In truth, Doomwing was sorely tempted to travel to Oblivioncaller’s lands himself. Their discussion about the new dryad had been brief and light on details, largely because the other dragon knew comparatively little about dryads and lacked the magic and personal experience to properly comprehend this most unexpected of individuals. Of course, Doomwing did not hold that against him. Amongst dragons, perhaps the only one who could match Doomwing’s understanding of dryads was Stormbringer. Moreover, the very nature of Oblivioncaller’s existence was such that dryads generally did their very best to avoid him.
Yet however tempted Doomwing might have been to pursue the matter in more depth himself, there was much he had to do in his own lands and elsewhere that could not be handled by any other. For instance, if he wished to convince the oldest and mightiest of the remaining dryads to attempt to create blessed lands in the manner of Mother Tree, he would have to go in person. A simple message or even a doppelgänger would not suffice for so important a matter. In contrast, a doppelgänger equipped with the right items could nevertheless learn a great deal about the new dryad.
To that end, he had created another doppelgänger. The experience was… interesting as always, yet not as draining as he had initially believed. It was not a question of power. Instead, it felt as though his essence had somehow grown more refined in what could only be described as a relatively short period of time. He could not explain it with any certainty, but he strongly suspected it had something to do with the events that had occurred during the great meeting of the primordial dragons. He had learned of the threat to come, and he had resolved to meet it. Perhaps more importantly, he had decided to share the burden with others rather than face it alone. He had not made that decision lightly, yet there had been a rightness to it that continued to linger long after his departure from the meeting.
He had learned that Ages often rested on seemingly small, innocuous moments. Would that decision prove to be such a moment? Only time would tell.
This new doppelgänger was much the same as the others, at least in appearance, yet the moment he moved in earnest, Doomwing could not help but see the differences. There was something about the doppelgänger’s expression, something open and earnest and curious that Doomwing could just barely remember having shared long ago. Yes. It reminded him of the expression he’d often worn when learning from Mother Tree, back in the days when he had yet to Awaken. He’d been an eager student, and he had looked forward to her lessons both for the company of her and Dion but also for the wisdom and knowledge he could gain. He had not been a wealthy dragon then, nor had his parents been wealthy, so the chance to learn from her had been an opportunity without equal. Other dragons with more wealth and longer heritage might have found those classes boring, but to his younger self, each class had been a treasure worthy of adding to his hoard.
“I should name you,” Doomwing rumbled.
The doppelgänger grinned and flapped his overly large wings. “That would be a good idea although I suppose you could just refer to me by number.”
Doomwing chuckled. “If you were a regular clone that might do, but you are far beyond that. Let others argue if you and the others are truly independent, living beings. It matters little. If you are not, then you are so close to such that the difference is one of pedantry, not substance. But what name would suit you best?”
The doppelgänger tilted his head to the side. “I feel that I have a somewhat scholarly air.” He grinned. “But more than that, I feel as though I wish to learn all about the world. What about Studentwing?”
“Studentwing?” Doomwing considered the name for several moments. “Hmm… a fine name, and it is one you suggested yourself. Very well. Let that be your name.” The doppelgänger beamed and flapped his wings again before folding them against his back. “Do you understand what I wish of you?”
Studentwing nodded. “Yes. You wish for me to travel to Oblivioncaller’s lands and examine the new dryad in your stead.” He paused. “But mere examination cannot be all you intend. If that were the case, then you could use the mirror.”
“Correct. Dryads are… social creatures. They enjoy the company of others. Regardless of her… unusual origins, I suspect this dryad will be the same. However, socialising will not be easy for her.”
“Ah.” Studentwing nodded sagely. As with the other doppelgängers, he carried a certain portion of Doomwing’s memories. “Oblivioncaller is kindly in many ways, but he is not the most sociable of dragons.”
“It is not his fault,” Doomwing said. “His nature is… unpleasant for many.”
Studentwing grimaced. “His presence alone is dangerous to most if he forgets to rein in his power, so he has not spent as much time around others as, say, Regal Flame.”
Doomwing nodded. “Regal Flame is socially adept. Setting aside her many followers, she gets along well with the other primordial dragons. She can even put up with Stormbringer for extended periods, which is no easy task.”
“So you wish for me to befriend the dryad and to ease some of Oblivioncaller’s burden too?” Studentwing scratched his cheek with one claw. “Knowing him, he must be worrying greatly about the dryad’s care.”
Doomwing allowed himself another chuckle. Truly, talking with the doppelgängers was a fascinating experience. They were made of his very essence, yet they were not the same as him. Studentwing reminded him very much of himself during his time as Mother Tree’s student, yet there was none of the naiveté that had once blinded him. After all, Studentwing knew very well how the Second Age had ended.
“Oblivioncaller is not used to caring for creatures like dryads. He has already spoken to Stormbringer, and I am sure that he has received advice from both her and Tyche. Yet advice from afar is not nearly as calming as help from nearby. You will go there, and you will examine this new dryad. Naturally, you will refrain from causing her any harm.”
“Of course.” Studentwing sounded vaguely offended at the thought that he might harm the young dryad.
“You will also help Oblivioncaller with matters related to her care. There will likely be differences due to her unique nature, but I believe that much of what we know of dryad care will generalise.”
“If I am to do that, it would not be good for me to leave here empty-handed.”
Doomwing took out several items with his magic. Some had been delivered via the mirror. Others, more fragile, had been delivered by the elementals who had pledged themselves to him. “Take these with you. They will aid you in both your tasks.”
Studentwing examined the items swiftly. “These… are not minor treasures.” He picked up a container. “This is a special fertiliser made from the very rarest of ingredients. Dryads that are Ages old would give much for this.”
Doomwing bared his teeth. “I have more. However, if this new dryad is truly as unique as Oblivioncaller believes, then we can spare no expense in ensuring her welfare and swift growth.”
Studentwing gathered up the items. Like Doomwing, he too was adept in storing things using magic. And in case that proved difficult, Doomwing had included a special pouch amongst the items as well. It was something he had made himself, and there were none better at crafting such items, save perhaps for Fractal Reign. “Is there anything else I should be aware of?”
“Be swift but safe,” Doomwing commanded. “Avoid battle if you can, and if you must fight, then prioritise your safety first. When you reach Oblivioncaller’s lands, contact Littletooth and myself using the special communication sphere that I gave you. It is tied to the mirror and my magic, so it should be able to reach us, regardless of how far you are. If you should happen to encounter any promising talents, you are allowed to approach them, but be mindful. You are one of my doppelgängers. You are strong. But you are not invincible, and I and the others will be far.”
Studentwing thumped his tail upon the ground. “Worry not. I may not have come into this world in the usual manner, but I have no intention of leaving it early.”
“Then go, and may fortune favour you.”
Studentwing flew swiftly and stealthily. For the most part, he travelled above the lowermost clouds. There, only the finest of fliers were likely to see him, but that was only if they could see through the concealment magic he had woven around himself, as well as the concealment items Doomwing had given him. Even if he was spotted, he had many measures to escape pursuers. Moreover, his small size meant that few of the truly threatening fliers were likely to pay much attention to him.
Would a lion go out of its way to hunt down an ant?
Not likely, and thanks to his impressive control over his magic and the other techniques he had employed, that was precisely how he would appear to others. Oh, they might be curious about what such a small dragon was doing flying around so busily, but those with the speed and skill to catch him would not consider it worth the effort. Conversely, those who might think a little dragon worth hunting were likely to be no match for him.
As he flew, Studentwing occasionally sent pulses of scrying magic out. Rather than simply blanketing the entire area around himself, he swept his magic out in focused beams, mapping out what lay beneath him and ahead of him. For the most part, there was little of interest. Beyond Doomwing’s lands, he passed through many different domains belonging to all manner of creatures.
There was a desert ruled by gigantic arthropods who dwelt in great tunnels beneath the sands. They moved endlessly beneath the surface, rising only to swallow their prey whole. The largest of them would have made a decent meal for Doomwing, whilst the smallest were still large enough to swallow a human in a single bite. Apart from the arthropods, there were villages of hardy goblins, stalwart orcs, and even a few cunning lizard-folk and lion-folk. To avoid the arthropods, they built their villages upon the rocky outcrops and ore-laden hills that dotted the desert. If not for his mission, he might have visited those villages. Though he had yet to detect any truly powerful individuals with his magic, there might well be hidden talents or youngster with potential. Perhaps on his way back.
Elsewhere, he passed over a dour forest. The trees were twisted and bent, and instead of firm ground, the ground beneath them was damp, musty peat. A single deep, broad river cut the forest in two, but the many tributaries that fed it were winding, twisting thing that flowed slowly and stodgily. Large serpents swam through the murky waters and slithered up the haggard trees. Deeper in, where the trees were thicker and the light of the sun dimmer, his magic detected hydras, manticores, shadow crocodiles, and a single, brooding draco-hydra. That last one almost gave him pause. The draco-hydra was old and powerful - a multi-headed titan equivalent to a dragon near the peaking of the Third Awakening. His senses were keen too. Though he did not take wing, his many eyes were able to briefly track Studentwing. Hmm… he would have to tell Doomwing about this later. Draco-hydras were exceedingly rare, born of the union between a dragon and a hydra. They were not especially welcome in either group, but Doomwing did not bear any particular grudge against them either. Unlike the creatures born of the union between a dragon and a leviathan, the draco-hydras had never brought about a Catastrophe.
Out over the open water, Studentwing stumbled across a small group of adolescent qilin. He greeted them warmly, and they paused their endless journey across the skies to speak with him. They were surprised to know of his origins but glad to share what they knew of the conditions ahead. They were part of one of the major herds, and the leader of that herd was well known to Doomwing. Since they were soon to come of age, they had decided to test their mettle by travelling on their own for a few weeks before rejoining the herd. So far, they had not encountered any major trouble, but they warned him of a storm brewing to the south. It was no natural storm, and they suspected that another battle was brewing between either the titans of the deep or perhaps a mighty bird and one of those aquatic giants.
Studentwing thanked them for the information and went on his way. He had no intention of meddling in the affairs of others unless necessary, so he angled away from the storm his magic could just barely detect on the southern horizon. They could fight all they wished, provided they did it a decent distance away from him.
Since the trip to Oblivioncaller’s domain was not something he could complete in a single day, he sought refuge amongst a small group of islands. He chose a cave on the largest island, one set into the side of a volcano. The heat was no trouble for him, but the erratic lava flows served as a fine deterrent against random intruders. He found a nice place at the back of the cave and layered concealment and defensive magic around him before slipping into what passed for sleep for his kind. It was closer to deep meditation, and he drank deeply of the ambient magic around him to help replenish his reserves.
When dawn came, he set off again, winging his way over the ocean.
He travelled in this manner for several days, stopping whenever he felt the need and choosing the safest, most easily hidden and defensible locations he could. It was early one afternoon when he was seeking his next place of rest when he encountered a most unusual situation. Nestled into the side of a series of hills in the middle of a dense jungle was a cave, and at the entrance to that cave, were several hydras. The greatest of them was equivalent to a dragon that had achieved a Third Awakening whilst there were two others at the equivalent of the Second Awakening, and a small group comparable to the First Awakening.
Now why would so many hydras take interest in a cave that was far too small to fit all of them?
Slowing his pace and deepening his concealment, Studentwing chose the subtlest of his scrying spells to examine the cave.
His eyes narrowed, and he fought the urge to snarl.
Two dragon hatchlings were in the cave. Two adult dragons were also in the cave… but both of them were dead. Based on what he could sense, they had only been at the Second Awakening, yet they had given their lives to empower the defences woven into the cave and its surroundings. The hydras must have caught them off guard somehow. Unable to escape the cave, they had been left with no choice but to increase its defences as much as possible. However, against the hydras surrounding the cave, two dragons of the Second Awakening would have soon exhausted themselves powering the defences. Given enough time and pushed badly enough, that exhaustion would eventually have turned fatal. Indeed, that was almost certainly what had occurred, given the gaunt nature of the hatchlings. How long had they been trapped in there? But even in death, their parents had burned every scrap of power they had to buy time, hoping against hope that a fellow dragon might stumble across the scene and offer aid.
Studentwing sighed. The adult dragons had been dead for a while now. Even if he had hurried here from the start, he would still have been too late. All he could do now was ensure the safety of the hatchlings. And to do that, the strongest of the hydras was the main obstacle. The moment he attacked, Studentwing might inadvertently expose his position. If the strongest hydra survived and counterattacked while the others swarmed him, he might find himself in a dangerous situation.
How best to approach this?
“The defences will soon run out of power,” Jungle-Venom hissed. “The body of the adult male shall be mine.” His many eyes locked onto his two main followers. “You two shall share the body of the female between you. As for the rest of you, split the hatchlings between you.” He chuckled. “Naturally, we will also split the hoard amongst us, once we have examined it more closely. Eat well and grow strong. With these dragons out of the way, we shall rule over this forest.”
His attention turned back to the two hatchlings huddling in terror behind the glowing wall of power that barred the entrance of the cave.
“Don’t worry, little ones. Soon enough you will -”
Only Jungle-Venom’s well-honed instincts kept him from dying then and there. A bolt of supremely focused fire bound by a telekinetic sheath lanced through the air like a spear thrown from the heavens. It pierced through the defensive magic he’d layered over his body and sliced into his flank before detonating in an explosion of unrelenting heat laced with the bitter, biting agony of an anti-regeneration Rune. Rather than expand needlessly, the blast remained tightly focused around him. Contained in this manner, the heat didn’t burn. It disintegrated.
“AGGGGHHH!” Jungle-Venom toppled back, half of his heads burned to ash by the blast, along with a huge chunk of his body. His magic flared, and he wove Runes of healing and purification upon himself as he shambled back, trying to find cover behind his subordinates or the hillside. “Where?” he bellowed. “Where did that come from?” He used his tail to smash a chunk of the hillside and dragged his body behind it.
To their credit, his followers acted swiftly. They cast defensive magics, and scrying and detection magic saturated the surrounding area.
“I can’t sense anything,” Mud-Scale growled, his heads sweeping back and forth as his gaze roved over the sky, the jungle, and the hillside. “I have extended my scrying magic as far as I can and -”
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“No!” Jungle-Venom roared. “Stop radiating so much magic!”
“What? Why? We have to find -”
BOOM.
Mud-Scale evaporated.
Another one of those bolts stuck him square in the chest. The following sphere of annihilating flame devoured him whole. There was no regenerating from that.
The others recoiled in shock and horror.
“What?” Dusk-Tail, his other senior follower, panicked, firing off scrying and detection magic in the general direction the bolt had come from.
“Stop!” Jungle-Venom boomed. “Cut off your magic now!”
But the panic had gotten to him, and Jungle Venom was still trying to shake off the effects of the attack he’d taken. This… this was madness. The bolt that had hit him had to have been designed specifically to kill hydras. The fire was unbelievably hot, and the concentration of the explosion after impact only heightened that heat. It was enough to go beyond melting or burning his flesh. Instead, it simply disintegrated whatever was caught in the blast. Combined with the anti-regeneration Rune - which was actually a complex combination of multiple Greater Runes - and even with his best efforts, his body was only barely hanging on. It wasn’t as though his magical defences were weak either. But that bolt… like an awl piercing through tough leather, it was made for penetrating the most common, wide-coverage, passive defensive magics that most creatures of his power level relied on to survive an ambush.
Dusk-Tail was still scanning the area with his magic, and Jungle-Venom hissed. That fool! He couldn’t sense it, but Jungle-Venom could! Right before Mud-Scale had died, there had been an exceedingly brief flash of scrying and detection magic, like a beam of light piercing the gloom. It had been so quick that Jungle-Venom would never have noticed if he hadn’t already been pushing his senses to the utmost after being struck. That beam… it had come from incredibly far away, and it must have been how the bolt had been aimed. But for a beam that narrow and precise to fall upon Mud-Scale, there was only two methods he could think of. Either their opponent had blanketed this entire area in an extremely subtle far-seeing magic, or they were using the magical emissions of the hydras themselves to help aim that beam.
“That’s how our enemy is tracking us,” Jungle-Venom hissed. “Split up! Use only your subtlest scrying and detection magics! Signal if you find anything!”
Dusk-Tail composed himself and hastened to obey. He cut off his magic and began to moved away from the others -
Only to be caught by another one of those bolts.
“AHHH!” The other hydra howled in agony. Half his body was gone, along with all but two of his heads. He screeched and thrashed, and he immediately began to pour out his magic in a vain bid to heal his wounds.
“No!” Jungle-Venom cried. “Endure it! If you use so much magic -”
A second bolt finished Dusk-Tail.
The other hydras, his lesser minions, broke and fled wildly in all directions.
“Fools!” Jungle-Venom roared. “Find cover! Do not flee!”
Fleeing on open ground against a foe who could strike with such accuracy from long range was a death sentence. One by one, the other hydras were picked off. The bolts that slew them were similar in nature, but scaled down to match their weaker power. Jungle-Venom bared his teeth. His foe was not merely powerful but also wise. Rather than waste energy, they had used only the necessary level of power to kill the weaker hydras.
“Where are you?” Jungle-Venom swept the area with the subtlest, stealthiest scrying magic he could. He snarled as something prickled at the edges of his awareness. A dragon at the Third Awakening, and it was coming closer. He dragged in a deep breath, and cut off his attempts to heal himself. His wounds were agonising, but they were not fatal. With his foe approaching, he could not afford to waste his strength. No. He had to feign weakness, hope that his foe lowered their guard, and then strike decisively. He would use the same magic he had employed to slay dragons in the past, a magic that wove his blood, venom, and acid together into a spear sheathed in Greater Runes of piercing, corruption, and true death. Its range was lacking compared to the bolt that had already wounded him, but he knew dragons. His foe would want to savour the kill, and that was his chance.
Soon enough, a dragon appeared.
“Pitiful wretch!” the dragon boomed as his wings beat the air nearby. His scales were a blazing, sunset orange mixed with shades of red and yellow. “You dare besiege the lair of a dragon? I will slay you and feast upon your flesh!”
Jungle-Venom feigned weakness. “Who are you…? You are not from here?”
“No. I am not. But when I saw you and your… minions, I could not turn away. Death is the price for opposing a dragon. Now, you shall join your followers. I will enjoy watching you die.” Flame gathered in his maw -
And Jungle-Venom struck.
His attack bridged the distance between them and caught the dragon squarely in the chest, right over his heart.
Jungle-Venom laughed. He had won.
The dragon clutched at his chest and then smiled… before shattering like glass.
“An… illusion?” Jungle-Venom turned. “Then behind me!”
But there was no one there. Instead, a second bolt came from the side. This one hit him perfectly, and a second followed a moment after.
Jungle-Venom vanished amidst a cloud of searing, impossible heat.
Studentwing dragged in a deep breath. He ached, mind and body. Attacking from such long range with a technique that relied on such finely honed telekinesis was not easy. In fact, it was mentally exhausting in a way regular magic seldom was for him. But it had been necessary to ensure as clean a victory as possible. Yes, he had mightier techniques at his disposal, but those could easily have harmed the hatchlings still in the lair. He’d been lucky too. The leading hydra’s instincts had been good. Had he evaded that first attack cleanly, Studentwing had little doubt he would either have been able to escape or locate him. Thankfully, his attack had at least managed a hit, and the other hydras had panicked. Their wildly fluctuating magic had been easy to detect, and he had used their magic to help guide his aim.
At the end, the leading hydra had almost found him with some truly impressive scrying and detection magic. That was why Studentwing had created the illusion. The hydra had been desperate to find his foe, so give him one to find. Hydras were cunning, and many relied on feigning injury or death to convince their foe to close in, only to catch them unawares. Studentwing had played into that stereotype, and in his eagerness to escape danger and win, his foe had failed to see the minute inconsistencies in the illusion Studentwing had hastily conjured. Heh. Had Dreamsong been there, she would have happily pointed out countless flaws, but Doomwing - and thus Studentwing - had always been ruthlessly practical about matters of combat. In combat, being perfect was often less important than being good enough. And his illusion had been good enough to fool the hydra. That was what mattered.
With the hydras slain, Studentwing searched the area one more time to ensure no hidden threats remained before gliding down to land before the entrance to the cave. Behind the glowing barrier, curled up against the fallen bodies of their parents, were two hatchlings. The older of the two was a mere six feet in length, and he had the characteristic red scales of a dragon of the fire dragon lineage. The younger was a female hatchling, measuring only three feet in length. Unlike her brother, she was unmistakably of the storm dragon lineage. The two hatchlings stared at him, and Studentwing walked over until he was just shy of the barrier.
“You are safe now,” he said. “The hydras are dead. I slew them all.”
The younger of the pair said nothing, pressing herself even more firmly against the body of her mother as though the dead dragon could still provide comfort. However, her brother stepped forward. His voice shook, and Studentwing could see the tracks of old tears upon his scaly cheeks.
“Truly?”
“Yes. They are dead.”
The young dragon began to weep, pressing his snout into the ground and beating the floor of the caves with his wings, tail, and claws. Though he was little more than skin and bones, he put what little strength he still had into the blows. Studentwing waited. How terrible it must have felt to have been so helpless, to have been capable of nothing more than watching their parents waste away while the hydras skulked like vultures outside. And then, when their parents perished from sheer exhaustion, they would have had no choice but stay there as the hydras mocked and taunted them. The young dragon had not been able to do anything then. He had been too weak. And so now he struck the cave as if striking it could somehow undo the past, as if those blows could somehow be transmitted to the hydras that had tormented his family so much.
At last, the young dragon went still. His sister continued to remain silent, but tears were slowly coursing down her face.
“You are starving,” Studentwing said quietly. “I have food, but I will need to take down the barrier to give it to you.” He had gathered the food during his approach after slaying the hydras. For hatchlings of this size, prey like large birds, deer, and the like were more than sufficient, and gathering them had taken Studentwing only a moment. His telekinesis alone had made seizing them easy.
“And… you will not harm us?” the male hatchling asked.
“Did your parents speak to you of the Old Oaths,” Studentwing asked.
The male hatchling nodded. “My father said they are the oaths the gods gave us long ago. He said that no dragon would ever dare to break an oath sworn in that manner, and that if a dragon ever did, then all other dragons would know and hunt them down.”
Studentwing nodded. “Indeed. And so I swear to you, on the Seven Gods who shaped the world and crafted the first dragons, on Sovereign Flame, first and greatest of our kind, and on the fire that burns within me and the wind that lifts my wings, I will not harm you.”
The hatchling looked at him for a long moment. “I… I do not know how to take the barrier down. My parents were always the ones who handled that. They never taught us because they didn’t want us sneaking out while they were gone.”
Studentwing sighed. “I can take it down myself.” He gestured. “Step back.”
From what Studentwing could sense, both parents had been at the Second Awakening. For dragons of that level, the barrier was impressive. It was woven not only into the entrance of the cave but around the cave’s interior as well. Otherwise, the hydras would undoubtedly have tried to dig their way in. It combined several Greater Runes and multiple defensive spells. Ideally, it would have relied solely on ambient magic and the currents of power flowing through the area to fuel itself, but the constant pressure exerted by the hydras had forced the adult dragons to reinforce it with their own power. And against so many opponents, especially one at the equivalent of the Third Awakening, they had eventually been forced to fuel the barrier with their very lives.
It had been a desperate gambit. Had Studentwing arrived even a day later, he would have been too late. And yet that desperate gamble had paid off. The parents had died, but their children had lived.
The leader of the hydras had been powerful and cunning, but he had clearly been no expert in dismantling barriers. Studentwing was. It took him only a minute or two to bring the barrier down. Had its creators been alive and able to adjust it, it would undoubtedly have taken longer, but even then, he doubted it would have taken him more than ten minutes. Of course, simply blasting through the barrier would have been quicker still, but that would have been an act of madness with the hatchlings still inside.
He stepped into the cave. The hatchlings watched him stiffly, but perhaps his small size put them slightly at ease. He was roughly the same size as the older of the pair, and his oversized wings gave him an almost adorable appearance. He took out the food he had brought and placed it deeper in the cave. It would not do to linger near the entrance. The pair looked at the food longingly and then back at the bodies of their parents.
“Go, eat.” Studentwing lifted the bodies of the parents with his telekinesis. “I will see to your parents.”
It was late in the night when Studentwing used the communication sphere to speak to Doomwing. The two hatchlings had fallen into an exhausted sleep after eating their fill. It was fortunate they were dragons. A human might have injured themselves eating so much after so long without food, but dragons had no such issues. He had also surrounded them with formations designed to gather and convert ambient magic into the form most suitable for them. As for the cave’s defences, he had added his own, ensuring that nothing could enter without his permission.
As they had eaten, the female hatchling had continued to remain silent. However, her brother had managed to provide some important information as he’d eaten. Right now, the two were curled up together near the bodies of their parents, which he had placed deeper in the cave. He strongly suspected that if the brother had been alone, he would be inconsolable. As it was, he appeared to be maintaining a tough front for his sister’s sake. However, Studentwing knew very well that such composure would eventually crack. Perhaps tomorrow, or perhaps a few days from now, the full enormity of what had happened would sink in, and when it did, there would be grief, rage, and self-blame.
Doomwing’s image appeared.
“You appear to have paused in your journey,” Doomwing said.
Studentwing nodded. “I have encountered unforeseen circumstances.” And then he gave Doomwing an account of the day’s events.
“That… is unfortunate.” Doomwing sighed. “What do you intend to do?”
Studentwing took out a special charm. It had been made by Doomwing himself out of the very finest materials. Even so, it could only be used once. “This charm you gave me is a teleportation charm. If I were to use it now, despite the distance between us, it would still bring me back to you.”
“That is correct.” Doomwing’s eyes narrowed. “You mean to use the charm to send the hatchlings to me.”
“The bodies of their parents too,” Studentwing said. “I’ve no intention of leaving them to scavengers.” He made a face. “I cannot take them with me. Even if it was the hatchlings alone, bringing them into the heart of Oblivioncaller’s domain would be madness. They would never survive, and if they parted from me, I do not think they would last long either.”
“No. Two hatchlings of their size would be easy prey for others,” Doomwing said.
“The charm was never designed to transport so much,” Studentwing began. “But we both know it can be modified. If handled properly, it will be possible. Of course, as the one serving as the anchor for the charm, the backlash toward you has the potential to be considerable.” While Studentwing would be the one making the modifications and additions, the burden would fall not on him but on Doomwing. “And stabilising things so that the hatchlings remain unharmed and their parents’ bodies are properly preserved could be extremely taxing.”
Doomwing shook his head. “You speak of trivialities. I am Doomwing. There will be no problems.”
“Then, in that case, I will make the preparations. Tomorrow, I will send them to you.”
“Be sure to explain properly,” Doomwing said. “They have suffered enough. Make it clear that from the moment they arrive, they will be under my personal protection. No harm shall come to them, and any who seek to harm them, shall face my wrath.”
The next morning, Studentwing let the hatchlings eat their fill again before explaining his plans to them.
“I am on a mission, so I must soon leave this place.” He saw the panic in their eyes and pressed on swiftly. “You cannot follow me. It is too dangerous. However, I have no intention of leaving you here alone. Tell me, did your parents teach you of the primordial dragons, the greatest of our kind?”
The brother nodded slowly. “They told us. They said they are the strongest beings in the world.”
“I serve one of those dragons, mighty Doomwing. Do you know of him?”
The hatchling’s eyes lit up momentarily. “The Master of Magic.”
“Oh?”
“My… my father called him that. He said that of all beings in the world, Doomwing was the best at magic.” The hatchling sagged. “My father was supposed to teach me another spell soon, but…”
Studentwing patted him with one wing. “I cannot bring you with me. But I can send you to Doomwing.” He pulled out the charm. “By using this charm as a focus for a ritual, I can send you straight to him. You will not have to travel their on your own. One moment you will be here, the next you will be at his side.”
“I…” The hatchling was speechless. “Then… then will we be safe?”
“I have already spoken to him. He has sworn on his name to protect you. Believe me, you will be welcome in his lands.”
The hatchling pulled his sister closer. She pressed her snout into his side. She still hadn’t spoken a word. “Then… what about our parents?”
Studentwing bowed his head solemnly. “I will send them to Doomwing as well. He will… see to it that their bodies are handled in accordance with the old ways. They shall want for nothing when they are laid to rest.”
The hatchling closed his eyes and choked back a sob. “Thank you.”
Studentwing patted him again. “You and your sister should go back into the cave. Rest, sleep. I will wake you when the ritual is ready.”