“Welcome to Lorendeen, young king.” Fainn Rosedancer gestured for Koda and Wildeye to take a seat in the large dining hall. A feast laid on the table, from plump seasoned turkey legs to tasty cupcakes with sugary pink frosting dabbed on them. “You’ve had such a long journey from Jedeoheim, surely you could do with some proper food?”

Koda took a seat next to Wildeye and Elucard stalked in the shadows. Koda peered at Fainn’s features. Fair skin, smooth lips, large blue eyes as icy and sapphire as Calsoon’s own. Was Fainn really a demon in disguise? And if she was a demon, why should he care? Calsoon had been nothing but kind to him. He saved his life from Tashna and watched over him when the Ghost Fox assassins infiltrated his home. If Calsoon was just the same as Fainn, then Fainn would be a friend.

Koda palmed an apple and took a bite. It was just as juicy as a Long Whisper apple. Long Whisper felt like a dream away now. His journey for his colors had only just begun and yet he already missed his home. His tree. The simpler times. Nothing was simple now. No, nothing had been simple since he was a boy—everything was so complicated and ground him down from the man he was set out to be to the sad child he really was.

Life will always take you down a peg, boy. That familiar growling voice came back into his mind. It seemed to always be there when he was confused, angry, or stressed. However, Koda saw it not as a bully but more of a guide. But take in the experiences that you gain and spit it right back in the face of your critics and doubts!

Koda shut his eyes and shook his head.

“What troubles you, Koda?” said Wildeye, telepathically.

Although Koda knew his familiar could hear his thoughts, they were only select thoughts. For when Koda’s mind was on Calsoon or Sable, perhaps even Stryneth, Wildeye could not hear those thoughts.

Do not worry, your moon-graced friend can only hear the thoughts that I allow her to. That voice again!

Koda tried to respond to it, but still didn’t understand how to or how his thoughts even functioned at all. He may always be in the dark, or at least as long as the voice would allow him to be. He decided to answer Wildeye instead.

Nothing, girl, just a small headache. I think I just need some water.

Wildeye gave him a kind smile and poured a pitcher of water into Koda’s glass.

Koda returned a meek grin and turned back to Fainn. “I am here today in hopes that you will agree to another meeting of the world leaders.”

Fainn took a seat across from her guests and wrung her hands together. She bit her lip. “Yes… I will agree to meet with the world leaders on one condition.”

Koda's eyes blazed with fury as Natal entered the dining hall. He knew this may have been a possible outcome, but he dreaded the decision that he would need to make.

“If you absolve my sister of the crimes that she has committed against Dragon Realm Cypress. Then and only then, shall I be at the meeting”

“Absolutely no—” Koda sneered before he was interrupted

“Koda, we must,” Wildeye whispered.

Koda held silent, stewing in his anger for Natal. For her family. For her husband and her daughter. She was a direct link to his problems and misery. Now she stood in his way from bringing peace to this world.

“Say the word, my king,” Elucard hissed in his ear. “And I shall spill her blood across this table.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary, Elucard,” Koda whispered back.

“Please, King Dawnedge. My sister is all I have,” begged Fainn.

Koda continued to glare at Natal. The entire Estinian family has been punished, except this one. Except for Natal Stine.

“You have been harboring her this entire time?” Koda snapped.

Natal turned to Fainn with a pleading look before her sister responded. “Yes.”

Koda raised his lip in disgust. “This is an act of war!”

Elucard crept behind Natal, with a dagger in hand, but Koda waved him away.

“Koda!” growled Wildeye. “A word?”

Koda pushed his seat back with so much ferocity it nearly toppled backwards. He tightened his fists and stormed out of the hall. Wildeye hurried after him.

“Koda, you know we need the Rosedancer army to keep the other two seals safe!” Wildeye pleaded.

“The Rosedancer army… you mean the Estinian army!?” spat Koda.

Wildeye frowned. “You are wiser than this, my friend. Look past your hatred, look past your need for revenge.” She caressed his cheek gently with her hand. “Be the compassionate leader I know you to be.”

“Compassion will only get you so far in war, my liege.” Elucard stepped out of the shadows. “If Tashna couldn’t be trusted to hold up a treaty, why would Fainn and Natal?”

Wildeye bared her fangs. “Will you two listen to yourselves? The world is falling apart at the seams and you are worried about trivial politics!”

Koda let out a long sigh and held his hands on his hips. He bowed his head and paced around the wolf. “You…”

Wildeye kept silent to let her words sink in further.

Koda lifted his head. “I hate her so much, but you are right, Wildeye.”

“I am not fond of her either, but sometimes we must do things that we don’t want to do for a better future.”

“I still think this is a mistake, but I will trust in any choice you make, my king,” Elucard said.

Koda nodded. “Okay, let’s go back.”

Koda and Wildeye entered the dining hall once more and took their seats. Elucard returned to the shadows once more. Wildeye placed a calm hand on her familiar’s shoulder.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“What have you decided, King Dawnedge?” asked Fainn. She held Natal’s hands in anticipation.

“Despite my better judgment, I have decided that I will agree to your terms. Although I do not know if Aemor and Dallin will be as easy to persuade.”

Natal gave Koda a wide grin. “Thank you so much, your grace.”

Koda glowered.

“My problem with Aermor and Dallin is not what concerns me, nor is my relations with Jedeohiem,” Fainn said.

“It isn’t?” asked Koda, now more curious than angry.

Fainn rose from her seat and walked over to the balcony. She motioned for Koda and Wildeye to follow her.

Koda’s jaw dropped as he scanned a long canyon that carved through the land. Noxious, yellow clouds fumed the gap and churned with the dark clouds above and stinging rain fell down to the canyon in return.

“We call it the Serpent Trench,” said Fainn. “At first it was like any other normal canyon that you might come across in Dragon Realm Scorch. Its canyon walls even served as an excellent source for rich minerals to mine. However, once Scorch’s seal fractured, so did our Serpent Trench. Splitting open and spilling out its gas into Seru’s skies.”

“Is it harmful to the weather?” asked Wildeye.

“Only to the east where the trench resides. The closer you are to the gas, the more difficult the air becomes to breathe. Acid rain falls frequently as well.”

Koda’s face became stern. He did this. Perhaps not only him, but he let the Blight seal break, he allowed the world to continue to fall in chaos. He needed to see his consequences first hand if he were to make a final decision to seek out Sable’s master. “I want to see it.”

Fainn looked at Koda. “Excuse me?”

“I want to visit the Serpent Trench, if you would allow me to.”

“You wish to see the Serpent Trench? Very well, I will arrange a visit to Trench City, the town that resides there,” said the queen. “Just know, it does not accommodate well for visitors.”

“Koda, is this wise?” asked Wildeye. “It could be hazardous.”

“I need to do this, girl. I need to see what the world has really become,” Koda responded. “If I am to be compassionate, I must show compassion even to enemies.”

***

Trench City served as an industrial colony carved into the canyon itself using dwarven engineering. Black ash fell from steel mill smokestacks and grime encrusted apartment buildings crammed the already town. Factory employees trudged down the streets, slumped and exhausted from endless shifts and filthy air. All the same, people still chose to live there. The canyon miners that Fainn spoke of, tradesmen tending to the needs of the city, medics to heal the damaged lungs caused by the deadly gas, and innkeepers made up the majority of Trench City’s workforce. As Koda and his company entered the city they were handed facemasks with large respirators attached to them used for filtering the poisonous air into breathable air.

Cade felt the tough leather of the mask before putting it on.

Not the mask that I’m used to, he thought to himself.

He found it stuffy and difficult to speak and hear, but a little discomfort was a small price to pay to avoid a blackened lung.

Koda looked around the gloomy city. A thick layer of haze blanketed the town, Piles of dirt and soot from the furnaces covered the streetways, and a depressing energy fell upon the shoulders of the workers trudging through the town into the various buildings.

“This place is miserable,” Koda said to Wildeye. “How could anyone live here?”

“I have traveled all over the world, and never have I seen a town such as this,” added Raine.

Fainn ushered Koda to the edge of the city to get a better glimpse of the gash that ran through the trench.

The gash led a massive tear across the dragon realm’s body, splintering open a run of armor hard scales leaving its infected muscles and flowing blood exposed. The fumes came from the wound itself as a strange saffron-yellow glow emitted from the dragon’s laceration.

Inspecting the injury below, worked a small team of three black draconians. Scaled cloaks draped over their heads and down their spiked backs. They held long gnarled staves decorated with beads, seashells, and feathers.

“Who are they?” Koda asked Fainn.

“Dragon Walkers,” she answered. “They are wardens or druids of this world.”

“Oh. I recall my grandfather reciting the tale of how the first Dragon Walkers flew from the backs of Agaas and Un'Draago in order to heal the land. They carved mountains, flowed rivers, and grew forests over the terrible wounds of the five Dragon Realms.”

Cade fell to his knees. The gravity of this catastrophe was not lost on him. Dead of Winter was formed to save the world, but instead they were destroying it. He was directly responsible for the Scorch seal being destroyed and when the Blight seal shattered, he was a part of that too. With only three seals remaining, how much of the world needed to suffer at their hands? How much of the world would perish to release the gods. Would there even be a world left to live in?

“Are you alright, Cade?” Elucard knelt down next to his friend. “It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?”

“I have to go down there. I have to..” Cade stuttered. “I have to see what I have don—” he caught himself on the final word.

“I need to go down there. I just… I just need to go down there,” he finally said, giving up on hiding his reason.

“I’ll go down as well, Cade,” said Koda.

Elucard placed a hand on Koda’s shoulder. “As your shroud, I feel I should follow you, my king.”

The three elves made their way down to the crust of the dragon via a small lift that the Dragon Walkers used to traverse between the gash and city. As Cade stepped on the soft, damp flesh of Blight he shuddered. Never in his wildest imagination did he think that he would find himself walking on the muscles of a Dragon Realm.

Koda took a knee and felt the dragon’s tender flesh. His hand stained red as its blood flowed over it.

Elucard doubled over in pain as his arm began to vividly glow. “It feels like a thousand daggers are slicing my hand!” he grunted through clenched teeth.

Koda collapsed and writhed his body, clawing at his mask. “The Magi is too pure here! I can’t withstand its power!”

Cade pulled Koda to his feet and leaned him on his shoulder. “I have to get you to the lift!”

“I-I c-can’t hold this—this power!” Koda stuttered through spurts of incredible pain. His spine arched and twisted; with an intense scream and flash of light exploded from his body. Koda passed out and fell to the ground.

Elucard howler in agony as his arm flailed and flexed. He gnashed his teeth as spit and drool dripped from his mouth. His face quivered and sweat soaked his robes as he convulsed on the ground.

Cade looked to Elucard and frowned. He knelt over and with a quick swing, struck Elucard across his jaw, and knocked him out.

“Sorry, Elucard. I’d hope you'd do the same for me if I suffered like that,” he murmured to himself.

“You!” a booming voice broke through the cries of pain and torment. “You do not belong here!”

Cade turned to find one of the Dragon Walkers shuffling towards him. The dragonfolk was old. His left eye was clouded gray, parts of his scales were scarred and missing, and a long beard hung from his jaw.

“I don’t have the time to deal with you, ancient one,” murmured Cade as he placed Koda on the lift. He pushed aside the draconian and made his way to Elucard.

“The Magi is the lifeforce of the titan dragons. Their blood is not your play things,” the Dragon Walker said with a stern, gravely voice.

“Go break your wings,” spat Cade. He had been lectured by Strife, The Collector, and Sable long enough to not want to be looked down on by some pompous overgrown salamander.

“En zeko ak Gostaak tek zev kex senzi en draak. Claaz ak zeresha zev kex dek adv Decker. Vev voh kexan en brev ak draak, zeresha veven kex breven,” said the draconian in his ancient tongue. His statement was almost monotone, as if he was teaching a child.

Cade finished carrying Elucard to the lift. He blinked at the words, translating them in his mind and going over each word.

“I said—” began the dragon before Inle cut him off.

“I know what you said! ‘The soul of Blight can only be wielded by the dragons. Claws such as yours shall only become sullied and tainted. Do not trifle with the breath of a dragon, for you will only get burned’.” He looked back to the other elves and stepped on the lift himself. He gripped the lever and sneered at the draconian. “My master wishes for your gods to split open to free ours…”

The dragon lowered his snout and glowered at Cade.

The elf looked away. “Know that I truly regret the role that I’ve played, but… but there is nothing I can do to stop this future.” With that he pulled the iron lever and the elevator slowly pulled the lift into the air back to Trench City.

What have I done?