Chapter Six - The Mionian Queen's Proposition

    Azure Star scanned the room of the Arch-Dragon's home. She remembered the peaceful years of Dark Wings' predecessor. The time when Dark Wings and his brother jumped onto their father's wings, their mother watching with joy.

    Her green eyes clouded as the memories of the past tried to fix and cover the present.

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    Storm's Wing, Dark Wings' father, banished his own son and the next Arch-Dragon heir whilst proclaiming Dark Wings as the next Arch-Dragon. The former heir was chased off for killing the little kit and dragonet by Storm's Wing's strongest warriors and even the Arch-Dragon himself. Dark Wing's mother, Iris, a pearl dragon, wept at the  news of her son's acts of murder.

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    "Azure Star, it is not time to leave." Dark Wings' regal voice tore Azure Star away from her recent past.

    She shook her head to clear it. "Indeed. I wished to speak with you before we left. Did Tahl'drí tell you why she wanted to meet?"

    Dark Wings shook his head. "Do you know her intentions, Azure Star?"

    After a short hesitation, she replied softly, "I do. She—well, she wants us to 'return' Myrkr to her."

    The Arch-Dragon waited for Azure Star to continue. When she didn't, he asked, "Is it wise? Maybe this is why she does not listen to my orders."

    The question startled her. "You do not have a thought about it yourself, Arch-Dragon? With such important matters, you have an idea and never compare with me."

    "I have not heard of this Mion Jungle Tribe nor their queen, but you seem to know of both."

    "I cannot fathom why Tahl'drí would want her so badly," Azure Star answered evasively, "but I sense a lesser, more controlled power from Tahl'dri that is fairly typical of the noble and royal blood. From Myrkr, though, I sense something I've not sensed in a long time. Her power is stronger and much more undisciplined, and I don't think she herself is aware of it. Maybe Tahl'drí is aware.
    "As to if you should comply with the queen and let her have Myrkr, that is your choice. I am the psychic and at times adviser, but you are the Arch-Dragon, leader of the Revak Feykro. It is you who makes that choice. It was the last order I received from Storm's Wing as Arch-Dragon, and I will not disobey that order." Azure Star landed on a tree stump chair and folded her legs under her, and her wings vanished into her sides, hidden by her long fur. The crystal ball floated nearby, pure white. Under normal circumstances, many different colors would be dancing across its polished surface, those same colors reflecting Azure Star's mood or moods. I must not influence this decision, she thought. She kept a calm demeanor while Dark Wings paced the room.

     "I will have to decide then and there, Azure Star," the Arch-Dragon decided. "Though I have a feeling that what happens tonight in the Immortal Land will affect us greatly." To this, Azure Star nodded.

     "Farewell until twilight, Arch-Dragon." Azure Star stood and opened her wings to leave.

     "Farewell," Dark Wings echoed. "I just Myrkr was not being treated like a gemstone, but a living, breathing Mythic with a mind of her own."

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     Dark Wings followed Azure Star through the Immortal Land, which was without landmarks. The cat walked confidently over the land. "I come here often," she said. "Tahl'drí told me where we would find her."

     "Very well," Dark Wings said, his voice having irritation underlying the words. "We had better be close."

     "We are, Arch-Dragon," she soothed. Just as she had said that, the Cí'mehia queen appeared. Dark Wings let out a low, dangerous sound in surprise, while Azure Star took on a look of distrust. Her natural calm and kind airs were replaced by hostility and hate. It has certainly been a while since I had felt the dangerous emotions, she thought, sadly. It has also been just as long, however, that I had last seen Tahl'drí. That was a few years prior to my finding of little Myrkr. The poor girl, does not even know what she is...I know what she is, racially and spiritually, but that is not my place to tell her yet.

     "Dark Wings, Azure Star," Tahl'dri purred, her voice smooth as silk. "A pleasure." The queen extended a forepaw-like hand to Dark Wings.

     "Skip the formalities, Mion queen. What is the reason you interrupted me? You know of the war between the Ziixi and my home." The Arch-Dragon didn't shake the Cí'mehia's hand, and regarded her with his scorching yellow eyes.

     "Indeed." Tahl'drí nodded. "That is why I chose the Immortal Land as the meeting place." The queen let her hand drop.

     Azure Star could not hold back her growl any longer. "Tahl'drí, why do you want Myrkr? She is one of us, now. We found her abandoned—"

     "Myrkr Mkhoal belongs in my jungle. Besides," something in the Cí'mehia's eyes glinted as she faced Dark Wings, "she has already agreed to join my Isle. The best part is, there is another Cí'mehia there, part of Mion, who convinced her to join us." Her smile was wolf-like, and even for having a cheetah-like face, it was unnatural in all aspects.

     Azure Star snorted. "Is that so? So that is why you blocked her from reaching me not once, but twice?" By the end, the words slowly turned into a snarl.

     "Azure Star," Dark Wings warned. He turned his attention back to Tahl'drí. "You still have not told me why you want Myrkr."

     Tahl'drí nodded. "I did. She is one born of my jungle. She belongs with me, and our race."

     "She is fifteen years old, and one of many!" Azure Star snapped, then stopped herself. This is the Arch-Dragon's call, not mine. She glanced at the silent dark dragon.

     Dark Wings watched Tahl'drí. "And if I were to refuse to give you Myrkr," he paused, then added, "as if she were a gemstone?" Venom laced the last words.

     "Bad things for your home will happen," was all she replied. "Oh, and my agent's name is Cedric. So long, Azure and Dark Wings!" Tahl'drí glanced at Azure Star once more. "It was lovely catching up with old friends." A cloud surrounded the queen, and she was gone when it cleared.

     Azure Star started growling low, and she knew the words she said wouldn't be understood by Dark Wings.

     "Well, Azure Star," he started, gazing into the bland cover of night. "If Myrkr wants to leave us, I don't want to stand in her way. I just wish she'd tell us why..." As he trailed off, Azure Star suddenly realized there was a mental pressure that she no longer felt, which ended when Tahl'dri left.

     "She magicked your thoughts, Arch-Dragon!" she exclaimed, her crystal ball surging with colors of red and dark blue. All at once, she was angry and alarmed. "I told you about the nobility of Cí'mehia, their race name, having an ability, but I never told you they have psychic abilities!" She began pacing, Dark Wings watching her with curiosity. "Myrkr tried to contact me twice, Arch-Dragon. Tahl'dri stopped her both times. Myrkr does not want to join the Mion Jungle. And the agent..." Azure Star trailed off, trying to piece things together frantically.

     Dark Wings shook his head to clear it. "Yes, there was a pressure in my mind. Myrkr would never have agreed to her task if she wanted to leave. Come, lead the way out so we may plan for the future."

     "Yes, Arch-Dragon."

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     Rainlight was with them when they woke. "How was the meeting?" she asked. Since Azure Star was irritated by Tahl'drí's foolish demand and arrogant threat, she flew out, her crystal ball alight with dangerous, dark colors. Dark Wings would be the one to dictate Myrkr's fate, with the authority to do so, and the one with any announcements in relation.

     The winged cat flew up in a spiral around the Immortal Oak, and the surrounding dwellings, to think. As she wound her way to the top-most dwelling in the Immortal Oak, she starting thinking again. Maybe I can speak with Sanguine. Surely Myrkr would have told him of her troubles, and Tahl'drí won't have a special disposition in connecting her mind to him to block me. I can also warn him about an agent, have him watch for any recruits with emerald colored eyes. For a moment, she perched herself on one of the high branches, and curled her tail around it. Her own emerald eyes were pointed skyward. Tahl'drí mentioned one Cedric, and that he was possibly the agent to convince Myrkr to join them. Why would Tahl'dri specifically tell us her agent's name? Cedric... that sounds familiar.

     Azure Star continued her ascent to the top-most dwelling in the Immortal Oak. Inside, the cat felt her senses enjoy relief, freedom, and clarity.

     The inside's wooden walls, ceiling, and floor were covered in cloudy-clear crystal, which looked beautiful in Azure Star's opinion. Storm's Wing had created the Isle and the Oak, and had created the hidden room for Azure Star. Of course, the past Arch-Dragon had willed all the rooms and the colored branch pathways, though Azure Star herself was the one to create the crystal that decorated it. None who were alive knew what Azure Star had done in the hollow hidden by the leaves, but that was just as well since no Mythic currently alive knew it even existed except for Dark Wings.

     Her crystal ball moved to the center of the floor, in the middle of a circular, intricate design. With about half of it set in the floor, the colors that had been dancing and swirling on the ball's surface transferred to the crystal room as if the color was blood following veins. The rest of the crystal changed. Slowly, everything turned to a pale blue. Azure Star relaxed and curled up around her crystal ball, and slept.

     That was when she saw the vision.

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Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed!

As always, what do you guys think will happen? What will Azure see, and will it be good or bad?

Also, do you guys like having chapters within the Revak Feykro, and not just the Ziixi Academy? I need mythical creatures, so could you guys leave beasts from myths? Not one-of-a-kind ones like the Lochnas (yes I spelled it wrong) monster or Big Foot. Just anything.

(Did anyone notice that Azure only calls Dark Wings 'Arch-Dragon'? Tell me if you noticed!)

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