By boat in the traveling trail of open waters, they didn't reach port until after dawn a day later. Once they arrived at the docks with a view of nearly all of the city, Valora's happiness slowly faded. It was a beautiful city with even more sophisticated designs of only the greatest architects, sure, but it did not favor her. She remained silent, casually walking to the back of the boat, the cold breeze of the ocean her only comfort to meet her.

"I wonder what's wrong with her." Zoran thought as the birds flew in the distance, the wind blowing through their skin with cold ocean air to hug it.

A stump shook the ship slightly: they docked. The captain led the passengers off the boat, checking each person for illness or forbidden items. Some were arrested by the time they went through the line and into the city. The crowd scattered about after facing the trials before entry, leaving Valora ahead of the others as a guide.

She brought them to the keep in which the king remained. They walked up the ancient, polished, and clean steps to the king's throne room. The king was surprised to see Zoran and Theodren once more. After the many years of separation when they were only mercenaries to fight off the king's problems, they were seen still inferior.

"Over eyru isolation for hundreds of years, you return to me tired and with no task I assigned for you. Had our last departure not been enough?" The king spoke, his voice grasping to the walls and even bringing servants to listen. It held a deep demanding element to it, yet elegant and reasonable.

They both bowed to the king in respect.

"Get up!" The man spoke like he was kicking a wounded soldier to stand.

Zoran looked up, while Carrion remained confused and silent. Valora stayed out of the affair.

"We are once again honored to speak to you, King Malikyr."

"That's a lie. There's no honor in meeting an enemy on one's knees. You bow before me in defeat," the king replied with a somewhat annoyed tone, followed by a brief sigh. "What do you want?"

"The great protector of a powerful kingdom, of the Dragon Shores. Although it pains me to admit, we must speak with your steward."

"Pain? A rather conflicting choice of words, boy. He holds nearly as much value as I," The king responded, as though baffled by Zoran's insolence.

The room fell silent.

"I would bring my servants to meet your needs and get you out of here as quickly as possible, but Aran isn't here. Muttered something about a relative visiting." The king ended, as though he were yawning at whatever intentions they had.

"Is there any way we can meet him, your greatness?" Zoran asked, causing Theodren to roll his eyes beyond the king's notice.

"Shall I summon a dragon for you to ride off on as well? Servants!" The king shouted. All of the servants stopped what they were doing, standing tall and without movement, looking his way in direct focus. "Give them my seal of approval to meet at Aran's gate. Grant a map of how they shall get there."

With haste, the king signed the waiver, and both papers were granted to them. They all looked at the king, and Zoran began to fall on his knees and respond to his mercy, but was interrupted.

"If my steward so much as receives one bloody mark from your arrogance, I shall personally give you a manner of hell that an entire kingdom against you could never muster." The king signaled his servants back to work, gently swinging his hand forward. "Now begone."

With that in mind, they left. They walked down the steps slightly shaken by the fact that a king only five feet tall could be that intimidating. Architecture filled with the designs you would only see in the finest paintings struck around every corner they turned when leaving the palace.

After buying all the supplies needed for their travels, they all took rest that evening. Theodren was curious about Valora, as they only just met and there was so much he wished to know.

"Valora, why did you leave the Dragon Shores?" He gave a friendly smile.

Valora looked at him, dead in the eyes instantly, turning to a garden far in the distance. By then, the sun was already fading away.

"What's wrong with her?" Theodren asked Carrion, shocked to see her just get up and leave.

Carrion made an abrupt sigh.

"You haven't changed, Theodren." He closed his eyes and rested his shoulders against a tree.

Theodren looked to Zoran to hopefully understand what he meant, but Zoran was too focused on his own interests, regardless of hearing everything they just said.

Carrion sighed with exhaustion.

"What you know of her now is everything she could ever want: the freedom to choose not to ponder on her past. The world has been against her every decision from the day she was born, no matter the intent." The brothers quickly turned his way at that reply, respectfully remaining silent as he continued. "Her father didn't anticipate she had such great potential, so he gave her one choice: be a good little lady and do as she was told. She was never to venture to the land beyond, despite her curiosity of it all, as well as her sense of favor towards humans: a trait shunned by most here."

Carrion paused, closing his eyes in thought.

"One night, she snuck out her bedroom window with all the things she cared about; cut her finely woven and braided hair, took a boat that led all the way up north to the western tip of Faulon, and docked at the one place that would accept her." He took a breath.

"Drakon, the same place we grew up together in. This was soon after you two left for the war."

"Welcomed her like you welcomed us all those years ago?" Theodren smiled, a smug look. "By which I mean, not well?"

"I've learned from the best." Carrion looked back, almost joyful despite the grim topic. "Our guild master welcomed her in, and since I was a mentor to you and your brother in the past, the master ordered that I sid tys same for her. She was happy to finally be in a place she belonged, yet through all the heroic deeds we've done over the years since, she's always remembered, and hated, her past. If you tried to persuade her otherwise, you would be bombarded by sharp blades, for she despises its very existence."

"So Aran Sadorian, the beloved and famed, drowned the happiness and freedom out of the last person he cared about? Sad, truly." Zoran interrupted, sending Theodren and Carrion to look his way.

"Ah, and the master finally speaks!" Theodren struck his hands in the air as though to praise a divine being, while entirely focused on his brother.

"It is near nightfall, talk to Valora if you can. If she cannot bear to return to her father even through such a troublesome time...then so be it...." Zoran stood up. Through the conversation, he was either on the ground writing, or looking towards the distance.

"A tad grim, aren't you?" Theodren replied with his arms crossed, a little irritated by his lack of sympathy.

"Oh? Sorry...." Zoran smiled awkwardly, turning back to his book.

By that time, nightfall was so close to beginning. The tracks Valora took were faded, and Theodren could only make vague gambles over where she could be. Theodren caught Valora in his side view, however, and the sight nearly made Theodren fall on his face in the pathway.

In a garden guarded by a wall of trees, she stood, looking at a flower kept gently in her hand. It seemed like she was looking at it for hours, and as soon as Theodren took a step towards the garden, the petals broke apart and flew into the wind.

"My, Aran. When will there come a time you'll accept me for being different? When will I be known proudly as the eyru of Drakon, the protector of the innocent, and not some put to hell political figure?" She looked off into the recently struck moonlight, almost crying, but she tried really hard to hide it. "And mother, I suffer every day without your guidance. I do hope I can find that courage. You saving countless lives in a foreign war is something I only dreamed of as a child. You were what gave me my purpose, and I am grateful."

Theodren unknowingly hid behind the wall of trees. He had only just begun to acknowledge her feminine beauty held behind all the armor and fierce temper. Her warrior physique was discarded to the ground below the stone pavement holding up a raised flower bed she was sitting on, just beside her feet.

Her hair without her braids was long, stretching below her waist and covering her pointed ears. The eyes like a nightfall sea glowed in the moonlight. Like a reflection of the stars, her skin shimmered like divine light, so elegant and pure that a baby couldn't even compare.

While distracted by her appearance, Theodren quickly lost his balance from where he kept his foot, falling only three strides from her.

She ran to his side immediately, lifting him up. Though out of focus for a few seconds, Theodren looked directly at her, with a new head wound to add to his previous one. Valora tried to avoid looking at him directly, as they were so close to each other it was uncomfortable.

"...." She sat in shock. "Were you...watching me?" She awkwardly asked.

Theodren stared silently, struggling to provide a single word.

She took a quiet breath.

"Well, I can't really do anything about that now. Are we...leaving?" Theodren was fully standing by that point. Only moments before his knees were holding him at balance to the floor, at the same level as her.

"Not yet. Aran wasn't there. The king requested we search for him ourselves, and we have our lead right here." Theodren took out a piece of parchment.

"When nightfall comes, tell him that I still love him, but will not return. Can you do that for me?" Valora replied immediately, pushing against his chest and slightly crumbling the parchment, confusing Theodren.

"That was abrupt. Is he really all that bad?" Theodren gave a concerned look, rolling the paper into a scroll to put away, scratching his head after the first sentence.

"No, he's worse...." She shoved a small doll onto his chest, forcing him to grab it and look with his breath depleted by her. "Take this."

Although Theodren wanted to ask why, he decided to stop himself.

"It's nightfall. Best we meet the steward." Zoran appeared in the shadows, catching them off guard.

Theodren hesitantly turned back from Valora. He looked to his brother, and then followed him.

"Onward, then!" Theodren shouted. Zoran followed beside him, while Carrion stood waiting for them in the distance.

"What about Valora? Nothing more she can guide us through?" Zoran asked in a whisper.

Theodren looked back, seeing her look to him with a worried, uncomfortable face.

"Just leave her be. Can you do that?" Theodren gave a serious look back.

With a pause, Zoran halted in his steps, and then smiled.