Another night had fallen over the city of Warfang. The twin moons cast their heavenly rays down to the plains… and illuminate a caravan as it rumbled across the plains.
The carriages of the FTC strode carefully and calmly toward the eastern gate of Warfang. They slowed down together as they approached a gatehouse jutting out from the walls. The riders of the head carriage stepped down and made to greet a group of cheetah guards standing watch. They presented some papers bearing Bergan's signature… and it was with hesitation that the guards allowed the caravan to enter the city.
The carriages strode briskly down a few twists and turns of the city streets. Before long, the whole caravan made its way toward the southeastern district of the great city. And during the right, Tyrrany gazed out wide eyes full of excitement.
Finally, after all this time, the heiress was in Warfang again. She'd heard so many stories about the sights and sounds of the ancient dragon city since she was a dragonling. Her fragmented memories of a previous visit were nothing compared to actually being back as a young adult. She wanted so badly to just leap out of her father's carriage, spread her wings, and fly up amongst the spires and towers that pierced the night sky.
But she knew better than that. No… she had best stay with the group.
There was a massive clearing around a town square; reserved specifically for merchant traders to do their business. Once the carriages had come to a complete stop, the dragons and non-dragons stepped out to get to work preparing for the coming day. Many business endeavors were to follow suit. And who was Bergan to resist the chance to make a profit while out on his business?
Tyrrany took a few breaths to calm down; she made sure her hood was pulled snugly over her head. She looked upon the adjacent city blocks for any signs of the more nocturnal residents of the city; the dark dragons. All it would take was one shadow dragon to emerge from hiding at the wrong time to see what Tyrrany was hiding, and disaster would break loose. And yet STILL, Tyrrany couldn't believe she was here; she practically hopped from place to place as she grasped the windowsill.
"We're here..." She said with amazement. "We're finally in Warfang!"
"Yeah..." Jonathan agreed, though less excited.
Flame and Arthur were asleep; the red dragon was sprawled out on his side of the couch, and the dragonfly rested against Flame's nose.
Tyrrany smiled a bit at the sight; they always looked so cute while sleeping. On a whim, she grabbed one of the loose blankets and carefully draped it over Flame's back. She then smiled at them; she hadn't felt this good in ages. She turned toward her father; the purple drake was carefully adjusting the strings on her violin.
"Father, is it alright if I go for a tour of the city?" She asked eagerly.
Bergan looked over at her as he played a few notes. He sighed and shook his head. "Not now, dear. It's much too late for you to get started."
"But Dad-"
"Please don't argue with me, Tyrrany," Bergan stated solemnly. "I can tell you're much too tired to get a move on."
"No, I'm…" The dragoness was interrupted by her own yawn. She then glowered in frustration. "…not."
"Take a tip from Flamaedelus and Arthur." Bergan nodded his head toward them. "Get some sleep for now."
The dragoness sighed in defeat. She also noticed that her limbs were aching, and her eyes were demanding to be shut more and more by the moment.
"I guess you're… right, Dad." She said.
"What about me?" Jonathan asked. Tyrrany shuddered; she'd almost forgotten that her betrothed was right across from her. The earth dragon flourished his cloak as he looked directly at Bergan.
"I don't feel nearly as tired as Annie looks." Jonathan declared. "Why don't I go rally up the gang to prepare for our mission?"
"You should still try to sleep, for now, Jonathan," Bergan said as he grasped the violin's bow. "You wouldn't want to try to do battle with the queen's Deep Shadows while passing out mid-fight, would you?"
"I guess you've got a point…" Jonathan shrugged. He took off his cloak and draped it over himself like a blanket. He then gave a slight smile toward Tyrrany. "Want to cuddle up with me for warmth?"
Want to drop dead? Tyrrany growled in her mind. "No, Jonathan. I'm fine on my own."
"Suit yourself…" Jonathan shrugged again. Tyrrany grumbled internally; Jonathan seemed like he'd finally gotten over becoming frightened of her after that night when they almost… The dragoness shook her head to get the memories out; she wasn't sure which way she preferred him, honestly.
Tyrrany and Jonathan did their best to get comfortable on their respective sides of the carriage. The dragoness curled up into a tight ball on her side of her couch, while the earth dragon grabbed a few of the cushions from around the table and formed a makeshift bed on the carriage floor. Eventually, the carriage was filled with the various sounds of four different patterns of snoring: Tyrrany's being the softest, Arthur's being the quickest, Jonathan's being the slowest, and Flame's being the loudest.
Amid the chorus of snores, Bergan turned towards his window. He adjusted his eyes to the darkness and gazed off toward the distant Dragon Spire as it loomed in the heart of Warfang. And up in the sky, the black fortress known as The Nexus hung weightlessly overhead.
Bergan took a few deep breaths; he held the bow of the violin as steadily as he could to begin playing a quiet song. But despite Bergan's best efforts, his forepaw still trembled, filling the air with discordant notes here and there.
How long had it been since he last visited Warfang? When was the last time he skipped merrily through the corridors of the Dragon Spire with his friends? How long had it been since the last remains of what he called a family had drifted away from him? No matter how long Bergan had tried to avoid coming here, no matter how much he tried to put off the inevitable… here he was, deep within the heart of Warfang once again.
Bergan struggled to play the song… a song of love. A song of the uncertainty of the future. A song that a certain shadowy princess once sang to him long ago.
I just can't escape this place, can I? He scowled as he played a few more notes. Tell me, Elenar: Do you still hope to make amends with me?
~~…~~
It wasn't much longer before word of the caravan from Faeshrine reached the ear frills of the Deep Shadows. Chief among them who were interested in reporting the news were Grail and Dona.
Out in the middle of the streets of the less populated district of the city, a pool of shadows opened up in a back alley. And out of this alley stepped Grail and Dona. The General scrunched up his face as he emerged beside an over-stuffed garbage bin.
"Why does she insist on sneaking out to such a miserable place?" Grail grumbled aloud.
"Keep your voice down." Dona snapped under her breath. "You know how she wants to keep this little spot a secret."
"Fine…" Grail said with a snort. "I have other things to keep my temper burning…" He turned and made his way out onto the abandoned street. Dona closed the portal behind herself, and then rushed to follow after the General.
"It's truly unbelievable." Grail hissed. "To think, that despicable purple cretin would have the nerve to send some of his subordinates to our city."
"Oh, calm down, cyclops." Dona scolded. "Thinking about how much you hate him over and over will only send your blood pressure skyrocketing."
Grail flinched and then scowled at her. Dona merely snorted and stepped around him to keep going. The General just sighed and rolled his eye. "Let's just notify the queen and get out of this smelly place as soon as we can."
The two walked as silently and calmly as they could bear down the lonely cold street. Dona kept track of the street names as they walked; she had overshot the other end of her shadowy portal by a few too many blocks. She cursed herself for her bad luck; she looked at the General and tried to think of a way to smoothen her mood. And that's when an idea popped into her head.
"So…" She began as she crept up closer to Grail. "What did you think of the prince's battle?"
Grail snorted and held his head skyward. "That was no battle. It was two boys getting into a petty argument."
"And do most of these arguments end with one boy spilling the blood of the other all over the floor?" Dona asked. "I don't recall you ever teaching Rune to be THAT ferocious in a fight. Unless there's a private training session or two that I've missed."
Grail's eye twitched. "I don't know where he got that from. Even when I put students through one of my gauntlets, they're never in life-threatening danger."
"Well, it had to come from somewhere…" Dona declared. "Do you think it had something to do with The Ordeal?"
"Look, right now I don't care how or where the prince picked up such ferocity." Grail snapped and stamped his paw. "Let's just get to the queen already!"
"Well fine by me…" Dona snorted. "Just wanted some conversation…"
Grail just groaned and kept walking; this wasn't something he wanted to discuss out in the open. Not that he ever wanted to discuss the prince's ferocity at all. It had been a long while since he'd seen a black dragon unleash so much of their power to completely terrorize their opponent. Not even King Baneth had been so nightmarish in his conquest four years ago.
Grail and Dona came to a stop at the corner of a city block between two streets. It was the location of a rather quaint bar called The Hurricos Hearth. The bar's sign said it was open, although there wasn't much activity going on inside. Grail approached the door and knocked on it. A moment later, a slot on the door opened up as a grey-scaled dragon peered outside.
"Who goes…?" The dragon began to say, only to flinch upon seeing Grail's grisly visage.
"Oh!" Immediately the dragon shut the slot, rattled some chains, and pulled the door inward. He bowed his head in submission. "Come on in, General."
"Hmph…" Grail stepped on through.
The grey dragon was about to close the door, only for Dona to reach out and slam it open. She hissed at him before forcing her way inside. "Is that any way to treat a Deep Shadow?"
"S-Sorry, Lady Dona." The dragon bowed his head and shivered. "I didn't see you in the General's shadow."
"Sure you didn't…" Dona rolled her eyes and followed Grail further into the bar.
The scent of alcohol was present throughout the air. A few scattered dragons sat around here and there, enjoying themselves in the calmness of the night. The bar was fully stocked with bottles, which a cheetah sorted out before pouring the few patrons some drinks. At the far end of the bar, there sat a dragoness in ebony robes; the same kind of cloak the Deep Shadows wore. The dragoness kept her hood on as she took a swift drink from a small glass.
Grail sighed sadly as he saw the dragoness. He walked carefully forward toward her as she called for another bottle. He sat down in the seat beside her, which made her flinch for a moment.
"Good evening, Your Grace." The General whispered.
Elenar sighed as she looked in Grail's direction. She then looked over at Dona, who stood between the two dragons to shield the queen partially from view. Elenar lifted her cloak a bit to look Grail in the eyes.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered angrily.
"I could ask you the same thing," Grail grunted. "Dona told me you'd be out here tonight." He wracked his talons on the bar and raised his eye ridge. "I never thought I'd see the day when a queen would sneak out of her palace to fancy herself a drink at a local pub in the slums."
Elenar gave a slight chortle, but she didn't sound happy. "There are some nights when the flat liquid called wine doesn't cut it, Grail."
As the cheetah brought the queen a bottle of some nameless ale, Elenar poured herself a drink and downed it quite suddenly. She then snorted and fell back onto her haunches.
"For example, the night when, hours ago, one of your sons nearly put the prince of an ally nation into critical condition, if not outright mortally wounding him," Elenar said with a snort. "Thus, you have to write an apology letter to the prince's father and ask for supplication, so that he doesn't turn around and declare war on you or swear bloody revenge..."
The queen picked up the bottle to pour herself another drink. She struggled not to belch, but the bubbles came out of her nostrils instead. Elenar grimaced as she put the bottle back down and sighed.
"And, of course, this all happened because your son was driven to violent, murderous rage by a curse placed on him by an evil dragon that's tormenting you from beyond the grave by any means he can."
After the queen downed the last of her glass, she reached for the bottle again, only for Grail to put his forepaw down to block her off.
"I get the point, Your Grace." Grail frowned. "And I think you've poisoned yourself enough."
"Don't make me exile you for treason…" Elenar grumbled. "You big… churlish…" She tried to reach around Grail's forepaw and failed several times. Dona smirked at the sight of the queen floundering around, while Grail just sighed in pity.
Eventually, Elenar just grumbled and tried to adopt a regal stance. "What did you want to see me for, anyway?"
"Well, I'm glad you asked…." Dona smirked. She leaned in to whisper into Elenar's ear frill. "Just about an hour ago, a large caravan of traders has arrived from Faeshrine."
The Queen's eyes lit up in shock. "Faeshrine?"
"Aye," Grail answered. "I recommend taking a battalion of soldiers over there right now and forcing them out of our city."
"That seems rather rash if you ask me." Dona scolded.
"Well, I certainly don't think any minions of the arrogant amethyst should be allowed within a hundred miles of our city." The burly dragon snapped.
"Grail, that's-" Elenar winced and lowered her head down. Grail and Dona looked at the queen as she rubbed the back of her cloaked head with a wing thumb. She took a breath and stood up straight. "Grail, there won't be any battalion harassing the caravan."
"What?" He asked, taken aback.
"They're only innocent traders and merchants, seeking to do business." Elenar continued. "I see no reason to deny them Warfang's hospitality."
Grail stammered incredulously. "But your majesty-"
"I said that's enough!" Elenar snapped. "Don't make me take that bottle and brain you with it."
Grail harrumphed; as if the queen was tall enough to reach his head if she could even grasp the bottle. Eventually, he just bowed said head and snorted again.
"As you wish, Your Grace." He said calmly. "But at least permit me to escort you back to the palace; the others will be worried sick if you're gone too long."
"Fair enough…" Elenar stood up tall. She shook a bit as she reached into her robes, pulled out a coin purse, and placed several draconic gems on the counter. "Will this cover it?"
"Of course, Your Majesty." The cheetah bartender whispered as he collected the gems. "The royal family's currency is always valid at our humble bar."
"I'm glad." Elenar smiled. "But I must be off. Goodnight, Sam."
"Goodnight, milady." The bartender bowed his head before rushing off to serve another patron. Elenar, meanwhile, turned to follow Grail and Dona out of the bar. As they walked together, Dona leaned in to whisper to Elenar.
"So, shall I set up negotiations?" She asked.
"Huh?" Elenar replied curiously.
"With the leader of the traders." Dona clarified. "I believe we should establish regulations as to when they may freely operate during the day and night hours."
"Oh." The Queen responded with a sigh. "Very well. You may go speak with the traders' leader and openly decide on when they may operate."
"As you command, Your Majesty." Dona bowed her head. "I'll go meet with them tomorrow morning."
"Alright."
With that established, Elenar allowed Dona and Grail to escort her home. Along the way, Elenar took several deep breaths as she considered the ramifications of the arrival of the caravans. And as the three dragons stepped outside, Elenar looked at the starlit sky.
I wonder if Bergan is among them, She thought sadly.
As Elenar made her way back home, her memories slowly floated to the surface of her mind…
~~…~~
The princess gave a hearty yawn as she woke up on the mattress.
Elenar heard Bergan's snores above her; the purple dragon had fallen asleep with his limbs wrapped tenderly around her. Elenar's face flushed red as she remembered the magical evening the two had shared. She looked upon Bergan's smile as he snored, and couldn't help but giggle.
"Bergan…" She said calmly into the purple dragon's ear frill. She reached out and shook his forepaw. "Wake up, Bergan."
Soon enough, the purple dragon gave a hearty yawn. He reached up to rub his eyes, only to bump into the back of Elenar's horn. His red eyes widened in shock, and he fell back a bit from her.
"Elenar?" He asked curiously. He then looked down at their splayed-out bodies, and realization dawned on him. "Oh… Oh, right."
Bergan pulled himself up from Elenar's body and rose to sit on his haunches. Elenar was quick to join him, brushing her flank against his. The purple dragon smiled at this and draped a wing over her back.
"Is it safe to assume you enjoyed the previous night?" Bergan asked.
"Of course." Elenar rose to plant a kiss on the purple dragon's cheek. "Was I your first?"
"Well… yes." Bergan nodded. "Not that I was saving myself or anything; it was all… uh… a matter of coincidence."
"Well, that's… interesting to say." Elenar chuckled. "To be honest, it was my first time as well."
Bergan and Elenar proceeded to gather up their respective pieces of clothing. They then helped each other get dressed for the day.
"I should hurry back home soon," Elenar said. "Father and Mother might just throttle me if they don't hear my report soon."
"Don't worry; you'll be fine." Bergan laughed. "I foresee many years of rulership, Oh Shadow Queen."
"Ah, of course." Elenar nodded. She stood in the mirror and sighed as she adjusted her mane; she never felt more alive. Bergan smiled at her through the reflection of the mirror, and she smiled back. What could have been than waking up after an evening of passion with a dragon as marvelous as Bergan?
"There's something I was meaning to give you, Elenar," Bergan said. "I've got them in a little compartment in my cloak. Hold on…"
"Oh?" Elenar raised an eye ridge. She turned to look at him directly. "Do tell."
Bergan rifled through his cloak for a brief time, a slight grimace here and there. Eventually, he pulled out two identical necklaces, both made of the purest Jade. The purple dragon then turned back toward Elenar and presented the necklaces to her.
"These were made by earth dragon artisans all the way in Glenhaven." Bergan smiled.
"Well, they're certainly lovely." Elenar nodded. "But what are they for? Are you looking to barter or something?"
"What? No!" Bergan exclaimed. "They're gifts."
"Ah…" She gave them a closer inspection and then raised another eye ridge. "But why are there two?"
"Well, one's for you, obviously," Bergan said. "And the other is for whomever you wish to give it to Maybe your closest friend, or your future heir, or your eventual husband. It's all up to you, Elenar."
"I see." She scratched her chin curiously
Elenar took one of the necklaces and walked over to the mirror on the dresser. She unclipped the chain, put it around her neck, and re-clipped it before looking at herself with a smile. The jade sparkled wonderfully in the reflection; every bit of light that bounced off it cast the world in a mesmerizing glow.
"Oh, it's lovely, Bergan." She smiled. "Thank you."
"You're most welcome." Bergan nodded. He picked up his cloak and put it carefully on. "Now, we should probably head for Erebus to explain the plans to rescue your people from this damned war."
"Right…" Elenar nodded. She frowned as the brief visions from Bergan's crystal ball returned to her mind. And when the two hideous yellow eyes glared down at her, she shuddered.
We need to save my people. I just hope Father doesn't reject the plan.
~~…~~
"NO!" Alexander bellowed. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
When Elenar told Elza and Queen Murkandre about Bergan's vision of the shadow dragons being attacked in the coming months, they were understandably taken aback. And when the purple dragon explained his hopes to rescue their people by sheltering them in Faeshrine, they were incredulous. But when the plan was repeated to the king… he was livid.
Alexander rose from his throne and bore down at Bergan and Elenar. Murkandre, Elza, and Dona were also present, though they held their tongues. Elenar shivered nervously as she stood before her father, while Bergan carefully grasped one of her forepaws for support.
"Father, please!" Elenar protested. "Everything Bergan has ever predicted in the past has come true! And the only things that didn't were because he stopped them!" She flapped their wings. We can't just sit idly by and-"
"You'd have us all abandon Mount Erebus?!" Alexander snapped. "Would you have us leave the Well of Souls completely unguarded?!" He stomped forward and looked his daughter in the eyes. "Even if I were to believe that this drake's visions are true, even if there IS a chance that my people are in danger… we will NOT leave the Well of Souls just sitting here for anyone to seize power over!"
"Surely something can be done to protect the Well of Souls in your absence." Bergan insisted. "Perhaps some kind of seal over the entryway, or a golem to guard it. There's plenty of time to think of something."
"Shut up!" Alexander snapped at Bergan. He pointed an accusatory talon at the purple dragon's snout. "You know nothing about binding seals, you brat! They're not something that can be summoned forth on a whim."
"Fine then…" Bergan pushed the king's talon out of his face. "Then take the time to figure out what can be done to protect the Well of Souls. But you can't just endanger your people by sitting around in Mount Erebus; not anymore, at least." He flapped his wings and looked the shadow king in the eyes. "One day soon, that war will reach out with its tendrils to suffocate your mountain. You need to all get out of here while you still can."
"And I should just take your word for it, then?" Alexander growled. "I should just trust you, a BOY, to know what's best for MY people?!"
"I'm not a boy." Bergan snapped. "I've spent years honing my craft as both a merchant and a magician. While you were hiding away here, I've had my fair share of life experience, Your Highness."
The shadow king growled. "How dare you,"
"My king…" Dona spoke up from the side. Alexander glared over at her; she shuddered but stood her ground. "Surely there's no harm in heeding Bergan's word, is there?"
"Hmph. I'm through with putting my faith in the words of purple dragons." Alexander snapped. He loomed over Bergan once again and bore into the younger drake's eyes. "If the great Lord of the dragon realms couldn't be trusted, why should I trust his protégé?"
Bergan flinched. He snorted and stepped back with a flourish of his cloak.
"I was never his protégé." Bergan spat. "You've mistaken me for a black dragon, Your Highness."
"Bah. You're a purple dragon." Alexander flapped his wings and sat back on his throne. "And a purple dragon is a purple dragon. I don't trust you as far as I can throw you."
"So that's it then?" Bergan glowered. "You're going to risk the lives of your people out of spite?"
"I'm not going to risk everything on the word of yet another purple dragon." Alexander slumped down on his throne.
Bergan glowered at the king. "So, if Spyro were here to tell you to just sit on your arse, would you leave out of spite?"
"Get out of my sight, and my kingdom, you wretch!" The shadow king bellowed. "Before I have the guards remove you by force!"
Bergan glanced around; several shadow dragons looked ready to attack at the king's command. The purple drake blew smoke from his nostrils, and carefully reached into his cloak.
"Fine then…" Bergan said. He very slowly pulled out his crystal ball and tossed it through the air to Murkandre. The queen caught it and quizzically held it up to gaze into the glass.
"Have a nice day, Your Highness," Bergan said with disgust to the king. He turned to leave the throne room, walking around the chasm with a prideful strut despite many glaring eyes. On his way, he passed by Elenar, who locked eyes with him. She pretended to look away but also leaned in quickly to utter a whisper upon his ear frill.
"I love you."
That gave Bergan a moment of weakness; he slowed his gait and looked at her sadly. He'd finally gotten Elenar back into his life again; he wanted more than anything to stay with her. But then he felt the furious gaze of the king upon his back, urging him to pick up the pace.
A guard opened the front door for Bergan to step through. Just before he did so, the purple drake gazed about at the gathered dragons.
"I wish you all the best of luck in the coming months!" He declared. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"
And with that, Bergan walked away, and the doors slammed shut behind him. Elenar struggled not to cry. After all this time of being without him, the princess had to watch as Bergan left in a huff… just like the last time years prior. After sucking in a deep breath, Elenar turned to glare at her father.
"Can't you at least put his words into consideration?!" Elenar snapped. "Bergan was only trying to help us, Father!"
"You don't know what ulterior motives that fiend might have, Elenar." Alexander hissed. "Spyro always kept secrets and plans hidden away from us while he sat in that fancy tower of his down south. What makes you think Bergan is any different?"
"But he IS different, Father!" Elenar pleaded. "You don't know what it's like being him, Father. He's seen things… horrible things." She shuddered for a bit. "Ever since he was a hatchling, even. If he says something bad is going to happen, then it's very likely to happen."
Alexander just glared down into his daughter's eyes; she struggled not to turn away. She glanced at Murkandre, who had been silent ever since looking into the crystal ball. The shadow queen had to shudder breaths as she put the ball down.
"By the ancestors…" She said, nearly dropping the crystal.
Alexander looked at Murkandre with unease. "What's wrong, my love?"
"My dear…" Murkandre held the crystal up to him. "These visions… they line up with everything else we know. Bergan is more right than you're admitting."
"Murkandre…" Alexander rumbled uneasily.
With a wave of her forepaw, she summoned forth the scrolls from the other day. "Need I remind you of the recent news?"
The king looked upon the scrolls with a grumble as they appeared in shadowy mist. The dragoness took one and held it up for emphasis.
"The light dragons have grown increasingly ecstatic about attacking dark dragon territory." Murkandre stamped her foot. "If they decide to come after Mount Erebus, then we'll be trapped within our own home. If we're to survive, then we MUST go into hiding."
"We are NOT relocating everyone to Faeshrine." Alexander snapped. "I refuse!"
"Then why not somewhere else?" Dona asked. The king and queen eyed Dona as she stepped forward. Elenar looked at Dona in confusion as the other shadowy dragoness straightened herself out before the monarchs.
"We could relocate everyone to a place that the light dragons won't think of searching," Dona said. "Somewhere that nobody would ever expect."
Alexander and Murkandre exchanged curious glances, and then back at Dona. The king huffed in frustration. "Where, then?"
Dona grinned. "The sky."
"The sky?" The queen repeated incredulously.
"I don't exactly have a full plan of action in mind, my highnesses…" Dona bowed her head. "But what if we were to use all of our combined shadow magic, everyone in Erebus, to raise an entire city upward into the clouds?" She gestured with her talons. "We could keep ourselves hidden from the world indefinitely if need be!"
"Hmm…" Alexander scratched his chin.
"You can't be serious, Dona," Elza said bitterly. "You want to hide everyone in Erebus up in the SKY? That's lunacy!"
"Is it?" Murkandre declared. She rose from her throne and fluttered her wings in thought. Elenar and Elza looked at the shadow queen incredulously as she stepped forward. "A haven in the sky. It could work."
"It's going to take a lot more than just shadow magic to make that work," Alexander said.
"Of course: we'll need outside recourses, my love…" Murkandre turned to look back at the king. "We'll need Urobos's help."
Alexander's eyes widened. "You… You wish to speak to Urobos?"
"That's not going to be a problem, is it?" Murkandre tilted her head.
"I… haven't spoken to him since the war began." Alexander huffed. "Even though we were united in declaring neutrality from that war, that didn't mean we were on speaking terms."
"Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, my love." Murkandre made to sit back down on her throne beside the king. "If we're to save ourselves and our people from an assault from the light dragons, then we'll need the High King's resources."
"Fine…" Alexander sighed. He glared over at a scout standing in attendance nearby. "Summon forth our best architects and magicians. We've got work to do."
"Might I please aid them in their design work?" Dona asked sweetly. "I'd give anything to do my part to help our people, Your Highness."
Alexander blinked and snorted. "That's just what your mother would say…" He sighed and looked back at the scout. "Well, tell those goons to allow Dona to give any help she can to speed things along."
"Yes, my liege." The scout bowed his head and sank into his shadow. Dona sat back on her haunches and smiled brightly. Elenar looked at Dona in astonishment; she'd never seen her cousin so pleased with herself before.
Eventually, the king and queen glanced back at Elenar, who shivered as she stood tall. "So… what does that mean for me, then?"
"It means that you may have played your part to save our people from destruction…" Murkandre smiled.
The remark made Elenar sigh in relief; at least the wheels were set in motion now. Alexander merely blew black smoke from his nostrils and looked away. The queen, meanwhile, glanced over at Dona and scratched her chin.
"I can't deny that I'm curious about something…" Murkandre said. "Dona, dear, wherever did you get the idea for a city in the sky?"
"Oh, it just… came to me." Dona lightly shrugged her shoulders. "Just a little idea at the top of my head."
~~…~~
During the next couple of weeks, the shadow dragons were organized to begin making a mass exodus out of Mount Erebus. Most of them were confused as to why they had to leave their people's homes so suddenly, but no answer was given to them yet. Meanwhile, Dona worked night and day with the architects for weeks on how to come up with plans for this fabled city in the sky. The only ones in the know were the royal family, but even then it was kept a secret. Whenever Elenar tried to ask Dona how things were going, Dona would just scowl and say the same thing:
"Ming your own business!"
During that time, no word had come of any survivors of the recent battles of the wind dragons. Elza became increasingly worried; she tried to hide it, but Elenar could see right through her sister. Elenar wished she could do something to help lighten Elza's mood, but nothing worked.
In the meantime, Murkandre and Alexander sent a series of letters to Urobos, requesting an audience with the High King. They also sent a letter to Queen Persephone in Faeshrine, requesting the same thing in the same place.
Eventually, Urobos and Persephone agreed to a meeting in the Dragon Spire with the shadow monarchs. And so, the shadow dragon royal family called upon their magic to make the journey down south on the selected date everyone settled on.
And during the days leading up to that meeting, Elenar felt uneasy. She'd seen no traces of Bergan since he left the throne room. His ship was gone, too. Perhaps he'd set sail for Faeshrine? Why didn't he leave her any message? She didn't want him to just walk right back into the fog. Not after she'd finally seen him again all these years later. There was so much they needed to catch up on. And just where had he gone during all that time? Where had he come across the wealth he'd had when he arrived in the Shattered Vale? And what was the full extent of his oracle powers? Perhaps she'd never know.
~~…~~
The sun was setting as Murkandre, Alexander, Elenar, Elza, and Dona appeared in the back gardens of the Dragon Spire. The wind blew briskly in Elenar's mane as she stepped forward and looked around. Warfang seemed so peaceful in the afternoon: street lamps were turning on, there were few carriages on the roads, and many of the streets were emptied as young dragons and non-dragons returned home. And the air was crisp and warm; so unlike the harsh snows of the Shattered Vale.
"So, this is Warfang?" Elza asked as she looked around. She held a wing over her head. "I never realized that buildings could be so… big."
"What did you expect?" Dona tilted her head upwards. "Did you think that the most ancient city in all the realms would be made up of some mud huts?"
Elza glowered at Dona, but Elenar stepped between them and extended her wings. This wasn't the time for them to pick a fight.
It didn't take long for several soldiers to appear before the gathered monarchs; they bowed their heads in supplication. Murkandre and Alexander stood tall and proud as a slim dragoness in dark robes approached from the shadows. She wore a hood over her dark red muzzle and lowered her head before the monarchs.
"Welcome to Warfang, Your Highnesses." The dragon said with a warm voice. "I am Kelgeist, of the Deep Shadows." She stood up tall and smiled a the monarchs. "King Urobos sent me to escort you to his throne room. He figured that a fellow shadow dragon would help you feel more comfortable."
"Hmph, a fair attempt on his part." Alexander rumbled. "Lead the way."
"We won't be taking the long way," Kelgeist said as she stepped forward. "The High King requests that you all shadow-jump together to save time."
"Hmph, fair enough…" Alexander snorted. He grasped Murkandre by the forepaw. "After you, my love."
Kelgeist and the monarchs used their magic to slip into the shadows of the trees as a group; the exception was Elza, who had to cling to Elenar for support. Everyone soon emerged within a bright red hallway, several dozen stories upward into the Dragon Spire. Elza shivered as she let go of Elenar.
"I can never get used to that…" She grumbled. "It always feels like the ground's going to swallow me up."
"Don't worry; you taste so foul that you'd get spat out." Dona snorted. Once again she and Elza glared at each other, much to Elenar's disappointment.
"Girls, stop it." Murkandre snapped. "Don't make me regret bringing you along."
Dona and Elza just snorted and quietly glowered at each other as they followed the monarchs down the hallway. Elenar did her best to keep herself between them; couldn't they just put aside their differences and focus on the task at hand just once?
Soon, the group arrived before a pair of stone double doors. Guarding the doorway were three dragons in similar robes to Kelgeist. The trio looked upon the monarchs curiously as they approached. The center dragon was Grail, big and burly as ever. He watched curiously with both eyes as Murkandre and Alexander stepped before him.
"Is King Urobos in there?" Alexander snapped. "Let us through."
"Well, glad to have you back, King Alexander." Grail huffed. "Be patient; the High King will be seeing you shortly." He looked at the two robed dragons with him. "Open the doors for our guests."
The dragon on the left was Albanion; much bulkier and shorter than he would be later on in life. The dragon on the right was Rose; her mane still covered her eye on the side. They were both in their prime; young and bright-eyed as they adapted to their roles as Deep Shadows. With silent smiles, they pushed the doors opened and bowed their heads toward the monarchs, while Grail stepped inside and cleared his throat.
"From Mount Erebus, Queen Murkandre and King Alexander have arrived!"
Elenar's parents strode forward with proud strides into the throne room. As for Elenar herself, she slowed to a stop and looked upon Albanion curiously.
"My, you've certainly grown since I last saw you, Albanion." Elenar smiled. "And you've become a Deep Shadow now; congratulations!"
Albanion looked up and blushed a bit as he grinned at the princess. "Thanks, Lady Elenar."
"Deep Shadow?" Elza repeated as she stepped up beside Elenar. "What's a Deep Shadow."
"The Deep Shadows are the sworn warriors and teachers of the dark dragon race," Rose said with a snort. "We're the pride of Warfang. We are powerful and elegant…"
"…And sexy." Albanion winked at the wind dragoness. "Unfortunately, that part's hiding under these robes."
Elza scrunched up her face incredulously. "Excuse me?"
"Don't mind him, Elza." Dona snorted. "Albanion's always been a shameless flirt toward any dragoness he fancies."
"Not sure how YOU would know that." Rose declared. That got a nasty scowl from Dona, while Elza and Albanion both laughed. Elenar covered her muzzle and struggled not to giggle.
"Girls, get in here!" Alexander's voice boomed from within the throne room. "Don't make me regret bringing you all along!"
"Coming, Father!" Elenar called into the throne room. She glanced back at Albanion and clicked her tongue. "You've only just gotten the title of Deep Shadow, Albanion. Try not to lose it too soon."
"I'll keep that in mind…" Albanion bowed to her. He then watched as Elenar, Dona and Elza strode into the throne room. He then stepped inside with Grail and Dona, so the three of them could stand guard. When Elza glanced back at him, Albanion winked his eyes. "And I'll keep YOU in mind, too."
Elza's face flushed red, and she walked faster to head inside. Elenar draped a wing over Elza's back and leaned in to whisper to her. "He's not bothering you, is he?"
"No, he's… fine." Elza wrinkled her nostril. "I just wasn't expecting to be flirted with today, is all."
The throne room was as lavish and imposing as it had always been. Urobos sat upon a golden cushion at the back of the chamber. The high king had sprouted some grey hairs in his beard but was otherwise just as lively as he'd ever been. Two other dragons stood on their haunches on either side of Urobos: His son, Prince Baneth, was to the left, while his trusted confidant, Guardian Richteriel, was on his right.
Elenar stayed silent at the back of the chamber with Dona and Elza, as her parents approached the high king cautiously. She glanced over at the throne, where Prince Baneth stood awkwardly. The prince wore the same robes as the Deep Shadows and had some stubble of mane-hair upon his chin. The prince had also grown more muscular; possibly from years of training. He looked decidedly awkward; he shrank back in hopes of avoiding eye contact with anyone.
The air was silent as the high king and the shadow king studied each other's grim faces. Nobody was sure what kind of harsh words would soon burst from their muzzles. Elenar tensed up and shut her eyes as she waited for the sparks to fly.
"Ah, welcome, welcome!" Urobos exclaimed. Elenar peeked an eye open and watched as the high king bowed his head and smiled warmly at her parents. "It's so wonderful to have you back in Warfang, you two."
"Greetings… Your Highness." Alexander rumbled. He stepped forward and bowed his head to the high king, as did Murkandre. Urobos's smile faded, and he rose from the throne to wrack his talons on the floor.
"There's no need for the pleasantries; you're among friends, Alexander," Urobos said warmly. He patted the two shadow dragons on the shoulders and urged them to rise. "If you think I have any ill will, I don't. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised when you two requested to come to see me."
"Well… circumstances have forced me to swallow my pride some." Alexander snorted softly. "I find that, on my honor as a king, I have no choice but to apologize for being so harsh to you all that time ago." He bowed his head again. "Can you forgive me?"
Urobos sighed and patted Alexander on the shoulder. "After all we've been through together? How could I not, old friend?"
Elenar sighed in relief; she should have known that Urobos would be the same kind-hearted soul he was in her youth.
"Come on; give a greeting to another old friend." Urobos turned and called out to someone in the shadows of the chamber. "Persephone!"
A dark blue dragoness emerged from the shadows at once. She was followed by a younger dragon; her son Hemlokk.
Persephone was a decidedly slender poison dragoness, despite being fairly tall. Her body was significantly more elongated than that of a regular dragon, giving her a serpent-like appearance. Her eyes and underbelly were a dull, azure hue, and a bronze pendant was worn around her neck. Four silver horns grew from the back of her head and bent towards each other as they bent down her neck, coming to a point just above the midsection of her neck.
"Hmm, I never thought I'd see either of you outside of Erebus again," Persephone noted. "I'm sure you remember my son, Prince Hemlokk."
Hemlokk was roughly Baneth's age. He had an unusually thick build for a poison dragon and was about a head shorter than his mother. He had the same scale color as the poison queen, but his underbelly was a low golden color. Three slender, green horns crowned his head, all of them growing just above his eyes and curling upwards and backward. His mane fell to the midpoint of his neck, and a small maroon-colored chunk of stubble grew upon his chin. A silver coat was worn over his back, and a series of bronze rings decorated his tail. A sigil shaped like a purple flower was emblazoned on his chest, in the same spot as Persephone's.
Persephone and Hemlokk proceeded to exchange pleasantries with the other monarchs. Meanwhile, Elenar stepped carefully around the edge of the throne room to get a better look at Baneth. The prince noticed her looking him up and down, and seemed incredulous when he realized who Elenar was. A light flush creased the prince's face, and he looked away again. Elenar couldn't help but chuckle; it was nice seeing her old friend again. But her smile faded when she saw Guardian Richteriel lean down to whisper something harshly to the prince. The blind dragon had a scowl on his muzzle, and Baneth snapped to a militant stance. What could that have been about?
"Enough with the small talk, Your Highnesses." Hemlokk declared. "I say it's about time we finally get down to business. Let's get to it!"
"Now now, Hemlokk." Persephone scolded. "That's no way to treat other guests."
"Regardless, the boy's right," Alexander stated forcefully. "A most serious matter needs attending, and we have no more time to waste."
"Are you referring to the vague statements in those letters of yours?" Urobos asked.
"Indeed." Murkandre nodded as she sat down on her haunches. "Allow me to explain…"
"Not so fast." Alexander stamped his forepaw, making Murkandre flinch. "There's just one thing we need to do first…" He glared right at Richteriel and pointed a talon at him. "Get HIM out of here."
"I beg your pardon?" Richteriel asked. He turned his head and pointed his ear frill at the shadow king. "Is something the matter?"
"You better believe there is." Alexander snapped. "I don't want any light dragons hearing what takes place in his throne room."
The earth dragon balked. "I'll have you know that I am Urobos's most loyal confidant. Whatever secrets you have to share, I'll gladly keep them."
"I don't care if you're his grandpa." Alexander snorted. He looked at the high king and scowled. "Urobos, tell the Guardian to GET LOST."
"Alexander, I can assure you that I trust Richteriel with my life." The high king declared. "He's been the family's advisor since the day my father was crowned king. And he served directly under Lord Spyro and Lady Cynder in their time."
"And that did them all so many wonders when Runileon was a threat." Alexander spat. "Tell him to LEAVE, or you can forget about this meeting."
Elenar's jaw hit the floor; after they'd come all this way, her father would jeopardize everything over one Guardian? Urobos looked at Alexander incredulously, while Murkandre looked about ready to chew her husband's ear frill off for his outburst. But the shadow king was undeterred; he scowled as intently as he could at Urobos and refused to budge. Eventually, the high king sighed and looked sadly over at the Guardian.
"I'm afraid I have to ask you to… go for a brisk walk, my friend." Urobos frowned. "My apologies."
"There's nothing to be sorry for, my king." Richteriel bowed his head. "I just hope that whatever you all have to discuss, things can come to a reasonable conclusion."
The Guardian took a casual strut as he made his way around the side of the shadow monarchs. He briefly looked down in Elenar's direction and gave a polite smile.
"If you see him again, give my regards to Bergan," Richteriel said warmly. "We're all quite concerned with his well-being."
This made Elenar raise her eye ridge; did the Guardian know of her recent meeting with the purple drake? Alexander didn't seem to care; he just snarled at Richteriel to make him keep walking. The Guardian just sighed and strode forward to the back of the chamber to make his exit. And once he was gone and the doors closed behind him, Murkandre took a sigh of relief.
"There, he's gone now." The shadow queen glowered at her husband. "Are you done making demands?"
"I'm content as I could be, love." Alexander huffed.
"Fine then…" Murkandre took a deep breath and put on a solemn face as she glanced around at the other monarchs. "Urobos, Persephone… I'm sure you've heard the recent news regarding the fall of King Boreas."
The black dragon and poison dragoness exchanged uneasy faces; oh, they knew all too well.
"The wind dragons are scattered." Urobos sighed. "Some have taken refuge here in Warfang, while others are still lost. We're doing all that we can to help them."
"The dragon realms are growing increasingly unsafe." Persephone sighed. "We're doing what we can to fortify Faeshrine. Bergan's little company has been helping us along, but it may not be enough."
"Bergan was in Faeshrine?" Urobos asked curiously. "Why, I haven't heard from that boy in years. And you say he's helping the poison dragons?"
"He is." Hemlokk nodded. "And he's been quite a big help, I have to say."
"But it won't be enough to save your people." Alexander declared. "You'll just be sitting ducks when the light dragons invade."
"Then perhaps you could all stay here in Warfang, instead?" Urobos suggested. "You're all more than welcome, and there's plenty of room for dark dragon refugees."
"But what of the light dragons?" Alexander demanded. "They won't take likely to all the dark dragons in all the realms flooding on in!"
"Maybe not all at once, no." Urobos pursed his lips. "But I'm sure that if both parties are given enough time to integrate…"
"There's another option altogether," Murkandre said. "It's something that our people have already begun working on a new city that floats in the sky."
"What?" Urobos asked in confusion.
"It will be built atop floating stone, big enough to accommodate all the dark dragons who come seeking sanctuary." Murkandre stepped closer. "With enough magical power and enchantments, the stone of the city can be lifted high into the clouds."
Murkandre turned to the back of the room and motioned toward Dona. The shadowy dragoness beamed with pride as she strutted forward to stand before Urobos. Dona reached into her satchel and produced the first of a series of scrolls.
"Over the last few weeks, I've worked with our architects to come up with just the right blueprints to begin work on the new city." Dona declared. She passed the scroll into Urobos's forepaw. "The city will be able to drift from place to place so that light dragons can't find it."
The high king opened the scroll and looked over the schematics curiously. Persephone and Hemlokk stepped over to see it for themselves.
"Interesting…" Urobos said quietly.
"Before you even bring it up, we're well aware that its construction will take some serious doing," Dona said. "The shadow dragons can provide the magic to lift the rocks from the ground to form the base, but we don't have the numbers to build the city fast enough."
"All the dragons in the world wouldn't be able to do it alone." Urobos grimaced. "You'll need mole technology to-"
He opened the scroll a bit wide and gasped; even more elaborate instructions were splayed out with every possible detail accounted for.
"Oh, I see you were anticipating that." He chuckled and smiled at Dona. "Queen Catherine would be quite proud of you, my dear."
Once again Dona swelled with pride. This only made Alexander roll his eyes and snort. "Just hand him the other scrolls and get to the back of the room, Dona."
Dona balked; she quietly grumbled as she passed the rest of her scrolls to Urobos before shuffling off in frustration.
For the next few minutes, Elenar sat and twiddled her digits nervously as she listened to the monarchs go into the details of the city. They spoke quietly amongst themselves and traced their talons along the various lines written on the blueprints.
"And there you have it." Murkandre declared. "All the plans for a new city, as clear as crystal. What do you all think?"
"Well, this is quite a lot to consider," Persephone said. "In theory, it might work. What do you think, Urobos?"
"It all depends." The high king sighed. "What I want to know is: Who do you plan on having rule over the new haven?"
Alexander and Murkandre exchanged curious glances. The shadow queen looked Urobos in the eyes. "Well, we thought YOU would rule."
"Me?" Urobos blinked.
"Well, you're a descendant of Spyro and Cynder," Persephone said. "You've ruled over dragons of light and dark alike for the entirety of this war. Ruling over just one city may be a step down, but you're still the one to rule."
"Very well…" Urobos sighed. "I'll concede to helping in the construction of this new city, and will take over as ruler. But what of you lot?" He looked at the two queens in turn. "Are you just going to give up your own titles and lands?"
"Erebus will soon become unsafe," Murkandre said solemnly. "Without our people to maintain its magics, the shattered vale will soon become a wasteland. No sense in calling myself the queen of a place with no life in it."
"And as for Faeshrine…" Persephone shifted onto her haunches and clasped her forepaws together. "Well, mine was never the biggest of kingdoms, to begin with. The Mushroom Forest has always been wild and untamed, save for the small plot of land near the southern coast. My people could always bring along our culture with us to our new home."
"But what about your deal with Bergan?" Urobos asked. "Can you really just up and vanish on him while he was in the middle of helping you rebuild Faeshrine?"
"Oh, let him keep it." Persephone sighed. "Perhaps his presence will keep some rowdy light dragons from wanting to burn the forest to the ground."
"Hmph. Maybe." Alexander snorted.
"Hmm…" Urobos scratched his chin. "At the very least, I feel like something should be done to honor the memory of your ancestors…" The high king's eyes lit up, and he grinned. "I've got an idea. Murkandre, Alexander… is your daughter betrothed to anyone?"
The shadow monarchs exchanged glances, while Elenar blushed. "Uh…"
"No, she isn't." Alexander declared. "Why do you ask, Urobos?"
"I can't be a ruler forever: Baneth will one day be my successor." The high king said, making his son cough awkwardly. "And as the future king, he will need a queen to have heirs with."
Elenar's eyes went wide; was he going where she thought he was going?
"Urobos…" Murkandre's eyes widened. "Are you suggesting that our daughter should marry your son?"
"Who else?" Urobos asked. "By marrying my son, Elenar would hold onto her old position as a princess. And their children would share two different royal bloodlines. A perfect combination for the future of the dark dragon race."
"And what about the poison monarchs?" Hemlokk raised an eye ridge. "Are we to be left to the wayside, Your Grace?"
"That's not my intention at all." Urobos shook his head. "Perhaps, one day, you might have a son or a daughter as an heir. If things go well, your heir could be arranged to marry one of the heirs of Baneth and Elenar… if the future goes in that direction."
"Hmph. We'll have to wait and see, then." Hemlokk snorted. He glanced at Baneth and Elenar in turn. "I look forward to your wedding."
That got some laughter from the dragons in the room… save for the two heirs in question. Elenar was as silent as the grave; this couldn't be happening. Her jaws opened and closed several times as she struggled to come up with something to say. And Baneth, poor Baneth… he looked like he might pass out on the spot.
"I'm not hearing any objections." Alexander snorted.
"Very well, Urobos." Murkandre bowed her head to the high king. "You have our consent; we'll arrange for our daughter to marry Prince Baneth: sooner rather than later, I hope."
The prince stepped around awkwardly in place as many eyes fell upon him. Elenar frowned in pity as the black dragon took off toward a side door of the throne room.
"Prince Baneth?" Hemlokk asked with a frown. "Where are you going?"
"I, uh… I need some fresh air…" The prince stammered. "This wasn't how I… when I… Gah!" He slammed the floor and summoned forth a pool of shadows. "Forget it!"
"Baneth, hold on," Urobos called after his son. "This is for the good of-"
The prince vanished into his shadow and was gone in seconds. Elenar frowned; he must have felt just as confused as she did. She took a step forward, trying to ignore the uneasy aches in her throat.
"Mother, father, is it alright if I go after him?" She asked, her talons wracking the floor. The shadow monarchs looked at their daughter curiously.
"Do you wish to get to know your future husband better?" Alexander asked.
"Err… kind of." Elenar nodded her head. "Maybe I can, uh… help him get used to this arrangement."
"You don't seem to be taking to it swimmingly yourself." Murkandre frowned. "I know that all of this is sudden, but-"
"I understand the reasons, Mother." Elenar stamped her paw. "I just… need some time to ease into the idea. But for now, I feel like my… future husband…" That felt so strange for her to say. "…needs some encouragement."
"Very well, Elenar. You may go."
Elenar bowed her head to her parents and then bowed toward Urobos in turn. "I take my leave, for now, Your Grace."
Urobos bowed back… and then a voice spoke from behind.
"The best of luck to you, milady."
Elenar had almost forgotten that the Deep Shadows were in the room. She looked back to see three of them looking at her. Grail seemed almost bored by the events. Albanion seemed perplexed; maybe even excited. And Rose… she'd turned away, and her paws were shaking.
"Don't expect to get far with Baneth." Grail continued. "The boy's head is as thick as the stone in this very room."
Elenar ignored the comment and looked around at the floor. She could feel the remnants of Baneth's shadow magic on the floor. She put her forepaws down, tapped into the magic, and worked to open it back up. It didn't take long for her to open up the pool again and dip her body inside…
Seconds later, Elenar found herself atop the Palace of Kings, high in the air. The princess yelped as she clung to the stone of the spire atop the highest dome on the palace. She looked around in awe as the wind whipped at her mane.
She'd never seen the sights and sounds of Warfang from such a vantage point before. All of the buildings seemed to stretch on for miles, and the outskirts beyond the city walls were a blotch of yellowish green. And a short distance away, seated on his haunches and overlooking the same skyline, was Prince Baneth.
Baneth shook awkwardly and muttered under his breath as his tail wrapped around his ankles. Elenar had never seen him as such a nervous wreck before. She took a soft breath and rose to carefully inch her way over to him.
"Baneth?" Elenar called out carefully. The black prince shifted uneasily and then turned around to frown in Elenar's direction.
"Elenar?" He asked uneasily.
"Baneth, would you mind if we just…" The princess stepped closer. "…talked for a little while?"
The prince ran his talons through his mane. "It's… fine, I guess."
Baneth resumed his position, and Elenar sat down beside him. The prince shook uneasily, while the princess wracked her talons on the metal of the dome. Despite each wanting to talk, neither one could think of the right words to say for minutes on end. Eventually, Elenar couldn't take the silence anymore; she had to be blunt to get this out of the way.
"Baneth, I understand it if you don't want to marry me." The princess said solemnly.
"You do?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes." She nodded. "I know we were good friends when we were younger, but we've only just met again, after years apart. And now, all of a sudden, you are being encouraged to marry me."
Baneth grimaced. "I… I don't mean you any disrespect, Elenar." He looked out at the skyline and glowered. "Father's been trying to get me to find a dragoness to marry for a while now."
"I had a feeling that was the case…" Elenar sighed.
"This whole thing with the new city…" Baneth shivered. "I feel like he's taking advantage of an opportunity to force change onto me." He lowered his head and sighed. "As if preparing to become the next high king wasn't hard enough during this years-long war…"
The prince grumbled under his breath again. Elenar shivered; some of the things the prince muttered sounded the same as what she often said and thought recently. She scooted closer to the prince and brushed against him. "Baneth… I'm scared."
"Scared?" He repeated. "Scared of what?"
"Of the future." Elenar looked out at the sky. "This war has only gotten worse and worse. There's no telling if this plan my parents have will work. And if it does, it means packing up and leaving my ancestral home to hide from the whole world." She looked down at her forepaws. "I… I'm expected to become a ruler. The lives of so many dragons will be in my talons soon. I…" She sucked in a gulp of air. "I don't know if I can handle it."
Baneth frowned at Elenar. He fidgeted with his talons and shook his tail. The two inched a bit closer and looked each other in the eyes.
"I… I don't know if I'll be a good husband." Baneth said with a trembling lip. "I don't know the first thing about courtship. But I know that I wouldn't want to leave any of my friends suffering alone."
With slight trepidation, Baneth lifted his wing and draped it over Elenar's back. The warmth felt nice; Elenar found herself scooting just a bit closer to the black dragon.
"Elenar, I… Damnit, I don't know how to word this…" He grimaced and looked away for a moment. He took a deep breath, and then looked back at the princess. "I don't want you suffering through the future alone. You're still my friend, and I'll always do what I can to honor you."
"Does that include being my husband?" Elenar asked.
"I… uh…" Baneth sighed. "Yes. Yes, it does."
The two dragons sat together and watched the sunset for a while longer. Neither one knew what the future held; the mass exodus of dark dragons wouldn't be an easy feat, nor would the construction of their new haven. But as long as Baneth and Elenar would be together, they'd support each other in such trying times. That should have been comforting; it should have been the start of a happy, loving relationship.
And yet, even as she basked in the glow of her future husband, Elenar couldn't take her mind off that little lump deep within her belly; the spark of life. The same lump she'd felt… ever since her night with the purple dragon.
Elenar shut her eyes and tried not to cry. I'm sorry, Bergan.
What had she done?
~~…~~
Greetings, friends and loved ones.
This one is another chapter that's mostly still the same; only a few lines were added or changed here and there. I guess, sometimes, I don't really need to make any huge edits to my work. Still… I hope you've enjoyed the story.
Tenebra ecce Veritas