Chapter 7:
Fire and Fury

That night, Team Zym found a cliffside cave in the woods to sleep. Except for Calla, who's still wide awake and sitting on the edge. She's wondering about the Key of Aaravah in her hand that Queen Hera wanted her to have. "What do you think this thing is?" she asked Bait. "She said it was a key, but a key to what?"

"You practicing magic or are you losing to Bait at a game of rolly-cubes?" Raylis asked as he walks up to the cliffside and sits down beside them.

"Magic. I think I'm getting close. There's so much swirling around in my head, but I need a way to bring it all together."

"Like some kid of breakthrough?"

"Yeah!" Calla then noticed the cube is glowing due to Ray sitting close to her. "What about you? You were born with the Moon Arcanum."

"I suppose so." Ray shrugged.

"So when you do cool moon powers, you're connected to the moon, right? What does that feel like?"

"I don't really think about it." Ray starts making gestures and whooping noises. "I just stand in the light of the full moon, and then there's a feeling like... And then there's a sort of... ting! And then..." Ray jumps up. "Moonshadow powers! Does that help?"

"No, not at all. But I enjoyed it."


Elsewhere, Sonja and Claude reach the border of a small fortified town on horseback, with Raptora in tow. They tied the tracker's hands together, with Sonja pulling her along by rope.

"Once we're in town, we can ditch Raptora in jail or something and be done with her." Sonja said.

"But we're so off Calla and Ezra's trail now. Do you think we can catch up to them?" Claude asked.

"Of course we can! We promised mom!" Sonja said. She also promised here mom that she can kill them, which she still intends to do. She just got to find a way to do without Claude knowing.

"You know, I could help you track them, if you untied me." Raptora offered, holding out her bound hands.

"No, no, no, no. If I untie you, you're just gonna try and escape. Again." Sonja said.

"No, not this time. This time will be different. I promise."

"Hmm, well..." Sonja ponders this.

"No, Sonja!" Claude yelled.

"Hey!" Sonja pulls on the rope to bring Raptora closer to her. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, back to you again."

"That's not a saying."

"It is now. So... shame... on... you." Sonja said, before she and Claude ride off into town, and dragging Raptora.


Back on the cliffside, Calla is pacing around.

"I have to be a mage again. We saw a dragon in the clouds yesterday. Things will only get tougher once we get into Xadia. And crossing the border? That's going to be crazy dangerous."

"Uhhhhhh... Maybe not." Ray said suspiciously.

"There's a river of lava!" Calla stated. "One does not simply walk into Xadia."

"Actually, one does simply walk into Xadia." Raylis reassured. "There's a secret path, the Moonstone Path. It'll be safe and easy, even for you, magic or no magic. Come get some rest."

"You're right. Let's go back to sleep." Calla said. They went back inside the cave, missing the shadow of the dragon passing by through the sky. Though Bait barely caught a glimpse of it and ran quicker inside.


Sonja and Claude enter the town, which has a tower with ramparts rises above the surrounding buildings and walls. It seems quiet. Too quiet, despite several villagers and guards standing around.

Dragging Raptora along, Sonja approaches them. "Excuse me. Excuse me. We're looking for a town jail? We've got a horrible traitor to lock up for, uh, traitorous words and deeds. Standard traitor stuff." Sonja said.

Everyone is still silent. Their attention appears to be on something else, as they're all gazing skyward.

"Excuse me! Crownguard here!" Sonja yelled, annoyed that they're not answering her.

"Something's weird." Claude said, noticing everyone is worriedly tense.

"I know! No one's listening to me." Sonja complained.

"What?" Claude responded, as if he got distracted himself.

"There!" A female guard said, pointing upward. "It's back!"

Everyone gasped as the dragon comes into view and flies above the clouds.

"Is that..." Claude started.

"A dragon?" Sonja finished.

It's a large maroon dragon, its head crowned with yellow shaded horns. It then dives at the town and swoops back up, spreading its wings and glides away.

Raptora looks at it suspiciously.

Some of the soldiers run up to Sonja.

"Yeah, it's the third night in a row it's flown over us." Another female soldier informed.

"And you haven't shot it down yet? What are those ballistas for?" Sonja questioned, pointing to a tower.

"Well, it hasn't attacked us." A male soldier shrugged.

"So? It's the enemy. I'm taking command here. Crownguard, I might have mentioned." The two guards stare at each other.

Sonja, Claude, Raptora and a few guards walked up to the top of the tower where the ballistics are mounted.

"Hold on! The dragon isn't attacking. It's just trying to intimidate us." Raptora warned.

"Well, then, I'll just have to show it that humans won't be intimidated." Sonja said.

Sonja prepares one of the ballista as the dragon flies in a wide circle around the tower. It appears to be focusing on Sonja.

"Sonja, please. Don't start a fight you can't finish." Raptora begged.

Sonja launches the first attack and misses. The dragon flies up on the clouds, apparently leaving the area.

"Ha! See? Scared it off. Dragon problem solved." Sonja said cockily.

But then, the dragon returns immediately, letting out a loud angry roar that can be heard from the cave Team Zym are sleeping in. They're not far off from the town.

Raylis jolts awake to that roar. "Oh, no. I know that sound." Raylis said. "That's not a good sound."

Calla and Raylis rush out to investigate the situation. Ezra runs after them, but noticed Zym is trying to follow her.

"Wait, we don't know if it's safe out there. Bait, stay with Zym." Ezra said, before running off. The newborn dragonling moans sadly, as she appears to want to be more involved with whatever her new friends are up to.

The dragon descends onto the town and setting fire to the rooftops, sparking chaos. "Get down!" Sonja yelled, as it shoots out fire at the tower with a direct hit.

The princesses and Ray watch in horror as this is happening.

"What's it doing here? Why is it attacking the town?" Calla asked, worried for the townspeople.

"I don't know." Raylis expressed in shock, as he has no idea why a dragon would do so.

"Don't just stand there! Get on those ballistas!" Sonja ordered the soldiers. Then she sees the dragon flying back towards them. "It's circling back. Get ready to fire."

The dragon prepares to hit the tower again, until...

"Fire!" Sonja ordered.

The ballistics shoot multiple arrows at the dragon, but it manage to dodge them, and hit the tower with fire. Sonja, Claude, and Raptora barely avoided the flames. One of the ballistas break from the tower.

Sonja then walks up to Raptora who's currently sitting on the floor. Sonja pulls out her sword, much to the shock of both Claude and Raptora.

"Sonja!" Claude yelled.

"What are you..." Raptora raise her bound hands up, and Sonja cut the ropes, freeing her. Much to Raptora's confusion. "I don't understand."

"These people need help." Sonja sheath her sword. "Get as many as you can to safety."

Raptora gets up and heads downstairs to help out in evacuating the villagers to safety, after giving Sonja a friendly nod. "Don't get yourself killed."

Sonja then looks down at the chaos, having now realize that her impulsive actions have led to a terrible outcome that may have been avoidable. "I think I really messed up this time, Clyde. I-I don't know how to stop it."

"Don't say that yet. I have an idea." Claude proposes as he pulls out a purple box from his bag. "It's the eye of a gryphon. With this, I can enchant a ballista bolt to never miss its target, no matter what."

Sonja takes a peak and is grossed out by what's inside. "Eww! So you just carry a gryphon eyeball around with you? Who does that?"

"Oh, how about, 'Thank you for carrying a gryphon's eye with you, Claude. You're so prepared. You're the best.'" Claude said.

Sighing, Sonja says, "Thank you, Claude. You're the best."

As the dragon circles back, Claude and Sonja quickly pushed the last remaining ballista towards the dragon's direction. Then, using the eye of the gryphon, Claude chants the incantation, "Kram ruoy dnif, tlob rekeestraeh." (1) His eyes glow purple, and conjures purple energy in his closed fists and then spread it on the bolt's head. The energy shrouds the entire bolt and she rushes to the winch.

As the dragon flies closer, Claude fires the glowing purple bolt. The dragon twists in midair to dodge it then soars ahead. This caused Sonja to panic, but Claude just smirks. The enchanted bolt sprouts wings and turns. The dragon launches fire at the tower, breaking its top off. The bolt flies at the dragon who dodges it. In pursuit, the bolt loops through the air and strikes a fatal hit at the dragon's flank below it's left wing.

On the overlook Raylis, Calla and Ezra stare in horror. "They hit it!" Raylis aghast.

The dragon cries out in pain as it turns and started coming down at the trio on the cliffside.

"Get down!" Raylis yelled as they dropped to the ground just as the dragon passes just above them. Then it crashes into the forest on the outskirts of town.

Standing up, Raylis and Calla spotted Ezra below, running toward the dragon.

"Ezra!" Calla yelled. She and Ray run down the overlook to follow her.

Ezra stops at the edge of a clearing where the dragon crashed. It's lying still, with its wings spread and its eye shut. Raylis and Calla arrive not long after.

"Is it dead?" Calla asked in concern.

Ezra slowly walks toward the dragon. Reaching out toward the dragon's badly cut face, Ezra hesitates then places her hand on its snout and closes her eyes, inspecting its condition. The dragon groans softly, slowly opens its eye and looks at a startled Ezra, letting her know that it's still conscious, yet severely injured.


The sun hangs low in the sky looking over Katolis, as Vira and her two guards return to the castle on horseback. They enter the courtyard, and Vira dismounts her horse. The guards take her horse back to the stable.

Vira has been quiet on the trip back home. Not only because the Pentarchy refused to help Katolis, but they rejected her.

She was about to return to her quarters when Odel comes running down a flight of stairs to confront her.

"Vira!"

The advisor stopped at her tracks. Because his voice reminded of someone she loved. A reminder of what she has done.

"How dare you?" Odel said angrily, while clutching a scroll. "You used Queen Hera's seal to summon the Pentarchy and then you lied to them. You called yourself the Queen Regent of Katolis. You committed treason, Vira, and for what?!"

"For nothing." Vira answered sorrowfully. Then she walks away.

"You'll be removed from the High Council for this, and you'll be lucky if that's all!" Odel warned.


Back in the clearing on the outskirts of the scorched bordertown, Calla and Ray stand besides Ezra and the dragon.

"Is it alright?" Calla asked.

"He is in pain." Ezra answered. "Don't worry, Pyrran. We can help you." she hugs his head.

"His name is Pyrran?" Calla questioned.

Ezra suddenly spotted something. "There! Beneath his wing." She points to the ballista bolt that hit him.

Ezra tries to push the wing up. Ray came over to assist her.

"Come on. Help me." Ray said to Calla.

Calla helps and the three manage to lift the wing up, so Ezra can pull out the bolt. Unfortunately, they hear Sonja and her men closing in. Raylis draws his swords out.

"What are you doing?" Calla asked.

"The humans are coming. We have to protect him."

"We can't fight them, Ray."

"I can't just leave him."

"Calla's right." Ezra said reluctantly. "And we have to get back to Zym."

"We did what we could." Calla said. "Come on!"

Raylis reluctantly has to retreat with the princesses and leave Pyrran. They hid behind a tree and look to see Claude and Sonja, and a lot of soldiers behind them. Raylis realize it had to be them who hit the dragon. He wanted to confront them, but Calla stopped him, and they fled.

"Funny, you said you wanted to slay a dragon." Claude said to Sonja. "It's one of your life goals. But looks like I did it before you, huh?" he chuckled.

A disgruntled Sonja dismounts. "I think it's dead, we can't be too sure." She kicked Pyrran's head, no response. "Secure the dragon!" she ordered.

The soldiers brought out the chains.

Team Zym return to their cave.

"Zym! Zym, are you okay?" Ezra called out.

Zym pops out from behind a rock, and so did a black-colored Bait. Zym happily run up to Ezra, who hugs her.

Calla then noticed Ray was looking outside with a worried expression on his face. "I should have done something." Ray said.

"Ray, you're always the one who reminds us that the only thing that matters is getting Zym back to Xadia." Calla said. "Why are you hesitating now?"

"I'm not hesitating! Not this time! This is different. Every fiber in my body is telling me this is wrong. That dragon is defenseless and I just left him there." Ray said, turning his head rejectfully and lowers his gaze.


Vira descends into the dungeon undisturbed, despite being stripped of her authority in the council and Odel's warning that she still awaits judgment.

"Welcome back! I hope you had a pleasant trip." The chained Gwen greeted, who seems to still be cheerful despite her position as a prisoner.

"How could you possibly remain so cheerful in your dire circumstance?" Vira asked.

"Well, the way I look at it, I don't see myself as chained down, but rather chained up."

"I admire your tenacity." Vira said.

She enters the prison cell where the mirror is still held. Having lost all options to seize power, Vira decides to finish the ritual with the mysterious female elven mage in the mirror.

"I have nothing left to lose." Vira lamented. She pulls the tarp from the mirror, and looks at the knife still imbedded on the table.


Back in the forest, the soldiers have fastened Pyrran to the ground with ropes and chains.

"There's so many things we can do with a dragon." Claude said eagerly, looking up in his dark magic spellbook. "Dragon whiskers. Dragon toes. A dragon tooth. A dragon nose. There's even a chapter about spells that use dragon snot. It's some powerful goo. We don't have the Dragon Princess, but do you think if we brought this dragon home, Mom would..."

"It's something, but... it does weigh, like, about a million tons? How are we gonna move it?" Sonja asked.

"In pieces." Claude answered as he slams his spellbook shut.

Back in the cave, Calla sees Ray is still looking outside.

"I don't get it, Ray. Why are you so worried about a dragon that just set fire to a town?" Calla wonders.

"I've been thinking about something someone once told me. About how when one person hurts another, then that person hurts them back," Raylis said, "it becomes a cycle that never ends."

"Who told you that?"

"You did. When we first met, and I tried to kill you." Raylis reminded her.

"Oh."

"And Ezra said that the point of bringing back Zym to her father isn't just to stop the war, but to bring peace between our people. So for that to happen and break this cycle of hatred, someone has to take a stand when no one else will."

Calla sighs. "You're right. If we're really going to change things, we can't just watch while humans and Xadia keep hurting each other. But... how do I take a stand? Believe me, I want go down there and help you and be one of the heroes who stop all the fighting and save the day, but I can't do that without magic or a Primal Stone! I can't do anything!"

"It's okay, Calla." Raylis reassures. "I'm not asking you to come with me. Protecting that dragon doesn't just feel like the right thing to do, it feels like the right thing for me to do. It's where I'm meant to be. I'm going back down there. If I don't come back, you and Ezra can get Zym to Xadia. I believe in you." he said.

"Ray, wait!"

But Ray jumps down the cliff. Leaving Calla to watch over Ezra and Zym. Feeling so... useless.

Ray hides behind the trees and bushes as he sees the captive dragon. He pulls his hood up and draws his blades out. "It doesn't matter what happens to me. Live or die, this dragon is going home."

Raylis stealthily gets past the soldiers guarding the dragon and cut off the ropes restraining Pyrran. Though he did knock out two guards. He tries to cut the chains, but gets discovered by Sonja. "This girl again. Of course."

"A dead dragon and a dead elf all in one day." Sonja said smugly. "Everything is coming up Sonja."

The two end up in combat while he is surrounded by Sonja's men.

Meanwhile in the cave, Ezra is playing with Zym while Calla is drawing in her sketchbook to get her mind off her worries.

"What are you doing?" Ezra asked.

"I'm just drawing, Ezra." Calla answered.

"You seem upset."

"Yep. I draw when I'm upset." She's drawing Raylis. When her pencil broke, she angrily throws her book away. Several pages turned back, revealing that she's been drawing Raylis for a while, after having stopped drawing Claude like she used to, following his betrayal. But while starring at a sketch of Claude, Calla notices his spellbook... "Maybe there is something I can do. Ezra, you have to stay here. Protect Bait and Zym."

When Azymondia chases after Calla, Ezra tries to distract the dragonling with a game.

"Hey! Don't worry, Zym. We're gonna have fun while they're gone. Why don't we play a game?"

It's starting to rain as Raylis finds himself overpowered and unable to break loose the chains securing Pyrran.

"Ooh, yeah. The thing about chains? They're made of metal. Hard to cut." Sonja explained.

"I'm not backing down." Sonja said determinedly.

"Try not to kill him, Sonja." Claude heeded. "He can lead us to Ezra and Calla."

"He doesn't have to." Everyone turned to find Calla entering the scene. "I'm right here."

"Calla you're safe! Thank the gods." Claude praised, but then he noticed Calla has his spellbook in one hand and a large green caterpillar in her other hand. "What are you doing?" He asked worriedly.

"Your kind of magic." Calla said.

"You don't want to do this, Calla." Claude pleaded, as he slowly walked towards Calla. "It's really dangerous unless someone shows you how."

"You already did." Calla emphasis by squeezing the life out of the caterpillar. "Dnibnu leets gnirehtils." (2) Her eyes glow purple as she recites the "Snake Binding" spell that Claude had used before, causing all the chains to turn into snakes that drive off the soldiers in fear. Her eyes then turned black, before they return to normal. Unfortunately, the spell takes a toll on Calla's body and falls to the ground unconscious. Raylis tries to push Pyrran's head, but the dragon remains unresponsive. "Get up, you're free!"

Sonja uses this opportunity to finally seize Raylis.

"Congratulations! That was impressive. Really. You did everything you could to save a monster that torched a town of innocent people." Sonja said.

"Maybe you were the one who provoked him to do it." Raylis said angrily.

Sonja scoffed. "Of course you, an elf assassin, would defend a monster. But it didn't even matter anyway. You just freed a dead dragon."

However, Pyrran finally awakens and towers over everyone.

Meanwhile, Ezra plays a round of hide-and-seek with Bait and Azymondia. She was able to find Bait as her glow gives away her position, as usual. "Still bad at this. Now, where's Zym?" She looks around the area. Then she suddenly had a terrible thought. "Oh no, I'm so stupid. Hide and seek was a really bad idea!"

While Sonja is busy with Pyrran, Raylis rushes towards Calla to pick her up. "We have to get out of here!"

The soldiers fled while Sonja and Pyrran engage in combat, where she manages to cut off one of his horns, but in return is being slammed into a nearby rock by his tail. Suddenly, Pyrran's focus shifts from his opponent as he spots Azymondia nearby, who had walked into the scene. Ezra ran up to grab Zym as Pyrran roars at them. But then, he froze. He seems to recognize the Dragon Princess, so he flies off.

Azymondia's presence finally gives Claude a chance to take back the Dragon Princess. "The little dragon is coming with me!" he yelled and begins reciting a spell to trap her as his snake bracelets starts to uncoil, "Leets gnirehtils..." (3), but was cut off by Sonja's cries.

"Claude!"

His arms still outstretched, as he looks back and forth between Ezra and Sonja. Facing a dilemma between obeying his mother no matter what happens, and saving his own sister.

"Help me." she pleaded.

Claude ultimately rushes to help his injured sister, allowing Azymondia and Ezra to escape. "I'm here." Sonja's eyes starts around with worry. "Come on, get up. We have to get you some help."

"I... can't move, Claude. I can't move!"

Claude's eyes widen as a look of horror dawns on his face, realizing Sonja's entire body has been paralyzed.


Inside the dungeon cell, Vira awaits the return of the she-elf inside the mirror. When she finally returns, the elf quickly notices that Vira is ready to finish the ritual.

"I'm ready." Vira holds up the knife.

The she-elf nods and slits her palm with her knife. A few drops of blood pour into the bowl, creating a small burst of purple fire and smoke. Vira mimics the same gesture, and the mortar also gives off purple fire and smoke. The elf then opens her mouth and a black and purple caterpillar-like creature with thin horns crawls out. The elf takes the caterpillar with her pointer finger and lowers it into a swirling red and violet liquid in the bowl, causing it to teleport into Vira's mortar with a red glow.

Confused, Vira grabs the bug from the mortar. Then it crawls under her sleeve and up her arm, freaking her out. It came out of Vira's collar and places itself on her right ear, where the elf's words echo through it.

"Speak."

"I..." Vira stammered in shock, as she fearfully looks around the empty dungeon cell.

"Speak, so that I may hear you."

Vira turns to the she-elf. "Who-who are you?"

"Ah. How long I have waited to hear the sound of another voice. How may I serve you?"


Author's Notes:

Claude listing dragon parts is a reference to the "Every Little Piece" sequence in 1977's Pete's Dragon.

Translations:
(1): "Heartseeker bolt, find your mark."
(2): "Slithering steel unbind."
(3): "Slithering steel bind them."