The Legend of Rune

The world of Theia was home to many strange and exotic creatures, but none were more numerous, nor more magical, than the dragons.

And for the third night in a row, one such young dragon suffered the same dream.

He found himself stranded in an endless forest. A chilly wind blew against his wings so harshly that they were too frozen to extend for flight. He saw no stars beyond the treetops, only an infinite void. Worried, the young dragon wandered down a narrow pathway through the trees. The skeletal branches almost seemed to reach out to him as he passed by. His yellow eyes functioned much like a feline’s; they let him find his way through the near-total darkness. He dared to draw only shallow breaths. He flinched whenever a twig snapped, or a dry leaf crunched underfoot. The youngling was worried something in the forest would take notice.

Two teal horns grew from the back corner of his head, bent backward at a downward angle. Four smaller horns grew outwards from just behind his jaw. A ragged mane of crimson hair fell between his ear frills. The youngling wrapped his bony arms around himself to keep warm. Not that it did him any good; the wind blew harshly against the multitude of holes in the pathetic rags he called clothing. He didn’t know how he had gotten into this forest, but he didn’t care to find out.

The young dragon soon saw something, but it was the worst thing one could find in the forest: wildfire. Far to the north, part of the forest suddenly erupted into flames.

The youngling’s heart skipped a beat and a chill spread over his scales. He watched in horror as the fire spread across the patchy forest horizon, devouring everything in its path. Shrieks of agony filled the distant sky as dragons rushed to escape the inferno. The young dragon wrapped his arms about himself and coiled his tail tightly.

What’s happening…? The youngling wondered as he tried not to shiver.

He heard the sound of sobbing coming from somewhere between himself and the flames. His shivers worsened as the sorrow grew louder. Overcome with sickening curiosity, he crept forward towards the source of the crying.

The closer the young dragon got to the fire, the louder the sobbing became. He was filled with dread when he came upon the source; Sprawled on the forest floor was an adult dragoness. Her hands covered her face, and her clothes were scratched and torn all over. Her tail was curled up around herself as her body trembled.

The young dragon felt a pit form in his stomach; he recognized her almost immediately. He held out a hand to get the dragoness’s attention “M… Mother?”

The dragoness stopped crying and moved her hands away. But as she turned her head towards the youngling, the flames suddenly roared to life. A wicked growl pierced the air, as the flames parted across the way. The youngling turned to look in their direction… only to see another figure emerge through the fire. The flames seemed to dance about the figure’s body, cloaking it entirely in the inferno… no, it was like the inferno itself had sprung to life. And it snarled like a beast as it looked upon the young dragon with those two horrible EYES.

The figure pierced through to the youngling’s very soul; he shivered in place and cried as the monster stepped closer. The flames seemed to follow on the figure’s heels and devoured everything in their path.

The young dragon’s eyes widened in fear. He looked toward the dragoness for help… only to discover that she was gone! He looked left and right but saw no sign of her… only the wicked figure before him. He tried to run, or to fly away… but all of his limbs felt frozen to the bone despite the flames.

The youngling tried to cry out, only for smoke to flood into his face. He clutched his throat and gasped for breath. Tears flooded from his eyes as he fell over and choked… all while the monster drew closer.

And then, once the beast was close enough to loom over the youngling… it parted its jaws and let out a horrible scream. They pointed their scaled hand down at the young dragon, and the flames seemed to roar as they bore down on him. Everywhere the youngling looked, all he saw was the horrible FIRE.

The flames devoured the youngling … consumed him… DESTROYED HIM.

~~...~~

Nellie started awake, awoken by the screams and sobs coming from the next room. She rubbed the slumber from her eyes and looked off towards the wall before the adjacent room.

“Rune?” She asked with concern as she stood up. After wiping a few strands of ocean-blue hair out of her face, Nellie tightened her nightgown and left her bedroom. She got to her feet, wiping another strand of hair off of her nostrils; it was always a pain whenever she had to get up at night.

Nellie was a water dragoness. She was fourteen years old with a moderate, sky-blue frame. Her scales were neatly kept so that they shimmered even in the smallest gleam. Two pink horns grew just behind her eyes, pointed directly down her neck. A small, dark blue birthmark in the shape of a tear was just underneath her left horn, though partially hidden by her mane.

Nellie walked a few yards down the hallway and stopped before Rune’s door. After pushing it open, she saw Rune lying on his straw mattress on the far side of the room. He twitched about beneath his blanket as tears poured from his eyes. His talons scratched at his pajamas as he struggled to put out flames that weren’t there.

“No...” He mumbled in his sleep.

Nellie sighed in pity. She walked up to Rune and shook him by the shoulder. “Rune, wake up.”

“It’s so hot... It burns...”

Nellie groaned and started shaking him even harder. “Rune, WAKE UP!”

Still no luck. Frustrated, Nellie inhaled deeply. She held a hand to her mouth and quickly exhaled. Instead of a regular puff of air, a small cloud of ice-cold mist left Nellie’s muzzle. The mist surrounded her hand, which she then quickly slapped down on Rune’s shoulder. The boy immediately leaped off his bed, yelping in alarm from the cold sting. He stumbled around in confused surprise.

“What?! How did I...?! Where is...?” After a moment, Rune realized he was in his bedroom, and he exhaled calmly. “It was only a-”

Rune suddenly winced in pain. He rubbed the back of his head and groaned. As Rune reached for the drawer on the adjacent nightstand, he noticed Nellie standing nearby with a concerned expression.

“What are you doing here, Nellie?” He asked while nervously scratching his mane.

“Rune, you were shouting in your sleep again.” She said. “You sounded like you were in pain this time.”

“I did?” Rune asked, unnerved.

“Rune, this is the third night in a row that this has happened.”

Rune tilted his head low. “I... I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

Nellie grimaced. “Rune, it hurts to hear you crying out so much. We should tell Mom and Dad about this. They might know what to do about your nightmares.”

“Um...” Rune looked back up. “Do you really think they can help me?”

Nellie stepped closer and gave a reassuring smile. “Of course they can. Why wouldn’t they?”

“Alright, if you say so...”

Nellie draped a wing over Rune’s back and hugged him. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” Rune said halfheartedly. After that, Nellie walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Rune sighed, and then groaned again; the headache was still there. Rune returned to his nightstand to retrieve a glass vial; one of several. Rune sat on his mattress and drank the green liquid inside. The medicine tasted foul, but he was used to it. Rune looked through his dresser and grimaced.

I’m running low… Rune thought with a sigh. I’ll need to ask Grandpa to make more.

As Rune waited for the medicine to take effect, he looked around at his bedroom. The floor and walls were made of blue-tinted marble, which produced a small clinking noise from dragons’ talons. The two side walls had torch-stands attached to them, their flames currently extinguished. A wooden dresser sat on the left wall, which had a few portraits and a small mirror placed atop it. Most of Rune’s belongings sat inside the drawers of the dresser, except for a brown satchel that sat at the dresser’s foot. Off to the side of his matters were a few glass windows built into the corner of his bedroom; two on each side.

Once the headache was gone, Rune sighed in relief. It was only temporary relief; the pain would be back the next morning. But with this moment of calm, Rune stood up from the bed and made his way towards the window. Despite the near darkness, Rune could see as if it were as bright as day. He stopped before the windows and observed the surrounding city beyond. Far off in the distance, illuminated by the fires of over a thousand torches, was a massive palace: The Grand Palace of Glenhaven.

It towered over everything else from the center of the city, atop a mighty rock formation. It was a formidable structure, to be sure… but not nearly as worrisome as the dark streets around it. Rune never felt too worried about his safety most nights; not when he had so many who looked after him. And yet sometimes, when he gazed out at the darkness of the city, he could never shake this strange feeling… that he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep. There was this odd tickle on his back like something was out there… watching him. And whenever Rune became too skittish to look at the streets of the city, he instead turned his head up toward the night sky.

Two massive heavenly bodies, the Twin Moons, glowed vibrantly with light. The larger moon, Artemis, was off on the eastern edge of the horizon, while her sister, Diana, was off to the west. And surrounding those twin moons were the countless stars, which always helped to clear Rune’s mind.

Rune took a moment to collect his thoughts on the dream… but stopped short when it took a horrible turn. Instead, he stayed in the earlier part… and sighed sadly.

“Another dream about her...” Rune said quietly. He bent his head down and shook it as he bit his lower lip. “Oh, Mother…”

He looked across the room at his mirror. Rune approached it, taking in every inch of himself. Rune was a little over thirteen years old: his hatchday was in the middle of winter. His mane was as ragged as it had ever been. The golden, forlorn eyes of his reflection looked back at him. Every few moments, small, white light would glint in the center of each eye. And lastly, he worked up the nerve to appraise his scrawny figure… which was covered in bright red scales. Red, like fire. Why did it have to be fire?

“Six years.” He said to himself. “It’s been six years, and only NOW am I having nightmares. I can’t keep this up forever. I need to talk to someone about this… but the Elders aren’t who I’ve got in mind.”

Rune shuddered as he remembered what transpired. “All those flames. And that… that THING.” He shivered and shook his head to banish the thought. “It all seemed so real. But I’ve been able to suppress thoughts about... her, for so long. Why am I only having these nightmares now?”

Rune let out a large yawn. He walked back to his mattress, subconsciously flapping his wings.

“I’ll need to talk to Grandpa tomorrow if I can find the time…” He stretched his arms over his head. A yawn escaped his mouth, making him realize just how tired he was. “I’ll deal with this in the morning. I need some sleep.”

Rune climbed back onto his mattress and positioned himself so he could get comfortable. He shut his eyes, enjoying the comfort of the straw as he drifted off to sleep. Little did Rune realize that this would be the closest thing to a sound rest he’d have in quite a long time…

~~...~~

The city of Glenhaven was one of thirteen great cities built all across the dragon lands. It was the crown jewel in the sand-worn lands of the Arcus Desert.

Long ago, a series of earthquakes split the lands apart. This created a series of small valleys. Various narrow rivers split through the valleys and were just close enough to each other for dragons to take frequent shelter. Many dragons worked together to carve out the earth from the valleys until there was enough space to build a grand city. The rivers were left untouched; they snaked their way around the city streets and flowed out through the mountainous walls and into the desert beyond. And in the north-western district of Glenhaven was the home of Rune’s foster family: IceFyre Villa.

Rune found himself being shaken from slumber. The first thing his waking eyes saw was the maroon gaze of his adoptive mother, Seraph.

“Time to get up, sweetie.” She said warmly.

Seraph was a water dragoness, roughly in her mid-thirties. Fittingly enough, her scales were a bright, azure hue. Her two silver horns were similar in shape to her daughter Nellie’s horns. Small onyx bands adorned her braided, dark blue mane. Her body was wrapped in an embroidered silk sari, and around her neck was a silver medallion emblazoned with a serpent.

Rune shut his eyes with a grumble. He turned to the side and curled up. “Ten more minutes...”

“Come on, Rune.” Seraph scolded lightly. “You have to get up.”

The youngling slowly rose to his feet, a low yawn escaping his maw. Just as he thought, his headache was back. With a shrug, he reached into his nightstand for another vial.

“Good morning, Seraph.” He said after finishing the vial. He rubbed the last bit of slumber from his eyes. “Are Nellie and Blank awake?”

“Blankridge has already left for the day,” Seraph said. “Nellie’s eating breakfast in the dining room. She’s been waiting for you to wake up.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Seraph left the room and closed the door. Rune let out another yawn, stretching his wings and tail out. He walked over to his dresser to prepare for the day’s events. But almost as soon as Seraph closed the door, there came another knock, along with the familiar mutterings of two voices. Rune sighed as he turned toward the door.

“Come in.” He said in an annoyed tone.

The door was opened, and a pair of non-scaled figures strode into the room. They were about half the height of Seraph and covered in grey fur. Their little eyes squinted as they came to a stop and saluted Rune in their little uniforms.

“Good morning, Master Rune.” The two moles said.

“Morning…” Rune shrugged as he turned toward his dresser.

Dragons weren’t the only creatures that inhabited the city of Glenhaven. Felines, canines, avians, moles, and many more made the city their home, and all did their part to make Glenhaven a great place to live. And these two moles in particular worked as servants for the IceFyre household.

As the pair set to work straightening out Rune’s bedroom, the young dragon focused on preparing for the day. He brushed his mane, polished his scales, and put on his training uniform: A set of leather armor worn over a cotton tunic and leggings. It took a bit of doing to get the back side of the chest piece fastened, but luckily one of the moles was quick to help.

“Thanks, Howard,” Rune said as he picked up his backpack.

“You’re welcome, Master Rune.” The mole bowed his head and nearly dropped his little cap.

Rune opened the pouch on his belt and placed a few little items into it; just some odd trinkets he might need for the day. It wasn’t exactly his favorite routine, but it was still expected of him daily. The pouch felt just a tad heavier than usual, or maybe that was just him. With the routine done, Rune walked around a mole as he adjusted the bed’s sheets, and stepped out into the hallway.

Rune’s bedroom, as well as all the other bedrooms of IceFyre Villa, were part of the second floor. There was a spiral staircase in the center of the home, with a large space in the front part of the second floor that exposed the living room below. A walkway surrounded the space, and a chandelier hung from the ceiling. Rune walked off toward the back of the home, to where Seraph was standing with a few more mole servants. Along the way, Rune held a hand over his muzzle as he gave a big yawn. Seraph’s ear frills wiggled at the sound he made, and he frowned at him briefly before looking back at the moles.

“Errm…” She cleared her throat. “As I was saying, make sure that the carpets are cleaned while we’re away.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The moles nodded and spread out to get to work. They passed by Rune, while Seraph turned around to look at the youngling with a concerned expression. She noticed that he was moving more lethargic than usual.

“Rune, did you sleep okay last night?” Seraph asked. “Nellie told me you were crying.”

Rune felt his stomach sink. “I... I had a nightmare.”

“What about?” Seraph frowned.

“Uh... It’s a little hard to say.” He scratched his neck.

Seraph lowered her head to Rune’s eye level. “Rune, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

“Yeah.” He answered dubiously.

“So, what did you dream about?”

“It was...” Rune stammered a little. “It had to do with… back then.”

“Back then?” Seraph tilted her head.

“Back when I was a cub.” Rune scratched his shoulder. “Some parts are still a little fuzzy, though.”

“I see...” Seraph looked to the side with a forlorn expression. “I... I don’t know a lot about back then either, Rune. I’m sorry...”

“It’s okay, Seraph.” Rune bent his head down. Seraph patted him on the shoulder. She then shot her head up, her eyes flashing. She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers.

“I know: let’s talk to your father.” The dragoness placed a hand on Rune’s shoulder and guided him around to the other walkway, where the door to the master bedroom sat in the southwestern corner.

“Hontus?” Seraph asked as she pushed the door open.

The master bedroom was significantly larger than Rune’s room. There was a large mattress, with various bits of furniture here and there. And standing before the dresser, affixing a gauntlet to his right arm, was the master of the house: Hontus.

Hontus was a fire dragon, just a year older than Seraph. Three thick horns grew upon his head; two grew just above his eyes and a third on the back of his head. A suit of thick, silver armor covered most of his muscular frame. A visor sat upon his head, around a mane of yellow hair.

Hontus was one of the Paladins of Glenhaven. His visor and chest plate were inscribed with the official seal of his order: a golden dragon’s head surrounded by a silver sphere. Rune came to a stop; he couldn’t help but marvel at his foster father’s armor, even in his semi-relaxed state.

The Paladins were some of the most revered dragons throughout all of Theia. For many years, they were famed throughout the kingdoms as powerful warriors and wise leaders. And here in Glenhaven, one of their additional main duties was to defend the city and its people from invasion. And, still amazing Rune to this day, one of those famous warriors had chosen to adopt him into the family.

“Hontus?” Seraph asked again.

“Hmm?” Hontus turned around and smiled at her. “Hey, love.”

“Good morning, Hontus.” Rune nodded, and the Paladin smiled at him in turn.

“Morning, kiddo.”

“Hontus, we need to take Rune to see Elder Telus,” Seraph said.

“Hmm…” Hontus bit his lower lip and looked down at Rune with concern. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I’ve...” Rune stammered and fidgeted with his talons. “I’ve been having nightmares about when I was little.”

“What?” Hontus’s eyes went wide. He got down on one knee to look Rune in the eyes. “Are you remembering anything?”

“Maybe? I’m not sure.” Rune frowned. Hontus gave a soft sigh. He placed a hand on Rune’s shoulder and gave an encouraging nod.

“Well, if there’s anyone who might know what to do about your nightmares, it’s the Elders.” He patted Rune’s shoulder and stood up. “Come on; we’ll all go to see them together.”

“Can I do something else first?” Rune asked. “I think I’m running low on the medicine for my headaches. I need to talk to Gregory to get some more.”

“You’re almost out already?” Seraph asked worriedly. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner, Rune?”

“Well…” Rune ran his fingers through his mane. “I meant to mention it last night. I guess I forgot.”

“I suppose it’s alright for you to go see the alchemist…” Seraph crossed her arms. “But you’re not leaving this house until you’ve had breakfast. It won’t do if you’re sluggish all morning.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Rune turned to head downstairs. As he left, Hontus and Seraph exchanged glances.

“Do you think the Elders can help him, Hontus?” Seraph asked. “They didn’t know much about him when they found him.”

“Elder Telus may have some answers.” Hontus nodded He stepped over and wrapped his arm around the dragoness’s back. “He’s always had a keen interest in Rune’s development.”

“If he remembers anything, that’s good… right?” Seraph tried to smile but still felt uneasy. “That way we can finally figure out where he came from, and why he was alone.”

“Of course, Love.” Hontus nuzzled Seraph’s forehead. “And even if he doesn’t remember, we can still help Rune through his nightmares. I won’t let any of my kids suffer from anything if I can prevent it.”

Seraph sighed. “By the Ancestors, I hope you’re right.”

~~...~~

On the northern side of Glenhaven, there was a small establishment called the Gilded Phoenix Inn. A couple of lightning dragons ran the inn, and their home sat just across the street from it. Aki, a plump dragoness dressed in an innkeeper’s outfit, knocked on the door of the bedroom on the first floor. Aki’s mane was cream in color and grew down to the base of her neck.

“Roxanne, it’s morning!” Aki called inside. “Time to get ready for school!”

Roxanne put her arms above her head as she yawned. She slumped her feet onto the floor and stood up with a light grumble before she got ready for school. “I’m up, Mom.”

Roxanne’s bedroom was rather small; it was barely big enough for her bed, desk, and dresser. Roxanne herself was twelve-and-a-half years of age. Her electric-blue mane fell behind her four horns; two of her horns were lightning-bolt shaped and behind her eyes, while the other two were smaller and behind her lower jaw. Most of her belongings, like her satchel, were either hand-me-downs or very ragged. But Roxanne didn’t care; she was just happy to be able to attend school.

Once Roxanne was dressed, she stepped out of her bedroom, descended the staircase, and quickly made her way across the street. It was still early in the morning, so there weren’t very many patrons of the Inn. There were only two; Roxanne’s mother Aki was behind the counter, while her father Terrence was seated on a stool. Aki had served up four plates; all of them were stacked with small steaks and homemade pancakes.

“That’s not the usual breakfast,” Roxanne said as she sat down at the counter. “What’s the occasion, Mom?”

“Does it look good?” Aki asked with a twinkle in her eyes. “It’s something I want to try out as a regular breakfast item. I’m gonna call it ‘Steak-N-Cakes.’”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.” Roxanne smiled. She scooted up beside her father as she got eager to dig in. But before she started eating, she looked over at her father as he muttered to himself.

Terrence was lean and tall and also wore an innkeeper’s outfit. His blue mane was neatly combed behind his four horns; they liked to joke that Roxanne took after her father to a T.

Terrence continuously adjusted his glasses as he nervously looked over a scroll on the table. His free hand wrote down some notes on a ledger beside his plate.

“Good Morning, Dad.” Roxanne chirped. Terrence was too busy with his scroll to notice her; his tongue lolled out as he religiously scanned over the lines on the scroll. He barely paid attention as he kept writing; his quill kept going until it began writing notes on his steak instead.

“Uh… Dad?” Roxanne grimaced at that. She reached up and poked him on the shoulder. Terrence jumped in surprise and nearly fell out of his seat.

“What?!” He looked left and right. “Who’s there?!”

“Just me, Dad.” Roxanne snickered. Terrence blinked a few times when he saw Roxanne seated beside him.

“Oh, Roxy…” He took a breath and settled into his seat. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Well, maybe you should put that dreadful thing away for now and eat,” Aki said sternly as she placed a few mugs of milk on the table. “Fussing over funds at breakfast won’t just ruin YOUR day, but maybe even our patron as well.”

“Huh?” Terrence blinked. “What patron?”

As if in a queue, a warm voice called from the stairway leading to the second floor. “Good Morning, friends!”

Roxanne and her father looked over to see a light-blue dragoness descending daintily. She was dressed from head to foot in a maid’s uniform. She bore three horns; a small one between her yellow eyes, and two larger ones on the back of her head that pointed forward. Her mane was tied back and hidden behind her headpiece.

“Greetings, Julia,” Aki said as she waved to the maid. “We’ve got breakfast ready for you, on the house today.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Julia gave a curtsy when she reached the bottom of the stairs. “But I don’t have long to eat; I’ve much to do for Lady Olivia, as you can surely surmise.”

“Surely Lady Olivia would want you to starve on her account.“ Aki slid the leftmost plate forward. “Go on, have a try.”

“Well, if you insist.”

Julie walked over and bowed curtsied to Terrence and Roxanne before sitting down at the bar. She carefully picked up a knife and fork to begin eating. Aki nodded in satisfaction before looking back at her husband… only to find his muzzle buried in his ledgers once again.

“Oh, can’t you cease for five minutes?” Aki protested.

“I can’t just ignore it, dear,” Terrence said as he took his mug and drank from it. “The expenses won’t solve themselves.”

“True, but I don’t want you souring your appetite before you’ve tried out my latest breakfast.” Aki crossed her arms. “So take a bite first, before you think you can make some custom edits to improve the flavor.”

“Huh?” Terrence glanced down at the notes he’d mistakenly written onto the meat. He blushed as he pushed his scroll and ledger off to the side. “Sorry, dear.”

“You can make it up to me by eating, grumpy-gums.” Aki snorted and put her hands at her sides with a smirk.

“Yes, dear.” Terrence nodded.

Roxanne looked at her parents uneasily. She picked up her mug to take a drink before starting her breakfast. Roxanne was old enough to know plenty well how managing the Gilded Phoenix Inn had taken quite a toll on the family’s wealth over the years. Not as many adventurers came through Glenhaven for a place to spend the night as they used to when Roxanne was a hatchling, so keeping the inn running required a lot of planning. Miss Julia had spent the last few years renting out one of the rooms, which were funded by her job at the Palace. And yet the maid had only barely kept the Inn afloat.

But despite the hassle it had become, Roxanne liked the inn. There was always some stranger looking to drop by to tell a few stories of the lands outside of Glenhaven’s walls. It made her wonder what kind of strange stories she could tell if SHE were the one to adventure around the countryside…

Once Roxanne finished her breakfast, she pushed her chair back and stood up. “The Steak-N-Cakes were great, Mom. They’re gonna be a hit!”

“You think so, Roxy?” Aki’s eyes sparkled.

“Yeah, but maybe cook the steaks for a bit longer,” Roxanne said. “And switch from basil to oregano. Desert travelers tend to prefer well-cooked meat.”

“Hmm, perhaps that’s a good point...” Aki scratched her chin. “Make a note of that, won’t you, honey? And use paper this time.”

“Yes, dear.” Terrence blushed once again. But as he reached for his quill to write on the ledger, he couldn’t help but smile. “Ah, that’s our little girl for you; she’s always got a knack for business.”

The drake reached out to give Roxanne a quick hug. The young dragoness chuckled and hugged back. She then glanced at the clock in the corner of the kitchen and gasped.

“I’ve got to get going!” She immediately sprang out of her chair.

“Are you heading off with those friends of yours, dear?” Aki asked.

“Yeah; Vaun and Aaron said they’d meet me at the usual spot on the main road.” Roxanne slung her backpack over her shoulder. “Well, Vaun said that anyway. You know how Aaron is.”

“Sure, sure...” Terrence nodded. “But what about those other friends? How come you never hitch a ride with one of them?”

Roxanne froze. She looked away and bit her lip. “Well... It’s a little out of the way for them. I wouldn’t want to make any of them late, you know?”

Terrence leaned his head back in concern. He then glanced at Aki, who shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. With a sigh, Terrence looked back at Roxanne and nodded. “Very well, Roxy. Take care of yourself at school, okay?”

“I will!” Roxanne turned to approach the door that led out to the street… only to gasp as she saw Julia standing right in the doorway.

“That was a wonderful meal, Mrs. Aki,” Julia said as she rubbed her stomach. “You’ve outdone yourself, like always.”

Roxanne, Terrence, and Aki were all stunned; they looked over to see that Julia’s plate was completely cleaned. And yet none of them had heard even the slightest sound that the blue dragoness had dug into her meal. Rather than elaborate on it, Julia simply curtsied before making to leave.

“I’m off for the palace.” She called over her shoulder. “Ta-ta!”

“Right…” Roxanne tugged on her skirt and then blinked as something occurred to her. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She turned around and faced her parents. “Mom, Dad, would it be alright if one of you came to the palace when it lets out?”

“What for, Roxy?” Aki asked. “You want us to pick you up?”

“Not Quite...” Roxanne held a hand out and circled it around. “There’s a certain someone I want to hang out with after school. But I want to make sure it’s okay with his folks.”

“I’ll come by in the afternoon if I can get away from work,” Terrence said. “I’ll see you then, Roxy.”

“Okay!” Roxanne turned back around to open the door. “I’ll see you both later!”

Terrence and Aki waved goodbye. But as soon as Roxanne had closed the living room door behind herself, she could hear hushed mutterings leaking in from behind. Roxanne’s parents had a quiet argument, with words like tuition and payments getting thrown around. The stresses of adult life were leaking on through and threatened to wipe away the young dragoness’s smile. Roxanne sighed and quietly stepped out of the inn and onto the side road. If her parents didn’t want her to stress out, then she wouldn’t invite those stresses into her mind.

The Glenhaven Palace loomed just to the south. Roxanne would only have to take a few turns to get to the main road. As she took off into flight, Roxanne took a breath of air.

Roxanne felt uneasy talking about her other “friends” with her parents. A number of them were the sons or daughters of the Paladins, which meant they were able to go to school without having to worry about tuition fees.

But for the rest of Glenhaven’s youth, education wasn’t cheap. And that hurt Roxanne’s parents financially quite a bit; they were barely able to send her to school. That was probably what they were arguing about after they thought she left. As for those friends... well, she was more of a friend of a friend. She didn’t talk to many of them much, save one particular boy she liked.

“Don’t get yourself down, Roxanne.” She told herself. She flew over several houses before coming to a landing on the main road. “Just focus on heading to school. Everything will be fine later in the afternoon.”

Roxanne resumed her walk down the road in silence…

~~…~~

On the eastern side of the city of Glenhaven was a magnificent prairie. The lush green landscape of the area, along with its various hills and trees, served as a great contrast to the harsh climate of the desert that sat just outside the city walls. Various breeds of sheep, goats, cows, and similar farm animals wandered across the grassy plain, and a few streams and rivers ran through the northern and southern ends of the area.

In the middle of the prairie, three young dragons were chasing a group of sheep. At the head of the trio was the oldest, Blankridge.

Blankridge, or Blank as his friends called him, was an orange-scaled fire dragon. Blank was fourteen, just like his twin sister. He was a toughly-built boy for his age, thanks to years of running around like a buffoon. He had his mother’s maroon eyes and blue mane, though his mane was short and unkempt. Most of his scales (and part of his training armor) were stained with dirt and grass. His toe-talons tore at the ground as he ran; he always took his sandals off when running through the prairie.

The two younglings following after Blankridge were two of his friends: Keith and Mary. Keith was a lithe lightning dragon; with bright yellow scales and a bushy brown mane. Mary, meanwhile, had bright red scales and kept her sky-blue mane tied back in a ponytail. They were the only friends who could come with Blankridge to the prairie today; he had a considerable circle of friends, but most of them didn’t attend the same school that he did.

The trio was quickly gaining on the sheep. Blankridge beat his chest as he shouted after the scared animals. “Come back here!”

Naturally, the livestock ignored him and kept running, bleating in fear the whole time. Keith and Mary ran just behind Blankridge, laughing all the way. Blankridge pulled back for a jump. He launched himself forward towards the sheep, wings spread wide and limbs outreached. Just as he was about to tackle one of the sheep, it quickly ran to the left, leaving him on a collision course for the dirt. He landed face-first in a pile of leaves and grass, grunting as he made an impact.

Keith and Mary helped Blankridge up from the grass, though they struggled to keep from laughing too hard.

“Still think this was a good idea?” Mary said with a suppressed giggle.

“Classic Blank.” Keith chided.

“Ha ha ha...” He said sarcastically. He spat out a wad of grass.

“Look what you did, Blank,” Mary said. “Your scales are a mess.”

“Like I care.” Blankridge rolled his eyes. He halfheartedly wiped more blades of grass off his training uniform “Besides, I have Combat Training today. I’ll get all messed up anyhow.”

After the encounter with the sheep, the trio walked off to an open pavilion. It was crowded with dragons, both young and old, as they went about their business. Just before the pavilion was a large dragon-shaped statue. It was carved from a brilliant assortment of gilded gemstones and sparkling amethysts. The statue towered over the pavilion with a fierce and imposing gaze. Its hands rested atop the hilt of a large broadsword that stabbed into the ground, and a flowing tail wrapped about the statue’s feet. The statue’s wings were spread wide, casting the area in shadows about the area.

Keith and Mary sat down at a little table, where their backpacks and other belongings were gathered around. Blankridge picked up his sandals and put them on, whilst gazing at that statue. As soon as his sandals were attached, he grinned and ran over to leap onto the statue’s tail.

“Blank, what are you doing?” Keith asked.

“Check this out!” Blankridge clambered along the tail and tried to climb onto the back. He grabbed on the statue’s various back spikes to hoist himself upward. Once he stood on the left shoulder, he jumped up and clung to one of the golden horns upon the head. From there, it was a simple glide to land between the two horns. Keith and Mary were incredulous; they dashed to the front of the statue and watched as Blankridge relaxed atop the statue. He sat cross-legged and kept himself balanced by wrapping his tail around the horn.

“Blank, get down from there!” Mary exclaimed.

“Relax, guys!” Blankridge smirked. He strummed his fingers against the head. “I’m just having some fun up here.”

“Hey, get down from there!” Someone shouted nearby. Blankridge and the other younglings glanced over and spotted a cheetah dressed in guard’s armor running up. The feline took quite the umbrage with Blankridge’s spot on the statue.

“Don’t you know not to play around on an important relic?!” The cheetah exclaimed.

“Hey, I’m not doing anything wrong!” Blankridge protested.

“I said GET DOWN!” The cheetah hissed. He reached for the handcuffs on his belt. “Don’t make me drag you to the Paladins!”

“Alright, alright...” Blankridge groaned. He spread his wings and glided down to the ground. Once his feet landed, he immediately took off into a run toward the younglings’ table. Along the way, he smacked into the cheetah, making him spin about a full 360 degrees.

“Watch where you’re going!” He hissed again.

“Sorry!” Blankridge shouted as he kept running. The orange youngling could feel the cheetah glaring at him as he sat down at the table. He lifted his satchel from the chair just as Keith and Mary joined him.

“I hope you’re done fooling around for the morning,” Mary said.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m done…” Blankridge grumbled. The climb atop the statue was the most unique fun he’d had in a long while. The prairie had been the only place he could explore and run around in the whole city for years… and the older he got, the smaller it felt.

Blankridge gazed around at the prairie for a moment and then shifted to look upon the mighty stone walls that surrounded it. They rose pretty high; nearly fifty feet. It wouldn’t be hard for Blankridge to fly up to that wall… but what would he do from there? Try to flee over the side to venture into the desert? Would he get far before the city guards caught up with him and dragged him back? Oh, how he wanted to explore the desert surrounding Glenhaven… and even the lands beyond. But he’d been trapped in Glenhaven all his life and was growing more bored by the day.

If only I could explore further… Blankridge sighed. He rested his head in his hand as his mind drifted off to dreamland, where he saw himself having fantastic adventures…

“When is Emmy going to get here?” Keith asked.

Immediately Blankridge was snapped back to reality. He grumbled as he checked a nearby clock tower.

“She’ll be here soon,” Blankridge answered. “You know how she is about schedules...”

Just as he said that he spotted a carriage approaching from the town. Two brown stallions neighed loudly as they pulled to a stop before the pavilion. The carriage itself was made from the finest wood and metal. The coachman was a mole dressed in a fine suit. The mole hopped down from the carriage and went to open the side door. A pair of lightning dragons stepped out of the carriage and took formation on either side of the door. The coachman then placed a footstool before the door as two young dragons emerged. The first was a young dragoness, whose name was the same as her scale color: Emerald.

Emerald was of short stature. She had a short, sea-green mane that was neatly groomed. Two horns bent upwards from the back of her head and gleamed like gemstones. A pair of silver spectacles sat upon her short snout. She wore a sparkling blue dress that complemented her silver jewelry. A satchel of the finest leathers hung around her shoulder.

The dragon that followed just behind Emerald was just a bit older, with a similar shade of scale color. He was her cousin, Prince Jonathan of the Adenaitis Royal Family. He had a trimmed-short brown mane and dazzling purple eyes. Four silver horns grew from the sides of his head, all bending downwards towards his neck. He wore a fancy brown coat with matching trousers and sandals. On the back of his coat was a shimmering green circle glyph: the symbol of House Adenaitis.

“Why do they always use a carriage to ride along?” Mary whispered. “Don’t they have wings, like us?”

“That’s how noble families like to parade around their wealth.” Keith crossed his arms.

“I don’t…” Blankridge frowned.

Jonathan grasped his trousers and held them up to avoid trailing them along the dirt path.

“Stupid mud…” Jonathan grumbled as he pushed past his cousin. “Hurry it up.”

“Hold your horses.” Emerald snorted. She turned and delicately nodded to the coachman. “Thank you for the ride, Remis.”

“You’re welcome, milady.” The coachman bowed his head. Emerald turned to walk towards the pavilion, with Jonathan and their guards following beside her. Blankridge happily waved her over from the table, while Keith and Mary grimaced. Mary nudged herself out of the way as Emerald sat down.

“Uh… good morning, Miss Emerald.” Keith smiled awkwardly.

“Hello,” Emerald said without looking at him.

“Sleep well?” Blankridge asked.

“Of course I did.” Emerald snorted. “I always-” She stopped when she saw the dirt all over Blankridge’s scales. “Ugh! Why are you so filthy?”

“He tried to catch one of the sheep again,” Mary smirked. “He failed.”

“You’re not actually going to class like that, are you?” Emerald demanded.

“Relax, Emmy.” Blankridge gave a nonchalant shrug. “I’ll end up looking the same way after training.”

“Be that as it may, it’s unbecoming of you to walk around so...” She scrunched up her face. “…ghastly.”

“Are you going to make me wash up, MOM?” Blankridge chuckled. Emerald only growled in irritation as Keith and Mary laughed.

“Can we move it along?” Jonathan demanded with his arms crossed. “I need to get to the palace before Granddad shows up and gives me an earfrill-full.”

“Right…” Emerald looked down her nose at Blankridge. “Enough dilly-dallying: We have to get going.”

“We’ve got plenty of time, still,” Blankridge replied.

“Oh, is that right?” Emerald raised an eye ridge. “Where are Nellie and Rune?”

“They’re probably at the palace right now.” Blankridge shrugged.

“They went without you?” Emerald asked incredulously

“Nah, I just left early. I wanted to get some exercise in the prairie before school.”

“Exercise is one thing, but ruining your school uniform is another thing entirely.” Emerald got up from the table, shaking her head. “Now come on: We might as well get going while we still have time.”

“Why?” Blankridge demanded.

Jonathan glared at Blankridge and grabbed his shoulder. “I am NOT getting chewed out because of you wasting my time again, Blank!”

“Hey, get off!” The orange drake shook his shoulder angrily.

Jonathan’s hand was tossed away, and he growled. Blankridge growled back, stood up, and stretched out his arms to bear his talons… but his bravado immediately melted away as the two guards glared down at him from across the way. With a wince, Blankridge put his arms down and grimaced. Jonathan saw this and put on a smug grin. He extended his wings and motioned with his talons, trying to goad Blankridge into making another move. While Blankridge didn’t do anything upfront, he snarled internally. What a jerk.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough of that,” Emerald said forcefully. She stepped between the two and fanned her wings out to separate them. “Blankridge, please have some consideration for other people’s schedules; we can’t go to the palace without you.”

Blankridge looked at the dragoness incredulously; was she seriously not going to say anything to her cousin about trying to provoke Blank?

“You could head off without me, you know,” Blankridge said. “You’re not my keeper, Emerald.”

“But I am your fellow student.” Emerald declared. “It wouldn’t be becoming of me to not look out for you.”

Blankridge snorted in derision. “Seriously?”

“Come on, Blank.” Emerald tapped his shoulder.

“Alright, alright,” Blankridge grumbled. He draped his backpack over his shoulder and sulked away from the table. “See ya, guys.”

“Later!” Keith and Mary called after them.

Blankridge, Emerald, and Jonathan made their way down the pavilion, the guards following close behind. Blankridge tried to take the lead, but Jonathan nudged him out of the way, to his frustration. They soon all boarded the carriage, and Remis closed the door behind them and put the footstool away. He returned to the driver’s seat and took the reins.

“It’s about time…” Jonathan leaned back in his seat and snorted. “I almost got dirt on my jacket.”

Blankridge snorted and rolled his eyes as he sat down. He glanced at Emerald and crossed his arms defiantly. “Why do you two always have to be so bossy, Emmy?”

“Somebody has to keep you in line when Nellie’s not around.” Emerald looked down her muzzle at him.

“I’m not a hatchling; I can take care of myself,” Blankridge said. “Besides, I’m the oldest kid in our family!”

“You certainly don’t act like it.” Emerald scolded.

“Hmph…” Blankridge tapped his knee and leaned back. “You can be a real jerk sometimes.”

“I’ll have you know I’m not a jerk!” Emerald glared. “I’m a lady.”

“Well…” Jonathan scratched his chin. That earned him a death glare from his cousin, making him snort and look away.

Blankridge turned to look out the window as the carriage left the pavilion. His eyes were focused on the big gold-and-purple statue.

“Wow…” Blankridge sighed happily. “He must have been a cool dragon to get a statue THAT BIG.”

Emerald raised an eye ridge. “I don’t think ‘cool’ is the proper word to describe Lord Sakre.”

“He’s cool to me.” Blankridge put his thumb on his chest. “Someday, I’m going to be a great hero, just like him.”

“Yeah, that’ll be the day.” Jonathan rolled his eyes.

“You’ll see!” Blankridge pointed at the prince. “Someday, I’m going to leave Glenhaven and do great things, just like Sakre!”

“You’re not going anywhere if you can’t stay focused in school long enough to spell his name.” Emerald scolded as she wagged a finger in Blankridge’s face.

Blankridge pouted and looked away. “It was just that one time...”

The three younglings rode in silence for the rest of the ride to the palace. Which was fine for Blankridge; he didn’t want to deal with the earth cousins’ obnoxious commentary.

~~...~~

Hontus, Seraph, Rune, and Nellie flew to the northwest corner of Glenhaven. Few dragons lived out in the rural part of the city; it was mostly occupied by the mystics, alchemists, and shamans who passed by on their travels. However, there was one alchemist in particular who’d made Glenhaven his home for almost as long as Rune had.

Rune’s family came to a landing outside the grasp of an old shop that sat on the corner of two old roads. The shop was plain and small in design, and all of the windows were closed shut. A sign over the door said:

“GREGORY’S OUTLET FOR POTIONS AND INCANTATIONS.”

Rune sighed in contentment on seeing that sign. He would have rushed forward to greet the shop’s owner… but he stopped upon seeing a figure standing in the middle of the tall grass. It was a slender-framed, blue dragon with long legs and a compact chest. He had his back turned toward Rune’s family as he stood tall and composed. The dragon had a ragged white mane, barely contained beneath a black cap. He lifted up a scythe above his head and, with a powerful swing, sliced down the tall reeds. Rune stepped back and lightly took a cautious breath as he watched the dragon cut down more of the overgrown grass, all while whistling a merry tune.

Before long the figure sensed the others’ presence, and he turned around to look them over. His beady eyes lit up, and he reached up to grab his farmer’s cape to take it off.

“Ahh, good morning, my esteemed Paladin…” The dragon said with a quiet yet amiable voice. He stuck his scythe under his arm as he bowed his head respectfully toward Hontus.

“Greetings, Amos,” Hontus said with a nod. “Is your boss home today?”

“Just look over my shoulder.” With a grin, Amos put his cap back on and dusted down his vest before turning toward the shop’s front porch. “Looks like you have some customers, Mr. Gregory!”

Seated in the middle of the porch, relaxing in the shade of the sun, was an old dragon. Rune’s eyes beamed as he stepped around the farmer to greet the drake properly.

Light brown robes covered most of the dragon’s grey body. A white beard fell to the bottom of his neck; it was rather scruffy and ended with a little bead. His golden horns, which once shined brightly, curled backward behind his eyes. His left horn was missing its tip, and his wings were worn with the many years and battles he’d seen in his lifetime.

The old dragon was playing some old tune on a lyre when Amos called out to him. His ear frills twitched, and he put his lyre down as Rune approached.

“Gr…” Rune stammered as he stopped himself; he’d gotten too excited. He cleared his throat, patted his chest, and spoke again. “…Gregory!”

“Ahh…” Gregory put his lyre down and sat up straight. He blinked his weary eyes as he saw Rune and his family approaching. “If it isn’t my usual customers.”

“Good morning, Mr. Gregory,” Hontus said as he stepped up and bowed.

“My, I wasn’t expecting to see the family of Sir Hontus today,” Gregory said with a low chuckle. He stood up and stretched out his wings. Rune came to a stop and smiled at the old dragon, though he tried to hide this from Hontus and Seraph.

“We’re sorry to disturb you, Mr. Gregory,” Seraph replied. “It’s just that our son Rune has almost run dry of his headache medicine.”

“Already?” Gregory asked. He looked at Rune incredulously, who just blushed and turned away.

“By any chance, could you prepare another batch for him?” Hontus asked. “I’m always willing to pay if it’s too much trouble.”

“No, no, I’m sure I can get a batch ready without too much hassle…” Gregory lumbered around Rune to have a good look at the front lawn. “I see you’ve made a mighty clean cut today, Mr. Amos.”

“I always give it my all for my favorite employer.” Amos gave another hearty grin as he gestured with his scythe at the lawn. “And I’ll gladly entertain our Paladin and the Missus if you like!”

“Quite…” Gregory briefly grumbled as he made his way toward the front door. “Okay, I’ll just need Rune to come inside with me. Standard procedure, of course.”

“Right…” Seraph said uneasily. She patted Rune’s shoulder. “Go on inside with him, Rune.”

“Sure.” Rune nodded. Gregory unlocked the door and strode inside. Rune followed after him and shut the door behind him. Rune sighed in relief as he sat down on a small cushion as Gregory got to work.

The old drake’s store was as plain on the interior as on the outside. Various bottles and beakers were arranged in neat patterns on the counters. Each of the cabinets was marked with a sign stating what was inside, and all were magically sealed so that only Gregory could open them.

Gregory sighed as he gathered various items from his cabinets. After he’d arranged his stuff on the counter, he signaled for Rune to approach. Rune hopped up and stepped up to the old drake. He picked up a few herbs and berries and placed them in a small bowl to mash them into a paste. He handed this bowl to Rune, who did the mashing, while the old drake began pouring chemicals into a bottle.

“How much of that medicine have you been taking, Rune?” Gregory asked in a whisper.

“Well… I’d say about a bottle a night.” Rune answered.

“A bottle a night?!” Gregory exclaimed. The old drake nearly dropped his bottle; he gasped as he struggled to keep the contents stable, while Rune winced. Once Gregory was sure everything was under control, he gave a deep sigh before glowering at the youngling.

“Rune, you’re only supposed to be taking half a vial a day.” He whispered harshly.

“Well, I can’t help it.” Rune shrugged his shoulders as he resumed mashing the berries. “I keep waking up in the middle of the night due to the headaches. And beside…” He glowered back at the old dragon. “We’re supposed to be more active at night anyway, right? That’s what you told me.”

“Rune…” The old drake sighed again. He adjusted his bottles before looking the youngling in the eyes. “If you keep taking too much medicine, there’s going to be adverse side effects. You need to try to limit how much you take in.”

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t have these headaches if I could take the shroud off once in a while.” Rune pouted.

“It’s too risky.” Gregory shook his head. “This isn’t the time for dragons like us to reveal ourselves openly. You can only reveal who you are around me, and it may send the wrong message if you were to sneak over to my shop on your own.”

Rune sighed and looked away; his pace with the mashing slowed down. “We can’t stay hidden forever, Grandpa.”

The old drake rolled his eyes and turned back to his counter. “We’ve already discussed this; as far as anyone’s concerned, you call me by the name of Gregory. It has to be kept a secret until the time is right. Now pick up the pace; we need to get this batch prepared ASAP.”

“Fine…” Rune sighed and hurried up with the mashing. He hated keeping secrets, even if it was for his own protection. Rune stayed quiet for a time as he helped his grandfather prepare the medicine.

Once the ingredients were reduced to a paste, Rune handed the bowl to Gregory. The alchemist picked up the bowl and used a funnel to pour the contents into a large bottle. Gregory then added the ingredients from the other bottle. The mixture had a sickly red and green color and was quite opaque. Gregory carried the bottle away from the window and stood off in the dark corner of the shop. He held the bottle up with his left hand and placed two fingers on his right hand under the glass.

“Alright, lad,” Gregory said softly as he glanced at Rune. “I’m about to start the fire.”

Rune winced and did his best to stand in place, while the old drake shut his eyes

and muttered under his breath…

A small flame arose from between the old dragon’s fingertips. Rune winced and tried not to look directly at the fire.

“It’s only a little fire.” The old drake said reassuringly. “I’ve got everything under control. It won’t hurt you, okay?”

“Okay…” Rune said nervously.

With that, the old dragon focused on his flame and vial. The fire heated the bottom of the bottle in seconds, and the contents bubbled and churned as the old dragon sighed in satisfaction. Despite even the old dragon’s assurance, Rune couldn’t help but feel uneasy whenever he even so much as glanced at the little spark dancing between Gregory’s fingertips. Although, as he watched the fire, something clicked in his mind, and he looked up at Gregory’s face.

“I just remembered…” Rune spoke up. “There’s something else you should know, Gregory.”

“I’m a bit busy, Rune.” Gregory scolded.

“It’s about my nightmares,” Rune said.

“Hmm?” The old drake grimaced.

“They’re about Mother.” Rune continued: he could feel a few tears forming in his eyes. “It’s been the same thing every three nights… I miss her.”

Gregory stopped his little flame, and the liquid cooled down; it had now turned green and was partially see-through. The old drake carried the bottle to the desk and frowned down at Rune in pity. Once the bottle was down, the old dragon reached over to give his grandson a hug.

“What happened in these nightmares?” He asked cautiously.

Rune recounted the events of his dreams in vivid detail. He shuddered as he explained the roaring flames and the monster that emerged from them. Rune could see the hair on his grandfather’s head stand on end. Eventually, the old drake patted Rune’s shoulder.

“I don’t claim to be an expert on nightmares,” Gregory said, “But talking to loved ones is a good first step. If you’re dreaming about your mother, then I suppose you remember a bit more about what happened back then.”

“Is it good that I remember?” Rune asked worriedly.

“Well…” The old drake sighed. “Maybe, maybe not. I miss your mother as much as you do, Rune. But… and this may hurt,” he held a finger up, “but you’ll find that coming to terms with her passing will leave you feeling better in the end.”

“But… it hurts so much.” Rune frowned as he put a hand on his chest.

“You just need more time,” Gregory said.

“Hontus and Seraph want to take me to speak to the Elders.” Rune crossed his arms again. “I’m… not sure what advice they could give me that could outdo yours, G… Gregory.”

“Well, you might want to heed whatever they have to say.” The old drake chuckled. “I’m just as old as they are, if not more so. But you may find that their words are wiser than mine.”

“And if it’s not?”

“Well…” The old drake leaned down to Rune’s ear frill “You’ll always have your grandfather, child.”

Rune smiled and whispered back. “Thank you.”

A tapping came from the front door.

“Hello?” Seraph asked. “Are you two going to be done in there soon? Rune and Nellie are going to be late for school.”

“What a shame…” Gregory patted Rune’s shoulder again and turned to his counter. He poured the contents of the green liquid into several vials, put the vials in a sack, and tucked it all away inside Rune’s backpack.

“Looks like your little visit has come to an end, child.”

“I guess so…” Rune re-adjusted his satchel and turned towards the door. “Will you be here all day again?”

“I do have other customers, Rune,” Gregory said as he followed the youngling. “Just remember to keep what I said in mind.”

“Alright…” Rune pushed the door open and saw Seraph waiting just beyond it. With a slight smile, he stepped up and hugged Seraph’s leg. “I’ve got the medicine.”

“And not a moment too soon.” Seraph pursed her hips. “You spend way too much time alone with this drake.”

“Err…” Gregory scratched his head awkwardly. “It’s just to help him take measurements.”

“Sure…” Seraph nudged Rune with her hand away from the door.

“Hey!” Rune struggled against Seraph’s grip. “Seraph, I’m not a cub anymore!”

Laughter filled the air; Amos was leaning against his scythe as he beheld the way Seraph guided Rune.

“Always as protective as ever.” Amos winked. “The boy couldn’t ask for a better Mum.”

As Seraph moved Rune out of the way, Hontus stepped up to face Gregory as the old drake looked outside.

“How much will the medicine put us back?” Hontus asked.

“Only a few blue gems.” The old drake replied. “I always have a discount for my favorite customers.”

“Nice…” Seraph muttered. She let go of Rune’s hand and had him stand beside Nellie.

“You really do spend an odd amount of time with that old dragon…” Nellie whispered to him. “It gives off a nasty vibe to Mom.”

“Whatever…” Rune grumbled as he massaged his hand.

Hontus paid Gregory the gems and approached his family. “Alright, let’s head over to the palace. Time’s a-wasting and all that…”

“Right.” Seraph harrumphed as she spread her wings. “Come along, kids.”

Rune and Nellie followed after their parents in take-off. As they left, Rune looked back at Gregory and Amos and waved goodbye. The groundskeeper tilted his cap and winked, while the old drake waved back as he picked up his lyre.

Rune wished he could just toss aside the charade and tell his family that Gregory was his grandfather. But Rune respected the old drake too much to give away such a dangerous secret. Not just for his grandfather’s sake, but for his own as well. If anyone outside of the two of them knew where they came from, or who they were… Rune shivered when he thought of the consequences.

Maybe Grandpa is right… Rune sighed whilst adjusting his satchel. Perhaps we are better off in hiding.

~~...~~

The sun was bright as a series of horse-drawn carriages made their way through a narrow mountain path towards Glenhaven from the west. The carriage at the front of the caravan was plain in coloration, and its windows were closed shut.

The green-scaled coachman held tightly to the reins of two white stallions. A lean, red dragon in beige robes sat beside him. A hood concealed the red drake’s facial features, save for the tempered scowl he held. He looked outwards at the walls of the desert city as it approached.

His name was Albanion, and he was on an important mission.

Finally... The drake thought. I thought we’d never get here.

The carriages slowed to a stop just before the west gate of Glenhaven’s walls. An earth dragon and a lightning dragoness, both dressed in leather armor, stood before the gate. The red drake had the coachman slow down his carriage, and a signal was passed to the rest of the caravan to do the same. Once the carriages were stopped, the red drake stepped down and approached the guards; he was taller than them by at least half a head.

“Who goes there?” The earth dragon asked; a hand by the hilt of his sword. City guards were always pretty antsy, no matter where Albanion or his allies went.

“We are but a group of travelers from the far west,” Albanion said calmly. “We only seek refuge in the city for a short time before we continue on our trek to the east. Perhaps we might wish to speak with the ruler of this domain.”

“That would be King Gaius.” The lightning dragoness said. “You must be from pretty far, indeed, to not know about him.” She snorted. “Granted, I doubt he would give the time of day to some random vagabonds.”

Indeed… The red dragon straightened himself out. “Well, perhaps this city’s elders might be more forgiving.”

“Think what you will, stranger.” The earth guard said as he fetched a lantern from the side. He lifted the lantern into the air and shook it for a moment. A short while later, another guard atop the wall lit a similar torch, shaking his in the same pattern. The iron gate rumbled as it slowly rose up.

“Enjoy your stay in Glenhaven.” The dragoness said dubiously as she and her partner stepped out of the way. “And mind your manners.”

Albanion barely grunted as he nodded to them. He returned to his spot beside the coachman, who had his stallions trot forward.

“Are you alright, sir?” The coachman asked.

“I’m about as alright as I can be,” Albanion whispered. He briefly glanced at the guards as his carriage passed by them.

The caravan passed onto one of the many dirt roads of Glenhaven. Albanion kept his eyes peeled as he glanced around at the multitude of houses and shops that lined the city blocks. Everything seemed out of the ordinary… nothing out of place. Nor did any of the few citizens he spotted, dragon or otherwise seem shocked that such a caravan was making its way into town.

Hmm… Albanion rumbled in his throat. If only…

A few minutes later, the caravan formed a circle around a wide town square. Albanion watched as the many merchants and soldiers stepped out to go about their business. Albanion stepped down from his carriage and reached into his satchel. He produced a cluster of red, yellow, and blue gems.

“Take these and exchange them for our carriage’s refurbishment,” Albanion ordered as he gave the gems to the coachman.

“Yes, sir.” The coachman saluted. “I’ll bring back whatever’s left behind.”

“Do as you will…” The red drake made a gesture with his hands and whispered. “May Cynthia look after you in this hostile territory.”

The coachman made a similar gesture. “And also you, Salve-Master.”

Albanion nodded and turned towards the side door of the carriage. He pulled the door open to reveal two other dragons dressed in robes similar to his own.

One was a large, overweight dragon. He carefully hobbled out of the caravan; he was missing his left foot, the two smallest fingers on his left hand, and most of his right wing. He scratched at his bushy black beard as he stepped into the daylight with a long, wooden staff. After the large dragon, out stepped a green dragoness with a slender frame. Her elongated tail brushed the ground as she walked. Her wings, despite being folded over her back, were broad enough to fool onlookers into believing they were a cape.

The three robed dragons looked around at the city street as the green-scaled drake drove his carriage away. The roads weren’t exactly silent, but neither were they as hustling and bustling as they would be later in the day.

“So, this is Glenhaven.” The burly drake said. He adjusted his hood to keep the sun out of his eyes.

“Aye,” Albanion said. “Gaius’s domain, just like in the war.”

“That trip was too quiet for my liking.” The dragoness sighed. “I would have hoped for something more eventful.”

“Calm yourself, Elza.” The red dragon patted her shoulder.

It was about this time when a dozen or so dragons from the other carriages encircled Albanion’s trio. The dragons came in an assortment of colors, but all wore the same nomadic robes and bandages. A blue dragoness stepped forward and bowed her head.

“What do we do now, Salve-Master?” She asked.

Albanion looked out amongst the nomads. “Go about your lives for the day. Replenish whatever supplies you need. All of you are to meet back here at this spot before sundown.”

“Yes, Salve-Master.” The dragoness turned and relayed the order to the nomads. As they dispersed, the red dragon approached a nearby, wooden display. Upon that display was a map of the city.

Glenhaven was almost two hundred years old: the youngest of the thirteen cities. It was divided into four districts: The northern and southern districts were comprised mainly of shops, markets, forges, smelters, and other forms of business. The eastern district was a massive grassland area. Shepherds looked after and provided livestock. The western section of the city was a residential area. Most of the houses were built on the ground and were of decent size, but a good number were constructed into massive towers of stone. These were reserved for the city’s defenders; the Paladins.

“Do you think he’s hiding in a place as big as Glenhaven?” The burly dragon asked.

“Since I don’t know, thinking is the best I can do.” The red drake answered. “It stands to reason he’ll be in a big city.”

“A bigger city means an easier time losing yourself in a crowd.” Elza agreed.

“Many of the cities may be home to royalty, but few are big and foolish enough to hide royalty,” Albanion said. “And Glenhaven is the closest one on our journey. Ancestors know that it’ll be a frustrating swim to reach Frostwryng.”

“Even with everyone we have with us,” Elza said, “how are we going to search the entire city for him?”

“Our informants could help, for starters.” The burly drake declared.

Albanion and Elza exchanged glances, while the drake pointed a finger in the air.

“All we have to do is contact them and learn what they know, yes?” He continued.

“Hmm…” The red dragon scratched his chin. “Perhaps. But if they already found him, they’d have told the rest of us by now.”

“Then what do you suggest, then?” The bigger drake shrugged.

“Look here.” Albanion gestured towards the very center of Glenhaven. “The Elders make a point of learning the names and faces of all the young dragons that go to train at the palace. So, we shall seek an audience with them. If it turns out the prince isn’t hiding here, then we’ll leave and continue our search elsewhere.”

“Didn’t we just arrive?” The burly drake asked.

“We shouldn’t stay in one place for any longer than we have to.” Albanion crossed his arms. “Time is of the essence: Once we’ve replenished our supplies and met with the informants, we have to head out again. And I still can’t decide on either Frostwryng or Aeroshard as the next place to search.”

“True…” Aegis nodded. “But there is one other thing we can do while we’re in Glenhaven.”

“What do you mean, Aegis?” Elza asked.

Aegis turned to point to the east and snapped his fingers. “I’m going to seek out the city’s library.” He stamped his staff down for emphasis. “There’s something I wish to investigate that concerns the prince.”

“And what is that, exactly?” Albanion demanded. “We don’t have all day, Aegis.”

“It’s basically a… hunch, at the moment.” He tugged on his beard. “I’ll tell both of you once I’ve finished my research. For now, just head for the palace.” Aegis smirked. “I shall meet with you later, and hopefully with a bounty of knowledge!”

Albanion and Elza exchanged worried glances and then returned their gaze to the burly drake. Albanion stepped forward and glanced at Aegis’s missing foot. “Are you sure you can make the journey by yourself?”

“Of course.” Aegis chuckled. “It’ll take more than missing limbs to prevent me from going where I want to go!” And with that, he walked off down the pathway.

“Take care, Aegis.” The red dragon said. Once his companion was on his way, he turned his gaze back towards the distant palace.

“We’d best hurry, Elza.” He said as he spread his wings. “We don’t want to deal with meddling passers-by.”

“Right…” The dragoness nodded. The pair spread their wings and took flight straight for the palace. Their eyes occasionally fell onto the city streets far below. Little by little, many dragons emerged to go about their lives in the bustling city.

“Do you think he’s well?” Elza whispered.

“Of course; he’s as healthy as an ox,” Albanion said with a nod.

“Not Aegis…” A frown creased Elza’s muzzle. “The Prince.”

Albanion sighed. He did his best to give the dragoness a reassuring expression, but he could feel his own worries lapping at his heart.

“I… I’m sure he’s alive and well, Elza.” He said.

“It’s been over three months…” Elza looked away. “We’ve searched every village on the entire western side of this continent, and we’ve had no luck finding him. Where could he have gone?”

“Hush up.” Albanion snapped. The dragoness recoiled in surprise, to which the drake weakened his expression. “I apologize. But we mustn’t reveal too much.” His eyes darted around at the seemingly empty sky. “You never know who could be listening in, Elza.”

“I know, I know...” Elza looked down at the city and sniffled. “I don’t know what I would do if I were to find out he’s...”

“Stop torturing yourself,” Albanion said. “Yes, the prince is rather immature for his age. But he’s no fool; he’d be smart enough to stay hidden. We’ll find him, Elza. We just have to keep searching.”

Elza looked up at him. “Alright. I trust you, Albanion.”

~~...~~

After leaving Gregory’s shop, Rune’s family flew across to the center of Glenhaven, where the Grand Palace resided.

The sky was clear of any clouds today, and the sun beat down hard on Rune’s back. Luckily, despite his misgivings otherwise, Rune was able to employ just a little bit of fire magic to help suppress the heat. What more useful trick could there be, for any fire dragon living in the desert?

Seraph and Nellie didn’t have that ability, however; being water dragonesses, they instead used their own magic to cool down. Their magic was a bit more strenuous as a result: Hontus and Rune ended up flying ahead of them.

“Are you two okay this morning?” Hontus looked back at them.

“I’m fine, Dad,” Nellie said as she flapped her wings.

“Let’s just focus ahead, dear,” Seraph added. “We’re almost at the palace. The faster we get away from Gregory, the better.”

“I don’t understand why you hate him.” Hontus frowned. “He’s always been a nice enough old dragon.”

“There’s something about him that rubs me the wrong way…” Seraph muttered. Rune just sighed and focused on his flight.

The family’s destination was atop a small mountain in the very heart of the city: The Grand Palace of Glenhaven.

The palace was built many years prior, by earth dragon sculptors. It was all overseen by Aden, the first Earth King. Aden’s lineage had ruled over Glenhaven ever since, with the current king being his great-grandson Gaius. But while the king ruled over the city, he didn’t have power over the Paladins. Instead, they were commanded by the Elders.

The Elders were a trio of wizened former Paladins, who governed the city spiritually. Many younglings from all across the southern continent were invited to study and learn under the tutelage of the Paladins. There used to be other Elders… but Rune never met them. Maybe they all passed away before he came to live and learn in Glenhaven.

A full, stone staircase spiraled around the mountain, starting at the base and ending before the palace’s front gates. This was for the many earth-bound races that lived in the city. The primary function of the palace, aside from being the Elders’ home, was to be a school for the many young dragons of Glenhaven.

Rune’s family glided down to the front courtyard before the entrance. There was nobody outside… save for two strange dragons. The male looked upwards at the gates with his arms crossed, while the female looked at the guards on either side of the gate. Rune flinched on seeing the robes the strangers wore. Something about them felt familiar.

“Hmm…” Hontus glanced at the two robed dragons. Evidently, the pair heard this, as they turned to face the Paladin. Hontus snorted in surprise but quickly gave a warm smile.

“Ah, welcome to Glenhaven Palace.” He declared. “Sorry for the inconvenience, but King Gaius prefers to keep the palace doors closed until a certain time of day.”

“Fair enough… Paladin” The male drake snorted as he gave a short bow to Hontus. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to speak to the Elders before nightfall.”

“You seek an audience?” Seraph asked. “What for?”

While his parents spoke awkwardly to the strangers, Rune and Nellie backed up to look out upon the city. Seraph draped a wing over them. Rune tried not to focus on the strangers. He couldn’t deny that he shared Hontus’s nervous feelings about them. But while Hontus found them unnerving, Rune felt something... odd.

They sound so familiar. Rune thought. But where have I heard that voice before?

He didn’t have long to think about this, as Nellie fluttered her wings and extended a finger at the city. “Look! Blank and Emerald are here!”

Down below, a lavish carriage came to a stop before the mountain. A moment later, three young dragons stepped out of it and flew up towards the palace. Rune took a breath of relief when he recognized Blankridge and Emerald’s faces, but the face of Jonathan immediately made him flinch.

The trio flew up over the platform and landed a short distance away before approaching. Seraph turned and smiled down. “Hello, dears.”

“Hi, Mom.” Blankridge dashed up and winked at Rune and Nellie. “Hey, guys.”

Emerald walked up and stood by the door, her snout pointed skyward. “Hi.”

Jonathan joined her, though he kept his attention on keeping his trousers from dragging the ground; Rune wondered if they were too big for him. The prince didn’t even give the Paladin or his wife the time of day as he approached the doors.

“Uh... Hi, Emerald.” Rune said awkwardly. He then scowled a bit at the prince. “…Jonathan.”

Emerald glanced at him and nodded. Jonathan, however, pushed past Rune by shoving his shoulder against his.

“Hello, desert beetle.” He spat under his breath. Rune growled internally as he rubbed his shoulder. But he didn’t confront the prince… not in front of those guards. That never went well.

Blankridge and Nellie passed the time by talking with Seraph and Hontus. Emerald and Jonathan, meanwhile, stood before the gates; Jonathan tried and failed to get the guards to open the doors early. Rune curiously gazed back towards the robed dragons, who had resumed their silent waiting. They paid Rune no mind, but something about them sent a shiver down Rune’s back.

Those robes… he mused. I feel like I should remember them. But where have I…?

“They’re opening up!” Blankridge shouted.

Seraph stood beside Hontus as the four younglings walked between them. The guards pulled the doors aside, and a large dragon approached from the opposite side of the doors.

“My word, what a slow morning…” The dragon muttered as he looked outside. “Oh, Hontus! I didn’t expect you so early.”

“Hail, Voden,” Hontus grunted and saluted.

Voden was another of the Paladins of Glenhaven, though that wasn’t as noticeable at first. Instead of a suit of armor, the orange-scaled drake preferred to dress in a set of red scholarly robes. His yellow eyes sparkled like the sun; he was always the sunniest disposition in the palace. Voden carried a backpack over each of his shoulders, filled to the brim with books and supplies. The only bit of armor the dragon wore was a visor over his short brown mane.

“Voden, my family requires an audience with the Elders,” Hontus said.

“You lucked out,” Voden replied. “They’ve just finished speaking with the king.”

“Pardon my interruption...” The male robed dragon said. “...But my comrade and I also seek an audience with the Elders. And it’s of dire importance.”

“Didn’t I just…?” Voden threw his arms out and gave an exasperated sigh. “Fine. But the order goes as such: First the king, then the Paladins, and finally regular visitors.”

“I see…” The robed drake sneered.

“I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them.” Voden huffed. “I hope you can understand, sir.”

“That’s Granddad for you…” Jonathan snorted. “Always coming before everyone else.”

“Actually,” Hontus said, “They were here before we arrived. It’s only fair if they see the Elders before us, I suppose.”

“But what about our son’s nightmares?” Seraph demanded.

“We have to honor our guests, Seraph,” Hontus said. He eyed the strangers cautiously. ”All guests...”

Voden stepped back so Hontus could lead the way into the palace. Seraph and the younglings followed him, and the two strangers stood in the very back. As the group walked into the preceding hallway, Nellie kept an eye on Rune. She watched him curiously as he, in turn, glanced back nervously at the two strangers.

“Rune?” Nellie asked. He ignored her and kept walking.

This is driving me crazy… Rune scratched the back of his head with a wing-thumb.

Rune tilted his head just enough to look at the two robed dragons. He focused on them, trying to think of where he’d met them. Everything else was pushed out of his mind, leaving only the strange dragons in a dark void of memories. He shut his eyes and took a deep, slow breath.

Rune saw two new dragons standing in the strangers’ place. The male had dark grey scales, and the female had dark green. A much younger Rune sat before them, looking up happily. The two dragons looked back down at him with warm smiles, and arms extended to offer a hug.

“AHEM.”

Rune snapped back to reality. Rune had stopped in his tracks, blocking the robed dragons’ path. The male sneered down at him and tapped his foot irritably. “You’re in our way, boy.”

“S-Sorry.” Rune scurried away to stand beside Seraph. The water dragoness sheltered Rune with part of her sari as she glared at the strangers.

“Don’t speak to my son like that!” She snarled.

“Seraph…” He said with embarrassment as he peered around her to look at the strangers.

“Your son was preventing our forward progression.” The robed female snapped.

“Can’t you forgive him for such a minor mistake?” Seraph demanded.

The male stranger snorted and turned around. “Fine, he’s… he’s…”

The stranger locked eyes with Rune directly and fumbled over his words. He had a look of surprise and confusion that left Rune feeling uneasy. The youngling wiped his hand on his cheeks; perhaps they were stained in some way. Even the drake’s companion seemed confused; she followed his gaze toward Rune and then blinked as if seeing something she hadn’t before.

“What is wrong with the two of you?” Seraph said forcefully. “Why are you gawking at my son like that?”

“Err… Ahem.” The drake cleared his throat and resumed his stoic stance. “As I was saying, the boy is… forgiven. Please, let’s just continue onwards.”

“Fine...” Seraph calmed herself down and lightly nudged Rune with her hand for him to keep going. “Come on, sweetie.”

“O-Okay...” Rune moved to follow Hontus. Blankridge, Nellie, and Emerald sped up to walk alongside him: Jonathan hung at the very back of the group. Rune could just about hearing the prince snicker under his breath.

“Maybe they were horrified by how UGLY you are.”

Rune gritted his fangs and balled his fist… but then Blankridge patted him on the shoulder, and his anger fizzled out immediately.

“What was that all about, Rune?” Blankridge asked. “Why’d ya stop?”

“Uh… it’s nothing.” He said quietly. “I guess I was just thinking.”

“You mustn’t block the hallways, Rune,” Emerald said.

“Alright, I get it, Emerald.” Rune sighed.

“Then act like you get it and get MOVING, idiot.” Jonathan snapped. Rune struggled not to sneer at the prince as he turned around to keep going forward.

Before long, the group finally arrived before the massive pair of iron doors, engraved with the image of a mighty golden dragon. Various glyphs of unique colors surround the dragon. The walls around the doors bore torches interspaced with portraits of Aden and his descendants.

Two dragons stood guard on either side of the doors. Several soldiers were patrolling up and down the hallway, but they moved out of the way when they saw Hontus’s procession approaching. The guards nodded in recognition of Hontus, who opened one of the doors and poked his head inside. Rune could hear the chattering and chuckling of several voices inside.

“Uh… My lieges?” Hontus asked inside. “It is I: Paladin Hontus. Pardon my intrusion, but I seek an audience for my family.”

“Ahem...” The male stranger coughed forcefully.

“...A-And two strangers request your audience as well.” Hontus quickly added. He backed up as an old, green dragon walked through the doors. Everyone bowed their heads in greeting.

“Good morning, Elder Telus.” The younglings said in unison.

“Good morning, grandfather,” Emerald said.

Telus was the Elder of the element of Earth; the latest in a line of Paladins and Elders that stretched back to the days of Glenhaven’s founding. His weathered scales and hole-ridden wings stood as reminders of the countless battles he fought during his youth. Six broad horns crowned his head, around a short grey mane. His robes were dull, and he wore a headdress adorned with rubies and sapphires upon his brow.

Telus briefly acknowledged the younglings before turning his weathered gaze towards the two robed dragons. “I presumed you are the guests that Hontus mentioned.”

“We need your aid, Elder.” The female figure said. “I ask you to hear us out.”

“One moment, please.” The old drake put a finger in the air, before returning his sight to Hontus. “What is your family matter?”

“My liege,” Hontus bowed his head and lowered his voice. “It concerns our son Rune.”

“Young Rune?” Telus blinked. He looked down at Rune with concern. The youngling shifted nervously under the Elder’s gaze. Telus looked back up at Hontus. “I see...”

Telus glanced at Rune, who shivered a bit. The elder then looked upon the two robes dragons, and then finally looked back at Hontus.

“If our two guests were waiting longer, then it’s only fair that they speak with the Elders first.” Telus declared.

Seraph frowned. “As you command, my liege.”

“As for now, it’s best for the children to head to their first-period classes…” Telus glanced around at the younglings. “Be quick about it, apprentices.”

“Yes, Elder Telus.” The younglings all said in unison. The only one who was quiet was Jonathan, who darted his eyes away.

Telus gave a dour look. “That includes you too, prince.”

“Yes, Grandpa…” Jonathan said halfheartedly. “Whatever you say.”

Emerald gave a respectful curtsy to Telus, while Rune, Nellie, and Blankridge hugged their parents goodbye. Before he could leave, Seraph lightly nuzzled the top of Rune’s head.

“We’ll see you all later, okay?”

“O-okay...” Rune lightly pushed her snout away; his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Don’t do that out in the open. It’s embarrassing.”

Hontus and Seraph turned around to venture down the corridor to leave. Once they were gone, Rune and Nellie left down the hallway, while Blankridge and Emerald went in the other direction. As Rune made his way down the hall, he could hear Jonathan’s approach close behind. Once Jonathan was sure that Hontus and Seraph were well out of hearing range, he approached to whisper into Rune’s ear frill.

“What’s wrong, Rune?” Jonathan flashed a sardonic grin. “Embarrassed about getting a hug from your mommy?”

Rune growled and stepped away from him. Nellie got between them and flashed her fangs at the prince. “Shut up, Jonathan.”

“Ah, and you need your sissy to stick up for you again, I see.” Jonathan scoffed. “Some things just never change.”

Rune and Nellie picked up the pace to get away from Jonathan, who laughed as he followed behind them. And as all of this happened, the two robed dragons watched them leave.

“Come with me into the chamber,” Telus said, drawing their attention, “and we’ll discuss what guidance you need.”

“As you wish, Elder…” The robed male bowed his head. As they followed the elder, the robed dragoness scratched her chin.

“What was the name of the red youngling again?”

“It’s Rune,” Telus said. “Why do you ask?”

The dragoness’s eye flinched, but she quickly masked it with a stoic expression. “Oh, no reason…”

The dragons all made their way into the chamber, and the doors soon closed behind them. But as she went, the robed dragoness couldn’t get her mind off of the boy. Something stirred in her chest; a wound on her heart that she thought had long since been healed. It may have just been a coincidence, but it still ached to hear that name.

Rune… She sighed sadly as she marched forward.