“I will stay with them.” Daum spoke.

  “What do you mean?” Zhi asked him.

  “They're not used to this type of life.” Daum replied.

  “But they have learned so much from Corin and Simeon.” Zhi replied.

  “While I admit that Corin and Simeon are great at hunting and preparing fresh kills, they have only spent a small amount of time with the refugees.” Daum replied. “There is only so much you can learn in that time. Besides, we don't know what dangers they might encounter. I don't think I could leave them without knowing they would be safe.”

  It had been a fortnight since they escaped from Yranto. Refugees from the city had spread out in all directions, but a sizable contingent decided to travel with Zhi and the rest of them. They had set up a camp in the nearby forest.

  “We will miss you Daum.” Corin spoke up.

  “As will I.” Daum said. “But not all the fighting.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Nanaua asked.

  “While I understand your situation, every time I have encountered you I have ended in fights to the death.” Daum said. “I would like to avoid those as much as possible.”

  “You would?” Nanaua asked surprised.

  “My love,” Zhi said, “not everyone loves combat as much as you.”

  “A shame.” Nanaua replied.

  “But can we try to avoid combat?” Kadus asked. “I'm more keen on traveling and seeing the world, not so much getting my wings dirty.”

  “We do try to avoid fighting if possible!” Simeon spoke now.

  “Well that's surprising to me! Clearly not getting expected results, but we'll look into varying our approach.” Kadus said.

  “So th-, th-, this is goodbye?” Jaco had snuck up on the group.

  “Jaco!” Corin warmly greeted him.

  The gesherin looked sad. He had spent many days with little to no appetite after leaving the city. It had only been recently that he had begun adjusting to his new reality.

  “Are you le-, leaving today?” Jaco asked, his face unable to hide his melancholy.

  “Aye Jaco.” Simeon replied. “We came to Yranto to learn about Belaran and thanks to you we did. Now it's time for us to continue down that road.”

  “Wi-, wi-, will we see each o-, o-, other again?” Jaco asked as he looked at all of them.

  “I truly hope so, Jaco.” Simeon said.

  “Once we are done, we will come back.” Corin said. “We promise.”

  “You better get that artifact.” Jeinna joined the conversation. “If we ever want to have a place like Yranto again, without the influence of Titans, we need you to succeed.”

  “We will.” Livia replied. “We'll make sure to succeed. We know what's at stake. We'll do whatever it takes.”

  A shiver ran down Corin's spine. Livia's behavior had been markedly different since they had to flee Yranto. It reminded him of her demeanor after meeting the nameless dragon.

  “So whe-, whe-, where are you go-, going?” Jaco asked.

  The whole group turned to look at Kadus.

  “Don't you know? We're going north!” He announced.

  ***

  “Anything of interest?” Simeon asked Kadus as he landed back.

  “Well I know she mentioned needing to find some Dragon temple ruins.” Kadus said as he motioned to Livia. “It seems there is a large portion of a Dragon temple not too far from here. Should get there around midday.”

  “Great!” Livia replied. “I used all of the dragon powder after our last run in with the Zifors in Yranto. Corin is a bit too trigger happy.”

  “It's not my fault so many want us dead!” Corin replied.

  “Well it seems that we have had less of those interactions as of late.” Kadus interjected.

  “Aye I will say!” Simeon said. “With your eyes we have been able to navigate the land much easier. If we had you from the beginning we might already be done!”

  The group had spent five days on the road following Kadus’ lead. With him charting the course ahead the group had moved a long distance with minimal ease. No more walking for hours on end only to reach an insurmountable cliff wall, or walking around a forest only to realize that they had ended up at the same spot they had left hours earlier. Kadus was also good at pointing out any troublesome groups along the way. The threat of Zifors and their like was ever present. With Kadus watching the skies they were able to avoid any unwanted interactions.

  “Oh please, you speak too highly of a humble old bird.” Kadus said with a sly grin.

  “It seems as if you are able to spend more time in the air now. Does your wing not bother you as much anymore?” Zhi asked.

  “Well I'm not going to lie, the first several times I took to the skies it was not easy. Before you lifted me into the air in Yranto I had not flown in years. Had it not been for the danger of the situation I don't think I would have been able to act the way I had. It was all pure instinct, no thought behind it. It was only after the danger had passed that I realized how much of a toll it had taken on my body.” Kadus said.

  “Trying to fly with no danger scared me more than anything!” He added with a laugh.

  Corin and the others had quickly grown accustomed to his laughing. Kadus was always quick with his wit and would try to make a joke regardless of the situation. It had angered some of the fugitives at the camp on several occasions.

  “I looked down at the ground from up on high and I felt terrified! The same sight I had seen countless times before.” Kadus was now serious. “But I knew you all were relying on me. I only thought about that. And every time I go up there it gets a little easier. I feel a little bit like my younger self more and more with each flight. And well whatever you did with your magic on my wing definitely helped.” Kadus smiled.

  Zhi had suggested to Kadus that she might be able to ease the pain he felt from his flights with her magic. Kadus was curious and let her try.

  “Aye, I know how it feels to be with these youths. We do all we can to keep in step with them. Let them try it when they get to our age.” Simeon added.

  Corin groaned out loud. “Not the old men routine again.”

  “Hold up there young man.” Kadus interrupted Corin. “You ought to listen to your friend. He is a veritable wealth of wisdom.”

  Now Zhi, Livia and Nanaua groaned.

  Kadus and Simeon began laughing heartily.

  That was the other thing the group had begun to grow accustomed to. The constant banter between the old men of the group on their generational differences and how they fought through their aches and pains to keep up with the younger ones.

  “So tell us old wise bird, where may we find this temple?” Livia asked.

  “Oh right, the temple!” Kadus replied.

  “This way!” He said as he began leading the group through the rolling hills in front of them.

  As Kadus had told them they arrived at the ruins by mid-day.

  The ruins were large. Aside from the ruins that Nanaua and Zhi had landed on, these were the largest Corin had seen in person.

  “Oh good, we should be able to find ample supplies inside!” Livia said excitedly.

  “Not once have I ever met any other furtive who would jump at the chance to scavenge from a Dragon temple.” Kadus said. “Most would run away from anything that deals with Titans.”

  “There's a lot about us that is not normal.” Simeon replied.

  “I have seen that.” Kadus said.

  Livia began dragging Corin. Simeon and Kadus were following. Nanaua and Zhi both stared from the outside.

  Livia stopped in her tracks.

  “Are you two ok?” She said, “You don't have to come in if you don't want to.”

  Zhi snapped out of her trance. She did not seem to realize what she had been doing.

  “Oh sorry.” Zhi said blushing. “Nanaua?”

  Nanaua looked at Zhi.

  “My love, if you are fine with entering then I shall join you.” She replied.

  “Let's go.” Zhi said as she and Nanaua joined the rest.

  The group found an opening and entered the large structure. The inside seemed as if it had not been disturbed in ages. Everywhere they went they found the surfaces covered in dust, signs of critters building nests in whatever nook or cranny they could find, and rays of light seeping in through the many cracks reflecting off the various swirls of dust that flew around.

  “Did the temple that you lived in break off parts like this frequently?” Corin asked Zhi.

  “What do you mean?” She asked.

  “Well we would see ruins like this on a frequent basis.” He said. “I was always curious how they break off.”

  “What you saw were ruins of former Dragon Titans.” Nanaua interjected. “Once they die the magic that holds up their temples begins to fade. Slowly over time their temples fall apart. That is what you see here. When Zhi and I broke off from Tonatiuh's temple it was because Zhi was able to slowly sever the link between his magic and that portion of the temple.”

  “Fascinating!” Livia replied almost instantly. “I always wondered why Dragon temples broke apart!”

  The group continued walking down the various hallways of the temple. As they saw different rooms Nanaua would mention what each of them would have been for. The one they currently stopped at was one she easily recognized.

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  “Interesting.” She stated.

  “What is it?” Corin asked.

  He looked to see what was so interesting about it. There were beds around the room with each having a chest at the foot of it. Next to each of the beds there were armor stands. Some of them were bare, but some of them had pieces of armor affixed to it. The quality ranged in looking almost new to rusted behind recognition. There were also weapon stands affixed to the wall. The majority of them were empty, but some held pole arms and blades of different kinds. Aside from the beds there was one chair in the entire room, right next to the window. It seemed like the bare necessities for accomodations. Hardly what Corin would find interesting.

  “This room looks almost exactly like the one I lived in for all my life.” She said. “The beds are arranged in much the same way as they were in our barracks.”

  She walked around the room as she looked at the different beds and chests. She stopped in front of one of the beds and studied it intently.

  “This one right here.” She said. “This is where I slept for years and years.”

  In her mind Nanaua was back in her own room in Tonatiuh's estate. She walked over to the armor stand and observed it carefully. She passed a finger over it. It came off completely covered in dust.

  “This kind of dust would have earned us an entire day of drilling with our weapons, with no rations.” She moved on from the dusty stand and over to the bed. She pushed down on it with her hand. The bed was so stiff that it barely even moved.

  “As soft as I remember it.” She said as she moved away from the bed.

  She turned her attention to the single solitary chair. She walked up to it and stood right in front of it.

  “Is that the chair you spoke of for so many years?” Zhi asked her.

  “It is.” Nanaua said as she continued studying it.

  “We Lord's Protectorate were never able to seek comfort.” She began saying. “This chair was always present in our rooms. It was a reminder not to seek comfort. Just sitting on it was grounds for being removed from the Lord's Protectorate. Accusations of having sat upon it were enough to cause conflict.”

  Zhi walked right up to it and as she went to sit down Nanaua grabbed her by the arm.

  “Zhi no!” She said in a panicked tone.

  It was as if sitting down would cause Zhi harm of some sort.

  “Nanaua, we're not in Tonatiuh's palace.” She reminded her. “We can sit in the forbidden chair if we want.”

  “See?” Zhi said as she sat down.

  Zhi sat down with a big smile. Nanaua held her breath. She was waiting for something bad to happen, but nothing did.

  Zhi got up. “Now it's your turn!”

  Nanaua slowly walked up and prepared herself to sit on it. She closed her eyes and lowered herself into the chair. Once she felt the chair she stopped and opened her eyes.

  “Well?” Zhi asked.

  “It's a very uncomfortable chair.” Nanaua told her very calmly. “I am quite disappointed.”

  Zhi laughed along with the others.

  Nanaua got up.

  “This must mean that I am no longer a Lord's Protectorate.” Nanaua said.

  “So absconding with a Dragon's most prized possession and killing many of his agents did not mean you were removed from their ranks?” Zhi asked her.

  “Yes there is that as well.” Nanaua agreed.

  “Let's continue on.” Nanaua said as she left the room. They continued down the hallway passing other rooms that Nanaua would recognize.

  “That was a training ground.”

  “A jail cell.”

  “An armory.”

  “Storage.”

  “Housing for the workers.”

  “This room would have been a station for the Paldos.” Nanaua said.

  “Paldos?” Corin asked not having ever heard that term.

  The large room had a variety of items that Corin recognized. Among them were items such as chains, manacles, shackles and various ropes. Corin also saw items such as whips, canes, swords and bells. In the room Corin saw cells with various chains attached to the walls and the remains of what seemed like bloodstains inside and around the cells.

  “Overseers.” Simeon replied in a cold voice.

  “He's correct.” Nanaua added. “They are tasked with ensuring the furtives that work for the Titans do their job. It's hard to say whether the Paldos or the Zifors are the most hated of the various agents that work for Titans.”

  “Simply detestable.” Kadus stated.

  The revelation made Corin feel sick to his stomach. He had seen rooms similar to this in the past while navigating other ruins but he never much thought about what purpose they might have had. It was just another reminder of how the Titans treated furtives.

  Nanaua continued moving past the room. Corin and the rest followed.

  At the end of the long hallway they entered a large room. This one was rectangular in shape and had many doors leading into it. Around the room they were various sets of broken furniture, including chairs and tables. In the center of the room there was large round ring of stone. The center was filled with rocks and above the stone ring there were two stone carvings of a dragon. The dragon carvings faced opposite directions and they seemed to be placed in such a way that they observed everyone inside the large hall.

  “Oh I know what this room used to be!” Kadus said eagerly.

  “You do?” Zhi asked.

  “Of course! A dining hall!” He replied.

  “How would you know?” Nanaua asked.

  “I've been in one of these before.” Kadus casually remarked.

  “How? And whose?” Nanaua followed up.

  “Well you won't believe me when I tell you who's palace I once visited.” Kadus replied with a slight grin.

  “I have heard tales you would never believe.” Nanaua responded.

  “Well I went to the dining hall in Takaxluet’s Palace.” Kadus stated.

  “I don't believe you.” She responded.

  Kadus laughed at her response.

  “I know, I know.” He began. “You must think this is the biggest lie that you've ever been told but it isn't!”

  “Why did you go? And how?” Livia asked.

  “Well you see when I was a younger bird, I used to believe I was unstoppable, you know what I mean right Simeon?” Kadus began.

  “Oh I know that feeling.” Simeon replied. He unlike the others did not seem too surprised by Kadus’ tale.

  “Get to the point.” Nanaua demanded.

  “Oh right sorry.” Kadus said. “Well one request I received one day was from a tribal warlord. He promised me his daughter's hand in marriage if I rescued her from Takaxluet's Palace. She had been captured in a raid by some of his Zifors when they were after some escaped furtives.”

  “So they were willing to give you a person as a possession without asking her?” Nanaua replied. “That is as barbaric as what the Titans do to furtives on a daily basis!”

  She seemed as angry against Kadus as Corin had ever seen her.

  “Well…I will not disagree with that statement and it doesn't portray me in the best light, but let me explain the whole story!” Kadus said. “I promise you this is not what it seems.”

  Nanaua was silently watching Kadus as she expected an answer from him.

  “You see this wasn't any old warlord, this was Karato, the warlord who had become the chief of the village I grew up in. And his daughter was no stranger, she was my first and only love, Keles.”

  “Go on.” Nanaua told him.

  “Before I even knew what a Pyornis was, all I wanted was to live my entire life in the village with Keles and make a life with her. But her father Karato forbade our union.” Kadus said.

  “I don't like this man. Any man or woman should be free to choose whatever partner they want, none should choose for them.” Nanaua interjected with a heated tone.

  “Well that makes two of us, but mighty as I was I was no match for a regional warlord. But anyways,” Kadus continued “ when I realized that I could not live with Keles I decided to leave my village. Sometime after I discovered the world of Pyornis riding and decided I wanted to do that. And I was really good at it. Whatever it was I could move it across the continent. Weapons, food, animals, even furtives. I became famous for my recklessness. Then one day I got a request. Warlord Karato himself came to me and told me the offer. If I were to fly to Takaxluet's Palace and rescue Keles he would let me have her hand in marriage. He would no longer intervene.”

  “But how were you able to find his palace? How were you able to then go there and leave?” Nanaua asked.

  “You won't believe this but,” Kadus began “it was actually really easy.”

  “What? How?” She asked.

  “Well as the Prime Dragon Lord Takaxluet is a unique being. For some of the weaker Dragons he is something of a deciding voice in any disputes they might have. Whenever weaker Dragons have issues with each other and they don't want to risk a clash where they might both lose, they go to Takaxluet to arbitrate on their behalf.”

  “Really?” Livia asked. “Sounds very formal and unlike anything I would imagine from Titans.”

  “Well they might be terrifying but they are very intelligent.” Kadus replied. “They know very well what a clash could cost them. But what this means is that Takaxluet's Palace is always accepting and receiving guests. So unlike other Dragon Palaces you might have heard of his Palace was not hidden by magic.”

  “Makes sense, who would try to attack him.” Zhi replied.

  “Exactly! And when I flew in with my Pyornis no one even bothered to verify why I was there. I mean who would try and take something from the strongest Dragon, possibly the strongest Titan, in the entire world? Only a lunatic.” Kadus said.

  “Or a lovesick fool.” Simeon added.

  “That too, but it's hard to say where one ends and the other begins.” Kadus said. “So when I get to Takaxluet's Palace I see a lot of other furtives walking around, and a lot of them are going to this one specific door. With no better options I followed and entered through the door. What I found was quite like this room, except much, much, much, much, much bigger. Did I mention it was bigger?” Kadus said.

  “Yes.” Nanaua quickly replied.

  “Yes, so I enter, and I start to walk around it, unsure of where exactly I am, but I see tables everywhere, full of people eating and talking, some minor fights breaking out. I sit down just to get a feel for the place and I am served food. No question asked, just handed a plate. But as I am eating I see her! Far off in the distance sitting completely alone. I hurry over and tell her I'm there to get her out! And just like that I walk out, and we fly out of there! It was the easiest job I ever did!” Kadus finished.

  “Hmph.” Nanaua said. “I was wrong. I can believe that.”

  “But let me tell you something, that is not something I would ever even try today! Going to a Dragon Palace?” Kadus said. “There was a lot of air in my head in my younger days.”

  “But what of this Keles? Was she given to you?” Nanaua said.

  “Oh yes.” Kadus replied, his tone changing. “We did get married, but the Kadus she knew was not the same of before. She thought that being a Pyornis rider meant that she would be a young widow. What happened was worse.”

  “She died? I'm so sorry.” Nanaua said with an honest feeling. She had begun to learn that sometimes she ought to be careful about asking too many personal details.

  “No, she's still alive.” Kadus said. “It wasn't her. There were some furtives I was supposed to be transporting. There was an incident with a Giant, and I lost most of them. She was right. She lost her husband for good that day.”

  The mood changed and all of them quieted.

  Corin looked around the room. It was strange seeing all the broken tables and chairs. He wondered what it must have been like in here when the room was full. Where the furtives in here happy? Could it be possible to find happiness in a place like this?

  Next to a broken table Corin saw a bottle on the ground. Aside from a thick layer of dust on it, it seemed to be completely intact. He walked over to it and picked it up.

  As he looked over it he cleared some of the dust off it. Inside the clear bottle he could see a red liquid. It would slosh back and forth as he observed the bottle.

  “What a curious thing.” Livia said as she saw what Corin held.

  Kadus observed from a distance and Corin could see his whole demeanor changed. Only a moment ago his mood had seemed down and dejected. Suddenly he seemed angsty and on edge. He cautiously approached Corin.

  “Oh,” he began, “what-”

  Before he could finish his sentence Simeon stepped up to Corin.

  “May I see that?” Simeon said as he grabbed the bottle from Corin's hand.

  Corin was surprised. Simeon had not even waited for him to say anything and had snatched the bottle from his hands.

  As Simeon pretended to look at the bottle he let it fall out of his hands. The bottle shattered the moment it impacted the ground.

  Corin could see Kadus wince at the sight of the broken bottle.

  “Simeon?” Corin began.

  “Ah too bad!” He said. “I think we ought to continue moving, what do you say old bird?”

  Kadus was still focused on the broken bottle.

  “Alright great!” Simeon said as he dragged the despondent Kadus with him.

  Corin and the rest followed, all confused as to what had occured.

  As they continued down the hallway Livia found an item she was looking for.

  “Ah there it is!” She said.

  She had found the small dragon statue under which dragon powder was usually hidden. She knelt next to the base and began to search around it.

  “Aha! There it is!” She said as she pulled out a small bag. She then began handing them to Corin for storage.

  “So that's where you get this so-called Dragon Powder!” Zhi said.

  “Yes!” Livia replied.

  “Do you know what that is normally used for?” Zhi asked.

  This question stopped Livia in her tracks.

  “I never once stopped to consider what this would be used for.” She said in response.

  “They're used in funeral rites of those who die in combat for their Lord.” Nanaua said.

  “But this explodes!” Livia replied.

  “To be consumed by fires akin to those of a Dragon is thought of as an honor by those in service to the Dragons.” Nanaua added.

  “Well with that in mind I think I am putting it to much better use!” Livia responded.

  “True, but out of curiosity. How was it that you realized what it could be used for?” Zhi asked.

  Livia began laughing instantly at the question as she looked at Corin.

  “You want me to tell this story?” Corin asked.

  Livia nodded as she continued laughing. She could not contain herself.

  “Well you see.” Corin began.

  “Oh I think this will be good.” Kadus said.

  “One day Livia went out and came back with one of these bags.” Corin continued. “I had not gone and didn't know where she had wandered off to. When I saw the little bag full of black powder I just thought it was some sort of spice that she had grabbed somewhere.”

  “Oh I remember this!” Simeon said. He too began laughing, whereas Livia had not stopped laughing.

  “Well anyways, that day Cyril had been busy and I was preparing dinner. I grab the meat, season it with this new spice and get ready to cook it. Mind you this spice smells a little weird but I don't think too much of it. Anyways Cyril walks in and he begins to talk to me as I put the meat over the fire.” Corin stops there.

  Zhi, Nanaua and Kadus listened intently to Corin.

  “As soon as that meat is over the fire it explodes!” Corin says as he begins to laugh now. “Chunks of meat, with bones still attached, were flying all over the place. I'm so shocked by everything that's happening that I just freeze! Cyril is screaming about a Dragon! Thinking our house is under attack somehow!”

  Zhi, Nanaua and Kadus all laughed now. Kadus was doubled over and could barely breathe.

  “Anyways Cyril drags me out of the house, and all we find outside is the rest of the town wondering what exactly had gone on in our house.” Corin says. “They see me covered in bloody meat and think I'm hurt or something. Then Simeon walks over and asks me to tell him what had happened.”

  “I was so concerned!” Simeon replied. “This boy was covered in blood! I thought he had been attacked or something!”

  “Anyways Livia is listening to me recount the story and when I mention the spice she brought she says-”

  “What black spice are you talking about!?” She shouts and instantly begins laughing.

  “I say the “one you brought in that little bag!” Corin replies to her.

  “I told him “that's no spice! That's something I picked up from a Dragon temple!” Livia says as she barely contains her laughter.

  All of them continue laughing.

  “You two are really made for each other.” Zhi said after she was able to calm herself down.

  “Yeah.” Livia said as she laid on the floor where she was doubled over from laughing.

  “We know.” Corin adds as he laughs. He went over and helped his wife up.

  “I haven't laughed that hard in too long.” Livia said as she wiped her face.

  She turned to the group now.

  “Got what we came for. We can leave now!” She said.

  “Alright let's head back out.” Simeon stated.

  “Wait before we go,” Zhi said “can I see if there is a patio here? If it is then it should be near the dining hall.”

  Simeon looked around, no objections were heard.

  “Lead the way.” Simeon said.

  Zhi did so, leading them back to the dining hall. She took one of the many doors in there and opened it. Beyond it there was a stairway.

  “This must be it!” Zhi said with excitement.

  She went up and opened another door. Beyond it Corin could see a blue sky.

  The group stepped outside. They were currently in a small open area that oversaw most of the Dragon Temple. From here the span of the collapsing building they were in could be seen, as well as the surrounding scenery.

  “What an amazing sight!” Kadus said as he looked out.

  “How did you know this would be here?” Corin asked Zhi.

  “When I lived in Tonatiuh's palace I spent a lot of time in a very similar area. I could not bear to be around other people, I was always treated differently. I would come out here and imagine all these different lives for me.” Zhi said.

  “I always pictured myself living on the surface world. Surrounded by a family, no magic to burden me, no cruel destiny awaiting me, not under the rule of a Titan. A simple existence without the specter of doom hanging over my head at all times.” Zhi said. “Whenever the guards would go looking for me they would first look here.”

  Zhi was lost in her own world as she looked out over the patio. That life seemed like it belonged to someone else. But she knew better. That was still her life, no matter how far from it she was now.

  “That seems like so long ago now.” Nanaua said as she stood next to Zhi.

  Zhi put her head on Nanaua's shoulder.

  “So what do you think now? Is this what you had in mind?” Livia asked her.

  “What I had in mind?” Zhi repeated.

  She looked at Livia.

  “I don't even know what I had in mind before I even came down from the Temple honestly.” Zhi said. “There were no thoughts in my head of underwater temples, sailing over the sea, forest elves, furtive cities.”

  “Or companions that would willingly join such an insane cause.” Nanaua added.

  “That too.” Zhi agreed.

  “I could have never pictured this.” Zhi said as she looked over from the sight of the patio to her companions. “But I am glad as to how it turned out.”

  She took one more look over the patio.

  “Come, let's continue.” Zhi said as she turned away.