Eon was awake by the time her sister performed the ritual. Tairn, Rio and the other dragons all bowing their head to the screaming girl with them. Violet watched in horror as the purple dragon, about the size of Tairn, had completely charred Deigh and Liam. Leaving absolutely nothing in the destruction.
Xaden noticed how Vyshena swayed on her feet. Her hair was pulled from the braid and fell in front of her face. Tears soaking the earth as she stared at the spot Liam once was. "He's gone." She hiccuped, finding Xaden who didn't bother to wipe his eyes. "He's gone." Vyshena sobbed, holding a hand over her mouth when her knees gave out and she landed on the ground.
Eon quickly crawled over to her, holding her mothers cheeks with her small hands. Speaking to her in Alithian while Violet watched Fyda sprint to the trees and almost slide when she got to her mother.
"We will go back to Alithia, and then ruin the school." She shook her head. "We will go to Alithia to check on Eon, then you both will accompany me." Fyda shared a glance to her sister. "Rio said wait for the perfect moment." Vyshena looked at Xaden who slowly nodded his head, agreeing with them.
"I say no better time than now."
It took them forty minutes to reach Alithia, and Vyshena was in tears when they arrived. Violet expected to see ruins, castle debris and bones everywhere from the war. But instead her eyes trailed up, to wherever Tairn was flying and she saw it.
On a floating piece of earth, in the sky and past the clouds was Alithia. The size of rock was big enough for two Basgaith's to fit, and housed a castle bigger than Violet will ever see. Violet noticed the outside was rebuilt with a singular stone melted down to bend at the edges and fold at the top. It was shiny, and jagged at the edges like it was made of black, or navy blue crystal. No, it was made of crystal.
They flew overhead, where the small city was still rebuilding itself but people roamed the streets and music could be heard. "There's a whole civilization here." Violet spoke to Tairn who grumbled. "Yes, silver one. This is a place of nightmares, keep your shields up while you are here." Tairn's tone was worrisome, which made Violet worry.
"Do not worry, she can smell it on you." Tairn said, while Violet saw how Vyshena stood from Fyda and walked a few paces while she studied her city. "And while Vyshena is home, she is queen." Violet looked at the back of Tairn's skull. "She's queen?"
"Her mother died, and Alithia still stands. There is a queen."
Vyshena waited for Xaden, Eon and Fyda standing beside her. Eon was leaning her body weight on Fyda, "take her." Fyda nodded her head, watching Violet slowly walk up. Ridoc and Garrick, sprinting to the gates. The other part of the squad stayed at a distance, their bodies humming from the magic of the city. "While we are here," Xaden joined the group.
"I will be treated differently, please do not let that influence how you treat me back at the school." Garrick laughed, "the people who I did not grow up with." Vyshena responded as if it were obvious and turned on her feet.
The doors opened before she could reach the stairs, "dragon stone?" Asking Xaden as she slowly put her hand on the outside wall. "Got it from the caves below and melted it together." Xaden said as they walked inside.
"We are so happy you are back, my queen." Maelon said in a short gasp while he bowed. Violet's eyes went wide, "yes, my queen." Bodhi replied in the same voice, tucking his hand and bowing down before Vyshena. "I'm getting a drink, anyone care?" He asked, and saw Bodhi raise his hand and slip past the group, Ridoc following on his feet.
"Eon is with him?" Vyshena asked Maelon who nodded. It was as if Vyshena finally realized something, and her body slowly turned to Xaden. "Morghan?" She asked, and saw how his face went pale and he slowly held a hand over his mouth. "She can't fly the distance and can't grow with out one of us there."
"I'll get Rhiannon?" Vyshena offered and saw how Xaden slowly tilted his head to the side. Vyshena turned toward Maelon, "excuse me, Maelon." Vyshena smiled as she held a hand to the man's forearm before walking away. He bowed quickly as she grabbed Xaden and pushed him off to the side.
"Rhiannon is our next best. Dain sure as hell can't. She'll know what to do, stay in your room. She won't have an issue with it."
"Defeats the purpose of us acting dead." Xaden said, "gives us the purpose to get her and burn the school. She's the only reason I'm going back." Xaden understood, he knew it the second Scá came, he felt it.
Rhiannon was pacing back and forth in her dorm, hiccuping as tears ran down her cheeks. Praying to a God she wasn't sure she believed in for confirmation her family was killed. "Rhi?" She screamed, slapping a hand over her mouth. "It's Vyshena. Don't freak out." Rhiannon's wide eyes were searching her room.
"I need a huge, favor. One that could potentially cost you your life if anyone finds out?" Rhiannon put two and two together. "You're alive?" She asked, "all of us are." She lied, finding Xaden while seeing Fyda walk down the hall and toward her parents. Vyshena grabbed her hand gently. "Okay," Rhiannon hummed.
"There is a baby dragon in Xaden's room. Her name is Morghan, we will not be back tonight, maybe tomorrow but we need you to go and stay with her. You're our next best." Fyda heard it as she snacked on a fruit bar and turned her head, eyeing Violet up and down as Imogen quietly spoke to her.
"A baby dragon?" Rhiannon was already putting on her shoes and lacing them. "Yes, Rhiannon listen to me." She stood up, eyes staring at the wall. "She is the Jaes hen morghan. The god of death. She is a baby, still learning but she is temperamental and has an attitude. She may speak to you, she may not." Eon's scream was heard through the castle, ricocheting off the walls and piercing Violet's eardrums. Her and Imogen slammed their hands over their ears, watching Fyda sprint to her sister.
"She is loving though. You trust her, she will trust you." Rhiannon nodded her head, "I'll guard her with my life!" Saying in a sarcastic tone as Vyshena stared to walk to Eon. "I really hope you do, Rhiannon. We will need her."
Xaden held Eon's hand as her body curled against his. "Violet is here." Vyshena said, getting a sigh from Xaden as Brennan slowly turned his head. "My sister, is here?" He asked, while Vyshena nodded. "Downstairs. She has a broken arm, I think. Hasn't said anything but, something is off." Fyda laid on the bed beside her sobbing sister.
"She is healed to the best of our abilities. The rest is just, the grieving process." Brennan sighed while Vyshena nodded. "Great, thank you." Vyshena sat opposite of Xaden, while Fyda tucked her knees to her chest. "Eon?" The girl slowly sat up, "listen to me." She tucked the white hair behind her ears.
"You and your sister are coming back with us. It will not be pretty, and it will not feel good." Eon nodded, "You will think before you speak, do what you are asked of. I am not your mother out there but your general." Eon rubbed her hands over her eyes, breathing out of her mouth as her legs and arms ached. "It hurts." She cried, while Xaden looked behind his shoulder.
"This can wait until tomorrow? I'll get her to her room and meet you guys in the meeting room when I'm done." Xaden said, standing up and grabbing Eon under her knees and around her shoulders. Fyda stood up quickly, following them out.
"Violet was told a lot of fresh information that she can not speak of tonight, even to you. So be patient with her reaction, please." Vyshena told Brennan who nodded. "What was she told?" He asked, "did you skip over the part where I told you that it can't be spoken of?" Vyshena asked in a high tone, seeing the man roll his eyes.
"Exactly. Use your brain, Sorrengail." Vyshena told him, walking out of the door and back down to the hall. Bodhi and Garrick were walking back with a drink in their hand, meeting in the middle with Violet and Imogen. "Okay, we have a meeting soon. We'll be here for the night, hopefully fly tomorrow. We need to come up with a plan for our arrival, Eon and Fyda will be coming with-"
"Can you stop talking like a queen please?" Bodhi asked with a smile on his lips. "Sorry," Vyshena sighed. "Eon and Fyda are coming with us, so prepare for war? I don't know what you want me to say?" Garrick rolled his eyes. "Hey, are the pools here still?" He asked, "Garrick, I arrived when you did!" Vyshena shouted as he walked down the hall toward the staircase.
"It's like the magic here makes him dumb. I need to speak with Violet." Bodhi, Imogen, and Ridoc walked away, following Garrick's path. "So, welcome to my home." She chuckled and Violet slowly nodded. "It's different than before. The entire castle was gone by the time I left." She sighed, "But um, my home is yours. Please do not treat me any different while were here." Violet nodded quickly, "hopefully we'll only be here for a day, so it won't matter but don't wander off in that direction." Pointing to the north.
"This place was gifted to us by a higher power, and they live in those woods. Sometimes they're nice, other times Xaden leaves and needs eighteen stitches on his side." Violet's face slowly stopped. "We are meeting, right now." Vyshena told her while Violet was quick to follow.
"So, there will probably be a lot more that comes to light while you're here. Just remember what Xaden said, if it ever gets out before its intended to, we're all dead. Not just me."
Vyshena sat at the chair directly in front of the glass table, than Xaden to the left of her, Fyda to the right. Imogen sat beside Garrick, who was next to Xaden. Leaving Violet sitting beside Fyda who sniffed the air silently, and Ridoc on her other side. "You ride Tairn?" Violet's eyes went wide as she slowly turned her head. "Yeah." Answering while Fyda snapped her head to her mother.
"Tell him to come find me while he's here. He left something, and I'd like to return it to him." Fyda's words had good intention, but how she had to force it out concerned Violet. "Okay, I will." She nodded while relaying the information back to Tairn. She gasped quietly as his response, "sorry, I'm not repeating what he said." Ridoc chuckled under his breath while leaning forward, "why? You got bad blood with the grandpa?" He joked, a smile on his lips while hearing Garrick chuckle.
Fyda stared at him with her violet eyes, no expression on her face but Garrick swore she looked amused. "Grandpa, I like that. He is old." Fyda responded, while Garrick leaned back. "See? I'm funny. I cracked mute over here." Ridoc said, "she's far from mute." Bodhi joined. "Her? Fyda?" Ridoc asked, leaning forward again while looking at her.
"I think you forgot why we're here, dude." Bodhi told Ridoc, who slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, that's why I'm trying to lighten up the place."
Xaden and Vyshena were in an argument about the best course of action. "I think you should wait to take them." Brennan interrupted as he walked in as if his little sister was sitting there. "Why?" Vyshena used her hands to speak while shifting in her chair.
"Because what if now is not the time to revolt? Just think about it. The commanders know what happened, think of just the shock alone of you guys showing up. Wait until the right time." Vyshena went quiet, staring at him and thinking.
Brennan sighed, pulling the chair out from beside Bodhi and taking a seat. "You're in my seat." Brennan told Vyshena who gasped, "excuse me?" Asking while leaning forward.
Violet was staring out of the corner of Brennan's eye, "are you going to get on with your reunion or can we move on?" Vyshena asked angrily as Bodhi chuckled from the end of the table, his feet kicked up on it. Violet saw how his feet were flown from their resting spot, and he cursed under his breath.
"How are you alive? And, working here? Living here?" Violet asked as she sat up taller. "Well, um- Vyshena's brother found me and brought me back here. I've been working alongside Vyshena's group to reestablish Alithia and rebuild, along with some politics."
"Because you weasel your way in here even if you weren't invited." Brennan furrowed his brows.
"This is the third time we've met."
"Yet you have sat in my chair, haven't you, Sorrengail?" He rolled his eyes, facing his sister again as the doors opened slowly. Eon walked through, shutting them with her body weight and sitting at the last chair between Garrick and Bodhi, who both leaned forward to catch up with the dragon.
Between Garrick and Bodhi both complimenting her, a blush rose to her cheeks as she swatted away both of their hands. Garrick poked her nose while Bodhi squeezed the skin of her cheek gently between his fingers. "Is there any way we can have a talk, just us two after this meeting?" Brennan asked his sister who nodded her head.
"Okay, what happened?"
"Any word from the fliers?" Vyshena asked the table, "Syrena is alive, so is Cat." Bodhi answered while resting his chin on the palm of his hand. Drawing circles with his finger on the cool table.
"We get to our rest point, the fliers shown up. Vyshena freaks, gets on Rio and leaves. She gets to the outpost before we do and a letter is left." Vyshena pulled it from her pocket and threw it across the table, Brennan grabbing it. "I get ambushed, then Eon and Fyda shown up. Deigh gets killed by a wyvern, which resulted in Liam dying." Brennan's eyes softened while they slowly shut. "Then we came back here."
Brennan eyed Xaden, who knew they'd be discussing it in more detail later. "Okay, so now what's the plan?" Brennan asked. "Well, Rhiannon is watching Morghan until we get back." Vyshena said with a sigh, and leaning forward. "Hell will be released the day we get back. I hope you know that." Vyshena's eyes met everyones at the table, and they all agreed.
"You're family, V. You ride, we ride."
Fyda walked down the hall in a black nightgown, her skin contrasting to white with the pale blue of the sky behind her. She snacked on a frozen treat, her feet silent. "Yo, Fyda!" Ridoc's voice echoed through the hall loudly, causing the dragon to jump and swiftly turn on her feet. She stared wide-eyed at him. "How do you know who I am?" Ridoc jogged to catch up to her.
"Dunno?" He asked, "this place is crazy. I couldn't sleep so I just started walking." Fyda turned on her heels while continuing her walk. "You are in Vyshena's year?" Fyda asked, her chin tilting awkwardly to the side. Showing him she was listening even though she wasn't facing him. "Uh, yeah. Yep." He nodded, hearing her hum.
Ridoc followed Fyda in silence, "are you just gonna follow me?" She asked, licking her fingers after she finished the treat. "I mean, who else to give me a tour than the person who lives here." Ridoc suggested while she rolled her eyes. "It'd take the entire night to finish it." Fyda chuckled, "well, I'm not planning on sleeping. I'm literally at Alithia right now."
"This, is the incubation and hatching room." Fyda said as she pushed open the door and walked into the humid room. Ridoc's eyes went wide while staring at the many hatching pods. "After a dragon lays the eggs, someone will go and retrieve them. Bring them back here and place in one of the beds until they are chosen. When they are chosen, they're placed in the babe's crib until the babe is born," Fyda felt like she was rambling. "The egg is hatched, you get the point." Ridoc watched her with a smile on his lips, nodding his head.
"Yeah, I get it. I like listening to you talk, though." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Where's all the eggs?" He asked, walking around the room. Fyda chuckled, earning a hum for a response from him. "The rebellion." She said, turning on her heels as her nightgown flown behind her. "What'd they do?" He asked.
She shrugged her shoulders, "Vyshena won't tell me, but I seen what they did to my sister so I can't imagine it was pleasant." Ridoc furrowed his brows, "you had a sister?" He asked, "not Eon?"
"Her name was Izo, she was bonded to Xaden." Ridoc slowly nodded, "your General Melgren tore her to pieces." Ridoc scoffed. "Not my General, Fyda." He answered, tilting his chin up while studying the tall ceiling. "Needed to know where you stand, that's all." Ridoc rolled his eyes with a smile. "You could ask, and not assume."
"My bad, I can usually tell. I can't with you." She left the room and out into the cold hallway. Goosebumps littered her skin while hearing Ridoc shout her name. "You have an issue with not waiting."
"I'm not patient." She told him, gently leaning into his side while he followed her into the grass. "It's a walk, but do you want to go to the beach?" Ridoc looked out past the trees. "There's a beach, on top of here?" He asked while she nodded her head. "It falls off the side, so we can't swim out far." Ridoc nodded, "please."
Fyda had dove into the warm water, coming up with a deep breath and wiping her hands over her face. "Is it cold?" He shouted, and Fyda shook her head. "No, warm." Answering while he saw her dive her body under again. Ridoc stripped from his sleep pants and shirt, tugging his socks off and had stepped into the water.
Fyda watched with a smile on her face, "oh, shit." He said once feeling the temperature. "You weren't lying." He walked out further until he could go under. "I never lie, Ridoc. My parents taught me better." Fyda told him as he swam over to her. The waves pulling them back and forth. "It's cool how Vyshena and Xaden are your parents. You guys are the same age." Ridoc swiped his hair away from his face, kicking his feet to stay above the water.
"I guess." Fyda chuckled, her accent thick. Baby hair curled to her forehead while she bobbed up and down gently. "This is my favorite spot." She said, "I'm always cold, so the water is nice." Ridoc smiled, "why are you cold?" Asking.
"No idea." She replied, holding her breath as she went under again as Ridoc floated on his back. He stared at the sky, where the stars were brighter. He felt bad, horrible even. One of his best friends had just passed, and he was floating in the ocean on a floating rock. But he knew Liam, he knew Liam wouldn't want him to remain sad, remain depressed. He'd be mad if Ridoc wasn't in the ocean right now.
Ridoc looked up, seeing Fyda squatted on the beach poking at something in the sand. She quickly grabbed it, standing up with a wide smile on her lips. "Look! I caught a night bee!" She held her arm above the water while swimming out to him. "A bee?" He asked while she kept her head above the water the best she could.
Ridoc smiled while holding under her arm once she reached him. Muttering a thank you before she opened her palm. "Watch," Ridoc's brows were furrowed while watching the insect who looked identical to a bee, turn its yellow and black colors into dark blue and purple. "Whoa." He whispered while Fyda nodded her head.
"They can't fly, and they live in the sand."
"So, why's it called a bee?" He asked, watching her move her hand when it walked. "No idea." When it was in her palm she slowly closed it. Ridoc gasped when she dunk her hand under water and he grabbed it. "What?" Asking quickly. "Where'd it go?"
"Back in the sand." She answered, and Ridoc turned his head to the sand as if he could see it. She smiled while watching him. "Damn. I just have ice, but I learned to pick locks with it." She smiled at him, "that's a good signet." Answering while he furrowed his brows. "I mean, I guess," Fyda's hand came up and covered his mouth.
"It's a good signet, Ridoc." She replied, and his eyes widened. "Right, yeah. It is a good signet, hey, question." He said while she tilted her head. "Can I kiss you?" He asked, a small smile on his lips while Fyda's lips parted. "You want to kiss me?" She asked. "Yeah, I do. Since like, I saw you first. You're really interesting, I like that about you. Something draws me to you." He admitted, not feeling shy while Fyda slowly nodded her head.
She wouldn't admit she felt the same, "totally cool if not. Don't worry about it, just thought to put it out there. I can handle rejection." Ridoc nodded his head, "you talk a lot." She interrupted him, "apparently so do you." He replied, while Fyda pulled her nightgown around her hips so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He smiled while his toes touched the bottom of the ocean, gently walking to where he could stand flat footed.
His fingers caught in the ends of her hair while he quickly pulled his hand from the water thinking something was wrapped around them. "That's your hair?" He gasped, seeing the white locks tangled around his fingers. Fyda quickly pulled at it, "sorry." He shook his head. "No, it's," he paused while looking back at her.
He smiled, then placed his hands on the sides of her face and pulled her into a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. "God, you're such a badass. I can't wait to see what you do to the school." Fyda laughed against his lips. "You're weird."
"Yeah? Tell me something I don't know, fire-cracker."
an
ridoc and fyda? the golden retriever
and black cat duo i didnt know i needed.
also im terrified of finishing onyx
storm so pls refrain from spoilers if u
had the guts to finish it. cause i sure dont!