Mount Erebus, many years ago…

The halls of the mountain city were vast; many outsiders often found themselves getting lost without a proper guide. But to the princess of shadows, they were as simple and familiar as the back of her paw. Still, that did little to calm her nerves.

Can't take too long… can't take too long… she thought as she panted. Gotta hurry…

Princess Elenar was next in line for the throne of shadows. As a dragoness in her early twenties, many in the kingdom considered her to be full of fairness and grace; her mane was midnight-black, and always brush neatly behind her silver horns. Unfortunately, her grace was somewhat lacking today; she nearly tripped over her silk cape as she rounded a corner, and-

WHAM!

A fruit cart was knocked over, spilling frost-melons everywhere. Elenar was almost knocked onto her belly. Her tiara fell forward and hung off of her muzzle, to be replaced by a melon between her horns. She simply knocked a melon off her head, fixed her outfit, and rose to continue on her path.

"HEY!" The cart's owner, a mole, angrily shook his fist as he picked up his melons. "Watch it!"

"S-Sorry!" Elenar called over her shoulder. "I'm on urgent business!"

That was only the first of many awkward encounters on her journey through the kingdom.

The many upturns and downturns of the mountain interior were kept illuminated by countless clusters of draconic gems. The walls and floors of every hall and chamber were meticulously carved out of the rock of the mountain. But many of the doorways were made of wood, and sometimes even metal. In the center of the mountain, the Great Chasm served as the hub for the network of corridors running up and down the mountainside. Hundreds of shadow dragons made the mountain their home; all of their scales were either a dull grey; a natural side effect of living so close to a source of great magic.

A half-dozen shadow dragoness, all dressed in priestess robes, emerged from pools of shadow and marched together to offer up rhythmic chants. This was then suddenly interrupted as Elenar slammed into all of them. The seven dragons soon formed a groaning pile on the stone floor, before the princess emerged to continue on her way.

"What's the matter with you, Princess?!" The oldest priestess yelled angrily.

"Sorry! Very Sorry, I promise!" Elenar called behind herself as she rushed forward. "But I need to see my parents!"

The priestess grasped one of her tomes and nearly tore it apart in her claws out of anger. This left Elenar feeling worried, but she couldn't just stop and apologize.

Elenar couldn't help it if she was being hasty today. All of her shadow-jumping from her morning's errands had left the princess sapped on magical energy. And it was the worst time possible to be unable to shadow-jump; she'd just received a very peculiar scroll from a dragonfly not ten minutes ago. And she couldn't let just anyone see the contents of the scroll; she needed to see the king and queen.

Elenar rushed past several other shadow dragons, all of whom towered over her by at least a head and a half. Elenar grimaced; even if she was technically an adult, she was still far away from achieving her full size. She sheepishly lowered her head to the ground and tried to avoid their glares as she dashed past them.

But it was thanks to that ducking and posturing that caused Elenar to ONCE AGAIN not look where she was going; the moment she rounded another corner, she smacked into a dark-green dragoness. They both grunted as they collapsed into a heap. Elenar's tiara fell, while the dragoness's scrolls spilled everywhere in a pile.

"Damnit, Elenar…" The dark-green dragoness grimaced as she rose her head up. "Where's the fire this time?"

"Sorry…" Elenar flushed with embarrassment.

The other dragoness stood up and sighed in defeat. She turned around and offered Elenar a paw, which the princess gladly accepted.

"Are you alright, Sis?" She asked.

"I'm fine…" Elenar sighed. "I just wanted to bring this scroll to…"

Elenar fidgeted with her talons and realized something was missing. She looked down and gasped; she dropped the scroll! And looking all around, she couldn't spot it amongst all the other ones.

"Oh, Ancestors damn it…" Elenar gritted her fangs. "Help me find it! I need it!"

"Alright, alright, calm down…" The dragoness groaned as she leaned down to pick up her scrolls. "Just make sure we don't misplace mine, okay? Those were important for classes."

"Ohhh, right." Elenar grimaced again. "Sorry, Elza."

Elza brushed blue mane hairs out of her face as she got to work picking up her scrolls. Her grey robes were scuffed up with dirt, but she didn't care. She just handed Elenar her tiara, and the princess worked to put it on properly before the two of them picked up scrolls together.

"So, what's so important about a scroll?" Elza asked.

Elenar's eye twitched. "It… It came via Dragonflymail."

"Ooh, that sounds fancy," Elza smirked. "Where's it from?"

Elenar looked her sister in the eyes. "Aeroshard."

"A-Aeroshard?" Elza's eyes widened; she hadn't been back to the wind kingdom since she was a dragonling. She rushed to Elenar's side and shook her sister's foreleg. "What did it say? What did it say?!"

"It… It's kind of…" The princess gulped. "I just need to make sure my parents read it first, okay? Trust me."

"Well, fine…" Elza rolled her eyes as she continued gathering scrolls. As she and Elenar worked together, someone approached from behind. And they spoke with a rather condescending tone.

"What are you two doing now?"

Elenar and Elza stopped and looked up. When they saw who it was, the former wined, while the latter scowled, and spoke through gritted fangs. "None of your business, Dona."

Dona was another shadow dragoness. She was Elenar's cousin, on her father's side. Though Dona was several years older, she was also shorter than Elenar by at least half a head. Unlike the princess's flowing dress, Dona was dressed in the same conservative priestess robes that other shadow dragonesses wore… though hers were made of a thinner fabric so that her glowing möbius signs shined brilliantly on her waist; the same royal birthmarks that Elenar had.

Dona shook her crimson mane as she leaned down and sneered at the other dragonesses with her beaklike muzzle. She appraised them with her crimson eyes and tilted her head upward in a cocky manner.

"Making another mess before the throne room again, Elza?" She snorted. "Figures."

"Oh, shut up…" Elza growled as she stood up with a scroll. "It was an accident."

"Yeah… And she's helping me find a scroll for my parents." Elenar added as she continued searching. "Ugh, where is it…?"

" A scroll, hmm?" Dona raised an eye ridge. She walked around Elenar and spotted a scroll that was beneath her left hind paw. Without warning, she snatched it up, nearly sending Elenar tumbling about.

"Wh-hey!" Elenar protested. Elza hissed, but Dona ignored them as she looked over the scroll.

"This Aeroshard scroll's seal is broken…" Dona turned to scowl at Elenar. "Were you prying into royal matters that don't concern you?"

"I DOES concern me!" Elenar yelled; she reached for the scroll, but Dona moved her paw away. "Will you just give it to me?!"

"I'm giving this directly to the king and queen." Dona snapped. "I have another scroll for their eyes, anyhow."

"Wha… you…" Elza growled and rushed forward to get ahead of Dona to scowl at her. "You can't just do whatever you want, Dona!"

"What I want is for the both of you to act with SOME modicum of respect and dignity." Dona pointed at Elza's chest. "Honestly, the both of you act like such dumb schoolgirls."

Elza growled at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean…" Dona sneered at Elenar. "And so do YOU. Don't think I didn't see the mess you made on your way to the throne room."

"I… I was just…" Elenar scratched the back of her head with a wing-thumb. "It seemed urgent, and I was out of shadow energy…" She sucked in a breath and looked Dona in the eyes. "Look, carry the scroll if you want, but let's just hurry up and show it to my parents already!"

"Hmph. Fine…" Dona tucked the scroll into her satchel. "But try to at least make yourself PRESENTABLE when you're about to intrude on a meeting."

Elenar looked herself over and sheepishly worked to straighten out her dress. Elza did the same to clean herself and gather up the last of her scrolls. The two then followed behind Dona… and tried not to burn holes into the back of her head with their glares.

It wasn't long before the three dragonesses arrived at a pair of marble double doors, guarded on either side by shadow drakes.

"Good afternoon, sirs," Dona said with an air of grace.

"The king and queen are in a meeting." The guards said to the trio. "Come back later, Lady Dona."

"I bring urgent news, from two sources." Dona reached into her satchel and produced two scrolls. "One of them is from Aeroshard, it seems."

The guards looked at the scroll and then grimaced. "Why is the-?"

"Just let us through already!" Elza demanded. "Aeroshard needs help!"

The guards exchanged glances, and then nervously turned toward the doors. They worked to push them open, and Dona smiled triumphantly as she strode forward. Elenar nervously bit her lower lip as she and Elza followed her inside.

Elenar and Elza raised their heads to behold the throne room. It was an expansive chamber on one of the uppermost floors of the mountain city. The center of the room was cut open to allow the Great Chasm to continue onward. The walls were decorated with massive clusters of red, green, and blue crystals, with bathed the room in brilliant light. Just beneath the clusters, two long lines of soldiers stood on guard. A group of old shadow dragons looked at the princess incredulously as she stepped forward. And over on the far end of the room, two middle-aged dragons sat upon two silver thrones.

"Uhh…. M-Mother? Father?" Elenar asked sheepishly as she stood shakily beside Dona. "There's…. something you need to read."

"Elenar…" The dragoness, Queen Murkandre, groaned as she rubbed her head with a wing-thumb. "This had better be important."

Murkandre was tall and majestic; she towered over every other dragon in the room. She had four bronze horns; two broader ones curled backward from just above her topaz eyes, and two smaller ones curled from below and behind the larger ones. Her silvery mane fell down her neck, and a medallion emblazoned with the crossed möbius signs hung about her neck. And she had quite the irritated expression as the three younger dragonesses stepped around the great chasm to approach the thrones.

Elenar hung her head low as the dragons of the Shadow Council leered at her and the others. Elza grumbled irritably at their looks, while Dona kept her head raised in defiance. Elenar tried to strike a regal pose as she sat on her haunches, but her willpower quickly melted into trepidation as her parents glared at her.

"This is the third time this month you've barged right on in during a council meeting, Elenar." Her father, Alexander, said as he wracked his talons on the floor. "And this time, you've dragged these two along with you? Care to explain yourself?"

King Alexander, despite being in his early fifties, was a surprisingly short dragon; he could barely look into his daughter's eyes from even atop his throne. He had two broad horns, which grew from his neck like tusks. He had a black mane, which was trimmed short and pulled back into braids. The king was dressed in black robes, which partially hid the pair of red möbius glyphs on his sides.

"I… I swear that I wouldn't interrupt a council meeting without a good reason." Elenar bowed her head.

"That didn't stop you the last two times." Alexander snorted, making the princess wince. "So, what do you want NOW?"

"Well… Uhh…" Elenar shrank back from her father… only for one of Dona's wings to cut her off.

"It's very urgent, Uncle." Dona declared as she held up the Aeroshard scroll. "This has arrived today… pardon the seal; our princess couldn't help but peep at it."

"Uh-huh…" Alexander glared at Elenar again, making her wince. "We've talked about this, girl."

"I know…" Elenar squeaked behind Dona's wing. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. And I figured, well…" She scratched at the floor a bit. "Seeing as I'm the future queen and all…"

"You're not the queen yet, Elenar." Murkandre scolded. "Not for a good long while."

"I know…" Elenar tugged on her ear frills. "I'm sorry, Mother."

"Right…" Murkandre turned to look at the scroll in Dona's forepaw. "Let's just see what…" Her eyes widened. "That's the Aeroshard Seal!"

"Indeed." Dona nodded, before handing the scroll to the queen.

Elenar took a deep breath and hung her head low as her mother read the scroll. She didn't need to see the Shadow Queen's face to know that Murkandre didn't like the contents. A rumbling filled the air as the queen clawed at the floor.

"What's wrong, my love?" Alexander asked with concern. He placed a forepaw atop one of hers

"King Boreas…" Murkandre shut her eyes and sighed. "…Is no more."

Elza's eyes widened, and she used a wing to cover her muzzle. Elenar just looked at her in pity. The council, meanwhile, muttered uneasily amongst themselves.

"Not a fortnight ago," The queen continued, "during the battle in the Arcus Desert, the Wind King's life was taken from him by none other than the combined efforts of King Oceanus, King Voltaire, and King Gaius."

"Oh, dear…" Alexander frowned.

"And that's not all." Murkandre shook her head. "In a fit of rage, a gang of wind dragons descended upon the three kings for revenge. Gaius and Voltaire managed to escape, but Oceanus was killed. After that, the surviving wind dragons fled back to Aeroshard." The queen rumbled uneasily. "The letter doesn't say what the wind dragons are planning to do about the loss of their monarch."

"I see…" The king wracked his talons on the floor.

"Are..." Elza asked worriedly. "Are there any survivors among the royal family of wind dragons?"

"The scroll doesn't say." The Queen answered. "I am sorry, my dear."

Elza sat back onto her haunches and looked down at her paws; her eye twitched, and her muzzle hung open as the news replayed itself in her mind. Elenar sat next to her sister to drape a wing over her back.

This wasn't the first time a scroll arrived with news of a grim fate for a clan of dark dragons. Not too long ago, news arrived that the Fear dragons of the Whispering Rainlands were dealt a serious blow by the fire dragons. King Ogun brought wildfires to the forests and jungles in the hopes of destroying Fear dragon territory. Many died in the flames, chief among them being the royal family of Fear dragons. Any who survived were scattered to the four winds. Then there was the time they received news that the Ice dragons failed to fortify themselves against fleets of water dragons; they were all sent down to the depths. As for the dragons of Psionics? Who was to even say?; they'd all disappeared, leaving behind only empty villages. And now, only two races of dark dragons remained: Poison and Shadow. The only place that still seemed completely safe was Warfang… and then that could have been undone in an instant, so long as the Guardians remained neutral.

"Ohh… what are we to do?" Murkandre left the scroll fall to the floor, and she slumped back on her throne. "Day after day, the outside world grows more hostile."

"Fear not, my love…" Alexander patted her forepaw affectionately. "We're still safe here; they'll never take the Well of Souls."

"Pardon me, Uncle…" Dona spoke up. "But there is still the matter of the other scroll."

"Ugh, of course…" Alexander sat up to glower down at Dona. "Is it from the same source as the last one?"

"Not quite, Your Highness." Dona rifled through her satchel for a moment. "While Elenar was gallivanting around the kingdom to get to you the slow way, another dragonfly arrived from elsewhere… bearing something rather curious."

Dona produced a small, silver scroll with a red seal and held it up for everyone to see. Upon that seal were the letters F.T.C. in bold print.

"Hmm?" Murkandre took the scroll and held it up curiously. "FTC? I can't say I'm familiar with that. What do they want?"

"Read on and find out." Dona bowed her head. "I'm not one to pry through monarchs' mail."

Murkandre opened the scroll and took a moment to read its contents. Dona just backed up to sit beside Elenar, though not without flashing her cousin a smug grin. This made Elza sneer, while Elenar just sighed; this wasn't the time to argue with Dona.

"Why do you have to make me look bad all the time, Dona?" The princess whispered.

"You only make YOURSELF look bad, Elenar," The other dragoness stated coldly, "Maybe if you acted like a princess, I'd treat you like one."

Once the Queen finished reading her scroll, she held a puzzled look. The king worriedly patted her paw yet again.

"What is it, Murkandre?" Alexander asked.

"The founder of the FTC, this… Faeshrine Trading Company…" She gestured with a forepaw. "…has requested to speak with me about some kind of business proposition."

"What?" Alexander blinked.

"He wants to meet somewhere privately to discuss a matter that will supposedly benefit the whole of the shadow dragon kingdom." Murkandre put the scroll down and grimaced. "Why, I can scarcely begin to comprehend what to do about this."

"Well, forget it, then." Alexander snorted. "We need to focus on fortifying our defenses in case Gaius or one of those other fiends plots to steal control of the Well of Souls from us."

"But what if he wants to aid us in that?" Dona asked. "Perhaps the founder of the FTC might be able to-"

"And what if it's a trick?" Alexander snapped. "Some kind of ploy from light dragons to make us vulnerable? It's not worth the risk."

"We don't have to give this stranger access to our kingdom," Murkandre said. "Once he arrives in the Shattered Vale, we can declare that he can't go any further."

"Shattered Vale? You mean he's already on his way here?" Alexander sneered.

"Indeed; his letter was sent nearly a week in advance of his trip." The shadow queen showed her king the date on the scroll. "He's a tad presumptuous, isn't he?"

"Who is this founder, anyway?" Elenar asked. "Does the scroll say, Mother?"

"Hmm, it does mention a name near the very bottom…" Murkandre hefted up the scroll and squinted her eyes. "The founder of the FTC is a dragon named… Bergan."

Elenar, Alexander, and Dona all had wide eyes. The princess in particular took several paces back and bumped into the railing that surrounded the great chasm. Could it be? Did she hear that name correctly? The princess hadn't heard that name in years; she thought he was lost to her. She repeated the name in her head several times, while everyone else looked at her puzzled.

"Elenar?" Elza tilted her head. "What's wrong? Who's Bergan?"

Elenar eventually snapped back to reality. She shook her head and looked between her parents with pleading eyes. "Can I go see him?"

"Ba-what?!" Alexander balked. "Why would you want to meet HIM of all dragons?! It's been YEARS: he's basically a stranger to you now!"

"He'll never be just a stranger to me." Elenar declared. "I used to know Bergan; he lived in Warfang under Lady Cynder's custody when he was a boy. And I haven't seen him since the war started."

Murkandre and Alexander exchanged uneasy glances.

"I think it's extremely dangerous for you to go see… Bergan." Alexander seemed disgusted to say the name. "There's no telling what he may want."

"Why are you so concerned about this dragon?" Murkandre asked. "You don't even react to the names of the light dragon kings the way you're doing now."

"He's not just ANY dragon." Alexander scowled. "He's THE dragon; the one who could have stopped all of this from happening, if he'd bothered getting off his arse!"

"What are you talking about?" Murkandre frowned.

"Is it even the same Bergan?" Dona asked. "Nobody's seen scale nor mane of him… it could just be some other dragon named Bergan."

"As if…" Alexander dug his talons into the floor, and then looked at his daughter. "Elenar, you'd be a fool to trust him!"

"I… I won't go alone!" Elenar stepped up closer to her father. "Send a squadron of guards with me. "Have them surround the Shattered Vale and put his boat on lockdown if you must! If that's what it takes, then fine. I just want to speak with an old friend again. He might have just the answers we need for everything!"

The king huffed and looked at Murkandre with a grumble. "What do you think, my love?"

"Hmm…" Murkandre scratched her chin. "This could be a chance for Elenar to put her diplomatic training to the test. We'll have our daughter speak with the founder of the FTC to find out what proposal he wants to make. After she's gathered information, she'll share it with us. Then we'll make the final decision as to whether he's worth our time."

Murkandre lowered her head to look Elenar in the eyes. "We're trusting your judgment, my daughter. I hope you don't let us down."

Elenar gasped; it worked! Elza smiled for her sister, while Dona's jaw fell open in shock. Elenar couldn't help but snicker at that; she stood up proudly before her parents and put on the most regal pose she could.

"As future queen of the shadow dragons, I'll make you proud." Elenar fanned out her wings. "I promise you!"

"Hmph… Do your best, girl." Alexander flapped his wings and settled on his throne. "Just keep your wits about you."

Elenar bowed to her parents and then turned around. She was about to stride forward but stopped to look at Elza. "Do you want to come with me?"

"What for?" The wind dragoness frowned.

"I just think you'd like to get out of this stuffy mountain for once." Elenar put on an encouraging smile. "I know you like fresh air."

"I understand… but I, well…" Elza sighed and lethargically flapped her wings. "I'm sorry, Sis: I've got a lot on my mind. I don't think I can go with you."

"It's just as well." Dona snorted. "I can't imagine that your miserable state would help improve chances of making any kind of deals with this FTC."

Elza snarled. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Dona."

"Still, 'my opinion' is valid enough to be considered fact." Dona flapped her wings and stuck her snout in the air. "You'd only get in the way."

"Shut up!" Elza snarled louder.

"That's ENOUGH!" Murkandre bellowed, making the younger dragonesses jump in surprise. She stepped off of her throne and came to rise before the trio.

"Elza, if you wish to stay, then stay. You're under no obligation to go." The queen declared.

"Y-Yes, Mom..." Elza bowed her head.

"And as for you, Dona…" Murkandre glared into Dona's eyes, who shook worriedly. "You'd bet learn to watch your tongue around me and Alexander. You're on constant thin ice as it is."

"M-My apologies, Your Grace." The short dragoness said solemnly as she bowed her head.

"Good. Now then…" Murkandre rose her head back up and looked at Elenar. "Pack what personal belongings you deem fit for travel. You'll be leaving for the Shattered Vale on the morrow; that's when this Bergan's boat is scheduled to arrive."

"How do you know that?" Alexander asked.

"He listed the date right here in the scroll…" Murkandre sat back down on her throne. "Evidently this Bergan is very good with time management."

A grin nearly split Elenar's face; she'd keep that little accidental pun a secret for now. Instead, she bowed her head and smiled. "I'll get ready soon, Mother."

"Very well." Murkandre nodded. "The three of you are dismissed."

With that done, Elenar turned to leave the throne room. There was a skip in her step as she thought of all the things she'd say to Bergan. But just behind her, Elza and Dona walked silently; they cast each other the most hateful glares they could the entire time.

Darn it, you two… Elenar thought with a frown. I really wish you'd get along.

Sadly, unbeknownst to the princess, their rivalry would continue like this, for a very long time…

~~…~~

The Shattered Vale was the collective name for a series of valleys and mountains scattered throughout the southern section of the frozen continent. But it was also the name of a large fishing village on the very tip of said continent.

As soon as the morning sun had come, the princess stepped into a carriage selected by her parents to escort her to the village. The shadow guards surrounded it, and they all collectively teleported the vessel to the center of the valley connecting to the village; shadow magic at its finest. But it still left her feeling just a little woozy as she emerged out onto the vale.

Elenar gazed around at the village as she stepped out of her carriage and onto the snow. Many thatched roof buildings were scattered about, their owners tidying up for the princess's arrival. At the very center of the village was a large statue of a proud black dragoness: Lady Cynder. The many shadow dragons that lived in the village, and even a few of the non-dragons, would frequently offer blessings upon the statue in the hopes of good hauls while fishing.

I should really offer my own prayers before the day is out. She thought sadly as she looked upon the statue's smiling face. I miss her so much.

Half a dozen large fishing ships were docked in the harbor. While most of them were tall and majestic, the one at the very end, closest to the village square, was humble in size. Elenar had a good feeling that this was the boat she was looking for.

Elenar stepped forward, and four of her parents' guards emerged from the shadows nearby. They wore silver armor as they took formation around Elenar, much to her annoyance; she was hoping that her parents would call her bluff about needing all of this security.

"Take me to the smallest boat," Elenar ordered. "That's where the founder of the FTC will be."

"As you command, Princess." The head guard said. And they all marched in lockstep toward the boat.

Elenar and her guards made their way onto the harbor and up to the fishing boat. Several moles and cheetahs dressed in fur cloaks were unloading various items from the deck and onto the docks. One of the moles spotted the princess's entourage and rushed off to alert someone. As the princess came to a stop by the gangplank, someone emerged from the captain's quarters and made his way to meet them. The mole from before sounded a horn which grated on Elenar's ear frills. The mole then stepped down the gangplank and made a dramatic gesture.

"Presenting," The mole declared with a posh accent," the founder of the Faeshrine Trading Company… President Bergan!"

Elenar could barely believe her eyes. Were it not for his amethyst scales, and those sparkling red eyes, she would think she'd found the wrong dragon. The boy she knew in Warfang had grown up. His body had become muscular and toned. His ram-like horns were thicker, and small golden stubble hung from his chin. A plain, black cape hung over his back, while his mane was worn in small braids. His most elaborate item was a golden satchel on his back. It was marked with the same seal that came on yesterday's scroll; the letters F.T.C.

Bergan came to a stop on the dock and looked upon Elenar in surprise. He turned his head from side to side to look at her, as if unsure of who stood in front of him. Unable to take the silence any longer, Elenar pushed past her guards and stepped closer to the purple dragon.

"…Elenar?" He asked cautiously.

"Hi, Bergan." She smiled.

Elenar wasn't sure who made the first move, but a moment later, both dragons had come closer. She pressed her head against his chin and accepted a long, warm hug.

"I missed you." He whispered.

"Same." She whispered back.

The guards approached and surrounded the two dragons. Bergan opened his eyes and cautiously stepped away from Elenar. The princess just sighed and took a regal pose.

"Watch yourself around the princess, stranger." The head guard snapped.

"Right…" Bergan grimaced.

"Don't give my friend here any trouble," Elenar ordered. "He has all the permission in the world to hug me."

"Err, as you wish, princess." The head guard sighed. Bergan sighed as well, though his was in relief. He signaled for his mole attendant to head back onto the ship to get back to work.

"So, you have servants now?" Elenar asked curiously.

"He's an employee." Bergan chuckled. "Most of my employees work on my ship."

"And quite a ship it is." Elenar looked over the vessel from bow to stern. "You must have done pretty well for yourself over the years."

"You could say that, yes…" Bergan scratched his head with a wing-thumb. "Listen, is there anywhere private that we can speak together?"

"I'm sure we can find somewhere in town." Elenar smiled. "Unless you need a place that's extremely top-secret."

"I'm sure a room at the local tavern would be fine enough," Bergan said.

"Not without heavy surveillance, you." The head guard spoke up.

"Alright, alright…" Bergan grimaced, before looking at Elenar. "Lead the way, Oh Princess."

"As you wish…" She chuckled and fluttered her eyes.

~~…~~

Bergan and Elenar made for the nearest tavern in the Shattered Vale. Naturally, the squadron of soldiers surrounded the building to ensure that nobody could get in or out without their noticing. Elenar found it frustrating, but Bergan did his best to put up with it. The guards even went the extra mile of preventing all citizens from stepping anywhere near the tavern. The owners of the building were naturally upset at first… but a hefty sum of gems from Bergan's pocket was quick to quell their displeasure.

"My, that's quite a hearty purse you're carrying these days, Bergan," Elenar smirked.

"What can I say? I've been busy." He laughed as he stowed the purse away in his cloak.

Once everything was secured, Bergan and Elenar went up to the second floor of the tavern and picked a private room. The guards blocked off the door and would ensure nobody would go in without word from the princess herself. Soon, for the first time in several years, Elenar found herself all alone with the purple dragon.

Just as she'd always wanted.

"I'm not going to lie, Elenar…" Bergan said as he took his cape off to hang it on the rack. "I was really hoping that your mother would be the one to see me."

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"Err, don't get me wrong; I'm very happy to see you again." He chuckled lightly but then grimaced. "It's just… I have something important to discuss with Queen Murkandre."

"Well, I'm the future queen." Elenar declared. "And Mother wants me to see what you have to say on her behalf."

"Fair enough…" Bergan sighed. He sat down on a cushion and placed his satchel on the table. "Elenar… I fear the worst for your people."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you heard the news about the loss of King Boreas, yes?" Bergan tilted his head. "It won't be long before the wind dragons lose control of Aeroshard and its surrounding territories."

Elenar gasped. She then sat back in her chair and pursed her lips. "Do you think that, or… do you know that?"

Bergan sighed sadly. He looked Elenar in the eyes. "I know for a fact. I've known it for a long time. I even tried to warn them, but…" He scratched the floor with his talons. "They didn't listen to me."

Elenar felt uneasy. "So, your visions never went away, did they?"

"Not at all." Bergan shook his head. "In fact, they've only gotten stronger as the years have gone on."

"Where have you been all this time, Bergan?" Elenar demanded. "Nobody's seen a trace of you ever since the war started."

"I guess you could say I've been away for… training." Bergan nodded. "I was called upon to travel somewhere, where I was taught how to better control my time magic."

Elenar looked at Bergan uneasily. She had so many questions for her old friend. But she shook her head and took a regal pose; the formalities had to come first.

"Tell me what you've seen regarding the shadow dragons." She said coldly. "My ear frills are wide and ready."

Bergan balked at that, but then he sighed. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a crystal ball. Elenar looked upon the crystal curiously; she'd never seen something so perfectly cut. Bergan shut his eyes and ran his talons along the surface of the crystal. After a moment, dark clouds formed beneath the crystal's surface. The more Elenar looked at the clouds, the more she could see distinct shapes: she saw Mount Erebus in all its glory. An army formed on the foothills outside of the mountain, bearing the sigils of the various light dragon armies. Those armies descended upon the mountain… and screams rang out as shadow dragons were slaughtered.

Elenar's eyes widened in fear, and her blood turned cold. No…

Throughout the destruction of the shadow dragons, something ominous appeared in the moonlit sky. It was a dragon. His scales were whiter than the thickest snow, but his underbelly was as deep and red as blood.

The dragon watched the carnage with glee; his eyes were demonic, and his mane was wild. The white dragon laughed manically as the last of the shadow dragon royal bloodline was dragged out into the snow and slaughtered.

No, no, no… Elenar leaned back in her chair and panted frantically. Try as she might, she just couldn't look away from those horrid eyes.

Bergan lifted his fingers from the crystal, and the surface turned clear once again. The purple dragon's face had the same mask of fright that the princess had. He took a moment to catch his breath before looking Elenar in the eyes.

"It's going to happen in a year and a half," Bergan said grimly. "If the shadow dragons stay in Erebus, they're all going to die… just as prophesized by Runileon the Wicked."

Runileon… it was a name that all shadow dragons feared. Just looking at the crystal, Elenar could swear that the white dragon's ghostly visage was still there… taunting her. She tried her best to take on a regal pose before addressing Bergan.

"What do you propose we do?" Elenar asked.

"Your people need to flee Mount Erebus as soon as possible," Bergan said.

"Do we travel to Warfang?" Elenar asked. "Can King Urobos help us?"

"Warfang won't protect you either." Bergan shook his head. "All dark dragons, the ones that are still around at least, need to give up their old homes."

"And go where?" Elenar demanded.

A glint appeared in Bergan's eye. "Faeshrine."

"Faeshrine?" Elenar repeated. "The Poison dragon domain? How is that city any different from Warfang?"

"Well…" Bergan grinned. "I've been busy over the last year, Elenar. I've been having arrangements with Queen Persephone regarding the mushroom forest." He adjusted himself in his chair. "Faeshrine has been seeing quite a lot of economic advancements, thanks to my little visions steering things the right way."

"I don't see what that has to do with-"

"Come live in Faeshrine." Bergan declared. "You, your family, and all of your people need to move to Faeshrine for sanctuary. And so should all the other dark dragons across the entirety of the dragon realms."

Elenar blinked in surprise. She leaned back to consider the options; moving entire nations of dragons from one city to another would take a lot of time and planning. And there would be resistance to the idea from more stubborn dragons in the populace. But every time Elenar imagined dragons refusing to leave… the sickly cackle of Runileon loomed in the distance.

"Wh-Why Faeshrine, and not Warfang?" Elenar asked. "That's the part I don't understand."

"Because of its location." Bergan nodded as he pointed a talon at a map of the realms. "It's right smack dab in the Mushroom Forest. Many light dragons refuse to travel too deep, due to it being the ancestral home of Lord Spyro. So if the dark dragons live in the one city that's surrounded by the Mushroom Forest, no light dragons would ever dare to attack."

Elenar felt uneasy. While many dragons across the lands respected Lord Spyro and all the places he lived as a youngling, she couldn't be sure that the war would come to an end if her people found sanctuary in that forest. Still, if it meant she could be closer to Bergan…

"Your proposal has merit, Bergan." Elenar nodded. "You've never been wrong with your visions before, and I won't start disbelieving in your now. But, try to understand that it may take some doing to convince my parents that we need to leave Erebus."

"Thank you." Bergan had a soft smile.

"There's one last thing, Bergan…" Elenar stood up and approached the door. She carefully made sure that nobody on the outside could hear what came next. She then examined the windows, where she pulled down the blinds. Nobody was spying on them; it was safe.

Elenar took a long, deep breath and stepped away from the door. She looked at Bergan, who watched her with a curious look as she approached the bed.

"Are you okay, Elenar?" Bergan asked. "Did you need some fresh air?"

She didn't answer him; instead, she got to work removing the layers of her robes so she could place them in a neat pile off to the side. She took a deep breath as the cold air stung her scales.

"Elenar, what are you doing?" He asked incredulously.

"As the future queen, I'll be expected to make most of the decisions for my people," Elenar said. She walked over to the bed and climbed atop it to relax. She then looked over at Bergan, who watched her with a puzzled look. "But… I'm not the queen yet."

"Right…" He tugged on his collar awkwardly.

"Bergan… there's something I promised you the last time we met…" Elenar adjusted herself atop the bed so that she could take on a much more… intimate pose. Elenar fluttered her eyes, which made the purple dragon reel back incredulously.

"I…" He fidgeted cautiously with his talons. "I thought that was just childish teasing."

"It doesn't have to be." Elenar smiled. "So… did your visions foresee this?"

"To be honest… they did." Bergan gulped a bit. "But I didn't think it was likely. I thought that…"

"That I'd stopped loving you?" Elenar tilted her head playfully. "Of course not. I've waited for this day for a long time, Bergan."

"I believe you." Bergan stepped closer to the bed. He took in every inch of the shadowy princess and felt warmth in his chest. He reached out with a forepaw for Elenar but kept his talons at bay.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'm just… considering the consequences of this." Bergan sighed. "I'm sorry; it's the visions."

"Well, the visions can be damned." Elenar grasped Bergan's forepaw and pulled him atop her. The purple drake fumbled about for a bit at first. His face flushed with embarrassment as he touched her so closely. The purple dragon shivered; he wanted her. She could see it in his eyes.

"Are… Are you really sure about this?" He asked. "We can stop now. We can pretend this never happened."

"Whatever the consequences are…" Elenar nuzzled his forehead. "We'll face them together."

"Well…" He looked her in the eyes. "As you wish, my love."

Bergan lowered his face down to nuzzle her, and he wrapped his limbs around her as the air grew warm about them…

For better or worse, neither Bergan nor Elenar would ever forget this day: The day when their daughter was conceived. And all of the trouble it would bring.

~~…~~

The dark is here, don't fear the unknown.

Rest by my heart, for you're within my own.

So we shall never part, no matter where you go.

You will find a place, to lay your head low.