It took a while for them to start their journey, but the group has started heading towards a forest to track down Prince Ezran and Bait. Callum noticed that the Moonshadow elves has been sleeping outside, bathing in the moonlight to restore their primal strength from being locked up in the dungeons.
Torrents of rain poured down the forests outside of the kingdom of Katolis. The raindrops sounded like pebbles beating the ground. Dark storm clouds swirled in the sky, flickering with silent lightning and rumbling with powerful thunder. It was late in the evening, the full moon peaked out of the departing dark clouds. The stars sparkled like distant diamonds in the sky, while the sky is like dark sapphire blue velvet that shimmered with the stars overhead.
Through the sparse canopy of leaves, the light of the full moon shone through in soft rays of silver. The air was frigid, so frigid, that even the clouds that hung in the sky were stiff with cold. All the animals were huddled in their nests and dens, sleeping through the night with hopes that tomorrow's sun will bring back the warmth to the world. The only creatures that dared be out tonight were the fuzzy rabbits that munched on the leaves, not worrying about predators that might snatch them away, and a few skittering field mice, searching desperately for spare shriveled berries on the forest floor.
But the animals hidden away when the ground have started trembling from a person running in a hurry.
When they were resting by another rocky cave, Rayla has caught sight of Callum looking up at the full moon with a sad look in his green eyes. She went towards him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, catching his attention.
"Hey, you okay?" Rayla asked Callum.
"Yeah, I-I'm just worried about my family," replied Callum as he returned looking up at the full moon again. "I already lost my birth parents when I was very young. I don't want to loose my little brother nor my stepfather."
Rayla wasn't sure what to say, but she figured it out and placed a gentle hand on Callum's shoulder as she said, "Don't worry. You might see them again. I'm sure."
Callum smiled softly at her reassurance and looked at the full moon again as he replied, "I sure hope you're right."
I need to keep going to find him, Diana thought grimly as she stared at the stormy night sky. It'll take a while, but I know that are great things are about to happen. Callum is great at adapting to any sort of situation, while Ezran has a knack befriending animals.
Diana perked up to see Ram, looking hesitant into joining her side. She led him into the cave, small streams of water splashed on the two of them. Diana and Ram both sat down, Ram gently shoved himself off of her and sat down in a patch of silvery moonlight. She started looking at him with wary curiosity, she sensed that he was mentally and emotionally drained from the past few days. He caught her staring at him and returned the stare just as warily.
"What are you thinking about now?" Ram asked her.
At first, Diana didn't reply to his question. She was looking at the full moon, she could feel the mystery of the moon and knew that they need the rainstorm for the dry seasons. Her thoughts wandered back to her uncles, she knows how worried and protective her uncles were when it comes to these type situations.
"Hey." Ram looked at Diana in a small amount of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Diana snapped back into reality from her spinning thoughts.
The two of them both fell silent and started staring at the storm that was raging outside. They both stared out into the dark forest and the rumbling thunderstorm. Diana wasn't used to traveling into pitch-black like this, especially when she couldn't tell where any people were at. She could hear the dripping of rain, amid the nighttime forest cacophony, but she couldn't see anything except the forest and the stormy night sky.
Ram looked at Diana, he found her staring at the stunning view of the stormy night sky and her sandy hair gently cascaded over her shoulders. They both seemed to be listening to the chorus of mysterious creatures and the sound of pouring rain.
"What are we going to do?" Ram whispered.
Diana gave him an odd, searching look. Her blue eyes seemed to dance with the flashes of lightning and the pouring of rain.
Ram realized this was the first time they'd been alone together without being imprisoned. Or was it the first time they'd ever been alone together? He felt the weight of his bow on his back.
"We have to keep going," Diana said determinedly. "We have to find Prince Ezran and bring the Dragon Prince back to his mother." Her expression is determined, but her eyes held a touch of sadness. "I don't want to let my family down."
Ram studied her profile as she played with her hands and said, "That's a lot of thoughts. What happened to the unobtrusive, quiet human?"
"It turns out it's actually easier to speak to you when we are not imprisoned across from each other," Diana admitted, smiling.
He stared into her blue eyes for a long moment and asked quietly, "But all the stuff you've did and said... are you sure humans don't read minds?"
Diana chuckled quietly before she said, "I don't have to. I've watched you. You fought alongside me. You fought for what you believed in. I think you can think bigger than just one kingdom against another — you can think about what's best for everyone. I guess — in a sense — I trust you."
"You seem very sure of certain things about me," Ram said. "The I'm honorable and brave."
"I am," confirmed Diana. "I am sure of those things."
He shifted his weight and sat down next to Diana, lowering his voice even more as he said, "Sometimes I'm only certain of one thing. That I hope I never hurt you."
She gazed up at him in surprise and replied, "Me? But I thought you hated me."
"I mean, I should," Ram said with a small smile. "But for some reason, I can't."
He took another inch closer, placing his hand on top of hers.
"I'm — I'm glad you can't hate me." Diana looking at their intertwined hands instead of his face. When she did they both smiled at each other as lightning flashed between the polar opposites of two worlds.
But the moment was ruined from the sound of wet leaves were crunched underfoot as a single figure walked carefully through the almost soundless woods. With one hand on a knife of his and the other hand carried a grumpy glowtoad in the color of yellow and teal. His eyes, which were almost hidden by the hood of his cloak, searched through the trees, looking for one sign. He soon saw a trail of footprints that's deepened by the rain and mud.
"Shhh... Somebody's coming our way," hissed Skor, who's on lookout duty.
"Hide everyone and get ready," Runaan said quietly, but urgently. "Rayla and Ram hide and protect Callum, Diana, and Zym by the boulder." The two humans and the baby dragon hid behind the mentioned boulder and the two young elves placed themselves in front of them.
Diana perked up when she heard quiet footsteps coming from outside and a massive hush went over everyone. She hid closer in the boulder's shadow and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, trying to catch a glimpse of who it is without accidentally being discovered. Diana narrowed her eyes when she a short, cloaked figure walking from the mountain trail, trembling from the stormy winds and hugging his cloak tightly around him, even as he entered the cave. The wind blew off his hood and Diana wasn't able to keep her shock under control when she saw the person.
"Ezran?" Callum whispered so softly, that Diana almost missed it and mistook it for the wind. Callum looked at Runaan for permission to reunite with his younger brother. His eyes softened and gave him a slight nod. Callum's eyes brightened as he gave Zym to Diana and hugged Ezran excitedly and surprised him, while the elves slowly relaxed and came out from their hiding places.
Of course, Ezran remembers his missing brother. He and his dad would talk about him whenever they could. King Harrow always made sure the Ezran could never forget about his brother telling him that it would be any day when Callum would be returned to them.
"Callum!" Ezran cried out joyfully as he hugged him. "I'm so glad to see you!" He soon gasped at the sight of Diana, Zym, and the Moonshadow elves. "Umm.... Who are they? Why are they here? What happened to you two?"
"Whoa, one question at a time, Ez." Callum smiled at Ezran, but his smile didn't match the seriousness in his eyes. "But first. Have you came here alone, Ez?"
"Yes, I did," replied Ezran as he hugged Bait in his hands. "Something strange happened at the castle. It was some sort of attack of smoky elves."
Everyone looked alarmed by this information. Even the assigned assassins. If they don't do their duty for the Dragon Queen, they'll be ghosted or worst. But they remembered what Viren and Claudia had both done, and they knew that they're behind this mess.
"But I'm sure Dad's fine," Ezran insisted. "But tell me what happened to you two. Everyone thought you were killed by bandits."
"We were kidnapped by bandits," explained Callum. "They have taken us to a secret fortress that's run by Viren and Claudia. We found a certain egg in the dungeon we where placed in and we hatched the Dragon Prince." Callum smiled at the elves as everyone came out of hiding and joined the two brothers. "That's when met some new friends in the dungeons. We have managed to escape, but now we have to get to Xadia to warn the Guardians about an incoming war from Viren and reunite Zym with his mother."
"Can I come along too?" Ezran asked.
Everyone looked at each other as Callum pulled his younger brother towards him and held a curious Zym in his arms. He looked up from his younger brother and met Runaan's blue eyes with an unasked question in his gaze. Runaan glanced at the others; the elves either nodded or smiled to Runaan, while Diana gave him a daring look when she noticed his hesitation of hurting Ezran and her expression softened before she nodded to him too.
"I think you have to," admitted Runaan. "If it's not safe to stay at the castle, then you must come with us."
"Bringing Zym back to his mother is everyone's chance of peace," Diana added determinedly.
Ezran smiled at them before he joined Callum, Rayla, Ram, Diana, and Zym by the boulder. It wasn't long till they have fell asleep, but Runaan made sure someone was on lookout duty to make sure no one will find them inside of the cave.
But when Callum closed his eyes, he had found himself inside of Katolis Castle. The throne room has its soaring ceilings and stone columns, was one of the most intimidating places in the castle; the sheer size could make a prince like them feel insignificant. A long crimson carpet ran from the entrance to the foot of the hand-carved throne that had occupied this room for centuries. The standing candelabras cast shadows over the marble floors.
Callum bowed down once he realized that the king standing on the dais. He recognizes the king as King Hallow, husband of the late Queen Sarai, his stepfather, one of the people who had killed the Dragon King, Thunder. King Hallow is a tall and imposing man as he stepped forth from the throne. He has brown skin that gleams warmly with no scars and has angular features. He has a dark brown goatee and dark brown hair that was styled into dreadlocks, with most of the locks tied back in a bun and with golden bands on the ends. His green eyes shone with kindness and love, but Callum could see guilt and sadness in his eyes.
As he was about to leave, King Harrow called out, "Prince Callum! I need to speak with you quickly before you go."
Callum closed the door behind him, worry gnawing at him.
"Yes, sir? What is it you wanted to talk about?" Callum asked, bowing at the waist.
King Harrow seemed suddenly uncomfortable. He reached his hand out in a hesitant, but reassuring manner and said, "No... please relax, Callum. I didn't mean for this to be so formal."
"Okay." But Callum stood with his back straight and stiff as ever.
The king looked up at the vaulted ceilings and paused. Then he looked into Callum's eyes and smiled at him.
"Callum, I know I'm not your birth father, but I've always wanted you to feel comfortable around me. We are family. I want you to know that..." The king took a deep breath, his brow furrowed. "Forgive me. This isn't easy to say. So, the most important things I've written down."
From deep within his royal robes, the king withdrew a parchment scroll and handed it to Callum. Callum turned the scroll over carefully. It was stamped with the official red wax seal of the King of Katolis.
"A letter for me?" Callum asked.
"I was going to give it to you later, but I don't know when I will see you again," King Harrow told Callum. "I want you to break the seal when... well you'll know when."
"If you get killed." Callum started to become desperate, his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "But you're the king! Why can't you just make peace with the elves?"
"It's not that simple Callum," said King Harrow.
"It seems very simple to me," Callum said, his frustration growing. "You don't want to die. I'm sure the elves and dragons don't want to die. Why can't you just make peace with them?"
The king smiled at him. After all, his stepson was correct. "There are centuries of history, of wrongs committed on both sides. I have done many terrible things. I thought they were necessary but now... I don't know anymore."
Callum stepped back. It was hard to believe his warm, doting stepfather committing unforgivable acts, but here he was admitting to the unthinkable. What, exactly, had he done?
Callum desperately wanted to reassure the king, whose shoulders bore the burden of whatever past choices he had made. But how could he tell his stepfather, the king, that it was time to move on?
"You're the king!" Callum pleaded. "You can do undo anything!"
Harrow chuckled bitterly and he said, "The great illusion of childhood is that adults have all the power and freedom. But the truth is the opposite. A child is freer than a king."
Callum gave his stepfather a skeptical stare, but he knew King Harrow was the most stubborn king in the history of Katolis. If he believed he deserved some terrible fate, there was no changing his mind. Callum looked down at the scroll.
"I'm going to give this back to you this weekend, okay?" Callum said. "I'm not going to have to open this." He searched his stepfather's face for a sign that maybe, there was a chance he would live through this night and everything would go back to normal.
But King Harrow shook his head stoically and said, "Take care of your brother, Callum." He turned away.
Callum knew that this is his cue to leave. He trudged towards his door and slipped the scroll into his backpack, wondering if this was the last time he'd see the only parent he had left. From the moment King Harrow had married Callum's mom, he had raised Callum as his own son. The closer he got to the door, the more Callum's insides crumbled.
Suddenly, Callum felt King Harrow standing behind him. He turned around, he wrapped his arms around King Harrow and squeezed his stepfather tightly. Callum felt the king's strong arms wrap around him. He shut his eyes and let his whole body relax into the embrace. A silent sob escaped from him. Warm tears were sliding the king's face too.
It was a while till the two of them both pulled back from their embrace. King Harrow gave his son a long, loving look and Callum smiled back at him lovingly.
Suddenly, Callum let a gasp as he opened his eyes, and then he lifted himself up and looked around as he took a few shallow breaths. He was back in the cave with Diana, Zym, Ezran, Bait, and the Moonshadow elves. Callum ran hand over his satchel and was surprised to feel something new in it. When he took it out, he was amazed by the sight of it.
It was the scroll, stamped with the official red wax seal of the King of Katolis.