I was woken up by a slight pain in my wing. There was someone's gentle touch on its sensitive surface along the second alar phalange... I wanted to retract it and hide it behind me, but it got held in place by a delicate, but firm hand. I opened my eyes to see Yasenka, busy unwrapping some clean fabric. The fresh scent of fresh herbs hung in the air.

"Don't move yet, I'm almost done," she said soothingly.

I just nodded, still half-conscious, and looked around. I must have fallen asleep sitting, leaned against the rock. The warm border of sunlight falling into the cave was glistening on the hay just a little to my left. Further back I saw Siaril, talking to Armailith... I turned my head away in anger. Even having eye contact with him made me feel bitter.

"Something wrong?" Yasenka got concerned.

"No, nothing," I covered my irritation with a small smile.

"Well, I think that'll do for now," she bound the ends of the dressing into a solid knot and extended her hand to help me to my feet.

I got up and carefully stretched my arms a little, trying to restrain myself from doing the same with my wings. The lack of movement freedom was rather frustrating, but I didn't feel nearly as much pain as before, and the wing was secure. "Thank you... you surpass yourself every time."

Yasenka smiled. "Don't mention it. It's the least I can do."

"So... what are we going to do now? I can't fly and we can't just sit here and wait until my bones grow back together, can we?"

"Theoretically, I could take you on my back and fly with you..." Armailith interjected, sounding a little regretful.

"Theoretically?"

"Yes, theoretically. I can't leave my children without protection, and taking them with me would be even more dangerous."

We all fell silent for a moment. The dragoness would be a huge help, not just now but next time we met Sharish as well... But we really couldn't risk the safety of those eggs. The future of the race depended on them...

I frowned. I suddenly had an idea, unexpected but simple, just like everything that was brilliant... I just hoped Armailith would see it the same way.

"And what if we found a place where they'd be safe without a doubt?" I started. "Where no one else would be able to enter?"

"Something specific on your mind?" the dragoness seemed interested.

"Yes. A place where only us, the Disciples of the Last Dragons can enter, secured by dragons themselves... What's more, if you were able to steal away the shard of the Sunrise from there without even physically entering, then I'm sure some spell exists that would make it possible to do the same with the eggs, if need be..."

The molten eyes of the dragoness lit up with a more intense glow. "The crypts of the Siracel temple..."

I smiled simply.

Armailith glanced towards her tail, where the eggs lay hidden, then to the sky. "I think..." she lifted herself from the hay and spread her mighty wings just a little, "it's time I leave these mountains at last."

A happy laugh escaped Yasenka's lips and I felt a rush of some new, exciting energy. Now it really started to feel like we stand a chance against Sharish. Siaril stayed silent...

We quickly started to prepare for departure. Siaril and Yasenka emptied their bags almost completely, leaving everything that seemed unnecessary behind. They made sure the inside was properly inlaid with hay before delicately, as carefully as possible, taking the eggs out of their hiding place. Armailith watched every single one of their movements with utmost attentiveness. When the second egg left the pit in the nest, at the bottom of it I noticed a crystal, reddish, like a pale ruby. I picked it up and, feeling a faint, magical pulsation, looked at the dragoness.

"Hide it well," she advised. "We don't want it to accidentally fall on some ansirth's head while we fly over Earlindon."

I smiled and put it into my pocket, trying to ignore the feeling of vindictive satisfaction.

Armailith in the meantime sat down low on the ground and extended one of her front legs for me to climb up onto her back. I gave her an unsure look. "Are you scared?" she asked, sounding feisty. "I thought you like flying."

"I do, it's just that I never tried it like this."

"The difference is not that huge, you will see."

I nodded and climbed onto her leg first, then made my way to her back. I sat down between two of the spikes that were running along her spine all the way to her tail before she carefully got up and climbed out of the cave. Upon looking around, I noticed that the entrance to her hideout was wreathed by five not too tall but sharp summits, forming a huge structure resembling a crown. Siaril and Yasenka already ascended and were hovering above our heads.

Armailith glanced back at me. I held tight onto the spike in front of me, making sure I was secure, took a deep breath and nodded. I thought I saw a glimmer of a smile in her eye. "I think it's best if you hold your broken wing with one hand and keep the other tight to your body, otherwise you might get blown away," she gave me one last warning. When I did as she instructed, she approached a nearby chasm, looked around vigilantly and leaped from the edge, the claws of her powerful rear legs leaving marks in the rocks.

It wasn't the most pleasant of starts for me. The blast of air that hit me literally took my breath away. If it had blown underneath my wings, I would probably be passing by the dragoness' tail quicker than I would be able to start analyzing the situation. And suddenly, just as fast as it caught me off guard, it calmed down once again. I opened my eyes, which I closed in a rush of panic a moment ago.

Armailith was gliding in a gentle, sweeping circle above the summits that grew out of the rugged clouds. I curiously took a look around, but the landscape was rather barren. Just the peaks, a few dried clusters of bushes, several tips of some solitary pines, and nothing else. Some variety was provided by the river, skillfully skimming between the rocks on its way somewhere down, towards south. It didn't appear to be very dangerous from above, but the foamed surface was proof of the element's force.

We turned west, leaving the ominous picturesqueness of the Dragon Mountains with its mystery play of fogs and sun behind. Armailith seemed excited. "I almost forgot how Earlindon looks like in daytime," she admitted when we passed the border of the ridge.

I smiled a little. "It's hard to believe you endured there all alone for so long..."

"I often wondered how I managed to do that as well, trust me," the dragoness ascended a little more before asking: "So, is there a difference between the flight of a dragon and that of a Disciple?"

"If there is, then it's really small... but it's kind of hard to tell when I'm not essentially the one who's flying."

Armailith just laughed.

There was some difference though. The beating of her wings was heavier, causing bigger leaps in altitude than mine did, and they were more sparse, not much, but still. I myself got used to moving my wings while in the air so much that I had the funny impression I could start falling any moment now that I kept them still. But I wasn't afraid. I trusted the dragoness, even though I wasn't sure how one could trust someone this much after knowing them for so short.

Although... just a few months ago, I showed similar trust to the stranger that Siaril was to me back then...

Armailith had to hold back with the speed quite a lot the whole time, because Siaril and Yasenka just weren't able to keep up with her. Bored by the monotonous flight, she eventually started to take gentle curves in the air, sometimes changing altitude. She seemed to be in a great mood. And I still struggled with comprehending it all. I was sitting on the back of a dragon, a real, living dragon...

Luckily, we didn't encounter any hindrances this time, the journey was calm and unhurried. Our only, small worry were the clouds gathering in the south, announcing a storm. We spotted the outline of Tacritia when the shadows started to grow long in the remnants of the afternoon sun.

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We agreed that me and Armailith would stay in the air while Siaril and Yasenka deposited the eggs in the crypts of the temple. I accepted this decision with delight. I really wasn't in the mood for another round of young master Calthraval.

For some time, me and Armailith kept circling above the fields, golden with grain, delighting in the warm rays of sun that seemed tinted with the turquoise of the sea. Sparkles danced on the crests of the waves, steadily gaining in size and force as the clouds drew closer.

After returning, Yasenka informed us that the first answer to the messages sent out to all Earlindon by the prince just arrived in Tacritia. It came from Leeshan. "The inhabitants declared their readiness to help and support the Disciples, should any danger come again. Lythar also mentioned that while we were gone, the citizen of Tacritia declared the will to stand by your side as well..."

"Anything but that," I whined. A shiver ran down my spine at the sheer thought of innocent people dying in a fight against Sharish just because they saw the future ruler of Earlindon in me... "I'll do everything in my power to prevent open war."

"We will do everything, dear Sigrian."

I sighed wearily and leaned my forehead against Armailith's spike. "I'm sorry..."

Yasenka gave me a gentle smile. "Let's head home. There's nothing left for us to do here, besides, one of us rendered himself completely unable to do anything anyway..."

"Hey..."

"I mean anything useful."

Despite the hurt look I shot in her direction, I couldn't help but smile a little. And I knew that was exactly what she wanted to achieve. "One way or another, I think it's time for a break," she summarized, pleased with herself.

Suddenly, the sun vanished and the land became a lot darker. It wasn't yet the darkness of approaching night though. There was a grayish-golden glow with a hint of red seeping through the clouds, and the first, soundless lightning crossed the sky.

"But first, let's find shelter for the night."

Out of lack of better possibilities, we found it under Armailith's wings. She on the other hand remarked that this 'tiny' rain would do nothing more than clean her scales. Luckily, the lightning faded quite quickly and continued towards north, leaving us in a moist darkness, excluding the pleasantly dry spot of grass shielded by the dragoness. Outside of it the ground was releasing tiny shreds of mist that glistened a pale silver in the rays of the rarely showing moon.

I leaned against Armailith's stomach after finishing my meal and sighed, satisfied. Letting my gaze wander lazily, I caught a glimpse of Yasenka, still nibbling on her bread while seemingly counting something with the fingers of her left hand.

"Something on your mind?" I asked, curious.

"I was just thinking... Canidralth told us there were five of those smaller shards of the Ilmerast, right?"

"That's how it looked like on that drawing of Ilmer."

"If Sharish has two now... and so do we, that means there's only one left. Do you know where it might be, Armailith?"

"Regrettably, I don't. But Sariarin did..."

I looked up at the sound of that name. It sparked a question in my mind, a question that had nothing to do with the shards, but had been sitting in the back of my head even before this whole adventure began. "Did you know him well?"

"Quite. Why?"

I took a deep, but silent breath. "There was a village he once burned down..."

Even Siaril perked up a little now.

"There was," the dragoness confirmed.

"Do you know why...?"

"He was asked to."

I froze for a second. "Wait, what? By whom?"

"By someone from that very village."

"... I don't understand..."

Armailith sighed, sending a soft vibration across my back. "Me neither... That was all he told me back then. He said that he made a promise to that person to keep it a secret... but in the end, it caused everyone else to start believing we can be ruthless, impulsive and unstoppable beasts..."

"And what caused the downfall of your race... Why would he risk something so horrible...?"

"I think he didn't expect the consequences to be this tragic. The village was supposed to be turned into ashes, with no survivors to tell the tale and instigate the conflict."

"So someone must've survived... could they have told Ered? Was that how it started...?"

"I have no idea, my children..."

Despite the gruesome and confusing new piece of our puzzle that got added to the yet unmatched pile, my lips curved in a small smile. "At least... that means Sariarin didn't just do it on a whim..." I looked up, at the sky that promised a calm night. "There seem to be quite a few 'truths' out there... But I think I want to protect what's in my reach according to the truth that I find out with my own strength."

We left the next day right after dawn, wanting to get home as soon as possible. I barely felt the urgency in my spot on Armailith's back though. The idleness kept making me snooze away and the dragoness had to wake me up a few times. She didn't want to have to catch me on my way to the ground. So I started to look for some interesting landmarks among the waving grass of the gentle hills below to keep myself awake. I spotted a few herds of deer on the borders of small tree clusters during the day, and one small group of wolves in the evening. It was interesting to watch them traverse the land in search for prey when I knew they constituted no threat to neither us, nor the birds who we shared the sky with.

We continued our journey a little past sunset. Armailith was very fond of the sight of the endless, dark waters as they wrinkled under the touch of moonlight. We then found another cluster of greenery among the plains and set up a camp, watching the silvery glow drip down the leaves.

That night I woke up shortly, or maybe I just dreamed that I did... but I was almost sure that I saw Siaril among the shadows wafting at the edge of our campfire's blaze. He was looking into the distance, seemingly calm, like a slender tree on a windless night... Unfortunately, the scent of needles among the grass and the warmth of the day they still emitted soon caused me to fall asleep again before I could give it a deeper thought.

On the last day of our journey we found shelter from a short rain near Ioreth and arrived at Light's mansion when the sun's edge just touched the far horizon. As soon as we landed on the eastern side of the residence and I slid down from Armailith's back, the front door opened and my master ran out to greet us.

"You're back!" he called out cheerfully, seeming completely undisturbed by the sight of a huge dragon right at his doorstep. On the contrary, he looked simply delighted. "I knew it... I knew that one day someone would prove me wrong about the dragons being extinct..." he bowed. "It's an honor to meet you. I'm Light."

Armailith leaned her head towards him. "My name is Armailith," she sniffed softly. "A young mage, alone in the heart of Earlindon? Were it your spells that blurred my observations of the Disciples?"

"Um... it might have been the spells on this mansion," Light scratched the back of his head a little. "Sorry about that."

"No need to apologize. This is quite a convenient place to hide three winged youngsters."

Light laughed a little before turning to Yasenka. For some reason, worry stained his features. "While you were gone, a little problem arose..."

"What problem?" his concern seemed to infect Yasenka's voice.

"Ertralia, she..." Light hesitated for a split second, "disappeared..."

"Disappeared...?!" the worry instantly bloomed into panic.

"I'm not sure what happened..." my master sounded almost teary at this point. "It was but half a day after you departed. I've searched almost everywhere... Maybe Sivath unintentionally scared her somehow, or something happened when she ventured out in the night. I really don't know..."

Armailith suddenly turned her head towards the forest in the south, inhaling through her nostrils and tasting the air with her tongue. "Do you happen to be talking about the young sykerien watching us from that elm tree over there?" she asked casually.

We followed her gaze. The dark silhouette of Ertralia, perched on one of the mighty branches, was barely visible among the shadows of the leaf thicket. If the dragoness hadn't pointed it out, we probably never would have noticed her.

Yasenka ran over to the tree and the young sykerien jumped down. She immediately tackle-hugged Yasenka, hiding in her arms. Light let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Hey young lady, why did you run off like that?" Yasenka asked sternly, putting her hands on Ertralia's shoulders and looking her in the eyes. "I told you many times that Sivath won't harm you, because he knows you already. And even if not, then he probably just wanted to get to know you better..."

Ertralia shook her head crisply and shot an unsure glance towards Light. She then gently pulled Yasenka down a little and whispered something into her ear. Her uneasiness suddenly jumped over to the illathan's eyes.

"Are you sure...?"

Ertralia just nodded. Yasenka took her hand and gave Light a weird look as well, some faint, undefined spark appearing in her green eyes... "Can we go inside?" she asked, leading the escapee back to us. "There's something we need to talk about..."

"Sure?" Light seemed a little confused. "Let's go."

I frowned. Yasenka's tone worried me... I knew her well enough to distinguish an innocent joke from something portending danger.

We went straight to the part of the mansion belonging to us Disciples. We gathered in Siaril's room so Armailith would be able to join the conversation by peeking in through the balcony door. When Light came in last, Yasenka gave him yet another unsure look. There was a mix of emotions in her features that made it impossible to tell what she was feeling or about to do. She shot me a short glance for some reason.

"Well..." she started, her eyes drifting down to my chest, then returning to our host. "I know this is a rather weird moment to be asking questions like these, but it occurred to me... that you never told any of us what your family name is."

These words caused the usual hearty smile to vanish from Light's face, replaced by a shadow of fear. Siaril stirred nervously and cast a short glance in my direction. I narrowed my eyes. For some reason, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became as fragile as glass.

"My name is Light Darken," Light eventually said, his tone carefree. Or rather trying to be.

Yasenka looked at me again. This time it wasn't just a glance though, she kept her eyes on me, waiting for something.

"What?" I blurted out. "He's telling the truth, however ridiculous it sounds. No offense."

That statement seemed to give my master some of his confidence back. "Why is my family name of any importance right now of all times anyway?"

"It wouldn't be, if it weren't for some interesting fact..." Yasenka seemed careful with her words, as if she wanted to demand something firmly yet tried to be gentle about it at the same time. "You see, Ertralia, like any other sykerien, has a strong sense of smell... When we visited the Silivren Forest some time ago, she accidentally got captured by Sharish. His scent engraved itself deep in her memory... When we left for Tacritia, and she started to spend time with you alone, something curious caught her attention..." Yasenka's hand squeezed Ertralia's a little. "Either you carry some of his scent on you, or your scent and Sharish's are unusually similar..."

Light didn't answer. He looked his lover in the eyes for what seemed like long minutes, then dropped his gaze and just hung his head, his dark hair covering his eyes...