Chapter Eighteen

Story by Raevocrei on SoFurry

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#18 of Pieces

Well, here it finally is! The continuation of "Pieces", after almost a whole year of sitting on the back burner. X3 I have officially finished this arc and have gone through and edited all of the previous chapters. Most of the edits were for grammar and continuity fixes, but there are a few extra scenes and more building. Unfortunately, this means that there are only this chapter and the last one remaining, but on the bright side, these two are both twice as long as what I have been posting. =3

I'm excited to finally have something to show again, and I hope my readers enjoy it. ^^ Since I have edited the entire story, some of you may want to go back and reread the previous chapters to catch yourselves up to this current point, but I totally understand not wanting to reread seventeen other chapters. XD If you haven't read this story yet, then now is the perfect time to start! :D

Please read and leave some feedback! <3

*Also, I've realized I probably flooded your inboxes and the website with this. Sorry! ;-;


Chapter Eighteen** **

Ruari lay in his bed and stared at his talons as he lit small sparks between them. To anyone else, it would look like he was playing around with his magic, but his mind was ebbing and flowing with constant thought. One subject would come crashing down on him and drown out all other thoughts until it would pull back into the raging sea until another wave came. Each time it felt like he would be pulled away with his thoughts, dragged beneath the ocean of his overwhelming anxiety.

One wave kept returning, filled with worry and fear: Is my father going to be alright?

After hearing about what happened to him, and then seeing his father's limp body on the infirmary bed, Ruari was scared that he wouldn't live. It was like his memories were playing over again from when his grandfather had died. They spent days waiting to see if he would make it through, and he never did, succumbing to death. If that happened to his father, he didn't know what he would do.

For an almost-five-year-old, Ruari had seen enough death to last him a lifetime. First it was his grandfather, then his sister--not to mention the explosion that killed so many innocent dragons--and next could be his father. What if his mother died too? And his friends? What if there would be another war, and he would have to watch countless others die?

The sparks between Ruari's claws grew noticeably larger before he clenched his paw shut and sighed. He had enough to worry about; it would be best not to dwell on uncertainties.

He wondered what Aidan and Desmond were up to. The festival was continuing despite the fact that there was an attack on the capitol, and Ruari had already missed yesterday's fun. It was said that because the threat was neutralized, it would be safe to continue the festivities.

Ruari didn't completely agree with that, and neither did his mother, which was why he wasn't allowed to go. He was told to stay at home for the last day: the most exciting day. She promised that he would get to see the magical display at the end of the festival, but from the safety of the skies.

Ruari couldn't complain, but that meant he was stuck at home with Keira until the evening_._With a gentle touch, he rubbed the tender spot on his neck, where there were some missing scales. He had already disliked her to begin with, but after what she did and said to him, he couldn't stand her. Perhaps there had been some truth to her words, but he would much rather stick his nose up the other direction.

And he was growing increasingly jealous of the time Aidan was spending with her. He knew Aidan could make friends with anyone, but _her?_He remembered watching them play and laugh and smile--he never saw Keira smile before. Between Aidan and Fallon, it seemed like Keira was trying to take them both away from him.

It's good that she made a friend, I guess... but why did it have to be my friend?

Neither of them had many friends, and now they shared one. Ruari was spending some more time with Des than before, but he felt like Aidan was his closest friend, and it was almost like Keira was trying to take that away.

Ruari mumbled and sighed before hopping off his bed to find something else to do. It had been a while since he read anything, so he stepped over to his shelf and searched through some scrolls, taking them out one by one to find something he wanted to read.

"Tales of Dragons," "Heart of a Dragon," "Fiery Wings," ... Hmmm. I've already read through all of these... What about "Scales of Passion?" Sounds like a cheesy title... Probably why I've never read it before.

"Psst!"

Ruari nearly jumped as he saw Aidan stepping a foot into his room. He shoved the scroll back into the shelf and turned away. "What are you doing here?" he hissed quietly. "I told you I can't come!"

"I came to rescue you!" he said with a bright expression. "A hero can't be having fun without his sidekick."

"How did you get in here?" Ruari asked. He kept a hushed tone and glanced outside his door to make sure there weren't any more surprises.

"You leave your front door unlocked," he explained as if it were obvious.

"You just walked right in?" he said dubiously. "But I'm not allowed to go... and you shouldn't either. It's dangerous."

Aidan shook his head and bumped into Ruari playfully. "We've already lived through danger before. There's nothing to worry about--my grandfather said so! Everyone is on full-alert. You can't miss the last day of the festival!"

Ruari pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. He hated being cooped up in his room while there was a festival going on, while his friends were having fun without him. It's true that there was a potential threat, but their city did have the best guards and defenses. "But Mother would notice that I'm missing..."

Aidan walked over to Ruari's bed, grabbed two of his pillows, and stuffed them under his blankets. He patted the blankets down and formed a roundish mold in the center. "There!"

"You've got to be kidding me..."

"It'll work, trust me!" Aidan said from experience and giggled as he padded past Ruari. "Let's go," he whispered.

Ruari looked at the lumpy, almost-dragon-shaped pile of his bedding and sighed. What's the worst that can happen?

He snuck out of his room with Aidan and made their way down the hall, only to be greeted by Keira at the front door. She peered at them with her head tilted and immediately figured out what they were doing. "I'll tell if you don't let me come," she stated with a firm look in her eyes.

Ruari swallowed a retort and glared at her before he nodded. Aidan was already nodding and seemed very pleased as he nuzzled her.

They quietly shut the door behind them and ran out of the atrium into the street. It was snowing and the air was frigid, though the ground beneath their talons wasn't completely frozen, and it looked like the snow had just begun sticking.

Ruari gulped and felt his heart thudding heavily in his chest. He had never done anything even remotely close to disobedient, and here he was sneaking out of his home! What if his mother had seen him and would come storming out? Or what would she do when she finds him missing?

What if his father died while he was out having fun?

"Oh, you brought both of them," Des said and startled Ruari. He appeared out of thin air behind them. He bumped noses with Ruari and said, "Sorry to hear about your father, Ruari, but don't worry. He's in good paws; my mother is one of the healers tending to him." He bared a reassuring smile and glanced over at Keira too.

"Thanks, Des." Ruari knew his father would be fine; he was the strongest dragon in the city, as tough as the hardest of scales. Even so, his thoughts nagged at him like an itch that wouldn't go away.

"What are we going to do first?" Keira asked with an obvious eagerness.

Ruari glared at Keira and she glared back. She didn't appear to be the least bit guilty about sneaking out. In fact, he doubted that she had even a shred of guilt.

She probably won't get punished anyway, since she isn't family...

"We should get something to eat! I haven't had dinner yet, so I'm quite hungry," Aidan offered and stepped between them, grinning.

"Aren't you always hungry?" Des retorted.

"Not all the time! But I like to eat as much as I can while the festival is going on. There's so much good food, and a large variety of it. I bet there will be some polar bear and penguin meat today!"

Ruari scrunched his nose. "Neither of those sounds very good..."

"You'd be surprised," Aidan returned with a giggle. "Brrr, we should get going. The longer I stand still the colder it gets."

Today, the festival was bustling with life, despite the frigid temperatures. A lot of dragons wore furs to cover their scales and help keep them warm while others simply endured the weather. Ruari noticed that there were some Ice-dragons like his father around, and they appeared overjoyed at today's theme: the icy arctic. Mostly everything was frozen over as decoration, and there were spots on the ground that were covered in ice.

When they landed, the air wasn't quite as cold because the wind didn't bite them down here. Ruari and Des followed behind Aidan and Keira, who were happily chatting away. He pointed out different things to her and talked about them. They walked past many different stalls, with food, drinks, and activities, and weaved their way through the crowds ambling about.

Ruari hated crowds. There was far too much noise and way too many wings and tails bumping into him. He stuck extra-close to Des; he'd rather have someone he was familiar with bumping into him than strangers. Sometimes, he saw a face he recognized from school, and Aidan would stop to say hello and chat while Ruari hid behind him awkwardly. No one recognized him.

They cut through the congested pathway and took a sharp right down another. At some point, Ruari heard loud music piercing through the uproar of dragons, but it quickly grew faint once they took another turn and stopped at a small pavilion. Ice clung to the stiff tarps of cloth.

The heavy, delicious scent of cooked food wafted into his nostrils as they stepped under the tent. Inside, there were a few long tables set, where rowdy dragons drank firewater and tore into their hunks of meat like ravenous animals. Boisterous cackles filled the small pavilion along with the pounding of the wooden tables. This was a rough crowd--Ruari knew that straightaway, judging by their hardened glares, scars, and missing scales.

But no one else seemed to mind or they just weren't paying attention. Aidan stepped up to a chef and ordered Keira and him some food--Ruari and Des said they would eat later. Set on the counter were large, fatty slabs of raw meat--from what animal, Ruari didn't know.

The chef used his Fire-magic to heat up the black stones that were beneath several iron bars. Flames sprouted from under them and cooked the meat while the dragon seasoned it and flipped it around to evenly spread the heat. Most meat was cooked about as rare as it gets, just enough to bring out delicious flavors that one wouldn't get from raw meat.

When he finished, he dashed a few more ingredients on it and rubbed a brush across it to slather a pungent sauce, and then he cut it in half and gave a piece each to Aidan and Keira, as well as a mug of firewater. The meat was very tender and juicy; Ruari could easily see that as they took a bite. It made him hungry too, but he wasn't comfortable eating anywhere near the festival.

Aidan sniffed curiously at his mug and took a sip. He recoiled and scrunched his muzzle, but then he took another sip. "Why do my parents drink this stuff?" he wondered aloud. He let Des try some too, but he seemed to like it.

"I'd let you try some Ruari, but I think you're still too young!" he teased and drank a little more.

Ruari made a face and shifted his wings. "It's not very good, anyway."

Keira scowled at the cup in her paws without giving it a try. "My mother used to drink this stuff every night. She said it would calm her nerves, but she always got worse."

The malicious way she stared at the firewater was unsettling; it was as if Ruari could feel her hatred. Aidan and Des noticed it too, remaining silent.

"I don't want any," she stated and gave her mug to Des, who happily accepted it. She dug into her food like it was the only meal she had today, but there was more that she either couldn't finish or she was pretending to be nice.

"Do you want some?" Keira asked Ruari, holding her wooden plate up to him.

Ruari shook his head and turned his nose away.

"I'll take some!" Des said and eagerly ripped off a piece. He filled himself on leftovers and gulped down the rest of his drink.

Great, now she's going to try and take Desmond away from me, too.

Aidan let out a satisfied sigh after managing to finish his entire meal and took their plates and mugs back when they were finished. He smiled warmly at Keira, who made a small smile back. Tinges of jealousy wriggled up Ruari's spine. Turning his head away, he tried to ignore it, but it pestered him nonetheless.

She seems to be happier with him... Why can't I just let them both be happy?

"Why don't we go check out the music?" Desmond offered. "I've never heard a group play together before."

"That sounds like a good idea!" Aidan said with a big grin. "Dance with me, Keira?"

"D-Dance? I uhm... sure," she hesitantly answered. "I've never danced before."

He bumped snouts with her and said, "It's okay--I don't really know how to dance either, but it's a lot of fun trying!"

Ruari gulped. He also had never danced before, and the idea of it made him want to hide under his wings. They followed the sound of music through the festival until they reached a small stadium where a group of dragons each held percussive instruments, except for the hazel female in the center who was singing instead of playing. A tent covered the stage area but left the crowd to the cold elements.

She had a beautiful voice that matched the pitch of the other instruments playing in perfect harmony. One dragon plucked a wooden board with strings running across it; two others had circular, metal drums, where if they tapped their claws on certain indents, it would create a different note; a fourth member used soft mallets to beat on thin, metal bars. The song was quick and melodic; it painted a picture of a snowstorm in Ruari's head, and it made him shiver in the cold.

A large crowd gathered before the raised stadium. Some dragons were dancing while others enjoyed the music sitting or lying down in the snow. Ruari wished he and his friends would just relax in a corner somewhere, away from everyone else, but they stepped right into the thick of it to participate.

Aidan hopped in front of Keira and made a courteous bow, kneeling before her as he offered his paw. She giggled and took it as he led her into his steps. At first, he tried to show her a few moves until she learned a simple, back and forth rhythm. Ruari watched jealously, in spite of the fact he'd rather sit still anyway. Ruari wished he could dig himself into a hole and hide in it.

Desmond tapped his claws and swished his tail, grinning as he enjoyed the music. He swayed back and forth out of rhythm to the song, and when he tried to dance, he nearly tripped over his own tail.

"You okay, Des?" Ruari asked.

He giggled and nodded, which threw him off balance. "Yeah, I feel great!"

He drank too much firewater, Ruari realized and chuckled. He was happy his friends were having fun. Maybe if he just relaxed a little he could enjoy himself, too. But there were far too many things happening around him: dragons dancing all around, conversations and music playing, scents of food, dragons, and aromas, and the icy chill clinging to his scales. All of it was overwhelming his senses and putting him on edge.

"C'mon, Ruari!" Aidan chimed and bumped into him playfully, snapping his focus back to their small group. "Dance with us!"

Ruari's face flushed and he shook his head. "N-No thank you! I don't know how to..." Not only could his friends watch him, but so could every other pair of eyes around.

"I can teach you! Keira is a fast learner too. I bet you can learn this easy enough," he insisted and repeated the same pattern he did with Keira: "One step forward, one step back, cross your paws, then lean down for a snack! Now repeat it with your other paw."

Ruari shook his head and froze. Keira looked embarrassed too, but she was smiling giddily as she watched the red dragonet. Aidan sighed and quickly gave up on Ruari, so he turned to Des.

"Okay, Purple! Like this," he said and guided Des with his steps.

Des giggled and fumbled around, but he eventually got the hang of it, though he looked rather clumsy.

"And put some tail into it!" Aidan said and swished his tail in time with his dancing.

Eventually, the song changed and took a slower approach. The voice of the singer and the vibrant sound of the mallet instrument spiraled in an out of harmony, a dance between two unique sounds. Ruari thought it was beautiful, and for just a moment he was able to lose himself in the song.

But Aidan's attention was focused entirely on Keira now, like he had forgotten about Ruari. He showed her another simple dance: a slow, romantic dance. They stepped back and forth toward each other in fluid, smooth movements to the rhythm of the music--both of them were smiling and laughing, just half-a-step apart from each other.

Des bumped into Ruari more forcefully than he intended and nibbled on one of his horns.

"H-Hey!" Ruari pulled his horn from Desmond's mouth. "What are you doing?"

"You had this look on your face, and I wanted to get rid of it," Des answered, chuckling. "What's wrong, Ruari?"

"Nothing," he said and wiped saliva from his horn. "It's just really loud and hard to focus."

"Uh huh, suuuuure," he responded. "Just relax a little! Maybe we should get you some of that firewater..."

"I think I'm okay!" Ruari bared a smile in spite of his frustration. He tapped his claws. Truthfully, it was too loud for him and he couldn't keep focus, but the real reason was he couldn't shake off the thought that Aidan and Keira might become mates--he did not want that to happen.

First my father treats her like his daughter, and now Aidan treats her like a mate... I hope Dad is okay. He wished he could check on his unconscious father. What would he say if he caught Ruari disobeying his mother? What if his father had died and his mother was looking for him to tell him the bad news?

Des roughly bumped snouts with him and wore a worried frown. "Ruari?"

The small dragonet unclenched his claws and let out a sigh. "Just worried about my father," he admitted.

"He'll be fine," Keira stated, having finished her dance with Aidan. They stood together side-by-side, wings brushing together, like close friends. "He's stronger than you know."

It took all of Ruari's being not to lash out at her; he was fuming. His mouth opened with an angry retort, but he swallowed it down and stormed off away from them and the dancing.

Don't even pretend like YOU know my own father better than ME!

Aidan called after him, but he ignored him. You would rather be with her_, anyway._

But his friends quickly caught up to him and tried to calm him down, which only made him more upset. "I'm fine," he growled. "I'm just going to go back home and rest. I'm probably in enough trouble as is."

Aidan placed a paw on his shoulder. "Ruari? Don't you want to stay and watch the magic show?"

Ruari shut his eyes and rolled his shoulders, wings shifting at his sides. Relax, he told himself. They're your friends... your only friends. At the rate I'm going, they'll be the only friends I'll ever have.

"Yeah, it'll start in about an hour!" Des added excitedly. "It's supposed to be really cool, and if we get there early, we can get a good spot. We used to have similar shows where I lived, but they weren't special like they are here."

Ruari paused, debating. If he left them, Keira would probably stay and become even better friends while he was absent, yet he strongly disliked being around her. "Mother said we can watch it from the sky."

"But watching is not the same as living it up close," Aidan said and nudged Ruari. "C'mon! You'll really enjoy it--I promise."

Ruari let a small smile curl his lips and nodded. They were his friends, and they wanted him around. "Okay, fine."

"Why don't we head there now, then?" Aidan asked the group. "Maybe we'll find some of our classmates there and form a big party!"

That was the opposite of what Ruari wanted to do.

But he followed behind the red dragonet anyway, who led them down an icy path toward the center of the market district. Many different faces of many different colors passed him by. If only he was a more social dragon, he might have enjoyed the festival to its fullest. It was a fun time of the year, but it never came without his anxieties.

The worst possible thoughts would come to his mind, and lately they all revolved around another attack like what happened at Vance. There were many guards that he noticed lurking around, and when he looked up in the sky, he saw many more patrolling the city. He realized that the likelihood of an attack now would be nigh impossible, but with his father already injured because of an attacker that slipped through their defenses, it was difficult not to think about it.

All he needed to do was relax and have a little fun. Why is that so difficult for me?

A sudden ringing reverberated in his head, growing from a tiny noise to a crippling scream that made him grind his teeth and cringe. His friends noticed him and tried to grab his attention; he saw their lips moving, but he couldn't hear them. Time froze and terror shredded his thoughts to thousands of pieces. He couldn't stop the unraveling memories that played through his mind--but none of them were his memories.

Flashes of two dragons, one black and one white, danced in his vision like two fates interwoven. He couldn't understand them, and he didn't recognize them, but in his instincts, he swore the black one was himself. Each memory raced by, one after the other, never lingering long enough for him to see what he was looking at. Before he could grab onto a picture, complete emptiness took its place, a dark, cold void where there was nothing else but his trickling thoughts.

It's happening again.

He's here... a voice whispered.

The vivid, unmistakable image of the evil, black dragon filled his thoughts. This was the same voice he heard in Vance, the one that saved him and his friends. And that was the same dragon that killed all of those innocent dragons.

Who are you?

Ruari felt another presence with him, the dragon or being or whatever that was inside his mind. It brushed against his thoughts, tangible but invisible. The presence pulled away, growing faint. He tried to reach out to it again, but it slipped through his claws like water.

When Ruari came to, Aidan was shaking him. Des looked worried, but Keira looked inconvenienced. Ruari clutched his breast, where his heart was pounding away, and looked around, peering through the crowd, but he didn't find the black dragon.

"Ruari... Ruari! RUAAAARRRIIIIIII!" Aidan yelled and grabbed his attention.

"S-Sorry... I... It's..." He took a deep breath and clenched his paws. Was that real?

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Des said. "Maybe we should take him home."

Aidan paused and studied Ruari for a moment, and a thought clicked in his head. "You had a vision-thing again..."

Ruari hesitantly nodded. "He's here... the black dragon. That's what the voice said."

"The voice?" Keira asked skeptically, staring at him down the bridge of her snout like he was going insane.

Ruari ignored her comment and glanced around anxiously. "We need to find him and stop him."

"Why?" Keira inquired, stepping in front of Ruari's vision. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Thankfully, Aidan stepped in between them and explained what had happened at Vance, though her skepticism hardly abated.

But as they remained there, Ruari saw the black dragon coming toward them. He froze in fear as he passed, and for a split second, their eyes locked. It was like a nightmare, one of those dreams where he couldn't make himself move or say anything as if he was under a spell. A sneer stretched his lips like he recognized the dragonet. Ruari gulped and turned to watch the black dragon stride away. His heart was hammering in his chest, and the blood drained from his face.

He looked different from before; he still had the same, jet-black scales and piercing, red eyes, but his horns looked different, the spikes along his cheekbones were gone, and his underbelly was plated like Ruari's. Yet, the coincidence and likelihood was undeniable.

That was him... There's no way that wasn't him... Why can't I move!

"Ruari?" Aidan asked and poked him. "What are you looking at?"

"The b-black dragon... We need to do something... or run... or hide--I don't know."

Both Aidan and Des gave him a puzzled look. "Where is he?"

Ruari pointed right behind them, but he was gone. "He just walked right past us... You didn't see him?"

They looked at each other, moving their mouths without saying anything.

"I saw him." Keira stated. She frowned and looked to where he was pointing.

"You saw him?"

She nodded. "It's hard not to notice a black dragon that sinister looking. He's like a living shadow or something. How did you know he was here?"

Neither of my friends saw him the first or second time, but Keira could see him... Are they just that oblivious? Why her of all people!

He ignored her question and instead thought of possible plans of attack.

"I don't like the sound of that," Des stated, shrinking back a little and tucking his wings against him. "The last time you saw him, there was an explosion."

"We should get a guard," Aidan suggested. "Then we go find him."

Ruari found himself nodding, but fear crept up his spine. Something bad was about to happen. A knot tightened in his gut as he swallowed hard.

How are we supposed to stop him? How many dragons will die tonight?

"I'll go and find him, and you guys can find the guard," Keira said and ran off toward him.

"W-Wait, Keira!" Aidan yelled to her too late; she already disappeared into the crowd. "She just... ran after him."

Ruari wasn't sure if he could count that as bravery or stupidity, and he preferred to think the latter.

"Let's hurry and find someone to help us," Des said and looked around.

"There are plenty of guards in the sky," Ruari said.

Aidan and Des nodded and leapt into the sky where they were, and Ruari took off after them once he found a safe, comfortable spot to fly. The sky was much more crowded than normal, but nothing like it was on the ground. They had to be careful not to run into anyone else flying, but once they rose high enough, fewer dragons traveled around them.

They spotted a blue and white dragon soaring closest to them, scouring the festival for potential threats. She wore the traditional guard armor: light, metal plates that protected most of the vital parts of her body while also allowing her to fly smoothly. She stopped when she saw the dragonets approaching and turned to greet them.

"What are you three doing up here?"

After briefly explaining the situation, she shot them an incredulous look. "An evil black dragon with red eyes?"

Ruari swallowed and nodded quickly. "Please. We may all be in danger. We should gather a group."

"If there is danger, we will be the first to know. But I'll humor you and come see this evil dragon." She was reluctant to believe them, so she didn't bother gathering more guards to help, but she followed them anyway. Angling their wings, they dove down toward the direction they thought he would be going. It felt like minutes were passing within seconds, and worry was crawling under Ruari's scales.

What if it was already too late? What if the guard gave up on them and waved them off as silly dragonets?

But then he spotted the black dragon slinking away from the festival into the back streets, where there was hardly another soul in sight. A white blur dashed from cover to cover, stalking him.

"He's there," Ruari said and pointed down below them. Aidan called out to the guard and grabbed her attention.

"I don't see any black dragon," she stated and narrowed her eyes. "Just one of your friends, I presume?"

"She's behind him," Ruari said. "You don't see him?" He admitted it was hard to see black scales covered by the shadows of the buildings, but there was still daylight, and if his untrained eye could see him, why couldn't a trained guard? His friends were searching around too--they still couldn't find him.

Why can't anyone else see him? Is he using magic? Ruari remembered reading about Shadow-dragons having the ability to meld into the shadows and become invisible, even in the middle of the day, but if that was the case, then why could he and Keira both see him?

"Just... trust me..." He flew down and skimmed the rooftops before landing in an alleyway between tall, multiple-story buildings. The others landed with him; they were ahead of the black dragon's path, unless he would turn off. But Ruari soon saw him slinking into their view, and he stopped in place once he saw them.

"Right there!" Ruari pointed with a claw.

The dragon bared his sharp fangs and dashed down another alleyway, and Keira chased after him. The four of them hurried around the corner just in time to watch Keira pounce on his back and shove him into the ground with extraordinary force.

"Graahh! Insolent whelp!" the dragon quickly recovered and slashed at her, but she moved with lightning-fast reflexes and bounced away.

"Oh... That is a very black dragon," Desmond muttered.

"We need to stop hanging out in alleyways," Aidan added.

The guard hissed a line of curses and stepped in front of the dragonets, telling Keira to get behind her--she was reluctant to do so. "Go get help; it's urgent. Tell them he's back."

_He's back?_Ruari wondered. He was certain that the attacker a couple days ago had been a different dragon, not the same dragon he chased in Vance. Then again, this wasn't exactly the same dragon he saw before, either, but the likelihood of multiple dragons looking as evil as him... And around his neck was the same amulet he saw before: two bones crossed together in an "X" with an abyssal, onyx gem in the middle.

What is going on?!

"We are your help," Keira said and stepped forward toward her target. The black dragon stared them down and crouched low. He had the option to run, but it looked like he would fight--and he looked confident about winning the fight, too.

We're just one trained fighter and a bunch of dragonets versus someone who has killed hundreds--if not thousands...

Ruari saw a pouch strapped to the black dragon's thigh. Fire crystals... He could kill us all with one explosion.

"It's too dangerous for dragonets! Go!"

But no one made a move. Ruari wished his legs would work, but they just remained trembling in place while his heart raced like he was flying a hundred leagues an hour. Keira was the only one that looked like she wanted to fight; Aidan looked serious for once in his life; and Desmond looked like he was in the same position as Ruari.

"I'll go find help," Des said and backed away. "Please stay safe..."

Icy claws reached from the deepest recesses of Ruari's mind and seized him. Thousands of thoughts bounced back and forth and his body froze again, though he realized everyone else around him was frozen too; the whole world was stuck in time.

Stop him, the voice commanded and turned Ruari's vision to Des.

Before Ruari could even respond, he fell back into reality. He immediately jumped on Des and pulled him to the ground just as he was taking off. A fiery bolt flew past them, close enough they could feel the heat against their scales before it collided into a stone building and dispersed into flickering sparks.

The guard jumped into action immediately after, smashing the ground and sending a shockwave surging forward with her Earth-magic. The dragon jumped to the side and avoided a pillar of rock that shot up from the ground, narrowly escaping a powerful blow. Walls crumbled from her magic--she was willing to damage the city in order to stop him, which showed how threatened she felt.

More fiery balls flew at them, each of them nearly striking the guard as she narrowly dashed out of the way. Ruari, Aidan, and Des spread out to avoid the crossfire, but Keira dove into combat and tackled the dragon head on. She swung at him with her claws and missed, and he rammed his shoulder into her and knocked her to the side, but that left an opening where the guard shot a hard rock directly at his head. It collided with his skull and sent him reeling backward, and then he retaliated with another fire strike. This time, it was a wide, horizontal wave, and the guard brought up an earthen wall just in time to block it to protect them all.

"We have to go get help," Ruari said. "She's going to lose."

Ruari recognized the signs of magical fatigue. The guard was getting slower and taking longer to cast her magic while the black dragon was pacing himself; he had yet to use any powerful abilities. There were more tricks he could pull, and he wouldn't use them unless he had to.

As the rock-wall lowered, the black dragon charged the guard and forced her into a wall. She defended herself with another wall and jumped to the side as he sent a concussive blast directly into it, shattering the rock into pieces. Unable to attack, she had to block and defend or else she would die.

Keira aided her and made several attacks at his flanks, though she couldn't do much more than distract him before flames sprouted from his body. He was quick to react with fire; it was difficult to close any distance on him.

Ruari looked down at his forepaw and lit a spark. He had more than enough energy now to fight, but fear was holding him back. When he saw Keira diving in and out of fighting, he realized that he needed courage like her to stop the dragon from hurting anyone else, from hurting the ones he loved.

"I don't think he's going to let us get help," Aidan stated. "We have to help her somehow."

"I'll fight." Ruari stepped forward and took a deep breath. Concentrate... please... concentrate...

Des and Aidan nodded and prepared themselves. Neither of them had combat abilities, but they didn't have much of a choice.

It was easy to use magic when his life wasn't in danger, where he could take as long as he needed and focus on how he distributed his energy. The only other times he used his magic in a pinch were when his instincts were screaming at him to survive--but where were they now? He had never thought of how difficult it would be to summon his powers when his life and countless others were in danger. Even if they didn't know it, the city was relying on them to stop this dragon from destroying it.

The guard switched tactics and rapidly flung herself forward with a pillar of earth, taking the fight to him. Keira hopped away; she was panting and clutching a bloody wound on her shoulder. As the black dragon was distracted, Aidan ran to her and quickly used his Water magic to help cleanse her wound and heal it faster.

Ruari watched helplessly as the guard fought the black dragon in close-quarter combat. They appeared to be evenly matched physically, but as fire erupted from his strikes, he soon managed to gain the upper claw, forcing the guard against another wall. She couldn't continue dodging his swipes, and he struck her several times before she could land a blow on him. She staggered backward, wincing and groaning.

Focusing all of his energy into his paw, Ruari held it up and aimed at the black dragon. It took all of his concentration to fire off an electrical bolt that managed to strike him directly and force him back. Energy drained from him as he fired again and again for another few casts. Blue sparks flew off the black dragon's scales; the lightning exploded on impact.

In spite of Ruari's thunderous strikes, the dragon was still standing strong.

"You!" the dragon growled, his malicious, red eyes staring directly through Ruari's soul. "I've had enough of this!"

He reached into the pouch at his thigh and pulled out a red crystal, but it wasn't glowing like the ones Ruari had seen before.

The guard hissed and lunged forward, using her Earth magic to cover her paw in stone and deliver a powerful punch into his shoulder, which caused him to drop the crystal on the ground. Ruari shut his eyes and recoiled, expecting an explosion that would end his life, but none ever came--the crystal wasn't activated.

The dragon roared and burst into flames, blasting the guard into a wall. As the flames dispersed around him, he summoned a large, fiery ball and sent it hurdling toward her, and she was consumed by it.

"No!" Aidan cried out. When the flames died out against the stone, the guard's scales were charred and she wasn't moving. He killed her.

Keira growled and sprung forward. The dragon turned and threw another magical ball of fire at her, but she leapt onto a wall, placing all four of her paws on it before jumping around it. She moved faster than Ruari had ever seen a dragon move, and she quickly collided with him before he could react and landed a powerful blow that caught him off guard.

Ruari remembered when they fought how much stronger and faster she was than him, and now she wasn't holding back. A vicious flurry of attacks repeatedly struck the black dragon, who was nearly twice her size, and pushed him back. Her claws raked across his hide, leaving bleeding cuts and gouges. She was physically as strong as him--no, she was much stronger than that.

How is she that strong?

But as he did before, he sent a wave of fire blasting Keira backward, and she caught the full brunt of it.

"Keira!" Aidan shouted again. He was taking cover behind a wall, avoiding the fire. Thin smoke drifted into the air from the dragon's magic. Every building here was made of stone, and they were in an empty alleyway where there was nothing that could catch on fire.

Ruari glanced upward and saw cloth tarps hanging high overhead and shading the entire alleyway. Through the cracks and openings, he saw guards circling high above, but unless they were focusing on just this one alley out of the hundreds there were, they would never see the fight. The smoke wasn't rising high enough.

That's why he's fighting us here and now, Ruari realized. If he keeps us from running away, there's no way we'll get more help because no one can see us. We're right where he wants us.

As the fire and smoke disappeared, Keira remained standing, left unhurt. She opened her eyes and glanced over herself, realizing that she didn't get burned. But in her stupor, the dragon managed to surprise her with another intense blaze, one stronger than what he had attacked the guard with. The flames were blue, hotter and brighter than any other fire. Heat singed Ruari's face and made him wince and search for cover, ending up beside Aidan. He looked for Desmond and couldn't find him anywhere.

Did Des escape to go get help? Please, tell me he's okay...

Ruari gritted his teeth and felt his heart sink, and he saw the grief already building in Aidan's eyes--there was no way Keira lived through that. He searched for his power again, finding it and directing it to his light element. If he could get a flash bright enough up above them, guards would come to their rescue.

He conjured a pure ball of red, flashing light and threw it into the sky. Please, help us...

The black dragon stepped through the wall of smoke and held an inactive crystal between his claws. He rolled it in his paw and clenched around it, and a bright, red glow emanated through his digits.

"Unfortunately, you failed to stop me. After I set this last crystal, a devastating series of explosions will wipe out your city's defenses and chaos will erupt." His voice was deep and sounded like darkness was pouring out of his mouth as he spoke--he sounded like a monster.

"Who are you?" Ruari asked. His chest hurt and he felt weak. Somehow, he needed to find a powerful pool of energy inside him and use it quickly, before the dragon could kill him. He would use every ounce of energy he had left to stop him, even if it meant killing himself. He knew it would kill himself...

"We are Illenia," he answered. "We are the beginning to an end: We are a new era. You're a special dragonet," he said to Ruari. "I didn't realize quite how special you were at first. We've been looking for someone like you for a long time. If you come with me, I'll let your friend live."

Ruari felt the energy bubbling inside him. He desperately held onto it, searching for more. His body was vibrating and tingling. He just needed more time! But if he fought him, then he would kill Aidan... He didn't want Aidan to die.

I don't want anyone to die...

"You're evil," Aidan spat. "Don't go with him, Ruari."

A wicked grin curled his lips. "As you see it, yes, we are evil. Sadly, you won't see the utopia I have designed, but perhaps that is for the better. I don't need meddling dragonets ruining my perfection. After this is over, I'll--what the..."

He glanced behind him and saw that his pouch full of crystals was missing, and then the one shining crystal between his claws was swiped away while he was distracted by an invisible force.

"Ouch!" a familiar voice yelped in pain, and the red crystal fell to the ground with a clatter, but the glow dissipated. Desmond was revealed, standing directly in front of the black dragon, grasping the pouch in his talons while shaking his burned paw.

"Des!" Aidan shouted almost gleefully, but the black dragon quickly turned back around and hissed.

A white blur shot from the side and slammed into the dragon, knocking him onto his side and sending him skidding along the cobblestones.

"Keira!" Aidan shouted even more gleefully.

Ruari couldn't believe it. She was not only alive, but her scales were hardly touched, save for some scratches, blood, and dust from the fighting. The fire had no effect on her. An angry glare contorted her expression as she stared down her foe with great animosity.

The black dragon growled and climbed back to his feet, staring back at Keira. He glanced between her and Ruari. "Firescales..."

Keira crouched low and prepared to fight again. "Are you the one that destroyed my home?"

He chuckled and tilted his head at her. "You must be from that little village north of here. We've been searching for you and your friend for a very long time... You narrowly escaped us."

Friend? Is he referring to me?

Keira growled and attacked him, surging forward almost faster than the eye could see. He defended himself and blocked most of her swift attacks, but some slipped through his guard and struck. She was tiring fast, using up a lot of her energy in her rage, but she was fending him off successfully.

"Aidan," Ruari said to him while the dragon was distracted by Keira. "I need you to douse him with water."

"What? Why... Oh... Oh right!" Aidan used his magic and sent a torrent of water splashing over the dragon, soaking him. Keira jumped away and retreated back to them, panting and flicking her wet paws off.

"What is this?!" he shouted and growled. He held up a fiery paw, ready to kill them. "I've had enough of your insolence! If you won't join with me, then you'll all die!"

Ruari lunged forward in a bolt of lightning, moving as fast as Keira, and thrust his sparking paw directly into the black dragon's chest before he could react. A giant shock burst and flickered wildly as he struck him, trickling up and down while using the water as a conduit. Blue sparks flashed and sputtered as the magic stunned him and caused him to fly backward to the ground. He cried out in pain and struggled to stand.

Fatigue washed over Ruari in a wave that made him tumble to the side. Des caught him and led him to safety with Keira and Aidan. The dragon was paralyzed for now.

"That was amazing, Ruari!" Aidan cheered.

Shouts of dragons came from above--guards that had seen Ruari's beam of light. They were saved.

"It's over here!"

"Follow the light!"

"How... you're... j-just dragonets..." The black dragon winced and groaned. His limbs were twitching and his wings tried to open. Before he could make an escape, he was restrained by several guards, and a rock prison soon enveloped him.

"That's it... We did it," Ruari said breathlessly. The lack of adrenaline made his legs tremble, and his heart pounded against his ribcage. Ten armored dragons surrounded the dragon encased in solid rock. They were discussing how to transport their prisoner.

Ruari glanced behind them and saw another couple guards carrying the dragoness' burned body away, which made his stomach turn. Some of her scales had completely burnt off, and those that remained were as black as his. He couldn't help but to feel guilty; they led her to her death. He watched someone die.

But without her, they wouldn't have been able to defeat him. Countless others would have been killed--the entire city could have fallen into ruin. She died serving her city and following her duty, and he thought she should be honored for that.

And he hoped that her honor wouldn't be overshadowed by the fact that four dragonets defeated a powerful, evil dragon and saved the city. They were already receiving questions and appraisal from the guards here, and there were other curious dragons arriving. As joyful Ruari felt for being alive and saving his friends and city, he wished everyone would just go away.

As the aftermath settled down, Ruari felt fatigue trembling through his bones. He needed rest, and the idea of returning to the festival after all that was utterly exhausting. He would much rather return home to his mother than anything else, wanting nothing more than to be wrapped in her protective wings--even if it meant being scolded for disobeying her.

An older, white dragon descended and landed with a heavy thud near them. He gave Ruari an interested glance, but his attention quickly turned to the prisoner. It took a moment, but Ruari recognized him as one of the Elders.

What is he doing here?_he wondered. _How did he know where to find us so quickly?

Whatever he was saying was extremely urgent, and Ruari saw fear trickling through the guards' eyes. Some of them even backed away, looking like they would run.

"I-I think we should go," Ruari said to his friends and Keira.

"Yeah, we need to hurry to the magic show!" Aidan said excitedly.

"How are you still focused on that?" Des asked in disbelief. "We almost died!"

The white dragon shouted as beams of bright light pierced through cracks in the stone.

"I think we're still about to die," Keira stated.

Aidan grabbed Ruari and pulled him into cover with Desmond and Keira, hiding behind an indent in the stone building next to them. The light rapidly grew before an intense, fiery flash exploded silently, illuminating the alley and vanishing in an instant.

Ruari peeked around the corner to see what had happened. Everyone was okay, though most were cowering behind cover, just like them. A light-blue, magical barrier surrounded the area where the imprisoned dragon used to be, but the earthen prison had disappeared, and so did the black dragon. In his place was a green-scaled male with the same physical traits, aside from the difference in color. His scales looked bruised and damaged, dull, like the life was sucked out of him. A large scar sliced down the center of his chest.

A purple-jeweled necklace illuminated with a bright, magical glow around the Elder's neck. He released the barrier and stepped forward to inspect the body.

"What happened?" Aidan asked, stepping out from cover. Seeing that it was safe, everyone emerged from hiding and curiously looked to see what happened.

The white-scaled Elder scrunched his nose and held his paw to the dragon's neck to see if he was still alive, but judging from the looks of it, he was dead. He looked over at the dragonets and came to them.

But instead of asking any questions, he stared directly at Ruari and said, "We need to talk."

* * *