She felt guilty. Somehow, despite of being relatively unharmed, she felt like she should be.

When the others ran out of the barrier to confront the light dragon, Elyse stayed behind and could only watch as the others fought it ferociously. The satyr wanted to join them, given that she already trusted them enough to back them, but she hesitated. When she finally decided to go, the fight was already over. She thought everything would be fine until they coughed out blood and collapsed. She was one of several who quickly came to them and took them into the city, where the healers declared that they had severe Aetherium poisoning that could claim their lives if it got worse. To save their lives, the healers put them in a healing coma and given exposure to mana particles to help repair their cells after being severely damaged by Aetherium.

And now, Hans, Adeline, and Keeshar stayed in coma, two days after the light dragon’s attack. They looked like they were in peace, but it could go either way. If they stopped breathing…then it was all over. Elyse refused to accept the bad outcome.

She had not even had a chance to say how she appreciated Hans for cheering her up.

Somehow, in an ironic twist, the first person who had ever been kind to her happened to be a werewolf, or Lycans, if following what Hans said about his kind. She was a satyr. A humanoid being that resembled a goat only in general appearance. While it was true that satyrs had claws and carnivorous teeth, the fact remained that they were goat people at first glance.

In the eyes of others, a werewolf would be a natural predator to her. A wolf and a goat. He might be a little scared, considering that their first meeting happened to be where she kicked her with her magic-enhanced hoof, which sent him flying. Maybe the strings of events that happened later mellowed that fear, somewhat. Or maybe Hans did not care on that due to the sympathy caused by Elyse’s suffering.

The satyr scoffed. He would never understand her real predicament. Not unless she told him. Yet, even if she wanted to, Hans was still in the hospital bed, sleeping peacefully for possibly a very long time, alongside his fellow werewolf friend and his Raptor friend. There was no guarantee on their recovery, not without knowledge on their lack of mana reserve.

And she got away from it by staying behind. She could make it easier for herself and said it was a smart choice. But then….

Elyse pondered about it in the streets of Dracokin, after the sun set. The magicite-powered streetlamps were lit, making the night less of a danger for a girl like her. Plus, she got her kicks.

As she sat in the city park, she admired the big tree. It was old. Around 500-years old. Compared to the trees in the Bracken Woods, it did not compare, but for a tree that belonged in a temperate forest sitting in the middle of a city in the middle of the desert made it even more impressive. That, and its exposure to years of spell usage made it a reservoir for mana particles, turning the park into a peaceful place perfect for meditation. It wouldn’t be a good place for intensive mana training, unless a parent wanted to teach their children how to manipulate mana.

“Bet you’ve seen a lot more things than the trees back home, huh?” she said as she touched the tree’s bark. “All those stories, accomplishment and failures…it’s carved to your bark. I sure hope they understand that you’re in pain, but who else can? Even me talking to you sounds like I’m losing my mind.”

“Not to me, princess.”

Elyse gasped and turned, expecting someone who might be trying to harm her.

What she got was even worse. Worst enough to the point that, at first glance, she said, “Ah, shit” before walking away. The person greeting her was a fellow satyr, but with a more pronounced pair of horns and reddish caprine eyes that made him look like a demon, even though he wasn’t.

“I don’t expect you to be here,” he said. “I don’t expect anyone else to be out here. Unless they got exiled, which is clearly not something they do so lightly to a princess.”

“What the hell do you want, Fritz? Angering father’s one thing, but I do not need you to start spewing out insults, especially out here.”

“I don’t need anything. But I do know you have something in your mind. And besides, The Great Tree of Dracokin doesn’t give good advice, if you know what I mean.”

Elyse scoffed. She knew Fritz was always the one with sarcasm, but to meet him after he was exiled from Bracken Woods was something else. She also realized the situation and she hated it even more.

The fact that she, a princess, and heiress to her father’s throne, ran away from home made the situation ironic.

“Why don’t we find a bench and talk, Elle? I bet a satyr’s ears is what you need right now.”

“It’s princess to you,” she snapped.

“Whoa, hey. Your father put you in line already? Doesn’t sound like the Ellie I know. Unless you’re still mad about us.”

Elyse had enough. She walked up to Fritz and said, “One more word out of you and I swear that wall behind you’s gonna be caked with your smushed body.”

“Hey, don’t get violent now. I might understand, but do you think anyone else will understand that? And besides, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? You did put me out here, after all.”

“You want a fight? Sure, why not? I need something to punch my heart out and I happen to find someone I really—”

“But I don’t keep grudges, especially not against you,” interrupted Fritz. Then, his expression turned serious. “On a more serious note, what the hell are you doing out here, Elle?”

“I….” Elyse turned away. “What’s your problem, anyway? I thought you don’t like the royal family. I happen to be the most royal of them all, considering that I am next in line.”

“But you are here, talking to your exiled ex, in the middle of a city under crisis. Oh, I know what’s going on out there, Elyse. That pillar of light is nature’s bane and unless they find a way to stop it, you can kiss the nature we know bye-bye. Might as well start from scratch at this point. Truth is, with the imminent war caused by your absence, the light might as well be an afterthought to your father.”

“Then why that serious look on your face?”

“I may not like how your father is controlling your life, but I do know that your relationship with the kingdom of Val’seris is not peaceful. The Bracken Woods Kingdom might hold out, but I doubt they need more trouble with the pillars and the humans cutting down the ancient trees. Elyse, I know I’m not the best satyr to say this but you need to take responsibility. I won’t like it. Hell, we might even end up enemies in the end. Yet, this is the only way—”

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“Are you even listening to yourself, Fritz? You sound just like my father just now.” Elyse scoffed. “Guess being exiled ironically put you in line, too. Why can’t anyone understand? I am not prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of politics! And why am I the favored one? Father clearly prefer Lisle when it comes to negotiations. In fact, she’ll make a better queen than I am.”

Fritz sighed. “Well, you’re right. Guess I much prefer you to be the queen, huh? Queen Elyse of Bracken Woods has its rings to it.”

Elyse groaned and walked away. Fritz was going to walk to her and ask her to reconsider, but Elyse knew what he was trying to do and, raising one of her hooves up, said, “Back off, or I swear I’ll do it.”

“At least….” Fritz sighed. “At least tell me one thing. Do you find what you’re looking for out here?”

“Oh, now you care for me. Fritz, let’s be clear on one thing. I liked you, but then you insulted my family a bit more than I like. Especially Henri. You do not insult Henri. I’m fine with you talking shit about me, but your defiance won’t help you win favors, especially not from me or anyone from the court. So, fuck you, and get the fuck out of my sight.”

Elyse strode away, her mood soured. She never believed in coincidences, but when she did, she found she hated it. What were the chances meeting with her rebellious, anti-royalist ex-boyfriend out in a vast desert? Maybe very small, considering that Dracokin was the only proper settlement for miles. But it happened, and that’s what ironic. She tried to get as far away from Bracken Woods as possible, only to meet the last satyr on Earth she wanted to meet right then.

Fritz looked on as she turned to the right and disappeared from his sight. He rubbed his pierced ear and sighed even longer, to the point of frustratingly stomping one of his hooves. He lamented the fact that their relationship had been damaged from his loose tongue, and now he could not convince her to try and be responsible.

But if there was one thing he still liked about Elyse was her rebellious nature, and her desire to be free in her own way. Maybe he should start thinking about seeing how the Bracken Woods drama came to an end without Elyse around. It wasn’t like he could do anything to prevent it.

“Exile or no exile, that community’s not for me,” he said with a shrug.

***

Elyse’s plan for a peaceful night was already disturbed, so she decided to visit the hospital and check on the three Ternorians, hoping that knowing about their condition would at least calm her down.

The hospital’s visiting hours was over an hour ago, but Elyse’s role in tending the wounds of the survivors and her knowledge in herbal medicine and healing magic earned her many favors with the healers, who all appreciated her druidic knowledge. They did not mind letting her visit the Ternorians, on the condition that she only observe them behind the glass. They did not want to contaminate the mana particle-rich pressurized room. Given that the protective gears that granted her access were too big for her, she could only accept the terms and observe the three through the window in the visitor’s lounge.

There, she met Zenithia and Avila. She wondered why both dragons could even be allowed in, until she remembered that both of them were unusual dragons. Zenithia was a light dragon who had the body of a cub who also felt responsible for Adeline, while Avila could not be seen by anyone except those who she allowed to.

But another fact troubled Elyse. From what Elyse heard, Avila was Death. Her being there only made the satyr worried that she was there to wait for their deaths, and only Death knows when someone time was up.

Avila knew what Elyse was thinking from her expression. Chuckling, she said, “Do not fear, dear satyr. While it is true that I am Death, I am but an aspect. I have a limited level of omnipotence granted to me. I am here not to wait for their time. I am here to check on them.”

“Y-you mean….” Elyse dropped to a whisper, knowing that she might sound crazy since Avila was invisible for everyone else. “You mean there are more Deaths out there?”

“Aspects of her, more precisely. I happen to be an Aspect of Draconic Death. Meaning, I am responsible for guiding the souls of lost dragons, especially those who died a violent death.”

“Satyrs believe that death is not the end. Does that apply to you?”

“Only if you believe it so. Then again, I do not wish for you to question your beliefs, so I suggest you don’t get too curious, for your own sake.”

Elyse nodded, knowing that meeting a being like Death could change her outlook in life.

“So, why does Death have a name?” she asked.

“Aspect of Death,” corrected Avila. “While we are but her Aspect, we also appreciate individualism. It won’t make sense to you, but you know why.”

“Okay. Don’t ask too much. Got it. But then why are you so invested in this crisis? Is it because you expect dragons to die? I mean, aren’t you supposed to be neutral?”

“I can only stay neutral if reality is not being threatened by the light banes.” She then turned to Zenithia. “And if I know my existence is threatened by it. Despite what many cultures and religion claims, I do wish to survive until it is time for me to close the doors and move on. It is even more important for me, for my existence relied on the existence of dragons. I only close my doors and move on when the last dragon ever lived on Earth dies, and I do not wish it to be now. Thus, I confide in you, light bane, for anything you know of what they are planning.”

“What else can I say?” said Zenithia. “I defied them and look where it got me. Even that wasn’t enough to prevent the Pol Hain disaster. I did force Shawar to break off his altered reality state but look what it did to me. In fact, I think you know more than I do when you direct us to Qeveriyt. What is your plan in trying to find this fabled lost city?”

“What else, but preservation of life?”

“Okay, wait,” whispered Elyse. “We don’t know what we’re looking for unless you elaborate. What the hell does Qeveriyt has to do with the light bane invasion? It’s a fabled lost city that may just be fiction after all.”

“My dear satyr, history holds more secrets than your archives can keep. There are many secrets that are taken to the graves.”

“Okay, so why don’t you know, then?”

“Because that grave is somehow missing, and I intend to find it. Qeveriyt is not a legend. However, people and dragons seem to forget it exists. Even the souls that are supposed to die in that city are nowhere to be found.”

“If it doesn’t exist, then how do you know it exists?”

“Echoes of its existence remains in dragons’ memories. They only need a trigger.”

“Okay, so…what’s the trigger? And where are we in this?”

“That is the part that you will have to discover for yourself, for I do not govern your fate nor your soul,” said Avila. “And besides, they also need to know. This involves them, too.”

“But there is a chance they won’t wake up. That Aetherium poisoning the got almost destroyed their body and mind!”

“Faith, Elyse of Bracken Woods. Faith,” said Avila. “Trust their souls.”

Upon hearing those words, Elyse walked towards the window and peered into the room. The mana particle rays used to heal the three turned the room purple.

“I know I should. It’s just…this shouldn’t have happened.”

“Elyse, this is my fault,” said Zenithia. “It’s a judgement I did not make lightly, but—”

“You’re not at fault here, Zenithia,” said Elyse. “I should’ve been out there, taking over your job. Druidic magic is defensive in nature, so creating a barrier shouldn’t be a problem. My fear took me over.”

“But Aetherium will eat through your barrier, anyway.”

“Yet, I should’ve done something! I…don’t even get the chance to tell Hans how much…how much I appreciated his help. I know our first meeting is not exactly the best, but he is a little too kind for his own good. And he’s a werewolf, too. I have my own problems with my own people, but then I found that I like him.”

“You will have that chance, Elyse,” assured Avila.

“How can you be so sure?”

“A little faith can go a long way. You heard this from an Aspect of Death, so that amounts to something.”

Elyse chuckled. “Heh. Guess you’re right.” She then yawned. “I haven’t had that much rest since…well, since that light dragon came and screw everyone up. The hospital might need me and no one’s gonna visit those three except us, anyway. I’ll take the sofa.”

Avila nodded as Zenithia followed Elyse. She sat on the sofa then lowered her head before closing her eyes to sleep. Avila wondered how much of Zenithia’s power was sacrificed to the point of her needing some sleep, but maybe it was more than just being reduced to a hatchling body.

She knew a lot about those light banes, but even she had no idea how to defeat them. It had always been something that had troubled her. She was only given one very vague lead.

Qeveriyt. It was a name she knew, but no one else. The collective memories of Western and Central dragons knew of it, just not entirely. Even she had it, but only vaguely. What kind of power so strong that even an Aspect of Death could not even recall?

While it humbled her, she did not need another mystery. If she could not solve it before the full invasion started, then everything would be over.

But what could she do?