Nostra quietly approached Azura. "Lady Azura, I need to tell you something, but you can't tell Ser Patrick."
Azura glanced up worriedly. "What is it?"
"I know exactly where Hilda went."
"You do?"
"She wanted to go after Hogsworth. I find their tale a love story in disguise, so I let her."
Azura's mouth dropped open. "You--are you sure that was a good idea?"
<>
Waver glanced around. "We should be there soon. Her house isn't far off."
Alexis put a hand out. "Did you guys hear that noise? It sounded like wings."
Spinner opened his mouth but Waver suddenly slammed into him. "Get out of the way!"
Seconds later, a figure crashed through the trees overhead, landing right where Spinner has been standing. The figure had a purplish-white skin, white eyes, and dragon wings that unfolded when it stood.
Echo grinned. "Guys! It's a man-dragon. I read some of them protect parts of the end and I'm positive Lance had some."
To her surprise, it bowed to her.
"Why do you think that thing is here?" Spinner asked. "We're a whole dimension away from the End."
The beast spoke, Echo understanding every word. "I am here to help. The man to whom I am bound is in grave danger."
Waver blinked rapidly. "What did he say?"
"He said he's here to help." Echo translated. "He...oh no, Lance! Hell knight must have done something terrible to him after I fell!"
He nodded. "Kralos also already has Zeganirn."
Echo grabbed her head in her hands and sunk to the ground. "No, no, no, no! Why does this have to happen?!" She held back tears. "Every time I finally find someone I belong with, after I finally find my family, something happens to rip them away from me! Why?"
Alexis leaned down and gently put a hand on the Enderkin's shoulder. "Hey, it's not over yet. Kralos still doesn't have the rest of the Ender Watchers, so we can still do something."
"Like what? I can't seem to do anything!"
Alexis suddenly grabbed both of Echo's shoulders and shook her. "Don't you dare start doubting yourself, Echo! I mean, you're descended from some of the most powerful people in End History!"
"But—"
"Did Gwendolyn give up when she struggled in her first year as the Arch-Enchantress? No! Did Lance quit his painstaking research into the power of the End Crystals? No! Did Ceris surrender to the Nether when they invaded? Absolutely not!" Alexis shook her again. "So snap out of it!"
Echo sat silent and the man-dragon crouched next to her, saying, "Echo, 'Wisdom is like a book; you learn it. Bravery is like a muscle; you exercise it. And love is like a fire; you have to ignite it'. Your father said that to me once. Gwendolyn always believed 'Powerful traits are similar to good library books without a catalog. You have to search for them'."
Echo looked up. "What did my mother say?"
"'We will fight gods if we have to'."
She was silent for another moment before climbing to her feet, turning to the man-dragon. "Head south-east. The Ender Watchers should be in a cave down there. Tell them that I'm okay and I'll catch up with them soon."
It nodded and took to the sky, Echo turning to the group. "Well? We can't lose any more time. Let's go!"
Alexis and Spinner grinned as the group continued down the path.
<>
Kane blinked. "So let me get this straight. The Nether army is hunting you all down, the daughter of the End Matriarch it missing, and a deadly monster called Shadow is hellbent on destroying us all?"
Corpus nodded. "Basically."
"Okay then. May I ask what the grand plan is?"
Ceris frowned. "I'm not sure just yet. If that large of an army is already on the move, then we have a very short amount of time to figure something out."
Ciara looked at Hogsworth. "Are you sure we should formulate plans with him in here?"
Lyria sighed. "For the last time, people. He's with the Frostbourne now!"
"He could secretly be a double agent."
"Everyone," Gwendolyn pointed to the mouth of the cave. "We have a visitor. It appears Lance's man-dragon has decided to join us."
He bowed and said something, Gwen using magic to translate. "It said: 'I am here to help. I also want you to know I met Echo on the way here and she is safe. She said she will meet up with all of you soon'."
Vordus let out a sigh of a relief. "Thank goodness."
The man-dragon settled itself next to Lance and added something to his statement.
Gwendolyn paled. "He also said that Kralos already has Zeganirn."
Ceris inhaled sharply. "Then we can't stay here."
"But fleeing will do no good," Hogsworth warned. "If they find nothing here, they will hunt you down even faster."
Hilda crossed her arms. "Then what are they supposed to do? You've basically told them they can't stay because they'll die, but they can't leave because they'll die!"
Stella's face lit up. "What if we set a trap?" Everyone turned to her so she quickly continued. "Okay, we'd keep a small group of Endermen and people to stay while the majority escape. We'll guard this place to make it seem like everyone is still here."
Rain nodded. "That might just work!"
"But whoever stays risks death," Ceris reminded them. "This seems like the most solid plan we've got, though. If you choose to stay, know what you're signing up for."
Stella gestured to the rest of the Ender Stone Crusaders. "I think we'll all be staying."
"Yeah," Rain rubbed his hands together. "Especially since I'll be good bait. I am the Dragon Tamer, after all. Surely that means something to them, given what Naeus said to me at the start of all this."
"We'll stay too," Hilda grabbed Hogsworth and Lyria. "Having Hogsworth here will give them a nasty shock."
While Lyria proceeded to look panicked, Hogsworth knelt in front of Blossom. "I want you to go with the main group."
"But I want to stay with you!"
"You can't stay with me. It's about to get really dangerous here and I don't want you getting hurt."
Blossom pouted a little. "Fine."
Vordus nodded. "So be it. For our safety, we must leave under the cover of night. Any other time will be too dangerous."
"What about Lance?" Gwendolyn asked.
Vordus glanced over to the unconscious mage. "Well, unless something happens..."
Ceris' entire body went rigid. "I refuse to leave him here as dead."
"Of course not. But worst comes the worst, we might have to."
<>
Midday came quickly and while most ate, Ceris sat worriedly at Lance's side. "Please wake up, Lance. You have to."
Her only response was a soft sigh.
Vordus came over with the man-dragon behind him. "Anything?"
"No."
"Oh," Vordus carefully sat down next to her. "Ceris, I—"
"Vordus, I want to remember."
He blinked. "I-what?"
"I want to remember," she turned to him, her expression serious with a hint of desperation in her eyes. "I want to remember everything you caused me to forget."
He sighed and grasping his staff with one hand, held the other close to her face. "Close your eyes."
Ceris did as asked and felt his fingers on her forehead a moment later. A gasp suddenly escaped her as a flood of memories came rushing into her mind.
<>
The End meeting had just come to a close and now the Lords and Ladies lingered, speaking with each other.
Ceris scanned the groups until she found Lance. He was laughing about something with Lord Marcel and Lady Gwendolyn. He noticed Ceris looking at him and grinned before winking at her. She quickly looked away and forced down the heat rising to her cheeks. Stupid Lance and his stupid charm and his stupid, beautiful smile.
She sighed. Either way, it was pointless in the end given so many women had fallen for him. Well, for his appearance, anyway. She bet they didn't know how much than that Lance was. Yes, he was a bit of a narcissist, but once you worked past that, he was funny, kind, polite, and even sweet.
She shook her head at herself and turned away.
<>
People were everywhere and the noise was immense. Given the Great Ender Festival only happened once every three years, nothing less was to be expected.
Behind one of the buildings stood Ceris and Lance, out of sigh and out of mind for the other End Lords—at least for the moment.
Ceris glanced over her shoulder. "Why did you drag me back here, Lance?"
"Because I can't keep doing this. I can't keep denying what I know is true."
She looked him in the eye. "Denying what?"
"Oh, please. I've been looking at you and you've been looking at me. Don't act like you don't know, Ceris!" He threw his hands up in a slightly exaggerated manner as she leaned against the wall. "We have feelings for each other!"
Ceris' breath caught in her throat. He had found her out? And he had feelings for her too?!
"Ever since I got to know you Ceris...I knew I wanted no one else but you. You're stronger than anyone I know and that is something truly admirable. You're beautiful inside and out."
"Lance, I--"
"Shh." Without another word, Lance, pressed his hand against the wall behind her, leaned over, and gently put his lips on her's without hesitation. She froze for a moment but reacting before he could pull away, kissed him back, her hand landing on the nape of his neck.
When he finally pulled away, they stared breathlessly at each other. Then a smile crept onto his face. "'Denying what'. Like hell you didn't know."
<>
Gwendolyn's face was lit up with a smile. "So you two are in a relationship?"
Ceris nodded. "Yes."
Marcel clapped his hands together. "Good job at getting a pair to finally do something, Lance!"
Lance narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Marcel."
Vordus didn't seem to be having it, a displeased expression on his face. "Seriously? You picked him?"
The End Mage shot the Enderman an indignant look. Apollo frowned at Vordus. "Lance is a fine man and if Ceris chooses to be with him, you can't change it. Even if you are her God-Father."
Skylor nodded. "I agree."
Lhara, meanwhile, just smiled. "Congratulations."
"Thanks." Ceris glanced over to Lance, who winked."
<>
"Are you sure we should do this, Lance?"
"I'm only ready if you are, my love. We don't have to if you don't want to or aren't ready."
"I want to."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. We love each other. That's all that matters, right?"
"Of course, My Queen."
<>
How many weeks Lance had been banished for, Ceris couldn't remember. She had bigger problems as she rushed to her sister's room, tears in her eyes. "Gwendolyn! You-you were right!"
Gwendolyn ran over and put her arms around Ceris. "Oh gods."
"It's because...Lance and I, before the war, we--"
"Shh." Gwen pulled back enough to look her sister in the eye. "Everything is going to be okay. We're here for you."
"I know. But I wish he was here for me. Why did he have to do what he did, Gwen?!" Ceris couldn't control her tears as she buried her face into her sister's shoulder.
<>
Ceris studied the child in her arms. It was a beautiful girl with a tuft of purple hair and her eyes --one deep blue, the other Ender--looked up at Ceris with curiosity.
"Oh, my beautiful Echo," Ceris whispered. "I'm sorry to have brought you here. Your father is banished and your mother doesn't have a clue as to what she's doing. What is going to happen to us?'
She glanced up to see Vordus in the doorway, a sad expression on his face.
<>
Ceris' eyes flew open, her consciousness in the cave once more. Vordus gave her a worried look. "My Queen, are you alright? Was that too much at once?"
A pang of sadness hit her at 'my queen' as she remembered the way Lance said that to her. "I'm fine, Vordus. Thank you."
<>
Night came quickly and Gwendolyn came over silently, Vordus behind her as she said, "Ceris...we must go."
Instead of replying, Ceris leaned down and pressed her lips to Lance's, Gwen noticing Vordus flinch out of the corner of her eye.
With a heavy sigh, the End Matriarch climbed to her feet, heading over to Rain. "You and the Enderstone Crusaders are in charge. Be careful and please don't die."
Rain laughed. "Don't worry. All four of us have avoided death plenty of times."
Stella and Ciara agreed while Kane just shrugged.
Ceris nodded slowly and with one last look at Lance, left with the remaining Ender Watchers.
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A/N: 2030 THOUSAND WORDS?! this has to be the longest Wattpad chapter I have ever written in any book! I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Things are about to get emotional and deep real quick