Tyrrany slowly stirred from her slumber. She pushed away her blanket and slipped onto her feet, each one carefully stepping on the floor in turn. After shaking the drowsiness from her head, the dragoness realized that she was still wearing the same black stockings from the previous night. She then remembered how Jonathan almost mated with her, only to turn chicken and leave when he learned the truth.
"That's going to be difficult to deal with…" She grumbled. "But it can wait… for now."
The dragoness made her way through a doorway into her private washroom. After wiping away the old makeup from the previous night, Tyrrany took a quick shower to freshen up. Afterward, she sat down in front of her bathroom mirror, dried herself off, and got to work applying a fresh coating.
Stupid purple slime… She wrinkled her nostrils as she covered her face. As Tyrrany ran her talons along her face, she briefly considered what it would be like to fly over the streets of Faeshrine without her makeup. To flap her wings and soar around, unbound by her bulky clothing, and to show the world her true face… And to gaze down at the many dragons horrified to see her. The younger ones would flee in terror at the sight of a white beast, while the older dragons rose to attack. Tyrrany could take on several of them, to be sure… but they'd just keep coming. More and more would come after her, their faces masks of rage and anger at the monster that was terrorizing their city. But surely Bergan could help her… he could protect her, or help her fight off the dragons… the dragons who were just trying to protect their loved ones. But maybe…
Damnit. Tyrrany shook her head and growled at herself. Stop doing that to yourself, Tyrrany. You're getting carried away again. She looked down at her makeup and sighed. Just… just do as Father says, and keep the scales hidden.
Tyrrany stepped out of her washroom and went to put on some fresh clothing. She thought about Jonathan once again and snorted.
Knowing Father, he'd have seen this night coming. He must have some way of keeping Jonathan from blabbing to everyone in the dragon realms. She pulled her stockings on and poked her talons through. I'll just have to go and find out what it is.
Once Tyrrany was fully dressed, she glanced up at her clock on the wall. Breakfast Hour in the cafeteria was almost here.
"Jonathan can wait. I can figure this stuff out later."
On her way toward her door, Tyrrany stopped and picked up her violin case. On a whim, she pulled out a small stand with some musical notes written on it and set it up. She then picked up her bow, sat on her haunches, and prepared to begin playing.
Bergan had arranged for Tyrrany to take up classes playing the violin during the last five years. Even though the dragoness had become surprisingly adept at playing orchestrations by various dragon and non-dragon composers, the white dragoness preferred to play music of her own creation.
The composition she was currently working on was an experiment of sorts: it combined several fast-paced high tunes, with soothing, slow-moving low tunes, which switched between each other in sequence. It was rather basic in execution, but she worked on it nonetheless.
Tyrrany spent several minutes playing her composition, shutting her eyes so that the soothing music filled her thoughts. She gave a soft sigh; the music always helped her relax. When the dragoness played, she imagined herself in her own little world; a world where nobody hated her. No pain to feel, and no scorn to bear.
And yet... something felt out of place in her music.
After playing her violin for a few minutes, the dragoness stopped, pulled a quill pen and a jar of ink out of her satchel, and proceeded to write new notes onto her scroll on the stand. She frowned as she worked.
"Something isn't right." She said with dissatisfaction. "There's something... missing. There's too much of a divide in the pattern. I need something to string it all together in the right way."
The dragoness fiddled with her notes for a brief time, before turning to check the time on her clock. She sneered.
"Damnit." She stated. "I need to get going."
Tyrrany packed up her violin and stood up. She readjusted her satchel and then walked towards the doorway. As she opened the door, she looked back at her notes and sighed.
"I guess I'll try to figure it out later."
She then turned back around, and walked away, shutting the door behind herself.
~~…~~
Bergan's bedroom was extravagant; many fineries and niceties lined the walls and floor. He slept in a bed fit for a king, and was joined by all of the nursemaids. They wrapped themselves around the purple dragon to help keep him warm along with the covers. For any other dragon of his status, this would be the perfect way to get a peaceful rest. And yet Bergan tossed and turned throughout the night and into the morning.
His talons dug into the blankets as he shifted about. Several growls escaped his throat.
No, wait… He thought. He chased desperately after the young dragons as they ventured deeper into the cave. Don't go in there!
And yet they went in. And Bergan had to attend their funerals three days later.
Don't drink that! Bergan shouted as a noble who sat in court. Bergan reached out desperately toward the stranger as the guards dragged him away. It's poisoned!
Moments later, a dead dragon dropped his glass to the floor.
Bergan shook and writhed in anguish and frustration. Over and over again, dragons refused to heed his warnings. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep the fools alive.
And the worst of the worst came when he stood before two elderly dragons that lay on their death bed. There was nothing anybody could do… and the elder dragons wouldn't even accept help for their health. All those months Bergan had spent looking for a cure had gone to waste. His begging, his pleading… it was all for naught. Why would nobody let him help them?
Eventually, the trauma grew too great, and Bergan sat up in bed. His eyes flew open and he screamed.
"LISTEN TO ME!"
The dragonesses yelped in surprise as the bed shook. They all snapped awake and looked upon Bergan fearfully. The purple dragon panted heavily as rational thought returned to him. He looked around at his bedroom and the dragonesses who scrambled onto their haunches and bowed their heads.
"W-We're listening, Master." One dragoness said with a squeak.
Bergan blinked. He then sighed and rubbed his head with a wing-thumb. It must have been a nightmare. Bergan glanced around at his dragonesses in pity.
"I apologize, my lovelies," Bergan said. He extended his wings and hugged the two dragonesses closest to him. He then reached onto his neck for a small gem that hung on a chain. He took the gem off and held it up to his eyes; the gem was almost completely covered in dark clouds.
"Hmph, so that's why." Bergan clicked his tongue. He put the gem down and glanced out the window: It was morning. "It's just as well. I have work to do today. Time to get up, lovelies."
Bergan made his way out of the great bed, and the dragonesses followed. They all got to work cleaning themselves up, while the purple drake stood before the mirror of his dresser. He unlocked a drawer on the left side and opened it up. Within the drawer were nearly a dozen gems similar to the one on his necklace; all were covered in dark clouds.
"One more for the collection." Bergan snorted. He then closed and locked that drawer before opening the one beneath it. Within were three dozen more gems of marvelous cuts and colors. He picked up a blue one and affixed it to his necklace.
I need to remember to bring along more of these, Bergan thought bitterly. Can't have nightmares on the open road. Bad for business.
"Are you okay, Master?" The golden dragoness asked him worriedly. Bergan just sighed and lightly nuzzled her forehead.
"I'm doing just fine, Margot." Bergan chuckled in his throat. He turned toward the mirror, picked up a comb, and got to work straightening out his mane. "I'll be spending the day in my office. Have the staff bring my breakfast and lunch in there; I need to organize some things before I leave for Warfang tomorrow morning
The dragonesses gasped and exchanged glances. Margot rested her head on Bergan's shoulder.
"Does that mean there's not much time left to entertain you, Master?" She asked.
Bergan sighed again. "I'm afraid not, my dear. But I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm." He gave her another nuzzle on the forehead. "Now go tend to the children; Master has to get to work."
The dragoness frowned. "Yes, Master."
The nursemaids soon left the chamber to go tend to their respective children. The purple dragon was left alone with his thoughts.
Bergan considered himself very fortunate to be the master of several delightful dragonesses. They always worked to please him in any way they could. And they were very good mothers to all of his children; even to Tyrrany when she was little. Yes, he liked his nursemaids very much…
But alas, there was only ever one dragoness he truly loved. And that was a long time ago.
"So much work to do…" Bergan snorted as he adjusted his necklace. "First order of business; cleaning up the mess in the cafeteria."
~~…~~
Rune slowly woke from slumber and sat up. After stretching his back for a short time, he stepped onto the floor and approached his dresser. As he combed his mane, he checked a schedule that was pinned to the side of the mirror; it looked like he was in for yet another long day of classes, starting with sword practice after breakfast.
"Oh, perfect…" Rune grumbled. He yawned as he put on his training armor, along with his satchel. The prince sneered as he walked over to grasp his sword-hilt to attach it to his side. It was big and awkward and required being attached to several belts.
"How does Apella stand to use one of these?" He wondered. "How does ANYBODY stand to use a sword: We have talons for a reason."
When he finally got the belt attached, Rune glanced at his calendar. He counted the days once more, and marked off the previous day with an X. "Well, at least I'm one day closer to the trip south."
Your life certainly HAS become a dull one, hasn't it? Said the voice in his head.
Rune sighed in contempt. "Go away, Runefor."
What? I'm just pointing out the fact that your life has lost its thrill. Runefor chided. You haven't done anything fun or exciting since the whole "Malefor" thing...
"I don't need excitement like that", Rune snapped.
That's a shame. I enjoyed myself back then.
"You didn't EXIST back then." The prince growled.
Yes, I did, and you know it.
Rune ignored his other self and walked towards his doorway. As he opened the door, he noticed two cheetah guards standing at attention on either side of it. When they saw the Prince, they saluted him immediately.
"Good morning, Your Highness." One of them greeted.
"Uh, hi..." Rune replied awkwardly. The prince shut the door behind himself and made to walk down the east hallway, several more guards in the hallway saluted him once again, making him sigh.
Something wrong?
Even after all these years, I'm still not used to guards saluting at me. Rune thought with a snort. It makes me feel weird.
What do you expect: you're a black dragon, you idiot. Runefor snapped. You have power the likes of which these non-dragons will never hope to comprehend.
It's not like I asked for this power. Rune grumbled.
That's no excuse to let it go to waste. Runefor replied. You should be more like Cyrus; at least HE appreciates the power at his disposal.
Well, I'm not my brother. Rune wrinkled his muzzle.
No, clearly you're not; he's got more spine than you.
Rune sneered. Don't make me summon up Cynder again.
Oh please! I don't see any chalk around, smart-arse.
Rune came to a stop and snarled. I'm getting really sick of you!
Tough! You can't make me leave! Runefor snarled back. I'm stuck in here with you forever!
"Are you alright, Your Highness?"
Rune gasped and snapped to attention; he didn't notice Apella standing just around the corner. He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked up at her. "Wh-Where'd you come from?"
"I brought her along to check on you before your training began."
Rune nearly jumped out of his scales; he hadn't noticed Wraith appear just beside him. The crimson drake raised an eye ridge and wracked his talons on the floor. "You seemed to be getting into an argument with nobody in particular. What's that about?"
"Uh…" Rune ran his talons through his mane. "It was nothing to worry about. I was just… uh…"
He struggled to come up with a response as Wraith and Apella bore down on him. The prince could hear Runefor laughing at his awkwardness.
Way to choke, smart guy!
Rune almost snapped at his other self once again… when suddenly he got an idea. He looked Wraith right in the eyes and spoke loud and clear.
"I was thinking about Runileon." Rune declared. "The white dragon that was Mom's grandfather."
Wraith flinched and stepped back a bit. Apella watched the crimson dragon curiously as he looked down at the prince with surprised eyes. Rune grinned internally with satisfaction; the Deep Shadow must have known about him.
"R… Runileon?" Wraith repeated.
"Can you tell me where my Mom is?" Rune asked. "I've wanted to ask her about why I was named after Runileon."
"Well, uh… that'll have to wait," Wraith said suddenly. "She's busy tending to the You-Know-Whats at You-Know-Where, doing Not-My-Business."
Rune snorted and fell back onto his haunches. "Well then, can YOU tell me about Runileon?"
"NOPE." Wraith shook his head. "Not my business. Definitely, DEFINITELY not my business!" He looked the prince in the eyes. "You'll just have to forget about Runileon until you see your mom next."
"What about Grandpa?" Rune sneered. "He had to have been around during Runileon's time. Maybe he'd know something."
"If he does, I don't know what," Wraith said quickly. "So can we please just drop the subject?"
Rune balked, and then glared: Wraith was hiding something and was quite stubborn. "Fine."
"Well, this is the first time I've seen you get like this," Apella said, stepping closer. She tilted her head and looked at Wraith with suspicion. "Who's this Runileon the prince keeps mentioning?"
"Oh, ancestors above…" Wraith traced a forepaw along his face. "Can we PLEASE just drop it? You're not getting anything out of me. The both of you can just wait until later to ask the queen about this stuff, because I'm in no mood to share." He glared. "Let. It. Go."
"Alright, sheesh…" Apella snorted and flapped her wings. "I'll move on to something else…" She looked down at the prince. "Have you eaten yet? You shouldn't practice with a sword on an empty stomach."
"Right…" Rune sighed. He turned to make his way toward the nearest stairwell. "I'm going to the cafeteria. I'll see you two later."
"See you soon, my prince." Apella smiled. "I look forward to seeing how you've improved with your blade."
Rune shuddered; he really wasn't looking forward to the training. Especially if it meant a delay in speaking with his mother about Runileon. Well, there wasn't much he could do; he would just to wait and hope he'd get his answers.
~~…~~
Up above the city of Warfang, even higher up than the Palace of Kings… was The Nexus.
The fortress had stayed in the air above the city for the last four years, ever since it was brought there just before the start of peacetime.
Deep within the fortress was the inner sanctum; a place of rest and worship. There was a pounding on the southern door, which drew the attention of a dark-yellow dragoness clad in dark robes. She approached the door curiously and opened a panel in the side to peer out at whoever was visiting. And the first person the dragoness saw was the High Queen.
"Oh…" Lilith said in surprise. She stepped back, unlocked the door, and pulled it open. She then bowed her head toward the queen. "Come on in, Your Grace."
"Thank you," Elenar whispered. She strode carefully through the doorway and patted Lilith on the back. Lilith then rose and saw two more dragonesses make their way inside: Elza and Dona. They both walked carefully for different reasons; the former to keep her un-laid eggs safe in her belly, and the latter keeping careful balance as her daughter Riven rode atop her back.
Just behind all of the dragonesses were several guards, who immediately turned around to keep watch around the door. Once the others were inside, Lilith stood up and locked the door.
Elenar sighed as she glanced around at the inner sanctum; all around her were several dozen little hatchlings and dragonlings. And all of them had white scales.
The hatchlings and dragonlings were attended to by adult dragons; some were the children's parents, while others were simply caretakers. There were countless items strewn about for the children: building blocks, stuffed animals, slides, large books… just about anything to keep growing minds occupied.
"Come look, children," Lilith called to the gathered dragonlings as she stepped forward carefully. "The Queen's come to visit you."
Elenar took a breath of delight when so many little children looked up at her. She relaxed onto the floor as many pairs of little feet raced up to greet her. They sat down on their haunches and gazed up at her in awe and reverence.
"Queen Elly!" Some of them called happily. They brushed their heads against her forelegs and squeaked in delight.
"Hello, little ones," Elenar said softly as she lowered her head down toward them. "How have you all been today?"
Many of the dragonlings all voiced how much fun they'd had in the "big playroom" as some of them called it. They raced around the queen and tried to clamber up onto her back. Elenar could scarcely believe how attached the little ones had grown to her; she hardly ever had time to visit, so she would have thought they wouldn't care for her. It's not often that someone is happy to be proven wrong.
Nearby, Elza chuckled at the sight. She sat down beside Elenar and smirked at her. "You must be having the time of your life right now, Queen Mom."
"Elza…" Elenar flushed a bit. But she had to admit that she felt an old, maternal feeling in her chest. Something she hadn't felt since Rune and Cyrus were little dragonlings showering her with affection. When did Elenar get so old?
A short distance away, Dona carefully plucked Riven up from her back and placed her down on the floor. Riven looked around at the other young dragons worriedly.
"Go on." Dona cooed. She nudged her daughter forward toward the other white dragonlings. "Don't be shy, my little princess."
A few of the other little girls looked toward Riven and smiled. One of them even offered up her stuffed bear for Riven to hold. Riven took the bear and hugged it, which made the other dragonlings smile. Soon, Riven wandered off with the other dragonlings to play with some blocks.
Elenar sighed upon seeing this. She then smiled at Dona. "It's good to see her playing with other children for once, Dona."
"Hmph…" Dona lifted her head. She would have made a snappy comeback, were it not for the many young dragons who would hear her bad words. She just took a breath and sat down to watch as Riven played with the other white dragonlings.
Elenar spent the better part of an hour with the white dragon children. She read a few stories to them, helped them sing songs, and basically did all of the things that little children loved to do with their guardians. The outside world didn't exist; for now, it was just her and the little children enjoying time together. Seeing all of their smiling white faces put warmth in her soul; she felt a security that she didn't often have. There was a future for these children, she was sure of it. Warfang would grow ever brighter, and the world would finally change for the better. These children…. They filled Elenar with… with…
No. The queen didn't dare so much as think that word. Not without seeing her first.
"You know, little ones…" Elenar brought her face low. "I have a white-hided child of my own: a daughter."
"You do?" A few of the dragonlings looked up at her curiously.
"Yes… I'd say she's almost a grown-up now." Elenar clicked her tongue. "She's a little older than my boys, you see."
"Where is she?" Riven asked.
Elenar sighed. "I… I don't know. I haven't seen her in a long, long time." She took a breath. "But I love her just as much as my boys. And I think about her every day."
The dragonlings looked a bit uneasy after she said that. Elenar cursed herself for letting a bit of her sadness slip out. So, she put on a smile and lowered her head down again.
"I'm still very happy to be their mom." She said. "Just like I'm very happy to come and see the lot of you when I can."
The children seemed a bit uneasy. They looked about ready to ask her some more pressing questions. That's when Elza picked up the storybook by the queen's side.
"Perhaps you little darlings would like to hear the tale about the two-headed ape again." The wind dragoness chuckled. Immediately the dragonlings squeaked and crowded around Elza to hear the story. Elenar took a moment to sigh in relief and scoot a bit out of the way.
But her relief didn't last long: Elenar looked around at the interior of the room once again. She took note of the dark walls surrounding the chamber. The windows, what few that there were, were blocked off and had guards standing before them. Few dragons were allowed in and out of the chamber to see the children; even their parents barely got time with them each day. The only other place the younglings could go was the restroom off to the side. Other than that… they were stuck here…
Imprisoned.
Elenar suddenly felt very sick to her stomach.
"I… I have to go, little ones." Elenar said. The children were quite disappointed as the queen rose to her feet. A few of them tugged on Elenar's forepaws and clung to her.
"You're leaving already?" A little boy pouted.
"Yes. I'm sorry, children." Elenar said. "But I'm… I'm still the queen. And the queen has important work to do." She looked around and put on a smile. "But I promise I'll come to see you again soon. Okay.?"
The children were still sad. It took a bit of doing to get the little boy to let go of the queen's forepaw. Elenar then lightly ruffled his mane and backed up to leave. Behind her, Lilith unlocked the door and stepped back for the queen to step through.
"You coming, Dona?" Elza asked.
"Not yet," Dona said. "I'm going to spend some more time here… for Riven's sake."
"Hmm, very well." The wind dragoness nodded. She then turned toward the door. "Shall we go?"
"Yes…" Elenar looked down at the dragonlings. "Goodbye, little ones."
"Goodbye, Queen Elly." They all said with their innocent smiles.
Elenar and Elza made their way toward the door. Once the queen was out of earshot of the younglings, she took a deep breath and stepped out of the doorway. Elza followed after Elenar, and Lilith stood in the doorway to bow her head.
"Thank you again for visiting, Your Grace," Lilith said. "And thank you for giving me this job."
Elenar flinched. She then looked back at Lilith worriedly. "You… don't mind any of this?"
"How could I?" Lilith declared. "From one mom to another, I can never get enough of looking after young dragons. Spending time with all of these kids has been a great opportunity for me." She sighed in satisfaction. "I can't wait to see what upstanding members of society these little ones grow up into."
"I see…" Elenar sighed again. "Well, at least you're happy doing what you're doing."
Lilith nodded toward the queen and closed the door. Elenar made her way up the stairs, with Elza following close behind. The guards, naturally, took up the rear to guide the queen and her sister upstairs.
Elenar tried to keep up a strong face and demeanor. But the more she walked, the more her mind raced. And the more her mind raced… the more her heart ached. And by the time she reached the top of the stairs, the queen broke down into tears. She collapsed onto the stone steps and covered her eyes as she wailed. Elza gasped in alarm and made to pat the queen on the back. The guards exchanged glances and stepped up to help, but the Deep Shadow simply flapped her wings to have them back up. Elza then sighed and looked down at her sister.
"Elenar, what's wrong?"
"I'm horrible…" Elenar moaned. "I've made all of those children into prisoners."
Elza flinched. She rubbed her forepaw up and down Elenar's back as she cried.
"Elenar, what are you talking about?" The wind dragoness asked. "Those children are alive and in good health because of you. You're helping them all, really."
"How? By keeping them locked up in a single chamber?" Elenar carefully picked herself up and wiped tears from her eyes. "They aren't free to travel the city with their parents; there are still so many dragons that would do them harm…" Elenar angrily dug her talons into the stone. "Every time we search the city, those… those child-killing monsters manage to slip away."
Elenar's body shook as she wiped her eyes. "There's nothing I can do but keep the children locked away."
"Elenar, look at me." Elza insisted. The wind dragoness turned the queen's head so that they locked eyes. "It's not your fault, okay? The superstitious zealots who would hurt those white dragons are the ones who are horrible, not you. Those children adore you, and rightly so." She lifted Elenar's chin. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to the white dragons of Warfang. You can't give up on the hunt for the zealots; the day you stop is the day they WIN. Do you understand me?"
"I… I do, Elza." The dragoness sighed.
"Now, come on and get up…" The wind dragoness nudged Elenar to get her back up onto her feet. "You've got a part to play. Be strong, my sister."
"Alright…" Elenar took a deep breath and stood up tall. She could still feel her heart aching, but she ignored it to march forward out of the stairwell. Elza looked back at the guards and signaled for them to follow again.
Soon, Elenar stepped out into the corridor and turned to head through the chapel and out into the courtyard. She came to a stop and sighed as she stood in the sunlight. Elza came to a stop by her side and looked her up and down with concern.
"I… I need a drink." Elenar said quietly. "I'm heading out into the town."
Elza flinched. She stepped up to whisper into Elenar's ear frill. "Are you sure about that?"
"Very," Elenar grumbled. "I won't make it through the day without it. Have the usual guards follow me from afar."
"Very well…" Elza bowed her head to the queen and backed up to speak to the guards. Meanwhile, the queen poured her magic down into her shadow and prepared to travel.
As Elenar slipped into her shadow, she cast her thoughts to white dragons once again. And soon, she cast her thoughts to one particular white dragoness whom she'd never truly met.
I hope she's doing well, Elenar sighed sadly.
~~…~~
Tyrrany made her way through the many hallways and corridors of the FTCHQ, rarely saying a single word to anyone she passed by. Granted, plenty of the employees of the FTC felt more than a little compelled to greet her anyway.
"Good morning, milady." A cheetah said with a proud salute.
"It's a pleasure to see you today, ma'am." A lagomorph bowed her head.
"I zee you're in good health, az alwayz." A mole servant declared with an awkward smile.
"Whatever." The disguised dragoness replied coldly, to all three.
Tyrrany didn't have anything against non-dragons; as far as she was concerned; they were fair folk, she figured. Granted, she always had a feeling that all of the ones that worked for the FTC were only trying to stay in the heiress's good graces so they didn't lose their jobs. Once they thought the dragoness was out of earshot, they shivered and muttered amongst themselves. At least they didn't have contempt in their whispers… as the younger dragon employees did. More often than not, the heiress felt stares on her back whenever a dragon passed by her.
But Tyrrany didn't care. Nobody in all of Faeshrine ever dared to actively get on her bad side, and nor would any amount of apologies save them from a good beating to remind them of who she was.
When Tyrrany arrived at the cafeteria, she sighed in relief. The cafeteria was on the southern side of the building. A long food counter ran along the southernmost side of the room, blocking access to the kitchens. A large arrangement of benches and tables was lined up in rows everywhere else. The floors were hard-tile, and the walls were completely white, with several large glass windows along the northernmost wall.
Tyrrany could have easily had her daily meals in the dining hall, where her siblings usually ate their meals. And sure, the cafeteria was sometimes full to bursting with noisy and distracting people. And yet, the cafeteria had one benefit that the dining hall lacked… she could sit with Flame, even if only for a little while
She approached the counter, where she was greeted by a lioness lunch lady. She was rather plump for a cat and had just finished serving another teenage dragon before turning her eyes toward the heiress.
"Good morning, milady." The cat bowed her head. "What can I do for you?"
"I'll have the usual, Trisha." Tyrrany declared.
"Of course." The lioness bowed. "It'll be out right away, milady."
Before long, the dragoness was handed a tray with her usual breakfast on it: A few slabs of steak, a granny-smith apple, and a tall glass of cider. Tyrrany took the tray and turned to walk towards a seat.
The cafeteria was far from empty: a few other young dragons were already enjoying their meals near the front of the room, near the exit.
On the western side of the room sat several of the teenagers under Bergan's employ: among them were Flame and Jenna. Tyrrany sneered; it figures she'd have to contend with THAT annoying little miss. But that wasn't the worst of it; a short distance away, there was a rather large group of young dragons that Tyrrany didn't recognize. They were making quite a mess of things; chatting loudly, banging silverware, and generally being obnoxious. Tyrrany snorted as she approached, unsure of why her father would allow such hooligans to mess around… until she spotted Jonathan seated amongst them. Then it all made sense.
They're that stupid gang of his… The dragoness rolled her eyes. Better keep my distance.
When Tyrrany walked around the gathering of young dragons, most of them turned their gaze towards her and fell completely silent. On one side, Flame greeted the disguised dragoness with a smile, and waved for her to sit down next to him, while Jenna awkwardly looked away. On the other side, most of the roguish teenagers were analyzing the approaching dragoness, while Jonathan's gaze became filled with dread.
"Say, isn't that the chick you're going to be marrying soon, Johnny?" Asked a fire dragoness. She adjusted her bandanna and nudged the earth prince on the shoulder. "She's a pretty good catch, man."
"Uh..." Jonathan stuttered dubiously "Right..."
Tyrrany scoffed. Still recovering from last night… She did a brief double-take of the group. Hmm, they don't seem to be afraid. Looks like he kept the secret after all.
Tyrrany made to sit down next to Flame, opposite Jenna. She only very briefly glanced at Jenna before looking down at her food. It was enough of a look to get Jenna to turn away; she looked over at Jonathan and his gang of friends.
"So..." The green dragoness began. "YOU'RE that Jonathan guy that everyone's been talking about."
"You bet he is!" Another teenager, a lighting dragon, declared. "You're sitting across from the infamous Johnny D, leader of the Crazy Aces!"
Jonathan cleared his throat and tried to stand up proud and tall… though he immediately turned uneasy upon glancing at Tyrrany. The cloaked dragoness just silently ate her meal as she watched Jenna roll her eyes.
"Oh. Really." Jenna was very much not amused.
"Yeah, really!" A water dragon boasted. "Johnny's the toughest gangster in Aeroshard!"
"Yeah..." The prince mumbled, carefully eyeing the disguised dragoness yet again.
"Well, that's interesting to know…" Jenna said. The earth dragoness stood up and walked over to the table of dragons. Jenna glanced over at Tyrrany to make sure the heiress wasn't listening in. Tyrrany didn't look up; she just focused on her food… or so it seemed. As soon as Jenna started whispering to Jonathan, Tyrrany used her magic to heighten her hearing to see what Jenna had to say.
"I feel for you, Prince Jonathan." The dragoness whispered.
"You do?" He asked curiously.
"Yeah." Jenna lightly grumbled. "It must really suck being forced to marry that freak."
Tyrrany started to growl lowly in her throat, which caught Flame's attention.
"You okay, Annie?" He asked. The purple dragoness didn't respond; she just focused on the conversation.
"Uh... Freak?" Jonathan repeated quietly. "W... What are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about?" Jenna asked with a quiet huff. "Just look at her: She's always wearing that weird black outfit all the time, day in and day out."
Tyrrany took a deep breath to keep her growling from getting any louder. But that didn't stop her anger from building.
Don't lose your temper… she told herself. You need to show restraint around your father's guests.
"I don't think she's even a real dragon." Jenna continued. "I'll bet that under that outfit she's some sort of science experiment gone horribly awry, and President Bergan doesn't have the guts to have her put to death."
The prince balked at that and immediately looked away from Jenna. Meanwhile, Tyrrany's anger had reached the breaking point.
That's it. Tyrrany rose from her table and stormed around it. Several of the gang members watched in shock as the heiress stomped right up to Jenna.
"Why don't you say that to my FACE, bitch?" Tyrrany roared.
The earth dragoness yelped in surprise and nearly leaped into the air. Jonathan was spooked as well and did everything in his power to avoid drawing the heiress's attention.
"I... uh..." Jenna mumbled in shock.
"You what?" The purple dragoness demanded. "You didn't think I could hear EVERY WORD YOU SAID?"
Various members of Jonathan's gang either laughed or ooh'd at the anger on Tyrrany's face.
"I... I wasn't talking about you, Tyrrany." Jenna said defensively.
"BULLSHIT." Tyrrany slammed her forepaw on the table, making Jenna yelp. She backed away from the heiress, who simply stomped toward her in retaliation. Tyrrany gnashed her fangs and blew small purple flames from her nostrils.
"I… I'm sorry." Jenna stammered; her legs shook in fear.
"Damn right you are!" Tyrrany roared.
The cloaked dragoness immediately sank into her shadow, disappearing from sight. Jenna gasped and looked around for any sign of Tyrrany. A moment later, the heiress reappeared from the shadows to Jenna's right. Before Jenna could react, Tyrrany reeled back to strike Jenna in the back of the neck…
Only for a purple forepaw to suddenly grab Tyrrany's wrist.
Everyone else gasped in surprise, while Tyrrany stood stunned. With eyes full of dread, Tyrrany looked up… and saw her father standing between her and Jenna.
"Where'd HE come from?!" One of the gang members called out.
Tyrrany felt her body grow cold as her father looked down at her with great disapproval. She let her forepaw go lamp and she clamped her jaw shut; nothing she said would make for a great excuse.
"I'll take it from here, Tyrrany," Bergan said coldly. He let go of Tyrrany's wrist, and she backed up and looked away. The purple drake took only a single step toward Jenna, but the earth dragoness knew that he wasn't pleased.
"Jenna…" Bergan said with a deceptively calm voice. He lowered down to her eye level, and he glared ever so slightly. "I don't very much appreciate what you've said, my daughter."
"I…" She stammered as she shivered in place. "I…"
"Insulting your boss's family is a very poor business practice," Bergan said sternly. "There are some who would fire you on the spot for it."
"N-No!" Jenna clasped her forepaws and looked up at him pleadingly. "Sir, please! I'm sorry! I…"
"Let me finish, Jenna." Bergan snorted and waved a talon in the air. The dragoness clamped her jaws shut, and he took a breath. "Now, you seem like the kind of girl who's smart enough to learn from mistakes. As such, I'll only be docking your pay for the next week…" He put on a glare. "If you insult my daughter again, you run the risk of actually losing your job. Have I made myself clear?"
"Y-Yes, Sir." Jenna shakily bowed to him. "I'm sorry, Sir."
"Good. Now then…" Bergan turned around and glared at his daughter. "Now to deal with YOU."
Tyrrany's jaws tensed up, and her wings fidgeted nervously under her cloak. Oh, she'd done it now; she'd REALLY messed up now. She could barely work up the nerve to look Bergan in the eyes.
"Tyrrany…" Bergan's expression was even colder than before. "Do I need to explain why it's wrong to assault my employees?"
Tyrrany didn't dare try to justify herself; this was far from the first time such an incident had happened. And none of the old excuses ever worked.
"No, Father." She said in defeat. "You don't."
"And yet you almost did it… again." Bergan said in frustration. "You could have seriously hurt this girl, Tyrrany. We'll be discussing the repercussions in FULL later…" He poked his daughter in the chest. "For now, you'd better keep that temper in line, if you have h…" He briefly snorted. "...If you really desire to get what you desire. Because all it'll take is one more outburst from you to end up with a well-deserved NO."
Tyrrany gasped. She almost started pleading in the same way Jenna had done… but no. Tyrrany had to keep her composure; she had to suck in her breath and accept that she'd nearly ruined her chances.
"I… I understand, Father." She said as regally as she could. "I'll keep control of my temper."
Bergan simply appraised his daughter's expression. She briefly wondered if he was getting another vision about whether or not she'd keep her promise. Eventually, the purple dragon took a deep breath.
"See that you do…" He then rose to his full height and gazed around at the other dragons. "I'm very sorry for the interruption, everyone. Enjoy your meals."
And then, as quickly as Tyrrany could blink… Bergan was gone. Everyone else in the cafeteria gazed around in surprise. Tyrrany took this moment to shut her eyes and count to ten. Her father was right; she'd let Jenna get under her scales this time. She might have ruined EVERYTHING for herself in under five minutes.
Jenna didn't dare speak; she instead turned to march her way right out of the cafeteria. Flame watched Jenna go, and then frowned over at Tyrrany. The cloaked dragoness simply sighed and walked over to sit down next to him. Flame looked so uneasy; almost afraid to get too close to the heiress. She bit her lower lip and frowned at him, before bringing her voice to a whisper.
"I'm… sorry." She said sadly. "I shouldn't have scared you like that."
"It's okay…" Flame whispered back as he draped a wing over her. "I wish Jenny didn't keep saying awful things about you."
Tyrrany accepted the hug from his wing, and then looked down at her platter of half-eaten food. She made to pick up the apple, only for her stomach to sour.
"I've ruined my appetite." She sighed. "I should just get going."
"Okay…" Flame patted her back. "I'll see you later, Annie."
Tyrrany stood up from her cushion and looked around at the gang members. Most of them immediately looked away; the dragonesses of the gang gulped and buried their heads in their forepaws. The dragonesses of the gang gulped and buried their heads in their forepaws. Eventually, Tyrrany settled on Jonathan, who had turned completely around and drank from his mug as if he didn't notice anything happened… though the shaking of his wings and tail betrayed him. Tyrrany just sighed and turned away; she'd briefly considered ousting him in front of everyone about what happened last night… but that would have only made things worse. So, with nothing else to do, Tyrrany finally turned toward the doors to leave the cafeteria.
As she left, a golden-scaled dragon surveyed the cafeteria's interior once again. He was convinced that, somewhere, that Bergan was still lurking around.
"How'd he do that?!" The drake exclaimed. "Nobody can move THAT fast!"
Flame looked over at him and smirked. "They can if they're a master of the Time element."
"Say what? Time?" The drake looked at Flame like he'd started speaking ancient draconian. "What are you on about?"
"You don't know about Time magic?" Flame asked curiously. "With that magic, Bergan can move really really fast; to him, everything else slows down to a stand-still."
"Now hold on a minute…" An earth dragoness turned toward Flame. "Even if he can move that fast, how did he know to stop his daughter from punching that girl's lights out?"
"Bergan's powers over time go much further…" Flame said with a grin. "Bergan has what he calls visions; brief glimpses of what happens in the future."
"He can see the future?" An ice dragon asked incredulously. "That's impossible!"
"No, it's not, Kass."
The ice drake turned toward Jonathan, who had sat up from his seat to look around at his gang. Flame raised an eye ridge in annoyance; he'd hoped to be the one to go on about his boss's abilities.
"My dad's told me a lot of stories about Bergan." The prince continued. "Ever since he was a kid… hell, even a dragonling… Bergan has been getting visions of the future almost nonstop." Jonathan extended his wings for emphasis. "He can see anything that's coming, no matter how far ahead it's going to happen, and can react accordingly to either help it along or stop it entirely."
"Really?" The golden-scaled dragon asked suspiciously. "So, like…" He picked up an empty mug and eyed a window. "If I were to, say… toss this thing through the glass to make a mess, he'd already know to-?"
"Dude…" The ice dragon pointed behind the golden one. "Look."
"Huh?"
The golden drake, Flame, and plenty of other members of the game turned to look. Just outside the window, there was a rather bored-looking cheetah walking over with a dustpan and broom. He was followed by two lagomorphs holding a replacement window… and a rather annoyed-looking dragon in a guard's uniform that was glaring daggers straight at the golden dragon.
"Whoa…" He sheepishly put the mug down. "That's… that's impressive."
"The earth dragoness sipped from a mug and stood up. "I'll bet that Bergan guy made a fortune off of gambling."
"Actually, Bergan hates gambling games…" Flame looked over at her. "In fact, casinos are illegal in Faeshrine because of it."
"Wha-really?" The golden dragon balked. "You mean he doesn't sucker people into spending big cash at one of them?"
Flame winced and tugged on an ear frill. "Bergan couldn't be further from that; he likes to help others earn money."
A murmur went throughout the crowd. The golden dragon scratched his chin under his mask. A few of the other gang members exchanged glances as they considered everything Flame said.
"Hmm… how well does Bergan pay?" The golden drake asked. "Maybe I might consider making some cash on the side, if-"
"Cut it out, Bulb," Jonathan said. "There's no point; we won't be in Faeshrine for very long anyway; Dad has an assignment for us."
"Huh?" Flame blinked and glared in the prince's direction. "What's that about?"
"None of your business, Junior." Jonathan sneered at him. "It's super-secret stuff."
"Oh, don't get like that with me." Flame snapped.
"Don't stick your snout where it doesn't belong, Junior." Jonathan flapped his wings. "I'm not blabbing."
"Listen, Johnny." Flame said bitterly as he stepped toward the prince. "Don't think that you can just-"
At once, Flame heard most of the other dragons rise from their seats. They all glared at Flame through their masks as they moved to get close to Jonathan. Flame just gulped and took a step back.
"Alright, alright… chill out." Flame glowered. "I wasn't looking to start that kind of trouble. Besides…" He looked all around, and then at the golden dragon. "If there WAS trouble, Bergan would have come right back to deal with it."
Jonathan winced, and he flapped his wings. "Guys, calm down. We don't want to piss off Bergan."
"Ugh…" The dragon named Bulb rolled his eyes and went to sit down, followed by the others. "Is that going to be the new running gag? I thought dealing with the General was bad enough."
Eventually, all of the gang members returned to their seats, and Flame could breathe easily. However, Jonathan still cast him a glare and didn't stop even as he sat back down.
"Just leave me alone, alright?" Jonathan demanded. "I've got a lot to think about."
"Hmph…" Flame adjusted his outfit with a flourish. "Fine then. I'm done eating, anyway."
The red drake turned around to dispose of his trash before leaving the cafeteria. He had a lot of work to do; he might as well get started on it.
~~…~~
The afternoon sun cast its rays upon the interior of Bergan's office. The purple dragon sat at his large mahogany desk. A small, patient smile was etched into his features as he busily went over various documents and scrolls that decorated the desk's surface.
Running a company was always hard work, even IF the founder had some sneaky tricks up his sleeve to find fortune. Work orders here, syllabuses there, and a thousand other menial tasks that needed reviewing, approval, forwarding, ordering, filing, laminating…
Bergan pushed a scroll away and sighed. When had his life become so mundane?
The purple dragon rose from his desk and turned around on his cushion to gaze out through his window. The marvelous splendor of Faeshrine loomed as far as his eyes could see. It was a good city; a marvelous city, in fact. One that he'd spent years working to rise from the ashes left behind in the wake of that dreadful war. Bergan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Everything was fine as it was now. He had wealth beyond his wildest dreams and political power that etched its way across the dragon realms. He had several beautiful children, one of whom was slated to inherit the purple drake's vast fortunes and titles. He could stay in Faeshrine, rule as the president, and eventually retire to live a peaceful existence. And, finally, he could die as a proud grandfather and mentor to countless young dragons. It was a good life: A life he'd earned.
But that life was so DULL.
Bergan held out a forepaw toward the setting sun. He shifted his talons and pretended he could pluck that sun out of the heavens and hold it in his grasp. Who was he to settle on a meager existence? Time and time again there were larger games taking place; he could only ever watch on the sidelines. Other people wrote the rules and denied him a chance to take a shot at the prize. Some even told him that it was a game that wasn't worth playing. That they'd found the rules to be unfair, and the cost of losing was too brutal. But how could anyone know if Bergan should stay out of the game if he never got a chance to play?
As Bergan pondered this train of thought, he saw that someone was about to knock on the office door. On a whim, the purple dragon made his way over to the door, grabbed the handle, and threw the door open.
"Welcome!" Bergan declared. "You're running late, General!"
Saul balked; his forepaw was halfway toward knocking. With a grimace, the General flushed out his cape and took a regal pose. "How can I be late? I made the conscious decision to try and start a meeting with you."
"You don't know me well enough, do you?" Bergan smirked. The purple drake made his way back toward the desk. "Let's get this meeting of yours going, shall we?"
Saul wasn't the only one to walk into the office; he was joined shortly by Olivia and Jonathan. The purple drake smiled as he saw the earth prince stand beside his father.
"Ah, just the young dragon I've been waiting to see." Bergan declared.
Jonathan winced. "You've wanted to see me, Sir?"
"Of course I had." Bergan nodded his head. "You and my daughter both. Oh, that reminds me…"
As the prince shook with worry, Bergan reached for a small red button on his desk. The purple drake saw that Saul cast his son a suspicious glare. As he held the button down, a noise like static filled the air.
"Jezebel," Bergan said into the microphone on his desk. "Please send my daughter Tyrrany into my office. Oh, and send along Flamaedelus Jr, Arthur, and our dear Madam Nymph in after them."
"Right away, Sir," Jezebel replied via the device. Bergan let go of the button and relaxed in his chair.
Olivia lowered her muzzle to the desk to peer at the device. "What is that contraption?"
"An intercom system." Bergan declared. "You'll find that they're used in office buildings throughout Faeshrine."
"Well, that's certainly a fascinating thing…" Saul said sternly, "But I'd like to get to the matter at paw, Bergan."
"And what would that be, Saul?" Bergan asked in a faux-curious tone.
Saul just snorted and reached inside the confines of his clothes. He soon produced a small, silver-and-gold coin. Olivia winced as she saw the coin shine in the sunlight as Saul held it in his talons.
"It's a matter that only certain individuals should be allowed to hear." The General placed the coin on the table before Bergan.
Bergan scowled; knew the design of the coin all too well. It was one of the coins used by the higher members of the Order of Culmubrae. The Order was responsible for many things over the decades… chief among them being manipulating the Twilight War from the shadows.
Bergan picked up the coin and read one of the engravings along its edges. The engraving was written in ancient draconian runes.
"Umbrus sivi Superus." Bergan said quietly. "Light shines supreme."
"We have work to do, Bergan." Saul scowled. "The defeat of the Order must be avenged."
"Mhm…" Saul glanced at Olivia and Jonathan. "And these two know what they're getting into by being present for this, I assume."
Olivia cast Bergan a glare, which made him raise an eye ridge.
"I made my choice to stand beside Saul four years ago." The dragoness slammed her forepaw on the desk. "My own father betrayed my husband and cast him from his throne! I am Saul's wife; the rock upon which he builds his foundation. What kind of dragoness would I be if I abandoned him?"
"Not a very good one, I'd imagine." Bergan nodded. "By all means, stay and support your husband…" The purple drake cast his glance down at Jonathan next. "Though now I have to wonder about you, boy."
"What about me?" Jonathan asked.
"Your father seeks to avenge your grandfather's murder." Bergan clasped his forepaws together. "Surely you can imagine what he wants to"
"We're going to KILL Elenar!" Jonathan yelled angrily. He stood up tall and looked the purple dragon right in the eyes. "I'm not stupid! My dad's been planning his revenge goals for months, if not years!"
"Jonathan!" Olivia hissed. "Not so loud! People might hear you!"
"Heh…" Bergan wracked his talons together. "You sound pretty brave now, boy. But I wonder if you'll have that bravado when it finally comes time to do the deed."
"Oh, I'll be brave enough!" Jonathan beat his chest. "That bitch Elenar and all of her dark dragon goons have ruined my life! And one of those pricks ruined MY FACE!"
The prince wiped his sleeve all over his muzzle, wiping away his makeup and revealing the nasty scars beneath.
"You don't think I want to get back at them all for this?!" He pointed at his scars.
"Of course I do! So let's GET THEM ALREADY!"
Jonathan dug his talons into the carpet and panted heavily. Bergan just leaned back in his cushion and scratched his beard; this was an interesting display indeed.
"Calm down, Son." Saul draped a wing over the prince's back.
"Well, as long as you seem dead set on getting this done…" Bergan reached into the hidden pocket of his cape. "Let's get the ball rolling…"
The purple dragon produced a silver-and-gold coin from his pocket; another coin of the Order. He placed it on the desk beside Saul's, and the General took a deep breath.
"Tamquam longus tamquam Tenebra tamen accola in,…" The General said with determination.
As long as Darkness still lives on….
"…Lux voluntas numquam quiesco." Bergan replied.
..Light will never rest.
There was silence in the air as Saul and Bergan settled in and began to speak in whispers.
"Queen Elenar is only the first target on my quest for revenge," Saul said with a serious tone. "After she's dead, I want her two sons, Rune and Cyrus, captured."
"Captured, and not killed?" Bergan asked. "Why not deal with them straightaway?"
"Because I want to kill them MYSELF." Saul flashed his fangs. "I want to see the light fade from their eyes as they finally die. I want their deaths to be SLOW and PAINFUL. Just like every wretched black dragon deserves for the pain they've wrought on the dragon realms."
Bergan raised an eye ridge. "And what about Urobos?"
"Hmm?" Saul paused a moment. "The old bastard? You mean to say he's not dead yet?"
"He's a hearty dragon, him." Bergan chuckled.
"Well… fine." Saul scoffed. "We'll capture HIM, too. Shouldn't be too hard; he can't much stronger than his grandsons."
"In any case, old friend, you're bound to get what's coming to you." Bergan nodded. "But I've got a question for you: How exactly do you plan on having me help?"
He stood up and adjusted his collar. "As far as the people of the dragon realms are concerned, I am the humble and benevolent leader of a merchant empire. My business is the transferring of goods, not assassinations. I can't just up and sully my good name by having it get out that I'm a co-conspirator to murder the High Queen and her sons. I have an image to maintain, my friend."
"And that is why we shall do as the Order did in the past." Saul declared. "Work from behind the scenes."
Bergan raised an eye ridge. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, before I can tell you…" Saul looked at his wife. "I need to ask you to step outside for a moment."
"What?" Olivia exclaimed. "But why? I've already said that I'll stand behind you no matter what; you don't need to hide anything from me."
"Olivia, please." Saul exhaled. "Give me some time alone to speak with Bergan about what the boy must do."
Olivia sighed sadly and stepped out of the room. Jonathan watched her go with a frown, but then took a breath and faced Bergan. Saul grumbled in his throat before lowering his voice to whisper again.
"My son has become the leader of a gang of thugs," Saul said. "They are known as the Crazy Aces, and are rather notorious in my city of Aeroshard."
"Mhm…" Bergan scratched his chin. "And you want the Crazy Aces to be the face of the murder attempt?"
"Exactly," Saul said. "Ancestors willing, they'll perform the execution of Elenar, capture the black dragons, and drag them back to me in chains so I can get my revenge."
"Ah, but if they FAIL…" Bergan declared with a smirk. "Then the Crazy Aces will take the fall for the crime, with nobody any wiser that the Order of Culmubrae supplied them for the trip."
Jonathan winced, and his eye twitched. He tried to hide it with a serious face as Saul and Bergan looked down at him.
"You seem a bit out of sorts suddenly, dear Jonathan," Bergan said. "Could it be that you didn't factor in that there were to be no apparent ties between your gang and the Order?"
"Uh…" He stammered. "I knew it was coming. I just…" He shifted about uncomfortably "It's a little hard to say out loud, Sir."
"Hmm…" Bergan nodded. "I suppose so; they must be some very good friends indeed."
"My best friends since I moved to Aeroshard," Jonathan said. "They'll stick by me through thick and thin… I think."
"You think?" Saul snapped. "Jonathan, this isn't going to be some game; they need to be ready for the grueling task ahead of them."
"And what a task it'll be." Bergan declared, drawing the earth drakes' attention. "You all need to sneak into Warfang without being detected, and then into the Dragon Spire; Elenar's very seat of power. And assuming you can wiggle your way past the multitude of security defenses, and the highly-trained warriors among the Deep Shadows… there's facing the High Queen HERSELF."
Bergan stood up taller in his cushion, casting his shadow over Jonathan.
"Elenar is a powerful shadow dragoness." He said with a menacing tone. "Fear has no sway over her; she has died and faced Malefor himself in the underworld. Even after being held as his prisoner and plaything for four years of unlife, she STILL had the mental fortitude to rise from the endeavor and return to the living world as the new High Queen… which is to say nothing of her mastery of shadow magic." Bergan looked Jonathan in the eyes. "If you're not prepared… the Crazy Aces will FAIL."
Jonathan tried his best to stand tall and proud… but there was a fearful glint in his eyes. His voice shuddered a bit as he tried to growl back.
"Let's hope that you truly are brave when the moment comes to face Elenar, dear prince," Bergan said. "But, while I can't tell you with certainty what will happen when you step before Elenar, I can at least tell you how you're going to get to her in the first place."
"What did you have in mind?" Saul asked.
Bergan didn't answer his question directly. Instead, he leaned over to look past the two earth drakes and stare at the back doors. Bergan counted off his talons, and then there was a knock on the door.
"Come on in, everyone!" Bergan said with a chipper voice. "There's much to discuss!"
Saul and Jonathan scooted out of the way as Tyrrany, Flame, Arthur, and Madam Nymph made their way inside. Olivia poked her head in to see if she could join the group as well, But Saul shook his head no, and she sighed and stepped out of view.
Tyrrany sat on her haunches beside Jonathan, refusing to look at the prince directly. Flame sat down behind her, and Arthur sat down on his head. Meanwhile, Madam Nymph made her way around to the other side of Bergan's desk, where she sat down and relaxed in the sunlight.
"Wh-What did you need us for, Father?" Tyrrany asked nervously.
"Well, let me get the easiest thing out of the way..." Bergan took a sigh and glared down at his daughter. "You nearly put Jenna in the medical ward today."
Tyrrany flinched and forced herself to look her father in the eyes. "I… I'm sorry, Father."
"Saying sorry to me won't make it all go away." Bergan scolded. "Suppose I hadn't stepped in; what do you think would have come in the wake?" He wracked his talons on his desk. "I'd have to go to great lengths to pay for her medical bills, as well as apologize to her parents, and then bend over backward to ensure my other employees that they're not at any risk. And need I mention all of the complaints?" He became quite flustered; as if all of them were already written up and presented to him. "All of this, because you lost your temper. I would think you'd know better by now."
The dragoness didn't respond; she merely hung her head low. Bergan looked about ready to yell at her again, but then Nymph tapped on his side.
"Take it easy now, Bergan." The dragoness nodded. "Having a fit won't help any; you've stopped things from going down that path, just like you've always done."
Bergan looked Nymph in the eyes and snorted. He took a deep breath and leaned back on his cushion.
"In any case," He added, "There are a few other things to discuss. Tyrrany… pull back your hood and remove your cloak."
Tyrrany brought her head up, and her eyes went wide. "Now? Right here in front of the General?"
Saul raised an eye ridge. "I don't see what the issue is."
"Jonathan's in on the secret already; I can tell by looking in his eyes," Bergan said. "Tyrrany, Saul is to be your father-in-law soon, so we'd best not keep secrets from him. And besides, it'll go a long way toward earning his trust enough to get him to help you with your quest."
Saul looked between Bergan and his daughter, his face a mask of confusion.
"Quest?" Saul repeated. "And what's this about secrets?"
"Show him, Tyrrany," Bergan said sternly.
"Y... Yes, father." She said with a heavy sigh.
The dragoness sat on her haunches and cautiously lifted her forepaws to her hood. With trembling talons, she slowly pulled her hood backward, revealing the lines where her purple makeup came to a stop and her naturally white scales began to show. After this, Tyrrany undid the bindings on her neck, and let her black cloak slump to the floor.
Jonathan knew what to expect, but Saul nearly fell onto the floor in surprise.
"What in the…?" He blinked a few times. Saul got up onto his feet and stepped closer to Tyrrany. He looked her over left and right, not believing what was standing before him.
"Surprised, Saul?" Nymph asked. "I'll admit: I was the same the first time I saw it, too."
"She's a…" Saul's throat went dry. He blinked several times as if what sat before him was an illusion. "She's… a white dragon?"
"Don't lose your head, Saul," Bergan replied. With a motion of the purple dragon's forepaw, Tyrrany pulled her hood back over her head. "Yes, my daughter is a white dragon. We've been keeping it a secret ever since she was hatched."
Saul still couldn't believe his eyes. He glowered down at Jonathan. "Is this what had you so spooked last night?"
"Kind of…" Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. "But it wasn't the white scales; I was more uneasy about Tyrrany ripping my head off if I blabbed."
Tyrrany growled at that comment but immediately stopped herself when Bergan glared at her. The purple dragon then cleared his throat to get Saul's attention.
"How familiar are you with the stories of the white dragons, General?"
"Not very." Saul sighed. "The most I can recall is that dark dragons were scared shitless of them back before the Twilight War."
"Indeed." Bergan nodded. "They may not be as well known today, but there's always the chance that someone who believed the old stories would want to do white dragons harm. That's why I've had to protect my daughter with her disguise."
"I see…" Saul glared over at Nymph. "And how long have YOU known?"
"Since Bergan and I became business partners." The dragoness ran her talons along her cloak. "I've gained a fascination of sorts for dragons with mysterious powers. I've kept an eye for any of the sorts ever since…" She put on a smirk. "You never know when they'll turn up."
"Hmph. Is that so?" Saul raised an eye ridge.
"Tyrrany's magical potential and prowess are far more advanced than that of any normal dragon." He said sternly. "She would make a valuable asset to you, Saul: Both as your daughter-in-law, and as an accomplice in your... plans. Do you understand me?"
"Plans?" Arthur wondered out loud.
"Clear as crystal, Bergan..." Saul glanced down at his son. "Jonathan, the fact that Tyrrany is a white dragoness doesn't change your willingness to marry her, does it?"
"Uh..." The young earth dragon glanced around at the other teenagers. Flame and Arthur sneered, but said nothing. Tyrrany, however, just snorted and looked down at her forepaws; she'd already threatened the earth prince enough today.
"...No, it doesn't," Jonathan said, chuckling nervously. "Why... I'm still more than happy to take her on as my wife."
"Good." Bergan declared. "Now then, on to the next order of business: All four of you youngsters shall be preparing to leave for Warfang on the morrow."
Tyrrany's eyes lit up, and she shifted on her paws. Had she heard that correctly?
"What for, sir?" Flame asked. The purple dragon looked directly at his daughter and smiled.
"Tyrrany, I have finally decided." He rose from his cushion to step closer to her. "You are ready to head for Warfang to confront your mother."
The dragoness gasped in delight. She stood silent for a few moments, letting the news ring around in her head. Eventually, her excitement overwhelmed her to the point where she ran forwards and hugged Bergan tightly.
"Thank you, Father!" She exclaimed. "I've been waiting so long for this day!"
The purple dragon chuckled and hugged her back. "You're welcome, dear."
"Now, hold on for a moment," Saul demanded. "What's this about confronting her mother? And how do you know she's in Warfang?"
"I should think the answer is plain as day." The purple dragon replied. "But in case you can't see the resemblance under her makeup…" Bergan stood up tall and cleared his throat. "General Saul, Elenar is my daughter's mother."
Tyrrany had never seen so much surprise and horror in a single dragon's face. The General backed up and nearly tripped over himself. Saul looked down at Tyrrany and examined her features; he'd so rarely spent time with Tyrrany in the past that perhaps he never remembered her as she grew from a child to an adult.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Saul glowered. He then glared at Bergan. "You mated with Elenar?!"
"Once upon a time." Bergan declared. "Sadly our relationship… soured, which should be quite obvious."
"But…" Saul stammered. He glanced at Tyrrany incredulously again. "Why would…?"
All at once, realization dawned on Saul. He took a deep breath and composed himself.
"I get it now; Elenar rejected her daughter, didn't she?" The General said with a snort. "She couldn't stand being the mother of a white dragon."
Tyrrany had to fight with all of her might to keep from growling at the General. He's just stating facts; he's not trying to mock you. Keep calm…
"To make a long story short, Tyrrany wants revenge on Elenar for abandoning her," Bergan said. "And seeing as you and Jonathan want Elenar dead as well, then all of you can work together to get your revenge. Just like one big happy family!"
"Hmph." Saul scratched his chin. "Sounds simple enough."
"Right…" Bergan turned his attention toward Flame, Arthur, and Jonathan.
"Now… you three will mainly serve as my daughter's bodyguards during her quest." The purple drake said. "You are to ensure that nothing bad happens to her." His eyes narrowed, and he blew tiny purple flames from his nostrils. "Is that understood? NOTHING."
"Yes, Sir." Flame and Arthur said immediately. Jonathan said it as well but was a bit delayed due to shaking nervously beneath Bergan's glare.
"Good." The smile returned to Bergan's face again. "Flame, Arthur, your respective parents already know about your assignment. Go and prepare for the journey. Tyrrany, you do the same."
"As should you, Jonathan," Saul said. "Tell your friends to get ready as well."
"Yes, Father." The earth prince nodded.
Tyrrany gave a soft sigh as she pulled her clock back over her body. She then joined the three boys as they left the office, leaving Bergan, Saul, and Nymph alone together.
"So, your son's off to Warfang." The purple drake chuckled. "What will you and your wife do in the meantime, Saul?"
"We need to return to Aeroshard." The General sneered. "There's much work to be done. First, we need to ensure that Elder Telus's forces don't overtake my stronghold…" He dug his talons into the carpet. "And then I need to mobilize forces to take Glenhaven BACK."
"Hmm, sounds like a lot of hard work." Bergan snickered.
"Here's hoping you have the sense to delay your attack until AFTER the Day of the Bonds is over." Nymph clicked her tongue.
Saul snorted. "I'm not a monster, Nymph; Plenty of the beings under my employ wish to spend quality time with their loved ones. As for myself… my wife and I have some catching up to do romantically, and this holiday is perfect for that."
"Ah, good." Nymph flapped her wings and looked down her beak-like muzzle. "I for one wish to take my family to see my sister Seraph. There's a lot that I need to talk to her about, and I can't have the looming threat of battle get in the way of that."
"Well, you'd best convince her to flee Glenhaven before I begin my attack." Saul snorted. "I wouldn't want her to get caught in the crossfire."
"Well, I wish you all the best." Bergan smiled. "In the meantime, I've got some work to do myself." The purple dragon stood up. "While my daughter has her vendetta against High Queen Elenar, I've got some business in Warfang of my own."
"What?" Saul eyed Bergan suspiciously.
"Let me show you something…" Bergan opened two of the drawers on his desk. He reached inside and pulled out two objects.
The first object was the sparkling white hilt of a sword, which extended out of a secret compartment hidden within the drawer and part of the floor. The sword's blade was golden in color and decorated with silver patterns. The hilt had a glyph in the shape of a set of red weighing scales embedded on both sides. A large sapphire stone was emblazoned on the sword's pommel. The whole thing seemed to glow with a mysterious, purple aura as Bergan held it in his forepaw.
"Beautiful craftsmanship, isn't it?" He asked with a smirk.
"I suppose…" Saul said cautiously.
The second object that Bergan retrieved was a necklace, crafted entirely of jade. Bergan placed both the necklace and the sword down on the desk.
"What are these for?" Saul demanded. "What relation do they have to Elenar?"
"Not her specifically; just her current… area of residence." Bergan chuckled. "The sword had a fraternal twin, you see; they were both crafted at the same time and place. As for the necklace… it has a twin as well." Bergan wracked his talons together. "And it just so happens that both of these objects' twins are in Warfang."
"They're just a sword and a necklace." Saul snorted. "They're in abundance all over the dragon realms. What's so special about them?"
"Oh, they have their unique properties, I assure you." Bergan ran his talons along the sword's blade.
He held it carefully in his forepaw and tilted it so the blade shined in the light of the room. Bergan followed the light from the start of the hilt, all the way to the tip, and then up from there to look Saul in the eyes.
"There's going to be some gruesome business in the coming weeks, my friends," Bergan said. "And I hope that everyone here is prepared for the consequences."
"Well, of course!" Saul declared. "What is there to worry about?"
Bergan and Nymph held dour expressions. They looked each other in the eyes, and then both glanced at Saul, who looked back incredulously.
"If Jonathan and Tyrrany succeed in killing Elenar, there will be ripples of chaos throughout Warfang." Nymph said. "The people love her, Saul. They won't react well if they learn that your boy helped kill her. And your family line already has next to no political support as it is." She flapped her wings. "And if anyone learns that Bergan and I are co-conspirators, we'll face quite a bit of wrath as well."
"Is that an attempt to scare me?" Saul raised an eye ridge. He looked right at Bergan and scoffed. "The very fact you're sending them off to Warfang AT ALL is proof enough that everything will be fine."
Bergan leaned back and scratched his beard. "Is that so?"
"If your daughter was in danger of being captured or killed on this mission, you would never have allowed her to go." Saul declared. "Same goes for Jonathan; surely he's to succeed in killing Elenar with no trouble brewing. Otherwise, you'd have told the both of us what a colossal failure their mission would be!" Saul wracked his talons on Bergan's desk. "So, I can only conclude that their mission will be a big success, and none of us will be found out as responsible for Elenar's execution!"
Bergan raised his eye ridge. It was rather refreshing to see how much faith the good Lord General had put into him and his plans. He gave a little chuckle and adjusted himself in his chair.
"Well, you and Nymph here won't be on the northern continent by the time the coup is launched. So I'll have to fill you in later on how things go." Bergan said. "And besides, just because I know what won't happen, doesn't mean I know what will happen."
Saul grimaced. "What's supposed to mean?"
"It means that the board is set, and all the pieces are ready to play." Bergan gave Saul a sardonic grin. "Now, we just let the game play out, and see what happens."
Bergan put his valuables back into their compartments and rose from his desk. He walked around to lead Nymph and Saul out of the room.
"Oh, and by the way…" Bergan looked at Saul again. "Your son and my daughter didn't do anything last night; they've yet to produce an heir for you. So just be patient."
Saul balked. He opened his maw to say something, but then just sighed and closed it again. Nymph gave a little chuckle and followed the two dragons out of the room.
There was much to be done, and little time to do it.
~~…~~
Greetings, friends and loved ones.
Aside from spelling errors and mistakes, I felt like including a bit more dialogue from the Crazy Aces. Mainly as a means to show their reaction to the powers of Time magic at Bergan's disposal. Other than that, things are pretty much fine.
Tenebra ecce Veritas