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Scales and Honor: City of Light

Epilogue

"Good afternoon princess." a pockmarked man replied with a smile. His tooth filled grin infectiously spreading to Nivra's face. She blew he raven hair out her icy blue eyes, as her hands were currently filled with a cool silver tray that had a metal covered plate of food for her father's lunch.

"It certainly is." she replied, giving him a quick curtsy before passing him. She tried to not look back to the man clad in chainmail, and dull brown leather armor. For she knew he was saluting her, and standing proudly at attention. Probably excitement lingering through his bones at having the princess actually speak to him. She buried the thought and continued her normal pace through the brightly lit corridors of the castle of Entis. The golden rays of the sun streaming in through the windows that lined this hallway to bathe the crimson rugged floor, and sparkle off the many suits of polished fullplate armor that stood at attention every few feet on both sides.

She passed the first set of windows, her eyes briefly looking to the practically destroyed courtyard that she had once played in when she was but a small child. The statues that had dotted the place were nothing more than piles of jagged stone, and scattered stone limbs around the carved up earth. Her eyes narrowed as it bore the scars of her fathers failure, and the adventurer's victory. She stopped to stare at the large sections of magical stone that had been risen up from the very ground to act as a shield and funnel their soldiers. It was a clever plan from the team's wizard that night. One that most likely saved their very lives long enough for the ship to descent from the sky and deliver them from their soldiers clutches.

Nivra remembered hearing the dragon's roar that night. The ear piercing noise of the great beast that had snapped her out of her dreams sweet embrace. The dragon that her father had told her would bring ruin to her country, and bring an army to devastate all of mortal kind until they were beneath the dragon's rule once more. And yet you failed to capture him father....or kill him. She gripped the tray tighter in her finger less gloved hands until she was sure her knuckles were white from the effort. She breathed in the crisp air deeply as she continued her walk, taking in the strong scent of earth mixed with cleaning materials that stung at her nose. She eyed the pristine stone that was not covered by the carpet, bearing no sign that they had been covered in blood and death from the nights prior.

How she hated the war that had brought them into this situation. Where Rothdell agents infiltrated their kingdom bent on bringing it down around them. That was what allowed the adventurers to escape after all. She marked it down mentally as another failing of her father. She remembered him telling her when she was smaller why they had been going to war for such a time. "To bring them our light my dear, and to free their people from oppression." he had said to her, looking down with a soft smile on his tired face.

_ But it has claimed too many lives father._ She stopped again as she rounded the corner of the hallway and her eyes came to one of the numerous paintings that lined this particular corridor. It was one she did not like to visit anymore because of the memories that it brought to forefront of her mind. She stared at the painting of a smiling young man clad in chainmail. His raven hair pushed to the side, with a proud face, and the same confident icy blue eyes of her own. "Gabriel." She said softly, her heart starting to ache as she gazed to the face of the young man she wished to see, the brother she had not seen in five years. For his life had been claimed by the very war that she despised, thrown away just like the countless others that had been done in the conflict between nations. "How I wish you were here." her words lingered in her mind for a few more moments after that, wondering what he would think about her current actions and what she had planned to do. She shook her head at the thought and instead remembered his death. And where was she when it happened? The princess? The magical protege of Lumara?

She had been sent away in training to increase her knowledge. She was told it was to of course better understand her ways of the arcane, but she knew better. Her father had sent her away because he had always considered her frail....weak...a delicate flower that needed to be taken care of and could not help anyone else. "I could have helped you." Her brow wrinkled as the words came from her mouth in a whisper. She was certain, just like she had been over the years. If she had been there along side him like she was supposed to be, he would not be dead right now, and he would be standing right beside her.

Anger billowed up from those same thoughts, spreading warmth through her limbs like a fire. _Don't worry Gabriel...today I set everything right..._She tore her gaze from the brother she loved and continued her determined strides towards her destination. She passed several more windows with a straightened back and grace that she had practiced over the years, which was typical for royal princesses. Her gaze came to a garden to her right, still lush with greens, crimsons, oranges, and royal purples of various flowers despite the cold she knew was outside. She took a deep breath of the alluring smells of the plants, sighing as she remembered how her mother had loved to spend time in that place together. She smiled as the a different memory of one such time sprung forth to her eyes. One where she and her mother were riding across a sea of such flowers on the rolling hills while the breeze brushed against their cheeks, their hair flowing behind them. She had laughed that day, a smile threatening to contort her face into that premanant expression.

"She always knew I would amount to something." She said softly, pulling herself to the present. She thought to her mother's loving smile as she had preformed her spells, and expressed her talent for the arcane arts. That was before your death. The thought brought pain back into her heart, along with ice that gripped at her senses. She remembered hearing that her mother had tossed herself from the highest balcony of the castle. She had not known her mother had been suffering over her brother's death. Enough so that she would take her own life in a way to end the torment on her soul. She wrinkled her brow as anger once more welled up inside her.

_ I could have saved her too._ She had pictured that as well in her mind, just like her brothers passing. She would have stayed up late every night with her mother to soothe the queen's heart over her loss. But you had me sent away....again... Nivra pictured her father gazing down to a map of Sethera as he talked to his generals about a war that never seemed to end. And you were too busy with your war to notice your wife...my mother when she needed you most of all. The princess continued her walk down the corridor, making her way up a set of smooth stone stairs. She had to catch herself on one of them as she almost slipped and took the entire tray with her.

She stopped to compose herself, and make sure everything was in place. Her eyes fell to her formal brown and gold robes that she wore. Robes that mages in Lumara frequently wore, complete with pockets, boots, and various golden runes stitched into the cloth for show. She slowed her breath as she pictured in her mind what she was going to do. For today, she was going to murder her father and rid the country of his corrupt influence. She would set her nation on the right path this day with a single spell, or so she told herself over and over. At least one thousand times she had ran her actions through her mind.

"So it's about vengeance is it?" she remembered the words from the night before coming from the onyx beak of her gryphon bodyguard Voidwing. His midnight black feathers lined with dashes of silver had been ruffled as she told him the plan she was going to do.

"What you are talking about is treason Nivra!" he clacked his beak. His apricot eyes looking to her with more concern than they usually did. "They will kill you for sure should you fail! Tell me this was all in jest!"

"I...have to do this Softpaws." She had smiled, stroking along his furred neck, laughing silently to herself as he shifted nervously from one black paw to his white one. "You know as well as I do, that this is for the good of Lumara. Not for my own personal vendetta.

"Is it?" the gryphon tilted his head to the side as his lion tail flicked behind him.

"Yes Voidy." she planted a soft kiss on his beak.

"N-Nivra!" He stuttered. "We're in the castle!" he whispered harshly, his eyes darting to the door. Most likely afraid that their secret love would be discovered by her fathers watchful guards.

"Shush my dearest Softpaws." She scratched his ear, making the gryphon lean into her touch and give her a small trilling noise of comfort. "I instructed the other guards to leave me for the evening. I told them all I needed was my brave bodyguard to keep me safe. So don't worry your adorable beak over this, we are alone for the evening. You can be free with me." She sighed, wrapping her arms around the warm gryphon and pulling him down onto her bed.

"And your certain that you will..." Voidwing asked, his voice full of worry as his conflicted eyes gazed into hers. "Do the deed?"

"Yes." she had said almost instantly, "Nothing on this fair earth will stop me from setting this nation on the right path...Now shush my gryphon...and cuddle against me.." She had pulled the gryphon close and relaxed in his embrace as he wrapped his talon's around her and sheltered them with his wings of black. She had closed her eyes, and blissfully fallen asleep to his steady breathing and beats of his heart.

Nivra shook her head from the pleasant memory of the evening as she resumed her way to the panic room of the castle. The section of the castle reserved for the king when his life was in danger, a place her father had not left in three days since the adventurer's escape from the castle. There had been whispers of a troubled man, shocked by his failure and the turn of of his airship crews. His paranoia keeping him from leaving the place of safety for hardly a moment. She felt a wave of disgust wrap around her mind as she strode towards that place. King and Queens should be a pillar of strength, something to look up to, not to be hidden away in a room, cowering in fear at your demise.

_ I'd do better._ She went over the plan one more time before she rounded the last corner towards the room. It was a simple plan, like most of the good ones usually were. She would approach the guards all smiles, requesting to bring her dear father his lunch. They would be none the wiser as they waved or saluted to their princess. For she knew everyone considered her the kind, caring, frail, weak daughter after all. There would be no suspicion in their minds as she strolled right on past them into the room her father hid himself away in. Just like the dragon that had snuck into their castle, her father would not see this coming until it was far too late.

Voidwing...where are you? She asked herself as she gazed to the great crimson door that towered over her at the end of the great hall lined with paintings from all over the countryside. She took a deep breath as she strode towards it, her lungs filling with the smell of old velum and oil paints. Her gaze fell to the four guardians of her father. Men clad in shining full plate armor adorned with golden runes along the edges. Tabards of earth brown hung at their waist with great golden gryphon's stitched into the fabric. In their hands they held energy crossbows at attention. She grit her teeth as she approached, already hearing the soft humming noise that they gave off.

_ Voidwing...._ The gryphon was supposed to meet her here, and yet he was no were to be seen as her eyes drifted from guard to guard. No sign of her black winged love. She forced her lips into a sweet fake smile as the guards gave her a salute. "Good day is not?" She asked to them, her voice trying to sound just as sweet as her smile.

"Yes it is princess." replied a brown haired man. His blue eyes unblinking as he maintained his statue like pose.

"I would like to see my father." She gestured to the tray in her hands with a slight nod of her head. "I have his lunch for him. I figured it would help set his mind at ease to hear the words of his daughter."

"That is most kind of you princess." The man looked to the door, and than back to her. "Your father has been most troubled as of late, and I am sure your presence would certainly do wonders to improve his spirits." He thrust a finger towards a black haired man in plate. "Come on Harold, move that door for the princess. Cant you see her hands are full?" he snapped.

"Y-yes sir!" came Harold's stuttering reply, as he moved like lightning to place his hands on the door and with a push, open it softly for her. The door opened with a creak, that filled the air. "Uh...here we are princess." Harold continued, his face reddening as she looked to him.

"Thank you...er.." She looked back to the first guard, his name she did not know. "I am sorry..your name has escaped from my mind like sand falling through my fingers. What was it again?"

"That is fine princess. My name is Darvin."

"Then thank you Darvin." She gave him a quick curtsy, that made his face redden.

"No..need for the gratitude..just doing out jobs."

"Yes..but you are most helpful." She smiled, striding over to the open door, and doing the same thankful curtsy to Harold, and getting pretty much the same reaction as Darvin. Nivra just continued her cheerful look as she strode right into her father's panic room, and the door shut softly behind her.

Nivra blinked her eyes to the dim room before her, that had no windows of any kind. Three oaken tables lined the room, covered with various books, papers, and maps that were scattered along the wood. Chairs with comfortable brown cushions were pushed in around the tables, made of the same oak as the tables. Weapon's hung from the dark grey stone walls, in between mana lanterns that were filling the room with their soft light. She took a deep breath of the old stone,and letting out a sigh as her gaze fell to her father. She expected to see the same man from her past, the one that she had the urge to kill. The one that had cast her away to learn when she could have helped the ones she loved. She wanted to see his stern eyes look to her as she told him what she was going to do, but all she got was the eyes of a tired man, sitting in a makeshift back up throne made out of black wood.

"Hello Nivra." Cornelius said, looking to her with tired eyes, but bearing a smile on his face. "It is good to see you my daughter." His face brightened as he sat up in his chair, letting his arms fold across his lap. "Is that lunch I see that you have brought me? I always knew I had the most thoughtful daughter in the kingdom!"

His response surprised her, and made her forget her purpose for just a moment. Once again she was a little girl before this man that she have loved with her heart. Just like any daughter would love their father, but she had to remind herself of what had happened. This was not the man from when she was little, and despite his smile and good cheer that he was showing her, that did not excuse him of everything he had done. She swallowed down her memories and set the tray down with a soft clink.

"I wish I could say the same to you father, but we have much to discuss." she gestured to the door, drawing a key with her finger as a faint green light followed her movements in the air. "Quleke" She spoke the words softly, finishing the spell. The symbol she had drawn flew out towards the door, and spreading to it. That would buy her time to do what she needed, and keep the guards out, even if her father called to them,

"What was that Nivra?" her father asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wh-"

"You are a pitiful excuse for a king father." She said flatly. "Your constant failures do this nation and yourself a dis-service."

"Constant failures?" Cornelius chuckled, not moving from his throne. "Dear please go on, and I will cast away any doubt you have in my ability to lead. Although I think it is a tad unfair to judge me, when you don't know much in the ways of our politics or methods."

"Because you sent me away!" She snarled. "You sent me away to those towers, to learn constantly, and not all of it useful magic! Who needs to know how to enchant brooms to sweep the floor? What good will that do to defeat out enemies father?"

"Well clearly that spell would be used to defeat a dirty house daughter...Now tell me about these failures you know so much about."

"The war.!" she said through clenched teeth. "The war that has had a grip on our nation for years, the war that seems to have no end in sight."

"The war will be won I can assure you daughter." Cornelius said without skipping a beat. "We actually have unearthed a way that victory can be achieved with little bloodshed. If we can get everything to go as planned the war will be won within the next year."

"We have all heard that before father." her eyes filled with skepticism. "Were not those the words you spoke to my brother...your son...before his life was taken?"

"You speak to me about him?" her father's face darkened and his eyes narrowed. "His death...was regrettable...surely you must agree we have to continue this conflict....If not just to free Rothdell from their oppression...but to make sure you brother did not die in vain?"

"Too many lives have been lost!" Nivra threw up her hands, her voice growling louder. "We need to stop, before any more fathers, brothers, sisters, or even mothers are lost over such things!" Her thoughts went to her mother's loving smile long gone because of such things.

"I am doing the best I can daughter. Things...are complicated...and our attention has been...divided as of late.."

"Oh yes..The prophecy that you told me." Nivra narrowed her eyes at the man now stroking his chin. "The one were the red dragon would bring doom to our nation and pave the way for a great army of dragons?" She gestured to the door with a wave of her hand. "And now where is that dragon? Where is this beast that will bring destruction?"

"He..escaped...with the adventurers..." Cornelius replied as he stood up with a heavy sigh. "They had help from Rothdell agents that I did not foresee, and that was what allowed them to escape on their airship."

"So what your saying is you failed this nation yet again." She thrust a finger accusingly at him. "Thanks to your short sighteness we could very well be doomed now."

"I have teams of gryphons searching the countryside for them now." Cornelius crossed his arms. "Led by Skywing, one of our best flight-leaders. Surely this is the best I can do daughter? What would you do in my stead?"

"I-....." words failed her as her father smiled at his little victory. His way of calling on the gryphons had been indeed correct. "That's only because of your first failing father. If you had planned accordingly you would not need the gryphons to pick up after the mess you got yourself into. If you had told that knight Arcturus to kill the dragon instead of capturing it, you would not be in this mess."

"That..." Cornelius rose a finger and sighed. "Is true.....I wish I had told him to do that at first." Cornelius looked up to the weapons lining the walls, his eyes going to each on in turn. "I wonder how things would have turned out if I had done that."

"And what about this metal dragon I have heard rumors about?" She asked, her mind going to the beast that had fallen onto the plains. It had taken several teams of wizards, clerics, and knights to shut it down so they could start repairing the beasts metal hide. "I know we make mana crystals from criminals, spies, and horrible people..But where did that thing come from? I did not know we could make something so lifelike from the constructs we produce.

"That is because the mana crystal that powers that thing came from a dragon my dear daughter. They produce some of the most powerful ones, and can even power something like that thing to act very lifelike."

"So if it came from a dragon.." She took two steps forward, as she ran a hand along the smooth surface of the table in front of her. "Which dragon was it? What crimes did they commit? I did not know we still had dragons within our borders."

"It was a silver dragoness by the name of Indomitable Aegis." Her father moved opposite of her movements to a different table. "She...was turning the town of Drakenburg away from our rule. She was going to start a rebellion under our very noses."

Nivra snorted. "That seems very unlikely father. I have been through that city recently, and they do not think she is dead. In fact..." Nivra crossed her arms as she came to a dead stop and glared at her father. "They seemed very loyal to the kingdom, without a single rebellious thought in their heads...I.." Her eyes widened as her father twitched, and she realized the horrible truth. That dragon most likely had done nothing wrong to their people, and her father had her killed for no reason. "You....killed her for no reason..." She gasped out. "WHY!?" She banged a hand on the table loudly, sending a spike of pain into her limb.

"Dear...dragons have silver tongues...can't be trusted." Cornelius sighed. "Did you not learn that from the attack by the dear old Dreadflame? So despite the outward appearance of that one being good, you can be sure she did not have the kingdom's good interest at heart..She needed to be done away with.."

"That's.....insane father.." the words that came from her mouth were laced with the anger that was building up within her. "Mother.....My brother...would have been ashamed!" She thrust a finger towards him with a snarl.

"Your brother would have understood that if he were here Nivra! He always agreed with my actions. He would be standing with me this day, backing every word I said."

"What about the prophecy that was told to you? Did it say anything about killing the dragon?" She continued to shout, "Did you ever think to talk to it? To steer it away from Lumara? Possibly divert this entire mess with the dragon army?"

Her father said not a word as she continued to shout, confirming her growing fear in her heart.

"You used your prejudice against dragons to not only kill an innocent creature, but to also attack a second one. One that you could have used a peaceful way to get rid of, but instead....You attacked him and brought his wrath to us!" Her voice cracked, as she tightened her left fist.

"And kowtow to the dragon's will Nivra?" Cornelius shot back. "I had to do what I did daughter. You have to show strength to such beasts. I can assure you that if I had done what you wished he would have bent this nation over and had his way with it."

"You could have sent me!" Nivra cried out. "I would have been able to sway him away from these lands! I could have even turned him to our side, I am certain of it! You just had to give me a chance, like you never do!"

"You could not have done that, the creature is simply too crafty. Too crafty for any single person to handle alone. You could not have done this anymore than you could have saved your brother. The world is a very harsh place Nivra."

"I could have saved him. I know it! Just like I could have done with Mother!" She pulled her hand back, a green aura spreading around her hand as she thought to the spell she was going to use. The spell that that would turn the man she hated to ash. She pushed her hand forward like lighting, a thin line of green following her finger as she pulled her other arm backwards. "Kiie!" She shouted out from her throat, finding joy as she did so. The green line she had been drawing flew from her finger tip towards her father like a righteous bolt of lighting. Something to strike the dreaded man down and end his crimes, and set her nation free.

Her father was too quick for her however and leaped below the table he was in front of. Her ray impacted the table, burning away a large section of it with a green explosion cloud. The wood breaking away into green ash before her eyes.

"Guards!" Cornelius shouted out, followed by the loud thumps from the door.

Oh no. Nivra bounded over the tables, as her father scrambled away from her. "Your not getting away father. Today is the day you pay for all your failures....your crimes." She traced the same movements again, letting the magic flow through her. I cannot waste these spells so carelessly. I have to make each one count. She narrowed her eyes as she finally got a clear shot of the scrambling, trembling man that was her father. "KIIE!" She screamed out. The memories of her brother and mother coming to her mind. This is for you...This is for everyone...today everything is set right.. the green magic flew across the room, striking her father right in his chest as his eyes lit up in surprise.

"AAAAHHHHH!" The king screams filled the air as he spasmed on the ground, part of his clothes burning away into bright green ash.

"There father...now you get your reward..." She sneered, sweeping the hair from her eyes as she took a few strides towards him. "For your mishandling of the dragon...for killing the other one in cold blood." she stopped to watch the squirming man before her, trying to not find joy in his pain. "Your tyranny ends today."

"How could you...daughter.." Cornelius gasped, clutching his chest. "You..were...always..."

"So what? Weak? Frail? I think I have proven I am none of those things father."

"Arrogant." Cornelius pulled from his clothes a hand crossbow, and pulled the trigger almost instantaneously. The blue energy bolts flew out like wicked little things that collided with her chest, sending a rippling wave of pain. That made her stumble backwards.

_ NO!_ Her mind screamed as she collapsed onto the ground, her body frozen. How...Could..I...NO! She racked her brain for anything she could have missed...How did he survive the spell?

"Gah..." Cornelius stood up as he winced, and grasped at his heart. "Still stings that.." He held up a hand to show her his hand. Upon one his fingers was a small golden ring with an arcane symbol for protection engraved into the surface. "Luckily I had one of these things pulled from the vault...Never thought it would be you I would be protecting myself from."

Of course...how did I miss he had a ring of spell protection...Stupid..stupid.. she cursed her own arrogance. Despite being the scared man, her father always had a knack for having something up his sleeve. And now my arrogance has cost me this moment....no... She felt her lock spell fail on the door, in a matter of moments now the guards would be in, and would drag her away. If she could have cried out she would have, but instead she was forced to lay in dreaded silence as her father called out for the guards once again.

"GUARDS!" Cornelius shouted, his voice loud and taut.

The door opened with a crack. Nivra could not hear the heavy steps of the men in plate, which surprised her. Instead she heard the surprised squawk of a gryphon. "Princess!" came the voice of Voidwing. She imagined he had ruffled his feathers and took a step back.

"Yes..I did not think she would be the one to attack me." Cornelius frowned, looking to her as Voidwing passed by her, his lion tail flicking past her face.

"Where were you the entire time? Were you not supposed to be watching her Voidwing?"

"Apologies my majesty...she escaped my sight." The gryphon turned back to her, his eyes looking to her with a look of shame. "It won't happen again."

"I hope not! Now wrap her up in chains. I want her brought to the dungeons with a gag. We can keep her there until we contact the vault."

"The vault?" Voidwing tilted his head to the side.

"Yes...a place for magical prisoners."

Nivra felt dread fill her heart at the mention of that place. She might even have rather been turned into a mana crystal than be exposed to such a dreaded place. She had heard rumor they used any method necessary to gain compliance by rogue mages and such that were sent there. Most left shells of the person they once were, but all emerged obedient to Lumara and her king.

She would have cried as the gryphon she loved took a step towards her, his talons clacking on the ground as his beak descended towards her. She saw his eyes go to her body, looking it up and down for injuries. Voidwing...you were supposed be my most trusted friend...my love...the only one I could count on in this lonely world....please..

"Now take her away Voidwing. I do not wish to gaze upon my traitorous offspring for a moment longer." Cornelius spat out of his mouth that had curled into a sneer, his eyes full of hatred.

_ Please....Voidwing..._ She silently prayed as she looked into his apricot eyes. Trying to send her need, her desperation into that furred head of his. The gryphon looked to the king, than back to her. His eyes narrowed and he gave her a nod.

"No." Voidwing turned, puffing up his chest proudly. His tail passing right over her head.

"What?" He father's voice rang with disbelief. "That was an order from your king gryphon! Your king you swore allegiance to! Now do as I say or I shall have you bear the same fate as my treasonous daughter you are standing over."

"I..." Voidwing flared his jet black wings, their silver tips sparkled in the mana lantern light. "Am HER gryphon....not YOURS!" Voidwing suddenly leaped to his right so quickly it looked like a blur to her eyes, as a snapping sound filled the air. Where he had once stood was now a smoking hole on the ground from energy cross bow fire.

Nivra watched with terror as the man that had raised her held his crossbow high. Red shots flowing from it in timed bursts towards the gryphon she loved. Causing the bird to adjust himself of leap off the wall as he circled the king. Each shot that missed hit a wall, table, or chair, never the black feathers she caressed in her private moments. Hes shooting to kill.... The dreaded thought came to her as her father spun, Voidwing narrowly avoiding another few shots. Come on Softpaws... She prayed as he gryphon continued to dodge and avoid the deadly energy blasts with a speed she would have thought impossible for a creature of his size.

She had known her body guard had trained his whole life to be where he was right now. How he had bested five other gryphons for the honor of being her body guard. The one who would protect her life to the very end, but she had never seen him in action such as this before. It was a beauty to behold as his wings helped him avoid blast after blast as he circled her sneering father. Closer and closer the gryphon got, as her father's shots got more erratic.

"Stay still you vile...good..for nothing-" Her father's words faltered as Voidwing passed too close for comfort for him. She watched the color drain from his face, as fear sank into his eyes. "Guards! Guards!, your king is in need of you!"

"No one is coming!" Voidwing screeched as his talons ripped the crossbow from her father's hands, sending it clattering to the stone at their feet. His next strike was to her fathers gut, sending the man reeling backwards with a shout of pain.

"Graaah!" The king screamed, as he crashed into the ground holding his stomach. The king winced as he pulled himself backwards along the stone, leaving a trail of smeared blood on the floor beneath him.

Voidwing crouched and advanced on him like the predator that he was, his lion tail flicking slowly behind him. He said not a word as he was almost on top of her father now, ready to deal the final blow.

"STOP!" Cornelius screamed out. "I will do anything!" The king pulled himself again away from the gryphon. His face was a bright crimson as he winced from the effort. "I'll....make you a lord...You'd like that right?"

Voidwing did not reply, his eyes just stayed focused on the man as he slowly followed him.

"How about land? I could even give you power over your own kind!" The king's voice cracked with each word now. "Other gryphons bowing at your talons? What say you Voidwing?"

"I do not wish this power." Voidwing replied almost instantly, his voice stern and intimidating.

She saw her father's eyes go to her, and snap back to the gryphon advancing on him. "How about Nivra than? I saw the look in your eyes, I know you fancy her. You can have her hand in marriage and have my blessing! Imagine it Voidwing...You'd be the next king of Lumara!" Cornelius coughed in pain, spitting up blood into his waiting fist.

_ Why you vile..good for nothing.._.Anger welled up in her mind at the words that had flown from her desperate fathers vile tongue. She would have never believed him capable of uttering such words if she had not just heard them escape his very mouth. He'd marry her off to save his own skin? She would have shouted her own opinion if she could, but thankfully Voidwing was able to do that for her as well.

"You....really don't care about her do you?" The gryphon's voice lowered, as he dragged his talons on the stone with a loud scrape. "All the nights she has told me of her life. All the times she spoke so badly about your decisions...I would always voice that you had your reasons..I....stuck up for you!" Voidwing flared his wings, letting out a screech that filled the air. "But..no....You offer her to me like some prize to be traded off?" The gryphon's voice grew taught as she could feel the anger lurking within his heart. "You...are a disgusting..vile man...and should be put down."

"Voidwing wa

---

" came her father's cry, only to be cut short by his gurgling when Voidwing slashed down towards him with his talons outstretched.

She could not see her father, as the gryphon was standing in a way to block his body. However she knew the deed had been done as the only sound to fill the air were Voidwing's ragged breaths as he stood there with his wings quivering, and his tail wagging back and forth.

"Its....done." the gryphon's words were heavy as he turned to her with the same caring eyes he always looked to her with when they were alone. Voidwing padded over to her body, her eyes drifted down to the white parts of his fur that been splattered,and were dripping a dark crimson. For a moment she thought it might be his blood, but her eyes widened as she realized it was the blood of her father.

Voidwing sat down onto his haunches before her, as he rose a talon and pressed it gently along her body. His scaly limb radiated a soft white glow as she felt a warm sensation spread through her body that made her let out a sigh of pleasure. She gave a test wiggle of her finger, finding she was able to move it.

"Voidy!" she cried out, shooting up from her position to wrap her arms around the stunned gryphon. She pulled herself tightly against him as she closed her eyes and buried her face into the upper portion of his fur. "I thought...I thought....Thank you."

"Your welcome Nivra." Voidwing curled his unsoiled talon around her in a comforting embrace. "Are you okay? I do not see any injuries on you."

"No..he only stunned me with the thing...He only used the deadly shots on you....missed every shot though...You...were..amazing.."

"Thanks." Voidwing's ears splayed at her kind words. "I can't do that all the time though...takes too much out of me." He groaned out, refolding his wings against his back. He than nuzzled her tenderly while letting out a soft trilling noise from his beak.

She pushed him gently away from her. Her eyes going to the red streaked fur of his chest, as she pressed a hand to it gently. With a mental focus on cleaning the blood away, a purple light flashed from her hand. When the brilliant light had faded from her eyes, the dark red stains had vanished, once again leaving her beautiful gryphon's fur pristine.

"Thank you again." Voidwing nuzzled her softly as she stood up slowly, still with an arm around his warm neck.

"So hes..." The words came from her mouth slowly as she glared down to the dead man that had once been her father. Her eyes traced the blood seeping from the large gash in his throat, the deed done by her loves very talons. His dead eyes were still staring up at the ceiling, his face frozen in the final horror of his moments. "Dead." she finished, unhooking herself from the gryphon and striding over towards his corpse. "Voidy...I still feel pity for him." She crouched low, and carefully plucked the ring from his finger. "Despite all the wrongs he did to me..this nation...that dragon.." She stood up, eyes narrowed. "Is it wrong for me to feel this way?" She glanced back to the gryphon that had not left her side for a moment.

"No.." Voidwing looked down the result of his deed. "He did raise you...and you will always remember that...It does not ex-"

"I know." She said suddenly, scratching the gryphon's ear as she held out her other hand. She pulled it back as quickly as she could, letting a small green line of magic follow her movement as she focused on disintegrate once more. Than let me finish this...make sure they cannot bring you back. "KIIE!" She shouted out, thrusting her hand back with her finger extended. The green line of magic flew through the air, a soft mist flowing off of it as it struck her once father's chest.

She watched with rapt attention as parts of her father started to crack and change color to match the brilliant viridian of the beam. Whole sections of the man that had raised her turned a solid color of green, before little cracks spawned on their surfaces. Those pieces than started to crumble away into piles of green ash, hammering the point home in her mind that he was infact dead.

"Come on Flufftail." She guided the gryphon's gaze from her now ash father, and towards the door that they had come through. "We best get out of here before someone comes to see."

"I thought you...wanted..." Voidwing started to question as they padded through the door, he tilted his head to the side.

"No." She stepped over the form of one of the four unconscious guards outside the panic room. Their weapons had been scattered each way across the floor, far from the men that had been wielding them. Once again she was surprised by the gryphon's combat performance. "I do not wish to be Queen...just yet."

"So what happens now?"

"The council of lords will choose someone to fill in for now." She swung a leg around her gryphon's neck as he crouched low for her. She grabbed hold onto his feathers as she settled comfortably onto his onyx feathered back. "I think we best get away from Lumara for awhile until this blows over."

"Than were will we go?" Voidwing carried them swiftly down the corridors, until they were before the garden of her youth. The one her mother had spent so much time in with her. The sun was coming down and lighting up the collection of multicolored flowers before them.

Nivra paused for a moment, taking in the pleasant aroma that reminded her of better days. "We should go find that dragon..the red one."

"B-But why?" Voidwing stuttered. "Look what he and his minions did Nivra! All the damage!"

"Because my father attacked him. I have to steer his vengeance away from our nation, so hopefully he does not bring this army of evil dragon's upon our heads."

Voiding just nodded, extending his wings as he stepped into the garden. "I will be here for you Nivra...every step of the way."

"I would expect nothing less of you." She leaned forward to give him a tight hug. "I love you Voidwing."

"I love you too Nivra." With a great leap, and flap of his wings Voidwing carried them into the bright sky, and with his next few poundings against the air, they were among the clouds themselves.

Nivra looked out to the vast city below, wondering if it was the last time she would see the brilliant shining thing. Her gaze turned to the rolling fields, the bright clouds, and the mountains in the distance. "Head south. I believe that is where the reports spotted something." She clutched her gryphon tightly, as he adjusted their flight. I will do better father...just you watch.