"I j...just c...can't live with myself anymore!" Leif cried into her brother's shoulder.

Hadrix sighed and said, "You've lived with yourself for this long, so why not try a little longer."

"It f...feels so h..hopeless!" Leif sobbed. Hadrix looked down into his sister's icy blue eyes and replied, "If you did nothing about it, I'm sure it's hopeless. But you've already done quite a lot, and while you haven't gotten results yet, you can't give up until you know it's over."

Leif sniffled, staring down at the floor as she pulled back from the hug. "Y..you're right. It isn't over yet. And I can send some of the wyverns out to search while my wing heals."

"I told you so." Hadrix said with a smug grin.

Leif smiled softly at him before turning and walking towards the palace infirmary. "I'm going to have Miraj take a look at my wing, and hopefully there's something that will heal it faster. Lyrica is going to pay for everything she's done to me!"

Hadrix shrugged as he watched her go, before he looked over at Vaskin and asked, "You want to search for your girl while she's getting her wing patched up?"

"Of course!" Vaskin replied, jumping to his feet and climbing onto the crimson dragon's back. "I last saw her in the mountains, so we should check around there. Maybe there's a chance that Khashmyr was right. Either way..."

Hadrix nodded, bolting through the palace gates and shooting into the sky.

After hours of searching the mountains, Hadrix was growing tired and hungry.

"How about we stop through Ignis Sol and grab something to eat. I've heard they make some pretty good fried fish, and I've been wanting a reason to check it out for ages. It'll be no good searching any more with my stomach this empty." Hadrix said, as he gazed longingly at the city below that bordered the Silver Sea.

Vaskin sighed heavily and said, "I suppose it won't do us any harm, but I hope that Manx stays safe, wherever she is."

"Nah, she's pretty fierce, that one. She'll do alright." Hadrix replied, swooping in for a landing.

Vaskin looked down at the approaching city and asked, "Do ya' think that maybe, just maybe, she might be hiding out in the city?"

"I wouldn't count on it, but it's possible. Then again, can't she teleport to practically anywhere?" Hadrix replied as he landed effortlessly with a soft 'Thwumph'.

"I guess so, but it seems she has to have been to that place or heard of it before, or have some sort of emotional connection. We never really talked about it much, seein' as she's a bit sensitive about her ability." Vaskin said, gazing around at the wide array of shops and buildings that littered the city.

"Oh hey, didn't you say once that you grew up around here?" Hadrix asked.

"I lived a bit more on the very outskirts, but yeah, kinda'." Vaskin said, shuddering at the memories that once again invaded his mind.

Hadrix nodded as they walked the city's cobblestone streets. Vaskin dismounted and walked alongside Hadrix, trying to avoid looking at the posters that covered every inch of the city. Hadrix lifted his nose to the air and took in a deep breath, following the scent of something which he thought smelled delicious.

"You wanna' try something?" Hadrix asked, as he stood outside a butcher's shop and stared longingly at the racks of raw meat dangling from the ceiling inside. "One of the perks of having the Empress as your sister is you get an almost unlimited allowance of Draquens, so we can get whatever we want."

"Actually, I'm good." Vaskin said, trying not to think of how the entrails dangling out of a hanging boar carcass reminded him of Lyrica, and what could have happened to Manx. Vaskin took a step backwards, and stumbled into something solid and alive. He spun around, his face flushing slightly, and began, "I'm so sorry..." when he recognized the violet eyed silvery kitsune he had just bumped into.

"Xolt?!" Vaskin exclaimed in alarm.

Xolt tersely brushed off the shoulder of his cloak where Vaskin had just bumped into him. "Vaskin?" Xolt said, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

Vaskin felt a sharp tug on his pant leg and looked down into the eyes of a much smaller kitsune, only half his height, with sandy fur and huge ears that were way too big for her petite little body. Standing behind her was a small pale colored dragon with hazelnut brown splotches and piercing orange eyes who was trying to appear as invisible as possible. The dragon had transparent gossamer wings and no horns or frills upon her head or tail, but instead she had a bony crest that stretched over the back of her neck. 

"Um, Ahem!" the tiny sand colored kitsune said.

"Oh, um, hello. And you are?" Vaskin said nervously, trying to avoid Xolt's cold steely glare.

"I'm Jessamine, but my friends call me Scrapper. Or else." she said, sticking out a hand for him to shake. "And that dragon behind us is Faern. She doesn't like crowds."

Vaskin knelt down and shook her hand, saying, "Well, it's nice to meet you, but ah...we're kinda busy."

"I never asked for a conversation." Xolt commented, resting his hand on the hilt of the sword that lay at his waist.

"Well, I'm sorry to intrude on your day. I was just trying to be nice, and seeing as you've been quite the jerk to Manx lately, I don't even have to be nice." Vaskin snapped, his tail raised with its venomous barb ready to strike.

"Tch. You're too predictable." Xolt said with a challenging smirk.

"Ooh, are you two gonna' fight? Come on, Xolt! You can take him!" Scrapper excitedly exclaimed.

"Stay out of it, kid." Vaskin growled at her. Scrapper crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out in defiance.

"Don't you dare talk to my girl that way." Xolt warned.

"I'm only concerned for her safety. Unlike you are with Manx! I bet you're happy now that Manx is gone and probably alone and cold and scared, or worse! I bet you wished Lyrica won the battle!" Vaskin yelled, trying not to cry.

"You're pathetic." Xolt said. "She's responsible for Sheena's death, so you could say that I wish the worst for her."

"That's it!" Vaskin yelled, launching a punch at Xolt that hit him squarely in the jaw. Xolt felt the side of his face, a small trickle of blood coming off onto his fingers.

"Tch. Predictable. I'm not even going to waste my time hitting you back. You're worth nothing to me, Vaskin. Now go and look for your girlfriend. We shall see if you ever find her." Xolt growled calmly.

"Ooh, you're really gonna' get it now!" Scrapper taunted.

"Shut it, Ears!" Xolt snapped at her.

"Hmph!" Scrapped shot back.

Vaskin raised his fist to strike Xolt again, when a scaly red paw wrapped around his waist as a voice yelled "Nope!" overhead.

"What are you doing? I totally had him!" Vaskin yelled, as Hadrix rocketed skyward.

"Not letting you get killed!" Hadrix replied, looking at Vaskin upside down.

"Put me down!" Vaskin called back, trying to wrench himself free from the dragon's iron grip.

"No. He has a sword. And not to mention that zappy lightning thingy he does." Hadrix said.

"Well then, we'll ask the Empress to hunt him down!" Vaskin said.

"What matters more, Manx, or that irritated static hairball?" Hadrix replied.

"Okay, I get your point. But still!" Vaskin said.

Hadrix sighed and said, "I doubt he'll do any harm if we just leave him be.

"That doesn't change the fact that he's a stuck up jerk. I just can't believe him!" Vaskin replied.

"True that." Hadrix said, soaring onwards.

"Wait a minute, wasn't there a dragon with him and his little friend? What if they followed us?" Vaskin said.

"They wouldn't, even if there was a dragon with them. Xolt think's you're annoying, and it was obvious fuzz butt doesn't want anything to do with you." Hadrix replied.

* * * * * * * * * *

Manx gazed at the horizon, distant thoughts weaving through her mind like the ripples across a quiet pond. She had never had the time to appreciate the details of the ruins they were staying in, but now that some of the tension was relieved, she was able to examine the place. Its cracked marble floors and crumbling walls were vast and ancient, and she was almost certain that the place had once been a palace.

Lyrica and Manx had taken shelter under the overhang left on one of the crumbling walls during the storms that had occurred over the last few hours. Now the rain was draining through the cracks in the floor and watering the grass and vines that crept between the fissures in the stone. Manx and Lyrica were still unsure of Lyrica's condition, and the fact that Lyrica had become increasingly more fatigued and in pain had caused their hopes to begin to fall once more.

"How are you feeling?" Manx asked, concern edged in her voice as they watched the blanket of dark clouds rolling away in the distant sky.

"Worse than ten minutes ago, if that's what you're wondering." Lyrica groaned, shaking from the pain.

"Within just a few hours, you've become more and more alive, and yet it seems if you don't heal faster then it'll only get worse." Manx said

Lyrica gave a heavy sigh and replied, "If this is the end then I suppose I'm prepared."

"I wish it wouldn't have to come to this. But at least there's still hope." Manx said.

Lyrica nodded. "Whether I live or die, or both, in the end I am grateful to have you at my side." she said, wistfully gazing at the sky.

Manx opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she heard a noise outside.

"What is it?" Lyrica asked in a low whisper, having heard the noise as well.

"It sounded like a dragon landing." Manx replied nervously, shadows flaring round her hands in preparation for teleportation.

"Here? In this abandoned old place? But why?" Lyrica asked.

Manx listened for a moment, as a pair of footsteps approached them.

"We have to go. Now." Manx whispered, putting a hand on Lyrica's foreleg.

Lyrica nodded as the shadows began to swirl around them, when suddenly the vortex was interrupted, as if something was sucking the very energy from Manx's ability.

"Something's wrong!" Manx said softly, hoping that the intruder would not hear.

"I gave my full consent. What's stopping you?" Lyrica asked.

"I don't know!" Manx spat back. "It feels like there's a neutralizer in the area!"

"What exactly is that?" Lyrica asked

"It's a magical device that inhibits the abilities of certain types of silver helixes. But how would someone know to bring one? They're element specific! This should be impossible!" Manx said, wincing as the shadows were torn from her hands.

"I've heard the Empress is looking for you." a cold voice echoed through the ruins. "And I never would have found you without the help of a certain guardian."

"Show yourself!" Lyrica growled.

"I recognize that voice..." Manx started, with a hint of relief in her tones. "Xolt?! What in the Valdt are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same." He replied, smugly crossing his arms.

"I've missed you!" Manx called, running forward, before stopping in her tracks. "But wait a minute...how did you find me?"

"The spirit of a very helpful dragon gave me a tip off." Xolt replied, his voice cold and precise and showing no trace of their previous friendship.

"You've been consulting spirits? But how? Was it..." Manx started, before he held up a hand to silence her.

"Do not speak her name. Sheena is gone forever. And we both know whose fault that is." Xolt replied.

"But why would you talk to spirits? Don't you know that no good can come of such endeavors?!" Manx said. She thought she saw him looking over her shoulder for a second.

"You're the one who's consulting with the Empress' greatest enemy. And really, do you think I wouldn't be cautious? I made Celyn prove her trustworthiness." Xolt replied.

Manx looked over at Lyrica, who seemed to be frozen in shock.

"What do you want, Xolt?" Manx growled, sensing something was extremely off.

"What I want..." Xolt started, a hostile grin spreading across his face, "...Is REVENGE!"

Suddenly, Manx felt something latch onto her back, its warm arms clasping something cold and metallic tightly round her neck. As she struggled against her assailant, she watched in horror as Lyrica dissipated into a shining purple mist that was pulled into a bottle clipped to Xolt's belt.

"What have you done?!" Manx screamed, lunging at her former friend.

"No worries. Lyrica is safe for now. She's simply stored away so she can't cause trouble. I'm simply going to deliver her to the Empress." Xolt said.

"What kind of dark magic are you toying with?!" Manx gasped in alarm, as her attacker leaped from her back and landed beside Xolt.

"Good job, Scrapper. You've actually proved yourself for once." Xolt said, nodding at his companion.

Manx grasped at her neck, feeling the cold metal band that had been so expertly placed around it, and realizing the full magnitude of the situation. She was defenseless, having carried no weapon, and unable to use her powers because of the neutralizer clipped around her neck. Xolt smiled in triumph, drawing his sword.

"Why does it have to come to this?" Manx pleaded, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I'm not going to kill you myself. I just need you to cooperate, understand? It'll all be over soon. You'll die knowing that The Empress and all of the Valdt will have the knowledge of how you betrayed this entire world. And Vaskin, well, let's just say he'll live the rest of his life alone, or he might find someone else to devote all his love and attention to. Lyrica will die at the Empress' claws as is her rightful place. And the world will go on in an age of peace." Xolt said.

"Why are you doing this?" Manx sobbed, falling to her knees and gazing up into the eyes of her once long ago best friend.

Scrapper glared at her and said, "You know the reason!"

"Now all we need is for you to come quietly with us and we'll drop you off to where you'll spend your last moments." Xolt said, before calling out, "Faern, we're ready for you!"

The young pale dragon nervously stepped forward into the ruins, looking upon Manx with pity and remorse.

"I can't do this!" Faern stuttered, backing away.

"You agreed to be Scrapper's dragon, did you not?" Xolt growled.

"It's a mutual agreement. I have rights, and I'm not going to play any part in killing this girl!" Faern replied, standing a little taller.

"Xolt, she's just  fledgeling!" Manx called out.

"SILENCE!" Xolt bellowed.

An electrical force field pulsed around the young dragon, similar to Xolt's silver helix ability of lightning.

"Are you going to cooperate, Faern?" Xolt calmly asked.

"No! This isn't right! I'm going to tell the Empress myself what you're trying to do!" Faern replied.

"How could you? I thought you were on our side!" Scrapper yelled at the dragon.

"I'm not going to help you kill her!" Faern bellowed back.

"You deserve anything coming at you, you traitor!" Scrapper growled, as Xolt inched towards the dragon.

"Fly away! Please!" Manx called to the dragon as Xolt raised his sword.

Faern spread her transparent wings, leaping upwards as far as she could, just as Xolt's sword hit her at the middle of her spine. The young dragon screamed in agony, collapsing back to the ground, her tail and back legs limp from the blow. Xolt drew his sword from the dragon's flesh and growled, "Now you know what happens to those who betray me!"

"You're wrong!" Faern sobbed, clenching her jaw from the shock and the pain. Manx raced to the dragon's side and wrapped her arms around her neck, trying to pull her away from Xolt.

"How could you! Look at what you've done!" Manx sobbed, desperately wishing for her powers to shield her. "She'll never live a full life because of you! You've crippled her!"

"Would you like me to show her mercy?" Xolt asked, as Scrapper watched with a wide grin.

"Please!" Manx cried.

"Very well then." Xolt said, handing his bloodied sword to Scrapper. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"I'd love to!" Scrapper cheered, as if the violence she had just witnessed was nothing.

"Please...I'm sorry!" Faern whimpered, as Scrapper drew nearer.

"Traitors don't get second chances." Scrapper said, severing the dragon's head with one swift swipe.

"NOOO!" Manx shouted, clinging to the bleeding stump that was left of the dragon's neck as Faern's body grew limp in her arms. "How could you?!" she sobbed, running at Xolt and aiming a punch at his face. Xolt caught her arm midair and glared.

"You're hopeless, Manx." he growled, as Scrapper raised the sword that was stained with Faern's blood. Xolt shook his head at Scrapper, and she slumped her shoulders in disapointment.

"I have other plans for Manx." Xolt said, as she clawed at his arm in a desperate attempt to free herself.

"But then I don't get to watch!" Scrapper protested.

"You've done enough!" Xolt snapped.

"Come on!" Scrapper said, pouting slightly.

"Honestly I don't see how you can stomach that." Xolt replied. "But nonetheless, hand me the rope."

Scrapper nodded and grabbed the rope that hung at her side, tossing it to Xolt.