The Dragon Prince: Caelesti Lunaris

by Yuuguregurl21

Young half-siblings Calla and Ezran have discovered that Thunder's egg, the Dragon Prince was stolen by the High Mage Viren when the Dragon King was killed, they team up with the Moonshadow Elf Raylan as they bring the egg back to the Dragon Queen in hopes of ending the 1,000 year old war between the human kingdoms and the magical creatures of Xadia. (Fem!Callum x Male!Rayla)

9. S1E5: An Empty Throne

Summary: While Calla struggles to control her magic, General Amaya clashes with Lord Viren about handling the state of affairs in the wake of King Harrow's death and our heroes' trip down the river takes a hair-raising turn.

What's up, my readers? It's Yuuguregurl21 and I'm back with a renewed sense of vigor! On July 26th, I watched S6 of The Dragon Prince and it was AMAZING (which made me go on a binge) then I learn that with enough fan support, they're going to give us a '3rd Arc' and I pretty much sure y'all know what that means... WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 3 MORE SEASONS! *cue in fanfare, confetti and party poppers galore*

So if any of you have a Twitter account, Facebook, Instagram, Discord, Twitch or whatever social site you inhabit, be sure to spread the word with the hashtags #GiveUsTheSaga, #ContinueTheDragonPrince, #GreenlightArc3! And another thing, I finally learned who canon!callum's birth dad was while watching it but I won't let that stop me because of three things:

1. This is an Alternate Universe (AU) of my own design, so I get to decide who fem!callum's birth dad is.

2. I saw how an Artist on deviantart discontinued her HTTYD AU comic after seeing the movie HTTYD 3.

3. Also, I plan on writing another TDP story featuring the canon plot on a much later date.

First things first, I would like to thank RoseRosu, Prykeey900 (it's not a bad idea but if you want, I would like to make some changes. Don't worry, your OC will make his debut somewhere in 'The Dagger and the Wolf' so please be patient in advance), Suzane for their comments, Akaricchi69, vokaitlyn7 and mikasaxyz1 for adding my story to their favorites as well giving a huge shout out to Zubeia and the Dragon Prince Wikia for making this story happened!

Furthermore, I also learned that we will be getting S7 soon come December 19th, 2024! *Pops more confetti poppers and blows party horns* Whoo-hoo, yeah!

But before I go, here are some pointers that will appear in the story:

- "'[...]'"/"[...]"/"'...'" are for Thought, Whispering and ASL interpretation respectively.

- Bold italic/Italic are for the introduction cards, ASL speaking and singing respectively.

- (*) are noting the important aspects that will appear at the end of the chapter (i.e.; the footnotes).

- 'Previously, on...' is a recap sequence of the last chapter.

- "..." Segmented Italic format is for photographic memory sequences.

- Bold format/('') is for Dark Magic spells and its' translations.

- •[...]• are for thought recollection sequences.

Don't forget to like, comment and fave! Remember, I do not own anything related to the show, the work belongs to Aaron Ehasz, Justin Richmond and Wonderstorm, but the characters (ergo, the OCs) that will show up in the later chapters are mine, so please; do not use them without permission!

Now without further adieu, sit back and watch the drama unfold!

- Yuuguregurl21.

P.S., I have a important announcement to make at the end of the chapter, so stay tuned!

---

Previously, on The Dragon Prince: Caelesti Lunaris...

"It's up to us now. We have to return this egg. We have to keep it safe and carry it to Xadia."

"And find its mother."

"Aunt Amaya, Uncle Gren, Uncle Adam?"

"'I'm so glad you're safe.'"

"Though it is a heavy burden, I will humbly take up the battle in Harrow's name."

"Stop the coronation! The prince and the princess are alive!"

"What now? Ugh, I don't think a boat––?!"

"Just get in."

---

*~Courage is about doing what you're afraid to do, there can be no courage if there is no fear… Admitting your fears is the first and most difficult step in overcoming them.~

---

~(Later that night, over in the High Mage's Tower….)~

The High Council voted that the coronation was to be suspended indefinitely following the revelation of the heirs' survival much to Viren's silent irritation while he retreated to his office as he opened the doors and closed them in a curt fashion while his eyes glowed eerily in the darkness like a hungry Katolian wolf awaiting its' prey in the darkest night. Once he locked the doors, Viren breathed an inaudible sigh of relief as he felt the heavy tension within his body weigh him down like a stone block sinking down to the depths due to feeling the effects of Dark Magic taking its' toll on him, which caused him to realize one thing: His 'cosmetic' was beginning to wear off again.

"'[I guess it's just one of those days again….]'"

Viren thought tiredly as he makes his way over to a bookshelf about a little ways from the mirror till he places his hand on top of a blue book and pulls on it like a lever, resulting the inner mechanism to come to life as it caused the entire bookshelf to rotate like a revolver and reveal a handmade terrarium filled plants native to the Xadian side of the Border followed by a couple of glowing blue crystals along with several colorful butterflies called *Sunray Monarchs which he had acquired around the same time and began raising them for the purpose of replenishing himself each time he uses Dark Magic.

"Good morning, little rays of sunshine. Ah, a volunteer…. How eager."

Viren cooed softly as he held out his weathered hand inside the threshold of the terrarium where a purple Sunray Butterfly left its' perched branch and fluttered towards him before landing upon his forefinger, unaware that it had sealed its' fate by becoming Viren's next sacrifice while the rest of them remained oblivious to what their captor has in store for them.

"… … …"

Seeing them reminded the Dark Mage the time where he performed a very powerful yet complex spell to save Soren's life back when he was deathly-ill as a child after he *'acquired' the relic staff from the previous High Mage, *Kpp'Ar and how he used the Sunrays' essence to replenish himself afterwards while remembering how optimistic he was as he returned home with the hope of being forgiven by his wife, only to be disappointed in the end when the latter expressed her disgust that his renewed appearance had changed nothing. That, and combined with the fact that she divorced him and returned to her home in the Kingdom of Del Bar had left Viren feeling heartbroken and bitter afterwards.

"*Egasiv ym wener ('Renew my visage')."

Shaking off the depressing memories, Viren wasted no time and performed the illusion spell as he chanted the incantation, his eyes glowed purple while the spell draws out the Monarch's essence and flows into him, feeling the effects of the spell washing over his body like a cup of warm mead upon a midwinter night while the light illuminates the room with a blinding purple light before it dies down and everything became silent until the door creaked opened, revealing a seemingly-rejuvenated Viren.

"*sigh* Much better…."

Breathing in deep and exhaling in relief like he had just recovered from a bad cold, Viren whispered in delight as he steps out of his office while the Sunray Monarch he used which had glowed so brilliantly like a candlelight was now grey and lifeless upon the ground until he closed the door behind him but unbeknownst to the man, he was being watched by half-bandaged/half-clothed Caleb hiding behind the corner as his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"'[Viren, *you keep finding new and impressive ways to creep me out and frankly, you reapplying your 'makeup' is the least of my concerns. The fact that *Lasair wasn't placed in the main dungeons after he was captured can only mean that he's imprisoned somewhere inside the castle.]' ….*gasp* Ugh!"

"Excuse me but I believed I'd said that you were supposed to be resting or do I need to administer the sleeping draught again?"

Caleb thought unnervingly as he shrugs it off out of favor to find where Claude had imprisoned Lasair and emerges from his hiding spot with the intent to search the now-vacant office for any clues but before he can take even a single step, a sharp pang in emitting from his right side as it caused him to gasp lightly in pain and almost caused his legs to buckle out from under him when suddenly, someone caught Caleb from falling completely to the floor just in the nick of time as he whispered to the injured vice-captain.

"*sigh* It's kind of hard to be resting at a time like this but then again, I wouldn't mind it at all if it means being attended by the Most Handsome Man in all of *Arcenciel Forest…."

"Under normal circumstances, anyone would've be reduced to a puddle of goo by that remark but unfortunately, it won't work on me 'cause I know all your tricks or did you forget how long we've been married?"

Caleb said breathlessly, noting that he couldn't rest due to the current situation before addressing his savior with a loving smile while Adam chuckles at his beloved's praise and noted that it's not enough to dissuade the medical officer from scolding his stubborn husband as he helps Caleb up to his feet and brought him back to the infirmary till Adam guides Caleb back to his designated cot which remained a messy state the moment Caleb woke up following the attack while Adam gently sets him down on the bed before walking over to a nearby cabinet and gathers a small bowl of water, a small towel, a bottle of anti-septic followed by a batch of fresh bandages till he moves back to Caleb's side and began readdressing his wounds while Caleb stayed silent for the remainder of the procedure.

"… … …"

"Okay, out with it; what is it?"

"Huh?"

"You've got that look again, you always have that look whenever something's worrying you."

"What look? This is my 'everyday' look…."

*"Really, and here I thought you were practicing your resting bitch face."

After finishing up the procedure, Adam inquires of what's gnawing at Caleb's mind much to the latter's shock till Adam points out that the Caelestian warrior was donning an all-too-familiar face before Caleb retorted otherwise much to Adam's amusement as he initially believes that his husband was practicing his 'resting bitch' face much to the older man's surprise.

"I'm sorry, my 'bitch face'?"

"C'mon, you know that Viren would want nothing more than to throw you in the dungeons and out of the way with whatever he's doing. The last thing we want is for you to give him a reason to have you arrested for snooping around."

"Uh, I think arresting me for breaking and entering ought be the least of his concerns right now, especially after what happened to Harrow."

Caleb asked incredulously before Adam chimes in his answer adamantly, theorizing that Viren would gladly have Caleb arrested the moment he tried to enter the Dark Mage's office and warned him not to give the already-unhinged older man the excuse to make good on his action while Caleb reiterated that Viren's current priorities are keeping him preoccupied in the wake of the King's death much to Adam's mild chagrin and sorrow.

"Besides, that's not what I was worried about…."

"Oh? And what are you worried about exactly; considering that it must be important for you to ignore an order, especially from me?"

Caleb said softly as his eyes softened significantly much to Adam's surprise, seeing that whatever is ailing his husband must be important for him to ignore a doctor's direct order while Caleb remained silent as he thinks back to the other night.

*"I've been wondering…."

"About….?"

"…Wondering if letting the kids go was the right call? Aside from traveling to the Banther Lodge for the winter and visiting *Noct Town a few years ago, they've never really traveled this far from home before. What if something goes wrong along the way and something bad happens to them, what then?"

Caleb said softly, trailing off mid-sentence which prompts Adam look at him in confusion before Caleb regain his voice and expressed his concerns about whether letting the kids go was the right decision to make as he recounts how very little experience they have of exploring the Kingdom and how they've never ventured such a great distance before much to Adam's surprise while Caleb expressed his fears of Calla and Ezran getting hurt or worse while Adam takes it all in for a moment and sits besides the worried warrior and takes up his hand as he held it tenderly in his hands, rubbing his thumb across Caleb's skin soothingly.

"Sweetheart, what you did was the right call. Just think about it, Viren would've made matters worse if you hadn't."

"… … …"

"And don't worry, Calla and Ezran have always been clever or did you forget who they take after? So please, don't ever second-guess yourself and have faith that they'll succeed in their quest."

"*sigh* Just where would I be without my *earthly tether to save me from my despair?"

Adam said confidently as he reassures Caleb about his decision and expressed that if he didn't let them go like he did, then Viren's machinations really would made things go from bad to worse than they already are much to Caleb's surprise while Adam expressed utmost confidence in the kids' ingenuity as he playfully teased Caleb about forgetting who took part in raising them, making the older man smile softly and thanked the medic for assuaging his fears as they give each other a loving kiss followed and sharing an equally-loving embrace.

"And just for the record, I have a magnificent bitch face."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, I do; lots of practice."

The two men stayed quiet before Caleb chimes in a witty remark about having a 'magnificent' bitch face much to Adam's amusement as Caleb playfully admitted that he had the opportunity of perfecting it over the years while his answer made Adam laughed lightly as the fears that was ailing them became all but a distant memory before the night sky had begun to lightened up in color as it gives way to the morning springtime sun, illuminating the land with its' daybreak hues before the scene switches over to where the *Fellowship are currently camped out following last night's events while Ezran, Bait, Raylan and Corran continued to sleep as they softly snored unaware that Calla had woken up minutes prior in order to study the Rune Cube she had retrieved from the game-room despite Raylan's misgivings about it being a child's toy yet she felt that the cube was anything but that.

"… … …"

Curious, Calla leaned against the log and studied the Rune Cube very carefully as she inspects each symbol of the Primal Sources from all its' sides until it accidentally slips out of her hand and drops onto the ground, causing it to roll near where both the Primal Stone and Hibari are seated as the Sky rune glowed upon entering their space as it emits a low hum much to Calla's shock as she picks it up and experimented by putting it near her sleeping Mérchâtte and the artifact respectively which invokes the same reaction as the Sky rune pulsates like how a dose of adrenaline pumps itself throughout the body.

"This thing has been at the lodge for as long as I could remember and it never did anything like that before. I wonder, what if….?"

Calla whispered curiously, not wanting to wake the others up till she thoughtfully recounting the times she's seen the cube back in the villa and how it hasn't done anything like it does until now before she turns her attention to where Raylan and Corran are sleeping as she looks at the cube again in curiosity till her eyes lit up with an idea in mind.

"'[Hmm, it really does glow when it's near magic….]' Ah…!"

"This will not end well for you, just so you know."

Seeing how the cube reacted to the Primal Stone and Hibari, Calla silently deduced that each rune glows in accordance to whatever magical energy is associated with respectively and wondered if the same thing applies to people as she gets up from her spot and walks over to Raylan as she holds the cube near his face, prompting the rune for the Moon Primal to glow and pulsates like before much to her amazement while she plays around with it by pulling it back and forth like a lever unaware that its' humming was rousing Raylan from his slumber as his eyes fluttered slightly till they scrunched in annoyance by the consistent noise until he finally puts an end to it by grabbing Calla's wrist, making her gasp in shock as he glowered at the girl by leaving a warning before he lets go of her wrist.

"Yesterday, you thought the cube was just a toy, but now we know it's––"

"It's a glow toy!"

"Exactly!"

Despite being caught in the act and falling back on her butt, Calla tries to explain to Raylan about the Cube's capabilities before he cuts her off mid-sentence and deems it to be a glowing toy in mock enthusiasm as Calla exclaimed happily, ignorant of the fact that Raylan remained unconvinced and was being sarcastic much to Hibari's disapproval while Bait, of whom had woken up by their conversation, trudged over to them and sniffed at the cube, causing the rune for the Sun Primal to glow on cue as if he was helping Calla by proving her point.

"Exactly *sigh* I'm going to find some food."

"Wait, we've got food; Uncle Adam packed us some camping supplies and some of his homemade rations."

"Yeah, and we grabbed a sack of bread back at the Banther Lodge."

Raylan said sarcastically while his face dons an exasperated expression before he shakes it off and gets up from the ground, making an attempts to scout for something to eat till Calla and Ezran stopped him by pointing out that their uncle had packed them proper camping supplies and how Ezran brought the baguettes with them as an added bonus following their trip to the Banther Lodge much to Raylan's surprise.

"The rations and camping gear I get, but these things? I thought they were a sack of clubs…. Ah!"

Bonk… Crack!

"… … …"

"No, it's still food… Ish."

Raylan said understandingly till he shows his skepticism for the baguettes as he picks one of them up with his left hand and admitted that he originally believed them to be a pair of clubs while swinging the loaf around like a sword until his binding suddenly tightens unexpectedly, causing him to yelp in pain; prompting him to release the baguette in favor of nursing his left wrist till the baguette falls onto a small rock and cracked it in two much to his disbelief, causing him to look at Ezran in bewilderment before the young boy picks it up and insisted that it was still edible while trying to bite into it despite the bread being deemed as 'weapons-grade'.

"I'm… Good. *sigh* Corran and I are going to have a look around and until we get back, Calla's in charge."

"Yeah, that's nice to hear; have a safe trip."

"… … …"

Raylan said uncertainly as he politely declines in favor of volunteering himself and Corran to scour the surrounding woods for anything out of the ordinary while looking for some real food at the same time before placing the inattentive Calla in charge as she absentmindedly accepts it while her mind stayed focused on the Rune Cube till Raylan and the Moonlight Fury make their way into the forest.

"Hm, I wonder…."

"Uh Sis, what're you doing?"

"I'm gonna see if I can try out Claude's lightning spell he did the other night."

"Wait, what but why?"

"'Cause considering where we're going, I've gotta learn magic however I can even if it means I have learn it on the fly."

As their Xadian guides disappear into the threshold of the woods, Calla sets the Cube aside and picks up the Primal Stone, seeing the trapped storm swirling and churning like an streaming waterwheel on a endless loop before her eyes lit up with an idea in mind as she stands up from the ground much to Ezran's curiosity while he, Bait and Hibari watch her take a firm stance curiously, wondering what Calla is going to do till she answers back about replicating Claude's lightning spell on the night they found the egg while voicing her intent about not becoming too much of a burden to Raylan and Corran while she straightened her body and steadied herself in a firm stance as she closed her eyes.

---

"*Ful–– Ah!"

Claude draws an unknown Sky rune in the air as he raised his hand to channel the spell's energy but before he can execute it, Calla grabs his hand and pull him away, causing the incomplete attack to hit the other side of the hallway.

---

Using her photographic memory, Calla recalled how Claude traced the rune but failed to say the word to execute the spell due to her grabbing his hand and interrupting the process.

"I don't know what he actually said per se, but I think it was 'Fool'-something."

"Um, are you sure you should be doing this, Sis? Why not wait until Raylan and Corran get back?"

"Ez, don't worry; I got this and besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

Calla said uncertainly as she admits that she failed to hear what Claude was trying to say to activate the spell other than it started with the word 'fool' much to Ezran's concern while he tries to dissuades her from experimenting by proposing to put it on hold until Raylan and Corran get back from their patrol while Calla lightly dismissed his misgivings by reassuring him with confidence and wondering what could go wrong.

"Okay, here goes everything…."

Ch, ch, ch, ch…. Crackle, pop!

"Oh wow, it worked!"

"That's great, Sis!"

Assuming her stance again, Calla said hopefully as she closed her eyes while holding the Primal Stone in her right and concentrated on remembering the rune's shape by tracing out its' sharp angles from the top to finishing it with elaborate curves as it disappears and caused the Primal Stone to pulsates with the storm's energy as a bolt of lightning suddenly shoots out from it and nestles itself in her left hand while it crackles with electricity much to everyone's amazement.

"I can't believe it actually worked!"

"Um, Sis…. Is it supposed to be like that?"

"… … …"

As Calla expressed her joy in conducting a new spell before they were cut off by the crackling electricity as it stayed in its' ball form much to the half-siblings' growing confusion while Ezran nervously inquires if Calla knows what's going on with the spell, only to be met with an unnerving silence from the teenage girl.

"Sis…?"

"To be honest, I only saw him do the first half of the spell; so I wasn't entirely sure that I get this far."

Crackle…. Pop, zap!

"Uh-oh."

Worried, Ezran tries again till Calla truthfully admits that she only saw Claude do the first half of the spell and how she didn't think she was confident enough to pull it off as it popped with electricity until it suddenly burst out of control while still fixated in her hand much to Calla's alarm before the scene switched over to another part of the forest where Raylan and Corran were in the middle of doing a perimeter check when they found a spot near the cliff overlooking the forested valley down below.

"*sigh* Here goes nothing…. Easy now."

"Ugh, just what the heck is this thing made out of?"

Raylan looked over his shoulder to make sure that he and Corran wasn't followed before making his way over to the edge of the cliff before he sits on the ledge as he whips out one of his butterfly blades, switching over to its' sword mode and starts making an attempt to release himself of the remaining binding around while Corran looks on anxiously as Raylan delicately applied a steady hand in slipping the blade's tip under the binding's layers and lightly pushes the blade outward to cut it but to no avail as it bounced back intact much to Raylan's frustration as he stabs his blade into the ground next to him and sighed in exasperation while looking out into the valley with a forlorn expression.

"Don't worry, Corran, if this thing thinks that I'm just gonna give up and accept it; then it's wrong."

"Help, help!"

Sensing his rider's predicament, Corran nuzzled against Raylan's left hand as he returned the gesture in kind by reassuring the Moonlight Fury that he'll find a way to rid himself of the binding's hold before they were taken by surprise when Calla suddenly cried out in distress from their campsite much to the pair's shock.

"Oh no; Corran, let's go!"

Fearing for the worse, Raylan ordered urgently while Corran complied without question before being engulfed in a bright light as he transformed into his other form and roared in agreement, prompting Raylan to hop on his back as they both raced back to the camp with extreme haste before leaping into the trees and jumping across them like a jungle cat chasing after its' prey before diving downward to the ground where they landed on the ground as the pair sprang into action while Raylan whipped out his blades and assumed battle stance, ready to defend the half-siblings from the unknown threat.

"What is it? What happened, what––?!"

"Help! Oh, ah…!"

Raylan asked urgently, looking left to right for the enemy before his eyes widened in surprise to see that there wasn't any danger as he sees Calla holding the primal stone in one hand and a ball of out of control zapping electricity in the other while Ezran, Bait and Hibari were hiding behind a boulder for protection along with the egg as Calla looked over to the perplexed Elf and Moonlight Fury and begged for assistance, causing Raylan to frowned in exasperation and sheathed his blades as he and Corran walked over to the frightened girl who yelped in fright as the lightning ball continued send out zapping electricity.

"She tried to copy Claude's lightning spell, but she doesn't know how to finish it!"

"… … …"

"Yeah, I-I only saw him do the first half but I'm very good at the first half!"

Raylan looked over to Ezran for the details as the young boy explained how Calla was attempting to recreate Claude's lightning spell but failed to finish it while Calla sheepishly admits in only remembering the first half before defending her claim about pulling off the first half much to Raylan's and Corran's annoyance.

"Seriously, that sounds like a really good and safe idea!"

"Okay, lecture very well-deserved but what do I do now?!"

"When you release a spell, there's usually a word, a phrase or something in Ancient Draconic."

Raylan snarked sarcastically, still taken back by the girl's foolishness while Calla supported his claim before asking the Elven warrior for advice on what to do next, prompting Raylan to explained to her that the only way to release the spell is to finish it by invoking the trigger word in the Ancient Draconic language much to Calla's mild relief.

"Okay, uh…. Does anybody speak dragon? I don't speak dragon…."

"You mean you didn't hear Claude say anything else?"

"No. I-I mean, I think right when I grabbed his hand, he might have called me a 'fool'...?"

"Yeah, 'fool' seems about right…."

Calla said as she drawled a little before asking if nervously anyone speaks Draconic in a panicked tone due to being new in magic training while Raylan inquired if Calla had failed to hear Claude say anything else in regards to the spell much to Calla's dismay before she admitted uncertainly that she only heard him say the word 'Fool' much to Raylan's mild chagrin.

"*sigh* Okay, just give me a second; I know some Draconic words, just let me think…."

"You know what, I'm just gonna throw it."

"Wait, what? No!"

Seeing Calla panicking, Raylan sighed and asked her to remain calm by revealing that he knows some Ancient Draconic words as he racks his brain in remembering the trigger word for the spell while Calla looked at the stone and thought of a plan to cancel the spell by throwing it much to Raylan's and Corran's alarm.

"Yeah, I'm gonna throw you the Primal Stone. That way, it should cancel the spell, right?"

"That's a good plan."

"No, that is not a good plan, throwing is bad."

Calla said hopefully, theorizing that by throwing the Primal Stone over to Raylan would cancel the spell as Ezran supported that notion while Bait and Hibari looked at each other in concern before Raylan voiced his disapproval with Corran snorted in agreement.

"Don't worry, I won't throw it; I'll just gently toss it."

"No, no, no…. No throwing, no tossing!"

"Eh, tossing it anyway."

"Oh, for the love of Garlaath….!"

Crackle…. Boom!

Calla said carefully, enunciating her plan by gently tossing the Primal Stone over to a reluctant Raylan as he waved his hands frantically in refusal and tried to dissuade her from attempting to do so before Calla shrugged and released the stone in an underhand toss till she falls to the ground in response much to Raylan's dismay as he defensively held his hands in the air and caught the stone, resulting the electrified spell to explode upon impact.

"Ah-ha, it worked. I'm okay!"

"… … …"

"Um, you guys are kind of making a sizzling sound."

Calla opened her eyes and inspected her body to see if she sustained injuries upon relinquishing the stone over to Raylan as she lets out a sigh of relief due to the spell dissipated like she believed it to be before looking over to Raylan and Corran, only to be caught by surprise when she saw that the lightning had caused Raylan's hair and Corran's fur to stand on end like a porcupine's hide respectively as streaks of lightning began sparking from the strands while Ezran walked over to the glowering pair and innocently noted that he can hear a sizzling noise, prompting the pair to glance down at the young boy in annoyance.

"Sorry about that, I'm just so excited to be learning magic and I guess I got a little carried away."

"*sigh* Okay, enough almost-killing us here. Look, the sooner we return this egg, the sooner this war can end…. C'mon, it's time to hit the road."

Calla said embarrassingly as she apologized to Raylan and Corran about letting her excitement to learn magic get the best of her while Raylan patted down his hair and Corran trembled in order to smooth out his fur till Raylan pleads with Calla to ceased her tampering with magic as he tossed the inactive Primal Stone back to her before announcing to resume their travel much to Calla's confusion.

"Road? Why wear ourselves out walking on a road when we can let the river do the walking for us?"

"Nope. Say goodbye to the little boat 'cause we go by land from here."

"But why? The river's going in the right direction and it moves much faster than we ever could on foot. I mean, c'mon; look at those legs."

"What? I have nice legs."

Calla asked inquisitively as she gestures over to the boat and resume their trek down the river while Raylan stubbornly turns it down, seemingly rather adamant in abandoning the watercraft in favor of walking before Calla argued that the river is in the same direction as Xadia and that going by boat is much faster than going by land as she made her point by gesturing over to Ezran, of whom was busy in making an attempt to grab an apple from a branch that was hanging a few inches above his head with one hand while holding Bait in the other but paused midway when he heard her comment and confusingly remarked about his legs being nice much to Raylan's growing annoyance.

"We're walking and that's final."

"Is there maybe another reason why you don't wanna take the boat? Like, something you're not telling us?"

"No, there's no secret reason…."

"I didn't say a 'secret'."

Undaunted, Raylan said with finality as he persisted curtly, leaving no room for argument as he turned away from them in favor of prepping Corran before Calla curiously wondered if Raylan had a reason for not continuing the trek and slyly deduced that he was hiding something in regards to it to which Raylan denied rather quickly, hoping to throw Calla off-track until she revealed that she didn't say 'secret' much to Raylan's surprise, shocked that he fell for Calla's trap.

"So, wait a minute… Are you meant to say that you're this back-flippin', tree-climbin', sword-stabbin' Elven warrior but you're scared of a little splish-splashin'?"

"Aw, that's so cute."

"Okay, fine; we'll take the stupid, stinkin' boat."

Calla said as she giggled lightly before asking Raylan if he was scared of the water despite being an Elven warrior while acting out the actions with her hands, causing the Elf to inhale sharply by the accusation as if he swallowed a bitter lemon while Ezran added more fuel to the fire by deeming Raylan's possible fear to be adorable much to Raylan's indignation before he gives in and reluctantly makes his way back to the boat in exasperation with the intention to prove the half-siblings that he's not afraid of the water, prompting the pair to shrugged it off and boarded the small boat as Calla signaled Hibari and Corran to give the watercraft a nudge from the shore until it caught the water's current, prompting both Furies to transform back to their original forms and make a jump for the boat where Calla and Raylan caught them both with relative ease in their arms respectively.

"I gotcha ya, Bud; you didn't think that I was going to let this get me down, did you?"

"'Atta girl, Hibari."

Raylan said, wondering if his friend was worried about Raylan's secret would prevent him from catching the Moonlight Fury as he rubbed Corran's head affectionately while Calla did the same with Hibari, causing the both of them to mewl in delight till they leap down on the boat's *thwart and made their way over to the *bow like a pair of sentries before Calla takes up the oar and steered them outward much to Raylan's secret chagrin.

"Ugh…"

"Raylan, are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm just gonna sit on the *deck for a little…. Urk! Thanks, Bud."

"You and him seem to have a tight bond with each other, I don't think I'd ever get to met a Moonlight Fury so well-behaved like him before."

Raylan groaned a little as it caught Calla's eye, causing her to wonder if something was wrong till Raylan hides his displeasure and waved it off by staying close to the deck before he resisted the urge to vomit, holding it in till he lets out a tired burp till Corran looked back at him from the bow and bounded back to him as he nuzzled his head against the sickly Elf for reassurance while Raylan gratefully thanked Corran for his gesture till Calla chimed in with amazement of meeting a Moonlight Fury so perfectly well-tamed much to Raylan's delight.

"Thanks, I've had him since he was a cub. So, what about you and Hibari, how'd you guys meet or rather how did the King managed to wrangle you a Stormrider Fury and not get barbecued?"

"What? My stepdad didn't 'wrangle' Hibari, I met her through the *Bonding Ceremony."

"Uh, Bonding what-now?"

"The Bonding Ceremony is an ancient ritual where adolescent Caelestians can choose a Primal Fury to be their lifelong companion."

"Oh really?"

Raylan said delightfully as he explained to her about how he met Corran as a kid before he wondered what means Harrow had go through in taming Hibari and lived to tell the tale about the said feat much to Calla's mild confusion till she explained how she met Hibari during her people's customary ritual much to Raylan's surprise as he engaged conversation with the young girl while they continued their way down the river. The morning gave way into day till the scene changes over to the capital where the townspeople resumed their daily activities after receiving news about the heirs to the throne are still alive despite the King's death and the botched coronation from last night where an undeterred Viren quickly made his way to the throne room and closed the doors behind him with a sense of determination in mind.

"'Thought I might find you here.'"

Like a specter wandering through the halls of an abandoned manor, Viren walked towards the empty throne with the intent to rule as regent regardless of the council's decision but before he can even make his move, a hardened voice suddenly called out to him as it stopped the Dark Mage dead in his tracks, causing him to turned to the right where he sees Amaya and Gren standing on the side, revealing that they were lying in wait for him to arrive.

"'We need to talk.'"

"And pray tell, what do you want to discuss, Amaya?"

"'How 'bout we start by what the hell were you thinking, Viren?'"

"I'm afraid that you'll have to be specific, General."

Amaya signed curtly while Gren interpreted in a stern tone while Viren calmly wondered what the general would like to discuss despite being foiled in his attempt till Amaya signed aggravatingly as Gren translated her signing, not bothering to censor her language while Viren remained stoically passive and implored the heated general to specify what she means much to Amaya's growing anger as she resisted the urge to take the Dark Mage's throat with both hands and throttle him like crazy.

"'How could you let it come to this, and on your watch?'"

"You speak as if I invited these assassins."

"'I had to leave our stronghold at the Breach, do you have any idea the kind of dangerous forces have gathered at our border?!'"

"General Amaya, I did everything in my power to protect King Harrow, I was willing to give my own life!"

"'So what went wrong?'"

Amaya signed with Gren translating in tow, calling Viren out for failing to save Harrow's life while the Dark Mage calmly pacified the late King's aggravated sister-in-law despite being offended as Amaya revealed that she had to leave the Breach unsupervised the moment she received the King's letter and inquired if Viren had any clue of the dangerous threat that have begun to gather at the Xadian side of the the Border before Viren defended himself by stating that he was prepared to give his life to protect the King, prompting Amaya to wonder what went wrong.

"He did, his own stubborn ways had stopped me from helping him. You two know him as well as I do…. Apparently, his pride was more important to him than his own life!"

"'You wanted this outcome to happen.'"

"How dare you suggest––?!"

"'His death creates an opportunity for you!'"

"His death breaks my heart!"

Viren said as he pointed at the throne and deflected the blame onto his deceased friend's stubbornness which prevented the Dark Mage from executing the means in saving his life while Amaya and Gren stayed silent, listening to the older man's proclaims while he erroneously concluded that Harrow's pride was more important than his own life but Amaya and Gren know otherwise as they accused the Dark Mage about him wanting the assassination to happen much to Viren's shock, appalled by the General's accusation before he was cut off by Amaya concluding that Harrow's death had created an opportunity for Viren to seize the throne much to the latter's indignation as he fervently denied by stating the opposite of what Amaya believed.

"'Then honor him, find his children.'"

"They're gone, Amaya; captured by a Moonshadow Elf and if they're not dead already, then they will be soon. This is a time of crisis, an empty throne is a beacon of weakness…. An invitation to destroy us!"

Amaya signed while Gren translated her signing as she insisted Viren to honor Harrow's memory by organizing a search for Calla and Ezran before Viren declined the request curtly, believing it to be a waste of time and resources due to the fact that the children may have eventually been killed by the enemy despite Amaya and Gren secretly knowing otherwise while Viren sighed tiredly, feeling a sense of exhaustion creeping up on him from arguing with the stubborn general before he goes on about leaving the throne empty is an sign of weakness before comparing it to an invitation in being destroyed by the Xadian threat.

"We must defend Katolis and the other human kingdoms against what's coming, and I can help us from there."

Viren said as he walked onto the platform where the vacant throne stood before he explained that strengthening the Kingdom's defenses and warning the other rulers about the forces of Xadia should be their top priority, promising of lending them all his aid as Lord Protector while hoping that both Amaya and Gren will see reason, only to be disappointed by the pair's unmoved expression.

"*sigh* You both think that I am being an opportunist, but I couldn't be more selfless in my motivation…. I am a servant of Katolis, I am a servant!"

"'Those are some awfully nice clothes for a mere 'servant', Viren.'"

"You don't believe me, then you take it."

Viren said, sighing tiredly of arguing with the most stubborn person within existence while understanding that the general believed him to be a opportunist until he proclaimed that he was being selfless and declared himself to be a servant of Katolis, tapping his staff onto the stone floor as he emphasized the last part till Amaya signed unconvincingly with Gren translating much to Viren's exasperation while gesturing at the throne and offered it to the silent general.

"Go ahead, sit down and I'll support you as queen regent. I'll gather the High Council, and we'll send word to the other crowns of the Pentarchy immediately."

"'No, the throne stays empty until we find the kids.'"

"Well, that went well."

"I think he handled it rather calmly."

If you call being denied power 'well'….

Viren said as he promised to lend his full support for Amaya to act as Queen Regent and offered to gather the support of the High Council and the rulers of the Pentarchy but Amaya refused to take the throne while Gren translates her signing, firmly making it clear to the older man that the throne remains empty until the children are found much to Viren's irritation, prompting the Dark Mage to stomp straight through them and stormed out of the throne room in frustration while they narrowed their eyes in suspicion until a voice called out to them, breaking the tension as he curiously commented how Viren accepted it peacefully, prompting Gren to voice his opinion optimistically while Amaya signed her own opinion otherwise till they turned around and addressed the perplexed Adam stepping out from behind the pillar, revealing that he was in the room the whole time and listening in the intense debate between his fellow in-laws and the Dark Mage on the behalf of the recovering Caleb.

"Point taken, but you do realize that Viren isn't going to accept it gracefully, right?"

The chances of him trying again are about 50/50 but I wouldn't be surprise if he suddenly snapped and decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

*And thank you again, Adam, for talking me out of confronting that lying sack of horseshit about him taking Thunder's egg.

"Well, I figured that he'll probably have us silenced if push comes to shove but the question still remains, what are you going to do now?"

Adam said as he signed his concerns to Amaya about Viren's being persistent in his endeavor to fight the Xadians and how the Dark Mage isn't the type to give up so easily, in which Amaya seconded that notion as she signed the possible outcome, causing Adam to nod in agreement before Amaya thanked him for talking her out of confronting the Dark Mage about committing high treason when he stole the egg of the Dragon Prince four months ago while Adam theorized that Viren would resort to take drastic measures in keeping the egg's theft a secret before wondering what Amaya intends to do in light of the situation.

Let me worry about that but for now, I'd say we ought to ask for her opinion and see what she thinks.

"Well then, best not keep the dear Queen waiting, shall we?"

"Oh, are you coming with us?"

"I would love to, if I wasn't so busy in keeping a certain husband of mine on bed rest and not giving me grief about it."

And you guys called me 'stubborn'.

"Touché."

Amaya signed that she'll give him her answer later but opted to pay a visit to a certain someone while softly signing how antsy the Queen is much to Adam's understanding, knowing the general's *routine as he gives her his blessing much to Gren's delight and wondered if Adam wanted to accompany them, prompting the medical officer to politely declined the offer in favor of keeping tabs of Caleb before the man makes another attempt to leave bed again much to Amaya's amusement as she signed her comment about Caleb's stubbornness considering that she's the most stubborn person within existence, making the two men chuckled fondly by her claim and agreed simultaneously.

We'll give you the details once we get back from the Valley.

"Of course, have a safe trip and say 'Hi' to Sarai for Caleb and I, okay?"

Amaya signed as she promised Adam to give him her answer once she and Gren return from their visit much to Adam's delight, bidding them both luck as he kindly entrust his fellow in-laws in giving the recipient of their visitation his regards along with Caleb's, in which Amaya silently complied as they began making their way back to the courtyard and prepare their horses for their trip while Adam heads on back to the infirmary to check on Caleb while Amaya and Gren urged their horses into motion, they exited out of the courtyard and rode their way onto the path leading to the Valley of the Graves due to the general making a point to pay a visit to the place every time she and Gren came to the capital until they entered the Valley and continued their way in till they come across a stone monument located not too far from the altar where they see the smoldered remains of Harrow's casket that were burned the day before has yet to be collected, prompting the pair to dismount their steeds and approached the object of their visit – It was a statue of a Katolian warrior fully-armed to a tee and was mounted on a horse, preparing to charge into battle yet her face donned a gentle expression which was sculpted so lovingly with care as her semi-longish fringe spilled over the frame of her crown and her eyes remained peacefully closed as she held a two-pronged spear in one hand whereas her other hand had extended downward as if she was lending a hand to help the fallen.

Hello, sister.

Amaya signed, greeting Sarai upon her approach as she kneels before her older sister's statue while Gren stayed behind and granted her some space till she lighted a candle, placing it at the base where all the other candles that were from the citizens have lit resided.

*You were my hero. Perfect, strong, unbreakable, kind and loyal but I'm sorry that I failed you, older sister…. Your children were safe for a moment but I had to let them go. I wish you were here and see how beautiful Calla is becoming, how she's growing to be more like you everyday, even if she doesn't see the resemblance herself.

"May I light a candle?"

Amaya continued the conversation regardless of it being one-sided on Amaya's part, praising her sister's qualities until she offered her sincerest apologies for failing to protect Calla and Ezran before she told her sister's statue her reason and expressed her wish of Sarai having the chance to see Calla's growth, recalling how the young girl now bears a strong resemblance to the late Queen regardless of the young girl's misgivings till Gren hears the distant sound of a horse braying from behind him, causing him to turned around and see Viren approaching till he steered to a stop, dismounting his horse and walked towards the silent yet alerted Amaya, making the general sneak a glance and wondered what the High Mage wanted till he kindly asked if he could light a candle for Sarai much to Amaya's surprise till she granted Viren her consent, mainly because man was also Sarai's friend and that it was hard for her to stay mad at anybody complimenting her older sister while the man lights a candle and places it with the others as he offers his prayer to the late Katolian Queen.

"Your sister had made him a better person."

"… … …"

"Harrow had told me that he was never as strong nor brave as Queen Sarai believed him to be, but he tried everyday to be stronger and braver so he could live up to what she saw in him."

After paying their respects, Viren said as he engaged in a conversation with Amaya and Gren about how Sarai made Harrow a better person following their marriage and how Harrow once confided with the High Mage about how he wasn't strong and brave like his wife believed him to be and how he strove hard in being stronger and braver in order to live up to Sarai saw in him much to Amaya's and Gren's understanding.

"'She was compassionate and patient…. Unless you took the last of the jelly tarts, of course.'"

"I only made that mistake once."

Amaya signed as she praised Sarai's sense of compassion and patience with Gren translating for her till signing the last part teasingly to an embarrassed Viren while he defended himself in learning his lesson about making the mistake of taking the last jelly tart, prompting them to smile and laugh in nostalgia.

"'Both a sweet tooth and an iron fist.'"

"General Amaya, I am sorry for what happened in the throne room; you helped me see the truth."

"'And why was that so hard to admit?'"

"I was blinded by my abiding love of our kingdom and humanity itself."

Amaya signed while Gren translated for Viren till he expressed his apologies to two soldiers about his behavior earlier and how Amaya's idea had helped him see the bigger picture much to the pair's delight as Amaya signed cheekily, wondering why Viren couldn't be honest beforehand until Viren revealed his reason about securing the throne was due to his 'abiding' love for the kingdom as well as for the rest of Humanity, unaware that his answer had brought back his egoism much to Amaya's silent annoyance.

"'Guard, fetch a stable boy, quickly. I've just encountered a giant pile of bull…' Uh, 'droppings'."

"The children come first, finding them is absolutely the top priority for the Kingdom of Katolis."

"'Good, glad you see things my way; I'll be departing at sundown with a rescue party.'"

"Of course, but allow me to ask... What happens to the Breach?"

Shaking it off, Amaya signed sarcastically to Gren as he translated faithfully before his eyes widened at the last part, causing him to look between the general and the High Mage till he nervously censored the actual word and replaced it with an alternative while Viren voiced his approval in searching for the heirs much to Amaya's delight as she signed with the intention of preparing a search party before sundown, prompting her and Gren to walk back to their horses with Viren seemingly agreeing with Amaya's suggestion before he injected questioningly, wondering what will happen to the Breach if Amaya were to join the search while Gren signed over to the general as they both stopped themselves in their tracks and looked back at the Dark Mage questioningly.

"You said yourself how precarious the situation is and without you there commanding the fortress, do you believe in your heart that the border will hold?"

"'Make your point, Viren.'"

"If the Breach falls, then the enemy will surge into Katolis; and I can hardly imagine the death and destruction that will follow."

Viren said as he reminded the pair of what Amaya had said previously and wondered if she was confident that the Breach will still remain standing in her absence till Amaya urged him to cut to the chase nonsensically, prompting the Dark Mage to imagine the worst-case scenario and the unknown number of the death toll rising in case their stronghold were to fall to the Xadian enemy.

"'Then what are you suggesting?'"

"You return to the border, hold it fast; it's where you're needed the most. A party of our best will be dispatched immediately to find the prince and the princess, and in case you still doubt my intentions, I will task my sons, Soren and Claude, in leading the rescue expedition."

Amaya signed questioningly while suspecting his intentions, prompting the latter to persuade the general in returning to the border while he dispatches a party to find the children in her stead and personally tasked his sons in leading the operation in case Amaya still doubted him.

"'I do doubt your intentions…. *'[I just don't know them is all.]' I will return to the Breach, but your sons will not be leading the rescue. The mission will be assigned to Commander Gren and a party of his choice.…' That's–– That's me, I am Commander Gren."

Amaya signed resolutely despite not knowing the true nature of his intentions and explained to the Dark Mage that she will return to the Breach as per ordered before making it clear to the older man that his sons will not be leading the rescue while assigning the task of finding the kids over to Gren, who translated till he trailed off mid-sentence in confusion as his mind registering her words before his eyes widened in surprise much to Viren's silent displeasure.

---

~(Meanwhile, somewhere upon the river…)~

Around the same time, the kids continued making their way downstream upon the calmed river with Calla pooling all her energy in rowing the boat, steering them away from any stray rock that might hinder them along the river's currents while Ezran, Bait, Hibari and Corran continued in marveling their current surroundings with the exception of Raylan, of whom was still facing down and remained silent during their trek down the river.

"Bait, you know you're not supposed to do that, no playing in the water."

Raylan stayed seated near the boat's bow as Ezran and Bait were seated by the *stern till the young boy noticing that his companion was sitting too to the edge for his liking, causing him to stand up and grab the Glow Toad from the edge as he lightly scolded him for being too close to the water before sitting him down on the seat next to him.

"Bait loves the water but he should be afraid of it, you wanna know why he's named 'Bait'?"

"Ugh, not really."

"Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway, it's kind of a sick joke on my stepdad's part, I guess. You know Glow toads... Apparently, they're delicious."

"Oh gross, why would you…?"

Calla said lightheartedly, explaining that Bait loves the water till she voiced her expectations of the Glow Toad developing *Aquaphobia due to his species before asking the down-in-the-dumps Raylan, of whom reluctantly sits up and groggily replied with disinterest while Calla proceeded by telling him that Bait's name was considered to be a sick joke on her stepfather's part and how Glow Toads were considered to be a delicious delicacy much to Raylan's stunned silence until he regained his senses and expressed disgust by the revelation.

"Deep-sea fishermen would use them to catch giant fish or stuff like that, that's why he's named 'Bait', get it? Or at least that's my stepdad's sense of humor, but yeah; that's why we have to be extra careful about him not getting into the water."

"Guys, he doesn't know how delicious he is, so shh! ….And that's how the noodle got its name!"

Calla said as she explained to Raylan about Deep-sea fishermen using Glow Toads as live bait in order to lure leviathan-class fish into their nets and how horrible it was of Harrow bestowing the grumpy toad such a name despite the irony but jokingly concluded that they had to be very careful of Bait not falling into the water much to Ezran's unamusement as he stood up from his seat and told the pair into keeping quiet about Bait not realizing how delicious he is, pressing his index finger to his lips and made a shushed sound before he looked back at his companion, of whom croaked rather suspiciously upon noticing the kids looking at him till Ezran changed the subject by claiming the origin of noodles much to Calla's and Raylan's mild annoyance as they rolled their eyes in exasperation.

"Ugh…"

"You doing all right there, Raylan?"

"I'm doing great, it's just I love boats so much…. That's why I'm down here–– Urk, to be close to the boat."

Feeling his seasickness acting up again, Raylan groaned a little louder than his liking as his green-tinted expression grabbed Calla's attention, causing her to wonder about his condition while Raylan hung his head lower before he tries (albeit failing epically) to wave it off by admitting his so-called 'love' for the boat and hopes that it'll be enough to dissuade the girl but unbeknownst to him, Calla isn't buying his act.

"Tell you what, I'm gonna ask you five questions."

"Ugh, please don't."

"Come on, it'll be a fun distraction and it might help take your mind off of things."

"*sigh* Alright, five questions and that's all you're gonna get."

Calla said calmly as she lends Raylan a hand by asking questions much to his displeasure and groggily begs her to refrain from doing so till she reveals to him that it'll help distract him from whatever he's thinking of, in which prompted him to agree due to the prospect of getting over his seasickness as he grants the girl in asking five questions and nothing more.

"Okay, question one: We've always heard all these crazy things about Xadia and how it was this place with just magic everywhere…. Is that really what it's like?"

"Yes, what's your next question."

Now that she has Raylan's consent, Calla said as she and Ezran had been raise with stories about Xadia and wondered what it was like to live in such place surrounded by magic much to Raylan's amusement and answered her question rhetorically till he encouraged the girl to continue.

"It must be so weird that everywhere you look, there's magic."

"It's not so weird. In Xadia, magic is pretty much in everything; if anything, it's no different from saying 'Everywhere you look, there's nature'."

Calla said, wondering if it was weird for Raylan to be living in a bizarre place as he proceeded in answering about how it wasn't a weird experience and how Xadia is radiating with endless magical energy which isn't so different from people exploring the untouched wilderness outside their comfort zone while marveling at its' untamed beauty much to Calla's and Ezran's understanding.

"I guess it's just part of the vibrance or the spirit of things, you know?"

"I can't wait to see it myself, it sounds incredible."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"See, it's working, don't you feel a little better?"

Raylan said happily as he looks down at the water, concluding about magic being a part of the ecosystem much to Calla's amazement while she sits over to where Raylan is, voicing her desire to see it for herself after hearing how incredible Xadia truly is from Raylan, of whom is slowly recovering from his seasickness by being filled with a sense of nostalgia as Calla leans over to him with an knowing expression, showing Raylan about how the questionnaire is making him feel better much to the young Elf's growing happiness.

"Maybe so, ask your next question."

"Okay, question two: What are your parents like?"

"They're…. They're dead."

Raylan said as he feels better from answering the questionnaire and encouraged Calla to continue, in which she does by asking what his parents were like much to Raylan's shock as he frowned a little till he looked away from the young girl while his face briefly donned a pained expression before he hesitantly replied that they are deceased much to Calla's shock.

"Oh. Raylan, I'm so sorry; I-I didn't mean to…."

"No, it's fine…. Um, now's my turn: The other night, when we found the egg and bumped into your other uncle, what does he mean by that?"

"Let's just say that my mom died because of Viren's *mistake…."

Calla said sadly and tries to apologize for asking that question while Raylan dismissed it tiredly before he changed the subject by taking up the questionnaire as he asked Calla about her mother's cause of death much to her discomfort before she looked to the side and coldly answered that she had died because of Viren's mistakes much to Raylan's shock, thus ending the tensed discussion.

"So, this might not be the best time to bring this up and all, but are you sure you're not scared of the water?"

"I think that's enough questions for one day, Calla."

Everything remained silent before Calla began noticing how they're suddenly picking up speed until she looks over her shoulder as her eyes widened in shock, realizing that their boat is about to fall down an incoming waterfall and enter the fast-moving rapids down below while subtly inquires if Raylan was right about not having Aquaphobia as he dismissed it lightly, proposed to end the questionnaire for the day.

"I-I know, it's just that… The water's about to–– Look!"

"Pull the boat over, pull the boat over!"

"I don't think there's time!"

Calla said nervously as she stammered lightly before she decided to rip the bandage off and grabbed Raylan's attention in a frantic tone, causing the Elf to look behind and see the incoming drop, prompting him to immediately beg Calla to pull the boat over to the shore until she revealed that they've lost the opportunity to do so due to how fast the boat is going much to Raylan's dismay.

"Pull it over! I'll admit it, I hate the water! I'm afraid of it, it makes me sick and gives me all of the bad feelings!"

"It's too late, hang on! Hibari, *Volare!"

"No, wait; take me with you–– Ah!"

Raylan said frantically as he admits to the half-siblings about his fear till he moves up from his seat and holds onto the plank like a lifeline, ranting on about how bad the water makes him feel as the sight rendered everyone (except for Corran) speechless until Calla looks back at the front and sees that it is too late while taking up Raylan's hand, requesting that the Elf to secure a tight hold and shouting a command to take to the air, causing the Stormrider Fury to transform automatically and *grabbed Corran with her mouth before taking off much to Raylan's dismay as the boat begins to take its' plunge.

"Ah!"

"Hold tight!"

Raylan yelped in fright as their boat went down the waterfall and entered the treacherous rapids, causing them to bumped against a few river rocks left and right till he took Calla's advice to heart and fearfully braced himself during the ride while Calla and Ezran were having a time of their lives, laughing and giggling in exhilaration as the river continued to maneuver the boat along the way until they went over another waterfall leading to a calm lake.

"Whoa~!"

"Ha ha, you faced your fear head-on, do you feel better about water now?"

"…I have never felt worse about water in my whole life."

"Hmm, well anyway; we're making great time. Good work, Hibari!"

"Hey, guys, does anyone else see Bait?"

Calla and Ezran continued to laugh in delight as the boat spiraled a little bit upon the lake's surface till it reached an calm area within the lake before Calla sits up and congratulates Raylan for facing his fear of the water while wondering how the wiped-out Elf was feeling until he shakily gets up and groggily gave her his answer much to Calla's initial confusion till she happily waves it off due to them making good time by taking the boat before she hears Hibari roaring lightly above them as the Stormrider Fury flew towards them, praising Hibari for her efforts as the Stormrider gently puts Corran in her hands till Calla gives Hibari a scratch under the chin as the magical feline purred in delight while reverting back to her regular form and landed perfectly onto the boat until Ezran looked around the boat and wondered about Bait's whereabouts, causing everyone to be on high alert as they searched under the seats for any sign of the Glow Toad before Ezran looked back at the waterfall just in time to see Bait crying out in distress as he was being pulled along the river's currents due to falling out of the boat somehow as he falls over the waterfall, entering the lake.

"Bait, come back here! Quick, do your froggy paddle."

"… … …"

"You know you're not supposed to get in the water."

Frightened at the potential aspect of his grumpy companion being eaten by some unknown water creature, Ezran called out to Bait worryingly as he urges the magical amphibian to employ a method equivalent to a 'doggy paddle' much to Raylan's mild confusion till it prompting Bait to comply without question as he quickly swims his way over to the boat, causing Calla to pick up the oar and slowed their pace for Bait, just in time for Ezran to pluck him from the water and lightly scolded the latter much to Bait's annoyance as he croaked softly.

"*sigh* Phew, that would've been a disaster."

"I know… My socks are all soggy. A disaster, a soggy disaster!"

"Uh Calla, your cube's a glowin'….?"

Raylan said relievedly as Calla seconded that notion while she sits back down on the seat till she cheerfully pointed out how her socks had become incredibly soaked after enduring the rapids and shows off her point by showing Raylan of how 'soggy' her feet are much to his confusion but before he can say anything, he hears a familiar sound coming from the cube, which had somehow fallen out of Calla's knapsack during the ride much to his and Calla's confusion till she picked the object up from the thwart, hearing the pulsating hum as she turns it around and saw the Ocean Rune glowing brightly like a beam of sunlight shining full blast through a canopy made out of thick foliage.

"Hey, it's the Ocean Rune! I've never seen it light up like that before but wait a minute, why would the Ocean Rune be…."

Splash!

Calla said shockingly as she was surprised at the fact that the Ocean Rune was glowing without being near the corresponding magical energy much to her confusion till she kneels down to the bottom of the boat and trailed off mid-sentence, wondering how such a thing was made possible before Raylan's eyes widened in realization that the cube was detecting something big and was about to warn the half-siblings but was beaten to the punch as a giant catfish-like river leviathan suddenly burst out from the water, tossing the passengers out of their boat and send them all flying into the air, causing them to scream in terror.

"Oh, now I get it!"

"Whoa… Oof!"

Calla shouted in alarm while Ezran screamed in fright as the river monster tried to eat them all upon impact but missed them by a hair before the half-siblings, Bait and Hibari fell back into the water while Raylan and Corran was thrown across the lake and onto the shore along with the boat as Raylan landed back first upon the ground much to his great relief.

"Ah, sweet, solid land; we meet again.… Calla, Ezran; are you and the others–– *gasp*"

Raylan said happily as he started kissing the solid ground in gratefulness till he stopped momentarily and looked around for the half-siblings, Bait and Hibari before he looked over his shoulder and saw that they were still in the water much to his horror. Calla and Ezran resurfaced and gasped for air until Hibari reverted to her tigress form and caused them to make a grab for her, prompting the Stormrider Fury to swim to the shore along with the half-siblings much to Raylan's relief before he noticed that Bait was a lot further away from them, which made him an easy target for the river monster as it tries to catch the frightened the Glow Toad in an attempt to eat him.

"Guys, behind you, Bait is in trouble!"

"What?"

Raylan cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs to warn the half-siblings about Bait's predicament but due to the constant splashing that the monster was making and the large distance between him and the others, it was hard for Calla and Ezran to hear him correctly.

"Bait needs help!"

"'Bait sneezed kelp'?"

"No, I think he said 'Bait's knees smell'."

"*gasp* Well, that's just plain mean."

"No!"

Raylan tried again while Ezran questioned his shouting uncertainly before Calla chimed in and interpreted it incorrectly, causing Ezran's eyes to widened in shock and mistakenly believe that the Elf was insulting Bait much to Raylan's aggravation as he sees Bait doing his best to stay alive before the monster swung its' tail upward, sending the terrified toad across the air, croaking in terror before he landed squarely on top of the monster's eye as the feat had only caused the beast even more determined to eat the Glow Toad.

"It's down to you and me, isn't it; Bud?"

"*meow*"

"Of course it is, what was I thinking…. Goodbye, sweet, solid land; I barely knew you."

Raylan asked reluctantly before Corran mewled in response, considering that there was no other recourse but to save Bait from becoming the river monster's lunch much to Raylan's dismay as he motioned the Moonlight Fury over to the water and made his way towards a tree till he stopped himself and bids farewell to the ground momentarily before he climbed up the tree, running across the branch that was facing the lake until he makes a jump for a large piece of driftwood floating somewhere away from the monster's current location as his body's weight temporarily submerged the driftwood into the water much to his displeasure.

"C'mon Raylan, do it for the frog…. The very same grumpy frog that hates your guts! Ugh, here goes nothing."

Raylan said as he finds himself clinging tightly to the log before he psyched himself up of saving Bait despite grumpily citing the toad's hatred till he shakes it off and stands on the log as he whipped out his blades while the river monster prepares to devour Bait until Raylan and Corran pounced on the monster's head, diverting its' attention away from the Glow Toad before the river monster flung its' tail again by throwing the three of them high into the air while Raylan makes a grab for the magical amphibian before plunging back down deep into the water, tightly holding Bait in his arms while Corran swims towards the both of them just for the monster opening its' jaws to eat them as it caused Raylan to urge the Moonlight Fury to swim away but the water's density prevents him in doing that while the monster was seemingly on the verge of accomplishing its' hunt until Corran latches his claws onto the corner of the monster's mouth and pulled himself out along with Raylan and Bait in tow while hanging on for dear life till the monster jumped out of the water and landed back in, conjuring a huge wave in the process as it sends Calla, Ezran and Hibari to land.

"Why would you even attempt to do that again after what happening this morning?!"

"Because it doesn't require knowing any Draconic."

"Uh, Sis…?"

"Don't worry, I've got an idea…. Raylan, jump!"

The half-siblings continued to watch the spectacle unfold while Raylan, Corran and Bait were still struggling to escape from the monster's grasp and survive their ordeal before Calla diverts her attention to the Primal Stone as the trapped storm begins to brew with energy, causing an idea to formed up in her head and prompted the young girl to take up a familiar stance much to Ezran's chagrin before Calla reassured him otherwise as she began tracing the lightning rune again and urged their Xadian allies to jump away from the leviathan.

"But you don't know how to––"

"Just jump!"

"Do it, Bud; *Leumnaich!"

Raylan said as he tries to dissuade Calla from attempting the lightning spell before Calla repeated herself again and performed the spell again much to his exasperation till he reluctantly complied by holding tightly onto Corran and urged the Moonlight Fury to do so, prompting the latter to acquiesce by propelling high into the air.

Crackle…. Pop, Zap!

"… … …"

"Ah ha ha ha!"

"… … …"

Blub, blub, blub….

Seeing her chance, Calla plunged her electrified hand into the water as it sends an electrical current through the water and towards the monster, electrocuting it upon contact till it fell back into the water dead while Raylan, Bait and Corran plummeted back into the now calmed lake much to Calla's, Ezran's and Hibari's amazement before the trio resurfaced and floated for a brief second till they find themselves accompanied by several schools of river trout floating to the surface, revealing that they've got caught in the crossfire much to their silent exasperation until they waved if off and swam back to the shore.

---

~(Concurrently, over at Castle Katolis….)~

The sun begins to sink into the horizon as the scene changes over to Amaya and Gren rounding up the rest of the platoon and reconvened to the courtyard where they're in the middle of preparing their journey back to the Breach before the general and the commander approached two soldiers along with Adam and a fully-recovered Caleb in tow.

"'I've sent word to Corvus that King Harrow has passed and how Gren's team will arrive in a few days' time...'"

"General Amaya, is Lord Viren even aware that Corvus is currently tracking the children?"

"'No. 'Do not trust Viren underneath no circumstances: It maybe a month from now or maybe a year, but he will stab you in the back.'"

Amaya signed with Gren translates for her about sending a messenger crow to Corvus in order to inform him about the recent events in the wake of the King's passing and how Gren, Adam and Caleb will meet up with him in a few days until one of the soldiers spoke up in confusion, wondering if Viren has been made aware of the fact that Corvus has been tracking the children's trail since last night, in which prompted Amaya to sign curtly as she motioned them to huddle together while warning them against trusting Viren as she firmly believes that the latter will betray them eventually if given the chance.

"We'll be careful."

I have trusted the three of you as my eyes, ears and voice but now I trust you three to act as my will: Protect them.

Gren reassured the general about staying vigilant with Adam and Caleb nodded in understanding much to Amaya's relief before she signed to the three men personally as she expressed her utmost confidence of their abilities while entrusting the men with the children's safety before sharing a hug with them till Amaya breaks it off and remounts on her horse, just in time to see Viren and Soren approaching them.

"'I expect to be notified when the children are found…. And safe.'"

"Of course, I'll send word to the Breach immediately."

Amaya signed civilly as she reminds Viren about receiving a notification of the events concerning the search party's progress and expressed her wish that the children are to be found unharmed enunciatingly, prompting a seemingly-cooperative Viren to comply while promising to send word to the general accordingly as his claim evoked a response from the latter till she motioned the platoon to exit out of out of the courtyard and proceeded in returning to the Breach.

"Oh, guys, bad news. There's been a change of plans."

"What are you talking about, Soren?"

"What is he talking about?"

But as soon as her forces leave the castle, Soren chimes in with mock sympathy as he informed Gren, Adam and Caleb with bad news much to their confusion before the Katolian soldiers looked over to Viren for an explanation.

"Oh, I've decided that the three of you are off the mission; Soren will lead the rescue expedition."

"Wait, what?"

"General Amaya was very specific that the three of us were to lead this mission, Viren."

"Oh, perhaps there was a misunderstanding?"

Viren said casually as he revealed to the trio that he has taken them off the rescue mission and anointed Soren into leading it much to their shock, causing Adam to irritably remind the High Mage about Amaya's orders much to Viren's mock confusion.

"Soren, set up a meeting so that these gentlemen and I can discuss their concerns; somewhere quiet…. Say, around 9:00 pm?"

"Certainly, father."

Viren said as he politely requested Soren to escort Gren, Adam and Caleb to a secluded location where the trio can set up a 'private' meeting with the High Mage sometime around nine o'clock much to Soren's disguised glee as he complied with his father's wishes.

"Yes, very good. 9 o'clock suits us well."

"Very good."

Gren said calmly despite being surprise by Viren's cooperative attitude and agreed to meet up with the latter about their future discussion in regards to the mission of locating the King's children much to Viren's calm understanding while turning on his heel and walking away from the military men.

"I don't like that look in his eye, Gren. If anything, it could be another ploy of his just so he trap us and out of the way."

"Caleb's right, that old fox is definitely up to something."

"Maybe but if it means of getting him to reinstating the command over to us from Soren, then I'll gladly bite my tongue and accept whatever bullshit conditions he has in mind."

The three men continued to stare at Viren's retreating figure till Caleb breaks the silence scrutiny with his input, suspecting it to a ploy on the Dark Mage's part with Adam sharing his concerns while Gren expressed his sentiments before reminding the pair about setting aside their opinions by accepting whatever ground rules that Viren has to offer if it means of retaking command from Soren.

"And who knows, maybe Viren will finally see reason."

"I hope you're right about that, Gren; for all our sakes…."

"C'mon, the sooner we talk to Viren, the sooner we can get started on the mission."

"… … …"

Gren said optimistically as he holds hope that Viren will be reasonable in the negotiations despite Caleb's misgivings and prayed that the man is right on his prediction for everyone's sakes till Adam motioned Gren and Caleb to lead the way to the High Mage's office and begin negotiations, wanting to get a head-start on making the journey to meet up with Corvus in tracking down the kids and their Xadian ally as the three of them entered the threshold of the staircase and gradually made their way up to the second floor leading to the study.

"All right. Let's go––?!"

Woo… Whoosh…. Thwack!

As soon as Viren's Office is in sight, Gren, Adam and Caleb started to make a beeline for the study almost immediately until Gren hears a faint whooshing sound and wondered what it is when suddenly, a shadowed figured knocked the three of them out cold, causing the trio to fall to the ground unconscious before the mysterious assailant then proceeded in dragging them towards the painting leading to Viren's secret chambers.

Around the same time as the capital, the kids recovered from the river monster while Calla takes up the Primal Stone again and conjured Aspiro on themselves like a hairdryer before she turned her attention onto Hibari and Corran, causing their fur to suddenly puffed-up in volume, turning into a pair of fluff-balls like they were caught in an electrical storm much to the kids' amusement as they burst in laughter.

"Raylan, you saved Bait! Without you, he would've been…. Fish food."

"That was really brave of you, Raylan."

"No, I already told you guys…. I'm afraid of water."

"I know, which is why doing what you did was so heroic."

"Oh, uh…. Thanks."

Ezran said happily, thanking Raylan for saving Bait till he covered the Glow Toad's ears and whispered the last part softly about becoming food for the river leviathan while Calla seconded the notion as she patted Hibari's fur down much to Raylan's uncertainty, dismissing the half-siblings' claims as exaggeration and reaffirmed his fears once again until Calla explained to the doubtful Elf about how heroic is was of him to do so by taking action regardless of his phobia, causing him to feel flattered by her comment and thanked her for it.

"Why didn't you just tell us about your fear before? I mean, it's okay to be afraid of things."

Ezran asked curiously and wondered why Raylan didn't reveal his fear sooner while reassuring Raylan that it was okay for him to afraid of something much to Raylan's shocked surprise as he walked a little towards the edge of the shore, seeing his reflection staring back at him as if it was waiting for his answer.

"*sigh* I guess I was afraid of being afraid."

"Well, that seems kind of circular. But hey, worth noting: you're not afraid of being afraid of being afraid."

"That's deep, stupid but deep. *sigh* The thing is, Moonshadow Elves aren't supposed to show any fear…. Ever."

Raylan said resignedly as he admitted that he was afraid of being scared in an honest tone till Calla noted how circular it was before she chimed in about Raylan no longer afraid of 'being afraid' much to Raylan's mild confusion despite deeming it stupid before he revealed that it was tradition for Moonshadow Elves to not show any kind of fear whatsoever.

"That's kind of sad."

"'[It is kind of sad but…]' ….It's just our way. I've got a bit of a confession to make: My parents didn't really passed away, they were killed in action but honestly, I wished they ran away instead!"

"What do you mean?"

Ezran said sadly while Raylan seconded the young boy's notion inwardly as he explained that it is the Moonshadow Elves' absolute rule before he revealed his reasons about coming to Katolis and confessed that his parents didn't passed away by natural causes but died in the line of duty instead before he angrily expressed otherwise much to Calla's confusion.

"My parents were part of an elite force called the *Dragonguard: Eight Elven warriors chosen to protect the egg of the Dragon Prince. I don't blame you guys for not knowing this but Storm Dragons can only lay an egg once every 1,000 years, so that egg is so rare and precious but when the humans came and killed the Dragon King, the Dragonguard failed in their duty; they ran away and left my parents for dead!"

Raylan explained how his parents were once part of the Dragonguard dedicated in protecting the egg of the Dragon Prince and about how truly rare it is much to Calla's and Ezran's shock while Raylan revealed that the rest of the Dragonguard had abandoned the egg and his parents after the Humans' attack, unaware that something was forming in Calla's mind the more she listened to the Elf's story.

"I was so devastated when it happened."

"Raylan, I'm so sorry for what the humans did."

Raylan said sadly as he was left devastated by the news but unbeknownst to him, Calla was mulling over Raylan's report until she thought back to the King's tower after they found the egg and remembering the accursed coins that Viren has in his possession, silently piecing the facts before her eyes widened in realization about the trapped Elves' identities before she swallowed the lump in her throat and hugged Raylan from behind much to everyone's surprise, including his own as she sorrowfully apologized for the Humans' atrocious actions.

"So, you see why I have to make things right. When I first came here, I was on a quest for vengeance and maybe find out what happened to them but the moment I saw that egg; everything changed. Now, this is a journey of redemption."

"We're in this together."

"Oh, no! Our boat seems to be drifting away, it slipped just out of my reach… Whatever will we do now?"

"*sigh* Goodbye, boat."

"Thank you."

Despite being taken by surprise by Calla's hug, Raylan then explained how originally he wanted vengeance while attempting to find out about what really happened to his parents before he vowed to redeem them by returning the egg to Xadia much to Calla's understanding as she and Ezran expressed their support till they looked towards the lake and see their rowboat was still intact while it drifted downstream while Raylan exaggerated in a dramatic fashion and happily pointed out how the boat 'slipped' past his reach until the water secretly shifted in movement and caused the boat to drift back in the opposite direction and over to the shoreline, putting a damper on his mood before Calla walked up to it and kicked it away, bidding it a fond farewell much to Raylan's gratefulness but his mood was replaced with worry as he feels the binding on his left wrist tighten, causing him to hiss in pain.

"So, what's the deal with your wrist ribbon thing? Does it mean something?"

"Oh, uh... Nah, it's just decorative."

"'Decorative'?"

"Yeah, it's a Moonshadow Elf thing, I guess…."

"Mmm, okay."

Calla asked curiously as she wondered what the purpose the binding stands for, prompting Raylan to drawl a little while thinking of a way to hide the truth by casually waving it off as décor and claimed it to be a trend among the Moonshadow Elves, hoping that the young girl would accept the bluff, in which she does as the group resumed their trek by taking a detour into the nearby woods till they managed to find a secluded area with a very large tree with semi-uprooted roots before the sun finally sets into the east, causing twilight to descend upon the world much to the kids' chagrin.

"We should probably set up camp for the night. That way, we'll be well-rested and be ready to head out in the morning, sound good?"

"Yeah, you're right, it's too dangerous to go any further once the darkness sets in and press on without bumping into a branch or two.… "

"Hibari, can you fished us a batch of fresh trout from the river? Raylan, can you and Corran gather wood for the fire while Ezran and I set up camp."

"Okay."

Calla proposed in setting up camp for the night much to Raylan's understanding as he once had the unpleasant experience of traveling in zero visibility till Calla motioned Hibari to scare up a batch of river trout while asking Raylan and Corran to gathering wood nearby while the half-siblings sets up camp much to their understanding before the scene switches back to Castle Katolis where silence filled the air as the citizens retired for the night…. Well, all except for a few people until Viren walked down the staircase leading to his secret chambers.

"*sigh* Five past nine…. I do apologize for my tardiness, gentlemen."

"It was only five minutes."

"Uh-huh, now then; what are your concerns?"

"Ah well, you deliberately disobeyed Amaya's orders and took the three of us off the rescue mission…."

"Hmm, noted; go on."

"….Then you threw us down in this dungeon and chained us to the wall."

"Ah, I see. Anything else?"

"Uh, no; but–– No, I guess those are just the main two."

"Thank you, your feedback is a gift."

Viren said as he finally addressed Gren, Adam and Caleb while apologizing for being 'tardy' till Gren pointed out otherwise before Viren casually inquired what they wanted to discussed, prompting the trio to voice their 'complaints' and their flat displeasure of the Dark Mage imprisoning them inside his secret chambers while Viren mockingly wondered if there was anything else, causing Gren to think hard before giving up much to Viren's delight as he sarcastically thanked them for their 'feedback'.

"Glad to be of some assistance."

"Father, it's about our other prisoner."

"*Imbécilecul Mage. What, don't tell me you guys aren't thinking it too."

"He's still refusing to eat."

"*sighs* Then let him be hungry."

Gren said happily before Claude peered from the other doorway leading to another prison cell with concerns for their 'other' prisoner, causing Viren to leave in favor of addressing the problem while Caleb grumpily cursed much to Gren's and Adam's surprise while Claude and Viren make their way down to the other cell, revealing its' sole occupant to be the seemingly-sleeping Lasair before Claude whispered about how the chained tutor had refused to eat anything since his imprisonment much to Viren's irritation and ordered the teenager to let the Moonshadow starve himself to death till he walks away from them both, causing the reluctant Claude to comply as he shuts the door closed and leaves Lasair alone once again until he opened his eyes and glared harshly after the Dark Mages from inside the darkness.

To be Continued...

---

And so, our plucky heroes have resolved their issues for now while the countdown to bring the egg of the Dragon Prince continues; will they succeed in stopping the war or will they fail?

And as per promised, I have announcement to make: The next chapter will be an original from yours truly and depending on its' success, I'll make more originals for the other seasons!

Well, that's that for now, at least and before I go and write the next chapter, here is this week's footnotes for the day:

(*) The intro card foreshadows Raylan opening up to Calla and Ezran about his aquaphobia and how he reveals the real reason why he came to Katolis.

(*) Sunray Monarchs are these colorful butterfly-like insects that are connected to the Sun Primal and their essence can be used in a Dark Magic spell that 'restores' a mage's appearance.

(*) I wonder could he mean by that when he "acquired" the staff?

(*) Kpp'Ar was the previous High Mage of Katolis during the reign of King Atticus (Harrow's father and Ezran's grandfather) and was the former teacher to Viren.

(*) According to the fandom wiki, the illusion spell uses the essence of the Sunray Monarchs into "restoring" a mage's appearance following their intense usage of Dark Magic but it lacked the incantation, so I decided to give it one.

(*) This is a callback to what Eda Clawthorne said to Hooty after he managed to answer Lilith despite being turned into a puppet by The Collector in The Owl House (S3E2: 'For the Future').

(*) Due to learning about Dark Magic and how it effects the mage's well-being physically and mentality-speaking in his clan's archives, Caleb has a grasp on what lengths Viren went through.

(*) Only the upper ranks (i.e., the clan leaders and the Valkyria) of Four Caelestian Clans know about Riasal's true identity as Lasair.

(*) Arcenciel Forest is the home to the Caelestian clan following the 'Judgement of the Half-Moon' (or 'Mage Wars' on the Pentarchy).

(*) This conversation is a mashup between Perc'ahlia in 'The Legend of Vox Machina' and Ruthari in the 2nd graphic novel 'The Bloodmoon Huntress' respectively.

(*) Noct Town is a quiet settlement located somewhere in the Kingdom of Katolis. It was mentioned in the upcoming graphic novel called 'Dreamer's Nightmare' with canon!callum and Ezran as the main characters, which takes place before the events of the television series.

(*) Caleb describes Adam as his 'earthly tether' which serves as a reference to the latter's namesake (see ch. 1 folks in which I will be updating on a much later date, so please be patient).

(*) I got this from reading the novelization of Book 1: Moon (Ch. 11, pg. 87)

(*) Now in the novel, when canon!claudia attempted to cast the Fulminus spell; the first part was written as 'Fool' so I decided to type in the word 'Ful' instead because it sounds the same no matter how you slice it.

(*) A thwart is a part of an undecked boat that provides seats for the crew and structural rigidity for the hull.

(*) A bow is the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat the point that is usually most forward when the vessel is underway.

(*) The Bonding Ceremony is an Ancient Caelestian Ritual where young Caelestian children can met and establish a bond with adolescent Primal Furies to be their lifelong companion. It pays an homage to the Air Nomads' event where young Airbenders bond with Sky Bison calves to be their friend in ATLA.

(*) Before they left for the capital, Adam had talked Amaya out of confronting Viren about stealing the egg out of concern that the Dark Mage will have the three of them imprisoned in order to keep the theft a secret.

(*) Whenever she has time away from carrying out her duty in guarding the border, Amaya pays her sister's grave a visit in the Valley of the Graves.

(*) This is a mash-up between Amaya's canon signing and my ASL interpretation.

(*) Remember, '[...]' is for thoughts only in case you have forgotten.

(*) A stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, which is the foremost part of a ship.

(*) Aquaphobia is the irrational fear of water (but considering what canon!rayla went through in 'The Bloodmoon Huntress', I don't blame her and male!raylan for having it.)

(*) The word 'Volare' is French for 'Fly and it is Calla's command for Hibari to fly. It pays an homage to the Airbenders' "yip-yip" command to prompt their sky bison to take flight, with the association between the verbal cue and the action becoming apparent even prior to formal training of calves in ATLA and TLOK respectively.

(*) More will be explained in the chapter after the next or next chapter depending on the review I will receive afterwards.

(*) Hibari grabbing Corran by her mouth is a callback to Zira grabbed Kovu and bringing him back to the Outsiders' territory back when he was a cub in Lion King II: Simba's Pride.

(*) The word 'Leumnaich' is Scot Gaelic for 'Jump' and it is Raylan's command for Corran to attack. Like Hibari, it pays an homage to the Airbenders' "yip-yip" command to prompt their sky bison to take flight, with the association between the verbal cue and the action becoming apparent even prior to formal training of calves in ATLA and TLOK respectively.

(*) The Dragonguard was a group of eight elite elven warriors sworn to protect the egg of the Dragon Prince, the son and heir of Avizandum and Zubeia. Following the death of Avizandum, the group was forcefully disbanded after most of its members were killed or had fled the scene. (Also, Netflix had titled it as the 'Dragon Guard' similar to the 'Crown Guard' right, so I mushed the two words together.)

(*) The word 'Imbécilecul Mage' is French for 'Stupidass Mage'.

And that's that for now. So stay tuned for the next chapter and another thing: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE TDP FANDOM!

- Yuuguregurl21