Rune's mind was hazy. Everything that had happened up until recently was a horrific mish-mash as it all zoomed past his eyes: The attacks in Warfang, the journey south, the assassins… and the assault on Glenhaven. All of it kept replaying over and over. His head throbbed, and he gnashed his fangs as he saw the faces of Jonathan and Saul in the distance. Everything hurt all over like he'd been dragged through battle after battle…
And then, all at once, Rune realized he was lying on his back. He slowly blinked his eyes open and winced at the aches and pains all throughout his limbs. Rune gazed up at a familiar ceiling; his bedroom. He slowly sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked around.
Rune was sitting on his mattress in IceFyre Manor. His curtains were closed over his window, and the light was off. But thanks to his dark-vision, he could make out the forms of all his old belongings. His luggage was placed against his dresser, while his sword and satchel were leaning against the wall. He was safe at home… so why did everything feel so wrong? Why was it so quiet?
As Rune put his paws on the floor, he took a moment to reflect on his mind. He was himself again, that much was clear. He took deep breaths and adjusted his wings; they were bruised, but otherwise fine. Rune reached within himself for some healing magic to soothe his aching limbs, but it didn't quite put an end to the stinging in the back of his head. He took several more breaths, and walked toward the door; perhaps a quick stop in the kitchen would soothe things. But as he reached for the knob, it suddenly turned as the door opened. Immediately he saw two faces, who gasped before looking at Rune with relief.
"Oh, thank the Ancestors…" Seraph stepped up to drape a wing over Rune's back to hug him. "You're awake."
"Seraph…" Rune said; he shut his eyes to accept the hug, even if he felt a bit embarrassed. Seraph lightly cried, while Hontus stepped into the room and turned on the light; Rune winced as he adjusted to it. Hontus then sat down on his haunches beside Rune, and he examined the prince's face with a worried look.
"How are you feeling, son?" Hontus asked. "Is anything out of place?"
"I'm fine, Hontus." Rune nodded to him. As Seraph let go of the prince, he could hear more voices out in the hall.
"Is Rune awake?" Blankridge called. In a blink, the orange drake had rushed to the door and he stepped up to pull Rune into a tight hug. "Bro!"
"B-Blank, take it easy!" Rune exclaimed; the wind was all but squeezed out of his lungs while Blankridge sobbed into his shoulder.
"Everyone was worried about you!" Blankridge exclaimed as he swung Rune from side to side. "Nellie was losing it!"
Just as he mentioned their sister, Nellie appeared in the doorway. She was briefly annoyed with Blankridge, but that quickly went away as she looked at Rune. She sniffled as she stepped up to make sure he was okay, before draping her own wing over his back.
Rune looked at his foster family all in turn. Hontus, Seraph, Blankridge, and Nellie all looked happy at the moment… but all of them had the signs that they had been absolutely miserable sometime before his waking up. Rune bit his lower lip as dread formed deep in his chest; something was very wrong.
"Guys…" Rune broke the hug and looked at Hontus and Seraph. "What happened out there? Did… Did the Guardians win? Was General Saul defeated?"
"Saul is…" Hontus took an anxious breath. "No longer a threat."
"Ah…" Rune stiffened a bit as he put on a hopeful smile. "So, the Guardians did win."
Hontus's face turned dour, while Seraph shivered from head to talons. Blankridge and Nellie gulped and looked away. Rune felt a chill down his back; what weren't they saying?
"Rune…" Hontus looked the prince in the eyes. "It's… hard to say that we won."
The Guardian turned his gaze toward the curtains. Rune followed his eyes, and then lightly nudged his foster siblings away so he could stand up. With every step toward his window, Rune felt a terrible foreboding. By the time he'd arrived at the curtains to grasp the fabric, Rune almost didn't want to pull them away. But he couldn't stay standing in the room forever; he had to know what was out there. So with a deep breath, Rune pulled the curtains to the side, to reveal…
Catastrophe.
It was mid-morning, judging from where the sun was… or rather, where the sun's rays were shining through clouds of smoke. All across the city, where there used to be many homes and businesses and other types of buildings… there were collapsed ruins and smashed rooftops. Rubble and debris were scattered across the entire city. The grasslands were partially razed by flames. Rivers were flooding, thanks to chunks of earth that blocked them off.
And the great Glenhaven Palace no longer existed.
Rune couldn't believe his eyes. The palace… no, the entire MOUNTAIN it sat upon… was just gone. And in the mountain's place was a gigantic crater, with more ruins within.
Rune's pupils shrank, and he stammered under his breath. He folded in his wings and wrapped his tail around his body as he struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. He shut his eyes and cried a little. This was a dream… it had to be a dream. This couldn't be real… it SHOULDN'T be real! Saul couldn't have destroyed the palace! He shouldn't have been able to do this!
As Rune tried not to cry, Seraph walked up to drape a wing over him once again. She put her head down atop his and held him still as he cried into her wing.
"It's okay…" Seraph said soothingly.
"N-No, it's not." Rune shut his eyes. "I… I fought Saul, Seraph. He found me, and my brother Cyrus, and… we fought against him!" He looked up at her. "We gave it everything we had! This… this shouldn't have happened!" Tears burst from Rune's eyes as he shivered all over. "We should have stopped him! I should have stopped him!"
"It's not your fault." Seraph continued to hold him. "Listen to me: nobody blames you."
Hontus, Nellie, and Blankridge all stepped up to join in the hug. Everyone huddled together as they gazed out at the wreckage that was once the city of Glenhaven. And yet even as he embraced the family hug, it didn't get rid of his feelings of shame. How could have fought so hard, and yet still failed? How could he-?
Knock-knock-knock.
Rune opened his eyes in surprise, and Hontus and Seraph let go of him. Everyone turned to look toward the door. Rune was stunned; Wraith was standing there with a shocked expression, almost as if the Deep Shadow was just as surprised that they were seeing each other so soon.
"Erm… Sorry to interrupt, Your Highness." Wraith said as he cleared his throat. "It's just that… The High Queen is downstairs, waiting to see you."
Rune could hardly believe it; his birth-mother was here, too? He had so many questions, which he almost asked, but the crimson drake held a talon in the air.
"We'll try to summarize everything later." He said. "Come on; your other family's waiting, Prince."
"Okay…" Rune sighed as he stepped around Hontus, Seraph, and his foster siblings. When he realized they weren't following, he stopped and grimaced. "Aren't you coming?"
"We'll be going downstairs with you soon enough, kiddo." Hontus patted Rune on the shoulder. "We just… have a feeling that Elenar and Lord Urobos need a bit of time alone with you."
"Ohh…"
"But we'll be right upstairs." Blankridge put on a warm smile.
"Yeah." Nellie nervously rubbed her ankle with a paw. "M-Maybe we can… catch up later."
"So, hurry up and go see them, Sweetie." Seraph leaned down to nudge Rune on the forehead. "Everything's… going to be alright."
Rune had a feeling that Seraph was saying that more to reassure herself than Rune or the rest of his foster family. He didn't exactly want to leave them behind… but he didn't want to keep his birth-mother or grandfather waiting much longer. So he turned toward Wraith and followed him out into the hallway. As the two made for the staircase, Rune noticed there were several hairs torn out of the crimson drake's mane.
"What happened?" Rune asked. "Were you attacked?"
"We had quite the rough skirmish." Wraith snorted. "It was… stressful, to say the least."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm about as fine as I can be." Wraith looked down at the prince and put on a faux smile. "Right as rain. Nothing driving me insane internally at all."
Rune was taken aback, but he said nothing else; once again it was clear that people were saying things to try and keep the prince from breaking down again. So with a sigh, Rune descended the main staircase in silence to the main hall.
Right away, Rune spotted most of the dark dragons that comprised his family. Elenar was looming at the window, with her forepaws clasped together. Urobos took calm breaths as he draped a wing over her back. Elza was seated across the way with her tail wrapped about her gravid belly. And Albanion was right at her side, quietly whispering to her as he doted on her. By the time Rune had reached the bottom of the stairs, all four dragons turned to look at him.
"Oh, thank the Ancestors…" Elza sighed in relief. "He's awake!"
Rune stiffened as the adults approached him. Albanion looked over Rune's features as if searching for tell-tale signs that Rune was going through a breakdown. Elza came forward to hold Rune in a hug with a wing, and Elenar soon did the same. Finally, Urobos came over and knelt down to look the prince in the eyes.
"Oh, my dear boy…" The elderly drake said as he patted Rune's shoulder. "We were waiting for you to wake up all night."
"Is your head okay, Rune?" Elenar asked as she looked him in the eyes.
"I'm fine, mother," Rune said with a wince. "I'm just… trying to wrap my head around what's happened."
Rune looked around at the living room and at the doorways to the adjacent rooms. There didn't seem to be anybody else on the first floor. Rune felt a pit in his stomach as he realized that some very important dragons were missing.
"Mother… where is Cyrus, and Hope?" He asked as he looked right into her eyes.
Immediately he saw his mother flinched, and dread filled the faces of the surrounding dragons. Elenar raised her head high and tried to keep calm, but the lack of her other two children was making her tail twitch.
"Rune…" She looked her son in the eyes. "Your siblings are… in the Guardians' custody."
Rune's eyes widened, and he nearly lost his footing. "W-What?!"
"For the parts that the both of them have played in the attack on the desert city," Elenar continued with a cold expression. "General Jules had them placed under arrest."
Rune's heart sank. He thought back to everything that had led up to that point; the fighting, the smoke, and the destruction. He didn't want to admit it out loud… but it was the truth. His sister was involved with her father Bergan's schemes… and Cyrus had attacked the palace with a hoard of crepsculi. He wasn't even sure if his brother was still corrupted or not. But despite it all, they were his siblings. And he couldn't bear to have horrible fates befall them.
"Where are they specifically?" Rune asked his mother. "And… can we convince the General to at least transfer them back into your custody?"
"Not right away." Urobos shook his head. "Jules and the rest of the Guardians have been trying to round up the remains of Saul's army and dispose of the few rogue crepsculi still attacking the citizens. We've been trying to help them along, but it hasn't quite won us the favor of bargaining for Cyrus and Hope."
Rune shivered, but Elenar gave him a patient smile.
"Don't lose faith just yet." She said, trying to sound reassuring. "We both know that General Jules is a good and just dragon; he's not about to do anything rash toward either of your siblings. We just need to be a bit more patient, until we can speak with him at the first trial."
"Trial?" Rune repeated worriedly.
"Not for Cyrus or Hope." Urobos quickly put a talon in the air. "It's for Prince Jonathan."
The mere mention of the earth prince's name brought back several memories, all of which made Rune scowl. He tried to keep a calm face as he thought of Jonathan locked in chains once again. If anyone deserved to be put to task, it was the earth prince…
Sentence him to life, General! Make him suffer! Make him-!
"Rune?"
Rune snapped back to reality and shook his head. He took a breath and tried to relax as he fell to his haunches.
"Sorry, sorry…" Rune said awkwardly.
Knock-knock-knock.
Everyone turned toward the front door of the manor in surprise. Albanion and Elza exchanged curious glances, while Elenar looked toward the door with a glower.
"I suppose it's about time," Elenar said coldly.
"Time for what?" Rune asked.
"For… Well, you'll see…" Urobos said. He looked toward the staircase, where Wraith had stood silently all this time. "Would you do the… honors?"
"I… I guess I can." Wraith shrugged his shoulders. With a snap of his talons, he stood at the front door, where he grasped the knob to pull it open. He then scooted out of the way as two figures appeared in the dim daylight just outside. Everyone else tensed up and backed away as Rune watched the dragons step inside.
It was Voden and Dona.
The scholar was looking much more disheveled and exhausted than usual; he even seemed to try to hold back from snoring as he held his head high. Dona, meanwhile, had her eyes downcast and her muzzle clamped shut. She moved slowly and carefully, as her daughter Riven was fast asleep on her back. Once they were inside, Wraith shut the doors, and the dragons came to a stop before Elenar.
Rune lowered his head and stepped back as Voden bowed his head to Elenar.
"I would give anything for the circumstances to be better for this reunion, Your Grace," Voden said as calmly as he could.
Dona, meanwhile, kept her gaze down at the floor, as she gave a halfhearted bow of her own. Elza glared at Dona as if waiting to snap back at whatever remark the shadowy dragoness could give. And yet, through it all, Dona stayed as silent as the grave. Elenar appraised her for a moment but then turned to focus on Voden.
"Do you know any word on when the first trial is to commence?" Elenar asked. "Has Jules decided yet?"
"It was originally going to be at noon," Voden said, "But the General has had to delay it to one, due to the mass arrival of students."
Rune blinked in surprise, as did most of the other adults.
"What?" Albanion asked incredulously.
"Mass Arrival?" Elza repeated, stepping closer. "What do you mean?"
"Jules figured you'd all want to know." Voden continued with a slight twitch of his eye. "It's the damndest thing: not even an hour ago, a whole swath of underage dragons appeared right in the middle of the marketplace." The scholar flapped his wings. "A lot of them are dark dragons, and-"
"The Students!" Albanion and Elza exclaimed.
Immediately Albanion glanced at Wraith, who was picking his jaw up off the floor.
"Head for the marketplace!" Albanion declared. "Gather the apprentices, and bring them to one spot!"
"Got it!" Wraith nodded. The crimson drake snapped his talons and was gone in as quick as a flash.
Voden blinked in surprise and confusion. "Erm… I wasn't finished."
"It's quite alright, Voden," Elenar said as she stood up tall. "We've had an issue involving missing students, and I think we just found a massive lead."
"Well… students weren't the only ones among those strange arrivals." Voden continued. "About a dozen of them are… locked up in chains."
"Chains?" Urobos repeated. "Why?"
"Well…" Voden looked right at Elenar. "One of the students, a big golden boy, said you'd understand, once you went to the trial."
Elenar's eye widened, while Rune followed suit. Was the scholar talking about Prince Lantel?
"Where is this golden boy now?" Elenar demanded.
"He's with the crowd of young dragons as we speak." Voden continued. "In the meantime, I was sent along to fetch your company, so you could come join General Jules in preparation for the trial."
"Well then…" The queen flapped her wings and turned to look at Rune. "Tell your foster father to come with us; he'll want to convene with the other Guardians about what to do with these new vagrants."
"Right…" Rune turned around to ascend the staircase… only to gasp upon seeing Hontus and Seraph already on the way down.
"I heard all I needed to hear." Hontus declared with his armor shining. "Let's be off, Your Grace."
"Right…" Elenar stood up tall and walked around Voden and Dona.
"Erm, Mother…" Rune stayed where he stood. "I have a request."
"Hmm?" she looked back at him. "What is it?"
"I want to take a tour of the city, and see what damage has been done," Rune said. "Maybe I can even use my magic to help repair some of it."
"As you wish." Elenar looked at him with a soft smile, before turning toward Albanion. "Would you mind going with the prince for the time being?"
"Of course not," Albanion said with a nod.
"Hey, wait up!" Called Blankridge; the orange drake made his way quickly down the stairs, while Nellie followed close behind. "Don't leave without us!"
"Yeah, start the tour with the prairie," Nellie added as she landed behind her brother. "That's where the least amount of the damage was."
"Hmph, very well…" Albanion nodded to the queen, then the assembled Guardians, and then finally to Urobos. He turned toward the front door and gestured with a wing. "Let's be on our way, then."
Rune quickly hugged his foster parents, and then his mother and grandfather. The prince led the way out of the manor, and everyone split up to go their separate ways.
~~…~~
"Stop fussing so much, Ruby," Emerald said with a groan. But her baby brother continued to squeal and fidget around in her grasp. Emerald sat on her haunches on a small cushion beside a little table, and she was struggling to find a moment to take a sip of her ice water whilst keeping watch on the dragonling.
"Do you want me to hold him for a while, Emerald?" Marble asked; he had been seated beside her the whole time.
"I'd appreciate it…" Emerald said with a pant. She gently passed Ruby into Marble's forepaws, and right away the dragonling squirmed around in protest.
"Hey, calm down, would ya?" Marble grimaced as he held Ruby against his chest. "There's nothing to worry about; you're safe and sound."
Emerald had been assigned by her parents to act as a leader for the younger dragon students of the city. Whilst the Guardians were off attending to the restoration efforts, their daughter wanted her to make sure the students remained orderly and calm. Many of them had lost their homes in the carnage, and so they needed to camp out with their families in the prairie. But while their parents were off trying to fix things, it fell upon Emerald and some of the older students to act with some semblance of authority for the time being.
Emerald had spent much of her day using her magic to clear through rubble and debris from the gazebos around the center of the prairie. It didn't take long for Marble to step in, along with several other earth dragon students. Even Aaron, from Roxanne's little gang, put things aside to help with the efforts. And now Emerald was taking a small break for a few minutes so that she could regain the strength to get to work all over again.
"Damn rubble…" Emerald grumbled as she took a drink from her bowl. "We've been at it for hours, and there's still so much more to do."
"Take it one step at a time." Marble said. "There's no need to tire yourself out slaving away at it."
"But we're still at least thousands of steps away." She snorted. "Ancestors, what a miserable day."
As Emerald continued to drink her water, she heard a few pawsteps coming from behind. She turned around and was surprised to see the flowery dragoness Helianne making her way through.
Emerald was barely aware of who Princess Helianne was. She recalled the princess mentioned once or twice in letters that Rune had written to Glenhaven some time ago. But in any case, Helianne didn't quite look as graceful and innocent as Rune had once described her. Instead, the flowery princess panted and kept her head low as she made her way through the prairie. She kept some kind of raggedy cloth draped over her back, and she was struggling to keep it on as she approached.
"I don't get what you think you're doing." Said a voice from behind Helianne.
Chalice quickly zoomed into view and made to trot alongside Helianne. The grey-scaled dragon kept pace with Helianne and almost pulled her cloth away, only for the princess to step quickly to the side.
"Just leave it," Helianne muttered. "I don't want anybody to see."
"But you're doing to wear yourself out, Princess." Chalice snapped. "You're about a few minutes away from collapsing in a heap… AGAIN."
"I don't care…" Helianne stuck her snout in the air. "This isn't the time for everyone to gawk at them."
Emerald raised an eye ridge at that; there was something curious about this princess. She and Marble scooted out of the way so Helianne and Chalice could approach. Helianne nearly face-planted upon the table, while Chalice sat down calmly to her side.
"Are you feeling okay, Miss?" Marble asked the princess.
"I'm… fine…" Helianne lifted her head up and yawned. "Could… Could I trouble one of you for a bowl of water?"
"Here…" Emerald poured some of her water into a spare bowl and slid it forward. "You can have this."
"Thanks…" Helianne bowed her head before picking up the bowl in both hands. She tried to drink from it gracefully, only for instincts to make her chug it down as fast as she could. Chalice could only roll their eyes at the sight as they tapped the table.
"You know… you'd be feeling a lot cooler if you took that bloody thing off," Chalice said as they nodded at Helianne's clothes. "Nobody's going to judge you."
"I'm keeping it on." Helianne declared as she took a drink. "End of discussion." Chalice just groaned and looked away.
"What are you doing out here, anyway?" Marble asked the princess.
"Well…" Helianne gave another yawn. "I was helping the adults regrow patches of grass that were burned in the aftermath."
"You what?" Emerald said with a gasp; she looked over the princess incredulously. Upon closer inspection, Emerald noticed that Helianne was covered in patches of dirt, from her muzzle to her talons. The earth dragoness got to work removing any dirt from Helianne's face with her magic.
"Hey…" Helianne shivered. "You… don't have to do that."
"And you don't have to get yourself filthy trying to clean up a mess that isn't yours." Emerald declared. "It isn't your responsibility, Princess."
"That's what I've been saying…" Chalice shrugged. "But she just won't listen to me."
"It's not like I can just sit around and do nothing," Helianne said as she scooted a bit away from Emerald. "What would the Guardians think of me?"
"They'll think you're a princess, who got dragged a long way from home," Chalice stated as they poked Helianne in the shoulder. "So just take it easy for a while, okay? You're not a burden; you're a guest. Even in times of crisis like this."
"But…" Helianne frowned.
"Leave the dirty work to students and apprentices." Chalice continued.
"But don't think your attempts to help aren't appreciated." Marble said. "Thank you very much, Princess."
"Yeah, thanks." Emerald bowed her head. "It's very commendable."
"Y-You're welcome." Helianne blushed a bit.
As Helianne was reaching for a drink, the sounds of flapping wings came from overhead. Everyone looked up to see a large dragon in a cloak descending over rooftops to arrive at the edge of the prairie. He was followed by three teenagers; blue, orange, and finally black. Emerald and the others gasped and then sighed in relief as the four dragons approached.
"Master Albanion!" Chalice called.
The tall poison drake gave a contented sigh upon hearing Chalice. He came to a stop at the table and looked around. Emerald and Marble nodded in respect, while Ruby squealed and shook in Marble's grasp. Albanion grunted in amusement at the dragonling and then looked directly at Chalice and Helianne. Chalice stood up tall and saluted, while Helianne shrank nervously back from the Deep Shadow.
"It seems you're all doing well," Albanion said calmly.
"Yeah…" Said the voice of Blankridge. The orange drake walked around the Deep Shadow and made to sit down beside Emerald. "Are you guys feeling alright?"
"We're just fine, Blank." Marble said.
Nellie followed Blankridge around the table and looked around. With a grimace, she sat down across from them and fanned out her wings. "I guess Roxanne still isn't done working."
Emerald winced. "I could go without thinking about HER for a while, Nellie."
"You're probably right…" Nellie looked over at Helianne and bit her lower lip. "Maybe it's for the best."
"Why?" Helianne blinked in confusion. "What's wrong? Who's this Roxanne again?"
"Don't worry about it." Emerald shook her head. "With her gone, you and Rune can… can…" She blinked and glanced over the others. "Wait a minute; where IS Rune?"
The teenagers all looked around, while Albanion grunted. The Deep Shadow turned around and grunted.
Rune had come to a landing and stood where he was the entire time.
The prince adjusted his cloak as he looked around at the prairie. The prince could hardly believe that it remained mostly undamaged. There were a few chunks of buildings scattered around the western edge, but the greenery of the grass was still as fresh as the day they sprung from the ground. Rune took a sigh of relief, before falling onto his haunches to relax.
"Rune?"
The prince opened his eyes and looked up to see Albanion looking back at him. Most of the other teenagers were leaning around the Deep Shadow to look at him.
Albanion motioned with a wing toward the table. "Wouldn't you rather join the rest of us?"
"Err, Sorry, Uncle." Rune stood up and bowed his head. "I'll be right over."
Rune made his way over and looked around at the faces of the others. Blankridge, Nellie, Marble, and Emerald all looked at him with concern. Emerald's baby brother was flailing around without a care in the world. Chalice gave Rune an encouraging nod, before gesturing to their side at Helianne.
The Flora dragoness had a stunned expression as Rune got closer. He gulped uneasily as he made to sit down on Chalice's other side. But then Chalice abruptly got up and scooted Helianne over.
"Hey!" Helianne protested, while Rune blushed.
"Don't be like that." Chalice scolded. "You two clearly still need to talk about things. So just get to the point and TALK."
But while Chalice was shoving the princess over, Albanion harshly cleared his throat. Chalice stopped in confusion and then looked up to see the Deep Shadow giving them the stink-eye.
"Watch it, Apprentice." Albanion snapped. "You don't go bossing around royalty without repercussions."
"Err, I was just…" Chalice blushed and lowered their head. "…just trying to get my two friends to clear their heads. Forgive me, Master!"
Helianne looked over at Chalice with wide eyes. "We're friends?"
"Well, I mean…" Chalice stood up tall and gave a slight chuckle. "Why wouldn't we be, after everything we've gone through?"
Helianne's eyes dazzled for a bit, and she looked away with a flush. "Th-Thank you."
"You're… welcome," Chalice said dubiously. "But seriously, as your friend, I think it would be a good idea to resolve the issues between you and Rune."
"Right…" Helianne glanced over at the prince, who took a nervous breath.
"Okay…" Rune did his best to look her in the eyes. "Helianne, I-"
"Hey, look!" Blankridge suddenly called out.
He slammed his forepaw on the table while pointing across the prairie with his other forepaw. Everyone at the table was stunned and nearly jumped. Ruby immediately started crying. Emerald rushed to cradle her little brother, whilst snarling furiously at the orange drake.
"Blank, you idiot!" Emerald threatened to hit him on the head. "You scared Ruby!"
"Sorry…" Blankridge nervously backed up. "It's just that a bunch of kids are flying into the prairie."
"What?"
Everyone at the table turned around to look toward the southwestern section where Blankridge was pointing. Just as he said, a whole flock of young dragons were flying over the rooftops to make their way into the greenery. Near the front of the flock was a skinny, dark red drake, which was closely followed by several young dragons. All of them got more and more familiar the closer they flew…
"It's Master Wraith!" Chalice exclaimed. "And the other apprentices!"
Wraith flew a bit further ahead from the crowd and down toward the gazebos, while the apprentices followed close behind. Wraith spun around and landed just across from Albanion, who stood up tall.
Holly, Brisa, Ozul, and Ricin all came to a landing behind Wraith. Chalice got up from the table and walked around to stand in formation with the four younger apprentices.
"It's so good to see you, Master Albanion!" Holly cheered; she blushed as she tried to contain her relief. Brisa snickered at the outburst, while Ozul nervously stepped back with secondhand embarrassment.
"Thank the Ancestors you're all okay…" Albanion said as he looked over the four of them. "Not a scratch on any of…" He balked upon seeing a bandage on the back of Ricin's head. "Oh."
Ricin's eye twitched upon having the bandage pointed out. He took a step forward slowly, before all but collapsing against Albanion's foreleg. The Deep Shadow winced and leaned down to pat Ricin on the head.
"Are you alright?" Albanion asked softly.
"I… I'm fine, Master." Ricin said as he sniffled a bit. He sprang up and looked right into Albanion's eyes. "There's… there's so much I need to talk to you about!"
"Oh?" Albanion's expression weakened. "What happened in Convexity, Ricin? You don't seem like yourself."
"Well…" Ricin wiped his eyes of tears. "You see…"
"HEY!"
Ricin and Albanion flinched. They looked up to see someone break from through the flock to approach. It was a golden-scaled drake, dressed in radiant Ram armor…
Albanion gasped. "Prince Lantel!"
Rune and Helianne immediately widened their eyes, while the apprentices all spun around. Sure enough, Lantel was galloping across the grass to come to an abrupt stop. He panted heavily in his armor, before standing up tall and looking Albanion right in the eyes.
"I have a message to deliver!" Lantel shouted. "I need to find the highest authority in the lands!"
"What?" Albanion snapped. Lantel was about to yell again, but the Deep Shadow stamped his paw. "Calm down, boy! You're going too fast."
Lantel grumbled. He was about to start yelling again… only for Helianne to slam into him. The prince gasped and froze as his sister cried against his side.
"By the Ancestors, Lantel!" Helianne exclaimed. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!"
Lantel looked down at his sister, and immediately his composure broke down. Lantel plopped his head atop Helianne's and draped a wing over her side. The golden prince cried quietly as he hugged Helianne close.
"Well…" Albanion cleared his throat. "I suppose that's one way to calm down."
"Right…" Lantel reached into his satchel and pulled out a small scroll. "I need this message brought to whoever is in charge here. It's from-"
Wraith immediately snatched the scroll out of the prince's grip, making him gasp.
"This thing REEKS of Convexity…" Wraith scowled as he sniffed the exterior of the scroll.
"You didn't have to swipe it from me," Lantel said angrily. "I was GIVING IT TO YOU."
"Force of habit…" Wraith stuffed the scroll into his cloak. "I can't have traces of convexity getting into the wrong paws. Especially not if it came from…" Wraith's eyes widened upon spotting the seal on the scroll. He immediately scowled as he brought his voice to an angry whisper. "From BERGAN."
"We'll need to bring it to Queen Elenar immediately," Albanion said. He glanced down at Lantel. "You'd best stay behind with the other students; we'll figure out where to place you all later tonight. You'll no doubt require a proper room and board for the next couple of days."
"Fine, sure…" Lantel snorted. "These last few days have been exhausting."
Albanion nodded in the prince's direction and then looked down at Ricin.
"Stay with the other apprentices for now, Ricin." Albanion tenderly patted the boy on the shoulder. "We'll talk some more in a little while."
"Okay, Master." Ricin frowned.
Albanion and Wraith stepped away from the young dragons so they could whisper amongst themselves. Rune watched them go and then turned to look over everyone around him. The apprentices were still sitting awkwardly on their haunches, while Lantel and Helianne continued to hug and talk to each other. Rune glanced over at his foster siblings and the two earth dragons… and decided that now was the time to break the ice.
"Hey, everyone…" Rune said as he stood up from the table. "I think some introductions would be a good idea."
Rune walked around the table and stood between the table and the apprentices. He faced the dark dragons while gesturing with a wing toward the light dragons.
"Guys, these are my foster siblings, Nellie and Blankridge," Rune said as he pointed at them in turn.
"Hiya!" Blankridge gave an enthusiastic grin toward the apprentices as he waved excitedly. "Welcome to Glenhaven!"
"Blank, calm down." Nellie snapped. "Keep your wits about you for once."
The apprentices exchanged curious glances. Holly broke off from the group and offered a forepaw to Blankridge.
"It's nice to meet you, Blank." She smiled. "I'm Holly."
Blankridge wasted no time shaking her paw. He then looked her over and became fixated on her tail. "Hey, where'd your tail go?"
"BLANK!" Emerald shouted behind him. She immediately dashed over and bonked him on the head. "That's very rude of you!"
"Wh-What'd I do?" Blankridge yelled as he rubbed his head. "I just wondering where-"
"Will you just be quiet?" Marble snapped. "You're going to embarrass the whole lot of us!"
"Umm, it's fine…" Holly stepped back and awkwardly laughed. "A lot of people can't help but notice it."
"Well, I think it's cool!" Blankridge continued with a grin. "I'll bet you lost it in a fierce battle."
Emerald and Marble snarled at Blankridge, while Holly blushed. Across the way, Brisa looked at them all and bent her head back in a hearty laugh.
"This guy is such an idiot." She wiped her eyes of tears. "I like him!"
"He is kind of charming, I guess…" Ozul said as he nervously stepped around him to look at the earth dragons. "But, who are you two?"
"These are two more of my friends," Rune said as he gestured toward them. "This is Emerald, and her boyfriend Marble."
"Wh-what?" Emerald's face immediately blushed.
"Well, it's nice to meet you both." Ozul put in a small smile. "You seem like you make a great couple."
Emerald's face flushed even more. She glanced at Marble, who was just as embarrassed as she was… and yet he didn't make any move to protest the idea. In fact, he stepped a bit closer to drape a wing over Emerald's back, making it even harder for the dragoness to keep her composure.
"Uhh…" Ozul grimaced. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Err…" Emerald gulped and shook her head. "N-No, It's fine… err, what was your name again?"
"Oh, I'm Ozul." The crimson drake gestured to himself and then looked at the others. "These are my friends: Brisa, Holly, and Ricin."
"Heya." Brisa stuck her thumb-talon in the air.
"Hi!" Holly chirped.
"Err, uh… hiya," Ricin said nervously. The indigo drake kept his attention on Rune, to the point where he stepped up to tug on the prince's shoulder. "Say, uh, Prince? Would you happen to know if… Cyrus is around here?"
Rune's eye twitched. He sucked in a breath and did his best to keep his composure. "I… I haven't seen him in a while, Ricin."
"Oh…" Ricin's ear frills drooped, and he sighed sadly.
"Well, maybe we can see him again soon." Rune tried to put on a brave face. "You know Cyrus; he's very resilient."
"Yeah…" Ricin put on his own smile, but it didn't last long. He sighed and looked back over at the other apprentices. "I guess we'll see him later."
Ozul, Holly, and Brisa all looked at Ricin awkwardly. Nellie and Blankridge looked between them all in confusion.
"Oh, are you all Cyrus's friends, too?" Nellie asked.
"We were…" Brisa snapped. "Right up until he decided to be a huge jerk-ass."
Holly and Ozul flinched, while Ricin sucked in a breath. Nellie, Blankridge, Emerald, and Marble all looked at Brisa in confusion, while the wind dragoness just stamped her paw. Rune groaned and stepped around the others to face her head-on
"What happened between you all?" Rune asked. "Does it have to do with Cyrus being corrupted by convexity?"
"Oh, it started well before that, Rune." Brisa turned around and pointed a wing over at Helianne. "It was right around the time when Cyrus cursed out your little sweetheart over here."
Helianne flinched, and let go of Lantel to shrink back a bit. The golden prince took a moment to look over the gathered dragons before he locked eyes with Rune.
For the first time since their duel, Rune and Lantel faced each other. Both princes were stunned into silence and didn't dare move a muscle. Everyone around them looked between the two princes; the light dragons were puzzled by what was going on, while the apprentices (save for Brisa) all nervously stepped back.
"Prince Lantel…" Rune said nervously.
"Prince Rune…" The golden prince took a single step back. "I… don't want any trouble."
Suddenly Blankridge appeared between the two princes. He stepped around Lantel and looked over his fancy armor.
"Who's this guy?" Blankridge asked enthusiastically. "And where can I get cool armor like this?"
Lantel balked and scowled at Blankridge. "I'm Prince Lantel, future king of Aether-Sol." He stepped back and took a proud pose. "And this is a one-of-a-kind suit of armor forged by the master blacksmith of the Prime Temple!"
"That's cool," Blankridge said flatly. "My dad's the master blacksmith of Glenhaven." He poked one of Lantel's shoulder-guards. "Never seen him forge stuff like this, though."
Lantel glared irritably at Blankridge, while Brisa snickered off in the back. The golden prince stepped back from the orange drake, while just continuing to admire the armor.
"Ugh, I don't have time for this." Lantel glowered; he stepped around Blankridge and focused his sights back on Rune. "Listen, you! I don't want you hurting my sister!"
Rune's eye twitched. "Lantel, I'd never want to hurt her!"
"Will that matter if you go crazy again?" Lantel demanded. "You snapped at me, and I've spent years training to be a knight. So what's going to happen if you snap at her?" He stomped the ground. "Are you going to pummel her down?!"
Rune gasped, and he looked away; he didn't even want to consider losing his temper like that at anyone, least of all at Helianne of all people. But he couldn't think of a reply back; he'd gotten so close to crossing the line several times. No matter how he tried, Rune always wound up getting furious and becoming… becoming…
"Hey, stop that, Goldiscales!" Blankridge snapped as he came between Lantel and Rune. "I don't know what happened between you two before, but nobody insults my brother!"
Lantel had the briefest look of confusion, but he just shook his head and snorted. "Mind your own business, kid."
"This IS my business." Blankridge declared. He spread his wings and stood up defiantly.
"Yeah, back off!" Nellie rushed over to take the same pose beside Blankridge.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Lantel scowled. "You don't even know what Rune did, and you're defending him anyway?!"
"Tell us what he did." Said a voice from behind. Lantel looked over to see Emerald getting closer and looked down her snout at him, even though he was considerably taller. "Well? What did Rune DO that has you so angry?"
Lantel turned around, focused his gaze on the earth dragoness, and used a talon to motion at his eye. "He came close to giving me a scar, just like the one YOU have."
Emerald flinched. "Wh-What?"
"That's right." Lantel turned back around and saw the shocked expressions on Blankridge and Nellie. "I challenged Rune to a duel because he dishonored my sister Helianne. And in that duel, he went completely ballistic."
Emerald, Nellie, and Blankridge all turned to face Rune with uneasy expressions. Rune could only sigh as he fell back onto his haunches.
"It's… It's true." He said with a lowered head. "I… I lost control of myself." He looked past his foster siblings and focused squarely on the golden prince. "Prince Lantel… I'm sorry."
"Hmph." Lantel stuck his snout up. "I don't forgive you."
"Well, I do."
Everyone was caught off-guard as Helianne came up and draped a wing over Rune's back. The light dragons were bewildered, while the apprentices all gasped at the sight. Rune had a large flush on his face, while Lantel looked down completely stunned.
"Wh-What are you doing, Helianne?" Lantel asked incredulously.
"I'm trying to make things right." The princess said. She turned to look Rune in the eyes. "Rune, ever since we met, you have always been kind and sweet to me. You only ever tried to help me when I needed it. And even during the first half of that arena match, you were just trying to make peace with my brother."
"Helianne…" Rune said in amazement.
"Helianne, did you forget what he did?!" Lantel exclaimed. "He put me in the hospital wing! He beat me down! He nearly took one of my eyes!"
"I know, and I was scared of what I saw." Helianne looked back at her brother. "That wasn't the Rune I know." She looked back at the black dragon. "The High Queen was very secretive after that match. There's something she didn't tell everyone else… but she told you, isn't there?"
Rune looked down with a frown. "I…"
"These last few days have been terrifying for me," Helianne said sadly. "I thought I'd made a huge mistake by pushing you away, right before we were all abducted from Warfang. I was so scared that I'd lost the chance to… to…" She pulled him close in a hug. "To be your girlfriend."
There was a moment of silence amongst the gathered dragons as the word bounced around. Rune flushed as red as he ever had as everyone gave him those knowing looks.
"Did…" Blankridge's eyes widened. "Did she just say what I think she said?"
"Uhh…" Rune bit his lower lip.
Before another word could be said, Blankridge slammed into Rune and cried out excitedly. He swung Rune around as he stamped his paws in delight.
"My brother's got a girlfriend!" Blankridge shouted. "He's got a girlfriend!"
"Blank, stop!" Rune protested.
But Blankridge was only the first one. Emerald, Brisa, and Ricin rushed over with their own cheers as they circled around Rune and Helianne.
"You're finally growing up!" Emerald said happily. "I'm so proud of you!"
"I knew it!" Brisa laughed. "I knew that you two were an item! I just knew it!"
"Oh, I've just gotta draw a picture of you two!" Ricin said as his tail wagged. "I need to find some paints!"
Rune backed up nervously from his friends and looked around for some help. He considered dipping down into his shadow to make a quick getaway… but he was abruptly squeezed into a tight hug by Holly.
"This calls for a celebration!" Holly chirped. She rushed around and practically dragged Rune by his tail. "We need to work together to make a celebratory party!" She glanced over at Ozul. "Do you think you can build a stage with some nearby wood?"
"Err, uhh… okay," Ozul said dubiously. He looked over at the prince and smiled as he trotted along. "C-Congratulations, Rune!"
Rune struggled to get away from the cheering young dragons. But just as he was about to get away, who else but Nellie appeared right in front of him. She had an amused smirk as she pushed Rune's head backward into the assembled dragons.
"Oh, not you too!" Rune exclaimed.
Nellie smirked. "I wouldn't miss this for the world, little brother."
There was no escape for Rune. He was hefted up into the air by a swarm of his friends, right alongside Helianne. The other young dragons all cheered and celebrated as they carried the prince and princess off, completely with songs of adulation and young romance. It didn't matter how embarrassed Rune felt… because Helianne was loving every second of it.
Meanwhile, Lantel was left behind with a stunned face. The only two who hadn't joined the mob were Marble and Chalice. The former was still holding the squirming Ruby carefully as he very sheepishly stepped away. The latter, meanwhile, stepped up to sit down on their haunches beside Chalice.
"Hey," Chalice said. "Nice to see you again, by the way. I hope you're doing alright."
"I…" Lantel fell backward onto his haunches. "I can't believe it. I just CAN'T believe it." He flapped his wings dejectedly. "She forgave him? H-how am I the bad guy in all of this?!"
"Nobody thinks you're the bad guy." Chalice frowned down at the golden prince. "They're just really happy for those two. Don't you want to be happy for Helianne, at least?"
"Ugh…" Lantel shook his head in annoyance. "Of course I want Sis to be happy… but why did he have to be HIM?" He glared at Chalice. "How can she forgive HIM?"
"I don't claim to know everything that's going on in your sister's head, even when I try." Chalice shrugged. "But a lot of bad stuff happened after we were all separated in Convexity. The best way I'd put it is… Rune and Helianne really liked each other before everything went wrong, and now they really need each other to cope… Rune especially."
"And how do you figure?" Lantel demanded.
"I mean… just look around at the city." Chalice gestured with their wings. "Glenhaven was Rune's home for a long time. He has family and memories here… and Saul nearly destroyed everything." Chalice looked down at their paws. "Honestly, I hope that Rune and Helianne make each other happy: nobody wants to see Rune snap from trauma again."
Lantel balked and then snorted. "So, what? Is Rune owed my sister, or he'll go nuts?"
"That's not what I mean," Chalice said in disgust. "My point is that Rune deserves SOMETHING good to happen. Nobody should have to endure trauma after trauma. It would turn ANYONE crazy; even you or me."
"I… guess you have a point."
"Okay, I'm going to go join in to help arrange that celebration." Chalice rose to their full height and trotted off. "Feel free to come join us; I'm sure your sister will want you to be there."
Lantel didn't reply right away; he just looked around at the many people gathered in the grasslands. There were large gatherings of families, dragons and non-dragons alike. Most of them were looking pretty miserable; the younger ones were even crying. And over to the west, countless buildings were reduced to piles of rubble. There was so much misery… so much despair…
And then he looked over at the crowd of Rune's friends as they all tossed him and Helianne into the air. Everyone looked so happy for them… so relieved to have some good news after all the disaster and hardship everyone had faced. Rune and Helianne were huddled up close, and they hugged each other with their wings as everyone danced around them.
Lantel wasn't sure what he was feeling in his chest… perhaps it was mostly regret that he hadn't gotten up and joined along to congratulate Helianne. Then again… it might have also been the slightest bit of jealousy. Maybe, if he'd played his cards differently somewhere… it could have been Lantel and Cyrus being celebrated.
Lantel felt a few tears fall from his eyes, as he stood up to go join the crowd.
~~…~~
There was a great, curious murmur all throughout the center of Glenhaven. And General Jules and his wife Mimet were doing their best to keep their composure.
Jules did his best to keep calm and stoic as he gazed out at the many dragons in chains. But there was much on his mind that threatened to break his composure.
The Guardians, under the leadership of Jules and Mimet, had formed a temporary base of operations around the edge of the crater. Many moles and earth dragons were hard at work cleaning up the debris scattered around; it needed to be cleared if they had any hope of rebuilding their home. But for now… Jules and Mimet had to come to a decision.
Before him, wrapped up in chains and a muzzle, was Prince Jonathan; his nephew. He and Mimet hadn't laid eyes on the boy in four years, and evidently so much had happened that they weren't there to witness. There was fear and dread in the prince's eyes. He'd been treated for scratches, stabs-wounds, and so many burns. It was almost a crime in itself to put him on trial… and yet, Jules couldn't deny what Jonathan had done.
But nor could he deny what Telus had done.
The thought nearly broke his composure, but a gentle grasp on the forepaw by his wife brought him some ease.
"Keep calm, Soldier," Mimet whispered. "Now is the time to rival the strength of the earth."
Jules sighed and lightly kissed his wife on the forehead.
This kiss gave just enough time for many more dragons to arrive on the scene; the Guardians of Glenhaven. They all gathered around and sat down in what was designated as a juror's venue; but really, all they had were a bunch of half-burned cushions hastily draped in elementally-marked rugs. It was the best that anyone could do in this time of crisis.
The last Guardians to arrive were Hontus and Voden… who were shortly followed by High Queen Elenar, Lord Urobos, and the Deep Shadows Elza and Dona. Everyone was in shock and awe to behold the dark dragons; Jules himself nearly lost composure once again.
"Please… pay us no mind," Elenar said as she sat herself down across from the Guardians. "I'm merely an observer for this trial."
The rest of the dark dragons were silent as well as they took their seats. Soon the murmurs quieted down, and everyone returned their attention to Jules.
"Very well…" Jules cleared his throat and turned to behold Jonathan once again… as well as the gathered dragons in chains.
While Jonathan left Jules with a flood of twisted emotions, the General had no clue what to make of the assorted rabble behind him. They had varying elements, varying ages, and more than their fair share of scars and scratches. The one defining trait among all of them was their fear; they were in an unknown location, standing on trial before the leader of the Southern Guardians. They'd lost some great battle and were now dreading his judgment. The only one who wasn't…was barely conscious. He was a golden-hided drake of lanky build, with a dart protruding from the back of his head.
For the last hour, Jonathan hadn't been able to take his eyes off of these assorted drakes… or rather, he tried not to; his chains forced him to keep from leaning too far in any direction. The prince's body language left plenty of speculation in Jules's mind, but he'd need a bit of information to get to the bottom of things.
"It's about time for this trial to commence." Jules declared loud and clear to the congregation. Everyone fell silent as the lightning drake extended his wings wide and stood tall.
"As the leader of the Southern Guardians and General of the Army of Glenhaven, I shall serve in the Elders' stead while they are… unfit for duty." Jules nearly struggled to say it, but he held a glare. "Glenhaven has been attacked by the traitor Saul and his army. And though the bulk of the army has surrendered, and the traitor himself is deceased… there still remains the conspiracy he plotted."
Jules cast his glare down at Jonathan, who shrank back. Mimet held her own glare, though she said nothing still.
"Prince Jonathan, we have learned much from High Queen Elenar about your actions in Warfang," Jules said sternly. "She sent you south to stand trial before the Elders for what you've done… but we didn't consider the possibility that your entire squadron of co-conspirators would be brought before us this day." Jules glanced around at the thugs, who all shivered under the General's steely gaze.
"There is still information we don't have, regarding Saul's plot," Jules said to them. "If any of you have something to say regarding your master's schemes, now is the time."
The rogues all looked at each other worriedly, as well as at Jonathan. A few of them made a few squeaky syllables that barely passed as words. It seemed like, one by one, they looked toward Jonathan and held their tongues. Two of them, a water drake and an earth dragoness, even seemed to give the prince reassuring nods; perhaps they were the prince's closest confidants. All in all, none of the rogues looked ready to start talking.
"Very well." Jules snorted. "Just know that we won't pull any punches regarding your senten-"
A single forepaw suddenly went up into the air, followed by the clattering of chains. Everyone focused on the drake who held it up; the lanky golden-scaled one. All of the surrounding thugs looked at the dragon incredulously. Jonathan himself seemed appalled by the way the thug shook his paw around to get everyone's attention.
"Pardon me, oh General." The golden drake said as calmly as he could. "I was still a bit dazed a moment ago. But I'm willing to share some information if you'd like to listen."
"Then step forward and speak," Jules replied. "But only if you swear by the Ancestors to tell the truth."
"I swear." The drake casually draped a talon across his shackled chest. "Cross my heart, and hope to die."
Jonathan and the other thugs held silent glared as the golden drake stepped forward. He briefly turned to look at Elenar amongst her family, and he bowed his head toward her. "Your Grace."
"She's not the one holding trial, boy." Jules snapped. "You will address ME, and you will speak your name."
"My sincerest apologies…" The drake turned to bow toward Jules before falling back onto his haunches. "My name is Bulb."
"Hmph." Jules snorted again. "Tell us your information, Bulb."
"Gladly…" Bulb gave a smile. "I and my rowdy band of misfits were scraped off the streets of Aeroshard; the very place where Saul set up his little fiefdom after his banishment." Bulb shook his paw around. "He wanted to have a merry band of goons to obey his son Jonathan's orders. He called us the Crazy Aces, and we were ordered to do everything he said, even if it meant losing our freedom."
"So you are his soldiers, then?"
"Not quite, my General." Bulb shook his head. "More like… indentured servants. If we didn't obey Saul's every command, we'd get starved, beaten, locked up, or any other cruel thing that came to Saul's mind."
The assorted thugs all had uneasy faces; it seemed to be a very painful truth for them all. Even Jonathan winced a little as he looked at them again.
"During that time," Bulb continued, "our Master Saul plotted to wage war against the Guardians and steal back his kingdom and crown. To that end, he schemed with the provisional government of Aeroshard, as well as made secret deals with noble drakes from a few other places… most importantly, his merchant benefactor, Bergan."
"We are… aware of this," Jules said coldly. "But you are thanked for the confirmation."
"Oh, it goes deeper than that, my General." Bulb wagged his tail. "You see, Saul ordered Jonathan, and the rest of us, to capture the sons of High Queen Elenar. And Bergan's daughter Tyrrany was dragged along for the ride."
There was a commotion rising from the crowd, while Jonathan shook in place as Bulb continued.
"Bergan, however, has this little trick where he can see future events coming a mile away." Bulb gave a little chuckle. "And the clever purple merchant foresaw Saul FAILING. So… he planned with his chums in high places to arrange for Saul to be delivered a brutal and swift defeat here in Glenhaven. And that's when he came to us, the Crazy Aces, to betray Saul first."
Everyone gasped, while Jonathan's eyes widened in horror.
"Hmm…" Jules scratched his chin. "So, Bergan wanted you to go against your master?"
"Bergan was a much nicer master than Saul ever was," Bulb said proudly. "He promised us good pay, better lives, no more danger… and all we had to do was to turn our backs on Jonathan and get out while the going was good."
Jonathan's chains rattled as he scowled at Bulb. The rest of the thugs, meanwhile, bent their heads low and stayed silent; perhaps they were feeling shame.
"Unfortunately, things didn't go QUITE according to plan." Bulb continued. "Some… unexpected miscalculations resulted in Bergan ejecting all of us out of our… hiding space, so to speak. But, Bergan made sure we landed in the safest place he could think of Glenhaven." Bulb stopped and looked around at the wreckage scattered around the crater. "Although… it looks like he miscalculated yet again."
"Indeed." Jules's eye twitched. "Is that all you have to confess, boy?"
"Yes, my General." Bulb bowed his head again. "And I'm well and truly sorry that Saul's machinations have caused you such… nuisance."
"Hmph." Jules motioned for the soldiers to drag the golden drake back. Bulb was forcibly placed back amongst the other prisoners, and he kept his head held high while the others scowled at him.
"Now that that's been dealt with, and the information has been gathered…" Jules stood up tall once again. "I shall bring about a swift, emergency sentencing."
At once, all of the rogues (save for Bulb) shivered in their shackles as the General rose up above them. Jonathan was the only one who couldn't bear to lock eyes with Jules; he just looked down at his feet and held his breath.
"As agents working under threats from the mad king, the Crazy Aces are to be sentenced to ten years of imprisonment and community service." Jules declared. "Perhaps some time helping to rebuild our city will be the first step to their rehabilitation; we'll just have to wait and see."
The thugs didn't know what to make of the sentence; they just silently shivered under his glare.
"As for Prince Jonathan…" Jules returned his gaze to the prince. "You have done worse than what your thugs were assigned to do. You willingly obeyed your father to attack the sons of the High Queen. You plotted a kidnapping and an assassination attempt. There is sufficient evidence to sentence you to…" The general's eye twitched as he tried to form the words. "To… To…"
Suddenly a dragoness screamed over the crowd.
"DON'T EXECUTE HIM!"
Jules gasped, as did Mimet. The both of them recognized the voice immediately; they looked down the street to where the dragoness was flying over the crowd. Several soldiers were in hot pursuit, and they nearly caught up to the dragoness, but she pushed past them and slammed herself down beside Jonathan. The dragoness draped her wings over Jonathan and openly sobbed as she shielded him from view with her wings.
Jules and Mimet could hardly believe their eyes. "Olivia…"
"Please, have mercy!" She begged. "Please don't take my baby away from me!"
Everyone fell quiet as Olivia held Jonathan and cried. The soldiers came to a landing around her and almost reached out to grab her. But Jules held a forepaw in the air to stop them, and he calmly stepped forward. Mimet rose from her seat to walk with him, and the two of them approached Olivia slowly and quietly.
"M-Mom…" Jonathan squeaked; he struggled not to break down as he looked at her.
"Please…" Olivia said again as she looked up fearfully into the eyes of the General. "We… We've lost. I've lost everything else I could possibly lose; my home, my army… my father, my husband! But please… don't kill my boy!" Olivia's whole body shook as she clasped her forepaws to plead before the General. "You… You can execute ME instead! Just please, let him live!"
Jules took a shrill breath, and Mimet was close to breaking down. She reached down to grasp Olivia's shoulder as she struggled not to break down. Olivia shrank back, but Mimet pulled Olivia to the side to hug her close.
"Sister…" Mimet's strength broke down, and she shut her eyes as she held Olivia close.
That just left Jules looming before Jonathan. He looked down at his nephew, who didn't dare to look back. Jules took deep breaths, and he leaned down to whisper into Jonathan's ear frill.
"For four years, your grandfather hoped for the day that you and Olivia would return," Jules said. "More than anything, he wanted you home. Even after he gave up on your father, he never lost faith that you could be a better drake than your father was. He believed in that so much that he was willing to…" Jules nearly lost his composure. "… to give his life to save yours."
Jonathan flinched, and he struggled not to cry. Jules took a deep breath, and he stood up taller.
"Your life will be spared. But you MUST atone." Jules continued. "As such, you are sentenced to twelve years of Banishment."
Jonathan twitched, but he still said nothing. Jules simply snorted and forced the prince to look him in the eyes.
"You must cast away your titles and any wealth you have left. And you are to put away your hatred for the descendants of Spyro and Cynder. Your grandfather didn't want a vengeful tyrant starting another war, and in his name, I won't allow you to sit on any future throne of Glenhaven until you've proven that you have truly changed for the better. Do I make myself clear?"
When Jonathan spoke, he sounded dead inside. "Yes… General Jules."
"Good." Jules snorted. "And just to make sure you understand what you have to endure, I have already spoken with Flamaedelus of Faeshrine: you are not permitted to live in luxury there, nor in any place where your father may have set up safe houses or retreats."
"Yes… General Jules."
The lightning drake wasn't pleased; not that he was looking for joy this day. But the way Jonathan had already resigned himself to his fate left him feeling uneasy. Jules took a deep breath, and he returned to his original spot. Mimet didn't join him; she was leading her sister off to the side so she could whisper to her about their father's demise. Jules watched them sadly but then put on his strongest face as he sat down before the congregation.
"This Trial is adjourned," Jules said. "Take the prisoners to the holding cells to await community service. The one named Bulb is to be given over to the Deep Shadows, while Jonathan is to be taken to the western gates; he is to begin his banishment in one hour."
The soldier set to work escorting the prisoners out of the area under heavy surveillance. Bulb was led off in a different direction, though with twice as many guards, just for good measure. The Crazy Aces all hissed and snarled at the golden drake for his apparent treachery.
As this went on, Jonathan was turned around and made to march back the way he'd come. He kept his head bent low as he was led away in chains down the road, far to the south. Jules watched him go from his perch… with his heart slowly sinking.
He had to do this. No matter how much it hurt, Jules had to put his boot down. Jonathan had taken part in a conspiracy and was woefully unfit to inherit the throne of Glenhaven. Jules bent his head low and sighed as Jonathan shrank further and further out of his view.
You damn, stupid boy… Jules thought as he dug his talons into his seat. Don't let Telus's sacrifice be in vain!
As Jules ruminated on his thoughts, the Guardians stood up and dispersed. Dona left with Voden, while Elza stayed behind to keep watch with Elenar. The High Queen made her way over to where Jules sat. Elenar didn't dare ask if the General was feeling alright; she could tell just from his face that a storm raged within his mind. She bowed her head respectfully before coming to a stop and frowning.
There wasn't much time to speak, for two dragons quickly descended from the sky. Albanion and Wraith came to an abrupt landing nearby and trotted up. Jules snorted and stood up as the two approached.
"What is it?" Jules demanded. "I'm in no mood for idle chatter."
"We're not here for idle chatter…" Albanion said as he gestured to Wraith. "Show them the scroll."
"Right." Wraith quickly reached into his cloak to retrieve it. He looked all around to make sure the crowd was decently far away, before pulling it out. He then turned it around to show both Jules and Elenar its seal.
"We've been given a message from our purple friend." Wraith declared.
Elenar gasped, while Jules's eye ridge lifted. Wraith stepped closer, and the two leaders looked down to inspect the exterior more closely.
"Should one of us read it?" Elenar asked.
"If there's something that Bergan wishes to say to us… then all the right ears should hear it." Jules said as he stood up. "But, there are still matters to discuss; the scroll will have to wait."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Albanion asked. "If Bergan wanted to tell us something, then the sooner we learn it the better."
"Well, I'm in no mood for it." Jules snapped as he extended his wings. "There's too much to be done for Glenhaven's sake. Besides, I'm sure a certain two… individuals will want to be here for it."
Elenar bit her lip. Spyro and Cynder had kept themselves scarce for the time being. She'd need to send word to Urobos to let them know that Bergan had made contact.
"I agree with the General," Elenar said. "Wraith, hold onto that message for now. We'll discuss it when we have the proper time."
"As you wish, Your Grace." Wraith dubiously nodded to her as he slid the scroll back into his cloak.
"Right…" Jules snorted. "The next order of business will be to deal with Flamaedelus and Nymph. But in the Meantime…" The general took a deep breath. "I have… one last order of business to attend to."
"Do as you will, Jules," Elenar said. "I'll speak with you later tonight."
Jules and Elenar stood up and went their separate ways for the time being. And right now… Jules had to gather his family and carry out one of the hardest things he'd ever have to do in his life.
~~…~~
The western gates slowly rumbled as they opened up wide. Jonathan gazed out at the plain desert road, and the harsh conditions beyond. He'd sat on his haunches within his cell, with guards starting at him on all sides. A short distance away, his mother Olivia was sobbing into a cloth handkerchief.
He'd been left in this cell since the trial ended; they had to practically pry his mother away from him. His aunt Mimet had tried to console her sister, but Olivia wasn't having any of it; she stayed right by Jonathan's cell and walked with him all the way up to the gate. Mimet, naturally, couldn't stay too far behind; she kept close watch of her sister and imprisoned nephew, unsure of what to say or do.
Jonathan was given a small meal of plain bread and water. Once he had enough time to eat, the guards stood at the ready as they finally opened the cell. Jonathan kept his eyes lowered to the ground as he silently stepped out. His chains rattled the whole while as they guided him up toward the gates.
It was happening all over again. Once more, Jonathan was made to leave in humiliation. First was four years ago, when his father nearly declared war against the realms. Then, he was sent out of Warfang again in a humiliating cell to be delivered to his grandfather Telus. And now… both his father and grandfather were dead.
Jonathan sniffled quietly as he tried to process all that had happened. His father, one of the drakes Jonathan loved most… had destroyed their home city out of malice. And his grandfather, the one Jonathan blamed for all of his troubles… gave his life to save him. How could everything have ended so backward? Jonathan wrapped his arms about himself and cried once again; had he been on the wrong side this whole time?
Once Jonathan was escorted halfway to the gate, someone gave an order for the guards to stop. They all stood at the ready, while several dragons approached from behind. Jonathan didn't dare to look; he just froze in place as he was soon surrounded.
"Jonathan…" Said the voice of Jules from behind. "Turn around."
The ex-prince very slowly opened his eyes and did as he was told. Sure enough, the General was looming a short distance away. And he wasn't alone; his cousin Emerald was there, along with a dragonling upon her back. Emerald held a scowl behind her spectacles… though it betrayed her sadness. Mimet stepped up to drape a wing over Emerald's back to comfort them, as they all appraised Jonathan.
Jonathan trembled as he felt Jules's shadow fall over him. He tensed up as the General approached, in anticipation of a strike across the muzzle…
"Don't you dare touch him!"
Jonathan opened his eyes in time to see his mother rush over to drape her wings over his body. Her eyes flowed like waterfalls as she snarled up at Jules and Mimet.
"Haven't you done enough to humiliate us?!" She demanded. "Do you have to rub it in that you've won?!"
Jules held his jaw firmly. "Olivia… I'd hardly count this as a victory."
"Why can't you just pardon him, or give him community service?!" Olivia demanded. "How could you just force your own nephew out of your life? AGAIN?!"
"Olivia, he must face the consequences of his actions," Jules said coldly. "What kind of General would I be if I made excuses for family?"
"He… He was just an underling!" Olivia pleaded. "Whatever Saul commanded him to do, it was HIS fault, not Johnny's!"
"He's not a little dragonling anymore, Olivia," Mimet said as she approached. "Please, Sister, you have to-"
"How can you call me that still?!" Olivia demanded; she pushed Mimet away. "How can you call me Sister while my son, your NEPHEW, is being thrown out?!"
"Sister…"
"I'm not leaving him all alone out there," Olivia said angrily. "I… I'm going with him."
Jonathan blinked, and he looked up in surprise as his mother held him all the tighter. Mimet stepped closer, but Olivia hissed at her. The ex-prince's heart beat faster as he listened to his mother's wailings.
"Throw me away all you want! You've done it before!" Olivia stamped her hind paw. "But I won't leave my son without a family! You hear me?!"
"Mom, No."
Jules and Mimet looked down at Jonathan in surprise as he lightly nudged her back from him.
"Wh-What?" Olivia looked at her son in alarm.
"Mom, stay in Glenhaven." He said as he stood up. "Don't do this again."
"But…" She stammered in confusion as she crouched down. "Wh-What are you saying?"
"Four years ago, when Father was banished… we willingly went with him." Jonathan wiped his eyes. "It wasn't our punishment, but we chose it. And we suffered for four years as a result. And now…" His voice ached as he took a breath. "Now you want to do it all over again?" He looked his mother in the eyes. "It's not fair to you."
"Jonathan…" Olivia sniffled as she looked down at him miserably. "I can't just abandon you when you need me most. You're all that I have left."
"No, Mom…" He looked over at Mimet and Emerald. "You have them."
Olivia gasped, and she wearily looked in the direction of the other earth dragonesses. Emerald felt uneasy, while Mimet did her best to look reassuring as she stood up tall. Olivia looked back down at Jonathan incredulously.
"How can you be so accepting of this?" Olivia demanded. "They're tearing us apart again. They're throwing you away. You don't deserve this. You never deserved ANY of this!"
"Mom…" Jonathan wiped his eyes as he readjusted himself for comfort. "I'm not a kid anymore. I'm an adult… and I chose to be part of Father's plans from the start." He took another breath. "I… I regret going with him all that time ago. We should have just stayed with our FAMILY. But… I can't undo what I chose to do." He put his paws down and sighed. "So… just let it go already. Live in Glenhaven… or at least what Father left of it. And I…" He frowned again. "I… I'll see you in twelve years… hopefully."
Olivia's eyes watered once again. She leaned down and nuzzled the top of Jonathan's head. "I love you, son."
"I love you too, Mom." He accepted the hug for a moment, before finally nudging her back so he could stand up. "Goodbye."
Olivia stepped back as her whole body trembled woefully. "G-Goodbye… my beautiful boy."
The guards stepped forward to remove the shackles on Jonathan's ankles, though some of them kept their weapons at the ready in case he tried something. Once that was done, the guards forcibly pointed him toward the gates. But before he took another step, the General called out.
"Wait."
Jonathan froze, and he turned around. What more did Jules want to say? He dreaded finding out, as once again Jules stepped forward… before reaching within his cloak.
"You are a long road away from redemption…" Jules said. "But you have taken your first step."
The General produced a large sack and placed it in Jonathan's grasp. The ex-prince looked at it curiously before opening it up. It contained a hearty amount of rations, mineral water, an elegantly detailed map of the realms, and… something else. Something that Jonathan had the good sense not to pull free.
"You are barred from returning to Glenhaven, and you may not live as a prince," Jules said. "However, you are still a dragon. So go: live as a dragon. Learn as a dragon. Find your path to becoming a better you."
Jonathan wasn't sure what Jules meant, but he certainly wasn't going to reject food and drink (even if it was from the dragon banishing him). He swallowed his pride and bowed his head toward the General.
"…Thank you."
Jules shut his eyes and quietly blew smoke from his nostrils. "The time has come, Jonathan. Go."
Jonathan nodded before turning around to face the gates. He kept his gaze forward, even as all of the guards glared at him. He heard his mother sobbing off to the side, and it took all of his willpower to keep from running over and hugging her again. And as he stepped through the first of the gates, he looked back once last time.
They were all gathered together. Jules stood beside Mimet and draped a wing over her back. Emerald looked at Jonathan with her continued mixture of anger and sadness, while her baby brother shook about on her back. And Jonathan's mother was off to the side, wishing desperately that he didn't have to go alone, or at all.
But no amount of begging would save him. So with a final sigh, Jonathan stepped through the second gate, and out onto the road beyond…
SLAM.
The gates were finally sealed behind him.
Everyone that Jonathan had ever known; friends, enemies, family… all of it was beyond his reach now. There was no telling if he'd ever see the Crazy Aces again… or even Tyrrany. There definitely wasn't going to be any arranged marriage now… not that he'd ever truly had a thing for her.
At least this is something we can both be happy about. He thought with a brief laugh… which broke down into a mournful sigh.
Jonathan took several paces forward, as he reached into his satchel to fish for the one item that the General had slipped him. He wrapped his talons around the familiar grip and delicately pulled it out.
It was his Family Dagger, complete with a scabbard.
Jonathan never could have imagined that the General would allow him any kind of weapon, let alone a prized heirloom. Perhaps it was supposed to be for self-defense… then, again, any dagger would have served that purpose. Maybe… it was a keepsake. A reminder of Glenhaven, and everything he'd have to leave behind.
In any case… Jonathan put it back safely in the satchel and attached it to his belt.
Jonathan gazed out at the all-encompassing desert all around him. There was sand for miles to the north and south. And out to the west, he could see the stone road stretching out toward the distant horizon. He decided that he might as well keep following the road until he bumped into another town. So, the ex-prince spread his wings out wide, trotted forward, and took off into the sky. He flapped his wings to rise up higher and higher until he was a comfortable distance from the ground.
Jonathan had no clue what awaited him; he had no friends, no home, and no wealth. But, he also had no obligation to be loyal to his father… to Saul, the mad king who destroyed his own kingdom. Maybe, someday, Jonathan would be wise enough to rebuild Glenhaven; to make it into a better place.
But until that day came, Jonathan needed to find a new place to rest his head and work his way up from the bottom.
~~…~~
Greetings, friends and loved ones.
It's been a long time since I uploaded a chapter, hasn't it? So long, in fact, that the paradigm has shifted in the gaming industry. Microsoft has purchased Activision-Blizzard. What does that mean? Well… it means the Spyro franchise (and also Crash Bandicoot) are now the property of Microsoft. That sure is surreal, isn't it?
Anyway, I've got some news. I went ahead and wrote a whole bunch of chapters and worked on them as one big package, with the aim of improving things and ensuring a more consistent update schedule.
You can expect the new chapter to come out on October 31st (aka Halloween). Here's hoping you like what comes next.
Tenebra ecce Veritas
