I was flying over my home on a beautiful late-autumn afternoon; not to enjoy that beauty, but to scan the area for any threats. After all of the negative encounters I had had with humans, my body had become pretty well attuned to their presence. Said presence had been getting stronger in the last month and it was obvious as to why. I had seen a growing encampment on the very edge of my territory when I had first started to feel them. On this particular day, I wasn’t looking for it, but rather anyone who might have wandered away from its perimeter. So far, nothing had turned up, for which I was thankful. I wanted to avoid confrontation as much as possible.

After a few more hours of searching, I decided to stop for the day. It was late in the evening and the night sky had not a cloud overhead, allowing one to see the many stars dotting the black and purple void of space. I briefly admired it, admiring its many spheres of plasma over which it watched and surrounded. The stars did not need to worry about the everyday exchanges of life; such things were less than a fraction of a second for them. To them, the life of a singular being was inconsequential.

Letting out a sigh, I returned my attention to flying, not home, but to the cliff where I had rescued Auryn. That was many years ago when he was still a hatchling, but ever since then, the location remained a sacred spot for our family, not to mention a great place for flying lessons when the time came. I landed as close to the edge as I could, my body not only built as a guardian like my ancestors before me, but also as a regal dragon. I sat on my haunches and looked out over the land that was my territory for the time being. The human presence was growing and that meant that we needed to move soon. Now was not the time for a battle with humans, not yet. I had yet to find Rakk and his mate. And that was what made this spot so much more important to me. Every night, I would send out as strong of a magical pulse as I could, searching for the one I had spent my childhood with, the one who had the right to call me his brother.

I concentrated for a mere second, forming the charge of energy I needed and letting it go in a single blast. With it, I felt everything over most of the world. I felt many other dragons, and they undoubtedly felt my questing pulse as it inspected them for any possibility of being my clan member. The pulse ignored my mate and brood; there was no need to involve them with such a search. It was becoming a ritual, so much so that I was no longer surprised when my inquiry came up empty yet again. I never let it show, but not having Rakk around ate at me constantly. Sure, I had a beautiful mate and a family, large territory that stretched for miles, everything a drake could ever want, except for the close companionship that I once had with one of the few surviving members of the Plisargiwaph clan; my best friend. It seemed as though he had simply disappeared from existence.

I sent out another inquiry, though I directed it at my family instead of the world. Everyone was sleeping except for Raeze, one of my sons. I touched his mind and felt as he latched onto the tendril of thought. Is there something you needed, father? he asked.

Perhaps some company if you are not too busy for your old sire. I replied, keeping a small tone of playfulness in my mental voice to mask my concerns.

Of course, father! my son exclaimed. I enjoy spending time with you! I felt him stand and then leap into the air. It was then that I began to question inviting Raeze to sit with me. The boy had developed quite the knack of deciphering the feelings of others. I was constantly on my toes trying to keep him from doing that to me whenever he was near. But, perhaps it was time someone else know. Two heads are better than one, right?

After a couple of hours, I heard the wing beats of my son as he approached. Within moments, He landed with a very soft thump accompanied by the rustle of his wings as he folded them against his sides. He slowly came up next to me, his red and blue hide shimmering in the light of the night. “What is it, father?” my son asked.

“Take a look out over the land, son.” I began, “Tell me what you see.”

Raeze was silent for only a second before answering, “I see our home.” He seemed so sure of his answer, but I shook my head

“No. Look closer.” I admonished. “Think more before you speak, young one.”

He thought for a few more moments. “I see… I see grass… and trees… and bushes.”

“Yes.” I confirmed and then began to guide him slightly. “And what are those things doing? Are they dead?”

“No, they are living…” Finally, the gears in his head began to turn.” I see life!”

“Yes!” I exclaimed, patting the top of his head with a forepaw. “It is life that you see. The most sacred of things.”

"Yes, it is, father." He seemed pleased with himself and looked up at me. "Is that why you come here every night, or is there something else?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. I hadn't expects him to read me so fast. Even if it was just pure curiosity, he had asked and I couldn't keep this from him. "No, there's more." I said. "Before you hatched, I lost a very close friend, as close as a brother. He helped your mother and I escape from some humans. I haven't heard from him since. So many years have gone by with me not knowing his fate."

A tear crept from my eye. Next to losing one's mate, losing one's companion was the greatest pain imaginable for a dragon; especially with the closeness Rakk and I shared. Raeze nuzzled my shoulder and looked up at me.

"I am sure that he is fine, father." He said, "But perhaps you should start to truely look for him."

"But where? Where do I even start?" I asked. "It has been so long."

"Why not start where you last saw him?" Raeze suggested.

"Perhaps, son." I said as I mulled the idea over. "Perhaps..."

***

"Do be careful, my love." My mate said as Raeze and I prepared to leave. We were going to the old cave where Rakk and his mate had kept the humans at bay so that Moonfire and I could escape with our progeny.

"We will be safe, I promise." I nuzzled her neck and licked her snout reassuringly. Although she wanted both Raeze and I to be careful, I knew that such a wish might not come true. I knew all too well how dangerous humans could be at times. My son looked at me and I growled in readiness to take to the sky. "Are you ready?" I asked.

"Yes, father, I am more than ready!" Raeze replied, jumping into the air and spreading his wings. I quickly kissed my mate on the tip of her snout before I took to the wing after my son. Given my larger wingspan, it didn't take long before I caught up to him and it was easy for me to keep pace with him. I stretched a mental tendril toward my son and touched his mind.

Don't forget to pace yourself, son. I said. We are not in a hurry and I'll be sure to not let you fall behind.

We first headed north so as to make our trip across the Atlantic Ocean shorter. We crossed over into Alaska and followed the coast south as I accessed my magic and joined it with a certain memory. Soon, the pull began to tug on the front of my skull, guiding me inland and away from the coastline. My son followed me, not having any memory of the location before he hatched. The whole while, I kept watch over my son, and, as the sun dipped below the horizon. I could feel his strength and endurance waning, he wouldn't be able to go on for much longer. I gradually, began to drop in altitude. Raeze followed suit and soon we landed on the ground. The good news was that we had a nice tail wind which had pushed us extremely close to our destination; we could walk the rest of the way in the morning.

We should rest. I told my son. We will need to keep our strength up.

Yes, father. He replied as he laid down and huffed, folding his wings along his flanks. He was obviously exhausted and passed out almost as soon as his breathing calmed down. I laid down to rest as well, but I only allowed myself to slip into a light trance. We were in a small bit of land that wasn't a part of any local dragon's territory. That in and of itself unsettled me as I had sensed a high density of the draconic population; this area, for some reason, was the only break in that tight group. But, as the crickets and other creatures of the night came out, I allowed myself to relax just enough to benefit from my trance.

The night was thankfully uneventful and the morning came almost too quickly. I woke up and stretched my limbs and wings, allowing the blood to flow properly once again. I yawned, a low roar escaping from my throat. I spread my wings and felt little whisps of air flow around them. I sniffed the air, filling my snout with the various aromas and scents of my surroundings. My son's was among them, but it wasn't fresh. Worried, I looked around before gathering a small portion of magical energy and letting it out in a pulse to find my child. As I got the returning pulse, I froze; not because I knew where my son was as he was taking a morning fight in the clouds, but because of what I felt under me. I felt others of my kind, but not...not how they usually should be, their life processes were almost nonexistent. That was why this area was so devoid of dragons. I roared out to my son a warning but before he could react, he screamed in pain, almost immediately dropping from the sky. Within a fraction of a second, my parental urge to save my son caused me to spring into action, launching into the air with unnatural force and trying to get to my son as soon as I could. But, that seemed to be a great mistake as pain suddenly lanced along the entire length of my spine; feeling as if someone had cut off my tail and pulled out each and every one of my dorsal spikes. I let out a screech as I too plummeted toward the ground before a sea of blackness overcame me and sent me into what was blissful rest eternal…

***

My rest proved to not be eternal as I awoke laying on my back in my human-like form some time later, my eyes opening yet only showing faint blurs and swirls of color as I tried to look around. My secondary eyelids, something that I had really taken for granted, began to try and clear whatever debris was obstructing my view. It seemed to work after a few minutes as my sigh became better with each motion. That is when I noticed that I was in some sort of container, or more like a capsule of sorts. Aside from what I saw around me, I also felt cold; which was odd as my body's internal temperature was so high. I began to shiver slightly as I tried to look outside the glass panel. Through the small area of glass that had not frosted over, I could vaugely see the dark shape of a man. I could feel his cold stare on me and felt his hate. This wasn't hate brought about by anything I had done; I had kept myself and my family away from humanity as much as possible. No, this was a hate for the entire species that I now ruled; a hate for all of my kin. Then, the figure spoke in a familiar voice.

"I've finally caught you again, and," the figure paused as he motioned toward another container outside of my vision. "Your child."

I heard Raeze scream and roar somewhere next to me, "Father!? Help! Someone, please!"

I snarled, feeling power flowing through my frame. "Let him go!" I roared, but the man laughed and I suddenly realized something as dread shocked through my body; this was the same man whom, many years ago, had killed my parents and tried to kill my remaining family and I. More power flowed into me and only helped to fuel the firey inferno of rage inside my breast. Magic and anger began to feed off of one another, perpetually building beyond my control until the structure of the capsule began to fail. The look on the man's face changed to from one of smug amusement to one of sudden panic: he had undestimated the power of a guardian-regal dragon. I then began to direct the magic into the remaining weak points of my cell until it failed completely and allowed me to easily break my way out. With a snarl, I stood to my hybrid form's full height and stared deep into my enemy's eyes. But those eyes, they seemed distant, almost unconcerned. I took one step toward Commander Richardson and before I could take another, his form wavered and then vanished as if it had never been there. I took a breath and blew fire at the spot once held by the apparition. Nothing happened. With a snort, I turned my attention to the capsule containing my son and brought my claws to bear. The sound of rending metal echoed off of the walls as I tore into the device and freed my child.

His hybrid body flung out and attached to me in a tight embrace. "Thanks. It was starting to hurt." His form was almost as large as mine and I had to make an effort to keep my balance.

"Hurt?" I asked, confused. I released him and inspected the inside of the capsule. My magic senses flared a warning and I understood almost immediately, this was meant to siphon the magic and life force out of living things. In revulsion, I retreated from the sinister device. I looked over the rest of the room and saw more of the contraptions. Yet a couple of them looked different. It was those two which caught my eye and peeked my curiosity. As I neared them, magic exploded painfully into my mind, causing me to fall onto my knees and hold my head. The pain was accompanied by memories. The first in the barrage was from long ago, before I was in the world; the memory of the clan's formation.

There were five different families gathered in front of the King. An elder male from each of the families stepped forward and bowed low in front of the large regal. The regal looked down at the group and opened his ancient maw to speak, "Your families have had the honor of rearing the best and strongest firghters in all the realm. Even though you have been rarely needed in the past, this new species, humanity, has become a great threat to us. The laws given to us demand that the royal line continues safely. But, the advances of the humans' magic and their ever-growing desire for violence and bloodshed have threatened that sacred law. It is now that you are to be called upon as long as this threat remains. Your families are to be the retainers of my blood and clan and also of our race. You are to be the Master Guardians of the draconic race. Your task will be difficultmfor your families." One of the elders looked up to the regal and the great one addressed him. "Yes, Vurixen?"

The elder bowed his head once more and gave his oath, which was then repeated by the other elders and and then the rest of the families, "We will defend the royal line and all that is sacred. We shall never cease; even to our dying breath, we will carry out our duty until we pass to the Eternal Skies. We are Plisargiwaph. We. Will. Guard."

Other memories followed. Each one was from a different clan member through the years. There was even a memory from my father, filled with sadness and longing. His scales were that of polished brass and he was bent over another while sitting in the rain. Through his eyes, I saw him looking down at a female who's head was cradled in his arms. "Illuyan…please don't go. Please heal. I cannot bear to lose you."

"Abra, the wounds are too great." The female said weakly, "I can feel myself moving on…"

"Illuyan, no!" The male screamed. "I love you! Please! There must be a way!"

"I'm sorry, my love…Take care of our son…" The female- my mother- said. "I…I'll…be watching over you…" Her eyes closed as she let out her final breath and went limp. The male- my father- cradling her head looked up to the sky and let out a long, low moan of dispare. Tears streamed unabated from his eyes and fell upon the white of a forgotten surrounding. The sadness turned into rage. He would make that dragon hunter pay! He would get his revenge! He and his whole line would fall. It was the same line that had hunted him and the rest of the clan for generations. But now, they went by the name of Richardson…

The many memories faded and stood back up, looking about the room. However, one thought remained. No, it was a name, a name I held close to me: Rakk. I felt a pull on my skull, guiding me closer to the pair of capsules in front of me. The glass was completely frosted over, blocking my view of the contents. Something almost instinctual compelled me to open it. I didn't resist the command and dug my claws into it. The super-cooled metal screamed as I cut into it. Once I gained a good hold on the front piece of metal, I wrenched it away with a grunt. A cold fog flooded my vision followed by a growl. I knew that growl, it was a growl that only a frost, or ice, dragon could produce. It was Rakk, my greatest friend! He stepped out of the capsule and was, like me, in his hybrid form. His eyes glowed with newfound power from the clan's rise to regality. Without saying a word to me, he turned to the identical capsule and proceeded to brutally smash it. He tore into it with reckless abandon and soon, he was pulling his mate out from her enclosure. She was still sleeping, but at least this time she want tortured.

A few monutes went by until Amythist came to and was able to stand on her own. My friend finally looked at me and embraced me. "Took you long enough" he said, "It has been a while, I've missed you. The years have treated you well, it seems."

"Well I take what I can get these days, you know." I replied with a toothy grin. I then motioned to Raeze. "Rakk, this is my son, Raeze."

My son dipped his head in respect, knowing full well the relatnship between my friend and I. "It is an honor, sir."

Rakk chuckled and grabbed my child, pulling him into a hug. "And it is nice to finally meet my nephew." The hug was short lived and the two quickly released each other. The timing, while completely unplanned, could not have been better as Amythist chose that same exact moment to clear her throat.

"Well now, where are we?" She asked, he mind still foggy from the forceful hibernation.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I am not sure. Some sort of human storage area" I began to walk down the row of capsules, the others following suite behind me. "Whatever to place is, I'm sure we can…" my voice trailed off as I happened to look inside one of the canisters. Inside, I found a dragon in his hybrid form. It is true that sometimes a dragon's human-like form makes them look like an completely different individual; however, it was impossible to mistake the facial spikes and scale colors of someone I once knew. I called for my magic to double check and soon my fear was confirmed. His body looked to be shriveled up, the magic having been forced from him; but it was impossible to mistake the mahogany scales and the shape of the muzzle for anyone but the dragon whom, along with his mate, had done so much to help what remained of my clan. This dragon was Mictian. My mind immediately went to Arohk, wondering if she too had been killed in such a way. Casting out a search, I found numerous dragons- all either dead or weak- but not Arohk.

I let out a roar and began to smash the capsule holding Mictian's body. "Open them!" I shouted at my clan, "Open them all! Get them out!" Rage filled me as I beat through the panel and gently pulled the dragon's body free from its metallic confines. My rage quickly turned to sadness and I let out a low, mourning whine. He had done nothing to deserve such a fate. I then knew what my destiny as a regal was to be: I had to stop this injustice… or die trying.

After we had freed our kin, Rakk and I made our way to the surface, we had been under the area my son and I had slept prior to our capture. When we reached our destination, we took on our full forms, matching each other in size. Rakk had gained a far greater amount of facial spikes, each one a chilled, ghastly white in color. My magic senses peaked as I felt a large gathering of humans. They were most likely on the surface clearing the area after my capture and were recalled when I had broken out to prevent my escape. I looked to my clan brother and noted that instead of being anxious, as I had expected, he looked completely calm. I opened my mind to his and felt him all too willingly enter my conscious. I understand that we have a job to do? He sounded eager.

Take things slow, we have much greater power than before. I replied. But yes, we do have a duty to uphold. When we emerged from the ground, we were met by several armed humans with the sun directly overhead. I let out a roar and charged foreward with my brother, beginning to lay waste to all that stood in our way. I let loose a torrent of flame, vaporizing over a dozen men while Rakk did the exact elemental opposite and froze a small group where they stood. We each brought our tails to bear as well, using the sharp spades to cut down those we weren't directly facing. It took a few minutes, but we had soon cleared the way of any threats. I let out a triumphant roar as hundreds of wounded dragons emerged from the storage facility. Those that had the strength carried the dead out. I looked at them all, the deaths went right. They were murders. A gold dragoness drug Mictian's body behind her. I approached her and blocked her path, looking down at her. She was perhaps as old as my own children. She returned my gaze before collapsing onto the ground.

I smiled and opened my mouth, "That is enough, little one, I shall take him to his resting place." I said. "You have done well. Go and find your family."

"My family is dead." She replied solemnly, looking away and panting slightly from exhaustion. "I found their bodies inside."

"My condolences, young one." I said softly. "I will see about making arrangements for you to stay with someone." I gently picked up Mictian's empty shell in my front paws and took flight into the air as I contacted Raeze and told him about the dragoness. With that out of the way, the limp weight in my paws brought my amine back to getting Mictian's body to his widow. I called upon my magic, telling it to guide me to the dragoness I sought. Within moments, a guiding tug began to pull on my head, leading me this way and that through various air currents. I had caught a few nice tail winds and I arrived at Arohk's home by dusk as a result. It surprised me to see that she hasn't moved; but then again, it was very secluded and hard to get to let alone find.

I let out a roar announcing my presence and was given a welcoming response. But I knew the reasons for my visit wouldn't be so welcome. But this was my duty; Mictian's body belonged to his mate. I felt a tingle in my mind as Arohk tried to contact me and I let her in. To what do I owe getting visit from a regal?

Arohk, it's Talon, I said as I landed outside her cave and set down the male's body. You need to come outside.

Alright, I'll be just a minute or so. I felt her mental tendril retract and it wasn't long before she emerged from her home. When she did, her focus was not on me, rather, it was on the body of the drake in front of me. "Mictian!" She screamed as she rushed forward, "No! No!" She let out a long, mournful keen and collapsed over her fallen mate, as if doing so would bring him back. But I understood full well. They had been together for far longer than Moonfire and I. "What happened?" The dragoness asked, looking up at me.

I sighed, "I don't know. I found him in a human container. How long had he been gone?"

"A few mo-months," she sobbed. "He said he was…was going to visit some f-friends."

I set a paw on her shoulder and gave her a friendly nuzzle. "I will make them pay, Arohk. He didn't deserve this."

"No, I will." Poison permeated her voice, her anger at its greatest peak. "Those humans will know true fear!"

"But not right this instant." I said as I looked her in the eyes. Even though I was sad as well, my voice still kept its authority. "Doing this alone won't help. All of us, every dragon, needs to work together. We need to plan. And then you'll have your revenge." I let out a growl as I thought about my own revenge, ripping into Richardson and making him suffer. But I caught and comped myself, now wasn't the time for that. "Do you want to come with me?" I asked.

"No," she replied, tears still streaming from her eyes. "I need to bury Mictian and let our children know."

"I understand, my friend." I bowed my head respectfully and then turned, spreading my wings. "I will call on you soon." I took off and headed for my home. As I flew, I searched out Rakk's mind and began planning how and when we would strike back…