Sifta pendragon

“I, Rias Pendragon the queen of Numena speak untold to those who will listen, whoever brings harm to my kingdom… my people or those in my court I won’t sit by, I’ll finish what I began as Artura. As Marin… if you don’t want my blade through you. Stay out my way. Oh… castil I know you can hear me. I’m coming for your head. I am the saintess of war after all.” For over a year I hadn’t heard my sister’s voice yet she didn’t feel the same as before. I didn’t cry hearing my sister’s voice, feeling relief I smiled knowing after so long she was still alive and kicking.

“I’ll come find you soon sister.”

For a weekday the streets of Amaranth’s inner market plaza were quite crowded. For last year or so Lyron has been taking civilians. His subjects. To dig, mine as far as possible to gain entrance to Gods knows where on Mordid’s order. Mordid’s order according to the knights was absolute calling him the all-father of Onrath. Many people fearing for their lives did the same calling him such whereas some did it willingly unlike myself and the rebels. Mordid tries his best to crack down on the nobles who serve him even those who don’t like the Leonharts. Unluckily not all of that family have stayed neutral.

‘Talia probably won’t be happy seeing her grandmother at Lyron’s side or her most trusted maid as Imra’s whore… I can’t believe she enjoys that life.’ In a short period, a lot has changed some evident and some not so much. My mother stopped speaking to me and Nick that bastard altogether, keeping a neutral side like the Leonharts and Remingars or so we believe. Mordid and I both knew that these powerful families were planning something. The three major families before ‘Rias’s death’ made up a lot of Riel’s trade, army and nurses, now not so much. On the other hand, the rebels became a lot stronger, our main base being the entire slums no longer just the brothel.

The rebels against the chagrin of Lyron and the royals became more powerful than they suspected. Lyron even tried to launch attacks against us but having trained knights on our side as well as mercenaries willingly joining us didn’t make it easy for us to be quelled into submission. Lyron tried different means after that from attacks using magic to using explosives made from mana itself which only fuelled people’s desire to not side with him. Hiding in the dark of an alleyway I watched as the inner plaza of Amaranth became even more crowded.

Trying to step out into the street I was pulled back by a strong hand.

“I wouldn’t if I was you unless you want to be seen by her.”

“Reclaimer?”

“Hello, sister… it's been awhile hasn’t it?” Reclaimer or Redeemer whatever she called herself nowadays pulled me against her keeping me in the shadow of the alleyway away from gods knows what. When I betrayed my old master Reclaimer stood in my way, now she seemed to be protecting me from something like Quinn had done back then. Pulling myself away from Reclaimer I reached for my emerald Tan-Dao that sat sheathed on my back, Reclaimer only raised her hands showing part of her draconic form like Quinn could. The ability to show a part-dragon form was a greeting myself and Quinn came up with when she became Veil.

“I’m not your enemy Skuldlach. I serve Orin not Malphent… I’m an ally sis. I’d rather serve you and Orin than that bitch Aries. From this day forward Orin has offered to help you by extension Rias… can we talk somewhere we can't be heard?” she asked using our learned draconic magic to hide her half-draconic appearance. Out of all the dragon siblings she was the closest to Vritra being the actual firstborn. This was mostly clear in her black scales, the faint golden light underneath, and most of all her silver eyes.

Retreating beneath Amaranth I led Reclaimer through a series of winding carved tunnels. Only photographic memory would be useful here to see your way or someone who used them often. The dark chestnut walls could hardly be seen from the dim firelights in the walls and the bioluminescent butterflies that latched onto the same walls. Reclaimer didn’t seem to mind this as her draconic vision worked wonders in dark crowded places such as this. Unlike Aries and Akron, Reclaimer was very much like Rias with what she wore.

At this moment in time though reclaimer wore a rather shiny black dress with a thigh parting for her right leg. Instead of large heels, she wore small-heeled boots, that extended to just below the knee and from the knee up she wore thigh highs that connected up to her lingerie. Her arms were uncovered like her back and a small area on her chest.

“Was it your aim to look like a prostitute?” I asked Reclaimer who just shrugged in reply. To be fair I should’ve expected it as this wasn’t uncommon for when we served malphent at the very least. One main difference was her hair was not being bundled up into a ponytail, hearing she was Orin’s lover this sort of thing made sense as he did have a thing for scruffy flowing hair. In the time of being away from my siblings I had forgotten that Quinn was the only one of us who had black hair, Akron had white or red depending on her mood. Aries and I shared auburn or chestnut depending on the light we were in. Reclaimer was naturally blonde but sometimes changed it to ginger.

Turning corner after corner into tunnel after tunnel, I realized that Reclaimer didn’t talk much. I wanted to strike up a conversation but for how long we were apart I didn’t know if there was anything topical to talk about. Reclaimer also wasn’t the type to strike up a conversation about anything being as she was. When we came close to our destination, I stepped carefully feeling how quiet it was. How dead it was.

Leading Reclaimer into a secluded area where my room was housed, I waited for her to enter before I did so. Closing the door hard behind me allowed everyone to hear that I was hoping not to be disturbed. Before I could take another step or even try to breathe, Reclaimer hugged me from behind like she normally would in the past. It seemed she was back to her old self of being a loving sister however that truly felt for beings like us.

“Let’s slow down for a moment sister. What was it you wanted to speak to me about?”

“I had a vision… they are coming. It's why I defected with Orin’s help, we have to warn your sister.” Reclaimer sounded defeated talking about her vision. In detail, she recounted what she saw, the war that is going to happen. Through this vision, she saw a war that would be similar to the war in heaven. Two sides with similar goals will collide at the head of each army. Two beings one in the shape of a black phoenix with red eyes and the other side a black wolf with golden eyes. Five beings of tremendous power will side with the black wolf.

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Malphent will return whether we like it or not. The five original disciples side with her and her army whereas the rest side with the red-eyed black phoenix. I asked about the side with the red-eyed black phoenix, Reclaimer went on to say that through her visions she can see an army of black followers not led by commanders but one single disciple with a red plume upon her crowned helm. Of course, there were grand commanders and disciples, but this red-plume knight piqued my interest. Reminding me of one singular being from our past Crowna. Malphent’s black swan.

‘I knew you’d never die Crowna.’ I smiled to myself. Reclaimer went even further and said that major battles seemed to take place. One that has Numena in ruins its citadel burning with all disciples tied up, two beings fighting in the keep. Another battle repeated an image in Reclaimer’s head, a queen wearing Rayenfur’s crown sitting on the citadel’s throne. I pressed for more details something stuck out to Reclaimer one entity. A black dragon with red eyes with a phoenix-dragon hybrid form similar to ancient dragons.

In short things I could gather from this was that malphent would return with her first disciples to fight Numena led by Crowna wearing a crowned helm followed by disciples and grand commanders. Wanting even more detail on this I asked for anything like symbols, banners, or noteworthy clues. I was told of three symbols no four. Malphent’s side had the symbol of Ludwig the three crowned skulls, and Malphent’s army had her ancient mark the golden dragon hugging a black sword. The other side had two as well, the current symbol of the wraith queen and a black phoenix with its wings spread on a red banner with gold lining.

The banners are carried by different figures. In the vision malphent and Ludwig’s symbols are carried by a bear and mockingbird. Numena’s symbols were carried by a lion and what seemed to be an angel. Needing somewhere to write every detail down I drew on a large fabric that I had pinned it to my wall. Noting down the mockingbird was most likely an allegory for Saria the third disciple and the bear could be an allegory for the second disciple Avira. The animal allegories for Numena I wasn’t sure about apart from the lion possibly being Seris Pendragon.

Wanting a little more Reclaimer drew something I had to step back and make sense of. She drew up lines connecting everything pointing towards one singular thing that she drew in the centre. The crown of Numena, the ancient crown of Rayenfur. According to Reclaimer Rayenfur is the only being other than Crowna who has made a disciple stay dead for a while. The vision all pointed to Rayenfur being the sole reason for all this which made no sense.

“Just use your fucking brain will you! Rayenfur Veritas was no normal being. She gathered all Malphent’s parts but instead of succumbing to her, she split those parts into eight. A soul crystal, a mana core… a body, runes on her back, an odachi that has been crafted time and time again. The moon. That’s six, seven being the unlimited amounts of mana and last but not least her fucking crown. Don’t you see it? Some maybe be wrong but get the point?!” Reclaimer asked slapping her hand on the fabric atop the drawing of the crown.

“No I don’t.”

“Gods damn! Rias is closer to Rayenfur than Artura to Marin, it's like Numena is calling to her… maybe my visions are showing me something I can't make sense of without her help.”

“Rayenfur and Rias could be the same person? She’s Artura and Marin but you think she’s Rayenfur?” Reclaimer outlined everything that seemed off to her like the fact that Rias could in theory harness all eight fragments of malphent. Reclaimer was right to some degree that Rias could in theory harness all the eight fragments but with the thorned crown, it would likely kill her the instant she tried to use them all. Reclaimer knew this too so she devised a plan that sounded clever but stupid as anything could go wrong.

Over time as Rias grows stronger, she could harness each fragment growing a tolerance to them.

“I’m not putting my sister in that level of danger you know that, right? I’d do anything to help her but that.” I calmly said peering at the fabric sheet that outlined everything we knew of the vision which was more of a prophecy than anything. All though this was brought to my attention and that Reclaimer was so open to telling me about it. I was so unsure of how much of it was true and how much would actually happen, as it's a vision we can’t be sure. One last time asking for more detail Reclaimer went over everything again slower than before just to make sure she didn’t miss anything important or anything that could contradict.

We slowly started to add things that Reclaimer originally missed small and large details about disciples or such. Through the vision it all started with one being a mystery to us both had a large crystal cluster shoved into them saving their life and the child within them. Not being sure of who they could be, a question mark was put beside the leopard symbol that denoted them. The two other beings were malphent who was in the shape of a golden-eyed phoenix, the other being the red-eyed shadow phoenix not being entirely sure, I denoted with a question mark and Rias’s name next to that.

Some other things such as the disciples coming out of hiding the followers of each. Saria being present beside Avira, both I and Reclaimer found it odd that all disciples were noted with symbols that represented them aside from one that neither of us knew. Between Angrboda Abeloth and Crowna was a symbol for a disciple. This random symbol looked to be a winged naked female with large, curled horns. ‘A succubus?’ I suspected it could be that as through history that’s how they were represented.

“What’s all this?” Aleas asked peering into my room whilst blankly staring at the fabric on my wall. “Who is she?”

“This is my sister reclaimer she is a primordial dragon like me, she at least can use her original body.” Reclaimer smiled when I introduced her but quickly went back to writing things on the fabric sheet. Seeing as Aleas needed clarity I explained what exactly we were doing, I didn’t explain the vision per se. She could gather what it all meant though but from the sudden change in expression, I raised a brow in concern.

“Your sister is alive. According to emissary knights, Rias is alive. The eldritch have confirmed it… Were you lying to us?” Aleas questioned me. Hostility written in her tone and the gaze she gave off. Reclaimer didn’t take this lightly which was matched by her own gaze that felt like two burning stars about to burst.

“No… I’ve only just found out myself.”

“Sifta. If these people know that she’s alive a summit will be called. All leaders of every continent, even your sister will be called up not as Rias Pendragon but as the queen of Numena. You likely won’t recognize her either. From what Orin has told me she looks Hella different.” Reclaimer spoke up still writing things on the fabric with her draconic magic, I turned to face her. She paid me no mind and continued doing what she already was. By now Rias was eighteen years old also older enough to be a queen all I knew was she is the queen of Numena before I could ask who crowned her, reclaimer answered my question.

“I believe it was a fallen knight from Marin’s time. I believe her name was Ciaran… yes, the one those religious nutjobs call their almighty prophet. I want to see their faces when they see Ciaran willingly serving her master. The elven goddess of war.” Reclaimer laughed turning towards Aleas showing her half draconic appearance silver eyes and all. Reclaimer stepped towards me explaining to both Aleas and me that the main religion of the onrath’s many churches believe that the one-winged angel is the prophet of the creator.

This makes no sense as Ciaran is far older than the current primordial creator plus, she wasn’t exactly fond of her either or so Reclaimer says. She then went on to say that the summit would be nothing more than a summoning ground for all other rulers to say ungodly things about Rias before nobles and some profound people alike not knowing who she truly is. No doubt saying, ‘that she fled to Numena to hide faking her death so she could wallow in sadness.’ The religious groups would likely do the same this may even give the princes the chance to take Talia from her.

Reclaimer continued to say that Rias as queen of Numena has more power than the entirety of onrath and some of Tramon. Valentina would likely become her aide again and Seris would probably come out of hiding with many beings flocking to her sides, reclaimer basing this all of her visions even suspected it could grab the attention of a few disciples who are living in onrath.

“This summit when will it be?” Aleas asked gripping my hand tight.

“Knowing that Rias has been announced as queen maybe a few months from now. Normally it would be in eleven months which would place us in… septa, I think. Fuck the onrath calendar makes no fucking sense why is there fifteen months, not twelve months?” Reclaimer kicking my carpet from beneath her feet. I explained to her simply that onrath has always had fifteen months since its dawn. It was quite awkward as the continent named onrath was the only place that used said fifteen months. Rias should’ve just hit eighteen so if I was right in every other calendar she will be nineteen in eleven months but in the onrath calendar it’ll be thirteen months from now.

“Thanks for the clarification, bit confusing if you ask me. Well, we have some time to prepare then I suppose.”

“For what?”

“What she said?”

“Well first off, at the summit I’ll be present but not looking this. Oh, who will be the first to talk directly to Rias I think that should be you… Akron won't because she is stuck dealing with those dipshits in Nynwon. I’m getting side-tracked one thing you should prepare for quicker is to rebel fully against Lyron… Sister, I’ll see you soon.” Reclaimer stood before me making an item that we once wore together in the past appear, it was a ribbon used to tie up our hair.

“Let this be a way for you to remember me and our time together as dragonkin. Sister, I hope we can fight together again one day.”