《Emphyralis: Songs of Fate》 Chapter 1: Whispers of Prophecy This story takes place in year 1992 of the 12th Age of Utraeus Chapter 1: Whispers of Prophecy "This One Thanks You and Accepts" There is a small world called Thelessia. Thelessia isn''t very remarkable. It''s a basic world made up of various races, dominated by humans, but also made up of Elves, Dwarves, and other creatures. Although there are spots where intermingling happens, such as ports and large cities, most races keep to themselves. There is a creature that is not native to Thelessia. That creature is a Dragon. On a cloudy night, a young Silver Dragon flew above the clouds, using them as cover. It was only on such cloudy nights that she could transform and stretch her membranous wings. The cool white moonlight glittered off the brushed metallic scales, giving them a slightly iridescent radiance, glowing faintly purple and blue. Her large purple eyes couldn''t see below, but she scanned the area with her psionic powers to find a safe place to land. After scanning the area, she spoke a word in her native tongue, Emphyralian Draconic, and wrapped the clouds around her as she descended, landing in a clearing in some forests not far away from a medium sized town. The size of the town wasn''t large, but many merchants and travelers passed through, so there were a number of inns and taverns. The young Dragon landed quietly. Her type of Dragon wasn''t as large as dragons in legends. And she was young, only hitting her Changing Age within the year or so. She was maybe eighteen feet high on all four legs and about thirty-eight feet from the tip of her snout to the tip of her tail with a svelte, leggy, cat-like body, a long, elegant neck, and a wingspan as wide as she is long. After landing, she sat and curled her tail around her legs and furled her wings. She scanned her surroundings again before dispersing the clouds around her. She began to change her shape, shrinking and contorting. Her scales disappeared into smooth pinkish ivory skin. Her snout turned into a delicate face with a small nose, thickly lashed violet eyes, and slightly smiling pink lips. Silvery blonde hair grew from her head and long pointy ears formed on either side of her head. As she changed into a delicate young girl in a dress with a skirt with many folds, her wings began to shrink and then they stopped. The weight suddenly tilted her backwards. She stumbled with a grunt. "Oof!" Britiana Silvermoon didn''t fall, because of the size of her wings. Although no longer nearly thirty feet wide, they were still large enough to hold her body up. She frowned slightly and screwed her face up in concentration. The wings finally began shrinking again. They retracted quite quickly this time. "Eek!" She fell back and landed on her bottom as the reptilian wings were replaced by large lovely, feathery white wings. With a frown and a grunt, she scrambled to her feet. She folded up her white wings and then they disappeared completely. She let out a slight sigh. She dusted off her bottom and fluffed her skirt. She checked on the violet stone pendant wrapped around her wrist by a delicate silver chain. She touched it fondly. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d break or lose it, but better safe than sorry. With this stone, she was able to learn all about her home, her heritage, and her abilities when she was very far from home. She quickly followed a mental link in her mind. she asked. There was a delay in response, but soon the mental voice of her twin brother replied. he teased lightly. She nonchalantly fluffed her skirt again. She bid him farewell and closed the connection. She then conjured a bit of magic in her hand and whispered an incantation ¡°Shapir kitman.¡± Due to her heritage as an Emphyralian Dragon, her true appearance was obviously otherworldly compared to even the native Elves of Thelessia. So, she cast a glamor on herself. Her ears became rounded human ears, eyes turned brown, and her skin dulled slightly. She also cast a perception spell on her person. It slightly influenced people when they looked at her, to slightly forget her face. Therefore, she doesn''t stand out or attract too much attention. She pulled a cloak out of her skirt folds and draped it around her shoulders and headed into town. As far as the townsfolk knew, she and her brother lived in a small house in the forests. She worked for an inn and he''s a mercenary soldier. Neither stands out but are considered personable. No one knows that the unassuming siblings are a high-level soldier, and a third-tier mage. No one could ever guess that they were Dragons from another world with psionic powers. She hummed to herself as she took the path into town. -- The Oxhead Tavern and Inn was a bustling establishment. There were many such places in Tarrytown. There were always strangers coming and going of all ilk. Some good, some not so good. There were humans, Elves, and others mingling together as they passed through to tend their business. Therefore, two figures wrapped in cloaks sitting at a booth with tankards of mead in front of them was not an unusual sight. Even if one was a delicate woman with fine features. She kept her hood up to obscure her from sight. Thus was also not an unusual sight. Her violet eyes scanned the room apprehensively, under her hood even if her face remained calm. The figure beside her was a man. His figure was tall, and strong. He didn''t hide himself, so everyone could see that he appeared to be an elf with sharp black eyes, and long black hair. His skin was pale, and his features deep. He wore a lot of leather and a silken black shirt under his cloak. However, when he opened his mouth to speak, he revealed four short fangs on his upper teeth. His canines and incisors had slight points. His pupils were a slight bit deeper than his irises and were vertically split. The woman didn''t know exactly what Raziel Voidstalker was, but he''d been around since the Seventh Age, more than five hundred thousand years. Only members of the Dracosenati or his descendants could contact him. Which she had to do, twenty-one years ago. "Lord Raziel, are you sure this is the place?" she asked, her calm voice belying her worried heart. It was a bit rough and tumble here. Raziel smiled slightly. "My dear Lady Silvermoon, calm yourself. One of your children will appear soon," he assured her. Chrystianna Silvermoon took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. She, of course, did not doubt him, but she''d been separated from her children for over two decades. It wasn''t a long time in the span of the thousands of years an Emphyralian Dragon could live, but it meant she missed their entire childhoods. She clenched her fists.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Early in her pregnancy, she participated in a religious festival called the Moonsong Festival. It was a ceremony led by the High Priestess of the Mystic Temple of the Sisters of the Moons; the three goddesses worshiped by the Silver Dragons of Emphyralis. They were the Singers of Fate. During the Festival, which takes place in the Moonsinger Forest, the High Priestess will try to divine the fate of the Silver Dragons until the next Festival. The Festival only takes place when the three moons of Emphyralis are full. The celestial phenomenon only happens about once a decade. The ceremony went on without too many surprises, but since the Hunter Wars were still fresh, even the mundane news of rebuilding going well was welcome to all worshippers. After the ceremony, there was a bazaar, a night market that sold food, hosted contests, and had games to play. Couples and families strolled through the trees, listening to the silvery leaves sing in the wind. Chrystianna had walked alone, rubbing her still flat stomach, humming to the lives that she was growing. A stronger gust blew along the path she took, ruffling her long silver hair, and long skirt. The trees moaned rather than sang. A chill went down her spine and she hurried down the path. Soon a glow caught her attention. It was a moonsong crystal growing from a moonsong tree. Moonsong crystals were neither common nor rare. Many of them could be found in various Temples of the Sisters of the Moons. When exposed to the moonlight, they glowed and hummed. Most moonsong crystals glowed a silvery color, but the one in front of her glowed blue and purple. She slowed her steps and approached the crystal. Moonlight shone on it, producing a haunting sound. She looked up at the moons shining down on her. She knelt and bowed. "Una, Ianna, Armus, Sisters of Moons, Singers of Fate, this one thanks you and accepts any revelation you have for me," she said reverently. She currently held the highest rank on the planet, the Grand Duchess of the Dracosenati, but the Dragon Gods were above all. She took a deep breath and stood. She approached and took the moonsong crystal in hand. As soon as she touched the warm, hard surface, images appeared in her mind. She saw two children curled in their cradles. A nanny slept nearby; her embroidery had fallen to the floor. The lights flickered and went out. Shadowy figures flashed by and her children were gone. She saw herself dash through the adjoining doorway, frantically looking for her children. As the vision passed, she crumpled to the ground. When she woke, she was back in her room, the First Healer watching over her and the moonsong crystal clutched in her hand. She settled her heart, let the Healer fuss over her, and thought about what to do. She fretted for a while and discussed things with her advisors and her closest friends on the Dracosenati. First, she had to investigate who would want to take her children, and she had to figure out how to prevent it. However, every time she thought she had a plan, the moonsong crystal would let her see that it wasn''t the right choice. She finally thought about sending her children away, and finally the crystal helped her see her children grow up, smiling and reaching out to her. After her heart broke, she finally resolved her nerves and set about solving the logistics of her decision. She went north to Isaz to find the Diamond Dragons to have the moonsong crystal split in half and turned into Chronicle Crystal, where she stored the knowledge of Emphyralis and their family. She also recorded several messages of herself speaking to them. They were then turned into pendants, one for each child, so even as they grew up away from her, they would know her and everything they should know. The next part was figuring out how to get the children off Emphyralis. There were ways only a few years earlier, but after the disaster that plagued the planet for nearly a century, there was no longer a way. Any Amethyst Dragon still alive was too young to Voidjump. But such thinking led her to remember the figure known as the Voidstalker. She found the relevant information on how to contact him and waited. He came to her. He agreed to help her, for whatever reason. When it was time to give birth, only the Head Healer and her dear friend, a third-tier mage, named Raven Darovan were only allowed to tend to her. They quickly cleaned the two children and dressed them. Chrystianna named them, gave them each a pendant and magical pouch to hold anything they''ll ever need so they don''t lead hard lives. She cleaned herself up and the three of them met Raziel in another room. Then she handed her children over to him. That was the last she saw of them. In the intervening years, she continued to investigate the threads with help. She managed to root out those who plotted against her children, but she never found the mastermind. She and her children would have been the last Silvermoons. She had no doubt that there were internal forces who wanted to take advantage of the chaos of rebuilding to shake the foundations of the world by getting rid of her and her offspring. Not many people even knew who the father of her children was. Now was the time to bring her children home. She contacted Raziel again and had him bring her to them. -- When Britiana entered the Oxhead Inn and Tavern, the cacophony of noise hit her ears, and the cacophony of emotion hit her brain. She staggered slightly and frowned, rubbing her forehead. As a Silver Dragon, she had several psionic abilities. The most prominent of her abilities was her empathic abilities. It was a passive ability, and she couldn''t block out the low buzz of emotions from others. She could ignore it after getting used to it. It was a useful ability as it allowed her to sense any one of malicious intent around her. She took a deep breath and took off her cloak, hanging it on a hook at the entrance. "Bittany!" a loud, coarse voice shouted as an older woman approached with a smile. Britiana smiled back. The locals only knew her as Bittany and her brother as Daniel. Moira was her boss and the owner of the Oxhead. She was a round woman with a voluptuous figure. Her skin was weathered and her hair was brown. She wasn¡¯t dressed to show off, but she wasn¡¯t dressed to cover up either. All the patrons loved her. Her voice was rough but her heart was soft. "I''m coming, Moira. Sorry if I''m late," she said. "Pish posh. It ain''t so bad. But customers have been askin'' for yer briskberry tarts, so ye''ll be workin'' in the kitchen tonight. Cook''s got everythin'' laid out fer yer," she said in a jovial manner. She was also looking forward to tarts. Although the two siblings weren''t sociable, they were friendly and generous. The staff were always given some of the tarts she made. She also often brought baked goods from home, or medicines and remedies if anyone got hurt or ill. Britiana smiled and headed toward the kitchen but on her way she abruptly stopped. There was a calm spot in the tap room. An absolutely serene oasis. She turned her head slowly and made eye contact with a pair of violet eyes that were nearly identical to her own. Her breath caught in her throat. Chrystianna knew the exact moment when her daughter entered the establishment. She saw her take the psychic hit and then shake it off. Her hands clenched again as she watched worriedly. It was only a moment before the plain and unassuming girl looked at her. A charge seemed to arc between them as they recognized each other. "Tell Cook I''ll be there in a second, Moira. I saw an old friend. I want to say hello," Britiana said, finally able to breathe again. She may be able to breathe but her heart was thudding heavily in her ears. She began walking in the direction of the violet-eyed woman. Moira grinned, not noticing her strangeness. "No problem, pet," she said and bustled off, both her overflowing top and bottom bouncing slightly with her movements. Chrystianna stood as Britiana moved toward her. The two met and embraced. Tears filled both their eyes as inexpressible emotions filled their chests. They both knew this wasn''t the best place to talk and cry and babble giddily, but they still uttered a single word each that expressed everything at once. "Britiana," Chrystianna gasped. "Mom," Britiana whispered. They hugged for a moment, then stepped back at the same time. She blinked her slightly blurry eyes. She took her mother''s hand. "Come, help me make Grandmere''s tarts then we can sit and talk," she said in a slightly hoarse voice as she tried to tap down her emotions. Chrystianna let out a small laugh. She brushed a hand against one of her eyes. Holding her daughter¡¯s hand, she followed her into the kitchen of the inn. "Where''s your brother?" she asked. Why were they separated? She didn¡¯t expect this. "He''s a mercenary,¡± Britiana answered. ¡°He and his company are protecting a farming village in the west that has had their harvests stolen by mountain trolls for the past three years. They managed to get some money together to hire protection this year," she explained. As she entered the kitchen, she greeted the old cook and then wrapped an apron around her waist. She found another one and handed it to her mother. Chrystianna gave herself a quick glamor to look like a plain woman of a similar age as Moira. She wrapped the borrowed apron around her waist. She greeted the Cook, minded her own business and didn''t ask about the stranger. The two of them worked together to make briskberry tarts. They didn''t chat much, but both of them smiled peacefully as they worked together. -- Chapter 2: Unexpected Danger Chapter 2: Unexpected Danger "Can You Whisper?" Raziel Voidstalker didn''t mind being left alone in the inn. He drank his mead and headed to the bar to chat with some rugged looking people with weapons on their persons. It seemed that no matter where he went, he would always be able to find something to entertain himself. When Britiana and Chrystianna returned to the main room, that''s where they saw him, laughing raucously with a big man with bushy red hair and an even bushier red beard. They shared an amused look. Britiana excused herself from her mother to approach Moira, to let her know that the tarts were made, but she''d be leaving early tonight. Moira didn''t mind. Chrystianna began to approach Raziel; to let him know they''d now be going to her son. However, this time that should have been a joyous reunion between a mother and her children was not destined to go smoothly. Britiana went to grab her cloak just as another woman came into the inn. She was an unusual sight just about anywhere on Thelessia except the Dark Forests on the eastern continent. Because this person was an Eoduun, a Dark Elf. She was good friends with Britiana and her brother. Her long hair was white with many braids. She wore leather boots, pants, and vest over a brown, coarse shirt. Over that she had a cloak. A bow and quiver full of arrows slung across her back. Her skin was medium gray, eyes yellow, and her lips purple. Her pointed ears were pierced, and the teeth and claws of various animals adorned them. She was obviously a hunter. She carried several dead birds tied to a string. Usually, she would have delivered them to the back door of the kitchen instead of coming in the front door. Her face was calm, but her unusual behavior caught Britiana''s attention. "Sariya," she said in a low, surprised voice. Sariya saw her and was obviously relieved. She noticed her reaching for her cloak. "Don''t go out yet," she said almost soundlessly. "I''ll take these to the kitchen," she said in a louder voice and headed that way. As she went, the faces around her had various expressions. Eoduun rarely left the Dark Forests, and when they did, it was rarely for anything good. So, for those passing through, there was some fear and some disgust. But the people of Tarrytown barely blinked. This Eoduun had been there for almost a year, and didn''t bother anyone, just nesting as she prepared to give birth. She hunted to make a living. Sometimes she was even hired by local officials to track criminals. She met the Silvermoon siblings several years ago near the Dark Forest. They were still teenagers at the time. She mostly stayed around the Dark Forest, but her hunting and tracking skills were well known, so she was hired by their gang. They needed help tracking someone who had betrayed them and escaped to that general vicinity. The three of them got along well. She was one of the few people outside their gang that knew the duo were Dragons from another world. Sariya herself wasn''t from Thelessia. She remembered traveling with her parents, until they came to Thelessia, where they were killed. That was a hard time in her life. She took refuge in the Dark Forest. Even though she wasn''t fully accepted there, they were still responsible enough to provide for her until she was old enough to provide for herself and take revenge on the people who killed her family. However, she''d been stuck on Thelessia ever since her parents died. She didn''t know where exactly she was from. Her father had always just called home ¡°Undirheim¡±. It wasn''t until she got to know the twins better that she learned that Undirheim was where the Dark Elves of Emphyralis lived. They promised not to leave her behind when they were able to return if it was at all possible. When she met her husband, a half Eoduun-half Shadow Demon named Qazim who could travel between realms, she wasn''t in as much of a hurry to go home. He became her home. But not long after they married, Qazim was called to his father''s Shadow Dimension. He hasn''t returned since. Before he left, he asked her to stay close to the siblings and go to Emphyralis as soon as she could. He would find her when he was able. He hasn''t yet returned, so she went to them. When she realized she was pregnant, she decided to stay in Tarrytown instead of continuing to travel. Not only would she be close to her friends, but she would also have a stable place to raise her child in the meantime. That was nearly ten months ago. She was an Eoduun, the gestational period was much longer than for humans, so not many people even realized she was pregnant. Watching her friend head to the kitchen, Britiana pretended to get something out of the pocket of her cloak, as if it were just something she wanted to show her old friend. Something about Sariya''s emotions made her very wary. With a blase smile, she hooked her mother''s arm before she could approach the man at the bar. Something in the room had changed since they''d been in the kitchen. There was something dangerous in the emotions being thrown around. Chrystianna seamlessly went along with her actions. "Let''s have a drink before we go. After making tarts I''m a bit thirsty," Britiana said lightly and guided her mother to an empty table. Sariya came back from the kitchen. She glanced and noticed another woman sitting with Britiana who wore a similar glamor. She ordered three drinks at the bar and then brought them to the table. Britiana smiled, took one of the cups, pretended to sneeze and waved her hand, immediately setting up a magical barrier. If anyone glanced at them, they''d see three women chatting and laughing but have no desire to come disturb them. Sariya glanced at Chrystianna questioningly. Chrystianna returned the look. Britiana smiled. "Mom, this is Sariya. Her parents are from Undirheim. She was stuck on Thelessia after they died,¡± she informed, gesturing to her friend. ¡°Sariya, this is my mom. She finally came for me and Dari," she introduced with a proud smile. "Sariya is a good friend. She knows about me and Darius," she added. Chrystianna¡¯s eyes curved with her smile. "Hello, thank you for being a friend to my children," she said gratefully, reaching out to take the other woman¡¯s hand. Sariya returned the gesture. "It is I who should thank you for sending them to Thelessia.¡± She honestly meant that. When she met the siblings, she regained the hope she hadn¡¯t had in a long while. Britiana took a breath when Sariya took her hand back. A rare serious expression crossed her face. "What''s wrong? Who''s here?" she asked, facing the Eoduun woman. Chrystianna glanced at her daughter. Her children actually knew more about her than she did them. She didn''t know what kind of abilities they had, but she could tell that Britiana must be a powerful Empath. Her own empathic abilities weren''t very strong. Her skillset was telepathy and telekinesis. She could empathically scan a room if concentrated, but she didn''t have a natural aptitude. Just as she was about to, Britiana touched her arm and shook her head. Until Sariya explained the situation, they couldn''t rashly use active psionics. Sariya wasn''t surprised by Britiana''s question. She knew about her empathic abilities. "There are people surrounding the inn. I recognize some of their faces as merchants who''ve passed through lately, but they are no longer pretending to be merchants. I may have ignored them and just told Moira to be careful in case one of her customers brought trouble," she started to explain. This wouldn''t be the first time Tarrytown has seen trouble because of professional and personal grudges because of the frequent travelers coming and going. "But then I noticed that some of them were using equipment made from Dragons," she said. She glanced at a pair, a man and a woman, who sat at the corner table pretending to be traveling warriors who were also lovers. But they continuously scanned the room as if looking for something. They frequently looked in Raziel Voidstalker''s direction. With his unique looks, he was very eye-catching. He didn''t look like a native Thelessian elf no matter which angle they used. "Those two are wearing Dragon scale armor under their cloaks. I think they came for you and your brother," she said. Chrystianna''s heart stopped for a moment and her vision nearly turned black. Her extreme fear even momentarily broke her mental barrier and caused Britiana to gasp aloud at the sudden attack. Chrystianna quickly came to her senses and reinforced her barrier. She quickly apologized. Britiana shook her head. She understood her mother''s fear. Dragon Hunters decimated the Dragons of Emphyralis with a plague and attacked the survivors for nearly a century. The Dragon Hunters who attacked them looked human but were not. They were long lived, had technological means, and were fiercely brutal. Chrystianna looked at the pair. They looked human, were both tall and almost gaunt but strong. It was the tattoos on their faces and bodies that really gave away their identity. They were indeed the same Hunters they finally defeated only a couple decades earlier. "How did they know there were Dragons here?" Britiana wondered. Both she and Darius were always careful when transforming. But they were in their Changing period. If they didn''t transform regularly until they mastered the transformation, it would cause problems later in life. Chrystianna made a face. "They always know. But it''s strange that they appeared on Thelessia. Raziel chose this world because there were no dragons. The people here didn''t even have the concept of dragons, even as myths. There was nothing for the Hunters to be curious about. The magic system here also isn''t very powerful, and the technology is stunted. Even if people accidentally saw something strange in the sky, how would a Dragon Hunter know to come?" She hadn¡¯t sent her children away blindly. She and the Voidstalker chose this small planet very carefully. If anything ever went wrong, she wanted a place where her children would be the most powerful beings. The point was to save their lives, not put them in more danger.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "The only people who know about me and Darius are the gang that raised us and Sariya," Britiana said with a frown. She rubbed her forehead and thought for a while. The gang had been betrayed before. The lure of money can change hearts. One of their own got greedy, questioning why one of the best gangs of thieves in the world would simply redistribute the money they stole to the less fortunate. Why not keep it all? He''d stolen their latest score and run away, all the way to the western continent and eventually braving the Dark Forest. Eoduun weren''t the only things that lived in the Dark Forest. They''d caught him. But did they catch him in time? Dark Wizards also lived in the Dark Forest. It hasn¡¯t been known for a mage on Thelessia to be above second-tier in ages, was there someone among the Dark Wizards who''d made it to third-tier? Given the right rituals, powerful artifacts, and incantations, a third-tier wizard could communicate across time and space. Britiana shook as she thought about it. Seven years. Seven years was plenty of time for someone to contact the Dragon Hunters. Seven years was plenty of time for them to make their way across time and space to Thelessia. Especially once a beacon was set up. Then it was only a matter of time before compiling reports of any strange atmospheric phenomenon was gathered. A cloud appearing in a cloudless sky. Odd fogs in the forests. Eventually, there would be the news of two siblings who live in the woods and mostly keep to themselves. She took another shaky breath. "I have to warn Darius. If they''re looking for me, they may be looking for him as well," she said. When she carried them in her womb, Chrystianna had formed mental links with her children when their brains developed enough. But after sending them away, she hadn''t felt them in over twenty years. But now, she felt a long dormant twinge. She could feel her daughter reaching out to her son. Britiana whispered, but his link was closed. He only did that when he was in a dangerous situation. He didn¡¯t want his emotions to leak and make her worry. She closed her eyes, hoping he was just fighting mountain trolls and not Dragon Hunters. She opened her eyes with a sharp gasp. She felt a killing intent all around the tavern. "They are coming closer. Did they notice my barrier?" she asked. Sariya shook her head. "That tarty Vella was chatting with the man just now. I couldn''t hear what they said, but she made two facial expressions while talking. One she only makes when talking about your brother, like she can''t wait to eat his bones clean. And the other when she talks about you, as if she''d pick your bones clean to get you out of the way," she said. Vella was a server at the Oxhead. She was plump, pretty, and popular. Even in glamor, she always looked at Darius like she was hungry. She did not like ¡°Bittany¡± who she felt was in the way of her happiness. "She also glanced over here.¡± Britiana worried her bottom lip. She was on the cusp of being a fourth-tier mage, but she wasn''t there yet. She was only in her early twenties after all. Some high-level magic was beyond her. She couldn''t make them invisible or freeze time. At some point, Raziel disappeared. He must have noticed the barrier and suspected something was wrong. Chrystiana didn''t expect him to help her out of this predicament. The Hunters must be using some way to communicate. If she incapacitated them, would the others know? Britiana looked at Sariya. "Thank you for helping. If we get out of this, we''ll definitely come back for you, but you shouldn''t get involved in this," she said. Sariya shook her head. "I won''t be safe. They''ll realize I warned you. I''ll stay with you. You might need my help," she said simply. Britiana gave her a grateful look. "Mother, you''re experienced facing Hunters. Will a psychic attack work?" Chrystianna nodded. "But I''m afraid that the others will know," she said. Briti smiled reassuringly. She took each of their hands. "Now," she said. Chrystiana looked at the hunters with a grim smile. She reached out with her telepathic abilities before they could react and exploded a wave of mental noise so loud and debilitating that blood leaked from their ears and they fell to the ground. They were shaking and frothing at the mouth, revealing the armor beneath their cloaks made of metallic Silver scales on the woman and stunning iridescent Onyx scale on the man. Britiana pressed around the wall and pulled both of them into her embrace and said a deep word in Emphyralian Draconic ¡°Halahk.¡± They disappeared from their seats and appeared on the other side of the wall. They actually moved through space less than a yard. This kind of teleportation spell was a third-tier spell that was looked down on a lot. Moving through time and space was difficult without a medium and only fourth-tier mages could do it well. This spell that could only move things less than a yard was considered by other mages as nearly useless. Yet, at this moment it came in surprisingly useful. If Britiana didn''t know the layout and terrain of the inn and couldn''t psychically feel where the danger was and wasn''t, it would have been a disaster. They could have ended up in the wall, or on top of the Dragon Hunters. Outside the inn, in the dark cloudy night, they could hear exclamations from the Hunters as they ran to check on their companions. Chrystianna used her telepathic projection ability to silently communicate with both of them. The three women cast a quick silencing spell around themselves and began running. Chrystianna followed Sariya and Britiana, who seemed to know where they were going. They seemed to have a tacit understanding. They ran away from the inn and tavern in a particular direction. The Hunters came into the tavern where the staff was checking on the two who were having convulsions. A big man pushed a server out of the way to check on them. He scoffed. "Psychic attack. Disgusting. Silver Dragons," he said in a language that no one in the bar could understand; it was harsh and guttural. He looked around. He noticed three women chatting as if they were oblivious to the uproar in the room. He strode over to them and slashed a long fiery amber sword, and the illusion dissipated to reveal an empty booth. He cursed. "They used a trick. They escaped!" he shouted. "Ull. Treat Kith and Ontha. The rest chase!" he said and ran out. The other band of hunters followed, leaving only one person to feed his companion''s medicine. Modern hunters were bred to withstand psychic attacks from Silver Dragons. So, the condition of the two being so severe was very strange. Such a powerful Dragon''s brain would be quite a trophy. Ull thought about it and hurriedly injected the two from two syringes until they woke up. Kith and Otha were groggy but angry. They immediately dragged Ull to rejoin their party leaving the staff and patrons of the Oxhead in confusion. -- Britiana and Sariya weren''t running recklessly. They were headed for the homestead of the richest man in the town. He had horses. He loved horses and raced them in the city. He had five of them. Britiana and Chrystianna couldn''t fly, they''d be too easy to track by the Hunters. If anything went wrong, the Hunters had a way to keep a Dragon from regressing to their humanoid form when they died. It became common for Dragons infected with Plague to commit suicide in their humanoid forms rather than letting their bodies revert to their natural state to prevent the Hunters from grave robbing their body parts. They were only halfway there when the Hunters caught up. Despite the silence wrapped around them, they still left traces as they desperately fled. There was a harsh guttural shout and then the air sizzled as dazzling blue energy shots ripped through the air. They wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun them at this rate. Even though Dragons and Eoduun were hearty and quick, the Dragon Hunters had longer legs, and had been evolved to chase down fleeing Dragons. Chrystianna gritted her teeth and turned, holding up her hands and Manifested a domed shield from telekinetic energy. Though invisible, it glimmered with a light electric silver energy as the shots bounced off it. Sariya grabbed the bow slung across her back, crouched down, and watched the darkness. She was Eoduun, the night was like daylight to her. These things were walking targets as they ran toward them. One arrow hit their shots every time. Although they didn''t die, and ripped out the arrows on the go, it did slow them down. Of eight arrows she shot, she hit eight people. That was almost half the Hunters. At first it seemed that it had little effect. They even laughed and taunted in their language. They slowed down, seeing that the trio had no way to leave, or risk being hit by their energy weapons. They even put away their hot weapons and drew their cold weapons made of Dragon bones, teeth, or claws. Britiana was transferring some energy to her mother when they saw them. They felt anger but were helpless about it. If it comes to it, they''ll fight in full Dragon form. Suddenly one of those hit with an arrow staggered and grabbed their wound. Black smoke was beginning to float from their wounds as black veins began to spread over their body. Another one started staggering. The other ones noticed their companions'' abnormality. "What''s going on?" someone muttered. "Poison! What kind of poison is this?" Someone explained as they watch their poisoned companions turn ashen gray and their lips turn black. The Hunters paused. Should they take care of their companions or continue the Hunt? Their leader holding the amber sword spit. "There''s nowhere on this puny planet they can hide," he said. He made a hand movement, and the Hunters took their companions and withdrew. Chrystiana watched them go, but didn''t lower her shield. Britiana scanned the area. "They''ve gone," she said. Chrystianna gasped and let go of the shield. She almost fainted, but the sturdy Eoduun caught her. She smiled gratefully. "What did you poison them with?" she asked curiously. "Shadowbane. It''s an herb from the Shadow Dimension. My husband gave me seeds, taught me how to cultivate them, and make poison from them," she added with a cold smile. "They can try whatever antidotes they want. They''re dead," she said simply. She looked in the direction the Hunters retreated with a grim smile. "Well done, my dear. Shadowbane. I haven''t seen this in millennia," a magnetic male voice said, piercing the night. Raziel Voidstalker was crouching where one of the Hunters had fallen. He touched a blood stain and rubbed it between his fingers. Sariya was going to warn him not to touch it, but he only magically cleaned his fingers and stood. She was surprised. He just gave her a smile, flashing his fangs slightly. "Where to, ladies?" he asked. "We''ll go to Darius," Britiana answered. "Let mom rest first," she said. She pulled a stool out of her skirt folds and helped her sit down. She then pulled out a small bottle. "Here''s some wine made from a silvervine fruit. It''s not as good as dragonwyne, but it''ll help with the overdraft of psionic abilities," she said. She popped the cork and handed it to her mother. Chrystianna smiled and drank the soft but astringent, fruity wine. It did indeed help her overdrawn psionic pool feel better. It wasn''t as good as what was available on Emphyralis, but it would do. Despite her young age, she had a large psionic pool; comparable to a Dragon five times her age. But Manifesting was hard for her. Manifesting was the ability to use telekinetic energy to create tangible objects, like the barrier. Manifesting didn¡¯t come as naturally to her as telepathy and basic telekinesis. She had to push herself. The constant bombardment of the energy weapons helped drain her psionic pool. Britiana let her rest and then reached out to Darius. He answered quickly this time. she asked.