Raulin's Oath

In the highest peak of Mons Draconis, the mountain kingdoms that the dragons had ruled over for a millenia, stood the royal palace. Lucius spread his mighty wings and circled high above the throne room. Nearing his landing spot, he metamorphosed midair, shifting to his human form, and landed upon his balcony without missing a single step. His day had come at last. His cape flared dramatically as he paced forward through his bedroom. His mind wandered to the failures of the first great war.

The war had raged for a decade before the weapon was forged. The enemy was on the run, and the pride of this small victory emanated from his father. Even at such a young age, Lucius too allowed the adrenaline-inducing bloodlust to eat away at him, much like his father before they had taken his pride.

The Blade of Atonement, made by dwarven magic, shifted the balance of power. The dragons were now vulnerable to the attacks. When the first dragon had fallen, everything changed. His father was afraid. The day his mother was slain by the wizard was the day his father had been broken. That was when Abeloth agreed to the meeting, and Lucius had followed them to the palace in Lenovia and watched in horror as his father surrendered his power.

The treaty that was signed enslaved them and ensured that all dragons stay in Mons Draconis. They had ordered Aboleth to keep their numbers at or under four. Lucius would never forget that dreary day. Dragons were the rulers, not the ruled.

On this day, none dared look upon the great Lucius save with adoration or fear. Those who looked upon him displaying any other feeling would be burnt to a crisp, as the unicorns and other Equus races had today. All of his life, his kind had been spat on. The elves showed no respect, pixies hated them, the folk of Equus, mermaids, every single creature had despised them. Dragons had been ostracized, forced into the mountains. All this for being the most powerful creatures in the lands. As soon as Lucius had killed his father and took his rightful place upon the throne, he knew his mission. He had to take back Palidonaya and force them to their knees. Soon, every creature on the planet would bow to him; soon the race of dragons would reign. The day of reckoning was at hand, and justice would be served.

He sensed one of the Chosen in the land, felt her energy, yet it was of no matter. She was weak and alone, yet he knew that this would not be the case for long. He must locate her and extinguish her flame before she realized her power. The prophecy called for three, so there was still time to ensure that it did not come to pass. As long as he could keep her separated, she would be of little threat to his dream.

***

“Grandpa?” Arietta called from Raulin’s back. The stallion twitched, and his tail flicked to the side to snap away a bothersome fly.

“Yes, dear,” Gustoff called from the ground. It was obvious that the stallion appreciated Arietta’s bravery. Respect was one of the highest compliments from the unicorns, and the fact that he carried her broadcasted his admiration. Though Corin was both sleepy and grumpy, he followed Arietta and Raulin at a close distance.

“Tell me, Corin, how is your mother?” Corin’s mane was wild after the run through the forest, and leaves and sticks hopelessly entangled themselves in it. Corin ducked his head, smiling at the stallion shyly.

“She’s okay, I guess.” He shook his head, his mane spraying through the air. Raulin snorted, amused by the foal’s bashful nature.

“Are we close yet?” The question from Arietta drew Gustoff’s attention from the foal and stallion, and he sighed. He was quite tired of this question. It seemed every four minutes the impatient teen asked it. She was a broken record, a one-track mind.

“Try to think of something else. Think about the candy you’ll get back home… I don’t know, talk to Raulin. It is, at least, a three-day hike from our current spot to the edge of Belamoris.” Even grandfathers who had infinite love for their grandchildren did not always have infinite patience. The stallion, in reaction to this, sniffed pointedly.

“Sweets that sparkle,” she hummed, running her fingers through Raulin’s hair. “Frosted hills.” Her eyes glowed a soft blue, yet she paid no notice, fingers busy weaving the hair of the lead stallion. “Drizzled in chocolate, honey and dew.” The ground sputtered, and up sprouted small, shimmering plants, and she continued her song. “All the candy in the world, only a dream away.” Finally the plants caught her full attention. “Grandpa!” Both Raulin and Grandpa Gus startled at her shout, and she hopped off the stallion. “Look at the candy!” The plants glowed like stars, and each was weighed down by the peculiar bounty. Instead of berries or some delicious foreign fruit, from each plant’s limbs hung colorful chocolate. Instead of green stems, they were rainbow candy canes. She broke several of the stems off of each of the plants, stuffing them in her robes.

“How… how did you do that?” Gustoff breathed, confusion muddying his thoughts.

“She is a child of prophecy. She is the song spinner.” Raulin’s reverence was felt by the entire herd as a soft whinny echoed along their lines.

“I’m… what did you just say?” Arietta gaped.

“The prophecy spoke of three that would come during a dark time to bring light. I suspected that you were one of the Chosen when you first arrived in Equus. I have seen the pureness of your heart during your visits. The proof came when you were able to vanquish the Immortuos. It is a rare gift that you have been given.”

Butterflies born from excitement fluttered in her chest. She giggled, a grin spreading across her face.

“This is amazing!” She pulled one of the candy cane branches from her robe, taking a bite. “What else can I do?”

“That is for you alone to discover,” Raulin said pleasantly, and she hopped onto his back. The hours ahead were peaceful, but the peace was not lasting, and a deadly predator had sensed their approach and was planning their demise.

The foal stared at her with eyes larger than the moons. A million questions raced through his mind. “Arietta.” He looked nervously from Raulin to his magical friend.

“What’s up, Corin?” He cocked his head at her, careful not to trip over his own legs.

“Where do you come from? I have never seen a creature that only used two of their legs to walk.” He froze in his tracks, wondering if his question was rude. At Arietta’s light laughter, he could tell that he hadn’t offended her.

“These,” she gestured to her arms, “are my arms. The ones on my lower half are my legs. You’ve really never seen someone walk on two legs?” Corin shook his head earnestly.

“No, I have not. I’ve only seen birds and unicorns. My mother does not let me go out of the meadows; she says it is dangerous.” Arietta’s brows lifted, then fell in surprise at the statement. Rather than pushing the foal for more information, she simply let it go and decided to answer the second portion of his question.

“I come from Earth. It is a place with creatures like me, and we also have other animals. The animals from Earth can’t speak, though; they usually just make different noises,” she offered.

“Can they not speak, or do you not listen?” Corin stared at her for an odd amount of time, and she cleared her throat. “Will you do more magic?” The strange, mature seriousness had evaporated, and she was left with the playful and rambunctious colt she was used to.

“I promise I will later, but that bit of singing I did wore me out. Would you like to try a sweet?” She offered him a sugar vine, and he accepted graciously.

“Very generous, thanks!” Corin said around a mouthful of vines. Though the mood of the travelers was light, despite their recent tragedy, Arietta had a deep pit of dread that twisted her stomach. The hair on her arms stood on end, and the energy around her pulled taut with dark intention. Something was watching them. Listening to them. Waiting.