Xander slammed his palms on the table in his war room and sneered at his generals. "The traitors will pay," he said threateningly through clenched teeth. He turned his daggerous stare to Morrigan, who was bound to a chair in the corner. She returned his glare.
"I am no traitor. I have not, and will not, take sides in your petty feud," she hissed.
"If you are not on my side you are a traitor," Xander replied flatly. He motioned to the guards standing on either side of her chair. "Take her to the dungeon. She can join Thorne and Diana." As the guards marched Morrigan out of the room, Xander began to circle the table as he spoke.
"I want what is in those temples," he stated slowly. "Goda cannot stop us. Dallyah cannot stop us. The Guardians will fall and their treasures will be mine."
"Ours," Slender corrected.
Xander stopped behind him and tilted his chair backwards. "Mine to dole out as I see fit," he said, letting go of the chair so it fell to the floor. Slender somehow managed to keep from bouncing his head off of the floor and quickly righted his chair and sat. 
"Now," Xander continued, "Arden, Spiculus , ready the Minions; they will be the battalion leaders, under your command. This will be a ground battle, but I want Laria, Slender, Morgana and myself to oversee from our dragons. Now go, we leave at sunset."
He waited until the room empties, then went to the desk in the far corner of the room. He retrieved a rope from which four small skulls dangled, and smiled as he gently ran his fingers over them.
"Soon," he whispered, "soon you will be free and we will rule this world!"

Several hours later, on the back of Ronin, the trio approached Goda’s stronghold. Kanzane said it was an abandoned fortress from centuries ago that Goda and his band had restored and reinforced. It sat in the midst of a fairly large clearing, surrounded on three sides by thick forest. The back half of the fortress was built into the side of the mountain. A moat surrounded the stronghold, flowing into the mountain as well. Dally could see something moving in the moat as they landed. She was fairly certain she did not want to know what it was.
They dismounted, and Ronin retreated to the woods, staying within eyesight of the fortress. Suddenly, a dragon shot out of the top of the fortress and soared into the sky until almost out of sight, then turned and rocketed toward them.
“Do not move,” Kazane said through her teeth.
Goda landed three feet in front of them. He was just as Kazane had described. He has a head of gray hair like an old man, and his long teeth made his mouth into a permanent sneer. His wings seemed to be painted with flames with the body of a serpent arching over them. He wore intricate Samurai type armor on his legs, head, chest and wing bones. His eyes were not visible under the shadow of the armor. Goda lowered his massive head to their eye level.
“Ah, Kazane, how is my favorite Guardian today?” he said in a gruff voice.
Kazane bowed, and Dally and Celia followed suit. “I am well, Master Goda, how are you this fine day?”
“I am well,” he replied. “I was quite surprised to find you were bringing me visitors. The fact that one of them is a long-lost princess is perplexing.”
Dally spoke slowly. “With all due respect, Master Goda, I am no princess. I am a Dragon Lord.”
Goda smiled, which was very unnerving. “Dragon Lord? Because you breed dragons and feed them and they do your bidding? Because you understand them? Everyone understands me, does that make them Dragon Lords?”
Dally sneered in response. “Yes, that is what makes me a Dragon Lord. But there is much more to it, so no, simply understanding you when you actually speak does not make someone a Dragon Lord.”
Goda chuckled and straightened to his full massive height. “What is it that you want from me, Princess Dragon Lord?”
“First, I want to let you know we appreciate you chasing the Blackbloods out of the Ridge,” Dally said. “However, they will be back, and in greater numbers, as I am sure you realize. I would like to propose a collaboration to rid the Ridge of the true Blackbloods for good.”
Goda snorted, puffing fire out of his nostrils. “The true Blackbloods, eh? Are the true ones the evil ones? Or are they the ones who have regained their honor, like the one standing next to you?”
Celia bowed in acknowledgement of the compliment. Dally looked over at her, then back at Goda.
“The Blackblood name is tarnished beyond repair, in my opinion. It will be forever linked with Gustav and Kharnyx and the destruction they wrought.”
“Yes, you may be right,” Goda replied, “but are you not half Blackblood?”
“I am,” Dally replied without hesitating, “but that half does not define me.”
Goda snorted fire again. “We shall see about that.” He lowered his head down to their level. “I will leave it up to my people as to whether or not they want to help you or not. I make no promises there. However, I myself will be there to help. Kazane will keep me updated.”
Kazane bowed. “Of course.”
“Is there anything else you want of me at the moment?” Goda asked, turning slightly to prepare for takeoff.
“No, Master Goda, that is all for now,” Dally replied. “Thank you for your time, and we appreciate your forthcoming assistance with the matter at hand.”
Goda looked back at her and smiled. “You are very much not a ‘true Blackblood’, Princess. Gustav was not smart enough to pronounce such big words.” With that he rocketed into the sky and dove head first into the center of the fortress.
Ronin emerged from the forest and the trio turned to meet him. Celia let out a loud breath and a nervous laugh.
“Well, I think that went well, yes?”

Dally and Celia spent the night at Kazane’s temple. In the morning, the Guardian treated them to a breakfast of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, tsukemono, nori, and a seaweed salad. The women enjoyed their breakfast and light conversation while sitting in the sunlight that streamed in through the temples windows. After they’d eaten, Kazane served them all a cup of tea and invited them to follow her out onto the sitting room behind the temple. As they sat, Kazane spoke.
“You were asking about Goda yesterday,” she began in a soft and serious tone. “Goda is unlike any dragon you have ever encountered. He has a head of gray hair like an old man, and the teeth of a crocodile. His wings are tattooed in flames and snakes. The story is that he was born in the midst of a forest fire. As he emerged from his egg, a giant snake tried to make a meal of him. Goda bit the head off of the snake and swallowed it whole. They say the snake tried to regenerate itself, and instead the image of its body embedded itself into the flesh of Godas’ wings. The fire did not burn him, but lifted his wings so he could fly away, also etching their mark on his wings. Goda has the gift of speech, like Jarl and Kaiji, and he rules over a group of humans, like Jarl as well. However, he does not appreciate tricks or cold-blooded murder. Thievery, however, he tolerates to a point. Thieves of Honor, some of his band call themselves.”
“Sounds fairly contradictory,” Dally said as she sipped her tea.
Kazane smiled. “Yes and no. Goda will accept law breakers, but with many conditions. One: anything stolen is shared with the group. Two: stealing from the group is punishable by death. Three: all grievances will be aired in front of the group and Goda, and if they cannot be solved the parties are dismissed from the group. Four: Goda only accepts those whom he deems to be honorable souls. Anyone he takes in that proves him wrong is executed. Five: stealing from the temples and/or Guardians is punishable by death.”
“Sounds a bit like Gustav,” Celia said with a snort, “only without the honor.”
“Oh Gustav had honor,” Kazane replied, “until Kharnyx got a hold of him. Which is why Goda had no problem chasing Xander and his men out of the Ridge; he views all of Gustav’s forces as honorless as he was at the end.” Celia sighed and shifted uneasily in her seat. She smiled and leaned forward, placing her hand on top of Celia’s. “If you were truly without honor, you would not be here. You will be fine.”
“What happens if Goda doesn’t agree with you?” Dally asked softly.
Kazane sat back and shrugged. “She will not be allowed in, that is all. But I do not think we have anything to worry about.”
“Xander won’t stay out of the Ridge for long,” Dally said. “They only pulled back to regroup, and they will come in stronger next time. Do you think Goda would help us push them back?”
“Us? As in the three of us?” Celia asked, eyes wide.
Dally smiled slyly. “No. I have friends that would help.”
“Of course you do,” Celia said with mock resentment.
“As do I,” Kazane said. “But we should talk to Goda before we rally our troops.”
Dally finished her tea and set her cup down gently. “So, when do we leave?”
“We can leave after we clean up after ourselves,” Kazane said as she stood. “It only takes about an hour by dragon to get there. I will send a raven ahead to let Goda know we are coming.”
Dally nodded. ”Do you think he will help us?”
Kazane nodded as she led them back into the temple. “I do, but it will take some convincing. And if anyone can convince Goda to help, it would be you.”
Celia leaned in next to Dally’s ear and whispered, “No pressure there, Dragon Lord.”
Dally glared at her and Celia laughed. “Would you go help Kazane clean up? I need to send a raven of my own. Or two. Or five…”
Celia laughed again. “Of course. Go rally those friends of yours. We will need them, with or without Goda’s help.”
Dally watched her cousin walk away and sighed. These next steps would cross the lines of the Atlas. What was at stake was bigger than that, however, and she hoped that she could convince everyone to put it all aside and work together to defeat the Blackbloods. She shook her head and marched to the Temple library to send her ravens, and hoped they’d return with good news.

The trio landed on what was the property of Celia’s family, and Kazane took Ronin to get Kamaitachi. As Dally and Celia watched her fly off, Celia sighed.

“Dallyah, I have something to tell you,” she blurted out. Dally looked at her quizzically, and she took a deep breath before continuing. “First, I know I’ve said this before, but I hope you know that Titan, Deathclaw and myself knew nothing of Gustav’s plan to murder your parents.”
“I know.”
“If we did, well, we probably would have died with them. I don’t know if Gustav knew this or not, but for whatever reason he sent us to dispose of their bodies.” Celia paused to measure Dally’s reaction, which was minimal, before continuing. “I found out right before that happened that it was a band of Gustav’s goons, or more like Slender and his gang, that murdered my parents. My brothers are still missing to this day. I have no idea where they are or if they are even alive. I haven’t taken revenge on Slender yet just in case I find them. They deserve to be in on that too. But, I’m getting off topic.
“When we found the King and Queen…they had been stripped of everything but their underclothes and wedding rings. Deathclaw hid the rings…I asked him to, so no one else would steal them. I asked him to bring them to you when this is over.”
“Oh Celia…” Dallyah breathed, tears welling in her eyes.
Celia put up her hand. “Trust me, it was the very least I could do. As is this. Follow me.” She led Dally to the dilapidated barn. The barn was warded, and it took Celia a good minute to cast the spell to allow them to pass. Inside, the structure was pristine. The wooden beams had been covered with metal to prevent deterioration. In the center of the barn was a small gazebo. Celia went to the center of it and pulled up a trap door. She grabbed a torch from one of the pillars, lit it, and motioned for Dally to follow her. Dally hesitated, then followed Celia down the circular flight of stairs below. By the time she got to the bottom Celia had lit four torches on the wall.
Dally looked around in amazement. “It’s a crypt!”
The room was about twelve meters square with walls made of white stone. The floor was crimson brick in the center and dirt along the walls. Ornate sconces lined the walls. Directly in front of them against the far wall were four graves, which were spaced out to take up half of the wall. The graves were not marked, but each had a stone in the middle, ornately decorated in beige, blue and brown.
“I buried my parents here. I built this room myself. It helped me grieve, some at least. I left two graves unfilled, in case I found my brothers. The two to our right are my parents. The other two are where we buried yours.”
Dally was speechless. She looked at Celia, hoping her eyes conveyed a fraction of the gratitude she felt. Celia could not tell if Dally was angry or not, so she looked away.
“Celia,” Dally began, “I honestly can’t put into words what I’m feeling right now. I never allowed myself to think about what happened to them…after…what you did for them goes beyond loyalty. This is the perfect spot for them. I can never thank you enough for this.”
Celia shrugged. “As I said, it was the very least I could do. I’m just glad you’re not angry. I was very prepared for you to be angry.”
Dally laughed. “No, my friend, I am not angry. This will be the perfect place for Katsuo as well.”
Celia smiled. “I hope the Guardians agree.”
They made their way back up to the barn and found shovels. Kazane and Kamaitachi arrived and were shown the spot Celia had in mind for their uncle. They overwhelmingly approved, so the four of them set to preparing for the funeral. Kazane and Celia went to the crypt to dig the grave. Dallyah and Kamaitachi gathered large sticks and branches for the pyre. Ronin guarded them all, along with Katsuo’s remains.
At dusk, they lit the pyre. Kazane sang a song in a language that Dally and Celia did not understand, but the meaning was very clear. At the end, Ronin joined her by howling. Another dragon’s voice joined as well.
“Zenko,” Dally whispered through her tears.
Once the fire burned out, they carefully filled the urn Kamaitachi had brought with the ashes and buried it in the crypt. As the others turned to leave, Dally knelt between her parents.
“The last thing you said to me was, ‘Make us proud’. I hope I have done that. I know Obsi has, because I’m very proud of her. I love you both very much and I miss you.” She put out the torches as she made her way back up to the barn. She found her companions outside with Ronin.
“I asked Ronin to come back to the temple with me, but I do not know what his answer is,” Kamaitachi said while scratching Ronin’s chin.
Dally smiled. “He said yes.”
“Good! Then let us head back there. The two of you can spend the night with us. I have something I need to talk to you about in the morning.”
“Oh?” Dally said as they climbed onto Ronin’s back.
Kazane laughed. “Yes, my sister is quite the trickster at times. I believe it comes from occasionally being around Zenko.”
“What did you trick us about?” Celia asked through clenched teeth.
Kamaitachi waved her hand. “No, no, no, nothing bad! I just know it was not your little talk with Celia and her counterparts that drove the Blackbloods out of the mountains.”
Dally shrugged. “I didn’t really think so. It was too quick.”
Kazane nodded. “Yes, but one of them ran into one of Goda’s men in a tavern. He told the man who the Blackbloods were, and Goda had his men drive them out.”
“Who is Goda?” Celia demanded, somewhat confused.
“That is what we will discuss in the morning,” Kamaitachi replied. “For now, Ronin, take us home.”

Dally and Celia returned to the temple at dawn and found Kamaitachi and another Guardian who looked exactly like her waiting for them.
“This is Kazane,” Kamaitachi said. “She is my twin sister. She will take you into the mountains to find Ronin.” After a brief round of introductions and a quick breakfast, the trio took off into the mountains.
“Our uncle was Ronin’s rider,” Kazane began as they walked. “He named his dragon Ronin, or ‘masterless samurai’, because they were equals. They were never apart until the day the Blackbloods attacked them while they were sleeping. They got separated and my uncle was believed to be slain.”
“How long ago was that?” Celia asked.
“About 15 years or so,” Kazane replied. “At the beginning of Gustav’s traitorous plan. He told the King that he was fighting raiders and bandits, but he was not. He was trying to raid the temples to get gold to fund his endeavors. He was repeatedly unsuccessful. Once my uncle was slain, Goda and his forces moved in and drove Gustav out. Now, Xander has taken up his father’s cause. There are none like my uncle to keep them out, and Zenko does his best to deter invaders, but we cannot do this alone. But, I digress. Our mission today is to find Ronin.”
“Who is Goda?” Dally asked, knowing she’d heard the name before and struggling to remember.
Kazane shook her head. “That is a tale for another time. For now, we are almost to the last place I saw Ronin.”
They climbed up a small hill and onto a flat, barren patch of land stretched out in front of a cave. They started forward slowly. Kazane put a finger to her lips to signal they should keep quiet, but it was too late.
Ronin exploded from the mouth of the cave with a deafening, bone-shattering roar. Get away! It said. The trio stopped in their tracks, frozen for a moment. Kazane and Celia looked at Dally.
“Stay here,” Dally whispered as she slowly took a step forward.
Ronin lowered his head, spread his wings and roared again. The spikes on his helmet and armor were pushed forward to form a blockade of sorts. He clearly did not want company.
“Shhhh,” Dally said, her arms spread to her sides, “I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help you.”
Ronin looked at her for a moment, then let out another roar, every decibel of which was soaked in grief. He is gone! I do not know where he is, but he is gone!
Dally tried to take another step forward but faltered and fell to her knees as Ronin’s anguish washed over her. She tried to push herself back to her feet but ended up on all fours hysterically crying. Ronin took a step back, watching her with great curiosity. It took a few minutes for Dally to pull herself together. As she stood she locked eyes with the heartbroken dragon.
“I know how you feel,” she said, her voice shaky and cracking. “I too have lost. My parents were also murdered, possibly by the same scum that killed your rider. I never got to say good bye either. If you will let us, we would like to help you find where your rider fell and give him the honor he deserves.”
Ronin slumped to the ground, a single tear falling from his blue eye. He watched Dally as she slowly made her way over to him. She sat in front of him and put her hands on the spike at the end of his armored mask. Ronin sighed.
“Will you let us help you?” Dally whispered.
Ronin sighed again. Yes. I can take you to where I think he was last. I do not know if that will help.
Dally smiled. “It’s a start. Thank you, Ronin.”
Dally stood, and Ronin stood with her and exited the cave, turning so his left side was facing Dally. He laid down, allowing her to climb on his back. Dally knew he had not let anyone do that since his rider, and she was humbled to tears. She slumped forward and sobbed. She felt Celia and Kazane climb onto his back behind her, and when she turned to look at them she saw they had be crying too.
“Girl, you are a mess,” Celia said with a shaky smile. “I haven’t cried like this…well…ever!”
Dally smiled. “I’m not sure if I should be sorry about that,” she teased.
Celia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Just get this beautiful boy moving,” she growled with mock anger.
“You heard her, Ronin,” she said as she gently rubbed his neck. “Let’s get moving.”

Dally rose at dawn and said good bye to Obsi. She found Celia waiting for her outside the Den. They flew Haku back to the cabin and found that Dally's guests had built another set of rooms onto the back of it. Dally put Haku in the stable, where Kaiji pretended to be asleep. She smiled and shook her head. She saw Saito sitting on the cabin steps talking with Celia.
"So, you guys have been busy," she said as she took a seat next to Saito.
"Yes, I had a feeling you would not return alone, and Hayai and Kuma take up quite a bit of room."
Dally laughed. "Especially Kuma! I see you've met my cousin."
Saito nodded. "She will be of help. I know where her family is from, and that is close to the third temple."
"I haven't been there in ages," Celia said thoughtfully. "I hope I remember my way around."
"Things have changed quite a bit, but I am sure you will be fine," Saito replied. "Do you want to come in and see the new addition, or will you be heading off now?"
"We should go," Celia declared as she looked toward the mountains. "I'd like to get back before dark, and we don't have much time."
Dally nodded. "Let's go."
"Dinner will be waiting for you when you return," Saito called after them. They waved and headed down the path that led to the mountains.
They walked in silence for the first kilometer. A foul odor overtook them, and they both stopped abruptly.
"What is that?" Celia said, putting her hand over her mouth and nose.
"I think," Dally said, walking farther up the trail, "yep, it's dragon dung."
Celia caught up to her and they both stared at an extremely large pile of dragon dung. It did not look like the dragon had "naturally" deposited it there, but like it had been placed there.
"Is this here to stop people from using the path?" Celia said, her voice muffled by her hand.
Dally shrugged. "I don't know, but let's get around it quick before our lunch comes back to haunt us." Celia nodded, and they walked around the foul mass and went a bit into the woods. Dally turned around to make sure Celia was behind her, and let out a scream when she saw Celia lunge for her. She stepped back and felt the ground fall from under her heels. Celia grabbed Dally's shirt and pulled her forward.
"You were going to step into a trap," Celia said, pointing behind Dally.
Dally turned around and saw there indeed was a hole in the ground, partially covered by tree limbs. "Thanks," she said to Celia. 
Celia shrugged. "I should have said something, but I just reacted."
"Good thing," Dally said, peering into the hole. It wasn't very deep, and it looked like something had dug the hole with very large paws.
"Let's just keep going," Celia urged. "I'm not liking this at all. Let's just get to the temple."
They walked around the hole and went back to the path. They walked, constantly looking around for more impediments to their progress. They saw the temple in the distance, and quickened their pace.
A loud crunching sound shattered the silence and a huge rock fell onto the path a few feet in front of them. They jumped back, and a large dragon shadow passed over them. Celia looked up and her eyes got very wide.
"Zenko," she whispered. "The trickster dragon."
"That's not very nice!" Dally yelled at Zenko. "You could have killed us!"
The dragon turned in the sky and landed on the path on the other side of the rock. He laid his head on the rock, and sighed. I'm sorry, he was saying.
Dally put her hands on her hips. "You should be sorry! You want to play tricks but we're not dragons!"
Zenko sighed again, then pushed the rock out of the way. He turned, and hunkered himself low to the ground and looked over his shoulder at them. Climb on!
Dally motioned for Celia to follow, and they climbed on Zenko's back. He flew them up the hill, and landed in front of the Temple. Kamaitachi stood on the Temple steps, staring in awe at the duo as they climbed down from Zenko's back.
"I see you've made a friend," she said softly.
"After he tried to kill us," Celia growled. 
"Not on purpose," Dally said.
Kamaitachi smiled and approached them slowly. "He is a bit of a nuisance. But, he doesn't intentionally try to harm anyone."
Zenko snorted.
"Anyway," Dally said, patting Zenko's cheek, "I did talk to my contacts in the Blackbloods. Celia here is one of them. They are fighting Xander's forces as well."
"Well, I am not sure if it was your discussion or the fact that they want to attack on other fronts, but the Blackbloods have pulled out of the Ridge," Kamaitachi said as she slowly reached out to touch Zenko's snout.
"When?" Celia asked.
"This morning," Kamaitachi replied.
Celia grinned at Dallyah. "Guess it worked," she said proudly.
Dally shrugged. "I highly doubt Xander moved because of me."
Kamaitachi smiled. "Your humility defines you, Princess. Come back tomorrow, I will help you find Ronin."
Dally bowed. "Thank you, Guardian. May I ask one thing of you?"
Kamiatachi nodded. "Of course."
Dally patted Zenko. "Please don't call me Princess. I am a Dragon Lord."

Dally left the cabin at sunrise and arrived on Obsi's base around dinner time. Obsi was waiting for her outside the den when she and Haku landed. She smiled as she watched Obsi's eyes widen.
"And who might this beautiful boy be?" Obsi asked as she reached up to stroke Haku's chin.
"This is Haku. I'll tell you all about him on the way to the meeting hall." She relinquished Haku to the Druids and told Obsi a brief recount of the last few days. As they reached the meeting hall, Dally stopped.
"Does the team know the Blackbloods are coming?" she asked.
Obsi grinned. "Oh yeah," she said as she opened the door.
Dally entered to see the most of the team was there, ready to show the Blackbloods what would happen to them if they misbehaved. Or breathed incorrectly.
The head table, where the officers usually sat, was along the far left wall, elevated ten steps above the main floor. In the chair in the middle of the table was Lagertha, flanked by Papi and Fishy. They sat with their feet up on the table, swords in their laps, arms crossed in front of them. Behind Lag stood Wake and Tom. Dally couldn't see their hands, but she knew they held weapons and were ready if the Blackbloods got out of line. She smiled and surveyed the rest of the scene.
At the bottom of the steps, directly in front of them, stood Soldier and Matt, feet planted shoulder width apart, arms crossed in front of them, daggers in hand. On Soldier's right stood Gracie, and on Matt's left stood SpiderQueen. On the steps behind and to the right of Gracie sat Viseron and KayVee, both sharpening their daggers. To Spider's left sat James and Ruby. James dangled a mace in front of him and Ruby had her crossbow resting on her knees.
In the center of the room was another long table, with two smaller round tables on either side. At the table closest to the stairs sat Illy, Sailor and Redava, armed with daggers and pens and parchment, so they could record the meeting for the team archives. The other round table had Naryu, Wyndstryker, Ego and Slidraco sharpening more daggers. At the long table, at the left end sat Nevin, flanked on his left by Glam and on the right by Ehlek. The two seats next to Glam were empty, as were the five next to Ehlek. On the other side of the two empty seats were Afroze, Pep and Manu, with Shadowfax sitting at the end. No one at the long table seemed to be armed, but Dally doubted that was the case.
Dally looked at the wall to her right. Reaper, Coach, Simone, MissD, Schwesty, RGee, Neis, Onslaught, Longhunter, Lipton, PickJohn, LilPussinBoots, Kiono and NiceDevil lined the wall with arms at their sides, hands on their weapons, ready to pounce on the unwelcome guests like sharks on a wounded fish.
A horn sounded to announce the Blackblood's arrival. Obsi and Dally took their seats on the far side of the table. Reckless and BlackViper entered the hall, followed by the Blackbloods. The last to enter the hall were Incubus and Whiteraven, who barred the door behind them and blocked it, swords drawn.
It took every ounce of control Dally had not to giggle maniacally at the awesome display of force from her team.
Thorne, Laria, Deathclaw, Titan and Celia sheepishly took their seats. Titan looked angrily at Dallyah.
"Is all this really necessary?" he growled.
In an instant Ehlek had a dagger at Titan's throat.
"Yes," Nevin said matter-of-factly, "Yes it is." Ehlek put his dagger on the table in front of him.
"So what is it that you need, Dallyah?" Thorne asked carefully.
"Xander is raiding the temples of the Sacred Ridge. I am asking for your help in stopping them."
Celia looked concerned. "How do you know this?" she asked, not succeeding in her attempt to mask the anxiousness in her voice.
"I spoke to one of the Temple Guardians. She said they are looking for rare dragon eggs that do not exist."
Deathclaw sighed. "I'm not sure where he's getting these troops from, but Titan and I have been fending them off our bases. We can't spare anyone to help you at the moment."
"Same here," Thorne said. "I think he's hiring mercenaries to fight us."
"I'll go with you," Celia said. "My family is from that area. I may be able to help. I'll get my things and come back tomorrow."
"So, is that it? Can we go now?" Laria snarled.
Thorne rolled her eyes. "Yes, Laria, we can go." They stood. Thorne turned to face Lag. "Thank you, Lagertha, for your hospitality. I appreciate why you took the precautions you did, but I promise in the future they will not be necessary."
"Fly safe," Lag replied with a dismissive wave.
Obsi stood. "Oh Laria? Tell Slender and Xander to stay out of the Sacred Ridge, or else."
"Or else what?" Laria snapped.
"Or else I will give him the pleasure of knowing what his own entrails taste like," Obsi hissed.
​"Damn," Pep whispered with a grin.
Inc unbarred the door and opened it. He and Whiteraven escorted the Blackbloods to their waiting dragons.
Dally stood up on the table and shouted, "I FREAKING LOVE YOU GUYS!!!" The team cheered, and they celebrated for a few hours together. Dally, feeling a bit tipsy, went with Obsi to her room. On the guest bed was a package.
"Oh, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you that came for you from Suddene."
Dally picked up the note that was lying on top of the box. "Suddene is so relaxing! We've had time to socialize and even get back to our art! I hope you like this. Love, Soc"
Dally opened the package and found a painting of the most beautiful depiction of the Goddess Invidia, a summoned dragon rising from smoke behind her, her spear piercing a snake next to her. Obsi peeked over her shoulder and squealed.
"That is GORGEOUS!!!!" she yelled.
Dally grinned, tears filling her eyes. "Dammit I miss that man!"

The next morning, Dally and Saito headed out toward the second Mystic Temple. On the way, Saito told Dally about the guardian.
"Her name is Kamaitachi. She is the Guardian of the Mystic Spring Temple, and of spring itself. She is said to ride the spring wind itself to foil any mischievous deeds done by evil spirits or men. She arms herself with Shurikans and a Katana, and rumor has it, magic."
"Do you think she can help me figure out what the dream means?" Dally asked as they came upon a set of stairs carved into the hillside.
Saito nodded. "She will be able to confirm my suspicions."
Dally was taken aback. "You have suspicions? Why didn't you tell me?"
Saito chuckled. "Because I didn't want to tell you before they could be confirmed."
"Fair enough," Dally replied. 
At the top of the steps was a temple exactly like the one where Dally met Haku. Standing in front of the temple steps was Kamaitachi. She was tall, with long black hair that blended to white at the ends and was tied back in a pony tail and two braids. She wore a white robe edged with purple satin on her right side, her left side covered only in her armor. Her face was painted white, with purple adornments around her left eye. She warily watched them approach, muscles tensed to react if they stepped out of line.
"Greetings, Kamaitachi, Great Guardian of Spring," Saito called. "I am Saito, this is Dallyah, daughter of Jarod. We seek your counsel."
"Greetings, Saito. Greetings, Princess Dallyah," Kamaitachi replied. "What counsel do you seek?"
"Dallyah has received a vision from our mentor, Zafrek. The first part of the quest he has set for her is complete: she received an egg from Haku." Dally watched a very brief look of surprise cross the Guardian's face. "The second quest is also complete: she has conquered the Kaiji in the Nameless River."
"That is extremely impressive," Kamaitachi said to Dally. "I'm going to surmise that the next quest involves Ronin?"
"I believe so," Saito replied.
(Dally vaguely knew of the legend of Ronin, but did not want to ask for a refresher on it. She hoped she could play off that she remembered it all.)
Kamaitachi sighed. "Unfortunately, I am unable to help at the moment. Blackblood rogues have been raiding the Temples in search of rare dragon eggs."
"Blackbloods?" Dally asked, anger rising in her voice.
"Yes," Kamaitachi replied. "They believe we have rare eggs stored deep within the temples. For the record, we do not, they are just gold replicas."
"That fact won't stop them from raiding every last temple," Dally growled. She looked into Kamaitachi's eyes. "I respect the fact that you cannot help us. I will help you instead. I will see what I can do to run the Blackbloods out of the Misty Mountains."
Kamaitachi bowed to Dallyah. "That is much appreciated, Princess," she said respectfully.
"Thank you for seeing us," Saito said with a bow. "We will return soon." Dally also bowed and followed Saito down the stone steps and back to the cabin.
There were baskets of fruits, vegetables, meats, clothing and other gifts all over the porch and steps and spilling into the yard. There were also huge piles of mutton and venison outside the barn. Dally described what she was seeing to Saito.
"Where did all of this come from?" she asked, humbled almost to tears.
"Uh, hi, we brought this," a huge man said as he came around from the back of the house. He was built like a sumo, just huge everywhere, with his hair pulled back into a topknot. Another man followed him; tall and thin with long black hair, dressed in Samurai garb. "I am Kuma," the big man said, "and this is Hayai. We were protecting the nearby villages from Blackbloods and prowlers. When Saito told us of the Kaiji being pulled from the river by you, the villagers wanted to show you their appreciation."
"This...this....this is way too much!" Dally said, tears pouring down her cheeks.
Hayai laughed. "They are very humble people, and they tend to overdo gratitude. Not something we see very often. They did send meat for Haku and Kaiji as well."
Dally smiled. "I will have to go to the village soon and thank them for their generosity. And, to thank you two, since I seem to have potentially put you out of work, why don't stay here with us? There is more than enough room, and plenty to eat."
The men bowed. "We would be honored."
"Good," Saito said, "will you help me get the baskets inside? I feel rain coming."
As the men set to work, Dally whistled for Voron. He landed on her shoulder, and she grabbed a basket and took it inside, then pulled parchment and a quill out of a drawer and wrote to Obsi. She put the note on Voron's collar and sent him on his way.
"Going back to your base tomorrow?" Saito asked.
"Yes," Dally said, "I need to talk to my family."

Dally sat on the steps of the cabin as the sun rose, winding blue thread around two hollow sticks she'd found in an abandoned drawer. She knew the legend of the Kaiji, who were water spirit dragons that would drag those who got too close to the rivers they inhabited to their deaths. Saito wanted her to capture one. Or, as a nagging voice in the back of her mind kept saying, he was trying to get rid of her. Although, if he was, Haku would know his evil intentions and would act accordingly. She finished her trap, leaving several feet of thread hanging from it. She tied the string to her wrist and headed off toward the river.
She reached the river about an hour later. The river had no name; the locals did not name it in an attempt to keep people from seeking it out and being victims of Kaiji. Dally steeled herself, tied the trap to a nearby tree, and went to the edge of the water. She knelt down and waited.
The rising sun reflected on green scales and red transparent wings swimming beneath the water. Kaiji appeared, his jaws wide, blue eyes glowing. He looked at Dally, who showed no fear.
"Well," the dragon said, "you are a curious one! Come closer so you can see me better."
Dally kept a calm expression, even as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She leaned toward the water, and braced for what came next.
Kaiji lunged out of the water and pulled her under. She held her breath and made sure Kaiji saw the string around her wrist. Spirits had a compulsion to follow a string, and to her relief he released her to follow it. She swam to the surface and crawled onto the shore. Kaiji, who was smaller and ethereal out of the water, followed the string to the trap and was caught, stuck to the string and writhing to pull himself free. Dally sloshed her way over and picked the trap out of the tree by the wood. The dragon tried to bite her, but she laughed. Kaiji sighed and looked at Dally.
"What do you want with me, human?" he asked.
"If I let you go, are you going to try to kill me?" she asked.
Kaiji laughed. "I would not have to try. But, no, you have tricked me, and I respect that. But I ask again, what do you want with me?"
Dally sighed. "I need you to come to my camp with me. I have Haku, and now Saito said I need you..."
Kaiji's eyes widened. "You have Haku?" he asked in disbelief.
"Well, a Haku, not THE Haku."
"You are going after Ronin, then?" Kaiji asked.
"I think so," Dally replied, pulling the string and releasing Kaiji. He flew upwards, so that when he returned to his true size he did not injure her. He landed next to her and crouched down so that she could climb onto his back. She guided him in the direction of the cabin.
Saito heard them land and exited the cabin. He stood motionless in the doorway for a moment.
"You did it," he whispered.
"Of course she did," Kaiji replied angrily. "After getting Haku, I was a breeze."
Dally jumped onto the ground. "Kaiji, this is Saito. Saito, Kaiji."
Saito walked over to Kaiji who bent his head down to the blind Samurai. Saito ran his fingers along Kaiji's jaw and produced a key, which he tossed to Dally.
"Now," he said, "you must go to the second temple. But first, I will go to the village and let them know the river is safe."
He patted Kaiji's cheek and headed off toward the village. Dally took Kaiji into the stable, where he and Haku warily watched each other for a few minutes, then settled down to nap. Dally smiled, then went into to the cabin and change into dry clothes and nap herself.

Dally muttered under her breath as she climbed the path up the mountain to the first shrine. The Sacred Ridge looked beautiful as the sun rose, but the path was a brutal climb almost straight up for almost a kilometer. Once she reached the top of the trail, she emerged in front of the Temple. The temple was simply designed, with a life size statue of the dragon Haku in front of the steps. She approached slowly, looking around for looters or monks or anything that might try to surprise her. Nothing did. When she reached the statue, she read the plaque on the front of the pedestal:
If you have made it this far, you are pure of heart
To find the Guardian, tell Haku your purpose
If the Guardian does not appear, your wish will not be granted
Speak truthfully, chose your words wisely and make haste
Dally took a deep breath. "My purpose is...well...I don't really know. My mentor told me in a dream to save a dragon and a rider by finding keys. I don't know what that means. A Samurai named Saito told me to come here, and I did. "
She stepped back and held her breath, expecting nothing to happen. To her surprise, a cloaked figure came slowly out of the temple and descended the stairs. The hood of the cloak masked the person's face and covered their body entirely, including their feet. The person stopped in front of Dally, and raised their head. The facial features seemed to be female.
"Haku knows of your dream and your journey. This is the beginning, Dallyah, daughter of Jarod. Take the first step. Call your dragon."
Dally was confused, but she obeyed. She mentally called to Noctua, something she had never done before with any dragon, and within seconds she heard his cry. Noc landed behind her, and bowed his head to the statue of Haku.
The hooded figure reached up and touched the statue. "You have conquered Necryx, the evil creation of the necromancer Kharnyx. Your sister has rescued Gunnar, the unfortunate tool of Gustav's misdeeds. These are great feats indeed, but they are child's play compared to what you are capable of. I invoke the judgement of Haku to determine your next step."
The woman's eyes began to glow, as did the statue. Haku came to life, stood on his hind legs and spread his wings. He took off into the sky, flew over the temple and returned clutching something in his talons.
It was an egg.
Haku set the egg in front of Noctua and returned to the pedestal.
"Haku has entrusted you with one of his eggs. He knows you will care for his offspring. This dragon will help you in your quest. Take it home, hatch it, and continue your quest." The hooded guardian returned to the temple, and the dragon returned to its statuesque state. Dazed, Dally climbed onto Noctua's back. Noc picked up the egg and flew carefully back to Dally's base. Noc placed the egg carefully into the empty incubator, and the Druids hastily worked their magic to light the magic fire to hatch the egg. Dally told Druid Krieger about her experience and he smiled.
"You really are something special, Dragon Lord Dallyah," he exclaimed proudly.
Just then, the young Haku burst from the egg and flew high over the base. He circled several times before landing in front of Dally. She made a fuss over her new dragon, then climbed on his back and took off toward Zafrek's cabin.
Saito exited the cabin as they landed. He smiled.
"You passed the first test," he said. "Tomorrow is the next test; Kaiji."

"OW!" Dally said as she pushed herself up and rolled over to face her attacker. He was tall, dark-skinned, dressed in Samurai robes with a white bandage across his eyes. He stood perfectly still, his fist still outstretched from hitting her on the back of the head.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"I should ask you the same thing," Dally growled, slowly rising to her feet. "This is my mentor's former home. You are obviously not living here, so this is my domain. Who are you?"
"I asked first," the Samurai replied, still not moving.
"You cannot see me, can you?" she asked slowly.
"What was your first clue?" the man replied sarcastically.
Dally sighed, exasperated. "Ok, let's start this again. I am Dallyah. Who are you?"
The man lowered his arm. "Dallyah? As in the King's daughter?"
Dally sighed again. "Yes, for the sake of speeding this conversation up." He cocked his head to the side in a questioning manner. "The King is dead, blah, blah, blah..." He smiled and relaxed his stance. "Now, who are you?"
"I am Saito. I was a student of Zafrek's, before and after you."
"Ok, so what happened to him? And why are you here now?"
Saito sighed. As he opened his mouth to speak, a dragon's roar was heard off in the distance. They turned in unison toward the mountains and listened. The roar came again, and Dally said, "Whoa, maybe we should go inside?" Saito nodded and walked effortlessly into the house. He sat in a chair by the fireplace while Dally hastily set to lighting one. Once the fire was lit, he continued.
"I do not know what happened to Zafrek. About six months after you left, I came to see him. I stayed for about a year, then set out on my own again for six months. When I came to see him, he was gone. I've come back once a month ever since to see if he has returned."
"So today just happens to be one of those visits?" Dally asked cautiously.
"No," Saito replied with a laugh. "Last night I had a dream where Zafrek told me to come here, that I would need to protect something. I assumed it was his home, but now I believe he meant you."
"Then he's alive. There is no way he could be annoying both of us if he's not." Dally told Saito of her dream. 
Saito nodded as she spoke, then raised his hand as she finished. "I believe I know what he means by the keys. You must pass three trials, that he has set forth for 'the right student'. You will need to go to one of the Mystic Mountain Temples."
"Can you take me?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes, but first you must pass the first trial."
"And what might that be? He never spoke to me about any of this." Her frustration was showing in her voice.
Saito chuckled. "Calm yourself, little one," he said in an almost perfect imitation of Zafrek's voice. "If he didn't tell you it is because he meant for you to be the one."
"If it were anyone else we were talking about, I'd say that makes no sense. But Zaf was like that, old coot." She sighed. "So, Saito, what is the first test?"
"You must go to the first temple at the base of the mountains and face Haku."
"Haku? The dragon from the Temple Legends?"
"The same. Once you return successfully from the temple, I will take you to the second temple."
"How will I know if I was successful?"
Saito stood and smiled. "You will not. I will."

Dally woke to the sound of Zafrek making breakfast. The smell of bacon wafted through the cabin at the base of the Sacred Ridge. She and Draco had been staying here with the hermit for two months now, ever since he found them sleeping in the rain, Draco sheltering Dally with his wings, in a nearby field. "Come stay with me, child" he said. When she tried to politely refuse, he said, "Oh come now, I know who you are! Out of loyalty to my King, I will not let his eldest daughter and her prize dragon sleep in the rain!" They had done chores to earn their keep, and Zafrek had begun to teach Dally what he knew about being a Dragon Lord, which came only from books. But, it was still very useful to her.
She sat up in bed, and Zafrek brought a plate over to her. Instead of eggs and bacon, there were three round keys. She looked up at Zafrek with a frown.
"You will need these," he said, his kind brown eyes turning red. "Find the keys. Find the rider. Heal the dragon. This is what you must do!" He disappeared in a puff of thick black smoke, and through the haze she saw glowing blue eyes...
Dally sat up with a start. The dream had been so real to her, that she looked around her chamber for several minutes until she realized it was just a dream. She sighed. She hadn't thought about Zafrek since she'd started building her own base. He had been so kind, then suddenly became very angry and took it out on her. She refused to be treated that way, and was very hurt by his change in attitude towards her. When Ash sent for her, she left without saying goodbye; she'd just left a note saying, "I will miss you".
The dream meant she had to go back.
Dally sighed, got up and began to pack. The Sacred Ridge was an entire days' journey by dragon, and she needed to leave as soon as possible if she wanted to reach Zafrek's cabin by dark. She put on her cloak, threw her bag over her shoulder and headed to the meeting hall. She pulled Timur and Druid Kreiger aside and told them about her dream.
"It was just a dream," Timur said sourly.
The Druid shook his head. "No, it was not. It was a sign...or a message...doesn't matter what. My point is she needs to go."
Timur shrugged. "I'm not much for this mystical mumbo jumbo. But, if you feel that strongly about it, go. Take Voron with you so you can reach out if you need help. What dragon do you want to take?"
Dally thought for a moment. "My gut reaction is to say Draco, but he's not strong enough. I'll take Noctua. I'm going to go see Draco though before I go."
The men nodded, and Timur walked to the Dragons Den with her. He went to get Noc ready for travel, and she went to see her baby. Draco was her first dragon, he traveled with her and protected her for ten years. He was her best friend. She took him out just to fly every day she was on the base. Draco heard her footsteps and poked his nose out of his stall. Dally laughed and kissed his snout.
"There's my good boy," she said as she opened the stall door. He went to the back wall and lay down, back against the wall, so she could lay against his chest.
"I'm going back to the Sacred Ridge," she said.
Draco groaned.
"I know, I know, but I had a dream. Or a vision, or whatever you want to call it. Zaf said I need keys to find a rider and heal a dragon."
Draco huffed.
"I don't know what it means either, but I have to go. Will you keep the base and the others safe while I'm gone?"
Draco gently rubbed his massive cheek against her. Yes.
Dally got up and kissed his snout again. "I'll be back soon. I love you." She walked quickly out of the stall and out of the den to avoid the tears that were welling in her eyes. Timur helped her up onto Noctua's back, handed her three bags of supplies and her bag, and waved as they took off toward the Sacred Ridge. They arrived at Zafrek's cabin just as the sun set.
It was deserted.
Dally could tell by the growth of the weeds and the deterioration of the house and stable that it had been deserted for years. Probably, since right after she left. She sighed, and set about clearing the barn to make room for Noctua. The barn could hold three dragons, and had been shut tight enough that not much needed to be done inside. Once Noc was settled, she headed over to the house. Off in the distance she saw a golden dragon flying against the light of the rising moon. It passed closer, and she saw it had blue eyes. Her eyes widened, then closed from the force of someone hitting her from behind.

When Dally returned home, she slept for almost a day. She woke to a knock on her door. It was Timur.
"Dragon Lord," he said with a bow, "I hate to disturb you, but a gift has arrived for you."
"From who?" she asked with a yawn.
"Jarl," he replied.
"Uh...really?"
"Yes, really. Meet me out on the base when you're ready," he said as he closed the door behind him.
Dally sighed, got bathed and dressed, and went out onto the base. Timur led her to the incubator, where an egg had been placed in the incubator. Druid Kreiger held a parchment, which he
handed to her as she approached.
"Princess Dallyah,
I wanted to give this to your sister, but she thought it was better suited for you. I have been wanting to give one of my dormant eggs to someone I felt was worthy, but until I met the
two of you I hadn't. Please raise and take care of this dragon as it deserves to be; as you raise and take care of all of your dragons; as if they were your own children. As it should be.
As we should all take care of one another.
I sincerely hope this world learns this lesson from you and your sister. You are special far beyond your gift to talk to and understand dragons. I hope some day you both realize that.
Thank you for your part in the events these last days. You and your sister are part of the Red Raiders.
Jarl"
Dally's eyes filled with tears as she looked up from the parchment and watched the Druids ignite the Flame of Life. She smiled at Druid Krieger, and walked back to her chamber in a daze.
When she opened her door, on her table was another gift. A book. On top of the book was another parchment.
"Princess Dallyah,
I have three copies of this book. I've sent this one to you, and one to your sister, as a small token of my gratitude. Thanks to the two of you, and Bjorn as well, the Muspell can truly
live in peace without fear of reprisal from the Raiders. There is nothing in the universe to measure the worth of that peace, but I hope this book demonstrates at least a small amount
of what this means to me, to us. You are welcome to visit us at any time, and if you ever need us, just call.
Yours,
Nurlan"
Dally looked at the thick, leather-bound book. The title "Book of Legends" was written in gold script. She opened it carefully, and the page she opened to was titled "The Misty Mountains". She read the story about Ronin, a warrior dragon whose beloved rider was killed and prowled the Misty Mountains seeking an opponent to best him and send him to once again be with his lost rider. The only problem with this plan was that Ronin never backed down.
Neither did Dally.
She smiled. "Well, Ronin, maybe a death match isn't what you need. Perhaps, you just need a new purpose. As do I."

​
Obsi and Bjorn returned to her base and she slept for a day and a half. When she woke, she bathed, dressed and went to see Druid Tim.
"Ah, there she is!" he said, smiling broadly. "I need to talk to you about this breeding event."
Obsi narrowed her eyes. "What about this breeding event?"
"Well...the next dragon the Breeding Master has on the path for us is Frostbiter, as you know."
"Uh huh..."
"And the token cost for Frost is, well, rather high."
"Uh huh..."
"And, so, well to be frank we do not currently have enough tokens and fragments to finish."
"How much do we have?" Obsi asked cautiously.
"About half," the Druid replied.
Obsi winced. "Ok, well, we just have to get moving on the token runs."
"New season will begin this week as well," Druid Tim reminded her.
Obsi nodded. "Token bonus will need to be renewed."
"We didn't get it this time," Druid Tim said out of the corner of his mouth.
"Wait, what? Oh, yeah we didn't. Well, at least we won't miss it when it expires."
"That's one way to look at it," Druid Tim laughed.
Obsi nodded. "Apophet is next; and that is more expensive yet. We will need to get that token bonus right away."
"We do have several dozen chests to open this event as well. Not what most would consider a lot, mind you, but for us it's more than normal."
"Good," Obsi said. "I'm going to go do some token runs. We'll see how it pans out."
"Take the event as it comes," the Druid agreed. "Make sure you dress warm, Dragon Lord, there is snow coming."
Obsi groaned. "Can the PG bring us ACTUAL spring with the new season?"
Druid Tim laughed. "We can dream, Dragon Lord, we can dream."

They landed on Neutral Beach, which was just a few kilometers from Jarl's fortress. Jarl stood near the tree line, surrounded by Havardr and several dozen soldiers. Nurlan jumped off of Surt's back, and as soon as his feet hit the sand the rest that were with him did the same. Blackblood dragons circled overhead.
Time to put on the show, Jarl thought.
Jarl let out a deafening roar and stomped his massive feet. Nurlan drew his sword, and both he and Jarl started forward.
"STOP!" Obsi shouted, placing herself in between the two.
The Blackbloods landed on the far left edge of the beach. Xander approached, cocky smile plastered on his face, followed by his people.
"Well, well, well," he said mockingly. "Is little Obsi afraid of a little confrontation? Going to go hide like you did when you were little? Well, smaller anyway."
"Shut your mouth before I knock that stupid smile off of your equally stupid face," Obsi said through her teeth.
Xander laughed. "You are the stupid one, Obsidian. The Muspell want their land back. Their land is what the Red Raiders have claimed. Just stand back and watch the melee."
Jarl and Nurlan both started forward.
"NO!" Obsi screamed.
"Oh you foolish girl," Xander sang. "Blackbloods, get her!"
Arden, Spiculus and Slender started forward. Celia, Laria and Thorn blocked their way, swords drawn. Deathclaw and Titan moved behind them.
The smile on Xander's face turned to pure rage. "You fools!" he screamed.
"You are the fool, Xander," Nurlan said, lowering his sword. "Yes, the land Jarl has was once mine. We wanted peace, he wanted us to help him with war. This put us at odds. But, my friend, you will not. My people live a peaceful life on our island. We are happy there. I have no reason to want this land back."
"And I have no reason to hunt the Muspell, given what Nurlan has just declared," Jarl said, advancing slowly. "Nurlan, I'd like to make this peace official, but I have one condition."
Nurlan looked at him quizzically. "If we need you, would you back us in war?"
Nurlan laughed. "If you need us, yes. And you may, if these fools get their way," he said, pointing to the Blackbloods.
"Oh we will," Xander said, backing slowly toward Skarr. "Mark my words!" Skarr roared, momentarily throwing everyone off balance. Arden grabbed Spiculus and Slender by the arm and ran back toward their dragons. They managed to take off before being apprehended.
Bjorn burst into a fit of laughter as Titan and the other remaining Blackbloods approached. "You five are one heck of a team," he said.
Titan shrugged. "Yes, but now they know we're not with them. No more element of surprise."
"I wouldn't say that," Obsi said with a wink.
Jarl cleared his throat. "Obsidian, a word, please?"
Obsi walked slowly over to Jarl, who beckoned her to follow him to the back of the beach. He spoke to her in a low tone. She nodded, then her eyes widened.
"Oh Jarl, that is just...well...thank you! But I think that might suit my sister better, if it's all the same to you."
Jarl chuckled. "All right then. I'll owe you a favor instead."
"That would be the favor," she replied.
"Well, we will see about that," Jarl laughed.
They walked back to the others, and found the Muspell mixed with the Raiders, laughing and talking like old friends. Obsi smiled.
Dally approached them. "Ok Obsi, are you ready to go home?"
Obsi nodded. "Yes, but I would like to ride the double dragon first!"
Nurlan laughed. "Twist and Shout? Yes, I think we can give that a go!"

The trio made camp and sat silently around the fire, speculating why the Blackbloods had left. Before long, they decided to try to sleep. At sunup, they rose and took to the sky for the
half days' journey to Muspell Island.
At midday, they landed in front of Nurlan's fortress. It was well built, but not nearly as ornate as Jarl's. The plain grey stone walls almost seemed to melt into the grey fog that
surrounded it. The drawbridge lowered as they approached, and a tall, thin man with a grey beard and long hair to match emerged, followed by ten soldiers. Bjorn bowed.
"Hello, Nurlan," he said cheerily.
Nurlan smiled. "Hello, Bjorn old friend! Welcome! Come in, you and your companions are just in time to be our guests for lunch."
Bjorn introduced Obsi and Dally as they walked through the foyer to the large dining hall. They sat amongst Nurlan's guards at a large round table, Bjorn to Nurlan's left, then a guard, Dally guard, Obsi and two more guards. Once everyone was seated, Bjorn spoke.
"I take it you know why we're here," he said cautiously.
Nurlan stroked his long grey beard thoughtfully. "I know you have spoken with Jarl. I know he has seen my scouts in the Narrows. I know if he truly thought we were a threat, we would have
been attacked by now. I also know he still has not ruled out wiping us off of the face of the world, since our 'truce' is informal."
"Are you a threat?" Obsi asked carefully. "We know you have been speaking with Xander and his minions. We know they want a war between you and Jarl. We don't know why, but we know he
cannot be trusted."
Nurlan laughed. "No, we are not a threat. We have lived peacefully, although warily, for many years. I have not believed one word that Xander has said to us about Jarl wanting a war now.
But, I am not foolish enough to at least make certain I am correct. That is why I sent scouts to the Narrows."
"Where are Xander and the other degenerates?" Dally asked sourly.
Nurlan laughed again. "I like you! They went to 'consult with Gustav' they said. Whatever that means."
"Gustav is dead," Obsi sneered. "I saw him die. I saw his ghost dragged off to hell where it belongs. How long do they think they can keep perpetuating the myth of him still being alive?"
Nurlan shrugged. "As long as there are fools who want to believe it, I suppose."
"If you are willing to meet with Jarl, he wants to meet on Neutral Beach at dusk today," Bjorn interjected.
Nurlan motioned to one of his staff. "Please bring the food. We will need to leave as soon as possible. Also, send a raven to Jarl so he knows to expect us." The man nodded and hurried off to the kitchen. Nurlan then motioned to the guard seated to Bjorn's left.
"Ready the elite guard; they will travel with us. I do not anticipate any trouble from Jarl, but the Blackbloods are another matter. We must be ready for anything."
"Yes Sir," the guard said as he rose. He grabbed a turkey drumstick off the plate that was being brought to the table and took a large bite as he walked to the door. They ate as quickly as good digestion would allow, and went outside.
The dragon that waited for Nurlan was massive.
It was covered in black and reddish-gold armor, its talons gold, as were the spikes on its tail. Wings the color of cooling lava flapped gently but impatiently. A sword of fire formed a helmet-like fixture over its eyes, which glowed red. It turned and looked directly at Dally.
"Surt," she whispered.
"Yes," Nurlan replied. "Isn't he just magnificent?"
Dally nodded, unable to speak. Nurlan took her hand and led her to the dragon. Surt bowed his head to her, and she stroked his massive chin.
"Dallyah will ride with me," Nurlan called. "Everyone else mount up! We fly to the Neutral Beach!"
Bjorn laughed as he and Obsi climbed onto Gunnar's back. "Are you jealous that she gets to ride Surt?" he teased.
Obsi laughed. "Yes and no. That dragon scares me!"

Jarl's fortress was the largest building Obsi had ever seen. She tried to shake off the awe she felt looking at it as they landed. The trio was met at the end of the drawbridge by Havardr, who Obsi noted looked like a taller, older
version of Bjorn. Havardr led them silently into the main chamber of the fortress. The room was the size of Obsi's base island. The ceiling was as high as the top of the adjacent tower. There were no chairs or tables. The stone floor
was bare. There was a garrison of troops lining the walls, but they did not move. The set of twenty steps that led to a dias where Jarl lay facing them, front paws carelessly draped over the top steps.

"My Liege," Havardr said with a bow, "I present Dragon Lords ObsidianDall and Dallyah."

"It is an honor," Obsi said, also bowing.

"I am sure it is, princess," Jarl replied whistfully."Especially for someone with black blood in her veins."

Obsi stood and glared. "I am no Blackblood."

Jarl snorted, fire jetting out of his nostrils a foot from his face. "You ride a Blackblood dragon. That action proves more to me than your words, girl."

"Gunnar did not choose to be a Blackblood dragon," Obsi snarled.

"He chose you when he left the Narrows though, didn't he?" Jarl snapped back.

Obsi thought of a rather nasty retort, but held her tongue. With a smile she said, "What, are you jealous that he didn't pick you? Or are you afraid your people would like him better than they like you?"

Jarl slammed his tail on the ground behind him, and the soldiers along the walls drew their daggers in unison. Obsi and Dally did not flinch. He chuckled.

"Well, Dragon Lord ObsidianDall, you are definately not a Blackblood. You have earned your place here. Your sister earned hers a long time ago, although I am not sure she remembers."

"I remember," Dally said with a smile.

Obsi shot a questioning look at her sister. Dally shook her head. "Drinking contest, long story, I'll tell you later," she whispered.

"Now then," Jarl said, curling his tail up beside him, "Bjorn said you want to speak to me about stopping an impending war with the Muspell. Let me assure you that we want no such war, but if they want war we will give them one."

"We do not believe they do," Dally said as she stepped forward to stand with her sister. "We believe the Blackbloods are trying to convince them that you do."

Jarl nodded. "I've seen them around the Narrows quite a bit these last few months. The best was the dead one though."

"This is very true," Obsi replied. Jarl gave her a knowing look and nodded.

"Well," Jarl said, rising to his feet, "tell Nurlan that if he wants to talk, we can meet on the Neutral Beach tomorrow at sunset. If he wants war, tell him to bring it."

The trio bowed and turned on their heels and left, followed by Havardr.

"Be careful," the Red Raider general warned. "You have no idea what the Blackbloods have been telling the Muspell. They may try to kill you on sight."

"Try being the key word, cousin," Bjorn said with a smile. "Take care, my friend." They mounted Gunnar and Necryx and flew back to the site of the camp.

The Blackbloods were gone.

Bjorn put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Well sh...."

Obsi convinced the Blackbloods to go see Dally before they went to Jarl’s fortress. The party stood in Dally's chamber, the Blackbloods the most uncomfortable. Obsi had told Dally of the plan to go to meet with Jarl, and she was not happy. She glared at Celia, Laria, Thorne and Deathclaw.
"You cannot be serious," Dally said as she glared at Celia. "You honestly thought you could just go and meet with Jarl with NO warning, NO advance notice of any kind? Do you honestly think he will just let you in?"
"Well why wouldn't he?" Celia snapped back. "We are trying to prevent a war!"
"If you go about this the wrong way you will START ONE!" Dally slammed her fist on the table with the end of her sentence.
"What, just because you can talk to dragons you think you know this one?" Thorne growled.
Dally looked up and narrowed her eyes. "I know a metric tonne more about this world than you do. I traveled alone in it for ten years. I've been to some of the worst hell holes in the world. I've heard more tales of the horror man
can inflict on his own kind than you can ever even imagine. I spent plenty of time in the Narrows, and I've come across my share of Jarl's soldiers. From hearing them talk, Jarl does not like visitors, especially ones he considers
enemies (like the Blackbloods), and if you do dare to seek audience with him, you'd better be ready to play by his rules. Period."
"What are his rules?" Obsi asked slowly.
"That is a very closely guarded secret," Dally replied. "No one who has spoken with him will talk about it."
"Because they're afraid?" Laria whispered.
"No, it's more out of respect I believe," Dally said as she grabbed her cape and her weapons. "Let's go. I've dealt with his men so maybe I can try to get an audience with him."
The party followed her down the stairs and onto the base. Dally literally almost ran into Bjorn as she came around the Dragons Den.
"Ah, Lord Dallyah," he said, "I hear you're interested in speaking to Jarl."
"I'm going to try," Dally sighed. "They," she said jerking her head toward the Blackbloods, "seem to think their kin is going to start a war between the Red Raiders and the Muspell."
"I've heard that too," Bjorn replied. "And the fact that Lord Obsi has Gunnar is not sitting well with the Blackbloods either."
"I knew that's why they went to the Narrows," Deathclaw said.
Bjorn nodded. "My father's cousin is Jarl's general. I haven't seen him in quite some time, but I may be able to get you in to speak with his Lord."
“Very well. Let’s get going so we can at least get to a safe place in the Narrows before nightfall.”
They mounted their dragons and flew north toward the Narrows. They landed a half kilometer away from the fortress, which they could see looming in the distance. They all dismounted except Bjorn.
“I’ll go ahead and talk to Havardr. Since I’m blood he should see me. If I’m not back in an hour retreat back a few kilometers and wait. If I’m not back by morning I’ve failed. Go home.” He urged Cavaleris into the sky and quickly disappeared.
A few hours later, right as night was falling, Bjorn returned.
“Jarl will see the one who conquered Gunnar and one other. We must leave now.”
Obsi looked at Dally, who nodded. They climbed on Gunnar and followed Bjorn.
“Stay here,” Dally told the Blackbloods. “What Bjorn said still stands. If we’re not back by morning go home.”
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Dally stood outside the Dragon Den, looking at the redness swell in the sky. Rumors were flying like rockets, saying it was the Atlas on fire, but she knew better. She smiled to herself as the clouds slowly opened and large rock
formations slowly descended from within the clouds. She knew what they were; Elemental Islands.

Temple Raid was upon them once more.

She smiled - it was her favorite of the trials that the PG threw at them, but she had little time to celebrate before there was a commotion behind her. She turned to see Bjorn, riding a three headed dragon she'd never seen before,
and her teammate Infidel, riding his beloved Kinnarus landing behind her. As they dismounted and walked toward her she noticed they were both shirtless and splattered in blood.

"So," she said warily, "what have the two of you been up to?"

"Well," Bjorn replied with a laugh, "I've been training Infi here in the fine art of dispatching snakes."

"Snakes?"

"Yep," Infi replied, "both figurative and literal. And speaking of ..." he said, walking over to a nearby bush and pulling out a particularly nasty looking serpent, "let me dispatch this one for you, my lady." Dally winced as
Infi ripped the creature in half with very little effort. To her surprise, instead of blood flying out from the bifurcated body, smoke poured out and the corpse turned to ash in his hands.

"That was not a real snake," she half stated, half asked.

"Yes and no," Bjorn replied. "It was real, but not a snake. We are not sure who created these, but they are a type of mystical observation mechanism. Not sure who's making them or what they are used for exactly, and getting rid of them
hasn't upset anyone that I know of."

"Doesn't make it any less fun," Infi laughed.

Bjorn smiled. "Yes, you've definately got the hang of it now. I have no issues turning the reigns over to you now."

"Wait, what?" Dally asked, trying to mask the rising uneasiness in her voice.

Infi blew out a breath and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Old Bjorn here has been training me to take over for him for a bit. He's been wanting to do a bit of base buiding and advising, and I have been wanting to do some
wandering."

Dally's eyes widened. "But..."

"For goodness sake woman, I'll be back!" Infi laughed. "It's just temporary. Not sure how long, but I suppose until we're ready to switch back," he looked at Bjorn for confirmation. Bjorn nodded once.

Dally sighed. "It won't be the same without you here. I get it, why you'd want to do something else, but for as long as I've been with this team you've been here. Every time someone leaves there's a space that never gets filled.
The one that you leave will be unfillable." Tears welled in her eyes. "I don't know if I can do this without you," she whispered.

"Of course you can," Infi said softly, pulling her in for a hug. "You're strong, and you're the only one who doesn't see that."

"When are you leaving," she asked, choking back tears.

"Now," Infi said, fighting tears of his own. "I'll take ol' UVS over there and go do some snake hunting!"

"Urd, Verd and Skuld," Dally whispered as she walked over to the tri-headed beast.

"See, told you I could distract her," Infi whispered to Bjorn.

"Don't get too close," Bjorn warned. "Lest they start telling you stuff you already know, now know and probably don't want to know."

Dally gave a slight smile at the joke, and Infi gave her one last quick hug before climing onto the back of UVS.

"Take care," he called as he took flight. Dally watched him disappear into the sky, then took her leave from Bjorn and went to call her sister.

...

Obsi ran onto her base, frantically searching the skies for him before he disappeared for good. From behind, Infi swooped down low enough to give Obsi a wave and a smile.

"Be good, kiddo!" he called as he flew off.

She watched him disappear, then fell to her knees, threw back her head and sobbed.

Red filled the skies. The fire from the Atlas drowned out the sun and all other things in the atmosphere. The blast that hit her base knocked her off her feet, and she slid across her chamber on her backside. She missed hitting her head on the wall by a fraction of an inch.
Incrementally she stood, bracing herself each step of the way until she was back on her feet. She ran out the door and onto her base...
Partial buildings were all that was left. Everything burned. Her dragons den - and her dragons - were gone. All of the builders, druids, guards, and farmers had vanished. She was alone.
Piercing, metallic sounding dragon cries from above made her look up. The dragon looked as though it was made of armor and clockwork parts; red and chrome armor covered its sleek body. The wings had rockets attached to them, which made it look both wonderous and terrifying. The rider was a hooded figure, red eyes peering out of a skull underneath. It laughed at her.
Nothing had prepared her for this. Her heart stopped and sank. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide...
"Mine," the rider hissed at her. "This is all mine!"
Obsi took a deep breath, then screamed, "NO IT IS NOT! THIS IS MINE! I WORKED FOR THIS! MY BUILDERS AND DRUIDS AND FARMERS AND GUARDS WORKED FOR THIS! YOU WILL NOT TAKE IT FROM ME!"
Obsi woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. She threw the covers off and ran onto her base.
It was fine.
She sighed, and started to smile. From far off, she heard a metallic cry and a sinister laugh. She looked toward the west, and the sky glowed red.
"Oh sh..."

​Jarl lumbered over the drawbridge into the Red Keep, nodding ever so slightly in the direction of each of the guards that fell to one knee at his passing. He stopped at the center of the huge main room and looked down into the pit that
led to his lair. He sighed and jumped into the abyss, flying casually the 450 meters down to his chamber.
The room was huge, with three fireplaces evenly spaced around the circular walls and a massive nest of soft pillows and fabrics in the center for his bed. (Some thought that since he seemed to have fire burning from within his throat
that he did not require heat; but in fact this magical illusion was merely a distraction from when he blew his real dragon fire.) The fires came from the being built at the back of the huge coal ovens that the humans used to make their
weapons and armor. Some of that armor hung on the walls; the weapons and shields of his former riders who had either perished or retired. The humans that surrounded him were the Red Raider tribe, and the tribe had served him for
generations. They saw him as a god, mostly because he was one of the few dragons ever born with the ability to speak their language. Jarl knew he was no god, but in addition to being able to understand what humans were thinking before
they said or did anything, he also knew he was smarter in the conventional sense than most dragons in the Narrows. He looked after them too and made a mental note to seek out Jormungandr to find out what happened to Gunnar. He knew the
bisected human corpse in front of Gunnar's cave was left by Jorm for the Blackbloods to see. Jarl chuckled to himself as he settled down into his bed for a nap.
When he woke, he flew up to the main room of castle to find his guards rushing semi-frantically around. He turned to see his head of security, Havardr, striding towards him. The burly man stopped, dropped to one knee for an instant, then
stood before Jarl.
"My Lord," he said, "we have seen Muspell scouts on the outer edges of the Narrows."
Jarl snarled. "Why would they dare to come here? The agreement was that we would let them live if they stayed to their islands."
Havardr shrugged. "I am not at all sure, but Blackbloods were seen in their company." He winced slightly at the roar let out by his master, then continued. "They seem to be the same ones that were seen in the Narrows hunting for Gunnar."
Jarl began to walk toward his massive war room, and Havardr followed. "Hard to believe Nurlan would be so nieve to believe anything the Blackbloods would say," Havardr said. He did not want this war. He was a warrior - a war hero, as a
matter of fact - but to war the Muspell now, especially at the behest of the remenants of Gustav's minions...it left a bad taste in his mouth. The Red Raiders reputation was fierce but fair, and this did not strike him as fair. He hoped
his Lord felt the same way.
"Gustav was an idiot," Jarl said angrily, "as was Kharnyx. The sibling was the smart one. As are the daughters, from what I hear."
Harvardr nodded. "They do not have the power their father had, however. Which leaves the realm much in doubt..."
Jarl snorted. "Do not doubt the humans. You should know, you are one."
"Hrmpf," the man replied.
They entered the war room, where Harvardr's top generals were gathered. They stood, then took a knee, waiting for Jarl to tell them to rise. Before he did, Jarl gazed out the high windows at the reddening sky outside.
"Looks as though the Atlas is on fire," he said to himself. He shook his massive head and said, "Rise. Now tell me about the Muspell sightings..."

​Obsi made a show of going to meet the Blackbloods at the far end of her base. She'd put off meeting with Laria, Celia and Titan a few days earlier to attend the memorials. They'd agreed to come back in a week and they had.
This time, she felt more than ready.
She took with her a contingent of fifteen guards, with Gunnar and Cavaleris following behind them. She was not weak; she was named Obsidian for a reason, and dammit she would show them she deserved it. She wore black leather armor with matching boots, her sword at her right and daggars strapped to both thighs. Her blue-black hair was tied back in a pony tail with a deep purple ribbon that her mother had given to her. As they got closer to the visitors she noticed the original party had been joined by Thorne and Deathclaw. The big blue beast was seen as terrifying by most, but Obsi never saw him that way. He had gone against Gustav's wishes and played with her on many occasions, laughing off the reprimands he received. She knew they'd brought him along to attempt to keep her calm, which only enraged her further. For some odd reason she hoped he'd take her more seriously than those he was with.
"So," she said, placing her right hand on her sword and the other on a dagger, "tell me what you want in twenty words or less or leave."
"Give me twenty-five," Celia smirked.
"Sure. That was four. You have twenty-one left."
Deathclaw laughed. "She's her father's daughter."
"Seventeen," Obsi said flatly.
"Stop!" Thorn commanded. She looked at Obsi. "We need your help."
"With what?"
"An uprising. May I have more words? I can't explain in..."
Obsi sneered. "I'm impressed you kept track. Yes, please explain this 'uprising'."
Thorne sighed. "Well, to be concise as possible, there is a tribe in the Narrows called the Red Raiders, led by a dragon named Jarl."
"That's just a legend," one of the guards mocked.
Thorne glared at him until he shifted uncomfortably, then continued. "No, it's not. The Raiders have been at war with the Muspell clan for generations, until they were almost wiped out. The Muspell retreated to an island chain a few miles offshore. Only recently have their numbers been increased enough for them to be a threat to the Raiders. No violence has occurred yet, but Fang and Xander plan to as much fuel to the fire as possible."
"How?"
"By playing on how much the Muspell hate the Raiders, and how much the Raiders oppose the peaceful ways of the Muspell."
Celia took a step forward. "Word has it that Fang led a contingent to the Narrows to look for Gunnar. His body was found by his guards outside a cave. It was bitten in half. Not eaten, just bitten. in. half."
Gunnar let out a chuffing noise that Obsi understood as a laugh.
Obsi looked at Celia. "Well doesn't that solve half the problem?"
"No," Deathclaw replied. "Xander has always been more dangerous than Fang, and he's embedded himself with the Muspell. Who knows what trouble he's causing."
Obsi rolled her eyes. "Why do you care what Xander does? Aren't you all Blackbloods? Victory Or Death and all that sort of thing?"
"You know better than that," Titan replied gruffly. "We were not all privy to what Gustav had planned. You know he sent us far away when he carried out his master plan because we would have at least tried to stop him."
Obsi studied each one of their faces carefully before she spoke. "Alright, so assuming this is all true, what exactly do you want my help with?"
Laria sighed. "We want you to talk to Jarl."

Obsi stood next to Dally and looked around at the endless sea of Dragon Lords that had come to pay respects to the fallen. Almost 600 clans were represented someone had said. The line to pay respects was long but no one seemed to mind waiting. Obsi saw people whom she knew to be on opposing sides of the Atlas talking and comforting one another and pointed her observation out to Dally.
“There is no Atlas here,” Dally replied in a soft tone. “Not today. Not in this situation. The lines of the Atlas are clear, especially here, on any other day. But today is not about Atlas, or wars, or petty feuds. Today is about honoring the life one of the top Dragon Lords. Today, we celebrate not only her life, but the friendships that have and continue to cross the lines that divide us on any other day. We are here to honor her passion, her skill, her love for this life. For we are raised to believe that this life is just a game. But, in all honesty, it is so much more than that. The proof of that is in the fact that most of those who are here, like us, did not know her. Many did, of course, but those who did not come here out of respect; respect for her, her clan, those who flew with and against her. And respect, my dear sister, is what holds us together through all of this.”
Obsi blinked back tears as she nodded. Dally let her go first to pay respects. Obsi knelt before the altar and said a prayer. As started forward to take her turn, she saw Astrid and Wrongful Death flying overhead on Hildr. Astrid is taking her home, she thought. Unable to hold herself together any longer, Dally fell to her knees and sobbed in front of the altar.
Obsi never could handle seeing Dally cry, so she hurried back to where their dragons waited for them. She climbed on Gunnar’s back and laid on his neck and let the tears flow. Lumina leaned over and put her head against Gunnar’s to comfort them both, and together the three of them mourned in silence.

“Come in!” Obsi called in answer to the knock on her door. She was just finishing up her breakfast and stood to gather up the dishes as the door opened.
“Hope I’m not interrupting,” Socrates said with a grin. He was carrying a large box with a bright blue bow on top of it, which he set on the table so he could close the door behind him.
“Never!” Obsi said, putting the plate back on the table to give her mentor a hug. “But then again, you never drop in unannounced. What’s wrong?”
Soc blew out a long breath. Obsi pulled out a chair for him and they sat. Soc looked at Obsi with sad eyes. “I’m afraid I have some bad news. I wanted to tell you first.”
“Oh no…”
“Raven and I have decided to retire…to Suddene…we have friends there. Now that it’s stable and free of the gang activity and all, it’s an ideal place for us. Plus, it’s closer to Raven’s bunch.”
Obsi covered her face with her hands and put her elbows on her knees.  “I knew this day would come,” she said softly, “and I thought I was ready for it. I guess I’m not.” Before he could open his mouth to speak, she rose. She walked to the center of the room, and facing away from him, began to struggle to give a voice to her breaking heart.
“You have been here for me since the beginning. You’ve taught me the ins and outs of this life we call a game; you’ve helped me grow my base and as a person; you’ve listened to me whenever I needed someone to lend an ear…and if I were selfish, I would beg you to stay. I suppose I am selfish anyway, because I don’t want you to go. But,” she said as she turned to face him, “I care about you too much to be selfish. You and Raven are the heart of this team. You’ve both given all of us so much of yourselves…and it’s not fair to ask that much of anyone. The two of you deserve to be happy and enjoy your life and your dragons together.”
“What will you do?” Soc asked softly.
Obsi shrugged. “I’m not sure. But whatever it is, as long as you still keep in contact with me I’ll be fine.”
Soc stood and opened his arms for a hug. Obsi obliged. They both wiped their eyes as they parted and he started toward the door.
“I’ll be in touch as soon as we are settled,” he said as he opened the door. “Oh, and you should open that box sooner rather than later. It’s just a little something to remember me by.”
Obsi watched him leave, then sat with a sigh. She pulled the box toward her and took off the lid. She stood and looked inside, and with a squeal took out a fluffy grey kitten. She held the kitten up in front of her with both hands and read aloud the name tag attached to the collar.
“Uzi.”
Before she had the chance to fuss over her new pet, another knock on the door brought a guard with more bad news.
“Lord Obsi, the Blackbloods are back and they say they need to speak with you. Now.”