His sister? Time froze as Selena slowly swiveled her head over her shoulder to look at Silver. "Oh." That was all she could say. He grinned and made haste to reach where she stood. Meanwhile, Thor stood back on his haunches and kept his guard up as if he was about to attack Silver in that instant, like a snake ready to strike.
Still ignoring the threatening dragon, he lifted her chin to meet her gaze and brushed away a tear with a sweep of his thumb. "I'm sorry I never mentioned her before, but I haven't seen her in years. Honestly, I thought she was dead until she showed up earlier today." Silver laughed, but she still failed to find the humor in his explanation; she was no longer mad at him but now angry herself for jumping to such harsh conclusions when there was an apparent reason. Only when Silver extended his arms did she accept his affectionate hold.
She found the right way to apologize for her harsh reaction when Silver didn't deserve it through fuddled speech. "I-I'm sorry. I overheard parts of your conversation with her, and when you brought up the wedding, I thought—"
Silver raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused by how she perceived his last conversation with his sister. "Yes? I meant our wedding, as in yours and mine. Did you believe I would leave you?" Before looking up, Selena wiped the rest of her tears away, pushing back the stinging pain of guilt for thinking he would abandon her; he gently kissed her crown. "You know me better than that, my dear. Come with me. I want you to meet her."
Thor growled through his fangs when she and Silver walked past, but the demigod strode forward without a second glance. What did he do to you?
I was being foolish.
It took him a moment to realize what she meant. I still find it strange that you humans only take one mate.
We humans get emotionally attached easily.
I may not fully understand it, but I would tear his limbs apart if he ever hurt you. As Silver and Selena re-entered the tower, satisfied, Thor finally tucked in his wings before returning to his pavilion.
Along the trip back to the apartment, Silver talked a little about his sister insisting on playing the piano to break from their conversation regarding current events while keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulder. During his briefing over his sister's history, occasionally, his eyes darted to her bandaged stump, and he would cringe. When they strolled past where Selena knocked over the potted plant, it shocked her to see it stand as if she had never touched it; she assumed Silver had fixed the incident.
Their visitor waited near the doorway, hands clasped behind her back, standing about as tall as her brother. Her snow-white hair flowed to her waist with an identical pair of glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose, like glass cases protecting her amethyst eyes. Her pale skin glowed from the sun's touch, her ebony suit magnifying the glint kissing her cheeks. Strapped over her back was a sword with a curved blade; Selena imagined the mastery of her honed skills.
Silver stretched out his free hand towards her. "Allow me to introduce the Divine Crown Princess herself: Selena Liongod. My dear, this is my sister, Angel."
"Please, call me Ebony. Like you, Silver, I prefer not to use my real name."
Selena gave Ebony a proper bow, but Ebony dropped to one knee. Silver gave a firm nod through tightly pursed lips, but Selena, unsure of how to accept the sudden regal formalities, reached out to shake Ebony's hand when she stood. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ebony."
Bemused, Ebony met her gesture, ignoring her brother's rude gaze. "The pleasure is all mine, Your Imperial Highness. My brother told me so much about you before you finally awoke. I feel like we could be friends already."
"I heard you playing earlier. It was lovely."
"Thank you," her purple eyes sparkled, "Silver has told me of your accomplishments, especially with your swordsmanship. Quite frankly, I'm impressed, and perhaps you can show me your skills one of these days."
Selena was thrilled to hear Ebony's compliments, but Silver interrupted their gloating moment and cleared his throat. "Miss Liongod is very tired. When she is fully rested, you two may indulge in conversation. For the time being, I request to spend the remainder of this day with her alone."
Not taking any offense to the sudden disruption, Ebony bowed her head. "Of course. I will take my leave, but I must ask your permission to meet with your dragon. I saw him on my way up here, and I was very intrigued when Silver told me of his rare nature."
Selena grinned. "I don't see why not, and I'm sure he will be more than willing to accept an adoring visitor." There was a faint twinkle in her violet eyes; Ebony shared her enthusiasm, pleased by her willingness to make the accommodation.
As she relayed Ebony's request, Thor chittered in the delight of receiving company. She may, but I want to hunt first. I will return within an hour or so.
Selena reiterated his reply without fail, and Ebony seemed gratified with his approval of the meeting. "Thank you for arranging that on my behalf, Your Imperial Highness. You two are the light in this dark world. Farewell." She dismissed herself from their company and strolled out of the room.
Before Silver could suggest their well-earned privacy, Selena immediately demanded to meet Rahim, to which he smiled and gestured towards the door. "Of course. Since Thor chased us out, Rahim has been keeping to himself, rarely coming out even to eat."
That was surprising, as food easily satisfied his foulest of moods. Selena's heart sank, and her steps felt heavy as she approached his room further down the corridor. She heard Rahim shuffle around when she knocked on his door. "What is it, Silver? I told you, I'm not coming out anymore until Selena wakes up."
"It's me."
In that instant, she heard shattering glass, and the door swung open. Rahim Branwen's sandy brown hair was messier than usual, covering his pale, freckled face but unable to conceal the dark circles around his chocolate eyes. Yet, when he looked up, the sun lancing through the nearby window brightened his eyes like pools of amber; without warning, Rahim grabbed and held her tight. "You're awake. You're finally awake! Thank the Divines."
As happy as Selena was to see him again, she felt her body crush within his embrace, his Aynu fox necklace clanking against hers, and she struggled to push him away, but he tightened his grip. "I'm fine—really. Please, release me before I can't breathe."
After reassuring himself it wasn't a dream, Rahim finally released his deathly hold. After returning to the previous apartment, the two made themselves comfortable, greeted by Silver serving fresh tea and biscuits. "For once, I couldn't agree with you more. I'm starving; I feel like my stomach is eating itself."
Joy erupted from within her breast as Rahim returned to his old self again. It felt like a lifetime since she had the chance to sit and relax with her friends, and seeing Silver and Rahim laugh and chat with her made her feel like the shadow of Snowhaven was lifted, even just barely.
"My dear, how do you like Thor's pavilion?" Silver asked, "I put it together myself shortly after you three arrived."
"It's lovely, and I'm sure he appreciates it very much. Whenever he's curled up, he looks like a pile of jewels basking in the sun." Her complimenting his gift to Thor made Silver's eyes sparkle like the stars. After inquiring how the floors radiated with so much heat, Silver described, with great enthusiasm, that he channeled steam from heated pools hidden underneath the mountain, and the pavilion was built directly upon the vent. "Since the pool is deep underground," he continued, "the heat isn't as intense and more controlled."
While Selena was still trapped in Silver's fascinating explanation, Rahim swallowed another bite and wiped away the crumbs sticking to his mouth. "Tell her about that new project of yours."
Selena's eyes brightened. "What kind of project?"
Silver stood up and began fishing through his pockets, muttering where he could have placed his diagram drawing of the infernal contraption. At last, he flung the paper down on a cleared-off table and unrolled it for the two; Selena's eyes immediately widened when it looked like a schematic for building a new hand. "I've been working on this since you three arrived, and I was hoping to complete it before you awoke, my dear: I call it a prosthetic hand. Though it will be mechanical, it will still work as though it were of flesh and blood. I'll show it to you later—it's still in early development."
She faintly recalled her dreams and wondered how she knew about his plan if he only ever spoke of it to Rahim; perhaps she overheard their discussion without being consciously aware. Selena smiled and took another sip from her cup, intrigued with Silver's idea, and she was willing to try any of his suggestions. After all, he was the first to resurrect the dead, and she was his first and only success. This man—no, demigod—was a genius.
However, their pleasant conversation took a drastic turn when Rahim briefly mentioned Alfheim's terrible fate, and when he couldn't finish, Silver managed to fill in the rest of the grim details. "There is nothing left of the elven city once those creatures were through issuing their destruction."
Selena's heart froze, and she thought she was struck with a deadly blow to the face. Her mind raced to their encounter with Medusa and recalled when she announced that Niamh was leading the masked dragons—the Nidhoggr—back to Alfheim; her veins turned to ice when the horrible revelation crumbled upon her Niamh, although brainwashed, was responsible.
Silver's words sounded faint, but his voice returned to her ears as she snapped back to reality. "Your father and General Araneus suspected that the Council planned the dragon egg delivery mission as a setup, but we discovered it too late. Now, Alfheim—" He abruptly stopped, and Selena knew he couldn't bring himself to repeat it.
She looked down at her trembling hand while Rahim poured himself a cup of coffee after finishing his tea. "We found out when the Dark Master's subordinate, Medusa, ambushed us," she said. A slight noise escaped from Rahim's throat at the sound of her name; he curled his fingers and dug his nails into his palms but offered no other response to the horrors Medusa made them endure in the Water Kingdom. Judging from the smoldering glare in Silver's eyes, Selena knew Rahim went to great lengths in detailing the events while trapped within her mind. She shared his resentment, as did Silver.
Tight-lipped, Silver nodded, and the three briefly went over their shared knowledge of what they discovered while serving on opposite ends of Armageddon. Rahim, however, remained silent most of all, possibly still reminiscing over their imprisonment and Niamh's dark fate. Selena cursed her luck when she and her group found her too late in Snowhaven; she was already brainwashed and corrupted. She knew how much it killed Rahim to watch Niamh descend to madness; he liked her enormously. He probably even loved her, for all Selena knew, but Rahim never admitted it.
Per Silver, while Medusa and the Lich's forces kept her group detained, and before the Nidhoggr returned and attacked the city, the Council stormed through Rune Citadel to dethrone and kill her mother. Much to her relief, he assured her that her parents were still alive. Her Former Imperial Majesty, Selena learned, currently waited in Dark Blood Hold: the Shadow Templars' fortress near Winterguard led by Lord Vincent Godfrey.
Rahim's eyes lit up, and his face grew pale at their mention. Confused and bemused, Selena had to explain, on multiple occasions, that he already knew about their existence, but he continued denying his knowledge. "Do you remember Kain?"
Rahim raised a brow. "Kain?"
"The man who saved your life when we found Ragnarok."
His face drained of all color when he finally realized who Selena referred to; his hands immediately shot up and over his head. "And he said he was a captain of the Shadow Templars. Why did I not remember that?"
Silver and Selena exchanged puzzled glances, and she sighed as she told Rahim how they served the imperial family. "I would be grateful one Templar saved your life."
He bit his lip but nodded all the same. "I can't believe I didn't remember. I've been acting like a mental lunatic prattling about the Shadow Templars like I never knew they existed."
"You were out of it for a while after Kain rescued you. You may have forgotten while you were under."
"It felt like a dream, honestly."
Silver snorted. "You'll be re-acquainted with Kain soon enough, Rahim." Rahim's only response was to make a rude gesture, but Silver only laughed it away before Selena could scold him for his inappropriate behavior. Their silly banter was interrupted by her further inquiry of her father's whereabouts, and she immediately regretted asking when Silver promised the grim news. "Your father returned to Alfheim and confronted Vidar. I fear for his safety, and only the Divines know what they're doing to him if he's not dead already."
"My father is still alive. Vidar wouldn't kill him, at least not yet, so he must be in prison somewhere."
Selena noticed the furrow in Silver's brow as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and her eyes sparkled like a blazing ember when she got the confirmation she needed. "If he is in prison, he would be in Mortemholdt—the only penitentiary in Armageddon, but large enough to hold all its citizens ten-fold. Mortemholdt isn't exactly the most pleasant place to go, my dear."
"How can we rescue him? Isn't Mortemholdt in the opposite direction?" Rahim asked.
Silver nodded, but he couldn't tear his pleading gaze away from Selena, possibly as a small effort to dissuade her decision. He sighed when he realized that she had already made up her mind and wouldn't change her answer. "It's suspended high above Lake Peril, between Alfheim and the Grand Exchange. We've flown past it when you and Thor first reported for duty."
"We must rescue him. I bet you anything my father had his reasons for allowing the Council to capture him. You know he does, Silver."
His expression lit up the whole room. "You're right. That would be just like your father."
Rahim still appeared to be reluctant. "I'm not sure that I like the sound of breaking into one of the world's deadliest prisons. Mortemholdt holds the most deranged and dangerous prisoners; some famous murderers and psychopaths from Runefell and Black Star are there."
Giving the two a harsh, cold glare, Selena made her intentions clear that saving her father would be their top priority, but she only backed down when Silver acknowledged her wishes. "And we will. But first," he pointed to Selena's left arm, "let's wait until I finish your prosthetic. You can't expect to save your father if you're missing a hand." Expressing her impatience, he continued to be reassuring. "Your father will be fine for a while. I promise we will save him, but you must get well first, and we will work on a plan in the meantime."
Selena was almost too afraid to ask about the others. However, her face brightened up the apartment when Silver confirmed some good news: General Araneus and Aracania survived and escorted her mother to Dark Blood Hold—and the Oracles. Loki and Neith sought refuge in Nuvak with Chaliss until it was safe to rendezvous with the former Empress. Selena thanked the Divines under her breath, offering a quick prayer for all those who the Dark Master and Council murdered. Rahim also allowed a sigh of relief to escape his lips when hearing his mother, Chaliss, was still safe in Nuvak.
Still, Selena couldn't believe that her father allowed this treachery to slip under his nose; after meeting him in Starsong, he assured her that Snowhaven was well with no suspicion that the Lich had control of the capital. Yet, His Majesty, King Boreas Tristan, was murdered by Medusa and the disguised Justiciar William Holland immediately after the group delivered the Mythic Flight dragon eggs—the offspring from the mighty elemental guardians next to Divinity Dragons in power.
While Silver and Rahim shared their thoughts on how they could break into Mortemholdt, Selena's lip curled into a snarl. We could have taken the eggs someplace safe. Now, because of me—oh, I gave the eggs to the Lich.
Thor overheard her harsh thoughts and immediately interjected. My dear, you did nothing wrong.
Darkness came when I gave the Dark Master all that remained of the Mythic Flight. I was the one who brought down the Empire, and I didn't even know it.
She shuddered at his sudden booming voice. How could you have known? How could any of us have known? When Selena didn't answer, Thor lowered his tone to a gentle whisper as much as a dragon could. You only did the best you could. No one knew of the Council's betrayal until it was too late. If you blame yourself, I'm also at fault. But we're not here to pass judgment, for the longer we dwell on past mistakes, the farther away victory will be.
But I did this.
Then, I did this too. I was following blindly, as you were. He paused, allowing his words to sink in but pressed on. The Lich and the Council will face our wrath, and we will rain fire upon them. We will fight back with the strength of a thousand dragons.
You're always so confident, and I wish I could be more like you.
Believe me when I say you're more than you think you are. Soon, you will burn brighter than all the stars in the sky.
Selena was interrupted by Silver's raised voice and hissing through his teeth at Rahim; the two wondered how to deal with the Council's new creations possibly guarding Mortemholdt, or, as Silver preferred calling them, "those damned abominations." She flinched upon hearing how he regarded the masked dragons. Of course, she was angry about their role in Alfheim's destruction but upheld a different view after meeting the hatchling, Tiamat, and how she protected her against an attack from one of her own; she felt unsure how to tell Silver what she had learned about the creatures.
"They're not abominations." Before he could fire another response to her objection, Selena added: "They're Nidhoggr. While we were in Nuvak, we came across one of their whelplings." While she recounted how Tiamat sacrificed herself to save her life, Silver kept whipping his head around to gain validation from Rahim, who only shrugged before gulping down another cheddar biscuit. Silver sucked in his cheeks when she finished her story, and he turned away and began pacing.
Rahim chimed in to break the uncomfortable silence that followed. "I thought she was mental too, but she was right." He hung his head in shame. "I felt bad after all the things I said, and I was the first one who wanted to kill it. But, those things took Niamh, and I'm still angry."
"The Nidhoggr were brainwashed just like Niamh was. They're not responsible for their actions." Selena offered Silver a pleading gaze, but he focused on the floor as his steps quickened. She and Rahim exchanged glances before she came up with an idea. "Maybe the Nidhoggr can help us fight against the Lich. I found out what works for them: food was a good training tool."
Silver paused with his back turned to them. The only sound Selena heard was her heartbeat growing louder in anticipation of what he would do or say next. She half expected him to burst with anger at considering the possibility of trusting the Nidhoggr or even questioning Selena's judgment. However, he whispered, "I trust you, my dear, but they're under Vidar's control. How could we get them to side with us?"
"I-I don't know, but we can figure out something." Giving up her case, she sighed, silently admitting that Silver's argument made sense. Any hope of acquiring a legion of Nidhoggr shattered, and Selena was again at a loss. They couldn't march down to Alfheim and demand control over the Nidhoggr army. Even if the masked dragons agreed to fight for her, Selena would have to confront Vidar and the Lich, and she was nowhere near ready to face them in battle. She hadn't mastered her dragon state yet, let alone confidently use Aether magic.
Rahim interrupted and voiced what she feared, growing weary of running into every dead-end plan. "Let's put aside the plan regarding Mortemholdt for now. What else can we do? The Empire has fallen, and the Day of Eternal Darkness is only a month away. If you have any ideas, Silver, now is the time."
Silver smirked; Rahim acknowledged his brilliance, which surprised Selena. "Indeed, I do. I found a way for you to control your dragon state, Selena." His voice sang like bells from a church.
Her eyes widened, and her heart fluttered as her hope returned. "You have? How?"
"Do you two remember Ulrich?"
Rahim cringed at the sound of the Divine's name, and Selena knew he had not forgotten his near-death experience at the dwarven capital. "Do you mean that giant green dragon that almost killed us in Rhumbek?"
Silver had no regard for Rahim's resentment of the Divine, as his smug expression did not change. "That's him. He lives here at the summit." He pointed at the ceiling, his gleaming grin stretching across his face.
Rahim's face turned pale, and a shiver ran up his spine. "That dragon lives here? Why in Oblivion would you take us here?"
"Ulrich is completely sane now. Even when he goes on his rampage, his only goal in mind is to destroy Rhumbek and nothing more." While Rahim was busy muttering profanities under his breath, Selena asked how Silver knew about the curse, to which he only shrugged. "I don't exactly follow the god's rules." He laughed, but when he saw that the two weren't satisfied with his answer, he added, "I'm an exception to that rule. Mortals aren't supposed to remember the details of the curse or Rhumbek during their destruction. I'm a demigod, so I don't count."
Rahim jumped from his chair and pointed the finger at himself. "But why do I still remember? That dragon tosser almost killed us."
Silver shrugged. "I dunno. You'll have to ask Ulrich about that, as I don't know all the details of the curse."
Selena became distracted by Thor's humming. Interesting that Rahim didn't bring up you or me when he asked why only he remembers.
Being Divinity Dragons, we are gods in our own right. She wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that, but she could tell that Thor was satisfied.
After Rahim finished calling Ulrich many inappropriate names, Silver further explained that, aside from being a god of war, destruction, and technology, he and Xyaxon were both responsible for the existence of Divinity Dragons. Since both she and Thor were such, the Divine would know how to help unlock their true power. "Before you awoke, I paid Ulrich a visit, and after much discussion, he agreed and is currently waiting for you two whenever you're ready."
Rahim hung his head. "Great, you want us to get help from a god that's already tried to kill us, only to stop and possibly save those goop dragons who have already tried to kill us. You know what? I'm ready—let's do this." Silver and Selena shared a hearty laugh; she felt an enormous sense of relief wash over her to see her friends smile, even for a small moment. She had no idea how she would accomplish mastering her dragon state, but her only hope was getting help from Ulrich.
After reiterating Silver's discovery to Thor, he grew agitated, and although he wished to depart immediately, he knew Selena needed to take care of other matters first. Besides, it will probably be best to wait until Silver finishes your hand.
And to save my father.
The laughter died, and Silver declared he would take them to meet with Lord Godfrey at Dark Blood Hold once they finished all they needed to accomplish.
Selena nodded, her heart fluttering within her chest. Knowing they still had allies to help fight back gave her hope; there was a chance to save their world. Not all was entirely lost. "Be that as it may," she began, "Lord Godfrey shouldn't mind our delay if we arrive with the Shadow Emperor."
*****