The horse-drawn carriage trotted on the cobblestone road, easily parting the crowd of peasants and merchants to one side as it passed. On the roof of the carriage Kyzo sat cross-legged, his sword resting in his lap. Calsoon chose to ride by the driver’s side, keeping a vigilant eye for assailants who may overstep their boundaries and try to overtake the king’s escort. Within the velvet interior, Koda sat uneasy, flanked by Elucard and across from Wiccer. Wildeye miraculously slumbered squished between the three pairs of feet.

Kyzo had never traveled outside of Long Whisper; the elf mainly stayed within the borders of the capital city itself, only briefly visiting seedy or dangerous locations on the outskirts of Lost Dawns for his missions. Traveling to Varis was a desire, but he never could have fathomed traveling to a whole new Dragon Realm.

New Estinia did not disappoint. It was far more foreign and fearsome than any book described it to be. Indomitable iron walls protected Aric City, serving to encircle but also to divide districts of the city. Citizens were housed according to the different castes they occupied within New Estinia’s social structure in fortified rings that radiated outwards. The nobles, as well as the queen herself, lived in the center of the city, while merchants and soldiers occupied the middle section. Finally, the street urchins, peasants, and other undesirables found their home at the edge of the city.

However, as impressive as towering walls were, it was the security of the city that had grabbed Kyzo’s attention. Guards armed to the teeth patrolled the streets and battlements, archers were stationed in watchtowers, and, much to his amazement and alarm, dragons! Flights of red drake riders soared overhead, nearly blotting out the sky.

Kyzo swung to the door of the carriage and rested his elbow on the window’s ledge. His eyes still clouded in wonderment and excitement and his raised voice matched them as well.

“Master, have you seen the dragons? I’ve heard stories about them, but never thought to see them.”

Elucard hid a grin. “They aren’t so fascinating when they are spewing a stream of fire onto your ship.”

Koda and Wiccer nodded in agreement.

Kyzo’s eyes widened even further. “You’ve fought against a dragon?”

Elucard fidgeted in his seat. “Well, not personally, but they were present during the Varis War. They attacked our fleet when we arrived on the Varis shores. A team of skilled Silent Ones were the ones who did battle with them, slaying them all in mid-flight.”

Kyzo’s mouth fell open. “Why doesn’t Long Whisper have Drake Riders?” he eventually asked.

Koda was quick to answer the young elf. He enjoyed the opportunity to teach an impressionable boy, and he relished Kyzo’s eagerness. “Drakes are not native to our country,” he said. “Long Whisper is too thick with forest, there wouldn’t be a good prospect for a dragon brood to sleep, hunt, or lay eggs.”

Wildeye twitched her ear, listening in on the conversation.

“Dragons are overrated,” she inserted into Koda’s mind.

Koda stifled a giggle. “Hush, you,” he communicated back to her.

“What about the Risen Forest? Not much is known about that area, could there be dragons hiding in those mountains?”

“Perhaps.” Koda smiled. “We’ve only recently set up a colony out there, maybe they will see one.”

“I have heard that Southtail has trained a unit of their own Drake Riders,” added Wiccer. “If you are lucky we might someday fight alongside that nation and you will see a drake up close.”

“I’ve trained to scale buildings as high as the Lost Dawn clocktower, but to fly up that far in the sky, I don’t think I would have the stomach for it!” Kyzo laughed.

Elucard joined in Kyzo’s laughter. “Neither would I.”

The carriage finally rounded to the castle’s entrance and halted by a grand cascading fountain. Along the edges of the fountain perched a flock of ravens cawing and glaring at the Long Whisper visitors with ink-black eyes.

“Not a good sign,” Elucard muttered under his breath.

Koda and his escort entered Queen Tashna’s throne room which, although half the size of Koda’s own throne room, was still all the more intimidating.

Despite the two windows on either side of the room, a gloomy darkness still dimmed the interior. Iron crowned torches lined the limestone walls. At each corner of the room stood heavily armored men, battle axes clawed tightly in their hands. The insignia of Tashna’s Raven Guard was etched into their breastplates. Banners from both Estinan nations draped from the ceiling above. Like the city itself, ravens roamed freely in the rafters. Some perched on the Div’Rah’s throne, while one clutched Tashna’s shoulder like a familiar of her own.

Koda inspected the large, deep purple draconian bodyguard that stood to Tashna’s left. His shadow alone was enough to unnerve the King of Long Whisper. Koda felt like he shrank two feet before him. On Tashna’s right stood a black robed woman. Koda caught a glimpse of magical runes tattooed on her face. Her large hood made it difficult to read the runes, but Koda felt the woman couldn’t be trusted. All the same, he approached the Div’Rah with good intention pulsing through his heart.

Tashna snapped her fingers just as Koda took a step forward. Immediately a group of servants bounded through the double doors. They bowed to her and then to her visitors, offering their hands.

“I hope you don’t mind that I relieve you of your veapons? Just a security measure. You understand, don’t you?” Tashna asked politely.

Wiccer made a sweeping bow and unbuckled his belt and scabbard, placing them into the waiting hand of the servant. He nodded to the others, signaling to them to do the same.

Tashna looked over her guests, attempting to analyze their nature and demeanor, but other than Koda, they were emotionless. Stone carvings of humans and elves. Similar to how her own Raven Guard were trained, how interesting. She finally settled on a familiar face. Calsoon, what could he be doing here? And among Koda’s men? Was he a spy? Perhaps a double agent? Dangerous.

Tashna scanned Sable for any sign that her assumptions were correct, but like Koda’s soldiers, she too put up a stone front.

Koda inched closer to Tashna’s throne and gave a low bow. “Your grace, we haven’t formally met. I am King Koda Dawnedge of Long Whisper. It is an honor to be in your presence.”

“The honor is all mine, Dawnedge,” returned the pleasantries with genuine kindness in her voice. “I have been looking forward to your visit as vell as I have been curious about your request.”

“Yes, I have done extensive research of your land before it was New Estinia-”

“It has alvays been New Estinia. It vas ordained by the Raven-God himself,” corrected Tashna. She brushed the breast feathers of her raven pet.

Wildeye paced back and forth, glowering at Tashna. “She plays games with you, Koda.”

Koda gave her a weak smile, ignoring the wolf’s warning in his mind, and continued, “I believe New Estinia hosts a heaven’s mark somewhere in its lands.”

“A heaven’s mark? Pray tell vhat is that?” Tashna asked. Her interest was slowly rising, as Sable told her very little of her own plans.

“Long ago—towards the end of the Demon War—a council of runecarvers set five powerful seals into the Dragon Realms. These highly complex seals were mighty enough to banish the gods and angels from the mortal plane and into the celestials above. Since then the history of these heaven’s marks have been lost to time.”

“Sik Yohm Rueh odov het,” Sable said with a sly smile.

“Merv yolma Rueh yolmo,” responded Koda, not at all fazed by the strange words.

“Seeking education is an admirable trait to have, your majesty.” Sable ended their small exchange with a polite bow.

“Please Sable, enlighten us vith vhich you both discuss?” Tashna asked, befuddled by the secret conversation that Sable and Koda were having. However, she noticed that the other two elves were following the conversation well enough.

“I complimented the young king’s knowledge of forgotten history.” She gestured a kind hand to Koda. “The Dawnedge speaks Salrothian—Angelic tongue, my Div’Rah. And quite well, if I may add.”

Koda folded a hand over his heart in respect of the choice words.

“Thank you, ancient studies have always been a hobby of mine, I credit that to my grandfather. He taught me Angelic while I was a child,” said Koda. He was gracious to speak well of his upbringing.

“So,” Tashna rounded Koda’s attention back to her, “you vish to send forth an expedition in the land of your nemesis? Vhat shall you do vhen you find this heaven’s mark?”

“This is a trap, Koda!” Wildeye’s words echoed in Koda’s head like a blaring alarm

“No, it is only a misunderstanding—our treaty. This can be fixed.” Koda told Wildeye, but really it was himself he was trying to convince.

“Nemesis? Is our treaty a sham?” Koda scoffed. He ran his fingers through his hair in agitation.

Wiccer stole a glance to Elucard. The elven assassin narrowed his eyes. Wiccer nodded to Kyzo and watched the boy slip a dagger down his sleeve and hide it behind his back.

“You tell me, little king. You humiliated my father and my people! You think I, the daughter of Aric Stine, vould just roll over like a dog?”

Koda’s eyes widened. The sound of clanking armor marching through the halls rang through the air.

“Please, Queen Tashna—” pleaded Koda. He lifted his arms innocently as an attempt to smother the flames of anger that sizzled from the Div’Rah.

A line of Raven Guards barreled through the double doors and surrounded Koda and his men. Battle axes poised to cleave.

“I have you as my golden trophy of war. My father vill finally see me as the supreme god-queen that I have alvays deserved to be!” Tashna rose from her seat and pointed to Koda. “Seize them!”

“Elucard! Save the king!” Wiccer commanded as he kicked the nearest guard.

Elucard may have given up his sword, but as his master Legion once taught him, a Black Rabbit is never without a weapon.

Elucard spun to avoid a slashing axe and pulled the weapon away from the guard in a single sweeping motion. With that axe in hand he swung in a wide arc to clear an opening for Koda to run to the window.

Wildeye snarled, foaming at the mouth, and baring her fangs as the soldiers stepped closer to her. She turned and caught the eye of Kyzo. He nodded in understanding.

Kyzo took hold of the king’s wrist and yanked him away from the encroaching soldiers. “Come, this way, my king!”

Calsoon dove backwards, avoiding a deftly cut, but tripped and tangled himself into Koda’s legs. Together both elves tumbled to the ground.

“Elucard, take the queen hostage!” Wiccer barked his second order.

Elucard used the blunt end of the tall battle axe to vault himself up and over the row of Raven Guards and in front of a twelve-foot tall draconian blocking the path to his target.

“I think not, elf!” roared Ro’Tan.

A fierce backhand from the draconian's enormous leathery claw sent Elucard sailing through the air and crashing to the hard floor.

“Enough!” Koda screamed. A surge of gnarled roots jutted from all directions of the mage, pinning the guards to the walls and ceilings. Koda’s eyes flared a fluorescent green, his chest heaved with labored breathing, and a grim sneer curled over his face. “How dare you…” He clenched his teeth, bending the roots away to forge a path to Tashna. “ ...break on your word!”

Ro’Tan unfurled his scaly wings to protect his ward. “Do not tread closer, Dawnedge brat!”

Tashna let out a shrill shriek. “Sa- Sable! D-deal with him!”

Too quick for Koda to react, Sable stepped in front of the mage king and grazed her fingers against Koda’s forehead, writing a spell break rune. As soon as she drew back her hand, the rune activated, shutting down Koda’s connection to his magic. The roots wilted and crumbled into ash, releasing their trapped prisoners.

Koda collapsed to the ground, rapidly sucking in air and choking as his body forcibly locked up. His skin flushed red and veins bulged from his neck and arms. Wildeye let out a howl of anguish as her once-blazing eye snuffed out like a blown candle.

More guards funneled into the already crowded room, piling onto Koda and grabbing his shoulders and arms.

“Wiccer! You must escape! Send for help!” Koda yelled in desperation. Where his soul for this mission was once filled with hope and excitement, it now drowned in fear and panic.

“I will not leave you my king!” Wiccer shouted back, clawing and wrenching guards away from the man he had sworn to serve.

Elucard tackled Wiccer, pulling him towards an open window. “Idiot! Do as he says!”

“Unhand me, Elucard!”

With a sudden kick to his chest, Wiccer flew through the window and plummeted towards the ground. Elucard and Kyzo followed suit, with Calsoon and Wildeye choosing to stay at Koda’s side.

Wiccer flailed his body in the air until his ARO training took hold. He twisted his body and pointed his feet down. He instinctively dropped into a roll as he landed on the roof of a lower building. He grunted from the impact, but his acrobatics absorbed most of the shock.

Elucard and Kyzo recovered just behind Wiccer and together they took off in a dead sprint across the roof and leaped onto the wall that protected the castle.

Archers fired a volley of crossbow bolts at the oncoming Watchers. The missiles grazed shoulders and ribs, but ultimately missed their marks. Wiccer and the others landed on the battlements, quick to dispatch the archers by flinging them off the wall.

Wiccer grabbed Elucard by his collar. “Never do that again!”

“What? Save your life!?” sneered Elucard. He ripped himself free from Wiccer.

“Now’s not the time to fight each other!” Kyzo shouted, pointing to a crowd of Raven Guards running across the courtyard.

Both nodded and bounded from the wall and onto the roofs of the neighboring buildings. They hurdled over alleyways and nimbly balanced across narrow archways. They climbed through windows, darting through apartments and scurrying up back to the roofs. Each time passing by scrambling guards trying desperately to keep up with the Long Whisper soldiers.

“We need to lose them for good!” huffed Kyzo through quick breaths.

“Agreed!” Elucard panted.

Wiccer skidded to a stop and pointed to a passing haywagon below them.

Elucard spotted the crowd of Tashna’s men further down the street. It was a gamble, but one they needed to take. The three stepped from the building’s ledge and dropped into the large pile of hay. Each made sure they were not noticed and were sufficiently hidden in the straw. Once satisfied, they remained quiet as the horse-drawn wagon halted at a barricade of soldiers.

Elucard poked an eyehole to peer through his cover, watching as a gruff man drew his sword and stabbed into the hay. The long blade slid by him. A hair closer and it would have sliced his cheek.

The guard motioned for the wagon driver to move on.

A wave of relief washed over Elucard, Wiccer, and Kyzo as the haywagon exited the city and headed for a village on the coast. They escaped the madness of Aric City, now it was their duty to alert Cypress that Long Whisper’s king had been captured!