo."
"Fair enough…" Rune sighed.
A short moment later, a shadowy pool began to emerge across from the carriages. Out stepped Voden, draped in a thick satchel that carried quite a few supplies. He gasped and groaned as he made his way over to the carriages. With a yelp, Rune rushed over and began to use his magic to make the load a bit lighter for the scholar.
"Ahh…" Voden panted. "Thanks, lad."
"You're welcome." Rune nodded. "It's good to see you, Sir Voden."
"Indeed…" He laughed as he tried to stand up taller.
"My goodness, what's all that for?" Hontus asked in surprise.
"These are Dona's and Riven's supplies." Voden declared. He pulled a carriage door open and fell back onto his haunches as he caught his breath. "They're moving in with me."
"They are?" Rune and Hontus asked in unison.
Before Voden could elaborate further, the pool of darkness stretched out wider. Out stepped Dona, with a prim and proper expression as she strode forth in her shadowy robes. Riven rode atop her mother's back, with her white face exposed to the elements. Riven looked around in awe at the city street, while a few citizens gasped in surprise nearby.
Rune flinched at that, while Voden grimaced. The scholar immediately tossed his satchel into the carriage and rushed over to stand beside Dona.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" Riven asked as she looked up at the scholar.
"Uh… we're heading south, dear," Voden said. He lightly picked his daughter up and brought her around to his own back, before making his way into the carriage. Dona sighed at that, but shook her wings out and spun around to glare at any onlookers who might make a scene. Rune felt a frog in his throat; he was just about to ask what Dona was thinking, when…
"DONA!"
Rune flinched again and backed up against the carriage. The pool of darkness split open even wider as several soldiers emerged to crowd the street. They lined up on either side of the carriage and forcibly pushed away as many citizens as they could. They also rushed past Hontus and Rune, who was forced to step out of the way. Lastly, once all of the soldiers had taken formation, Queen Elenar emerged onto the streets.
Elenar looked around frantically until she finally caught sight of Dona. She was equal parts relieved and frustrated as she stomped forward to glare right at the Deep Shadow.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Elenar shouted incredulously.
"Leaving with my husband, as I said." Dona snorted in the queen's face.
"No!" Elenar stomped her paw. "You can't just leave!"
"I can, and I will." Dona declared. "Or are you trying to insist that I don't have the right to live with my husband?"
Elenar balked and backed up. She bit her lower lip and shook her head in frustration.
"Dona, this is too sudden!" Elenar snapped. "You are a Deep Shadow! Your post is here in Warfang! You can't just up and pack everything up and declare that you're leaving without allowing me time to re-organize!"
"I was only ever in Warfang for Riven's sake." Dona declared. "You promised a long time ago that you'd make Warfang safe for white dragons to fly free. But there have still been several murders and attempts on their lives. Thus, it's about time I take this opportunity to get my daughter somewhere that is really IS safe!"
"But there are PROCEDURES for this, Dona!" Elenar stamped her paw again and fanned out her wings. "So long as you are a Deep Shadow, you are expected to follow the laws that I put forth!"
"I am NOT your minion!" Dona screamed, stomping her paw. "I am the rightful SHADOW QUEEN!"
Dona reached up with her talons for her chest and pierced the fabric of her robes. The clothing unwound itself from around her body and rapidly shrank down into a little, shadowy ball. She then took said ball and smashed it down before Elenar, who was left stunned into silence. Dona then pointed a talon at her möbius sigils and snarled.
"I care not for your stupid, time-wasting procedures!" Dona continued. "I don't care if I lose the precious title of Deep Shadow! It was only a consolation prize that was offered to me by Urobos! But no longer!" She fanned out her wings and fell back onto her haunches. "I don't care how few dragons acknowledge my title! From this day forward, I am calling myself QUEEN DONA, as was owed to me from my moment of hatching!"
Elenar stammered something, which made the surrounding soldiers shift uncomfortably. Dona, meanwhile, blew shadowy smoke from her nostrils and rose to her feet as she made a proud strut toward the carriage.
"And my first act as Shadow Queen is to leave this dangerous city to find shelter somewhere safer for my princess." Dona wagged her tail and flapped her wings in a petulant fashion. "Farewell, Elenar."
"FINE," Elenar said through gnashed fangs. "You want to be a queen of a dead kingdom so badly? Go ahead. I won't stop you. I only ever wanted to help Riven. But don't think for a second that I'll ever waste any of Warfang's recourses building a new kingdom elsewhere." She gnashed her fangs. "If you're going to treat me like such a burden, then you're ON YOUR OWN."
Dona didn't have anything to say in her defense. She promptly opened the carriage door, stepped through it, and slammed it shut HARD. The high queen tapped her talons on the ground and gave a frustrated growl, before struggling to catch her breath.
"Erm…" Hontus tugged on his shoulder uneasily. "Should I… intervene?"
"No, no…" Elenar sighed again. She stepped up to the Guardian and gave a soft smile. "Just promise me that you'll take as much care of little Riven as you would my son."
"Mom, I can take care of myself," Rune said with a slight flush.
"I know, I know…" Elenar sighed again but then focused on Hontus. "Please… just give me your word as a Guardian."
"Of course…" Hontus gave Elenar a proud salute. "You have my word, Your Majesty."
"Thank you…" Elenar bowed her head to Hontus and then turned to give a small nuzzle to Rune's head. "Take care out there."
Rune grimaced, but allowed it this time; it would likely be the last he'd see of his mother for a long while.
Once the high queen was done with her goodbyes, she backed away and ordered her soldiers to make sure that the Glenhaven Caravan was safely out of Warfang's territory without being attacked by extremists. Meanwhile, Hontus and Rune stepped into one of the carriages, and the caravan took off to head down the road toward the southern gate.
During the ride, Rune poked his head out of the carriage and looked back.
Warfang was disappearing on the northern horizon, just like it did every year he left for the south around this time. And yet no matter how many times he saw it, and even though he was heading south for his southern home… Rune still felt uneasy. He turned his head up toward The Nexus, as it floated above the Dragon Spire.
Rune could swear that sometimes he could still see the dark storm clouds that pelted Warfang with constant rain. And how nighttime over the city filled him with dread; sometimes it felt like Warfang was still in peril. It was, wasn't it? The Sons of Culmubrae were causing havoc and destruction. The extremists were trying to kill as many white dragons as they could. And somewhere out there… Bergan was plotting something. Rune just didn't know what.
All Rune could hope for, as he turned his head toward the south, was that the worst of his troubles were far behind him.
~~…~~
Greetings, friends and loved ones.
As always, I'm happy with what I added in. Not just new bits with the apprentices, but with Helianne's thoughts as well. I wanted to show more depth with her; to show how her mistakes have gotten herself hurt as well as her brother. Moving forward, the story returns to Glenhaven, where I begin work on the other major focus of the story.
Tenebra ecce Veritas