10- Dragon's Claw
#15 of The Legend of Rift Book III: Downfall
"Drakes and Dragonesses, today the City of Warfang rises once again."
Cheers filled the air as Shara watched over the dragon inhabitants. The public had no knowledge of the Guardian Purge that had taken place the day before. All they knew was the new Queen was putting her plan into place.
"Dragons have been underappreciated for generations, especially from their own kin in the form of the Guardians. But no more! The Guardians will no longer impede on the lives of the city." The turquoise dragoness smiled at the approval of her new subjects. She grinned. "Yesterday, I executed the first part of my plan to make dragons superior again. Eight Guardians and Messengers were in attendance."
Loud boos confirmed the large number of dragons what had despised the former leaders. "Strip them of all their control!" One dragon shouted from the mob.
Queen Shara frowned. "That is hardly enough of a punishment for such despicable beings. No, I had them executed." Silence befell the crowd. "Seven Messengers and Six Guardians were sentenced to death and fell. One Guardian and one Messenger escaped. They are wanted criminals and anyone that sees them and anyone else with them should immediately kill them."
The populace was mixed now. Half of the dragons cheered, while the other half, and the moles, stared in horror. A trumpet quieted the crowd as a group of Panthers drug out another figure. An orange dragon covered in grime with stubs where the remains of his horns sat on his head. A collar containing dark crystals sapped away all his strength.
"The other Guardian is right here." Shara looked at the dragon with an almost longing. "Fire Guardian Riften, the now former leader of the Warfang Guardians. Not only did he commit the atrocities of being a Guardian, but records show that he abandoned his post for many many months on a personal mission. That may have been acceptable under the old laws, but not anymore. Trust me when I say this dragon will be punished in such a way that no Guardian or creature will dare cross us!"
The turquoise dragoness smiled as in the corner of her eye, a silver scaled dragon ran off, clearly to inform their partners. 'Good Messenger Silvus. Tell your friends. The sooner you tell them, the sooner they'll be dealt with.'
Shara shook herself and turned back to the crowd. "You are all dismissed." She turned to Rift and grinned, kneeling down to whisper in his ear. "You've held well for your first day as my prisoner, but it won't last forever. I will break you."
Sithris quickly ran over when a portal opened up in the room he and the other dragons in Shimmering Shores sat. Silvus walked through, head hanging low. "He-he's alive."
Kara and Neala gave him hugs, looking at the pained expression on his face. "Uncle, what's wrong?" Neala tugged at him. He couldn't bring himself to explain what he had seen.
The electric dragon growled softly. "Silvus, you aren't telling us anything, what did they do to him." His fears were quickly rising. Every second without answers formulated more scenarios in his head.
"I can't tell you, not without risking you charging in and getting yourself killed." Silvus pleaded to Sithris, sighing as the black drake refused. The Light Messenger said nothing, only pointing to where his horns would have been.
Kara pulled back in horror, placing a paw over her mouth. "They shattered his horns? How is that possible? Weren't they made of silver like yours were?"
Silvus shivered as he thought back to his childhood, Evil Cynder digging his horns from his skull. "Silver or not, they can still shatter under enough pressure. Carmine was there, so I can imagine he did that too as revenge. He was looking really roughed up."
The black paws of Sithris began pacing back and forth at the news. To say he was angry was an understatement. Electricity sparked under his paw at each step. "Why can't we go now?
The silver drake put a paw on his shoulder." I want to get him out too, but Shara knows that we'd be getting ourselves killed trying to go now. We both have seen how he is with losing a loved one. We can't risk putting him through that again. Our best bet is to get situated in Dragon's Claw and wait for others to join us. This is going to be war."
Sithris shuddered. "I want him back... But I suppose we'll plan an attack. He's hoping we build a resistance big enough to end this."
Silvus nodded and created a portal. He motioned all but his sister through. He sighed. "I know you want to come, but you need to say here. The island depends on it." Rose nodded and hugged Silvus. "When you can, go get Kardia. I don't think your home will be much safer now.
The silver drake nodded gently and walked through the portal, looking in awe at where he stood.
The group of dragons were surrounded by lush Evergreen Pines that could nearly stretch for ages. Snow capped mountains wrapped around, signifying they were at a higher elevation. Sithris and Neala were awestruck, having never known of an area such as this. Silvus however, had been here many times, but that had been years ago, when his cousin was just a young teen. Kara took a deep breath and couldn't hide a tear form from her eyes. She was home.
"Come on guys, just a bit further up the road!" Kara shouted and began sprinting, Neala bouncing right behind her. Silvus and Sithris looked at each other in surprise, before chasing after as well.
After only mere minutes, the four skidded to a halt, staring at the image of homes. Kara smiled and pulled Neala onto her head, and leaning against Sithris. "I want you two to say hello to the City of Dragon's Claw."
"It looks almost completely like when I was here last. You should be proud of your project Kara." Silvus commented in surprise. It really did look like a near complete recreation of the original city.
"I designed it to the best of my ability, but there was one thing I had added." Kara pawed at the ground before giving them a tour of the city, showing them where her mother raised her, the marketplace, and the school. Dragons and moles were already here, certainly the construction crew that rebuilt the area.
Kara stopped at the city center. A large statue on a podium sat on it. Neala stared in fascination. The young hatchling looked back as Silvus and Sithris stared in surprise. She resumed looking at the statue.
The statue was comprised of two figures. The first and largest of them, had massive bulging muscles and an air of security. His two horns gently curved back, small rings around them showing the stages of their growth. The figure sat on his hind legs proudly, wings covering just over his shoulders. His eyes were a deep amber, scales a deep red, with a yellow underbelly, horns, wings, and tail spade.
The second was much smaller, slightly shorter than Kara. He had many of the same physical features. The same muscles, scaled down to its size, same horned shape, and same spade tail, orange and silver covering the figure. The figures' muzzle however was narrower, eyes a deep blue, and a large gash on it's chest.
"Void and Rift..." Silvus murmured. Seeing the large dragon brought him comfort, remembering how the former Guardian Candidate always made him feel welcome.
For Sithris, the statue of Rift only tugged painfully at his heart. He knew that even if they freed Rift, he wouldn't be the same dragon he had loved for eight long years. He needed to bring him home now.
Kara placed a paw on the statue. "After Void was deemed too emotionally driven to be Fire Guardian, he came here and became the unofficial Dragon's Claw Guardian. He spent the rest of his life helping everyone he could. He eventually met a dragoness by the name of Ravine, and quickly fell in love, and she became gravid. I don't know how it happened, but she died before the egg was laid."
She looked up at the sky and chuckled. "And the hatchling that hatched from that would become a pain in the rear for us all, but he always did what he thought was right. I just wish he could be here to see this with us."
Sithris tensed. Rift was his and Kara's. No one else could have him. The black drake needed to get him back, the only thing he needed was a few moments of Silvus being away so that he could fly off. Thankfully, the silver drake took that moment to start speaking.
"I need to go get Kardia. I don't like her being alone this long. I think I'll bring her here so she can rest better." Silvus admitted. "It shouldn't take me too long."
Kara waved a paw dismissively. "Go on silly. When you get back, look for Void's place. We'll be there."
Silvus nodded slowly and disappeared through a portal.
Sithris walked up to Kara and Neala and gave them both a kiss on the cheek. "I need to check on the cave. I won't be long." He didn't give Kara a chance to protest before taking off.
Silvus sighed in relief as he stepped back into Dragon's Claw. He nodded at the portal and licked the cheek of the former Interim Water Guardian, and his mate, Kardia. "At the very least, it's safe."
The dragoness nodded, finding it harder through the days as her belly swelled, an egg or more growing inside her. "You weren't kidding when you told me about the beauty of this place."
The ice drake chuckled. "Nor whenever I told you how beautiful you are. A beautiful place for a beautiful mate. You mellowed out over the last few years love."
She rolled her eyes and bapped his nose. "And you've only become more cheeky and bolder. Nothing until things are situated."
Silvus nodded and led her to a house on the edge of the city. He knocked on the door and smiled as Kara opened up, motioning them to come in. He was about to ask how things were when he noticed the Wind Guardian's somber face. "Sithris, where is he?"
Kara sighed. "He said he was going to the cave, and left before I could talk him out of it. I don't like this Silvus, he's been completely irrational about things lately. He's no longer being the calm and calculated dragon he's been. I want Rift back, but I don't want to risk both getting killed."
The silver drake nodded slowly. "I'll drag him by the tail if I have to."
The lush green grass and sparkling waterfalls of the Valley of Avalar would normally put the black dragon at ease, but Sithris was determined to get back what was rightfully his. He needed his pest. He ignored the sound of something shifting behind him.
The noise quickly turned into a weight that tackled him out of the sky. He landed hard with a grunt and quickly pulled himself up, looking for his attacker. He frowned at the silver drake now standing in front of him.
"I will not let you get yourself killed and doom all of us!" Silvus could barely contain his irritation. "What part of this doesn't reek of death?"
Sithris snarled. "You said it yourself that he's getting tortured there! I've stuck by him and pulled him through the best and worst of it. I'm not going to let some wretch take him away!"
Silvus sighed. "Stop trying to rationalize acting on what Rift would do Sithy. You aren't him, you can't sustain a full on assault on your own. He himself couldn't do it. We can't do it yet. We need more support. Think Sithy, think like Sithy the Tinkerer. Don't think like Rift. We will free him once we have more support."
The black drake tried to push down his frustration, one eye going red and runes pulsating over his scales. He could probably kill every single dragon in Warfang if he gave into the Warp that had been a part of him for so long. He just had to give it control. But that would also put Rift and his family at risk, his Warped Form having no care to distinguish friend from foe, only in what way he would viciously destroy anyone in his way.
"Please think Sithy, you still have to care for Kara and Neala. I have Kardia and an egg on the way. If not for me, hold strong for them. Rift would want you to protect them first." Silvus pleaded, knowing full well that a Warped Sithris would tear him to shreds if he didn't think carefully. Rift had been the black drake's last victim and had the Guardian within an inch of his life. Silvus shivered at the memory, having to help fuse the drake's shattered back together again.
The runes faded away and both eyes returned to normal. Sithris trembled, a mix of fear and helplessness. He couldn't stop himself from bursting into tears. Silvus pulled him into a long hug. "I know Sithy, just give us some time to figure this all out."