FSE

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Chapter 21

A pulse echoed through the night, a wretched scream that sunk down it’s icy fangs to all that heard it. Animals without the gift of speech ran in terror at it’s awakening, fleeing into the night, their destination anywhere than within the shadow of what was to come. The more intelligent beasts shook, a storm of unease gently swirling in their guts, resting heavily like a stone. They looked to the stars and beheld the rising broken form, knowing untold misery awaited in the days ahead.

From the swamp rose the uniter like a terrible beast, staggering and groaning with every inch of it’s ascent. Water drained across it’s weathered walls, cascading down as if to relieve this creature of it’s burden. The ground splintered with a thunderous crack that echoed through the night, following as if the construction were it’s master.

Golden light swelled across it’s moisture slick surfaces, burning away what vines still dare rest upon it’s stone. The untamed rock and roots that followed the rising fortress began to splinter and reform, crushed together till not a crease marred it’s surfaces. They assumed shapes of different sizes, picking up speed to replace the weathered walls that gleamed cruelty in the moonlights. Vines that failed to yield to the uniter’s demands were burned away with the next wave of light, covering the fortress from the pointed towers to the rock at it’s base, shaped to resemble the many fangs of a dragon’s maw.

There is rested, hungrily glaring down at the swamp, focusing it’s gaze upon the tree of Nutambar. They stood, complete opposites, one of life and the other consumed by death. Deep within it’s stone walls, a reborn emperor stood resolute, imposing his will into every bit of stone that surrounded him. His scaled paws were at work, weaving spells into the fortress that had aided his reign. Broken sections reforged themselves, collapsed hallways were emptied, tattered constructs were given life anew, there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish. When he finished he crawled to the Uniter’s towering walls, letting the night wind gently caress his green scaled snout.

Down below he could see the land rolling away from him, a place waiting for his tender guidance. How lost were the eons of this world, waiting for the tender care of dragon kind? He took a deep, composing breath, it had been far too long, and now, he’d set everything right. But his eyes were drawn to the ivory bark of the Nutambar, a smudge against the tapestry of his land. One a far side he could spy a series of tents, ones bearing the rampart pegasus of Drenedar. Had they brought an army to thwart him?

He chuckled in his throat over such an attempt. Had Ossai cobbled together something to stop what was coming? His paws kneaded the stone as he let magic start to build within him, golden eyes starting to glow. He let his essence connect with the stone around him, it’s resting machinery enslaving to his immortal will. They would not be an army to thwart him, no, and death would be too simple of a thing. He’d do what he’d intended to do when he’d first built this place, bring unity to a world so devoid of it.

With the last of his spell commanded and a flick of his tail, the uniter began to swell with untold power. It’s surfaces began to glisten and gleam, twinkle like the stars above. Threads of intense magical light began to crackle to life, twisting and turning around the uniter with terrible speed. Wind began to thrash as magic bent to a terrible will, the air itself pounding with overpowering need.

It all came to an end for a moment, an uneasy calm before the storm. When it broke the ground trembled and shook, an explosion of golden light sweeping across the land. It turned night to day as it swallowed everything in its tendrils, wrapping tight around all that it could find. There was to be no escape, not through earth, or stone, or wood. All would fall under it’s wicked spell.

** * * * * * * * * * * * * * **

Lyndis woke at the sound of a wren’s shrill, morning call. She shifted beneath sheets of linen as a soreness lanced across her every limb. Where was she? The thought flickered by as she yawned wide enough to rival that of a dragon’s. Had all last night been a dream? A terrible nightmare that terrorized her as she slept? She almost smiled at the glimmer of hope.

Her eyes fluttered awake as the cruel visage of Cordenth bubbled to life in the back of her mind. Those golden seas devoid of any empathy, kindness, hungry. Thank the stars it had only been but a dream. Sitting up she kept blinking away sleep’s fogginess, stretching her sore arms towards the ceiling and unleashing her morning roar. She coiled on herself as pain struck down her spine, leaving her breathless and panting for breath.

“The hell?” She muttered to herself, teeth clenched. Did she sleep wrong? Her gaze swept around the sparse room she found herself in, nothing but a simple dresser and stool besides the bed of hay in which she found herself in. Her brow rose, lingering on the sun’s golden rays streaming through the open doorway to the world beyond. How had she gotten here?

She tried to piece together what led to these events, dismissing what had happened last night at first. Had it been Tomu that had lifted her here? Or perhaps it was Cordenth himself, unwilling to let her sleep outdoors? Unease flickered across her face as she saw the ragged looks of her vest upon the dresser, reduced to ribbons by large slash marks. Perfectly sized for dragon claws. Her heart stopped dead.

Was last night not a dream? She sat upright, finding herself clothed in a simple clay colored dress. But the fact was shrouded in the now emptiness building within her. Cold came with the next few breaths, clawing at her flesh and widening her eyes into mournful recognition. As she groaned and held herself, she lived through the events of the night prior. Cordenth looming over her, the wickedness on his snout, to the copper taste of blood upon her tongue. It wasn’t a dream. Everything she’d feared had come to past. Tiamat, Ossai, all of it.

She went to stand, still in a daze, her pained legs buckling out from under her. With little grace she crashed to the floor with a dull thud. How was she in this much pain? Pulling up her dress revealed the grim truth, horrible scars that spread across her stomach and torso. The remains of a dragon’s attack, she reminded herself. Thinking back to those moments, held within Tiamat’s grasp…How did she escape?

The question plagued her as she struggled to stand, fighting against the phantom weights that seemed to drag down each of her limbs. The minutes that took to stand were agony, the slightest of wrong shifts causing pain to pierce through her like a lance. By the time she was standing tall, she was panting, longing to rest beneath the sheets. If she was in this much pain and not dead, and healing magic had been applied…Her heart sank, it must have been terrible. Enough that she should have been dead.

She held her head as golden seas of despair haunted her, a wicked laugh taunting her next few breaths. If last night wasn’t a dream, it made sense that either Infinity or Lyyreth had saved her, she doubted Tiamat would get her well, unless he planned to make a pet of her. She scowled and held her stomach, padding her way to the open door. Time to see if she was being held captive or not.

The answer was less than clear. She was definitely not on the uniter, but in a room seemingly chiseled out of the tree of Nutambar itself. The sun above taunted her, shining it’s carefree light upon the vast green swaths of nature below, a stark contrast to the despair that lurked within chest. Her next few breaths were labored and shaky, looking for a way down from the height in which she found herself. Sure enough there were steps ascending to her room, made of mushrooms large enough to hold up her weight.

She leaned against the white bark, a feeling of comfort and safety washing over her. If she was here, had they won? Had Lyyreth and Infinity dispatched Tiamat and taken her here to be healed? She searched the horizon from where she clung, only finding the sparkling waters, the swaths of trees and the birds that fluttered too and fro from their branches. Not a sign of the blackened shadow the uniter cast, it was like the marsh had forgotten it’s presence. She groaned, it would appear as though they’d lost, unless the marsh had sunk the uniter beneath it’s much, making sure no one could find it again. But fate wasn’t that kind.

Hand on the tree she descended the steps, careful to not move too far, lest she fall to the ground below. By the time she’d reached the grass below, she was almost out of breath and starting to get used to the pain that greeted each step. Her body might not have thought she was ready to walk about, but like hell she was going to linger in her room, moping about with a broken spirit. As she gathered her strength in the warm morning breeze, she caught sight of something that made her freeze. There was a dragon of exceptional size laying in the grass, eyes closed, belly up, snoring away as it soaked in the sunlight.

It was at least twice the size of Cordenth from snout to tail, green and color with not a difference between it’s scales. Copper seemed to be painted across its scales, shimmering in the light like a grand treasure, awe inspiring to behold. Membranes were out wide, relaxed, completing the picture of a relaxing dragon. But was he a friend or foe?

“Are you just going to stand there all day, gawking at me?” The dragon opened a copper tinted eye, a slight amusement on his snout, “I mean, I don’t mind it, I get it.” He swished his grand tail through the grass, “Lots of dragon to take in…Take your time.”

The tone wasn’t threatening, nor did the dragon move swiftly to stop her departure. Perhaps he wasn’t a foe at all? Though she rolled her eyes at his continuing statements, going on about his resplendent beauty. “I wasn’t gawking at you, and no I’m not in awe.”

“And now you’re being hurtful.” The dragon flopped to his belly, green frills on other side of his snout fluttering in and out, “Its probably because you’re desensitized to the greatness dragons bring, from those other ones you hang around.” He wagged a wing to the sky, “Ruining it all for the rest of us.”

She shook her head with a groan, “Who are you and why are you at the tree of Nutambar? I don’t believe we saw you lazing about yesterday.”

“I don’t laze about miss sleeping beauty.” The dragon announced in a brassy, dignified voice, “I had plenty of interesting activities to do, you were the one sleeping away in her bed. For days I might add.” He then cleared his throat, rolling a paw to his chest, lightly fluffing his wings for a more regal affect. “And you find yourself before Revaramek the resplendent, some might call me the dazzling emerald, the viridian soothsayer, the flower of Nutambar, others, and if you’re really feeling like massaging my scales, the benevolent overlord.”

Her eyes widened, her heart skipped a beat. _“_Excuse me, days?”

Revaramek’s snout wrinkled, “I say all that, and that is the part you focus on?” He snorted and snapped away his snout, “Here I thought a queen like yourself would be less self-centered, here you are meeting a dragon of old and you’re concerned about your beauty sleep!”

She couldn’t look at him, not as the dread coiled and tumbled in her gut. When she spoke, her voice was weak, nearly cracking, “How long was I out if it were days.”

“I see how it is.” The dragon rolled his eyes with a harsh snort, “You were out for two days, though I admit it’s hard to tell.” He scratched at his chin with one of his massive claws, “Everything’s been running together lately.”

“But if I’ve been out for two days….” She marched around, searching for any sign of the uniter from her new vantage spot. There was nothing, same as before. She whirled around to Revaramek, who was busy scratching the top of his head with a wing talon, “What happened to the uniter?”

“Oh, you mean the floating fortress?” Revaramek yawned. “Night you were brought in it flared up like the sun, turning night into day for the briefest of moments. Old Tomu claims it was bad, but I rather liked the look of it.” He furrowed his snout as Lyndis didn’t share in his little smirk, “Oh I get your distain of it, that’s where your dragon got off to, leaving you behind. Well, best to come to terms with that, dragons are not your fancy horses Lyndis.”

“How did you know my name?” She rose her brow, getting the dragon to dismiss her with a wave.

“Mentioned in passing sure of it. You are the queen you know.”

“Then as the queen, can you tell me where it went?” Her arms crossed, “It’s bloody important we keep tabs on it, and I’ve just found out I’m two days out of it.”

“Into the sky and floating along that way.” He gestured to the east with his wings, “Beyond that?” He shrugged, “Who knows. Good riddance is all I have to say about it, damned thing was an eyesore. So tacky.”

“I’ll be sure to share the crafters of that place the memo.” She replied, “though are you one to judge, oh Benevolent overlord? Which I must say, sounds a bit contradictory.”

“How so?” He tapped his paw against the grass with a soft growl, “I am Benevolent, I’ve been an overlord. I think it’s an accurate statement sometimes!”

“What were you an overlord of then?”

He snorted and looked away, pinning his frills, “I wasn’t the one who came up with the title Lyndis, I rather just liked the ring of it to the ear. If anything, take your complaints up with them.”

She groaned as the dragon complained on about his chosen title and her lack of understanding the nuance about it. She paced around, under his watchful eye, still trying to take it all in. That was until he stopped her with a raised paw. She leapt back on instinct, her body yet not ready to respond. Down she went into the grass, all with the song of a surprised yelp.

“Are you sure you’re alright to be walking around like that?” Revaramek tilted his head, “Perhaps you should return to bed?”

“What are you going about scaring woman for?” She pushed herself up, face red. “And I ruddy don’t need the bed, not with the uniter off and gone.”

“Your body seems to disagree.”

“Well, it’s not the boss of me!”

He chuckled as she struggled to keep herself standing, “You’ll find that it quite is.”

“Then it’s a shitty one.” She growled, ignoring the green beast as he offered his scaled flank to lean against, “And I can do it on my own.”

“Course you can. Though why?” He mused, “No one is around to think less of you. Go ahead. Let a little dragon out.”

“To be lazy?”

He shrugged, “It’s just an offer for support. If you’re too stuck up to take it, by all means don’t.”

She rolled her eyes, unbelieving she’d met a dragon almost on par with Veledar’s ridiculousness. With a groan she took him up on his offer, Revaramek’s scales warm to the touch. As he eyed her she waggled a finger, “Don’t get any ideas.”

“Oh, I would never.” He chuckled laying down upon the grass, “I know your heart belongs to…Another.”

There was remorse in his tone, that much was certain. She noticed he clammed up right then and there, clearly not wishing to push the subject of Cordenth much further. Even now as she took composing breaths, her nerves threatened to snap and break. Revaramek was right after all, what was all this good marching around looking for solutions, it wasn’t like she knew where the uniter was…

“Infinity! Lyyreth!” She exclaimed, springing open one of Revaramek’s closed eyes.

“You just going to shout things when I start to get back to sleep?” He growled, “Is that some Drenedarian game I’ve heard not of?”

“No…You said I was brought here. By a dragon?” Her heart began to stretch thin, only one?

Revaramek nodded with a rumble, eyes lightning up, “The dragoness, I’d nearly forgotten about her. Such the moody one that one, threatened to claw my snout right off.” He chuckled to himself in amusement, “Which was ridiculous, I would clearly win any contest of strength, I mean look at me.” The dragon gestured to his scaled body with a wing, “I’m at least twice her size…” He rumbled seductively, “Do you know if she’s seeing anyone?”

“Yes of course she is…Wait.” She suddenly realized what he’d inferred, “Was there another dragon with her?”

“Not that I was aware of.” Revaramek placed a claw to his chin, “And I’m usually good at that sort of thing.”

Her heart sunk, Lyyreth had not made it back from the uniter? She stared off towards the trees, almost hoping to see his green scales lit by the sunlight. “And where were you in all this? We could have used the aid of another dragon if you’re so benevolent.”

“I was…preoccupied with other matters.” He snorted, tossing his head away.

“That’s not good enough.”

“And why isn’t that? Feel your entitled to anything a dragon gets up to?”

“When my friend’s lives were almost snuffed out, and a dragon claiming to be kind and just is mucking around, yea, I kind of am.”

Her words stopped the dragon dead, closing his lips and making him look to her, amusement flickering across his brow. “Very well.” He huffed, swishing his tail, “I was resting within the same sap as you. Though it might not look like it now, I was riddled with wounds that would hold you in utter horror.” His chest swelled as he looked to the sky, adopting a most regal pose, “But I kept the strong upper snout, never letting my spirit be crushed.”

“And how does that make me lucky?”

“Because I was here to help you, were you not listening? Plus-“ He rose with a tremendous groan, stretching each limb one at the time interspaced with yawns, “I owed your dragon a favor.”

“Favor? What for?” She was forced to duck as he wheeled around, nearly knocking her over with his massive tail. “Oi, watch where you be swinging that!”

“That’s what all lovers tell me.” He rumbled with a salacious grin.

“Certainly not that!”

“And now you remind me of someone else.” He gestured with his neck, obviously meaning for her to follow.

“Where are you going?”

“For a walk, what’s it look like?”

“Why not fly?” Her brow rose.

He pinned his wings, kneading the dirt beneath his paws, “Just because I have wings doesn’t beholden me to fly at all times. For now, I wish to trot about, take my time, relish all what lays before me, enjoying every moment I’m alive.” He wrinkled his snout, flaring his nostrils, “You humans, all the same, rushing about like chickens with your heads cut off. Never stopping to smell the dragon.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense. Smell the dragon?” She found herself following along in the dragons’ steps, noting he was never letting her lag too far behind. “And that didn’t answer my question, lucky how?”

The dragon stopped for a moment, curling his long neck back to look upon her with a single eye. For a moment empathy flickered across his bronze spheres, bringing a heavy sigh to his scaled chest. With a flick of his tail, his journey renewed, “Lucky for we got you to soak in the sap of the mighty tree itself. Should have seen your dreadful state, slathered in blood, guts popping out like a show. Looked as though you’d gotten into a tussle with Infinity!”

Her stomach churned at the idea of such a vulnerable state, her hands shivering with her next stride.

“You were so pale, hardly clinging to life. Thought you were done for, evidently I was wrong.” He grumbled, swishing his tail, “Lost a bet with Tomu on that one. Damned horse. But silver lining, I was the one who convinced him to let you use the tree.”

“Tomu didn’t want to?”

“I had that same thought, he sternly said you two blatantly disobeyed them. To let this be your reward. Which, honestly? I thought was rather rude of him, so I growled and threatened him to action. Sometimes with these uppity unicorns you just need to remind them you’re the dragon.” He rose his head with a rumble, almost bouncing on his paws at his heroic deed. “I told him. Tomu, this woman is in need of your help, she needs your help. Don’t you value life? You should have seen the look on his muzzle, having his own arguments used against him.”

“I thought it was bad…But that bad?” She felt the scars upon her belly, wincing as she recalled just how she’d gotten them.

“Even now Tomu keeps his distance, probably too prideful to reveal himself. Watch over you both he tells me, if my heart is so soft for you. I tell him, that’s no way to make new friends, keeping your distance like that, don’t you want to break in those hooves?” The dragon shook his head with a laugh, “Says he doesn’t need more friends, I say, that’s what a friendless hermit would say.”

Even as the dragon continued to rant about the unicorn’s many short comings, she found his words dull. The world around her dimmed, sounds faded to nothing but the steady beating of her heart. With every step she felt herself drained, energy whisking itself away upon the wind. Her mind whispered for her to collapse, give in to the weights now threatening to drag down her limbs.

“Where is Infinity now?” She blurted mid stride, anything to keep her mind from the events of last night. They’d hardly gotten far from the tree, earning her an exaggerated dragon groan.

“Are you going to ask about the whereabouts of everyone? We’re supposed to be walking about.” He waggled a wing. “But if it puts your little mind at ease, she’d certainly about. Beyond that general assumption I’ve no idea, she threatened to swat at me with her claws.” The dragon shook his tail, “And I’ll wait till she’s cooled down to properly introduce myself.”

“Then where are you bringing me if not to her?”

“A walk.” He rolled his eyes with a snort, “There’s you not listening again, you’d think with the ears-“

“I lost half my ruddy friends you big green twit.” She shouted, fighting back the cough in the back of her throat. “Whoever named you Benevolant, clearly doesn’t see you know. I’ve been asleep for two fucken days, not a hint of whats happened, and you, my only connection doesn’t want to tell me!”

“I am telling you. You’re just unhappy with the way I’m doing it.” He didn’t look back, fluffing his wings, showing off rows of scars that crackled down them. “And you’re not exactly using lady like language for a queen you know.”

Did she really find another dragon like this? She held the bridge of her nose with a heavy sigh, knowing he’d stopped to turn and admire the effect he was having on her. She steadied her nerves with a heavy breath, “Look Rev, all I want is to find her, what happened to Lyyreth, and how terrified I should be right now for the future. If you can’t have the decency to tell me that, why drag me along?”

He trotted around her with gentle care, not saying a word. Rising his head he let the breeze flicker across his frills, even extending his wings so that they too might share in the experience. “Who said I was dragging you along? I went for a walk, you decided to follow me.”

“So, all you wanted to do was tell me I was dying and head out? Let me know I’d been saved.”

“Pretty much.” He nodded, “And since you’ve started following me, I thought it rude to just saunter off.”

“That’s it, just a walk?” She replied, voice stern as the dragon resumed his trotting through the grass, “Nothing else?”

“Well, there was a campground of Drenedarians. I wanted to check it out and see what other treasures I’d missed.”

Wait? There is a tent of my people here too? She shook her heads as newfound information rattled around her skull. Why had they come? Were they looking for her? She hadn’t given any sort of order. By the time she’d composed herself and stilled her thoughts, Revaramek was already further ahead. She managed to scamper after him fast as she was able, wincing and groaning in pain in the entire time. By the time she was back at his forepaws she was exhausted, nearly out of breath.

“Don’t expecting a lift from me.” He warned, snout lowered, “Unless you like being lifted about between my jaws or paws.”

“That would be really undignified.” She panted.

“And riding me would also be undignified.” He replied, before gesturing to the encampment before them.

It was hidden by the shrubs and plants of the swamp, a slice of normality within nature’s grasp. There were tents a plenty scattered about, each bearing the blues, golds and whites that was typical for the Drenedarian army. Each swayed in the breeze with a lonely aura, the smell of pegasai drifting along it’s passing. But there was something off, no one was there.

“What happened?” She almost whispered, eyes slowly traveling from burnt out fire to burnt out fire, where whatever they brought to cook was still charred and burned over the coals. She spied winking weapons in the sunlight, forgotten by their owners in some hastily retreat. “Why were they here?”

She turned to find that Revaramek had already trotted along to the edge of the encampment, his large snout already rummaging through a pile of discarded satchel bags and coinpurses. Nostrils flaring and tail swishing, he went about his task with an amused, rumble.

“You couldn’t even let me think about it before you got to looting?”

“It’s not like anyone is here to lay claim to it.” He snorted, “Which of course I do, they abandoned it, it’s not mine.”

“Was I supposed to?” He flared his nostrils, “As I said, I was doing this, you’re just following me.”

“But what about this encampment? You didn’t mention them before?”

“Didn’t I?” He tilted his snout, flicking his tail, “I suppose I didn’t, but I assure you it was to not trouble your little mind. But here we are now, a whole group of Drenedarian pegasai riders. Had a most charming captain among them, believe his name was Gerald?…Shame what happened to them…Terrible shame.”

“Did they die?” How many of her friends were going to end up so? Already there was a ringing in the back of her mind, a cold that whispered of the worst yet to come.

“Nope, though I don’t think they’re in the right mind anymore.” Revaramek chuckled, “Clambered onto their mounts after the fortress loosed a golden wave across the countryside, flew off to follow in the wake of that massive eyesore. Good riddance I say, and on the plus side, they were in such a hurry they forgot most of their things!”

“All of them?”

“I know right, I thought at least a few might have stronger willpowers, but alas, means more treasure for me.” He dumped out the contents of a satchel, beaming as three gold coins flashed before his eyes. “Meager offering I know, but coins are coins.” He continued this several more times, adding at least a dozen coins and trinkets to his treasure. He stuffed them all away in another satchel, carrying them along in his snout before moving on with a happy swish of his tail.

Lyndis was tentatively striding behind him, looking through the tents as if searching along a graveyard. Even as the wind flickered by, she was almost certain she could hear the distant cries of those that dwelled here. Begging for her help, pleading that hope might come. It was a ghost town around her, half eaten meals, discarded weapons, even bedrolls left sprawled out in their tents. Tiamat could turn loyal knights such as these to his cause? Her hands clenched, of course he could, she’d seen the power used by Cordenth first hand.

With a heavy heart she kneeled to pluck an ivory feather off the ground, hold it to her breast and whisper a hushed prayer. Having to face Tiamat again one day would be hard enough, wearing the suit of Cordenth, but to cross swords with innocent countrymen? Only guilty of being mind-slaved by that terrible brute? She found herself trembling, the task ahead would be grim indeed.

“That’s a nice feather, but not worth anything.” Revaramek brushed passed her, careful to not catch his tail on the tent’s anchors. “But this on the other claw?” He found a chest by the ruins of a campfire, little black snakes of smoke still curling upon the air. “It’s mysteries call me, whisper such salacious things, do you know what they tell me Lyndis?”

“That you could show more empathy?” She shot back, “We got here essentially a field of the dead, men and woman whose minds were robbed from them. Does it not phase you that we’ll have to maim or kill my people? People that just came here to no doubt help me?”

“They’re not my people Lyndis.” Replied the dragon with a huff, looking away with a swish of his tail, “And what’s been done to them cannot be undone. You may not like what you have to do, but it would appear it’s a hurdle you’ve got to get over.” Revaramek strolled away to another series of discarded satchels, comically getting his snout covered in flour. “Gerald said he had a present for you by the way, in his tent. Oh, and should you go looking, tell me when you’re done. I’d like to do my own pass.”

“Do your pass?” Lyndis rounded on him, eyes flickering with fire. “Revaramek, these people were my countrymen, my friends. You’re just going to plunder it in front of me?”

“I mean, they don’t need it and what are you going to do?” Mocked the dragon, “Levy me with taxes? I’m not one of your subjects, you don’t control me.”

What was she expecting? A well of empathy to rival that of a saint? Cursing under her breath she let the dragon return to his plundering, she’d manage without his help.

Hobbling her way through the tent’s proved the most difficult part of the task, for Gerald’s tent stood out from the others like a sore thumb. It’s fabric was bright blue, a beacon of hope in the dark atmosphere of the camp. Gold stitching clung to it’s edges, forming horses and wolves within it’s flowering designs. Across it’s entrance was the white, rampart pegasus, the symbol for the royal riders. Her chest quivered, legs suddenly froze.

Would she find something terrible inside? Part of her hoped he would still be within, tying himself to a bed. Anything to stop what had been done to him. But darker thoughts knew this was not to be the case, nothing could work out so pleasantly. She summoned the courage and pressed onward; her heart three times heavier.

Inside was what she expected to find, a pile of assorted gear, armor, and weapons around the frayed cloth of a bedroll. How many times had this been her on the road? Living on the seed of her pants, nothing but the things on her back to her name. How she missed that life as she dragged her weary body to a chest at the bedroll’s edge, not even finding a lock upon it. She shook her head, Gerald had always been too trusting, not even expecting a thief within the company that he kept. Certainly not a treasure hungry dragon, currently sifting through a series of pots and pans outside, commenting on their forging.

“I’m just saying this looks to be from a priest of Glenreich! Worth quite the coin. Have you ever had their cooking?” Revaramek warbled from outside, “I lay claim by the way!”

“Sure, you keep whatever!” She hollered back, before opening the container with a creak. No trap, no treasure, only an emerald dress folded upon itself. He brought her a dress? Lyndis scoffed at the corniness of it all, reaching down to brush the silky soft fabric. Raising it up revealed gold stitching along the edges, the forms of dragon’s woven across the arms and chest. A note rested, pinned to the breast, revealing it was not from handsome rider, but Ossai herself.

To Lyndis, may your future be bright. An innocent sentiment, but painful to read. Lyndis dropped to her knees, holding the parchment tight. Pressing on revealed the dress to be for her future wedding, one that Ossai had hoped to attend. But that was not all, for what would Ossai be if not having a twist to her gifts. With the uttering of the word change, the leathers would shift and change, assuming it’s true form in the blink of an eye, a suit of leather armor, forged from dragon scales. Not any old dragon it seemed, but from Cordenth himself.

She found herself, tears swelling in her eyes as she traced over the sections of onyx, highlighted with his emerald scales. One day it might have been a symbol for her kingdom, a connection made physical between them both. Instead, it was a grim reminder, especially when she reached the end of the letter, where it asked her to slay Cordenth should her plan to rescue him fail.

Her eyes darted to the bottom of the chest, where a pitch-black arrow rested, it’s tip inscribed with the same old draconic runes from the uniter. There was no doubt in her mind what this was, a dragon slaying arrow of old. She touched the shaft as though it were a dream, most had said to been destroyed.

But how could she do it? Her next breath was slow and heavy, her fingers trembling over the cold steel. She had to, right? The plan to free him had failed, destroyed by the will of a terrible dragon demigod. There was no other choice. She clenched tight the arrow till her knuckles turned white, it wasn’t fair. No one should be forced to endure this sort of pain. Curse Tiamat, curse him to the hells, how she wished to tear him to shreds, forcing him to feel what stabbed at her heart.

Sobbing, and seething she lay there, locked in a sea of pain and misery she thought had passed. Who knew last night could mend the fracture within her, only to shatter it again. For minutes she dwelled frozen, unable to do nothing but vent out her emotions to the empty tent around her. But Tiamat was still out there, ready to unleash his plague upon the earth, no one knew he was coming. She could not wait for that to happen.

With a final sniff she wiped away her tears, gathering her strength with another breath. Cordenth might not be able to be rescued from that divine bastard, but she could ensure he didn’t use his body to commit unspeakable horrors upon the people of this plane. The time to mourn would be for later. She let the onyx leather armor dangle from her hands, speaking the words to change it back to it’s resplendent green form. It may not be used for her wedding dress, but it would help save Cordenth from himself.

Undressing herself she was bare against the morning air, it’s cooling dragging against her flesh. She pressed one arm into the green dress, her ear flicking as the sound of a swaying tail caught her attention. She wheeled around to find the tent’s door had been breached, a green snout lingering within. Bronze eyes were upon her naked form.

“Oi, what ya doing ya lewd beast?” She shouted, cheeks flushing red as fire flared behind her eyes, “Getting a good look?”

His frills innocently fluffed, “What? It’s not like you have anything I havn’t seen before, even if they are tin-“

She flung a boot, hitting him between the nose.

“Hey!” He pulled back, rubbing his snout, “What was that for?”

“What do you ruddy think?” She snapped, readying another salvo should his nosy snout return, “And if you want another, go ahead, test me.”

“Damned humans, always sensitive about their naked ness.” She heard him grumble, wheeling around to no doubt return to his looting, “You’re lucky I’m polite enough to not dump you in the swamp!”

“Try that and I’ll find the heaviest boots around, fit them with skewers and smash them under your tail!”

With her peeping tom long gone, she returned to getting better acquainted with her gift. Of course, she slid into it like it was made for her, considering the colors, Ossai had been predicting this for years before hand. She spun around with a heavy heart, noting the air’s chill had all but gone. Then she gathered what she’d need for a heroic quest, luckily Gerald in his haste to depart, had left all that she’d require. A backpack, bedroll, rope, some food, and even a bow and rapier scattered about. The bow she held with wide eyes, the arrow of dragon slaying seeming to grow far heavier within her pack.

When she emerged, her heart had been steadied, her mind having accepted the grim task before her. She found Revarmek not within the encampment itself, but back at the tree of Nutambar’s trunk, sprawled out on his sunbathing spot, his tail curled protectively around a satchel of treasure. As she approached he opened one of his eyes, gently patting the air with a paw.

“Come assault me with your boot again?” He growled, “For the crime of poking in a snout to see why you were crying?”

“That’s not what you were doing and we both know it.” She countered, dropping her pack beside his. “But no, I’m not going to hit you again…Which…I take it your flying me about? Off to catch the uniter and stop it, where it be heading?”

“I told you, I don’t know where it is.” He groaned.”

“Then why get me to go to the tent? Find the letter and ready myself? You’re sending mixed signals you know!”

“That’s not my fault that’s what you took from it.” He replied bluntly, “But on a related note…A note arrived for you earlier.” He shifted onto his belly, digging through the satchel with a wiggling tail.

“A letter earlier? From who? Plus, how much earlier?” Her hands went to the side of her waist, giving the dragon a scathing look.

“Day ago, by some spectral owl. I believe it was from someone named Vishta?” He warbled as his claws found the diminutive roll of parchment. “Yes here it is, un-opened.” He grinned, placing it into her palms. It even had an emerald ribbon around it.

“How do you know it’s from her if you didn’t open it?” She rose a brow as the dragon looked away with a huff.

“It spoke of course, how else would I have?”

“Right.” She snatched it from him, “Must have been sent when she was still….” Her eyes found the first paragraph, a smile springing to her lips. “She’s alive!”

“I do hope so, I wasn’t aware the dead sent letters by post.”

Hungrily she devoured the next few pages, pacing back and forth around the curious dragon, “And she’s on the uniter…How…when?” She was laughing now, hand on her head, “By the gods, I don’t believe it.”

“Perhaps it explains in the letter?” Chuckled Revaramek, returning to inspect his gathered treasure.

She sat down at his flank; eyes locked to the page. If Vishta had survived, and by the first sentence, Broxl had as well, could anything be possible? It was like a light had been shined down upon her in her darkest hour, as she leaned back into the now rumbling dragon. She had to shoo away his snout as he tried to peer over her shoulder, insisting he’d already gotten his turn.

“I didn’t read it without you!”

Even though he announced such a thing with a smack of his tail, the now smiling rogue didn’t believe him.