Chapter 3: Unveiling a Betrayal

"You've Met Your Father"

On another continent, Darius Silvermoon looked around the tired faces of his company. There was something strange about this entire incident. Mountain trolls were ferocious. They didn't do tactics. They didn't retreat. Yet, these few hours, they came in waves, fought for an hour or so, retreated, and disappeared into the mountains like ghosts.

The young man with blue eyes, slightly long black hair, draped in lightweight armor stood up. <Hold on,> he told her his sister. He sensed something was wrong, so he wanted to be alone anyway. No one in the company knew he was Dragon. He retreated into the vacant house on the outskirts of the village they were allowed to use. He went into a small room and placed a magic barrier on the room to prevent eavesdropping. He wasn't as gifted or interested in magic as his sister, but he learned the spells that would benefit him. He probably counted as an upper second-tier mage.

He closed his eyes and held up a hand with his index finger outstretched. He began to whirl his finger, creating a small black hole in the air. A crack sounded; a violet light split the middle of the hole. "You there?" he asked aloud. "What's wrong?" Having tried to contact him twice, he knew that there was trouble.

Britiana saw the black hole forming in front of her and helped him form it. She lifted her hand to whirl her finger where the hole was forming. "I'm here," she answered when she heard the crack. "Mom came for us today," she announced happily.

Darius was stunned, then he smiled. "That's great! I'll go to you now," he said excitedly.

"You can't!" Chrystianna suddenly shouted. She blushed but hearing her son's voice made her fear spike again.

"Mom?" Darius asked, slightly overwhelmed.

"Yes, it's me," she whispered softly. "You can't come to us. We'll go to you," she said. "We'll be there soon.”

Darius swallowed. "Britiana. What's going on?" he asked. He didn't have to be an empath to hear the fear and worry in his mother's voice. He thought of the strange behavior of the mountain trolls, and the odd behavior of the villagers. It always struck him as strange that their crops were robbed but they suddenly had so much money to hire a mercenary company instead of relocating. He didn't want to take this job; the others thought it was just cause.

Britiana knew her brother was sharp. She had no intention of lying to him. "Dragon Hunters are on Thelessia. They came to me tonight. Don't worry, I'm fine thanks to Sariya, but--"

"They split us up. They went for you first while they used mountain trolls to tire me. They know about my company. They've been lurking around us for a while," he said, quickly seeing the heart of the matter. He furrowed his brows and rubbed his forehead.

"Be careful. Mom has the Voidstalker. We'll come to you and pick you up.”

"I'm not going anywhere. They won't attack us yet. We're still in good shape," he said. He made a mental note to himself not to eat or drink anything in the village. Most normal poisons don't work on him, but who knows if these people got something from the Dragon Hunters that could affect him. The villagers might not know he was a Dragon, but the Hunters did.

"Okay. See you see you soon," Britiana said and brushed her hand through the glowing black hole, dissipating it.

That was the first time Sariya had seen her use void magic. She was impressed.

Raziel grinned slightly. "You've met your father," he said. It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact. Even if the two little Dragons inherited void magic, without someone to teach them, they wouldn't be so proficient.

Britiana was slightly surprised. Chrystianna was as well. They looked at each other. "You've both met your father?" Chrytianna asked.

"Mm. He's physically closer to Thelessia than Emphyralis, so he can jump here easier. Plus, there's no dimensional interference," Britiana answered.

Chrystianna understood. That was true. The father of her twins wasn't married to her. He was an Amethyst-Sapphire hybrid. He was meant to be the heir of the protectorate family of Silvermoon, Elias Morningstar. They grew up together and in the most cliche way possible, they fell in love. 

However, the Dragons Hunters came to Emphyralis. When they were teenagers, the Dragons Hunters released a plague that affected mature Dragons over the Changing Age. Before a cure was made, Elias began to show signs of hitting his Changing Age early. The last few members of a special organization of void mages and adult Amethyst Dragons called the Eventide Enclave took him and other young Amethyst Dragons close to the Changing Age with Void ability potential. 

No one realized how long the Hunter Wars would last. No one could have guessed that in order to protect Emphyralis, they had to shut down their way to travel off world and use magical means to distort the dimensional space around not only the planet but the solar system it was part of.

But twenty-one years ago, Elias managed to Voidjump to her side, at just a little over a century in age, through the dimensional interference. It showed his strength. But he could only stay for a few hours. After such a long separation, spending most of that time together was inevitable. They made the decision together to have their children, and so they did. Even if he couldn't be there often, they still wanted to start their family.

But it turned out, sending them away enabled them to see him more often than her. She was sad and happy at the same time. She stood and put her stool away. She reached out and took her daughter's hand. "Come, let's go to your brother," she said. The smile she gave was genuine if a bit melancholic. She glanced at Raziel.

Raziel smiled slightly and tore open the air in front of him. He led it back like a curtain. Sunlight shone through from the other side. Under his watchful gaze, the three women stepped through.

--

Starshadow Castle, Myrkir, Emphyralis

A tall sturdy woman in a dark military style coat, pants, boots walked through the halls of the shadowy Starshadow Castle. Her long black hair was pulled into a severe bun with a few wispy bangs to soften it up. Her dark blue eyes were sharp and troubled.

Sonja Starshadow's heels clicked against the stone floor as she walked briskly. 

Early this morning she'd been handed a silver tube by an attendant. This kind of silver tube could only be opened or closed by two people. One was her, the Duchess of Starshadow, the top administrator of the continent of Myrkir. The other was Zane Darkwynde, the High Guard of Myrkir and the head of the protectorate family of Starshadow. For Zane to use this silver tube, the contents must have been explosive.

With trepidation, she’d opened the tube and read the report rolled up inside. The blood had drained from her face. She became even paler as she looked at the evidence. She’d  quickly put everything back in the tube and sealed it back up. Before she could even process the contents, she’d received a message from Chrystianna Silvermoon letting her know she was going to pick up her children.

Sonja was the second ranked member of the Dracosenati, and had been helping Chrystianna investigate the plot to kidnap her children. She’d taken a deep breath and gripped the tube. How serendipitous. This report was one of the final links in the chain. Sonja was a woman of action. She wouldn't shy away from the hard truths. She would protect her children as long as she could, however. She rubbed her slight stomach bump as she walked. She'd recently gotten pregnant again. Her other children were a grown man and two teenagers. She missed having a little one around.

She came to her oldest son's office, knocked on his door, and poked her head in. Roark didn't look very much like her or his father. He was tall and carried a lot of muscles in his chest and shoulders. His black hair was cut short, especially on the sides. Only his deep blue eyes could be said to be inherited from her. His features also carried a wheat undertone that harkened back to a Ruby ancestor she vaguely remembered meeting a few times before the Plague. 

"Mom," Roark greeted, a puzzled look on his face.

Roark was already in his thirties, and was a high-ranking officer in the Military Corps. "Take Troi and go to Silvermoon. The Grand Duchess has secretly left and wants me to send someone over. Make sure no one causes any trouble while she's gone," Sonja finally ordered.

Roark's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but otherwise his face didn't reveal much. "Is she finally bringing her children back?" he asked. He realized it probably wasn't just a simple trip. Only if she was going off-world somewhere dangerous would his mother send him to safeguard Silvermoon Keep.

"Go quickly," she said, nodding. She was trying to control her expression so that she didn’t reveal her deeper worries.

Roark nodded. He had to go by the Starshadow Military Academy to find Troi Darkwynde because he was still in school with his younger sisters Phaedra and Ophelia. Since Troi was Zane Darkwynde's only son, he'd been getting more and more real-world experience in the past few years. Helping Roark safeguard Silvermoon is a good experience if it ends up being pretty boring. He bowed to his mother and stepped into the shadows and disappeared. 

Sonja let out a breath. Roark was out of the Castle; the girls were in school. Although she had to break the news later, there was no need to worry about them now. She began to move through the Castle again.

Sonja was married to the man her mother wanted her to marry. It wasn't just a request or a hope but written as an official decree engaging them before she died. Sonja put it off as long as she could, hoping to wait until after they'd defeated the Hunters before starting a family. Before the Plague, Dragons rarely got married or started families before they were two centuries old. The Plague changed things, and the surviving Dragons felt an internal pressure to start repopulating sooner.

Still, Sonja didn't even know her husband and was hoping to find a way out of the marriage completely. However, his family started making noise about her disregarding an official degree and the wishes of their deceased elders. She had little choice. She married him.

Ludvig Shadowclaw was younger than her. He was the young, pampered son of the Shadowclaw clan, the magistrate family of one the most bustling port cities on the east coast that did a lot of sea commerce with Varmur. Her mother had worked together often with the Shadowclaw matriarch, so it wasn't exactly a shock that she thought joining their families in marriage was a politically good idea.

What Sonja didn't like was the lack of choice. Her mother unilaterally made this decision. Eventually, she accepted it. She let him live his pampered, useless, young master life, only getting along with him when she wanted a child. It worked well for both of them. He didn't like her either, but he just went along with his older sisters who always spoiled him.

When it came to his children, he genuinely seemed to care for them. Although Roark's cold personality made him more stand-offish, they still seemed to get along well. The girls adored him, and he spoiled them. She never worried about her children when it came to him. They may not have a blissful marriage, but she at least thought they had a peaceful one.

Which made the contents of the secret report even more shocking. How can her spoiled, useless, fop of a husband mastermind a plot to kidnap the children of another world leader? The report made clear that the Shadowclaw clan was not involved. His older sisters had no motives. They didn't even have many business dealings with anyone in Silubra or Silvermoon.

She didn't give him a governmental position, but let him pursue his own interests, which ended up becoming a barrister. He leveraged his position as the husband of the Duchess of Starshadow to get wealthy clients. Eventually he worked his way into a justice position. It was a quantitative leap in less than thirty years from a beginning barrister to a high-ranking justice. As long as there were no miscarriages of justice, Sonja let him have fun.

But twenty years ago, he was still just a barrister. It didn’t make sense, but the evidence was clear.

She stopped at the office of the High Guard. Zane Darkwynde wore his official uniform. He was tall and well-built with sharp cheekbones and a square jaw. His black hair was a little long with a slight curl and he had deep green eyes. When he saw her, he stood and grabbed a cloak.

They didn't speak. They didn't have to. The two worked together flawlessly in their professional lives, despite the rocky relationship in their personal lives. Zane was also the oldest living Dragon at 130 years in age. His Changing Age didn't start until he was well into his early twenties. Something that would have been embarrassing in normal times had saved his life during the Plague.

Together they stepped into the shadows. This was a special ability of Onyx Dragons called Shadowwalking. It was a very common ability, manifesting around the Changing Age. It allowed Onyx Dragons to travel distances in moments that would take hours otherwise. The distance was limited by age and power. 

It wasn't a weekend, but being a somewhat lazy, spoiled, and pampered person, Ludvig didn't wake up until he had to. That being the case, the two of them stepped out of the shadows of the living wing of the Starshadow family, Starshadow Residence. Sonja unerringly headed for the master suite. Yes, she and her husband slept in different rooms most of the time, which was fine with both of them. The two bedrooms were separated by a receiving room with comfortable seating and a fireplace for relaxing before bed. It was also humongous, with enough space to accommodate two adult Dragons.

They walked into the receiving room, and Sonja headed directly for the door to her husband's bedroom and kicked it open. Of all the members of the Dracosenati, she was the most martial. She engaged in martial training as much as she did her official duties. If she weren't the Duchess, she would have gladly been a soldier. The large wooden door flew open and banged against the wall, echoing around the spacious room.

The man sleeping in the bed jumped up and looked around confusedly. Spotting Sonja with Zane not far behind, Ludvig cursed. He began scrambling out of bed, transforming and running toward the balcony at the same time.

Sonja ran after him, doing the same. Soon, two adult Onyx Dragons, black gem-like scales sparkling with iridescence under the murky sunlight. Ludvig was actually slightly smaller than Sonja, and he never exercised or trained. He wasn't brilliant, but he was cunning. He knew he was in trouble when Sonja crashed into his bedroom with that abyssal Zane Darkwynde behind her. Ludvig had a guilty conscience for a myriad of things, so he didn't know why exactly they were after him, but he knew he had to get away. He flapped his membranous wings for all he was worth.

He was no match for Sonja. For other slim Dragons, they could use their size for speed and maneuverability. However, living a more or less sedentary life, Ludvig had no idea how to make use of his size. She roared and powered through the air. She rammed into him and folded her wings, putting her full on him as she grabbed his wings. He shouted and thrashed, and tried to blast her with shadow fire, the primary Dragon breath attack of an Onyx Dragon. She merely dodged and bit his neck to immobilize him as they crashed into the ground. They were still within the grounds of the Castle, and Zane had already controlled the scene before even sending the report.

He knew Sonja wouldn't want too many outsiders to know what was happening until everything was clear. He leisurely followed behind them until they crashed. He landed gracefully. He was one of the largest Dragons, nearly seventy feet from tip to tail and thirty-five feet tall. He had a muscled, panther-like body; sleek and powerful. He was very intimidating.

Sonja got off of Ludvig when she saw Zane approach. Even Ludvig should know he would never be able to get away from both of them. "Change," she ordered.

Ludvig resentfully transformed into his human form, wearing only some silken pajama bottoms. He could be considered good looking, with sharp features that her girls inherited. He was a bit scrawny and soft from lack of exercise. His hair was shoulder length and disheveled. His dissolute face was sulky, and his gray eyes were resentful. "Sonja Starshadow! What are you doing? How dare you treat me like this!" he bluffed. "I'm your husband, not a criminal!" 

Sonja transformed and approached him with a cold smile. "Ludvig Shadowclaw," she sneered.

The way she said his name caused chills down his back. He looked around, hoping to find some shadows, but Sonja was very purposeful in where they went down. She knew that Shadowwalking was one of the only abilities he was proficient at. So, she made them crash in the open training ground where there were no shadows. She scoffed. "If you've done nothing wrong, then why are you running away?" she asked pointedly.

Ludvig finally sneered and glared at the towering Zane Darkwynde. The other was keeping watch but not interfering. "What have I supposedly done?" he asked, jutting his chin into the air.

Sonja pulled a bracelet out of her pocket. "Put this on and we'll talk in the dungeon," she said. The bracelet shone with a silvery gleam. Magic symbols were carved all over it. If lucky, most Dragons had no idea what this thing was. However, Ludvig oversaw criminal cases and knew exactly what this Draconite bracelet was. It was a magic artifact that limited a Dragon from using their abilities and prevented them from transforming.

His eyes widened and he panicked. He tried to run away again, but Zane casually reached out a claw to cut off his path. When Ludvig tried to change course, Zane simply blocked him again. Sonja watched, trying to process the ludicrousness of the situation. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and ran to intercept him, sweeping a leg to trip him. He landed face down on the hard ground, busting his nose.

"Sonja! You wench! How dare you treat me this way!" he screamed, pain bursting through his face. Blood dripped down his face and pooled on the ground beneath him.

Sonja ignored his outburst. She put a knee into his back and grabbed one of his arms and put the bracelet on him despite his struggle. He continued to shout insults at her.  Tired of hearing his voice, she wrapped a shadow sphere around his face. It insulated the sound, but allowed him to breathe. She stood up with her foot on his back and transformed again. She lowered her head and took his body into her mouth as he flailed and struggled.

They were near the dungeon entrance, but it would be a long walk on two legs, and they couldn't Shadowwalk with him wearing the bracelet, so she chose the simplest option. Large Dragon steps were much better than small people steps. She began walking toward the dungeon with Zane following behind.