Poor Carnelia and Primus. It is hard to be in love and separated from one another by things beyond your control.
[Primus] I can still taste her on my tongue. My beautiful, powerful, willful mate. She is so clever, far more clever than anyone ever gives her credit for. They found me, the guards, shortly after I left her alone in that room. The lost look on her face will haunt me in my rest tonight. Not that it matters. At least the memory of her will provide me with a small comfort--dreams have become impossible since they began their nightly torture routine to keep me docile and compliant. Every night, when the time comes, I burrow my heart and mind deep inside myself, watching from a distance as my body moves and speaks against my will, acting in the way it has been programmed to act, performing the necessary tasks demanded of it. Some of these tasks I wish were less necessary. Some of these tasks I wish I could forget. “The Queen needs you in her chambers, My Prince,” the guard demands in a way that sounds like a request--all soft and kind but with a hard cold edge. I know not to fight
By some miracle, I managed to avoid everyone as I stumbled back to my room, avoided Ona and Daax, dropped my dress to the ground in a tattered heap, and cried myself to sleep. It wasn't a deep sleep, nor a dreamless one, but rather the type of rest that leaves you anything but rested, the visions of which haunt you for the rest of the day.At one point, I woke with a start, an overwhelming surge of love rushing through my body. I'm not sure if it was Primus, in reality, calling to me through our rings, or the remainder of the dream I had of us lying together curled within a nest of blankets and passion. Having him last night, even in such a small way, did nothing to quench my desire. If anything, I am even more desperate for his touch.The cruel sun filtering sideways through the open windows scorches my eyes that refuse to open more than slits.Today is going to be impossible to bear.Unfortunately, today is the official start of the All Kingdom Faire, and as the only representatives
[Carnelia]Ona freezes, every part of her going completely still as she asks in a very careful, clipped voice. “What did you just say?”Orion’s eyes grow so wide and glow so brightly that the kaleidoscope of swirling colors cast freckles of speckled light on his cheeks. “My mate,” he then closes his eyes, blushing. “That is, I think she might be.”“Either she is or she isn’t youngling,” she growls. "With mates, there is no "think" there only "is." Besides,” Ona stretches to her full height, somewhere between her usual form, as her nostrils flare with small tendrils of yellow flame, “You’re. Too. Young.” She takes a few calming breaths before adding, "Or at least, for your sake and hers, wait until you reach full maturity to consummate your union. You are too young to be burdened with a clutch of your own."“Really?” he raises an eyebrow, staring up at his formidable mother. “And how old were you when you met my father?”She pauses, opening her mouth to answer and then snapping it shut
[Carnelia]As the two of us stand still watching Orion disappear into the crowd, I don’t have anything useful to say. I’ve never raised a child of my own to early adulthood.So I do the only thing I can. I hold her. As she cries against my shoulder, I let her weep out all of her pain as she tells me about how much time she has lost. I comfort her as best as I can, patting her back and smoothing her hair as she bemoans every decision she has made over the forty-plus years she should have been there raising her family."I always thought I'd have more time," she sniffles. "And then months turned into years, and years turned into decades as I searched for Daax and sought vengeance against my father and brother for their cruelty. But in the end," she wipes her eyes, "I often wonder if it is worth it. Yes, I have Daax back, and I am grateful for that every day, but I should have been there more, and now...now I never will be."It's so strange seeing Ona so weak and vulnerable, but having her
[Carnelia]At the center of the tent is something I remember from almost a lifetime ago. A sunstone, glowing warmly with the tamed energy of the sun. There was one at the inn in Emerald Cove and another at the center of Primus’ official palace there. Most modern dragons do not remember their original purpose--to transport energy from the Sun Dragon kingdom to the rest of Luxandra.A gift from my ancestors--one that was abused when the Blood King, Maximus the First of Royal House Majere, captured and enslaved the Sun Dragons using them as part of his power grid.I am the last Sun Princess, my mate, Primus, is the son and heir of the Blood King himself. The universe has a funny way of creating balance.Staring down at this ancient artifact, I find myself wondering why it is in the center of the Elf King’s tent.“We built our tent specifically around this stone, which had been buried until we unearthed it three weeks ago. The Luxandrians have forgotten its existence, like so many other t
[Carnelia] We return to the surface in a blink, taking our final forms and flashing to the surface as insubstantial beings of air and light. I say my farewells and promise to find him later tonight to continue our discussion.My mind is still swirling as I readjust to being solid again. Returning from my fourth form to my second still feels a bit disconcerting--I don’t think it will ever feel natural to me because it involves too much faith. But at least now I know that once I’ve gone insubstantial, I can go back to being me again and not have to worry about becoming one with the universe forever. Ona tried to assure me that it is in the nature of our kind to want to be substantial, to take up as much space as we can. The first of our kind found their solid forms here on this planet, the fourth being their more natural state because the world we inhabit demands it of us. But how can I trust the word of a drakaina who has never transformed into a more transient version of herself? I
[Carnelia] Primus. Red ribbons of blood stream from his neck as he rapidly descends from the dais, his white tunic fluttering around him like broken wings. "Shift, damn it!" I shout as I run forward, clawing my way through the crowd. "Primus!" Maybe it is because my heart is beating so rapidly that in comparison it seems like the world is slowing down around me as I continue to rush forward. Everyone seems to stop as I focus on my falling mate. These next few seconds are critical. If he hits bottom, Primus will not survive the fall--it is a great height and he is already injured. He will die, but his suffering at the hands of the Luxandrian queen will finally come to an end. If I catch him and keep him safe, he will live but also suffer--because I am already watching him suffer, and if he is also injured and weak, his suffering will likely be greater, because he will no longer have the strength or will to fight back. I can not watch him fall. I refuse to let him die. Even i
[Eleanora] Not again. Dear gods, not again. As Primus, my last chance mate, falls beneath me, my clutch begins to tear free. These eggs are only 2 months old--far too soon to be laid. But I know the signs. I feel the tell-tell sensation of them ripping away from me, the pressure to bear down and push them from my body greater than my need to hold onto them. Again my body fails me. Despite the Technician's assurances that any seed would be good enough to strengthen my clutch, again I feel their warmth slipping from me. The first time this happened, was when I watched my beloved husband suffer after the fall of his brother. We were able to extract a sample from him and using the tools we salvaged from our private facility, impregnate me again before anyone could be the wiser. But this is my fourth clutch. As it is now, my hold on the senior court is based solely on my ability to produce a royal heir to guide me into a new glory for Luxandra. They don't care which brother is the fat
[Primus]Her face haunts me in my dreams. My beautiful wife. I can't stop thinking of our last evening together when we finally reconnected and pledged to do whatever we must do to stay together.But she isn't here with me and I can't find her. The way to Elfholm is a mystery as no traveler who has encountered the elves remembers where. The illusions are so thick that they often lose themselves. It seems that the harder I search for her, the more difficult it becomes.Fate can be brutal. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how honorable or just, fate doesn't care. A king can be brought to his knees by it's whim. Carnelia is not with me but when I close my eyes, It's almost as if I can feel her in my arms again. Carnelia. My sweet and wonderful mate. It has been two weeks since I last held her. Two weeks since I heard I saw her through a film of darkness.She was so brave. So strong. But I can feel her pain. She needs me more than ever. Whoever has her, they are treating her cruelly.
[Kora]I tried to call the Celestial Kingdom using the shared communications devices between our two countries. I wanted to update them on Orion's situation, to ask for aid and counsel. Elfholm has stopped sending messages demanding my presence at their Moon Council. I have tried sending my messages only to find my signals blocked.The False Queen demands my presence at Skyfall. With each refusal, she sends me a new piece of my love. At first, it was just a bit of hair, an article of clothing to remind me of his fragile situation.But it has been weeks.So now it has become talons and horns, fangs and scales.How long do I have before it is fingers and toes? His arm? His manhood?I am tired of being stuck here. I am tired of waiting.My father kept many labs. He was an anxious sort, very suspicious, and tended to over-plan. I can appreciate this about him as these are traits the two of us share. The colossus at my castle was not the only one, and while I am tempted to take this other
[Ona]She didn't warn us. She hardly even said goodbye. She looked at us with such sad eyes as she swept her hand upwards and we became encased within a sphere of darkness."I am so sorry..." Her last words faded and distorted as my brother screamed her name, screamed for her to stop.But she couldn't hear him.I held my little brother close while the darkness swept our little family, our remaining guards and nurses, up and out of Elfholm to Luxandra above.Freedom. She sacrificed herself for freedom.When the inky darkness receded, we were only footsteps away from the Eastern Gate in the Realm of Air, close to the home duchy of Eleanora the False Queen. Carnelia used her newly developed abilities to phase our entire number across a vast amount of space.Not even the Elf King himself was able to move us all so far so quickly.What is she becoming now that she is growing up into her power?"We need to get moving," I try to urge my brother, who has fallen to his knees, his hands reaching
[Carnelia]"I refuse," I hold my head high. "Allies do not treat one another like prisoners. If you wanted my help, you should have asked rather than chain me to this realm.""We're sorry, Your Majesty, but we feel it is necessary with your history to keep you contained. It is for your safety as well as the safety of all gathered here," an elderly drake steps forward, the starflower jasmine glowing blue throughout his long tendrils of hair."It took three of us to bring you back from the shadows when you unleashed your small nightmare," he explains. "We must keep you powerless or risk your wrath. We know the pull of a mother to her children. Why did you try to flee? You are safe here?""Why would any mother feel a need to leave quickly with her children and family--fear for their safety." I glare directly at my uncle. "As you say, I am too powerful. If someone were to threaten their lives," I refuse to remove my eyes from my uncle, who matches my gaze with his steely hardness, "I might
[Carnelia]The darkness takes me again, but this time, I have learned how to navigate it. The seemingly limitless void takes on shape and form. If I can find my anchor, I can find my way.Remembering the last time the shadows tried to take me, and how I used the shadows to take me to Primus instead, I focus on his voice, his scent, and the way I feel in his arms. He will be my anchor, my mate.The darkness slowly recedes and the silence is replaced with the sounds of my children crying as Primus calls my name."Oh gods, Carnelia," he weeps along with our babies as his hands grasp mine.Looking up, I see a dark, unnatural cloud looming just above the exit to Elfholm. Thalan doesn't plan to let any of us escape after all. I thought my uncle had at least a little bit of honor, but if I think about it, I can see the advantage of keeping us here. Ona and Primus he might let go, but me, my babies--we're his blood. His brother's legacy. Had I been born powerless, he might have let me go, but
[Carnelia] Ona and I began to make plans immediately. We would all leave under the guise of returning Ona and ensuring her safety. Because our children are so very young, we would be taking them with us as well. Once returned, we'd close the gates again. As far as we understand, the Moon Dragons cannot phase into the Celestial Kingdom. The only way to get to the Celestial Kingdom without the gates being opened is by using a 4th form. Yes, the Moon Dragons have a 4th form, but that doesn't mean they'd just be able to enter the Celestial Kingdom without resistance. There are other defenses in place as well. They'd have to bring an entire army of Moon Dragons. And there is no reason great enough for the Moon Council to approve such an open act of war against fellow Celestials. The plan wasn't bad for one cobbled together from excuses, driven by hunches and fear. Elfholm isn't safe for our family any more, not with the Elf King so determined to keep me here. A drake like him wouldn't
[Athony] The universe can be cruel. Sometimes the mate she chooses for you is a dream. Sometimes she is your nightmare. Often she is both. Eleanora keeps me around because I am useful. She is very stubborn with a willpower of steel--excellent qualities in a queen, but terrible ones in a mate. But she is loyal to those she finds useful. Why else would she still keep Segundus' corpse rotting in a vat of amber fluid? We thought it had been lost to the fire, but the universe isn't just cruel but capricious. She saw fit in her infinite wisdom to hide his corpse below several layers of earth, down a long lost tunnel leading to tracks that go to the sea. We found it a moon cycle earlier, and the joy in Eleanora's eyes was only overshadowed by her smile of victory. "We must have the Technician," she insists. "When that beast is in our grasp, we will win this battle and reclaim our rightful places." "You deserve to be Queen of us all," I bowed before her. As she touched my shoulder to r
[Carnelia] "Primus" Moving as a shadow I find myself by my mate's side. I became the shadow. My husband is curled up in the nest with our children, snuggly resting by their side, lending them his warmth and protection, but as soon as he senses me in the room, his eyes snap open, glowing green like fresh leaves. "Carnelia."He slowly untangles himself from our brood, and I want to smile at the sweetness of it all but I'm terrified. Not only by what I just heard from my uncle but by what I might become. A creature of shadow. A creature of the void. "You came back to me," he cups my face as he brings himself closer, touching me tentatively like I might turn into vapor and disappear. For all he knows I might, I hurt his heart when I walked away. "I will always come back," I wrap my arms around him, taking pleasure in his solid strength. I need him to anchor me. Without him and our children, I might float away, becoming darkness. I need this. Breathing him in deeply, his warmth comf
[Carnelia] The shadows call me now. I'm no longer alone when I leave the light. "A consequence of spending too much time too close to the void," Thalan explains as we turn the corner. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to hear them. Had I known you were a universal dragon sooner, I'd have pulled you from the dream immediately, even at the risk of your mind." We pause by a dark window. Everyone is asleep or close to it now. I left Primus with our children. I long to return to them and to reassure my mate that I will not leave him. I don't know how we are going to make this work. My heart is torn in two. But one thing I've never been more certain of is the importance of our little family. Even if I have to burn this world and forge another from its ashes, I'll find a way for Primus and I to rule together in peace. "The void," my words echo as it bounces along the crystal-covered cavern walls. "You keep mentioning this void, but I saw only Primus' dream." "Then how did