Fandom The Dragon Prince: Deep Trouble [Closed]

[cleopat]

Aaravos fully believed she didn’t know the whereabouts of the prison, but that she wouldn’t give him the information? Well, he was certain there was something he could do to make her fold. Everyone had a limit.

Would Claudia have discovered that limit had Aaravos not intervened?

He was pulled from his thoughts with a gentle, almost-not-there, touch on his cheek. The touch sense was distorted in this dream realm of Lethe’s, like in any others, but the touch was still there. He couldn’t help but to raise one hand and place it over hers, to temporarily keep her hand pressed against his cheek.

“Will you open it?” he wondered out loud. “Or will that end up being another lie you tell to hurt me again?”

~~~

Once Callum was back in the storage room, left alone to stew in his thoughts about Rayla’s and Bait’s predicament, he set forth to free himself from the chains. He shifted his hands to grab the item he snuck from Claudia’s bag, and with the crush of the item and an utterance of the spell, the chains morphed into a pair of snakes and slithered away.

Despite the gravity of the situation, and the time limit he had in order to save Rayla, Callum remained calm. Losing himself in his emotions would not help them. He had to follow the current, and trust it will take him to where he needed to be.

Transformation, fluidity, adaptability.

Callum silently snuck out of the storage room, left unlocked as no one expected the chained prisoner to make his grand escape. He stuck to the shadows, out of sight, as he grew nearer to where everyone gathered on deck.

Now how to rescue Rayla while simultaneously avoiding everyone else.

The leviathans in the water…he could hear them. He could hear as they wondered about the snack dangling above them.

Wait…

~~~

Pucca came up to the cell at the same moment Willow heard the extra footsteps, and in a brief moment of panic, she thought Finnegrin had discovered the little thief, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was only Terry.

Pucca squeezed its chubby little body through the bars of the cell, and brought the keys to Willow, dropping them in her hand. “You did such a good job!”

She began to set forth opening her shackles as she turned to Terry’s question. “Long story short, I told Finnegrin I didn’t like the idea of children being tortured, he disagreed with me, I told him to not be surprised if I tried to stop him, and then he decided to put me in here ‘for my own good.’” The shackles fell to the floor as she got them open.

Soren, seeing what was going on, opened his own shackles, as well as Lethe’s, in silence. He still didn’t know Terry, but he knew the elf was a part of the other team.

Willow rose to her feet, and walked up to the door of the cell. Right as she began to put the other key into the lock, she paused when she saw something in Terry’s hand. “That’s my knife!”

Damn Seamore.

“Listen, Terry, I know you love Claudia, but even you have to admit she’s gone a bit insane with trying to keep her father alive. Her father, who doesn’t even wish to stay alive! I’m afraid she would kill anyone in her path along the way.” She unlocked the cell and opened the door before going over to Soren’s and Lethe’s cell to do the same thing.

It didn’t escape her notice how Soren regarded Terry in a new, strange way, now that there was a connection between the elf and his sister.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe wouldn't attempt to remove her hand. She kept it there, covered by his. It was a small comfort, but every comfort helped. His question was a fair one, though. "It's not a lie. If you come to understand what you did…I would let you out. You have me bound to communicate with you as it is, so I'll know."

At least, while Callum lived.

Once he died, Lethe could theoretically seal Aaravos's name again. Then she'd never know if he understood. If he felt any guilt for all the people he'd killed, or if he still felt justified. Still thought the secrets were for the best.

She wasn't sure she'd be able to seal him again after so long, though. His presence was painful, but so was his absence.

"But until then, we both suffer, don't we?" Longing would be the death of them both, wanting things they couldn't have. "But now it's together."

She felt something starting to pull her awake, the pain becoming more real, but she tried to cling to this.

~***~

Leviathan's recognized Bait, but before he could be devoured, Finnegrin began to pull him up. He was, after all, worth more than the elf, who started to be lowered down to the ocean.

"Claudia, you can hide her away. Pretend she's dead." Viren stated.

"No dad. You'll understand–," she was cut off by him moving and throwing the pirate lowering Rayla off the wheel and holding both Rayla and Bait at the halfway point. "What are you doing?!" Claudia cried out, enraged.

"No more, Claudia." Viren stated. "If these…these children have to die for me, I don't want to live. I don't want anymore of this."

She pursed her lips.

"Well lass?" Finnegrin asked.

She sighed as she bowed her head, "I'm sorry, dad. You'll understand…." And two pirates moved to restrain the man who killed a dragon.

~***~

Lethe stirred a little as the shackles came off, but didn't wake.

Terry frowned at what Willow related to him, and looked down. "She said she wouldn't kill anyone," not that torture was better. "It's her dad…it's not a great reason, but…it's hard to fault her." Though Terry knew it wasn't what Viren wanted. He did wonder how much of it was the strange agony of being in between life and death.

Terry didn't stop Willow, though.

Or Soren.

"I…please don't hurt Claudia," Terry begged as he offered the knife out. "She's hurting so much. She feels so abandoned by everyone. With time, I'm sure…she can grow past this. I'll help her," Terry promised them. "Just let her have a chance, please."

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos frowned in his internal debate over what exactly he felt. Anger towards her for her betrayal. Pain from seeing her, and simultaneously from imagining his isolation without seeing her. Admiration as old memories resurfaced from being buried for so long.

“Yes, we will both suffer now, simultaneously alone and together.” His thumb gently brushed her cheek, and though the sensation was hardly there, it was enough.

Oh how he missed the touch of another person. It wasn’t something he truly got to experience when possessing another.

“For now, I believe you’re needed back in reality. If you don’t wake up soon, you just may be left behind in the brig.” With that he pulled his hand away and stood up. “I’m sure we will see each other again soon. Now whether or not it will be in the real world or in here,” he shrugged, “it will just depend on what happens next.”

~~~

Soren frowned when Lethe continued sleeping. He felt bad for disturbing her…but they needed to get out of there. He gently shook her until she woke up, when he would then help her up.

“I do believe that at one point, she believed that she wouldn’t kill anyone, but it’s clear that she’s losing her mind over this.” Willow gave Terry a sympathetic look, gently taking her knife back. “I know the pain of watching a parent die, but ultimately, she needs to learn to let him go. It’s his final wish.”

Soren stepped forward with his arm around Lethe. “Hi again! Look, no matter what she may say, I still love Claudia dearly, and there is so much I regret doing that hurt her in the past. It hurts knowing I may have caused some of her current pain, but I also know I need to do whatever I can to stop her from going any further. She’ll only hurt herself in the future.”

Willow nodded. “We’ll do our best to not hurt her, but if she punches me? I’ll punch back.” With that, she headed up the stairs and out of the brig.

Soren started, but paused for a moment to look back at Terry. “I’m glad you’re there for her. I can tell you love her a lot. The last thing I ever want to do to her is hurt her.”

~~~

Do not ask how the ocean's blue

The very essence of the ocean felt like it swirled in his head. Fast, unforgiving currents. Tides that bury the deepest secrets.

Or why the tides their time do keep

Hidden from the others on the deck, Callum assessed the situation, and eyes narrowed in anger as he saw both Ralya and Bait being lowered to the ocean, one after the other. He imagined a wall of water swirling around everyone on deck while he and the others got away.

To love is simply to know this:
the tides are true, as the ocean is deep

But Viren surprised him greatly. He first fought to keep Rayla alive, then he pushed the pirate on the wheel away to take control of the device himself, halting Rayla’s descent. Viren was…surprising Callum in the moment.

But Claudia wasn’t accepting that as an answer.

Two pirates moved towards Viren, and Callum moved to stop them, but before he could, they began to get pelted by pebbles. One after the other, dozens of them in rapid fire succession, swirling around the two pirates, never stopping their assault. The pirates moved away, hoping that would stop the assault.

He then noticed Willow standing off to the side, both her skin cracked and eyes lit with the earthblood glow. Her bag of pebbles came into use.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe would see Aaravos in the waking world. That didn't mean she had any desire to wake. The pain, however, grew more persistent as she was jarred back and forth and reality, until her eyes opened on it, and she saw Soren above her, and recognized the weight of chains was gone. The cell door was open.

She smiled a little as she accepted Soren's help, and tried to cover her wince as she moved. Her head felt unusually heavy.

She started to take in the conversation around her, of dealing with Claudia. Despite a certain fury that burned through her, Lethe didn't want to harm Claudia. Besides, Terry looked too deeply concerned to say otherwise.

So, instead, she said, "Please stay here. You'll understand in a few moments," Lethe didn't want to fight but there were things she could do to help, all the same.

"Ah…right." Terry didn't know why, but he didn't ask, as the trio made their way up.

By the time they reached the deck, Viren was trying to save Rayla and Bait. Willow responded first, and as attention turned to her, Lethe lifted her hand and formed a portal at the base of Claudia's bag – spilling to the floor where Terry waited. When Claudia reached for a spell component, she found nothing. "What?" She pulled her bag up as Lethe removed the portal, "How? Why?" Confusion overtook.

Viren went back to hold the wheel steady so Rayla wouldn't plummet.

"You'll regret this, all of ye," Finnegrin noticed where the pebbles were coming from and spoke the spell to freeze blood, directing it at Willow to start with. "Deadwood!" He snapped, "deal with them!"

And Deadwood moved to indeed, deal with Soren, as Lethe separated herself from him so he could deal with Claudia.

She intended to make portals for Rayla and Bait to the deck of the ship.

 

[cleopat]

In the chaos Willow did not see or hear the familiar spell Finnegrin was doing. Her concentration on the pebbles dropped as the pain started in her limbs and slowly spread throughout her body as her blood slowly froze.

She let out a small scream as her body crumpled on the deck. She should’ve expected that reaction from Finnegrin, but she foolishly thought otherwise. “Help…” she weakly called out, as more pain enveloped her body.

Callum, who had been standing nearby, did see the spell Finnegrin casted right as he was about to move to get Rayla and Bait. He didn’t trust Viren with that while, their fates in his hands. He could still have a vendetta for Rayla killing him.

But the earthblood elf near him had obviously been hit with the spell, her features twisting in pain from her blood freezing. He bit his lip, looking between her and the other two hanging over the ocean helplessly a few times in rapid succession.

Making up his mind, Callum rushed over to her and uttered the spell he had only read about in books, hoping his gut instinct about what had happened to him was true. Terminus ad glacia.

Immediately, the blue tint to Willow’s skin disappeared, and she took in deep breaths as the pain subsided. She looked at Callum, confusion clear on her face. “What-” She shook her head and stood up. Didn’t matter at that point. She could ask later.



Soren noticed the glow of the portal saving Rayla and Bait, a distraction just long enough before Deadwood started to move towards him. “Uh, hi big fella!” He said cheerfully with a wave of his hand, backing up and away from him in the process.

Naturally, Deadwood didn’t respond.

He would feel more confident if he still had his sword on him, but right now, he just had his fists, and something told him that wouldn’t work so well on Deadwood.

Callum and Willow saw Deadwood going after Soren. Willow felt absolutely helpless, unable to use much of her arcanum in the middle of the ocean, and the only weapon she had on her was her knife. Hardly effective against Deadwood.

But Callum stepped forward a few steps. Aspiro. A gust of wind buffeted Deadwood, and he stumbled a few steps away as a result.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Get up, you dud!” Finnegrin shouted at Deadwood when he saw him stumble, “It’s just a bit of wind!”

Deadwood, of course, did force himself to straighten up, though he reconsidered his target, given Callum was able to do magic that was effective out here, and so he turned towards Callum instead, and sprinted at the young mage to cave his head in with a punch.

Claudia looked frantically around for anything to be an ingredient, only to be surprised when Viren left the wheel that held Rayla and Bait up, and grabbed both of her hands and pulled them behind her back. “Dad?!” the surprise and betrayal was obvious. She began to struggle to get out of his grip immediately.

“It’s for your own good, Claudia,” Viren snapped, struggling, but maintaining his grip even though it hurt his heart to keep her held.

With Rayla and Bait down, Lethe ran towards them, only to collide harshly with the ship as Finnegrin whipped the water from the ocean across the deck, catching under her feet to trip her up. He didn’t swing it near Callum or Willow only due to Deadwood’s approach, but as soon as he had tripped up Lethe, he whispered a far harsher spell to deal with the on in armor. “Iactum aquam.”

A highly pressurized beam of water shot towards Soren to pierce armor and heart.

 

[cleopat]

Chaos unfolded on the deck, and most of the crew stood out of the way, either unable to do anything, or unwilling to do anything. If Finnegrin had a loyal crew, this battle may have been over before it began.

Willow, for the moment, stood out of the way, backing up a few steps when Deadwood started heading for Callum, who looked determined when the giant creature rushed for him.

There was no hesitation. “Levare ventum.” A gust of wind rushed towards Deadwood, but instead of pushing him back, it lifted him into the air a few feet before dropping him back down without the assistance of the wind. With his weight. Deadwood dropped hard onto the deck.

Seeing that Finnegrin was joining in on the spellcasting, she slowly stepped out of sight of the battle before she began to sprint at the pirate captain, putting her all into her speed while he was distracted by casting another spell. She ran and aimed to crash into him, to spend them both sprawling to the ground.

Soren was too focused on Deadwood, that he didn’t notice the spell casted for him. Callum, however, did. He panicked for a moment before casting a gust of wind again to push Soren out of the path of the beam of water. Although they avoided the worst, the beam still hit his arm, resulting in a deep pain that Soren cried out with.

 

[Lucyfer]

Deadwood dropped, but such a thing didn’t even phase him. It just made him more annoyed as he recognized that getting to Callum was going to be the trick, given the mage’s abilities. He looked around for something heavy he might succeed in wielding, and caught sight of the anchor. So, of course, he made his way over to that, planning to use its long chain as a way he might strike Callum from a distance.


Meanwhile, Finnegrin noticed too late the woman hurtling towards him, and was plowed into, and tackled to the ground. Of course, as he fell, he was already moving his hands to try and grab hers, and already preparing to try and roll her so he was atop and her below, the better to take control with.

He knew he had Willow beat in strength, after all.


And poor Viren – when he heard Soren cry out, it was all Claudia needed to elbow her father in the gut and force him to let her go. Which, he did, albeit with his own look of shock as she gave him an apologetic one, before starting to sprint – and falling right through a portal.

It led to the prison, where Claudia found herself face to face with Terry – who shut the cell door on her, defeated.

Lethe knew it wouldn’t be so easy with Finnegrin. Not while his hands were free. And Deadwood? He might just break the cell doors – but Claudia, she could get out of danger. Finnegrin and Deadwood? She wasn’t sure if they’d have to die.


As for Rayla, thanks to Bait, she was able to get her hands free, and then the rest of her. She looked around for a decent opening or way to assist, though without her own swords it was a bit of a difficult task. Still, there had to be something -- and then Soren cried out, and she hurried to his side, noting where Deadwood was heading. "You okay?" obviously not, but, "We have to do something about Deadwood." He wasn't being stopped, or slowed. "We need something...heavy! Strong! To stop him."

Which, Deadwood seemed to be heading for on his own -- the heavy chain of the anchor.

 

[cleopat]

Willow knew she was fucked whether or not Finnegrin could wrestle control away from her. Still, she fought against his attempt to grab her by attempting to grab his wrists to pin him down. “Please,” she begged, “you need to stop this.” She knew the words fell on deaf ears though.

The brief thought of her knife flashed in her mind, but even if she could reach it, she realized she didn’t want to hurt Finnegrin, though she suspected the feeling wasn’t mutual. She just wanted him to stop this madness.

He had one hand, and she had one arm, and she put all of her might into refusing to let him overpower her. She could feel her strength fading the longer she resisted, though.


Oh, letting Deadwood use the anchor would not be the best idea. Callum quickly calculated a plan, but when he saw Ralya, he looked mildly surprised. “Rayla!”

Rayla, who took to Soren’s side when it became apparent that he was injured in some way. “Yeah, I’m okay,” Soren assured her, rubbing at his arm before wincing a little. He doubted there was a broken bone, but at the very least he would have a very nasty bruise in the morning.

Something heavy…something strong. “Well, I don’t think something heavy will stop him,” Soren noticed as Deadwood headed for the anchor. “But if we could get something strong to stop him!”

Callum frowned in concentration as he thought of what they could do to stop Deadwood, or at the very least, slow him down.

Slow him down…

Taking a deep breath, Callum signed his next spell, and whispered “Aspiro Frigis.” He blew out a gust of extremely cold air, aiming for Deadwood’s feet and a portion of his lower legs. Ice encaptured his lower limbs, halting his movements for the time. He didn’t know how long that spell would hold something like Deadwood back though.

But he hoped it would be long enough to subdue the others and figure out what to do with Deadwood, as he did not like the fact he couldn't move his feet.

 

[Lucyfer]

Finnegrin, obviously, didn’t listen to Willow’s plea. He obviously continued the fight for control even though Willow held an arm. He managed to roll atop, but she continued to push against his one arm while he held one of hers down.

The frustration was nagging at him as he heard all the sounds around, but couldn’t get a good luck at what was happening.

Unfortunately for him, now that Viren was free, he opted to try and come help. In the midst of the struggle for power, Viren helped to turn the tide by grabbing Finnegrin under his shoulders and hefting him to his feet. It was a bit of a surprise for both of them, Viren not expecting Finnegrin to be that easy to pull up, and Finnegrin not expecting to be pulled up.

Viren nearly fell over onto his back but managed to brace at the last second, and pull Finnegrin’s hands back as the man lunged forward to try and get away – just enough so Lethe could snap on the first shackle on his right wrist.

“What the—” Finnegrin pulled his left hand free and rounded to punch Viren in the face, succeeding, and taking his right hand, with shackle on, back.



Deadwood was encased in ice up to his hips, his hands caught in it as well, pinned against his side. He was not at all happy about it. He struggled for freedom, wriggling and trying to get ice to chip off and break. “Good work, Callum!” Rayla called, before looking to Soren. “C’mon!”

If they could get that chain and get it around Deadwood, that threat would be mitigated, and she ran over to it and began to unwind it so they’d have length. The anchor wasn’t going to unhook, but that was a problem for later, when they had to move Deadwood. Right now, it was all right if he just held still.

 

[cleopat]

Willow was beginning to feel the control slipping from her, emphasized by how Finnegrin managed to roll on top of her. Still, she fought to not let him get her other arm.

She didn’t have to fight much longer, as Finnegrin was suddenly lifted from her by Viren. Lethe joined in, successfully clasping the first shackle on, but there was no way Finnegrin was going to go down so easily.

With his attention turned towards Viren after the punch, Willow made a lunge for the other shackle dangling from his right wrist, simultaneously reaching to grab his left one. She struggled to try and get both wrists shackled behind his back, hoping that she was quick enough to not have to battle with his strength.




Soren cheered on Callum as well when Deadwood became trapped in the ice and struggled to even move, much less break out. But he knew they couldn’t count on the ice to hold him forever. He was strong, and eventually, ice melted.

So when Rayla ran over to the chain, Soren and Callum joined her, though Callum was a lot less help than Soren was, who could pick up the chain with relative ease. The three of them moved the chain and wrapped it securely around Deadwood. Now, whenever the ice melted, or when Callum melted it, he shouldn’t be able to go anywhere.

Soren noticed his father helping Lethe and Willow, and he didn’t quite know how to feel about that. But it did lead him to another question, “Where’s Claudia?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Finnegrin was definitely not going down without a fight. As Viren reeled back, blood spurting from his nose, Finnegrin again had his hands caught, only this time he wasn't able to free them before the shackle was around his left wrist. He tried to round on Willow, but Lethe popped open another portal and down into a cell he went.

And then Deadwood, as soon as he was bound, where Lethe hoped Terry would close and lock the doors on them.

"She's, um, in a cell already." Lethe answered, "the portals I make can go anywhere." Sizing them this large was difficult, but it was fairly convenient, given it required no words, just an ability to move her hands. She glanced at Viren a moment, unsure if he should be sent down as well, before looking back to the others.

Before she could speak to vouch for him, he did it himself, "I should also be put in chains and sent to the brig. I'm still a…vessel," he spat the word, "for Aaravos. He could use me to unlock the others if he wanted, if I remained free," and he didn't want that. Even if he also didn't want to spend his last day in a cell, it was for the best.

Rayla hesitated, but she was the first to move and take the shackles she had been in and offer them to Soren. It wouldn't really be right for anyone else to do it, even if Viren had turned over a new leaf.

"So, the uh…ship…."

"We're not gonna fight you all, if that's what you're worried about," an elf on the crew stated. "We'd be happy to bring this ship into a port and go free."

 

[cleopat]

The chaos soon ended with the last of them portaled into the cells, bound so they couldn’t break open the cell doors. Willow let out a deep sigh of relief, though the worry did linger in the back of her mind. The worry of what will happen once Finnegrin is out.

He will get out eventually. It was just a matter of where she is when he does. His anger is not something to mess with.

Soren nodded at Lethe, seemingly satisfied with her answer. It hurt, knowing his baby sister was locked in a cell like that, but what choice did they have? She was going absolutely insane in her mission to save dad!

Their dad, who didn’t want to be saved.

Their dad, who thought it best if he was in a cell like the others, even if he was seemingly on their side with the way he fought Finnegrin and his own daughter.

His heart dropped to his chest as Rayla offered him the shackles. He gulped, grabbed the shackles, and turned to look at his dad with eyes full of uncertainty. “I’m sorry, dad,” he whispered, shackling his hands in front of his body, rather than behind. Give him one form of dignity in his last hours.

The moment ended as Soren guided his father down to the brig and into his own cell, and an elf spoke up of their wish to just go free. Willow hummed, nodding at the kid gang. “Almost everyone who works on this ship was forced to do so to pay off a supposed debt.”



Aaravos, visible once more to who he only thought was Lethe, stood off to the side, leaning against the railing, while watching the scene as if everything amused him greatly.

 

[Lucyfer]

Viren was taken away in silence. It was enough for Lethe to glare at Aaravos over. Viren was another like her. He deserved no pity for his decisions, and yet, it was all Lethe could do. That, and mourn. She was losing the only other person who knew the Star Arcanum.

She understood why Aaravos felt so alone, for so long.

But there was more to consider, and wounds to patch. They did their best with what they had, though her horn still ached. They found three glow tadpoles among the trapped creatures on the ship, and Lethe tried to get a moment to talk to Callum about the new Arcanum, but everything moved too quickly.

And by evening, they had a new guest: a tired looking Zubeia, Jove, Zym, and Ezran.

She immediately hugged Jove around his neck as Ezran joined them on deck, and assessed the still visible injuries. "I'm sorry…I was late."

"Nah, you're just in time," Rayla brushed it off, not noticing the way the crew scattered at the sight of Zubeia. "Don't look so sad! We're all okay!"

Ezran didn't cheer. He looked down.

Zubeia spoke instead. "You missed much on this journey. We must do more to protect the prison. We could not while ashore."

"What? Why?"

"We couldn't return to Katolis," Ezran said, "because Domina is dead, and Sol Regem is claiming sovereignty."

Lethe went ashen

 

[cleopat]

They continued on, and most of the crew felt like they could breathe easier now that the reason for their unconditional obedience was shackled and behind bars.

Willow, however, did not know how to feel. Mixed emotions swirled in her gut, and there was apprehension over the thought of how he, and even Claudia, may retaliate whenever they get out of the cells.

But for now, she lingered on the deck with the others, helping where she could. When the sun began to set on the horizon, new guests flew in to join them, startling Willow.

Especially since one of them was an archdragon. And not just any archdragon, but the queen of the dragons.

Callum was relieved to see them all. He immediately ran up to hug Ezran, glad he was just able to avoid the mess earlier. But immediately, they could all sense something was wrong.

Domina was dead, and Sol Regem was claiming sovereignty.

“What? How is that possible?” None of this was good. “What happened to Domina? Do we know who killed her?” Callum asked.

Aaravos, still lingering around as he watched them throughout the day, seeing if they would drop any hints about his prison, perked up at the news. “Now this is fascinating.”



Willow’s breath caught in her throat. Yes, they knew who killed Domina, and she was partly responsible for it. Enough so that the guilt was beginning to eat at her.

She was one of those who slipped away, and with some major hesitation, she headed down to the brig, where Claudia, Viren, and Finnegrin were in their own cells, shackled for everyone’s protection.

“Chained up isn’t a bad look for you,” she couldn’t help but to quip, stopping in front of Finnegrin’s cell. If only it was an entirely different, more private, setting…

She sighed, shaking the thought from her head. “Zubeia is here.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Zubeia started to shake her head, but all attention turned to Terry as he voiced a soft, "Um," that was telling enough. Zubeia's gaze was harsh, and Lethe felt her heart ache. She knew, before Terry said anything, by his reluctance. "I…know."

Lethe ignored Aaravos, except to give a slight nod. It was fascinating, and now, potentially deadly.

"Who?" Zubeia demanded, her voice shaking the boat upon the water.

"You can't hurt him! He was…he woke up in a compromising situation and he regrets it, deeply."

Zubeia didn't agree. Her eyes demanded Terry continue, and so, he did.

"We…we were looking for a cure for my…," he hesitated, "my friend's," the sorrow in the term was obvious, the change of relationship painful, "and Finnegrin offered to help if we helped him. That help ended up being killing Domina. Viren, he…he wasn't himself, he just walked along with us silently, but when Domina attacked the ship, he woke up! And he protected his daughter by…well, by killing Domina."

"That," Zubeia said coldly, "is the same man who killed Avizandum, and you expect me to spare him?"

"Yes!" Lethe forced herself to interject, even as the full weight of Zubeia's wrathful glare fell upon her. She didn't wince. "He's going to die in a day anyways. The spell keeping him alive runs out tonight." She swallowed, "he's done with dark magic, Zubeia. He helped us imprison Claudia and Finnegrin, and…." She wanted to mention the Arcanum, but not in front of Aaravos. Somehow, that was enough to convince Lethe he was truly done with dark magic. Instead, she said, "The want came from Captain Finnegrin. Hold him responsible."

~***~

The thunderous voice of an Archdragon was impossible not to hear. Finnegrin realized they might have been doomed from the start, if the beast was paired with these children. With Viren repentant, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Viren, who sat in his cell, looking down, while Claudia paced hers after her explosive breakup with Terry, clearly trying to figure an ingredient around that she could use to break out with.

Finnegrin ignored her.

He ignored everyone, stewing in his rage, until Willow arrived. The look he met her with was far from kind, and promised such a revenge, as he imagined tying her to the bow of his ship, bloody, to let the the carrion birds pick the meat off her, while the salt and brine inflicted constant, long, agony.

He would have his revenge for that snide comment, too.

"Your point?" Finnegrin asked, "are we to be executed together? Or does she know yet your little role in seeing her peer perish?" Finnegrin asked, his leer promising if this was his death, it was hers, as well. He'd make sure Zubeia knew. "You were quite eager to see the dragon die, too."

 

[cleopat]

Soren felt immediate pity and sympathy for Terry, who allowed himself to be in the unwanted spotlight of Zubeia. And when it was made clear that she thought Viren had to die, a sharp pain stabbed his chest, as he didn’t want his father to die. He didn’t want anything to happen to Claudia.

He just wished his family could go back to the way it was before…everything.

“Please, Zubeia, he’s already tortured himself enough over everything. Dying in that cell, along…don’t you think that’s a sufficient punishment?” Soren pleaded. And with Claudia watching him from another cell…

“Um…how much did I miss?” asked Ezran, his sadness temporarily replaced with much confusion.

“I think that’s a story we will have to fill you in on later,” said Callum. Oh, was there a lot to tell.

~~~

Oh, even if Willow was blind, she could feel the anger Finnegrin radiated in that look he gave her that promised revenge in ways she couldn’t even fathom. The look forced her gaze to look away for a moment, long enough to steady her breathing.

But her nerves were all over the place.

“No, she doesn’t know yet.” And she would prefer to keep it that way, but based on the leer, and the hidden threat between his words, Finnegrin would shout it as his last breath. She didn’t know the likelihood of walking away from everything alive, but damn if she wasn’t going to try.

“Some new kid came with Zubeia.” She didn’t really know why she came down there, or felt the need to tell Finnegrin anything. It was clear how angry he was. But she told him what she was going to do! She had no choice.

Her mind warred with herself.

“He mentioned being unable to protect a prison, because Sol Regem is trying to claim sovereignty.” She shrugged her shoulders. Only one prison has been part of frequent conversation.

Maybe there was a slight chance to still get out alive.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe could only offer Ezran a sympathetic look as he realized how much had been missed. There was a lot to explain to him, indeed. First, Viren's fate had to be decided, and Zubeia seemed to weigh the opinions of Soren and Lethe, and the way the others didn't speak against sparing him. Or speak against dealing with Finnegrin.

She let out a deep sigh. "Very well. I will hold the one who ordered the death responsible. I know I can trust the word of you, Soren." She said.

"But what's this about Sol Regem?" Rayla interrupted. "I thought he was…unfit to rule?" She and Callum encountered him blind and half mad from isolation. Was it madness that sent him to pursue the throne again?

"He was healed," Zubeia said it with some wonder, some surprise. "He has divided the Sunfire elves into civil war, and seems intent to commit genocide against humanity," her expression became thoughtful, "Finnegrin…is he human?"

"He's an elf." Soren said.

"Perhaps it would be good to bring him before Sol Regem. Remind him elves are just as capable of treachery and cruelty."

"Do you think it would help?" Ezran asked.

'No.' Lethe didn't say that. A cold terror still gripped her at the thought of Sol Regem. She never knew him in his prime, but she knew what he did. The city he destroyed was not far from here.

"It may. We must try diplomacy, mustn't we?"

Ezran nodded, smiled. "Yes."

Lethe…didn't think so. Not with the power he had. She wanted to believe in diplomacy, but everything she knew of Sol Regem told her he'd flame first and ask no questions. 'And where has assuming gotten you?'

~***~

No, of course Zubeia didn't know. Willow wouldn't be alive if Zubeia knew, but his words held enough of a threat. He'd bring Willow down with him. Perhaps it would be enough for her to make sure he lived, given it was the only card he had to play.

He didn't imagine she felt much in the way of guilt, considering their history. Despite the nights they spent in bed together, there was no love lost between them.

Fun times. Enjoyable. But little else.

Finnegrin scoffed at the mention of Sol Regem. "The blind king truly went mad, eh? His reign won't last, I'm surprised it's a footnote," Finnegrin did wonder why it would be mentioned. Sol Regen was no threat. Certainly not to Zubeia. Finnegrin didn't even think he was truly worth his attention. "Though if he can hold down power, bye bye humanity." He snorted.

 

[cleopat]

When night fell and Lethe went off to the privacy of her quarters, Aaravos made himself visible to her once more. Sol Regem, if he indeed had been healed, would be a formidable foe, even with Zubeia’s help. And they knew that.

They would need some extra help to defeat him.

Aaravos reappeared to Lethe leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. “My, my, you guys seem to be in a sort of a pickle now, aren’t you?” His usual look of mischief was nowhere to be seen.

He was entirely serious in his approach.

“How do you plan on approaching Sol Regem? You of all elves should know he can’t be reasoned with.” He frowned as he realized the emotion he was feeling at the moment was nervousness. Nervousness for Lethe. “You all will need some extra help.”

~~~

A few more exchange of words and Willow left Finnegrin to the others in the cells, but it wasn’t long before she was informed of the plan regarding Finnegrin and Sol Regem. Which only meant she would face judgment by Sol Regem as well, and she hardly believed he had any pity for half-breeds like herself.

She did believe her execution would be swift though.

Willow didn’t slip back down to the brig until later, when most had gone to their own quarters for sleep. She ignored any heated glare he may have sent her way - she could live with that until he realized she had been trying to help him the entire time.

“It seems that your fate is up to Sol Regem.” She leaned against the bars. “What are the odds of him having a moment of kindness?” As likely as Finnegrin having a moment of kindness.

 

[Lucyfer]

Sol Regem, healed. It was like a nightmare. Everything about this day was like a nightmare. The ache in her head, the loss of another Startouched person, Sol Regem – so much swirled in her head as she went to the quarters she was allowed to use on the large ship. ‘At least Janai is okay….’ Although news of her fate had been told to them, as well. The Bloodmoon Huntress still lived, and still hunted.

A crime Luna had allowed to go on for too long, and now they were looking at a reinstated Sol?

To make it all worse, Aaravos arrived like a devil offering salvation. Well – almost.

His tone was too nervous to be a devil.

“Concerned he’ll destroy your prison, Aaravos?” It was a legitimate concern. Sol Regem would, if he could. The ‘could’ was the debatable part. Lethe didn’t know how to break it, anymore than she knew how to open it. They had touched on it briefly with Zubeia; Callum had some object he thought needed to be destroyed, a strange cube, but Zubeia talked him out of it.

They didn’t know enough.

“I plan to leave it to Zubeia. She has a body made of scales if Sol Regem decides to strike, I don’t,” she’d learned how painfully frail even her hardened horns were all too recently, as she sat back on the bed and buried her face in her hands, “I don’t know. I don’t know.” She did know that Zubeia was going to be hurt.

She did know, a lot of people were going to be killed.

A lot already had been while they were dealing with this, Sunfire elves and humans alike who had been in the camp. “Does Rex Igneous hate Sol Regem enough to wake up from a nap?” No, starting a war between dragons was the last thing she wanted to do. That’s what Aaravos almost did. She groaned into her hands.

~***~

Finnegrin dozed. There was little else to do, but he heard the steps as the Moonshadow Elf came down. She didn’t seem interested in talking to any of them, and just took a seat as an apparent guard.

Then Willow arrived.

Unlike Rayla, she was a bit more talkative, and mentioned Sol Regem deciding his fate. He scoffed, “As likely as time running backwards,” Finnegrin said, “Is that for all of us? Or is it just me who’s getting this treatment?” Well, him and Willow. But Willow knew that. He'd make sure everyone knew what a crucial part of this she was, and how much she wanted Domina dead, too.

Viren did look from his cell in concern, “Not Claudia – she’s done wrong but she doesn’t deserve this.”

Claudia didn’t speak, for once. She had stopped her pacing, and had finally taken a seat in her cell, but she’d become deathly quiet in her fury, and in the way her father now acted. To hear him try to defend her, meant very little to her now.

“And how—why—why is anyone listening to what Sol Regem wants?” news that Sol Regem was healed had not yet reached the prisoners.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos hadn’t even considered the possibility of Sol Regem destroying his prison. It was far more likely to him before now that one of the kids would do that, maybe the kid who learned two arcanums.

With the other possibilities that a healed Sol Regem presented, it was the one he cared the least about.

“Concerned he’ll destroy a lot more,” Aaravos admitted. With Lethe’s history, she may not be safe at all from Sol Regen’s rampage, and that was what concerned Aaravos, more than he would care to admit. “And I don’t think what you want to do is to wake up Rex Igneous to take care of Sol Regem.”

That would lead to war, and a war between dragons was deadly to everyone around them.

He stood up straight and walked over to Lethe, kneeling on one knee before her. “You do have other options. You know this.”

~~~

Willow shifted as Finnegrin asked if he was the one getting the special treatment, the underlying threat of her as well obvious. She just wished Rayla weren’t there. She would have to be mindful of what she said, and hoped Finnegrin didn’t say anything to out her.

“Just you getting the treatment, as far as I know.” And Viren’s pained plea to spare Claudia, despite what she’s done, sent a sharp pain in her chest. “I don’t know what fate you or Claudia face.”

She truly didn’t, she hadn’t heard anything in the group’s chatter. But if there was something decided, maybe Rayla would pipe in.

“And there is a reason for everyone to listen to what Sol Regen wants.” The news of his healing wouldn’t have reached down there. She hadn’t told them yet, and Rayla wouldn’t have told them, she suspected. “He’s been healed, somehow, and he’s not happy.” That was a given.

They could be truly fucked if something wasn’t done.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘And he will.’ Lethe knew Sol Regem would destroy plenty. He would even destroy Callum just for carrying the taint of dark magic, and he might destroy her for her history. Her life ceased to be as important to her, but Callum’s was. Even Claudia’s, the poor dark mage led astray, and Terry who supported her up to that point, deserved better.

She lowered her hands as Aaravos’s voice grew closer, with the suggestion of other options.

Himself. ‘Callum called the cube the Key of Aaravos.’ Could such a thing really be a key? Even if it was, she didn’t know how a cube unlocked anything. ‘You can’t be thinking this, you can’t be.’

Who else? Even with the Star Arcanum, Lethe knew so little. The stars revealed secrets at their leisure. The answer might not even be in the stars. She knew dark magic had been Sol Regem’s weakness, but it hadn’t finished him off, merely blinded him. “I suppose I could take Claudia and abscond somewhere to find a way for the dark mage to kill him,” an option.

Not the one he meant.

“But I couldn’t do that,” she couldn’t condemn Claudia to further practice. She’d rather do it herself and hope Viren, or Soren, found a way to save Claudia before it was too late. “I don’t know how to free you, Aaravos.” That was what he was asking.

There was no ‘even if I wanted to’ added in, this time.

Desperation and fear did terrible things. “Callum has a cube he called a key, but I don’t know how it works.” Was that secret left with Sol Regem? Or perhaps Luna’s child? Each had a secret about Aaravos’s state. Domina had been told the nature of the prison – that it was the pearl.

~***~

Viren relaxed only a little. His fate, in the end, didn’t matter unless they were acting that night. It didn’t seem like they were, which meant he’d die when the sun rose. He was okay with that, but Claudia…Soren would look after her, wouldn’t he? “Sol Regem won’t want her spared. He won’t want Callum spared, either.”

“Any human,” Finnegrin interjected, “any half-human,” he sneered.

Rayla opted to interject, “We’re not going to let him harm anyone else.”

“And you can stop him?” Finnegrin laughed, “let me tell you something, girlie: Sol Regem is fine with mass murder and genocide, even amongst the elves. Almost as bad as Luna Tenebris, what with her keeping around the blood moon practitioners. Sol Regem enjoyed the Sunfire elves going after each other with blood and violence for leadership positions, so I promise ye, he’ll fight Zubeia for his own leadership, and when he wins,” no if there, “everyone is going down.”

“If we give him you, he'll see elves and humans—”

“He knows this,” Finnegrin said, “you’ll just have given him someone who could have helped deal with him,” he snipped, “Someone willin’ to go after dragons and call them on their bullshit and find the means to deal with them.” Oh, he’d own being responsible. Sure, it was Viren, but he arranged it, didn’t he? “True, might be a little hard to track down a way without my little pebble to do the dirty work, but….”

Rayla didn’t need clarification on who that was, and she sent a questioning gaze at Willow for that statement.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos remained silent when Lethe presented her first thought, finding a way for the dark mage to kill Sol Regem. He knew that wouldn’t be her last thought, so he said nothing, until she continued her thought.

No, she wouldn’t be able to do that. Lethe with her kindheartedness to try and not drag anyone else into this mess if she could help it. But Claudia was already involved whether she liked it or not.

And he had hoped that he could call out Lethe for lying to him, that she did know how to free him, but he didn’t detect any hint of subterfuge in her words. She was telling him the truth. She didn’t know how to free him.

Someone had to know though.

His head cocked to the side with curiosity as she continued. “Cube? What cube?” Maybe this cube…really was a key to unlocking his prison. “Do you know where he got this cube from?”

~~~

Willow didn’t need Finnegrin to repeat the words back to her. She knew Sol Regem wouldn’t spare her, now for multiple reasons, but the circumstance of her birth was already a good enough reason to him for her death. And the entire human kingdoms.

She didn’t meet Rayla’s questioning gaze, too ashamed to even begin to think of what to say to her. Instead, she looked at Finnegrin, and focused on his words. You still have your little pebble she wanted to say.

Would he laugh at her? In disbelief? Mockingly?

But she didn’t want to give Rayla a reason to throw her in the cell with him. She was of better use out there, and she didn’t know what anger still simmered underneath his skin.

“Someone willing to go after the dragons,” she mumbled, brows furrowing. She took a step back from the cell to get a better look between Viren and Rayla. “Who exactly is Aaravos?” she asked, seemingly out of the blue. “I heard that even the dragons feared him, but why? Is he someone who could put a stop to Sol Regem?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe could only shake her head, “It’s a cube with the designs of all six primal signs on it. It lights up when it’s near a source of one,” she said, “With Callum now, it’s a dim ocean and sky light,” and around her, no doubt, it would shine star and sky. “He mentioned it had been in his family, but that’s all.”

She could only sigh, “If it is a key passed down by the Queen,” the one they both knew, from years ago. The one who helped to betray him, “she didn’t leave instructions,” why would she? She didn’t want Aaravos freed. Still, why create a key in the first place, unless it was just to retrieve his corpse and all the books locked away with him.

She didn’t understand it.

Perhaps the Queen had hoped one day, Aaravos might repent, as well.

Long after she died.

Long after she didn’t have to make that decision herself. “They divided up all the information for a reason,” Lethe reminded him, “I never knew where you went, or anything. I only knew how your prison looked, and that was almost too much. The information was spread out between the dragons.”

~***~

Viren interjected, “No one worth calling upon for help,” when Aaravos was brought up. He fixed Willow with a harsh look for questioning it, “He’s the Star I told you about. The one you can’t trust. He’ll use and abuse your desperation for answers and help. There has to be another way to handle this situation.”

“And what would that be? Oh – you don’t have any ideas, or care, do ye? Not since you’re going to kick the bucket long before this is your problem,” Finnegrin scoffed.

“It is my problem, it still involves my children,” Viren snapped at him, “Anything would be better than Aaravos,” he said, more urgently to Willow, “These…kids know that.”

Rayla nodded solemnly, “He’s right. And we have to give negotiation a try. I know Sol Regem is going to be…angry. And difficult to deal with. But he’s still worthy of giving a chance to! He’s had a lot of time to think, too, and to see what’s been done since his reign. We can’t just imagine him as an angry old man, bitter about what happened to him!”

“Pah,” Finnegrin brushed that off. “See how far that gets you. Least I might get a quicker death than the rest of you if you try fighting it.” Not that he wouldn’t try fighting it, if he was able to get a chance to do so.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos was curious as to why they would create a prison with a key to open it, if the intention had been to imprison him for eternity, unless the prison couldn’t be created without a key.

There was no use in musing over the decision of a long dead queen.

“I’m hardly surprised they divided up the tasks like that.” If one person knew all, he would’ve found out, and found a way to make them spill everything. To not allow any one person to know every detail of his prison? It would’ve been harder for him to trace that.

“I am curious, do you know what the cube does when all six primal signs are lit up?” he inquired, pacing a little back and forth in front of Lethe. Maybe if she could get the cube, he could figure out how to open it, since it seemed that Lethe was more concerned about Sol Regem than his being free.

Which was a valid fear.

~~~

Willow felt some annoyance that no one actually answered her question. They continued to give her cryptic answers, to persuade her that he was not someone they should turn to even when at their most desperate.

But isn’t it when one is most desperate that they’re willing to go any lengths?

Willow snorted. Negotiations? That was laughable. If that was the case, she hoped she would be in the same boat as Finnegrin with getting a quick death. “You’re talking about a dragon who had centuries to stew in his anger and rage over humanity. There will be less negotiating and more begging for mercy.”

If they survived, that is.

If Willow went back to Scumport and pretended nothing ever happened, would she be able to continue living her life as before? Or would a reign of Sol Regem change things forever?

“You can try negotiating with him, but I think it would be wise to have a back-up plan, and maybe a back-up plan for that back-up plan.”