The Legend of Rune: Forsaken Blood

by Deeth Irteen

Four years have passed since the Malefor Ordeal has ended. Rune is enjoying life in his new home. However, things are not peaceful; new conflics have arisen across the dragon realms. The largest of which is Bergan, a purple dragon, and his daughter Tyrrany, a mysterious white dragoness. Rated M for mature themes and violence.

34. Act 3, Chapter 7

Rune fought back a shiver as he gazed up at Cyrus, who loomed angrily overhead. Rune still couldn't believe his eyes. The way Cyrus's muscles rippled with dark energy, the frightening aura about his body... even the shade of his scales was unsettling now. The only things recognizable about Rune's brother were his glowing red birthmarks.

"You're the WORST, Rune!" Cyrus hissed. "You hear me?! THE WORST!"

Rune couldn't leave it like this; he certainly couldn't let his brother chase after their sister. No… he had to try something.

"Cyrus, listen to me!" Rune pleaded as he stood up taller. "You've got to try and fight this!"

"Fight WHAT?!" Cyrus asked as he stamped his paws again. "Becoming this powerful was the best decision I've made in my entire life!"

"You can't let yourself be corrupted by Convexity," Rune said.

"Corrupted?" Cyrus scoffed. "This energy has LIBERATED me. It's made me a POWERHOUSE!"

He fanned out his wings and beat them proudly, sending gusts of wind blowing against the inside wall of the dark flames. Rune shielded himself with a wing and gnashed his fangs as he fought to stay in place.

"Cyrus, I know you're feeling big and strong now… but you'll regret it. Trust me." Rune stepped just a bit closer.

"Oh, shut up!" Cyrus snapped. "I finally feel GOOD about myself, damnit! I finally feel like a real and proper black dragon!" He swung his tail about and flexed his rippling muscles. "Nobody's ever going to call me a girl ever again!"

"I never meant to hurt you," Rune said. "And neither did Tina, or Chalice… or anyone in our family!"

"But everyone ELSE did." Cyrus blew more smoke from his nostrils. "Nothing I ever did… no amount of exercising, or eating right, or going through all of that damn training ever did ANYTHING to get other students to see me as anything other than a girly little STRUMPET!"

He slammed his forepaws on the ground and tried to knock Rune down, but the smaller black dragon fought to remain standing. Rune grimaced, but he shook his head and stepped closer.

"Cyrus, I'm sorry that you've never been satisfied with the way you look," Rune said nervously. "Of course I want you to be happy and living your best life. But doing THIS? It's a dangerous path!"

"As if you would know what real power is like?" Cyrus yelled.

"I know EXACTLY what having that much power in you is like!" Rune exclaimed, with a few tears in his eyes. "It burns you up inside! It tears away all of your emotions, and just replaces them with rage! And if you have too much… there's almost no way of going back to normal!" Rune beat his chest and pointed to a few of his scars. "Don't you remember what happened to ME?!"

Cyrus came to a stop and blinked as he looked down at the scars on Rune's chest. A rumble left his throat as he processed his thoughts. The great black dragon shook his head, and then dug his talons into the floor.

"Of COURSE I remember." Cyrus eventually said with a sneer. "You were possessed. Malefor took your body and mutated you into a great, building-destroying abomination. Everyone back home thought there was a big chance that you were... Beyond saving."

Rune's winced and fought back some more tears. Rather than dwell on the more unpleasant thoughts, he sucked in a breath and stepped forward.

"Right… but you didn't give up on me." Rune carefully reached out with a forepaw. "Just like I won't give up on-"

"I'm NOT possessed, Rune!" Cyrus snapped as he swatted Rune's forepaw away. "It's just ME in here! And I'm thinking as clearly as any other day!"

Rune's smile weakened, and he sucked in another breath. "But you've still been mutated by Convexity. It's going to tear you apart from the inside out if you don't release it."

"No way!" Cyrus growled. "I'm going to stay like this for the rest of my life! I don't want to go back to being a girly WEAKLING!"

Rune growled a bit. "Then… Think about what everyone ELSE is going to do about this!"

"What?" Cyrus scowled.

"You're big, you're terrifying, and you've dropped into Glenhaven Palace unannounced, with a bunch of crepsculi hot on your heels!" Rune gestured all around. "What's worse, you've scared the students half to death with a great ring of FIRE!" He stomped his forepaw and glared. "Do you think the Guardians are going to stand for this?! It's only a matter of time before you're in deep, deep trouble for causing such a scene!"

Cyrus flinched back, and then he growled a bit more. He didn't like hearing that… but Rune couldn't help but share the truth.

"Rune!" Called the voice of Tyrrany.

Rune's eyes widened; in all of the commotion, he didn't notice that the cloaked dragoness was still in the arena. He glanced across the way and saw her walking around the perimeter, trying to dodge the flames.

"What are you still doing here?!" Rune shouted incredulously. "Why didn't you leave with the others?!"

"I didn't want to leave you behind!" Tyrrany exclaimed, before casting her glance up at Cyrus. "EITHER of you."

"What?!" Cyrus snapped. He slammed the ground and beat his wings. "You think you're ready for a rematch against all of THIS?!"

"I… I don't want to fight you!" Tyrrany shook her head. "Not anymore!"

Cyrus's eyes widened… and then he scowled. "You certainly looked ready for a fight when you tried to KIDNAP ME!"

The dragoness winced, but she forced herself to stand up tall. "I did that because… because…" She gulped as she looked Cyrus in the eyes. "Because I wasn't thinking!"

"Well, that's true, at least…" Rune spat. Tyrrany shot him a glare, but then returned her focus to Cyrus. She fought the urge to bring her bow to her violin to play music.

"Cyrus… I'm not the one who wanted to go after you." She said. "It was what King Saul wanted me and Jonathan to do."

Rune gasped, while Cyrus growled. He stomped around on the floor again as he drew closer to Tyrrany.

"Oh, of COURSE." Cyrus snapped. "I know full well that the fumbling, bumbling NITWIT was after us." He lowered his head down to scowl at Tyrrany. "But you left out the part where Saul was also plotting to go after our MOM."

Tyrrany's eyes widened, and the corrupted drake gave a grin.

"What, did you think I didn't know about that part? Well, I DO!" He beat the ground again. "I know all about it, because your daddy, Bergan, TOLD ME!"

Tyrrany shivered, and she moved a forepaw over her muzzle. "I…"

"I know full well that you have some grudge against our mom!" Cyrus slammed the floor. "It was one of your goals from the start to go after her! So don't act like you were some pawn playing Saul's game! You're nothing more than a lying, scheming, BITCH!"

Cyrus made to lunge for Tyrrany, who instinctively froze time. But while she tried to dash around his legs, Cyrus suddenly called upon his own time magic. He growled as he reached out for Tyrrany, grabbed her torso, and hefted her up into the air. He squeezed her body, making her cry out and lose concentration on her magic. She also reached up to claw at Cyrus's paw, dropping her violin and bow in the process…

…which Rune caught with a quick jump. He carefully held them together and panted heavily.

Why did you bother going after those? Runefor asked in his head.

I don't know… He thought as he turned around. Maybe they're important to her.

Hmph. Indeed…

"Cyrus, STOP!" Rune screamed up at the corrupted dragon. "Stop hurting her!"

Cyrus stopped squeezing and slowly turned around to glare down at Rune. He raised an eye ridge and moved Tyrrany to hold her up above their brother.

"Do you SERIOUSLY care about her? HER?" Cyrus asked angrily. "The back-stabbing rat that plotted with Saul to go after our Mom?"

"J-Just stop it!" Rune shouted. "Please, Cyrus… Mom wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want you hurting her. Even after everything, she's done…" Rune took a step closer. "Hope is still our sister!"

Tyrrany was stunned; it just… it just didn't make any sense. The way Rune defended her, called her their sister… and again, by that strange name. Her heart ached; why was Rune so insistent? Why was he so… brotherly?

"You know what?" Cyrus said with a deathly glare. "If you're so keen on defending her… and so worried about this precious arena…" He stomped forward and suddenly grabbed Rune by the foreleg. "Then let's take this OUTSIDE!"

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Rune cried.

The black dragon snapped his talons, and a great pool of shadows swarmed from his paws. The next thing Rune knew, he, Cyrus, and Tyrrany were all engulfed in darkness and whisked away…

~~…~~

The wind blew briskly against Saul's cloak as he stood up proud and tall atop his mighty carriage. All around him, his army was hard at work preparing various tents to camp out for the night. Everyone had their gauntlets within easy reach, just in case Saul needed to call forth his new aerial advantage.

The earth king's eyes were cast toward the southwest, and a grin spread from ear frill to ear frill.

It was almost time. After four long years of being forced into exile, Saul was finally about to return to Glenhaven. It was the eve of his great reclamation. It had taken quite a while, but Saul's war caravan had made the long trek across the Arcus Desert. And now, they were stopped at the perfect vantage point to launch their offensive against the traitors who stole the earth king's crown. And none in Glenhaven were aware of the caravan's arrival. Just look at it… perched quietly in the middle of another sleepy day, preparing to take part in the Day of the Bonds. They were unaware of the surprise waiting to storm the gates of the desert city the very next morning.

The General turned to look over his war caravan. Temporary tents had been established for the troops to gain some rest and eat their rations. It was for the best; he needed all of them in top form to begin the liberation.

Clink-clink.

Saul wracked his talons against his wrist as he kept his cloak tucked over his body. He was just a bit too excited… It was tempting, even NOW, to launch the attack to take the city before nightfall. But no… he had to remember who was still in Glenhaven. Flamaedelus and Nymph were part of the alliance; Saul had to be patient, and give them time to flee with the few individuals they deemed to save.

Of course… Saul shifted in place as his talons scratched against the inside of his fabric. If anyone is smart in Glenhaven, they'll surrender as soon as I arrive. They'll be spared… if they're lucky.

Saul took a few calm breaths and scratched a little itch at the back of his head with a wing-thumb. Something felt strange… out of place. Was part of his mane damaged? He didn't seem to recall any such injuries happening during the long trek across the lands. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him…

"Your Highness!" Screamed a frantic voice from the air. "Danger!"

"What?!" Saul's eyes widened. He looked up, and then took a quick step back as a water dragon flew down from the sky; a scout. The scout came to a quick landing, panted heavily, and then scraped himself off the floor to stand at attention before the king.

"What's wrong?" Saul demanded. "What did you see?"

"My king…" The drake panted as he gave a salute. "A caravan from Crossbolt is approaching from the northwest!"

"What?!" Saul repeated, louder and more frantic than before.

Immediately the General fumbled around his cloak to retrieve his telescope. He stood up as tall as he could and followed the scout's direction toward the northwest…

True enough, there it was; thundering its way across the desert sands with great haste. Over two dozen banners were hung from metal poles across all flanks, each one bearing the lightning-bolt sigil of the ruling family of Crossbolt. And soon, Saul spotted the main vessel of the caravan near the center. There, seated upon a chair and scowling as he peered through his telescope, was king Tintreon. And he wasn't alone: The old black dragon Urobos was to his left, and none other than ELENAR was to his right.

Saul flinched in surprise, nearly dropping his telescope. He watched as Tintreon said something to those two ACCURSED dragons before passing the telescope around. Soon enough, each of the two wretches had a chance to gawk in disgust.

No… Saul stumbled back a bit as he put his foreleg down.

How?! How did they know?! How could those two be on the southern continent?! They couldn't have known about his planned assault on Glenhaven! They just COULDN'T! Not unless… unless someone told them?

How…? When… WHO?! Saul's thoughts dashed back and forth as anger boiled in his blood. Instinctively, his earth element seeped into his forepaw, and he slowly crushed his telescope. Who would dare to give away my plans?!

The king's thoughts were cut off by a bellow fueled with rage.

"SAUL!"

The voice boomed like thunder across the war camp. Immediately Saul's soldiers snapped to attention and looked around in surprise. But while the many lower grunts were simply alarmed, a chill quietly ran down their ruler's spine.

No… He blinked, as his talons shook. It can't be. Not again!

It came from the sky… Saul tilted his head skyward, for the figure loomed in the clouds. But once it descended, and he got a clear picture… adrenaline filled the king's veins. Fear and anger mixed as he watched the purple dragon descend from the sky.

The drake was the picture of perfect health; a far cry from what Saul had last seen of the hero years prior. He beat his mighty wings as he lowered down further so that all of Saul's war caravan could behold him. Light seemed to radiate off his purple scales, as shock and alarm spread throughout the entire caravan. The hero surveyed the troops, before finally locking eyes with the General. He slowly descended, until all could get a clear look at him… At the living, breathing, Spyro.

"It can't be…" Saul stammered as he took a few steps back. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Complications have forced me to return to the realms once more…" Spyro said with a scowl. "Chief among them being your treason."

Saul flinched and then growled, as he watched the purple hero beat his wings and fly around the caravan. The hero amplified his voice with wind magic so that everyone could hear him as if he were standing right before them.

"The one called Saul is engaging in an act of war against the peace and prosperity of the realms!" Spyro called out to the mass of soldiers. "To launch an attack on the ancestral home of Elders and Guardians is an affront against dragon-kind!"

Immediately many of the soldiers exchanged uneasy glances. They looked toward Saul, who simply stood with clenched fangs as he watched the purple drake soar about.

"Already, the soldiers of Crossbolt are making their way, ready to intercept this army and prevent further attack!" Spyro continued. "You will be given a singular chance to surrender so that none have to lose their lives in needless bloodshed!"

A murmur spread further throughout the caravan. Saul's ear frills tingled as he heard faint whispers… already the General was imagining some of the weaker-willed soldiers preemptively giving up the fight. Saul clutched his foreleg, as his talons balled into a fist. This… This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Saul?" Came the voice of Olivia. He glanced down and saw his wife peeking her head out of the lower section of the vehicle.

"What's going on out there?" The dragoness asked. Her eyes caught sight of the hero as he flew by, and she gasped in alarm. "Is that… Was that Lord Spy-?"

"Get back inside, Olivia," Saul ordered.

"Saul, I'm scared…" She said worriedly as she looked up at him. "What's happening?"

"I said GET INSIDE!" He roared at her. Olivia yelped in fright, and hurriedly pulled her head back inside and shut the window. Saul held his fangs together, as he shuffled around with both forelegs within his cloak. This… This wasn't supposed to turn out this way…

"It's over, Saul." Spyro's voice said from above. The General cast his eyes skyward to see that the hero had come to loom overhead. The hero held a steely gaze as he pointed a talon down at him. "Tell your troops to surrender. Give up without a fight, and your sentence will be minimal.

Saul never felt so exposed… not since the day he was betrayed in Warfang. He felt alone… standing high atop a pillar with no place to flee. Meanwhile, the sun seemed to shine brightly behind Spyro, casting his purple and gold rays across the entire war party.

Everything was going Saul's way… everything was going to be put right. He was to take his old home and cast out the traitors. He was going to become a king once more, with his throne secured. And now, all of it… his hard-earned victory… was to be snatched away before it could even begin? The very dead had come to life, just to turn the world against him? To stop him from taking back everything he'd lost?

Anger burned deep within Saul's core… as did the shimmering, brilliant convexity. Saul leaned his head up, locked eyes with Spyro, and spoke with as much hatred and vitriol as he could muster.

"No."

"What was that?" Spyro raised an eye ridge.

"You're not doing this to me," Saul growled as he extended his talons. "I've put in far too much work and years of planning into this day!"

Spyro's eyes narrowed, and he flew down closer. "You would dare defy me, and continue your betrayal?!"

"Every other kingdom has betrayed me!" Saul hissed. "All across the continents, they celebrated with their high queen, while the murder of my father was left unresolved! I demanded an accounting, and they threw me into the waste!"

"You tried to start a war!" Spyro said angrily. He began drifting down toward Saul, with a magical aura swirling about his scales. "And I won't let you try it AGAIN!"

The purple dragon opened his maw and unleashed a mighty blast of electricity down at Saul. The General instinctively reached into his being and unleashed a blast of earth. Light erupted in the sky, and many cried out in shock, as they watched the magical beams clash against each other. Saul twitched and writhed in place as he forced his earth to fight as hard as it could, while Spyro…

Spyro simply descended from the sky, with a discordantly calm and collected stance. For Spyro, it was simply a standard attack to unleash his lightning. The General struggled and fought to keep at it; he shuffled his wings beneath his cloak and glared at Spyro… all while the electricity traveled closer and closer toward him. Saul's body felt very hot; he rapidly inhaled and exhaled through his nostrils as he fought with everything he had to keep the beam going.

It's not supposed to go like this… Saul thought angrily. He scratched at the wood beneath his body with his talons as his heart beat faster and faster. I won't… let it… END LIKE THIS!

Saul tore a chunk of the wood away and extended his gauntleted forepaw toward Spyro. One of the convexity crystals crumbled to dust… as a beam of purple energy burst forth at high speed.

Spyro's eyes widened in shock, and he served to get out of the way of the blast. Spyro flew about and righted himself as he glanced back down. Saul stood up taller as his earth energy faded away. The green dragon tossed away his cloak, to extend his green wings. He fell back onto his forepaws… which were now BOTH adorned in the metal gauntlets. Every one of the slots on both gauntlets glowed a brilliant purple light, as convexity fueled the earth drake's power.

Spyro flinched back in alarm; he didn't want to believe what Wraith had mentioned. And yet there they were; fueling Saul's body with horrible power.

Saul grasped his war horn in one forepaw, and clutched the bag of convexity crystals on his belt with the other, as he beat his wings to ascend into the air. His talons dug into the crystals, piercing and shattering them into dust as he collected the energy into his body.

"You stood in the way of my greatness once before!" Saul roared as he brought his war horn to his muzzle. "You won't get a chance to do it again!"

Saul blew his war horn, and at once the many soldiers of the war caravan unleashed their gauntlets. Spyro tried to charge at Saul, but the earth king dodged out of the way, faster than a dragon of his build could move. A trail of purple energy was left in the wake of Saul's wings every time he flapped them, which led to a shower of mist raining down across the ground surrounding the caravan. Spyro righted himself, and looked down in time to see the energy scattering across the soldiers…

…and the pools of darkness, which now surrounded the caravan.

"Stop!" Spyro roared down at the soldiers. "You would go against the words of your hero?!"

But that was exactly what they did; they held furious scowls as their crepsculi emerged around them. And as soon as the beasts were summoned, they flew into the air to cloud the skies in darkness.

And then… they swarmed.

With no other course of action to take, Spyro took in a deep breath and unleashed a burst of flames to destroy the creatures. A good dozen of them were engulfed in fire and plummeted... only to be replaced by a dozen more. They shrieked and clicked their tongues as they flew toward Spyro, talons outstretched to rake his flesh.

Spyro filled his wings with the power of the wind to evade the creatures and flew about to unleash bursts of ice and earth to strike them down. But no matter how many he destroyed, more seemed to take their places immediately…

Spyro was so focused on the crepsculi that he neglected to look at the soldiers… until an arrow pierced his wing membrane.

Spyro roared in pain as he cast a glance down at the soldiers. There were cheetah archers amongst their ranks; about a hundred or so. They stood their ground upon the rooftops of the caravans, and many of them aimed their bows right at Spyro. And not only that, but many earth dragons stood at the ready; their bodies glowed green as they filled their maws with earth magic. Before long, the earth bombs started to fly through the air, all aimed at the purple drake. Spyro swerved through the skies, as a terrible hail of arrows and magical bursts buffeted his body.

Spyro was mortified: his words had fallen on deaf ears. The army's loyalty to Saul was greater than their admiration for a hero of legend. He couldn't persuade them… the plan had failed. He wouldn't be able to talk Saul down…

Wait… where WAS Saul?

While shielding his head, Spyro looked around for a sign of the earth king. Spyro soon spotted Saul as he propelled himself through the sky at high speed. The earth king was headed straight for Glenhaven… and he wasn't alone, as he'd summoned his swarm of crepsculi to follow him. They followed behind him as he left a trail of purple mist through the sky on his way toward the desert city.

"Saul, NO!" Spyro screamed. He filled his wings with wind magic and propelled himself as fast as he could go. Saul glanced back for only a moment, where he filled the sky with a voice powered by convexity.

"Glenhaven is MINE!" Saul bellowed like thunder. "You hear me?! MINE!"

Spyro fought to chase after the earth dragon, but many of the crepsculi slashed at his sides, drawing blood. The purple drake hissed and beat his wings to evade them, only for an earth bomb to explode against his wing. Spyro spiraled out of control, all while more arrows stabbed him in the back.

Spyro reached within himself for healing water magic, which flowed through his veins as fast as he could push it. But even if some of the wounds were healed, more would just take their place. He hissed and snarled as he fought against the beasts to finally regain some control. The hero fought harder and harder, but soon the beasts engulfed him like a writhing, hissing cloud of darkness…

Until a few stray blasts of lightning blasted a few of them away.

The monsters hissed and shrieked as attacks from an unseen force continued to tear them away from Spyro's body. The distraction was just long enough for Spyro to swirl himself about, flinging the beasts free from his scales. He then panted heavily and fought to beat his wings to gain control of himself. At first, he thought he had no time, as a hail of arrows and earth bombs continued to come flying from the caravan…

Only for a great geyser of wind to blow them back to the sands.

As Spyro struggled to regain his control, he glanced around to see several lightning dragons flying through the air. All of them wore uniforms bearing the sigil of Crossbolt. They all worked in tandem to blast earth bombs out of the sky, while the arrows were pushed back by great gusts of wind… which came from, who else, but Cynder?

The black dragoness flew down to carefully grasp Spyro, and help him regain control of himself, after a few flaps, the purple drake found himself back in control of his flight, with most of his wounds healed away. He beat his wings hard and sighed in relief as he gazed up at Cynder as she flew around him.

"Thank you…" He said with a smile. "Thank you so much."

"Thank me when all of this is over," Cynder said with a snort as she motioned in the direction of the trail of destruction left in Saul's wake. "We need to clip that big idiot's wings before things REALLY get out of wing!"

"Right…" Spyro began to flap his wings again, only to glance down at the caravan below. Chaos was beginning to erupt as the Aeroshard dragons began to wage battle against the Crossbolt drakes. He was about to question what to do… when a war horn filled the air from the north.

Spyro and Cynder glanced over to see none other than Tintreon taking to the skies. He was flanked on either side by a dozen or so lightning dragons, and all of them made to descend toward the war caravan. And they were far from the only lightning dragons taking off to join the battle.

"We'll take it from here!" Tintreon shouted out proudly as he and his squadron flew past. "Just focus on stopping Saul!"

"Right…" Spyro filled his wings with wind magic and took off as swiftly as he could. Cynder was soon shortly behind him, and they made their chase after the corrupted earth drake.

During the flight, Cynder couldn't help but smirk at Spyro. Spyro saw this, and simply rolled his eyes and focused ahead.

"I told you it wouldn't work," Cynder said cheekily.

"I still had to at least try…" Spyro said with a snort. "And besides; it made him stall long enough for Tintreon to rally his troops."

"Even so…" Cynder gave a brief chuckle. "I had to swoop in and help save your flank… again."

Spyro balked, and simply focused on chasing after Saul. This was no time to scold his wife for making witty banter in the middle of a war…

Not with so many lives at risk.

~~…~~

The air was chilly over the airship. Everyone on deck was stunned into silence.

They were all just about to take off from the airship and head below when they spotted something looming off in the sky to the northeast. Flamaedelus withdrew several telescopes from his cloak and passed them around, so everyone could make sense of things. And it didn't take long for dread to set in.

A great black cloud of innumerable beasts was making its way across the desert. Their speed wasn't great, but it was LOOMING. And there, at the very center of the horde… was a furious green dragon.

Attonita, Krystallos, and Zecht were the first to be horrified. They put down their telescopes and held wide eyes of dread. Elza was next, having been stunned into silence. The last ones were Flamaedelus and Nymph. The former angrily gripped his telescope to the point where it nearly cracked under his grip. And the latter dropped hers, while a paw covered her muzzle in shock.

"By the Ancestors…" Attonita said with wide eyes.

"This… This can't be…" Nymph muttered as fear filled her eyes. "He… He said he'd wait until we'd retrieved my family. He said he wouldn't attack so soon!"

"The bastard!" Flamaedelus tossed his telescope to the ground. "He's gone back on his word!"

"Scramble the soldiers!" Krystallos roared as he opened his wings wide, before turning toward his son. "You need to summon the other Guardians immediately!"

"I'll be right on it!" Zecht threw up a quick salute before spreading his own wings.

Krystallos and Zecht took off into the sky, while Attonita struggled to work up her nerve. The lightning elder looked at Flamaedelus, Nymph, and Elza in turn.

"Is there anything the three of you can do to help defend the city?" She asked pleadingly.

"We'll do everything we can!" Flamaedelus insisted. "We have families in this city, too."

"Absolutely." Nymph nodded her head. "But I need to make sure that my sister knows of the danger."

"Of course." Attonita focus on Elza; specifically. "But, what about you?"

"I… I don't know if I can fight…" Elza said as she put a hand on her large belly. "But if there's one thing I can do, I…"

Her train of thought was interrupted as her ear frill twitched; the sound of magic came from behind. She quickly whirled around and got into a fighting stance, while the other dragons looked on worriedly.

To all of their shock, especially Elza, a pool of shadowy mist formed on the deck of the airship. That pool quickly spread into a big geyser of magic. And out of that geyser, there came… Albanion.

Elza gasped, while the surrounding dragons looked on in surprise. Albanion gazed to the left, then the right, and then finally appraised the group. His eyes fell upon Elza… and he too gasped. Albanion stepped forward, then Elza stepped forward, and then the two dragons ran for each other. They draped their wings over each other and cried.

"Albanion…" Elza cried as she nuzzled him.

"A-Are you alright?" Albanion asked. He tried not to cry as he moved his forepaws about his mate's body. "Are the eggs okay?"

"They're fine… I think." Elza looked down at her belly. "But… How did you get here?" She glanced behind him at the flowing geyser. "Who sent you?"

"I didn't come alone…" Albanion draped a wing over Elza's back as he turned around to stand tall.

The next dragons to come out were ones Elza hardly recognized; various drakes garbed in armor bearing the seal of Crossbolt. After that came a gasping, panting old drake: Urobos. He was supported by Elenar, who held her jaw shut firmly.

"…Are you alright?" Elenar quietly asked the old dragon.

"I'll be fine…" He said between pants.

"Elenar! Lord Urobos!" Elza shouted. Her eyes nearly watered once again as the two dragons looked in her direction.

"Sister…" Elenar said in relief. She carefully let go of Urobos and stepped up to look over the wind dragoness. The two dragonesses hugged each other, and the queen proceeded to look over Elza in the same manner as Albanion.

The last dragon out of the geyser, and the one to close it behind himself, was Wraith. The crimson drake grumbled and panted as he turned around… only to look around in surprise and confusion at what he now stood upon.

"What in the…?" He balked as he turned around. That's when Wraith spotted Urobos making his way toward the trio of Attonita, Flamaedelus, and Nymph. All three of these dragons were surprised and confused at the sudden appearance of the dozen or so dragons upon the vessel. With a shrug, Wraith stepped up to stand in attendance, in case he was called upon.

"My Goodness, Urobos?" Attonita asked in bewilderment. The old king bowed his head, and the elder semi-begrudgingly did the same.

"You're exactly one of the dragons I've needed to come to talk to." The black dragon said as he lifted his head. "There's a lot to say, and barely any time."

"How…" Attonita stammered as she lifted her head. Her mind struggled to decide on what to ask first. "How did you know we'd be way up here?"

"We didn't know that, exactly…" Urobos said as he looked around. "We'd spotted this… THING, looming over the skies of the desert city… and thought it might be some sort of danger."

"What in the Ancestors' name IS this thing?" Wraith asked incredulously as he looked around once again.

"An ancient airship dug up from the ruins of the desert," Flamaedelus said matter-of-factly.

Wraith looked at the red drake like he'd spoken complete gibberish. "I… I think some explanations are in order."

"We'll explain what we can in time." The lightning elder said as she glanced back at Urobos. "I wish I could say it's a wonderful time to see you again. But…"

"Those monsters are heading straight for Glenhaven; we're all well aware." The old king nodded. "But you needn't worry: we've arrived with King Tintreon and the army of Crossbolt to lend you a hand against Saul's forces."

"I don't think that will be enough…" Nymph sneered in the direction of the swarm. "We're all going to need a lot more assistance than just another army."

"We do have some aid… they're already chasing after Saul as we speak…" Urobos grimaced, before glancing back at Attonita. "With your permission, Queen Elenar, Deep Shadow Albanion, and I would like to venture out into the city to lend our aid to the citizens during the crisis."

"By all means, help!" Attonita flapped her wings. "We've stood around here long enough as it is!"

With barely another word, Attonita took off into the sky to fly down to the palace. Flamaedelus and Nymph watched her go, and then glanced back at Urobos and Elenar, who stepped forward to inspect the two of them. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her head into a regal stance.

"Is Bergan here?" Elenar demanded.

"No, Queen Elenar…" Nymph shook her head. "…But your daughter is."

Immediately Elenar's regality fell away, as her eyes widened in horror. She stomped up close and looked Nymph in the eyes.

"WHERE?" The queen narrowed her eyes.

"I-I'm not sure…" The dragoness stammered in shock.

"I last saw her out in the city proper," Flamaedelus said; he placed a paw on Nymph's shoulder to steady her. "She was with my son and their friend; we went our separate ways so I could warn the Elders about Saul's siege!"

Elenar stepped back and tried to keep from shaking. She steadied her wings, took a deep breath, and glanced back at Urobos and the three Deep Shadows.

"I'm searching the city." She stated. "Whether you follow or not, I'm looking for Hope."

"I'll be right by your side." Elza declared as she stepped closer.

"What?!" Albanion exclaimed. "Elza, no! You can't!"

Elza flinched and looked back at him sadly. "Albanion…"

"I just got you back!" Albanion continued. He stepped forward and looked her in the eyes. "I can't just let you put your life at risk! Not during a siege!"

Elza sucked in a breath. Through his anger, Elza could see the stress and worry in his eyes. And looking at Elenar and Urobos, similar feelings were present. Elza took a deep breath, and then looked back at her husband.

"I know that I shouldn't fight," Elza said calmly. "But I could never forgive myself if something happened to Elenar during this siege."

The queen flinched. "Elza…"

"You're my sister, Elenar." The wind dragoness continued. "Your life is just at much risk taking part in this siege…" She stepped closer and held a firm expression. "You're my family. And Family sticks together."

Elenar sucked in a breath and tried to hold back her stray tears. She looked at Albanion, who moved to stand beside Elza as he spread his wings.

"Whatever happens, I'm staying by Elza." The poison drake declared. "Where she goes, I go. I won't let anyone take my wife and children away from me again!"

"Time is of the essence," Urobos said. The old drake lifted himself into the air with his magic. "Let's go!"

Elenar and Elza were next to spread their wings to take flight. But just as the queen was about to take off, she heard Wraith stepping forward.

"Hey, wait a minute!" He declared. "Should I follow suit?"

"Hmm…" Elenar glanced across the way, where Flamaedelus and Nymph still stood in awkward silence. The queen then inspected the assorted Crossbolt dragons, who stood in attention. Elenar sighed, and then looked back at Wraith.

"Stay stationed on this… whatever this is," Elenar said. "Have these soldiers patrol the skies over the palace, in case any of the beasts draw too close."

Wraith sighed as he stood in attendance and saluted. He tried to make a serious expression… but was still slightly disappointed.

"As you command, my queen." He said.

With that done, Elenar turned to join the other dragons in the air. Wraith as she flew across the sky with Albanion, Elza, and Urobos…

And then, once they were gone, Wraith's expression turned incredibly dour. He shook his head and groaned as he wracked his talons on the railing of the vessel.

"Well, that's just wonderful…" Wraith turned around to address the gathered soldier. "You all heard Elenar's orders. Fly over the palace, and… watch out for beasts, I guess."

The soldiers silently took to the skies and flew off. Wraith watched them circling in the air to await any oncoming danger. And then, the crimson drake just huffed and leaned against the railing once more.

"Guess that's my role in all this, then…" He snorted. "Playing guard duty… again…"

Wraith sighed and tapped a hind paw to pass the time. He glanced across the way at Flamaedelus and Nymph, who exchanged awkward glances. They spread their wings and prepared to take off, while Wraith simply scoffed.

"Hold it." Wraith held a forepaw up as he turned toward the pair. "I think it's for the best if the two of you stick around."

"Wh-Why?" Nymph asked incredulously.

"I think the high queen's going to have a LOT of questions for you two," Wraith said.

"We have to find our families!" Flamaedelus exclaimed. "My son and his friend are down there!"

"As are MY son, and my husband!" Nymph added. "Do you expect us to just sit around and do nothing?"

"Well, I can't just let my eyes off of you!" Wraith shouted as he slammed his forepaw down. "There's a swarm flying this way! And I am NOT getting put on blast for-!"

Wraith was about to slam his forepaw again… when something clicked in his mind. He stammered on his words and then thought for a minute.

"Flying…" He said curiously as his eyes drifted about at the surrounding structure of the vessel. Wraith cast his eyes down at the hull, where several large holes were cut into the frame. "…Blast…?"

Wraith snapped his talons. And then… his mind started to wander. He turned back toward Flamaedelus and Nymph, as he scratched his chin.

"This… what did you call it… Airship?" Wraith asked. "I have this funny feeling… it looks like a war vessel."

"Uhh…" Flamaedelus bit his lower lip. "Perhaps."

"And like most war vessels… it's got weapons." Wraith continued as he stepped forward. "I'm talking cannons. Big ones."

"I… guess it would?" Nymph grimaced. "But it's so old; they might not work anymore."

"Well, it's FLYING, isn't it?" Wraith extended a wing outward. "So many years old, and yet flying around. And if whatever's keeping this clunker in the air is working, then maybe the WEAPONS on it might work, too."

"Err… that's a bit of a leap of logic." Flamaedelus frowned.

"Okay, let me try to say something else…" Wraith clapped his forepaws together. "Whether they work or not, this thing LOOKS like its big cannons still work."

"I suppose?" Nymph said dubiously.

"So…." Wraith turned toward the two of them. "If we were to leave something huge with big cannons just floating around, up for grabs…"

Flamaedelus's and Nymph's eyes widened in realization. Once again, they exchanged glances… and then turned toward the sky and the looming swarm heading toward the city.

"By the Ancestors, NO!" Flamaedelus shouted. "We can't let him have it!"

"Or… we can let him have it," Wraith said with a grin. He held up a fist and punched it against his forepaw. "We'll let him have it, alright!"

At first, Flamaedelus and Nymph looked at Wraith like he was insane… and then… they turned once again toward the swarm. And everything clicked into place.

"Will… Will this work?" Nymph asked.

"Only one way to find out…" Wraith's eyes beamed, and he looked over at the captain's wheel of the vessel.

Wraith grasped the railing of the airship and looked down to where the Crossbolt soldiers were flying. He sucked in a breath and called out to them as loud as he could.

"HEY! I NEED SIX OF YOU BACK UP ON THIS VESSEL!" The Deep Shadow screamed. Most of the soldiers looked up at the crimson drake in surprise, while he ran his talons through his mane in excitement. "WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO!"

~~…~~

Chaos spread faster than anyone could have imagined. The horde of beasts flooded the halls, sending many children fleeing, screams echoing down the corridor. Worse yet, the dark flames spread out of the arena, threatening to engulf everything.

But Telus… Telus would not allow this destruction!

The earth elder stormed his way down the halls, blasting the monsters away to cut a path for the many younglings behind him. He roared as fiercely as he could, with his wings spread wide to shield his students.

"Keep your heads low to the ground!" Telus shouted to the younglings. "Don't breathe in the smoke!"

Of course, having just done that, the smoke threatened to suffocate the elder. But he gritted his fangs and quickly lowered his head to get some fresh gulps of air. What didn't help matters was the oncoming threat of more of the black-hided beasts.

A few of the older fire-elemental students stepped forward to try and help the elder by pulling flames away from the others and into their maws. Unfortunately, they could barely clear the way forward, before even more flames spread to erase all their efforts. Most of them cried out in fear and worry.

"We're sorry, Elder!" A dragoness cried. "We can't do it!"

"It's okay…" Telus said as he struck another crepsculi with an earth bomb. "You did what you could."

The earth elder continued on his way, striking down beast after beast, while his students did their best to assist him. But the flames grew thicker, and smoke filled the air. Telus lowered his head and tried to hold out for as long as he could. But the flames kept growing; he almost feel his scales being singed as he struggled to lead the way. For a moment, Telus thought this was it. He spread his wings out wide to protect any that he could, and shut his eyes in anticipation of the worst…

…only for the flames to be directed away from him and the students. Instead, the flames were pulled back from the floor and walls… straight for Hontus and Voden!

The Fire Guardians used their combined magic to dissipate as many flames as they could. Once that was done, Hontus and Voden stepped out of the way so that Mimet and Jules could rush into place. The pair unleashed earth blasts and lightning bolts as fast as they could, dishing out quick yet precise strikes to cripple as many of the crepsculi as they saw. Bit by bit, the monsters were cut down, and a safe path was finally cleared.

"Father, this way!" Mimet motioned toward Telus and the students. "We've cleared the way out!"

"Oh, thanks the Ancestors…" Telus sighed in relief. He moved as fast as his old legs could carry him, and the multitude of students was hot on his heels.

Soon, Telus was running alongside Jules and Mimet, while Hontus and Voden moved down the hallway to cut away more of the flames.

"What in the ancestors' name has happened here?!" Voden exclaimed. As he diverted flames from a doorway.

"We don't know!" Telus said as he came to a stop. "Those beasts appeared during the fight, right after you all left! Speaking of which…" He glared at Jules and Mimet. "Why did you all leave the arena, to begin with?!"

Jules held a stern face. "War."

"W…" Telus stammered. "War?!"

"I know this isn't the time, father…" Mimet said as she stepped closer. "But there's trouble looming for our lands."

Telus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was there not already trouble right here in the palace? The building was being set aflame! How could Telus possibly deal with the threat of war NOW, of all times?!

"TELUS!" Howled the voices of Attonita and Krystallos.

Telus turned around in time to see the lightning and water elders making their way toward him. Zecht was with them, briefly, before splitting off to help several other water dragons put out the flames. The students stepped out of the way as Krystallos doused many flames in their path before he and Attonita came before Telus.

"What's wrong now?" Telus asked.

"Telus, Chaos is spreading quickly throughout the city!" Attonita exclaimed. "We have so much to tell you, but so little time!"

"Make it quick, then," Telus demanded as he stamped his paw.

"Alright then… " Attonita stepped forward and looked Telus in the eyes. "SAUL IS ATTACKING GLENHAVEN!"

The earth elder's eyes flew wide, and his heart skipped a beat. He clutched his chest with a forepaw and took harsh breaths.

"Telus!" Attonita and Krystallos shouted.

"Father?!" Mimet asked worriedly as she and Jules stepped closer.

No… Telus thought. It couldn't be. He didn't want to imagine it… and yet, part of him always dreaded it. He knew that Saul hated him for being exiled, and there would always be an accounting for it. Was… Was Saul connected to the fires in the palace? Did… Did Jonathan have something to do with it? Was it all part of some sort of plan, just to get revenge?

"Elder, snap out of it!" Jules exclaimed. The lightning Guardian placed a forepaw on the elder's shoulder and unleashed a small, controlled bolt of lightning. Telus gasped in surprise and quickly shook his head before taking a deep breath.

"Th-Thank you, Captain…" Telus sighed.

"I'm at your command," Jules said with a serious tone. "Just say the word, and I'll defend Glenhaven."

Telus grasped the beard on his chin and stroked it in frustration. He felt his blood boiling as the discord around him grew more erratic. There was much to be done, and timing was running out…

"Alright… Here are my orders!" Telus bellowed, drawing everyone's attention. "Guardians, get out there and put a stop to Saul's invasion, at any cost!"

"Yes, Sir!" All the Guardians saluted.

"Attonita, Krystallos, we need to get all of the students out of the palace while the flames are being put out and diverted by all able-bodied fire and water dragons!" Telus stamped his paw. "I want this palace EMPTIED before Saul gets his filthy talons on it! Understand me?! EMPTIED!"

"We understand, Telus." The two other elders replied in unison.

"Good. Now then…" The earth elder fanned his wings out wide. "Everybody… MOVE!"

"Guardians!" Jules bellowed with his wings extended. "TO ARMS!"

At once, all of the dragons fled out of the area as quickly and orderly as they could. Guardians took up arms to venture out, while the students fled to safety. Telus, Attonita, and Krystallos turned on their heels and rushed off to find as many students as they could…

…But after everyone had left the area, and the coast was finally clear… an earth dragon stuck his head out of a supply closet. He looked down one hallway, then the other, and winced when he saw flames starting to make their way toward him.

Time to move out… Jonathan thought with a grimace, as he bolted out of the closet and rushed down the halls.

During his escape, Johnny stopped to consider what he'd heard. Saul was invading Glenhaven.

Dad… Jonathan thought as his chest swelled up. He squinted his eyes to keep from crying as he pushed onward. Dad's almost here. I… I can't believe it.

Jonathan didn't know what his father would say or do, once they were reunited. Would Saul be happy to see him? Or would he want to know why the original plan went so far south (figuratively AND literally)? Well, Jonathan knew one thing for sure; he couldn't stick around and be made into a hostage. He just KNEW that The Elders would use the prince to try and force Saul's surrender. No… No, Jonathan would do his father proud. He'd get out of here, and do what he could to help his father reclaim the throne.

But first, he'd have to ESCAPE.

Can't go out the way everyone else did… Jonathan thought as he rounded a corner. Better stick to the more narrow halls, even if it means… the prince gulped. …braving some flames and monsters.

~~…~~

Off on the eastern side of Glenhaven, throughout the prairie, many dragons and non-dragons were gathered about, living their daily routines as they'd always done. Some birds were singing. A flock of sheep was bleating as they ate grass, while their shepherds stood careful watch. Young children laughed as they played games in the grass. Over in the pavilion, a trio of cheetahs was taking formation in various places around the glorious statue of Lord Spyro. They were on their knees, using buckets and rags to wipe away dirt and grime from the statue. They wanted to get it nice and ready, in preparation for a big party to be held during the Day of the Bonds celebration.

All in all, it should have been another peaceful day in Glenhaven.

But as the people went about their lives… they heard an ominous noise from the skies. They stopped in their tracks, and gazed upward uneasily as what sounded like a flock of strange birds made its way across the desert. The flock drew closer… and closer… and became more and more like hissing and shrieking.

The dragon guards on duty became increasingly alert. They spread their wings and lifted to fly to the top of the stone walls to investigate the noise. One of the soldiers made it to the top just in time… to be struck across the face by a black talon. He screamed as more attacks came across his body, from a flock of hideous bird-like monsters!

The other guards were stirred into a frenzy. One of them blew a horn to sound an alarm, calling out for as many soldiers in the immediate area as they could. But they weren't fast enough, as soon more of the monsters attacked.

Many of the citizens screamed as they watched the monsters flying over the stone walls and down into the prairie. Non-combatants fled the prairie; children ran crying to their parents for protection. Those who could fight, meanwhile, stood their ground. It wasn't long before various blasts of elemental magic exploded into the air to attack the horde.

But through the innumerable chorus of hisses and clicks, there came a great shadow. A mighty dragon blasted through the air at a speed surpassing most normal dragons. The shadow flew down toward the pavilion and struck the earth so hard that shockwaves knocked many dragons off their feet. Many of the monsters swirled in an arc in the air above the figure, as he spread his fat wings and rose to his full height. Many of the remaining civilians gasped in shock as they beheld the green-scaled dragon and the arcs of purple lightning dancing across his scales.

"People of Glenhaven…" The dragon said bitterly as he took a regal stance. "Your KING has RETURNED!"

Saul lifted a forepaw, and the gauntlet crackled as convexity danced across it. He then struck the earth, sending another shockwave through the area. A smirk spread across his muzzle as he gazed around at the dragons with his bloodshot eyes.

"I am King Saul!" He bellowed. "And I have returned to reclaim my throne!"

Saul stood up tall and waited for adoration to flow. He waited for the people to cheer, and welcome back their rightful ruler. But instead… the people cried out in horror. They scrambled as fast as they could to get away from the horde of monsters. Saul looked all around, as anger built up in his belly.

"Is that how you greet your king?!" Saul hissed; he slammed his forepaw down, cracking the pavement beneath him. He stepped forward toward a few of the dragons that remained, but they only yelled in fear before fleeing. A snarl left Saul's throat, and the crepsculi above him hissed in unison.

As Saul surveyed the area, he set his sights upon the pavilion and the statue of Lord Spyro. The cheetahs had fled, leaving their buckets and rags behind.

But Saul growled upon looking at the statue; at the face of the dragon who sneered back at him. That wretched, arrogant, purple bastard who had interfered in Saul's life two times too many! How DARE that statue stand there, mocking the deposed king with its mere presence?! Saul's talons dug into the pavement, tearing through and burning it with the heat of his magic. Saul swung his tail from side to side as he inhaled deeply…

…And unleashed a powerful burst of convexity.

The statue was obliterated in a brilliant flash of purple. Chunks of amethyst and gold scattered everywhere, and smoke rose to blacken the air. All that remained of the statue was the cracked and steaming head.

Saul stepped forward toward the remains of the statue and looked down angrily into its gemstone eyes. The drake blew purple smoke from his nostrils, and he lifted a forepaw and filled it with earth magic. With one swift motion, Saul's forepaw smashed through the head, leaving it as a pile of dust.

If only it were as easy to dispose of the real thing… He thought bitterly.

Saul lifted his head to gaze out at the city, and the distant Palace in the center. He blew more purple smoke and spread his wings to take off into flight. In his wake, a horde of the crepsculi flew after him, before dispersing to swarm into other districts of the city.

Saul let the monsters do as they pleased; he would deal with them later. For now, he had his eyes set on a much bigger prize… and the list of traitors he had to dispose of.

I'm coming for you… Saul gnashed his glowing fangs as he took off into the air. I'll kill you all!

The earth king left the prairie, not caring as civilians cried out in agony as the monsters slashed at them.

But as one powerful dragon was leaving the area… two more flew over the stone wall. Many of the fighting civilians in the area gazed on in shock and alarm as a multitude of elemental bursts obliterated many of the crepsculi. People looked on in disbelief as the pair descended into the prairie.

The two dragons flew through the smoke; one of them even blew it away with mighty gusts of wind. The other one came to a hard landing in the pavilion. Several of the beasts hissed at the pair, but they simply stood their ground. The dragoness took off through the air once more, drawing the beasts' attention away from the citizens. The other spun on his heels and unleashed a burst of wind, blowing away all the smoke and ash from the air. Soon, things were clear once again, and all could look on to see who it was…

Spyro panted heavily as he stood up tall; that burst of wind took a bit more out of him than he would have liked. But he needed to do what he could to clear the air. And, hopefully, he could assuage some of the fears of the civilians.

Speaking of civilians, a lot of them were starting to take notice of the purple dragon. They stared on in awe and disbelief, as he stood up tall and spread his wings. He tried to think of what to say… There'd be a lot of questions, but there was no time to answer any of them.

"I don't believe it…" One of the nearby dragons exclaimed. "The statue of Lord Spyro… it's come to life!"

"What?" Spyro blinked in confusion. He looked down at his paws and saw the remains of the statue scattered around him. He lifted his head incredulously. "That… That isn't what…"

But he could hardly say a word, as already a crowd of dragons was drawing closer, cheering him on. Meanwhile, Cynder stepped up with an air of amusement about her. She sneaked her way around most of the people and flew up to a rooftop across from the prairie. Spyro simply sighed as he lifted himself to fly after her, while the civilians looked on in amazement.

Soon, the two were making their way across the rooftops with haste.

"Well, this will make quite a bedtime story." The old dragoness said with a smirk.

"Focus on our mission," Spyro said. "We have to stop Saul from hurting anyone."

"Should we make sure the civilians are safe?" Cynder asked.

"Hmm…" Spyro gazed back at the prairie. He could see a multitude of soldiers rushing in from the surrounding districts to put a stop to any crepsculi that lingered. The purple hero looked back at Cynder with another sigh.

"If the city guard has things under control, we'll leave it to them." He said. "We need to go after Saul before he hurts anyone else."

"Right…" Cynder nodded.

Spyro and Cynder flapped their wings to hurry after the mad king…

~~…~~

Jonathan coughed as he made his way out of one of the many smaller entrances of the palace. He held a forepaw over his maw and struggled not to breathe in any smoke. He then dashed across the street into an alleyway to crouch and listen to whatever may be going on around him. There were a lot of dragons and non-dragons running out of the palace to escape the spreading flames… but still, none of them seemed to spot him. With a quick sigh of relief, Jonathan flew up onto the rooftop of the building. From there, he leaped over to another building and then turned to look back at the palace.

From what Jonathan could tell, the flames had yet to burst out to the exterior. But there were still so many students and teachers filing out of the building, almost like it could explode at any moment. And up above, that creepy airship thing still loomed ominously in the sky; just looking at it made a shiver crawl down Jonathan's spine.

Not helping him was seeing dragons pouring out of the entrance of the palace at the top of the rock formation. Right away, Jonathan could see the light glistening off of the armor of the Guardians, as they took off to deal with the invading force. Jonathan kept his head low and prayed that none of them looked down and spotted the escaped prince.

This was all getting so chaotic, so fast. Jonathan stood up and looked around, trying to think of where to go next to find his father…

That's when Jonathan heard the sound of exploding magic. It came from up above, making him flinch and shield his face with his wings. Something dashed through the air and went flying off in the direction of some buildings far across the way. Jonathan lowered his head, just in time to see…

A big, black dragon.

Jonathan watched in bewilderment as the hulking brute crashed into the ground several blocks away. The beast cackled and roared as it said something Jonathan couldn't understand, to someone he couldn't see. Jonathan didn't know what was going on, or where it came from…

But suddenly had the urge to find out more.

Here goes… Jonathan carefully spread his wings, double-checked to make sure nobody saw him, and glided his way across the rooftops to investigate the sudden appearance…

~~…~~

Rune and Tyrrany hissed and struggled in the cast-iron grip of Cyrus's big forepaws. The black dragon teleported out into the middle of a clear sky, and then immediately flew down toward the ground. Cyrus laughed as he smashed through several buildings (Rune wasn't sure what) as headed for some sort of clearing. By the time Cyrus finally smashed into the ground, Rune and Tyrrany howled in pain. Cyrus finally let go of the two of them, and he loomed overhead with a smug expression.

"See that?" Cyrus said arrogantly. "I've mastered the art of teleporting!"

Rune simply focused on the ground as pain flowed through him. He reached within himself for his healing magic and set to work patching himself up. Across the way, Tyrrany did the same, though she also very delicately cradled her violin.

"It's not damaged…" She muttered quietly. "Good. Good… it's still in one piece."

Rune looked toward the dragoness and sighed; whoever gave that to her, she valued it very much. Rune then turned his attention to the surrounding area; so many of the buildings had been smashed apart. The few citizens in the area cried out in fright and ran away from the carnage. Rune gazed down at the street; it was shattered from Cyrus's impact. And yet through it all, the corrupted black dragon stood tall and smug, as if he'd just accomplished something fantastical.

Rune bent his head low… and tried to let the anger die away. He could feel the snarls, the hisses… and the violent thoughts clouding the back of his mind. Rune dug his talons into the ground and tried not to shake… tried not to lose control.

"Hey, get up!" Cyrus shouted from above. "We've still got a score to settle!"

Rune sucked in a breath, and he swallowed more anger down. He rose onto all fours and turned to help Tyrrany come to a stand. She very cautiously accepted his help and then continued to cradle the violin in her grasp. And across the way, Cyrus snarled in anger.

"Are you hearing me?!" Cyrus demanded as he slammed his forepaw down. "We're not finished here!"

Rune took several more deep breaths with his back turned to Cyrus. He slowly turned around, and then glared up at his brother.

"How much further are you going to let yourself go?" Rune demanded.

"What?" Cyrus snapped. Rune extended his wings and gestured around at the damaged buildings.

"Was the palace not enough?" Rune yelled. "You have to start endangering the lives of random people, too?!"

Cyrus flinched, even if for only a moment. He glanced around at the buildings and saw the debris falling from broken stone. The black dragon muttered something as he shifted onto his haunches.

"I…" He narrowed his eyes and wracked his talons. "I wasn't trying to-"

"Stop attacking Glenhaven!" Rune yelled at Cyrus. "Stop attacking MY HOME!"

"I'm not attacking this city!" Cyrus shouted as he beat his wings.

"Then what do you call all of this destruction, then?!" Rune pointed a talon at his brother. "People live in these buildings! You're disrupting their lives, just because you're angry at me and Hope!"

Tyrrany's eyes narrowed. "Stop calling me that!"

Rune flinched, and he cast the dragoness an incredulous glare.

"My name is Tyrrany." She said forcefully as she gripped her violin. "I don't care if this isn't the time to say it! Just stop calling me Hope!"

Rune stammered and then shook his head. "Fine! Whatever! It doesn't change anything anyway…" He turned back toward Cyrus and stepped forward. "Cyrus, you've gone too far! Stop this now, before the Elders of Glenhaven have you locked away!"

Cyrus's eyes twitched, and he backed up a bit. He took deep breaths as his wings shook. The corrupted drake fell backward onto his haunches as he held his head in his talons.

"No…" Cyrus muttered. He glanced around at the destruction and smoke. The drake took harsh breaths and shook in place as he cradled the pouch by his underbelly. "I… I didn't… This wasn't…"

Rune took a few breaths; maybe this was working. Maybe Cyrus would finally stop… and they could take the first steps toward getting him back to normal. Rune stepped closer, and made to reach out with his forepaw to pat the bigger drake's foreleg…

Right as something crashed against metal.

All three dragons jumped in surprise.

They turned their direction toward a nearby alleyway, where several garbage cans had been knocked over. And lying awkwardly atop the cans, with gasps and groans…was Jonathan.

Rune, Cyrus, and Tyrrany were stunned into silence for a moment, while the prince groaned and rubbed his head; he'd slipped on something on the rooftop and fallen into the alley. None of them could believe their eyes.

"Ugh…" Jonathan groaned as he rolled onto his feet and shifted his wings. "My back."

Tyrrany hadn't seen Jonathan since they were separated in Warfang, after… well, just thinking about it made the dragoness step awkwardly away from her brothers. So many emotions ran through her mind; should she be relieved to see him? He was her betrothed, after all. Ultimately, all Tyrrany could do was just quietly grasp her bow in preparation for needing it…

Rune was incredulous, and also angry. Jonathan had escaped his cell. Whatever the prince was doing, he was trying to make a run for it from the palace. Rune sneered; he'd need to get that damn prince back into custody while he had the chance.

Jonathan's eyes widened and he stumbled back in fear… as a furious growling filled the air. Rune and Tyrrany both gasped, and they gazed up at Cyrus… and the purple lightning dancing across his scales.

"You…" Cyrus snarled, sounding angrier and angrier as he rose to his full height. "You… YOU!"

Jonathan took several paces backward. His heart beat rapidly as the behemoth of a black dragon barreled toward him. The earth drake didn't know what was going on, but he recognized those glowing red glyphs on the dragon's body.

"Wh-what in the…?" He muttered in shock; he couldn't take his eyes off of the great muscular brute before him. "You… You can't be…"

"Ready for a rematch, you motherfucker?!" Cyrus roared. He created a purple aura around his body as he bore down on Jonathan.

The prince panicked as he surrounded himself with his earth magic. He scrambled to get out of the alley and into a fighting stance, all while Rune and Tyrrany watched in shock. Jonathan unleashed an earth bomb at Cyrus, but the black dragon simply shielded himself with his aura.

Cyrus roared as he slammed a forepaw down at Jonathan, who blocked it and struggled to force it back. And as he struggled to fight back, Jonathan's mind was in a panic.

What was going on? How was Prince Cyrus so HUGE? What was Tyrrany doing here?! What in the dragon realms was going on?!

Cyrus hissed and roared as he pulled his forepaw back and opened his jaws to unleash purple lightning upon Jonathan. The earth prince cried out in pain as he lost hold of his magic. Cyrus cackled above Jonathan, as the prince struggled to reach for his latent convexity.

Come on… He thought worriedly as he grappled with the tiny purple spark. I need help… come on!

But Jonathan's concentration was interrupted by a punch across his face. He was sent sprawling backward to crash into an adjacent wall. His mind was dizzy, while his face flushed with pain; Jonathan clutched his scarred muzzle and winced as he lay crumpled on the ground.

"Not so big and tough NOW, are you?!" Cyrus hissed. He reached down and grabbed Jonathan by the neck to heft him up. Cyrus's glowing eyes bore into Jonathan's, as his muzzle peeled back in a vicious sneer. Jonathan dug his talons into the black drake's forepaw; the prince struggled desperately to claw his way to freedom.

"You're in deep shit now, Johnny-boy!" Cyrus hissed. "I'm going to personally drag you to the coldest, darkest prison cell I can find! You're going to ROT, for the rest of your little life, along with that shithead dad of yours!"

Jonathan snarled, and he worked all the harder to claw at Cyrus's grip. But the black dragon simply slammed him against the wall, making him cry out in pain.

"But before that, I'm going beat the ever-loving CRAP out of you!" Cyrus bellowed. "I'm going to make you pay for EVER trying to pick a fight with a black dragon! You hear me?!" Cyrus brought Jonathan's head up close so he could scream into the prince's ear frill. "You're going to be nothing more than a screaming pile of-!"

There was a flash of light, and Cyrus cried out in pain. He let go of Jonathan, who crumbled to the ground. Jonathan groaned as he slumped over in pain, but he forced himself to lift his head to see what happened.

Cyrus stumbled back and used a wing-thumb to massage the back of his head. The corrupted drake hissed as he turned around… and saw Rune with his maw wide open, with smoke leaving his nostrils.

~~…~~

Rune panted heavily; his chest heaved. He stood up tall in a fighting stance, with his robes tossed to the ground. The prince locked eyes with his brother, his anger threatening to boil over. Cyrus's eyes were wide with both anger and confusion.

"Get away from him, Cyrus!" Rune snapped.

"You…" Cyrus's nostrils flared. "You attacked ME… to defend HIM?!"

Cyrus wasn't the only one confused. Tyrrany looked at Rune with her muzzle agape. Jonathan was double-confused; he forced himself up onto his feet and stared unblinking at Rune. But none were more shocked and angry… than Runefor.

What are you doing?! His other self screamed. Jonathan deserves to get his ass beaten! Did you just forget all about Saul's plot to capture and kill practically the ENTIRE FAMILY?!

Rune took another deep breath and forced himself to step forward with his eyes locked on his brother's. He wouldn't let Runefor push him toward vengeance… he just couldn't.

"No matter how badly you think he deserves to be beaten for what he's done…" Rune said through gritted fangs. "Neither of us is justified in doing that. Two wrongs don't make a right, Cyrus!"

Cyrus looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He glared down at Jonathan, and then back at Rune. Jonathan, meanwhile, held his breath as his talons twitched.

"He wants us dead!" Cyrus fanned out his wings. "He'll never stop trying to kill us if we let him go!"

"I'm not saying let him go!" Rune flapped his wings. He kept one eye on Jonathan, in case he made a run for it. "But even if I hate him… I know that Elder Telus still cares about him."

Jonathan sucked in a breath… and snarled. Meanwhile, Cyrus reeled his head back in disgust."

"You didn't just say that. No way!" Cyrus wretched. "You can't be serious, Rune."

"Jonathan is going down a dark path." Rune continued. "He's been awful to me for years…" He shot Jonathan a quick glare. "But… some people love him, and they hope he'll redeem himself someday."

Cyrus looked down at Rune with his eyes full of anger. "You don't seriously BELIEVE THAT, do you? You think that Johnny-boy over there has ANY redeeming qualities?"

"It doesn't matter if I believe it or not." Rune shook his head. "What matters is that Telus and the Elders think there's a chance. Just like how I believe that there's a chance that YOU could be redeemed…" Rune sighed as he stepped closer to Cyrus. "You just have to stop yourself now, Cyrus. Stop giving into the convexity before-"

BLAM!

Rune was suddenly blown off his paws by an earth bomb. He cried out in pain as he crashed onto the ground across from Tyrrany. She gasped once again, as did Cyrus. Rune shifted over and groaned; his back faced the others.

And across the way, Jonathan stood fully tall, with his body radiating with a purple aura. His maw was wide open as his eyes glared daggers in Rune's direction.

"Ancestors, will you SHUT UP?!" Jonathan screamed. "You fucking goody-good!"

In response to this, Cyrus roared and slammed the ground, nearly knocking Jonathan off his paws.

"YOU shut up, you fucker!" Cyrus snapped.

Jonathan didn't cower this time. Instead, his aura glowed a brilliant shade of green and purple. He spread his limbs out wide, and he snarled up at the corrupted dragon.

"I don't care if you are freakishly big!" Jonathan hissed. "I'll still get you back for getting me locked away!"

"Fuck you!" Cyrus roared, unleashing a blast of convexity in the process. Jonathan shielded himself with his wings and was lightly pushed back a few inches. The earth prince hissed… and then cast his eyes across to Tyrrany.

The dragoness had been stunned into silence for the entire time. Her eyes kept darting around at each of the three drakes, unsure of whom to keep her eyes on. She soon locked her gaze on Jonathan… who glanced at her violin, and then back at her.

"Annie, don't just stand around!" Jonathan shouted. "Play some music! Help me take this asshole down!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Cyrus hissed and slammed the ground again. "You play so much as a single note, and I'll smash that damn thing into toothpicks!"

Tyrrany clutched her violin against her chest, but not out of fear. She scowled up at Cyrus and then cast her glare in Jonathan's direction.

"Plans have… changed," Tyrrany said as seriously as she could. "Jonathan… I'm not trying to capture the black princes anymore."

"What?!" Jonathan snapped. "You're siding with them?!"

"I… don't have much of a choice," Tyrrany said. "Things are spiraling way out of control, Jonathan. If we all just stand around and fight, then anyone could swoop in and take all of us into custody."

"What do you mean all of us?" Jonathan spat on the ground. "Everyone here practically worships the ground that these black dragons walk on! It doesn't matter how much destruction is wrought by them!" Jonathan fanned his wings out. "Just look what they've done to the Glenhaven! To the PALACE!"

"Shut your damn trap, you little shit!" Cyrus stomped on the ground, sending a shockwave out. Jonathan struggled to keep standing, and then growled up at the brute.

"Just help me out already, Annie!" Jonathan demanded. "They're not going to just let us go!"

Tyrrany flinched, and then glanced down at her bow. She had a feeling that Jonathan was partially right; the black dragon princes were held in high regard. Her chances of gaining Rune's favor were getting slimmer and slimmer by the moment. But if she tried to make a run for it now, Cyrus would just barrel after her. Perhaps it was for the best if she at least give Jonathan some fighting chance against Cyrus. With a soft breath, she brought her bow to her violin's strings and began to play.

"I knew it!" Cyrus growled as he blew smoke from his nostrils. "I knew you were a bitch!"

Tyrrany hissed as she stood her ground. Her body glowed with a slight purple aura as her convexity came to life. Cyrus made a move to charge at her but was hit in the face by an earth bomb. The hulking drake roared in anger as he turned his attention back to Jonathan. The earth prince had stood in a fighting stance, and his body's aura glowed thicker.

"You're in for it now, you bastard!" Jonathan roared as he spread his wings out wider.

As Tyrrany filled the air with her music, Jonathan dashed Cyrus's legs. He roared as he unleashed several earth bombs at Cyrus's paws in an attempt to get him off-balance. But the brute simply withstood several of the attacks, but he hissed in anger regardless. He lifted his forepaws and slammed them down in an attempt to create more shockwaves. Jonathan leaped in time to avoid one but nearly tripped upon landing after the second one.

The fight was loud, explosive, and messy. Tyrrany could feel the ground shaking from the repeated blasts of magic. But she kept on playing, as her eyes darted around the area. She needed to plan out a means of getting away from the carnage with Jonathan in tow. But there was nothing she could do until they'd found some way of stopping Cyrus's rampage.

But as the dragoness played, the aura about her body continued to linger through her music. She kept a steady stance beside the downed Prince Rune. Now and then she'd cast a glance at him as she focused She frowned; this wasn't what she intended to happen. She bit her lower lip; even if Rune had failed, she had to begrudgingly respect how he'd attempted to be a mediator between everyone.

I should get him back on his feet, at least. She thought. Maybe he'll be strong enough to withstand any more attempts to knock him out during one of his speeches.

Tyrrany shifted her stance and made a slight change to the tone of the song she played. Soon, the purple aura spread from her body and onto Rune's. The prince shifted and groaned as the magic took effect. And not a moment later… the prince fidgeted with his talons as he took harsh breaths.

"Come on, Rune…" Tyrrany said softly. "I need your help again."

The prince shifted and groaned; his body shook rapidly as he slowly picked himself up. His breaths grew louder and sharper; just enough for Cyrus and Jonathan to hear him. Before long, Rune sat on his haunches and flapped his wings a few times, as the purple aura spread across his body.

"Oh, back up now, are we?" Jonathan hissed. "Care to fill the air with more of your delightful words of wisdom?"

Rune continued to shake and writhe. He extended his left forepaw out… as it glowed with shadowy magic. Said magic suddenly shot forth to become long and narrow. And as Rune flicked his wrist… the shadowy magic fell away, revealing a long, sharp sword.

Cyrus gasped, while Jonathan grimaced. "Wh-What's that?"

Tyrrany flinched and backed away, as Rune slowly turned around… and looked at Jonathan with his sickly, yellow eyes. He spread his wings and levitated into the air as he moved his sword into his jaws.

"You want a fight?" Rune asked with a hateful snarl. He flicked the blade around to face the other way as the blade glowed with a dark fiery aura. "Fine… I'll give you a fight."

~~…~~

Explosions burst forth from the street, causing smoke to rise into the air. Far off, across the city, several dragons spotted the dragon and came to a stop.

On one side, Elenar and her group were tending to several civilians. Albanion and Elza were close by, while Urobos was consulting with several flying soldiers. Elenar spoke with as many dragons as she could, and helped as many civilians as possible to protect them from the crepsculi swarms. At that moment, she and her group took to the sky to meet with a few soldiers sent their way to give them an update.

"We're doing all that we can." A soldier said. "Even with the Guardians, we're not sure we can keep up with the swarms."

"Don't give up hope," Elenar replied. "We'll do all that we… we…"

She followed her gaze toward the smoke across the city. The others followed her gaze, while a bad gut feeling rose in the queen's belly. She sucked in her breath and turned toward Albanion and Elza.

"That needs investigating." She ordered.

"Right. It could be trouble." Albanion nodded as he flapped his wings. "I'll take off that way, and-"

Elenar didn't wait for a response: she surrounded herself with her shadow magic and vanished from view. She then reappeared a quick moment later… far, far across the rooftops.

"Elenar, wait!" Elza called. She beat her wings and flew as fast as she could, along with Albanion and Urobos.

Elenar knew she probably shouldn't have taken off on her own like that. But she just… had this strange feeling…

~~…~~

On another part of the city, Saul was continuing his warpath. He summoned more crepsculi and sent them behind himself, all to keep anyone from following after him on his flight toward the palace. Many dragons and non-dragons fought with all their might to push back against the king's assault.

Bastards… He thought with a snarl. After my throne is secured, I'll be sure to-

That's when a particular scent buffeted the king's nostrils. It made him come to a stop mid-air; it was like ash… mixed with a very particular scent. The king sniffed the air several times and turned around… to face a curious cloud of smoke.

Hmm… Saul growled as he beat his wings to take off even faster. …Convexity.

As Saul flew off in the direction of the smoke… Spyro and Cynder struggled to follow behind. They were quite far behind the king and were losing distance fast. They unleashed burst after burst of elemental magic, but no matter how many crepsculi they struck down, more seemed to take their place.

"Blast it…" Spyro scowled as she swerved around several of their attacks. "Whatever Saul's after, it can't be good."

"We can't lose sight of…" Cynder began to say. She then sniffed the air and then grimaced. "Sunshine, are you picking up that scent?"

Curious, Spyro sniffed the air. He then gasped and beat his wings ever fast. "No… No, no!"

Spyro and Cynder flew as fast as they could; each one hoped they weren't too late…

~~…~~

Tyrrany stood still, unable to process what was happening. She couldn't even bring herself to continue playing. And as her music stopped, the aura around Jonathan's body faded until it was barely visible. The same seemed to happen to Rune… at first. But then the prince growled furiously; flames seemed to dance across his scales as the convexity reignited itself.

"A-Annie…" Jonathan grimaced as he shook in place Both Rune and Cyrus hissed and growled at him and each other. "Wh-Why did you st-stop?"

Rune lunged forward like an animal, his sword held at the ready. Tyrrany didn't even know he HAD a sword! And now, all three of the princes were locked in combat.

Rune roared as he swung his blade through the air. Jonathan dodged out of the way and tried to dash around him. The green prince unleashed an earth bomb, but Rune simply shielded himself with his wing, before snarling and going after him yet again.

As this went on, Cyrus roared as well. He unleashed a blast of convexity at Jonathan, who was hit in the side and knocked off his paws. Cyrus stomped forward to follow up his attack… only to be struck by purple lightning from Rune's maw.

"GRAAH!" Cyrus roared as he collapsed back a bit. "Stop attacking me!"

"You wanted this, Cyrus!" Rune snarled, his yellow eyes burning with hate. He lunged to attack Cyrus's forepaw with a swipe of his sword. Cyrus hissed and backed out of the attack range, and then slammed the ground furiously.

"I'm so fucking tired of you showboating!" Rune bellowed at his brother. "Always trying to make everything about YOU! Always insisting on irritating everybody with your feats of magic and your fancy clothes!" He swung his sword at Cyrus, who dodged away again.

"How else was I supposed to get anyone to even acknowledge me?!" Cyrus demanded. He motioned furiously in the direction of Tyrrany and Jonathan. "Even when I was bedridden in the hospital after THEY attacked me, nobody CARED!"

Tyrrany winced; she clutched her bow carefully as she tried to think of what to say.

"Of COURSE people cared, you moron!" Rune hissed. "But there were BIGGER THINGS to worry about! But you just wanted the WHOLE WORLD to revolve around YOU!" Rune pointed his sword at Cyrus and had his magic dance across the steel. "You're an arrogant, egotistical IDIOT! And I'm tired of having to put up with your bullshit for our Mom's sake!"

Cyrus hissed angrily down at Rune. Rune hissed back… and then a third hissing came from behind. He looked back in time to see an earth bomb heading his way. Rune adjusted his membrane to block the blow, and then he stood tall to lock glares with Jonathan. Despite his trembling limbs, the prince tried his damndest to look as menacing as the two of them.

"I'm sick of the BOTH of you!" Jonathan snarled as he stomped forward. "It's all because of YOU that I had to leave my home with my parents!"

"We didn't do ANYTHING!" Rune pointed his sword at Jonathan. "Your father was a treasonous asshole and the son of one of the bastards who tore the realms apart with a war!"

Jonathan growled at Rune… who put on a grin.

"Did you forget THAT, Johnny?" Rune's eyes shimmered as he stepped forward. "Your grandfather, King Gaius, was part of the Order of Culmubrae. They were ALL traitors to the realms, and every one of them got what they deserved!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Jonathan roared, unleashing another earth bomb in the process.

Rune simply swung his sword and sliced the earth bomb in half. It exploded in two pieces on either side of him, while he marched forward toward Jonathan. Cyrus stepped around to the area at Rune's side, and he snarled down at Cyrus. Seeing two angry black dragons glaring at him finally wore down Jonathan's adrenaline… he shivered in place as he backed up away from them.

"The Order of Culmubrae ruined our family's lives!" Cyrus tore at the ground as he bore down at Jonathan. "They killed our mom, tore our family apart, and pushed our dad down the path of becoming a Dark Master. And now, you and your dad are trying to hurt us AGAIN!"

"But I'm not going to let you get away with it!" Rune hissed; poison literally seeped from between his fangs. "I'll show you just how creative this goody-good can get with ALL THE ELEMENTS OF MAGIC!"

"I guess we finally AGREE on something!" Cyrus blew purple smoke from his nostrils, while convexity aced across his scales. "Let's FUCK HIM UP!"

Jonathan's entire body trembled. He backed up several more paces as Rune and Cyrus drew closer. He looked across the way, toward the still-frozen Tyrrany.

"A-Annie…" He said uneasily. "P-Please play more music. I… I really need some help over here…"

Tyrrany flinched, and her forepaws trembled. She grasped at her bow, and very nervously fell back onto her haunches to try and play again…

Only for a great burst of lightning to come flying her way. She yelped and surrounded herself with an aura of convexity to protect herself, but it went up too late; she was knocked off her paws and against the side of a building. Cyrus stood with his jaws agape and smoke rising.

"Oh no, you DON'T!" Cyrus roared. "Did you forget what I said earlier?! Or are you just finally revealing your true colors, you back-stabbing bitch?!"

Tyrrany groaned as she picked herself back up. She kept the aura of magic about their bodies and took deep breaths. She shivered as she glanced between Rune and Cyrus. Their bodies glowed with that sinister purple aura. Their eyes… they didn't even look like the eyes of normal dragons anymore. Especially Rune's. What happened to him? She looked at her magic, and then back at the black dragons. Was this… was this what corruption was like? Did she do this to him?

"You better stay right where you are!" Rune pointed his sword at Tyrrany. "We'll deal with you LATER…" He returned his attention to Jonathan; his blade was focused right on the earth prince's muzzle. "Right after Johnny-Boy gets a nice, pretty new scar to add to his collection."

The sword glowed with dark-red magic as Jonathan cried out in fright. He spread his wings to try and take off into the sky… only to be struck down by a harsh wail. Dark-red waves washed over the earth prince, sending him flailing back down to the pavement. Fear magic danced across his body, as he gazed upward at the furious faces of Rune and Cyrus. Jonathan twitched and struggled to stand up as they bore down on him….

That's when a terrible roar pierced the air, drawing the princes' attention. Something smashed onto the top of an adjacent building, blowing debris everywhere. Rune and Cyrus quickly looked up and glared at whatever was attacking...

There, on the rooftop, was a furious green dragon, surrounded by a flock of crepsculi. The dragon blew purple smoke from his nostrils, as he snarled and leaped down onto the ground. Rune and Cyrus were nearly knocked off their feet, while Tyrrany gasped and took several paces away. She… She couldn't believe it. Neither could either of her brothers.

"It… It's him?" Rune asked in surprise.

"Saul…" Cyrus said angrily.

The king was almost unrecognizable. His mane was long and wild, with the tips crackling with wild magic. His beard was long and messy. The muscles in his body rippled and pulsated as earth magic created miniature quakes beneath his scales. Saul spread his wings wide, and he lifted his head tall as the crepsculi hissed around him. He spread out his forepaws, and his metal gauntlets scorched the ground around him.

The earth king's blood boiled as he beheld the two black dragons. The air around him seemed to spark with convexity as he beheld the stunned, crumpled form of Jonathan on the ground. And when Saul spoke… they almost didn't recognize it as speech.

"You…" Saul's fangs barely moved, as dark energy flowed from between them. His eyes were nearly entirely red as he stomped forward. "You… have attacked… MY SON!"

~~…~~

Greetings friends and loved ones.

This is it; the final chapter that needed updating. I'm finally caught up to where I stopped writing. From here on, it's NEW chapters. It's time to get to work crafting the climax of Forsaken Blood. I hope you all enjoy what comes next.

Tenebra ecce Veritas